This group is for those dealing with the challenges of being fit when you have a significant amount of weight to lose which becomes harder after age 40. If you're an old or new friend and not over 40 and feel this is the place to post, jump right in!
I am working from home today, so I am posting before my day gets too crazy.
I am in a good space, although work is stressing me out (as usual). I always wanted to be a teacher, but life intervened and I ended up in the IT/business world which most of the time does not mirror ANY of my values back to me.
Heather, your class schedule sounds interesting! A good variety. Do you still do research too? Does teaching a "study abroad" course mean that you are going to study abroad soon?
Angela, your class schedule sounds interesting too! That early american literature course sounds cool. When I think of that period of literature, I think of Samson Occom and early stuff about the indians, or the Salem witch trial/Puritan stuff. Ben Franklin is fun to read too. Which sub-genre is your favorite from that era?
Singe, I think its great that you are shopping for yourself and planning for your plan. I find that weighing and tracking my food really helps me. I am using Weight Watchers Online but all the calorie counting trackers are just as good.
Deb, going from 5 year olds to new borns sounds like it will be a big change. How many kids do you have in your daycare at once?
Thank you! Sometimes the scale can seem like it's not reflecting hard work...I like the threads that have non scale victories in case that happens! My plan is to do some measurements too so I can have something else to work on, also.
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Originally Posted by dgramie
singe_ hi and welcome!!
Hello back! I'm lucky enough to live right near a lake, which is a great incentive to walk around. The not so great part is that I'm on a mountain on my state's peninsula, and while in my opinion there's no place half as gorgeous, we have lots of weather systems. I've set aside a budget to get something for cardio in the house in that case (bike, treadmill maybe) I'd rather go outside, though!
And I love working with younger children, it was a choice of mine to go back to school to become a specialist in that age group. Some of my students who miss the K cutoff will be in the program for three years, and it is soooo hard to transition them, even when I know the family has grown so much with us and they're all ready. (my program sets family goals as well as child education ones)
Still, babies bring an amazing energy in with them, you'll be needed!
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Originally Posted by authentic
Singe, I think its great that you are shopping for yourself and planning for your plan. I find that weighing and tracking my food really helps me. I am using Weight Watchers Online but all the calorie counting trackers are just as good.
Good morning back! It's amazing the kind of destruction work related stress brings with it. I find a pattern happens where I don't eat all day and when I finally go it's like a release and I make bad quick decisions like fast food, because stress is also fatiguing.
Going into a new program year I know that planning ahead will be really important. Also, I'm deciding on a WW option for myself, due to distance I think there will be a time that a support group/socializing will be necessary.
Also, I became a teacher because I knew most of my life growing up that's what I wanted to be. I've done an amazing job and loved every minute of it, never understood the second career thing some people do: and now I find myself re evaluating what's next. I've applied for some graduate programs and am still figuring out what's next. I turned 40 in May and that birthday was a doozy, I would never guess a number could also be a significant life chapter!
Have a wonderful day, ladies: may you have some sort of victory today!
Singe -- What's driving the job change -- are you excited about it??
Laura -- I have led a study abroad program -- to China and Japan in 2004. I teach the course because my research interests are around cultural issues. And yes, I do research too, and advise 20-30 students and am heavily involved in what we call "campus citizenship". My job is about a lot more than just teaching...
You may have mentioned being in IT before ... that's the area my husband is in. He moved from engineering to IT and works to install large software systems.
Debbie -- Sorry to hear about the peppers, but I hope you get some tomatoes to enjoy!!
My garden is a bounty right now. I picked 5 cucumbers, 1 squash and a bunch of tomatoes (mostly cherry) this morning... there are peppers out there as well... and probably some beans... I should check that out...
Singe -- What's driving the job change -- are you excited about it??
Hmm, where to start: truly, the daily impact of budget shortfalls, unfunded mandates, and the reality of what monetary decisions have done to programs is driving the change. I'm very used to funding issues in this field, but the extent and impact it now has on educators who do what I do really has changed.
One example: I currently have job expectations and responsibilities that 3 years ago were performed by 2.5 staff members. I really am superwoman but I cannot sustain a model where I have that amount of job creep, etc....especially when one of those staff members used to have an MSW requirement (which I certainly do not have) and because I love this so much and believe in it, the last two years were incredibly destructive to me. I've done an amazing education role spectrum and don't wish to go back to anything I've known before.
So I'm looking at administrative mentor positions while I go back to school: I have 4 job scenarios happening right now and that's a first! I just have to figure out what I want to apply my smarts to next as a student the good news is now with online and cohorts you don't have the scheduling/commute factors that I had in my 20s! I'm looking at environmental ecology, imagine me exercising my scientific brain!
And if all goes well I can still be involved in the lives of children who have exceptional needs, just not on the same overwhelming scale. I've looked at the CASA program, etc.
So becoming healthy to me right now means lots of things, mental, emotional, cognitive, and physical. Maybe I can connect all the endorphins to keep me energized! Because yes, I'm excited, go me!
Wow, lots of changes... and I can understand how the budget issues have significant effects, and our children pay for it (not to mention the people working with them).
Hey, all, just a quick hello this evening. We walked WAY too much today, and I have a very sore foot, so tomorrow we'll get the car out of the valet parking and drive where we want to go, and save the walking for our time at the museum. Here's hoping that one day off will have my foot back to normal. (Eating was good once again, and once again I was able to have dessert at dinner. We could see that they were TINY desserts, so I didn't even share but had my own itty-bitty very tasty dessert, and still I'm way below my calorie count for the day. One more reason to like vacation.)
(Laura: I don't really have a favorite genre, but my research has mostly been on women writers. This course will be a departure for me that way, and I hope will help me into some new reading and research areas.)
Wow, lots of changes... and I can understand how the budget issues have significant effects, and our children pay for it (not to mention the people working with them).
Yes...I'm glad it's summer vacation so I can work on the different job possibilities! It's kinda neat to me that at any age your life can have all new chapters. And hopefully I'll get to volunteer in the future somehow.
Today I bought lots of produce, I was thinking of those of you who've been talking about your gardens! Next year I'd like to have a container garden and am thinking about herbs at least. I have an unused double deck on the second floor of my house, and there are only 2 lonely mint plants there! I love homegrown tomatoes.
Vortex-mini desserts are the best, to me a really beautiful single bite can be enough!
laura- I keep 3 kids normally. Thats our states limit for inhome daycare. I will only have 2 as of right now for the next school yr. I am so blessed to h ave GREAT parents to babysit for.I am blessed to have a sibling to one of the boys Im sending off to school. We are hoping the other mom gives us exciting news soon of a new baby for them also soon.
singe- I love babies so its always fun. I will also have a 18 month old so nothing is more exciting than watching them discover the world.I will have a busy next few months. I have gone from crayons and puzzles and actionfigures back to baby swings and bottles.LOL
heather_ i picked about a dozen tomatoes yesterday and will have a few more today. I will enjoy them. Already planning on blt salads for dinner tonight.
angela- rest your poor feet. Way to go on staying POP!!
Laura -- I don't have a lot of space and some of my tomatoes are in containers. They don't get as big as the inground tomatoes, but I definitely get some!!!
Less walking today, but still a good dose. Foot was feeling okay, but my thigh muscles are achey and I have a mild case of shin splints. Feels good to have some aches that aren't debilitating!
Wow, I hate to talk about wonderful food, but it's soooooo nice to have decent restaurants where I can make good choices. Had a terrific Indian dinner tonight. Not sure what we're doing with ourselves tomorrow, but we have one more day of vacay, then it's back to cooking for myself!
Ruth--Hope you had a great visit with the gg-baby!
Everybody else--Hope it was a good day, and have a great Wednesday!
ruth- I dont have to ask if you enjoyed your visit because I know you loved every second of getting to hold that precious new baby.
angela- have fun on your last vacy day.
heather- hope everything turned out ok on your mammogram.
I did good yesterday but I think i had a bit too much sodium. I will watch it closer today and increase my water alot.
My scales are being stuborn...but I know Im at a set point on them. I have weighed this many times before.
300+ and getting fit after 40 #289
the good news is now with online and cohorts you don't have the scheduling/commute factors that I had in my 20s! I'm looking at environmental ecology, imagine me exercising my scientific brain! 
