Weekly Workout Thread 5th March till 11th March.

[decodelighted]

Date: 3/6/2007 1:16:00 PM
Author: KimberlyH
declare your PMS eating and then hop back on the bandwagon!

The big unexpected indulgence was last night ... when I cancelled our "healthy" dinner and asked DH to bring home a Wendy''s DOUBLE & FRIES. Mama needed B.E.E.F. No dessert or anything so I guess it wasn''t the worst thing in the world. But I was suprised at the urgency & POWER of the craving after a week of general progress & pretty healthy choices. I''m *supposed* to be just upping my activity first ... but I think the intellectual challenge of "eating healthier" appeals to me more than just getting of my phat rump and MOVING. Eh, I guess there''s always TODAY!

*groan*


BTW ... those B/A shots are so fun & inspiring!!! YOU GUYS LOOK AMAZING!!!! If I ever have an "after" - I mean WHEN, WHEN I have an "after" ... you guys will have PLENTY of "befores" for ref. ... MY WEDDING!

 

[TravelingGal]

Morning everyone!

Wow lots going on here! Lulu, I can't see your pics either...they are just x's for me. Eleguin, I can see yours and can see the difference. However, if I may be bold enough to say, I can't imagine 115 looks bad on your! 125 didn't look bad on you! You look great at any of those weights (including the 105 btw...)

I haven't joined this muffin craze yet, as I don't have a muffin pan. I'm scared to...I love muffins and would just eat one after the other. But the chocolate pumpkin one is first on my list to try.

I wound up at 1495 cal yesterday, and there was some overestimating involved so it may have been a bit less. Today I am doing a lunchtime walk, and in my quest (inspired by Kimberly, thanks girl!) to find Incremental Calories Used (I.C.U.) I am breaking out a Costco DVD and ball that TGuy bought and never used. I will see what it is all about.

I was thinking that maybe for fun, we can post ways we did the I.C.U. and Incremental Calories Saved (I.C.S). Yes, I know I love my abbreviations, hehehe. For instance, I think if I have cereal, I will just 1/4 up less for a savings of 30 calories. Did you see this article on MSNBC a few days ago? Painless Weight Loss, 50 calories at a time. I'm trying to find ways to cut out a bit in my daily routine that won't hurt me.

Lorelei, I am sorry to hear that it looks worse..but it can only get better, I hope!

Coda, woo hoo, good for you girl!

Kimberly - macaroni grill? I didn't know they had healthy options there!

Nice to see you shortblonde!

Deco, come back here girlfriend! *hands on hips*

ETA, man, this is a fast moving thread this morning...in the time I posted, at least 5 more posts showed up!

 

[Mara]

haha we go to this FAB little hole in the wall restaurant in half moon bay whenever we have the fish and chips craving...so i''ve never been to a fast food long john silvers kinda place. there are a few good places around here too but the half moon bay place is totally all fresh fish and they have the best clam chowder (not dairy based, veggie broth based!)...yum!! in fact we might go there this wkd..hehe. it''s been too long!

oh and lulu i am dying to try your chicken souvlaki too, i saved the recipe yesterday from an old thread.

oh and someone else posted about homemade honey dijon chicken wraps they made last week, who was that? and can you post the recipe? i totally want to try this!

 

[biblobaggins23]

my favorite work out right now is hot yoga. which is done in a heated room. its soo nice! i feel so stretched out and strong!! the work out is an hour and a half and you will stretch AND sweat like crazy. i have been doing it to get in shape before the wedding and i feel so much more leaner and more compact. my stomach also feels tighter cause we do abs in the workout. i prefer this yoga to non-heated yoga because i feel i''m actually doing something for my body and working my body hard. if you do decide to do this yoga, i recommend doing non-heated yoga before you start. i also use the stairmaster for 10 minutes or i''ll walk a mile before yoga.

 

[Mara]

i know TG this thread is hoppin'' today. which is good because i''m BORED at work. now that my transition is almost done i don''t have that much to do...hehe.

re: ICU...hehee. i actually take the stairs during the day at work on days i am stressed or bored...i go down to the first level then climb for 6 flights, then back down and then back up to the 4th floor where i am. it takes about 5 min or less and sometimes i do it 2x a day. i read online that climbing and descending stairs can burn like 50 cals for 10 minutes...not like it adds a lot but at least it''s 10 minutes a day i am not sitting down on my butt in front of the computer.

also is there somewhere that you can walk to during the day? aka a starbucks or a grocery store or lunch? a 10 min walk during the day there and back can add up as well. we have a starbucks near our office, and even if i don''t get anything, i typically walk over with whoever is going...it''s about 5 min there and 5 min back. so i get a 10 min walk each day. and it''s nice to get out and into the open air.

ICU can totally add up. and TG that article you posted, i haven''t read it but i would imagine it''s much like this article i read at the gym the other day which was about how you can easily remove calories from your daily intake or expenditure and not really notice it..and make it painless. aka as you noted...eat 1/4c less cereal. replace juice drinks with water. take an extra 10 min walk a day. at lunch eat only 3/4 of what is on your plate. at dinner eat only 1/2 and take the rest home or give it to someone else. share desserts. every little thing that you might NORMALLY do..aka eat the entire meal, or eat a whole dessert by yourself or having a soda...that you switch up...can add up over time. if you save an extra 50 cals per day then in 1 month that is 1500 cals, in 2 months you have almost lost a lb of extra stuff you didn''t really need. and 50 cals per day is easy!! that''s like walking up and down the stairs OR walking around a grocery store for 10 minutes pushing a shopping cart.

 

[KimberlyH]

TG: I''m so glad to have inspired you! What a compliment! This whole moving every day thing just feels really good. Mac Grill doesn''t have low fat foods, which is really unfortunate because I wouldn''t like eating there no matter what. But, the chicken caesar without dressing is 462 calories and 1 fl oz of their low fat caesar dressing is 30 calories and 2 grams of fat, so I can get away at about 530 calories for the meal, which isn''t too high for dinner. But I''m still just plain not thrilled that we''re going there.

Here are my ICS''s:

1. I''ve switched to light Soy milk as oppsoed to regular soy milk. It''s a small savings, only about 15 calories a day, because I only use 1/4 cup on my oatmeal in the morning, but savings is savings!

2. I''ve started eating Dannon light yogurt and cereal (it has fiber in it and is strange at first but pretty darn good) at 70 calories a pop for an afternoon snack instead of Yoplait and that cuts 30 calories a day.

Deco: Good for you for not having dessert. And don''t beat yourself up for splurging (I can totally relate to craving red meat!). Now back on the bandwagon and off you go! I can''t wait to see your before and afters, it will come sooner than you think.

OV: Thanks for the compliment, really sweet of you.

 

[Mara]

lol deco okay here is a way you can save in the future. i understand the wendys beef craving. but get a small jr cheesburger and a small fries and you are getting away with like 1/2 the cals and fat of the large stuff. and it still should fill your craving. pair it with a homemade salad and you are good to go. OR get a jr bacon cheeseburger and their pecan cranberry vinaigrette salad and you are only at about 600 cals for the entire dinner and you got your beef craving over and done with without breaking any sort of calorie bank. how is that a bad thing? it's not!

trust me i understand cravings..and i often give in too! but i try to do it in moderation, however sometimes i don't quite make it (4 pieces of bread anyone?). you are just starting out right now, so i know how hard it is to throttle back entirely from bad habits and cut them out. but when i finally got TOTALLY on board with the I AM GOING TO DO THIS COME HELL OR HIGH WATER wagon....i would have gotten a small jr bacon cheesie and the salad. now i might actually get the fries too because i am maintaining so i have more leeway, but for months i really took the 'better for me' road almost continuously and it's how i met my goals. anyway, not to get all jim baker preachy on anyone...but overall...just remember you can splurge but not go crazy and STILL be okay with your goals and your intake and all that. it's what i loved about counting cals. if i chose to splurge and waste cals on something, i had to cut back elsewhere, it was an easy model in principle..hehe.

oh and one more ICU for me...fat free milk. i was using 1% for a while at 120 cals per cup. but the FF milk is 80 or 90 depending on which brand you use. which can add up if you have coffee, cereal etc. and also if you are making stuff like the sugar free jello puddings from the box. the fat free gives a great creamy consistency just like the 1% does and you still get all the calcium. so i knocked off like 30-40 cals per cup of milk...which can add up! and honestly to go from 1% to fat free in something like coffee and cereal and pudding, not TASTING any sort of diff at all.

yay ov...congrats on the weight loss, keep up the great work girl!

 

[Sevenwires]

Lovelylulu – Can’t see any pics. It didn’t come out I think… But I absolutely would like to see the changes.

Elequin – Thanks for the pictures.. I think pictures are a lot more inspirational to me. Because when I see the end results, it somehow feels more real to me. And it makes me work even harder at this. I think you and I have somewhat of the same frame. But the only thing is I want to be slender AND muscular. Hahaha….. um.. think…Sarah Jessica Parker in the last season of Sex and the City. I love the definition she has. I think it was way after she had her kid too. She was already in really great shape pre-kid. But afterwards, omg, I was like THAT’S what I want. Hahaah… But I think even though you gained back a little weight, don’t be discouraged. The key thing is you are recognizing this now and not later on, so you can make small changes to help you get back on track. But I unquestionably know what you mean by not having energy to workout after a extensive day of work. I normally try to get to bed a little bit earlier and wake up a bit earlier.. and just do my 1 hour of workout before work. And I think this schedule works out so much better for me. But every now and then I’ll get lazy and won’t get up after my alarm has gone off… then I still force myself to go after work. And I normally leave the office earliest is 9 p.m., and latest 11 p.m. or so. I figure, what the heck, I’m already tired like a dog, another hour will be hard, but it won’t destroy me. But the weird thing is, once I get started in working out, I’ll still manage to squeeze out that one hour. Granted I’d probably do it a lot better first thing in the morning than last thing at night. But regardless, the point is I made it to the gym and I did “something”. Hang in there.. I’m sure you look great now… but I totally understand wanting to be where YOU want to be and feel good about that. Oh, and I have the polar HRM too. I love it. Having it has made working out much more fun. I feel like as long as I can see what I’m burning, it also motivates me more.

Mrssalvo -- I hope Zoe feels better. I think it’ll be good for her to stay off her foot. It’s funny thinking how doggies can strain or pull something too. But last year, my dog actually stepped on a bee while playing in the park and ended limping around too. And another time he was coming down the stairs and miss a step and twisted something. I would’ve said he twisted his ankle,… but do dogs have ankles? But anyway, I she feels better soon.

DEE*Jay – oh my goodness I love Long John Silvers too! I have one right here by my work. I love their fried fish. It’s SO good! And their hush puppies! I don’t think I’ve had anything from there for the past 2 years though. Maybe that can be my cheat meal this week! I give myself about 2 cheat meals per week, so maybe this can be one of them. Oh, and my other favorite thing is McDonalds Fillet-O-Fish. Yummm!

Orangevixen – Congrats on the weight loss! I’m totally waiting for mine to happen. And how in the world did you build up to run 10 miles! Right now I can really push and squeeze out about a 4.5 mile jog. I’m still trying to up that number but I do think running is a great calorie burner… Now I’ve kind of taken a liking to the elliptical cause it doesn’t give me that weird shin ache. Though maybe it could be a good idea to alternate… I just don’t like to do 30 minutes of one thing then 30 minutes of another, cause that takes stopping and then getting off the machine…. Once I stop I feel like it takes even MORE energy to start again.

Bluehue – I’m taking a wild guess but you’re workout looks good… seems like you’re doing something for the most part of the week. But what are you eating? The trainer at the gym told me the it’s like 80% what you eat.. and 20% how well you workout…. Something like that… What he meant was eating affect this whole fitness thing the most.

Oh, and another good thing about Mara that I noticed is that she is always doing something *extra*. Like how’s she says she climbs the stairs. I’m such a lazy bum. I live on the 3 floors at my place and I ALWAYS take the elevator. I think I’m going to start taking the stairs everyday too. And then next time when I park in a parking lot I’m not going to keep trying to find the nearest space. I’m going to park all the way in the back.

A lot of the stuff I’m starting to buy at the market are “LITE” now. Like mayo… tho I don’t typically use a lot of mayo. And I have substituted dijonnaise for mayo for most stuff actually. And I used to eat all white bread… now I’m doing more of the whole grain stuff. Though I need to get more used to the texture. But small changes like that. So really, it IS a lifestyle… and not just a diet. Hopefully my changes will rub off on my parents, cause they eat terribly!

Boy you guys post fast.. I can barely keep up!

 

[lovelylulu]

just a note on the ICS (cute idea TG) and i''m sorry if this is vague, but i recall reading somewhere -- perhaps cooking light -- that "lite" products aren''t always the best idea. i.e. if you are going to use mayonnaise, use the full fat version, just less, because the lite version has all sorts of bad "filler" that actually isn''t healthier for you...i''ll see if i can''t dig up the recommendations.

 

[merrijoy]

Date: 3/6/2007 2:56:37 PM
Author: Sevenwires

Lovelylulu – Can’t see any pics. It didn’t come out I think… But I absolutely would like to see the changes.

Elequin – Thanks for the pictures.. I think pictures are a lot more inspirational to me. Because when I see the end results, it somehow feels more real to me. And it makes me work even harder at this. I think you and I have somewhat of the same frame. But the only thing is I want to be slender AND muscular. Hahaha….. um.. think…Sarah Jessica Parker in the last season of Sex and the City. I love the definition she has. I think it was way after she had her kid too. She was already in really great shape pre-kid. But afterwards, omg, I was like THAT’S what I want. Hahaah… But I think even though you gained back a little weight, don’t be discouraged. The key thing is you are recognizing this now and not later on, so you can make small changes to help you get back on track. But I unquestionably know what you mean by not having energy to workout after a extensive day of work. I normally try to get to bed a little bit earlier and wake up a bit earlier.. and just do my 1 hour of workout before work. And I think this schedule works out so much better for me. But every now and then I’ll get lazy and won’t get up after my alarm has gone off… then I still force myself to go after work. And I normally leave the office earliest is 9 p.m., and latest 11 p.m. or so. I figure, what the heck, I’m already tired like a dog, another hour will be hard, but it won’t destroy me. But the weird thing is, once I get started in working out, I’ll still manage to squeeze out that one hour. Granted I’d probably do it a lot better first thing in the morning than last thing at night. But regardless, the point is I made it to the gym and I did “something”. Hang in there.. I’m sure you look great now… but I totally understand wanting to be where YOU want to be and feel good about that. Oh, and I have the polar HRM too. I love it. Having it has made working out much more fun. I feel like as long as I can see what I’m burning, it also motivates me more.

Mrssalvo -- I hope Zoe feels better. I think it’ll be good for her to stay off her foot. It’s funny thinking how doggies can strain or pull something too. But last year, my dog actually stepped on a bee while playing in the park and ended limping around too. And another time he was coming down the stairs and miss a step and twisted something. I would’ve said he twisted his ankle,… but do dogs have ankles? But anyway, I she feels better soon.

DEE*Jay – oh my goodness I love Long John Silvers too! I have one right here by my work. I love their fried fish. It’s SO good! And their hush puppies! I don’t think I’ve had anything from there for the past 2 years though. Maybe that can be my cheat meal this week! I give myself about 2 cheat meals per week, so maybe this can be one of them. Oh, and my other favorite thing is McDonalds Fillet-O-Fish. Yummm!

Orangevixen – Congrats on the weight loss! I’m totally waiting for mine to happen. And how in the world did you build up to run 10 miles! Right now I can really push and squeeze out about a 4.5 mile jog. I’m still trying to up that number but I do think running is a great calorie burner… Now I’ve kind of taken a liking to the elliptical cause it doesn’t give me that weird shin ache. Though maybe it could be a good idea to alternate… I just don’t like to do 30 minutes of one thing then 30 minutes of another, cause that takes stopping and then getting off the machine…. Once I stop I feel like it takes even MORE energy to start again.

Bluehue – I’m taking a wild guess but you’re workout looks good… seems like you’re doing something for the most part of the week. But what are you eating? The trainer at the gym told me the it’s like 80% what you eat.. and 20% how well you workout…. Something like that… What he meant was eating affect this whole fitness thing the most.

Oh, and another good thing about Mara that I noticed is that she is always doing something *extra*. Like how’s she says she climbs the stairs. I’m such a lazy bum. I live on the 3 floors at my place and I ALWAYS take the elevator. I think I’m going to start taking the stairs everyday too. And then next time when I park in a parking lot I’m not going to keep trying to find the nearest space. I’m going to park all the way in the back.

A lot of the stuff I’m starting to buy at the market are “LITE” now. Like mayo… tho I don’t typically use a lot of mayo. And I have substituted dijonnaise for mayo for most stuff actually. And I used to eat all white bread… now I’m doing more of the whole grain stuff. Though I need to get more used to the texture. But small changes like that. So really, it IS a lifestyle… and not just a diet. Hopefully my changes will rub off on my parents, cause they eat terribly!

Boy you guys post fast.. I can barely keep up!

Barely? I can.not.keep.up.at.all...I want to post my recipe and can not find the time and ask a few questions and send a few more congrats and mention that I can not make muffins either because as many of you said - I WOULD EAT THEM ALL.....Boy, where do you all come up with the time during work??? Ack!

Meredith

 

[Sevenwires]

merrijoy -- I can type really fast .. .hahah.. but it''s just that once I post it.. there''s like 5 more posts that follow.

Lovelylulu -- I do remember reading somewhere tho that a lot of the LITE products are either higher in sugar or higher in carbs. OR both... cuz they kind of go hand in hand. SO you''re right.. have to be careful. Like before Yoplait came out with the ''lite'' version yogurt... they had a low fat yogurt and that thing even tho was low in fat, it was loaded with sugar!

 

[TravelingGal]

I work from home...hehehe. It''s nice being able to check in without someone looking over my shoulder. I figure the amount of time people waste socializing in the office is far more than the time I take the post....er, maybe.

Well, here''s my ICU for the day. I just did a 30 minute DVD with a gym ball. I was actually sweating! I figure I burned somewhere between 50 and 100 calories.

My ICS is that I used less honey in my Fage today...saving probably 20 calories. With my ICU, that''s a 70-120 calories bonus today! Hehehe...I''m such a dork.

Btw, speaking of "ICU", I totally feel like you guys can peep in through my computer and check on me. "I seeee yoooooooooou." Totally keeps me in line, you whip crackers!

I''m off for a lunchtime walk shortly (it will be a shorter one, I think). I never buy a lotto ticket, but at 355 million, I''m buying one. Then I will buy myself a home gym. Heee!

 

[Mara]

oh i love my light mayo!! and my best foods version didn't have anything really extra in there that the full fat version didn't really and come on, mayo is just overall kinda gross anyway, light or full fat! haha. but i still love it on certain things! but yeah you have to watch sugars and carbs and all that too. but sometimes for me a splurge is worth it if it's lower calorie and lower fat and a little higher on the sugar. because i don't eat that much sugar otherwise anymore.

sevens, i do try to incorporate little things all the time actually. and i did that even more so when i was really losing. but even like just going to the store and walking around pushing a cart...it burns more than just walking around with no cart! its totally the little things. hehee. also you know that after you work out your body continues to burn calories at an accelerated rate? a shape mag said something like 10-15% of what you just burned over the next few hours...extra. so like 50-75 cals for a 500 cal workout. that adds up if you work out 4-5x a week. it can be an extra few lbs of weight loss a year! OH and TG your 30 min ball/dvd thing? you got your heart rate up so now it will burn a little higher for the next few hours as well. so that is why i don't mind going and doing the stairs sometimes or just doing something extra to get me breathing a little harder because it gives your body a little jump start too.

lunchtime soon...i think i am having the progresso vegetable with beef barley soup...i had it a while ago and LOVED it and it took me like a month to find it again. it has like 8g of fiber for the whole can, and is only something like 210 cals. whee. snacks are going to be (i think) fage with honey and splenda; a 100 cal kudos bar; and maybe some fruit. we'll see.

bluehue i also agree about asking what your diet choices are? for me i had to watch both diet and workout more to see a lot of changes in my body. it was being stubborn and not wanting to give up that extra fat!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 3/6/2007 3:19:42 PM
Author: TravelingGal

I'm off for a lunchtime walk shortly (it will be a shorter one, I think). I never buy a lotto ticket, but at 355 million, I'm buying one. Then I will buy myself a home gym. Heee!

Screw the home gym -- at $355M I'm hiring someone to work out FOR me.

 

[Rosebud8506]

Whew! Hey guys! It''s been a few weeks for me since I''ve posted, and I''m still truckin''

It''s been awhile: ouchy toes, Red Lobster, before and after pics! (BTW, you guys look FAB!! congrats!!)

I am finally below 150 *amen!* and I am verrrrrry pleased. I feel almost nervous that I will be again stuck at the same weight for another month or so, and I really like seeing the scale progressively go down!! Does anyone else feel anxious when they step on the scale?? Maybe its just me. I know people have stressed that it takes awhile to see any weight loss, but I think for me, I should hopefully be past that hurdle.

I also am on week 6 for monitoring my calories via spreadsheet, and I can''t rave enough about how this is such a great tool with visually seeing how much you put into your body.

Anyways, on to my accomplishments for the week thus far: last night high intensity step class (lovin'' this class) and then this morning, Pilates on the mat. I like doing this class especially since we concentrate mainly on the booty, hips, thighs, and a TON of abs. I made a low fat chicen piccata recipe I found online for dinner last night, which was not too bad. I had put too much lemon in the sauce at the end, but I think it turned out pretty good regardless.

Tonight is going to be burgers that I try to replicate from Cheeseburger in Paradise ( we ate these one afternoon when we were in Hawaii on our honeymoon

). It has a slice of avacado and then a pinneapple slice on top of the burger, and I''m going to use that 2% kraft singles (I HEART these big time!!). YUM.

It has been staying lighter longer here, and I can''t remember who mentioned it above, but I am so happy that we change the clocks soon!! I feel like I can get so much more done in the day when it stays lighter longer. We''re also going to AZ in less than two weeks, and I plan to be doing a lot of walking since my good friend lives 1.5 miles away from my husbands'' family in Scottsdale. whoo hoo!

 

[Sevenwires]

Date: 3/6/2007 3:24:12 PM
Author: Dee*Jay

Date: 3/6/2007 3:19:42 PM
Author: TravelingGal

I''m off for a lunchtime walk shortly (it will be a shorter one, I think). I never buy a lotto ticket, but at 355 million, I''m buying one. Then I will buy myself a home gym. Heee!

Screw the home gym -- at $355M I''m hiring someone to work out FOR me.

HAHAH!! That''s funny. If that worked I''d want to hire someone to workout for me too.

And I gotta look up what Fage is. Everyone seems to be eating fage!

We do see you TG.

Mara -- Yeah, I did see your post about how the body continues to burn extra cals. And I remember back then when you used do *extra* workout sessions at home like ab work, or leg work, or jumping jacks. Acually I believe doing the little sessions throughout the day will kick up the calorie burning a little bit even if it''s not as much as right after a gym/elliptical workout. I wonder when celebrities are getting in shape if they do stuff like this too. Somehow to me it seems like celebrities just magically get into shape. Though I know that''s not at all true. They workout hard just like us... if not, harder.

 

[Sevenwires]

So lunch today is the 1/2 leftover rosemary chicken and wild rice. I swear, once I find something good, I can eat the same thing for a few days straight and be fine with that. Later for snack I got the 100 cal popcorn.... How come the unpopped nutritional value is actually higher than popped?!

 

[bluehue]

Rats! I was dreaming of just increasing my exercise, but it sounds like I need to calorie count! I have never had to diet but over the past 6 years (& 3 babies... they ought to be good as an excuse

) my middle is staging a serious rebellion. Argh. Does the WW idea of just so many starches a day and so many proteins, etc. work or is it really best to actually figure the calories per item with a daily max?

 

[Mara]

honestly blue hue i have no patience for doing starches or whatever. i just used www.sparkpeople.com and entered in whatever they asked, and used their calorie intake ranges pretty religiously for 6 months or so. and bumped up my workouts from like 4x to 6x a week. and that is when i saw changes. as long as my caloric intake was averaged in the range that SP gave me, i felt okay. and i lost 18 lbs. when i thought i only needed to lose 10. so for me...calorie counting was a huge saving grace. i had tried before to do things like less fat, less carbs, more fruit etc. but i had to VISUALLY see what i was putting in my body. and as time went on, i wanted to eat more and more of the RIGHT things for my body rather than just CRAP. so it was definitely a long-term lifestyle change for me. now i love things like wheat and multigrain bread and prefer them over bleached breads or rice or similar. when we make pancakes at home it''s with multigrain mix or similar, i make high fiber muffins from scratch all the time. i actually like this stuff! and i eat lots of fruits and veggies...i actually measure out foods etc. and it doesn''t take that much longer than NOT doing it really. so for me it was totally the way to go. i have no patience for figuring out anything but ''how many cals'' it is and how it works into ''fueling'' my body. some days i would eat a marie calendars chicken pot pie for 650 cals and 40g of fat...and keep the rest of my day very light. and other days i''d eat almost all fruits and veggies. and in the end i still met my goals. i love desserts and splurging sometimes so the calorie way was the way to go for me. i''d die with all low-fat or low-carb or whatever all the time.

lol so i am eating my soup and someone brought in leftover birthday cake, at least it''s the white light whipped with white cake...so it''s the ''best'' of the worst and i see a chuck e. cheese birthday similar cake (found online) is 200 cals for a small slice so that is what i am using for my estimate on my spreadsheet. i LOVE this kind of cake though so i am like DAMN and YAY at the same time. so guess i am doing another 10 minutes on the elliptical tonite !!!

 

[ellaila]

Date: 3/6/2007 3:38:23 PM
Author: Sevenwires

HAHAH!! That''s funny. If that worked I''d want to hire someone to workout for me too.

And I gotta look up what Fage is. Everyone seems to be eating fage!

We do see you TG.

Mara -- Yeah, I did see your post about how the body continues to burn extra cals. And I remember back then when you used do *extra* workout sessions at home like ab work, or leg work, or jumping jacks. Acually I believe doing the little sessions throughout the day will kick up the calorie burning a little bit even if it''s not as much as right after a gym/elliptical workout. I wonder when celebrities are getting in shape if they do stuff like this too. Somehow to me it seems like celebrities just magically get into shape. Though I know that''s not at all true. They workout hard just like us... if not, harder.

Hahah! Yep, blame that TGal for turning us all onto Fage! I''ve eaten one every day for breakfast since I discovered them a few weeks ago (and I even use them in place of sour cream now too). I''m not a honey-eater, so I put splenda (OK, splendaS, as in many!) in mine, and it''s DELISH! The key is to sweeten it up and then whip it up with your spoon, and seriously, it''s like cool whip ... sooo good! I personally like the 2%, but I think that''s because I tried that first and got used to its slight-fat goodness. If you just start out with the 0%, I bet you''d like it just fine. But going from 2% to 0% didn''t do it for me.

So, question for all of you gym rats

: when you''re sore from working out, how do you know whether to keep truckin on or when your body needs a break? Like my quads and calves are SO sore right now from that skiing trip on Sunday so am I supposed to to go the gym and just work through it? Or give myself some downtime till the pain goes away? I mean, I know it''s just muscle ache from those muscles not being used enough, so is the trick to go and just USE the muscles more now or to baby them? I went to the gym yesterday morning, and it was OK, but then I was just dying yesterday afternoon!!

 

[Sevenwires]

bluehue -- I believe the calorie counting thing. I don''t think there is a sercret formula on how much protein or carbs one should eat. Everyone is different I would guess. Like someone who is way more active can consume more carbs energy. Someone who is weight training can eat more protein... etc. But when it really comes down to it... I think it''s really how much energy (calorie = energy) you eat, and how much your expend. Plus everyone reacts to carbs different... So for my 1500 calorie per day... I would want to get more protein.. a decent amount of carbs, because if I overeat on carbs I bloat up like a balloon, and have water retention from all the carbs.. SO it''s really what fits you and what makes you feel good. But def. watch the calories I think. And it makes a HUGE difference if you keep a log of your food.... like food diary. You''d be surprised at what you''re eating or what you''re NOT eating enough of. WHen I first started, I thought I was eating a good 1700/per day cause I''m always snacking and I eat really really slow. THen I took down everything I ate and found out I was only eating 1000 on some days... and then sometimes when I eat junk... and not even what I feel is a lot.. my calorie that day will skyrocket to 2000+. No wonder I wasn''t losing weight. Keeping track of everything I eat has really made me aware and I think it''s awesome!

 

[Mara]

ela..i would work out today if i were you. you mentioned doing stuff on sunday...so a day of rest (monday) for your muscles should be enough...and sometimes you just have to work the lactic acid out and get back on the horse. if you are really sore, maybe do a lighter workout, but i would do *something*. but if you worked out yesterday and are asking about today too, then i'd take a break.

typically i take monday off, workout tuesday, wednesday, and then take thursday off, and workout friday, saturday and sunday. on saturday i do a walk outside so it's sommething different, but the other days are on the elliptical at the gym. if i am doing tuesday i will burn like 500 cals but wed i might be more tired so i only 'expect' to do like 400. if i feel more energetic i do more. if not then i'm okay with 400. same on the fri, sat, sunday consecutive days. friday i will try to burn like 550, then saturday 350 for a walk and then 600 on sunday...sundays i always feel the most energetic which is kind of funny but i like it. plus i usually have a lot of time on sunday to really do the workout, and arms and all that too. it's like my more casual day but i can burn a fair amount when i put my mind to it. i tried cutting back to 4x a week to maintain but i don't know, i just LIKE doing 5x!! call me crazy.

oh and lol re the 0% vs 2% fage. i am a calorie hoarder so i can't even eat the 2% anymore now that i have 0%. i have a 2% in the fridge that has languished for like 2 weeks. i can send it to you ela? hehee.

 

[Sevenwires]

ellaila -- I think if your muscles are hurting or sore... my trainer told me that to just let that rest.. But you can do some other types of workouts.. like arms or shoulders or back. BUT I also read somewhere that if you are sore.. it''s better to get out and walk around and it''ll help the soreness go away faster.

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 3/6/2007 3:46:00 PM
Author: bluehue
Rats! I was dreaming of just increasing my exercise, but it sounds like I need to calorie count! I have never had to diet but over the past 6 years (& 3 babies... they ought to be good as an excuse

) my middle is staging a serious rebellion. Argh. Does the WW idea of just so many starches a day and so many proteins, etc. work or is it really best to actually figure the calories per item with a daily max?

Blue,

I lost 68 lbs. (and maintained a 63 lb. weight loss over a long period of time) using WW and my own calorie monitoring system that had no real rules and regs to follow. But I wasn''t thrilled with how little emphasis they place on exercise (even if it is only 10% of your loss, it''s still so important for one''s health).

I''ve managed to lose about 8 lbs. since I started calorie counting in January.

My point is, you need to figure out what works for you. Nethier is right or wrong, it''s all about what fits best with your personality and life style!

 

[ellaila]

Send it along, Mara! I''ve got a coworker eating Fage 2% now, too, and our recycling bin is filled with Fage containers

BTW, so I decided to start a spreadsheet for my calories because I have NEVER been a calorie counter and now I''m just so curious! First off -- not that I even have them that much anymore, but YIKES, those lattes add up! Even nonfat ones! And I was just looking up a turkey sandwich (mine was just plain turkey with lettuce, one slice of cheese, on a bulkie roll), and I wound up finding the cals for an Au Bon Pain Baja Turkey sandwich ... 910 cals!!!

I mean, I know mine was nothing near that range, but still ... holy cow!!!

Definitely an eye-opening experience!!

 

[Mara]

lol ela...oh my goodness i SO hear you. sometimes i am still appalled at what is in things. i think that MUCH of the time people tend to hugely underestimate what they are consuming. and our ideas of portion size are WAY out of wack. even now i have to remind myself of what a portion is! 4oz of steak? 6oz of fish? 3oz of fries?! i'm like gosh that's so tiny! haha.

like i go to this fab bakery place sometimes with my coworker and get a 1/2 salad with cranberries, blue cheese, walnuts and vinaigrette; and a 1/2 turkey sandwich with cheese, avocado, dijon, sprouts and tomato on a dutch crunch roll. all in all? that is probably like 800 cals. for 1/2 salad and 1/2 sandwich. what makes it so high? well the oil in the vinaigrette, the blue cheese, the walnuts; and then the bread on the sandwich, cheese and avocado. do i want to spend 800 cals for lunch even if it's all totally fresh, healthy food? nope not really.

so last time i went i got no walnuts. took off like 200 cals right there. 1/4cup of walnuts is 220 cals!! and most salads that have walnuts have about 1/4cup. i love blue cheese so i couldn't get rid of that but 1/4c is 100 cals. slightly better than walnuts. i started getting the vinagrette on the side, but would pour off literally like 2oz of STRAIGHT OIL. so i started getting no dressing and bringing my own TJ's fat free 25 cal vinaigrette which i LOVE. easy. so the salad suddenly goes from like 400 cals to more like 200 cals. taste? pretty much the same actually! didn't even miss the walnuts. the sandwich...last time i got it on nine grain sliced instead of a 'roll' so at least i was getting more multigrains going on and thinner slices of bread, much thinner. also i get no cheese now. and i pick off 1/2 the avocado. result? sandwich probably goes from about 450 cals to more like 320. overall result is a lunch that was probably like 800 when it started if not more...to more like 525. still not what i typically eat for 'lunch' (which is more like 250) but it's a splurge i can live with.

 

[Sevenwires]

Okay, so fage is a yogurt? Can I get it at any market? Or is it only at Trader Joe''s? And I found it to be something like 0% fate has something like 80 calories?

okay, I''m gettin me some!

 

[ellaila]

Date: 3/6/2007 4:19:10 PM
Author: Sevenwires
Okay, so fage is a yogurt? Can I get it at any market? Or is it only at Trader Joe''s? And I found it to be something like 0% fate has something like 80 calories?

okay, I''m gettin me some!

I know that Trader Joes and Whole Foods carry Fage. There is Total, which is full fat I think; 2% (130 cals), and 0% (80 cals).

When you first open it up, it''s like sour cream in both consistency and taste. But once you sweeten it up, it''s the best yogurt ever! Honestly. I don''t even make that "I''m eating yogurt"

face that I normally do when I eat yogurt. The Fage is t-a-s-t-y!!

 

[bluehue]

OK, I had never heard of sparkpeople, but I am going to check it out and do the calorie count. I can bet my bottom dollar that I am over 2k calories a day with all of the snacks. Shudder. I like the spreadsheet idea. Thanks everyone. Also, to all of people who have slimmed down, kudos!

 

[Mara]

also FYI re the fage. the 0% is 5.3 oz for 80 cals and the 2% is something like 6.2oz for 130. so the less for 0% is mostly because of the smaller portion size. but that''s okay for me because i don''t care if it''s 5 oz or 6 oz...i just want something sweet and creamy!