Hi all,

I've just joined! I'm 42 years old and weigh 165 pounds on a 5' 3.5" frame; I reckon I'm at least 30 pounds overweight.

Last week I had a wakeup call that my current health is extremely non-optimal...and I made myself a promise not to go on a diet, but instead try a lifestyle change in my eating habits. While I do adore the toast with butter and the chocolate dipped macadamia nuts and the (fill in the blanks) joys of yumness, I realize that it's not a question of "should I get healthy" but "it's time to get healthy...now."

I try not to view this as dieting. Instead, I'm drinking close to a gallon of water a day, making lots of chicken/beef soups (I adore soup, preferably with chili peppers), and making sure I get an apple or a banana in once a day.

I'm also walking 2.4 miles every day on a route that includes hills and valleys (okay, 3 hills and 2 valleys), as well as getting back into doing bodyweight exercises.

I've lost 3 pounds so far. I think my bodyweight workouts put on muscle but so long as I'm burning up fat, I'm okay with that. :-)

I don't have a set time frame; as I'm trying to make this a lifestyle change, I figure I'll just take it one day at a time. I mentally view myself as fire; I can burn up what I want to (fat fat fat!) and yet control my eating when I choose.

So we'll see how it goes!

Nice to find this community,

Barb

Congratulations on the loss so far! And welcome to the forum. Everybody here is so nice and supportive - it's great. And good job deciding to take things one day at a time. That's how I'm doing it.

Morning,

You know, regarding water drinking, it appears that I'm in the minority. I can easily drink 15 ounces of water at one time; I think this hydration part of losing weight will be very easy.

Also, I don't generally have sugar cravings; instead, I have white chocolate cravings or toast with 1/3 butter stick cravings. Since my wakeup call of 1 week ago, however, those cravings have disappeared.

Anywhos, my breakfasts for the past three days have been similar - soup! and the left-over meat from yesterday's soup. I get up at 4am so it's pretty easy to heat it up and drink it while working at the computer.

Lunch is generally the same, perhaps with a different meat thrown in - chicken, beef, etc. as well as lots of veggies (napa, scallions, bean sprouts, etc.). Dinner yesterday was peeled shrimp - the husband got that for the family as a treat and we all enjoyed.

I should weigh myself but I'm procrastinating. I'm debating about the merits of weighing myself once a week vs. once a day. And I also need to zero in on a particular time at which to weigh....which time would you recommend?

Yesterday I also did some body-weight workouts from Elite Fitness Training Solutions - that book is super! I bought it 4 years ago and still use it when I get into workout-mode.

Soon I'll go on my walk...and we'll see how the rest of the day pans out.

iaf

Thanks for the warm welcome! I really appreciate it. This forum is tops in my book!

iaf

Hi all,

Well, this is most depressing. This morning I was 164, and now I'm 167! Quite annoying, that.

So I think I'll try to get hung up more on the waistline/losing inches thingees, instead of actual poundage. Logically, of course it does make sense - I've started lifting weights again and muscle weighs more than fat. Emotionally, though, wah!

Ever upwards and onwards,

iaf

mine bounces around like that from day to day so i try to weigh just once a week. Chasing the numbers on a scale will drive you crazy.....

Morning,

Well, I've decided not to go by scales at all. Last night I was 167, when I woke up I was 164, and now after doing my walk I'm 163. So I'll just angst over inches. :-)

Food-wise, I'm doing fine I think. Every morning now, I boil up a beef bone or chicken breast and throw in garlic, spring mix, napa, etc. I have one bowl at around 4:30am so by the time my walking time rolls around, I'm just about dry. :-) And then I have one more bowl
(these bowls are about 45 ounces) when I return.

Lunch/dinner/snacks are generally fruit and/or salads, with a chicken leg or beef from the soup thrown in. I think I drink well over a gallon of water a day so that's not an issue.

Interestingly enough, my body told me today that there was no way in heck I'd be able to powerwalk....and incredibly....I actually listened! so my 2.4 mile walk was mainly a stroll up and down the hills.

I did get a Taebo tape from my local Freecycle today, so I'll be trying that out as well.

And that's today,

iaf

Hey there! And welcome! You seem to be doing great so far, keep up the awesome work. I understand weight fluctuations...mine does that all the time. It's irritating but the important thing is watching the overall trends over a longer period.

Take care!

Thanks for the great encouragement!

I did my walk today as well as 10 minutes of Taebo (all I could manage) - I'll be closing today with another 10 minutes. Food-wise, I'm doing fine - lots of water, lots of soup, lots of chicken/beef, lots of salad, etc. My weight this evening was 164.

And...I got a tape measure at the dollar store! My waist is 39". So that's another goal to get down....

And that's me update. :-)

I wouldn't weigh or measure once a day. Weigh once a week - your weight will flucuate, even from hour to hour, depending on what you ate and drank. You really won't notice any change in measurements if you measure every day, so just do it once a month, or so.

Just don't burn yourself out too soon eating the same things/similar things every day.

Good luck.

I can understand not going by the scale. My inches seem to change much more than the scale moves. By the way welcome.........

Oh, I forgot to add, I weigh in the mornings. I find I'm lighter first thing in the morning. So usually, on Thursdays, I get up, have a bowl of cereal and some milk, go to the gym and weigh.

Morning,

Thanks for the comments! The neat thing regarding soup for me is I just never get tired of it. I've always loved soup, I can eat it breakfast/lunch/dinner. I will throw in different things to vary the flavor, but eating the same thing every day is generally quite easy for me.

Last night was quite a workout - I managed to work my way thru Basic Taebo. Wow, I'm feeling it today! Haven't yet weighed myself.

I think my body needs a day of recovery regarding the exercising mode - I've been doing something every day (walk, taebo, etc.) and I recognize the signs of overdoing it! So perhaps I'll just either stroll, do some ab work, etc.....but try to take it easy today.

Good morning to all,

iaf

Morning,

Yesterday was an interesting food day; my spouse and I went out for Greek food and I had one gyro (minus the pita, the tomatos and the big bunches of white/yogurt sauce). The meat was beef/lamb, 'was very good. So much so, I wasn't hungry by dinner time as well.

I've decided to measure my waistline only once a week. Daily weight measuring - I'm 163 this morning so we'll see.

I visited the chinese grocery store and bought water spinach which is now happily sitting in my soup. That and bean spouts and chicken make for a yummy breakfast.

Workout-wise, I just realized....folks who do martial arts have a really great center of gravity. I keep falling over when doing basic taebo. Balance! It certainly helps! But I made my way thru the basic tape again (yay!) and then did a very slow 1 mile stroll outside afterwards.

Today will be new years eve prep...and probably upper body weight lifting and that's it! Must give my legs a rest. I'm quite bad about that.

And so starts the morning,

iaf

Morning,

My body is gradually getting used to the exercise/aerobics I'm putting it thru, but instead of going 0 to 60 in 2 minutes, I am actually being methodical and not rigid at all.

I've done 3 days straight of Taebo Basic; yesterday, my body said, please give me a rest from that. So I did, and opted for some weight lifting and my 2.4 mile walk.

Today I mentally picture the aerobics...and can't wait to get started. :-) So I really do think moderation and common sense in everything is quite the key.

Still holding steady at 163 pounds, but my physical outline certainly is changing.

iaf