Hello everyone. Well it's been awhile since I've been really active with this group. The past few months have been very busy. We renovated our house over the summer and just in the past 2 months we sold the house, bought a new one, moved and also in between then I got a full-time job. Hectic has been my new middle name! Our move to the new house was horrific and there are still tons of unpacked boxes all over. Likely it will be a few weeks before things are unpacked and things look normal.
Why I am starting this thread is that I've decided that it is time to commit to some serious weight loss. I had joined a gym last year and was pretty faithful for several months going but when we started renovating the house I stopped going. Although I hadn't lost a lot of weight my strength and endurance were much improved. Since the summer my weight has crept up and I just feel physically unfit. I am frequently exhausted and lethargic. I got some bloodwork done with my physical at my dr's and my B12 level is down so I'm taking supplements but I can't blame my lethargy on anything except the extra weight I am carrying. I've been thinking about starting a new plan for awhile now but I wanted to wait until the move was over and things were a bit more settled. Well today is that day.
I have set up a little corner in the basement for my exercise equipment and I'm committing to exercise 30 minutes a day at least 5 days a week. I'll gradually increase the time but I want to start out slow so I don't get over do it and quit. Also I am trying to eat small nutritious meals about every 3-4 hours so that my metabolism stays up. I had a good protein shake this morning and my stomach is grumbling so I'm due for something now. My final goal is to drink more water.
I'm not doing anything radical or new, not following any particular plan, not counting anything, just trying to use some good old common sense.
I know there's a lot of people struggling right now, I think it is the time of year, it always seems to hit in the late fall that people have the hardest time of it. I'd be grateful if there is anyone who would like to post here with me, I'm going to keep a running thread so I am accountable and maybe we can give each other some support.
Sounds like a good plan. Sometimes I wish I had room here at home to set up a tread mill but I would probably not use it any more than I go to the gym. I know I need to exercise but just can't seem to get there.
Good luck with your new plan. You can do it. Just keep going one step at a time.
You got a good plan going there Jen. Just keep up the good work.
I'm like you Howie. I don't have room for a treadmill, but I probably wouldn't use it if I did. I have a rowing machine and a stepper and can't seem to make myself do either of them. I am just so unmotivated to exercise, but I have no problems changing what and how I eat. Grr.. What's wrong with me?
Hey all. Thanks so much for your support. I've had a pretty good day so far. My diet has been good, have had a big bottle of water and with all the tromping up and down the basement stairs trying to get this house organized I'm calling it my exercise for the day. My thighs are so sore!!!
I'm like a lot of you, have bought exercise equipment and not used it for whatever reason. In the last house I had my bike up in the living room and used it for awhile then it got put in the basement and it never got used. Our basement in the old house was very crowded and small. The basement in the new place isn't finished yet either but it is HUGE so there is tons of room to spread out my stuff. I have put down a 8 x 10 carpet and I've got my weight bench, my rowing machine and my bike down there now. I just took the bike down today. It is a recumbent bike and weighs about a million lbs, I can drag it across the floor and going backwards down the steps sort of thump, thump down each step into the basement.
Anyway it's been a great day, the first of many I hope!
How cool you can put all those machines in your basement and use them. I did have a stationary bike in our small one-bedroom apartment for awhile -- it served as a clothes hanger I'm sorry to say, so I gave it away and we got lots of extra space.
I head out for the gym these days. Good luck with everything.
I've tried dieting like a dozen time over the past two years, and this is the first time I've kept at it for more than a month. Yay! I think I might be over my hump!
Two things that help me this time that I'm doing different are:
1. Exercising. Before, I reasoned it was too much to focus on at once, so I just modified what I ate. For some reason I'm doing much better this time starting exercise and diet at the same time. I need to weight train too but... some day, on that. I guess it's either because my brain is registering another indicator of change, or maybe the exercise is an appetite suppresant, or possibly the fact that I feel healthier (I assume) than just diet alone. Or a combination. But it seems to be helping this time, cross fingers.
2. The second thing is I went to the doctor. The one and only time I lost 100+ pounds, I went to a doctor. Then it crept back on for emotional reasons, mostly, but going to the doctor was key, I believe. I actually don't think it's so much that going to the doctor for a checkup (and followups, in my case, every few months) helps with getting healthier, as it's a signal that I'm really in a state where I'm putting my health up as a priority and ready to make a change.
And then the third thing, which I always do, is join 3fatchicks, and read, and journal, and pop onto threads now and then. But I always do that. I'm trying to turn my mom onto the site now, she lost about 50 or 60 pounds, about 5 years ago, but 20 has crept on in the 5 years since. She's great on exercise, she even strength trains (go mom!), but doesn't journal. Recently she asked me about that, and where I track food, and I pointed her to FitDay and DietTracker. Doubt you'll see her in this Forum, but maybe there's a Fabulous Fifties group or something she could join.
Hey everyone. Well I had a okay day yesterday, the eating could have been better but overall not too bad. Better than what I am usually up to! Also I managed to do 30 minutes on the exercise bike and that felt great. I'm feeling really positive about what I am doing and I'm certain I will see results very soon.
Good for you, Jen! Keep us posted, even when things aren't going well (ah, that's the hardest time to post, yet the time we most need it). Although exercise has been going well for me, eating is a bit more up and down. But in the last couple of days I got my groove back, so to speak. It's frustrating to have those "lapses," but if we keep getting back into it instead of giving up, I'm convinced that we'll get to our goal.
Good for you, Jen! Keep us posted, even when things aren't going well (ah, that's the hardest time to post, yet the time we most need it). Although exercise has been going well for me, eating is a bit more up and down. But in the last couple of days I got my groove back, so to speak. It's frustrating to have those "lapses," but if we keep getting back into it instead of giving up, I'm convinced that we'll get to our goal.
Today was pretty good, my eating was okay, didn't indulge in any goodies and I did my 30 minutes on the exercise bike. I ended up having terrible abdominal cramps, like muscle cramps, don't know if that is from riding the bike or not. It was kind of weird but definately some kind of muscle type cramps. Anyway I feel like I am doing really well. Thanks everyone for their support!
If I overexercise, to me that means doing a lot of exercise all at once rather than building up to it, I get muscle cramps. Mostly it happens in my legs. I have to hold off on the exercise and build it back up again. I hate that. It's really painful too.
Starting Fresh
