Hi All,

I this is my first post, and I would love to be part of this group!!! I'm not a runner, though--but I admire all who are. I am cold all the time, so we certainly have that in common!!!
I am very interested in reading Thin For Life and would welcome the January discussion!

After a lifetime of meal skipping, poor eating, lopsided dieting and desperate fasting, I decided that I had to make a complete change. I lost 65 lbs. in 10 months with a balanced 1200 cal diet and moderate exercise!!! I have been maintaining for 7 months and want to continue for the rest of my life. I know it won't be easy, but am committed to my new lifestyle!!! I gave away all my old clothes, so if I do gain I'll have to go naked, because I'm not buying bigger!!!

UGoGirl: Welcome! No need to be a runner--we all have our own approaches to exercise here. Congrats on your loss and your successful maintenance!

Having said that--side stitches when running: I get those when I push too hard. I cure them by sucking in the gut for a few seconds (like someone is taking a picture), and then backing off the pace a bit. If I don't ease up enough, the stitch will come back. What constitutes pushing too hard will vary somewhat from day to day.

Ilene: qualifying for most marathons merely takes a check made out to the organizer in the correct amount! Boston is different--I'd have to run in 3h 45m. Not going to happen for me any time soon. I run 10 min miles on a very good day, if I'm running downhill and the wind is at my back. Usually I'm closer to 11 or 11:30 miles, which puts me quite solidly in the 5h marathon range. At least I'm hoping!

I've got to go haul myself over to the runner's thread in the exercise group and spare you all this stuff! But I'm just SO excited about DH!

Being cold: the first winter after I lost the weight, I was FREEZING! It was just so unpleasant and I'd wear several layers of sweaters, jackets, etc. This year has been much better, and I'm merely chilly. I'm hoping it improves more.

My trip got cancelled!!! Very happy about that.

It sounds as if everyone who runs is doing very well. Congratulations.

Last weeks food and exercise was very good for me, but not perfect. But then its never perfect. Oh well. Good enough is good enough. I am hoping this coming week will go as well. The next Christmas party is this Friday so I'll have to go over my strategy for that one and remind myself I'm going for the people not the food. ...the people not the food... ...the people not the food..........

Today I got alot of things done here around the house. The most notable are the 60 rose cuttings I started, and the two flats of pea seeds sown (sugar snaps and snow peas) that will go into the garden hopefully in January. I intended to sow some lettuce but forgot. I plant the seeds in small containers so I guess I could still do that tonight. Or not. I am really excited about growing a very extensive veg garden next year now that I am back consuming mass quantities of the things. Anyone else grow vegetables?

Donna, you love birds, can I send you an egret? Recently there has been one terrorizing my koi. Its gotten at least one baby so far, and the others have been mostly hiding the past few weeks. They came out for dinner tonight so I know all the adults are still there.

Jan

Jan, your mention of 60 rose cuttings brings back the fondest memories ... when I lived in So. California, I had approximately 50 rose bushes, and I could count of fresh cut roses from about March all the way through Thanksgiving. Oh, how I loved them. I tried growing roses here (in Indiana), but it wasn't very successful. However, I have found solace in day lilies, perenials and bulbs.

As I mentioned yesterday, my board meeting last week was a total success. I packed a number of snacks as planned, and then life threw me a serendipitous curve. I ate a somewhat larger-than-usual breakfast, and then drove to Indy. By the time we got the setup finished, I just had time to race down to Subway and get a chicken sandwich and an apple. Polished them off, and was pretty filled up. That, too, was a somewhat larger meal than I might have eaten at one sitting; however, it took me through the afternoon.

During the afternoon sessions, two things happened. First, I was full, and second, I realized that anew every time I took my attention inward when I told myself to breathe. Second, I reminded myself that grazing at the snack table would not make the afternoon sessions go any faster. And so the afternoon passed.

By the time dinner rolled around, I was pretty hungry -- almost dangerously hungry. But I'd already determined that what I would do is eat the salad AND have a dinner roll as soon as they were served, which I did. That put a dent in my appetite and I relaxed. And then, joy of joys, dinner came, and it was a broiled chicken breast with potato and green beans. The sauce was on the side, and I was able to push it away. I ate the whole meal, and felt just great. It was easy to skip dessert.

So, what I learned on Thursday is that sometimes eating three larger meals is not a bad strategy for me. Also, I realized that I do better when I make sure I've combined carbs and protein. Sometimes, an all-protein meal doesn't stick to my ribs. I tried it again on Friday: I ordered a really good breakfast from room service: poached eggs, wheat toast, Canadian bacon, and grapefruit juice, and I ate 2/3 of it. Took me through the entire morning, right up to lunch when I had yet another full meal.

My friends, I've come around a major corner here. I really have to give a lot of credit to "Fit From Within," which got me thinking in a whole new way. And to all of you, who encouraged me to visualize and strategize. I've realized that for me there is not one "one way" to do this; that I have to stay flexible and I have to stay alert. I think it's yet another variation on the all-or-nothing frame of mind. I'm now applying all of that to day-to-day routines, and it's making a HUGE difference. I've come to a new peace with maintenance; like Mrs. Jim says, it's getting easier. At least, it's easier today and that's all I need to focus on right now: today.

Cheers for now!

Thanks for letting me know that being cold is normal for now. I haven't owned long johns in a few years but I guess I'm going to have to think about that this year. Oh well.

Today is my "on" day for working out so I'll be trying to stay more hydrated all day AND try the "picture suck" if/when the cramp pops up. Then again, I may just do the elliptical! :-)

You're all so great! I think part of being successful is not always what you do, but how you think and plan. Becoming aware of how other people are really eating or what's in the food we (used to) love can be a real eye opener. There are days when I just want to be "normal" but I'm starting to realize that normal isn't what it used to be and it's a bit skewed now. My CNP told me that pasta portions at Olive Garden are about 10 servings rather than 1.

Have a great day!
Brenda

I am bad, I was planning to run on my lunch break but decided not to due to the freezing rain. They don't clear stuff in the East end like they do downtown so I don't want to kill myself running. I am doing 12KMs tomorrow though so that should plenty make up for that. As for food I did a good job yesterday so yah me! I even had pistachios without going overboard. I am also drinking more chai and green teas... Yummy (for taste).

Only me: I am doing the Resolution Run in Ottawa. The travel bag is worth the price of the race.

Ilene: I am not sure if I could do a sub 5-hour marathon yet, but I know I could do a sub 5.5 hour one, so in 2006, I will do the National Capital one. I'll just do the 10K on the NCM weekend and the half at the Ottawa Marathon in October (it isn't as nice as the ING National Capital one, but should be good for doing a half marathon). The limitations for Marathons usually only occur at the really huge ones. I think the ones in Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa and Toronto don't have qualifying times.. I hope that doesn't change either.

My brother is driving up from Montreal (he actually lives in Vancouver but is visiting)this afternoon to move some stuff in to my parents new digs (which are in Ottawa, but they haven't moved yet. I'll make sure to make good choices at dinner.

Cheers!

Ali

Hey Jan -

As inelegant as it might sound, a physical barrier of some sort is about your only solution to the egret problem. They love fish and a koi pond is, well, like shooting fish in a barrel for them (bad pun but apt). If you have a spare window screen that will cover your pond, use it to cover the pond for a couple of weeks. Just cover the pond with wire mesh of some sort (I should think anything from chicken wire to hardware cloth will work) and secure with weights so that it doesn't blow away or the bird can't nudge it out of the way. If the bird can't reliably get food there anymore, he will move on to better hunting grounds. That's not to say that once you uncover it again, another bird won't find your pond. But you will get rid of the current individual.

And, while I don't mean to be one of those people who don't provide a straight answer, if your koi pond has been there a while, I would think more birds than just the egret are using your pond. I am sure your local resident songbirds bathe and drink water from the pond. Potable water is more important to the birds than food, just as it is to us. If you block access to the water for the egret, you block access for all the little birds, too. With winter coming on and the birds struggling to find standing unfrozen water, water is more important now than in summer actually. If you have a birdbath or would be willing to provide a temporary birdbath, it's no problem, of course. A temporary birdbath could be a simple as a foot tub or a big bowl with a sturdy tree limb propped in it to provide a perch from which to bathe for the little birds.

Just like in so many things, including weight maintenance, it's all about balance - the egret vs. the koi vs. the songbirds.

Donna: How do I get rid of the gaggle of Canadian geese that have permanently moved into the pond at the end of my street and are fouling it, terrorizing neighborhood children, dogs, and small cars? We actually tried "stringing" the pond a few years ago, but that didn't work I'd like to keep the blue heron, though

Mel

Much as I like the look of Canada geese, they certainly are a problem in urban areas. I used to like to run at several parks around Seattle when I lived there - had to be careful not to slip on mess, and sitting on the grass - even with a blanket - was impossible. Ewwww. If you do a search for Canada Geese Problem you'll come up with as many solutions as there are cities facing this problem!

Minneapolis tried a controlled "hunt" with the meat going to food shelves in this area, but animal rights people didn't appreciate it. There are times when my kids are afraid to walk down our street because the geese (they'll be gaggles of up to 50 sometimes) will just spread out.

I can rent you my puppy! He LOVES chasing Canadian geese! Actually, he loves chasing everyone, who moves, and he loves it even more if moving body produces a sound! And imagine I have to train him to NOT to chase moving objects! He-he!

Today is my first day in this forum and I introduced myself in a separate post. I too have been cold since losing weight - but then most of my life I've always been cold natured. (No lawyer/reptile jokes please - I hear that enough from DH). About 2 months ago my husband joined Jenny Craig with me (I joined in July of this year) and has already lost 27 pounds. For the first time in his life (he's 49) he is suffering from cold and bellies up to the fireplace every chance he gets. I'm sure it's due to the weight loss.

I'm interested in any suggestions you may have regarding an exercise routine. I've been doing the Leslie Sansone walking tapes at night 5 times a week since July which has included some very light strength training (as part of the Sansone tapes), I walk 20 minutes a day at lunch during the work week and until it turned cold here I was walking 1.5 miles in my neighborhood 2-3 nights per week. I'm sure that helped with the weight loss. But I'm getting bored with this routine. I've never been a person who enjoyed sports activities and I REALLY, REALLY don't like to run or ride bikes. Any suggestions as to alternate activities? I had considered indoor rock climbing but that's not something I can do on my own. It's hard for me to go to a gym - I have a two hour commute each way to work and by the time I get home, it's late. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks.

Hi Indiana Robin and all,

My Mom was born and raised in northern Indiana and I still have lots of cousins there.

I am glad your board meeting when so well. I read in Thin for Life that a successful weight loss effort (including maintaining forever) is a series of little steps where we learn along the way just as you report.

You said: 'grazing at the snack table would not make the afternoon go any faster.' Each time we eat when we are not hungry we are asking the food to do something for us: Give us pleasure, make the time go faster, distract or calm us, etc. I have to remind myself to ask what I am wanting the food to do when I want to eat when I am not physically hungry, and then give myself what I really need instead of automatically using food for non-food solutions. I think I am going to have to put a note on the frig to remind myself about this one.

You also say: 'I've realized that for me there is not one "one way" to do this; that I have to stay flexible and I have to stay alert'. Very profound. Sort of like living everyday life.

Early this morning before breakfast I was feeling simply weary of eating less. I was thinking how much more pleasurable it would be to just go for it and eat whatever I 'really' wanted. Forevermore. Then I reminded myself if I really wanted to give it all up and stop eating less, I could stop that very second. I just had to first answer if that is what I really wanted to do. And the answer was a resounding 'no!'. I do have a totally free choice about continuing to eat less or not, but I would have to accept the results of either choice. And gaining weight is no longer an acceptable option. As they say, it was a moment. Another little step.

Thanks for the pond suggestions Donna. I have 2 small contected ponds. The smaller one has the remaining 10 baby koi in it, and I did cover it afew days ago because the egret was returning daily. It is a very pretty bird. This pond I have kept covered on and off with a piece of metal fencing for afew years having lost fish before. My other pond is too large to easily cover. But it does have very good hiding places for the fish. When I was digging it I tried to figure out how to cover it to deter preditors, but realized I couldnt easily and that birds were part of nature. That is why I kept 11 'back up' offspring of my larger fish just in case anyone got eaten. While I would hate to see anyone eaten for dinner, especially those that eat from my hand and have names, I understand I cant prepare a natural setting complete with plump fish and expect other members of nature to not be drawn to it. The pond has had visits from racoons, rodents, snakes, coyotes, a deer, great blue heron, an owl or two, as well as all manner of smaller birds. (And one of my cats has fallen in twice. He was new and thought he should be able to walk across the water plants.) I totally enjoy seeing them all (except for the snakes). I also keep a bird bath outside a side window for me to watch birds from inside the house. As to freezing water, I live in an almost frost-free location.

Jan

Elaine- The only tapes I've ever used are the Tae Bo tapes. Quite a workout. I've heard others talk highly of the Cathe Friedrich strength training series. Here's a product review of her "Pure Strength" series:
http://exercise.about.com/library/weekly/aapr102201.htm

You might find some other ideas on that site. I didn't poke around for too long. I've been training clients lately with sets of resistance tubes and a stability ball. If you don't have the space or want to make a weighty investment in dumbbells, that might be an idea to look into. I'm sure if you check the site above, there are some resistance tube videos or cd's. It would certainly change up your routine for a while

For those of you who travel quite a bit, resistance tubes are very light and packable. You can get quite a good full body workout if you are inventive

Mel

Q: how do you know when you’re done eating breakfast? A: when the little kitten who’s sitting in your lap sticks her paw in your bowl of oatmeal and chocolate protein powder! Computer time, as well as meal time, is challenging (shall we say) with a little kitten who sticks to you like glue. She managed to shut down the whole computer by walking on the keyboard yesterday – fortunately I didn’t lose anything important. No complaints here though … she’s just the cutest little thing ever and she loves to cuddle. DH said he came to bed last night and she was curled up on my pillow right by my ear, purring. I wish I could remember what I was dreaming about! Today is Day 9 of the amoxicillin and though she’s still whistling when she breathes and coughing, she’s quite lively and eating like a horse.

Congratulations, Anne! I love reading about your races – your joy and excitement just radiate off the page. Don’t ever worry about boring us!

Robin – my motto for maintenance is – whatever works. Seriously, if it means taping up the cookies or throwing away food or being ‘selfish’, I’ll do it. Keeping the weight off is too important for me to screw up; I couldn’t care less what other people think of all the demented things that I need to do to maintain. This is MY life and I feel like I’ve been given a second chance, so … whatever it takes.

Huge congratulations to you for sailing through the board meeting unscathed!! You must feel like you slayed the proverbial dragon! And please, please add your book recommendations to the Maintainers Library sticky for now. We’re going to do some housekeeping and reorganize the whole Maintainers forum for the New Year and should have a separate section for books then. For now, put them in the Library so we don’t lose track of them.

Pat the Water Rat – glad you joined us here. Believe it or not, I remember you from my WW days back in 2000 when you were pretty active here at 3FC. You were quite an inspiration to me then and I know you can get back to goal. Thanks for sharing your story – the more I read and hear about weight maintenance, the more it seems like something changes to cause weight gain: a death, illness, move, or big life change. Sounds like that’s just what happened with you – the injury and new job. I know how comfortable I am now in my routine and how it would throw me if anything major changed. I don’t know if there’s much more we can do than to simply be aware of life changes and the havoc they can bring to our weight loss/maintenance and try to adapt to them.

Welcome, UGoGirl! And … you go girl! (sorry, couldn’t resist ) Congratulations on the weight loss and maintenance! Boy, do I hear you on not buying bigger clothes! I absolutely will not ever let myself get to that point – I think that’s one of the lines in the sand that I wouldn’t cross. Keep posting – we’re glad you’re here!

And another big welcome to Brenda (mom2w) and Elaine (lawshark)!

Jansan - Yes, yes, yes! Love it! Wise words indeed.

Time to plop the kitten on the floor and do something useful. Today is Leg Day at the gym so I want to be super-productive before I go - then I can be a slug when I get home.