Aaaaarghhhhh!!!

Four weeks of summer vacation has taken it’s toll.
I’ve been good, exercise wise. I have walked almost every day but alas, that doesn’t help much considering all the fatty dinners and all the wine I have consumed for the last weeks. I’m stuck, weight wise. Stuck, stuck, stuck!
And it’s driving me crazy.

I definitely need to go back to a more healthy life style but honestly, I live pretty healthy. I just need to find a way to consume less calories that I burn. And that is not an easy task.
I have a job that won’t let me go dizzy headed through the day. I need to be razor sharp!
And I am anal about getting enough vitamins, protein, carbs and fat. Yes fat. My body needs fat, and so does everyone elses.

So, long story short: I’m back on track and I’ll keep you updated.

YoYo

Posted by Pasta

The Bad News: After 2 weeks of lying in bed and eating tons of fruit and Indian food in a pouch, I can't believe it, but I've gained 5 of the 6 pounds back.

The Experiment: I gotta question how much of that is "real." When you can't walk, you drink as little liquid as possible, for obvious reasons. I've progressed to lurching now, so I'm going to see how much of it falls off with the return of H20. I'll be back on WW tomorrow too, so I'm curious to see how the scale/timeline goes.

In a few weeks, I'll add some water aerobics to the mix, which should help.

Speaking of water exercise, the New York Times had an interesting article on 41 year-old Olympic swimmer Dara Torres. She's got an amazing body -- the most defined 6-pack abs I've ever seen on a woman. It costs her $100,000 per year to maintain: "Torres’s retinue includes a head coach, a sprint coach, a strength coach, two stretchers, two masseuses, a chiropractor and a nanny..."

What could we look like for $100,000? ....

These Feet Are Made For Swimming

Posted by Pasta, inspired by Fio


I am continually inspired by Fio. It's so much easier to stay on a good path when you have a diet buddy. Despite my sloth, I'm sticking to weight watchers. Luckily a diet rich in fruits and fibrous veggies is good for the post-surgery system. I'm also happy to report that there's a wonderful middle-eastern store in town which has agreed to deliver for me. Hummus is good for the digestion!

I've also brought in a woman to clean and arrange things for me. I watch her exercise. I'm sure it's helpful.

These feet are made for walking...

Posted by Fio.

So, I'm obviously not one of these fancy dressed chicks you'll find in some gyms. My exercise outfit consists of my Nike shoes and old yoga pants, a T-shirt and a fleece jacket. That's it.

I like to walk outdoors. I have tried yoga, boxing, aerobics, pilates, swimming, spinning...you name it. But somehow my schedule makes it hard to be at the gym at a certain time. Nature is always there and to be frank, it's free. With the world economy plumming, it's nice to be able to save money on something.

I still walk 3 miles plus five days a week. Even though I haven't lost a lot of weight, my body feels....more lean.

But I dived into this project with a plan to loose weight, so to be able to do so, I have changed my diet. Again.

This is my "new" eating plan:

Breakfast: Fruit and yogurt sprinkled with chopped nuts.

Lunch: Home made vegetable soup (I bring it to work in a thermos) and a whole grain roll.

Dinner: Something healthy and good made from a lot of vegetables and mainly fish. I am cutting meat out from my diet now. I have wanted to do so for a long time. I really just needed an excuse to do it. My main concern is, am I getting enough calcium in my diet?

I will have to look a little closer into that.

A Little Progress

Posted by Pasta

I'm pleased to say I've lost 5 pounds in 5 weeks.

I started to have a new health problem -- one which can be exacerbated by being overweight. I've never had better, stronger motivation in my life.

I admit, I enjoy being fit because it is easier to move, but aside from that, I never felt my weight stopping me from doing anything or putting my health in jeapordy. Until now.

I'm going in for more surgery this Friday so I'm going to have to put the diet on hold for now, but it really has changed my outlook. Last surgery, I loaded up on chocolate and cheese because I wanted some comfort food. Now I look at that as "dis-comfort" food!

I'm still rooting for you Fio!

Is the cup half empty or half full?

Posted by Fio.

After six weeks of dieting, I'm still only down two pounds!
I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. I don't eat that much, and my love for fruit and vegetables should be giving me extra benefits, but no, no such thing as an extra benefit here.

For a while I was ready to blame it on pollution. I bet polluted air contain twice as many calories ad fresh air!
But then there would be more overweight people out there, don't you think?

I could choose to focus on the negative things here, but I won't.
Instead I will tell you what my 30 hikes and 100 miles in six weeks have taught me:

- I love the outdoors.
- Taking long walks with my dog is the best way to bond with him. We are best friends now.
- I think fresh air cleans my brains. I think so much better when I'm hiking and all the volume polluted air is not around me.
- Hiking makes me sleep better. You couldn't wake me with drum set if you wanted to.
- Hiking makes me appreciate good shoes. I love my hiking boots.
- I have a new appreciation for SPF 50 and sun block.
- I know more about water bottles than I ever imagined anyone would know, so I feel smarter.
- I'm pay more attention to the weather forecast than the news on TV. I know more about what goes on in the stratosphere than in Iraq now.
- The weather looks worse viewed from indoors. There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.
After three miles and a hot shower, I feel as good as new!

At a Crossroads

by Pasta

On the plus side, I've lost 2.5 pounds. It may not sound like much, but momentum is everything.

On the motivational side, I'm experiencing health problems (posterior tibial tendon dysfunction PTTD) that can be directly linked to being overweight.

The bad news
I have spinal problems ( a bugling disc and a herniated disc) that are aggravated by exercise. I had a chat with my physical therapist today and truth to tell, even water aerobics aggravates my spinal problems. I love my PT and my water aerobics class. I LOVED losing weight this week, but I don't have any idea on how to lose weight without exercise. Some well-meaning friends of mine suggested yoga. I've taken a year of yoga classes and I loved them, but I am not about to trust anyone with my neck unless their triple-approved.

Back to the bad news--my spinal doc said my options are
1. suck it up and live in anywhere from everyday discomfort to constant agony
2. convince my primary physician to prescribe some unidentified drugs
3. get surgery.

So I'm VERY motivated by my feet, but very discouraged by my neck. I'm certain I'm not the onl one. If you're reading this and can identify -- please comment below!