Weekly Workout Thread 18th June till 24th June

[mrssalvo]

Date: 6/18/2007 9:15:01 PM
Author: Rod
I love the picture of the ''magical'' stairs mrssalvo! I''m glad you take that beautiful dog with you though. As, it seems dark under the canopy of tree''s and I feel it''s safer if you have company with you.

Rod, I agree and I do feel much safer with my Zoe with me. Although she wouldn''t hurt a flea, strangers don''t know that and she can be very protective if she thinks I''m in any danger. I actually usually go with a girlfriend or two also, so it''s rarely just me and zoe. it''s a policed park and tons of folks are usually around so I never really feel unsafe but I do still like having the extra protection.

 

[Skippy123]

Hi All! I went walking w/my cousin istead of step. I didn''t want her not to have a workout so I said I would walk w/her. We walked about 3.5 miles

Yah, for being done w/school soon Kimberly!!! Nice taking the boys to the park and walking!!!
DeeJay, nice walk to Tiffany''s. hehehe

Dixie 15lbs is great! Kudos!
Rod, have a nice night off.
MRS Salvo, I too am glad you take your beautiful golden walking/hiking w/you! Hope you had a great trip!
I hope you had a great workout Mara. You deserve some snacks like Rod said!
Thanks Miss Ellen

Marcy, sounds like you are doing great!!! Are you doing Weight Watchers? I love the WW chocolate bar!
NYC and Sharon, great job!

Have a great evening all

 

[marcy]

Thanks for the welcome Mrssalvo. I''ve been enjoying trying to catch up on all the regulars on WWT. I think I''m going to enjoying getting to know everyone a little bit better.

 

[Mara]

evening all!! you guys are so funny...i feel like i splurge all the time, but i guess i am careful a lot of the time too. so not too unbalanced i guess. the funniest thing is that while i consumed a bunch of little things all day, i really didn''t eat THAT many calories, i added it up expecting to be shocked later and was like oh that''s not SO bad. but yeah a lot of it was useless! hehe. and i didn''t even feel that great, BUT i think it is important to give into stuff like that sometimes or else you just think about it.

so after work, i ended up going over to the big preserved park i mentioned, which is something like 500 miles, 23 of them are walkable trails, i did a little research online to see where i could walk and printed out some maps. i ended up finding various trails and LOVED the walk!!! i think i went about 5 miles total, maybe more as i got lost towards the end and i think i walked an extra 1/2 to 3/4 mile trying to get back to the car. anyway the trails are small and weave in and out of these huge forested areas, it''s so pretty in there and it was mostly shaded so it was just the most perfect weather to walk in. it was about 1/3 of uphill, so then it was 1/3 downhill as well which works different muscles, so about 1/3 of level-ish and by the time i got back to the car, my poor legs were just screaming. but i love it. i am definitely going to start doing that more....it''s about 5 min from work driving and i love not being in the gym all the time, and still knowing i am getting an amazing workout. there are also other open preserves/protected areas like these around here so greg and i were saying we''ll try to look into those too. but this one i walked at today has like 3-4 trails and then those kind of split off too so you have a ton of different paths you can take. as evidenced by the fact that i thought i was really careful about watching where i was going but somehow came back on another trail!

then came home, showered and greg and i walked over to pasta pomodoro about 1/4 mile from our house and had dinner outside. i had steamed mussels in white wine, garlic and butter and a huge fresh salad with greens, shredded carrots, gorgonzola and balsamic. we of course also had our share of bread with pesto sauce lol....very tasty!! then i wanted to see if baskin robbins had any nonfat frozen yogurt or something that i could get (and pair with espresso at home) but then i saw they had Lemon Custard which is one of my all time most favorite flavors from childhood...they only have it like 2-3 months in the summer. so of course i had to get a scoop of that. hehee. but hey 5 miles of hills? i soo deserved it! lol.

anyhow, sounds like everyone is doing well, everyone is staying active and eating pretty well for the most part hehehe. hope everyone had a good monday...since i was chomping at the bit to get out of the office, i definitely made the most of it with my walk and then dinner outside in the cool night air. whee. hope everyone sleeps well!

 

[Lorelei]

Dropped another jeans size.....

Hehehe Rod! Yes, pants are underoos and we do speak funny here.

We call car hoods bonnets
Car trunks hoods
Trash rubbish
Spell tire tyre
Rest room is a loo or lavatory
French fries are chips and chips are crisps

And I am sure there are loads more, just can't think of them right now!

 

[Lorelei]

Blast I got edited out - I meant to say car trunks are called boots!

 

[KimberlyH]

Morning All!

Way to go on another size drop, Lorelei!

We'll eat dinner at home tonight and tomorrow night, then off to Chicago for 4 days of splurging. John's already made reservations for two nights, should be fun!

I'm working longer than usual today and then I need to get something notarized after work, so I'm not sure if I'll get a workout in. I'm hoping so. I have two papers due this week and would like to get at least one done before we leave town so I can spend more time relaxing, less time attached to the computer.

Have a great day all!

ETA: mrssalvo, All kids are hard at times, and I get to leave mine at the end of the day...you have to be on 24/7, I admire what you do!

 

[Ellen]

Date: 6/19/2007 4:33:42 AM
Author: Lorelei
Dropped another jeans size.....

Hehehe Rod! Yes, pants are underoos and we do speak funny here.

We call car hoods bonnets
Car trunks hoods
Trash rubbish
Spell tire tyre
Rest room is a loo or lavatory
French fries are chips and chips are crisps

And I am sure there are loads more, just can't think of them right now!

You guys are weird.

And about that size dropping thing.....

 

[marcy]

Mara you walk sounds wonderful. I’m waiting for the pollen to drop before I venture “out” for many walks. Right now the mall is where I go for long walks.

Lorelei, congrats on dropping another jeans size. I liked hearing what you call things there.

I live in Wyoming and have lived here my entire life. My husband is from Maryland and has a love / hate of this place. He wants to move quite frequently but likes astronomy too and you don’t have to drive far from here to get really dark skies.

I lost most of my .8 pound yesterday but know they are having brownie bites at work today. I plan on eating just one though.

Have a great day and Think Skinny thoughts.

 

[Lorelei]

Hehehe...thanks for the 'rays Ellen! I will try to entertain you with some more sayings Marcy when I think of 'em!

 

[Rod]

YAY on the lost size Lorelei! Bonnet''s are hood and fries are chips and chips are crisps. That''s just silly!!

Your walk sounded like fun Mara. So did your dinner. I still think how much you would likely miss being able to just walk out your front door to restaurants like you can in SJ.

Glad the weight gain was temporary Marcy. Enjoy the brownie''s today! But don''t enjoy them too much

I didn''t sleep well last night. I''m not sure why, but I tossed and turned the whole night. I''ll have a good workout tonight though and on workout nights, I usually sleep better.

Have a great day everyone.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Morning all!

Last night the HH made the dish that we were going to have on Sunday until our plans got derailed by The Demon. It was braised beef with mushrooms, onions, and black olives, with tiny fingerling potatos roasted with olive oil and kosher shalt. Simple but VERY tasty! I was afraid to get on the scale this morning after how much I ate, but I am holding steady at my low of -18.5, so that was good too.

Kimberly, for some reason I thought your new assignment began in the fall and not at the end of this month. Sorry for not paying better attention! And I can''t wait to hear where you guys eat while you''re in town and what you think of the places.

Skippy, the trails look like fun, even if they were a little muddy!

Yes, Ellen, every once in a while the HH comes up with a good one...

Marcy, 4 sizes is awesome!!! And I know what you mean about not buying expensive clothes in the transition phase. I hate to buy ANYTHING right now but I have to to some degree or else will be holding my pants on with safety pins, LOL.

Rod, I love the description of Mrs. S.''s magical stairs! The picture looks like something out of a fairy tale, doesn''t it?

Mrs. S., do you have to wash Zoe off every time after you go on the trail? That''s a workout in itself is she''s anything like my two monsters! And so far The Demon is the only one affected by the bug, but the day''s still young...

NYC, jelly thighs BE GONE -- TOO funny!

Sharon, sounds like you had a great walk!

Mara, the park near you sounds wonderful. Every year we visit friends in Phoenix for Thanksgiving and go for a big hike on Turkey-day morning. I always thing to myself that if I lived there I would do things like that all the time.

Lorelei, Woo Hoo on the jean size!

Dixie, congrats on the 15 lbs!

 

[NYCsparkle]

WoW!!! tons of progress for all this week.

deejay--holding steady is better than gaining, so its good you are maintaining. only a matter of time before more pounds start to drop. i think most of us have hit a time where the scale doesn''t move for a bit and then WHAM--5 pounds gone.

BTW that dinner sounds yummy---recipe?

mara--the park sounds gorgeous. so much space to hike and explore. watch out that you don''t start slacking by driving in your cute mini too much. i know i would.

you''ve been doing great with walking alot.

marcy--great progress!!! hooray for 4 sizes down!!!

lorelei---awesome job on losing a jeans size. sometimes its harder to get into a smaller jean size than regular pants for some reason.

I think i''m making grilled lemon pepper chicken over salad for dinner tonight. its going to be too hot to eat a lot today---not that i''m complaining about that. i tend to eat a lot less in the heat, but i make up for the calories with iced tea

i know not the best, but...
anyways have a great day everyone and remember...No matter who you are, no matter what you do, you absolutely, positively do have the power to change

 

[Mara]

morning all!!! i slept really well last nite, i was so tired from the walk! sorry to hear you were not as fortunate rod, but hopefully tonite you will sleep like a baby.

NYC...haha you soooo can see into my mind. i definitely have wanted to be out driving around more in the fun mini, and driving to the gym is really not as fun as curvy mountain roads yanno?! but i am trying to balance it out by trying something new with the walk in the preserve thing, i think that i am just bored with my gym routine and now that it's nice out, i really appreciate our climate and being able to be active within it. if we lived in AZ or something, no way could i be out walking 5 miles at 5:30pm. so who knows if we will stay here in CA or not but while we are, might as well take advantage of it right?!

so this morning i am thankfully not AS sore as i thought i would be last nite...i stretched before bed and was thinking i might be in traction this morning by what my muscles felt like. it's funny how when you are actually out doing something aka walking it feels so good and then after you are like...ummm ow? i kept up a really fast pace while walking and all the little hills and valleys definitely worked all types of muscles that obviously do not get worked as often at the gym. so it's a 'good pain' as i tell greg, hahaa. i never get sore at the gym anymore so i appreciate being able to do something that still challenges my body. oh and on a fun note, i think that i am going to walk a 10k in july...my dad is running the 1/2 marathon and greg might run the 10k, so i thought well why don't my sister and i walk the 10k. it's 6.2 miles. so i am mentally keeping that in my mind, as it might be a fun challenging thing for both of us.

skippy, love the hawaii pictures!! lorelei, kudos on dropping another size, were you trying to or nature just working in your favor? hehee. dixie congrats on 15 lbs lost, that's awesome! marcy good luck with the brownie bites today.

anyhow today is a gym day after work and i think i got all that snacking out of my system (hopefully) and can focus today on more healthy fare hehee. breakfast was fiber one, fage, w/berries and coffee, and snack will be light n'fit. anyhow have to run and get ready so i can be in the car for my call at 8am. have a great morning everyone!!

 

[Lorelei]

Mara I was kind of maintaining and just letting things level out as they would, went shopping and saw that they didn't have jeans in my usual size but thought I would need smaller this time, going by my old ones. So I took a chance and tried some on and was amazed to see they fitted!!! I think I can thank the hands free elliptical advice for that!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 6/19/2007 4:33:42 AM
Author: Lorelei
Dropped another jeans size.....

Hehehe Rod! Yes, pants are underoos and we do speak funny here.

We call car hoods bonnets
Car trunks hoods
Trash rubbish
Spell tire tyre
Rest room is a loo or lavatory
French fries are chips and chips are crisps

And I am sure there are loads more, just can't think of them right now!

Biscuits are cookies.

I went to see family in England and they kept asking me if I wanted a biscuit so when no one was around I told my husband "why do they want to bring out the biscuits now, they should save them for the meal!"
Hubby explained they were cookies. hehehe

 

[Skippy123]

Lorelei, yah for the samller jeans

Rod, how you get a good workout which makes you sleep tonight.
Mara, awesome doing the trail. You make me want to do some trails now; maybe this weekend.
Kimberly, so I thought you were done w/school. You are such a good teacher; enjoy the summer teaching. Best wishes on your two papers!
Marcy, glad you lost the .8!
DeeJay, yah for keeping off the 18.5 lbs!!!
Hey, Miss Ellen

I probably won't exercise today but really watch what I eat. I lost 1.5 of my naughty travel weight.

 

[Lorelei]

NYC- have you tried the Crystal Lite iced tea mix? It really is good.

Skippers, you are indeed correct, biscuits are cookies, what you call biscuits are similar to our scones! Only our scones are usually sweet unless you have cheese scones with butter

 

[phoenixgirl]

OK, so now working out begins in earnest . . . school''s out for summer!

It''s been a mediocre last two weeks due to the end of school and a cold and traveling to see family this weekend. I only worked out 4 times each week (weights 2x and walking 2x). And traveling eating wasn''t the best, although my parents surprised me by suggesting we got to a vegetarian place for lunch (I''m not vegetarian but try to be at many of my meals for health reasons). Everyone was complimentary of my progress and impressed when I had them feel my arm muscles (my dad thought mine were bigger than his -- he''s 65). I tried to be sensitive of the fact that my sister is 9 months pregnant and feeling huge (so I didn''t prompt her to feel my muscles), but it was nice to get kudos. And I walked through the woods at my sister''s house, and I realized that walking on trails is much more of a workout than city blocks, so I''m going to vary my routine a bit and walk on some trails near here.

DH entered a bike race this past weekend, 3.5 weeks after quitting smoking, and he came in third! There were only 7 people in his category, but it was good affirmation to him not to come in last (and he got a medal and got to stand on the podium). Now part of this is that DH is naturally inclined towards cycling and was a champion rider as a teenager, but it''s also the hard training he''s been doing. Once he''s done it long enough to build major muscle and cardiovascular strength, I''m sure he''ll be really good.

He''s into getting into shape as much as me now. He kept saying how he didn''t like how he looked in pictures of him at the race (compared to everyone else, he doesn''t have cyclist''s legs and has a little belly). I know his body will change as he continues working out and as I give him pointers about eating.

I went shopping with my mom yesterday. The capri pants I bought recently can only be worn a little while before they stretch out and are huge. So I bought some 2P''s this time, along with some 4''s. I didn''t have a single pair of shorts or skirt that fit me, so now at least I have a few cute options (I got 2 skirts and 5 capris/shorts . . . thanks mom!). Again, I don''t mean to beat a dead horse, but the size change at Ann Taylor is staggering. I''m still wearing some size 6 Calvin Klein jeans that fit really well, and I think that would have been my size in Ann Taylor a few years back. Do people fall for this? Oh, look at me, I went from a 6 to a 2 and I even gained some weight. I must be carrying it really well!

My personality type has never been one for white lies or reality-avoidance, but it probably makes most people happy. And the point is that I''ve gone from 8''s to 2''s since March, and since I get a lot of my clothes at Ann Taylor or Ann Taylor Loft, I know the change in me is for real, no matter what the numbers on the clothes say.

I tried on my bathing suits last week to see if I needed new ones. It''s both good news and bad news that I don''t . . . good news for the wallet, but bad news for how I must have looked in them last summer.

 

[cellososweet]

hi everyone! I've been meaning to join this thread, but haven't. So, here I am. Husband and i got married in a court ceremony in January (looooong story!), and are having a wedding-like event next may. Had an emotional breakdown a few months ago when I went to try on dresses for fun and realized I would be the plump bride I never imagined. Moreover, I'm only 22 and my weight had gotten so out of control. It was making me look and feel far beyond my years. It was time for a lifestyle change, not a diet!

So, I started walking more and then tracking calories. Overall, I've lost 20 pounds by just watching what I eat and working out moderately. I'm about to up the intensity because I'm facing a plateau with 20 more pounds to lose.

So, yes. . that's me in an extremely quick nutshell. I have to go right now, so I will more formally introduce myself later, but I just wanted to say hi and that you all have been such a good inspiration to me over the months

Oh yes, and about the english sayings, gosh. . .I have a ton. Mum is a kiwi, so I've grown up with cookies as biscuits, dinner as tea,tea (the drinkable type) as "a cuppa", shopping carts as trolleys, elevators as lifts, etc. I use them even though I'm completely American and I trip people up sometimes. I even called gas petrol the other day because mum still can't call it a gas station after 26 years here and she's rubbed off on me. good times

 

[Lorelei]

Great job PG on your achievements, also congrats to your Hubby on quitting smoking!! It is well worth doing and I can't believe in about 6 weeks, I will have quit for a year. I never thought I could!

Welcome CelloSweet!

 

[crown1]

hi cellosweet! i love the quote.

 

[Skippy123]

Welcome Cellosweet!!!! We have a great group of people here! Great job on the 20 lbs

PG yah, for being smoke free

 

[aljdewey]

Howdy all.....

Congrats to Lorelie and Dixie on great achievements, and DeeJay for such a great maintenance job. Skippy, what a nice adaptation you made to both work out togehter during her visit - that was really nice.

Rod, hopefully you''ll be able to catch up a bit tonight. I was WIPED OUT last night - in bed by 10!!! (usually don''t go until 12:30 or so).

Not much new on this front - winding down to the end of my year, and hoping for great things. Had another salsa class last night, and really a good workout for it.

Will check in later when I have more time to chat...this is just a quick drive-by hello!

 

[AsscherGirl]

**Warning - long post ahead!**

Hi Everyone - I haven''t posted here in quite a long time. Everything started going down hill for me when my boss left my current company, and I took on a lot of her responsibilities while a replacement was being looked for. Then when the new guy came on, he was thrown immediately into our busiest time of year, and that pushed me out of Pricescope time for another 3 months.

Unfortunately, work and pure laziness pushed me out of my workout and healthy eating routine for a good six months. Summer came and I put on a pair of capri pants that were loose on my last year and I could barely fit in them! I knew my weight had been creeping up, but denial was definitely in place until the capri pants incident! I probably only gained about 6 pounds from my normal winter weight, but that meant I was up almost 10 pounds from last summer!

I was venting to my friend about my lack of motivation and always eating bad foods (out of convenience or just wanting to eat bad stuff!). She was having a lot of the same issues, so we decided to make a friendly competition between the two of us. Although we visually look NOTHING alike (she is 6'', I am 5''3"), we have almost the same measurements on various parts of our bodies! So we are competing to lose inches, and whoever loses the contest has to buy the winner a new pair of pants! It''s been really good so far in helping with my motivation. I am loosely counting calories (mostly up until dinner time so I know where I stand for the day and can plan for that evening) and working out 4 times a week. We also have a weekly race on the treadmill for 1.5 miles. She is kicking my butt right now, but it''s a good motivator to try harder and keep going!

Also - I am signed up for some races this summer (not sure if any of you remember, but I started doing some 5K''s last year). I ran in the same 2 races that I did last year (and was VERY upset about my times!) and even ran in my first 5 mile race!!! The 5 mile race was so exciting. It was in Spring Lake (down the shore in NJ) and there were over 9.000 runners. I was feeling AWFUL that day - something I ate the night before was not agreeing with my stomach. Somehow, running cured that! My goal was to finish under 70 minutes (since I really hadn''t been running at all!),and I finished at exactly 69:56, hahah. I wasn''t really happy with that time (14 minute mile), so I signed up for another 5 mile race in July. I am happy to report that my running has definitely improved since May and I had a new treadmill record of 36:39!! My fastest time ever was my first race at 35:45, but at that point, my fastest treadmill time was 38:28, so I am feeling great about being under 37 on the treadmill!

I have also incorporated more weight lifting back into my routine. I was delusional in thinking that running was enough work for my legs, but I can definitely tell a difference since I started lifting again. And I think it''s HELPING with the running instead of hurting which I was also delusional in thinking that was going to happen!

I did not get to work out last night due to the Fi & I going to book our limo for the wedding, but I am going to be there Tues-Friday this week

.

Now that I have blabbered about myself forever, I just wanted to say that all of you are doing a great job! 1. Thanks for turning me on to Fage! The closest place to my house that sells it is like 20 minutes away, but I go out there when I run out! I''ve also found it by my parents, but then I always have to steal their insulated lunch bags to bring it home with me! 2. Rod - I''m so glad to hear you are so happy back in Tampa! 3. Mara - you look great! I loved that pic of Portia in your new car, what a cutie! 4. Kimberly - I am so impressed with your continued weight loss success journey. You truly are an example how people can change their lives permanently if they want to!

I have forgotten most of you, but I don''t want to write a novel here. I''ll be sure to check in!!

 

[Rod]

Danielle.......so good to see you and the friendly competition is a great thing. Having a buddy you can work with towards your fitness goals is a GREAT thing! You'll lose those pounds and fit in those pants (whatever Carpi's are??) in no time. And thanks for the welcome back to Tampa. I sure learned there's NO PLACE LIKE HOME.

Cellosweet, welcome to our healthy thread. Congratulations on having lost 20 pounds! That's quite an accomplishment. Stick around, as we have a terrific family of fit and healthy minded SPECTACULARLY WONDERFUL people here!

Phoenix, please congratulate your hubby on placing 3rd and for still being a non-smoker. It's been almost 2 years for me and I still miss it, so I know how hard it is. Sounds like you are both doing great things for your health!!

Thanks Alj! I'm going to push as hard as I can at the gym tonight, which will wear me out and I'm sure I'll sleep better!!

Thanks to you too Skippy!! I smile every time I see your smiling face in your Avatar!!

Good News: My former employer in NC., after I spoke with them, has decided to drop the non-compete issue. So, at the moment, this is a closed matter. YAY!

I'm ready to go workout now. But, I still have like almost 3 hours left at work. Poop.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Rod, I''m SO GLAD to hear they''ve dropped the non-compete matter!!!

NYC, what kind of iced tea do you drink? We get either Snapple or Arizona Iced Tea, the diet versions, from Costco by the case, and the different flavors (lemon, peach and raspberry) make it fun to drink. Plus, ZERO cals!

Mara, I totally know what you mean about enjoying something while you''re doing it and then been super sore later.

Phoenixgirl, congrats to your hubby on the great finish in the race and not smoking!

Cello, WELCOME!

Al, good to see you pop in!

Danielle, good for you for getting back on track!

Skippy, this is an old topic, but back on new years when you were making the pizza did you use pre-made sauce or make your own? The HH is not happy with his current sauce and I was wondering if you have a recipe you like.

Lorelei, all this talk of biscuits and cookies and chips and crisps is making me hungry! At least we''re off the topic of carrot cake...

 

[Rod]

Thanks so much DeeJay. I''m thinking it may have helped contribute to my sleepless night last night. I was supposed to hear from them yesterday. At least for the moment, they are going to leave me alone and that''s a good thing indeed!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 6/19/2007 2:57:39 PM
Author: Rod
Thanks to you too Skippy!! I smile every time I see your smiling face in your Avatar!!

Rod,
And you say Charlie doesn't think you are sweet!?!?!? hehehe. You are the sweetest!

Ellen was teasing me that my avatar makes her dizzy. I was thinking of changing it but since you said that Rod. . . it stays.

Rod, I hope you sleep tonight. I am sure glad your old mean boss is not going after you after all. I bet he realized how STUPID that all was!

Alj, whoooo hooooo for Salsa dancing baby!!!

Danielle, that is awesome you are going to run a 5 mile race!!! Glad you are motivated now!

DeeJay, I don't make my own sauce. I buy Trader Joe's. What I do that makes the pizza yummy is that I roll out the dough and then take some sauce a place a big spoonful in the middle. Then I take a BIG garlic clove and with a press put on the garlic and spread the sauce around. That makes the sauce yummy! Your hubby may already do this. I also buy/grow fresh basil and use that to top the pizza. I do put the basil on after it is out of the oven. Yum. . . typing this is making me hungry.

Have you tried the Turkey Pepperoni that are low fat? They are yummy too.

 

[cellososweet]

hi everyone. . i thought, since I have a little time now, I''d add to my hello

So. . where to start? During high school I was very very thin, but it''s because i had some pretty severe emotional issues that turned into a terrible eating disorder. When I went to college, it continued. But, my sophmore year, both of my parents were diagnosed with cancer and I stopped focusing on myself and started focusing on them.

Though it was hectic, it actually helped my eating issues because I realized that there were other, more important things to worry about. That year I moved in with my husband (boyfriend at the time) We enjoyed lots of food! Lots and lots, and I gained 60 pounds over the course of 3 years. 10-15 of those pounds I actually needed to gain to look healthy, but the other 45 were not good!

In the past year or so my focus has shifted from my parents (they are both healthy again), to myself and I realized that I need to take better care of myself. I quit smoking (almost 2 years in august, cold turkey from a pack and some a day!), and decided to start exercising.

At first I was afraid to lose weight. I don''t know if this makes sense to anyone here. I was afraid that once I started focusing on weight loss, that my eating disordered tendencies would come back. So, I shifted the focus from losing weight to being healthy, and it has worked like a charm I never feel like I''m on a diet, I just feel like I am making a conscience choice to take care of myself, which is both rewarding and empowering.

I tend to do cardio four to five times a week (two more intense sessions on the treadmill or the elliptical, and two more relaxed such as a long walk, riding my bike, etc., and one intense but fun workout like rowing or riding my bike uphil). I also do strength training (resistance or weights, depends on the mood), 2-3 times a week.

When I started I was 186 pounds at 5''7" I have a larger frame and I look the best somewhere on the higher end of the recommended weight (somewhere around the 140''s versus the 120''s). Today I was at 166.

I''ve noticed my measurements have gone down a lot, but one thing that hasn''t really gone down, in comparison, is my *ahem* chest area.

It''s very annoying. I''ve lost 5.5 inches off my waist and a measly 2 inches off my massive chest. Even at my thinnest (which was too horrific to mention), I still had a small C-cup. That''s insane! Of course you can add over 60 pounds to that and imagine what you get now. haha.

So. . .today. . .

I had my usual TJ''s raisin bran with some soy milk; a peanut butter and apple snack; a cucumber, hummus, tomato and sprout sandiwich with a kiwi, strawberry and blueberry fruit salad for lunch; and who knows what for afternoon snack or dinner. So far, so good. Not going to the gym today. My brother flew into LAX last night and was very very late. I didn''t get home until 3 a.m. and was up 3.5 hours later doing physics problems and preparing a lab. I''m tired to the core. I might go for a walk to get some air, but I''m not pushing. Maybe I can convice the hubby

If anyone is interested in any vegetarian/vegan recipes, please let me know. I love love love to cook and am a vegetarian who is pretty much a dietary vegan at home

thanks for the warm welcome!