Healthier Lifestyle Thread 25th May till 31st May

[Lorelei]

Happy new week all!

I just wanted to touch on the subject of motivation this week. We are all human and sometimes it is easier to stick to our plans than others. If you find it tough going at times, try to make a backup plan of tips that might help you. For example I have a trick I use to get me working out. If I just don''t want to do it I make a deal with myself. I promise that I will do 20 minutes and make myself do it, often then I have a terrific workout for some reason and end up going for my full 45 minutes. It is rare that I actually do only 20 minutes, sometimes the thought of working out can be far worse than actually doing it!

With food try something different. It is easy to feel deprived at times so try to jazz up your healthy choices with a new fancy balsamic vinegar ( great on salads), a little flavourful cheese and especially this time of year make the most of all the fresh fruits and vegetables which are now available. A little change can be a great thing and help keep us on track.

And above all remember to congratulate yourself on all your hard work and effort, it isn''t always easy to stick to our plans and as this is a lifelong journey it is very useful to acquire a '' toolbox'' that we can use of tips and techniques to keep us on track. Sometimes one '' tool'' might not work or fix our concern, in that case try another until you find something that does work.

As always patience, persistance and perseverence wins the race.


Have a great week

 

[bee*]

Great opening as usual Lorelei! Motivation is definitely something that I struggle with as I''m usually really into it at the beginning and then my determination reduces as the weeks go by. I''d say it will definitely be something that I struggle with once the wedding is over.

Today I''m at home studying for my oral exam on Wednesday and then I''m going to go to the gym this evening and do an hours work out and then spin class and then step class. Love Mondays at the gym so I''m looking forward to it. We just had our dinner at lunch time as I won''t be back until nearly 9 this evening so I did fish with salad and D had lots of potatoes with it. Talk to you all later and hope you all have a good week!

 

[Skippy123]

Good Morning; I weighed in at Weight Watchers and I lost 5 lbs over the past two weeks; (I didn't get to weigh in last weekend)!!! I just have 4 lbs to my goal

hehe I am trying to stay focused on my goal because the months Feb, March and April I was just maintaining because I had so many events/gatherings with temptations. Plus summer clothes is a big motivating factor (cute shorter dresses and skirts).

Dinner with my family was nice and my dad was happy to celebrate his bday together. Then I came home and went for a quick walk with hubby, took theraflu and went to bed. I am feeling lots better today. I plan to get some sort of workout in today and I want to go buy a few new tops since they are a bit big so I will do that too.

Our rains stopped like Rod and now we have sunshine

Hope everyone has a great Memorial day!!!!


LORELEI, that happens to me in the winter for sure, I don't like working out because it is dark or cold so I do the deal thing too. I love the summer for working out. hehe woo hoo great opening! I love to add extra sharp cheddar too for extra flavor; great idea on adding flavors to food. I did rice vinegar on my cucumbers and loved it the other day; I do love balsamic too!

BEE, good luck studying, you will do great!!! Wow, that is an uber workout!!!! Yum to fish.

ROD, sorry the leg is bothering you; you poor sweetie. Yay for no more rain and a gorgeous sunny day. LOL about Charlie thinking golf was boring; it looks fun but it seems like it takes forever!! I live by a golf course that is so pretty and has great views but it seems like it takes forever for a group of men to hit the ball to the next spot. I like putt putt though since it is easy to move on the the next put and I am pretty good at it for some reason. lol

MARCY, i love having leftovers for a few days, my hubby doesn't so though. hehe I am now wanting to make a spinach lasagna sometime this week! Some guy came and gave us an estimate for our weeds but I guess I am an overprotective tortoise mom so I am going to pull them like I raked up all our leaves. I just worry someone won't see the little guy and accidentally step on him or something.

He is about 7 inches but is camouflaged. hehe Glad you had a relaxing day and yay for motivating people to walk!

KIMI, I miss you!!!

 

[appletini]

I did my 30 min walk/jog routine and then did Jillian''s 30 day shred part 1. Great workout! I''m supposed to go to the pool later today so that was my motivation.

 

[laurenfischer5]

Ok, this is my first week on the "Healthy Lifestyle Thread" and Im really excited about it. Im not exactly sure how this works but Im sure Ill get the hang of it

A little Background: Im 5'9 ...used to be a size 6/8 early college, now im a 12

and I weight 188 <- my highest weight ever! Ive been very frustrated with my weight. I dont feel like myself at all (Like Im stuck in someone elses body), my clothes are uncomfortable, and I dont even enjoy shopping anymore (*gasp*)

My goal is to get to 155. I know I have a long way to go but with support I know I can do it.

So I ate a Lean Cuisine Pizza for lunch which isnt bad but I also had some plain potato chips

Its ok though... I normally at this point say "well Ive already messed up today so I'll just start over tomorrow" but im not going to do that...I'll start over now

Also I am going to go walking/running today at a track near my house. Normally if I can get myself to exercise then I am more likely to crave healthy stuff

*Also I just watched "27 Dresses" - Katherine Heigel always motivates me..

 

[bee*]

Well I''m back from the gym and so tired! The classes were brilliant-I really love the instructor-her classes are just so good. Just going to have a shower and then do a bit more study. Having an early night as I''m so tired tonight.

Skippy-WWWOOOOHHHHOOOOOOOO-that''s amazing that you lost 5 lbs! You''re so so close to your goal. YAY!! Glad you enjoyed dinner with your family. You deserve a shopping trip when you reach goal!

appletini-glad you had a good workout!

lauren- I know what you''re saying about the weight and being frustrated. I''m the exact same only I''m down over 40 lbs now. I still have another bit to go. Just take it slowly and don''t be frustrated if you eat something bad one day-life is for living as well and so just do your best eating healthy and enjoy treats when you have them.

 

[marcy]

Happy Monday!

I made breakfast (waffles, eggs, bacon) then brewed up my low fat lasagna and have it ready to bake later.We went to see Star Trek (finally) and I loved it.It was great. Yes, I ate a small popcorn, part of a 7-up and a few M&M''s. I came home and soaked my rings and gave them a steam bath as well.

Lorelei, great opener!It is so true that once you start your workout you will usually do more than you planned.I love fresh fruit and veggies so this time of year helps me stay on track food wise.I like your view on keeping many tricks in our tool box to pull out when we need them.I have a question for you on my EC.The table is huge on it; I bet it’s probably at least 80%.The crown height is about 12% (from my measurements) so if I go look for something with a smaller table would the only place I really see more fire is from looking straight down in to the stone? From the side and at an angle it’s a very lively stone but I do see the glassy, big window sometimes from the top (but not always).The store I bought it from rates their stones in makes and this is a 2, their best being 0 which I doubt they have in EC.I might go see if they have a 1 make just to see the difference.For a RHR I don’t know if I want to spend a lot more if it’s not that big of a difference.It could just be that I am used to my RB ering.I will be back in Denver in a few weeks so I just thought I would ask your opinion. Thanks for any tips or thoughts you have on it.

Bee, sounds like you have a lot of workouts planned for today.Good luck on your exam on Wednesday.

Skippy, congratulations on losing 5 pounds.

I am so excited to hear you so close to your goal.

Woo hoo!!!I am glad you are feeling better today.It is chilly here today but the sun is out here too.How sweet you are taking care of your turtle.

Appletini, glad you got in some great workouts today.

Lauren, small work.I watched the end of 27 dresses.It was a great movie.I have on Meet the Parents now.That is a funny show.Good luck on reaching your slow.We often say slow and steady win the race.That is great to hear you didn’t just give up from eating potato chips.Sometimes we all just have to eat some treats.I keep baked Lays around; even Marty likes them.Guilt free chips.Woo hoo!Life is good.

Well, I am off to the treadmill.

Marcy

 

[Rod]

Hey......I hope everyone had a nice Memorial Day! We certianly did. It was a beuatiful day again. We had our usual scone, fresh bowl of fruit and coffee on the terrace. I had a cup of soup from Panera with an egg and sausage english muffin sandwich with coffee at Sbucks for lunch. Then we had a nice long workout at the gym. It's been a while since I did a workout two days in a row. I haven't really done that since my sciatica started, but it didn't really cause any extra pain. My leg still hurts today, but by no means as painfully as it has. We could have gone for Sushi, since it's Monday, but we decided to fix something special at home. So, we got some nice large lobsters, fresh silver queen corn and we made some homemade coleslaw. I steamed the lobsters and they were absolutely fantastic. The corn was so sweet and crackly and the colelslaw was a treat too. For dessert we had frapuccino's at the Sbucks closer to the condo. I haven't had a frap in a looong time and it was such a nice treat. I'm off tomorrow, but I have a dentist and chiropractor appointment back to back in the afternoon.

Great opening as usual Lorelei! What would we do without you starting us off on a positive note?

I hope the studying's going well bee* and I'm glad you had a good session at the gym. The gym can be such a good stress reliever!

WOO HOO for being down 5 lbs Skippy. And only 4 pounds to go to goal? That's awesome girl!!!! I'm glad you all had a good time celebrating your dad's birthday!

Sounds like great motivation Apple!!

I'm glad you've joined us Lauren. Many of us completely transformed our lives with the wonderful support here on the HLT. I completely rebuilt myself and went from 240 lbs and a 42" waist to the low 170s and a 32/33 inch waist. Plus I've built my body to be in the best shape of my life. We usually check in daily and talk about anything we're thinking about. For me, it's like a daily confessional. And the support and caring you'll find here is just the best!! It will be fun to hear how your progressing towards your goal. Just remember, slow and steady wins the race. You'll hear that a lot here and it's true. Marcy is a true inspiration here. Maybe she'll post her "Amazing Shrinking Woman" pictures for you. They are a must see!!

Sounds like a yummy breakfast Marcy! I'm so glad you like Star Trek. I loved it too. And I can't do a movie in a theatre without popcorn. Fortunately, I've never liked butter on my popcorn. Popcorn is just a necessary movie indulgence to me!! You need to post your pics for Lauren, OK?

OK......We're having a thunderstorm at 11 PM. That's kind of odd for Tampa. Our storms are almost always towards the end of the day, not at night. The lightning's pretty intense, so I need to shut down now. Sleep well everyone!

Kimberly........We miss you, wherever you are...........

 

[marcy]

The friends we went to the movie with called and wanted us to go eat at Olive Garden tonight so I am STUFFED now.I honestly didn’t eat that much but had salad, a bread stick and some pasta.I think that popcorn just expanded in my stomach.Glad I am going back to work tomorrow.I baked my lasagna anyway so we will have some for supper tomorrow and have leftovers for lunches later this week.

I did spend some time on the treadmill.It was much too chilly out to go for a walk outside.

Rod, your dinner sounds great.I noticed corn on the cob in the store last night but didn’t buy any.With a week of leftover lasagna ahead of me I figured we had enough starch.I loved the movie.I would go see it again.That’s one movie I’ll by when it comes out on blu ray.Thank you for the kind words about my success but your amazing story (as well as many others here) inspire me to continue striving to improve my health and be more active.I will be taking another picture on May 28th and will post it.I have a pre image from May 2006, then 2 years ago and last year.Once I get it done I will post it.I hope the intense storm passes quickly.I love to watch lightning.Enjoy your day off tomorrow.Rats for spending part of it at dentist and chiropractor.

I best go start getting ready for bed and get my nails painted.That’s the great thing about living in a dry climate; my nail polish is completely dry in 10 to 15 minutes.Of course for someone like me with no patience that can be an eternity.

Marcy

 

[laurenfischer5]

MarcyC, I went and looked last year at your photos. Amazing. You are my inspiration....

 

[lliang_chi]

Hello everyone!!!

I was completely disconnected in Door County, WI this weekend. No phone, no internet. It was maddening. Anyway, the wedding was wonderful. I got to hang out with a fair bit of my friends and it was an all around good time. I went out for tapas with friends and met one of their fiancee for the first time. Very excited for them. So with all the drinking and eating and tapas = high sodium I was MISERABLE on my very short run today. I only ran 2.75 miles and I felt awful. I actually thought to myself: So there''s where the weekend ended up. Bleh!!!

Sis and I are going to start with a personal trainer in June. He''s her boyfriend''s roommate. I told him my goals and he said he gets results, so I''m hoping to get them.

Rod, your Memorial Day sounds wonderful! It was cool and rainy here, about 51F. Booo!!! Not summer at all. Your dinner sounds delish!

Marcy, Low fat lasagna sounds fantastic. I watched Star Trek too. It was great!!!

Bee, awesome on your classes. How''s your oral exams going? Is it this week?

Skip, woo hoo!!! you''re so close to your goal that''s freaking awesome!!!!

Lauren, welcome to the thread!!! Everyone here is quite inspiring and also very helpful on getting you back on track. Just keep posting and talking about how things are going for you.

It''s getting late, I need to walk the pooch. night everyone!!!

 

[marcy]

Thanks Lauren. Some of my old photos stun me anymore. I have one on my sparkpeople page where I had to weigh well over 350 pounds. I was showing it to some of the guys that work for me the other day and they said if I wasn''t telling them it is me; they would never believe it.

Lisa, I am glad you had a great weekend. That is great you found a personal trainer who gets results. June should be fun and rewarding for you. Have you heard anything on your job interviews yet?

I really am heading off to get ready for bed. Karl was giving my tips of getting rid of some stupid Vista popups but sadly they didn''t work.

 

[jcarlylew]

Lorelei - thank you! i do the same thing when i don't want to work out!
This weekend we went camping. and while i'll pride myself for not pigging out, i did pig out on drinks, and once we got home. Back to the gym today!
We did go on a couple walks, and in the blaring heat, im sure worked off a drink or too!

bee - good luck with your exam!

Skippy - congrats to getting so close to your goal! I have WW online, but lately have found it hard to motivate myself to "write" in my food journal. I really think a meeting will help.

Appletini - great motivation! how was the pool?

LaurenF - Welcome aboard! its about my second week here! And its okay if you mess up a little, as long as you take the active steps to "recoup". Any time i do that at home (like eat a huge lunch) i try to use the exercise machines for just 15 minutes longer. this week i will be doing so, for this weekend!!

Marcy- yum! what time is breakfast??

Rod - Wow! what motivation!

Lliang - mm, tapas! I here you on that, i love all food that is sodium, and i feel even worse after eating it. this weekend i did a ton of drinking, so i will be taking it east for the next few weeks!

 

[bee*]

Morning everyone. I got up early today and did an hour of spin and an hour of tone class. Shattered now. Just going to study for the afternoon and then I have to work this evening. I''m doing dinner at lunch time again as I''m in work until 9 so it''s grilled chicken and veg kebabs with a salad. Smells good so far. Hope you all have a good day.

Marcy- glad you had a nice dinner out with your friends. I''m really impatient waiting for my nail polish to dry as well. I always do my nails when I''m watching tv so that I don''t mind having to wait for a bit.

Rod-I love reading what you eat-it always sounds so tasty! Best of luck at your appointments. The gym is definitely a stress reliever.

lliang-glad to hear that you enjoyed the wedding. Sorry to hear about the run though. Getting a personal trainer sounds cool. If he''s anything like the woman I go to he''ll have you getting your goals in no time. My oral exam is tomorrow at lunch time so I''m trying to get some study done for it. I always get so nervous in oral exams so I hope that it''ll go ok.

jcarly-camping sounds great! Thanks for the luck!

Talk to you all this evening!

 

[tlh]

Lorelei - great opener! you are right, sometimes it is a matter of motivation and determination. I also find if I can get to the gym, it is often JUST a matter of getting there... or if I head out on a run, I''ve been soo negative, saying I hate this - because I''m just TIRED of running, and my regimented schedule...But after about 3-4 miles in... the cathartic effect of running, and my peace sets in. Next thing I know I went out and ran 10 miles... but sometimes it takes a little while for me to chill out.

bee* good luck on your exam, and as always, your monday workouts are soo extreme! I love it!!! Wow, you are a machine! You are such an inspiration!

skippy - congrats on your 5 POUND WEIGHT LOSS, that is AWESOME!

appletini - laying by the pool is always a great motivator! Great job getting the workout in!!!

lauren- welcome! I hope you had a nice walk/run, and sometimes it is good to NOT just eat only healthy stuff, but actually schedule in the stuff you enjoy most. If you really love chips, just portion some off and allow yourself to have some every other day or even every day - as long as you are within your calorie range that should be fine. The worst thing is to eat something that should SAVE you calories, but doesn''t satisfy you, so you end up eating a normal lunch anyway. I know I have to be careful w/ those bar "meal replacement" things. They NEVER fill me up. I''ll eat one of those trying to be good... and then 20 minutes later I''m still hungry, and then I go off and eat a whole meal... so that 290 calorie meal replacement bar that tasted like sludge and hot wax, ended up being the worst tasting candy bar I had with my meal.

So i really just try to eat healthy things that I enjoy, and fit them in that way. Glad you found a motivator!!!! I also got some of that post wedding flab on my abs that I''m trying to get rid of!

marcy- your dinner sounded awesome, and I''m glad you enjoyed the show! I also hope your enjoyed your tread-er workout!

Rod - awesome getting back to back workouts in. Also glad your leg wasn''t bothering you as much!

lliang_chi - I know what you are talking about! The saying "you run what you ate YESTERDAY", is sooo true! Amazing what a difference salty food has on your performance ability too. Good luck with the PT! Sounds like it will be interesting and a lot of fun!

jcarly- glad you had fun camping- and enjoyed some walking... even though it was hot. Yeah, gym!!! I hope you enjoyed your workout, and your trip.

My extended weekend guests are heading out today. (Come on and get here JUNE 1st!!!!) So just one more weekend to go until I am free to actually start my diet, and not just "maintain"! THANK GOODNESS, my waistline cannot handle anymore of this! I wanted to start my diet earlier, but my DH wouldn''t let me while I was in the middle of marathon training.. and I agree, that is not really the time to cut calories or possibly sacrifice nutrition... So this weekend, we had guests over to entertain. Me and my DH''s former roommate came into town w/ his new GF- and he wanted to hit every one of his favorite hot spots while he was here... so there was a lot of high sodium meals, and booze, etc. I weighed myself this morning and I know I''ve gained weight but I consumed soo much salt this weekend I''m not sure what is water retention, and what is from extra calories. I do think though that last weekend paired with this weekend, and I''m probably up 3-5 pounds... and that ISNT fluid retention.

So, not to be a negative nelly, since I did CHOSE to celebrate with my guests, and I did CHOSE to eat and drink in excess... I did have a nice 5k on Saturday morning - I chose to replace one of my regular runs with a race, and just take it easy (ie not run a race pace), and it was a lot of fun! I forgot my ipod, the weather was hot, since the race started late, and my polar HRM decided to stop working a minute and a half after the gun went off. So even though it wasn''t perfect conditions, I still set out and accomplished my goal... which was enjoying my body - and the time I was out there. I also chose to not drink on Sunday night, so that I could get up extra early on Monday,and go to the gym. I was still sore from running the hills of the 5K - and my calf was super tight... so I just hopped off the treadmill after 10 minutes or so, and did the elyptical on level 10 for 30 minutes. THAT KILLED ME... Trying to maintain 200+ rotations on that resistance level had me sweating bullets. I know I looked nasty, but I was trying to work just as hard as I would running, and not have the pounding. So... it was a good weekend overall. This week I''ll try to maintain my focus before this weekend - when I''ll be eating, drinking, and celebrating... most likely in excess...

For breakfast (5am) I made a protein shake. I wanted to save some calories on it because I was still full from all the beer, margaritas, rum-eritas, chips, mexican food, pizza, etc from the weekend - but I wanted breakfast, so I replaced the milk with water and wow, what a flavor diff that was (as in lack of). I''ve also packed some berries to have at midmorning (8am) that I am enjoying currently, and I will enjoy some veggies before lunch(11am). I will also be preparing a lime-shrimp salad for dinner... YUMM!

I hope everyone has a great week!!!!

 

[Skippy123]

Hi friends, I went for a 3.5 mile walk this morning.

I have a cough so I think I will just be walking this week. Thanks for the kudos on the weight loss; I am hoping to stay motivated to lose these last few lbs.

Sounds like everyone had a great weekend! I went shopping and bought 3 tops; I ended up taking a nap after the shopping. I was just wore out; I forgot how much I do NOT like the mall. hehe

I will be fixing myself a boca burger on a Western bagel with a slice of avocado for lunch and a side salad. hehe

Dinner will probably be a chicken, white bean veggie soup.

Have a great day fabulous Healthy Lifestyle gang

APPLE, kudos on the workout!

LAUREN, you can lose those 15 lbs, just maybe make switches from chips to Healthy Pop popcorn and maybe up your carrots, salads, veggies a bit and throw in a walk like you are doing! hehe It is hard at first but then you will get use to it. You can do it!!! Glad you joined us! I loved that movie!

BEE, aww, thanks friend; you are a great encourager!! Yay for a kick butt awesome class at the gym!!!! Woo!

MARCY, sounds like a good breakfast. Star Trek is great huh?! I loved it! Thanks for the kudos; I am excited too to be so close! I bet you are loving your new bling!!! I love the garden fare at Olive Garden; they are pretty tasty for the calories. hehe

ROD, yum to lobster; I am jealous! hehe Glad you had 2 great workouts in a row. Have a good day off!!!! thanks for the kudos friend; I am excited to be so close to goal, thanks!!

LISA, aw, sounds like you had a fabulous time at the wedding!!! YIPPEEE for your 2.75 mi run you are awesome; sorry you felt awful. Yay for getting a PT! thanks for the kudos; I am excited!

JCARLY, how fun to go camping!!! did your roast marshmallows? hehe yay for some walks, sorry it was hot.

TLH, woo hooo superwoman with your hill run and the killer elliptical workout!!!

Sounds like a fun weekend!!! thanks for the kudos! Wowzers for running 10 miles; you are fabulous! I understand where you are coming from by not liking getting too much salt in. I try to do the same; I bet you had water weight gain. You will be back to your regular weight in now time; you do those fab workouts!!!

 

[appletini]

Coworker #2 and I did the 30 day shred part 1 in the gym during lunch today. I''m planning to do more exercise when I get home...either walk/jog or an exercise video depending on the weather.

 

[Elmorton]

Well, I''ve officially lost 10 lbs, but it''s because I have the flu.

 

[lliang_chi]

Bummer, didn''t get that position. I feel like I wasted a whole bunch of time between all the going back and forth. Hope everyone else has a good Tuesday

~Lisa

 

[tlh]

skippy - your shopping sounds fun!

appletini- your workout during lunch is awesome! I hope you workout tonight is just as beneficial!

elmorton - sorry to hear that you aren''t feeling well, but congrats on the 10 pound drop! Sometimes the only good thing about getting sick, is when you''re better you''re suddenly slimmer! (Just looking on the bright side!)

lliang_chi -

I''m sorry to hear that you didn''t get the position. I''d just take the valuable interviewing experience you got from it. You know what they say... you should always interview every 6mos -1yr just to keep your skills sharp, and your resume up to date... even when you''re not looking.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Tuesday kids!

Have been bad about checking in but good about working out every day! On the food front... well... let''s not go there. I''ve been out a dozen times lately, and then last night the XHH and I went out for his birthday. Topped off, of course, by a GIANT piece of chocolate cake. Ack!

So here''s something I can''t belive I''m saying: I think I may have to accept that my happy weight range is 125-130. Seriously, I can maintain this with pretty much no problem, and I''m a 2 so it''s not like I am wandering the streets in a mu-mu, so maybe that 115-120 thing is a bit, shall we say, unrealistic. I mean, I think *physically* I could get there, but I would probably be rather unhappy, so this could be it. Stay tuned. Will ponder that some more, but I thought I''d throw it out there...

Gotta hop; have people coming over, um, five minutes ago (!), but I''ll be back later!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Dee*Jay, from someone who has seen you recently, I think you look AMAZING! You look fit, healthy and thin. So even if your happy weight is not the ideal number you have in your head remember life is more than just being in a size 0. You like good food, fine wine, and there is NOTHING wrong with that.

Lor, I agree motivation is half the battle. My workout buddy was out of town last week and I was so proud of myself that I did not miss a class! So my regular seems to be 3 hours of cardio and 1 hour of pilates a week. That is not counting any walks b/c I cannot rely on those (busy, rain, fussy baby, etc...) I would like to work in another gym trip during the weekend but it is trickier since there is no child watch.

bee, you do three hours of workout when you go to the gym? You and Rod are in a class of your own. Good luck with your exam.

skippy, that is AMAZING!

Lauren, welcome! The support here is awesome. I know it will help you!

marcy, breakfast sounds yummy! Hope you had a great workout.

Rod, sorry your leg still hurts. Hope your appointments well well today.

lliang, glad the weekend went well! Sorry you didn''t get the job.

jcarly, sounds like you have good will power! Vacations really do me in.

tlh, you''ll lose it. Sometimes you have to indulge.

El, awesome on losing 10 lbs! Sucks you are sick! Hope you feel better soon.

So I have been working out which is great but had a week of some intense stress eating. So I gained back the few lbs I lost from my initial stress nausea. Haha. Oh well.

 

[Rod]

Hey.....It was my last day off. Day 5 of 5. Why is it when you want time to fly, it goes at a snails pace, but when you want time to go slowly, it fly''s by? Huh??? Tell me!!! It was a beautiful morning. Charlie didn''t have to be at work till noon, so we had a nice bowl of fresh fruit and a cup of coffee. I had a bagel and turkey sandwich at Panera for lunch and wound up sitting with a friend from Starbucks. My afternoon didn''t turn out quite as planned. I got to the dentist early. Good. They kept me waiting. Not good. Turns out they had me scheduled for a more complete dental checkup. That''s not a bad thing. But what was bad, they neglected to tell me, I''ve maxed out on my dental insurance for such an exam and I would have had to shell out over $300, which I just wasn''t willing to do. And they knew this in advance and they could have called me to tell me. To make matters worse, they rescheduled my cleaning for much later, which would have meant I would have missed my chiropractor appointment (which to me is more important). So, I just left the dentist and they''ll have to find me a new appointment and I went to the chiropractor instead. He tried a different approach this afternoon and it really seems to have provided some relief! I''m going back Thursday after work to see him again. I had left over baked chicken for dinner and just watched some TV, with Sakai wrapped around my neck.

Marcy the storm lasted till after midnight last night. The lightning and thunder were quite amazing. I''m not sure if you know this, but Tampa, is the Lightning capital of North America. The seabreezed converge late in the day over Tampa and we get more lighting than anywhere else in the land. We do get some pretty amazing storms and it''s really something to see the strreaks of light from our balcony overlooking Tampa Bay. I''m looking forward to seeing the next in the seires of the "Amazing Shrinking Woman!" I actually found a picture recently of me in my fat days and I''ll post it one of these evenings. I can hardly imagine being as large as I was.

Lauren, Marcy is an amazing inspiration to us all!

Lisa, I''m so sorry you didn''t get the job. It just means something better''s just around the corner for you!! I''m glad you had fun with your friends in WI!! You''ll be back on track now that you''re home. Sorry that it''s still so cool up there.......

jcarly, it''s ok to pig out once in a while! I hope you enjoyed your camping weekend a lot! Thanks for the kudos too.

bee*, I''m glad your still fitting fitness in between work and studying for your exams. That takes a lot of dedication!! Dinner-Lunch sounded delish and healthy!

tlh, you''re right. Sometimes I don''t want to go to the gym. But once I''m there, I get going and am so grateful I pushed myself. Maybe I''ve turned a corner on the awful pain I''ve been experiencing with my leg. At least I hope I have. I had a protein shake with water instead of milk once and just didn''t like it at all. We only use fat free mile to begin with, so it''s not fattening to begin with. Plus the calcium is good for your bones.........

With a cough still, it''s probably best you don''t run Skippy. It does sound like you''re feeling better though. I''m not a big fan of the mall either. I just prefer to get in, get what I want and leave. I''m not a window shopper that''s for sure. Continue to feel better dear friend.......

Hey apple!

I''m sorry you have the flu Elmorton. That''s certainly not the way one wants to lose 10 pounds. Feel better soon........

DeeJay, please wish Bill a Happy Birthday from the two of us!

At least youre working out Tacori! I hope whatever''s causing the stress leaves you soon. Take care, OK?

Charlie''s off tomorrow night, so I''m having dinner at home with him. I''ll do the gym Thursday night. See you tomorrow.

 

[marcy]

Hi.We had some of the lasagna for supper.That stuff tastes great for the amount of calories it is.I had one small piece of bread toasted with it.I made Marty some garlic bread with lots of butter on his.We tried the new Slow Churned Smores.It wasn’t bad.I don’t think I will buy it again but it was okay.

I walked on the treadmill again tonight.

Jcarly, sounds like you had fun camping.We usually have one good breakfast on the weekends.

Bee, yay for getting up early and getting in some great workouts.I usually smear at least one of my nails because I start doing something.

Tlh, wow for running 10 miles.That is awesome.Glad you had fun with your guests.

Skippy, that is great you had a long walk this morning.I hope your cough gets better.I love the low fat dressing at Olive Garden.It’s tastes pretty much the same as the regular.

Appletini, I hope you had another great workout tonight.

Elmorton, sorry to hear you have the flu.Feel better.That is a very awful way to lose weight.

Lisa, I hated to hear you didn’t get the position.I know the perfect job is out there for you though.

DeeJay, maybe your body has found its happy weight.A size 2 is very cool.

Tacori, great new picture of Tessa.Hate to hear you have been stressed.I hope things are better for you.

Rod, I bet you loved having that many days off at work.That stinks about the dentist but glad you just when on to the chiropractor anyway and that he tried something new and helpful.The lightning storms there sound amazing.I am sure watching them over the water is awesome.I will look forward to your picture.

Take care.

Marcy

 

[babysteps]

Hi everyone! Sorry to be late checking in this week - it is moving week for us so it is a little crazier than usual. Sunday I hit my first BodyPump class, Monday I was ''off'' but on my feet ALL day in Shenzen for a full-on shopping bout; Tuesday I did Spin Class and lifted; and today I lifted with the trainer (3 full circuits today, it was a toughie!) I have tried to eat very well the last few days as I am going for a Girls Night Out dinner in honor of my move and I plan to eat and drink without guilt and really enjoy it !

Lorelei - I do the same thing! If I really can''t motivate, I tell myself to just put on my exercise clothes and shoes and do 20 min. - and then if I really still want to I can pack it in. But as is true for so many things, a lot of it IS just showing up and once I am there I usually have a pretty good workout.

Skippy - YEA for you! 5 lbs is awesome and you are so close to your goal - that is wonderful!!!

Feel better soon Skippy from your cough!

Bee* - you are amazing getting so many double (and triple) workouts - wow!! It is inspiring to me that you manage to juggle it all amidst wedding plans and exams - yay for you!

Appletini - you are being so consistent with working out; I am going to try the Jillian DVDs when I get back to the US!

Lauren - this is a great group, welcome! I have so enjoyed being here the last few weeks. Try to break things down into smaller goals if that helps - I found it too daunting to think ''I need to lose 25 lbs'' which I did, but it just felt less intimidating to break it down into 5 lb jumps - good luck and you will get lots of support here!

Marcy - you are so inspiring, and I can''t wait to see your newest photo at the end of this month!!

Has Marty spent much time in HK? Let me know if he wants any suggestions for restaurants, etc. - and tell him it is HUMID right now! I am jealous of your dry weather it took my nail polish a full 40 min. to dry last night!

Rod - so glad that the chiro gave you a good adjustment, I hope you are continuing to get more relief over time! That is a pain about the dentist - so unnecessary to have it be such a scramble for you. I lived in Tampa one summer during college - I used to love the thunderstorms every afternoon and then the glorious sunsets - so beautiful.

Lisa - I am bummed you didn''t get the position you were looking at - continued job dust blowing your way! I''m glad the wedding was a lot of fun, and the new trainer will be fun in June - it is always motivating to work out with someone new, it feels fresh and I always learn so much.

jcarlylew - remember, walks/camping/etc. - all great activities, it doesn''t have to be in the gym to count! hope you''re having a good week

tlh - great thoughts in your post about the meal replacement stuff - I have found them to be really unsatisfying too and have decided to only keep one or two around for true emergencies (running out the door and have nothing else) - otherwise I have found something like baby carrot/hummus or cut up apple/almond butter to be much more satisfying and LESS calories and better nutrition! I have started to make them in the morning in Tupperware little round containers for me when I make the kids lunches so I have a grab & go. Try not to weigh yourself when you know you have had salty stuff it is so demoralizing and not a true weight at all!

Elmorton - hugs to you for having the flu!

feel better soon!

Dee*Jay - you sound like you are in fabulous shape and you are SO incredibly healthy with your workouts, yay for you for deciding on a ''happy weight'' - if you can be a size 2 and eat without feeling restricted/miserable, I think 125-130 sounds fabulous and I am sure you look amazing.

p.s. I feel like a dolt but what''s a bridge? I am not sure I could 100 of ANYTHING!

Tacori - what a great shot of T. in your avatar! It is a great photo - I miss having a toddler, life is just one huge adventure to them every moment (I have a shot of my twins at 2 in diapers trying to drink from the hose, it still cracks me up!) Hurray for you for sticking to your workouts without a buddy - 3 hours of cardio is so great! Pilates is so good for you - I wish I could find the discipline to do some of the basics on my own but it is so much better within the structure of a class!

A big hug to all, and have a great rest of the week!

 

[bee*]

Morning! I''m up early again to go to step aerobics and then I have to go to college for my oral exam. Dreading it! I have that sick feeling in my tummy already. I have to go to work then after it so it''s a busy day today.

tlh-thank you! I don''t think I deserve inspiration status! I just like the classes! Sorry to hear that you''ve put on a bit but you might as well enjoy yourself when you have friends visiting and then you can diet when they go.

Skippy-sorry to hear that you have a cough. I''m still cheering you on for those last 4 lbs!! GO SKIPPY!!

appletini-that''s great that you have a coworker that you can exercise with!

El-yay for the 10 lbs but sorry to hear about the flu

lliang-I''m so sorry to hear that you didn''t get the position. Hope you''re ok.

Dee*Jay-glad to hear that you''re working out every day! I think that if you can maintain 125-130 easily enough then I''d try and stick with that. There''s not much point in being smaller but miserable.

Tacori-I do three hours three times a week and two hours the rest. Sorry to hear that you are still stressed!

Rod-that sucks about your dentist-they definitely should have rang you. $300 is a lot of cash. Yay for finding some relief in the chiropracters.

Marcy-lol my nails never look perfect after I do them either. I just hate not being able to touch anything. I went to my mam''s house to collect Amber last night and she had lasagna made so I had a bit of it. I love lasagna!

babysteps-enjoy your girls night and best of luck with the move!

Talk to you all tonight!

 

[jcarlylew]

morning everyone! I never made it to the gym yesterday

. My foot/ankle started to hurt by the time i was ready to walk to the store and so E and i put a kibosh on walking, and exercising. I hope to get back to it today! i spent all night icing my foot.

 

[jcarlylew]

morning everyone! I never made it to the gym yesterday

. My foot/ankle started to hurt by the time i was ready to walk to the store and so E and i put a kibosh on walking, and exercising. I hope to get back to it today! i spent all night icing my foot.

 

[geckodani]

Hi folks! Sorry I've been MIA - it was an INSANE week and weekend! We adopted a dog on Saturday, only to get home and have me break out in hives!

I was completely devastated. Poor critter, it wasn't his fault, and we had to take him back, which was a mess.

Which made me a mess.

I'm up a bit this week, but I'm also retaining water so badly right now that I could barely get my rings on, so I'm hoping that is most of it! I did go into an emotional overeating mode because of the dog, but managed to snap myself out of it.

Lorelie - Great opener, as always!

Skippy - Congrats on the loss my friend!

laurenfischer - Welcome! And I recognize that ring in your avatar!

Hi bee - I hope the rest of your exams went well!

Rod - Your meals always sound fabulous!

lliang - I go crazy with no internet! Don't know how you did it!

Elmorton - gratz on the loss and ugh on the flu!

Feel better!

Everyone I missed!

ETA: jcarly- I'm sorry about your foot! I HATE it when that happens!

 

[marcy]

Babysteps, my husband would love ideas for restaurants - he likes pretty much any type of food. He firgured it would be humid but I will tell him for sure; he is going to buy some thin t-shirts to wear under all his shirts. It is his first trip to HK. Thanks for offering.

Have a great day everyone!

I will reply to everyone tonight.