Exercise and the New Year
 

It's day 2 of the diet and exercise plan. I'm using the Wii Fit Plus and the elliptical for my workouts. I need all the motivation I can get so if you'd like to join me, we can do a check in every week or every day with what we've done. I have a goal of 15 lbs and get really toned. Do you have any fitness goals this year. Generally I just need to feel better and have more energy. I do better when I'm with a group so come on and let's get FIT!!!

I am up to 21 minutes a day on the elliptical and very discouraged that I have not lost weight. (I also swim and walk). I eat healthy, no junk food, and don't even eat dinner, just a light snack at 4PM. I am convinced as you get older it is MUCH harder to lose weight. 20 years ago I could lose a few pounds just like that. Now, nothing I do seems to make a difference.

But are you toned and feel better? Please tell me you are! I want so badly to be in better shape and the weight loss would be great but if I didn't have some of this squishy stuff I would love it. Remember muscle weighs more than fat so you could have just exchanged it.

My son has gotten me onto MyFitnessPal to track food intake and exercise. It's pretty cool because it has the best database I've ever seen for food and exercise. It helps you set goals and tracking can be on your computer or iphone.

My goal this year is to lose fat not weight. So, I'm eating well- no junky stuff, tracking my food/water intake and doing t-tapp which was recommended by my chiropractor. It's a workout I do daily and takes between 15-18 min. to do it. It can go as long as 54 min. but I'm not there yet and don't know if I will ever be. I, too, want to feel better and look good in my clothes. I don't care so much what the scale says anymore- I'll go by how I feel. Kudos to everyone trying to improve their health.

I actually started an exercise plan just before the New Year and so far am sticking with it. The only problem is that today I have a stiff neck that is hurting so much and I think it is probably from the exercise, although I did not go gung ho at the start. This exercise is on tv and is geared to seniors, so it it not strenuous. As far as dieting, I have been on weight watchers since 1972 when I lost 29 lbs. I have been on maintenance for years now and weigh in once a month. I am happy to say that I have kept the weight off.

The trick is to get past the idea that exercise is something you do when you feel like you have to lose some weight. Movement needs to become something you do during your day, just like brushing your teeth or showering. If you don't do it, life seems off. The hard part is to get to that place where movement is a part of you.

Find something you enjoy doing, like dancing, yoga, or swimming. Exercise doesn't have to be a boring treadmill or toe touches. My belly dance classes are very social and we end up sweating and toning for an hour while laughing and encouraging each other and building each other's body images.

Walking is probably the easiest and one of the best ways to tone and lose weight. If you have a dog, you have a built in reason for taking a walk. You can get a cheap pedometer and set goals to walk a bit further every few days.

My best to everyone for a happy and healthy 2012! Shimmy on!