I’ve always been very active… walking a lot every day and constantly on the go. But somehow or other some pounds crept on since we’ve been living here in Mazatlán. I think there are a number of reasons that I’ve gained some weight – I am really enjoying cooking again – and there are some wonderful breads here in Maz – and breads are my weakness. But I have also figured out how to make my famous pizza dough using local ingredients. Oh, and I have probably been having a bit too much wine.
All of this would be moot if I had been exercising like I know I need to in order to maintain my weight. Unfortunately, even though I have my fabulous Nordic Track I hadn’t been exercising regularly.
But then I went to a party and later was treated to a picture of myself from the back. Holy Cow! I hit the brakes right there.
So I started using the Nordic Track every day and sweating to my iTunes exercise playlist. I am recording what I eat (again) in a program I purchased to track food, exercise, weight, and all the rest.
Then I started getting bored so I downloaded some exercise videos and have been alternating with some of them. Yoga (which Paul does, too), Callanetics, Tae-Bo, and pilates. Both of us know how important it is to be flexible and we are really working at it.
Paul can’t do the Nordic Track and we both thought an exercise bike would help our effort. So we hit the stores and bought a spinning bike. I took the little tv that wasn’t being used and we hooked it up to a DVD player and now we can watch the first season of Lost that we have on DVD and when we’re done with that I’m going to download some bicycle rides through Italy to inspire us.
I set up the floor fan so it can blow on us while we work out. It is a pretty cool setup, if I do say so myself. When we bought the house we didn’t understand why the former owner made the bathroom so big, but now we see the advantage!
I’ve lost 8 pounds so far and am happy with my progress. But more important than that is that I know I can keep this up. We are also taking a long walk on the malecon without the dogs three times a week, and we both love that.
During the summer here it is much more challenging to exercise outdoors so turning on the floor fan and sweating away just a few steps away from a cool shower will be great.
What do you do to stay in shape and push yourself when you aren’t in the mood? All comments are welcome, I mean it!
Chrissy
March 10, 2010Congratulations Nancy! I know how hard it is to lose weight. I am 5’7″ and until I turned 35, I weighed 110 or so. Now it has crept as high as 145. I started doing yoga and pilates in January and have lost 12 pounds, but the wine is still the issue. And I also think that the muscle that I have gained accounts for some weight, because my clothes are baggy, so I know there are more effects than just what the scales show. Yoga will help release some of the toxins we hold as well. I do Yoga every day and Pilates every other day. So BRAVO! you are an inspiration.
(ps, hope I spelled everything right…)
Barbara
March 11, 2010I think of that time as recess. Remember when we were kids in school and the weather was bad and we couldn’t go outside for recess? It wasn’t a good day – we looked forward to that (and needed it!). (And most likely it wasn’t a good day for the teachers, either!) So now rather than calling it “working out” or “exercise”, I call it recess. Totally shifts the energy of it. And when I most don’t want to begin is when I most need it, and I’ve come to recognize that. About two minutes into it I’m glad I pushed forward and when I’m done it feels soooooooooooo good!
Merida Mikey
March 11, 2010Homemade pizza, assorted breads, wine – wow! Three great food groups! 🙂
I admire your conviction and encourage you both to stick to it! I am packing on more pounds than I ever have in my life, and it is next to physically impossible for me to exercise as you have chosen to do because of medical problems. All I can do is walk in circles in a swimming pool, but I do it 6 days a week, one hour each session. I love it. I think a change in pace every now and then is the best way to stay on any exercise regimen and, so as not to get bored, you folks may want to consider one or two days of alternative exercise such as swimming or biking as you seem to be fit enough to do that.
Good luck, and adios kilos!
Ron
March 11, 2010Good for you guys!! We joined a gym last month – across the street from my new downtown office location. Each of us is lifting weights 3 days a week and I am walking 7 days a week.
islagringo
March 11, 2010I really can’t identify with the weight loss thing, but I can with exercising. What I am really after here is your homemade pizza dough receipe using local ingredients. Care to do a step by step blog about it? Pretty please?
Zoe Jussel
March 12, 2010Yeah, me too Nancy. Your pizzas look amazing and I so miss my Trader Joes pizza dough balls at ninety-nine cents!
I must have been blessed with the “French Paradox”, as my father was pure French, (couldn’t even speak English) because I never gain weight despite how many jars of Nutella I spoon down. Or how any glasses of wine. Lucky as heck that way and believe me, I don’t take it for granted! Sounds like you have a good plan and knowing you, when you dedicate to something, you go full tilt boogie.
Ric
March 13, 2010The older I get, the harder it is to exercise and keep the weight down. For Christmas my wife signed me up for the Vancouver half marathon. 13.2 miles.
I used to jog but now find it hard on the knees, so we are power walking. The Running Room has a very in depth book on walking. We also cleaned out the pantry, no chips, nachos, chocolates (other than pure). We do however enjoy a glass of vino tinto as I am a winemaker. This Sunday I go for a 10 mile walk, at 4mph. Down from a 37″ waste to a 33″ waste and 14 pounds since the new year. You need a goal and a plan to succeed, or I find you just slow down to nothing. Keep up your plan.
Ric
Nancy
March 13, 2010Chrissy, Thanks so much for more inspiration! I am really working at revamping my routines.
Barbara, I love the recess analogy. That’ll be helpful.
Mikey, One of my tapes says “do what you can do” and little by little you get more fit and can do more. Sounds like you’re doing that!
Isla Gringo, I’ll do a blog about pizza once my son and his family head back to DF, but we ate some of my homemade pizza a couple of nights ago!
Zoe, I envy you and those who don’t have to watch their weight. I never did until I midlife – then, kapow! Sheesh.
Ric, I agree, you need a plan. We have had company for the last few days and I was worried I would gain some weight back but so far, so good!
Thanks, All!
Steve Cotton
March 14, 2010Once again, you are kicking me into gear. For me, it was the series of trips to Oregon and California that slapped on the pounds. Rather, I slapped down the food. With 6 months of duty NOB, I need to get daily gym time scheduled — or I will return looking like the Pillsbury dough boy that came to Mexico a year ago.
Nancy
March 16, 2010Steve, I’m glad to help, how is it going for you?
Barbara, I had looked at Sparkpeople when I was shopping for a way to track everything and ended up buying Diet Controller since I get realllllly irritated with slow websites and visual clutter. But I am doing pretty much the same thing. I knew I needed some indoor toys for exercising in the summertime… putting the fan on and then jumping straight into the shower works best for me – but aren’t we lucky to have the glorious malecon whenever we want?
Mary, I think the most important thing I’m doing is staying out of restaurants as much as possible. But getting moving on a regular basis is right up there, too. Now if there was only some way to get low calorie wine – I guess cutting it with mineral water is the only way!
barbara
March 15, 2010Nancy,
Here is a website that may interest you, especially for tracking exercise and food intake. http://www.sparkpeople.com Lots of motivating stuff, and kind of busy, but the tracking is wonderful.
Perhaps if there is interest, we could have a Mazatlan group. That might get me accountable. Once again, you inspire me!
Check it out.
-barbara narvesen
mary ruzich
March 16, 2010Way to go Nancy! I put losing weight into one of those near impossible task categories….but, yes it can be done! Mexican food doesn’t help, and I too can relate to the wine issue. I finally decided the wishy washy exercise schedule didn’t cut it, and I committed to daily walking or yoga. My wishy washy breakfast also went by the wayside and now I devote to a high protein, healthy breakfast which helps to stave off hunger throughout the day. I am more in the maintenance range than losing, but have to say my pants fit much better. Poco a poco as we say! Congratulations!
Mike
March 16, 2010An article in ConsumerResearch that might cheer you up!
A woman drinking wine.
Trying to trim down? Toss back a glass of wine. That’s right, according to a recent study, a little vino may work wonders on your waistline. In their study, scientists monitored about 20,000 trim women. Over time, they found that women who drank alcohol in moderation put on less weight and were less apt to become overweight compared to non-drinkers.
Red wine seems best at keeping weight down, but experts say white wine, beer and other spirits will also suffice — just keep the amount in check. One glass a few times a week will do the trick; there’s no need to go overboard. No formal explanation for this has been found yet, but experts have some theories.
Women consuming more alcohol ate less, particularly when it came to calorie-rich, weight-causing carbohydrates, explains study author Dr. Lu Wang. Moreover, she says, it’s been shown that women tend to expend more energy after drinking alcohol. So, taken together, regular alcohol consumption in light-to-moderate amounts may lead to a net energy loss among women, Wang says.
Want more related advice? Read our updated reports on wine and weight loss programs.
Julian Foster
March 18, 2010Nancy, for me all the inspiration I need is to look at a picture of me in a bathing suit… how did I ever get this way??? LOL
Nancy
March 19, 2010Mike, I saw that news about wine and it made me soooooo happy. Only thing is, since I drink wine, why do I need to lose weight? But at least it means I can include some wine in my diet without worrying too much.
Julian, Isn’t it funny that pictures speak to us more than just looking in a mirror? I wonder why?
Kelly
March 19, 2010Nancy,
I’m with you on this…. all of a sudden I’m having a ” belly fat ” issue.
Is it the 2 glasses of red wine each day? do they have ” diet wine “?
Belly fat has to be the hardest to lose…. but I am going to get on it, as I really really dislike rolls ! Seems 61 is an age to start being very mindful of food intake….
Kelly