Anxious to get started!

No Snacks, no sweets, no seconds. Except on Days that start with S. Too simple for you? Simple is why it works. Look here for questions, introductions, support, success stories.

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lostnfound
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Location: PA

Anxious to get started!

Post by lostnfound » Wed Apr 02, 2008 6:52 pm

Hello everyone~ I just heard about the No S Diet and discovered this forum today. After reading a few (dozen!) postings I can see that it has really helped alot of people and is a great way to increase motivation. I wonder if there are any others like me out there....I'm 55, 70-80 pounds overweight, and have played around with a bunch of different diets...most recently weight watchers. I think ww is a good plan, just difficult to stick to. I hate exercise and due to a bad knee cannot do anything too intense....man, sounds like I'm describing my mother here!! :roll: I would love to find someone else with similar circumstances... maybe even in the same part of the county (NW PA here). Anyone out there in the same boat?? :D
"Time's fun when you're having flies!"....Kermit the Frog

jules
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Post by jules » Wed Apr 02, 2008 7:53 pm

hi lost :D

I just turned 40 (Mar. 24th) and have at least 70-80 pounds to lose. In 2002, for the first time ever, I started exercising. I was going to the gym 5-6 days a week. I lifted weights, and I did cardio. (First treadmill, then stationary bike.) Then I had a big flare-up of plantar fasciitis which is a very painful foot condition. I took about a year off. Then I started weightlifting and using the stationary bike again. Things were going quite well until I started a couch to 5k program -- which is a program designed to ease you into jogging. Well that was NOT a good idea. Major plantar fasciitis flareup again.

What am I doing now? Well I gained about 30 lbs since I stopped exercising the second time. Now I am working to ease myself back into exercise, and for now, I'm focusing on exercise that will have little impact on my feet -- which would, in general, have little impact on knees.

Here's the plan:

follow no-s

pull out my sledgehammer and renew my shovelglove experience! 14 min. a day on no-S days.

buy set of adjustable dumbbells -- I bought dumbbell handles and plates (haha on the internet. shipping was a lot but I live in a fairly small town and none of the sporting goods stores had dumbbell handles!)

buy a book on Indian clubs -- and I'll probably be buying two rubber mallets from the hardware store to use in lieu of "real" Indian clubs

Until my plates and Indian club book arrives, I am working on getting up to a full 14 min. of shovelglove. Right now I'm doing about 9 min. of shovelglove combined w/ some light stretching and some arm waving. Ha! The arm waving basically consists of my mimicking some indian club movements I gleaned from the internet w/out anything in my hands. So i'm really just flopping my arms around right now.

For the most part, both shovelglove and Indian clubs work out your upper body. They're much more aerobic than you'd think. And with the weightlifting soon to come, I will be able to exercise with minimal impact on my feet.

I do have some planned rewards built in. There are two things I'd really love to get. One is an exercise bike, the other is an adjustable weight(lifting) bench. Due to constraints of space, I believe I can only justify a pedal exerciser not a full exercise bike. (I live in small apartment.) If you do a search on Amazon under pedal exerciser you'll see what I mean. I will buy the almost $90 one. I figure that if pedalling this as a bike injures my foot, I can always use it tabletop as an arm exerciser -- which, indeed, is one of its indicated uses.

Someday I would like to be able to play racquetball again. However, due to the recurrance of the foot problem, I need to lose some weight before I return to anything that is even remotely high impact.

jules

Bumpkyns
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Post by Bumpkyns » Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:31 pm

I'm EXACTLY where you are... 51 yrs old and need to lose a good 75-80 lbs. Just started couple weeks ago and haven't been able to stick to it 100% yet... but I'm doing a lot better than prior to NoS. I think some of us 50's people need to stick together and get each other thru all our mid-life "junk". :wink:
Blessed are the cracked, for they are the ones who let in the light!

lostnfound
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Location: PA

Thanks for your support!

Post by lostnfound » Sun Apr 06, 2008 1:19 pm

Thanks Jules for your response to my post. I see you feel the same way I do about exercise. :wink: ..truth be told I bet alot of people do. I admire your tenacity, tho. Do you go to any kind of diet group/club like Weight Watchers etc? I sometimes feel that I would do better if I were held accountable in this way, but due to scheduling issues with my job it just isn't possible. Besides, there is this nagging feeling in my head that keeps telling me I CAN do this and I don't need a bunch of cheerleaders to get me through..nothing against diet clubs but I want the satisfaction of knowing I can do this on my own. Good luck in your efforts! I think this is a wonderful website and intent to visit it often :D
"Time's fun when you're having flies!"....Kermit the Frog

lostnfound
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Location: PA

Getting old is not for sissies!

Post by lostnfound » Sun Apr 06, 2008 1:25 pm

Thanks for your response, Bumpkyns! It's good to know I am not alone in this thing.....I wonder how much of our weight problems at this stage in life can be attributed to medications. I have hypertension and take 3 different types of medication; 2 of them list weight gain as possible side effects. I also was on chemotherapy a few years ago and was told by the oncologist that I could gain up to 30 pounds from it (which was a real bummer as I thought the ONLY advantage to being on chemo would be that I could finally lose weight! :wink: ). I'm not trying to pass the buck here as I know I am totally responsible for a not-so-great diet but it seems that even when I am totally faithful to the Weight Watchers code, the pounds come off extremely slowly if at all. Anyone else out there have the same problem???
"Time's fun when you're having flies!"....Kermit the Frog

lostnfound
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PS to Jules....

Post by lostnfound » Sun Apr 06, 2008 1:29 pm

I forgot to mention, Jules....I also have had heel spurs and there isnt much in life more painful! I had one many years ago and then had another for the last couple years. The second time around was much worse and made walking almost impossible. Tried all the exercises, heat treatments, ultra sound treatments, orthotics etc that the doctor suggested but nothing worked. I finally got a shot of cortizone in my heel and literally by the time I walked out of his office the pain was gone! Don't know if you have tried that or not, but it was wonderful..and the only thing that worked for me. My heel doesn't hurt at all anymore, altho I would be really hesitant to try running or jogging. The cotizone shot isn't fun but not nearly as bad as many people told me it would be. And it was certainly worth it!
"Time's fun when you're having flies!"....Kermit the Frog

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Sun Apr 06, 2008 1:41 pm

Welcome, lostnfound!

I think you'll find the No S Diet enjoyable and effective, if you can get yourself in the proper long-term mindset. That means be patient about seeing results, and realizing that it may take a few false starts to get the habit down. It's more like training an animal (appetite, in this case) than a sudden conversion. When the appetite misbehaves, you have to be firm but gentle. In time, it'll learn.

As for hating exercise, well, I understand. But I think you're going to have to try to identify some form of exercise or way to get moving that you don't hate so much. As you may have gathered from poking around the site, I'm a big fan of swinging around a sledgehammer and walking whenever I can -- but I realize these (especially the former) aren't for everybody. What I'd recommend is setting aside a certain, small number of minutes (I'm partial to 14) every weekday to do SOME form of exercise, to experiment until you hit on something you like.

This "time based" approach has a number of benefits, the most obvious of which is you don't have to wait to find the perfect form of exercise to start exercising -- you "quest" for the perfect exercise is in itself exercise. Also, by making your routine "time based" rather than "form based" you have no excuse not to do it. You can use special equipment like dumbbells or the bike machine or a yoga tape or whatever, but if you don't have anything on hand, simple body weight exercises like squats and sit ups and pushups and jumping jacks will do. Lastly, the precise form of exercise you do is vastly less important than simply putting in the time. ANY form of exercise (pretty much) will get you into great (or at least decent) shape IF you can get yourself to do it regularly. By focusing on the "regularly" front and center, you make that much more likely to happen.

Reinhard

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Mavilu
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Post by Mavilu » Sun Apr 06, 2008 11:35 pm

Lostnfound:
Welcome, it's nice to have you here!.
I'm not quite on the same boat, but I can relate to the knee problem; I busted mine while biking too much and now a days, unless I rigorously stretch every night, I can't bike the next day, sometimes, they'll hurt no matter what, but!, I bought a "half-bike", it's a stand with bike pedals attached to it, and on those days in which using my legs is not an option, I just put my half-bike on a coffe table, I sit in front of it and I just "bike" with my arms while watching TV.
If you can get one, I'd recommend it!.

Judy
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Post by Judy » Mon Apr 07, 2008 2:07 pm

Hi!
I'm in a similar situation.

I hurt my knees, and gained weight. Then I got plantar fasciitis from the weight gain, and could do even less, so I gained even more. I'm physically unable to walk any distance, and even standing up for long periods hurts me.

I'm starting No S today. I turn 40 next month and need to lose about 80 lbs. :oops:

I think this plan sounds very healthy and easy to follow. I've tried so many diets, but haven't stuck with them for one reason or another. Most are just too restrictive. Then when I went off-plan, I felt guilty. I like how this plan has built-in guilt-free days. I don't plan to go nuts on S days, but I won't have to feel guilty if I indulge a bit.

I'm glad to know there are others like me. I spent most of my life very slim. My 30s were my downfall, but my 40s will be better. I want my mobility back!

I plan to do some chair exercises (Body Flex) until I lose enough weight that I can start walking or riding my bike.

Again, I'm glad to know there are others like me. I'm not in PA (or anywhere near PA for that matter) but we can still share the journey!

lostnfound
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Location: PA

Post by lostnfound » Mon Apr 07, 2008 2:47 pm

Judy wrote:Hi!
I'm in a similar situation.

I hurt my knees, and gained weight. Then I got plantar fasciitis from the weight gain, and could do even less, so I gained even more. I'm physically unable to walk any distance, and even standing up for long periods hurts me.

I'm starting No S today. I turn 40 next month and need to lose about 80 lbs. :oops:

I think this plan sounds very healthy and easy to follow. I've tried so many diets, but haven't stuck with them for one reason or another. Most are just too restrictive. Then when I went off-plan, I felt guilty. I like how this plan has built-in guilt-free days. I don't plan to go nuts on S days, but I won't have to feel guilty if I indulge a bit.

I'm glad to know there are others like me. I spent most of my life very slim. My 30s were my downfall, but my 40s will be better. I want my mobility back!

I plan to do some chair exercises (Body Flex) until I lose enough weight that I can start walking or riding my bike.

Again, I'm glad to know there are others like me. I'm not in PA (or anywhere near PA for that matter) but we can still share the journey!
"Time's fun when you're having flies!"....Kermit the Frog

lostnfound
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Let's try this again....

Post by lostnfound » Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:12 pm

Okay, so I was just trying to quote the last line from Judy's post about us all "sharing this adventure" and for some reason her whole message copied and posted before I knew what I did! (does it need to be said here that I am NOT exactly computer literate??? :roll: ) Then I wrote another message to explain the first one and add a few comments and somewhere near the last sentence I bumped a key (who knows which one or how I did it) and POOF! everything disappeared on me again! This is my final attempt and if both posts come through....well...I can do no more than apologize for the redundancy. :wink: (My day began in the early hours of the morning when I sat down at my computer to get caught up on some paperwork and promptly spilled a bowl of cheerios cereal all over the keyboard! It's a wonder this thing is not spewing sparks!....I knew right away it was Monday.....)
I do believe that many of us, regardless of age, are hindered in some way by one or numerous physical ailments. And it seems the older we get the longer the list becomes. So...are we heavy because we are not physically fit or are we not physically fit because we are heavy? More than likely a bit of both. It is a blessing to know, however, that through it all we really are 'sharing this journey'. None of us are alone, even though at times we certainly feel that way. This forum is a wonderful thing and has a great 'feel' about it...it is good to be part of the family! :)
"Time's fun when you're having flies!"....Kermit the Frog

resting52
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Post by resting52 » Tue Apr 08, 2008 12:01 am

I'm 52 and on Weight Watchers. Just read the article and bought the book today. Need to finish it. Sounds very freeing to me

jules
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Post by jules » Tue Apr 08, 2008 12:27 am

Here's a link to the pedal exerciser I mentioned in my post:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/00 ... +exerciser

And, it sounds like the same thing that someone else mentioned as well. The heavier duty ones (also the more expensive ones) seem to be better b/c if you look at some reviews of the cheaper pedals, it sounds like they're prone to getting excessively heated.

As for other things I mentioned in my post, here is a link to some Indian club exercises:

http://www.expertvillage.com/video-seri ... aining.htm

If you click on some of the segments, you can see that you would get an aerobic workout by swinging these things around. Some will involve knees, some will not. In either case, the lighter the clubs you use, the better to begin rehabilitation. In my case, I get a bit of an ache-y left shoulder from a bike accident when I was 18. As I re-strengthen my shoulder, the pain will go away.

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Mavilu
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Post by Mavilu » Tue Apr 08, 2008 12:31 am

Hahaha, Jules, I didn't notice that I was talking about the same thing you were talking about, whoops!.

Anyway, from your likn, I have the Isokinetics chunky one, bought at Amazon, as well, expensive but dependable.

lostnfound
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Indian Club Workout

Post by lostnfound » Tue Apr 08, 2008 7:29 am

Thanks Jules (and Mavilu!) for the great exercise advice. I have seen those exercise 'half bikes' but figured they wouldnt work for me because of the knee issues. However, I never thought about using them for an upper body workout. I did check out the Indian Clubs and watched a few of the videos. I like that idea alot and you're right, Jules, there are quite a few I would be able to do. I may have to look around to find something I can substitute for the clubs..have never seen any of those before. Does anyone else out there use this method??
Thanks again for the info! :)
"Time's fun when you're having flies!"....Kermit the Frog

likefrogs
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hmm do I know you

Post by likefrogs » Tue Apr 08, 2008 2:34 pm

hmmm I think you might be the person who introduced me to this forum? is that so? let me know....
mommafrog

jules
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Post by jules » Tue Apr 08, 2008 6:14 pm

And specifically about knees :

Two anecdotal things: 1 . my almost 60 year old friend who needs two knee replacements sometime. Her doctor recommended an exercise bike. When she uses it, she feels better. She has the upright full bike type.

2. my almost 70 year old mother who just got a knee replacement Sept. 2007. Her doctor recommended knee strengthening activities too PRIOR to surgery as well as after. Her primary aerobic activity was walking in a therapeutic swimming pool. It's basically an underwater track with a strong current. You walk both with the current AND against the current but, obviously, not at the same time. :D Her primary strength training was doing seated leg curls at a machine.

In both cases, some strengthening of the knee helped with the knee pain. However, you want to go slowly, and I'd strongly recommend you get some advice from your doctor as both my friend and mother did.

As for where to get Indian clubs : 1. you can call around to sporting goods stores and see if they carry them or could order you some 2. you could order some from the internet 3. you could go to the hardware store and start looking at rubber mallets and small double-headed hammers. Buy two. :)

jules

lostnfound
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Thanks Jules

Post by lostnfound » Wed Apr 09, 2008 11:26 am

Thanks Jules! I will definitely look into the bike situation. I just figured as much discomfort as I have going up and down steps (down is much worse for some reason) that a bike would be out of the question. As far as the indian clubs I was trying to figure something out that could work as a substitute. Short of stealing a couple pins from the local bowling alley (probably not a good idea) I was not coming up with anything. I know I will have to start out slowly, but I am also aware like-it-or-not, exercise is an important piece to the whole losing weight puzzle....
"Time's fun when you're having flies!"....Kermit the Frog

lostnfound
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Hi Froggie

Post by lostnfound » Wed Apr 09, 2008 11:29 am

Hi Froggie!
No, Jules is not the one who introduced you, but you were close.... :wink: It was me! Nice to see you...welcome aboard!
"Time's fun when you're having flies!"....Kermit the Frog

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bonnieUK
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Post by bonnieUK » Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:38 pm

I hate exercise and due to a bad knee cannot do anything too intense
Have you considered Tai Chi and/or Yoga Each are fairly knee friendly yet still get you moving.

I've had a problem with a knee since my teens (dance injury) and try to be really careful not to do too much impact stuff, so I mostly do the above plus walking (maybe the odd class, but nothing too high impact). Sometimes I think I'd like to take up running, then I remind myself that I haven't reached 30 yet and want my knee to last many more years!

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NoelFigart
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Post by NoelFigart » Wed Apr 09, 2008 2:06 pm

For knee and joint problems, swimming can be a nice alternative.

I blew out my ACL trying to do a flying side kick a few years ago (I was 36 and weighed over 200lbs. Yes, I writing checks my butt couldn't cash!).

Even though I've had surgery to repair it, I have pretty severe arthritis and find that a daily swim is nice to get in a workout that isn't hard on my joints.

I admit I Urban Ranger to the gym every day and do take walks with friends as well, but there really was a time when I COULDN'T and the pool was my very good friend!

Not everyone likes swimming, mind, but it's a low-impact option.

jules
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Post by jules » Wed Apr 09, 2008 3:49 pm

I'm glad to see that someone mentioned Tai Chi. It is an excellent low-impact exercise. in fact, immediately after my last post, I realized that I should have mentioned it. :twisted:

Ok re: why you have more problems going down the stairs than up -- I have long heard that going downstairs is harder on your body. I think the amount of pressure gravity exerts on you is much higher. (Going upstairs is like a controlled fall UP, whereas going downstairs is like a controlling fall DOWN.) Most likely, your going downstairs muscles are weaker. Whether it's from favoring your knee, consciously or not, or just that the muscle weakness that is causing the knee problem.

I can't remember if it's the quads or the hamstrings that get the most use in going downstairs. Whichever it is, I think that's what you'd want to target for strength training IF you're going to do something like that.


And even though Indian clubs look like bowling pins, they're not. :D Regardless, you're correct that the local bowling alley wouldn't appreciate you swiping a pair.

lostnfound
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Exercise

Post by lostnfound » Thu Apr 10, 2008 1:02 pm

I've thought about swimming as an alternative exercise. Not sure when I would find time to do it, but I know it would be helpful. I broke my foot a few years back and as part of my PT I had to do aquatic workouts. I really enjoyed it and it was surprising how much it helped. A person can do alot more in the water than out.

I am not too familiar with Tai Chi. I have done some yoga though. Got a video not too long ago called "Yoga For The Rest Of Us" with Peggy Cappy. Really good video with moves that don't twist a person up like a human pretzel. I just bought it on ebay for a couple bucks so didn't have to invest alot. Definitely worth the money if anyone is interested.
"Time's fun when you're having flies!"....Kermit the Frog

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