Trying to stick with it

ON Jan. 1, thousands of people pledged to get in shape, lose weight, lower their cholesterol and reduce their risk of weight-related illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.

But those resolves start to crumble somewhere around the three-month mark. Trips to the gym taper off, cookies appear in the cupboard and belts get loosened. This last installment of updates on three resolution-makers who agreed to share their stories reveals how job stress, time pressures and lack of motivation can disrupt a fitness routine, but how they can also serve as an inspiration to keep going.

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An exercise that’s kept her moving

Between pedaling on her home exercise bicycle and walking while pushing her toddler son in a jogging stroller, Liana Neyer has kept exercise a priority since New Year’s and manages to get in a daily cardio workout. Yet Neyer hasn’t been able to avoid hitting the dreaded wall, otherwise known as the weight plateau.

Her weight hasn’t budged in the last month, staying steady at 147, down from 153. Although she has gradually increased her cardio from 20 minutes to 45 minutes, that hasn’t been enough to nudge the scale downward.

“I’m happy to be where I am,” says the stay-at-home mom from Torrance, “but at the same time, it’s frustrating. I’m not losing weight as fast as I used to -- I think my metabolism has slowed down.” She sees two possible solutions: Kick up the exercise or cut down on snacks.

Meals at home have been lower in fat and higher in fiber, but Neyer occasionally falls off the diet wagon, especially when out with friends. On good weeks she follows a diet program’s point system and journals what she eats, but “if I don’t pay attention, my portion sizes are bigger and I snack more. I found I have a sweet tooth.”

Consistent exercise continues to boost her energy level, and that’s an incentive to keep it up. She often breaks up her bike workouts into two or three sessions per day, and listens to music or watches TV while she exercises. That’s staggered with fast walks with the stroller. “I haven’t really had to fight boredom,” she says. Tracking of her regimen on paper has been helpful, too, to note her progress: “Except for one week when I was sick, every day I did something. So if my diet goes by the wayside, at least I can tell myself that I exercised.”

Neyer would like to increase her strength and toning regimens, which are now relegated to about twice a week and consist of 50 sit-ups and 15 push-ups. A whittled waist still eludes her, and she’s disappointed by it: “I feel I have gotten stronger,” she says, “but this is where I definitely have to push myself.”

After one month on her fitness plan, Neyer discovered some ways to sustain her motivation: wearing exercise clothes during the day so she could exercise any time, getting support from family and friends and weighing herself weekly, not daily. A friend showed her some pictures taken months ago, and Neyer realized she looked slimmer: “Seeing the pictures helped me realize that while the scale is useful, it doesn’t tell the whole story.”

And approaching her exercise routine as a “change for life” and not pushing herself too far too fast has helped her stay inspired. “I’m taking it very slowly and trying not to make it too painful,” Neyer says. “I realize I have to be patient.”

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Liana Neyer

Age: 34

Height: 5 feet, 8 inches

Beginning weight: 153 pounds

Current weight: 147 pounds

Beginning body fat: 34%

Current body fat: 31%

Beginning waist size: 32.5 inches

Current waist size: 31.5 inches

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Going the distance -- in shorter runs

Compromise isn’t just the key to a great relationship, it’s also the secret to a successful exercise program.

That’s what Harry McLachlan discovered in the past month. The Stanton-based business owner, keeper of long hours and survivor of high-pressure days, had been able to fit in some admirably long runs -- 4 1/2 miles to six miles -- a few times a week.

But after a tough two-week stint left no time for those extended jogs, he knew his routine had to change. “When I was doing marathons,” he says, “I used to think that if I couldn’t go out and do a reasonable chunk of distance, what good is two or three miles? But after those two weeks I realized I’d have to do something different.”

McLachlan decided to scale back his distance, running two to three miles closer to home. That has allowed him to exercise before work three to four times during the week and “not be too tired to function during the day.” On weekends he still tries for one or two six-mile runs at a nature preserve near his house. He’s even taken up bird-watching. “I try to learn one new bird per run.”

Except for the rare ice cream sandwich, McLachlan’s diet has stayed healthful -- heavy on fruits, vegetables and lean meats. Jack in the Box lunches have vanished, and the only fast food in which he occasionally indulges are low-fat Subway sandwiches.

Even with that, however, his weight hasn’t dropped dramatically -- he’s down 6 pounds, which hasn’t changed for several weeks. But McLachlan knows from past experience that increasing his distance causes the pounds to fall off, and he’s hoping to do a 13-mile run in the next few weeks.

With the help of medication, his cholesterol has decreased dramatically, from 233 to 152, but he plans eventually to keep it down without using pills. McLachlan says his motivations for staying on track can be traced in part to a Groucho Marx biography: “He said one of the things he missed in his old age was his health. I don’t want to have anyone taking care of me.”

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Harry McLachlan

Age: 48

Height: 6 feet

Beginning weight: 245 pounds

Current weight: 239 pounds

Beginning cholesterol: 233

Current cholesterol: 152

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Staying on track despite the hurdles

Finding the incentive to stay on track has been difficult for Yvonne Crafter, a client-service representative for a Van Nuys-based medical lab.

“I’ve been really inconsistent,” she admits, although she has dusted off her stationary bike, riding it two to three times a week for about 30 minutes.

Valentine’s Day was an exceptionally tough hurdle because her co-workers had stocked up on hard-to-resist candy. “I was picking at it,” she says, “and after I stopped eating right, I found I had less motivation to exercise.”

She recently took on an extracurricular project that allows less time for exercise and has added more stress.

“When I’m under mental pressure, I eat,” she says. “Sometimes it just gets crazy at work, and when I get home, my brain feels zonked. Sometimes I feel like I just want to relax.” Still, when she does exercise she feels better: “One night I came home, and I was so tense and stiff. I did some stretching and I felt good.”

Meals haven’t all been bad -- for breakfast and lunch she often opts for foods lower in fat. “But at night my sweet tooth kicks in,” she says. “I don’t keep sweets in the house, but I’ll jump in the car and get something.”

Now that the weather is warmer, Crafter looks forward to walking around her neighborhood. She’d also like to attend a weight-loss support group, which she had tried once before. “I think when I talk with other people, it gives me more motivation,” she says.

Crafter adds that talking with her sister, who struggles with diabetes, is an added inducement to sticking with her fitness program: “She tries to encourage me, and she knows how difficult it is. She emphasizes that I need to take care of myself, and even though she has bad days, she has to keep going. So I am still motivated.”

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Yvonne Crafter

Age: 46

Height: 5 feet, 7 inches

Beginning weight: 225 pounds

Current weight: 217 pounds

Beginning body fat: 47%

Current body fat: 42%