waltercl is offline waltercl Post #1  September 11,2009, 9:18pm
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I was one of those that gained some weight and got out of shape during my time of being married. It was a combination of things. Up until my late 20's I never had to do any aerobic workouts and only lifted weights. I always stayed slim up until around 28 when my metabolism seemed to turn on me. As the kids got older and as more kids were added there was less and less time to work out. Time went by pounds were added a little at a time.

Bottom line is just like a lot of people after my divorce I found myself in not too good of shape and wanted to do something about it. That was roughly about 9 years ago. I started off with small steps and during the next 6 years I made moderate progress but not earth shattering by no means. I wasn't obese to begin with weighing in at 182 at my heaviest at a height of 5'10. During those next 6 years I fluctuated between 176 and 180, but because I was working out I wore the weight better than I had before. A few years ago I got back into league basketball. So I was starting to mix in a little bit of aerobic work with practices. I felt pretty good about my fitness level compared with most of those in my age bracket, and to some degree I got complacent thinking this was as fit as I was going to be. And at around 179 with decent muscle tone I figured that was as good as you could expect for someone in their early 40's.

But at the end of this last season I decided I wanted to improve my game, and the thing I could work on the most was my conditioning. So in March of this year I decided to lose some weight and hopefully be a little quicker on the court. For the first time in my life I was going to start doing cardio workouts on a consistent basis.

It's really paid off. I'm down to 172 and hopefully will soon be at 170 within the next 2 or 3 weeks. I'll be back in size 31 waist jeans for the first time in a very long time, and it overall just feels great. All the running caused me to put on a few pounds of muscle in my legs so in total I will have lost about 12 pounds of fat. Most of that from my mid-section.

If you are overweight and have only done a moderate level of exercise, and you want to shed pounds and get in very good shape then here's some things you need to know. IT IS GOING TO HURT No other way to say it. And during the first 3 to 4 weeks when you're hurting the most you're not going to see the kinds of results you are going to think you should see given the level of pain you feel.

This is why most gyms will only sell 1 year memberships. They know that most people will quit after the first 4 to 6 weeks. Why do people stay overweight? Because it isn't easy to get back into shape. Once you are into your mid 30's and beyond your body has been used to a certain type of diet and a certain level of activity for several years, and it is like turning around a big ship.
Last edited by waltercl; September 12,2009 at 1:48pm.
 
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Taffy000 is offline Taffy000 Post #2  December 4,2009, 7:49am
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I also want to throw in that some people accept their bodys for how they are. Not everyone buys into the sterotype that ever woman has to be a size 0 & 5'7" People come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

Some people choose not to play the game. In many ways, molding yourself to a certain standard that you know most people will find attractive in an effort to lure them in is a game.

Some people like to eat what they want when they want and as much as they want. It's also not true that every thin person is "healthy" and every fat person is "unhealthy."

Not necessarily every exercise is going to "hurt." Yes, when you exercise muscles you've never exercised before you will feel something. You don't always have to classify that as "pain." Obviously a lot of people don't care for exercise.

Surprise, surprise some people actually like how they are-fat. I can honestly say as a woman if you're of a substantial weight you may not get the attention you'd get if you weren't "fat." Predators ARE going to think twice before they consider trying to tackle you in some dark alley. If a situation arises you can take comfort in knowing you can take someone down if you wanted or needed to. Did you see that video of a very in shape petite police woman who got her gun taken away from her & discharged in her face-it misfired. Another woman a mommy with kids in the car walks over. She had to be over 300lbs she leaned on the guy, wrestled his arm back & held him down until more back up arrived. There are definate advantages to being larger.

There are some people out there who judge somebody by how they are as a person and not what their waist size is. There are also men and women who like to have something to hold on to & jiggle.
 
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RoxyRedhead is offline RoxyRedhead Post #3  December 22,2009, 2:38pm

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As a formerly overweight woman who preached body acceptance for about 15 years, and eventually suffered the medical issues that come with obesity I have to ay I am of mixed feelings about this.

Losing weight isn't easy. When we are young, healthy and active, an extra few pounds may not matter to us. I used to tell my doctor to treat the body I came in with rather than preach diet to me.

When I turned 48, however, I started having problems directly related to being overweight, the first one was hypertension, then type 2 diabetes, then edema, sore knees and on and on.

At age 53 I was on 5 blood pressure meds and the BP was not controlled, on insulin prior to every meal, though I had a physical job and could do my job it became more and more difficult.

Finally I had a stroke scare, a TIA. My doctor told my husband that if I didn;t lose weight I was not going to live much longer..and I was "only" 45 lbs overweight on a 5'10" frame-I didn't LOOK obese but medically I was.

It took me 2 years of vegetarian low fat eating and working out daily to reduce my weight to 135# which is ideal for my height. I look and feel so much better than I did for close to 15 years.

While I endorse each persons decision and believe in body acceptance, I have to say that things change radically when our own mortality confronts us, up close and personal.

Daily I edit what I put into my mouth-it has to be worth the calories for me to eat it..and my eating style has changed radically. I may eat meat 2-3 times a year, I bike and walk daily and go to the gym for swimming pool exercise, yoga and weight lifting several times a week.

Sadly, my husband did not join me in my weight loss goals-he died at age 53 of an MI caused by build up of plaque in his arteries-directly related to his food intake. I am sad and angry about his decision..he could have chosen to make the same changes I did but it wasn't worth it to him to give up the big steaks, baked potatoes with the works and 4000 calorie a day intake.

Food can kill you-but it's your decision if it does..no one can take that away from you.
 
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j0hn8andy is offline j0hn8andy Post #4  December 22,2009, 3:40pm
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I have two sisters. One built like a runner; the other got all the fat cells. I was always in the middle.

I have watched my youngest sister struggle her entire life. She's managed to slim down a few times; it always yo-yos back. She has never been able to relax about it, and probably never will.

I was OK till sometime after 50. Then I put on some weight.

Since my husband died a year ago, I have lost a ton of weight; I'm hard pressed to keep up with it in clothing. I go shopping once a month or so; always new sizes. I'm.....thin. I think it's just stress. I would not have believed a person could lose so much weight so fast without being sick.

So far no health problems for me, but at my age, I've got to figure they're lurking out there somewhere in the background, just waiting to pounce! When they do, I'll get serious. Until then, I eat what I want, when I want. Including chocolate every single day.

For those people who do take care of themselves.....we shouldn't just dismiss them.....saying they do it because they want to play a "game" and "lure" others in....as if they were unworthy of anything except our contempt.

It could be they just want to be the best they can be. They could be like my sister who is naturally long and lean. They could be like me, losing a ton of weight from stress.

If I want people to accept me the way I am, I have to allow others the same right.....even if they're different from me.

That's my take.

j8a
 
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RoxyRedhead is offline RoxyRedhead Post #5  December 22,2009, 4:46pm

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j8a-I know of what you speak. After my husbands death my weight dropped to 109 and I was hospitalized. For the first time in my life I literally couldn't eat.

It took a few years to gain back a healthy but slender weight and I'm happy here..not thin but very much not where I was a couple of decades ago.

It's worth it, for me, to keep on top of what I eat because I feel those fat cells just waiting to bulk up again if I relax about it...though by now it's a habit.

I just tossed a cheesecake in the garbage-left over from our family gathering Sunday. I knew if I kept it it would keep calling to me and boy was it good tasting-rich and creamy with a hint of lemon for tang-I got a good 'do' on that one. So into the garbage and out to the curb it went.
 
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waltercl is offline waltercl Post #6  December 22,2009, 7:28pm
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I think something I learned from being on these messageboards is just how much tension and blowback you get (particularly from women) on the issue of weight and weight loss. People want to weigh what they want to weigh, eat what they want to eat, and do as little exercise as they feel like. That's their right, but there's been a disturbing movement to make fatness and obesity socially acceptable and to verbally punish those who don't go along. This movement hides behind the cliche of "we should accept people the way they are." If someone had a problem with alcohol or a drug addiction we would accept that person for who they are on the inside while not accepting their problem and advising them to get help and make positive life changes. With issues of obesity we are told to accept the unhealthy lifestyle choices as well.

And therein lies the rub. Until we get past seeing obesity as just an issue of aesthetics and understand just how much of a problem it is for the health of the individuals then we'll probably continue to see this disturbing trend that actually encourages people to be unhealthy. What also isn't helping is that as Americans get more obese over the years what is seen as average keeps getting bigger. What was average in 1980 is far different from what is average now. So people can look around and feel better about their obesity since so many others are at the same size or bigger. Someone could truthfully refer to themselves as "average" and yet still be medically obese.

Is it true that most men find women more attractive as they get closer to a healthy weight? Yes that is true. But maybe just maybe both men and women are attracted to healthiness which just happens to correspond with a more attractive exterior.
 
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j0hn8andy is offline j0hn8andy Post #7  December 22,2009, 9:20pm
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I see it differently, Walter.

I do see the "tension and blowback" you speak of. I can't say I blame it.

I see (and have for at least 10 years) a Politically Correct movement in this country against fat people and obesity. A person can argue all they want about the health issues. We all know it's not good for you.

Maybe it's just me. I grew up in the SF Bay Area. It's the hotbed of political unrest in this country ever since Berkeley in the 60s. Maybe it's just something inside me makes me root for the underdog.

But I'm going against any Politically Correct movement that comes along, just because it's Politically Correct. I'll do it every time.

For instance, I'm registered Republican. How easy do you think that is in California? It ain't Politically Correct here, I can tell you that!

And now with what's going on in Washington? The Health Care thing? I fully expect even more movement against fat people and obesity in the future. It will all be done, in our name, for the good of us. They're going to save us from ourselves! You watch.

Don't expect me to like it. I'm eating chocolate and cheesecake while I can.

j8a
 
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