Weekly Workout Thread 23rd April till 29th April

[Rod]

Thanks Sevens.......I truly am happy. Even unemployed, I''m happy. I''m happy at the gym. I''m happy going back to the places we so enjoyed before leaving. I''m happy that Charlie is happy. I''m happy that the cats are happy. Even our messed up kitty (Koh, the Bombay who has intestinal issues) is doing SO much better. And I''m happy that I have no guilt over leaving Raleigh or the awful job I had in Raleigh. I don''t even think about the four months I spent there, so I know I made the best choice for us. Anyway, thanks for commenting that it sounds like I''m happy. Sometimes I''m so giddy that I feel like Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas morning and I need to pinch myself to make sure I''m not dreaming that we''re back home in a home we truly love, in a town we are so comfortable!!

 

[royalasscherlover]

amber, i definitely agree that you should be ok to walk. i think that doing stuff like that also helps you mentally, which is always a good thing when trying to heal.

rod, the interview sounds promising, i''ll keep my fingers crossed for you.

i got the american spoon mango butter at my local specialty market on the way home, and just had some mixed with fage as a snack. it''s good, but to me it tastes too much like banana (also in the ingredients) and not enough like mango - i am a total mango lover and like my fruit pure! but the butter consistency is absolutely perfect for whipping up with the fage, keeps it much smoother and creamier than with regular jam. when this jar is gone, i think i will try another flavor like apricot or raspberry.

i ended up at about 1300 calories today, and did 45 minutes on the bike while watching tv. i also picked up a bunch of my new work clothes that i had taken to the tailor to be shortened, and i felt really great trying them all on (and seeing that they still fit 3 weeks later, lol). keep up the good work all!

 

[phoenixgirl]

I''m still alive and am still working out. I''m definitely finding that yes, I can make it part of my routine, but no, I can''t work out 7 times a week and eat all vegetables. But I won''t let that derail the progress I am making.

I''ve skipped two Mondays in a row now, one because of not sleeping due to stress, and this last Monday due to drinking too much on Sunday. But I''m still working out 5 times a week. It''s just that I''m making sure to work out over the weekend, so then my schedule is once on the weekend plus Tuesday through Friday.

I''ve also strayed from my list that tells me what to do what day of the week. I find that I''m much more enthusiastic if I can pick . . . and that when it''s all said and done I end up doing about half weights-oriented work-outs and half cardio-oriented work-outs.

At first I was planning on posting here every day or two to keep myself accountable, but now I''m finding that part of my new lifestyle change is less internet and t.v. In our new house there is so much to entertain myself with (like weeding . . . annoying but fun) and sitting on the front porch watching people go by. It''s very tranquil to be outside sans electronics. So don''t think I''m not sticking with my routine . . . I''m just not an exercise zealot as I may have been a month ago. But that wasn''t realistic, so as long as this continues to be my daily life, I''m happy with the change.

So everyone . . . keep up the good work, and I will too. Maybe I''m not in losing weight mode, but I feel *so much* better. Even squatting and leaning while weeding for 45 minutes is no big deal because those muscles are in shape.

 

[Rod]

Phoenix, it almost sounds like you''re apologizing and you have absolutely nothing to apologize for. Five workouts a week??!! That''s great, coupled with weeding (hard work to be sure), people watching (takes concentration right?) and enjoying your life sans so much electronics? Well, to me it sounds like you''ve found some great balance in your life and your doing just great!!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Rod - hehe...sideways baseball hats. There are a lot of those on high schoolers these days. I''m personally not a fan of those...or most high school styles for that matter

The picture in my avatar is actually me and DH - neither of us wears a baseball cap EVER. My DH has a fedora, but that''s the only hat in our life right now. The picture isn''t that easy to see us, but I''m all made up and glamorous there anyway which makes me look a bit older.

 

[Mara]

aww sb i''m sorry you don''t love the mango butter, i didn''t even know banana was in it hehe. i just really love how it tastes mixed with the fage and whipped all creamy. i also add 2 splendas so it helps with the sweetness factor and makes it more like dessert. i have tried fage a bunch of diff ways but this is definitely one of the top 3 for me.

so went for a 2.5m walk after work and then met my girlfriend for sushi, yummy! we shared 3 specialty rolls and edamame and iced teas and lots of great conversation. came home, took a really hot bath because my legs and hip was kind of sore from all this walking i have been doing...and now am having some mint gelato...yummy!!!!

tomorrow our dept is going out for lunch for administrative day to celebrate our group assistant and we''re going to this place that is like a commercial kind of dim sum/chinese place...probably not focused at all on healthy cooking...i looked at their menu and they do have some things like prawns and fresh vegetables so i am going to try to get something like that as i don''t want to spend that many cals on this type of lunch at all.

gail..sorry to hear you feel discouraged but you are doing all the right things. did you see what i said about plateau''ing and maybe doing less carbs and more protein? i don''t know if you have tried that yet but just an idea. also rod is right, make sure to keep your cals not too low or else you might be slowing your metabolism down.

amber, definitely get out and do some walking...i actually have gone to the mall and done walking but not all dressed up like a workout kinda thing, usually if i am going to the mall to shop, i just do like 2-3 extra loops around the mall just because. ICUs baby! hehee.

PG...balance is really important, i totally agree. i am still figuring it out too but so far so good actually.

anyway...hope everyone had a great day...!!

 

[kcoursolle]

I made it to poweryoga tonight and I feel great! It''s always hard for me to drive over there and go, but afterwards I always feel positively relaxed and awesome. I can''t say I was great about food today...I had part of a bag of cookies. I usually do southbeach, but man those cookies looked good to me today. Tomorrow I''ll try to get back on track in the morning with some eggs and other protein. I find the more I eat protein in the morning, the easier the rest of the day is.

Hey Rod, what type of running shoes to you like that are reasonably priced? I really need to get new ones. My old new balance shoes (which I liked by the way) are done...

 

[katebar]

I have''nt posted for a while to this thread but things are going better in the weight department since I increased to 5 meals a day added 3 weight sessions and ramped the cardio up to 30 minutes 7 days a week. Oh and I cut my alcohol back to one glass on some days.
Things have got derailed in the last few days in the exercise department because my darling daughter fell backwards onto her hands playing touch football and broke one arm badly and sprained the other one as well as her shulder ligaments. Much drama with ambulances etc and she was in severe pain and completely helpless. She went back to theatre today and they reset her arm and she is loads better. Just for a laugh after surviving on 3 hours sleep the last 2 days I weighed myself and I had dropped 3 kilos

.
More to do with not eating or dirinking and gut wrenching stress of seeing your child in severe pain and helpless I think but at least my pants are baggy.

 

[Rod]

Date: 4/25/2007 12:22:12 AM
Author: AmberGretchen
Rod - hehe...sideways baseball hats. There are a lot of those on high schoolers these days. I''m personally not a fan of those...or most high school styles for that matter

The picture in my avatar is actually me and DH - neither of us wears a baseball cap EVER. My DH has a fedora, but that''s the only hat in our life right now. The picture isn''t that easy to see us, but I''m all made up and glamorous there anyway which makes me look a bit older.

Wow, I didn''t realize your avatar is actually you and your husband. I always thought it was an advertisement you borrowed. The couple in the picture are so handsome and beautiful!! Are you sure you''re not models???

 

[Rod]

Date: 4/25/2007 2:17:31 AM
Author: kcoursolle
I made it to poweryoga tonight and I feel great! It''s always hard for me to drive over there and go, but afterwards I always feel positively relaxed and awesome. I can''t say I was great about food today...I had part of a bag of cookies. I usually do southbeach, but man those cookies looked good to me today. Tomorrow I''ll try to get back on track in the morning with some eggs and other protein. I find the more I eat protein in the morning, the easier the rest of the day is.

Hey Rod, what type of running shoes to you like that are reasonably priced? I really need to get new ones. My old new balance shoes (which I liked by the way) are done...

I am a fan of Asics all around. My gym shoes are Asics and my running shoes are Asics. But, I spent a fortune ($160) on my running shoes. I purchased the Gel Kinsei model over six months ago. One of the reasons I spent so much was they really did feel the best and provided the most cushion and they are rated to run more miles before needed to be replaced. So far, I really really love the Gel Kinsei''s when I run. From the first time I ran in them to just Monday running 5 miles they are so balanced and provide wonderful support. There are many brands out there which are good, New Balance being one. The best advice I can still offer is to go to a REAL running store and have your feet analyzed by an expert who will help you purchase the best shoes for your feet and running style. And no, you don''t have to spend $160 to get a good pair, but do spend enough to get a pair that will treat your feet well. Good luck.

 

[Lorelei]

OMG Kate, your poor daughter must have been in agony. Hope she feels better soon.

I will try to fit in a workout later, must keep up hands free elliptical as I am so pleased with the results.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Kate, that sounds terrible! Healing vibes going out for your daughter and big hugs to you!

My attempt to work out last night was over-ruled by the HH's efforts to get a brother or a sister for The Demon. He called me in a rush becuase he had found a potential candidate on the Anti Cruelty website. Of course when he picked me up from work and we bolted over there the dog was gone (I keep telling him that good dogs are like good properties; by the time the word gets out to the general public it's too late!). So of course then we had to take out EVERY OTHER dog that they had there for a walk and some lovin' just in case there was another possiblity. Can you say HOURS of walking dogs not your own, LOL? The whole thing was just exhausting, and still no sibling for The Demon.

We decided to console ourselves with sushi and Saporo and Hagen Daaz ice cream...

But TONIGHT there is no getting around it. Work out here I come!!!

 

[KimberlyH]

Happy Wednesday Weigh In!

Week 16 Week 17
Height: 5''5" Height: 5''5"
Weight: 125.4 Weight: 126.4
Bust: 32" Bust: 32"
Waist: 26.5" Waist: 26"
Lower Waist: 32" Lower Waist: 32"
Bicep: 11.5" Bicep: 11.5"
Hips: 36” Hips: 36”
Thigh: 20" Thigh: 20"

Considering it''s TTOTM and I splurged for 5 days straight, I''m quite pleased. Gained a lb. but lost 1/2 an inch in my waist. My arms are now and will forever be the bain of my existance. I''ve only lost 1/2 an inch since I started this 17 weeks ago. GRRR!! Oh well, learn to take the good with the bad.

It''s going to be a busy few days between school and work. John will probably take over making dinners.

Have a terrific day all!

 

[NYCsparkle]

happy wednesday weigh in all...
height: 5''4''''
weight 119.4---up 1 lb. (damn barbecue dessert table

)
bust: 32''''
waist: 26''''
lower waist: 29''''
hips: 34 1/2''''
thighs: 18 1/2''''
calf: 12''''
bicep: 9 1/2''''

well i never did get to pilates yesterday, but i did thatch the yard which took 2 hours and a lot of arm and ab strenth. i managed to eat well yesterday and didn''t even feel the need to snack last night. i''m thinking of making a banana bread today...any low cal recipes? my recipe is a bit high in calories, but yummy. i''m still deciding what to make for dinner. maybe some balsamic veggie chicken wraps over brown rice. the weather is still good, but its supposed to rain all day friday...

. i''m going out for a nice long walk later on and am definately fitting in pilates today. workout wednesday in effect...lol

 

[Mara]

morning all!

i don't have my weigh in because i haven't been to the gym since last friday as i have been doing walking instead, though i am getting to the gym tonite. i did my measurements this morning though and they are basically exactly the same as last week except my thighs and calves are a teensy bit smaller, like 1/5th of an inch. wonder if that is because of the walking. so anyway i am holding steady with my maintenance! measurements: arm: 9.5"; bust: 35"ish; waist: 26"; lower waist: 33"; hips: 36"; thigh: 19.4"; calf: 13.4".

nyc...i found a few recipes online for banana bread that looked intriguing in the past but i have not yet made anything. ways to get the calorie count down is to replace some oil or butter with applesauce, use a splenda blend sugar for the brown or white sugars (or do your own blend to taste) and use more egg whites than regular eggs. that typically can get recipes down in cals for me. banana bread seems inherently high in cals though, because bananas aren't really a low-cal fruit! anyway let us know how it turns out and if it's good, post it in the healthy thread!!

breakfast this morning is power waffles with sprinkled flaxseed meal, sf syrup and strawberries with coffee. i love how in these waffles there are little sunflower seeds or something...it makes it somehow more 'fun' to have things in the waffles hahaa.

my thighs and hips today are sore sore sore so i am glad i am going to the gym tonite and giving them a break from walking. typically i would have gone to the gym last nite but with meeting my friend for dinner i decided to switch days and walk last nite and do gym tonite. so tonite i am just doing a light workout on the elliptical on a low level then some arm weights. for dinner i want to use the mango salsa i got from WF so i am thinking of baking up the coconut crusted tilapia we have in the freezer and then topping it with the mango salsa, with some wild and brown rice mix and veggies on the side. basic and healthy yet covers all the nutritional bases. so we'll see.

anyway hope everyone's day is shaping up to be great!! DJ hope you get that workout in. good for you kc on the workout and i agree with rod re: going to get tested for which shoes are best...that is the way to go for sure. and it's pretty fun actually. katebar, so sorry to hear about your daughter. good luck with the workout miss lorelei. congrats kimberly on 1/2" off the waist.

 

[AmberGretchen]

hehe..Rod...you are making me blush over here

We are definitely not models - you would never mistake us for models in real life, partly because we are both so short (we get made fun of a lot by our friends - I''m about 5''3" and DH is only about 5''4" - I actually almost wouldn''t go out with him in college originally because he was so close to my height!). DH is very handsome though (I''m biased of course

) but I think that picture''s appeal is due entirely to our talented photographers - that was our engagement shoot; they also photographed our wedding. They did a really nice job with both, and that''s definitely one of my favorite photos of us - we have an 8x10 framed in our apartment because we liked it so much, and the photogs had it up on their website for a while.

I also won''t be doing a weigh-in today since I can''t get to the gym and I''m trying to not drive myself insane by weighing myself on different scales and at different times but just sticking to the same one at the same time wearing the same amount of clothes so I know its consistent. But I wanted to say way to go to all those who did - I sometimes think on this board people don''t give themselves enough credit for maintaining within a fairly small range (a few lbs), which is actually deceptively difficult to do, in my experience, and you should be proud of yourselves that even if life tries to get in the way you can still maintain and not gain weight as a result of the stress or indulgence or whatever.

Kate - I''m so sorry to hear about your daughter. That must be so hard for all of you - I''ll be sending healing thoughts her way and I hope she gets better soon.

DH and I did to the mall to walk around last night - we did a couple of more brisk circuits and then we wandered in the stores for a little bit. I don''t have a pedometer, but it did make me feel much better and less like a blob, although it did seem to make my mouth more sore, but that could have just been a delayed reaction from the...ahem...aggressive cleaning it got at the dentist earlier today. Anyway, we''ll hopefully go again tomorrow and then this weekend if the weather permits we''ll go walk around outside in the park for a couple of hours, and hopefully sometime next week I can get back into the gym, although in this case I''ll try to err on the side of caution since there''s a possibility of "re-opening wounds" and/or delaying healing, according to the dentist, neither of which is something I''m eager to do!

 

[Mara]

AG...I feel kind of clueless but how is your mouth''s wounds reopening related to something like working out or walking??? Did the doctor give you more info on that? Whenever I had mouth work done aka like when I got my crown and root canal and all that, the dentist just said as long as the drugs had worn off and I wasn''t going to pass out on the elliptical or anything like that, exercise was fine. Also my sister who got her wisdom teeth out a few weeks ago was back at the gym like 2 days later. Can you elaborate?

 

[AmberGretchen]

Mara - I was kind of surprised too, since exercise is usually beneficial to most kinds of healing, and I''m usually back in the gym ASAP (like the day after having an injection in my knee joint). The dentist said it was because of how they had done the extraction (it was a straight extraction, just literally pulled them out with this evil-looking device, only local anesthesia...shudder). Anyway, they also didn''t put stitches in, which the dentist wasn''t able to explain to me in a way that made sense to me (I think she thinks I''m not super-bright, but then again I was kind of drugged-up when she explained). I think it had to do with increasing the risk of infection, but that doesn''t totally make sense to me. In any case, its too late to put stitches in now, and apparently without the stitches, the wounds are at high risk of opening up further and the main concern right now is getting them closed up without getting infected. The dentist said that the vigorous movement of exercising would stretch the holes and make them open up more, especially since they aren''t healed totally yet (apparently the healing and holes closing are separate processes - that part did make sense to me). I''m also not allowed to use a straw or drink alcohol or a whole list of other things that might make the wound healing take longer because apparently that increases the healing time and thus the risk of infection. I also suspect it has something to do with the asthma medications I''m on. They are local immunosuppressives, and so that is probably delaying the healing further, but its not safe for me to go off them, because then it makes my asthma worse which is dangerous. Anyway, I''m sorry that got so long - I''ve been thinking about it way too much and it still doesn''t totally make sense to me, but I''m also pretty paranoid about getting an infection or having it take extra-long to get better and so I''d rather err on the side of caution and stick with the walking for an extra week or two than have it get worse or infected or whatever.

 

[Mara]

hmm how interesting. Yeah I would imagine you would be fine with doing something like the elliptical or a bike which doesn''t really jar your mouth when you use it....maybe they meant something more strenuous body-wise like running? I often think that when people talk bout ''exercising'' they think of something like running. Anyway...yeah better to err on the side of caution though I think I''d be tempted to test it out and go to the gym LOL...but at least walking is definitely better than nothing!! Are there any vitamins you can take to speed healing?

 

[Skippy123]

Morning!

I lost 1 lb this week. Last night we at Tj''s chickenless nuggets and they were so yummy and low in calories. We also had green beans, some fruit and a naan for dinner.

This morning I had fage with fresh strawberries and for lunch I will eat a boca burger in a naan and some celery and a salad.

Tonight is high intensity step; I love it! Have a great day and I will check in after step

 

[mrssalvo]

Hi all,

AG, I hope you start healing up quickly so you can get back to working out. that would be so frustrating to me.

DJ- sorry the puppy was gone by the time you got there, the right brother or sister for Demon is out there and you''ll find him/her when the time is perfect.

mara, that''s interesting about the walking and loosing more inches. i really do think there is something to getting out and walking the hills, all the ups and downs the treadmill just doesn''t do (or at least work the muscles the same way for me. ) when I was is CA this weekend and we walked all those hills, I was really sore and i''d been working out and walking for weeks now. My best friend used to work out all the time with a trainer, did a ton of cardio on machines and lifted, now she basically just walks and does light weight training and is still the same size if not a touch smaller since she stopped all the crazy workouts. she also is very strict with her diet though which does have a lot to do with it also as so many of us have seen here.

anyway, I went to the gym today and did 45 min. on the cybex arc and then walked for 15 minutes. I also walked Zoe early so that''s some extra calories burned there. I did weigh myself and am the same which is good news since I had the big weekend splurge.

I hope everyone has a great wednesday!!

 

[Rod]

Happy Wednesday Team PS!!

Nothing much to report today. It's a beautiful day in paradise and we had a nice lunch then sat outside and had coffee at Starbucks. We did meet with our realtor this morning and signed the paperwork to take our home off the market. That made me SO HAPPY to sign the form and know we're not selling our beautiful condo any longer. Still not sure how we're going to pay for it long term, but I will get a good job, I just know I will. There's nothing new on the job front. I haven't heard from yesterday's interview. I do have another interview with a company next week, from of all places Raleigh, NC., but I made it clear I would not relocate yet they're interersted enough to let me telecommute. So, we'll see if that turns into anything. It is with a company who knows me, but I'm not sure I want to work in the exact same industry and work remotely from my home office. So, they'd have to pay me a lot of money to interest me and the nice thing is I told them that and they're still interested.

Good to see your still exercising Mrssalvo. And I agree with you and Mara, real world fitness is different than gym fitness. Having just started running again, even though I do five intense sessions on the ellitpical every week, running outside uses different muscles for sure and I'm still a little sore after my third run in less than two weeks. My next run day will be Friday, and I plan (I hope) to run 6 miles this time.

Anyway, I've had enough job hunting fun for the day, so it's time to shut down and go to the gym for a nice long workout. I'll check in later. The Florida Lottery is up to $15 Million so I've decided I'm going to buy the winning ticket for tonights drawing and I won't need to find a job and Charlie will be able to quit his job. LOL

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 4/25/2007 3:04:09 PM
Author: Rod
Happy Wednesday Team PS!!

Nothing much to report today. It''s a beautiful day in paradise and we had a nice lunch then sat outside and had coffee at Starbucks. We did meet with our realtor this morning and signed the paperwork to take our home off the market. That made me SO HAPPY to sign the form and know we''re not selling our beautiful condo any longer. Still not sure how we''re going to pay for it long term, but I will get a good job, I just know I will. There''s nothing new on the job front. I haven''t heard from yesterday''s interview. I do have another interview with a company next week, from of all places Raleigh, NC., but I made it clear I would not relocate yet they''re interersted enough to let me telecommute. So, we''ll see if that turns into anything. It is with a company who knows me, but I''m not sure I want to work in the exact same industry and work remotely from my home office. So, they''d have to pay me a lot of money to interest me and the nice thing is I told them that and they''re still interested.

Good to see your still exercising Mrssalvo. And I agree with you and Mara, real world fitness is different than gym fitness. Having just started running again, even though I do five intense sessions on the ellitpical every week, running outside uses different muscles for sure and I''m still a little sore after my third run in less than two weeks. My next run day will be Friday, and I plan (I hope) to run 6 miles this time.

Anyway, I''ve had enough job hunting fun for the day, so it''s time to shut down and go to the gym for a nice long workout. I''ll check in later. The Florida Lottery is up to $15 Million so I''ve decided I''m going to buy the winning ticket for tonights drawing and I won''t need to find a job and Charlie will be able to quit his job. LOL

Out of interest I read in a workout book that to reproduce a similar effect to running or walking outside, you need to set the incline on the treadmill to 1% instead of no incline at all.

 

[Mara]

yes i have also read that the treadmill is not like walking outside, mostly because when you walk on the treadmill, the machine keeps going even if you take your feet off, so you end up having a bit of extra help from the treadmill belt. whereas walking outside you have no help at all, it's all YOU powered. i notice this too when it's windy out and i am walking, i have to push a little harder to not let the wind push me back...so it's resistance training haha. and that's not something you get on a machine really. also hello my legs and butt are SO SORE today and i know it's from the additional walking i have been doing, and also the fact that i am now taking the stairs to my office (5 levels from the garage) 2-3 times a day. so i am basically walking up 100 steps 2-3x a day...and i am in good shape and yet i still have to take a few deep breaths at the top!! so yes real world exercise can be different and very handy too hehe.

so just got back from the team/dept lunch...i was 90% good and 10% bad...we all shared a few apps so i had 2 slivers of potato pancake (pressed into my napkin and a lot of grease came off!) and a bit of the chicken lettuce cups, and then some wonton soup but i only ate about 1/3 of it because it was SO salty. and ever since reading about how salty chinese food is, AND how you end up retaining water and it shows up on your body and on the scale i have really tried to watch salt. then for my lunch i got shitake mushrooms and snap peas with prawns and asked them for the sauce on the side and they actually did it, though the waitress was really not friendly and she hated that i asked her to do something special. and my meal came with potstickers or egg roll so i got potstickers and rolled them in my napkin before eating to get at least 1/2 the grease off. the meal itself was awesome, the sauce came entirely on the side so it looked like they just steamed my veggies and prawns (or used a little bit of oil but it was not oily at all, the shine to them seemed more like water), and it was REALLY good that way actually! i didn't even use the sauce. and i had like 1/3 of the rice that came with it. so overall a successful lunch outing...even though i really hate to go to places i wouldn't normally go to and use some of my precious calories for something that i am really not that into. but it was fun to get out with the dept and still be pretty healthy. plus actually my dish was really good. i would even get that as takeout in the future.

on a random side note, does anyone else feel totally weird when you dab at greasy things with your napkin?? i do this to my pizza and also things like the potstickers or the potato pancake and i try to be subtle about it but man so much oil comes off of those things a lot of the time. i'd rather not eat that extra oil but why doesn't anyone else do this but me?! hehe.

skip sounds like you are doing great, you too mrs salvo. rod another great day hhmm hehee.

 

[Becky P]

AG- Don''t chance it on the working out too hard. Walking should be okay, but if the doc said not to do anything strenuous, don''t do it. Even the elliptical will make your blood pump harder, which will bring more blood through the area where your mouth is trying to heal and that''s part of the reason why you can''t work out yet. TRUST ME some friends had their wisdom teeth out and pushed it and then it got infected and it was SUPER painful and took months to heal instead of weeks. Taking one week off won''t totally derail you, especially if you watch your food intake. Also, another soft food is applesauce.. plus, if you have a blender or a food grinder, you can make smoothies or grind up food you like so that it''s easier to eat.

The running store I went to is called Raleigh Running Outfitters (www.raleighrunning.com), so it''s not a chain, but if you''re ever in the area you can check them out. Honestly, I did not even pay attention to what I bought. The guy just brought me a few pairs to try on and I picked the one that fit the best. I told him it didn''t feel wide enough, and he brought out the wide one, but it wasn''t in my size. I could tell it was MUCH better, so they special ordered it in my size, and they arrive about 5 days ago - yesterday was the first chance I had to get out there. Now that I look at the box, it''s Saucony brand, Grid Trigon 4 Guide White size 6 1/2 D women.

Here''s the weight in, I had it all ready to go this morning and then got slammed with work and forgot to post it. I finally hit my first mini-goal!! Below 160!!! And, the inches keep melting away and the body fat % is going down too. I''ve got a scale that calculates body fat and water %. From what I hear it may not be totally as accurate as the ones in dr offices and gyms, but I''m using the same one all the time, so it''s at least consistent. Today, I was laying on my bed, and I think a few more pounds are about to fall off b/c I could see my hip bone, and my stomach is starting to look pretty flat! We''ve been doing a lot of walking as well b/c there''s the trails right outside the door, so instead of hitting the gym, we''ve been walking for an hour or more several nights a week. I am still going to the gym tho, but I''m just mixing it up - some days gym, some days trail.

Week 10 Week 17
3/7/2007 4/25/2007
Height 5''2" 5''2"
Weight 164.2 159.8
Bust 36.5 35.75
Waist 32 29.5
Low Waist 37 35.25
Hips 44.25 43.25
Thigh - R 27 26.25
Thigh - L 27 25.75
Arm - R 12.5 12.1
Arm - L 13 12.5
Calves 16 15.5
Size 12 or 14 12 or 14
Body Fat % 35.2 34.1

 

[Rod]

Mara on wind resistance it really makes a difference. Going for a walk or a run on a windy day can be a great thing to do physically. And yes, another great day in paradise. So there. Hehe.

Great progress there Becky. The inches are falling off!! Way to go and keep up the great work!!!

I had a fantastic workout at the gym. I slept so much better last night, so I had so much more energy. I love being able to hit the gym around 3:00 before it get''s crowded. I just started working out and all of the sudden it was 5:00 and I hadn''t gotten on the elliptical. I did like 5 sets of 10 unassisted chinups - fully extended!!! My arms area little sore, but I''ll work through that tomorrow. When I did get on the elliptical, I usually set the timer for 30 minutes with a 5 minute cool down, I don''t know where my mind was and I set it for 40 minutes with the cool down, so I did a VERY intense 45 minutes and burned over 700 calories. Woo Hoo!! I know I won''t be able to work as long once I''ve got a job, so I''ll take advantage of being unemployed and keep working on my muscles. LOL

Tomorrow, will be day three at the gym, then Friday it''s a 6 mile run. I really look forward to my runs now that we''re back and I can run along the bay. It''s just such a beautiful place to run. And I really feel the difference when I run into the wind and there''s always some wind directly on the bay.

Lorelei thanks for the advice on putting the treadmill on an incline. That surely makes sense. I don''t actually use the treadmill as I prefer to run outside, but there are loads of treadmills at our gym and they are always busy. I see more people walking on the treadmill as opposed to running though. Still, exercise is exercise and I applaud anyone who''s working on being healthier. I hope your getting more rest Lorelei.

And Finally, Mara, if I ever do have anything greasy, I absolutely use a napkin to dab the grease away. And I''m not embarrased to do it either. I''ve worked too hard to be in the shape I''m in, so I''m not letting extra grease hit my tummy.

 

[Dee*Jay]

642 marvelous calories burned!!! My first workout in weeks felt GREAT! I didn''t push it (my average heart rate was 140) and I could have easily held a conversation with someone (always my test of whether I''m going at it too hard) but I do feel like I''ve *exercised* LOL!

Noticed a totally random thing too: I always do the elliptical hands free, but today for some reason I decide to try holding my stomach muscles in too (Rod--can you say "core training"?!) and it made me go faster. Not incredibly so, but I noticed that with my stomach sucked in I went about 4 steps/minute faster than without. Hmmm... no idea what that really means but I thought I''d throw it out there.

I''ve had shockingly few cals today; seriously, just 600 to this point, but I''m going to have a 155 cal bologna sandwich and 40 cals worth of chips... and then... I''m finishing off the last 1/4 pint of Hagen Daas that we have left over from last night. Not exactly the idea calorie distribution for a day, but I''m going with it!

Mara, I do the napkin thing too. It''s amazing (and gross!) what happens when you just stick the tip of a paper towel in the pool of grease that''s formed on a slice of pizza--ack!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Becky - yay for you on hitting your first milestone!! That's so exciting

That's also kind of scary about your friends who got infections. I was told I'm at especially high risk for that because of my asthma meds, and it sounds scary, which is why I'm trying to be cautious even though I'm normally really gung-ho about going back to the gym ASAP.


ETA: I TOTALLY do the grease thing and even though I always feel a little like a freak, but the thought of all that grease freaks me out more than seeming obsessive to people!!

 

[NYCsparkle]

awesome progress becky!!! the inches are melting away. i''m happy you''ve exceeded your goal. keep it up!

mara i always pat my greasy food with napkins. its gross, but necessary.

i''d rather it look gross with the napkins before i eat it rather than a few days later showing up as a zit or cheddar on my butt.

you are definately NOT the only one...lol...i actually see people do it all the time...the extra grease is just not appealing.

i made a really yummy dinner tonight...i made chicken and veggie wraps over brown rice....but i just mixed everything up in the whole wheat wrap anyways.

i made a balsamic and herb seasoning which gave the meal a nice flavor. i love balsamic. i use it on anything i can. i wound up not making banana bread today, which i''m happy about because now i won''t be picking on it all day. if its there i''ll eat it....if its not i won''t even think about it.

when i go walking outside, i tend to lose more weight than working out in the gym or at home on the treadmill. i also notice that it feels as though i''m working out harder outside. i notice i''m more winded when i get home.

rod a new job will come soon...good luck...i actually have to start looking for a job in the next couple of weeks. i also love asics sneakers. they are so comfy.

 

[KimberlyH]

It''s interesting that everyone seems to have lost weight and inches through walking. I trained for 8 months to walk in a 3Day last year. I started off slow (3-5 mile walks 3-5 times a week) and towards the end we were doing 12-17 mile walks on the weekends and shorter walks during the week and I actually weighed more by the time I walked then I had when I started. I didn''t change my eating habits at all. My teammates would get angry with me for not snacking, but I just coulddn''t force myself to eat when I was exercising. As soons as I finished my body went back to a steady weight of 138 (I hit 144 several times during training) and then I started calorie counting and returned to elliptical work as my staple, with walks mixed in and now I''m 12 lbs. lighter.

John''s making chicken and artichoke or brocolli for dinner tonight, yum! I''m looking forward to going to bed. I''m fighting a cold/sore throat and I didn''t sleep so well last night. I''m subbing tomorrow, Friday and Monday so I need to rest and feel healthy enough to deal with the kids. It''s a special education class, that contains 5 autisic students. I''ve worked in before and theyare fantastic but require a lot of energy and attention.