480 days to go.....

[pinma]

I've been saying I was going to be 'not overweight' by my 40th birthday for a long time.... probably 3 years. Today I joined a gym (with a personal trainer) AND booked a cruise as my 40th birthday present. It's 16 months after my 40th birthday but I'm hoping it will be my motivation to meet my goal!

 

28 pounds to 'not overweight'. Not sure if I'll stop there if I ever get there. I need to get there first!

[Anita Latte]

I did the same thing! Last summer, we booked a family cruise to celebrate my 40th birthday which is in March 2012. I've been using the cruise as a major motivation for fitness. It's been working well for me...I hope it works for you too!

 

Sounds like you are taking it one step at a time...and you ahve plenty of time to reach a goal...my goal is 137 weight...not sure where I started except that I was over 205 :o and I'm at 175 six months into deciding to do something about my weight.

 

So did you already turn 40? I'm turning 39 this month...

[pinma]

I'll be 40 next week.

[pinma]

I'll be 40 next week.

 

Contests on 30+ pounds lost. That's a significant loss!

[Anita Latte]

My bday is the 25th, when's yours?

 

Thanks! I'm more excited about what that translates into inches lost...I measure/weigh monthly...I'm at a total loss of about 7" around my hips. Which brings me to a very good suggestion....MEASURE yourself...it's hard to know how your body is going to lose weight...when you think about it...what we really want to do is burn fat and increase muscle mass (not necessarily bulk, which is actually very hard, but just general increase in strength)...and often this change will be reflected in inches but not pounds. It took me SEVERAL weeks, over 2 months if I remember right, to lose ANY weight...but I lost 2 inches around my bust and hips in those 2 months. If I hadn't been tracking inches in addition to weight, it would have been incredibly discouraging.

 

So, I say again, measure and record your measurements.

[pinma]

24th! Almost exactly one year apart!

 

Very true about inches. I can tell from my clothes. I should take a few measurements though because my goal weight would most likely require an all new wardrobe.

[Anita Latte]

28 pounds will definitely require a new wardrobe!...ESPECIALLY if you pursue any kind of resistance training (either weights or Pilates or whatever).

 

I have been in a so far year-long process of revamping my wardrobe...I am big into the whole color analysis thing...have you read anything on the Fashion & Beauty board?...I am currently in the few of the smallest sizes that I had kept from going through it...one thing that motivates me is to get rid of the clothes that are too big (especially easy when I had smaller sizes still in my wardrobe!)...now I have had to start buying new clothes...it's very fun to do the bargain hunting...and I am learning to get by with a minimal wardrobe (easier for me to do since I am a homemaker and don't need a career wardrobe)...because I still have a ways to go toward goal...

 

Buying new exercise clothes is essential for me too...because I want to feel good in those especially since I wear them so often.

 

Do you have any plans for your milestone bday celebration now?

[pinma]

I'm not familiar with the color analysis thing. I'll have to pop over to the fashion board.

 

I bought one new exercise outfit this week. I have a lot of exercise clothes but the get worn so quickly from going through the wash so often.

 

No big celebration this year. We'll go out to dinner that night so no one has to do any cooking or cleaning. I signed the gym contract and put the deposit on the cruise. That's good enough for me! Our last cruise was supposed to be a birthday/anniversary gift but then DH really wanted to get away before any of those events. I almost feel like I got 2 cruises for this birthday!

[Anita Latte]

Happy belated birthday! Hope you had a nice one...How's things?

 

Have you had a session with your PT yet? Do you like your PT? I've never worked with one...but I used to see people working with them when we were members of Lifetime Fitness...Have you figured out a plan? It takes time to figure out what it is you want to do to be physically active...I didn't really form a plan until I discovered Zumba...

 

Just checking in with you! :)

[pinma]

I had a nice birthday. Thank you for asking :-)

 

I did meet with the trainer. He gave me a basic core workout - about 30' worth of stuff - to do every other day. I can add 30-40' cardio (machines) on those days and no more than an hour of cardio on the 'off' days and that cardio should be less intense.

 

I'm meeting with him again to get more advice - how to change that routine over time, how best to approach cardio - next week.

 

I've been to the gym every day M-F since I joined. I got a mini-lecture on not overtraining and promised not to go on weekends unless I missed during the week and also to cut back on the cardio since I'd been doing 1 hr a day, workout or no workout.

 

I don't know what I weighed the day I joined the gym but my jagged weight curve is definitely trending down. I'm now a pound or two below where I was when I left on my February cruise (and 8 pounds below what I weighed when I got home).

[pinma]

Another 7 pounds gone, 20 total since last fall. Very happy. 16 pounds until my big goal and then I'm going to start focusing on % body fat instead of just the number on the scale. 426 days to go.

 

I really hope to be well into maintenance mode by then. When I hit my big goal I'll also have to start researching ways to not to mess things up on the cruise. After my last cruise I dropped most of the weight in days so I think that was water. I'd like to not retain so much water next time.

[Anita Latte]

WTG!! That's awesome!

 

Sodium content in food can really play a big part in retaining water. That is the kind of weight that is hard to resist on vacation where you have all your meals prepared by a restaurant kitchen. If you lose it quickly, then I wouldn't worry TOO much about that.

 

I think you have an excellent plan laid out...I think it is all about steps...gradually making changes to continue to make forward progress. Refining new habits, etc. Sounds like what you are doing is really working for you...that's wonderful!

[pinma]

Chugging right along, getting more fit, getting smaller. This-> <-close to 30 pounds lost. All but a few pieces of pre-pregnancy clothing are too big now. (And my youngest is 10 1/2!) Slowly buying new clothes but I got burned along the way buying things that I never even got the tags off before they were too big so I've really slowed down. First goal is just over 6 pounds away. Looking like my body fat goal will give me a weight about 16 pounds away (subject to change). VERY exciting to see the changes in my body, my mood, and my energy level :-)

[Anita Latte]

So excited for you!

 

You have to be careful with the clothing purchases. When you get on a roll, you can really go through the sizes quickly. I've learned how to survive with a much smaller wardrobe. With my latest schedule, I find I wear mostly exercise clothes anyway, so I'm not caring as much whether they are that great fit. It's okay that I could buy a smaller size...with the drawstring waist...I cinch them in and get to sweating! LOL.

 

I've taken to wearing a couple sundresses when I want to look nicer. I guess I have it easy in that I don't require an office appropriate wardrobe.

 

Congrats!!

[pinma]

You are so right! I was out of 10s within weeks of being able to button and zip them and my wardrobe was all (packed away) 10s, 12s, and 14s. I finally had to buy some button/zip pants. Bought them where I couldn't try them on. The 8s need to go back and my 'goal' jeans in size 6 are perfect. I'm down 33 pounds, looking at 13 more to go. I won't get clothes shopping for a few weeks... Maybe a good thing... Just have to belt things(which looks ridiculous but keeps my pants up).

 

I start a CoreX boot camp in a week. I'm hoping it will help with fat loss and core strength. Mixing in a lot from the female body breakthrough too.

 

It's hard to believe that the BMI charts put me in the 'overweight' range still.

[pinma]

Over the weekend I finally dropped into the 'healthy weight' range Woo-hoo! I have gone from a size 14 to a size 4 since the end of February!

 

I'm looking at another 8-12 pound loss before maintaining.

 

I am just over the moon to have finally found something that works AND which I enjoy. I've worked hard but I've enjoyed this work.

[vxv0409]

Over the weekend I finally dropped into the 'healthy weight' range Woo-hoo! I have gone from a size 14 to a size 4 since the end of February!

 

I'm looking at another 8-12 pound loss before maintaining.

 

I am just over the moon to have finally found something that works AND which I enjoy. I've worked hard but I've enjoyed this work.

 

 

I'm not sure if anyone will respond again since it's been awhile...

I'm SO shocked that a size 6 or 8 wasn't ideal in the BMI charts for you, how tall are you?! And what was your starting/current weight?

 

Congratulations on losing 5 dress sizes in 5 months! How did you do it if you don't mind my asking?!?!:D

[pinma]

I'm here. Down a few more pounds. Total of 45 pounds so far. I'm in a size 4, verging on a size 2. I'm 5'3".... so s.h.o.r.t but not really 'petite'. I'm still not into an 18-20% body fat range so I think I'm looking at a total weight loss around 50 pounds.

 

Last fall I simply kept a food long and attempted to stay in a 1200-1500 calorie range. This worked for a while.... until 1200 calories a day was keeping me at the same weight. I was totally unwilling to go lower than that. I was stuck because I was injured and not allowed much in terms of physical activity. Seemed EVERYTHING brought back the pain and/or nerve symptoms. I floundered for 4 months but was working on PT and healing. I regained about half of the 20-ish pounds I lost in the fall, a good chunk of it on a February cruise where I ate and drank WHATEVER I wanted.

 

BUT the cruise was just the rest I needed for my arm to *really* heal. I was cleared to join the gym a less than 2 weeks after the cruise, joined the gym, and the rest is history. I have a personal trainer but have also relied heavily on the book 'The Female Body Breakthrough' by Rachel Cosgrove.

 

I am down 37 pound since joining the gym. I do LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of strength work, especially core/whole body work. (Not lots of hours but lots of focus. ie, last week I was in the gym just over 5 hours - 1 hr centergy, 1 hr cardio machines (elliptical and stair), 3 hr strength training.) I eat clean for the most part and have slowly decreased my calorie deficit so that I am now aiming at 1/4 pound lost per week (in the beginning I was aiming for 1 1/2 pounds). My hope is that gradually slowing my weight loss will teach me how to maintain. (something I've done very poorly at in the past)

 

I've had multiple vacations and I'm slowly learning how to handle eating 'unclean' and drinking alcohol without undoing all my hard work. I'm also developing strategies for not letting the inevitable bloat that comes with restaurant eating and alcohol consumption get me down. If I stay within my calorie budget, I've found, all that bloat is gone in a few days. For me, the splurging is worth having to pack some slightly looser clothing for the end of the vacation :-) I just don't want to bring extra FAT home LOL!

 

I am VERY happy that the next cruise is with Celebrity so I can eat at the AquaSpa Cafe for breakfast and lunch and have access to healthier options for dinner and use their wonderful fitness facilities.

[pinma]

I didn't answer the question.... I started at 176, entered the healthy range at 141 (size 4), and am now 131 (verging on size 2). I am very compact. Muscle is very dense. Believe me, when I was NOT muscular I was in a size 3/4 at 115 pounds - that's where I spent most of HS. Strength training and, especially, core work is AMAZING. (And... I'm short... I think that means I will be in a much smaller size than a taller person in their idea range.)

[pinma]

Still losing slowly. I'm down to 125-126. Definitely a size 2P now. My biggest issue these days is that even a few days of 'bad' food - too much salt or too many white carbs - make me swell with water. Definitely something to keep in mind when packing for the cruise.

[ncovert]

Still losing slowly. I'm down to 125-126. Definitely a size 2P now. My biggest issue these days is that even a few days of 'bad' food - too much salt or too many white carbs - make me swell with water. Definitely something to keep in mind when packing for the cruise.

 

Wow... awesome work. WAY TO KEEP WITH IT!.

[pinma]

Still maintaining! Under 125 most of the time. Went from 122 to 128 over holidays and am back down to 123. Didn't change clothing sizes and got it right back off. Very hopeful for bouncing back from cruise splurges! 6 months to go.

[Anita Latte]

So excited for you!

 

Where are you in relation to your goal? I was trying to reread the thread and figure that out, maybe I'm too tired? LOL.

[pinma]

My original goal was the top end of my BMI range. I'm now 20 pounds under my original goal and don't intend to lose anymore weight. My BMI is 21.5.

[Anita Latte]

Maintenance mode! Congratulations. So excited for you! I still have 20 pounds to go! Probably won't get there before my cruise, but that's okay...still on a downward trend...and definitely proud of the 50 I've lost.