Trimming down…

Almost 2 years ago, I KNEW I needed to trim down. A woman "of a certain age" hormonal changes had packed on the pounds.
I joined 24 Hour Fitness during their very first Biggest Loser Special, connected with a great trainer, fell in love with weight training, and lost 1/4 of my body (42# of fat). I'm a new woman. And I've gone from looking my age to looking about 15 years younger

I still watch what I eat, exercise 3-4 days a week (1-1/2 hours each time). I have inspired a number of women to go and do the same.

Deb,
That's an amazing success story. Thanks for sharing and inspiring. If I lose 1/4 of my weight that'd be worth it I'd say. I'm well over 200 lbs and need to lose more than 40 just to start.

Thanks for the encouragement.

I do 30 minutes on an elliptical machine 4-5 days a week. I really like the elliptical machines because they are like running but easier on your joints. I also do 1 set on a few weight machines 2-3 times a week. You know, to remind my muscles that I'm still alive. And, and... I only get Ted Drew's once a week.

Nathan,
Thanks for stopping by. Cheers to the 30min/day work out. I've not worked out like that since leaving the Navy about 13 years ago. It helped that it was mandatory.

Yoga is looking more and more promising for stretching. We've begun a fairly regular walking regimen and I'm taking up dancing on the Wii and DDR for XBox 360.

I have started walking our dog after dinner. Now that she is committed, it doesn't let me off the hook so easily. Alex is still in as fit as when he retired from 82nd Airborne as Major. He beat Alexandra (17 yr old daughter) in recent 5k run in our community. ( I did 3k walk same day)
Thanks for your support of Operation Soldier Care. It will grow back and it's a good cause:)

Thank you everyone for your support and comments. Getting in better shape is a big commitment for sure.

Nice Todd. You are making the best steps putting words to thought. I have been varying up the hiking and kayaking with many a walk around Creve Couer Lake with my "lil" doggie and sometimes my parents. Please do join in sometime. A hop skip and a drive from St. Pete. :-)

Thanks Mathew; all the encouragement helps. I'm not much of a hiker, but I don't mind walks. Hoping to head out to the Botanical again soon for more walks as well.

You know, I'll take you up on that lake offer. Let's pick a date.

For me, it was just watching calories and fat at first--eating more fruit and veggies, and less carbohydrates; switching to nonfat milk; rationing treats in so I could SURVIVE. ;-) Then added a lot of walking, and doing Yoga. The hardest part was retraining my body (and my taste buds) to enjoy a different menu. One interesting thing was that I was actually eating *more* than I had before--I was just eating *better* and burning calories with exercise.

Now it's a way of life. I eat "everything in moderation," get a lot of fresh fruit/veggies, try to make most of my fats "good fats," and exercise every day.

Go for it, you guys can do it! :-)

Hugs! Thanks so much for your encouragement and support. It's a learning process on more than one level for sure. Eating better isn't about less is a hard one to fix in the head.

The Wii is going to push my limits with Wii Fit. It's already made me stretch, bend, and balance. Nice additions to my routine.

The Wii Fit sounds like so much fun!

It takes discipline to get out there and start any new work-out routine ya know!? But the fact that you're taking it one step at a time is a good thing. Not only that, but you're doing it with your partner! (Even better).

Me? I like running. It's my form of meditation (crazy, I know). I was no where near the stamina that I had years ago but I took it one step at a time. I had to stop and walk a lot of times at first to catch my breath but with each day, I make progress. (I know you will too...you have your partner to push you along the way :-P).