[SeeingLessOfMe]

Howdy to all from sunny AZ. It sure was HOT here today! All the more reason to get down to my goal weight. I started out at 263.5# in October of 2006 and have lost 57 # so far. I have another 21.5# to lose to reach my goal of 185#. I will decide at that point if losing more weight is what I want to do.

My BMI when I started was about 37 and now it is down to 30. I started out with a 42" + waist. (I'm not exactly sure about my starting waist size because I was wearing pants with an elastic waist band in them) I am comfortable wearing a 36" waist now.

Wishing all of your that are just starting on your weight loss journey the best of success! You CAN do it!

Mark

[Patty]

Hi Mark and welcome.

I just had flight changes in Phoenix on Wed and Fri. They said it was 108 degrees at 6pm on Wed. What??????? Who can live in that?

Good luck on reaching your final goal.

[Tomble]

Hi and welcome! Congratulations on your progress so far!

[kbingel]

Hi,

Most of my family lives in Mesa but I still live here in the cold north woods. Welcome aboard. I think you will be in inspiration to all.

[Steve]

Congrats on your success so far and glad to have ya here!

[SeeingLessOfMe]

Hi Patty, Tomble, Kbingel & Steve...

I apologize for not responding sooner but I am an account manager for a commercial air conditioning company. Here in AZ this time of year you can probably imagine what the work load is like )

One added benefit I have discovered to losing the weight is that it is a whole lot easier for me to climb ladders and stairs. I think it is helping with my asthma also. I heard on a talk show that the fat cells in our body produce byproducts that can cause joints and other tissues to get inflamed. I don't know if it's true.

To Patty's point. I have wondered for some time how the natives and the old time settlers lived here before air conditioning. For the most part we go from an air conditioned house to an air conditioned job to an air conditioned store & etc. I suppose there is something to be said for the blessing of not having a humid climate to go along with the heat.

To Kbingel's comment, I used to live in Portland Oregon. That is about as woodsey as I have experienced. It is beautiful there in the summer time. I need to figure out a way to live there in the summer and here in the winter. ;o)

With regard to dieting... I do pretty good during the day while I am busy, but the evenings present some challenges. What strategies have you found to successfully avoid the temptation to answer the call from the refrigerator?

I would also be interested in knowing about some low impact excercises that I could do indoors. It's too hot to go outside and exercise in AZ now.

Take care!
Mark

[kbingel]

Hey,



As for exercising, in AZ, when i visit there in the summer, I get up around 5 am and go straight to one of the hiking trails around the superstitions. That might be more of a weekend kinda thing to do but it is low impact and really good workout! Other than that, I find a gym good bacause if you just make it a point go GO there, you tend to stay and get a work out in. Also, if you do it early in the evenings, it helps keep the munches away a bit more. Of course, this is all easy to say. Lots harder to do when you get home from work and its hot and your tired and the last thing you want to do is go back outside and move your body to a gym. I guess it takes some faith that if you just do it in the begining, it will become a habit and then you won't need quite so much in the discipline area eventually. Well, that my 2 cents worth.

I should listen to it myself. I am not sure about those fat cells and joints hurting but I kinda believe it. My joints hurt a lot and I wonder if its the extra weight. I find if i lay off wheat products, my joints feel better too! Good luck.