Welcome to a whole new month here in Maintainers! How on earth did it get to be October, with barely a glimpse of September? I feel like my whole month was spent traveling – first to Arizona for vacation and then to FL to help my MIL pack up and sell a house - and now even my normal routine feels odd. And my cats don’t recognize me.
But I’m happy to report that I’m only up one pound with all the eating and exercise challenges -- and there were some bigtime challenges. I was stuck in an ‘over 55 community’ in FL and their ‘fitness center’ was a few pieces of cardio equipment and a bunch of chatty old guys. When I showed up on the first morning (iPod and water bottle in hand), I was informed by the ‘regulars’ that Mary Lou rides the bike at 7 am and Betty Sue gets the elliptical before she leaves for Meals On Wheels and basically was nicely told that the equipment was all reserved. Great. But I managed and also did some things with their small DB collection that they had apparently never seen before (tee hee).
Food was tough too, especially when DH and I were traveling in the Navajo Nation. Lots of Navajo fry bread and tacos, not so much grilled chicken and steamed veggies. I was struck by the tremendous rate of obesity on the reservation, but I guess it’s not surprising once you learn how hard it was to survive – how much sheer physical labor it took – less than a hundred years ago. Nowadays the food hasn’t changed but the lifestyle sure has. True for the rest of us too, no?
But I got by without too much damage and it’s wonderful to be home. I have one more trip left, but it’s just a quickie to a client conference in Tucson with DH and then I should be home all the way until the holidays.
So of course I’ve been inspired to make some lists. Three months left in the year, end of the year approaching … it’s a scenario just crying out for goals, don’t ya think?? Mine are focused on a major house purge, finishing my shoulder rehab, and ideally losing ten pounds (I say ‘ideally’ because I just don’t know if it’s possible). Catching up on sleep would be good too.
How about the rest of you? Are you as bad as I am with lists? Can you pass up a nice new legal pad without planning out the rest of your life? Any goals for the end of 2006?
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On a different note, I had a stress test last week, my first ever. The cardiologist who supervised the test and I was talking (since it took forever to get my heart rate up where he wanted it to be due to all the cardio I do) and I wanted to pass along his concerns. He himself is 67, in great shape, and does cardio every day.
He says that heart disease is still the #1 killer of women but that we women aren’t doing nearly enough cardiovascular exercise. He says that our focus is all on dieting and losing weight and we’re losing sight of the big health picture. Diet is a piece of the puzzle but so is exercise and if our goal is to live healthy lifestyles, daily exercise MUST be a part of it.
He talked about women he sees who are my age (51) and normal weight but who can’t last on a treadmill more than a few minutes without hitting their max heart rate. Their whole cardiovascular systems are deconditioned and prone to disease. Yikes!
So I asked him about those controversial government exercise recommendations that came out last year – remember, the 60 – 90 minutes per day for weight loss and maintenance – and he heartily endorsed them in the strongest possible terms.
He was passionate enough on the subject that I’m passing his message on to you … a healthy lifestyle includes more than healthy eating; it also includes big doses of daily exercise, for basic good health and as a way to defeat the biggest killer of women. Let’s take good care of our hearts, ladies!
Off my soapbox …. we’d love to hear from everyone, old and new – what’s going on in your world?
Hi everyone. Meg I bet it does feel great to be home again.
Not much new here. I am maintaining pretty well, a couple bad choices the last few months that took taking a couple lbs. back off. I'm staying around 142 lbs. for right now. Would love to see 2lbs. off by the end of the yr. I am wearing the new leg brace and am starting to get more and more movement of my toes. I am able to get around better. My focus has been mostly on watching my food closely and I'm looking forward to being able to walk more soon. September just flew by for me too. My next appt. with my hepatologist is on DEC. 29th and he is doing lipid profile and I will be glad to find out if my cholesterol and triglycerides have improved with my weight loss. I am glad you posted about the cardio, it is what I try to get a lot of. I can't wait to be pounding the treadmill again. I was up to an hr. a day/ 6 x a week just prior to getting hurt. I am going to restart slowly and build back up .
Hope everyone is doing great. I'm off to my MIL's to do a day of yard work for her.
Hi everyone. I got a treadmill yesterday. So far i loves using it went a mile today. I been maintaining now almost a year at my weight of 140. This week though i did weigh 136. Did that ever shock me. If you told me three years ago wi would weight in the high 130s to low 140s i would of look at you and said what the heck are you smnoking or drinking. How is everyone doing with maintaing. I wants to excerise that why i got the treadmill but all the same don't want to lose anymore.
Hi Lisa Congratulations! And keep using that treadmill!
September was an up and down month for me also, but the general trend is back down. Health, family and job issues (hahaha, that's called LIFE) made it a difficult month. I'm basically where I want to be, but it's always a struggle.
I no longer make lists or plan my life, Meg. No, a nice blank legal pad inspires me to draw pictures of how I'd like to re-arrange my master bath, or at most make a grocery list. Planning my life just seems to tempt fate too much.
We are almost through birthday-anniversary season here chez Mel, but sneaking up on HOLIDAY season! Yeesh....I need to start training for a mythical marathon or something!
He says that our focus is all on dieting and losing weight and we’re losing sight of the big health picture. Diet is a piece of the puzzle but so is exercise and if our goal is to live healthy lifestyles, daily exercise MUST be a part of it.
So this goes along what I was reading this week in - of all places - Oprah Magazine. Her topic for the month is aging, and there's a good article on exercise at any age.
If there's a magic pill for staying youthful, it may be one that's hard to swallow: exercise. Daily doses have been proven to thwart a number of aging factors—stress, obesity, heart disease, diabetes—and the longer you're physically active, the less you'll notice getting older.
The catch is that a 50-year-old's body is not the same as a 20-year-old's; you can't push it the same way you once did, nor should you if you want to keep it in working-out order. So listen to these coaches—they're talking not just professionally but also firsthand—on how to remain fit, and proud of it, through the decades.
It lays out a general guideline for each decade - which includes both cardio and weights . The one for 50's is here http://www.oprah.com/health/omag/hea..._age_104.jhtml (and you can get to the other ages from here) And finally at the end of the 60's, they have a great analogy... The sooner exercise becomes like brushing your teeth, the longer you'll feel younger than your years.
I'm happy to say that my exercise routine is more in the 50's range than the 60's (I'm 61.75 ) and I intend to keep it that way!
Good morning and happy October everyone.
Although I'm very happy with all the lifestyle changes we had in September, I'm unhappy with my bod! poor old thing ... even my skin is icky!
So October's goal will be to find my new center for balance.
I did a little self improvement shopping yesterday ... hair stuff and a new skin care regimen.
My food is improving but I need to keep it that way for more than two days in a row. I've got into the nasty habit of ignoring fitday. If I'm not eating well, I just don't go there. Denial???
So focus ... right? Focus.
Ah, October, yes girls how time FLIES ... I really can't believe how fast the whole year has gone by...
September was a month of changes for me too... New job with a 40 minute commute each way, I never thought in a zillion years that I would ever do that, the only up side is that we are getting a new car because the van is such a gas guzzler that we needed something more gas efficient.
I've also reviewed my food plan and am adding new tricks that I hope will work, such as drinking cranberry diluted in my water, daily psillym (sp?), hot water and lemon in the mornings ... maybe it'll help maybe it won't who knows...
On the exercise front all is good, I certainly do the recommended amount...
Thanks for the articles girls, I love reading all about health...
My DD is now 1! We had the big birthday party last week, and her grandparents are now on their way home. We had a great time, got thoroughly spoiled, and ate chocolate cake.
Yesterday I did my triathlon. It was a very tough course, got up to 100F and I managed to get through it.
This week is for catching up and a return to normalcy as I switch from a diet of cake, gatorade and sports gels, back to something like real food. I'm staying off the scale for about a week--my weight always balloons right after a big race like that, especially a hot one where my electrolytes get so far out of balance, and I just don't want to see that right now.
Hi everyone! I'm back after a couple months away from 3FC . . . Life has been pretty hectic! Some of you may remember I had problems with my wrists -- well, I had surgery on one of them a couple weeks ago and it is on the mend, and the other is scheduled for later this month. Hopefully after that plus some more treatments I will be free of wrist pain!
The past couple months have been a big challenge for me in terms of exercise. I haven't gotten any really in quite a while (it's been probably three weeks since my last workout) and I feel awful about it. It's just one medical problem after another! First my wrists, so no more weight lifting. Then my knees started aching so no more running. Then they ached even when I was on the bike, so I laid off for a little while. Right when I was picking up biking again I had my wrist surgery, and with my wrist wrapped up not only could I not grip the bike handles, but since I wasn't supposed to get the dressing wet I didn't want to sweat all over it. And of course I came down with a nasty cold as soon as they took it off, and it's pretty difficult to exercise with a head and nose full of snot.
Anyway, I'm hoping to do SOME exercise this evening. My eating has been okay (not great, but certainly nowhere near as bad as before my lifestyle change), so I am still at maintenance weight, but my body composition has changed due to the lack of exercise. The last time I was trying to exercise I ran a teeny bit and was shocked at how out of breath I was so quickly. And to think it wasn't that long ago I was able to jog (slowly) for over an hour! I felt like I was back in high school where I was always the last person running and I couldn't even make it one lap of the track without having to walk because it felt like my lungs would explode.
So, my goals for the rest of 2006 are:
1. GET SOME EXERCISE
2. Don't "indulge" more than once a week.
3. Get my wrists and knees healed up finally.
4. Limit posting on 3FC and other websites to when I am at home, not at work (like right now...oops!)
Good Morning Maintainers!
Once again, I've been MIA. I was posting a little on the nursing/pregnancy board but it's just not the same! In any case, I have 4.5 weeks left of pregnancy and I'm feeling well. I've gained 36 pounds and I'm proud of that since I gained 60 with my son. I'm guessing I'll put on 3 or 4 more, I'd like to keep it around 40. I'm so excited for the baby to arrive, I'm washing clothes and setting up the bedding today!
Wow, everyone sounds like they have been very busy. Welcome home Meg and good luck with your goals. I'm sure you're in tip-top cardiac health.
Congrats on the new job (& new car) Ilene!
Mel, I'm with you, I haven't been setting up big goals lately, just taking it day by day, planning my meals and keeping it clean. Sometimes that just works.
Anne, I really can't believe your daughter is already one. Congrats on your triathlon, you inspire me. I hope I can get back into shape relatively quickly after my baby is born. I stopped exercising about 2 weeks ago, but until then I was fairly consistent with 30 minutes of cardio 3-4X per week. I haven't lifted any weights though, and boy what a difference, my arms look like jello and I cannot stand it. Thank goodness it's long sleeve season (finally).
Hello to all other maintainers. Have a wonderful day.
Things are fine in my neck of the woods. My eating and weight are good but I need to focus on my exercise.(I think I post this every month).
Good to hear from everyone.
Anne congradulations on the Birthday of DD, as well as the triathalon. Two big occasions to celebrate.
Anne great job on the pregnancy weight gain. Let us know when baby arrives.
Ilene we missed you around here. Now we know why.
Ilene, I was told about the 100% cranberry juice (2 oz to 20 oz water) but also to add 1 serving of stevia. Stevia makes it sweeter (with no added calories) and is supposed to help you break any cravings for sweets. You just have to be sure you get 100% cranberry juice (don't get "cocktail" or any juice combinations).
Hi everyone, I got new bifocals yesterday and am trying to get used to them. My new leg brace is working great for me. An hr. of shopping yesterday and I was feeling fine. I plan to take a short walk outside tonite with my DH and DD. I am getting around better and my gait is starting to look and feel almost normal.. I just totally feel better now. My scale is down 2 lbs. and I'm at 140 today.
Oh gads, I hate the whole bifocals thing! I get a crick in my neck when I'm at someone else's computer with the wrong angle, and here a work (in a library) I absolutely cannot read the books/spine labels on the bottom shelves without getting down on the floor nearly level with them - not a pretty sight!
Glad your foot is feeling better Lily. Funny how we miss exercise now isn't it?
I've been bouncing between weightloss forums and maintenance.
Can't say I have a really good grasp on the maintenance thing.
Seems whenever I loosen the reigns things get carried away.
Had to nip 3-5lb gain in the butt.
Doing a lowcarb thing that gets my cravings under control - so far so good.
Maintainers - October Chat!
I feel like my whole month was spent traveling – first to Arizona for vacation and then to FL to help my MIL pack up and sell a house - and now even my normal routine feels odd. And my cats don’t recognize me. 
Any goals for the end of 2006? 
…. we’d love to hear from everyone, old and new – what’s going on in your world?
Congratulations! And keep using that treadmill!
and weights 
) and I intend to keep it that way! 
... I really can't believe how fast the whole year has gone by...
maybe it'll help maybe it won't who knows... 
It's just one medical problem after another! First my wrists, so no more weight lifting. Then my knees started aching so no more running. Then they ached even when I was on the bike, so I laid off for a little while. Right when I was picking up biking again I had my wrist surgery, and with my wrist wrapped up not only could I not grip the bike handles, but since I wasn't supposed to get the dressing wet I didn't want to sweat all over it. And of course I came down with a nasty cold as soon as they took it off, and it's pretty difficult to exercise with a head and nose full of snot. 
