Introduction and question about dieting
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| Tue, 01-13-2004 - 1:19pm |
I’m so inspired when I look at the dedication to health and fitness that many of you have made. I’ve remained a lurker because I just can’t make that big commitment to exercise that many of you seem to have done. I do what I can do (which is walk and exercise at home with videos, weights and resistance equipment), and sometimes it’s a struggle. It’s taken me a long time to realize that exercise has to take place at home (where I can keep an eye on my kids) or we have to be able to do it together. Lately we’ve been walking on the weekends and before dinner, but I’m subject to my kid’s whims as to whether they feel like walking that particular day! Yesterday they had PE at school at 2:00-2:30, and were dismissed at 2:35. When they got home they didn’t feel like going out walking (which was understandable), so instead I worked out with weights. In an ideal situation I try to combine the two, but realize I have to be flexible.
I’ve been dieting since July and have lost 44 pounds. I picked a goal weight initially, because it was something to work towards and was a measure of my success. The weight I picked “sounded good” and was realistic for a 50-year-old mother of 9-year-old twins, who has gone through menopause! Any ideal weight from many years ago wouldn’t be an ideal weight now (even my upper and lower body proportions have changed, actually for the better!). I was never overweight in the past, but gained considerably after my twin pregnancy (over 9 years ago!!!) and found it extremely difficult to diet when my kids were infants and toddlers, so I put it off until I felt I really would be able to devote the time to dieting and exercising.
Well, I reached that “goal” weight, and at this point I’m “good enough”, but I think loosing a few more pounds would be better (coupled with exercise to continue firming muscles). I joined a 12-week challenge and committed to loosing an additional 7.5 pounds over the next few weeks, plus have exercise goals, but don’t know where I’ll take it from that point.
So I am wondering...how do you make that final determine that it’s time to stop dieting to lose weight and move into the maintenance stage? LOL~my pants are loose in the leg and waistband (real comfortable!), but I can't fit into a smaller size. I'm beginning to think one size smaller with a "little bit of extra room" in the waistband for comfort might be IT.

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