Weekly Workout Thread Sept 25th to Oct 1st

[JCJD]

Morning everyone!

I weighed in this morning at 150.0 lbs!!! Yahoo!! Down 1 pound from last week. Today I''m going to bike in to work and home again (10 mins, 2 miles) and go to a yoga class, either at 12pm or at 5:30pm, depending on when I get my motivation-to-work-spurt. I''ve been a mixed bag of eating well and eating junk the past few days. Couscous with steamed veggies and spices, iceberg salad with carrots and a tiny bit of dressing, strawberries and cottage cheese, and then throw half a pecan roll, most of a double chocolate cheese cake slice, and too many york peppermint patties (my officemates just made a candy bowl....). I feel like I''ve done well on the veggie intake, certainly not perfect, and I''m working on my fruit intake, but that bowl of chocolate certainly isn''t helping matters! Luckily, it''s almost gone now.

Lorelei - Congratulations on your incredible progress! Your heart and lungs are in much better condition now that you''ve kicked your habit, YOU GO GIRL!

Rod - sorry to hear about your job situation. With the motivation I see in you just in terms of exercising and taking care of your health, I know another door (or two...) will be opening up for you soon. Good luck with your job search - it''s a full-time job in itself!

 

[JCJD]

Ooh, forgot! I have awesome news - I''m an aunt!! J''s sister had her baby girl yesterday afternoon, 3 weeks early but absolutely healthy! 6lbs, 9oz, completely smooth, complication-free delivery, and no drugs. The baby''s name is Libby Evelyn. They live on the east coast, so we''ll have to wait until the semester''s over for me to go see them (Christmas). So exciting!

 

[Lorelei]

Thanks for the praise JC and CONGRATS on being an auntie

Will you start her on blingage early?

Also well done on the weight loss, we are all doing well this week, scales for me on Sunday morning

 

[JCJD]

Lorelei - I do keep looking at SP''s maternity collection... and various baby jewelry on Blue Nile and such, but perhaps clothing will be a more appropriate gift until, say, her 1st birthday.

Surely she''ll be old enough for her first diamond piece then!

 

[lovelylulu]

good morning all,

i decided to skip the coffee this morning. i feel awake, so i''m opting for water instead. i''m really trying to focus on drinking enough water throughout the day. i find that it''s easier to do, now that i''m in an office environment with a more structured schedule.

last night i went to the gym and did 35 minutes on the elliptical. my calves are burning, but it feels really good to stretch them out. was going to do pilates, but was a little worn out.

for dinner, i made a version of chicken souvlaki -- it''s so flavorful and delicious, without being full of fat and carbs.

marinade: tzatziki sauce:
fresh lemon juice either low-fat plain yogurt or sub low-fat sour cream
oregano squeeze of fresh lemon juice
garlic dill
red wine vinegar lots of chopped cucumber
dash of salt bit of garlic
pepper
olive oil

spoon a couple of tablespoons of the marinade over chopped tomato, thinnly sliced red onion and a bit of feta.

chop chicken breasts into chunks and combine them with the marinade. let sit for about an hour. (went for a walk with pup)

grill the chicken on skewers on a grill pan.

combine grilled chicken with the tomato mixture on a whole wheat pita and bit (or if you are my husband a bunch) of tzatziki sauce.

mediterranean food is the BEST!

welcome orangevixen! i''m sort of like you. i run a lot and do pilates for core strength, but that is about the exent of my fitness routine. for some reason, i''m really not fond of the idea of lifting weights. maybe i can be convinced to add some of that...

congrats JCJD!

 

[Mara]

ov i''m so glad you joined us!!! it''s pretty motivational and even if you already have the exercise thing down, i think learning a bit more about diet will help you get over that plateau you are at now.

about my foot, it''s right across the top...basically under where my toes join my foot on top. it''s kind of spread across my whole foot. and then this puffy piece of tissue on the right of my right foot right under my ankle bone that kind of juts out also swells when my foot hurts. so it''s like a big puffy round tissue. last nite in kbox my foot seems a bit still out of wack, not HURTING necessarily but just kind of sore.

i WANT to hit the gym today and do the treadmill exercise again, so i am thinking i might pull out my old shoes which have like absolutely no padding in them anymore BUT at least i know they shouldn''t make the foot pain any worse. i think i might need to get REAL walking shoes for my treadmill days. i was looking into race walking shoes since supposedly if you race walk you hit with your heel which is totally what i do even if i am not going super fast, so i think i need something that cushions me more.

the weirdest thing is that i have been walking for so long, a year+ now and this foot thing is only happening now. it might be that my right shoe is a little big for me, which in kbox doesnt matter but in walking it might? maybe the foot is not getting the support it needs around it so it''s moving around too much. oh it''s throbbing just thinking about it. haha.

it could also be the incline too lorelei...i went from doing incline intervals (aka 1 minute up and 1 minute down) to basically doing 45 minutes at interval 8 or 9 which was a big difference for me. i just don''t want my foot to sabotage my progress. advice anyone?

so i worked out last nite but thanks to it being TTOTM i felt like i was moving in a big vat of molasses. i broke a sweat so at least i knew i was working at some sort of okay level but it definitely was not my typical drenched in sweat kinda class. i just felt drained and like i was a robot. but i''m glad i went at least.

i''ll update on my eating over in the detox thread!! hope everyone has a great day, sounds like everyone is right on track this week, kudos to all WWT''s! Rod are you out there? please check in with us and let us know how you are doing!

 

[orangevixen]

Lorelei, thanks for the motivation! I know I have to make the trek over to the ''scary'' side of the gym and start doing something... Strength training is part of the equation that I have left out. Maybe I should do a session with a trainer to get acquainted with everything. Also, I was thinking of maybe getting an exercise DVD so that I can at the least workout for 30 min at home at night after I run, or if I don''t feel like going to the gym. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Mara, thanks for the encouragement. I recognize that modifying my diet is key, and actually this week I''m already doing really well. Just not as hardcore as your detox diet.

Have a great day everyone

 

[Lorelei]

OV - I felt like a fish out of water even though I can ST in my own home, it felt odd as I am more of a cardio fast paced type of person which I prefer, but now I am getting the hang of it I am really pleased I started it. I think the trainer is an excellent idea, that way you can tell them what your goals are and they can tell you how to reach them. I am just doing a bit of everything for ST. Hubby was choking with laughter at me when I was doing my leg extensions with 55 pounds, he said the agonized faces I was pulling were hilarious - I felt like my legs would drop off! I do 3 sets of 10 reps and don''t really know what I am doing, but I keep going!

 

[Mara]

miss ov, did you see what i said about my foot? is it what you thought it was?

 

[Lorelei]

Mara my foot pain is right in the same place where my toes join the foot - I have really increased the time on the incline by about 15 - 20 mins this past week which is about the time it started to hurt. I wonder if it is the angle of the foot on the incline maybe? Maybe I will have to drop the incline as I do have it on 15% all that time and see if that helps. I hope yours feels better soon.

JC I think the 1st birthday is an apt time to begin gifting with bling

 

[Rod]

Hey Everyone,

Sorry I''ve been so absent. I''m afraid that when stress hits, the first place it manifests itself is in my lower back. So, I''ve not been able to work out since Saturday and it''s killing me. I''m seeing the chiropractor, which is helping immensely. And, I''ve actually calmed down a lot since being laid off. In fact, I''m at a whole new level of peace. So many people in my old company want to speak with me and make themselves feel better by telling me how sorry they are. They want to know how the company could be in such trouble that they let someone of my caliber go. Yadda Yadda Yadda. I just want a clean break and need to move on.

So, the good news. Here it is only my 3rd day into lay off land, and I already have a full day of interviews scheduled tomorrow with a much larger company than I left, who is local and seems quite interested in me. Of course I don''t want to get too excited. They haven''t offered a job, but the fact that they want to see me is exciting in it''s own.

Since losing so much weight, I didn''t have any suits left, so I had to go out and buy a suit this morning and have them rush the alterations through. It''s nice to be a size that is easily fit in a suit. As you all know, I used to be a hefty boy, so getting a suit to fit, was a difficult experience. This time, the jacket fit without needing any modification and the pants had to be narrowed in the waist (as opposed to be being let out!!

)

So, I just wanted you all to know Rod is OK and will survive this ordeal. And like many of you have said, maybe this will be the start of something way better than I had to begin with.

I hope you are all doing well. If you get a moment tomorrow, please think of me and wish me well in my all day interview.

Your friend.........Rod

 

[hlmr]

Rod, I am sorry to hear about your lower back pain!! Stress does unbelievable things to our bodies....

I am confident you will be a big hit in your interviews and hopefully by the time the weekend arrives you will be pain free! I will definitely think of you tomorrow and be sending you good thoughts!

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Hey Rod...good luck with your interviews.

Stress shows up in strange ways...My neck and face break out like a teenager when I''m dealing with prolonged stress

Staying in great shape and being true to your workout schedule will help you through these stressful times. I tend to power walk when I feel
stress coming on...but generally I avoid and will not give in to stress.

We''re all rootin'' for ya

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Date: 9/27/2006 12:02:07 PM
Author: Lorelei
OV - I felt like a fish out of water even though I can ST in my own home, it felt odd as I am more of a cardio fast paced type of person which I prefer, but now I am getting the hang of it I am really pleased I started it. I think the trainer is an excellent idea, that way you can tell them what your goals are and they can tell you how to reach them. I am just doing a bit of everything for ST. Hubby was choking with laughter at me when I was doing my leg extensions with 55 pounds, he said the agonized faces I was pulling were hilarious - I felt like my legs would drop off! I do 3 sets of 10 reps and don''t really know what I am doing, but I keep going!

Lorelei...those leg extensions are tough, huh? I''m doing those at the gym and I find them more difficult than some of the other weight machines.

Keep up the great work!

Keep on TRACKin everyone

 

[Rod]

Thanks Heather and Jeff. And Jeff, funny you should mention one''s face breaking out. I am treating a blemish on my face as I type. Stress does do odd things to us.

I''ll let everyone know how tomorrow goes..........

Thanks again.

 

[Mara]

rod ... good luck with your interviews tomorrow!! here's a funny story to give you some hope. i found a job that seemed right up my alley on friday on this online marketing job list i belong to for the silicon valley. i applied on monday morning. they called me on monday afternoon, setup an interview for tuesday. i had my 2nd interview today, wednesday in the morning with the CEO and another top exec. they thought i was great (i'm not being egotistical here, this is what they said to me..hehee). they called me this afternoon to offer me the job.

it's sudden but without going into all the details, it's the right fit for me, it's the title i wanted, it's 10 minutes from home and it has ENORMOUS potential to be amazing and very lucrative. so i'm going to take it and i'm super excited!!

anyhow...it's funny because my mom has always said i have 'luck' with jobs and that somehow i always get what i go after re: the career thing...kinda interesting. i told her today about this gig and she said the same thing. so good luck tomorrow and hopefully if this feels right to you then it will feel right to your interviewers too and you may be telling me the same thing happened to you in a few days!!!

on a thread note, i went to the gym today and i felt totally weird! lightheaded, sweaty...not in a good way. i think i was low on sugar or something which was really odd since i ate no differently than i have the last few days. so i did 38 minutes on the treadmill at various inclines. only burned 300 calories and walked 2.25 miles but at least i did something. in the car, i scarfed down a nectarine which tasted SO GOOD so i must have needed some extra fuel today. very random!!! anyway...hope everyone else is having a great day!

 

[Rod]

Date: 9/27/2006 8:26:34 PM
Author: Mara
rod ... good luck with your interviews tomorrow!! here''s a funny story to give you some hope. i found a job that seemed right up my alley on friday on this online marketing job list i belong to for the silicon valley. i applied on monday morning. they called me on monday afternoon, setup an interview for tuesday. i had my 2nd interview today, wednesday in the morning with the CEO and another top exec. they thought i was great (i''m not being egotistical here, this is what they said to me..hehee). they called me this afternoon to offer me the job.

it''s sudden but without going into all the details, it''s the right fit for me, it''s the title i wanted, it''s 10 minutes from home and it has ENORMOUS potential to be amazing and very lucrative. so i''m going to take it and i''m super excited!!

anyhow...it''s funny because my mom has always said i have ''luck'' with jobs and that somehow i always get what i go after re: the career thing...kinda interesting. i told her today about this gig and she said the same thing. so good luck tomorrow and hopefully if this feels right to you then it will feel right to your interviewers too and you may be telling me the same thing happened to you in a few days!!!

on a thread note, i went to the gym today and i felt totally weird! lightheaded, sweaty...not in a good way. i think i was low on sugar or something which was really odd since i ate no differently than i have the last few days. so i did 38 minutes on the treadmill at various inclines. only burned 300 calories and walked 2.25 miles but at least i did something. in the car, i scarfed down a nectarine which tasted SO GOOD so i must have needed some extra fuel today. very random!!! anyway...hope everyone else is having a great day!

Oh Mara.........HOW ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL FOR YOU!!!!!! I am so very happy to congratulate you. You are my hero, you know.

I''ll keep your positive thoughts with me tomorrow as I do my absolute best to win this opportunity. It''s the right company. It''s the right location. I have the right skills. This should be a no brainer.

Congratulations again. You go Mara!!!!!!

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Funny how this thread has morphed into a "new career" thread. You guys are so amazing and your energy and optimism
are contagious! Good luck Mara and Rod!

 

[orangevixen]

Date: 9/27/2006 12:59:20 PM
Author: Lorelei
Mara my foot pain is right in the same place where my toes join the foot - I have really increased the time on the incline by about 15 - 20 mins this past week which is about the time it started to hurt. I wonder if it is the angle of the foot on the incline maybe? Maybe I will have to drop the incline as I do have it on 15% all that time and see if that helps. I hope yours feels better soon.

Mara, I think Lorelei is right about the incline, and it is definitely the shoes too! It''s not what I thought it was since it''s at the top of your foot, but it''s most likely tendon-related. Let''s go get you some new shoes asap!

I just got back from the gym and I did an hour on the treadmill as usual but this time I went over to the ''dark side'' and used some machines...I did a few leg presses and used some of the arm machines. I also did some arm exercises with the dumbbells. It wasn''t TOO terrible

 

[orangevixen]

Mara...CONGRATS on the job

YAY for you!!!! I can''t wait to hear more about it.

 

[Kaleigh]

Just wanted to say congrats Mara on your new job!!! That is very exciting.

And wanted to wish Rod all the best for his upcoming interviews.

I love reading this thread. It is inspiring!!! I pass along tips to my hubby. So best wishes to all of you, keep up the good work!! Lisa

 

[bookworm21]

Wow, looks like a rash of pain for people this week! I''m sorry to hear about your foot Mara, didn''t read the first page of the thread, did the Nike Frees cause that? Rod, sorry about your lower back; believe it or not, I''m suffering from some lower back pain myself. It really sucks, because it never really goes away.

I do have a question for the runners here: do you people find that running outdoors, on cement and asphalt, really hurts your back? Because I''ve done some outdoor running these past couple of weeks and noticed that my lower back started aching quite a bit. Is it my form or the running surface?

I''ve been gone for a while; the new semester just started and the reading is really kicking my butt. But I''ll be graduating at the end of this semester and believe me, all diets are going out the window then, and I am going to PARTY my little heart out.

Will be continuing to catch up with everyone here...so hello again everyone!!!

 

[Lorelei]

HOORAY FOR MARA!!!!! Incredible news about the new job and I like the sound of the lucrative part!

Many congratulations - you deserve it

Rod that is so great about the interview, I will be sending out my strongest possible vibes to you!!!!!! You will ace the interview!!! Sorry to hear about your back and I hope it feels better soon.

Jeff those leg extensions ARE painful! How much poundage do you use when you do them? We can have a contest!

Lisa thanks for popping in

Great to see you Cinders! Missed you!

Off to do my workout now...

 

[Mara]

thanks guys!!...it was kind of ironic timing since rod was telling us about his layoff and i was planning my interviews with this company, the whole thing was kind of a whirlwind but like a friend of mine said today, if you know it's right then go for it. all the pieces of the puzzle just fit on this one. plus i typically end up doing a few years with companies at a time, so this seems like a great place to spend the next few years! and it could be great. it was great to take a break and do something different for the last 2 years, but i feel like i need to get back to what i know. on the down side i won't be at home with P as much, so i will miss her and i feel guilty....but i will put her in doggie daycare a few days a week so she can get some social doggie interaction and not be so bored without me. (even though she probably doesn't care!! i am totally giving her 'human feelings' again!) on the plus side, i will have more money for baubles. HAHHA.

cinderella good to see you again here...yeah i think my nike free shoes are not the greatest for the incline treadmill walking, so i might get some real walking shoes and just use the free for kickboxing. we shall see! miss ov is the runner extraordinaire and has a local store she recommended so i think we are going there at some point soon to see if someone can give me some advice on what type of shoes i should be wearing. interestingly enough today i wore my old shoes and my right foot did not hurt while working out...so i think it might be the shoes or how i am striking down on the foot or something.

 

[clammer]

Rod good luck with the interviews. With this many interviews in this short amount of time, you’re sure to find something you love.

Mara, congratulations on the new job.

 

[bookworm21]

Ooo Mara, new job too? I missed that post. Congrats on that and I''m sure little Portia will be fine. She''ll make plenty of doggy friends while you go out and buy more sparklies to share with us! Oh, and Nike also makes a version of the Frees especially for walking, don''t know if you want to look into that, but I''ve seen them and they are cuter than the running ones, IMHO. Sucks about your foot hurting though, I hate injuries because it means I have to wait out a few days before my next workout and I start to lose some of my muscle tone.

Rod, good luck on your interview!

On a side note, just thought I''d share. I found out yesterday that I''m allergic to pine nuts. Who would''ve though? I went through my whole life (till now) without being allergic to any kind of food. Then yesterday, I started feeling nauseous after eating my lunch, so I thought i was a form of food poisoning. Then my eyes started turning red and burned like hell. Then my palms started itching, then my arms, then my scalp. Then I started wheezing, and it finally hit me: I''m having an allergy attack and can''t breathe through my nose and having a hard time breathing through my mouth.

That was scary. Gave me newfound sympathy for those who suffer from food allergies for most of their lives.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 9/27/2006 7:19:26 PM
Author: Modified Brilliant
Hey Rod...good luck with your interviews.

Stress shows up in strange ways...My neck and face break out like a teenager when I''m dealing with prolonged stress

Staying in great shape and being true to your workout schedule will help you through these stressful times. I tend to power walk when I feel
stress coming on...but generally I avoid and will not give in to stress.

We''re all rootin'' for ya

Jeff do you have any tips to share please? I know since I have been working out my stress levels have been better, but any advice would be great if you could. Is the power walking the main way you avoid it?

 

[Cailet]

Wow - lots going on on the thread this week!!

Mara - congrats on the job!! Sounds like you are really excited - which always makes going to work a little easier! Hopefully new shoes will be just what you need to get rid of the foot pain.

Rod -- sending good vibes your way - best of luck on the interview!!

JCJD - congrats Auntie!!

Orangevixen - welcome!!

Cinderella - welcome back!!

Did day 2 of my program yesterday. Food intake was great - I felt a bit hungry after dinner but just kept drinking water and then had a cup of green tea which held me over until I went to bed. Workout was a bit easier too! It''s funny how you can feel so much more positive about yourself when you are working out --- Do I like the way I look right now? No Way! But I am working to make changes, and for some reason that is enough to make me feel tons more comfortable with how I look .

And I have to say you guys are SO motivating! I know I''m not up to the fitness levels that you all are at, but I''ll get there!!

 

[Lorelei]

Cailet, I have only been working out since June and I am getting great results, it doesn''t take long. Also since I have altered my routine and used the treadmill more than the elliptical things have really started to happen, keep going!

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Date: 9/28/2006 5:29:21 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 9/27/2006 7:19:26 PM
Author: Modified Brilliant
Hey Rod...good luck with your interviews.

Stress shows up in strange ways...My neck and face break out like a teenager when I''m dealing with prolonged stress

Staying in great shape and being true to your workout schedule will help you through these stressful times. I tend to power walk when I feel
stress coming on...but generally I avoid and will not give in to stress.

We''re all rootin'' for ya

Jeff do you have any tips to share please? I know since I have been working out my stress levels have been better, but any advice would be great if you could. Is the power walking the main way you avoid it?

Lorelei,
Thanks for your confidence in my answer to stress reduction. I''ve hopefully only lived half my life (at 49) and have learned some lessons about life. The main lesson that I have learned is that outside of death or loss of limb or a major health issue...there is nothing as severe to get "stressed" about. Most every problem or issue has a solution. Some solutions are not easy. But I will not get stressed over issues that are beyond my control. That''s not to say that one shouldn''t have feelings or emotions...it''s just important to know when to stop dwelling on something that we can''t control...or freaking out over something trivial. Spend your time and energy on issues that you CAN control and don''t worry about falling housing prices, gas prices, the economy, the crime rate, the war, etc. Those are some things that you can''t control.
Yes, walking helps alot while thinking positive thoughts about a beautiful sunny day with blue skies. Have a great day everyone!