Weekly Workout Thread 24th July - 30th July

[Blenheim]

I''m so glad you joined, Rod! Your story''s inspirational! And Fisher, 100 lbs is amazing! I''m sure you look great -- we''re usually our own harshest critics.

No exercise so far obviously, but I work up a good sweat going up and down 1 flight of stairs on crutches to let Dylan out to go potty -- does that count?

Eating''s been pretty good for the most part. I''ve been getting J to cook healthy stuff for dinner, much to his chagrin. (He always wants to order pizza.) I did let him order pizza once but limited myself to 2 slices. Oh, and there was the chocolate fondue and strawberries the other night. He insisted that we didn''t have chocolate with which to make choc fondue, and (since I was tired of moving around on crutches) I told him where to find my chocolate stash, all 4 lbs of it. He made fun of me a bit for the size of the choc stash.

But 2 lbs of it was bittersweet chocolate, which is clearly for baking and not for eating, so that doesn''t count, right?

Well, after spending another morning at the hospital, I have some good news. I didn''t break my foot afterall. That particular bone, on 10% of people, forms as 2 bones. So there was definitely space between the bones, but I''ve had it since birth and just really irritated them. I''m in a stiff shoe thing, I can put weight on it (no real walks yet though), but I am allowed to swim as long as it doesn''t hurt! Wahoo! And, no more crutches!

 

[Rod]

Date: 7/25/2006 12:12:20 PM
Author: Blenheim
I''m so glad you joined, Rod! Your story''s inspirational! And Fisher, 100 lbs is amazing! I''m sure you look great -- we''re usually our own harshest critics.

No exercise so far obviously, but I work up a good sweat going up and down 1 flight of stairs on crutches to let Dylan out to go potty -- does that count?

Eating''s been pretty good for the most part. I''ve been getting J to cook healthy stuff for dinner, much to his chagrin. (He always wants to order pizza.) I did let him order pizza once but limited myself to 2 slices. Oh, and there was the chocolate fondue and strawberries the other night. He insisted that we didn''t have chocolate with which to make choc fondue, and (since I was tired of moving around on crutches) I told him where to find my chocolate stash, all 4 lbs of it. He made fun of me a bit for the size of the choc stash.

But 2 lbs of it was bittersweet chocolate, which is clearly for baking and not for eating, so that doesn''t count, right?

Well, after spending another morning at the hospital, I have some good news. I didn''t break my foot afterall. That particular bone, on 10% of people, forms as 2 bones. So there was definitely space between the bones, but I''ve had it since birth and just really irritated them. I''m in a stiff shoe thing, I can put weight on it (no real walks yet though), but I am allowed to swim as long as it doesn''t hurt! Wahoo! And, no more crutches!

Thanks Blenheim..........BTW.......Chocolate is good for you and so are strawberries, so if you''re going to induge in something, that''s a pretty good way to go. Just make sure it''s dark chocolate, not milk chocolate. Dark chocolate is good for your heart. 2 lbs of it, probably not so good. But, everything in moderation........right??

 

[Blenheim]

I didn''t think of it that way! It was all bittersweet or dark chocolate. I had no idea how much I had until J started adding it all up... Eeek! We made just enough to coat the strawberries, which isn''t as bad as we could have been.

 

[akw94]

Rod,
I HATE scales! I have one but it''s not digital so I try not to rely on it. I rarely use it, instead, when at my bf''s house, I use his which is digital and has a body fat percentage. I like that much better. Of course, I still don''t really believe the weight part, which is always fluctuating. They almost always tend to disappoint me and even when it''s good news, I don''t really believe it. What I''m really working on is losing body fat, rather than weight. Lately, I haven''t done well w/that but I haven''t really been on track in over a month. I have to get back on track!!
Blenheim, great news about your foot and that you can swim again. I''m thinking of finding out the swim schedules near me so that I can incorporate it in my routine.

I didn''t do so good for lunch today. I had a good plan, if that counts. I brought a lunch but was feeling bored so called my bf to see if he wanted to meet. He did so we went to lunch

. That was fun and made me feel a little better but didn''t do so good for healthy eating. I had crawfish cakes (yum!) w/sweet potatoes and black beans. I went carb crazy! I will have to eat something extra healthy for dinner and make sure to do some exercise tonight.

Back to work for me, I guess...

 

[Rod]

Date: 7/25/2006 2:36:31 PM
Author: dixie94
Rod,
I HATE scales! I have one but it''s not digital so I try not to rely on it. I rarely use it, instead, when at my bf''s house, I use his which is digital and has a body fat percentage. I like that much better. Of course, I still don''t really believe the weight part, which is always fluctuating. They almost always tend to disappoint me and even when it''s good news, I don''t really believe it. What I''m really working on is losing body fat, rather than weight. Lately, I haven''t done well w/that but I haven''t really been on track in over a month. I have to get back on track!!
Blenheim, great news about your foot and that you can swim again. I''m thinking of finding out the swim schedules near me so that I can incorporate it in my routine.

I didn''t do so good for lunch today. I had a good plan, if that counts. I brought a lunch but was feeling bored so called my bf to see if he wanted to meet. He did so we went to lunch

. That was fun and made me feel a little better but didn''t do so good for healthy eating. I had crawfish cakes (yum!) w/sweet potatoes and black beans. I went carb crazy! I will have to eat something extra healthy for dinner and make sure to do some exercise tonight.

Back to work for me, I guess...

Take advantage of having gone carb crazy and use it to your advantage in a good workout. Carbs really help fuel the body during workouts!!!! Must admit it sounded like a WONDERFUL lunch and way more interesting than the skinless chicken and rice with an apple lunch I had...........

 

[aussiegirl23]

Wanted to say proudly that I just got back from the gym...

FINALLY, after trying to get back into shape for 6 months, I can pass with flying colors (100%) the Army Physical Fitness Test for Women Ages 22-26.

That means:
-2 miles under 15:36
-80 situps
-46 pushups

My weight is FINALLY under the "maximum weight for NON-prior Service"... the goal is under the max for Prior Service ... GETTING THERE!

I know this seems like a STRANGE goal for someone who ISN'T Army, but it's a goal my FF has been helping me to reach...

Definetly a good feeling : )

ETA: Just wasn't comfortable having him be INCREDIBLY in-shape and me being a bum! So it feels right reasonable to make myself be accountable to the same standards he is... that way it's all fair and equal! It might not be my job to be Army, but it's a great feeling knowing I'm in shape enough to be : )

 

[Mara]

yay aussie girl!! congrats!

and can i just say how fabulous the Lean Cuisine ''Spaghetti in Meat Sauce with Basil and Mushrooms''... is? It tastes like restaurant spaghetti, which either means I eat at some mediocre Italian places or the LC is just REALLY good. I''d like to think it''s the latter. And I told my coworker I loved it and she said she loved it too and thought it was fab, so I guess it''s not just me.

It''s something like 10oz for 280 calories and 4g of fat. And it''s very filling. Throw some cracked black pepper on it and you could serve it for dinner!

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 7/25/2006 4:08:59 PM
Author: aussiegirl23
Wanted to say proudly that I just got back from the gym...

FINALLY, after trying to get back into shape for 6 months, I can pass with flying colors (100%) the Army Physical Fitness Test for Women Ages 22-26.

That means:
-2 miles under 15:36
-80 situps
-46 pushups

My weight is FINALLY under the ''maximum weight for NON-prior Service''... the goal is under the max for Prior Service ... GETTING THERE!

I know this seems like a STRANGE goal for someone who ISN''T Army, but it''s a goal my FF has been helping me to reach...

Definetly a good feeling : )

ETA: Just wasn''t comfortable having him be INCREDIBLY in-shape and me being a bum! So it feels right reasonable to make myself be accountable to the same standards he is... that way it''s all fair and equal! It might not be my job to be Army, but it''s a great feeling knowing I''m in shape enough to be : )

That is awesome....what a great achievement. 2 miles under 15.36? Wow...I''d die.

BTW, I can''t remember...what''s the significance of the Aussie in your name? Are you Australian?

 

[bee*]

wow fisher-100 lbs is a huge achievement! I had a ww meeting today and I am 12 lbs down. I hope that I can lose another two this week and have a stone down

 

[aussiegirl23]

Traveling Gal,

No, I''m not Australian - My FF and I own and adore 2 Australian Shepherds... hence the Aussie part of my name : )

Check out my avatar - that''s BlueBoy : ) Bailey is our other amazing Aussie...

Here is Blueboy, a ful sized version of my avatar : )

Aussiegirl : p

 

[aussiegirl23]

And here is Bailey (actually she''s a girl, though by the name, everyone assumes she''s a ''he'') : )

hope this is an adequate explanation of my name : )

 

[fisherofmengirly]

I never knew a stone was 14 pounds. I''d like to lose a stone in weight, too!

Aussie, how does a person find the chart for military standards for weight? Do you feel as though they are more "realistic" than the height and weight charts a lot of doctors are now throwing out the window? I always thought you were from Australia, too! Cute dog, though!

FlipFlop and I just got back from our walk. The little thing had to throw off our rhythm a few times to pee, bark at a bird, then at another dog, then to go big potty at the park. Other than that, we kept up a brisk pace.

 

[TravelingGal]

Ah yes Aussie...that makes sense. Great dogs...I love all things Aussie myself!

 

[aussiegirl23]

Date: 7/25/2006 8:31:15 PM
Author: fisherofmengirly

Aussie, how does a person find the chart for military standards for weight? Do you feel as though they are more 'realistic' than the height and weight charts a lot of doctors are now throwing out the window? I always thought you were from Australia, too! Cute dog, though!

Ha Ha Jen... to me, this is the stuff PLASTERED all over the walls of our den - Army standards, protocols, charts, maps, etc...

It almost becomes it's own decor, well, okay, not really... but I've accepted it!

Here's a link to the Army's standards for height/weight, run times, situps/pushups....
http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/apa/rc/weight.htm

Also here's a link to Hooah-For-Health - an awesome website that gives great health/exercise/diet tips : )
http://www.hooah4health.com/

Nope, not Australian : ) Just 2 adorable doggies -- and yes, they look incredibly similar... especially while running full speed across a field!

Aussiegirl : p

ETA: I'm not sure if the Army's standards regarding height/weight are more realistic. They are definetly looking for health - and with regards to muscle weighing more than fat... if your height/weight don't match up the 'standards,' you get a Tape Test. So things like um, big boobs, or just being 'stocky' can be explained and permitted. This sounds whacky, but my best friend is Army, and she kept failing her PT tests... but after her tape test (tape measure determines chest, waist, hips, etc...) she's always fine... I think the focus of fitness perhaps makes these tables more realistic - if you understand that not EVERYONE has to be in this kind of shape... Just keep that in mind when you look at it - it's also nice seeing the "Non-prior service" versus "Prior service" weight requirements....

 

[bookworm21]

Hi everyone!! Well, just got back from San Diego, where I spent 4 days doing absolutely NOTHING exercise-wise, and I''ve gained two pounds. It was too hot to do anything but float in the pool there. Sounds like everyone''s doing great!

So I started up my exercise routine again today, but I''m taking it slow. I went for a one-mile jog today and will be doing some weights to re-tone my arms. It''s amazing how quickly you lose muscle tone. In the space of four days, I swear I got a bit flabbier than when I left. Tomorrow, it will be a half mile jog and kickboxing class.

I''ve missed Pricescope! Oh, and since this *is* a diamond forum, I should mention that I got a compliment on my RHR while on vacation. That made my evening!

 

[Rod]

Date: 7/25/2006 4:08:59 PM
Author: aussiegirl23
Wanted to say proudly that I just got back from the gym...

FINALLY, after trying to get back into shape for 6 months, I can pass with flying colors (100%) the Army Physical Fitness Test for Women Ages 22-26.

That means:
-2 miles under 15:36
-80 situps
-46 pushups

My weight is FINALLY under the 'maximum weight for NON-prior Service'... the goal is under the max for Prior Service ... GETTING THERE!

I know this seems like a STRANGE goal for someone who ISN'T Army, but it's a goal my FF has been helping me to reach...

Definetly a good feeling : )

ETA: Just wasn't comfortable having him be INCREDIBLY in-shape and me being a bum! So it feels right reasonable to make myself be accountable to the same standards he is... that way it's all fair and equal! It might not be my job to be Army, but it's a great feeling knowing I'm in shape enough to be : )

You go Aussiegirl!!!!

 

[Mara]

welcome back cinderella!! i wondered where you''d gone off to! i know what you mean re: muscle tone, i swear if i don''t do cardio and some weight resistance every other day at least, i feel like i am turning soft...so silly but true.

i took P out for a walk this afternoon, whew it was hot! we did about 1.5 miles before we came back in for lots of cold water and rest.

dinner was our homemade low-fat (coincidentally!) burgers, i put a dab of blue cheese on them and yum! also grilled corn with rosemary and other herbs and salt. double yum!

i''m going to see if greg will go for a walk with me and P later tonite..maybe i can get him to do at least 1-2 miles..hee hee. once i get him out it''s fairly easly to keep him walking. and at night i could walk for miles because it''s so nice and cool!

 

[aussiegirl23]

One question for all of you:

Do you work out/run/walk with your SO? Does this make you go more often? Less? Does it make it more interesting? Push you both?
Do you get along during this exercise time? Does it create friction/tension? Any interesting dynamic between you during exercise that''s not typically there?

I guess I ask this because while my FF and I get along great about MOST things, we absolutely CANNOT run/lift/go to the gym together. Somehow this is where ALL of our frustrations come out and we just get petty and critical and AWFUL with each other. We do great talking about exercise/eating healthy, and check in with one another about it - my FF basically is my personal trainer (in a very informal way)... he''s just NEVER in the room : ) I''m wondering if anybody else has this issue with their SO? Or is this just us?

Aussiegirl : p

 

[Mara]

aussie...we don''t work out in general together, in the past we would go to the park with Portia and Greg would run and we would walk, but it wasn''t together..necessarily. anyway, we have started walking more together at night ... thanks to it being so darn hot during the day...and i really love when we all go walking together. we *really* talk way more than when we are just in the house together...we hold hands when we walk, we joke around and talk with Portia (or talk about Portia etc)...anyway...it has definitely been some nice ''us time'' lately...which I think can get hard to find when you live together and have hectic daily lives. when he comes home we have a few minutes of how was your day etc etc but then it''s all about making dinner or getting food, just watching some mindless TV to relax...getting ready for the next day...laundry or cleaning the house or whatever. when we are out walking at night it''s just us and portia so it''s very relaxing and it feels good to be out being healthy together. one thing we love to do is walk around the neighborhoods and look at the houses and talk about which ones we like and why.

 

[aussiegirl23]

Mara,

I always like hearing about your walks with Greg & Portia - they sound so relaxing and sweet!

We do enjoy walks together in the neighborhood... they don''t happen as often as I''d like - a lot of nights he''s not home, or so exhausted that the idea of walking ANYWHERe is unappealing... So it''s not the ''alone'' time that''s the issue - somehow I think it''s the intense effort involved in running or working your butt off at the gym. Maybe it''s just me being self-conscious or defensive sometimes about my weight, or my fitness level. I just feel like we don''t communicate well on the subject of exercise. He makes helpful suggestions, or tries pushing me a bit, and I get frustrated - like I AM going as fast as I can.

Okay, this is starting to sound depressing - really, we do GREAT talking about other "tough subjects" - finances, jobs, family, etc... Maybe it''s just one of those situations where we are in different enough positions in terms of fitness that it''s a bad idea. I mean it''s almost like asking a Pulitzer-prize winning writer helping a 2nd grader with their English homework. It''s almost asking for trouble!

I was just curious how other couples deal with this...

Does Greg go to kickboxing class with you? Or is this ''you'' time?

Aussiegirl : p

 

[Mara]

hehe...Greg has gone to class with me a few times, back when we lived close by...he held up really well and did great. He would always make faces at me during class to try to screw me up...haha. We don''t go to the gym together or anything since he rows and I go to class or he runs and I don''t run...I also don''t tend to get defensive around Greg in terms of looks and all that...I know he thinks I am smokin'' hot regardless of anything...he''s delusional like that...haha. So I think if he told me to work harder or whatever I''d just flip him off! hehe.

 

[aussiegirl23]

Date: 7/26/2006 12:32:57 AM
Author: Mara
hehe...Greg has gone to class with me a few times, back when we lived close by...he held up really well and did great. He would always make faces at me during class to try to screw me up...haha. We don''t go to the gym together or anything since he rows and I go to class or he runs and I don''t run...I also don''t tend to get defensive around Greg in terms of looks and all that...I know he thinks I am smokin'' hot regardless of anything...he''s delusional like that...haha. So I think if he told me to work harder or whatever I''d just flip him off! hehe.

Goodness, you''re making me laugh : )

My guy makes me feel incredible and loved and beautiful - there are just times when I get down on myself, no matter what kind of looks he gives me : ) He has improved my self confidence a lot in the past few years, and I need to remind myself of that sometimes! I think part of it is that he can be a bit scary... and I mean SCARY... I suppose scaring the living daylights into his 17-18 year old privates teaches him a thing or two about how to be very forceful and effective! He remembers to turn that part of his attitude off 99% of the time, but I think when I start whining a little too much he remembers those techniques!

I''m with you on this - it is critical to find that "delusional man" who "thinks you''re somking hot, regardless of anything!"

I mean really, the man who finds me sexy in the morning before coffee/shower/makeup, in any or NO clothes, or disgustingly sweaty after a run, that''s a man who loves me : ) I just need to remember that!

Aussiegirl : p

 

[monarch64]

Wow, Aussie girl, first of all your dogs are gorgeous, second, I SO WISH I had a military man to kick my butt into working out every day!!! Lol! But I don''t, and I mustn''t make excuses.

I walked to and from work today...2.4 miles including my lunch break. The only thing I dislike about it is that it shaves 20 minutes off my lunch hour (it takes 10 minutes for me to briskly walk to and fro.). However, it seems to keep me more motivated as far as doing chores around the house, whereas I used to come home, let the dog out, eat something, take a nap, etc. With walking back and forth, I am forced to let the dog out, eat really quickly, and take care of some chores (emptying the dishwasher, vacuuming, sweeping, cleaning the bathroom, etc.), so I think it''s a good thing. If only I can keep up this behavior for a few months...I won''t have to go to the gym (since I''ve reinstated my walks with the doggie at night as well.) Only thing I need to work on is getting back to my at home weight training...my arms are starting to feel flabby-ish, even though I know they''re not, but I''ll be damned if all that work I did this spring goes to waste, lol! Biceps ,Triceps, COME BACK!

Mara, LC''s are really the best. There are a number of versions that are meatless (unfortunately not cheeseless, but oh well). They definitely do taste really good, though, and I wouldn''t hesititate to serve them to a guest. I did happen to find a black bean soup recipe I''d like to share with you today, though... you take 2 cans black beans, a cup of chunky salsa (or your own cut-up veggies), a can and a half of vegetable broth, spices to taste, and heat these ingredients up in a pot. Non-vegans/vegetarians could add a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, to taste. You could also add a few sliced jalapeno peppers during the heating process. Voila!

I have tried another version of this recipe over baked potatoes...it''s so good. it''s just a richer salsa...vegans can use veggie shreds, non-vegans can use shredded cheese and/or sour cream...yum!

Low fat, low sodium (uh, I think, but don''t quote me, and lower calories--without the dairy)

 

[TravelingGal]

It''s good that I leave this thread up and running in the background of my computer. I was so exhausted tonight and didn''t want to go to the gym. But I managed to do a pilates workout at home for about an hour. Not strenous activity, but it''s SOMETHING.

 

[bee*]

Aussie, I walk and run with D and Amber (my golden retriever all the time). It can annoy me sometimes when we run as he has longer legs and can cover more ground than I can so he''s like come on keep up and Im like Im going as fast as I can. When we go to the gym together though its fine. Hes not a member so only comes up every couple of weeks whereas I go there quite a bit so hes always encouraging me there as he sees how much Ive improved since the last time he has been up. I enjoy it when hes there as I push myself just that little bit harder than I normally do

 

[coda72]

Well, I seem to have caught one of those wonderful summertime colds, so yesterday I took off from working out. I still feel a bit under the weather, but I want to at least get a run in so I can keep in training mode for the half marathon. I ran around 5 miles on Monday, so I''ll try to do at least that amount tonight.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

We walk together every weekend, and when we''re in the same state, I''ll join his gym and we''ll go together at the same time, although he''ll be doing one thing, and I''ll probably be on the elliptical. He says the machine makes his calves tight and sore and stretching beforehand doesn''t seem to help him much.

I do find that on the weekends when I''d sometimes rather just lounge around he''s an inspiration to get up and do it *that and we have a frisky dog who only calms down when she''s been on her 2 mile walk.* It''s more fun when we''re together because then you have someone to talk to and it seems less like work. Time passes quicker, we end up laughing and it''s just better that way.

 

[Lorelei]

Wow - everyone is doing incredibly well

My session didn't go too well this morning

I seemed to lack strength in my legs and they kept cramping, so I did 10 mins elliptical and then Hubby and I went to the indoor track and did some walking and running. On a good note, my running is getting faster!

BUT...I was naughty yesterday

The company who makes my favourite chocolates has gone bust and in my local supermarket they had a box at HALF PRICE....Need I say more?

 

[Rod]

Date: 7/25/2006 11:19:12 PM
Author: aussiegirl23
One question for all of you:

Do you work out/run/walk with your SO? Does this make you go more often? Less? Does it make it more interesting? Push you both?
Do you get along during this exercise time? Does it create friction/tension? Any interesting dynamic between you during exercise that''s not typically there?

I guess I ask this because while my FF and I get along great about MOST things, we absolutely CANNOT run/lift/go to the gym together. Somehow this is where ALL of our frustrations come out and we just get petty and critical and AWFUL with each other. We do great talking about exercise/eating healthy, and check in with one another about it - my FF basically is my personal trainer (in a very informal way)... he''s just NEVER in the room : ) I''m wondering if anybody else has this issue with their SO? Or is this just us?

Aussiegirl : p

Yes, yes and yes. My partner and I work out together, we walk together, we run together. We also work together for the same company. We have worked together for the same corporation for going on 15 of the 26 years we''ve been together!! When one of us doesn''t feel up to working out, we push each other to stay on track. I''m pretty confident that having each other to count on and encourage has helped make this a life long endeavor. Great question!!!!

 

[Blenheim]

Ditto to everything that Mara said about walks with FI -- it''s definitely great "us" time. I have an abnormally fast pace, so it does slow me down a bit, but it gets him out and active more. The one time that it is bad for my workout to have him around is when I swim. He''ll lounge around on the side of the pool, relaxing, and it''s so hard to keep going when I could just stop and hang out with him.

Well, I tried swimming last night but my foot still hurt. I was still able to do my back exercises and lift light weights, though -- that felt good.