40ish and Losing It!

This is a daily thread for women 40+ who are: losing those middle aged pounds, dealing with hormonal issues, family issues or just plain losing their minds!  I hope my friends follow me to this new thread and I hope to make more friends along the way - all are welcome.

Cheryl :)

Hi Cheryl, digi, bj, tubbybubba,cindy, molly,tiggin, and anyone elso out there-

It was a beautiful weekend here. Got to ride my bike on Sat after work and picnic'd sunday as well. Welcome Spring!

Molly I got to read your profile and I'm sending some of your comics to my friend in who keeps me accountable here.
I really enjoyed it and your encouragement.

There are so many times I sit down to post but something interrupts and then I miss the moment.

I weighed in last friday at 146 down from 149 the previous week! This will be a tougher month than usual because the 20-27th I will be at a mission training camp with a group from our church going to fix cars for missionaries. I will be the head cook :) Ironic huh? Well, I'm going to fix healthy stuff but I don't think I will have any internet acess unless someone else brings ther computer and lets me use it. So, no calorie counting.  Maybe my son will let me bring his :).

 

I plan to walk/run/hike for exercise that week. I have some workouts that are perfect for tracel-no equipment needed.

What are your favorite work outs? What works for you?

brig.

why did that post twice?-sorry folks!

brig

What are your favorite work outs? What works for you?

 

I love to walk at a good clip, especially with my dogs, but I also walk/run on a treadmill.  By walk/run I mean I walk the majority of the time at an incline and add in several 3 minute bursts of jogging at a lower incline but faster pace.  I also enjoy lifting weights whether its weight machines or free weights.  I've discovered that it's something that helps keep female's bones strong and I'm all for that as I've watched my mom deteriorate (literally) from osteoporosis.  I also LOVE to garden, but won't be able to get out in the dirt for a few more weeks. 

I like weight lifting the best, but with my high blood pressure, it's really the cardio that I need most (ugh).  Naturally what I need is the part I don't like.

I've done some aerobic DVDs that are pretty fun.  I like the 10 Minute Solution series because you can do as many 10 minute segments as you have time for.  Lately I've made a deal with a girl here at work and we both go downstairs to the on-site fitness room and exercise after work 4 days a week.  Mostly treadmill, but there is an elliptical and a couple of stationary bikes, too.  That's working out really well, so I'm hoping she'll stick with me for a while!

Gardening is actually a great work out for your muscles.  Not so much for cardio, but I have gotten very sore the next day after a whole day of gardening!

Hello all! I'm a 41 year old gal who looks forward to shedding these unwanted pounds that I've had for FAR too long. I initially joined this site for the calorie counter...so convenient! But I've been reading a few of the threads here and they've been a huge encouragement to me. It's great to hear the testimonies of those who have lost the weight and it gives me hope that I can do it as well.

I'm amazed at how difficult it is to lose weight now that I'm of a certain age. I mean I'd heard the stories but thought it couldn't be all that bad. But boy was I wrong! Wish I'd known when I was in my 20's what I know now about what can happen if you let yourself go. I don't know why I did...guess I stopped caring about what anybody else thought. Now I realize this is something I have to do for myself...and I deserve to be happy.

So...here I am. Thanks for sharing your victories and challenges. I'll try to do the same!

Welcome ladytrekki,

It's good to hear you've found encouragement here at CC and I think all of us in this forum can relate to it being more difficult to lose weight now than when we were 20!  Alas, it does come off if we do the hard work.  :)

I just wanted to add, too, that according to your picture, it does NOT look like you've "let yourself go"! 

Welcome!

Welcome ladytrekki!  I know just what you mean - when I was in my twenties, and even in my thirties, if I dieted or just exercised more, the weight came off pretty fast.

Now I feel like I need a crowbar to get it off!! 

But it is working, slowly but surely.  Just keep reminding yourself that it's not about how fast it comes off, but rather that you are moving in the right direction! 

We can do it!

 

Thanks for the welcome ladies!

And the picture only shows what I want it to show... You would know what I mean if you saw me from the waist down.  

Hello all!!  Today was weigh in at the gym.  In a whole month I have lost a whopping 1.2 lbs!!!  What in the world??  I have been working my butt off and keeping my cals around 1200.  Looks like i gotta do SOMETHING different but I haven't figured out what that will be yet. I might have to give up the Michelob Ultras.  Even though I include them with my calories  they gotta be slowing the weight loss down.  My trainer says not to stress (I only have her once a month), but I was hoping for at leat 3 lbs gone in a month. Anyway I hope everyone else is having a better month, I'll keep on keeping on with what I'm doing for another month. I just know one of these weigh ins will be a pleasant surprise.  Sorry to be going on ut I needed to vent a little.

Hey cindyr63, you might need to - believe it or not - eat MORE!  If you are only eating 1200 calories AND working out, you are probably not getting enough and your body will go into what is commonly called "starvation mode" and hold on to the fat.  It thinks you're having a famine.

So, at least on the days you work out, gives yourself quite a few more calories than that.  1200 should be the absolute minimum you eat - never go below that.  But most people need more than that even without adding in extra workouts.  I've been eating between 1400-1600 calories a day and it seems like on the weeks where I'm working out more, I'm losing less, so I'm probably still not quite eating enough during those times.

Give it a try and see how it goes.  Just add in a couple hundred a day and see if it works!

Digigirl  Thanks for that info  I have been wondering about that too but I am still trying to get used to this whole being over 40 thing I guess. I used to be able to cut the cals and lose in no time..doesn't seem to be working now.  My muscles feel so stressed from this new punishment I've been putting them through  LOL!!   What do you think I should add the calories in carbs, or proteins? I really hate to sabotage all my effort.

Hello all,

yesterday I went out with the dog to exercise and tripped over my own feet and sprained my ankle! looks like my ankle is pregnant my daughter said! Ugh! I've gotta keep my workout light now and just do abs I guess and floor exercises.What a bummer!

Anyone know anything about feet and running/exercise shoes that  will angle my feet so I'm not walking/running toward the outside edge?. I turn my feet in and that's how I tripped.

brigitte

Original Post by cindyr63:

Digigirl  Thanks for that info  I have been wondering about that too but I am still trying to get used to this whole being over 40 thing I guess. I used to be able to cut the cals and lose in no time..doesn't seem to be working now.  My muscles feel so stressed from this new punishment I've been putting them through  LOL!!   What do you think I should add the calories in carbs, or proteins? I really hate to sabotage all my effort.

 Add nuts and protein. (At least that's what I'm doing!)

MOLLY

Hi everyone!  I'm 47, mum to 4 and trying to lose about 14 lbs.  I lost about 30lbs on another diet but couldn't maintain it (it advocated 1200 cals a day but slowed my metabolism so badly I just couldn't keep the weight off).  I'm now eating more realistically and so far have lost 2lbs so.........

Will post later cos I weigh in on Friday so I'll get back to you.  I suspect I haven't lost anything - don't know why cos I've been good with the cals and exercise but we'll see!!!

Hi everyone!

I've been having such a hard time with the calorie counting.  I think it's a mental thing b/c the weight loss is so slow.  Last weekend I went off it - eating normally, just not counting.  After that I just couldn't get back into it!  Then I weighed myself and gained 3 pounds back!

Anyhow, I'm trying a new approach - I'm going to do the Schwarzbein Principle for a while and see how that goes.  I did this before and had success.  If anyone doesn't know, it's a low carb program.  Someone like me can have 15 carbs per meal and about 7 per snack.  All other food must be natural and not processed.  What's nice about this program, is you can go out and have a real meal - just watch the carbs.  Example; you can have steak (no condiments) and 1/2 a baked potato with real sour cream and real butter.  It flies in the face of the low fat high carb diets...so it's hard to change my way of thinking. If you have tea or coffee, you can have real heavy cream - but no sugar (the doc says to use stevia - which I like, but NOT to use splenda or nutrasweet as they spike your blood sugar and make you crave sweets).

Anyhow, I'm going to give it a go for a while and see what happens.

Cheryl :)

brigitte,

sorry to hear about your ankle - that stinks!

Hey ya'll

Happy Friday.With some ice and some ibuprophin(sp?) the swelling came down and it didn't hurt so I did a step wokout and I will ice it again and go shopping for new sneakers since I read somewhere that worn heals is one of the most repeated things I read contributing to ankle sprains. Wish I new that yesterday when I was near the outlet mall.

Weighed in today and lost 1 pound. I'm glad to still be going in the right direction. I feel like if it's only one lb. per week then I know I will reach my goal even if it's not until the end of the August- 2 lbs. a week would be alot better! Would metrics make me feel better?

Hey cheryl take a break, and don't feel guilty abouit it. It does get annoying to focus on counting all the time. Try eating only when you actually feel hungry and eat only things you know are healthy or measure out a serving and don't count for 1 week just to give your mind a break. Just be disciplined to stop when you are satisfied and not nibble when you don't feel hungry.

Hey, I also wanted to suggest a  study that has really helped me put eating in its proper place. It's a free Biblestudy(not asuming you all are Christians just if you are you may find this helpful. If your not it doesn't mean you can't try it; its free.) It's called "The Lord's Table" and you can find it at

http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/lords_tabl e/  I have found it to really be freeing and life changing. That is all I will say about it on this forum but feel free to email me if you have any comments.

Have a great weekend!

I'm off to the Opera tonight...My friend's son is in it. I hope it's in English

Hi everyone...*wave*

Well the scale finally moved! Whoo Hoo!! I lost 6 pounds this last week and a half. I changed my weigh in day from Wednesday to Saturday. Anyway, I'm so glad to see it begin to come off. I was starting to wonder cause I've stayed the same weight the past two weeks.

I'm starting the strength training next week...or at least thats the plan. Part of me is looking forward to it but I know it's going to be hard. Still, I used to lift weights when I was younger and enjoyed it. I liked watching myself in the mirror and seeing my muscles flex. It was incentive then to see my body looking so good. I want to see that again! Instead of looking in the mirror and seeing a bunch of fat rolls...I want to see my muscles. Guess that'll be my incentive.

Hi all,

I've been MIA since April 1...vacationing and the scale showed it!  I gained 3 lbs. but wasn't too disappointed since I was expecting it to be 5 or 6.  I ate way too much and really rich foods (kinda sinful). Hopefully I can work it off.  I'm 2 weeks behind schedule for my goal weight.

Dawn, how did you lose 6 lbs. in 10-11 days?  That is fantastic!  I'm really interested in what you are doing. I haven't lost that much in the last 6 weeks.

I may have to try the Schwarzbein diet with Cheryl...although I'm not sure if I am disciplined enough to do it. (that's only 66 carbs per day, I average about twice that amount). It may be worth it to try it for a couple of weeks though. Cheryl, if you go back on that diet, keep us posted of your results. 

Glad to be back and especially happy to see that this forum is active (and with new members).

Good luck to all,

Edie

 

Welocme back Edieglass!1  I hope vacation was wonderful...I'm jealous, been a while since I took one!!   What is hashimoto disease? I have never heard of it.   Don't feel bad about the 3 lbs.  I weighed yesterday and gained 2 lbs in a week  so 3 lbs in almost 2 is not bad...especially on vacation.

Dawn,  That was a great weight loss  we need your secret!!  i havent lost 6 lbs in 3 months.  Congratulations to you