I'm kickboxed out! Double class last night. First class was wicked, second class was more serene but I still did stuff to the best of effort!
Eating's not been too bad. I did have a banana protein bar which was nice, but left a horrible aftertaste to ride home with! I'm considering taking creatine, since I am off the scales at the moment. I'm still not sure though...
Susan, I've been thinking about your question of what I'd tell someone who asked how to lose the last few pounds. I think I would suggest they clean up their eating if they haven't already, increase their resistance training but not to compromise their cardio, and to put the scale away and concentrate on inches lost instead of pounds. In addition, I would tell them to take a little time to consider the progress they've made and revamp their overall goals. IMO, that is really important because now is the time that we can really see what is physically possible and we need to adjust our expectations accordingly. Otherwise, we'll be striving for something unattainable for the rest of our lives. Not to mention that now is the time to be honest about what you are willing to do for the rest of your life so that you can maintain what you've worked for. I know I'm learning that there is a difference between what I am willing to do NOW to lose weight and what I'm willing to do forever to keep it off. Somewhere there is a balance but I haven't found it just yet - I'm getting close though!
Okay, so it has become imperative that I get back to a truely committed exercise routine. I am really, really, struggling with this and have been for a while. I know what to do. I know what I would tell someone who is having the same problem. Not making time to exercise every single day is impacting my mood, my body, my attitude. The sad thing is that I don't even have any excuses. I've just gotten cocky and started taking how far I've come for granted. In fact, reading 2frustrated's post about losing inches made me think, "THAT SHOULD BE ME!" But, I'm right where I have been, if not a little squishier. And, quite frankly, that pisses me off - not in a beating myself up way but in the WTF! are you thinking way. So there it is. I sure hope it is true that admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. I think I'll go check the aerobics schedule for today (sadly, I used to know it by heart!).
Thanks Lucky! I'm so glad you took the time to think that through. It's very insightful and helpful.
I actually posted in the exercise accountability thread today and I think I'll go back to the Ladies Who Lift weekly thread too. Come with me? We really just need to buckle down, right?
I've been floundering lately. I've called it back-sliding ... binging ... time just getting away from me ...
But thanks to a nudge I got from Lucky and a thread I read by Mrs Jim ... I've come to realise that my problem is complacency.
I'm somewhere in between "figuring out how to start" "finding what works"and "maintaining".
I'm not at goal but heck this is pretty good ain't it? I'm here in my x-small jacket and size 6 jeans. I've lost 30 lbs oooh aaah give me a medal. I don't need the folks who want to pat me on the back. I've been doin' it myself.
So, if it's going to be hard to lose the next 9 or 10 lbs ... maybe I just won't bother.
I can always replace the size 3's and 4's in my closet.
I don't even need to fear the old regain 'cuz I got the losing thing figured out, right?
That's all the complacency talking. It's not the strong me.
The strong me knows that cardio and weights aren't hard ... they're hard to start. The strong me knows I choose what goes in my mouth and when. The strong me knows that at 122 lbs I looked good, felt good, had some definition starting and fit in all my clothes.
I'm wallowing in this vacuous space of I'm no longer fat but I'm not fit either. Even the complacent me knows that's not good enough.
Uh, Susan, you just read my mind. It is complacency that has me starting and stopping every other week. I've been out refinishing all this furniture and it has given me some quiet time to think. Just a minute ago it occured to me that my problem isn't that I make excuses not to exercise or that I have any reasonable obstacle keeping me from it. I just flat out don't want to do it. I don't want to make the time, I don't want to think about a routine, I just don't want to. What my mind wandered to, though, was that wanting or not wanting to exercise really has nothing to do with whether or not I choose to. Just like at 214 pounds I didn't WANT to cut back calories or get off the couch. It was just the only way to get to where I wanted to be so I did it. I have been falling into the mindset that where I am is good enough because it is so much better than where I've been. Since when was good enough acceptable? I mean, that kind of thinking is what allowed me to justify getting all the way to 200+ pounds. I don't want to be good enough - I want to be at my best. It is the whole reason I started losing weight more than a year ago and it is the reason I must continue on whether I WANT to or not.
Gaylyn? I don't know. It might be some cosmic alignment of things. You look good, feel good. Clothing fits without special undergarments. Whatever you have to do to maintain is doable ....
I refrained from saying 'when it's easy to stay there' because it's easy to stay here.
Gaylyn, I can't answer your question but I can tell you what my experience has been. I started out thinking that 135 was going to be awesome. I had been that weight before and was happy there. But that was a long time ago, 135 wasn't the same at 37 and after 3 kids. I knew that I would want to lose more but I took some time to maintain and think about what it is that I want and, frankly, what is attainable at this age and point in life. I haven't drawn all of my conclusions yet but I'm getting there. One thing that I have decided for sure is that I will never have the body that I WANT but that doesn't mean I can't love what I have and work to make it the best it can be without compromising my overall lifestyle. I have to accept that I am not going to be a gym rat anytime soon, even if it would get me the body of my dreams. I have three small children that have no intention of cutting time with just so that I can be "cut." Maybe one day I will be in that place but, for now, it has to be about balance. Like I said before I've let complacancey throw my balance off but I know what to do to get it back - I just have to do it.
Anyway, I guess that was the long way of saying getting to where you want to be is a lot more complicated than the number on the scale. And it does take quite a bit of thought. I sort of think it is one of those things that we know once we get there (but I could be wrong!). We have to be flexible too, because what we want and what we can have will surely change as our lifestyles do. We'll probably have to rethink these things every few years!
I've been pondering these things a lot lately, too, especially since I've been doing most of the right things and still am not seeing a loss (in fact, even gaining a slight bit, although that seems to be under control now). I must admit, though, that when I compare my habits now to the ones when I was losing like gangbusters, voila - I HAVE gotten somewhat complacent! The big difference for me lately has been exercise. I've still been going to the gym 4-5 days a week, but had sort of lost my gumption for getting up in the morning and going. I know it sounds silly that it would be that different, but this week I've committed to going in the mornings again, and it's made a HUGE impact! There's just something about the discipline of getting up in the morning to go, whether I *feel* like it or not (lucky!) that makes me feel more energized to make the right choices the rest of the day. I honestly believe it's better for me emotionally as well, as I have more energy and just feel better about myself when I've gotten it out the way. It's a little thing, but fulfilling that commitment to myself as the first thing I do in the day makes the whole struggle a lot easier.
Also, this week, my husband has been out of town, and my eating has been SPOT ON. I realize that I'm going to have to be more forceful about making better choices for dinner (my danger zone during the day) and not let what he wants be an excuse to do what I want at the moment, which frequently means eating out. I have learned that I just don't control my portions as well when I eat out, and I can't log properly since I don't know the ingredients.
Those were my big a-has this week. It hasn't made a difference on the scale (I still think the generic birth control pill is messing with my weight), but it's made all the difference in the world to my mindset.
Thanks, you guys, for giving me things to think about today!
OK I've thought about it ....
I'm somewhere in between "figuring out how to start" "finding what works"and "maintaining".
That's where I am. Oddly enough, I'm maintaining when I'm not trying to. I've hit 139 and I've stayed there. Granted, it hasn't been a LONG plateau or anything, but if I'm eating only enough calories to try and lose more but I'm not losing, I'm wondering if I'll have to eat this calorie amount (between 1200-1300 calories a day) forever just to stay at the weight I am now. I was kinda hoping to be able to up my calories to maintain when I hit goal, but heck, I'm maintaining NOW.
I have just recently found my motivation to lose the weight that I've let creep up on me the past 4 years. I've always had to watch my calories and move if I want to stay thin. 5 years ago I even got down to a size 2 (I was about 115 lbs) and was exercising every day. I know that a size 2 is too small for me, but I'd be thrilled to get back into my 5's and keep my weight around 125 or so.
About 5 weeks ago I accepted a 3 week trial at Ladies Workout Express which is similar to Curves. This kind of jump started my motivation. I've since joined and been going 3 times a week and making sure to include at least 30 minutes or more of cardio in addition to the circuit (which really isn't hard enough in my opinion, but if I add in the hand weights it seems OK).
I've also started following the weight watchers program again and am in my third week (I'm a lifer but haven't been to a meeting in a while). This morning when I got on the scale I was down to 135 from my starting point of 140. YIPPEEEE!
I've set my short term goal at 129 which I want to attain by April 29th when I leave for 12 days in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. I will be spending most of my vacation snorkeling and hiking which means lots of bathing suits and shorts and I WILL FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT!!! The long term is to get back down to 125 and tone up to the point where I don't jiggle anymore (lol).
Anyway....just wanted to say hello. I've enjoyed reading your posts...you're all doing GREAT!!!
I'm considering taking creatine, since I am off the scales at the moment. I'm still not sure though...
