A Little Help From My Friends: How Do YOU Do (A Healthier) You?

[Janevain]

I didn't make it out of Noom's trial period (I think it was $1). I felt like, as someone who has been on diets and read articles about weight loss, there wasn't really much new or helpful information to justify the cost. They quoted me about $40 a month. I also didn't care for the tone of the whole thing. Maybe it varies from person to person, but all the articles and suggestions were very much "yo girlfriiiend! you totes rocked your diet yesterday!" 

It kind of reminded me of Whitney, now that I think about it. 

[SongbirdHollow]

1 hour ago, Janevain said:

I didn't make it out of Noom's trial period (I think it was $1). I felt like, as someone who has been on diets and read articles about weight loss, there wasn't really much new or helpful information to justify the cost. They quoted me about $40 a month. I also didn't care for the tone of the whole thing. Maybe it varies from person to person, but all the articles and suggestions were very much "yo girlfriiiend! you totes rocked your diet yesterday!" 

It kind of reminded me of Whitney, now that I think about it. 

I can see that some people would not appreciate the upbeat tone. (Doesn’t remind me of Whit AT ALL though! She is a whiner, not upbeat) I would NOT pay more than $20 a month if I knew others were getting it for less. There is an article out there somewhere about their business model of charging different prices. I think I found it by googling Noom reviews. 

[IllinoisGirl7]

All one needs is a good food tracking app ( or pen and paper), 30 minutes or more of cardio and strength training, reduced stress and more sleep.  I read an article that reducing stress and getting more sleep is super beneficial for weight loss.   

[cherenkov]

On 7/13/2019 at 7:32 AM, IllinoisGirl7 said:

All one needs is a good food tracking app ( or pen and paper), 30 minutes or more of cardio and strength training, reduced stress and more sleep.  I read an article that reducing stress and getting more sleep is super beneficial for weight loss.   

Stressed out tired people eat more.

[Colleenna]

4 hours ago, cherenkov said:

Stressed out tired people eat more.

How you doing with this weather? End of the week is going to be hellish. When it's this hot, do you run at the butt-crack of dawn?

[TurtlePower]

Sorry to hijack the running in the heat question, but I do. Some days I train for that specifically. In AZ sometimes you don't get a choice--I've run summer races in up to 114 degrees. 

Anyway, I'm covered head to toe. I use my old wildland fire shirt (it breathes SO well) and white reflective tights. Any exposed skin in AZ gets fried. Here, when you sweat, it doesn't even get the chance to cool your body like it's supposed to. Your skin just gets sizzling hot (hence the need to be covered up). I always have a camelbak. It takes me about 30 minutes of prep just to get out the door for a full-sun heat run and, just in case, I make sure Mr. Turtle is around because you never know. Even the well-trained can develop heat issues and going it completely alone/independent without a backup plan isn't a good idea. 

Unfortunately my trail shoes are black so my feet fry. I've thought of trying to cover them with a light mesh but can't come up with anything simple/easy to implement. 

[SongbirdHollow]

Noom update:

I'm on week 7 (I think, time FLIES) and I've lost 15 pounds (plus 5 before I started the program). After a dramatic linear weight loss I seem to have hit a bit of a plateau. However, Noom taught me that weight loss is not linear and showed me the data to prove it! Also, it helped me to see other ways of measuring my progress (how I feel, how my clothes fit, how much exercise I'm doing, the better choices I'm making, new habits I've formed).

This week the lessons are about critical thinking (regarding scientific studies) and about other diets, like Paleo, Mediteranean, Keto, Low Carb, vegetarian, etc. I'm very impressed by their balanced presentation of them all. They do not diss any of them; they point out pros and cons and say, "If this is something you want to try, here's some examples of how it fits into Noom. Try this for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Watch out for these pitfalls (eating too much vegan junk food, eating a ton of meat on low carb, etc.)"

Some of our support group have dropped out and we merged with another group of people to keep the support going. They also made an announcement-only group for people who aren't into the group thing.

My personal coach is OK but she's not around that much. Once a week she asks me to set a goal for the week and then the next week she asks how it went. The group coach is very present. She acknowledges or responds to every thread and starts new ones daily.

Overall, I'm still very happy with the plan. Any questions, let me know!

[ClareWalks]

I am signed up to do a Spartan Ultra next May. It's a 50-kilometer (31 mile) obstacle race with about 70 obstacles. If you fail an obstacle you do 30 burpees. All this to say that even now, with 10 months until the race, I work out more in one day than Whitney does in 2 weeks 😛

[3girlsforus]

I felt like Whitney today. I walked 4 miles and went to a spin class. Then I went to McDonalds LOL. Now to be fair, I very rarely do that but while I was eating my chicken nuggets I thought, this is how Whitney can work out and not lose weight. Of course she does that every day. I haven’t been to McDonalds in ages. So i don’t feel guilty but I thought it was funny that my first thought was ‘uh oh - I’m Whitney’ LOL

[ClareWalks]

21 minutes ago, 3girlsforus said:

I felt like Whitney today. I walked 4 miles and went to a spin class.

But did you walk the four miles while sobbing hysterically about "plantar fasciitis" that magically disappeared immediately afterward? 😉

Oh and unless you ate a 20-piece you definitely burned more calories than you ate, so go you! 

Edited July 26, 2019 by ClareWalks

[3girlsforus]

11 minutes ago, ClareWalks said:

But did you walk the four miles while sobbing hysterically about "plantar fasciitis" that magically disappeared immediately afterward? 😉

Oh and unless you ate a 20-piece you definitely burned more calories than you ate, so go you! 

No but I did mumble a few choice words at the guy who thought he didn’t need to stop for people in the crosswalk. Jackass!!  

Thanks - I think it was still ok - 6 piece nuggets. Not ideal but could be worse. I’m a work in progress but tomorrow I turn 50 and I am now smaller than I’ve been in a very long time - probably since my 30s. So I have a long way to go - but I’m going. 

Edited July 26, 2019 by 3girlsforus

[TurtlePower]

So, I'm trying to look at recent events as a good thing, but sometimes it's frustrating--here it is:

My gluten intolerance has reached full-on allergy--like itching, everywhere. It's gone from being an inconvenience to a real problem. I also have major issues with dairy and meat, which I typically avoid but my body's inflammatory response to these foods is so bad I can't even have them for a special occasion (like I did 3 days ago and felt like I got hit by a truck afterwards). 

I'm honestly trying to look at this in a positive way. It forces me to rely on plant based whole foods so I don't become sick, which is super healthy. The hard part is that sometimes, I want something "normal", like a slice of pizza or a sandwich (which now needs to be dairy free, gluten free and vegan). I get looks like, "Oh, you're one of those", to which I wanna reply, "I'm not a hipster, I'm allergic!" 

Most of the time I'm okay with my restrictions. But, pizza. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss a good NY slice--it's just not worth how freaking sick it will make me. 

Edited to Add: It's ironic; I have been anorexic in the past and been so restrictive and now I can't have things I want to treat myself with. Maybe the universe is punishing me (and maybe I deserve it). 

Edited July 26, 2019 by TurtlePower
Afterthoughts

[ClareWalks]

3 hours ago, TurtlePower said:

Edited to Add: It's ironic; I have been anorexic in the past and been so restrictive and now I can't have things I want to treat myself with. Maybe the universe is punishing me (and maybe I deserve it). 

Noooo! The universe is not punishing you for having had a mental illness! If it was then fuck the universe. I am sorry you have to deal with all this food bullshit. *Hug*

[Colleenna]

4 hours ago, TurtlePower said:

So, I'm trying to look at recent events as a good thing, but sometimes it's frustrating--here it is:

My gluten intolerance has reached full-on allergy--like itching, everywhere. It's gone from being an inconvenience to a real problem. I also have major issues with dairy and meat, which I typically avoid but my body's inflammatory response to these foods is so bad I can't even have them for a special occasion (like I did 3 days ago and felt like I got hit by a truck afterwards). 

I'm honestly trying to look at this in a positive way. It forces me to rely on plant based whole foods so I don't become sick, which is super healthy. The hard part is that sometimes, I want something "normal", like a slice of pizza or a sandwich (which now needs to be dairy free, gluten free and vegan). I get looks like, "Oh, you're one of those", to which I wanna reply, "I'm not a hipster, I'm allergic!" 

Most of the time I'm okay with my restrictions. But, pizza. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss a good NY slice--it's just not worth how freaking sick it will make me. 

Edited to Add: It's ironic; I have been anorexic in the past and been so restrictive and now I can't have things I want to treat myself with. Maybe the universe is punishing me (and maybe I deserve it). 

Well, there ARE vegan cheeses. Vegan cheese + cauliflower crust + vegan pepperoni (made by Yves, available lots of places) . 

ETA: Here's a recipe for you. 

https://simpleveganblog.com/vegan-gluten-free-pizza/

Edited July 26, 2019 by Colleenna
Add link to recipe

[3girlsforus]

8 hours ago, TurtlePower said:

So, I'm trying to look at recent events as a good thing, but sometimes it's frustrating--here it is:

My gluten intolerance has reached full-on allergy--like itching, everywhere. It's gone from being an inconvenience to a real problem. I also have major issues with dairy and meat, which I typically avoid but my body's inflammatory response to these foods is so bad I can't even have them for a special occasion (like I did 3 days ago and felt like I got hit by a truck afterwards). 

I'm honestly trying to look at this in a positive way. It forces me to rely on plant based whole foods so I don't become sick, which is super healthy. The hard part is that sometimes, I want something "normal", like a slice of pizza or a sandwich (which now needs to be dairy free, gluten free and vegan). I get looks like, "Oh, you're one of those", to which I wanna reply, "I'm not a hipster, I'm allergic!" 

Most of the time I'm okay with my restrictions. But, pizza. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss a good NY slice--it's just not worth how freaking sick it will make me. 

Edited to Add: It's ironic; I have been anorexic in the past and been so restrictive and now I can't have things I want to treat myself with. Maybe the universe is punishing me (and maybe I deserve it). 

I am so sorry you are dealing with this. First let me scream with ClaireWalks - you are NOT being punished. You do no deserve it. You didn’t do this to yourself. I can only imagine how difficult it is have to deal with constant inflammatory responses and watch every tiny thing you eat knowing if you “cheat” you will pay for it dearly, and not like most of us pay - with an extra pound or two we can lose. I have no advice - just (((HUGS)))

[TurtlePower]

19 hours ago, Colleenna said:

Well, there ARE vegan cheeses. Vegan cheese + cauliflower crust + vegan pepperoni (made by Yves, available lots of places) . 

ETA: Here's a recipe for you. 

https://simpleveganblog.com/vegan-gluten-free-pizza/

Thanks for the info and thanks everyone for the words of support. I was vegan for many years (beginning in middle school, then on and off), so I know a lot about it already but realize things are constantly improving with plant-based becoming a "thing".  I've done the vegan cheeses--Daiyya, Follow Your Heart, a couple others. Yves unfortunately has wheat product in it which is a no-no, or I might have given it a shot. When something new comes out, I usually try it if it's gluten-free. 

I've tried most meat substitutes and don't care for them. The latest try, last week, was "Beyond Meat" as a taco filler--it was terrible, even with spices. I wound up dumping it and making my own filler from diced, sautéed walnuts and mushrooms (which was actually amazing and which I plan to make again). My version of pizza is a super thin gf crust, sauce and veggies only. With the right spices, it turns out really good and low calorie, too. 

[Colleenna]

15 minutes ago, TurtlePower said:

Thanks for the info and thanks everyone for the words of support. I was vegan for many years (beginning in middle school, then on and off), so I know a lot about it already but realize things are constantly improving with plant-based becoming a "thing".  I've done the vegan cheeses--Daiyya, Follow Your Heart, a couple others. Yves unfortunately has wheat product in it which is a no-no, or I might have given it a shot. When something new comes out, I usually try it if it's gluten-free. 

I've tried most meat substitutes and don't care for them. The latest try, last week, was "Beyond Meat" as a taco filler--it was terrible, even with spices. I wound up dumping it and making my own filler from diced, sautéed walnuts and mushrooms (which was actually amazing and which I plan to make again). My version of pizza is a super thin gf crust, sauce and veggies only. With the right spices, it turns out really good and low calorie, too. 

Heh. That's the way I felt when I tried jackfruit as a substitute for pulled pork. I had seen so many raves about it. Nope nope nope. I'm a texture freak, and the texture is nothing like pulled pork. 

[cherenkov]

On 7/16/2019 at 10:23 PM, Colleenna said:

How you doing with this weather? End of the week is going to be hellish. When it's this hot, do you run at the butt-crack of dawn?

It has not been easy. But I had to train as I would compete, and I did. Today I finished the Ironman 70.3 Ohio. It was hot, blazing sun, lots of wind. Went out with one goal and that was to cross the finish line under my own power.

I have done so. Exhausted now. The medal looks like Ohio.

On 7/25/2019 at 6:40 PM, ClareWalks said:

I am signed up to do a Spartan Ultra next May. It's a 50-kilometer (31 mile) obstacle race with about 70 obstacles. If you fail an obstacle you do 30 burpees. All this to say that even now, with 10 months until the race, I work out more in one day than Whitney does in 2 weeks 😛

Nice. The obstacles that get me are the ones requiring grip and upper body strength. You're gonna do great.

[Colleenna]

11 hours ago, cherenkov said:

It has not been easy. But I had to train as I would compete, and I did. Today I finished the Ironman 70.3 Ohio. It was hot, blazing sun, lots of wind. Went out with one goal and that was to cross the finish line under my own power.

I have done so. Exhausted now. The medal looks like Ohio.

Wowzer. I can't imagine 70.3 ... Was that over a 2 day period? 

[cherenkov]

3 hours ago, Colleenna said:

Wowzer. I can't imagine 70.3 ... Was that over a 2 day period? 

Eight and a half hours continuous from hit the water to cross the finish line.

[Colleenna]

20 hours ago, cherenkov said:

Eight and a half hours continuous from hit the water to cross the finish line.

I don't know how you do it. I'm completely exhausted after a two hour swim. 

Anyways, congratulations on finishing. 

[Colleenna]

There's a woman at my gym who is Whitney's size (but considerably taller.) I see her *every day* jogging in the pool and doing other pool exercises (squats, pool-wall pushups, etc). She is constantly moving for the full hour that she is in the pool. 

The contrast between this woman and Twitney's 30 seconds of half-assing it is stark. 

[cherenkov]

8 hours ago, Colleenna said:

I don't know how you do it. I'm completely exhausted after a two hour swim. 

Anyways, congratulations on finishing. 

To be honest a lot of it is mental. Everything starts to hurt and you're very tired but if you have that mindset going where you are willing yourself to move forward, to never ever quit no matter what, that the payoff is worth it you can endure just about anything.

One more inch, one more foot, one more yard, one more mile. And you get through it.

[SongbirdHollow]

Noom update: I’m in week 9 and still going strong. I have realized that I need to completely disregard my exercise when it comes to how many calories I allow myself each day. I just don’t think my fitness tracker is that accurate. Here’s my weight loss graph since 6/10/19. 

Edit to add: after week 8 they start revisiting earlier lessons and building on them  

Edited August 7, 2019 by SongbirdHollow

[TurtlePower]

22 hours ago, SongbirdHollow said:

Noom update: I’m in week 9 and still going strong. I have realized that I need to completely disregard my exercise when it comes to how many calories I allow myself each day. I just don’t think my fitness tracker is that accurate. Here’s my weight loss graph since 6/10/19. 

Edit to add: after week 8 they start revisiting earlier lessons and building on them  

Fitness trackers can be off. Best thing to do to find your resting metabolic rate and burn rate is go into a facility that can accurately measure it. Many people are stunned (and sometimes disappointed) by the results. 

Nice work! 

Edited August 8, 2019 by TurtlePower

[SongbirdHollow]

How do I find such a place?

[TurtlePower]

On 8/8/2019 at 8:46 AM, SongbirdHollow said:

How do I find such a place?

You'll have to research your area. Many universities have such tests for their athletes and study subjects. There's also a company called Dexafit that does body composition and metabolism testing, but it's a crap shoot as to whether there may be a location near you. 

Just my thoughts having coached runners in my younger years--fitness machines and fitness trackers most definitely "lie". With the trackers, some may be better than others but most people don't burn as much as a machine or app tells them. It's so misleading and can be very disappointing. Myself, I only burn about 100 calories per mile I run. I've been on treadmills showing I burned something like 900 calories for 6 miles when it's closer to 600. 

The whole thing makes me mad because people who are trying to get fit/healthy need to know the truth. They need to know what their needs really are and that machine/app that tells them they burned 900 calories makes them think they can splurge (when they're actually eating back their workout and then some).

If you can't find a location to test your RMR, it may come down to the old school method of tracking everything (which can take time and can be frustrating). 

[SongbirdHollow]

Thanks I do work in a University. I’ll probably wait until I lose some more before I do it because I’m sure it will change. Right now I’m just focusing on hitting a set calorie target for food and any exercise is a bonus. I’m not gonna rely on my Garmin to tell me I earned an ice cream. 

[cherenkov]

Ragnar Trail this morning. Earned myself a shiny new spork!

[Dot]

3 hours ago, cherenkov said:

Ragnar Trail this morning. Earned myself a shiny new spor

That's the coolest -- and most useful -- trophy you've shown thus far! 😊

[SongbirdHollow]

Noom update, wrapping up week 11. I’ve lost 25 pounds and have had to go to Walmart to buy some interim smaller clothes! I went from a 2x (22-24) to a 1x (18-20)  (closer to 18!)

Nobody has really said much about the loss. Not sure whether it’s no longer PC anymore, or whether I am basically back down to what I weighed when they met me 10 years ago. I see a huge difference though.

I feel like I’ve established a ton of new, healthy habits without realizing it. Exercise is now a way of life and it means I have less time for unhealthy habits like excessive TV. I switched up my daily routines (like enjoying a nice shower at night instead of in the morning, giving me time to have a good breakfast and pack lunch). We stopped eating out except for Friday night. I even packed a picnic for a road trip! I don’t deny myself any type of food. Usually I’ll have a smaller portion or decide to skip it occasionally (donuts at work) if I deem it not worth the calories. 

The daily lessons and coaching are still very helpful. So many tips and tricks! I’m also within 3 pounds of my husband’s weight and I’ve never weighed less than him. It’s gonna be SWEET when I can say that!!!! Jerk has been losing weight too though! 😂

Have a good weekend and stay safe from Dorian!

[Gramto6]

Congrats SongbirdHollow! Really glad to hear it is working for you!

I struggled with my weight for many years. A diabetes diagnosis and switching to a low carb/high fat/keto diet plus breast cancer took care of the problem. No more weight problem...

[Hana Chan]

Hi All... been away for awhile and have lots of stuff in the works.

I met with a surgeon for gastric sleeve surgery and am about midway through the process of getting all the tests and consults done. They certainly make you jump through hoops, especially since I don't have any real health issue at this stage (which is a good thing)! So far I've met with a nutritionist (who thinks that I'm about 70% on the right track with my eating and that the surgery will help me tremendously), a pulmonologist and cardiologist. I'm scheduled for a sleep study this month (since I was never tested for apnea and both my parents have it) and once that's done I can schedule my endoscopy. I meet with the psychologist at the end of October and still have to make a hematology consult. Once all this is done, I can schedule my surgery (am looking at end of December or early January).

On one hand, I'm sad that I have to go through surgery to help resolve my never-ending battle with the scale, but on the other hand, I'm looking forward to being able to do a lot of things that I love to do without my weight being an issue. I miss horseback riding and I love traveling (am so sick of being the fattest person in the group).

I'll keep you all in the loop, but I'm on my way.

[Colleenna]

On 7/30/2019 at 1:05 PM, Colleenna said:

There's a woman at my gym who is Whitney's size (but considerably taller.) I see her *every day* jogging in the pool and doing other pool exercises (squats, pool-wall pushups, etc). She is constantly moving for the full hour that she is in the pool. 

The contrast between this woman and Twitney's 30 seconds of half-assing it is stark. 

Quoting myself here, to add that this woman has now added other cardio and strength training to her regimen. I missed her in the pool one day, and when I ran into her in the locker room I mentioned that I hadn't seen her. She explained that she had added the treadmill and stair climber, plus resistance machines, on alternate days. 

THAT'S how you get results, Whit. 

[Hana Chan]

So... I'm finally at the tail end of my surgical workups and thus far I've endured the following:

1) Six monthly weight-ins with my doctor to prove that I can go without gaining weight (and even lost a bit).

2) Met with a nutritionist and found that my eating habits aren't total shit. It's my idiot metabolism that doesn't realize that despite my ancestry, I'm not a Russian serf who needs to worry about surviving the next famine or raid by the local Cossacks.

3) A pulmonology consult (no sleep apnea - yay!)

4) A cardiac consult (heart is healthy)

5) Psychology consult - am sane.

So now I'm being worked up by a hematologist to ensure that my blood won't turn into sludge post surgery and tomorrow I'm going for my endoscopy/colonoscopy. Which means that today is prep day., Yay! Nothing but liquids and lemon sorbet and some nasty cleanse crap that i have to drink later that will end up with me parking my ass in the bathroom for the next few hours. Oh joy...

But it's all in the name of me getting healthier. I'm taking active steps to getting me to where I need to be. It's not a bd thing at my age to get this line of workup and find out what's been going on with my body. And surviving two days of liquids will be great practice for the liquid diet that I'll need to follow prior to surgery. So it's all good. Minus the living in the bathroom and counting the floor tiles.

[Lovecat]

54 minutes ago, Hana Chan said:

But it's all in the name of me getting healthier. I'm taking active steps to getting me to where I need to be. It's not a bd thing at my age to get this line of workup and find out what's been going on with my body. And surviving two days of liquids will be great practice for the liquid diet that I'll need to follow prior to surgery. So it's all good. Minus the living in the bathroom and counting the floor tiles.

I got a lot of reading done during a bout of colitis earlier this year... 🙂   Good luck with your procedure!

[Hana Chan]

On 11/11/2019 at 1:05 PM, Lovecat said:

I got a lot of reading done during a bout of colitis earlier this year... 🙂   Good luck with your procedure!

Thanks! I'm past the final tests and just waiting on the results now. All going well, I'll know when I'm going to be scheduled before long. Both excited and nervous but I know that I'm doing the right thing.

[SongbirdHollow]

Noom update, week 24. This will be a quickie, I'm at work. I've lost 40 pounds and am halfway to my goal weight! I've gone from a size 24 to a 16 in pants. New habits are going strong - walking 3 miles a day, healthy breakfast, packing lunch (although usually a frozen meal), way less TV, better food choices. Getting used to the idea that it's OK to be a little hungry. In the past I'd kind of panic and overeat but now I can sit with it a while.

I'm within 7 lbs of no longer being obese in BMI - soon I'll simply be overweight, ha ha. Energy levels are super high, aches and pains all but gone. Had my yearly physical and my BP has come down. Haven't had blood work yet. Yoga poses that were formerly inaccessible due to my belly are now easy. I've had to punch some new holes in my belt. Took an active vacation to the Grand Canyon in October.

At week 24 Noom starts to wean you off the program. No longer a couple articles a day to read, just one short one and maybe a challenge. Weigh in once a week instead of daily. The coaching support is still there. People are starting to post their wins on the group and we all cheer them on. 

Overall I'm thrilled with the program and my progress. My weight loss has slowed a little because I upped my calorie limit. I started out at 1200 for max loss speed but that's just not sustainable for me. Now I'm hitting around 1600 a day. I've gained the confidence that my new habits will stick and if it takes a little longer to get there, I'm OK with that. :)

[Colleenna]

I've finally busted through my plateau. At my last dr visit last month, my TSH was ridiculous. Normal is 0.5 to 3, and mine was 10.5 .... That means that my body was desperately trying to get my thyroid to respond, but it wasn't responding. Dr. upped my Levoxyl dose from 137 to 150, and yay! I'm finally out of the obese category and am merely overweight. 

[cherenkov]

Less than 30 days left in the 2019 race season, and three more events to go. The off season this year will be short - I'm doing a winter Spartan to open it up - but that's OK because I have another half Ironman, a Ragnar Trail, a Spartan Trifecta Weekend and World's Toughest Mudder on the plan for big deal endurance so the training is not really taking a pause this winter.

Nutrition side is getting dialed in because I need to shred body fat and get as leaned out as I can to have a fighting chance at ultra endurance. Nooch is my best friend right now. B vitamins and iron, tastes like cheese and low calorie. Laser focus for 2020 is on. Every day, no days off.

[TurtlePower]

15 hours ago, cherenkov said:

Less than 30 days left in the 2019 race season, and three more events to go. The off season this year will be short - I'm doing a winter Spartan to open it up - but that's OK because I have another half Ironman, a Ragnar Trail, a Spartan Trifecta Weekend and World's Toughest Mudder on the plan for big deal endurance so the training is not really taking a pause this winter.

Nutrition side is getting dialed in because I need to shred body fat and get as leaned out as I can to have a fighting chance at ultra endurance. Nooch is my best friend right now. B vitamins and iron, tastes like cheese and low calorie. Laser focus for 2020 is on. Every day, no days off.

Wow! I used to do every days and sometimes twice-a-days when I was sub-elite. Sadly those days are behind me, I sure miss them (fractured the top of my femur 3 times so, just can’t keep that up any more). Hope you have a successful and healthy 2020, best of luck to you! 

[TurtlePower]

Since people are sharing updates I may as well, too. Congrats to everyone making progress with their goals! 

My own fitness is back on track but being older, it takes longer to recover from hard workouts. There are some 10k races coming up that are the perfect distance to transition back into the half-marathon, my preferred distance. In order to make progress, I’ve had to do shorter distances at a faster pace—45-55 mile weeks and more weight training/Pilates type work. It’s good to be back, injury-free and feeling healthy. 

In other news, I’m full on celiac. What I thought was a gluten or wheat allergy actually wasn’t. On most days, I’m okay with it. On other days, I get angry because I can’t go anywhere and just “grab a bite” like a normal person. My diet is whole food plant based most of the time but some days, I wish I could grab a slice of pizza like a normal person. I don’t go out any more because I’ve been made sick too many times from contamination.

The good news for the holidays is I won’t be able to eat anything so, no worries about over indulging or anything like that. I just hope people understand I’m not some pretentious hipster, but instead a person with an actual autoimmune condition. 

Thats all folks! 

[Nicmar]

On 11/19/2019 at 11:57 AM, SongbirdHollow said:

Noom update, week 24. This will be a quickie, I'm at work. I've lost 40 pounds and am halfway to my goal weight! I've gone from a size 24 to a 16 in pants. New habits are going strong - walking 3 miles a day, healthy breakfast, packing lunch (although usually a frozen meal), way less TV, better food choices. Getting used to the idea that it's OK to be a little hungry. In the past I'd kind of panic and overeat but now I can sit with it a while.

I'm within 7 lbs of no longer being obese in BMI - soon I'll simply be overweight, ha ha. Energy levels are super high, aches and pains all but gone. Had my yearly physical and my BP has come down. Haven't had blood work yet. Yoga poses that were formerly inaccessible due to my belly are now easy. I've had to punch some new holes in my belt. Took an active vacation to the Grand Canyon in October.

At week 24 Noom starts to wean you off the program. No longer a couple articles a day to read, just one short one and maybe a challenge. Weigh in once a week instead of daily. The coaching support is still there. People are starting to post their wins on the group and we all cheer them on. 

Overall I'm thrilled with the program and my progress. My weight loss has slowed a little because I upped my calorie limit. I started out at 1200 for max loss speed but that's just not sustainable for me. Now I'm hitting around 1600 a day. I've gained the confidence that my new habits will stick and if it takes a little longer to get there, I'm OK with that. 🙂

My 20lb weight gain has not budged i am walking an hour a day. I switched up alot of stuff in my diet but apparently not enough. 😖

[Colleenna]

3 hours ago, TurtlePower said:

Since people are sharing updates I may as well, too. Congrats to everyone making progress with their goals! 

My own fitness is back on track but being older, it takes longer to recover from hard workouts. There are some 10k races coming up that are the perfect distance to transition back into the half-marathon, my preferred distance. In order to make progress, I’ve had to do shorter distances at a faster pace—45-55 mile weeks and more weight training/Pilates type work. It’s good to be back, injury-free and feeling healthy. 

In other news, I’m full on celiac. What I thought was a gluten or wheat allergy actually wasn’t. On most days, I’m okay with it. On other days, I get angry because I can’t go anywhere and just “grab a bite” like a normal person. My diet is whole food plant based most of the time but some days, I wish I could grab a slice of pizza like a normal person. I don’t go out any more because I’ve been made sick too many times from contamination.

The good news for the holidays is I won’t be able to eat anything so, no worries about over indulging or anything like that. I just hope people understand I’m not some pretentious hipster, but instead a person with an actual autoimmune condition. 

Thats all folks! 

Celiac sucks wide. I hope you can find lots of gluten free vegan things to enjoy. Unfortunately, so many meat substitutes are made from wheat gluten. 😞

[TurtlePower]

1 minute ago, Colleenna said:

Celiac sucks wide. I hope you can find lots of gluten free vegan things to enjoy. Unfortunately, so many meat substitutes are made from wheat gluten. 😞

I don’t bother with meat substitutes and sometimes I will eat something non-vegan if it’s gluten free (baked fish, kefir, cheese sometimes). Finding both GFV is a challenge. I do make a meat substitute from mushrooms and walnuts, it’s pretty good  

Gluten/wheat is in so many things! I’ll read ingredients and be like, why on earth are they putting wheat in this? Like tomato soup, bean soup, rice dishes, sauces, the list goes on and on.

I keep things basic and eat lots of greens. Right now I’m fixing a raw broccoli salad and steaming some green beans for later. Rice is a base for many dishes I make—I don’t buy into the whole “rice is bad” movement. Millions of people eat rice every day in the Far East and they’re just fine. I also love lentils, beans and different kinds of potato. 

[Colleenna]

4 hours ago, TurtlePower said:

I don’t bother with meat substitutes and sometimes I will eat something non-vegan if it’s gluten free (baked fish, kefir, cheese sometimes). Finding both GFV is a challenge. I do make a meat substitute from mushrooms and walnuts, it’s pretty good  

Gluten/wheat is in so many things! I’ll read ingredients and be like, why on earth are they putting wheat in this? Like tomato soup, bean soup, rice dishes, sauces, the list goes on and on.

I keep things basic and eat lots of greens. Right now I’m fixing a raw broccoli salad and steaming some green beans for later. Rice is a base for many dishes I make—I don’t buy into the whole “rice is bad” movement. Millions of people eat rice every day in the Far East and they’re just fine. I also love lentils, beans and different kinds of potato. 

I made lentil soup in my Instant Pot last week: onions, carrots, lentils, vegetable stock. It made so much we had it for two meals and still have a third meal in the freezer. 

If you're on FB there are several vegan/vegetarian recipe sharing groups you could join. 

How does quinoa affect your celiac?

[TurtlePower]

13 hours ago, Colleenna said:

I made lentil soup in my Instant Pot last week: onions, carrots, lentils, vegetable stock. It made so much we had it for two meals and still have a third meal in the freezer. 

If you're on FB there are several vegan/vegetarian recipe sharing groups you could join. 

How does quinoa affect your celiac?

I haven’t had it since going gf. I have read it can be an issue for some people due to gluten-like properties of the seed. Sucks because I love quinoa but I’m afraid of everything nowadays. Running a “test” to see if I react has terrible consequences that isn’t worth the risk. 

i am SO getting an instant pot. 

[Gramto6]

10 hours ago, TurtlePower said:

I haven’t had it since going gf. I have read it can be an issue for some people due to gluten-like properties of the seed. Sucks because I love quinoa but I’m afraid of everything nowadays. Running a “test” to see if I react has terrible consequences that isn’t worth the risk. 

i am SO getting an instant pot. 

I just got a 3 qt one on Monday. I have never used a pressure cooker before so I admit to being a little afraid of it. I am using the crock pot function tomorrow to make some beef stew.

[Colleenna]

1 hour ago, Gramto6 said:

I just got a 3 qt one on Monday. I have never used a pressure cooker before so I admit to being a little afraid of it. I am using the crock pot function tomorrow to make some beef stew.

I had never used a pressure cooker before, either, but I think the IP controls the pressure so it won't explode. (Not necessarily true of IP knockoffs....) 

A tip for you and anyone else: when you open the pressure valve when cooking is complete, put a clean dish towel over the opening. This allows the steam to dissipate without getting superheated steam all over your kitchen cabinets. 

[Gramto6]

Thanks for the input. I'm going to start slow (pun intended) but am looking forward to the full range of the Instant Pot.  It is just me so I don't need to make huge quantities of food that is why I went with the 3qt.