| Apr 20, 2006 @ 1:09 PM |
The MD Biggest Loser
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Classy_Blonde
Posts: 6,034
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Over the last two years, I have gained over thirty pounds. I'm really disappointed with myself for allowing things to get so out-of-hand, so I have decided it is time to make some changes.
Since weight loss centers and gyms don't appeal to me, I realize I need to use a different approach to weight loss and getting back in shape. I'm going to try making a few changes in my habits, a little at a time, and see what happens.
Would anyone like to join me? If so, I will be posting a new plan for each week, or maybe we can take turns posting a weekly plan. I'm not a 'dieter', so I will be steering clear of a monotonous daily routine. I'm hoping variation will keep boredom from setting in. Here is my first weekly plan:
Thursday to Thursday
Put on favorite music and dance for 20 minutes straight. Once each day. 
Take (at least) one long walk this week.
No sodas allowed. 
No dessert--fruit is okay. 
I'm going to be journaling here and will discuss what is working for me, and what isn't. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to post them here.
NO NEGATIVE POSTS PLEASE!!!! This is a positive thread ONLY!!!!   
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| Apr 20, 2006 @ 1:13 PM |
The MD Biggest Loser |
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mailorderannie
Posts: 6,021
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I'd love to join you Classy...I'm on Weight Watchers so I'll be following that, but would love some support here!
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| Apr 20, 2006 @ 1:52 PM |
The MD Biggest Loser
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Classy_Blonde
Posts: 6,034
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Annie,
I am so glad you want to join me in my weight loss adventure. I'm also going to include make-up, hair, and clothing, because I know I always feel better about myself, when I pamper ME. I've already got an idea for next week's plan. 
The main thing is, I want this to be a pleasant journey. 
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| Apr 20, 2006 @ 2:05 PM |
The MD Biggest Loser |
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Atone74
Posts: 335
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Sounds like you two have the motivation to do something about your weight loss. I was 125lbs over weight. I worked very very hard, and now I help others as yourselves. I need to give you just a few pointers okay. 1st understand that no matter how much cardio you do, you must DIET... Now, just choose to eat healthy, stay away from fastfoods, high carbs and high calories. Eat more protein like chicken, fish and turkey. Tuna is also great.2nd One must elevate their heart rate for at least 30 minutes, in order for efficient progress. 20 minutes will be okay at first maybe for a week then push yourself to go longer. Now if your doing this for 20 minutes, PUSH YOURSELF HARD!!! One last thing, give yourself a day of rest between workouts. You will see faster results when your body has rested between workouts.. Good Luck.... Summer Is Here... You Can Do It.... I Did...
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| Apr 20, 2006 @ 2:20 PM |
The MD Biggest Loser
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Heaveninawildflower
Posts: 18,602
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Just one comment here - that's one thing for a 30-something year old man, and another for over 50 women. I'm not saying we can't do it, just to please listen to your bodies. Pushing yourself too hard can be disastrous if you're not paying attention. Make sure you drink plenty of water too, and don't forget to breathe! I'm not kidding there either, your blood pressure skyrockets if you start holding your breath when you're working out. I'm assuming you're thinking about doing some weight training as well as cardio - if not, please consider it. The payback is great, your metabolism speeds up as you build muscle mass.
I've lost about 75 pounds in the last two years, so all of it was after 60. It's certainly possible, just make sure you're paying attention. I beat my personal best on leg press, back extension AND chest press this week, but I'm a hurtin' buckaroo now...yes, it was worth it!
Oh, and Atone - thanks for saying eat healthy! That's what it's all about, as well as moderation in all things. If you really, really want that piece of cheesecake, do it. Just remember that you did it and factor it in!
[Edited on 4/20/2006 2:23 PM]
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| Apr 20, 2006 @ 2:21 PM |
The MD Biggest Loser |
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Jessa
Posts: 117
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I'm kicking my ass at the gym. My husband has lost 10 lbs in a week, I realize weight fluctuates at least 5 lbs a day. He gets massive progress, I get so little.. 2 lbs in 2 weeks. BLAH.
The hardest things for me are:
PORTION CONTROL
and TIMES when I eat.
I'm a night/binge eater- I don't eat up until 9 at night and then it's massive amounts. Usually when I'm done with work or when I go out. Beer is the worst thing in the world, it only took me a few years to figure it out.
At the gym cardio doesn't matter you HAVE to do weight training. Just dieting isn't enough, it took me a year to figure that out. I tried Atkins, SlimFast, and all that other crap that's promised to be "great weight loss solutions"... the only thing that really works is willpower. I have it now! Thank ya Jesus, but it only took me 18 months post pregnancy to get it. Summer is coming and I want to look svelte in a bikini. ;)
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| Apr 20, 2006 @ 2:25 PM |
The MD Biggest Loser
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Atone74
Posts: 335
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True, listen to your bodies. Don't let age stand in the way. I might be 32yrs old. But, at my gym there are people in their 60's that can run laps around me.. I never look at someones age.. Push yourself hard.... But, of course listen to your bodies.
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| Apr 20, 2006 @ 2:25 PM |
The MD Biggest Loser |
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Heaveninawildflower
Posts: 18,602
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2 lbs in 2 weeks. BLAH.
And Jessa, I'm sure you know that inches count a lot more than pounds do!!
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| Apr 20, 2006 @ 4:01 PM |
The MD Biggest Loser
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Classy_Blonde
Posts: 6,034
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Great advice, everyone!
Knowing myself, I feel it best to take baby steps. Even my Yoga intstructor explained, if you go full force from the start, it is often too much for you to handle, so you give up. I'm hoping, if I start with a few things this week and add to it as I go, it will work for me.
I'm also thinking, this has to be something I can handle for life--not just a matter of months.
One thing I would like to mention about the working out at the gym. Remember--when you are adding muscle mass to your body, you will also add weight, so don't let numbers on a scale discourage you.
Oh--that reminds me. I should probably weigh in. Is it best to do so in the morning?
Heaven--I agree about taking our ages into consideration. I have to go at my own pace, or I suffer later. "Feel the Burn!" doesn't appeal to me, unless it's a sunburn.
Jessa,
Thanks for mentioning the weights. I have a set of 3 lb. weights, and I started using them again recently. Does the poundage sound about right?
Atone,
Are you saying to exercise one day on, one day off? I can handle that. 
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| Apr 20, 2006 @ 4:45 PM |
The MD Biggest Loser |
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altogirl67
Posts: 1,309
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I'm in! Definitely!
A bit of advice... I just went to the doc a couple of times all frustrated because I can't lose weight. In fact, I've gained a few pounds in the past few months. I'm working out 5 days a week, switching up between, a weight lifting class, walking 3 miles, swimming, cycling, and lifting weights at home. You could blame it on muscle mass but I've been working out for years and this is pretty normal for me. After checking everything I was told that it's stress. And in looking back, I gain weight at the end of every semester. Not because I'm pigging out but because of stress hormones. Take a look at this website and please read it so that you can better understand how it works:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress/SR00001
Your plan sounds great Classy. Let's remember that we need to make lifestyle changes that are permanent. NEVER DIET!!! You hurt metabolism when you do that. If you eat a healthy diet, exercise and watch your stress levels, your body will adjust to a more healthy weight. Here's a website with a calculator for you to figure out how many calories you need to maintain where you are now so you will know where to start. Just remember that this is a lifestyle change - not a diet. You don't do this for awhile and lose the weight and then go back to eating the same stuff again. This is for the rest of your life, ok?
http://www.caloriecontrol.org/calcalcs.html
Here's a great way to track what your eating, see that you're getting all of the nutrients that your body needs (without supplements if possible). You can put in all of your food, see where you are calorie wise as the day progresses, track your exercise AND your weight. There's also a journal option to write how you're feeling. Go to:
http://www.fitday.com/
Classy, the one thing I would change is this... make one change at a time. Don't give up all of your desserts AND your sodas at the same time. You'll go through sugar withdrawal, you'll feel like crap and then you'll not be able to stick to it. So, I recommend dropping the sodas this week and the desserts the next week. A note for all of you too. It only takes one soda per day to compromise your calcium absorption. Stop drinking them!
Dancing for 20 minutes a day sounds great! That would be a really great start. If you can get some aerobic exercise in every single day it would help to boost your metabolism so that you are burning more calories on a regular basis. After you're used to that increase the time. You don't go through your energy stores to the point where you're actually burning fat until AFTER you've exercised for at least 20 minutes... then the fat burning kicks in so try to go for at LEAST 30 minutes and then up to 45, than an hour. After you've got that going, add some weights. Muscle building is great for us and it helps to build bone mass as well (which is becoming an issue for many of us). Weight lifting should probably be every other day unless you do different parts of the body on different days.
I'm chubby but I know this stuff... honestly I do. I've been on every diet that exists and have fought this for a very long time. I've been been educated on it all and that's why I'm getting my masters as a health educator. I don't know everything for sure, but I really do know an awful lot about how this works. I've used that website that I provided for many years because I eat more healthy if I track what I'm doing. It's nice to be able to see which nutrients you're falling short of because then you can correct it.
So, what are we doin' here? Posting weight loss? Are we actually having a contest? 
[Edited on 4/20/2006 5:05 PM]
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| Apr 20, 2006 @ 6:54 PM |
The MD Biggest Loser
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Jessa
Posts: 117
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The best thing I've ever used... The Firm.. I used it before I got pregnant and it made my body look AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it's called the transfirmer (the firm) but I absolutely swear by it, for all the aerobic equipment out on the market, this one isn't a fogey.
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| Apr 20, 2006 @ 9:08 PM |
The MD Biggest Loser |
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kattsmeow
Posts: 22,625
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Oh no,,I can not give up my one pepsi a day!!!!!!!!
No, I can not give up desserts!!!!!!
I do this in moderation. I have been on a lot of diets,,,healthy eating too. I have come to the conclusion,,,that if you crave something to the point of eating everything else,,that little bite would have been better.
Amazing how sweet an apple can taste when you have gotten away from refined sugars huh?
Right now,,it is carbs,,,,,my biggest problem with food. I love potatoes, bread,,,,
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| Apr 20, 2006 @ 9:20 PM |
The MD Biggest Loser
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Heaveninawildflower
Posts: 18,602
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my biggest problem with food. I love potatoes
I hear ya!! I never even knew about pasta until I was an adult, it wasn't a meal if it didn't have potatoes! We just have to remember that it's converted to sugar before we digest it...the more complex the starch, the longer it takes to convert. just think of those carbs as pure sugar and make allowance for it...and go for the whole grains when we can.
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| Apr 21, 2006 @ 12:32 AM |
The MD Biggest Loser |
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Atone74
Posts: 335
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Oh no,,I can not give up my one pepsi a day!!!!!!!!
No, I can not give up desserts!!!!!!
I do this in moderation. I have been on a lot of diets,,,healthy eating too. I have come to the conclusion,,,that if you crave something to the point of eating everything else,,that little bite would have been better.
Amazing how sweet an apple can taste when you have gotten away from refined sugars huh?
Right now,,it is carbs,,,,,my biggest problem with food. I love potatoes, bread,,,,
I'm sorry, but you first need to understand what you are doing now, is doing nothing for you. Attitude is the hardest to overcome, if it was'nt, more people would be fit. Give up what destroys you. Bread, potatoes, rice.. I'm a man, you think I don't love this food? My point is eat less of it and more protein. Veggies have MANY carbs, but they are good carbs, because your body does not store it as other carbs like from bread, potatoes and rice. Choose to eat healthy, and it's not a diet, but a change in a healthy eating habbits. That's all it is a habbit....
Are you saying to exercise one day on, one day off? I can handle that
Yes, and if you are lifting weights do that on the day your not doing cardio and vice versa..
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| Apr 21, 2006 @ 2:34 AM |
The MD Biggest Loser
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Classy_Blonde
Posts: 6,034
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I had a greatI day. I stuck with everything I said I would do, and I even managed to dance for 30 minutes, because I thought about what was said about 20 minutes not being quite long enough to get decent results. I chose Santana's Greatest Hits, because I figured it would make me do a lot of hip and behind shaking, and I could get in some Salsa action. It worked great.
Tomorrow, I am going to use my weights.
I worked in the yard today, raking and weeding, so that was some good exercise too. I'm trying to do this as naturally as possible, without having a daily exercise regimen, and I really am wanting to stay away from exercise equipment. I prefer doing manual labor, hiking, dancing, taking walks--things along those lines. Less lying around--more moving around. I do have a bicycle, but it is a beach cruiser, and I have a hard time riding it here in town.
Classy, the one thing I would change is this... make one change at a time. Don't give up all of your desserts AND your sodas at the same time. You'll go through sugar withdrawal, you'll feel like crap and then you'll not be able to stick to it.
Believe me, I eat more sweet stuff than just desserts. I like Hazelnut creamer in my coffee, and I know it has to be pretty fattening. I figure that will get me through the first week. I had already started to cut down on my soda intake, so I should be able to handle not having any.
BTW,
When I weighed this evening, I had lost four pounds. I believe the last time I had weighed was a little over a week ago. That made me feel like I was off to a good start. I don't think I will weigh in on a daily basis, but I will see how it goes. I don't want to get obsessed with the numbers.
This thread belongs to each of us, so feel free to post as you wish. If you want to chart your weight loss, please do. I don't plan on posting my actual weight, but I think it is pretty close to what is on my profile. That is good enough for those who find it important. It isn't a contest. What we will win, if we stick with it, will be visible. I would imagine some of us will even notice a change in our mindsets. That is my goal, but by all means, each of you do what works for you. 
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| Apr 21, 2006 @ 9:07 AM |
The MD Biggest Loser |
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mailorderannie
Posts: 6,021
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Atone -- I had NO clue you had lost that much weight. I know I made reference to your "shirtless" pic a time or two and if I had known that, I would have defended your RIGHT TO FLAUNT! Great job!
So now although we won't be posing for shirtless pics (sorry guys!) I think we should keep OUR right to flaunt in mind also!
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| Apr 21, 2006 @ 11:39 AM |
The MD Biggest Loser
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Classy_Blonde
Posts: 6,034
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MD rejected my topless photo! Said something about 'Adult' Matchdoctor. 
I didn't realize it was the same sixpack. Annie, you are right. Atone looks darned good! Congratulations, Atone.
A,
You had mentioned the importance of proteins. I am a Lacto-Ovo vegetarian, so I need to obtain my protein from other sources. Last night, I hard boiled several eggs. I had forgotten about how nice it is to have things of that sort to munch on for snacks.
I also have been hearing a lot about the importance of eating about five small meals a day, rather than spacing the meals out, and eating larger portions. There is also emphasis on eating breakfast, which is believed to be the most important meal of the day. I think there may be something to it, as I found I had more energy, and less appetite, when I ate cereal for breakfast. I wasnt' as hungry throughout the day, so I prepared smaller meals later. It pretty much happened automatically. I started doing so, less than a week ago, so I want to see how it goes.
I was curious to see if yesterday's exercise made a difference. I have dropped another two pounds, but I will weigh again this evening, about the same time I did yesterday, just to see if that is still the case. I usually weigh less, first thing in the morning.
Did anyone else dance yesterday? 
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| Apr 21, 2006 @ 3:02 PM |
The MD Biggest Loser |
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tahoma
Posts: 10,576
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Classy... that's great news!!!!!!!! 6lbs already You go girl!!!!!
I re-start up my 24hr fitness membership over the weekend and have started going right after work each day. Starting with just the treadmill to begin with to get my body used to it and then I will be moving on to the eliptical machine and weights.
As far as dieting goes, the South Beach diet approach worked for me once a few years ago so I am going that route again, but not as rigerously as before (which obviously failed as I couldn't stick to it). Eliminating as many bad carbs as I can but still allowing myself a treat of pasta every couple of weeks. I don't have a sweet tooth and I don't drink pop so that won't be a problem.
This will be fun watching our progress and having a support group!
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| Apr 21, 2006 @ 6:26 PM |
The MD Biggest Loser
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Atone74
Posts: 335
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Classy_Blonde,
Hey awesome results, 6lbs is great, keep it up... Now not to discourage you on your progress. Pounds will fluctuate up and down because muscle gained weighs more than fat. The more muscle you gain, the faster the weight comes off.
There are over 600 muscles in our bodies, they have four main purposes.
1) Erect our bodies upright
2) Provides 85% of our body heat
3) Movement (bend, twist, rotate)
4) Internal muscles are used for digesting fluid/food and the cardio including the heart.
As you see we are covered in muscle. Fat is stored.. Why? It's a natural way how bodies protect themselves. Fat is normally stored in the stomach of men and women. Others have more weight then others.. Unfortunately...
So my point?? Don't live on the scale, infact keep it away from ease of use. It's all about inches.... When you drop inches and see yourself in a size 10 or 8 or even down to a 4; That's when you just don't see the progress you also feel the progress.. That's your goal, the journey is hard, but the results are worth a life time. A Life time.....
I eat 5x a day. This is my usual routine. Eat breakfest around 8am.. Snack at 10am.. Lunch at noon (lunch 1hour (job))... Snack at 3pm Dinner between 6-7. And I don't eat a snack before bed.. In bed by or between 10-11. So I don't eat at least 3 hours before bed "HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"....
BTW: Thank you for the compliments. Yes I was at one point pretty big. I weighed close to 260 and I'm 5'9. I was in a 36 inch waist. I'm now wearing a 28" waist. And weigh 180 but all muscle tone. Those pictures are from last summer, alot more difference in my progress since them. I will probably take photos sometime in June (tan in progress  ). Thank you again ladies..
-Atone
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| Apr 21, 2006 @ 8:22 PM |
The MD Biggest Loser |
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mailorderannie
Posts: 6,021
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Just wanted to share...I've seldom drink water but have made an effort to have a bottle with me at all times the past 2 days and have been peeing up a storm! Even had to get up twice during the night and that never happens! Have decided to count the trips up and down the hall at work to the bathroom as exercise too.
And...weather permitting...I'm going to walk a 5K in the morning. Cross your fingers for me that it doesn't rain!
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