Non Scale Victories

[Tuckervill]

Way to go, Lynette!!!

One of the first things I noticed was that my belly didn't stick out as far as my boobs any more. (I have a big bust, so that's not saying much.)

Another thing is that I'm curvy, not round. My waist is actually narrower than my hips again.

I had a big lump of fat on the outside of my right thigh that I could cup my hand around. It's gone.

My face is very slender. I have a jaw-line again.

I can cross my legs at the knees, and line my calves up together.

I can wear a size MEDIUM, in SHORTS! (What?!)

People really don't believe me now when I say I'm a grandma.

A recent change that I've noticed--I can do boot camp in the morning and go for a long fast group ride in the afternoon, and I'm not exhausted and I don't have to eat a lot afterwards.

I can't do pull-ups or push-ups (haven't been trying), but I can run a mile and before I couldn't. I can do 50 full-length sit-ups (which I hear is the "new"/old way to do them, now).

Hard physical labor doesn't tire me out. I'm not begging for help lifting heavy boxes. I can move the 30 heavy cases of soda in the concession stand at the ball park by myself. I can shovel a lot of dirt and mulch in the garden without hubby's help. I actually want to push the lawnmower.

Little changes started 5 years ago (eliminated Diet Coke, the rest are too numerous to list). Real efforts towards weight loss started in December, 2006. 42 lbs so far. 30 or so inches.

Karen

[CATWOMAN]

Although I have experienced much of what y'all talk about, I still want improvement. Sometimes I fear that I am never happy; but that's not it because I am happy, just not done.

When I go out with my friends my age (47) I feel young. They dress older, look older, and act older than me. They don't understand my 3 new tattoos. I love them!! My son's girlfriend, who waited on a group of us in her restaurant said, "You don't look like you belong with them!" It was a great compliment.

I went to my brother's for my niece's HS graduation and didn't recognize his wife She had become middle aged-whatever that is.

Everytime I look at a pair of pants that I used to dread trying on at the start of a new season I'm sure they will be tight, but they aren't.

My tops are getting tight across the shoulders and upper chest due to increased muscle

I had a complete hysterectomy last December 14th. Two weeks later I was in the gym doing cardio (It took awhile before I could get on a bike seat). When I went in for my checkups at the GYN the nurse kept saying, "Man you just bounced right back!" They attributed that to my lifestyle.

At the beginning of summer I shop for new tops--cami's and tanks. Most women my age don't wear these anymore, or at least they shouldn't

I like the way I look when I look in the mirror! That's not bragging, that's a lot of f***ing hard work at the gym, mountain, and bike path.

I love every minute of exercise, both self imposed, and through a day of hard work in the yard/house.... The last 4 days I was painting and made sure to do a lot of squats, shoulder work, and ladder climbs. I got 4 days of leg work and my downstairs looks awesome. I rewarded myself with a 20 mile ride.

My kids say I have had tastebud surgery. Actually I have come to enjoy no or low sugar food, whole grains, and grilled dry meat. One day they too will endure tastebud surgery. I think it happens during sleep

[Tuckervill]

I like the way I look when I look in the mirror! That's not bragging, that's a lot of f***ing hard work at the gym, mountain, and bike.

Holy crap, YES!!!

Don't look at me and think I had it easy. It's simple, but not easy!

Karen

[Tuckervill]

Just to add to the thread.

Sometimes, I feel selfish or self-conscious about my new look. I don't want it to get in the way of what I do. Yesterday, the person who does our league shirts (I'm youth baseball president in my town) offered me a XL shirt. She always fixes me one up with something a little special. I said, "No, I take a medium now." She looked at me funny, like what difference does it make? I explained to her that I worked hard for "this" and she said, "so you want to show it off?". No, I just want to dress like a woman again. Sometimes I worry about the guys I work with in the league, whether they think (or their wives think) I'm dressing too provocatively. (I'm not! T-shirts that fit with no midriff showing, no tank tops, reasonable length shorts.) They all know me so I don't worry about it too much--but I can't help that I was born to be built like a brick-house (I was when I was younger). I'm a woman, and I'm going to act--and dress--like one.

Karen

[mimitabby]

Count me in here, the waist receding, muscles appearing, able to lift a bike over my head and put it on the car rack.
Challenging coworkers to pushups, a year ago I did my first one; now I can do 12 or more at a time.
Lynette, I'm still working on that pullup, and unfortunately I don't sleep like a baby even on days with heavy exercise.

There is a spring in my step, old clothes fit again, I am often mistaken for someone much younger as i bike my way home.

My legs aren't like steel, but they are well defined and SO SO different than what they used to be.

I really believe that exercise has oxygenated my brain because my art stuff is taking off like gangbusters. I tell myself that I bike to paint.
it's all good!

[Over50Newbie]

Tuckervill, Catwoman, and Mimitabby - these are GREAT!!!

Very, very motivating.

C'mon everyone, join in...

Lynette

[bambu101]

Ok- I'll join in, great thread!

Putting on a pair of pants that were tight 4 months ago, and now they are loose.

Starting to run again a few months ago after 30 years, and realiizing that I actually like it.

I love getting up at the crack of dawn (4:30 AM) to get in a hard, sweaty, workout before going to work. Best way to start the day.

Looking around at my obese co-workers, who are in my age group, and listening to them talk about how they are going to sell their houses in the next few years because they won't be able to walk up the stairs anymore.

Realizing that I will turn 55 next January, and a lot of people would consider that AARP-senior-citizen time. Instead, I am either going to get a tattoo or go on a bike tour- maybe both!

[Tabby]

I can cross my legs at the knees, and line my calves up together.


Karen

Isn't this great, I know, I noticed this too! I am so proud of this seemingly small, yet very significant success! It's fun to cross my legs and have my calves line up so nice.

PJ

[Crankin]

I loved reading these stories. Like Shooting Star, I have been maintaining my weight over decades, with a lot of hard work that you all described. It's no mystery, just a lifestyle commitment. The reactions you get from co-workers and others are things I have experienced since I was in my thirties (What? You just had a baby? How come you can fit in regular clothes? That was said to me on the way out of the hospital after having son #2. They weren't my regular sized regular clothes, but gee, I did exercise right up to my delivery!).
I am heading towards 55 and while I have some health issues, I still feel like I want to show off my body. I feel much younger than most of my friends who do nothing but complain about their bodies, but do nothing about it.

[redrhodie]

Great thread!

I looked down at my legs while riding the other day, and was so excited those gams were mine. I used to hate my legs. It's really cool to feel good about them!

This year, my nose, which had always run like crazy when I rode, has stopped running! I don't know why, but I suspect the runny nose was due to my aerobic fitness level.

I can now climb all my regular hills without getting out of breath. These are hills I used to feel like barfing on.

I have to eat all the time to maintain my weight. After having spent years watching my weight by dieting, it's refreshing to have to watch to keep from getting too skinny.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

Catwoman I'm stealing your quote about all the hard work...

Lynette you are getting my a$$ to the gym to start working on pull ups. I have never been able to do one and hung it up a while ago.

You know that stupid number has such a hold on me sometimes, but these are the things I notice the most:

My boyfriend says "you don't look 190"

Pulling on a pair of pants just to see if they fit and wear them out the door

Dropping my fast blood sugar from 118 (uh oh!) to 83 (score!)

Having a doctor say "you have really muscular feet!"

Not feeling that 'neck rub'

Not feeling like your legs are connected mid thigh and not starting a fire in cordoroys

Sitting in an airline seat with PLENTY of room

and best of all...

Keeping up with the boys and not being the last one in line


OH and don't ever forget...like someone else said....calf definition!!!!

There are women at my work too that treat exercise like a curse. There are SO MANY that live 3 or so miles from work but when I say 'ride a bike' it's like I'm an idiot. There is one woman though that came up to me and started talking about riding and she said that she was 14 miles and it was too far and I said ...no 16 miles is too far and I do it...so she's thinking about it but has child care stuff as well, which is hard to juggle...so yeah I hear you about the selling the house bc they can't get up the steps.

[shootingstar]

I think we're forgetting that alot of women in their 40's and up don't feel comfortable wearing short shorts or even shorts at all. Wearing shorts that show alot of leg, is something not to take for granted as time moves on.

Cycling regularily encourages leg-showing off ..with excellent reasons (ie. cooler, movement efficiency, etc.) I suspect that good cycling fit also slows down / reduces alot of other leg problems. Would like to know if all those problems of varicose veins plague regular cyclists much at all.

It was amusing when I had a picnic lunch with some other women who were probably in their late 30's and up. They felt it was inappropriate for a woman to wear shorts (probably at least 5-6 inches above knee) after 50.

I kept my mouth shut and said nothing. They don't know that I will be 50 next year. I think they sense that I'm around their age. Whatever that is.

[jesvetmed]

I love this thread! Thanks for starting it, Lynette!

I love that I can go to the store and not think..."I'm only one size away from 16.. .then... what?"

I love that I can now think to myself... I'm only two sizes down to the 6 (I'm currently at 10 for the first time in 5 or more years).

My lower back only hurts on occasion, and usually after a hard ride.

I can run without pain -- and faster than ever before (unless you count that triathlon time I just posted!)

I can walk around the house naked and not feel gross!

I woke up and stretched in bed one morning recently, and put a hand on my quad -- it was muscular and firm... "Are those really mine?"

I can beat my old riding partner up hills.... hee hee!

People say, "Those pants make you look slim"... but I know, it's the hours working out, not the pants. They just help.

My entire family had diabetes, high blood pressure and all the health problems that go with obesity and lack of exercise. I love that I know I don't have to end up like them. I have made the other choice.

Good job to us all -- for putting in the time and effort to be healthy people!

[teigyr]

This is an awesome topic.

I was always semi-athletic but kind of slipped by the wayside when I met DH. I think that (and age) did some things to my body that I didn't appreciate. While I didn't really go up size-wise, it just wasn't good.

Since we met (it's been several years now), we walked a lot. We rode sometimes. We hiked sometimes. This past year I decided to do triathlons and then decided to expand on the running.

I used to look at the scale. My first reaction was "omg, it must be wrong!". Even after months of major exercise, my weight didn't budge. It still hasn't moved much though my pants are getting looser. The clothes I had in the "some day" drawer started fitting. It isn't perfect but it finally happened. To this day, I believe I have lost 4 pounds from when I was not fitting into stuff. I weight 25 lbs more than I did 15 years ago though I am starting to fit into those clothes.

We saw DH's mother the other day. She remarked that I looked like I lost a lot of weight. I haven't. What's cool is my clothes fit better, I have a LOT more energy, my motivation (while not always perfect) will inspire me to work out, and it only gets better from here. Exercise gets easier and easier, even when I feel sluggish.

My body isn't where I want it to be but I don't want to be one of the "dunk one piece of lettuce gingerly into the salad dressing" people. The wonderful thing though is by work, it's getting there. Even if I "lose" 2 lbs a month (or the size equivalent), it's all good.

I was at work today and had the faint outline of tri numbers on my arm. Whatever marker they used, it would NOT wash off. So many people said they couldn't do what I do. I said that a year ago. Heck, I said that last week

[Tabby]

My body isn't where I want it to be but I don't want to be one of the "dunk one piece of lettuce gingerly into the salad dressing" people. The wonderful thing though is by work, it's getting there. Even if I "lose" 2 lbs a month (or the size equivalent), it's all good.

Teigyr,

Isn't it great to just feel better!! Congrats on your healthy improvements. I enjoy eating and could never be a 'lettuce dunker'. I found leaving myself a 3 pound leaway to account for just body flucuations helped me to not freakout when I gained 1 pound. As long as I had a downward trend in my weekly weight I was good to go. There are a myriad of things to cause weight gain on a daily basis (fluids, time of day to weight, clothing, time of month, even constipation, etc). Planning ahead for that graduation party, holiday dinner, etc. keeps that 3 pound range ... on the downward trend.

PJ