Nutrition and exercise!

[Rosie]

I've used Weight Watchers point system from time to time with success. My problem is, I lose some weight, and then I don't lose anymore, I guess hitting a plateau, that gets me discouraged and then I go back to eating bad again. I'm doing the vegetarian thing again, only eating fruit and vegetables, I guess I'll do that for a few months and see the results. Like I said before, it's a vicious cycle.

 

[mysterygal]

L.A. weight loss is another good program, though it does cost quite a bit to start out. My husband joined up about a year ago and lost a lot of weight. It basically teaches you a healthy way of eating and by no means are you starving while on it either.

 

[imoldfashioned]

I've recently upped my walking to 25 miles a week. My motivation is twofold 1) vanity, and 2) the absolutely horrendous diabetes rate on both sides of my family.
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I'm in the same boat as you Viola, diabetes gallops through my family and I want to get into some of my smaller (vintage!) clothes.

I gained a shocking amount of weight while I was in graduate school (2 accelerated degrees back to back; I wouldn't recommend doing this) and I've been spending the past year taking it off--about 65 pounds so far. If all goes well I should be back to the size 12 I wore before the degrees at the end of the year. Last June just altering my eating habits was enough to lose weight, but I've had to add in exercise this year. I hate they gym--count me as another walker; my goal is 35 miles a week by the end of the Summer.

I've used The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for Everybody as my guide. Some of the information is pretty basic--portion control, understanding more about nutrition and planning ahead--but it has really worked for me.

I try not to get caught up in all the "hype" these days about having to be terribly thin and for me, ironically, when I was the thinnest I've ever been I was also the most depressed I've ever been. But health is something else again and it has been very satisifying to see my blood tests change dramatically for the better.

 

[Rebecca D]

I’m naturally very thin and have always hated being skinny. But at the same time I tend to develop the classic beer gut, which looks AWFUL in a 1940s high waisted skirt. So I make sure I find the time to go to the gym at least 4 or 5 days out of the week. I do resistance training for an hour and walk on an incline on the treadmill for an hour (I’ll admit that I’m working to develop a big butt!). I also eat nonstop and intake a lot of protein to keep on the weight. I’m up from 112 pounds to 121, which is great for me. I figure I’ll slow it down a bit when I start developing obvious muscle, which is a look I really don’t like at all.

Also, there are some very, very handsome fellas at my gym!

 

[mysterygal]

wow, someone who actually wants a big butt! You know the great thing about being thin is that most clothes look so much better on you. How tall are you by the way? Cause I'm 5'2 and weigh 110. Since you're trying to gain weight, eating a lot of protein is the way to go...also eat up on your complex carbohydrates.

 

[Katydid]

For me it is vanity as well...which is why this week I'm making another go at getting toned up! The sun is back out which is a reminder that it's not too long before me and the family are going out boating...which also mean LOTS of time being in a swim suit!

Definitely vanity here too and because I'm so short, 5 pounds look like 10 on me.:rage:

Btw, has anyone ever tried a pilates machine? Are they worth the price? I've done mat pilates and liked it but a woman at my gym said she liked the machines better.

 

[Rosie]

wow, someone who actually wants a big butt!

Ha, ha. I have a big butt and continue to want to have one. Culturally, for me, I guess it is a prerequisite for beauty.

 

[Rebecca D]

Mysterygal, I'm 5'6" with very angular features and a long face. So when I'm really thin, my face looks bad. I guess I'm pretty much at my ideal weight now, I just want to maintain it (which is hard for me), and tone everything.

Katydid, I have a pilates machine and absolutely love it! I get a better workout on the mat, but the stretches I can do on the machine are worth the $400 spent. I always walk away from the machine feeling really tall! The only problem is that I have a tiny apartment and it's a real pain to fold up the machine to put it under the bed.

I had a hip injury recently, and my physical therapist had a really nice pilates machine to which I give credit to my healing. Have you seen this store: http://www.pilatesequipmentdirect.c...-_-Inktomi-_-pilatesequipmentdirect_com-_-240

Rosie, I'm jealous of women with big butts! They just make clothing look better. I'm a fan of pencil skirts, and flats butts just don't look right in them. Isn't it funny that flat butts used to be in style, but now all of hollywood is running out to get butt implants?!

 

[mysterygal]

Definitely vanity here too and because I'm so short, 5 pounds look like 10 on me.:rage:

same here! I can always tell when I put on an extra five pounds cause I end up getting chipmunk cheeks....everyone says they look cute..but I"m past the age of wanting 'cute'

 

[mysterygal]

Ha, ha. I have a big butt and continue to want to have one. Culturally, for me, I guess it is a prerequisite for beauty.

I find it so interesting what consitutes beauty for different cultures. It's amazing what we do for 'beauty'!
Rebecca...at 5'6...your were definetely way too thin! I really miss going to the gym, I've got exercise tapes, but they're really hard to do when there's little kids running around! I've found the gym was also a great way of working off stress as well

 

[katiemakeup]

Exercise

Does anyone have an exercise routine? I currently go to Curves and love it... Any other ideas?

 

[Paisley]

Body for Life! I've been on it for about three years and I love it. It's both a eating plan and exercise plan.

Exercise: (3) 45-minute weight-lifting workouts per week (I do these at home with free weights) and (3) 20-minute aerobic exercise workouts per week (I do these at home also).

Eating: 6 small meals per day including a portion of protein, a portion of carbohydrates. At least two meals per day must include a portion of vegetables.

That's it. It's made me lean and athletic, and I look and feel great.

If you are interested, check out the book Body For Life by Bill Phillips.

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

Yoga! I absolutely love it and it has put me in the best shape I have ever been in.

 

[Barbigirl]

Turbo Jam. I saw it once on one of those infomercials (Initially feel embarrassed to admit I watched an bought something off TV like that.) But I like it a lot and both my daughters will do the workouts with me as well. I am trying to get them to "not hate exercise of all forms" like I did when I was growing up.

 

[Honey Doll]

Boflex...

I have a very streamlined boflex routine that I do on alternate nights. Because the equipment is in the basement, I can put on the tennies, work out and be back upstairs in 15-20 minutes. It's fabulous! I always had gym memberships but never could stick with it, not because I didn't like working out, but because it was such a huge chunk of time to drive somewhere, fight for a locker, wait on others for machines, change, drive home. As a mom, I can't dedicate that much time to anything!

So, on alternate nights, I go to the basement, turn on a little TCM and press iron...err flexible rods.

I also have an incling treadmill. Post babies I was on that alot as well-- now that I chase babies, I get plenty of cardio in! Treadmill was great tho...put my colicky baby in a snuggly front-pack, set that sucker to high incline-- they'd get naps and I'd whittle off baby weight!

Honey Doll

 

[LizzieMaine]

Nothing fancy here -- I *walk.* Every day the weather permits, I walk downtown to the bookstore to get my newspaper, and then I walk home again -- it's about a mile each way, and that helps me burn off a good load of the day's calories.

During the summer I ride my bike quite a bit -- it's a big, heavy antique Schwinn, and pushing that baby uphill is very good for the heart and the muscles.

I also get a lot of exercise at work. A 6000 foot reel of 35mm film weighs about 25 pounds, and I've got to carry those from the projector to the rewind bench and back to the projector four times during the course of an average show, and as long as I watch my back it's quite invigorating.

 

[Lady Day]

I have a treadmill that I do a hike/run on at least 5 times a week for 30 min. Gives me tons of energy, and since July, Ive list 4 inches around the waist already.

Plus I live in hilly SF, sont have a car, and everything is about 4 blocks from me (thats a good thing). I walk everywhere, and I love it.

LD

 

[Elaina]

Tae Bo, karate practice and pilates at home.

I quit going to the gym when we downsized our life (about the be retained, however, I HATE exercising at home and my husband won't do it unless we're in pulic). I practice to keep my green belt knoweldge alive and do pilates when my health won't permit tae bo.

Think I'd be skinny wouldn't you? I'm a flexible solid mass of fluff.

 

[Snookie]

Congratulations, Lady Day! It's great that you're losing weight in such a healthy way. (Too bad losing weight is so much harder than losing your keys, huh? ) At least you can alter your own clothes.

I tried Curves, and I liked the system a lot, but I'm just not a gym girl. I've never liked "working out", so even though it was just down the street, I never wanted to go. I do like being active, though, so I do yardwork, housework, and go dancing a couple nights a week. I'd like to take some tap dance lessons again, too.

 

[Rosie]

Congrats LD :eusa_clap .

I've begun doing yoga again after a LOOOOONG lapse. Lost two inches each off of my bust waist and hips and have a few more to go before I'm back to "normal". I have a total gym plus and have been trying to convince myself to start using that again. Plus, I where a pedometer almost daily and try my best to get over 10,000 steps in a day not including walking with my dog.