I'm Drinkin' a Latte--SO WHAT?

[Rubia Warren]

Yup. I'm all bummed out. I'm goin to the doctor tomorrow to get my blood drawn- gettin my thyroid checked. I worked out too much, for too long, and ate decently to not have lost any weight. I haven't had a Cafe Latte since, like, May. But I got depressed, and said "Oh, poor me!", and I thought of every possible thing to go binge on..... cookies..... twinkies..... ho-ho's.......ding dongs...... ice cream...... crab legs........ corn chips........ and none of them appealed to me. So I went on Saturday and got a great big...... really tall........superduper....... gargantuan Cafe Latte. I mean it was biiiiiig, people.
And I am still on the binge. I just ran down to Starbuck's and got a Pumpkin Spice Latte, and it's really big. FEAR ME.
Yep. I'm blowin' my nose from all the dairy. I'm wired and bouncing off the walls. But I don't care. I am drowning my sorrows in my latte as I type. *sob* Oh poor me....... WAAAHH!!! :bawl:

[Michelle]

Are ya feelin' any better today?:hi:

[Middle Aged C]

Hey, don't fret. I had the same problem and turns out the thyroid just kind of quit working...... if that's the case, you take medicine and frankly, it's just not that big a deal. Trust me, you'll feel sooooooooo much better after a few months. Don't be discouraged, it does take a few months to get back in gear, but once you do....... you'll be glad you had it tested.

:baby:C

[Rubia Warren]

Are ya feelin' any better today?:hi:
YES! I am drinkin' another Latte. I shoulda got an extra shot in it though, cuz it tastes like milk. :shifty:

[themuzicman]

Yup. I'm all bummed out. I'm goin to the doctor tomorrow to get my blood drawn- gettin my thyroid checked. I worked out too much, for too long, and ate decently to not have lost any weight. I haven't had a Cafe Latte since, like, May. But I got depressed, and said "Oh, poor me!", and I thought of every possible thing to go binge on..... cookies..... twinkies..... ho-ho's.......ding dongs...... ice cream...... crab legs........ corn chips........ and none of them appealed to me. So I went on Saturday and got a great big...... really tall........superduper....... gargantuan Cafe Latte. I mean it was biiiiiig, people.
And I am still on the binge. I just ran down to Starbuck's and got a Pumpkin Spice Latte, and it's really big. FEAR ME.
Yep. I'm blowin' my nose from all the dairy. I'm wired and bouncing off the walls. But I don't care. I am drowning my sorrows in my latte as I type. *sob* Oh poor me....... WAAAHH!!! :bawl:
:ahem: women...

That curse thing sure has you all in lots of destructive behaviors...

Worse yet, you know it, and won't DO anything about it. :rant:

[Rubia Warren]

Hey, don't fret. I had the same problem and turns out the thyroid just kind of quit working...... if that's the case, you take medicine and frankly, it's just not that big a deal. Trust me, you'll feel sooooooooo much better after a few months. Don't be discouraged, it does take a few months to get back in gear, but once you do....... you'll be glad you had it tested.

:baby:C
I am hoping so. I have had it checked a few times in the past because I had symptoms, but my doctor said I fall into the normal range. Honestly, I hope if I have a sluggish thyroid, that it is sluggish enough to just put me over the edge so I can get some pills already and get it over with. Every single year I get checked for it because of the symptoms I have. But this is really the first time that, when I wanted to drop a few pounds, I couldn't. Usually, I cut sugary drinks out of my diet and the pounds fall off. This time, I've been exercising and everything for months and NOTHING. And it didn't just shift or something from exercising-- I do have much more endurance and strength than before, but my body looks the same. No fat has gone away like it should have.
Like I said, I am just hoping that this time my doctor doesn't shrug and say, "You fall in the normal range, r00bz. Sorry."

[technomage]

YES! I am drinkin' another Latte. I shoulda got an extra shot in it though, cuz it tastes like milk. :shifty:
:hug: We all have setbacks, dearheart.

[Rubia Warren]

:ahem: women...

That curse thing sure has you all in lots of destructive behaviors...

Worse yet, you know it, and won't DO anything about it. :rant:
I was doing something about it. :poke: I went to the gym regularly since June and changed my diet. I lost nothing. NOTHING muz!!! WAAAAH!!!! :bawl: I'm still the same size. I need pills. I just need pills. That'll do the trick. Yeah. :hehe: And a latte.

[technomage]

I was doing something about it. :poke: I went to the gym regularly since June and changed my diet. I lost nothing. NOTHING muz!!! WAAAAH!!!! :bawl: I'm still the same size.

I'm going to ask you a very rude question ... is your weight actually unhealhy, or is this a "I don't like my size?"

[themuzicman]

I was doing something about it. :poke: I went to the gym regularly since June and changed my diet. I lost nothing. NOTHING muz!!! WAAAAH!!!! :bawl: I'm still the same size. I need pills. I just need pills. That'll do the trick. Yeah. :hehe: And a latte.
You're not in better aerobic shape? You don't have more energy?

[flipper]

I was doing something about it. :poke: I went to the gym regularly since June and changed my diet. I lost nothing. NOTHING muz!!! WAAAAH!!!! :bawl: I'm still the same size. I need pills. I just need pills. That'll do the trick. Yeah. :hehe: And a latte.

Two questions: Are you keeping a count on your calories, and how hard are you working out?

[Rubia Warren]

Two questions: Are you keeping a count on your calories, and how hard are you working out?
I work out like crazy. At the very least, I am on a treadmill for at least 30 minutes, but usually more towards an hour, and while I don't run like a bear is chasing me the entire time, I try to either walk hard or jog at a consistant pace-- as hard as I can go whatever day it is and however I am feeling. I also do pilates and yoga 5 times a week for an hour (Pilates kills me). That is the least I do- I always have some other thingies I do while I am there depending on what time of day it is- an aerobics class, sometimes a rowing class, bicycles, swimming, and there is a powerabs class (15 minutes long) that I go to quite a bit. But pilates/yoga/treadmill I always do consistently. I did meet with a trainer who set up a routine for me on weights, but I stopped doing that after a few weeks because my cousin in the Navy told me I needed to do more cardiovascular stuff, and for longer periods of time, in order to burn fat off. I also get quite a workout with pilates muscular wise (I think, anyway). I also do those things super early in the morning before I eat. I dunno if that really works, I just was told that if you do it before you have eaten then your body will use what it has stored for energy instead of running off of what you have eaten recently. :nsm:
Then there is school. I have to park my car very far from school because I can't find parking (I gave up paying for a parking pass for that reason). I walk about a mile to and from my car, walk all over campus to my classes, and I take the stairs. :nsm: Then there is extra exercise I get with my dog- he's got lots of energy, so I gotta run him through the neighborhood or play with him out in the yard and stuff and he wears me out.
My diet I have not been so strict about. It seems like every time I do, I end up making it too strict too follow or something. I cut out all sugary drinks, and I drink much more water than before. I have not counted calories, though. :blush: I go out of my way to eat vegetables (I really like broccoli!) and salads, and when I do eat meat, I try to make sure it is no bigger than my fist. I try to make sure it is not fried. I sometimes eat potatoes, but I have cut down on those, and especially plantain bananas. I don't eat lots of fruit, but I eat lots of nuts- all different kinds. Especially walnuts. I like walnuts, Flipper!!! I like them! (That's bad to eat too many of them, isn't it? :uhoh: It has to be, because I like them). I really like avocados too. You're going to take them away from me, aren't you. I don't usually eat any dairy, unless it is in a food that I order when I am eating out, and I don't realize it. My salad dressings don't have any dairy in them. Dairy is not my friend.
I never had a problem with pigging out on sweets, so I didn't cut out anything like that. I occasionally have them, but they really aren't my thing. My thing is crunchy salty things. Corn chips are my weakness, I will admit. I have cut down on them considerably, but not totally.
Maybe this isn't totally the best diet, or the best workout routine on the planet. But it sure was more of a shot than sitting in my computer chair drinking a 12-pack of Pepsi a day. I just thought with all I have done, I'd see some sort of results. There isn't any. I weigh about the same (which doesn't mean much), but what bothers me is that I look the same. I am the same size. SAME!!
I have been taking Xanax for a while, and have been wondering if, while it's mellowing me out, if it doesn't mellow out my metabolism as well or something. But I don't take lots of them, and many times I don't take them daily. So maybe the bloated Elvis syndrome doesn't apply to me.

[technomage]

I don't eat lots of fruit, but I eat lots of nuts- all different kinds. Especially walnuts. I like walnuts, Flipper!!! I like them! (That's bad to eat too many of them, isn't it? :uhoh: It has to be, because I like them).

Dearheart, I hate to tell you this, but most nuts are really high in fats. :sad:

[themuzicman]

OK, 2 things:

1) You need to monitor your heart rate. Once your heart rate gets above a certain level, your body just burns sugar, which can be easily replenished. That rate is dependent upon your age and gender (and maybe weight). Contact your doctor for more info.

2) Stress often causes the body to retain fat.

Michael

[Rubia Warren]

You're not in better aerobic shape? You don't have more energy?
Sure. I've got way more endurance and strength. Pilates has done wonders for my back problems. I don't have more energy than before though. It's about the same. But I do get high when I run. :dizzy:

[Rubia Warren]

OK, 2 things:

1) You need to monitor your heart rate. Once your heart rate gets above a certain level, your body just burns sugar, which can be easily replenished. That rate is dependent upon your age and gender (and maybe weight). Contact your doctor for more info.

2) Stress often causes the body to retain fat.

Michael
I'll have to find out more about #1.
But #2 may be part of my problem. I am a very stressed person. In fact, I am a stress junkie. I live off of it.

[flipper]

Hey Rubia,

Here’s my opinion, tho’ it’s based on my own experience and that of others, as well as on lots of reading and researching.

Here are the facts:

First, some people are metabolically hard losers and others are hard gainers. There’s a possibility that you might have to work harder than other people to drop weight. If that’s the case, then you need to find a sport (or sports) that you really, really enjoy and pursue it, while supplementing with other exercises that support it. For example, I do Brazilian Jiu-jitsu as my main sport but I also have a weight training routine that I do twice a week designed to improve my grappling strength. I also like to do a yoga routine that improves my flexibility on the mat.

Second, very few exercises expend much in the way of calories at the time compared to the amount you take in over a day (or even to the amount of calories stored in a hershey bar) – exceptions being things like running, sparring in boxing, tae-bo. The real benefit tends to come from consistent exercise increasing your metabolic rate, as well as any additional muscle you put on burning more calories.

Third, to lose weight you need to expend more calories than you take in, but you need to balance this carefully. If you drop your calorie count too low, your body will go into starvation mode and start conserving bodyfat at the expense of muscle (as well as affecting your general energy-levels).

The key to getting the most effective return on your investment in time and money and effort spent in the gym is in being reasonably careful in monitoring your calorie intake.

That said, here’s some specifics.



I work out like crazy. At the very least, I am on a treadmill for at least 30 minutes, but usually more towards an hour, and while I don't run like a bear is chasing me the entire time, I try to either walk hard or jog at a consistant pace-- as hard as I can go whatever day it is and however I am feeling.

That’s good. It’s a pretty good rule of thumb that if you have time to watch TV while you’re on the treadmill or read a newspaper, then you’re most likely not really getting a workout. Also, for cardio, if you push yourself hard then you shouldn’t need to do cardio for more than half an hour. In fact, you should be so tired from the cardio that you shouldn’t be able to go any longer.

You might have a look at doing High Intensity Interval Training, which sounds rather intimidating but is really nothing more than two minutes of jogging followed by a minute of sprinting (as fast as you can manage). The benefit is that it raises your heartrate and keeps it high (almost as if you were sprinting the whole time) while allowing you to keep going longer.


You can also adapt the principles of HIIT into swimming (one length of breast-stroke followed by a length of front crawl, as fast as you can manage), or working the heavy bag, or whatever else you might enjoy. Start slow (try doing it for 10 minutes at the end of your regular cardio) and work up to half an hour, but keep pushing yourself and trying to beat the distance you set the last time you were on the treadmill. Basically, if you’re sweating, you’re exercising. The harder you sweat, the better.



I also do pilates and yoga 5 times a week for an hour (Pilates kills me). That is the least I do- I always have some other thingies I do while I am there depending on what time of day it is- an aerobics class, sometimes a rowing class, bicycles, swimming, and there is a powerabs class (15 minutes long) that I go to quite a bit.

All good things to do. Classes are good for motivation. If weight loss is your primary concern, you might want to do less yoga/pilates and more step/tae-bo/spin/swimming classes for 4 months and see how you do.


But pilates/yoga/treadmill I always do consistently. I did meet with a trainer who set up a routine for me on weights, but I stopped doing that after a few weeks because my cousin in the Navy told me I needed to do more cardiovascular stuff, and for longer periods of time, in order to burn fat off.

I think he is mistaken; he’s fallen into the common concept that the calorific benefits of exercise only occur when you are exercising – which is not strictly the case. You will get the best gains if you do cardio and strengthen muscles. Cardio will rev up your metabolism and help you burn more calories even when you’re sitting around doing nothing, but so will extra muscle (even though it weighs a bit more). Muscle will help you burn fat 24 hours a day.



I also get quite a workout with pilates muscular wise (I think, anyway).

I don’t know much about Pilates, but I believe it’s good for the lean muscle mass.


I also do those things super early in the morning before I eat. I dunno if that really works, I just was told that if you do it before you have eaten then your body will use what it has stored for energy instead of running off of what you have eaten recently.

That’s fine for yoga but I wouldn’t recommend not eating before doing more intensive cardio. Without an immediate energy source, your body will prefer to burn energy stored in your muscles before it burns energy stored in fat and may prevent you from approaching your morning workout will all your energy. It’s better to have a protein shake or a yogurt or something, and a glass of juice before working out.


Then there is school. I have to park my car very far from school because I can't find parking (I gave up paying for a parking pass for that reason). I walk about a mile to and from my car, walk all over campus to my classes, and I take the stairs. Then there is extra exercise I get with my dog- he's got lots of energy, so I gotta run him through the neighborhood or play with him out in the yard and stuff and he wears me out.

It all adds up. Keep it going!


My diet I have not been so strict about.

I don’t know for sure, but my bet is that this may be central to why you are not seeing faster weight loss (genetic considerations aside). If you burn more calories in a day than you take in, the Very Laws Of Chemistry And Physics themselves dictate that you have to lose weight.


It seems like every time I do, I end up making it too strict too follow or something. I cut out all sugary drinks, and I drink much more water than before. I have not counted calories, though. I go out of my way to eat vegetables (I really like broccoli!) and salads, and when I do eat meat, I try to make sure it is no bigger than my fist.

Overly-strict diets are tough to keep to. Also, going too low in your calorie intake means that your body will actively try to keep its fat stores. So it might be worth monitoring your calories a bit in case you are *too low*. Alternatively, if you monitor you will also discover whether you are too high. The optimum calorie intake for weight loss is to take in no more than 500 calories less per day than the recommended amount for your gender, size, weight, and activity level. More than that and you actually hurt your weight loss.

Broccoli is great, salads are good but make sure they have a rich variety of veg in there and aren’t just iceberg lettuce. Iceberg lettuce sucks.


I try to make sure it is not fried. I sometimes eat potatoes, but I have cut down on those, and especially plantain bananas. I don't eat lots of fruit, but I eat lots of nuts- all different kinds. Especially walnuts. I like walnuts, Flipper!!! I like them! (That's bad to eat too many of them, isn't it? It has to be, because I like them). I really like avocados too. You're going to take them away from me, aren't you. I don't usually eat any dairy, unless it is in a food that I order when I am eating out, and I don't realize it. My salad dressings don't have any dairy in them. Dairy is not my friend.

Dairy is super-good for you. Yes. Unless you’re a lactose-weiner. IF you’re avoiding dairy then make sure you’re supplementing with calcium, a B-complex, and magnesium (which if I recall rightly improves your calcium absorption).

The good news is that I’m not going to take away your Avos. Even though Avocados are moderately high in fat, they’re still very good for you so have at it. They’re about 235 calories per cup. Walnuts, on the other hand, are doom (although good, polyunsaturated doom) at 784.8 calories for a single cup.

You can still have them, but you need to have a couple a day, not more. Or you need to ramp up your exercise levels to compensate ;)

Meat is good, ideally things like chicken and fish. Watch the corn chips though – lots of carbs that you probably don’t need.



Maybe this isn't totally the best diet, or the best workout routine on the planet. But it sure was more of a shot than sitting in my computer chair drinking a 12-pack of Pepsi a day. I just thought with all I have done, I'd see some sort of results. There isn't any. I weigh about the same (which doesn't mean much), but what bothers me is that I look the same. I am the same size. SAME!!

No, it sounds like a great exercise routine which is why that, if it’s not working, some investigation is required to find out why. The following web site may help you quite a lot:

www.fitday.com

It’s a free site that allows you to track everything you eat and all the exercise you do during the day and will break it out for you in terms of nutrition, calories consumed/expended, etc. It will also allow you to set targets for weight loss and the like. Try it and see what you think. Also, consider ramping up your cardio with the HIIT approach – if you’re doing it right then you won’t be able to spend more than half an hour on the treadmill or in the pool. Keep challenging yourself to beat your previous record, or changing the programmed course. The trick with cardio is to keep the body nicely stressed and to change what you do every so often, so that you don’t adapt to it. Adaption is good for performance in that exercise, but it means that your body doesn’t have to work so hard. Give it a shock and get it racing again by switching to swimming for two weeks.

Good luck, LR.

And yeah, stress can make weight loss tougher, but don't be buying any of that cortisol stuff either. Exercise and diet is the key.

[Rubia Warren]

Hey Rubia,



First, some people are metabolically hard losers and others are hard gainers. There’s a possibility that you might have to work harder than other people to drop weight. If that’s the case, then you need to find a sport (or sports) that you really, really enjoy and pursue it, while supplementing with other exercises that support it.
I have never had a problem dropping weight in the past, which is why I got concerned (and discouraged). Maybe there is some truth to the "Magic number" of women. "They" say that there is a certain age where women's metabolisms slow down-- I think the age is either 34 or 36 (but I am 31). Nevertheless, in her 30's, a woman's metabolism slows and things start....umm....shifting. Or maybe I am just eating too many walnuts (which is prolly the case). :blush:


Second, very few exercises expend much in the way of calories at the time compared to the amount you take in over a day (or even to the amount of calories stored in a hershey bar) – exceptions being things like running, sparring in boxing, tae-bo. The real benefit tends to come from consistent exercise increasing your metabolic rate, as well as any additional muscle you put on burning more calories.
I did not know that. :blush:


Third, to lose weight you need to expend more calories than you take in, but you need to balance this carefully. If you drop your calorie count too low, your body will go into starvation mode and start conserving bodyfat at the expense of muscle (as well as affecting your general energy-levels).
I did not know this either. :blush:



You might have a look at doing High Intensity Interval Training, which sounds rather intimidating but is really nothing more than two minutes of jogging followed by a minute of sprinting (as fast as you can manage). The benefit is that it raises your heartrate and keeps it high (almost as if you were sprinting the whole time) while allowing you to keep going longer.


You can also adapt the principles of HIIT into swimming (one length of breast-stroke followed by a length of front crawl, as fast as you can manage), or working the heavy bag, or whatever else you might enjoy. Start slow (try doing it for 10 minutes at the end of your regular cardio) and work up to half an hour, but keep pushing yourself and trying to beat the distance you set the last time you were on the treadmill. Basically, if you’re sweating, you’re exercising. The harder you sweat, the better.

Oh....cool. Thank you so much, Flipper. Did you ever know that you're my hero?







I think he is mistaken; he’s fallen into the common concept that the calorific benefits of exercise only occur when you are exercising – which is not strictly the case. You will get the best gains if you do cardio and strengthen muscles. Cardio will rev up your metabolism and help you burn more calories even when you’re sitting around doing nothing, but so will extra muscle (even though it weighs a bit more). Muscle will help you burn fat 24 hours a day.

He prolly is wrong. The freak. :shifty: And here I've been doing it wrong this whole time.
Flipper you're everything I wish I could be.








That’s fine for yoga but I wouldn’t recommend not eating before doing more intensive cardio. Without an immediate energy source, your body will prefer to burn energy stored in your muscles before it burns energy stored in fat and may prevent you from approaching your morning workout will all your energy. It’s better to have a protein shake or a yogurt or something, and a glass of juice before working out.
Aha! That makes a lot more sense to me. I haven't felt well doing exercise without having eaten like that. I also don't like always having to go workout superearly in the morning like I have been. Winter is coming soon. I am not gonna feel like getting out in the snow at 5:30 AM if I can just go at 8 am.











Overly-strict diets are tough to keep to. Also, going too low in your calorie intake means that your body will actively try to keep its fat stores. So it might be worth monitoring your calories a bit in case you are *too low*. Alternatively, if you monitor you will also discover whether you are too high. The optimum calorie intake for weight loss is to take in no more than 500 calories less per day than the recommended amount for your gender, size, weight, and activity level. More than that and you actually hurt your weight loss.
Okay, cool!






Dairy is super-good for you. Yes. Unless you’re a lactose-weiner. IF you’re avoiding dairy then make sure you’re supplementing with calcium, a B-complex, and magnesium (which if I recall rightly improves your calcium absorption).
I say this as I blow my nose and wipe the gunk from my eyes: I am the ultimate lactose-wiener. :hehe: If I even look at dairy, I've got to clear my throat. :no:


The good news is that I’m not going to take away your Avos. Even though Avocados are moderately high in fat, they’re still very good for you so have at it. They’re about 235 calories per cup.
:yipee:


Walnuts, on the other hand, are doom (although good, polyunsaturated doom) at 784.8 calories for a single cup.

You can still have them, but you need to have a couple a day, not more. Or you need to ramp up your exercise levels to compensate ;)
Oh snap. Well herein may lie a huge part of my problem. I never eat a couple of walnuts. I munch on them all day long. If I had to estimate how many walnuts and other types of nuts I eat, I'd have to say prolly 3 cups a day. At least. Teehee :blush:






www.fitday.com

It’s a free site that allows you to track everything you eat and all the exercise you do during the day and will break it out for you in terms of nutrition, calories consumed/expended, etc. It will also allow you to set targets for weight loss and the like.

That is awesome! Thanks for that link. I am going to check it out. I am going to start keeping track of things.



And yeah, stress can make weight loss tougher, but don't be buying any of that cortisol stuff either. Exercise and diet is the key.
Thanks for sharing all of your wisdom. I now can fly higher than an eagle, for you are the wind beneath my wings.

*snicker* I'm just playin'. Thank you so much though, Flipper. You are the BOMB. I am going to try it out!

[Rubia Warren]

I'm going to ask you a very rude question ... is your weight actually unhealhy, or is this a "I don't like my size?"
Both.
Over the past, oh, 2 or 3 years I have put on weight. I now need to lose 35 pounds to be at my normal weight. Turning 30 was serious business for me. It caused me to be a bit more serious about certain things in my life. Now that I am 35 pounds overweight, it is different. One day in June, I looked at myself in the mirror and thought, "At 15 and 20 pounds overweight, you said 'oh, I just need to lose a few pounds.' Now you are at 35. When will you do something about that? When you hit 50 pounds overweight? How about a hundred? Or do you just wanna go and go and go until one day you end up having a gastric bypass and then later plastic surgery to remove excess skin hanging all over the place like that chick you saw on Oprah?" And I decided that 35 is my limit. That's it. I want to feel better, and I want to look well. I don't nevessarily want to be skinny and sexy-- I'm thirty one man. :no: But I don't wanna go into middle ages flabby, sinking, sagging, and all chunked out. That's just setting myself up for elastic-waisted baggy-booty capri pants and Keds slip-on mules until I die. Then I'll have to cut my hair short and feathery later to make it all blend with the dewlap hanging between my chin and neck. And carry a large purse while drinking a fruit smoothie and panting as I walk through a mall. And wear stripes, and bathing suits with built-in skirts. :shifty: :thumbd:
Sorry if any of those are some things that some of you are really into. To each his own. It just isn't me, and I don't mean it as an insult to anybody.

I'm gettin' old! Only about a year ago, it became real to me that my days on this earth are very limited. Decades go by in a flash! It took forever to turn 21. Everything after that seems like a blur. Yesterday, I was just barely legal. Today people call me "ma'am". Tomorrow I will be in menopause. And next week I will be a retiree. Unbelievable. :no:

My age is okay, I have accepted it. But the condition of my body is not. :no: Just because I get older, and just because I am a mere mortal are not excuses for just not taking care of my body- the way it looks and the way it works. (Don't go dangling my cigars in front of me- I know those gotta go, too) :doh: One thing at a time.
So I made my decision! I am going into my middle ages with a body that is SLAMMIN'. My pilates instructor has a face that says 50 years old. She looks so wack in the face, it ain't even funny. I think she has false teeth, too. But from the neck down? Oh heck. She is SMOKIN'. Never seen anything like it in my life. Not too scrawny..... not too buff and bulky.... I have finally met the ultimate Bad Mamajama. :yes: I am a female, and she makes me turn my head and say, "Owww... I just stare at her every time I see her. That is what I am going to be one day when my face looks wack. A wack face, but the rest of me just slammin'. And I wanna be able to make my legs go in great big circles from the joint like she can make hers, without moving any other part of my body. It is amazing the control that she has, not to mention her flexibility.
So I look at the women in my family and think, "Uggh. That is what I have to look forward to in 20 years??".... but it doesn't have to be that way. I keep looking at my pilates instructor and thinking, "Now THAT is what I am looking forward to in 20 years. WOO!" But I guess I'm gonna have to lay down the walnuts and know when to say "when" if I wanna be like that.

Eventually, much older age sets in. Nothin' you can do about that. Stuff sags. Turns grey. Some things shrivel up, and other things enlarge (Oh my). But that's okay. I have my geriatric hero at the gym, too, and he inspires me. He saggin', but he is the slammin'est old guy I have ever seen. I watch him work out, and I see him swim laps, and am thoroughly convinced that he could totally run circles around the average 25 year old, easy. He's gotta be like in his 70's, and his back is ripped with muscles. He's the bomb. :hehe: He looks better than I feel half the time! w00t to the old dudes in shape.

Even when I am old and hangin, I'm still gonna be suave. And enjoying life. :hehe:
I have posted this before, and maybe you have seen it before, but this is me in like, 45 years-- I can't wait!
**warning: if you are sensitive to swinging breasts and things of that nature, don't follow the link. I am linking to it because I think it is cute, not profane or vulgar, but if it isn't acceptable, then please remove it**

http://www.flowgo.com/index.cfm?action=view&id=2180&scid=10176

Now that grandma is tight. :hehe:

[flipper]

Thank you so much though, Flipper. You are the BOMB. I am going to try it out!

NP - Let me know how it goes, eh?

[flipper]

NP - Let me know how it goes, eh?

And, as we're two weeks on, I thought I'd check in to find out how things are going?

Managed to rein in your walnut habit yet, LR?

[Rubia Warren]

It is going much better, flipper. I registered with the fitday site a few days ago, and I've mostly been working out more closely to what you suggested- especially on the treadmill, and I also went back to the weight routine that the trainer gave me a long time ago at the gym. As far as food goes, my walnuts are gone, and I did okay for a little while, except that three days ago, my husband bought some cinnamon-coated almonds..... :blush: and I've been straight tearing them up all weekend. I think I like nuts so much because of the crunch factor. So that has set me back.
Regarding food, I have this really important thing I have decided to do, but I have not told anyone about it. I have been researching it off and on for a long time and have finally decided it is time to do it. I am dying to tell you what it is, but since it requires revolutionizing my fridge and eating habits (I'm not going vegetarian or doing the Atkins Diet or anything), and will be such an aggressive change, that it requires much bravery on my part and it is imperitive that I remain focused so as to bring about new habits. I have taken great care in planning it out so that while it is dramatic, it is still doable, but will be painful nonetheless. I have taken great care to make it all very simple so as not to get hung up halfway through and overwhelmed by the details. I have planned it out and set the date of the introductory phase on Tuesday, and by Thursday I should be in full swing. When I get to the point of being about a week into it, I will be sure and post to you what exactly it is I am doing, and how it has been going. I am expecting that for at least that first week, I will be spending my time adjusting, and it will be so shocking that I am not expecting to work out, but my goal is to at least continue with yoga during that time, possibly pilates, depending on how I feel.
I am dying to tell you what it is! But I know myself, and if I discuss the details, I will jinx myself and then not do it. It is like, when I discuss it, then I don't do it. But if I don't tell anybody, then I do it. So I wanna make sure I do it and when I get into it full-swing, I will post exactly what I am doing. I will also be keeping close track in my fitday account. I promise I will post all about it next week! Take care, Flipper. :flowers:

[Dave G]

I do pretty good with Atkins (I don't follow it strictly) and I eat a lot of green vegetables (and corn, and carrots) but lay off the fruits so I don't get the sugar. When I stop drinking sodas and sip water throughout the day I lose about 2 lbs. a week. But that 35 lbs. over is where I magically stop, too. I know my metabolism has slowed, but I did reach that weight without any exercise at all.

[Conductor42]

mmm.... starbucks....

[flipper]

It is going much better, flipper. I registered with the fitday site a few days ago, and I've mostly been working out more closely to what you suggested- especially on the treadmill, and I also went back to the weight routine that the trainer gave me a long time ago at the gym.


Good - In the words of C&C Music Factory, "Girl, you gotta sweat."


As far as food goes, my walnuts are gone, and I did okay for a little while, except that three days ago, my husband bought some cinnamon-coated almonds..... :blush: and I've been straight tearing them up all weekend. I think I like nuts so much because of the crunch factor. So that has set me back.


I understand how that goes. I shouldn't be allowed near the freezer cabinet of any store with Ben & Jerrys. I will eat an entire tub of that stuff, baring my teeth ferally at anyone who wants to share. I give in about once a month and try to link it in with days when I'm training twice, so that the 1,800-odd extra calories aren't all just sitting around.


Regarding food, I have this really important thing I have decided to do, but I have not told anyone about it. I have been researching it off and on for a long time and have finally decided it is time to do it. I am dying to tell you what it is, but since it requires revolutionizing my fridge and eating habits (I'm not going vegetarian or doing the Atkins Diet or anything), and will be such an aggressive change, that it requires much bravery on my part and it is imperitive that I remain focused so as to bring about new habits. I have taken great care in planning it out so that while it is dramatic, it is still doable, but will be painful nonetheless. I have taken great care to make it all very simple so as not to get hung up halfway through and overwhelmed by the details. I have planned it out and set the date of the introductory phase on Tuesday, and by Thursday I should be in full swing. When I get to the point of being about a week into it, I will be sure and post to you what exactly it is I am doing, and how it has been going. I am expecting that for at least that first week, I will be spending my time adjusting, and it will be so shocking that I am not expecting to work out, but my goal is to at least continue with yoga during that time, possibly pilates, depending on how I feel.
I am dying to tell you what it is! But I know myself, and if I discuss the details, I will jinx myself and then not do it. It is like, when I discuss it, then I don't do it. But if I don't tell anybody, then I do it. So I wanna make sure I do it and when I get into it full-swing, I will post exactly what I am doing. I will also be keeping close track in my fitday account. I promise I will post all about it next week! Take care, Flipper. :flowers:

Intriguing. Don't be starving yourself though - that is actually counter-productive when it comes to weight-loss. And don't completely neglect your carbs if you're exercising hard. You'll just cheat yourself and eventually burn out.

These days, I'm eating fish at least once a day, and supplementing with whey protein, chlorella, HGH fish oil, and spirulina. It seems to be working - I can train twice a day and still feel quite the energy-bunny. Lots of sleep seems to make a huge difference too.

I'm a relatively old guy at 33 compared to the vast majority of people I spar with, but I can still give the high school wrestlers and 20-something NHB'ers a run for their money.

[Rubia Warren]

These days, I'm eating fish at least once a day, and supplementing with whey protein, chlorella, HGH fish oil, and spirulina. It seems to be working - I can train twice a day and still feel quite the energy-bunny. Lots of sleep seems to make a huge difference too.

I'm a relatively old guy at 33 compared to the vast majority of people I spar with, but I can still give the high school wrestlers and 20-something NHB'ers a run for their money.
You're still taking chlorella? :highfive: I thought you were kidding in your blog a long time ago.
what is spirulina? :huh:
And what kind of fish do you eat? How is it prepared? I would like to eat more fish, but I dunno how to cook it. :blush: What kind of fish is better to eat? Are certain fish really contaminated with weird stuff? What's the skinny on that?

[Gabby]

You're still taking chlorella? :highfive: I thought you were kidding in your blog a long time ago.
what is spirulina? :huh:
And what kind of fish do you eat? How is it prepared? I would like to eat more fish, but I dunno how to cook it. :blush: What kind of fish is better to eat? Are certain fish really contaminated with weird stuff? What's the skinny on that?

So...........what did the doctor say?? Are you taking meds now? Have you seen any changes?? Tell me, I gotta know!

I've been put on Synthroid, been taking it for about 3 weeks now. Going in for more tests tomorrow.


I LOVE lattes!! Grande Nonfat Extra Hot Latte!! :duh: