Weekly Workout Thread 2 April till 8th April

[Rod]

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

We're having one of the worst Pollen outbreaks in over a decade up here. MARA: If you have any allergy issues, you should definitely consider this. There was an article in today's paper that it's the worst in over a decade. Everything is litteraly covered in yellow. If you wash your car, it's yellow within 45 minutes and everyone's coughing and sneezing. I don't really suffer much from Allergies, but my throat is scratchy and I can barely breath, but I'm not coming down with anything, it's just the pollen.

I started packing in earnest today!! It's such a wonderful feeling to be putting things back in boxes knowing they will soon be on their way to our beautiful condo on the bay!! FireGodess, I had to laugh at your post about DH packing the dish soap with dirty dishes in the sink!! Moving is a PITA, but it will be over soon enough and then you will be enjoying that single family house soon!!

Merrijoy, wow, lot's of questions. I'll let the ladies chime in as they seem geared more towards girl fitness. But, I did want to comment that we spend probably around $150 - $200 a week at the grocery store and of course that doesn't cover lunch or dinner at least three evenings a week in restaurants. Healthier foods are simply more expensive, but the investment in healthier foods is worth it.

I'll be working out this afternoon at the gym. This is one nice advantage to being unemployed. I can work out when I want to. LOL!!!

Kimberly, lasts night's dinner sure sounded fantastic!! You and Mara have a way of describing foods so graphically that it usually makes me lick my lips!!

Have a great afternoon everyone!!

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 4/3/2007 2:18:41 PM
Author: Rod
Happy Tuesday Everyone!

We''re having one of the worst Pollen outbreaks in over a decade up here. MARA: If you have any allergy issues, you should definitely consider this. There was an article in today''s paper that it''s the worst in over a decade. Everything is litteraly covered in yellow. If you wash your car, it''s yellow within 45 minutes and everyone''s coughing and sneezing. I don''t really suffer much from Allergies, but my throat is scratchy and I can barely breath, but I''m not coming down with anything, it''s just the pollen.

I started packing in earnest today!! It''s such a wonderful feeling to be putting things back in boxes knowing they will soon be on their way to our beautiful condo on the bay!! FireGodess, I had to laugh at your post about DH packing the dish soap with dirty dishes in the sink!! Moving is a PITA, but it will be over soon enough and then you will be enjoying that single family house soon!!

Merrijoy, wow, lot''s of questions. I''ll let the ladies chime in as they seem geared more towards girl fitness. But, I did want to comment that we spend probably around $150 - $200 a week at the grocery store and of course that doesn''t cover lunch or dinner at least three evenings a week in restaurants. Healthier foods are simply more expensive, but the investment in healthier foods is worth it.

I''ll be working out this afternoon at the gym. This is one nice advantage to being unemployed. I can work out when I want to. LOL!!!

Kimberly, lasts night''s dinner sure sounded fantastic!! You and Mara have a way of describing foods so graphically that it usually makes me lick my lips!!

Have a great afternoon everyone!!

Glad you''re packing Rod!

Good food is such a treat, and because we''re limited to our 2 nights of eating out a week it''s so much fun to just go and enjoy. Except we had this pseudo-intellectual sitting next right next to us who started off their meal by discussing a recent cocaine detox one of them had gone through, because he was "bored" with the drug. He then went on to to describe, in great detail, why he is so much better and more intelligent than the people they hang around and how starved he is for real stimuli. And on and on and on. His dining partner was pretty quiet, so I don''t know if he was embarrassed by the guy or enraptured. It made me think of the annoying people at the gym everyone was discussing yesterday.

 

[mrssalvo]

merrijoy, the fiber one bars bother my hubby''s tummy too and ususally eats a good about of fiber. I really don''t like to eat them very often just b/c there are so many other things in there that I don''t really want in my body, but I always keep one handy b/c it totally cures the candy bar craving I get every now and then. I much prefer the larabars which are all organic and usually have 3 or 4 ingredients like dates, almonds and unsweetened cherries (in the cherry one) you can get them at a regular grocery but check them out at www.larabar.com. also there is usually 4-5 grams of fiber along with other good for you vitamin''s. as for the grocery budget, our is 1K a month but that''s because we''re a family of 4 during the week and 6 on the weekends. It does cost a lot more to eat healthy and shop at the organic stores though but I think it''s worth it. We actually cut down some of our eating out budget too b/c it''s money better spent on the healthy things we can make at home.

So, I did 60 minutes on the epilliptical today. I''ve lost a pound since I started adding the workouts to my healthy eating. I did all my measurements last week and will be interested to watch the changes there. i''m hoping as I tone and become more fit, the measurement''s will shrink but my weight will be the same. I''m also trying to make sure I get enough protein every day.

 

[merrijoy]

I am leaving for another Passover Seder, but thank you to all for your help and answers.

It is very much appreciated.

Have a good night.

M

 

[phoenixgirl]

OK, I''m trying out tracking my measurements since the people who did our mortgage financing sent me a tape measure as a housewarming present.

Height: 5''5"
Weight: 131 (lost about 5 pounds)
Bust: 33"
Waist: 29 at bellybutton (is that where I''m supposed to measure?)
lower waist: 33"
Hips: 37"
Thighs: 23.5" (left) 24" (right) Eek . . . why are they different?
Arms: 11"

Not sure where I started, although definitely numbers have gone down based on the reintroduction of the "skinny pants" to my wardrobe.

I would expect my arms to be different sizes based on how much more muscular my right arm is due to being right-handed, but they were pretty much the same. But now it appears that I have a fat leg and a skinny leg.

As you can tell, I''ve got a small chest, average middle, and big thighs for my height and structure. That''s just the way it is. Even when I weighed 115 in high school I had big(ger) thighs. On one hand, it''s annoying because my 64 year-old mother has way sexier legs than I do (I got my dad''s weird shaped legs -- one time in high school my boyfriend identified me in a picture taken from far away because "she''s got your legs"), but on the other hand, my sister is only 5''3" and has the same basic build as me, except that she has always been two or more sizes larger than I am and weighed as much or more, so count your blessings, right?

I was perplexed as to why I looked really skinny in the mirror in the basement (clothed for workout) but fat in the upstairs bathroom (naked). I figured out it''s because my workout shorts are baggy and hid my thighs, so all I could see was the toned part of my legs. Maybe that should tell me something about what kind of clothes to buy -- skirts and more concealing shorts.

OK, back to the check-in. Things have been going well. Even though I have the rule that I don''t have to exercise on the weekends, I did a Firm cardio video (Ultimate Fat Burning workout) on Sunday (and walked about 2 miles Saturday, but that didn''t count since it was to and fro a bar to get brunch with friends). And it was way fun! Usually I just trudge through my exercises and feel good the rest of the day, but there was this kickboxing sequence that was so fun I didn''t want it to end. I''m thinking of breaking out my old Tae Bo videos for Tuesdays and Thursdays for more of the kickboxing.

Speaking of trudging, yesterday was just one of those days where I wasn''t feeling it. I was just blah, so I could tell I was doing the moves less energetically and less effectively. But I guess that''s ok as long as I do it every day. Some days will be better than others. So this morning I did the fun Firm video again to get back on the right track.

I''ve also lost two or three pounds just in the last week. I didn''t weigh myself the first two weeks, and then for weeks after that my weight stayed right around 134 (started around 137). So it was nice to finally see the scale move this week. I think it''s because I''ve been more conscious of what I''m eating, especially after reading what people have said about weight loss being mostly calories. And I''m eating much less red meat -- only a couple of times a week. I think that''s a triumph because I always wanted to eat less red meat but didn''t take the time to figure out what I could eat instead.

 

[KimberlyH]

Phoenix, it sounds like you are doing so well, congratulations!

 

[Mara]

congrats PG on really positive progress!! i wouldn't worry about your thighs being diff sizes, 1/2" is really miniscule visually even though it might seem like a lot. i think one of my arms might be bigger than the other aka my right arm because i use it more.

kudos mrs s on the lb lost. i was reading this article at the gym about 'fat skinny people'. it made me think of you...NOT in a bad way

but the article was about people who are naturally really skinny and small, but who don't have enough muscle tone because they are skinny and typically don't work out...and who are always shocked when they go to the gym and realize that they have a lot of body fat and that they should be exercising and doing weights to help their body build more muscle tone. not for weight loss really just for toning and also to help your bones. i was thinking of you because you are so naturally tiny...and i wondered what your bf was and if you were aiming to drop it or similar. the article had some extreme people in it, like one gal who is a natural size 00 but who was like 30% bf when she got tested and the trainers were appalled and told her to get her butt into some weight training ASAP. apparently being a 'fat skinny person' can actually be detrimental to your health because most people don't feel like they have to work out and they eat whatever they want (aka one gal has a hot fudge sundae every night...literally) and never gain weight but they don't have muscle tone and their bones are not getting the right nutrients etc. apparently it puts them at more risk when they get older. so anyone out there who might be lurking who is a naturally skinny person but doesn't really work out, be sure to get your bf and your cholesterol and other things tested to ensure that you are doing okay.

so went to the gym and burned 575 cals in 67 minutes on the elliptical. then did my 10-15 minutes of arm weights for about 50 cals. my goal was 550 total so i went over. i find that towards the end of my elliptical workout i typically have more energy than when i started so i just keep adding minutes to the timer because i figure 'well i am already on it, and feel good so lets just keep going'...because it doesn't really take that much additional energy to do 1-2 more minutes but it burns extra cals. and you know some days you just feel better and more powerful than others, so might as well take advantage of it and make it work for me.

then went to whole foods and wandered around, i just love wandering around the aisles in these stores...so much stuff to see and contemplate. i am actually trying not to buy too much stuff this week and just eat fresh out of the fridge for the most part...because i have a bunch of fuji apples and pears, but i wanted to get some chopped pineapple since for whatever reason that works fabulously for me when i have a 'sweet' craving, i just have 2 chopped pieces and i typically have met the craving. i also got some chopped honeydew since it looked really ripe and i LOVE honeydew melon. i also wandered around the bakery area and even though i meant to not bring home ANY sweets this week...i found these brownies by a company called 'Crave' and they are like wedge triangles of slightly hard double chocolate brownies, fresh in a brown bag kinda thing. WF always has these speicalty kind of brand things in their bakery section. anyway they are wheat free, gluten free and the bag is 10oz and it says a serving is 2oz. there are 9 wedges in there...so each brownie is roughly 133 cals. now some wedges are smaller than others so i guess those would be like 100 and the larger wedges would be more like 175 or similar. now if i can just show some self control and not eat 5 wedges, it would be awesome. i haven't had any, i am going to wait til dessert. i also figured well if i end up getting all crazy with them, i can pawn them off on greg to take to work with him tomorrow or take some over to my neighbor...she's pregnant so chocolate is a positive. hehee.

came home and made lunch which was a turkey wrap with 1/3 of an avocado, fat free feta and sprouts rolled with some dijon and black pepper in an olive oil la tortilla factory wrap. i swear i love these things. they are like food from the gods. and REALLY satisfying to me actually. i seem to snack way less when i eat something like this...maybe because of the full fat avocado or something but my taste buds are happy.

now that i am going back to work i am like hmmm what am i going to be able to eat for lunches. i sooo love being at home and making my own lunch. i guess i could still take the sliced turkey, avocado, cheese and sprouts in a container and then heat up a wrap in the micro at work then make it still. i also have LC's left from my last job but i would rather make something fresh and yummy of course. it sounds like i'll be pretty busy at work though so who knows how much time i'll be having to be all specialty gourmet chef in the lunch room lol. i also think they might have their own cafeteria...as the company is pretty big and the building is new. they are 5 blocks from a whole foods also, so i am definitely going to be walking over there at lunches to get salads etc.

anyhow, i'm going to head over to the mall in an hour or so and do some pre-work shopping...i really want some capri pants to wear with wedges and some cute fitted twinset kinda things. so we'll see what i can find. greg has rehearsal tonite so i am on my own, was thinking i'd walk over to downtown and get us something from this cool cafe placed we like...i typically get this amazing salad (had it last week) with citrus fruits, bleu cheese and pistachios and lots of romaine, and a minestrone...and greg loves their pulled BBQ pork sandwich with chips. the walk is 1.25 miles there and then back so it'd be an extra # of cals for burning and i have the time so why not. hehe.

hope everyone is having a wonderful day!!

 

[Rod]

Keep up the good work phoenixgirl! It's woderful when one's hard work pays off!

Have fun shopping for whatever those things are you said you were shopping for Mara!! (sorry guys don't understand lady clothes speak!)

So here it is just going on 7 PM and I'm already home from a 2.5 hour workout a nice rest in the sauna, a cup of coffee at Starbucks after my workout and I even stopped at the store to pick up a fresh salad and a loaf of bread. When I was not working in Tampa, I really enjoyed being able to work out in the afternoon and then on my way home, I'd stop at our favorite Starbucks and sit under the century old oak tree with the spanish moss dripping from the branches and relax with a nice cup of coffee. Other than I really like coffee at Starbucks, I didn't realize until recently that there is actually a reason why I tend to really like coffee after working out. I read in Men's health this month that coffee (probably the caffeine in coffee) actually helps the muscles heal faster after a workout. It's supposedly better than taking a pain reliever, so now I can feel good about enjoying a cup after a hard workout.

Now, it's back to packing and when Charlie get's home from the gym, we'll have a nice healthy salad, a piece of fruit and of course our 3 pieces of Lindt Dark Chocolate.

Congrats Mrssalvo on losing a pound using the elliptical. I love love love the elliptical and don't know how life was BE (Before Ellipticals)

I hope everyone's having a great Tuesday like I am!!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Well unless I''m missing something totally obvious I think I''ve almost managed to finish my annual review. I feel good about it that I actually came home at a normal hour and the HH and I are going out to dinner when he gets back from the gym. I wanted to work out again too but I''ve done 65 minutes on the elliptical three days in a row and I was starting to get that nasty chest pain last night as I was finishing up so I''m going to take the night (and probably tomorrow night too) off.

Question for those of you who make the no pudge brownies. Last night the HH cooked them for 34 minutes like the box says and they were still virtually liquid inside so he kept putting them back in the oven until ultimately they had cooked for a total of about 55 minutes. They are *slightly* burned on the bottom (and I do mean SLIGHTLY--if I wasn''t looking for a burned taste knowing they were in there so long I wouldn''t even notice), but otherwise they are fine. So how long do you cook them for? Do they "set" once they are out of the oven? Can 34 minutes really be the right number??

 

[FireGoddess]

DJ, I cook them for *exactly* 34 minutes! By then they look pretty done. I don''t bother to stick a toothpick or anything in. I just pull them out of the pan (I line the pan with parchment so there''s no sticking to the pan and no buttering or spraying it either). I let it cool to room temp and then stick it in the fridge like they say on the box, get it cold, and then cut it with a hot knife.

 

[Dee*Jay]

FG, I think it's the toothpick that's throwing the HH off. He kept sticking it in and it kept coming out with stuff on it so he kept baking them more and more... I swear if they hadn't finally started to *smell* burned I bet he would have left them in all night!

I guess I'll have him make the next batch per the instructions and see what happens (although the ones he made last night aren't *bad*, he was just getting irritated with the whole take 'em out, test 'em, put 'em back in thing). It's funny though, he made them once before and didn't seem to have this issue so who knows.

 

[FireGoddess]

I bet it''s definitely the toothpick. Just cook per instructions and take ''em out. They are verrrry fudgy and moist, even days later, so I suspect that they''d look ''underdone'' by the toothpick method even though they could very well be done. Unless you''re at high altitude or something, I''d just do the 34 min and then take ''em out. Just finished the last one from my ''regular flavor'' batch today. Have a box of the raspberry brownie mix but it''s already packed for the move. Probably a good thing.

 

[mrssalvo]

dee jay, i always do the 34 minutes and take them out too.

mara, i plan on asking a trainer tomorrow to test my bf. I think someone gave a link earlier with a calculator that you use using measurements which I did and it came to 22%, but I wonder how accurate it really is? I mean I thought you really need someone with the caliper to test all the spots?? anyway, I totally hear ya on the fat skinny people thing b/c's that's how I feel. I would really like to lose an inch off my waist and hips and thin out my thighs too. When I was in college I did a lot of weight training and was more muscular but heavier too so I really want to find the nice lean look without gaining too much muscle weight and pounds. and I do think your right that many time fat skinny people don't take their health as seriously b/c they look fine on the outside but don't take into account what's happening inside. that's one of the reason's this is important to me, not just physical appearance but really becoming on healthy on the inside to keep all my inside organs and muscles functioning the way they should for a looooooong time.
ETA: ok, just called and set it up for bf testing tomorrow morning, so the truth will be reveled...

mara, way to go on the elliptical 575 that's wonderful!!

phoenix- glad to see you check in and congrats on the weight loss..

rod- so glad your making the most of your last few days in raleigh..tampa isn't too far away now..

 

[nejarb]

mara, fat free feta? it's good? where do you find these things, woman? i saw the la tortillas at the store on sunday and i bought them, but i got the garlic & herb not knowing yet what i would do w/ them. then i decided to use them to make bean tacos, something i make about once a week since i found the recipe on CL a while back. well, i ran into the store on the way home from work yesterday to get an avacado b/c fi complains when i don't serve chips & guac w/ the bean tacos, and i forgot the chips. so i made some in a pan w/ veg oil & galic & herb la tortillas. they weren't great. and although fi seemed to like them, i was so turned off by the one or two that i ate that i didn't even eat the tortillas from my tacos. i just ate the beans ets w/ a fork. i want to try again though w/ teh plain ones, b/c it's an easy way to save 50 cals if you have 2 of those instead of 3 smaller hard taco shells w/ same amt of filling overall. (the hard shells have 50 cal also, and little or no fiber or protien.)

so, i'm still here, just haven't had too much to say. i've been going to the Y less and the treadmill downstairs more, but still going to the y a few times a week, so i guess it's worth the $40 a mo or whatever i pay. i need to start going more though.

good news i think to report tommarrow for wed weigh-in. although i'm really bloated, so i'm sure next wed will be even better. when i bought the home scale in january, it said my weight was 146, body fat 30%, and water 49%. (same week at Y the scale said 149, the electric bf handheld thing said my bf was 23%, and the caliper test said 26%, but i haven't done those tests since mid jan.) today my scale at home says my weight is 143 (although last week it went down to 140), and my bf is 24% & my water is 56%. so i'm going by the scale at the y and the caliper test as official measurements, but at least in the skewed world of my cheapo scale from bed bath & beyond, i've made some good progress. and it must be somewhat consistent even though not correct, b/c it recognizes that i'm very bloated!

 

[Mara]

nejarb i like the fat free feta but it is definitely diff than regular feta. i mix it into things so i don''t notice taste AS much.

the tortillas take some getting used to i think, i heat them up on the stove and get them a little crispy which i think tends to give them more flavor. when i just heat it in the micro or similar it doesn''t really taste as good. also i have the white flour olive oil wraps as well as the tortillas and i like the white flour wraps big time for my turkey/avocado/feta wrap.

i went to the mall to look for some pre-work goodies and banana was having a sale so i got 2 pairs of cute pants, one long brown linen and one brown and cream pinstriped capris and then 3 flowing kind of tops that are work appropriate and then the cutest cropped denim jacket which was more than half off retail, whee! so basically i can mix and match everything i bought and i also have other things in my closet as well. i think this new company is fairly casual but i don''t know about jeans every day kinda thing so i can alternate cute capris and linen pants with cute jeans hehee. i walked around the mall checking out different stores as well but didn''t bring anything else home. i ended up walking 2m around the mall. and i am a fast walker and it was pretty empty so it wasn''t a leisurely stroll hehee. so definitely some ICUs there....oh and all the trying on of the clothes in the dressing rooms counts too hehe.

so i ended up going to pick up dinner on my way home...got my salad with grapefruit, avocado, mangos and oranges with pistachios and bleu cheese. they didn''t put the dressing on the side though and while i know their dressing doesn''t have much oil in it at all, it was still too much dressing so i ended up blotting up as much as i could. then i sauteed 4 large tiger shrimp up in a spray of evoo and a tiny bit of butter and added it into the salad for some additional protein. also got a cup of minestrone..yummy. greg got the bbq chicken sandwich on foccacia...i always snitch a taste of the bbq chicken..it''s so tasty...hehe.

dessert is going to be one of the smaller wedges of brownie and some hazelnut gelato...while at WF i checked out that brand of lower cal/fat gelato that i found (they are local i looked them up online and they have a ton of flavors and they are pretty much all lower cal)..and i saw the hazelnut today and was like mmmm yummy. so it''s 125 cals for 1/2c! yummy.

anyway sounds like everyone is doing well with some nice progress in different ways! hope everyone had a great day and has a great morning tomorrow!

 

[gailrmv]

Mara I am continually amazed at how you eat such yummy sounding things with low cals!

Rod, you really must love the elliptical! I can''t really get into it. I love running, and the elliptical doesn''t quite do it for me. I don''t feel like I can get my heart rate up as much as on the treadmill. I know it is better on the joints, so kudos to you!

I had a great day eating wise - very low cal all day. I made a ridiculously healthy dinner - stir fried some veggies in just a bit of sesame oil, with stir fried tofu, seasoned with teriyaki, over brown rice. My indulgence was 2 glasses of red wine. On the way home from work I was starved so I WENT TO THE GROCERY AND BOUGHT FRESH FRUIT - a real accomplishment, since I felt like going for a large frozen yogurt! My DH asked me if I would go for an exercise walk with him instead of the gym so we could spend some time together, so I did, and walked for 90 min. (His work is really demanding, and I usually don;t see him much during the week, so it was a rare opportunity.) I was so looking forward to the gym and trying my new nano running thingy, but that will wait til tomorrow!

Also, I got my hair cut today. I have been going to the same gal for 2 years now and she is usually really good but so expensive. I have just not liked the way she did my layers and highlights these past 2 times. It''s been 2 months and I am in need of a trim so I went to GREAT CLIPS of all places and got a trim for $12!! It was a spur of the moment kind of thing. I actually really like it! We have a ton of big expenses coming up these next few months, closing on a new house, furniture etc, and I am finishing up grad school so I figure anything I can do to save some $ here and there is a good thing right now. When I get my hair cut I pay $40 for the cut plus $70 for the highlights and I always tip at least 15% so it really adds up. Who knows I might keep going to great clips! I think I am going to cover my highlights with that natural do it yourself stuff and give my hair a break for a while. I love highlights, but I have dark hair and the roots start showing up SO fast.

 

[Mara]

yay for a new haircut and super healthy dinner gail!!

lol re: finding low-cal tasty items, honestly it''s like my mission. i LOVE when i find something at the store that fits into my plans. this gelato that i found recently was a godsend. i looked up the company online and they are local and make all these low-cal gelatos, the whole foods near us only carries like 4-5 flavors and this place makes about 15! and honestly it tastes like the real thing!!! and i absolutely love gelato. tonite i had a serving with a small wedge brownie and it just felt so decadent yet was only 220 cals total. i made greg one too and he said the hazelnut was very rich and strong. it makes me wonder why more companies don''t try things like that you know. 1/2 the cals and fat? it''s just so much better for you it''s the same with the dreyers slow churned....it tastes so good to me and i think gosh why would i want a full fat/cal version of this same ice cream? sure if it''s something you can''t get elsewhere in a lighter version, i''ll splurge...but it seems like there are so many ways to make healthy versions of things...i do it all the time with dinners. and my salad tonite was phenomenal with all fresh ingredients and good for me nuts and fruits so there are ways to eat out and be healthy too. of course we all fall prey to splurges (bread pudding?!) but the more i learn about all of this the more it really motivates me to get out there and look for products that taste yummy to satisfy my foodie cravings, but yet won''t blow my lifestyle out of the water.

i always think also wouldn''t it be fun if there were restaurants that dedicated themselves to making healthier items of people''s favorite dishes? i would soooooo be at that restaurant all the time. imagine eating a full 4 course dinner with dessert that was under 1k cals. that''s unheard of nowadays at restaurants really!!

and i have some yummy low-cal bread multigrain slices that i eat for breakfast and similar but i wanna know who is coming out with the lo-cal version of a french baguette? 50 cal slices? anyone? bueller?! hehee.

on that note, bedtime... !!

 

[Lorelei]

I am just checking in quickly to say I might not be around much for the next month or so, as I have a situation to deal with which might take a while to resolve, but I will try to work out and do the thread on Mondays if I can. If I haven''t done the thread by the time Stateside folks check in on a Monday, Mara - might you have the time to do it please? Thanks! Keep up the good work everyone

 

[Dee*Jay]

I am officially taking a free pass on the Wednesday morning weight in becuase I am up SO MUCH from last week that I''m just embarrased to admit it. I''ve really let myself slide over the past few weeks food wise, using this stupid annual review as an excuse (oh, I have to be at the office for another 14 hour stretch, better get some potato chips to drown my sorrows...

). And I''m sure the shrimp risotto, hangar steak wtih mashed potatos, and molten chocolate lava cake I had for dinner last night didn''t help. Sometimes I really amaze myself with the bad choices I make, and I even realize I''m doing the wrong thing WHILE I''m doing it.

But enough of that.

Gail, isn''t a new good haircut fun? I just went to a new hair place last week because the highlight and cut people I''ve been going to haven''t really thrilled me for a while, and the new place did a great job on both fronts. It was funny though, I was trying to get across the concept of *subtlety* to the highlight person and I said, look, I''m not Jane Mansfield''s younger living sister, so let''s make sure I don''t leave here looking like that, OK? And she said, sure, um, who''s Jane Masfield? Man did I feel old!!! (But the color is great anyway, so I guess that''s what matters!)

Mara, the HH tried using fat free feta in a few things and it really didn''t have much taste. What brand do you get?

Rod, that''s interesting about the coffee being good for you after a workout. I wonder if decaf would be as beneficial though, becuase if I had coffee after working out (which I typically do in the evening) I''d be awake staring at the ceiling all night, LOL.

Congrats Phoenix!

Kimberly, your story about the recovering cocaine addict was too funny!

 

[Rod]

Date: 4/4/2007 9:09:28 AM
Author: Dee*Jay
I am officially taking a free pass on the Wednesday morning weight in becuase I am up SO MUCH from last week that I''m just embarrased to admit it. I''ve really let myself slide over the past few weeks food wise, using this stupid annual review as an excuse (oh, I have to be at the office for another 14 hour stretch, better get some potato chips to drown my sorrows...

). And I''m sure the shrimp risotto, hangar steak wtih mashed potatos, and molten chocolate lava cake I had for dinner last night didn''t help. Sometimes I really amaze myself with the bad choices I make, and I even realize I''m doing the wrong thing WHILE I''m doing it.

But enough of that.

Gail, isn''t a new good haircut fun? I just went to a new hair place last week because the highlight and cut people I''ve been going to haven''t really thrilled me for a while, and the new place did a great job on both fronts. It was funny though, I was trying to get across the concept of *subtlety* to the highlight person and I said, look, I''m not Jane Mansfield''s younger living sister, so let''s make sure I don''t leave here looking like that, OK? And she said, sure, um, who''s Jane Masfield? Man did I feel old!!! (But the color is great anyway, so I guess that''s what matters!)

Mara, the HH tried using fat free feta in a few things and it really didn''t have much taste. What brand do you get?

Rod, that''s interesting about the coffee being good for you after a workout. I wonder if decaf would be as beneficial though, becuase if I had coffee after working out (which I typically do in the evening) I''d be awake staring at the ceiling all night, LOL.

Congrats Phoenix!

Kimberly, your story about the recovering cocaine addict was too funny!

DeeJay, I''m thinking it''s likely the caffeine that helps muscles heal faster, so I''m guessing decaf won''t provide much benefit. When I''m working out at night, I don''t have a cup of coffee as I''d be just like you and stare at the ceiling, which is surely not worth it. It''s only if I can workout during the day and I can have a cup of coffee before the evening hours that I have the coffee.

 

[KimberlyH]

Lorelei: I hope that everything is okay and that whatever needs resolved is done so to your liking. I, and all our WWTers, will miss you tremendously. You are such an inspiration. I hope you have the change to check in, even if only to post and say hello.

DeeJay: He was pretty funny. He had his hair sprayed up in a mohawk and he was dressed like he was 16, but he had to have been at least 30. It just amazes me that some people never grow up. It''s like the 50 year old woman who steals the belly shirt and tight jeans from her daughter''s closet to pair with her hooker heels, just not a look I''ve ever understood. My favorite proclomation of the evening that he made was that he SHOULD be making $5400 a month, but he''s not. Such a random figure, and why are you deserving of that? Do you have training, a specialty? Or is it just your mod look that should drive someone to want to pay you that much to sit around and look ab fab in their office? Don''t fret about the weight gained, it happens, just jump back on the bandwagon, I am sure you''re more than capable of doing so.

Gail: Did you know that more than 50% of Americans never purchase fresh fruits and vegetables! I was shocked by this information! John and I estimate that 50% of what we buy at the grocery store is fresh produce. I can''t imagine life without it. We have a fresh green salad with dinner every night and some sort of vegetable. Recently we''ve started eating a lot of Italian brocolli, yum, if it''s cooked correctly, yucky if it''s not!

Merrijoy: I hope you had a nice seder meal. I talked to John last night about our grocery spending (he''s the financial wiz in this house) and he estimated that we spend under $100 a week in food and often as low as $50 not including meals out, I guessed wrong. He also said our spending has gone down a bit since we started eating more healthily. He attributes it to shopping at the bodega and purchasing bulk items, such as canned tomatoes, and avoiding expensive specialty stores, except for particular meals/needs. We''re both pretty price conscience, and that has helped a lot too.

Mara your dinner sounded yum!

Went for a pleasant little walk yesterday afternoon, probably about 2 miles total. Had eggplant lasagna for dinner last night with a beautiful green salad. Delic! John is in charge of dinner tonight and tomorrow night, because we have a guest coming. He''s going to make enchiladas the low cal way. She''s not a low cal eater, I wonder if she''ll even know the difference.

Ah weekly weigh in. So I''ve passed the 10 lb. weight loss mark, and in honor, I''m going to post Week 1 stats as well.

Week 1 Week 13 Week 14
Height: 5''5" Height: 5''5" Height: 5''5"
Weight: 138 Weight: 128.4 Weight: 127.4
Bust: 34 (DD/DDD) Bust: 32.25" Bust: 32"
Waist: 28" Waist: 26.5" Waist: 26.5"
Lower Waist: 31" Lower Waist: 31.5" Lower Waist: 31"
Bicep: 12" Bicep: 11.75" Bicep: 11.5"
Hips: 39.5" Hips: 36.5” Hips: 36.5”
Thigh: 22" Thigh: 20.5" Thigh: 20"

So overall I''ve lost:
Pounds: -10.6
Bust: -2"
Waist: -1.5"
Lower Waist: 0"
Bicep: -.5" (GRR!)
Hips: -3"
Thigh: -2"

For a total of 9" lost. Groovy!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Kimberly, $5,400 a month -- LOL, whatever!! An thanks for the encouragement. I''m back on the wagon as of this morning!

Rod, oh, that makes sense about the caffine. I can do that on weekends when I work out early, but during the week it''s not really an option. (That being said, if you ever see me posting on PS at 3 am you''ll know that I tried it after an evening workout, ha ha!)

 

[royalasscherlover]

lorelei, i hope everything is ok.

i planned to go on the elliptical for 45 minutes last night, but felt really weak and shaky after about 35, so i got off. i need to figure out a good carb snack for before workouts during passover - usually i eat a kashi granola bar with a good amount of carbs, fiber, and protein, but i can't have them this week. i had a string cheese and some pineapple, but it just didn't get me thru the workout.

i read an interesting article at the gym last night about calorie cycling - where you throw in a couple higher calorie days when dieting so that your metabolism keeps up. it occurred to me that that's really what many people here do, with the spluge days on weekends (although the article advocated splitting them up into non-consecutive days, and also only "splurging" by about 200-300 extra calories. but still interesting.

have a good one!

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 4/4/2007 11:46:01 AM
Author: shortblonde
lorelei, i hope everything is ok.

i planned to go on the elliptical for 45 minutes last night, but felt really weak and shaky after about 35, so i got off. i need to figure out a good carb snack for before workouts during passover - usually i eat a kashi granola bar with a good amount of carbs, fiber, and protein, but i can''t have them this week. i had a string cheese and some pineapple, but it just didn''t get me thru the workout.

i read an interesting article at the gym last night about calorie cycling - where you throw in a couple higher calorie days when dieting so that your metabolism keeps up. it occurred to me that that''s really what many people here do, with the spluge days on weekends (although the article advocated splitting them up into non-consecutive days, and also only ''splurging'' by about 200-300 extra calories. but still interesting.

have a good one!

Shortblonde, I definitely believe that my splurge days help my SLOW metabolism and we typically do one night out during the week and one on the weekend, so, not consecutive, as the article recommends. Although my splurges usually are at the 2000 calorie mark and the rest of the week I typically eat between 1300-1500 a day, so the spread is a bit larger than recommended so that I end up averaging between 1500-1600 in a seven day period.

Hope you have a nice day too!

 

[Mara]

sb i have read that as well, that not having the same amount of cals per day or eating the same exact things per day helps keep your body on it's toes...i also read that your body bases it's metabolism for the day when you get up based on your eating the day before, so if you had a light day the day before it might be a bit sluggish for a while until it realizes 'oh today i am getting way more' on splurge days, and after splurge days it might be revved up higher from the previous day even if you are eating less that day. kinda interesting.

dj sorry to hear you have been slipping off the wago and gained some weight back...this group is great for holding people accountable but only if we actually know what people are doing and eating, hehe. so if you want someone to slap your hand when you are thinking about the potato chips or just had them and know you shouldn't have, be sure and say it!

i vaguely recall someone saying this yesterday but many trainers say that weight loss is about 90% diet and 10% fitness or 85/15 or whatever. so that really does underscore how important it is for us to make the right choices. if you know that you are going to be busy for 2 weeks, why don't you get HH to stock you up with some healthy munchies? don't keep the potato chips around. keep 100 cal popcorn around. it's crunchy and salty and it hits the spot for a chip kinda craving. or those quaker mini crunchy snacks, 60-70 cals for diff flavors. try to continue to set yourself up for success rather than sabotage...esp if you know triggers are around the corner or you won't have the time or the mental state to really think about what you are eating for a while. anyhow i think part of the battle is knowing that you have slipped, so hopefully the scale wake up call will help you get back on and continue with the positive progress!

kimberly, congrats on your continued progress, fabulous. lorelei, sorry to hear something is going on...i will surely start the thread on mondays if no one else has...but the east coasters are typically up a few hours before me so we'll see how that works out hehe. i hope everything is okay and that you check in with us at least quickly at times and let us know how you are doing!! we will definitely miss you, hurry back!

my weigh in and measurements are basically exactly the same as last week, they are not really changing anymore which is perfectly fine with me. but i did notice that my legs and thighs are becoming amazingly toned from all this walking i am doing!! it's really cool actually, i don't think there is one ounce of jiggle when i wear my short shorts...my butt is another story, lol. but now that i am much leaner, it's interesting...this might be kind of gross but does anyone else notice that as they are losing more and more fat that their veins seem closer to the surface of their skin?? greg noticed this in my arms and i just started to notice it in my hip...i see more of the blue lines of my veins than i have before, and i am medium skinned so they don't show up as easily. greg said it's because i don't have as much fat anymore. kinda interesting anyway.

weigh in/measurements:
height: 5'7"
weight: 131
bust: 35ish
waist: 26.5"
lower waist: 33"
hips: 36"
thigh: 20.5"
calf: 13.25"
arm: 9.5"

oh and as a perk last nite when i was at the mall, i am now a size 4 in banana pants which is a huge accomplishment for me as when i started all of this i was a tight size 10 in banana pants. i bought some pants there in nov that were a size 6, but since then whenever i have gone back i am still a 6...though last time (3 weeks ago) i was like too small for a 6 but too big for a 4...and now i am a comfy 4. so even though my weight has only changed like 2 lbs in the last 3-4 weeks, apparently my body toning is making a difference for clothes still. so it's huge for me to see how far i have come with one designer for comparison, i am a size 2 in other designers but i like to use banana as a gauge because i remember struggling to fit into size 10 pants there and thinking 'this HAS to be wrong'. nope..i just needed to get with the program! lol.

anyhow, hope everyone is having a wonderful day today....i have more errands to run to get ready for work next week and go in for a contractor orientation kind of thing this afternoon which i am looking fwd to because it solidifies everything and makes me 'all ready' to start on monday. my boss emailed me and said i'd be in meetings for 6 hours on monday

which was probably overkill but that it would help me 'immerse' myself in the culture and projects on the table. i am really excited but WOW 6 hours lol. i better take some luna bars just in case i don't get a chance for a real lunch!

breakfast was an egg mcmuffin with bacon, 2% american, and egg whites, yummy...i love these things hehee. i decided i would try to make them next week and then just wrap it up in foil and take it to work and eat it there since my schedule will be way more hectic in the mornings now as i am going in earlier. so hopefully that will work out and i can still have it for breakfast! snack will probably be fage mixed with berries and corn bran again as that was yummy. lunch will be a turkey wrap with avocado and the ff feta (dj the brand is TJ's)...yumm.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Shortblonde - I find that the Fage yogurt is really good before a workout, plus something high-fiber. I don''t know how strict you are about keeping Passover, but maybe there is whole grain high-fiber matzoh? We sort of did away with celebrating Passover this year for a variety of reasons, but I remember the frustration of trying to find food choices.

So, my hip is still in pain but all this "resting" is #1. making me crazy and #2. I''m not convinced its helping (well, it definitely helped the first day, but now I''m not so sure). So I think I''m going to try a very gentle workout at the gym today on the elliptical with the resistance low instead of really high how I usually set it. If that''s too excruciating, I might try walking on the treadmill instead. I''m hopeful that this will soothe the joing enough by restoring more range of movement that tomorrow, when I have to be on my feet for a lot of the day, will be less painful. If I''m feeling really brave I''ll even weigh myself at the gym, but after days of lying around (still eating OK, just NO movement to speak of), I think the news is likely to not be so good.

Anyway, wish me luck and I''ll certainly be checking in again later.

 

[Mara]

AG what about doing some yoga and pilates at home? that way you are not putting pressure on the hip and joints but you are still doing something? also things like leg lifts, kicks (if it doesn''t hurt), pushups and situps are great for when you are stuck at home and can''t use a leg or something like that. sorry to hear the hip still hurts, i kind of agree about the pushing through the pain thing, like if you don''t use it all does that REALLY help but obviously you don''t want to be all kung fu karate on it and have it hate you for it...but there''s gotta be a happy medium.

sb also sorry to hear about how tired you felt during the workout...sometimes i feel like that but i just push through it and 5 minutes later the feeling is gone. i don''t know if it''s like just a dip in blood sugar or what and then it comes back up but maybe next time if you can try to push through it, i just go really slow for a few minutes and try to concentrate on breathing and most times it goes away and i am fine afterwards. also i think since i started adding more cinnamon into my diet that i have not really had these kinds of ups and downs as much....i think the last one was once last week for like 5 minutes...but since then nothing. knock on wood! and i agree fage is a great thing to have before workout, mix some berries into it for some protein and fiber as well, can you have flax seed or something? not sure what is prohibited during this time. yesterday i had fage with strawberries and corn bran about an hour before my workout and i was definitely well-powered.

 

[Lorelei]

Thanks Mara and everyone for your kind words. One of my precious babies has to have some surgery and will be away from me for a few weeks having treatment, so I will be out most days visiting him. Once things settle hopefully towards the end of next week the worst should be over and I will be able to get back to normal a bit, but I will check in when I can and also workout where possible, I will need it as a stress buster!

I will check in again soon

 

[NYCsparkle]

everyone sounds like they are doing great...deejay--get your newly skinny buns back on the wagon...a few pounds up is ok--you can always go back down.

wow kimberly...great success..its great to see the inches difference especially from week 1 til now--congrats. mara happy toning to you--size 4 banana--way to go.

do u hold up the size 10''s now and think how did i fit into these? yeah on a great haircut gail. i need to get one...maybe tomorrow.

i have been keeping up with walking although today it doesn''t look like its gonna happen because its pouring rain here

. i have been reading labels and trying to eat more fresh veggies with dinner because my DH has high cholesterol.

he is so upset about it. he is thin, in shape, and eats well...its hereditary. so to be supportive i''ve been making healthier dishes than i have been. we are trying to eat bigger veggie portions and keep the chicken and meat portions to a minimum. hopefully at his doctors appt. in 3 weeks the bad cholesterol will have gone down...otherwise they want him to take medication and he really doesn''t want to..we''ll see what happens.

height:5''4''''
weight:119.2
bust:32.5
arms:9''''
natural waist:26''''
lower waist:28.5
hips:34''''
thighs:19''''
calf:12''''

 

[Mara]

oh woops i just realized i put my thigh as 20.5" it''s actually 19.5". doh!

having my snack of fage mixed with chopped strawberries, a bit of strawberry low-sugar jam, cinnamon and splenda, whipped into a frothy frenzy, yummy!!! it''s a great way to get my cinnamon too as i can put a ton in and the flavor is not overpowering at all.

nyc i hold up the 10''s and just marvel because when i put them on they practically fall down. i have a huge bag of clothes in my car for goodwill..just gotta get around to it! there are 1-2 things i am sad about giving up because they are super cute, aka this pair of shorts from jcrew in a lime and white hawaiian print that are super cute but they are 10''s and they don''t even stay up at all. it would be silly to try to alter them as they were like $20. oh well. greg is like stop getting smaller so you will stop buying clothes, i just giggled. the clothes buying never ends sweetie!!!