Well, crap. I’m up .6 this morning. I’m really getting sick of gaining and losing the same three pounds.
Gained 1.5 pounds. I think it’s just general slacking, plus getting a bit half-hearted about walking since this cold snap slapped the Northeast into next week.
We joined a gym today. For a $59 startup and $10 a month. Not bad. We did a cardio workout before we came home: 30 minutes on the treadmill at 2.5 (for me…supervenusfreak (with his freakishly long stride) was doing 2.8). We originally got on ellipticals, because we’d heard so much about them, not realizing that we had gotten on the incline machines. Whew! My legs hurt within 1 minute of starting. We moved to the treadmills when we realized we would DIE before we finished any workout on those things right now.
I gained 1.2 lbs this week. I am not a happy camper. But I will move on.
Like Jayjay posted, we joined a gym. For $10 a month, it looks like a pretty good deal. No frills, no classes, just machines and instructions on how to use them. I did 35 minutes on the treadmill, burning 300+ calories. We’re going back tomorrow. Then we will be back on Thursday for some sort of training class, to show us how to use the machines. 
And again today. And learned new advantages to going out into the fresh air to exercise: sometimes you get to actually meet some of your neighbors! And their dogs!
I should have started this years ago. 
27 jan 07 check in: 142/135/120
Last week I was 138. No clue how that happened – I have not been good this week – but I’ll take it.
As is expected at this point post-op, my weight loss seems to have slowed considerably. I’ve lost 5lbs. this past month, for a total of 106.
I’m looking into joining a local gym, and getting more exercise. I don’t know if it will speed my weight loss up again, but I’m hoping I can do some toning, and avoid losing mucle instead of losing fat.
: pats the couch next to her : There, there, Katie. Come join me. At least we can share fat pants.
I’m ready. I got a treadmill a few months ago, but only used it sporadicly. I’m 60 years old and if I don’t lose some weight I’m goning to die.
I sent in a video and app to be on The Biggest Loser. Don’t really expect to be chosen. I’m too old.
So, I guess if I’m looking for help, I’ll have to find it myself.
I need daily reminders to put on my walking shoes and “Just Do It™”
Hubby has gained a few pounds in the last year too, so I’m shopping healthy.
He’s really not thrilled about dieting, so I’m trying to buy tasty low fat foods that he’ll eat. We both have portion size issues, so that can still be a problem.
He tends to sneak into the kitchen several times a night. He can drink 1/2 gallon of milk in a night. :rolleyes:
He’s a firefighter, so he get exercise. The problem is, he doesn’t believe he isn’t 20 anymore.
He also tends to try to sabotage my progress if he’s feeling deprived. He’ll “surprise” me with ice cream, or candy. I’ve managed to be strong lately and not eat it, but that means he eats it all, which I think is his goal in the first place.
Well, I’m just babbling now.
Hey, picunurse! Welcome to the party!
Just make sure you don’t “cheat” by gripping the handrails while you use the treadmill. That pretty much invalidates a LOT of the effort (and whatever accuracy those “calories burned” numbers on the treadmill actually have also goes right out the window).
Remember, when working out (either on the treadmill or with weights), the goal is to actually work out as a means of improving your physical condition, not to get the work done. It’s human nature to try to make things easier on ourselves, so if we think the goal is to spend 30 minutes on the treadmill at a specific belt speed, then hey, this sure goes by easier by supporting my weight on the rails… But that’s really not the point, of course, the point is to pump your heart rate up. And most of the effort of walking or running comes from bearing your weight during the activity.
Same goes for lifting weights. You see people all the time jerking with their backs and using momentum to swing weights up, to lift 35 lb. dumbells 12 times or something like that, while if they did it properly (slowly, while squeezing the muscles during the whole lift, both up and down), they probably would only be able to do 8 to 10 reps with 20 lb. weights. But they’re cheating themselves this way (and also opening themselves up to potential injury). The goal isn’t to say, “look, I lifted 35 lb. weights 12 times”. You want to work your muscles out, not just lift weights in the air.
Also remember to make it harder on yourself as it gets easier. 2.5 or 2.8 mph is a rather slow pace, so unless you’re injured or incapcitated in some way, I assume this is a “just starting out” pace. If 2 or 3 weeks later you’re no longer breaking a sweat 5 or 6 minutes into your treadmill time, guess what, you’re not really amping up your metabolism and getting into better shape… Just maintaining the shape you’re currently in.
Well, I weigh 420 pounds, so 2.5 was breaking quite a sweat. When I was doing it with the heart monitor it kept dropping it down around 1.5…that’s not doing anything, and it’s actually harder to keep from getting swept off when you’re walking so slowly you can barely keep your balance. So I turned it to manual and just kept ramping up to the point that felt like I did when I was walking on the sidewalk.
Very good advice robardin. The only time I touched the handrails was when I was measuring my heart rate.
Trust me. I was bearing my weight on the treadmill. That was just a small start for me here. Tomorrow the speed and time will be faster and longer.
Finally, some actual weight-loss! I weighed in this evening at 176, down 1.6 since last week. I’ve been between 177 and 180 for the past two months. One week up, the next week down, then up, then down, but never below 177. And the losses were always in fractions, never a full pound at once. But now I feel like I’ve finally gotten past a major plateau.
I’ve also caught up to Mr. Cee, who is doing WW with me, in terms of pounds lost. It is so much easier doing this together, as I’m sure jayjay and supervenusfreak can attest to.
206.4/176/155
That’s really great, KayElCee! I know what frustration you went through, I’m in exactly the same boat.
I did 5 big minutes on the treadmill. Everyone has to start somewhere… :rolleyes:
Indeed. 5 is a great start. Up it a little every day.
Well, it’s five minutes more than you were doing, right? So, do five minutes a day for a few days, then, like Khadaji said, up it. But I would’t recommend taking it up in big increments. Increasing it by five minutes might not seem like much, but it’s double what you’re doing now, and may feel overwhelming. So bump it up to six. Get used to that, and go up to eight. Y’know, slow and steady. But keep at it, and you’ll get there!
Officially back down to 180 this morning. I’m so pleased. Finally lost those five pounds I gained over the holidays! I’ve tried to look at it positively in that at least I didn’t gain those five pounds at my starting weight (190). Fitting nicely back into the size 12s now.
That is a really good start! :). Keep with it there!
I had to run before but wanted to add that five minutes is definitely a start, picunurse. I remember when I started out and doing 15 minutes was like hell. Now I can go 30-45 minutes no problem, but I didn’t get there overnight. The key is to work your way up slowly, as has already been pointed out. You want to push yourself, but not to the point that you hurt yourself or are too stiff to get back on the next day. I agree with the suggestion that you add a minute at a time. Personally, I still find that first five minutes the hardest. Once I get past that mark I do much better for some reason. I also find it’s important to keep my mind occupied while I’m on the treadmill. My awesome husband hooked up a TV with cable for me in the treadmill room and that really helped. Music is good too. Anything to keep your mind off the clock. Keep up the good work! If I can do it, anyone can.