Ok, katie - I'm holding you too it. No matter what you do, don't open any of those little wrapped empty calorie bombs! They are EVIL!

And by enjoying myself on the weekend, I mean two evening meals, and a breakfast. Friday, Saturday night, and one morning to eat scones. Or a sweetroll. Something yummy.

Another thing I have discovered (the hard way, and I've been thinking alot about this lately) was that overdoing the exercise part (and I mean REALLY overdoing it - cardio kickboxing 3X a week, and heavy duty weight lifting the other three days, with one day off) didn't work in the long run. It worked great in the short run, I was able to lose weight, and I was also able to maintain the weight once I got there because of all the calories I was burning. Which meant I was able to eat more than I do now. But my 45 year old body just couldn't handle it. It broke. My back went out big time (and I had abdominal and back strength out the wazzu, so that wasn't the problem), which meant I couldn't workout for quite awhile, and I was used to all those calories (even though I was eating healthy, I was eating a lot) and the weight started coming back on.

So, I have to figure out how to be satisfied with a calorie intake that goes along with moderate exercise. Moderate cardio 4 or 5 times a week in the form of a brisk walk or a bike ride, or riding the horses, and the gym three days a week. That's my goal this time around.

Jodi

It sounds like you're doing it right. Good for you. Just how far out do you live, anyway? Sometimes, when you post, it sounds like Siberia! I totally understand how you feel about the gym, and your weight training. I loved the kickboxing class. I felt like so much of a part of something. I had workout buddies. I was so disappointed when I couldn't do it any more. Luckily, I still have the horses to ride - that's my "social life" during the day.

jodi

Pretty inspiring that you get to the gym at all, katie! I'm only a ten minute ride from ours - and that's twenty minutes by bike (mostly)on a nice bike path in warm weather. When and if I dare bike again, that is. I used to go everywhere by bike since the township put up so many paths. Read somewhere (these studies!) that anyone more than seven minutes from a work-out/gym was - steep drop - much less likely to stay with it.

I've known it for a long town, but only fully acknowledged it to myself right this minute reading your and jodi's injury post, that there are a lot of things I'll NEVER get back to. Like Tae Kwon Do Karate. I used to love it. Flamenco (and belly) dancing too.

"Never" is a big word. I guess everyone faces it with something that makes it hit home and then nothing else matters as much again. (As if I hadn't known people who died...!) "Maybe"'s been a comforting thought for a good while.

I think something everyone needs to watch is *rewarding* yourself with food. I mean, afterall, what got us to this thread to start with?

Teachum - who rewarded herself last night for a tough week with her favorite comfort food - Chili Mac. But at least I made it with lo-carb pasta and very little cheese. And...I made a small amount so there weren't any leftovers.

#79

95# today. I'm graphing my weight daily. Not sure if that's a good thing. It's doing all these jiggity jogs on the paper.

I don't think rewarding is a bad idea. As long as the rewards only come once a week. I call it my "cheat day" or more like my "cheat meal". I just get in trouble when my cheat days are 7 days a week...

Jodi - whose son won a kid pack at the local pizza place, and so we came home with pizza, and a pound of chocolate chip cookie dough and a bottle of soda last night. I didn't eat a bite, and I didn't even lick my fingers when I put the cookies on the tray. I had my little boring piece of spinach quiche made with eggbeaters, and some veggies.

Haven't checked in here for awhile...I have been too busy concentrating on my new job.

I have been careful about not munching at my desk, getting up frequently away from the computer. It helps that my office is a flight of stairs away from the main goings on...

Was totally shocked this morning when I got on the scale....89#!!!!

I am a muncher when I am bored. Guess business has been the best diet for me. But I have to say, that in no way makes me fit. The flip side is that my 3-4 time weekly multi mile walks are a thing of the past (as is piano practice)

Still learning to balance it all.....

Katie, your personal trainer is something I covet. How did you find someone you like? I am considering it not just for weight loss but for building up muscle strength to support my failing joints.

PS, will miss you at TNCR and in person.

quote:

Originally posted by katie:
I was really hungry and had not eaten since yesterday...

Ok, you HAVE to eat at least three times a day (+ a couple of snacks) Otherwise, you get so hungry you eat the first thing that crosses your path! Make something - anything healthy - that you can package into individual thingies, I did that with the spinach quiche, and some stir-fry (w/ small amount of brown rice) - so that the next time you come home starving, the easiest thing to eat is that prepackaged meal, and not the bag of chips, or leftover pizza.

Jodi (who has had a craving for chocolate all day, but I'm holding strong til tomorrow night, so I can eat one of these little chocolate lava cakes I'm making for dessert...)

Just read your TNCR thread, Katie - you are leaving us here too, are you? Hope not!

Jodi

quote:

Originally posted by jodi:
Just read your TNCR thread, Katie - you are leaving us here too, are you? Hope not!

I won't argue the point as I'm sure many of us sometimes think about doing the very same thing for very good personal reasons where we know our time could be productively spent. I hope the sabbatical time is well invested and keeps the Mona Lisa smile on your face. I'm glad to see you plan to check in with us in this thread now and then.

That's a great goal, katie. Carnegie Hall in June!

And I know what you mean about limiting yourself. I recently joined a horse forum, and have started posting a bit. Bad idea. The threads get WAY nastier in a personal way, (frankly, a bunch of them are big fat know-it-alls) than any do on our piano forums. And frankly, I don't think they nearly as helpful. I'm finding out quickly what it's like to be a completely ignored newbie. (and I don't like it one bit. ) I have 15 book illustrations to finish up, one wedding portrait (that's been on my drawing table for WAY too long) and this oil painting class. I need to cut back online time too. But sometimes, you guys are the only people I "talk" to during the day!

Jodi 95#

Whoo, katie! Where are you coming up with this table for calories burned?

Did you mean a treadmill (or equivalent) walk of 3.33 miles within an hour burned about 650 calories? Got to look at some activity charts. Seem high, if so. I must have misunderstood the time or mileage.

Katie, good on you! Fitness rocks, doesn't it?

Beelady, in addition to exploring personal training, you might look into "group personal training" in your area. We have several such companies, and I've stuck with one for 6 years.

They basically are personal training classes, focusing on cardio and strength. There's a very wide range of athletic ability in the group. The one I attend is mostly women, ranging in age from 50s to 30s. I fall somewhere in the middle.

I get it - I think! There is after all, a difference, between 3.33 miles climbing a mountain and walking the mall.

(My treadmill has a heartbeat monitor and gives resistance. MUST get it down. Problem one - stop using it as a horizontal file cabinet as soon as I unhinge it! )

Ok, up to 95.5# after last night's dinner. (Vegetarian Chili, chile cheese cornbread, salad, and chocolate lava cakes. Plus a couple of glasses of red wine) Boy, was it good. Especially the lava cakes. Back on the wagon now.

Jodi

Keep it up, Jodi. I've been on a little sabbatical myself the last couple of weeks. I didn't gain anything, which is good, but I also haven't lost any either. I have been struggling with a cold that wants to go to bronchitis, so I haven't been on the treadmill and I did eat the chili-mac! Yum! I found a new source for my Dreamfield's Pasta yesterday, so we stocked up on that. I'm going to make a big pot of my soup today and we have lots of outdoors-get-ready-for-winter work to do so that will be my exercise.
79#.