Daily Workout Thread 4/9

[MissAva]

Today I got my ass kicked doing chest and abs. (Small 20min treadmill warm up)I have no chest muscles it was just all types of crazy pain ful. Not is a bad way just a lot of muscle fatigue earlier then I would like to admit. Last night I went to see Sin City and I gave into the the Diet Coke/Popcorn monster. Oh well I have never claimed to be perfect. I hope everyone else was able to get up today...so hard to excerise on the weekend.

 

[MissAva]

I just finished reading yesterdays workout posts...and FFF I am right there with you. When I went off to school I was about 130 and a size 8 and was quite often told if I could jsut lose about 15 pounds how pretty I would be. By the time I came home that winter break I was up to 163

, that spring semester I went down to 140 and was soo proud of myself.

I was sent to Camp Shane (Fat Camp) and gained all of my weight back and more!

I really couldnt figure out how that work but when I left I couldnt get into my jeans that I had arrived in and that was pretty hard for me to take. Since then I have bounced up and down like mad...I am always on somesort of diet. So this Christmas I asked my parents for Gastric Bypass which is life altering and very serious. They said no but hired me a personal trainer and a dietician at the local hospital here to help me lose the weight. Well I got here at 158 and I have steadily been gaining and this morning was wee bit over 175. This is really pretty hard for me to accept. I am doing what everyone else does and loses weight and I am just getting heavier....I have gone from a little tight ten to a sixteen. I went home for part of my spring break and I could see in my parents eyes how sad they about my weight.

The worst of it is the vast majority of it is on my stomach ( I tried on a pari of my older sister "fat jean an 8 and they fit my legs just fine but were about half of what they needed to be for my waist). I get asked when the baby is due and it just kills me. Luckliy I have a wonderful BF who insists that he doesnt care how I look that he loves me no matter w

hat. I think I would tweak out if not for him.

So yea that is why I always get up and go to the gym and why I really need to start walking/jogging more at night and in the afternoon. I dont want to be like this forever. FFF I belive you can lose the weight my workout buddy from Emory went from 214 to a tiny112 (or there abouts it fluctuates a wee bit) but she wears a size 4 or 6 now and was once up there in the 20''s.

She has done better and I am just soo proud of her. I know you will too. *hug* dont ever feel bad about posting your weight. I think being a good person counts a hell of a lot more.

 

[Buena Girl]

Matatora-
I was wondering if you had tried getting your sleep patterns analyzed. I think you have posted before about pulling all-nighters. I have read different places that sleep affects weight. Something about the amount of oxygen in your body I think??? Maybe you aren''t getting enough sleep and that''s why you aren''t getting the weightloss results. Or, perhaps something in your nasal passages is blocking some air while you breathe and your body is getting less oxygen?

And please don''t consider Gastric Bypass as an option!

Surgeries are never gauranteed and there can sometimes be unexpected complications. There is also the occasional person who dies (one example: look up all of the people who have died during routine cosmetic surgery). If you are exercising and eating nutritious foods and are still gaining weight, then I don''t think that surgery would help you.

Besides, this is what I have heard about the surgery: It only temporarily decreases the size of a person''s stomach. Over time, if the person continues to eat more food than will fit comfortably in the person''s stomach, then their stomach will start to stretch and enlarge. And voila, the person starts to gain weight again. Case in point -> Carnie Wilson. She has since been able to balance diet and exercise and maintain much of her weight loss, but she''s no longer the size 6 or so that she was in the year after her surgery. I think she normalized to a size 10 or 12??

 

[Jennifer5973]

Surgery should be a last resort. And it''s not an option for you--175 lbs & a size 16 is hardly going to qualify you as obese enough.

I have tsruggled to maintain my weight all my life, fluctuating from an 8 to a 14 at 5 ft 6 in.... A loose 12 is what''s most comfortable and what I seek to maintain. In al the time I''ve gained & lost weight over the years (starting from post-college on), one thing always holds true--follow a sound eating plan like Weight Watchers and exercise 5-6 days a week for at least 30 min of cardio + light weights, which are especially important for women. I know no one wants to hear it but exercise is vitally imprtant for heart and bone health, nevermind the weight.

Have you tried seeing a nutrionist or your Internist/PCP? There is always a slight chance you may have a thyroid issue or some other problem. But take it from someone who has battled "denial" many times--just cutting down on Doritos and switching to diet soda isn''t going to do it. Are you keeping a food diary? I started doing that and I was AMAZED at what I was really eating...and all those bites off my husband''s plate that magically "didn''t count"! LOL... reality stinks!

In college, My size 6 friend reguarly downed entie pizzas and never gained an ounce while I had to watch & exercise to maintain..different pple have different metabolisms--not fair but true.

What I need to eat to maintain? Breakfast = lowfat yogurt and black cofee. Lunch = 1/2 grilled cheese made with rye or wheat bread, 2 slices 2% singles, salad with low-fat dressing. Dinner: bowl of vegetable or chicken-stock based soup, maybe a lean pcket or piece of lean meat or fish with herbs. In a pinch, a Lean cuisine That''s it. And water, water, water...and if you really want to pack a diet punch, eat lots of vegetables.

Also, i HATE HATE HATE exercise but I love how I feel when I do it regualry...I used to toss & turn at night and never feel rested...Now that I have been exercising regularly, I sleep a solid, sound 7-8 hrs a night and am not ready to pass out by 3 PM.

Don''t give in/up....keep exercising, pay more attention to your food choices and talk to your doctor.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

I knew a woman who had the gastric bypass...this surgery is only resevered for people with life-threatening weight problems. The woman I knew was (no joke!!!) 600 pounds!! She had trouble walking up a flight of stairs, had troubles driving (couldn''t fit well behind the steering wheel!), and her joints and organs were being severely impacted. Furthermore, once you''re done with the surgery, you have such a strict regimen of what, when and how you can eat....if you think you can bypass this (no pun intended), you''re wrong!!

It sounds like your parents are in the right direction getting you to a dietician and using the proper exercise...keep posting...you''ve got a lot of support from us...don''t go under the knife as a "quick fix." It''s a lifestyle afterwards and if you''re not ready for that lifestyle change, then the surgery wouldn''t be appropriate for you...

 

[fountainfairfax]

I want to thank everyone for posting in this thread- esp Matatora for sharing your up & downs and the decisions you''ve been making! All of the feedback and suggestions from everyone are both supportive and sensible! Knowing my compulsive behavior, it is very important to have a plan and to try to stick to it no matter what (i.e. holidays & other celebrations are not an excuse to go crazy, at emotional times I need to find other things to do) Support is also a major part of getting well and eating within reason. I''m very happy to have a forum such as this one w/all these great PSers to lend help. I''m also very fortunate that my bf is wonderful about my weight- nonjudgemental, tells me I''m beautiful & sexy (what a great feeling!) but when I do "buckle-down" on a plan such as WW he''s a huge help and he always encourages me to work out because he knows it makes me feel great and sleep better. Anytime I have discussed weight-loss surgery (I know someone who had the belly band- what a nightmare) he offers similar opinions to those listed here and as we all know, it doen''t make the reasons I compulsively overeat go away, it just makes it more difficult to eat! It''s an ongoing battle but I will continue to fight, not just for my looks but mainly for my health!

So thanks again for everything!

 

[Patty]

fff and Matatora, I admire both of you for posting your stories about your weight struggels here.

I do not know many women without some sort of weight/body issue.

For years and years I was super skinny (125 pounds, 5'' 10") and flat chested and I hated that. I was very thin but a pear shape.

Then I hit 40 and put on weight and now I hate this! I finally have a bit of a chest but I feel FAT! And what good are boobs when you are in your 40s? Where were they when I was in high school and needed them?!

So now I look back at pictures of myself 10 years ago and think, "Why was I unhappy then?" I''ve never been able to really appreciate where I am at a certain time. It''s always something!

The key to me feeling good about myself is exercize. It''s amazing how it affects my self image. Even at my heaviest (which I''m close to now) I still feel good about my body on the days I exercize. It''s also one of the most effective anti-depressants out there.

My sister has 3 sisters-in-law who are obese. Two have had the gastric bypass surgery. (One was over 700 pounds at one point, the other probably 500 and the third maybe 400 or more.) Anyway, I was looking at her pictures the other day and her SILs were in them. They look to be as big as ever. She said that yes, despite the bypass surgery, they have put most of the weight back on. They are not over 500 probably but they look like they would have trouble moving around. It''s very sad. But I think that if you never address the reason for the overeating, you''ll never solve the problem.

 

[Mara]

Weight is just such a sad, chronic issue for many women (and men). My girlfriend is always griping about why can't there be some magical pill to make you thin....to be honest I think part of the appeal to be thin is because there are other people that are thin, and there are those that are very overweight, and society looks upon the thinner gals with more favor, designing clothes, etc that are geared more towards them. If we were all thin, would it hold such appeal? I often wonder.

Anyhow, a quickie story, in other parts of the world in the past, and recently I just read this still goes in, in some very impoverished countries, the bigger you are, the more appealing you are as a wife. The idea is that if you are big, you can afford to eat, while if you are skinny--you can't afford food to eat and therefore people are more interested in and find bigger gals much more attractive. Such an opposite from our American lives which definitely favors the waifs.

Not to say that being obese should be a good thing anywhere..i.t can really affect your body in negative ways. Carrying that extra weight can be bad for your joints, heart, blood pressure...but not everyone will be affected by the same things most likely. Being bigger is one thing...and some people are just naturally taller or big boned, but being obese is unhealthy for long-term.

Many of us were sticks as children, high school etc and then actual hormones started to kick in with metabolism slowing down, we grew boobs and a butt and hips...and suddenly it was a constant struggle to maintain your shape and body weight.

One reason that so many people are overweight is overeating, also plate sizing has jumped from 8" in the late 1970s to about 12" as the standard/average restaurant and dinner plate nowadays..and guess what? People fill their plates with food and many times feel obligated or were raised to eat it all. No leftovers.

How is this really different from the past where people would eat all sorts of fatty foods, starches/carbs, desserts, and why is it that our nation is the biggest it's ever been now? Lack of exercise in our daily lives. In the old days, people would eat all the stuff we want to, but then they'd have to go into the fields or work machines for their daily jobs and they would burn it all off. Nowadays in the office 9-5 environment, exercise has fallen by the wayside and is largely reserved for indoor gyms and the like. It went from being required for your daily existence to being something is now required in order to stay fairly healthy.

Anyhow, this is mostly just a ramble but it always interests me to think of the reasons why Americans are struggling so much right now with the big W issue...supersizing items, Americans feel as though they want to get the real BANG for their buck. Why is someone elses portion bigger? Nevermind can you eat it! I have caught myself a time or two thinking...hmm why is this dessert pie smaller than last time and almost caught myself complaining. But then I have to think..WAIT, do I really need the EXTRA LARGE pecan pie? Or will this small one do just fine after my meal? It's such a metality thing--I am spending $6 on a dessert, I want to feel like it is cutting the mustard. Nevermind can I EAT the whole thing.

Bottom line....try to continue to eat healthy, alot of veggies, salads, greens, lean proteins...and continue with the workouts. Also I agree with others in terms of getting yourself checked out. Maybe you should meet with a nutritionist and have them give you a plan that works for you and your body type.

I find what works best for me is to workout about 2-3 times a week and keep my eating habits fairly healthy with a few splurges here and there...but I do not have the type of body or metabolism where I can afford to eat whatever I want and not work out. That is just the sad truth, there are people like that but I am not one of them. I also know I will never again have the size 26 waist, or wear a size 2-4, nor will my hip bones shrink inwards...you have to also know what you can change and what you need to accept about yourself. Unfortunately that is the sad truth. It would be great IF there was some sort of magical way to ensure that everyone was thin and healthy but somehow that just seems too easy. I find that what also motivates me is how my clothes fit...aka are things getting too tight? How do I look in those jeans from 2 months ago? That helps me realize where I am and if I need to make any adjustments to what I am doing...

Good luck and stay positive! Know that you are not the only person around, nor on PS that needs to watch what they eat or their weight or force themselves to continue to exercise!! That is the lot of women all around the world (well maybe not France, those skinny Frenchies!

)

 

[AmberGretchen]

Hi - I just wanted to chime in here having a number of perspectives on this issue. First, FFF and Matatora - it takes more courage than I had when I started reading the LIW workout threads to be honest about your weight struggles, and so congratulations on that. Its hard to read about people wanting to go from a size 4 to a size 2 and still chime in about problems that are very different (not to say that either one is less valid, but fundamentally different).

Its easy to forget what a big role genetics plays in all of this as well. Both of my parents exercise 5-6 days a week (my mom swims and my dad rides a stationary bike for an hour), plus they are generally pretty active people (my mom less so due to recent health problems), and they both eat healthy and generally reasonable portions, and yet they have both struggled their whole lives with their weight and continue to do so. I think that genetics are certainly not the be-all and end-all but in many cases they do play a role, as well as the habits learned. I was fortunate to learn healthy eating and cooking habits from my mom, not so fortunate to get all of the angst and stress and guilt about their weight that both of my parents have from them, combined with the additional issues of having done ballet all through high school and into the beginning of college.

Since high school I have fluctuated from a size 2/4 up to a size 12/14 (which is bigger than it sounds when you are only about 5''2"), and from 110 lbs to 165 lbs, because I have had so many injuries and other complicating factors I have no idea what my weight is actually supposed to be to be healthy, although because of my Russian peasant bone structure and relatively high muscle-to-fat ratio (another fortunate inheritance) it will almost certainly be heavier than the charts at the doctor say. I suspect that my healthiest weight is between 130 and 140 lbs, at which point I wear a size 4/6 or maybe an 8 depending on the brand, and I feel good about how I look, But if I can''t get there by exercising regularly (a challenge in and of itself when I often work 12+ hours a day in my lab as a graduate student) and eating healthy, then I will have to accept a bigger size. Of course, this is on a good day - on a bad day I am ready to try just about any thing, and only my (reasonably) good sense and the fact that my older half-sister almost died from taking diet pills (cardiac arrest) keeps me from doing foolish things.

Matatora - I feel your pain on the fluctuating thing. I went to college as a size 6, at about 130 lbs, and gained the freshman 25 or 30, then lost it all (in 6 weeks) from a nasty case of mono. That lasted until the next winter, when I went back up to about 150 after I tore my rotator cuff, and then dropped it the following fall/winter back down to 135, then back up after a car accident to 165, and I''m still trying to lose that weight. I actually haven''t weighed myself in a while because I''m a bit frightened to, but if I had to guess I would say I''m around 150 now and I wear about a size 10. I''m looking forward to dropping that last 10-15 lbs and size or two this summer when I have no more classes and more time to go to the gym (plus the motivation of wanting to look good in a wedding dress). (And that''s the short version!

) Then of course there is also the whole issue of how you preceive yourself versus how others do - even at my heaviest, no one ever really thought I looked "fat" although perhaps heavier than I should have looked, but even at my thinnest I looked "fat" to me on some days.

I suppose I am rambling a bit here, but I think that our society and especially we as women have all sorts of complicated issues about weight, but I think one of the most harmful is the implication that being larger makes you a bad person in some way. I think the best possible attitude is to try to look honestly at your lifestyle, and if you can really say that you are living a healthy lifestyle (i.e. you exercise regularly, eat healthy most of the time, get a reasonable amount of sleep, don''t smoke, drink in moderation, and don''t stress too much) most of the time then there is nothing more you can do naturally and you either have to resort to surgery or drugs. I will always be short and curvy, and I will never look thin, but I hope that I can learn to live with wherever my body decides its healthy. Best of luck in your struggles and please know that you are never alone in this.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 4/10/2005 4:53:26 PM
Author: Mara
If we were all thin, would it hold such appeal? I often wonder.

No... not quite. There are not nearly as many overweight Romanians, and definitely not among younger people (say, below 40).
Being slim does not stand out at all.

Perhaps things are changing with lifestyle becoming more westernized, but it is a very slow process. After five years of living abroad I cannot say there is much difference, if any. Actually, something did change: it used to be ok for an older woman to be not quite slender... not it is not. I do not hear 30-something talking about weight loss (none I know needs it or cares), but their mothers are totally into it.