[AnAbsoluteDiva]

Howdy folks,

I've been a member here for some time (don't remember how long but I'm sure it will show up somewhere once I post this message) and did rather well with Calorie Counters. I went from 154 pounds to about 140, although that stinking scale of mine loves to move up and down as much as the Stock Market does.

Let's just say that an hour ago, the thing registered at 140.4 pounds. If my sliding scale doesn't say that, it's because changing the silly thing is more work than it's worth some days, and I'm SURE the silly scale will catch up to the slider eventually.

Anyway, back to why I'm here...

I am training for a marathon and honest to God, I will be the first woman in history who will GAIN weight training for a marathon.

My marathon is January 25 in beautiful, sunny Miami. I'd like to get there and peel off some clothes. I don't think it's going to happen.

I have ANOTHER marathon scheduled for April 19 in St. Louis and who knows? Maybe with a little luck, I'll have lost FIVE WHOLE POUNDS OF FAT in the time it takes me to train for TWO of these ridiculous races.

But this is the KEY date! May 24. I absolutely must be down to a 119-pound weight, with nothing bulging (except for boobs) or bouncing (except for boobs).

I recently stopped smoking and even if stopping smoking does mean a slowed metabolic rate, it doesn't matter. I can't let something like that stop me. I just have to work around it.

So here is where your help is appreciated. As I said, counting calories yielded great success, but in the real world, I am not going to be toting scales and measuring cups and spoons around. I need something practical that doesn't announce to the world that I am watching my food intake.

Someone suggested Weight Watchers.

Flex or Core?
Meetings or Online?
Subscribe or Read the Manual?

In case it matters, I am 5'6, 49 years old (in a couple of weeks), run four days a week between 20 and 40 miles per week, weight train three or four days a week, and bike once or twice a week.

Also, this isn't a matter of "muscle weighs more than fat". I know it's fat. I can jump up and down and see it move like a big ol' bowl of Jello.

I am posting this on the Flex board as well to get some input from those folks as well.

I thank you in advance for your help!

Three weeks, one day, 16 hours, 40 minutes and 7 seconds. 453 cigarettes not smoked, saving $147.51. Life saved: 1 day, 13 hours, 45 minutes.

[suitejudyblueeyes]

Flex or Core? - Depends on what you think you will stick to! If you are looking for portion control and counting, go Flex. If you want to eat primarily from a list of foods and limit some of your carbs, while not counting or measuring things, go Core. It's kind of a personal choice that no one can make for you!

Meetings or Online? - I am a fan of meetings, but again, if you don't have money/time for them, online is fine too. People who go to meetings have been shown to lose more weight over time and keep it off, but that's just anecdotal.

Subscribe or Read the Manual? - Subscribe If you subscribe (meetings or online) you get all the up-to-date information as it becomes available, plus you get tools you can use on a daily basis - points calculators, activity points calculators, graphs, charts, food lists, etc. If you just "read the manual" you risk having incomplete info or out-of-date info. Then again, that works for a lot of people too, so it is up to you.

The only thing I would say from the outset is that since you exercise so much and so intensely, start out by eating every activity point you can get your hands on. Try eating as much as the plan allows for from the start, and if after a couple weeks the pounds don't shift, drop it little by little. The balance between input and output is a tricky one to strike, and will be vital for your success both for weight loss and exercise.

Good luck!

[modkittn]

Originally Posted by suitejudyblueeyes

Flex or Core? - Depends on what you think you will stick to! If you are looking for portion control and counting, go Flex. If you want to eat primarily from a list of foods and limit some of your carbs, while not counting or measuring things, go Core. It's kind of a personal choice that no one can make for you!

Meetings or Online? - I am a fan of meetings, but again, if you don't have money/time for them, online is fine too. People who go to meetings have been shown to lose more weight over time and keep it off, but that's just anecdotal.

Subscribe or Read the Manual? - Subscribe If you subscribe (meetings or online) you get all the up-to-date information as it becomes available, plus you get tools you can use on a daily basis - points calculators, activity points calculators, graphs, charts, food lists, etc. If you just "read the manual" you risk having incomplete info or out-of-date info. Then again, that works for a lot of people too, so it is up to you.

The only thing I would say from the outset is that since you exercise so much and so intensely, start out by eating every activity point you can get your hands on. Try eating as much as the plan allows for from the start, and if after a couple weeks the pounds don't shift, drop it little by little. The balance between input and output is a tricky one to strike, and will be vital for your success both for weight loss and exercise.

Good luck!

I agree with every word!!!!