Member123

Size isn't only about height and weight. It is also about body proportion. My waist has always been large in proportion to my hips. I am pretty much straight up and down. If it fits in the waist, I have to have the hips taken in. Occasionally, I can find a designer who cuts for my figure which is the opposite of most women. It always annoys me who someone who is much heavier than me by 20 lbs or so can take the same size because she has a little waist.

Also sizes have changed in the past 40 years. When I was 112 lbs. and 5'6", I took a size 12. At 123-125, I take a size 10-12. When I weighed 118-122, I wore size 8-10. The smallest size years ago was 8 or 6. Sizes like 4, 2 and 0 did not exit. This has been confirmed in a magazine, but don't remember which one.

I know this is off-topic to dress rental, but I have the same body type! Would you share any designer that you have found that is your go-to for being able to fit?

On-topic, this is the reason why I don't think I could rent a dress because, unlike the men's tuxes which usually come with an alteration, it appears that you have to fit into these rental dresses without alterations. Am I correct about this? I have the same issue with my waist NOT being 10" smaller than my hips, for goodness' sake. Look at any size chart and it makes me crazy; if I fit into my waist measurement, the hips fit shows at least 4" bigger than I am... conversely, if I fit into my hips measurement, the wasit is usually 2" smaller than I am, at least. It's absolutely maddening.

Yes, I exercise, ZUMBA! Which is probably why my hips and my ribcage have actually gotten even smaller in relationship to my waist.

Jo, Rob, Oscar, and Emily,

Delightful. Absolutely brilliant.

Loved your vacation. But, especially loved the attitude that you brought to the experience. Emily, eating a pizza slice in Rome... very memorable don't you think? Oscar, I think you really love gelato and ice cream!

It will be a gap in my day to have these lovely videos end. Vacation time is just too short, isn't it?

Rob, there are so many on here who were not only entertained by the videos but also amazed at the professional quality of the final product! I've seen so many of these "videos" that are really nothing more than a fast slideslow... and the horrible nature of the jerky panning is enough to make your eyes twitch for minutes after viewing. Would you PLEASE consider starting a thread in the Photos Discussion area for those of us who would be your avid students? I would love to know the EXACT model of the camera you used; what classes you may have taken or books you may have read; what software you are using; what challenges you have overcome. I will be honest with you and tell you that I never thought about purchasing a video camera until I saw these videos! And now I woud rush right down and purchase a camera before our cruise in October!

I think the discussion of the video, rather than the cruise, wouldn't be appropriate for this section of the messages board, and might not be appreciated by the people merely looking for Celebrity cruise information. So, again, please consider starting a thread for us who would hang on your every word!

Good job!

Hi, Kim,

You are just so much more spontaneous than I am! Isn't that funny, because being retired (and all), you'd think that I would have an open schedule. But the fact is that, being retired (and all), I do so much planning that I end up not really being able to be spontaneous!

So, as Anita explained, we've scheduled ourselves out for almost the remainder of this year. I'm getting to meet my brother and his family in San Diego for a few days (this is news to Anita!), and hopefully I can meet other friends who live in the area, as well. Then, we're cruising from Boston to Tampa at the end of October and flying from Tampa to Houston to spend Thanksgiving holiday time with Anita. Home after that... to have our Christmas and Anita is hostessing an in-law Christmas this year.

Then, we get to celebrate the BIG birthday in March, which is the Mariner out of Galveston on 3/11/12. It turns out that we had the "price fairy" on our side with that trip because we booked it before RCCL realized that is was a Spring Break week! We have some of the BEST prices that I've ever seen for even a week's cruise, much less a Spring Break cruise.

Then, DH and I are celebrating our 30th anniversary by going to Bermuda for a week in June.

Whew.

Then... we have plans to celebrate DH's birthday at the end of 2012.

It's really kind of funny that we got to meet IRL because I haven't even met my neighbors yet and they moved in 18 months ago! It's a funny story because these people have a home here and in Alaska. It seems that every time they come here to stay, they arrive about a day after we leave for a trip. And then they leave a few days before we get back. Hmmmm. we've only "met" them once to just exchange names so I don't think that they have this grand plan. Maybe at the end of this year they will stay here enough around Christmas that we can actually visit for a while over snacks and some wine. Hopefully.

It would be great fun to meet and a BLAST to go on a cruise together. But I think it's going to take some major planning. And schedule tweaking.

Hi, Kasi & Donna!

Donna, I didn't realize that you were on a 2-weeks (!!) cruise. What was your itinerary? I can't imagine doing Zumba in a theatre... what was that like? I believe that the reason that you only gained a modest amount of weight... and 3 lbs is NOTHING for a cruise with all the increased food and drinks comsumption and all those sweet temptations... anyway, I believe that it just points to the change in lifestyle that means that you are on a healthy, healthy path... not a weight loss or diet intense state of being... but just a paying attention to diet and exercise and your body will settle into its natural state of being with more lean muscle mass and less body (visceral and subcutaneous) fat. Such a great feeling.

Kasi, I think that high pressure medication is one of those that makes your body retain water. I did just a small amount of reading on the subject and it seems that the majority of those medicines might do that... you have to have some very specific ones that don't... if it turns out that the doctor is hesitant to remove you completely from the medication, then do share the fact that you're exercising as much as you are and your body isn't responding quite the way you want... there might be an alternative formula that would be better for you. Just a thought.

I know what you mean about going to class versus trying to Zumba at home. It really isn't the same; and I didn't think that I was much of a class person, actually. But, I look forward to so many things that are part of the Zumba class experience... love my instructor... love the music and love doing the moves.. love saying "hi" to various people in class and miss them when they don't show up... love flashing a smile to "friends" in the class during a particularly fun song... love saying "bye" to people and making promises to see them next class time! Love all of that. You can get a portion of the good feelings by just having the music and moving your body... but not as much of the "happy" feeling as being with people who are also having fun doing what they're doing...

Donna, I'm looking forward to a Caribbean cruise coming up this October. We're going to sail from Boston, Massachusetts through the Caribbean islands to Tampa, Florida. We'll see ports: Aruba, Barbados, Curacao, St Thomas, St Kitts, St Lucia, Cozumel, Costa Maya. I'm really excited to be going! I've got several shore excursions planned that involve catamaran sailing, beach days, island touring, etc. Just a lot of fun, I know.

Kasi, did you see on the other thread about Zumba on Royal Caribbean ships that a person got a response from the corporate office that they are trying to put together a Zumba offering on board? I sure hope that they put Zumba into more of the "fitness" category and less of the "dance" category. I think that they have trouble with some of the Zumba license requirements, etc. and so they try to get around that by offering salsa, merengue, etc. classes from the dance instructors. So take a look at the Daily Planner for those... but I don't think they'll be the same intensity as a true Zumba fitness class... because I don't think that they'll get the people to sweat during a dance class like they would during a true fitness class. But, maybe something is better than nothing?

Donna, so good to have you back!

There is an effect in a science experiment where a variable has to be introduced to account for the fact that there is an experiment going on... I can't recall the scientific name given to that effect. It has something to do with altering behavior because you are paying attention to the behavior... can't remember.

Anyway, I thought that I was having some problems with sleep quality, so I've been doing some reading about how to improve the quality of your sleep.... etc.... and the fact is that ever since I've been doing research, well, I've been getting horrible sleep! Now, I don't know if I'm just paying attention more and realizing how bad my sleep quality has become... or... if my sleep quality has become worse because I'm paying attention to it.

Nevertheless, I'm tired. And, for the first time, I simply didn't go to a Zumba class on Tuesday evening. Then, I went to a Zumba class yesterday morning and... wow... it totally kicked my butt. I just can't go that long between classes... from Saturday morning to Thursday morning. I don't know how people do it who only go a few times a week, unless they also do some form of exercise in between. Anyway, I felt like I was working so hard and gulping air! I felt like I had a tight band around my chest and I was FREAKING out... until I realized that I had put on a sports bra and the band was sitting tight across my chest, which was a feeling that I wasn't used to because my athletic top had been tight enough that I didn't really need the sports bra. LOL.

So, I'm definitely going to my class this morning. We'll see how I feel.

Ever since I started paying attention to my calorie intake and varying it from day to day, I've been on a yoyo... up...down...up...down. It's been weird. I'm not talking about small fluctuations... my scale actually weighs to the 1/10th of a lb... so almost 2 lbs up... 2 lbs down.... 1.6 lbs up... 1.4 lbs down. Weird. Anita says... sodium... more than likely. So, I'll pay attention to that more. I also think sugar has something to do with it. And, I'm not saying sugar from glucose (white bread, white rice, simple sugar, pastries because I don't eat those), but more like lactose (dairy.. milk, yogurt, cheese).

Kasi! I love the idea of you dressing up in your Zumba-gear. It's so fun to see the ladies wearing ZUmba clothes to class; I get a kick out of the fun colors. Just a little thing makes so much difference... even the Zumba bracelets that jingle, jingle as you walk to the class from the parking lot. Whatever it takes to set the mood, get your motivation up, and your heart happy. I think having a closet full of Zumba clothes is a great affirmation!

Donna, where are you?

Anita, are you busy sharpening your knives?

:D:D:D

I'm going to have to think about this a lot more, but I can tell you my initial impression about warm weather vs cool weather cruising. You know, at first blush, you think that you need a LOT more clothes for cool weather cruising, but I'm thinking that the opposite is more likely true... you need more clothes for warm weather cruising. For example, it appears in the analysis of this wardrobe, that you would be wearing the same clothes on the shore excursion and into the dining room for the evening, right? I mean, even though you might change your daily outfit into something different for the evening... at some point, you will we wearing the skirt or pants that you would wear on the shore excursion into the dining room one evening.

You just can't do that on a warmer weather cruise. For example, the sundress that is ideal to wear on a catamaran because it's made out of swimsuit fabric... that just can't go into the dining room if you want to be comfortably attired and "appropriate" in the evening.

It's interesting. I thought that cooler climate cruising was so much more complicated than warmer climate cruising. But, I tell you, I'm now thinking the opposite.

Plus, sorry, but ladies wear heels on board ships all the time! Especially into the dining room!

Gotta think on this one a little bit more.

Intrigued by this conversation. For a couple of reasons. One is that losing the inches that I've lost through Zumba has made my wardrobe something of a challenge. The clothes that I bought for my last trip are looking really baggy on me right now. So I have another shopping trip... and let me tell you... I thought my LAST shopping trip would last me through the next two cruises! Another reason is, of course, the ability to pack more conservatively which helps so much with the luggage requirements, etc. Although I think that there will always be a legitimate reason to overpack; i.e., especially if you practice the 50/50 luggage-sharing principle to be able to have something to wear in the event that you have a luggage issue with the airline.

So I went through my packing list for the last cruise, which was lengthy. Two days in Ft Lauderdale, followed by 14 nights at sea, followed by a day in Barcelona, followed by 6 nights at sea, followed by 3 days in Venice. Packing for temps ranging from 50's to mid-70s, and actually experienced more 70s to mid-80s! Packed for rain... no rain. Had to pack for special events; i.e., formal nights... 3 on the first cruise...1 on the second. Just a lot of STUFF.

So, I did it with 9 bottoms (jeggings, pants, skirts)... 13 tops... 5 jackets/sweaters... 2 dresses... 3 cocktail dresses...

It would be interesting to be able to get that bulk reduced! So I'm off to read the blog and see what information I can glean from it.

My next effort is going to be in October. 2 days in Boston, followed by 14-nite cruise in Caribbean, B2B so a 5-nite leg in Southern Caribbean, followed by a flight to Houston and an extended stay that will last for a few weeks. Can do laundry both on ship and in Houston, but the Houston temps and Boston temps will be much lower than the Caribbean temps. So, hopefully this blog will get my creativity pulsing so I can figure this out with minimal luggage!

So, you're saying that you weren't the sharpest knife in the drawer? :p NO, you're saying that you didn't HAVE the sharpest knife in the drawer. I get it. LOL. But, if you didn't have the sharpest knife in the drawer then maybe you ALSO weren't the sharpest knife in the drawer... trailing off, and stopping. But, still laughing because your story made me laugh... in a good way. It's usually the little things that absolutely trip us up. We don't pay a bill, not because we don't have the money but because we don't have a stamp. Well, that was back in the "old days," before on-line banking. We don't send back a return for refund, not because we don't have the return UPS sticker label or the box... but because we don't have the tape to get the box closed. We don't do a load of laundry because we have a stain on one of the items and we don't have stain remover, so we wait on the whole load. All these little things... and they just keep adding up, until our CORTISOL LEVELS ARE OFF THE CHART! I know how this is.

So, just because this calorie thing and exercise thing has turned a corner for me because of the fact that I am EATING MORE, I have to post here and tell everyone about it.

What a puzzle! You would think that if you exercise more and eat less that you would be doing yourself a double favor, right? But, apparently, the body doesn't operate in that way. I encourage everyone to take a look at the previous math and do some calculations to figure out if you are eating appropriately to your healthy lifestyle.

When I did my first calculations, I followed the age-old wisdom of calorie reduction. I am battling a few things: one being a sluggish thyroid due to the goiter surgery, etc. So, from research, I "think" that my metabolism is reduced by 10%, meaning that if a normal thyroid function calls for 3500 calorie reduction to lose a pound, that I would actually have to reduce by 10% more, or 3850. However, I didn't want to be too drastic with the calorie deficit, so I put in 1/2-lb/week goal, which meant a 250-calorie deficit, daily.

Also, the explanation for the goal setting for the calorie reduction in diet said that I still led a "sedentary" lifestyle; in other words, just because I exercised during the week didn't mean that I was "active." Because I did mainly sit around in the end between exercise... sitting at my desk... sitting at my TV... sitting at my dining TABLE (LOL)... anyway, the point is that I lead a sedentary lifestyle.

So, given the information, I was supposed to eat 1300 calories, daily. Which isn't a problem for me. It's a good healthy diet actually. Breakfast: old fashioned oatmeal, cinnamon, blueberries, skim milk, latte. Lunch: tuna in oil (because it's one of the ony ones without soy added), whole grain bread, canola mayo, tomato, lettuce, fruit. Dinner: 3to 4 oz of low fat protein, steamed vegetables, sometimes a grain, sometimes another vegetable side, sometimes a salad. So, we're talking a good amount of healthy food. And I don't have a problem with hunger.

So, I have been on this amazing plateau, where I've actually gone to TWO Zumba classes in one day, eaten my 1300 calories, lost absolutely nothing... repeat for next week. My activity level has been pretty consistent with Zumba on Tuesday evening, Thursday morning, Thursday evening, Friday morning, Saturday morning. Some weeks I would also go on Sunday morning.

Then, came the sleep problem(s) and, of course, the research.

So, since I posted last Sunday, I've been eating more. And the weight has been falling OFF. I can't believe that this is coincidence. I urge you all to check this out for yourself... if you're on a plateau... or if you're feeling sluggish... or having trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep.

I'll keep this up. And I'll revisit this information to make sure that this isn't, in fact, some sort of weird phase. But, for now, it looks like it's working. Missing pieces of information... just that simple fact that your body needs 2800 calories to add muscle... OMG...

it's like having a sharp knife in the drawer!

Debbie,

In an earlier post you said that the Wild Grape might have come from Chico's. If it DID, then I can tell you with certainty that it is not a FIRE color because I tried that one, myself, IRL at my local store. There's something not quite right about that color.

Also to have a discussion about color(s) and their slight nuances, the story that I have about that concerns my DH and his ICE-y nature. He wanted a Polo shirt, and I can't remember if this story revolves around the green one or the blue one, but that detail isn't important. We went to the store and I found three (call it green) shirts that I knew were his color, bright, cool. Holding them up to him, it literally went like this... the first one, "yep, this is your color." The second one, "wow, this looks better." The third one, "wow, this looks BEST." Now, if I hadn't had the other 2 colors to compare, I would simply have bought the first shirt and my DH would have looked good in it. But, the last color being there and the nature of the color just went up a notch. KWIM? My point is... there is probably someone out there, ICE-y, who would have one of the other colors be the one that went up a notch. I think it would have something to do with the overall picture that gets formed... eye color... hair color... skin nature, not just cool vs warm but the nature of the skin as in freckled, blotchy, etc.

So I think that the fact that some of the colors in your closet look so similar that you begin to think you have a limited choice of colors isn't really the case. There are a lot of color ranges that we end up with, but the overall sense is that it's the same color. I have to tell you that Chico's had a red color a few seasons ago that is so close to the Cadmium Red out now that it could be a twin. It's just ever so slightly subtle in the difference. But, it's an important difference... because Cadmium Red is just that little bit brighter that it becomes a better color selection, for me.

I know exactly what you mean about the change that has come from focusing on your color SEASON. It's pretty amazing because it makes such a DIFFERENCE that you feel inspired to make other changes in your life.

Kim and I were talking about this because we both got mis-analyzed earlier in life. Where, or where, was CJW when we needed him? Somehow, Kim and I both got labeled a SUMMER! Cool, muted... can you imagine? I abandoned the seasons type of dressing because I literally couldn't tell the difference between being dressed in my "Summer Season" and black/white. Anita, remember all those raw silk outfits? Pastel, muted... <ugh>. So, I built a wardrobe around black/white outfits because it was so much easier for travel. Because I didn't look that terrific in my clothes, I really didn't even bother about the fit that much. I admit; it was like being in a downward spiral. Because the fit of my clothes didn't matter that much to me, I ended up not really caring if I had belly fat... and deciding that was just what was going to be my life... menopause... thyroid... black and white clothing... boxy tops... baggy bottoms. Do I sound depressing and whiny? LOL.

I feel so much better now! Yippee skippee. :D:D:D

So, just because the headline was interesting, I ended up reading an article about the best exercise for hearth health: turns out its aerobic <duh>.

Anyway, that's not the information in the article that ended up being the most interesting to me. Here's the meat of the story: 196 participants, divided into 3 groups... one group doing only aerobic, one group doing only weight lifting, one group doing a combination of aerobic/weight lifting. An 8-month study. All received gym memberships. Didn't say whether they were male or female. Didn't say whether they were overweight, obese, fit, fit/fat, etc. Did say that the aerobics were done on gym machines.

Here's the interesting part, for me.

At the end of 8 monhts, due to the DROPOUT rate, 86 participants were analyzed.

That's sick. More than 50% of the people who were willing to participate in this study, who received a free gym membership, simply couldn't come up with the needed motivation to stick with the program! OK. The result of the study was that, statistically, aerobic exercise is the best exercise regimen for HEART HEALTH because the resistance exercisers didn't lose as much weight and their blood pressure and blood diabetes markers didn't improve. The group that did the combination of aerobic and weights didn't lose more weight or waist size (although the aerobic only people lost 1/2" on their wasit and the combo people lost a full inch on their wasit) to make a "statistical significance" to the combination exercise program.

Well, I had a few thoughts. Of course, everyone knows what I was thinking, right?!? They should have let the aerobic exercisers do ZUMBA. :D

But, also, that it's so important to find something that you can turn the thought process from... "having" to do... to "wanting" to do. I know that if I had to go to the gym tonight and get on an elliptical machine or a treadmill or take a spin class that I would already be thinking of so many, many excuses as to how I could get "OUT" of doing that!... Like... I'm tired... It's too late... It'll interfere with my evening of (a) eating my dinner, (b) watching TV, © getting something done that I've been procrastinating doing and thinking that this evening would be the perfect time to get THAT out of the way... KWIM? But, tonight I get to go to ZUMBA and I'm so glad! I haven't gone since Saturday morning and I'm ready to GO!

Anita, judging by your time stamp on your post... trouble sleeping again last night?

Sleep

If your pulse is racing at bedtime and you struggle to get into or stay in a deep sleep, you could be overtraining. That is, you aren't getting enough recovery between workouts, and you need to find a way to balance the stresses in your life.

One great way to gauge your reaction to the diet and workouts--and to tune into your body in general--is to monitor your resting pulse rate. It's best to do this first thing in the morning--before you even get out of bed, if possible--and also at night, just before you fall asleep. You don't have to do this daily. Just get a reading, and then recheck it occasionally as you go along. You want it to go down (a sign of improved fitness) or stay the same. If it's rising, that's a sign of too much stress and too little recovery.

I also got a book from the library on a Sleep Diet. We'll see if I can get any new information out of it.

So, I have to figure out how to eat more today and eat the right things. That is, eat more high-quality calories from all three macronutrients, paying close attention to protein because (of course) it's the building block of muscle tissue. OK.

Wow, Debbie... if I could only warn you to grab a glass of wine before you start reading Anita's post above... that might be helpful...

LOL...

Anita, you know I love you. That is some kind of explanation. Methinks I will be re-reading the post... many times.

Debbie, what happened with this whole intense, muted versus bright, intense conversation was because of a print sundress that I had that just didn't quite make it to the FABulous category. But, it seemed that all the colors were right and it should have been perfect! The colors were coral, salmon, brown, and they were very intense... but, what happened with that particular sundress is that Anita put it into her luggage and away it went to her closet! Which didn't make any sense because of her EARTH nature that the sundress should have worked for her. But, in looking at the dress and trying to come up with the reason, Anita realized that the dress was actually intense... but muted... somehow... the colors just weren't bright, clear, intense... but more intense, muted. In other words, the print just didn't stand up to the bright, clear, intense tops that we put around it to see if there was a happy color party and it looked beautiful with Anita's more muted tops... so she coined a new phrase.. "muted intense." IDK. It is a little bit of a difficult concept.

BTW, you are so on spot with the vulnerability of posting pictures and the feeling that you get when your picture is out there... ESPECIALLY if you end up making it too big! LOL. :p Those of us who have done it realize how it makes you check back and check back and get really obsessive, compulsive about wanting to read comments!

Taking pictures in dressing rooms, although it "seems" like it would work just never seems to be the best thing to do. I swear I don't understand what the department store lighting is all about. I've gotten to the point where I literally only try on clothes for "fit" and I make sure that the return policy is a good one because I'll be taking the item home and checking it out thoroughly before a final decision is made. I had the worst time recently just trying to find colors that would be acceptable in ORANGE, what was up with that?!? But, like Anita has told me, orange can be cool... if you mix a cool red with a cool yellow, you won't magically get a warm orange. So just because if seems like a color would be a "given," it just isn't. We have to have a very critical eye.

I have to say that those pictures I posted where I was wearing ICE were a significant learning for me, but the one that blew me away was the EARTH. I will NEVER NOT wear FIRE again! Besides, I promised Anita that I wouldn't.

When Kim gets back she'll have to explain her "play" clothes theory and we'll all have to decide if we're going to try to talk her out of it! Get ready, Kim, because I'm going to try to talk you out of it! Fair warning...

Omigosh. This is so much MATH, but the information is so interesting that I thought I'd share this bit of news. I found something here that I've never read anywhere else, and it makes so much sense to me! It could explain plateaus, and some of the difficulty that we have with making the scale actually move in the direction that we want it to go.

I think that this additional information highlights that old, cliche that says "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing."

Because

We all know, by now, that we have to have a 3500-calorie deficit, whether from exercise or diet, to lose a pound. And, we usually say something like: 3500-calorie deficit equals a pound of FAT loss. Well, maybe yes... and maybe no.. and, as it turns out, there's more to this equation...

Because

this is new information for me: it takes about 2800 calories to build a pound of muscle.

So, if you do the typical calculation where you reduce your calories by a 500-calorie daily deficit in order to lose a pound a week, then if you have reduced below your BMR and you compound the calorie deficit with an exercise program then where will you get those 2800 calories to build muscle? You will actually lose muscle if you do exercise with a 500-calorie deficit below your BMR, which puts you on a vicious cycle of (1) losing muscle which (2) lowers your metabolism and (3) creates a drop in your BMR which (4) puts your body into a state of fatigue, slows repair and recovery, and creates a plateau. Because your body will use the glycogen store in your muscle in order for you to have the energy you require to get through your day.

So, it is very important to do the math and to eat enough calories for weight loss.

So, bear with me... here comes the MATH.

Step 1. Get your weight in kilograms. For those of us who are familiar with pounds, the process is to weigh yourself. First thing in the morning is the best time. Now divide that number by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms. This isn't an exact science, so you can round. Example: 145 lbs divided by 2.2 = 65.9 kgs rounded to 66.

Step 2. Resting metabolic rate

From this equation:

795 + (7.18 x body weight in kilograms) = resting metabolic rate.

We all know what the resting metabolic rate (or basal metabolic rate.. BMR) is but I'll just state the obvious. It's the number of calories that you burn doing nothing and eating nothing all day. If you're wondering about the equation, this comes from researchers doing the number-crunching to fit a mathematical formula to actual measurements of BMRs of subjects taken with high-tech equipment; they apply math to a scattergraph of data points in order to predict the metabolic rate, and this formula is the result of those independent tests. My thought is: just go with the flow on this one.

Example: 795 + (7.18 x 66) = 795 + 473.88 = 1268.88 = 1270 BMR (estimated).

If you don't want to do this math, then here's a website link to help with this calculation. The link takes into consideration an age factor, so they're basing their calculation on something different than the derived formula. My suggestion would be to take an average of the numbers that end up being calculated. http://health.discovery.com/centers/heart/basal/basal.html

Step 3. Find your Body mass index (BMI). BMI is a height-and-weight calculation that doesn't take into account your ratio of fat to muscle. So, it's use is more general.

Here's a website link that makes it easy to do this calculation. http://www.bmi-calculator.net/

Example: 5'7.5" and 145 lbs = 22.37 (within the range of a normal weight BMI).

OK. Here's the important information that makes all this MATH worthwhile. Based upon age and BMI and exercise, you get an estimate of the number of calories you need on workout and no workout days. It's very important to eat more on the days that you workout!

If your BMI is between 18 to 24.9 AND you are under 35 yrs

on no workout days, multiply your BMR times 1.6

on active workout days, multiply your BMR times 1.8

If your BMI is over 25 AND you are under 35 yrs

on no workout days, multiply your BMR times 1.5

on active workout days, multiply your BMR times 1.7

If your BMI is between 18 to 24.9 AND you are over 35 yrs

on no workout days, multiply your BMR times 1.4

on active workout days, multiply your BMR times 1.6

If your BMI is over 25 AND you are over 35 yrs

on no workout days, multiply your BMR times 1.2

on active workout days, multiply your BMR times 1.4

Example: Assuming older than 35 yrs, using the BMI of 22.37 means that our calorie intake on no workout days would be (1270 x 1.4) 1778 calories and on workout days our calorie intake would be (1270 x 1.6) 2032 calories!

You can see how these numbers (especially the workout day number!) are so much higher than the "diet" books recommendations of 1200 to 1400 calories a day for women who are trying to lose weight.

The combination of "Eat Less" and "Exercise More"... turns out to be less than ideal as a goal. Our bodies don't like the simultaneous stresses of less food -- and more exercise. It provides a real challenge for our body.

OK. So, here are the important steps to take.

Do the MATH, and then stick with the program for 4 weeks. The reason that 4 weeks is recommended is to take you through an entire menstrual cycle. Then, after 4 weeks, assess your progress, based on these criteria:

Did you gain weight, lose weight, or stay the same?

Do your clothes feel loose, or are they tighter?

Do you see any differences when you look in the mirror?

How do you feel? Energized, or tired?

How are your workouts going? Are you getting stronger from one workout to the next?

How are you sleeping at night? Are you so tired that you're falling asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow? Do you feel anxious or jittery? Or has nothing changed?

So reassess after 4 weeks.

Well, I've done the math, for me. And what it means is that I'm going to have to EAT a LOT MORE. I've been on a plateau for about 2 months. And, I've increased my exercise so much... going from Zumba 3x a week, to 5x a week... and one of those days I've been going to Zumba 2x in one day! I've been sleeping horribly.. and the book says "it's possible that not eating enough is keeping you awake at night." I had put myself on a 1330-calorie daily intake goal... each day... workout day or not!...

So this is going to be a very different program for me. I've been very tired lately, especially with the sleep problems, which is why I went on this grand research to figure out if I could get better information. I think I found something that makes sense to me! So, I'm starting this tomorrow and I'll get back with my results in the next 4 weeks.

:D

Does this make sense to everyone? Did I scare you with MATH? :p I hope not!

Hey there, Kentucky/Debbie,

Oh, stop. Don't you dare go back to lurking. It was brave of you to post the pictures, but we were waiting for more! At least, I was waiting for more... more pictures, please... I know that is a familiar commercial ad that I just loved while it was running.

Anyway, it's just so obvious that you look radiant in the FIRE Cadmium Red. I'm very positive about the nature of that color. IMO, not as good in the non-FIRE Wild Grape, which oddly comes across more blue on my screen. I can't tell what color that season falls into; but I don't think that it is US. I am also quite amazed that your natural coloring is so different than mine and yet we look great in the same FIRE colors! I have to admit that I don't truly understand why and how that can be, but trust that CJW has such a keen eye (you did get analyzed/diagnosed by CJW or did you come to us already knowing your season? I have to admit that I can't really remember your background story, if you shared. Chalk it up to being fairly tired today).

So, the story behind the story is that Anita has been out here to AZ for a visit and we had a fabulous time. But this time was all about ZUMBA and we did very little shopping. We did squeeze some time in to push through just a few stores: Chico's and Tommy Bahamas. She's having a much easier time finding her EARTH colors than I am finding my FIRE. Yes! She raided my closet and took away some of my "misses." I can locate warm, but I have some difficulty locating bright, intense colors. Anita showed me the difference between muted, intense and bright, intense. I have to admit that she looked fabulous in my Venetian scene top and a coral top that I had (well, I say "had" because it's now in Anita's wardrobe)... LOL

In Chico's, we think that the colors called Purpleberry, Cyan, and Promise are FIRE. We are confused by the color called Lime and think that it must be ICE. The confusion is that it doesn't look good on me, on Anita, or on my ICE DH! It definitely isn't AIR, so what's up with that color?!?

Joby/Kim and I got to meet IRL! We had a wonderful chat together as a start to their Southwestern vacation road trip. I got to meet her DH and DS and, unfortunately, Anita just missed our get-together and I couldn't help with the inevitable question: do you think my DH and DS are Summer/AIR? Wow, I wish I had the eye for being able to tell. What I can tell all you ladies is that DS is a handsome, blue-eyed charmer and DH is very patient with fashion conversation!

So, Kentucky/Debbie, I think that everyone is just busy with summertime happenings. It's just a lull period. Please don't feel abandoned. Kim said that she was going to bravely post pictures in ICE colors, as well. So I think that we'll have plenty to talk about very soon. In the meantime, I'm now home... and I'm here... so we could chat between us until the other ladies arrive back in town and iron out their schedules to come join our fun... :D

Were you trying to get an opinion on the Wild Grape in order to decide whether to keep the top? Anita's eye is much better than mine; I'll get her to come over here and take a look. She's really far behind in her IRL happenings and hasn't been on the message board as much, but I'll get her opinion here for you!

Talk soon.

How long does it take to get unfit?

Let's start with the good news: researchers have consistently found that it takes less work to maintain your level of fitness than it did to get there in the first place. That means that when life intervenes--holiday travel, deadlines at work, and so on--you can temporarily scale back your workout regimen without losing your hard-earned fitness. But the clock is ticking: Danish researchers found that after just two to three weeks, subjects who reduced physical activity showed worse insulin sensitivity and a decreased ability to burn fat.

Everyone faces unavoidable time crunches now and then, so the useful question is how long you can afford to slack before the effects are noticeable. The literature on "detraining," or loss of fitness, is surprisingly complex, because different adaptations to your muscles, heart, and metabolism fade away at different rates. As a rough rule of thumb, the evidence suggests that you retain gains for about two weeks without training, but by the time you hit four weeks you're back to baseline. The drop-off happens sooner if you've just started exercising, while long-time gym rats have structural adaptations that will endure for several months, like a larger heart and more capillaries to take oxygen to their muscles.

:eek:

How long does it take to get in shape?

First, the good news. Your body starts getting stronger and healthier just hours after you start working out. But if you're wondering how long it will take to rock a six-pack -- well, you'll have to be a bit more patient.

After just a few strength training sessions, your brain learns to recruit more muscle fibers and make them contract all at once to produce greater force. This "neural activation" kicks in after only a few workouts, allowing you to get stronger almost immediately, well before your muscles get noticeably bigger. Further strength gains come as the individual muscle fibers within your muscles get bigger, which starts in as little as two weeks if you're training intensely. But it takes longer for these changes to be noticeable: even with sophisticated lab equipment, researchers can't usually detect changes in fat and muscle composition until after nine weeks of training. Similarly, a University of Tokyo study published in 2010 saw the biggest increases in strength after two months and the biggest boost in muscle size after three months. To achieve these rapid gains, the subjects were doing four very hard workouts a week. For the average person at the gym, it will take six months or more to see significant sculpting of the body-- even though strength has been increasing since day one.

Weight loss is more difficult to predict, because it depends on your starting point, your health history, your genetics, and your diet as well as your workout routine. But like strength training, aerobic exercise produces major health and performance benefits long before you see them in the mirror. Aerobic exercise increases the number of mitochondria, which are essentially the "cellular power plants" in your muscles that use oxygen to produce energy: the more mitochondria you have, the farther and faster you can run, and the more fat your muscles will burn. Studies have shown that about six weeks of training will boost mitochondria levels by 50 to 100 percent.

Health benefits, on the other hand, kick in after a single bout of aerobic exercise. For about 48 hours after a workout, your muscles will be consuming more glucose than usual, helping to bring down blood-sugar levels. After a few workouts, your insulin sensitivity will begin to improve, offering further control of blood sugar.

The bottom line: "Getting in shape" is a journey that extends over months and even years, but the process--and the benefits--start as soon as you begin exercising. So if you're having trouble staying motivated without immediate physical changes, track your strength and endurance gains along the way.

:D

Reading a very interesting book titled Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights? Fitness Myths, Training Truths, and Other Surprising Discoveries from the Science of Exercise.

Quite a lengthy title. The book is presented as a series of questions with answers given on the basis of scientific research. There are several questions that have very interesting answers so I thought I would share some of them.

To lose weight, is it better to eat less or exercise more?

A calorie is a calorie is a calorie... good health is a little more complicated than just matching the calories you eat to the calories you burn. A study published in 2010 in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise suggests that your body can tell the difference between a calorie burned through exercise and a calorie avoided through dieting-- and both types turn out to be important.

Researchers at Louisiana State University recruited 36 moderately overweight volunteers and divided them into three groups. One group was the control and stayed exactly the same throughout the six-month study. A second group cut their calorie intake by 25 percent, while the third group cut calories by 12.5 percent and increased their calories burned by an equivalent amount through physical activity. That meant both intervention groups had the same total "calorie deficit" -- one through diet alone, and the other through a 50-50 mix of diet and exercise.

As expected, the two intervention groups lost exactly the same amount of weight-- a fairly impressive 10 percent of their starting weight. They also lost about 25 percent of their total body fat and 25 percent of their abdominal fat, again with no difference between the two groups. This confirms that the amount of weight you lose is a function of calorie deficit, whether you create the deficit through diet or exercise. But when the researchers took a closer look, they found some important differences between the two groups. Only the diet-plus-exercise group had significant improvements in insulin sensitivity, LDL cholesterol, and diastolic blood pressure -- crucial risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, but changes you can't measure by looking in the mirror or stepping on a scale.

But that's not the final word. Two other risk factors measured in the Louisiana study -- systolic blood pressure and HDL cholesterol -- remained identical between the two experiment groups. That suggests that they depend on weight rather than aerobic fitness, so that "fat but fit" people may still be missing out on some health benefits. The challenging but inevitable conclusion is that both diet and exercise are important to optimize your health, and you can't ignore either of them.

:p And we already knew this information. But, I found it interesting that what we think we "know" can be backed up by scientific inquiry. :D

I Love Love Love Zumba and my instructor as well. I have come down 40 pounds since Feb 22nd with the help of Zumba 2x's a week. I also changed my eating habits drastically and work out 5-6 times per week.

Hello! Welcome to our Zumba party.

It may take a little while for Anita to come to this thread because she's currently on a mini-camping trip with family. It's just a long weekend type adventure so she'll be here soon, but I just wanted to say hello to everyone this morning.

Did you start with Zumba? And then love it so much that it inspired you to change your eating habits and then start doing other exercise? That seems to be typical of people who enter Zumba classes. Zumba gives you the inspiration to really make a true, lasting change to your lifestyle so that you enter into a whole new world of healthy living.

40 lbs lost in 4-1/2 months is fantastic! Over 2 lbs a week! How close are you to your goal weight?

Tell us a little more about yourself. What are the other exercises that you enjoy? Some of us like to do sports, swimming, weight lifting, Pilates, etc. You're in the midst of an energetic group!

Except...

I did set my alarm to get up this morning for a very early Zumba class. I just couldn't make it. There is a gym location with an 8:30am Zumba class, but it is a 35-minute drive for me. It's just fairly early to get up, get something to eat, and make the class on time. I so wish that it were just a half hour later. I just need that additional half hour to get myself going in the morning. I HAVE to eat something before Zumba because I expend so much energy that I get too light-headed and dizzy if I don't have a little something in my stomach.

Sweating... OMG... my instructor was pouring buckets yesterday! And I was a close second. Although there are some people in Zumba who don't seem to sweat?!? How can that be?!? So I did do a little bit of research and found out the following: hydration. You can't effectively sweat if you aren't hydrated... so... another good reason to drink that lovely water! And I've been looking into the whole concept of electrolytes. I don't really want to buy bottled water since I have a reverse osmosis system installed and I get great water right out of my faucet. So, I've been researching the health benefit of mineral bathing... soaking in mineral water... epsom salts or the really wonderful spa mineral baths. I'll post more on that when I finish reading up on it.

AND, I have a book coming to me from the library... well, actually two books coming... one is on weight lifting... it's about lifting heavy weights, similar to a male weight lifting routine... the title is something like "lift like a man to have the body of a goddess"... and the OTHER book is something that I'm really interested in... it's about the connection between your brain and belly fat!... it's written by a neurologist... so, when I get that one and boil down the essential information... I'll post that one as well.

I know that Anita is currently reading her "get away" summer romances. You know the kind of books... innocent love stories... usually with a historical setting.. at least those are the ones that Anita likes. Interesting though... she read one of those books that had a historical setting in Venice... very funny to relate actual historical settings to her "fluffy" romance reading.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer weekend. I'm enrolling in a summer cooking class based on Bobby Flay's grilling techniques. Are you ladies familiar with our Bobby Flay? I have the BEST grilled corn salad recipe from one of his cookbooks. Is anyone interested?...

Julie,

I remember the Pear and Purple Orchid! The minute that I saw the sweater I knew exactly what you purchased. Those are perfect FIRE colors. I know... I'm seen them IRL.

So, for anyone that is thinking of shopping at Athleta. They have the BEST swimdresses! These are summer dresses, made out of swimsuit fabric, with built-in bras. I was so hoping that they would be FIRE colors because I think they will be perfect for several shore excursions on my Caribbean cruise where I'll be sailing in catamarans, etc.

So I can report that:

Wave Blue

Garden Green

are great FIRE colors for us! Yeah! The Wave Blue is a bright, aqua and the Garden Green is Granny Smith Apple Green. Good, good colors!

Indiana71. LOL.

Yes, I can picture the strapless bra around the waist and the polyester slip having all sorts of static cling and hiking up in the back! I won't say if this "picture" comes from personal experience....

Anyway...

the only strapless bras that I have ever bought that absolutely stay in place, are the ones that have the little bit of silicone in the band. The last one that I bought (cost a pretty penny, but it was worth it) was Marie Jo, which I believe is a European brand.

There are some bras at Soma that say they have the silicone banding. There is a huge Soma sale going on right now, and I'm going to buy one to see if it will stay in place as well. If I have any luck with it, I'll let you know.

I'm looking everywhere for a cotton half slip. My DD says that she can make one for me! She's a lovely girl and a good seamstress, but she has so many projects and so little time! I'm still looking, just in case she doesn't manage to get that project completed before my next cruise!

Since jkudzu posted her dresses, I was inspired to try on the one beach dress in my cruise closet and pose for a photo.

Although these knit dresses aren't meant to be formal by any stretch of the imagination, they are fun to wear and look very tropical.

Mine can be worn as shown, w/ gold jewelry and gold wedges to the dining room (but not on Formal Night)...or if going to the beach or pool, I would wear flat gold sandals and gold hoop earrings.

 

Cute, very cute dress. And so perfect for the Caribbean. OK, can we talk?

Undergarments. With this dress, obviously a strapless bra? Right? And what are you doing for a slip...or is the material lightweight but not see-thru? Slips are becoming my current nightmare for use with my sundresses, because the light is just "right" in the Caribbean to make just about any fabric a see-thru situation. And, I'm just a little too, well let's say not young, for that to happen and be considered appropriate.

My current half-slip just isn't cutting it! First of all, it's polyester and (wow) that is not good for the Caribbean's heat. I want something that will help with the heat, remove the transparency factor, not bunch up around the waist and cause a "line" or "crease" to appear under the sundress! I'm not asking too much, right?

Love the handerchief hem.

Hi jubie,

 

I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes I try something on and look in the mirror and still can't tell if it's a "yea" or "nay" unless it matches my color cards really closely.

 

Welcome back.

I'm beginning to think the following:

When we try on a color that is FABulous, we know immediately. There's no confusion whatsoever.

When we try on a color that makes us "confused," as to whether it's a yea or a nay.... <drumroll> it's a nay. We wouldn't be confused if it were our color(s)... absolutely.

That's my current thinking.

For whatever reason, whether it's not bright... whether it's not warm.. whatever the reason... and we may not be able to figure out exactly what is wrong... just go with the "nay" and put it back on the rack. Keep looking.

I think that there are times when we just want something so much that we stand there and try to convince ourselves that we're "confused." Maybe. But, we're not really "confused." We're just trying to convince ourselves that we could "get away with it."

More pictures! We need to see more pictures, because that way we can convince ourselves that it's not just one person. If we can see the difference(s), then I think that we'll be able to clear up our "confusion."

Am I onto something? :D:p:D

OMG. Territory!

I have to tell you. Last night several people were standing in front of the studio doors (because they actually LOCK the doors when they don't have a class in the studio... which I really don't get because why wouldn't they just let people go in there and do whatever... maybe because of having to actually move stupid people out of the way for a class?... whatever...). Anyway, a woman was... literally... standing in front of the doors in such a way that nobody else could stand beside her. WELL, a man came up... and started talking with everyone, and inching forward, and inching forward. Before she could figure out what happened, he was standing beside her because she had shifted just that little itty bit to the side.

So, now there are the two people standing there, blocking the doors. So, the gym attendant comes to unlock the doors, double doors. And the man managed to get on the side of the door that was going to be the one that opened. So, he got to go into the room FIRST. So, the lady started running to her SPOT and he started running to the exact same SPOT and they were elbowing each other like little kids on a playground.

So, so funny.

It was all in good fun. I think that they somewhat knew each other. And there's a HUGE rivalry in this particular class over certain spots. OMG. You canNOT miss one of these classes because you will definitely compromise your rights to your particular spot.

Hey, it's important.

I'm just saying.....

:D:D:D

Update.

The pasta recipe did keep quite well for the 2nd day, but I'm getting tired of it now! LOL. And, of course, because it's pasta there is a bit of "weep" in the dish, and I'm thinking it shouldn't be held too much longer.

So, next time I make this dish, I will definitely cut it DOWN, way down. Probably to a little under 1/2 of what it makes. PLUS, I know that 2oz of pasta is considered a serving, but I find that we're eating less than that as a serving... so 6 servings for the 2 of us... way too much....

Donna, spaghetti would work fine, especially if you break it up rather than leave it in long strands. Let me know if you make it and find it tasty as well.

Believe it or not, I'm actually missing Zumba today. Maybe I do have a Zumba addiction? Is there such a thing?!? I don't have a class scheduled until Tuesday evening! That's another 2 days before I can wiggle my booty....

One of the reasons I have lurked so much is that every time I think I have this figured out, I realize that I'm still buying lots of the wrong color. The only ones I seem to be sure of are the ones that someone here has reported. Chicos has become my new go-to store to shop. Love those recent sales!

Debbie, Yeah!

What do you think you're doing in buying the wrong color? Are you confusing the muted vs bright OR are you confusing the cool vs warm?

I sure hope that these picture postings aren't creating more confusion. It was meant more as a great, almost in-your-face, look at wrong vs right colors and what the right colors will do for your skin tone; which, conversely, means what the wrong colors will do for your skin tone.

Which is why I had such a difficult time shopping last weekend... I really found NOTHING that looked good for me... and the colors seemed to be OK on the rack, but definitely not OK when I tried them on. Which is to say, that we still need to be careful even though the color (like orange) would seem like a no-brainer.

Post some pictures! We'll help.

Ladies!

I made this last night and it was seriously good! Then, with lunch, I had a small bowl just to see if it held up as a leftover.. didn't warm it up... and still thought it was seriously good, even cold. So, here you go...

Note: Radishes and their greens provide an excellent source of vitamin C. Radish leaves contain almost six times the vitamin C content of their root and are also a good source of calcium. Red Globes also offer a very good source of the trace mineral molybdenum and are a good source of potassium and folic acid. Daikons provide a very good source of potassium and copper.

Radish Top Pasta

I didn't even think about actually eating the radish leaves until I saw this recipe.

Serves 6. I didn't do the nutritional breakdown, but I could if you need for me to.

About 25 radishes, with leaves

12 ounces of small pasta, such as penne

1/2 cup pine nuts (I did omit this ingredient, because DH doesn't like nuts)

3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (probably didn't use this much)

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves (used cilantro because I like it)

Wash and dry the radishes and the green tops. Cut the leaves from the radishes and set them aside. Cut off the top and bottom of each radish, then slice them paper-thin (Note: this was the most tedious part of the recipe). Next, chop the radish leaves.

Fill a large saucepan with salted water and bring it to a boil Add the pasta and cook it according to the package instructions.

While the pasta is cooking, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Set the nuts aside.

Heat the olive oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until they become translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the sliced radishes and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add the garlic, toasted pine nuts, and radish leaves, and cook until the leaves wilt and soften. Remove the pan from the heat, season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste, and keep warm.

Drain the pasta, leaving a couple of tablespoons of water in the pan. Add the Parmesan, and mix. Add the radish mixture. Serve topped with the chopped parsley. Pass more Parmesan at the table, to taste.

YUM! :D