Weekly Workout Thread 18th Dec till 24th Dec

[Dee*Jay]

I wanted to work out today since I had such a great one yesterday but the HH convinced me not to hurt myself so I cleaned my home office instead (which sorely needs it''s end-of-year de-clutter, LOL). BUT THEN we went to this place for dinner that the HH has been dying to go to, so I was somewhat good and somewhat bad. Oh well, I was very good earlier in the day so maybe the calorie gods will be kind to me.

We have a cocktail party to go to tomorrow night (but the HH is cooking dinner first so hopefully I''ll avoid the food altogether) and dinner with friends on Wednesday, but I can control that too since I''ll be ordering off of a menu. And Thursday back to the gym. Believe it or not I''m actually (almost) looking forward to it!

Oh, and BTW, I just went into the bathroom and measured my waist. I hope Dr. Oz''s formula contains some sort of forgiveness multiplier for "ate more pasta than I thought I did"!

 

[Rod]

Hi Everyone,

Things have improved a little bit with Sakai. Today she actually ate a cat treat on her own. It''s a small step, but we put a treat out and she smelled it, then licked it, then ate it. This she''s done twice! She won''t drink on her own which is still a concern. But she seems to be more responsive tonight and acting more alert. As I type this, she''s wandering around and being vocal, which is a really good thing. Our vet still wants to see her drink on her own, but at least we feel some progress has been made since yesterday. She also had this wrap around her which was supposed to help keep her warm. We found it in another room tonight, meaning she actually figured out how to get it off. Another positive step! We''re really hopeful that she will pull through. It''s all I want for Christmas. Do you here me Santa??

We don''t work out on Monday''s, so after feeding our baby, we went to this really neat urban outdoor mall called Cameron Village. They have terrific shops and restaurants and it has such a nice holiday feeling and city feel. We needed an evening away and do some holiday shopping. There''s a men''s Talbots there and they have the most amazing sweaters (we need them coming from Florida), so I bought Charlie like 5 new sweaters, some shirts and assorted goodies, so he''d have some nice things to open on Christmas morning.
Thanks again for all the prayers and good wishes...........Rod, Charlie and of course Sakai

ps: I agree with everyone who commented on how wonderfully inspirational Lorelei''s Monday AM fitness thread openings. If it weren''t for Lorelei, we''d never keep this going. So, THANK YOU LORELEI. Big hugs from Raleigh, NC!

 

[Mara]

rod i'm glad to hear sakai is doing better!!! yay for cat treats. stay with it, even small steps from day to day are hugely positive.

so tonite i went to the gym and did my 52 minutes on the treadmill for 500 calories. i was going to make us a chicken basil dijon thing for dinner with these leftover carrots from our party last nite...okay i am SO not a carrot fan but my friend made these and they were AWESOME. they are basically those bagged carrots, the elongated small rounded ones and then i guess she steamed them most of the way and then mixed them with lemon juice, lemon zest, a bit of olive oil and some butter (she said not much) and they were SOOOOO yummy. we pilfered all the leftovers and i asked her for the recipe. also she made some brussel sprouts but bah i never learned to like those after my childhood hate of them. though i did eat 2. hehee. anyway greg has a cold so he stayed home today and he wasn't really in the mood for chicken and carrots so i just made us canned chicken noodle soup instead, the old standby. and we had fresh sourdough so i sliced a few thin pieces and broiled them with a bit of butter to get them crispy and tasty. so that was our dinner. nothing special. i'm a bit under my cals today because our dinner was about 1/2 the calories i had allocated for myself tonite but i don't feel hungry so i didn't eat anything extra.

also...my latest discovery is flax seed. i got it for these muffins i wanted to make and realized you could add it to soups, cereals, yogurts etc. it's 60 cals for 2 tblspoons and it's 4g of fiber for 2 tblspoons. so it's a great addition to things that don't have much fiber to begin with or if you need an extra dose. so i added a bit to the soup and it was really yummy...it adds a slightly nutty flavor to the dish. plus i typically don't feel 'full' after eating the campbells chicken noodle but this time i did. then for dessert i had a 60 cal chocolate jello pudding cup with a bit of light whipped cream on it.

then greg went off to bed and i have been DYING to make these bran muffins at home...the TJ ones were good but they were gluten free and vegan so they molded pretty quickly with no flour. so i had a few recipes from cooking light that i wanted to kind of mix and match..so i made a batch. they are in the oven now cooking. in case anyone wants to try them..they smell divine and they are healthy, low-cal, low-fat and make a great breakfast or snack for lunch or afternoon.

here's the recipe i decided to use with a few small modifications:

Oat Bran Muffins (with apples, cranberries and raisins!)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 3/4 cups oat bran
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup nonfat dry milk (i nixed this completely as i didn't have it!)
1/4 cup flaxseed (i made this 3/4 cup flaxseed! more fiber!)
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon (i think i put in more like 6..mmm cinammon makes everything better right rod?!)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded carrot (i didn't have a carrot so instead i put in about 1/3 cup of cranberries)
2 cups chopped Granny Smith apple
1 cup raisins (i only used about 1/2 cup because i put in the cranberries which can be high calorie)
1 cup fat-free milk ( i used 1%)
1/4 cup canola oil (i only put in about 2 tablespoons of enova)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large egg whites
1 thin-skinned orange, unpeeled and quartered (i nixed this because i didn't have an orange plus with the cranberries the fruit thing was outta control!)
Cooking spray or cupcake paper cups
(NOTE...i also added 2/3 cup of boiling hot water to the dry mixture and let it sit for about 5 minutes, i read on another bran muffin recipe that doing this makes for a more tender moist muffin as it lets the brans and flaxseed 'absorb' a bit of the water before baking..i felt okay adding this additional liquid because i added extra flax seed which i figure could use the extra moisture to help absorbtion!!)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours and the next 8 ingredients (all-purpose flour through salt) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in carrot(cranberries!), apple, and raisins.

Combine milk, oil, vanilla, egg whites, and orange in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. (I didn't do the food processor, I just whisked for a few minutes since I didn't have the orange in there). Make a well in center of flour mixture; add milk mixture; stir just until moist.

Spoon 3 tablespoons batter into each of 28 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake in batches at 375° for 20 minutes or until muffins are browned and spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove the muffins from pans immediately, and place on a wire rack.


Yield: 28 muffins (serving size: 1 muffin)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 114(22% from fat); FAT 2.8g (sat 0.3g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 3.5g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 61mg; SODIUM 188mg; FIBER 3g; IRON 1.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 22.6g. Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2002


I figure with my modifications the calories might be closer to 160 esp since I tend to make my muffins a bit bigger than the recipe (i will end up with more like 20 muffins intead of 2 so that also accounts for most of the extra calories. But either way, 114 or 160, it's still a great snack with lots of fiber (more than the recipe if you add the additional flaxseed like i did) and fresh fruit and dried fruit and all sorts of yummy cinammon vanilla goodness. So hopefully they are yummy.

Anyhow...that's it for me. hope everyone had a great night!

okay ETA...i just sampled 1/2 a muffin and i have to say these are AWESOME!! i think the fresh apples make a difference as they are kinda crunchy and the cranberries add that tart sweetness that helps balance out the bran. they are definitely 'bran' muffins but i love that taste too. so a mega yum!!! woo hoo. i will be eating these things for the next week straight. hahaa.

 

[Lorelei]

Rod - that is fantastic news with Sakai!!!! Also that she is wandering around yowling is a great sign too!!!! Keep up the great work with her, I know Santa hears you, it really sounds like she has turned the corner - HOORAY SAKAI!!!!!

Thanks too Rod, hugging you right back!!!

Dixie, buying a nail polish is a brilliant idea to encourage you. Also remember that when you work out, you seem to have more energy, so on days when all you want to do is lie on the couch, find a way to get off it and onto an exercise machine and know you will feel so much better for it. I find I feel so much better for the exercise and I don't get so tired and can do more as a result of my day to day things.

Great recipe Mara

 

[Ellen]

Date: 12/18/2006 9:32:38 PM
Author: Rod

Hi Everyone,

Things have improved a little bit with Sakai. Today she actually ate a cat treat on her own. It''s a small step, but we put a treat out and she smelled it, then licked it, then ate it. This she''s done twice! She won''t drink on her own which is still a concern. But she seems to be more responsive tonight and acting more alert. As I type this, she''s wandering around and being vocal, which is a really good thing. Our vet still wants to see her drink on her own, but at least we feel some progress has been made since yesterday. She also had this wrap around her which was supposed to help keep her warm. We found it in another room tonight, meaning she actually figured out how to get it off. Another positive step! We''re really hopeful that she will pull through. It''s all I want for Christmas. Do you here me Santa??

Good news!! *keeping my fingers crossed*


I read your other post too Rod, just didn''t want to bump the old thread up.

 

[CrownJewel]

Date: 12/18/2006 9:32:38 PM
Author: Rod

We''re really hopeful that she will pull through. It''s all I want for Christmas. Do you here me Santa??

I bought Charlie like 5 new sweaters, some shirts and assorted goodies, so he''d have some nice things to open on Christmas morning.

Awwww Rod. I think you''ll have a BEAUTIFUL Christmas! I really hope Sakai continues her progress and that you and Charlie enjoy giving each other presents. I love hearing how excited people get just to GIVE presents. Made me feel all warm and happy.

Mara, I think I overdosed on flax seeds once. I stirred about a tablespoon and a half into a cup of yogurt for breakfast one day, and it tasted really yummy...but then I had some (ahem) digestive problems throughout the day and then the WORST stomachache at night. It was so painful. I don''t know if my body just doesn''t like straight up flax seeds or if I ate too much. Just use in moderation!

 

[KimberlyH]

Happy Tuesday All:

Rod, that''s great news about Sakai. Fingers and toes are crossed for you all still.

Had a good workout this morning. Burned 550 cals in 1 hour on the elliptical.

Today is a Christmas shopping day. I''m making meatloaf for dinner from a CL recipe.

Hope everyone is having a healthy day!

 

[Mara]

CJ most likely it was that you didn't drink enough water after eating the flax seeds. As with any type of intense fiber injection into your body, you have to drink enough liquids to help your body process and digest all that fiber correctly. Otherwise yeah it can be pretty painful and not fun. One other reason I love having more fiber in various ways is because it forces me to remember to drink more water...all I drink is water but sometimes I get forgetful and I could be more diligent about drinking continuously through the day and this reminds me!!

Breakfast for me was 2 nutrigrain eggo waffles with a bit of melted butter and sugar free low-cal syrup...SO yummy and under 225 cals and 5g of fiber (with 1 tblspoon of flaxseed on them!) with coffee. Just had a snack which was my muffins from last nite (SUPER yummy...and I brought some for coworkers, hahaha)...lunch is going to be Healthy Request Campbells Vegetable Beef which is 220 cals. Then I brought 2 of my oatmeal cranberry cookies from the weekend for a snack, and have some fiber honey clusters in my bag as well for snacks today.

I'm hitting up the gym later for my 500 calorie burn. Then we'll have chicken and carrots for dinner with some sliced sourdough. Hope everyone is having a great day!

 

[Tybee]

It''s been a great start to the week for me.

I''m pretty interested in trying out some flax seed to up my fiber, I''ll have to be careful, though... I''m VERY regular, if you know what I mean...

I also picked up some stuff called "true lemon" it''s a crystallized lemon substitute. I''m adding it to my water to help me drink it during the school day. 0 calories, 0 fat, 0 sodium 0 sugars, but 25% of daily vitamin C. Hopefully it will help my fat burning!!!

I hit the gym Sunday and Monday, today, Tuesday, is a faculty meeting day for me. The good and bad news is that the meeting is going to be at a local pub. Uh oh!
I''ll be careful not to over do it.

Resume the excellent elliptical training thing I got going on tomorrow.

 

[akw94]

Mara, I like those fitness type magazines too. I don''t think I''ve seen Shape and Self but I''ve read Fitness and some other one. I may subscribe to one b/c I always need something to read at the gym. Although it won''t have good fitness tips, my bf got me a subscription to Cosmo as a Chanukah present. I love Cosmo!
Woops, just realized I typed bf... Now I can say fiance! Wow! It feels good using that!
I agree about usually having a lot of energy once I start working out. It is definitely the act of starting that I have the most trouble with. Although last night, I stopped my tape at 30min. b/c I just was feeling very tired and worn out.
Btw, those muffins do sound great! But finding energy to workout and bake muffins... that will be tough!

That''s a good tip on Vitamin C; I should be taking it anyway due to winter.

CJ, that''s great about shaving off some time on your running! Any time I can see improvements in my workouts, it helps me tremendously! I love meeting new goals. Of course, it''s been awhile since that has happened but I''m not giving up.

Anchor, I''d love to take a yoga class. I really enjoy it but haven''t found something compatible w/my schedule. I am going to buy a tape or two and see how that goes. I think it would also be good for my stiff joints/muscles.

Rod, sounds like you had fun shopping and that Sakai is doing a bit better. Glad to hear it!

Lorelei, you are right! What works best for me is never sitting down in the first place before my workout. Once I start to relax, it''s very hard for me to get back up and workout. Yesterday worked out great b/c I told myself I could take 15 min. on PS

and to check email and then had to go workout. It worked and I did my tape! Now, got to keep that up tonight. No time for the gym but I can get in a workout for sure. I am looking fwd to completing Day 2 of my goal this week. One workout closer to a new nail polish.

Just wanted to say that it really sounds like everyone is on track. Great job guys!

 

[Mara]

dixie i go straight to the gym after work. i think if i went home i'd never make it out again, esp since it's been pretty darn cold for northern california here lately, in the 20s at night!! so even just getting in the car in the evening is a shock to us sun lovers...hehee. but i pack my stuff in the morning (takes 5 minutes) and then i just go straight afterwards. my gym is 10 minutes from work. and my gym is right next to a nob hill grocery store so i can stop and get emergency items if necessary for dinner. it's all very 'convenient' which is great and makes it easy.

i am definitely getting addicted to the reading of the mags at the gym, lol! basically a 1 hour workout lets me read one magazine from front to back so since i work out 5x a week that's 5 mags a week...yikes. i might go through the gym's stash pretty quickly. lol! i might on ebay and start stocking up on some cheapo subscriptions to keep it going !!! and i really like shape and the exercises that are in there and the recipes they posted. self is pretty good too. but even trash like us weekly or in touch or i read a people yesterday passes the time just fine.

oh and the muffins were super easy to make last nite!!! i mixed them up in 10 minutes and then it was just 2 batches to bake at 18 minutes each. cleanup was quick too. so i definitely was pleased at how quickly it all went and how they turned out. they are definitely super tasty with a coffee or hot chocolate or tea or something as well to help wash them down a bit!!

congrats everyone on having a great week. tomorrow night we are in SF for a thang so we are going to get dinner after, i'm sure it won't be THAT healthy but it should be yummy. then friday we are up there aagain for the ballet, and we go to this one awesome restaurant every year afterwards, REALLY rich food but amazing tastes. so those are my two splurges and why i also decided to add a 5th 500 cal workout into my schedule this week. also i can't forget about sunday night...it's our christmas eve family thing...mega calories there. hehee.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Argh! DJ is BAD!!! I have been (literally) surrounded by food in my office these past several weeks. Since I started posting in this thread last Monday I have been VERY good. My only exceptions have been when I went out to dinner with the hubby and I would indulge in a little something. But today I just snapped. I had sushi for lunch (I don't know how bad that actually is but I'm guessing it isn't GOOD) and now I just had a package of Paul Newman peanut butter cups. 180 calories, 12g fat, virtually no fiber -- right down the old rat hole. Argh!!!

Aside from the sushi and pb cups I had fiber one w/ skim milk for breakfast and a banana for a snack, so I guess it's not a total train wreck, but still...

My next opportunity to work out will be Thursday, and I will do another hour on the eliptical machine. Fortunately my knee has not hurt at all since Sunday so I'm really thankful for that. I had quite a bit of discomfort after my first workout on Sunday, and I thought, oh no--here I've crippled myself and all I wanted to do was get thin, LOL.

Rod, I'm so glad to hear about Sakai's improvement! And it's nice to hear that you like the things at men's Talbots. I love the ladies' stord and have often thought about getting things from the catalog for my husband (we don't have a physical store around here) but didn't know what "real people" thought of the merchandise.

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Hi everyone

I had a great session at the gym today.

I''ll be starting my jujitsu lessons again next week with my personal instructor.

My son (a boxer for 6 years) just got certified as a trainer by "u.s.a. boxing." He''s just 22.

I''m very proud of him.

KEEP ON TRACKin everyone.

P.S. Just turned "50" today for all you youngsters out there in workout land.

 

[Mara]

Happy Birthday Jeff!!! I''m sure your son is so proud to have such a fit father.

 

[lovelylulu]

man oh man, my head is thumping. i''ve had a pretty intense headache all day, so i''ve been waffling on whether to get down to the gym...indulgence on the horizon vs. pounding temples

but, i was very good with food the last two days. lots of protein, lots of veggies, nothing processed. i think my body was requesting it after yet another weekend of multiple holiday social engagements...

burned over 600 calories last night

maybe i''ll suck it up...

hurray for Sakai

happy birthday jeff

 

[clammer]

I just wanted to say good job to everyone for sticking with it through the holidays. I still follow this thread, but found that I need to get into my own groove before I post because I feel guilty if I''m not doing as great as all of you. However, I did want to add to Mara that flaxseed is wonderful, unfortunately I can''t get it here, but just a fyi as soon as it is ground it starts losing some of the nutrients. If you can you should grind it right before you use it, if you can''t store it in the freezer, it slows the deterioration rate.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Oh Rebot -- don''t go away! I haven''t worked out since Sunday (which was my FIRST TIME) and I won''t get the chance again until Thursday at the earliest, not to mention I had THREE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS in the middle of the afternoon today, but I''m saying (as embarrased as I am). Please don''t go! If I (lazy candy eatin'' slug that I am) an staying YOU can at least stay here with me! PLEASE!

 

[Rod]

Happy Birthday Jeff!!!! 50 huh??!! I''m still the old guy on this forum and on January 6, 2007, I turn 52. But, I look like I''m in my early 40''s thanks to all the time I spend at the gym these days! Also, congratulations to your son. Like Mara said, I''m sure he''s extreely proud of his healthy father!

Sakai continues to make small improvements. She''s walking a bit more stable. And she''s using her litter box. And just moments ago, she tried to eat some food all by herself, without us having to put it under her nose. She clings to us and purrs non-stop. Plus, she''s started grooming herself again, which is a really good sign. We still haven''t seen her drink water on her own. But, if she''s making effort to eat, we assume she would drink if she was thirsty. We''re keeping her very hydrated through her feeding tube, so we''re thinking she''s just not thirsty enought to drink on her own. We have to take her back to the vet on Friday for more blood work and we''ll know more about her vitals then. But today, we''re a bit more than cautiously optimistic.

Charlie worked from home this afternoon, so he took the afternoon feeding and then we met at the gym. We had a great workout. I won''t bore you with the details. It is funn how one can move to a new town, and join a new gym and become quite comfortable with the new facility. We''re beginning to recognize the same people who work out consistently and the people at the desk now recognize us when we check in. I find I spend less time each day thinkig about Tampa and the things we left behind. Of course it really helps that I really like my new job. The company and people I work with are so terrific.

We''re taking tomorrow night off from the gym and going out for sushi. But we''re planning to work out Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

I''ll gve everyone an update on Sakai tomorrow evening. I know your prayers are really helping!

 

[akw94]

Something weird happened to me tonight. Shortly after I ate (a low-fat Mexican Lasagna), I started feeling dizzy. So much so that I had to lie down. Now, about an hr later, still feeling uneasy but not as bad.
Could it be food related? Should I worry? I know my stomach has been not feeling great lately and it doesn''t feel all that fantastic right now. Maybe that''s somehow related?
Anyone experience this?
And really, I was going to workout tonight.

 

[Aurelia]

Was the lasagna properly refrigerated & prepared (cooked thoroughly)? Was it past its expiration date? Have you eaten enough today? Are you possibly sick?

Dizziness... ugh : ( Hope you feel better!

& Sending Prayers to SAKAI!!! Rod -- what does her name mean? It''s very pretty!

Aurelia

 

[Rod]

Date: 12/19/2006 10:12:57 PM
Author: Aurelia
Was the lasagna properly refrigerated & prepared (cooked thoroughly)? Was it past its expiration date? Have you eaten enough today? Are you possibly sick?

Dizziness... ugh : ( Hope you feel better!

& Sending Prayers to SAKAI!!! Rod -- what does her name mean? It''s very pretty!

Aurelia

Aurelia, I''d like to tell you her name means something like "Orange Blossom" in some foreign land, but I''m afraid our cats are both named after an Eye Glass Designer, by the name of Koh Sakai. Since our two cats are both of Asian descent (Koh is a Bombay and Sakai a Burmese) we thought the name accomodated the feeling we were seeking for both kitties. The cats we had before our current cats, were Kit and Caboodle, who were brother and sister Siamese.

Dixie.....I''m so sorry to hear about your dizziness. If the dizziness continues, you should see your doctor pronto. I hope you feel better soon.

 

[Aurelia]

Rod,

you make me smile : )

and it seems fitting that they''re named after something fashion-oriented... hope she''s feeling better!!!

how''s the new job going??

Aurelia

 

[Rod]

Date: 12/19/2006 10:46:28 PM
Author: Aurelia
Rod,

you make me smile : )

and it seems fitting that they're named after something fashion-oriented... hope she's feeling better!!!

how's the new job going??

Aurelia

I actually love the new job. The company and the people are all wonderful. I may have had to take a pay cut and give up the home in Florida I loved, but in return, I have a wonderful opportunity to make a significant difference with my new company. It's been a long time since I got up early because I was excited to go to work.

Thanks for asking and I'm glad I put a smile on your face!!

 

[Mara]

worked out tonite, 500 cals on the elliptical.

dinner was dijon chicken which was really yummy, i saw a similar recipe in Shape and this was super easy. just put a bit of flour on the chicken, salt and pepper and then seared it in a bit of hot garlic evoo, then put some white wine and dijon in the hot pan and reduced it down a bit then cooked the rest of the chicken. it turned out YUM. then we had the leftover carrots from the other night, they were super yummy. i found some recipes that look like what my friend told me about how she made them...so i''m jazzed to try to make them next week. we also had a leftover crab cake from the party too...hehee. and a bit of sliced sourdough toasted. dessert will be a jello pudding 60 cal up with some light whipped cream.

tomorrow night we are going to this show in SF and having dinner afterwards at this place that has an awesome menu, can''t wait...they have things like portabello mushroom fries, ahi tuna tartare, tomato bisque with truffled grilled cheese sticks, etc on the menu. mmmmm!!!

dixie, sorry to hear you are feeling under the weather. hopefully you don''t get offended at this but i had a random thought when i read your post, are you sure that your symptoms aren''t psychosomatic? aka you maybe don''t want to work out so your stomach hurting kind of gets you out of it? just sometimes i know our minds can be pretty powerful...hehee. if that is not the case, then i hope you get better and you can get back into the gym very soon!!! it may just have been a bad bit of lasagna or cheese or similar yanno.

rod i''m so glad that sakai is doing better!!! she sounds like a trooper.

rebot hope you don''t leave the thread!! participate at whatever level you feel like and keep reading! i know sometimes i don''t have the time to post but i always love reading.

DJ don''t be so hard on yourself girl. you have been really good this week...you cannot expect to be perfect about eating right and being healthy...sometimes we all fall off the wagon. don''t guilt yourself, just chalk it up to a yummy treat and move on. if you overthink it, it can backfire on you later when you feel like you deprive yourself so much you just give up. it''s better to have the 3 peanut butter cups or whatever and get that out of your mind and stop craving it than obsessing on it for a long time and then eat them every day for a week or something! hehe.

lulu...glad you checked in, hope your headache is gone by now!

hope everyone else had a great day!! just a few more days before the nice long holiday!!

 

[galeteia]

Did 25 min on the the Elliptical today and burned 250 cals while watching a movie. It felt good to get moving again after 3 days off, and have gotten positive feedback from my mother and her good friend, so it''s working. My legs felt good and ready to work, but I still kept things easy.

I actually had to eat chocolate to make my minimum cal consumption today, which was a little strange... even with the 2 Lindt hazelnut chocolates, I''m still only 18 cals over my minimum target.

I didn''t do anything yesterday because I had the day off and had plans to see my mother, but it was That Time and I unrepentantly waved goodbye to my workout, and didn''t bat an eyelash when I mowed down chocolate. I make no apologies for the things I do to survive those first 24 hours of misery. Not only am I hit with nasty physical ailments, my PMS comes in the form of instant depression so I''m pleased that I refrained from wallowing too far.

That being said, I didn''t go over my max calorie limit even with the chocolates, and had generally healthy food all day.

The calorie counter is great, because it lets you indulge a little without feeling like "Oh my god, I blew my diet... it''s ruined. I might as well eat the rest since I''m screwed anyway".

 

[Lorelei]

Yay SAKAI!!!!

Thoughts and prayers still continue, but I am so delighted Rod, it sounds like your baby will be ready to eat a huge Christmas dinner!!!!!! That she is having a wash too is a fantastic sign that she is feeling so much better!!! I would think too she is probably not needing to drink any extra water as she is getting enough with her tube, you and Charlie are doing such a great job caring for her! I don't blame you for being more than cautiously optimistic, I would be too - the signs are all there that she will be fine!!!

Also I am so glad you are feeling more at home there and enjoying the new job!

Dixie, I hope you feel better soon. Almost got that nail polish, in fact you inspired me to treat myself to a new one, hehehe...

Great job Mara - I am trying to use the elliptical more as well as the treadmill, but I much prefer the treadmill, however I have been able to really push on the ellip a la Rod recently and can feel the area where back bacon can grow

getting a really good workout!

Rebot - please don't leave - even if you aren't working out or eating as well as you could be, you can still participate! This thread is here to help with the rough and unmotivated times too, so read and post when you want even if you don't feel you are doing well and know that we have been there ourselves and understand!

DJ - keep going and forget about the PBC's!!!!

Happy birthday Jeff ! What did you do for your special birthday???

Lulu - I hope you feel better soon too - headaches are such a nuisance.

Great job Gala - isn't it great when people notice????

Tybee - good luck with the flax seed!

Kimberley - great going as usual

CJ - no flax seeds for you by the sound of it!!!

Interesting tid bit for you flax seed lovers! Flax seed or linseed is an old fashioned additive to horse's feeds, as it is rich in oil and protein it has traditionally been fed for many years here to put condition on a thin horse, coat conditioner etc. However as it is a PITA to prepare, not many do so these days. To make, you add a teacupful of linseed to a large pan of water and soak it overnight, then you bring the whole thing to a boil, boil it hard for 20 mins then simmer for a couple of hours, cool then feed it mixed with the other feed ingredients. The trouble is, it forms a sticky jelly goo when ready, it boils over at the drop of a hat and sticks everywhere! Horses love it though!

But I digress...did a very hard and fast 20 mins on the ellip last night, I was getting stressed out so that was a good way of ' burning' off the stress!

Keep up the great work everyone - really good job!

Rebot...please don't go....

 

[coda72]

I don''t post much to this thread anymore because my workouts have been kind of boring and repetitive, but I am continuing to work out 4 days a week. I''ve only been running 3 miles each time because the treadmill bores me to death. I really need to add some miles though because I feel like I''m not getting enough of a workout. After the New Year I will probably start running about 5 miles. In the spring I will start training for a marathon that I will run in the early fall.

Sounds like everyone else is doing well, keep up the good work. And for those of you who don''t feel like working out or have been not working out as much as you think you should, I know how you feel. Most of the time I don''t feel like working out, but I just force myself to do it. I used to make excuses, but now I just do it. I don''t let much of anything stop me anymore. I have to be in some pretty severe pain not to exercise. It''s almost all mental. Once you''re actually doing it, you realize that you don''t feel any worse than if you were lying on the couch. Last night in my run, the whole last mile I had a pretty bad cramp in my stomach. But I forced myself through, and it didn''t do any permanent damage to me. Sometimes you have to push through the pain. I don''t think you should push through severe pain, but experiencing some pain isn''t a bad thing. Ok, now that I''ve gone on too long, I''ll stop now.

I hope everyone has great holidays!

 

[Lorelei]

Good to see you Coda!

I think that is the thing, much of not wanting to workout is mental, once you can get into a mindset that if you are in reasonable health that day, that missing a workout is NOT an option, you are far more likely to just make the workout just part of your day. I would hate to have to suffer the consequences of not working out now

, so that gets my rear end in gear PDQ!

 

[akw94]

Mara, I don''t honestly think it was just me creating the dizziness. I don''t deny that''s a possibility, but it truly felt very real and I even had my workout shorts on! Sure, I wasn''t jumping up and down excited to work out, but I was going to.

Aurelia, I think the lasagna was fine. The last time I made it, I made another pan full and froze it before cooking it (which I was told was the way to do it). Well, the meat had already been cooked separately. Then last night, I cooked it. I did think it tasted a little off but wasn''t sure if I was just imagining it. My stomach has been very off lately so I figured maybe it was just that. But the dizziness was bad so I don''t know.
I didn''t eat much during the day, oatmeal for breakfast, 1/2 a turkey sandwich and yogurt for lunch and then the lasagna for dinner.
I do think I''m going to make a dr. appt. though b/c too many things haven''t felt right lately. I need a full check-up even though I''m not 100% sure they will say there''s anything concrete wrong.

I''m back to my plan though and going to the gym tonight for my 2nd day!

Rebot, I agree about leaving. You shouldn''t! I am one of the ones still struggling w/motivation and staying consistent but being on here does help. Sure, there are days I don''t post b/c I''m feeling bad or guilty or whatever but when I do post, even if I''m not doing so good, it helps me get back on track. So I think you should stay!

Happy Birthday Jeff!! Hope you had a great day!

Coda, I appreciate the pep talk! For me, it''s all about just doing it rather than thinking it. I know that period in life will coming and I''m waiting rather impatiently for that day.

 

[KimberlyH]

Morning All!

Dixie: I really hope I don''t offend you, but could you be pregnant? I ask because you said your stomach has been "off" for some time.

Rod: Great news about Sakai and so thrilled to hear how well you are settling in! I hope Charlie is feeling the same way.

DJ: Don''t beat yourself up, I ate two cookies I had made for my MIL''s care facility yesterday while wrapping presents. I need to get the stupid things out of the house.

Rebot: Stick around and be inspired, but don''t be mad at yourself, just remember every day is a new day to do good things for your body!

Mara: Have fun tonight and enjoy a great meal.

I am going to spend an hour on the elliptical today and then bake and cook! I need to get going on gift baskets (tamales and cookies) for a few people.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!