Thanks for hosting this post hhhireno. My wieght is the best it has ever been. Weighing in every morning has kept me honest and I know how to navigate my day.
I did complete blood work up last month and my cholesterol was high. I used to be told not to worry about it, but this time the doctor wants it lowered. So, I am now on meds and will be retested in a few weeks to see if they have to be modified.

Keeping up with my exercise. Would like to add hooping classes this year. (Thanks Terricks, for my new addiction)
Time to bump it up a notch and learn tricks.

Shout out to Trail. I am doing the plank but can't get past a minute and a half. But, I try to do it everyday. I don't know how you do five minutes plus.

Looking forward to reading about everyone's updates.

Happy New Year!

Hi everyone!! Happy 2014!

I haven't been checking in on these, because no matter what I did, I just could not get the scale to budge. I exercise regularly, drink green smoothies daily, sometimes 2/day. Follow a mostly organic non gmo diet. Drink plenty of water. Never use artificial sweeteners. My weakness is bread. Not wonderbread but good oven baked crusty Italian bread. I really limit it, but can't give it up. Anyhow I had resolved to just embrace my curves and continue with my healthful lifestyle.

Last week a friend of mine posted she was part of a pilot program for The Dr. Oz show, the topic: his 2week rapid weight loss jump start plan. She lost 14lbs and 3 inches from her waist. I was intrigued. She asked if anyone would like to join her in the New Year doing it. (She admitted to have over indulging through the holidays and needed to jump start again). I joined her. She emailed me the instructions, and I started on Thursday. I am happy to report as of this morning I've lost 5lbs! And I already feel it when I zipper my jeans.

If anyone is interested the show aired yesterday and the instructions are on his website. I hope if any of you feel stuck at a certain weight like I did you will consider this program. Then after the 2 weeks you make lifestyle changes. I plan on following the 80/20 rule. Hopefully I will continue my weight loss this way.

Hi, ladies, I have not been posting much to these updates because I've also been very discouraged.

However, both Dh and I have made a commitment to lose weight and support each other. First thing on the list is no alcohol for the month of January. It is hard! We love our food and wine pairings, and we find that we are wide awake at bedtime vs. a little groggy/relaxed.

I'm not sure if I will go back to WW to do the Simple Start (colleague tried it for 2-3 days and did not like it). Still, I am not sure if WW is for me anymore. Thanks for the link to the Dr. Oz plan. I will need to check that out.

I'm getting some complimentary personal training workouts at a studio since I referred some of my students to them. I did WO a lot over the holidays taking some of my favorite classes plus the weights, so that was good, and I feel a lot less stressed and more relaxed to begin classes next Monday.

I will need to reschedule repeat colonoscopy sometime before July. I called them to clarify the dates/timeline. So, I may do it during spring break week (preferred, but DH may not be available) or after the semester is over. Another reason to get this weight off to reduce cancer risk.

I am hoping we can order the treadmill desk soon. We cleaned out the office, but this is still going to take up a lot of space.

I bought a tagine from Williams-Sonoma, and a lot of the recipes are very healthy including couscous.

One comment on VO2max: It is the best indicator of your aerobic fitness, and it has been linked with reduced risk of death from all causes (see studies from the Cooper Clinic), BUT there is a pretty good genetic component of VO2max, so some people are naturally very high such as endurance athletes which allows them to train long/hard and run faster (they also have other things physiologically plus good mechanical efficiency), while others train very hard and barely improve. Typical improvements are about 10% but some people are more "trainable" than others. The biggest bang for the buck is for someone who has poor levels of aerobic fitness to at least move to the next level--fair--and then to aim for at least average.

I've always been average to slightly above average for VO2max. I'm an slower runner/jogger, and am probably never going to be fast because I don't have the genetics. I can run a 10-min mile at best but I will never run an 8-minute mile. Hey, those who can do, those who can't teach, right? I've done VO2max testing for a pretty long time.

This post was edited by gsciencechick on Tue, Jan 7, 14 at 11:43

Well I know I'm in good shape with my running and strength work at the gym and a few years ago I lost quite a bit of weight and have kept it off. I did the fitness calculator from that the OP linked to and results were impressive.

I do eat a sensible diet but as I age (60) I wonder if my diet should be changing to take into account aging innards. Everything works as it should be I still wonder.

What got me thinking about this was reading about the book The Grain Brain by Perlmutter (honestly I refuse to believe that my morning toast is going to give me ADHD or depression or dementia) BUT having said that I do wonder if at this age a slight change in what I eat might be of benefit.

But there is so much conflicting information out there that it is hard, if you're not a scientist, to sift through it all and come up with a healthy and viable plan. My breakfast cereal is organic (but is it really?) and non-GMO (but is it really?) but it is still a grain and so a carb.

Happy New Year everyone. Polly, so happy to hear you are trying something that is getting good results. I'm still in a bit of a funk with lack of motivation to exercise after work during the week. I also had a bit of overindulgence during the holidays but I'm over that and lost a couple pounds that came along with all my holiday goodies. I was off work for a week so that was good for the exercise side of things. I just can't maintain my desired weight without more exercise even if I'm managing my food consumption reasonably well. Hence I'm maintaining five pounds more than I want right now. I'm still logging all my food and exercise in the iphone app and would probably be maintaining an extra 20 lbs by now if I wasn't.

I went to spin class yesterday for the first time in 6 months, having sat out due to tendon problems in my feet. The good news is my feet aren't stinging today. The bad news is, I was exhausted! Oof, my aerobic conditioning needs work. Oh well, only one cure for that.

Madame Kettlebells held class in the local rec center today. We have been working outside at her place this fall & winter, and cold weather workouts are invigorating, but not in 7 degree weather, hence the rec center. It was just she, another gal, & I. She had us do basketball drills, and we passed a volleyball around to each other! Sooo much fun. I haven't done this stuff in decades. Sure was fun to do a lay up at almost 59 years of age. It was super intense, and I was really huffing & puffing, but I hope we do this workout again.

DH has set a goal. He had hip replacement surgery in November, and I'm not in great biking condition, so he's decided we need to bike along the Erie Canal this summer. The goal is to do 50 miles a day for 5 days. We started working on this as of last Friday. I'm motivated!

I got through the holidays without gaining weight. Yay! That may be a first for me, and I wasn't even restricting myself that much. Not even really sure how I pulled it off. As of this week I am back on my no-sugar plan (well, let's call it hardly-any-sugar) and still trying to kick myself in the pants and get more exercise. I am literally sitting here waiting for my new treadmill to be delivered! I'm very excited about. My gym, which I chose based on convenience as it was less than two miles from my house, CLOSED. Now the closest branch (it's a chain) is a 20-minute drive, which is just far enough for me to use as an excuse not to go. Hence the treadmill delivery.

We have had a very stressful two weeks with oldest DS having some problems and moving back home, so in the interest of looking out for myself for a change, I signed up for a yoga class that starts next week and started dabbling in meditation (an 8-minute guided meditation on my iPod). It is really hard for me to settle my brain, which is clearly all the more reason for me to meditate, I know!

I also had an awesome massage a few days after Christmas and am determined to work that into my schedule every few weeks.

Nicely done, people. Everyone is focused on improving their health and fitness, not just losing weight.

I'm intrigued by the Oz diet but what is the point of living if I can't have Silician pizza and a glass of wine?!

I meant to put this in my women's club newsletter but - you guessed it - I forgot so instead I'll share it here.

What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year. Vern McLellan

It's just a 2 week kick start plan. After 2 weeks you can have pizza and wine, just not every day ;)

What a timely post, I need motivation !! I also maintained my weight through the holidays but I have not been to the gym in weeks, I am helping DD and family with the new baby so my routine is geared to that, I am in Montreal instead of Florida, and we've had such cold snaps everyday I dread the walk to the gym, it's 5 long blocks. DD and wife eat very healthy, very low carb, so this is how I've been also eating .

Today I'm cooking big batches of food for them and the weather is warming up a bit, so I hope to hit the gym saturday.

Happy new year everyone !!!!

My ny resolution this year is to "get-my-physical-act-together".

I'm pretty good about staying focused on whatever my New Years goal is, so paradoxically I've always been afraid to name physical stuff as my goal, for fear that I would break my trend of having successful ny resolutions. But I just decided this year to make the jump.

Some things I'm doing:
I am resolved to take all my meds/vitamins every day. I'm bad about letting a prescription run out and missing a week or so until I get it refilled. And using my clairsonic face cleaner daily. Using my teeth whitener kit. I set my phone alarms to remind me.

I am resolved to be particular about my appearance, so that I look my best at my current weight. It's so easy to fall into the stay-at-home mom trap of ponytail and comfy clothes for school pickup and grocery store.

I am resolved to continue every day with my back pain yoga video and a weekly therapeutic massage and at least once a week with the hot (bikram) yoga. I can't believe the difference in my back pain, and how much better my overall attitude and energy is when I'm not gritting around functioning thru a low level fog of back pain.

I'm resolved to obey my phone : ). I have a photo on my screen that reminds me of my goals. I have set timers reminding me of meds, exercise, etc. obeeeeeey the phone. Including the alarm that tells me to put my iPad away at 11:00. This one is haaaaard. But the screen disrupts my sleep.

I also have a small exercise plan, just core muscles, quick and easy, that I will build on, but right now it's simple and short because I first have to get myself in the pattern of never never missing. Just my temperament, if I miss once, it's a slippery slope for me.

Healthy eating is not much of a problem for me, when I'm happy and busy, I'm ordinarily an eat to live, not a live to eat type,

I started my resolution in early December, on the day I decided what it was to be. I was motivated by frustration because on my NYC trip, I walked 41 miles and gained 6 lbs.

I have lost 13 lbs since then, which is a Lot for me, but I'm approaching the number on the scale that I never seem to get below. THE NUMBER seems to be set by my metabolism. I need to lose tens of pounds past that number, so it's not a good weight to be stuck at. Frankly, I'm getting nervous as I approach it.

Also, at the risk of it being TMI, I've been reading books about sex and intimacy. I tend to find a genre and "read it out", and it seems this is my new genre, lol.
Out of the 8 books I've read so far, I've really liked:

A Billion Wicked Thoughts: what the Internet tells us about sexual relationships.. I really liked it, it reminds me of Stephen Pinker's How the Mind Works

She Comes First by Ian kerner.
And the sequel He Comes Next.
He wrote these books in response to requests for "a thinking girl's guide to sex"

And The Guide to Getting it On, by Paul Joannides. Just really comprehensive and well-written.

A few of the others went straight on my list of cringe-worthy, lol.

Happy January!

Thanks for posting this! I have been thinking a lot about my health in the last few months and moving toward a healthy check in:)

In January I decided to do the Whole 30 Challenge. It's basically no sugar, no alcohol, no grains, no legumes, no dairy, no soy, etc etc! Basically meat, veggies, fruit and limited nuts - super strict paleo. It's pretty extreme, but lots of testimonials convinced me to try it.
For me it was more about breaking some very bad eating habits I had. It promotes 3 meals a day with no snacking. Basically everything about it was the opposite of what I am doing, so it seemed like a good start.
Today is day 8 and I am doing great with it. It's been a lot of cooking because so few restaurants are on plan. There is no weighing until after 30 days, but I can tell a difference in my stomach already.
I'm sure there is controversy with it, but for now I know it is a lot better than what I was eating! I will probably add beans back in first so I can do meatless days every once in awhile. And then wine:)
I haven't added any exercise other than walking my dog when it's warm enough to leave the house! I have a trampoline, so I am going to do that and my hula hoop each 10 -15 minutes a day to at least get me started with something.

Here is a link that might be useful: Whole 30 Challenge

Happy New Year everyone!

I got through the holidays with a slight weight gain. My daughter encouraged me to join her gym so I did. Now my goal is to do more strength training. So far I am loving it and feel so good!

I stil do Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds at home or at work.

My goal for the year is to drop 5 pounds. It gets so hard at 60! We got a dog, who I thought would be my walking buddy, but she doesn't like the snow, so it's a no-go, at least for the winter!

Keep up the efforts!

Y'all are doing GREAT!!

I also managed to get through the holidays with no real gain. My weight has more swings than Babe Ruth's bat, so I cannot let the scale be my guide!

DH got me a FitBit for Christmas. Depressing, I tell you. With our new insurance, maybe I can figure out what is wrong with my metabolism. I average over 16,000 steps per day. Not doing anything besides taking care of the horses, dogs, cats, and family. When I log food, (no cheating, I even log the wine), I have 1200- 1400 calories LEFT OVER , so I should lose a pound every third day. I have 45 minutes of "activity" in my normal routine.

I had to drop my gym membership, because I could not take 2,5 hours out of my day to go anymore. I live 20 miles from the gym, 10 miles outside of town. I love classes, not so much the equipment, so the schedule conflicted with taking care of the horses.

I am still trying, and have been for 30 years, lol, to get DH off of the drive-thru food kick. If I send food with him, it rots in the car. He believes french fries are a vegetable, and lettuce and tomatoes on a hamburger make it healthy.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Nancy

It's great to read these updates and see so many people working on being healthy.

I still haven't called the doctor about the blood work. But I have the phone and his number right here next to me so I can call once I log off the computer.

Springroz,
Could it be you're not eating enough calories for you activity level? Those are some impressive numbers - 16,000 steps a day and 45 minutes of high activity. Maybe you should meet with a nutritionist for an evaluation. Another question would be are you judging your need to lose weight strictly by the number on the scale or your physical appearance? Your weight might be higher than 'recommended' if you're muscular, something I suspect a person who cares for horses might be. Maybe the number you'd like to achieve is unrealistic for a muscular person? Obviously, I don't know what you look like or what you hope to achieve. I'm just throwing out these thoughts in case they may help you take another approach to your situation.

hhireno, you are SO kind!! I have been through all those theories. DH and I did WW years ago, and the high wt for my height was 135. At 145, I wear a sz 2 pants, 4 top. I did manage to hit 135, but only for about 5 minutes. people asked me if I was ill. There was no way to stay there, so I just lived, and it took about 5 years for most of the weight to come back.

I would like to be at 150-155. I am at 175 now, but I wear a size 8 pants, 10-12 top.

If I eat more, the scale goes up. If I eat less, the scale goes up. No way to win. Maybe, if my new insurance( DH's new job) covers testing, I can get it done. My thyroid, etc., are normal, or were last time they were checked.

Nancy

I had 5 days in a row of good, hard exercise, even a little hill running thrown into the mix. Oof, I've lost a lot aerobically, but there's gratification in working to get it back. It's great having a goal. My foot tendons are a little tender now, so I need to ice and stretch them & do exercises this weekend that don't involve repetitive foot motions (Madame Kettlebells has plenty of tortuous workarounds up her sleeve -- ohmygosh, where does she come up with this stuff?).

Eating -- we're entering our big business travel season. A fitness/nutrition app would be helpful. But how do you figure portion amounts? What are some good strategies for not overeating when you're on the road?

Keep up the good work, everybody! Springroz, baby steps! Maybe your body just needs a lot of time to adjust to changes? Seems like mine does. Small changes for now, worry about the big ones later.

Springroz,
I hope I didn't sound simplistic or condescending, that was not my intent. I didn't know how long you've been trying or what you've already tried. I've been reading more things indicating that it's not as simple as calories in and calories out, as they once thought. It is frustrating to stay on course and not achieve the desired results. Good luck.

Awm,
Eating well while traveling can be tricky, especially if you don't have access to a mini fridge to store your own healthy choices. I always pack plenty of snacks like nuts, fruits, and my own granola. If I have a fridge at the hotel or a cooler in the car , I'll buy Greek yogurt and hummus and veggies. I also buy dry roasted chick peas or dry roasted edamame, those are great snacks with protein and fiber and come in their own easy to pack pouch.

hhireno,
Did you call the doc? Thank you for helping us take care of ourselves, but please call the doc!

I wondered too about Springroz, but in her most recent post, I'd guess she is solid muscle and, given her sizes, who cares about the scale????

This is how I look at it: if all my test results are good (BP, lipid panel, thyroid and EKG) and my BMI is within normal limits then the scale is just one way of measuring health, but certainly not the most important one.

I go by my pants. When my jeans get a tad tight in the tummy then it is time to nip the nasty habits in the bud. They creep back in, ever so slowly, but are so darn hard to get rid of! For me it's white sugar, flour and processed food.

I haven't been here for a while so Happy New Year everyone :D I have good and bad news to report I won 2 place in my hubby's biggest loser contest they report a 61lb loss. But it brought many dizzy spells just before Christmas which was actually a super great thing my blood pressure was going down too low so I had to reduce my medication Yippee!! Dr. told me there is a possibility that I might not reach my goal of getting off meds by 50(November) as aging naturally increases blood pressure. He did not want me to be dissappointed. I have noticed a big difference in climbing stairs it seems smoother. I have gone from a size 24 down to an 18. Sleep is much easier without acid reflux from overeating. I am really enjoying feeling healthy we have started to talk about backpacking again.

Now the bad news- I still haven't gotten around to getting back on the rowing machine laziness has set in my foot is healed now so there is no excuse anymore. My goal is 10 min 3 times a week - very reasonable. Maybe confessing it out will give me incentive.

Don't give up YOU are worth it :D

YOU deserver to be healthy

Have a great February
see ya in March

CLBlakey,
Horray for the good news: losing 61 lbs. and coming in 2nd!
THAT is quite an accomplishment and we are all cheering you on!!!!
Secondly, a reduction in BP meds-Yes! Yipeeeeeeee!
Lastly, the pant size is the best indicator of how far you have come in reaching your goals. Go get some new pants and feel good about it!

It's almost a new month. New month=new opportunity!
Foot healed (more good news!), ok, so now go for that rowing machine (with some GOOD music to get you pumped).

Here's to a great February. Baby steps and one day at a time. Changes you can really live with are what matters most. CONGRATS to you for the good news!

Bonnie

"Changes you can really live with are what matters most." So true, so true. Thanks for the encouragement. I have lost large amounts of weight before but wasn't prepared for maintenance this time maintenance is high on my priority list.

I have not really denied myself anything this time round even had fish and chips twice and prime rib dinners with yorkshire pudding once per month. I can maintain that. I just don't eat the whole roast anymore ......................well not quite but close. I am thinking about getting a kitchen scale as I can see the tendency to increase meat portion slowly creeping in that is a huge weakness I have but this time I am fully aware of how it sneaks up on me.

Travelling for most of Feb should prove to be interesting however there should be more activity so it should be okay. AWM we can do this :D