Weekly Workout Thread 2 April till 8th April

[Rod]

Date: 4/5/2007 11:11:42 PM
Author: 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.

Actually there is a method to my madness. I have suffered with low back pain for the better part of my adult life (I'm 52 now) and I had a reserved spot at a good chiropractor's office three times a week. That was when I had over a 40 inch waist and weight upwards of 240 (but today, I have a 32" waist and weigh 175!). Then, I discovered Core Strength Training as part of my overall fitness regimen (and those who know me on these parts know I highly recommend a book by Mark Verstegen called Core Performance Essentials). Since I have the ability to hurt my back, I start my workouts with core training as it seems to keep my back muscles in check (and of course strengthen them) so I can lift weights. That's why I always do core work first then weights (machines - leg and upper body) then free weights and now I've added unassisted dips and chinups too. Oh, and I've added 60 pushups - the old fashioned, get on the floor with your hands supporting you kind - with every workout too. For a guy, they're the absolute best for helping firm up flabby pecs!! I finish my workouts with Cardio (I'm an elliptical addict) because it just works best for me and I sweat a lot on the elliptical (I push really really hard on the elliptical). Also, my trainer in Tampa (WILL BE SEEING HIM IN ONE WEEK - YAYA!) suggested we either start our workouts or end them with cardio. My workouts average 2.5 hours (of which 35 minutes are on the elliptical - the rest is core and weights). I know my workout is quite long, but it didn't start out that way. We just kept adding new exercises to our routine and the workouts just grew over time.

Sorry for the long winded answer. Hope it helps.

 

[Mara]

Gail just a note on stretching before a workout, I read recently that it's not as popular to suggest stretching before a workout anymore as you end up being at higher risk for injury because you are trying to stretch muscles that are not warmed up. They now suggest to just warm up your muscles doing a lighter workout on the machine you will be using before getting into a heavier mode. I don't stretch beforehand but I have noticed previously that whenever I try to do it, I do feel kind of like my muscles pull more and are more stiff. They still advocate stretching after of course, because the muscles are very warm and it keeps them from shortening up and being stiff.

Anyhow, just got home from my girls night out at my friend's candle and massage party. She had lots of little apps, healthy stuff but as always it's way too easy to just pick and pick at the food on the table as it's there all night! She had the mini crumpet pizzas that I love, a bleu cheese wedge, a really yummy brie round with cranberries pressed into the top, sliced apples, sliced baguette, and then sliced toasted wheat pita and hummus. Oh and some mini crab cakes with tartar sauce that went fast. I ended up eating in two rounds and honestly I didn't even need the 2nd round as I felt okay. But of course I went for it because it was all just so yummy. And now I am absolutely stuffed! I didn't really eat THAT much volume wise, I guess it was just cumulative since it was over 3 hours. Anyhow at least most of it was pretty healthy wise, like the fresh cheese and apple and wheat and hummus etc so that part is good at least. I actually ended up consuming A LOT of fiber today as well overall so that worked out nicely.

So tomorrow morning I am doing an early morning workout...I'm going to be at the gym at 9am. Then I have to come home, shower and get ready, grab our overnight bags...get Portia's stuff ready for my mom aka the babysitter and then go up to Greg's work to pick him up. We're going to get pizza for lunch at this fave place he loves ... since we never have lunch together I suggested we just get a slice of pizza on the way up. Then we'll drive up to hotel on the coast near Pismo Beach, which is about 3.5 hours from here. We have dinner ressies at the restaurant at the hotel...their online menu looks so fresh and yummy and has gotten rave reviews. My friend who went to school around there said that the beach at Pismo is really nice and super long, so I am hoping we can get a walk in on it at some point while we are out there. We'll probably have a late breakfast there the next morning, then either do some ATV riding or horseback riding or maybe a spa treatment in the early afternoon, or we might just go into the town and do some shopping. Then we'll head back home and we might stop in this small town about 45 minutes from our house and get an early-ish dinner there at this fave Mexican place....since we'll be heading through there around 6pm-ish. So we'll see. We're pretty flexible in general...we just want to have some fun and relax!!

On the cold front, I kind of feel like something is trying to get me but I feel okay for the most part. It could be allergies. Greg however says he feels kind of sickly, so I am just going to keep blasting the airborne and emergenC and hope I don't get sick!!

Gail, I do mostly cardio and I do arm strength training 3x a week for about 15 minutes. It's all I really need...my arms are toned with little muscles and that is all I want. My legs are super strong from all the walking I am doing, there is no jiggle going on there at all anymore! I love it. Also sometimes at home 1-2x a week I do things like leg lifts and kicks and jumping jacks.

Sounds like everyone had a great night...hope everyone is looking fwd to Friday!!

 

[gailrmv]

Thanks Mara and Rod for your workout details! That helps.

 

[KimberlyH]

Morning All and Happy Friday!

Hope everyone is having a terffic day. I''m not subbing today, which means I get to workout, woo hoo!

We had a yummy dinner last night, enchiladas, beans and salad. John added more cheese than usual to the enchiladas and it ended up being 500 calories, so I pulled off most of the cheese on top and I probably managed to cut it back to 450, so I ended up at 1482 for the day, which is good, but I think overall my average for the week will be more like 1650-1700 than my usuall 1500-1600.

Mara, I hope you have a fabulous trip.

Rod, enjoy the peace and quiet this weekend!

 

[Mara]

Thanks Kimberly it should be fun. Now if this ugly fog would just go away...I''d be jazzed!!

This morning I was not super hungry, my body is still probably working on dinner from last nite hahaa...however I am going to the gym in a few minutes so I needed to eat something. I had a sliced pear and a piece of 45 cal toast with smart balance and low sugar marmalade jam. So I got some fiber and protein but not too many cals to start with. Oh and my cup o''coffee since I have been reading that it caffeine can help boost a short-term workout lol. And I need a boost this morning, I am not used to working out at 9am! Typically my workouts are afternoon or evening ones when I am way more perky.

Greg says he feels much better this AM and hopes this cold or whatever was short lived. I took an EmergenC last nite and one this morning so hopefully it will bypass me. Fingers crossed!

So guess it''s that time...haha! Off to workout. Hope everyone is having a great morning!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Friday everyone!

Even though my office is closed today I''m in finishing some things up. It''s absolutely amazing how much work I get done when no one else is here!

Today for breakfast I had some oatmeal and then about half an hour later I munched down a granola bar. I have some soup for lunch and I have all sorts of yogurt and pudding in the fridge to the tune of 60 cals each, so I should be in good shape by the time I leave. And I''m planning a workout tonight too.

Last night however... The HH picked me up from work and we wanted to go someplace "fun", so we ended up at Frontera Grill, which is a mexican place near us. I had wine instead of margaritas, but there were some deep fried things on the appetizer platter we split (not to mention the chips!) and I had soft tacos, so I''m sure the tortillas were loaded with cals too. It was SO good, but I left there a little uncomfortably full...

This morning the scale is telling me that I''m up 3.5 lbs from my low of a few Wednesday ago (

). No huge surprise given my eating lately, but I''m still disappointed in myself.

And I told the HH NO MORE CASSEROLES. I don''t care how much he tries to modify them to be *good* they are still more cal and fat loaded that say some grilled meat and vegetables. So tonight we having grilled chicken marinated in lemon juice and peppercorns, grilled vegetables, and some sort of salad. It''s time to get back to some lighter dinners!

Hope everyone has a great weekend, and Mara, enjoy your trip!

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 4/5/2007 9:22:20 PM
Author: Rod

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

Rod, you're the best! Thanks.

Background on the chocolate.....my company sent these TWO-POUND BELGIAN CHOCOLATE bars to prospective clients.....and one got returned.

So, of course, there's everyone on my floor whacking the bar with the liittle chocolate hammer and breaking off pieces of chocolate!!!!!!!!!!!!! VERY difficult to resist!

Thankfully, everyone wiped it out yesterday, so the danger has passed. LOL

 

[Mara]

lol alj you were saved...hehee.

well i am just about to head out to get my hubby for our trip...the fog went away so it''s sunny, hopefully it is up south too.

went to the gym and burned 600 cals at the gym on the elliptical doing some interval training and then another 50ish doing arms. i felt pretty powered today, not sure if it was eating lighter this morning (or maybe the coffee aka caffeine spike?) or last nite''s noshing but whatever it was it worked nicely.

interestingly enough i had my bf tested again and i''m at 18%. i talked to 2 of the trainers there about the bf and why it keeps going down even though i am not changing my routine and they were saying not to worry about it at 18%...that it''s not too low, that i am lean. i think they were confused though because they kept telling me to add more protein in and change up my workouts to build more muscle. i was like well i don''t think i WANT to add more muscle...haha. but they were saying that with the amount i work out i should be eating a gram of protein for every lb of weight. so 130g basically. i eat a fair amount but i don''t track it so now i am curious, i am going to add it to my spreadsheet and start checking to see what i am typically consuming. also they suggested that i take an entire week off cardio and just do walking and strength training...to switch it up a bit (but again they didn''t seem to understand that i want to maintain and i am happy with a plateau, i don''t want to jump start anything hehee). kind of interesting, and i am doing so much walking maybe dropping cardio to see if anything happens would be an interesting experiment. but really i am a creature of habit and my habit seems to be working for maintenance so far so i don''t really want to change anything. but it was an intriguing convo for sure hehee. one was a body builder type so he was telling me how he consumes tons of protein to bulk up...hehe.

anyway...i had another piece of toast with sb and jam when i got home and some honeydew. now i''m off to get greg and we''re going to get a slice of pizza at this place he loves on our way up...and enjoy a fab dinner tonite with lots of fresh seafood! hope everyone has a great day and night and saturday...we''ll be back tomorrow night so i am sure i will come back to all sorts of fun WWT escapade stories for the weekend!! enjoy all!

 

[Rod]

Wow Alj, that''s a beautiful work of chocolate art. Hard to imagine anyone returning it and it''s even hard to imagine anyone hitting it with a hammer, but I''m sure a lot of fun was had by those who did.

Mara, I''m probably too late to wish you a nice weekend, but if you see this I hope you and Greg have a fantastic time. You need to keep thinking about whether you can give up your waterfront lifestyle for a bigger home in the Carolina''s. I''m thinking you''ll both be like ducks out of water (pun intended) in NC.

Got some packing done this morning and reserved a truck to get the boxes to the UPS store so they can be shipped home. This all happens on Tuesday morning, then (fingers crossed) when we pull into our condo next Thursday night, our boxes will be sitting there waiting for us. All we''ll have to do is put our clothes and shoes away, unpack a few kitchen items, go to the grocery store and buy some food and voila, it will be as if we never left. There are still bottles of wine in the wine cooler in the kitchen waiting for our return home. Woo Hoo!!

It''s Friday and I usually don''t do the gym on Fridays, but since I''m unemployed and Charlie''s out of town, I went and did my core training (of course), some upper body work (can''t not do my pushups and unassisted chinups and dips) then did 45 intense minutes on the elliptical. I went 9 miles and burned 647 calories in 45 minutes. Rod was pretty darn pleased with himself!! LOL

Tonight, I''m meeting a friend from my ex-job here in Raleigh at some upscale Mexican restaurant. I''m not so much into Mexican food, so I''m not sure what I''ll get, but I was assured this is gourmet food, so I''ll let you all know about it later.

Tomorrow, it''s more packing and then I''ll do a full 3 hour workout, then I''m meeting our Raleigh realtor for Sushi at Mura. It will be my last time at Mura, which is really the only sad thing about leaving Raleigh for me. I''ve really grown quite fond of Mura!!

DeeJay sounds like it was a good decision to ask DH to lay off the caseroles. They can be laiden with fat and calories. The dinner you''ve planned sounds quite nice indeed. I''m sure the pounds won''t stay around long.

I hope everyone''s having a fantabulous Friday!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Just back from the gym; did the elliptical for 65 minutes, 570 cals. And now I am STARVING! Where is that husband of mine when I need him?!

I have been pretty good with the cals today, although not *entirely* by choice. A girlfriend of mine had her new e-ring shipped to her and the instant it arrived of course we had to get together to check it out. (Stunning by the way, I will have to convince her to post pics on SMTR once she''s "officially" proposed to.) And then there was a side trip to check out some bands... in multiple stores... so my momentary temptation to get a mocha at Starbucks went by the way side when the prospect of bling arose!

This weekend I''m committed to two more workouts and being cal conscious, although we are supposed to go to a pizza making party tomorrow night. I''m thinking we''ll eat ahead of time and then just show up really late, long after the pizza should be all gone.

 

[NYCsparkle]

well i was an official BUM today...no workout and i ate like sh@!. I wolfed down 3 slices of pizza for dinner...it was sooooo good. tomorrow i will get back on the eating healthy and working out bandwagon...today was my cheat day

i plan on pilates and a 3 mile walk. hopefully everyone ate better than me today.

 

[AmberGretchen]

DeeJay - its so funny how bling trumps food isn''t it...I guess we all just need more bling to make our weight loss successful haha

That''s good that you''re getting back on a healthier track with your eating - I honestly find I feel so much better when I only indulge a small amount of the time.

alj - that chocolate bar just looks sinful...yum...

Mara - I''m sure I''m too late to wish you a happy trip, but I hope you guys are having a wonderful time.

I finally tried those wasa rye toasts, and they are super yummy with the laughing cow on top. I had one today for lunch with an original swiss light laughing cow wedge spread on it and a cup of the Trader Joe''s microwaveable organic lentil soup, and it was a super-yummy and VERY nutritious lunch: 325 cals, 6 g of fat, 22 g of protein, and 18 g of fiber

 

[mrssalvo]

happy sat. all. well, yesterday was a bad day for us foodwise. We had to travel and planned on chick-fil-a for lunch with the kids. we were planning on a light dinner when hubby's new boss called and wanted to meet us for dinner with his kids so they could meet our kids and guess where it was?? steak and shake. I was the highest i've been in a few weeks i'm sure and hubby was 1000 calories over himself. Plus, we were 2.5 hours away from home with no time for a workout (other than my morning walk with Zoe, so at least I did something). we're going to be very strict today b/c tonight is a b-day dinner at macaroni grill and then a big easter celebration tomorrow afternoon.

we are going to the gym today but it's closed tomorrow. definitely back on track full force on monday. I hope everyone has a nice weekend. it's freezing cold again here, which I don't like. can i move to florida with you Rod?

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 4/7/2007 9:24:48 AM
Author: mrssalvo
happy sat. all. well, yesterday was a bad day for us foodwise. We had to travel and planned on chick-fil-a for lunch with the kids. we were planning on a light dinner when hubby''s new boss called and wanted to meet us for dinner with his kids so they could meet our kids and guess where it was?? steak and shake. I was the highest i''ve been in a few weeks i''m sure and hubby was 1000 calories over himself. Plus, we were 2.5 hours away from home with no time for a workout (other than my morning walk with Zoe, so at least I did something). we''re going to be very strict today b/c tonight is a b-day dinner at macaroni grill and then a big easter celebration tomorrow afternoon.

we are going to the gym today but it''s closed tomorrow. definitely back on track full force on monday. I hope everyone has a nice weekend. it''s freezing cold again here, which I don''t like. can i move to florida with you Rod?

Happy Saturday morning all!

Mrs. Salvo, if you don''t mind my asking, where''s here?

DeeJay, I''ve thought of another reason for the earring upgrade...lugging around those extra carats is sure to help you burn calories!

So I did a shorter workout yesterday (300 calories), will do 500 today and then another short workout tomorrow (probably 200 calories) and as we will be heading out of town for Easter with the fam tomorrow.

We''ve decided to only have one splurge day this week, which took place on Monday. This coming week we''re going out on Monday night (a friend is going to be in town for a conference so we''re going to have dinner downtown and then meet her for drinks) and on Tuesday (it''s our monthly play night) And then the following week we''ll be in Chicago which means food-fest. John''s made reservations for 3 of the 4 nights we''ll be there at some fantastic sounding restaurants. We''ve decided to go to places we''ve never been before, except 1 night, which will be lots of fun. So we decided to take it easy on th eating out this week as we''ll be doing a lot of it for the next 2.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

 

[aljdewey]

Happy Saturday, all.

Got together with a friend last night, and we did some shopping. Big score of the night? LUNA bars - they were on sale 5/$5.....woo-hoo! stocked up!

Then we went and had some lentil soup for dinner - was really yummy.

Today, folks are coming to celebrate hubby''s b-day, so we''re going out tonight - little splurge.

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 4/7/2007 11:18:39 AM
Author: aljdewey
Happy Saturday, all.

Got together with a friend last night, and we did some shopping. Big score of the night? LUNA bars - they were on sale 5/$5.....woo-hoo! stocked up!

Then we went and had some lentil soup for dinner - was really yummy.

Today, folks are coming to celebrate hubby''s b-day, so we''re going out tonight - little splurge.

Happy b-day to your husband, al! Enjoy your splurge night and time with your family.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Morning all! Just back from the gym. Did 30 mins/250 cals on the elliptical and 42 mins/250 cals on the bike. I probably could have kept going for an extra three minutes just to round it out but I was so bored at that point that I hopped right off at the 250 cal mark!

Had some yogurt before the gym and just ate a LC. The HH and I are going to some giant kitchen/bath warehouse to look at ideas for our bathroom remodeling, so I''ll stick a banana in the car to hold me over. Not sure about dinner yet; I want to eat something light before we go to the pizza party so I''m not tempted. And we''re in charge of dessert so I''m trying to think of something to bring that I don''t like (but geez--what dessert don''t I like? LOL!).

Great idea Kimberly on the studs. Not only do you enable me jewelry-wise but you encourage me calorie-wise. There''s no better friend than that!

Happy birthday to your hubby Al!

Oh yes AG--all thoughts of food went right out the window when there was bling to be had!!!

Mrs. S., I love the Macaroni Grill, but unfortunately the thing I like the most there isn''t good for me by ANY stretch...

 

[KimberlyH]

Worked out this morning and felt great. Burned 500 calories, which means I only need to 100 tomorrow to reach my weekly goal of 2000. I think we''re having veal, veggies and a salad for dinner. J''s in charge.

Hope everyone is having a pleasant Saturday.

 

[mrssalvo]

kimberly, here is Nashville, TN. it''s been beautiful and very spring like lately and the last few days over night lows in the low 20''s with high''s in the mid 40''s

So, i tried the cybex arc today. did 45 minutes for 500 calories so nowhere near the 900 in 30 minutes that was mentioned in the other thread but I did like it. If felt more like real running and you could adjust the height on the hill as well as the resistance so i can see if someone really cranks it you can burn quick. you also can''t lean forward as much as the eliptical so I think it works your core as well which I need and liked. There are only 4 in my gym though so I don''t know how easy it is to get one during peak hours unlike the regular elliptical''s which there are probably 30. it was fun and I''ve been very good calories wise today and am only at 450 thus far saving the rest for my pasta, bread, salad and glass of wine I know i''ll consume tonight. hubby and I already agreed to split a pasta dish though cutting the 1000 calories in half so that will help us to not go completely overboard.

hope everyone has a nice night!!

 

[Mara]

hello WWT'ers, we're back!! we had a wonderful time...and i didn't watch what i ate at all and it felt so good! we also got a ton of walking in, my pedometer clocked about 3m yesterday wandering around the beach and neighborhoods and streets and today we went out to the boarwalk, walked the pier, walked along the beach for about a mile then came back, drove 15m to another cute town we like and wandered around there for an hour or two as well. so today it was about 4.5m of walking.

so of course i have to report on the FOOD, you guys know me. dinner last nite at the hotel was exceptional...really did not disappoint. it is apparently kind of a lone trendy hangout kinda place in the small beach town, and i guess one of the actors from Entourage was just there before we got there (and left a crappy tip for our waiter!)...but the food was why WE were there and it was GOOD. one of the things we liked about it is that everything came in two sizes, petite or full order...so you can try a few things but not end up so sickeningly stuffed. we shared 2 petite appetizers (pulled pork empanadas and steamed garlic mussels), got our own petite salads, and then regular size entrees, though honestly we could have gone petite and been fine...i got the lobster tail which was SOOO amazing, i have had a lot of lobster tails that are just meh but this one was roasted and then had some tarragon butter on it and was served on a spring vegetable/fava bean kinda ragout with some tomato gnocchi mixed in. REALLY yummy. i got the normal size because the waiter said it was 3oz or 6oz and i thought well 6oz is not much but it was a lot more lobster tail than i expected! greg got some sort of lamb which he just loved. for dessert he got a specialty bleu cheese which came with a fresh honeycomb and grapes, and then did the wine pairing they suggested, and they brought him another sample of wine they thought would be good, and he had just finished a half bottle of red, so he drank a LOT of wine last nite! you gotta love walking back to the room haha. my dessert was a blueberry ricotta cornbread pudding with blueberry gelato, you guessed it, to die for.

this morning we planned to get up, workout and then go get breakfast...so we got up, hit up the gym, but then found out that the listing in the hotel book was wrong re: what time they stopped serving breakfast so we missed it...we were so sad because i am sure their breakfast is phenom. i think i saw a dungeness crab omelet on there..mmm. so when we checked out we told them that their book was wrong and the gal was so apologetic and she told us about a place where all the locals eat that serves brekkie til 2pm! since we had just about reconciled ourselves to having lunch instead...we were jazzed to find we could still eat a breakfast since we don't eat breakfast out at all really so it's a real treat. we hightailed it over and got a really yummy breakfast, sat outside and enjoyed the sun and ambiance and it was the cutest small dive place. perfect!!! and like i told greg, probably WAY cheaper than eating the fancy breakfast at the hotel. their buttermilk pancakes were really tasty...and that is exactly what i was craving so we were so happy the gal at the hotel recommended the spot to us.

i didn't plan to get a workout in today other than walking, but the hotel ended up having a nice gym, and there was no charge so we checked it out...i did 35 min on the elliptical and 10 minutes on the bike. their elliptical was a totally diff one than i was used to and it didn't burn as many cals as the ones i am used to which was kind of a drag...and my heart rate was high too...i was surprised that i wasn't burning more. but in my 45 min there i burned about 300 cals or so according to the machines (though i think it was more since i also wore my pedometer and it reported more and it's typically very conservative). then with all our walking today, my body really got a workout!! but it ended up being perfect because we have been eating a lot too...so i think it balances out hee.

we broke up the drive home by stopping about 15m out from our hotel and visiting this cute little town we have stayed in before on another trip...they have great boutique shopping, coffee shops etc. so we walked around and had coffee before hitting the road again. oh and i SCORED on finding this boutique that had Juicy terry on sale for 25% off which was a real find!! then again, we stopped on the way home about 45 minutes out and had dinner at this fave mexican place we love...i went all out and got a strawberry margarita...i haven't had one in forever! it was divine. and chocolate mousse for dessert, yummy. so the drive went really quickly on the way home because we had it broken up a bit. the whole trip was only about 3 hours driving from our house to the hotel, so it was not much driving at all actually.

overall the trip was just what we needed, a quick getaway...we managed to pack a lot into the day and a half we were gone and the weather was just perfect, they told us that it had been foggy for days and just cleared up yesterday afternoon!! so we were just loving it, the ocean looked beautiful. oh and we found the coolest fine wine boutique kind of shop around the corner from our hotel...and they had some really amazing wines that we hadn't seen before...along with some great chocolates and pastries, cheeses, pastas etc. so we brought home a bunch of wines for our wine fridge, and i got a few homemade cookies for us. oh and while in the other little town we stopped in, i ended up getting some specialty loose tea and a 1/2lb of frangelico hazelnut coffee beans that smell divine. greg got some some sort of interesting stovetop espresso contraption that he is dying to try out, you basically make espresso on the stovetop! and i stopped in a specialty chocolate shop and got my mom some truffles and two mini raspberry cream eggs for us, i am such a sucker for raspberry cream chocolates!!

we're jazzed to be home...and now we are going HMM...maybe we should get a vacation condo out there or something. the lifestyle is just soooo relaxed and you can't help but be mellow and happy all the time and it's only 3 hours away! on a down note, unfortunately greg did get sick and he's still battling it, i am taking emergenC to hopefully ensure i don't get it...but i hope he is better soon. it's no fun being sick.

anyhow sounds like everyone is having a wonderful weekend!! rod, trust me i think about being landlocked in a place like NC...yesterday when we were standing on a lookout over the pacific ocean watching the waves crash against the huge jagged cliffs and talking about how amazing the sky looked...i turned to greg and said 'and you want to leave this for landlocked little NC?'....hehehe. but whatever, we have the trip booked so we are looking fwd to checking out raleigh and trying to keep an open mind.

 

[Skippy123]

I will go for a quick 2 mile walk cuz I am cooking. We are having grilled salmon, veggies, bread, salad and fruit (pinapple and grapes) for dessert. My dad was having heart problems so I wanted somthing healthy for my family.

Happy Easter!


I think Mara starts her new job tomorrow? If so Happy a Wonderful Week; we are cheering you on!

 

[Rod]

Happy Easter Everyone!

I've been MIA, with the packing taking dominance the last two days. Everything that is being shipped back to Tampa has to be ready by Tuesday morning as I've reserved a truck to take the boxes to UPS. That way, they'll be waiting for us when we arrive in Tampa Thursday night. With Charlie out of town (he's really the packer of our family) all the packing has fallen on my shoulders. Yesterday I was feeling so behind that I never even made it to the gym, which for me is pretty unusual. But, I got a lot of work done and will be able to work out this afternoon.

I think the last I wrote was I was going to an upscale Mexican restaurant (called Jibarra) for dinner Friday night. It was surely not like any Mexican place I've ever been too. The entres started at $20 and went up from there, but the food was really really good. I had this shrimp fajita appetizer (yumm) and for my entre, I had lamb which I love but haven't had in a long time. It was perfectly cooked, lean and seasoned with spices I don't really recognize, but was really nice. Last night, I met our realtor at Mura for my last Mura Sushi night in Raleigh. It was really good as usual. Tonight, I'm having Maine Lobster for dinner in the apartment.

Tomorrow, I'll work out (I usually take Monday's off, but since I missed working out yesterday, I need to make up for the lost day) and then pick Charlie up at the airport later in the day.

Mara, I'm glad your getaway was just what the doctor ordered. Fingers crossed for a terrific week ahead in your new job!!

Alj, please wish you hubby a Happy Birthday from me.

And Mrssalvo - YOU BET, just come on down with us. I hate the cold weather too. Fortunately (because it was gone by the time I woke up), it snowed in Raleigh in the wee hours of the morning on 4/7. That's the latest it's ever snowed here, but it's just been too cold. The temps should actually be around 70 by now, but yesterdays high was barely over 45. BRRRRR....Too cold for this FLorida boy. So, come on down!!

 

[Skippy123]

Rod I am excited for you to go to Florida,

I forgot to ask in my prior post. Where did you go Mara? Sorry, I pop in here every once in a while but Monday is my last day of working for awhile so I will be here more often. See you all tomorrow!!!

 

[KimberlyH]

Happy Sunday (and Easter) WWTers!

I''m going to squeeze in a workout before we head up to Laguna for an early Easter dinner at my cousins. I''m having my normal breakfast, and dinner is at 2-3 (lots of people driving to get there that need to get home earlier rather than later as they work tomorrow). I''m not sure how this is going to work, as I will be really hungry by 7 or so. Perhaps I''ll eat a light meal and then have a little something (soup maybe?) later this evening.

Mara, it sounds like your trip was a ton of fun. That''s great! I hope your first day is great, tomorrow.

So glad you''re moving right along in the packing dept., Rod. I''m sure you are absolutely thrilled to be so close to going home.

Skippy, your meal sounds delicious! Enjoy!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy easter everyone!

Last night the pizza party got canceled so the HH and I went to the Capital Grill. Dee is not one to pass up a good steak, and I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed!

This morning I had a 200 cal grilled cheese sandwich (80 cal whole wheat bun, 3/4 ounce shreaded chedder, a TINY bit of margarine to fry it with) and now that I'm back from the gym (65 mins on the elliptical for 550 cals) I just polished off the rest of the seak and mushrooms.

Tonight the HH is making a big pot of sloppy joes and some homemade mac and cheese and we've invited some people over. HH is so excited--he just got some really good cheese at the cheese store and he is convinced this is going to be the best mac and cheese ever made on this planet, LOL. Plus he tops it off with these uber fine japanese breadcrumbs (actually I think they're made out of rice and not bread... ) and it gets this wonderful light crispy crust--YUM! And of course there will be lots of champage with our sloppy joes!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday and Mara have a great first day at the new job tomorrow!

 

[gailrmv]

hola! Mara, glad you had a great weekend away! Just wanted to point out, NC isnt landlocked! From Raleigh, you'd be just about 2 hours from that small pond we call the atlantic ocean There are also a lot of nice lakes, etc where you could get a lake house. The Outer banks of NC are really spectacular as well, although a little harder to get to. Man, I need a beach weekend!

So I'm having a great weekend calorie and workout wise - we went intentionally late to DH's work party last night so that we would miss the fried buffet that they always have. Instead we split a grilled salmon wrap beforehand. Also enjoyed some excellent sushi on Fri, and I did not order the high calorie appetizer that I wanted. I had a great 3 mile run on Fri and then yesterday did abs and legs and then 40 min on the elliptical. Today the gym is closed for Easter so I plan to run probably 5 miles. The scale is up 2 lbs - I don't understand why - but I lost 3 last week which seemed a little steep so in total, I'm down 1 over the past 2 weeks which is very reasonable for me (with my uber slow metabolism!) Tonight we are meeting friends for dinner and will probably go to our local healthy mex place, so it will still be sort of an indulgence calorie wise. I'm trying to keep my daily calories down low so I can eat two chicken soft tacos, beans and rice withough guilt. I'll also investigate the salad options there - maybe they have something even better.

So is it the total daily calories that matter or is it important when during the day you eat them? I.e. is it OK to eat light all day and have a heavier dinner, or is it better to have it balanced evenly throughout? When I eat a big lunch I tend to eat a light dinner, so that can be a good strategy for me - but social eating (ie eating out) is almost always in the evening.

At the work party last night we learned that a couple we are friendly with is expecting their first child. we are really happy for them of course. It got my wheels spinning though, as usual. I do finally feel ready to have a kid in that I know I would do a great job, and we could afford to provide a good life for him/her. But I don't really feel excited about having a child yet, and neither does my DH - we both have things we want to do as a couple first. So we have decided to wait until we both feel really excited about it. But seeing so many of our friends start their families makes me think hmmm, am I missing something? I am probably over-thinking the issue, but whether and when to have kids is probably the biggest decision a couple can make!

 

[Mara]

Thanks for the well-wishes for tomorrow everyone, I really appreciate it!! Yep tomorrow is my first day...I'm nervous and excited and also a little sad to see my carefree lifestyle fall by the wayside. But for lots of money I can make the sacrifice, hehe! No really it was great to have a month off but it's back to the daily grind for me. I got pretty much everything I needed to done, and I'm stopping at TJ's later this afternoon to get some stuff for this week to make our lives easier for dinners..like pizzas and the rosemary chicken and of course lots of fage for lunch/snacks.

Kimberly we are doing a 2pm lunch at my Mom's house as well...that way everyone is pretty much done and gone by 6pm and then I figured we'd have a light and simple dinner later tonite, like grilled cheese sandwiches and veggie soup or something because we tend to get hungry later as well even if we eat a big lunch at 2pm. So I figure we'll get in a walk later today as well since our night is early. We're going to try to get to bed earlier as well, esp since Greg is still sick and I, of course, have to get up early tomorrow, boo hoo. hehe.

Anyhow I am off to the gym now, breakfast was 1/2 a fuji apple and a piece of toast with SB and low-sugar marmalade, coffee, and an emergenC. I am skipping doing arms today as they are still pretty sore from Friday...I think they need a break..and I have some sort of strange side underarm bruised feeling which is kind of odd, so I won't be doing arms again til Tuesday. But today it's cardio on the machines.

Skippy, Greg and I went to Pismo/Shell Beach up the Central Coast. Here is where we stayed: www.thedolphinbay.com. It was a phenomenal place...we can't wait to go back, maybe with my family in the summer, it's totally the kind of place my Mom would love. And there are lots of cute little boutique towns along there as well so it's a great weekend getaway for shopping, eating, walking, etc. Fun times!! I took some pictures on the pier and on the way home...if I get a chance to upload them I will post later.

Happy Easter all!!! Enjoy the day!

 

[KimberlyH]

At the work party last night we learned that a couple we are friendly with is expecting their first child. we are really happy for them of course. It got my wheels spinning though, as usual. I do finally feel ready to have a kid in that I know I would do a great job, and we could afford to provide a good life for him/her. But I don''t really feel excited about having a child yet, and neither does my DH - we both have things we want to do as a couple first. So we have decided to wait until we both feel really excited about it. But seeing so many of our friends start their families makes me think hmmm, am I missing something? I am probably over-thinking the issue, but whether and when to have kids is probably the biggest decision a couple can make!

Gail, I just wanted you to know you are not alone in this quandry. John and I still haven''t come to a decision regarding whether or not we''ll have kids. It''s an extremely hard choice to make. We love our life as is, traveling, nice dinners out, time spent alone together, which doesn''t have to end when kids enter the picture, but becomes more difficult. And we are both extremely busy and fulfilled. We won''t make the decision for at least another year (I''m in the middle of a master''s program, and we''re contemplating a move cross country, there''s no way I''d want to be pregnant now!). We''re both 75% sure we want children, and I know I don''t want to have them past the age of 35, so we have 5 years to decide if and when. It will be one of the hardest choices we will have to make as a couple. Two of my closest friends have had babies in the last 3 months and another is 10 weeks pregnant with her 2nd child. While I adore these kids, they do not spark the "I must have babies now" feeling in me. And I adore children. Once again, you are not alone!

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Date: 4/8/2007 1:21:20 PM
Author: KimberlyH
At the work party last night we learned that a couple we are friendly with is expecting their first child. we are really happy for them of course. It got my wheels spinning though, as usual. I do finally feel ready to have a kid in that I know I would do a great job, and we could afford to provide a good life for him/her. But I don''t really feel excited about having a child yet, and neither does my DH - we both have things we want to do as a couple first. So we have decided to wait until we both feel really excited about it. But seeing so many of our friends start their families makes me think hmmm, am I missing something? I am probably over-thinking the issue, but whether and when to have kids is probably the biggest decision a couple can make!

Gail, I just wanted you to know you are not alone in this quandry. John and I still haven''t come to a decision regarding whether or not we''ll have kids. It''s an extremely hard choice to make. We love our life as is, traveling, nice dinners out, time spent alone together, which doesn''t have to end when kids enter the picture, but becomes more difficult. And we are both extremely busy and fulfilled. We won''t make the decision for at least another year (I''m in the middle of a master''s program, and we''re contemplating a move cross country, there''s no way I''d want to be pregnant now!). We''re both 75% sure we want children, and I know I don''t want to have them past the age of 35, so we have 5 years to decide if and when. It will be one of the hardest choices we will have to make as a couple. Two of my closest friends have had babies in the last 3 months and another is 10 weeks pregnant with her 2nd child. While I adore these kids, they do not spark the ''I must have babies now'' feeling in me. And I adore children. Once again, you are not alone!

Hi ladies,
Your coments really hit home! I just turned fifty and I have a son 22 and a daughter 23. Obviously, I dedicated most of my married life to my kids and
still do, in a way (my daughter lives with me). I am starting a new phase of my life called "Part 2." I love having adult kids and now i can enjoy my life
to the fullest and start doing things for "me" without feeling guilty. My advice: do as much together as a "couple" without kids...once you have them, you will dedicate your life to them financially and emotionally. Best Wishes whatever you decide!

 

[gailrmv]

Date: 4/8/2007 1:28:50 PM
Author: Modified Brilliant

Date: 4/8/2007 1:21:20 PM
Author: KimberlyH
At the work party last night we learned that a couple we are friendly with is expecting their first child. we are really happy for them of course. It got my wheels spinning though, as usual. I do finally feel ready to have a kid in that I know I would do a great job, and we could afford to provide a good life for him/her. But I don''t really feel excited about having a child yet, and neither does my DH - we both have things we want to do as a couple first. So we have decided to wait until we both feel really excited about it. But seeing so many of our friends start their families makes me think hmmm, am I missing something? I am probably over-thinking the issue, but whether and when to have kids is probably the biggest decision a couple can make!

Gail, I just wanted you to know you are not alone in this quandry. John and I still haven''t come to a decision regarding whether or not we''ll have kids. It''s an extremely hard choice to make. We love our life as is, traveling, nice dinners out, time spent alone together, which doesn''t have to end when kids enter the picture, but becomes more difficult. And we are both extremely busy and fulfilled. We won''t make the decision for at least another year (I''m in the middle of a master''s program, and we''re contemplating a move cross country, there''s no way I''d want to be pregnant now!). We''re both 75% sure we want children, and I know I don''t want to have them past the age of 35, so we have 5 years to decide if and when. It will be one of the hardest choices we will have to make as a couple. Two of my closest friends have had babies in the last 3 months and another is 10 weeks pregnant with her 2nd child. While I adore these kids, they do not spark the ''I must have babies now'' feeling in me. And I adore children. Once again, you are not alone!

Hi ladies,
Your coments really hit home! I just turned fifty and I have a son 22 and a daughter 23. Obviously, I dedicated most of my married life to my kids and
still do, in a way (my daughter lives with me). I am starting a new phase of my life called ''Part 2.'' I love having adult kids and now i can enjoy my life
to the fullest and start doing things for ''me'' without feeling guilty. My advice: do as much together as a ''couple'' without kids...once you have them, you will dedicate your life to them financially and emotionally. Best Wishes whatever you decide!

Thank you both for your comments! Jeff, I am glad you are enjoying Part 2!! Kimberly, I remember you mentioning on a previous thread the way you are feeling about kids. It sounds like we are having a lot of the same thoughts about it! I agree with everything you wrote. DH and I are also pretty sure that we want kids eventually, but the time just does not feel right now. we really enjoy our couple time, and don''t feel like we get enough time together due to work/school demands! I go around and around about the pros and cons of kids, and have driven my DH about crazy with all my thoughts. I think for some people it is clear, they either want to be parents or they don''t. For me, I see both sides and I honestly think I could be very happy as a mom, but also very happy without children. It is a HUGE, irreversable decision to have children, so it''s been on my mind a lot these last few years (I''m 28, DH is 30, and many of our friends have started families recently or are talking about it, so it''s really been on our minds!)