Weekly Workout Thread 26th Feb till 4th March

[monarch64]

Date: 2/28/2007 1:47:37 AM
Author: Mara
monnie! i''m so glad you checked in. i have seen you posting recently and i was like one day she will check in with the WWT!!! and then nothing. hehee. so finally i couldn''t wait anymore....hope you don''t mind me calling you out...hehee. i have definitely missed your presence on this thread..! have you said previously what type of surgery you are having? and kudos for trying to quit smoking...don''t feel bad if it doesn''t happen right away...from what i have heard it''s a very difficult thing to do...just stay with it and one day it WILL stick! and yeah it''s so funny, you say that i have come so far, i think about that too sometimes just in general...like way back when this thread was tiny and intermittment...hehee. the group that is here now is just so amazingly dynamic and dedicated...it''s fabulous. so, a huge welcome back M!

on the workout/health/food tip...i couldn''t remember if previously i had ever reviewed those Gayle''s 30 cal truffles i got for greg around near vday...anyway i have rediscovered them in the pantry, hehee...they are actually very good!! i got the raspberry, mint, dark and milk chocolate ones to try out. they also have a cappucino but i guess i zoned out and didn''t order that one. anyway, so far i have tried the raspberry, mint and dark chocolate ones. raspberry is my FAVE, i love dark chocolate and raspberry together. the mint to me just tastes like a mint on the pillow, totally underwhelming...and the dark chocolate is my 2nd fave so far. basically it''s a thin coating of chocolate over some sort of fat free chocolate filling...that is how they are 30 cals. definitely not winning any ''best truffle'' awards especially when compared with the handmade ones that we got for vday from the local chocolatier which just melts in your mouth...but these DEFINITELY can do in a chocolate pinch. and at 30 cals each, you can eat 2-3 and be under 100 cals for a dessert snack which is pretty sweet. i''ve been ''ending'' the night with them lately. so tonite i actually cut the bottom half of the donut off (lol i know it''s silly) and tossed it and just ate the top half with the glazing, haha. i mean come on that''s really what i want anyway and i saved probably about 1/3 of the cals. so then i had a 30 cal truffle as well.

so i actually am ending the day with 1475 in cals. whee. now i need to get some SLEEP and kick this darn cold! nite all.

Gosh, well to tell the truth i am looking at having some serious mouth surgery done...I have a very narrow upper palate which needs to be expanded as well as having my 4 wisdom teeth out, then just some braces to straighten out my teeth. Don''t get me wrong, I am happy with my teeth and face as they are, but mh ortho and oral surgeon seem to think I will be able to breathe better and eat better otherwise, hee hee.

Part of why I kind of got out of the workout thread was trying to schedule my surgery...I really did not want to diet or lose weight before the fact, but honestly have been waiting for my insurance (of course

) to be the deciding factor of when I actually did it...I just wanted to be fit but not too small in case I lost the usual amount of weight (which, ok don''t gag all, is like 17 lbs.) because my mouth may well be wired shut and I will only be able to ingest liquids for 4-6 weeks.

I KNOW, but Mara dragged me into this, LOL!

So I have been trying my utmost to eat healthfully (no problem, I love healthy food and TJ''s--see my additions to TJ''s faves thread), and exercising at home, but in anticipation of a very expensive surgery, decided to give up my $80 per month women''s only health club and work out at home as much as I could. I have probably gained back about 10 lbs since I last posted after doing the Breast Cancer Walk, but I have felt like I won''t be able to eat certain things for a long time. Basically, ,my upper palate will be cut into three segments, expanded, left to heal from there, and then I will be braced for straight teeth for two year at least. Yay!

Yes, I will be quite the weight loss poster child, so i''m very glad I''ve gained some weight and have some to lose. I''m 5''10" and if I had gone into this as a size 4-6 i would not have been very healthy coming out, I don''t want to be standing up after day three post surgery and passing out, or whatever. I really want some of the ladies on the BWW thread to know that yes, you can lose 10lbs very easily on a crazy, fad diet, but it is not desirable! Please notice that I have intentionally not lost weight because I knew I would lose some with this surgery! My best "measurements" are taken at maybe 36-37X28-29X39-41. And I''m Tyra''s height.

TMI? Probably. Just blame Mara, hee hee. Seriously though, just be careful and put a lot of thought into what you do as far as dieting. Nobody looks good starved.

 

[orangevixen]

Date: 2/27/2007 11:29:10 PM
Author: Mara



another thing i read today on MSN diet and fitness...it was saying something along the lines of..CRAVINGS. when to give in and when not. they said if you have a craving...stop and think about it. because apparently when you start eating more healthily...and depriving your ''overstuffed'' fat cells...they start to freak out and send signals to your brain to give them more food...!! so you may not even really be hungry, it could be your fat cells not wanting to be burned for fuel...how funny is that?! i was like interesting! so now when i get cravings i am going to try to imagine my fat cells crying out for food so they won''t be burned. haha.

OMG that is hilarious Mara!

I''m totally going to envision this over the next few days/weeks until the major cravings subside.

Kimberly - what you said struck a chord... A few years ago I was nearing a size 16, which is definitely overweight for my 5''2" frame...now I''m close to a 10, but I''d really just love to be down to a size 8 and stay there(6 would be a dream-size for me). Hopefully it won''t take me 2 more years to get there!

Monarch, i hope your surgery goes well. I''m sure it will be totally difficult, but you''ll get through it and I''m sure in the end it will be well worth the struggle. If I were you, I''d be eating tons of chocolate and ice cream and french fries and pizza and all of the other yummy things I would eat if it weren''t an issue. I admire you for trying to eat healthy until you go through with it.

Sounds like everyone had a pretty good night! I had a fantastic workout, and I''ve resisted the urge to consume a single calorie since getting home from the gym. Off to bed now...YAY, day 2 is over!

 

[Lorelei]

Glad to see you on the thread Aljd, Deco and Coda

Great to see you Monnie!

No workout yesterday, but I plan to later on, the back is feeling much better now.

 

[coda72]

Thank you, everyone, for the encouragement! I really enjoyed reading all your tips and just general good wishes. I will try harder to get this extra 15 pounds off me. I think I''m going to have to get an ipod or something though to make the time go faster on the treadmill. I do have the TV on, but I can''t hear it because my treadmill is so loud! If I were just walking it might be ok, but jogging at 7.5 miles per hour makes a terribly loud racket. I also can''t read a book or magazine at this pace. Maybe I''m uncoordinated, but I would fall off if I tried reading!

Have a great day, everyone. No real workout for me today other than 4 hours of painting, but maybe that will burn as many calories as a half hour of jogging. Yeah, right!

 

[nejarb]

i finally gave into the donut craving this morning. this is a mistake b/c i ate a donut at 7am, so i know i''ll be hungry again before 10am. probably better to eat something like that in the evening. oh well, they gave it to me for free at starbucks b/c i made a funny joke. me and fi go there ALL the time b/c it''s in our building, and we know how much they get paid b/c he''s researched the company for work, so we usually don''t tip them (they make alot of money and have great benefits already!), so i think to compensate for this, we try to be extra charming and funny so they still love us. so this morning i went down there to get his coffee, and i asked "when did they make donuts like that?" about the old fashioned glazed donuts. the lady down there laughed and laughed and didn''t charge me for the donut! 280 cal--not too bad compared to everything else down there. but i feel a sugar high coming on...

i''ve been failing at my calorie counting. lately i''ve just been counting breakfast and lunch and snack, and trying to keep it all under 800, but usu coming out around 950 or 1000, and then just not worrying about dinner. maybe this is okay though, b/c after a few weeks of counting, i saw that my dinners (wine and any dessert included), always averaged about 850 cal for the night.

mara, i have the aveno gradual tan lotion for light skin, and it hardly does anything, even if i use it for 2 weeks! my skin isn''t really pale even though people assume it is sometimes b/c i have light hair and freckles, but it isn''t that dark so i just wanted to be cautious and get the light stuff. i''ll try the lotion for medium skin!

 

[KimberlyH]

OV, I'm glad it struck a cord. I meant to address that to emeraldlover as a welcome (ETA: I only stated this because I addressed the post to EV, which makes no sense at all as there is no EV, there's an EL and an OV! Stupid me!) , but am glad anyone took something away from my ramblilngs! A bit of advice, please don't get stuck on the size on your clothing tag. I was there about 2 months ago and it was silly and frustrating and just a waste of time in general. When I lost that fixation and focused more on overall health those last few pesky lbs. started to come off. And I wasn't overweight when I made some small adjustments (read calorie counting), I just wasn't thrilled with the tone and shape of my body.

Welcome back monnie!!! So glad to see you. Your reasons for not watching your weight for a bit make total sense to me!

Happy Wednesday Weigh In all. Here's my numbers for this week (and last for comparison)

Week 8 Week 9
Height: 5'5" Height: 5'5"
Weight: 131.6 Weight: 130.6
Bust: 32.5" Bust: 32.5"
Waist: 27" Waist: 27.5"
Lower Waist: 32.75" Lower Waist: 33.75"
Bicep: 11.75" Bicep: 12"
Hips: 37.5” Hips: 37.5”
Thigh: 21" Thigh: 20.5"

Overall weight loss (since January 4): 7.4 lbs.

I am a bit bloated as I approach TTOTM, so inches have gone up a bit, but weight is down another lb. and I'm feeling really good about my overall health and the amount of pyhsical activity I'm doing.

I'm quite pleased as I didn't expect to lose much weight when I started calorie counting, I just thought I would make small adjustments to my diet (which stands true, suprisingly enough) and I've surpassed what I thought I was going to do. I am about 5 lbs. away from my high school weight, which is just crazy to me. I'm not aiming to get back there, I just intend to continue down the path I am on and see where my body takes me as I feel I'm eating enough and exercising a fair amount.

No exercising for me today.

Happy Wednesday!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Oh I'm such a dingbat! Kimberly's post made me realize I did my Wednesday morning weight in YESTERDAY. Geez--I'm a little off this week!

This morning I had my leftover salmon and veggies from last night and about two bites of an eclare. I realized at bite #2 that it wasn't that great and ditched the rest. Too bad I didn't figure that out at bite #1, ha ha.

I'll do a light lunch and dinner and I'm planning on a walk on the treadmill tonight. Yay!!!

 

[lovelylulu]

morning all!

welcome back monach! sorry about your oral surgery. i recently had my wisdom teeth out and it was honestly not nearly as bad as i was expecting. all four at once is the way to go. hopefully, your added work will give you a dazzling smile and some clear breathing

welcome deco! i''m so glad you''ll be popping in. like others have said, you''re a firecracker and i love reading what you have to say. you''re a super smart gal, so i''m sure you''ve realized that less calories + more activity = looser rings. i knew it too and ignored that little equation for roughly 3 years

. you just need the proper motivation. mine occured when i just wasn''t feeling healthy, when instead of being proud of my curves, i was self-conscious. i hope that you stick around. and man, i''m jealous of that espresso machine!

last night i went to the gym, but without an ipod it was pure torture. our gym is pretty low budget, which is fine by me because it costs roughly $8 a month -- but the music is seriously poor. sadly, i lost my ipod last week and held out some hope of a kind and honest soul turning it in, but on day 7....maybe a shuffle is in my future. any other mp3 player recommendations.

dinner last night was broccoli and the last of our homemade macaroni and cheese. i won''t post the recipe in the other thread as i made it with full fat gruyere. (hey, it was a snow storm...)

 

[Mara]

lulu my healthy mac and cheese is made with full fat gruyere (and parm and skim cheddar though)...it''s yummy! i love the blend of three cheeses. oh and i have a shuffle and i love it, it holds my music and i can just play endlessly on the elliptical. honestly i have no patience for dickering around with the ipod while working out, if i don''t like a song, i just press next...i borrowed a friend''s ipod 20g once and i was so distracted on the stupid machine i almost fell off. so shuffle is it for me while working out, hehe.

monarch...i totally hear ya on the surgery thing. you will definitely lose weight esp if you cannot eat much. an ex of mine broke his jaw falling off a moving truck while we were dating (raining, we were done moving, slipped, ouch)...and it took him 2-3 months to heal..he had his jaw wired. anyway he could only drink liquids basically. so we experimented with a few things here and there (pureed chicken soup is GROSS) but in the end he basically just had an ensure breakfast shake in the morning for nutrients, one at lunch, one for snack and then at night he''d have like a huge ice cream shake from baskin robbins...or something along those lines. poor thing. he also could eat pureed soups like the TJ stuff through straws but it''s soooo not the same. but yeah he was so limited...and a warning, he was SO grouchy during that time. who could blame him, but he just was not a happy camper. and he basically lost like 10-15 lbs. so it''s probably good you are bulking up because it''s really hard to keep up with the eating when you just can''t eat and how boring does ensure get after like a few weeks of it all the time? just be sure you are getting enough nutrients to help your body heal and then be damned with the rest i say. hehee. oh i guess the one thing you could be doing is making your own shakes at home which would be wonderful with whey protei, flax seed, yogurt and frozen fruits pureed in a blender, that would be a great way to get nutrients and it''d taste good too. back when we were together i was a lot younger so i had no idea on how to help him out nutrition wise.

congrats kimberly on achieving your goal of 130!! i know what you mean about continuing the way you are, haha that is what i was doing too but man sometimes cravings get out of control. and honestly visually i was not happy when i was dipping under 132...so i am pretty happy here at 134 visually. i think part of it is that i look thinner than 134 because my frame is medium, so i have bone definition all over my shoulders and arms and all that so if i actually lost any more weight it would probably come from my arms or back and i don''t need to lose any more there. i already can see ribs on my back when i bend over. but my stupid mini saddlebags are taking forever to go away, it''s really too bad we can''t spot lose eh??? overall though i am so pleased with how i look. i can''t wait til summer!!

coda, what about doing something other than running at the gym? elliptical? it burns a ton of calories (actually from what i have seen sometimes more than the runners on the treadmills) and you can read and listen to music as well. it would actually also be easier on your body and joints. it might be good to shake it up sometimes, maybe 1x a week or something and then you can try the distraction methods people mentioned and see how it works, hehe. greg is a runner outdoors too and he hates the treadmill running, says it feeling unnatural.

nejarb re: the counting, i thought you were trying to stay near 1700? if you are consuming about 950-1000 during the day then eating about 850 for dinner that''s above your goal right? only by 100-150 cals but those can add up if you are still trying to lose weight. anyway...just wanted to put that out there...if you aren''t losing the way you want, try cutting another 100 cals from your diet...i am trying to eat about 1750-1850 and working out 4x a week to MAINTAIN my weight...not lose. when i was losing it was more like 1550/1600 avg and working out 5-6x a week. so you might really have to cut a bit more in order to drop. if you aren''t already seeing results...just some thoughts on what might help. i know you don''t like counting thing but it totally worked for me (and kimberly too hehe). and i hate ''counting calories'' because it has a diet connotation when in reality it''s just more like ''being aware of what you consume''...which 99% of america is not. oh yeah and try the medium jergens stuff!

anyhow, breakfast this morning was multigrain waffles with spray butter and flax seed and sugar free syrup, EmergenC and coffee. i feel a bit better this morning, always better in the mornings and so rough and tired at night. saving grace is that this week due to the cold i have felt like eating and snacking less so it''s making it easier to stay within my lower calorie goals to make up for last week''s splurges.

off to get ready for work, hope everyone has a wonderful morning/early afternoon! i''ll get my measurements when i go upstairs and shower, hehe.

 

[NYCsparkle]

ok weekly weigh in
5''4''''
119.0
arms: 9
waist: 25.5
lower waist: 30
hips: 33
thighs: 18
bust: 33

i''ve lost 1 pound and more importantly inches. i don''t plan on really losing anymore weight, i''d like to maintain and tone up some more. i haven''t been exercising avidly this winter...i tend to work out when its warmer outside. i hate the gym and would rather spend time outside jogging, walking, or biking. i have been eating healthier and trying not to overindulge...i have a very sweet tooth--i have been controlling my chocoholic urges.

i made honey mustard chicken wraps last nite and they were delish....i used low fat honey mustard dressing, lettuce, tomato, and brown rice. they were very filling and really easy to make and clean up!

 

[coda72]

Date: 2/28/2007 11:31:18 AM
Author: Mara
coda, what about doing something other than running at the gym? elliptical? it burns a ton of calories (actually from what i have seen sometimes more than the runners on the treadmills) and you can read and listen to music as well. it would actually also be easier on your body and joints. it might be good to shake it up sometimes, maybe 1x a week or something and then you can try the distraction methods people mentioned and see how it works, hehe. greg is a runner outdoors too and he hates the treadmill running, says it feeling unnatural.

Mara, I actually work out at home and don''t have an elliptical, but I do have a stationery bike as an alternative. From what I''ve read, ellipticals don''t really burn the calories faster. I never go by what the machine is telling me anyway, it''s usually inflated. I''ve read that you burn 100 calories for each mile you exercise, whether it''s walking, running, or using an elliptical. Like your husband, I''m not fond of treadmill running either, but with this weather it''s essential. So, I will just get myself an ipod shuffle and start listening to music to keep myself going.

 

[nejarb]

about the ipod, i totally wish i had bought a shuffle. it holds enough songs, and i always just end up putting the songs on shuffle anyways! for me the reg ipod was a waste of the extra $, plus it''s bigger. however, i totally love it in general.

mara, yes i''m trying to stay around 1700 a day, but i''ve only actually done it a few times. i guess my problem is that even if i count, it''s still around 1900 a day usu, so i figure what''s the point. and no, i''m NOT seeing the results i want! yes, i''ve lost a few lbs, and yes, my jeans aren''t as tight even fresh out of the dryer, but the only thing that''s really noticable to me in the mirror is muscle definition in my legs has started to pop out a bit more, and my fi mentioned this too. i don''t feel thinner. i know i have the determination and will power somewhere deep inside of me to do this, but i guess i''m just not taking it all that seriously, or maybe i''m lacking sufficient motivation. do you think you could post some pics of yourself earlier last year and then again now? that might help motivate me. seriously.

 

[coda72]

By the way, here's a couple of articles I found that compare walking with running and using an elliptical with using a treadmill. I knew that I had read some of the stuff in the articles, but I just couldn't remember where, and I don't like to pull stuff out of my a**. I was pretty surprised that walking doesn't burn as many calories as running over the same distance.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-304-311-8402-0,00.html

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=77422

 

[Mara]

nejarb i can try to dig out some photos but the funny thing is that i don't think i look 18 lbs heavier in the old ones!! though maybe i do and i was in denial hehe. and honestly, i do know what you are saying about not being THERE yet aka totally motivated. it did take me a while too. i think what kind of kicked it in for me is that i was doing some workouts a few times a week and eating healthier but i wasn't seeing results and i was like oh well...i'll just continue along. but then when we went to palm springs last year, it was in august, i was like okay my bikini body is SO not happening. and sure it was BETTER than it was in like april or may. but it wasn't what i wanted. and i thought i CAN do this! i just have to get motivated. so it was in palm springs on our trip that i started working out in the gym and when i came home i kept it up and added it into my repoitoire of kickboxing...so then i was kboxing AND going to the gym. and that really got me going. i was like okay if i am working out 5-6x a week and watching what i eat ... and i don't see results eventually then i REALLY can't do much more. but stuff DID start happening then. so i was like DING DING. so you'll find your moment when you realize 'i am tired of doing this 1/2way and i want to see if 10000% gets me my results'. but for now maybe this is okay for you. honestly for me things like spring and summer clothes and vacations totally motivate me because i want to look good darnit! hehe.

coda..actually you might want to look into getting a heart rate monitor, because i don't know about the whole 100 miles a mile whether it's walking/running OR using an elliptical. i'm skeptical because i have a HRM and i tested it at my gym and on the streets and here is what i found. for me, my body weight, age, heart rate, etc...i burn about 400-450 calories on a 3m very brisk flat walk, no hills. so definitely more than 100 per mile. on the elliptical in about 55 minutes (about 7.5miles) at a fast pace i burn about 500-550 calories depending on how fast i am moving my legs and arms. so seemingly less? my husband for running, wearing his HRM for a 60 minute run and about 8 miles burns 1200 calories. i'm sure if i was running i'd burn less cuz i'm a gal and boys burn more but that is way more than 100 per mile. i think it really depends on the person, their fitness shape, age, etc.

in any case, online estimates are all fine and good for estimates (and i have read the whole 100 cals per mile thing for walking too)...but until you wear a HRM you don't really know what your body is actually doing. and because the machines were matching up to what my HRM says, i don't wear it at the gym anymore and the burn is pretty consistent with the time i put in on the machine. and when i go for walks i wear it and it's mostly consistent then too. anyway getting and wearing the HRM helped me because otherwise you don't know whether or trust the machines (and some are inflated, some arent), and also it's a great way to know what is going on when you are out on the streets and running or walking.

also funny, but i have seen people running on the treadmill next to me and i am walking on a high incline...and i end up burning almost the same amount (not quite but close, like within 30 cals) as them for the same amount of time as them running. and i was thinking gosh i am being so much easier on my heart and my joints by walking on the incline rather than running.

congrats NYC on losing inches! hey can you post your honey mustard chicken wraps in the healthier recipe thread? they sound really yummy and i'd love to try them!

so here are my measurements etc...a few things are shrinking down a tiny bit which is funny since it's TTOTM so i'm a little bloated...we'll see!
height: 5'7'
weight: 134
arms: 9 2/3"
waist: 26 3/4"
lower waist: 33"
hips: 36 2/3"
thighs: 19 3/4"
bust: 35ish

 

[coda72]

Mara, I think you and I could have a good debate about this subject because I agree with you on some things and just plain old disagree with you on others. I do have a HRM, but I don''t wear it often because I find that it chafes me, and I really hate that feeling. I don''t know if there''s any truly any accurate way of measuring how many calories someone is burning. The HRM may be a better estimate than others, but in the end it''s an estimate also. You input your age and weight, and it tells you how many calories you burned but it''s basing it''s estimate on that.

You also have a bias against running, and that''s fine, but it is good exercise, and I''ve been running for 16 years with no joint problems. Not everyone that runs has injuries. And I don''t see how walking is better for your heart than running. With both activities, you want an increased heart rate and running doesn''t necessarily raise your heart rate any higher than walking does. In fact, I have found that it''s hard for me to raise my heart rate when I exercise since I have achieved a certain level of fitness.

And again, I wouldn''t go by the calorie burn display on the machines. Most of the people at the gym didn''t input their age and weight into the machine, and even when they did I don''t trust the numbers, so you can''t go by what the machine is displaying to know if you''re burning more or less calories than they are.

 

[Rod]

Hey Monarch........sorry to hear about the oral surgery and thanks for the good wishes on our messed up living situation!! Trust me, I know how hard it is to quit smoking, so hang in there. I quit cold turkey over 1.5 years ago now and it's the ABSOLUTE BEST thing I've ever done for my health. It's really allowed me to concentrate on becoming so much healthier, so I know you can do it too!! Anyway, just wanted to say hi and let you know I'm thinking about you too!

Rod

 

[Lorelei]

Monnie, you can quit the smoking, letting go mentally is the hardest part but you can do it and trust me, it is so worth it! With Rod on your side and everyone here rooting for you, it is such a help, you go for it!

BTW I just finished an hour workout and it went really well!

 

[Mara]

hehe that's fine coda...i just know that i managed to meet and exceed my weight loss goals with what i was doing, using the machines and my HRM, and all that and it more than worked for me. so yeah i guess i kind of feel like i might know a bit about this whole thing because i lived it. but of course there is no one size fits all plan when it comes to this stuff. i also don't tend to believe online articles that know nothing about ME vs the heart rate monitor that i actually wear on my body. sure it may be an estimate based on my weight and age but it also uses my actual heart rate to estimate so you can't get THAT much more specific for an estimate. i have read countless articles in fitness mags that says to believe what the HRM says vs other things as well. i guess it just depends on what people want to believe...it's totally personal.

i also don't feel like i have a 'bias' against running, i have often said i highly respect people and am in awe who can run because i just flat out can't do it very well. and i know it's better for ME not to, because it can cause a lot of stress on your joints and organs for when you are older, and i have heard horror stories about how long-term running women especially have issues when they are older. also my knees aren't that fabulous to begin with so i'm sure it'd not be the best for me. but i still think running is awesome for those who love it and excel at it, i just don't, and i couldn't do it (though i ran track for 3 years in high school).

obviously, anytime puts something out here in this thread i think that you will get a ton of advice...maybe some applies and maybe some doesn't. i think that everyone here has something great to offer about their own experiences and what worked for them but it won't work for all. i read that you were kind of frustrated that you were not meeting your goals and so when i see you saying something like 'well i read online that it's 100 cals regardless of what you do' i'm thinking 'HMMM big no' on my end...and thinking that maybe that's a misconception that could be hurting you with your goals? so of course i want to say something about my own experience...but i totally don't mean to offend or anything...so feel free to ignore me, many people do.

 

[Mara]

yay lorelei for working out, you must be so happy about that.

hope DJ''s workout goes great today too!!

i am seriously flagging today with my energy, ugh!!! i am hoping i will feel more perky this afternoon...i think i need to get to bed earlier or something to help kick this cold. i want to get a workout in tonite too, even though i think it will be a shorter version. but then i can take tomorrow off. we shall see i suppose!!

lunch is soon and it''s going to be a bean and rice burrito from TJ''s, 260 calories and 1g of fat. i''m looking fwd to trying it!

snacks are banana muffin, grapes and some sort of 100 cal snack like hostess mini cakes if i want...but we''ll see. since i have been sick stuff tastes less good so i''m like why waste it? hehe.

 

[coda72]

I know I''m not reaching my goals mainly because I overeat and not exercise enough. I try not to overestimate how many calories I''m burning, in fact I try to err on the low side when I estimate calorie burn. For example by running 3 miles for 30 minutes (with some warmup and cooldown walking) I think I burn about 350 calories and then taking into account the metabolic rate, I''m really only burning 300 calories in a half hour of running. I know that I will need to burn a lot more than that in order to burn off some serious calories. I think next week I''m going to try and start 45 minute workouts to get 500 or close to 500 calorie burns. That in addition to going on my salad diet 5 days a week should help. I just have to stick with it this time and not give up!

 

[TravelingGal]

Ugh, I threw out my back bowling last night. I am hoping to get a workout in today....

Wed weigh in numbers...I''m happy with them considering I am majorly retaining water (salty meal last night) and am also in TTOTM! As I said, the scale has been all over the place for me this past week...

Last week
Weight: 143.3
Bust: 36.4
Waist: 32.9
Hips: 39.45
Thigh: 21.75
Arm: 10

This week
Weight: 142.6
Bust: 36.5
Waist: 32.75
Hips: 39.45
Thigh: 21.75
Arm: 10

 

[Rod]

Date: 2/28/2007 12:28:51 PM
Author: coda72

Date: 2/28/2007 11:31:18 AM
Author: Mara
coda, what about doing something other than running at the gym? elliptical? it burns a ton of calories (actually from what i have seen sometimes more than the runners on the treadmills) and you can read and listen to music as well. it would actually also be easier on your body and joints. it might be good to shake it up sometimes, maybe 1x a week or something and then you can try the distraction methods people mentioned and see how it works, hehe. greg is a runner outdoors too and he hates the treadmill running, says it feeling unnatural.

Mara, I actually work out at home and don''t have an elliptical, but I do have a stationery bike as an alternative. From what I''ve read, ellipticals don''t really burn the calories faster. I never go by what the machine is telling me anyway, it''s usually inflated. I''ve read that you burn 100 calories for each mile you exercise, whether it''s walking, running, or using an elliptical. Like your husband, I''m not fond of treadmill running either, but with this weather it''s essential. So, I will just get myself an ipod shuffle and start listening to music to keep myself going.

Hey Coda

I wish that was my experience, but sadly it is not. I''m pretty intense on the elliptical and I always key in my weight, age and the level I want to push (which I''ve increased significantly over time), but my experience is I do 5 minute miles on the elliptical and burn less than 100 calories per mile. For example in 35 minutes, I travel 7 miles minimum and burn 500 calories minimum. It varies of course and I do agree with you that it must be somewhat approximate as no two bodies will burn calories exactly the same. But, I think 100 calories a mile might be a bit high.

Also, I do use my iPod the entire time I''m on the elliptical, for without it, I''d surely lose my mind doing it no less than 5 times a week for no less than 35 minutes each session. I just get lost in the music, which makes the time go by so much faster.

 

[decodelighted]

Thanks for all the welcomes & well-wishes, Fitness Gang!

All this stat reporting has me skeeeered.

I had no idea about the level of detail involved.

Honestly, I''m afraid to even get a "starting weight" - though I have to do it sometime before midnight (my "official start" is March 1st but I thought - why wait

on the "getting moving" part ... maybe it''ll *up* my slaggy metabolism eventually )

Anyway

30 min on the treadmill -- CHECK
Batch of Yum Yum muffins made -- CHECK

Dinner is Roasted Chicken & Rice but I''m a little stuck w/o any froz or fresh veggies left until grocery shopping night (tomorrow night) ... would it be better to eat the canned corn i have for emergencies or skip veggie altogether? Hmmmm.

 

[TravelingGal]

reporting is optional deco...don''t be skeered! I just do it every week because if I dont have the accountability, I tend to just say "screw it" and eat.

you can ignore all the scary stat reporting and focus on the fun stuff like muffin making.

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 2/28/2007 5:14:18 PM
Author: TravelingGal
reporting is optional deco...don''t be skeered! I just do it every week because if I dont have the accountability, I tend to just say ''screw it'' and eat.

you can ignore all the scary stat reporting and focus on the fun stuff like muffin making.

Ditto! Don''t bee scared, and don''t feel obligated to report. Just do what''s comfortable and motivating for you! There''s no "ban" button if someone doesn''t report their weight and measurements to the WWT thread, we promise!

Mara: Thanks for the kudos. It''s kind of strange having lost as much as I have as it wasn''t ever my goal or intent. I would have been perfectly happy at 135 and toned, but my body keeps responding, I''m not (too

) hungry and I feel terrific, so there''s no sense in changing things up. I am medium framed as well, and have a large bust that is balanced out by curvy hips. As a result I will never be skinny, which is just fine and dandy in my book, I just want to be fit and healthy.

nejarb: I have total faith that you can do this. You just need to find it within yourself. Perhaps you could start small, instead of saying I''m only going to eat 1800 calories a day chose something to cut out (just have soup for lunch instead of soup and crackers or whatever) and then build up those changes over time. Make it into a bit of a game, like "what can I give up today?"

Toniht we''re having polenta and sausage for dinner. YUMMY! Have a great rest of the day everyone!

 

[Mara]

actually kimberly what you mentioned re: making it a game reminded me of an article i was reading where a dietician was saying the easiest way to cut cals from your diet is not to deprive yourself of something...but to eat smaller portions of a few things. so eat 3/4 of a banana instead of having the whole banana. have 3/4c milk instead of 1c milk. just eat what you typically eat, but less of it. so for those who don't want to feel deprived might find that helpful. what i find helpful for me is budgeting out my week in advance. what am i going to eat tomorrow? i do it the night before. and sure if something changes, i don't FORCE myself to eat something if i don't feel like eating it...i'll switch it up, but by budgeting numbers it makes me stick within that range. aka if my breakfast is going to be 250 cals then i won't go over 250. and if i eat 230 then i put 20 elsewhere. also knowing when we are going to eat out vs stay home makes it easier to stay within a range and i budget it all out in advance. AND i put fun stuff into the day as well, so it's not all totally healthy stuff...because i do have a sweet tooth that needs some feeding hehe.

anyway i know counting and budgeting can seem daunting but it's the whole 'how do i want to spend' my day kinda thing. so just some ideas on how to do it and cut back a bit but not too much. or cut out one dessert. or exchange one bad thing for one good thing. sometimes making it a game is way more fun than making it super serious.

had my TJ burrito, it was pretty yummy! just the right spiciness. the tortilla got a little hard after being out of the micro but not bad for a microwaved burrito! and 260 cals and 1g of fat, can't beat it. i also had my banana nut muffin and now i am eating my bowl of grapes. i am obsessed with grapes right now. low cal and sweet for a treat. i also should eat something else at around 100 cals as well...because i want to be sure i have enough energy for the gym later and i am feeling pretty tired and my cals are low so far, so we'll see. maybe a yogurt or if i need a quickie sugar boost, the hostess mini cakes. i really love that they have 9g of fiber in them. it's so funny...not like i needed another reason to fall in love with them!!

 

[KimberlyH]

actually kimberly what you mentioned re: making it a game reminded me of an article i was reading where a dietician was saying the easiest way to cut cals from your diet is not to deprive yourself of something...but to eat smaller portions of a few things. so eat 3/4 of a banana instead of having the whole banana. have 3/4c milk instead of 1c milk. just eat what you typically eat, but less of it. so for those who don''t want to feel deprived might find that helpful. what i find helpful for me is budgeting out my week in advance. what am i going to eat tomorrow? i do it the night before. and sure if something changes, i don''t FORCE myself to eat something if i don''t feel like eating it...i''ll switch it up, but by budgeting numbers it makes me stick within that range. aka if my breakfast is going to be 250 cals then i won''t go over 250. and if i eat 230 then i put 20 elsewhere. also knowing when we are going to eat out vs stay home makes it easier to stay within a range and i budget it all out in advance. AND i put fun stuff into the day as well, so it''s not all totally healthy stuff...because i do have a sweet tooth that needs some feeding hehe.

This is an absolute testiment to playing around until each person finds what works for them. I am in Mara''s boat as far as not cutting out certain foods. I will not give up my evening glass of wine or a small sweet treat, but I will eat less of other things to get to have them. So for me, it''s all about figuring out what I must have and then working from that point. My breakfasts and lunches are pretty much always the same thing (oatmeal w/ soy milk, soup or a protein bar) and then I play with the rest of my calories to make the puzzle pieces fit. I typically can''t stop eating once I start (I''d feel guilty throwing away 1/4 a banana) so while this wouldn''t work for me it absolutely could work for nejarb or someone else. It''s all about playing around with your habits until you figure out what works for you.

 

[TravelingGal]

You''ve done great Kimberly! I meant to congrats you on your weight loss as well.

As you all know, the scale has been pretty stagant for me. I wasn''t sure what to expect, but I did lose weight faster for my wedding, although I didn''t do as much strength training. Still, I am pretty happy I have been consistent for 2 months now. We''ll see what happens in the next 4 or 5 months.

Just had a snack of cottage cheese and canned mandarines for 200 cals. All the talk of food cravings and confessions over at hangout had me running over here to take cover. It was killing me!

 

[Dee*Jay]

I seem to have survied my first workout in 10 days (although I suppose how I feel tomorrow will be more of a true gauge). Just did 30 mins on the treadmill to the tune of 145 cals, and kept my heartrate in the 120s the whole time. I felt like a wimp for getting off in half the time I normally work out but I figured better safe than sorry. Assuming this all goes OK I plan on doing 40 GENTLE minutes on the elliptical on Saturday. Fingers crossed.

So I've decided the food badness must come to an end. During this activity sabattical I got a little lax about the calorie strictness and even succumbed to a milkshake for lunch today at Potbelly's (that was the ONLY thing I had though, I didn't have a sandwich, chips and a shake--actually I think that much food would make me *explode* but I do see people doing it

). I tried to blame it on the happy hubby becuase today was his last day at his current job and he wanted to go out to lunch to celebrate, but there's no blaming it on anyone but ME. But a new leaf has been turned!

Tonight for dinner we're having fish with a tomato/caper/olive ragu and rice for dinner. Hopefully there will be leftovers becuase I love how this sauce tastes the next day even better once the flavors have time to meld.

Deco, don't be skeered!!! I have never even posted by stats, except that I do post my weight loss/gain on Wednesdays, so you can give as much or as little info as you want.

Mara, the happy hubby got no pudge brownie mix--I'm so excited! I don't know if he'll be able to make them tonight but since he's technically "unemployed" until Monday morning I hope he can fit them in into his *busy schedule* soon, ha ha.

Kimberly, how do you make your polenta? Is it a consistency like thick grits when it's done or do you bake it then so it's more like a "cake"?

Monnie, you poor thing! I hope your surgery goes well and that your recovery is easy and speedy!

 

[KimberlyH]

DeeJay: I make it more like grits than cake. I love it when it's shaped like a patty, but that usually involves frying, at least in my mind, which is delicious, but not the best choice. With the dish I'm making tonight it's like having italian sausage over pasta, but it's polenta instead.

TG: Thanks for the kind words! It's been an interesting few months in regards to weight loss, I didn't think my body would do what it has, that's for sure. Now if my stupid arms weren't so big! I've always had bigger arms, but that's the whole inability to spot lose weight!