Weekly Workout Thread 16th April till 22nd April

[Rod]

Date: 4/19/2007 8:12:05 PM
Author: gailrmv

Date: 4/19/2007 7:35:39 PM
Author: Mara
okay rod..sorry i know you have told me this before, and i do remember Mura for Sushi but what were the other recommends you had for best eats in Raleigh? I am finally getting around to booking ressies and finalizing everything so let me know what the other places were. I think you had 1-2 recommends for us. we will be there for 3 nights so we plan to eat out each night and then maybe find a good breakfast place for saturday morning.

i am looking at Gayots and they suggested Magnolia Grill or Nana's both in Durham as 15 out of 20 which is the highest rating any Raleigh area restaurants got. 14 out of 20's include some i have seen online like Enoteca Vin, Bloomsbury Bistro, Fraziers, Il Palio, Lantern, Wild Orchid Grill, and Bin 54. Any of those sound familiar?

So far I have avoided chiming in so as not to put too much identifying info on a public website - but I am familiar with the Raleigh/Durham area and can give you some guidance.

First off if you are really thinking of Raleigh, I'd focus on restaurants and such there. Durham is a 30 min drive and so it might not be the kind of place you'd go all the time if you lived in Raleigh. It is a nice city as well, but really a different flavor.

I've never been to Mura, but Sushi Blues is really great as well (Glenwood area). To comment on some of the places you mentioned:

Magnolia: I've never been, supposed to be fabulous - quite expensive though
Il Palio: Excellent (Chapel Hill - another nice area, but a decent drive from Raleigh)
Bin 54: I've never been, but heard it's overrated

If you are going to do Durham, check out Parizade , Four Square and Another Thyme - all excellent

While in Raleigh be sure you check out Cameron Village (and surrounding neighborhoods) and Glenwood South. These are both very nice areas 'inside the beltline' (440) which is the heart of Raleigh. If you want to live in a charming older home with a decent sized lot, this is the place. Prices run about $200/sq foot or more (depending on condition) which is relatively high for here, but may be a lot cheaper than where you are. This is kind of the 'old money' part of town and also undergoing an urban revival with more young people moving into condos and such near Glenwood South. Outside the beltline also has some nice areas, especially North Raleigh between 440 and 540. Here you can get even more value for your housing dollar because it is a newer area. basically the further you go outside of the heart of Raleigh, the cheaper it gets per square foot.

Many people also like Cary, which is a newer city near Raleigh, mostly young couples and families who work for companies in Research Triangle Park. It is supposed to be one of the best places to live in the US for schools, amenities and low crime rate. Many have relocated from elsewhere and it is very diverse. I don't know this area as well.

Rod, I don't mean to pick a fight, but I've lived in Orlando and NC and I actually find the people to be more sophisticated in NC. I think the presence of the major universities and international companies brings a lot of well educated people to the area. But that's just my perception. Regardless I'm so glad you are happy to be home.

Gail, you are certainly not picking a fight with me. And I would agree with you between Orlando and NC. We too lived in Orlando for two years and it's nothing at all like Tampa. Orlando is very transient and service oriented. Tampa's a bit more sophisticated. Don't get me wrong. Raleigh and area is very pretty. The people are nice. The homes affordable, but it's just not the right place for me. I MUST live in a bigger city, and it has to be on the water. And, I'm afraid I absolutely hated winter. The continuous cloudy dreary days and SNOW oh my SNOW (even though there wasn't much of it) was a definite no-no for this sunny warm weather boy! LOL

I agree with you that if time permits they check out Cameron Village. It has the best jewelry store we found in the area too and it's called Baileys. So, Mara could get some nice bling sighting while there too. Restaurants weren't too great at Cameron Village, but it is supposedly the nations oldest outdoor shopping area and it's where the Men's Talbot's is and we certainly spent ooodles of money buying sweaters and coats at Talbot's Men (the Ladies store is right next door).

About Cary. I just don't care for it at all. It's certainly newer. And it's very family oriented. And the homes are like big traditional brick, three car garage homes. But it doesn't have a sense of being established. It's (sorry for the reference) too Disney'esque for my tastes. Every community is much the same. There's a shopping plaza outside most of them. Everything is manicured to perfection. And maybe that's my problem with it. It's just too pristine. That's why had we stayed in the Raleigh area, we would live downtown, with all it's flaws, we liked the more urban and settled feel of the "Inner Beltline" which includes downtown Raleigh (and Cameron Village too).

Again, there are lots and lots of people who absolutely love it up there. And it is a nice place. It just wasn't right for me. Between Raleigh, Cary, Chappel Hill, Apex and Durham, there are about 3 million people who think it's perfect for them.

 

[Mara]

thanks gail and rod!! so what do you guys think about chapel hill and wakefield vs cary etc. what about durham? i would love the feel of an older established town and i am not into disney-esque either rod...what we love about where we are now is that our townhouses are in an established neighborhood yet super close to where downtown is. 3 blocks one way and we are in 1-3million dollar homes and about a 1/2 a mile the other way we are in downtown which is huge. so we kind of get the best of both worlds right now...and i'd love something kind of similar. we don't have to be able to walk to downtown because if we moved we'd be more family oriented, but i love the idea of a small downtown or something that is more established and older feeling yet with maybe some new developments or similar kind of mixed in. anyway that's kind of what we are thinking anyway!!

after work went for a 1.75m walk around the buildings and neighborhoods and then came home...greg was here and portia was excited so we went out for a 1m short walk around our complex so i met my exercise requirements for today hehe. then i put the mondo crab stuffed bella's (mine was 10oz and greg's was 14oz!) into the oven with a little olive oil and some creole seasoning on top and made a mixed greens salad with lf bleu cheese, sliced strawberries and ff raspberry dressing with a lot of fresh cracked black pepper. i seriously LOVE this salad! and i had some brown rice from WF pre-packed so i squeezed some lemon juice and put some dried thyme into the container and then heated it up in the micro...yummy when mixed with the crab stuffed bella. the dinner was awesome! i am so doing the crab stuffed bellas next week too, thanks whole foods. i also found the recipe for them online, i think it was featured on ABC or something so they posted it...so maybe one day i'll try to make my own with lf mayo etc so i know exactly what is going in them...i did ask the guy at the fish dept how much mayo they use and he said not that much, and that it's canola so it's a healthier i guess. basically it's just a bit of olive oil, mayo, bread crumbs, crab, diced red and green pepper, old bay seasoning, paprika, and diced onion then put into a big mushroom cap and baked. they also sprinkled a little parmesan on top of them which melted as they cooked. yum!

today is another lighter day at about 1500 cals including a bit of dessert...which i am really happy about because i had lunch with my girlfriend and we had the splurgey crab mushrooms...but i estimated with a bit of leeway for both meals and ended up really not snacking much today. so i definitely have some leeway this weekend for splurges which is good because we have dinner tomorrow night with my parents, and then saturday we have a BBQ at our house for a bunch of friends...but i know what everyone is bringing and what we are making, and it's like 95% healthy and i am in charge of dessert so i can be sure that's healthy too. hehee. and then sunday we have dinner with my cousin and his wife in a small town just north of SF where they live. so it's an action packed wkd.

anyhow hope everyone is having a great evening!! tomorrow is friday!!

 

[gailrmv]

Date: 4/19/2007 11:24:53 PM
Author: Mara
thanks gail and rod!! so what do you guys think about chapel hill and wakefield vs cary etc. what about durham? i would love the feel of an older established town and i am not into disney-esque either rod...what we love about where we are now is that our townhouses are in an established neighborhood yet super close to where downtown is. 3 blocks one way and we are in 1-3million dollar homes and about a 1/2 a mile the other way we are in downtown which is huge. so we kind of get the best of both worlds right now...and i'd love something kind of similar. we don't have to be able to walk to downtown because if we moved we'd be more family oriented, but i love the idea of a small downtown or something that is more established and older feeling yet with maybe some new developments or similar kind of mixed in. anyway that's kind of what we are thinking anyway!!

I would definitely check out the neighborhoods I mentioned earlier inside the beltline (inside 440) and also the north hills area in north Raleigh. Anywhere in the north/west/northwest part of ITB (inside the beltline) is very nice as well as some parts closer in to dowtown. Not sure what price range you are thinking of, but there's not much in there anymore under $400K and you can go up to $1-2M and higher. In North Raleigh there is a range, probably anywhere from $200K to sky's the limit. From what you're saying you'd probably enjoy ITB or just outside - the areas I mentioned before.

Chapel Hill and Durham are also worth checking out. CH would be my preference between those two - of course it's more expensive than Durham too.

I'm not impressed with Wakefield only because I think it's too far away from where things are going on. I think it will be too small town for you. Scenic though!

If you get serious about living in the triangle, don't write off Cary without at least checking it out. Some love it, some hate it!

I have no personal experience with this realtor but his website has some good raleigh neighborhood info and pics.
http://www.peterrumsey.com/

Rod, good to know about Tampa - I've never spent much time there, it sounds a lot nicer than Orlando! (and Orlando now is even a lot nicer than I remember from before). Re; Winter in NC, if you are a floridian at heart I can see why you don't like it. I don't mind winter and I love spring and fall so it is worth it to me to have the seasons.


Also, SO sorry for the major threadjack!
I just wanted to add on the topic of this thread, I did really well resisting tons of goodies at an awards ceremony I went to - had a few tiny indulgences and that was it! Also passed up a big lunch at work in favor of the healthy lunch I brought. Progress! Have not gotten to work out as much as usual this week because of MAJOR deadlines as I mentioned earlier, but I will definitely get in some good workouts this weekend.

 

[Rod]

Mara, I ditto Gail''s advice. Inside the Beltline was VERY important to us as it''s more established, more urban, but also more expensive. Cary as you know wasn''t the place for us. Chapel Hill is very cool, but it''s also pretty expensive. It''s a college town with the University of North Carolina (UNC) there. But because of that, it''s liberal, older, established, has good restaurants, etc. Durham- Agggghhhhhh NO NO NO

They call Durham the death Capital of the Carolinas. Even though it has the newest mall (The Shops at Southpoint - where the only Nordstrom is - though it''s a smaller Nordies than I''m accustomed to), it''s just not the safest city. A few years ago, I went to a conference in downtown Durham and decided it was a nice night and just went for a walk. When I got back the concierge at the hotel was standing outside and asked if I was just walking around alone? When I commented I was he said........"son, you''re lucky to be alive......they shoot people randomly down here!" I''m like OMG, why, but while we lived in Raleigh, most of the reported shootings mostly took place in Durham. Wafefield, like Gail said is just so small. It is a pretty little town, but so remote and I think you and Greg would be so bored and unhappy in something that size.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Man, you people make me want to pack up and go South! My dad lives in Halifax, NC, and the next time I visit him I'm definitely taking some side trips!

This morning I'm still stuck at the magic minus 16 lb mark, but I put on something that made me feel really thin! I have a bunch of cardigans that I like to just layer over a tank top, and this morning I put on my favorite black tank with my khakis and looked in the mirror and said, DEE--YOU REALY *HAVE* LOST WEIGHT! The biggest thing I noticed is that the tank used to pull a little across the boob area (which always made a little self conscious) so I would keep the cardigans buttoned, but it fits perfectly now--no button-up for me!

So of course I decided to celebrate my new found thinness with a piece of lemon loaf from Starbucks, LOL!

Today I'm having LC for lunch, I've got yogurt and a banana for snacks, and the HH is grilling something for dinner.

I'll call the doc on Monday (she said to give her a few days to get the results from my stress test) and hopefully she'll give me clearance to start working out again since the problem doesn't seem to be heart realated. It's funny many times I've gotten home from work, caught up on all my real estate stuff, and found myself with hours to go until bedtime wishing I could just go to the gym! If you would have told me six months ago that I would MISS going to the gym I would have said you were CRAZY!!

 

[Rod]

Date: 4/20/2007 10:02:28 AM
Author: Dee*Jay
Man, you people make me want to pack up and go South! My dad lives in Halifax, NC, and the next time I visit him I''m definitely taking some side trips!

This morning I''m still stuck at the magic minus 16 lb mark, but I put on something that made me feel really thin! I have a bunch of cardigans that I like to just layer over a tank top, and this morning I put on my favorite black tank with my khakis and looked in the mirror and said, DEE--YOU REALY *HAVE* LOST WEIGHT! The biggest thing I noticed is that the tank used to pull a little across the boob area (which always made a little self conscious) so I would keep the cardigans buttoned, but it fits perfectly now--no button-up for me!

So of course I decided to celebrate my new found thinness with a piece of lemon loaf from Starbucks, LOL!

Today I''m having LC for lunch, I''ve got yogurt and a banana for snacks, and the HH is grilling something for dinner.

I''ll call the doc on Monday (she said to give her a few days to get the results from my stress test) and hopefully she''ll give me clearance to start working out again since the problem doesn''t seem to be heart realated. It''s funny many times I''ve gotten home from work, caught up on all my real estate stuff, and found myself with hours to go until bedtime wishing I could just go to the gym! If you would have told me six months ago that I would MISS going to the gym I would have said you were CRAZY!!

Isn''t it amazing how addictive exercise can become?? I''m not sure if I could handle being told I couldn''t work out, because working out at the gym has become such a big part of my life too. I hope doc let''s you go back to the gym soon!!

 

[Mara]

i don''t know if i posted about this before but i guess they did a study on exercise and depression i think related to the blah winter months, and one of their groups were people who were avid exercisers then told they could not work out for whatever reason ended up being like WAY more depressed than their other groups (which i can''t remember right now), but the article was saying something like exercise helps keep your mood upbeat, even moderate exercise...so while you might be in winter doldrums typically at least moving around and staying active keeps you more upbeat than you would be otherwise, so i can imagine it''s easy to get addicted to that!! maybe even subconsciously, knowing how exercise makes us feel.

anyhow thanks gail and rod for the tips. i would love for us to check out chapel hill and raleigh inside the beltline and see what we can find of interest. in terms of wakefield being small town but pretty, i am curious to see it, because while we live in the biggest city 2nd to san francisco here, we end up driving around to other small towns (aka 10-20 min drive) all the time..aka my parents like 15 minutes away, some of our fave restaurants are like a 20 min drive. we take the train to other cities downtown areas so we don''t have to drive etc. so i am not totally averse to living like 20 minutes out of the bigger city area, as we are already used to driving around a lot here. greg works about 45 minutes away driving wise but since living here, he has been lucky to take the train and his work has a shuttle etc. so it saves a ton on commuting, traffic here is horrible! but we all have pretty much done the 40 minute commute around here at some point in our careers! some people even live in cheaper communities like 2 hours away and drive in for work and back home every day!! we are very lucky to live in the heart of the town and have easy access to many different freeways and the train right here etc.

so the rain started last nite...i''m going to the gym this afternoon so i don''t really care if it rains today other than it would have been nice to walk a bit during the day. i might meet a friend for lunch but not sure, if we do go it''s to this sandwich place we both love right between both our offices...i would typically walk there but not if it''s raining. we are going to dinner with my parents tonite to our fave mexican place. i used to get a cheese enchilada and a beef tamale with rice and beans and sour cream back before i lost my weight...and while sometimes i might feel splurgy, i am going to either get 2 soft chicken tacos tonite with black beans and rice (and snitch some of the refried from greg for a taste) or maybe their albondigas soup which is YUMMY and then get refried beans and rice and call it a meal. i have a lot of cals budgeted for tonite but i keep reminding myself, moderation, i don''t HAVE to use them all!! so anyway because of the dinner i would like to keep it a lighter day so at the sandwich place instead of my usual turkey and avo on 9 grain i am thinking of just getting a bowl of veggie vegetable soup and a fruit cup and then bringing the makings for a turkey avo wrap to work to supplement it later if i need it. the sandwiches at this place are awesome but their bread is fresh baked and i always think ''gosh i know all the cals are in the bread'' and i love the turkey wrap i make which was kind of modeled off of this sandwich at this place but with the 90 cal la tortilla factory wrap and i am always like ''is the sandwich really worth the 400 cals vs 160 for turkey wrap?!''. not really!! and another day like a weekday when we weren''t going to dinner i might go for it, but i am thinking not today. my other idea was to bring enough wrap stuff for both of us and have her meet me at starbucks and we could each get a drink and then eat our wraps and chill out there. i really want to see her more for the ''lets catch up'' aspect than the eating aspect...this is my old coworker that i am friends with at the old psycho job. she is dying to leave still. so anyway we''ll see how it all pans out.

gosh that was a long ramble...!! anyway breakfast was optimum waffles with sliced strawberries and sf syrup, yummy. coffee of course. for snack i am going to do the whole 1/2 toasted english muffin with ls jam again, that was yummy and kept me full til lunch on only 60 cals as a snack. so hope everyone is having a fabulous friday...whee!!!! and hope everyone else has better weather than we do here now. we are having a bunch of friends over on Sat for a ''spring kickoff BBQ'' and it''s supposed to rain. thanks california!!

 

[royalasscherlover]

rod, i have to tell you that i laugh every time you talk about how awful winter was in raleigh (and just so you know it's not personal, my cousin has lived in NC all her life and i do the same thing to her). NC is much warmer than anywhere i've ever lived and gets hardly any snow - my uncle moved there from michigan because he was looking for a place with mild winters. i can certainly understand that it's all relative and was difficult for you, but i find it amusing nonetheless.

we are having beautiful sunny weather here that is supposed to last through the weekend, so i am looking forward to lots of outdoor activities. i'm supposed to go kayaking tomorrow and then for a big hike in one of the state parks on sunday.

i'll try to keep my eating moderate, but tomorrow night will be tough - we're going to a big birthday party at an italian restaurant that serves huge portions family-style, so i'm sure there will be lots of unhealthy things being passed around. i'm going to try to make sure we get a salad or some sort of veggie so that i can fill up on that and keep the pasta portions small. i'm sure i will have wine too...but everything in moderation!

happy friday!

 

[merrijoy]

Date: 4/20/2007 11:33:52 AM
Author: shortblonde
rod, i have to tell you that i laugh every time you talk about how awful winter was in raleigh (and just so you know it's not personal, my cousin has lived in NC all her life and i do the same thing to her). NC is much warmer than anywhere i've ever lived and gets hardly any snow - my uncle moved there from michigan because he was looking for a place with mild winters. i can certainly understand that it's all relative and was difficult for you, but i find it amusing nonetheless.

we are having beautiful sunny weather here that is supposed to last through the weekend, so i am looking forward to lots of outdoor activities. i'm supposed to go kayaking tomorrow and then for a big hike in one of the state parks on sunday.

i'll try to keep my eating moderate, but tomorrow night will be tough - we're going to a big birthday party at an italian restaurant that serves huge portions family-style, so i'm sure there will be lots of unhealthy things being passed around. i'm going to try to make sure we get a salad or some sort of veggie so that i can fill up on that and keep the pasta portions small. i'm sure i will have wine too...but everything in moderation!

happy friday!

Ha! Too funny. So are we! Maggianos. That may be my downfall this week as I adore calimari. Note to self - Must take a small portion and pass along. Enjoy your meal.

ETA: And funny too because it is for my husband's and SIL's Birthdays!

 

[FireGoddess]

I keep wanting to to go Maggianos but there''s always a 2 hour wait and they don''t take ressies. ARGH!!!! I''ve heard it''s really good though.

 

[merrijoy]

Date: 4/20/2007 2:42:18 PM
Author: FireGoddess
I keep wanting to to go Maggianos but there''s always a 2 hour wait and they don''t take ressies. ARGH!!!! I''ve heard it''s really good though.

Hmmm, my SIL did get ressies. We need them as she has 3 kiddos under 7 years old and who wants to wait around two hours with hungry little ones. Not I.

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 4/20/2007 2:55:41 PM
Author: merrijoy

Date: 4/20/2007 2:42:18 PM
Author: FireGoddess
I keep wanting to to go Maggianos but there''s always a 2 hour wait and they don''t take ressies. ARGH!!!! I''ve heard it''s really good though.

Hmmm, my SIL did get ressies. We need them as she has 3 kiddos under 7 years old and who wants to wait around two hours with hungry little ones. Not I.

Did you go on a weekend? I tried on a Friday and a Saturday. Can''t remember if I tried on a Sunday too or just gave up.

 

[merrijoy]

Date: 4/20/2007 3:07:06 PM
Author: FireGoddess

Date: 4/20/2007 2:55:41 PM
Author: merrijoy

Date: 4/20/2007 2:42:18 PM
Author: FireGoddess
I keep wanting to to go Maggianos but there''s always a 2 hour wait and they don''t take ressies. ARGH!!!! I''ve heard it''s really good though.

Hmmm, my SIL did get ressies. We need them as she has 3 kiddos under 7 years old and who wants to wait around two hours with hungry little ones. Not I.

Did you go on a weekend? I tried on a Friday and a Saturday. Can''t remember if I tried on a Sunday too or just gave up.

Yes, we are going tomorrow night. 5:30 pm ressies. The food is ok, not fabulous really. But it is a fun place. I really enjoy their salads. But I can never pass up calimari (unless it is awful). Calimari is definitely my downfall. I don''t really like too many fried foods, but something about fried up squid gets me every time

.

 

[Rod]

Date: 4/20/2007 11:33:52 AM
Author: shortblonde
rod, i have to tell you that i laugh every time you talk about how awful winter was in raleigh (and just so you know it''s not personal, my cousin has lived in NC all her life and i do the same thing to her). NC is much warmer than anywhere i''ve ever lived and gets hardly any snow - my uncle moved there from michigan because he was looking for a place with mild winters. i can certainly understand that it''s all relative and was difficult for you, but i find it amusing nonetheless.

we are having beautiful sunny weather here that is supposed to last through the weekend, so i am looking forward to lots of outdoor activities. i''m supposed to go kayaking tomorrow and then for a big hike in one of the state parks on sunday.

i''ll try to keep my eating moderate, but tomorrow night will be tough - we''re going to a big birthday party at an italian restaurant that serves huge portions family-style, so i''m sure there will be lots of unhealthy things being passed around. i''m going to try to make sure we get a salad or some sort of veggie so that i can fill up on that and keep the pasta portions small. i''m sure i will have wine too...but everything in moderation!

happy friday!

Sorry, I recognize that NC is actually pretty temperate, but after spending 12 years in Tampa, anything colder than 50 degrees is simply TOO cold for this Florida boy. I used to actually hate hot weather. I''m not sure when cold became an issue, but as I''ve gotten older, I find I can escape heat, but cold goes right to your bones. So, I now know I won''t ever live in a cold(er) climate than where I am right now!!

 

[Becky P]

Date: 4/19/2007 12:04:40 PM
Author: Mara
rod so between the marriott and the sheraton which do you think you''d recommend? the pictures online make the sheraton look a little nicer. but we won''t plan to live inside of the raleigh most likely, we just want a nice hotel that is easy to get in and out of while we drive around and check things out. if we moved to raleigh, our lifestyle would most likely not be as it is now, aka walking downtown in a metropolitan area...we''d be more suburbs most likely since one of the only reasons to move out of here would be if we wanted a family and cheaper cost of living. but anyway yeah the whole search for a hotel has kind of made me go hmm about raleigh. not like i was expecting 12 5 star hotels or anything but what abut at least a real 4 star hotel? it just surprised me. anyway congrats on the first job interview, good luck with it!

Mara- I don''t know where the Marriott or the Sheraton are located, but DON''T stay in downtown Raleigh. As Rod mentioned before, it''s in the re-building stages, and is still sort of sketch... and, the ghetto (for Raleigh anyway) is about 5 mins south of there. Glenwood South is definitely the area to go hang out, but there''s not really anywhere to stay around there. I''d recommend staying near the Crabtree area. It''s close to Glenwood South for nightlife, but also close to the expressways and such to get around and check out all the different suburbs and everything. I mentioned in a previous post that we stayed at the Hampton Inn on Glenwood whenever we visited. It may not be 5 star or anything, but the beds are SUPER comfortable, there''s free internet, there''s free breakfast every day, and it was very quiet and clean. And, it''s in a good location. I think you might have mentioned that the Marriott is right near the Hampton, and in that case, if you''re more comfortable with Marriott, stay there. But, I''d base your decision on hotels on the location rather than the # of star... just my opinion of course

 

[Becky P]

Date: 4/19/2007 4:37:37 PM
Author: Rod
Mara, I''d recommend the Marriott at Crabtree Valley. It''s directly across from Crabtree Valley Mall (no high end stores there though, just Macy''s and Hudson Belk and Sears, but it is a nice suburban mall anyway) and an easy drive to the Beltline (440) or most outside areas you might want to check out. The Sheraton is in the middle of downtown and just wouldn''t be that convenient for you I''m afraid. I''ll be really interested in hearing what you and Greg think of Raleigh. It''s a nice place. Full of friendly people. But, ultimately, we''re a bit more urban and cosmopolitan, and it became pretty apparent that long term, I could never really be happy there. Coming back to Tampa has surely made that a reality as we''re so so so happy to be back in Tampa.

HAHA! Oops! Hadn''t read this far down! If Marriott is in Crabtree area, go with it.

p.s. I LOVE Raleigh! I''m so glad we moved here! Right now, while we''re still single, it''s pretty low key, and the nightlife sure isn''t what I''m used to from Chicago and Pittsburgh. But, it''s definitely a place I could see myself living a long time and will be a great place to have a family.

Mara, when are you guys coming out here?? I can show you around if you''d like... with my limited skills since I''m still learning myself of course. When we first came here to visit, we hated it. Then, the more we looked around, the more we liked it. Of course, this is coming from Pittsburgh where it takes at least 20-30 min EACH WAY to get anywhere! Grocery store, Target, Post office, etc. And, in Raleigh, everywhere that there''s housing, there''s a mini-strip mall with literally everything a person could want within less than a 5 minute drive away! It''s SO great!

 

[Mara]

Maggianos has some okay stuff and some good stuff. I really like their basic spaghetti and meatballs, super yummy. Also their iceberg lettuce, bleu cheese, bacon salad is phenom. Calamari is yummy too, and I love their appetizer mussels. And their tiramisu is sooooo good. But their portions are LITERALLY monstrous. I read that the spaghetti small is like 1500 cals and the large is like 3000. So definitely watch the portions there!! Sharing is always good..aka 2 people can share like an app/salad, a small dish, and a dessert and be stuffed. And yeah the wait totally is a drag...reservations are a must and even then sometimes you still have to wait for a table to get up so we have had ressies and still had to wait like 15-30 minutes sometimes. We go liike once a year only because it's so intense haha.

So I ended up not going to lunch with my gf because she ended up taking the day off, BUT I guess we had team lunch scheduled that I didn't know about, they sent me the invite, but somehow it wasn't on my calendar, so I went to that instead! At first I was like Oh Great...lots of lunch cals I don't need today. But they chose a Malaysian place (I love Singaporean/Malaysian food) near us and I looked it up online, and I figured out what was healthy-ish there so I was prepared. The dish I got should have been about 250 cals apparently, but I only ate 1/2 the coconut rice so it might have been more like 200. Then we had this roti (super thin dipping bread) which is like 100 cals for one piece, but we 4 shared 2 pieces and I just had a bit so I figure like 50 cals max with a bit of dipping sauce. They got THREE desserts to share, haha love it...typically I'd be all over it but because we are eating out this wkd so many times I really did not want to do a huge splurge for lunch, so I had the tip of a fried banana but I peeled off all the fried stuff and put literally like a tsp of ice cream on it. Such a dork I know, but I just wanted a taste. I was pretty proud of myself since because I love this type of food, I could have eaten WAY more and polished off the desserts. Thing is I know this place is super close and now that I know a few 'healthy' things on the menu, I can totally get takeout for lunch anytime I want, so that also helped me not want to overdo it today.

Going to the gym after work to do some elliptical, and then off to home to shower and change and then we are meeting my parents for dinner tonite..yummy. Snacks this afternoon are going to be a petite vanilla scone from Sbucks (we have one within walking distance here too and I went this morning with a coworker) and a sliced pear for some protein and fiber before my workout. Hope everyone is having a fabulous Friday!!

 

[Becky P]

I ditto Gail and Rod''s advice. Inside the Beltline is definitely the "coolest" place to be in Raleigh. It''s near Glenwood South, and there''s an area between Glenwood South and Crabtree Valley called "Five Points". It''s one of the old, historical parts of Raleigh, totally gorgeous, huge houses, where 5 roads come together. Plus, Cameron Village is a fun place with lots of shops, but not somewhere that you''d actually eat dinner at or anything. Crabtree Valley is technically North Raleigh, and Brier Creek is on the fringe between North Raleigh and Durham.

In my experience, you can pretty much get anywhere in the greater Raleigh area in 30 mins or less. 30 mins to Chapel Hill. 30 mins to Durham, it''s all SO close compared to other cities I''ve lived in. I agree with Rod that I didn''t care for Cary that much at all... but, then again, there''s SO many people that do, so it''s a personal thing. The Trader Joe''s is in Cary, so that''s a plus for it, but I can get to it from my house in North Raleigh in under 15 minutes - even during rush hour traffic.

If you''ve got 3 nights, I''d suggest spending one over in the North Hills, one down in Glenwood South, and then one over in Chapel Hill. Durham tends to be a lower income, and I haven''t found much over there yet... So far, we haven''t found a Saturday brunch place yet here. But, Bogart''s (which also has dancing on Fri and Sat nights) has a Sunday Jazz brunch.

The website www.downtownraleigh.com has lots of links for things in the Glenwood South area. The link for dining will list out the restaurants and most of them have their individual websites, which include menus so that you can see what you''d like to eat... The website for the North Hills area is www.northhillsraleigh.com It''ll give you info on the shops, restaurants, etc.

I''m not sure if we''re allowed to give personal info here, but we should find some way to connect and I can fill you in more and maybe meet up and show you guys around one afternoon or something...

 

[Skippy123]

Hi All!

I walked 3 miles this morning. I ate gummy bears.

Trying to back on track; I had a sweet tooth today. Otherwise I was good.

Going to step aerobics tomorrow.

Wow, NC sounds like fun!!!!

TGIF.


Thanks all!!!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Hello WWTers!

I''ve been MIA as I was on a business trip early in the week, and then have been playing catchup for the remainder. WOW, I''m sooo glad it''s FRIDAY!

I was in Texas this week, where everything is BIG- including the food! Had dinner at an awesome steakhouse on Tuesday eve, but was v. good. I ordered the 6oz "bar" portion of the filet, and paired it up with asparagus and mushrooms. Oh yeah, we started with a seafood platter, and was relieved when it came to the table and it was all "fresh" (no fried, covered or smothered!). I passed on the salad course, as I knew I had the steak coming up. But, I did cave in and have a couple of bites of dessert- we ordered a HUGE platter to share as there were 8 of us.

I screwed up and had an eggMcmuffin for bfast on Wed morning. Dunno why I cannot make good "fast food" bfast choices. I truly do think that the selections are limited- anyone else agree?? Lunch is no prob- If I''m on the road, I can go to Taco Bell or Subway and find something decent, but bfast is another story. It''s either sugary treats from SBucks, or greasy items from McD''s. UGH.

Activity this week has been zilch, so I''m working to keep the cals low. We have a busy weekend coming up as we''re visiting with friends each nite and helping my parents pack up the house during the daytime. I''m heading to TJ''s to stock up on healthy snacks that I can carry around with me these next couple of days.

My eating today has been great- oatmeal, fage, salmon & asparagus. I''ll have an apple next and then are going out to dinner with friends. I''ve already planned what to have so I''m all set!

I''m just hoping that next week will be less hectic as I don''t have any biz trips, but I leave next Friday for a mini-vacation to New Orleans, and all bets are off when it comes to the cuisine there!

Sounds like everyone is doing great! I skimmed over the posts, but plan to go back and read them more carefully.

Lorelei- You continue to be in my thoughts. I''m hoping you get some zzzzz''s soon!
AG- CONGRATS on your total weight loss- that''s super-impressive
DJ- Glad to hear that you''re tests all came out A-OK
Rod- Your energy and enthusiasm is so evident in your posts. There''s no place like home, right??
Kimberly- As many others have said, trust your gut. John is such a gem!
Skippy- I just have to tell you that I LOVE reading your positive, peppy posts- they always put a smile on my face!
Monarch- Here''s to being smoke-free. Congrats on your accomplishment!
FG- Puffin cereal ROCKS!!
Icekid- Happy belated bday!
Mara- I read the info you posted about air travel and weight gain. As a road warrior, you''d think I''d get used to what air travel does to your body. NOPE. I still feel yucky and bloated afterwards. it really sucks.

Here''s to a great weekend- CHEERS!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Thanks so much to everyone for the good wishes - I''m happy to report that I seem to be healing steadily. I was actually able to go out for a little while today and do a little shopping. I found lots of great stuff at Anthropologie - I had never really shopped there before, but it was really fun, very young and hip and vaguely European. I got a couple of really cute and fun tops and a gorgeous summery skirt.

I also got a pair of jeans that actually stay up and a cute khaki skirt that I think will be great for summer. Most exciting is that all the pants/skirts were size 6!!

So that''s pretty fun, considering that I was (shudder

) a size 12/14 less than a year ago. Ack! I can''t believe I actually admitted that. But hopefully that will help me stay motivated to never go back to that place, because I feel so much better about myself now!!

On a less cheerful note, I''m still on a strictly liquid and VERY soft food diet, and I"m getting really sick of soup and yogurt. I actually made myself a healthy wrap last night on a small La Tortilla factory tortilla and with some melted low-fat cheese, but because I could only chew it with my front teeth (sorry if that''s TMI!), it took me almost 45 minutes to eat it and it HURT!!

So back to soup for me...what I wouldn''t give for a salad!! If any one has any better suggestions for what I might be able to eat, please share, as I''m getting desperate to get something different to eat (especially veggies)!

Congrats to everyone on wonderful sustained progress. I''m so impressed with how everyone is keeping up their healthy lifestyle changes

 

[Rod]

Hey Everyone!!

We had a terrific day in paradise. Charlie and I met at the Mercedes dealer at noon and finally chose a brand new 2007 Black SLK 350, with Black leather (a classy combination imho). We take delivery of it tomorrow morning. It will be fun to have a convertible again and Florida''s a great place to have one as we can drop the top nearly every single month of the year.

I scheduled anothe interview for next week. But don''t really have a clue what it''s about. I responded to a posting on CareerBuilder and it was pretty vague. They look for six figure earners, with management expertise, blah blah. The admin person who scheduled me simply said the Tampa VP was impressed with my credentials and wanted to meet with me. I guess I''ll learn more next week.

Then, since we don''t go the gym on Friday''s, I went for a longer run than I did on Monday. It was just SO fantastic. This time, I ran over 4 miles, which was my goal. It was a beautiful afternoon for a run. It was just a little breezy, the sky was blue and it just felt so nice to be running again. I know I sound like a broken record, but having the opportunity to run (and live) on Bayshore Boulevard and see dophins jump and the city skyline while running is just the best there is. I am eternally grateful to be back where I am truly happy. Monday, will be my next day for a run on Bayshore and I plan to run at least 5 miles. My goal is to be able to comfortably run up to 8 miles, but that may take some time. I''ll actually be happy with a 5 mile run.

Of course we had dinner at our favorite Sushi place (Yoko''s) and it was just wonderful like always. From there, we went to Starbucks and with Panera right next door, I treated myself to a Tart Chery Scone and cup of coffee. We sat under the Century old oak tree and watched people, which is so much fun to do at this Starbucks.

We''re picking the car up at 11:00 tomorrow morning. Then, we''ll have a bite to eat and hit the gym. Tomorrow night, we''re going to have to take the car across one of the bridges between Tampa and St Petersburg to enjoy having a convertible again driving over the bay and find a nice restaurant on the water. Even unemployed, life is pretty darn nice right now - Woo Hoo!

I hope everyone''s having a great start to the weekend and your weekend is as nice as can be!

Oh and Skippy, while the gummy bears and walk don''t quite go together, chances are the sugar you ate didn''t do any harm.

And you too Chargergrrl, I wouldn''t worry too much about the Egg McMuffin. Actually, of all the foods McDonalds has, that''s the only item (except I guess a Filet of Fish sandwich) that I actually enjoy. Don''t beat yourself up either. It''s hard to make great and healthy eating choices when traveling.

 

[Rod]

Date: 4/20/2007 8:03:58 PM
Author: AmberGretchen
Thanks so much to everyone for the good wishes - I''m happy to report that I seem to be healing steadily. I was actually able to go out for a little while today and do a little shopping. I found lots of great stuff at Anthropologie - I had never really shopped there before, but it was really fun, very young and hip and vaguely European. I got a couple of really cute and fun tops and a gorgeous summery skirt.

I also got a pair of jeans that actually stay up and a cute khaki skirt that I think will be great for summer. Most exciting is that all the pants/skirts were size 6!!

So that''s pretty fun, considering that I was (shudder

) a size 12/14 less than a year ago. Ack! I can''t believe I actually admitted that. But hopefully that will help me stay motivated to never go back to that place, because I feel so much better about myself now!!

On a less cheerful note, I''m still on a strictly liquid and VERY soft food diet, and I''m getting really sick of soup and yogurt. I actually made myself a healthy wrap last night on a small La Tortilla factory tortilla and with some melted low-fat cheese, but because I could only chew it with my front teeth (sorry if that''s TMI!), it took me almost 45 minutes to eat it and it HURT!!

So back to soup for me...what I wouldn''t give for a salad!! If any one has any better suggestions for what I might be able to eat, please share, as I''m getting desperate to get something different to eat (especially veggies)!

Congrats to everyone on wonderful sustained progress. I''m so impressed with how everyone is keeping up their healthy lifestyle changes

So sorry your still experiencing pain and discomfort. Where do you live, if you don''t mind me asking? We have an Anthropolgie in Hyde Park Village in Tampa and I didn''t realize it was a chain.

Anyway, just wanted to wish you well and hope you heal very soon. You might want to go a Smoothie King and have a Muscle Milk with Yogurt Protein Shake. They''re yummy and a complete meal replacement with protein and vitamins to boot.

Feel Better!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Hey Rod - thanks so much for the good wishes. We are in San Francisco - I was born and raised in this area and I love it, and my DH fell in love with it when he visited while we were in college. There''s an Anthropologie in downtown SF and also one across the Golden Gate Bridge, which is where I went today. It is a chain, although I haven''t been to enough of them to know for sure if they all carry the same stuff.

That smoothie sounds SO GOOD! We have Jamba Juice instead of Smoothie King here, but I bet they make something similar. Maybe I''ll go get one tomorrow since I''m on my own since hubby is out tomorrow. I LOVE smoothies - that''s such a great idea now that I''m well enough to go out and get one!

Your new car sounds AMAZING - I agree that black w/ black leather is a classy combo. My DH has recently developed a car obsession - I''ll have to tell him about your SLK. He''s obsessed with getting a Porsche, but that probably won''t happen for a while, since the costs of living in this area are so high and I still need to finish grad school and get a realy job...

I hope you and Charlie have an awesome time driving your new car - convertible + Florida sounds like a great combo!

 

[Skippy123]

Okay, I had to pop in real quick.

Chargergirl; you are so sweet and you made me feel like a million bucks!!! Thank you very much. Glad you are back!

AG, awesome about the new clothes and new size!!! Hope your mouth gets better; take it easy.


Rod, Here is why I am popping in. SLK, BABY!!!!!!!! I am sooooo excited for you; you better post pics when you get it! Also, post pics of you in it; we want to see those muscles in that nice car. heehee

Best wishes for Tuesday!

Mara! Thanks for all your encouragement!

TGIF! Looking forward to step tomorrow, especially since one of my gym friends is expecting me there; no letting friends down.

 

[gailrmv]

Mara, I agree with Becky''s advice on where to hang out while you are in the triangle.
Also, I have a different opinion of Durham than Becky and Rod. While there are some rougher, lower income parts of town (probably more so than other parts of the Triangle), there are also some great things to do there. As Rod mentioned the Streets of Southpoint is (in my opinion) the best mall in the triangle. There is also some fabulous dining in downtown Durham and especially the part near Duke. Also, Duke University chapel and Duke Gardens are absolutely amazing. (There is an insane waiting list to get married there!) Also, there is a minor league baseball team and there is a new dining outdoor area near it which is really nice. There are lots of nice historic areas to visit as well. So, in my opinion certain parts of Durham are to be avoided, but overall it is a nice place.

So I got a burrito for lunch today at one of those healthy mex chains, and I was so full that I was tempted to skip dinner altogether. DH was hungry so I made grilled salmon, whole wheat penne (OK, a grown up version of mac and cheese) and sugar snap peas. I also ran 4 miles and timed my last mile and it was 9:10. That is faster than I go usually, especially for my last mile, so I was really happy with that.

Although my progress is not as obvious on the scale as I would like, it is definitely great to realize that 2 years ago 3 miles was all that I thought I could do and now 4 miles is an easy day.

AG your progress is really amazing! How have you done it? Hope your teeth heal soon!

 

[Mara]

thanks gail, beck, and rod for the additional insight. i also was researching the restaurants today...not sure where we will go just yet but i gotta say MURA is at the top of our list. maryland blue crab rolls?! all over that!!! their specialty roll list is fab!! most of the restaurants recommended here looked yummy, just have to narrow it down to where we might want to be and eat on which night. gail, foster''s market looks really cool for our saturday breakfast before we head out on the road, and we can get sandwiches most likely there too for the road so we don''t have to stop at a fast food restaurant hehee. we''ll see how it works out. becky thanks very much for the offer to show us around, but we have our own mental agenda and will be mostly just driving around checking out various areas to live and work all that rather than solely sightseeing.

charger, don''t feel guilty about the egg mcmuffin, i actually love the mcdonalds sausage mcmuffin with egg and we get them when we travel sometimes via car...it''s like a guilty pleasure. and i think i read on the mcondalds nutrition thing that it was only like 350 cals. which really is not that bad for a breakfast.

AG re: soft foods to eat...how about things like cream of wheat or oatmeal, scrambled soft eggs maybe? also milkshakes...you can do a frozen yogurt kind of smoothie too, or jamba juice of course. also drinks like slim fast or ensure (ensure will help you get nutrients that you would otherwise most likely get in foods). what about those TJ''s rectangular soup boxes, love the corn chowder and tomato red pepper one. honestly when i had my wisdom teeth out i was such a baby and i didn''t eat hard food for almost 2 weeks. i was DYING for a good steak and i didn''t even really like meat that much back then (i was 17)...it was so ironic. and congrats woman on the small size pants, that feels sooo fabulous doesn''t it?

rod congrats on the convertible, woo hoo. sounds like you guys will be making great use of it too.

by the way FG..did you know that Puffins comes in Peanut Butter too? yep i saw them at the store the other day...and thought of you. hehee.

so got in a walk this afternoon, about 1m and then went to the gym after work as well. burned 400 cals in 48 minutes on the elliptical on a low level. the scale also was still showing the ~2-3lb weight loss from earlier this week which is interesting. i would imagine it''s mostly because my eating has been very good this week, but after this foodgasmic weekend, i''m sure it''ll be back up hehe. but it definitely goes with my theory that it''s mostly food and some workout rather than all workout not much food that makes differences for me. also i think mostly walking is also keeping me leaner. anyway a little interesting.

dinner tonite was with my parents at our fave mexican place. i got a coke (gosh it''s been forever, it tasted so odd at first) and chicken soft tacos with flour tortillas and all the goodies on the side. i used a little sour cream, guacamole, and cheese with my beans and lettuce on the tacos. i had refried beans and rice as well, mixed with some sour cream, verra tasty. we love mexican food, but one of the requirements for me is fabulous beans and rice and this place has seriously yummy ones. hehee.

anyhow, hope everyone had a wonderful evening!! happy saturday morning.

 

[KimberlyH]

Happy Saturday All,

Just a quick check in before we head to the airport, I''ll have to catch up later. Yesterday was my worst food day on this trip. We went to a Cubs game and I ate a hot dog and had some hot chocolate (which was only luke warm, damn it!) and then to Giordano''s for dinner, not too healthy.

We''ve walked at least 5 miles every day we''ve been here though, which is awesome as I feel like at least I got some good exercise in. John teases me that I become "citified" when we''re either here or in New York, that I walk faster and with a swagger.

Now it''s back home to San Diego...this has been such a bittersweet trip.

Hope everyone is doing great.

~K

 

[Mara]

yay kimberly, you know what...i wouldn''t worry about your eating at all. i posted previously about how there was that article about how the Amish people don''t have any sort of weight issues really and it''s because they clocked them at walking about 7m per day total with pedometers and they eat pretty heavy breakfast, lunch and dinners for the most part. so if you were walking 5m a day that''s about 10k steps and more than enough to offset one or two bad eating days. staying active is so important while traveling. when i went to NYC last november, we walked a ton and we ate a ton and i didn''t gain any weight. same with vegas too. so as long as you were active i think you are fine.

when we go to the east coast i am already planning out my gym and walking schedule so i can get a workout in about 5 days out of 8. even just walking 2-3 miles around greg''s dad''s house (which is kind of in the country) 1-2 days and then doing the gym in raleigh and then at greg''s mom i should be fine with whatever i eat while out there. i just don''t want to gain obviously, or if i do gain, hopefully just 1-2 lbs and nothing crazy.

anyhow, hope you had a fun time!!

breakfast this morning was optimum waffles, i am addicted to these things. i need a new box already. there are only 6 in a box so 3 mornings and they are gone! i used a bit of real butter today as i made greg some regular blueberry special K ones that i had in the freezer and i gave him real butter for his so i took a bit of it and then used my sf syrup with a bare touch of smuckers blueberry syrup for a little extra flavor. yummy.

it is supposed to rain today and we are having a bunch of our friends over for a BBQ...but it was sunny earlier (though now it is kind of gray) so not sure what the weather is going to do today! i don''t need it to be 85 but it''d be nice to get some sun for the ''first spring bbq'' lol. on the menu is grilled tandoori shrimp, grilled corn, strawbery bleu cheese salad, deviled eggs with bacon (and lf mayo), chips and salsa, some sort of veggie that my friend is bringing, pasta salad that another friend is bringing, and dessert which i am still noodling over...there are so many ways to go but i think i am going to take the easy route and get a few containers of the 120 cal gelato that we love and just serve a scoop up to everyone with some fresh sliced strawberries on top and a biscotti. that''ll be easy and light. oh and i am making white sangria which i LOVE...can''t wait to make that early this afternoon and let it marinate for 4-5 hours in the fridge before serving. i tried to keep 99% of the stuff on the menu healthy but i''m sure one or two people will bring something evil that i will have to make them take home with them. heehe.

so in a while i am heading off to the trail/park to do a 3.5m walk and then after that i am hitting up whole foods, trader joes and our regular grocery store. i hate having to go to 3 stores to everything i need but oh well. plus i can finally stock up at TJ''s for the upcoming week with stuff. i just haven''t been able to get over there til now.

hope everyone is having a great saturday so far!!

 

[kcoursolle]

I managed to go for a nice long run today, about 40 minutes. I feel great. I only ended up working out twice this week, but I ate well so I feel okay about the week. Sometimes it''s a slow start to getting back in shape.