Weight loss and exercise #2

Continued from here https://forums.psychcentral.com/exer...rcise-100.html

Today I started the 8 week beginner's course in yoga.I had the very first class this morning at 11am ,it lasted until 12.40pm.It was a bit hard and I was sweating in the end but I got through it and I enjoyed it.We learnt sitting postures,the child posture,the cow and the cat.Afterwards my body felt loose and relaxed and my posture had improved.All the tension in my body melted away.I really enjoyed it and after the 8 weeks is up I hope to continue yoga and make it permanent in my life.I hope that it helps me to control my weight also.

IME, exercising to get fit is a great plan. Exercising to lose weight is not so great. Adjusting your diet will result in weight loss. For most of us, getting fit and trim is the goal so I absolutely applaud your decision to take up yoga to help you get fit.

About 100 over goal which is still a deficit, though I might be even more over from some estimation. I will exercise in the AM.

11,041 steps. Exercised 4.4 miles with a few stops along the way for five to ten minutes. I have burned 493 calories. This makes for a target of 2693 calories. I have consumed 2739 calories. This is good enough for me. I will weigh myself tomorrow morning.

@UpDownAround:

I do not remember giving you a link to this calorie calcukator using MET values for both walking and running, even allowing for an upgrade of downgrade. I have been using this for my calories burned. You will get inflated amounts unless you specify that you want “net” calories instead of “gross” calories. You do not specify MET values for this calculator, for it calculates this value itself as a side effect.

ExRx.net : Walk / Run Metabolic Calculator

Also I can calculate a correction factor for your metabolic rate. However, as you have said in the past, your metabolic rate had slowed down. So this factor may not be applicable to you. This factor may for you be less than one. This means the calculated calories may be less than what is normally calulated using MET values specified for a particular activity. I think this may be true for you. This factor remains the same for you in all MET calculations. This may be worth a try.

Just take the MET value for your activity, multiply the MET value by your weight in kilograms. This represents the calories burned in one hour. Then from there calculate it for your duration of the activity. This is very simple. There is a website that gives MET values for literally over one thousand activities. I believe the values have been verified. The correction factor can make for more accurate results which is a simple as using this value to multiply with the calories obtained from the MET calculation.

FWIW

@Tucson - Thanks. I did a lot of "regular" walking over the weekend and have still been winging it to a large degree. these days I just look at total steps and if it is a high number, I figure miles, subtract one, and the use 3 mph for the amount of time it would take for the rest and log that.
I haven't been able to paddle for a few days and won't be able to for a few more at least, so my primary exercise these days is treadmill (actually switched to ARCTrainer; very similar but with better burn) and circuit training at PF. That is another can of worms; it is very difficult to determine which of some widely varying numbers to believe. The ARCTrainer says I burn about 12 calories a minute with the settings and speed I use; I log 8. I log 200 for 30 minutes of circuit training.
I have a TRX clone ($20 on eBay) at home and do a few minues here and there on it and don't log it.

This is what a TRX is (if you went to PF, you probably saw some):


That was a really good purchase. I use it in conjunction with a pull up bar, which gives me a good place to hang it.

EDIT - I plan to start doing more of a structured routine like this on the TRX. When I start doing that, I will log it.

Working on getting more activity in. I should be able to go to the gym Friday and Saturday

Yoga is wonderful! I have a 20 minute stress relief yoga DVD and I love it, I'd like to learn more and take a class someday

I was 162 at yesterday’s afternoon weigh in and at today’s afternoon weigh in I was 162.4

I had lentil soup for dinner last night. I have noticed water weight before with lentil soup. It’s really weird.

My morning weigh in is tommrow and that’s the weight I go by. So far I’ve lost 11 pounds since coming back from my vacation on Labor Day.

159 pounds this morning - disturbingly close to the top of my range.

I was ~325 over goal on calories yesterday, a lot of it late.

I will do a bit of TRX exercise today and PF on Friday morning.

Next weigh in will be Saturday.

I weigh 157.8 today. That’s my lowest since my vacation in July. I am glad I am heading in the right direction. I am under a lot of stress, anxiety, and am dealing with grief as well. I am on new meds that reduce my appetite and I say I don’t exercise but I think I way underestimate my activity level. I work 5 days a week in a warehouse, run errands for a couple hours afterwards, constantly fiddle and move around while watching TV. We are having our basement renovated so the only place for me to watch TV is in my moms room so I am constantly going up and down a flight of stairs to get to anything else I might need. Put that on top of the 1,200 calories I stick to and my fast metabolism because of my age.

But I do really need to get in touch with a dietician or someone.

Went over about 300 yesterday. Did a little unlogged TRX exercise last night, worked out at PF this morning and starting the day with a really light breakfast and light lunch packed. This morning's burn was ~400 calories and i will have eaten lass than that when i finish lunch. If I am reasonable with dinner and maybe a fruit snack or two, tomorrow's weigh in should be fine.

EDIT - and then someone brings in something evil to the office...
Just cut a little piece; I should still be fine with a light dinner. Will still have 1160 calories left after lunch; if I limit dinner and a snack to 600 or less I will make up for the overages the last couple of days.

I was able to get into my size 6 pants today. Work brought in pizza. I really wanted some. Luckily I was heading out the door and I just walked out. I made a lean cuisine pizza when I got home. I might get pizza for dinner tommrow but I’ll work it out into my day.

Coming in barely under goal instead of way under. Very tempted to skip weighing tomorrow because I think it is quite possible that I will see 160. I know I really haven't gained it that quickly if I do see it. I am feeling a bit bloated.

Playing head games with myself - will I be more motivated if I weigh and see 160 or if I skip weighing knowing that I am giving myself a chance go really light a couple of days to be sure I am below it?

Even though I don't think I am truly over, I don't like being close enough for spikes to put me over. I need to get serious about staying in a deficit for a few weeks and stop kicking the can on down the road.

I weigh 172 pounds today. I did not exercise today. I really must go for a run tomorrow. If I wait, the same exercise becomes more difficult. So my target is 2200 calories.

158.6 this morning. I had quit reporting tenths, but wanted to note I am down around a half pound from Thursday.

Stuck at home today because of kids needing to be various places. They are old enough to drive, so I just threw my car into the mix instead of offering to shuttle (first trip would have been to drop one off at Dunkin around 3 am). I have some paying work to do, but I am also going to spend a little time figuring out a good routine using what I have as a "home gym" - TRX, a kettlebell (18#, I think), a small selection of dumbbells, pull up bar and exercise ball. A routine that is easy to remember and mixes some strength in but keeps heart rate up (circuit training) is what I am after. Hopefully I will get in a lot of exercise trying to figure it out.

EDIT - TRX is kicking my butt. I watch videos of exercises to alternate between for 30 minutes and 10 minutes just about kills me. But I am figuring out which ones I can do and mixing in some fast windmill shin (instead of toe) touches. The exercise ball had not been used in a long time until I started using it recently and it is losing air. So I cut it out of the routine. If I try to stay on the TRX or do a stationary exercise right in front of it it is easier to stay in near constant motion to keep heart rate up.

I got weighed the other day, I've gained 10 lbs in the past 2 or 3 months due to the unhealthy eating and lack of exercise. I now weigh 147.6 lbs. My goal right now is to get down to 130.

I weighed 160 this afternoon. Which probably means I’m more like 156. I’ll see tomorrow morning. I’m trying not to lose so fast since I’m worried about loose skin. I’m just stressed about the cat and other things. My job is very active and also stressful. Things keep changing at work. It’s difficult.

Also I stopped my Ativan which I think was what was causing my hunger. I switched to Xanax which seems to cause me to lose my appetite.

Burned 1,680 calories but not sure how much I took in. Pretty sure it was under that amount

I am attending my second yoga class on Tuesday,but the diet isn't going too well so far.I have not been able to stick to 1000 calories a day,it is too few calories for me,so might have to rethink things.I have cut down on potatoes,I am eating less cheese and I have stopped pepsi and coke and stuck to carbonated water.That is an improvement as I was drinking pepsi with my meals.I haven't entirely resisted desserts.But keeping the yoga up will be an achievement.

1000 is too little for anyone. 1200 is the recommended healthy minimum for a sedentary woman and it should be higher if active to reflect additional calories burned.

Pretty much break-even day yesterday, I think. Hard to be sure with sporadic TRX exercise, walking a couple of miles and mowing lawn. My best guess at calories burned could be off by 200 either way. On the other side of the equation were some estimated baked goods.

I have managed to stay below my cap, but I am close enough to it that it gives me a lot of anxiety. I manage to have enough discipline to stay just below it but have had trouble pushing a little harder to drop a few and give me more breathing room and less anxiety.

I will do more sporadic TRX today, workout at PF in the morning and weigh on Tuesday.

EDIT: Downloading and testing interval timers for circuit training. Setting up 15 minute workouts. Will probably get in 3 or 4. Tried 75 seconds of exercise, 15 seconds to prepare for next, 10 rounds for 15:00 and that seemed about right. Mixed in a couple of sets of shin touch windmills to give my arms a break. Even though I am doing arms, legs and core on the TRX there is always some arm involvement. I have found a number of exercises I can do for 75 seconds at reasonable intensity and still be able to do something different 15 seconds later. Just have to move between muscle groups and not do any of the exercises that are too hard and not get the angle too low (how you adjust the weight on TRX is move your feet forward (assuming you are facing where it is hung), lower angle and reducing how much body weight the feet support).
EDIT 2: Going to switch to 80/10 testing next timer. Was sort of doing that anyway (starting before it said to if I was ready).

I was still 157.8 today. I’m not sure on how many calories I had today. I have down 1,095 but I didn’t eat all of my 385 calorie snack and I have no idea on how many calories my one cup of homemade turkey soup with noodles was. I put it at 300.

I really wanted to get ice cream from sonic today. I chugged a couple diet drinks and I made a grilled chicken burrito instead and I was fine.

I’ll see on Tuesday what I weigh.

I am still here. It has been a few days of no exercise. Not good. Things to do and chilly outside. I should of exercised anyway. I will weigh myself tomorrow. My target is 2200. I have consumed 2204 calories today. I will definitely exercise tomorrow.

@UpDownAround:

[snip]

“but I am also going to spend a little time figuring out a good routine using what I have as a "home gym" - TRX, a kettlebell (18#, I think), a small selection of dumbbells, pull up bar and exercise ball.”

[snip]

This sounds interesting. What equipment do I need? Is this equipment also at the fitness center? What kind of routine do you use to exercise the individual muscle groups? What is a “TRX”? Exersize ball?

I am using the TRX (actually an eBay clone I got for $20) almost exclusively now.