Healthier Lifestyle Thread 22nd June till 28th June

[marcy]

Hi everyone!I lived the good life today.I parked as far from my office as I could so I could get in a few extra steps.Had fruit and cereal for breakfast, whole wheat pasta, veggies and a small piece of bread for lunch and picked up a few tacos for supper before my cake decorating class.

A friend of mine has work found the motivation to lose weight and started running again.She is so excited.She has lost 16 pounds since Memorical Day weekend.She was one of my original “buddies” for support when I started my long, difficult journey years ago and she often commented she wished she had my will.She has now found that will in herself and told me she is finding this so easy to do and not difficult to stay on track at all.That is exactly what it takes; determination and motivation which will get the results you desire.She is running 2 miles both morning and evening, quit eating refined flour and sugar and just watching what she eats.I love success stories!She has 9 more pounds she wants to lose.

Cake class should be fun tonight.I need to make a cake for my final project next week.Since this is a repeat course for me I am going to do something different.The final I did in April was the basket weave with a lot of flowers on it.This time I am doing either light blue or pink icing with white dots and shell borders then I am putting daisies all over the cake.Tonight I am going to make about 75 daisies for my cake.Yes, they are a flower I find easy to make and I do really like daisies anyway and the frosting flowers do resemble the real flowers.

Danielle, sounds like you are getting in some great workouts and runs.I am sure the bachelorette party was a fun time.

Miscka, let us know what you found to amuse yourself with at the gym.Decisions, decisions.Have a blast at your dinner date tomorrow.

Tlh, thanks for the recipe link.I honestly have never had a fruit pizza before, I think I will give this a try for company sometime.It looks divine.When I splurge on something like this I don’t change ingredients out to save calories – I want it as good as possible.That’s why you enjoy it once and send leftovers home with someone else.Sorry to hear it was so hot for your run this morning but sounds like you plan on having a wonderful, sunshiny day.

Somethingshiny, I continue to send your DH good luck vibes on a job search.I wear gas perm contacts and if I am tired or my allergies are bugging me then contacts are OUT of the question.I used to wear the hard, rigid ones but got a split in my cornea so they moved me to gas perms about 10 years ago and they always seem to be an irritant.Soft lenses are out of the question because they can’t correct for my astigmatism – it is just that bad.Glad to hear your blood sugar came out okay.

Kimi, cleaning out your MIL’s house will be hard work and certainly burn off a few calories.

Stepcutnut, how are you doing?

Skippy, have fun checking out the route for your race this weekend.Good luck in that.How sweet to get your mom some pearl earrings; I am glad she was excited to get them.It is fun to give gifts to our families, huh?

Well, I am off to “push out daisies” at cake class.

Marcy

 

[somethingshiny]

Marcy~ I may be telling you stuff you already know, but just in case you didn''t....For best comfort; RGP lenses should be rinsed/cleaned with a multi-purpose solution not water. An enzymatic cleaner will be a great benefit if used regularly. Especially helpful when the wearer has eye allergies because it removes the allergen and mucous build-up. RGP lenses can and should be polished regularly. IF your regular optometrist doesn''t have the capability in-office, call around. Most places will charge between $10 and $20 for a polish. They should also check the specs of the lens at the same time to make sure there has been no damage. RGP''s have excellent oxygen permeability when clean. There is a line of care products called OPTIMUM. They don''t have any of the chemicals that so many are sensitive to. Make sure your facial cleansers, moisturizers, and make up are all "contact lens safe". So many products cause build-up especially on lashes that will eventually work into the eye. You can try "depuffing" treatments for the eye area if you WANT to wear your lenses more (for when you''re tired or when your allergies are making your eye area puff.) And, if your lenses feel itchy or scratchy, you should immediately take them in to be checked. They could have a nick, a deposit, or your cornea could have a problem like a scratch (especially if your allergies are severe)

Hope you got at least one piece of useful info!!

btw-I was an optician for several years, so this is info I had to give to every patient that I fit.

 

[Rod]

Hey......I had every intention of writing to everyone tonight, but I''m afraid it''s already late again. Today was a decent day at work. I''ve got a couple offers in the works. I left work around 5 to go to my chiropractor appointment. My leg is still really bothering me. Sciatica is really awful and doesn''t go away easily. I''m still not letting it get in the way of working out, but I do miss my cardio sessions on the elliptical. Oh well, this too shall pass. We had nice healthy salads for dinner, tthen we wentt to Sbucks for an iced drink (it''s simply too hot for coffee these days) and we ran into two very dear friends (who we are scheduled to have dinner with Friday night anyway) and we just sat and chatted for the longest time. We had a nice time and we''re looking forward to dinner with them Friday. We''re not doing sushi with them, as sushi''s not their favorite, so we''re going to a place we haven''t been to in a long time, but is really nice and has great food.

Again, sorry for the quick fly-by. Tomorrow night''s a gym night, so it will be a quick check in again.

Hugs to you alll............

 

[marcy]

Cake class was fun.My royal icing was too runny but I did get about 40 daisies for my cake for next week.

Somethingshiny, thank you for the info.I tried some RGP that were bifocal and those hurt my eyes so bad you couldn’t have paid me to wear them any longer than I did; they were so curved they’d stick on my eyes (after many, many tweaking and fittings) and gave me fits.The ones I wear now have worked better for me than any I’ve had before but I don’t recall what brand or type they are.There are so few selections of cleaning and storing solutions and most of them bother me as well.I do well with the Sensitive Eyes but will look for Optimum.I use Clinique and it does really well with my eyes and allergies.

Rod, glad your day at work was okay.

 

[lliang_chi]

Hi everyone!!!

Today we ate SO late! James went on a run, didn''t get back until after 9PM, then stretched while watching TV so we didn''t eat until almost 10PM. I made chicken fajitas, but it was so late I didn''t feel like eating anything. I had one fajita to keep James company. I hate eating this late, it throws everything off.

Today I went to use my sister''s pool again, but it started storming as soon as I got there, so I went back upstairs, hung out using the internet (mine was on the fritz today), then did 20 mins on the elliptical and did some weights. I okay on the munching. I ate some leftover homemade pizza I made for dinner last night. And a salad for lunch.

Tomorrow is my acupuncture appt for my wrist. I''m SO excited! I really want something to help alleviate the pain. And y''know acupuncture is pretty darn cool.

TLH, I''m going to check out the polar monitors. I was initially turned off by the whole unable to replace the battery thing but if it lasts 3 yrs then I think it should be okay. Your runs sound inspiring.

Skip, glad your hubby''s back. You family vacation sounds awesome and how clever of you to "get ahead" of the weight gain.

Miscka, watermelon popsicles sounds fantastic!! I''m going to try that. I make watermelon lemonade and different types of iced tea. Tasty

Sharon, how awesome you''re still keeping up with your water workouts.

Tacori, HIII! Yay for Zumba. It''s okay if life gets in the way, but sounds like you.

Argh, i''m getting too tired to do anymore responses tonight. I''ll catch everyone tomorrow morning. I promise I''ll check back in tomorrow.

 

[Miscka]

Ugh the gym was a train wreck! I am in terrible shape. It was hot in there and BORING! I forgot about the heat. Running outside is awful, and the gym was muggy too. Boo. Plus here I am on the elliptical, looking out the window at everyone lounging at the pool!

I did the elliptical and the bike. I may go today at lunch too. I really should!

Happy Thursday everyone!

 

[Skippy123]

Back from a 4 mile Jog

this morning; it rained hard last night so it was super muggy out, ick. hehe The nice thing is that all the lavender is blooming right now and it smelled wonderful from he rain which made it extra fragrant this morning.

It was fabulous to see so many people jogging, walking and biking; it really was inspiring to see so many people making sure to get some exercise in their day so early in the morning. My hubby biked to work too today. I got up at 5:50 am before the sun could beat on me. Take that sun!

hehe

Today I am meeting a wonderful friend for lunch so I am looking forward to seeing her and catching up. Then I have to meet another friend to work on a project we need to get done. Hope everyone has a wonderful day and great workout!!!

__________________________________________________________________


MARCY ~ that is great about your friend, how inspiring too! Glad you both are doing awesome,yay! I have also reduced my refined flour and sugar and I feel so much better and no longer crave junk like I use too, great for her!! Yum to whole wheat pasta and veggies; that is what I had the day before w/slice chicken breast in tomato sauce and it was super yummy. yum to fruit too, like candy, natures candy! hehe Yay for your class.

SS ~ that is so cool you were an optician!

ROD ~ I am sorry about the sciatica; it sounds painful. YUM to healthy salads; I love crunchy salads!!! Glad you had a great workout and didn't let your leg stop you from doing the other stuff; you are awesome, many people would not work out but you keep going, kudos!!! Yay for seeing friends!

LISA ~ yum to chicken fajitas but sorry you ate so late. Great job on doing the elliptical and some weights!!! when do you start your new job? I am so happy for you!!!

MISCKA ~ Oh no, sorry it was muggy, but yay for working out! It is always tough getting back into it but you good for you, yay!

TLH ~ what do you usually eat before a race (carbs) and how many hours do you eat before the race, mine is in the evening? thanks for your thoughts!

 

[lliang_chi]

Miscka, Sorry the gym was so warm. Awesome you're going to hit it during lunch! You're such a rockstar!

Marcy, glad cake decorating class was fun. Daisy sound SO perfect for the summer!!!

Rod, glad you had an okay day at work. Offers are definitely good I'm sorry your leg is still bugging you. My wrist is. I'm going to try acupuncture. I'll come back tonight with my report. Maybe it'll help you. You dinner on Friday sounds like fun. Although, a part of me is like "How can you not like sushi!" Ha ha.

Shiny, vibes to your hubby on his job search. The acupuncture place has a sliding scale for payment. I actually won't be back on insurance until Aug 1, it starts on the first 1st day after I start, and I start July 6. Awesome on kicking the soda! That's fantastic. I'm glad you're not diabetic but agree, it's definitely worth keeping a healthy lifestyle anyway. Hope JT likes swimming

Skip, I agree with you, I love buying stuff for family over myself. Although I still buy stuff for myself...

Awesome with your jog and the race coming up! I'm sure you're going to rock that race like nobody's business! I start my job July 6th. Looking forward to it.

Stepcut, 30 Day Shred is pretty good. They have an easy level and a more advanced level. Though I feel 20 mins is a short workout but I guess if you do it every day then it's okay.

Kim, So nice of you to help J clean out his mom's place. Hope you got a walk in.

TLH, Ha, I really loved reading your recap on your run. I can totally see you running and saying to yourself, "Stupid heat! Stupid desert! Why is it so stinking hot!!!" I've had angry runs too, but it's on the opposite side of the spectrum: "Stupid cold! Stupid Chicago winter! It's freaking freezing! This is so stupid!"

Danielle, glad you had a good time at the B-party in A.C. Your runs are sounding fantastic!!!

Kim, your dinner sounds delish. Subbing this summer should be a nice relaxing pace after your past few months. Enjoy your free time, you DESERVE IT!

Tacori, I realize my last entry made NO SENSE!!! Sorry! I'm glad you're still rocking the Zumba and pilates. I miss pilates, you're definitely encouraging me to go again. 4 lbs will come off with all the working out you're doing. Plus your darling girl to chase around. Life gets busy but at least you have the fun busy, vacations and family etc.

~Lisa

 

[tlh]

shiny- glad you''re okay! That can be nerve wracking, huh! I like that you hop in the pool w/ the kiddos, that is awesome!

kimberly- phys labor is no fun, so I hope you enjoyed your walk!

ooo and 2 vacas, that is awesome!

stepcut- I don''t really like workout dvds, I get bored too quickly by the repeated routines, but I do hear the 30 day shred is awesome.

skippy- I know what you mean! I buy nice things for my mom more often than I do for myself, and my DH is always confused. I just like making my mommy happy!

Also, I love it when the race packet comes... really stokes me up! I LOVE the fresh smell after a mist... YUM lavender!! welcome to the morning run crew! ROCK ON! Hmm... what do I eat... well it really depends on the race... and you might not like my answer. I think you should find what works best for you. Don''t try anything new, and you''ll do fine. I personally don''t eat really much of anything. I have a very sensitive stomach, and I can''t run w/ lead belly. So, if the run is shorter than 13.1 miles I only drink a protein shake about 30-40 minutes before, and then I tinkle before I go out. I find drinking the gatorade every 3-4 miles on long runs keeps my sugar in check. I will never drink the gatorade unless I am running over 10 miles... i don''t need that sugar replacement on a run that short. 13.1 or longer and I''ll eat an Odewalla bar banana nut flavor is the easiest on my tummy... and I''ll eat that about 1-2 hours before race lineup. Then I''ll have about 8 oz of water about an hour before, and try to unload my bladder 20-30 minutes before gun time. I always drink the water during the races.. sometimes during the really crowded races, I''ll skip the first water station. But if the table isn''t crowded, I''ll take 2, one dumped on the head, the other I''ll gulp down. Also during my long races, and only during the long ones, I''ll take a Cliff Brand shot block every 6-7 miles to keep my sugar levels optimal, and to delay the glycogen depletion that usually happens around mile 20 or so... but I have hit the wall once in training at mile 12... so it can happen. I prefer these to the "gels" the gels give you a sudden burst of electrolytes, and anyone who''s had a colonoscpy can tell you what a suddern burst of elecrtolytes can do to your bowels... WOW, I don''t do the gels... also, if you haven''t done THOSE before, race day is not a place to start. Also, they are like 300+ calories... so unless you''re running a half marathon, you will not need those. My DH''s tried and true morning breakfast before a workout is a pb sandwich, or a banana... but his tummy is made of STEEL!

marcy- those extra steps count. My DH cuts corners. I don''t. Turns out his cutting corners cost him 1/2 a mile... which can add up over the course of a really long run!

But to give him some credit, he ALWAYS parks as far away from the entrance as possible. Sucks because it is 100''s all summer long... but he figures someone needs the closer spaces more than us, AND it is catching! So I now do it too! Your friend''s story IS WONDERFUL! I do love reading about your cake classes... it is like I vicariously am living through you!

Rod- sorry about your sciatica, but I hope your offers go through!

lliang_chi - I hate eating late too. In fact Saturday I went without dinner because I don''t like eating that late... should have SEEn my breakfast on sunday thought... WOAH! hope your wrist improves. Oh and the HR mon. I totally cheated, and had a friend replace the battery. You can mail it off and Polar will do it for you for $12-$20... BUT, my friend did it for me for the cost of a battery. It works just fine, just like before. The only issue was that it may no longer be waterproof... but I really never used it fpr swimming, I''d just sometimes forget to take it off. Now I just take it off... no bigs. (just in case you wanted an extra bit of info.) Ha, yeah, yesterday was frustrating! ha!

Miscka- I know what you mean. But sometimes the gym is an AWESOME motivator. I love to get on a machine and outlast whomever is next to me. Plus I love the dillusion in my head that everyone wishes they were as AWESOME as I am... as I am kicking their butts on whatever machine I am on. Which the only time I really know they are staring at me in awe is when I''m running the stairstepper for almost 2 hours. Crank that up to 20 and RUN, and watch the beads fall off... of course I am also at like 9 feet tall on that beast... so it makes me highly visable. haha... Usually it is the folks that work there that are really STARING at me... probably worrying that I am gonna die or that I must have a mental disorder of sorts.. but I''d like to think it is ENVY and AWE.

So next time you see people lounging at the pool, change your outlook and think... man, look at how AWESOME I am!!! You come to the gym to be lazy, and I''m becoming the best me I can!!!

Happy Thursday all!

I''m having a great morning, wore my watch, my music was awesome, got up even earlier... still 90* before dawn. Bleh. Oh well, I figured I needed to drop my pace a little bit to help combat the heat, so I did, by what felt like a LOT, but turns out was only 15 seconds a mile. Wow, what a difference. Really made the heat a little more bareable. Yesterday I cheated and had a brownie w my lunch... but I made up for it with the wonderful salad I had for dinner. YUM. Why do onions have to taste so good but make my breath so non-inviting? Today was awesome. I had my shake, and prepared a nice snack of bellpeppers, carrots, and celery. YUM. I''m weird and eat them like chips. But they taste soo good!!! I''d eat an onion too... but I have a meeting later and I don''t want my coworkers to wonder about my dental hygeine!

I''m having another great day... even though it is a fat one. oh well, chiffon and pretty dresses were invented for fat days! But I''m sooooo excited! My brother started his diet, and workout routine... and is now down over 15 pounds!!!! WHOOP WHOOP. My bro''s got me dancing on the ceiling!

"Once you''re beat mentally, you might as well not even go to the starting line." -Todd Williams

 

[appletini]

Hello HLT! Sorry I''ve been MIA I really don''t have much of an excuse. However I have been struggling with my weight recently and even though I''m certainly nowhere near obese and never cared much about lbs. this year I have been seeing numbers on the scale that I have never seen before and weigh 7-9 lbs more than I did a year ago, this just baffled me b/c I exercise at least 5 days a week and thought I was eating well. My SIL is a nutritionist so I had a chat with her about my eating habits and she had some really good suggestions that I''ve been trying this week. My goal was to lose 2 lbs by today and I did! I''m taking it one week at a time until I get back into familiar territory. Anyway what came out of our discussion was the proper nutrition balance, which might be a good opener for Lorelei to use next week.

Back in February I started eating smoothies for breakfast instead of my wheat toast with peanut butter, and I also started working out with a new personal trainer who is more strength oriented (my previous trainer was more into interval strength/cardio training but she left), so I figuered some of the weight might be muscle. Anyway SIL gave me dumbed down version of the nutrition science and said while the smoothie is good for you, its not good for you by itself. The sugars from the fruit basically will turn into fat if you don''t use them ASAP. Where as carbs, fiber, protien will hang out awhile until you need them later in the day. She also mentioned eating some raw veggies with lunch so the extra fiber will help pull all the "junk" out of my system. So I phased out the smoothies went back to wheat toast with pb, and added yogurt later in the morning. I made my healthy chicken salad for lunches with wheat pita bread so i had plenty of raw veggies iwth my protein and carbs, and of course healthy snacks and dinners. I kept a food journal with everyhting I ate, what time, and any exercise I did. I finally started actually uisng sparkpeople too to track my eating so I could visually see the fat, carb, calorie, protien, etc distribution and see if I was falling in the recommended ranges.

 

[AsscherGirl]

Date: 6/24/2009 6:42:06 PM
Author: Skippy123


DANIELLE ~ I was just thinking about you; thanks, I am excited but yet nervous!! What do you eat before a race or do you make sure you eat several hours before? Yay for 3 runs last week; you are awesome woman!!!! Oh how fun to go to Atlantic City with friends!!!!

Skippy - usually I race in the morning so I start worrying about the race the night before. I have found that if I really hydrate the entire day before, eat whatever I would normally eat during the day and have a nice plain dinner the night before I feel really good when I wake up. I try to be awake for 2 hours before the race and I will eat right when I wake up. Usually I will have a waffle (or 2) with peanut butter and strawberry jelly. I drink water and have like 1/4 cup of coffee. Being awake allows all of that to get through my usual nervous stomach but I will still pee like 7 times before the race. I tend to eat more than most people I believe before a race, but I am VERY hungry in the morning usually and although running on an empty stomach is possible I usually end up with side stitches that way. I believe I read your race is at night? So if that''s the case I would just eat whatever you normally eat throughout the day and try not to eat anything in the 1.5 hours before the race. Drink lots of water and you should be good to go. At a 5k I personally do not stop at the water stops, but that is recent. I used to always stop (and def. stop if it''s super hot!) I bet you will do great and the fact that you went 4 miles today means you are more than ready! And thanks, I had a GREAT time in AC even though I lost all the money I gambled with, hehehe. I did get to throw the dice in Craps though which was super exciting!

Hi Everyone! I had such a weird eating day of only snacks and am about to head out to run, but am enjoying a super yummy healthy salad before I go! I think I''m going to do 3.5 miles again around the neighborhood today and then bump up to something longer on Saturday. Should be fun! I am taking my hubby''s GPS watch to see how far off my Nike + is only for my own sanity. I am definitely at the obsession point with this, but I guess I am just bummed cause it worked so well before. I''ll get over it I''m sure! Since I''m not specifically training for anything right now, I''m ok with being more lax, but a whole minute pace difference is big for me. I hope I''m going the fast pace and not the slow one!

In my attempt to catch up.....

tlh - too funny about the tires & your argument with hub. It is amazing how slowing down JUST a little bit can really make running that much more bearable. I do that when I''m having a bad day too or if it''s super hot!

somethingshiny - if we had a kiddy pool here, no doubt I would be in it too! Glad to hear your blood sugar tests came back fine that is great news!

Kimberlyh - hope everything went well at John''s mom''s place.

Stepcutnut - try the 30 day shred by Jillian Michaels. It''s short but effective. You can also do more than 1 level in a day - I believe Appletini does that!

Marcy - any pics of those frosting flowers?

Rod - what a bummer your leg is still bothering. I''m glad you are still going to the gym though and keeping up the strength workouts! Hopefully you will continue to improve.

Liang - hope accupuncture helps your wrist!

Miscka - sometimes I find the gym boring, but I think over time you just start to love it more and more. I get bored on the elliptical personally so maybe try a different cardio machine. Can you watch t.v.?

Appletini - yay for losing two pounds! I know personally my body responds well to a breakdown of 40% carbs, 30% protein & 30% fat which I believe was the basis for the zone diet or something. 30% protein is actually REALLY hard to hit even on a 1200 calorie diet, so usually I''ll end up somewhere around 50% carbs, 30% fat & 20% protein. And my body really doesn''t care if I eat only a little bit of "bad" foods, I can really only lose weight if that''s a teensy part of my diet no matter how many calories I''m eating. It''s weird and certainly different for everyone! I use a website called dailyburn to track my food - it''s like a game trying to find a dinner that''ll even out my percentages, hehe.

Have a great night everyone - Friday tomorrow, yay!!!!!!!!!!

 

[KimberlyH]

Hey All,

Quick post. I''m sick (stuffy head, headache, blech) so no exercise. I leave early tomorrow for my trip. Have a great weekend.

 

[AsscherGirl]

Ok, I just got back from my run! I got so sucked into watching the news about MJ that I waited until it was almost too dark! oops! I planned to do 3.5-4 miles, but I didn''t have time so I decided to test the exact route I went the other day. Booted up the hubs'' watch, set my Nike + and off I went! Running felt GREAT today. I was cruising pretty much the whole way and felt back into the groove of running, yes! Well it turns out my Nike + was pretty darn accurate. GPS watch says I travelled 3.29 miles and Nike + says 3.26 miles. On something that uses an accelerometer I don''t think I can complain about .03 miles. So I finished my 3.29 miles in 37:05 which was an 11:16 pace which FELT right. Whooooooooooo. Have an excellent evening all!

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone!It was so nice when I got to work today I parked at the far end of the parking lot and walked around the outside of 2 buildings before coming in the front door.Extra steps and lovely weather; what a great way to start the day.Then this afternoon I had to take a corrected time card over to building 3 for one of my employees so I took the long route back to my building outside so got in a great walk this afternoon as well.

I am doing fine with food.Cheerios and strawberries started my day, mid morning snack 100 cal snack mix, lunch PB on whole wheat bun, baked lays, afternoon snack new 100 cal soft cookies (yuck I don’t like them) and supper was filet cooked on the grill with corn on the cob.

The sister-in-laws are arriving about 4 am Saturday.They stop only for gas, food and bathroom breaksso it takes them about 22 hours to get here.They’ll sleep Saturday, we are going to dinner at a local Italian restaurant then they will head out again very early Sunday to drive home.I couldn’t do one of those marathon trips.Ugh!

Lisa, good idea to get out of the pool during a storm.I hope the acupuncture helps alleviate the pain in your wrist.I hope I have enough daisies to save for a cake for my in-laws too.They care celebrating their 40th on the 12th so I want to make them a cake.Miscka, rats for the gym being hot and boring.Maybe join those at the pool and swim laps.

Skippy, yay for a 4 mile jog.How fun to catch up with a friend at lunch.Glad to hear you are feeling great and not craving junk food.

Tlh, yes, those extra steps do count.I have a handicapped sticker which trust me I plan on using on an icy day but I can easily walk those extra steps now and will continue to park at the far end of our parking lot here at work.I will try to not let you down on cake classes then.Next month is fondant and tier cakes. I told the teacher the other night I might just set there sometimes because I don’t plan on spending another small fortune to buy everything I need for that class.I have tips, colors, bags, and will buy the kit for course 3 but that’s about it.She offered to let me use her stuff in class.If I find I like it; I will buy my own stuff.

Appletini, sounds like you have some great advice from your SIL.Congratulations on losing 2 pounds so far.I agree that some of the weight is probably muscle since you work out so diligently and faithfully.

Danielle, have fun running; I hope your husband’s GPS works better for you.I will get some photos of my finished cake next week.

Kimi, I hope you feel better soon.

Take care.

Marcy

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Shout out to ya''ll!

Those who are feeling sore and unwell, hope you recover quickly. Those who are losing, maintaining and just getting (back) on board--yahoo!!

Warm but veeeeerrryy windy day. Exercised in the pool--deep water program and my usual running against the current. My arms felt a bit sore, but recovered quickly.

Keep well folks!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Rod]

Hey.....it was beyond a long day and didn't turn out the way I planned it. For one thing, I was still at the office till well after 6:30, and I worked hard, so the gym just had to be bagged for the night. Fortunately, Charlie was off tonight, so he stopped at the store and got some fresh pork chops and brocolli and that's what we had for dinner. For whatever reason, my leg hurt less today. It still hurts, but it was not as awful as it had been the last few days. Sometimes I get discouraged about this blasted leg. My chiropractor thinks I'll get over it, but sometimes, it just doesn't seem the pain will ever go away. I may take Lisa's suggestion and try accupuncture. There's a girl at the gym, who is into fitness in a big way and she's been battling sciatica now for a full year. She told me the other night she may try accupuncture herself. Maybe she and I can get a group discount? LOL I'm so glad tomorrow's Friday. It's been a looooong week, and I'm ready for it to end.

I'm sorry the weather turned you away from the pool Lisa. I'll be anxious to hear how accupuncture works on your wrist. Please let me know.........

And Miscka, I'm sorry the gym wasn't fun. A hot gym would be an issue for me. I workout really hard and work up a sweat even in A/C, so a hot gym wouldn't be too pleasant.

You go Skippy!!! 4 miles is absolutely wonderful. I miss running. If I ever get over this blasted sciatica, I'll want to run again. I hope you had fun at lunch with your friend.

Thanks tlh......Yummmm to a brownie, and with all the running you do, I think you totally deserved it!!

Hey apple, that was really interesting what the nutritionist said. THe only time I have a protein shake is right after a workout to help rebuild my torn up muscles. For breakfast, I either have a big bowl of fresh fruit, or a high fiber, low fat cereal with fresh fruit and fat free milk. I'm betting your journal and change in diet will do the trick. And I do believe that some of the weight has to be muscle.........

Thanks Danielle. No matter what, I won't give up my workouts, even if I have to limp through the gym. I glad you had a good run!

I'm sorry you've come down with something Kimberly. You take care and tell J to make you some homemade chicken soup........

Marcy, when I read about you parking further away, so you can walk more, I think back about 3 years and your remarkable journey and how you could have never done that back then!!! Your breakfast sounds like what I have in the morning. I've been the kind of person to wake up hungry. In fact, when I was fat, I usually never ate breakfast. But when I did start eating, the eating never stopped. Now, I make myself eat when I get up, which has made a significant difference in my life for sure.......

OK........Yay for tomorrow being Friday. Since we're having dinner with frineds tomorrow night, I won't likely be able to check in tomorrow. So, I hope everyone's weekend opens on a great note!

 

[marcy]

Sharon, glad you had a warm day in spite of the wind.We had some more rain tonight.

Rod, I am glad your leg is feeling a little better.Maybe acupuncture would help.I hear good things about it.You are so right about the old Marcy wouldn’t have dreamed of parking at the far end of the parking lot.I also didn’t hesitate to run to the store tonight to pick up a few things we needed.Everything used to be such a challenge and effort for me.I like my fruit and cereal breakfast; I eat if faithfully from Monday to Friday.I used to eat both pop tarts and chocolate donuts (the little ones).That was probably my day’s worth of calories right there.LOL!

 

[tlh]

appletini - hey- glad you''re making progress! Yeah, I agree with your SIL, smoothies are chock full of sugar, and someplaces even put icecream in them! They are basically like low-cal milkshakes... but a milkshake is better for you than a smoothie because it actually has some protein in the milk.

danielle- have fun on your longer runs! I am glad the GPS watch helped w/ the insanity, and didn''t add more confusion. What I do for my my own sanity, is give myself a break on the miles run outside. I''m such a type A person, that I try to let running be my wind down moment... and not something I stress about. So if I ran 3.4 miles, it is 3 1/2 miles in my book. If I ran 12.8 miles, it is a 13 in my book. The thing for me is, there are A LOT of factors that go into play on race day, humidity, weather, hills, etc... that may not be figured in to the distance. Honestly, when I stopped running for DISTANCE, I really started having A LOT more fun on my runs. I still remember when I was running in HS and some chick spiked me on a trail race... that WASN''T fun... crazy broad.

kimberly - feel better, and have a safe trip!

marcy - your inlaws are CRAZY! I couldn''t do that either. As always your eats sound good. Love cobs!

OOOO I love fondant. My DH actually loves to eat it... reminds him of a giant sprinkle!

canuk - hats off to you with the pool running. I''ve done that a few times in therapy, but man, sometimes I just lose my mind! Though if the water had a current, I think I''d like it a bit better...

Rod- your group discount idea made me spit my water at my screen I laughed so hard. I''m sorry you''re facing such a difficult battle with it... but I am glad it is slowly improving! Have a fun weeekend!

Everyone - HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!

This morning I was going to rest, but eh... was feeling antsy, so I took my run slow. The humidity was brutal thismorning. 31%. BLEH.

It is like hot with a spit sweater. But my run was good. I took a slightly different route one that is a modified horse trail, and saw all sorts of people out! I also saw my walker lady, that I see every morning... lounging against a brick wall. I had seen her before lounging on this wall, but I didn''t realize it was the same person. I think she goes on her "walks" so that she can smoke. It made me sad when I realized this is something she must be trying to hide. The way she lurks against this wall is actually kinda creepy. As a small person who lacks anything but a loud voice, I am constantly aware of my surroundings, and people that are lurking in weird shadowy places always have my tingle arm hair factor thing going on.. my spidey sense... but now I realize the weird creepy person that is hiding behind a neighborhood''s brick sign wall at 5 AM, is really my very slow walker lady... and she is probably only hiding her shame of a habit. Really just makes me sad. I hope that if she wants to quit... that she can. I don''t think that you should be ashamed of anything you do that you enjoy... smoking may have a stigma now, but if you enjoy it... flaunt it... don''t leave and HIDE and creep people out. Ok, so that was a weird rant. Sorry. I love summer, because I can bust out all my pretty dresses... and I don''t have to wear panty hose to work. Otherwise I''D NEVER wear them. Those are like little suffocating sweat bags. BLEH! Anywho, hope everyone has a fantastic weekend... I know I will!!!!

"Stadiums are for spectators. We runners have nature and that is much better." Juha Väätäinen, Finland

 

[Skippy123]

Good Morning friends!!! I need to do a Costco run; tomorrow we are having friends over and we are having a barbecue. We are doing shrimp and chicken on the grill. I want to do extra chicken so I can try this low fat chicken tikka masala (but it is so fattening so I hope the the low fat recipe is just as delicious and I am guessing it will be since spices make this dish so wonderful).

If it comes out super yummy I will post the recipe; this one is a weight watchers recipe.

I will probably walk 3 or 4 miles tonight and tomorrow I am going to go check out the track for the race.
Oh my gosh, I just realized I need to go pick up my race packet now, I almost forgot!!!!

Okay, I will come back and respond to everyone! hehehe

 

[lliang_chi]

Morning everyone!!!

I thought I''d post about the acupuncture experience for those who want to try it. I got stuck with a total of 13 needles. I was expecting them to hurt or feel pin pricks, but I felt nothing. The needles are really REALLY thin. It''s more you head expecting some kind of pain. If you''re bad with needles, just close you eyes. I got stuck with 4 needles in my left leg, 3 in my right leg, 2 in my left wrist, 2 in my right wrist, one between the eyes (where your forehead crinkles when you squint), and one on top of my head somewhere. You sit a minimum of 20 mins, or as long as I want, then she takes the needles out and I go off my merry way. Immediately after my first visit, nothing changed. I was kinda expecting a huge floodgate release from the pain, but no. But later on during the day, I''d say 3-4 hours after, I did notice a lot less pain than I was having. The acupuncturist said I will probably feel more of the benefits the next day, and I have to say I woke up this morning without shooting pain in my wrist when I went to feed the dog. I have a lot more pain-free range of motion. I''m going back again tomorrow for my second treatment. So Rod, Shiny (I dunno if your wrist is still hurting), or anyone else, I highly suggest it.

Didn''t work out last night. My sister, friend and I are doing a DIY wine school. We got all our friends together and are rotating between everyone''s house. The host does a presentation explaining a particular varietal and everyone else brings a bottle of it. We then go drink everything and have fun. I helped my sis prep the food portion of the dinner. I bought 4 types of cheese from a gourmet place. Unfortunately one was very potent, I should''ve tried it first. We made lasagna, fresh pasta with shrimp, veggies & truffle oil, some spicy chicken wings, cheese, bread, crackers and fruit. It was a great time. We finished 5 bottles among 6 of us. The German reisling was a winner and a Chianti I had James bring.


Rod, I gave a recap of my acupuncture session. I hope you find somewhere that works for you. Here''s an acupuncture association that requires licensing etc, you can look up a practitioner from there. Hope you have a good dinner tonight. It''s great catching up with friends.

Sharon, awesome with the water workouts.

Marcy, Awesome your in-laws are celebrating their 40th. That''s admirable. I think it''s great you''re making them a cake. Take pictures and post on the cupcake thread! I agree with you I definitely can''t do those marathon car rides. We do an annual 22 hr drive from Chicago to FL over Christmas (we bring the dog). James and I are probably doing it again before the wedding in October. Groan, not looking forward t it.

Danielle, We were having a discussion on who''s more famous, Michael Jackson or Michael Jordon? It was pretty split 50-50. Awesome you still got a run in. And it''s good to know your Nike+ is accurate. Glad you had a good run.

Kim, Hugs!!! Dust to get better

Apple, I''m glad you''re back on track with your weightloss etc. It''s awesome you have a nutritionist at your disposal. How fantastic!

TLH, I''m going to get the Polar HRM from your suggestion. I hope to use it for my runs etc. My trainer wants me to do intervals for my cardio on non-gym days. Sounds like you had a rockstart day! That''s awesome!!! I had a pretty lazy day to start, but now i''ve finallly decided to join the rest of the world. I think I''ll take the pooch to the doggie beach.

Skip, race day''s almost here!!! I''m cheering for you in spirit!

 

[tlh]

skippy- I hope your chicken turns out yums, and I also wish you the best on your race. The most important thing to remember, is to have fun!!!

lisa- I''m SO HAPPY your wrist is feeling better. The acupuncture sounds pretty cool too! I HR train, and I like it. I find sometimes it is really hard to stay in the lower zones. Dh always wonders why I''m in heart attack zone all the time. I just prefer the feeling I get when doing anaerobic workouts from time to time... usually when I''m doing my speed work. Have fun w/ your poochie!!

 

[Skippy123]

Earlier today I picked my friends, my BIL's and my packet (I have my number for the race, yay) hehe; there were so many runners/walkers getting packets too!!! I am starting to get a tiny bit nervous but I know I will have enjoy myself once it happens!

Thank you all for the words of encouragement and cheering me on; you all are such a fabulous group of friends!!!!! I will be thinking of you all; I am excited to get out there! hehe

I ran to Costco and picked up a watermelon, cheeries, spinach, cucumbers and veggies for our barbecue tomorrow; I have not had watermelon in ages so I am looking forward to that!!! Right now it is raining hard; it rained hard the night before so I am wondering if monsoon season is here? During July we have a monsoon season where we get rain almost everyday and it comes down pretty heavy. I hope it stops so I can go for a nice walk tonight; it probably will. hehe

Have a very Wonderful WEEKEND

------------------------------------------------------
TLH ~ thank you so much for all your suggestions; I think I will eat light thanks! Mine is a short race and will do protein shake! Great info thank you! haha I love that you get on a machine and outlast the person next to you; you are totally awesome!! Yay for your brother losing 15lbs, that is fabulous!!!

We are humid here too; it is crazy how it feels when we are use to the dry heat (or are you guys more humid)??

APPLETINI ~ I bet you the weight is muscle; I had a friend who was a size 0 but weighed about 10 lbs more than me and she was all muscle! Yay for losing 2 lbs; maybe take your measurements, that is probably what is going on.

DANIELLE ~ thank you for all your great suggestions!!! I love pb sandwiches, yum! I think it will be hot so I might have to stop for water a few times; thank goodness for those water stations. hahaha I know I am going to have to pee a million times before the race; I always have to pee when I am nervous

heehe to funny!!! Yay for your runs woman; you are awesome! Wowzers, you are fast!!!

LISA ~ the DIY wine schools sounds like a blast, yay, I want to go to your school!!!! hehe mmm, cheese, yummy! Sounds deeeeelicious!


KIMI ~ oh no, I am sorry; I hope you feel better soon!

MARCY ~ yum to cheerios and strawberries! Oh I love corn, yum!!!! fellow pearl lover in show me your pearls I posted a few pics if you want to check them out. hehe Oh my 4am is super early; have a wonderful wonderful time with family. Yay for your walks, that is awesome girl; go marcy go!!!!

MISS SHARON ~ wooo hoo for sore arms and an uber workout!!!!

ROD ~ sorry your day was tough, sending you a hug and hoping your leg feels better. Have a wonderful time with friends tonight!!!

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone!Happy Saturday.Yesterday I started the day with a Starbucks small hot chocolate.Marty gets a triple espresso every morning; no wonder he can’t sleep.

Breakfast was my usual cheerios and strawberries, lunch was a whole wheat bun, low fat provolone, a piece of black forest ham and baked lays.I made tacos for supper with 96% lean ground beef.

I watched Gran Torino last night, a good movie but pretty sad.I got up early because Marty is off playing golf.I haven’t heard if the SIL arrived yet but I am sure they did or we would have heard something.We are going to meet at an Italian restaurant at 6 pm tonight for dinner.

Tlh, I would hate to be in the car for 22 to 24 hours.I’d get cranky and sore.We get a marshmallow fondant recipe with course 3 the instructor says tastes great.I tried a bite of regular fondant and didn’t care for it.You can do a lot of things with fondant so I will certainly have fun experimenting.I am glad you are aware of your surroundings, being from a small and used to be safe town I wasn’t very alert to others; but I have since been “schooled” my Marty who is from the D.C. area.Kind of strange that lady is out there to sneak a smoke.

Skippy, how exciting to be picking up your race packet.Woo hoo!Good luck you’re your race.Have fun shopping at Costco; your chicken sounds great.I am sure it will turn out wonderful.I will go check out your new post in the pearls section.

Lisa, the acupuncture sounds kind of awful to me but glad to hear it is helping.This is very interesting the different spots they stick needles in to work on the wrist.I wonder how many they’d have to stick in me to get my knees, my feet, my sinuses and my thumb joints.I’d be a porcupine.LOL.The trip to Florida sounds brutal; good luck going before the wedding.I will post a picture of my daisy cake next week when I get it finished.I will probably make the in-laws cake the following week.I doubt we’ll be eating at the in-laws this weekend since we are going to dinner tomorrow and the SIL’s will be either sleeping or back on the road so soon.

Have a great weekend.

Marcy

 

[lliang_chi]

Morning everyone!!! The wrist was KILLER today. Might have something to do with going out for drinks last night. (A lot of drinking, 3 wines, 3 drinks, 2 shots) After minor fussing around in bed, I got enough shooting pain to wake me up. I"m off to work out with Sis, since there was no point in me sleeping longer. Then my acupuncture appt, thank GOD!

I think I''m seriously going to nix the drinking for at least a few weeks....

The upside is I used my skinny belt and pulled it to the second notch! Rock on!

~Lisa

 

[Skippy123]

Hi Friends; my friend and I walked the course of the race. I am glad we didn''t jog it as the sidewalk were narrow and there was lots of traffic; I am guessing they are going to block off parts of the street or at least that is what I am hoping. It was a nice walk approx 4 mi and we walked a bit further so we would get a 60 min walk in.

Last night my cousins hubby called me to tell me that they are having her 40th bday party tonight (he was late planning it); we have friends coming over so my hubby and I will go over after.

HOPE EVERYONE HAS A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!!!


MARCY ~ my cousin said Gran Torino is so good! Yum to Italian. Oh I did not do a thread for the pearls; I put them in the thread Lorelei started in case you were looking for a thread I started. Have fun with your family tonight!! thanks for cheering me on!!! When is your race?

LISA ~ oh I am so sorry about your wrist; I hope the acupuncture brings you some relief. I once had acupuncture and the cupping; I was having horrible back pain and tried it out. I agree the needles don''t hurt and I also had the little current that they attach to the needles; that was pretty cool!! My sister goes to acupuncture and loves it! Hope you feel better soon!

 

[somethingshiny]

just a fly-by so feel free to ignore.....

More yoga and kiddie pool activities. Unfortunately, I think we were a little too rowdy in the pool. It has a hole.... I think we can fix it though. JT got his first bee sting today. He stepped on it!! But, there doesn''t seem to be a bad reaction so at least that''s good!! For some reason I''ve gained 3 lbs since the last time I weighed myself (maybe 2 weeks ago) and I don''t know why so I can''t fix it. I''m thinking maybe it''s water weight because of giving up soda with caffeine.

Have a great weekend!!!

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone.What a busy day.I had breakfast with the family then went shopping.After Marty was done playing golf we had a drink and lunch at the golf club then wandered around looking for suitcases.Marty’s suitcase got broke on his trip home from Arizona so he’ll need a new one since he is going to be traveling quite a bit the rest of this year.Rats.After we got home I cut off my dead flowers so hopefully they will perk up since we are actually reaching temps in the 80’s now.

Tomorrow is our 18th anniversary.I don’t know if we’ll do anything special since it’s on Monday.Maybe dinner and a movie.

Lisa, sorry to hear your wrist was so bad; I hope it is doing better now.Congratulations for moving in that belt a notch.

Skippy, all right for going out and walking the course.My race is August 8.Of course since I am walking it’s not really a race but still that’s what it’s called.LOL.I will go find Lorelei’s thread and find your pearls.I watched Taken yesterday in between loads of laundry and errands; it was really good too.

Somethingshiny, glad to hear JT didn’t have a reaction to the bee sting.Poor guy getting stung though.

Have a great evening.
Marcy

 

[Rod]

Hey........I''m sorry for being MIA since Thursday night, but things are OK on my sode of the planet. Friday night, we met two dear friends for dinner at the cool place I mentioned in my last post. Dinner was really good. They have the most amazing spinach salad, with hot dressing, bacon and hard boiled egg. It is so so good. I was in the mood for some protein, so I had a small steak, which was a nice treat. Yesterday was a lazy day during the day. Charlie worked till early afternoon, then we went to Nordstrom because we had some Norsdtrom certificates that will expire soon and they''re having the 1/2 Yearly Men''s sale. We really had a difficult time finding anything we wanted. Even on sale, things are so expensive. But, I found a nice Indigo Palms (Tommy Bahama) t-shirt for $19 that fit well and we we got a new cologne since we''re getting low on that. Last night, we wound up having dinner at a coworker of Charlie''s. She and her husband are expecting their first child in a few weeks and he had gone hunting (sorry, but I''m not into hunting), but he, I''m not sure how else to put, killed a pig and they were going to cook some of it on the grill. So we went there for dinner. The dinner was not good. The meat was tough, undercooked (ugh, it was still pink - yikes) and it was very gamy tasting. I ate a very small piece and filled up on chips and salsa instead. The company was fun though............Today was a normal Sunday. We had breakfast on the terrace. My stomack was a bit upset after last night''s dinner, so all I had for lunch was a bowl of soupl and a piece of bread at Panera. I wasn''t really feeling up to going to the gym today. And my leg the last couple days has been absolutely horrendous. But, we went and I pushed really hard and thankfully, it made me feel better. I also pushed my leg hard. It seems if I push it, or don''t push it it doesn''t seem to matter. The pain is there regardless. I actually did some leg work today. We''ll see if I pay a price in higher pain levels. OK.....enough about me.......

Skippy, I''m so proud of you for running your first 5K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can''t wait to hear how GREAT you did!!!

Lisa, I''ll be waiting to hear if your accupuncture sessions offer long term relief. Your first post after the session was encouraging. Then you wrote you were in pain again, so before I make an investment in another type of treatment, I think I''ll see how you do........

I''m glad you found my group discount idea funny tlh!!!! I understand the lady lurking behind the brick wall. I used to be her. Hopefully, she''ll find the strength to beat her addiction. It''s SOOOOO difficult.

Yummmm to Starbucks hot chocolate Marcy. Careful......they''re really loaded with calories........Happy 18th Anniversary to you and Marty!!!

SS, just remember our bodies weight can fluctuate up to 5 pounds from one day to the next, so you may not have gained anything........Sorry J got his first bee bite. The last one I had, was while driving. One had evidently gotten in my car and it bit be on my back, while I was driving. I almost had an accident. I didn''t have a clue what so painful until I was able to pull over........

I hope everyone had a great weekend. And we''re looking forward to hearing about your race when you check in!!!

 

[marcy]

Rod, what a deal finding a Tommy Bahamas shirt for $19.No worries on Starbucks, I like Swiss Miss as well and it’s only 80 calories.

 

[lliang_chi]

Hi Rod, I think I''m a bad example for acupuncture. I did a lot of drinking this weekend, which I"m sure can''t be good for anything, let alone a recovering wrist. I''m going to do a self imposed moratorium on drinking for the next 2 wks and see how the acupuncture helps after that. I''m going back again on Tuesday for my next appt. I''ll keep you updated. To be honest even the one day of relief was so much better than anything I''ve been trying.