Weekly Workout Thread 14th May till 21st May

[gailrmv]

hi! I have had some of the BEST workouts this week. Ran 5 miles yesterday. I am super sore though so I think today will be a rest day from the gym. Tons of work to do cleaning the old house in prep for closing on Monday, so I'll be burning some calories, but no gym.

I did great on eating healthy all last week and did the 6 small meals thing, which I like and will try and keep up. Then... we met a big group of friends for pizza last night and I overdid it. We ordered a veggie pizza and I think I had 3 slices, plus a small salad and 2 beers. I know it could be worse, but I planned on having 1 slice, maybe 2 and I was hungry and it was good. Then, we had some breyers light ice cream at home. (I bought the ice cream when I was hypoglycemic from the gym - mistake! It is great though - I think it tastes as good as the non-light version.)

Anyway, new day, back on track!

Next weekend we have a big family get together with several events and lots of gooood food. I want to enjoy it without sabotaging my efforts. Will be a challenge!

 

[Rod]

Too Funny Lorelei.....and I can see you looking all svelte with your new fabulous gym toned body, sitting on top of that bulldozer ready to spread the dust for your buddy, Rod!!

Thank you all for sending the dust. Until the offer is extended and I'm actually employed again, keep it coming!

DeeJay!! Wow!! There's no way I can get up that early and get myself to the gym. I'm so not a morning person. I'm not really a night person either. I figure I have one really good hour a day, and it's somewhere between and 2 PM and 4 PM each day. LOL

Mara your Indian food sounded fabulous, but then you have a way of making crackers sound like some divine eating experience! LOL. And with your plans at the Singaporean/Malaysian restaurant sounds so cool. Of course this continues to cast major doubt that you and Greg will find Raleigh cosmopolitan enough for you. We were telling our friends about our life in Raleigh last night. At first it was exciting because it was new and we could explore and go to restaurants we'd never been too. And at first the area seemed quite large. Then over time (and pretty quickly too), the area shrank and we didn't have much left to explore and we were like......."is this all there is?" Anyway, you have access to so much where you are, it would be super hard to give that up.

I was a little to pumped up to go to sleep after our dinner last night, so I slept in a little later this morning. We'll be heading out in a little while to start a regular Saturday. Most likely some soup or something light at Panera, a cup of coffee under our oak tree and then a good long, boy do I need it, workout at the gym. Tonight, since we didn't get our Sushi fix (our friends don't like sushi, but they love seared tuna - go figure) we're going to Yoko's for dinner. Assuming I am employed again next week, I've been craving a big 'ol steamed lobster. So, if I am employed again, to celebrate we're going to The Palm where they only serve Nova Scotian Lobster's (just like Maine lobster, but sweeter because the waters are colder).

Ps: good for you staying on track there Gail. Sounds like you had a really healthy workout week!!

PPs: Really Kimberly? Hana is still like that?? For me, the ride which made me nautious and for which we had to stop more than once because someone in a car in front of us needed to throw up from the ride was pretty much torture. In fact it was the president of our company (we were there 8 years in a row with our company for having made the presidents club) insisted we drive to Hana. Afterwards, I asked Charlie if perhaps our president sent us there because he didn't like us?? LOL

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/19/2007 8:57:04 AM
Author: Ellen
DeeJay, way to go on a Sat. morning (at that hour). I''m impressed!


Lorelei, missed me.

When you least expect it, EXPECT IT ELLEN!!!

Rod, my bulldozer is still at your disposal

* flutters eyelashes*

 

[Mara]

haha Peachy. I have to say that I am way more adventurous since meeting Greg. I marvel all the time at all the things I like to eat now that I never used to like when I met him. The funny thing is that I was raised here so you would imagine I'd be all sorts of adventurous with food but I wasn't really. He was and I started to try more things when we would go out then realized that some of them I actually liked OR some of them grew on me over time (oysters)..etc. So now I try to be open minded for the most part with foods, but there is not a lot that I really don't like. We have so many food options here, literally it's like 'what country do we want to be part of tonite' in terms of food. And the food options here are GOOD. There's not like one or two places that are out of their element, most places are really tasty...and are not imitations of what the food should be like.

Greg was telling me some story last nite about a guy at his work who went to India for work for like 3 months and all he ate was pizza. And how the Indian guys were making fun of him to the other guys at work because he ate pizza the whole time. I said why was he eating pizza. Greg said because he wasn't adventurous and couldn't handle the food. I was like what is to handle? I am sitting here eating grilled chicken and rice. With yogurt and cucumbers. It's nothing super out of the ordinary?! And he was like yeah that's true but I guess he just felt intimidated by all the names or the potential level of spiciness or whatever. Like your husband I would imagine a lot of people think Indian is all curry. I actually love yellow curry but am not a fan of red or green as much. Anyway...it just was interesting because this guy TOTALLY missed out on some fabulous cooking and food I am sure...because he probably didn't educate himself or even bother to TRY anything new while out there. That kind of mentality boggles my mind, at least try it before you say you hate it, unless of course it's like fish feet or something in which case I doubt I'd want to try it either. haha.

Rod, I hear ya about the limiting options...we do have so many options here that we like to take advantage of. The thing about someplace like NC is that while it may not be super exciting or metropolitan, the only reason we'd actually decide to move there is to have a family and higher quality of living with that family. And the truth is, once you have a family, you are not really going to be traipsing around 3x a week for fabulous dinners. You are at home, enjoying your family and your home and that is your world. An exciting night for us might be taking the kids to get ice cream. So that is why we are still considering it. If we decide to not have a family, we pretty much won't move elsewhere...because we can just stay here and continue on as we are without worrying about giving a child a better life elsewhere or saving up for college and retirement etc etc.

Anyhow, breakfast today was crunchy corn bran with ff milk and coffee. Greg is off with some guys helping my Mom move a piano she bought secondhand off someone. I am going to the mall in a few hours for some shopping, then my walk, then dinner. Hope everyone has a fabulous Saturday!!

 

[Mara]

seems like everyone is having a fab day if no one is checking in...yay! hehe.

went to the mall, spent entirely too much $$ as usual, but got some really great stuff for my trip from AE, nordies and A&F, a few new pairs of sandals, and finally a dress and accessories for my friend''s wedding in 2.5 weeks...i realized DOH that the weekend we come back is right before the wedding so i better get with it and get my outfit. i got the cutest bronze silk babydoll dress and it makes me look nice and slim, hehe. and it was on sale, bonus!! i got the cutest pink sandals from kenneth cole to go with the embroidery in the dress and a linen silk gauzy wrap in a soft pink to top it off. whee!

so i wore my pedometer at the mall and it kept turning itself off which was odd, but it clocked about 2 miles so who knows how long it was off...i would imagine maybe i walked a total of 2.5 miles which is really cool. i was there for about 3 hours.

came home, had some cherries as a snack, and then did 250 jumping jacks and went for a 3m walk. it''s such a beautiful day here, nice and warm but not TOO warm. i got a little color too, gotta keep my tan going hehe. now i''m having some more cherries while sitting on the patio, and i''ll have a bit of turkey and hummus to tide me over til dinner.

anyway hope everyone is having a great day/evening...!!!!

 

[Rod]

Hey Everyone,

I guess you''re right Mara, everyone must be out today enjoyin themselves so much they don''t have time to write today. Maybe they were all shopping like you. Sounds like you had a great time spending money!! We had just a wonderful day. A cool front came through, which is most unusual for this time of year. After a quick lunch and coffee at Starbucks, we had terrific workouts, then we had a wonderful dinner at our favroite Sushi place, then we had coffee at Starbucks under our oak tree (yes, I promise to take pictures) and we ran into friends from our previous neighborhood who didn''t know we had come home from Raleigh. It was fun seeing them. Now, we''re home with the kitties and have settled into a nice evening and we''re relaxing with them in our laps.

We''re looking forward to a nice Sunday with breakfast on the terrace, a good workout and we''ll cook a nice dinner at home, then take a nice long walk tomorrow night.

I hope you''re all having a nice Saturday evening.

 

[KimberlyH]

PPs: Really Kimberly? Hana is still like that?? For me, the ride which made me nautious and for which we had to stop more than once because someone in a car in front of us needed to throw up from the ride was pretty much torture. In fact it was the president of our company (we were there 8 years in a row with our company for having made the presidents club) insisted we drive to Hana. Afterwards, I asked Charlie if perhaps our president sent us there because he didn''t like us?? LOL

It really is the same, Rod. There are a few hotels and lots of hiking/beach stuff but that''s about it.

We had a fun dinner last night at David'' Pauls. We did the tasting menu, started w/ three different fish apps, the best was a rock shrimp cake. I tried Ahi for the first time and actually enjoyed it, at least prepared the way it was. Second course was caesar and buffala/tomato salads, third course was lamb, duck and jolene steak, final course was desserts, a berry pie (the best pie I''ve ever had) and a chocolate coffee thing. The food was good, but it they took everything just one step too far...too many flavors, too much food, etc. The meal we had at Mala was actually better. Tonight we''re having pizza from a place that was voted top 5 pizzas in the US. Weird for being in Maui, but it''s John''s favorite food so whatever works.

Spent 50 minutes on the elliptical this morning to the tune of 384 calories. Did a lot of walking the rest of the day. Went to Iao State park and wandered around Wailea.

Have a great evening all!

 

[KimberlyH]

Morning All!

Everyone is really busy this weekend! John is still sleeping and I just got a bunch of school work done.

I actually slept until 7am this morning...a huge feat for me! I''m usually up between 6-6:30. Every time I''ve gone to the gym at 6am John has looked at me like I''m insane. Too funny. So DeeJay, I wish I could understand, but my natural body clock wakes me up that early.

We had BJ''s pizza fo dinner, truly the best pizza I''ve ever had. Then we went to Lapperts for a scoop of ice cream and walked down to the park, sat on the wall watched the sun set and the boats and surfers turn in for the night and just enjoyed. It was such a great evening.

We''ll hang out on the beach this morning and head to Paia in the afternoon to wander around and have dinner at Mama''s Fish House. We have early reservations, 5:15, it was the only one available, I hope the restaurant lives up to its reputation.

I''m going to have some weight loss work to do when we get home. I weighed myself at the gym yesterday and am at 127.5 lbs. John was suprised that I''m not at all bothered by the weight gain. I told him, we''re on vacation and I can lose the weight when I get home but I can''t get back the great experiences we''ve had here, including delicious breakfasts and dinners.

Mara, your dress sounds beautiful and I''m glad you got good stuff for your trip!

Rod, your dinner sounds fantastic and you''re friends sound so wonderful.

Gail, way to go on the workouts!

Nejarb, I''m glad your pizza was good. Did you see the end of my message about your bloodstream question?

Have a terrific day all.

 

[Mara]

kimberly sounds like you guys are having a great time. i would not worry about the weight gain as it might not even be real weight gain, you know after our discussions here, you could just be retaining some water from eating out so much with salty foods or similar. and the humidity might be causing you to retain some water as well with bloating. plus you know you can get it off for sure when you come home. enjoy!!

last nite's dinner was seriously tasty. we went a little overboard with ordering but we ate 90% of what came out so that was great. we got two roti's which are like indian naan but greasier and softer with curry dipping sauce, fried calamari with chilis sauce, a beef samosa with mint sauce, chicken satay with peanut sauce, grilled chinese beef steak with red peppers, broccoli and lettuce, green beans with a shrimp paste sauce, coconut rice, jasmine rice, steamed banana leaf seabass with ginger (divine), and a traditional singaporean soup with seafood and fat noodles in a curry broth. the good thing was we shared it all so volume wise i don't think i consumed that much, a lot of bread though as it's our FAVE thing there. then we walked over to draegers, this specialty market that has some really awesome stuff you can't elsewhere and picked up a few things, like mango butter...hehee. and then walked back down to the outdoor cafe we love there and got dessert and coffee and hung out waiting to go meet the train. for dessert we shared a blueberry cheesecake and a chocolate layer cake, both of which were seriously divine, love this place's dessert. and lots of great convo, coffee, and the boys had port. it was a great, fun filled evening and the dinner hit the spot as all i'd really had all day before that was some cereal, a bit of turkey and hummus on a 50 cal tortilla and cherries. hahaa.

this morning we slept in and then i made us breakfast, scrambled eggs (egg whites for me) with a bit of 2% cheese, center cut bacon, light multigrain toast with smart balance and some honey...and coffee. now i am about to go hit up the gym and then greg has a concert this afternoon that we are going to with the neighbors, and then we are bbq'ing tonite at our place. they have this new BBQ sauce they had recently at a friend's party that they want to try, so i am going to marinate some steak in it this afternoon...and we'll also have tandoori grilled shrimp, roasted veggies, probably some alexa fries, and a salad...and then dessert will be sf AFC cake with strawberries and whipped cream and some specialty champagne truffles that the neighbors brought back for me 2 weeks ago from napa. so today should be pretty enjoyable as well, it's beautiful and sunny out...we're also cleaning up the house a bit, doing some laundry, just getting ready for our trip this week so that we have less to do on tuesday evening so we don't stress out about it.

anyhow hope everyone has a great afternoon, off to the gym!!

 

[Ellen]

Mara, what do you do with Mango Butter??

 

[mrssalvo]

Hi all, sounds like mara, rod and kimberly are having a nice weekend and i'm sure those who haven't popped in are too. We had a big yard sale yesterday, which was fun, my mom and sister came over but way to much work the $50 I made

. Next year i'm just packing up stuff and driving it Salvation Army. Hubby came home from his trip and we had dinner and then watched a movie...so i know it wasn't my hubby posting about his addicted wife in hangout

. anyway, today has been quiet for us, just spending time at home, outside in the rocking chairs on our porch. I need to do yard work this afternoon too! Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 5/20/2007 3:29:09 PM
Author: mrssalvo
Hi all, sounds like mara, rod and kimberly are having a nice weekend and i'm sure those who haven't popped in are too. We had a big yard sale yesterday, which was fun, my mom and sister came over but way to much work the $50 I made

. Next year i'm just packing up stuff and driving it Salvation Army. Hubby came home from his trip and we had dinner and then watched a movie...so i know it wasn't my hubby posting about his addicted wife in hangout

. anyway, today has been quiet for us, just spending time at home, outside in the rocking chairs on our porch. I need to do yard work this afternoon too! Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend.

I've gotten to that point too.

I was really productive and dragged all my (fake) wicker furniture off the breezeway and scrubbed it all down. Takin a break before I vacume and put it all back.

We've been having the BEST weather lately!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Sunday all! I managed another workout this morning, but at 9:30 instead of 6:30, LOL. 45 minutes on the bike for 300 cals. And I was the only one there so I didn''t have to sit through some one else''s weird TV choice.

Tonight we were supposed to have people over but the husband fell at the gym yesterday and thinks he might have broken a rib. The wife said he was in so much pain she had to help him roll over in bed last night. Um, no, please don''t come to my house in that condition! So the HH is grilling some chicken and making a stuffed zuchini recipe that I really love. Plus I''ve been pretty good today in general so it will be a good day all around.

 

[Mandarine]

Hi everyone!!!!!

I haven''t had a chance to read all the posts but the Rod''s big red letters caught my eye so I wanted to send some more fairy dust his way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

I had a great weekend!!. Friday I did my 20/20/20 class and it was great...then FI came to my house and I had a nice candle light dinner waiting for him...

...love is just a wonderful thing! We had a great dinner, some wine, great conversation, we just truly enjoy each other''s company!.

Saturday we ran some errands and went to try on wedding bands!...I think I''m going for a hald eternity shared prong band (a thin one), he''s keeping it classic with a platinum band.

Saturday was my day off so no exercise, just a walk with our doggie and then dinner at a Spanish place, it was yummy

Today we went to Barnes and Noble and studied some books abour Argentina, we are considering going there for the honeymoon...they just have so many great places to visit there! lots of outdoor activities (rafting, hiking, etc) and then there is the wine country...best of both worlds..haha

FI left today and I went rollerblading for about 45 minutes and then 20 minutes of ab work and streching...followed by the walk with doggie

So my total calories for the week was 2,870

...that doesn''t count the daily walks because I don''t wear my monitor when walking...but I figured about another 400-500 calories from the walks, so a little over 3,000 for the week!.

Best of all, Friday about three different girls from the gym at different times while I was there told me I''ve lost weight and look very fit! ...then when FI got here he said the same thing!!!.....yayy! nothing like some positive feedback to keep motivation up!

Happy Sunday everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

M~

 

[royalasscherlover]

hello WWT''er''s! this cold has really kicked my tail this week, i am finally starting to feel better but am still really congested. i hit the gym yesterday for the first time this week and did a light 30 minute workout on the elliptical. today i went for an hour long hike with friends (with 3 dogs as well, so we were moving up and down the hills at a pretty fast clip!). it feels good to be out and moving again. the good news is that my appetite has been pretty low while sick since i can''t really taste much, so i haven''t had a problem staying below my calorie goal while i wasn''t exercising much.

sounds like everyone else is doing well!

mara, i haven''t tried the tj''s mango spread yet. i''ve been avoiding yogurt because it aggravates my congestion. i am hoping to try it this week - i really miss my fage! i hear you on the traveling woes, i was there last week. i was actually uncomfortable from not eating as much fiber as i''ve gotten used to...oh, and as a person who does about 1300 calories most days while exercising, the key for me is to really make those calories count nutritionally. good stuff that powers my workout, not sugary junk. i''m all about finding foods that keep me full and energized for low cals, like fage, la tortilla factory for sandwiches, lite tofu, etc. and i find i need to eat a snack (usually a kashi granola bar) abour 45 minutes before my workout to keep my blood sugar up.

rod, fairy dust headed your way.

kimberly, sounds like you are having a great time in maui!

mandarine, your dance classes sound like fun.

keep up the good work, everyone.

 

[Rod]

Thanks for the extra shot of Fairy Dust Mandarine!!

Mara, your dinner sounded fantastic! It''s always fun to hear about your dining experiences.

Kimberly, I''m with Mara that your weight gain may not (probably is not) a real gain in weight. But even if it is, you have the right attitude. You''re on vacation and that''s just not the time to be counting calories. Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy!!

Today was just a wonderfully nice day. The weather here in Tampa couldn''t be more spectacular. The temps are in the mid to low 80''s (super unusual for this time of year), the humidity is virtually non-existent and there are no rain clouds anywhere near us (though we could surely use some rain down here). We had a wonderful leisurely breakfast on the terrace and watched a sailing regatta, plus the cruise ships were coming and going too! It''s always such a sight to see a cruse ship sailing past your home. They''re not close enough to see people milling around or anything as we''re a bit from the channel, but they are close enough we can see which cruise line the ship is from.

Then we went to Monstah Lobstah and had Seafood Chowdah and a Lobster Roll for lunch. Yummmmm to the max. The Chowdah (their spelling - honest) is just full of scallops, lobster, fish, shrimp, potatoes and celery in a super creamy chowder broth (I''m sure it''s not exactly diet fare), but oh is it ever good. Their Lobster Rolls are just as good as one you''d get in Cape Cod and every now and then, I just crave a good Lobster Roll. Yet another reason Raleigh wouldn''t work for me long term. There''s just nothing like this available up there.

Of course we had to have our coffee at Starbucks under the oak tree, then we headed to the gym for a nice long workout. Then grocery shopping at the specialty store I''ve mentioned before and we grilled fresh North Atlantic Salmon out, with fresh Silver Queen Corn and fresh Asparagus for dinner. There were more cruise ships sailing this evening, so it was a lovely time on our terrace and the boats in the near distance!

Now, we''re home and getting ready to watch the season ending of Desperate Housewives. I have a strong suspician the wedding isn''t going to happen tonight and Gabby returns to Carlos where her heart really is!!

I hope you all had a fabulous Sunday. Fingers crossed, tomorrow''s the day I hope to be employed again.

Oh and I forgot.......we had a gift certificate to use at the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota from our Realtor for $500 from when we closed on this condo last June that we had not used. We finally made a reservation to go to the Ritz next Sunday night for one lavish night of luxury. Just one night and dinner will easily cost more than $500, but we''re hoping we''ll be there celebrating the fact that Rod will be working again in the next week or so..............

 

[Mara]

Rod your Lobster place sounds yummy!! We actually JUST found out that we have a place like that around here too!! I saw an ad for it in our local Metro (what to do kind of paper) paper and I looked it up online and basically almost all they have is Lobster and seafood...and it's a total low key place (Lobster Shack) and they have Lobster Rolls...they fly their lobster in from Maine so it's fresh and they use the same rolls as the east coasters use and all that. It looks SO TASTY. They even have Lobster mac and cheese and lobster pot pie!! We are dying to get up there and try it, it's in a town about 35 minutes from us so we have to find a free evening at some point in the next few weeks. They also spell chowder as 'chowdah' hahaha. Your post just reminded me how much I want to eat there!!

Sounds like everyone is doing well and having a nice day today...lots of activity going on it sounds like! Ellen I use the mango butter in my fage with splenda. Super tasty.

Today has been a great, busy day so far. Went to the gym after breakfast, then the market to get stuff for dinner. Then came home, marinated the meat, showered and made a hummus turkey la tortilla factory wrap, grabbed a teas' tea and went over to the neighbors to meet them to drive over to Greg's concert. Ate my lunch in the car! haha. The concert was great as usual, and now I am back at home about to start prepping the food for dinner in about an hour. We're having tri-tip steaks with bbq sauce (smells sooo good), tandoori grilled shrimp, roasted vegetables (yellow squash, zucchini, portabello mushrooms, and green beans with evoo and garlic roasted in the oven), alexa olive oil, rosemary and garlic fries, and then for dessert sf angel food cake with strawberries (so sweet right now) and ff whipped cream.

I was starving when I got home, so I had a few handfuls of dry, crunchy corn bran to tide me over. Nice fiber content hehe. shortblonde, i am a bit worried about less fiber as well on the trip, so I am actually bringing a bag of fiber one with me so that I can hopefully add it to my fage in the mornings (some mornings hopefully!!) and also I'm going to bring some fiber chewable supplements, though I'd obviously rather get it from foods than a supplement...but I seriously can't go from eating what I am eating now re: fiber to who knows what while traveling, it won't be fun for sure!! And if I can get some fruit in while we are traveling then that will definitely help. But yeah to be off your routine for so long is not fun...my only saving grace is that we will be staying with Greg's dad for 3 days then his mom for 4 days after Raleigh, so I will be able to pick up some goodies from the local store that work for me like yogurt and fiber one and fresh fruits for snacking, so that I can keep some semblance of familiar foods for my body.

Kudos Mandarine on a great week of burned cals!! Mine is coming in at about 3100 burned cals for this week which is fine...I basically realized that anything over 2600 is great in terms of consistency, and that it's mostly what I eat that determines how I continue to feel. Like I can burn 2600 and eat the same as burning 3100 and my body doesn't change at all. So why burn more than 2600 if nothing changes. The whole 80/20 rule. Though I aim for 2600ish, I always do more like 3k with my extra walks and stuff. And I like the way I feel while being active. So that's nice. My last week of eating has been lighter than usual mostly because I know we are gearing up for the trip and the mega food explosion. HAHA.

Anyhow better go prep the veggies! When Greg gets home we will probably take P for her 1m walk around the block then start getting the grill going. Hope everyone is having a fabulous Sunday evening, we sure will be! Tomorrow is Monday, boo hoo...!!

 

[Rod]

Mmmmmmmm......your dinner sounds super yummy Mara! We cook good food, but not imaginative food. We have this beautiful kitchen, but honestly, sometimes I think we''d be fine with just a microwave and nice large toaster oven. We used to cook more imaginative dishes, but then our lives changed so much when we joined the gym and we started feeling guilty about most foods. Anyway, it''s always fun to hear what you and Greg are having. It''s great that Greg''s concert was terrific as usual too!

On the Lobster place, ours is actually pretty much a whole in the wall kind of place. But, the food they have is just fantastic. They have a couple of tables inside and picnic benches outside. And wouldn''t you know it, they are right next door to the Starbucks that we walk to on Sunday nights. It''s not the one under the oak tree, but the one closest to our condo. Anyway, you should go the Lobstah place and enjoy a good Lobster Roll (which is really nothing more than Lobster Salad on a Hoagie roll - but OH SO GOOD when done right!).

See you all on the new thread next week. Of course I''m looking forward to Lorelei''s inspiration to get us on the right footing for the new week!

Sleep well fellow PS WWT''ers!

 

[Phoenix]

Hi everyone,

Wow!! I've never logged onto this thread before but really want to join now!! I need all the motivation I can get. To the ladies and guys who have done/ are doing so well, I really admire you and am so happy for you, sincerely.

Ok, long story short. I used to be really really fit (well..maybe not as fit as some of you, esp. Mara, but let's talk ab that later). I am 5'2" and used to weigh a mere 105lb or thereabout (before you say that I was under-weight, I have to emphasise that us Asian women are very small-boned and small-framed and 105lb is not too little for my height). I felt full of energy all the time. I used to work out 4-5 times a week and ate very healthy food, ie. not so oily, lots of vegs and fruit (though i am not so good at calorie-counting) and very rarely ate desserts and chocolate. I am the one that got DH interested in working out in the gym and even takinng up triathlons (he used to play rugby but had never even been in the gym before he met me). I did put on some weight from time to time (darn those long business lunches and dinners!!

), but always managed to lose the excess weight fairly soon afterwards.

Well, for various reasons (which I won't go into for the time being), I gained 12-13lbs over just one month abt 3.5 yrs ago. Since then, I can't seem to get rid of the weight. In March this year, I started to go to the gym again on a more frequent basis and managed to lose 6lbs over 2 months, but got a cold and since then can't seem to shake it off. So now all this weight has piled back on again. I haven't been to the gym at all for over a month now. The thing is the gym here is really really cold (the AC is always blasting), esp. when it rains which has been fairly frequent recently, and if I dare go in, my cold would just get worse. But now I feel a little better (still got my cold, but it doesn't seem as bad), I want to start going to the gym again.

My eating habits have gotten worse too. I don't seem to be as careful with which foods I eat and find myself eating less vegs and fruit and even munch on cakes and cookies more often than I should. I've even stared drinking (wine mainly) practically everynight, abt 2-3 glasses a night (we both do). I don't think I have a problem with drinking (or do I?) but can't seem to stop drinking so often (I'd like to only drink socially on evenings out and not drink at all at home).

What makes it worse (and it shouldn't, it should be a motivation) is that DH is now fitter than he's ever been. Sure, he drinks too (a bit more than I do), and eat more butter and cheese as well as salt than I do (I tend to stay away from the stuff when I can), but he's 6'4" and exercises practically several hours 4-5 nights a week as well as most weekends (he's preparing for a triathlon at the end of this month). He's lost a lot of fat and is a real lean machine. Oh, and he doesn't seem to think drinking 2-3 glasses of wine/ G&T every night is a problem, but it doesn't seem to have an effect on him!

I don't know why I seem to have lost the motivation. I am happy, very happy in fact. I have the best husband in the world, we;re comfortable materially. I don't have the pressure of work like I used to. I have great friends and a great family. So why can't I get off my fat butt and do something abt this? I'm sick of being overweight and can't fit into my old sexy dresses! I also believe that being overweight and unfit has no doubt contributed to my not being able to shake off my cold. HELP!! I am going to start going to the gym again this afternoon and hope I will keep it up.

So, pls keep yr fingers crossed for me that I can do this. Any suggestion and comments (pls be brutually honest) are most welcome.

 

[katebar]

welcome lienTN

You will get loads of inspiration and support from the lovely people that frequent this forum.
I know I''ve learnt a ton of things and whilst I don''t post that regularly I am doing well and will post my success when things quieten down here with my children etc.

 

[Dee*Jay]

lien - WELCOME!!! If you're looking for motivation and encouragement you've definitely come to the right place; the people on this thread are an amazing resource!

I think just the fact that you're here is a great start. We have a "Wednesday morning weigh in" that some of us participate in, and that's very motiviating becuase of course you don't want to have to post that you're UP from the previous week. There are also a lot of great tips (as I'm sure you've seen if you've read this thread) and there is also a healthy recipe thread that has delishious options in it.

As for the wine... 1 glass equals about 100 cals, so 2-3 glasses a night is 1400-2100 cals a week. EEKK!! I am also a wine lover so I fully appreciate where you're coming from, but maybe make a deal with yourself that you'll have something else fun in lieu of the wine, like some sparkling water with a lime in a wine glass, or have one or two glasses of that and then finish up with one glass of wine at the end. That way you won't feel deprived and you can make an "event" of the fizzy water with the fun fruit but you're saving the calories.

And don't feel bad for the setback. I recently had to give up working out for about six weeks due to a mysterious (still undiagnosed) chest pain, but I just started again this weekend and I really feel great. You just need to get to the gym and get your groove back.

One last thing: You can't eat the bad stuff that you don't have access to, so get rid of all the cookies and cakes and other naughties that you normally keep in the house. Maybe try some 60 calorie pudding cups or some 100 calorie packs of cookies (the key though is not to sit down and eat all six packages at once, LOL!) or other low cal and/or potion controlled options. I have some sort of dessert every night and it's nice to be able to grab one easy thing and walk out of the kitchen and away from the rest of the temptation. Sugar free jello is also a great choice; I think it's only 10 cals per serving and I find jello to be very filling and enough sweetness that I'm totally satisfied.

 

[gailrmv]

hi everyone, sounds like some great weekends you all are having! Mine was nice as well, and I managed to stay on track with eating aside from an extra slice or two of pizza on Fri night.

TOnight we went to sushi with some friends and now I understand about what mara was saying about splitting three rolls. The rolls at this place were HUGE! like twice the size of the rolls at our usual place. It was excellent though!

Lien, I have some advice and a story. Advice: You already know what you need to do. Now you just need the motivation. If it''s too much to do all at once, pick one thing at a time, make it a new habit for you, and then move to the next. Take baby steps if you need to! Here''s the story: I usually work out 5-6 times a week. A few weeks ago I had all kinds of things going on, including moving. I had to skip my workouts for 2 weeks. The first week I felt antsy and I couldn''t wait to work out again. The second week I didn''t care as much. I don''t know what would have happened the third week. Then I joined a new gym last week and started going again. The first day back I could tell I had lost some fitness and that was frustrating but I felt GREAT after my workout mentally and physically. My point is that the longer you are away, the harder it is to go back, but it is still SO worth it!! You can do it!!

 

[Mara]

welcome lien! i agree that you just need the motivation now. it can be hard to find again. in my opinion for the most part, i don't think that anyone can give someone that motivation, it has to come from within. at some point you will wake up and realize, i am really unhappy with my body and i need to do something about it. and then you will be motivated and unstoppable.

you already know you can do it, as you have done it before...and i was where you are now before i really got motivated. my husband has always been really fit and i was slugging out and i didn't really care all that much though i didn't like that i had slipped. what finally motivated me was realizing that i was going to turn 32 and that i was not living up to who i could really be. and that there would be no better time to find out really what i was capable of. it was not going to get EASIER to lose the weight and be healthy, in fact it would only be harder. so i finally thought, okay i am going to give this my all and see what i am capable of. i was working out a bit before and eating more healthily but i really gave it 1000% after i hit that kind of mental wake up point.

and i think that mental wake up point is different for all of us. i CAN say to you that i think you should make no more excuses as to why you can't work out. you don't have to go to the gym, you can go for a walk outside. that's something, i walk 4-5x a week a few miles each time. i didn't just randomly start that, i had to build up to it. or as gail said, cut out one bad habit, start small. you already know all this stuff you have to do, just get to doing it. but really...it has to come from within yourself. it sounds like you have definitely had a setback or two but you can turn it around when you are ready.

as for the wine thing ,as DJ said, you are basically consuming 1400-2000 cals per week in wine. is it REALLY that good? do you really taste it when you drink it or is it a comfort thing maybe? want something to drink? black unsweetened iced tea is tasty too and 0 cals. if you just cut back to 1 glass of wine a night that would be at least 700 cals a week you'd save if not 1400 (depending on 2-3) and that can add up to basically a loss of about 1-2lbs a month. just by cutting back wine.

add in a 100 cal workout a day, even if it's just walking 1 mile (2000 steps...not that much!!) extra, and you have 700 extra cals you burned per week. that's another 1 lb weight loss per month.

so just by removing 2 glasses of wine a night and adding in 1 mile walk a day you can lose about 3 lbs in a month. it's not groundbreaking but it's something. so that is how small things can definitely add up. hope this helps, hope you stick around and hope you find that mental motivator!!!

on a me note...our dinner turned out fabulous!!! we tried this BBQ sauce that our neighbors had ordered online after having it at a friends house and it was oh so tasty. i did the marination in a ziploc and squeezed out all the air so after a few hours the marinade had basically worked its way entirely into the meat. we slapped it on the grill and made it med-rare and it was sooo good. i also had 1/2 of a 'dark n'stormy' which is black seal gosling rum with ginger beer..sounds funny but it's very tasty and sweet and gingery and you don't even know you are drinking liquor. greg loves these and makes them all summer long. they are the official drink of the bermudas, hehe. the veggies came out REALLY tasty just roasted in the oven with some evoo, lots of diced garlic, and dried parsley and oregano. there are a bit of veggies leftover and 5 shrimp so that is what is going to be my lunch tomorrow, i can't wait. but all the meat and alexa fries are way GONE. hehe. big hit.

oh and rod this lobster place near us is totally like you described your place, maybe a tiny bit nicer as it's indoors only but it's called the lobster shack and it seems really more about the food than the place (though the ambiance looks cute from pictures). we are def interested in trying it. my biggest problem will be what to try first. i already told our neighbors that we'll have to go and order like 7 things for all of us and just share everything so that we can all get a 'taste' of diff things. hehee.

anyhow, bedtime for us...we have monday and tuesday to get ready for our trip and already i am feeling like 'omg what needs to get done'. it will be a busy next 2 days but we're excited to go somewhere and do some fun stuff for a while. hope everyone had a great day!!

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 5/20/2007 11:59:37 PM
Author: katebar
welcome lienTN

You will get loads of inspiration and support from the lovely people that frequent this forum.
I know I''ve learnt a ton of things and whilst I don''t post that regularly I am doing well and will post my success when things quieten down here with my children etc.

Thanks, Kate. That''s really great, I can really see the mutual support. That''s the reason why I joined this thread and that''s what i am looking for. It''s always nice to learn new things, i am sure there are all sorts of things I don''t know abt.

I am so happy for you that you''re doing well

. Pls post your success. Can''t wait to hear abt them.

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 5/21/2007 12:08:58 AM
Author: Dee*Jay
lien - WELCOME!!! If you're looking for motivation and encouragement you've definitely come to the right place; the people on this thread are an amazing resource!

I think just the fact that you're here is a great start. We have a 'Wednesday morning weigh in' that some of us participate in, and that's very motiviating becuase of course you don't want to have to post that you're UP from the previous week. There are also a lot of great tips (as I'm sure you've seen if you've read this thread) and there is also a healthy recipe thread that has delishious options in it.

As for the wine... 1 glass equals about 100 cals, so 2-3 glasses a night is 1400-2100 cals a week. EEKK!! I am also a wine lover so I fully appreciate where you're coming from, but maybe make a deal with yourself that you'll have something else fun in lieu of the wine, like some sparkling water with a lime in a wine glass, or have one or two glasses of that and then finish up with one glass of wine at the end. That way you won't feel deprived and you can make an 'event' of the fizzy water with the fun fruit but you're saving the calories.

And don't feel bad for the setback. I recently had to give up working out for about six weeks due to a mysterious (still undiagnosed) chest pain, but I just started again this weekend and I really feel great. You just need to get to the gym and get your groove back.

One last thing: You can't eat the bad stuff that you don't have access to, so get rid of all the cookies and cakes and other naughties that you normally keep in the house. Maybe try some 60 calorie pudding cups or some 100 calorie packs of cookies (the key though is not to sit down and eat all six packages at once, LOL!) or other low cal and/or potion controlled options. I have some sort of dessert every night and it's nice to be able to grab one easy thing and walk out of the kitchen and away from the rest of the temptation. Sugar free jello is also a great choice; I think it's only 10 cals per serving and I find jello to be very filling and enough sweetness that I'm totally satisfied.

Hi DJ! Thank you. The people on this thread are really amazing!

Thank you for your words of encouragement. I did actually go to they gym yesterday (YAY!!) and yes, I do want to join the Wednesday weigh-in. For the records, I weighed 116lb yesterday (a tiny teeny bit less heavy than I thought I was, so that's a start!). I am always looking for tips and love those delicious recipes.

I did know abt those horrible empty calories. I do love my wine and I think this going to be a struggle too. But I am definitely going to try (not just for the sake of cutting down the calories, but it'll be good for my liver too

). I am going to do it a bit slowly, maybe cutting back one a day for a while. Funny you should suggest the sparkling water, I've started to drink Perrier with a squeeze of lime and my, it's so refreshing!

I am sorry to hear abt your chest pain. I hope you get it diagnosed soon. But congrats on going back to the gym! Well done!!

You're absolutely right abt eating what's in the fridge. I make a conscious effort now of not buying desserts and snacks and I don't eat it if it's not there. It's funny cos I don't really have a sweet tooth , never used to like desserts or cookies etc. and don't crave sweet stuff, but if it is put in front of me, I will eat it and enjoy it. Hubby is the one with an incredibly sweet tooth. He's always buying those yummy chocolate cookies with macadamia nuts. I am gonna have to ask him not to buy them any more or at least not so often. I am sure he won't, he knows I've been struggling to lose the weight. I just need to voice it out. Sugar free jello sounds delicious, especially if you put some fresh fruit in it, yum!!

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 5/21/2007 2:59:27 AM
Author: Mara
welcome lien! i agree that you just need the motivation now. it can be hard to find again. in my opinion for the most part, i don''t think that anyone can give someone that motivation, it has to come from within. at some point you will wake up and realize, i am really unhappy with my body and i need to do something about it. and then you will be motivated and unstoppable.

you already know you can do it, as you have done it before...and i was where you are now before i really got motivated. my husband has always been really fit and i was slugging out and i didn''t really care all that much though i didn''t like that i had slipped. what finally motivated me was realizing that i was going to turn 32 and that i was not living up to who i could really be. and that there would be no better time to find out really what i was capable of. it was not going to get EASIER to lose the weight and be healthy, in fact it would only be harder. so i finally thought, okay i am going to give this my all and see what i am capable of. i was working out a bit before and eating more healthily but i really gave it 1000% after i hit that kind of mental wake up point.

and i think that mental wake up point is different for all of us. i CAN say to you that i think you should make no more excuses as to why you can''t work out. you don''t have to go to the gym, you can go for a walk outside. that''s something, i walk 4-5x a week a few miles each time. i didn''t just randomly start that, i had to build up to it. or as gail said, cut out one bad habit, start small. you already know all this stuff you have to do, just get to doing it. but really...it has to come from within yourself. it sounds like you have definitely had a setback or two but you can turn it around when you are ready.

as for the wine thing ,as DJ said, you are basically consuming 1400-2000 cals per week in wine. is it REALLY that good? do you really taste it when you drink it or is it a comfort thing maybe? want something to drink? black unsweetened iced tea is tasty too and 0 cals. if you just cut back to 1 glass of wine a night that would be at least 700 cals a week you''d save if not 1400 (depending on 2-3) and that can add up to basically a loss of about 1-2lbs a month. just by cutting back wine.

add in a 100 cal workout a day, even if it''s just walking 1 mile (2000 steps...not that much!!) extra, and you have 700 extra cals you burned per week. that''s another 1 lb weight loss per month.

so just by removing 2 glasses of wine a night and adding in 1 mile walk a day you can lose about 3 lbs in a month. it''s not groundbreaking but it''s something. so that is how small things can definitely add up. hope this helps, hope you stick around and hope you find that mental motivator!!!

on a me note...our dinner turned out fabulous!!! we tried this BBQ sauce that our neighbors had ordered online after having it at a friends house and it was oh so tasty. i did the marination in a ziploc and squeezed out all the air so after a few hours the marinade had basically worked its way entirely into the meat. we slapped it on the grill and made it med-rare and it was sooo good. i also had 1/2 of a ''dark n''stormy'' which is black seal gosling rum with ginger beer..sounds funny but it''s very tasty and sweet and gingery and you don''t even know you are drinking liquor. greg loves these and makes them all summer long. they are the official drink of the bermudas, hehe. the veggies came out REALLY tasty just roasted in the oven with some evoo, lots of diced garlic, and dried parsley and oregano. there are a bit of veggies leftover and 5 shrimp so that is what is going to be my lunch tomorrow, i can''t wait. but all the meat and alexa fries are way GONE. hehe. big hit.

oh and rod this lobster place near us is totally like you described your place, maybe a tiny bit nicer as it''s indoors only but it''s called the lobster shack and it seems really more about the food than the place (though the ambiance looks cute from pictures). we are def interested in trying it. my biggest problem will be what to try first. i already told our neighbors that we''ll have to go and order like 7 things for all of us and just share everything so that we can all get a ''taste'' of diff things. hehee.

anyhow, bedtime for us...we have monday and tuesday to get ready for our trip and already i am feeling like ''omg what needs to get done''. it will be a busy next 2 days but we''re excited to go somewhere and do some fun stuff for a while. hope everyone had a great day!!

Mara, I have so much admiration for you and yr determination. You''re definitely one of the PS''ers who always have many words of wisdom. I am for sure going to cut back on the alcohol! I drink it because I enjoy it, i think wine and food really compliment each other well, but there''s absolutely no reason why it should be 2-3 glasses each time. And I think I''ve hit that mental wake-up point!

I''ve started going out to the gym again, yesterday I did 45 mins (yes, a light work-out, but better that than nothing at all), and today I am going to try to do maybe 1.5hrs or so (after the workmen leave our place, not sure what time but I WILL GO - I am done making excuses for my laziness!). You''re right abt the walking too. We''ve also recently moved to an area where there''s a long beautiful walkway along a canal just a few minutes away..lots of mature trees on the sides...very conducive for romantic walks in the evening for us!!

Have a great trip, Mara and Greg!