I finally had to do it

[ride4fun]

Congrats --that is a fun kind of unplanned expense.

[Trailpal]

That is so cool!

I am finding that my riding tights are getting loose. I finally took the plunge and had another pair made the next size down. Hope they work!

[kerryc]

Weight and mesurements last Saturday.

Down 10 lbs and 5 inches.

I looked at the photo from the Angels of Dance fundraiser and started to get up set. There were belly rolls that you could see through the costume. Then I told myself to GET A GRIP! I HAD to take the costume in, so there WAS a change. The weight is coming off from the top down and the bottom up. The middle IS getting smaller, just at a slower rate. I'm just not at the point to look like I should be in a size 4. (Snork like that would happen - too tall) So in the mean time, I'm doing sit ups on an incline with a 15 lb weight. I'm doing sit ups on a big rubber ball with 20 lb arm pulls.

We had a good old rhomboid party Thurday to help me keep my smooth dance fraim up and my chest pulled to my spine. NOT easy while dancing. I can hold it correctly for a vry short time, but when I do --- it's magic! I can feel exactly what steps we are doing so much better than before!!! Boy my back was feeling the workout after that. Will keep on top of those rhomboids!!!

[rhapsody]

I hit the pause button, so to speak, on my routine. I've still been careful about what I eat (as much as I can, though I have "splurged" on occasion). Still, after not going for weigh-in or measurements for 5 weeks (due to a TDY and scheduling issues) I went in today to find that, even with not strictly following the meal plan or even exercising much at all, I was still down 3 pounds and 2 inches.

I really do need to get back to following the meal plan more closely. This was hard to do when I was TDY due to the restaurants that were available but I made sure to order healthier protein options (salmon a couple times, steak only once, flounder another time, etc.) and veggies.

I'm still only drinking water (plain water or sparkling water - either LaCroix or Dasani).

Aside from the weight loss, I've had other positives. When I do get migraines, they aren't as intense and are ususally no more than low grade, which is very much a welcome change! I'm sleeping better, too.

My cholestorol came down about 30 points, as well, but still needs to come down some more. My HDL was okay (could be better but it was above 50) but the LDL needs to come down more.

[kerryc]

I'm happy, but I'm also frustrated! GRRRRR

I'm frustrated that the scale has NOT moved .... at all!!!! Well it has, but it's bounced right back to the same spot.

**I'm happy that I'm not utterly exhusted to the point of needing a nap after working out like I did when I started this adventure.
**My weak knees are WAY stonger than when I first started. I don't have pain in them like I use to and when I do, I KNOW it's because I'm getting up on my toes instead of staying into the heels.
**I'm happy because my clothing is fitting better to falling off.
**The jeans I got in Decmeber are too big for me in the waist, but I'm not going to replace them just yet.
**My shorts are starting to fall down when I'm working in the gym. I've tossed 1 pr and got a new smaller pr.
**I CAN see that the fat pads that were in the inside of my calfs are almost gone.
**I CAN see core lines starting to show thru running down both sides of my middle.
**I CAN do more core work and hold flutter kicks for a longer time.
**She started me on kick boxing for cardio. First time left me gasping for air and back to being utterly exhausted and needing a nap. The 2nd time I'm still gasping for air, but not quite as bad, but BOY did my hips hurt for 4 days after! LOVE the mule kicks. She seemed to be amazed that I didn't have to look behind me when doing them and I still hit the same place on the bag. Told her I was a mule in a former life. I kick by feel.

I've decided I've GOT to keep a food journal, add up those calories and figure out what I'm doing to myself!

My next weights and measurments is July 25.

[Marci]

Sounds like your making good progress. I was so miffed that although I had upped my exercise I was gaining weight. Sigh. But then like magic it melted off again. I just kept plugging away doing stuff I loved and wa la the scale is back to the Drs. goal weight. It would be nice to lose another 20 lbs but I'm happy here. Gives me a little cushion too if I get sick. Funny how with this disease it has changed how I look at a little extra weight. If I get a cold or something it really can take 10 lbs off quickly.

[dl]

It sounds like you are on the right path! I share your frustration with the scale, though.
I'm having trouble with the scale moving, also. I know that I am stronger and I feel better. But that roll around my middle is still there. My jeans are not as tight, but I'm not ready for a new size yet.

Keeping a food journal has helped me a LOT, although I'm not sure how to change what I'm doing. I have made a point to eat only when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. But that has led to a strange cycle. I will have 4 or 5 days in a row where I only eat about 800 calories because that is all I'm hungry for. Then I will have a day that I eat maybe 1700 calories or even 2000 because I feel like I'm starving. All together, averaged out, it shouldn't be too many calories. But I know that I am forcing my metabolism to slow down to make the lower number of calories work for me and then hitting it with a bunch of calories that just get turned to fat. Some how I need to smooth it out but my hunger patterns are difficult to fight.

[kerryc]

Thank you girls I REALLY appricaite the support.

June 24 was the first dance lesson I've had since my instructor had his hip replaced. He tested himself with 2 other ladies who are not as advanced as I am to make sure he could start working. We started out with a little bit rumba, cha cha and West Coast Swing then moved into working on the new tango routine that will be performed on October 25 this year. We only worked an hr - THANK GOODNESS!!! My walking buddy met me since we are at the new dance studio in the Mall. V and I walked an hr. I felt good since I was still warm from my dance lesson. HOWEVER.... 10 mins before our walk was done I could feel my muscles start to tighten up. In the 5 min drive home I was not sure I could get out of the van! I had 3 tote bags in the back and I was not sure I could bend that far over to pick them up. The walk into the house was s-l-o-w and painful. I went straight to the shower. The parts of me that didn't hurt were screaming I was scalding them. The parts that DID hurt were yelling to crank the heat up more.

The next morning things were not a lot better. I took an Aleve to be able to function during the day. I was so not looking forward to meeting my trainer. I lucked out when she tested me that she was stuck at her mom's house with car trouble and couldn't make our time. Internally I was jumping for joy! I told her not to sweat it, I was MORE than happy to take an extra day off to recover, my knees still had a bit of fluid in them from Tango. It worked by Wed I could bend over and pick the bar off the floor with NO pain!!! It didn't last long. LOL

Friday I worked Tango again for an hr. This time my hips yelled a bit and my back could feel it from holding my (arms) fraim up. My right knee never hurt, but twice I wasn't sure what what it was going to bend as it felt like it could to any direction. The tendons are not use to the staccato movements just yet.

Saturday I wore my knee braces all day to give them some extra support. It help a bunch.

These pains are nothing new. I've been through them sever times before when I've had to come back and work smooth or tango during a prolonged absents.

[ride4fun]

Wow, keep up the good work. My creaky body will have to stick with having the horse do the dancing. I don't have enough sense of rhythm to dance anyway but now my body would be screaming 'stop STOP' also.

[Marci]

Sounds like you need to do some sort of an exercise routine in between dancing, I've been riding a bike and I have to say its GREAT for firming up legs and knee strength.

[kerryc]

Jul 2, 2014 0:15:54 GMT -5 Marci said:

Sounds like you need to do some sort of an exercise routine in between dancing, I've been riding a bike and I have to say its GREAT for firming up legs and knee strength.

Marci I workout with a personal trainer 4 times a week.
I dance 2 to 3 times a week.
I think I would need more days to a week to fit more in.

[Newfygirl]

Kerry- my son was diagnosed with a Bakers cyst behind his knee. Of course being 16 and a health nut, his was gone after three days of anti-inflammatory meds. I imagine there are varying degrees of cysts too. All of you sound like you are doing great with your workouts/lifestyle changes. I have a fitbit and it really helps keep me on track. One way or another I make myself walk at least 5 miles a day. I typically get 7-8 miles per day.

[kerryc]

Jul 7, 2014 14:10:12 GMT -5 Newfygirl said:

Kerry- my son was diagnosed with a Bakers cyst behind his knee. Of course being 16 and a health nut, his was gone after three days of anti-inflammatory meds. I imagine there are varying degrees of cysts too.

Oh my I can empathize with your son! My mom got 1 of those and it's sooo painful! First Dr. she went to wanted to do a knee replacement right away. She was like... anything a little less radical to try first? He hit her with a cortisone shot. She had a HORRIBLE reaction to that! Her rosacea on her face when wild. She had heart palpitations and she started hot flashes again. (she's had a hysterectomy and is 83, she WAS past all that) She's trying to let the cortisone filter out of her system before she tries anything else.

Jul 7, 2014 14:10:12 GMT -5 Newfygirl said:

I make myself walk at least 5 miles a day. I typically get 7-8 miles per day.

Oh that's wonderful!!! I would like to do more of that down wooded trails, but the mosquitoes are so bad around here and we are again having West Nile problem. I walk the mall with a friend on Tuesday nights, but that surface is starting to cause some back problems.

Thanks for you kind words.

[kerryc]

Measurement day was August 1. There is 14 inches less of me!! Totally amazing, but it was hard work to get rid of it. I lost it from the head down and from the ankes up. Not much change on the hips, but that will come with more cardio. My trainer has been building me up slowly and safely. I'm so thrilled to look at myself in the mirror and see 2 (baby) rip lines going down my middle.

[ride4fun]

You sound like you are still having fun with the training and that is so much healthier than fast losses with an "I cannot wait to be done" eating/workout regime.