Weekly Workout Thread 26th March till 1st April

[FireGoddess]

Date: 3/27/2007 5:29:51 PM
Author: aljdewey

Date: 3/27/2007 4:36:32 PM
Author: FireGoddess


Mara, I LOVE Laughing Cow cheese. Unfortunately, I know why the ''laughing cow'' is laughing. He laughs at my GI distress from eating his ''light'' cheese. UGH. Was so sad to figure out (by eliminating foods one by one as I was doubled over suffering from intestinal cramping) that it was the LC cheese that was doing it. WAH. Can''t eat that ever again. Maybe it won''t do that to you, but be forewarned.

REEEEEEEEEEALLY? Gosh, I''ve had this stuff a few times over the last 6 months and no problems so far, knock on wood!

That''s TERRIBLE - you poor thing!

We''ll have to find a key-lime substitute!

Dang. Glad it hasn''t happened to you but that means it could just be me. Of all the things that could give me GI distress...did it have to be Laughing Cow? I mean, why couldn''t it be brussel sprouts? I could avoid those easily. LOL.

Bring on the key lime.

Mara, the other good thing about Amicis is the pizza is YUMMMY! The only pizza I really, really crave at all. And their thin crust is great. Love that New York style pizza.

 

[Becky P]

Dixie - I know you''re frustrated with the scale right now, but really, just give it time. If you''re eating an appropriate amount and excercising 5 times a week, it will go down! I''m having the same troubles right now too, but I''m not working out as much as you are. I decided that this is going to be a lifestyle change for me. In order to actually stick with what I''m doing, I''ve gotta take it one step at a time. So, for March, my goal was 3x a week at the gym. Technically, I haven''t lost any weight, I actually keep bouncing from 161.4 to 163.2 - I don''t know why my scale likes those two weights, but it just does. But, I can tell that my body is experiencing changes. My thighs feel smoother and firmer than before, and the tape measure is starting to show small changes from when I first started measuring. Although this process is going slow, I''m okay with it because that''s what a lifestyle change is about. I didn''t gain 30 pounds over night and I''m not going to lose it overnight either. But, one day when my scale tips below 160 (my goal is 135), I will totally celebrate! I''m trying to take it in 5 lb increments. Another oddity that I''ve found is that my scale is a few days off... for instance, I went out over the weekend, had some really good Mexican and some cocktails, and this morning, the scale went up. So, the changes that you''re seeing right now may be from a splurge a few days back... sorry if this is TMI, but if you haven''t gone #2 in a while, that can increase your weight because of the stuff hanging around in your GI track, and if you''re about to have your monthly visitor, that can also cause a slight increase. So, if you''re not seeing changes immediately, I wouldn''t stress too much about it - keep doing what you''re doing, track the calories, continue to work out, and you WILL see results!!! Oh, also, have you done any weight training? When I joined the gym here in Raleigh (yup, I''m in Raleigh now - hi Rod!) I got 3 free personal training sessions, and I made the trainer show me how to use every piece of weight lifting equipment in the gym. I can totally tell that lifting weights in addition to cardio and pilates is going to be a big difference in my lifelong fitness goals. Anyway, hope things get better for you soon!

 

[TravelingGal]

FG are you lactose intolerant in any way? Although I am and have not had any problems with the LC cheese....

Crumpets...I love crumpets! I miss them from Oz...we don''t have anything as good, although the TJs ones are a good effort.

Mara, hope your phone interview went well!

Rod, I had a massage recently and I went for a run beforehand and the massage felt great! I just took a nice shower beforehand and was totally relaxed and ready to go!

Dixie, just keep hanging in there...you ARE doing good things for your body!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Well I am trapped at the office for the evening. I''m dug myself in with a pile of materials to review and I will probably be here until at least 8 or 9. If I am good and eat the LC and the grapes I have in the frige I will come in at 1215 cals for the day, which I''m fine with, especially since I''m not working out today.

Dixie, I know how frustrating it can be! I actually gained a pound and a half from one Wednesday to the next during a period when I was being REALLY GOOD, so I understand what an enemy the scale turns into. Concentrate more on your clothes and the changes to see in your body and don''t worry about what the number is.

Katebar, don''t let your friend''s comments get you down. And the results will come, just hang in there!

 

[phoenixgirl]

Just checking in . . .

Going on a month since I''ve been exercising again (down in the basement with a DVD). My plan is:

M, W, F: The Firm
Tu & Th: dance aerobics
weekend: no set routine -- try to be active

I haven''t missed The Firm a single time and have done the "ten workouts" which supposedly guarantee me my visible results. And honestly there really is a difference. I was starting to get fat in my fat pants, and now I''m squeezing back into my skinny pants (still fat in them, but hey, fat in the skinny pants is ok for less than a month of work).

I''ve missed the alternate days a couple of times when I got about 5 hours of sleep and just couldn''t wake up.

DH and I live in the city, so I try to make sure we wander around on the weekends. We walked at least two miles both Saturday and Sunday. But I know that I just can''t commit to a regular weekend exercise routine. I guess I am the opposite of the "weekend warrior."

I''m now waking up an hour and a half earlier than I used to, so that''s been a hard adjustment (but I also know there''s no way I''ll exercise after work).

I''ve lost a couple of pounds but mostly I''m gaining muscle. And I''m not doing this to lose weight, although I expect that happen. It''s just that I''ve got to take care of myself. My husband told me that I''m a lot more energetic and happy when I''m exercising, and it''s true.

I''m also trying to eat less crap, although today I made the unfortunate mistake of confusing "corn nuggets" (which the cafeteria sometimes has) with "corndog nuggets." I was not expecting tiny hotdogs inside of my nuggets.

Basically my eating plan is:

-- go from eating red meat once or twice a day to once or twice a week
-- eat a lot more vegetables and fruit
-- find new vegetarian, chicken, and fish recipes
-- avoid overly processed foods

Some of the recipes have been a disaster, but I also discovered this great pizza with pesto for the sauce (add sliced tomatoes, monteray jack cheese, and your topping of choice -- mine is mushrooms). Perhaps the greatest discovery has been that if I figure out what recipes I want us to try and get the ingredients, DH will wind up cooking them. He just hates the grocery store and can''t be bothered to plan ahead.

A coworker did this phenomenal job losing weight (also doing The Firm), but she was always eating cereal for lunch (no fun = no sustainability). Now that she''s lost the weight, she''s not exercising or watching her weight anymore. That is the opposite of my plan. My plan is to make healthy habits and choices and stick to them. Surely I''ll lose a little weight and look a little better, but I''ll also be taking care of myself and improving my mood. It''s like a win/win/win/win situation.

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 3/27/2007 6:01:32 PM
Author: TravelingGal
FG are you lactose intolerant in any way? Although I am and have not had any problems with the LC cheese....

Nope...not at all. Maybe it was just something about the light version?

 

[KimberlyH]

Dixie: Ditto the whole scale thing, and Mara''s suggestion to step away from the scale is a great idea. Be proud that you are doing healthy things for your body and trust your body to respond as it should to the changes you make. Believe you me, I know how frustrating that can be...but in the end it''s the best thing you can do so as to relax and enjoy the process of changing.

DeeJay: Sorry you''re stuck in the office, not so fun!

 

[Sevenwires]

Yo yo!! Sevenwires still here! It’s my TTOTM too so I just feel like I’m draggin myself everywhere. Gym included. I’m also not feeling like the hottest thing. I feel like a big blob. I have still been going to the gym and doing my cardio workouts. I’ve started adding in about 40 minutes to 50 minutes of weight training everday now, so hopefully that’ll up my calorie burn. I’m really wait for my TTOTM to pass because I think I’m not registering any weight loss because of all the bloatedness and water retention. Who knows?!

Up to today, this is 5th week since I started working out. I still haven’t lost a single pound. I swear my tummy is flatter, and it doesn’t bulge every time I finish eating. But I haven’t LOST A SINGLE POUND! Argh!! I know I have to be patient. So I’m still sticking to it.

After work yesterday I was so tired, when I got home at 8 p.m. I passed right out on my sofa and didn’t wake up till 11:45 a.m. I was supposed to only take a 30 minute nap and then head over to the gym. I should have known better though.. I never get up after 30 minutes of napping. Anyway, I ended up still making myself go to the gym. So I went, did 40 minutes of weights for the shoulders and back. And then the treadmill for 40 minutes. I checked my bodybugg when I got home and it said I burned a total of 547 calories for my entire workout.

Going to head to the gym again after work today. Going to do some leg weights for about 40 – 50 minutes, and then cardio for about an hour. Bleh. With TTOTM, all I really want to do is go home and veg on my sofa.

Eleguin – so glad to here you are okay. How scary it must’ve been for you.

Mara – Enjoy the time you have off… It sounds so wonderful to not have work to deal with for a short while! And good luck on those interviews coming up!

I went to Trader Joe’s today and got some more of the 0% Fage. Last time I got the 2% cause they were out of the 0%. Actually I like both consistencies. So since there’s no difference to me, I’m going to stick with the 0% just because it’s lower in calories for a light snack. I also saw some cinnamon rolls there today that had something like about 200 cals per serving. I was soooo tempted to buy it, but decided against it.

I’m SO sleepy right now. I’m going to really take a quick nap right now and then head on over to the gym.

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Just checkin'' in. Have a very bad cold.

great new diet....can''t taste a thing...therefore don''t care what I eat.

Please go away

so i can feel normal again.

To everyone...KEEP ON TRACKin

 

[AmberGretchen]

WOW...lots to catch up on, just from today.

Monarch - congratulations on being smoke free. I''ve never experienced it myself but I remember studying in school what a difficult addiction it is to make, and I am so impressed that you''ve done so, and I''m sure its having fantastic benefits for your health - keep it up!!

El - that car accident sounds scary. I was in a horrible one my senior year in college, and I still remember how traumatizing it is. I''m really glad you came out of it (mostly) OK - make sure to take really good care of yourself over the next few weeks, it can be a very upsetting and scary experience.

Mara - I LOVE LOVE LOVE Amici''s. I''m so psyched to know their stuff isn''t so bad and that they have nutritional info online. And the crumpet pizzas sound super-yummy - I''ve always liked crumpets but never thought to use them that way.

I don''t remember who asked about the artichoke hearts, but the frozen ones can be really yummy as well. I get the TJ''s ones, brown them lightly in some olive oil spray with a bit of salt, then add a little white wine and simmer until it evaporates and the artichokes are soft. Then you can do just about anything with them - one of my favorites is to throw in a can of white beans and cook until they are softened, then throw the whole thing over whole-grain pasta - very hearty and flavorful and also healthy, tons of fiber

I''ve had a nice day today - I took the whole day off from work (I did still hit the gym this morning) for my birthday today.

I did some fun shopping (woohoo - I now fit into size 8 short AE jeans - I still want to go down at least one more size, but that''s major progress from the 12s I was squeezing into in December!!). Also got some fun makeup, a new bra (sadly, that size hasn''t really gone down - I''m not convinced maybe it never will, no matter how much weight I lose, which is frustrating

), and some fun new makeup. Gotta love birthdays - we''re having Thai food for dinner and opening a bottle of champagne, and I got a big chocolate-covered strawberry for dessert to celebrate!

 

[Modified Brilliant]

HA..now I''m only 23,000 posts away from Ms. Mara

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 3/27/2007 7:53:02 PM
Author: Modified Brilliant
Just checkin' in. Have a very bad cold.

great new diet....can't taste a thing...therefore don't care what I eat.

Please go away

so i can feel normal again.

To everyone...KEEP ON TRACKin

Jeff,

I have that cold...it's slowly starting to improve, today is the first day I can actually say I'm getting better, WOOHOO! I did eat about 300 calories less than usual each day though, because food just wasn't doing it for me...a blessing in disguise!

ETA: The whole point of my post was to tell you to get better soon and I forgot to type that part, duh. Get better soon!!

J is maknig enchiladas for dinner, yum!

 

[monarch64]

Dixie, don''t worry, the scale will move one of these days...sometimes I feel like it''s the "watched pot never boils" effect, you know? Whenever I feel like the scale is becoming my arch nemesis I try to take a week or two off even weighing myself and rely more on how my clothes fit instead, and also try to shake up something else about my eating or workout routine. Currently I''m not trying to lose weight, but when I was it seemed like I would stop weighing myself for a period of time and the next time I hopped on a couple of weeks later suddenly I had lost a few pounds and didn''t even realize it! But if you''re following your plan and still no weight loss after a month to six weeks, I''d say it''s time to change something about either your eating or working out or both--nothing crazy drastic, but just some fine tuning...you will get there! Oh, and thank you so much for the words of encouragement on my quitting smoking--it''s been a little over 5 weeks now!

Picked up some dinner supplements at TJ''s tonight--I already had an individual serving of TJ''s frozen spinach lasagna that I paired with an Italian salad with organic vinaigrette and a glass of two buck chuck merlot...probably 600 calories but that only makes less than 1200 for me today so to stay at my current daily goal of 1600 I can have maybe another glass of wine or a pre-bedtime snack of cereal or something...hmmm, I''m thinking the wine may win out in the end, hee hee. DH is OOT tonight and TGal started a thread a couple weeks ago on how people spend their alone time when their spouses are away...I remember responding that I usually take advantage of that time to get a lot of household chores completed and looking back at that thread I realized that I need to take some "me" time on these occasions and just chill out and not worry so much about him coming home to a spotless house.

I got a short, maybe 1 mile walk in with Milo...it had cooled down here considerably by the time I got home around 5:15, so we didn''t manage more than 40 minutes, but I''m glad we got out and moved around at least! Everyone have a great night!

 

[monarch64]

Date: 3/27/2007 8:00:23 PM
Author: Modified Brilliant
HA..now I''m only 23,000 posts away from Ms. Mara

Ha, Jeff if anyone ever catches up to her we''ll know Greg took away her computer, lol!

 

[lovelylulu]

Happy Birthday AG

enjoy those strawberries!!!

 

[Mara]

whew okay so back from the gym with 550 cals burned (goal was 500, whee) and then i went next door to the market (i always get ideas from reading self or shape or some food mag at the gym on new things to eat and try) and picked up some wasa fiber bread (30 cals for one slice and 2g fiber!) and found the laughing cow spreadable light wedges, got some more 50 cal tortillas, some more sugar free syrup, a pear, a few bananas, some more of the thomas 100 cal multigrain muffins (8g of fiber per muffin!) to make breakfast egg and bacon mcmuffins (toast a muffin then scramble some egg whites, fry up a slice of the center cut bacon, and put a slice of low-fat monterey jack cheese on it, bake or microwave for about 5 min to get it all melty goody and you've got a breakfast with protein, fiber, and some fat for 200 cals total!), and then i found myself wandering around their bakery section.

i like this store because it's kind of a specialty store but it's not AS much of a specialty store as WF or TJ's...it's a supermarket but it's a smaller boutique one. its where i get things like the sugar free angel food cake and the 97% fat free cinnamon 260 cal rolls etc. so they have some really cool stuff in their bakery sometimes. they also have a bunch of fresh sugar free loaves of cakes and breads that i have not yet tried. one thing i noticed is that they have nutritional information on some of their bakery goods but not all of them. so today i was totally craving something sweet but i didn't want to make anything because then i'd have to have it around the house forever. so i thought well if they have a chocolate cake or carrot cake single serving or something and it has nutritional info i will see what it is. some of them had them and some didn't (info) so i asked the gal behind the counter. she said sometimes they just don't put the sticker on so i had her look some of them up. some also just didn't have it. carrot cake was a whopping 650 cals for a slice (not a big one either!). chocolate layer cake was 550. however, they have these little sample cheesecake platters...there are 8 small slices of cheesecake in 4 various flavors, like a chocolate german cheesecake, raspberry swirl, pumpkin and regular. well each small slice is only 220 cals. 14g of fat but i don't eat much fat during the day so it's okay for me to splurge on dessert if i want. the slices are small wedges, like maybe 2oz but it's cheesecake so it's probably RICH. so i got one of those 8 packs. i thought i was probably tempting fate to get an 8 pack but they don't have a 2 pack or anything like that so it was 8 pack or nothing pack. hehe. and i thought well this way i have something in the house that is decadent and rich and dessert for 220 cals and i won't be tempted to make a carrot cake or cookies or anything knowing we have this. so i am excited to try that tonite. but man i can't believe that the carrot and chocolate cakes were so insane at 550-650 cals for a small slice!

on a lark i have been wearing my pedometer into stores and stuff just to see how much walking i am doing and just in my 25 minutes in the store tonite i walked almost 1/2 a mile! i tend to wander around the store then realize i have to go back to the front or something to get something so i guess it adds up. the pedometer said about 30 cals burned and it typically gives a very conservative estimate (my HRM usually says more than it says) so that was kind of interesting. so the trips to the stores are helpful with ICU's it seems!!!

so out of burning laughing cow curiousity i just had a snack of 1/2 a pear dipped into the laughing cow light spread and it was actually REALLY good!!! the cheese definitely tastes like swiss to me, not like some specialty swiss but a nice creamy swiss and for 35 cals it is really yummy for what it is. and it worked really well with the crisp taste of the cold pear. totally hit the spot..i wanted to eat something with protein (cheese) and fiber (pear) but not consume a lot of cals since i'll be eating dinner in about an hour and a half. so the 1/2 pear with the cheese wedge was about 70 cals total. so anyway FG i will tell you if anything weird happens to my digestive system, eheh. i figure trial by fire!

speaking of the scale, it was unkind to me today with that extra 1 lb from last weigh in still showing up, but i'm about to start TTOTM and i feel like my belly definitely has some visual bloating going on so hopefully that's what the 2 lbs are...hahaa. or maybe it's all that bread from 3 days ago, ehhee. in any case, it's still a fine weight for me..my measurements and visuals look the same but that scale can really sometimes mess with your head. even though it's an okay weight for me to be at (132) i still find myself discouraged when i get on the scale if it's not where i want it to be (aka like 131 like it was last week). and then i am like come on, one pound?! i don't let it get me down but for a few seconds, i totally feel the scale pain as well. it's so weird how reliant we are mentally on it, even though we know better. but i had a great workout anyway!

so today with my long walk and my workout at the gym i burned about 800 cals!! i am really jazzed...i read somewhere on multiple sources that the week before your period you actually burn more calories with workouts, something about your body getting ready for something so maybe your metabolism is higher? i read this a while ago so i don't recall but maybe i will look it up again tonite and see if i can find more info. but ever since reading that i have always kind of tried to work harder the few days before TTOTM starts and hope that it's actually doing something positive, haha. plus you feel so lethargic during TTOTM that really i think it kind of balances out. i still do my workouts but i can relate, sevenwires, to feeling like you are dragging a bit. if you don't already, take a multivitamin during TTOTM or supplement with an iron pill because your body is losing iron through the blood and if you are already kind of anemic (i am)....you can feel even more tired and lethargic during that week due to the loss of iron. artichokes are also a fabulous source of iron!

one random thought...i noticed i have been feeling more energetic lately...and i was trying to think about what i have changed (if anything). the one thing i have been consistently doing for about 3-4 days now is adding cinnamon to my breakfasts...toasts, cereals, fage, etc. i noticed that i haven't really felt like i am experiencing sugar highs and lows, no sugar rushes, or caffeine rushes, i wonder if the cinnamon is actually doing something to help regulate how my body is processing my calories and fuel? or maybe i am giving it special properties it doesn't really have. but sometimes after drinking my morning coffee and eating i'd feel kind of jittery and sugary for a while, even though i don't have sugar in my coffee...i think it was the caffeine. but i haven't been feeling that at all the last few days. i also feel kind of consistently energetic, as opposed to having highs and lows with energy. or maybe it's that i am trying to eat more fruits and veggies too. who knows. but it's interesting. oh the one other thing i have been doing for about a week consistently now is adding more fiber into my diet. i am trying to eat 35g a day. i am coming close or going slightly over most days but a few days last week i was like at 45g! my body seems to like it. so maybe it's a combo of cinnamon and fiber hehe.

becky good to see you checking in!! sevenwires you too. glad to hear things are going well overall. congrats PG on fitting into the skinny pants, your sentence about being fat in the skinny pants made me laugh, isnt that so true how happy we are when the skinny pants just get on the body, nevermind actually look good (that comes later!). monarch sounds like your dinner is/was yummy...i like eating on my own sometimes when greg is out of town, it gives me the opp to make really weird hodgepodge dinners for myself or eat cereal when i want to!

jeff hope you feel better, that cold sounds like no fun! lol re the post count, hehe. AG i am really excited to try amicis now after you and FG said you both liked it. plus i really do like the fact that it's about a mile from the house, because it's just close enough for me to justify us walking to greg (and not hassle with parking downtown) but not so far that he feels totally put out...hehee. he likes to walk but he also walks about a mile each day between going to the train, getting to his shuttle at work and walking the rest to work so when he gets home and i am like 'lets go walk' he is always like 'oh man!'.

 

[TravelingGal]

Happy birthday AG!

Just came back from an hour and 48 minute walk. I didn''t feel like anything high intensity today, so I did a short run, then walked, then hill climbed for a half hour and made the walk back home. I figure I burned at least 400 cal from that walk, maybe a bit more due to the cardio boost from the run and hill climb.

I''m about to start TTOTM too, and boy oh boy do I feel bloated! I hope that we DO burn extra cals during this period because it would make the discomfort a bit more worth it!

 

[Rod]

Jeff, so sorry you have a cold and I hope you feel better soon.

Work was awful today. Now they''re treating me like a pariah (sp?) and for the entire day, I just sat there and pretended to have something to do. The president of this company is a rude, condescending bitter old man who does not handle rejection with any sense of maturity. Boo Hoo.........I left earlier than I normally would, but then what can they do, fire me??!!

I met Charlie at the gym and I had a really good workout. I guess the controversy of this week''s thread partially fueled by my less than sensitive comments had a real impact on me. And I secretly applauded every person who looked a little out of shape and was having difficulty with a machine (as a matter of fact I noticed one guy using one of the machines backwards and I went over and quietly let him know he was on the wrong way and offered to help him, to which he graciously accepted my offer of assistance!). Then when I was on the elliptical, instead of thinking, gee will he or she be back, I was thinking, gosh I hope they find the courage to come back for their health. So, while I feel badly about this week''s faux pas, it did help me in many ways.

I think we''ve decided to only do cardio tomorrow before getting massages. We worked out hard on weights and machines and since we''ll be back at the gym Thursday night, just doing cardio tomorrow morning will likely be enough. We''re not having Charlie''s real Birthday dinner tomorrow night. I actually made reservations at what is supposed to be an exceptional restaurant in Raleigh (Mara, I''ll let you know, but it''s called Bloomsbury Bistro at Five Points), for Saturday night and our realtor, who we''ve become pretty close to will be joining us as happy birthday to Charlie and a farewell to us before we leave for Tampa. After this week''s treatment at work, I''m more than ready to go home. This just didn''t turn out anywhere near the way I thought it would. Oh well, live and learn.

Have a nice day tomorrow........

 

[Mara]

omg how funny is this...on hungry girls' website she has a page where she 'marries' two products together that are fabulous together...and i saw this...ha ha!! but WE knew it first!!!!!

Smucker's Sugar Free Preserves + Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt
Official HG Couple Name: SMUCKGURT
(100 calories, 0g fat, 55mg sodium, 16g carbs, 0g fiber, 6g sugars, 13g protein = 2 Points)

The slightly tart taste of rich and creamy Fage yogurt mixed with super-fruity Smucker's spread makes for a match made in snack heaven! For just a hundred fat-free calories, go ahead and toss two tablespoons of the sweet stuff into a 5.3-oz. container of Fage. It's a treat so good, it'll make your head spin (and possibly even pop right off!). There's not a single Smucker's flavor that doesn't work well here: Apricot, Blueberry, Red Raspberry and more. Yesssss!


Oh and FG...for you...all healthy/low-cal Peanut Butter snacks, all the time:
http://www.hungry-girl.com/week/weeklydetails.php?isid=1047

 

[Kaleigh]

Rod,
I hope you and Charlie have a great time celebrating his bday tomorrow. Sounds like you are more than ready to head back to Tampa. Your plans of massages and a nice dinner sound fab. Sorry your boss is a PITA. Kind of makes you feel like you made the right decision to move home, huh?? Anyway, have fun.
Lisa

 

[KimberlyH]

Happy Birthday AG!!!

And happy early birthday, Charile!! Enjoy your massages tomorrow, Rod, you have earned it!


Lorelei, how''s the toe?

For some reason I haven''t been craving my normal snacks since I returned from my sister''s. I''m not sure if this is a good or bad thing yet. I usually eat almonds and yogurt in the afternoon but have had nothing since last Thursday. Weird. So w/o snacks I''ll finish out the day at 1350 calories again. Sorry, random rambling.


We''re going to have hamburgers tomorrow night for dinner and fulfill my craving, YUM! Haven''t chosen the restaurant yet, it depends on the weather.

Happy Tuesday evening, all!

 

[Rod]

Date: 3/27/2007 10:24:08 PM
Author: Kaleigh
Rod,
I hope you and Charlie have a great time celebrating his bday tomorrow. Sounds like you are more than ready to head back to Tampa. Your plans of massages and a nice dinner sound fab. Sorry your boss is a PITA. Kind of makes you feel like you made the right decision to move home, huh?? Anyway, have fun.
Lisa

Thanks Lisa!! We''re really looking forward to a day of fun in the middle of the week. And yes, the treatment I''ve experienced this week makes me resolute in my belief that I made the absolute right decision to go home. My mother has always said that things happen (or sometimes don''t) for a reason and I truly believe there''s a reason our condo didn''t sell in Tampa. Again....thanks for the good wishes!!

 

[Rod]

Date: 3/27/2007 10:44:38 PM
Author: KimberlyH
Happy Birthday AG!!!

And happy early birthday, Charile!! Enjoy your massages tomorrow, Rod, you have earned it!


Lorelei, how''s the toe?

For some reason I haven''t been craving my normal snacks since I returned from my sister''s. I''m not sure if this is a good or bad thing yet. I usually eat almonds and yogurt in the afternoon but have had nothing since last Thursday. Weird. So w/o snacks I''ll finish out the day at 1350 calories again. Sorry, random rambling.


We''re going to have hamburgers tomorrow night for dinner and fulfill my craving, YUM! Haven''t chosen the restaurant yet, it depends on the weather.

Happy Tuesday evening, all!

Thanks so much Kimberly!! I passed your birthday wishes and hope for a good massage and Charlie says Thanks!! We''re going to have a great day tomorrow!!

 

[Mara]

happy birthday charlie! happy birthday AG!

hey rod, we are starting to plan our trip for raleigh...can you list out your top restaurants for me? you know what and where we like to eat...and we would be looking to really ''experience'' the food in raleigh. your fave sushi place, a great steakhouse or upscale american type place and maybe a few more eclectic places like mediterranean or pan asian or french brasserie or similar? also any great places for breakfast that are unique or must try? also do you suggest we stay at a hotel in the heart of raleigh aka to get around most easily? we probably will visit surrounding towns also like the suburb areas in case we want to live out of the town area as well. so something with ease for moving around aka near a freeway or something. any suggestions most helpful!!!

oh and of course the important part. where do you suggest i go to workout in raleigh? i want to visit a gym that will let me do the whole pay $10 for a day or whatever... just in case our hotel doesn''t have a gym. but i am going to try to find one that does!

 

[Sevenwires]

Aaah! I did it again!

I went to take a nap at 5 p.m. and I just woke up. Now it''s 10 p.m.

I''m still going to go to the gym. Heading out now so it doesn''t turn too late.

more update later friends..

 

[ellaila]

OK, I''m not sure I should even post this or if it makes me seem like a total weirdo but ... I had a really funny dream last night that I have to share! This is the only part I rstill emember:

I was in a convenience store with my Dad in Chicago, and all of a sudden in walk DJ and MrsSalvo (looking exactly like they do in that photo of them eating pizza in the SMTR thread, of course, since that''s my only reference point), and I think they''re a little tipsy

I''m standing in the back and then I hear one of them (they were behind me, so I don''t know which one) say, "Oh look, BROWNIES!" and I look on the shelf and see a huuuuuge cereal-sized box of brownie mix! And then the other one says, "NO! No no no! What would Rod do?" -- not as in a real question, but like in that WWJD sense!

And then I woke up.

"What would Rod do?"!! Hahahah!!

Please don''t psychoanalyze me. I think my dream just means that I read too much PS before bed

Have a great day, everyone!

 

[mrssalvo]

ellaila, your dream is hilarious..WWRD...too funny

So, I''m hitting the gym again this morning. i''m going to try the elliptical today so we''ll see how long I can go. then I''m promised my girls I''d take them swimming so i''ll have some time in the pool too which should be fun.

i hope everyone has a great day!!

 

[Lorelei]

Good luck on the elliptical MrsSalvo!

Kim I am glad you are feeling a bit better and hope you do too Jeff - I was wondering where you were...!

I am had a day off yesterday as my legs were STINGING, but back to the ellip today. I think the hands free is really making a difference with the abs and core....

Rod, I am so sorry they are behaving so badly at work, but it will soon be over and will reinforce you made the right decision to go home.

 

[Becky P]

Date: 3/28/2007 12:22:43 AM
Author: Mara
happy birthday charlie! happy birthday AG!

hey rod, we are starting to plan our trip for raleigh...can you list out your top restaurants for me? you know what and where we like to eat...and we would be looking to really ''experience'' the food in raleigh. your fave sushi place, a great steakhouse or upscale american type place and maybe a few more eclectic places like mediterranean or pan asian or french brasserie or similar? also any great places for breakfast that are unique or must try? also do you suggest we stay at a hotel in the heart of raleigh aka to get around most easily? we probably will visit surrounding towns also like the suburb areas in case we want to live out of the town area as well. so something with ease for moving around aka near a freeway or something. any suggestions most helpful!!!

oh and of course the important part. where do you suggest i go to workout in raleigh? i want to visit a gym that will let me do the whole pay $10 for a day or whatever... just in case our hotel doesn''t have a gym. but i am going to try to find one that does!

Hey Mara - I''m in Raleigh now too, although many of the places I''ve been have been on Rod''s recommendation... There''s a Hampton Inn on Glenwood right by Crabtree Mall area that my bf and I stayed at when we were visiting. It''s a great location because it kind of puts you close to everything.

Areas of town that you''ll want to see are the Glenwood South area, which is where a lot of bars, restaurants, clubs are and it''s kind of the hot spot of Raleigh and right where Rod and Charlie were going to buy their condo. Sushi Blues is a great sushi place down there, and everyone has recommended the Mellow Mushroom (pizza, but lots of fresh, healthy ingredients). There''s a FANTASTIC mexican restaurant down there called, hmmm, I can''t remember the name, but it''s the only Mexican place, so you can''t miss it. For bars, I recommend Hibernian and Bogarts. Hibernian is an Irish pub and has some outdoor seating so you can people watch, and Bogarts also has an outdoor patio. Some friends and I went last weekend, and it was a $5 cover to get in, but live music was playing, we got a table outdoors, and were able to just people watch all night.

The next area is the North Hills area. The mall there is relatively new, and it''s an outdoor mall with a movie theatre, restaurants and bars. The stores there are not your typical mall stores, they''re more boutiquey with fancy kids clothes and purses and stuff. But, down in this area is THE BEST SUSHI I''VE EVER HAD IN MY WHOLE LIFE!!! at this restaurant called Mura - thanks Rod for recommending it! Their sushi is so fresh and good!

Brier Creek is the newest area that has been built up in Raleigh, and there is literally everything you could imagine right outside your door. There are tons of new condos and houses, plus a huge strip mall area including everything from Kohl''s, Target, Dick''s Sporting Goods, to bookstores, pharmacy, Walmart, restaurants, bars, everything!

That''s one thing about Raleigh. When we first came here, it felt SO rural. There''s trees everywhere, and unless you know where to go, you think there''s nothing around. But... if you start driving down those roads with trees, then suddenly there''s everything you ever wanted. It''s actually quite nice because it feels like a small neighborhood community because of all the nature around, but it''s really got everything!

As for gyms, I''d recommend the Gold''s Gym - it''s got the most gyms around here. If you stay at the Hampton Inn on Glenwood, there''s a Gold''s Gym literally in the strip mall across the street (although you can''t see it from Glenwood, you''ve gotta drive back past the Office Depot and BB&Beyond and stuff). It''s called "Pleasant Velley" if you look it up online. There''s also a Gold''s down in the North Hills area, but it seems to be more congested and a little bit smaller than the Pleasant Valley one.

As for steak houses, there''s this place called Angus Barn that apparently has been in Raleigh for forever, and all the locals say it''s the best place to go. It''s on Glenwood pretty far north (just south of 540 and Brier Creek), and it''s literally in a big red barn.

Oh, and another tip, if you''re driving on 440, which is the loop around Raleigh that separates the "inner belt loop" from the outer belt loop, it''s a little tricky. The signs are posted inner and outer most of the time, so when we first got here, if we took "inner" to get somewhere, we''d take it to get home and ALWAYS get lost. What we found out was that the "inner" 440 went clockwise around the city and the "outer" 440 went counterclockwise. So, if you come in on the inner, then you want to take the outer to get back where you came... anyway, I hope that made sense.

 

[ellaila]

Oh, and AG -- size 8 AE jeans?! You go, woman!! You skinny minnie, you!!!