Hi There
I am new on this thread. I am from KS, married,a caregiver,grandma and have one dog, a Bichon named Sammy who rules the house, he thinks.

I am trying to lose 40 lbs and trying the Flat Belly Diet from Prevention, go to thier site to check it out. So far so good.

It is cold here today after 60 something yesterday. I am ready for spring and summer. Ready to go to the pool and be with my friends here at the complex where I live.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day,
Shrl1

Hi, shrl!

Glad to see you here!

Jay

Hi Shri. Good for you for making a plan. We are here to help you stick to it. Several of the ladies here have great weight loss. Me I am just getting started.
But I am finally going in the right direction.

Here is a stability test from the Dr OZ book. Stand on one leg with your arms raised out to the side. Now close your eyes. and how long before you lose your balance?
A 40 year old should make 15 secs and a 30 year old 30secs. Did not have a goal for a 50 year old. I lasted 2 secs and I think it should be longer than that.
Also said it was a good exercise to practice.

Thank goodness it is Friday. I am so going to enjoy this weekend off.

Have a great weekend......Jude

Did you ask her why she felt you should strengthen those first? I guess, I am always "twenty questions...." with people? I think it is my inner child who is always asking "Why, why, why???"

I began Pilates last fall but I have suspended my working out the past couple of months. I enjoy exercise and I have tried and done everything imaginable in the past. I do think my core has always been weak even when I was a skinny kid.

On a sidenote: I have read that one reason why seniors (of course none of us would qualify for that, right?) fall is because their muscles, including core which hold everything in place, are weak and they lose balance easily.

Just a thought. Hope the gym suits your satisfaction.

Today Mother Nature is trying to replace some of the snow that she melted yesterday.

Hi SHRL . . . to the group.

COUNTING . . . How do you find that Swiss Army Knife is for taking care of those fleas and skitters?

With my eyes closed? . . . JUDE you've got to be kidding . . . I only lasted about 5 seconds with them open

Nothing exciting in my world . . . eating is still not great; but a lot better than yesterday. Not much exercise either -- other than the time I just spent trying to figure out a better way to stand on one leg.

shrl -
While I am not following the specific diet, I did read the article in Prevention. I try incorporating MUFAs into my diet, though not necessarily at every meal.

Jude - that exercise is harder than it sounds. WITH my eyes open - NP - with them closed - 17 seconds. And I attribute that to lots of mountain poses with softened eyes. If I didn't do my yoga breathing, I lasted about 8 seconds.

Pam - I use a pilates video a couple times a week. It uses a stretchy band. When I first started I could only do about 80% of the routine. I have finally mastered the more difficult exercises. I'm working on form now. I really think it has helped me a great deal with core strength. I never really thought about it before I started this journey. While "core strength" seems to be a buzz phrase these days, I do believe that there is much truth in those suggestions that we need to maintain it as we age.

Linda - Why those critters are so impressed with my skill and resourcefulness that they just bow down in awe (NOT).

Well, we decided to buy a ''good" rice cooker as our Valentine's Day present to ourselves (how is that for a rationalization to add another "gadget" to my kitchen?). We vowed that we should buy something "healthy" to celebrate the day. I must say - that so far - it was a good choice. I think I am in love with the thing! It made the most wonderful rice pilaf today. I threw in all of the ingredients, set the timer before I went to work. It finished about 15 minutes after I got home. I stir-fried veggies, added some MSF chick'n strips and voila - supper was ready And the rice was amazing - PERFECTLY cooked and nicely chewy - yum!

I hope you all have a wonderful POP weekend!

Good morning! I'm up early trying to get caught up.

I think the core exercises could be very helpful. But what I'm trying to do is lose weight, and my experience shows me that I need to do resistance training with weights as well as cardio workouts to get there. Oh well.

Took me about 7 seconds to fall over with my eyes closed, jude! Maybe I ought to rethink...

Of course, I've been going to the gym for a week now, and managed to go up a pound on the scales today. It's a good thing I know that is pretty common! Grrrrr.

I'm off to a Buddhist gathering around noontime--part of the New Year celebration in Tibet is a "tenth day" practice, and today is that day. It includes food. We're taking dolmas--rice wrapped in grape leaves--from our favorite Greek place. I might eat ONE.

Enjoy!
Jay

Good morning -

Yesterday I finally got in two long walks of an hour each, for some 19500 steps. That's important to me because I've lately been using a busy schedule to justify skipping exercise .

What do you guys recommend for strengthening my core? I've been resistant to core exercises, in favor of other resistance stuff where progress is measured in neat pounds and reps. My attempts with core work, say the plank and the superman exercises, just remind me how weak my core is - they don't give me that warm feedback that adding one more rep gives me.

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Completed Beck Program-day 42. You’ve met your goal. Congratulations!

Wow -- the sun is shining -- just reminds me how boring my life really is when I can get sooooo excited about something this mundane.

Have a great moving and shaking day, gang . . .

Hello meowee and BillBlueEyes!

Bill, I'd say look into Pilates work. It's useful to have a teacher for this, because the moves have to be done right. I have a friend who swears by Pilates. I'm busy with other things, as I mentioned, but I may get to it one of these days.

Another alternative, from some years ago, is Callanetics. These moves are based on dance moves, and they really tone up core, deep muscle groups. You can get a book and probably tapes on this--not sure.

I learned over a year ago that "busy schedule" is no excuse. I simply put it on my calendar and that was it. I figured that I could spend an hour and a half each day on exercise, even at my busiest. For me that was a half-hour walk in the morning, and 45 minutes at the gym, with 15 minutes travel time. Worked for me! Went 5 or 6 days a week. (3 days, then break.)

Jay

I am one of "those people " who like to switch my weekends to " plan it as I go" since I feel my work week is so structured.

I haven't exercised since Thanksgiving. I decided to take some time off because I was over-exercising and it was really wrecking havoc with my food plan at the time. I was so ravenous all the time that I was going over my daily target points. Now, that I have switched to a different food plan which does NOT require exercising for it to work, I have also been at a standstill on that as well. I enjoy exercising but I thought if this Dr says I don't have to exercise for this food plan to work, maybe I should take him up on it! Strange 180 degree turn around for me!

I did a lot of walking in bitter cold temps last week. My shins hurt from the knees down to my ankles. I had to take a lot of Tylenol PM at night and lay spread eagle on my back so I wouldn't aggravate those sore "whatevers".

I will resume my usual workout this coming Monday although I am not sure how compatible it will be with my new low carb food plan. I will let you know how that works out.

I was just reading the maintainance threads here and I am sooooo envious. I just want to be a part of that group sooooo badly!! I am sooooo tired of losing and gaining and losing and gaining the same 20 lbs over and over and over.

It is time that I rededicate my efforts to being more consistent---no matter what!!

You heard it here first!

Hello all - hope you are having a wonderful weekend

Jay - glad that you are enjoying your new gym!!! It really helps me stay on plan when I try new/different exercise routines. I hope you find a trainer or patron to help you answer any questions you have about the equipment. You deserve to get the most you can out of your membership!

I hope you had a wonderful day at your celebration. DS spent a semester living and studying in a Bhuddist monastery in India. He has the most amazing stories from that experience

Pam - I have been lurking in the maintenance forums as well. I have successfully lost weight in the past, but eventually, it has found me again. I'm really doing everything I can to learn about maintenance so that this time will be different.


I really do like Pilates. And yoga. Both are helping with my flexibility and core.

I made brown rice in the rice cooker tonight. I used Trader Joe's Carrot Ginger Soup as the liquid, and added organic mushrooms. It was very good I'm thinking that this was a really great gadget to add to my kitchen - probably even WORTH the little bit of counter space it occupies

Freezing rain for us tomorrow - so it will probably be another day of getting things done around the house. Much needed, but not terribly exciting.

Another day of sunshine for Northern Nova Scotia . . . I'm delighted . . . it's really cold, of course, but I'm going to buddle up and take myself for a walk in a little while.

Hope things are good for the rest of you . . .

Jude - No way. ZERO seconds. Didn't help to open my eyes either.

Hope you all are having better weather than we are. Freezing rain all day - ugly.

I'm feeling like a couch potato today. The weather has me down. That and the cat that refuses to leave my lap

I'm still a bit sore from my Tae Bo workout yesterday, so I am declaring today a true day of rest and catching up on some reading and the like.

I started some bread in the breadmaker, and lentil soup in the crock pot, so the house smells wonderful. It is helping lift my spirits a bit. I'm thinking a nice bubble bath with my newest copy of "Yoga Journal" might be in my evening plans.