Healthier LIfestyle Thread May3-9 2010

[lliang_chi]

Hey everyone!!

Sis and I went to our *first* Zumba class today. It was a free class at Lululemon (did you know it was pronounced Lulu-lemon, like the fruit?) so we figure, eh, might as well. It was FUN!!!! It''s a really fun workout and some pretty decent cardio. i was *sweating* but it being warm in there probably helped me getting sweaty. What can I say, I''m a sweat-er. I think I''ll incorporate it into a cross training regimen, not every week but probably every few weeks or so.

Pinki, glad you could check in. I hope work dials back a bit. Hooray for summer casual dress code!!! I love cute summer clothes!!! Aw, so wonderful about the compliments on the wedding invites. I always like to send an email to the bride/whomever that the invites look so nice. Couples (brides) put a lot of thought (and work) into them sometimes. Wii FIT!!! AWWWW!!!! happy birthday!!! I *love* CSAs!!! My sis and I used to do them ALL the time! Let me know if you need help coming up with recipes to make the veggies. I agree with you, I spend at leasat $30 on groceries (at the store, not even a Farmers market), so a CSA is a no-brainer for me.

Starset, are you going to start running on the track? That''s great! There''s a track somewhere here in the city that my neighbor suggested to use for marathon training. I need to go exploring and find it....

Dragon, feel better friend!!! I''m glad SO''s ear is better.

Bella, Yay, CSAs! See my note to Pink about recipes. Sis and I have been doing them for like 3-4 yrs or something. I *heart* bubble tea too!!!

Sharon, Bummer the weather has been crappy. Hoping some sunshine finds its way over to ya!

Deejay, WOW!!!! WILL POWER!!!! I totally caved on my resolve, had a glass of wine with dinner tonight. Feast (in Wicker Park) has a special Prix Fixe menu, $25 for two courses and 1 glass of house white/red wine. There went my short term goal about only drinking on the weekends...

Will try again and will try to be successful next week. Plant ranunculus in your window boxes! I finally did this year and totally don''t regret it. It''s al ittle pricier at HD ($4/pot) but you don''t need much and it looks SOOO NICE!!!

BEACH!! Zumba is definitely a lot of side to side movements, so it''d be a good cross training thing since running is a lot of forward-backward movement. Hm, great tip about running cadence. I''ll have to do that. Mmmm... the post-race BBQ sounds fantastic! I love it when there''s a big fun party after races.

Maevie, great job on the exercise.

Deegee, OUCH OUCH OUCH!!!! hope your pinky heals quickly!!!!

Marcy, YAY girls'' night!!! We were supposed to have one with the Zumba thing but it ended up being just me and sis. Which is fine and I love hanging out with her anyway. Glad today was a good day for you. I''m with you about wishing farmers market season would get here already! I''m *so* jealous of the warmer climate areas where there''s Farmers markets during Easter. Can you *imagine* that??? Farm fresh produce on *EASTER*. Although I''m pretty sure WY is worse than Chicago winter-wise but I can pine with you ^_^

Yikes! Midnight!!! How did that happen?
G''nite!!
~Lisa

 

[Bella_mezzo]

So, I got Pinkberry on the way home anyway last night

but we did eat salads for dinner (I also ate a bunch of graham crackers though

but I guess we''ll jsut call it a small step in the right direction, plus I packed my lunch today

I am exhausted (in finals and swamped at work) but the light is at the end of the tunnel and by Monday I should be in a much better place

Then the exercise can start and I''ll have more time to cook, and mroe time to sleep, and more time with DH...I cna''t wait.

 

[PumpkinPie]

I am so frustrated with myself - I just can''t get off the chocolate-binging again.. Anytime I feel frustrated by anything, my first reaction is chocolate.. even at 9:30 in the morning!
grrr.. off to work now anyway - I have a very full client load today so I won''t be bored at least

 

[canuk-gal]

Howdy gang:

No formal exercise today or tomorrow--or weekend for that matter! Next week back on track.

BR--I don''t do any "althalons" b/c I''d probably be terrible at it--especially the running bit. I am not dedicated enough for a timed event--that is ironic given how earnestly I appear to "train"....

.

Keep well folks!

cheers--Sharon

 

[lilyfoot]

Hey everyone

I finally gave in, and joined Weight Watchers. I signed up for the 7-day free trial, to make sure I like it before I shell out $54 for the 3-month "savings plan".

My husband is downloading the iPhone app as well for me right now. I've never been one for tracking food, but if it's super easy, I should be ok!

I don't have a specific goal in mind, I just know I'm not happy with how I'm currently looking .. it's not a lot of weight, but it's a big difference for me, compared to what I looked like before the extra weight.

I hope everyone else is doing good this week, I'm looking forward to posting in here more often!

 

[BeachRunner]

Hey all! Almost Friday!

I had a busy day at work. I had a delish salad w/ chicken breast, red pepper, half an egg, mushrooms, carrots, and romaine lettuce. I''ve started to eat oatmeal every morning instead of cereal. I also add a scoop of protein and a tsp of sugar. It''s pretty good. My protein is chocolate, so the end result is pretty good. Hubs made tacos for lunch, so I had leftovers for dinner. I did about 3 miles and some weights. I''m ready for the weekend!

deegee- Ouch! I hope your little finger feels better soon.

Marcy- I miss girl''s night out. I haven''t met many girlfriends in Denver. Sounds like you had a wonderful time! You deserved it!


lisa- I know! I need to add another cardio activity into my routine. I''ve heard Zumba is really fun! I want to start doing yoga and some pool exercises when ours opens. We used to have bikes in WV, but had to sell them. I miss my bike

Oh, and I can''t believe you stay up until midnight! You are a trooper. I''m asleep on the couch by 10:30pm.

bella- What is pinkberry

I''ve heard of it, but don''t really know what it is. My SIL lives in Hoboken, and just raves about all the great food she gets in the city. Makes me jealous!

Maevie- Instead of reaching for the chocolate, try water, a mint, or some gum? But, don''t beat yourself up too much about some chocolate. Every woman is allowed some chocolate!

Sharon- Enjoy your break from exercise. After my race next weekend, I can''t wait to just relax for a minute! IMO, the great thing about races is that you are racing the clock. I go into races knowing I''m not going to win. I set a goal for ME, and push myself to meet that goal. I think it''s completely individualized and such an awesome feeling of accomplishment. But, you are totally not the first person to tell me that. To each their own. We all have different goals in our lifestyles which is evident of this weeks thread! Have a great weekend!

lily- I''ve heard great things about WW, and some of our ladies on this thread have had great success w/ that program. I''m sure they will chime in w/ their experiences. I''m sure after your initial weigh-in consultation, you''ll have a better idea of some goals. Welcome and enjoy WW!

 

[lliang_chi]

Hey everyone!!!

Today was a quick gym day. I was supposed to meet Sis but 1) I was making to dinner (which still wasn''t ready when I got home). And 2) She sneaked an earlier PT session so she was done at 7 instead of 7:30PM. So I went with James. Did weights: squats, attempts at pull-ups then negatives, incline bench, flat bench fly, single leg dead lift on discs, v-sits/v-ups, tricep rope thing, bicep curls. Then hit a steam and called it a night.

I wanted to make galumpkis (stuffed cabbage) for dinner tonight, but it wasn''t done in time. So we just had leftovers, and will probably have it for dinner tomorrow. James really like them so I borrowed Sis''s bigger crockpot to make enough for him to eat heart''s content AND I''ll still have some left for the crocker exchange. We''ll see if it''s enough. Who knows...

Bella, aw Pinkberry! Seeing pinkberry reminds me of Marcy''s pinkberry, which is actually a pink Blackberry. But cuteness! Yay salad. What''s for lunch tomorrow?

Maevie, don''t get frustrated!!! Hm, maybe you can try chocolate tea. It''s not SUPER chocolate-y but it has a chocolate flavor and it''s tea, so it''s kinda good for you. I have mindless reactions to nosh, so what chocolate is to you, all normal (mostly savory) food is to me.

Sharon, it always sounds like you''re training for an "athlon" with all your workouts. Hee hee, Hope you enjoy your little break. Sometimes it helps to get you refreshed to start over again.

Lily, big step for WW! A lot of people had really good results with it. Deegee can give you her story.

Beach, I''m totally ready for the weekend too! Have you tried steel cut oats? I love oatmeal and they say taht''s the best form of oatmeal. (excuse the improper caps, the dog is demanding pets so i''m only typig w/ my right hand) sad you had to sell your bikes.

I got home late last night. Usually I try to get to bed by 11 or 11:30. (Yay, got my other hand back)

That''s all for me. We''re going to try to get to bed early so we can do a 5AM workout at the gym. James wants to work out in the AM, but doesn''t want to drive home from work, so I''m going with him and will drive the car back home.

That''s it for me tonight!

~Lisa

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone. It is almost Friday. Yippee!

I stopped by my parents house after work then picked up a kid’s hamburger meal for supper. I got ketchup all over the floor and my wring. I cleaned my wring first. Naturally.

Lisa, that is great you and your sister enjoyed your first zumba class. Yes, our farmer’s market starts in late June and ends in early September. I am looking forward to it. It’s a good way to get out for a walk plus get some great produce. That is nice you like to hang out with your sister. Have fun at the gym in the morning.

Bella, good luck on your finals.

Maevie, can you get by with just one piece of chocolate and save it for evening? That is kind of how I worked out my slow churned ice cream – was my treat for making it through the day. Or if you work it in to your calories (whatever you eat) then no sense beating yourself up over it. I quickly found out if I stuck to my calorie range and ate something I wanted – being hungry for something I wanted wasn’t worth it. Just ideas for what worked for me anyway.

Sharon, enjoy a few days off from exercise. You are always so diligent at working out.

Lilyfoot, I hope you find you like ww. I hear the app for the phone is great. I’ll look forward to hearing more from you.

Beach Runner, I wish I liked oatmeal for BF; it is so filling. I usually eat cheerios and fruit. I am sure the longer you are in Denver the more friends you’ll meet. I don’t go out with the girls very often at all but I should.

Laters,
Marcy

 

[Erin]

It''s the little choices, right? I had golf league last night - first of 16 weeks. I switched from Miller Lite (97 calories) to Bud Select 55. Last year I would have had dinner in the clubhouse after the match and my new rule is not to. So... I still went over on my calories yesterday, but I probably saved 400 over what my normal golf night entails.

For breakfast I ate an english muffin with a little butter, diced peaches, cinnamon and nutmeg - hoping to get like a peach cobbler taste. Yeah - not so much. It was just okay.

 

[pinki]

Still a crazy week so again, no personal HI''s but I think about you all daily!

Weight is holding again...stuck at 168. Yesterday was Body Pump and after work some Wii Fit. Today was cardio and abs class. Last night I Made Kyle a chicken breast and myself a talapia fillet (he won''t eat fish), and then just made a topping of random things I had in the fridge. I sautee''d herbs and onion, fresh mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, garlic paste and then a very large splash of white wine to top the meats. Then I just made some frozen peas.

Fred also got a bowl of peas. Weirdest dog ever, loves his veggies. His ears are healing well - thanks for all the good luck on that one. I was overly nervous because last year he had gotten a bee sting on his leg which got infected and turned into a $3K operation. Then two months later he had a skin rash from the grass and in October an ear infection. You can understand why I don''t need any more vet bills. Especially when he needs double what other dogs need due to his size. Adds up!

I had my annual yesterday and met with my Dr. on TTC. She walked me through all the in''s and out''s of knowing when I''m ovulating and gave me a big bag of prenatal vitamins. I was driving home and laughing to myself because I''ve worked so hard through the years to avoid pregnancy...now I''m learning to how to get pregnant. It really messes with your brain!!!! Talk about irony.

I hope all you mother''s have an amazing Mother''s day, everyone be safe and have fun!

Cj

 

[dragonfly411]

HI all
I''ve been off and on all week. I did crunches and yoga on Wed and yesterday I went to the gym and did 40 mins on the elliptical. I''m just still really worn from this weekend and from being sick.

TGIF

Maevie - maybe you should set aside a set amount of chocolate to allow? Like, I''ll let myself have 1oz of chocolate every day. I make a point of it b/c A) dark chocolate is heart healthy and b) it satisfies my sweet tooth...

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Friday kids!

Did an hour on the bike today and two hard sets of arms. Have been eating well today too, but trying to decide if I''m going out tonight or not, so we''ll see how that ends up! *Could* stay in and hang the picture above the couch and eat something healthy, but not sure that sounds like so much fun... !

Hope everyone is having a great end of the week, and see you all tomorrow!

 

[PumpkinPie]

Thanks everyone for the support - I used to be able to have just one piece of dark chocolate per day.. but for some reason, it's not working lately. Instead I have one piece, and then another, and another etc I am hoping to get back to that though eventually.

here's my post for the day.. just finished an hour of cleaning the floors and other housework and am about to do the elliptical!


breakfast: whole wheat bread with margarine, crystal light
snack: a few pecans
lunch: piece of pizza, 2 bread sticks, small amounts of Caesar salad and pasta salad, carrots, cucumber (darn colleagues wanting to go out for Pizza Hut for lunch - it's a Friday tradition and there are only 4 of us in the office so I can't really refuse.. and I'm new there so trying to be friendly)
snack: small piece of chocolate cake, apple
supper: whole wheat bread with goat cheese.. (mm.. I LOVE goat cheese)
snack: strawberries, small piece of dark chocolate

exercise:
20 minute walk
45 minute elliptical

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone. I am glad it’s Friday evening – Marty is almost home and it’s the weekend.

Starset Princess, good for you going for the less calorie beer. Rats that your peach E muffin didn’t taste like peach cobbler. It is always worth experimenting though.

Pinki, sorry you’ve had so many vet bills this past year. Glad to hear your dog’s ear is doing better. That is ironic you worked hard not to get pregnant and now you are TTC. Good luck.

Dragonfly, I hope you get rested up this weekend. It’s rough after being stick.

DeeJay, yay for a great workout. Hope you had a great evening no matter what you decided to do.

Maevie, I love to get the house clean on Friday night. It makes it so nice to not worry about it on Saturday or Sunday.

Have a great weekend.
Marcy

 

[Dee*Jay]

Saturday!!! Did another hour on the bike this morning. Honestly, I feel so good today after doing it yesterday that maybe that''s the ticket!

I broke down last night and ordered a new ipod. I lost my shuffle somewhere along the way and now they''ve changed it so I had to buy one off of Amazon. Hopefully it will come soon. I have plenty of entertainment working out on the weekends because of all the people there, but during the week it''s pretty quite.

OK, off to shower and then today is "Errandsfest 2010"!!! Have a good weekend all!

 

[lliang_chi]

Hey everyone!

It''s Saturday!!! I''m in FL visiting my dad. He''s back from China for a while. I still need to book his ticket back over there, but haven''t yet. I''m half happy, half dreading this trip, but it''s good to see my dad. And GREAT to see my brother. My cousins are all home from college, maybe we''ll go out for a movie tonight.

good to hear everyone''s doing so well.

Pink, don''t get discouraged with the scale not moving. I''m sure you''re feeling non-scale results from your healthy habits. YOu should focus on that. The pounds will come after your body readjusts. Oh also try mixing up your exercise for 4-6 wks. My trainer said the human body can adapt pretty easily of you continue doing the same workout routine.

Marcy, yes we enjoyed our first Zumba class. Man I thought Chicago''s farmers'' market season was short, it''s just a hair longer than yours. I love fresh veggies etc. Mmmm...

Starset, great job on reining in golf night. I never played golf but it sure looks fun. Nice try on the peach cobbler substitution.

Dragon, hope you''re getting better.

Deejay, Awesome workouts!

Maevie, we''re all here supporting you.

~Lisa

 

[BeachRunner]

Happy weekend!
It''s my taper week! Eek! I ran about 7 miles today and felt good. I got a coupon for 20% at a local running store after registering for my race. I''m going to buy myself a new pair of running shoes as my current shoes don''t have a lot left in them. Tonight I''ll veg out and tomorrow it''s shopping day. Hubs wants a new pair of shoes so we''ll shop for them.

Lisa- You cook a lot, huh? I''ve never tried steel cut oats as I just eat quick oats. I''ll have to google em! I hope you are enjoying FL and your family! sounds like a great time! Does your Dad live in China? (sounds like it, right?)

Marcy- You clean by priority, right? Must keep those diamonds sparkly! Hubs doesn''t like oatmeal either. It IS filling!

Starset- It IS about the little choices and you cut your "extra calories" by half! I can''t drink Miller or Bud. My husband is a complete beer snob. While I''m not a beer drinker, I''ll get a local craft beer, primarily a berry wheat beer. My staple is the dirty vodka martini.

pinki- I know! I read the TTC and preggo threads; their lingo is so confusing! LOL. It is totally interesting though. Good luck and have fun!

When''s the big wedding day??

dragon- Hope you are getting your energy back!

deejay- Going out always entails eating/drinking more than one should. Oh well, as long as you don''t do it frequently! I recently got a new ipod and kind of want a shuffle too! I like the fact that they are so small and can clip onto whatever you want! Great for working out!

Maevie- I haven''t had Pizza Hut in yrs. We still haven''t found a good pizza place in Denver. We gotta get crackin!

 

[marcy]

Happy Saturday. We had a nice day. Met the in-laws for breakfast and ran a few errands. We had a great dinner. We had steak on the grill, baked potatoes and homemade cracked wheat bread. Delicious.

I rented “It’s Complicated” tonight on PPV. It was pretty good. I think I’ll rent the second Alvin and the Chipmunks tomorrow.

DeeJay, that is great to hear the bike isn’t bothering your knee. Have you had surgery on it yet? I hope you had fun on your errandfest.

Lisa, have fun visiting your dad and some family in Florida. It seems like our farmer’s market season is very short.

Beach Runner, have fun shopping tomorrow. Yes, I am a bit anal about keeping my jewelry clean.

Laters,
Marcy

 

[marcy]

We had a nice day. We got up at 6:30. Marty met a friend for coffee. I took a shower and got breakfast ready. I made waffles and bacon for us (I eat one piece). Sadly we didn’t eat again to darn near 4:30 so I was starving and ate way too much. We took the in-laws and my parents to dinner for Mother’s Day. I had the lean part of prime rib, some mashed potatoes and peach cobbler for dessert. Everything was good but then again I was starving.

While Marty played golf today I wandered some stores; parked half way in between them and walked around a lot. Got a few shirts that were on sale and got an additional 15% off. I love bargains.

Marty will be out of town most of this week for work.

It got warm enough here today I turned on the air conditioning.

I hope you had a great weekend.
Marcy

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Hey everyone! Thinking I may join this thread... I started the ''Couch to 5k'' program 10 weeks ago, and have bumped up to the ''Couch to 10k program,'' with 5 weeks remaining ''til the end. For once I''m enjoying running/jogging, but could use some inspiration in the food & weight training departments. Running a few times a week is a good start, but now that my body has adjusted, I''m looking to make additional healthy lifestyle changes! Perhaps reading everyone''s updates & progress is the trick!

Off to peruse past threads in hopes of joining the commentary next week!