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Post Info TOPIC: Time for Summer Shedders!


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Time for Summer Shedders!
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A big thank you to Light for reminding me about the "My Plate" tool at Livestrong.com!  It's an awesome tool for tracking calories eaten and burned.  It's FREE and so easy to use.  The search food function always turns up the very thing I've eaten, or something very close.  I do my best and don't worry about stray calories here or there that I either over or under reported.  Tracking my fitness is a strong motivator to work out, even when I don't feel like it.  Plus it's very satisfying to "earn" more calories!  I've been doing it 2 weeks and lost 4 pounds, even though I set my goal to lose 1 pound per week.  It helps me make good decisions about food as well, substituting a healthier choice for that handful of chips!

http://www.livestrong.com/myplate/

Thanks again, Light!  I love it!!!


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I started working out regularily last fall after I had H1N1 and pnuemonia. I bought a "The Firm" workout video, whole body workout in an hour or 20 minute quick workouts. I have lost just over 60 pounds, but am stuck for several weeks now hovering just above 200#. After Dallas and Atlanta I just have not taken the time every day to do the weight lifting workout. I am walking 2 miles almost every day with my neighbor. Going to have to look over that web page.

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wow, Liz, that's a wonderful accomplishment :)

Glad to have been of assistance, KK :) I love the site and find I do much better when I'm logging in regularly over there.



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Yes, even though I log in and it's personal, I feel accountable. And when I'm hungry I can check out my options, sometimes just by varying the portion. Really, Light, it's been SO helpful!

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Wow, Libby!  60 lbs.  Good on you!

 
I love the Livestrong site and used it a year ago when I lost 20 lbs.  Unfortunately, about 17 stress-eating pounds came back, but I finally got motivated and lost 7 lbs in the past two weeks.  The graph going steadily down is a big motivator.

Karen, be careful entering your exercise.  It gives you a lot of extra bonus calories. I found I lost much more quickly when I just stuck to the suggested calories and  did the exercise without recording it.

One thing that's helped me is not eating after 9pm.  I'm a night owl  and it helps me to focus on ignoring food cravings when I'm up late.  I always have a glass of skim milk before bed, and I just decide that's enough.



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Don't worry, just because I earn the calories doesn't mean I eat them.  I really only eat when I'm hungry, but portion control is a big factor for me.  And making good choices.  I like the fitness counter because it motivates me to "record" what I've done -- no excuses!

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I'm with you- I stick to the calories recommended (well, for the most part- there are days I go over but on those days I have to pay my pennance on the exercise bike :P ) and use the logged exercises to bring me below the count, but particularly to make me accountable. I find it helps a LOT to plan out the day's calories so that I know how much wiggle room I have when I decide I want something particular for one of the meals.

I do like the weight graph, too, where I can watch my progress... but it's all so much easier than the little calorie counter books I used to carry around :P

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I was in bed bath & beyond last weekend and saw this fat book with all the calories of every food out there.  bleh!  I remember those!  What a drag!  doh This is so very simple.

Light, I do the same thing.  I just entered what I'm about to eat for b-fast and the lunch I prepared for later.  I have limited access to food while I'm working, but we'll see how this goes over the summer when I have free and easy access to my own fridge!  At least I won't have the teachers' room to contend with over the summer.  At this time of year, folks are bringing in leftovers from weddings, graduations, cook outs, you name it!  One woman has a son who works at the Cheesecake Factor and mama mia, save me from those babies!!!  I'd have to bike a triathalon to burn a slice of that off!


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Those staff goodies can be killers.  All resolve seemed to go out the window at 3:00 when energy was at the lowest, and we 'deserved' a treat after a particularly rough day.

One school I was at used to announce over the PA, "Nutrition Workshop in the Staffroom" at recess when goodies arrived!

It was great to see the graph on MyPlate head down another half pound this morning!  If it would ever quit raining here, I'd like to resume my walking plan.


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Lib, ......... Light, your success with weight loss is wonderful. 

Something is wrong with my scale.  It's stuck.  It won't go below  %#!!*  for love nor money!


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Meggie, I like that announcement- that's great :) And LOL Ruffles...

KK, I do better when I'm at work, too, because I don't have access to food and stick to my food plan as entered in the morning before work... since I have a 45 minute ride home and don't like to eat too late, I pack both lunch and dinner and enter the entire count for the whole day before I leave. But on days when I'm home and want a snack, I make myself go to the site and trade something I've got on there for the calories of what I'm wanting to eat. More times than not, I decide I don't want it yet and will plan the following day's food to include what I was wanting instead. The tough days are the ones I spend over in Tampa, away from the computer food log ins and away from my exercise equipment and dvd's. This last time I brought a cassette player and walking tape with me :)

Meggie, it's too bad the rains are keeping you from your walks- you might want to pick up one of Leslie Sansone's "Walk away the pounds" exercise dvd's. They are indoor walking and provide a brisk workout without the need for a treadmill. I enjoy the one I have... I rotate thru my different exercise tapes so the muscles don't get used to the same routines and find Sansone's walking, the Biggest Loser Bootcamp and the Core Secrets exercise ball dvds to be my favorites.

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Thanks for the suggestion, light.  I have a treadmill but rarely use it.  I'd much rather sew or do other things when I'm inside, and if it's nice, there's grass t cut or projects in the garden.  I find I have 'company' the minute I put on a tape or DVD so have about given that up.  I have an old Sweatin to the Oldies VCR tape that I like, but it's an hour that I don't seem to have (excuses, excuses.....)
My walking buddy will be finished school in a couple of weeks and we'll kick it into high gear them.  We were doing 3 1/2 miles several times a week last year and hopefully, we'll get back to that soon.

Ruff, give the scale a good shake.  It helped mine after the  16lb cat kept jumping off the hamper onto it.  chew.gif  donut.gif  chew.gif



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I completely understand the choice between sewing/yard work/gardening and the choice to exercise. I log the yardwork in but can't seem to justify sewing as exercise ;) And I had to laugh at your "company" joining you when you put on your exercise tapes- my cat Callie joins me as soon as she hears the music come on, sits and waits for the initial moves and then as soon as she has a chance, she's either on my back or sitting on my chest to provide weighted push ups or weighted crunches, LOL. I can forget those tapes for now or learn to turn off the volume ;)

The Sansone walking tape I have wasn't expensive, is available at either Target or Walmart (do you have those up there?) and has 4 different routines on it, varying from a quick 20 minute walk for when I don't have much time, up to an hour routine. It's nice to have options. I love the exercise ball too, and have 4 tapes I rotate thru but those are the ones Callie has recognized the music to :P

Have to laugh at the thought of your BIG kitty jumping from the hamper to the scale. Mine just sits on it- about the time I want to weigh in the morning :P Aren't they funny critters? :)

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LOL, light, my 'company' has two legs, not four.  The four-legged ones can go outside or be shut in the kitchen.

We have Walmart.  I think they're everywhere on earth within a 5 mile drive.  Target is a road trip to WA of about 20 miles, but something that is on my list for the next few weeks.



-- Edited by meggie on Thursday 3rd of June 2010 12:58:17 AM

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Wrong about Walmart -- NONE around here! I'm so jealous of the rest of the country! I think they need a certain amount of square footage and everything around here is too built up. There's a Target, but it's up 2 highways and a bit of a drive. I just don't buy stuff, lol!

Our old cat Tiger used to come lay by me when I was done working out and doing my stretching exercises. Now Kayla, all 75 pounds of her, likes to come snuggle as close as she can when I'm doing floor exercises. But she is a GREAT walking companion.

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Hmmm......I figured pushing the lawn mower, digging and planting, hauling the hose and other things,  counted as exercise.  My yard isn't level either.  There are 14 steps that go down to the lower back level.  I'm outside doing something daily, unless it's too wet. 

Maybe I should go check out some tapes at the library.



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Your yard is huge and all the work you do keeping it lovely is certainly exercise.  Just shake the scale!

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I counted all the yard work and gardening that I did last weekend on the fitness counter and it does add up.  My problem is that all that exercise and fresh air makes me wicked hungry so I end up eating more.  Ruff, working your yard is the best exercise AND it's getting something done.  I wish I could power my tv with my exercise bike so it felt like I was being useful, lol!

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My problem with exercise is that I become bored with it.  Yard work is a major motivator for me.  If errands are necessary, I try to structure them in a way that produces a lot of walking......park at the wrong end of the parking lot or mall and then walk briskly with a purpose.  It's hilly here.  A neighborhood walk is easy at first because it's down hill, but then it is necessary to turn around and come home.  Now that's a workout right there plus the neighbors flowers are nice and the sunset is lovely. 

Do you think I could borrow the cat?  I'd like to hold him (her?)  and if I happen to step on the scale then , Oh well!  Then later when I step on the scale again, it will be so much nicer!  *grin*


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Jazz says he'd love to come and visit.  Shall I send him collect?

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Absolutely!

Hmmm.....Wonder if Sammie has thought of this.  She could go national with her cat sitting.  People could ship their cats to her while they are gone on their vacations.  She could work right out of her home. 

Jazz may need to do a bit of dieting upon his return.  There's an ongoing convention of the chipmunks extended family association in my yard. 



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