Weekly Workout Thread 1st Jan till 7th Jan

[KimberlyH]

Date: 1/6/2007 12:49:03 AM
Author: Mara
kimberly please post the link because i am looking for a CPP that is less cals than the super unhealthy processed marie calendars ones we love, lol. but my weakness is the pastry on top and bottom, for me it''s not a CPP without it and i know a lot of lighter recipes cut that out. but anyway curious to see what yours is like!!

happy early birthday rod!! i am sure you are much younger inside than 52 and you totally look it too. i loved your sushi story...we just got home from sushi ourselves and this place that we go to has AMAZING rolls. i hardly ever want to go elsewhere because i am such a unique roll whore...i haven''t had a regular california roll in years. this place is always packed so tonite we sat at the bar. super yummy as usual.

and i heartily second real butter. i use it for everything. it doesn''t have to be a ton...but for me everything tastes better with real butter. sure it has some fat and all that but again, don''t use a ton and you are fine. i might look into that smart promise spread because the real butter is a pain to spread on anything like toast and not use a lot...i do tend to melt something like a tablespoon (100 cals) in the microwave then use it for our waffles and toast and all that as well. and in any recipe i use real butter. some things i just will not give up (and shouldn''t have to!).

oh and DJ i agree with not feeling guilty about the bread and olive oil. that''s much better than alternatives you could be eating. here is my mentality...i am good about 5 days out of 7. the other 2...i am typically good during the day but then we have two meals out and i do WHATEVER I WANT during them. i eat bread, i eat dessert, i have a drink or a soda...whatever. because honestly you have to live. and i love food. and i was still successful at my weight loss and my healthy attitude with that kind of mental allowance...i just made sure to keep my workouts up. so do give yourself a bit of leeway...and especially for stuff like whole wheat bread or something..that''s healthy! and good for you.

worked out tonite at the gym, did 525 calories then my weight training so probably about 565 cals total or around there. tomorrow is an off day for me which i am looking fwd to...but we are going to take a nice long neighborhood walk as long as the weather cooperates. tomorrow night we are talking about splurging and having burgers and fries at this amazing place which is kind of like a dive bar but all they serve is varieties of burgers. it''s famous around here for fab burgers and their fries are to die for. definitely not healthy but we were saying...if you gotta have a burger then at least you know it''s fresh and premium and not processed, lol. so we might do that tomorrow night. or we are talking about our fave chinese place which has amazing chinese chicken salad. so we''ll see. tomorrow''s dinners is one of those nights i mentioned above, where anything goes. hehe.

congrats on joining the gym nejarb! sounds like you had a good day basil! Oh and in case anyone is wondering, my coworker and i tried the Pop Secret 100 cal pack popcorn today, hands down better than orville redenbacher which we had before. buttery taste and just enough salt. both she and i are in love with this new stuff. highly suggested if someone is looking for a snack.

one note on the drinking fruit juice...i''d read up on that if you are factoring it into a health plan because women are famous for drinking their calories and fruit juice is a huge culprit of those calories. of course preventing something like alzheimers is a great reason to drink it but just be sure to check labels and know what you are consuming and how it fits into your plan.

hope everyone has a great day tomorrow and have a wonderful birthday rod. i love the idea of a 3 lb lobster...mmmm. another mental plus ''check'' for raleigh...lol.

You only get the crust on top but it was more than enough to satisfy that need for me. I just did a search and the stupid recipe has disappeared! Good thing I printed it:

1/2 (15 oz.) package refrigerated pie dough (Pillsbury)
cooking spray (I used olive oil cooking spray)
18 tsp salt
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp dried rubbed sage (I used a bit more and a splash of chili powder just to give it some kick)
1/4 tsp salt
8 ozs. chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
1 1/4 cups water (I replaced this w/ chicken broth)
1 1/2 cups frozen veggies
1 cup mushrooms (I used about 1/2 a cup porchinis)
1 (10.5 oz) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced sodium cream of chicken soup (people who reviewed the recipe recommended using cream of potato and cream of mushroom as well)

Preheat oven to 425.

Cut 3 4" circles out of dough. (I made ours in ramekins so I followed the recipe, but you could do this in a bigger dish and just cut out the appropriate sized dough.) Coat baking sheet w/ cooking oil and place pie dough on, lightly coat top of dough with cooking oil and sprinkle w/ 1/8 tsp salt. Pierce dough w/ fork. Bake at 425 until golden. (I waited until later in the recipe to cook these so they were still warm; see below)

Combine flour, sage, 1/4 tsp salt and pepper in zip lock bag; add chicken and toss to coat. Heat large non-stick pan w/ cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken mix and cook for 5 mniutes. Add water (or chicken broth) and loosen scrapings from the side of the pan. Add veggies, mushrooms, and soup; bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes (this is when I put the pie crusts in the oven). Spoon 1 cup each into bowls/ramekins top each w/ pie crust.

It was absolutely yummy.

Ditto what she said about EVOO (unless I am making a recipe that already has the cal count done and includes a certain amount). I sometimes use it on my salad, just so I am getting what I need for the week because it really is so good for your heart.

And on the juice. They are often high in calories and it needs to be 100% pure fruit juice, KoolAid won''t work.

I am not sure if I''m going to go on a hike today, take a walk or spend time on the elliptical, it will most likely be one or the other, but today is supposed to be my day off, so we''ll see.

Happy it''s actually your birthday, Rod! Enjoy your lobster.

Have a great Saturday all!

 

[basil]

Those recipes sound so good...Does anyone have any recipes that just make one serving? I have a problem controlling my portion sizes when I''m just feeding myself...I would pretty much just eat the whole thing so it doesn''t go to waste or have to be put away, so I tend to only make things where eating the whole thing isn''t a huge number of calories.

Anyway, I went for a 30 minute run in the rain today. It felt good because I came up with a million excuses why not to go (I won''t know the mileage, I''m going to get wet, I can''t take my iPod, etc.) but in the end I did it and I feel much better than if I hadn''t. It''s going to be a tough week - I''m on call Sunday and Monday and then Friday overnight and have a big presentation due on Thursday. So I''m going to do my strength training today too, and hope I can squeeze in a few workouts this week. I gotta sleep sometime, though.

One thing I''ve noticed since I''ve been exercising more consistently: I haven''t lost much weight or inches, but I already feel better about myself. Just the knowledge that I''m getting my foot out the door and actually doing something makes me look at myself as being stronger and more athletic and think "hmm, you know, I don''t actually look all that bad afterall"

 

[KimberlyH]

basil,

If you''re not someone who can put the fork down I''d start eating things like chicken breast, turkey burgers, etc. as they can be made as single servings. Also, cut recipes in half fourth,etc. and store the second serving for the next day''s lunch. If it''s not in front of you you''ll be less likely to eat it. I have purchased small bread pans and ramekins and use those for baking/cooking so that when I serve I truly am serving for 1 or 2. Measure, measure, measure...buy measuring cups if you don''t already have them and use them to dole out your meal.

Glad you''re feeling better even if you aren''t seeing numbers move, that can take some time.

~K

 

[Mara]

I agree Kimberly, I half almost every recipe I use...because it's just us 2 and otherwise we are eating the recipe all week long and that's boring. Even when I make cookies or whatever I do 1/2 because again I don't need a plate of cookies sitting around, even if they are healthy ones. I find it's better to cook in smaller batches even if it is kind of more work. Oh and that recipe looks yummy. I think I will try it this week. also on sparkpeople someone posted for the top crust on the CPP they used pilsbury croissant rolls...aka one roll for each ramekin and said it comes out really nice and fluffy/puffy and not many calories. So maybe that's another option for a bit more 'dough' (my fave part).

___________________________________

Here's my turkey lasagna recipe, I adapted it a bit from the CL original ones and added up things as I went along and then figured out calories. Greg LOVES this stuff. You could even make it veggie with no turkey and add another form of veggie like eggplant if you wanted.

Mushroom Turkey Lasagna
One package Jennie O lean ground turkey: 20 oz: 600 cals, 7.5g of fat
Sliced fresh mushrooms: 10oz: 60 cals, 0g of fat (added about another 15cals worth from another container as well, love mushrooms)
Jar of Emeril's Gaahlic Sauce: 480 cals, 20g of fat
1/2 Cup of Water: 0 cals, 0 fat
Hunt's Tomato Sauce Can: 105 cals, 0g of fat
1.1 Cup Diced Onions: 75 cals
Tablespoon Diced Garlic: 0 cals
Tablespoon Dried Oregano: 20 cals (you could use fresh for more flavor)
Few shakes of Dried Basil: 10 cals
Shredded Skim LowFat Mozzarella (I find the bags may vary a bit in servings and cals): 80 cals per 1/3 cup (2.5 cups used: 600 cals)
Shredded Parmesan Cheese: 1/2 cup in recipe: 140 cals
1% Cottage Cheese, 1 Container: 280 cals
1 egg & 1 egg white: 100 cals
Barillo No Boil Lasagna: 9 pieces: 570 cals

3060/8 servings: 382.5 calories per serving
I didn't really track fat but you can do it when you make it and calculate it out...I figure it's close to the CL recipe estimation since I used mostly what they suggested, just diff portion sizes of certain things to 'tweak' it'...and more sauce.

Spray large pan with EVOO. Saute garlic and onion in it for a minute or two over medium heat. Add turkey, oregano and basil, and saute with garlic and onion for about 5-10 minutes til mostly cooked through. Add sauce and 1/2 cup water and bring to simmer, simmer for 5 minutes. (Then I take the sauce, pour it into a bowl and let it sit in the fridge, covered for up to a day OR I have made this sauce part in the morning before work then made the lasagna that evening and it's worked out well too).

Mix 2 cups of mozzarella, all parmesan and cottage cheese with the egg. In a rectangular casserole dish, put some of the meat sauce on the bottom, then pasta on top, pour a bit of the plain canned tomato sauce over both. Put another layer of meat sauce down, then the cottage cheese mixture (spread), then pasta. Pour more canned tomato sauce over pasta. Layer one more time, ending with meat on top. (If you can't layer one more time then I just put regular tomato sauce down, then pasta, then cottage cheese so I can then top and end with meat).

Cover and bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of mozz cheese over top of lasagna then cook another 10 minutes (I usually uncover it and broil it at this point to get a bit of browning on the cheese which we like). Let rest for 10 minutes then cut and serve.

I make it in a big rectangle casserole dish and when it comes out of the oven I cut it into servings. I make Greg's servings a little bigger, so sometimes it's not quite 8 servings equally, it's more like 4 larger servings and 4 smaller servings. But honestly the smaller servings for me, they are FILLING. Because of the layers. You can also make more servings out of it than 8 and it cuts the calories. But I basically do this when I cut Greg's portions larger. Just have to remember not to eat his portions! LOL.

We typically eat it with a fresh salad and sometimes toasted bread. So I find it's a great dish for us to make and eat for a few days (we made it on Thurs, ate it Thurs, Sat and Tues!) on and off so we aren't 'sick' of it and it really does keep fabulously in the fridge.

The key to this recipe for us big time is that you make the sauce part with the turkey and spices and sauce and keep it in the fridge for about 12-24 hours. The longer the tastier. If you make it all at once and bake it, it's not really flavorful at all. Anyhow, a few friends I recommended it to who did that loved it.

I have also halved the recipe and made it in a square baker as well so if you just want 4 servings to eat it 2 nights in a row or something, that works also.

 

[turtledazzle]

I said I would post my measurements, so here they are. I so wish I had "before" measurements: i.e. before I hit my breaking point and decided that I *had* to start working out. That was about 3.5 years ago. Since then working really has become a part of my life. It is just something I schedule regularly, like anything else that I have to do.

Before (what I have at least):
highest recorded weight: 134 (this was before I owned a scale, so I was weighed at the doctor''s office)
height: 5''4"
BMI: 23
size: 8

After:
weight: 113
height: 5''4" (didn''t grow

)
size: 2 or 4, depending
BMI: 19.4
Bust: 34"
Waist: 25.5"
Low Waist: 33" (about where my pants hit)
Hips: 36.5"
Thigh: 22"
Arm: 10"
Body fat: 20.5% (just had it measured at the gym on Friday, but they used a bicep measurement so it may not be completely accurate)


Though I don''t know my "before" measurements, I do know that I am much smaller than I used to be. When I was cleaning out my closet last year to give clothing to Goodwill, I tried on everything to determine whether or not it stayed. The size 8 pants I had were huge on me ... and I remembered times when those pants were a bit snug.

It took me a long time to get to this point ~ very slow and gradual weight/size loss. For the first six months of working out, I stayed at the same weight, but went down from an 8 to a 6. I think I was losing fat and gaining muscle ~ so my weight was in sort of a balancing act. I wish I had thought to record my measurements. Then it seemed like all of a sudden my weight dropped about 10 pounds, but my size didn''t really change very much. Over the next couple of years I slowly lost another ~7 pounds which put me at 117 and a size 4, a place where I was very happy. Over the past six months, I have joined a different gym and gone to different types of aerobics and strength classes. My body has responded by dropping down to ~113 or so and now I''m a size 2 in most pants ... sometimes a 4.

I just wanted to relay my story, because I know how frustrating it can be to be exercising but not see the scale move. Like I said, for six months I didn''t lose more than a pound or so ... but I did go down a size. If I had been completely focused on my weight, I could easily have gotten frustrated and given up. But I could tell my body was slowly changing, and going down a size felt wonderful. So I think it is great that everyone here has started doing their measurements.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend. I think I''ll go do a 3-mile jog this afternoon!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Just got back from a 90 minute workout! 30 minutes each on the bike (borrrring... ), eliptical and treadmill (with only the *very slightest* sentation in my shin toward the end). Tota of 583 calories. Woo hoo!

For breakfast I had 1/2 cup oatmeal and for lunch I had a small container of tuna salad (made with canola mayonnaise) from Whole Foods and a snack pack of low fat potato chips (110 calories). Just ate a clementine, and the happy hubby is grilling steak and veggies for dinner. So all in all I''m doing OK today.

Turttledazzle, I''m glad you posted about working out for so long and changing sizes but not seeing the scale move. The more I hear this the less likely I am to be discouraged when my weight doesn''t budge--and I know that will happen because it''s happened to me before--but the results are still visible in my clothes.

And Basil, I know what you mean about feeling better about yourself. I think that is such an important byproduct of all this (in addition to the weightloss and becoming generally more fit).

 

[Tybee]

Hurray Dee*Jay!
You are continuing to KICK butt! Keep it up!

Mara, thanks for the recipe! I''m trying it tonight! (won''t be able to let it sit... not this time, but maybe next time!) Yum yum yum!

Turtle,
wow, I''m 5 foot 4 and have never weighed 115, not even at my thinnest... I''m a little jealous!

Decided on another NO GYM day for me. It''s pretty crowded these days due to the New Years Resolutionists, I''ll use that reason to force myself to rest the knee one more day. I am about to do some serious stretching, push ups and sit ups, so the day won''t be a complete wash.

Happy (late) Birthday Rod! Lobster is my absolute, hands down, favorite thing to eat. I hope you enjoyed yours!

 

[TravelingGal]

Happy Birthday Rod! Hope the sushi was excellent!

Did 1 hour pilates and hour 1 rollerblade yesterday. The best part about yesterday was that I survived a party and drank no alcohol or had junk food! I had dinner before I went, and brought over a bottle of pellegrino. I often find that just holding a glass and keeping my mouth busy is enough.

Tonight is sushi, whoo hoo (we all do love our sushi on here, don''t we!). Breakfast was cottage cheese and oranges again, but it was actually more like lunch since we woke up so darn late.

Mara, I will have to try that lasagna, as I have almost all the ingredients in the fridge right now. Will let you know how it goes. Thanks for posting the recipe.

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Hi everyone. We hit record temperatures in Boston today of 70 degrees!
Everyone was outside wearing tee shirts and enjoying this crazy flukey weather.
I''m back in the workout groove with 2 trips to the gym in 3 days and jujitsu again on Monday.
You guys are all doing great

Keep up the good work and remember to exercise and watch what you eat

 

[Modified Brilliant]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROD

Life begins at 52!

 

[Mara]

Oh I hope you love it Tybee! Kudos DJ on the awesome workout! Hope you are having a great day Rod! TG have a great sushi dinner!

Today was no workout day but I ended up working on the patio garden all day which seemed like a workout...Greg came out and helped me do a few things...the weirdest thing is that my stomach is still sore and it was totally worse after doing the garden work...like my whole trunk area felt sore and I had that horrible indigestion feeling and my lower stomach hurt worse. And I am seriously bloated in my lower belly. So I don''t know what''s going on but I''m starting to think it''s not just sore stomach muscles from ab work. I''m going to keep an eye on the whole thing and make an appt tomorrow with the dr if it doesn''t feel better. But at least all my spring bulbs are planted and the patio looks awesome!

Tonite we are going to get cheeseburgers and fries at our fave place then go in our spa tub to relax...hopefully it makes me feel better. Hope everyone is having a great night!!

 

[sumbride]

My back was aching this morning, so I went to the pool and did some water aerobics. I actually worked up a sweat (on my forehead!) and felt really good afterwards. Good to know there''s something I can do even when my back hurts!

 

[KimberlyH]

Hi All,

Went shopping this afternoon and am thrilled to report I got to buy a pair of size 6 jeans. I don''t even care that the brand runs a bit large (Banana Republic), it''s such a silly mental thing and they fit absolutely perfectly. I''d have bought 12 pairs if they had ''em, but it was the last one so I''m going to check online for more! I bought a pair of cords at J. Jill that are size 8s though; I did try on a pair of size 6 pants that fit, but had NO wiggle room and that just seemed silly.

Ended up doing about 200 cals on the elliptical for fun as it was a no workout day for me, but will be at it tomorrow. Tomorrow night is a fun dinner out at The Marine Room for San Diego Restaurant week. It should be fun.

 

[Rod]

Thanks for the Birthday wishes!! It was indeed a really wonderful birthday. And yes Jeff, I''m going to agree that life begins at 52. I''m in better shape today than when I was 30 and I''m oh so much better prepared to deal with life than when I was younger too. So, this is going to be the beginning of a wonderful year for us.

OK......Have to admit that the day was super full, but we didn''t make it the gym. This is the first Saturday in longer than I can remember that we did go to the gym. Not that we didn''t have full intentions of hitting the gym. Our gym bags were in our car, but the day just got away from us. For starters, Charlie let me sleep in. I did''t wake up until 9:30 this morning. What a luxury. Even when I was unemployed I never slept that late. Then we had nice healthy bowl of fruit and coffee, read the paper, then headed to meet the developer at the condo to make the final decision on which unit to buy. We spent a long time there and finally decided we are going to make the offer on the larger 3 bedroom 3.5 bath unit on the 8th floor. It just ''lives'' better and we know we will be super happy there. The people who built our condo also own one of the only 5 star restaurants in Raleigh and it''s located right next door to the condo. The funny thing was we have reservations to dine there next weekend with friends because her birthday is tomorrow and we''re getting together next weekend to jointly have a birthday dinner. They made the reservations at this restaurant because they wanted to introduce us to their favorite special occassion place. So, imagine our surprise when the developer suggest we explore the restaurant (which is called Second Empire - cool name wouldn''t you say?) and we get a private tour, meet the chef, the staff, the wine cellar, his daughter and son-in-law who actually run the place and he see''s our reservation and makes note to ensure we have the finest table in the place. Imagine how surprised our friends who think they are introducing us to the restaurant will be to find out we are buying our next home from the peope who own Second Empire and we got to choose the table for our dinner in advance. Funny how things turn out!!

Then we went to Talbot''s Men and they''re having their semi-annual men''s clothing sale and we went a little crazy. I got a new winter coat that they sell for $350 for $129. Plus I bought dress shirts, slacks, sweaters, etc., and Charlie did as well. By the time we left, we would not have had the time to make it to the gym and make our dinner reservations for my lobster dinner, so we just went to Starbucks, had a nice coffee and sat outside (it was in the mid-70''s today!!!).

Tonight, for dinner, I had a 3 pound lobster and it was just fantstic. I didn''t use much butter, so my indulgence was actually pretty low in fat and calories. Lobster is actually not a bad food. It''s the butter that makes it not too good.

So, I had a really nice day. We''ll definitely work out at the gym tomorrow though!!

 

[hlmr]

Happy Birthday ROD!!!!

May all your bd wishes come true!

 

[CrownJewel]

Rod, sounds like you had a fantastic day. That''s really cool about your meeting with the owners of the restaurant!!!

Jeff, it was 72 in NY today! Crazy huh? All my best friends live in Boston, including my little sister (she goes to Boston College). I talked to one of my friends today and she was sitting in the park enjoying the warmth and sunshine.

Mara, I hope your tummy is ok.

I just kept thinking, wow, WHAT kind of situps did she do?! Keep us updated.

Since it was so warm today, I decided to walk from downtown Manhattan where my MCAT class is, all the way up to 106th Street (5.5 miles). But there were so many people out and about that I got frustrated with all the crowds so I only did 4 miles (got up to Lincoln Center). I took the subway the rest of the way and then cooked Mara''s Turkey Lasagna recipe. Only I totally forgot about the cottage cheese, so I did some quick thinking and used some extra firm tofu from yesterday. I mashed up the tofu with a fork and added some extra water. I used Ronzoni no-boil lasagna noodles and it came out really well! I also only had 24oz of pasta sauce, so I added a can of diced tomatoes and some tomato paste. I think all my substitutions did detract a little from the flavor, but I shared it with some friends and they all loved it.

Going for another run tomorrow. Tybee, I''m glad you know what''s going on with your knee. The patellar tendon graft operation and the hamstring tendon operation are completely different in terms of post-op difficulties, so I have no idea what tendonitis feels like or what aggravates it. Happy to hear the knee is a little better from your little bit of rest!!

sumbride, LOL about the sweating during water aerobics. I''ve always wanted to do water aerobics, but I''m scared of any body of water that goes up to my chin (I''m 5''0" so most pools scare me). Fantastic that you found a way to do some safe excercising!! Is your back any better?

 

[Mara]

CJ seriously I didn't do anything that I don't already do a few times a week situp wise, which is why it's so weird that it was hurting. I was thinking I might have overstretched it afterwards, apparently that is an easy way to strain the abdominal muscles. It's just tough because I'm not sure if that is what it is or not. Apparently 'lower abdominal pain' is a symptom of like nine hundred million different problems. So it's really hard to pinpoint it. And the pain is not intense at all, it's just a dull achy feeling that makes me feel uncomfortable so I haven't been able to justify the DR. But if it is still like this tomorrow and at night I am going to make an appt on Monday just to be sure it's not anything crazy that I am overlooking. We use our abdominal muscles all the time without even realizing it, so it could just be a mild strain where I exacerbated it today by doing all the lifting and movement and squatting on the garden patio with things...who knows. But the indigestion problem is really weird though I think I read somewhere that sometimes if your stomach hurts, your body responds with other issues, like you could have stomach issues from the pain or the stress. Who knows. Oh I also read that mild abdominal strains could take 3 weeks to heal, ugh!!

In any case...the burger and fries (and ranch) were DIVINE!!! This place is so yummy. We came home and I beat Greg at Monopoly then we went into our tub...which felt good so hopefully it was good for my stomach too...hahaa. I want to go to the gym tomorrow as the elliptical with no arms doesn't really do much for my abdomen that I am aware of so keeping fingers crossed that the machine is okay to use.

CJ I'm happy that you liked the lasagna..in terms of flavor, doing the diced tomatoes and all that was probably really smart to add in. I would have just added more garlic and onion and more spices then if I wasn't using a whole jar of prepared sauce, as those are more 'flavored' than regular diced tomatoes. Spices, salt, pepper, onion, garlic can really go a long way if you need to 'season' things for taste. I totally recommend next time doing the sauce a day before, it does taste MUCH more flavorful. It seems like the meat 'absorbs' more of the sauce so therefore the flavor is transferred to the meat. Tybee, did you try it, if so did it work out?

Today for eating we had nutrigrain waffles for breakfast, then I had an early afternoon bowl of fiber one, and then a later afternoon snack of cinammon life (i love the stuff, and it's only 120 cals so it's a fun sub for a snack)... and then we went to dinner. I love having lighter days like this one where I just snack on cereal then have a big dinner. It's kind of a nice change from the weekday schedule. And funnily enough, I think even though we did the burger and fries splurge, I am probably within my range for calories because the cereal really isn't that much during the day.

Tomorrow morning I am making us buttermilk pancakes from scratch using an adapted CL recipe...they shouldn't be too bad, something like 250 cals for 3 pancakes, I have low-fat buttermilk...and then of course my sugar free syrup which is like 10-20 cals, such a lifesaver. Real maple syrup is 200 cals per tablespoon, yikes! And I honestly don't even like real maple, never have. I was raised on Mrs Butterworth's 'flavored maple' syrups so thank goodness I don't have a hankering for the real thing, Greg loves real maple syrup so that is what he has. Then tomorrow night I want to make us a dinner but I'm unsure what. It will either be something like baked mussels with a salad and bread, or there is a healthy mac and cheese I want to try...or maybe Kimberly's CPP. We'll have to see how elaborate I want to get or what we feel like tomorrow. On weekends we typically don't eat much during the day, aka breakfast and a snack (cereal usually) during the day and then we eat a dinner. So if we don't go out then typically my weekends are pretty easy for eating.

Anyway hope everyone had a great day and has a great Sunday, CONGRATS Rod on the new 3 bedroom place, how fun to make that decision on your birthday, what a new beginning for a great year.

 

[Lorelei]

Yippee - everyone is doing so well!!!

Haapy birthday Rod, I hope you had a fantastic one - I bet you did especially with little Sakai doing so well!

I have had a couple of really good hour cardio sessions, we were good yesterday as we had eaten more than usual recently. We planned to eat out at the mall, but there is only the usual high fat/ grease fare available. So we decided not to, went home and had a healthy dinner! Much better than squandering precious calories on their greasy old grub!

 

[Tybee]

Mara,
We made the lasagna and LOVED it! We prepared the meal for my MIL who''s birthday we celebrated last night.

Mara, I''m curious about your stomach problem, because I have been experiencing some strange stomach discomfort for the past few
days and have been trying to figure out if I should see the doctor, or if it will just pass. Your problems sound weirdly like mine.

The pain is sort of a dull pain. It''s not terrible, just uncomfortable. I first thought it was indigestion from DH''s black-eyed pea creation that we ate on New Years Day. Sometimes the pain is like that hollow feeling of being hungry, but with a more dull feel to it.
I also feel bloated and... (sorry all) quite gassy.

If your experiencing the same sort of thing, I''m wondering if it''s not some mild stomach flu. Problem with me is that I''ve had it for several days and stomach flus usually pass. Perhaps time (again) to call the doctor.

Enjoy your Sunday all.

 

[KimberlyH]

Mara and Tybee: It is stomach flu/gastroentoritis season. My MIL is still in the hospital and has been quarantined because she was patient #1 to bring it in to the hospital (she also had a UTI and diverticulitus) as it is going around local nursing homes and they''ve now had an outbreak and she''s gotten it back again. There was one CNA on the entire floor yesterday because so many people are sick, the poor man hadn''t eaten all day (we have spent much time with him over the past year w/ my MIL being in and out of the hospital and we just adore him, he''s amazing at what he does). John has asked me to stay away from the hospital because I''m scheduled to visit a friend in Sacramento this coming weekend who just had a baby and he doesn''t want me to get sick.

I tried on my size 6 jeans again this morning, just for fun, and I love them so much I ordered two more pairs.

I''m working out on the elliptical today and probably doing arm weights.

Yesterday was a really low calorie day for me. I ate my usual oatmeal for breakfast, some soup for lunch, a handful of almonds for a snack and soup again for dinner (we stopped at Panera while at the maul). I had 1/2 a glass of wine and 1 small peppermint patty when we got home, so I ended up eating about 1000 calories total. I can just use those remaining 500 at dinner tonight, which works for me. I am amazed at how differently I feel about what I''m doing now that I record my calorie intake and output. It really is inspiring; the last time I did I found it to be trechorous. Maybe I''ll actually keep it up this time!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Just spent an hour on the eliptical machine for 596 calories (oh, the elusive 600 mark!). Had 1/2 cup oatmeal for breakfast and just ate a 40 calorie white chedder rice cake, and hopefully the happy hubby will be home from the grocery store soon and I will have some good things to choose from for lunch. I got two frozen meals yesterday at Whole Foods and I'm tempted to eat one now but they are 380 and 440 calories and that seems like a lot, especially since the HH is cooking a big dinner tonight (roasted chicken with carrots, potatos and onions). Hope he gets home soon or I might give in, LOL.

Rod, I'm so glad that you have made a decision about the condo. It sounds fabulous and I hope you'll post pics once you're in there (you know me--as much of a space junkie as a jewelry junkie!

). And your lobster has got me thinking... it's been a LONG TIME since I had a nice big tail... hmmm, maybe that will be on the menu next weekend!

Kimberly, you exercised a lot more restraint that I would have about the jeans in a 6!!! If I ever manage to buy ANYTHING in a six it's going in my post in big red letters and about 48 point font. Congratulations!

Tybee, I hope you feel better soon. And Mara, if your pain is still there tomorrow you should have it checked. You never know what you might have done; I've had a few things that I thought were "nothing" and they ended up being "something."

Modified, I'm jealous of your weather! Not that we haven't had it easy here this year, but trust me, it ain't 70 outside!

And CJ, I don't blame you for getting on the subway--at the 4 mile mark! You defintiely earned a little rest at that point.

 

[Mara]

Tybee I am so glad the lasagna worked out!! In terms of the stomach thing, I have strained stomach muscles before and I know how it feels which is basically how this felt the first night and next day, like sitting hurts, getting up hurts, going to the bathroom hurts kinda thing. But then it's kind of stagnated with getting better whereas in the past it just takes a few days really, and then with the indigestion yesterday (gassy...omg poor greg, he was like what is wrong with you...hehe) it got really weird for me. Of course looking online for possible ailments never makes anyone feel BETTER because there are like a million things that could be wrong with you that are scary. But it kind of put it in perspective when I foudn this site that said, on a scale of 1-10 how bad is the pain. For me it's like a 3...just discomfort. So really it's probably nothing serious, and I wouldn't be surprised if all the movement yesterday exacerbated it and just made my stomach upset too. This morning my bloating was pretty much gone so we'll see how I feel today. But yes if it keeps up I am definitely going to see a doctor just to rule out anything weird. Oh and last nite I had a really hard time falling asleep because I was kind of uncomfortable (again nothing painful just a dull ache kinda thing) in different positions and one time I woke up and I was sweating...aka whole body sweat. Which was really weird. Then I was chilly. I thought maybe it was that flu that is going around (there are like 500 people at San Quentin sick with it as well, so I saw it on the news) but honestly I don't feel SICK like I have a cold or flu. So anyway who knows, our bodies are strange complicated instruments. Also I am drinking super strong coffee this morning to help with my digestion...hahaha. I was thinking of drinking a few detox teas today to see if that kind of *cough* cleans me out but I don't know if I am that brave.

Today we're taking down the Christmas stuff, Greg is going to help me so I don't overexert myself like yesterday. I'd like to hit up the elliptical at the gym and see how I feel so will do that today. We're still thinking about what to have for dinner....I'll have to figure it out within a few hours so that I can stop at the store and get ingredients for whatever I am going to make! I love cooking at home on Sunday nights, gives us a chance to relax before another work week.

I made us buttermilk pancakes this morning, we love the things. Here's the recipe for anyone interested. They could probably use a bit more sugar...so add more if you feel it's necessary (or use a sugar sub), but if you use the right sugar free syrup (I am not loving this Vermont Farms stuff I found, so far Joseph's Sugar Free sold at Whole Foods is hands down the best tasting one I have found, really mapley and buttery) they are typically really yummy. We put fresh blueberries on top but next time if I remember I will throw them into the batter.

Buttermilk Pancakes
1/2 cup white flour: 200 cals
1/4 cup whole wheat flour (or you can use more of this and less of white...preference!): 100 cals
1/2 tsp of baking powder: 10 cals
dash of salt: 0 cals
1 tsp cinammon: 6 cals
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk: 80 cals
1 tsp sugar: 15 cals
dash of vanilla: 10 cals
1 egg white: 20 cals
1 tablespoon butter (all melted): 100 cals
1/4 cup water: 0 cals
2 tablespoons flax seed: 60 cals

Mix dry ingredients. Mix buttermilk, sugar, vanilla, egg white and 1/2 tablespoon of the butter together in a bowl. Combine wet into dry...mix until combined, using 1/4 cup water to get desired batter consistency (some people like it thicker, others thinner). Do not overmix. On flat griddle, using a pastry brush and 1/2 remaining tablespoon of butter, brush butter on. Using a ladle, create round pancakes. Buttermilk pancakes seem to take a little longer to cook, if you don't want a moist pancake, modify recipe to have less buttermilk and more flour.

Top with fresh fruit and your favorite sugar free syrup.

Makes 5-6 pancakes depending on your pancake size, aka 2 servings.Total calories: 601. Calories per serving: 300.

ETA...thanks DJ..yeah I will def keep an eye on it. Congrats on the 596 cals..hehe. Usually at that point I just round to 600!! It's easier for me to keep track.

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 1/7/2007 1:11:11 PM
Author: Dee*Jay
Just spent an hour on the eliptical machine for 596 calories (oh, the elusive 600 mark!). Had 1/2 cup oatmeal for breakfast and just ate a 40 calorie white chedder rice cake, and hopefully the happy hubby will be home from the grocery store soon and I will have some good things to choose from for lunch. I got two frozen meals yesterday at Whole Foods and I''m tempted to eat one now but they are 380 and 440 calories and that seems like a lot, especially since the HH is cooking a big dinner tonight (roasted chicken with carrots, potatos and onions). Hope he gets home soon or I might give in, LOL.

Rod, I''m so glad that you have made a decision about the condo. It sounds fabulous and I hope you''ll post pics once you''re in there (you know me--as much of a space junkie as a jewelry junkie!

). And your lobster has got me thinking... it''s been a LONG TIME since I had a nice big tail... hmmm, maybe that will be on the menu next weekend!

Kimberly, you exercised a lot more restraint that I would have about the jeans in a 6!!! If I ever manage to buy ANYTHING in a six it''s going in my post in big red letters and about 48 point font. Congratulations!

Tybee, I hope you feel better soon. And Mara, if your pain is still there tomorrow you should have it checked. You never know what you might have done; I''ve had a few things that I thought were ''nothing'' and they ended up being ''something.''

Modified, I''m jealous of your weather! Not that we haven''t had it easy here this year, but trust me, it ain''t 70 outside!

And CJ, I don''t blame you for getting on the subway--at the 4 mile mark! You defintiely earned a little rest at that point.

DeeJay, I also bought a pair of cords that are a size 8, which is normal for me, so it''s just a sizing fluke which doesn''t allow for as much celebration in my mind.
You are doing so awesome on the workouts, kudos to you!

I burned 650 on the elliptical and I think I''m going to head outside and hack some trees and bushes. One keeps hitting my office window and it''s making me nuts and we can no longer see out the back windows in the family room because the bushes are overgrown. Hedge trimmers here I come!

Have a great day all.

 

[turtledazzle]

Date: 1/6/2007 5:05:12 PM
Author: Tybee

Turtle,
wow, I''m 5 foot 4 and have never weighed 115, not even at my thinnest... I''m a little jealous!

Tybee ~ Thanks, but I''m jealous of your thighs!

We may be the same height, but we obviously have different body types. When I gain weight, it goes straight to my hips/butt/thighs while my upper body stays pretty much the same. I''m fairly curvy, and have a smallish-medium frame. When I had my body fat measured at the gym, they estimated frame by having me wrap my thumb and middle finger around my wrist. If the fingers overlap, you have a small frame. If the fingers just touch, you have a medium frame. If the fingers don''t meet, you have a large frame. My fingers meet and overlap slightly, so I''m on the border between small and medium, I suppose.

As for my weight, I was honestly surprised when I went down below 117. I was about 117 when I graduated high school, so at 113 I''m basically the lowest weight in my adult life. Since I am 31 years old and my wedding is in May, I have to say that I''m pretty happy. I really do feel well and am so glad I am living a healthy lifestyle.

I hope your knee is feeling better. Take care of it before and during your ski trip! I''ve never had surgery, but I have had to go to physical therapy a few times for knee pain. We only get to go skiing once a year, and I love it, but it is definitely hard on my knees. I''m always icing them and taking Celebrex during my skip trips. Where are you going in Utah? My first trip out West was to Snowbird ~ incredibly beautiful.

Mara & Tybee ~ hope your stomach pains have subsided. No fun at all.

Rod ~ happy belated birthday! Sounds like you had a great day and are adjusting well to your new life in NC.

Sumbride ~ LOL about sweating doing water aerobics. The first time I tried it I was quite surprised when I worked up a sweat on my forehead as well. You can definitely get a good workout in the pool, and it is so much easier on the joints! Hmmm, I should really start going to water aerobics again.

Today is a lazy day for me ~ mostly watching the playoff games. But I may do some strength and stretching exercises a bit later. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

 

[Tybee]

Thanks all for the good stomach and knee wishes. Things seem to be improving. Funny thing about the stomach issue, it hasn''t dampened my appetite at all, just a dull annoying pain. But it all seems to be supsiding.

The good news is that the knee is feeling better and better. I did manage a pretty long workout today, lots of squats and quad work to prepare for next week''s trip, but no running or pounding. The knee feels pretty okay, but I bought a neoprine support brace just in case.
I am so excited for this ski trip that nothing can hold me back, ha ha! Also being the health freak that I''ve become, I keep envisioning how many more calories I will burn by being in the cold and skiing than I can burn running around here.

Turtle, we only get to ski once a year too. We live in Atlanta, so our yearly trip is usually to Utah, or somewhere out west.
This year we are renting a house with a few of our great friends. We''re going to Brighton which is a small mountain near SnoBird (Snobird is one of my favorite mountains!!!!!) The wonderful thing about Brighton is that there is NOTHING there, just us, our friends, the mountain, and whatever food/drinks/games we bring. I cannot wait!

Eating leftover lasagna tonight. It''s really a killer recipe. Must confess that I finally figured out what EVOO (from your recipes) was today! lol! I guess if I watched Rachel Ray more I''d know!!!

Oh quick question about bubbly water: I drink a ton of this stuff. La Croix is my cola replacement, and I love it. A friend of mine commented that while bubbly water is a great substitute for cola, it doesn''t do as great a job hydrating you. Does anyone know if this is true or not?

Enjoy the last hours of your weekend.

Tybee

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 1/7/2007 6:06:56 PM
Author: Tybee

Oh quick question about bubbly water: I drink a ton of this stuff. La Croix is my cola replacement, and I love it. A friend of mine commented that while bubbly water is a great substitute for cola, it doesn't do as great a job hydrating you. Does anyone know if this is true or not?

Oh no -- I hope that's not true! I *live* on San Pellegrino!

Tybee, glad to hear that your knee is feeling better. I actually used an old elastic knee brace that I have laying around today on the eliptical to see if it would help me with the "morning after" soreness that I generally get. Will have to see if it works or not. (If so I might get one for the other knee too -- growing old is hell, LOL.)

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 1/7/2007 6:06:56 PM
Author: Tybee
Thanks all for the good stomach and knee wishes. Things seem to be improving. Funny thing about the stomach issue, it hasn''t dampened my appetite at all, just a dull annoying pain. But it all seems to be supsiding.

The good news is that the knee is feeling better and better. I did manage a pretty long workout today, lots of squats and quad work to prepare for next week''s trip, but no running or pounding. The knee feels pretty okay, but I bought a neoprine support brace just in case.
I am so excited for this ski trip that nothing can hold me back, ha ha! Also being the health freak that I''ve become, I keep envisioning how many more calories I will burn by being in the cold and skiing than I can burn running around here.

Turtle, we only get to ski once a year too. We live in Atlanta, so our yearly trip is usually to Utah, or somewhere out west.
This year we are renting a house with a few of our great friends. We''re going to Brighton which is a small mountain near SnoBird (Snobird is one of my favorite mountains!!!!!) The wonderful thing about Brighton is that there is NOTHING there, just us, our friends, the mountain, and whatever food/drinks/games we bring. I cannot wait!

Eating leftover lasagna tonight. It''s really a killer recipe. Must confess that I finally figured out what EVOO (from your recipes) was today! lol! I guess if I watched Rachel Ray more I''d know!!!

Oh quick question about bubbly water: I drink a ton of this stuff. La Croix is my cola replacement, and I love it. A friend of mine commented that while bubbly water is a great substitute for cola, it doesn''t do as great a job hydrating you. Does anyone know if this is true or not?

Enjoy the last hours of your weekend.

Tybee

Tybee,

It''s not true. Our bodies break down everything we put into them to it''s basic components, water is water at its base. Carbon dioxide is added to H20 to create carbonation but our bodies process and metabolize it the same.

 

[CrownJewel]

Mara, the heat and chills and trouble sleeping makes me think you may have had a fever. There are many times that I have a fever but don''t feel sick (aside form the heat and chills). For dull aches, heat works well...do you guys have a hot water bottle (I never understood why it''s called a bottle. It''s just a pink rubber water container)? That may help ease the discomfort. It''s interesting that KimberlyH says there''s something going around. Maybe that''s what you and Tybee have?

FI and I are going out to one of our fave French restaurants for dinner tonight. Hahaha...no restraints...yummy!

DeeJay, how are those frozen meals? I remember as a kid, I tried one or two and thought they were good, but I don''t know what''s out there these days. Any good ones? And a 400 calorie dinner is good. I guess it depends on how much you get for 400 calories, but in general, if it fills you up then it''s excellent.

When everyone''s stomachs start to feel better, I''ll post a vegetarian chili recipe. So easy to make, low in calories, high in flavor. I made it for our New Year''s Eve party and all the carnivorous guys commented on how it was so good that they didn''t care that meat was missing.

I feel like we all had such a great week. Great recipes, great workouts. I hope the upcoming week is just as good for everyone.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 1/7/2007 6:34:46 PM
Author: CrownJewel

DeeJay, how are those frozen meals? I remember as a kid, I tried one or two and thought they were good, but I don't know what's out there these days. Any good ones? And a 400 calorie dinner is good. I guess it depends on how much you get for 400 calories, but in general, if it fills you up then it's excellent.

CJ, the meals are hit or miss. I really like some of them and others end up in the garbage. Today I did break down and have the one for 380 calories for lunch, it was Amy's cheese ravioli. We have some super duper microwave that must operate at a higher heat than most and I have to adjust the heating time down, which I forgot to do today so it was a little burned around the edges. It was *OK*, but I don't think I would get that one again.

I do like some of the Indian ones; not the ones in the black and green packaging, but there is another brand that's better. Next time we go I'll get some and let you know what kind if you're interested. Of those the chicken tiki masala (sp?) favorite.

 

[CrownJewel]

Yes yes DeeJay please let me know! I'm currently not working, but I hope to be soon. So I forsee many nights that I won't have time to cook. I need some low-maintenance (aka no work required) dinners.

ETA: regarding the carbonated water issue, Kim and Tybee, what if it has added salt? I know some of the carbonated waters that my fiance drinks have salt added. In that case, I think it is less hydrating, since your body will try to retain water in the presence of sodium.