Simple.

Gen

Gen

New member
That's what this is.

But its not, is it? And I never let anything simple stay that way. I want to know all the ins and outs. So now, I've been awash with information about diet, nutrition and exercise for a little over a year. But as with everything else, the more I learn, the more I see what else there is to learn.

So I'm planning on doing a Personal Trainers course. I've been turned on to exercise and wish I could do nothing else now. I can't. I'm not that fit. But I will someday.

The thing is, I need to lose 20 or so pounds. 1 or 2 jeans sizes. Whatever. I actually don't care what the scale says, its just a measurement tool. If I just start fitting in my clothes a little better (a little faster) I'll be happy. I'll know I'm there when I see it.

Three years ago I inadvertently lost 35ish pounds just before leaving my (now ex-)husband due to nerves. I was overweight at around 175ish before and after I was around 135ish and I had a BMI of 19 I think. It just happened, I had no clue about weight loss then. I just knew I looked great and I wasn't going to let myself gain it back. Sooooo, I decided that I had to restrict myself to 1000 calories a day. (Remember, I didn't have a clue.) I knew it was low, but I was skinny and skinny people didn't eat a lot - thats what I was thinking. I wasn't exercising; I thought I was but for a 26 year old girl at 135 lbs only walking for an hour 5 to 6 days a week, I wasn't really. That's not cardio. Plus I smoked a pack to a pack and a half of cigarettes a day.

Then I met my current husband and starting eating again. Obviously I gained some weight. Not all of it though. Thank the gods!

Last January I joined a gym and started running. For the whole year I've been trying to run consistently, but I can't. First I got shin splints, and I realized I was doing to much too soon. So I backed off to 3 days a week for 30 minutes each. Since then I've had surgery (had my thyroid out) and I've moved across the Atlantic (stress and being incredibly busy cut into work-out time). Once I got here it took a month or so to join another gym (equivalent to $60 a month!!! I was paying $20 in the States!!!) so I kind of had to start over. Anyway, I can run for 30 minutes or so, but I tend to push myself too hard with either speed or time so that my calves and ankles are sore for days later. If they aren't, I push too hard the next time. I'm going to go get some good running shoes soon, at a shop that records and evaluates your gait. I'm also thinking about showing up for beginners night at a local running club to see what they say.

I do the elliptical on the days I can't run. I don't like it as much but I do some interval training and that keeps me from falling asleep. Not HIIT, I'm waiting to actually lose some weight and hit a plateu first for that. I just push hard for a set amount of time and less hard for a recover period. Some times 2 min/1min, sometimes 5 min/2 min, whatever I feel like. I've been pushing harder with resistance levels lately too. But I'm holding back on incorporating too much variance in cardio because I haven't gotten serious enough to lose weight yet and I don't want my body hitting any plateus BEFORE I've lost any weight! (I don't even know if that's possible, but I do fear it.)

Since I've been at the gym here I've really improved my fitness; my RHR is under 50. My husband says I'm definitely firmer and my body has changed,but I haven't really lost any weight. So nows the time. Now is when I really start cutting back on calories consistently. Its only 20 pounds! The holidays are over and I have no excuses.

Here goes...
 
For the past 3 weeks I've been recording what I eat. It's been eye opening. December was really the wrong month to start but that's ok. I have a better idea of where my problem areas are and what to do about them. After some reading through the forum though I realize that I'm probably estimating WAY too much. I'll look at a piece of chicken and decides its about 200 - 250 calories, or a potato and decide its 200 and the butter was 50. We do have a food scale though to weigh out rice and pasta portions so maybe we'll start using it more.

My problem areas:
Alcohol. I'm not an alcoholic or anything, but I like to have 2 or 3 margaritas sometimes. The ones I make at home are like 3 - 5 oz (?) of alcohol each. Killer. We'll probably cut down on these. Also, my husband and I can sit and finish a bottle of wine with dinner so easily. We've decided though, to limit alcohol to weekends so that will help.

Social times/Parties. This is why December was a stupid month, but at least it showed me how much of a weakness it is. If I'm out with people or have people over, or even just order take out, I tend to blow the diet completely. Even if I've done it 3 times in a week I just have a hard time going easy. I'll have to watch it like a hawk and only allow it once a week max.

On good days I do approximately 1600 to 1800 calories. Bad days 3000 to 4000. So the bad neutralizes the good and equals no loss. On the bright side, I thoroughly enjoyed the holiday season without any weight gain. :)

I start monday with my consistent calorie deficit. I really hope it works this time. Last time I was eating 1500 - 1700 calories a day with 5 meals a day and doing really well. 2 pound loss every week for four weeks then nothing. It just stopped, I got frustrated and life got in the way. (Which means I had surgery and move across the atlantic, etc. etc.) Life is more stable now. I should be able to adjust to plateaus. It's just... 8 lbs before the first plateau? That's crazy!
 
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Yesterday I timed myself for the first time doing a 5K on the treadmill and I got 33:50

My first goal is to run the whole thing. I didn't do too badly, I only walked twice for a total of 2 -3 minutes but that should definetly shave some time off. Second, I'd like to get it under 30 minutes.

I'm glad my legs are handling it ok. They've not been cooperative in running. It seems to me that they've been strengthening super slow. But they're ok now. Maybe if I keep it down to 5K I can do it 3 times a week. Then I can have this fitness goal to work on rather than just going into the gym to burn calories. Its a bit harder to get motivated for that.

And 5 pounds by Feb 1. I think I'm going to keep my weight loss goals down to month long chunks. That way I won't get over whelmed. I only want to lose 20 but if I miss 2 weeks due to error or plateau or something I'll get frustrated that I'll never catch up.

The diet part starts tomorrow. The strictness anyway, I never eat "whatever I want" anymore. That's just silly. :)
 
Well you setting very reasonable goals... you can definitely get those 20lbs off!! And it seems your doing all the right stuff to get it off!! And I understand your problem areas those are mine too!! I used to drink a lot.. I'm just turned 22 and the last year I drank a lot but it's expected with a 21 year old but I've cut most of it out all together!! and socially its seems even when you try not to mess up you still do.. bc oh its just one time it won't hurt anything and one turns into many.. lol.. but you can do this!!
 
i_will_not_fail said:
Well you setting very reasonable goals... you can definitely get those 20lbs off!! And it seems your doing all the right stuff to get it off!! And I understand your problem areas those are mine too!! I used to drink a lot.. I'm just turned 22 and the last year I drank a lot but it's expected with a 21 year old but I've cut most of it out all together!! and socially its seems even when you try not to mess up you still do.. bc oh its just one time it won't hurt anything and one turns into many.. lol.. but you can do this!!
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Thanks! I know, I should be able to, it's just such a delicate balance it seems. The holiday season is over though, so social occasions will lighten significantly and we're already drinking less alcohol. :cheers2:
 
I joined fitday today and got all my stats for todays food.

1673 total calories: 60.5 fat; 231.5 carbs; 66.9 protein

20 minutes of weight training
45 minutes on the elliptical - 450 calories burned :)

We'll see how this week goes and I may be buying some whey protein. I wasn't all that hungry today. It was the first day though so lets wait and see; although it was a very typical "good" day for me. I can keep this up pretty easily, all I have to do is fight everything that makes it a bad day. But I'm accounting for it now so I should be good.
 
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Ugh, I've missed my lunchtime walk. Not that it matters all that much since I'll be running after work but every little bit helps and I tend to enjoy getting out from behind the computer and moving around for an hour in the middle of the work day. Everything else is good though, deficit still intact and all. No problems other than being tired because I haven't slept very well the past couple days. I think I'm actually excited about weight loss so much that I'm actually finding it difficult to sleep all night; its an anxious feeling in my stomach. Wierd. I'm sure it'll pass quickly enough though.
 
I need to eat more! Fitday counts my calories at 1328! And I was nervous while I added up the stats on the chilli leftovers we had for dinner. I was sure it would bring me over as I saw the calorie amount for each component. But no, not even close!

Not only that but I burned 400 or so calories on the treadmill! Good thing I didn't walk at lunchtime.

I guess I'll bring some wheatabix with me to work or something. That'll add at least 200 or so calories I think. I suppose even if I go over a bit tomorrow I have 700 some odd calories saved up just from yesterday and today.

Happy. :)
 
Hey there, just thought I'd pop in and say hi. We're both on Team 2 for the new years challenge. Whereabouts in the UK did you move? I spent 3 1/2 years living a couple hours south of London. it's absolutely gorgeous out by Thetford and Bury St. Edmunds
Well, here's hoping you have a good day today, take care and talk to you over at the Team 2 chat thred.
 
airmanwifey819 said:
Hey there, just thought I'd pop in and say hi. We're both on Team 2 for the new years challenge. Whereabouts in the UK did you move? I spent 3 1/2 years living a couple hours south of London. it's absolutely gorgeous out by Thetford and Bury St. Edmunds
Well, here's hoping you have a good day today, take care and talk to you over at the Team 2 chat thred.
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I live about 3 hours north east of London. Its great really! A lot of people think I'm crazy for moving to a different country so easily but, hey I'm happy! We haven't done much traveling around in-country so I havent' seen Thetford or Bury St. Edmunds yet, but we will. One of our plans for when it gets warmer is to drive over to Cambridge... because the have a Chili's restaurant! (I know, I'm not supposed to be thinking about that huh? Oh well).

I'm excited about the challenge. I think it'll be a really good way to kickstart me into "getting serious"; it'll keep me accountable which is what we're after right? It should be great.

You should see me in the chat thread. I need to reinstall my home pc first because its been crazy slow so it's taking long enough just to enter my food into fitday and then come over here to report. So by Sunday I should be a little more chatty. :smash:
 
1572 calories today, that's before my hot chocolate, but I won't go over. I have 900 spare calories this week! I did an hour of pilates at home after work which was nice and relaxing compared to my normal gym workouts.

I have a wedding to go to on friday so I'm trying to make a plan. I can't workout and I'm actually going to stay as low as possible until I get there but not go all out once I'm there. I'll drink gin & diet tonic and eat sensibly. It'll be fine.

:s
 
My husband and I used to drive to Cambridge on our date nights! we lived about 20 minutes from there! the Chili's is great, and the theater right next to it at the Grafton Center is pretty good too. Oooh, and the shopping! god I miss that place. :( if you keep driving south on that main road(can't remember which one it is, it's been over a year since I was there) it'll take you down towards Thetford and Bury. Bury is phenominal to see in the spring. their abbey gardens are amazing. that's actually the town I got married in. we did our wedding pictures in the abbey gardens.
Good luck at the wedding on Friday. big celebrations like that are always the hardest. I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya. :D
 
Hi Gen, looks like you have a nicely laid out set of goals and you've done really well so far. I'm looking forward to having you as a team mate.

BTW, You don't still smoke do you? I wouldn't think so but...
 
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Thanks! I am trying that's for sure! Feedback is definitely great! I was a little worried about being lumped in with the resolution crowd. That that there's anything wrong with resolutions, just that their viewed with such suspicion and I don't typically do resolutions... maybe revolutions yes, but not resolutions. This is quite simply an ongoing battle... to the death! One that I have much more chance of winning being here, I think.

I quit smoking 16 months ago. Its what got me started on this weird health stuff. :)
 
Gen said:
I quit smoking 16 months ago. Its what got me started on this weird health stuff. :)
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I can totally relate!

I started doing the weight loss stuff first (not very religiously), until I finally realized that even if it might be tough to do both, I needed to dump the cigarettes too. I tossed them in August of this year and haven't looked back. I replaced them with a healthy addiction to exercise. I have a bit of OCD I think. I pretty much go to the gym, yoga, or ride my bike every single day (sometimes all of the above), so... Yeah I get it.
 
I'm still trying to work my way up to every day! :(

Central Mass huh? My husband went to UMASS Amherst for a semester last (academic) year while I lived near Hartford CT and worked near New Haven. I drove between the three every waking moment for 5 months. Heh! Good times! Its nice to have a home again though.
 
No kidding? I have friends that live just outside of Hartford (Bloomfield), and I've been to Zoo Mass many, many:sifone: times... yeah back in those days.
 
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1600 Calories and 50 minutes at the gym working on my running speed. Legs are holding up so far. Woo hoo!

I have an idea to get my calorie consumption more precise. Rather than counting from the time I wake until bedtime, I'll count dinner as the beginning of my "calorie day" and then by the time I leave work the next day I should be finishing the "day". Its just an adjustment the way businesses adjust their "fiscal year" according to their needs. I think it'll be way easier to get the large meal out of the way first; breakfast, lunch and snacks are much smaller calorifically and easier to manipulate. Not sure when I'll make the switch though. Probably next week.

Onwards! :)
 
The wedding last night was pretty nice. I didn't over eat at all. I had oatmeal for breakfast and then nothing until we got to the wedding. If I'd known it was going to be 6:30 before we ate, though, I would have had a snack at some point! Anyway, I ended up with 4 gin & diet tonics, a half (maybe) a glass of red wine, and like 2 or 3 sips of champagne.

I had a small wheat roll with no butter (starving and didn't care about butter or not anyway!) and a bowl of tomato soup. Then they served lamb shank with mashed potatoes, and steamed carrots and broccoli. I had half the lamb, a few bites of potato and all the carrots and broccoli. I felt satisfied but not overly stuffed. Then they served some passionfruit creme brule which was ok, but not really worth the calories so I only had 2 or 3 small bites. The chocolate wedding cake was amazing though. I don't even normally like cake, its usually way too sweet but it wasn't, it was just absolute chocolatey goodness! (I swear god has something against me - I go strict and THEN find a great cake!) So, I ate the cake, but only one small piece, no seconds even though they were sitting there on the table next to me!

I put it all into fit day estimating as best as I could. The dessert was tough though so I just estimated it at 500 calories, and I'll bet 3 bites of creme brule and a tiny piece of cake wasn't actually 500 calories.

It all came to 1793. I've come in under calories every day so far this week. Too much really, but I'm glad I've been able to control myself. I'll get better.

Now I have to go estimate my breakfast. A pepperoni, jalepeno and cheddar omelet. Yum. :)
 
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