Weekly Workout Thread 22nd Jan till 28th Jan

[Lorelei]

Happy new week all

Hopefully I am back in action now, those horrible, frightening winds have gone for the most part, they have changed direction now and instead of pounding us from the West, they are coming from the East now and bringing with them much colder weather.

So with the influx of colder weather, I was thinking what a dreary time of year Jan and Feb are

, and when it is so cold and dark, how much harder it is to stick to healthy food choices or work out even. I am so lucky as many of you know, I just have to hop outside to our gym, but it is no fun if you have to be scraping ice off the car and turning out on a dark and chillly night to go and workout...

But there are warmer and brighter days ahead, keep up the good work now so that we will be in great shape to enjoy them and be ready! Don''t forget that soup can be a very healthy choice ( watch the sodium!) and is a good way to get a daily portion of veggies in too. I am thinking now is actually a great time to be putting in some extra work, even though my results are being hidden under sweaters right now, I will be more than ready for the T shirts soon!

Did some cardio over the weekend and that went well, 2 45 min sessions.

Mara and Dee Jay, I hope you both feel better soon, take it easy Mara

 

[jadeleaves]

Good to see u back Lorelei!

Amidst the excitememt of getting my new rings, I forgot to post that I had my Monday weigh-in with my trainer today and I have lost an additional 1kg! That''s 2 kgs in 2 weeks.

I have noticed a difference already in terms of being able to do cardio for a longer period without getting all huffed up. I have been consciously making good food choices when I eat out too.

I am so glad I joined in here - everyone is so motivating!

Off with the pesky baby weight! I am going to set myself a reward when I reach my goal weight. Haven''t decided what it''ll be yet, but I have plenty of time to think about it!

Here''s to an awesome week ahead!

xoxo

 

[Ellen]

Morning!

We missed you Lorelei!


I am so glad I''m back on track. This thread and the wedding in June are being great motivators!

My new mantra:

I refuse to buy a "fat dress" for the wedding.

It''s really helping.

Hope everyone has a good week!

 

[Lorelei]

Thanks guys! Wow Jade - new huge blingage AND a big weight loss??? That is incredible going - well done!!! Many congrats to you - you deserve them!!!!!!!

Ellen, I find too that having a goal and a 'will NOT' is very helpful too, plus you have plenty of time to take things steadily to lose the few pounds you want!

I have started taking fish oil, I was reading somewhere it helps your metabolism as well as joints, so I am taking three a day with meals....

Just had lunch, had vegetable soup by Heinz and a peanut butter sandwich ( small) on wholewheat bread and a fish oil! Hehehe...then I have some pineapple in the fridge and yogurt for later as I am aiming to eat 4 times a day now at least.

Jade - thanks for your kind words in your ring thread - the weather is bonkers here...I am sitting in our office which has 2 glass skylights and I can hear the sleet battering on the glass, snow is due to hit the UK this week now and I can quite believe it! What is the weather doing in OZ?

 

[Ellen]

Loerelei, my mom has taken some form/type of fish oil for years. When we were little, she made us take a huge spoonful of Cod Liver Oil daily, can you say, barf?? lol Gel tabs and the like make it much easier I''m sure.

What time is it there? And, where exactly is "there", I''m always wondering where you are and what time it actually is.

 

[Lorelei]

I can say BARF and remember my Mother trying to force down malted cod liver oil on a spoon, but she ended up getting sprayed with it! Hahaha!!!!! Funny how we both had to suffer that....

The time here is now 1.11 pm and here is in the East of England!

 

[Ellen]

Date: 1/22/2007 8:12:24 AM
Author: Lorelei
I can say BARF and remember my Mother trying to force down malted cod liver oil on a spoon, but she ended up getting sprayed with it! Hahaha!!!!! Funny how we both had to suffer that....

The time here is now 1.11 pm and here is in the East of England!

Wow, that IS funny. Kinda. Actually, the spraying part is really funny!

Thanks, now I''m much more oriented friend.

 

[Lorelei]

Glad to have given you a better pic of where I am! I am a

and was from a very early age, no WAY was she getting that stuff down me without getting a liberal dosage herself!

 

[bee*]

We got snow last night in Ireland so I''d say it will reach you soon Lorelei!

Im back to college today so my goal is to stay on track with my healthy eating and not dig into the crisps, hot chocolates and chips now that Im back. Ive done well so far-crunchy nuts for breakfast, 2 ryvita and one slice of low low cheese, 2 satsumas and a special k bar for lunch and then I have some more fruit which I''ll have before I go into work in the evening. Im going to go to the gym after work also and try and get an hour done.

Well done on the weight loss jadeleaves!

 

[Jaders731]

Hey Everyone..

I''m new to this thread, but I need some extra motivation for the next four weeks. I go for my first dress fitting on the 16th of Feb, and I WANT to lose another 9 lbs. I have been on weight watchers since June 06, and have lost 20. I reached my goal of buying a sample wedding dress in August.. and now I just need 9 more pounds to be at the weight I was when I moved in with my now FI, 4 years ago!!!

I''m so glad to have found a place to share the hell I put myself through during the week.. but I know in the end it will be worth it.

I had a VERY baaad weekend food wise.. so looking at the scale tonight is not going to be fun! But I expect it, and have planned accordingly. So, tonight... I have a body sculpting class and a 2 mile run on tap... thats my goal for today.

BTW.. I read the recipe thread and tried the Lasagna Roll-ups.. I dont remember whose recipe that was... but WOW... what an amazing dish!! Fi LOVED it!!

Thanks again to everyone for providing a great thread.. I cant wait to keep up this week.. and hopefully get the extra motivation I need for the next four weeks!

 

[Ellen]

Welcome Jaders, and congrats on your weight loss!!

This thread really does help, as you want to be able to come back and post good news eventually. Plus, you''re not the only one...Good luck!

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Welcome jaders

You''re among friends who will help.

Believe it and achieve it!

From one of the two guys here,

 

[Dee*Jay]

Well I think I''m gonna live. If you would have asked me yesterday morning I would have given it 50/50 odds but I fell MUCH better today so hopefully it was just some sort of 24 hour thing. And as you can imagine I did absolutely NOTHING yesterday (except take The Demon on three SHORT walks--and if I could have thought of a way of out that I would have, LOL). I did feel like eating something in the evening, but unfortunately it was only "bad" stuff that I had a taste for. I wrote it off to "oh, I''m sick and I should eat what appeals to me," but even as I was going for that second chocolate truffle I could feel the nagging guilt devil poking me in the butt with his pitchfork. The good news is that the scale is the exact same number as it was yesterday morning so I''m hopeful that I didn''t do too much damage and I would like to go to the gym tonight, although I might do a scaled-down work out.

Lorelei, good to hear from you--I was starting to worry about you a bit!

 

[Lorelei]

Thanks DEE!! I am glad to hear you are feeling a bit better, eat what you fancy, that you are able to eat something is what matters! It is getting COLD here now, I think you are right Bee, it is heading my way, I will have to bring some logs in for the fire

Welcome Jaders

 

[Tybee]

Good Morning Everyone!

Well, we''re back from ski trip 2007, and hmmmm, my pants feel a bit tighter? How can that be with all that calorie burning and skiing? Perhaps it was all the comfort food and hot chocolate/wine that we ate./drank in front of the fire?

I was sick on Saturday, and slept in till 4:00. I finally got my butt in gear to the gym on Sunday. I''m focusing on getting back on track. Nothing like tight pants as a wake up call. Drinking a ton of water today, and heading to the gym after school. I bought some juicy gossip magazines to read on the treadmill and elliptical trainer to motivate me.

I also always need something to plan, so we''re planning our first anniversary trip to the beach. It''s not until July, but perhaps planning on a beach trip (wearing a bikini) will motivate me to watch my intake.

Have a great and healthy week all!

 

[CrownJewel]

Heehee...glad you''re alive Dee. Everyone''s getting sick! My MCAT instructor was VERY sick on Saturday morning and I sat less than 5 feet away. I kept thinking, "oh dear, I''m gonna need my Airborne!"

Lorelei, any idea how much sodium is too much for each day? I try not to eat anything with LOTS of sodium, but I have a feeling some of my foods add up to a lot of sodium by the end of the day. Here in NY we''ve yet to have a real snowstorm...but it must be coming because the temps show that winter is here for real now!!! As you said Lorelei, the cold has kept me indoors so I haven''t been able to run in the park. I''ll get in a short walk now and then, but last night I just did a yoga DVD and I''m sore this morning. I always love a good yoga session that leaves me with a nice reminder the next day! I also took a little walk with FI last night and we passed 3 Starbucks, so I gradually built up a craving for a latte. There goes 340 calories!!! Yikes!

Anyway, I loved the eggplant parm lasagna so much that FI and I had some for lunch AND dinner. It''s completely polished off now. My calorie intake was consistently high last week. I hope to do a little more nutritional planning and budgeting this week.

Hi Jaders! Your progress since June sounds fantastic!!! Hope the final 9 lbs are the most satisfying ones!!

Tybee your clothes probably feel tight just from water retention. With the skiing and your general fitness level, I doubt you gained enough weight to change how your clothes fit, unless it''s a WHOLE lot of new muscle!!!! How did your knee feel? I hope you''re feeling better from whatever you had on Saturday.

Mara what''s going on with your abdominals? This has been going on for so long without any relief! You''re going to see the doc today right?

Does anyone know how to cook/prepare Japanese Soba noodles? FI and I were in an Asian market yesterday and unfortunately I can''t read Japanese so I couldn''t understand the cooking suggestions. I read something (maybe in Cooking Light?) about trying Japanese soba noodles (buckwheat noodles). A friend of mine made some for me in college with some kind of cold soup and it was SO good. Last night, we ended up not buying any soba because we didn''t know what brand to get and what to do with it.

I''m going to do a little more yoga this morning just to get energized, then have a full day of studying! Happy new week everyone!

 

[Lorelei]

It is getting colder by the minute! The sky is bright blue with fast moving white and grey clouds, so I expect snow clouds this evening possibly. I need to check the news to see where the snow is right now.

CJ - I know that V8 has a lot of sodium in it, many processed foods do such as soups etc, I bet Rod will know what is the RDA for sodium as he told me about V8, so hopefully he can let us know when he checks in. I never use extra salt on food or meals and I am now trying to watch out for hidden sodium in other foods, just to be aware as a health factor.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Hi everyone - welcome to a new week!

CJ - we get soba noodles at Trader Joe''s and they are super yummy. I usually just boil them for a couple of minutes until they are cooked through, drain and toss with some low sodium soy sauce, vinegar, and a tiny bit of toasted sesame oil. Then you can eat them hot or cold. I usually do a veggie and tofu stir fry with them, but really you could do anything that had a remotely asian flavor to it and it would be good. The noodles are especially good out of the fridge the next day

I remember when I went to a nutritionist in high school she told me to look for things with 200mg or less of sodium per serving. I think the daily allowance is like 2000mg but most of us get more than that. Honestly I haven''t read any research that says its a huge concern unless you have hypertension or similar health problems, but that doesn''t mean you should go crazy either. I''ve always figured sodium is sort of a lesser evil, and that if eating things with more sodium gets me to eat stuff that is otherwise lower in calories and healthier than what I would have eaten otherwise then I''m coming out ahead. I also think drinking lots of water helps battle any bloating effects from when you do get too much sodium.

On a personal note, I have to say I am really really proud of myself. My DH and I spent the weekend at my mom''s helping her clean out her garage (picture a large two car garage filled corner to corner and floor to ceiling with boxes) so she can sell her house. I''m super sore so I think I got a pretty decent amount of exercise, but more importantly I was good about my eating the whole weekend, which is really hard when I''m around my mom sometimes, especially in stressful situations like this was. But I stuck to my eating plan the whole weekend. It was great because we went out to sushi on Saturday night, and I really enjoyed it but I realized I didn''t have to gorge myself to do that. I had a small serving of edamame, which are healthy, and then my mom and I split two vegetable sushi rolls with lots of healthy veggie fillings and an asparagus and tofu dish in what seemed to be a light sauce. It was really yummy and I felt really full, but I only ate about half what I would normally eat at a Japanese restaurant and chose healthier things. I even had enough calories left over to get a small scoop of low-fat ice cream for dessert

I still need to replace the batteries on the scale so I can weigh myself and track the progress, but my Citizens jeans that DH got me for X-Mas which I could barely squeeze into at the time are going to need a belt to keep them from falling down pretty soon!

It sounds like everyone has been doing very well and I''m especially inspired by those of you who have had some minor setbacks but gotten right back on the horse, so to speak. I think that''s so important - not to give up completely because of a little mistake but just get right back on track.

 

[larussel03]

OK, I''m jumping on board! New Year, time to get in shape!

Sat I went to the gym and did 45 mins cardio between the elliptical and the treadmill.

Sun I did a 40 min pilates routine. I like pilates for ab/upper body toning but need to hit the weights for legs/butt.

So far so good!

 

[bookworm21]

I''m not doing so well the past couple of days, food and workout wise. I had every intention of working out yesterday, but wound up doing a bunch of housecleaning instead. So while it wasn''t a vigorous workout, my hopes is that I was at least still DOING something that burned calories.

For dinner last night, we had a dry-aged filet mignon, garlic sauteed crimini mushrooms, wok fried broccoli with two teaspoons of EVOO, and some foie gras. Heavy heavy heavy. So today is the start of a new week, and I''m really hoping to get back on track. Planning to jump rope for half an hour, do a yoga/pilates DVD for another half hour, and if I feel up to it, another cardio DVD for another half.

I just had 1.5 servings of Trader Joe''s frosted wheats for breakfast, so that''s about 250 cals. I need to stop by that store to pick up some more stuff today, and will be trying those soba noodles, they sound yummy.

Mara, I hope the doctor you''re seeing today will be able to figure out what''s wrong with your midsection. Sucks that it''s been going on for so long.

Lorelei, glad you''re okay. I read that the storms were severe enough to make a brick wall collapse, sadly on a toddler. It''s been crazy weather around the world lately.

 

[CrownJewel]

I did some Google research on sodium RDAs:

-The recommendations in the US range from a minimum of 500mg to max daily intake of 2400mg.
-Apparently the average US adult consumes around 4000mg to 5000mg a day. Eeek!
-The UK max is 1600mg.
-People with high blood pressure should consume a max of 1500mg.

I took a look at the salt in my kitchen and my Diamond Crystal Kosher salt is 1120mg sodium in one teaspoon. The La Baleine Coarse Sea salt is 2320mg in one teaspoon. I worry a bit about my sodium intake because high BP runs in both sides of my family and my mom had a stroke from hypertension.

I heated up 2 quiche cups (160mg sodium) and made myself a bowl of miso soup (530mg sodium) with tofu (40mg sodium) and seaweed (360mg sodium) for lunch. Lunch alone had 1090mg of sodium. So far I've never had issues with high blood pressure, but it's something I should watch out for especially now knowing how much sodium sneaks into otherwise "healthy" foods like seaweed! Anyway, my miso soup was delicious (and VERY easy to make). I love seaweed and one benefit is all the vitamins.

Hi Sweetpea! I like pilates too but I've only had the chance to do mat pilates. I would LOVE to try pilates with the Reformer. I think TravelingGal and some other ladies have regular experience with the Reformer.

ETA: thanks AmberGretchen for the soba suggestions! I hope to get to TJs this weekend.

 

[Mara]

everyone is doing so well. kudos to all!

i am so sad i can''t get to the gym...!!! and this weekend i was good about not snacking but we had dinner out each night and we ate a ton, but it was oh so good. and i am kind of bloated from this abdominal thing and my best jeans don''t fit that comfy, wah. so i am not sure if it''s weight gain or bloat or both! in any case, i have a dr appt today so hopefully she can pinpoint what might be going on. i feel better today, each day it''s a little bit better but now my sides are sore. it''s just so random how the pain and soreness keeps moving around. it''s not debilitating but it does keep me from really kind of doing regular things. definitely want to get it checked out. thanks for all the well wishes.

so this morning i put together my crockpot chicken soup and it''s all cooking at home, keeping fingers crossed it comes out okay. the liquid was a little high for my taste so hopefully it doesn''t spill over while i am gone. my mom is bringing portia home at like 3pm so she will check it for me then and act accordingly. this soup should tide us over for tonite and tomorrow night and then i am going to make the turkey lasagna for dinner on wed when greg''s mom gets into town.

this morning was waffles and butter spray and syrup and coffee. i just had a 90 cal granola bar for snack. lunch is going to be some type of soup, not sure if it will be a TJ version or a canned version of progresso or something. then snack will hopefully be some sort of apple or fruit and probably popcorn or a luna bar. dinner is chicken soup with crusty french bread.

hope everyone has a fabulous day!!! i will fill you all in on if there is any progress with the DR.

 

[KimberlyH]

Mara: I am so glad you''re going to the MD again. I hope she can figure out what is wrong so you can get better!!

I am going to hop on the elliptical now. I got caught up in school work this morning and haven''t even made it out of my pjs.

Tonight we''re going to dinner and a movie. Thai food, yum!

My average calories for last week, per day, was 1550, which really pleases me because we haven''t stopped eating out twice a week and I''m giving myself room to splurge a bit. My weight is hovering at 136, but I know I''m eating right and am doing more than enough physical activity so I''m trying not to sweat it. If I could just stay away from the stupid scale!

I posted a Chicken Enchilada recipe I made last night in the healthier food threads if anyone is interested. It was pretty good stuff.

Kimi

 

[appletini]

I was out of town this weekend celebrating a friend''s 30th birthday, so I didnt eat as well as I would have liked to, but I did workout on Friday before leaving town.

Today I went to my Total Body Training class and our trainer was hard core with lots of abs, planks, pushups, dips, etc. However I''m glad to be back to "healthy" this week. I started my morning with a bowl of Special K vanilla almond cereal. For lunch had a turkey sandwhich on wheat with fruit, and I had my airplane peanuts for a little protein snack.

 

[KimberlyH]

Mara: I am so glad you''re going to the MD again. I hope she can figure out what is wrong so you can get better!!

I am going to hop on the elliptical now. I got caught up in school work this morning and haven''t even made it out of my pjs.

Tonight we''re going to dinner and a movie. Thai food, yum!

My average calories for last week, per day, was 1550, which really pleases me because we haven''t stopped eating out twice a week and I''m giving myself room to splurge a bit. My weight is hovering at 136, but I know I''m eating right and am doing more than enough physical activity so I''m trying not to sweat it. If I could just stay away from the stupid scale!

I posted a Chicken Enchilada recipe I made last night in the healthier food threads if anyone is interested. It was pretty good stuff, although I used the amount of chili powder that was called for in the recipe and it was a bit too much (and I LOVE spicy food). I pared it down in my posting.

~K

 

[Mara]

Kimberly I saw that chicken enchilada recipe and was going to ask how you liked it!! Was it pretty flavorful? I love enchiladas but the whole fried in the pan first thing isn''t healthy, lol. So I wouldn''t mind trying my hand at something healthy and yummy.

 

[TravelingGal]

Jade, that is awesome! 1kg...whoo hoo! Any idea what your reward is going to be when you hit your goal? Mine is maybe a pair of diamond studs with part of my bonus money...if I get any.

Lorelei, it IS good to see you active again!

Dee, glad to hear you are feeling better.

Mara, sad to hear you are not! Hopefully that all clears up soon...can''t have you straining yourself.

Welcome to the folks that joined. Seems everyone is doing well.

I have been sick since Thursday. Friday after my conference, I crawled in bed and didn''t get out of it until yesterday. I am still a bit off today but going to Gyrotonics class at 3. Eating has actually been OK since I lost my appetite, but what I ate was left to the mercy of TGuy, who made me grilled ham and cheese sandwiches! I must have really looked sick, because he went to the store, bought food to make me as well as a box of "good" tissues. He also didn''t leave the entire weekend...even though there was a football party at my friend''s house!

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 1/22/2007 2:36:25 PM
Author: Mara
Kimberly I saw that chicken enchilada recipe and was going to ask how you liked it!! Was it pretty flavorful? I love enchiladas but the whole fried in the pan first thing isn''t healthy, lol. So I wouldn''t mind trying my hand at something healthy and yummy.

Mara,

It was really good and had lots of flavor. I can indentify with you being a self-labeled "spice whore" I love big flavors. The sauce was a bit more like a mole as opposed to canned enchilada sauce in texture and in taste, I would leave the onions in and use it to pour over rice and chicken as well, just because it tasted good.

Like I said, the recipe called for 3 tablespoons of chili powder and when I was adding it I was thinking, wow that''s a lot (I mixed my spices on a paper plate before adding them all in) and both John and I agreed it was just too much. So I adjusted it to 2 tablespoons in the recipe posted, but you could probably even do 1.5 tablespoons and have it be tasty. I also replaced the vegetable oil the recipe called to be added with the onions at the beginning with cookiing spray and didn''t notice anything missing. I sauted some onions on the side and threw them in with the chicken mixture, too. Finally, I redueced the amount of cilantro, the recipe called for 1/2 a cup and it just seemed like too much for my taste.

Microwaving the tortillas worked really well, which suprised me, but you might want to do a few at a time as my last one was a bit cold and it ended up splitting a bit, no big deal though.

 

[ljmorgan]

I have been lurking on this thread for months and have finally decided to join in on the fun! I got married on Jan 6th and after we came home from the honeymoon I decided... I was going to join weight watchers. I did it once in college and lost 20 lbs... which all slowly came back after I began dating my husband and we went out to great dinners all of the time! My husband doesn''t really need to lose any weight, but he''s being a great sport -- it was funny to see him be the only man in the weight watchers meeting on Thursday. He''s also decided to follow the program because he wants to eat more of a healthy diet.

Last night we got some snow in MD and today I took the day off of work. Normally being cooped up on a snowy day gets me more into a "food" mood but I''m doing well today. Breakfast was Fiber One Honey Clusters w/ a banana sliced up, my morning snack was cottage cheese with a super low cal bran muffin from Trader Joe''s. I have to say I am not fully decided on whether I like the muffins... they are not totally delicious, but they''re 80 calories, and they really fill me up, so I think I am going to stick with them and see if I can adjust, because they really seem to be worth it. Lunch today was pre-packaged tomato bisque from Trader Joe''s... which was to die for. I sprinkled 20 calories worth of shredded asiago cheese on top and man... I will need to run back to TJ''s, I want that for lunch every day this week now! Dinner tonight will be wraps made of lavash flat bread with grilled flank steak, carmelized onions, and crumbled blue cheese, served with a side salad.

The downside of healthy eating is that I can''t really bake as often as I like, I love baking cakes and bundt cakes and such. I also love baking bread, but that seems more reasonable to keep doing, bread a few times a week isn''t a problem, and I can start experimenting with incorporating whole wheat flour. I may even try to make my own bran muffins that are slightly more appealing!

I am already down 6 pounds from Thursday (my weight watchers scale at home matches the ones at the meetings) but that''s all just bloat from all of the crap and sodium from the honeymoon. Our eating on the honeymoon was pretty horrific, but I wouldn''t do it any other way

Just cutting out my diet soda over the weekend has me feeling much better, and much less bloated. My size 10''s aren''t so tight now thank goodness. Here''s to a good week!

 

[nejarb]

Smucker's sugar free breakfast syrup is awesome. Have no idea what it is, but it's good.

I went to the Y saturday and then today again. my goal is to go every day for the rest of the week and burn at least 700 cal each time w/ a combination of ellip and running on indoor track.

I'm still not losing any weight, but I feel SO GOOD!

oh, I have some songs to share that I've been enjoying listening to on the ellip machine:
just like a pill (pink)
this must be the place (talking heads)
if i ruled the world (nas)
silence (delerium & sara mclachlan)
your love (the outfield)
crazy in love (beyonce)

Thanks for those other suggestions mara and rod


HI LINDSEY! welcome, and congrats!