In addition to losing weight by watching what/how much I eat, by adding exercise into the mix (walking, light weights, some cardio), since 12/28 (when I measured for the first time) I have lost 2" from my bust, 3 inches from my waist, and 3 inches from my hips!

I'm not talking about killer workouts here, either. I'll be 54 next week, have a sedentary job, and, with a few attempts at exercise which failed because I tried to do too much too soon, have been a confirmed couch potato for years. I now use the weight exercises in Miriam Nelson's "Strong Women Stay Young", which take a half-hour or so twice a week. On other days, I do the abdominal exercises in Dr. Nelson's book, and have dusted off our old stationary bike to do some cardio. (I started small--3 minutes!--and have worked up to 20 minutes twice a week.) I babysit my grandson (age 1-1/2) Saturday afternoon thru Sunday afternoon, and he gives me one heck of a workout as well!

I think what has worked best for me this time is that I started out with small, do-able increments, done on a regular basis, gradually increasing as I went along. I have a lot more energy, and it's just easier to move around!

On that note, it's time for me to do just that!

Good for you!!!

AWESOME! Keep up the good work!

Fabulous! Good work! And thanks for bringing 'the magic mix' back to our attention.

Congrats!

Good job doing some exercising! Did you mean 12/28 of 2005 or 2004? YOu've lost 3 inches in 3 days?? That seems pretty amazing to me....

keep up the great work!

Yes, I mean 12/28/2005. On 12/28 a.m., I measured 44-43-54. On 12/30 a.m. , 44-43-53. This morning, it was 42-40-51. Same tape measure, same time of day. I *think* I did the math right!

That's not to say the loss is going to continue at this rate. (Sighhh.) I suspect I'm still losing water weight, which accounts for the rapidity of some the loss. But it's still a loss, and it's tremendously encouraging.

The best part, tho', is the energy boost and increased flexibility from exercising. That's not to say I go skipping happily to the weights, bike, whatever! Because of my schedule, I exercise after work. There are many days that I drag in the front door just wanting to flop down on the couch and bemoan my exhausting life.

The big challenge is just getting started! Sometimes I bribe myself--"if I do the workout, I get an hour of reading/bubblebath/whatever." Something that has worked really well for me is playing the soaps I recorded earlier while I work out. (Yes, I watch soaps. I think the addiction has been passed down through DNA in the female members of my family!) Once I get started, I can always make it through the workout.

Strange as it may sound, once I finish my workout and cool down for a bit, I've got energy to knock out some chores, or even GO OUT. (For years, when I closed the front door behind me when I got home from work, the outside world ceased to exist for me.) Must be the same principle as priming a pump.

Thanks for the kinds words, everyone!

I rounded stuff off in the last post. I found the actual paper I wrote the measurements on, and I think it still comes out the same overall inches.

Dec. 28 Bust: 44 Waist 43 Hips 54
Dec. 30 Bust: 43-1/2 Waist: 42-1/2 Hips: 53
Jan. 1 Bust: 42 Waist: 40 Hips: 51


I'm off to add a few columns to my weightlifting log so I can keep accurate track of the inches. Every bit of encouragement helps!

Awesome! Keep it up... see just a little bit of change can bring results, Fab!
~Heather~

You are doing a great job! Isn't it amazing? I remember seeing my measurements go down being like the first time I'd ever ridden a bike by myself. My dad let go of the back of my banana seat and when I realized I was on my own I just kept screaming, "I"m doing it! I'm doing it!" Then, of course, once I'd gotten the hang of it I wondered why on Earth I'd ever been afraid to take my training wheels off. I've had the EXACT same thoughts as I've lost weight.

Good job! Seeing your mesurements go down is the best!