The Fitness Thread

Your excuse sounds more like a REASON to me. Exercise right now might not be beneficial to what is going on with your sciatic nerve, so it's smart to lay low for a little while. Try lifting smaller items like carrots, pop chips, and grilled chicken burgers instead. I won't tell you to lay off the beer because I sure as heck wouldn't. Make some plans/goals for after your surgery/Thanksgiving when you're feeling physically better and able to move around more without that yucky pain.

 

@Marlin Perkins That sounds all too familiar to me! I can identify with the sciatic nerve pain and how defeating it can be. (I hope your surgery goes smoothly and the recuperation is quick). Honestly, I think you hit the nail on the head with "I lost my motivation". I think we can all relate to losing steam and falling back into old habits (Lord knows I have), but there's always a new opportunity for starting again. However, that will require not only a choice to do so, and not only action to make it happen, but probably most importantly, consistency. That is KEY, I have learned. I feel it in my painting/art, my food choices, my efforts to work out, my communication in my relationships... I can see how the changes and growth I wish to see happen can only happen when I see it through every single day. Especially through the most difficult of times wherein I am tempted to lose focus and give in. Not that we can ever hope to be perfect, life isn't about being perfect, but just learning to be honest with ourselves. And that's another thing I have started to understand... in order to really change, to see a change in our behavior patterns, we must first be honest with ourselves... about our motivation for why we do what we've always done, why we want to change in the first place, what we know it will take to make the changes, and that sometimes we just really need help from someone who cares enough to push us, to hold us accountable, etc. I just want to encourage you that you are not alone in the fight to find motivation. And that we are all here to support you, challenge you, to show that someone cares very much that you see your commitment through. You can do it! And also, it can be right now. Just start with small steps. Don't look too far ahead into the future, where your goals loom large. Focus on what you can do today that will put you on the path to where you want to be.
Also, thank you very much for your honesty and vulnerability! (That goes for all of you...) you are more inspiring than you know, simply by sharing your story, right where you are at in this moment.

 

^^^^^What she said^^^^^^

Not only did I *somehow* manage to motivate myself about food Tuesday; I got myself out of bed an hour early and started cleaning my room. Let me explain, every time we have a quick clean job (due to unexpected company or something) everything goes in my room. It was so out of hand that there was only a path to the bathroom! Having so much fun traveling kind of put it low on my list of priorities. What does this have to do with fitness? Plenty! I was lying in bed in the mornings not wanting to look at the mess. My self-esteem/attitude was plummeting.
I have continued this pattern of spending an hour in my room before anything else every morning this week. I can actually see some progress. This boost in motivation has improved my outlook on everything. I exercise everyday, I make lists, I am nicer to my husband. AND!!!!!! When I got on the scale this AM I was at 131.2! Those 120's are so close I can taste them. (Figuratively speaking of course)

Marlin Perkins,
I would wait until after surgery. Hopefully your doctors will have some helpful hints to get you on your way as well. There are very few health problems that good eating habits and weight loss do not help. Holidays are generally not a good time to take on food control but I have done it. The elation I felt when the Holidays were over and I had not overindulged was inspiring. It kept me going for months.
Let us know how things are going. Good and not-so-good. We are here for you.

 

@iamsally Love love LOVE it! A little bit every day goes such a long way.

 

I want to thank all of you for your kind words of support. @PNWTigger @iamsally @Rivkah86
You don't know me, yet you have reached out through cyberspace and touched my heart in a very human way. Years ago, before I ever got too involved with Facebook, I was frequent on the LP discussion boards. And, for the longest time, it was my go-to for friendly interaction. Somehow, that kind of changed over time. But, this interaction with you all reminded me of how things were back then. So, I want to thank you for keeping that little flame going here. Still, I'd like to offer a Facebook invitation to you all and I'll post info on my LP profile if you care to look me up. If not, I understand and I'll still see you from time to time on LP anyway.
I agree with everything you guys have said. Every moment counts--It's true in losing weight, staying healthy, and in life! I've often thought of weight loss on a "daily basis." It's so easy when you stuff yourself with chips and beer to say, "Oh well, tomorrow's a new day." And, while that's true enough, I think what we should say is, "I made a mistake just now, and I'm going to do better."
I lost quite a bit of weight before. I think what helped me most was staying in "the zone," or "consistency" as Rivkah mentioned. It's a continuous thing. If I was wanting something to eat, like a hankerin' for something, I'd access my hunger level. Is it hunger or a craving? It was usually just a craving. So, I'd redirect my mind and stay busy with other things. As long as I stayed consistent, it was in fact, my new way of life. I also found that if I was hungry, it wasn't the end of the world. I could survive a few hours without stuffing my face. The hunger really was never that intense.
I would weigh myself at the same time every day (since I know my weight fluctuates throughout the day) and I would write it down. As I looked at my little chart, it gave me great hope and satisfaction, that, even though I wasn't anywhere near my goal, I was at least progressing. I looked at my initial weight and where I was on this particular day, and I could give myself a hardy pat on the back--quite literally, I could reach around and touch my back!
Anyway, I am looking forward to the completion of my surgery and being able to, once again, DO some stuff! God, I get tired of sitting around. I'm going stir crazy. So, thanks again, everybody. I appreciate you....

 

I miss those good ol' days on LP too! Back then, I was just a kid, and was shy to get too involved in discussions and really be a part of the community, but now that I have over a decade under my belt here on LP, it seems I have missed a good chance, back when the boards were super dynamic and active. However, at any point, it really is what you make it. So I am especially grateful to have meaningful conversations here with ya'll. @Marlin Perkins you are doing exactly what you need to do at this point, and that's enough! I appreciate being apart of this family... truly a bunch of great people.

 

A neat thing. Last year I would go to the gym and slide the scale to 150 hoping to hear a "clunk". Most of the time it would; but a few times it kind of swayed there. The scale in the ladies locker room at the local gym has been broken since I started this weight loss and is now totally gone. (Kind of bugs me cuz we ladies like to keep track of our weight in private; not out on the floor with the body builders.)
So, anyway, I have not been able to weigh myself at the gym. Last week we were at another gym and I got on their scale and set it to 140 and *CLUNK!* Whoopee! I was 133 in the evening with clothes and shoes and having just drunk water.

 

Way to go, @iamsally! I found that the scale could be my BFF in the whole wide world or a miserable-no-good-%&*@#. Remember the good old bathroom scales with a little adjuster wheel?

 

You can still get those. I bought one for my daughter's upstairs bathroom. I weighs a good 5 pounds low so if I want to be honest; I have to make that adjustment.

 

I have to post that I saw 130.6 this AM. Oh gosh those 120's are getting close. Please do not let me blow it.(Praying hands)

On another note: I was excited to see the scale back in the locker room at the gym yesterday. Until I got on it and weighed about 102 pounds. They have not fixed it at all.

 

Great work @iamsally ! Truly inspiring

 

Keep up the great work @iamsally ! Sooo close to the 120's...can you taste the victory yet??

 

Well, 130.6 is one of those morning lows. My actual weight is more between 131 and132. But yes, I am feeling the pull.
On the other hand, last night we went out for our anniversary and had fajitas, chips and salsa and a volcano cake dessert. Yummy and well deserved but now I will have to spend all week making up for it.

 

We took off for the mountains after the election to decompress. We took the RV to our son's 22 acres and had a "no political talk" pact among us. They did not want to dwell on it either. We did not get in a lot of exercise but did do some good walks and spent hours hunting mushrooms. They eat really well so that was not a problem but we did overindulge with the wine and rum and other stuff that is almost legal now. So, I was worried.
But! Got on the scale this AM to 130.0. And I had accidentally drunk some water so that is a few ounces heavy. Something to be happy about.

 

I'm glad you had a good decompression. I think wine is essential to that...hehe!

 

Thanks, I am trying to get back to some sort of "normalcy" but I have a brain that does not shut up.

 

I felt the same way, but, then I finally realized that I did everything that I could do to prevent what I consider a major, major mistake. I was relieved and bolstered by the thought that I no longer have to justify anything anymore. If Hillary had been elected we know that all we would have heard for the next 4 years was about crooked Hillary and those freaking e-mails. Extremely crooked Donald pays off all the people suing him for fraud and a million dollar fine and he is worthy of our trust and admiration. The point is that nothing in this entire cycle makes any sense at all. Those of us that possess any common sense at all are not able to formulate any type of reason why this is happening. It is as if this country needed to be taught a lesson and this is it.

We have done everything we can do, we voted to not have that happen, but, others voted differently. We strongly feel based on plain old common sense that this is unexplainable, yet it happened. So the best we can do is monitor the situation become very vocal, not just on a discussion board, but, with the government and voice our beliefs if they clash with any moral outlook that we might possess. This is not the time to hang our heads and just accept what our future will be. We have to accept who was elected President under our system of government. We need to respect the Office of the President, but, we do not need to respect, support or honor the person that was put in that office. He is expendable, the office is not.

 

^^Very well stated.^^
Mental health is definitely part of fitness. We cannot dwell on what we cannot change but what we can.
I will not blow my physical health by letting circumstances beyond my control take up rent-free space in my head.

 

Yeah, I know it gets harder to post about health and fitness and especially weight loss as the Holidays move on. But this is a safe place to both report or confess, right?
Rod and I went to our son's mountain house for Thanksgiving so that they could visit his wife's family for Thanksgiving. Once chores were done there was little to do besides sit by the fire listening to music and eat and drink. (We did do some hiking and just the walk down to the goats was pretty hefty.) Perhaps, that is what saved us.
On the way there we were starving; and driving through Clear Lake we found the sidewalks roll up at 6. We finally found a Foster's Freeze still open (barely, they turned away the customers right after us) and since I had been craving a hamburger indulged in that and split a small fries and small chocolate shake. What a start! We bought a turkey breast at Trader Joe's and a whole pecan pie which we managed to finish before getting home. Oh, and I had made a quart of homemade eggnog. Most of the time we did well though; just binging in the evenings.
I wasn't going to get on the scale but I did this morning, with PJ's on, and was only up a pound. Next week we will spend in Death Valley with lots of hiking and only the food we take with us. So all in all; I think things are shaping up for a fit Christmas.
Blessings to you all.

 

129.4!!!!!!