Weekly Workout Thread 19th March till 25th March

[TravelingGal]

Mara, sometimes you''re a blessing, and a curse.

 

[Lorelei]

I have done plenty of scale gymnastics in my time, stood on the outer edge balanced precariously, teetering backwards and forwards, sucking in my stomach and holding my torso upwards as hard as I could, hopping off with a flying leap almost immediately as soon as my weight registered in case it went up, I could go on and on......

Anyway, Rod, I KNOW you have made the right decision to go home, and I am so glad you will be out of that situation with that childish, emotional blackmailing and sly person. I am scratching my head trying to understand how he got to be in the work position he is, he obviously isn''t equipped to handle being in charge of people. Never mind my friend, you have lots to look forward to now!

Had a great workout last night, just did the elliptical for 50 mins and about 690 cals. I also did 20 mins handsfree and I think I am noticing a difference around my hips from it.

 

[Mara]

Date: 3/22/2007 2:30:43 AM
Author: TravelingGal
Mara, sometimes you''re a blessing, and a curse.

Hmm that''s so funny, sometimes Greg says the same thing!

LOL just kidding, he doesn''t (though he MAY think it!!!)...but I hear ya. I''m a blessing and a curse to my own indulgence as well. But honestly, I''d really rather pretty much know!! It doesn''t mean I won''t eat it. I mean come on, I am a huge bread pudding whore! And I managed to eat desserts out at restaurants 2x a week (and a full meal before it) and still lose my 20 lbs over the 6-8 months or whatever, so I know FIRSTHAND that you don''t have to cut out all the fun stuff (even scary 900cal bread pudding) to meet your goals. But I figure well gosh I am using this spreadsheet shouldn''t it be at least close to accurate? Or at least shouldn''t I know kind of what range things are in?

The other thing I wanted and this helps me do is possibly make smarter dessert choices while out splurging. For example I love chocolate mousse, zabaglione, lemon tarts. It''s good to see they are kind of more on the lower end of the calorie range...whereas I might think twice next time I just say ''oh apple crumb pie ala made'' (which I do like, but not 900 cal like!!). And who knew that something like a chocolate layer cake would maybe be less than an apple or fruit pie??

 

[Mara]

lorelei, re the hands free, the last 2 months have shown a lot of hip change for me as well and now after you said that i am wondering if maybe it has to do with doing the hands free almost exclusively. hmmm! i've lost i think another 2 inches in the last 2 months on the hips whereas the waist and other areas have changed only minimally. hips were the last to fall into line!!

where IS everyone this morning?!?!!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Mara- THANKS for that dessert list. Some of those figures were SCARY! Glad to see that Tiramisu isn't THAT bad, as it's my dessert of choice.

So my workout last night just plain sucked. I only did about 1/2 hr and barely burned 200 cals. I forgot my ipod and just wasn't into it. I think I also need some kind of "cardio plan". Just doing the manual thing on the treadmill is kinda boring. I did see a couple of cardio machine routines in an issue of SHAPE that I picked up at the airport last week. I made sure to tear them out and just need to refer to them. I think they take each machine and give you a workout plan that burns 500 cals. I just need direction, and something to follow.

Speaking of SHAPE magazine, I hadn't looked thru an issue in years before I purchased one last week. What's with it going "green"?? Don't get me wrong- I'm all for the environment- I recycle, drive a gas-efficient vehicle, etc... But I was kinda turned off by most of the "green talk" in it. Maybe it was just this particular issue- who knows. All I wanted were some health and workout tips! OK, I'm done with my mini-rant.

Breakfast this morning was the usual oatmeal. I'm such a creature of habit- I have a huge bag of the Quaker Oats in a desk drawer here at work which makes it so easy to keep on track with a good breakfast.

I'm going to make an extra effort to be good today as I won't be able to workout- I have class Thursday eves.

Here's to a great Thursday!

 

[KimberlyH]

Good Morning Everyone! Happy Thursday to all of you. Wow, as always, a lot going on!

Congrats to everyone who lost weight this week, how fantastic! And congrats to those of you who haven''t but continue to stick with it, you are all so awesome!

Charger, welcome! And thanks for the compliment! I like that, "dynamo!"

Rod, congratulations on making the move that works for you! So thrilled for you and Charlie.

So I''m back from my sister''s house, had a fabulous time, didn''t overeat too much, my biggest offense was an extra large bowl of slow churned ice cream on Tuesday night. I ate some things I wouldn''t typically (Italian sausage in my spaghetti) but overall did just fine. We did a lot of walking, went to a small zoo, walked to the library, walked to the park, so while I didn''t get in my normal exercise we did move, which is fantastic!

I have a cold and fever though (sickness and traveling going hand in hand) and I feel awful this morning. I''m going to give my body a rest today and do some much needed school work. Hopefully I''ll get over this cold quickly and can get back to my routine.

 

[lovelylulu]

please define handsfree.

thanks

 

[Lorelei]

Lulu - Mara and I mean you don't use the arms on the elliptical for hands free, you either use the little hand rests or just let your arms stay by your sides. This method helps tone the core and I have really noticed a difference in my hips since I have done some hands free on the elliptical.

Mara I am amazed that recently I have noticed results from this method and I will keep at it! I can really feel it in the sides of my hips after a session too, it feels that the areas I want are actually getting targeted.

 

[Mara]

Date: 3/22/2007 12:41:11 PM
Author: Lorelei
Lulu - Mara and I mean you don''t use the arms on the elliptical for hands free, you either use the little hand rests or just let your arms stay by your sides. This method helps tone the core and I have really noticed a difference in my hips since I have done some hands free on the elliptical.

Yep and sometimes I actually hold my arms at a bent angle and kind of pump them as I work my legs too. It gives them a litle movement but without having to use the extension on the arms things. Typically in my hour workout I alternate between holding them to my sides (and not letting them bounce too much), holding the 2 little bar things on the front and pumping them.

I do arm weights and exercises 3x a week til my arms are fatigued so I do get arm workouts but I found that the arms on the machines were just not seeming that effective to assist my workout and sometimes I''d go even slower and feel more tired using them. And my arms are more toned than ever so I doubt using the arm things was really ''working'' them out.

 

[TravelingGal]

Ha, you''re right of course Mara. Always better to be armed with the information so you can consciously eat all those calories.

I''ve never used the elliptical holding onto the rails...always do handsfree and it does help with core and balance. I don''t know about hips, but they are going down a bit so who knows. There''s other things you can do to, like just use quads down for that leg burn...basically you should not be bouncing up and down at all...head should be totally still and then you can really feel the butt and legs. I do this for short bursts. You have "squat" a little while doing it so you defintitely get more core that way too. I always thought the arms on the machines were a waste for me, and I agree that it definitely slowed me down.

Lorelei, you crack me up with your "scale gymnastics." The best visual was probably you leaping off the scale the moment the weight registers. Ha!

Chargergrrl, a fun thing to do on the threadmil an interval program. The threadmil always runs, but you aren''t always on it. I start by walking at a brisk place to warm up for 5 minutes, then a slow jog for 5. Then a faster jog for 5. By now you''re very warmed up and you can start some fun. I jump off to the sides for a minute rest (legs on both sides of the moving belt) then crank it up. You sprint for 2, rest for 1. Keep moving the speed up until you can only run for 1 and have to rest for 1. You''d be surprised how fast this goes...but it DOES help to have fun music! I find anyone can sprint fast for 60 seconds. After 20 or so minutes of this, you can mix it up with some incline walks.

Kimberly, glad to have you back, and I hope you feel better soon!

 

[TravelingGal]

I just saw this video clip on CNN. The boy is 7 years old and weighs 254 pounds. Social services is threatening to take the boy away from the mom....

http://www.cnn.com/video/partners/clickability/index.html?url=/video/us/2007/03/22/beatty.overweight.7.year.old.wspa

Now, I disagree with anyone ever taking away a child except for abuse. I know people think feeding your child this much may constitute abuse, but that''s not a debate I''m interested in sparking. But what I did find interesting was her menu. I didn''t count the calories, but it doesn''t look that healthy to me...breakfast is 4 scrambled eggs and a slice of cheese. Lunch includes 1 cup of popcorn when it could be something else healthier.

 

[monarch64]

Wow, I am having a busy week and haven''t had a chance to check in here! Still around, though, don''t worry! We had carpet installed in our bedroom Tuesday afternoon/evening, DH got a new car Monday, I took little Daisy to the vet this morning to get spayed, I''ve been to the orthodontist for two painful visits so far this week, Saturday DH and I are installing a brick walkway from our patio to the garage in the backyard, and DH is also finishing up his basement remodeling project--his big ol'' 50" t.v. arrived Tuesday as well. We''re doing all these things in anticipation of my tentative oral surgery date in April...we figure we need to get all this stuff out of the way before I become an invalid for a few weeks, lol.

So my "workouts" this week have consisted mainly of moving furniture and cleaning up random debris that keeps getting tracked in...but any calories I''ve burned doing that kind of thing have been quickly replaced by me fulfilling every random craving I have! I have these spacers in between my teeth and they really hurt, plus they make chewing a bit more difficult...after my first ortho. appt. Monday I treated myself to a hot fudge sundae at McDonalds--I only ate half of it (mostly the fudge part, because when that''s gone it''s not much fun anymore) so that was really just a ~200 calorie treat. Then I decided I needed to get my Chinese food craving taken care of...I don''t even know how many calories are in a serving of Mu Shu veggies, and I don''t think I want to find out because I probably had two servings!

Last night it was time for my pizza fix. Not just any old pizza fix, either (not the lower calorie PH we were talking about here previously), but the stuffed cheese and spinach probably 800 calories a slice type. Yeah, so my pants feel a lot tighter nowadays...I''m afraid to get on a scale.

In my defense, though, I''m really trying to get all this out of my system now, because in a few weeks I''ll be restricted to liquids for a while, then very soft foods, etc. No more crunching, chewing, relishing of flavors and textures! I''ll have very fond memories, though...and if anyone here would like to live vicariously through my craving-fulfillment stage without worrying about caloric consumption feel free to give me suggestions, ha!

Everyone is doing great, seriously! This is such a great thread to read and respond to. Keep up the great work everybody!

 

[Dee*Jay]

I just realized I haven't even checked in today! I had a moment of panic this afternoon when I realized that I hadn't bugeted cals for the hummus and pretzels that I brought for a snack, but I just adjusted what I'm having for dinner and I should come in at about 1230 for the day.

Tonight I have to take the long way home so I can go and buy some shoes that I saw last week but didn't get at the time because the sales person was snooty and I thought, well screw it, I don't want them! Really, though, I DO want them, I just don't want to get them from her! And then I'll go my hour on the elliptical after I walk The Demon.

I always do the elliptical hands free, except when I'm checking my heart rate, so hopefully I'm doing some extra good for my hips.

That dessert list was slightly scary... the brownie with ice cream (which is the option I always go for) -- holy cow!!!


ETA: I forgot to ask if anyone takes Emergen-C (or a similar product) on an empty stomach? I was thinking I could have it first thing while I'm getting ready. And do you think that would be enough to get my metabolism rolling or do you really need FOOD? (But I typically don't eat until I get to the office, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours after I get up.)

 

[AmberGretchen]

Thanks Mara for the dessert list. That's really helpful to have that information, and I agree, I would rather know than not know.

I skipped the gym today to go to the Dr. for allergies, and he thinks I might also be anemic

But on the upside, I was another pound lighter (even fully dressed vs. in light gym clothes which is how I usually weigh myself at the gym) from my weigh-in on Monday, and according to what they have recorded, I am actually down 24 lbs since the beginning of January - apparently by the time I started weighing myself at the gym, my weight had already gone down about 6 lbs

So I'm pretty psyched about that.

I had Thai fresh spring rolls (the non-fried kind) with veggies and tofu in them for lunch today - YUM

Next Tuesday is my birthday, so I'll be celebrating this weekend (lots of celebration - can't just do one day

), so there will definitely be some indulgence there, but I'm feeling much more confident now about my ability to cut back and keep the indulgences under control and not de-rail my weight loss.

 

[royalasscherlover]

wow, ag, that is a great accomplishment! congrats!

dj, i often take the emergen-c on an empty stomach. it''s got a bit of sugar in it, so i think that would buffer your stomach from any weird vitamin effects.

i''m skipping the gym this afternoon in favor of a long walk outside - we finally got a break in the rain and it is currently gorgeous and 60 out. i have to take advantage as it''s going to rain again tomorrow. i did 45 minutes on the elliptical yesterday and will do another 45 tomorrow, so i figure a day of walking will be a nice break.

i am super low on cals today...only at 900 by the end of dinner...so i need to find a few yummy snacks tonight. i''m thinking about some fage and berries - yum!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Thanks shortblonde - unfortunately, it also points to how much I had (and still have) to lose. I''m not quite sure how I ever let my weight get so out of control. Part of it was health issues, but part of it was just me not having it together. Oh well, hopefully I can lose at least another 10-15 lbs to be at my target, and actually maintain my weight loss this time.

Fage and berries sounds good for a snack - nutrtitious and yummy

 

[FireGoddess]

I''m at 1200 cal for the day so far and would like to keep it under 1800 which is definitely do-able for dinner. I am super proud of myself for eating breakfast before I went to work today (we have a weekly meeting where not-so-healthy food is brought) and managed NOT to eat any of the donuts that were brought in! I was very tempted but stuck to just a handful of grapes. I made these arborio rice/pea/onion patties from CL for dinner last night and had 6 left over (3 servings)...and when I went to make my lunch, DH had taken all of them to work with him.

It''s hard to budget what I will eat for lunch or dinner with that hoover of a man around.

LOL!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Way to go FG on avoiding the donuts! We have lab meetings with unhealthy food every other week and I always make sure to eat breakfast before going - it makes such a big difference!!

arborio rice/pea/onion patties sound yummy. Do you have the recipe or the link that you could post??

 

[KimberlyH]

AmberGretchen, I just wanted to congratulate you on your amazing weight loss! You are doing a terrific job, keep up the great work!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Awww...thanks so much Kim. I am totally in awe of you for losing such a huge amount and keeping it off - you are definitely my inspiration that not only can it be done, but you can keep it off, and most importantly, genetics don''t have to dictate your fate - my parents and the rest of my family are all overweight, and I''ve always struggled with my own weight, but it is so inspiring to read that you have managed to get out of that rut. I saw your pictures a few weeks back and you look fantastic - definitely something for me to strive for!!

 

[FireGoddess]

I will put it up on the WWT recipes thread...they were yummy spread with a little bit of sweet garlic mustard...

 

[AmberGretchen]

Thanks FG - I just saw the recipe. That looks super yummy, I will definitely have to try it sometime next week. I''d imagine you could get creative and add all kinds of veggies or other flavors to the basic recipe.

(can you tell I''m bored at work...my sample is late today so I''m just sitting in the lab with nothing to do but surf PS and the rest of the internet...LOL)

 

[Sevenwires]

Hi everyone! Just checking in and seems like everyone is still on track and doing a great job! FG – awesome you ate breakfast. I can’t ever make it a habit of not eating a healthy breakfast. It’s my favorite meal of the day. The egg white… center cut bacon… maybe some waffles… coffee, the smell the taste. YUM! To me it’s not even worth it to sacrifice all that just for a donut.

This the 4th week since I started doing cardio every day for 6 days/week. I feel great! And my abs are definitely flatter. I watch what I eat, count calories, and try to eat 25% - 30% fat calories. My weight hasn’t dropped yet though. It’s still at 123 – 124 pounds. In fact, I think I might be even a pound heavier. I know I have to be patient but I just want some weight to come off already!!!! Hahahah…

I bought myself a new gadget this week, it’s called the bodybugg.

http://www.bodybugg.com/

Though I don’t think it’s necessary, it is kinda fun to have. What it is, is you wear it 24 hours a day; when you work, when you sleep, when you sit there and watch tv… and it’ll count how many calories you burn all day… even when you’re sleeping. Then it’ll sync up to the computer with this wireless thing and it’ll tell you where you are at daily with the whole calorie counting thing. The website also lets you log in your food to see how much of a deficit you’re at with the calories you burn and how much eat. Very cool. I also tested it out with my heart rate monitor just to see if they would log the same thing.. so I did the treadmill for an hour, burned 500 cals on my HRM, and when I went to check the bodybugg.. it said the exact same thing.. So at least I can kinda trust it’s not giving me some crazy number. Anyway, since the last 2 days I’ve been wearing this thing, I learned that I burn around 2500/day, which includes my workouts, my walks, me sleeping and so on….. And I eat around 1800 to 1900. SO my weight has got to come off right?! AAARGH! Just kidding.

Man I’ve been really moody and just feeling really hungry all the time lately because of TTOTM. This is also the time that I almost don’t feel like going to the gym. But I’m going make myself go, or else I know I’m going to regret it later. Bleh.

Breakfast today was 4 egg white, 2 strips of center cut bacon, 1 waffle, and 1 cup of milk. It’s a lot of food… But I like to eat my largest meal for breakfast and then go down from there. Could be because I live by myself, and I get home really late too, which means I’m not cooking and eating fancy fun dinners on regular weeknights anyway. Usually dinner I’m happy with milk and cereal. I’m simple gal. And then lunch I had the LC panini southwest chicken sandwich. It was something like 280 calories and 8g of fat I think, and it was GOOD. Next time the LCs go on sale I’m going to get a few boxes so I can have em stored in the freezer for my lazy days.

Yesterday I did my training with my trainer at the gym for 50 minutes, burned 336 cals according to my boddybugg. And then went out for a late night brisk 40 minute walk and burned 180 cals. Total burned from exercise 516. I haven’t gone to the gym today yet… I plan to go after work and just get on the treadmill for an hour. Goal is to burn about 550.

Okay, more later….

 

[FireGoddess]

Sevenwires, I agree a good breakfast is much more filling than a donut! I had an egg scramble with 1 whole egg + 2 whites, 2 turkey sausage links, and a piece of wheat toast. Delish, probably still fewer calories than a donut!!! I think it''s important to eat a good breakfast - There''s a saying that goes ''eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper'' which basically means to try and gear your heavier eating early in the day and wean down so that you don''t eat an enormous dinner before you settle down for the night. I think it''s better to evenly space small meals throughout the day but if that is not convenient, it''s probably good advice to eat more earlier on.

 

[Sevenwires]

Hi Friends! One more thing, I might be coming down something. I remember there was some talk about taking some EmergenC? And there was something else, I can''t remember. Can someone please let me know? Thanks!

 

[KimberlyH]

Sevenwires, try Airborne. I''ve got a cold and fever but it seems not to have hit me as hard as the last time I was sick and I started taking it as soon as I started feeling crappy. Hope you can manage to stay healthy, I am so frustrated that I feel like crap and have no energy!

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 3/22/2007 6:16:35 PM
Author: AmberGretchen
Awww...thanks so much Kim. I am totally in awe of you for losing such a huge amount and keeping it off - you are definitely my inspiration that not only can it be done, but you can keep it off, and most importantly, genetics don''t have to dictate your fate - my parents and the rest of my family are all overweight, and I''ve always struggled with my own weight, but it is so inspiring to read that you have managed to get out of that rut. I saw your pictures a few weeks back and you look fantastic - definitely something for me to strive for!!

It absolutely can be done, and you can keep enjoying life (BIRTHDAY SPLURGES!) while you''re treating your body well! You should be so proud of yourself for making the choice to do something. I see in my sister how easy it is to say "I come from an overweight family, it''s not my fault I weigh too much" and wish she could see it''s about the choices she makes that make her weigh what she does, not the family she comes from (except that they taught her bad habits!!). Not everyone is meant to be stick thin, but we all have control over being a healthy weight. You keep up the fantastic work, I''m routing for you!!!

 

[Sevenwires]

Thanks Kimberly! I think I should go get some in case this really turns into something. I was feeling a little weird over the weekend.. and then by afternoon time I was okay again.. so I didn''t think much of it. Then all of a sudden this morning I woke up and my throat felt like it was hurting. Right now it seems okay again. Weird. But I think just to be on the safe side. If I do get sick, I won''t even feel like going to the gym anymore!!

 

[Mara]

the funniest thing for me is that while i was losing weight, i found it pretty easy to mostly avoid random temptations. fri and sat splurges don't count because those were planned kinda thing but if someone brought in donuts or cake or whatever i was like nope. i didn't even really want it! because i was on a mission. but now that i have reached and surpassed my goal i find my willpower is so much less. i mean sure i can still pull it out when i NEED to. but overall i am more indulgent now than i used to be. i didn't used to keep sweets around and now i keep 'appropriate' sweets around, aka things that are healthy or are small or portion controlled. but i almost wonder if i do myself a disservice because then i think about it more when it's here. it was easier before! but i love sweet things and the thought of never having them int he house EVER again is depressing! so i just need to keep exercising that self-control when necessary and relax when not. that is part of what i am 'learning' about maintaining. it's easier when you are losing and on a mission and have a clear goal and KNOW what fits and what does not. but when you maintain, you are allowed more freedoms and i find sometimes i struggle with a balance there. esp since i have such a sweet tooth!

anyway speaking of balance and sweets lol! i went to whole foods today after my interview (which i think went really well by the way, i am keeping fingers crossed!!)...and found a few new goodies...one is a frozen 3oz portion italian tiramisu cup for 240 cals, it looks yummy so we are having that for dessert tonite with some biscotti and cookies. but 3oz for 240 is not bad!! and i love tiramisu so if i can get it this way then it means i won't be wanting to get it at a fancy restaurant at 500 cals! and i found this brand of mini cookies, gluten free naturally sugared, double cocoa chocolate chip, 3 mini cookies are 90 cals and they are super soft and fudgy, REALLY YUMMY. but 3 cookies? i have already had 6. good thing the container is mini too, there are only like 6 servings in there. so they should be gone in the next few days, but what a yummy find. they had other flavors too like PB etc. and i was surprised to find this WF didn't have the vitalicious stuff!! esp since it's listed on their website. guess i have to get my brownies at the local safeway after all. and i also found these yummi biscottis...this one is a lemon one with an icing glaze on it for only 85 cals, i love biscotti with some sorbet or similar sometimes for a snack and sometimes i want something not chocolate. but yeah i have a bunch of stuff in the house, too tempting. i still have 2 cinnamon rolls left as well, breakfast this weekend for greg and i, i think. sometimes i think i LIKE torturing myself by having stuff around i can't eat. like a hairshirt. hahaha.

oh and i guess 'optimum' who makes a ton of healthy organic cereals also does frozen waffles, 5g of fiber and 160 cals for 2. they have flax and soy in them. i figured i'd try them for a while...my eggos are fun and all but curious on how these taste and they have 2g extra fiber. oh and i had to get my FAVE salad from whole foods, i used to have it all the time, it's dried cranberries, candied walnuts and bleu cheese with mixed greens and vinaigrette. i am going to use my own TJ balsamic because the WF one is pretty oily. but yum i can't wait to have it for lunch, maybe tomorrow.

so dinner tonite is a baked turkey sausage and tomato ziti from cooking light, i modified a bit with some extra spices and a few tablespoons of emerils kicked up today, and the sauce is DIVINE. i made it earlier and tasted it and i wanted to sit down and eat the whole bowl. hehe. so when greg gets home i'll assemble it and bake it. we're having it with salad and i thought about bread but then thought, nahh!!

i was going to go for a long walk today since it was a nice day, but i ended up being pretty busy and in and out all day and honestly i think my legs could use a little rest...so i think we are going for a walk tonite after dinner, i will see if greg is up for a little jaunt...just to get out and be active after eating a little bit...and then tomorrow back to the gym with hopefully refreshed legs.

sounds like everyone had a great day!!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Just back from the gym. I did the elliptical for 65 minutes for 546 cals. I think I need to go back to wearing my knee braces though. Since I'm now going slower and at a lower incline and resistance I thought I could get away without them, and my knees were feeling fine to this point, but tonight I could feel a *little* clicking on the outside top of my kneecap and it's already starting to get a little sore. Investment tip for all of you: but stock in whatever company makes Aleve becuase I alone am going to boost the market price with my rickety old falling apart body!!!

Calorie wise I came in a little higher today (1380) than yesterday, but I just HAD to have that toffuti cutie for dessert! Tomorrow we're going out to dinner so I'll be on the light side all day so I can splurge in the evening.

Thanks shortblonde about the tip on the emergenC. I think I'll start having that first thing in an effort to get my metabolism going earlier. An hour and a half a day is an hour and a half a day for a higher metabolism! I just wish I knew what was trying working and what wasn't in this whole weight loss adventure, but unfortunately I do so many things at once I have no real "control group." Lower cals, working out, Vitamin C -- a lot of things going on at one time.

LOL Mara on the 3 mini cookies. That's why I had to get rid of the ginger snaps I got from TJ's. They were DELISH dunked in coffee but I drink a BIG cup of coffee in the morning and it would have taken too many to get me through. I think of 3 mini cookies as an appetizer to the cookies I'm going to have after that!