September/October weight management challenge

[tulip]

I was traveling all last week, so I couldn't weigh on Friday. Today is 131.

[Becky]

I managed to miss last week's weigh-in. This morning was 127.

[Catrin]

129.7 this week. My weight still goes up a bit the day after a hard workout, but no where near as much as it did when I was still eating grains. THEN it fluctuated as much as 4-5 pounds, now it only fluctuates 1 pound at the very most.

[indigoiis]

132 this morning.

Maintained 132 pretty much all week, which I wanted to make sure I could do, since it was a 3 lb drop last week. I have to travel for work, and riding a century tomorrow, eating & calorie burn will be a little spikey the next couple of days. but I'll continue with the "mindful" fueling and think before I stuff (or, I will try.) When I get back next week I will hope to have maintained 132, then try another reduced calorie week for 2 weeks.

[Crankin]

104.8 this morning. First time I've seen 104. something since last Saturday. My weight on Monday was the highest it's been since last winter (108). I am going to be riding about 110 miles between today and Sunday (which is a lot for me in 3 days in a row, as opposed to over 5-7 days) and I know I am going to be eating more grains than usual. I need help in trying to fuel my rides without Luna bars.

[SAMbike]

113 this morning... better...

[Catrin]

I can't edit my post, I guess there is a shorter time limit now - that's ok. I wanted to say that I am very close to being my lowest weight since I was something like 18. One more pound and I will be there. I am more concerned with my body composition right now though, and there are starting to be signs that things are changing - though my body fat % is still too high. My lowest weight since this fitness/weight loss journey began in 2010 was 128.4 in August 2011 - right before I was out with a series of over-use injuries.

Crankin - I hear you about figuring out how to change bike fuel approach. Since going Primal over a month ago this has been my biggest challenge. I think I've got it basically figured out, though tomorrow will be the first serious test of that. Right now small amounts of nitrate-free organic jerky and/or macadamia nuts and dried unsweetened cherries seem to be working just fine. "Salt Stick" capsules for electrolytes though I don't worry about that unless it is a ride >90 minutes. I am trying to eat well before the ride, and it is easier to eat more before a ride in cooler temps - at least for me it is.

[tulip]

129 today. Whoo!

[Becky]

128. I did see 123 earlier this week....

[gnat23]

144.2. Maybe my scale is stuck.

-- gnat!

[emily_in_nc]

107.5 again, same as last week. Not happy with it, but I had been 108 the last two days, so I will take it. It's amazing how much just a small fluctuation affects the way I feel about myself. I was in a huge funk the past two days since I the 108 is very high for me (I was 103 when we moved here in August 2011), and I have no one to blame but myself. Not eating poorly or too much, but I am sitting at the computer way too much and not getting enough exercise.

I also blame Belize's HOT HOT HOT September, though. Even the locals are saying it's the hottest one they remember. When it's already 86-88F by 7:30 am with full sun and humidity between 75-85%, it's just impossible to motivate myself to do anything outdoors. Last year this time I was running 3 mornings a week (and complaining about it being 79-80F...I would give my right arm for that now!)

I have been trying to pump up the indoor workouts with weights and a mixture of mat Pilates and yoga, but my yoga instructor is out of the country, so I'm missing those 2x a week two-hour workouts. I THINK she's back next Wed., so I may get to go to a practice on Thursday. Crossing fingers!

I also think there's very likely some hormonal changes at play. I am in perimenopause, but when we moved here, I was having frequent cycles (like every 22-26 days). Now, I seem to have moved into the next phase, where my cycles are lengthening to 40-60 days. It's quite a blessing in many ways after feeling like I was *always* on my period over the past 5-6 years, but I think my metabolism is probably slowing as well. My mother and her mother both gained a ton of weight at menopause, and that scares me a lot. But they were completely un-athletic, so I am hoping I can avoid their fate if I can just get my butt into gear with exercise. Once we move back to the US and I can get myself into some cooler weather, I am sure I will be much more active again, and then maybe weight maintenance will be easier once again. But I suspect at this age, and with menopause approaching, it will never again be like it used to be, where I could easily lose 2-5 lbs. just by cutting back a little here and there.

Sigh....

[Blueberry]

I'm at 229 today. See the doc this afternoon, so hopefully can start medicating the underactive thyroid.

Emily - any more news on moving?? Have been thinking of you PM if you prefer!

[Crankin]

Emily, I started riding as I was in the worst throes of perimenopause (the last 2 years). I got my first road bike around the time I had my last period. When I started riding in 2000, I weighed about 118-122 (if you can believe it), basically from being burned out on the exercise I had been doing for 20 years. I had gotten myself down to 110 a couple of times when I was heavier and in peri (basically for my kids HS graduations). I wasn't inactive, but it wasn't enough to neutralize the effects of hormones. I also changed the way I eat quite a bit in late 2003. I had been riding for 3 years, one year on a road bike, and I weighed about 107. At first, I was pretty happy with that weight, but I really wanted to get down to around 105. I've had to change up what I do in terms of exercise, every so often and modulate my grain intake even more since then. I just can't slack off. Given that I still enjoy red wine and chocolate and I go out a lot, it's OK, but now I can't stop going to those boot camp classes....

[emily_in_nc]

Crankin, your experience really does give me hope. Sometimes I feel hopeless and think I will never be down even a few lbs. again, but then I know there are a lot of lifestyle issues going on here that won't necessarily last forever. Hot and sticky weather and working out are just a tough mix for me. We exercised a ton on our trip to the US in August, and I only gained 1 pound in 16 days despite eating and drinking pretty much everything I wanted (including lots of restaurant meals, alcohol, and Mom's home cooking! I couldn't say no...) So I know if I am active and eat a much more tempered, careful diet, I can take off the weight. I too enjoy wine and good chocolate, and although I eat very healthy (light on meat, heavy on veggies), I know I have to eat fewer calories as I get older except for days when I am super active. It's just quite hard to eat little enough for my low activity days here. I do ride my beach cruiser, but that's more of a "commuting" kind of riding, it's flat, and not very difficult, so I doubt it burns many calories as I've become VERY efficient in my cycling here.

Your story does help, though; and I am still a lot lighter than I was at age 39 -- I weighed around 118 then and wasn't very active, so I went back to the gym, changed my way of eating, and eventually, over a long time, got down as low as 101. I maintained in the 102-105 range throughout my 40s by staying active, and only started creeping up after we moved here.

It's slow, slow season right now, so even though our condo is on the market, we haven't had a showing in a couple of months. We hope to sell it this winter or next spring when high season tourists are here, but if not, we plan to put it in the resort's rental pool and go back to the US in May or June of next year. We don't want to be here through another summer.

[bunny_ninja]

failed to weight in *and* post on friday. My weight hasn't really done anything remarkable. It was 146.7 this morning. :-/

I did start doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred on Friday. I am sore from it! I had gotten so out of shape. Due to lack of core strength - biking had been giving me mechanical sciatica pain. Oi vey. Counting calories now and working out differently... it has got to only get better from here!