Anyone want to get into shape this summer?

[CritterHill]

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She is doing great. Back to her old bouncy self. We had her 5 year well visit today and the doc gave her a clean bill of health (except for the RA of course, that's genetic and not going away, but we are aggressively managing it).

The lyme is effectively gone, though we are finishing up an extra long (5 weeks!) course of antibiotics still "just in case".

 

[Missouri chick]

buff hooligan, jeaucamom,new chick, and dangerous chicken,,,,I left ya'll out. How are you?

Critter hill, so glad to hear she is doing so well.

 

[ginasmarans]

Hi Missouri, This is a way to eat so as to keep your blood sugar level on a more even keel. The spike in blood sugar is what makes your body release insulin which in turn tells it there is a surplus and we need to store that stuff. You know how it gets stored,right? FAT. So, the idea is to eat foods with a low glycemic load to keep this from happening. This does not mean no carbs and no sugars, it means eating more foods with fewer carbs or complex carbs. The complex carbs take longer to digest and therefore it is more slowly made into glucose, which is more slowly released into the blood stream. Sort of like a good soaker hose in your garden. I think I'm doing pretty good. This is day 2 at almost 4 pm and I have eaten well and I'm not hungry. Last night I had meatloaf,fresh green beans,fresh squash & onions,sliced cucumbers and tomatoes and 1 yeast roll. The total glycemic load was about 22. I had about 45 for the day and 80 is considered low. The key to it is to be aware of what and when you eat. My first weigh in is Wed(I started late) I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[ams3651]

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yeah, about my birthday (first thanks!) what a day! I went to the gym for my first visit with the trainer to show me around. Getting my fat self off a machine I tripped and nearly squished the little guy. Then I when pulling out of the parking lot i backed my van into a phone pole and smashed out a tail light.......I hope this week gets better

 

[Missouri chick]

oh that sounds like something that would happen to me. So sorry!!

 

[chickenannie]

OK, I signed up for this initially, then I totally flunked out! But I started watching what I eat yesterday, and am determined to stick with it. I bought a LOT of fruit and set it out in the kitchen so it's easy to snack on. On these really hot days, fruit is so much more appealing than junk food anyways. Glad to be back... Hope everyone is doing well.

 

[chickenannie]

Ok, a question:

I have never owned a scale. How important is it to have one if you're trying to lose weight? I was afraid if I had one I'd obsess about it and beat myself up each time I weighed myself.

 

[CritterHill]

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I'm interested to see what everyone else thinks, but here is my personal opinion. Scales are overrated. The best way to measure your progress is how well your clothes fit or how loose they are getting.

Scales can make you crazy. Especially since you tend to fluctuate by a pound or two over the course of a day due to how hydrated you are.

Having said that, I do have and use a scale because I like confirmation that I am _really_ losing weight and I'm not just imagining that my pants feel better.

On the flip side, if you are getting into shape by stepping up the exercise, remember that muscle weighs more than fat so the scale can be deceptive. You can be skinnier by being more toned, but not any lighter. In my experience, that is rare unless you are REALLY working out though.

I think it depends a lot on the personality. Some people need the numbers to track progress. Others can see achievement by the way they look or how their clothes fit.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

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I am subject to "scale addiction" too. Or at least I was when I was 20-something. If the scale had a number that displeased me, my whole day would be ruined. So I chucked the scale and only got one a few years ago to keep me in line in my 40's.

The mentally-healthiest way to judge your fitness or shape is by noticing how your clothes fit. Of course, if you're a big fan of baggy, comfy clothes, this won't help. But if you have a favorite, well-fitting pair or jeans or office trousers, their fit would tell you how well you're doing losing weight.

A scale will only tell you ounces/pounds lost or gained. It won't recognize the fact that you might have better cardio endurance, can climb more stairs or have more firm muscles from exercising.

If you do get a scale, maybe weigh yourself every other day, or once a week.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Also, since you wanted a report on my fitness journey, I've been riding my bike 9 miles to work every Monday, Wednesday and Friday since June 28. I've shaved three whole minutes off my record time, and actually feel cheated when I have to take my car to work (in order to do load-bearing errands). I'm the same weight though, only more fit. Aerobic or cardio exercise has always been my nemesis!!!!!

It will be rough when I have to stop when the weather gets colder.