May Health Challenge (2019)

[KLS52]

@KLS52 - HOW DO YOU GET YOUR CALORIES IN THE GREEN??? For the life of me, no matter how many steps I get, I cannot get my calories in the green! Yesterday I had an excellent day too (best day in a long time) - 15,220 steps, 33 floors (hill during walk) 6.07 miles, 104 minutes of exercise, but only 1990 (blue) calorie burn.

I want an all green day too!

But seriously, congratulations!!!

It doesn’t happen often. To be honest, yesterday was a fluke. My system works where I have a hard time eating when I’m stressed out...like losing six pounds during Ben’s illness. Yesterday was just so busy and stressful, what with getting up early and starting to clean at 6 am, getting to work at 9, leaving at 11 to go home for more picture preparation, then going back to work from 1:30-4...it was a not a normal day and thank God for that!

I did not eat much during all that, sad to say.

 

[silva]

The woman I normally walk with didn't come out so I joined another coworker. He walks so fast, it was as fast as I could walk without going into a jog! Only 20 minutes, but the biggest workout I've had in a while! There's even a little hill part!
I'm finally feeling like I've weight. Overall about 15 pounds, and the first ten were the ones I just put on. I even wore capris I couldn't fit before!
I think I got a new walking buddy!

 

[Katrina]

I biked into work and back today and yesterday. Tomorrow I'm getting a ride in the morning, then biking home.

This exercise is forcing me to eat better. My new goal is to eat a proper lunch every day. By which I mean, eat something besides a muffin. I got some food to bring into work tomorrow, which I'll leave there in the fridge: hummus, baby carrots, snap peas, pita bread, and individual Greek yogurts. That's good enough as a snack. Then when I get home, I can have BLTs made with this new brand of veg*n bacon I found.

 

[Poppy]

So I thought I'd be way more pleased with my progress a week out on Dry May and upped steps, but I haven't budged an ounce, weight-wise.

(Actually, I think I was up maybe a pound or so after the girls visited last week, and I am back to normal, so maybe that's something.)

And while I don't think I'm sleeping super well, I do feel a whole lot better in the mornings. For those of you who track sleep, how many hours do you usually get? I'm averaging somewhere around 6 and a half. Maybe that's pretty normal for someone 58 51/52? Thanks.

 

[KLS52]

I’m thrilled to death when I get at least 6 1/2 hours sleep and fare pretty well during the day. Sadly, that only happens, maybe, twice a week. My average is somewhere around 5 - 5 1/2 and and that’s not enough for me to function properly.

On the rare occasion that I get over 7, I feel like a million bucks!

 

[KLS52]

I never really understood the “you need less sleep the older you get” because in my mind, you “need” the amount of sleep that makes you feel good, whether it’s 5 hours or 8 hours. We may “get” less sleep the older we get but it doesn’t mean it’s all we need. If that makes sense, lol. If I could average 7 hours a night, I’d be golden.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I feel much less tired since taking thyroid medication. I usually get about 5/5 and a half hours naturally as well but then I try and fall back to sleep for an hour or two.

I’m thrilled to death when I get at least 6 1/2 hours sleep and fare pretty well during the day. Sadly, that only happens, maybe, twice a week. My average is somewhere around 5 - 5 1/2 and and that’s not enough for me to function properly.

On the rare occasion that I get over 7, I feel like a million bucks!

Hopefully your sleep will improve after you give up work.xx

 

[PTree15]

... For those of you who track sleep, how many hours do you usually get? I'm averaging somewhere around 6 and a half. Maybe that's pretty normal for someone 58 51/52? Thanks.

I would love to get 7 to 8, and sometimes I do. I go through bouts of sleep issues, and I seem to be in one right now. I'm waking up way too early, and the other night it caught up with me. I fell asleep during one of my favorite TV shows, lol, and I missed how it ended. I woke up during the news. I'm trying not to let my work situation (lack of a full-time job) affect me, but some days are easier than others. I think the uncertainty of everything must be weighing on me in the back of my mind.

I'm 58 as well, and I've never bought the theory that we need less sleep as we age. I know if I don't get a solid 7 regularly, I don't do well.

Today, I walked a couple of miles. I've been taking the bus to the library in Hartford for a freelance project, so I got off the bus early to get a mile in to the library and one back to get the bus back to my town. I will be at the library a lot in the next few weeks, so I'm going to try to get even more mileage in. I much prefer walking outside for my workouts.

 

[KLS52]

A decent day today. I did take my morning walk. Not too much working on the house today. I needed a break.

 

[silva]

I get about 6-6.5 hours Mon-Fri, but on weekends more. I have a hard time getting to bed, sometimes falling asleep, but love to sleep till 8!
We have a nice walking trail next to my work and I think I'll start walking it after work as well as my usual breaktime. Or- I can stop at the park, which really sounds much nicer

I forget what a difference just walking fast makes! So awkward when you meet up with people that start conversations. Like--buh bye!

 

[PTree15]

I get about 6-6.5 hours Mon-Fri, but on weekends more. I have a hard time getting to bed, sometimes falling asleep, but love to sleep till 8!
We have a nice walking trail next to my work and I think I'll start walking it after work as well as my usual breaktime. Or- I can stop at the park, which really sounds much nicer

I forget what a difference just walking fast makes! So awkward when you meet up with people that start conversations. Like--buh bye!

LOL, that happened to me yesterday. I was walking to the bus and some woman just started yakking to me. I guess I have that look that says tell me your life story. That's what I get for meandering.

 

[Val]

I guess I have that look that says tell me your life story.

How much i understand you! I have that look too (always, i don't know why).

 

[shyvas]

I feel much less tired since taking thyroid medication. I usually get about 5/5 and a half hours naturally as well but then I try and fall back to sleep for an hour or two.



Hopefully your sleep will improve after you give up workxx

That is also what I was hoping and sadly it hasn't.

 

[Amy SF]

My stats from Thursday. I get to brag a little, too.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I was watching a personal trainer on Pinterest talk about metabolism and weight gain recently, I can't remember his name, sorry, he was very good looking if that helps.

He was saying that if you have a tendency to gain weight easily (as I do) that it means that your metabolism is very strong compared to the rest of human beings. He said that people like me are the survivors and we would have survived famines in the past.

He was saying that the good news is that I don't need to do loads of cardio to see results. He said doing lots of walking/ running won't work and you are wasting your time as your body doesn't respond to it.

He said 3 x 10 minutes of high impact exercise a week is enough for my body to start burning fat.

To be honest I think he is right. I don't know if anyone else on here is like me and if that advice might help them. I have cut way down on exercise now as I just think that I have been wasting my time and energy. I am just sticking to using my trampoline three times a week but really making sure I am doing it energetically.

 

[KLS52]

I feel much less tired since taking thyroid medication.

Thyroid meds don’t seem to be helping my husband and my cousin. They are disappointed.

Have you noticed any hair loss? My cousin is upset because initially her hair was thinning because of the underactive thyroid and now it’s still happening because of the medication. It appears to be a lose/lose situation. I would not have thought an underactive thyroid would cause hair to fall out. I would have thought the opposite.

 

[Moll Flanders]

Thyroid meds don’t seem to be helping my husband and my cousin. They are disappointed.

Have you noticed any hair loss? My cousin is upset because initially her hair was thinning because of the underactive thyroid and now it’s still happening because of the medication. It appears to be a lose/lose situation. I would not have thought an underactive thyroid would cause hair to fall out. I would have thought the opposite.

No, but it's only been a month. I am in touch with a woman online who has had very similar health issues to mine (weirdly similar, in fact!) and she said she has noticed hair loss being on thyroid meds.

 

[PTree15]

I was watching a personal trainer on Pinterest talk about metabolism and weight gain recently, I can't remember his name, sorry, he was very good looking if that helps.

He was saying that if you have a tendency to gain weight easily (as I do) that it means that your metabolism is very strong compared to the rest of human beings. He said that people like me are the survivors and we would have survived famines in the past.

He was saying that the good news is that I don't need to do loads of cardio to see results. He said doing lots of walking/ running won't work and you are wasting your time as your body doesn't respond to it.

He said 3 x 10 minutes of high impact exercise a week is enough for my body to start burning fat.

To be honest I think he is right. I don't know if anyone else on here is like me and if that advice might help them. I have cut way down on exercise now as I just think that I have been wasting my time and energy. I am just sticking to using my trampoline three times a week but really making sure I am doing it energetically.

I have read (I can't remember where) that weight loss is 80 percent diet and 20 percent exercise. That said, regular exercise helps me make better food choices and keeps me in shape to be able to do outdoor activities like hiking and biking. It's also a good stress reliever. I find it helps with mental health as well as physical health.

 

[KLS52]

I’ve lost weight several times with diet alone. I had gone back on WW in January of 2018 and lost the weight with zero exercise as I wasn’t even walking then due to the cold weather.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I have read (I can't remember where) that weight loss is 80 percent diet and 20 percent exercise. That said, regular exercise helps me make better food choices and keeps me in shape to be able to do outdoor activities like hiking and biking. It's also a good stress reliever. I find it helps with mental health as well as physical health.

Yes, I like walking listening to music as it helps clear my mind.

I just didn't realise that high intensity exercises burn calories so much, I read that you can burn more calories doing 5 minutes of that than you would if you did 60 minutes of cardio!

Why didn't anyone tell me this before? I'm fairly lazy and would much prefer to do the minimum exercise I can.

Haha. I'm going to try out a HIIT exercise I found on YouTube tomorrow.