Weekly Workout Thread 4th June till 10th June

[Mara]

Kimberly I agree on the sainthood thing...you definitely have compassion and patience in spades...not everyone can be a teacher of the children that you work with...big kudos for being so wonderful to them.

Congrats AG on smaller jeans...definitely a nice accomplishment. I know when I thought I was mostly done losing it was such a treat to go to the store and be a size smaller...I wasn't even expecting it! It was a total perk. Enjoy!

Mrs Salvo, your description of the sushi, was it a sushi boat type restaurant? Because those are all over the place here. You sit around a bar thing that snakes all around the restaurant and it has boats floating on water along a belt or something and then it has ready-made sushi on it. The plate pattern determines how much the sushi is. It's fun for when you are in a hurry or just with 2 people because you can enjoy a quick meal sitting at the botas, it's all ready-made. But sometimes certain places don't keep the boats as 'fresh' as when it's custom made to order, so the place has to be really up to par. But a great sushi boat place can be a lot of fun!

Kimberly and Rod, I love the fage, I eat it all the time now...I go through like 4-5 containers a week. But I definitely need it with splenda and whatever other mixins I use for it. Otherwise it's WAY too sour for me...and I don't like it at all. SB I did a shake like that a little while back with a frozen banana, fage, better n'peanut butter, and cocoa powder. It was very tasty but I needed some sugar/splenda, it was a wee bit too sour for me. But a great dessert with a ton of protein and you could even add some wheat bran or something for fiber!

Today at work we had a baby shower...we did ice cream sundaes and I got my wow cow chocolate mint and also another reduced cal yogurt that was wild berry. It's funny because my yogurts were a big hit even though there were like 7 troughs of ice cream as well so I was really glad I brought them. The berry was totally gone. I made my sundae with the yogurts, maraschino cherries, sliced fresh banana, sugar free hersheys and a bit of redi-whip. Very tasty!!! I had like 3 more servings of the yogurt afterwards, but the best part is it was absolutely nothing on cals, so overindulging on it is no big deal. One of the big quarts I bought was like 20 oz, so 200 cals total and it was a massive amount of yogurt. Also my coworker made banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting from scratch...I had a 1/2. I calc'd calories on them and even though she used 3 sticks of butter, they were not that bad when it was all divided out...like 250 cals each cupcake. So not bad for a 1/2. I had some amazing self-restraint there...lol..considering I could have mowed through a few more, they were super tasty.

I was REALLY bummed though later when I saw the maraschino cherry container while cleaning up, and saw that the cherries were 10 cals EACH. And I think I had 7 in my little sundae, DOH. I figured...oh cherries can't be bad. WRONG. Oh well! At least it wasn't like 7 cupcakes. hehee. Overall I just had those 70ish extra cals so it didn't blow my day at all which was nice.

After work, I went to the gym...I have been feeling kind of workout lethargic and I think it's because we had such a fun time the 10 days on our trip visiting different gyms and taking walks in all sorts of new, fun, interesting places. I think I am a little bored with what I am doing here...just the same gym and walks all the time. I do enjoy them for sure but I really had such a good time those 10 days. Anyway, I did the elliptical for 52 minutes and burned 450 cals...nothing spectacular but met my goal. Then I did 15 min of weight training, I bumped the weights up another 10-15 lbs on the machines as now I am strong enough to get to the next level and it felt good and sore at the same time. So that was nice. So overall today probably about 500 cals...not shabby.

Then I came home, showered myself and Portia (poor thing was so dirty she was practically grey...she is so much happier and fluffier now...she loves being clean!), then Greg and I went to get Mexican food at our fave hole in the wall kinda place. It's been a while since we have been there because we have been so busy, so it was fun to eat some familiar food. I got a chicken soft taco and a shrimp soft taco, pinto beans, rice and it comes with a little bit of cheese, guac, sc, and salsa on the side...so you can make your own. I ate everything but the guac and sour cream...though I did use a bit on my tacos but not much. They were so tasty! And I love the thought of fiber from the beans hehee. I only had a few chips with salsa to begin which was some self-restraint on my part considering I was pretty hungry! So overall I had a good day...I am calculating about 1650ish cals for the day which is not bad at all for a Friday.

I packed up my stuff tonite...the good thing about an overnight trip is you just need a small bag hehe. I don't think I could handle packing another big suitcase so soon! Tomorrow morning I am getting up early and going for a 4m-ish walk, then we'll get ready and gather up our stuff, drop P off at my parents and head up to Napa. We are stopping along the way at this awesome little hole in the wall diner we like...Greg used to live near there when I met him, to get breakfast. We only get up there like 3x a year now, typically on our way up to Napa or Mendocino or something, but the owner totally remembers us from when Greg lived near there and we were there all the time. So he is always asking us how we are which is really sweet. I absolutely puffyheart their french toast, but I don't know if I will get it...last time they did an egg white omelet for me with cheese and mushrooms so I might just get that again...I am just not feeling super carby esp since I am smack dab in the middle of TTOTM so I feel like a bloated sow regardless of what I eat or don't eat.

Everyone in our friend group is heading up tomorrow morning as well...the bride and groom went up today...should be such a fun time. I am so happy for my girlfriend (this is the gal with the Ritani ring and the ACA!)....she called me today and was like 'we are on our way up!'...I know they are both so excited. And they are honeymooning in Greece for 10 days, the pictures she showed us are just BREATHTAKING...I asked if I could stow away in the luggage. hehehe. So anyway the wedding and little mini trip should be a fun time even though I will miss having a relaxing weekend since we really haven't felt like we have had a breather since our trip....it's just been gogogo all week and now this trip this wkd. Next wkd we are home but we have a baby shower in SF on Saturday, and then Father's Day BBQ at our house on Sunday...it seems like our summer is just flying by.

Anyhow....there's my long rambling update!! Time for some bed...hope everyone had a wonderful Friday and is anticipating a fabulous Saturday. I am sure I will check in before we go...oh that reminds me I have to charge my camera so I can get some good shots! I have an 'I Do' wedding album from PB that I am going to give them and fill with my own pictures from the wedding and with our friends. I already sent their real gift from CB this week, but I thought it'd be fun to make them a little informal wedding album as well to give to her later. Nite all!

 

[KimberlyH]

Thanks again for the kind words, Mara and Rod, but I garauntee you I''m no saint!


Mara, do you eat the fage with the toppings included in the package? One of the kids at school always has it in his lunch and never touches the yogurt but eats the toppings (honey, berries, etc.) but I read the calories on it and it doesn''t seem like much food for 210 calories.

I finished my big project for school yesterday and managed to write a rough draft of a team project that''s due next week, so I''m back in good shape as far as school goes which means I get to take it a bit easy this weekend! YIPPEE! I''m definitely going to exercise today. I''m looking at what movies are playing tonight and if something good is showing I''d like to go to dinner and movie tonight, we''ll see.

Skippy, you should be home soon and you are missed.

Have a fantanstic day, all. Will check in later!

 

[gailrmv]

Just a quick note - have family visiting this weekend and they're keeping me busy! I am SO sore from yesterday's weight lifting class. Today will have to be a rest day - maybe just a walk with the family. I went to a really good salad bar with a friend for lunch yesterday and really filled up on fresh veggies with just a touch of light dressing. We had a little bit of pasta and a delicious home-made (but small) blueberry muffin too. It was the perfect lunch. I made manicotti, asparagus and salad for my family last night and I was able to keep my portion reasonable since I was still full from lunch! Then we had light coke floats for dessert (scoop of FF vanilla fro yo in Coke Zero). It was a great summer treat for only 90 cals each. Later last night I got a sweet tooth and I remembered I had a Dairy Milk bar leftover from my Englad trip. It is a normal size chocolate bar but it can be divided into like 6 or 8 small pieces. I broke off just 1 small piece and it was so satisfying. I was so happy to be able to leave the rest behind and it isn't even calling my name.

For bkfst I made us omelettes, which I think are the best calorie value out there. I made each person a 2 egg omelette with a slice of 2% cheese and plenty of veggies, with a slice of whole grain toast and berries. It totals about 400 cals or less and is SO filling.

We will probably eat dinner out tonight. I hope I can keep the portion reasonable and enjoy just 1 piece of bread.

 

[Dee*Jay]

I am in love with my scale right now! It has given me another 1/2 lb off this morning for a total of 18.5. I take back every bad thing I ever said about it.

Last night we went to dinner at a nouveau Mexican place. I skipped an appetizer and had a roll (this very yummy grainy thing with some cheese in it I think), had an appetizer portion of a crispy shrimp dish for my main course (but it was fried and had some sort of sauce on it--oh well, it was delish), we shared a chocolate dessert (of course!) and a bottle of wine. I left there satisfied but not overly full. Plus, the restaurant is 1.4 miles from our house and we walked both ways.

This morning I did 680 cals on the elliptical and now I''m having Progresso lentil soup (man I love this stuff). Before I went to the gym I had a rice cake, just to get something in my stomach.

I''m so motiviated right now--I just hope the HH doesn''t cook something TOO good for dinner, LOL, or I might be tempted to indulge a little more than I should.

Gail, I agree with you on the omlet thing. I had a veggie egg white omelet yesterday with Ellen and I was full for hours.

Kimberly, you deserve an easy weekend, so enjoy yourself!

Amber, good for you on the smaller jeans! Isn''t that just the best feeling in the world?!

Mrs. S., do you like Three Muskateers Bars? I think they have less cals that most of the other candy bars out there and they are very satisfying. The only bad thing is the texture is soft and all the same, so no nuts or anything gooier to munch into.

Mara, totally don''t sweat the cherries. 70 cals is nothing in the whole grand scheme of things, and you enjoyed them, so that''s what matters. And I am intrigued by this fat free Hershey''s... hmmm... I can feel a trip to the grocery store coming on!

Rod, I didn''t take a pic of this yellow diamond ring because I figured I had inundated everyone already with the pics of the other two. I really like the idea of a yellow diamond, but I just don''t know how much I would really wear it so I''m trying to think it through carefully before I whip out the checkbook!

As for the sushi, we went to a place near us a while ago and they had the conveyor belt thing going. It was fun but unfortunately the sushi wasn''t very good and the restaurant didn''t last long. Anyway, the HH told me that when he lived in Japan a lot of the sushi places were like that. There is also something called yacatori (??? - I''m sure I''ve butchered the spelling!) that I think he said was also served this way.

Oh, and the fage... I just can''t do it. I''ve tried now the fat free and the 2%, and I''ve put in everything I can think of and I just don''t like it. You should see the kitchen when I''m done--looks like a science experiment! Packages of stuff open all over the counter and multiple bowls and spoons from mixing things together to taste. The HH is always horrifed to come come to the kitchen after I''ve made a fage attempt!

 

[Mara]

kimberly the fage i get doesn''t have any toppings..it''s just fage. they have some with honey in it but i don''t eat mine with honey so i don''t get that one. i just get the basic fage and mix my own stuff in. the 0% is 80 cals for 5.3 oz and i can eat 1/2 a fage with 1/2c of fiber one and some blueberries (10) with splenda and stay full for about 2-2.5 hours so i like it.

dj...have you added enough splenda to the fage? i quite honestly can''t even remotely stand the stuff without sweetener in it. it tastes really sour to me and not cute sour like sour cream. more like oh something died in here sour. but with 2 packets of splenda per container i am good to go. i would say next time just do 2 packets of splenda in a small fage container and then your favorite jam. it tastes sooo good. oh and on the cherries, i know it''s not a big deal in the scheme of things but i was like man that was like another 1/3 of a cupcake instead! hehe. but i do love maraschino cherries so i figure it was worth it hehee.

anyhow we are getting ready to head out. i did a 3.5m walk this morning and i can feel it in my butt and legs from my workouts this week and then today''s walk, that''s good i guess hahaa. we''re having breakfast at this place on our way so i just had a few raspberries and a handful of corn bran and coffee to get something in my stomach...have a great day everyone and a fabulous weekend!!!!!!

 

[KimberlyH]

This fage thing sounds very complicated, I think I''ll stick to my 10/$10 dannon lite yogurts.

I''m going to go see if I can convince John to go on a hike. He''s usually game for such adventures, but is a bit worn out, so we shall see.

 

[monarch64]

Congrats DeeJay on another 1/2 lb...and LOL at taking back every bad thing you said about that scale!

DH and I talked last night about getting out our bikes and taking them in to get serviced or whatever you call it when they lubricate everything and check them over... there are so many great trails around where we live, we could even bike into the city and ride along the lake if we wanted, it would make for a round trip of 26 miles but I think we could work up to that by the end of summer if I can convince him to ride with me a few times a week. Even with the infestation of cicadas still going strong, I figure I have a better chance of getting away from them on a bike than I do on foot, ha. Possibly this is just wishful thinking, but hey, it''s worth a try. I may have to wear a helmet to avoid getting hit in the face by them, hee hee.

So last night we were chilling out on the patio having an after-dinner drink, and started feeling antsy, and we ended up walking to a nice little neighborhood bar just to be around more people, it was about a 10 block walk, so I think we got in about 1/2 a mile altogether. It was really nice, DH would normally prefer to drive even such a short distance, so I was so happy he wanted to walk it! I felt like I burned off some of my 96 calorie lite beer as well, so a good trip all around, lol!

Today my goal is to get DH to help me get the bikes out of the shed and hopefully get to the bike store and have them checked over but we''ll see...other than that I need to go get fresh produce for dinner tonight and some other groceries--oh, I am attempting something Italian tomorrow night as it is the final episode of Sopranos, any ideas let me know or I''ll at least check out the recipe thread before I go to the store--I''ll check in later!

Have a great Saturday!

 

[KimberlyH]

monnie, have so much fun getting your bikes ready to ride! As for Italian, check out the lasagna recipes in the WWTer recipe thread. I posted one for eggplant lasanga that''s delicious.

We ended up gonig on a 6 mile walk/hike. We walked to the trail that leads to our lake and then circled the lake and walked back home. It felt great! We''re going out to dinner tonight, probably to Del Mar or Encinitas, haven''t decided which one yet.

 

[phoenixgirl]

Well, it hasn't been a great week, but I guess not a total disaster.

My goal is to exercise nearly every day, at least 45 minutes. And a week from now when I'm off for the summer, I can definitely do over an hour a day (or more).

But this week with my cold I was thwarted. I wasn't sleeping well, so when I would try to wake up and get motivated in the morning, I would just be stuffy and miserable. I did work out one afternoon, and I felt great after that, but it's not my normal routine. So my week has been:

Sunday: 35 minutes weights
Monday: 70 minutes walking
Wednesday: 35 minutes weights
Saturday: 55 minutes weights and cardio

Tomorrow I'll walk five miles.

It's been a week since the onset, and this darn cold is still in full swing, although today I guess I'm less stuffy than yesterday . . . and my sinuses hurt, as they usually do after a week of nose blowing and decongestants.

I do have to hand it to my dad, though. When I was younger and would get sick, he would always tell me to get out and be active. And I'd say, "Dad! I'm sick!" (in an exasperated teenaged girl voice). But you really do feel better afterwards.

There's been a lot of food at work recently, including a chocolate birthday cake and cupcakes I brought in for someone's birthday. I haven't had any of it. Sweets never were my weakness, although I would always have a piece of whatever somebody brought in, just because. So it's not that I feel jealous when the other teachers are eating it, but I feel a little weird with the people I eat lunch with because they're all eating it. There's something about women and wanting your dieting friend to eat cake if you are too. I remember when I was about 12 and my best friend kept trying to get me to eat more potato chips. So I feel like they're secretly annoyed that I'm not eating it, but I guess that's probably paranoia on my part. Oneof them is the friend who inspired me to get in shape, only hers was a sprint (she and her husband were gung ho for about two months and now aren't exercising or dieting!) and mine is a marathon.

The one thing I am having is dark chocolate -- half of a 100 calorie bar when I feel like a treat. And dark chocolate has health benefits too!

 

[robbie3982]

I''ve been a slacker since Thursday. Well, not really a slacker, but I haven''t had any time at all to workout since I''ve been on the go from the minute I woke up to the minute my head hit the pillow. I plan on getting back on the exercise plan tomorrow since the gym is already closed for the night.

Does anyone have any good exercises to strengthen the lower back? I had my first fitting for my wedding dress today (pics here if you''re interested) and it''s really heavy! My back was getting a little sore from just wearing it during the fitting. I definitely need to strengthen those muscles...

 

[Rod]

Have a great time at the wedding Mara! I''m sure you''ll get back in the swing of things once everything settles down a bit.

Woo Hoo on another half pound DeeJay.

I still haven''t tried fage, but I''m not really a big yogurt guy to begin with, so I''m not in a hurry either.

Robbie, go to Borders or Barnes and Noble and get a book called Core Performance Essentials by Mark Verstegen. The thing that will strengthen your lower back is CORE CORE CORE exercise. I used to see a chiropractor like 3 times a week when I was fat and didn''t exercise. Now, I do at least 30 minutes of core work every day and I haven''t seen the chiropractor in months. I can''t recommend core strenght training enough. All the regulars on this thread have heard me countless times on this subject, but it works. Trust Me!

Today was just a wonderful day in paradise. We got up early, and because we had a training session scheduled, we decided to have egg and cheese sandwiches, thinking this would provide a little extra protein and bulk to our workout. If anything, not eating food like that for a long time, it didn''t sit well with me or Charlie and gave us both indigestion and my stomach didn''t feel great afterward. I guess we''ve gotten so used to our Saturday morning big bowl of fresh fruit and a scone for that the fried eggs, bread and cheese breakfast just didn''t appeal anymore. We probably won''t do that again anytime soon.

Then we went to our training session and we could tell we were in for a ride. We get there early and warm up with some core work and then 10 minutes on the elliptical to be fully warm for our trainer and in doing so, we get to see what he''s doing with the client just before us. And today, what we saw was our trainer in the mood to push his clients hard. So, when our turn came, he pushed us like we''ve never been pushed before. I mean, he gave no rests between sessions and he had us doing sprints, running backwards, mixing it up with core stuff, these incredibly hard (but I can do them - YAY!) unassisted chinup combinations and all over the place. By the 50 minute mark, I was completely worn out, but somehow managed to make it the last 10 minutes, albeit a bit pooped. When we first started training, we were able to make it through a full hour and then when we were finished, get on the elliptical for 30 minutes afterward. Now, our trainer has moved our sessions up several notches on the WOW IT''S HARD SCALE, and we almost have to crawl to the locker room when we''re done. But, it''s the most incredible feeling in the world and I just LOVE LOVE LOVE our training sessions. It''s the absolute best hour of the entire week!! Actually we feel incedibly lucky to have the trainer we have. He expects nothing but the best work from his clients and unlike other trainers we''ve seen who just baby-sit their clients, he teaches us something new and challenging every single week.

For lunch, since neither of us really wanted food after the breakfast sandwiches, we had Muscle Milk Protein Shakes with Yogurt. It''s a smoothie drink that is so good and is a full meal replacement which we really enjoy.

Then this afternoon, we went to see the movie Knocked Up. It''s really a fun movie, I highly recommend it. And afterwards, we went to our favorite waterfront restaurant and sat outside and watched sailboats and yachts sailing into the sunset. We finished the evening splitting a chocolate bar loaf and coffee at Starbucks under our Oak tree and it was just such a beautiful night out under the stars.

Man I love my life and that''s a nice thing indeed! We are truly lucky to have such a wonderful existence.

I hope your day was as terrific as ours was!!

 

[monarch64]

rod, I''m dying to see that movie, Knocked Up, I''m glad to hear it got rave reviews from a "real" person, I don''t know anyone who has seen it yet and I''ve been wondering if it was just really hyped up, but apparently not, lol!

Dh and I did not, unfortunately, get to taking out the bikes today.

Instead we ended up doing some serious cleaning inside, and crossed a lot of things off about a mile long list of things we''ve been meaning to get done around the house, so all in all the day was very productive. We ran to a little Mexican taco stand for a mid-day meal where I had a veggie gordita, just one, thanks, and a diet Coke. It was really good, Dh loves the place and knows the owner quite well...he is hilarious, makes terrible puns, but is so cute and super nice. That was around 3 p.m. and DH ordered a pizza about an hour ago while I was boiling eggs to make him egg salad, he went to pick up the pizza, brought it back and sat it on the stove next to the eggs where the box promptly caught fire, thank god I was standing at the sink and noticed peripherally that there were flames going on and yelled at DH, FIRE! LOL, he carried it right outside and we quickly doused it with water from a vase I''d been washing. Jeez.

But the pizza was fine and I will have a couple small pieces later!

 

[robbie3982]

Thanks, Rod, I''ll have to check it out!

 

[gailrmv]

I have to report that tonight was a disaster eating wise. (The day was fine before dinner.) We went to a good fish restaurant with the in laws and I ate like 3 (small) slices of delicious bread. I passed up alcohol for unsweet ice tea so at least that was good. I ordered grilled shrimp and scallops with the sauce ON THE SIDE. Well, they did bring the sauce on the side but the dish was covered in butter. I asked about it and the waiter said they always put that on before the sauce. Had we been alone I would have sent it back but I didn''t want to seem too "high maintenance" in front of the in laws so I scraped the butter off as best I could. I really just do not enjoy my fish swimming in butter, I think it has great flavor by itself and doesn''t need it. So if we eat there again I will have to be more specific about sauce on the side AND no butter.
So then after dinner we went to an ice cream parlor for dessert. The portions are huge and they have two sizes, regular and large. I begged DH to get a regular for us to split but he ordered us a large anyway, with M&Ms and sprinkles. Like a fool I ate half of it! I wish I had shown more restraint. It was delicious Oh well at least we split it... we rarely eat dessert but it was a huge indulgence.
So, tomorrow the in-laws leave and I am back on track!

 

[KimberlyH]

Happy Sunday all,

Gail don''t worry about your little derailment!

Rod, I am so glad you had such a lovely day.

Monnie, so sorry the bikes didn''t get done, but it sounds like you got a lot of other things accomplished and managed a little excitement too! Glad the fire didn''t cause any problems.

We went out to dinner last nigt in La Jolla to a new restaurant called fresh. We split a caesar salad and I had housemade ravioli w/ ricotta and squash in a pesto sauce John had rack of lamb with squash. They get all their vegetables from a local farm, Chino''s, that has the most amazing produce ever. And they know what it means to serve appropriate portions. I recieved 5 perfectly cooked (aldente) ravioli instead of 10 soggy not so good ravioli! I love it when restaurants understand that quality is much more important than quantity, I don''t want my meal to become lunch and dinner for the next 5 days and stink up my fridge. The restaurant does regular and petite sized desserts, which is awesome because it allows you to try different things without being overwhelmed. So we ordered a petite peach melba with vanilla ice cream and a petite chocolate pudding cake with strawberry sauce and strawberry sorbet. Each dessert is about 12 bites total, so we split them about equally and they were just as good as dinner. My big mistake of the evening was trying John''s after dinner drink, a B52 w/ coffee, grand marnier and bailey''s. I then decided I wanted one too. I drank 1/2 of it and was up most of the night...coffee and I just do not mix.

We''re going to look at open houses this afternoon. We''re certainly not ready to buy but it''s good to keep an eye on the market to see what is out there that suits our needs and what has been on the market for a while, etc. A house I''ve been eyeing for a few months is open for the first time today, they''ve fired their orignal realtor, which means they''re set on price but need to sell. It will be fun to see if I love the inside as much as I love the outside. There is also a beautiful craftsman that went on the market earlier this week that we''re hoping will be open.

I''m going to get a workout in this morning. For dinner we''ll have BBQ hamburgers.

I''ve decided to go to my parents tomorrow and come home Tuesday. My sister is going to suprise my dad and stay the week for father''s day (he has to work on father''s day so we won''t be able to get together then) so I''m going to join them for a few days. I haven''t seen my nephew since March. Should be fun!

Have a wonderful day all!

 

[Rod]

Like Kimberly said Gail.......a derailment won't cause long term problems. Chances are you didn't do as badly as you thought anyway. We are often too hard on ourselves when it comes to eating (Rod are you listening to yourself?? - LOL) anyway.

Kimberly, the mini desserts sounds so good. I wish more restaurants would offer smaller treats. I have to eat everything that is put in front of me. I'm sure I'll be arrested if I leave food on my plate and their are starving children somewhere who would kill to have what I might waste, so I have to eat it all.........and that's why a small treat would be so welcome! Enjoy your open house tours too!!

We're having a pretty lazy Sunday morning. I slept in till nearly 10:00 AM and then we had coffee a bowl of fresh fruit and a scone (Charlie had a passion fruit bagel toasted with butter from Panera - really tasty btw), and soon we'll get ready and head out for a small snack, a cup of coffee under our oak tree and then the gym. I'm sore from yesterday's session, which is a good thing. That means our trainer got me to use muscles in ways they haven't been challenged much before, so I'm pleased about that. We also bought some Muscle Milk Protein powder yesterday to start having protein shakes after our workouts again. We were doing that when we first started our rebuild our bodies campaign, but somehow with the layoff, the move to Raleigh and the subsequent return home, we stopped doing that. I think replacing the protein you burn from a strenuous workout is a good thing to do, so, we'll start doing that again today. I had given momentary thought to running on Bayshore today, but it's already in the 90's, which is too hot for this guy to be running outside.

We'll cook something at home tonight and then take our Sunday evening walk along the bay, which is always a fun thing to do. I'm thinking about grilling filets from the independent grocer I've mentioned before where the beef and seafood are the best you could get anywhere.

I hope everyone's planning a nice day.

 

[phoenixgirl]

OK, enough whining about my cold. It''s definitely moved from the "I can''t breathe" to the mucusy with occasional cough but able to breathe stage.

I walked 5.5 miles today. I walked hard for the first 70 minutes and leisurely for the last 15. I feel pretty good.

DH and I went out to dinner both nights this weekend. We went back to the comfort food place we''d gone a couple of weeks ago, but my dinner was lackluster -- grilled tuna steak salad. The salad didn''t have enough dressing and I didn''t feel like just eating a hunk of tuna for dinner, so I had one of DH''s quesadilla slices. I limited my drinking to two glasses of wine Friday and one last night. Friday night we went to this great pasta place, but I ended up regretting my decision to have pasta with sausage and coveting DH''s simple bolognese pasta. Our average dinner bills have been since we''ve been avoiding appetizers and desserts and cocktails before dinner, so hey, take me out to dinner more!

We went to the local health food store yesterday to stock up on flavored sparkling water. That''s my new thing -- if I want something cool and flavored from the refrigerator, now I have a zero calorie option. Lots of stores carry it, but mostly with splenda or other fake sugars. Since it''s possible to find it with just water, carbonation, and natural flavor, I''d rather avoid the processed stuff, but I''ve only found a good selection at the health food store. We also bought a bunch of snack bars that are about 130 to 160 calories. I get really hungry mid-afternoon, so I eat one of those before I go into famished mode and eat a bunch of crap.

DH and I examined my thighs while watching tv (didn''t want anyone to think this wasn''t PG rated) and decided that they feel really firm all over (except where they turn into the butt of course). They used to just be squishy blobs. I had the most to lose there, so that''s been the biggest difference. I think that I was always afraid to work out because I thought, well, I''m just shaped this way no matter what. It doesn''t help that my sister and dad have the same legs and although they''re fit due to jogging, I guess that jogging alone won''t change the funny shape of our legs. But working out all the different muscles has really made a difference. Not that I''ll ever cease to be a pear, but that wasn''t a good excuse not to take care of myself. Why shouldn''t I be the best me that I can be?

(Weight was 138 when I started working out in early March -- didn''t take measurements until April.)

Here are my measurements:
Early April Early May Now
Height: 5''5" 5''5" 5''5"
Weight: 131 129 125
Bust: 33" 33" 32.5"
Waist: 29 at bellybutton 28.75" 28"
lower waist: 33" 32.5 31.75"
Hips: 37" 36" 35"
Thighs: 23.5" (left) 24" (right) 23" (left) 23.75" (right) 22 1/8 (left) 22 3/4 (right)
Arms: 11" 10.75" 10.5

I''m not sure if I''m measuring the right place for my hips . . . the hip bone, right? If I measure at the widest part around, that''s my butt, and I''m pretty sure it would be called butt measurement then.

 

[Mandarine]

Hi everyone!

Looks like everyone is doing great!

My week was pretty good in terms of eating and exercise, the weekend...not so good

. I couldn''t work out Friday or Saturday, we just took a long walk each day. Today I''m going rollerblading once the sun goes down...it''s brutal hot out there today!!!!!

My trainer measured me and I lost 2-4 cms (not sure what that is in inches) pretty much everywhere! (waist, hips and thighs)....in one month! so that was very exciting!

Today I went to Old Navy and got a really cute bikini (who would have hought they make such cute bikinis there!) and a cute pair of flip-flops for our July 4th trip to Cape Cod! I can''t wait! from now until then it will be super-tough-boot-camp training sessions!!!!!

Best thing that happenned today...I found FAGE!!!! haha, I''ve been reading about it but never found it! Then today I found it! (They only had the full fat and the 2%, they do carry fat free but were out today!). So I got one 2% and just tried it. I loved it!!!!!!!!!

. It''s so creamy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. First I tried it by itself and liked it! (I love plain yogurt too so I''m used to the sour taste!) Then I just added a tiny bit of honey and it was so good!!!!. I couldn''t eat the whole thing thouhg (those little containers are huge!)...so I saved the rest for tomorrow morning (I hope it doesn''t go bad once you open it though!).

I hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday!!!

M~

 

[Rod]

Good Evening WWT''ers!!

Good deal on the 5.5 mile walk Phoenix. Glad you''ve arrived at the breathing stage of your cold. Summer colds are just awful. I''m actually still a little congested, but no infection, sneezing or cough. Just a little sinus drip, which get''s better every day. Did find the part about you and your husband examining your thighs cute!!

Congrats on the losses there Mandarine! It''s so rewarding to have our hard work rewarded with positive progress!

We had a nice snack at Panera earlier, then we dragged our sorry and sore bones to the gym and once we got going, we had really good workouts. We didn''t get going until later this afternoon so, we didn''t get home and start dinner till nearly 7. But we had grilled filets on the grill, fresh corn on the cob, brussle sprouts and carrots. It was a yummy dinner. I''m in the mood for a frozen yogurt, so we may head out for a little walk around the corner for one of those. It''s a pretty warm and humid evening, so we probably won''t walk too long.

Not much else to report. I''m guessing everyone''s having fun as there aren''t many posts today. I hope you are having a great time whatever you''re up to.

 

[KimberlyH]

Happy evening all. 30 minute workout, house hunting, now back home in time for BBQ hamburgers, yummo! Sounds like everyone continues to do fabulously...way to go!


Mandarine, yay for inches lost and new bikinis and trips to Cape Cod!

Lorelei, your new girl must be keeping you really busy!

Glad you had a nice day Rod. ETA, John asked how you were doing last night at dinner and I told him you and Charlie were doing your typical Sushi, gym, wash cars, Panera weekend and he asked if he could move in with you. He loves schedules and wishes I lived by more of one (I'm much more spontaneous and sometimes I make him a bit nutty).

 

[Mara]

evening all!! we are back from the wedding in sonoma and we had a wonderful time. i wish we had gone for one more night as we ended up not having any time to do anything fun ourselves in napa and we love it up there, but it was just a whirlwind trip. we got up there at about 2pm yesterday and then the wedding was at 4pm so we just grabbed a coffee and then changed to head out...the wedding itself was a fabulous time and absolutely beautiful. then afterwards we went to our friend's rented house and hung out over there til almost 1am with everyone, then headed back to our hotel to catch some shut up. up at 9am and had breakfast in bed (it comes with the room and they have a fresh bakery downstairs so it's from the bakery, SOOO bad for you yet so good...croissants with bacon and egg and then a scone or muffin or something on the side)...then showered and dressed and met the newly married couple downstairs at the bakery for some coffee and chit-chat about the wedding and gossip hehee. hit up the general store before we left to get a few cute home decor items and then headed back home to get back home about 2pm. we had a bunch of things to do at home today, so unfortunately no long walks around the town or wine tasting, but the hotel was awesome as usual. this is the third time we have stayed there and we just love the place...it's a boutique hotel with a little on-site general store, 2 bakeries, and 2 of downtown napa's top restaurants...so you don't even have to leave. oh and a day spa. it's all historic old restored mill buildings on the napa river. super cute and everyone is super friendly.

the wedding was a phenomenal time...i discovered that putting lemonade into champagne made a really tasty wedding cocktail hehe! their food menu was SO GOOD, definitely the best wedding food i have ever had which says a lot! they kept it simple, it was a summer buffet so they had freshly baked breads (the rosemary one was sooo tasty), a green salad with mixed greens, bleu cheese, walnuts, and apples, a pasta dish, cold grilled veggies with sauces, seabass with a pineapple salsa, and sliced filet mignon. i basically just had a few slices of bread, salad, a bit of the veggies, and a small piece of seabass. i was saving myself because they had a dessert bar AND cake (lol they told me they did the dessert bar for me so i had to make it count!!)...the dessert bar had a few different bite sized things like brownies, cheesecake, blueberry crumble, and then the cake itself was 2 layers...chocolate with something or other and white cake and then a soft white cake with strawberries...i had a slice of each and THEN a third slice that a waiter was kind enough to go in the back and scrounge up for me...haha. and a handful of the dessert bar items, mostly the blueberry crumble which was divine.

we did dance our booties off on the dance floor with our friends for about 45 min, so hopefully that worked off like ummm...1 slice of cake? hehe. these were thin cake slices too..nothing like what i would serve for myself, haha. justification is a beautiful thing.

then this morning we had our breakfast in bed with the yummy scone/muffin and croissants with bacon and eggs and coffee...and then i HAD to get some goodies to bring home from the on-site bakery because they make the most seriously tasty stuff. really unique things, and i never visit bakeries to bring stuff home because typically we are good about that.....so i got my mom a few things and myself a few things. the top winner so far from my taste test this afternoon are the two lavendar shortbread cookies sandwiching lemon cream cheese frosting inside, omg....phenom. i also got an oreo cookie, a macaroon butter cookie sandwiching coconut creame frosting inside, a raspberry thumbprint and another one i can't recall right now...but all tasty. i thought about not giving into the cookie temptation esp in light of my dessertfest last nite but then thought, well we are up here about 1x a year so i better make it count! it's easy to get back on the wagon for a week or so after having some fun hehee. so basically all i have had to eat today is our breakfast (which i did only eat 3/4 of), and then basically 1/3 slices of 3 of the cookies. so i guess it's really not so bad. we're figuring out dinner but who knows what it'll be...we might just walk over to the creole place and get salads and some shrimp or something and keep it local and low-key as we are pretty tired. it's hard for us to stay up late now that we are getting older hehe. we def pay for it the next day!

i am going through all my pictures from the wedding, i had hoped there was one good one of me in my dress kind of full image but most of them cut me off at the knees or something which first off isn't flattering and also surely doesn't give you guys the entire picture of what it looked like (shoes included!)...so i will try to dig out one that seems the best and post it for you guys to see my dress....i got so many compliments on it..a lot of them from older women and the grandmas there which was so funny because it was really not the most conservative dress at all! and it was SO WINDY so many of us gals ended up holding our dresses down for a few hours so we wouldn't flash everyone..but thankfully the wind died down around dinnertime so that dancing was a free for all without fear of giving people a show. hahaha. but overall, it was great to hang out with our friends and see so many people we haven't seen in a while (she and i used to work together before becoming friends so it was playing catch up with old coworkers etc), and the last time our friend group was all at a wedding was at ours in hawaii so it was total dejavu, and all of us going 'okay who is next?!?!'. lots of fun.

anyway, hope everyone had a great weekend!! off to figure out dinner now, have a great evening all! no workout today as i am pretty tired from all the festivities and figured i could use a day of rest but we might go for a neighborhood walk later. see you all on next week's thread.

 

[neatfreak]

Mara, WHAT is the name of this amazing place you''re talking about in Napa???

FI promised to take me up there this summer when I go to SF to do all the pre-wedding vendor meetings.

I think we''ll have to stay there!

 

[Rod]

Date: 6/10/2007 8:12:10 PM
Author: KimberlyH
Happy evening all. 30 minute workout, house hunting, now back home in time for BBQ hamburgers, yummo! Sounds like everyone continues to do fabulously...way to go!


Mandarine, yay for inches lost and new bikinis and trips to Cape Cod!

Lorelei, your new girl must be keeping you really busy!

Glad you had a nice day Rod. ETA, John asked how you were doing last night at dinner and I told him you and Charlie were doing your typical Sushi, gym, wash cars, Panera weekend and he asked if he could move in with you. He loves schedules and wishes I lived by more of one (I'm much more spontaneous and sometimes I make him a bit nutty).

Tell John his room with private bath and patio is all ready!!

He'll be sleeping on a king size Sleep Number Bed, with Restoration Hardware colors and Linens!! Charlie accusses me of being too scheduled. And it would great if I could be a bit more spontaneous, but I am a very ordered and regimented person. I'm also not good at relaxing and seem to have to be doing something all the time. While I was grilling the filets, I noticed the sliding doors on the front patio needed to be cleaned, so I cooked the meat and cleaned the patio doors at the same time. Anyway, tell John his room wil be here waiting for him. LOL

 

[Mara]

neatfreak, it's the Napa River Inn. http://www.napariverinn.com

we have stayed there three times (4 maybe?) and we love it. it's in downtown napa which is really cute with boutique shops and restaurants all along a strip...it's right near the wine train (we did it once, it was cheesy yet fun), and it's pretty central to napa and sonoma type events so if you are going to stay there for a few days it's a nice place to call home for a few nights and drive around during the day. last nite we drove to our friends' house in sonoma and it took us about 25 minutes to get to downtown sonoma and about 15 min to get to where all the wineries are along the small roads etc.

the hotel itself is a boutique hotel so it's mid-size but with a lot of personal touches (this awesome CD we love is in every room and it's very relaxing harp music, and they put lavendar sachets on your bed) but doesn't feel like a big hotel. we have stayed in the standard rooms and the executive ones as well. there are two buildings onsite. we like the embarcadero building which is the nautical theme and has view of the river (when it's full, right now it's kind of low and not much to see), the hatt building is where the lobby is and it's a country decor theme (think florals) which is nice too but we are not really that frilly so we enjoy the more nautical theme which is basically golden yellows, crisp whites and then all reddish dark woods.

we like that you don't have to go out very far to do things like wine tasting (there is tasting downtown in tasting rooms), fine dining, shopping, things to see etc. when we go it's usually only for one night. also the hotel and staff is soooo nice and accommodating. we have never had a bad experience with anyone on their staff. and it's cute, clean, smallish but not too small..and we love the general store and bakeries. the general store also does wine tasting and they have the cutest little shopping area for cute things like candles, home decor, etc. i'm such a sucker for that stuff. and the bakery, well i don't need to say much other than we love it.

we totally recommend this place, the bride and groom stayed there and loved it and part of his family from out of town was there too. hope you like it if you go.

for more information on the dining, general store, spa etc:
http://www.napariverinn.com//historicnapamill/index.php

video tour:
http://www.napariverinn.com//historicnapamill/slideshow/index.php

 

[Rod]

Sounds like you had a great time at the wedding Mara. The food sounded terrific, though I would not have been able to skip the sliced filet mignon! A dessert bar in your honor. How nice and yes, you had to take full advantage of that for sure!!

So, we wound up taking a longer walk than planned, but it got cooler which was a nice bonus. First we walked to the Yogurt shop. This is an independent shop and it's the owner told us he'd been there like 20 years now. He makes all the yogurt himself and it's in tubs like icecream, and dipped the same way too. He also has soft serve, which is my preferrance. I get this double mocha swirl one on a cake cone (fat free of course - but not sugar free) and Charlie always get's a tub scoop of Blackberry which is really yummy too. Then, we walked through some of the side streets around our neighborhood which we so enjoy doing. Our neighborhood is one of the older established South Tampa 'hoods. The homes are just beautiful and the trees sometimes wrap from one side of the street across to the other side. And with all the flowering bushes and tree's like bouganveilla, it's just so pretty. Finally, we headed towards the bay and walked back to our place along the water. By this time the sun was setting and the colors in the sky were reds and oranges and crimson and shades of purple toward the end. To end the evening on a really nice note, we came in, grabbed towels and headed back down to the pool and spa and sat in the 104 degree spa, then took a nice leisurly swim in the pool. I feel so relaxed and fresh.

It's a tough life we live, but somone has to live it and it may as well be us. LOL

Tomorrow, it's the start of a new week. We'll look forward to inspiration from Lorelei who must be spending a lot of time with Jasmine as she hasn't been around here too much lately. Hope you and the new love in your life (if you're new here and don't know, Jasmine is Lorelei's newest horse) are having a great time there Lorelei!!

 

[monarch64]

Mara, glad you had such a good time at the wedding, and good thing the wind died down for the reception, LOL! Your descriptions of Napa make me want to go there, DH and I actually toyed around with the idea of a wine country honeymoon but didn''t end up doing that; however, we would still love to go someday, maybe for an anniversary since ours is in September and I bet that would be a great time of year. Can''t wait to see pics of you in the dress!

So tonight I was going to actually cook something Italian, but after our cleaning fest yesterday DH and I decided we didn''t want to make a mess of the kitchen the night before another long work week. Instead we got takeout from a great little Italian place--lentil soup, garbage salad, cavatappi with vodka sauce, and DH had the mussels over linguine. A much better meal than I could''ve prepared, and a lot less cleanup! I did break out our china and flatware, though, just for kicks, and that was fun! Sopranos final episode was ok, but nothing exciting enough to have me shaking my head in shock. All in all it was a good end to a nice weekend.

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 6/10/2007 9:41:16 PM
Author: Rod

Date: 6/10/2007 8:12:10 PM
Author: KimberlyH
Happy evening all. 30 minute workout, house hunting, now back home in time for BBQ hamburgers, yummo! Sounds like everyone continues to do fabulously...way to go!


Mandarine, yay for inches lost and new bikinis and trips to Cape Cod!

Lorelei, your new girl must be keeping you really busy!

Glad you had a nice day Rod. ETA, John asked how you were doing last night at dinner and I told him you and Charlie were doing your typical Sushi, gym, wash cars, Panera weekend and he asked if he could move in with you. He loves schedules and wishes I lived by more of one (I''m much more spontaneous and sometimes I make him a bit nutty).

Tell John his room with private bath and patio is all ready!!

He''ll be sleeping on a king size Sleep Number Bed, with Restoration Hardware colors and Linens!! Charlie accusses me of being too scheduled. And it would great if I could be a bit more spontaneous, but I am a very ordered and regimented person. I''m also not good at relaxing and seem to have to be doing something all the time. While I was grilling the filets, I noticed the sliding doors on the front patio needed to be cleaned, so I cooked the meat and cleaned the patio doors at the same time. Anyway, tell John his room wil be here waiting for him. LOL

Oh my gosh, if I tell him that he''ll have purchased a plane ticket, Rod! We are still in his queen sized bed (with the dip in the middle of the matresss!) that was his before we got married. We can''t buy a new matress until we figure out if our new bedroom will fit a queen or king, so he stuck with me always rolling into the middle and leaving him with 1/8 of the space I have to sleep. His own bath is mandatory (one of the requirements of our house hunting!) so he''d be gone before I blinked if I told him all that you have waiting for him.

We just spent an hour on our back porch watching the sun set, so peaceful. It''s one of the things I''ll miss about our house, such an amazing view.

So glad you had a great time, Mara. Can''t wait to see pics of the fabulous dress.

 

[mrssalvo]

sounds like everyone is having a great yummy weekend.

I did my usual sat. am hike yesterday and then spent the afternoon with the kids at the pool. I left them with my mom around 3:00 and hubby and I caught a 4:30 show of Ocean''s 13 then went out to dinner which was a total splurge. Chinese Buffet is not good for the diet but it was oh so yummy and a very rare treat. hubby estimated his meal to be a staggering 2000 calories though

. I didn''t even try to guess mine, way to depressing to even think about

. but, we got right back on track today with very light meals, both of us slightly under our calorie minimums, but that will be OK due to last nights overindulgence..

my kids are in daycamp this week so I''m so excited to have some free time to myself in the mornings. I plan in getting back into the gym, I''ve missed it athough I love all my outdoor excercise.

i hope everyone has a great week!!

 

[Rod]

Date: 6/10/2007 10:56:36 PM
Author: KimberlyH

Date: 6/10/2007 9:41:16 PM
Author: Rod

Date: 6/10/2007 8:12:10 PM
Author: KimberlyH
Happy evening all. 30 minute workout, house hunting, now back home in time for BBQ hamburgers, yummo! Sounds like everyone continues to do fabulously...way to go!


Mandarine, yay for inches lost and new bikinis and trips to Cape Cod!

Lorelei, your new girl must be keeping you really busy!

Glad you had a nice day Rod. ETA, John asked how you were doing last night at dinner and I told him you and Charlie were doing your typical Sushi, gym, wash cars, Panera weekend and he asked if he could move in with you. He loves schedules and wishes I lived by more of one (I''m much more spontaneous and sometimes I make him a bit nutty).

Tell John his room with private bath and patio is all ready!!

He''ll be sleeping on a king size Sleep Number Bed, with Restoration Hardware colors and Linens!! Charlie accusses me of being too scheduled. And it would great if I could be a bit more spontaneous, but I am a very ordered and regimented person. I''m also not good at relaxing and seem to have to be doing something all the time. While I was grilling the filets, I noticed the sliding doors on the front patio needed to be cleaned, so I cooked the meat and cleaned the patio doors at the same time. Anyway, tell John his room wil be here waiting for him. LOL

Oh my gosh, if I tell him that he''ll have purchased a plane ticket, Rod! We are still in his queen sized bed (with the dip in the middle of the matresss!) that was his before we got married. We can''t buy a new matress until we figure out if our new bedroom will fit a queen or king, so he stuck with me always rolling into the middle and leaving him with 1/8 of the space I have to sleep. His own bath is mandatory (one of the requirements of our house hunting!) so he''d be gone before I blinked if I told him all that you have waiting for him.

We just spent an hour on our back porch watching the sun set, so peaceful. It''s one of the things I''ll miss about our house, such an amazing view.

So glad you had a great time, Mara. Can''t wait to see pics of the fabulous dress.

For me, a really good mattress is a fundamental requirement of life. Actually, our current mattress is the Celebrity Tempurpedic mattress in king size. It''s the most supremely comfortable mattress I''ve ever slept on. The king size Select Comfort (Sleep Number Mattress) was our mattress before we got the Tempurpedic. If John ever shows up on our doorstep, I''ll just figure you blurted out what kind of mattress he''d be sleeping on. LMAO!!

 

[gailrmv]

Everyone''s weekend sounds great. Mara, that wedding sounds so fun and next time I''m in Napa I''ll have to check out that inn! Last time we went we just took a day trip from SF. We loved it!

Rod if your guest room is that nice I can only imagine the rest of your place. wow! I love Resto, but with two dogs we can''t justify the linen purchase (they would probably have it slobbered on and furry in no time flat.)

Today was also pretty bad calorie wise... eating out is still a challenge for me. Now my company has left, and I am going to be so good this week.

I am still enjoying my time off after graduation but pondering a job dilemma. I''ve been verbally offered a position with someone I worked for part time while a student, and I said I wanted the job. It would be comfortable and not too hard, the pay is fine, and the job is 30 hours a week (but with full benefits) which would give me the perfect work/life balance. The official job offer has been held up by paperwork for several weeks now and I don''t know what is going on. Thinking about it I wonder if I would be selling myself short by taking this job. I would not get to use all the skills I developed in my masters program and it would not be as much of a challenge or as prestigious as some other things I could do. On the other hand I''ve had stressful jobs with long hours and travel in the past, and I find I am just not happy in that kind of environment. I haven''t found much in the middle, but it might be out there. DH prefers I take the less stressful job so that I can enjoy life outside of work but he''s supportive of whatever as long as I''m happy. So, I''m thinking that over... watching a few companies'' job postings to see if anything of interest comes up....