Weekly Workout Thread 2nd October - 8th October

[JCJD]

FINALLY! I can come back to the WWT without hanging my head in shame! I really, actually, went to yoga again last night! 1 hour of Pilates/yoga combo, and I actually worked up a sweat. I''ve been so busy with homework and teaching and grading and research that something was going to have to give, and unfortunately that was a bit of sleep and exercise. And as a consequence, I''m sleepy and have gained back a pound (151 now), but at least I have my homework and grading nearly caught up...for now...

 

[KimberlyH]

Morning All!

I did 15 min. on the elliptical yesterday and the foot responded decently. I had two shooting pains afterwards but then all calmed down.

Mara: Thanks for the article! I am a "do 5 things at once" person as well as a fidgeter, I think it does help! When does the new job start? Are you excited?

Lovelylulu: I had my wisdom teeth out and went on a road trip the next day when I was 19. It was really no big deal for me. I hope your experience is as positive.

Curls: Don''t beat yourself up! We all have bad eating days. It''s the overall affect of exercise and eating good (with not so good in moderation because it is necessary, in my mind) that matters. And welcome!

Hope everyone has a great day!

 

[lovelylulu]

kimberly: I, too, hopt to be one of those encouraging stories, and I barely come out of the process with a bruise

and on a completely unrelated note:

Honeycrisp apples are amazing! juicy and sweet and never mealy.

 

[Mara]

hehe lulu, i am sure i was the wussy extreme...i know other stories from people who had no problems! i had a lot of pain and bleeding and i am just a total wuss about pain anyway. hopefully you will be FINE in a few days and eating apples!

went to the gym today after my dentist appt...haha...greg called it 'two forms of punishment day'... i was feeling kind of tired but i ended up powering through and burning 550 calories and walking 3.80 miles on the treadmill at an incline average of about 9. its funny, does anyone else start their workout and kind of feel really tired and struggle for the first 15 min or so?? i totaly feel like 'gosh how can i get through 40 minutes' and then suddenly around minute 20 it all kind of becomes a bit easier or maybe my body adjusts and then i can go til 60 minutes! i usually set the treadmill to 40 minutes and then as i get to 37, i up it to 43...then to 45 then to 50 then to 55. it's funny how playing those 'mental games' with yourself can get you to go longer and farther. but if i set the treadmill to 60 minutes from the start i think i'd mentally be like 'wow i have so far to go!'.

dinner is going to be inspired by i think it was lulu from last week's thread? with the chicken and the tzatiki in pita? anyway, we are grilling some chicken marinated in lemon and dijon then we'll put it in with the tza in pita. and i'm making that yummy salad i had thta my coworker made the other day...with olives and feta and the low-fat champagne dressing. i found it at the store. it's Girards...the lowfat only has 5g of fat and the regular has 16! and i SWEAR the lowfat is super yummy. i am super picky about dressings and this is divine. i can't wait to eat this salad. so that's our dinner tonite. yum!!

kimberly, i am definitely excited about the new job! i start in about 1.5 weeks...after i finish off some clients projects at my existing job. i'll be sad to leave all the great people at my current gig, but i am looking fwd to getting back into marketing at this new place. we are actually going to a tradeshow in NYC in nov so jumping right into things!

hope everyone is else is doing something fun and had a good workout!!

 

[bookworm21]

I was bad today; I went and got a haircut, and that took two hours out of my day in the afternoon. Then I had to get some reading done, and THEN I had to go visit a friend that just had a baby, I couldn''t resist, he''s the cutest thing ever!!

So I skipped my workout today, ate a bunch of junk food, and basically slacked. I need to get back on track, but it''s so difficult. The worst part is that I feel like crap after eating all that junk, but I can''t seem to stop myself once I get started. I just threw out a bunch of candy today, I think I''m going to throw out the chocolate too.

Anyway, sounds like everyone here is doing great! Keep up the good work everyone, and hopefully, I''ll be able to check in with a good-girl report tomorrow!

 

[bookworm21]

Oh, and Mara, here''s a link to the locations of the Whole Foods that carry the peasant pies that I''m always eating; these are the ones close to your area, I think:

http://www.peasantpies.com/locations_southBay.html

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 10/4/2006 9:34:12 PM
Author: Mara
hehe lulu, i am sure i was the wussy extreme...i know other stories from people who had no problems! i had a lot of pain and bleeding and i am just a total wuss about pain anyway. hopefully you will be FINE in a few days and eating apples!

went to the gym today after my dentist appt...haha...greg called it 'two forms of punishment day'... i was feeling kind of tired but i ended up powering through and burning 550 calories and walking 3.80 miles on the treadmill at an incline average of about 9. its funny, does anyone else start their workout and kind of feel really tired and struggle for the first 15 min or so?? i totaly feel like 'gosh how can i get through 40 minutes' and then suddenly around minute 20 it all kind of becomes a bit easier or maybe my body adjusts and then i can go til 60 minutes! i usually set the treadmill to 40 minutes and then as i get to 37, i up it to 43...then to 45 then to 50 then to 55. it's funny how playing those 'mental games' with yourself can get you to go longer and farthtreadmill to 60 minutes from the start i think i'd mentally be like 'wow i have so far to go!'.

Definitely! I hate the beginning, but know if I stick with it I will start to adjust and then enjoy it! It always happens to me, but it is getting easier knowing I wll 'work' out of it!

 

[Rod]

Date: 10/5/2006 7:20:38 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 10/4/2006 9:34:12 PM
Author: Mara
hehe lulu, i am sure i was the wussy extreme...i know other stories from people who had no problems! i had a lot of pain and bleeding and i am just a total wuss about pain anyway. hopefully you will be FINE in a few days and eating apples!

went to the gym today after my dentist appt...haha...greg called it ''two forms of punishment day''... i was feeling kind of tired but i ended up powering through and burning 550 calories and walking 3.80 miles on the treadmill at an incline average of about 9. its funny, does anyone else start their workout and kind of feel really tired and struggle for the first 15 min or so?? i totaly feel like ''gosh how can i get through 40 minutes'' and then suddenly around minute 20 it all kind of becomes a bit easier or maybe my body adjusts and then i can go til 60 minutes! i usually set the treadmill to 40 minutes and then as i get to 37, i up it to 43...then to 45 then to 50 then to 55. it''s funny how playing those ''mental games'' with yourself can get you to go longer and farthtreadmill to 60 minutes from the start i think i''d mentally be like ''wow i have so far to go!''.

definitley! I hate the beginning, but know if I stick with it I will start to adjust and then enjoy it! It always happens to me, but it is getting easier knowing I wll ''work'' out of it!

Me too......There are many times I don''t think I''ll make it through the first 15 minutes, but somehow the energy comes and by the time my workout is finished I feel energized.

So, I did a complete and full workout yesterday. My back is much better so I''m pretty much back to where I was. I must admit that working out in the afternoon is much nicer and way less crowded than the evening. Not much else to report on the job front. I am now adding Chicago to the list of possible cities. How''s that for a major change. From tropical and no winter whatsoever, to extreme cold and snow?

Got to run. Hope everyone has a great Thursday.

 

[Cailet]

Mara - can you come to my house and cook for me? seriously - you always post the most tasty sounding recipes. I guess I'll have to get over to cooking light and check that site out.

Tomorrow is Day 10 of my 10 day quick start. Defintiely a good "get the body going" program. Going over to the 2nd hand fitness place today to check out what they have in stock. My plan is to try and purchase by end of the month. That way I get a good month in before the holidays start and it will be easier to stick to a program (for me at least!0

hope everyone is doing well!
My food intake has been slipping this week (had a test on Sunday - online course and another test last night for my night class -- so studying kind of overruled grocery shopping!) Hopefully I will get it back on track today and be able to finish up the week strong!

ETA: Glad your back is feeling better ROD!!

 

[KimberlyH]

Morning!

RE: adding minutes on, I always do it by calories, I want to burn X amount. But I totally relate.

We had veal and green beans w/ onions and fruit salad for dinner last night, good stuff.

I did 30 minutes on the elliptical this morning, I just need to keep working at it...but am so excited to be increasing time as I was getting a bit more than stir crazy without the consistent exercise.

Mara, I''m glad your looking forward to the change. I always love starting new jobs, even if it''s a bit sad leaving the old.

Happpy Thursday Eating and workouts all!

 

[akw94]

Hi all,
I completed my 4 day goal yesterday! Yay! I''m happy to have finally accomplished that b/c it''s been awhile since the last time I kept to my goal. I still plan to workout at least once more this week, prob. Sat. when I take my son to his class at the gym. Maybe tonight though b/c then I could do a little shopping on Sat. while he''s at his class!

Anyway, no morning exercises this morning but I will definitely at the least do those tonight.

Off to get home... Today has been a long day! So glad tomorrow is Friday.

Btw, Rod, thanks for your list of supplements. One of these days soon I will check out that store so that I can start taking something. I definitely believe in all that stuff.

Cinderella, try not to beat yourself up about not working out. I am the same way about eating junk food. I really have to keep completely away from it b/c my willpower is terrible once I get started. And then I find if I have something really good and chocolatey, I want more the next few days.

But maybe you can workout tonight, do some at home exercises or a tape to make you feel a little better about what you ate.

 

[Mara]

went to trader joes today, i am trying to do more shopping there since it''s CHEAPER than wf...hehee.

i got some go lean power bars and some Luna ones which are new to me. the go lean ones are YUMMY, like a candy bar but much more nutritious. i find that i can eat these as a snack between meals for a quick 200 cal and high fiber/protein thing. i get the chocolate ones and peanut butter etc so it''s more like a ''treat'' as well as healthyish.

i got a refrigerated pizza as well that is fresh with veggies like mushrooms and cheese and tomatoes, best part is that the whole mini pizza (fairly big!) is only 440 calories and about 10g of fat. perfect for a lunch or an easy dinner for one person. another reduced fat greek salad (really yummy and only 130 calories, perfect for pairing with a lean cuisine!), and some other stuff for dinner. TJ''s is turning out to be great for pre-pak food kinda stuff that fits in my caloric and fiber/protein/sugar intake for the day. i will have to stock up before my new job too!

i''m actually doing artichoke ravioli tonite with a light white wine fresh herbed sauce i found online...so that should be yummy! maybe a salad on the side. today for breakfast was cereal and soy milk and coffee; lunch was the leftover chicken tzatiki in whole wheat pita from last nite, yum!!! and snack is my luna bar. then i might have a fruit before workout or something. kickboxing tonite!!

yay for you kim on being able to work out again with the foot...i will keep my fingers crossed for you. kudos dixie on 4 workouts this week, that is awesome! my 4th is tonite too! lol cailet re: the food...i am a total foodie so part of my struggle is finding things that we love to eat that are TASTY and healthy too. i find that cooking with fresh stuff is always the more tasty route and my cooking skills have TOTALLY improved in the last year. it is much easier for me to improvise or find a recipe online that i can adapt...also the internet is a huge assist for finding modified recipes. the artichoke ravioli for tonite are from TJ''s but i wanted a sauce and decided pesto was too heavy, so i went online and looked for sauces that people commonly pair with artichoke ravioli and found one that sounded good but i am adapting it to use white wine instead of chick broth and also adding some garlic and lemon just because we love those two things! so should be tasty!

yay rod on getting back into the swing of things as well. everyone is doing wonderfully. cinderella get back on the wagon girl!! i am going to check out that link right now. haha.

 

[Curls]

So I did go walking! Horray for me!

I''ve also been eating really well, only low calorie and low fat foods not a single coke or sweet tea. (Only the fellow southerners, if there are any, will understand how hard it is to give up sweet tea.)

I need to find some way to work more vegetables and fruits in my diet. I almost never get my 5 servings a day. I just don''t really care for vegetables all that much unless they''re smoothered in unhealthy things and I like fruit but rarely crave it. So what do you all do? Do you sneak them into other foods or am I the only one who isn''t crazy about them?

Mara, I''ve never had artichoke ravioli, had them seperate but not together, but it sounds really good. Now, an artichoke is a vegetable I can happily eat. I love white wine sauces too. Hope it turns out as good as it sounds.

Lulu, I''ve had my wisdom teeth out too, in some ways it wasn''t so bad...lots of sleeping right after and all the ice cream you could ever want and not feel guilty. Oh, and people will feel bad for you, at least the first couple of days and you''ll get lots of pampering even if you don''t really need it.

Dixie and Cailet, way to go on working out so hard.

Rod, if you don''t mind me asking, how did you hurt your back? Is it a long term or short term problem? The reason I''m being noisy is my boyfriend has a bad back from an injury a couple of years ago and he''s looking for exercises that won''t exacerbate the pain.

Kimberly, your foot seems to be doing well, you''ve doubled your work out in a day. These injuries, the hurt foot, the hurt back, didn''t occur shortly after joining the Weekly Workout Thread did it? Do I need to worry and wrap myself in bubble wrap?

 

[Rod]

Hey Curls........I've had issues with my lower back since I was a teenager. There's a fused disc at the base of my spine and most of my adult life I've lived in constant pain and lived from chiropractor visit to chiropractor visit. Of course being 50 pounds overweight only hurt (pun intended) the situation. Since losing the 50 pounds and working out in the gym 5 - 6 days a week, I've strengthened my core considerably and have actually spent months pain free and been able to do things I thought quite impossible. So, to answer your question, it seems that my back responds poorly to stress. In fact, if I'm really stressed, my back will go out in a heartbeat. The move recently to our new home was very stressful. The condo tower we moved into wasn't ready. They told us they had a certificate of occupancy when they did not and when the fire marshall found us moving in, they locked us out of our new home with only the clothes on our backs. Boom, that was a serious stress builder and my back went out immediately. Now, I've been laid off and wondering how in the world I'm going to be able to continue paying for this million dollar condo and that's another high level of stress. So out went my back again. Now I'm calming down and feeling better, but I realize that no matter how much core strength I develop I may not be able to ever completely elliminate some degree of back problems caused by stress. There is one bright side though and that is that the episodes of back issues are greatly reduced in time since becoming more fit. My chiropractor is astonished at how quickly I now recover when I'm hurt. It used to take weeks to get better. Now, it's only a few days and I'm back in the gym. So, working out and strengthening the core is extremely important to me.

Sorry for the long winded response. Tell your boyfriend that core training is the answer. It is fundamental to everything we do in life and a stronger core will definitely help him. I highly recommend (here goes Rod with that darn book recommendation again) 'Core Performance Essentials' by Mark Verstegen. Get if for your boyfriend at Borders or order it online. Hope it helps.

 

[akw94]

Curls, way to go on your workout today! 30 minute walks 4 times a week are great! I would like to work out 6 times a week too but haven''t quite gotten up to that level. I did do my 5th day today although the tape I did wasn''t as hard so it didn''t feel like as good a workout as the others. I am going to supplement w/some other exercises tonight.
I have thought about Weight Watchers. I even went to a meeting at my office but they didn''t seem to encourage exercise and that group seemed to be a lot of people who were just getting started. My biggest problem is motivation, not necessarily learning what to do and what not to do. So I wasn''t sure if it would really help me. I could see how counting points would work though, my problem is that I don''t always stick to stuff like that. For awhile, I was tracking calories but it just became too much and I stopped. That''s why I like the idea of prepared meals....easy, easy, easy and I know I''m eating right. Still thinking about my options! I think if I could just get myself to cook and plan more, I''d be ok.
And of course, stick w/my workouts!!

 

[akw94]

Date: 10/4/2006 11:57:30 AM
Author: Mara
i woke up this morning and had a random thought. a few weeks ago greg had some article that said that fidgeters burn more calories by being fidgety! i''m a fidgeter so i was like WOO HOO. i am going to try to find it and see if i can post a link or something. so not being able to sit still isn''t always a bad thing.

I love it! I am a fidgeter too! Yippee!!

 

[Rod]

Date: 10/5/2006 8:42:32 PM
Author: dixie94
Curls, way to go on your workout today! 30 minute walks 4 times a week are great! I would like to work out 6 times a week too but haven''t quite gotten up to that level. I did do my 5th day today although the tape I did wasn''t as hard so it didn''t feel like as good a workout as the others. I am going to supplement w/some other exercises tonight.
I have thought about Weight Watchers. I even went to a meeting at my office but they didn''t seem to encourage exercise and that group seemed to be a lot of people who were just getting started. My biggest problem is motivation, not necessarily learning what to do and what not to do. So I wasn''t sure if it would really help me. I could see how counting points would work though, my problem is that I don''t always stick to stuff like that. For awhile, I was tracking calories but it just became too much and I stopped. That''s why I like the idea of prepared meals....easy, easy, easy and I know I''m eating right. Still thinking about my options! I think if I could just get myself to cook and plan more, I''d be ok.
And of course, stick w/my workouts!!

Dixie, I am of the opinion that weight watchers and most other "diet" regimens are short term bandaids that do not address the fundamental problems people have with long term weight loss. I''ve known so many people who take the pounds off, only to have them come right back on when the ''diet'' is over. It''s actually dangerous for people to lose weight, gain it back, lose it again and go through an up and down cycle over and over again. To me, weight loss is a simple matter of math. Burn more calories than you put in and you''ll lose weight. One doesn''t need to pay someone to figure that out. And while one''s at it, the calories one consumes should be healthy calories. Avoid high fatty and sugar filled foods. Be careful with carbs unless you need them for energy to fuel a workout. Avoid donuts, cakes, pies, ice cream. Potatoes are fine, just don''t put globs of butter and sour cream on one. Avoid anything that is fried. Eat broiled or baked meats and fish. Eat lots of veggies. For a snack eat fresh fruit. Common sense foods that are well balanced will do the trick. And exercise. Get your metabolism moving. Even if you miss a day working out, if you''ve moved your metabolism up a notch, it''s still working when you''re not.

Sorry if my banter offends anyone who believes in weight watchers or any other weight loss programs. I think they''re nothing but money making machines and they get lot''s of repeat customers because people lose and regain all the time under their guidance. So.....that''s my .02 worth

 

[Mara]

I agree Rod. Those places are just total cash cows and people do yo-yo all over the place many times. I mean technically it's not rocket science to figure out what to put in your body and what is not good. Even I know that donuts and ice cream are bad but yet I want to eat it sometimes. I think that moderation is key. And working out. Since typically most people can't lose weight doing one or the other but not both. The whole points system with WW is easy but basically it's just calorie counting but its point counting. And if you cook fresh from home a lot then it can be hard to follow the system if you don't know what each actual ingredient means in points.

I have adopted the calories in vs out thing and it has really worked out for me. Before I thought 'oh I should just cut out carbs' or 'I should eat less fat' and while that was a step in learning more about fat or carbs...in reality just knowing what you are eating and what is going in and going out makes sense for me and it's much easier. Sure sometimes I don't know exactly what my day of calories entails but I can get the 'vibe' of whether it was good or bad. Now it takes me just a few minutes each day to determine what I am going to eat for the day and to mentally track my calories. I know what type of calories my workouts burn. So I have a good idea of how my day goes without spending a bunch of time on it.

If you like or need to have some prepared meals, eat something like Lean Cuisines for lunch. They definitely are great a few times a week for me. But I also have found that I seem to just naturally eat more healthy when I am not eating a ton of pre-prepared meals or things from a box or can. Or I get something like the fresh salads at WF or TJ's or eat hummus or something..things that I know are healthy but taste GOOD. Since I love food and how it tastes. So there's healthy FRESH prepared, then there's frozen prepared, then there's just icky prepared. hahaa.

I don't think that anyone can be all one way all the time, aka all good or all healthy or all anything, and it's just about moderation! Eat some good, eat some bad, eat some prepared, eat some fresh, but just be aware of what you are eating. And work out! and I think people will do fine in general.

 

[Rod]

Date: 10/5/2006 9:22:58 PM
Author: Mara
I agree Rod. Those places are just total cash cows and people do yo-yo all over the place many times. I mean technically it''s not rocket science to figure out what to put in your body and what is not good. Even I know that donuts and ice cream are bad but yet I want to eat it sometimes. I think that moderation is key. And working out. Since typically most people can''t lose weight doing one or the other but not both. The whole points system with WW is easy but basically it''s just calorie counting but its point counting. And if you cook fresh from home a lot then it can be hard to follow the system if you don''t know what each actual ingredient means in points.

I have adopted the calories in vs out thing and it has really worked out for me. Before I thought ''oh I should just cut out carbs'' or ''I should eat less fat'' and while that was a step in learning more about fat or carbs...in reality just knowing what you are eating and what is going in and going out makes sense for me and it''s much easier. Sure sometimes I don''t know exactly what my day of calories entails but I can get the ''vibe'' of whether it was good or bad. Now it takes me just a few minutes each day to determine what I am going to eat for the day and to mentally track my calories. I know what type of calories my workouts burn. So I have a good idea of how my day goes without spending a bunch of time on it.

If you like or need to have some prepared meals, eat something like Lean Cuisines for lunch. They definitely are great a few times a week for me. But I also have found that I seem to just naturally eat more healthy when I am not eating a ton of pre-prepared meals or things from a box or can. Or I get something like the fresh salads at WF or TJ''s or eat hummus or something..things that I know are healthy but taste GOOD. Since I love food and how it tastes. So there''s healthy FRESH prepared, then there''s frozen prepared, then there''s just icky prepared. hahaa.

I don''t think that anyone can be all one way all the time, aka all good or all healthy or all anything, and it''s just about moderation! Eat some good, eat some bad, eat some prepared, eat some fresh, but just be aware of what you are eating. And work out! and I think people will do fine in general.

Perfectly said Mara. I don''t count calories. I have learned that if I consume healthy foods and don''t pig out on anything, I''m probably not going to gain any weight. And as you know I am very dedicated on working out and making sure I burn more calories than I consume. I also agree we can''t all be saints all the time. This has taken me some time to learn. Afterall, it''s coming up on my one year anniversary since joining the gym (10/11 to be exact) and at first I wouldn''t have anything fattening or not healthy. I realize now that I can have some "fun" but it must be in moderation. Why just tonight, I had the worst craving for a Mocha Frapuccino from Starbucks. It''s a fabulous night in Tampa. There''s a full moon and it''s breezy and so comfortable outside. No humidity whatsoever. So, I put the top down in my car, drove to my favorite Starbucks and sat under a century old oak tree with spanish moss dripping from it''s limbs and savored every single calorie of my Frapuccino (supposedly 270 calories according to Starbucks nutrition charts)!! Sometimes, you just have to give in to temptation. Besides, I can work a little harder at the gym tomorrow to overcome the extra calories!

 

[Mara]

Rod that is totally my mentality now...like splurge sometimes and just work a little harder later! Like tonite we are having a twix bar for dessert...we each get one piece. It''s actually not that bad for you if you split it like that. And I have worked hard this week....so I feel like I deserve it. And I won''t feel guilty, since I worked out today, and I am working out tomorrow! hehee.

It''s funny, my girlfriend who I kbox with asked me tonite why I was so extreme about this workout stuff now. I said well it''s not really EXTREME...I dedicate what..45 minutes a day basically to working out? That''s just a little bit more than the FDA or whatever that health organization recommends for daily exercise/cardio for EVERYONE in the US. But people just don''t do it. So really I''m not ''extreme''...I''m just doing what feels right. And I don''t overdo it. I eat when I am hungry. I splurge sometimes. So it''s funny that it could be perceived as ''extreme'' or similar. Anyway I described that to her and she was like yeah thats true!

Americans are notorious for their sedentary lifestyle...if we lived in Paris or somewhere in Europe where we had to walk 15 minutes to work and 15 minutes back and then to get our food...it''d be different.

So the artichoke raviolis from TJ were yummy! The sauce was nice and light. I used about 1 tbsp of butter, white wine, fresh garlic, fresh basil, and fresh chives. I also had some of that salad with the olives and feta and light dressing...yum!! And my 1/2 twix. hehee.

Hope everyone had a great night! and your Mocha Frapp sounds yum Rod...though I could have sworn that the Mocha Frapp was on the View show about calories in drinks and I think it might be more like 400 but maybe that''s only with whip?? Anyway, whatever, you deserve it...you have been through a lot in the last week!!

 

[Curls]

Rod, thanks for the advice to send over to my BF. Hopefully he''ll start working on something soon. What do you do for cardio workouts? His problem is with his SI joint and the pain radiates in his back and legs. He can''t walk for long stretches as fast paces, certainly can''t run anymore. Maybe after he builds up his other areas he''ll be able to walk for a workout. Until then, we were thinking of getting an exercise bike with a back so it would be supported, but I''m still not sure he''d be able to do much on it. He''s not overweight, but since he has not been able to do much in a couple of a years he gets winded more easily. He''s also worried that one day soon his metabolism will slow down and weight will be a problem. We''re going to the book store today, we''ll look for your book.

Mara and Rod, I definately see where you''re coming from. I know what is healthy, I know what I should and should not eat, I know I should workout at least a few times a week, but I don''t. I''m just looking for motivators. I chose weight watchers because it''s really just about healthy eating, just like mara''s counting calories. It doesn''t say you can''t eat this, or you must eat that. It''s a balancing act and trying to get the most out of your meals by choosing healthy items that you can eat more of. I know in a lot of ways it''s a waste of money, but I need something to motivate me. I''m thinking like this (at least for now and hopefully longer) that if I pay for this and I don''t use it, then I''m REALLY wasting money. So hopefully that''ll keep me wanting to stick with it, not to mention the people there. It''s kind of like joining a sorority in college. Lots of people say it''s a waste of time to "buy your friends" and in a lot of ways they are correct. But some people need it, at least at first, to get them started. I wasn''t offended by anyone''s statements, I just wanted to state my reasons for turning to weight watchers.

Dixie, Lean Cuisines are pretty good if you go with Mara''s suggestion. I really like their pizzas and spaghetti. There''s also Smart Ones (their alfredo is great) and Amy''s vegetarian meals (tamale pie is yummy) that are also healthy. Some of those meals have very few calories and fat so you could easily pair it with a salad and fruit. I always bring a tv dinner to work because it''s easy and I know that I''ll be eating something healthy. My problem has been when my co-workers want to go eat Mexican or go for hamburgers and fries...that''s when I don''t eat as well as I should. I''m thinking that if I do go on those days, I''ll try to eat something more healthy and bring my tv dinner home and eat it for dinner so it''ll balance out.

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Hi everyone.

Just food (or lack of food) for thought....

Many folks tempted me with sweets from the bakery and some other slightly unhealthy foods yesterday.

My "JUST SAY NO" campaign works every time. I highly recommend it.

It also helps to visualize how lousy you''ll feel later

Enjoy your weekend and keep on TRACKin

 

[Mara]

Here''s my take on it. I do know that WW and JC and other things do work sometimes for some people....but the way I think of it is like this. If you need motivation that has to come firstly from INSIDE of you. Personally I do not get motivated by having to go to a class every week to weigh and check in. In fact that seems demoralizing to me, especially since I don''t lose weight that easily, it took me three or four months to see one pound move on the scale because in the meantime I was busy converting fat to muscle. The scale weekly does not show that. I probably would have been discouraged...I was kind of mentally but I just kept plugging away on my own.

I hemmed and hawed, waffled and worked out sporadically for about a year while knowing I wanted to get rid of the ''after marriage 10 or 15'' that I had put on. I started walking...which was good as it got me outside and more into a workout mode. But I still wasn''t TRULY motivated. This thread has actually helped me a lot since it''s kind of like a blog of my experiences and I get to read the others too on here and we can interact. For me maybe it''s like a WW but I don''t have to pay for it or go weigh in anywhere, and we all have a common interest of other things on this forum so it seems like it''s more fun and less pressure.

I think that everyone is going to have their own motivation really, and what works for them...but I know for me that this is a life change. It''s not about losing the 10 lbs anymore. Or just doing this for a few months to look great in a dress. It''s about me being healthly long term and making the right choices for my life and my body. Sure I may cut down my workouts to 4x a week instead of 6x at some point soon, but I have a lot of motivation inside of me. And this is the other thing. now that I have been doing this for a while, I don''t even need to THINK about if I am going to work out today. I just know I plain and flat out am. There''s no trainer appt to motivate me, or WW weigh in to motivate me. I just am going to ''do my time'' today. There are no ifs ands or butts really.

Your example of joining WW means you won''t want to waste the $$ so you will definitely go is like the thousands of gym memberships around the US that lay stagnant because of the other people who thought that was the case. Surely if I am paying $20 a week or whatever I will go...because that''s wasted money otherwise!! Tell it to their automatic withdrawal!

Anyway...I dont want to discourage you from doing what is great for YOU...but for me joining the WW just to get some motivation is not the way I would go about it. It has to come from inside yourself, you are the one doing the work, so find out how to motivate YOURSELF and then go for it. For me it was ''I''m tired of my clothes not fitting and I have to make this change NOW.'' I don''t think you need WW if you already know how to eat healthily...most of us really don''t. You just need willpower. And to me that''s something that doesn''t come from a class.

 

[Lorelei]

Great posts for Curls Mara and Rod! It took me a long time to realize as many of you know, that being healthy and keeping in shape was going to require a lifestyle change, especially to include exercise to jolt the old metabolism up - I truly believe that strict dieting hadn''t done mine any favours. It IS commonsense - if you want to splurge on food, workout a little harder the next day and cut back a little on the calories too. I don''t count calories, but try to eat from most food groups in the right amounts that my body needs on a particular day. If I have been busy on my feet all day, I can afford to eat a bit more, if not I need less. Slimming clubs may work for some, but in my opinion it is better if you can to manage your weight by not thinking ''diet'' but lifestyle instead. I could go on and on with this, but suffice to say it can be done as this is the method most of us here use instead of dieting, plus exercise is so important too. Also as Jeff says, saying no works well.

It is a lot easier now, but when Hubby was having a burger and fries, I would often just have a diet soda as I would rather spend calories on something else, and blowing them on something like fast food which I am not all that keen on would be a waste to me! It is a choice and practising willpower will make all the difference and it does honestly get easier with time, you just need to find your own motivation as Mara says.

With pysical pains Curls, I have back problems and manage to work out, it is a case of knowing your limits and what pains are caused by the new activity which are normal and which ones mean you need to ease up or stop.

Did 30 mins treadmill this morning, Hubby was off today and we had a delivery to take care of for the animals so not as much time today, but we did something!

Great job everyone, it is almost the weekend!

 

[Cailet]

ugh. speaking of splurges. I just jumped out for a quick lunch and ended up getting Taco Bell.

I can feel the gut rot setting in as I type this. It was really a move of desperation. I definitely need to get to the grocery store this weekend and pick up some more lean cuisines / kashi cereal and veggies to snack on.

Guess I''ll have to really push it in tonight''s workout!


And I agree with you guys -- it really takes a while for the whole -- fitness should be a lifestyle, not just a diet or a quick fix - thing to sink it!! I still struggle with that quite a bit (I like my eat anything I want, sit and watch movies or play video games lifestyle!! he he) , but I realize it is true and I think that is what keeps me picking myself back up off the couch and getting back into exercising everytime I take a "break" from it!!

 

[Mara]

cailet...as an avowed TB lover...i actually went onto their website and looked up their nutritional values..also foudn this website whose name i cannot remember right now but you can put things in your cart like a bean burrito and say ''no sour cream'' or whatever and it shows you the values.

so using that, if i need to do a TB splurge, i can make it still within my caloric intake. the last time i went, i got a beef burrito surpreme with no sc and a taco and the whole thing was 570 calories and about 12g of fat. not that bad considering my intake daily is about 1700 cals and ~30-40g of fat. so for one meal as long as i ate a lowfat dinner and stayed within my caloric intake, i was okay. of course i don''t want to be eating TB daily but there are ways to make a ''splurge'' not be QUITE so bad!!! so dont feel too badly. hehe.

 

[Rod]

Curls I''m really really big into the elliptical. There are few people who can outdo me on one. I also run and inline skate. Now mind you. A year ago, my back was in poor shape and the type of cardio I do today, would have been virtually impossible then. As the regulars here know, I''m also into weights. I do controlled machines and have over the last few months added free weights to my workouts.

My workouts begin with core strengthening exercises. Then weights. Then cardio. If I''m doing cardio at the gym, it''s the last thing and I get on the elliptical for 45 minutes, with the goal of maintaining RPM''s in the 88 - 90 range continuously, with 30 second sprints over 100 RPM every 7 - 8 minutes. I travel a minimum of 5.5 miles and burn no less than 700 calories (according to the machine). I also run 5 miles at least twice a week. Occassionally, I add inline skating and to have the same cardio benefit, one should skate 2 miles as the equivalent of 1 mile of running.

Had a great workout at the gym this afternoon. Having sushi in just minutes and can''t wait! Yummmmm.

Have a great weekend everyone.

 

[Cailet]

well - my workout went GREAT! which makes me a little bit less upset that I splurged at the Bell.
Although then I followed your instructions Mara and saw what calories/fat I ate. YIKES!!
Let''s just say that I won''t be eating there anytime soon (I only really get one thing on the menu)


so at least I got a good workout in to counteract that at least a little bit.

I just heard that in addition to the first ever Trader Joe''s to be opening in Nov we also just got a Whole Foods!! I am defintiely going to have to stop by to see what all the fuss is about. Although I might leave the credit and debit cards at home and only bring a set amount of cash!!

hope everyone has a great night!

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 10/5/2006 7:53:06 PM
Author: Curls
So I did go walking! Horray for me!

I''ve also been eating really well, only low calorie and low fat foods not a single coke or sweet tea. (Only the fellow southerners, if there are any, will understand how hard it is to give up sweet tea.)

I need to find some way to work more vegetables and fruits in my diet. I almost never get my 5 servings a day. I just don''t really care for vegetables all that much unless they''re smoothered in unhealthy things and I like fruit but rarely crave it. So what do you all do? Do you sneak them into other foods or am I the only one who isn''t crazy about them?

Mara, I''ve never had artichoke ravioli, had them seperate but not together, but it sounds really good. Now, an artichoke is a vegetable I can happily eat. I love white wine sauces too. Hope it turns out as good as it sounds.

Lulu, I''ve had my wisdom teeth out too, in some ways it wasn''t so bad...lots of sleeping right after and all the ice cream you could ever want and not feel guilty. Oh, and people will feel bad for you, at least the first couple of days and you''ll get lots of pampering even if you don''t really need it.

Dixie and Cailet, way to go on working out so hard.

Rod, if you don''t mind me asking, how did you hurt your back? Is it a long term or short term problem? The reason I''m being noisy is my boyfriend has a bad back from an injury a couple of years ago and he''s looking for exercises that won''t exacerbate the pain.

Kimberly, your foot seems to be doing well, you''ve doubled your work out in a day. These injuries, the hurt foot, the hurt back, didn''t occur shortly after joining the Weekly Workout Thread did it? Do I need to worry and wrap myself in bubble wrap?

I can''t figure out how to highlight, sorry! As for the litany of injuries, I am the queen of accidents. If someone is going to get hurt it will most liikely be me. I fall, trip, walk into things on a daily basis. The stupid foot is from a long training walk (18 miles) for the Breast Cancer 3Day and the back is from a car accident 9 years ago (flipped a truck going 90, never healed, too young/scared for surgery). No need to worry, just don''t take ques in grace from me!

No workout today, I''m going to walk 6 miles with my 3Day team tomorrow and wanted to let the foot rest before pushing forward. Chicken curry for dinner tonight and that''s about it for me in my exciting work out world!

As for WW, when I lost 60 lbs 5 years ago, I found it to be motivational in the beginning, I was accountable to the scale once a week. After about 4 months I stopped following their regimen so much because I didn''t have the patience for it. I just learned portion control, which didn''t exist for me prior, and then figured out my own way. I''ve maintained all my weight loss sans about 5 lbs at this point so it was worth it for me. But you do need to be ready internally or nothing will work.

 

[Curls]

Wow, Rod, you really work hard at the gym. Sounds great. I really love elipticals too, but the only ones I''ve seen are way out of my price range at the moment. We went to the bookstore today and I couldn''t find the book you recommended. I did find another book about core strengthening and looked at it, but unfortuanately we couldn''t purchase it because we had to buy a really expensive computer science book for some classes he''s taking and the purse strings are pulled tight because of some major expenses we''ve had lately. But I do plan on going back and getting him to look over the exercises again so he can start them. I also want to look at some books for myself. I really love the book store.

Went for my walk again today! I''m really motivated this week, I usually am the first time I start something. I just hope it doesn''t take it''s usual cyle where I quickly becoming unmotivated. The weather was so beautiful today and aparently there was a huge bring-your-dog-to-the-park party that I got to watch as I did a few laps around them.

Also went grocery shopping today too. On the way there, I decided to take a look at the Comming Soon sign that is up for a new grocery store they are building. Surprisingly, it was a Whole Foods. I had never heard of Whole Foods until reading this thread and then it pops up 10 minutes away from me. I''m really looking forward to it, so hopefully it lives up to my expectations. Oh, as for the grocery trip, I had absolutely no desire to buy sweets or high fat items. I did buy lots of veggies and fruits. I also bought some Kashi Puffs. I''m sure it won''t be the best cereal I''ve ever had but I had to buy it because a whole cup only has 70 calories and half a gram of fat! And it''s not like I really will miss the cereal I normally eat.

Tommorrow we''re going to the Auburn game and have to wake up early. I hope I get home in time to go for another walk but I''m not sure that I will. I''ve already informed my bf that under no circumstances can we eat anywhere where I can''t make a healthy food choice, so atleast I should be able to eat well.