Weekly Workout Thread 2 April till 8th April

[KimberlyH]

Thanks for the compliments, ladies, I was suprised to see the scale move, I thought for sure 128 was going to be my body''s stopping point. I weighed myself a few other times this week and the scale was down to 126.4 both times, which really made my jaw drop. I can settle right here and be just fine, I am so pleased with my measurements (minus the stupid flabby arms) but I won''t complain if I lose a few more lbs. either, as I''ve been saying since I hit 130. I had a mani/pedi this morning and the woman who did it commented on how tight and toned my calves are, it made me laugh but I was like "right on!" I haven''t bought any spring/summer pants and shorts yet, it will be interesting to see what size I am now.

AG: I''m so sorry your hip is still hurting and that it''s causing you such frustration!

Way to go, nyc, for supporting the hubby. That must be frustrating for him.

I have a hair appt. this afternoon and will probably get in a nice walk w/ John when I get back. I''m subbing tomorrow and hopefully on Friday and will finish out my workouts on Saturday and Sunday.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday.

 

[mrssalvo]

good afternoon all. well I went to the gym and only had time for 45 min. on the epi. b/f I had my appt. with the trainer. They normally do an hour long fitness testing but I didn''t have time today and asked if she''d just do my body fat. Well, the numbers are in at I''m at a 16.2. she said on average female athletes have a body fat score of 12-22% and going below 9 is too low. I''d always heard it was more like 12% but I don''t plan on going that low any way. I did ask the trainer how my weight is so low and my body fat is low that I still have jiggle area''s and what types of things I can do to reduce those. she said just doing what I''ve started will help and also I might try pilates/yoga for the strength and toning and the elongating I''m after. I''m short and she said no matter what I do I will never be 5''9" so I have to accept that there are different body types and find what the right balence of muscle/weight/body fat is for me. I want to go back and do the whole fitness testing though.

dee jay, don''t feel bad about the splurge weeks. hubby has just started working out and eating right and is under a huge amount of work stress now which makes it hard for him to focus on calorie counting and excerise(although he knows it would help him feel and sleep better). I have tried to eliminate many of his weakness foods from being around the house and keeping the beer out too. Beer is a calorie counting buster and after all long day he just wants to sit down and drink one, but they pack on the pounds or prevent them from coming off so I don''t buy it any more. He really likes A & W''s diet rootbeer and with 0 calories a better choice. it''s hard though and I''m proud of you for getting back on the wagon today.

way to go kimberly on the contiued good progress

congrats mara on the size 4''s- woo hoo!!1

 

[Mara]

funny about the scale dropping to 126 a few times kimberly. i have noticed after tracking my weigh in's in my spreadsheet that my body has this weird trend about weight. about 1-2x a week it drops like 2-3 lbs below what it is the rest of the week...and then 1x a week it's like 1-2 lbs higher than what it is typically. it seems like on sunday's it's typically higher (probably from my weekends!) then on tues it's more normal (probably because mon and tues are lighter days for me normally after a heavier weekend), then on friday it's like 2 lbs lower, then sunday 2 lbs higher etc. kinda funny. so it has been as low as 128 and as high as 132.5. but 130.5/131 is really where it's at most of the time. i wanted to maintain at 134 but i feel good at 131 so now i just want to maintain here. but yeah the scale can be random. on the days it's 128 i am like woah! but it always goes back up hehe.

kudos mrs salvo on 16.2%! it's interesting that the trainer did not say that is too low, especially for your age range. my trainer told me not to go below 19% as it might affect me negatively, and the online chart that kimberly posted also says under 20 is too low for our age group. so i would definitely not try to get anywhere near 12%!! seems like if you are at 16% and happy just try to tone up a bit but keep the bf high enough. do you also eat enough good fats? i have added more of those into my diet as well, like avocado and nuts etc because it will help keep my bf where it's at but it's the right type of fats.

 

[mrssalvo]

mara, I was surprised too that they said I was ok in that range. Hubby and I are still thinking about one more kid and I know my OB would not be happy with it any lower or me dropping weight b/c it really does make it harder to conceive. I have been making sure to add protein and the good fats though b/c I know they are so important. I think too my body hasn''t been used to so much focused activity, I''ve always been active but not intense like on the eliptical so my body is just trying to figure out what''s going on. I know I can weight train too but like I said before, my short body type bulked up and maybe I just wasn''t eating right then b/c I had a much higher body fat and it was more fat on top of muscle but I don''t want to go there again. I''m going to try the pilates though. my sister does it several times a week and swears it made her but firmer, legs stronger and toned her upper body.

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 4/4/2007 2:22:08 PM
Author: Mara
funny about the scale dropping to 126 a few times kimberly. i have noticed after tracking my weigh in''s in my spreadsheet that my body has this weird trend about weight. about 1-2x a week it drops like 2-3 lbs below what it is the rest of the week...and then 1x a week it''s like 1-2 lbs higher than what it is typically. it seems like on sunday''s it''s typically higher (probably from my weekends!) then on tues it''s more normal (probably because mon and tues are lighter days for me normally after a heavier weekend), then on friday it''s like 2 lbs lower, then sunday 2 lbs higher etc. kinda funny. so it has been as low as 128 and as high as 132.5. but 130.5/131 is really where it''s at most of the time. i wanted to maintain at 134 but i feel good at 131 so now i just want to maintain here. but yeah the scale can be random. on the days it''s 128 i am like woah! but it always goes back up hehe.

kudos mrs salvo on 16.2%! it''s interesting that the trainer did not say that is too low, especially for your age range. my trainer told me not to go below 19% as it might affect me negatively, and the online chart that kimberly posted also says under 20 is too low for our age group. so i would definitely not try to get anywhere near 12%!! seems like if you are at 16% and happy just try to tone up a bit but keep the bf high enough. do you also eat enough good fats? i have added more of those into my diet as well, like avocado and nuts etc because it will help keep my bf where it''s at but it''s the right type of fats.

I typically try to avoid weighing myself more than twice a week, always on Wednesdays and then usually once on the weekend. But I weighed myself on Saturday and Tuesday just out of curiousity and both times I was 126.4, so not really a consistant pattern as typically my weight is higher on the weekend and lower on Wednesday and I flip-flopped this week. It will be interesting to see what it does over the next few weeks as I still don''t intend to up my calorie intake.

Way to go on the body fat, mrs. salvo!

 

[Rod]

Date: 4/4/2007 1:02:03 PM
Author: 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

Lorelei, we will ALL be thinking about him and wishing him nothing but the best. I hope it''s not serious surgery, but anything that requires a scalpal is usually not great. Our prayers with you and your family. Do check in on us and make sure we''re all still on track!

You will be greatly missed if we don''t see for a while!!

 

[Rod]

Way to go on the BF Mrssalvo. 16.2% Woo Hoo and doesn''t sound from what Mara and other''s have said that you should go any lower.

Kimberly, I only weigh myself like maybe once a week now and sometimes not even that often. I used to weigh myself like every 10 seconds and I was letting the scale rule my life. I''m at a nice and comfortable 175 pounds which is up like 3 pounds since coming here from Tampa, but I KNOW it''s muscle, not fat. My jeans and pants are all fitting me looser, not tighter! YAY!!

I had a really good workout at the gym this afternoon. I didn''t do my usual workout. Instead, I decided to mix it up a bit. Of course I started with my core training. I always always do core. It''s what saves me from needing a chiropractor, which is good since I never found one here in Raleigh anyway. Then, instead of moving to my legs, I used all the time on my upper body and continue make terrific strides on unassisted chinups/dips. I do them forward grip and backward grip. WOO HOO!! Then, I did 45 minutes on the elliptical to make up for not doing any leg machines (though I did do weighted lunges).

Then, thinking I was going to wait until after Charlie worked out to have dinner and was going to have a lean cuisine anyway, I decided to get a scone as an extra treat with coffee. But Charlie called and said he didn''t want to go to the gym and wanted to meet at Mura for Sushi instead. He''s going to Bufallo to be with his family tomorrow and he wanted to have Sushi before he went, so I had a full dinner at Mura. I so would not have had a scone had I known I was going to have sushi, but I doubt the over indulgence hurt me much. I''ll be working out tomorrow, Friday, Saturday and Sunday since I''ll be alone through the weekend.

I hope you all had a nice Wednesday!!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Thanks Mara - I probably should look up some Pilates exercises or something since its been ages since I did any. Unfortunately, working out today seemed to help at first and then it got worse...I''m actually kind of worried because I have a long day at the lab tomorrow and so I''ll have to be on my feet and my hip is still killing me. Oh well, nothing to be done about it, except take more Advil I guess

MrsS - that is such awesome news about your bf! I don''t think mine has ever been that low. That''s amazing, and it sounds like you''re doing really well.

Rod - that sounds like such a fun workout. It seems like you have developed a healthy attitude about indulging occasionally - that''s definitely something many of us could stand to work on.

So I went to the grocery store and found one of my all-time favorite ice cream flavors as a slow-churned version - YAY Fudge Tracks!!!

Unfortunately I don''t have enough room in the freezer to get it right now, but that''s probably a good thing for as long as I''m off working out...

 

[FireGoddess]

Lorelei I hope all goes well....good thoughts from here!

 

[Rod]

Thanks Amber..........I have finally gotten to a point where I have relaxed a bit about having some fun foods. Mara surely knows how I wouldn''t eat anything that was fun for a long long time. And I still have some phobias, like Pizza is a no-no to me. I think it''s such a no-no because Pizza was a food that I so over-indulged in that it helped me weigh over 240 and have over a 40 inch waist that I just can''t bring myself to have a slice of pizza. But, I know I work out really hard and I''ve accomplished so much with my body that as long as I continue to workout and make good progress, I do allow myself a few fun things!!

 

[mrssalvo]

lorelei- know that we are all thinking of you and please do check in when you can. I for one will really miss you but understand..

Rod- yay for the workout and the surprise splurge dinner. that is what life is about and you really are doing great!!

Amber- I saw some of the new slow-churned items too but so many other goodies stocked up i''m waiting to buy them, but I can''t wait

I made bean burrito''s for dinner that were only 255 calories each and hubby loved them. I use the Mission low carb tortilla''s and they are 110 calories and 11 grams of fiber each. so, not as good as the one''s mara gets, but still decent and they taste really good. I then made the no pudge brownies and did the cake like version where you use less yogurt and an egg white and I liked them more. they were still really moist and fudgy but you could cut them more easily and they were more like a regular brownie in texture.

 

[Mara]

haha rod about the scone and no that extra 350 cals or whatever will not be a big deal at all in your long-term plan!!!

i was reading something today that was talking about how while it's calories in and out....it's a long-term plan and if you have a bad day or a bad afternoon it doesn't derail you or let you be bad all day or whatever. one indulgence is just that, one indulgence and you won't gain a lb overnight from something you ate. this article was talking about how it's just a blip on a long road and it really doesn't even matter.

i thought that was a cool way to think about it. and when i look back at my progress over time, i realize that i was able to indulge a fair amount as long as i worked out and watched what i ate about 90% of the time. like last week...we went out during the week once and i had a salad and soup but then we shared the luxurious chocolate cake i was craving. had fish and chips with lots of sauces and bread on friday and dessert at home. on saturday ate out with friends at the tapas place and trust me, i ate whatever looked good on that table (and most of the desserts!). and i didn't gain anything. that is pretty much how my weeks have been previously as well in the past...and when you start to kind of examine it...it starts to SINK IN that indulgences will not hurt you as long as you do what is 'right' most of the time. it seemingly has taken me forever to get this!! i still indulge anyway of course but sometimes i feel like 'uh oh how is this going to set me back'...well the answer is probably 'not at all'...because i stick with my workouts and eat well the rest of the time. even that trip to vegas where we chowed down for the most part didn't even do anything to my weight.

so anyway....i am still learning about this whole maintenance thing but i am slowly starting to get it i think. but i think even for those who are in weight loss mode, indulging and not beating yourself up about it is really important too. as long as you make it a one time thing and don't let it affect your mental state or your workouts or get you down...i think it's probably healthier than deprivation.

today i went into my new company and signed up with their internal contracting service and got all setup! so i'm ready to go! my boss emailed me tonite with my new email and some other tidbits of info...i guess i am really starting this job on monday, hehe. i'm excited. i also ran a bunch of errands today as well...and then hit the gym and did an hour on the treadmill for 535 cals. oh and i had to go get some prescrips refilled and they were taking forever so i ended up walking around the hospital. it was pretty funny...i just started on the first floor and went around the whole square then took the stairs up and did the same on 2nd and then third floors then came down. it was about 3/4 of a mile, so kinda fun and i had the 15 minutes to kill and it was way better than standing in the pharmacy with everyone hacking up a lung! i called it a warmup for my workout hahaa.

then came home and made us dinner...which was SMASHING. i don't know if i told you guys but last week we were going to this creole place we like in this other city, we take the train there. they have this amazing 'warm napa cabbage salad' that i get as a side with my ahi tuna but it is an entree too if you want it. well i LOVE it....it has bleu cheese, bacon and mushrooms as key elements with this yummy sauce, and whenever we go there i get all giddy thinking about having it. i was on their site last week looking at the menu for our visit and i saw this link that said recipe of the week so i click and its the cabbage salad!! they wrote down EXACTLY how they made it in the restaurant! i was like OH MY GOD! so i saved it...and then checked it out and figured out how i could adapt it to be healthier but still have those same elements that make it sooo fabulous. so i made it for us for dinner tonite and topped it with grilled shrimp for some protein, the one in the restaurant doesn't have any meat (well it has bacon). greg LOVED it...i LOVED it. i am so excited to know that i can make it for us at home now!!! i'll post the recipe for anyone interested below. it is quite a lot of prep, it took me about 45 minutes to get it all chopped and prepped, then assembly and all that. it's kind of a tricky recipe but it came together very nicely. i can't wait to make it again!! the funniest thing was we ended up not going to the restaurant last week because we went to get seafood on the water instead, so i was really craving it this week.

OH and my vitalicious package came in the mail today. does anyone know...do these things REALLY need to be frozen? i ask because they shipped them to me and they were not in any sort of freezer pack...and they were all soft. the box said put in freezer immediately. so what's the deal? greg was like well they aren't frozen so why do you have to freeze them? i put them in anyway but our freezer space is at a premium right now so i'm wondering what the deal is. anyway i got like all these diff vita tops and a box of brownies...they look yummy, esp the peanut butter chocolate dream top ones..mmm.

anyhow i think dessert is going to be a mini brownie wedge and hazelnut gelato again...yummy. hope everyone had a fabulous day...!!! tomorrow is thurs and my last real day of freedom as we leave friday morning for a night away in pismo beach at a resort i booked for us...kind of a mini vacation before i start my new job. so i have a bunch of stuff to get done for tomorrow and then pack for friday...and then tomorrow night i have a candle party (kind of like a tupperware party but candles) with some girlfriends that should be fun.

here's the recipe if anyone wants to try it.

So first...the original from their menu:

ORIGINAL:

THE WARM NAPA CABBAGE SALAD
This recipe makes 4 entrée-sized servings
or 6 – 8 starter salads

Main Ingredients:

2c Homemade Croutons:
Bread
1 stick butter
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of chopped fresh garlic

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp chopped shallots
½ tsp freshly cracked pepper
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 cup of canola oil

The Rest:
10 slices of your favorite bacon
2 tbsp of reserved bacon fat
1 pound of medium-sized mushrooms (Button or Crimini)
5 ounces of your favorite blue cheese
1 head of Napa cabbage (approximately the size of a football)

To make the Warm Napa Cabbage like we do at the restaurants, follow these little “secrets” and you’ll look like a pro!!!
-Read the recipe thoroughly.
-Room Temp Cabbage works the best.
-Don’t let the blue cheese melt completely.
-After the dressing is poured over the cabbage, work fast!!! or it will wilt
-Have warm plates (not hot) ready to go.

Preparing the Salad:

Make some sourdough croutons by cutting the bread into a one-inch dice (makes about 2 cups). To make the croutons, Melt 1 stick butter with 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan. When melted, add 1 tbsp chopped fresh garlic and remove from heat. Let set for 5 minutes. Pour the butter mixture through a strainer over the croutons, toss well, and place the croutons on a pan in a 375 oven until golden brown. About 15 minutes. Watch them like a hawk, or they may burn.

Make a simple Red Wine Vinaigrette: In a blender, pour 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp chopped shallots, ½ tsp freshly cracked pepper, 1 tbsp whole grain mustard. Turn on the blender and slowly add 1 cup of canola oil. You will probably only need ½ of this dressing.

Cut ¼ inch and saute10 slices of your favorite bacon. Drain the most of the fat off the bacon leaving the bacon and 2 tbsp of fat in the pan.

Slice 1 pound of medium-sized mushrooms and set aside.

Measure about 5 ounces of your favorite blue cheese, crumble and put aside.

Cut 1 head of Napa cabbage (approximately the size of a football) into quarters, then slice each quarter into ¼ inch slices and put into a stainless bowl. You will be ready to make the salad when the cabbage is at room temperature. It is VERY important that the cabbage is not cold, or the salad will steam and wilt when you add the hot vinaigrette.

Making the Salad:
Make sure all your components are ready to go and are within reach.
Here We Go!

TURN YOUR EXHAUST FAN ON HIGH…Turn the pan with the bacon on medium-high heat. When it starts to sizzle again, add the mushrooms and sauté. This will only take about 1 minute, because the shrooms will soak up all the bacon fat. Add ½ cup of red wine vinaigrette. BE CAREFUL! It will steam up! Pour the blue cheese into the pan, then immediately pour contents of pan into the napa cabbage. Add the croutons. Put the metal bowl on the stove over medium-high heat. Use an oven mitt because the bowl will get HOT. Toss the salad until warm (not hot), about 30 seconds.

Serve on warm plates.

Mara Note: Original recipe nutrition is something like 3400 cals for the entire recipe (I had to estimate on the whole homemade crouton thing, that could add a TON depending!) so each entree portion is about 850 cals...as a side salad, about 425 each.

_____

SO....since the original recipe calls for homemade croutons with a STICK of butter and a CUP of oil for the dressing....and since I don't want to be eating a 900 cal salad for dinner...I made it my own in a healthy way.

And it was just as fabulous if not better because...no guilt!!! hehe.

MARA'S VERSION:

This made two large entree salads for Greg and I (he got a bit more than I did)...and I added shrimp on top...see the bottom for shrimp notes.

Storebought Croutons (I used a multigrain and regular mix that is 35 cals for 6 croutons)

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp diced shallots
1 tsp freshly cracked pepper
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
2 tbsp of Enova oil

The rest:
4 slices of Oscar Meyer center cut bacon
1 tbsp of reserved bacon fat
1.5 cups Crimini/Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
1.5 ounces of low-fat bleu cheese
3/4 head of Nappa Cabbage
~20 large frozen tiger shrimp..thawed and deveined/shells off

I basically followed the directions up above on how to make it and put it all together but I did do a few things differently.

I did not blender the vinaigrette because that was just too much trouble. I just whisked it all together in a small bowl and it worked out fab. I also took the bacon out of the pan and blotted it dry then shredded it by hand rather than cutting it while raw back into the pan while the mushrooms were cooking. This also gets a lot of the grease off of it. I also let the mushrooms cook for 2-3 minutes to get them nice and sauteed in the bacon oil. I poured off most of the bacon oil into another small bowl and just left a bit in the pan. I made more of the vinaigrette than it called for for a 1/2 recipe and used double mustard and way less oil to get a lot of flavor without the oily feel. Using the center cut bacon yields smaller pieces than a regular bacon so you could even use more than 4 pieces but that was enough to give ours a really nice bacony flavor and cooking the mushrooms in the reserved fat is very flavorful. I also sauteed the shrimp in another pan in about 1 tsp of the bacon fat too. I used more mushrooms than a 1/2 recipe would call for as well, but we love mushrooms and they are so low calorie. Using the low-fat bleu cheese (it was my first time with it) worked out great, I got it at our local store and it is very close to the full fat version taste-wise (still very stinky!), but is like 75 cals instead of 100 for 1 oz. I also didn't add the croutons into the metal pan and cook it on the stove at all...I found that by adding them in at the end then just mixing them in, they soaked up some of the juices from the vinaigrette and mushrooms in the salad and got soft by themselves. The whole adding them into the metal pan and cooking the pan for another minute or two was too high maintenance for me hehe.

Oh and at the end when the mushrooms were cooking, I heated up another pan with a bit of the bacon fat and sauteed the shrimp in there for a few minutes. When everything was done, I put the croutons on the salads and then added the shrimp on top. I used about 20 large tigers and 6 is one serving so I got about 8 and Greg got the other 12. He's a growing boy!!

So my entree sized portion with 8 shrimp and 9 croutons was about 510ish cals total. Greg's portion was probably more about 675ish because I gave him a bit of a larger portion, more croutons, and he got the extra shrimp. Nutritionals are way better than the original AND ours had shrimp!

Anyhow, definitely a big hit. You can adapt it as necessary...I thought about adding a tblsp of butter into the mushrooms and bacon fat for more flavor but it totally didn't even need it. And honestly who uses so much canola oil?!??! Oil is relatively tasteless to me and so I always try to use as little as possible unless it's necessary. Oh and for oil I used Enova.

 

[Mara]

oh i almost forgot to report...i bought a food scale today at BBB. it is just a basic digital model, it was $29 but i tested it out tonite and it seems to work pretty well, it shows grams and ounces and you can recalibrate it to 0 before putting things on. i got it because so many things we buy are portioned out by ounces or grams and you are like ''huh what does that mean''...so i end up estimating. i am just curious to see how close my estimates are on things...and also because since i do track my cals it would be nice to know how far off i am or close. so tonite i put a mini wedge brownie on it and it says 7/8 of an ounce. so i''d estimated about a little under an ounce for the smaller brownies, so i was actually pretty spot on. also like those cinnamon rolls i love to get...the serving size is 56g. it took me like 20 minutes online researching with other cinnamon rolls and the whole conversion thing to figure out that i was probably eating 2 servings with one roll. but if i had the scale i could just weigh it and know in like 2 seconds! so anyway i''m kind of excited to have a new toy to play with hehee. and now it will make things like portioning out chicken or steak (aka 6oz) or similar way easier for me!

 

[mrssalvo]

mara, that scale is a great idea. i was thinking about getting one too, especially for meats b/c I think what we think is a serving size is normally like 2 b/c we''re so used to restaurant servings. I think it will help hubby and I by ruling out the guessing like you said.

that recipe sounds wonderful, I''d like to try it next week. I''ll have to get hubby to prep the shrimp though, I like it but don''t like the prepping.

so yesterday we got a last minute call for a showing so I grabbed the kids and dog to just go for a walk. I walked our neighborhood for an hour. I''m feeling a little tired today so I''m going to set a 45 min. goal on the epiliptical and then take the kids swimming for an hour.

hope everyone has a great day!!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Morning all! I realized yesterday morning that I''m getting a cold

but I don''t have time for it right now so it''s just gonna have to go away as soon as possible, LOL. Since I didn''t feel bad, except for a little stuffy, I went to the gym with a plan of riding the bike for an hour but 27 mins into it I dropped my water and caused a mini tsunami over by the free weights, so by the time I cleaned that all up I took it as a sign and moved over to the elliptical for another 35 mins. Total (I think) of 500 cals.

I was relatively good foodwise yesterday and last night even if I had wanted to eat something else after dinner I got a call from a client and ended up on the phone for over 2-1/2 hours. By the time we were done I was so exhausted it was all I could do to get up to the bedroom, let alone stop in the kitchen for anything! And today I''ve got my cals planned out so I should come in a little over 1200.

Mara, you''ll love the scale. I''m always checking things out on ours, and it''s like, oh, look at how much of this I get for a serving, or (more often... ) oh, look at how LITTLE of this I can have!

And Mrs. S. -- WOW on the body fat! I won''t even tell you what sparkpeople estimates mine at...

 

[Mara]

good morning wwt''ers!

yeah i imagine the scale will be kind of fun (and bad in some ways too) but it just seems like so many things i get are in random weights and grams and it makes it so hard! like what is 1/4c nuts? they don''t really all FIT into a measuring cup. and cereal is the same way. if it''s a big puffy cereal, am i eating too little because of all that air space in the measuring cup? scale way easier hopefully. plus it was fun last nite to see the brownie was basically what i thought haha. i think i tend to overestimate slightly on things which probably helps me out rather than underestimating. they had scales that went up to like $120 and did all sorts of things like recommended portion sizes for your weight or whatever but i don''t need some newfangled difficult thing i won''t use. just tell me what it weighs hehe.

speaking of getting a cold, this morning i woke up with kind of enlarged lymph nodes and a bit of a sore throat. it could be allergies starting up or a cold, so i mixed in some airborne with my iced green tea and hopefully i won''t get sick right before starting my new job, argh!

is anyone else into green tea? i bought a few diff varieties and have been making them on the stove, mixing them together and then icing them in the fridge. it''s great for when i want a cold drink, don''t want any cals and don''t want plain water. the one i made this week is orange passionfruit jasmine and i really like it esp for an ice tea it has good flavor. i am almost out, i drank a pitcher in 3 days so i am going to make another one this morning. i also have been drinking the teas'' teas that i found at whole foods, they have flavors like rose green tea and white green in 17oz bottles to go, so nice to have on hand for if i am running out the door too.

oh and speaking of drinks, i was reading a health mag yest at the gym and it reviewed a bunch of specialty juice/fizzy drinks and it pronounced the Izze drinks the best for cals and the fact that it''s 100% juice, and said that the blueberry fizzy one is only 90 cals and packed with antioxidants, so i definitely want to try that one now for a treat drink.

kudos on the walk mrs salvo and DJ lol on the tsunamai, good for you for getting back on the elliptical hehe.

i have lunch with a girlfriend today and have to get a mani pedi. also have to get my 4m walk in at some point though i might do a 1.5m this morning and then a 3m this afternoon and split it up due to time...since tonite i have to go get my girlfriend at 6:30 and go to this candle party thing. there will be drinks and snacks there, i probably won''t drink because i am driving (and i just don''t really drink that often) but snacks are another matter...this gal tends to have nice healthy stuff as she is veggie but on the other hand i thought well if we don''t snack too much we can stop at that outdoor cafe place i love on the way home and get salads and coffee. so we''ll see how it shapes up. part of my maintenance plan this week mentally is to be more ''zen'' about things...and not try to plan out every meal and minute and if i want something on the side to just do it and not overthink it. hehe. i''ve consumed more cals this week daily than i typically do, but i was pleased to see the scale has not really moved from my normal weight now the last 3-4 days. so we''ll see if that''s still the case on friday, then sunday, then next week.

oh and those of you who are weighers...i have read a few articles recently about how stats show that those who do weigh themselves often are more apt to self-correct and maintain or continue losing weight than those who don''t weigh themselves that often...apparently those who don''t weigh that often might not catch a downward spiral til your pants don''t fit kinda thing. but those who do weigh (they said daily) tend to notice small changes and be more conscious about correcting bad behaviors if the scale shows a negative thing. kind of interesting, i kind of believe in a moderate approach with the scale, aka not daily but not once every 2 weeks kinda thing. i go to the gym 3-4x a week and i weigh when i get there and typically when i leave, and only on the one scale. so that''s kind of my gauge. but for me i''d have to see a negative change for a week+ before i''d really think that the weight is there to stay kinda thing. but it is true i am conscious. but also how my clothes fit as well! so i think it''s twofold.

breakfast this morning is egg mcmuffin with bacon and cheese...i used a real whole egg today lol so i have some yellow in my egg, kind of a different taste but i like it. and i finally got an egg ring, though not a silicon one, the store was out, but it works pretty well for $2.99 hehee. i like it much better than this biscuit thing i was using. snack will probably be some corn bran with berries as i am out of fage i think. but i am meeting my friend for lunch so maybe no real big snack. we''ll have to see how the day shapes up!

anyhow, hope everyone is having a fabulouso day, how is everyone doing??

 

[FireGoddess]

How funny - I got a cheapo food scale last weekend but it''s been in the car cuz of the move (why bring it to the old place? LOL). Anyway, it''s a crappo version that''s not digital and I think I paid $10. But if a nice digital one is $29 I might just return it and get that one, esp. since they always send out 20% off coupons for BBB anyway. Hmmmm.

 

[aljdewey]

Yes, Mara, I''ve been into green ice tea a LOT lately - just seems light and refreshing and different, which I like.

Ok - so today''s a DANGER day. One of the prospective clients sent the damn CHOCOLATE BAR thing back! (some rule about gratuities)

BAH - gotta stay away from that end of the office today!

 

[crown1]

i have been drinking iced green tea exclusively (except water) for the last five years. i am using celestial seasonings decaffeinated mandarine orange and decaffeinated mint. they hit the spot and i use liquid stevia for sweetener.

i take a quart jar filled with water and microwave it for three minutes. i use three double bags and let them steep from 5 minutes to a couple of hours. after removing the bags i use the stevia to sweeten and then divide the mixture into two stainless steel pitchers full of ice and fill with water and stir. between my husband and i we drink those in unually less than a day. green tea is so tasty and good for you at the same time.

 

[Mara]

yeah i find that i like the diff flavors mingling with the flavor of the green tea. i don''t use any sweetener...i weaned myself off sugars in my tea and coffee a while ago which was HUGE for me as i used to put a ton of sugars into my drinks.

the orange, passionfruit, jasmine one is a lipton thing, there are so many yummy looking flavors out there and whole foods has a ton too of more organic ones. i also have an organic premium decaf one so i mix them both so that i don''t get as much caffeine but i still get the flavors from the lipton one.

i do it the old fashioned way as i have a large kettle we use for tea, so i heat up the water in there to the top, then when it whistles, steep the tea for up to 10 minutes then pour into a glass pitcher, let it cool down for an hour, and then refridgerate. i don''t like using huge pitchers as our fridge space is at a premium, so this is a straight glass pitcher just large enough for 3 days for me to drink, greg is not really into these types of things...he''s a beer and wine and water kinda guy!

 

[royalasscherlover]

ooh, the orange passionfruit jasmine tea sound so good! i will have to look for that...unfortunately we are having a massive cold snap here so i might have to make it as hot tea for now.

thanks for the suggestions on preworkout snacks, today i am going to try some fage with cinnamon, ground flaxseed and berries. it''s just so frustrating to have food system that works and then have it disrupted! i also found some whole wheat matzo so i might try that with a little peanut butter another day.

 

[Modified Brilliant]

3 inches of snow yesterday!! April in Boston. You gotta love it!

 

[KimberlyH]

Good Afternoon All,

A busy day of subbing, working on school projects and we''ve got a guest coming over for dinner, so only a quick check in from me today!

I absolutely agree about the scale being key, as it holds us accountable, but it must be used in moderation and not the only factor one bases progress on. It''s improtant to consider inches lost, BF, etc.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

K

 

[FireGoddess]

It's quite hard to eat at home when the only thing left unpacked was a loaf of bread. Oh wait, he packed that, I had to find it and fish it out.

I did manage to make a PBnJ sammie for lunch today.

I managed to find a tray and make a pizza using no tools but my hands last night! LOL. Used whole wheat pizza dough from TJ's (holy cow, YUMMMMM...will definitely be buying that once a week!), tomato sauce I had made from a different CL recipe, some light salami, some crumbled humboldt fog goat cheese, and some shredded mexican blend cheese for the top. Delish!!! That will last for several meals so I'm glad, plus it got rid of some stuff in the fridge.

The exercise front is crappy this week - no room to use the treadmill at home (boxes as far as the eye can see) and I have been packing when I get home. I have been good with the eating though and figure that the moving this weekend will at least be something.

I wore a pedometer the other day just to see how much I walk in a given day and I had about 7000 steps not including 45 min on the treadmill. Not so bad, but I'd like to reach the 10000 w/o treadmill if I can.

I hope everyone's Thursday is going well!!

 

[gailrmv]

Good evening!
So, sounds like everyone is doing really well! I agree with the folks who weigh every day. It helps me to see whether things rae moving in the right direction or not. I don''t worry about a pound here adn there because I don''t think my scale is that accurate, and things like hydration seem to affect my weight a lot. But if it moves up a couple pounds, I start getting concerned, and down a couple I start celebrating!
So I got a ton of activity into my day today. About 90 min of walking, plus 40 min elliptical and 30 min upper body workout. I was looking forward to a long run on the treadmill but forgot my sportsbra and I definitely can''t run without it!
I''m not prepared to put my weight on the internet, (and it''s way more than most people would ever imagine - I guess I carry it well but I do weigh a LOT) but I will try and take my measurements. I wish I had been tracking them all along. I see that my hips are narrower than they were and possibly my thighs as well. I swear these last couple pounds came right off my boobs. I wish my belly would shrink! It is prominent and won''t seem to budge. Since I''m married and in my late 20s, I''m always afraid ppl will assume I''m pregnant!

So today''s been really good, I have eaten approx 950 cals so far today but haven''t had dinner yet - not sure what I''ll make, maybe an omelette for about 400 cals.

So a lot of people on the WWT seem to do a long cardio workout. Do you also do weights? I prefer cardio, but I feel both are important. I try to do 2 weight classes a week (sculpting type) and then 1-2 days of weights on my own in the gym for 30-45 min. But I definitely prefer doing cardio. It really picks up my energy level and I love watching the calories go by!

 

[Rod]

Date: 4/5/2007 3:34:50 PM
Author: Modified Brilliant
3 inches of snow yesterday!! April in Boston. You gotta love it!

Good thing some people do, eh Jeff? It''s going to turn cold in Raleigh this weekend and they''re even throwing the SF word around (snow flurry - YUCK), offering further proof that it''s time we hit the road and go home where it''s sunny and warm!!

After taking Charlie to the airport this morning (he''s in Bufallo visiting his family where it''s definitely snowing), I spent more time packing today. How can two guys have so many dang sweaters when we just moved up here and lived in Florida for like 12 years. I''ve packed 7 huge boxes (hope UPS will accept boxes this size) and all that''s in those 7 boxes are sweaters. I still have workout clothes, PJ''s, shorts, jeans, t-shirts (which having lived in FL, one can imagine we have LOADS of). Then, I still have to pack up the personal things we brought for the kitchen. We''re taking all the hanging clothes (also we have too many) in the cars on the drive back home. I actually have to go to the box store and buy more boxes. Everything has to be packed and ready to be shipped on Tuesday, so it all arrives in Tampa when we do.

I finally made it to the gym later this afternoon and had a good workout. Nothing earth shaking there. I ate really healthy today and just finished my 3 pieces of dark chocolate and will probably have an apple or plum as an added treat. Since Charlie''s out of town, I''m going to go to the gym tomorrow, but likely will only do cardio and give my poor muscles one day''s rest. Then, it''s back to full workouts on Sat and Sun (even though it''s Easter, the gym''s open from noon to 7 PM, which is nice since I''m alone).

I am having dinner tomorrow night with the attorney from the company I just left (she and I became really good friends in my short stay there) and our realtor on Saturday night. Sunday, I''m thinking of having an Easter Lobster for dinner as a special treat!!

DeeJay, so sorry to hear your catching a cold. Springtime colds can be rotten. Maybe it''s just allergies????

Sorry about the returned Chocolate Bar Alj. Not sure I fully understand, but if it upset you, a hug from Rod has been sent.

Mara, you can not be catching a cold again, not when you''re starting a new job Monday. Drink lot''s of that green tea, get lot''s of rest and do cardio and sweat it out. There''s much I''ve read about doing more cardio when someone''s catching a cold and supposedly, it really does help. I''m sure it''s saved me a couple of times too.

And Gail, yes, I absolutely do weights then Cardio five times a week. Actually, I do core strength training first. Then weights, then cardio. Makes for a long workout, but it''s been so so worth it.

I hope everyone''s having a great Thursday and looking forward to a great Friday and weekend.

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 4/5/2007 8:28:26 PM
Author: gailrmv
Good evening!
So, sounds like everyone is doing really well! I agree with the folks who weigh every day. It helps me to see whether things rae moving in the right direction or not. I don''t worry about a pound here adn there because I don''t think my scale is that accurate, and things like hydration seem to affect my weight a lot. But if it moves up a couple pounds, I start getting concerned, and down a couple I start celebrating!
So I got a ton of activity into my day today. About 90 min of walking, plus 40 min elliptical and 30 min upper body workout. I was looking forward to a long run on the treadmill but forgot my sportsbra and I definitely can''t run without it!
I''m not prepared to put my weight on the internet, (and it''s way more than most people would ever imagine - I guess I carry it well but I do weigh a LOT) but I will try and take my measurements. I wish I had been tracking them all along. I see that my hips are narrower than they were and possibly my thighs as well. I swear these last couple pounds came right off my boobs. I wish my belly would shrink! It is prominent and won''t seem to budge. Since I''m married and in my late 20s, I''m always afraid ppl will assume I''m pregnant!

So today''s been really good, I have eaten approx 950 cals so far today but haven''t had dinner yet - not sure what I''ll make, maybe an omelette for about 400 cals.

So a lot of people on the WWT seem to do a long cardio workout. Do you also do weights? I prefer cardio, but I feel both are important. I try to do 2 weight classes a week (sculpting type) and then 1-2 days of weights on my own in the gym for 30-45 min. But I definitely prefer doing cardio. It really picks up my energy level and I love watching the calories go by!

Hi Gail,

Congrats on continuing to do so well! Whether or not you post your stats, tracking them is a great idea. Having the ability to reflect back on what you''ve been doing to determine what works for your body and what doesn''t is a great thing.

To answer your question, I work out at home and use free weights for arms 2-3x''s a week, but don''t do anything else as it''s what''s available to me.

 

[Modified Brilliant]

I''m starting to really get into more cardio work. My methods are a little extreme
and may not work for many folks..I enjoy boxing for 15-20 minutes, then Brazilian
Jujitsu grappling one-on-one, it''s heart pounding and demanding but a great workout.
I worry most about injuries but one must expect to get injured once in a while.
I sat out 4 weeks last year with a bruised rib.

Everyone..keep on TRACKin

 

[monarch64]

Hey WWTr''s! DH and I are suffering from some upper respiratory bug as well...DH''s mother has a bit of pneumonia, and we have quite a few other friends and acquaintances who are ailing this week...this crazy spring weather isn''t helping. It was in the high 60''s here on Monday and now we''re back down to 30 degree weather, blech.

I''ve been living on some great sorbet I found at TJ''s for the past 24 hours, plus the usual soups and cold comfort foods, not really calorie counting the past couple days, just waiting for my sense of smell and taste to return, lol! I hate not being able to taste anything!

Sorry to hear there are others here who''ve caught a bug as well...warmer weather is bound to come soon and hopefully we''ll all be over our illnesses quick!

 

[gailrmv]

Rod, thanks for the details about your workout. Just wondering if there is a reason that you do core strength and then weights and then cardio? Is it personal preference or is there a physiological reason? How much time do you spend on each? I usually just have an hour to 90 min to spend at the gym. Usually I do an hour of running outside or on the treadmill, or an hour spin class, or an hour sculpt class. Then I do some additional abs work if I have time. I stretch before and after my workout as well.