Weekly Workout Thread : May 29-June 4

[Mara]

Okay so I figured we'd try the weekly workout thing after talking about it last week? I know today is a holiday but figured I'd get it started!

I actually went walking both Saturday and Sunday, 2 miles each day....I plan to do another 2 today...I'm trying to offset all the horrible eating I did this weekend! Yikes! Fish and chips and Ben and Jerry's last nite, Indian Butter Chicken and rice the night before...Fried Oyster Po Boy's and cornbread on Friday night. Can you say OINK???? I sure can. So anyway at least by getting out and doing something for 30-45 minutes a day I feel less like a consumption slug.

Lilmaria, in the last thread you asked about calorie consumption....3500 is alot of calories per day!!! What do you typically eat? I know it's shocking when you actually find out what's in your favorite foods...for me it has been very educational to determine what I am putting in my mouth and how much of it etc. I think that using the tracker on fitday tends to keep me more honest and also it makes me WANT to eat better and not gorge on calories because I know I will have to look at them on that calorie pie chart!!

In terms of what I tend to eat to stay around 1800, it depends but my typical weekday is like this:
Breakfast: Coffee with sugar and 1% milk; high fiber cereal with milk and sometimes a banana: 350-400 calories
The high fiber keeps me full til lunchtime...even though it's not the TASTIEST cereal ever, the banana helps alot.
Lunch: 1/2 bagel with 1.5 tblspoon of peanut butter: 300 calories OR a tuna sandwich with one can of tuna, 1 tbl mayonnaise, 2 whole wheat bread toasted: 400-450 calories or something similar to these.
Snack around 4pm: Fuji apple (I'm obsessed with these things): 85 calories
Dinner: Depends on how 'good' the rest of my day was but we try to eat things like lean chicken breast marinated and put on the grill or fish on the grill or similar; with salad or veggies like grilled asparagus or steamed cauliflower etc. Typically dinner is between 600-700 calories for me because I tend to eat more than the smallish 6oz portion of things....I get way too hungry, so I have more chicken or fish or veggies til I get full...and because it was good to begin with, I am able to eat more and still stay good calorie wise.

So a typical day as listed above can be between 1500-1800 calories. I try not to go over 1800. For a treat I have been having low-fat Breyers Vanilla ice cream with root beer for a root beer float, it totally hits the spot and I don't need a big one...so it's around 200 calories...I tend to have those on days when I have extra calories. I love dessert so this way I don't deprive myself.

Also, if I workout that day I try to eat a little more so I don't get too hungry, aka I have an extra apple or something. It helps that during the summer I literally CRAVE fruits, like watermelon, green crisp grapes, apples...so I just eat those as snacks whenever I get hungry. I'm not a potato chip snack kinda gal and never have been, so that at least makes it easier.

The problem is that my weekend days are SOOO BAD!!!! We eat out all weekend long typically and I feel like I am totally undoing all my good work during the week. I probably consume more like 3k calories on the weekends per day. Who knows if that is really the case (I'm afraid to track it!), but I think if I could curb the weekend splurge just a bit, I'd get to my goal rather quickly. BUT on the other hand, honestly, I don't really need to lose much weight, maybe another 5 lbs (I keep saying that!) and so I feel like well do I want to totally NOT have the things I love on the weekend or does it really matter? I am in great shape, I workout 5 days out of 7 for 30-45 minutes a day doing *something* active; I eat excellently 5 days out of 7 which is more than most people do. So it's kind of up in the air for me as to if I absolutely NEED to be better those other 2 days. Or maybe it's fine the way it is. I can always add one more workout per week too or ratchet it up a bit and do 2 kickboxings and 3 walkings or something too.

In the lastest issue of US Weekly, Teri Hatcher said one of her things was to do something active for at least 30 minutes per day. Walking, running, swimming, gym, jumping rope, whatever....I thought you know that is not a bad idea! At least 30 minutes a day isn't much.

 

[hlmr]

Hi Mara:

I would like to join in with you gals! I have been feeling bad about myself lately because I allowed an extra 5 pounds creep up on me without noticing. That would be fine except that I was already 25 pounds above where I am feeling good about myself so something needs to give!!! I am lucky that I am curvy so I can hide a lot of the weight but now I am just feeling too blah!

My plan is to cut way back to about half of what I usually eat. It is too hard for me to diet as I usually end of falling off the wagon when I am starving. I did the aitkens diet a few years back and lost about 12 pounds but it was so radical that I am resisting trying it again.

I have been getting in 20-30 minutes of walking every day for the past few days so that is good. I feel like if I post here I have some sort of accountabilty which is a good thing to help me stay focused.

 

[Mara]

Hi Heather! Welcome...I know what you mean about the weight creeping up on you!! I definitely feel more accountable when I post here...

 

[monarch64]

Hi all! I''ts late at night on Monday, and I have taken pretty much the whole weekend off of PS, unfortunately! I enjoyed both your posts, Mara and Heather.

I walked with my team one last "practice" walk on Saturday for 17.5 miles. The actual Breast Cancer walk is this coming weekend, and I am ready to get it over with. I can''t believe it''s already been three months since I started training for it! I''m sad and excited at the same time. Anyway, it was actually HOT here on Saturday so I got a chance to see how my body would react to walking that far in the heat. I apparently over-hydrated a bit and actually ended up getting sick when I got home...just rejected the liquid I''d drank the last two hours of walking, but no dizziness or anything like that, and felt fine afterwards and the last two days. Also, when we stopped at Wild Oats (which is like a Whole Foods) for lunch, I ate a huge egg-salad sandwich, so I think maybe such rich food also contributed to my not feeling well after the walk. I''m not used to eating much animal protein at all, being a vegetarian, so I think that it was just too much for my body to process, plus the heat and too much water. It was a good practice run, though, and I will know better on the actual walk not to over-hydrate. There won''t be egg-salad sandwiches available, either!

Yesterday DH and I went to Home Depot and purchased a bunch of flowers, which I planted over the course of 3 hours in front of our home in pots. I''ll have to post pics soon in the "spring gardening" thread, Mara. When we finished shopping, I decided it was high time for a Slurpee, lol! I haven''t had one in years! DH agreed, and we reminisced for a few minutes over the last time we''d tasted one. It was a fun moment and I wasnt full of guilt over the calories at all, since we''d been perspiring in the heat to no end all day!

Tonight after the usual grill-out at DH''s parents I came home and did about 20 minutes on my arms, which are looking much better, if I do say so myself! I''ve been doing about 24 reps of bicep curls with 10 lb weights, and also those things you do for your triceps (elbows pointed toward ceiling, then raise hands straight up with weights). DH taught me the latter exercise, and it has totally helped with the old underarm flab. I highly recommend it!

That''s my report for Monday...I hope to check back in a few more times this week before doing the marathon next weekend, but if not, wish me luck on walking 39.3 miles in 2 days, hee hee!

 

[Mara]

Monarch you are the walking queen! It cracks me up because here I am feeling all great doing 2 miles and you are like ''yeah I did 17 the other day''..heheee. WOW! You are going to be so ready for this walk...I will be thinking of you next weekend.

I have been doing my arm exercises too, it does help I think. Also sometimes I throw in some pushups for something different. But leg exercises, definitely helping. I think if you can be active and do some cardio and things like walking, and then keep up with the leg and arms on your own it definitely is a more well-rounded routine. Also now that I am in my 30''s (yak!) I am trying to build more lean muscle by at least a little weight lifting and also because it''s better for your bones as you age...I keep telling my mom she should do at least small weights but she doesn''t listen!

So this AM I am back on the food wagon...my high fiber cereal for breakfast (though I really wanted the Cinammon Toast Crunch in the pantry...hahaa) and then for lunch something smallish...on the day after a big eating weekend I always feel like I have to eat light or I will explode. I figure apple and some turkey meat for lunch or something. I''m working out tonite with kboxing, so I''ll have a snack of some sort then who knows what for dinner...something easy since my workout ends at 9. Hope everyone else has a fab Tuesday. YAY short week!

 

[hlmr]

I just lost a long message

but the long and short of it was that I will exercise later tonight as it is SOOO hot today and I am eating light!

Kudos to Monarch and Mara (and bee too!) Have a great day!

 

[bee*]

Went to weightwatchers meeting tonight-another pound and a half gone so 6 in total in 2 weeks. Worked out in the gym on Monday, ran on threadmill, did 15 mins on crosstrainer and did some weights as well. Also walked the dog for an hour yesterday (she like myself could do with losing more weight!!). Hope everyone is keeping fit and well!

 

[jcrow]

mara- thanks so much for mentioning fitday.com. hopefully this will be my new addiction! i need to get back on the workout bandwagon asap! i fell off a few months ago. i brought my work-out clothes to work today. i plan to go work out after work. need to do weights and incline walking/eliptical. i use to go in the mornings, but have been going to bed much too late to feel like sweating away at the gym instead of sleeping.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

I had a weigh in day today. I''m back to where I was before I fell off the wagon about two weeks ago and now I''m trying to keep sliding down the scale. Today at the gym was chest day. I have NO upper body strength, so it always kills me. Some day, I''ll be able to bench press the bar without any weights on it without any help. I hope.

One thing I''ve found works well with me is to eat carbs during the day, rather than at night. I try to keep away from them once I''m off work.

 

[Mara]

I had one of those Whole Foods Annie Chou miso noodles in a bowl kind of thing which was actually very healthy from the stats on the back of the bowl...and for dinner I picked up Ahi Tuna, I''m going to do that grilled cumin tuna again and also I got some edamame for boiling and some cauliflower for steaming. I''m going to eat more fish than veggies tonite as I need to take in more protein than carbs..my pie chart for the day on fitday is 75% carbs so far ... yikes!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

I''d never heard of fitday.com, and I thought it sounded interesting, so I visited the site. I''m confused as to how you calculate your daily caloric intake, though. I can''t seem to find "cheez-its" on there, and I LOVE them and have them often. I went to crackers, salty. Oh, duh! I just saw *crackers, cheese.* They can''t put the actual brand name. I''m a dork.

 

[Mara]

fisher...sometimes fitday won''t have what you ate listed, so if you can get your CheezIt bag, you can add in a ''custom food'' where it lets you name it CheezIt or whatever and you punch in whatever the bag says for serving size, calories, fat, etc. Then it''s saved forever in your profile so you can build your list of custom foods as you go and if you have CheezIt''s daily then you can just pulldown from custom foods and re-add it.

The first time I tried fitday I was like man this is tedious, but actually after I added most of the stuff I tend to eat all the time, it has made it really easy to use it, because I don''t deviate that much from my fave meals during the week. The weekend however, yikes. Hard to calculate a fried oyster po-boy, cornbread with butter, and bread pudding!!

Oh and if I can''t find the food on fitday and I don''t have the nutritional info, I *try* to find it online...I have been pretty successful at this with some things. Hope this helps!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

I was just noticing that, Mara. I tend to have Michelina''s Lean Gourmet meals at work a lot of days after going to the gym, and I was thinking, "geesh, I have to add in this every day?" So, it''s good to know that once I put it in, it''s forever saved.

Have any of you tried their meals before? They don''t fill me up for dinner, but they''re good and fairly healthy for a quick lunch. They have new choices now, with whole wheat options for the carb portion of the meal, which I feel better about. And they''re CHEAP, which is always a bonus for me.

 

[Mara]

I know I posted this already in the fish thread but I thought it beared repeating here...esp since we just had it again tonite for the 2nd time and it is JUST AS AMAZING as I remembered! Best part is ITS HEALTHY and not alot of calories for MUCH taste.

I like my ahi a little more on the medium side, Greg loves the rare, so you can adjust cooking time accordingly...! It tastes just as good medium or well done as it does rare! So here it is...I hope some of you girls try it, it really is divine. I also add a bit more spice to the fish than the recipe because I like stuff super tasty. The squeeze of lemon onto it is SOO crucial, I love lemon and it gives it just the bit of tartness that it needs.

One ingredient that I am sooo going to use more especially for fish is the coconut oil in place of olive oil for searing and cooking. It adds just the tiniest bit of extra flavor and a little goes a really long way. I am not a huge fan of the tastelessness of olive oil so the coconut is perfect esp for fish which IMO tends to need strong flavors anyway. Also, I find that I don't need to use that much of the coconut oil as the recipe says for it to sear perfectly and taste really yummy. The oil is probably the fattiest part of the recipe, so that's good..hehee.

Anyway here it is!! The benefit of the 'weekly' thread now is that you guys can see the recipe all week long and hopefully be inspired!

We had it with a side dish of boiled salted edamame but you could do steamed cauluflower or a salad or even a side of japanese sticky rice or similar.


Seared Cumin Tuna Steaks
Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free

Aromatic whole cumin seeds impart texture and spice, while a touch of coconut oil, ideal for high temperature pan frying and searing, lends a sweet tropical flavor to the dish. While you may use ground cumin in this recipe, whole cumin seeds typically have more flavor and a longer pantry shelf life. Tuna is delicious, but feel free to substitute any firm whitefish, including mahi mahi, halibut or sturgeon.

Serves 4
4 tuna steaks 6 oz each (about 3/4 inch thick)
2 TB crushed cumin seeds or ground cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper, or to taste (Mara note: I omitted this and put in Chinese 5 Spice instead)
2 TB unrefined coconut oil
2 TB freshly squeezed lime juice
2 TB coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
lime wedges for garnish (1 lime)

In a small bowl combine the cumin, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper; stir to blend. Sprinkle the cumin mixture evenly over the fish, coating it completely. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over high heat until hot. Place the fish in the hot skillet, partially covering the skillet with a lid to lessen the splattering. Sear for about 3 minutes depending on thickness of tuna steaks. Turn the fish over and sprinkle with the lime juice, continue to cook until lightly browned on the outside and opaque in the center, about 3 minutes depending on thickness of tuna steaks.

Transfer the fish to plates, garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.

Nutrition Information:
Per Serving (189g-wt.): 250 calories (80 calories from fat), 9g total fat, 6g saturated fat, 1g dietary fiber, 38g protein, 2g carbohydrate

 

[Mara]

Date: 5/30/2006 6:39:27 PM
Author: fisherofmengirly
I was just noticing that, Mara. I tend to have Michelina''s Lean Gourmet meals at work a lot of days after going to the gym, and I was thinking, ''geesh, I have to add in this every day?'' So, it''s good to know that once I put it in, it''s forever saved.

Have any of you tried their meals before? They don''t fill me up for dinner, but they''re good and fairly healthy for a quick lunch. They have new choices now, with whole wheat options for the carb portion of the meal, which I feel better about. And they''re CHEAP, which is always a bonus for me.

Fisher I haven''t tried these...are they pretty tasty? I am always sooo not sure about those Lean Cuisine type things because they always seem like they won''t be as tasty...and I''m all about tasty..hehee. My friend has told me a few of the LC ones are good but I haven''t tried them yet. I think I have seen the Michelina ones at the store...anyway suggest a few of your faves?

 

[AsscherGirl]

Can I just take a minute & whine about how I haven''t worked out and seemed to have completely lost my routine?

Wahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Ok, I think I''m just lazy at this point. First, I was sick. Then, I was lazy. Now, it''s just crazy! Fi & I are planning to go to the gym tonight, I hope we actually get there! Should I think more positively? We ARE going to the gym tonight!

Like everyone else, memorial day weekend was full of crappy eating. We went out to dinner with his parents on Saturday (tiramisu anyone?!), visited my Italia Grandma on Sunday (chicken cutlets & pasta - am I crazy?!, and Ricotta pound cake), had a bbq on Sunday night (I only had one fat-free hot dog, but I was drinking, so it didn''t matter what I was eating) & topped off the long weekend with Taco Bell on Monday! Yesterday was a bit better & I''m trying very hard today. I am feeling very tired and my allergies are acting up & I was at the dentist yesterday getting a filling so my mouth is so sore. I know if I just went to the gym & worked out the rest of the week I would feel great.

Next week, we will be on vacation at the beach with a bunch of our friends. I''m sure I won''t be eating well, working out & most likely drinking too much. I think we''ll have internet access, so I may be able to check in on all of you working out hard & hearing about Monarch''s marathon walk! (Good luck BTW!!!!!!!!!)

Ok, my whining is complete. Stay tuned for a post later about going to the gym for a fabulous run or a great weights session for upper body!

 

[AsscherGirl]

Virginia,

It''s good to "hear" from you! I''ve been wondering where you were! Congrats on your weight loss - you are REALLY close to your goal. I''m sure you''ll make it there in no time flat! I have always wanted to really get into yoga, but I am too cheap to really commit to it.

Keep up the good work!

 

[Mara]

C''Mon Danielle, get back on the wagon!!!!!!

You mentioned going on vacation next week, I actually tend to work out harder and eat more healthy when I know that I will be consuming like a piggy on vacation...so what about using this week to be extra good so that you won''t feel an ounce of guilt next week?

That''s my method anyway, hahaha.

Congrats Virginia, you are so close, girl!!! I never weigh myself so honestly I have no idea if anything has changed since the last time I was on the scale which was in TX about 3.5 weeks ago?

It''s funny you mention yoga..I have wanted to try it again after I went one time a few years ago and was SO BORED during it, but I hear that the Bikram hot yoga makes you feel pretty good...I wanted to try it but I just haven''t gotten off my butt to go do it. I do feel better that I am kickboxing more again, I really missed it and it''s such a good workout...esp now that I am doing the heavier cardio one with no bag work, I think I was bulking up too much muscle with the other method. I could probably add a yoga class in or something for some variety.

It''s also funny but in the summer I tend to WANT to work out more. Does anyone else feel this? In the winter I just want to hibernate on the couch in snuggly sweats...but in the summer I want to get out and do things.

Lastly, so my calories for yesterday were the lowest they have been since I have started tracking which was pretty interesting. I also didn''t feel hungry at all during the day...and I even worked out kickboxing and was fine with energy. What did I eat? Here it is in case anyone wants to try something...

Breakfast: Coffee, Sugar, Milk, Go Lean Fiber Cereal: 300 calories
Lunch: Annie Chou''s Miso Noodle Soba Soup from Whole Foods (first time and it was good and low cal!!): 230 calories
Snacks: Fuji Apple in the early afternoon & a Kashi Granola Bar for late afternoon 1 hour before workout: 220 calories
Dinner: ~8 oz Cumin Seared Ahi Tuna and 1 cup shelled Edamame: 550 calories
Total Calories: 1300 (Pie Chart Breakout from FitDay was something like: 45% carbs; 25% fat; 30% protein)

I kept recalculating them wondering if I''d missed something! But nope...it was really 1300. And I burned about 350-400 calories with my workout. If only I could eat like that every day...I''d be at my goal in no time. But I get distracted by thoughts of hamburgers and similar..hehee. So anyway this shows that you can eat yummy stuff (the tuna was awesome!) and eat enough of it and have a snack or two and still be in the range. Hope it helps someone!

We''ll see how I do today.

 

[lovelylulu]

hello ladies!

i''ve too have been MIA for almost 2 weeks or so. Work got crazy, as did wedding details, BUT, i''m so glad to read about all the positive accomplishments. Monarch good luck this weekend! Virgina, congratulations on a new body! I love yoga too but haven''t done it since i moved to DC...Mara, good idea for a weekly post! and hello to all the new people posting!

in the time since i last posted, i have been keeping up with my running or elliptical (roughly 3 miles 4 times a week) and i have been doing my pilates tapes (try to do that 4 times a week also) I''m also trying to be conscious of my diet (mostly avoiding processed foods, sugars, white flour, etc) but was very lax for the entire month of may. fortunately, the exercise is compensating for the diet fumbles and i''m still losing weight (though likely at a slower pace than if i could just be more disciplined on the weekends!!!)

i just had my second dress fitting yesterday and where before, the dress was a little snug thru the hips, it''s fitting much better. i notice it in all of my pants as well.

i have about five weeks or so left until the wedding and i think with that as motivation i''ll be more strict about the eating and lose those last pounds...

 

[Mara]

Oh and Monarch is the brilliant one who came up with the weekly thread idea....!!! I think it''s much more helpful than a daily one and the posts can stay up longer for those who want to read tips and exercises etc.

Congrats Lulu sounds like you are doing fab as well.

Nothing like fitting into a wedding dress to motivate you, I totally remember that so well! hehee.

 

[lovelylulu]

mara -- thank goodness for the wedding dress motivation. i needed something to kick me in the bum and that definately did it. i also agree that now that the weather is warming up (and i''m ordering a bikini for my honeymoon!!!) i definately want to work out more than i did back when it was cold and dreary and i was covered in warm, cozy layers of clothing.

virgina! you are thin!!! and the VT trip went well. i was very apprehensive because it was the first meeting, but everyone behaved like adults and it was even fun...

 

[monarch64]

Date: 5/31/2006 1:25:29 PM
Author: Mara
Oh and Monarch is the brilliant one who came up with the weekly thread idea....!!! I think it''s much more helpful than a daily one and the posts can stay up longer for those who want to read tips and exercises etc.

Congrats Lulu sounds like you are doing fab as well.

Nothing like fitting into a wedding dress to motivate you, I totally remember that so well! hehee.

I agree, this weekly thing is working much better!

Looks like it''s giving all of us a chance to catch up on posting, too, yay!

My Avon Walk is in 3 Days!!!

I can''t believe it''s already here. If anyone wants to check out the website it''s www.avonwalk.org. Maybe you can find a walk in your city this year or next...I know they take place all across the country. (I''m doing the Chicago one.) Anyway, I''m getting excited--my blisters are all healed and I''ve been focusing on eating well this week and getting lots of water. Friday night I''ll stay downtown at the Hilton with my teammates, then Saturday morning we start off at Soldier Field (home of da Bears) and walk 26.2 miles. We''ll stay overnight in a wellness village in little two-person tents (cross your fingers for me--no rain!), then get up Sunday morning and walk another 13 miles to complete the marathon-and-a-half we''ve committed to. I''ve been training for 3 months, so other than aches, pains, and blisters, I think I''m up for the challenge!!!

After this event is over, it''s back to a weight-loss regimen for me. I still have about 10-15 pounds to go before my goal weight. I decided a few weeks ago to stop worrying about weight loss because I''ve been training pretty intensely (doing 15-20 miles on Saturdays with my team, and various 5-10 mile walks during the week and on Sundays.), and I didn''t want to push my body too hard by not consuming enough calories. Ok, so actually it was just nice to be able to eat whatever I wanted on weekends and not worry about gaining, LOL!

Next week I will be back to the gym, and taking some actual classes to burn fat and get my body ready for the bikini when we go on vacation in July!

Mara, sounds like you''re doing great with keeping track of your calories, wow! My little calorie-counting notebook is going to be coming back out next week. I think if I can really buckle down and keep track of all my calories i will be able to lose 2-3 pounds a week for the next 5 weeks, and concentrate extra hard on toning at the gym. There''s even a kickboxing class on Wednesday nights...I''m looking forward to it already! Other than that, I want to do "group power" (60 min. of strengthening and toning all the major muscle groups) twice a week, a yoga class on Saturday mornings, and I want to start the coolrunnings.com beginner running routine as well. If the celebrities can do it, dammit so can I, ha ha!

I''m so glad to see lots of fellow work-outers back on the thread! I hope you guys stick around so you can motivate me to stick with my workout plans! It''s nice to come here and get inspiration during the week, especially on days I feel like throwing in the towel and giving up!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Mara,

There are a few of them (Michelina''s Lean Gourmet) that aren''t so good *the three cheese chicken tastes like rubber.* But there are also a few really good ones. I just add black pepper and I''m good to go. My favorite is Rotini with Prosciutto and Basil. It''s fabulous. I also really like the Beef Pepper Steak and Rice. Paul''s favorite is the Fetticini Alfredo. For a buck, it''s a great deal. The boxes also (usually) have a listing of the number of Weight Watcher points, which I keep track of, for the most part. They also have new pizza meals, but I''m not totally a fan of those. When I want pizza, I want the *real* thing.

It''s enough to fill me up at lunch time at work, along with a ton of water.

I''m also a big fan of Special K Vanilla Almond. I *detest* the original Special K, but this variety is *so* good. Some days I have it for two meals.

I''ve posted this in another thread, but I used to be very overweight, and then I lost well over 100 pounds, but toward the end, I didn''t do it so healthily. Needless to say, about 20 pounds have found their way back on me. My goal is to be between 155-145. I''m 5''6" and when I was about 150ish, I felt so good in my body. When I dropped below that, I was tired all the time and I just looked sick and sunken in. Anyway, this time I''m doing it right again, and I''m enjoying it. Walking with a pet is really fun, too. Aside from when she gets scared of the cars with the loud exhaust and all but trips me. *That happened twice today.*

My goal is to lose about 15 pounds. Anywhere between 12-18 would be great. I''m currently waivering between 166-162.

Have any of you been to Landsend.com? They offer a "virtual model" for clothing fit, and you can input your weight, height, and measurements for a "life-like" 3-D image of yourself. Sadly, the virtual model is MUCH hotter than I am!

 

[Mara]

fisher... today I was at the store and I bought three frozen meals. typically i am not a frozen meal gal, but now i am curious since you mentioned them and also i have a few coworkers who said some of the other brands can be tasty and are filling for a lunch.

so, i got one of the michelina's lean gourmet, the whole wheat penne one; i also got a lean cuisine chicken with noodles and peanut sauce; and also a healthy gourmet one that i am really excited about which is broccoli and chicken fettucine alfredo. i LOVE alfredo but obviously the full fat version is not so good for you and it tends to be so creamy it gives me a stomach ache. so we'll see how tasty these are...i bought one of each because i want to do a taste test and see what i like. they are all under 300 calories and about 7 grams of fat. the healthy gourmet one is the largest at 13 oz and it's only 300 calories! so maybe i'll sav ethat one for when i am really hungry and 9 oz won't cut it.

for lunch today i had something that was kind of fun and spur of the moment but worked out really nicely. it was 3 egg whites, small handful of jack cheese, and a slice of shredded peppered smokey turkey breast, done omelet style in the pan and then put into a multi-grain tortilla. it was REALLY good...just spicy/tasty enough with the peppered turkey and the cheese and filling...it lasted me about 4 hours before i got hungry. calories was something like 250 for everything which is very good for how filling and yummy it was.

i am trying to be more creative too with things like lunch and also in the mornings i am going to start adding in egg white and veggie omelets into my mixup so that i don't just eat the same fiber cereal every day like i would if i didn't think about it as much. i want to try to get a little more protein and a little less carb in the morning. unfortunately, i can't eat regular cereals like special K and stay full, i have discoverd i have to have heavy fiber in order to stay full til lunch...special K makes me hungry an hour later and then i snack!!

monarch you are doing so great...you will be amazed when you finish the race! we are all rooting for you.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

One of those frozen meal brands *I think it''s in a red box* makes the BEST Mexican food light-style. I love it. Unfortunately, I don''t remember the brand, since I''m incredibly cheap and refuse to spend so much on something frozen and in a box.

Today for lunch I had tuna from the pouch and mustard, with a yogurt. I love plain tuna, or tuna with dill relish. It''s good stuff.

I did the fitday thing today, and argh! it was WAY higher in fat than I was anticipating. I guess that''s the point of the pie chart, though. You get to see how much of your whole intake is fat. I stayed under 1400 in calories, but my protein intake is low. I''m just not a big fan of meat, or beans, or anything like that really. I do like reduced fat peanut butter, but that''s not a great way of increasing protein intake, either.

 

[Mara]

yeah the pie chart is a cold splash of water in the face because you can''t hide in denial about what you are consuming like when you just ''guesstimate'' things in your head, i am the worst about that!

i have noticed that my days shape up heavier on the carbs and then typically split between fat and protein. like 50% carb, 25% fat, 25% protein, or 45% carb, 30% protein, 25% fat. seems to be 25% fat pretty consistently which is fine with me for now...and i am working on upping the protein and taking a bit away from the carb...it''s so easy to eat alot of carbs and not even be aware of it! even healthy carbs still stack up.

for protein...what about egg whites? or soy? do you like edamame? i love those things and it turns out they have alot of soy protein in them. i also am a meat whore so i eat lots of protein that way..also fish. also i would eat the peanut butter if you like it because it''s the good fat and at least it''s some protein. do you drink milk? some protein to be had there. cheese?

 

[fisherofmengirly]

I don''t know if I like edamame. What is it? I''ve never heard of it.

 

[sk8rjen]

Just wanted to jump in here and say "good luck" to Monarch this weekend!

And good job Virginia!

We''ve been good and have been working out still 3x week and I''m getting stronger already. Dropped 4 pounds in the first 2 weeks which is great b/c I want to drop it the healthy way, not just a bunch at once that''ll come back! I love the elliptical and have been doing 2 miles on it and then an entire circuit of weights. I love the weights, but I also don''t want to bulk up. There''s something about thte competitive side of me that wants to do higher weights and not just reps, so I need to fix that

Anyway, I''m still around (not easy to leave to begin with and now I''m "back" anyway!) so I''ll be back to checking in more regularly. Thanks for the weekly thread!

jen

 

[monarch64]

Date: 5/31/2006 11:42:51 PM
Author: sk8rjen
Just wanted to jump in here and say ''good luck'' to Monarch this weekend!

And good job Virginia!

We''ve been good and have been working out still 3x week and I''m getting stronger already. Dropped 4 pounds in the first 2 weeks which is great b/c I want to drop it the healthy way, not just a bunch at once that''ll come back! I love the elliptical and have been doing 2 miles on it and then an entire circuit of weights. I love the weights, but I also don''t want to bulk up. There''s something about thte competitive side of me that wants to do higher weights and not just reps, so I need to fix that

Anyway, I''m still around (not easy to leave to begin with and now I''m ''back'' anyway!) so I''ll be back to checking in more regularly. Thanks for the weekly thread!

jen

Thanks, Sk8rjen!

It''s good to have yours and everyone else''s support! I will be thinking about you guys and all your encouragement when I''m feeling like collapsing this weekend, lol!

Sk8r, good to hear you''ve been doing so well--congrats on the weight loss, and I''m glad to hear you''re being so healthy about it. Doesn''t it just make you feel SO good!

Everyone else, thank you also for your continued support and I hope to give you a very positive report, along with pics, after I finish this walk!

Btw, I love the Smart Ones (I think they''re by WW or Michelina, I just know they''re cheap), the Santa Fe Rice and Beans are my faves...I don''t eat meat, so they have become a lunch staple for me...but still have the protein from the beans. Lean Cuisine also makes something along the same lines that tastes really good. Healthy Choice was a long-time favorite of mine because they offer meals without very much sodium, preservatives, etc...if you guys ever want to try them. That''s all I have to offer at this late hour...but you can bet I will be back with more contributions in the future, hee hee!

Take care!

 

[lovelylulu]

morning. it''s thursday.

yesterday, i ran for about 3 miles and then went home and did pilates. i really can''t say enough good things about the pilates. i think it''s kind of like yoga for virgina

i like that it''s a much more controlled form of exercise - a complete contrast from running or the ellipitical. i also have definately noticed a positive change in my *core* my abs are much stronger.

thanks ladies for all the great food suggestions. my new kick is a small side salad of diced tomatoes (so tasty this time of year) and cubed bits of part skim mozzarella and then a dollap of pesto. literally takes two minutes to throw together. it''s completely satisying, low in carbs and fat (because the cheese is skim) and delicious. a great hot weather side.

i''m also a great fan of the mag -- cooking light -- and have found tons of simple, but tasty receipes...