Weekly Workout Thread 20th Aug toll 26th Aug

[Lorelei]

Happy new week all from the land of - you guessed it - pantsy weather

I was sitting here trying to plan out this week's thread when Hubby who is off work this week gave me great inspiration!

He is hobbling around with a huge bruise on the inside of his upper leg, suffering from a pulled muscle!

He was playing soccer, and didn't properly prepare for exercise, and dived in to play and hurt himself by doing the splits in the mud.

So watching him shuffle around groaning, I thought is a good reminder to try to prepare for exercise as best you can, and also try to match the activity to your capabilities and current fitness levels. There are no guarantees of course, but taking a little time to stretch out and warm up may help prevent injury, especially if like him, you have taken a break from working out. Poor Hubby has been in agony, and I thought it was just worth mentioning how easily injuries can happen, so just take a little time people to warm up properly.

Everyone is doing so well - great job WWTers!

I am trying out an hour every other day for my workouts at the moment , as I felt as if I was just trotting on like a well trained horse, this way I am noticing the desirable aches in my legs from my workouts! Thanks for that inspiration Mara! I needed a shake up and realized I no longer feel it after my workouts, so I needed to mix it up a bit.

Have a fantastic week all and keep up the excellent work!

Hang in there Rod!

 

[marcy]

Lorelei, thanks for the reminder to prepare for exercise and try to avoid injury. I don''t think I mind the injury as much as how much it interferes with your routine. I hope your DH gets better soon.

I am really on a roll this week. I am now minus 119 pounds. Woo hoo!!!!

Have a great day!

 

[KimberlyH]

Wow, Marcy, way to go on 119 lbs! You are my hero!

Lorelei, what a great message. I woke up this morning with a sore hip, no doubt from walking 5+ miles yesterday without stretching! Hope poor hubby gets better soon!

 

[Rod]

Woo Hoo Marcy!!!! 119 POUNDS is absolutely phenominally, fantastically stunning!!!

Thanks for the reminder Lorelei. This will surely come in handy when I''m cleared by my Dr., to return to the gym. I feel my muscles shrimking as I type this. So, being prepared and making sure I stretch well before my first workout will be important. I hope hubby doesn''t hobble too long. And so sorry you''re still the "pant''s" weather.

I''m having difficulty concentrating this morning. I managed to stay occupied throughout the weekend, but sitting at my desk my mind''s playing mean tricks on me. Oh well, Thursday will be here soon enough.

Enjoy the brownies with your neighbors Mara!

Tonight''s Sushi night. This time I can have a Sapporo, which I really really need!

Have a great Monday everyone.

 

[Lorelei]

Thanks guys! Poor Hubby has been in a lot of pain with this, injuries of this nature can happen so easily and he has a whopper of a bruise. The bruise has only just showed itself and it is about the size of my hand and very pretty colours! Arnica pellets are what is needed, but we have run out - typical! He is saying thanks to all *sniff* for your good wishes for him!

 

[Skippy123]

Hey Lorelei, great opening as always! I try to stretch no matter what and it FEELS sooo good. I hope your hubby gets better soon poor guy; wow, the splits eeeek!

Kimi, 5 miles woooo weeee! Yay! When do you start subbing again?

Rod, yay to the beer. When I had a tough day I crave a beer. I will be sending good vibes for good results, hang in there sweetie pie! Oh, btw, I bought the core book; I can't wait for it to come in the mail soon!

Yay Marcy! You rock!!!! Congrats; keep up the good work!

Today my knee hurts a little so I am nixing the jogging until I get better. I plan for a walk tonight; I sleep better after an long evening walk; too bad it is in the 90s though.

I have to get my oil changed and buy some healthy snacks for our road trip to the Grand Canyon (hiking yippee) and Las Vegas (shopping and eating). I am not a huge fan of Vegas but enough time has lapsed to enjoy it again. There have been many many chances to go to Vegas and I passed up since I was Vegased out (the bing bing bing the machines make drive me bonkers after awhile). I need an In N Out burger; it has been 3 years since my last one so I will get my fix in Vegas and my crab leg fix too. hehehe I can' t wait to see the Wynn and look at all the huge diamonds at Graff and other jewelry stores out there! Happy Monday.

 

[NYCsparkle]

good afternoon all!!!
love the new pic lorelei..was that cat in the walk like an egyptian video...lol hope hubby feels better.
wow marcy!!!! what an inspiration to me--119pounds!!! awesome! i''m having a hard time lately because i feel as though i can''t fully get myself back on the workout routine and in return its making me feel like who cares about eating healthy...although i am trying to keep up with eating healthy. ever since i realized i''m going back to work, i''ve been all stressed and anxious. i want to go back, but i am also stressed about not being with my son

. i can''t sleep at night so well and i''ve been too tired to workout---

. i was nice and toned last month, but now i''m not happy with how downhill i''ve gone and untoned i look. i really need a swift kick in the you know where to get me back on track.

hows the hot rod, rod?

 

[Mara]

morning all! happy monday (or not hehe)...sounds like everyone (except lorelei's hubby, ouchie!) is doing pretty good. NYC you just gotta get back on the wagon...stop thinking about when or why you are not doing it and just do it!! it's okay to fall off but if you know you are unhappy with where you are, only you have the power to fix that for yourself. isn't it sad though how quickly all our hard work goes to pot when we slack? i hate that!! it seems like if you take 9 months to get to a point it should take AT LEAST 9 months to get back to the starting point if you slack, not like a month! jeez. foiled at every turn hehee.

had my cereal and coffee this morning along with 1/2 an english muffin. for lunch i brought a TJ's salad and have 0% Fage i can mix with blueberry LS jam from TJ's. pria bar for snack most likely. tonite i am excited as we are going to get sushi takeout from our fave place and take it nextdoor to our neighbors so that we can hang out with them and visit and all get a sushi fix. rod i always think of you when we have sushi now.

i plan to do a home workout tonite and a 2-3m walk tonite as well before dinner. my legs are SO SORE from the combined hiking workouts this wkd...so i guess i'm doing something good for my body hehee. and i know that with the soreness that i am 'feeling it' so i know i am working and not just going through the motions like it's so easy to do.

skippy take care of the knee!

have a great day everyone!

 

[allycat0303]

Hey Everyone!

So I''m back at school and have already skipped one meal. Was a little short on time for class, and couldn''t get breakfast in. This morning was hectic though, because it was our introduction to everything. So I''m going to try and work out when I get home tonight, my biggest problem with working out during the school year, is I feel like I''m too busy, too tired, etc. So hopefully I can turn a new leaf this year.

Lorelei:Yea for desirable aches! Now there''s something you don''t hear everyday!

Marcyc: 119 pounds! I''m totally at lost and in awe. Keep up the terrific work!

Rod: Sorry to hear you are having a hard time concentrating. It''s completely natural to think about stuff when you aren''t distracted and entertained. Hang in there.

Skippy: Is it possible that jogging is too high impact for you? Or maybe your shoes don''t offer enough support? My knees always hurt when I jog, so I took up skipping instead (I always skip on wood) it was easier on my knees.

Mara: Darn it you eat so healthy! I don''t post what I eat deliberately because I''m really bad. Let''s just say that I don''t eat a lot, but what I am eating is not steller. I figure I''ll start by forcing myself to eat 3X a day, and then move on to healthy food.

NYCsparkle: I think all of us get a little unmotivated sometimes. It''s all part of the territory. When you are feeling better, you''ll be more motivated to work out.

 

[Mara]

ha ha ally oh i have my bad food moments, trust me...however i have really kind of outgrown the whole ''lets eat crap food all the time'' thing. when i was younger and in college especially, i lived off of a lot of fast food, and green things or fruits hardly ever passed my lips. but now in the last few years i have really learned the benefits of eating better most of the time. i find myself actually craving fruits and salads and green and red veggies. sure i still have a massive sweet tooth for goodies, and i love fish and chips or fried food, as much as the next person, but in general i try to keep about a 90/10 rule of eating healthy 90% of the time and splurging 10%. it''s funny though because i do tend to eat pretty healthily and you would think i''d be thinner than i am but i''m not! hehee.

 

[ChinaCat]

Happy Monday everyone.

Whew, I just read the other thread''s posts from the weekend and today''s, and I am exhausted! I don''t know how you all keep it straight to respond to everyone, so I will just ease into that part, if you don''t mind!

A few thoughts:

Marcy- 119 pounds? Are you kidding me? That is so amazing and inspiring. You should be on Oprah.

Rod- You are too funny, I would be thrilled if I was literally ordered not to work out! But sounds like it is hard for you, so I am wishing you peace of mind this week- both for your results, AND for relaxing and enjoying some much deserved rest.

Mara- After reading about your weekend, I have just one question: Do you ever sit down?

I am trying to get back into my healthy mindset. I have started doing Pilates again, which I love, and which really seemed to change my body in a way that lifting weights never did (before the Honeymoon diet). I went this morning at 6:30 am, which I think is a really good way to start your week. Motivates me to eat healthy all day!

My big problem is cardio. I just hate it. And I know once I start doing it, it''s not that bad, but it''s so hard to motivate. I think partly it''s cause I have a new gym and it just doesn''t feel comfortable yet. I loved my old gym. Any tips on what is the least amount I can do, and on what kind of machine is the best to get the most out of it?

I would love to do some hiking, or even take my dog on a walk, but it is like 108 here and so humid that it''s just stupid to be outside. Very jealous of you West Coasters. The weather, and TJ''s. I really miss TJ''s! And Baja Fresh. And Coffe Bean.

Anyways, I plan on going to the grocery store and cooking something healthy tonight. I am thinking of trying this recipe for chicken that is like fried chicken, except it is baked. Serve with maybe just a salad.

Hope today is and continues to be a healthy day!

 

[aljdewey]

Hi, All:

I''ve been really skimming quite a bit over the last few weeks---these threads have grown so quickly that if you fall behind, it''s hard to catch up.

Rod, the car looks AMAZING....and glad the test is finally done. I''ll wait with bated breath with you and pray for fantastic results for you....and I WILL keep up with the thread this week because I want to know the minute you get news.

Marcy - Absolutely incredible! You just inspire me SO much!

Lorelei - while skimming, saw the new avatar and laughed my head off - thanks so much for the great start, too. You really set the tone for commitment and sticking to it by power of example in faithfully getting us all kick-started every week. VERY appreciated.

This weekend was a bit of a departure from good food habits for me as it was my birthday yesterday, too (CG -too funny - we have the same birthday! Of course, I''d have LOVED to spend mine in Hawaii, but it was nice just the same.)

Kind of an up and down day...much love from my folks, who came to spend the weekend with us, and a few close friends we celebrated with. A bit of disappointment from the other side being absentminded, and a friendship that I think has sadly reached the end of its lifespan. But, such are the changes of life.

So, we went out to dinner on Saturday night, and had a little lobsterfest on my birthday yesterday! Was yummy, but definitely have to climb back on the wagon today!

I have a find that I''ve been meaning to share with everyone for a WEEK now. Most of the time, I''m fine without desserts, but when I want them, one of the things I''ve most missed is the lack of anything sweet/crunch since I''ve discovered my pre-diabetic state. That has meant cutting out all manner of bakery products, and the few things I''ve found that are sugar-free have been totally disgusting---I''d rather have nothing.

Last week.....NIRVANA. I happened upon these Murray cookies. Sugar-free, and SON OF A GUN - they don''t taste like sugar-free! http://www.murraysugarfree.com/ There are TONS of varieties, and they really satisfy that urge for something indulgent-feeling. NINE of the shortbread cookies are only 130 calories, and the gingersnaps are TO DIE for (7 cookies for 130 cals there). They have others I''ve not tried (choc chip are 3 for 150 cals, so I''d rather have the others), but it''s a really decent way to have a little something without derailing all one''s hard work!

Will pledge to keep up with this this week! Love to all!

 

[Skippy123]

Ally, have you tried the fiber one bars. Keep that in your purse and if you miss breakfast you already have it there for you. I try to keep some snacks in the car so then I don't overeat the next meal. Skipping sounds fun! I actually hurt my knee and it turns out that my knees are compensating for turned in femers according to the Professor of the Pysical Therapy dept so it is putting an incredible amount of pressure on my knees. I do have really good shoes and soon I will have orthodic insoles (yippee). Thanks for asking and sorry I gave you tmi. I think you are going to make an AWESOME doctor. I love my friends who are doctors; it takes a special person to do that!

Hey ChinaCat and Alj! Al, I have seen those cookies and now I think I will try them since you said they are yummy. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALJ!!!!!!!

Well, I went and bought snacks for our road trip.

The old Skippy would have bought really naughty things for snacks. I actually bought fresh figs, carrots, celery, pretzels, and the naughty thing I am going to make is banana bread.

I also bought golean kashi oatmeal; I hope it is good. It has 7grams of fiber and 9 grams of protein and it is 150 calories so when I get back I will let you know how it goes. Tuesday night I will post and then I will be back Sunday some time; just an fyi.

 

[Mara]

hello all...in an effort to prove ally wrong about my healthy eating habits...i had two pieces of cake today.

HAH! actually one was an ice cream cake but a very small square piece, and the 2nd was a chinese cake (both were for birthdays, i swear this place is going to kill me!) with mango and strawberry. the chinese cake was so much less sweet and really yummy vs the ice cream cake...but i liked both in their own ways...i don''t discriminate against cake! but anticipating the gorgefest that goes on around here on bdays, i only had a cup of chicken noodle soup for lunch so i am doing fine calorie wise...and ate some grapes too. for dinner we''re doing sushi which will be TASTY...and i decided to do a 3m walk this afternoon and then do home workout as well.

hope all are having a good day!!!

 

[KimberlyH]

Skippy, drive safe and have a fantastic trip!

I go back to work on Wednesday and am trying to soak up my last days of vacation.

Happy belated b-day, Al.

It''s such a sad time when friendships run their course; I''m glad you enjoyed your family and a lobsterfest! What fun.

Mara, you can have any cake of mine, as long as it''s not ice cream cake!

DeeJay, I finished I Am Charlotte Simmons and am no longer in love with it like I was when I last reported. How''s Atonement?

Rod, sorry to hear your having a hard time focusing, although I can understand why.

Having eggplant lasagna for dinner, yummy! Happy afternoon all!

 

[Kaleigh]

Hey Rod, I just wanted to stop in and wish you all the best on Thursday. I can imagine it IS hard to concentrate but bet you''ll be just fine. Sending prayers and positive thoughts your way.

Lisa
Nice car, btw!!

 

[phoenixgirl]

Rod, I am thinking about you and wishing Thursday was here all the sooner. Best wishes and positive thoughts sent your way!

AJ, happy birthday! Sorry to hear about growing out of a friendship, but I know how that happens. ''Tis life, I suppose.


For those with a sweet tooth . . . I eat one or two dark chocolate squares (53 calories each) a day. At first I saved them for special occasions/a real dessert, but now I usually eat one right after lunch (or even before), and maybe one later. That''s when I want something sweet. Usually it''s that I don''t like the taste my vegetarian lunch has left in my mouth and want something to change it up.

I seem to be back on track. My weight was back to 121 the day after getting back from vacation. And that''s great, because I had dessert (chocolate cake!) every night, didn''t exercise as much, and ate a lot more meat than usual. I know DH thinks I pay too much attention to my weight (I never used to pay attention to it), but I just don''t want to gain 5 pounds, not know it, and keep gaining. I want to sound an alarm when I gave a few pounds and make sure I get back on track.


Today was the first day I went into school all summer. My room didn''t seem too bad; I''d gained three desks over the summer, but they probably belong to somebody nearby, so we''ll get it worked out. If I don''t need them and nobody claims them, I''ll just pick the crappiest ones and get maintenance to take them away.

So I realize that my carefree summer of working out, eating out, and traveling is pretty much over. Sniff, sniff, and all that. I''m mentoring a new teacher this year. This is my sixth year of teaching and the third new teacher I''ve mentored, so either I am a teaching guru or a sucker. But explaining the ropes to my new "mentee" definitely made me realize that it''s back to work for me.

DH and I have tentatively decided on a year from now as being when we''ll try to get pregnant, and that has definitely freaked me out a little. When we visited NYC, I thought, I''m only 27, let''s just move here and put off kids for 8 to 10 years. Sure, we''d move from our 1500 square feet (plus 750 sq. ft. basement) into a condo that would probably be smaller than our 680 sq. ft. love nest that we finally escaped from this year. And we''d have no money and would barely survive, but imagine the excitement!

I love Richmond (I know everyone thinks I live in Phoenix, but I don''t), but I know all the restaurants and museums. Yes, I live in the city, and people walk by all the time, but they''re usually the same people, like the weird guy who appears to be traveling daily (or more) to the liquor store and coming back with a bottle in a brown bag. I guess I am having an "Edna Pontellier" in The Awakening experience. I know I live in a nice-sized, historic house that is one block from 4 sit-down restaurants/bars, 1 Chinese food place, and 1 pizza place, but I guess I just want more! I want more people crammed in the space I am living in! I want more restaurants and things to do! I want more variety and excitement! I don''t want to work at my ghetto/suburban school two more years just to stay at home all day in my house for the foreseeable future after that. I just got my body in shape . . . I''m size 2P at Ann Taylor, and my sister just had a baby, lost half of her pregnancy weight, and is still a size 14P. I don''t want that to happen to me!

And my husband likes to casually and unrealistically say that he''d be quite happy to be the one to stay home. But that''s just because he won''t be the one to do it! So I''m like, really, is that because you think you''re more suited out of the two of us? What about the fact that teachers make no money? And what about disciplining your child and cleaning up diapers and throw up and all the times when you''re not just tickling/turning upside down your children? And he''s like, yeah, that''s not really what I had in mind. So I had a little blowup where I said, "Look, I''m the one who will give up her career and body to have children, so don''t patronize me by telling me how much fun you think it''d be to stay home!"







OK . . . thank you for letting me vent. I will continue to mull on this whole having kids things this year. We plan to have one last blow out trip to France next summer, then start trying in the fall. And who knows if it will happen then or a year or two or more later, or never. The thing is, while I totally need the summer off from work, I really like my job, and I like that I''m now in great shape and get to go out and enjoy the same restaurants and events that I was just complaining about. And having kids means things will change a whole lot. I''m just trying to be aware of what that will take.

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 8/20/2007 8:12:09 PM
Author: phoenixgirl
I love Richmond (I know everyone thinks I live in Phoenix, but I don't), but I know all the restaurants and museums. Yes, I live in the city, and people walk by all the time, but they're usually the same people, like the weird guy who appears to be traveling daily (or more) to the liquor store and coming back with a bottle in a brown bag. I guess I am having an 'Edna Pontellier' in The Awakening experience. I know I live in a nice-sized, historic house that is one block from 4 sit-down restaurants/bars, 1 Chinese food place, and 1 pizza place, but I guess I just want more! I want more people crammed in the space I am living in! I want more restaurants and things to do! I want more variety and excitement! I don't want to work at my ghetto/suburban school two more years just to stay at home all day in my house for the foreseeable future after that. I just got my body in shape . . . I'm size 2P at Ann Taylor, and my sister just had a baby, lost half of her pregnancy weight, and is still a size 14P. I don't want that to happen to me!

PHXgrl,
lol, I always thought you lived in PHX!!!! Funny! Hubby lived in the Fan District of Richmond for many years; we were just there in May for his mothers funneral. I enjoy Richmond! I love the Fan District and the homes there! They are so beautiful and historical.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Happy Monday all!

I just got back from a final walk though for a client who is closing tomorrow and the HH should be back from the gym soon. I REALLY want to walk over to Navy Pier for some Ben & Jerry's (both the walk and the ice cream appeal to me!) but I don't know if the HH will be up for it since he seems to be working on a huge project right now and he might have to do some things tonight. Not that I don't have a thousand things of my own I could do right now too, but hmmm... ice cream/search for properties/ice cream/fill out new contract/ice cream/review foreclosure paperwork/ice cream... You get the picture!

Lorelei, I need to take your opening to heart. I'm always bolting right into exercise without a proper warm up or stretching and I'm much sorer later for it.

Marcy, you are such an inspiration to me!

Rod, your muscles are NOT shrinking as you type this, LOL!!! I went through the exact same thing a few weeks ago so I know where you're coming from, but honestly I swear you are going to be in just as good a shape in a few days as you are now Hot Bod Rod!!

Stephi, I totally get what you mean about Vegas; I can only go every so often myself. But since I did elope with the HH there I feel like I've already hit my jackpot in that town.

NYC, I am the exact same way--if I can't work out why shouldn't I eat whatever I want? For me it's a slippery slope, but get yourself a toehold and start the climb back up. It won't be as hard as you think.

Ally, it is hard to fit in a workout with a crazy schedule, but if you just make times for it a few times it will start to become part of your routine and it will get easier to fit in.

Mara, TWO pieces of cake today? I'm proud of you in a crazy sort of way!

China, girlfriend if you know how much I HATED the idea of any sort of cario nine months ago you wouldn't have believed in. Now, if I don't get to the gym I'm a wreck. Seriously, just MAKE yourself go do it a few times and see how great you feel afterwards and the next day. Maybe you really won't like it... but maybe you will!

Al, happy belated birthday! And yay for lobsterfest!!

Kimi, well Atoenment took a turn around 10:00 last night that I am not really enjoying. I will finish the book because I'm so far into it (and I can count on one hand the number of books I have NOT finished in my entire life) but I'm not really loving it right now.

Hello Lisa!

PG, a year is a long way away and who knows what you will want/feel by then. Don't stress yourself out now by worrying about next fall. (I know; easy to say, hard to do, but we are here for you if you want to "talk" it over some more.)

 

[Rod]

Skippy, enjoy your trip to the grand canyon and Vegas. I too am not a big fan of Vegas. Our company used to have our annual meetings there, and I was like a duck out of water. I don't gamble or really drink (save my Sapporo's with Sushi), so I never knew what to do when I wasn't in a meeting. I did the shopping thing, you Caesars and all, but I have great shopping at home. Anyway, enjoy the hike and your burger and crab legs (yum)! Also, YAY on getting the Core Essentials book. You'll get a lot out of that book for sure.

NYC, the Hot Rod (you did mean the car right

) if great. I just love that car!! Sorry to hear stress is getting you down. Once you get in the new swing of things, you'll be in a better frame of mind and you'll get back to working out.

Ally, I hope you find the time to get some fitness time in between school. It's hard to juggle so much for sure. You'll work it out!

China, the best all around cardio machine is the Elliptical. You said it's hard to get motivated, but just shut the world out and put some tunes in your ears and "Just Do It" as the Nike ad says. You'll get adjusted to your new gym in no time. Happy Belated Birthday too!

Thanks for popping Alj. It's always so nice to hear from you. I'll post the results GOOD or BAD when I get them. And a Happy Belated Birthday to you my friend!

Yumm on the eggplant lasagne Kimi!!!

Hey Lisa, it's so nice of you to pop in too!! Thanks for the kind thoughts. I'm going to be fine either way. Thanks for the kudo's on the car too!!

Phoenix.....I'm one of the ones who thought you lived in AZ too. I had no idea you lived in Richmond, VA. I used to come to Richmond once a month on business. I stayed downtown, but it's been a while and I don't recall the name of the hotel, but it was very nice. There was a restaurant across the street in an all brick (like that's really descriptive - just about everything in downtown Richmond's brick) and they had superb crab cakes. I'm from Southern MD, originally, so I definitely can understand your desire for a bigger more cosmopolitan city.

Thanks dear DeeJay for reminding me my muscles aren't turning to mush. Yes, you surely do know what it's like being exiled from working out.

We had a terrific dinner at favorite Sushi place #2. Then we walked down to get our active yogurt frozen treat (green tea with fresh blueberries - so Yummy!!). We skipped coffee, it's just a tad too warm for coffee tonight. So, I came home and wiped down my new car instead. I do love keeping a car nice and clean when it's a new toy.

Speaking of.........We expected Charlies 335i Coupe to arrive later this week. But around 4pm this afternoon, we were notified it had just been delivered and we're scheduled to take delivery tomorrow night. Charlie's pretty excited. This is my first BMW and it will be his first BMW too. So, he's taking tomorrow night off from the gym. I guess getting a new BMW takes precedence over working out for sure!! Woo Hoo!

I hope I didn't leave anyone out. If I did, know that I so truly appreciate all the good wishes and prayers. You guys are the best virtual family a guy could ever have to be sure!!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 8/20/2007 8:48:07 PM
Author: Rod
Speaking of.........We expected Charlies 335i Coupe to arrive later this week. But around 4pm this afternoon, we were notified it had just been delivered and we''re scheduled to take delivery tomorrow night. Charle''s pretty excited. This is my first BMW and it will be his first BMW too. So, he''s taking tomorrow night off from the gym. I guess getting a new BMW takes precedence over working out for sure!! Woo Hoo!

I hope I didn''t leave anyone out. If I did, know that I so truly appreciate all the good wishes and prayers. You guys are the best virtual family a guy could ever have to be sure!!

Can you tell I am already missing you guys and I haven''t left yet so I am stalking the WWT. hehehe
YAY!!! I bet you and Charlie are sooooo excited!!!!

 

[KimberlyH]

Yay for Charlie''s car coming, Rod!

DeeJay, you''ll have to tell me what you think of it when you finish, I''m bummed it''s taken a bad turn. I devoured I Am Charlotte Simmons and at the end I threw it down all pissed off that it ended the way it did.

Phoenix, sorry you''re struggling...I know what you mean about craving big city living and the trade offs of having kids...we haven''t even decided whether or not we''ll have kids and I''m scared of the prospect, in some ways.

Lasgna is cooking...yummy!

 

[KimberlyH]

Rod, hooray for Charlie''s car coming! You and I are in the same boat about Vegas...it is not my kinda town.

DeeJay, I''m so sorry Atonement took a turn for the worse. When I finished I Am...I threw it down in a huff of pissed-offness because it just wasn''t what I''d hoped it would be.

Phoenix, I totally understand your dilema. We haven''t even decided whether or not we''ll have kids and the prospect frightens me.

Lasagna is cooking, yummy!

 

[phoenixgirl]

Thanks everyone! I love my PS family who listens to my secret thoughts without judgement!

I''ve just always been a planner. When I went to college, I knew I was picking Richmond as a place I could live the rest of my life. And when I started to date my husband at age 18, I made sure he was someone I could marry. I never thought my life would involve living in the [smallish] city and partying and hob-nobbing and enjoying my career, even if I did pick that career out when I was 7 years old. I thought I''d live in the suburbs and have my babies and make that my life. DH means well when he says he''d like to stay home. He cooks more than I do, and he indulges the fact that I "will not" clean, so we pay $2500 a year for maids. He''s just not realizing how I feel about it. When he complains about his job, maybe I should say, "Really? I''d love to work downtown and go to all-expenses paid dinners and be able to take off whenever I want!"

No, I guess that wouldn''t help things. Things that we don''t have to do ourselves always seem good in theory . . .

Rod, did you stay at the Omni? I know a restaurant or two near there, but I''m not sure if they''re brick. That''s the nicest hotel that''s downtown proper. I guess I''ve just gotten past the, "Wow, I always lived in the suburbs, even living in a small city is fun!" phase to the "Wow, there are cities way better than this!" phase!

Skippy123, I live in the Fan (well, technically not quite -- I moved two blocks and out of the Fan and into an adjoining neighborhood), and I do love it. DH always says it''s the oldest intact Victorian neighborhood in the U.S. I haven''t verified that fact independently, but it sounds good! When I go on my 5-6 mile walks, I walk past all the old homes. Ours was built in 1916 . . . a baby compared to some of the homes in the heart of the Fan.

I do want to have children. It''s not that I don''t want to have them. It''s just that the time to have them keeps getting pushed back. My mom was 29 when she had her first child. My brother and sister were both 31. No one is telling me I must start trying at 28. I guess I thought it sounded nice to have your first child before 30. But who cares how it sounds.

 

[Rod]

Phoenix, yes, it was the Omni. I always thought it was a very nice hotel and within walking distance of great places to eat.

 

[Skippy123]

Phx, hubby lived one block over from Monument avenue; his house was built in 1890! I love Carytown and I have been to your Panera in Willow Lawn!!! How funny! We have friends who live off River and I would love to live in that neighborhood; also they send their kid to Stuart School!!! I had a Bill's limeade and those are yummy! Gosh, now when I hear about you taking walks in the heat I will know there is tons of humidity w/your walk! Eeeek; I don't know how you do it!!!!

Also, PHX, I love the ham biscuits at Ukrops!!!

Kimi, enjoy your day off tomorrow. The kiddos are so lucky lucky lucky to have you for a teacher! How exciting; I bet it will be fun to go back to school. I hope you all get rain soon!

DeeJay, I want to do one of those gem shows; I earned some free SWA tickets from all my travels for work so maybe the next one in Dec! Also, hubby has a friend out there I am sure he would love to visit w/while I check out jewelry! hehe Enjoy the gym!!

Tonight I walked 4 miles and the weather was hotter today 95 degrees during my walk.

I kept circling and walking 1.5 miles and then got a drink and then circled till I did 4 miles. I can't wait till it cools off; gosh, what was I thinking when planning this trip. It is suppose to be 105 degrees, eek!

Sweet dreams friends!

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone!

I had a very bad day at work so I am glad to see Monday is almost over. Hopefully tomorrow will be much better. We just saw the space station and shuttle pass overhead. It was AWESOME!
Thank you Kimberly, Rod, Skippy, NYC, Allycat, Chinacat, Al and DeeJay for the kind and encouraging words about my ever shrinking body. I really appreciate it.
Kimberly, I hope your hip feels better. Enjoy your lasagna.
Rod, sorry to hear your mind was wandering at work. If you are like me; your imagination can get carried away. Good luck on Thursday. My thoughts are with you. Woo hoo to Charlie getting his BMW tomorrow.
Lorelei, I love it when bruises get all nasty colored. At least it means you are getting better. I hope your DH gets better soon.
Skippy, I am sorry to hear your knee is hurting. Enjoy your walk this evening. Your trip to the Grand Canyon and Vegas sound marvelous. Enjoy the bling views for me. Good for you buying sensible snacks for your trip.
NYC, I am so sorry to hear you have been struggling on being motivated. I think it is hard when you don’t see results for awhile making it so easy to say “what’s the use?” but we know if you stick to it you will feel so much better. I hope you start sleeping okay. I know you will miss your son while you are working but you’ll enjoy time with him even more when you get off work. Hang in there lady, it’ll work out fine.
Mara, I hope you aren’t so sore tonight. It sounds like a good idea to do a workout at home tonight. I like your 90/10 rule. Good idea! I am so jealous of 2 pieces of cake.
Allycat, I am worried about school and time too. I work until 5 and the class I teach starts at 6. Since I don’t eat much at one time I know I will be starving to death if I wait until class is through to eat. I will just have to pack something I can eat between work and school; maybe something like fruit and protein bars. I plan on walking the halls during breaks at school to help keep up my walking.
Chinacat, 108 degrees sounds way too hot to me. Let me know how your baked fried chicken turns out; it sounds very good.
Al, Happy Birthday! It sounds like you had a great b-day. The sugar free gingersnaps sound like something I’d like. I’ll have to try them. Someone told me the sugar free Russell Stovers candy is good but I’ve never tried it.
Hi Kaleigh.
PhoenixGirl, I am glad to hear you lost some of the weight you found on your trip. I go back to school Wednesday. I don’t know if I am ready to be that busy again. No worries about venting. Having children will dramatically change your life; it is good to think about all of it and get it out in the open now. I know you’ll figure out what is right for you and your husband. I am a planner too, my husband is a spur of the moment never make plans guy. I think we drive each other crazy with it sometimes.
DeeJay, congratulations on the house closing tomorrow. Mmmm Ben and Jerry’s.
Take care my PS friends!
Marcy

 

[monarch64]

Evening WWTr''s...I''m finally organized and ready to go for the big first day of my new job tomorrow! I went to the mall today and picked up a few new items to add to my work wardrobe, as it is always nice to have a fresh new outfit or two for the first week of a new job. I found an adorable black pleated shirtdress, I tried on an 8 and it was too big so I ended up getting a 6 which is still sort of roomy! Weird, because I''m currently in between a 10 and 12 in pants, gotta love that vanity sizing I guess! There was a gal in the fitting room next to mine who had apparently lost a lot of weight and was trying on a size she''d never worn before...she was totally talking to herself and was just caught up in the moment of looking in the mirror and seeing a whole new person, it was so cute. I have never, ever been in a women''s fitting room and heard such positive comments coming from someone''s mouth, lol! I was so inspired by her I had to ask my SA what she was trying on and I ended up trying on the same outfit but the top was too short for me (I''m tall and long waisted and it was just not happening, ha). Anyway, I found some fun things that will get me through the end of summer and into winter, and bonus! a size 6 dress! I don''t think I''ve lost any weight but seeing that number on a tag was nice.

I got a manicure after the mall, sadly I broke a nail right down to the quick almost this morning while I was cleaning the kitchen so I had to get all my nails (which were growing out so nicely) cut down to match.

I hate that. I actually remembered to bring my own color for once, so my little nailies are wearing OPI Bubble Bath, I think it''s the color Sarah Jessica Parker came up with for OPI a few years ago. Very neutral sheer pink...part of my "dress code" for this job is wearing nail color that does not distract from jewelry when I''m showing it, so I guess I will only be wearing last fall''s Wicked on my toes this year unless I''m out on a Saturday night!

I did so much running around today I didn''t end up working out at all, and by 9 p.m. tonight I realized I''d forgotten to eat dinner. How do I forget to eat dinner? I NEVER forget to eat, lol! I ended up just having a light meal of a little salad with EVOO/rice vinegar/basil/S&P for dressing and some chopped up veggies dipped in hummus. I just wasn''t very hungry, I guess I''m too keyed up about tomorrow. I went to Jewel (our Albertson''s chain here) and picked up some portable lunch type things and some coffee so I can bring my lunches this week and try to remain healthy. This place doesn''t do formal lunch breaks, I guess it''s more of a grab something while you have a minute type situation or they order out, and I definitely don''t want to have to worry about fast food or mystery takeout calories...even if I end up participating in group takeout ordering at least I will be prepared with other options.

Lorelei, hope your hubby''s feeling better soon...I was giggling over the thought of a man accidentally doing the splits in the mud!
Marcy, way to go on the latest weight lost, you''re doing SO well and are such an inspiration. I hope tomorrow''s day of work goes better for you and that you got to rest and relax this evening.
Kimberly, I hope your hip doesn''t stay sore for long. 5 miles is a great workout, I like to stop and stretch about 20 minutes into a long walk and then maybe once every hour if walking more than an hour or so. Course I haven''t done any looong walks for a while, but that formula used to work well for me. It''s tough to make yourself stop once you get into your stride, but I found I paid for it later if I didn''t do enough stretching.
Rod, hope you enjoyed sushi/Sapporo tonight! And yay! for Charlie getting his BMW tomorrow, you guys are just so cool.

Will you take pics and post of you and Charlie with both cars together? That would be great! I''m thinking positive thoughts for Thursday''s results...
Skippy, dang what''s with the soreness/injuries this week, lol! Hope your knee feels better soon. Have fun at the GC and LV! I''m not a huge fan of Vegas either, I can handle 2-3 days and don''t really gamble but I do enjoy the food and shopping, and just people watching in general is fun. Take some pics of fab jewels for us, will ya!
NYC, I''m sort of in a similar boat as you...I really enjoyed the last two months of not HAVING to go to work, but I was bored and anxious about not working at the same time. Now I''m worrying that I''ll miss my freedom, but looking back I haven''t been as happy not working as I have been when I am working, so I''m more comfortable about it now. I also got my sleep routine all jacked up, I''m hoping this week that I''ll get over my apprehension and nervousness about the job and while I may only get a few hours of sleep a night I think by next week I''ll be back to a normal routine again. Here''s to a swift kick for both of us to get back on the productive workout wagon...I feel like I''ve been doing the bare minimum and the scale is certainly showing it with no change in the last couple weeks.

Mara, the pics you posted of where you hike were gorgeous, it looks so peaceful! (Skippy, yours too, I forgot to mention!) Minus the desert/west looking parts, the trails look somewhat like the forest preserve where I walk sometimes. I love the trails, especially early in the morning because so many people are out and they ALL are so friendly and say "good morning" which is a great way to start the day. I grew up where if you went to the gas station the cashier would have a whole conversation with you, then when i moved to Chicago I found people to be so short and abrupt and I felt so out of place...when I walk these trails and am greeted in such a friendly way by perfect strangers it reminds me of "home" and it''s just nice, ya know? I hope your trails are populated like that, I would worry about you if I were Greg or your parents if you''re out there all by yourself...LOL on your parents thinking you might''ve been eaten by a mountain lion! Oh, and I had to mention that I also wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer when I was little. I remember Dionne Warwick singing on that show before she got all Psychic Friends... ha.
Allycat, best of luck with school this year! girlllll you gotta stop skipping meals, I used to do that and it will only undermine your health and well-being, as well as your weight loss goals. Sorry to "lecture," I''ve just been there and I remember not taking time to eat until I felt like I''d pass out and then almost passing out or actually passing out several times in college. Not good!!! Can you maybe try to plan around your class schedule in advance so you can figure out meal times and workout times that will be the most beneficial? I know, I''m getting all mom like, sorry!
Chinacat, hello and welcome!!

I''m the same as you with cardio, I just hate it. Mostly because I don''t like feeling like my lungs will burst at any given second if I''m giving the workout 100%...I feel like if I''m not giving 100% it''s doing no good, though! Plus I just hate to sweat, lol! Ummm, what machines have you tried so far? Do you like walking or stairclimbing or biking? I would try to match what you like doing outdoors with a machine, I think...
AlJ., hi, good to see you here again! Murray''s cookies sound awesome, I''ll have to check those out. My girl friend was just telling me about some vegan cookies that are made here in chicago but distributed only to WholeFoods stores so far, I''ll have to find that website and share it here as well.
Phoenix, you''re doing sooo well with your weight loss/maintenance, I bet you''re just a tiny little thing! How fun that you and DH have made a decision on when to start trying for children, now THERE''s something to look forward to!
DeeJay, since you''re an ice cream fan, I have to share with you the bestest lower-cal, lower-fat ice cream in the world that I just tasted this weekend: Edy''s Slow churned French Silk. Omg, it''s to die for, and I don''t even like ice cream! You''ll love it if you haven''t tried it yet! And bonus that it''s a third less fat and calories than reg. ice cream...maybe it''s been brought up here before, if it has I guess I''m the latest fan!

See ya tomorrow!

 

[Mara]

evening all!!! we had our fabulous sushi with our neighbors and then we had a hodgepodge of little dessert things, shared an oatmeal raisin cookie, had this peanut butter granola mini snack, some slow churned mint choco chip and 1/2 a brownie that greg's mom sent over. (she sent a huge brick of them that are all supposed to be for me...so far i have had like 1/10 of it!). i didn't work out today after all as work was crazy this afternoon and then when i got home we had to just go get the food and i had a call with another region for 30 min this evening too, so oh well. i haven't taken a day off working out since last thurs when i traveled so i guess it's okay. however, tomorrow it's my mom's bday so we'll be going to dinner at this yummy italian place...so i am hoping since dinner isn't til 7:30 i can get a workout or a long walk in or both!

rod, hopefully your results on thurs are only positive!! i will keep fingers crossed.

pg, i hear ya on the kid thing...we are at the point where it's kind of like well we have to figure it out or just say our time has passed...and we do want kids we think, but we feel like we have to align our life in the right ways before we can do that, part of that is figuring out where to live. right now we live in northern california, bayarea where things are super expensive. i was born and raised here as most of you know but greg is from the east coast. after many years of him living here and us making our life here, we may actually be seriously considering a move elsewhere. mostly to have a better quality of life for a future family. right now we have a wonderful action packed life, amazing restaurants and experiences surround us, dinner on the ocean, or wine tasting in napa or skiing in tahoe is mere minutes to a few hours away. i guess i really don't appreciate it as much as i should, but i also feel like i need to experience something different for a while. i am also kind of bored with the lifestyle and the people here. while we have some amazing friends in our lives, and i adore my family, a lot of people in this area are just so superficial and THE SAME. it's all about what you do that defines you, what company you work for, what you make. it's about how nice your house is, how new your car is, what 'area' you live in. i am kind of tired of that here...and feel like i want to experience something elsewhere. if we have a family i'd like to be around other family oriented people. anyway rambling now but while we are not considering a move to NYC (we did years ago but now we just feel we'd be going 'backwards'...moving from an area that is expensive and action packed to another area that is even more so...when we feel like we need more calm around us now)...we are considering a huge move as well and figuring out the kid thing. it seems to much easier for our parents, aka they didn't think about when or if to have kids, they just did, come hell or high water!! and made it work.

lol DJ re the crazy proud way. did you get the B&J's?? i think we might be having gelato for dessert tomorrow night, i'm jazzed.

monnie, welcome back woman!! we missed ya. yeah i do pass a lot of people on the trails, sometimes too many. and many people up there are friendly and say hello which is nice as well. but i try to keep awareness of my surroundings for sure. the funny thing is that most of the trails are bordered by a TON of poison oak...so i always figure well if someone is hiding in the bushes they will have a heck of a rash later!! and many of the trails are very narrow so not much space to hide kind of thing. but there are the mountain lions for sure. my mom is always like 'take someone with you' and i said 'well why? so we both can run screaming?' hehee.

welcome chinacat! congrats marcy on 119 lbs, you are a rockstar!

monnie, have you had the other slow churned flavors from dreyers/edys? i love them!!! what does french silk taste like? so far i have had mocha almond fudge and mint chocolate chip and honestly i'd much rather have them than full fat ice cream from the local shop (but with gelato all bets are off!!). slow churned lower cal ice cream has come so far from when they first intro'd it years ago.

anyway time for bed now...busy day tomorrow. nite all!!

 

[monarch64]

Mara, French Silk slow churned is described as "What exactly is French Silk®, anyway? It’s rich chocolate mocha mousse ice cream, vanilla mousse light ice cream and bittersweet chocolaty chips. French in sophistication, silky in texture and taste. All with 50% less fat and 30% fewer calories than regular ice cream. " (From the Edy''s website) My dad is an ice cream junkie, he was an alcoholic for a number of years and switched to big desserts at night when he quit drinking, so he''s probably tasted every single flavor out there but he swears this is the best one ever, plus he''s a coffee nut so that would explain the mocha flavoring. In fact, when I tasted the first half spoonful I was blown away that it was slightly coffee flavored but sooo sweet and light, I wish regular old coffee tasted that way!

I haven''t tasted any other slow churned flavors, unfortunately. I really try to limit or exclude dairy for reasons I''ve mentioned here before, plus I''m a weirdo non chocolate loving female, so obviously this must be the best flavor ever, LOL!

DH is a B&J pint freak, he goes out and buys a pint every other night and sits with the carton and a spoon in front of his big screen like a girl, it''s hilarious to me, what a role reversal! All this ice cream talk has got me wondering, though, do you think ice "cream" can be made from almond/rice/soy milk? Remember those ice cream makers where you had to add ice and flavors and whatever other ingredients and then churn it yourself with a crank handle, my grandma used to have one and make it for my brother and I and my cousins in the summer. I know they are still made so I wonder if an ice cream recipe could be adapted to include milk alternatives instead of dairy? I''ll have to look it up on the net, I''m so intrigued because I have a renewed interest in ice cream and chocolate now, lol!