willowcat

week 2: 28.9 miles (4.1 miles below goal)

Deb, I don't know that I have any extra energy--being back at work is kicking my a**. I just keep remembering what the therapist at my psych-eval told me (she had had bypass herself): "You'll have to approach exercise like your job--you might not feel like it, but you still go, because you have to." I might not feel like exercising, but I do, because I have to. Thanks for the kuddos for going over my goal (the weekends give me a little more energy to push myself just a little more than I can muster on the work-day weekdays). I think of you and our other early birds, too. Glad you're here with all of us!

Week 1 34.5 miles completed (1.5 over goal) 97.5 miles to go

I need to see a full week's miles to know if I'm staying on track for my weekly goals to meet my month's goals, so I'm not going to post my miles until Monday (September started on Tuesday). My favorite song to listen to on my ipod when I'm doing my miles is the theme song to the first Rocky movie..."it's so hard now...getting strong now...gonna fly now...fly, fly, FLY!" I know I'm showing my age! LOL! What song inspires you when you're doing your miles (I might want to download it, too)?

I finished out the month with 180 miles on the exercise bike! It was a "photo-finish" but I still made my goal! Thanks everyone for being here!

ellea, How was your swim? I love swimming! I hope it was fun for you to be back in the water after your 3-year hiatus! Congrats on setting your exercise goal, achieving it, and enjoying it! The old-timers on this board with long-term weight loss all say that regular exercise has been the secret to their long-term success. It's kind-of fun, isn't it, to be joining the winners for a change?! Willow

Deb, Congrats on the 37th Anniversary! Congrats on the over 100 lb. weight loss! Congrats on recovering the energetic, happy you! Congrats on letting go of old clothes! I'm sorry about your Achilles heel. Hope all is well soon. Yes, this early bird is still seeing the sun rise (everyday except for Saturday)! Willow

Since August ends tomorrow (Monday), I'm going to hold off making a final post until then--I still have 13 miles to bike between today and tomorrow--otherwise I won't make my goal for the month (teaching is taking a lot out of me and by Friday, it's all I can do to bike even half of my daily goal--realistically, I'm thinking I've got to lower my goal for September to account for the extra energy spent at work). So, I'll post on Monday. Willow

I have to agree with Janai. I don't seem to have control over when/how much my body decides to lose weight. I do have control over what I eat and how much I exercise. Weight-loss goals just bum me out. For example, I've been on a plataue (that doesn't look right?--too lazy to look it up--and I'm a teacher--Yikes!--oh well) for about 2 weeks. I don't think that I changed anything, and then all of a sudden I lost 1.5 lbs on Monday and then 2 more lbs. on Friday! I suspect a new plataue (sorry for the sp) is on the horizon. Bodies seem to have a mind of their own that way.

Hmm...it might be time to set a protein-goal in addition to an exercise-goal! Congrats on the weight loss!! Thanks for posting.

I don't aim for anything particular, but maybe I should, because my weight loss has hit a stand-still recently. Go figure.

Here's the link for that thread: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f137/few-tips-slow-loser-now-past-goal-69621/ Eventually, this thread wanders off-topic, but the original poster's information is on the first page.

I don't know about silly, but I think it is certainly fun! I tried to start my own virtual miles actually. I had trouble using the program and never could get it to work. I think I'm going to "ride" my bike to New York City (I live in Colorado)! I'll try again at gmap-pedometer.com tonight to see if I can get it to work for me. Any hints? Now, though, it's time to get ready for work. Thanks for sharing this fun idea! The internet is so cool. Willow

Awesome, Sparkles! I haven't been able to run since I was a child--I loved running then and was faster than the boys in our neighborhood, too! My big dream is to be able to run as an adult someday--now that really will be a miracle! With running 19 miles this week and only 5 left to go, you really will surpass your goal! Way to go!

Thanks for the encouragement 2911! It really does help. Today, I biked my regular 6 miles and then kept going for another 6 miles--I didn't know I even had it in me to bike that long! Now, I just have 6 miles to catch up before August is over. We can do it!

Melinda, I know exactly what you mean!! That eliptical is my Mount Everest!! I can walk; I can swim; I can bike--but three minutes on the elipitical is about all I can do. I can do more, but I have to rest for about a minute before I can do another three minutes, etc. My thigh muscles are on fire on that thing! For me, I've decided that I'm asking my poor thighs to lift all of my weight with each step (it's like doing a leg press of 250 lbs. on one of those weight machines!) I keep thinking that maybe after losing more weight, the eliptical won't be so god-awful hard. Congrats on your stick-with-it-ness to go to the gym after work! Proud of you (I'm wiped out after work) good for you! Yeah!:thumbup:

Jenai, Thanks for the book recommendation--I'm glad that you're finding it very helpful! Yes, I decided to live with the extra .5cc afterall. I'm still pretty tight, and the stress of work has made a few lunches at work last week a little "iffy", but overall, I guess I would say things are settling down for me. How's your new 1cc working out for you? Willow

Your determination to get in your remaining miles is encouraging/challenging me to make up for two lost days this week (it was tough being back at school this week--it's crystal clear now why I didn't exercise in the past)! I'm so competitive (with myself and also with others) that it's really eating at me to think I might not make goal this month--12 miles is a lot for me to add on to my regular miles (I might need to spread it out a little over the next several days--maybe have an am and a pm exercise session a few days), BUT if you will get in the remaining miles, then I WILL too! :thumbup:

Wow! You had a big week last week! Congrats on going over 100 lbs. lost and on the running--too cool! :thumbup:

I'm so happy for you, Jenai! :thumbup: What a wonderful side-benefit! Thank you for sharing that with us! Yeah!!!

Week 3: Biked this week: 38.3 (3.7 below goal--first week of school kicked my you-know-what--will have to make it up this week somehow)

I have 5.5 cc in my 10 cc band. I can get liquids down with ease but with food I've been experiencing quite a bit of "first bite syndrome." It's very frustrating and quite painful. Getting over the habitual/emotional part of eating is very hard. Often I want to eat "just because" and not because I'm hungry--but eating is really only for hunger times. Baby steps. You'll get there.

2911, Your ticker indicates that you have just 39 lbs. to lose. Perhaps that's the reason you're struggling with slow weight loss? Everyone says the closer you get to goal, the slower the weight-loss goes. I started my band journey with 150 lbs to lose, and yet I wasn't seeing much movement on the scale. I found a post on the Slow Losers Unite board about increasing protien (I think the thread is called, "A Few Weight Loss Tips From a Slow Loser--Now at Goal). She said that once she started adding Protein to everything she ate, that the weight just started melting away. After reading that thread, I increased my protein like she suggested. I did start seeing the scale really begin to move after that. Don't really know why it works for me, I'm just glad it does. Also, my band is pretty tight right now and I am hardly eating much of anything. I don't think I would be a good example of a daily menu (if this continues for another week, I'll probably get my .5 cc taken out--I think I might be too tight). Good luck. I know inches lost are nice but pounds lost are somehow even nicer.

Well, I start back to school tomorrow. 3 workday/meetings and Kids come in Thursday. I'm hoping my morning schedule is going to work...Come on Early Birds let's give each other good vibes in the morning! Deb Hi Deb! I started back last Wednesday and the kids came today. I'm proud to say that I've been up at 5:00 and on my exercise bike each and every one of those days! It must be all the good vibes you and the other Early Birds are sending my way! It feels so good to know that my exercise "debt" has been "paid" for the day! Also, my energy level is so much better so far this year--I'm 35 lbs. lighter, and my heart and legs are stronger from the exercise! Yeah! Good luck on Thursday with your students.

week 2 miles biked: 42.6 this week total so far: 85.9 miles to go: 94.1 1.9 miles over goal!