Weekly Workout Thread--June 11-17

[monarch64]

Hi ladies! Just wanted to go ahead and post while I was thinking of it on a late Sunday evening...(since it''s Sunday and the beginning of a new week!)

DH and I went to a Sox game for his work yesterday, then later that evening to a retirement party for a guy I work with-I actually was able to order a "veggie dog" at the Sox game, and had a huge plate of veggies later that evening with salt and pepper (baked potato included, yay!). I''ve been really sticking to my "vegan" thing this past week, and I''ve dropped a couple of pounds really quick, which is weird because I feel like I''m eating a lot, but good because I''ve felt like everything I''ve consumed has been really healthy. Today I went for lunch with a gal from my walking team and I just had the (superhuge) fruit plate and wheat toast on the side and it was great!!! This evening hubby and I splurged..I had a veggie pizza (myside had no cheese) and brushchetta for an app. and it was fab.

We walked tonight, and took the dog along to CVS to pick up some necessities, about one mile from our house, so 2 miles total, and DH commented that he really like walking with me...Yay! For dinner we went to a place very close by and ate really well, IMO. I feel like we are really staying on track and we both feel pretty good healthwise. It''s nice!

Here''s to a great week...I hope everyone is enjoying spring weather and this workout thread. Take care!!!

Heather!

 

[Mara]

actually this thread is June 12-18! Monday-Sunday! hehe. congrats monarch, sounds like you are doing fab!!!!

i did okay this weekend...today was kind of a bad day but i figured it was okay.

we had multigrain pancakes this morning, but lots of butter and syrup, hehee....and then i had some chips and dip, yikes! then a corndog and lemonade for lunch. then dinner was baked rigatoni and garlic cheesy bread, yummo!!! OH and creme de la creme is we had a Mrs Fields cookie..hehee. at least we split it!

i walked 2.5 miles yesterday, today i just did 1 mile with portia. going to kickboxing tomorrow so that's good! and of course i'll be back on the 'wagon' for the week! but splurging today was kinda fun.

 

[monarch64]

Yeahhhhh, crap, Mara, I guess I did screw up the dates...but ANYWAY, (lol).

Sounds like you had a fun weekend and some good food! I decided last week since I didn''t feel like going to the gym all week and I was just doing free weights at home and squats while brushing my teeth that today I would start the week off right by at least getting in the walk with DH. I thought it worked out rather well, and I''m ready to start a new week. I''ve dropped the excess 4 pounds that were dogging me throughout the Walk I did, and my clothes are seriously looser, so that''s a huge plus and makes me feel really good.

This past week I made the decision to go vegan as opposed to vegetarian for the summer...I was still eating eggs and dairy before, just for protein reasons. But I figured now that I can take advantage of buying fresh produce all the time for the next couple of months, I can lose the eggs, and cheese that I love so much in the winter and just focus on whole grains, nuts and seeds and fruit and veggies. I had lunch with a gal from my walking team today and I ordered the fruit plate and wheat toast and I actually brought home a to-go box and it was great!

Veg is not for everyone though, forgive me if I ever get on my soapbox about it...I don''t ever want to seem judgmental or anything. It is a very personal decision and one I actually put a LOT of thought and research into. It is defintitely one of those lifestyles not everyone would be willing to do. So I hope no one takes my enthusiasm as judgment or anything...it''s just me, and what I feel works for me.

I look forward to a brand new week and hearing what everyone else has been up to! Take care!

 

[Lorelei]

Hee - love the new avatar Mara!

Well I did it - had my first workout this morning! Got up at 5.15 am and went off with Hubby to the gym and did half an hour on the treadmill! I did really well and was pleased with myself, except Hubs kept setting the machine too fast and I was squealing and panicking that I was going to slide off! It was good fun though and I feel very virtuous

Weds is the crosstrainer and I am not looking forward to that as those machines look BRUTAL. A girl was using one and she was sweating up a storm and looked like she was in agony. Anyway I have made a start!

 

[glaucomflecken]

Great jobs girls! I SERIOUSLY lost motivation this past week. I was sick, so I wasnt up to working out, and then the brownie and Chipotle monster got me..

ugh But yesterday DH and I biked 22 miles (about 2 hrs) on the trail near our house which is killer, mostly up and down hill, but each time its getting easier. I feel more "back on track" now for the week.

I wanted to take the dog out for a long walk this morning but its pouring out!

maybe after work.

I guess I get discouraged because it takes soo long to lose weight but like DH said, "you didnt put it on overnight so it isnt going to come off overnight" which is true. i just have to keep my goal in sight and try to make mini goals along the way.

have a great week everyone!

 

[fountainfairfax]

Happy Monday, Ladies!!!!

Weekends are usaully brutal on my diet but I wasn''t too bad this weekend, although I do fall victim to what WW calls "2-pointing yourself to death." In a nutshell, 2 points equals 100 cal, possibly some fat, possibly some fiber. You think "oh, it''s only 2 points." But by the end of the day you''ve eaten 1/3 of your allowance on 2-point junk, not whole, real foods! Fruits are great 2-point snacks, low-fat ice cream and peppermint patties, not so good.

I got up early and stuck to my plan, 45 min on the elliptical, fat-burning pace, heart rate really up there. It''s amazing how good,fast music makes the time fly by...what did we do before i-pods and mp3 players? I know a while ago we posted our favorite workout songs, I''m too lazy to try and find the posts, so if anyone has any suggestions I''d love to hear them! BF tells me I should be shot for my workout mixes (LL Cool-J, Jackie Wilson, Kelly Clarkson, and of course Diamond Girl, by Seals and Croft

, to name a few.)

Monarch- I commend you for going the vegan route. I should stick to my convictions, too and not allow the inconvenience to make choices for me. It really is a very healthy and earth-friendly way to eat. I look forward to hearing about how it''s going for you and your food choices,too. Great job!

Mara- a little weekend endulgence is soooo much fun. You''re so disciplined during the week, as long as you enjoyed what you ate who cares? Life is too damn short!

Lorelei- looks like you and the Mr are doing great!!! You''ll do great on the cross-trainer- if it''s like my elliptical you''ll find it a blast!

Punch- I''m sorry you weren''t feeling well, but brownie therapy sometimes does the trick! Sounds like your biking (22 miles? eek!) more than made up for it!

Good luck to everyone this week- I''m holding my breath for tomorrow night''s weigh-in. I''m kinda hoping to break a number and get to 25 lbs lost!

 

[Lorelei]

Thanks FFF! It will be interesting with the cross trainer

I want to go 5 mornings a week with Hubby but he says 3 is plenty for me - but I don''t think I have done enough....what do you ladies think? Should I do 5 mornings a week?

 

[coda72]

Lorelei, if you''re just starting to work out, you should probably start with 3 times a week and work up to 5 times a week if you want. You may wear yourself out too much by starting out with 5 times a week. I worked out 5 times last week, and I was really tired by the end of the week, and it was a real struggle to complete the last workout. I had also been building up to it, and it was still tiring!

This week I hope to get another 5 workouts in. I may go away for the weekend, but I still hope to workout while I''m away. I''m going to Hawaii in 2 weeks, and I know that won''t be conducive to working out, so I really have to push myself hard now.

I hope everyone''s week goes well!

 

[Lorelei]

Thanks Coda

I feel as if I should have some muscle aches, but nothing

Does that mean I didn't do enough? I was in my fat burning zone for a good while and did over a mile distance on the treadmill at 4 miles an hour for a large part of it for about half an hour....I just don't feel " worked out" I suppose! I am being too impatient as usual!

I bet you can't wait to get to Hawaii! How wonderful!

 

[coda72]

Lorelei, you might not feel muscle aches until tomorrow. I know sometimes I don''t feel it until the next day after I work out. If you still don''t feel like you''re doing enough, you can increase the speed or raise the incline. I know if I walk on an incline of around 6%, it''s a lot harder than not having the treadmill inclined at all. Or if you feel it''s too easy, you can also increase the speed. You should work out where you feel tired, but you shouldn''t be dead tired. Also, keep in mind I''m not an expert on fitness. I''ve been working out for about 15 years, but I don''t know everything about it. Maybe there are experts on fitness here that can give you better advice. I just think 5 days a week is a lot to start out.

 

[Lorelei]

I will bear that in mind Coda that maybe the aches will come tomorrow! I will try that on the machine next time with the incline and try to push myself a bit harder but keeping the sessions the same for now. Thanks!

 

[Mara]

Lorelei...I would just go as you feel like...you may not feel like doing 5 days a week, I personally cannot work out hard more than like 3 days a week, I just don't feel like I get enough 'rest' in between and my body seems always tired and that's not the way I like to feel. With my 2 workouts with kboxing and then like 3 days of walking I feel pretty good, I could probably add another kbox in but I don't know.

It's funny, I had kind of a day yesterday when I felt like nothing was working and I wasn't really seeing the progress that I thought I was making kind of thing. On Saturday we went to a BBQ with friends and I felt kind of like blah about what I wore...I was on my period late last week and into the weekend so I feel icky regardless so maybe this was just carryover, but then yesterday I was kind of like hmph why aren't I seeing more results. Then I went to the mall with a friend in the afternoon and I just felt like a big cow! Like everything just looked crappy on me and I felt really 'wide'. I mean I know that's not the case, but you know when you just feel so blah? And of course we go to try some clothes on and even though I was wearing a small size (literally a 'Small') for the top, I just felt so blobby and icky it was ridiculous. I only bought like one thing. Part of it was that the outfit I was wearing was not conducive to clothes shopping, like it was a stretch jean skirt that when it stretches out it rides up on my waist so it basically adds like 3 inches to my waist and so I'm trying stuff on wondering why I look like I am 10 lbs heavier etc.

Anyway, I came home and was kind of blah so I went for a walk but then we had a horrible dinner...I don't feel so bad but I just hate those days where you feel like you will NEVER be where you want to be. And I only have what...a few more lbs to go (not even sure since I never weigh myself!!) and I know I am seeing changes and I'm sure many people would be like 'shut up girl you look fine'...but I just felt sooo yak. The funny thing was that when I got undressed at home I looked in the closet mirror and I was like damn I look pretty good which just made me feel even weirder since I was like well am I or aren't I kind of thing. Sometimes your mind can play horrible tricks on you.

So this week is a fresh week and I know I am doing all the right things even if I have a bad day or so...

I guess I have to keep reminding myself that I will never a be a stick like the models in the magazines and clothes won't look like THAT on me..since I have big boobs and a butt and that's that!

Thanks for letting me rant. hehee. Congrats to all you gals who are being so diligent and had good weekends!!

Oh and FFF re: music...hmmm what is on mine. I have a mix of alot of dance songs...alot of them I don't even know the 'name' of but I hear them in my workout classes and stuff so I find them online and download them (paying of course! hehe)...but I also have like Salt n Pepa PUSH IT...I have alot of Black Box, I also have things like Nelly, Kelly Clarkson, Enrique Iglesias, Madonna, Earth Wind and Fire remixes of some of my faves, Michael Jackson's Beat It is a great one to workout to, also 'Jump' from Flashdance(?), Maniac by Michael Sembello (love this mix I have!!) and of course FOOTLOOSE. hehehee. I love 70's and 80's stuff, esp if remixed. I have a very eclectic mix!!! Anyone have new suggestions? I do need to add some new blood to the iPod, it's feeling a little stale.

 

[Lorelei]

I will see how I go and I think you and Coda are right Mara - 3 times a week should be enough for now. I hear you about those fat bloated days, it is normally a monthly thing for me and I just feel HUGE even though I have been working hard. The hot weather doesn''t help either. One thing I have noticed is that clothes make a big difference - if I am wearing something looser I feel larger as a result. Case in point: Saturday I had a fat day and was wearing baggy shorts and a polo shirt. Later that day we went grocery shopping and I changed into a fitted T shirt and jeans and instantly felt better and slimmer. You know it isn''t the case that you have gained weight, but you feel as if you have anyway, no matter how saintly you have been

and it is a horrible feeling

Keep going, you are almost at your goal!

 

[Lorelei]

I also wanted to say thank you to all you ladies for inspiring me

It just goes to show that it is so easy to make excuses with exercise - oh I don''t have time for that, too tired, etc etc and all of you are so motivated and lead busy lives yet you all MAKE the time to do it and it is so commendable! I know I do a lot of physical work at home, but I really need more to tone up other areas.

Hubby is doing great with his eating plan and workouts.

He is having:

Cereal such as Cheerios, Raisin Bran etc with a cup of 2% milk.

Sandwich for lunch ( 4 wholemeal bread med slices) with ham or turkey and just a scraping of low fat mayo and salad.
Fruit and a fat free yoghurt.

Dinner: Tonight he is having steak which is fried in Pam spray and seasoned with Old Bay, sweetcorn, carrots and broccoli. A fat free Jello.

If he is hungry in between he has a banana and / or an orange.

He is working out 5 mornings a week, walking and running on the treadmill, crosstrainer, also running a mile and a half in 11 mins which he has improved by 45 seconds in the past week. He is getting great results and the belly is shifting!

We also do the crunch exercises at night and some push ups, he is definitely finding those easier, thanks gals!

 

[akw94]

Hi everyone,
Boy has it been awhile since i''ve been a regular on here. I have gotten off track for awhile but am slowly getting back on. Last week I only worked out 3 times. My eating is getting a little better but still having a hard time staying focused. Geesh, you take one break and it feels impossible to get going again!! But I want to do good these next 2 weeks before vacation so hopefully I can work up the willpower and motivation.
I''m glad to hear everyone''s doing well. Lorelei, great job on starting to workout!

I have missed so much on PS these days but keep up the good work to everyone!

You guys are my motivation!!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Hi Gals!

Looks like everyone''s week is off to a good start!

Lorelei, I''m right there with you on the impatience. I just started working out *again* myself, and was not feeling it. I was pretty much just heading to the gym on autopilot and doing the treadmill. BLAH BLAH BLAH. I would pick up a wieght every now and then, but they seriously intimidate me! I know that incorporating strength training is the only way to shed the fat- that'' s what works for me. So I decided to tag along with a co-worker to a noontime weight training session at the gym down the block. Boy, did I "feel it" today! I don''t think that i''m gonna be sore tomorrow, as we incorporated some cardio in there, but i was great to have a plan. We did everything from crunches to jumping jacks, and threw in some resistance work.
I had a busy weekend moving in with my FI, but did good with the eating plan. I hope to get back on track as soon as I get organized here. Good thing is that he LOVES to cook, and is up for making healthy meals. I just need to once again begin preparing my breakfasts and lunches for work.

Looking ahead, I won''t be traveling for work this month (YAHOO!)- that always throws me off-track food wise, but I do end up working out more, as it''s right there in the hotel. It''s going to be great being at home more, especially now that I''ve moved in with Matt.

Here''s to a kick-butt week!

 

[Lorelei]

Thanks again for the encouragement everyone!

Well I have compromized and will be going to the gym Mon, Tues, Thurs and Fridays. Coda you were right, I crawled out of bed like an old, old lady this morning, whimpering! Anyway I went to the gym this morning and used the cross trainer which was much harder work than the treadmill

I couldn't get the hang of it to begin with as I kept nearly falling off the thing, plus Hubby was sniggering as I kept complaining that there was something wrong with the machine as it kept pausing...It was ME not working hard enough and the machine was pausing automatically! Anyway I got used to it after a bit and my legs feel like they are made of lead...I don't think I will be complaining that I can't feel it tomorrow, the treadmill is a doddle compaired to that instrument of torture!

Anyway I will stick with it!

PS - Chargies - what is strength training? I am an ignoramus with all this, could you give me some examples please?

 

[monarch64]

Hi ladies! Happy Tuesday everyone!

Dixie, glad to see you back! You cracked me up by saying you "only worked out 3 times" last week--that''s more than some people do in, like, a YEAR, lol! We all fall off track at times...don''t get discouraged! I didn''t work out really at all last week, except some weights at home for my arms. So you''re a week ahead in my book!!

Lorelei, strength training to me is working out with weights/resistance to build strength and lean muscle. In my case, I don''t want to bulk up, I just want to add more repetitions per session. Like when I lift my free weights at home while watching t.v., I have always used 10 lb. dumbbells, but I started off with 3 sets of 8 curls, and now I''m doing 3 sets of 24! For me, though, it''s about stamina...I''ve always had a tendency to bulk up in the arm area so I have to be careful or I will end up looking like a bodybuilder (well, not quite but you get the picture.) Congrats to you and your hubby for staying committed--sounds like you two will have a great summer getting all fit and trim together!

Mara, tell me more about your kickboxing class--I''m looking for something that will be good aerobic exercise and at the same time tone up my outer hips and thighs, as well as the inners. You''d think all my walking would''ve whittled away those areas, but it really didn''t! I have more muscle there, but what seems like the same amount of flab on top! Do you think the kickboxing will help me, along with a "butts and guts" class, and yoga, as well as still walking whenever I have time?

PNP, FFF, Coda, (and anyone else I missed)--keep up the good work! PNP, I almost got Chipotle last night but I couldn''t find a parking place so I was saved, ha ha! MMmmm, Chipotle is just tooooo good! Now I''m thinking about getting it tonight--OH NO!

 

[Mara]

morning ladies!

well i worked out last nite at kbox though i SO didn't wanna go!! i also had to have lunch with a client but i was good and got a chicken breast kebab with rice..however i could taste all the butter in the rice AND then i was splurging and eating the flatbread which was SO good...i had like 4 pieces. yikes! but then my stomach was pretty upset all day so not sure what actually made it through my system as i was not feeling well since yesterday morning.

so last nite i forced myself to go to class (after 1/2 a mrs fields cookie) and then just had steamed broccoli and a lean cuisine for dinner so overall i feel like it was probably a good day when everything was said and done, i don't think i went over the calorie mark esp with my light dinner AND the workout, so i am proud of myself for staying on track, ESP since greg really wanted to get big ole burritos last nite!!! all i could think of was '1k calories!!!'.

monarch my class is at a karate studio, taught by karate black belts. the interesting thing is that depending on where you go, kickboxing can mean different things. i belong to two studios actually. one is more like tae bo kickboxing, a GREAT cardio workout but you don't hit the bags, they don't train you to punch correctly or kick correctly but burns calories and tones you up for sure. the other one is a place where we actually do most of our work on the bags and then a little cardio. i have been doing more cardio lately because i feel like the other class is too muscle toning for me and i need more cardio right now. so i'm keeping both memberships but i am going to do more cardio only for a while, like 2 times a week and then maybe add in another one of the bag classes. the problem with the bag class is that the instructor is a total whip cracker and i know he will work me to death when i come back JUST because i went to the other studio for a while. so i'm not looking fwd to it!!

anyway...i do think that the kickboxing classes are great, i LOVE how fun they can be, the music is typically good and i like feeling 'empowered' by learning kicks and punches and things rather than just doing a step class....i feel like at least i am fairly well trained in how to punch and kick so if someone attacked me it'd hopefully come in handy. so for me it's kind of a dual thing. also i like how 'strong' kickboxing makes me feel. we also do alot of things like pushups and situps and glut work too so it does work alot of the muscles, and in the bag class we do alot of weight training too, so they are pretty diverse workouts. just depends on what you like to do. i'd check into classes around your area and try a few out to see which makes you 'feel' the best about continuing. it really is a personal preference and i have also been to other places where it's even more of a blend of bag and cardio etc...so it just depends on what you want out of the class.

i have tried gyms before and other classes and for me the thing that REALLY sticks is the kickboxing. i just love it, 45 minutes of pain and then i'm DONE and i feel stronger.

lorelei be careful on those machines!! you could really hurt yourself...i had a friend who fell on a treadmill and it cut up her leg!

 

[akw94]

Well, no workout updates so far this week. I''m hoping to get my 1st in tonight but I am already feeling so tired. I was looking around at work today seeing all these trim, fit people and you''d think that would be enough to get me moving.

So I have no excuses tonight other than I just really don''t want to!!!
Ok, sorry, I will try to remain positive and just do it. That actually is the only way I workout..if I just stop thinking about it and get up and do it. I have a good tae bo tape from the library that''s due tomorrow so i''d like to get 2 workouts w/it. We''ll see... I don''t have time to go to the gym this week but i''m on my 3rd phase of the coolrunnings program. I am liking it and like how I am constantly accomplishing a goal. I''m sort of looking fwd to returning to it next week.

My eating is pretty good. Cereal for breakfast and a yogurt, granola bar and grapes for lunch. I have some leftover spaghetti that i''ll probably eat for dinner. Probably not the best for me but quite tasty.

Monarch, thanks for the encouragement! Boy do I need it right now. I don''t know why it''s so hard to workout daily but it really is. I''ve been struggling w/it for so long and it gets frustrating at times.
I remember reading last week that you finished the race. I''m sure you already said, but, how did it go?? Congratulations for the accomplishment! Very impressive!

Lorelei, sorry to hear you are so sore but it is very natural. That''s great that you went back to the gym even being sore! That''s good that you''re trying new equipment. Before I started this running program, I liked to switch off using different machines so that I wouldn''t get too bored, then you''re also working different body parts while getting in the cardio.

Mara, are you still writing down what you eat? I stopped a few weeks ago but think i''ll get back to it. I guess there''s no time like the present so i''m off to fitday.com.


Have a good day to everyone!

 

[Mara]

yep dixie i am still using fitday...and i am pretty good with it except like sunday when i KNEW i was eating alot of crap AND it was going to be hard for me to track, because things like a corndog from the guy on the corner are more ''estimates'' than anything etc. during the week i use it religously though i realized last nite that i actually have a good ''sense'' of what i am eating and how many calories things typically are...or what goes into it and that gives me an idea of what the nutritional value is.

i like the accountability that i have by using the online tracker, and it''s not like i weigh myself or anything or check in on anything, i just like knowing that i am putting down what i am eating and also i can look quickly at what i already had that day to know how i should be eating for dinner. also it''s interesting to find out what are really low cal but satisfying foods, like cauliflower...you can have like 2 cups of steamed cauliflower with a little tiny pat of butter (i just melt it and brush it on because i just need a little flavor) and it''s only like 150 calories and it''s pretty filling. so i know that if i splurged for lunch or somthing, that i can have fish and a big helping of cauliflower and be full but not have calorie overload.

 

[monarch64]

Dixie, my walk went really well, thanks for asking!

I had a couple blisters but nothing too serious, and other than the usual aches and pains that come along with walking for hours on end I felt pretty good by the end! It was also a great emotional journey and I feel like I''ve kinda grown as a person by experiencing it. First because I was able to push myself physically and do something I didn''t quite know I was capable of, and second because I got to talk to so many other women who were doing this for themselves and for other people who''ve been affected by the disease, and they weren''t superheroes, they were just regular women like me who wanted to get involved and offer their support. The rest areas and cheering stations were probably the best part--there were so many onlookers who had just come out as a show of support and they made us feel like celebrities, honestly. I was almost crying at the finish line because you walk through a "gauntlet" of people just shouting and cheering and applauding you--that was an awesome feeling I will never forget.

Mara and Dixie, you know the thing I like best about keeping track of what I eat is that you don''t have to do it forever...it''s ok to take a break once you get a good feel for what you WERE eating daily, then when you start to keep track of what you SHOULD be eating you can kind of come back to it for a dose of reality whenever you start to feel like you''re off track. I did it pretty religiously for about 6 weeks, and sometimes I just do it for a couple of days now here and there when I feel like I''m veering off the path I need to be on.

 

[AsscherGirl]

Yay! I made it to the gym today - finally! We couldn''t get there yesterday because we didn''t have any foodin the house,so grocery shopping took precendence.

I ran on the treadmill today & man, it was hard! It''s been quite some time since I ran & it was hurting big time. I took it a little easy on my body (so as to hopefully not feel too much pain tomorrow) and did 3 miles in 43 minutes.

I''m glad to be back

.

Tomorrow night I am going to a friend''s house to help organize some things for our other friend''s bridal shower, so I know I won''t be working out. But I plan to be there on Thursday & definitely Friday (we have summer hours at work & only work a half day) so I definitely have no excuse!

Keep up the good work everyone!

 

[coda72]

Workouts are going pretty well for me this week. I ran last night and on Monday. I''ve been running 3 miles and it''s starting to seem pretty easy now. I will be running again tonight and tomorrow night. Friday night I will take off, so I hope to get a run in Saturday or Sunday morning. I think next week I will be trying a couple of 5 mile runs. That will keep me on track for the half marathon in September. I am gradually increasing my mileage to get up to 13 miles.

I still don''t think I''ve lost any more weight. I have to be much more careful about what I''m eating on the weekends because that''s the time I''m eating more. It''s pretty easy to watch during the week, but on the weekends it seems so easy to overeat.

Have a great rest of the week, everyone.

 

[Lorelei]

No gym for me today or tomorrow as Hubby has an appointment so I won't get there until Friday. Probably a good thing as it is my first week. Amazingly I am not as sore as I thought this morning after the crosstrainer - I am surprised as this thing was really making me work and I could feel it as I was doing it. I am SURE I have tightened up already, but probably wishful thinking! I want results NOW!

Hubby is doing well, he is also drinking good old V8 juice too and his belly is really shifting now. When I compliment him he grunts and points out how much he has to lose, I wish he would concentrate more on what he has achieved. Men!

I have a question for all you ladies who have been doing this for some time with the workouts. You said you had been working out for 15 years Coda? You must all really feel it is so worth it to keep going like you do, not only with your figures, but energy levels. fitness etc. What keeps you all with it? As I am new to this I am just wondering what kinds of benefits you get....I am lucky to be in the shape I am in just with my physical work at home, but realize that I will need to do more now I am older to maintain it and improve.

Everyone is doing so well and great job too Coda!

 

[coda72]

Warning, long post!

Lorelei, I started jogging when I went to college. It was so stressful for me that I needed to do something to relieve the stress, so I started excercising. I''m not a nervous eater, so I actually lost weight in college from all the running I was doing. When I graduated, I still jogged, but not as much, in fact I took a year or so off. I was about 25 years old, and I noticed I was putting some weight on, so I went back to jogging. I was at the gym 3 and 4 times a week, and also lifting weights. I think I was in the best shape of my life at that point.

Over the years I''ve continued to go to the gym and also continued running. I love being in shape, and I love just being able to run 3 miles on a moment''s notice. But even with the running, I was gaining weight. I met my now husband, and we would eat out a lot and eat rich foods, and the weight gradually came on. I''ve gained about 25 pounds in the 6 years we''ve been together. I finally had a wake-up call at the doctor''s this April. I weighed over 130 pounds. Well, I lost 10 pounds pretty quickly, but the last 15 are a lot harder. Now it''s not just the exercise, I have to watch what I''m eating. But I still love running, and it does keep me in shape.

Also, ever since I moved to Philadelphia, I''ve wanted to run in their race the Broad Street Run, but I never could build up to it. It''s 10 miles, and I''m more of a 3-5 mile person. Well, it took me 9 years to where I feel I could run that distance (and most of running is mental), and finally in 2004 I ran in the Broad Street Run. I wasn''t my lightest weight at that point, but I was in great shape. I decided I want to run a marathon at some point. I am starting with a half-marathon first. I was hoping to run the half-marathon in 2005, but I just wasn''t in shape for it at that point. I had an ankle injury and just couldn''t get my mileage up. Now this year, barring any more injuries or accidents I will run the half-marathon in September. Training is going well, so I''m hopeful.

So, I guess the short answer to your question, Lorelei, is I work out because I love to be in shape, and it helps keep the weight down. I can''t imagine what I would weigh if I wasn''t working out. I also like having the goals of various races to keep me interested in running. Setting goals is a good way to keep yourself interested. You don''t have to run races, but increasing your time and/or speed on the treadmill is a good way to keep motivating yourself.

 

[Lorelei]

Great post, thanks Coda!

I did wonder about the motivational factor a lot and realized that there must be so many benefits to working out that I haven't even thought of, when you said how long ago it was for you - that really got me thinking. After all, it is easy to start off doing something, the trick of it is to keep going and in order to do that, the person must really be getting something out of it. I know from the bit of weight I have lost recently how much better I feel. I used to have this issue with being " thin" years ago and when I was thin I was unhappy and didn't feel well or have any energy. Sure I looked great in clothes, being tall when I weighed about 125 pounds, but I also looked gaunt, fine when you are 23 or so, but not a good look overall. Now I am interested in being slim, toned and fit, being thin no longer interests me. I think more about my " body" rather than how I look and it seems you can have both if you approach it the right way.

I think you have done amazingly well Coda and I am grateful for the insight! I will be rooting for you with the marathon and hope you don't get any more injuries! I will use that tip to motivate myself, with increasing the time on the treadmill and the crosstrainer etc.

 

[Mara]

I am not a huge fan of working out persay...I don''t like to go to the gym etc. But I do like the feelings that I get when I am working out rather regularly whether it''s taking a 2-3m walk or going to kickboxing class or something...I feel like I''m being active and to me that is important for a healthy lifestyle regardless of weight. So many people are sedentary in their jobs these days, I know you don''t have that problem Lorelei, but many other people do. And that just packs the weight on, especially accompanied by the quantities of food that people tend to eat.

So for me...part of it is that as I get older I am realizing, okay well I can''t not work out and eat the way that I like to with richer or more tasty fatty foods (restaurants!) so I need to reconcile myself to the fact that I will be doing SOMETHING every other day for the rest of my life, period. Also same with eating. That I will reconcile myself to eat healthily and with lots of natural foods, fruits, grains, etc. It''s not a diet, it''s a life change. I did this a few years ago and then I got lazy and bored and packed on like 10-15 lbs...and going backwards has been really hard, it''s very hard for me to lose weight.

Will kickboxing or walking interest me forever? Probably not. I have to try to keep it fresh too. BUT I do love both of those exercises and for me that''s a huge part of it. I hate the gym, the machines, bah...talk about boring self-torture. At least with walking I am out taking in fresh air, the sights, listening to music etc. Kickboxing is a short, intense, fruitful workout, I have no time to be bored or to wonder when it''s over really. Both of those exercises work for my personality....I think part of it is finding something that works for you then incorporating it into your life.

So my daily progress, well last nite I just could not feel like fish and cauliflower no matter how hard I tried, so Greg went to get us chicken tortilla soup from this local place we love. Probably not the best but it sure was yummy!! And then we shared the last Mrs Fields cookie so those are out of the house, what was I thinking buying FOUR? They had a special where you bought 4 and got 4 free and I was like NO I don''t need 8 cookies. And the guy was like, well 4 are FREE. I was like DUDE, who eats 8 cookies? He just looked at me. So when I got up to the front I ordered 2 and the gal was like oh order one more and get one free. so I succumed to 4 but not EIGHT. Insane! Even 4 was too much!

But anyway my day yesterday was good, kashi for breakfast and a lean cuisine (that was kinda icky, not recommended chicken and rice bowl..bah!) and an apple for lunch. So I figure the splurge for dinner wasn''t SO bad since the rest of the day was fine. Today it should be pretty much the same, except I think I may have a sandwich for lunch. I''m going to try to do 3 miles for a walk today too if I can get outside! have a good day ladies!

 

[Lorelei]

Thanks for your insight too Mara. I think the reason that I did well and didn''t ache more from the workouts is because I am reasonably fitt - ish anyway, as you know I do a lot of physical work at home, but it must be so difficult if you do have a sit down job. This is getting me more and more motivated to keep it up, it is when you have to be honest with yourself that there is no such thing as a free lunch ( no pun intended) when you are trying to control your weight and fitness levels, it has to be a long term and lifestyle change.

 

[akw94]

I actually worked out this morning!! First time this week and now I have to take back the workout tape from the library.

Well, I could still get in a couple more workouts this week w/other tapes so i''m going to try and do that.
Last night''s eating wasn''t great. I had a turkey/apple/brie sandwich which was great, a side of pasta salad and a brownie. It really was very good but not my best showing of willpower. Today I had mexican for lunch...again, tasty but not my best choice. So i''m still trying to do decent for the rest of the week. The least I could do is not GAIN weight.

At least i''m feeling pretty good though.

Mara, I think I will make my way back to fitday too. I started tracking again on paper yesterday but haven''t written down last night''s dinner yet. Um, maybe i''m feeling a little guilt about that brownie. I liked the tracking of calories too in terms of seeing where you are in the day to help w/dinner. When I realized I had little protein during the day, it helped put in more protein at night. It helped my balancing.

Virginia, that''s great that you''re still doing yoga. Moving is always a workout so that definitely counts! Thanks for checking in!

Monarch, glad to hear you had a good walk, both physically and emotionally. You were/are certainly a source of inspiration for me! I agree that once I use the fitday constantly for awhile, I won''t feel the need to all the time. Since I have definitely been off the path these last few weeks, i''m hoping it will help push me back.

Coda, that''s great that you''re getting in the workouts. How long does it take you to run 3 miles? When I look at other people''s speed on the treadmill, I realize I am going very, very, very, very slow! But it seems so fast to me!! You''re right, it is easy to overeat on the weekends, especially when you''re out and you don''t have as much control over your choices.

Lorelei, this probably isn''t the best time for me to answer the question about continued motivation/reasoning to workout since I haven''t exactly been on target lately but.....
I workout b/c I need to. I''ll be honest w/you, I don''t enjoy it and would rather do most things vs. going to the gym or doing a tape at home. But right now, i''m trying to lose weight and I want to do it the healthy way, i.e., eating good and working out so that it stays off and so that I am chaning my lifestyle to a healthier one as a long-term plan rather than short-term goal. I know that I can''t get to be where I want to be w/o working out. I also know that I need to continue that to maintain my goals, once I achieve them. I want to be able to eat what I want (to some degree) and so exercise is a must. Plus, I want to feel better about my overall health, now but as I get older. I don''t want to struggle as I see some people struggling. I want to first, get in good shape and be healthy and second, stay that way. I have yet to figure out a way to accomplish that w/o working out. I will say that this morning''s workout did make me feel good. I like the way I feel after a workout and I like feeling the progress when I stay consistent. Right now, i''m doing this running program and it keeps me motivated since I constantly meet new goals.

Back to work.