Weekly Workout Thread 26th March till 1st April

[Dee*Jay]

Mrs. Salvo and me tipsy and wandering around looking for bownies -- OMG El, that dream to TOO FUNNY!

Happy birthday AG and Charlie!

For the Wednesday morning weigh in I''m thrilled to report that I''m down 2.5 lbs from last week (which was an anomoly though, because last week I was UP 1.5 lbs from the week before.

But here''s the important part: I''m down a total of 16 lbs, which is just slightly more than 10% of my body weight when I started this!!! Woo hoo!!!

(Of course sequestering myself in my office for 14-16 hours at a time and having only a limited supply of things to eat while I''m here probably helps. And NO, I haven''t even been tempted by the big bowl of peanut butter eggs this week... although some raisinettes did sneak their way into my mouth yesterday... )

Today I am supposed to go to lunch with a girlfriend from a previous job, but it''s raining cats and dogs out there so who knows what it will look like in four hours. And dinner will be a can or Progresso soup, eaten right here at my desk, some time long after the cleaning people have left this evening... Oh well, come next Thursday I''m back to a normal schedule again.

Happy Wednesday all!

 

[Ellen]

El, that dream is hysterical!!

DeeJay, congrats, you are doing great!

 

[Lorelei]

CONGRATS DEE - INCREDIBLE PROGRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

don''t you feel great?????

Happy birthday also AG and Charlie

 

[lovelylulu]

ellaila, your dream is too funny! definitely made me giggle this morning.

Happy birthday charlie

Mara, I don''t have too many raleigh recommendations for you, but here are my favorites from back in the days at Durham!!! It''s but a couple miles away from Raleigh, so you''d likely explore the whole triangle if you are looking to move. Yum!

Magnolia Grill
Four Square
Foster''s Market
Elmo''s Diner
Nana''s
Another Thyme
Fowler''s

I''ve been back on the pilates bandwagon and am so glad to have revisited. while i love slimming down, i love even more feeling myself get stronger! plus, i find pilates extremely relaxing.

my eating has been beyond stellar, because i''m patiently saving up for my parisian extravaganza! we''re off TOMORROW. oh the delights that await me. however, i did pack workout clothes (we''ll see if i make it) and we are certain to be logging miles and miles traipsing about the city sights

 

[KimberlyH]

Thanks for my morning laugh, ellaila. Your dream was hysterical!

16 whole lbs. DeeJay, HOLY COW YOU''RE DOING FANTASTIC!!!

You should be so proud of yourself.

Thanks for the get well wishes, Lorelei. How''s the toe?

So here''s my Weekly Weigh In. I wasn''t around last week, so it jumps from Week 11 to Week 13. As I mentioned, I think my weight is starting to even itself out, which is absolutely fine. I if I lose a few more lbs. that''s great and groovy but I''m totally fine if I don''t too.

Week 11 Week 13
Height: 5''5" Height: 5''5"
Weight: 128.8 Weight: 128.4
Bust: 32.25" Bust: 32.25"
Waist: 26.5" Waist: 26.5"
Lower Waist: 31.5" Lower Waist: 31.5"
Bicep: 11.75" Bicep: 11.75"
Hips: 36.5” Hips: 36.5”
Thigh: 20.5" Thigh: 20.5"

So today is a workout day and tonight I''m going to indulge my hamburger/french fry craving. No brownies though.

 

[Lorelei]

Lulu - you have a wonderful time and some good French Food Feeds while you are there, make the most of it!

Kim, your stats look wonderful, you are a slim jim! The old toe is much better thanks, still a little sore but not too bothersome thankfully. As I was cleaning out my clothes closet when it happened, I carefully finished it today without dropping anything else on my foot!

 

[ellaila]

Congrats DJ on a whopping 16 lbs! That''s fantastic!!

Bon voyage, Lulu!! Have a wonderful trip! And yes, you''ll be walking around tons I''m sure, but just remember that even if you overindulge in the food (and come on, you''re in Paris!), pilates is always here waiting for you when you return! (Oh God I''m having a croissant craving now ... and there''s an Au Bon Pain I can drive to during lunch ... noooooooo!! I will not do it.)

Happy Belated Birthday to AmberGretchen, and Happy Birthday to Charlie!

Kimberly, I was actually wondering if your move to Chicago (read that thread yesterday too! Along with all that "no pudge" brownie talk!) was part of my dream as well, since I have no idea why it took place in Chicago!!

Congrats on being 99% sure with your decision - that''s so exciting! Can you come make a decision for me and my hubby now about where we want to live?! Ha ha!

 

[KimberlyH]

Lorelei: I''m so glad the toe is feeling better. The stats are pretty darn good. Almost a 10 lb. total loss in 13 weeks, just from counting calories. Who knew?

ellaila: Your dream probably took place in Chicago because DeeJay lives there. Lots of Chicago talk on the boards lately! I''d be happy to make the decision for you...what factors need to be considered? tee hee hee It really is so hard to decide, I feel your pain. And now that I''ve settled into the fact that we''re moving I just want John to say it to (he keeps saying "if" we move, "if we move I''m getting high speed internet" and I''m like enough already, we''re moving and you know it, Mr. Sleep on it for 10 years! Too funny).

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 3/28/2007 10:33:42 AM
Author: KimberlyH
Lorelei: I''m so glad the toe is feeling better. The stats are pretty darn good. Almost a 10 lb. total loss in 13 weeks, just from counting calories. Who knew?

ellaila: Your dream probably took place in Chicago because DeeJay lives there. Lots of Chicago talk on the boards lately! I''d be happy to make the decision for you...what factors need to be considered? tee hee hee It really is so hard to decide, I feel your pain. And now that I''ve settled into the fact that we''re moving I just want John to say it to (he keeps saying ''if'' we move, ''if we move I''m getting high speed internet'' and I''m like enough already, we''re moving and you know it, Mr. Sleep on it for 10 years! Too funny).

Those are stats to be proud of Kim!! I might try tightening up my grub myself to about 1500 a day and see what happens. I am very happy with myself now ( well as happy as I will ever be probably) but it would be interesting to see what would come of it...

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 3/28/2007 10:43:26 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 3/28/2007 10:33:42 AM
Author: KimberlyH
Lorelei: I''m so glad the toe is feeling better. The stats are pretty darn good. Almost a 10 lb. total loss in 13 weeks, just from counting calories. Who knew?

ellaila: Your dream probably took place in Chicago because DeeJay lives there. Lots of Chicago talk on the boards lately! I''d be happy to make the decision for you...what factors need to be considered? tee hee hee It really is so hard to decide, I feel your pain. And now that I''ve settled into the fact that we''re moving I just want John to say it to (he keeps saying ''if'' we move, ''if we move I''m getting high speed internet'' and I''m like enough already, we''re moving and you know it, Mr. Sleep on it for 10 years! Too funny).

Those are stats to be proud of Kim!! I might try tightening up my grub myself to about 1500 a day and see what happens. I am very happy with myself now ( well as happy as I will ever be probably) but it would be interesting to see what would come of it...

Thanks so much again, Lorelei. I wasn''t in a bad place before I started, as you probably know I was really only hoping to get down to the low 130s, which is where I''ve been quite comfortable before. I''m really glad I tried it, and it''s a lot easier than it was when I did the whole WW points thing, that just was too much for my brain, although I''m not sure why.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Thanks everybody for the birthday wishes.

It was definitely a fun birthday, although my parents didn''t make their best showings ever (they both left long messages about...wait for it...THEMSELVES, on my voice mail, with happy birthday messages as afterthoughts

). Oh well, not going to dwell on that. I''ll try to dwell instead on how lovely DH was (I''m totally in love with the silver Tiffany necklace he gave me - its so elegant and versatile, I can wear it with just about everything, which is great

), how yummy the chocolate strawberries were for dessert, and how sweet it is that even though she got me a nice purse as an early birthday present when she was here a few weeks ago, my MIL still sent me flowers for my birthday, which I love but rarely get as the cats have a tendency to eat them...when I write it all out like that, it makes me feel better and realize how lucky I really am in a lot of things, even if my (biological) family isn''t one of them

Miraculously, I even stuck to my calories yesterday in spite of chocolate-covered sinfulness for dessert

El - thanks for the comment, but no one would actually call me a skinny minnie in real life. I''m very short (hence the 8 shorts), and so an 8 isn''t actually that small. But its much smaller than what I was wearing so I''m grateful for that. I have tried to settle on being happy if I get down to a 6, but a 4 would be more ideal at my height

 

[Rod]

Hey El TOO FUNNY!! Wow, I''ve made it into your dreams. Lord only knows what Rod''s doing there, but I''ll just take it as a compliment that I''m there at all!!

Hey Becky, I had no idea there was another PS''er here. Your summary for Mara is right on and quite good.

Mara, I''d take Becky''s advice and stay in the Crabtree Valley area. You could stay at the Hampton, or you could a bit higher in amenities and opt for the Mariott. I''m sure the Mariott has a workout center. Becky is right that there is the Gold''s gym at Pleasant Valley, but we actually go to the Golds Gym at North Hills (where Mura - our fav Sushi place is). As a matter of fact, Mura is directly across from Golds. The reason we don''t go to the newer Golds at Pleasant Valley is they don''t have LifeFitness Ellipticals there. They only have Precor and I don''t actually like Precor Ellipticals. So, we drive a little further to the North Hills facility. Plus, we just like North Hills a lot!!

In addition to the recommendations Becky offered, the following could be fun for you:

Real Upscale: Second Empire off Jones in Downtown or Bloomsbury Bistro (where we''re eating Saturday night)
Upscale Steak: Sullivans on Glenwood South (personally, I''m not a big fan of the Angus Barn, but it is popular)
Nice Grill: 115 Midtowne Grill at North Hills
Upscale Italian: Vivace at North Hills or 518 in Glenwood South Area
Thai: Shaba Shaboo at Wake Forest and 440 (they also have Sushi, but it wasn''t our fav)
Ecclectic: Nofo at the Pig at Five Points (Glenwood Ave) or Irregardless Cafe on Hillsborough (Downtown)
Sushi: Sushi Blues (Glenwood South), Waraji (Peasant Valley) Mura (North Hills)
Excellent Chop House: Nana''s (downtown)
After Dinner Dessert Wine and Coffee: Vins (really really great) Glenwood South area

If anything else comes to mind, I''ll surely let you know.

Charlie says thanks to everyone for wishing him a Happy Birthday!!!

We''re heading to the gym to do cardio, have a bite to eat and have massages

 

[Becky P]

Date: 3/28/2007 11:10:29 AM
Author: Rod
Hey El TOO FUNNY!! Wow, I''ve made it into your dreams. Lord only knows what Rod''s doing there, but I''ll just take it as a compliment that I''m there at all!!

Hey Becky, I had no idea there was another PS''er here. Your summary for Mara is right on and quite good.

Mara, I''d take Becky''s advice and stay in the Crabtree Valley area. You could stay at the Hampton, or you could a bit higher in amenities and opt for the Mariott. I''m sure the Mariott has a workout center. Becky is right that there is the Gold''s gym at Pleasant Valley, but we actually go to the Golds Gym at North Hills (where Mura - our fav Sushi place is). As a matter of fact, Mura is directly across from Golds. The reason we don''t go to the newer Golds at Pleasant Valley is they don''t have LifeFitness Ellipticals there. They only have Precor and I don''t actually like Precor Ellipticals. So, we drive a little further to the North Hills facility. Plus, we just like North Hills a lot!!

In addition to the recommendations Becky offered, the following could be fun for you:

Real Upscale: Second Empire off Jones in Downtown or Bloomsbury Bistro (where we''re eating Saturday night)
Upscale Steak: Sullivans on Glenwood South (personally, I''m not a big fan of the Angus Barn, but it is popular)
Nice Grill: 115 Midtowne Grill at North Hills
Upscale Italian: Vivace at North Hills or 518 in Glenwood South Area
Thai: Shaba Shaboo at Wake Forest and 440 (they also have Sushi, but it wasn''t our fav)
Ecclectic: Nofo at the Pig at Five Points (Glenwood Ave) or Irregardless Cafe on Hillsborough (Downtown)
Sushi: Sushi Blues (Glenwood South), Waraji (Peasant Valley) Mura (North Hills)
Excellent Chop House: Nana''s (downtown)
After Dinner Dessert Wine and Coffee: Vins (really really great) Glenwood South area

If anything else comes to mind, I''ll surely let you know.

Charlie says thanks to everyone for wishing him a Happy Birthday!!!

We''re heading to the gym to do cardio, have a bite to eat and have massages

Oooh Rod, I''m not a fan of the elipticals at Pleasant Valley either, but I didn''t realize they had different ones at North Hills... I''ll have to check it out - I like the kind where your arms move and you can get the full range of motion on your legs - the ones at Pleasant Valley just go up and down - it''s kind of akward.

I''ve never been to Angus Barn, so I cannot attest to it''s goodness or badness... but, so many people have recommended it.

Where is Vins?? I''ve spent plenty of time in the Glenwood South area, and don''t recall seeing it??

Also, have you found any loungie type bars with nice seating, not packed elbow to elbow, but relaxing, hip type places for drinks? And, what about any tapas places? I really like them, but don''t recall having seen any here yet - but I haven''t been here too long, so I''m sure there''s tons more that I''ll find the longer I''m here.

 

[mrssalvo]

YAY dee jay, that is awesome!! resist those eggs girl, you can do it!!

so, i did 550 calories burned on the elliptical today. It was actually kinda fun but boy I''ve got to get my own i-pod with my own songs loaded on. I borrowed hubby''s shuffle and the music he likes is completely different than me and what I like to workout too. He did have a few good ones that I could up the resistence on and climb to Hotel California but that was about it and I replayed it 2x b/c it''s a long song and helps the time move. I feel good though and it will be a nice mix for when I can''t take a class that I like. I''m going to try and spin again tomorrow though. I have to mix it up or I''ll just get way to bored and not go.

off to make some lunch (leftover chicken) and then to the pool

hope everyone has a great afternoon!!

 

[Mara]

awesome thanks for the recommends Becky, Lulu, and Rod! I think we might go more for the Marriott than the Hampton Inn esp if it has a gym since that would just be that much easier, so I will def check that out. On the restaurants, so many recommendations! I was looking on open table last nite so I will have to see what is on there as well because I just love making easy ressies on there ahead of time. I think I saw the 115 and Bogarts and also Sullivans so I will have to check some menus out. I am soo interested in the sushi too so we''ll have to see which one we might go to, if we only went to one, which one would you recommend?? We like unusual rolls with things like crab, papaya, tuna, mango, coconut, etc...and really fresh sashimi. has anyone been to 18 seaboard?

congrats everyone on great wednesday weigh in stats and COMMITTMENT!!! really amazing..DJ 16 lbs lost is fabulouso. AG a size 8 is wonderful! i''m so happy for everyone. and even those who are not seeing changes, keep at it because you KNOW you are doing the right thing for your body, your health, your life. it may be frustrating sometimes but you know your body appreciates what you are doing...even if it doesn''t always show it on the scale. trust me!

here are my stats, not too much diff than last week really, i''m pretty stable now i guess.
height: 5''7"
weight: 131-132 (though the scale dipped last week for the first time ever to 129 hehe)
bust: 35''ish
waist: 26.5"
lower waist: 33"
hips: 36"
thigh: 19.5"
bicep/arm: 9.75"

mrs salvo kudos for getting back into the workouts. it is amazing how quickly we lose that sense of working out when we haven''t done it for a while but honestly i think we just as quickly regain it once we start again. sevenwires, big kudos on going to the gym at 10pm, maybe you should be taking some iron or a multivitamin during this week? lulu have a fabulous time on your trip, and eat some REALLY YUMMY things for all of us please!

last nite we had the mini cheesecakes for dessert, i just have to laugh because these slices are tiny. at the cheesecake factory they would be considered one bite of their monstrosity cheesecakes, hehe. but yep they were rich so honestly one did hit the spot, just enough to soothe the savage dessert beast. i sliced up some strawberries as well which added to the taste...i had the chocolate turtle cheesecake slice and greg had the raspberry one, both were divine. we have 6 more, the little platter had 8. so we''ll be set with dessert til like sunday night haha...though i might try to pawn one or two off on my old coworker today, i think she is coming for lunch over to the house and i am making us crumpet pizzas.

and then this morning i made the egg mcmuffin i had been dreaming about since i saw it yesterday in the self mag i was reading. it was REALLY yummy. i discovered that i somehow got reduced fat peppered monterey jack cheese slices instead of regular, so it was a little spicier than i intended but that''ll help the metabolism wake up, lol. i can definitely tell i will be making this breakfast again, it was about 200 cals with 8g fiber from the multigrain muffin, and about 10g protein between the egg and bacon and cheese. so definitely hitting all the points for me. i think i will make those for us this wkd too since i know greg loves a good egg mcmuffin!!

oh and speaking of self magazine, they have this ''self challenge'' going on right now where each month they give you exercises and diet to follow and you are supposed to lose weight on it. they basically give you a 1600 calorie daily diet to follow for each month...so i was going to post some of their ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on here if anyone needed inspiration. that is where i saw the egg mcmuffin breakfast thing and it set off a lightbulb for me. i love new food ideas! hehe.

for dinner tonite i am meeting greg at this fave outdoor cafe a few towns over, it''s kind of between where he works and where we live and he takes the train right by it, so we''ll meet in the middle and have a weekday outing...hopefully i can get there a little early and get a spot for us as it gets packed on nice days/evenings. it''s where we were for dessert and coffee on saturday night, they have amazing food as well and a huge wine list and specialty desserts, but it''s a cafe atmosphere. it''s awesome if you want some yummy food with a casual ambiance and people watching, and don''t want to pay for service. i love their spinach salad which comes with a big plate of spinach, candied pecans, chopped apples, red onions and bleu cheese with vinaigrette. and their minestrone and soups are great. the salad comes with a toasted mini baguette with butter, and their bread is amazing. so i am looking fwd to it. i am hemming and hawing over what to get for ''dessert'' as i love this drink they make called a mexican mocha with espresso, cinnamon, cayenne, and nutmeg, and instead of using milk they use heavy cream. so it''s like 3/4c heavy cream.

it''s really divine, but for those cals i am like well maybe i will finally give into my chocolate layer cake craving and just ask that they cut me a smaller piece. hehee. we shall see how i feel later.

anyway today is a beautiful day so i feel very chipper even though it''s TTOTM..hehee. hope everyone is having a WONDERFUL wednesday!!!

 

[Mara]

for anyone having trouble finding the vitalicious stuff at their local store, hungry-girl has a special collection that she put together: http://store.vitalicious.com/hgchbash.html

it comes with 20 of the various chocolate/peanut butter/deep chocolate vita tops and brownies for you to try out...and since i have only been able to find the brownies locally and none of these other ones at all...i just ordered one and am going to split the order with my old coworker, hehee because i was like there is no way i can find room for 20 items in my packed-freezer right now. maybe 10. also i guess there is some new double chocolate pomegranate vita top that is good for your heart so the package comes with 2 to try. i like the idea of extra heart healthy chocolate muffin tops! lol.

 

[Lorelei]

Just finished 50 mins on the elliptical and got up to level 10 and was able to sustain it as needed through the programme, I couldn''t have done that when I smoked, it was really tough! So very pleased with that.

 

[NYCsparkle]

Burn 100-calories, with one of the following activities:

Everyday activities:
• Washing Dishes - 28 minutes
• Gardening - 20 minutes
• Light House Cleaning - 18 minutes
• Playing tag with kids - 22 minutes
• Exploring the Zoo for 30 minutes
• Window Shopping for 30 minutes

 

[TravelingGal]

Happy Wednesday all!

WWI numbers for me is EXACTLY the numbers from last week. Nothing has changed for me this week...wah! So back to the gym I go, hehehe.

 

[FireGoddess]

Mmmm peanut butter....thanks Mara for the link!

Happy birthday AG and Charlie!!!

Great job DJ!!!! 16 lbs woohoo!

I did 45 min on the treadmill this morning and then had a flurry of phone calls to attend to...my stomach started yelling at me and I looked and saw it was almost lunch time. Shoot - did not mean to do that, especially since you really need to eat something within 45 min of working out to feed your muscles, even if it''s just a little something. Had a turkey and swiss sandwich on baguette. mmmm. Not sure what''s for dinner...I have to give a presentation tomorrow morning and need to get the powerpoint done, so I may just make a sauce for the gnocchi I bought from AG Ferrari. Anybody know a good easy sauce for potato gnocchi??!

 

[Maria D]

Date: 3/28/2007 2:40:55 PM
Author: NYCsparkle

Burn 100-calories, with one of the following activities:

Everyday activities:
• Washing Dishes - 28 minutes
• Gardening - 20 minutes
• Light House Cleaning - 18 minutes
• Playing tag with kids - 22 minutes
• Exploring the Zoo for 30 minutes
• Window Shopping for 30 minutes

What??? Where did they find these sluggish kids? No way does it take 4 *more* minutes to burn the same amt of cals playing tag w/ kids as doing light house cleaning. If I had played tag with the my own and the neighborhood kids as often as they wanted me to (before they grew up and stopped moving) I wouldn''t even have needed my gym membership!

As for washing dishes -- I wonder if you burn more cals putting/taking out of the dishwasher than doing them by hand. All that bending can be done as squats, haha.

 

[Mara]

FG i love the sauces they have at WF''s...i don''t remember the brand but it comes in a white and green container i think. i got a tomato cream sauce the other day that is only 90 cals for 1/2c and the whole container has 3 servings, greg and i split the container, and eat it with fresh parmesan gnocchi (90 cals per serving) so the whole thing is very low in cals. we LOVE gnocchi and it''s actually the lowest-cal pasta you can get!! perfecto!

another option would be to get one of those knorr powder packets in pesto and use low-fat milk instead of whatever else they call for and 1/2 the oil...we did that about 2 weeks ago with some penne and it was really yummy, very pesto''y and low-cal.

or when in doubt and at home looking for something, mix together some olive oil, a little white wine, low-fat milk, a bunch of garlic powder (and maybe some other spices) and you can kind of create your own very light creamy garlic sauce. or if you want a tomato sauce, mix together some diced tomatoes, white wine, a little olive oil, mushrooms and a bunch of spices (garlic, oregano, basil) and simmer for about 10 min. mmm sauce!!

so i just got back from a 2.5m walk to and from the library. i have been wanting to go forever and just never got around to it, finally i was like gosh i can just walk there, i walk by it all the time!! so i got a library card and came home with 5 new books, i''m jazzed. i should read them all by early next week so i can go back and get more. i just had a wasa bread crisp with some TJ''s spicy hummus on it for a quickie snack and i''m off to the gym for some elliptical work. then meeting greg later for dinner.

here''s a cracker tip for the calorie counters and fiber lovers....i was reading my Self yesterday and they did a comparison on crackers and crisps and the wasa fiber rye crisps came in as their top pick at only 30 cals for a large sheet. 2g fiber, 1g sugar, and 0.5g fat. some other wasa''s are like 45-60 calories so be sure to get the 30 cal one. and the sheets are big!! perfect for spreading some laughing cow cheese and pear onto, or hummus like i just did, or even the TJ''s spicy habanero egg salad (which i am trying on friday for lunch!) between two of them for a crispy kind of sandwich! on the other end of the spectrum was ritz crackers, wheatables, and triscuits. they said they were okay in a pinch kinda thing but definitely not packing a lot of nutritional value and staying power for the calories they have. the 2nd top option besides the wasa was a kavli thin crispbread with 60 cals, 2g fiber per 3 sheets. but they look smaller than the wasa one i just had.

oh and FG i haven''t had any weird stomach side effect from the laughing cow, so i''m happy about that because i really liked it, but it''s so odd it had that effect on you?!

gym time...!!

 

[Rod]

Date: 3/28/2007 11:51:54 AM
Author: Becky P

Date: 3/28/2007 11:10:29 AM
Author: Rod
Hey El TOO FUNNY!! Wow, I''ve made it into your dreams. Lord only knows what Rod''s doing there, but I''ll just take it as a compliment that I''m there at all!!

Hey Becky, I had no idea there was another PS''er here. Your summary for Mara is right on and quite good.

Mara, I''d take Becky''s advice and stay in the Crabtree Valley area. You could stay at the Hampton, or you could a bit higher in amenities and opt for the Mariott. I''m sure the Mariott has a workout center. Becky is right that there is the Gold''s gym at Pleasant Valley, but we actually go to the Golds Gym at North Hills (where Mura - our fav Sushi place is). As a matter of fact, Mura is directly across from Golds. The reason we don''t go to the newer Golds at Pleasant Valley is they don''t have LifeFitness Ellipticals there. They only have Precor and I don''t actually like Precor Ellipticals. So, we drive a little further to the North Hills facility. Plus, we just like North Hills a lot!!

In addition to the recommendations Becky offered, the following could be fun for you:

Real Upscale: Second Empire off Jones in Downtown or Bloomsbury Bistro (where we''re eating Saturday night)
Upscale Steak: Sullivans on Glenwood South (personally, I''m not a big fan of the Angus Barn, but it is popular)
Nice Grill: 115 Midtowne Grill at North Hills
Upscale Italian: Vivace at North Hills or 518 in Glenwood South Area
Thai: Shaba Shaboo at Wake Forest and 440 (they also have Sushi, but it wasn''t our fav)
Ecclectic: Nofo at the Pig at Five Points (Glenwood Ave) or Irregardless Cafe on Hillsborough (Downtown)
Sushi: Sushi Blues (Glenwood South), Waraji (Peasant Valley) Mura (North Hills)
Excellent Chop House: Nana''s (downtown)
After Dinner Dessert Wine and Coffee: Vins (really really great) Glenwood South area

If anything else comes to mind, I''ll surely let you know.

Charlie says thanks to everyone for wishing him a Happy Birthday!!!

We''re heading to the gym to do cardio, have a bite to eat and have massages

Oooh Rod, I''m not a fan of the elipticals at Pleasant Valley either, but I didn''t realize they had different ones at North Hills... I''ll have to check it out - I like the kind where your arms move and you can get the full range of motion on your legs - the ones at Pleasant Valley just go up and down - it''s kind of akward.

I''ve never been to Angus Barn, so I cannot attest to it''s goodness or badness... but, so many people have recommended it.

Where is Vins?? I''ve spent plenty of time in the Glenwood South area, and don''t recall seeing it??

Also, have you found any loungie type bars with nice seating, not packed elbow to elbow, but relaxing, hip type places for drinks? And, what about any tapas places? I really like them, but don''t recall having seen any here yet - but I haven''t been here too long, so I''m sure there''s tons more that I''ll find the longer I''m here.

Hey Becky

Vins is on a side street directly across from Peak Fitness just off Glenwood and around the corner from Bogarts and Sullivans (same side of the street too). I''m afraid I can''t comment on bars really. We did go to the Red Room one evening, but it was (as are almost all bars in NC) WAY too smokey for us. Otherwise we just haven''t been to any bars since coming to Raleigh. As for Tappas, we went to Humble Pie, which is also downtown (can''t remember the street though) a few weeks ago. I thought the atmosphere was really fun and a couple of the dishes quite good, but everything seemed a little salty to us. Many people recommended Humble Pie (odd name for a Tapas place), so if we stayed in Raleigh, we would give it another try. On my feelings about Angus Barn, I just don''t like it. And, I''ve been there many times over the years as it''s THE place people tend to go when on business and I used to come to Raleigh on business and have to go to dinner with clients every now and then. It''s just (IMHO) marginally OK and the wait is too long and it''s hokey country-like and.......well, you get the idea. For a really good steak and a truly more upsclae atmosphere, Sullivans on Glenwood South is really terrific. Plus, they are about the only place we found in Raleigh with live Maine Lobsters (usually they have 3, 4 or 5 pounders).

We''ve only been here since early December, but we''ve really explored the restaurant world a lot. If I can help in any way, please feel free to let me know.

Oh and the ellipticals at Golds in North Hills are all (except for two Precor) LifeFitness. And they have them on the main level (about 15 of them on the first floor). Then they have about 5 more on the second level, each with their own mini-TV and then there are several in the Cardio-Cinema room, where you can watch a first run movie and push your buns on an elliptical and sweat in the dark!! I find Precor to be most unnatural, which is why we don''t use the Pleasant Valley Golds gym at all.

I hope this helps!!

 

[Rod]

Mara: If you can only go to one Sushi place make it Mura at North Hills. About 18 Seaboard, we haven''t been, but we''ve heard really good things about it. I''m not sure we''ll be able to go before heading back to Tampa, but maybe Becky can check it out and offer commentary??

 

[Rod]

Congratulations DeeJay!! That's just wonderful progress and you should be so proud!!

We only did cardio at the gym this morning. We did 45 intense minutes on the elliptical and I traveled 9 miles and burned 795 calories, which was pretty good!

Then we had a protein shake with whey protein for lunch and had a 1 hour massage. The massages were just wonderful and relaxing and oh so appreciated. Afterwards, we had a nice coffee at Starbucks then Charlie got a new shirt at Talbot's Mens store for his birthday gift.

For dinner, since we're really celebrating at a more upscale restaurant Saturday night, he wanted comfort food tonight, so we went to Nofo at the Pig in Five Points. Wednesday nights special is always pan fried boneless chicken breast, ham gravy, mashed potatoes and green beans. Yummmmmy. Comfort food at it's best. We have the ham gravy on the side as they typically pour it directly on the chicken and while it's super yummy, it's also super fattening, so we get it on the side.

All in all, we had a great day for Charlie's Birthday. We usually work on our birthday's, but we learned a great lesson today. We've decided that from now on, we're going to take our birthday's off and do fun things to celebrate having another year to look forward to!!

Tomorrow, it's a work day (ONLY 2 MORE TO GO - YAY!!) and a full gym day. Hope you all had a really nice day too!

 

[gailrmv]

Can I join you all on the WWT thread?
Just a quick introduction, I have mentioned it a while back but here''s my story (exercise/weight story anyway!):
I''m 5''9 and fairly big boned, so when I am feeling thin and fit, I''m a size 8. I''m in my late 20s now, and my metabolism slowed way down in my mid 20s. I''ve always been an avid exerciser and a healthy eater with a big appetite, and I used to be able to maintain my weight pretty easily up til the time I graduated college. Suddenly I put on about 45 pounds in just about 2 years post college. Even as I cut down my eating I continued to gain weight. It was very strange so I sought help from my primary care physician and also an endocrinologist, but neither was able to find anything wrong with me. My conclusion is that I have a very slow metabolism now. Then I started working with a nutritionist and followed her guidelines yet the scale didn''t budge. I was up to a size 14 and was feeling pretty crummy about my body image. As I mentioned I''ve always been into exercise, but I really stepped it up over the past year and have gotten into long distance running events and triathlons, which has become a huge part of my life!! It has been a long haul but I''ve managed to lose 15 pounds in the past year. I''ve got 30 to go to get to my goal weight, but 10 pounds is my short term goal over the next six months (that would put me into my "normal" BMI range). I wear a size 12 currently and would really like to get to a 10 or maybe even an 8 again. I hope I can pop into this thread every now and then, especially to get ideas and stay motivated on the eating front. I really believe in a balanced, sustainable approach to eating. Looking forward to getting some great ideas from you ladies and gents!

 

[KimberlyH]

Rod: I am so glad you enjoyed your day! And

to only having 2 days left at work.

Gail: Welcome! I, and I''m sure all the WWTers, are so thrilled to have you! We hope you find some inspiration here! Now ignore my next paragraph...

So we totally endulged my craving and went to Mo''s Bar and Grill for dinner, voted the best hamburgers in SD by San Diego magazine. Oh what a treat! I at about 5/8 of anonion/garlic burger (a lot more subtle tasting than sounding, I promise!) that was topped with jack cheese (most of which I pulled off because it was just too much), an onion ring, lettuce, tomatoes and garlic mayo on a sesame bun, served with a large side of french fries, of which I ate about 1/2. It''s a good thing I''d only consumed 400 calories prior to our little gastronomical adventure. It was so darn delicious, I can''t even begin.... I''m figuring I ate about 800 calories in my hamburger and 500 in my fries, plus the two wonderful glasses of wine I had during my meal, so I''m at about 1900 calories for the day. I''ll probably indulge in some slow churned for dessert to, as it is my splurge day after all! So I''ll end up at about 2100 calories for the day, which is about what I expected.

It''s the first time we''ve been out to dinner in a week and it was so nice to have a night that was just the two of us, even if I am still blowing my nose every 5 minutes!

I''m subbing tomorrow, so no workout for me, but we''ll fit in a walk in the afernoon before we head over to the jewelers to finally take my e-ring in and have the head replaced (this was my Valentine''s Day present that I am finally getting around to collecting on!).

Hope everyone is having a lovely evening!

 

[Mara]

gosh i dont know how we will narrow it down on where to eat in our 2.5 short days there rod, hehee. i definitely am thinking mura and sullivans and from there it's kind of a hit or miss. becky or rod, any great breakfast place suggestions? and omg i have to check out that gym with the cinema in it, ever since someone on here recently said their gym had that i was like 'oh where can i find something like that?!?!'...that just seems so cool. talk about the ultimate distraction while you work out!

so i had a really busy but fun afternoon! went to the gym and did 50 minutes on the elliptical for 450 cals and then did arm weights for 10 minutes for about 50ish cals. so 500 total. and with my walk today that's about 750 cals. yesterday i did 800...wow. that's a lot for me. but i can tell my body is tired...well not really my body, more specifically my poor crying legs! so, tomorrow i am just doing a long trail walk for my workout...and hopefully that will let them recoup a bit. the funny thing is that overall i still feel pretty energetic which i am attributing to my eating which has been really good the last few days and i have really been trying to feed my body with the right types of things. it's so funny how i can go in waves of being really good...and then suddenly i am like 'mmm 20 pieces of bread'...greg says it's my body crying out for carbs so it doesn't off and die, lol.

after the workout i came home and quickly ate 1/2 a pear with a laughing cow wedge to just get my body some nutrition and protein to keep me going...then showered and headed off to meet greg for dinner which was very yummy!!! we both love this cafe...it's such a european kind of feel where they serve fabulous wines by the glass, and specialty coffee and desserts, and also food and the food is VERY good and isn't just regular sandwich fare. they have all sorts of things like a cold italian meat and cheese plate and lasagna and really yummy soups and salads etc. so i got my fave spinach salad with pecans, carmelized onions, apples and lots of fresh spinach, and used my own TJ dressing on it. we shared a bowl of their veggie minestrone and a toasted baguette with butter (well i ate 75% of it, haha!)...their baguettes are sooo yummy. and then for dessert we shared a piece of chocolate layer cake, woo hoo FINALLY got my fix! and i had a sugar free vanilla nonfat latte with some splenda.

the funniest part is that the chocolate layer cake (along with 2 other cakes they have there) are actually made by this local bakery that i absolutely LOVE (some of my fave birthday cakes have come from there)...so little did i know at the time that i was about to get not only a 'chocolate layer cake'fix...but it would be slice of one of the absolute best chocolate cakes ever known to man. so it was a double treat when the gal told me that.

and it was a nice sized slice, but nothing insane ala cheesecake factory portions, so i didn't feel guilty in the least chowing down...and greg shared it with me thank goodness, hehee. typically when we go out to restaurants we do apps and soup and salad and dinner then dessert and by that time he can't fit anything else in (but somehow i can)...but here at this place he just shared the soup and then had a pastrami sandwich so he was more than happy to share dessert. i said okay, so we have to do this cafe thing more often. i would so much rather share a dessert than eat it all myself...i typically just want a taste but if it's there i will be like 'what a waste' and eat it. hehe.

kimberly your splurge sounds soo yummy. we go to our local best burger place every once in a while and it's a total splurge but so worth it. their fries and burgers are amazing, and i eat my whole burger (but usually leave some bun as it's too big) and then end up mowing on the fries, so yummy. gotta love a great, fresh burger sometimes! i was at the gym today and some lady near me on the machines had some mag open and it was like a picture of the worlds biggest burger or something and i thought of you having your burger...and also i was like darn that looks good. hehee.

welcome gail...hopefully you can get some tips and inspiration on this thread...!! it's a great group of people who pretty much do all the right things 99% of the time, but also know how to have a fabulous splurge once in a while as you can tell from the last few posts, hehee.

 

[Sevenwires]

Mara is such a good writer. I couldn''t even put that many sentences together and still made sense even if I tried.

Welcome Gail!! This thread is great... It''s really got me focusing on my eating habits and going to the gym to do ''something'' everyday. Lots of support and great tips going around every day!

I found that completing my gym routine is easiest for me in the morning. So I prefer to go and get it out of the way at the start of my day, and not the last thing at night. I typically try to do about 50 minutes of weights and then 1 hour of cardio. So I''d rather just face my 2 hours of pouring sweat when I''m at my peak with energy. I think going at night is way harder for me. After a long days of work.. even thinking about the 2 hours ahead of me is a drag. So hopefully I can try to adjust my time better and start getting myself to bed earlier.....

I find myself pretty much eating the same stuff everyday. And I don''t really get tired of it. For breakfast it''s normally 4 egg whites, 1 eggo, 2 center cut bacon, and 1 cup of nonfat milk. I think I''m been having the same thing for a month straight now. For lunch I usually have a salad with my TJ nonfat dressing. And dinner is will just be whatever is around. Dinner tends to have more of a variety... but for breakfast and lunch it''s the same thing every day. I just realized that..... Oh .. and snacks have been 0% fage with honey (YAY!!! I''m in the fage club and know what fage is!) I love telling girlfriends about fage and their like, "whaaat? what''s that?" I''ll be like, "What? You don''t know?! You''re missing out!" --Like I''ve known all along and have been eating it for a long time.

okay, went to the gym today and did the treadmill and treadclimber.. kinda alternating.. and I finally reached 500 calories. Good grief. I hopped off and was totally ready to leave. Burned 503 cals to be exact. Still doing my 6x a week. It''s tough! BUt it feels great sticking to it though. And at the end of the week, I really feel proud of myself.

I''m so ready to pass out... going to shower and go to sleeeeep!

Good night buddies...

 

[TravelingGal]

OK, just got back from the gym. Crawled out of the house at 9:30 and did an hour on the elliptical. Came home and did some sit up and a few sets of arm exercises with weights.

I think I am going to cut my caloric intake during weekdays by just a bit. I looked back at my January stats and had days when I was in the 1200 cal range. I think high 1300s to low 1400s might work better for me and would give a bit more leeway to my weekend splurges.

Today breakfast was cereal, lunch was a TJ's pizza, dinner was half package of TJ's rosemary chicken with rice (310 cal). Geez...I think a lot of us would be starving without TJ's? Dessert was Fage with jam. So today was a rare really low cal day for me at 1280, but it makes up for last night when my friend called me over and I shared a bottle of wine with her. Otherwise yesterday would have been a really low cal day too!

Thanks for continuing to inspire everyone!

ETA, I meant to give a welcome to Gail too!