Conference rocks::weight_control

    My special pitfall is the regular schedule of business life.  In
    order to get up at 5:30 I absolutely _must_ prime the pump with
    something--but then that throws my entire appetite cues off for
    the day.  I know people in the opposite boat, who, if left at home,
    feel so "uncontrolled" that they eat the house down.  I am the exact
    opposite.  Forcing my body to conform to a life schedule it is 
    not in sync with messes up my internal appetite cues completely.
    I have found that if I can follow these true, internal cues, I lose
    weight like a bandit (I may be the only one in my office who actually
    loses on events like vacations and weekends!).  By Friday, my weight
    is always two-three pounds higher than it was on Monday.  I am trying
    to "brown-bag" more food so I am not forced to eat when the cafeteria
    is open, but I just don't know how to get past that comatose dawn.
    (I tried not eating at dawn, and had so many almost-accidents from
    groggy driving to work that I decided better plump than dead.)
    I do not work in a job that permits me the flexibility to come in
    late, either.  Giving myself a "health snack" to tide my appetite
    over til "scheduled" meals doesn't work either from a weightloss
    standpoint--I don't lose on that type of regimen.  The only time
    I lose is when I am free to utterly and faithfully follow my body's
    internal hunger schedule.  I still haven't figured out how to do
    that, since my bod's schedule doesn't conform to banker's hours,
    corporate hours and open hours at the cafeteria.
    
    Sign me frustrated,
    Marcia

    re:.0
    	You should try swimming.  I too have problems on and off with
    strains, sprains, and fractures to various parts off my feet and
    ankles.  
    	This is especially hard because although at one point I
    started running to lose 10 extra pounds, I know run for the peaceful
    and calm feeling it gives me.  I have been running 25 - 35 miles
    a week for 2 years now, and these injuries kill me.  Right now,
    I have a stress fracture in my foot and that means no running for
    6-8 weeks.  The doctor suggested swimming.  And it really does do
    the trick.  An added bonus from a weightloss point of view, swimming
    is the most complete exercise you can get and firms and tones all
    parts of your body.  I swim at the Nashua YMCA, and it is clean
    and cheap, only $1.50 every time you go.

    
    Good Luck,
    
    
    
    Patrice

    Back in 1980 I decided to get into some serious dieting and running
    and I lost 44 pounts over a period of 3 months and continued to
    run at lease 5 or 6 miles a day to keep in shape. Unfortunately
    while playing basketball one fateful night in October 1981 I exploded
    a ligament. That has curtailed my activity quite a bit...yeah I
    may run a bit...play bball or softball a bit but I have hit a "pitfall"
    that has reduced my activity at least by 1/3 and that makes it harder
    to maintain or lose weight. Before the injury burning calories was
    no problem...now I have to watch my intake since my output has gone
    down.
    
    What do I do? Well I try to drink a lot of liquids during the day
    and I take it easy during the week, keeping away from meat until
    the weekends...I find that eating light during the week helps out
    the weightwatching and also gives you a chance to "splurge" on the
    weekend.
    
    Mike

    Jude:
    
    Some suggestions to help you get through this:
    	Use this time to do some high-rep low-weight leg work - perhaps
    	stuff like various leg raises using ankle weights but putting
    	them around your calf (even if you have to TIE them on) to
    	avoid straining you ankle.  Have you tried wrapping your
    	ankle and doing some of the leg exercises with lower weights
    	than usual?  You may end up doing some good definition stuff,
    	or you may just not lose as much ground as you otherwise would.
    
    	The swimming suggestion sounds like a good idea.  I wasn't aware
    	the Nashua Y was so cheap - are the sessions coed?  I should
    	call them!
    
    	To fill up while reducing your calories, eat a lot more fish.
    	Most of them are about 22 calories per ounce - salmon and other
    	"fat" fish are higher, but flounder, haddock, cod and the like
    	are very low.  You're lucky it's summer and there's good produce
    	available, so you can make wonderful salads.  I make a huge
    	salad on Sunday and Wednesday (my night off), and bring large
    	tupperware containers of it to work for lunch + munchies.  That
    	plus a half can of water-pack tuna plus some lo-cal dressing
    	is my lunch.  (By the way, zayre has water-pack WHITE tuna on
    	sale this week!)
    
    Half of you don't have to worry about my pitfall - once a month
    I get extra hungry and have NO energy...and have to force myself
    to go down to the gym, not eat, not mope around...and I gain about
    2 lbs at that time which is depressing...and I break out too (but
    that's lessened since I've been getting into shape).  The only
    positive thing is that now I *notice* that I'm retaining water and
    have gained 2 lbs - before it was such a small percentage of my
    excess weight that I didn't notice.  Aaaah, the silver lining to
    every cloud!
    
    --Louise

    I'm feeling MISERABLE today.  My back gave out on me a few days
    ago and its a major effort to stand up.  The Chiropractor says
    NO jogging, NO Nautilus, NO to everything!!  I'm in pain sitting,
    standing and laying down.  And he doesn't know the cause yet, so
    I don't know how long I'll be incapacitated.
    I was doing sooo well with jogging...I was going to run a 5 mile
    race next week.  Now I'm practically in tears because I can barely
    walk.
    But I guess on the bright side, I *can* try swimming, and hope for
    the best.  I'm glad I'm not alone and yes, misery does like having
    company.  I guess I'll appreciate it that much more when I am
    finally able to start up again.
    
    Sigh...
    
    

    re .5;
    
    Sigh... I know the feeling, on the third week of my weightloss program
    my back gave out. It was two weeks of pain killers and
    anti-imflamitories till I was able to slowly began getting back
    into my workout regime.
    
    Take it easy, healing is more important then trying to push yourself.
    Just remember that when it heals, you can work your way right back
    to where you were with far less effort then it took you to get there
    the first time.
    
    Hope you get better soon.
    
    				--- Neal
                      

    Re: .5 & .6
    
    Yes, healing _is_ more important.  In fact, your need to be healed
    can teach you a lot about how to avoid the problems in the future,
    if you listen.  I found that once I got on an exercise program my
    enthusiasm would carry me through the first oofs and grunts and
    my developing power would make me feel invincible; I would gleefully
    set goals as if nothing could stop me.  Of course, in the process
    of doing that, I'd get injured and have to stop exercising completely.
    
    After watching me go through this cycle about, say, half a dozen
    times, my husband (figuratively) threw my workout schedules that
    books and I had devised and said "the time to increase your goals
    is when you could do your present workout in your sleep."  He,
    incidentally, has never been injured working out and is quite fit.
    I followed his advice and haven't had any trouble since.  I got
    fit a lot slower than I would like to have, but the changes are
    lasting and without lasting injury.
    
    Don't ever believe in "no pain, no gain".  The only people I've
    observed who can afford to push themselves like that are those 
    who are already approaching peak fitness and are shooting for 
    Everest.
    
    Take care,
    
    Marcia

    Re: No pain no gain - that's such a bad phrase!  As you've found
    out, some pain is a good indication that you're about to injure
    yourself.  Some is not.  That phrase does not distinguish between
    these two kinds of pain, both of which I've experienced in my
    workouts:
    
    1) the shooting direct pain, usually in one place, usually very
    abrupt and "pointed" - that means I'd better stop what I'm doing
    and make sure I don't hurt myself.  This is the one you may feel
    for WEEKS if you don't immediately stop what you're doing.  It's
    more likely this'll occur when you are doing bouncy, abrupt, jerky
    movements.  This is why you should never bounce when you stretch,
    or swing your arms when you do weights.
    
    2) a more general muscle-exhaustion pain - what's called a "burn" -
    which happens when you push a muscle a little past its current
    ability in a controlled manner.  This type of pain is what I
    think they mean in the "no pain, no gain" phrase.  It's when
    you push your muscles past their current limits that you tell
    them they'd better get on the stick and grow.  This kind of pain
    usually does not develop injuries.  The key here is "controlled".
    No sudden movements - no jerking - no twisting.  You may feel the
    results of this pain as muscle soreness the next day or two, but
    it's not a lasting injury pain.

    --Louise

    I have a puzzling phenom to document then.  I have injured myself
    at various times from working out too long, too hard, trying to
    progress too fast.  Never, in any of those times, did I ever experience
    the "injury" sensation--that is the stab of immediate pain that
    tells you that you've done something amiss and to quit.  _All_ of
    the times I was exercising as recommended for physical fitness
    progress; I know what the "burn" feels like (usually materializes
    12 to 48 hours after the workout as muscle soreness) and now I avoid
    it like the plague.  Because when I exercise intensely enough to
    get the burn, if I then exercise according to most accepted schedules
    that are supposed to develop fitness (say every other day, 3X a
    week, etc.) I develop injuries from continued stress on overworked
    muscles.  I remember in particular one hamstring pull that sidelined
    me for six months; this injury did NOT announce itself with any
    suddeness, but occurred very gradually, soreness building over a
    period of weeks until I could barely walk and also could hardly 
    sit down.  I had to stop doing just about everything until it healed.
    
    The only solution my bod seems to accept to this dilemma is 
    (1) exercise according to the schedule BUT (2) _don't_ burn anything
    at any time.  I now have a higher level of fitness than I ever have,
    and all after taking my husband's advice:  up the reps or duration
    or weight or whatever only after I feel I can get through my current
    workout in my sleep.
    
    Ah well, whatever works, works; some things for some of other things
    for others.  But has anyone else had that experience of a "creeping
    injury"?
    
    Marcia

    Nope, but I have had the problem of "burn-out" when I've done maximums
    on too many things.  I tend to work perhaps one or two exercises
    per session well past the point of exhaustion, generally with someone
    spotting me.  I haven't planned it out, but I've found that I
    self-regulate on this.  The exercise I burn on tends to be a different
    one each time - I don't burn on, for example, incline presses, every
    time I do them.  And my energy level regulates the number of exercises
    I can exhaust on - it's hard to do TOO much on 1200 calories per
    day!
    
    Every once in a while I find I need to take a day off, and I do
    it.  Not often, perhaps once a month.  I'm currently working out
    4 days per week, MTThF, doing half of the muscle groups M+Th, the
    other half T+F.  So that gives me two days rest minimum between
    the times I do a particular exercise - plenty of time for the
    muscles to recover and rest (except when I decide to move granite
    around the yard, but that's another story).
    
    If anyone in the ZK area wants to come see what a gym is like,
    I work out at Muscle 'n Motion right by Spitbrook, and I'd love
    to take people as guests.  Good days are T, Th and F, and I'd need
    a day or two notice so the folks there could schedule you in for
    a tour and complementary workout.  You'd need workout clothes and
    lots of energy.  Don't be shy - I started there 37 lbs ago and I
    thought I looked like Humpty Dumpty, and noone laughed.  Everyone
    was nice and encouraged me.  Remember, you've only got one place
    to start, and that's right where you're at.  And that's were 
    everyone at any gym started.
    
    Really.  Send me some mail!
    
    --Louise

    For all those who have any type of injury, speaking from experience,
    please be sure to give it time to heal.   I'm approx. in my 4 month    
    with my sprained ankle, its much worse then when it first happend and
    the pain is on both sides now.  I stopped the aerobic end of it but
    still continued to put weight on my ankle with some of the exercises I
    do.  Oh, but when it hurt I would just drop the weight down a little.
    I have pain that shoots up my leg that actually brings tears to
    my eyes some times.  And I even went water-skiing, smart, huh!!

    Well, after all these weeks and all that pain I am now on crutches
    for at least 3 weeks.  Ah, but yet another pitfall.  To top it all
    off, because I am on crutches (the less weight I but on my ankle
    the better it feels), I am putting all my weight on my other ankle
    and now that one is starting to hurt too.  Before you now it I will
    be in a wheelchair.  But I learned my lesson, the hard way but I
    learned it.  I even went and bought another support for the other
    ankle just in case and bought a better pair of sneakers with more
    support.  Nike's don't go that well with dresses but who cares.
    
    Well at least I can swim so I think I will start taking the plunge
    after work today and I can continue with working my upper body and
    the Physical Therapist said there are even some I can do with my
    legs, just not as much.  So this time around it is going to be slow
    and easy.
     
    Jude 
           

    I injured my upper back in aerobic's class at the Holiday Fitness
    center. I was going three times a week for a 45 minute workout.
     I experience pain in my upper back upon waking each morning.  After
    
    consulting the director there, I was told to see the chiropractor
    they recommended. I did, three times a week to the tune of $90-
    a week (my HMO won't pay for chropractic services) After 3 months
    and broke I was no better.  Sought out another Chiropractor. He
    said it was a vertabra at the base of my skull. After 2 months going
    3 times a week, no improvement. In the meantime I've been on anti
    inflamatory, muscle relaxant and heat treatments. Had physical therapy,
    electric stimulation applied, been to two Orthopedic doctors. No
    results.  Very frustrating. I have been this way since Sept 1986.
    I'm in so much pain upon waking, the thought of exercising (even
    cycling) is painful.  Any suggestions from anyone?   Has anyone
    had this problem before?   I need to lose weight but I have to exercise
    at the same time and I feel so limited.  
    
    Thanks for any suggestions.
    
    Barbara
    
    

    Barbara,
    	I'm so sorry for what's happened to you!  I know how you feel.
    I had scoliosis (or however it's spelled) very badly in my freshman
    year in college.  It got so I was taking aspirin every 2-3 hours,
    or I couldn't walk.  I got stuck at the computer center because
    I had to wait an hour for a terminal, it took me 2 hours to do
    my work, and I couldn't walk to my dorm.  I thought I had bone
    cancer, and was too scared to tell anyone what was going on.  Finally
    I called Mom, and told her I had bone cancer....  Mom is very good
    with things like this.  I'm kid #4, daughter #3, so she's used to
    dramatics.  She told me to go to a orthopedist(sp?  bone doctor,
    whatever that is spelled like) ASAP, and to report back to her
    when I did.  So I went to one, he immediately said "back", took
    a look at my spine, and gave me a booklet of exercises and a posture
    improvement lecture.  It took ONE WEEK for the exercises to start
    to work.  I still do them, every time my hip and leg start to hurt
    in that way.
    
    	My problem was lower back, but I would follow the same advice
    for your problem. I would recommend that you go to an orthopedist
    and have him/her look at your spine.  Even have x-rays taken.  Go
    to one who will let you look at the x-rays and will explain things.
    It looks like the chiropracters haven't been successful, so it's
    time to try another avenue.
    
    	As an aside, I hope you have discontinued the aerobics.  I looked
    at the facility Holiday had - the one in Merrimack - and the floor
    is thin carpet over cement.  This is one of the worst floors to
    jump around on!  When you get back to exercising, I'd suggest doing
    biking or swimming or walking as your aerobic exercise - they are
    much less impact on your back and joints.

    Good luck, and I hope 1988 finds you pain-free,
    	Louise

    I had severe pain in my neck for over 12 years.  My posture was
    affected, sleeping was affected, driving, exercise, you name it.
    I went to every kind of doctor I could think of through the years,
    Orthopedic, Neurologist, Chiropractors galore!  The only thing that
    helped was changing to a waterbed (being grossly overweight I could
    not sleep on a regular bed anymore) and buying a car with a very
    straight back (a 1981 Toyota Tercel).  The problem would recurr
    whenever I slept on a regular bed or drove a different car (I travel
    on business and would go into spasms which would last for weeks
    or months after I returned).  I lived on Tylenol.  Muscle relaxants
    had no effect on me.  Finally, I read about Acupuncture, and found
    a medical doctor in Worcester who used Acupuncture in his practice
    of Physical Therapy (which is covered by John Hancock).  I think
    I went for two or three sessions before I started feeling better.
    The pain was gone within two weeks (three sessions per week).  I
    stopped after a few months of two sessions or one session per week
    and have been on numerous business trips since then with no recurrence
    of any spasms.  The only time I have had any pain was when I got
    the flu and the aches and pain period went directly to my weak spot,
    my neck.  I would have gone back to the Acupuncturist but he was
    on vacation for two weeks.  I went back to Tylenol until I got rid
    of the flu.  I don't know how the Acupuncture worked when exercise,
    physical therapy and all those doctors failed, but I consider it
    a miracle and would recommend anyone with any pain problems to try
    it.  There were so many old people in his office all the time that
    were bedridden and crippled until they started Acupuncture.  I would
    always try to find out how others were doing and the stories were
    amazing!!  It may not work for everyone, but it made an incredible
    difference in ending my suffering.  Good Luck in finding your relief!
    neck