My routine has been thrown off also; DH is on vacation and sleeps in, I tend to wait and have breakfast with him but I'm going to start going to the gym really early, I'm up anyway; I always say I'll go later in the day but I get caught up and do not end up going.

Foodwise I've weathered the holidays fine, and maintained my weight.

Thank goodness we are in Florida for another few weeks, I play golf and am pretty active. I'll be spending February in Calgary and I tend to hibernate in cold weather, I'll really have to be careful and do some gym work every day.
I have no excuse not to, there's a gym in my building and a big YMCA minutes away.

Another hibernator here. I've signed up for 2 yoga classes - one with my 13 year old dd and one with dh. This is to do dble duty - keep me and my relationships healthy. DH started a new job and it seems we rarely get to see each other without the kids these days.

We tried x country skiing over the holidays and would love to keep that up as well, but it would take a bit more effort to get to on a weekly basis.

Skating also sounds good - I could do that without too much effort. Never heard of Intensati - is it intense?

I'm also trying to get back to reducing my dairy intake. Health problems I thought I would have to live with, disappeared when I tried it for the last few months. My cheese consumption sky rocketed over the holidays and the problems returned. Of course, the one food I thought I could never do without is the one that causes me problems :-(

Thanks for starting the thread hhireno. It helps to put things in writing doesn't it?

Daisy, how much dairy did you consume after reducing?

I didn't gain weight over the holidays but I did let other things lapse. My expensive gym membership ran out so I didn't exercise. I was running around and fell off schedule with my various vitamins and supplements. Hitting 50 brought lots of physical changes, general weakness, thinning hair, faltering vision, dry skin, yellowing teeth, sheesh! I don't think I look like my mother -- I look like my GRANDmother. These early January days I am concentrating on getting my better exercise habits back (joined a new gym, went to yoga last night) and taking my vitamins and drinking water. I got a Clairsonic and am using a nice Burts Bees cleanser...was not good about a nighttime face washing routine before but am trying now. That durned Clairsonic was too expensive to let it gather dust on my bathroom counter! My approach is to make small improvements and keep it slow and steady...

Normally I don't gain over the holidays b/c I'm running around so much I don't have time for snacking. However, this year, I found myself partaking in too many of the treats that people kept sending/bringing over. Plus for two weeks, I was out of my normal exercise routine. I didn't even want to get on the scale so decided I'd give myself two weeks into the New Year to healthier eating and back to my exercise schedule.

So far, been great about my eating - I been eating more protein and vegetables, hardly any sugar (nothing in my tea, no sweets, just natural sugars found in foods), and limiting my carbs. I can't go without carbs though b/c then I have no energy for exercising. I spent yesterday making a couple of healthy soups, as I find that if I have something prepared already, I'm less likely to snack or not take the time to make a healthy lunch. Plus soup fills me up!

My goal for this year is to run 4x/week and do some sort of class (strength training/yoga/etc) at least 2x/week. I'm starting next week back at the gym, but this week, I've run the last three days and will run again tomorrow. Usually I don't run four days in a row, but b/c of my schedule this week, I couldn't break it up. I also need to sign up for some races to keep me motivated - so far, I just have one in April that I'm committed to.

I love the idea of ice skating - that sounds fun! My kids have a pass to an outdoor rink at a park nearby, but I always just watch and never skate. Maybe next time I'll join in!

snookums, I would eat cheese as a snack 2 or 3 times a day, and often as a part of my lunch and dinner. I still use milk in my tea and cereal, but we have almond and soya milk in the fridge to use at other times (don't like the taste in tea or cereal). I grew up eating dessert after supper and still feel the need for something sweet to finish the meal. I used to eat a scoop of ice cream or sorbet after supper almost every night.

My doctor is concerned about lack of calcium and says supplements don't work. I'm going to try buying almonds by the truckload and using more of the almond milk. Supposedly, eating almonds throughout the day is best, but I'm a teacher and can't have nuts at work.

daisy...before you go out an buy and consume almonds to try and get calcium please read the link....I don't think it is going to be a good idea.

Here is a link that might be useful: NYTimes...calcium and almonds...not

here is a great link with dietary suggestions to increase your calcium and it doesn't involve dairy. I sure hope you can get a solution that works for you. c

Here is a link that might be useful: increase your calcium absorption

Daisy, that actually sounds like a good bit of dairy each day, to me. I've been trying to reduce dairy and gluten and wondering if you have to completely eliminate. Sounds like you've had good results still consuming a bit.

I use flax milk and almond milk mixed on my cereal and don't even notice a flavor difference. I've been nibbling on cheese sometimes and having yogurt every day. A little cream here and there.

That's a good reminder about the calcium. I've just started doing this, having heard how much better it's supposed to make you feel.

I can't believe teachers can't even eat nuts at school. Such a sensitive allergy.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Sun, Jan 6, 13 at 11:10

I'm doing the same stuff -- getting exercise isn't a problem, but I hope to do a better job controlling my eating this year. I go through phases where I just want to eat with abandon, and I need to figure out why I do that. Well, off to killerbells with DH. We've been attending a Saturday class together, and now my husband is a convert. He says our instructor is better than any physical therapist he's ever had for all his joint issues (bad hips, knees, ankles).

It's now been a year since I had my epiphany and got serious about losing some weight last year on Jan 2 - after eating an entire french silk pie over the holiday of 2011.

I've logged all my food consumption and exercise for over a year now on an iPhone app and I find that prevents me from deluding myself about how much I can eat and how much I need to exercise if I want to eat any more. I just can't get over how little you can eat if you don't want to gain weight and even less if you want to lose weight. Or you have to really exercise a lot. No wonder there are so many overweight people.

At one point I had lost 15 pounds which was actually a few pounds below what I considered my desired weight to be. The low point came right before I had surgery for what I thought was ovarian cancer so I think I lost a few pounds when I freaked out and lost my appetite entirely.

Fortunately I recovered pretty quickly from the surgery and in spite of now taking medication that is an appetite stimulant and known to cause people to gain 50-60 pounds, I'm still maintaining at about 2 lbs over my desired weight. And I'm still always working on getting that 2 lbs back off.

All in all though I'm happy that I've stuck with my controlled diet and regular exercise program for over a year in spite of all that has taken place. And now it's time to quit sitting around at my computer and get on with some yoga and the stationary bike for today.

I went to Spinning this morning. Most recent Saturdays in Nov and Dec we had only 5-6 people, and today all the New Years people are back, and we had a full class of 25. I didn't get my favorite bike today.

I am turning 50 this year, so I really want to get this weight down. Just got my most recent blood test results, and everything is OK but I still feel some hypothyroid symptoms. It's very frustrating.

I am very good about exercise but I do like to cook and like food/wine and food/craft beer.

I would love a treadmill desk to get some extra activity, but we need to hugely renovate the home office room to fit one in.

I was a total slacker over the holidays and now that I want to get moving again, I have a nasty head/chest cold. I'm going to do a bit of weight lifting down in my basement today, though. Wow, I sound like a he-man. Okay, they're 5-lb weights.

For three days I've been somewhat loosely following the Sugarbusters plan -- not eating anything with more than 3g of sugar. This is after eating soooo much sugar over the holidays so it's been a bit difficult! I put all the remaining junk in the kids' snack drawer and just stay away. I've also been watching episodes of Dr Oz on my DVR and getting lots of good tips there. Like I never realized that "old fashioned" oats are better for you than "quick cooking" oats.

I'm planning to stick with this low/no sugar plan indefinitely. My DH has a coworker who recently lost 30 lbs by doing this, along with exercise of course. Sugar is my downfall. If I can stop craving it, I think I might actually lose some weight! We have a tropical vacation coming up in about 6 weeks, so there's my motivation.

In addition to getting back to my usual gym routine, I also just signed up for an 8-week yoga class.

Pretty much the same things here. I don't have a running partner anymore as she had an old stress fracture reappear. Very painful so she is out for the time being. My walking partner has been too busy and now has a biopsy this next week so she is out too !

I have been running by myself..did 1 1/2 hrs on roads the other day. DH has been walking for 1 hr every day so I have joined him a few times. We go to the gym but I don't do classes. I have a set routine of machines and free weights and I also do the free hanging abs where you lift up your knees to chest while hanging by your armpits from these slings. I have been doing those for decades and they are great. I ran steps at the gym yesterday..20 steps up...for 50 repeats...so 1000 ups/1000 downs ( down don't count LOL ) ..we have a 2 story gym. I also have been running from the gym for a 10k and then doing the rowing machine for 5 k...instead of lifting weights...it is a great all over workout and helps your posture too.

DH and I just got back from a 17 mile bike ride it was 41 degrees...we rode to meditation and I took my panniers and we stopped at the grocery on the way home and I loaded them up. So a good mix of things. I don't like to do the same all the time.

We will be in FL in late Jan/early Feb to camp and ride bicycles with my cycling friend. Will do a lot of miles for that week. I will be cycling the Blue Ridge parkway this Fall but nothing huge and out of the country this year..DH wants me close :)

Thank you hh for starting this again..it is good to hear what everyone is doing ! c

trailrunner, thanks so much for looking out for me. After I posted, I went online to look at other alternatives, too. I think my brain needs more of a work out than my bones, as I immediately forgot what I had read. I think chia seeds were high on the list, but I am distrustful as they seem to be the next "superfood" and anything that gets that much hype, makes me wary. However, I will likely walk over to the healthfood store and see if they carry them. I'll have to add them slowly though, since I've just added ground flax to my diet and my stomach is already doing flip-flops (but in a good way.)

Great thread! I really let myself give in to temptation over the holidays-my sugar addiction kicked in at full force, and I was drinking a lot of wine. I threw all of the leftover sweets in the trash after Christmas.

Today, I finally made it to the gym and it felt so good! All I can do is the stationary bike with my ankle and toe problems, but it's better than nothing. I am going to make an appointment with a personal trainer to get a weight training program going again,too. When I lifted weights in the past, my body composition really improved.

I turned 50 right before Christmas, and I have noticed that in the last few years I have packed on quite a few pounds. I think part of it was due to an anti-depressant that I started taking due to all of the sadness over my sons' problems, but part of it was eating anything I wanted with abandon. With my doctor's help I have now weaned off of the medication, and I feel so much better. It served its purpose when I needed it, but I am glad to be off of it.

I really need to work on my calcium intake, and look forward to reading the articles that Trail linked. Love this supportive forum.

you are most welcome daisy and I agree with texan...this is the best place to be and you can count on such great responses from friends here.

Daisy Is there some reason that you are especially concerned with calcium and your bones ? I don't remember if you have posted your age. If you are at risk for osteoporosis through heredity then you might want to look in to getting a DECA scan as a baseline so you know how you are doing bone wise. If this is just about getting good nutrition then there is no reason you should have to go to extreme measures to get extra calcium. A balanced diet with no one food group taking precedence is fine. The best thing anyone can do for their bones is simply weight bearing. Use it or lose it is TRUE. If you put your bones to work they will stay strong. Again if there is an underlying problem then that needs to be addressed. Otherwise walking and lifting weights are the 2 best things you can do.

I am linking to some great high calcium lower calorie meals...the recipes look wonderful ! I am glad I did a search. c

Here is a link that might be useful: 10 healthy meals

Gibby, good for you!

Daisy, I bought some chia seeds and add them to yogurt in the morning. Haven't noticed any problems, but I don't have yogurt every morning (even though I probably should). I put a tablespoon (flatware not measuring spoon) in a cup of yogurt. Mostly, I started taking it for the Omega-3s.

As far as exercise, I am thinking about it more! I have been walking our stairs and am up to eight flights. I need to push myself to be more regular about it. I was always naturally thin plus we got out and did stuff more when DS was home. Now, when I really need to work at it, I don't. DH has surgery this coming Friday for three hernias, so I am taking off from school for Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. I am going to make myself do the stairs and my free weights!

You women are the best. If you have been slacking, you make me feel better bcause I have been, too. If you are being good about diet and exercise, you are inspiring me! Thanks!!!

BTW, does anybody else love this time of the year too? There are usually lots of good health articles & recipes in the media since everybody seems to resolve to lose weight! I love the health & fitness information and the initial public enthusiasm to lose weight and get in shape.

Had a successful eating day yesterday. Will focus on doing as well today. More fruits & veggies, more fruits & veggies, more fruits...you know the drill.

Finally !! DH went for an early showing of les Miz ( I was there last week) and I went to the gym for my 2 miles on the treadmill, for most of you this is nothing but for me it's my daily goal.

Now on to some purging and cleaning before DH comes home at 1.
I'm trying to keep the vacation mode going with him since he only has a week left in Florida, I have 15 days left before returning to the cold.

Every step counts in all of your quests to health , keep going, people !!

attagirl, mitch. 2 miles on a treadmill -- whoo hoo! Hope you feel great after your workout.

I'm going out for a walk w/ DH -- beautiful, sunny, snow-covered day. Better get my sunglasses! Madame Kettlebells slayed us yesterday with her circuit training exercises, so will just do some easy cardio today.

I have not been doing my daily 5 mile run either. DH has been in the hospital twice since early December, I hosted Christmas, we have done our share of socializing, and my mother has also been staying with us since early December. She's 82 and loves to walk so we have been walking most days but that doesn't substitute for running. I hope to be back to it tomorrow. This is the best time of year for outdoor exercise here in Florida, much better than the humid, mid 80s mornings of summer, so I don't want to squander it!

Mitch, going to the gym and doing 2 miles on the treadmill is fantastic!

I think most people don't look forward to exercising but when they're done, it feels SO good. That's my incentive.

So, my doctor, for the first time, decides to include a Hemogobin A1C test when ordering my yearly blood tests. Shockingly to me, I am high risk for diabetes. There is no history of diabetes in my family, I am thin, I do cardio and weight training and pilates six days a week. BUT I eat junk and more junk...a lot of junk...all day long! So, I am going to have to start eating like a normal human being! Truly a wake up call. Bye bye See's candies :-(

I would like to suggest that you all ask your doctor if he/she is including the A1C test. I'm 64 and although my glucose level is normal and always has been, apparently that is not indicative of diabetes risk.

Last fall I started doing Pilates and managed to turn it into a good new habit. So this morning I registered for the next session and also tried to get started on my next healthy habit resolution: to run again. I am going to try to get into a routine of the Pilates class on Monday/Wednesday mornings and *hoping* to add a Tuesday/Thursday morning run as well. I tend to make BIG plans for fitness and not follow through, so this is my try at starting with a more reasonable goal. My other fitness goal this year is to do free weights for my arms during the half hour each night that my husband and I watch the news together. I keep the hand weights in a basket in our LR, so it's so easy to do them while watching tv. I hate, hate, hate my old lady arms so I hope this will help get rid of them.

My diet continues to evolve; I don't have a taste any more for red meat at all. Still like chicken and seafood but am trying out more variations of vegetarian oriented main and side dishes and enjoying the journey very much. I loosely have been trying to avoid 'white food' for the past year or so meaning potatoes, bread, rice. Don't eat much fried food and rarely have fast food any more either. I have decided a glass of wine with dinner isn't anything evil though and as long as I stop at one I am letting myself enjoy that a few times weekly. Still love sweets but I've never been a big sweets eater---just a steady one :).

Don't know if it's coincidental or not but I have noticed a huge increase in hot flashes over the past few weeks, when I haven't been doing even Pilates as exercise. I'm not sure if that is related but I am hoping that getting active again will help cut those annoying moments!

And that's my check in.

Ann

A funny thing has happened since upping my kettlebells training 5 weeks ago from once a week to 3 times/wk. I have a larger, strong upper body now. I've never had upper body strength, could never do a push up, so it's an odd feeling to have muscles in my back and shoulders. Seems to be reducing the shoulder issues I was having too. The old bras are getting a little tight!

Speaking of which, these sports bras from Target are soooo comfy and the price is great. They come in fun colors & tie dies (at least they sold tie died bras last summer), just be careful about the bright colors bleeding.

Here is a link that might be useful: Champion sports bras at Target

Ann I think you could be right about the hot flashes as I have noticed the same thing! The more I exercise the less hot flashes I seem to have to endure!

Hellloooo Healthy Peeps!

My exercise routine went to hell in the proverbial handbasket. DH and I bought a business in NH (we live in MA) and agreed to work at another location up there, as well as our jobs that we have here during the week. Add a concussed teenager who needs PT two times a week and the holidays..it has been ugly over here.

The good news is that my weekend gig is busy and I haven't time to over eat. I do miss Crossfit a lot. In my new job I make Waffles and burned my hand pretty badly on some caramelized sugar. I was afraid that it would keep me from the gym, but it isn't as tight as I thought it would be, so I totally could have gone there this morning. I'm just so freaking TIRED! So I decided to just be kind to myself and take it slow. BIL told me that some people were asking for me which is nice. Someone on FB posted this post from Michael Moore, who I dont' always agree with, but it has stuck with me this week and I thought I'd throw it out there for you all.....

I am now in Week 42 of my walks. Each day, 30 minutes, that's it. Thousands of you have joined me since that Sunday night on March 18 when, as a joke, I said I was going for a walk. I had read that morning in the paper that there were now more people in the U.S. on anti\-depressants than those who go to the movies. I tweeted out that maybe that's the problem \-\- perhaps if people got out and went to the movies more they might feel better. This unleashed a lively conversation about mood\-aletering drugs, the lousy movies these days in theaters, the rip\-off prices for 3D films, etc. Finally, someone wrote: "Sometimes I think what I need is just a brisk walk." I tweeted, "Hey, there's an idea! I'm putting my shoes on right now." I went out and came back home after 30 minutes \-\- and a few hundred of you had amazingly joined me where you live. So I went walking the next night, probably out of some sort of obligation because so many had written to say "please let's do it again tonight!" So I did. And the night after that. By the end of the week it was hard to determine how many thousands were now going out with me on these "virtual walks" in hundreds of cities and towns, but it had taken off like a rocket and so we all went walking every night from that point on. Now it's 250 days later. What a simple, great idea that person had! Some have asked, "Why are we walking?" "What's the cause?" There is no cause other than to go for a walk. We do it just because it feels good. We do it because we can. We do it because it's free and it takes no time. All you need to know is how to put one foot in front of the other (or, for the disabled who've joined in, by any means necessary). It's the perfect slacker/schlub activity. I am often asked "How much weight have you lost from all this walking?" For a while I didn't understand the question. I mean, why would I want to lose anything? I have enough trouble finding my keys! Then I got it \-\- skinny people (1/3 of the country) want us, the majority, to be like them. That's so nice of them. But the truth is, exercise does not work, diets do not work, feeling crummy does not work. Nothing works. My advice: Quit trying to be something you're not, be happy with the life you've been given, and just go for a pleasant walk outside. With me. Wherever you are. Get off the treadmill, stop drinking diet Coke, throw out all the rules. It's all a scam and it conspires to keep you miserable. If it says "low\-fat" or "sugar\-free" or "just 100 calories!" throw it out. Remember, one of the main tenets of capitalism is to have the consumer filled with fear, insecurity, envy and unhappiness so that we can spend, spend, spend our way out of it and, dammit, just feel better for a little while. But we don't, do we? The path to happiness \- and deep down, we all know this \-\- is created by love, and being kind to oneself, sharing a sense of community with others, becoming a participant instead of a spectator, and being in motion. Moving. Moving around all day. Lifting things, even if it's yourself. Going for a walk every day will change your thinking and have a ripple effect. You'll find yourself only eating when you're truly hungry. And if you're not hungry, go clean your room, or have sex, or call a friend on the phone. Without knowing it, you'll starting eating like the French (there is no French word for "fast\-food") \-\- and you will feel better. You do not feel better admonishing yourself or beating yourself up or setting up a bunch of unrealistic rules and goals with all the do's and dont's that are just begging to be broken. You wanna know something? I eat ice cream every friggin' day. I drink a regular Coke every single day. I put butter on things. But I also walk every day. Some days now, I walk twice. And now I've started to do some push\-ups and lifting stuff. It's building muscle, and in doing so, has created an extra furnace to burn stuff and create energy. Weird! That, in turn, makes me sleep 7\-8 hours a night which is another game\-changer. And all the walking and lifting makes me thirsty, so that makes me drink more water \-\- another huge plus! So, you can see from the photo of me up in the box that something has changed. I have no idea how much weight I've lost and I don't care. I don't care about that or diets or home gym equipment or rules about what I can or cannot eat or anything other than making sure I go on my walk today. That's it. That's the big secret. It costs nothing. I feel great. I can see my feet! There they are! Hello, feet! Wanna go for a walk? The feet say YES! Ask yours right now. And if you want, join me. But do NOT go on that walk with me if you are doing so to "get fit", "be healthy", or "lose weight". You are fine just the way you are. Only walk outside with me right now because you know it might just feel good, because it's a beautiful day, or someone is joining in with you, the fresh air is invigorating, you have to drive down to the drug store but you realize you can walk there, or simply because it's just nice to be alive for one more day. Walk to walk and nothing else \-\- and the other stuff will take care of itself. I'm heading outside in an hour. Join me. And let me know how it went! 18,068 Anyway, I'm going for a walk on the beach tomorrow. Even though I haven't set my business up in Quickbooks, even though I have a billion things to do. I'm aiming to get 8 hours sleep a night this week (without the "monkey brain" at 3 AM worrying about the proofing of a waffle or whether we have an employee or not) Beth P.

thank you Beth...what an amazing piece. I have just forwarded it to all of my family. DH has the same philosophy about "just get out and walk !". I have a lot of trouble with depression. Lots of days it is all I can do to simply get out of bed . He will try to coerce me in to "just walking"...sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. When it does..whew boy...what a day it ends up being...it starts with that first step. Rain or shine, cold or heat...late or early..just walk. Doesn't cost anything ..takes fortitude.

Definition of FORTITUDE

1
: strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage

I gained back 15 of the 19 lbs. I lost in 2012 after the sudden death of my father. I am completely jealous of people who get stressed and weight falls off. For me, it jumps right into my saddle bags.

Anyhow, I need to get this weight off and stop lying to myself. I am thinking of starting a blog for the world to see so I can keep myself on track. It seems I can't be held accountable to myself or weight watchers anymore. If I put it out there I think maybe I will keep myself on track for good. I took a pic of myself with my cell phone from a side profile. It looks the same as my side profile pic of me pregnant at 6 months with my first baby. Ugh.

Anyhow, I am tracking my daily calories with the My Fitness Pal app, and keeping track of work outs. Down 4lbs the first week. Hoping to get back into a size 8 by summer. Currently my pants are tight with a muffin top in a size 12.

Polly,
I'm sure it is disappointing to see some (not all!) of the weight return. You're still ahead because you didn't gain above and beyond the point you started. Since you're already taking steps to improve, I have every faith in you that you will reach your summer goal.

Also, DO NOT compare yourself now to the younger you, that's unfair and it's being too hard on yourself. That person's body hadn't given birth multiple times. Celebrate what that body has accomplished and honor it by treating it with love and kindness (and exercise and a few less calories).

I mentioned that I planned to go ice skating once a week. We're having warmer weather than usual (high 40's) so it was a definite sign from the Universe to get out there & do it. I went yesterday and enjoyed it but it was hard on my old lady hips. It was me and a skating class of 5 year old boys. I loved watching their fearlessness and exuberance. Maybe after a few weeks of practice I, too, will be fearless and exuberant.

Polly, don't be hard on yourself, you're already on the path of well being, it's one baby step at a time, you're doing it !

We're still in January, I'm bumping this up !! I've been doing my cardio every 2 days in Florida, I'm leaving for Mtl tomorrow morning
- this week I'll be in a hotel that has a nice gym with a city view so that will be my motivation.

food wise, I'm maintaining my weight, it's a daily challenge but with DH away, I don't have wine at dinner every day so I'm saving a bit that way.

Good for you mitchdesj. Having a city view at the gym sounds lovely.

I went ice skating again this week and managed to do it for twice as long as the first time. I decided on one last loop around and when I approached the exit thought I could go longer. But then I thought why tempt fate and an injury? You decided one last loop, you should stick with that.

It's an outdoor rink but it has a roof and the upper parts of the walls are glass so it's protected from wind. The glass was reflecting rainbows onto the ice and it looked so pretty. This week there was a college class there fulfilling a phys ed requirement. We're suppose to get some colder weather this week so I'll go skating on whichever is the warmest day.

I just bought a bike rack so I have to get a hitch put on my car. Now I can bring my bike when I drive to Hilton Head and visit other trails around here.