Weekly Workout Thread 15th Jan till 21st Jan

[Lorelei]

Happy new week!

What a success last week''s thread was - so many hits and posts, keep it up folks!

I wanted to begin this week by bringing up safety when working out, due to the fact that my shoelace came undone the other day when I was on the treadmill, and I almost went flying. Accidents can happen so easily with any activity and working out is no exception. Shoelaces aren''t an obvious one, but I make a point now of doing a double knot on my trainer laces which won''t work loose. Pay attention to what you are doing, don''t overdo things and also make a point of checking on your form when you are using equipment and weights. Just take a moment to make sure you are in the correct position when using weights and or the machines to avoid injury and that you are also wearing suitable and safe threads when working out! If you experience pain when working out STOP!

Ok message delivered! I did an hour cardio last night, went really well. I was reading that if you don''t use the arms so much on the elliptical it works your core more, so I might go hands free in future for part of my elliptical workout!

Have a great week all

 

[jadeleaves]

Hello!

Monday went off to a great start for me. I had a session with my trainer, and we did weights and boxing today. Boxing was so much fun and I look forward to doing more of it!

Foodwise, I did pretty well today until 30mins ago where I succumbed to a scoop of hazelnut praline and coffee icecream. It tasted so good though!!

Tmr I am meeting up with a few mums from my mother''s group for a long walk and lunch. Dinner will be the healthy macaroni & cheese recipe from the new recipe thread & some steamed vegies. I didn''t get a chance to bake muffins on the wkend, so I am looking forward to having a go sometime this week.

I lost a kilo in the past week, but I''m not going to crack out the champagne yet

Looking forward to a whole new week in my quest to eat healthy and exercise more!

 

[dancingqueen]

Hi everyone...

I''d like to join you all and start participating in this group on a regular basis. I''ve been lurking for a while and following your stories.

My main goal for the new year is to incorporate a regular strength training program into my schedule (and stick with it!) and clean up my diet and hopefully lose some weight!

Regarding the strength training issue, I''ve exercised religiously for the past 12 years, but it''s been primarily cardio. I''ve ran various road race, including a marathon in 2002 and I''ve also done 6-7 triathlons over the past few summers. My typical week includes about 4 days of running and the equivalent time on the elliptical machine on the other days. I used to go to spinning classes all the time and got kind of bored, but I will probably start adding a few back in soon. I also walk regularly with DH. Overall, I think I''m ok with my cardio and I just need to force myself to spend more time on weights/strengthening. I signed up for some sessions with a trainer at the gym and I''m hoping that will jumpstart my program and provide some consistency/motivation.

Regarding the weight issue, I''m 5''8 and I''ve been in the 147-150 range for the past few weeks. Anyway, I would like to try to get in the 140ish range. I just had my body fat checked at the gym (with calipers) and it''s 23%.

I enjoy reading everyone''s posts and find some great advice here.

I do have a question... I just got a Polar heart rate monitor and I''ve been curious about calories burned calculations. I wore it last night on the treadmill for a 30 minute session and the treadmill said 300 calories and my watch said 200. I wore my strap the whole time and the machine displayed the same heart rate as my watch. I also entered my weight on the treadmill. Just wondering how everyone is calculating their calories burned?

Thanks for any input you all have!

 

[scarlet16]

Hi everyone-

I''m going to try and start posting regularly again. I''m not going to calorie count as much but I am going to start watching what I''m eating...healthier foods, more fruits and veggies, lots of water. Also, I set out a new workout schedule for myself that I feel I can stick to: Sunday - yoga, Mon, Thurs, Sat - running, Tues - boxing. I added yoga for flexibility which I started to notice I''ve been losing and boxing because so many people have recommended it to me. It''s with an instructor that''s really fun (and female!!) so hopefully I''ll stay motivated to go. Eventually I''m going to add a little bit of strength training on the days I run but I''m going to start slow.

To add to Lorelei''s point, I''ve noticed that my form gets slightly sloppy when I start to fatigue (whether it be on the machines or when running). I think that''s when it become especially important to check in on yourself and make sure your form is good.

After reading so many incredible raving review''s about Mara''s turkey lasagna, I''ve been prepping it for the past couple of nights for tonight''s dinner. I made the meat sauce Saturday night (and let it sit & meld), then made the lasana last night and baked it. I''m letting it sit in the fridge until tonight to let let all the flavors get DELISH...I''ll let you all know how it goes. Also, I bought the Ronzoni no boil pasta sheets...we''ll see how those are (in comparison to the Barilla).

Jadeleaves - I wouldn''t get down on yourself for something like a scoop of ice cream. I always say let yourself indulge...in moderation. Also congrats on losing a kilo...it may be small but its definitely a start!!

Dancingqueen - Welcome to the group. I can''t answer your questions but there are ton of "experts" on this thread that I''m sure will chime in.

Everyone else - looks like there''s been some great progress...keep up the good work. And keep those yummy recipes coming!

 

[Mara]

oooh scarlet yummy, interested to hear how the lasagna is with the other brand of no boil pasta!! i was just thinking last nite about our dinners this week and how i should make some lasagna tomorrow to last us til friday...hehee.

welcome dancing queen! in terms of the HRM...i have a polar as well and when i first got it, it was totally matching what the machines had pretty much said for me when i worked out before i got the HRM. so i figured that the machines i was using were pretty accurate. but then it seemed like the HRM was kind of on and off and would match then not match etc. how i kind of ended up figuring it out (i stopped wearing the HRM because i just got tired of the strap and non matching cals) was that the HRM Was typically off by about 50-70 calories each workout for me BUT when i got off the treadmill, walked off went to the bathroom, weighed myself, gathered my clothes, and walked to my car and started to drive home, it would burn calories at a much higher rate due to my higher HR so by the time i was in the car (aka 5-7 minutes from getting off the machine), the calorie burn would match what the machine HAD said already. so i just use that # on the machines now and know that in 5 minutes after i get off the machine it will match what my HRM would have said. really it''s an estimate i guess. and then when i used my HRM it would say that my 10 minutes of stenghth training were about 50ish calories so now when i do the strength training without the HRM i calculate those extra 40-50ish in.

from what i do on the treadmill typically a 30 minute workout won''t burn 300 cals for me UNLESS the incline of the treadmill is at 10 and i am walking about a 3.7mph pace. is that what you were doing? if i am walking a flat or a few notches on the incline (aka up to 4 or so)...30 minutes would be around 200-250ish for me. just some info that might help!

jade leaves, mmm mac and cheese. i was thinking of making that for us too this week. lasagna or mac and cheese. tempting!!

so last nite i don''t know what the deal was but my whole trunk was really sore...the stomach area and under my ribs. so i tried stretching it a bit which i don''t know if it made it better or worse or what.

i slept perfectly fine all night with no pain but this morning when i got up, again my trunk and stomach area is really tight. seriously this stomach/ab thing is driving me NUTS. i really want to work out and i can''t and even walking seems to make it irritated. i don''t want to be like this for a long period of time!! anyone know secrets to speed recovery? hehee. other than just LAYING AROUND...ugh. i just keep kind of stretching my back which also can get tight i guess from the front being tight, but i wish i could do more than just put a heating pad on my stomach and lay around. so bored!! and honestly i don''t know if its getting better or staying the same or worse because it''s such a nebulous floating kind of trunk discomfort. the doctor said it could take a few weeks to heal completely but surely by now it should be farther along??

yeah so im not looking fwd to sitting at my desk all day today...ugh. in any case, breakfast was oatmeal, brown sugar and maple...yum. and coffee. lunch was going to be something uber healthy but greg is off today and he is going to come meet me for lunch so i''m thinking this supposedly yummy thai place near us would be good..i could have a fish dish or something. since i am so inactive i am trying to be a little bit better on food...i don''t feel like now is the time to be shaking up my calorie intake by trying to eat more to maintain...since i am really doing NOTHING on the exercise front. i don''t want to do nothing AND eat more and end up gaining.

then tonite for dinner we have 2 more chicken pot pies...i made 4 personal ones last nite with the recipe...so dinner is all taken care of, just have to put them in the oven when i get home! have a wonderful monday everyone, if you are not working today, enjoy the day off!! i''m so jealous. hehe.

 

[ammayernyc]

Morning ladies!

So this weekend was a big bust. No exercise and ltos of drinking and eating. It was my fiance''s birthday so there were two birthday dinner and another friends party last night. I didn''t go to Weight Watchers since I knew that I had gained which is so so wrong. But I did weigh myself at home (only a .2 lbs gain) and I logged it in on Weight Watchers online.

I had my trainer this morning and did a little more than 15 minutes of cardio on the stairmaster beforehand. I felt so good afterwards. So here is going to be my new motto:

Remember how good it feels to finish a workout BEFORE you go the gym! That''s great motivation (I hope)!

And the most exciting news... The Save-the-Dates went out! I guess there''s no turning back now!

 

[royalasscherlover]

good morning all! i twisted my ankle on saturday, so i had the weekend off from exercise to help it heal, but this afternoon i am going to give it a try on the elliptical. i''m having a rough day at work and am hoping that i can burn off some frustration at the gym!

the good news is, i slipped and twisted my ankle in the kitchen while i was cooking lots of healthy goodies for the week, so at least i am well stocked now. it''s gotten cold here recently, so i am craving hearty, satisfying stuff. i had the turkey lasagna for dinner last night, very yummy and filling, and will likely have it for dinner tonight as well. i blended the cottage cheese in my food processor to smooth it out, since i don''t like the chunky texture, and i added a bag of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and well drained, to the cheese mixture for extra veggie goodness. for breakfast today i had a pumpkin bran muffin and some coffee, and for lunch i will have my black bean soup and an apple. i need to make another batch of muffins, since i''m almost out, and i''m thinking of adapting the berry ones to include some bran, since the extra fiber really helps keep me full.

 

[scarlet16]

Mara-
Can you post the chicken pot pie recipe in the new thread? I tried making one a few weeks ago and it wasn''t so great...just not as hearty as I usually prefer.
Thanks!

 

[Becky P]

Hey ya''ll. Well, I missed getting to work out yesterday. At 3:05 I was heading out the door to the gym, and decided to text a friend who has a membership at this Bally''s to see what time they close. Apparently on Sundays, they close at 3pm... So, no luck. But, since I''m getting over a cold, I guess it was a good thing to rest up and, since I couldn''t go to the gym, I went to Target and spent some Christmas $$ to get a new scale that''s digital (because I cheat with my analog scale!!) and a tape measure. I was so psyched to get my scale all calibrated because it saves info for up to 4 people and calculates weight, % body fat and hydration levels. But, to my dismay, I need a 9 Volt battery, so I''ll have to go get one soon. Definitely by Wednesday for the weekly check-in. Also need to do the beginning measurements with my tape measure.

Tonight will be the real start of the new Becky who works out and loves it!

There''s several classes tonight at the Bally''s that I want to go to. At 5:30, there''s a 30 minute ab class, then at 6 a cardio class of some sort, and then from 6:30-7:30 there''s a weight training/toning class. I''m gonna be there at 5:30 and definitely do the first two classes. I''ll play it by ear for the 3rd one. The last thing I wanna do is kill myself so that I don''t want to work out. My goal is 30 minutes at least 4 days a week. So, here we go!!!

In case others are interested, Discovery channel is having an 8 week body challenge - they do it every year in Jan, and it started on Saturday. You can sign up on www.discoveryhealth.com. There''s chat boards, all kinds of tools, videos, etc. Plus, the best part of it all... a FREE 8 week Bally''s membership. I know many people have gym memberships already, but for those who don''t, here''s a good way to start your healthy lifestyle for FREEEEEEEEEE!!!

 

[KimberlyH]

Morning All,

I am hoping this is my last day of rest and that I can return to calorie burning tomorrow. I am extremely frustrated that I haven''t worked out in 5 days but also feeling quite crappy and lacking in energy. Maybe we''ll go for a walk this afternoon or something so I at least get to move around a bit.

Hope everyone is having a great day.

~K

 

[dancingqueen]

Thanks for the information Mara! Last night on the treadmill, I did a "hill" program and I set the speed at about 4.2. I''m not sure of the incline since it varied, but I programmed the intensity level at 18 (out of 20). However, I adjusted the speed and incline at some places in the workout to speed up a little on the flat areas and also to reduce the incline at some of the really step segments. I normally run on the treadmill, but yesterday was not a running day for me so I decided to use the hill walk as an experiment.

I used to wear a heart rate monitor all the time a few years ago when I was training for my first triathlon (but I never paid attention to calories then). The coach of my training group always talked about the target training zones being off for some people. He gave everyone a "test" to determine true max heart rate and then calculated the training zones off that number. For example, my max heart rate based on his test turned out the be around 170 vs. 189 (220-age at that time). So, I''m wondering if my polar watch could be off by using the standard age formula. I''m sure I''m making this much more complicated than it needs to be, but I''m just wondering how everyone is burning 500-700 calories in 45-60 minutes. Basically, I''d like to figure out alternatives to running for high calorie burns. Or, maybe I should just get my heart rate in a certain zone and not worry about the calorie number?

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Good Monday Everyone

It''s not for everyone but I''m off to Brazilian Jujitsu instruction in a few minutes.
My instructor thinks that I damaged a tendon in his forearm a few months ago.
Oh well...I''ll try to be more careful from now on

No, really.

Just do SOMETHING....and...KEEP ON TRACKin

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Lorelei,

I think your new kitty avatar is really cool.

 

[Mara]

DQ...hmm then it sounds like the 250-300ish might be right for the kind of program you are on....I used to do hill program til I realized that I could burn more calories by just walking on a strict incline at a fast pace for 35-50 minutes.

When I did 30 minutes treadmill on an incline at 3.7mph and then 35 minutes on elliptical I would burn about 650ish calories.
When I do about an hour on the elliptical now on level 3 (nothing impressive) but moving arms and legs pretty quickly, I burn about 600 calories.
In the past I also would do like 45 minutes treadmill and 35-40 minutes elliptical and 10 minutes strength training and got my burn up to 750-800 a few times.

scarlet, i will post the CPP recipe tonite when I get home. basically i just used boiled diced chicken, celery, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, broccoli and onions for the veggies and fill. i created the sauce by sauteeing the onions and some garlic for a minute, then adding celery and mushrooms into the mix and sauteeing for a few minutes. sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over it ... let it cook another minute. then added about 1c chicken broth, 1/2c white wine, 1 tblspoon of heavy cream, 3/4c 1% milk and let the sauce thicken, added parsley, thyme and tarragon to spice it...salt and pepper to taste, then added the veggies etc and then filled the pies, then used pilsbury low-fat croissant triangles to form the top (2 to each pie, cutoff the edges). brushed them with a bit of butter and baked for 20-25 minutes. i used about 1/2-1c of the veggies each...depending on which i liked better, and the recipe made 4 evenly filled 10 oz personal pie containers. the calories for each was about 450. you could probably even add a bit more cream if you like that more creamy taste, 1 tblspoon is only 50 cals. i cooked the potatoes, broccoli and carrots a few minutes in the microwave to get them softer so they'd finish cooking quickly in the oven.

but anyhow i'll post the full on recipe tonite. it was a huge hit though, greg pronounced it 'nice and light' and he loved the flavor. i love white wine in sauces like this too as it gives it a bit of extra flavor.

kimberly hope you feel better soon, i hear ya on the not working out frustration. seriously feeling it!!! becky, have fun tonite at the gym! jeff, take care of yourself...you don't want to end up like me. hehe.

 

[Dee*Jay]

I am off work today so I did an early work out (an hour on the eliptical). Had half a package of Trader Joe's chicken potstickers for breakfast and I'll have the other half for lunch. The happy hubby is working from home today because his work computer crashed last week and he had to send it off to some corporate black hole in New Jersey to get fixed so he's on the home computer. Totally foiled my plans to rearrange the living room furniture since the office is right underneath, but I might be able to scoot the bed and the overstuffed chairs around in the master bedroom when he's not looking since that's one more floor up.

Last night the HH made roasted lemon chicken and these marvelous green beens with tomatos, onions, garlic and tiny bits of crispy ham for dinner, so we'll have leftover tonight. YUM!

I was going to take advantage of my day off to spend a leisurely hour at Starbucks because it's been forever since I've gotten to do that, however it's snowing like crazy right now. Sideways actually. If it lets up there is a cup of coffee in my future, but if not it's tea at home, LOL.

 

[KimberlyH]

kimberly hope you feel better soon, i hear ya on the not working out frustration. seriously feeling it!!! becky, have fun tonite at the gym! jeff, take care of yourself...you don''t want to end up like me. hehe


Mara, you and I are pretty much on par in terms of workouts and eating habits, so I totally feel your pain. Part of my is dying to just hop on the elliptical for a while, even though my body is telling me "no way, man!" I just have to force myself to lay low and get better, you do the same and we''ll be back at it in no time. Thanks for the kind words, though, it really helps alleviate some frustration!

 

[Lorelei]

Hehehe! Thanks for your comps on lickin kitten Jeff! Mind how you go with the Ju Jitsu!

Welcome DancingQueen! In order to burn 300 cals on the treadmill for me, I have to average 5- 6 mph mostly at a 15% incline too, but as my treadmill is a large home usage model, the incline and calorie monitor etc might not be as steep and as accurate as a gym model. But that is how much I aim for when using it, it seems the elliptical burns more calories than the treadmill with the counter, but it is said that the treadmill is a better fat burner....

So I try for equal time on each to make sure I get the most benefit!

Kim - hang in there!

I am feeling a bit of pain in my left shoulder blade, but I think it is " new usage" pain from the new gym, Hubs and I had a quick intro to the new multigym on Saturday and I think it is delayed onset muscle soreness. So I will do some treadmill this evening but no ellip to avoid straining that muscle more.

 

[Mara]

okay so i wanted to post this recipe and i''ll post it over on the recipes thread too, but my coworker made some muffins this wkd and brought them in, they are seriously yummy!! and seemingly very healthy. i love the mix of bananas and berries. she used the banana strawberry muffin recipe on the joyofbaking site but then made her own adaptations, using applesauce instead of butter, and whole wheat flour instead of regular, a brown sugar/splenda blend, and mixed berries instead of strawberries.

Banana Berry Wheat Muffins
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp cinammon
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup brown sugar/splenda blend (some sort of product she got at the supermarket)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 slightly overripe bananas, mashed
3/4c blueberries, frozen or fresh
1/4c raspberries, frozen or fresh

I estimated the caloric total at about 1650 total....but the variable is the brown sugar/splena blend which she said has about 1/2 the calories of regular brown sugar. So I took 3/4c calories of regular brown sugar and halved it.

The recipe makes 16 muffins. Each muffin ~105 calories.

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Fold berries into the dry ingredients, taking care not to break them. Mix wet ingredients in smaller bowl, whisk slightly to combine. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, do not overmix or you will have tough muffins. Bake at 350 in muffin cups for 20 minutes.

They are seriously yummy! I just scarfed mine down. I am so going to try making them this week!!

 

[appletini]

I went to my total body training class today...it was a lot of abs and cardio, but I felt to energized when I was done so that was a great feeling. For lunch its a turkey sandwhich on wheat with lettuce and a slice of swiss...and I had my favorite deli lady...she puts the fruit in a seperate container so I get extra fruit and my sandwhich doesn''t get soggy. I bought the Girard''s basalmic vinaigerette dressing yesterday (25 cal and 0 fat), but I haven''t tried it yet, DH sampled it last night and said it was quite tasty. I also made my own sugar free jello snack cups using zip lock containers...I''ll have one of those and a kashi granola bar for my afternoon snack.

My instructor ran in the Houston marathon yeterday, but only did the half marathon...he said running a full marathon is very hard on the body and he does not recommend it. I''m not a runner but thought I''d throw that out there for anyone who is.

 

[ellaila]

Date: 1/15/2007 1:42:10 PM
Author: Mara

Banana Berry Wheat Muffins
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp cinammon
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup brown sugar/splenda blend (some sort of product she got at the supermarket)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 slightly overripe bananas, mashed
3/4c blueberries, frozen or fresh
1/4c raspberries, frozen or fresh

I estimated the caloric total at about 1650 total....but the variable is the brown sugar/splena blend which she said has about 1/2 the calories of regular brown sugar. So I took 3/4c calories of regular brown sugar and halved it.

These do sound seriously yummy! If you don't have that brown sugar/splenda, does the recipe call for just all brown sugar? Or some brown sugar/white sugar mix?

ETA: Oh, I found the original recipe on the joyofbaking.com site, and in case anyone else is interested, it calls for 3/4 cup brown sugar -- no white sugar at all.

 

[sumbride]

I just got back from my 40 minutes on the elliptical and I''m feeling energized and ready to clean the whole house! I did at least finally take the Christmas tree down....

 

[Mara]

ela...yeah it calls for brown sugar but 3/4c of brown sugar is like 700 cals!!! crazy. so i would definitely do some sort of brown sugar and faux sugar mix to bring it down big time.

 

[Maria D]

Date: 1/15/2007 10:41:00 AM
Author: dancingqueen


I do have a question... I just got a Polar heart rate monitor and I've been curious about calories burned calculations. I wore it last night on the treadmill for a 30 minute session and the treadmill said 300 calories and my watch said 200. I wore my strap the whole time and the machine displayed the same heart rate as my watch. I also entered my weight on the treadmill. Just wondering how everyone is calculating their calories burned?

Thanks for any input you all have!

dancingqueen, I've noticed the same thing! I get the exact same info on the treadmill that you do: about 100 kcals burned every 10 minutes. My HRM (different brand) gives me about 240 kcals for 30 mins on the treadmill. I tend to believe my HRM more than the treadmill display because, even though the heart rates match exactly, I notice that the treadmill starts ticking off calories at a quick clip right from the get go. With my HRM, the kcals burn faster when my heartrate is higher. With the treadmill, they seem to burn at the same rate regardless. (I do intervals so my heart rate is fluctuating.)

In my opinion, it's all just an estimate anyway. Mostly I find the HRM entertaining and motivating (it's fun to "see" the calories being burned). And even if the actual numbers are estimates, comparitively speaking it's a good way to see which cardio exercises burn the most calories for you.

edited to add: oops, I'm not using a treadmill but a treadclimber. Instead of a walking on a moving "belt" you're walking on "treadles" that move up and down. It claims to burn calories faster than a regular treadmill and it does for me but ymmv.

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Lorelei,

Today, I mixed it up and challenged my martial arts instructor to 20 minutes of boxing.

Now, that''s a great workout. The heart was really pumping and the fists were flying (wearing padded gloves).

He''s 38 and I''m 50 but we are well matched when it comes to boxing. Fun, huh?

Have a great workout everyone

 

[jadeleaves]

mara! how do i substitute the sweet leaf sugar thingy u use if I want to use splenda? I don''t think we have sweet leaf sugar substitute here or maybe it has another name down under?

I also want to make your turkey lasagna, and am heading to the market to place a special order for turkey mince since they don''t usually have it.

scarlet16, that scoop of icecream was so divine it was worth it anyway

Thanks for your encouraging words!

It is going to be 37degrees celsius today, with very bad quality air because of the bushfires in victoria, and there''s an advisory alert reccommending limited outdoor activity, so the walk we''ve got planned might get canned. I will do some yoga at home instead if that happens, and workout a bit longer tmr at the gym.

 

[dancingqueen]

Thanks everyone for the input. Mara, you mentioned that you burn more calories just walking on strict incline at fast pace than doing a hill program. Do you mind giving me an idea of the incline and pace? And, do you leave it set at that same incline/pace for all of your workout (after warm up)?

Lorelei, you mentioned you burn a lot at 5-6 mph and 15% incline... Are you walking or running at this pace? That seems like a really fast pace for walking. Just wondering... I am planning to spend equal times on the elliptical and treadmill (walking) on my days that I don''t run outside. I run regularly with a group outside and we normally go for 6 miles so I''m trying to get an equivalent workout indoors on other equipment.

Maria -- I think the watch is more accurate too since you also input your height and sex instead of just weight on the treadmill. It is interesting to compare all the exercises.

I think I tend to get in a rut, especially on the elliptical when I''m watching TV or flipping through magazines. But, I have to entertain myself with something like this or music!!

Thanks again everyone. I''m anxious to get out of work and hit the gym and "experiment" some more!!

 

[Mara]

jade leaves...the splenda is probably the same as sweet leaf, it's just a diff sugar sub...sweet leaf is really sweet so i am not sure about splenda, but to sub for like 1/2c of sugar i only need like 2 packets of sweet leaf. and it doesn't taste that fabulous if you taste the muffin dough, i think sweet leaf tastes gross raw but when it's baked in, it totally gets masked by the other ingredients. i would never use it in coffee or anything like that. but it's REALLY sweet. i get it at whole foods. i think it's basically 'stevia' which is some sort of plant derived sugar sub.

dQ...when i would do the incline walking i would do 3.7-3.9mph walking and walk on an incline of about 9-12. 9 would be my lowest and 12-13 might be my highest. i'd do it for 35-60 minutes and go up and down manually based on how i was feeling. i didn't like how the hill program would put it to 0 and then 5 and 0 then 9 and 0 then 11 or whatever. i wanted to always be on some sort of incline so i just created my own thing.

also i know lorelei's treadmill is not the same as the one at our gym (which are polar treadmills i think) because no way could i walk on a 5-6mph pace...4.2 is the max for a fast walk, people start to jog at about 4.5mph on our machines. and the incline max is 20. even doing it at 13 or so is a REALLY high incline.

just got back from lunch with greg. we went to thai and before we went i looked up online what are some suggestions for eating out at thai places. so i got the lunch special with this yummy grilled beef with a spicy sauce, onions, peppers, and placed over iceberg lettuce and brown rice on the side. it came with a soup (coconut broth based so i only had a bit) and a salad with some sort of yummy mustardy creamy dressing on (again just had a bit). but the entree itself was yummy! and grilled and brown rice and lettuce were all positives. i found two great online sites that talked about making smart choices when eating out and what were great 'low-cal' options at most types of restaurants, i'll post them in case anyone is interested.

healthy dining tips for eating in asian restaurants:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/108727/healthy_diet_tips_for_eating_in_asian.html?page=2

USDA dining out tips:
http://health.howstuffworks.com/usda-diet-strategies-for-dining-out-ga2.htm

 

[Dee*Jay]

I don''t know how many calories you burn moving furniture but it must be A LOT! I moved the whole bedroom around, remembered back to when we first moved in and why it didn''t work that way, took a nap, and moved it all back. The happy hubby came up while I was napping and was totally snipered. He was then equally snipered when he came back an hour later and it was all back where it started.

Bet he''ll be really surprised when he comes home from the gym and sees what I''ve done to the living room.

Bet he won''t be totally suprised when I move it all back.

There is a reason why all my furniture is where it is and I just need to remember that. Plus, moving sofas and beds and overstuffed chairs is not a long term viable work out plan!

Anyway, if I give in to my urge for a pudding (the HH won''t be back from the gym for an hour at least) I will be at the top of my calorie range for the day. I''m going to try to resist, but I bet I give in... Oh well, that''s what I spent an hour on the eliptical today for, right?

BTW, I''m loving the recipe thread. There are a bunch of things in there I want the HH to make for me!

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Thanks Mara for the healthy Asian restaurant eating tips. I enjoy Thai but never really know exactly
what ingredients are used. I also go to a Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown where I order a large bowl
of noodle soup with a hunk of turnip thrown in.

 

[royalasscherlover]

i made it to the gym today after work, but it was packed and i could only manage to get on the bike, not the elliptical. so i stuck it out for 45 minutes (the limit when it''s crowded) and burned about 250 calories. not great, but better than nothing.

i tried to make berry bran muffins by substituting some of the flour for bran in the blueberry muffin recipe i put in the recipe thread, but it was a bit of a disaster. they kind of spread out on top of the muffin pan and i had a terrible time getting them out. so now i just have a bunch of muffin chunks and crumbs, lol. i''ll let you know if i ever figure it out.