annerj

First surgery for me was at 23 years old. Second was at 26. Currently 35.

Similar story but I gained closer to 60 pounds the year my back became a big issue. Lost it and gained it back 2 years later when I needed surgery again.

I'm active, I work out a ton, all that but I also EAT...too much! So any period of inactivity and I pack on the pounds quickly. I need to clean up my diet seriously as the older I get the harder it is to work out enough.

With Spinal Stenosis and degenerative disc disease (I think that is the catch all diagnosis) its a matter of when not if for my next surgery.

anonplz

Great story, Lehava! And congratulations on losing over 100 pounds.

I have never had much of a weight problem, but as I've aged, my metabolism has slowed, and yes, I have a bit of a belly and flab that I want to get rid of.

I am currently trying to lose about 32 pounds. I started on Monday. My plan is portion and carb control, combined with increasing physical activity. Breakfast is either skipped (never skip my coffee/cream) or else something like a boiled egg or a small bowl of oatmeal. Lunch is going to be primarily salad with a piece of fruit for dessert. Dinner will be a bit more freestyle, but I am trying to apply the model's rule-of-thumb when eating at restaurants: "Order something sensible, and then eat only half of that." I give myself a bit of a carb allowance, but not much.

Though initially, of course, weight gain is mostly water loss, my scale told me yesterday that I was down three pounds from Monday, and then two pounds this morning. ^ I can feel it, too - clothes fit better, and I just FEEL better and lighter.

Exercise is every other day - brisk walking for a couple miles. Wish me luck.

GINZ

Never skip breakfast, its the most important meal of the day to kickstart your metabolism. Skipping only slows your metabolism down.

anonplz

What is the minimum, then, that I can count as breakfast? For example, the aforementioned boiled egg with coffee - is that 'breakfast'?

obscure2k

I consider that breakfast. You are getting protein from the egg. My breakfast is normally a 1/2 cup of 2% plain yogurt with fresh berries and a pot of tea.

aztimm

Ok, let me try this (finally), a little about me--

* other than team baseball, I didn't really play any sports as a kid. was always the last one picked in school gym class.
* tried out for track in my sophomore year of high school. one day I could barely walk up the stairs to class. thankfully, I was cut (the coach had a hard time with it, both my brothers had been on the team, he taught me freshman English, etc).
* joined the Army reserve when I was a senior in high school. my parents and the recruiter were worried that I'd have trouble with PT. actually was fine with all that (had more trouble on the shooting range)
* after 2 years of college, dropped out and joined the Army full time for 4 years. over that time, I would have been in the best shape (heck I was 19-23), but I ate and drank horribly. spent a year in Korea, and the last 1-1/2 year at Ft Lewis, WA. During that last bit, the post commander had a rule that if you max'd your PT test, you were excused from most organized PT. some friends and I did a bit on our own (weights, running, etc), and before I knew it I was easily max'ing my PT test (my best 2-mile run time was 10:30). this certainly didn't hurt when I went up to the promotion board. throughout most of my time in the army, I swam somewhat regularly. at Ft Lewis, there was a pool down the street from my barracks; I'd do 30 min over lunch.
* after 4 years in the army, got out, went back to school, and was mostly a slug. occasional running, weights. I did water polo for a semester and had a blast with that. was somewhat regular with swimming. did a semester abroad and hardly did a thing
* went on to grad school (here in AZ), and there was a swim club. that was my first time being a part of any sort of swimming group, and it was pretty fun. I'd guess I swam about 3x a week for an hour each
* after getting out in the real world, I didn't do much for a while. a co-worker talked me into doing a triathlon (which he ended up not doing), and then I did another. after that I got in a horrible bike crash. I never really got back into biking or running after that
* during a year working in Tucson, I found out and joined a masters swim group. it was great stress relief. I did that from 1998 through 2010.
* around the time I turned 34, during a routine doctor visit, they put me on blood pressure medicine. it had been steadily increasing for 2 years. evidently swimming wasn't cutting it.
* after that, I started walking. there's a beautiful canal (that actually brings drinking water into town) about a 2 min walk from my house with awesome trails along the sides. I started walking 2 miles, which then shifted to about half walk/half run...to all run. eventually I started adding 1/2 mile, then more, and more until about 2 years later I was running 15+ miles.
* around the same time as I started walking, I also got a bit better about weights. had a machine at home that was good to start with. then in 2009 joined a gym, and try to go 2-3 times a week. (between both of those, my blood pressure is now solidly at a more comfortable level)
* I entered the Phoenix/PF Chang's marathon at the expo 2 days prior in Jan 2009. It was my first running-only race, and my first race of any sort for 10+ years. I finished it, but it wasn't pretty at the end.
* since then, I re-evaluated what I wanted out of fitness. went through a horrible sprained ankle (which still flares up), and I did my 2nd marathon just about a month ago. I've done a couple of low-key, "Splash & Dash," races in the Phoenix area too (swim + run).

at this point I have a couple of long-term goals--
1. to qualify for the Boston Marathon when I enter the 45-49 age group. it isn't going to be easy, especially since they recently changed the qualifications. but I have a few years, and can shoot for smaller goals along the way.
2. to qualify for at least 1 event in USMS (basically adult swimming) for a national event. since Jan 1 of this year, I've been swimming on my own, and so far I've done a decent job of getting in, cranking out some quality distance, with a focus on some of the low-hanging fruit.
3. have fun, and strive for overall fitness. especially in swimming, I see some fast people who just don't look fit (a swimsuit doesn't hide much); hopefully I'm not and won't become one of them. if I screw up a race, think of how I can improve the next time and don't kill myself over it. and most importantly, realize when I'm doing too much, give myself time to rest, recover, and also take time to do other things. I love getting out and exploring fitness opportunities while traveling--had some incredible runs through London last year, and also swam with some great groups there too.

lisah101

I am a 45 year old "empty nester" I had my boys young and they taught me how to skateboard and rollerblade. Then they started BMX which was a lot of fun as it was just me and the two boys. Our eating habits weren't the best, but since I love to cook, we didn't eat out a lot, just tons of good home cooking which included chocolate pie from scratch (their favorite). My boys both can make a homemade pie crust and do laundry so I am very proud.

Now with them gone and my metabolism slowing down I put on a few extra pounds, but also noticed I just didn't have any energy. The gym was hard because it was like work, whereas before we were involved with sports which was fun. I'm determined to make it more fun and less work.

I got into healthy eating by cutting out processed foods and feel much better, but still have about 10 pounds to loose along with toning up parts that are starting to jiggle. I hired a personal trainer who tried to get me into running, but she eventually gave up telling me I had no technique and my stride was too short. Hello, I'm 5 foot even and you are 5 foot 10, of course my legs don't reach! It's pretty depressing when something as basic as running is such a challenge and I can't get it right. I'm not quitting until I master this skill!

So starting next week I have a new personal trainer through Oasis Personal Training who will hopefully give me some direction. I'm too young to feel this old and want to get out and have some adventures. That is the worst part of being out of shape - it makes me feel older than I am. I want to go back to central america and do another zip line, climb another ruin, hike through the wilderness and see the world.

taylorc418

So happy to have this! It's nice to have a travel related forum that isn't just travel focused. I know one of my priorities while a road warrior is being able to keep some kind of normal life, and that includes working out.

I'm a 25 y/o IT consultant who is on the road M-R every week without fail, unless I'm on vacation. I spend about 4 segments a week on a plane, and am in primarily non urban locations. Athletically, I've always been involved in sports, and stay around the 140 lb mark, which at 5"10' is normal. However, I can do more to get back the muscle tone I used to have, as well as be in better aerobic shape. Working out for me on the road isn't about losing - it's about maintaining. When I first started consulting, I gained the freshman 15, and from then on swore I'd work hard to not fall victim to a steady weight gain.

I'm also a triathlete, so it presents some unique training challenges. You can always find a road to run on, but a gym with a good bike or spin class, and a community pool are sometimes hard to find. I have a YMCA membership, and most are welcoming to visitors. I find that having a rigid training schedule helps to regulate me because I know I'm impacting my ability to finish a race if I don't train properly. I try to stick to a mostly unprocessed food diet, which means salad from Subway and grocery store salad bar meals most of the time. Not terribly exciting given some choices you can have on the road, but I've found myself to have much more energy and focus cutting out processed items.

JennyElf

I'm a former frequent work traveler who recently took a non-travel intense job. The last year was especially bad, between the long hours and the travel, I gained almost 15lbs in a single year. Five years ago, I lost 40 lbs through proper diet and exercise. About 3 years ago, my job started getting more intense and I didn't keep up with either. I gained about 25 of it back.

So now, with a less crazy job, I'm working on bringing the weight back down. So far this year, I've taken off 10 lbs, again through proper diet and exercise. Around 8 or so more to go and then I'm at a weight I can be happy with and maintain.

My goal is to be able to start biking to work (20 miles round trip) and to run a 5K by the end of the summer.

Meanwhile: eating healthily is the easy part. I like healthy foods, and my body feels ill if I eat too much fat. The hard part is portions. Also, I make most of my own food, so calorie tracking is a pain. How do you calculate the calories in a vegie stir-fry with 5 different vegetables in it?

Exercise is getting easier. I find that by logging my exercise and seeing that I did something each day makes me want to log something as often as I can.

GINZ

I stopped counting calories a long time ago.
It sounds like you have a good understanding of what foods you should be consuming, so just concentrate on the physical portion and train yourself to only consume what your body needs to feel satisfied.
For a long time I would eat until I was stuffed instead of eating until i didnt feel hungry anymore. Knowing the difference between the sensation of "satisfied" and "stuffed" was the key. Try eating half of your portion, step back from the food and see how you feel. You will eventually get in tune with your body. Communication is key

JennyElf

I've been working on the lunch side by putting my food in smaller tupperware containers. That way I've portioned out about the right amount. Dinners I put on smaller plates. When we go out, I try to eat just half like you said. That seems to be working pretty well, though sometimes the food is just so good, it's hard to stop.!

cheltzel

I am 61, 6'2" and currently weigh 214lbs.

I was always skinny as a child, could eat enormous amounts of food and never gain weight. Played some sports in high school, nothing very serious.

My problems hit when I reached my early 30s. I was traveling a lot, smoked and drank a lot as well. Stopped smoking (finally) and really started to put on the weight. I have no idea how much I weighed before I started working out. My best guess is that I weighed somewhere between 325 and 350. I was wearing 48 pants (and getting them let out). Current waist is between 36 and 37.

I began my journey back to a healthy life around Christmas of 2006. Changed my diet and power walking. Started going to the gym in the summer of 2007.

On a carb restricted, high protein diet. I read a book that really changed how I look at food, Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health by Gary Taubes. I highly recommend it to anyone struggling with weight and diet issues.

I am currently working out 2 hours a day 5 days a week. Evenly split between weights and cardio. I have a hard time doing any significant running as this causes me a lot of joint pain in the knees and ankles.

I would like to get down to around 200 and a waist somewhere below 36.

My challenge is eating when I travel for work. I fly between 35k and 70k miles a year. These are longer international trips. My work schedule often precludes spending a lot of time in the hotel fitness room. So I tend to gain 5 to 15 lbs every trip (who can resist a big serving of Peking duck with plum sauce and buns!!). The I have to work like a maniac to take it off before the next trip.

This is really a great forum. Thanks to all of you who have made the effort to start it and keep it going.

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

Be aware, 80% of the trainers out there are totally useless. They will do nothing but take your money, particularly if your are older and are in poor physical shape. However, if you are truly motivated and really want to feel and look better the right trainer can make it happen:

What to look for:
Does the trainer spend time with you talking about your life and your goals;

Does the trainer ask questions on what stops you (time, motivation, lack of knowledge & skills);

On that note, does the trainer ask and provide solutions for constraints such as time, travel, family, etc.;

Is the trainer appearing to promise to much (if you are 45 and out of shape face it you will never look 21 again);

If asked, can the trainer refer you to others that he/she has helped and can provide real measurable results. Any trainer that will not allow you to speak to current clients very likely has no one that he/she has changed physically.

If not, move onto someone else.

EDnearJQF

I'm 47, and have been moderately active for most of my life. Started running about 4 years ago, and was really bitten by the running bug. I now run regularly, and just completed my 10th marathon.

That said, I still have my share of long days sitting, enjoy food and wine, and could stand to lose another 10 pounds or so. I will enjoy reading this forum, and contributing when I have a (rare ) pertinent comment.

lisah101

I read this and thought a lot about it and I think you are right, there are a lot of bad trainers out there. When I first talked to this group I did tell them I was a project manager and I implemented health and wellness programs for a living. I was then paired with a younger trainer but he is now almost like my adopted son. He is quiet, attentive and I don't think I've ever done a rep he hasn't watched closely. We reviewed meal plans in the beginning and he checks on them once in a while, but since I stopped eating processed foods, my meal plan was great. He actually suggested I wasn't eating enough and talked about better ways to add carbs back in because I had cut them out completely. Now I love Quinoa, whole, organic oats and others. I have a body media arm band and he reviews the data regularly and gives me a lot of feedback. It is really amazing that I will email him my weekly report and he will spend his off time reviewing, then ask me why I had 3 days last week with no cardio. It keeps me honest.

My only constraint..... I live in a remote area in a small house - getting my butt out of the house to go do something including the gym since we have to space inside to work out. Especially now that I am a telecommuter and don't have to drive to work everyday. Still working on that one.

FYI......
Waist - lost 1 inch
Hips - lost 1 1/2 inches
thigh - lost 3/4 inch each
calf - lost 1/2 inch
bicep - lost 1/4 on left arm, 1/2 on right arm

Not bad for three weeks at twice a week!! I don't even remember the few pounds I lost, but he was more focused on measurements and getting my heart rate up on the cardio. He said if I felt good and my clothes were smaller, don't sweat the number on the scale. Is this just baloney or not? I only had 10-15 pounds to loose, most of the effort was to build muscle and get healthy.

Also... in my work I deal with programs for very sick people, COPD, CHF, Diabetes, etc so not that familiar with "healthy"

Body fat vs. BMI he wont use BMI, only body fat and has a little hand held thing the company tells him to use but I get the feeling he doesn't really trust the numbers on there. What is the best?