Egret/Aija! Hello! Please come over more often... Mary - that guy does have a dreamy accent, though, doesn't he? Since I live on a (to me) pretty challenging hill, I might also try some walking lunges up the last 1/3 mile of hill at the end of my run a couple times a week and see how that feels. See what you've started, Mary?

Wow, WRFB, I had no idea your OCD was that bad! I must be lucky with the eating thing. Perhaps contrary to some people here, I think MOVING around has a much bigger impact than DIET, unless of course you are always ravenous and packing it away. I'm also just one of those weird people that has my appeitite suppressed when I'm active and shoot up when I am inactive. I lost 25 pounds three years ago (with the goal being to lose 10). 162 high down to 137 average now. It took about 6 months. At first I did 3 x a week cardio, (45 min on the TM). Back then I was slow and not burning a lot of calories in those 45 minutes. I actually put on 2 pounds the first month. When I went to 4x a week and increased the length of my long run, bingo, the weight started to fall off. I had to build that muscle base too (that burns more calories at rest than a pound of fat) before I started to see results. I had a bowl of Doritos yesterday (sorry Lynden!). I do eat junk, I just don't eat a whole lot of food...my stomach just doesn't like it. People just sit too much, in their cars, at work. I get really hungry sitting all day. I really believe the obesity epidemic will disappear as soon as cars do. 6 miles, nice 50F temps, slow and enjoyable nearly 11:00 pace, but I ran up all the hills.

I think there are some people who really do have hormonal imbalances that impede their ability to successfully lose weight. I don't think that's the case for everyone though - but for some, yes,

Just want to point out, I never denied this. Hormonal imbalances, metabolism, heredity, laziness, TV-watching habits, trick knees, addiction to Snickers bars, etc., etc., are among the million and one factors that impede ability to successfully lose weight. However, they are all just excuses. The fact remains, everyone can lose weight by eating fewer calories. Dark Horse

So Lou, how stupid would it be of me to ask Santa for one of those starter kits to making Beer? I have absolutely no idea what I want for Christmas (that must mean I have everything) and that might be an interesting experiment/adventure. Bill

The video Mary posted of the walking lunges looks pretty do-able - I might give it a try next time I'm at the rec center. Aija, nice of you to come out of lurker-dom, but do you really think these lunges are FUN? That might be stretching the definition of fun a bit... I had a great 6 mile trail run at lunchtime in IRC, overcast and 55 degrees. The middle couple of miles was on a single track dirt trail through the woods, and it was really peaceful. I didn't start dragging at the end like I usually do. Splits were 10:50, 10:22, 10:54, 10:59, 10:45, 10:39. I took a "shortcut" through a swampy place and had to wade - I got my feet soaked, but it was OK except for some slight squishing for the rest of the run.

I had to take prednisone (and other corticosteroids) for awhile. Ballooned up like staypuft marshmellow michelin man. That was hard weight to lose. At no point did I view it as an 'excuse'. Everybody and Every body are different.

Your health issues, serious though they may have been, are largely irrelevant to a discussion of weight loss. We are not talking about people who have ballooned up because of corticosteroids. Nor are we talking about people who have 30-pound stomach tumors. People with 30-pound stomach tumors cannot lose that weight by dieting. Just as someone with a wooden leg which weighs 15 pounds will not be able to lose that 15 pounds no matter how much he diets. Do not muddy the water with issues such as these. You will only give aid and comfort to the people who have no such excuses. Dark Horse

Dark Horse, I am offended by your confrontational attitude towards people. You don't always have to be right. Knock it off!!!

eatin' popcorn watchin' the fun