Welcome to your 30's and lets talk

So I have seen teen, 20's, 40's, 50's and beyond, but no 30's group.  So would anybody like to get something started?  Not sure where to begin hmmmm

I guess being in our thirties our metabolism has not hit a wall just yet, but it certainly isn't what it was in the 20's.  Don't you miss those days?  Anything you want and as long as you did maybe one sport in high school, then no worries.  Ohwell on to real life where nothing seems to be on schedule.

Let hear your thoughts.

Thank you, I hope the next time don't be as hard. It was really hard to take those pic with him. Take it this way. Do this, and lay on the ball. Get on the ball. Do a yoga move? I didn't upload that one, but he printed that one for his office at work.... He loves taking pics, but I don't like him taking them... He did his best.

I'm just a work in progress.

Manta515, I am going to go back to Thailand sooner or later. So I can really remember the place. I've been to so many great places, growning up as a kid, but... How can a kid remember these nice places? :(

I'd love to participate here as well.

I'm 33, 5'7", and I joined CC over a year ago.  I quickly lost 30 lbs., but then being at University full time (just one more semester to go) and working part time got the better of me, and I've fallen back into my non-exercising habit.  My diet is pretty healthy (vegetarian, little sugar or junk food), but I LOVE bread, cheese, and wine, and I'm rather self-indulgent.  Because I don't get much exercise, my weight loss stopped, and I've gained some back.  For the last year, I've fluctuated between 195-205 lbs., and I'm currently back at the top of that range.  Ideally, I would like to be around 150 lbs., which on me should be slim and athletic but still a little curvy.

WHEN I exercise, I lose weight really fast...at least, I do for now.  But I'm starting to really fear that looming metabolism wall.  I am running out of time.  I'm afraid of keeping these bad habits up and never getting this weight off, even gaining more, yet I can't seem to keep myself on track.  I'd love to have someone(s) keeping me accountable.

My roommate just got me a bike to use, as I'd been talking about getting one to commute with (especially with gas $4.50/gal now!).  I'm aiming to start next week (I need to get my sleep schedule rearranged), and just riding to work and back would clock me in for 25 miles per week, probably all the exercise I'd need to start out.  I also love rowing, hiking and yoga, but have been having trouble finding making the time.

 

WHEN I exercise, I lose weight really fast...at least, I do for now.  But I'm starting to really fear that looming metabolism wall.  I am running out of time.

Boy do I hear ya. Every summer I drop my winter 'coat' pretty quick. But the past 2 summers I haven't been as active as usual and the winter coats are adding up. I'm 33 as well -- and, like you, hoping that my metabolism hasn't hit the wall just yet.

I bike to work as well (seems that it's finally beginning to burn this excess garbage off) -- my trick is to add a couple miles onto my ride. In other words, not ride directly to work, but take the 'scenic' route. It can be really hard to find time to ride other than these commuter trips (for me anyhow), so the extra miles make a big difference each week.

I am exactly like you two lidan and njmattes.  When I exercise (and sort of watch what I eat), the weight just seems to fly off.  Also, the more dilligent I am about what I eat, the faster the weight comes off.  Currently, I am not even trying to lose weight anymore, just trying to eat sensibly and working on training for a few fun runs this year and people are asking me if I have lost more weight and I notice my clothes are loose again (I haven't weighed myself in a few months, me and scales have a love hate relationship with them so I don't have one in the house).  I think I am one of those people who really does have a good metabolism, I just learned how to out eat it early on in my childhood (I was heavy growing up and finally took control in my mid 20's... or at least i thought I did).  Picking up running late last year has made an enormous difference and really helped me drop the excess baby weight I was carrying around from my daughter.

lynn, i have been to so many places too, but as an adult, and I can never get enough of traveling.  My little two year old is one lucky kid, she has more air miles under her belt already than most people get in a lifetime!  Unfortunately at two, she won't remember any of it.  I am hoping that when she 4-5 years old, she will at least have some memories of places we have been, because I think we will probably be moving back to the states then and it would really be a shame if she doesn't have any memory of Australia seeing as she was born here!

njmattes - that's a good suggestion, and one that I could certainly implement in the evenings.  I'm very lucky in that I now live in a very bike-friendly city with miles and miles of dedicated bike paths.  I have to admit that I've not biked much in many, many years, because I've had a hard time getting over my fear of traffic, I know several people that have had horrific accidents - and I don't have any health insurance right now.  But I just moved, and my new bike-path route to work includes just 3 city blocks, so I think I can do this now!

It looks like I am not alone in my predisposition.  Exercise is just not something I enjoy.  Maybe if my husband were to exercise with me, but he says he walks enough at work.  My friends will exercise with me for a week or two, then they give up.  It is sad because they in just as much need of exercise as me, if not more so.

I have a bike, but not the inclination to get on it.  HELP!

njmattes, getting on a bike is a great way to save money and get a workout in. I think I am going to start riding mines in the morning more often than I do now.

manta515, I think it's great that your daughter is seeing all these great places with you. I mean, she has more air miles than I do right now. I'm going to start going places again here soon. I've been planning a trip to ROME for the longest, and my boyfriend don't want to go with me. :( He said, if it don't stay on the ground-he's not going to get in it. Rome might happen for me in 2011. My mother's wants to go, so that's the plans. When she gets another 70 pounds off we are going. Well, wish me luck. I want him to go with us.

shyran, My friend do go workout with me from time to time. I try to do it alone. It's hard to keep after someone to do things for themselves. I had to learn how to workout alone, and with my trainer's help. That's all I need right now. When I did have a friend go walking with me in the pass, something would always come up with her. I had to learn to stop depending on other's to go workout with me. It worked out well for me. When I use to depend on other's... I would always fall off the wagon-with the ones who never got on.

Oh, and that winter coat....... I didn't get a winter coat this year to lose this year. This "winter" really wasn't a winter for us at all. It get cold one week, and we are back in the upper 60's.. Never got cold enough to put on the thick coat of fat. :) I can't be upset about that, but this winter I did get to see a inch of snow.. LOL.. It was just a dusting, but we did get some..

Its so nice to have such supportive people.  People who understand how hard it is to lose weight when your running everywhere with kids.  Or working late hours and you just want to come home and veg on the couch.  Keep up the good work everyone and pretty soon we will all be in maintenance mode instead of weightloss mode. 

Welcome to the newest 30 somethings, everyone is real friendly and supportive.

lynnhaslost: Thank you for your support!  Motivation is my achilles heel. I would love to lose 20 more lbs to get to 123, but I would be happy with 10 lbs, that should put me at a comfortable size 6.  I have lost 10 lbs counting calories and 10 lbs by counting carbs.  My heaviest weight was 164, which I hit in 2006 and maintained for a year.  My husband doesn't think I need to lose anymore, he likes the "curves" (that means he likes the increase in my bra size) My friends have less motivation than me.  If I don't learn to do it for myself, it will never happen.

jennelaw:  I do love having my teenagers around, they are so much fun! I am really lucky, they have not acted up or had any "angst".  It has been a pleasure so far.  I will look at the library, see if they have books on CD (I don't have a tape player). Thanks for the suggestion!

edit: I just added pilates to my activity log for today, so my motivation has started-time to dust off the pilates DVD!

For those of you who want to start biking again....

I started biking as an adult when I was (I think) 25. A friend gave me an old Peugeot road bike. I hadn't been on a bike in many many years, and I had to navigate my way through the city streets of Chicago. Maybe not as terrifying as San Fran, Boston, or NYC -- but dang.

1. See if your city/county has bike map. Maybe even the state (or provincial) Department of Transportation. The city of Chicago publishes a map of streets that they recommend for cyclists. I find that if you stick predominately to those streets, you're in the mix of traffic with other cyclists. And the motorists are a bit more aware of your presence than they might be on other streets. In Chicago, cyclists can report potholes, request bike racks, etc. through the city's website. Many cities are encouraging cycling these days -- particularly in the wake of these crazy oil prices.

2. Always ride with traffic. Some folks feel as though riding against traffic (on the left) is safer because they can see the cars. But the cars need to see you, and they can see you better -- and respond to you better -- when you're on the right, with them. Also, if you don't have headphones on (and IMHO you should never ride with headphones), you can hear the cars coming behind you. And if you're uncomfortable at first, you can pull over and let them by you.*

3. Get some cycling underwear. Mine are made by a company called Andiamo. They're like cycling shorts (with the big piece of foam covering your nether region), but they're thinner and fit more comfortably under your street clothes, if you're commuting. Getting used to being on a bike saddle again can be, um, traumatic. But the mild pain you might experience goes away after about a week. You might take an extra day off while you get used to everything again.

4. Make friend with your local bike shop (LBS). A good bike shop is indispensable to most folks. They'll show you how to fix flats, tune up your bike each spring, etc.

5. If you ride a mountain bike, get 'slick' tires. Slick (road bike style) tires actually give you more traction on asphalt. The 'knobbies' on mountain bike tires are designed to give you traction in dirt and mud. On asphalt they actually decrease traction, especially around corners. Not that you have to buy road tires that are less than inch wide -- they make mountain-bike-sized tres with no  knobbies.

6. Ride a lower gear than you think you should. A lot of people seem to think that riding in a really high gear is better for them -- because they can feel the burn in their quads. But it's awful for your knees, and it wears you out. Try to ride in a lower gear, and pedal a bit faster. You go farther and get a better workout. Of course, you can crank up hills and such to get a little anaerobic activity in as well.

And if anyone is getting back in to cycling -- especially in an urban situation -- feel free to PM me if you want.

*In the interest of full disclosure, I've been hit 3 times. But that's been in the course of, literally, tens of thousands of miles. I think that a lot of motorists are more scared of cyclists than we are of them.

I'm considering riding to work (mostly uphill) and then to my BJJ classes.  First I need to get a bike and make sure it can carry my BJJ bag.  Any suggestions?  I don't need a lot of speed, but I do need to be able to get up a huge hill.  I essentially have a 15 minute walk to work so I should be able to do it more often, but I'm just not motivated to walk.  If I rode a bike, then I could just ride the extra 1.5 miles to my BJJ class and another mile back home afterwards and then I wouldn't need to drive my car except to go out dancing or to visit my grandma.

Original Post by shyran:

lynnhaslost: Thank you for your support!  Motivation is my achilles heel. I would love to lose 20 more lbs to get to 123, but I would be happy with 10 lbs, that should put me at a comfortable size 6.  I have lost 10 lbs counting calories and 10 lbs by counting carbs.  My heaviest weight was 164, which I hit in 2006 and maintained for a year.  My husband doesn't think I need to lose anymore, he likes the "curves" (that means he likes the increase in my bra size) My friends have less motivation than me.  If I don't learn to do it for myself, it will never happen.

jennelaw:  I do love having my teenagers around, they are so much fun! I am really lucky, they have not acted up or had any "angst".  It has been a pleasure so far.  I will look at the library, see if they have books on CD (I don't have a tape player). Thanks for the suggestion!

edit: I just added pilates to my activity log for today, so my motivation has started-time to dust off the pilates DVD!

 You are so welcome. I've been doing this over and over again for years. Trying to lose a ton of weight. I would always call my friends to ask do they want to go walking with me. Then once I drop a few pounds. They all want to jump on board. I have 2 GF's who has lost a lot of weight with me, and I have a few more who just got on the wagon. I told them all to count calories, and I even told them to write down every thought. Bad ones and good ones.. That helped me so much. I would even write down how I felt after a great workout. I go back and I look over the things I wrote, and I can say.... I did do that on Monday.. Not only that.. It helps me stay on track with my weight.

 I stay true with my plans and programs that way. Its a joy to do. My children can even look back and read them one day, and see what I've accomplished. They can see that. This isn't a gene,pool, and this isn't a life time commitment if they every get into my shoes.  I thought... This was my life time commitment.. Being Over weight, and so depressed about it. I got up and I did this.

I lost the weight, and you will lose those last 10 pounds. Oh! And your hubby- They go nuts over bigger boobs don't they.. Don't lose your D's my boyfriend told me. LOL! Please.. I want my back to feel better, and now it does... I'm still a D, but my back feels so much better since I've lost the weight. I've been holding on to my weight commitment to lose this weight for a 14 months. I was looking to slide back, but I didn't.. That's what you have to remember.. Keep it moving, and look forward..

Shyran, motivation is the hardest part, once key is to find something you either really enjoy or that you think will push you to keep going.  My heaviest was 190 lbs (at 5'4" thats a LOT of extra weight to being carrying around) and that was when I was 18 years old!  I have lost a significant amount of weight 3 times now and each time I tell myself never again, and the first two times I gained some, but not all of it back.  When  I was 18, I went from 190 to 140 without even trying (going away to college and the increased activity of walking to class and my dislike of dining hall food did it mostly).  When I was 25, I had gotten back up to aroun 175lbs and said, alright, this is it.  I joined a gym, and found I REALLY loved working out there (got a bit obsessive over it really), but was down to 129lbs and was physically in the best shape of my life.  Then, leaving grad school, a move overseas to Thailand, some traveling around for a few months, a few months without a real job, another move overseas to Australia, joining the ranks of the real world, getting married, having a baby, and hitting my 30's saw my weight slowly creep up to 167 (about 15 of those were from the baby), and thats when I started cc.  I am not around 140. 

For me, this time, finding the motivation was so hard because I couldn't just workout whenever wherever.  I sat around for 2 years after my daughter was born miserable that I had gained again, but not able to get myself to do anything about it.  I couldn't join a gym because I work full time and my hubby works late so can't go in the evenings, and the gyms don't open early enough here for me to go in the morning.  I just gave up for awhile, plus, I have been trsding the waters of having a baby and now a toddler for the past two years, which is the same as having a second job.  Honestly, after work and taking care of her, I was exhausted, plus I knew I was totally out of shape again, which was so disheartening after being in such good shape not long ago.  Then one day, something just clicked, I found the couch to 5K running program and this site online and said, alright, I will try this.  And I did, and the weight just started coming off, and the more I ran, the more I loved it.  And the better shape I have gotten into again, the more I think about other active things I want to do, and I see the positive effect is has on my daughter.  Its amazing how much 2 year olds observe (she watched me run my first 5K race on Mother's day, and was at the finish line cheering me on, and she STILL talks about it). 

Running or biking may not be your thing, everyone is different, but you will find something.  But try to pick something and stick to it for a month or two and see if it catches on.  If you don't like it, switch to something else and try again.  In the end, only you can provide the motivation you need, and I think there is a switch inside us all that just has to be turned on to get you going, unfortunately for some, its harder to reach that switch than others. 

Hi everyone! Been so busy, I havent barely had time to log my eating, much less than sit and gab! I'm getting ready for a garage sale and man its alot of work! Also had to pick up some dressers and a desk and some patio furniture from my dad-in-laws place (he passed away last winter and we are still sorting his stuff and trying to sell his house- he was divorced and hubby has one sister who is living at the house right now) .. so after picking up the furniture and loading out and sorting the stuff for the garage sale I've been rearranging all the rooms. Havent had time to do my regular workouts, but moving all the furniture and sorting and loading all the garage sale stuff has been exercise enough! whew!  Cant wait till its all done!

Anyway, I guess the hard work it paying off for me too.. I am down to 168! yay- I hope it keeps dropping this fast!

Welcome Lidan and Shyran, and anyone else I missed!

Lynn, you look fabulous!!! great pics... just pretend you're a model and your bf is doing a photoshoot  

I probably wont have time to check in until next week or so because of the garage sale so have a great weekend everyone! God Bless!

lynn: Aren't men funny that way? I was talking to my husband about losing 10-20 more lbs and he was shaking his head and I could see the concern on his face.  I just laughed at him because when we met I weighed probably 105 soaking wet! He saw me go from 105 to 164, then back down to 143 and he thinks I should stop.  I reminded him that when we met he was happy with my petite size and always said how he liked my size.  When I hit 164 he said he loved my new "curves".  Now that I am at 142 he thinks I look better than ever...men are so weird!  I would say he is just trying to be nice, but that isn't his personality...he really doesn't know how to not be brutally honest.  He is the kind of  guy that answers "yes" when you ask if your butt looks big in those jeans.  Thanks again for your support, I was skeptical about joining a community because I have always been one to "do it on my own" and not ask for support, but I have changed my mind!

Manta: Thanks to you and Lynn, I am writing a check for $90 and registering for a "learn to run" course that lasts 12 weeks.  I figure I do it for 12 weeks (minus one week in August when we take our family vacation) and if I hate it, I try something else, but what if I love running and I have been missing it all this time? You never know until you try! If I don't like it, then I will take the guide njmattes has posted!

 Thanks to both of you, and everyone else! I will keep you posted as to my progress.  And I will try to get a picture up to go with my name here soon!

 

Hi everyone,

Okay, I've discovered this really weird anatomical problem.  As I've lost weight and my tush has become less cushiony, I've discovered I have this very large tail bone.  It's the most bizarre thing ever.  It literally feels like there is a ball on the end of my spine.  I cannot do Pilates any more because of it.  Some yoga poses are a challenge too.  I saw an episode of Big Medicine not too long ago that featured a woman who seemed to have the same condition.  She had to have hers removed!  Has anyone ever heard of this condition?

On another topic, anyone using a HRM?  I have a very basic one that only tracks heartbeat but I would like to get one that tracks calories burned too.  Any product recommendations?  I've been looking at the Polar F6 or F11.  Do you feel they are worth the expense?

Shyran, how terrific that you're going to begin running.  I started in January of this year and just recently ran for 30 minutes non-stop.  It has taken me a while to work up to that (due to foot problems and hip bursitis), but I'm so thrilled that I did it.  I am the person who always said that I wouldn't run unless someone was chasing me, and then only if they had a weapon.  :o)  I followed (loosely) the Couch-to-5k plan. 

All of you biking enthusiasts, I wish that were something I enjoyed.  My husband is a cyclist and it would be nice to join him for a ride every now and then.  The thing that really turned me off (besides the seat being so uncomfortable) was almost being wiped out by a San Francisco cab driver.  I was participating in an organized ride from Candlestick Park and going through the City.  The scenery was beautiful, but perhaps too much for a first timer since it scared me off the bike in a hurry.

I posted previously that I was going to increase my calories to see if it would make an impact on my breaking my plateau.  I'm happy to say that so far, it's working!  Last week the scale reflected a 4 lb. gain, and I'm down 2 lbs. of that as of today.  Hopefully, after having a brutal workout today, the scale will be down at least 1 more lb. tomorrow.  If it is, I won't weight again until June 27th.  (I wasn't going to weigh in, but I just had to see if my new approach was working).  It's very scary eating 1800-2000 calories, but I will do so as long as it's working.  I figure every 5 lbs. I will re-calculate my BMR calories and adjust as needed.

Hope everyone is having a healthy day.

Shyran, fantastic about the running course!  Of course I am a bit biased because I have found a new love of running recently, BUT, the best way to look at it is this.... even if you don't particularly like it, do the 12 weeks and thats 12 weeks worth of exercise you are getting and that many more calories you are burning.  Then move on to the next activity (some people just need to change things up a lot).  Also, if you are feeling REALLY brave, sign up to do a race at the end of the 12 weeks.  It is great motivation, and even if you have to walk a bit of it, the feeling of accomplishment you get by finishing can't be beat.

April, I know what you mean about the biking.  My husband used to race when he was a bit younger and if I could get into it, I think we would do it together a lot, but its just not my thing right now.  He keeps trying to talk me into cycling, he can't understand my obsession with running, but cycling its just not my thing right now. I might think about doing a minitriathalon next year, but first I want to run a half marathon.  I DO have a heart rate monitor, it is a Polar S710 (old model designed for cycling).  I LOVE it for my training runs because it keeps me going slow enough on my long runs not to burn out and helps me push when I am speed training.  The key is to not trust the Max heart rate formulas based on age, and just wear it for awhile to work out you training zones.  Also, it does give me calorie output which was great when I was counting.  In short, if you are going to get a HR monitor, get a Polar.  Both the F6 and F11 are good, just a matter of how much you want to spend and if you want the little extras that the F11 has.  As for the tailbone, if it IS causing you physical problems I would have it checked out by your doctor.  It could be extra boney or fleshy growth there, or any number of other things, but since it is causing you pain, better to have it looked at, there may be something non-surgical you can do about it.

Thanks manta.  My goal is to run a 5k in the near future.  During my workout today, my PT really pushed me out of my comfort zone.  I'm not running terribly fast right now, just a steady pace.  He wants me to start pushing myself to run faster each time we meet.   I am really wiped out right now!  I will go ahead and get the Polar F6 since I think the F11 has too many features I probably won't use at this point in my training.  I'd really like to get a more accurate idea of how many calories I burn so I can adjust my calories.  Thanks for the input.

 

I want to join too. I am 31, engaged and I don't know when the wedding date is yet. I weigh 163 and though that is not that overweight I've always dreamed of being a thin bride because I know I wouldn't be totally happy unless I was at least down to 150 or less. I keep telling myself that I can do it.

I've already lost 15 lbs since January watching what I eat and playing a lot of volleybal with a strength/power workout class at the gym on Saturday mornings. I guess I'm on my way slowly but it gets so hard with getting invited to cookouts and parties in the summertime. I like to drink my beer with the best of them and not worry about how many calories I've consumed in alcohol. Maybe I just need to cut that out but that wouldn't be so much fun.......moderation I guess is the key.

If anyone wants an email buddy to talk about food and exercize then let me know. I can use some extra motivation. Maybe I just need to take a picture of myself in a bikini and hang it up all over the place!

Good luck to everyone. Remember, Make the most of yourself because that is all there is of you!

1aprilfool: When I was running, I found that only way I could really increase my overall speed was to do intervals. Just trying to run faster never did anything for me. I didn't do them on a track -- just around a half mile square park here in Chicago. No stop watch or HRM, just progressive intervals with long cool downs.

Fartlek runs also helped out, and I think they're much more fun. Just program in some 45 second or minute long sprints into your runs. Every 7 minutes or so.

I think part of the strategy is to get your fast twitch muscle fiber working. I'm short on fast twitch fiber myself (I was more of a distance runner, and I certainly prefer distance cycling), and those 2 runs helped me. I did one of each every week.

Welcome, cegdoodles!