Weekly Workout Thread 8th Jan till 14th Jan

[Mara]

okay and because i am bored i looked up chilis and found they have nutritional information as well for their entire menu. awesome. except..YIKES.

we eat at chilis sometimes...like once in a blue moon. i love their boneless buffalo chicken salad, yum. but at 870 cals for the salad without the dressing...and another 240 for the dressing, that''s 1k cals. which i kind of figured. so it''s not like that was a huge shocker.

http://www.chilis.com/chilis_nutrition_menu.pdf

BUT...huge shocker. awesome blossom? 2710 calories. that''s like 2 FULL DAYS of calories for me. 203g of fat. yep that''s right. over 200 grams of fat. sure you share it with what...2-3 people? that''s still about 80-100 grams per person. like 3x of my typical days.

other crazy high caloried and fat #''s. the chocolate chip paradise whatever dessert, 1600 cals.

most of their burgers are 1000+ calories. fries add another 450 cals.

most of the appetizers are 1000 calories as well. who eats skillet queso without chips? hehee.

chicken crispers which i adore are 1870 cals. another big yikes. the child''s size version of it is 520 cals, much better still seriously though do you want to be feeding your kid 520 cals for a lunch or dinner??? that''s what *I* eat for dinner (plus another 100 or so).

some surprising not so bad for you #''s. the kids corn dog (love corn dogs!) are 250 cals. the broccoli cheese soup cup which i LOVE is only 160 cals. fajitas are not that bad but add in 3 tortillas at 370 cals and it could get scary if you like the tortillas. hehee.

overall...you could make some healthy choices eating there. or get a few small bad for you things and probably still come out okay. if you order off the kids menu it looks way better, a kids cheeseburger is only 350 cals. and that and some soup (160 cals) or a dinner salad with vinaigrette (190 cals) would not be that bad in terms of cals and fat AND would probably fill you up.

next time we go i will probably still get my fabulous salad because i just flat out love and i have it like 1ce every 2 months or something, but i might try the low-fat ranch dressing instead of full-fat which saves 110 cals. better than nothing. and if i can keep it under 1k for the visit, i''d be jazzed!

 

[Mara]

Date: 1/10/2007 4:45:30 PM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 1/10/2007 4:41:59 PM
Author: Mara
i''ve tried two of the 100 cal popcorns and so far the pop-secret is hands down the winner so far. orville was really not flavorful. also i have a friend who tried a bunch of them and said pop-secret was the best, butter flavor. mmm.

another bit of information, i don''t do weight watchers nor have i eaten at applebees in years, but i saw this on my sparkpeople email and i thought it was intriguing. applebees has partnered with WW to bring 9 new menu items that are low-calorie and low-point friendly. kinda intriguing. the two that interest me are the chicken quesadillas and the southwestern cobb salad, both under 500 calories and not bad on fat. the salad even has 13g of fiber! not bad for a ''dinner out''...! i''ll have to keep this in mind if we ever end up at an applebees!

http://www.applebees.com/Menu_WW_static.aspx

Girl, how can you call yourself a foodie and think of eating at applebees????

Kidding!

But I am going to have to reconsider taking you to French Laundry with me now............

okay WOMAN did i not just say i have not been to an applebees in years??? and the last time i went was with a work group who all wanted to go there, can''t exactly show my food snob stripes in a group surrounding, can i?

but i do admit to a visit to chilis once every few months AND we do chevys fajitas sometimes...*hangs head in food snob shame*...and yes..sometimes..very rarely, if greg has a concert that runs really late...we sometimes end up at *gasp* Dennys for dinner. like 2x a year.

french laundry here we come! i obviously need to be shown the error of my ways.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 1/10/2007 4:56:58 PM
Author: Mara

Date: 1/10/2007 4:45:30 PM
Author: TravelingGal

Date: 1/10/2007 4:41:59 PM
Author: Mara
i''ve tried two of the 100 cal popcorns and so far the pop-secret is hands down the winner so far. orville was really not flavorful. also i have a friend who tried a bunch of them and said pop-secret was the best, butter flavor. mmm.

another bit of information, i don''t do weight watchers nor have i eaten at applebees in years, but i saw this on my sparkpeople email and i thought it was intriguing. applebees has partnered with WW to bring 9 new menu items that are low-calorie and low-point friendly. kinda intriguing. the two that interest me are the chicken quesadillas and the southwestern cobb salad, both under 500 calories and not bad on fat. the salad even has 13g of fiber! not bad for a ''dinner out''...! i''ll have to keep this in mind if we ever end up at an applebees!

http://www.applebees.com/Menu_WW_static.aspx

Girl, how can you call yourself a foodie and think of eating at applebees????

Kidding!

But I am going to have to reconsider taking you to French Laundry with me now............

okay WOMAN did i not just say i have not been to an applebees in years??? and the last time i went was with a work group who all wanted to go there, can''t exactly show my food snob stripes in a group surrounding, can i?

but i do admit to a visit to chilis once every few months AND we do chevys fajitas sometimes...*hangs head in food snob shame*...and yes..sometimes..very rarely, if greg has a concert that runs really late...we sometimes end up at *gasp* Dennys for dinner. like 2x a year.

french laundry here we come! i obviously need to be shown the error of my ways.

Oh pah. Just wave that 2.3 rock in the air and wave the food snob flag.......

The awesome blossom thing doesn''t surprise me...I heard a while back that it is one of the WORST things you can eat, in terms of cals. That and chili cheese fries. I don''t care for the awesome blossom, but I love chili cheese fries!

I am waiting for final numbers to come in to see if we cleared the goal for the French Laundry reward dinner. My guess is that we are going to fall just slightly sort for the Fry''s account. Amazon is going to hit their target, which was the other contingent. If I had known, I would have had you go to Fry''s and buy some stuff and fill your garages with it!

TGuy loves food, but I don''t know if he''d want to make the trip up there with me...in which case you are next on the list, as I know you''d appreciate it!!

But don''t hold your breath. Damn Fry''s.....

 

[Aurelia]

Hello all : )

I am coming to love SparkPeople! Somehow the food/exercise tracker lets me really feel in control of things. Even if I "screw up" and eat more than I intended to for lunch, or "cheat" with a non-thought-out snack, I can plug all that in and plan the rest of my day accordingly. I love it! No more guessing, no more wondering how bad something actually is.... YAY!

Mara & TG: I''m curious about the 100 calorie pack popcorn things you''ve been tlaking about. Is that pre-packaged, or are you splitting up bags by yourself? In the same aisle as regular popcorn?

One random thing I realized today is that one can save a TON of money (and calories) by drinking a lot more water (we do tap water, not bottled) instead of other drinks (soda, juice, alcohol, etc...) Made me happy not to have to pick that stuff up at the market today : )

I suppose this whole thread is good if only to remind me mid day that NO I do NOT need a donut today, or NO, I do NOT need to sample some homemade cookies... People at the hospital are probably the WORST about bringing "bad" foods in ALL the time... so frustrating! I MUST RESIST : p

Hope everyone''s doing well... I''m off to the gym to meet up with the man to do some running : )

Aurelia

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 1/10/2007 5:39:25 PM
Author: Aurelia
Hello all : )

I am coming to love SparkPeople! Somehow the food/exercise tracker lets me really feel in control of things. Even if I 'screw up' and eat more than I intended to for lunch, or 'cheat' with a non-thought-out snack, I can plug all that in and plan the rest of my day accordingly. I love it! No more guessing, no more wondering how bad something actually is.... YAY!

Mara & TG: I'm curious about the 100 calorie pack popcorn things you've been tlaking about. Is that pre-packaged, or are you splitting up bags by yourself? In the same aisle as regular popcorn?

One random thing I realized today is that one can save a TON of money (and calories) by drinking a lot more water (we do tap water, not bottled) instead of other drinks (soda, juice, alcohol, etc...) Made me happy not to have to pick that stuff up at the market today : )

I suppose this whole thread is good if only to remind me mid day that NO I do NOT need a donut today, or NO, I do NOT need to sample some homemade cookies... People at the hospital are probably the WORST about bringing 'bad' foods in ALL the time... so frustrating! I MUST RESIST : p

Hope everyone's doing well... I'm off to the gym to meet up with the man to do some running : )

Aurelia

I haven't tried the 100 calorie packs. I work from home so I don't need the convenience - nor do I need to pay for what I imagine is a higher marketing price for it. I just take a regular bag and do the math and it's fine. If I were to go to an office, I would imagine that the 100 cal packs would be very handy.

Nope, you DON'T need that donut or cookies...but don't deprive yourself too much! I have a piece of chocolate last night and it was SO worth it.

 

[Aurelia]

TG:

I REALLY don''t deprive myself... last night my fiance and I split a bowl of Oreo ice cream... our favorite... Last week I made maple cookies. It''s just that when sweets and other food shows up at work, it is WAY too easy to grab it and eat it without really thinking about it (or accounting for it in my food plan for the week).

I''m a nurse and pretty much our hospital is a big social scene... there is constantly some kind of party, get-together, lunch, desert, etc. thing going on... And in the middle of a shift, it is way too easy to get starving and eat a piece of cake to get you through the last 4 hours instead of finding something more nutritious (like my bags of Kashi, or fruit, or a Luna bar...)

you would have thought we nurses would know better... but somehow they all compete to make the BEST of anyhting.... which means LOTS of options.

I really envy you working at home -- MAra, you do too, right? I''m sure it stinks in some ways, but the convenience of planning meals at home would be DEVINE!

Aurelia

 

[TravelingGal]

Whatever stinks about working from home is FAR outweighed by what is wonderful. I would have a tough time working in an office again. A lot of people wonder if it's lonely working from home, but I'm pretty good at being self entertained (not to mention I DO have work to do). It was my biggest concern when I first started this job...would I miss the social aspect of work? But I realized that I'm generally not a huge people person. One of my old colleagues put it this way: At home you can get your work done faster without interruption, so that you can have more time to hang out with the people you REALLY like. It made sense to me...and it's wonderful to have midweek lunches with friends (who also work from home) without watching the clock. The best part of the week I look forward to is my Friday afternoon pilates class with two other girlfriends. My week has wound down and I get relax!

 

[Aurelia]

TG: I AM OFFICIALLY JEALOUS. WAAAH.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Well kids I just don''t think I have it in me tonight to go to the gym. It has been a terrible day for both me and the happy hubby and I think we''re just gonna sit back and have dinner (with wine!) and relax. I don''t feel *too* bad since today I was going to ride the bike for 1/2 hour and do the treadmill for 1/2 hour, for a total of only about 275 calories, but tomorrow night I''ll do the eliptical again for another 600.

Some days you just gotta let it go...

 

[KimberlyH]

DeeJay: I''m so sorry you and the hubby are having a bad day! Enjoy your relaxing evening.

John appears to be feeling much better, which is good news! Even better news, I have no signs of sickness. If I make it through the ngiht I should be in the clear which means my trip to Sacramento is still on! I am really looking forward to visiting old friend, although it''s going to be a whirlwind event.

I burned 550 on the elliptical today and another 50 or so doing sit ups and free weights. I''m right on track! I''ll take the next three days off (no where to work out in Sac) but continue to count calories and be healthy overall. I''ll get my fourth workout in on Sunday.

We''re having the chicken pot pie recipe I posted for dinner tonight. It''s mild for John''s tummy and I don''t have to go to the store for groceries so it''s a winner for me tonight!

 

[TravelingGal]

Aw, sorry to hear that DJ. Hopefully you will be well rested tomorrow to hit that 600 cal workout!

Kimberly, glad to hear he is better and that you are not sick. Dinner sounds pretty good!

I got the munchies badly now, but there isn''t much in the house. I got a ricecake and looked in the fridge. I put a tsp of jam on it. man, jam has a lot of calories! 70 for a TB? That''s more than salad dressing! We have all this random stuff in the house from when the Aussies came to visit. They all had their own kitchens and we still have bags of sugar, rice, etc leftover from them...and of course, more jam than we will ever need. My snack killed the sweet craving and at 70 cal for the entire thing, that''s not bad. Now I am having tea.

Dinner tonight will be salmon and salad, I think!

 

[Mara]

aurelia i used to work from home 1/2 time but now i am in an office primarily...i totally keep my desk STOCKED with good stuff for me, or rather less unhealthy snacks and things like soup. in the fridge i have frozen LC meals and also jello cups, yogurt, soups, blueberries.

the 100 cal pack i use is pop-secret from the store, it''s in the popcorn aisle with the regular stuff. it says 100 calpack on it. regular popcorn bags typically have like 10-12 cups of popcorn in them and most of them are not BAD for you in terms of calories per serving but can you really only eat half the bag? i can''t. hahaha. i end up eating like 3/4 of it or all of it without even noticing. and the bag is like 280-300 cals. so i like the 100 pack because it''s 5-6 cups and 100 cals. no math. but if i worked at home yeah i''d probably make my own fresh (that''s suggested too online).

DJ sorry to hear you guys are down around the mouth today, have a glass of wine and relax!! you can get back on it tomorrow, no biggie.

kimberly, yay that hubby is feeling better, cpp''s sound yummy. i got the frozen veggies and cream of chicken soup but so far haven''t had the opp to make them, maybe this sunday for us.

so i went to the doctor about my lower-belly pains and he poked and prodded and said that it just sounds like i am doing too much and that it is probably a mild strain which can take a few weeks to heal. so he told me to take a little easier and scale it back a bit til it feels better. i went because last nite after my workout my stomach was hurting and my right side was really sore and my lower back is super tight and uncomfortable. so i just wanted to be sure it wasn''t anything with my kidneys or something else that i was overlooking. he said that the back can get tight from stomach discomfort and stomach muscle tightness as well. so anyway i am glad i went even though i''m bummed i am supposed to be taking it easy. he was a young doctor so he was pretty funny with his sense of humor, i was like ''what do you mean scale it back'' and he goes ''you have a crazy look in your eye''...hahaha. then he was like ''i wish i could get stomach strain from working out too much''...lol!

tonite i''m just walking with P...and then i will do tomorrow and friday on a really low level on the elliptical. and no arms for the rest of the week since that might be making my back even tighter than it is (i did them last nite). so hopefully by the weekend i will be feeling better. he also said heat on the back and stomach would be helpful.

 

[KimberlyH]

Mara,

I''m glad your stomach issue isn''t serious, but take good care of yourself!

CPP does sound good, it''s not cold here (it was 71 the last time I went outside) but it is cloudy and blah.

 

[TravelingGal]

Yup...take care of yourself Mara....

A new article on MSNBC which supports what most of us already know. An excerpt:

"Enough with the dieting advice. Here is what actually worked for 99 percent of 5,000 people who lost weight and kept off at least 30 pounds of it. Count calories."

For the entire article, go to: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16566208/. The title is "For weight loss that really counts, count calories."

 

[sumbride]

Mara - you just got Dr.''s orders to slow down! It''s ok to follow them!

I did 30 minutes on the elliptical then went to the store to stock up on healthy groceries. Our fridge was empty of everything but salad dressing and pickles! So now we''ve got good food, and I was excited to find that Starbucks Double Shot now comes in a light version (just 70 calories) so I can save $$ and calories while still getting my morning caffeine dose.

 

[Mara]

lol sumbride i know...it''s just so hard to stop what i am ddoing on a daily basis and scale it back...i''m in a groove! at least walking is really low-key and i can do that on the days i don''t go to the gym. it just will be really hard for me to think about not doing stomach exercises for like 3 weeks! i''m afraid i will undo any good work i have done on my ab area there. boo! oh well. i am going to cut back my workouts to 3x a week this week and do a bit more walking. see if that helps. i still want to do 2000 calories this week but it''s better than my original goal of more like 2400!

that''s a great article TG! i have even turned on my coworker to counting calories...she likes being able to see what is in the foods she''s eating. and of course i am a calorie nut so just working with me daily is rubbing off on her. i am always telling her ''do you know what''s in that'' or posting her stats on things that she is craving, lol. kinda funny.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 1/10/2007 8:14:16 PM
Author: Mara
lol sumbride i know...it''s just so hard to stop what i am ddoing on a daily basis and scale it back...i''m in a groove! at least walking is really low-key and i can do that on the days i don''t go to the gym. it just will be really hard for me to think about not doing stomach exercises for like 3 weeks! i''m afraid i will undo any good work i have done on my ab area there. boo! oh well. i am going to cut back my workouts to 3x a week this week and do a bit more walking. see if that helps. i still want to do 2000 calories this week but it''s better than my original goal of more like 2400!

that''s a great article TG! i have even turned on my coworker to counting calories...she likes being able to see what is in the foods she''s eating. and of course i am a calorie nut so just working with me daily is rubbing off on her. i am always telling her ''do you know what''s in that'' or posting her stats on things that she is craving, lol. kinda funny.

LOL Mara...I am glad I don''t work with you. I have this mental image of myself stopping dead in my tracks trying to put chocolate into my mouth as you say "hey!" I''d be so sad...

BTW, I just went grocery shopping...I need a couple more things that I couldn''t find at Albertsons, but I am going to try your turkey lasagna tomorrow. It sounds really good. Do you know if they sell the Emeril''s Sauce at TJ''s? The garlic one was not my grocery store.

But tonight, it''s my salmon, with some asparagus and greens with balsamic!!

 

[Tybee]

I swear that I''m still alive ya''ll! And still working out!!! Things just got really hectic with school starting up again, and planning for this trip. Now this thread is so long too! I''m pages BEHIND! ACH!

Just ate the last square of that super delicious lasagna recipe (thanks Mara!), followed by a small easy salad... just a hint of salad dressing and a sprinkle of parmasian cheese (everything tastes better with cheese, lol! I could never be a vegan!)

Okay, so I finally got the nerve up to look at the back of my dressing bottle. The calories BLEW me away. Maybe I really SHOULD start counting them, I haven''t counted calories since I was an obsessed teen-ager. It reminds me of such insecure times (like weighing 120 and wishing I was 112, would like to go back in time and slap the insecure me!) But if this is all about me taking charge, I need to make that my next step.

Dee*Jay, I can''t tell you how important it is to just take a night off and enjoy some wine. I think that my body responds really well when I give it a break, so good for you.

Kimberly, stay healthy!!!! Think healthy thoughts! I hope you get to go on your trip.

TG, if there were yummy boxes of chocolate in my house I couldn''t resist myself. Chocolate is an obsession for me. I can''t have one piece. I sometimes think I can, then the box keeps screaming at me from it''s resting place. I''ve informed DH that he MUST hide all chocolate from me, and he must NEVER tell me if he has bought any. It''s really my worst obsession.

So working out at the gym has been a bit frustrating. I don''t know about you all and your facilities, but mine gets REALLY crowded at peak hours (the only hours I can get there.) Sometimes it''s just so frustrating that I cut my workout short. People line up behind the eliptical, and when there''s a line there''s a 20 time limit!!!! How am I supposed to get my 700 calorie burn that way?

It''s at it''s worst right now since the holidays just ended... I can''t wait for it to calm down. I mean, I''m glad to be around people who are living healthy lives and all... but not on my time! lol! Okay, rant over. After this ski trip I can start running again and take a break from the gym.

 

[TravelingGal]

Tybee, I love chocolate too, but I can have one piece. The chocolate I have is currently hidden away in a foil bag, so I forget about it!

Had the salmon, yum! Didn''t even use the olive oil today to drizzle it with...olive oil spray worked fine.

Also had this CL asparagus tonight. It was pretty decent! We halved the recipe, and used probably more garlic (fresh chopped)...

Balsamic Roasted Asparagus
1 pound asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 425°.
Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Place in a jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar; sprinkle with salt, garlic, and pepper, tossing to coat. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes, turning once.

Yield: 4 servings

CALORIES 67 (48% from fat); FAT 3.6g (sat 0.5g,mono 2.7g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 2.5g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 26mg; SODIUM 236mg; FIBER 2.5g; IRON 0.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 5.7g

 

[Rod]

Date: 1/10/2007 4:12:10 AM
Author: Lorelei
Ow Sevens - I hope your ankle feels better soon.

Maybe you could try those rubber fitness resistance bands and do some upper body while your ankle heals? I have some and although I have progressed to dumbells, they do give you a good workout.

Bah - missed workout again yesterday as I had more delightful backache, caused I think by a new cylinder hoover. I have a new upright coming today.

Sorry your back is still hurting you Lorelei. Love your new Avatar. The Lickin Kittin is adorable!!

 

[TravelingGal]

Mara, question on the lasagna...

Store only had 2% cottage cheese. How big is the container you are using? Not sure how much I should use.

 

[Mara]

TG it depends, are you making the big whole recipe? IF so, the recipe calls for one container, I think they are like 12 oz or 16 oz? I checked out 2% vs 1% I think and calories were not that different, something like 110 per 1% and 120 per 2% or something so it''s not that big of a deal to get 2%.

Chowing down on my salad and the 2% american grilled cheese sandwich...yum!! Greg is having tomato rice soup and 2 sandwiches. Oh I made myself 1.5 sandwiches ... hehe since at 200 cals each they are not a big deal to add another 100 esp since I''m under today so far.

Went for a walk when I got home but I only made it like 10 minutes before I saw a friend with her dogs and got to talking then Greg came home and that was that. But I figured one real day off with doing nothing energetic is not that big a deal esp since I''m SUPPOSED to be resting (somewhat), lol. Plus today''s cals are looking lightish so far again.

Anyhow, hope everyone had a fab day. Good to see you again miss Tybee!! Glad you loved the lasagna! Oh and TG i love balsamic asparagus, it might be good with some parm cheese toasted onto it too yum. and LOL re the chocolate, yeah she told me once ''don''t let me have any more of those chocolate covered cherries.'' well i was on a call and i saw her going behind me to get them, i said HEY STOP and the gal on my call was like what, whats happening, whats going on, hahaha!! and my coworker jumped a mile high and started laughing. it was pretty funny.

OH and Greg my resident darling yet evil hubby brought home a mini chips ahoy pack from the corner store when he went to get water. Darn him! I plan to stay strong and just have a scoop of my slow churned ice cream on an ice cream cone...the cone helps control the portion size so I don''t get 3 scoops, lol!

 

[nejarb]

Mara, I don''t think you can be a foodie if you eat lean cuisines. And it seems like TG is looking for a foodie to bring to french laundry. I''m sorry, but she''ll probably just have to take me instead.

This calorie counting thing is sinking in deeper and deeper with me. It will probably start to sprout pretty soon--maybe in a few days? I totally see the usefulness of it. If I were trying to save more $, or get out of debt, I wouldn''t think twice about setting a budget, looking for ways to save, and monitoring my spending to make sure I reach my goals. It''s really the exact same principal, but it just doesn''t feel right. yet. I feel it coming on though. And I''m preparing for it be counting the calories of things I make on a reg basis. it''ll just be that much easier when I start keeping track of daily calories.

Also, I''m not pregnant now, and have never been, but I think that I will be someday, and I''ve always wondered how some women can overshoot so much w/ the extra calories that they end up gaining 60 or 70 lbs. I''ve said to myself that I''m going to have a realistic idea of how many extra calories I need daily if ever pregnant or nursing, so that I don''t overshoot. But to do that, I''ll need to count calories! might as well start now--it''ll just be 2nd nature by then.

okay, I think I''ll go see what sparkpeople is now

 

[Mara]

HEY desperate times call for desperate measures. i can't exactly be making a gourmet meal at work with the toaster and the microwave yanno!!! LC's come in real handy sometimes.

oh and TG even if your company doesn't spring for FL...next time you plan to come up, i'll still go with you, hehe. yum yum yum!!!

nejarb...you are so right about the whole pregnancy and eating thing. i know a lot of people say 'i'm eating for two' but in reality a baby only needs something like an extra 200-300 calories per day or something i think until it starts to get bigger....so really people shouldn't even change their eating habits significantly from what i have heard...and yet there people justifying the 2nd burger or whatever. i really want to stay fit and not gain much when/if i get pregnant because it's that much harder to take it off after. there was this gal in my kbox class who worked out til like month 7! she was so fit and trim and looked great! i would imagine her body bounced back that much quicker afterwards just due to memory. in terms of calorie counting ... i know that at first it seems like such a 'diet' tactic but really i don't see it that way anymore. for me it's just education about what i put in my mouth and consume. i would much rather be aware and eat the cheeseburger than not yanno. and it doesn't mean i never have bad things. i just know they are bad! hehe.

eta here is an article on extra calories while pregnant.
http://chealth.canoe.ca/channel_health_features_details.asp?channel_id=39&relation_id=2114&health_feature_id=97&article_id=258

 

[Rod]

Mara.......I''m also sorry to hear about your tummy being sore. Do as your doctor said to avoid adding additional injury. Thanks for reminding me why I never go to places like Chili''s or Ruby Tuesday, or any of those places that inject fat and calories into every morsel you eat. It''s the fattening of America and the more people get fatter, the more they want the fattening huge portions served in those places. It really steams me as you can tell, because I used to be one of those "it''s only good if it''s bigger" eaters. I hope the good I''ve done over the last couple of years has wiped away many of the eating sins of my past?

Another really healthy food day for moi. Then since Charlie was with a client tonight, I hit the gym for a full 3 hour workout. Since I was on my own, I was able to do a lot more than I might have if Charlie was waiting for me to get on the elliptical. So, I took advantage of the opportunity to really knock myself out. I had a great time. I''m a bit sore tonight, but it was fun none-the-less!! I''ll go to the gym again tomorrow night, which for me is the third day in a row. And of course, Friday is Sushi night.

We''ve finally decided were going to cancel our gym membership from the gym in Florida that is just opening up here in Raleigh. We were initially so excited to have them opening in Raleigh, but the problem is the gym is a presale center and the real gym won''t open for another 6 months. As a presale center, they have decent equipment, but no lockers, changing rooms, showers, sauna, pool or steam room. We work out really hard and we sweat (sorry) big time and not having a shower is major to me. I don''t want to leave the gym after a nearly 3 hour workout, in sopping wet clothes in the winter and drive home to take a shower. Plus, I''ve grown accustomed to niceties like a sauna and steam room. And finally, the difference in cost is a measly $10/month. So, even though they''ve been trying to get us to come work out at the presale center(actually, they keep calling and using guilt as a way of trying to get us to come back), and even though we did feel loyalty to the gym that transformed my life from fat to flat, I just had to make a decision that is right for us and not what is right for them. Once they actually complete the new gym, it will be quite state-of-the-art, so we will revisit rejoining after our one year membership in Golds Gym is up for renewal. But for now, Golds Gym has really worked out well for us and just fits our needs better at the moment.

Right now life is good! Hope it is for you too!!

 

[Mara]

i know rod, some of those things on those menus are crazy. i mean i love a good splurge but the really scary thing is that many people eat at those places all the time, and for something like a LUNCH even...not even a dinner.

so since i was bored tonite because greg had to do a few hours of work from home...and the soap operas i tivo were just not holding my attention, lol...i spent some time tonite researching chicken pot pies in a healthier manner. there are tons of recipes out there...i was looking for one that used either a cream or a condensed cream of chicken mixed with white wine...i've had a white wine one before and it was REALLY good. the pastry/crust etc is where the calories can really add up. so i have a few recipes i saved, i may do a mix and match, but the jist is either milk or cream or condensed cream of chicken, mixed with wine, and some butter with flour to make a roux...boil the chicken in chicken broth mixed with spices, use either fresh or frozen vegetables, add mushrooms, potatoes, peas, whatever you like. there are a bunch of different ways to do the crust but the one i seem to like the best is the one that uses something like a pilsbury croissant or a biscuit to cover a personal ramekin...i personally LOVE the pilsbury hearty biscuits as they have 'layers' of puff pastry kinda thing going on, and if you just brush them with a bit of real butter, it doesn't add much calories or fat but it will add more flavor. and the biscuits are only 100 cals each and like 3g of fat. i've had the pilsbury pie crust on pot pies and while it is good...the calories are as high if not more as the biscuit idea and i like the idea of a layered biscuit over the pot pie rather than one small thin area for the same calories and fat. one of my fave parts of the cpp is the crust and top!!! so if i can just have the top, it better be a good one! hehe.

so armed with these recipes, my research and article reading about what makes a good pot pie (lol)...i figure i will either make 2 personal pies for us tomorrow night if i feel energetic (doubtful after my workout), OR on sunday night when i typically make us something cool and i typically have more calories to spare. some of the recipes are 230-400 calories per serving which is awesome, but i might make a more splurgy hearty one if i make it on sunday...since on sundays i tend to not each much during the day and then have more room for a larger meal at night. but if i make them during the week, i'll probably make one of the lighter versions. i also want to go get some bigger ramekins as the ones i have are more small creme brulee ones and the recipes i found called for more like 10oz ramekins..CB has a few options that might work so i will have to visit at some point.

OH and random note. i read tonite in us weekly that a new nutritional study had shown that drinking green or black tea after a meal can help your body NOT absorb so many carbs and calories as you just consumed. anyone heard anything about this? i am going to look it up online and see if i can find any more information on it. but funny, my coworker asked me about this earlier today, she was like 'did you hear about this' and i said no. kinda interesting. i plan to drink a cup of green tea a day anyway as part of just trying to get more antioxidants and it's something other than water with some flavor...but now i am like well interesting! supposedly it said you can lose up to 18lbs a year doing it. that's a lot!! anyway, thought it was interesting so figured i'd throw it out there.

 

[TravelingGal]

OK Mara, thanks...I will figure the cottage cheese part out...kinda like I had to figure out the mushroom bit. I had a good chuckle tonight making the sauce when it was called "mushroom turkey lasagna" but no mention of when to add the mushroom! Hee hee. I just threw it in when I added the turkey and herbs. The sauce seems pretty good. So far the only thing I''d do differently is add a bit of salt to the turkey while sauteing...but I was afraid it would be too salty. I think we will enjoy this tomorrow, thanks for the posting it.

And as for French Laundry, I''ll take anyone who wants to go! However I think it would be at least a week''s worth of calories, right?

Went to the gym and burned about 650 calories. I actually was starving when I came home so I allowed myself a cup of trader joe''s roasted garlic tomato soup. If I didn''t have it, I knew I''d eat all the sauce I was about to make!

I totally agree with the prego thing...people overeat. That is one of the reason I really want to get fit BEFORE we think about having kids. I have back issues so I need to be as strong as possible, otherwise it will be a very miserable pregnancy. I''m getting fat to get fat!

Rod, THREE hours at the gym?!?!? WOW!!!! I am tired just thinking about that. I hope you have a few extra sushi rolls this friday, you deserve it!

When I came back from Europe after being there for a few months, I was totally grossed out by the way americans eat. I dumped about 20 more pounds when I came back without even trying because it freaked me out so much (I just ate how I ate in Europe). Obviously it wore off, but I still think it''s criminal that some food places make the stuff they do. Take that awesome blossom...I know people who can easily eat half of it, and then an entree. I fully believe that everyone is accountable for their own actions and health, but I''m not sure if everyone knows how fattening and heart clogging that thing is!

If the tea thing were true, it wouldn''t surprise me. Asians just drink so much of it after meals, and they generally are slim. And it''s not like some asians foods are that healthy! Take thai food for instance!!!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 1/10/2007 10:06:44 PM
Author: Rod

Date: 1/10/2007 4:12:10 AM
Author: Lorelei
Ow Sevens - I hope your ankle feels better soon.

Maybe you could try those rubber fitness resistance bands and do some upper body while your ankle heals? I have some and although I have progressed to dumbells, they do give you a good workout.

Bah - missed workout again yesterday as I had more delightful backache, caused I think by a new cylinder hoover. I have a new upright coming today.

Sorry your back is still hurting you Lorelei. Love your new Avatar. The Lickin Kittin is adorable!!

Isn''t he sweet?

I knew he would be appreciated! My back feels a bit better now, I managed a careful half hour on the treadmill yesterday - had a couple of minutes panic as it kept coming up with an error message and the belt wouldn''t go

So I twiddled knobs and connectors and managed to get it going - phew! I love our treadmill, it is good and sturdy too so I feel safe on it, I really would hate it if it broke down.

Our gym is in pieces right now as Hubby is putting together the new multigym, ready for when the weights arrive, soon hopefully. I might be able to get to the elliptical and get a session in on that, but the treadmill won''t fit in there right now, as it looks like an explosion with nuts and bolts and metal everywhere.

Glad you had your stomach checked out by the doctor Mara and that all is fine, it is so hard to cut back when you are on a roll

Rod I am so pleased you are settling so well in Raleigh!!!!

 

[jadeleaves]

Well, I got to the gym 20mins before my yoga class, so I did 15mins of cardio on the bike. Yoga was awesome, after such a long break between classes!

I was starving when I got home, but we had guests so didn''t start cooking till 8.30pm, and I ate a bit more rice than I had planned to, but I didn''t snack much today, so I''m still pretty on track with my calorie intake. I read that breastfeeding women should allow an additional 300calories per day to their total intake, so I should be fine.

Tmr I have a personal training session, a fitness assessment and then it''s off for a facial!

I''m going to try oatmeal for brekkie tmr morning, with a teeny bit of maple syrup. I got to remember to put some healthy snacks in my bag!

Mara, did you calculate the calorie count of those muffins on the joyofbaking site yourself? Man, I got sucked into looking through the scones recipes, and that got me thinking.. ''mmm clotted cream.. mmm... berry conserve.. mmm buttermilk scones....'' I was seriously salivating!

 

[lovelylulu]

hey all,

things are going really well. lots of lean protein, veggies, fruit (i had the best raspberries the other morning), whole grains plus some really delicious cheeses. tybee, i completely agree -- cheese makes everything better! my indulgences have been double churned ice cream after dinner. yum.

i successfully navigated two weekend social engagements and one mid-week alumni gathering without alcohol. my friends are sort of perplexed by my total abstinence and maybe i am a bit myself. we all know that the key to getting to and more importantly maintaining our health and fitness goals is moderation. so swearing off alcohol entirely for a month doesn't seem to fit well with that "philosophy." i guess i took this up just to see how it'd be and to detox, but i'm thinking that perhaps limiting myself to a glass of wine while out to dinner with friends or at a bar might me a more realistic approach. we'll see as the month moves on...

fitness has been reasonable. i've made it to the gym two times so far this week. not my most amazing achievement, but not too bad either. the gym has been really crowded...and for some reason, the music that they pipe in has been AWFUL. i normally wear headphones, but we just got a new computer and we've been trying to move our music around. anyway, i've forgotten my i-pod and have been really sorry. man that music is BAD. makes the time seem sooooo much longer.

TG: i roasted a chicken the other night and we had grilled asparagus as a side. it is my absolute favorite way to prepare asparagus and couldn't be simplier. just need a wee bit of olive oil and then i simply season with salt and pepper. use either a real grill or grill pan and throw on the spears for roughly 5 minutes, turning occassionally. i like mine a little overcooked, so just i tend to leave them on longer. delicious.

tybee: how's your knee? i'm jealous of your ski trip. my husband is headed out to CO. in two weeks for business, but he's going to be able to squeeze in at least a day or two of skiing. too bad i can't join him...skiing and the like is by far my most favorite way to exercise!