Goal No. 2: Finally mastering the pull-up

It might seem strange, but one of my goals for this year is to be able to do a pull-up.

I’ve never been able to do one, even for the annual fitness tests elementary students across the country take each year. I want to improve my overall strength, and this seems like one way to measure my progress.

For me it would be a huge accomplishment, and my husband likes to point out that it’s a life-saving skill (you know, in case I’m dangling from the side of a cliff one day).

More on my third goal on Monday. I’ve got to hit the gym.

Elizabeth

The BOB effect

Middle-aged men avoid scales the way cockroaches do flashlights, but we have ways of knowing whether we're getting fat. Pajamas with expandable waists seem snug. Our feet seem shorter, because we can see less of them without bending over. But the most obvious tip-off is the BOB effect.

That stands for "belly over belt." You can still delude yourself, if you suck in that stomach and slide the belted part of your pants over the bulge. But when that's too much work, your gut sags over. If it hangs down far enough to obscure the buckle, you're ready to audition for Big Daddy in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

The cheating solution is to buy bigger pants. Journalists are notoriously cheap, so we let 'em hang. When I started this blog, mine was threatening to spill over, like foam atop an overfull glass of soda. At the moment, it has receded a bit -- a small but positive sign. I need those.

Lawrence Toppman

Goal No. 1: My first half marathon

Now that the holidays are behind us, it’s time to get serious about setting goals for the year. Among them for me are some fitness goals.

A few weeks ago, before I knew I’d be writing for this blog, I was driving in south Charlotte with my sister. We were on our way to do some holiday shopping when she casually asked what I was doing on April 16.

“There’s this half marathon I’d like to run,” she said, “and I want you to run it with me.”

Now, my sister is not a runner so this request was pretty out of the blue. I have run a few shorter races and know a half marathon is a big commitment. We talked about training schedules, I thought it over and we decided to sign up.

The training will help us get to the gym often this winter, when it’s tempting to stay inside where it’s warm and cozy. And we’ll be working toward something together so there’s built-in accountability.

So goal No. 1 is to run my first half marathon. It will be a challenge, and I’m looking forward to pushing myself a little more than normal.

My second goal might sound a little strange. I’d like to be able to do at least one pull-up by the end of the year. More on this in the next post.

What are your goals for this year?

- Elizabeth

Setting sail toward moderation

I weighed myself this morning to get a baseline for the year's weight loss, and the results were...well, base. I'm at 194.5 pounds, my heaviest weight ever. I stood there at 11 a.m., shivering in my underwear and socks, as LED lights flashed the bad news. (Note to self: Buy lighter underwear and socks.)

I shouldn't be surprised. I went through my sister-in-law's desserts over Christmas vacation like a squirrel storing fat cells against a cruel winter, then brought leftovers home. Luckily, my refrigerator no longer contains these evil creations, because I consumed them.

My new life of moderation began today at 11:05. Now, three hours later, I am eating carrots for dessert at lunch instead of a muffin. I wonder if you can dip carrots in powdered sugar....

Lawrence Toppman

Beginning, basic weight routine

I love lifting weights. Some principles:

Start with large muscles and work toward smaller ones. Or not.

Lift before doing your cardio. Or not.

Lift lighter weights with lots of repetitions. Or not.

Look, as long as you do it, some of this stuff is not critical. My preferences are to start with larger muscles, to lift every other day to allow the muscles to repair, and to do heavy weights and 4-6 reps.

But unless you know what you're doing, you want to get a trainer or find free online videos to show you how to do this stuff. There is tons of stuff at youtube.

You also don't even have to have weights. Your bodyweight is plenty of resistance for a lot of exercises. Some of the standbys are pushups, situps, squats and lunges. We can do these while we watch TV!

Ladies, don't think that lifting weights will make your body look bulgy and masculine. It won't. You have to take hormones or other drugs to look like that. You will look sleek and strong. It's attractive. I promise.

Guys, you have the upper hand on us. Because of testosterone, you can get pretty big muscles pretty quickly, if you are devoted. But remember not to just build up one body part - most beginner men go for biceps or chest. Those leg and back muscles need work, too, or you will get all disproportional-looking. I am a big fan of the Max-OT training system, if you are looking for something new.

Monday: biceps, triceps, chest
Thursday: legs, back and abs

Two weeks like this, to get back into it, then upping to three days a week. Come lift along with me!

Ellyn

Truth time

Today's weight: 248

The goal: 190

Fasting sugar: 125 (ideal number here would be under 120, but this is OK by me).

Possibly 190 sounds a little high as an ideal weight, but my top-end BMI weight is 178 (I am 5'11"), and when I am lifting weights 4-5 times a week, a lot of the weight is muscle rather than fat. I was at 197 about 8 years ago, and I could see 190 coming ... and then my thyroid quit working. I take a replacement thyroid medication, but my metabolism hasn't been the same since.

I encourage women especially to have their thyroids checked around age 35 and later if you have cold hands/feet or overall tiredness, or any other unexplained symptoms. The replacement meds are cheap.

This week: I will walk 3 times, 3-5 miles each time, and lift weights twice.

-- Ellyn Ritterskamp

I'll lose weight the 'stubborn old guy' way

In 2005, my doctor tactfully asked what I thought was a reasonable length of time to lose 15 pounds.

"Five years," I said confidently. "See, if I can lose three pounds a year, I'm sure I can keep them off!"

He looked startled. "I was thinking more like six months," he said. Now I was startled. He quit the practice soon afterward, so the subject didn't come up again.

Well, it's five years later, and I haven't lost any of it -- or, rather, I've lost and gained countless pounds, but I'm still at the starting line.

I'm like a lot of Americans in their 50s: I eat like a starved kitten over the holiday season, feel guilty on January 2, resolve to do something about extra weight and befriend an exercise machine for about three weeks. But this year will be different, because my editors and countless unseen eyes (that would be you, readers) will make me feel guilty if I fail -- ummmm, I mean, will offer moral support in my quest.

I plan to do this in the "stubborn old guy" tradition: No trips to gyms, no special diets, no cutting back completely on sweets. (Oh Lord, not that.) I'm going to modify portions and climb on the treadmill in my home five days a week for 45 minutes a day. I'm going to exercise common sense and will power and enjoy balanced meals. And on January 2, 2012, I'll be 15 pounds lighter.

I'm giving myself twice as long as my doctor did to drop the weight, and I'm going to chronicle my progress and my backsliding in this blog. With luck, you'll see more of me on the page and less of me in the flesh this year.

-- Lawrence Toppman