Weekly Workout Thread 4th June till 10th June

[gailrmv]

Peachy, your workouts sound great! About tracking cals, I am getting back on the wagon as well. For a while I used myfooddiary.com. I really liked it. It is like $9/mo but I found it easier to use than sparkpeople. After I used it for a while I felt like I had the hang of the cal count for things I usually eat and then I stopped doing it except in my head. But just yesterday I started a new little spreadsheet where I write down the cals of each meal. If I''m not 100% accurate, well, it''s better than nothing. It''s already working - I was going to have a snack before bed but I realized I was already at 1590 cals so I skipped it!

I''m hoping to meet a friend for sushi today... if not I may end up going solo b/c errands will take me near my favorite sushi place at lunch time. I don''t really like going alone to restaurants in general.

Do you all find that weights workouts leave your body really tired? At my old gym I did weights (total body) about twice a week and I took 1 rest day a week from working out. My new gym has a circuit room and more weights classes, so I''ve been doing more like 3 times a week of weights. I feel exhausted the next day when I go to do cardio. I havent been taking more rest days, but I don''t feel like my cardio is as effective when I am so tired. I just can''t push quite as much. I do feel like I am getting stronger and my arms are showing more definition (although I wish they were smaller!).

 

[Mara]

gail, maybe try switching it up to do weights on cardio days too? or take off a day in between or something? i do my weights when i do my cardio, typically after my cardio though i have read many say it's better to do weights first then cardio. but i don't feel typically tired after cardio so i feel pretty energetic on weights typically.

kimberly, re the arms, yes it can take a while! it's been what...a year for me now since i started...i did mostly cardio in the beginning but have been focusing on arm weights since about november or so at least if not a bit before...and FINALLY my arms have great definition starting to be visible. about 2 months ago they were just leaner but no real definition occuring in them yet. for summer i love when i wear a tank top and you can see shoulder and arm definition so that's kind of been my goal, so far so good. i have broad shoulders as well, that no amount of fat burned will changes, they are always a bit wider than my hips. funny because i always wanted to be really small shouldered and petite around the top, but one of my friends was telling me recently they'd love to have a frame like mine, and shoulders as well. i said that's funny because i love your small petite shoulders! the grass is so always greener!

sorry to hear that people's colds are getting them down, feel better soon!! summer colds are never fun and i agree with sb re: leaving germs at home. or at the very least, wipe down your equipment. i told some story previously about the gym where some gal was hacking out a lung on the ellip and obviously sick, she coughs and sneezes for 40 min on it then gets off and walks away!!

goes to another machine. so 2 min later a girl comes up to use her machine and i told her she should probably clean it off since someone who was sick just used it. she was so happy i told her...poor thing would have come down with a cold a day or so later probably.

random comment but has anyone ever tried switching their workouts from morning to night or vice versa? i typically work out in the evenings after work but while on vacation we got in the habit of going in the morning and i felt so good all day...i really wish i could do that more often but with my schedule at work, there's no way unless i am at the gym at like 6am which just AINT gonna happen!!! i value my sleep too darn much hehee. i also wonder if i was burning more cals all day because i was getting my metabolism up first thing in the morning. things to contemplate i suppose.

anyway yesterday i miscalc'd and i was actually only at like 1170 for the day after dinner so i had a dreyers cookies n'cream ice cream bar (coated in chocolate mmm) for 150 cals to put me more around 1325. this morning i had my fiber one and fage mixed with cinnamon and berries (blueberries and strawberries, so pretty together!) which was verra tasty.

peachy, on the calorie counting, when i count i just use excel and keep it simple...well at first i did anyway. actually at the very first i just used the notepad on my computer and wrote in what i ate with estimates. you can use calorie-count.com to get estimates for all sorts of unprocessed things (and even many processed) and then once you start to do it long-term you just end up knowing what you are eating. aka turkey sandwich, you dissect it in your head and just add it up for the spreadsheet. it is easy to get kind of consumed by counting, so i would just keep it simple and not get too into it...it's calories in and out and it works for me every time. when i lost the 3 lbs the week before the trip, i just was having very light days of around 1300-1400 cals per day (and 2 splurges on weekend but nothing too crazy, and no real desserts which are my downfall) and poof within a week and a half i'd lost the 3 lbs. so it's good to know that i can still kind of pull it out when i need to, like this week...i plan to eat lightly so that this wkd at the wedding i can look smashing in my dress for pictures AND still splurge while in napa. such is life i guess!! i actually have not updated my cal spreadsheet since we left so i am trying something new which is just going back to keeping a mental tally in my mind...i like not having to add my stuff in every night actually and i find that i still mentally tally things up during the day anyway so i always have a pretty good picture of where i am at without having to write it down. so we'll see how this works out long-term.

amber, didn't you say that you fit into a size 4 or something now in previous posts?? how is it that your BMI is not in the healthy range? that seems kind of odd to me...am i missing something? seems like if you have shrunk down that much your BMI should be okay?

have a great day all!

 

[KimberlyH]

Morning all,

So I''ve caught the summer cold you all are talking about after almost getting over the fever. YIPPEE! I am feeling extremely weak and blech. (I''ll work out at home, shorteblonde, I promise!).

Mara and AG, thanks for the weight lifting tips. I really need to just focus and remember Rome was not built in a day and my arms won''t be either.

Peachy, calorie counting totally changed the way I eat. I highly recommend it. I use a excel spreadsheet and it''s really easy to do, it takes about 10-15 minutes a day. I''ve weened myself off of it for a few weeks just to see how my body does as I am really comfortable with my weight now but I know that if I start heading in the wrong direction my spreadsheet is waiting for me to start entering my food in again.

Dinner last night was Italian at this great old restaurant down by the beach. We split a tomato, mozerella and pesto salad and I had lasagna for my main course then we split a piece of chocolate cake for dessert. It''s been a (relatively) long time since we''ve gone out to dinner and it was such a pleasant treat.

Tonight we''re having stuffed bell peppers, my day''s food will be same as always. I''m hoping to get in a short workout sometime today, if I can get my body to cooperate. I''ve fallen of the routine exercise wagon and I really need to get back on. I''ve been quite sporadic lately as I take on more work and school becomes more intense.

I''m a morning workout person, Mara, and I much prefer it to the end of the day; it leaves me feeling energized and ready for the day. The downfall is that it''s not always feasible.

Have a great day all.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Mara - I''m mostly a 6 now in the majority of the places I shop, which are mostly Ann Taylor and Banana Republic and Gap and places like that, but I wear a 4 in some things and have to go up to an 8 in others. Last time I tried on nice jeans I was a 29 in Sevens and COH, and right between a 29 and a 30 in Paige''s (LOVE the Robertson''s with the cute embroidered pockets BTW, but that''s for another thread). And yet I''m still 4 lbs over the BMI range for my height.

I have HUGE bones is the best explanation my doctor can give me. I like to call them my Russian peasant bones hehe. I also tend to be fairly muscular even when I''m not in tip-top shape, although it doesn''t always show as much under the external layer of fat

My Dr. actually said that he didn''t think I was at any kind of increased health risk when I was 36 lbs heavier in December, and has said that he doesn''t think that the BMI is necesssarily a reasonable measurement for me to guage my health with. On the other hand, I would really like to take off these last 9 lbs or so because I think that would put me in a really good place both mentally and physically.

I haven''t really written very much about this on here because I''m pretty self-conscious about the actual weight numbers that I''ve had/have. I know there are others in the same boat, but I just didn''t feel comfortable posting numbers. Suffice it to say that I''ve always looked like I weigh less than I do, with rare exceptions. My lightest weight was in high school, and I was wearing like a size 2 and I was a ballet dancer and the dance people still wanted me to lose 15-20 more lbs.

Anyway, that''s kind of a long-winded explanation and hopefully if I do lose those last 9 lbs I will get up the guts to post pictures and actual numbers.

I"m sorry to say I think that I have the summer cold too, so I''m breaking my two-week 5-days-a-week gym streak and skipping today and tomorrow in the hopes that I won''t lose my voice for the presentation I have to make tomorrow (stress anyone??

). But I will still keep my calories, if anything, under tighter control so hopefully it won''t be too much of a setback. DH actually thinks I have been overtraining and he thinks my weight loss might get a little bump to re-start if I take a few days off an actually rest, so I guess we''ll see...

 

[robbie3982]

Hi everyone!

I think I''ve only posted in here once before (and it was embarrassingly long ago), but with the wedding coming up in 3 months (yay!) I need to kick my butt into workout mode.

FI and I got a gym membership back in March, but hadn''t been using it very much. So far this week though, we''ve gone Sunday and Monday. On Sunday we did 1/2 hour of elliptical and some weight training. Yesterday the ellipticals were all full so we did abs, and when the ellipticals were still all full, I joined the yoga class! It was hard, and I''m a little sore, but nowhere close to how sore I thought I would be.

Last week I joined a cheerleading class at the local gymnastics place. It was sooo much fun and was a crazy workout. I used to cheer in hs and it kept me in awesome shape, so I figured why not? The class is on Wednesdays and for Thursday-Saturday I could barely move. I''m hoping this week''s class will be a bit easier for me.

I''ve also been trying to watch what I''m eating because I know that''s a huge part of my problem. We took a huge step this week by not buying junk food when we went shopping. Only healthy snacks like fruit and fruit popsicles (Breyers are only 45 calories per popsicle). I''m fine until I get home. When I''m home, though, it''s sooo hard to not snack! At least I''m snacking a bit healthier now.

 

[Mara]

thats interesting AG...i know i look like i weigh less than i actually do as well. i always have weighed more, even in high school when i was stick thin and running track i still probably weighed like 10 lbs more than people would have estimated. i build muscle fairly easily and am taller as well at 5''7" so i guess i visually look lighter. when i tell people i lost 20 lbs they mostly say things like ''no way, you didn''t even look heavy''...but obviously if 20 lbs of fat is gone, i was heavier right?! hahaa. so it''s interesting how everyone carries their weight for sure. about a month or two ago greg estimated what he thought i weighed and he was about 12 lbs off which i found interesting, that is a fair amount of weight. i think maybe if i didn''t do weights as often i''d weigh less, since muscle is more dense and heavy than fat...but i love being strong looking so i don''t think i''d want to weigh what he thinks i do if it meant not working out with weights and all that as well. i''d rather look strong and fit than super skinny.

and yeah it is amazing to me that you are still not in a good BMI area and wearing 29''s and 4''s in clothes. i basically wear a 28 in paiges and a 27 in sevens and joe''s, a size 2 or 4 in banana, jcrew, abercrombie, etc...or a small in tops mostly now. so sounds like we are in similar places in terms of clothes and fit, how tall are you? its just mind-boggling you can be wearing such small sizes and not be in a good BMI area!! but yeah i think the BMI range thing is so big...it''s misleading in a way because when i was 20 lbs heavier i was firmly in the middle of my BMI range. but now that i am 20 lbs lighter, i am near the lower end of the range but really not that much has changed. but i am way healthier now of course. random.

 

[mrssalvo]

gosh, so sorry to hear of all the summer colds. that is just no fun at all

I hope all you feel better soon, lots of vitamin C

so, another outside walk day for me. hubby did go with me to the gym when I took the girls for their swimming lesson. he worked out and did his weekly weigh in and despite not being so good the past week still managed to drop another pound. He''s almost half way to his goal and is starting to look and feel so much better.

i hear you gals on the weight lifting. i really need to add it in too but just don''t like it. I probably need to try a sculp class or something to see if the group setting works better for me.

oh, made mara''s lasagna the other night for my parents which was yet again a huge hit. my mom brought along the salad though which was so yummy. she made the dressing with from scratch and used grapefruit and alvocado on the salad. not a combo i''d think of but it was so yummy and really good for you. i''ll post the recipe in the recipe thread, she got it from Cooking light.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Yeah Mara, my DH says I look "skinny" which I think is a bit of exaggeration, but people are pretty shocked sometimes when I tell them I''m still trying to lose weight. One of the nurses at our student health services told me I was crazy that I fit into size 6 jeans and yet am trying so hard to get down to size 4 jeans (although now at Banana at least I can mostly wear the 4 regulars and the 6 petites). I''ve struggled so much with this perception thing. Before I started losing I was a size 12/14, which was definitely too big for me to feel OK. But yeah, now that I''m smaller I''m really struggling with knowing whether I should go by clothes size or by weight. Either way I''d really like to get just that little bit smaller, but I can''t remember ever not feeling like that, so that doesn''t necessarily help.

I think I would visually look significantly bigger than you do - it sounds like I''m about 1.5-2 sizes bigger, but I''m not tall at all - only about 5''3" and I have a very solid, curvy build. I always wanted to be feminine and delicate and slender but that ain''t happening LOL

I do agree with you that I''d rather look fit and healthy than super skinnny, but I don''t see that ever being a problem for me...

BTW I think you look amazing and very slender in the pictures you''ve posted!

 

[Rod]

So sorry to hear you''re coming down with "the" summer cold Kimberly. Feel better soon!

Good deal on the walks and going to the gym Mrssalvo and congratulate hubby on his weight loss!!

Mara, on working out morning''s versus nights, I''m sure the endorphens released would have a tendancy to give a good glow feeling throughout the day. But in this month''s Men''s Fitness and Health magazine, they commented that the most gains and benefits came from working out at night as opposed to working out during the morning or day. I''m at work and don''t have the magazine to reference, and I don''t remember exactly why, but it had something to do with the fact the muscles were more agreeable to being worked later in the day and responded better to being pushed or something like that..........

Will be heading to the gym right after work tonight. It''s been a long time since I worked out at our gym in tampa at night, so it''s going to be somewhat different. I had surely gotten used to the afternoon people at the gym, but I used to know the night crowd too and it will be nice to see some of the people I worked out with at night again. At least life is taking on a more normal sense (if that''s at all possible anyway) again.

Wecome back robbie! Stick around and if we can help you, don''t hesitate to let us know. I don''t know what I''d do without my healthy PS family through this thread!

CYA later everyone!

 

[KimberlyH]

Thanks for the healthy wishes, Rod! How are you feeling?

Ditto his sentiments to you, robbie. We''re here to help!

AG, you and I are very similar in body shape. I don''t have large bones, but I will never be waif-like, it''s just not even an option for me. I have no point except to tell you I can relate.

I''m going to see if I can take a nap, not something I''m typically successful at doing, but I feel like crap and am not sure what else to do with myself.. Happy afternoon all.

 

[TravelingGal]

Just checking in to say hello...eating decently so far this week. But I''m leaving for a trip yet again tomorrow, ugh! It''s for one night in San Jose...so maybe if I''m tempted to eat badly, Mara can come by my hotel and slap me silly!

 

[Rod]

Date: 6/5/2007 6:46:43 PM
Author: KimberlyH
Thanks for the healthy wishes, Rod! How are you feeling?

Ditto his sentiments to you, robbie. We''re here to help!

AG, you and I are very similar in body shape. I don''t have large bones, but I will never be waif-like, it''s just not even an option for me. I have no point except to tell you I can relate.

I''m going to see if I can take a nap, not something I''m typically successful at doing, but I feel like crap and am not sure what else to do with myself.. Happy afternoon all.

I''m feeling like a whole human being again Kimberly. This healthy living really pays off. I''ve never in my life had a cold be so short lived!! I''m betting your cold will not linger either as you''re a healthier person too!! Funny you mention not being a good nap person. I''m terrible at napping. I so wish I could nap, but I''m afraid my problem is the REM cycle. For me, I need something like 3 hours to complete a dream cycle. If you nap and don''t comlete a dream cycle, typically you awaken dazed and not feeling rested at all. Charlie on the other hand can lay down for like 15 minutes and get up feeling relaxed and refreshed. That really ticks me off.

 

[Rod]

So, we left work around 5:45 and headed to the gym. Man, I had forgotten just how crowded the gym is at night. But, there was something quite energizing about all the hustle and bustle going on that I actually feel I worked out harder. When I was working out in the afternoons, I could do so at a leisurly pace. Not that working the muscles and resting between sets is bad, but I didn''t realize until tonight, that I didn''t work up a sweat until I got on the ellitptical. Tonight though, I really worked up a sweat. I went from machine to free to machines back to free weights, unassisted dips and chinups and took advantage of what I could when I saw it was available. And I huffed and puffed and sweat (sorry if I''m being too graphic) big time. Then, I had diffculty getting one of my favorite ellitpticals and I wound up on one that is super challenging for 35 minutes and I sweat even harder. Then, we came home and had Lean Cuisine''s for dinner and that''s certainly something I haven''t done in some time. One cool thing. Charlie was always smaller than me, particularly in his waist size. But we are about the same height, so our inseams are the same. So, he kept some of his size 32" waisted pants in case I ever got small enough. Well, over the last 18 months, I''ve gotten smaller and smaller and went from over a 40" waist down to 34", then 33" and today I realized I was putting on pants that are 32" waist that Charlie had kept. He''s down to a 30" waist and I don''t think he can get any smaller. But, it was super exciting to put on a pair of pants that are 32" and they fit perfectly! Woo Hoo! I don''t think I can get any smaller than 32", but am quite happy to be where I am!!

Have a nice night everyone!

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 6/5/2007 9:59:54 PM
Author: Rod

Date: 6/5/2007 6:46:43 PM
Author: KimberlyH
Thanks for the healthy wishes, Rod! How are you feeling?

Ditto his sentiments to you, robbie. We''re here to help!

AG, you and I are very similar in body shape. I don''t have large bones, but I will never be waif-like, it''s just not even an option for me. I have no point except to tell you I can relate.

I''m going to see if I can take a nap, not something I''m typically successful at doing, but I feel like crap and am not sure what else to do with myself.. Happy afternoon all.

I''m feeling like a whole human being again Kimberly. This healthy living really pays off. I''ve never in my life had a cold be so short lived!! I''m betting your cold will not linger either as you''re a healthier person too!! Funny you mention not being a good nap person. I''m terrible at napping. I so wish I could nap, but I''m afraid my problem is the REM cycle. For me, I need something like 3 hours to complete a dream cycle. If you nap and don''t comlete a dream cycle, typically you awaken dazed and not feeling rested at all. Charlie on the other hand can lay down for like 15 minutes and get up feeling relaxed and refreshed. That really ticks me off.

I''m so glad you''re feeling better, Rod. My body is fighting awfully hard right now, I went to the MD and on top of the cold (I would never go to the doctor for a cold, I knew something else was wrong with me) I have an infection so my body is basically saying "blech on you!" to me at the moment. So, no nap for me, but I did get antibiotics!

As for naps, I used to be able to do so like crazy, but not anymore! I''m jealous of people who can konk out for 15-20 minutes and wake up refreshed.

Dinner was yummy, stuffed bell peppers at 310 calories, not too shabby! Especially since I was craving them. I''m hoping to feel well enough to work tomorrow. Being around kids all the time is sure taking its toll on me, my body has some adjusting to do.

Enjoy your evening, everyone!

 

[Rod]

So sorry you have a cold and an infection Kimberly. I''m sure that''s one reason you likely caught the cold. Infections can really bring your immune system down. You may recall at my most depressed time in Raleigh, just before I quit my job, I wound up with a bad infection and had a tough time getting into a doctor and ended up calling my doctor in Tampa, who was nice enough to call in a prescription for me in Raleigh. You take some extra time and get yourself well. Rod''s orders..........

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 6/5/2007 10:34:09 PM
Author: Rod
So sorry you have a cold and an infection Kimberly. I''m sure that''s one reason you likely caught the cold. Infections can really bring your immune system down. You may recall at my most depressed time in Raleigh, just before I quit my job, I wound up with a bad infection and had a tough time getting into a doctor and ended up calling my doctor in Tampa, who was nice enough to call in a prescription for me in Raleigh. You take some extra time and get yourself well. Rod''s orders..........

You and I are thinking the same thing, Rod, the infection lowered my immune system and the cold attacked (5 year olds wiping their noses with their hands and then wanting to hold mine doesn''t help!). I do recall your being sick, not so fun! I''m following your orders (and getting John ready for you and Charlie...he made dinner AGAIN tonight, my poor guy!).

 

[Rod]

Date: 6/5/2007 10:42:28 PM
Author: KimberlyH

Date: 6/5/2007 10:34:09 PM
Author: Rod
So sorry you have a cold and an infection Kimberly. I''m sure that''s one reason you likely caught the cold. Infections can really bring your immune system down. You may recall at my most depressed time in Raleigh, just before I quit my job, I wound up with a bad infection and had a tough time getting into a doctor and ended up calling my doctor in Tampa, who was nice enough to call in a prescription for me in Raleigh. You take some extra time and get yourself well. Rod''s orders..........

You and I are thinking the same thing, Rod, the infection lowered my immune system and the cold attacked (5 year olds wiping their noses with their hands and then wanting to hold mine doesn''t help!). I do recall your being sick, not so fun! I''m following your orders (and getting John ready for you and Charlie...he made dinner AGAIN tonight, my poor guy!).

Yes, poor guy........he surely need''s a break and we have just the perfect place for him to get some rest and relaxation in between meals...........LMAO!!!!

 

[monarch64]

Date: 6/5/2007 6:47:15 PM
Author: TravelingGal
Just checking in to say hello...eating decently so far this week. But I''m leaving for a trip yet again tomorrow, ugh! It''s for one night in San Jose...so maybe if I''m tempted to eat badly, Mara can come by my hotel and slap me silly!

TG, don''t know if you saw my response to your recipe in last week''s WWT, but I tried your black bean and sweet corn "salad" and it was fabulous! DH even requested another batch this week...he''s been snacking on it here and there with tortilla chips...last week I made cornbread with it and we had that and a cucumber salad for a nice refreshing and filling dinner on a hot and humid evening.

I''ve been really watching my calories this week so far. We have a wedding in Colorado Springs in September and I just ordered a dress from J.Crew in a size I''m pretty sure I won''t fit into right about now, when it gets here I''ll find out for sure but my measurements are a little higher than the ones on the size chart for JC so I think I have some work to do, hee hee.

The cicadas are settling down here, so I''m no longer feeling like a prisoner in my own home, however I did some weeding last night after it rained and the last weed I pulled SCREAMED at me, as in, I disturbed a cicada taking a break from mating underneath it, and I screamed right back and got the h*ll inside as fast as I could.

So last night before DH came to bed I was doing plie squats, lunges, and crunches in our bedroom just so I could come here and say I got a short workout in, lol! I''d way rather be outside walking but I''m so afraid one of those things will land on me I just can''t do it. So much for coming out from hibernation after another Chicago winter...

Hope everyone fighting those illnesses feels better soon! I just recovered from a sinus infection last week, I had to get a z-pack (best drugs ever!) and that had me feeling up to par in no time, thank goodness.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Hello Everyone!

I''ve been MIA again as this week is just plain nuts. Not much time to exercise, but I''ve been kicking butt on the food!

DH and I LOVE this month''s issue of Cooking Light, and I can vouch for a couple of recipes. Sunday eve we made Cumin, Honey & Mint-marinated Lamb Chops (pg 130, 223 cals ) and the Toasted Quninoa, Snow peas, Tomatoes & mozzarella salad (pg 228, 265 cals). It was a great pairing, as both recipes featured mint. We had it again last night (leftovers), and this eve tried the Black Rice, Spinach, Salmon & Mango salad (pg 229, 320 cals) which was DIVINE!

The two "salads" I mention above are from their Whole-grain Salads feature. These grains are loaded with fiber (yahoo!) and are also a good source of protein.

Sorry to hear about the summer colds that some of you have. It seems to be all over- there''s been some sniffling in our office. Yuk! I''m taking my emergen-C cocktail faithfully as we''re heading to Vegas this weekend with some friends, and I need to be in tip-top shape.

That''s the news for now.

 

[royalasscherlover]

charger, i've been meaning to try that black rice, salmon and mango salad - glad to know you liked it.

sorry to hear about the summer colds, phoenix and kimberly. hope you feel better soon!

ag, i'm a fellow curvy girl who will never be skinny, so i can empathize. i try to just accept my body for what it is, but some days are easier than others!

i came in at about 1400 calories today. i planned to workout today, but it didn't happen. i came home from work, intending to go on the bike for 45 minutes before meeting friends for dinner, only to find that my cat had gotten sick all over the basement. so i spent the next hour cleaning up the basement and him. went to dinner, and was going to ride the bike after dinner...but discovered the cat was sick again. so i spent another hour cleaning up again. sigh. poor thing, i think we are going to the vet tomorrow.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Oh sb - I really hope your poor kitty is OK! I will keep my fingers crossed for him.

Thanks to you and to Kim. Its great to know that I''m not alone in this frustration with not ever being "thin" despite working so hard at it. Sometimes its more discouraging than others - it just feels like I''m getting nowhere at all, and like all the hard work I do doesn''t show.

Kim - make sure to get plenty of rest, drink tons of fluids, and try to get in as many fresh fruits and veggies as you can. I hope you feel better soon!!

Chargergirl - those salads sound so yummy! I''ll have to try some

Monnie - those cicadas sound just awful. I really don''t think I could handle that

Rod - I''m so glad to hear you are feeling human again. That is such awesome news about the 32" pants!!! I''m so happy for you - that is such an amazing accomplishment

 

[Mara]

evening WWT'ers... another light and good day at about 1200 cals so far ... i definitely feel back on track which feels very good. breakfast was fiber one, berries, and fage; snack was light n'fit yogurt; lunch a TJ bean and rice burrito; snack was wow cow again..hehee..they change flavors daily so it's always fun to see what the new flavors are, today was strawberry shortcake which literally tasted like strawberries mixed with pound cake, soooo tasty; some pirate's booty; and dinner was 2 crab cakes and then a big salad with spinach, mixed greens, shredded carrots, corn, red cabbage and ff TJ's dressing.

i love these crab cakes...i don't know if i have mentioned them on here before but we had them around the holiday season, they are frozen maryland crab cakes and they are huge and SO good. you bake them in the oven and they get really nice and crispy and they are sooo yummy. literally some of the best crab cakes i have ever had and we have them all the time at various restaurants. WAY better than some restaurants we've had them at and healthier too. each one is 150 cals. and they are about 2oz each.

so i got hooked on them when i found them in dec and we had them for a few parties where they got rave reviews. then after the holiday, the store suddenly didn't carry them AT ALL for literally 5 months. i checked back all the time and nothing. i emailed the crab cake company asking if they could tell me other retailers local to me, and they wrote back saying that this store should have them again soon. so they told me when to check and i did and they were there! so because i am paranoid that they are going to sell out again, i bought 2 boxes of them and then they sold out within a week....and i thought oh no they aren't going to have them anymore, but then today they had them again so i bought 2 more boxes, hahaa. so basically the freezer is packed with these crab cakes, thank goodness they are small lol. two of them for dinner with a big salad is a perfect low-cal but super tasty and filling meal.

anyhow, i also hit up the gym after work. we just got a small gym at work so i am signing up to use it so we'll see what they have inside there...i don't know that i will use it all the time but it will be great for when i am really strapped for time and can't drive the 10 min to and from the gym but still need to work out. also i am kind of hoping they have those new ellipticals that i have found elsewhere. so at my regular gym i just did 35 min on the elliptical for about 300 cals and then did about 10-15 min of arm weights.

amber...re: the whole frustration about your body, i definitely can relate sometimes...while i have reached and surpassed my goal weight and i know in general that i look good and that i am fit and trim and people compliment me all the time BUT i still have a skewed perception of myself sometimes. really for me it's my belly. i get really frustrated because if i eat a big meal or a few big meals over a weekend or similar, my belly totally bloats out and i seriously feel like i look 3 months pregnant or something. greg says he doesn't see a difference visually when i feel really bloated, which really boggles my mind because i am like what are you talking about, it's huge! but then i wonder if it's just in my head. but yep i definitely feel it too sometimes. i guess we're never 1000% happy with what we have even though rationally we know differently. but overall i am happy with my progress and maintenance, i just try not to overeat or if i do overeat or have a big night, i try to be lighter the next day. it's just amazing though, after i feel really bloated and i eat lightly for a day or two, my belly totally goes down flat. it makes me go ARGH because i wish it could always be like that!!!

hope everyone had a great night, hope those who are sick are starting to feel better. kudos rod on a smaller waist...woo hoo. mrs salvo, its good to hear the lasagna is still a good solid contender ehehe...we haven't made it in a while but i think about it all the time!! next time we have a big gathering i am going to try to fit it in.

trying to figure out if i am going to eat dessert, i have the cals if i want to but i don't know if i feel like it and it's already late so maybe bedtime instead!!

 

[Ellen]

Sorry to read about all the colds. Must be the season, my middle one was diagnosed with swimmers ear yesterday. No swimming though, apparently just shower water or even sweat can cause it. Took a week and a specialist to diagnose, the antibiotics weren''t working. The specialist finally gave him medicated ear drops, and we all slept through the night last night. Thank God.

Dee, it won''t matter what I''m wearing, you''ll know me by the incredible bags under my eyes. Between this kid not sleeping from the pain he was in, my TTOTM that should have come and gone last week, but never came (no, I''m not), and the anticipation of leaving town, I haven''t slept much. I should look just great for the wedding.

*sigh*

In fact, I still don''t know what exactly I''m wearing, but I do know it''s black sandals, black capris, and some top. My hair is sun lightened now, but kinda Auborn, and I''ll have it up in a squeezy comb thingy. And of course, you know what my ring looks like.

I should be able to pick you out since I''ve seen your pic, but that''s different from real life. I don''t think I can mistake The Brick though.

Well, I lost 10 pounds conservatively. I''m sure I could have lost more, but I felt like taking it slow, and to be honest, kinda slacked on the walking this past month. So I''m pleased, but will continue to lose til I''m happy. It shouldn''t be a whole lot more anyway. But this wedding was my goal/motivation, so I achieved the amount I was striving for and then some.


I hope everyone feels better, no fun being sick, especially in the summer.

Lorelei, sorry I didn''t get to see your girl before I left. I will check on the pics first thing when I get back.

See you all when I get back.

Dee, I''ll see you on Friday Miss!!

 

[Phoenix]

Well, I went to weigh myself today and guess what? I am still 114lbs!! I've lost absolutely nothing!!

I went to the gym practically every day last week, working out 1-2.5 hrs each time, cut back on my alcohol consumption so don't understand what the h.k is going on!!

. I've been cutting back on my food portions too, particularly carbs and meats, eating much smaller portions than before, have also been eating healthily, fruits and vegggies and all. I am so frustrated!

My best friend who is 5' 7 1/2" (maybe more like 5' 7 and 3/4", she seems so tall) weighs a mere 119lbs. She complains that she has put on so much weight (6-7lbs) but seriously she looked a bit skinny before. Now, she looks just right, nice, slim and healthy looking! She's Caucasian but also small-boned, with tiny hips and butts and legs up to her armpits and a nice chest too on top of all that!! She's like PERFECT!! AND she eats practically anything she wants, even chocolate, lots of it, and only works out sproradically. But she doesn't eat red meat and used to be a ballet dancer. I wonder if those are her secrets?

Congrats Lorelei on adopting Jasmine! What a lovely name for a lovely girl!

Welcome back, Mara. We missed ya!

Hi to everyone else too! Have a good day ahead!

 

[KimberlyH]

Morning All,

Lien, don''t beat yourself up over the scale. Give your body time to adjust and remember you''ll build muscle while losing fat and as we all know muscle weighs more.

Here''s my weigh in, nothing has changed signifigantly:

Week 22 Week 23
Height: 5''5" Height: 5''5"
Weight: 125.0 Weight: 125.4
Bust: 31" Bust: 31"
Waist: 26.25" Waist: 26.25"
Lower Waist: 31.5" Lower Waist: 31.5"
Bicep: 12" Bicep: 12"
Hips: 35” Hips: 35”
Thigh: 20" Thigh: 20"

Have a great day.

 

[Mandarine]

Wow I missed a lot!!!

I was bad about posting last week...but it was probably related on the bad exercise week I had!

I only exercised 3 times (still walked everyday)...but I felt horrible by Monday when my Polar wath told me I only met 43% of my weekly goal!....

Anyway, it had to do with Monday being off, my sister being here and lots of wedding dress shopping...

...so I guess I''ll forgive myself and move on!...I''ve had a blast and will go back to try more until I find "the" one!

This week I started on the right track, so far so good! Exercised Monday (a class at FI''s gym called "PUMP!"...it was great!)...then yesterday was boot camp and it was awesome as usual! It was so hot out though!! It''s like working out in a steam room!

Mara I hope you had a great time in NC!

Rod, I think you started your new job already, I hope it''s going great!

Robbie, welcome back!

Kimberly and all others with colds get better soon!!!!!!!!!!!

Regarding calorie counting...I have such a hard time doing that continuosly! I started with Sparkpeople a couple of times, but I get side tracked and forget to go back to tracking!....I only want to loose like 5 lbs though, so I don''t know if I should really worry so much about counting calories or if I should just concentrating on working hard and keep eating the right things!...

Oh, which reminds me, I lost 2 lbs!!!!

M~

 

[Dee*Jay]

The HH and I made a late night trip to the grocery store and I bought all sorts of new things. I got some frozen grilled fish that you can microwave and I plan on having that will a sald from one of the places nearby for lunch some days. And the big LCs were on sale. I never even really looked at those before but they are all under 400 cals and they are a lot of food so I got some for lunches. Plus, I'm addicted to these fat free potato chips (only 75 cals for 20 or so chips) and I got some cottage cheese to use as "dip." I'm getting hungry just typing this!

For my weigh in I'm still hovering at the down 16 lbs mark. But I feel like I look thinner and that's more important to me. I am trying to be pretty strict right now though (except on Friday when Ellen is here

) with my cals to see if it makes a difference because I'm ready to start dropping a few pounds again.

Kimberly, I hope you feel better soon!

Ellen, I have to go through my closet and find something that fits me right now (this whole losing weight thing is great and all but dammit nothing fits

) so I'm not sure what I'm wearing yet, but I really do look like my picture. And when I doubt just go for the shortest woman in the room and that will be me (yes, I'm a whopping 5 feet tall--on a good day!). So sorry to hear about your son though.

SB, how is your kitty doing?

Monnie, I feel bad for laughing at your expense but the cicada stories are hilarious! I have yet to see one downton (thank god) so I'm living vicariously through you.

 

[robbie3982]

I went to the gym yesterday (3 days in a row!) and did the elliptical for 33 minutes on the weight loss interval setting. I also did abs, rowing and tricep dips. I''m really proud of myself for squeezing the workout in after work, but before my salon appointment.

According to the machine, I did a little over 3 miles and burned a bit over 300 calories. It seems pretty right on since Sparkpeople logged it as 270 calories. I also managed to log all of my food into sparkpeople yesterday, which is huge for me because I''ve been trying for a while, but I kept forgetting. I managed to eat about 1370 calories yesterday. Everything looks like it''s right on in the ranges I''m supposed to be shooting for except for protein. I''ll have to start eating a bit more of that.

Do you guys find that there''s a big difference in your weight depending on where you''re being weighed? I had 2 doctors appointments in the last week. I was 128 at one, 127 at the next and then I was 120 on my scale at home this morning. My goal weight is 110 (I''m 5''5"). Which scale should I be using for reference?

 

[monarch64]

I''m glad you''re enjoying my cicada stories, DeeJay! At least these bugs are good for entertainment purposes, in a disturbing way...here''s a picture of one so you can understand what it feels like to look over your shoulder and see this view:

 

[monarch64]

Sorry everyone, LOL! No more, I promise.