Weekly Workout Thread 14 Aug to 20 Aug

[Mara]

oh on that same salad note does anyone have any tried and true yummy but not too fatty recipes for salad dressings?? i love things like dijon mustard vinaigrette etc but haven't ventured out too far beyond certain things. i'd like for us to eat more salad we make at home but stay healthy about it.

also monnie did you see where i asked if you were considering doing the 5 day veggie/rice thing? if so, i may do it with you!

 

[Mara]

OH! and i nearly forgot to report..in a meeting today i walked in and my coworker said ''mara it looks like you are shrinking!'' and i said ''YAY!''hehee. take that, evil scale!

 

[Rod]

Date: 8/15/2006 3:25:24 PM
Author: Mara
OH! and i nearly forgot to report..in a meeting today i walked in and my coworker said ''mara it looks like you are shrinking!'' and i said ''YAY!''hehee. take that, evil scale!

Good for you Mara!!! Isn''t it terrific when people notice? I ran into someone at the grocery store over the weekend I hadn''t seen in many months. They didn''t even recognize me.

Keep up the great work Mara. It''s obviously paying high dividends!!

 

[monarch64]

Thanks for the recipe, Rod! That''s pretty much what I had in mind, I knew there was mayo and sugar involved, just didn''t know measurements. So I will try that tonight, I think!

Mara, I did see you mention doing the five day thing...I will totally do it with you. How does next week, Monday through Friday sound? I know there''s no way I''m going to be able to do it over a weekend, I bet you feel the same, hee hee. I don''t have any plans as far as dinners out or anything next week so it would work for me, plus it will give me the weekend to go to the local farmer''s market and get some nice produce. Let me know if that''s do-able for you.

 

[Mara]

Date: 8/15/2006 3:40:02 PM
Author: monarch64
Thanks for the recipe, Rod! That''s pretty much what I had in mind, I knew there was mayo and sugar involved, just didn''t know measurements. So I will try that tonight, I think!

Mara, I did see you mention doing the five day thing...I will totally do it with you. How does next week, Monday through Friday sound? I know there''s no way I''m going to be able to do it over a weekend, I bet you feel the same, hee hee. I don''t have any plans as far as dinners out or anything next week so it would work for me, plus it will give me the weekend to go to the local farmer''s market and get some nice produce. Let me know if that''s do-able for you.

WAH! i can''t do next week because it''s my mom and grandmother''s birthdays and we are going to dinner during the week. how about the week after? starting the 28th? and yes no weekends, during the week is typically the easiest for me as we don''t eat out as much (or at all) as we do on the weekends. anyway let me know, otherwise i am not open for a full 5 days til sept 11-15th, greg''s sister is coming to visit us sept 7 through the weekend so there will be a ton of eating going on then not related to brown rice and veggies hehee. hopefully we can coordinate to do it together, i think we may both need the support.HAHA.

rod, i know it felt really good to hear my coworker say that! now i feel all motivated for the gym when i go in a few hours.

 

[Rod]

Date: 8/15/2006 3:45:26 PM
Author: Mara

Date: 8/15/2006 3:40:02 PM
Author: monarch64
Thanks for the recipe, Rod! That''s pretty much what I had in mind, I knew there was mayo and sugar involved, just didn''t know measurements. So I will try that tonight, I think!

Mara, I did see you mention doing the five day thing...I will totally do it with you. How does next week, Monday through Friday sound? I know there''s no way I''m going to be able to do it over a weekend, I bet you feel the same, hee hee. I don''t have any plans as far as dinners out or anything next week so it would work for me, plus it will give me the weekend to go to the local farmer''s market and get some nice produce. Let me know if that''s do-able for you.

WAH! i can''t do next week because it''s my mom and grandmother''s birthdays and we are going to dinner during the week. how about the week after? starting the 28th? and yes no weekends, during the week is typically the easiest for me as we don''t eat out as much (or at all) as we do on the weekends. anyway let me know, otherwise i am not open for a full 5 days til sept 11-15th, greg''s sister is coming to visit us sept 7 through the weekend so there will be a ton of eating going on then not related to brown rice and veggies hehee. hopefully we can coordinate to do it together, i think we may both need the support.HAHA.

rod, i know it felt really good to hear my coworker say that! now i feel all motivated for the gym when i go in a few hours.

I have found a sincere (or even jealous) compliment is the greatest of all motivators!!!!!

 

[monarch64]

I can do the week of the 28th, Mara. I will have to mark it on the calender now so I don''t accidentally accept any invites, lol! I think it will certainly be easier to stick with if we use the buddy system.

 

[Mara]

great monarch!! so what does it entail really? like what are the guidelines...portion sizes, # of meals etc? i''m imagining brown rice and veggies for breakfast may not be so fab? and yikes, no coffee?!

 

[jcrow]

Date: 8/15/2006 4:43:38 PM
Author: Mara
great monarch!! so what does it entail really? like what are the guidelines...portion sizes, # of meals etc? i''m imagining brown rice and veggies for breakfast may not be so fab? and yikes, no coffee?!

yes, i''d love to know too! maybe i''ll join y''all?

hope it doesn''t make me GAIN weight! i have bridal portraits that weekend...

 

[Mara]

Date: 8/15/2006 4:48:08 PM
Author: jcrow

Date: 8/15/2006 4:43:38 PM
Author: Mara
great monarch!! so what does it entail really? like what are the guidelines...portion sizes, # of meals etc? i''m imagining brown rice and veggies for breakfast may not be so fab? and yikes, no coffee?!

yes, i''d love to know too! maybe i''ll join y''all?

hope it doesn''t make me GAIN weight! i have bridal portraits that weekend...

hahah experimental diet and bridal portraits may not be the best combo jcrow.

my coworker said this sounds like the same diet that doctors put heart surgery patients on before if they need to lose some weight? she said that you could lose up to 7 lbs in a week? is that true?? that seems really extreme! but i guess as long as you are not DEPRIVING yourself of portions...hmmm. i just really don''t want to be hungry and i need to ensure i have enough calories to maintain my workouts. i''m a total crank if i get too hungry!

 

[jcrow]

ha! i don''t think i''m able to lose 7 lbs in a week! it''s like all those informertials (sp?) that promise 10 lbs. in a 10 days. eek. i''d need a hospital after that! i just need some toning. as far as food goes, i would want the feel better results. especially if it''s just a
week-long thing.

 

[akw94]

Well, I was feeling pretty tired and lazy today until................. I read *all* of these posts this week! Wow! Ok, now I have no excuses and the plan is to go home (really, really soon) and do a workout tape. I sort of planned to do a shorter tape but now I think I''ll do the longer step tape.

Lorelei, you''re doing great! Welcome Cailet and Jeff. Cailet, I also go to the gym a couple times/wk and use their machines. I always like the elliptical but now am using the treadmill on a beginner''s running program.

Mara, that was a really sweet comment that your hubby made to you. It is nice when others take notice, especially the ones that mean so much to me. Yet another reason for me to stop being so darned lazy and go workout!!

Monarch, don''t feel too bad. We like hearing from you regardless. I haven''t exactly been up to my previous working out 5 days/wk self in quite some time.

I''d possibly be up for a short term detox too. I''ve been thinking about doing something anyway, just haven''t found the willpower to even start!

Aussie and TG, wow, you guys are doing some great workouts! I''m going to have to step it up to keep up w/everyone.

Ok, enough talk, here I go to get my 2nd workout of the week in.

Have a good night.

 

[monarch64]

Ok, I have to get the book back from the girl I lent it to last week, and I will give you all more info. It''s not really supposed to be a "crash" diet, but yes, there is the possibility of weight loss, especially if you did the first two days'' water fast. (I think we''ve all opted not to go that route, lol!) The next 5 days, you basically eat your plain brown rice, and pretty much unlimited fruits and veggies that aren''t prepared with butter and salty seasonings. You can have small amounts of olive oil, I have to check but I think it''s pretty minimal, and you aren''t supposed to eat dairy. You can do soy, almond, rice milk or veggie based "dairy" products, but the point is to stay away from anything processed, meaning preservatives or chemical additives are used. If you think of it in terms of say, "Survivor" or how native Americans lived before we had refined sugar and things like that, you can pretty much figure out what you''re not supposed to be consuming. It''s pretty similar to a vegan diet, where you only eat products with no animal substances in them. Of course the point is not to become vegan, but the exclusion of animal products I think is because they are found in so many processed foods. I''ll read more extensively on that and tell you for sure, though. I think you can also incorporate natural nuts and seeds as well (so only the raw forms, like unsalted, unroasted, etc.)

As far as serving sizes, I think you just calculate what you should be consuming calorically and go from there. From what I remember, there were only a few things like avocados and maybe bananas that were to be limited, oh and the rice, but I think the standard serving of rice is probably around 1/3-1/2 cup for about 200-250 calories.

Mara, I think coffee is allowed, but it can''t be all doctored up with sugar and cream. I''ll see if I can go snag the book back tonight, actually...the girl who has it lives a couple blocks away so hopefully she''s finished with it by now.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 8/15/2006 6:12:49 PM
Author: monarch64
Ok, I have to get the book back from the girl I lent it to last week, and I will give you all more info. It''s not really supposed to be a ''crash'' diet, but yes, there is the possibility of weight loss, especially if you did the first two days'' water fast. (I think we''ve all opted not to go that route, lol!) The next 5 days, you basically eat your plain brown rice, and pretty much unlimited fruits and veggies that aren''t prepared with butter and salty seasonings. You can have small amounts of olive oil, I have to check but I think it''s pretty minimal, and you aren''t supposed to eat dairy. You can do soy, almond, rice milk or veggie based ''dairy'' products, but the point is to stay away from anything processed, meaning preservatives or chemical additives are used. If you think of it in terms of say, ''Survivor'' or how native Americans lived before we had refined sugar and things like that, you can pretty much figure out what you''re not supposed to be consuming. It''s pretty similar to a vegan diet, where you only eat products with no animal substances in them. Of course the point is not to become vegan, but the exclusion of animal products I think is because they are found in so many processed foods. I''ll read more extensively on that and tell you for sure, though. I think you can also incorporate natural nuts and seeds as well (so only the raw forms, like unsalted, unroasted, etc.)

As far as serving sizes, I think you just calculate what you should be consuming calorically and go from there. From what I remember, there were only a few things like avocados and maybe bananas that were to be limited, oh and the rice, but I think the standard serving of rice is probably around 1/3-1/2 cup for about 200-250 calories.

Mara, I think coffee is allowed, but it can''t be all doctored up with sugar and cream. I''ll see if I can go snag the book back tonight, actually...the girl who has it lives a couple blocks away so hopefully she''s finished with it by now.

Ooh, me too, me too! I''ll do this with you ladies! If I can have fruit and veg, I''m golden!

The week of the 28th works for me...

 

[Mara]

ok monarch it doesn't sound too bad...hehee. esp if i could throw in a handful of almonds a day or something to break up the fruits and veggies. interesting though about the non dairy thing, i mean cows have been around for a while right?

living off the land and all that seems like it would mean dairy from the cow, but yes not processed dairy i guess. not interested in the unpasteurized milk, that's for sure! hehe. i can do soy milk in the coffee for the week i'm sure. what about unrefined crystalized brown sugar for the coffee? just a wee bit? hee hee. i'm kind of excited about doing it though because it IS summer and there are a ton of yummy fruits and veggies out there to consume right now. as for the limiting the rice thing, that's fine because i don't really love rice anyway. i'd much rather eat a trough of steamed broccoli and cauliflower. with some pine nuts or something.

so i just got back from the gym...i did 48 minutes on the treadmill on the hill program at something like level 9 and basically burned 310 calories and did 3.15 miles. it's about 100 calories for each mile seemingly as i have seen each time i do the program...or close to that anyway. i did about a 15 minute mile which is a good pace for me...i have done that when i walk 5k's and i get a good groove going. i was really feeling the burn on the high inclines (it went up to 10) since i am still not totally used to that, but i had a lot of energy! my ipod helps too of course. then i went and did some arm work on the machines and then hit up the supermarket to get stuff for tonite's stuffed bell peppers..mmmm. i'm excited to try this one as the picture looks divine and it's 'baked' so it's something different. when i got home i had a kashi granola bar for some fiber and protein. i already had a netarine earlier after my lean cuisine (marsala chicken which was surprisingly good and only 140 calories!!) but i might have some watermelon as a snack before dinner, it's been looking at me from the fridge for a few days now.

congrats dixie on getting motivated to go work out! this thread really does inspire me...i was thinking last nite about how far we have come from when it started...the people here are all so fabulous, and everyone is so motivated!! no one gets defensive if anyone offers suggestions or ways to tweak something or how we can all do better, everyone is really open and willing to learn from each other...whether it be recipes or new training methods or suggestions on what to eat before a workout, or whatever. i love this thread!! i also really love the weekly format because i can catch up a day later if i am busy or we're gone or whatever...also recipes and things like that stay up longer than just the day.

speaking of recipes, any healthyish tried-and-true dressings out there? i am going to check out cooking light but wondered if anyone had their fave one to post.

have a great afternoon/evening workout/dinner guys and gals!!! we're all doing fabulously!

and congrats miss lorelei...!!! 3 weeks is almost forever! you are so almost there.

 

[LizzieC]

Hey Miss Mara, have you ever tried rice vinegar on salad? Very very yummy. And for some extra yum, put a little minced garlic and an eensy bit of ginger in a jar and let it soak in some rice vinegar for a few hours before adding it to the salad. Mmmmmm

It''s not super low-carb (6 sugar carbs/tbsp) but a little bit goes a very long way.

 

[monarch64]

OK, score 1 for me today: I just returned from walking the dog for 35 minutes, and managed to snag the book from my friend''s mailbox (caught her on the phone as they were about to leave for dinner). So I am a multi-tasker, what can I say? LOL.

Btw, Dixie, thank you for your kind words...I felt really guilty for falling off the wagon but I still have a grand time reading this thread and contributing whenever possible! Mara is right, we do have a great group here and we are lucky to receive and give so much constructive and positive feedback! Again, its very inspiring to read this thread daily or weekly, and it really does help you get off your butt and back into the workout routine, or stay in one, as well.

Without further ado, I will commence spewing forth some details. First the bad news (no one freak out, ok?) and again this book is titled "The 7-Day Detox Miracle" by Peter Bennett, N.D., and Stephan Barrie, N.D. (They practice naturopathic medicine.)

The chapter in which they recommend foods to use and foods to avoid has some basic guidelines.

Beverages: USE herbal teas, green tea, water, lemon water, diluted fruit juices, vegetable juices. AVOID: coffee (sorry caffeine addicts), black teas, and all forms of alcohol, including beer and wine.

Other foods to avoid:

Meat, fish, poultry, and eggs. Dairy products. Fats and oils (other than the recommended amount of 2 tablespoons daily of extra virgin olive oil or flaxseed oil) Chocolate. Nuts. (oops, my bad--I thought they were ok) Beans (other than mung beans or any listed soybean-based products) Grains (other than rice, quinoa, amaranth, and millet) Foods made with flour from wheat, corn, and oats. Sugar. Alcohol. Coffee and black teas.

Now here''s a direct quote on the above: "The foods that form the basis of a normal Western diet cause the liver to work overtime as it tries to metabolize the dense concentration of nutrients that are constantly flooding the digestive system and bloodstream. Poor digestion is one of the main causes of toxicity because it adds an unnecessary and in many cases overwhelming burden to the liver''s normal workload. The liver simply can''t keep up with the quantity of contaminents in the blood that must be processed. The EcoTox diet has been formulated for maximum digestibility."

OK, so obviously this is NOT the easiest diet in the world to follow. However, I feel like it''s only for 5 days, and I think it''s adaptable. Yes, the authors feel that they have designed a diet that helps the body detox itself and function better. But I know for me, that it is slightly unrealistic, and I''m used to a vegetarian diet as it is! Plus I do like my morning coffee, ha ha! So I guess you can either follow the plan strictly, or kind of adapt it to what is realistic and healthier for you for 5 days of your life. When I look at it that way, it doesn''t seem as restrictive and frankly, ridiculous. But, I also think the regimen is a good guideline to use when choosing foods on an everyday basis as far as a diet/lifestyle change if that''s what you''re after.

The rice portion of the diet is to ease digestion, and as basically an option for people who don''t tolerate wheat products, or corn based products. You can eat brown rice, basmati rice, Thai (jasmine) rice, wild rice, and rice products such as rice cakes, rice crackers, breads and pasta made with rice flour. I''ve seen almost all of those items in my local grocer''s organic/health food section. I''ve tried rice pasta and it''s not too horrible

.



Condiments...you can have vegetable salt, sea salt, vinegar, naturally fermented soy sauce or tamari, any spice, and miso. Don''t eat: ketchup, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce and all other packaged relishes, dressings, and seasonings.

Anyone still with me?

I did mention before in a post that the book had a few ideas that seemed a little "out there," I had just forgotten that there were so many things we eat that aren''t really "natural!" I am totally willing to try this, though, I would actually like to challenge myself mentally and see if I can stick to an all natural diet for 5 days.

And then I will probably "ruin" it all with a pizza at the end of the week.

Anyway, I figure I don''t have anything to lose by doing this...if it just means I need to cut out coffee, dairy, and alcohol for 5 days I think I can handle it. If not, I know I''m not cut out to be on Survivor.

 

[Mara]

hehe monarch...i might have to sneak a bit of caffeine in the mornings if i want to be alive at all...haha. so is soy milk okay or no?

so what would be acceptable for breakfast? does the book have any suggestions?

interesting that rice cakes are okay, aren''t those considered processed? also i would imagine to aid digestion they would recommend brown rice and wheat products rather than white rice. so if you CAN handle wheat products, is that better than white rice?? i always thought white rice didn''t have as many positive properties as brown.

we had the jasmine rice stuffed peppers tonite and greg absolutely loved them! they were pretty darn good, we''ll definitely do them again!

 

[bookworm21]

Wow, sounds like everyone''s doing great! I have been very bad the past few days. I just got back last night from Disneyland, and all they have there in terms of food are: fried chicken strips, churros, fries, burgers, pizza, pasta, and some really bad Mexican food. So imagine four days'' worth of that food and how sick I felt by the end of the second day. I brought apples with me to keep at the hotel so I''d have some healthy food, and I brought Odwalla and PowerBars as snacks, but it still didn''t help much. So I''m back, and 3-4 pounds heavier, depending on the time of day. How depressing. Walking more than 12 hours a day doesn''t help much if you''re eating fried foods all day for 4 days straight, so I''m back on my diet now.

I''m thinking maybe I''m bloated too, since I''m due for my monthly time very soon. How many of you gals notice an upward trend in the amount of food you eat during this time (junk and otherwise)? I experience a sharp increase in appetite around this time every month, and it really sucks.

So, I ran a mile today, and it was relatively easy for me. I''m still trying to get used to these new shoes, Nike Free 5.0 that Mara mentioned a couple of weeks ago, and it is very different from regular shoes. But I did feel that if I were wearing my regular running shoes, I could have easily gone for another mile or two.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 8/15/2006 11:17:32 PM
Author: Mara
hehe monarch...i might have to sneak a bit of caffeine in the mornings if i want to be alive at all...haha. so is soy milk okay or no?

so what would be acceptable for breakfast? does the book have any suggestions?

interesting that rice cakes are okay, aren''t those considered processed? also i would imagine to aid digestion they would recommend brown rice and wheat products rather than white rice. so if you CAN handle wheat products, is that better than white rice?? i always thought white rice didn''t have as many positive properties as brown.

we had the jasmine rice stuffed peppers tonite and greg absolutely loved them! they were pretty darn good, we''ll definitely do them again!

Yes, soy products are ok. Personally I haven''t been able to stand the taste of soy milk in my coffee and opted instead to go for just sugar as an additive thus far, buy hey, I used to be a 3 dairy creamers, 4 sugars kind of coffee drinker, so I guess that''s progress.

On the rice cakes: I think they are referring to the organic ones...they don''t list any particular brand names or anything. I know most rice products you find in the organic section or places like Whole Foods, Wild Oats, etc., are not processed, at least not the way we think of processed when we think of regular packaged items from the interior of regular grocery stores. I will check out the rice section again tomorrow when I go grocery-shopping and let you know what I find. And yes, they do recommend brown rice or anything besides white rice... here''s a quote from the book again:

"A Word On Rice"

"Because it''s a light food that digests easily while supplying carbohydrate energy essential for daily activity, brown rice is perfect for detoxification. You can boi it, bake it, fry it (with only 1 tablespoon of olive oil daily), and put it in soup. Rice is unequaled as a food for curing many of the diseases induced by Western diets.

Most people digest rice easily. For some, the lighter rices, such as basmati or Thai, are easier on their digestive systems than brown rice. In the literature of medical research, rice is an accepted hypallergenic food. This means that it rarely stimulates or aggravates allergic reactions. Rice is gluten-free, and in one study of 700 atopic patients (people genetically pre-disposed to certain allergies) only 1 percent showed sensitivity. Historically, rice diets have been used in Western medicine to manage diarrhea in adults and children. Studies show that rice has been used in the teatment of children s\with diarrhea to enhance superior healing. In addition, it''s high in an antioxidant called ferulic acid. Ferulic acid has been studied in the treatment of a variety of inflammatory bowel disorders and has been found to have a remarkable ability to prevent inflammation in the intestinal membranes.

When people are discouraged about how restrictive the EcoTox diet is, we try to cheer them up by reminding them that most Asian cultures live on rice, eating it three times a day. Having to subsist on rice, fruits and vegetables for one week might seem like a plan for starvation, but this is the normal daily diet for millions of people around the world. Not only will it do you no harm, it will alllow your detoxification mechanisms to work more effectively and give the blood-cleaning filters of the body an opportunity to catch up and clear out the overload of toxins that have accumulated."

Whew, that was a mouthful, lol! Take from that what you will, I am just feeding you all bits and pieces of what''s in this book as questions are asked.

 

[monarch64]

Mara, I forgot to answer the question about breakfast. I just looked into the suggestions for meal plans and found a huge contradiction. Maybe I am illiterate or something, but I know it says under "foods to avoid" that you shouldn''t eat nuts! Then I went to the menu section, and with almost every meal they recommend nuts! Am I nuts?!

Let''s assume, for my own sanity, that there was a typo and nuts are ok. For breakfast suggestions they have things like buckwheat flour pancakes, sweetened with brown rice syrup or maple syrup ( I am assuming in a non-processed form?) and where the heck did the buckwheat come from after all this talk about rice? Anyway, another suggestion is kheir, a rice pudding made with basmati, cardamom, and cinnamon, and soy milk, fruit salad/mixed fruit, and rice protein shakes. Now, this seems like a bunch of nonsense to me, unless you are willing to make all these things during your 5 days of "detox." I would rather just have fruit for breakfast, maybe some rice pudding if I thought I could make it correctly, or some Kashi. Now, I know you love Kashi, Mara, and so do I, and I don''t see anything wrong with eating it if it''s rice based anyway? I say we adapt our own little healthy eating program at this point. First of all I''m pissed because there is an obvious contradiction in this book and it''s making me look like an ass, second, I would just rather forget about all these crazy recipes and do my own version, which I''m thinking would be more of a peel-and-eat fruit/veggie and some brown rice combo for 5 days, lol!

I never have been a health food nut, maybe it would help if I knew more about some of these products they''re discussing. I don''t pretend to know how to make buckwheat flour pancakes, and I thought you weren''t supposed to eat anything with wheat in it anyway! Arrrgh!

Ok, reigning myself in here, and trying to be calm, hee hee.

All I seriously want to do is adopt a natural diet for a few days and see where it gets me. Thoughts/comments/suggestions? All are welcome!!!

 

[jesterjigger]

Yikes, you guys are brave trying out a new diet. I did the South Beach diet for a month earlier this year, and that was rough. It''ll be interesting to see how it goes for you guys. And how much weight you lose!

I''m new to this board (haven''t ventured off of LIW and BIW until now, though I browse the pretties in Show me the ring), and trying to lose some weight before my wedding next September. My high weight as 148, now I''m down to 142 (after two months of exercising and a month of watching what I eat). I''d like to be down to at least 135 since that seems to be my ideal low weight, but would love to reach 130 so that I have that extra 5 pounds to play with.

I''m stationed in South Korea, and I''m addicted to sweets. It doesn''t help that last night FI used my ice cream maker (Valentine''s Day gift from him) for the first time and made some delicious cookies and cream ice cream. Sigh. It tastes just like Breyers. We did use skim milk though, and I''m asking my mom to send me some cooking splenda, so that should help with the calories a lot.

I ran two miles yesterday and three miles today, tomorrow is a rest day and I''m *really* looking forward to that. I''ve been using www.sparkpeople.com to track my calories and activities.

 

[monarch64]

Hi Jester, and welcome to the workout thread! Good to see you here...I''ve seen your posts before in other forums on PS.

I can''t believe you made cookies n cream ice cream from scratch! That''s pretty cool--especially to me, because I''m kitchen illiterate for the most part, ha ha! Sounds like you will be able to make a healthier version with the skim milk and Splenda, hope it works out. I used to love me some Breyers ice cream, it was my favorite!

This "diet" we''re tossing around is actually from a book called "7-Day Detox Miracle." I brought it up as a suggestion to those who were experiencing a plateau in weight loss, as a sort of kick start to metabolism/weight loss for those who are trying to get rid of those last few vanity pounds. It is somewhat flawed, and was from what I''ve read, intended to help people who have diseases like cancer. It has some great health benefits, though, and several of the case studies within the book state that it is a healthy way to lose a few pounds. It''s a 7 day thing if you want to do the first two days of water fasting or liquid fasting, and then 5 days of eating a very basic diet of fruits and veggies and brown rice and no processed foods. Supposedly it aids in digestion and helps to cleanse your system, particularly the liver and immune system, as well as the digestive tract. Feel free to jump on the wagon...we are trying to come up with sort of a "team date" at this point so we can support each other. If you don''t feel it is an option, rest assured that the workout thread has much more to offer!

 

[Mara]

omg monarch...can i just tell you that the last post about buckwheat pancakes had me in stitches! then i had to fill greg in on what is going on re: the 5 day thing and read him the post too. i don't know why but i could practically hear the hysteria rising in your 'voice'....it just made me laugh so hard how you were like WTF is this wheat stuff and whats up with the nuts?!!? hahahaa.

anyway it does sound kinda funky...but i guess as long as we get the 'jist' it's okay...i am definitely not going to be making any buckwheat pancakes (though i have gotten the organic 'fresh' buckwheat pancake mix from whole foods before where it comes in this little cellophane baggie and it's supposed to be all natural and it has an expiration date so maybe that means it's not processed??) from scratch...i think kashi in the mornings sounds fine (with coffee...hee hee) and some fruit. rice pudding would be fab but i'm certainly not going to make any from scratch for a 5 day thing. also this may sound silly but doesn't rice pudding have some sort of dairy in it???

i don't mind doing the whole rice veggie fruit thing actually....it's not that it's SO restrictive, it's just that i want to be sure i'm doing it right if we commit to doing it (well except for the coffee hee hee) because i'd really like to see the 'results'...is it that we lose some weight, or do we just feel less energy or maybe we feel more energy, or maybe we are visiting the bathroom more or what. hehee.

the interesting thing (just a general note) is that when portia has gotten sick in the past, the vets always tell us that the easiest thing for our bodies (and dogs too) to digest is plain boiled chicken and rice. so i'm kind of surprised that the 'detox' doesn't contain chicken. hehee though i know it's supposed to be like going back to nature or whatever, maybe i am just overthinking it...but i just remembered that chicken and rice tidbit when you posted the rice blurb...because rice does work great for calming a stomach or sickness.

anyhow i am kind of excited (kind of, i am a little apprehensive about my willpower!!) about the whole thing..hee hee. i think adapting it to eat kashi and i will probably throw a handful of plain unprocessed almonds into there too (i may need it for some energy boosts before my workouts that week, who knows). i wonder if we can eat granola like from the bins at whole foods? is that okay? also i will probably continue to eat unprocessed wheat as well as brown rice as i know for me personally wheat is a great source of fiber for my digestive system.

cinderella, did you get the FREE shoes?? i have mine but i haven't really worn them!! i got a 1/2 size larger than i typically wear and my left foot is larger than my right and the right feels perfect but the left just feels a wee bit tight. however my toe is not pushing against the front of the shoe or anything, i am thinking maybe i just need to get used to the tight feel of the shoe? did you notice this too? i also saw how there are 2 inserts you can use for the shoe...did you do this? do you wear socks with yours? anyway i got them last week and i haven't used them at all, i keep thinking i should but i want to 'break them in' but then i always forget until i am heading off to work out. anyway...let me know how you like yours. did you get a cool color? mine are the pink and brown..i love them but i saw on the box that they had a sweet silvery blue that i would have LOVED but they didn't have that one at nordstrom. anyway...report back re: shoes if you would!

oh and an aside note re: that time of the month for us ladies and working out. i read a while back that the week BEFORE your period starts, you can burn up to twice as many calories as normal with your workouts. i don't remember why but maybe your metabolism is higher the week before or something?? anyway i remember reading that and now the week before if i feel tired or not up to really giving my all, i always try to remember, double calories!!! hehee. then the week OF i always feel pretty tired and washed out so i figure that the double calories is the way of making up for not working out the week of or something. hehe.

eta...hey so i guess if we slip up and eat out at all during the 5 days (aka maybe that friday night as we end the 5 day regime)...sushi would be the best option? that way i can stick to veggies and rice and miso i guess?!?!

 

[monarch64]

Well, Mara, you have just got me CRACKING up laughing here over your last post. I am staring down at the keyboard (which I never do) trying to keep a straight face as I type this. You are too, too funny!

Thank you for the belly laugh--I''m sure it will be helpful since I ddint do any kind of ab workout tonight!

Seriously, though, it is late here and I must get some beauty rest so I can make a rational reply to your post in the a.m. I am thinking that we can (all) make a rational decision re. this 7-day detox thing and incorporate it into our diets for a few days, and make a "team effort" of it, hopefully. I know I''m not even trying to make any buckwheat pancakes, that''s for sure. And Mara, I wish you could''ve seen the looks on my face while reading/typing these posts tonight! I definitely had the "WTF?" face going on!

See you all tomorrow! Sweet dreams!

 

[Lorelei]

Well I skipped my workout this morning as my glands are up a bit which happens if I am a bit run down, so I will have a rest day today. Hubby gave me some exercise bands so I might try those out later.

Mara I feel your pain with the weight, I know I would feel so cheated if I had worked hard and was looking good, yet the scales wouldn''t budge

But the last couple of pounds will come off and it sounds like you are looking incredible

Welcome to JJ

How is the weather in Osan?

* 19 days smoke free* way kewl.

 

[Cailet]

Well yesterday my one knee was really bothering me so I just did some easy stuff - stretches/abs and worked around in the yard.

Felt much better this morning and got my 20 min morning cardio in - tonight I think we are going to go swimming and then I''ll do some weights once we get home.

Started out with a nice juicy peach for breakfast and have my water bottle handy at my desk. I''m hoping for 60oz of water at work today.

Lorelei - congrats on the no smoking! my dad has tried for YEARS to quit smoking and never quite gets there - it''s tough work!! keep it up

This 7 day detox sounds like a bit much for me right now - but I''ll definitely give it a go (with modifications of course!)

 

[hlmr]

I have been off the wagon lately, but I just wanted to chime in and congratulate Lorelei on being smoke free for almost three weeks!!!! I hope you have rewarded yourself with a little something! Congrats!!!!!

Everyone else sounds like they are doing wonderfully as well!

I hope September will kick start me back into focusing on eating healthier and exercising more!

 

[Lorelei]

Thanks Cailet and Hlmr for the congrats - I do deserve them!

Hmmmm.....a little treatie for the new non smoker perhaps...well I recently was gifted with a lovely new watch so I don''t know if I will be getting anything else, but maybe some perfume wouldn''t be out of the question...

 

[Rod]

I also want to congratulate my friend Lorelei for staying smoke free!!!!! You''re doing wonderful and I know you can continue for a lifetime!!!

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Had our first gym night of the week last night. Just wasn''t really into it. We''d had a window leak in our new Condo and was concerned about having more water coming through, but by the time I got on the elliptical, I just ran out of gas. I still managed to do a solid 45 minutes, but not at my typical 85 RPM (of course the only machine available, was my least favorite and the hardest to use IMHO), but I just starting running down after 30 minutes.

I got a better nights sleep last night, so hopefully, I''ll have a better gym night tonight.

I''m going to watch you ladies and your brown rice diet from a distance. No book diets for me. I''d get too frustrated. I do wish you all the best and hope it provides the benefit you seek.

Your friend.........