Body for Life PSers--Come on down!

[luvthemstrawberries]

Haven the chicken was pretty good! I forgot to marinate it ahead of time though, so I just poured some of the italian dressing on it while I was cooking it. And I prefer to use the george foreman grill for my chicken since it''s so fast and easy to clean up, but it kind of charred the chicken on the outside where the dressing was. So I might try cooking chicken like this in a non-stick pan next time and see how it works (it just always pops everywhere

). I''ll probaby make it again tonight, so we''ll see how that goes. It still tastes great though! I bet it''d be awesome if it was marinated.

I also realized that the normal serving of pasta (2 oz, or 57 grams according to my box) is way more than one fist-sized serving for me. So next time I''m going to try about 2/3 of that. I always underestimate how much pasta can blow up to make!

Thanks for the suggestion on Greek yogurt - I think I''ll definitely give that a try. I brought cottage cheese again today, this time with some mashed up strawberries and a packet of splenda, based on some googled suggestions. Haha, so I''m going to see how that works too...

Haha your DH explained muscle confusion in a much better (and concise) way than me! I like that explanation - kind of what I was trying to say, but makes more sense.

Must be awesome to have a trainer right there within arms reach!

I like your idea of doing a different type of cardio for the day after a lower body workout. I think I''ll try to do the bike after my upper body workouts, but elliptical or something different the days after lower body. That''s exactly what I was wondering - thanks!

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Hey so I wasn''t able to go to the gym today - Haven what do you do when you miss a workout day? Do you just do the workout that would have been the next day anyway, even if it means skipping an aerobic day altogether, or one of the weight lifting days? Or do you adjust accordingly and do the exercise you missed on the next day?

 

[Kasey3]

Hi everyone-

I haven''t checked in in a while, I hope things are going well for everyone. I have been doing the workouts and following the plan, so far no weight loss-but I feel good, and I can tell that things are tightening up!


Haven and luvthem-your chicken and meatloaf dinners sound so good, would you mind posting the recipes for me? I never bought the recipe book-I think I may have to buy it because it sounds as if it is worth it. Is it called Eating for Life?

Keep up the good work everyone!

Kasey

 

[Haven]

Date: 9/10/2009 7:55:56 PM
Author: luvthemstrawberries
Hey so I wasn''t able to go to the gym today - Haven what do you do when you miss a workout day? Do you just do the workout that would have been the next day anyway, even if it means skipping an aerobic day altogether, or one of the weight lifting days? Or do you adjust accordingly and do the exercise you missed on the next day?

I didn''t work out today, either!

I am just going to do upper body tomorrow and skip the cardio altogether. In my first or second week I skipped a Thursday cardio and then did cardio on Friday and lifted on Saturday and did cardio Sunday, but I hated that. I think (for me) it''s better to just skip it and still take a day off at the end of the week.

I''m feeling very run down right now. I came home from teaching and slept for three hours, this was my second long daytime nap in a couple weeks, which is unusual for me. DH remembers that I gassed out during the sixth week of my first BFL challenge, so apparently I''m just losing steam a bit earlier. I decided that it was best to take the day off rather than push it because I''m so fatigued.

I''m feeling a bit better now, so I think the rest was worth it. I might try adjusting the diet a bit, I''m having a really hard time eating all this protein and I sometimes feel a bit sluggish after eating it. I''m going to cut it back a bit.

Here''s to a good workout tomorrow!

I made the Italian chicken tonight, it was really good. I cut it up into strips and made it in the pan instead of on the grill, it''s so much easier. I served it with a spinach salad and DH loved it. I''m going to refrigerate the extra chicken and use it in a salad for dinner tomorrow night.

Kasey--I''ll post the recipes later tonight. I have to grab the book from the kitchen and I''m just too lazy to go get it now! The book is called Eating for Life, you''re right.
That''s so great that you''re feeling good and tightening up!

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Haven I hear you about all the protein. It happens to me too. I''m about to eat my morning snack, which for the past few days has consistently been a whey protein shake and 1/2 banana eaten separately. But I woke up to a tight/nauseous feeling in my upper abdomen today - it almost feels like indigestion or something, but I don''t have any. My lower back is kind of sore too, in the kidney area, which is weird. I''ve been drinking lots of water, actually more than the 10 cups. I''m just always really thirsty! I think I drank 17 cups total the other day, from the time I got up to the time I went to bed - is that too much? I googled that and you can''t really "overdose" on water unless you''re seriously exercising so much that you lose all the sodium in your system and essentially "drown" yourself from the inside out, haha which I definitely don''t think is happening.

Anyway, so I''m trying to take it easy and keep up the routine, but a shake is NOT appetizing right now. I''m thinking about having my afternoon snack now... we''ll see. Blegh!!

 

[Haven]

That''s a lot of water, luvthem! Be careful!

I just made a shake yesterday without a banana, and realized that they taste MUCH better with bananas in them. I recommend it if you''re having trouble getting them down. The banana adds flavor and texture, so it tastes more like a real shake and less like a healthy shake. I haven''t tried adding mint extract to the shake, but I''m going to do that after my cardio. I''ll let you know if that helps.

I''m heading out to do my cardio right now. I slept in until 9:30 so I just got back from my long walk with the pup. I want to run with her outside, but I think I still need the feedback from the treadmill to make sure I''m really increasing intensity and doing the intervals correctly. I hope I can start running outside before winter comes.

DH just bought a new computer and it came with a 32 gig iPod touch, so I have a new iPod. I''ve been using my 2nd generation iPod since 2003, my high school students lovingly called it "The Brick". It''s not that big. ANYWAY, the iPod reminded me that I''ve had one of those tiny clip-on iPods since our wedding because we gave those to our bridal party as gifts, and I am totally going to load it up with good workout music and bring it to the gym. I haven''t used it ever, but I think it''s just one that plays random songs, you can''t pick playlists or anything. It''s super tiny, so it will be perfect to bring to the gym.

So . . .
What is everyone''s favorite work out music?

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! Enjoy your free days, and get lots of rest!

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Yuck... so, FI has the flu I think. He's got a really high fever right now. We had to go out of town for wedding stuff yesterday, so he felt miserable AND I didn't get to eat right AND I didn't get to go to the gym. I've been taking care of him since Friday, so I haven't been to the gym in days. AND I have night meetings at work tomorrow AND Tuesday night, so no gym then. I haven't even been able to make my lunches for the week yet today, and that probably won't happen, so there's no telling what I'll have to do for lunch AND dinner tomorrow. Oh, AND for lunch and dinner Tuesday. AND lunch on Wednesday, since I'll be gone the nights prior. I'm lucky I got clothes washed today. Ugh, can you tell I'm a little overwhelmed? I'm also a little worried right now, too, FI's fever is over 103, which scares me. I'm waiting to see if it breaks since he just took more meds.

Glad you're doing well Haven - haha I wish I could sleep in till 9:30!! Ahhh that'd be nice. I think it'd be awesome if you could run with the puppy - that's why I've wanted one for so long, but you have to pay loads of $ to have one here, plus bag the poo and all... I might just wait till we have a house and a yard, haha.

And don't worry about the water - that was one day, and I think I was super-hydrating because I hadn't been drinking much in the days prior. Most of the other days have been 11 or 12 cups a day. And that's TOTAL, from the moment I get up when I gulp some left in the cup by my bed, till night time when I drink some out of that same cup when I'm going to bed. So it's very spread out.

That's awesome about the ipod - I'm keeping my eye out for one on Black Friday - I have an mp3 player but it doesn't do playlists. I want one I can use for multiple things, besides working out, and pick my genres when I want to. I don't have many good workout song recommendations right now though, haha.

I've been lazy in updating mine for over a year!

 

[Haven]

luvthem--Okay, deep breaths, you will get through this! I know how horrible it feels to be so overwhelmed with life, and to look at the week ahead and see that most of your waking hours are already sucked up by work and other commitments. I''m sorry you''re facing such a tough week, and I hope it goes by quickly for you.

I hope your FI feels better soon, I''m sorry to hear he''s sick. I know what a drain it can be on your energy when your loved one is sick, especially when you''re the one taking care of him.

As for your meals, when I find myself eating out I can almost always order a plain chicken breast, even from fast food places. It''s not the most delicious thing, but it''s better than most things they have on the menu. Do you have a crock pot? There are a lot of healthy chicken meals you can make in a crock pot. I relied on mine a lot last year when I found myself working way too much.

And I know I''m spoiled to be able to sleep in so late, I realize that. DH and I are trying really hard to create a stress-free and fulfilling lifestyle, so quitting one high-stress teaching job in order to pursue a less stressful one was our first step. I can''t believe I woke up at 5 for so many years, I can tell you I was much sicker then, and muuuuch less pleasant.

As for adopting a dog, it is really one of the most fulfilling things I''ve ever done. I grew up with dogs and I''ve always loved them, but our pup Bailee is the first dog *I''ve* adopted as the primary caretaker. She''s so awesome, and because she needs regular exercise and long daily walks she keeps us busy. We went to our town''s "Woofstock" today and spent a couple hours playing with other dogs and meeting vendors. There''s a sleepover camp for dogs and their owners here in Illinois and DH and I are thinking of going for the next four day camp session in October. She''s a great companion, and before I broke my elbow earlier this summer she was the best roller skating buddy I''d ever had!

Anyway, I hope your week goes by without a hitch, and I hope you can find some time for yourself. And get some serious rest, you don''t want to get sick, too.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Whew, I sounded pretty pathetic there, haha! Jason''s fever got to 103.3 last night, so I was getting pretty scared. It started to lower about an hour after taking some meds though, and I took him to the dr today as well. It''s not the flu, but it''s some strange viral infection that lots of people have right now. Some guy last week that saw the dr had a fever of 105 for 5 days! Yikes. The dr told J to not even try going to work until at least Friday.

As for me, I''m just trying to not get sick right now. Going to focus on lots of rest and fluids. I''m trying to stick to my good eating habits, but I''m not going to fret if something goes wrong with that - I''m going to make sure I feed myself well and don''t make my body break down for anything until those nasty germs are going away. I actually had a fantastic turkey sub from Jersey Mikes today, and got another one for supper, which I just ate. Should hold me great through my meetings tonight. Haha, tomorrow''s another story though - I''ll figure that one out later. And you''re right Haven - chicken breasts are always good. I always at least try to stick with lean meats and low fat stuff - it''s not as hard when you know what to look for. It''s just an annoyance for me to go out to lunch at work because I''m downtown and have to walk a ways in dress clothes on days I have meetings, haha. Poor, poor me.

Anyway, enough whining. I hear ya about getting up early - believe me, I''d love it too. I''m so glad you''re in a better mental state now. It''s amazing how emotional drainage from stressful jobs and other situations can pour over into the physical state and affect your entire mood, motivation, and drive. I don''t hate my job now at all, but I do hope one day to have one that I find a lot more meaning in. That''s something I''ve always wanted but have struggled with finding, or even just knowing what direction to look in.

Ahh, puppies.

I do think I''d be a lot happier with one - they just make you happy anyway. Which is why I''m still on the fence about one. We''ll see. I''d LOOOOVE to try skating with them!!

Thanks for the kind words Haven.

They''re great for encouragement. Have you tried any new recipes you like from the BfL book?

 

[Haven]

You sound better, luvthem, I''m glad!

I just made the chicken tenders recipe for dinner tonight and they were really good. I especially love the potato salad, it''s good enough to bring to a potluck.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Yeah Sunday night was a rough one for me. Thankfully the meetings last night weren''t too bad. Got another tonight, and another tomorrow afternoon. After that, the week should ease up. I''ll finally get to cook something Wednesday night for supper, and cook my lunches for the rest of the week. Whew!

I have ground turkey at home waiting for me to make the turkey burgers - I''m pretty excited about those. I got whole wheat buns and a tomato to go with them. And I got some zucchini to cook with some chicken dinners - I''m excited about that too - love me some zucchini!

Oh! Kasey3 I know you had asked for the meatloaf recipe - I''ll try to get it on here as soon as I can!

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Going to try to get back in the gym too, maybe tomorrow.

Here''s an opinion question... If you were in my position - started the program last Tuesday, was able to go to they gym only for 2 days straight, but have now lost 4-5+ days in the gym and won''t be able to go till tomorrow at the earliest, been mostly able to eat well (protein + carb, few veggies) but not keep with the right schedule and adequate midmeals...

J has promised to get back on the program with me when he gets over this virus too. So I''m wondering if you guys were in my shoes, would you just start the program over, maybe next Monday (assuming he''s ready then)? Or just try to pick up where we left off? I mainly ask since I''m so close to the beginning and got thrown so many wrenches at once to mess it up. Thought it might be a good idea to start fresh. What do you think?

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

An interesting note... in my quest to replace cottage cheese, I tried the greek yogurt. I got a few different flavors last week, and tried my first on Friday. It was Stonyfield Farms, vanilla flavored...

I think I made it through half of it, just so I''d have something on my stomach. The flavor was so strange to me, and it was suuuper thick, compared to normal yogurt, which I wasn''t prepared for, haha.

Yesterday I tried Chobani plain... should have brought some splenda, haha. I honestly thought I''d like plain, as I''ve always been the person who liked the plain part of the yogurts that came with fruit on the bottom.

But this was a lot more bitter (obviously, as it had way less sugar added than the flavored greek yogurts). I made it through half that one too. Just had to push it past my tongue and try to not taste it, haha.

Today I tried the Chobani blueberry - it was the best BY FAR that I''ve tried yet. Had the fruit on the bottom, and definitely had better flavor than either of the other two. That little bit more sugar makes a huge difference.

I''ve got the strawberry, vanilla, and honey flavored Chobani at home. I''ll be interested to see what those are like. Chobani and Stonyfield are the only two brands my grocery store carries though.

 

[Haven]

Hi everyone!

Luvthem--If I were in your position I would probably do my best to eat well and get in some workouts the rest of this week, and then I''d jump in full force on Monday and "restart" at the beginning. I don''t think it really makes a huge difference in the long run, as long as you don''t give yourself any more do-overs in the future!

And oh boy are you brave to try the Greek yogurt plain! I can''t eat it without some sweetener and bananas. I didn''t know Stonyfield made Greek yogurt, I''ll have to check it out. I currently buy the Chobani and Fage 0%. Are you buying the 0% or the 2%? I accidentally bought the full Fage the first time and MAN was that thick! DH and I couldn''t even finish a quarter of the little container, although it was good, I''ll say that, just super heavy.

How were those burgers? They sound delicious. I love zucchini, too. I''ve been cutting up zucchinis and eating them just like that for my veggies, they taste just like avocado to me, DH thinks it''s crazy but they do!

How''s your FI? I hope his fever has gone down and he''s feeling better now. I''m so glad you didn''t catch whatever he had!

I just came back from doing my cardio, I went to the gym after 10 which is the latest I have ever worked out since college. I''m finding it really difficult to get in if I don''t go right after I walk the pup in the morning, especially on cardio days. I have the hardest time running once I''ve eaten anything at all, and even though I waited for several hours tonight I got a cramp in my side about ten minutes into my run. I made it for 13 minutes total and then I had to stop because the cramp hurt so much. I have never gotten a cramp when working out first thing in the morning, so this was super frustrating.

Other than that, everything else is good. DH and I ate turkey sandwiches for dinner because our pup got skunked last night (GROSS!) and the house still has that smell so I couldn''t bear it to cook in the house. The thought of mixing that smell with a hot kitchen was too much.

 

[Haven]

Kasey--Here''s that meatloaf recipe! How are you?

Homestyle Turkey Meatloaf from Eating for Life, p. 92
Servings: 6
Prep time: 1 hr, 15 mins

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup salsa
- 3/4 cups old fashioned oats, uncooked
- 1 pkg Knorr Vegetable soup mix (?)
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 6 portions red potatoes
- 2 lbs green beans
- 3/4 cup skim milk
- 2 Tbsp Butter Buds (I can''t find these ANYWHERE, by the way!)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, egg whites, salsa, oats, soup mix and black pepper. Press mixture into 9" x 5" loaf pan and spread ketchup over top. Bake in preheated oven until meatloaf is no longer pink in the center and juice is clear, about 60 mins.
3. Approximately 25 mins after putting the meatloaf in the oven, cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Place cut potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Cut stems off green beans and place in a large saucepan with 1 inch of water in the bottom. Heat to boiling over high heat; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 6 to 8 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain.
5. Remove meatloaf from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing.
6. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pan. Mash while adding skim milk a little at a time. Add Butter Buds and mash vigorously until potatoes are light and fluffy.
7. Place a portion of meatloaf and mashed potatoes along with about a cup of green beans on each plate. Serve and enjoy.

 

[cindygenit]

Date: 9/15/2009 1:51:50 PM
Author: luvthemstrawberries
Going to try to get back in the gym too, maybe tomorrow.

Here''s an opinion question... If you were in my position - started the program last Tuesday, was able to go to they gym only for 2 days straight, but have now lost 4-5+ days in the gym and won''t be able to go till tomorrow at the earliest, been mostly able to eat well (protein + carb, few veggies) but not keep with the right schedule and adequate midmeals...

J has promised to get back on the program with me when he gets over this virus too. So I''m wondering if you guys were in my shoes, would you just start the program over, maybe next Monday (assuming he''s ready then)? Or just try to pick up where we left off? I mainly ask since I''m so close to the beginning and got thrown so many wrenches at once to mess it up. Thought it might be a good idea to start fresh. What do you think?

Hi luvthem, i''m not a part of this BFL challenge but i think you shouldn''t do over. At the worst, you maintain your weight. If you decide to do over, you will get temped to binge and that is not a good thing!

You go girls! Yummy recipes by the way.

 

[Blackpaw]

Hi everyone

Im sorry ive been MIA, have been in a bit of a bad place....

Luvthem - hope you''re FI is ok? Ive been getting through a bit of cottage cheese and i have to say its wearing a little thin, so ill have to try the yoghurt....then that can wear thin with me too

and dont worry about the workouts i say...life happens you know!

Haven - you poor thing with the cramp

they seriously suck. Im best to do cardio in the mornings too.

So as for me, whenever it was i stopped posting, i was sitting down about to type something and i got an email from a friend, her fiance''s mum had been given a couple of weeks to live. She got sick very suddenly unfortunately, and then the illness proved more aggressive than the doctor''s had expected. Anyhow, i looked at my blank post and just couldnt write anything about diet or exercise you know. Didnt seem important at that moment.

So then a bit of time passed and I was having a bit of a tough time getting used to the, err, deprivation...to be totally honest

i still havent managed to eat 6 meals in one day! eating cottage cheese after 10 at night just isnt cricket

So i was having a lot of guilt about messing up all the time (and i still am), but im definitely eating healthier thanks to this diet. And as for the exercise, im still getting the hang of weights and the intensity stuff for the cardio, but im going in the mornings and im really enjoying it. And i hike on the weekends and sometimes at night so i feel like im really getting healthier. And ive lost 2lbs! not that its a lot but im happy about it.

Anyways, yesterday i was going to post and found out that his mum passed away the day before.

So i wanted to say to everyone on this thread that i am 100% positive we''re all beautiful people, inside and out...and that we should remember that when we''re disappointed because we messed up our diet or exercise.

Coz life''s too short!

 

[Blackpaw]

Sorry for being a downer. Just life makes you think you know.



Haven - i wanted to say thanks for the pot roast recipe...i made it and it was delicious! im going to try chicken cacciatore in there tomorrow

Oh - and can i just say...that a little bit of fat free sour cream makes EVERYTHING splendid

even if mr phillips wouldnt quite condone it

 

[Haven]

Blackpaw--I''m so sorry for your friends fiance''s loss.
You bring up a very good point, thank you for bringing some perspective to our thread. My thoughts are with you and your friend''s family.

Losses like this make me feel even better about doing what I can to preserve and promote my own health and my husband''s health. After all, what do we have if not our health?

I hope you''re doing okay, Blackpaw.

 

[Blackpaw]

Thanks Haven

Im ok though.

I went to the gym this morning and finally mastered the lower body weight machine things! And i know its not in the program but i tend to do a little bit of cardio at the gym each day. But only 15mins! I cant help myself, it just feels so good to jog....

And tonight i went to yoga which was really great...i need the stretching with all the workouts.

How are you going with the protein Haven? you said that it was starting to be a bit much? I find it tough too - soooo much cottage cheese

i wish i liked eggs....

Oh and speaking of shakes....i like the chocolate fudge myoplex ones! the vanilla ones arent great but the chocolate ones just taste like soy chocolate milk

though having a whole one is a challenge...they''re pretty heavy!

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Blackpaw - I second everything Haven said. Thank you for your insight. I agree - we are all beautiful. And it's always good to keep priorities straight. We certainly shouldn't fret about our weight, but it is important to be as wise about our health as possible. We can only be responsible for ourselves and our own bodies and health. However, mess-ups are certainly not something to be worked up over, and he even mentions that in the book.

Again, thanks for the little reminder to let things slide.

And don't let that guilt get to you! You sound like you're doing fabulous in getting in the swing of things.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Haven and Blackpaw, thank you so much for the concern about my FI. He''s doing better - well enough to run out of the house for a few minutes today and grab a few groceries we seriously needed. I had night meetings Monday and Tuesday this week, so I''ve been really run down myself. And yesterday, his fever started to rise again while I was at work, so I left in the afternoon early and came home to take care of him and make sure all was ok. By then end of the night, his fever was down to below normal - thank goodness!! It''s stayed around normal all day today also, so I *hope* he''s on the upswing now.

I''ve been keeping insanely sanitary when around him - washing my hands after anything he''s touched. He''s good about keeping himself contained also. We haven''t even *touched* each other since sometime Saturday morning.

Literally. Except for him asking to touch my toe, haha, since he hasn''t even been able to hug me. So thankfully I haven''t caught anything yet, and won''t. I started feeling pretty puny myself yesterday evening after supper, but I think it was just indigestion, thank goodness. I really CAN''T WAIT to get back on my normal food routine - my digestion and everything works so much better when I''m eating normally instead of this sporadic eating I''ve unfortunately been forced to do in the past days.

I''ve decided to start over on Monday. I certainly didn''t plan to have a do-over, period. But everything kind of happened at once, so since it''s so close to the beginning, and since I like to go full-force whenever I have the power to do so, I''m going to have a re-start. Then I can actually start on a Monday as well, instead of a Tuesday as it was before.

Hahaha, Haven the Greek yogurt plain was

! I honestly didn''t know what to expect, and didn''t expect it to be that bitter. I might have to experiment with things I like in it in the future. I''m eating Chobani vanilla right now, and it''s BY FAR the best I''ve had so far - even better than the blueberry, I think - and WAY better than the Stonyfield vanilla. I still have a strawberry left at home. This stuff is soooo THICK!! I''ve never had anything quite like it. I get the 0% - my store doesn''t even carry the 2%, and I can''t IMAGINE trying to eat that, haha! Even with this stuff, I have to take a break after every few bites to let the thickness settle down in my tummy. Haven what flavors in the Chobani do you like?

I''m planning on making the turkey burgers tonight, so I''ll let you know how they are! I love sauteeing some zucchini - yum!! Were you saying that you eating them raw, or do you cook them and then they taste like avacado?

Wow, I can''t imagine workout out at 10PM, haha! Kudos to you! I''ve been contemplating changing my work schedule and trying to work out in the mornings. I used to do it in college and it made the rest of my day a lot better. I do it after work right now, which is mentally very tough as far as motivation goes most days.

I hope the puppy smells better now!!!! I bet that smell was quite

!

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Oooo strawberry Chobani is pretty good too! Got a little strange by the end of the container though, haha.

 

[Blackpaw]

Hi All

Had a good workout this morning, doing upper body. And tomorrow''s my free day...though ive been a little free this week already

so i wont be indulging much!

Luvthem - is the greek yogurt the protein or the carbs? What do you put with it?
Good luck for your fresh start on monday

i highly recommend gym in the mornings - i havent been doing it long its true, but my gosh it makes breakfast taste delicious

its funny because when i dont workout i can barely get up with enough time for brekkie

 

[Kasey3]

Hi everyone

I have been MIA for a while but still following the plan-well for the most part! I started back to work ion 9/8, and 3days later I got sick!! My school must be a germ fest! Anyway, I couldn''t exercise but I did stick to the eating plan-well fairly close to it!

Then, I had a very busy week: back to school night, tutoring, car problems, and a baseball game-so I was only able to do my cardio workout twice-but I did manage to stay on the food plan everyday-except for the night of the baseball game!Next week I will be back on track 100%.

Haven: thank you so much for the recipe I am going to try it tomorrow night!

Blackpaw: I am sorry to hear about your friends loss, and you are right life is too short to stress about the little things.

Luvthem: I am glad that your fi is feeling better and that you managed to escape the virus!

 

[Kasey3]

Haven I just did a search for butterbuds and you can order them on line!

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Blackpaw - The greek yogurt is the protein and the carbs, same with cottage cheese. That''s why it''s such a good snack. Yeah I just don''t know about the gym in the mornings - I''d definitely have to change my schedule. Plus FI and I couldn''t work out together. I''m going to decide today.

Hi Kasey3! Glad you''ve been doing well! Haha I wondered about where to get those darn butterbuds!

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Day 1! Woohoo!!

Do you guys think it matters if you start the week with weight lifting or with cardio? It''d be easier for me to do cardio on Mondays since the gym is so darn crowded Monday afternoons when I go. I''d basically flip flop the days and do weight lifting on Saturdays. Think that''s ok, or is there a method to the order he''s got things in?

 

[Haven]

Have a great first day, luvthem! I can''t imagine that it will make a huge difference if you start the week with cardio, I don''t remember it saying anything about that in the book. I''ll ask DH about it when he''s home from work. I think the key is that *if* you''ll get a better workout in by switching the days, do it.
I eat only the plain Greek yogurts, and then I mix in sweetener and a banana, usually. For some reason I don''t like flavored Greek yogurt.

Kasey--Thank you for the Butterbuds info! I was a bit frustrated that I couldn''t find them anywhere. I hope you have great workouts this week!
This is off topic, but what do you teach? I''m sorry if we''ve talked about this before, I''m quite forgetful.

Blackpaw--I agree with you on the Myoplex shakes, they do taste like soy milk! I tried the EAS carb control shakes last week because the store was out of the Myoplex lite, and they taste like a watered-down version of the Myoplex lite shakes. And they are a lot to drink at once. I pour one into a shaker with ice on Tuesday and Thursday mornings so I can drink it on my way to work, so I spread it out over a half hour. They''re so thick!
I''m doing better with the protein now, actually. Since I started running instead of doing the elliptical machine for my cardio I feel like I can eat more, which I guess isn''t that surprising. It''s still a lot to take in, though. I do end up eating only five times most days.
I really want to try Bikram yoga but I''m going to wait until I''m done with my 12 weeks because I don''t want to do that plus the cardio and lifting workouts for fear of overtraining. What type of yoga do you do?

_________________________________

SO, today is the start of week 7 for me, and I''m feeling a bit frustrated. My weight fluctuates a bit, but I''ve only lost a few pounds, as in 3 or 4, tops. I feel like my clothes fit a tiny bit better, but I don''t really see much difference from a few weeks ago when I first noticed it. I''ve been sticking to the diet really well, and I''ve only missed three workouts during the entire six weeks I''ve been on the program. Compared to the way I was eating and moving before I started the challenge, I am doing so many things differently so I feel kind of bummed that my body doesn''t show that, yet.

I keep reminding myself that a lot of people on the BFL website talk about how women begin to see the big changes around week 8, so I just need to be patient. In fact, the last time I tried this I quit after week 7 because I was frustrated (and school had started back up, so I was time-strapped), and then I lost about seven pounds right after that even though I wasn''t working out or eating so clean anymore.

I guess I''m just venting. It''s just a huge buzz kill to *feel* really strong and lean, and to *look* pretty much the same. I know I''m not doing this just for appearances, but some visual progress would be nice, ya know?

ANYWAY, in an effort to really stick with it, because I was feeling pretty down last week and teetered on the edge of cheating too many times to count, I figured I''d post my little vent here in the thread and make a promise to my PS BFLers that I *will* stick with it. So there you have it.

Today is an upper body day for me, so I''m heading out to the gym now to do that. I haven''t decided what to cook for dinner, but I''m thinking of being daring and making the tuna casserole from the EFL book. I''m not a huge tuna fan, well I''m not a fan at all, actually, but a few people have told me how much they love tuna casserole this past week, so I figure tuna might taste better all dolled up.

Other than that, the pup is still a little stinkpot, although she smells like burnt matches now instead of skunk. Now that it''s officially fall I broke out all of my pumpkin and apple spice candles and reed diffusers, so they''re masking the burnt smell a bit. Poor little stinkpot.

Happy fall, everyone! I love the fall so much, I''m very excited for the change in seasons.
Here''s a not-so-great picture I snapped this weekend of our three boys soaking up the last bit of the summer sun. They''re such nuts.

 

[Blackpaw]

Haven your little ones are so gorgeous

Congrats on sticking with it so well, and just hang on because you''re so close to the finish and im sure you''ll see a difference soon

I havent been sticking too well to the diet im afraid, but i am doing a lot of exercise and making healthier diet choices in general. Alas though, when a supermarket here gets in a batch of tim tams i lose all self-control

anyone who''s had a tim-tam will, im sure, agree! Id say i get my meals right i just seem to have one bad snack every couple of days - but im working on it (or i will be once those tim-tams are gone)!!

Missed my lower body workout yesterday (went for a hike and was pretty tired at the end of it), so today i did cardio and lower body...i dont know if that was the right thing to do but it felt good, and i like knowing im back on track for upper body tomorrow...

Haven i do vinyasa flow yoga. Its a bit faster than regular yoga i think. But i love it, it makes me feel really strong, especially in my core...not to mention all Zen and calm

ive never tried bikram but ive heard its tough, though makes you feel amazing! if you want to do some yoga during BfL i would go for it, just not bikram. I think its a good antidote to the intensity of the workouts. Its a calming kind of intense for me i guess

Luvthem - best of luck with BfL - hope you''ve had a great day 1

did you decide whether to go for morning workouts? i admit it is good to have your SO to go with. I find that if one of us is dragging our feet about going, the other is keen so you go along! we went twice today in fact! alas we had to leave early because the squash court was booked.

Kasey - hope you''re going well