I've Kept the Weight Off

I thought it was time to give an update on my own weight loss situation. So here goes, it's a happy story over all...

I started this blog in November of 2005. I had my first (and only) baby at the age of 42 in January 2004 and had gained 65 pounds through the pregnancy. Just before my son was born i weighed 215. Soon  after the birth i weighed about 200 for a while and then got down to the high 170's within a few months without doing any kind of dieting or exercising. I was not focused on weight loss at this time and found motherhood all consuming and exhausting (even if pleasantly exhausting).

Two years after birth i had stabilized at about 165 pounds which put me near the top range of the 'normal bmi' for my height of 5'9  (maybe almost 5'10"). I stayed at this weight throughout 2007. In the spring of 2008, i decided to get fit and began walking much more. Later that spring i was down to 150 pounds. I've been walking regularly for about four years now and am thrilled to say that i am fitter and slimmer now than I was in my 30's. I've weighed about 145 pounds for a long time now and i think this is the ideal weight for me.

My son is sensitive to wheat and dairy so I've drastically reduced my bread and cheese consumption. This used to be my mainstay snack (with lots of butter,--  i've kept up the butter habit and added more good fats because i think this is important). Otherwise, i am usually very good at staying away from any processed foods and eating vegetables almost every (every other?) day. I'm also a big fan of beans (lentils, chili beans, etc.) and brown rice.

Walking has been my only exercise. In a typical week I usually walk about six or seven hours. So, this would average about one hour a day though my typical route now is 1.5 hours (about six miles of brisk walking) and I do that about four times a week.

I'm super happy with the benefits this regular walking has brought to my life. But I've been negligent about regularly replacing my walking shoes and I am starting to feel a bit of pain in my knees. So this has got me thinking i need to switch up the walking with at least one other alternative exercise.

I am not a gym person. I'm quite sure that if i bought a gym membership the money would be wasted. So i've been thinking about what else i could do.

A friend of mine bought a beautiful rowing machine about a year ago and uses it regularly. Rowing is supposed to be a fabulous all round exercise, not just for the legs but for the whole body. He did a lot of research before buying one, and he chose one of the more expensive models - the WaterRower {Amazon link}
This rower is really fun (almost soothing!) to use and it looks really aesthetically spectacular and folds up easily against the wall when not in use.

So it is very expensive, but I have been thinking this over for a while now and I've decided to take the plunge and buy one. I look forward to being able to exercise at home on rainy days and to listen to podcasts while i row.

Will let you know if this was a good idea in a couple of months or so.