# Kindler Losers (as in Pounds) Klub!



## Cuechick

hi y'all,

I am the heaviest I have been in a long time, I weighed myself this morning and I am not a happy girl. I lost about 50 pounds a few years ago
then broke my arm and now I have gained all but 9 pounds back! The good news is, I joined a gym (actually my local YMCA which is nicer than any gym I have belonged to before) and had been going but only sporadically. I am committing to going at least 5 days a week and I also keeping track of my food. I found a great tool for my iPhone called "Lose it" you just put in your weight, goal, age and then log in your food and exercise and it calculates it. It is also free!
You can also do that at some sites, I have tried myfooddiary.com, which is the exact same thing, except it cost money, I think 9.99 a month. I do think there are some free ones out there...

I thought there might be some others who would like to make this winter a time to get into shape, rather than an excuse to eat and hibernate (which I could easily do) and having others support is always helpful. We can also share tips, kindle diet or exercise books and even recipes.

I also find the show the Biggest Loser (which is on tonight) can be motivating.

My goal is to lose 40 pounds and then another 25! I am trying to cut out refined sugar and white flour as much as possible and fried food. 
I just really want to get fit and have more stamina. I play pool competively and have a big tournament in May in Vegas. I know I play better when I am thinner and exercising regularly, so by May I would like to reach my first goal, or close too it.

All right, who's with me?


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## pidgeon92

I think this is a great idea!

Right after I make tonight's General's chicken, and finish the leftovers from Thanksgiving....


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## Angela

I think it is a great idea, too! Larry has been trying to get me to join some type of club or gym for months! I will be traveling the next 2 weeks, but after that I will begin to find someplace to work out!


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## Guest

Angela said:


> I will be traveling the next 2 weeks...


*calls the upholstery shop to order extra padding*

Looks like I'll have a busy two weeks. Enjoy your trip.


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## Angela

Bacardi Jim said:


> *calls the upholstery shop to order extra padding*
> 
> Looks like I'll have a busy two weeks. Enjoy your trip.


Not gone completely... will have laptop!!


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## Guest

Angela said:


> Not gone completely... will have laptop!!












Curses! Foiled again!


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## Vicki

I think this is a great idea. I did the exact same thing you did and I really want to get the weight back off.
How can we make this work for us


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## hazeldazel

that's a great idea!  I have been working on losing weight too, I have lost about 60 pounds in the last year.

Here are some helpful things I have learned so far:
1. Join a gym if at all possible, make sure you check out gyms before you join so you know it's a gym you feel comfortable going to.

2. Get a scale that tells you your weight, fat % and hydration, so you know if you're losing fat or muscle.

3. Even if you're not a morning person, try going to the gym before work - you'll be full of energy all day and won't have to worry about blowing off the gym cuz you're too tired, working late, whatever.

4. DON'T just do cardio - make sure you do weightlifting too!  More muscles = faster metabolism and stronger bones & joints!

5. Eat 6-8 times a day so your bloodsugar doesn't get too low and your body doesn't go into catabolic mode (fat storage mode)

6. Eat lots of lean protein, leafy veggies and whole grains.  Limit white, processed foods.  

7. Learn what the correct portions are.  This includes how many calories, and correct proportion of proteins, carbs, and fats.

8. Once a week have a treat day!  Your body will adjust to fewer calories so once a week eat an extra 400-500 calories to keep the weight loss going.  Plus, you won't feel so deprived of your treats that you fall off the wagon.

Good luck!  You can do it!


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## Cuechick

Angela said:


> I think it is a great idea, too! Larry has been trying to get me to join some type of club or gym for months! I will be traveling the next 2 weeks, but after that I will begin to find someplace to work out!


A lot of hotels have gyms, so be sure to check that out. If you make the effort while your traveling you'll be more likely to follow through when you get back.

I agree about investing in a gym or something... maybe a WII Fit. The last time I lost weight I just started walking in my neighborhood, which is very hilly. The only problem with that is, as soon as the weather turns cold I wimp out. Now, I have no excuse, + they have TV's attached to the cardio, which really does make the time fly. I decided to join the Y because they have a pool and it I love to swim. I also think it is a little cheaper than a private gym with the same amenities.


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## Vicki

my hubby and I have a habit of dropping change into jars and stashing said jars until they are full.
I just cashed them in and ended up with 687 bucks. We talked about buying ourselves a Wii and I think 
we should add the Fit package to it. I have heard they are a blast and I would love to add it to the 
workout routine.


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## Gables Girl

I could lose 20 lbs. so count me in.


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## Cuechick

Vicki said:


> I think this is a great idea. I did the exact same thing you did and I really want to get the weight back off.
> How can we make this work for us


Maybe with everyone who commits we agree to check in at least once week with our progress, good or bad... and post as much as you want in between. If your having a hard time that is a good time to post!

Pictures of progress are also a good thing! I may just take a before pic (though I may wait to post it till I have made some progress)


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## Vegas_Asian

i think I found a new excuse to get myself an iphone!!! I have a gym membership that my parents bought my brother and I right before we graduated (a four year membership) and the only time I used it was the month before prom. Then don't get me started on my wii fit


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## Vicki

Vegas - is there something I need to know? As in save my money


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## ScrappingForever

I have been working on this since this past June (when I tried on a bathing suit and was horrified by what I saw in the full-length mirror!) Since then, I've lost about 20 lbs, which comes out to a pound a week, which is the perfect way to lose weight.

Mike and I use the Beachbody fitness videos. I can't recommend them highly enough. We started with one calle P90, which is a basic get-yourself-into-shape routine. It lasts 90 days, and it spells out exactly what you should be doing each day. It starts with basic routines, teaching the moves, then about half-way through the 90 days you switch to the second set of videos which ramps up the reps and the intensity. This prevents plateauing and really get the weight moving. It has both cardio and weight-training elements, so it is the perfect work-out. You can check out their products here: http://www.beachbody.com/jump.do?itemType=HOME_PAGE

Mike and I have also dedicated ourselves to clean eating, which is basically throwing out all of the junk food, getting rid of anything with refined sugar or flour or that deadly high fructose corn syrup. We pretty much only eat organic foods that are lean proteins and complex carbs. Mike, of course, lost 25 pounds in the first couple of months. Jerk.  I am on a much slower path, but that's okay. A pound a week is fine. If I keep on this path, I will reach my goal weight in March, which happens to be the month I turn 45. My goal is to be the hottest 45 year old on the beach! 

Anyway, count me in!


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## Gertie Kindle

I was going to buy a Wii with the Wii Fit for myself for Christmas, but I bought Little Gertie instead.  

I'm not so much overweight (maybe 5-7 pounds) as I am in terrible shape.  Walking is the best exercise, but walking makes me dizzy, so that's out of the question.  I want to try the Wii Fit before I buy it because I don't want to invest $250 plus the Fit add-ons if I'm going to have the same problem.  

My biggest problem with weight gain is that I have to take a nap every day.  If I eat lunch and then nap, I put on weight.  If I nap first and then eat lunch, the weight starts coming off.  

Weight loss isn't a problem for me.  What I need is an exercise program that won't cause me to lose my balance and crash into the nearest wall.  My walls don't like that.


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## Angela

Octochick said:


> A lot of hotels have gyms, so be sure to check that out. If you make the effort while your traveling you'll be more likely to follow through when you get back.
> 
> I agree about investing in a gym or something... maybe a WII Fit. The last time I lost weight I just started walking in my neighborhood, which is very hilly. The only problem with that is, as soon as the weather turns cold I wimp out. Now, I have no excuse, + they have TV's attached to the cardio, which really does make the time fly. I decided to join the Y because they have a pool and it I love to swim. I also think it is a little cheaper than a private gym with the same amenities.


I already have the Wii... maybe the Wii Fit will be a good investment!


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## Cuechick

gertiekindle said:


> Weight loss isn't a problem for me. What I need is an exercise program that won't cause me to lose my balance and crash into the nearest wall. My walls don't like that.


Do you have a YMCA with a pool near you? Most offer a water aerobics which I think might be great for you. If you fall over you
just float!


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## Gables Girl

I just need to walk every night rather then sitting here reading the Kindleboards.  If you see me on between 7 and 8 tell me to get off and go exercise.   I just am not a morning person and can't get up that early to do it before work.


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## Gertie Kindle

Octochick said:


> Do you have a YMCA with a pool near you? Most offer a water aerobics which I think might be great for you. If you fall over you
> just float!


That sounds perfect. Even if I don't float (never could get the hang of it), someone is sure to pull me out. The nearest Y is too far away for me to drive, but I think we have a community pool. I'll check for water aerobics classes.


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## Vegas_Asian

Vicki said:


> Vegas - is there something I need to know? As in save my money


I think its just me. I hate people watching me work out and the wii is in the living room. (then when i go to the gym I go really late at night) So when I do use my wii fit, my family is usually not far off watching me and poking fun at me (what is said depends on who's there). Its also kinda hard to do the yoga part when my dad or brother is poking me knocking me off balance. Then my 80 lb lab also continuously tries to sit at my feet as she always does, so I put her outside. When school started I never got on it. I did try to workout on my wii fit last week, but my rechargeable batteries in my wii fit were dead.


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## Spiritdancer

Count me in too!  I lost 17 pounds with weight watchers a year or so ago...but have put about 10 back on...and want it gone!!  I was thinking about how nice it would be to read my Kindle while on the treadmill...Maybe if exercise = more Kindle time I will be more motivated.


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## Michael R. Hicks

Count me in, too - not so much to lose more weight (as I've lost all I want to lose, having reached the "jerk" threshold, as Jan pointed out earlier!), but to continue to get into better shape (gain some muscle mass and get in better cardiovascular shape, if nothing else).

For me it's also "heart attack avoidance" - about a year ago (give or take) I had my cholesterol tested. It's always been sort of high, but that time it was over 300, and triglycerides were around 1200. That is VERY BAD. I don't think the doc had ever seen results that high in someone still walking around. 

About three months or so later, after starting the "Eat Clean" approach and doing the Beachbody P90 program, I not only lost the extra weight, but my cholesterol went down to 178 (and triglycerides were well down into "normal") - without any medication! I'm not saying that's for everybody or whatever (although I'd certainly encourage folks to check it out - they really have some awesome programs), but it certainly got both Jan and myself off to a good start.

So, whatever motivation I can use to keep that going is a good thing, because for me it has a *very* direct impact on my health! 

Cheers,
Mike


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## Lynn

I just got a Wii and Wii fit and like it quite a bit- but I do need some motivation to use it consistantly so a group here would be great help I think. 

Lynn


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## Gertie Kindle

kreelanwarrior said:


> Count me in, too - not so much to lose more weight (as I've lost all I want to lose, having reached the "jerk" threshold, as Jan pointed out earlier!), but to continue to get into better shape (gain some muscle mass and get in better cardiovascular shape, if nothing else).
> 
> For me it's also "heart attack avoidance" - about a year ago (give or take) I had my cholesterol tested. It's always been sort of high, but that time it was over 300, and triglycerides were around 1200. That is VERY BAD. I don't think the doc had ever seen results that high in someone still walking around.
> 
> About three months or so later, after starting the "Eat Clean" approach and doing the Beachbody P90 program, I not only lost the extra weight, but my cholesterol went down to 178 (and triglycerides were well down into "normal") - without any medication! I'm not saying that's for everybody or whatever (although I'd certainly encourage folks to check it out - they really have some awesome programs), but it certainly got both Jan and myself off to a good start.
> 
> So, whatever motivation I can use to keep that going is a good thing, because for me it has a *very* direct impact on my health!
> 
> Cheers,
> Mike


Those cholesterol numbers are scary. Glad you're still with us. My son-in-law had similar numbers, and he managed to get it down without medication. Diet, exercise, and some kind of natural vita-veggie kind of drink.

Okay, everybody keep after me to move my exercise machine to the place in the garage I cleared for it. I already made a DVD of different music vids to keep my rhythm going. I'm going to start slow and easy and maybe I can avoid the dizzies.

There's also an exercise program on PBS Saturday mornings called Sit and Be Fit. That might be an alternative if I can remember to watch it.


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## Cuechick

I think this is great, it can only help. I watched the Biggest Loser tonight and to see the transformations is pretty inspiring. 

To Spiritdancer: I read in another thread, that many found reading their Kindles while on their treadmills worked great. I am too much of a klutz and am afraid I would drop mine; but treadmills make me a little nervous to begin with. I might try it on a stationary bike though.

I do think that you can also use it as a reward. I once implemented a personal rule that I could touch my computer till after I had worked out... this worked pretty well and I usually got it done early. This might work even better with your Kindle... or maybe use it as reward. 30 minutes on the bike = 30 minutes on your Kindle? 

This is a great start everyone!


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## supermom

This is a great idea.  My doctor would like me to drop about 30 pounds, I would be happy with 20 though.


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## Betsy the Quilter

I'm in!  50 lbs.

Maybe we could lose Kilos  

Betsy


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## Florida Kev

Lost 30 over past 8 months with 5 more to go. Whatever diet you choose (for me Paleo Diet for Athletes) recommend you try this book as it will change the way you think about eating:








http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0848731735/ref=kinw_rke_rti_1
Good luck!


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## Mikuto

Maybe it's just me, but don't you find that dieting makes you obsess about food? I was doing a medical weight loss program for a while, lost 30-35 pounds, and was absolutely miserable. Eating made me want to throw up every day. It made food into a chore, instead of something I liked (and I'm a good cook!) 

I would encourage you guys to just make sure you're eating healthy and getting some physical activity instead of setting a goal to lose weight. Substitute butter and canola oil with heart-healthy olive oil, substitute white bread with whole wheat...eat a vegetable at every meal...I mean, do what you want to do, but it always seems to me like dieting is a quick trip into distorted body image land...

If this seems like a nasty post, I really don't mean it to be, I just think that people should love themselves unconditionally for who they are and be healthy, rather than focus on a number, that's all.


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## Cuechick

Thanks I will check that book link out. I made it to the gym today for the 3rd day in a row!!

Here is a recipe for some a very tasty soup, that is also healthy and satisfying... if you do not have a Trader Joe's near
you, you will have to improvise a little. I had this for lunch with a piece of their garlic naan bread (190 calories), I got 4 servings from this.










Indian Style Split Pea Soup

2 cans split pea soup ( you could also use lentil or maybe black bean)
1/2 a package of kielbasa sausage chopped ( I used a low fat turkey style, you can use any you like, chicken would also work or leave out if you want it vegetarian, or maybe try a can of chick peas) 
1/4 onion coarsely chopped
olive oil
masala simmer sauce (also a Trader Joe's item, you could subsitute a good curry powder if you do not have a TJ's, or possibly another brand of marsala sauce?)
crushed garlic
sour cream (I used reduced fat)

heat a medium size sauce pan and put in about a tbls of olive oil
add onions and saute' till they soften
add garlic and kielbasa and saute; till sausage starts to brown
add about a 1/4 cup of marsala sauce and stir, cook for a minute or so then
add both cans of soup
season to taste (I added a little bay, Worcestershire, garlic powder and kosher salt)
heat till soup is a strong simmer, stirring often... 
scoop into bowl then add a tbls of sour cream (plain yogurt might also be good) stir the sc to blend it will make the soup even
more rich and creamy, I also added fresh pepper

I approximated 250 calories and under 5 grams of fat. 
You could also just have the kielbasa, mixed with the masala sauce and maybe rice... those simmer sauces are great and pretty low in fat and calories.

Enjoy!


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## Cuechick

Mikuto said:


> Maybe it's just me, but don't you find that dieting makes you obsess about food? I was doing a medical weight loss program for a while, lost 30-35 pounds, and was absolutely miserable. Eating made me want to throw up every day. It made food into a chore, instead of something I liked (and I'm a good cook!)
> 
> I would encourage you guys to just make sure you're eating healthy and getting some physical activity instead of setting a goal to lose weight. Substitute butter and canola oil with heart-healthy olive oil, substitute white bread with whole wheat...eat a vegetable at every meal...I mean, do what you want to do, but it always seems to me like dieting is a quick trip into distorted body image land...
> 
> If this seems like a nasty post, I really don't mean it to be, I just think that people should love themselves unconditionally for who they are and be healthy, rather than focus on a number, that's all.


I understand what your saying, and agree with a lot of it, which is why I did not want to call it a "diet" club. Personally I am trying to make a lifestyle change I can live with for life. I am tired of yo-yo ing and hating my body. I am just at a point where I really need to take action and thought others might feel the same. I really like this board, because every one here shares a love for books and I think as a whole we are a thoughtful caring bunch, which in the internet world is a rare thing!


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## Mikuto

You have the right idea then. I've seen too many of these "Loser" boards on other forums and it's just yo-yo dieting, cabbage soup and juice fasts. 

I happen to be pretty heavy myself, but I eat so healthily that I have more stable blood sugar and cholesterol than a lot of skinny people I know, and I'm very low risk for all of the usual health problems that ago along with being obese.  I do need to exercise more, but who doesn't really? 

It's good to understand that "health" isn't just a measure of weight. If you're skinny and eat crap, you're going to be unhealthy. 

Good luck at making some healthier changes in your life!


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## Florida Kev

Thanks we are big soup eaters.  Great job in getting to the gym! Establishing a exercise routine is a big step.    

Also, doing this as a group is a great idea, as encourage each other in good health.


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## Angela

I do my best where eating is concerned by only eating when truely hungry and stopping when satisfied... smaller portions, no boredom eating and exercise!  Since cooler weather has kicked in, my exercise has stopped. I have a pool and swim laps and do other water exercises because of the low impact. Pool is too cold now and all I do now is sit!


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## Jen

I'm also trying, so I'm in!  I probably need to lose around 15-20 pounds ideally, but more want to get into shape and feel better about myself.  My biggest problem seems to be with my health, which although I'm only 29 I have some weird problems.  My knees have been awful since my sport playing high school days, and when we moved this summer they got worse and I'm having a hard time.  I've been to doctors, and they can't identify the problem!  I also have a weird condition (not life threatening at all, but slightly embarassing) that requires me to get surgery that pretty much guarantees I won't be working out for at least a month - I've had 5 surgeries in the last 3 years, with another possibly pending.  Like I said, it's nothing life threatening, just a really big pain.  
I also hate gyms.  I have a treadmill and a gazelle in my house, and when I can I do my best to get on those.  I will also do some light weightlifting for toning, but with my back and forth health status it's not as often as I'd like.  I do need to work on eating better, and have been trying.  I work a full time job, and when I get home Matt is still at work until later, so it's really hard to motivate sometimes to cook a good meal, especially for just me.  
But, I do have the motivation that I want to look fabulous in my wedding dress in May, so I'm in girls (and guys!)


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## Lynn

If nothing else finding this board and having my Kindle keeps me from sitting in front of the TV and mindlessly snacking. I generally won't eat at the computer or when I'm reading. If I'm going to have a snack I have to consciously get up and get one-so I haven't. I figure it is a start at retraining myself. Now I have to motivate to exercise more!

Lynn


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## Michael R. Hicks

I'll toss in my two bits on this, for what they may be worth, based on the experience Jan and I have had. 

First: eating, because this often seems to be the toughest thing. 

I think the key to success here is that you're not "dieting to lose weight" - you need to change your eating patterns for life. Otherwise, as many of you no doubt realize, you might be able to lose the weight while you diet, but then you go back to your old eating patterns...and put the weight back on!

In our case, we literally went through our pantry and the refrigerator and so on and threw out all the junk: processed foods, stuff with sugar in it, etc., etc. That has two major effects: it's sort of a psychological break with the "old ways," and it also gets that stuff out of reach, because if it's not there, you won't eat it. Also, we decided to go the organic route. I know a lot of folks don't buy into that, but if you do any research at all on the stuff that goes into our food, it'll sufficiently scare you to seriously consider it (and besides, prices are becoming much more reasonable).

Then fill your pantry with "good" food: bread, pasta, and cereal based on whole grains (no sugar); lean meats like chicken breast, fish, pork, and yes, even some red meat (but in moderation and lean); LOTS of fruit; vegetables (fresh or frozen); and so on. As the saying goes, focus your shopping on the periphery of the grocery store.

The most important thing is then to plan what you're going to eat for the week! For us this is often the toughest part, but it really does make things a lot easier, and also helps ensure that you don't get in a rut eating the same things. And there are a bazillion recipes for some really *good* food (including some awesome treats). 

Eat five or six small meals a day. I cannot emphasize how much of a difference just doing this can make! You won't be hungry (or if you are hungry, eat a *small* portion until you aren't), and your body will start burning more calories even when you're just vegetating on your La-Z-Boy reading your Kindle! ;-)

Lastly, treat yourself - in moderation. If you like chocolate or something sweet, there are lots of recipes for good desserts (again, avoid regular sugar like the plague). You don't have to just eat rabbit food. We have a few Hershey Kisses, usually (although tonight it's some high-octane flavored coffee - kahlua, amaretto, and eggnog!). And every once in a while, don't feel guilty about going out and splurging a bit on a "real" dessert.

On exercise:

I think the key here, definitely for me, is that you have to do one very selfish thing and take care of your body FIRST. All of us have a ton of demands on our time, and we usually put off exercise until the last. No, no, no. Set yourself some time that is *your* time and build your day around it. When we started the P90 program about five months ago, I knew that the only way I'd make it would be if that was the very first thing I did in the morning - if I waited until I came home from work, I'd be beat, the boys would want to thrash me on X-Box, dinner, Kindle, etc. So I made the commitment to myself to get up a half hour earlier and workout FIRST. 

Was that a pain? Absolutely! But I kept at it, and after three weeks I tried an experiment: I shifted my workout times to the afternoon, FIRST THING after I got home. I didn't check email; I didn't let myself get distracted. I changed clothes, hustled downstairs and started working out right away. And, by and large, I've been able to stick with it, because I developed the habit over those first few weeks (but if you find yourself slipping, go back into "training mode"). But if you don't put yourself first for this one thing, you'll probably have a lot of trouble being consistent over time. You'll always miss a day here and there; accept it and just get back in the groove the next day - just stay on track for the long term, and not only for your weight, but your general health.

As to what exercises to do, everybody has different needs and preferences. I personally have really enjoyed the stuff from www.beachbody.com (and they have an *excellent* support network), and it has the convenience of you being able to do it at home. But it almost doesn't matter: get your eating in line and then just do *something* to burn calories and - ideally - build some muscle as well (as more muscle burns more calories), and vary your routine so you don't get bored.

Anyway, sorry to have blabbed on so much - not trying to preach (well, maybe a little!). But this approach has really worked for Jan and myself, and we've been pretty consistent for a good five months now. 

Cheers,
Mike


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## Dori

Excellent advice for anyone.  Eat for health, not just weight loss.  I wish I followed all your suggestions as they are right on target.  Weight is not a problem for me, eating properly and exercising for maximum health benefit is.

I probably won't jump on the kindleboard weight loss bandwagon as it would be quite embarrassing if I did not lose the 3 to 5 lbs. that I need to lose.


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## Michael R. Hicks

Dori -

Jump on, anyway! Forget about the pounds, think about your body, and whatever you need to motivate yourself toward your own goals. It's like a friend of mine told me years ago (he was in GREAT shape): your body really is your temple. Everything depends on it, and you need to treat it right and take care of it (advice that I, obviously, blew off for most of my life - d'oh!).  

Mike


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## Cuechick

Mike,
Great post and I especially like your point about making our health a priority. These are the only bodies we got and the
better we treat them the better they treat us... so to speak!


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## Angela

Thanks for your post, Mike!


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## Dori

kreelanwarrior said:


> Dori -
> 
> Jump on, anyway! Forget about the pounds, think about your body, and whatever you need to motivate yourself toward your own goals. It's like a friend of mine told me years ago (he was in GREAT shape): your body really is your temple. Everything depends on it, and you need to treat it right and take care of it (advice that I, obviously, blew off for most of my life - d'oh!).
> 
> Mike


When I opened my pantry doors this morning I said to myself "self, you need to do a kreelan in here." I had peanut brittle candy on my shopping list and crossed it off and put tangerines instead. Is that a start?


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## Gertie Kindle

Dori said:


> When I opened my pantry doors this morning I said to myself "self, you need to do a kreelan in here." I had peanut brittle candy on my shopping list and crossed it off and put tangerines instead. Is that a start?


That's a great start. Dori, I'm in the same position as you are. I just need to lose a few pounds, but mostly, I need to get in better shape. Got to strengthen those bones.


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## Dori

TY Gertie.  Living alone, my menu planning consists of eating whatever falls out of the fridge.  That will be ok if there is only good stuff in there.


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## ScrappingForever

Dori, Mike is going to love your terminology! Doing a Kreelan! Too funny!  And yes, tangerines are a much better alternative to peanut brittle. lol

I got my workout in this morning, after doing my volunteer time at school. And now I'm drinking my banana cinnamon protein drink while I relax and Kindleboard.


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## Gertie Kindle

Dori said:


> TY Gertie. Living alone, my menu planning consists of eating whatever falls out of the fridge. That will be ok if there is only good stuff in there.


That'll work. I make lots of stir fry, heavy on the veggies, and eat mostly chicken.

Prevention Magazine touted Peanut Butter as a top diet food. The natural is better, of course, but if you've ever tried to stir that stuff to blend in the oil, you would stay as far away from it as I do. I get the reduced fat and put it on a Waffle for breakfast. Holds me pretty much all morning.

I've always eaten whole wheat bread. Anything but white. Can't stand the gooey stuff. So I'm good there.

My downfall has always been Pepsi and Ruffles. I actually used to eat a giant bag of Ruffles every week. I quit cold turkey for a year, and never lost an ounce. Now, I don't eat Ruffles at all and allow myself two or three Dr. Pepper a week.

So, I'm not perfect, but I do okay and I'm holding my weight at a level within the guidelines for my height and build. At my age, it's the distribution that's the problem. That and the lack of muscle tone and stamina.


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## Linda Cannon-Mott

I had a peanut butter and banana sandwich for dinner last night.


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## Gertie Kindle

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> I had a peanut butter and banana sandwich for dinner last night.


Whole or multi-grain bread, I hope? If so, great choice. Protein, fruit, whole grains. But if you washed it down with a Starbucks double mocha latte ... (we need a "thumbs down" emoticon, Harvey).


----------



## Cuechick

Dori said:


> When I opened my pantry doors this morning I said to myself "self, you need to do a kreelan in here." I had peanut brittle candy on my shopping list and crossed it off and put tangerines instead. Is that a start?


A great start!


----------



## Cuechick

I made it the gym for the 4th day in a row! I do know, at least for myself, that when I workout early in the day, I 
much more likely to stick to a cleaner eating plan. I have already made an investment, so why mess it up. If I am tempted, I just picture 
the reflection I saw of myself while on the treadmill and that helps me stay on track!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Octochick said:


> I made it the gym for the 4th day in a row! I do know, at least for myself, that when I workout early in the day, I
> much more likely to stick to a cleaner eating plan. I have already made an investment, so why mess it up. If I am tempted, I just picture
> the reflection I saw of myself while on the treadmill and that helps me stay on track!


Four days! Excellent start. They say 21 days makes something a habit.


----------



## Dori

ScrappingForever said:


> I got my workout in this morning, after doing my volunteer time at school. And now I'm drinking my banana cinnamon protein drink while I relax and Kindleboard.


I volunteered at school 3 days this week. We were wrapping homemade caramels. I didn't buy any, not good for me, right? They asked me why I was eating every one that I wrapped then.

My nephew says "at your age, eat what you want, it is too late to matter." He must think he is in the will.
Well, next week I will do better.


----------



## Jen

Dori said:


> My nephew says "at your age, eat what you want, it is too late to matter." He must think he is in the will.
> Well, next week I will do better.


You never fail to crack me up Dori!!


----------



## SongbirdVB

I'll give this a shot, what the hail...  I do need to lose weight, and I know how (lost 70 pounds 5 years ago... almost all of it is back), it's just DOING it.

When I was losing before I was working out an hour and a half a day, 5-6 days a week.  The weight dropped FAST but that workout schedule is NOT realistic for me.  I need to commit to at least 4 days a week, 45 minutes to an hour, at least to start.  I do have a WiiFit and LOVE it!  Also have the Jillian Michaels Wii "game" and have ordered the Wii Fitness Coach (should be here by Tuesday).  I still have the "Firm" videos I used to lose the 70 pounds and as soon as I'm in a little better shape I'll break them out and add them into the mix.

Now to get my butt to do these things... 

Anyway, count me in!


----------



## Jen

ScrappingForever said:


> I got my workout in this morning, after doing my volunteer time at school. And now I'm drinking my banana cinnamon protein drink while I relax and Kindleboard.


What do you put in your protein drink? Every single morning for breakfast I make a smoothie with a cup of light vanilla soymilk, a cup of pomegranate juice, soy protein powder, fiber powder, and frozen strawberries and wild blueberries. I feel healthy, although there may be more calories in there than I think! I'm getting really tired of it, and just switching the fruit doesn't seem to help. I'd love any new healthy smoothie ideas!!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Dori said:


> My nephew says "at your age, eat what you want, it is too late to matter." He must think he is in the will.
> Well, next week I will do better.


Too late to matter!?! Too late to matter!?! Take care of yourself so you'll still be around wrapping caramels at the church when he's falling apart.  That'll show him.


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

gertiekindle said:


> Too late to matter!?! Too late to matter!?! Take care of yourself so you'll still be around wrapping caramels at the church when he's falling apart.  That'll show him.


What's the saying? "Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill"... ;-)

Also, a note on the eating biz: remember that it's not just *what* you eat, but portion size and how often. Even if you take the same amount of food calorie-wise, but divide it up into five or six smaller meals instead of two or three big ones, that will help you lose (or maintain) weight.

And drink *plenty* of water (not juice or soda). That's been my biggest problem - I keep forgetting to drink enough!



> ...you need to do a kreelan in here...


LOL! Does that mean you're taking out a sword and hacking away at what's in your pantry?


----------



## Dori

u wouldn't wanna see my kitchen floor.  It ain't purty.


----------



## ScrappingForever

I keep my protein shake pretty simple. I use a vanilla protein powder, a banana, skim milk and a few shakes of cinnamon. Sometimes I get really crazy and use chocolate protein powder! Woo-hoo! For even more variation, I may switch out the banana in the vanilla one for frozen blueberries. Yum-yum!

If you want to get a really good idea of how many calories you're consuming, check out myfitnesspal.com. It's a free site that has a really good widget for keeping track of your calories and water consumed each day. They have a huge database of all kinds of foods already in it, plus you can add your own if you need to. I did it for a while, and found I was pretty consistently eating 1500-1800 calories a day. I don't keep track as much now, but I'm still pretty much eating the same things, same quantities, and still losing weight consistently.


----------



## Jen

ScrappingForever said:


> I keep my protein shake pretty simple. I use a vanilla protein powder, a banana, skim milk and a few shakes of cinnamon. Sometimes I get really crazy and use chocolate protein powder! Woo-hoo! For even more variation, I may switch out the banana in the vanilla one for frozen blueberries. Yum-yum!
> 
> If you want to get a really good idea of how many calories you're consuming, check out myfitnesspal.com. It's a free site that has a really good widget for keeping track of your calories and water consumed each day. They have a huge database of all kinds of foods already in it, plus you can add your own if you need to. I did it for a while, and found I was pretty consistently eating 1500-1800 calories a day. I don't keep track as much now, but I'm still pretty much eating the same things, same quantities, and still losing weight consistently.


Thanks! All good tips. I think sometimes I try to get too fancy with the smoothie, I need to just try to be a little simpler.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Officially finished all the Thanksgiving leftovers, except for some pie which is headed for the garbage.  Now I can get back to my chicken and veggie stir fries.  I think I need to weigh myself tomorrow morning so I can track my progress.


----------



## Spiritdancer

Took Brigit with me to the gym this morning and she did quite fine on the treadmill.  I haven't been to the gym in way too long...but it was a great way to get some guilt-free, uninterrupted reading in.  Hopefully it will motivate me to get there every day!


----------



## Cuechick

I am going to give a big plug to my favorite store, Trader Joe's. I know there are other TJ fanatics out there and then I know some people 
do not really "get it". Or sadly do not have one near them... I like it for many reasons but mainly because they have good quality "convenience" foods at very good prices. One of my favorites are their enchiladas, which according to the package are "hand crafted" and the 390-400 calories for two. The fat is 15 grams also not bad, they are 1.99 and they are really good. If compare to Amy's which are almost double the price and much higher in fat in calories (though very tasty) it is a great deal all around. 

I also love there soups, simmer sauces, pasta and sauces and they have these great little pizzas, perfect for a quick lunch, that are just 200 calories. 

Anyway, if you have never been to one, I highly recommend it as a great place to stock your shelve with some good, healthy choices.


----------



## pidgeon92

Octochick said:


> I am going to give a big plug to my favorite store, Trader Joe's.... I like it for many reasons but mainly because they have good quality "convenience" foods at very good prices.


Have you tried the chocolate croissants? They are in the freezer section, come in a pack of 4. You take them out the night before, put them on a cookie sheet. By morning they have expanded to 5 times the size they were frozen, and you bake for about 20 minutes (I put them in for 17, the timing on the box seems really off). They are _amazing_.


----------



## Cuechick

I have seen them... I have to avoid the dessert section for now though.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Should we even be mentioning chocolate croissants?  Time for my allowed one Hershey's Kiss per day.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

pidgeon92 said:


> Have you tried the chocolate croissants? They are in the freezer section, come in a pack of 4. You take them out the night before, put them on a cookie sheet. By morning they have expanded to 5 times the size they were frozen, and you bake for about 20 minutes (I put them in for 17, the timing on the box seems really off). They are _amazing_.


Oh. My. Gosh. Verena, you're killing me. You don't seem to understand, we're trying to LOSE weight here.

Betsy


----------



## pidgeon92

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Oh. My. Gosh. Verena, you're killing me. You don't seem to understand, we're trying to LOSE weight here.


I completely forgot the topic. So sorry. 

And they are just _awesome_. With a nice big glass of milk.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

pidgeon92 said:


> I completely forgot the topic. So sorry.
> 
> And they are just _awesome_. With a nice big glass of milk.


Skim milk, of course.


----------



## Angela

gertiekindle said:


> Should we even be mentioning chocolate croissants? Time for my allowed one Hershey's Kiss per day.


You eat candy the way I do... my friend Laura hates the fact that I can have open bags of Hershey Kisses in the house and not touch them. She would sit and eat the whole bag in one sitting!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Angela said:


> You eat candy the way I do... my friend Laura hates the fact that I can have open bags of Hershey Kisses in the house and not touch them. She would sit and eat the whole bag in one sitting!


Guilt free chocolate. It can take me four or five days to eat a Hershey bar w/ almonds.

I have other weaknesses, but I try to live on my memories.


----------



## Dori

I love chocolate, but I still have hershey kisses in christmas wrappers from last year.  and NO I didn't buy a ton,  only had one bag.

And would you people quit typing, I need to get ready for church.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Dori said:


> And would you people quit typing, I need to get ready for church.


My sentiments exactly, Dori.  I have to get a start on the day, and I haven't read a thing except Kindleposts.

Signing off now.


----------



## Cuechick

Baked Brown Sugar Custard
With the whip cream just 175 calories!

You will need:
4 eggs
1 can 2% evaporated milk
1/2 cup organic brown sugar (you can use regular as well)
1.5 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
nutmeg

Pre-heat your oven too 350. Whisk together all the ingredients till well blended then divide into 5 custard dishes and place in a pan, add warm water to the pan
grate nutmeg overtop and bake for about an hour till a knife or toothpick comes out clean. Cool and then refrigerate.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Thanks, Octochick.  Looks and sounds yummy.

Has anyone tried baking with Splenda?  I've made some nice things for my mother using Splenda cuz she's diabetic.  I can't taste the difference.  Unlike the other sugar subs, Splenda doesn't leave me with a chemically aftertaste.


----------



## katiekat1066

Gertie,
I haven't baked much with it, but I make all my jams with half splenda/half sugar. I have to use the pectin made for low sugar jams and jellies, but other than that I've had no difficulties. I also use splenda when canning fruit or making spiced sugar to go on my oatmeal. I think you normally use less splenda than sugar for most recipes because it is so sweet tasting.

From looking at their site http://www.splenda.com/page.jhtml?id=splenda/cookingbaking/main.inc it looks like they suggest a blend of sugar and splenda for baking - it appears to be half and half like I use for jams, but its hard to tell. They don't come out and tell you, I think, because they want you to buy their blended product - but judging from the nutrition facts, it looks to be about half and half. They have a bunch of recipes and baking tips also on the site http://splenda.allrecipes.com/Default.aspx and apparently a monthly recipe email newsletter. Whew, what I learned today! This bears more research. I've been secretly using more splenda to help with my SO's mild diabetes (what he doesn't know doesn't hurt him) but now I think I can sneak in even more.

Katiekat


----------



## Gables Girl

I've used it for baking a lot and it works fine.  The only thing you have to adjust for is the lose of volume since it isn't as dense as sugar.  If you use about half and half you get the best of both worlds. I tend to cut down on the amount of sugar since I find most recipes are too sweet for my taste.  The brown sugar blend is awesome.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Gables Girl said:


> I've used it for baking a lot and it works fine. The only thing you have to adjust for is the lose of volume since it isn't as dense as sugar. If you use about half and half you get the best of both worlds. I tend to cut down on the amount of sugar since I find most recipes are too sweet for my taste. The brown sugar blend is awesome.


I've always cut the amount of sugar in half. I was ruthless about sweets in the house when my kids were growing up. Didn't even let them have jelly on their pb&j or syrup on pancakes. Cookies and brownies were all made from scratch so I could control the amount of sugar. It's a wonder my kids still speak to me.

I use the granular Splenda for baking. It measures the same as sugar and it's 0 calories. It's the one that comes in the bag.

*Katiekat*, thanks for those links. I think I'll sign up. My Mom's good about watching her sugar and carb intake, but at her age, she should be allowed to have some treats.

I've also got a Splenda cookbook I use sometimes.


----------



## Spiritdancer

Confession time...I had 3 pieces of pizza last night while I was leading the youth group.  

But...I did work out this morning!  I love having guilt-free time to spend with Brigit (my K).


----------



## Cuechick

Hey SD, a splurge now in then is okay and the fact you got right back on track and inspiring!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Spiritdancer said:


> Confession time...I had 3 pieces of pizza last night while I was leading the youth group.
> 
> But...I did work out this morning! I love having guilt-free time to spend with Brigit (my K).


There are always going to be situations like this, especially around the holidays. Working out this morning made up for it.

Roseanne Barr talked about this. The family went to Pizza Hut when she was on a diet. She couldn't see herself saying ... You guys go have a yummy pizza while I graze among the garbanzos.


----------



## Spiritdancer

Thanks for the encouragement!  It is nice to have a place to check in and share.


----------



## Cuechick

I am planning to "weigh in" tomorrow, I will have completed my first full week of my new lifestyle. 
I got to the gym today but not at all over the weekend, though I did do some exercise at home. I have a fluidity bar, which 
I love but is more for strength and stretching, not cardio. I have stayed under my "Lose It" daily calories every day though...
and drinking a ton of water.

Anyway, I feel pretty good, so no matter _what_ the scale says, I will keep going!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I was listening to the radio and John Tesh said something interesting about losing weight.  If you have an attack of the sweeties, try smelling something sweet like cinnamon, vanilla or sweet apple scent.  Apparently, it stops the craving.


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Well, all I can say is that when Jan and I get home at the end of the week from our stay at Disney, it's going to be time for an all-out hammering on the workouts! Good heavens, I was terrible today: breakfast wasn't so bad (2 eggs, banana, a couple pieces of cheese and couple pieces of toast). Then we hit lunch and I crashed and burned - I ate my cheeseburger, half of a tuna salad sub from one of our boys, half a turkey sub from the other, then about half a milkshake. D'oh! Then we had dinner at the Boma restaurant (highly recommended!) and porked out. Oink! 

I told Jan I felt like I should go running tomorrow morning! I probably would, except the shoes I brought kind of suck for that. But heck, maybe I'll do it anyway...

But hopefully soon after we get home the ChaLEAN Extreme videos will be out from www.beachbody.com, so that should kick our butts (mine in particular!) back into shape pretty quickly. Aaaaack!

Mike


----------



## Gertie Kindle

All the walking you're doing around the park and standing in line (which also burns calories) should make up for some of it.  Now if you're walking around the park munching on a turkey drumstick and a chocolate covered frozen banana, you have a problem.


----------



## ScrappingForever

No turkey drumsticks, and maybe a little bit of ice cream on Saturday and yesterday.  But today's dinner was at a buffet, yummy! I was able to get away with stuffing myself so full that I hurt, but I still feel fat. Yuck! I don't know that I have the motivation to join Mike on a run in the morning, tho, not knowing I'm going to be walking all day.


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Ohhh, I have no expectation that I'll actually *go* running, only that I probably *should*! LOL!


----------



## ScrappingForever

I had no expectation that you would, either, but I didn't want to burst your little bubble!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

kreelanwarrior said:


> Ohhh, I have no expectation that I'll actually *go* running, only that I probably *should*! LOL!


No, you definitely should not go running in the wrong shoes. Not allowed to start your day at Disney with sore feet. Ending your day with sore feet is mandatory.


----------



## ScrappingForever

You know, my feet haven't really been all that sore yet. I've been tired and worn out, but not with sore feet. Guess my shoes are doing a good job!


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

I just wear sandals. 



> I had no expectation that you would, either, but I didn't want to burst your little bubble!


My bubble is _not_ little, I'll have you know! Pbbbttt!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

kreelanwarrior said:


> I just wear sandals.


Do they allow that at Disney? Last I heard, tourists have to wear plaid bermuda shorts, white polo shirts and socks with the sandals.


----------



## Gables Girl

gertiekindle said:


> Do they allow that at Disney? Last I heard, tourists have to wear plaid bermuda shorts, white polo shirts and socks with the sandals.


They relax the dress code in the winter. But one of your party has to wear mouse ears at least one day.



kreelanwarrior said:


> I told Jan I felt like I should go running tomorrow morning! I probably would, except the shoes I brought kind of suck for that. But heck, maybe I'll do it anyway...
> 
> Mike


In place of running go down and swim laps in the pool, you are in Florida! Enjoy the weather while your here.


----------



## Cuechick

Gables Girl said:


> They relax the dress code in the winter. But one of your party has to wear mouse ears at least one day.
> 
> In place of running go down and swim laps in the pool, you are in Florida! Enjoy the weather while your here.


That is great advice, you will burn more swimming in a half hour than you so running, when you swim you use pretty much every muscle!


----------



## Cuechick

So I weighed myself and I have lost 5 pounds! I am pretty happy about that and credit both
the exercise and this "lose it" program. Though you could also do that with just a little notebook or
an online program. I just put in what I am eating as honestly as I can and it tells me how many 
calories I have left, it also factors in my exercise. If you exercise you can eat a little more.

This theory is called "eating back your calories" and I read a lot about it on https://www.myfooddiary.com/ which is 
the same thing basically. The consensus is that if you do not eat back the calories you work off in exercise your body might go
into starvation mode, slowing down your metabolism and you lose less.

Anyway, yay!


----------



## SongbirdVB

Octochick said:


> So I weighed myself and I have lost 5 pounds! I am pretty happy about that and credit both
> the exercise and this "lose it" program. Though you could also do that with just a little notebook or
> an online program. I just put in what I am eating as honestly as I can and it tells me how many
> calories I have left, it also factors in my exercise. If you exercise you can eat a little more.
> 
> This theory is called "eating back your calories" and I read a lot about it on https://www.myfooddiary.com/ which is
> the same thing basically. The consensus is that if you do not eat back the calories you work off in exercise your body might go
> into starvation mode, slowing down your metabolism and you lose less.
> 
> Anyway, yay!


CONGRATS Octochick!! That's fabulous. Good job!


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

> So I weighed myself and I have lost 5 pounds!


Octochick - awesome!!  //darn it, had to edit this post - forgot this in here amongst the BB code//



> The consensus is that if you do not eat back the calories you work off in exercise your body might go
> into starvation mode, slowing down your metabolism and you lose less.


That's a big part of the reason why we eat five or six small meals a day - not to "eat back" the calories, exactly, but both to give your body a continual dose of calories to keep it from going into starvation mode, and also to get your metabolism "trained" to run at a higher rate and burn more calories even when you're not exercising.



> But one of your party has to wear mouse ears at least one day.


No worries - my dad has built-in "Mickey ears". 

Oh, and no running this morning. Lousy night's sleep and massive sinus headache. A tad chilly today for the pool - maybe I'll just go soak in the jacuzzi!

Rah!
Mike


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Octochick said:


> So I weighed myself and I have lost 5 pounds! I am pretty happy about that and credit both
> the exercise and this "lose it" program. Though you could also do that with just a little notebook or
> an online program. I just put in what I am eating as honestly as I can and it tells me how many
> calories I have left, it also factors in my exercise. If you exercise you can eat a little more.


Fantastic. That sounds like a good program. Sometimes it hard to keep a balance between calories and exercise.

My daughter had surgery a few months ago. She was pretty much bed-bound, and put on quite a bit of weight. She's been walking since then and lost so much weight just from walking that she has to work to put some back on. So if you can use that program to keep things balanced, you won't be in that kind of position.



> This theory is called "eating back your calories" and I read a lot about it on https://www.myfooddiary.com/ which is
> the same thing basically. The consensus is that if you do not eat back the calories you work off in exercise your body might go
> into starvation mode, slowing down your metabolism and you lose less.


That's absolutely true. Does all this take age into account? Once you hit your mid-30's, you start putting on a couple of pounds a year without changing your eating habits.



> Anyway, yay!


Double YaY.


----------



## Jen

Octochick said:


> So I weighed myself and I have lost 5 pounds! I am pretty happy about that and credit both
> the exercise and this "lose it" program. Though you could also do that with just a little notebook or
> an online program. I just put in what I am eating as honestly as I can and it tells me how many
> calories I have left, it also factors in my exercise. If you exercise you can eat a little more.
> 
> This theory is called "eating back your calories" and I read a lot about it on https://www.myfooddiary.com/ which is
> the same thing basically. The consensus is that if you do not eat back the calories you work off in exercise your body might go
> into starvation mode, slowing down your metabolism and you lose less.
> 
> Anyway, yay!


Congratulations, that's great!!!



kreelanwarrior said:


> Well, all I can say is that when Jan and I get home at the end of the week from our stay at Disney, it's going to be time for an all-out hammering on the workouts! Good heavens, I was terrible today: breakfast wasn't so bad (2 eggs, banana, a couple pieces of cheese and couple pieces of toast). Then we hit lunch and I crashed and burned - I ate my cheeseburger, half of a tuna salad sub from one of our boys, half a turkey sub from the other, then about half a milkshake. D'oh! Then we had dinner at the Boma restaurant (highly recommended!) and porked out. Oink!
> 
> Mike


You know, I decided awhile ago that I'm not going to totally ban myself from eating my favorite foods and splurging every once in awhile. I just refuse to live like that! BUT - I do give myself rules like if I don't work out 3-4 days a week I can't, things like that. But, I tell you - I am NOT giving up cheeseburgers forever!! What is the fun in that?!  (Hmmm, maybe that attitude is why I need to lose a little weight...)


----------



## Cuechick

gertiekindle said:


> That's absolutely true. Does all this take age into account? Once you hit your mid-30's, you start putting on a couple of pounds a year without changing your eating habits.


I think (?) my food diary does.. but the app for my iPhone, _Lose It_ doesn't, that I remember, when I set it up. It does take your weight into consideration, to calculate your exercise, at least I assume it does. Sometimes I notice people next to me walking faster on the treadmill, but then I think, let me give you my extra 50 pounds and see how fast you go!


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Jen said:


> ]
> You know, I decided awhile ago that I'm not going to totally ban myself from eating my favorite foods and splurging every once in awhile. I just refuse to live like that! BUT - I do give myself rules like if I don't work out 3-4 days a week I can't, things like that. But, I tell you - I am NOT giving up cheeseburgers forever!! What is the fun in that?!  (Hmmm, maybe that attitude is why I need to lose a little weight...)


Well, we splurge occasionally, but it's normally with premeditation. One of the big traps people can easily fall into is that they don't have something good (as in nutritious!) to eat handy, and then they start opting for convenient food that they shouldn't be eating. Then the calories pile on, and so does the fat... 

But yeah, if you want to have a cheeseburger or whatever every once in a while, plan for it and go enjoy it! Rah!

Mike


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Jen said:


> You know, I decided awhile ago that I'm not going to totally ban myself from eating my favorite foods and splurging every once in awhile. I just refuse to live like that! BUT - I do give myself rules like if I don't work out 3-4 days a week I can't, things like that. But, I tell you - I am NOT giving up cheeseburgers forever!! What is the fun in that?!  (Hmmm, maybe that attitude is why I need to lose a little weight...)


I can't give up cheeseburgers either. The time when I really needed to lose weight because I weighed the same as I did five minutes before giving birth, I had been eating lunch out a lot. Mostly cheeseburgers. I started cutting them in half and bringing the other half home for dinner. If I get the 4oz Bubba Burgers, I'll cook one, but only eat half. The other half goes back in the freezer.

I still do the same thing when I go out to eat. Half portions only, the rest in a doggy bag. It works for me. It took me about a week to get used to the smaller portions.


----------



## Angela

WTG Octochick!


----------



## Jen

My current nemesis: the holiday season.  I work for a manufacturers rep company, and each year each manufacturer sends us some sort of Christmas basket or something of the kind.  It's already started.  A HUGE bin of cookies came yesterday, along with two big boxes of gourmet brownies.  I'm really good at not buying this stuff and having it at my house - but it's 10 times harder when it's put right in my face!!  I only had 1 cookie yesterday (and it was pretty small) and I'm going to do my best to avoid temptation every day.  But wow, is it hard.  Those brownies look amazing, and if they had nutritional information on them I'd guarantee each one is probably 1000 calories.  Stay away, stay away.....!!    
Then there's all of my functions that I have to attend - I had a dinner last night, and while the dinner was good immediately after they plop down in front of me (without me even asking) a big piece of chocolate cake with ice cream and whipped cream.  What am I supposed to do about that?!  I didn't even want it before it was in front of me, next thing I know I'm halfway through it.  But, then I stopped.  
I love the holidays for some reasons, but this is by far the worst part!!


----------



## Cuechick

I feel lucky, I work for myself and avoid a lot of that. Sometimes when offered stuff that is hard to resist, I remind myself that I already ate
my share!


----------



## ScrappingForever

Morning all! We're heading back home today, so we'll be getting back into the routine of eating clean and working out every day. I'm looking forward to it! 

My exciting news is that I purchased the new Beachbody program ChaLEAN Extreme last night! I have been waiting and waiting for this to be released! I can't wait to get started. This is the program that is going to help me reach my fitness goals in March 2009! Woo-hooo!

Have a great day everyone!


----------



## Cuechick

I decided not to work out today and so I have to stick to 1425 calories to stay on target. I am 
amazed at well you can eat if you have good choices in your house. For dinner, I had a very good veggie lasagna from
Trader Joe's that was just 290. I still have over 300 calories left!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Octochick said:


> I decided not to work out today and so I have to stick to 1425 calories to stay on target. I am
> amazed at well you can eat if you have good choices in your house. For dinner, I had a very good veggie lasagna from
> Trader Joe's that was just 290. I still have over 300 calories left!


Sounds like that program is really working well for you. I tried something on-line that told me I had to eat less than 900 calories a day to lose weight. No thanks.

Jan, let us know how your new program is working out.


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

gertiekindle said:


> I tried something on-line that told me I had to eat less than 900 calories a day to lose weight. No thanks.


That's totally bogus. If you have, say, five or six meals good balanced meals - minus sugary junk, etc. - a day, with three of them being maybe 300-400 calories (like Octochick's lasagne), and the others being 100-200 calories (give or take), drink plenty of water, and exercise at least moderately a few times per week, you'll lose weight until your body reaches equilibrium. You may plateau here and there, but it'll happen.

Jan and I are living proof that you do NOT have to starve yourself to get in shape and lose weight. We aren't hungry ('cause when we get hungry, we eat one of those 5-6 meals), and we enjoy good food, including some nice treats and even wine and beer (in moderation, of course!). I went from about 24% body fat down to around 17% so far and lost over 20 lbs...and I'm keeping it off without any struggle at all (and I'm not big on willpower, believe me!).

Anyway, sorry for the rant, but some of these "diet" programs really make me mad, because they either turn people off from the get-go or set them up for failure. Grrr...

Mike


----------



## Gertie Kindle

kreelanwarrior said:


> That's totally bogus.
> Mike


What really ticked me off was this ridiculous program was sponsored by a reputable magazine.


----------



## Cuechick

I have never heard anyone say that you should eat less than 1250 calories! 900 is defiantly starvation mode and might cause your body to
hold on to weight! If I had exercised, I would have needed to eat more. Check out myfooddiary.com it is pretty easy and may have a free trial?
It was only 9.99 a month, if they do not and you do not have to commit to any length of time, you can quit whenever you want.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Octochick said:


> I have never heard anyone say that you should eat less than 1250 calories! 900 is defiantly starvation mode and might cause your body to
> hold on to weight! If I had exercised, I would have needed to eat more. Check out myfooddiary.com it is pretty easy and may have a free trial?
> It was only 9.99 a month, if they do not and you do not have to commit to any length of time, you can quit whenever you want.


It was some kind of program where you plug in your weight, height, activity level, age, bone structure, etc. and the program did the calculations.

Yes, I definitely would go into starvation mode, not only my body, but my mind as well. I used to be a very heavy eater with a very, very fast metabolism. When I was mis-diagnosed as borderline diabetic, the doctor put me on 1200 calories a day. I used to sit in the corner of my couch (more like huddled) waiting for my next meal time. After that experience, nobody is going to tell me I can only have 900 calories a day.

I don't need to lose much, anyway, just a few pounds. I'm small, so gaining 5 or 6 pounds really shows on me. What I need is exercise more than anything. Overexertion makes me dizzy, so I have to start out very cautiously. Walking is definitely out.

I tried some of the _Sit and Be Fit_ exercises and I do pretty well with them. Just have to motivate myself to do it.


----------



## ScrappingForever

MyFitnessPal.com is another nice little site where you can keep track of how many calories you're eating and how many calories you're burning off while exercising...and it's free.


----------



## Ann in Arlington

gertiekindle said:


> What I need is exercise more than anything. Overexertion makes me dizzy, so I have to start out very cautiously. Walking is definitely out.
> 
> I tried some of the _Sit and Be Fit_ exercises and I do pretty well with them. Just have to motivate myself to do it.


If there's a pool near you you might see if they have a water aerobics class. Very easy on the joints because you're supported by the water. But you also get more resistance so you build strength a little faster. But, then, I love the water. When I was a kid I wanted to grow gills. . . . .

Ann


----------



## Cuechick

Hey everyone, the Biggest Loser Finale is on tonight, on NBC. From my experience this can a pretty inspiring show.


----------



## ScrappingForever

We got our ChaLEAN Extreme program today, so tomorrow we will be starting. The Beachbody programs encourage you to take Day 1 photos and measurements, and then we'll do that every 30 days to see the progress. It can be pretty thrilling! Can't wait to start it tomorrow and feel the burn!


----------



## Cuechick

ScrappingForever said:


> We got our ChaLEAN Extreme program today, so tomorrow we will be starting. The Beachbody programs encourage you to take Day 1 photos and measurements, and then we'll do that every 30 days to see the progress. It can be pretty thrilling! Can't wait to start it tomorrow and feel the burn!


I just looked at her site and it does sound interesting. I am excited to hear how it goes. Do you have your weights?


----------



## ScrappingForever

Oh wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! I did my first workout this morning! Wow! I'm amazed I can still move my arms! What a great workout! This is going to be so good!

Yeah, we have a variety of weights already, so we're good to go with that. We also have a couple of the exercise bands, but haven't used those yet.

Feel the burn!


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

She'll be immobilized tomorrow!


----------



## pidgeon92

ScrappingForever said:


> Oh wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! I did my first workout this morning! Wow! I'm amazed I can still move my arms! What a great workout! This is going to be so good!


I just did my first workout as well. First the snowblower wouldn't start. Then it wouldn't keep going. Then I couldn't get it over the humps in the snow. Shoving it back up my steep driveway wasn't easy either. I don't want any more workouts.


----------



## ScrappingForever

pidgeon92 said:


> I just did my first workout as well. First the snowblower wouldn't start. Then it wouldn't keep going. Then I couldn't get it over the humps in the snow. Shoving it back up my steep driveway wasn't easy either. I don't want any more workouts.


LOL! That would be a workout!


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

pidgeon92 said:


> I just did my first workout as well. First the snowblower wouldn't start. Then it wouldn't keep going. Then I couldn't get it over the humps in the snow. Shoving it back up my steep driveway wasn't easy either. I don't want any more workouts.


Ouch! That's why we want to retire somewhere warm, where the only snow you see is if you want to go somewhere to see it!


----------



## pidgeon92

It's all good now. The snow is gone, and I am having a nice hot cup of tea to celebrate.


----------



## Cuechick

I swam today, which can be a very efficient workout. I burned almost 500 calories (according to my "Lose it" calculator) almost 
150 more than I burn on a bike for the same time. It is more "work" to get in and out and coming out, I look like I have been boiled in oil, my skin goes completely red! I do enjoy it though and treat myself to some time in the jacuzzi after wards.

I also want to recommend another easy and healthy food option. Amy's organic foods, esp her frozen "bowls". They are vegitarian, and very low in calories and moderatly low in fat. I had the Shells and Cheese tonight, 310 calories, 13 grams of fat and _very_ satisfying. I also like the Enchilada
bowl which I think is 350. They are also high fiber. They are not super cheap but if you go to their website, you can find out what stores carry them in your area and just ask for some coupons. They sent me a whole bunch! They also have some diet plan ideas on there.

 [URL=http://www.amyskitchen]http://www.amyskitchen.com/[/url]

Also, does anyone know anything about steaming (your body) My Y has two steam rooms and I am always tempted but not really sure what it will do other than some temporary water loss?


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Well, I did the first of the ChaLEAN workouts today (Jan did one yesterday and today) - OMG! What a butt-kicker. I'm expecting some serious results in the next three months - if I survive! LOL!


----------



## Cuechick

I just watched the show Ruby on the style network (it is on again tonight at 11pm) I can not remember if I mentioned 
the show before. It is a reality show, that is tracking the progress of a morbidly obese woman in her attempt to lose weight.
She is a wonderful character and I find her story very inspiring. She has lost over 80 pounds so far and still has a daunting
250+ to go! It makes me feel humble and that my 50 pounds is really not that tough!

Anyone else watching her?

Here is a link to more info...
http://www.mystyle.com/mystyle/shows/ruby/index.jsp


----------



## Cuechick

It's the Monday after NY and I for one do not want to be here next year, vowing this is the year I will do it! 
After doing well the first two weeks of December, I slowly gave in to the holidays, eating more and exercising
less. I had good days and bad days but I feeling determined to get back on track. I went to my gym (aka YMCA) today 
and will be there again tomorrow. I am logging in my food on my iPhone app "Lose it" and I am excited to 
watch Oprah today.

I also found the Ruby finale very inspiring! 
http://www.mystyle.com/mystyle/shows/ruby/index.jsp


----------



## SongbirdVB

Octochick said:


> It's the Monday after NY and I for one do not want to be here next year, vowing this is the year I will do it!
> After doing well the first two weeks of December, I slowly gave in to the holidays, eating more and exercising
> less. I had good days and bad days but I feeling determined to get back on track. I went to my gym (aka YMCA) today
> and will be there again tomorrow. I am logging in my food on my iPhone app "Lose it" and I am excited to
> watch Oprah today.
> 
> I also found the Ruby finale very inspiring!
> http://www.mystyle.com/mystyle/shows/ruby/index.jsp


I feel the same way, don't want to make this resolution EVERY STINKING YEAR. I had purchased "My Fitness Coach" for my Wii and initialized it yesterday, today I got up early and did my first workout with it. It seems as though it's going to be a great program, it takes into account what kind of equipment you have at home (step bench, weights, stabililty ball, etc.) and incorporates that into your workout. During the workout it asked me a few times how I was doing... I had to select either a) it's too easy, b) I'm working hard, or c) I can't do it... the program responds to your answers by adapting your exercises accordingly. It did underestimate my heart rate and calorie burn, but that's no big deal since I'll use my heart rate monitor for that information. Long story short? I love it!


----------



## Cuechick

I may have to look into a Wii... !

I did just find this in Kindle version for just 3.39, Oprah said this is what she is following to get back on track.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

You guys are doing great with getting back on track.  

I had my SIL move things around in my garage so I could make space for my exercise machine.  He said I hadn't made enough space.  Rather than put this off any longer, I'm just going to clear the space around the machine and use it where it is.  This weekend is it.  The clock is ticking and I'm gearing up for a Sunday start.


----------



## Gables Girl

Okay I just started Yoga classes.  I finished my first one and have paid for 10 more.  That should give me the motivation to follow through.  Figured I had to start doing something and this will give a work out.


----------



## SongbirdVB

Woo hoo for Yoga and cookbooks!!  I bought the DTB of the Hungry Girl cookbook.  Cookbooks that have exotic ingredients that I have to go searching for are NOT cookbooks I need to own.  Especially since I am not a cook by any stretch of the imagination...  The HG cookbook is fabulous, as is the website.  Not affiliated, just a satisfied customer.  

Did another workout with MyFitnessCoach.  I burned 250 calories in 30 minutes without totally killing myself.  The calorie burn is per my heartrate monitor, plus I always deduct the number of calories I would have burned just sitting on my butt.  It's not a ton, but it's 250 that I wouldn't have burned by sleeping in.  When I did the setup for MFC I committed to 3 days a week (Sunday, Tuesday, Friday) and 30 minutes a day.  If I can do more than that I'll be really happy!  MFC also had me enter my weight and measurements (biceps, waist, hips, and thigh) when I started, I'm not sure how often it'll ask for new measurements but it will be interesting to track my progress.

The only thing MFC doesn't seem to have is a calendar where I can see what workouts I have completed.  It could be that I just haven't found it yet, as you can enter exercise credits for workouts other than MFC.  WiiFit has that calendar function and I really like it.  Maybe I'll enter my MFC credits into the WiiFit program and use both of them.


----------



## Geekgirl

Octochick said:


> I may have to look into a Wii... !
> 
> I did just find this in Kindle version for just 3.39, Oprah said this is what she is following to get back on track.


The Best Life Diet has some great suggestions 

I'm actually following them a little bit to help get back in shape as well. I just joined a gym and started eating better, and I'm scheduling an appointment with a personal trainer. The book recommends having a session with a trainer to get started and give you some workout ideas (and also to gauge your fitness levels so you don't over do it) and then you check in with the trainer every three to four months to update your workout routine and to check your progress.

I may do a little more work with a trainer because of some health issues (I have 2 herniated vertabrae, pinched nerves, no feeling in my right leg and I've become unable to support my weight on that side).

I also have a Wii and a Wii Fit at home which I do like, but since I support 77.6% of my body weight on my left leg (because of my back) according to Wii Fit, it makes some of the games a bit difficult.

So I want to get in shape not only to be healthy, but for increased mobility


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Geekgirl, have you checked with your doctor?  Sounds like you should considering your problems.  

I have some physical problems myself, but the good news is, my neuro cleared me to do the Sit and Be Fit exercises.  She also said I could use my machine because I can sit on/in it.  Saturday is garage clearing day, so I can get everything set up (goal #1) and then start on Sunday.  

Y'all have my permission to yell at me if I don't follow-up.


----------



## Gables Girl

Yoga Class 2 tonight.  This is going to take a long time, but I can feel some improvement on some of the poses.  Or I'm just hoping I do....


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Gables Girl said:


> Yoga Class 2 tonight. This is going to take a long time, but I can feel some improvement on some of the poses. Or I'm just hoping I do....


Yoga sounds good. Maybe I'll try some of the floor exercises.


----------



## Gables Girl

gertiekindle said:


> Yoga sounds good. Maybe I'll try some of the floor exercises.


The breathing and the form are what is important. The best part is you don't have push yourself until it hurts, you feel the stretch but that is all.


----------



## Anju 

I am so very proud of all of you!  IT takes a lot to decide to lose weight and then more to actually do it!  I have fought with weight problems all my life, but now all I need is 5-10 pounds, I feel much better at that weight.

One hint that you don't see often - when you eat out - remove half of your food immediately - before you eat it.  I usually take a canvas bag, or purse with some plastic containers and try to be ecologically friendly, or ask for a to go box when they bring your food.  Sometimes you have to remind them.  There is usually enough for another meal for my DH or both of us.

Exercise is good, yoga, walking, swimming, t'ai chi, something to get you off the chair in front of the computer.  

But you are all so inspiring.


----------



## Gables Girl

Anju said:


> I am so very proud of all of you! IT takes a lot to decide to lose weight and then more to actually do it! I have fought with weight problems all my life, but now all I need is 5-10 pounds, I feel much better at that weight.
> 
> One hint that you don't see often - when you eat out - remove half of your food immediately - before you eat it. I usually take a canvas bag, or purse with some plastic containers and try to be ecologically friendly, or ask for a to go box when they bring your food. Sometimes you have to remind them. There is usually enough for another meal for my DH or both of us.
> 
> Exercise is good, yoga, walking, swimming, t'ai chi, something to get you off the chair in front of the computer.
> 
> But you are all so inspiring.


Did I mention that I'm walking to my yoga classes? They are a half mile from my place so I get the added benefit of the walk. I want to lose 15 lbs so I hope this does it.


----------



## Annalog

Another KindleBoards Klub for me to join! Last year my goal was to become more fit. My husband and I joined a gym where I have been attending yoga classes for the last 10 months. I am now much more flexible and no longer huff and puff after going up a couple flights of stairs. On a recent week-long business trip, my hotel room was on the fourth floor and the only time I used the elevator was to take the luggage up/down at the beginning/end of the week. This year my goal is to start losing weight as well as I am 70+ pounds over my ideal weight.

The company I work for added incentive programs last year for fitness as well. I can earn "HealthCash" that can be used to purchase gift cards. Last year, without reaching the highest level, I was able to pay for about 1/2 of a Wii and WiiFit. (That darn scale in the WiiFit matches the scale in my doctor's office; it shows I weigh about 8 pounds heavier than the bathroom scale.  ) In addition, my daughter gave me the Jillian Michaels Wii game for Christmas.

However, I think that my Kindle-to-be will be the biggest incentive as this year I will be able to read on the Kindle while using the cardio equipment at the gym. (I tried reading DTB but that did not work for me. This year I will be exchanging my HealthCash for Amazon gift certificates.  I will be walking and jogging for books! 
Anna


----------



## Angela

I am hoping to get signed back up with Weight Watchers online. There isn't a great selection of local groups around here. Not like in Houston where there were WW places on every corner (well, maybe not EVERY corner). I am hoping I can find at least one person around here doing WW that will be an accountability person for me.


----------



## Anju 

Gables Girl said:


> Did I mention that I'm walking to my yoga classes? They are a half mile from my place so I get the added benefit of the walk. I want to lose 15 lbs so I hope this does it.


Great Gables Girl! Sometimes weather can be a deterent, but hang in there on your walking!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Anju said:


> One hint that you don't see often - when you eat out - remove half of your food immediately - before you eat it. I usually take a canvas bag, or purse with some plastic containers and try to be ecologically friendly, or ask for a to go box when they bring your food. Sometimes you have to remind them. There is usually enough for another meal for my DH or both of us.


Thanks for the reminder. I started doing that a long time ago. Makes having a cheeseburger practically guilt free. I cut it in half and then take the other half home. It's an easy way to cut calories and it only took me about a week to get used to less food. I lost 17 pounds that way.


----------



## SongbirdVB

gertiekindle said:


> Thanks for the reminder. I started doing that a long time ago. Makes having a cheeseburger practically guilt free. I cut it in half and then take the other half home. It's an easy way to cut calories and it only took me about a week to get used to less food. I lost 17 pounds that way.


I used to do that too, looks like I'll have to start again!

No workout yesterday morning (I overslept) but I hadn't planned or committed to one, so no biggie. Plus it was my bowling night, so that was my workout. Next week I'm going to wear my hrm just to see what the actual calorie burn is for bowling. CalorieKing.com says I burn over 200 calories in an hour, we bowl for 90+ minutes. Seems a little high to me...

No workout this morning either, I'll be doing WiiFit when I get home if I have the energy.

Once upon a time (about 7 years ago) I lost 70 pounds in 5 months. Worked out 1 - 2 hours a day, 6 days a week. HARD. That is not a realistic schedule for me and when the workouts stopped (and menopause struck) all the pounds came back, and brought a few of it's fat friends with it. This time I'm going to do it the right way, with a program I can incorporate into my lifestyle. I need to remember: Whatever you do to LOSE the weight is what you need to to to KEEP the weight off. It'll go slower this time, but it'll be a keeper.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

SongbirdVB said:


> I need to remember: Whatever you do to LOSE the weight is what you need to to to KEEP the weight off. It'll go slower this time, but it'll be a keeper.


That seems to be the trick. It took me 6 months to lose 17 pounds, but I kept if off for a long time. The problem for me was stopping the weight loss. I like to stay around 105-107. When I hit 107, I tried to go into maintenance mode, but it didn't work. I hit 105 pretty quickly and started to slide past that. That kind of scared me. This time, when I start reaching my goal, I think I'll talk to my doctor so that doesn't happen again.

How have y'all done maintenance in the past without going back to old bad habits?


----------



## SongbirdVB

gertiekindle said:


> That seems to be the trick. It took me 6 months to lose 17 pounds, but I kept if off for a long time. The problem for me was stopping the weight loss. I like to stay around 105-107. When I hit 107, I tried to go into maintenance mode, but it didn't work. I hit 105 pretty quickly and started to slide past that. That kind of scared me. This time, when I start reaching my goal, I think I'll talk to my doctor so that doesn't happen again.
> 
> How have y'all done maintenance in the past without going back to old bad habits?


Ask me again in a couple of years... obviously I've slid back into my old bad habits, and incorporated some NEW bad habits just for fun!

When I WAS maintaining though, the key for me was journalling my foods. That's something I have to start doing again, as it's the single most important thing I did to lose the weight. The exercise made it go much faster, but journalling my foods kept my intake under control. Without that even the large amount of exercise I was doing wouldn't have done the trick.


----------



## Brenda M.

gertiekindle said:


> That seems to be the trick. It took me 6 months to lose 17 pounds, but I kept if off for a long time. The problem for me was stopping the weight loss. I like to stay around 105-107. When I hit 107, I tried to go into maintenance mode, but it didn't work. I hit 105 pretty quickly and started to slide past that. That kind of scared me. This time, when I start reaching my goal, I think I'll talk to my doctor so that doesn't happen again.
> 
> How have y'all done maintenance in the past without going back to old bad habits?


My husband and I did WW for about a year. It took me 6 months to lose 23 pounds. Then I wasted 6 more months trying to lose 2 more pounds to hit 115, and to hit the "I lost 25 pounds" mark! That was vey frustrating. But, my husband still had to lose and it still kept me on track. I finally conceded at the 118 mark. Not bad for being 47 years old. 

We've since quit going to the WW meetings and I am maintaining well. We still eat pretty much like we did on WW, but I add a few things here and there each week that I didn't before. (A sandwich instead of a salad etc. or eat a good dessert here and there) I think the key is learning to eat differenlty, and when you do eat the wrong things, compensate for it by eating less at other times.

I also got the Wii fit and LOVE it!!


----------



## SongbirdVB

Brenda M. said:


> My husband and I did WW for about a year. It took me 6 months to lose 23 pounds. Then I wasted 6 more months trying to lose 2 more pounds to hit 115, and to hit the "I lost 25 pounds" mark! That was vey frustrating. But, my husband still had to lose and it still kept me on track. I finally conceded at the 118 mark. Not bad for being 47 years old.
> 
> We've since quit going to the WW meetings and I am maintaining well. We still eat pretty much like we did on WW, but I add a few things here and there each week that I didn't before. (A sandwich instead of a salad etc. or eat a good dessert here and there) I think the key is learning to eat differenlty, and when you do eat the wrong things, compensate for it by eating less at other times.
> 
> I also got the Wii fit and LOVE it!!


Gotta love WW. I was a WW member when I lost the 70 pounds, then became a WW leader. It's a great program and they DO teach you how to lose, then how to maintain. Unfortunately all the knowledge in the world is worthless if you don't actually DO it. Sigh. I'm currently in a research study and am not allowed to join WW until it's over (May). The minute the study is done I'm heading back there. The meetings are loaded with information and support, and the weigh-ins hold me accountable. Plus my work will pay for it! Win-win!

Isn't the WiiFit a blast? What's your favorite game exercise?


----------



## Angela

We have had a Wii for 2 years. Got it for the grandkids for when they visit!  
Looks like I need to be saving up for Wii Fit now.


----------



## SongbirdVB

Angela said:


> We have had a Wii for 2 years. Got it for the grandkids for when they visit!
> Looks like I need to be saving up for Wii Fit now.


You can get the My Fitness Coach and/or the Jillian Michaels programs (they're not GAMES so what do we call them?) without having the balance board!


----------



## Annalog

SongbirdVB said:


> You can get the My Fitness Coach and/or the Jillian Michaels programs (they're not GAMES so what do we call them?) without having the balance board!


Even though I have the balance board, I prefer using the Jillian Michaels program without the balance board for many of the activities, especially the jogging, as then I do not have to be as careful about not completely picking up my feet. I can then actually jog in place if I want to. However I always use the balance board with the program for the first use of the day so that it uses the weight scale feature. (EDIT: Because it is the most accurate scale I have in the house. )

I don't have My Fitness Coach so I don't know if it uses the balance board at all.

Anna


----------



## Cuechick

I have made it to the gym 4 days straight! My goal is 6 and Sunday I rest.  !


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Octochick said:


> I have made it to the gym 4 days straight! My goal is 6 and Sunday I rest. !


----------



## Jack C

Octochick said:


> ..... I found a great tool for my iPhone called "Lose it" you just put in your weight, goal, age and then log in your food and exercise and it calculates....


what the hell?! it says I've got to walk to uzbekistan


----------



## Angela

Thanks Anna and Songbird. I didn't realize there were other fitness "games" for the Wii out there. I have Dance, Dance Revolution and you can get quite a workout with it, so I guess I could pull it out and use it in the meantime.


----------



## Gables Girl

Jack C said:


> what the hell?! it says I've got to walk to uzbekistan


Ouch! Hope you enjoy walking!


----------



## ScrappingForever

Jack C said:


> what the hell?! it says I've got to walk to uzbekistan





Gables Girl said:


> Ouch! Hope you enjoy walking!


And swimming! That would be quite a workout! 

Great job, Octochick. So much of this is just forming a habit and sticking with it. I actually skipped my workout yesterday (bad Jan!) but I'll get back on it this morning. I need to do something to warm up!


----------



## Brenda M.

SongbirdVB said:


> Gotta love WW. I was a WW member when I lost the 70 pounds, then became a WW leader. It's a great program and they DO teach you how to lose, then how to maintain. Unfortunately all the knowledge in the world is worthless if you don't actually DO it. Sigh. I'm currently in a research study and am not allowed to join WW until it's over (May). The minute the study is done I'm heading back there. The meetings are loaded with information and support, and the weigh-ins hold me accountable. Plus my work will pay for it! Win-win!
> 
> Isn't the WiiFit a blast? What's your favorite game exercise?


Yup, the Wii Fit is a blast and you don't really feel like you're exercising. Well, okay.. sometimes. I love the rythm boxing. I am horrible at the balance games, though.


----------



## Annalog

Brenda M. said:


> Yup, the Wii Fit is a blast and you don't really feel like you're exercising. Well, okay.. sometimes. I love the rythm boxing. I am horrible at the balance games, though.


I like that the WiiFit has different types of activities as each of us will prefer or be good at different ones. I love the balance games but am very uncoordinated with the rhythm stepping, boxing, and dodging soccer shoes.  I continue working on my coordination but follow those games with the balance games in order to end on an up note. 

Cautionary note on two of the yoga activities (especially for those who have not taken yoga classes): When researching the WiiFit before buying it, I saw some articles about it on yoga sites. From http://yogapilates.suite101.com/article.cfm/wii_fit_yoga_pose_overview - The trainer example on Warrior pose is incorrect (heel should be on balance board and knee should never be in ahead of ankle). On a later article from the same site, the Triangle pose is the more difficult Reverse Triangle pose.

Additional uses: Additional yoga poses can be done with the existing activities on the WiiFit. Many of these are listed on the articles mentioned above. In addition, I use the Meditation Balance game for practicing my valance in the standing pose. For me maintaining the balance while sitting is too easy. 

Anna


----------



## ConnieK

Thanks all for the motivation to start losing again.  I joined WW in July, lost 15 pounds by October, then got lazy all the way through the holidays.  Luckily, I've only gained 2 pounds back.  Another 15 to go.  Thanks to these posts, I got right on the treadmill this morning, then did a 15 minute yoga DVD.  The Wii program sounds fantastic but I know nothing about the system.  Is it very expensive and is it pretty easy to set up?


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Jack C said:


> what the hell?! it says I've got to walk to uzbekistan


Every journey of a thousand miles starts with but a single step ... so start walking, Jack. 

When I went on Prevention's website and used their calculator, they said I needed to cut back to 950 calories a day to lose weight. If I did that, I'd be dead. I certainly couldn't walk to Uzbekistan on that intake.

I do think the walking destination is important. If you are walking back and forth from the couch to the frig 12 times a day, you might consider walking around the block instead. 



ConnieK said:


> Thanks to these posts, I got right on the treadmill this morning, then did a 15 minute yoga DVD.


I researched some Yoga DVDs yesterday, but most of them won't work for me. The Breath of Fire would make me pass out. I also have to stay on the floor or sit. I found Qigong (chi-gong) which has separate sitting and standing workouts so I can do just the sitting "brocades." Amazon also has a short video which sold me on it.

I read the reviews and one person complained that the instructor didn't say that you don't have to stretch as far as the instructor, but just do it as far as you can. Well, of course, I won't be able to do it as well as someone who has been doing it for 20 years. The idea is to start out with what you can do and work your way up. That's just common sense and I don't need the instructor to spell it out.

It's ordered and I should have it next week.

Tomorrow, I clear out the area around my exercise machine (an exercise in itself) and Sunday, I'm back in the saddle (bicycle style) again.

I'm glad we have this discussion. Now that I've made a public commitment, I'll stick to it better.


----------



## Jack C

Honestly, I'm envious of those of you who have a 'signficant other' to walk or ride with.

My dogs are *always* ready to go for a walk, and I don't like to disappoint them - but I think it'd be nice to be able to look forward to taking a walk with my non-canine partner on an evening.

To anyone experiencing some success: keep it up! You're an inspiration to a lot of folks, even if they don't post to say so.


----------



## Cuechick

5 days in row, who am I ?!


----------



## ScrappingForever

Octochick said:


> 5 days in row, who am I ?!


LOL. You're the new you! Way to go!


----------



## Gables Girl

Jack C said:


> Honestly, I'm envious of those of you who have a 'signficant other' to walk or ride with.
> 
> My dogs are *always* ready to go for a walk, and I don't like to disappoint them - but I think it'd be nice to be able to look forward to taking a walk with my non-canine partner on an evening.
> 
> To anyone experiencing some success: keep it up! You're an inspiration to a lot of folks, even if they don't post to say so.


Same here except I don't even have a dog, why I like the yoga classes. They force me to move.


----------



## Neversleepsawink;)

Okay, I downloaded the No S diet book on my Kindle....I've done it for a week, and I'm already seeing results....roughly lost 5lbs.


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Ugh! I've lost a complete week of workouts. I haven't been eating *too* bad, but have had to spend so much extra time at work that I haven't had time to do anything but come home, eat, and collapse (hardly enough energy to make any posts, too!). Waah!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Neversleepsawink;) said:


> Okay, I downloaded the No S diet book on my Kindle....I've done it for a week, and I'm already seeing results....roughly lost 5lbs.


Here it is for anyone who is interested.











Product Description
"No Snacks. No Sweets. No Seconds.Except on days that start with S (Saturdays, Sundays, and Special days). Developed by a problem-solving software engineer who was tired of diets that are too hard to stick with, The No-S Diet has attracted a passionate following online thanks to its elegant simplicity-and its results. Unlike fad diets based on gimmicks that lead to short-term weight-loss followed by backsliding and failure, The No-S Diet is a maintainable life plan that reminds us of the commonsense, conscious way we all know we should be eating. The book offers readers the tips, tricks, techniques and testimonials they'll need to stick with No-S for life"



kreelanwarrior said:


> Ugh! I've lost a complete week of workouts. I haven't been eating *too* bad, but have had to spend so much extra time at work that I haven't had time to do anything but come home, eat, and collapse (hardly enough energy to make any posts, too!). Waah!


All that extra work and stress must be burning up the calories.


----------



## ConnieK

gertiekindle said:


> Here it is for anyone who is interested.
> 
> Product Description
> "No Snacks. No Sweets. No Seconds.Except on days that start with S (Saturdays, Sundays, and Special days). Developed by a problem-solving software engineer who was tired of diets that are too hard to stick with, The No-S Diet has attracted a passionate following online thanks to its elegant simplicity-and its results. Unlike fad diets based on gimmicks that lead to short-term weight-loss followed by backsliding and failure, The No-S Diet is a maintainable life plan that reminds us of the commonsense, conscious way we all know we should be eating. The book offers readers the tips, tricks, techniques and testimonials they'll need to stick with No-S for life"
> 
> All that extra work and stress must be burning up the calories.


I love that!

Re Yoga DVD. You won't believe this but I got my yoga DVD from a highway rest stop McDonalds several years ago when they were running a series of health DVDs promotion. It's a terrific DVD with at least 8 yoga programs on it. Only 15 minutes each, but just what I like after a cardio workout. Unfortunately, the Mexican takeout I ordered for dinner tonight completely negated all of the working out and snow shoveling I did today. Now I will really have to take the dogs for a great walk tonight!


----------



## Cuechick

I reached my goal and made it to the gym 6 days out of 7. I took yesterday off but did some house cleaning and actually worked up a little
sweat that way. It is kind of a big deal to me, cause I have been vowing to myself I would go 5 or 6 for months and I do not think
I have done better than 4. I do not know why we think it is no big deal to break the promises we make to ourselves?  I would not do 
that to another person?

Anyway, I feel good and will be there again tomorrow.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Octochick said:


> I reached my goal and made it to the gym 6 days out of 7. I took yesterday off but did some house cleaning and actually worked up a little
> sweat that way. It is kind of a big deal to me, cause I have been vowing to myself I would go 5 or 6 for months and I do not think
> I have done better than 4. I do not know why we think it is no big deal to break the promises we make to ourselves? I would not do
> that to another person?
> 
> Anyway, I feel good and will be there again tomorrow.


Go, Octochick!


----------



## ScrappingForever

Excellent, Octochick! It is also important to give yourself a rest day, so you don't burn out. Not that it was necessarily a rest day, by the sounds of it.


----------



## Anju 

Walking the dogs is a good workout, but it all depends on how many p&p stops have to be made. Usually when we get to a good pace - that's the time , and of course we they can't do it at the same time 


You always should take at least one day a week off from your normal workout, when we get started we tend to get all gung ho and then burned out really fast.

Y'all are really doing good! I have a book, the No Sugar No Flour book, that is really good, but you have to get it from the author, not anywhere else, so when I get my Amazon gift card for me maybe I'll get the No S book, sounds right up my alley.


----------



## Gables Girl

I actually did Yoga 4 days this week and walked the on 2.  For someone that hates exercise it's a new record.  Now to see how it goes this week, I have to travel at the end of the week to the cold north.


----------



## SongbirdVB

The No S Diet sounds great!  I'd be interested in your feedback after you've been doing it for a while.

I don't remember who asked, but My Fitness Coach does not use the WiiFit balance board.  It does use other types of fitness equipment you might have, such as a step bench or hand weights.  Before each workout you let it know what equipment you have available and it works with that info.

I did 50 minutes on the WiiFit Friday, had a craft sale yesterday so there was a lot of lifting and stuff, today I did my 30 minutes with My Fitness Coach.  Last week my MFC workouts were cardio, today I did core.  Every workout you can choose what kind of workout you want to do, the one they recommend is starred but you don't have to do that one.  I'm still lovin' it!


----------



## Neversleepsawink;)

Hi,
  So far so good on the No S diet....lost about 7-8 lbs....a size down in pants already.  I must of snacked a lot more than I realized.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Neversleepsawink;) said:


> Hi,
> So far so good on the No S diet....lost about 7-8 lbs....a size down in pants already. I must of snacked a lot more than I realized.


That's a great result. How long have you been doing it?


----------



## SongbirdVB

Neversleepsawink;) said:


> Hi,
> So far so good on the No S diet....lost about 7-8 lbs....a size down in pants already. I must of snacked a lot more than I realized.


Wow! I'll have to consider that, once I get back in the habit of frequent exercise. One focus at a time...

I've done MFC workouts all week. Monday, Core. Tuesday, Lower Body. Today, Cardio (MFC recommended flexibility but I chose to do a cardio workout). Tomorrow is not a workout day (of course today wasn't supposed to be either) so I'll sleep in a bit.


----------



## Scathach

I just joined SparkPeople ( www.sparkpeople.com ) a few weeks ago and I have lost 8 pounds in the past 3 weeks.  Pretty easy site to use, it tracks your nutritional calories and how much you exercise, but the best thing about the site is the community, there are so many great folk who help keep you motivated! I totally recommend it, especially since its free lol.


----------



## ScrappingForever

We're starting our second month of the ChaLEAN Extreme program. What an incredible workout these are! It's all about strength training because Muscle Burns Fat! Lovin' it!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I got my Qigong DVD yesterday and watched it so I could get an idea of what to expect.  It's for general health and balance.  All good.  

Too bad I didn't get it last week.  My "general health" could use a boost right now.  I'm coming down with the creeping crud.  Ick.


----------



## Anju 

gertiekindle said:


> I got my Qigong DVD yesterday and watched it so I could get an idea of what to expect. It's for general health and balance. All good.
> 
> Too bad I didn't get it last week. My "general health" could use a boost right now. I'm coming down with the creeping crud. Ick.


Gertie Qigong is great. I lead a taoist style t'ai chi group and prior to that we do warm-ups and qigong. It is really good for balance and well-being. You will enjoy it once you get started, but it is like the kindle - addictive 

Hope the crud decided to go away


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Anju said:


> Gertie Qigong is great. I lead a taoist style t'ai chi group and prior to that we do warm-ups and qigong. It is really good for balance and well-being. You will enjoy it once you get started, but it is like the kindle - addictive
> 
> Hope the crud decided to go away


Despite the crud, I'm going to try it tomorrow. I need another addiction.


----------



## Esther

I'm chiming in a bit late, as I've just found this thread.  I want to give everyone wanting to lose weight or improve their fitness levels a fully supportive "hey there-good for you!"  I lost about 35 lbs two years ago, my 'baby' weight earned by two pregnancies, and I've managed to keep it off all this time.  I've agreed with lots of posters since what worked for them also worked for me.  The key was increasing the exercise, (but not to the point of exhaustion) and eating better and 'realer', ie no processed foods.  Also, I sought to minimize the emotional response to it all.  If I didn't make it to the gym or if I had an extra piece of pizza (my weakness), I didn't beat myself up about it or just give up.  No, instead I used positive reinforcement and patted myself on the back when I did good.  I just told myself that I'm in it for the long haul and I just shrugged off the transgressions. The scale kept me in it week to week as I could see my progress slowly. I weighed myself about daily, recorded those numbers, and kept a running plot of the downward trend.  At the beginning I also recorded everything I ate and also wrote down in a journal when I went to the gym and what I did there.  I agree with the poster who said that you should add some weight training. You may need a session or two with a trainer to learn proper technique and to get a good program for you that you can follow.  I did a weight training program 2 or 3 times weekly and cardio for another 2 or 3 sessions weekly.  With this I lost about 1-1.5 lbs/week so I didn't see dramatic results for a while, but I felt great.  I have also noticed that my enthusiasm for all this cycles.  I've had to change up the cardio machines I use and my weight program to add some novelty.  And, there are times that I slack off.  But then that allows me to cycle back towards better fitness again.  I can say that I've been in the best fitness possible for me at least once or twice since I started and I can say that I'm not there now.  Now that I'm at a weight I can realistically sustain,  I still need to go to the gym at least 3 times a week, but my kindle keeps me company.  Today, it felt like a vacation, being able to read my book for about 25 minutes without interruption and not having to fight my sleepiness like I do at the end of the evening.  So, I was sweating a bit too---all the better.


----------



## Gables Girl

This weeks progress.  I did three classes in 3 days.  I don't see any weight lose on the scales but I've had a couple of people at work ask me if I've lost weight and my pants are loser at the hips and waist.  My triumph for the week is being able to bend back and grab my feet in the bow pose.  When I started I wasn't even close to being able to do that.  I'm find all the poses a little easier to do and I can move better.  They are amazed I'm coming in 3 times a week for class.  Now to just stay motivated.


----------



## Esther

Yeah Gables Girl!  Your reward is feeling better and seeing progress. It will happen...it IS happening!  I also took some yoga class and loved them.  It's very hard work.  My yoga class had great music which I loved.  I should really get back to it.


----------



## Gables Girl

Esther said:


> Yeah Gables Girl! Your reward is feeling better and seeing progress. It will happen...it IS happening! I also took some yoga class and loved them. It's very hard work. My yoga class had great music which I loved. I should really get back to it.


Frankly I haven't been that thrilled with the music so far. One class they forgot to turn it on so I didn't remind them.


----------



## Anju 

Yea Gables Girl - go by inches, not lubs and you will not get as discouraged - the muscle you are putting on weighs more than the stuff you are losing.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Gables Girl said:


> My triumph for the week is being able to bend back and grab my feet in the bow pose.


All I can say is WOW!!!


----------



## Neversleepsawink;)

I just wanted to let people know, I've lost 14 lbs since starting the No S diet!!!!!  YAY!!!!!  I weighed less than when I left the hospital, wow!!!!!  I really did need to stop snacking!


----------



## Annalog

Wednesday evening my mom and I walked up (and down) Tumamoc Hill (Tucson, AZ). It is a great walk as there is a 730 ft climb in elevation in 1.5 miles via a paved road (closed to traffic). It averages as an 8.9% grade. The good news is that I made it all the way to the top. Unfortunately I can currently only do it at "desert tortoise" speed (54 minutes up/30 minutes down) while my mom can walk it much faster. She says she walks at "snail pace" but I think she must be referring to a racing snail. If she walks alone her total round trip is just under an hour. When she walks with me she walks ahead, walks back, and walks ahead again (resulting in a much longer walk for her). She walks the hill 2-3 times a week. Since I live far outside Tucson, I only get to walk that hill occasionally. We both think of that hill as a "healing" place.

Anyone else have a special walking location or walking companion?

After uploading the steps on my pedometer the the health program site used by the company where I work, I determined that if I keep exercising at my current rate, I am 2 weeks away from the next level at which point I will be able to turn in my HealthCash for a $100 Amazon gift certificate. I find that thinking of the books I can buy a bigger incentive than thinking of the cash.  

Anna


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Annalog said:


> Wednesday evening my mom and I walked up (and down) Tumamoc Hill (Tucson, AZ). It is a great walk as there is a 730 ft climb in elevation in 1.5 miles via a paved road (closed to traffic). It averages as an 8.9% grade. The good news is that I made it all the way to the top. Unfortunately I can currently only do it at "desert tortoise" speed (54 minutes up/30 minutes down) while my mom can walk it much faster. She says she walks at "snail pace" but I think she must be referring to a racing snail. If she walks alone her total round trip is just under an hour. When she walks with me she walks ahead, walks back, and walks ahead again (resulting in a much longer walk for her). She walks the hill 2-3 times a week. Since I live far outside Tucson, I only get to walk that hill occasionally. We both think of that hill as a "healing" place.


Major props to your Mom. That's quite a walk three times a week. And props to you, too for doing it.



> After uploading the steps on my pedometer the the health program site used by the company where I work, I determined that if I keep exercising at my current rate, I am 2 weeks away from the next level at which point I will be able to turn in my HealthCash for a $100 Amazon gift certificate. I find that thinking of the books I can buy a bigger incentive than thinking of the cash.


That's some incentive your company is offering. They are smart enough to care about their employees' health.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Neversleepsawink;) said:


> I just wanted to let people know, I've lost 14 lbs since starting the No S diet!!!!! YAY!!!!! I weighed less than when I left the hospital, wow!!!!! I really did need to stop snacking!


I think I'm going to need to keep a food diary to see how much I snack.


----------



## Annalog

gertiekindle said:


> That's some incentive your company is offering. They are smart enough to care about their employees' health.


It is a great incentive plan. There are five levels with increasing values per level. Last year I made the fourth level. This year I am aiming for the top level. The year does not match the calendar year which is why I can reach level three by the end of January. 
Anna


----------



## Neversleepsawink;)

I really didn't think snacking was a big deal..but the pounds lost show it is.  I would have a snack after lunch, and always before I went to bed.  Chips are my favorite....well...seems like I was eating way to much!!!!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Neversleepsawink;) said:


> I really didn't think snacking was a big deal..but the pounds lost show it is. I would have a snack after lunch, and always before I went to bed. Chips are my favorite....well...seems like I was eating way to much!!!!


Ruffles and Pepsi have always been my downfall. It was worse when I had two cats who would sit in bed with me while I read and ate chips with me. I gave up Pepsi and Ruffles for a year and didn't lose an ounce. I probably substituted something else without being aware of it.


----------



## Neversleepsawink;)

What makes my snacking even worse is I want something salty so I eat chips, then I want something sweet so I eat some candy, and then I want something salty so I peanuts, etc.......see the horrible cycle.  My snacking never ended.  LOL!


----------



## Annalog

Today's exercise activity - moving and laying 12 inch square concrete pavers. I unloaded more than 50 pavers from a pickup truck (DH had bought and loaded them yesterday), pulled them on a cart uphill 25 yards, and then laid them on sand to finish an area 8x12 that I started a while ago. The way our property is laid out, I always seem to pull full loads uphill and empty carts downhill.   At least I burn more calories that way.   DH was working an a different 8x12 area without the use of a cart. Next is to assemble 8x12 shed on DH area, move contents of existing shed, move existing shed to my area, and then convert existing shed to chicken coop. 

Every time I took a rest break, I wished I had my Kindle. (Maybe if it had arrived then I would not be working outside. Would that be good or bad?)

Anna


----------



## drenee

Neversleepsawink;) said:


> What makes my snacking even worse is I want something salty so I eat chips, then I want something sweet so I eat some candy, and then I want something salty so I peanuts, etc.......see the horrible cycle. My snacking never ended. LOL!


I feel your pain.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Annalog said:


> Today's exercise activity - moving and laying 12 inch square concrete pavers. I unloaded more than 50 pavers from a pickup truck (DH had bought and loaded them yesterday), pulled them on a cart uphill 25 yards, and then laid them on sand to finish an area 8x12 that I started a while ago. The way our property is laid out, I always seem to pull full loads uphill and empty carts downhill.  At least I burn more calories that way.  DH was working an a different 8x12 area without the use of a cart. Next is to assemble 8x12 shed on DH area, move contents of existing shed, move existing shed to my area, and then convert existing shed to chicken coop.
> 
> Every time I took a rest break, I wished I had my Kindle. (Maybe if it had arrived then I would not be working outside. Would that be good or bad?)
> 
> Anna


Whew ... That was some workout. Did you weigh yourself before and after?


----------



## Annalog

gertiekindle said:


> Whew ... That was some workout. Did you weigh yourself before and after?


No.  I probably would have weighed more due to drinking lots of water and all the concrete grit that ended up in my hair! (When I would lift the pavers over the side of the truck bed, I would lift one over my head and then carried it behind my head as it seemed easier on my wrists. The paver then went over my head again as I placed it on the cart. Hopefully that will strengthen my arm muscles.) We finished around 2 pm and then ate lunch. Now DH is snoring in his recliner while I am on Amazon clicking "I'd like to read this book on Kindle" for my favorite gardening books. Next I will do the same for good books concerning raising chickens. (I was excited to see _Free Range Chickens_ and ordered it. I know it is not about raising free range chickens!  ) I am finding lots to do while waiting (not so patiently) for my Kindle-to-be. 
Anna


----------



## Neversleepsawink;)

drenee said:


> I feel your pain.


Its a horrible cycle to be in.


----------



## Annalog

Today we assembled the 8x12 shed that we bought last October. DH and I were outside from 9 am until 6:00 pm. We took a short break at 2 for lunch and short breaks morning and afternoon for water/tea. (During the morning break I checked StrangeDog and saw the Serious Color cover in stock. I bought it! Kindle-to-be is not even thinking about shipping but when it gets here, I will certainly be ready.) I am eating dinner while checking KB and plan to weigh myself later. (I have both a morning and an evening mii (avatar) on my WiiFit so I can choose the correct one when I weigh myself. Then it does not complain about time of day affecting weight.  )
Anna


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Annalog said:


> Today's exercise activity - moving and laying 12 inch square concrete pavers...


Good heavens! I got sore just reading your post! 

I haven't been able to exercise the last couple days after I pulled a back muscle while doing one of the ChaLEAN routines. It wasn't Chalene's fault, though - I had actually tweaked it at work, then just sent it over the top during my workout. Now I have to take it easy until it heals a bit. <sigh>


----------



## Annalog

kreelanwarrior said:


> Good heavens! I got sore just reading your post!
> 
> I haven't been able to exercise the last couple days after I pulled a back muscle while doing one of the ChaLEAN routines. It wasn't Chalene's fault, though - I had actually tweaked it at work, then just sent it over the top during my workout. Now I have to take it easy until it heals a bit. <sigh>


I hope it heals quickly.

I actually hurt more today from the shed assembly than from working with the pavers the day before. Too much time spent up on an unstable ladder (darn gopher holes) and down on knees assembling roof trusses. 

Take care, 
Anna


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Annalog said:


> I hope it heals quickly.
> 
> I actually hurt more today from the shed assembly than from working with the pavers the day before. Too much time spent up on an unstable ladder (darn gopher holes) and down on knees assembling roof trusses.
> 
> Take care,
> Anna


Anna - how big is the shed? Sounds like a major construction project!

And I know what you mean about gopher holes: we had a gopher colony in our back yard when I was a kid. My dad's battles against them could've been filmed as an alternate set of scenes in "Caddyshack"...


----------



## Annalog

kreelanwarrior said:


> Anna - how big is the shed? Sounds like a major construction project!
> 
> And I know what you mean about gopher holes: we had a gopher colony in our back yard when I was a kid. My dad's battles against them could've been filmed as an alternate set of scenes in "Caddyshack"...


The shed is 8 feet wide and 12.5 feet long. It is a kit by Lifetime Storage (http://www.lifetime.com/outdoorstorage/). DH and I are both pleased with how it went together but it would have been easier if we were younger! 

The gophers (and other rodents) are numerous here. A couple years ago DH looked out the back window and saw two large gophers reclining on the pavers in front of the old shed. He said it looked as though they were laughing at him. The two other sheds we have are wood and currently only have pavers below the 4x4 support timbers. This past year rodents have dug homes under those sheds. We bought the new shed so that we can move the work bench from the larger shed and other stuff from the smaller shed into in. Next we jack up the small wooden shed and roll it on peeled log timbers to the 8x12 area I finished paving yesterday. Next we empty the larger shed (12x14), jack it up, roll it forward, attempt to remove the rodents below, without restorting to explosives , completely pave that area, and then roll the shed back. The fun never ends around here.


----------



## Annalog

gertiekindle said:


> Whew ... That was some workout. Did you weigh yourself before and after?


Unfortunately my "before" weights were taken over 2 weeks earlier, but I did weigh myself on the WiiFit yesterday morning (using my morning Mii) and again in the evening (using my evening Mii). In both cases, my weight was 2.5 pounds lower yesterday.  This morning showed an additional loss of .4 pounds. Maybe that was from the weekend activities.  What surprised me this morning is that my WiiFit age was 26 when I normally score in the high 30s; I had not expected that as I was aching all over when I woke up. My knees and ankles were the worst. I am not sure how I was able to hit all those moving blocks on the agility test (cleared 22) but maybe moving the concrete blocks helped. 

The trend is definitely in the correct direction. 

Anna


----------



## Neversleepsawink;)

I love the Wii Fit....it keeps saying I'm younger that I am   My hubby is six years younger than I am, yet I'm younger than him according to my Wii fit


----------



## Annalog

Neversleepsawink;) said:


> I love the Wii Fit....it keeps saying I'm younger that I am  My hubby is six years younger than I am, yet I'm younger than him according to my Wii fit


I like that also. Yesterday morning when we both took the test, it said I was 16 years younger than my age while it said DH was 4 years older than his age. I had to smile even more this morning when it said I was 28 years younger than my age. The only time it told me I was older than my age was on the second or third day we had the WiiFit and I did not understand the instructions for one of the tests.

I laugh even more when the trainer says I am fit because my balance is OK but I know that I can barely do the exercise.  I know if I keep working one it, one of these days the trainer might actually be correct!

Anna


Spoiler



For those who combine the information from the posts, you will know my age.


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Annalog said:


> The shed is 8 feet wide and 12.5 feet long. It is a kit by Lifetime Storage (http://www.lifetime.com/outdoorstorage/). DH and I are both pleased with how it went together but it would have been easier if we were younger!
> 
> The gophers (and other rodents) are numerous here. A couple years ago DH looked out the back window and saw two large gophers reclining on the pavers in front of the old shed. He said it looked as though they were laughing at him. The two other sheds we have are wood and currently only have pavers below the 4x4 support timbers. This past year rodents have dug homes under those sheds. We bought the new shed so that we can move the work bench from the larger shed and other stuff from the smaller shed into in. Next we jack up the small wooden shed and roll it on peeled log timbers to the 8x12 area I finished paving yesterday. Next we empty the larger shed (12x14), jack it up, roll it forward, attempt to remove the rodents below, without restorting to explosives , completely pave that area, and then roll the shed back. The fun never ends around here.


Good grief! Bring out the tactical nukes!! And that's funny - the new shed you guys put up was exactly the same kind as ours!


----------



## Annalog

kreelanwarrior said:


> Good grief! Bring out the tactical nukes!! And that's funny - the new shed you guys put up was exactly the same kind as ours!


We are afraid that if we use tactical nukes then the result will be giant mutant gophers! 

How long have you had the shed and do you like it? Did it take you all day to put it together? Did you get your shed on sale at Lowe's in October?


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Annalog said:


> We are afraid that if we use tactical nukes then the result will be giant mutant gophers!


Hmm, good point! Shades of the 6-foot tall "Chernobyl Chicken..."



> How long have you had the shed and do you like it? Did it take you all day to put it together? Did you get your shed on sale at Lowe's in October?


Maybe a year now? We ordered it on-line from the company and a big freight truck delivered it. Not sure if you've got the same model, but I actually put it up mostly myself. The hardest part was building the frame base and getting it level (I'm not very handy with power tools!). We've been very happy with it - seems to be very sturdy and looks like it'll last.


----------



## SongbirdVB

Hi all!



Neversleepsawink;) said:


> I love the Wii Fit....it keeps saying I'm younger that I am  My hubby is six years younger than I am, yet I'm younger than him according to my Wii fit


I think that's why my hubby won't do the WiiFit. At the last test I took, Sunday, I was 14 years younger than my actual age. Pretty good, I thought!

Sunday I took the MFC Physical Challenge, I must do them every other week or something. Not much change, but this morning when I did my cardio she KICKED MY BUNS!  Holy cow... a lot more intensity than last week. I liked it!


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

I managed to exercise today without pulling another back muscle! Ha!


----------



## Annalog

SongbirdVB said:


> Hi all!
> 
> I think that's why my hubby won't do the WiiFit. At the last test I took, Sunday, I was 14 years younger than my actual age. Pretty good, I thought!
> 
> Sunday I took the MFC Physical Challenge, I must do them every other week or something. Not much change, but this morning when I did my cardio she KICKED MY BUNS!  Holy cow... a lot more intensity than last week. I liked it!


Congratulations! It sounds as if the My Fitness Coach is a good program that increases the intensity when appropriate. Is it one I should ask for as a future birthday present?

My DH does not use the WiiFit often but he will take the test occasionally. I think it was fortunate that the first time he tried the test, it showed that his balance point was centered but far back on his heels. The tip it gave was that if he moved his balance point forward then he would not become so tired when walking and standing. It was the perfect tip to give him as our main problem with vacations is that he gets tired when walking and standing. His balance is now better just because he is thinking about it. Also, since the Miis fall asleep immediately if that person has not used the WiiFit in 5-7 days, I can usually get him to at least take the test once a week. He does not want his Mii to be sleeping. He is happy when it gives his WiiFit Age as at least 5 years younger than his actual age. (Today my age was back up to 37 which is more normal for me. ) He also likes playing the marble game.



kreelanwarrior said:


> I managed to exercise today without pulling another back muscle! Ha!


Yeah! Glad to hear that your back is recovering. 



kreelanwarrior said:


> Hmm, good point! Shades of the 6-foot tall "Chernobyl Chicken..."
> 
> Maybe a year now? We ordered it on-line from the company and a big freight truck delivered it. Not sure if you've got the same model, but I actually put it up mostly myself. The hardest part was building the frame base and getting it level (I'm not very handy with power tools!). We've been very happy with it - seems to be very sturdy and looks like it'll last.


Thanks for the feedback. The reason we put down concrete pavers is that we have experience with making those level; add/remove sand/dirt under paver and then jump up and down on it! No skill required. 

Anna


----------



## SongbirdVB

Annalog said:


> Congratulations! It sounds as if the My Fitness Coach is a good program that increases the intensity when appropriate. Is it one I should ask for as a future birthday present?
> 
> My DH does not use the WiiFit often but he will take the test occasionally. I think it was fortunate that the first time he tried the test, it showed that his balance point was centered but far back on his heels. The tip it gave was that if he moved his balance point forward then he would not become so tired when walking and standing. It was the perfect tip to give him as our main problem with vacations is that he gets tired when walking and standing. His balance is now better just because he is thinking about it. Also, since the Miis fall asleep immediately if that person has not used the WiiFit in 5-7 days, I can usually get him to at least take the test once a week. He does not want his Mii to be sleeping. He is happy when it gives his WiiFit Age as at least 5 years younger than his actual age. (Today my age was back up to 37 which is more normal for me. ) He also likes playing the marble game.
> 
> Anna


MFC is a great program, and it adapts to your fitness level pretty well. I'm really glad I got it. I use it more than the WiiFit because I feel like I get a better workout, then I go to WiiFit and enter my Fit Credits. I also do a body test on WiiFit at least once a week. I like that I can do the body test and enter Fit Credits without putting the disc in, I only need the disc if I plan to work out on WiiFit. Which I will probably do tomorrow. That marble game kills me on level 5 every time.


----------



## Cuechick

Here is a very yummy treat I thought some of you might like to try....








Skinny Cow S'mores!
I just "roasted" a couple of marshmallows over an open gas flame and added them to a Skinny Cow Sammie!
All together only 190 calories and so good!!!!!!!!

http://www.skinnycow.com/


----------



## Angela

I love Skinny Cows!!

I have not gone on any diet per se, but I have cut back on my serving sizes and junk food snacking... I have lost about 8 pounds and I need a smaller belt to keep my jeans up!!


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Angela said:


> I love Skinny Cows!!
> 
> I have not gone on any diet per se, but I have cut back on my serving sizes and junk food snacking... I have lost about 8 pounds and I need a smaller belt to keep my jeans up!!


Angela - that's awesome, congrats!!


----------



## Neversleepsawink;)

Octochick said:


> Here is a very yummy treat I thought some of you might like to try....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Skinny Cow S'mores!
> I just "roasted" a couple of marshmallows over an open gas flame and added them to a Skinny Cow Sammie!
> All together only 190 calories and so good!!!!!!!!
> 
> Love those! Just wanted to let everyone know I'm now down 3 belt noches on my waist. Whoo hooo! Loving the No S Diet
> 
> http://www.skinnycow.com/


----------



## Gables Girl

Okay, after 3 weeks I've lost 5 lbs according to my scales and I got into a pair of pants I hadn't worn since last winter.  The yoga is working I think.


----------



## Neversleepsawink;)

Gables Girl said:


> Okay, after 3 weeks I've lost 5 lbs according to my scales and I got into a pair of pants I'd hadn't worn since last winter. The yoga is working I think.


Awesome, congrats


----------



## Annalog

I earned enough HealthMiles in the health incentive program at work to reach the next level. As a result I received a $100 Amazon gift card today. I wrote earlier that I was going to use the incentive cards for Kindle books, but since my Kindle-to-be has not shipped, I applied the card to the Kindle instead. I am now even more committed to my Kindle! (I also decided that if the Feb 9 announcement is K2 and the wait for that would be even longer than the 3-5 weeks remaining then either DH or I would need to *be* committed before it arrives.  A Kindle in the hand is worth 2 K2 in the future. ) Too bad it won't arrive before I go on my next business trip.


----------



## Andra

I've been watching this thread since it started and I'm ready to chime in.
My husband got a Wii in the middle of January and decided to get the Wii Fit to see if I would be interested.  I have a good bit of weight to drop, but I get bored with exercise routines and would rather sit and read.
I have to tell you that I'm hooked.  It was a lot of fun working up to getting all the activities unlocked and I haven't missed a day in over three weeks.  Right now my favorite is the Rhythm Boxing.  I do the 3 minute as a warm-up and then do the 6 and 10 minutes ones.  And I am tired and sweaty when I get finished.  It's also fun to try to beat my high score.  Some of the patterns are harder than others and I still mess them up so I have lots of room for improvement.
I know it's head games, but if it helps establish a habit - that's what I need at this point.
Everybody keep on with your lifestyle modifications!
Andra


----------



## SongbirdVB

Good job, Andra!  You have just motivated me to try the Rhythm Boxing.  I've avoided it because I don't want to hook up the nunchuck, but I'm going to give it a shot!  Thanks!


----------



## Andra

Let me know how it goes - I can't possibly be the only person who gets hooked on it.
Start out slow and learn the patterns before you get discouraged - it gets easier.
I beat my high scores yesterday, so that's extra motivation for today!
Andra


----------



## Neversleepsawink;)

Since being on the NoS diet, I've lost almost 4 sizes   Loving this diet!!!


----------



## Angela

Even with having the flu and not exercising, I have dropped a couple more pounds and am down a size in my jeans. I now have one pair that I can't keep up even with a belt (cause it's too big) and best of all, I was able to wear a pair of pants and the waistband didn't roll down when I sat or bent over. THAT was a big this for me!!


----------



## ScrappingForever

Mike (KreelanWarrior) and I have exciting news! We just signed up to be Beachbody coaches! We figured since we talk about the programs we use all over the place, we may as well join in and put ourselves in a place where we can officially help people become healthier. So if you're interested in getting into any of the Beachbody programs, just let us know, and we'll help you pick the one that's right for you!


----------



## Athena

I just discovered this thread. Yay

I lost about 12 pounds last year but to reach my ideal weight I need to lose about 10 more pounds and I've been struggling ever since and can't seem to get rid of it!

I LOVE chocolate and have no willpower when it is around

Got a wii fit for Christmas but have had awful sinus'es so when I get home from the office I basically crash.  Am trying to be better at it, though.  The wii fit is alot of fun and the board 'scolds' you when you haven't been on for a couple of days.

I also try to go to Nia once a week, but sometimes hard to go at the end of the day.  Its  alot of fun thought when I get my act together


----------



## ConnieK

Hi Athena - Your story sounds familiar.  I lost 13 pounds on Weight Watchers between July and October of last year, but then lost focus with 15 pounds left to go.  For the "fasting" part of my Lenten practice, I've decided to go back on it and stick to it as religiously (pun intended ) as possible.  At my first meeting last Saturday, I was please to see that I had only gained 4/10's of a pound in those 4 months.  We can do this!!

ScrappingForever - What is beach body coaching? Is there a website.

Neversleeps a wink - Congratulations!  Based on your review I looked into the S Diet and tried it for a week (which probably helped bring my weight down for last week's weigh in) and thought it made so much sense.  I can't remember the last time I ate something "bad" and didn't feel guilty about it.  That really was a treat.  Unfortunately, I had trouble sticking with it for the long haul but I am going to try to incorporate much of its concepts into the WW program (mainly the no sweets and seconds parts.)


----------



## Gables Girl

Diet officially blown due to my birthday and being at a conference,  Once I get back home I'll diet again, but who can resist chocolate cake on their birthday.....


----------



## ConnieK

Happy Birthday!! No one should have to resist chocolate cake on their birthday.  Hope you enjoyed every bite!


----------



## DD

Wow, just found this thread. I have lost 132 lbs. in the last 2 yrs. (yes, I did it slowly and it's staying off). I want to lose about 60 more. My favorite show is The Biggest Loser. I find it so inspirational.

I've been on every fad diet that ever existed and at least 3 of the big organized diet organizations. They all worked for a while. I've lost 100's of lbs. in my life and always put it back on and then some. I always thought I could do it with diet alone but I've learned differently after trying it my way over and over again without lasting success.

You know, I've heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. So I've changed my thinking. It all comes down to a few words - my motto:

*Eat Less. Move More.*​
It's so great that I can find support along with you in a place I love - the Kindleboards. Thanks for being here and Stay Strong!

DD


----------



## Gables Girl

ConnieK said:


> Happy Birthday!! No one should have to resist chocolate cake on their birthday. Hope you enjoyed every bite!


I did and thank you.


----------



## ScrappingForever

Wow DD! Congrats on the weight loss and you go, girl, to lose the rest! Wow! I love your motto! That's really what it all comes down to, isn't it! 

Gables Girl, a birthday definitely calls for a step off the diet wagon. I'll be heading to The Cheesecake Factory in a couple of weeks for my birthday. I already know I'll be getting a Kobe burger and a Kahlua Cocoa Mocha cheesecake! 

Beachbody is a company that sells video workout programs, something to suit every need. Here's a link to our Beachbody site: http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/coachjan/home. You can wander around on there and see the kinds of fitness program Beachbody offers and what it means to be a member of a coach. Basically, as a coach, Mike and I are there to support and encourage our team. We help with problems, answer any questions you might have as you work through the program, and just generally help you to reach your goals.


----------



## DD

ScrappingForever said:


> Wow DD! Congrats on the weight loss and you go, girl, to lose the rest! Wow! I love your motto! That's really what it all comes down to, isn't it!
> 
> Gables Girl, a birthday definitely calls for a step off the diet wagon. I'll be heading to The Cheesecake Factory in a couple of weeks for my birthday. I already know I'll be getting a Kobe burger and a Kahlua Cocoa Mocha cheesecake!
> 
> Beachbody is a company that sells video workout programs, something to suit every need. Here's a link to our Beachbody site: http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/coachjan/home. You can wander around on there and see the kinds of fitness program Beachbody offers and what it means to be a member of a coach. Basically, as a coach, Mike and I are there to support and encourage our team. We help with problems, answer any questions you might have as you work through the program, and just generally help you to reach your goals.


Thanks, ScrappingForever.


----------



## Buttercup

I've just found this thread too.  I rejoined Weight Watchers 1/6, to date I've lost 17.1 lbs.  I have a lot more to go but I'll get there!


----------



## ConnieK

Buttercup, 17 pounds in 2 months is amazing - congratulations!


----------



## Buttercup

Thank you Connie!


----------



## Athena

Happy Belated B-day GablesGirl!!! 

Congrats DD and Buttercup!!!That is wonderful!!  

My scale seems to be stuck right now  

Connie-  hmmm....that is a great idea for Lent.  I was just trying not to eat meat...I like your idea better.


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Hey, everybody, I figured I'd try to see if we can get this thing reenergized a little bit swim suit season's going to be here soon! 

Anyway, where Jan (ScrappingForever) and I are now:

Jan's lost a total of 30 pounds since last June, and I've lost a total of 35 - yaay! We just finished the ChaLEAN Extreme workout program and are going to take a break for a week or so with just light cardio and a bit of running. Then we're going to go through ChaLEAN again...and then we'll be going for P90X!

Our long term plan is to run the "rock n roll marathon" half marathon in San Antonio in November.

That may sound like a lot, but when we started back in June last year we couldn't even imagine where we've gotten to now (not to mention the huge plunge my cholesterol has taken). So come on and join in - any way that suits you! - and let's get ready for summer!


----------



## bosslady402

We ordered the P90, and it should be here by Monday... (Hi Jan!)  I've started keeping track of calories and seem to be keeping it between 1000 and 1400. Lost another pound or so since I talked to you last!


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

bosslady402 said:


> We ordered the P90, and it should be here by Monday... (Hi Jan!) I've started keeping track of calories and seem to be keeping it between 1000 and 1400. Lost another pound or so since I talked to you last!


Awesooome! Make sure you plan and log your workouts in WOWY - really helps you stick to your workouts. If you need workout buddies, my user ID is KWarrior, Jan's is CoachJan (and if you need a Beachbody coach, let us know).


----------



## bosslady402

Jan is my coach!


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

bosslady402 said:


> Jan is my coach!


LOL!! So many user names, I'm confused!


----------



## ScrappingForever

Hey Cathy! Great job! What are you using to keep track of calories? Have I told you about MyFitnessPal? I can't remember. lol Anyway, if you don't already have a great system, that site works really well. Easy to use, lots of food already in the database, and easy to add your own if you have to. 

Can't wait to hear how you like P90. Mike did a review of it the other day, and was watching the videos. All we could say was, we've come a long way, baby! It gives such an awesome foundation!


----------



## ArmyWife

Just found this thread.  I have lost 80 pounds over the last 18 months...looking to lose 40 more.  I recently had a set back from exercising due to injuries from a car accident, but I am ready to get back at it.  

I really like the Wii Fit...my family likes to compete to see who can take over 1st place.  I am looking forward to the two new exercise Wii games that are coming out for the board...one is Gold's Gym and the other is by EA Sports.  I will probably wait to read reviews to see if they are worthwhile.

My dh has recently started P90X....he's on Week 4 and he already notices some definition.  

I have looked through several pages on this thread.....downloaded the sample of the No S diet.


----------



## ScrappingForever

Wow! Congrats on your weight loss! 80 pounds is a-maaaazing! I'm sorry to hear about your car accident, but it sounds like you have a great attitude and will get right back in there and finish the job! Are you taking before and after photos! Those can be so inspiring!

I guess your husband must be enjoying P90X, right? Mike and I are going to do another round of ChaLEAN Extreme, another Beachbody program, and then start the X after that. Part of me is excited and part of me is intimidated!


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

ArmyWife said:


> Just found this thread. I have lost 80 pounds over the last 18 months...looking to lose 40 more. I recently had a set back from exercising due to injuries from a car accident, but I am ready to get back at it.
> 
> I really like the Wii Fit...my family likes to compete to see who can take over 1st place. I am looking forward to the two new exercise Wii games that are coming out for the board...one is Gold's Gym and the other is by EA Sports. I will probably wait to read reviews to see if they are worthwhile.
> 
> My dh has recently started P90X....he's on Week 4 and he already notices some definition.
> 
> I have looked through several pages on this thread.....downloaded the sample of the No S diet.


That's totally awesome!! Like Jan said, we'll be starting P90X after we do ChaLEAN again. I'm going to try and follow the nutritional aspect a lot more closely than I have been, although not so much to lose weight, but to drop my body fat just a tad more (it's at 11% now, am aiming for around 8%), and gain some muscle... 

Anyway, stick with it and keep going!!


----------



## kevindorsey

Losing weight is a mindset.  I'm holding back for another week, and then its time...


----------



## Maxwell

My goal is to gain 25 lbs by the end of the year....most of it in lean muscle.


----------



## Kind

I wonder if it's easy to lose weight or gain weight


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

kevindorsey said:


> Losing weight is a mindset. I'm holding back for another week, and then its time...


What sort of exercise(s) and nutrition plan are you planning to do?


----------



## ScrappingForever

kevindorsey said:


> Losing weight is a mindset. I'm holding back for another week, and then its time...


You are so right. If a person's mind isn't in it, and totally determined and committed, chances are he or she won't succeed.


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

ScrappingForever said:


> You are so right. If a person's mind isn't in it, and totally determined and committed, chances are he or she won't succeed.


Yep. As the Beachbody motto (or whatever it's called) goes, "Decide. Commit. Succeed."


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kind said:


> I wonder if it's easy to lose weight or gain weight


It can be just as difficult to gain weight as it is to lose weight ... on purpose. Until I hit age 36, no matter what I ate (and believe me I ate a lot), I was always 15 pounds underweight. Then I hit those magic years and the pound or two one puts on every year without changing your eating or exercise habits, began to pile on.

I have just about lost the few pounds I needed to lose, so now it's exercise time.


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Gertie Kindle "Turn to Page 390" said:


> It can be just as difficult to gain weight as it is to lose weight ... on purpose. Until I hit age 36, no matter what I ate (and believe me I ate a lot), I was always 15 pounds underweight. Then I hit those magic years and the pound or two one puts on every year without changing your eating or exercise habits, began to pile on.
> 
> I have just about lost the few pounds I needed to lose, so now it's exercise time.


Yeah, I haven't been very successful in putting on more muscle - yet. I've been able to slim down, but I think I need to eat a lot more protein when we go back through ChaLEAN Extreme again. Once we hit P90X, there's a very "programmed" nutrition plan that I think will work very well for me. I don't want to look like Arnold, but I wouldn't mind putting on a bit more flex!


----------



## MAGreen

My plan is to lose 30 lbs by my birthday in October. I have been slowly replacing unhealthy foods with whole grains and fresh fruits and veggies. Now I just need to get my fat @$$ off the couch and start using the treadmill and bowflex! THe nice thing about the treadmill is I can set it and read my Kindle while I walk.


----------



## Ann in Arlington

Not Fair!  I'm reading about the brownies and decided I had to make a batch.  Then I get to this thread!  Sigh!

I think we're sending mixed messages here, folks!  

Ann


----------



## Gertie Kindle

kreelanwarrior said:


> Yeah, I haven't been very successful in putting on more muscle - yet. I've been able to slim down, but I think I need to eat a lot more protein when we go back through ChaLEAN Extreme again. Once we hit P90X, there's a very "programmed" nutrition plan that I think will work very well for me. I don't want to look like Arnold, but I wouldn't mind putting on a bit more flex!


Your goal could always be to look like Reza, without the braids.


----------



## Esther

MAGreen said:


> My plan is to lose 30 lbs by my birthday in October. I have been slowly replacing unhealthy foods with whole grains and fresh fruits and veggies. Now I just need to get my fat @$$ off the couch and start using the treadmill and bowflex! THe nice thing about the treadmill is I can set it and read my Kindle while I walk.


MAGreen, you have a super plan. I lost about 30-35 lbs (baby weight ) a couple of years ago with just that approach. Just remember that slow and steady wins the race.

I love reading my Kindle on the treadmill. It works great except the old treadmills at my gym sometimes build up a charge and when I touch the K1 to turn the page, it freezes. I try to pick a treadmill that doesn't do that, and I always keep a paper clip handy just in case. Also, if I have to get on one that is a baddy, I touch it before I touch the kindle.


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

MAGreen said:


> My plan is to lose 30 lbs by my birthday in October. I have been slowly replacing unhealthy foods with whole grains and fresh fruits and veggies. Now I just need to get my fat @$$ off the couch and start using the treadmill and bowflex! THe nice thing about the treadmill is I can set it and read my Kindle while I walk.


Awesome!! Also try to eat 5-6 small balanced and lean meals a day - that'll help even out your blood sugar and boost your metabolism. And that's a good idea to do both the treadmill and the Bowflex - I think the best combo (and the one that's certainly worked best for Jan and me) is a combination of both cardio and resistance training. Muscle burns fat! 

And it's okay to have a brownie if it's small and you don't overdo it! Ha!


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Gertie Kindle "Turn to Page 390" said:


> Your goal could always be to look like Reza, without the braids.


I WISH!!


----------



## MAGreen

Thank you all for the tips and support!


----------



## ScrappingForever

Gertie Kindle "Turn to Page 390" said:


> Your goal could always be to look like Reza, without the braids.


Oh...my....look like Reza....does that mean he'll look like Hrithik Roshan?!? Oh wow....I think my heart just stopped beating....must revive....must breathe......


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

ScrappingForever said:


> Oh...my....look like Reza....does that mean he'll look like Hrithik Roshan?!? Oh wow....I think my heart just stopped beating....must revive....must breathe......


Hmmm...I think I'm gonna have to go in for plastic surgery if this keeps up!


----------



## ScrappingForever

kreelanwarrior said:


> Hmmm...I think I'm gonna have to go in for plastic surgery if this keeps up!


No you won't, dear. I love you just the way you are. Besides, it would be hard to live with someone like Hrithik. I do need to breathe every once in a while.


----------



## ScrappingForever

And now to get back on topic a bit. 

Mike and I are doing a 30-day fitness challenge on our thread on the Beachbody Message Boards. It doesn't matter what you're doing, can be running, walking on a treadmill, working out to any video program, whatever. This challenge is to help you commit to consistent workouts and eating right for 30 days. We'd like to invite you to post on our thread to enjoy the encouragement and motivation you'll get from other like-minded individuals. There is going to be a point system that you'll keep track of every day, and we'll award a prize of a canister of Beachbody's Meal Replacement shake to whomever has the most points at the end of the month. We're starting on April 1st. You can see more details here: http://fitclubtoday.com/2009/03/518/

Hope you'll join us!


----------



## Athena

Haven't been doing very well lately in the weight loss.  I ended up with a concussion and haven't been doing my usual stuff: walking, Nia and WII Fit.  Just now beginning to feel better but the scale is really frustrating me- I think its broken!


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Athena said:


> Haven't been doing very well lately in the weight loss. I ended up with a concussion and haven't been doing my usual stuff: walking, Nia and WII Fit. Just now beginning to feel better but the scale is really frustrating me- I think its broken!


Holy cow! Hope you weren't hurt too bad - concussions are nasty (been there, done that). :-(

How's your eating going? And don't get fixated on the scale - a better indicator is how your clothes fit...!


----------



## Susan in VA

For anyone who, like me, has dinner at a Sensible Family Time (like maybe 7 p.m.) and then stays up to work, study, read, whatever until about 1 a.m., and has a hard time not snacking through the late evening...

I found that vanilla-flavored tea works like a charm to soothe my dessert cravings, INCLUDING chocolate cravings.  Something about the scent, probably.  (Earlier in this thread someone mentioned a radio broadcast on the power of scents to curb appetite, so I imagine it's related.)  I drink Twinings Vanilla black tea, but have tried several brands and they all worked.


----------



## ScrappingForever

Oh, that sounds yummy, Susan! I may have to find some of that.


----------



## Neversleepsawink;)

Susan in VA said:


> For anyone who, like me, has dinner at a Sensible Family Time (like maybe 7 p.m.) and then stays up to work, study, read, whatever until about 1 a.m., and has a hard time not snacking through the late evening...
> 
> I found that vanilla-flavored tea works like a charm to soothe my dessert cravings, INCLUDING chocolate cravings. Something about the scent, probably. (Earlier in this thread someone mentioned a radio broadcast on the power of scents to curb appetite, so I imagine it's related.) I drink Twinings Vanilla black tea, but have tried several brands and they all worked.


Great idea  Thanks for sharing.


----------



## Susan in VA

ScrappingForever said:


> Oh, that sounds yummy, Susan! I may have to find some of that.


They sell it at Giant, but not every store.


----------



## Athena

Maybe I have gotten too fixated on my scale    I have a weakness for chocolate too.  Vanilla tea sounds yummy and if it satisfies the sweet cravings I will have to find me some    Wonder if they have at Trader Joes... no Giant here...


----------



## Athena

We ordered an exercise bike last night so I hope to get some use out of it


----------



## SongbirdVB

I have not been doing well at ALL, motivation went to heck in a handbasket.  Then... my daughter joined the Y.  I went with her on Friday and ended up joining myself.  They have a lot of GREAT classes I want to take, and I'm more likely to go now that I have a workout buddy.


----------



## Athena

Its always more fun with a buddy.  They have some really good classes at the Y.  .


----------



## Annalog

Athena said:


> Maybe I have gotten too fixated on my scale  I have a weakness for chocolate too. Vanilla tea sounds yummy and if it satisfies the sweet cravings I will have to find me some  Wonder if they have at Trader Joes... no Giant here...


I recently went on a tour of Celestial Seasonings tea factory. They are introducing a new variety: Sleepytime Vanilla. I was able to sample it and buy a box. Since it is caffeine free, it should be good for late night/pre-sleep drinking. Hopefully it will be available in stores soon.


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## Athena

Annalog said:


> I recently went on a tour of Celestial Seasonings tea factory. They are introducing a new variety: Sleepytime Vanilla. I was able to sample it and buy a box. Since it is caffeine free, it should be good for late night/pre-sleep drinking. Hopefully it will be available in stores soon.


Hmmm....I will keep an eye out for that!


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## Susan in VA

Athena said:


> Maybe I have gotten too fixated on my scale  I have a weakness for chocolate too. Vanilla tea sounds yummy and if it satisfies the sweet cravings I will have to find me some  Wonder if they have at Trader Joes... no Giant here...


The TJ here doesn't carry any.  But most supermarkets should have SOME kind of vanilla tea. Bigelow makes a French Vanilla one, that's ok too, and I can't remember the other brands I've tried but there have been a couple more.

BTW I don't add sugar or anything -- it doesn't taste particularly sweet but there's just something about the vanilla taste (or smell) that does the trick.


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## Annalog

Susan in VA said:


> ... BTW I don't add sugar or anything -- it doesn't taste particularly sweet but there's just something about the vanilla taste (or smell) that does the trick.


One of the criteria I use for choosing specific teas (real tea and herbal ones) is whether I like to drink it without adding sugar. Green tea, vanilla, cinnamon, blackberry leaves, orange blossoms, chamomile, peppermint, etc. usually mean that the flavor will be one that I will not need to add sugar.


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## Susan in VA

Annalog said:


> One of the criteria I use for choosing specific teas (real tea and herbal ones) is whether I like to drink it without adding sugar. Green tea, vanilla, cinnamon, blackberry leaves, orange blossoms, chamomile, peppermint, etc. usually mean that the flavor will be one that I will not need to add sugar.


Republic of Tea makes one called Honeydew Melon White Tea. Comes in teabags only, but it's wonderful for summer -- makes the whole kitchen smell like a freshly cut melon.


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## Michael R. Hicks

Hey, all! Just wanted to check in here and see how everybody was doing (since there haven't been any posts since the 6th). I'm about ready to go downstairs and hammer through ChaLEAN Get Lean Intervals. Yesterday I did a strength training workout (Burn Circuit 2) but sorta tanked toward the end - didn't have enough carbs to see the workout through. So I had a meal replacement shake just a few minutes ago for some extra energy to carry me through tonight's workout. Yay!

Okay, time for me to head off to WOWY...


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