Weekly Workout Thread 1st Jan till 7th Jan

[Lorelei]

Wishing a very happy new year to you all!

I think we have done a great job over the Holidays, had fun but still managed to fit in some workouts and made some healthy choices

My goals this year are to continue the good work, maintain my results and try to work with weights more when our new machine finally arrives. The new year is rightly a time of reflection and change, we can go forward and improve even more, think of our workouts as I have come to - as a healthy and necessary part of having and maintaining not only a healthy body, but a healthy spirit too. It is amazing how much better I feel mentally after a workout, it makes it easier to dump any negativity I am carrying. I am not thinking about just my shape any more, although it was the main motivating factor that got me started and of course I love the results of that I can see, but working out has helped me to quit smoking and STILL be able to lose weight almost 6 months on, not to mention the greater fitness and endurance I can now enjoy and use.

So I wish all of us a very healthy and happy new year and I would like to say THANK YOU to all who post on this thread. THANK YOU for the support, help and knowledge you have given me and making this thread such a fantastic one!!

Here's to our workout threads

for 2007!!!! You are all very special to me!!!

 

[KimberlyH]

Thanks for another great kick off to our thread, Lorelei! As always, you are inspiring and kind.

We had Quiznos for lunch, I tried their light sandwhich: honey bourbon chicken, and it was delicious! I had a small so I felt just right, not too full, not still hungry. Then I made crab cakes, butternut squash soup and roasted asparagus for dinner from my new low fat cook book and everything turned out great. I would make it all again, but cut back on or cut out the garlic in the soup, it was competing with the sweetness of the squash and it just didn''t work for me. I wasn''t hungry when we sat down to eat though, and crab meat is so rich that I ended up eating 1/2 of one and about 1/2 a serving of soup plus 5 spears of asparagus, which was awesome! We bought some chocolate fudge bliss thing from the store that was made by Boston Market and only had 140 cals and 4.5 grams of fat per serving. I had about a serving and a half of that for dessert, but that''s still nothing compared to a normal dessert so all in all yesterday was a terrific food day.

We''re making pancakes for breakfast, I got the brilliant idea when we woke up so the hubby is off to the store to grocery shop. We never make big breakfasts at home so this should be fun. It''s late enough that I won''t need lunch. I have no clue what the dinner plan is.

We''re going for a walk or a hike today, which will be a great way to start off the new year.

Hope everyone had a great evening, didn''t overindulge and is safe and sound this morning! Have a wonderful New Years Day!!!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy 2007 everyone!

We are off to an annual black tie brunch where there will be much champagne and even more bad things to eat, but it''s my anniversary (8 years--I can''t even fathom it, LOL) and I''m going to enjoy myself. And this afternoon, if I have it in me, I will take another 3 mile walk on the treadmill.

My goal for 2007 is that by next new years I will be *thin* (exactly definition of *thin* yet to be decided upon--maybe it''s like pornography; I''ll know it when I see it!).

 

[Mara]

happy new year everyone!

i also want to agree with lorelei on how inspiring and wonderful this thread is...in the last year the wwt has really blossomed with the right set of people and the right attitudes, for me i know that rod is the most inspirational one here. i think that when you see people who have set their mind to doing something that is incredibly difficult and succeeding and exceeding expectations for long-term...that''s amazing! and i know how you live your life on a daily basis rod always is something i think about as well.

in terms of meeting goals this last year, my resolution this year has nothing to do with weight which is really freeing....i was thinking about how many people''s resolutions have to do with weight. get a little thinner, be a little more fit, eat less fat, fit into those jeans, whatever. this year is probably the first in many years when i have not thought that i''d love a weight or health related resolution. and honestly, i feel like if i can do it...and rod can as well, then anyone can. you just have to set your mind to it and then go for it. i guess if i had a health related resolution it would be to continue to do what i have done and stay on the right track.

so last nite we had an amazing, super rich dinner...i had creamy cauliflower soup with truffled mushrooms and a beautiful aged new york steak that was just divine with a bit of light creamed potatoes and bordelaise style sauce. dessert, greg and i shared an amazing meyer lemon tart that was creamy and lemony...and a chocolate mousse cake/torte with the appropriate port and ice wine. then we followed up with coffee later. in between courses we hit the dance floor multiple times to help keep our blood (and digestion!) flowing...it all went quite well and was a great time. the walk to and fro the train station to the restaurant was a good 10 minutes so that also helped keep us awake and felt like we stretched our legs a little bit so that was nice.

this morning we splurged a bit on breakfast...and i made us the marmalade french toast casserole from cooking light. i used a mix of sugar free and regular marmalade and it came out simply divine!! next time i will use a bit less of the egg/milk mixture as i cut the recipe into a 1/3 and then cut the mixture into 1/2 and 1/3 would have been just fine. but it came out really yummy and only about 300 calories per serving (the servings are monstrous). i only ate 1/2 my serving...and also had an egg and a sausage. for lunch we are just going to nosh on smoked salmon and wheat crackers because we are going to dinner at my parents tonite kind of early. cornish hens, salad, lemony roasted potatoes and french bread is on the menu tonite, yum.

today we are just going to relax, and get in a walk at some point...it''s a beautiful sunny crisp cool day here..so we should take advantage of it. we go back to work tomorrow. anyway hope everyone has a great new years day...enjoy yourself and happy new year!!

 

[diamondsrock]

well my goals this year are to lose a few pounds and get toned. I need to push myself to do weight training as I know that will make a big difference.
Also, I have to remind myself of the mental benefit to working out. I really do feel happier and less stressed (must be the brain chemicals or something?) but it''s just that initial momentum to get going that I need. Once I can get my rear off the couch and start, I''m ok. I need to just do it and quit putting it off!!
Another thing here is the weather. Since walking outdoors is my activity of choice, I''m somewhat limited here in New England. It''s raining and in the 30''s today. Not exactly good for walking. When I get home from work, it''s already dark and I can''t walk. That is why I got the bike.
Hope you all have a great New Year!!! I think this thread will really help me out a lot. I bought healthier food items at the supermarket yesterday so that''s a start!

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Diamondsrock,

I get the same dreary feeling every winter as a New Englander. It''s tough walking outdoors sometimes in the winter.
There was alot of ice on Saturday and it''s hard to see at night. That''s why I joined a gym. Weather becomes a non-issue.
I also do basic exercises at home that don''t require much equipment. Even if you start out with 30 minutes a day, you''ll quickly
feel better about yourself. Good luck!

Lorelei...thanks for starting the new year off on the right note

You are a great group and very motivational. I feel guilty now if I have nothing positive to report!

So KEEP ON TRACKin in 2007.

Happy New Year

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Saw a group of joggers today, decked out in their NY's regalia (top hats, tuxes, etc), and runners of course.....it was charming....

I believe I've decided to join the fitness center near my house, the one with a pool. I thoroughly enjoyed my last workout there. I was a swimmer for decades and dropped it, but the water there was so warm that it was a great inducement in my decision where to join. Also, it will be good rehab for my right arm, which has been rather weak since I tore some ligaments a few years ago.

Speaking of that, it is also my plan to improve the strength in the same, so that I can get back on the golf course. I have been to the chiro (active release therapy), and have an appt. with an Orthopod in March to see if there is anything else to be done. But in the mean time, I will work at strengthening my right arm/shoulder so golfing won't be so arduous. I know I'll never have the big hits again, but to get out again with my family and enjoy myself is good enough. Plus I can always walk the course which is very long and hilly...great exercise!!

Finally, I intend to make greater use of my Brevelle juicer. After the novelty wore off, it has been collecting dust on my counter, but no more. Back to the healthy organic fruit and veggie drinks I was making this time last year.

Happy New Year!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Mara]

sharon your ideas sound awesome, especially the juicer, hehee. i have been thinking about smoothies lately, kind of maybe a fun addition to my breakfast goodies that i like to eat. some fruits and some flax seed and some whey protein and i might be good to go. i dunno, it might be a bit too time consuming, hehee. but i like the idea. congrats on deciding to join the gym! warm swimming water is a definite plus.

glad to see you checking in jeff and dr! today is a lazy day for us so i just got up from a 2 hour nap, hahah.

 

[DaniGirl]

hi guys, i started following this thread 2 weeks ago searching for some motivation to stop the madness. i just turned 30, and i''m the heaviest i''ve ever been in my whole life. i don''t have kids so there are no excuses. it''s been really hard for me to get started though. I''ve always been around a size 12, even in high school. back in 01'' i lost weight for the first time by cutting out carbs. I was taking ephedrine diet pills and working out like crazy too, and i got down to a size6, even some 4''s. when i returned to my old habits i gained the weight back, and then some. years later (about 2 years ago) i decided to give it another try. this time i read the atkins book and did the actual diet the right way. i also joined a gym and became pretty dedicated to working out 3-4 times a week and got down to a size 8. the summer came and i again went off the diet and haven''t stepped a foot in the gym since. I also changed jobs in october of last year and now sit at a desk all day. i used to work for an airline and would be all over the airport on a daily basis for 10 years. i never realized how helpful that actually was all those years. well here i am now, totally unhappy and finally ready to do something about this. no more excuses!!

i was planning on starting the gym this past friday, but of course i am dealing with a really bad cold that hit last week (how convenient??). as soon as this thing passes i am there. i plan to do an hour on the elliptical 3-5 days a week, or split the time and do both treadmill and elliptical. once i get myself into the gym routine i will begin weight training along with my cardio. i want to give it like a month of just going and getting on the machine and putting my time in. i want to see if it makes me feel better, more energized, less depressed. i imagine it totally will though. i have been extremely depressed lately, even my grandmother keeps telling me i''m too young to be this fat. i am just under the two hundred mark, and i''m like 5''7. my goal to start is 50 pounds.

i already swore off fast food, sweets/junk food, and white flour (breads, potato, rice, pasta). i read the southbeach book and i think this will be a better way than atkins. i also want to watch my portions and stop eating for two. i know once i start working out i should feel better and not want to eat so bad, so that should help. i just get nervous that i''ll run out of things to eat and i''ll get bored. atkins always worked because i was able to stilll be unhealthy and eat cheese and grease and still loose. i''ve never actually been healthy, never been calorie conscious, and i''m just really worried that i am setting myself up for failure.

does anybody have any suggestions for meals or good tips you''d like to share? should i follow a certail calorie limit a day, or fat limit, or both? is it bad to eat scrambled eggs and a piece of wheat toast for breakfast? can i lose weight without totally cutting out bread? i love the idea of whole wheat and whole grains, and i even enjoy the taste and find it to be filling and satisfying. i also love veggies and cook them in olive oil with lots of garlic. i''m just nervous that i''m going to fail and be fat forever and i really don''t want that. i''ve done it before and i know i can do it again if i really try. sorry this is turning out to be a complete ramble. i''ve been wanting to post here for awhile now, and so i''m finally taking this step and officially becoming a part of this weekly workout thread. i thank you guys for motivating me, and for providing a place i can learn and be a part of. happy new year!!

 

[KimberlyH]

Welcome to the WWT Danigirl! To answer a few of your questions:

does anybody have any suggestions for meals or good tips you''d like to share?

I am a huge fan of Cooking Lights website, www.cookinglight.com, their magazine and their cookbooks. Mara is another CL advocate.

should i follow a certail calorie limit a day, or fat limit, or both?

Yes, you should find limits, but they need to be inline with your lifestyle or it will never work. Don''t be extreme, for example don''t go from eating 2500 cals a day to 1000, or you''ll find yourself frustrated and cheating.

is it bad to eat scrambled eggs and a piece of wheat toast for breakfast?

Eggs are really good for you as is whole wheat/whole grain toast. Egg whites are even better, could you deal with just eating egg whites (I often cook with the pre-packaged egg whites but I am not a fan of eggs cooked alone so I don''t eat them that way).

can i lose weight without totally cutting out bread?

absolutely, eat whole grain breads as they''re better for you, but you don''t have to cut out bread completely.


i love the idea of whole wheat and whole grains, and i even enjoy the taste and find it to be filling and satisfying. i also love veggies and cook them in olive oil with lots of garlic.

I cook in olive oil all the time (1 or 2 teaspoons), it''s really good for you, in moderation. Peanut oil is even better for you, but a bit more expensive.

Overall, I am not a fan of Atkins'', Southbeach, etc. diets, as they don''t prepare you to eat right permanently, they are often a quick answer to a problem that needs a much more permanent solution. Losing weight and being healthy is all about eating healthy things in abundance (fruits and veggies, low fat meats (turkey, pork, chicken)), allowing oneself to splurge on occasion/in moderation and exercising. You can''t approach it as a short term plan or diet, it has to be a permanent life style change. I went from eating 2 bowls of Cinamon Toast Crunch for breakfast, fast food or high fat food (sandwhiches with mayo, etc.) for lunch and huge amounts of pasta, meat, etc. for dinner to eating a package of oatmeal for breakfast, light sandwhiches (turkey with mustard) for lunch and healthy (usually CL recipes) filling dinners that always include a salad and a vegetable.

Part of losing weight and maintaining, which is actually the really hard part, is being determined, allowing oneself to splurge on occasion and being commited to living a healthy lifestyle, overall. I lost 63 lbs. and really enjoyed the process due in large part to the encouragement I received from all of my friends and family. But that all ends after a while and you are still fundamentally who you are and that''s when the hard work comes into play. You have to remain commited to staying a healthy weight when you aren''t being cheered on and encouraged everytime you run into someone who hasn''t seen you in a while. You have to find exercises that are enjoyable to you so that you are less likely to shrug off the need to spend a good chunk of your free time doing so. You have to find more enjoyment in being fit than eating that extra bowl of cereeal or piece of candy. It''s so much easier to just sit in front of the TV sometimes, but your body would much prefer you get up and move and you have to remember that.

But if you stick to it long enough your body will eventually crave the good stuff. I love rich foods but now I can only eat so much before I feel sick. The last time I went on vacation to a city that is abundant in deliciously rich, bad for you food I was desperate for a green salad and some chicken when we got home. When I don''t exercise I become crabby and irritable because my body misses moving. You can retrain your body to enjoy the things that are good for it; and you can feed it enough of the bad stuff to keep you satisfied without overindulging and gaining weight.

Anyways, best of luck in your journey, as it is a journey, and I hope you stick around and keep motivated!

 

[february2003bride]

Mara,

I mainly lurk on the WWT but I started breakfast smoothies about 3 weeks ago. I''ve lost 6 pounds since I began to read this thread!

Anyway, I love breakfast smoothies! I layer in the blender:

oj, low fat vanilla yogurt, flaxseed oil, soy protein powder (Kashi), fron blueberries, frozen strawberries (I defrost for about 30 seconds in the microwave), and ice. Whip it up and it''s filling, yummy and my sugar for the day! I also pair it up with a bran muffin or a slice of ww toast w/ butter. It''s a super quick breakfast and my 15 month old loves the fruit smoothie too! This morning I added a banana for some variety, and I plan to try raspberries and maybe mango as well.

HTH,

Carrie

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 1/1/2007 5:32:17 PM
Author: Mara
sharon your ideas sound awesome, especially the juicer, hehee. i have been thinking about smoothies lately, kind of maybe a fun addition to my breakfast goodies that i like to eat. some fruits and some flax seed and some whey protein and i might be good to go. i dunno, it might be a bit too time consuming, hehee. but i like the idea. congrats on deciding to join the gym! warm swimming water is a definite plus.

glad to see you checking in jeff and dr! today is a lazy day for us so i just got up from a 2 hour nap, hahah.

HI Mara:

I have less work prepping fruits/veggies if they are organic--just pop them in the press; otherwise the peeling can be time consuming.....and altho my Breveille is just four parts, it does need to be washed right away for obvious reasons thus increasing user time. But the benefits outweigh the inconveniences, and since you have a green thumb you could use the "refuse" for your garden and/or composter...your body AND plants will love you for it!

cheers--Sharon

 

[basil]

Happy New Year!

After staying up til 1 am last night, I had to wake up at 4:30 to go to work this morning. Ugh. After I got home, I had a massive headache, so I ended up sleeping for another 2 hours.

I did my "Buff Brides" strength and core training for about an hour today while watching TV. I''ve never been toned or had any sort of muscles, even when I was a size 2, so I''m hoping that this will help me build some muscle.

Breakfast was Special K again. For lunch I had some cottage cheese and a frozen chicken vindaloo bowl. I had some frozen samosas for dinner, and then some crackers and cheese because I was still hungry.

 

[Mara]

danigirl, welcome...

the best and most thorough advice i can give is to read through past weekly workout threads. there''s a wealth of information in there and if you familiarize yourself with people''s stories, you will be able to see what they did that did or did not work for them to meet their goals. all the questions you asked are answered as people check in on a daily basis. so i''d definitely just start reading the posts from people, catch up on maybe the last 3-4 workout threads and read about how people kept on their path during the holiday etc. it''s pretty inspirational IMO. cooklight.com as kimberly said, is a lifesaver for me, i make us 2-3 meals from there a week typically. and sometimes i make the whole portion aka of lasagna so that we can eat is 2-3 nights in a row and dinner is taken care of and it''s healthy. i also have made cookies from there with great results and this morning i made a marmalade french toast casserole that was divine. also on another thread (kimberly''s ''when is enough'') in this forum...i posted a huge long list of everything i eat for lunch...again i like to have yummy things so it''s important to me to balance out my healthy stuff with stuff that tastes good. we have dessert almost every night, but it''s a square or two of dark chocolate, or a sugar free pudding cup with whipped cream on top, stuff that ''fits'' in my plan.

i personally think that no goal is unattainable (as long as it''s reasonable!!). i am 5''7" and was 151 for the last 2 years or so and was about a size 10...and this year i dropped down to 138 and am 20% body fat and i wear a size 6. i work out 5x a week and keep my calories between 1400-1700 per day on average. sparkpeople.com has been a wonderful help in terms of tracking what i am eating, calories etc and there is a really motivational community there as well. i am a huge fan of GOOD FOOD so it''s important to me to be able to eat heathily yet have it still taste good. i have cut absolutely nothing out of my diet. i still eat bread, fat, desserts, etc. but it''s all in moderation and it''s with making changes elsewhere. there''s no way i could exist on a no-carb or no-sugar diet or whatever....also doing that is not giving my body all the things it might need. also workout for me is huge...i had to ratchet it up from 2-3x to 5x to see the results i wanted.

in any case, you can learn a ton here, good luck!

sharon, the juicing sounds intriguing...oh and february bride...i am glad you chimed in on the smoothie thing...i''m so tempted now!! do you use a blender? we have a great one we got for our wedding that we hardly use.

we just got back from a 2m walk...it''s a really nice day out so we had a nice time clearing out the new years eve head fog from last nite and this morning. we had a snack of smoked salmon and crackers and we''re heading out for dinner soon. hope everyone had a relaxing new years day!!

 

[Rod]

Happy Happy Happy New Year To All........

Dear Dear Lorelei..........thank you for kicking off the new year with your wonderfully outgoing and inspirational wisdom. We never have to wonder how this thread will be started each week and we are so grateful that you are always there to get us going in the right direction.

Mara: I responded to your "Is Raleigh Cosmopolitan?" question in last week''s thread. I hope you and Greg actually consider moving here one day. You''d have two really good friends waiting for you. And yes, we think Raleighs a pretty darn nice place to live.

So, we started the New Year on a good note. We got this idea that we should actually look outside the Beltline at new homes to make absolutely certain we were making the right decision about the smaller condo. (Mara, you need to share this with Greg) We saw some beautiful homes on at least 1/3 acre lots, that were brand new and backed up to beautifully tree''d lots. They all had at least 3700 - 4100 square feet, with huge master suites (one of which had a stone fireplace) including really large baths, lots of extra bedrooms, hardwood floors, high ceilings, terrific applicances, grante countertops and three car garages. If someone is thinking of having a family (Mara??), these homes are really unbelievable. All the luxury one could imagine in a lovely setting from the mid $600,000s. They are so much house for the money. But, we aren''t going to have children and we don''t want the suburban lifestyle (even though these homes are only like 5 miles from a great mall, movies, restaurants, etc). So, we''re now more convinced than ever that the small, lavish condo downtown is the right one for us.

After seeing the homes, we visited the gym which opened in Raleigh which is the same as our gym from Tampa. It''s really not a fair comparison as our Florida gym, because they are just getting going in Raleigh, and they call it a pre-sale center until the large (and when I say large, I''m speaking over 80,000 square feet of state-of-art fitness center) opens later this year. In the meantime, they don''t have changing rooms, showers, pool, spa, sauna, steam rooms we''ve come to expect from the gym we''re using now. They were so excited we stopped by, but we''re not sure the reduced monthly fees would offset the loss of the amenities we like until the bigger facility opens later this year. And while we were initially so excited to know our gym from Tampa was opening here, now that we''ve been working out at Golds for the last month, we may just join Golds for the next 12 months and then reevaluate our options after our Florida gym is fully operational.

Sakai update. We were scheduled to have her feeding tube removed on Wednesday, we spoke with the vet earlier today, because we think the area around the feeding tube may becoming infected and we want the tube out now. So, tomorrow''s the day and we just can''t wait. She''s doing so well and an infection is certainly something she doesn''t need now.

All in all, a good start to the new year! Here''s hoping everyone has a wonderful 2007, which is full of great health, happiness and prosperity!!

Your good friend,
Rod

 

[Dee*Jay]

Back from brunch (OMG, SO much champagne and yummy food!), a much needed mid-afternoon nap, and a trip to the gym. I just did the treadmill again to the tune of 3 miles, but I was plagued for the first 1/2 hour by my nasty shin splint in my left leg. I''m going to read up on preventing them and get serious about doing whatever stretching or exercises that I need to do because this is NO FUN.

Tomorrow the food program gets back to normal. I''m actually looking forward to eating something good for me, LOL.

ROD - this is a carry over from last week''s thread, but I''m so happy that you and Chalie decided to go ahead with the cool condo. I hope your negotiations go swiftly and painlessly and that you are very happy there for many many years!

 

[DaniGirl]

thank you for your response and congrats on your weight loss kimberly!! that is just awesome, i totally admire you for changing your lifestyle like that and being successful and aware. you are so right about the encouragement ending and then falling back on to old habits. i agree about making it a permanent lifestyle change, it''s the only way. i''ve already seen first hand that the atkins style diet doesn''t work long term. this is why i am so ready to do this, and looking forward to a new and healthy me. i''m just not sure where to begin as far as calories per day to aim for. i''ve never once counted my calories in a day, even my sister tells me this is what i need to keep track of. plus it is really cool to watch the calorie burn on the machines at the gym and actually equate it to a specific food item. i think this is something that i will pick up on in time, but right now it is totally foreign to me.

i''d love to make it to the gym already, but i don''t know if i should go with this cold. is it bad to attempt a workout with a cold?? i am on antibiotics for my sinus infection, and feel a bit weaker than usual. i wouldn''t want to get discouraged because my strength isn''t up to par. i also need to face the fact that i haven''t been to the gym in a year and a half, not once. i haven''t done any exercise other then random walking in this time period either. the hardest part is getting in there the first time.

as far as food goes, i am going to keep a food intake journal effective today since i keep reading how helpful it is to track this stuff. so far i''ve had 3 scrambled eggs, a slice of whole wheat toast with canola spread, and a small glass of oj (since i''m sick). also, my usual iced coffee with a splash of some sugar free vanilla syrup and a bit of skim milk. at work they decided to get us all a kfc box lunch. i got nervous, but stayed strong and passed it up. for this i am proud!! instead i had a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat and a banana. only one bottle of water so far, and i know i really need to increase my water intake, especially when i start adding more fiber to the diet. i have a salad for later with balsamic dressing and i''ll have to figure out what to snack on when i get home.

i''d love some pointers on salad dressing and sandwich condiments. i know mara recommended emeril''s balsamic. i was loving marzetti''s balsamic until i finally looked at the back and thought the cals were a bit high. i''ll have to go compare labels at the supermarket next time. i do know that mustard is better than mayo. do you guys prefer lower fat or lower sugar?? stuff like this always throws me off and makes me flustered. as far as eggs, i''ve never had egg whites only, but as long as i add veggies and some lowfat cheese i''m sure they will be good. i will have to buy the egg whites in the carton since i''ve never actually separated an egg before. oh, and thanks for the cooking light idea. i was checking out some recipes on there yesterday. i need simple recipes that are easy to prepare. i did buy a southbeach quick and easy recipe book that i have yet to try also. there sure is a lot to keep me busy right now, and it''s nice to have such great role models contributing to this forum!!

 

[Rod]

DaniGirl,

If you have a Whole Foods, or a healty food store in your town, buy a jar of Vegannaise. It''s a Mayo substitute that has significantly lower calories, no cholesterol and to my taste buds is better than mayonnaise. I make a very simple but yummy (at least to me) Russian dressing. Just mix the Vegannaise with Catchup (I know, it''s not complex, but it is good) and we eat that on salad several times a week. I lost a lot of weight with salads like this (combined of course with loads of exercise).

 

[DaniGirl]

thank you mara for your response, and congrats to you too! it seems you and i have similar body types being in the 150 range and about the same height, except we went in two different directions this past year. i went up like crazy and you toned down. it's a bummer knowing i'm so far from even my "normal" weight. this is why my initial goal is to get back to 150. i will check out the sites you mentioned and definitely read up on old threads since they are extremely beneficial. have a good dinner with your parents tonight!

rod, thanks for the dressing suggeston. i do have whole foods, trader joes, and the raisin rack near me. i will look for the veggainaise stuff on my days off. i appreciate the tip and will let you know the outcome next week!

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Hey Rod...

sounds like you''re enjoying Raleigh and all it has to offer. I''ve lived in different states (MA/FL/OH/NH) and was always able to
find great places and things to do in each state. It IS what you make of it.
Maybe, a few more guys will join this thread in 2007. We could use more male perspective on fitness and eating habits.

 

[Rod]

Date: 1/1/2007 9:59:46 PM
Author: Modified Brilliant
Hey Rod...

sounds like you''re enjoying Raleigh and all it has to offer. I''ve lived in different states (MA/FL/OH/NH) and was always able to
find great places and things to do in each state. It IS what you make of it.
Maybe, a few more guys will join this thread in 2007. We could use more male perspective on fitness and eating habits.

Hey Jeff.......good idea. We LOVE our healthy ladies on this thread, but a few more guys would certainly be a welcome addition!!

Happy New Year to you and your family Jeff!

 

[KimberlyH]

Danigirl,

Thanks for the kind words. It is no easy feat to maintain weight loss, but so very worthwhile! But what I''ve come to realize is that it is all about me, how I feel, etc. not about what anyone has to say about how I look or should feel. Might I suggest you spend a bit of time recording what you normally would eat and converting it to calories and going from there. The AMA daily recommended allowance for woman 18-55 is 2200 calories, I find this to be WAY TOO MUCH food. I eat about 1500 calories a day, 1700 on a "bad" day. I have just up''ed my workouts to burn about 2600 cals per week, but prior was burning about 2000 cals per week and I was maintaining my weight. Find what works for you and take advantage of it!

As for dressings, I tend to just use balsamic vinegar and a tiny bit of olive oil with fresh groud black pepper, YUM!, tastes good and I''m in control of the amount.

I stopped eating mayonaisse completely when I lost weight. I may use light mayo in a recipe but on sandwiches, etc. it''s mustard or nothing.

 

[Rod]

Date: 1/1/2007 10:55:44 PM
Author: KimberlyH
Danigirl,

Thanks for the kind words. It is no easy feat to maintain weight loss, but so very worthwhile! But what I''ve come to realize is that it is all about me, how I feel, etc. not about what anyone has to say about how I look or should feel. Might I suggest you spend a bit of time recording what you normally would eat and converting it to calories and going from there. The AMA daily recommended allowance for woman 18-55 is 2200 calories, I find this to be WAY TOO MUCH food. I eat about 1500 calories a day, 1700 on a ''bad'' day. I have just up''ed my workouts to burn about 2600 cals per week, but prior was burning about 2000 cals per week and I was maintaining my weight. Find what works for you and take advantage of it!

As for dressings, I tend to just use balsamic vinegar and a tiny bit of olive oil with fresh groud black pepper, YUM!, tastes good and I''m in control of the amount.

I stopped eating mayonaisse completely when I lost weight. I may use light mayo in a recipe but on sandwiches, etc. it''s mustard or nothing.

Kimberly......Try Vegannaise. It''s wonderful and healthy and lower in calories and has no cholesterol. To me it tastes better than mayonnaise and I didn''t have to give up something I liked. I just had to find a healthy alternative and given that I lost over 60 pounds and went from over 30% body fat to less than 15% body fat, and ate lot''s of salads with Vegannaise while doing it, proves that it''s a good thing. Just a suggestion!

 

[Mara]

hehee rod, i tried nayannaise with a veggie friend of mine swears by but it wasn't really that good. so far the best i have found is best foods 'light' mayonnaise. regular mayo is like 100 cals and 11g of fat. this is 45 cals and 4g of fat. they have a low-fat version which is 20 cals and like 2g of fat...but i typically like a more 'middle of the road' alternative where i am not totally cutting back on fat and calories because lets face it, that is what typically tastes better. but 1/2 the cals and fat of regular works for me. for the same reason i get light sour cream and 1% fat cottage cheese etc...rather than 'fat free' typically. i think that you need some fat for the most part to help things taste better. that and according to spark people i am supposed to be consuming like 40-70g of fat a DAY...doesn't that sound insane? i think i do about 30 typically. its funny too, i don't eat mayo at all really...on sandwiches its just dijon. i mix mayo into things sometimes (the light is perfect for this) but for the most part i hardly eat it.

dani...when you go to trader joes, check out their pre-packed section, fresh foods. they have a really great rosemary chicken with wild rice that serves two people (or lunch one day, dinner the next for one person) that is something like 400 cals for one serving. also we LOVE their fresh personal pizzas. my fave is the spinach artichoke chicken one which is 440 cals for the whole pizza (and its big!) and like 10g of fat. greg gets a sausage pepperoni one which is not as healthy but i love the chicken one. also there's a pesto veggie one that is like 470 cals for the whole pizza. also they have things like 'just chicken' which is just long strips of fresh chicken breast...great for making a home caesar salad etc.

for dressings, i love girard's light champagne and their light caesar...both are totally tried and true for me. the light caesar mixed with some 30 cal balsamic to lighten it up goes farther, and then i throw in some wheat croutons, romaine lettuce and some shredded parm and i've got a homemade salad for under 200 cals. throw in some chicken for a real meal. the emerils balsamic is the best i have had so far, and i tried another brand and it was good but had like 60 cals and i am like well for same taste, 30 is better. i spend a fair amount of time at the store reading labels...which is actually kind of fun to see what is in things and then be able to find a great alternative. much of the stuff i try is just that, trial and error. some stuff tastes horrible and i toss it. but once i find things i like i try to keep getting them. i am currently experimenting with sugar free syrups which have maple taste and yet like 1/10 of the calories of regular syrup. i have had two i really liked, the last one better than the first, and just bought a third one to try with my nutrigrain waffles in the morning. so we'll see how this one compares.

anyway you will quickly find there are ten million ways to make healthy yummy stuff at home and even get pre-packed things that are healthy and quick for taking with you. i find preparation is the key that really makes success possible...not having bad stuff in your house that you might be tempted by...and do keep the right stuff in the house, all types and sorts of it, so that when you want to eat, you can have choices of wonderful things, and not just carrots or something that you might be as jazzed about.

so we just got home from dinner, it was soo yummy. mom actually got a young turkey...i was really good about eating EXCEPT that i went crazy with the buttered/toasted bread, lol and had three pieces. and then mom had this yummy raspberry chocolate dessert. but up until dinner i had only consumed about 800 cals today so i had a lot of room left for a big meal. however i am stuffed!! we came home with some turkey breast and the rest of our lemony potatoes (so good)...so i'll probably have those for lunch tomorrow. tomorrow night we polish off the last of the turkey lasagna, mmmmm. that stuff is sooo good after being in the fridge for a few days.

rod, i did see your post in the other thread, thanks. i actually read it to greg...and he was like hmmm. he said he'd look into raleigh again soon and see what the options might be for him. we are going to be talking about this very stuff this year, in 2007...we kind of have a mental resolution to figure out what we want to do in the next few years in terms of our future, do we want to move, stay here, what is on the horizon for potential building of our family etc. so this year we do want to explore staying here vs leaving...and it is actually really cool to hear all the positives you have been reporting on raleigh. it is SOO tempting to think about moving and getting a house for flat out cash and not having a mortgage, and me not having to work when we do have kids etc. it is very expensive to live where we do. but on the other hand our lives are here and my entire family is there. it would be super hard to leave.

oh and if you have a chance, let me know the development you saw today...i know there is so much building going on out there and sometimes it's hard to narrow things down to what is REAL quality vs nice pictures online, so i'm curious to know which builder/community you saw since you said it was really nice. and yeah how funny would it be if we ended up over there?!? we could all get sushi together, yah!

 

[Dee*Jay]

So I think I need to take a day off from working out. Both of my knees are sore and the shin splint in my left calf kicked in as soon as I started walking to work this morning. I''ve looked up some stretches and exercises to combat the dreaded shin splint but it might take a little time. How funny though that the treadmill did me in even though I walk at least two miles a day anyway, but the eliptical machine seems to have been much kinder to me. Oh well, tonight I''ll take down the Christmas tree--all that reaching and streching must be good, right?!

Last night I made some tuna salad to have for lunch today. I put in little pices of cucumber and pickle and some shredded carrots and used fat free ranch dressing to hold it all together. The happy hubby watched the whole process quite skeptically so we''ll see come lunchtime how my concoction worked out. I might have to have it with some baked lays though because I like to eat my tuna with potato chips.

Not much else to report. About to go make some oatmeal for beakfast and am hoping that all the candy and goodies that have been lurking around the office screaming my name for the past several weeks are finally gone, LOL.

 

[Tybee]

Happy New Year Everyone!
I feel so inspired by everyone of you!
I cannot tell you all how many times your names come to mind as I work out, or decide what snack to choose. I know that I don''t post on here as often as others, but I wanted you all to know how much you live in my head!
What an amazing group of people you all are!

I''ve been unable to run for a while now, ever since I played in that frisbee tournaments at the beginning of December my knee''s been swollen and achy. I''ve been putting off a trip to the oldl doctor, but maybe it''s time to pay the piper.
On the positive side of things, I''ve taken this non-running time to expand my cardio horizons at the gym. As much as I don''t like the treadmill, I''ve made it my goal to tackle it. I''ve found a new found love for walking uphill! I really feel it in my thighs and bum! It''s pretty cool to have some variety. The elliptical was getting pretty stale. I''ve also spent more time with free weights and my upper body while my knee rests. It''s all good!

So time off from school is good and bad. I''ve been able to spend more quality time at the gym, but there sure has been a lot more snacking time at home! Luckily we''re stocked with healthy snacks.

Danigirl, welcome.
I agree that those diets will not help you make life long changes to your eating habits. This thread is a great place to be! Small tips on eating lighter will really help you out.

 

[ammayernyc]

Hi ladies.

Well... I''m back.

I decided that enough was enough and I am recharging my skinny batteries. I rejoined Weight Watchers (before the new year) and made a committment to myself that I would look fantastic at my wedding and just start to feel good about myself.

I had a slight emotional breakdown New Years Eve morning and cried and said stupid stuff to my fiance like I didn''t think he loved me and instead of him freaking out, he calming told me that I was being an idiot. I''ve made so many changes in my life this past year and that combined with the stress of this extra weight and me planning a wedding without my parents and my fiance not even talking to his mother right now just got to me. So, I cried a lot and boy, what a difference that made. I feel 100% better.

So, I did eat a little too much for New Years but I did 60 minutes of cardio this morning.

My new goal is to stick with the Weight Watchers plan and do at least 60 minutes of cardio at least 5 times a week. My eventual goal is to lose 40 pounds. I will be happy if I lose 30 by my wedding. June 23rd, here I come!

 

[basil]

Good morning!

I have an extremely rare weekday off today (just as everyone else heads back to work). My reward for working both New Year''s Eve and New Year''s Day, I guess. I slept in, had breakfast (2 egg whites and 1 whole egg scambled, a slice of whole wheat toast with smart balance, and green tea). I went out for a run - the weather here is perfect for running. 33 degrees, sunny, light breeze. I ran for about 30 minutes in the park, with Death Cab for Cutie on the iPod. It''s so different from where I used to live and run, which was a completely flat bike trail by the water. This is like a hiking trail, complete with roots and rocks and everything, with pretty steep uphills and downhills. My pace is a lot slower than it used to be, but it feels good, like I''m using more muscles.

I have this Garmin GPS watch that I got as a gift last Christmas that calculates your distance and pace. It also calculates your calories burned. According to that, I burned only 133 calories in 30 minutes running up and down hills. But when I go to the gym and do the elliptical, that machine usually says I''m burning between 500-600 calories per hour. And that''s a much much easier workout, in terms of how much effort I feel I''m expending. I wonder why the discrepancy?

Anyway, I don''t know what I''ll have for lunch or dinner. I''m going out to TJs later on to stock up, but right now I''m enjoying my 2nd cup of tea and surfing the internet

 

[Mara]

DJ i used to get shin splints sometimes when i walked, i just kept at it AND made sure i had the right shoes on (super important esp if you plan to continue walking on the treadmill) and i was fine after a while. in terms of your ''tuna salad''...did you see the recipe i posted up above? that light mayo is actually quite good. anyway keep us posted on how it tastes.

Tybee, so sorry to hear you still can''t run...definitely visit the doctor!! but i know what you mean about the walking uphill on the treadmill, i love it. i haven''t done it in a while because i hurt my quad overdoing it and the elliptical is way easier on my joints but i miss it! i did it for about 15 minutes on saturday at an 8 incline, nothing like what i used to but it was fun to do it again.

Basil...if the GPS watch thing is like a heart rate monitor and you put age, weight, height and all that into it...i would imagine it''s more correct than the machines, however i have had issues with mine not being quite so accurate. Greg also pointed out that there are batteries in the chest strap (assuming yours has one too) and that they can get old and not work well enough to transmit 100% apparently. So maybe change out the batteries then see. But sometimes I have been surprised when I feel like I am really exerting myself and the watch said NOPE not so much. hahaa. Sometimes it''s hard to tell but if you know your HR while working out it can help gauge if you are where you need to be.

Welcome back Amanda!! Happy New Year everyone....!

 

[basil]

Mara - It doesn''t have a HRM or a chest strap. I probably put my weight in at some point, but I don''t really remember. I guess it just calculates it off your weight, pace and distance. But that''s the same information that the elliptical uses, too.

Someone was asking about salad dressing and I forgot to reply. I use the Good Seasons packets with my own extra virgin olive oil and vinegar. I change up the type of vinegar depending on my mood. I use less olive oil and the same amount of vinegar that the package calls for, but I don''t use the "low oil recipe" because that tells you to add more water, which makes it taste watery, I think. I like it because you control the quantity and the quality of the ingredients. It''s not like I use super premium balsamic and olive oil or anything, but I still think it''s probably better quality than what goes into a packaged vinaigrette.