Weekly Workout Thread 14th May till 21st May

[Lorelei]

Happy new week all

I was watching an infomercial for some new thigh blasting/ gut busting/ glute bludgeoning superduper gizmo and the resultant fitness models they used to advertise it, promising that YOU TOO can look like them in only 5 mins a day!

To my eyes it looked like a recipe for a nasty strain somewhere painful. However as much as the above is tongue in cheek, there was a time when I too was desperately searching for the quick fix, the ten pounds off by yesterday miracle, the gadget that would make me beautiful in a week that I only needed to use for 3 minutes a day - GUARANTEED!

It wasn''t until I realized there was no super slimming Santa willing to drop down my chimney or a Slendinator Fairy, that to get to the healthy weight and have a trim body was going to take work and will power and time, that I began to get there! I am not actually knocking these gadgets although it may seem like it, my view is anything that you can use and have faith in is worth doing if it gets you going on your diet and fitness plans, also if you do actually use these things regularly, perhaps they can make a difference. But really they need to be used in conjunction with a healthy diet and old fashioned cardio. Spot toning isn''t the whole story. A brisk walk or run outside is cheap and effective and use of a treadmill or elliptical - either at home or at a gym is probably more versatile and will grow with you as you progress.

My point is - like with anything in life, fitness is a journey and one which us WWTers are able to enjoy too. The quick fix doesn''t work, steady effort does along with allowing you to have an occasional treat too. We can take all the time we need and every day try to do something good for ourselves fitness wise, we are never in a position where we have blown it, there is ALWAYS TOMORROW to begin again.

Have a great week all!

 

[peachy]

Hi Everyone! Happy new week to all and happy belated Mother''s Day to those of you that fit into that category!

Lorelei - great opening post, as usual. LOL about the super slimming Santa or the Slendinator Fairy... I''ve certainly wished for those (and more) before finally getting my rump in gear... and I''m not talking just 8 Minutes in the Morning...

Last week was productive despite having a 3 day full body hive attack! (God knows what happened there...but I think I finally cleared it.) Nothing on Monday as hives were in full swing, but I jumped back on track starting Tuesday... The doc said that exercise would likely exacerbate the itching but it wasn''t going to stop me, gosh darn it!! Tue and Thu were full body weight lifting days, Wed and Fri were step days. Saturday involved a lot of clean-up around the house, painting shutters and flower boxes, etc. Sunday was just a fun day with the kids, fishing and crabbing down Cape Cod in the beautiful weather. Eating has been pretty good - not the best but not the worst. I haven''t stepped on the scale as it hasn''t really been budging the last few weeks and it kind of depresses me... but all things in time. I know I''m converting fat to muscle which weighs more... I can feel it and see it...and hubby can too...which is a boost...so I''m trying not to fixate on the scale right now.

I''m planning on doing a circuit training tape this morning after I drop my little ones at pre-school...I can then whoot around the living room to my heart''s content!

In the afternoon, I have to bring my twins to Kindergarten screening in advance of their starting in the fall (a full day program)... Wow, I am having major conflicting feelings about this milestone!!

Anyway - happy Monday to all and here''s to a good week!!

 

[Lorelei]

Thank you very much Peachy!

 

[Ellen]

WHAT?? There IS NO Slendinator Fairy??!

I feel just like I did when I found out there was no Santa Claus.

And I was so hoping she''d visit this week, as it my last one before I start dress shopping, AND I''m sick and don''t feel like working out. I could really use her right about now.

Ah well, such is life....



Great post as usual Miss Lorelei!


Hope everyone has a great week!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/14/2007 9:01:40 AM
Author: Ellen
WHAT?? There IS NO Slendinator Fairy??!

I feel just like I did when I found out there was no Santa Claus.

And I was so hoping she'd visit this week, as it my last one before I start dress shopping, AND I'm sick and don't feel like working out. I could really use her right about now.

Ah well, such is life....



Great post as usual Miss Lorelei!


Hope everyone has a great week!

No , sorry Ellen

If there is, she hasn't bothered paying my b-tt a visit anyway

Ellen, why is you sick????

 

[Ellen]

Date: 5/14/2007 9:03:17 AM
Author: Lorelei

No , sorry Ellen

If there is, she hasn''t paid my b-tt a visit anyway

Ellen, why is you sick????

LOL!!

I guess it''s allergies. Coughing, sneezing a bunch, watery eyes, stuffed up head.

And I''m really tired, do NOT feel like walking, soooo, I''ll just have to be really diligent about the eating good part. I really wanted to bump it up a knotch and try and lose just a couple more pounds this week. But, if I don''t I don''t. Not the end of the world.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 5/14/2007 9:17:06 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 5/14/2007 9:03:17 AM
Author: Lorelei

No , sorry Ellen

If there is, she hasn''t paid my b-tt a visit anyway

Ellen, why is you sick????

LOL!!

I guess it''s allergies. Coughing, sneezing a bunch, watery eyes, stuffed up head.

And I''m really tired, do NOT feel like walking, soooo, I''ll just have to be really diligent about the eating good part. I really wanted to bump it up a knotch and try and lose just a couple more pounds this week. But, if I don''t I don''t. Not the end of the world.

Too funny - you quoted me before I embellished my post! I hope you feel better soon, maybe a gentle session on the treadmill might help you feel better? Just go easy.

 

[Ellen]

lol Evidently my posting skills have not been affected. *blows on finger*

I''ve dug up some allergy meds and taken a dose, so maybe later I''ll feel like walking.

And thanks.

 

[gailrmv]

hi! I''m back! The last couple weeks were a ridiculous whirlwind but now I have a couple weeks off! Yay! I need to spend the time unpacking and learning my way around my new part of town, and I am also going to focus on my health and try to lose some more weight! As of last week I was down 20 lbs from my all time high (although I wouldn''t be surprised if 2 lbs jumped back on this weekend, celebrating my graduation - I didn''t do anything too crazy but I''m one of those people who has to watch EVERYTHING or I gain.)

Anyway, while I''m off, I think I am going to try 5-6 small meals throughout the day, trying to eat some protein at each. I live near a nice grocery store now and I want to go there a couple times a week to get the freshest stuff. I enjoy fruit and veggies so much more when they are fresh.

Also, since I moved, I need to get a new gym! I found one that I like, but it''s more expensive than I''m used to and also smaller, so I want to check out 2-3 others before I commit. DH wants to see them too and he works long hours so we haven''t had a chance to go check them out together. It''s driving me crazy! I am used to going nearly every day. At least we have been enjoying nice weather and I can jog around my neighborhood and do hand weights at home.

Anyway, good to see you all again. Ellen, sorry you are sick!

I''m sure a couple days of resting up won''t derail your efforts. Peachy, that sucks about hives! I''ve had them before too. I hope they are gone for good!

 

[KimberlyH]

Morning!

Ellen, I''ve got the same thing going on...stuffy head, nose running, ICK! It cleared up while we were in Coronado yesterday (it''s worth the trip, Rod, and I''d love to meet you and Charile if you make it out here) but we decided to stop in a park and 2 minutes later my eyes were watering like I was crying and my nose was a faucet I couldn''t turn off. So annoying!

Today is my last day of working out at home before we head to Maui. YIPPEE! I''m so excited. We''re going to visit John''s mom''s burial site with some friends and then out to lunch and then I''ll be packing, packing, packing. I start a new class tomorrow and I''m not too excited about it as I''d prefer to just sit on the beach and do nothing all week, but usually week 1 is pretty calm so I think I can get away with not doing too much school work.

Lorelei, as always your opening post is inspirational and so very accurate, thank you! Last I saw an aunt who at 60 has started gaining a bit of weight. She never weighed more tan 110 lbs. until three years ago. She was asking me what I did to maintain in the 1st place and how I''ve managed to lose even more and when I told her my routine her reponse was "It really is a lifestyle change, isn''t it?" We all know the answer to that question!

 

[jcrow]

morning everyone! cute post Lorelei!
i'm happy it's the start of a new week. i'm excited about getting out and walking/jogging in our neighborhood. we'll probably go this afternoon. last week was a workout mess. i was sick to my tummy with some sort of crappy stomach virus. hope that's all cleared up so that i can get back on track!! hope everyone else is doing workout well!

 

[Mara]

morning everyone!!! lorelei your post is spot on...gosh don't we all wish there was the 5 minute miracle to keep in shape, but unfortunately it's more like the hour a day miracle hehehe.

this morning i had an 8am call which is just easier for me to do while on the road in case the call goes long, so it's like a mad dash to get out of the house at 7:50 so that i can drop P off at daycare and still have like 3 minutes in the car to get all situated and dial in. gotta love a rushing monday morning but at least it gets my blood pumping haha.

breakfast lately has been the same thing for the most part during the week...which i really am loving. it's 1/2 a 0% fage with splenda, cinnamon, 1/2c of fiber one twigs and about 10 fresh blueberries. i mix and mash it all together and it gives me a nice dose of fiber (14g) and protein (7g) for a relatively low amount of calories (about 125). then around 10:30 or so i have a snack which is typically a 60 cal yogurt or a light wheat toast with some mango butter or something at work. anyway if anyone is looking for a quick and healthy breakfast thang, i totally recommend the mix i've been doing to get you going and not 'spend' too many calories.

i also have been backing off the calorie tracking a little lately. i am maintaining at 131/132 on the scale and a size 2 or 4 in clothes depending on manufacturer. i imagine i look thinner visually than 131/132, because i am carrying so much muscle right now (body fat is 17%) that i think it must be showing on the scale. but as long as my clothes fit, the scale doesn't jump crazily like 7 lbs, and i stay active, i am experimenting with not tracking on the spreadsheet as much as i used to. i still update it like once every 2 days because it also tracks my workouts and stuff, but i was basically looking at it like 5x a day before and it started to get a little too OCD for me. hehe. in general i know what i should be eating and when i splurge so i think a lot of it is being honest with yourself about what you are consuming and being *knowledgeable*.

this is kind of like the debate that greg and i have about if nutritional/dietary information should be required on menus or at least to be available to the public for restaurants. i think it should be and the reason is that i want to know what i am eating when we eat out. even a good estimate would work for me instead of trying to guess...which is typically always probably wrong!! greg says well people won't want to eat it if they know what's in it. i said that's not true...i would still want to eat some things (maybe not all!) if i knew what they were made of. but he thinks that most people don't really want to know. and i said well that's why america is having such a weight problem. ignorance is bliss!!

anyway, along similar lines, i wanted to add something in here about this article i read over the weekend. it was about basically accepting your body for what it is. the article made some interesting points. it was talking about how never in the history of the america (as far as we know), has this country been SO absolutely consumed with weight and appearance. most of america is overweight and/or obese and yet there is all this emphasis on trying to achieve a thinness that most celebrities showcase in all the magazines. so we have the two extremes. obese mass america and too skinny starlets. the article was talking about how people need to start realizing what is realistic for THEM to achieve and to not be so obsessive with it all. be healthy, eat right, work out...yes. but don't be OCD or think you have to be a size 2 to be happy. it also focused on how people always seem to 'put off' things until they are '10 lbs thinner'. or equate being thinner with being HAPPIER. it made points like...when you die at age 120 (nowadays!) what are you going to remember? the battle you waged most of your life against your body...or all the fabulous memories that you made living your life? what do you WANT to remember? the great times you had with friends and family? or how you would have been so much happier just 10 lbs thinner. what do you want people to remember YOU by? zest for life? or how you were always on a diet?

it kind of gave me a little reality check. lately i have been catching myself as i am being uber-critical of my body (i mentioned this last week about sometimes thinking i look the same as the 'old me' in the mirror) and stopping and going 'okay reality check'. and yesterday i was thinking about what i shouldn't be eating because we were going out to dinner...and i went outside and greg had just finished putting the bicycles together and had taken his out for a ride in the driveway and i saw him turn the corner and see me and he had this big grin on his face because he was so happy that the bikes were together and working. i thought THIS is what life is all about. not about how fit or tanned or trim i am or am NOT on any given day. not about the trail mix i just ate and shouldn't have. it's about the little things like my husband's joy about our new bikes. hahaa. i am very proud of what i have accomplished but it's just one milestone in the story that is my life right?

anyway, i have just really trying to put things in perspective for myself as an ongoing part of this 'maintenance' thing. and i've been really happy with my progress so far. sure i have splurges sometimes. sure i could be better about eating right more of the time. but i am still doing more than the 80/20 rule...and i am still super active (and finding more ways to add activity into our lives ala walking and now biking etc) and i am trying to really focus on what is important to me right now. it's easy to get obsessed with reaching your weight goal or 'those last 5 lbs' ... but while you may be happier about your clothes fitting a little bit better...it won't make you really truly any happier than you are today.

gosh was that a long monday ramble or what? see what happens when i get into work early...hehe. anyway i hope some of my ruminations help people....in this thread i think it's easy for us to obsess about what we did right or wrong today and what others are doing that's right or wrong and we could all use a little reality check sometimes about what's important. and for me it's being healthy, strong and happy overall...and the weight maintenance is just one piece of it.

so because i had a massive splurge last nite...today is going to be a lighter and healthier type of day. i had my breakfast and now am having green tea. snack will be yogurt. lunch is a TJ's burrito with mango papaya fresh salsa. i brought 0% fage and pineapple for snacks and have roasted soy nuts as well (someone mentioned this in another thread and i finally found them at the store. 3 tblsp is 140 cals, 10g protein and 5g fiber and they are tasty!!! what a fab quick snack or throw them into a salad or something for a boost). for dinner tonite we can do one of a few things so we'll see how the day shapes up.

it's only about a week til our east coast trip...we leave next wednesday!! i still have to book our hotel (hehee) but we are so excited. i'm a little stressed about work because now i have like 10 various projects on my plate, 2 of which have deliverables while we are gone so i have to set them up to be executable while i am gone by others. but it's fun stuff for sure. anyway have a GREAT monday everyone!!!!! here's to eating and being happy and healthy.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Hello WWTers!

Gosh, it feels so good to be back. The last two weeks were just nuts for me. New Orleans for vacation, and then Las Vegas last week for a convention. It was tough being good! Lunches and Dinners galore. I did stick with fish for most of my meals, and kept booze to a minimum.

I'm around for the rest of the month- no more biz travel. Yippee! Gail, I'm right with you on using this "down time" to focus on my health and just get back in the groove. I've got my 5 meals planned for today.

Lorelei, great message to kickoff the week. I've been battling weight all my life, and have learned the hard way (spending lots of $$) that there is no easy fix. I like how you phrased it "Fitness is a Journey" It's certainly not a race or a sprint!

Peachy- sorry to hear about your hive attack, but it sounds like you're all good to go. Hopefully you can ID what the culprit was!

There's gotta be something in the air, as I too have been suffering from a sniffly nose, and I'm having to take daily hits of my inhaler. Allergies suck! Kimberly, are you taking anything for it? Claritin just doesn't seem to be working for me. I may need a prescription-strength med.

Mara- I hear you about posting nutritional stats on menus. I'm a total foodie and LOVE eating out. But the control freak in me really hates that I don't know the facts about what I'm consuming. Even a good ballpark number is better than nothing.

Had oatmeal w/ apple sauce for bfast. Morning snack will be either fage or string cheese. Lunch is a grilled chicken salad, and afternoon snack is an apple. Hubby has band practice nonite, so I'm on my own for dinner.

Here's to a great week!

 

[Skippy123]

Morning! Spring has arrived and I AM LOVING IT

Kimberly have a fun trip; I am sure you will come back nice and tan! Lorelei great intro; been there. hehehe. Hey Ellen! Peachy, gosh, sorry about the hives; what a bummer. Yah, for several small meals Gail, that works for me too! Hey, Jcrow! Mara, I understand about eating out and trying to figure out how much you are actually eating (calories) Welcome back ChargerGrrl!!!!!

It is step for me tonight! See you after step

 

[Ellen]

Date: 5/14/2007 11:22:34 AM
Author: KimberlyH
Morning!

Ellen, I've got the same thing going on...stuffy head, nose running, ICK! It cleared up while we were in Coronado yesterday (it's worth the trip, Rod, and I'd love to meet you and Charile if you make it out here) but we decided to stop in a park and 2 minutes later my eyes were watering like I was crying and my nose was a faucet I couldn't turn off. So annoying!

Yes! AND, you feel so attractive, not. Have fun on your trip, I'm SO jealous!


Peachy, my hubby used to break out in hives every spring, it was AWFUL. Luckily he seems to have outgrown it.


Gail, thanks. And congrats on graduating and your move, whoohoo!!

Hey back Miss Skippy!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 5/14/2007 1:14:49 PM
Author: Ellen

Hey back Miss Skippy!

You are so cute Ellen

 

[KimberlyH]

Thanks for the good trip wishes everyone!

Skippy, you''ve seen my picture, I am one pale girl...I may get a bit of a sunkist glow, but sunscreen is my best friend!

Ellen, don''t be jealous! I''ll post pipcs when we get home and you can go on a mental mini-vacation! My eyes were watering so badly that I looked like I had been crying, not so pretty!

What you say is so true, Mara. When I first lost weight 5 years ago I thought my life would change...and it didn''t, and it was sort of depressing. And then I realized that how I look is only one small fraction of who I am and what matters. Life is for the enjoying, and it''s all about moderation. Being an all-or-nothing person makes it hard to find that balance, but I work really hard at it (splurging two nights a week is not a bad thing!) because otherwise I would obsess and make myself crazy. Could I lose more weight? Probably. But that would require that I give up some of my favorite things (ice cream, wine, chips and salsa, bread and cheese). Would it be worth it? Not really. I work hard to be physically fit and eat healthy things...and those nice dinners out with John where we''re both relaxed and just enjoying one another, and a glass of wine at the end of the day on the patio are more than worth the calories I consume to have those times.

 

[Mara]

kimberly have an awesome time, how exciting!! We want to see some pictures (and your tan) when you get back...ENJOY.

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 5/14/2007 12:09:49 PM
Author: Mara

anyway, along similar lines, i wanted to add something in here about this article i read over the weekend. it was about basically accepting your body for what it is. the article made some interesting points. it was talking about how never in the history of the america (as far as we know), has this country been SO absolutely consumed with weight and appearance. most of america is overweight and/or obese and yet there is all this emphasis on trying to achieve a thinness that most celebrities showcase in all the magazines. so we have the two extremes. obese mass america and too skinny starlets. the article was talking about how people need to start realizing what is realistic for THEM to achieve and to not be so obsessive with it all. be healthy, eat right, work out...yes. but don''t be OCD or think you have to be a size 2 to be happy.

I think one of the reasons that there is such a dichotomy (general population heavier than ever at the same time there is more heightened focus on celebrities'' shapes)......I think one feeds the other, to an extent, and I think the article is RIGHT ON.

When people try to achieve someone else''s standard instead of what''s realistic for themselves, they often fail.....and they become tremendously demotivated. It breeds a "what''s the point of trying AT ALL" feeling, and that''s such a shame.

Date: 5/14/2007 12:09:49 PM
Author: Mara

it kind of gave me a little reality check. lately i have been catching myself as i am being uber-critical of my body (i mentioned this last week about sometimes thinking i look the same as the ''old me'' in the mirror) and stopping and going ''okay reality check''. and yesterday i was thinking about what i shouldn''t be eating because we were going out to dinner...and i went outside and greg had just finished putting the bicycles together and had taken his out for a ride in the driveway and i saw him turn the corner and see me and he had this big grin on his face because he was so happy that the bikes were together and working. i thought THIS is what life is all about. not about how fit or tanned or trim i am or am NOT on any given day. not about the trail mix i just ate and shouldn''t have. it''s about the little things like my husband''s joy about our new bikes. hahaa. i am very proud of what i have accomplished but it''s just one milestone in the story that is my life right?

I have to chime in and APPLAUD your introspection and balance. Truly.

THIS is what I find is missing most of the time.....a HEALTHY perspective about the issue. Sure, it''s important to be healthy, and yes, it''s important to incorporate movement and exercise as part of one''s daily life, but getting so crazed about it that one''s world would spin off axis over 2 lbs? For me, that''s no more healthy of an approach than the "screw it, who cares about fitness?" approach. They are just different forms of unhealthy behavior.

I''m much more comfortable with the approach of setting realistic goals, working at them, achieving them, but remembering that it''s ONE element of life....not the be-all, end-all. This is something we''ve been very focused on, too. I''m down 40 lbs.; Rich is down 50. While we still have more to go, we are VERY sensitive to doing it with a sense of BALANCE. This isn''t a ''temporary'' thing; it''s a LIFESTYLE change.....and that lifestyle has to include things we enjoy like going out for dinner occasionally and not feeling continually denied/deprived. It also has to include movement in our lives so we continue to enjoy the added energy toward things we like doing.

Thanks for the balancing perspective that I think is often missing (not here on PS, but in general). Well done.

 

[TravelingGal]

Lorelei, great post to start off the week, thank you!

Ellen, I hope you feel better soon. I was sick ALL last week and it wasn''t fun.

Mara, your post about Greg and the bikes put a big smile on my face...so true!!!

Kimberly, I really can''t wait to see your pics from your trip. I''m jealous, I wish I could go now.

Well, I am SO happy to be up and running again. Pilates today to kick of the week. I have also started taking golf lessons so it''s fun to just be outside and active.
Eating well so far this week...hopefully can keep that up!

 

[Ellen]

I look at it like this. When I''m laying on my deathbed, I do NOT want to be saying, I should have had more fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, pecan pie.

Nope, I''m havin it now.

 

[Ellen]

Thanks TG!

 

[Mara]

Date: 5/14/2007 2:27:40 PM
Author: Ellen

I look at it like this. When I''m laying on my deathbed, I do NOT want to be saying, I should have had more fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, pecan pie.

Nope, I''m havin it now.

mmmm pecan pie.

of course as a raving foodie, i totally agree. hehe.

 

[akw94]

I just thought I''d chime in to say that I LOOOOOOOOOVE pecan pie too. But enough about that!

Although I rarely post, I am doing pretty well these days. I went ahead and joined Jenny Craig. I know that some of you may think those programs aren''t the greatest, but I really needed that motivation and structure. It''s working well for me. I lost 6 lbs the first week and then between 1.5 and 2 these past 2 weeks. I''m very happy w/that. I''m hoping to continue at 1.5-2lbs loss/wk. I''m only doing the 20 lbs for $20 program so by July, I''ll be off and doing my own thing again. It has helped me in terms of portion size and I actually get full from their meals, I''m just getting a bit bored. The thing I like is that they incorporate fruit, veggies and dairy throughout the day and even a dessert every day.
I''ve been exercising 3x/wk these last few weeks although my goal is 4 days. This week none though b/c I''ve been sick..not fun!

Anyway, just wanted to check in.

Keep up the good work and thanks to everyone for all the motivation!

 

[mrssalvo]

good afternoon all. great post lorelei and mara and both so true.
I hope the rest of you who posted and are lurking are doing well to today also.

So, this has just been a busy weekend/beg. of the week. tons of stuff going on with Mother''s day and programs i have to attend at my kids school. Also, Zoe was limping on sat. after our 2 hour walk and has still not recovered. I haven''t worked out yet today but plan on taking Zoe out for a mile walk after dinner. Tomorrow is gym day and I will be so glad to really burn some calorites on the elliptical...too many days without really working out hard and sweating and I feel yucky. tonight will be a light dinner since I had a big luncheon at the school, which wasn''t too bad but still. Bathing suit season is here and I don''t feel ready

. Mara, your post about accepting rings true to me b/c although I''m small, have a low body fat and healthy heart I still am not entirely happy, which I guess is somewhat good that it keeps me motivated but it can be unhealthy too, I''ve just got to find that balance.

I hope everyone has a wonderful night.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Monday to everyone!

I''ve been really very good on the food front lately (dragging my clients all over town to look at property, and then running up and down Wabash in my search for a yellow diamond doesn''t let me much time to eat, LOL!) and I don''t seem to have suffered any issues whatsoever from my workout last night. Granted, it was only 30 mins on the bike, but I''m still glad.

No workout for me tonight becuase I have a TON of work to do, but hopefully I''ll be able to get over to the gym tomorrow for another session on the bike or mabye the treadmill.

 

[Rod]

Wow, a lot of intospection starting off the new week.

Lorelei, I loved your opening remarks to get the week on a positive note. And Mara, the picture you painted of Greg riding his bike with a big grin was just really touching. Kimberly, believe me if we ever make it over there, we'll let you know. I'd really love to start in San Diego and just drive on up the coast all the way to Washington, but we'll have to see. Also, wishing you a great vacation, I know you're really looking forward to it. Dixie good for you exercising 3 - 4 times a week and I hope Jennie Craig helps you accomplish your goals.

So, with all the introspection, I recognize that I am overly obsessive about exercising and what I eat. And it's likely a lot of one of last week's topics, WHAT WE SEE WHEN WE LOOK IN THE MIRROR. I still don't see a fit guy. I still see an overweight guy who is aging. This afternoon, I was at the gym and there was this uber guy looking at himself in the mirror, almost with disgust. You could see the disappointment in his face. And when I say uber, I mean UBER as in this guy could be a professional body builder and there's just isn't an ounce of fat on his body. If anything, he has muscles that likely were born through injections as I'm not sure anyone is capable of building a body like that without pharmaceutical help. And this guy is at the gym every single day and I know this because I'm at the gym every single day. He's one of those guys that if you saw him in the grocery store, you'd just stare at him. Anyway, he looks at me at me (so I'm looking side to side and thinking, he can't be looking at me could he?) and just started chatting and he was commenting that he was having a tough workout and was feeling tired and weak (I was actually surprised he even noticed I breath the same air as he does) so I said the requisite things like sorry to hear you're frustrated, we all have those kinds of workouts from time to time, blah blah......and then I asked him what he saw when he looked in the mirror. And he said........"I see a skinny scrawny man with no muscle definition whatsover!" I'm telling you, this guy is overbuilt to the max. His shoulders are larger than my thighs and he see's a scrawny person???

I'm not sure what the answer is, other than to recognize that we all have image issues. And while I am perhaps more than somewhat obsessed, I do at least now allow myself some indulgences and I have finally stopped weighing myself every single day (sometimes I was weighing myself twice a day). I now let my clothes let me know if I need to step on the scale.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. In response to Mara's post, Alj commented that balance is a good thing and I completely agree. It's just not so easy to create the right level of balance. I've always been an all or nothing kind of guy. I guess I need to keep evolving..........sorry, now I'm rambling.

I had a not good phone screen and a then a good phone screen this afternoon. At least I was phone screened, but man, job hunting is just not much fun. I am truly tempted to hang up the hunt and just go sell "baubles" at Mayors Jewelery. The manager of our local Mayor's has always said that if I wanted to come work for them, I could. I'm just not sure the retail hours would work for me at this stage of my life, but at least it's an option.

After my phone screens, I went to the gym and just did some core and then the elliptical for 40 minutes. I had intended to do 45 minutes, but the time was getting away from me and I had to get ready to go meet Charlie for our regular Monday evening Sushi and then Starbucks.

Tomorrow, it's a regular full gym day. Have a great night everyone.

Ps: Feel better soon Ellen and Peachy and welcome back Gail - Happy Gym Hunting! And I hope Step was great for you Skippy!!

 

[KimberlyH]

Just got home from visiting John''s mom and lunch at Souplantation -- a great choice as I got to have healthy green salad, cottage cheese and fruit -- with John''s mom''s friend and a mani/pedi. I got fantastic news...I passed both of the proficiency exams I took last month!! I am two LARGE steps closer to earning my degree and credential and it''s such a perfect note to begin vacation on. I''m finishing up laundry and starting to pack and I''m just so looking forward to going!

Dixie, good for you for figuring out what works for you and going with it, there is no pat answer!

I''ll have my laptop and will likely check in during the week. Take good care of of yourselves!

 

[Mandarine]

Hi everyone!!!!

Great post Lorelei!!!!!!!!!!!

Mara, I hear what you are saying. When I came to the US I gained a lot of weight....I mean, a lot! (like 50 or maybe 60 pounds

)....I''m not proud but, oh well...I think the change in the actual foods really took a toll on me. Anyway, I lost it and kept it off! and still I always feel I can still loose more or do more!....my friends and family think I am little nuts sometimes. But then it hits me! I''ve come a long way!! It''s easy to get all caught up with physical appearance, and yes, it is good to have a healthy lifestyle, but without forgetting what really matters!

Merrijoy, I answered your question in the old thread!

Today was an ok day...I had salad for lunch but got out of work late...so I was only able to do 45 minutes of the rumba class (350 calories, not bad but not great).

Tomorrow is boot camp, so I guess I better save my energy! hehe

Off to watch 24!!, I love Jack

M~

 

[merrijoy]

Hi All,

Mandarine,
Sorry about that. It was a busy Monday (as always). I see you are in Broward. Me too. I am sure you will like Palm Beach as well. I think it is a bit quieter maybe?

So, a little rain yesterday in So Fla and the smoke seems to be going away. Fingers crossed. More rain is expected. Our lakes are really empty and we NEED rain.

My DH made Pasta Fagioli for his mom and I last night. Very good. Yesterday I did 40 minutes weights and abs, 20 minutes rowing and 30 minutes on the stair climber (the gauntlet I like to call it) - the big revolving one.

Tonight was 1 hour of Pilates; I will take off tomorrow as we have dinner plans at a friend''s house. Will do 1.5 hours of gym Wednesday and then my 5.5 running with my girlfriend on Thurs.

Hope everyone is having a good night. I am watching Dancing.....With the Stars!!!!

M