weight loss goals

[butterfly05450]

hey all i was wondering if anyoen ahd any suggestions on losing weight and excerise. i struggle to eat right and exercise. i need something not boring it has to be fun exercise and weight loss is hard because i like to eat. let me know ladies. thanks.,

[blondgrl]

Betsy,
When I first started to work out and lose weight, the most helpful thing for me was to use the buddy system. I had a friend at work who was starting to lose weight also. It kinda gives you motivation and someone to be accountable to. It helped b/c we could talk about different ways to cook things that were healthy, things we were doing for exercise, etc. I have found that simple walking is a good exercise for me. You can vary your walks and it really works. I never was one to join health clubs, but that's an option too. There are many good DVD's for exercise at home like beginner pilates to build lean muscles and strength. I like some of the dance type workout videos too. Just try several things and find what makes you feel good. And, try to find a buddy who is in about the same physical shape as you are and encourage each other along the way, even if it's someone on-line, etc. I have now lost my weight, but even after two years, I still talk to my buddy at least each week that helped me through the process. feel free to pm me if you want! Good luck! You can do this!!!!!!!!

[butterfly05450]

yes as a matter of fact my brothers gf suggested this summer we walk together at a local sports complex. but, for now this winter i need to do somehting so maybe i will look into dvd's and maybe finding some buddies on here. thanks for the advice.

[Canadian Girl]

Hi Betsy :wave:

I've been struggling with my weight almost all of my adult life... and weight has been winning :grr:

I'm now on a weight loss program where not only are we allowed to eat a lot, we have to eat certain foods, every day. This way, I found out that weight gain wasn't as much about eating too much, it is about eating the wrong foods. I now limit
my intake of refined sugars and bad fats, and feel much better. I'm hoping to eliminate the remaining 28 lbs I have in excess before my 50th birthday, in September :crossf:

Where exercise is concerned, it's important to find an activity you enjoy. I know that if, like me, you like the outdoors but are not particularly fond of the cold, it's harder in the Winter. What I've been doing, this winter, has been to go to Curves: while i don't usually care for the gym environment, I find that Curves is great :)

[mommanuci]

last summer I started riding my bike. each time going a little bit farther than the time before. I worked my self up to 33 miles in 3 hours before winter set in. I am looking forward to an early thaw here in the North Country and working my way back to that 33 miles and beyond! I am hoping by the end of the summer I can get to 60 miles!
Any other cyclists out there?

Jill

[marybeth8890]

I was a cyclist before having 2 babies in less than a year, than some health problems. I want so badly to get back into it but, I have so little motivation.

[Kate]

Hey Betsy,

Another good thing to do is keep a log of what you eat. Research shows that by keeping track, you are more aware of what you eat and you tend to make better choices and eat less. A great website I like is www.fitday.com You can record your stuff or you can always get a little notepad journal thingee.
I love to eat, too. Maybe try to switch out full fat stuff for low fat.
Another is to drink lots of water. Sometimes we think we are hungry, but really we are thirsty. So drink it up!
And my last suggestion is to have a cut-off point for your eating before you go to bed. I've read to cut-off your eating 2-3 hours before bedtime.

Good luck with everything! Please keep us updated on everything. You can do it! :D

[jcme]

I tend to disklike exercise, so I my goal is to be active. It is a subtle difference, but to me it makes a world of difference. For example, I play volleyball and wallyball every week...although they could be considered exercise, I don't go play for that purpose...I play because it is fun. For the pure exercise stuff, I try to make sure I do a variety of stuff to not get bored (walk with a friend, go to gym, do classes)

I also find once you start exercising on a regular basis, if you miss a day or two you feel like something is missing.

Like Canadian Girl said, the key is to find something you enjoy.

[jcme]

...Any other cyclists out there?

I used to ride on a regular basis until health problems got in the way and my riding dwindled down to nothing :( Now that that the health problems have been addressed, I can't wait to get out and start riding again. :)

When I was riding on a regular basis, I was mostly doing road riding with a local club that did social rides of about 25 miles with a pace between 12-14 mph. I also did organized charity or community rides. I like mountain biking too, but it is too much of a hassle getting to the trails. :rolleyes:

[missy]

I try to read things that will help keep me inspired, I really like the "Body Clutter" book. I also pick up Weight Watchers mag quite often. I've made the healthy eating plan I started at the beginning of the year work but I haven't made much progress in making myself exercise. I had surgery about 2 months ago and my energy level isn't the greatest.

You might like the Walking Away the Pounds dvd. I used to do it regularly when I couldn't walk outside. I need to make that a new habit to work on.

missy

[trixie]

I think that you really have to count calories. It is that simple. I have also learned that the older you get the less calories you need, unfotunately.

[Jojo]

My mom convinced me to join Curves with her. She is 72 and has been going for 2 years. It is fun to go and spend time together, but the exercise has really been a benefit. I feel more energized. In the summer I am more active and things like volleyball are easier to participate in cuz my overall strength and energy is improved from doing Curves regularily.

We have also changed over to a vegan diet in our family which has been helpful in the weight department. My dh is doing better than I of course. He doesn't have sweet things calling his name! (just me)

[palmasy2002]

I know for me a big hurdle was pinpointing the type of exerciser I was...I tried the at-home DVD's and running at the local high school track. I would stick with it for a week or two and then quit. After thinking about it, I realized that the types of exercise I was choosing were solitary when I am a social person. :) I have had much better success taking classes at my local Y - I am motivated to go and enjoy the class atmosphere. Although my crazy schedule doesn't always allow me to take classes for ALL of my exercise each week, I rarely miss my scheduled classes and can usually force myself through shorter workouts on my own.