For those working on maintaining weight

[shootingstar]

What is Evista, Crankin?

Just on the variety of physical activity, you're more active regularily than I. I don't jog. I agree it requires for me ..I dunno ..maybe a wk. or much LONGER to get rid of 2-3 extra lbs. with sustained daily exercise and mindful eating.

Well, I'm not observing the simple golden rule of long-term, undesired weight gain. I seem to have at least 1 biscotti every morning. That's approx. 100 calories..all adds up over several years. In case people think this is paranoia, well just allow yourself to gain 2-3 lbs. annually. After a decade, that really adds up!

A person cannot shut themselves off reasonable restaurant meals here and there, for 1 whole year. Just unrealistic. So we have to make dietary adjustments on the fly, every week, month and every year of our lives...for as long as we live. Thank goodness, we discovered our long-term love of cycling. I can't imagine engaging in a sport/exercise that one dislikes just to maintain healthy weight.

Redhodie: Never in my life I have ever made a conscious effort to gain weight. I just gained weight by not paying attention to what I was eating.

[redrhodie]

Redhodie: Never in my life I have ever made a conscious effort to gain weight. I just gained weight by not paying attention to what I was eating.

I was borderline anorexic in my 20s, when I was taking ballet classes. I got down to 112, pretty much by starving myself, and I obsessed over every calorie and gram of fat, and every bump in the mirror (at that point, I didn't see myself as thin. I weigh over 10 lbs more now, but I think I look thinner. It's a strange phenomenon).

AT that point, I was pretty miserable. I stopped dancing and started taking yoga, and the less time I spent looking in a full length mirror, the healthier I got. It's sad I wasted so much time striving for something that was so destructive. I'm lucky to have gotten through it.

Now, to see myself as healthy at a weight I would have been very depressed about back then is a big improvement in my self esteem. I thank cycling for that. I know how weak I am when I get below 120. When I get to that place, I know I need to watch myself just as much as getting over 125. It's a balancing act.

Of course, it's much easier to gain than lose for me! Gaining is effortless! I love to eat!

[tulip]

redhodie, I'm have the same weight range as you. Below 120 and I'm too thin. Above 125 and I get the willies (I spent most of my life til a few years ago in the mid 140s). Right now I'm above 125 and below 130...and I have the willies! A five-pound loss would be ideal, and I'm working on it. For me, I find that if I really up my fruit intake and increase my protein just a bit, I lose pretty easily. Maybe it's the extra water in the fruit (?) or just fewer calories.

[Crankin]

Shootingstar, Evista is a medication for osteoporosis. I have osteopeinia; I can't take Fossamax, so this is an alternative. It's estrogen based, like bc pills. I was getting all kinds of bad side effects, and since I don't want to get a blood clot or have a stroke, I quit taking it. I am going to look into getting the new treatment, which is an IV infusion you get once a year, with very few side effects.
Back to the weigh maintenance...
I used to weigh 92 pounds, when I was teaching aerobics. I wasn't starving myself, but the combination of teaching at the gym 5 days a week, working full time, having 2 little kids, and copious amounts of coffee made me very skinny. Once I quit teaching, I gained about ten pounds. But then, at one point about ten years ago, I weighed 122, which is not good for someone barely five foot one. That's when I started cycling. I had been doing aerobics and walking sort of half heartedly for years. My ideal weight is 105, but I am happy with 106-7. But, if I get near 110, the panic button goes on.
Shootingstar, you are right. It is not practical to think I am going to give up restaurants. I also like to cook!
Still haven't lost the Indian food weight .

[shootingstar]

Shootingstar, Evista is a medication for osteoporosis. I have osteopeinia; I can't take Fossamax, so this is an alternative. It's estrogen based, like bc pills. I was getting all kinds of bad side effects, and since I don't want to get a blood clot or have a stroke, I quit taking it. I am going to look into getting the new treatment, which is an IV infusion you get once a year, with very few side effects.
Back to the weigh maintenance....

Hope you find a medication that works for you.

I know what you mean about becoming accidentally underweight. It's just life at times, becomes busy. I am 5'1" and prefer to be around 98-100 lbs. This is genuinely normal...for me..if you compare me against Asian women who grew up on similar diet as myself. There are actually medical studies which provide a different BMI for Asians which is abit lower. They've found this in determining levels cardiovascular disease risk, obesity, etc. and to get people to correct unhealthy habits earlier.

Prior to cycling (meaning prior to 31 yrs.), I was not physically active, except for walking around everywhere (because I don't drive). However my metabolism was quite high . 2-3 bowls of white rice as part of supper, was the norm for me. And I was usually around 94-98 lbs. at that time in life, with eating huge meals on par with what a bigger guy would eat. Except I seldom had desserts at that time.

I have small bone frame which will never change and hence, it's how the weight is distributed on a person, due to genes, etc. Without my boobs, I am 30 inches. No wonder why bra-buying is a lifelong headache.

It truly is how the weight sits on the bone frame.

Redhodie (and cyclegoddess, if I can recall her history), you are a great example for hellosunshine

[cylegoddess]

Thank you! It wasnt easy but it worked in time. I felt for her, when she said she felt fat in her shorts. I get that now and then. But I go and watch Tour de France and think, your so little next to those guys! If you want to ride in bunch with the Big Boys( who do rides around my city), your going to have to eat!

A note, having bloating from meals can be a sign of food allergies or possibly, gluten intolerance( or dairy). Its a good idea to go get blood tests for those.
I had some and found out that all the foods I ate most, were bad for me
Once I got those out, life improved( with the exception that people often commented that they were worried I was using it as a screen for eating disorder.)
I feel for you eating out., Try going to any place, and all you can eat is steamed veggies!! Its hard to get people to understand, NO I dont want sauce, no I cant have rice and NO! No, please dont order me food ahead of time!
This weekend , I was so hungry on trip to Sydney( eating out,for a wedding), I had to go next door to the other rest. and order some beans, as all they had for me was steamed veggies and that wasnt cutting it. I had to sneak the bag in!

[cylegoddess]

Redhodie is right. Ballet ruins you, sadly. Yoga is SOOO good and its full of pretty balances like ballet but better for you. Its also good for riding( Cadel Williams found this out. He swears by it and he did come in second at the Tour once.)