Weekly Workout Thread 8th Oct till 14th Oct

[Lorelei]

Happy new week all

I was watching another TV show last night featuring a weight loss journey and again it made me realize how important a tool an open mind is. It is so important to be able to change the way of thinking that made you overweight in the first place - not an easy thing to do, but it makes this journey so much easier when you can. The person featured in this show was unable to change the mindset from that of extreme measures, and you could see that unfortunately, the weight she lost was probably not permanent.

For years, I too had been assailed and brainwashed with strict diets and eating plans, being made to feel a failure for not being able to stick to 800 cals a day etc etc.

Such low calorie intakes aren''t necessary or advisable, especially if you can become more active. It can be hard to change and move away from the low calorie diet mindset, but it can be done - that you can actually eat and lose weight.

On these extreme diets, if I wasn''t preparing my small amounts of allowed food, I was obsessing about it, and being hungry the whole time. I went on every crackpot diet imaginable, may have lost some weight but rarely noticing any fat loss. The quick fix is no fix really and it has taken me a long time to be able to lose this way of thinking, now I have proven that exercise and moderation with food works.

So how did I manage to lose my quick fix mentality? I guess it was during my wakeup call moment. I was going out for a meal and felt heavy - didn''t feel good. The feelings of panic set in that I was going to have to do something about this yet again, and I could literally feel myself deflate and sink into misery. Until shortly afterwards, the penny dropped. For years I had yo yo''d up and down with my weight and every silly fad diet going, somehow this time, I realized that what was needed was consistent, steady effort. I was going to embark on a lifelong plan to be able to lose weight, keep it off and yet enjoy life - like other people seemed to be able to do and most importantly - not be hungry!!!

So 2 and a half years later, I like where I am today. Overall, this journey has been enjoyable and not difficult. I now know that I can be healthy and keep the weight off with consistent work and effort. I can''t fail because I have erased that word from my plan, I may choose to have some carrot cake on occasion, but that is my choice if I want it. I enjoy it and either don''t worry about it, or I may cut down a little the following day, or work out a bit harder. Moderation is what works. Treat your body right with food, exercise, sleep etc and it will repay you in working with you to keep you healthy and active. But before this stage can be reached - the mindset is what needs to be adjusted from that which made you overweight in the first place!

Have a great week

 

[marcy]

You know I don''t drink coffee but now there is one thing I look forward to every Monday morning - seeing the words of wisdom we all get from you, Lorelei. You are so right on how important it is to change you mindset towards living and eating healthy. Yo yo diets, fad diets, etc will maybe help you drop a few pounds but until you realize x, y and z led you to this place in your life and you must change them or eliminate them you won''t succeed in finding a happy balance in eating and exercising that you can live with for the rest of you life.

I''ve always been overweight my entire life. As a kid I would rather have been reading, watching TV or baking (and eating it) than being outside doing something active. In junior high my mom took me to a doctor to put me on a diet and they gave me diet pills which enabled me to loose about 10 pounds a month without really trying. I''d go home each month, bake chocolate chip cookies and eat cookie dough and hot cookies as a reward for loosing a few pounds. As soon as I went off the pills, I gained it all back. I didn''t learn a darn thing then.

It was only last fall I realized how I had to change my mindset if I wanted to lead a healthier life and it hasn''t been hard for me at all. I do not feel deprived. I eat one small piece of chocolate a day instead of some in the morning, afternoon and evening. It is one piece not dozens. I walk as much as I can instead of trying to walk as little as I can. I make sure I keep busy and find I enjoy going for walks or walking the mall. Life is good with my new mindset.

I hope everyone has a great Monday!

 

[Skippy123]

Greetings and Salutations of this fine fine Monday all!

Great opening Lorelei!!! Glad you are in a good place and kudos, very inspiring!

Marcy, you are inspiring, kudos! I am glad you are walking too.

I woke up and it is soooo cold. Time for healthy stews and soups. hehee I cooked up so black bean soup last night for the week. I need to run to Costco today. I will walk this evening so I can get some shopping in. Happy New week friends!

 

[KimberlyH]

Morning All,

Thanks for another great opener, Lorelei. How''s the treadmill coming along?

I am feeling really fat and yuck today, not so fun. I''ll blame it on the McDonald''s. ha ha

Working today and then coming home and getting some school work done. I''m going on a trip this weekend and need to get as much school stuff outta the way as possible so I don''t have to spend my time holed up in a hotel room...we''ll see how successful I am as I''ve taken jobs M-T and I leave F. Oh, and I have to get my exercise in!

Have a great day all!

 

[Mara]

another fabulous opener miss lorelei. though i did want to say that as awesome as your monday inspirations are...please don''t feel pressured to have something to say EVERY monday morning. i mean gosh i can barely remember my name monday mornings when i get up, much less string together a whole lot of coherent sentences. is that before or after your morning coffee? hehee. though i know we all we do appreciate your words, i just hope you don''t feel like you HAVE to impart mega-wisdom each monday...there are a whole lot of monday mornings in a year lady!!!

that said...yes you are so right!! this is a long-term goal and a lifestyle change. it is so important to view it like that for me. to know that oh gosh i had a really bad week or MONTH even. but it doesn''t mean that i can''t go back to the tried and true methods that i know work, eating right and working out. and more eating right than working out really! that whole pesky 80/20 rule or in my case more like 90/10.

in this book i am reading, they talk about the whole diet mentality you described. the ''i''m going to have to do something about this yet again'' thing and the feeling of despair they get when they have that moment. chronic dieters are always sure the next diet around the corner is going to be the one that transforms them. people will try and fail many times before ''getting it right'' and realizing as you did, as we all basically have, that it''s slow and steady that will win the race. it''s easy to drop 10 lbs through taking pills that suppress hunger and just never eating. but it''s not healthy nor is it the long-term sustainable plan to anyone.

also, and i know we have heard about this before, but this book really drives it home that with every starvation diet that someone goes on...their body becomes more and more effective at working with less fuel. so that means that every time they try another fad diet that doesn''t give their body what it needs, the body compensates...making it harder for when they finally try to have a ''normal'' eating style for them to not gain weight. imagine if your body has said ''okay well gosh this again, i''m only getting 1000 cals a day and i was getting 2000. i''m going to ratchet it back and work more efficiently on my 1000 cals.'' so when the person tries to start eating maybe 1500 to ''maintain'' or something...their metabolism has dropped, their body turns the extra calories into fat, and they may actually gain weight. and that just mentally reinforces the starvation diet as the ''right'' way to go because look it worked. but the longer people do that stuff and the lower they go....the more efficient your body becomes at making what you give them ENOUGH. and it doesn''t get the signal when you get on the scale to see that you reached your goal that the starvation has stopped.

anyhow interesting stuff for sure. every time i end up having a too light day...or two of them in the row, i try to make myself eat something more like a fage or drink a protein shake or something because i don''t want my body starting to get used to eating too little.

so happy monday all!! well not happy but doable.

i read last nite but didn''t check in as i was too tired. but our day went well. greg''s team did quite well for their age range in the race, he thinks they might have gotten a medal. his back was REALLY sore last nite but they are rowing again this morning (or rather actually rowed already at 5:30am) which i warned him about overexerting himself, so hopefully he''s not in traction somewhere. i didn''t get a call on my cell so that''s good news at least. but they are in the middle of racing season, typically he''s the ''sub'' as he just has too grueling of a work life to go the 3-4x a week that the regular guys do, but during racing season he hops in and does a few races usually to help out so he has to row 2x a week in practice. and rod yeah it''s insane and intense, and i''d be interested in it if they didn''t practice at 5:30am on weekdays. haha. i''d make a great rower according to greg. you can try out the machines at the gym, called ergometers, to see how you''d fare. it''s quite hard AND getting the form right is important too, and can make or break how much pain you are in at the end. it''s a great core workout as well as you have to tense up all the core and ab muscles with each stroke/pull. he''s been rowing since college.

so anyhow, while he was gone, i cleaned the house a bit, did laundry, programmed our new upgraded tivo dvr with all our stuff. i ended up doing a small home workout, but really time just got away from me. so i did a cardio stint while watching some tv. then we headed out to the festival, met our friends, walked around, had dinner at one of our fave places. tuna burger with 1/4 of the bun and peanut coleslaw for me (too oily!), some grilled artichoke, a piece of jalapeno cornbread. and then dessert...the crowning glory, my fave ice cream oreo cookie homemade dessert with a pool of bitter dark chocolate. i ate 3/4 of ours and then our friends had 1/4 of theirs left so they asked if i wanted it and OF COURSE i had to take it. let my fave dessert go uneaten? NEVER! so everyone was laughing at how blissful i was with the 1.25 desserts...haha. i was in heaven. pretty full afterwards but hey it was worth it.

we came home, finished up laundry and folding and took portia on a 2m walk. so i ended up getting in a fair amount of basic exercise yesterday, as we also walked about 1/2 mile around the festival and i was on my feet most of the day cleaning and doing laundry etc. so quite an active weekend even if i didn''t get any mega workouts in. i am trying to cut back on cardio a bit too to see if i can still maintain with more weights and less cardio which is an ideal situ as it takes less time for me long-term. so we''ll see. so far i think i am doing well.

anyhow, that''s my report...hope everyone is enjoying their morning. i just had cereal and coffee and have to be in the office for a call in an hour. fun fun times! enjoy all.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Another great opening LL! Thanks.

I have nothing much to say other than we enjoyed our Thanksgiving dinner last night (catered) and will have leftovers today. The only time of the year I like leftovers!! My DH needs to get the lawn furniture away as the weather is turning--and I plan to watch him. heehheee

Enjoy your day folks!

cheers--Sharon

 

[chrono]

That''s right! Happy Thanksgiving to Sharon and all the other Canadians who are reading/surfing PS.

 

[mrssalvo]

lorelei, great opener as usual, but i do agree with mara that I hope you don't feel pressured to write such inspirational openers each week. feel free to say happy new week gang and leave it at that

marcy, i forgot to mention it last week but congrats on the continued weight loss, you are amazing!!

skippy, i'm jealous you woke up to cold. i bought all fall recipe ingredients anticipating colder temps and we've got a high of 92 today. I cannot wait for fall. i try not to even use the oven on days like today b/c it heats up our kitchen. so no mara's famous lasagna until later in the week. hubby will be sad. i also got a great chicken n dumplin's crockpot recipe i tried at the grocery store (they had samples) but who wants hot soup when it 90?? anyway, i know it will be cold soon and then i'll be complaining about that

hope you get a good walk in tonight and have fun shopping.

kimi, sorry your feeling bad effect from mcdonalds. a day of healthy eating normally gets me feeling better, i hope it does the same for you.

mara, i'm glad portia is ok. isn't it funny how our pets really do become our childern. sat. morning when i returned from our hike I let zoe out of the car and she ran toward the house. my sister stopped by and we were all outside talking and i realized zoe was gone. i started freaking out until i realized one of my girls had let her in the house. zoe never runs off so i'm not sure why i freaked, i'll blame it on pregnancy hormones. anyway, my hubby said one of our kids could be playing in the street and i'd be like "where's zoe." glad you had a good weekend too...

sharon, happy thanksgiving!
chrono- hi chrono..

hope everyone else is doing well, monday is almost over

 

[Mara]

ha ha mrs salvo i totally am with ya on the ready for fall stuff!! i am all about soups and snuggly blankets right now. and it was almost 80 yesterday. sheesh! as i was driving into work today i was like gosh its so darn sunny! but yeah i agree, in a month or two we''ll be crying about the rain and cold. i''m so glad zoe was okay...recently portia was on the strip of lawn in front of our townhouses where she goes to the bathroom and she saw a cat or something across the street and out of the corner of my eye i saw her make a darting movement, and she went out of sight over to the right behind the bushes in front of me, and then i heard a car coming, so i screamed out her name. she comes trotting back like ''whats up mom''...omg i almost had a heart attack thinking she ran into the street or something. the weirdest thing was the fear in my voice when i cried out her name...jeez. so yeah...she''s definitely like our child. our wayward, cat hunting, super hairy child. hehee. definitely gotta keep an eye on them!

happy canadian thanksgiving...!! sharon do you guys celebrate halloween at all or is that just an american thing.

hope everyone is enjoying a happy monday. just had lunch which was 1/2 a rosemary chicken breast from Whole Foods, and a small container of steamed veggies w/cauliflower, broccoli, and butternut squash. yummy.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Thanks for the TG wishes girlies!

I look forward to day two of the food--pie especially! Fall is in the air, and the colors breathtaking, so it was very beautiful outside walking today.

And yes Mara, we are Halloween crazy here too. Stuff is coming out earlier and earlier every year (it is #2 to XMas for spending), but I am a sucker for it (no pun intended).

cheers--Sharon

 

[ChinaCat]

Happy Monday all! Sorry I have been lurking, work has been busy, lots of travelling, etc.

Got up this morning for pilates at 6:30, got all the way to the gym and my instructor was sick. Boo! And I never wear tennis shoes for pilates, so I couldn't even do cardio. So new plan is to always have gym bag in car, just in case!

Back to healthy eating, have stocked up on good snacks (green apples, peanut butter, grapes, luna bars, almonds, etc.) which helps me a lot cause I am very munchy and have to eat every few hours. So hopefully will get back into my normal eating routine. I can tell a difference after only a week or so. Yuch.

Lorelai- Fantastic opening, as usual. I am amazed at your constant wisdom and insight- and something new every Monday. Wow. What do you do for a living? Motivational speaker, writer?

Marcy- Your comment about not feeling deprived struck me. I think the key is that you get something else in return, and that when you replace the instant satisfaction of bad or overeating with something even better (feeling of pride, of self-control, of strong and healthy body, when your jeans fit!) then you really won't feel deprived. Your attitude is amazing, and inspiring.

Food has been good today. No workout (see above). May try to run to the gym after work, but feeling under the weather, so I may skip it and lay low. I get sick pretty easily and want to avoid it.

No fall weather here! It has cooled to the 80's!

I really reallly really crave fall. I pretend and get a pumpkin spice latte anyways (no fat, no whip). Ahh well, it will be cool soon.

Hope everyone has a great rest of Monday!

ETA: On Lorelai's topic as well: I was watching a rerun(I think) of Bridezillas late last night, and this crazy young girl was trying to lose like 30 lbs in the 6 weeks before her wedding. In addition to promoting some weight-loss drug (NV???) she carried her scale with her to restaurants and would stand on the scale with her food to see how much she should eat!!!! Now in addition to getting a good laugh out of it, my second reaction was sadness. You could tell this girl was just going to gain all the weight back right away b/c she wasn't choosing a healthy lifestyle, just a quick fix. Did anyone else see it??

 

[KimberlyH]

Hey All,

I just got home and J reminded me we have tickets to see Annie Lennox tonight...we''re probably going to have to grab a bit on our way out, not exactly the way I wanted this week to start food wise as I hate McD''s yesterday and am going to be OOT Fri-Mon. GRRR, it''s all about making good choices though, isn''t it!

I''m going to get a short workout in on the elliptical before I hit the shower.

Have a great evening.

K

 

[Skippy123]

I decided to forgo the workout; I didn''t really take a break last week so today is my break. Tonight we will have black bean soup, salad and turkey sandwiches.

Happy Thanksgiving Sharon!!!

Hey Chrono!!!

Kimi, have fun at the concert! I love McD''s salads when I am looking for something healthy; especially the cobb salad w/low fat dressing. Yay for getting a workout in before hand!

Mrs. Salvo, I heard a heatwave happened in the East; eek. It was so cold that I wore a sweater; high of 73 degrees today (we don''t have our heat on yet). I love soups and hot chocolate (I drink the sugar free one). I love hot teas too! I usually make several different fresh veggie soups and freeze them so they are ready for me and hubby when I need a healthy lunch or dinner. Zoe is such a cute dog; I love goldens!! My sister has one and my neighbor and I am always loving those beautiful dogs up when I see them.

Mara, whooo hoo for a clean house. I hope Greg''s team got a medal whoo hoo!!!

Rod, what did you think of Desperate Housewives? I think some of those lady''s are nuts! heeheee

Monnie, did you get a car??
Have a lovely evening all!

 

[sarahthewarrior]

Thanks for the great opener, Lorelei!

Wow, was it a hot October day for Michigan! I''m really starting to dislike this global warming business--I miss winter! The apartment gets way too stuffy when it''s 90 and we''re too cheap to turn on the AC wall unit (such a waste of energy!)--I was actually happy to get out of here to go to class.

I haven''t been on much these past few days, as school is starting to get really busy before my upcoming four-day weekend. But I have been watching what I eat, getting a little exercise in (even if just getting off the bus early), and generally trying to make those small changes. Every little bit counts.

Glad to hear that everyone is doing well--keep up the great work!

 

[Rod]

Happy Monday Everyone!

Sorry for the late checkin. First, Lorelei, such a wonderful weekly opener for sure. You sure do hit the nail on the head on so many levels, it's uncanny!! Thanks for always coming up with something for us each week. You are truly an inspiration to us all!!!

Wow, Annie Lennox Kimberly!! How cool is that!!!!

Skippy, I get such a kick out of DH. It's a better show this year, but there's still that undercurrent of something sinister, especially the new neighbors across the street. The lemon merangue pie bit was funny. Poor Bree being defined by a simple pie. Sad, but there are people like that I'm sure. And finally, 73 degree's. Puleeze. It was something like 93 today. Ugh. This summer heat just doesn't want to go away. BUT, they say a big change is coming for the weekend and we will finally break this heat soon!

Happy Thanksgiving to our Friends in Canada!! I guess you know our traditional TG meal is turkey with stuffing, etc. Is that the same in Canada, or do you have a different tradition? I'm looking forward to our TG dinner as we cook a turkey with all the trimmings just that one time each year. Xmas, is a big Lobster day in our household. Yummmm!

We worked kind of late tonight, but it was Sushi Monday and it was excellent as usual. Followed by Frozen yogurt and Sbucks (inside, not outside as it was still a bit too warm outside).

Tomorrow, we'll be back in the gym for the next few nights.

I hope your week got off to a good start.

 

[marcy]

Hi everyone!

I hope everyone had a great day. I had some warmed up lasagna with an orange for supper and one of my students brought miniature milky ways to class tonight so that was my evening treat. Some pants I bought about a month ago are getting pretty loose on me so that is always a good sign.
Skippy, thanks for saying I’m inspiring. Our weather is warming up again but if it’s cold there that system is probably moving our way. I heard they had an accident at the balloon festival; that is awful. I thought of you. That is great idea to stock your freezer with soup to warm up on a chilly day.
Kimberly, good luck working ahead on school so you can enjoy your weekend. You certainly deserve a break from your school work. I am sure your meal from McD’s didn’t fatten you up so no worries there. Enjoy your concert.
Mara, I think I’ll be happy if I can end up maintaining with 90 / 10; of course I have quite some time before I have to figure that out. I am getting tired and sore just reading about how intense rowing is and the workout it gives your body. Holy aches and pains! I am sure you enjoyed your desserts; it sounds great.
Sharon, Happy Thanksgiving! What is the traditional meal for Thanksgiving in Canada? Good idea to watch you husband move the lawn furniture.
Hi Chrono!
MrsSalvo thanks for your kind words of encouragement. I appreciate it. I have already made soup and lasagna so I must be getting in to fall foods but it has gotten chilly hear already.
ChinaCat, you are so correct about what I’ve gotten in exchange for my former eating habits are well worth it. Thank you for the wonderful compliment. I’m glad to hear you stocked up on healthy food and are back to your normal eating routine.
Sarah, it sounds like you are doing well with eating and exercising. You are so right, every little bit helps.
Rod, I hope your heat wave breaks soon. It sounds like you had a great evening.
Well, speaking of being cold, I am so I must go start getting ready for bed. Take care!

 

[monarch64]

Ok, I did it. I officially broke the scale today.

Fortunately it was right after I got the actual reading, so I am happy to report I''m down another lb to 154 finally! However, I made the mistake of second-guessing the poor old scale''s accuracy and stepped on again, but I stepped on the middle plastic cover over the analog part and busted it completely. LOL. Should''ve relied on the first reading and called it a day, apparently! So now i''m in the market for a new scale which is fine because I''ve had this cheapie one for about 5 years and I had been thinking about upgrading anyway. Even with the one lb. loss, though, it was still not a very good feeling to think I had just broken the damn thing altogether. Sheesh.

Not too much to report here...it was super hot here all weekend (I''m sure you guys heard the sad news that one of the Chicago marathoners succumbed to the heat, sooo sad), but now it is rapidly cooling off and the temps will stay in the 60''s the rest of this week. I hope to get my Halloween decorations up tomorrow evening when I get home from work before it gets dark, I meant to do it this weekend but got caught up in other activities! Went out to dinner last night with a friend and had a fab mazatlan salad with mixed greens, granny smith apple slices, blue cheese and walnuts with a balsamic vinaigrette , that was my fun meal for the weekend, and tonight I snarfed down two pieces of cheese pizza from DH''s order, yummo. Now it''s back to sticking with the healthy stuff and another week of working towards my goal!

Sounds like everyone''s doing well, thanks Lorelei for another great opener, i love reading them every Monday!

 

[marcy]

Monarch, sorry to hear about your scale breaking. Congratulations for loosing another pound. I heard about someone dying from the heat and running; that was awful. Your dinner and pizza sound good.

 

[Lorelei]

Hehehe...thanks Mara and MrsSalvo! I normally write the opener during my morning coffee, that is good to know if my brain won't cooperate I can just start the thread and say hi gang if I want to! Hopefully I can keep the openers motivating for a while! Marcy, Skippers, Rod, Sharon and Kimmy, Sarah and Monnie -everyone, thanks you all for appreciating them and China - one day I would like to write like many of us do, but again it is a confidence thing in a very competitive field, but who knows....Thanks for saying I am inspirational!

Still waiting on the pants treadmill, another new part should be on its way to us soon and hopefully that will fix us up!

China, I hadn't seen that episode of Bridezillas although we do get it here, that is so sad that girl had to go to such extremes. Sadly, the more I see of TV shows on weight management, it seems that being extreme is quite common. I just hope the penny will drop for these gals one day.

 

[KimberlyH]

Morning All,

The concert was awesome, but we ended up eating out beforehand and I simply feel like a sow, between PM bloat and three days in a row of eating too much. No weigh in for me tomorrow, I don''t want to depress myself.

Monnie, you cracked me up re: broken scale. Congrats on the lb. lost!

I''m working today, have a hair appt. this afternoon. Hope to get in a workout. Have a great day all!

 

[marcy]

Good morning!

I lost 2/10 pound – not much in the scheme of things but it all adds up. A twist on old Ben’s words – an ounce lost is an ounce earned, eh?
Lorelei, I hope you don’t ever feel pressure to come up with words of wisdom because we enjoy them so much but I’m sure glad you do that every week. I hope the TM gets up and running again soon.
Kimberly, I am sure you feel bloated because of PM not because of what you ate. No worries; it will go away soon. I am delighted to hear the concert was awesome.
I’m going to the mall tonight after work to get some of my bling checked and cleaned. I always get the same response when I take jewelry in for the 6 months check, do you ever wear this - it''s already clean. I can''t imagine some people only get their jewelry cleaned every 6 months - yuck! Then I want to go out to try and find a comet when it gets dark.
Have a great day.

 

[Mara]

ha ha marcy, i had a lady at Crate and Barrel ask me the other day if i had just gotten married. i said no...and she said how long have you been married. i said 3.5 years. she said oh your rings are so sparkly and shiny they look brand new.

i said well i clean them weekly (if not more, hehe). it was kind of funny that she just assumed i was a new bride because they were sparkly and clean. i get surprised as well as to how infrequently people clean their jewelry. i mean why would i want to wear it if it''s all dull and gray?!

monnie, haha i cracked up when i read you broke the scale. but at least the stubborn thing gave you something before you ended it''s life, so that''s the positive! i only weigh myself now like once or twice a week when i go to the gym. and sometimes it moves around a bit. but i am using clothes as fit esp since i am also trying to gain muscle. seems to be working well.

kimi sorry you feel bloated...it''s probably the sodium and PM. dontcha hate that? the funny thing is that sometimes when i feel bloated and icky, i get on the scale and it''s not as bad as i thought and sometimes it doesn''t even register. that''s when i doubly realize how powerful our minds are...you feel this way but chances are the scale would not corroborate. or maybe it would, since we all know scales are inherently evil!!

had my trainer yesterday and we did an upper body workout. now that i''ve been with them for about 1.5 months, the director said we''d up my weights. and boy did she! i reminded her as i struggled to lift something that i didn''t want to be linda hamilton in terminator. she laughed and said i wouldn''t be. she''s pretty toned but not super buff so i figure she knows what she''s doing. so we did a series of 3 circuits with 3 diff machines 3x each. she started me out lighter and then added 5-10 lbs each additional time. i was really struggling on a few of them but in a good way. and i could see my muscles in the mirror, when i was working! kinda fun. and i do have more definition in my arms, shoulders, back. so i''m pretty happy. she also showed me this diet she wanted me to do to lean out a bit more. it''s a lot like what bodybuilders seem to do when they are trying to lean out and lose fat. 6 small meals a day...high in protein, high in healthy carbs, and low in fat but all healthy fat. it''s SO boring. but it''s effective, i have seen people''s results...i lurk in this online fitness forum for builders and the menus they post are a lot like this. think oatmeal and egg whites for breakfast. protein shake for snack. lunch is something like can of tuna or lean chicken and mixed greens salad. snack in afternoon is something like raw almonds and cottage cheese. then dinner is salmon and green beans or asparagus or something else equally uninteresting. snack/dessert is cottage cheese mixed with something like salsa...or they sometimes do another protein shake. and some of them can consume a LOT of calories eating like that!! they just have larger portions of things. my trainer loves to eat too so she was like yeah this is not very ''fun'' eating but if you want to try it, just do it for a week. i have been toying with the idea of that anyway just out of curiousity, so maybe i will soon. but i DO try to make more healthy lean choices during the week for sure. my protein has been averaging about 90-100g per day which is good for my weight and for what i do...this diet would up it to more like 120g which would be fine. but the carbs are high, i currently consume about 200-230 and this diet is more like 280g. but it''s also for a 2k calorie diet. and mine is more like 1600-1700. so i guess that''s where the diff is.

anyway interesting stuff. i like lurking and reading these other forums because those people are hard core about fitness and it''s fun to read about their journeys and see their pictures, read their stories. one of the guys who started this one forum i lurk on was like 350 lbs and got down to like 170 and is totally ripped and lean!! and he shares his entire journey, how he leaned down, then when he started working on building muscle, what he ate, what he did...and he posted pictures the entire way. it''s really cool. but yeah since i don''t want to be linda hamilton on terminator, i probably won''t do anything extreme...plus i love foods way too much hehee. but i like the idea of cycling on and off with diff things just to shake it up and keep my body from getting bored.

got a new cereal at TJ''s...organic honey macadamia grainfest. 100 cals for 1/2c, 5g fiber, 2g fat, 23g carb, 2g protein. i mixed it with go lean for something diff, yummy. berries and milk and coffee as well. today is a typical workday eating day...i might have dinner with my sister tonite but not sure...so we''ll see. i do want to hit the gym at work and do some cardio and maybe some leg workouts. i don''t see my trainer again til saturday this week so i have all week to plan out what i want to do for workouts. hiking on wednesday is already scheduled with my girlfriend. we gotta get the time in before the days get so short.

anyhow, hope everyone is enjoying their tuesday!!

 

[Lorelei]

Thanks Marcy! I am glad that some are finding my openers useful!

Good going on the weights Mara!

I changed my hair last week, getting bored with the long straight hair. I was flat ironing it straight and now it hangs to the middle of my back, but it was time for a mix up and it worked really well! I have naturally wavy hair, so I let it dry naturally, then twisted it into rough curls and clamped it with the irons to give me beachy waves and it looked great! You don''t want to do it too tidily as you don''t want to end up with a '' do, but sometimes it is a good thing to mix up hair and or makeup a bit as you progress to go with the improving body. It is also a great motivator - groom yourself as well as time allows and you feel much better about yourself, this spreads into everything you do - including your eating and workouts.

 

[Skippy123]

Kimi, glad the concert was awesome!!! Sorry you are bloated. I like to eat clean foods on those days, for me that means apples, celery, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

Monnie, I heard they had to cancel the race because it was so hot and someone died; that is awful. Yay for losing 1 lb so that is a total of 6! Kudos and sorry about the scale.

Sarah, yay for making small changes and every little bit does count!

Rod, you made me laugh with your Puleeze! hehee I think Bree is nutty for wearing a fake preggo belly. The new neighbor scares me and same w/her daughter. I wonder what will happen w/Edy. . . another nut! Have a good workout at the gym tonight!

Marcy, it was awful the news showed the lady falling out of the balloon (an all time low for the news). It seems like every 5 years there are some fatality's w/balloons crashing. I think they are dangerous. I rode in one once and you don't have a lot of control; I will never ride in one again. They are beautiful and an extremely expensive hobby but I feel bad for people who get hurt from them. I love oranges; I can't wait till they are in season. I love when they are juicy and sweet like candy.

Lorelei, hope the treddy isn't pants for long!

Mara, wow, you are doing well! Gosh the trainer must think you could be super defined if she wants you on the bb diet. I bet you look great! That is funny that the sales assoc thought you were a new bride because your ring is so sparkly. hehe

So I have salmon thawing for dinner. What should I make w/it and how should I bake the salmon? Any suggetions are appreciated. I probably will walk today; I walked 1 mile last night w/hubby. I just heard there were 2 more balloon crashes this morning in breaking news. Eeek, I am praying these people will be okay.

 

[Lorelei]

Skippers - try a foil parcel with the salmon, you can brush it with a little oil or melted butter, season, then add some herbs if you wish, bake it in the foil until done, then sprinkle with lemon juice and serve. This is how I do it for Hubby and it is easy and it cooks the fish beautifully.

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 10/9/2007 11:01:43 AM
Author: Lorelei
Skippers - try a foil parcel with the salmon, you can brush it with a little oil or melted butter, season, then add some herbs if you wish, bake it in the foil until done, then sprinkle with lemon juice and serve. This is how I do it for Hubby and it is easy and it cooks the fish beautifully.

Oh sounds great! I will do that; thanks. I don''t make salmon often and when we do we grill it. I like that no fuss idea; thanks again!!!

 

[Lorelei]

You are most welcome Skippers! It is the best way apart from using a fish kettle, I have found to cook salmon.

Hey Mara and anyone else who lifts weights; I have been lifting now for 2 weeks since the treddy became pants, and I am sure I am noticing a difference already with my body, I feel '' tauter'' around my middle especially. How quickly did you see or feel a difference with weights?

 

[sarahthewarrior]

Hey Lorelei,

That's the really great part about weight training--instant results! Two weeks is about the average to notice some real changes in your body. Now that you've started, you probably won't want to stop. Unlike cardio, I find weights to be so uplifting (no pun intended)! Are you doing any crunches? Adding a medicine ball or dumbbell (5-10 lb) can really define your core. Arms are really easy to whip back into shape with some light strength workouts, too. Keep up the good work!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 10/9/2007 12:28:46 PM
Author: sarahthewarrior
Hey Lorelei,

That's the really great part about weight training--instant results! Two weeks is about the average to notice some real changes in your body. Now that you've started, you probably won't want to stop. Unlike cardio, I find weights to be so uplifting (no pun intended)! Are you doing any crunches? Adding a medicine ball or dumbbell (5-10 lb) can really define your core. Arms are really easy to whip back into shape with some light strength workouts, too. Keep up the good work!

Way kewl!

Thanks Sarah - so I am probably not imagining things then LOL! My routine is this;

3 times a week, 3 sets of 10 reps each exercise.

Smith machine - just the bar as I haven't used it much, but I am going to add 5 pounds of weight tonight.

Butterflies ( where you sit and bring the handles inwards) 25 pounds

The one where it looks like you are ringing a huge bell LOL!! I use about 40 pounds and crunch downwards. I this one is my ab exercise, I have scoliosis so I can't do crunches unfortunately

Leg extensions - 60 pounds

Dumbells for bicep curls, tricep kickbacks etc

It looks a bit disorganized on paper, but I hope to become more familiar with the weight machine and exercises.

 

[sarahthewarrior]

Date: 10/9/2007 12:34:36 PM
Author: Lorelei

Way kewl!

Thanks Sarah - so I am probably not imagining things then LOL! My routine is this;

3 times a week, 3 sets of 10 reps each exercise.

Smith machine - just the bar as I haven''t used it much, but I am going to add 5 pounds of weight tonight.

Butterflies ( where you sit and bring the handles inwards) 25 pounds

The one where it looks like you are ringing a huge bell LOL!! I use about 40 pounds and crunch downwards. I this one is my ab exercise, I have scoliosis so I can''t do crunches unfortunately

Leg extensions - 60 pounds

Dumbells for bicep curls, tricep kickbacks etc

It looks a bit disorganized on paper, but I hope to become more familiar with the weight machine and exercises.

Wow, Lorelei! It seems like your treadmill going "pants" is the best thing that ever happened to your workout!

That sounds like a great routine, and you''re definitely reaping the results from it! I''m glad to hear you''re not overdoing it--lots of beginners lift too much, too soon, too often, which leads to a lot of sore muscles or--worse--injuries. I''m not sure what machines you have access to, but you might want to try some overhead presses or chest flies--both of which you can do with dumbbells, too. That will really add to your chest and shoulders. Don''t overdo your chest exercises, though--unless you want the girls to get smaller.

Some lateral raises will strengthen your back, too. I see you''re doing leg extensions for your quads, but are you doing any curls for your hamstrings? Most of the time this just involves moving a lever on the machine to get the exact reverse motion. You could also do squats and lunges on your own with or without dumbbells. As for your bicep curls, make sure you alternate your hand position to work both halves of the muscle (it''s not called a bi-cep for nothing!). In addition to curling the weight with your palms facing upward, do it with your palms facing toward each other--it''s called a hammer curl since your arm and hand position looks like a hammer. You should feel that this works the top part of the muscle.

Sorry I''m not as familiar with the machine routines--I''ve always used free weights. I''m glad you''ve found such an awesome way to work your abs, though! Crunches definitely aren''t for everyone--I''ve seen so many people straining themselves by doing them incorrectly--leading to nothing but neck/back pain with no results. I can''t remember the name for it, but there''s also this device at most gyms where you grab two handles and brace your forearms, then you lift your legs up to work your abs. You can extend your legs, twist your core, and do a lot of other variations to work all the core muscles. Could you do that with your scoliosis? Overall, it sounds like you''re doing really well, and I''m happy to hear you''re seeing results! Nothing like a little motivation to keep you going...