Healthier Lifestyle Thread 1st Dec till 7th Dec

[Lorelei]

Happy new week everyone!

I hope all of you who celebrated Thanksgiving had a joyous and memorable holiday with your family and friends, and enjoyed a few yummy eatables!

Now the Christmas Holiday is looming ever larger....It really feels like yesterday it was last Christmas * shakes head wondering where the time went....*

Anyway. There is time still and certainly worth making the effort to push on towards your goals even with the Holidays so close. Remember it is the good choices you make over the next few weeks, months and years which will make the difference and help you achieve your goals, not that you overindulged at a Holiday party or for a couple of days over the Holiday itself! There has to be a balance, so plan a campaign that will best work for you to help you navigate the Holiday goodies that pop up everywhere. For example, my plan as always is to continue normally, but as I don't socialize much, when I do I will eat what I want. I am a grazer rather than an eater of large dinners, so I find a sit down dinner somewhat easier to not overdo things rather than a buffet with canapes etc. I eat exactly what I want on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day as we call the day after Christmas in the UK. After that, I get back on track by concentrating on the conveniently supplied lean protein in the house such as the turkey and the ham, along with suitable healthy accompaniments.

So this week I thought it might be worth discussing our various strategies for the main Holiday, and if you don't have one, maybe think of one which might work for you. I find it really helps alleviate the feelings of guilt that I used to suffer by planning things out a bit.

But also keep on track for now - there is still time to see some really positive results before the Holiday kicks off - or to fit into that little black dress etc!

Have a great week

 

[monarch64]

Good morning Lorelei and HLTr''s! Great discussion topic--strategies for staying fit and healthy through the holidays. Mine entails making sure to get enough sleep and stay hydrated. I was reading my Fitness magazine last night and there is a study that shows that the more sleep-deprived one is, the more one tends to overindulge, especially during the holidays and times of stress.

I have great news: yesterday I decided to try on some "skinny" leg jeans that I haven''t been able to wear for a couple of years and they fit! They were a teensy bit snug, but they fit!!! I was ecstatic. I really have not been "dieting," however, I have been watching portion sizes and not snacking just to keep my mouth busy. I do get some exercise with taking my dog out for walks and other chores, but I''m really not working out like I probably need to. I''m considering joining a gym once the New Year''s Resolution rush wears off in late January, and I would like to get a trainer to help me increase endurance and help me get more toned.

Everything else in my life has been going pretty well. I am thankful each and every day that I am in such a healthier place. On Saturday this weekend, I helped my Dad put up the outdoor Christmas lights, and I pulled my car up and we blasted Jimmy Buffett music and reminisced about our family vacations spent in Florida on Christmas for a few years. It was so nice. My father has been through a lot with his cancer and now that he is in remission and I''m home we''re getting a chance to reconnect.

Have a great day everyone!

 

[Skippy123]

Morning all; hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.

Today is an allergy shot and Costco day; I am up a lb but I know I will lose it. I think that it is a good reminder for myself how easy it is to put on a lb from pies and other goodies and just being more aware. I plan to exercise and eat more at home when I can. I have a few parties to go to and my stragiges are that I am going to try and be the social butterfly (so I don't sit and eat) and also bring some veggie trays so if there are no veggies to snack on that I have those to eat. hehe I also plan to eat a healthy filling soup before hand.


5 Secrets to staying thin through the Holidays http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/21200/5-secrets-to-staying-thin-through-the-holidays/
Monnie one of them is making sure you get sleep!!!



Monnie, yay for fitting in your skinny jeans

Lorelei, great opener and motivator to the holidays coming up

Rod, thank you for the recipe!!! Thanks for liking the picture, here is a purdy one from the gorgeous sunset yesterday. hehe

Marcy, hi friend!

 

[Miscka]

Hi everyone!!!

I hope you all had a good thanksgiving! I did, and didn''t feel too bad about what I ate. My mom made some KILLER brussel sprouts and now I feel myself going back into one of my phases where I eat them all the time!

I needed that reminder about sleep, though, Skippy! I am not getting much these days.

Yay for the jeans Monarch!!

Not much else going on. I am thinking about going back on my allergy diet, just for a week, before Christmas. I think I would just feel a little better, healthier and whatnot. We will see.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/1/2008 11:57:29 AM
Author: SanDiegoLady
Well, I haven''t exactly been active lately and I''m sorry. Its been rather hit and miss with the amount of time I''ve had. I''d been on my last bit of training and then my in laws have been here since last Wednesday and will not be leaving until tomorrow. Am I stressed? Hell yes I am. Did I eat? OMG YES.. I was GRATEFUL that I had to work Saturday just so I could get the heck out of the house. Hubby and I have also been arguing since they''ve been here and I am stressed about that as well. So, I decided I won''t be weighing myself until the 18th. I am so angry I allowed myself to use food as comfort and wasn''t in control.

The bad thing too is that they are moving here in six months and we are no where near ready. They want us to live near, but I think if our marriage is supposed to last, we should probably not live too awfully near.. I''m thinking a commute from Arizona might do the trick.

I am a little upset about the whole week.. and glad that my schedule goes back to normal Wednesday. The only good thing that happened lately is that I''ve finished all my training until I go to the academy in the spring.

*sigh*

Hugs!

We missed you!

 

[lliang_chi]

Lorelei, Great opener! Hope everyone''s weekend was a good one. We just go snow this morning in Chicago. I''m not a big snow fan, but I''ll try to take some pictures while I"m out with the dog today. Maybe I''ll learn to like it a little more... Who knows.

This holiday weekend I did an OK job with the healthy eating. I munched a lot, and my dad likes to feed us. But I did do my 8K, so that''s a plus. But I ran very slow, I''m a little disappointed. My sister and I are going to start yoga this month and hopefully keep it up for at least 4 times a week.

I''m going to try to avoid holiday sweets and try to eliminate my snacking and munching.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Helloooooooo!!!

Back from our warm week in Phoenix to snow in Chicago as lliang mentioned. Yuck!

Not much time (have to pick a client up for a closing less than an hour) but just wanted to check in and say I missed every last week and I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I either worked out in the gym or climbed some sort of mountain every day, so I did get my workouts in, and I''m up half a pound from when I left, so that''s not too bad at all. I didn''t manage to get any great pics of my new hair, but here are two from hiking for your viewing pleasure.

 

[Dee*Jay]

And here I am a little worse for wear at the top of Camelback.

 

[geckodani]

Hi all!

Talk about a crazy week last week!

Wonderful opener, as always Lorelei.

Skip, that pic is GORGEOUS!

Love the hair Dee!

So, I didn''t do as horridly as I could have last week. But I also didn''t pay as much attention as I should. I get into the mentality that since I ate the house Thursday, the rest of the week is shot, and I eat accordingly. Which is silly.

So my Christmas Strategy is to stay on every day - and to enjoy dinner with my Mom on Christmas Eve, and the food at the in-laws on the day. Not the whole week!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 12/1/2008 1:05:31 PM
Author: lliang_chi
Lorelei, Great opener! Hope everyone's weekend was a good one. We just go snow this morning in Chicago. I'm not a big snow fan, but I'll try to take some pictures while I'm out with the dog today. Maybe I'll learn to like it a little more... Who knows.

This holiday weekend I did an OK job with the healthy eating. I munched a lot, and my dad likes to feed us. But I did do my 8K, so that's a plus. But I ran very slow, I'm a little disappointed. My sister and I are going to start yoga this month and hopefully keep it up for at least 4 times a week.

I'm going to try to avoid holiday sweets and try to eliminate my snacking and munching.

Thanks llaing and I would love some snowy pics please if you can!

Hi Gecks!

Dee you look so skinny and I LOVE the hair!

 

[appletini]

No exercising yesterday, I was reading the second Twilight book and couldn''t tear myself away. But I did go to my TBT class today and had a good workout which I really needed. Also I will be working out with my workout partner on Tuesday and Thursday, no time to walk in the evenings though. Friday I have the day off from work so I will do my walk/jog routine then.

Plans to stay healthy during the holidays....usually its tougher for me to workout at lunch due to holiday and birthday luncheons that are scheduled, but I do have more time to do things outside of work b/c of the vacation days.

 

[lliang_chi]

Loreilei, I''ll try to get some snow pics for you. I''ll probably go out to walk the dog in a bit, I''ll put my camera in my jacket pocket now so I''ll have it.

Dee, GREAT HAIRCUT!!!! James proposed to me on top of Camelback mountain! I saw those pics and it made me smile I got my haircut on Friday. I''m lukewarm about it. But I haven''t styled it yet, so maybe it just needs that

SDL, I"m sorry things have been so stressful!! Big HUGS, I hope things sort themselves out.

 

[bobbin]

Well last week was a little disappointing, I didn''t go to the gym once and my eating was still a bit off, but hopefully this week will be better. I did however take my puppy for a walk everyday except Wednesday. The good news this week is that SO realised that he has also put on 5 kilos in the last six months and he wants to lose it too. So he has made a rule that we don''t snack during the week. I know I won''t be able to stick to that so I have changed it to only healthy snacks- we have carrot/cucumber/capsicum sticks with hommus instead of chips, biscuits and cheese etc. Now I just have to overcome my sweet tooth- I am trying to do this by replacing lollies and cakes with yummy summer fruit like nectarines and watermelon.

Lorelei- Great opener! I will be going to SO''s home town to have christmas with his family this year and they are big eaters and drinkers so it will be tough for me to stay good!

Monarch- Yay for skinny jeans and having a good time with your father. Those moments are always precious.

SDL- Sorry to hear you had a bad week. Hopefully everything will work out for you with your inlaws moving closer.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Happy Monday!

I usually wouldn''t be saying that, but i''m glad to be back home from the Holiday weekend! We went to my in-laws, which is an adventure to travel to (and back). It was a nice visit, but it''s good to be home

I kept myself on track during the Holiday- working out on Thursday and Friday and just watching what I ate. The in-laws favor starches, processed food and sweets, so it was tough to eat healthily. But i must''ve done something right, because I lost 1.5 lbs since my weigh-in last Tuesday. Overall, i''m down a total of 11.5 pounds since I began my stroll down this healthy road on October 6th- 8 weeks ago. I''m about 5lbs away from my first mini-goal, which was to lose 10% of my starting weight (16.8lbs). I think i can do it before the end of the year!

I began my second week of bootcamp, and it was all about cardio, cardio and cardio. We also did arm exercises, squats and lunges. It was nice to be at bootcamp again!

Lorelei- Great opener, as always! My strategy for this Holiday season is to enjoy in moderation. I''m not going to deprive myself, but instead enjoy what i want in much smaller portions. It worked for me during Thanksgiving, so that''s my game plan for the month ahead.

A second stategy is to use more CL recipes for traditional holiday eats. We already do this quite a bit, but i''m going to try to branch out some more. For example, I LOVE to bake during the holiday- and this one will be no different. But instead of using a full-fat/calorie recipe, i''m going to opt for one from CL.

Monnie- YAHOO for family time with Dad and for getting into your skinny leg jeans!
Skippy- GORGEOUS sunset! thanks for sharing that
Miscka- oh, if only we would''ve had brussel sprouts at Thanksgiving! yum
SDL- We all fall off the wagon- the thing is that you just have to get yourself right back up and on track. No worries!
lliang- Running an 8k is HUGE! good for you
Dee- Your hiking pics are making me wish it was Friday- my bootcamp hiking day. BTW- love the hair!
geko- I hear ya about thinking that the rest of the week is shot because you had a couple of bad days. Let''s break that mindset!
Apple- you''ve got a busy workout week ahead of you!
Bobbin- Here''s to a new week! Is that your puppy in your avatar? what a cutie!

 

[somethingshiny]

Wow, it looks like everyone is on the road with BIG plans!!

I was feeling a little guilty about my Thanksgiving indulgences until JT made me see the light. We were putting up the Christmas tree and watching White Christmas the day after Thanksgiving (as indicated in the marital contract--lol). JT kept staring at the thin . I said, "Oh, isn''t she pretty?!" and he says, "she needs pizza!" From the mouths of s...

Hope you have a great tomorrow!

 

[Rod]

Hey.......It was a long day at work. It started slowly, and the phones hardly rang early in the day. I guess everyone was getting caught up. But then this afternoon it got busy and I wound up not leaving worrk until after 6:30. Charlie was waiting for me at favorite sushi place #2 at 6, so by the time I got there he was well into his 2nd glass of wine. Tomorrow will be my regular 'uber' Tuesday with a long day at work, followed by the gym immediately afterwards for about 3 hours.

Great opener as always Lorelei. My plan for the holidays is very simple. There will be little to no changes in my healthy routine with the exception of Christmas day, where I will eat pretty much what I want INCLUDING a big 'ol honking piece of chocolate fudge cake....Yummmmm!!

I'm so glad you're in a good place Monnie! I'm sure you enjoyed putting up the holiday lights with your dad! Kudos for fitting into skinny jeans my dear!!

Thanks for another beautiful picture Skippy!! Good party strategy and you know being up just a pound isn't a big deal at all!!

Hye Miscka, what is your allergy diet??

Oh Michelle, I'm so sorry it's been so stressful at home and you and hubby have been arguing. Nothing can "muck" you up (feel free to substitue an f for the m) like a family. I hope the inlaws moving there won't be too instrusive. It can be really hard to have family interrupt your life in such a permanent way. I'm sorry you had to turn to food to keep your sanity, but then you could have turned to far worse things, so on second thought, I'm glad you found food comforting.........good idea not to weigh yourself for a while, but I'm betting you didn't gain much to begin with. Your friends on the HLT are here for you, for sure.......

Lliang, I hope to see some pics of the snow in Chicago. Looking at snow........nice. Touching snow........naughty! LOL

DeeJay, I want your life. South America, followed by Arizona. Such a tough life.......LOL Hey, your new hairdo is really cute on you!!

Gecko, your plan for the holidays sounds good too!

Hey Apple, I still so want to see Twilight the movie and I'd like to read the book too. There was a girl at the gym yesterday afternoon, who was working out and reading the book at the same time. Yay for a good TBT class!

Hi bobbin, sorry your week was a little disappointing. I'm sure you'll have a better week this week and it's great that SO is going to lose weight with you!

I wish I could do a bootcamp Charger. I know I'd get a lot out of it, but I just can't commit to a specific time to attend.

Too funny about the marital contract specifying putting up the Christmas tree and watching White Christmas SS!!!

I guess that does it for me this Monday night. I'll check in tomorrow night, but it will be a brief one..........

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone!

Well I went back to work today and had no problem staying in my normal calorie range.I think I will wait till Wednesday to “see” what the scale says.At least my clothes fit me fine.Woo hoo!

I got my spessartite garnet today from Don Stair.It’s gorgeous.

Lorelei, great opener my friend.I like your plan of eating what you want right around Christmas and be a smart grazer if you are at some special event.I am going to try very hard to stick to my normal routines this month unless it’s a party or on Christmas.Give me strength to make my cookies though – I love hot cookies.I also plan on walking on the treadmill every day instead of every other day.
Monnie, good point about avoiding being tired during the holidays.I think that makes me more lax in eating.I was very glad to see that you are in a positive place, your dad is in remission and you are enjoying reconnecting with him.Things sound like they going well for you.Woo hoo for fitting in to your skinny jeans.

Skippy, I like the social butterfly idea too.That gets you up, moving around and eating less.I’ll adapt the Skippy method at parties.I love your sunset picture too dear friend.
Miscka, good luck on your allergy diet.
SanDiegoLady, hugs to you girl.You sure had a tough and stressful week.
Lliang, congratulations on running your 8K.
DeeJay, you look terrific and I love your new hairdo.It looks awesome on you.
Geckodani, I hope this week is not as crazy for you.
Appletini, glad to hear you are enjoying a good book. I put a jigsaw puzzle together this weekend and enjoyed working on that for a change.
Bobbin, that will be a big help with your SO being serious about eating healthy too.
ChargerGirl, I agree it’s good to be back to normal life after the weekend.Congratulations for being down 11.5 pounds.
Somethingshiny, I haven’t watched White Christmas for years.Sounds like a great movie for me to hunt down and watch.
Rod, 24 more days till you get your wonderful chocolate cake.Yummy!
See you tomorrow!

Marcy

 

[Julianna]

Hello HLTers! I have to dash off to training in a few minutes but wanted to pop in and say WHAT IS UP, PEOPLE!!?!

Also Dee, your hair looks pretty dang cute when it''s messed up, I''ll bet it''s stunning when it''s looking exactly the way you want it to.

Went to the gym this morning for the first time in...eh three months. Barely ran 2 miles, did some squats and some lunges and called it a day. I was there, though! Showing up is well over half the battle. Should be going to the 6AM yoga tomorrow too, if the planets align just so, but I''m taking it one day at a time.

And that...is all!

Oh one more thing, you should post more pics of your fabulous, picturesque backyard scenery, Skippers. They cheer me directly up.

 

[dragonfly411]

HI everyone! I''m home and kickin. I would have posted yesterday but we were swamped all day and I had to unpack last night. NC was fantastic!We stayed outside of Rutherdfordton, close to Asheville. We visited a big lake and hiked it for part of a day, hiked his Aunt''s property for part of a day and Saturday we went and hiked Mount Mitchell IN THE SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! That''s my first snow since I was like....2. We made a snow man and had a snow ball fight. It was fantastic!! I''ll have to share a couple of pictures later. The drive home was horrible. I''m sad to say I gained a pound and half over the weekend, mostly from roasted marshmallows and chips lol. But I''m back on track, and working hard to get the weight back off and tone my abs. I need help with finding abdominal exercises that are effective.

Lorelei I love your idea to figure strategies, and I think that will just be our challenge this week. Find a strategy for the holidays that works for you and will make you happy. Mine will be to work every day for at least an hour, and eat healthy on all days that aren''t Christmas day lololol. I really am going to work hard at this though.

 

[Miscka]

Rod-it is basically no wheat, no dairy, no sugar, etc. I am pretty used to it now, so a week should not be bad!
Marcy do you have pics of your spess somewhere?
Charger congrats on being so close to your first goal! That is great in that period of time.

I do have some good news. I went to the doctor today, and forgot that I would be weighed. I was so nervous! I am wearing a sweater and sneakers, etc. But I didnt gain any weight from tgiving!! woohoo!!

I definitely need to lay off the sweets, though

I am having serious sweet tooth issues.

I hope everyone else is doing well!

 

[appletini]

I had a good workout today with my workout partner. However due to the schedule this week no more exercise until Friday...so I''ll defintiely walk/jog and maybe sneak into the gym for TBT.

 

[lliang_chi]

Today everything was going wrong with work, so I spent all morning and afternoon nervously munching and snacking on leftovers. I''m going to make an effort not to do any more snacking today, although things are still sideways at work. But my sister and I are going to do some bikram yoga, so that should be a plus. I''ve been stocking up on water because of that.

The pics didn''t come out too good because of the lack of sunlight, but here''s a shot of the garden from my balcony.

And I''m of the belief that the only place snow belongs is on a mountain. Ha ha. Anyway, it was pretty damn cold tonight. I think hot room yoga might be good for me.

 

[Skippy123]

Hi Friends; I got my haircut today. I hate more than anything to get my haircut but it came out cute, thank goodness. I think I will go for a walk this afternoon; it warmed up today to the 58 degrees. Thank you all for the sweet words on my photo.

I love our sunsets and especially when there is a little snow on the mountains they turn out even pinker from the suns reflection.

Oh hubby did our Christmas card picture and it was awful because we were black;

I told Costco and sent a new pic and they redid it for free, whoop whoop! Costco is awesome a thousand times and the picture/card looks great. Now time to send them out. hehe

I rented the X files movie to watch tonight. Hope everyone is doing well my HLT friends

MISCKA, how is your doggie doing? Thanks for your sweet words on my hair! You are tiny!!! Yay for not gaining weight!

MICHELLE, hope your day is terrific! ah, thank you on your sweet words on my photo. Come out here so you can see it. hehe

LLIANG, yay for an 8 k, wooo hooo!!

DEEJAY, love the new hair miss skinny!!!

GECKO, ahhh, thank you for your sweet words. I love all your new bling!!!!

You will do great this week friend!

APPLE, yay for TBT!

BOBBIN, hope you get to the gym this week and great job replacing candy with fruit!

CHARGER, yay for losing 12 lbs

Thanks for your sweet words!

SS, I missed you; good to see you back!! Ah, sweet about watching White Christmas; I love that movie!!!

ROD, sorry your day was long but yay for sushi!!! i think I will have sushi on my bday (in 2 weeks) since I get to go anywhere I want on that day. haha thanks for your sweet words friend!

JULIANNA, ahhhh, you are such a darling; thank you for your sweet words! Yay for 2 mi run and killer workout! wooo!

DRAGONFLY, I love Asheville, lucky duck! Yay for hiking, eek to the snow! Sounds like fun and I look forward to the pics



MARCY, yay for having no probs in your cal range. Yay for your new garnet! thanks re:the picture friend!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

It''s been a busy Tuesday, and I''m so ready to head home.

Today has been status quo with the working out and eating- nothing new to report!

I''ve noticed is that some of my pants are getting too loose. they sit on my hips- which kinda works, but then the thigh/leg part is loose and can look funky. This mostly happens with pants i''ve worn a couple of times. Clean ones right out of the dryer are OK. I don''t think i''m ready to go down a size yet, ''cause i''m VERY prone to bloating (TMI- sorry!) and it''s nice to have comfy pants (for a change!). But i''m super close!

Sorry i can''t respond to everyone... i''m itching to shut down and head home. I''m sneaking out a bit early today.

 

[KimberlyH]

Hi All,

Last week was very busy (I drove about 1,000 miles in 8 days between San Diego and LA and around town, sorta crazy) and I fried my computer keyboard (spilled water on it while trying to show my nephew something) so I haven''t been around. Exercise has been nonexistant, I''m back in the game tomorrow, headed to the gym. Food wise I''ve been pretty good but I''m sure I''ve gained a pound or two, haven''t bothered to check as I don''t want to get worked up about it.

My holiday plan is to eat like I normally would. I tend not to overeat, with the exception of a few meals, during the holidays and I''m okay with that as it''s no different than when we eat out once or twice a week. I am commited to working out regularly. I couldn''t get motivated to go on Monday as my lunch was awful so I trashed it and then had no energy and needed to use my reserves to go babysit. We went on a short hike and played ball, but that''s not the same as the gym. Anyways, working out at least 4 days a week is my aim (and I can still make it this week if I start tomorrow!).

Skip, gorgeous pics.

Lliang, you are clearly not originally from Chicago or you''d be used to the snow, where''s home? Love the pictures.

Dee, the haircut is fantastic! How''s party planning going?

Rod, good to see you, healthy as always.

Charger, you really seem to be hitting your stride, that''s fantastic.

We''re having halibut, aspargus, and sharing a yam for dinner, yum.

Have a great night all. I''ve missed checking in. It may be what I needed to get my butt back to the gym.

 

[Rod]

Hey..........It''s been my usual ''uber'' Tuesday and it''s now around 11 PM. You know my Tuesday drill. Long day at work. Went from work directly to the gym. Worked out hard for 3 hours, got home just before 10, had a bowl of soup and a small salad. That''s about it. I''m really beat. Sorry for not saying hi to everyone personally. I''ll do better tomorrow promise............

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone!

We’ve got a blast of winter coming our way!I tried on my thermals and tights under some pants tonight and while they both fit me fine; not together.I have some loser jeans but I can’t wear jeans to school tomorrow night.I have some chinos that are bigger maybe I’ll try them in the morning.They say we’ll have wind chill near zero tomorrow with blowing and drifting snow.Aak.
I was good calorie wise again today.

Was there any doubt?Tee hee.
Julianna, yay for going back to the gym today.
Dragonfly, it sounds like you had a great time on your trip.No worries about that extra 1.5 pounds – they will go away soon.
Miscka, congratulations for not gaining any weight over thanksgiving.Here is the link to my spessartite.It’s a 5mm RB, I turned it in at the mall tonight to have them switch out the stone in my ring.
Appletini, I am glad you had a great workout today.
Lliang, I hope tomorrow goes better for you.Pretty snow picture!
Skippy, woo hoo for a new hairdo; post a picture for us if you want to.That is great Costco did your pictures over for free.I used to work in a photo lab so I am pretty picky with how my photos turn out.Let me know what you think of the X-Files movie.I want to see it as well.
ChargerGirl, woo hoo for loose pants.
Kimi, rats for frying your keyboard.
Rod, I hope you sleep well tonight after another uber long day!

Take care.

Marcy

 

[geckodani]

i have a cold. Unhappy gecko. Meh.

Hope everyone is having a great, healthy week!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Wednesday kids!

Didn't get a chance to check in yesterday but I did a hard hour on the dreadmill. Foodwise I was a little... um... lax yesterday. McD's cheeseburger and fries for lunch... chips and salsa for dinner...

But I must have worked at least some of those cals off because I spent FOUR SOLID HOURS at one of our suburban malls doing an absolute blitzkreig of holiday shopping. Oh joy oh joy...

I don't think I'm working out today because my knee really hurts. Enough that I said, OK, don't be stupid. Take off your spandex workout pants and get some ice. Ouch. And the crazy thing is I can't figure out why. Unless shopping is hazardous for my health as well as my wallet!

Thank you all VERY MUCH for the nice comments about my hair. It's actually looking super cute today so those few days of OMG-what-have-I-done? dispair have abated. (Of course I'll never be able to reproduce this cuteness when I need it, I have only achieved it today becuase it doesn't matter, LOL.)

The party planning is coming along. Not many people have officially RSVP'd using the evite, but a TON have called, emailed, or told me in person that they will be there so I really have no good count to work off of. Great.

Dani, I hope your cold is short lived and you feel better soon!

Marcy, thermals and tights under your pants? YIKES! I thought we had it bad here in Chicago!

Rod, Bill and I were talking about restaurants the other night and I realized I never sent you the link for The Palm here. When you and Charlie come to visit we will treat you to dinner there! link

Kimi, I spilled red wine on my laptop keyboard and now the "N" sticks. What a PITA!

Charger, so you inspired me to look into a bootcamp class at the big gym near us. The only thing is there is a lot of running and if I managed to half-cripple myself walking around the mall I'm sure running around a track would truly do me in...

Skippy, I always love the photos you post! And the HH and I LURVE Costco too. I am sure if he knew about it when we got engaged a million years ago that's where my ring would have come from, LOL!

Lliang, where do you do the bikram? I've thought about it a couple of times (I think there's a place over on Chicago Avenue) but I've never gotten around to it... And I think it's GREAT that you were proposed to on the top of Camelback!

Apple, good for you for a good workout with your new partner!

Miscka, I have a serious sweet tooth too. When we have sweets in the house I beg the HH to hid them from me!

Dragon, hiking in the snow--wow! You're a more dedicated climber than I am! Would love to see your pics!

Julianna, thank you so much for the compliment on my hair--that really made my day!

Shiny, love JT's "she needs pizza" comment; TOO cute!

Bobbin, I think changing the rule from "no snacks" to "healthy snacks" is a great one! There's nothing wrong with snacking, especially if you really *want* something, as long as it's the right stuff.

Lor, LOL on the "skinny" comment! There is a girl at the gym who is my *ideal* and I think she probably weighs about 15 lbs less than I do (actually, I saw her putting her weight into the program on the dreadmill beside me one day so I'm pretty sure that's correct) so I now have a concrete number to work toward. Of course we are built a bit differently (for instance my *girls* are considerably bigger than her *girls*, ah hem!) but I have been floundering for a goal and I think I will use that one for now.

Whew, what a post! Going shopping at an outlet mall with one of my clients this afternoon so gotta hop. Have a great day everyone!

 

[Skippy123]

Well yesterday I got a haircut; I was soo soo nervous about it and my hairdresser threw in some layers and I think it works for me. I also got in a very short walk; it would have been longer but I saw a neighbor and she informed me of another neighbors mom passing so I stopped and talked for a bit. Last night we watched the X Files and it was probably a C- in my book and hubby gave it an F. haha Oh well.

I love the holidays but I feel like the Grinch because I don't want to decorate

I plan to go for a walk before it gets dark. Have a great day all and it must be a month for haircuts. hehe

CHARGER, yay for your awesome workouts; you are so fit, yay! Time to get new jeans/pants, wooo hooo!

KIMI, yay for not overeating and love the new ornament thread, hehe!!! So sorry about your computer; you were missed lots!!!

ROD, yum to homemade soup; hubby made some homemade soup too! Hugs!

MARCY, here is the pic; I am praying it isn't too big. I am not good at taking pics of myself; I don't think my smile is usually that posed. haha Love your new haricut friend! Gosh, you live somewhere super duper cold!!!! burrr and stay warm!

GECKO, you made me laugh that you used the clapping emoticon. I hope you feel better, hugs!

DEEJAY, ahhhh, love the hair, you are too cute and super SKINNY. Thanks about the pic. Sorry about the knee, yes rest and ice! Or ice ice baby like Lorelei says. Costco is awesome; I am glad to hand them my money. I never feel that way anywhere else. haha