Weight Loss

January always brings my first thoughts to, "What am I going to do about my weight this year?" Because I am 37 pounds heavier than when I got married and my last 'baby fat' excuse is now almost 12 years old, I obviously need to address this in some permanent way.  I have tried everything outside surgery from pills, exercise, and diets, looking for something that would outlast my 2 week spurt of ambition.

Some things have worked in a visible way, at least as long as I did them.  Tae Bo was fun and I saw results slowly over a month.  Next to that with faster and more visible results, was T-Tapp. Both can be found in my recommendations at the bottom of the page.  T-tapp had it over Tae Bo because I am not one who enjoys sweating. She did make me work, and I did sweat, but at least I could still breathe and it was surprisingly low impact.  Better than that, I saw inches melt away when I faithfully did the videos.  

I found free apps for my smartphone that offer 5 minute, I repeat... 5 minute workouts.  They may be short, they may be simple, but they are not easy. I chose the two areas I need the most work on: abs and arms. Daily Workout offers these for free in singular or group form and include all body areas. Since I have a treadmill (birthday gift) and elliptical (side-of-the-road gift), I add 10 minutes on one of those for cardio and I'm done for the day.  I cannot seem to be able to excuse myself out of those 10 minutes.

The Lose It app incorporates any exercise routine and allowed me to lose an impossible 5 pounds in my first 10 days. It is a free tracking app that calculates goals into daily calories.  I track my food/exercise and I have lost every day, except one where I stayed the same.  I have a diet buddy there and we ninja motivate each other.  That is, there are no planned check ins; we sneak text each other, so we always have to be ready ;)

So, final evaluation is that Tae Bo and T-Tapp WORK.  Lose It also works, works fast, includes any exercise program you want, and is really painless. I am getting fit in the small window I have with faster results.  It has made me much more aware of what I put in my mouth and I am making much smarter choices without a ton of planning.  Try it and 'friend' me there :)

****UPDATE: still using the lose it app with whatever exercise app I feel like doing at the time; yoga is the current favorite (http://dailyyoga.com/)  and lost 10 pounds so far.  Ups and downs depending on what I've been doing (read who's house I've been eating dinner at), but basically the downward direction.  Clothes are looser and neck fold-line disappeared.  I love being able to plan out my day and still eat what I want.  Yes, I find am eating better and less as an end result, not a forced march!