On my way to 63kgs

Congrats on taking the big leap to sign up at the gym - I know how difficult it is to start off - when I first walked in my gym, it was full of fit and trendy beautiful people and i just felt awful but when I got talking to some people (finally), some of them had started off fat and just been working hard at it for a long time so no-one was looking at me thinking "you fattie", they were just trying to stick at what they were doing. Everyone has to start somewhere!

Glad that friends are starting to notice too - so they should after like 18kg!! And try and focus on the good bits, not the bad bits - everyone is bound to have a few wrinkles or something they don't feel confident about, so you should feel GREAT about losing what you've lost and looking FAB now!
 
eyckmans said:
Thanks Stacy, but I don't think that anybody would be proud of me for the last couple of days. I have been so lethargic. I had to force myself to walk yesterday after a very lazy day but couldn't get into it and came home after half an hour. I realized that it was because I haven't been sleeping enough. The warmer weather keeps me up later so it was well past 1.30 that I went to bed 3 nights running and up before 8. Last night I went to bed at 11.30 so hope to feel more energetic today. I really need to get started at the gym but can't until Monday or Tuesday.
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I hope you can manage to rest up over the weekend so that you're in good form for starting at the gym!
 
eyckmans said:
Thanks Stacy, but I don't think that anybody would be proud of me for the last couple of days. I have been so lethargic. I had to force myself to walk yesterday after a very lazy day but couldn't get into it and came home after half an hour. I realized that it was because I haven't been sleeping enough. The warmer weather keeps me up later so it was well past 1.30 that I went to bed 3 nights running and up before 8. Last night I went to bed at 11.30 so hope to feel more energetic today. I really need to get started at the gym but can't until Monday or Tuesday.
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Everyone is allowed a slack day or two every now and again. The fact that you even got out there at all and walked despite not feeling like it and feeling lethargic means real progress. The "old you" probably wouldn't have gone, am I right? lol :) You have a lot to be proud of! Keep up the good work!
 
Hi Val,

Haven't been here for a while, been very busy with my offline business.

So amazing that you have decided to go to the gym. This is without a doubt
the right step in the right direction, and you will reap some serious benefits
if you use resistance training on a regular basis.

Will read all the posts I missed, and will write to you tomorrow.
 
Val!! :grouphug:!! I've noticed that so many people really can't take a compliment.

You should definitely get used to taking one! I make sure to stop myself, when I want to derail a compliment given...and tell myself..."Shut up! Take it. They mean it." :)

I smile..and say "Thank you." :D!

You are working HARD and I'm sure that you are looking mighty different! :) Gotta love the reactions of those that haven't seen you in a while though right! :D! Ahhhhh it's all worth it then! :) Have a great weekend!
 
Thank you all for the great support and really nice to see you back Alex.
I will definitely work on the self esteem thing. I will see loads of people this month and the next that I haven't seen since last year and am not going to put myself down when people remark on the weight loss but just smile and say thankyou.
Had a lovely day yesterday. My daughter looked after my dad all day while I went to a nature reserve up in the mountains with friends. It's a beatiful place where they have carved steps out so that you walk down into the valley in the morning and then back up by another route in the afternoon. It only takes about 40 minutes each way but it's very uneven stone steps so is quite a good work out. The great thing is they take your bags down in a jeep so you don't have to carry heavy things and at the other end they have BBQs already lit for you. There is also a pool that has been made to look like a natural pool with waterfalls going into it so it is really pretty and you get to cool off at the other end before the walk back. There are also lots of animals there and a show with birds of prey.
It was a great day especially as I rarely get out of the house for more than a coule of hours at a time.
My gym buddy has already decided to pull out so I'm on my own. In some ways that is better as I can be more spontaneous if I don't have to worry about somebody else but I would have like the moral support the first few times. Hoping to get the paperwork all done today so should be able to start next week.
Hope everyone has a great weekend
Val
PS I just got 18 kgs worth of groceries and carried them around the house for a few minutes. No wonder I had trouble climbing stairs and had a bad back. It's amazing to think that I was carrying that much extra weight around permanently. Haven't had a twinge out of my back for months and before I had almost permanent back ache :)
 
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That's so wonderful that you've eliminated your back pain! You get to wear smaller clothes AND you don't have the back pain anymore! BONUS! :D

The nature reserve sounds awesome. I'm glad you had such a good day. I always find that I'm rejuvenated and revitalized after being with nature for a few hours. That actually sounds like a great idea! *wonders if she can talk her boyfriend into a nature walk this weekend*
 
Well, I did it. I joined the gym and did my first session. The gym monitor isn't there there at the weekend so I just did the walking machine as I haven't a clue how to use the other machines. I did an hour and clocked up 6.6 km (4.1 miles) and used nearly 400 calories. I thought that I was going to fall over when I got off as I felt as though I was floating and drunk. :D .
I wasn't at all embarrassed. There were only about 10 people in there and they were all at least 20 or 30 years younger than me and didn't take any notice at all about what I was doing.
Really looking foward to starting with weights but have no idea how to us the machines until I get to talk to the monitor. I think this could get addictive :)
Can't believe how cheap it is, works out at less than 7€ a month to use the gym any time of the day.
 
eyckmans said:
Really looking foward to starting with weights but have no idea how to us the machines until I get to talk to the monitor. I think this could get addictive :)
Can't believe how cheap it is, works out at less than 7€ a month to use the gym any time of the day.
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Hi Val, as far as weight training, the basics and fundamentals are all you need.
The most important part of building muscle is lifting weights that are heavier
than you have lifted before. Your trainer, I am sure will explain this part.

If you want you can Google "muscle fibers" or "how muscle grows" and read
about this on your own also. You can also Google Pete Sisco, and read the free
information he has on his site about what it really takes to make muscle grow.

This is important to know so that you simply don't waste any time doing weight
training and don't build any additional muscle. The more muscle you have,
the more calories your metabolism will burn during the day. This is the last
part of creating permanent weight loss. Once you start using weight
training on a regular basis, together with proper nutrition and cardio
training, of course, you will be able to maintain your ideal weight for life.

Looking forward to hear about your experience in the gym. This part can get
addictive in a way, but at least this addiction will make you feel amazing
physically and emotionally on a regular basis!
 
Wow!!!! Your walk is so amazing! I'm jealous!! And a bbq at the end with springs running. Damn! That's living RIGHT!! :drool5:! That sounds so familiar to a place down here that has Natural Springs of water ...but NO where near as gorgeous of a walk. Though I didn't take the walk then...maybe next time I'll go! ;)!

Glad you got out of the house and that's so sweet of your son to take care of your dad. :beating:! Awww... you deserved your day off!!

I like that you were carrying the bags around the house. It really makes you think about the pounds in a whole other way. You know what I wanted to buy for myself and my clients to show them,....is a sample of a 1lb of fat and a 5lbs of fat. It looks so disgusting but really makes you APPRECIATE 1lb. It's almost a handful of yellow gross looking stuff. Uggg... I want ONE!! :D! :beating:
 
:ack2:I've seen documentaries on the telly where they show liposuction ops. It looks gross and I wondered what 18 kgs of it would look like.
It's lovely where I live as it is a small island which has it's horrible touristy spots but is mostly unspoilt beauty. Nothing is more than an hours drive away so we can go for walks on any spot on the island. :D
Alta818 said:
I like that you were carrying the bags around the house. It really makes you think about the pounds in a whole other way. You know what I wanted to buy for myself and my clients to show them,....is a sample of a 1lb of fat and a 5lbs of fat. It looks so disgusting but really makes you APPRECIATE 1lb. It's almost a handful of yellow gross looking stuff. Uggg... I want ONE!! :D! :beating:
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Hi Val, I was thinking yesterday about what you wrote in someone's diary
that you hit a temporary plateau. This, by the way, is how your body tells you
that it's "on" to what you are trying to accomplish, and that it's not going to
make it that easy for you.

This is a difficult stage in your journey and could create some anxiety, since
you have a weight goal that you are trying to achieve.

I have a simple suggestion how to avoid this unecessary internal struggle, and
simultaneously reach your ideal body weight. This is the perfect time for you to
implement this approach because you have already created some impressive
results, and now IMO the time has come for you to use this very effective tactic.

Okay, it goes like this: The tactic is for you to focus on using proper nutrition,
cardio training, and weight training for the rest of your life on a regular basis,
and not worry about your weight anymore.

This is very simple, and it is the obvious path that you must take from here.

The reason this tactic is powerful is that it takes the pressure off, and helps
you to focus on what is really important -->> i.e., proper nutrition and
physical activity instead of your weight target, which in reality might not
be something that you can reach and maintain.

I'm not being negative by saying this, but instead, being realistic. Our body is
a very strange thing, and it has it's own "set weight" which it is willing to
maintain once it is reached, but if we put too much pressure on it, in order
to hit our "target weight" we will be fighting a war against the body and not
against our "real" enemy which is the ego.

The real war, or should I say the never-ending day to day battle is with our
inner dialogue, that part of us that wants to eat unhealthy food and that
does not want to exercise on a daily basis.

This part is VERY STRONG and it more or less controls the majority of the
people that are experiencing problems with excess body weight.

So, in order for me to keep it simple, and not write a few pages, like I like to,
the tactic of focusing on and using proper nutrition, cardio training, and weight
training on a regular basis is the ULTIMATE WEAPON against the ego, the
insane, lazy part of us, that is living inside each human being.

The good part of us, the part that is weak, because it has been put in a
prison by the ego, needs to use this weapon on a regular basis, because
the insane, lazy part of us is much, much stronger, and without this weapon
it is always a losing battle.

This is why all the energy must be focused on this tactic, this ultimate
weapon, and not on the WEIGHT GOAL.

Val, if you will look, you will see that this is what the majority of people are
struggling with, and in the end only "1 out of a 1,000" ever wins this battle.

The rest, eventually get a "whooping" from their ego, and are forced to give
up, and to go back to doing what this insane, lazy part tells them to do.

The amazing thing is that almost everyone thinks that this insane, lazy part
is them thinking, while in reality it is a "false" self that has them living their
life like a slave.

It is really the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde concept, but instead of being physical
where Jekyll turns into Hyde, it is is psychological where Hyde (ego) is dominant
and Jekyll (our spirit) is almost non-existant.

So, in the end, if you use the tactic (ultimate weapon) which is proper nutrition,
cardio training, and weight training on a regular basis, for the rest of your
life, you will create a lean, healthy, attractive body as a consequence of
taking these actions, and you will avoid the anxiety that comes from trying
to motivate yourself by focusing on your weight goal.

Think about this question..."If you have a lean, healthy, and attractive body,
will you really care how much you weigh on the scale?"
 
hey Val, just wanted to stop by and say well done for going down the gym - I know it was a real leap for you! The other poeple there are just there to do their own thing and not to look at other people! It will make a big difference just going there 3 times a week or so to do exercise - even if its just 30 mins running in a quick visit - doesn't have to be a big weights session all the time. I find I go to the gym when the weathers not so great or doing my outdoor exercise isn't an option as its too late or I'd be on my own in a remote place etc...

I carried my daughter back from town the other day and she is around 3 stone...it REALLY made me think of how I used to be and why I can so many problems doing things...we all tend to think in terms of size - I can't fit into this, my bottom is too big to sit in there or on that seat, I "look" really fat etc.. but if you think about it as weight - the effort required to lift another 3 stone up a flight of stairs....GASP
 
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Alex, thanks for all that. One of the reasons that I wanted to go to the gym was exactly what you are saying. I want to make this a for life thing and I think that getting really fit at the gym will help with that. I promise I'm not stressing too much about stalling. I didn't go to weight watchers this week as my scales (which often show false results) didn't show a loss and I didn't particularly want to confirm it one way or the other and I haven't even weighed myself at home for a few days. I am dissapointed but not stressing. I think that my stomach will go down slowly but that it will eventually lose more fat.
It will never be a problem exercising here in the winter as I love walking and get really frustrated if I have a busy day and can't go but the summer is more difficult as it is so hot but the gym has solved that and also we are having a small pool delivered next week. It's only 3m across and 1.2 deep but it will be enough to do exercises in. I've got friends with young kids that can't get out to exercise with me that want to bring the kids and exercise in the pool.
If I'm being honest I haven't been tracking quite as well and probably am eating a couple of hundred calories extra most days so I am back to weighing my food properly and writing everything down. I think that with the gym and proper food tracking I will probably start to lose again. I am still 4 kgs away from a normal weight range so would like to achieve that and anything else will be a bonus.
I am worried about reaching my goal weight and then relaxing a bit too much with eating and exercising so I am constantly telling people that I am not on a diet but have made a lifestyle change which then re-afirms it in my head.
In answer to your last question I really don't care what the scales say but want to achieve the best body possible at my age. Looking at myself I can see 5 or6 kilos of unwanted fat which happens to tie in with the normal weight range. I know I won't have a 20 year old body but can still look good.
 
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You are absolutely right about the other peole in the gym. I bet is they were asked to describe me they wouldn't have a clue. The only reason I watched them a bit was to see what they were doing with the machines.
You must be getting strong to be able to carry your 3 stone daughter home. I was shocked when I carried around 3 stone. It seems almost impossible that we did that every minute of every day. I notice the difference when I get out of a chair as I now just bounce out of it instead of having to haul myself up. Even getting out of bed was a problem and I don't even notice it now. As for things like cutting toe nails. It used to be almost impossible now I can do it easily. Can't wait to get the rest of my body strong like my legs :)
jjjay said:
hey Val, just wanted to stop by and say well done for going down the gym - I know it was a real leap for you! The other poeple there are just there to do their own thing and not to look at other people! It will make a big difference just going there 3 times a week or so to do exercise - even if its just 30 mins running in a quick visit - doesn't have to be a big weights session all the time. I find I go to the gym when the weathers not so great or doing my outdoor exercise isn't an option as its too late or I'd be on my own in a remote place etc...

I carried my daughter back from town the other day and she is around 3 stone...it REALLY made me think of how I used to be and why I can so many problems doing things...we all tend to think in terms of size - I can't fit into this, my bottom is too big to sit in there or on that seat, I "look" really fat etc.. but if you think about it as weight - the effort required to lift another 3 stone up a flight of stairs....GASP
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eyckmans said:
In answer to your last question I really don't care what the scales say but want to achieve the best body possible at my age. Looking at myself I can see 5 or 6 kilos of unwanted fat which happens to tie in with the normal weight range. I know I won't have a 20 year old body but can still look good.
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Val, this is exactly what I want you to see with total clarity!

The FACT that it is important for you to "look" a certain way. This is the
"vision" that you have of yourself in the future, right?

So, basically, by focusing on your "vision" and not on your scale, and by
simultaneously focusing on where you are at the present moment, you will
create the never ending motivation that will allow you to implement and use
the tactic that I mentioned in the last post (proper nutrition, cardio-training,
and weight training) for life.

Your decision to go to they gym is the BEST decision you could have made,
and if you use the most "effective" cardio and weight training techniques
on a regular basis, you will be able to spend half the time, and get twice
the results, when compared to the "in-effective ones."

I'll tell you about these in the future, after you master the basics and
fundamentals, which I'm sure the trainers will cover in the first few coaching
sessions in the gym.

The changes that have happened in your life are really impressive, and the
reason that they have happened, at least IMO, is because you have chosen
to take control of your life through the part of you that is the "real you."

When this happens, your awareness and your consciousness grows by leaps
and bounds, on a daily basis, and, in reality you start walking down a
different path. A path that finally RINGS TRUE!

It is something wondeful to observe from the side, and it really makes me
happy inside to see this happening in your life. I am sure this is bringing
a lot of happiness into the lives of the people in your life, just as I'm sure
many folks (including me, of course) in this forum are enjoying immensely.
 
Thanks for the continuing support Alex. :)
I think that this change has come at just the right time for me. I am very tied to my house because of my dad's illnesss and was starting to feel sorry for myself and almost sinking into depression which is unusual for me because I am usually a happy positive person.
I think that what all this means to me is that one part of my life is being dedicated just for me instead of the usual caring for other people. I have always been the one in my family that cares for everybody and sorts everybodies problems out and I think somewhere along the line I started to feel guilty if I did things just for me. This 'me' time keeps me from feeling as if I am missing out on doing other things. Also the exercise gives me such a 'high' that it is difficult to feel anything but happy.
 
Well just got back from the gym again. The trainer wasn't there so I just did the walking/running machine again but did 7.2 kms instead of 6.6 that I did on Saturday. My husband and daughter are going to join the gym as well. My husband will only be able to come once or twice a week at most and I can't see my daughter lasting long but hope she proves me wrong. Really anxious to get started on some of the weight machines but not without getting advice from the trainer.
 
eyckmans said:
Well just got back from the gym again. The trainer wasn't there so I just did the walking/running machine again but did 7.2 kms instead of 6.6 that I did on Saturday. My husband and daughter are going to join the gym as well. My husband will only be able to come once or twice a week at most and I can't see my daughter lasting long but hope she proves me wrong. Really anxious to get started on some of the weight machines but not without getting advice from the trainer.
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Good for you for going to the gym! I'm proud of you! As for your family, that's wonderful that they joined too! I hope they stick it out! :D

As for the weight machines, what I would do is just try them out, get a feel for them. You can always start on them and then when you do get a trainer to help then you're already a step ahead of the game. :)
 
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