Is my pekin bantam male or female?

[AJuff]

I can't seem to fit in or have any enthusiasm for regular exercise. Don't get me wrong i'm very busy and not lazy at all. I teach full time in a reception class and when I get home I'm running around getting my own three children to their activities. When I come to my time I'd rather read, sew, knit, watch TV, grow stuff in the greenhouse, gardening stuff, hens to look after, run a Youth Group, sing in a choir! Unfortunately since I turned 40 four years ago I am putting on weight! OH is super fit and thinks everyone should be! His idea of fun today was a 75 mile cycle! Years ago we used to cycle together but I'm so unfit it puts me off cycling with him! I love walking but I'm the only one who likes walking and I'm a social walker. Can't do ramblers as it's on a weekend and we are busy! So what to do?

 

I hate dancing, two left feet, and the gym very boring . . What to do?

[kerryegg]

Sadly eating less calories is the answer. Exercise is fantastic but it sounds as if you have a very full life without doing something you don't enjoy. I'm no example but I know to lose weight I have to eat less. Easier said than done I know.

I am now a pensioner but still lie on the floor to zip my jeans.

Only other suggestion is to ride an exercise bike while watching TV.

[Charlottechicken]

Kerryegg is quite correct! No snacks, good portion control and you will lose weight.

 

I was inspired by a weight loss group at work which coincided with Lent, everyone was either on a diet or not eating something or other for Lent, so I joined in. I didn't eat cake or other snacks/puddings from Sunday until Thursday, and gave up sweets for Lent, and lost just under a pound a week. That wasn't the idea (I'm not overweight) it was to see if I could have some self control, and feel less bloated. I'm still not eating sweets as I'm addicted to them

 

Turns out though, for weight maintenance purposes, cake is an essential food group!

 

Good luck!

[The Dogmother]

Turns out though, for weight maintenance purposes, cake is an essential food group!

 

Good luck!

 

*sighs* of course it is when will people learn.

 

I can only echo the comments above, try cutting out carbs, that really works; lots of lean protein and salads does the trick.

Edited May 5, 2011 by Guest

[Plum]

No keep the carbs cut down on the meat and fat, and lots of veg.

 

Exercise, sounds like you get plenty with your hobbies and the childrens. Perhaps walk to the kids activities rather than take the car Gardening and looking after chickens boosts your metabolism and sounds like exercise to me unless you are just deadheading the flowers.

 

What about getting together with other working mothers who dislike marathons and walk or cycle with them at your pace or distance? .

[Seagazer]

YS is kayaking now 6 days a week and 5 of those is at the local lake so I take Cookie with me and we do a bit of extra walking. I was ambling around the other day when I was overtaken by joggers, people on bikes and faster walkers. So I thought I'd do an extra lap and go faster - I now have either a pulled muscle or a problem with my tendon

 

I have found that the weight seems to be going on now, I only need to lose about 10 lbs but it is hard. I do know though that I've upped my snacking so I've just got to be strict with myself and cut it all out.

[Bramble]

Oooh, I sympathise with you, I am PILING on weight at the moment and becoming increasingly fed up about it. You have an incredibly full life and I can see that exercise is very difficult (or at least finding the time to do it), but I can recommend two things:

1. NHS Couch to 5k plan. This is a series of podcasts you can download free from the NHS website. The idea is that over the nine weeks of the program, it takes you from being a non-runner to being able to run for 30 minutes non stop. You need to run three times per week and the sessions take about 40 minutes each (including warm up/down). I know it works 'cos I'm doing it at the moment - It's a fantastic plan and I'm just about to start week 8 - can't recommend it enough.

2. If you have a Wii (or some other consoles) Wii Sports Active gives you an incredible work out (you don't need a Wii fit, just the Sports Active game, £18 at Argos).

However, I do understand that finding the time is verging on impossible for you, just thought I'd share my experience!

Good luck!!

[Chickendoodle]

I have recently started tap dancing. It's brilliant fun and the hour just flies by. At my level it is not particularly enegertic but at least it is moving around for an hour.

 

Very good for stress too as it exercises the brain cells so you don't have time to think of anything but your feet!

[chickencam]

I sympathise, I am the same age and in my youth was very fit and slim, so carrying extra weight and being unfit doen't sit easily with me. I have been doing an office job several days a week for over a year now and my weight has crept up by about 6lb and I was already over a stone too heavy. Christmas followed by birthdays and Easter where I have been given too much chocolate hasn't helped and I do love my food and drink.

 

I find it easier in the summer because we have our allotment and naturally tend to be more active, but I have got to the stage where on the the one hand I would like to be fitter, not necessarily thinner, but on the other hand you only live once and it is important to do what you enjoy when you can.

 

Looking at my dear old Grandad who is nearly 92 and in reasonable health, he still cooks all of the meals for himself and my uncle who lives with him, old age doesn't appeal to me much. He is partially blind and nearly stone deaf and his overall quality of life although much better than some of his peers is not very good. He is not very happy and says that life at his age is just hard work.

 

That said I am going to try to walk more and have taken to making extra trips up and down the stairs at a brisk pace, but I don't think that my food intake is going to decrease much.

 

Good luck with your efforts.

[Mercedes55]

Sadly eating less calories is the answer. Exercise is fantastic but it sounds as if you have a very full life without doing something you don't enjoy. I'm no example but I know to lose weight I have to eat less. Easier said than done I know.

I am now a pensioner but still lie on the floor to zip my jeans.

Only other suggestion is to ride an exercise bike while watching TV.

 

You are totally right. Exercise is of course very good for us but it takes an awful lot of exercise to burn up a few calories. I have a treadmill, which I used to use a lot but haven't for some time now. On the digital display it tells you how many calories you are burning up based on weighing 10st. For each mile you burn up 120 calories, which isn't a great deal. As I am only 7st I am only burning up about 84 calories for each mile

 

Easier to just eat less

[The Dogmother]

Easier to just eat less

 

A combination of the two works.... eat less, no 'empty calories', spread the food over more (smaller) meals to boost your metabolism and try to get a bit more exercise. Now the evenings are lighter, a walk after supper is a lovely way to unwind... I have two dogs who'd love to keep you company

[AJuff]

Thank you all for your advice and understanding. OH fails to understand why I I'm not so keen. So I've cut back a bit in the snack department and walked everywhere I can if I've had time. Tonight I'm going to clear a space in our bedroom and bring my cycle trainer inside infront of the tv!

[CatsCube]

Stephen Fry lost his weight through walking while listening to talking books. I think this sounds a great idea. If no one else wants to go walking with you perhaps this is an option?

 

The weather is so nice at the moment seems a lovely way to spend some time, getting away from everyone else, and enjoying a good book whilst getting fit.

[Mrs Potts]

I sympathise totally as my husband is quite good at exercising on the treadmill even though he is unwell. I've always weighed a little more than he does but it makes you feel quite large (even if you aren't). Being a man, he has a different muscle to fat percentage than me, so I feel three times the size of him. I too do not mind exercing, but garden+hens+craft firmly come under pottering. I call it mental health exercise after a day at work, but it does not shift the weight.

 

So, I have decided that I can only have a cube for the hens if I lose the 10 lbs that needs to go. I have been very good at diet and portion control and lost two pounds since the beginning of April but seem to have developed a permanent chest wheeze that is triggered by hot air, cold air, exercise, being near the hens, laughin, next door's cats and lying flat in bed. I now have a sore throat and a chest infection into the bargain. It's quite difficult persevering - maybe I should be content with the Classic.

 

Chickendoodle, I misread your post. I thought you said you had taken up lap dancing, not tap dancing. Cue lots of wheezing on my part, sorry!

[patsylabrador]

I believe weight training alongside pilates is the answer. Dieting is negative & boring, muscle building exercise (which does not build bulk) is positive & makes you feel good. It is also an investment for your older life - building up muscle, bone density & flexibility.

[The Dogmother]

Too right, and bigger muscles burn more calories

[Willow]

Chickendoodle, I misread your post. I thought you said you had taken up lap dancing, not tap dancing. Cue lots of wheezing on my part, sorry!

 

Loved this

[AJuff]

Well bike and trainer installed into newly tidied room, heart monitor dusted down and new series of Dexter on order to watch whilst cycling in fat burning heart rate zone. No cycling = no Dexter

 

Loved the idea of walking to i books so have downloaded a few ready for Monday. Not much time tomorrow . . church, on coffe duty so later home, quick lunch of eggs before part 5 of my beekeeping course, home 6pm, eat dinner cooked by lovely OH then if I''m up for it a walk or cycle!!!!!!! Will keep you posted.

 

OH was rude enough to suggest I walk down the supermarket next time I buy chocolate rather than taking the car!

[sadietoo]

I know I've harped on about this before, but I really cannot recommend the Harcombe Diet enough. I have lost over a stone on this diet, and now pretty much eat whatever I like (within moderation) without putting any weight back on. I tend to strictly Harcombe on the weekdays, and relax on the weekends. I have never found Calorie Counting to be the answer...you end up eating ridiculously small amounts, and just slow down your metabolism imo...At one time in my twenties I had dieted so much and so strictly that I gained weight if I ate more than 800 calories a day...which is just stupid and very unhealthy.

 

I don't get a lot of exercise (have never been one for playing sport....two left feet and really bad eye to hand co-ordination!) but I go to a tap dancing class and am just about to start Pilates. I also enjoy walking when I get the time which isn't very often unfortunately. We have a cross-trainer which stares malevolently at me when I walk past it and is definitely a work of the Devil, so I avoid it, )

[Blackrocksrock]

Exercise - yes - I have a new 10 year old rescue dog who was 45.1kg for a lab and was so fat and unfit - she was like myself - she is on diet food and a strict diet and had to incorporate exercise to help. I have had her 8 weeks and we had progressed to one hour and a quarter fast march every day split into 3 and the difference in both of us is unreal - she has lost 5.15kg and I have lost 7.1kg - I thought if I can do it for her I can also do it for me - I cut out all the rubbish basically and eat no cakes, biscuits, chocolate and stuff and have cut down on bread and butter - I eat lean stuff , lots of veg and fruit and I feel fantastic - down a size in jeans and can fit into ones I have never worn since i bought them. I have quite some bit to go and I have also had a breast mammogram unsatisfactory which is going to entail an op in June so I have to keep going for that, This dog has been my inspiration and we will get fit together. Keep going ladies - its worth it.

[kerryegg]

Perhaps dogs are the answer. If you can give a home to a rescue dog. Make sure you and the dog are right for each other and walk. We have recently taken on a rescue lurcher and together with our other dog now have to go for walkies at least 3 times a day rain or shine. I hate to think how much heavier, sounds nicer than fatter, I would be without our dogs.Otherwise as we all know more fruit and veg and less of everything else.

[craftyhunnypie]

Can't you dance in the privacy of your own home?

I've just bought Zumba for the Wii - it's great!

Or hows about buying a treadmill - that way you can go walking in all weathers?

Get a dog, so you have to walk it?

Emma.x

[AJuff]

Well so far, so good, a little excercise here and there has been ok. I've only just heard of Zumba . . sounds fun and worth a try!!! Er as for a treadmill . . I had one which collected dust and i hung my clothes from so i gave it to my sister

As for a dog . . my OH would divorce me if i got a dog as i would him!!! I don't do dogs!!!

[Seagazer]

Can't you dance in the privacy of your own home?

I've just bought Zumba for the Wii - it's great!

Or hows about buying a treadmill - that way you can go walking in all weathers?

Get a dog, so you have to walk it?

Emma.x

 

After reading the reviews on Amazon I've just ordered the Zumba for the Wii. I'm hoping it might be kinder to my knee.

 

I've worked out that I've just walked about 5 miles this morning and I do at least 2 miles in the evening so hopefully I'll start seeing some weight come off (now I just have to leave the lovely tub of Saint Agur cheese alone in the fridge )

[The Dogmother]

I'm with you on that - cheese is my downfall too