Losing Weight and Feeling Great

In my previous post, I talked about saggy skin on your face, and how you can combat it with Facercises.  Now let’s talk about the rest of your body.

Summer is coming, and that means more revealing clothes — shorts, bathing suits, short sleeves and tank tops.  If you’re like me, you avoid all of them!  (Well, maybe except for the short sleeves.)  Maybe now is the time to do something about it.

Yes, I know — exercise is not my favorite thing in the world.  And I’m limited in what I can do because of the sciatica (although that is getting better as I lose the weight).  And I don’t have much time to spare in my days.  So, does this sound familiar — something like you?

I think I may have found something that even I can do, and in 15 minutes a day.  Low impact, and inexpensive.  So, I had to investigate.  I have to do something, especially since my weight loss has slowed way down — time to add at least a tiny bit of exercise.

So, I bought Denise Austin’s book
Sculpt Your Body with Balls and Bands: Shed Pounds and Get Firm in 12 Minutes a Day.  What did I have to lose?

Anyway, Denise explains how you can use a balance ball and some resistance bands to tone and trim your body.  Get your metabolism revved up some.  De-sag your muscles with exercises that attack your problem spots, whatever they are.

Denise’s book is well laid out and easy to follow.  The exercises themselves are demonstrated in photos that show the exercises from start to finish.  So far, so good.  She even has sample exercise routines that cover your whole body — or you can design your own workout with her guidance.

Ok — 12 minutes a day.  Low impact.  Inexpensive.  Meets my criteria.

So, I’m going to give it a shot.  I’ll take my measurements tomorrow and start the exercises.  I’ll post my results at 2 week intervals.  I’ve slowed down to 1/2 pound a week on my diet alone, so let’s see what this does — will I start losing weight faster again?

Why not join me?  Get a copy of the book at your local bookstore, or order it online .  Same thing with the balance ball and resistance bands — go to a sports store and grab some, or order your stability ball
and stretch band set
online, too.

It’s 12 minutes a day.  Your body is worth it.  Low impact, inexpensive and you can do it in the privacy of your own home.  Let’s do it together and post your results!  Join in anytime — I’d love to have you try it and get your opinion, too.

A friend of mine one time said something along these lines:

"I figure if I’m skinny all my life, when I get older, I can just gain weight and I won’t show the wrinkles.  You know, kind of like a balloon — fat will stretch the wrinkles out."

That was almost 20 years ago, and I think she’s had time to reconsider that statement.  But is there a nugget of truth in what she said?  If you lose weight, will the skin on your face sag and get wrinkly?  There’s no one way to answer that, because everyone is different, but here are some things to consider.

Your Age

The younger you are, the more likely your skin will spring back.  For example, if you’re in your 30’s or 40’s, you have a better chance of not having much skin sagging, if at all.

The older you are, the more possible it is for a sag effect — but keep reading, as there are ways to fight back!

The Number Of Pounds You Have to Lose

The fewer pounds you need to lose, the less adjustment your skin needs to make.  Conversely, the more pounds, the higher possibility of some sag.

There’s a way to fight back here, too.  By losing weight slowly (no more than 2 pounds a week), you give your skin time to play "catch up" with your weight loss.  You’re less likely to show a saggy look.

Your Skin Type

If you have very dry skin, it has less of an ability to adapt to your weight loss.  Your best bet here is to splurge — with every 5 or 10 pounds gone, have a professionally-done facial.  And between times, use a good exfoliant and moisturizer suited to your skin.

If you have oily skin, you’re more in luck, as it tends to spring back faster.  But you can also benefit from a professional facial after every 10 or 15 pounds gone.  Meanwhile, exfoliate regularly and use a water-based moisturizer.

Combination skin — your have the best and worst of both.  Yep, a professional facial would also benefit your skin every 10 pounds or so and (you guessed it) exfoliate and moisturize appropriately.

Fight Back!

Obviously you don’t want to add wrinkles to sagging, so common sense applies here — limit sun exposure and alcohol, and quit smoking — these all help.

So what can you do for the sag?  How about facial exercises?  The whole idea is that the face exercises strengthen and build up your muscles (cheeks, forehead, eyes, chin, throat) so that they hold up your skin better.

They are quick (usually about 20 minutes) and you can do them anywhere — at home, in the car, lying in bed before you go to sleep.

One book I’ve read and think is excellent (and am putting into practice) is by Carole Maggio called Facercise.  Carole has packed a lot of information in this book, and the exercises cover every spot on your face — from forehead to throat.

A neat part of the book is in the beginning where she shows some real women’s before picture, and then after just 7 days — the book is worth it almost worth just those pictures, but Carole shows us how they did it!

And it’s not just about sagging — the facercises can also combat wrinkles.  While they may not totally go away, they can certainly be less noticeable and give you a younger appearance.

Oh, another way the facercises work is that they increase the blood flow to your face and that nourishes it…and helps to give your skin a bit of a glow.

I got excited when this book finally arrived and I was able to read it and then actually do the exercises.  Now I’ve only really done it once so far, and I’ve put my "before" pictures on the "Facercise Challenge" page.  I think then I’ll give it two weeks, get another photo, and then again 2 weeks after that.

Warning, though — they aren’t quite as easy as they initially seem from the book.  I just finished a set and my face is kind of sore — I didn’t realize how out-of-shape the muscles actually were!

So get a copy of the book and join me.  Let’s fight back with Facercise.
  The book isn’t expensive at all (less than $11) so it’s cheaper than some of the face moisturizers you use!  Buy the book once and you have it the rest of your life.

Let’s get facercized!

Exercise can be a little tricky if you are an original couch potato (like yours truly).  One of the easiest ways to exercise if you’re not used to it is walking.

I wanted to do something, and walking seemed to be about the easiest — put on the shoes and go.  But I had some things holding me back.

• First, I didn’t want to appear in public in exercise clothes.  Actually, I didn’t want to appear in public at all, because I was so ashamed of my appearance.
• Next, I didn’t want to either pass out from heat exhaustion or get stuck in a thunderstorm.  Here where I live in Florida, it’s hot and humid all year, except for maybe a week in the winter.  Plus, there aren’t any sidewalks, so I’d be out in the street or trudging along the swales.

• One of my legs had been injured, and although I could walk some, I had a fear of the pain getting really bad more than a few blocks from home and have to practically crawl back (ew).

Ok, so those were my excuses, valid or not.  But I wanted to do something — I really needed a weight loss walking plan that I could do, and that I could stick to.  Even if it was only a couple times a week, it would be better than nothing.

After reviewing my options, I decided on the “Walk Away the Pounds” program of in-home walking.  It let me exercise at home, in the air-conditioning and if I really started hurting, I could just stop and hobble to a chair.

Here’s how it works:  put on your walking shoes, pick one of the DVDs, pop it in and follow the walk.  You can do anywhere from 1/2 mile on up to 5 or more.  You walk in place most of the time, but there are also a few stretchy side-to-side movements (easy even for me) to give it a little interest and move some different muscles.

The pace is a mile in 15 or 18 minutes (depending on the DVD).  There is music to keep you on pace, and the leader, too (Leslie Sansone).  Yeah, she’s a little too chatty at times, but her enthusiasm is much appreciated.

The Walk Away the Pounds weight loss walking plans have quite a few DVDs available.  Honestly, I got a few so I could vary the routine a little — the same DVD over and over again would drive me batty.

I’m almost to the point where I can walk in public — well, except for the heat and thunderstorm part at any rate.  But these walking DVDs are great for either getting started on a walking routine or for something different to do from time to time.

The DVD is a keeper for me.

If you haven’t been exercising in the last few years or decades, it’s a daunting proposition.  And if you’re significantly overweight (40 or more pounds), you may be very self-conscious exercising in public.  So you may be asking, "Can I just skip the exercise part of the diet and exercise?".

Yes, you can.

No, you shouldn’t.

Here’s why.

Not everyone can exercise.  I know a lovely woman who was 90 pounds overweight, but confined to a wheelchair due to a disability.  She lost the 90 pounds (although slowly) with a sensible diet.

I know there are lots of people who find exercise very difficult or painful, like with arthritis and some other diseases.  Others who can’t walk.  Are they doomed to staying overweight because they can’t exercise?

No.  With a sensible (and possibly doctor-supervised) diet, even people who cannot exercise can lose weight.

That being said — if you can exercise at all, you should, even if it’s just for 15 or 20 minutes a day.

It doesn’t count if you can physically exercise but say you can’t due to schedules or  travel or the fact that the sun rises in the morning.   There are exercises you can do in an office chair, resistance bands that fit into a small purse.  Not to mention just plain walking!

I’m the first to admit that I am, or was, a couch potato.  That the thought of exercising made me feel faint.  I didn’t want to go out in public or to a gym.  And to top it all off, I had a leg injury that prevented me from walking very far.

But I was able to do some strength training with resistance bands.  Able to do some simple balance ball routines.  Not a whole lot, but every little bit makes a difference.  I’m still struggling with the walking, as I can make it only a half mile before the pain sets in, but I’ll get there eventually.

Yes, you really should exercise if you’re physically able.  You don’t have to start a big routine right away (unless you want to).  Just make the effort to start and remember that every little bit counts.

Running to lose weight is what many people think of, when they hear the phrase, "diet and exercise".

But is running a good idea?  If you are significantly overweight, probably not.

Stress on Your Joints

Ok, you’re 40 or more pounds overweight.  Your joints are already at maximum load, just with day-to-day living.  One of the last things you want to do is stress them further.  And running isn’t exactly a low-impact exercise.

If you haven’t been exercising regularly all along (and likely you haven’t), don’t pick running or even jogging as your exercise of first choice.  At least not until you’ve lost some of the weight and have gained flexibility.

If you push your joints further and get injured, you may put yourself out of commission for any exercise you can’t do unless you are seated.

What Are Some Options?

Running to lose weight sounds like it should work, and it can.  After all, running is an aerobic exercise that uses up calories at a fairly good rate.  But running won’t do you any good if your body isn’t fit enough.

So, why not try walking?  It’s lower impact, and it can still be aerobic.  As you become more fit, you can "graduate" to jogging or running if you wish.

Swimming is low-stress on your joints, and if you don’t know how to swim, you can still do water aerobics to burn calories.

Don’t discount a balance ball for an exercise option, especially if you have problems walking to begin with.  And there are even balance ball aerobic exercise programs available!

Running to lose weight does burn up the calories, no doubt about it.  But if you’re significantly overweight, it may not be your best choice, at least when you are starting a new exercise program.

Balance ball exercises — they aren’t just for physical therapy any more.  Nope, balance ball exercises are a viable way to tone your core and lose weight.  Want to find out how?

Balance Ball Beginnings

For so many years, balance balls (also called pilates, swiss and stability balls) were confined to physical therapists.  People who were recovering from an illness or injury could do these exercises in a low-stress way.

The word got out, though.  Balance call exercises were a great way to get toned!

Into the Core

A balance ball requires you to stabilize your core muscles.  If you think just sitting on a balance ball is easy, think again!  Although you can get used to it fast, the first few minutes are on the wobbly side.

Every balance call exercise starts with aligning and stabilizing your core abdominal muscles.  So ever single exercise tones you — no matter which part of your body the exercise targets!

Using the Balance Ball for Weight Loss

Yes, it’s indeed possible to use a balance ball exercises for weight loss. 

First, since you are toning your core, you’re building those muscles.  Next, when you are targeting a specific body area, you’re likely doing strength training of one sort or another.  Again building muscles.

The more muscles you build, the higher your metabolism and the more calories you burn.

Balance balls can be for just about everyone, and they are extremely low-impact.

Try balance ball exercises — you might like it!