Healthier Lifestyle Thread 22nd Dec till 28th Dec

[marcy]

Hi.

I tried the 100 calorie twinkies today.They aren’t bad. I wanted to walk around a bit tonight to see if my foot acted up again.On Christmas Eve it was really hurting when we were out at the mall; it did okay on my outing but just a little bit ago it got kind of achy.I think I’ll stay off the treadmill for a few days. I was walking on it every day on top of doing a lot of cooking, shopping or wrapping so hopefully that is all it is.
I went out tonight to look for Christmas cards on sale.I wanted some more self stick envelopes - they ROCK.

The mall was pretty busy tonight.We are going to return a pan tomorrow because they gave us the wrong size from what we took up to the counter and I have to exchange some socks Marty bought me.I also want to see if they put the Land''s End coats on sale at Sears.I have one of their squall jackets that is incredibly warm but they have the same coat with extra insulation and I might get that too if it''s marked down enough.L.L. Bean marked down a lot of their stuff too so I got a corduroy shirt 1/2 price that is blue with pink flowers.I love bargains and since I have so many clothes that is all I allow myself to buy anymore is things on sale.
Thanks, Lorelei.I am glad your turkey dinner turned our marvelous after all of your hard work.I am glad you had a pleasant evening watching some wonderful TV programs.
Zoe, it sounds like you had a great Christmas and how nice to have your parents help you get new lighting in the kitchen.Our first house had horrid lighting in the bathroom and it sure made a big difference to get that changed out.Good plan to get all of the treats out of the house.I felt fine after all the wine which is surprising because in my drinking days (college) I used to get a hangover from wine.I did find a few aches and pains now and then but I am sure it was from falling.Thank you for the lovely compliment.
Julianna, that is wonderful your personal trainer is giving you such a terrific work out.Too funny about your “diet”.
DeeJay, your dinner and leftovers today sound quite tasty.Good luck getting the inspection rescheduled.
Museikchik, how fun you got to attend the Turbo Kick Boxing class today.
MerryMunky, woo hoo for getting a lot of nice presents.
Jeff, glad you are back on track after 4 weeks off.
Rod, sounds like you had fun shopping today.Have fun finding some new headphones at Best Buy.I hope you do get your cake for New Years.
Hi Skippy!

Well, have a great weekend.
Marcy

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Hi Everyone. Happy BEST New Year to All!

Thanks for the warm re-welcome Rod and all my other friends.

I''ve been using the recumbent (sitting) bike at our fitness room and really like it.

Here''s what I''ve learned: (from an e-magazine):


• Why Men Should Choose Recumbent Exercise Bikes

So many men neglect their lower bodies when they workout, especially in strength training. It’s common to see buffed out men with giant biceps and tiny little bird legs. That’s because it’s easier to get an upper body workout at home. If you just invest in a recumbent bike, you can set the machine to high resistance. You will build leg muscle, and you can even do curls while you pedal.

Recumbent bikes can also allow men to get a great cardio workout without the discomfort that only a man knows on regular bikes or other types of exercise bikes. With the large, comfortable seats of recumbent bikes, you are much more likely to enjoy your workout pain-free.

If you move the seat of a recumbent bike up a bit to bring your legs higher, you can even target the lower abs and have to do less crunches to get the bottom of your six-pack!

Your thoughts? Pros or Cons?

 

[Lorelei]

Interesting Jeff....You have got me thinking about looking into one, would be good variety as well instead of the treddy and ellip all the time...

Happy new year to you too, it is so good to see you back!

 

[appletini]

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I didn''t make it out to exercise yesterday instead opted to veg on the couch for the day, but I certainly earned it after 3 days of working nonstop in the kitchen. Today I walked around the neighborhood for about an hour. Not sure how long b/c don''t have new sports watch yet but did order one yesterday so it should arrive on Tuesday. Now with the holidays behind me and working 3 days next week I''m looking forward to getting back into a routine and cooking some healthier meals.

DH and I were discussing new years resolutions a bit at dinner last night. For 2008 one of mine was to only drink alchohol Thurs-Sat with the exception of special occasions, I''ve been very good about sticking to that for the most part. So for 2009 I''m going to take my healthy lifestyle a step further and commit myself to exercising 4 times a week. I''ve kind of let myself go the last few months and I''d like to look better out of my clothes.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Saturday kids!

This morning I went over to the gym at 7:30 and did my hour on the dreadmill because my inspection started at 10 am. Ug!

I am officially pissed off at my scale. It is messing with my head. Stop it, scale, STOP IT!!!

Haven''t eaten much today but the HH is making salmon and wild rice for dinner so I''m looking forward to that.

Not much else to report. About to go put my feet up and enjoy a glass of wine...

 

[Rod]

Hey..........Charlie didn''t have to be at work till 1 PM, so we at least got to have coffee, a scone and bowl of fruit with Sakai on our shoulders before he left. Otherwise, it was a quite day for me. I had my car washed, a small lunch at Panera and coffee under the oak. I did get a new set of headphones at Best Buy. I hope I like them. Their ear buds, but really good ones and they have hoops that keep them in place over your ears. I''ve been using the kind of headphones that just sit on the outside of your ear, with the hoop behind your head. These are so much lighter and more comfortable. I''ll use them at the gym tomorrow, so we''ll see how they do. Dinner tonight was just a salad a couple pieces of Lindt Dark Chocolate (a heart healthy treat!). Charlie should be home soon. I''m sure he''ll be tired as it''s already 10 PM. He''s off tomorrow, so we''ll have a regular Sunday, with one exception. We''re fixing a real breakfast tomorrow morning. We had some parslied potatoes left over from Christmas dinner, so we''re going to heat them up, and have eggs, sausage and toast. We don''t often have a real breakfast anymore, so it will be a nice treat! We''ll go to the gym in the afternoon and cook something at home for dinner tomorrow night.

Yay for bargains Marcy!! Wow, Twinkies? Boy that brings back memories of Rod as a really fat kid. As a kid I used to bowl on a league on Saturdays and after each game I ate. After the 1st game I treated myself to a pack of Twinkies. After the second game, a Hostess Fruit Pie. And after the 3rd game, a hamburger and french fries for lunch. It''s no wonder I was a fat kid, teen and adult. I haven''t had a Twinkie in like forever. I doubt I''d like them after all these years.

Jeff I''ve tried the recumbent bike at the gym and thought it was good. I''m just kind of hooked on the elliptical after my weight training as I find it more entertaining. And I''m not really using the elliptical for lower body or ab training as I get lot''s of that in my workouts for sure. I''m just using the elliptical strictly for my heart. I''m gald you''re still working out!

Hi Apple, it sounds like you''ve got some good resolutions for the new year!! Now that you''ve made them public, you have to keep them and report on your progress, you know??!!

DeeJay, when are you going to learn that the scale is an evil monster and should only be used occassionally, when you think it might be in a good mood? Bill''s salmon dinner sounds great.

I hope everyone who hasn''t checked in today had a really nice day!

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone!

We ventured out shopping today to do a few exchanges.I found a few clothing items on sale that I bought but not much exciting.The highlight of the day was going to Whole Foods to pick up some things.We went in to 2 jewelry stores I''d never visited before.One was used jewelry and they had two 10 plus carat spessartite.The other one had some very nice colored gemstones and colored diamonds.
The wind was awful here today – we saw 3 semis on their side on the highway.I hope the drivers were okay.We go by semis really fast on high wind days.

Jeff, I am glad you are enjoying using the bike to workout.

Lorelei, good plan for some variety from the treadmill and elliptical.

Appletini, I am glad you had a nice day of lounging around.Sometimes we just need days like that.That’s great you have your new year’s resolution worked out already.

DeeJay, stupid scale.I know mine is going to be mean to me when I finally decide to look at it.It’s feeling pretty neglected these days.We stocked up on fruits and veggies today though.

Rod, enjoy your breakfast tomorrow.I usually eat cereal and fruit Monday to Friday then more of a normal breakfast on the weekends.I doubt I will buy the Twinkies bites again but I wanted to try them.I handed them out to the other people in my office so I only have one packet left anyway.They are very similar to regular Twinkies but a little more like a sponge cake.I used to eat Hostess Cupcakes, M&M’s and of course I baked a lot so I ate a lot of bad things as a kid.

Have a great Sunday.
Marcy

 

[Skippy123]

Hi Friends, I know I have been MIA but I got super sick.

I thought i had a hang over Christmas day from the Christmas Eve party but hubby kept making fun of me because I didn't drink that much at all but I kept wondering why I was so sick so I blamed it on the drink!!! I slept for 3 1/2 hrs Christmas day (I thought I was just exhausted). Well I woke up freezing and hot, and achy and it got worse from there; it was a very humbling experience. haha I am feeling better today but still a bit tired and left with a sore throat. I count my blessing that I don't get sick that often; I think I picked this bug up from either my nephew or sister. Baby germs are the worst!

Hubby took good care of me. I hope to workout again start Monday!!!

ROD, your lobsters sound yummy!

MARCY, wow, I don't even recognize you; I am very proud of you! You look like a million bucks; your hubby lost weight too!

APPLE, I think you deserve a break from all your cooking, that is a lot of cooking!!

JEFF, I love the recubent bike!! Glad to see you back in this thread!

DEE, yum to salmon! Do you like loxs too?

KIMI, I miss you!

Hi LORELEI & MerryMUNKEY, glad you had a great Christmas!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Sunday kids!

Did a hard hour on the hampster wheel this morning.

The HH is making homemade pizza for dinner. YUM! Skippy, what time are you coming over?!

Now about all this twinkie discussion... When I had my wisdom tooth out last month I had an inexplicable craving for one (rationalized by the fact that it is very soft, therefore easy to eat, and I really wasn''t eating much of anything else right then so I could well afford the calories, yadda yadda yadda... ). I actually went to the store, took the package in my eager hands, read the "nutritional informantion"... and PUT IT BACK. Just couldn''t do it Now if they had *HO HOs* in individual serving packages that would have been a whole ''nother story!

 

[Skippy123]

DEEJAY, I *know* we need to have our pizza cookoff!!! hehe Glad you stepped away from the twinkies. hehe I am the same way, if I know I have no self restraint; I know those individual packs won't stop me. hehe YUM, enjoy your hubbys wonderful homemade pizza!

 

[marcy]

Happy Sunday.

I am being very lazy today.I am working on laundry, I am going to change the sheets and I am watching some Ruby episodes that I DVR’d.Have any of your watched that?I don’t like how controlling some of her support team is – they keep telling her she can’t do it on her own.I have mixed feelings about that.It’s interesting to watch though.
Skippy, I am so sorry to hear you were so sick.I am glad you are feeling better today and tell your DH he is a sweetie for taking good care of you.Thanks for the kind words about my photo.Yes, Marty lost about 40 pounds over the last year or so.
DeeJay, enjoy your pizza.I need to make one soon too.Good for you stepping away from the Twinkie.I love the Hostess cupcakes but they certainly aren’t worth the calories either.
Have a great day!

Marcy

 

[appletini]

We had a front come in so its nice and chilly outside. I did my 30 min walk/jog routine around the neighborhood and then walked for another 30 minutes. So thats 3 workouts for me this week. I''m hoping my co-worker is in the office so I can workout with her the next two evenings after work. If not then I''ll just exercise solo.

 

[zoebartlett]

Happy Sunday!

Marcy -- I''ve seen ads for Ruby but I''ve never watched the show. It does kind of intrigue me. Totally random but I love her name.

Dee -- I think I''m missing the Twinkie discussion so I''ll have to go back and read what I missed. I learned a long time ago what was in Twinkies and it definitely turned me off of them. Okay, I just caught up.

Rod -- no, you probably wouldn''t like Twinkies now! I hope you like your new headphones.

Skippy -- I hope you feel better soon!

Appletini -- sounds like it was a nice day for a walk.

Hi Jeff!

Okay, so my husband and I are somewhat addicted to the English TV show "MI-5," which is what it''s called in the US. I think it''s called "Spooks" in England. It''s so good! We''re in the middle of a marathon right now, so I''ve been completely lazy today. I have gotten laundry and dishes done but that''s about it. Tomorrow it''s back to the grindstone...at least for my husband. I''m still on vacation!

We went to the gym yesterday and just kind of lazed around in one of the pools. I can''t really say it was a workout but we had fun. I have plans to actually get a real workout in tomorrow at some point. I''m hoping to be able to work with my trainer soon. I almost have enough saved up. Until then, I''m still on my own and not liking it one bit.

My husband''s trying to close the laptop so we can continue our marathon so I should run. Have a good night!

 

[marcy]

Appletini, sorry to hear you had a cold front move in.You didn’t get ours it’s still here.LOL.Actually we are going to be in the 40’s for a few days.I won’t know how to dress.

Zoe, I would have to agree the name ruby would get my attention.I was intrigued enough to watch her show – it’s my first reality show – I am so ashamed.LOL.Actually I am so bored today I think I’d watch almost anything.DH is playing PS3 games and so I watch TV when I take care of a batch of laundry.Other than that I am just goofing off online.Enjoy your vacation.

 

[Rod]

Hey........It was a nice day today. First the weather just couldn''t have been nicer. It was about 80, with like zero percent humidity, light breezes and perfect blue skies. We had a REAL breakfast. Eggs, sausuage, home fries and toast. It was super filling and even though it was likely higher calorie wise, it meant we weren''t in the least hungry for any lunch. So afterwards, we just had a cup of coffee at Sbucks under the oak, then headed to the gym. I had an unusually strong workout. Maybe it was because I had extra protien with breakfast, but I was just on fire. So was Charlie, so maybe our breakfast really did help. We pushed really hard and added several free weights (even higher weights than I usually do) and it felt great. I was even more energized on the elliptical and at one point, I looked down and noticed I was going 13 mph. I loved my new headphones. They''re so comfortable and stay in place and the sound was terrific. Dinner was a nice and healthy, with baked salmon and steamed veggies. I did have a couple bites of the left over chocolate cake from Christmas day. Tomorrow''s a work day. Ugh.......I''m not ready to go back to work, but at least it''s a short week again. I think they''re going to let us work shortened days this week, since so many companies are either closed, or managers are off till the first of the year. We''ll go for Sushi tomorrow night like usual on a Monday.

I spoke with my parents this evening. They''re pretty elderly (my father''s 87 and my mother''s 85) and they just can''t take care of their home in Maryland anymore. I just wasn''t prepared for what they have decided to do. They called tonight and informed us they were putting the house on the market (it will likely sell quickly as they have an acre of wooded waterfront property) and drumroll.............They''ve decided to move to Tampa to be near me and Charlie. Life will certainly be different, but I would like to be able to see my parents more often and we could help them so much with things like grocery shopping, etc. I think they''re excited and they wanted to speak with Charlie to make sure he was OK with this. Charlie will likely be better with my parents than me. He''s very caring and wouldn''t hesitate to take my folks shopping. In fact, he seems glad that they''ll be here as he''s more family oriented than me and thinks having my parents near, will be a good thing.

Oh Skippy, I had no idea you were under the weather. I just figured you were all caught up with the family and didn''t have time to check in. I''m glad HH took good care of you (he''d better!!) and you''re feeling better now. Yes, our lobsters were really fantastic.

Yumm to homemade pizza DeeJay!!

Nothing wrong with a lazy day Marcy!! I hope you enjoyed yours very much!!

Yay for continuing with your walk/jog routine Apple!!

Zoe, we''ve never seen MI5, but maybe we should check it out. Lounging around in a pool sounds like a nice way to enjoy and afternoon in the frozen Northeast!!

OK......I''ll check in tomorrow night after Sushi.........Can you believe it will be 2009 in just a couple days?????

 

[marcy]

Rod, it sounds like you had a marvelous day.We picked up one piece of chocolate cake yesterday for us to split today and we didn’t care for it.It tasted like it was all frosting.We threw most of it away.I had a real piece of cake in my hand then Marty picked that one up because it looked like dark chocolate but sadly it turned out to be gross.I hope you get your favorite chocolate cake for New Year’s.That is quite surprising news to hear from your parents and I hope it works out for all of you having them move to Tampa.

I am pretty bored right now so I am off to watch TV in the bedroom.I am tired of listening to the PS3 game.

 

[Mara]

Hi my fave healthy lifestylers...!! Just wanted to pop in and say HAPPY NEW YEAR and hope that you all are doing fabulously...it looks like all the old regulars are still posting and doing pretty well, yay!!! For those of you who didn''t see my post in the Hangout under Xmas gifts, we just closed on a new house..well not ''new'' but new to us... it''s exciting and scary at the same time but we are looking fwd to a change. Everything else is pretty much the same, we are both nice and healthy (knock on wood!) and doing pretty well. Here''s wishing to a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year for us all. XOXO.

 

[IluvEmeralds]

Hi all,

I was just wondering if it would be okay for me to join y''all on a weekly basis? My wedding is in about 3 months 4/5/09 and I absolutely MUST lose 10lbs!! I can''t promise I will be on here everyday (I teach special ed, and I tutor privately in speech and reading interventions each night) but I really really want to get this done. I''ve been reading some of your threads and you guys have a great group here.

I''d be honored to join..

Happy New Year all.
ILE

 

[marcy]

Hi Mara! Good to see you here. I will copy this over to this week''s thread. Congratulations on buying a new house.

I LUV Emeralds, welcome to the weekly HLT. Lorelei starts a new thread each week so I will copy this over there for you. We will be honored to have you join our group and good luck losing those 10 pounds by your wedding.