# Working out with weights paying off



## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

I've been working hard this year getting into better shape physically. Started out by losing a lot of weight (70 pounds from Jan 1 to July 1!). Then in May I started working out with weights and doing strength training. I could never lift those 50 pound boxes/buckets of oil when they were full and always had to get ds or dh to do it for me. So today, I was up at 6 making soap and I needed a new bucket....from the basement. No one around to help. Ugh. I knew I was getting stronger because I'd been moving and lifting the boxes upstairs but I've never had to get one from downstairs and for some reason those pails are more difficult for me to carry. But I did it!!!! First. Time. Ever. I was thrilled. Last year I could barely move one across the room. I can really tell the difference in my endurance/stamina too. I can take a long day of soap making and it doesn't wipe me out like it used to.


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## Faye Farms (Sep 14, 2009)

Wow! I am so happy for you! 70 lbs and more strength/endurance is a big deal. You have every right to be mega proud.


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## jdranch (Jan 31, 2010)

That is awesome! Congrats!


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Good for you, there is nothing more important, especially as you age...to lift weights so you keep your core strength. Women lose bone, break hips etc...when they lose bone. By even lifting light weights while standing on a 4x4 or a ball, even standing on one leg, anything that keeps you off balance you work on your core strength. I do 10 pound hand weights, doing simple bi-cept curls etc.. while walking on the treadmill also. Vicki


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## a4patch (Oct 7, 2009)

Wow, Please tell me your age and how you did it. You should be very proud of your hard work. Congratulations!


I am in menopause since 39, (now 46) and can not seem to take off the weight. (I also work part time in a gym) I am very discouraged.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Peggy Sue, keep a food journal. Don't even start off trying to change what you eat, just write EVERYTHING down, including detailed quantities (and don't guess, measure). You might be surprised at 1) how much you are actually eating and 2) how much "food amnesia" that you ordinarily have. Then you can go from there with making adjustments and you'll be able to see how much you are actually eating and whether or not it is reasonable (and if you find that you are eating something crazy like 1000 calories/day and not losing any weight, then it would be time to go to the doctor). Something like Weight Watchers works well...you can eat what you enjoy but you have to watch quantities and you are encouraged to make healthy choices, or if you don't need as much structure, there are lots of online tools you can use. Honestly, losing weight is always about eating less and moving more. There is nothing magic about certain foods or diets, or whatever, when it comes strictly to talking about losing weight. That's not to say that all options are equally healthy...I could come up with the Twinkie, Cheeto, and Mountain Dew Diet and if you ate fewer calories than you needed to maintain your current weight, you would lose weight, but I wouldn't recommend it!


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## a4patch (Oct 7, 2009)

Thanks, 

I will try it.


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

Thank you all. And Vicki is so right. The older we get the more we need to take care of ourselves and keep ourselves strong. I should have been doing this long ago. I just turned 52. I feel better than ever now.

I don't think weight loss is a one size fits all thing. It is more than calories in/calories out. Last year I could eat 800 cal. a day and not lose because my metabolism was so messed up. For many, low carb does the trick, but NOT for me! You have to find what works for you. After a lot of research on my physical condition I found a low glycemic index diet was recommended so that's what I tried. I ate only foods with a glycemic index of 15 or less. Adding in daily exercise helped tremendously too. It honestly was not that difficult once I set my mind to it and learned what I could eat and how much. I'm almost as thin as when I first got married! After 10 kids I don't think my lower half will ever get as small as it once was. LOL


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Congrats, Kathy! That is a huge accomplishment. Good for you!!!

Peggy Sue: An easy on-line food journal is www.fitday.com. Gives you nutrient reports, too. You can track your weight, size of body parts, breaks down what you eat so you can see protein, carbs, and fats (all of the fats - good and bad). Great tool.

I, too, started menopause at 39 and am now 48. It certainly gets harder as I get older. As Stacey suggested, I did go to the doctor - he tested my thyroid - which came back normal. He told me that I really needed to make sure I sweat and breathe harder when I exercise. Between doing that and watching my portions, I was able to lose about 15 lbs.

I love lifting weights. However, for a girl, I have very large biceps - bigger than some men. If I could only get my triceps bigger to fill in that saggy skin! I hate the arm jiggle!!!


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Barn chores, garden, 3 grand boys, treadmill and weights 4 nights a week...I am the healthiest 53 year old fat lady with asthma you will meet  You have to eat less calories to lose weight!!!


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## Trysta (Apr 5, 2011)

Oh, wow, awesome!!! And a good reminder for me to really start lifting weights! I am strong (no prob lifting feed bags, buckets etc), healthy, 48 yrs old, bit overweight, but always stiff and sore. The doctor advised me to lift weights and do strength training and I always said: hey but I'm working with heavy stuff.... Not the same apparently. I am going to start with weights now, I promise, and I am determined to keep my recent weight loss OFF. I did that with the free diet called: doing-a-lot-of-chores-in-blazing-hot-weather-and-being-so-hot-I'm-not-hungry. That's a seasonal diet plan, though, so I guess I'll have to take real steps when the world cools down! :biggrin


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Ha, Marion! That sounds a bit like the diet I just started: the a-hiatal-hernia-means-you-can-only-eat-very-small-portions-or-you'll-regret-it diet. I was diagnosed last Friday and started on Nexium Saturday and by yesterday was feeling so much better that I ate something approaching normal portion sizes all day. I sure was sorry last night!


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## Trysta (Apr 5, 2011)

Nope, I'll take my diet over yours any day..... Hope you'll get better soon!


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

Trysta- talk to Ellie on here about stiff and sore or visit her blog. It is inflammation from food irritants. Allergy as well as just what some foods do. The most notorious are wheat and the solanacea family. Most people will give up neither and so say they have arthritis...doesn't have to be....
Lee


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## Trysta (Apr 5, 2011)

No potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers? :down That sounds rough! I think I'd rather lift a lot of weights..... Ellie where are you, can you explain, please?


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

You can find all of Ellie Winslows info on the 4sale page, she has excellent books on marketing etc. She is also on FB. Vicki


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## jimandpj (Mar 11, 2008)

Good job, Kathy! and I hope things get better Peggy Sue!

You do have to burn more calories than you consume to lose weight, but be careful. If you cut your calories too much, you will actually put your body into starvation mode and you will not lose weight. You have to find the right balance. There is a device (I've never used it, but it comes highly recommended) called Body Bugg that tracks every calorie you burn throughout the day. If you've been trying to lose weight and can't and blood tests come back normal, it can help you to know what you're really burning so you can consume 200-400 calories less than that.

Another big thing is to not snack. I know a lot of advice says to eat smaller meals, but what that does is cause your body to expect a small meal, and it only burns those food calories and doesn't ever have a chance to burn your fat to generate the energy you need to survive.

Another great thing that can help is to do a cardio workout first thing in the morning before you eat. Wake up, drink 16 oz of water, and do something that brings your heart rate up into your target zone. Because you haven't eaten yet, your body has no choice but to burn your fat to supply the energy it needs.

And I agree completely that you have to do what is right for your body, and figuring that out can take time. For me, I eat 600 calories 3 times a day. For my husband, he eats a 600 calorie breakfast, a 1200 calorie lunch, and a 300 calorie smoothie for dinner. We're very active and would crash without this many calories. But I was dying when I tried to eat just a smoothie for dinner. It did NOT work for me. I had to space my calories out. So figure out what works for your individual body.

I'm 39 and determined to get into the best shape of my life before I turn 40. I'm well on my way. I have more muscle and cardio endurance than I've ever had. I'm also at my high school weight - under 100 pounds which is perfect for my barely 5 foot, tiny frame. But we've been working at this for a while.

What we found to be completely true for most people we've talked to is that the first two months of any weight lifting program, expect to see very few results. After about 2 months, you've built more muscle and that muscle will start to burn fat all on its own, and the changes start to become really noticeable. It's a beautiful thing! 

The thing that is the biggest challenge for me is consistency, but that's the curse of a hectic schedule and something I work hard to conquer.
PJ


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## winestonefarm (Oct 6, 2008)

I lost some weight this year too after cutting ALL corn syrup from our diets. its the first time its stayed off too. that is the only thing we/I changed so i really think it helped.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Well, just think of all the things they put corn syrup in. Cutting corn syrup means cutting a lot of junk food out of your diet.


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## winestonefarm (Oct 6, 2008)

and what's rough was we don't eat "junk food" !! no soda's , no cookies, etc. so when i started reading labels i was amazed that it's in almost everything!!


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