Healthy Habits Group?

[margaret]

Good to hear from you. i've been watching this thread and it has been quiet.

My progess is spotted. I missed nearly 2 weeks of rowing, but was glad when I got back onto the rower that I could pick up where I left off. I'm trying to work slowly back up to faster paces with the hope of setting some new PBs in late summer or fall. My last PBs were last August but I've slowed since then so that seems a reasonable goal. I'm only rowing 30 minutes at a time, and after all those 10k+ rows last winter, that feels pleasantly short.

I've also started walk/jogs, at least once a week. I'd like to use fitness walking for a large part of my exercise--I love walks so if I could pick up the pace enough that could suffice for aerobic exercise. But I haven't walked consistently enough to build speed, so now instead I'm slowly building up my jogging endurance--it will build up some of the same muscles, even if I only do it once a week. My goal is ultimately a 12 minute walking pace, but for now I'm happy to work up to a 2 mile jog by the end of summer. Being able to walk/jog for 2 to 4 miles will hopefully facilitate keeping up with my 4-year old on his bicycle so we can exercise together.

Unfortunatey, I've been grazing constantly , so I've gained back 12 pounds since fall. I'm discouraged by this. It's stress-induced, mostly around my move in March, but I'm still gaining. I need to reduce stress & handle it better. In the meantime I signed up for Weight Watchers online last night, but so far I haven't had time to download their guidelines, so I don't yet know if this will help me check my bad habits yet. Another goal--reach my ideal weight in half a year (conveniently my next birthday--it would make a nice gift to myself) . That's 20-25 pounds so it's doable if I can stick with good habits.

[efg]

That does sound like a great birthday present for yourself. I really like to walk too, but since I am home with the kids, I usually bring them out with me so we walk too sloooowly. Still, it's better than nothing. I can't jog - I don't like anything about it. Knees, ankles, and sides complain almost immediately. It's great exercise, though. I've seen it work wonders for others.

I find keeping track of everyhthing I eat helps control the grazing. I don't monitor amounts. I just list all the different items consumed. And when I do go for something that is just YUMMY, I am fully aware of it! I think it helps me appreciate occasional treats more. I've had a stressful few months recently, and rowing has really helped me get through it. I think it takes about a year to adjust to a move. It's great that you are still motivated to take care of yourself. It is easy to put your needs last when things around you are unsettled.

[C2Dreamer]

I am Susan. I would love to join this healthy group because I too have a desire to keep getting healthier. I bought my Concept2 2 years ago because I was working full time and going to school which made it very difficult to find time to walk or exercise. I was also sitting for most hours of the day which I knew was very dangerous for my health. I love rowing at 5 am almost as much as I love sleeping the extra 45 minutes. I am considerably overweight but have been losing steadily for the past 8 months. I am down 30 pounds. I have dreamed of rowing on the river for years and finally got up the courage to sign up for a training weekend. I still think I am too heavy but have been encourged by my family to do it anyway. I am so excited. The class begins next Friday, May 19th. I have been averaging 5,000 meters a day since the May 1st rowing season began. I always feel so good after I row.
Thanks for letting me share.
Susan

[jcmatthews]

Welcome,Susan! Congratulations on signing up for the on-water rowing experience. My husband and I used to row with a team, but since I moved away from the city I've been staying on dry land-- until we hit the lake in the kayaks we're planning, that is!

I ran my first race in many years last Saturday at the Stilwell Strawberry Festival. and actually won my age group. I had a friendly challenge out to my boss as to which one of us would come in first in the race, but he never even showed up at the starting line. He appeared in time to drive the hospital float in the parade, and he had a lame excuse about some incident with 15 gallons of spilled strawberries.

Now that the race is behind me,I can get serious about other training: running 4 days a week, working up my mileage in preparation for a November marathon, and rowing 3 days a week. I did 10,000m before bed last night. This evening is my weekly hill run-- along the country roads from my house to the lake shore and back.

[margaret]

efg, thanks for the encouragement. I like doing something active to celebrate every birthday when possible, because I can! So that will happen regardless of the weight loss, but it would be nice to get that behind me. For one thing, I'm never sure what size clothes to invest in.

I joined WW for 1 week and it did indeed give me that extra push I needed to check my overeating. I kept a food log, counted calories + WW points to compare the two, and met my goal for the first week, even without tons of exercise, just what I could squeeze in.

I'm not much of a jogger, but love walking & am trying to pick up the pace. Young kids has prevented a regular walking routine, but most weeks I can fit in one or two hour walks when my husband is home.

Susan--welcome. Your on-the-water class is tomorrow. Let us know how you like it. My first tast of rowing was in a 2 session community class--a real set of mismatched shapes & sizes--but we had a great coach and a great experience. I love your way of comparing rowing to sleeping in--almost as good --what an upbeat way to look at it. Congratulations on your amazing health accomplishments.

jcmatthews--congratulations on your run. Most of last year I only rowed, but now (with good weather) I'm adding in more brisk walks. It's easier prying myself out of bed to get outside in the early morning than to get on the C2. It helps that my walk is along a beach out of traffic. But the C2 is great when the weather & schedule don't cooperate, and I like to row consistenly enough to hop back on it anytime without losing speed.

My computer unfortunately is losing speed. I'll check in when I can.

[voodoogirl]

Hi

Haven't checked this thread for a while and see it's been quiet since mid-May. Well, it's that time of year, at least where I live, where things get busy with vacations and family and things get a bit quiet. But I'm rededicating myself to healthy habits so thought I'd post something.

I went on a 45th birthday trip mid-May (to Paris!) and while didn't do any formal exercise, we think we walked at least 5 miles a day. What was interesting was that despite eating a lot of great food, we didn't gain weight--there seems to be much less sugar in most of the food there, and portion sizes are far smaller. It set me up for my big and difficult goal of cutting all refined sugar and flour out of my diet (except on special occasions like family birthdays!). So far--after one week--I'm doing okay. What amazes me is how much it has helped what I thought were pretty chronic digestive issues. They have just about disappeared--reason enough to stick with. At the same time I'm trying to eat a diet balanced in protein and carbs with lots of vegetables. I'd like to lose at least 5 pounds but no action so far.

I'm also getting back to the gym (weights) and to rowing, and want to start walking much more actively. I finished rehabbing a bad knee in April and the doc says I can try running--my goal is to run in a 5K by next spring. As I've not tried it at all yet, I need to get going. Twenty years of no running--it will take some time to get up to 5K I think.

Susan's post about loving to row at 5:30am is very inspiring! I'm off to row now--I've been rowing 20 min at a time--my stamina hasn't been improving too well but I'll keep at it. Before the trip I was doing 30 min very regularly, and think within a week I'll be back to that. That's the plan.

Okay, thanks for listening, whoever is out there! And good luck to all of us this summer to meet our goals....

Laurie

[loonylady]

Laurie,
I've been rowing since Nov and have only lost a few pounds. I suppose if I stuck to my plan of cutting out the sweets all together, I might do a little better Anyhow, what my husband and I both found is that we have lost inches around our waists so maybe you are gaining muscle which I'm told weighs more than fat, and getting into better shape even though it is not showing on the scale. Good luck with your plan.

Carol

[voodoogirl]

Thanks Carol. I forget about that muscle weighs more thing. All I really want is to fit into my clothes the way I did last summer, so moving weight around is fine with me--it's the shaping and toning I'm after. Good reminder!

Laurie

[Hapa]

Hi Everyone!

Hope you're all doing OK with the summer months here. I decided to post since I've been talking myself into a need for comfort food to deal with work stress and trying to find a balance with everything going on with life. Trying to cook dinner and prepare a healthy lunch just seems like it's one more thing to try to figure out and it tends to fall lower on the priority list. So, here are my goals:

- prepare lunches and healthy snacks so I'm not as tempted by all the office candy
- limit eating out/ordering food to only three times a week
- after I take about a week off to give my shoulder a rest, erg at least 20,000 meters a week (on top of water practice), and do yoga three times a week

Good luck to everyone else!
Aiko

[LittleBit]

Hi to all Ducks!
My healthy habit plan has gone from too complicated to very simple & I think it is keeping me on track better. All I'm trying to do each day is at least 30 minutes of something to make me break a sweat! I am not picky about if it's walking, erging or walk/jog, so am trying to leave myself open options on the choice. Also if I feel like (and have the time) am doing longer C2 sessions. The walk/jog is in there as our area has a half marathon in October that I would like to do. Plus our Race for the Cure 5K is in September. Anyway, no progress on the scales, but am feeling better & some jeans fit a little better even after 2 weeks of my new "plan". Happy Quacking!
Catherine

[Wood_Duck]

Hi Everybody,

I have been absent for quite a while. My work load doubled this summer with lots of new responsibilities that I need to learn how to do... (Actually, for my first year I was given a lighter load. Now that I have survived my first year, I am now carrying the full load.)

As I result, I haven't had time to stay up with the boards. I took 16 days off rowing... Why is it easier to stop a habit? So I am getting back at it. I also have been eating way too much and way too many sweets.

I have lots of changes to make. 1) Back to rowing a minimum of 30 minutes a day, 2) writing down EVERYTHING I eat 3) making healthy choices of things to eat.

I read that Susan likes to row early in the morning. I used to row at 5:45 am but haven't in a while. I am in the eastern daylight time zone of the USA. I will email Susan to find out where she lives.

Let's keep working at living healthy!

The other Susan (AKA Wood Duck)

[voodoogirl]

Hey Susan

Good luck with all your challenges. I've been keeping an exercise logbook, and just started a food logbook, and find it really helps--especially if I write down how I feel after a few days of eating better and exercising. I can really track better moods, sleep, physical well-being through several weeks--and can see clearly how I feel worse when I "fall off the wagon." It helps my motivation to go back and look at it.

I'd love to row first thing in the morning, let me know how you motivate yourself to do that.

I've just set a huge challenge for myself (as I'm also very busy and have been rowing less)---I want to break 200K for the season by June 30th, which means I need to row about 6000m a day. I've been doing just over 4000, so I think if I just increase my rows from 20 to 30 minutes I can do it. I just seem to really get tired towards the end.

Hope everyone else out there is doing well with their habits!

Laurie

[romie]

Hi Girls
I'm all for heathly body healthy mind

I was very sedentry for over 10 years and overweight. I joined a gym 1 year and 4 months ago, it's been a slow but fantastic journey, I thought I'd have the body I'd always dreamed of within weeks, how wrong I was
I stayed the same weight for 8 months due to fat turning to muscle, I started rowing 8 months ago.

I fell in love... 'sob'... not with a man but with the rower, just as painful but I don't have to take it home . Anyway it's taken 1 year and 4 months of hard grind and determination but I've just hit lightweight and in all that time I've lost less than a stone, but gone done 4 dress sizes from UK16 to 10 (on a good day)

So don't depair if the weight isn't dropping off, just look at how everything fits and how your body is changing shape, thats the best measure of sucess (as well as destroying you PB's)
Keep focussed

[margaret]

Thanks for the reminder, romie, not just to watch the scale.

Due to some time constraints but mostly stress related to child-rearing, I haven't kept up with my goals. But I'm stubborn, which is a good thing in this case. I won't give up.

I've thought of a new way to attack my health goal. I'm already trying to keep a food log and exercise at least 30 minutes a day, most days. I also have a weight loss goal, which remains around 25 pounds. So I want to figure out how many calories are in 25 pounds, and my goal is to burn that many calories in exercise over the next 5 months. That's a lot of calories! But there's somethings about tracking numbers that helps motivate me. The catch is that we're moving in about a week, so I need to find a place to keep my chart where it won't get lost. And since consistency is part of my problem, I'll add a penalty (500 calories) to my goal for not keeping my food log for a day (I'd probably overeat by that much easily), or for missing exercise more than one day in a row (don't want my metabolism slowing down either!).

Of course how much I lose also depends on how much I eat, and I'm aiming for 1600 calories a day. I tried 1100 daily but then I couldn't share meals with my family, which is also important to me.

[Carole]

go for it Margaret ... I am pleased to announce that I have now lost 24lbs since I started my diet in March and 29lbs since the Europeans in Dec ...

there have been norti moments when I have had too much beer and snook a piece of cake or something but all in all steady away ... and IF I CAN DO IT ANYONE CAN .....


On the down side only 26lbs to go now to get where I want .... ahggg