Welcome to the Group

Welcome! We would love get to know you, so please tell us a little bit about yourself. You can choose any format you'd like, but most of us here share some or all of the following details:

1. History with weight loss:
2. History with Calorie Count:
3. Reason for joining this group:
4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:

And now just go ahead and make that first post!

Hi to all fellow hikers and hiker wannabes!

I am 54 and hike every weekend.  You might call me a hiking fanatic.  I live near Bakersfield, CA which gives me access to the southern Sierra and several other neat places to hike.  Sunday I will be going to Sequoia National Park for snowshoeing with my husband and son who are not hiking fanatics. 

Over a period of three years I have gone from struggling with 5 or 6 mile hikes, to cruising along on 15 or 16 mile dayhikes with big elevation gains.  I need a full day to recover from the hard ones, but I am proud that I can keep up with the younger crowd.  My knees are not great, but a lot of training has made them pretty sturdy on the uphills and downhills.

I am 10 to 15 pounds heavier than I should be.  Eating less is the key, now I just have to figure out how to do it.  ffwindows, I am similar to you - I get lots of exercise but still have a hard time losing.  I am envious that you can ride your bike 15 miles to work.  I live 52 miles away from work and have to take my lunch hour to get on an elliptical machine. 

I have been as much as 50 pounds overweight in my 20's.  In my early 30's I lost weight and was in good shape.  After having my one child at age 39, I held on to an extra 40 pounds for 12 more years.  Then I started walking and dieting and lost most of them.  I love this site, but I have given up logging everything because it takes too much time that I don't have. 

In 2009 I hope to do Mt Whitney via the Mountaineer's Route in a day (for the 3rd time), Mt Langley (1st time as a dayhike), and Mt Russell (1st time).  These are all what they call 14'ers (over 14,000 feet elevation).  I would also like to do a couple of 2 or 3-day backpacks.  I will leave the longer trails until I retire.

If anyone wants to hike in Sequoia/Kings National Park or other place in the Southern Sierra (such as Sequoia National Forest), please give me a holler!

Alice

Hi, I'm a hiker wannabe.  I've research so many sites trying to get up to nerve to join a group, but haven't.  I've decided in the spring to join my local recreation center which have a one month guided excursion, if you will, into some of the parks here in Prince Georges County, Maryland.  Anyway:

My history with weight loss, hmmm.  Since my late 30's, the weight stopped coming off instantaneously in the summertime.  Whatever 10-15 lbs I gained in the winter months would disappear in the summer due to me just doing things and moving around from dawn 'til dusk.  So I guess I would say I started becoming concerned about my weight when I hit 200 lbs when I was about 37.  That's when I started getting into exercise tapes, then I graduated to diet pills then I did nothing.  Now I need to lose over 100 lbs., I'm 48 years old.  I feel encouraged because I think this is the year that I will stick to sensible eating and exercising.  I plan to create a vision board this weekend.  Also, I'll be 49 in June and I want to be fit and fabulous at 50 and beyond.

I discovered calorie count last year and I love it!!

I joined the group in the hopes that someone in this group is in the Washington DC metro area and would cattle prod me into stop being a baby and jump into the world of the hiker.  I really love nature and being in it.

About me:  I live in the Washington DC metro area and you can just imagine how exciting and crazy it is around here being that the inauguration of our first Black president is a week away.  I enjoy walking, nature, music, dancing.  I enjoy being with friends, but I also enjoy my solitude--being at home, reading magazines, listening to music. 

Glad to be part of the group. 

Welcome to the group!! I've only driven through DC (long story...a vacation with too much driving and way too much rain) so I don't know the area at all. Check out books at your local library or bookstore for local ideas. I'd also suggest getting a pedometer and start with some local walks and build up your stamina. It's a great feeling of accomplishment when you realized "wow, I actually walked three miles (or more) today"! When you do hike, shoes can really make a big difference...make sure you have the arch support you need.  Walking is a great way to burn calories/lower your BP etc.  HAVE FUN!!

I have just joined Calorie Count and have just started this diet.  I am not a great dieter, and have tried many of them.  I tend to lose a good bit of weight, but usually put the pounds right back on.  I love to hike and camp.  I have done so most of my life.  These days, I have difficulty walking because I am so out of breath.  I hope better health and less weight will help bring back the old me.  I love the outdoors and almost everything about it.  I live in the South, so we have lots of beautiful sunshine (except lately) and a long growing season.  I do love to have a garden.   Maybe I should not fry those veggies!  There are so many ways that those pounds creep up on me!  Anyway, I am interested in reading the adventures of others in this group.

Hello!  I am brand new to Calorie Count.  I have been struggling with my weight for the past 7-8 years now.  I have done Jenny Craig, too expensive.  I had some good success with Weight Watchers and still use alot of the fundamentals I learned there. 

I have joined this group to help motivate me.  I work for a Puget Sound School District routing special ed busses.   The group of women that I work with would like to become more active and thought we'd try hiking together, so here we go!

We're looking for a day trail in the Seattle/Tacoma area.  If anyone knows of any good places for beginners, we'd love to know about them!

This is my first week on the site, and I think the food log, activity log, constantly-updated burn meter and the extensive food database (great for measuring fresh fruits and vegetables that don't have a nutritional facts label) and all the other tools on this site are great.

I started to lose some weight a few years ago, but landed a full time job with a demanding commute which pretty much put me off track. I started the Medifast diet in August of '08 and have since (4 and a half months) lost 105 pounds. I know, I know, a little drastic, but it works for me. Now im focusing on healthy weight loss since my current weight is manageable.

I joined this group to gain information about trails and just hiking in general, and to learn as much as possible before actually setting out on a journey - which I intend to set out on this spring break. Im 21, a history major and my newfound hobby of educating myself on nutrition and exercise is easily becoming an obsession. But hey, at least its healthy.

1. History with weight loss:
2. History with Calorie Count:
3. Reason for joining this group:
4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:

And now just go ahead and make that first post!

I'm Suzanne

I've been hovering at the 178 - 180 for a long time... a Plateau that has got to be broken.   I have added a great walking regimine to my routine, and now need to put both the Calorie Count and Walking/Hiking together to make some numbers move DOWN the scale.

I'm joining this group to provide another source of support to myself, as well as others with similar goals and ambitions.

Walking and Hiking:  I started walking last year (at the park when the kids played) and then progressed to walking for a few miles along the beach (Redondo Beach, Ca) and at the local track in the evenings (it's well lit)...

When I first started last year I would be ready to quit at lap 4..... now I find that by the time I'm at lap 10 I am looking forward to 2 more... and often am wishing I could keep on going...

On New Year's Day I walked nearly 13 miles... Only stopping then because of a blister on my foot which bugged me (not hurt me)... and I was hungry and had arranged for my hubby to pick me up at a certain place.  If not for those few things I'm sure I could have walked another 6 miles or so...  Perhaps a marathon is in my future.

I'm not a runner... but walking and hiking are certainly something that makes me happy...  the great outdoors are just that... GREAT!

I've started a blog/journal for my walking, and map and chart all my activities there... and combined with my CC log, think that I'm on the right track...  Walk With Me

I hope to have made and be maintaining my goal by my birthday, July 19th...

 

I'm glad to be back on the CC site!

1. History with weight loss:
2. History with Calorie Count:
3. Reason for joining this group:
4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:

And now just go ahead and make that first post!

I'm Suzanne

I've been hovering at the 178 - 180 for a long time... a Plateau that has got to be broken.   I have added a great walking regimine to my routine, and now need to put both the Calorie Count and Walking/Hiking together to make some numbers move DOWN the scale.

I'm joining this group to provide another source of support to myself, as well as others with similar goals and ambitions.

Walking and Hiking:  I started walking last year (at the park when the kids played) and then progressed to walking for a few miles along the beach (Redondo Beach, Ca) and at the local track in the evenings (it's well lit)...

When I first started last year I would be ready to quit at lap 4..... now I find that by the time I'm at lap 10 I am looking forward to 2 more... and often am wishing I could keep on going...

On New Year's Day I walked nearly 13 miles... Only stopping then because of a blister on my foot which bugged me (not hurt me)... and I was hungry and had arranged for my hubby to pick me up at a certain place.  If not for those few things I'm sure I could have walked another 6 miles or so...  Perhaps a marathon is in my future.

I'm not a runner... but walking and hiking are certainly something that makes me happy...  the great outdoors are just that... GREAT!

I've started a blog/journal for my walking, and map and chart all my activities there... and combined with my CC log, think that I'm on the right track...  Walk With Me

I hope to have made and be maintaining my goal by my birthday, July 19th...

 

I'm glad to be back on the CC site!

Hola! I have been thin most of my life, though I never really thought I was thin enough. Looking back I laugh at myself for thinking I was fat at 110 pounds! My family is really heavy and I have 2 sisters who have had gastric bypass. I have not lost the extra 10 pounds after my last child and then added another 5 pounds to it. ENOUGH!

My husband, two boys and I love to hike. We live in the mountains of Virginia and have hiked most of the trails in a 75 mile radius. One of my favorites was Peaks of Otter. It is a tough hike, but when you reach the top you can see 365 degrees. It is breathtaking. We are always looking for a new hike that is appropriate for children. My 4 year-old son can already hike 4 miles : ) I want to be fit and ready for spring when the weather breaks and we hit the trails.

I am a christian, wife, mother, student, yard sale fanatic, facebook fan, shoe lover, ebay seller, hiker, beach bum, mini van drivin', internet ragin' crazy woman.

I've joined this site and group for a couple of reasons. One is that I have recently quit smoking and am nervous that I will put weight on. At 168 I'm the lightest I have been for years, so am keen to keep it that way. Also, to help wit the exercise and to have reason to stay off the smokes I have signed up to do a walk across the South Downs in July. I have to cover 62.5 miles in less than 30 hours!!!! Walking day and night should be a challenge! It's for charity, so another plus point for my 2009 and am aiming to raise around 2000 GBP.

My ultimate dream is to walk the appalachian trail. I think it might have to wait for another 5 years or so to let get some money together and the kids to have grown up, but again, I'll only be kicking 40 so should be fine!!!

About me....I'm 34, married with two great teenage boys (14 & 16) and am the head of digital marketing for a financial services company. I live in Southampton, England and like to travel, read, cook, ski and drink wine!!!

Wow, that is really ambitious, taychr!  You need to get in some big mileage training to be able to do that walk.  I can go about 20 miles before I start feeling really fatigued.  To do 62.5 miles without a rest would be terribly difficult!  Good luck and let me know how you are progressing.

Training will be tough but I have 5 months and am building up slowly. Am also combining with other activities i.e running, swimming, cycling etc just to get my stamina levels up!!!

Will keep you posted!

Original Post by melkor:

Welcome! We would love get to know you, so please tell us a little bit about yourself. You can choose any format you'd like, but most of us here share some or all of the following details:

1. History with weight loss:
2. History with Calorie Count:
3. Reason for joining this group:
4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:

And now just go ahead and make that first post!

 

Original Post by pamelakaye:
I never really worried about my weight until I finally hit 140.  I always said I would start worrying then, so now I'm really trying to maintain it and while I'm at it I will try to get down to 135.  I've been with Calorie Count for maybe 2 years.  I'm joining this group because we all have our ages in common.  I am a photographer for the federal government.  I am married, with one son & daughter-in-law.  I have one Yorkie who is part of the family of course.  My hobbies are photography, reading, & watching movies.  I would love to do more outdoors-, hiking-, riding- type of things, but don't have anyone else who would go with me, so I don't get to do that.  If only I could find a group that liked that sort of thing.

Original Post by melkor:

Welcome! We would love get to know you, so please tell us a little bit about yourself. You can choose any format you'd like, but most of us here share some or all of the following details:

1. History with weight loss:
2. History with Calorie Count:
3. Reason for joining this group:
4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:

And now just go ahead and make that first post!

 

 

Hi Pamelakaye!  You are very smart to start doing something about your weight now, when it's only a matter of five or ten pounds, rather than 50 or 100.

Where do you live?  Possibly we can help you hook up with a group of hikers or active people near you.

Hi,

I just joined, I am spending alot of time on the computer for my job so it is very convientent to use this web site for my calorie counting. I started a month ago in a paper journal. I have not had much success in the past loosing weight because I dont think about it much. When I was young until about 24 years old I never thought about weight, it just stayed off. I am now 29 and 200 pounds. It just crept up on me. I have a goal to lose weight so I can go with my husband on a backpacking trip to the desolation widernes. Right now I have so much body weight that it would be too hard. I went last year at 180 lbs and it was just doable. I am excited to read other peoples successes and tips during their journey.

1. History with weight loss:

I was an underweight child/teen due to anorexia; came out of it alright however.. increased my Weight/BMI to 116lbs/17 percent. Presently I feel that I am overweight at 5'4, 126/20 percent ..even though Wii says I'm normal. I am a distance runner and the extra 10lbs slows me down. My goal is to lose the 10lbs so that I can fasten my pace & run a further distance. I've been running 5 miles a day at about a 9.30 to10 min pace.I know I can do better if I didn't have this extra 10lbs holding me back. I also hike all the mountains here in AZ. It is a great way to bump up your rear! ;-}

2. History with Calorie Count:

N/A

I've been eating between 1200-1600 calories daily. My goal is to cut that to 900-1200 cal in order to lose the 10lbs.

3. Reason for joining this group:

Learn about various hikes and share stories.

4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:

I'm married, have 3 active dogs, no children.. my favorite exercise is distance running & muscular endurance workouts (HIKING, bleachers, free weights, Wii). I typically run 5 miles a day, sometimes on a hiking path for hills. My favorite hikes so far have been up in Utah! Arizona has some real nice ones too though. 

1. I was always a skinny child. Then I moved to the north east and started packing on the pounds. Started loosing it when I got to high school once I became active again. Then gained a lot of it back. My weight has been like a rollercoaster. Heaviest I've been has been 230lbs. I lost a bunch of weight a few years ago, I got down to 165lbs. I'm back up to 200lbs. and I feel gross about it. Want to get back down to 170 and keep it there for good.

2. These days I'm only taking in around 1000-1500 calories a day. My goal is to burn off twice that while I keep my metabolism up.

3. Have always liked going for walks. But never had the chance to go hiking. Like being outdoors. Live in S.E. Pa, not sure where any good hiking trails are. Few state parks in the area but they're too "paved" for what I'm looking to hike.

4. I'm single, live with my family and 2 cats. I love my family, but they are bad for my weight. Too much fast food. I perfer to eat healthier than they do as well as work out. I run/job 3 miles daily. Weight lift 4 days a week.

1. History w/weight loss: the most I have ever lost was while my husband was gone at basic training.  I got sick and lost 20lbs sleeping on the couch.  Of course all that came back.  Other than that I have never been succesful at weight loss.

2.  History with Calorie count:  I don't know how to count calories or what I should have in a day.  It is all just so confusing.  With a picky child and husband we have the same things all the time and I don't think much about what I eat.  I just make it because EVERYONE will eat it.

3.  Reason for joining this group: We just recently got stationed in Tucson, AZ and have lots of hiking trails and things to do around here.  I am hoping someone on here is from the same area and maybe I can find a hiking buddy.

4. A little about me:  I am a stay at home mom along with being an Independant Beauty Consultant with Mary Kay.  Hard to sell beauty when you don't feel beautiful.  I have a 3yr old daughter beautiful blond with blue eyes.  My husband is in the Air Force and works alot of strange hours so our house is always busy.  I just got a rescue/foster dog.  He is about 5mos and between 30 and 40 lbs.  They say he is a Lab mix.  He is an excellent walker and I am hoping to keep him one of these days for my walking buddy.  He needs the excersize too.  I am an outdoor girl.  Yard work, 4wheeling, playing with my daughter and BBQ's with our neighbors and friends.

1. History with weight loss: The only time in my life I lost weight was through the first half of my pregnancy. During the second half of my pregnancy, I only gained back 4 more pounds than I started with. Now 10 months later, I have 6 pounds more.
2. History with Calorie Count: Just joined today.
3. Reason for joining this group: I like to hike along Gunpowder Falls.
4. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests: I am a dog groomer on the weekends, so while there I am constantly moving. I am a single stay at home mom (M-F). I have 6 dogs & 5 cats.