Hey ladies, I'm back. Trying not to go MIA. Still working on this overdue manuscript that was supposed to be done in Feb. Just not keeping up with other things.
Georgia--Sounds like we're in the same place. The calories that I lost on 10 years ago are too many now, and I'm starting to believe it. But I haven't yet cut back further. And I KNOW I need the exercise to keep my metabolism up. AND, I spend a lot of time at the computer writing... so I sympathize. And if you come up with any great plans I want to hear them!
Beautiful ring, Barb!
Terri--Hope you feel that weight off your shoulders! Good for you treating yourself well!
I want to love me -- Well, please DO love you and stick around!
Heather--Glad you're done... how long a break do you get?
Lilion, DG, Penny--Hi!!!!
Sorry if I missed anyone... it's late and my eyes are crossing.
Last edited by Vortex_VVV; 03-20-2009 at 01:24 AM.
As for me, well, technically we have a week for Spring Break, but I anticipate I will have to work at least 3 days to get everything done to prepare me for the next term!
Gosh, I have done nothing this week. I guess I have been relishing the less pressure a little too much. Plus, spring allergies have kicked me in the head so I've been having a lot of fatigue related to that. On a plus side of spring allergies, I have beautiful dark purple hyacinths and purple/white crocus' that bloomed this week. Just made me heart soar to see the first flowers of spring. I was so excited, I had to take pictures.
Work has been really busy this week. Which is good because I hate not being busy. I've got a couple of projects that are hitting warp speed for the next few months. I found out about the other position and it was a no. They found someone for less money. So, I'm ready, and due, for a great year this year.
I better post this and add personal replies later. I do have to say that Angela, I love your new avatar. Great pic!!
I have been a member on a website authored by Tom Venuto, who is a body builder. He's a clean body builder, meaning he's not used any drugs to achieve his rockin' hot body...OMG! He's so hot...but I digress...
The website is a members-only site that I've belonged to for the past two years. I've learned a lot there, and gotten good support from others, including many who have lost 100+ lbs. and are keeping it off.
So I didn't tell you all of that to get you to join. There's a feature on the site that has "tools" for figuring out body fat percentage and how many calories to be eating based on how many calories one burns in a day. I discovered recently that I had been calculating body fat percentage all wrong, and as a result, I've been eating enough so that I was maintaining my weight. I need to cut my caloric intake by another 300 calories a day in order to lose two pounds a week.
I haven't been honest enough about recording what I eat. I really see the value of being sure vs. using the ballpark method. And yet, I sort of already knew that if I eat under 1700 calories a day, I lose at a faster rate. But I was hanging on to the extra 300 (and sometimes more) calories because I love fats so much.
I'm still conflicted about cutting back on fats even more. Okay, I can completely give up the butter, and I can stop from putting olive oil on everything else. (I actually love olive oil on my steel cut oats in the morning!) I already gave up cheeses and processed meats. But I am NOT giving up my daily avocado, or the beef and lamb that I have weekly. I will give up on having bread in the house, because that just leads to peanut butter and strawberry preserves every night. (Apparently my tablespoons are larger than normal.)
The only thing I'm worried about with fat reduction is my mental state. I do have to manage clinical depression, and I am going through a lot right now. Fats do contribute to mental wellness. But so will weighing less!
Vortex, I know about getting in a groove with the writing and not being able to get up until your brilliance has run itself out. But I have been wearing my GoWearFit armband during my writing periods and I discovered that mental activity and typing on a lap top burn very low levels of calories! I don't know why I was surprised. And if I'm doing that sort of thing several hours a day, I'm not moving my body around enough.
I think I'm going to try something new...get up every couple of hours and walk the treadmill and pump weight for just 25 minutes. Like a sort of circuit training method, walk for five at a normal pace, walk for five at a higher pace, walk for five at a normal pace and higher incline, pump weights/do push-ups/do squats for five, then finish with five at a normal pace on the treadmill. I believe I can burn at least 200 calories during that time period, get my heart rate up and achieve continued elevated metabolism levels. If I keep this up a couple times a day, and combine it with the lower calories, I should be melting away again soon.
The birds are chirping so spring is here! And so might be a spring thunderstorm this weekend.
I've got a few things to do outside before it rains. Although, at the moment I can't remember what it was that I wanted to do. Oh yeah, start draining the pool for a new pool liner that is coming soon. And carry buckets of sand to put around the pool. Ick, no wonder I was trying to forget that.
I've got lots of indoor projects that I can work on now that I am free from the guilt of "should be studying". I didn't make headway on housecleaning this week so I am determined to cross many things off that list today and tomorrow. Just so I can start with a fresh list on Monday.
I will also make a trip into town to the fitness center today and tomorrow.
Sitting and staring need not be on the list.
Georgia - Your exercise plan sounds like a good one. If you're doing something that requires long periods of sitting, you should be getting up and moving anyway. That will be a great way to burn extra calories. Are you liking your body bugg? Awareness is a great deal of the battle, isn't it? That is exciting that you got the place you wanted. Moving is great for cutting down the clutter. I am amazed at the amount of stuff that I've sold at garage sales or gave away right before my moves.
Heather - Hope you get to come up for air sometime soon! Great idea about the manicure and pedicure. I haven't had one in ages.
Debi - My advice to any student wanting to pursue an accounting career is to take the exam and get in at least five years of audit/public accounting experience. That will pay off over the long run because there is such a snobbishness in the field about how the CPA's are so much better than degreed accountants. Although I've worked with many a CPA who couldn't think their way out of a paper bag. But its the credentials that many in the private sector look to and are willing to pay more for. I would redo that early part of my career over if I could.
Barb - I'm still drooling over your ring. On facebook, I've connected with a couple of high school girlfriends that I haven't seen since graduation. They want to do a girls weekend since our reunions are not well attended. As one of them said, our classmates have not evolved much since gradution. If I could just dig deep and get your kind of determination, I would love to be in great shape and go to this girls weekend in the fall.
Iwanttoloveme - Welcome to the group!! Jump in and tell us more about yourself. BTW, you CAN love you; you don't have to just want to.
I better get this posted and get up and moving. Must be able to cross things off the list as accomplishments.
Hello all. Went to WW this morning and was pleased and surprised to see that I was below 252. I had left my tracker at 255 for weeks, expecting that to change, but it changed down instead! So...tracker changed! Good for me.
Need to try to get some yard work done, but have a Sam's run to make first and some other shopping, so we'll see. It looks like rain. I have so much I want and need to do outside!
Did I mention the garden is coming along? I have three broccoli, two cauliflower, some onion, carrots, peas, lettuce and spinach planted in my little 4x7 bed. I hope to put a second bed in soon to have room for summer squash! I love spring!
I had a great training session at the gym this morning! I love starting my weekend with a good workout! Then I had a nice healthy lunch and I've been playing with the boys. It's supposed to be naptime but no one is cooperating today. Tonite we have a babysitter and DH and I are going to Parent's night out with our local adoption group. Dinner is at a Guatemalan restaurant in Philly. It's a small place owned by a Guatemalan man and the food is authentic. There are obviously no nutrition values at a place like this so I will just be concious and make smart choices! It's going to be a fun night!
Lilion - YAY!!!
Terri - Hope the to do list is going well! I have family coming next Sat to stay for a week so my list is a mile long...but I can't wait. It's my brother, SIL and their 2 kids. I haven't seen them since June and can't wait! Girl....you know you have that determination in you! I know you do even if you don't! You just have to dig deep to find it and push forward.
Geo - I've just started reading one of Tom's books. I haven't checked out the site yet, but I may because so far I'm enjoying the book. You know this, but you have to be honest with yourself about what you are eating. It's not hurting anyone but you. Of course I also understand how hard it is. Play with your calorie and macro range and find out what works for you. I started out trying to keep fats at 15-20%, but found over time I just couldn't keep it that low because I incorporate eggs, cheese and peanut butter into my day. I lost very consistently for 7 months doing this. Everyone is different. Find what works for you.
Vortex - Hope all is going well with the manuscript!
Iwanttoloveme - You still hanging around! I hope you will find the support you need here!
Carol - Isn't it fun watching our hands and other body parts get smaller?!?! I think I've had more fun with jewelry than clothes so far. I was so excited to wear and 18" necklace again and to be able to wear bracelets and rings that were too tight!
Finally...the little one fell asleep. He just needed some extra mommy-loving. The one is not napping today and is watching a movie. We are cutting out weekend naps in hopes of getting him to sleep at night and I don't want the babysitter to have a fight on her hands. Although they never give her trouble...they just save it for us.
I think I'm going to grab a book and stretch out on the couch for a bit.
Lilion, what a pleasant surprise for you!!! Congratulations on your success.
I'm weighing my options about planting a garden. I don't entirely move into my new place until early May, but I'm thinking about attempting some container gardening. Not sure what to plant. I put in tomatoes and summer squash in my parents' garden. I really wanted fava beans, but it's too late to plant now. I guess I can add green beans, eggplant and cucumber. I really want to plant some edible amaranth and Chinese kale. I love greens!
Barb, are you reading The Body Fat Solution? I just started reading that last week. Good solid principles that make real sense to me. Basically, every time I get a reality check surrounding metabolism, calories in/out, exercise, proper nutrition, Tom is right every time! On his website, there have been many times that I've posted questions to the forum and he's personally answered me. He's very supportive.
I've "fussed" over my nutrient mix for the last four years, slowly changing things over and giving some things up. I'm a borderline diabetic and managing it completely with diet and exercise only. I was under the impression that I couldn't eat carbs, even if they were whole grains and seriously fibrous. I clung to fats. I overate proteins. I ignored sodium content. Slowly I was able to change a lot of that, and am still adjusting even more. I'm seeing my changes as permanent, and they've paid off.
I still have to cut back on fats. I try to limit myself to 60 gm a day (30% of my caloric intake), but that is so hard for me! Today I had 64.5 gm. I caved this morning and ate some mozzarella while I was waiting for breakfast to cook. There are things I can do to help myself along with this...don't wait until I'm starving to make breakfast, cut back to only one egg and add fibrous veggies like spinach and a fibrous fruit like grapefruit to have with my steel-cut oats at breakfast. I feel like I can manage hunger more if I have around 600 calories per meal. And if I build one of my meals around beans like lentils or black beans, I can manage satiety even more.
I tried the five-meals a day thing, but I'm a tall woman, on top of being large, and limiting myself to under 400 calories per meal just wasn't helping me at all. I felt hungry and edgy all the time, and I kept looking at the clock to see when I could eat again. I was given to caving to hunger after 8 p.m., snacking into the night before going to bed. When I wasn't so worried about limiting my calories, I was done eating at dinner, around 6 p.m. Either way, I was taking in 2200 - 2600 calories a day. Now, I'm limiting myself to 1800 calories, split between three meals and managing hunger more easily.
It's going to take a little time for my stomach to get used to less food again. For a few months, about 13 years ago, I did the Weigh Down Workshop, that was all about eating only when hungry and stopping when satisfied. This was before I had issues with managing my blood sugar levels. I lost over 40 lbs. fairly quickly. I tried doing that sort of thing again, but because of the blood sugar issues, I don't actually experience hunger. Suddenly my blood sugar drops and I'm scrambling to eat, and absolutely not making wise choices in those moments. It would seem that eating smaller meals more frequently would have been the best thing for me, but I was obsessed with food all the time. I really wanted to get away from that.
I am enjoying tweaking my workouts. I am so convinced that exercise is a wonderful thing, and I'm so glad that I get that now! I thoroughly enjoy weight training. Cardio and I have a reluctant relationship. But Tom Venuto did tell me directly that if he was focused on burning fat, he'd be doing cardio intervals at least twice a day and keep the weight training to a simpler routine three times a week. We can't burn fat and build muscle simultaneously. So that's my plan, until my body fat percentage is down to around 25%.
Yesterday was a busy day here. Today I am going to my daughters house(1 hour away) and spend the day helping her clean and try to get her house organized. She has so many wedding presents and not sure where to put them all. It should be alot of fun. I enjoy time with my kids even if its helping them clean.LOL
Food has been great and so is exercise but scales are still not moving...weigh in is tommorow morning.
hugs to all
Good Morning my Peeps - where has the weekend gone? Yesterday after 75 minutes of swimming DH and I worked on clearing a steep hill at the back of our property of the horrible vine that is taking over and took down about 20 small trees. In the middle of it all our lab decided she wanted to cross the highway to visit so over the fence she went (first time). No more wilderness for her. DH decided it would be fun to go to the Power and Light District as KC is hosting NCAA regional play (we are huge college bb fans). I was much too tired to go, plus knew it would lead to dinner out and probably a cocktail. It did - but I am so glad we went. We were there for about 4 hours, walking, watching, had a great time. Today I need to finalize my appliance order and get the front yard raked. I truly do love spring!
Lilion - I'm envious of the garden. These new pups we have prefer to harvest rather than letting us. My only success last year was zucchini - I think they couldn't see them under the leaves. In the past I have always done tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, cilantro, brussel sprouts, and squash. I miss making salsa with homemade produce. Two years ago I canned 144 quarts.
Angela - I'm late but love the new avatar! I think of you often as I struggle with my elderly mother. I applaud you being able to have live with you - I honestly don't think I could do it.
Heather - hi - hope you were able to enjoy part of the weekend.
Georgia - I am going to check out the website you mentioned. My trainer has a different philosophy and for the most part I have been at this weight for some time - perhaps a change in the exercise routine will make the difference.
Terri - I love the spring flowers best! I think daffodils are my very most favorite. I have cut a bouquet to brighten the dining room table. Something about the scent of the daffodil - to me it is the scent of spring. Good luck with the sand lugging. We have been discussing when to open our pool - we need some work done on the pump before we can. Normally we do it ourselves but with the pump work we will probably just have the pool guy do it all. We are usually very early - the living room overlooks the pool and I'm tired of looking at the safety cover. Another beautiful day - hope you get some time with the horses today.
Barb - how was your night out? I'm not familiar with Guatemalan food - how was it?
Debi - enjoy helping DD today - these are priceless times. Wanna come clean and organize my house?
Have a great Sunday - each and every one of you. Keep making great choices.
Yesterday didn't go exactly as planned. DH is such a distraction.
I made two trips into town to the vets. Daisy was first for her shots and then becaues they were not busy, Duke went to have his toenails trimmed. He had eagle talons and those things HURT! He has such a phobia about having his nails trimmed. As soon as he sees the clipper, he starts jumping and jerking and acting like a fool. Two vets tried to hold him steady and then decided that he needed a shot to relax. It was kind of weird to watch the shot take effect and watch him go under. But they got the job done and carried him to the truck. I didn't think about him going under and had taken him in the little truck and he's now 92 pounds. He didn't fit so well on the front seat going home. Plus, I couldn't just leave him like that for a few hours when I got home. I carried him from the truck to the side deck and when I couldn't get the door open to get him inside, he slid out of my arms like a big dog puddle. I started laughing because it was kind of comical to see him slide all over because I couldn't get him in the door then. Ahh, the indignity of it when he was helpless. He finally came to enough to get up and stumble to his crate to sleep it off. Poor baby!
I didn't get the pool drained and DH is going to have to rent a sump pump. He better not be shooting the pool this year. No sand was lugged either.
I helped DH get the pasture drug and then grass seed put out. That was a burning priority on his brain. And its best sometimes to just help him and move on because when he gets something on his brain, he's relentless. However, helping me clean house was not on his brain.
I made a deal with him that if he would get in there and help with keeping the house clean that I would make time to give him a back massage once a week. He really needs it more often to help him with the chronic back pain and we have a massage table that I got for $20 - just need to feel inspired on my part. And I might if he is more helpful.
By the time I did all my outside putzing and some inside cleaning, I could no longer breathe. allergies. I had a nap and then was wiped out all the rest of the afternoon. I've already had my allergy medicine today and hope to have a better day.
We listed our horse trailer on Craigslist. Its an older trailer and DH decided that we needed a new one. Spanky is just too tall for it. This new one will have a nice tack/changing room that I hope will be big enough for DH's scooter. We have to go to Arkansas to pick it up in a couple of week. DH didn't think we could sell our old one and thought I was just wasting my time. I put it on last evening and had two people call and make arrangements to see it today. And I've been exchanging emails this morning with a third person that wants to see it.
I think I have rambled enough. Better get DH up and moving. to all!
Just a quickie for me....I've got the boys while DH is out and about. Then I have to shower and go to a meeting for a steering committee that I'm on. Today I MIGHT take a break from the gym. I'm already having some angst about it, but I need to learn that it's ok to take a break now and then. Since Aug 1 I've only missed a day at the gym 2-3 times.
Our night out was a lot of fun! The food was delish and the friends were great to see. The restaurant is a little Latin Fusion type food. The closest thing to compare it mexican, but it's not really the Mexican we thing of with dripping cheese, red sauces, etc. Some of the dishes ordered and sampled included: chicken/ginger soup, tamales, corn cakes with a veggie mix, fish tacos (well, I don't eat fish so I didn't taste), steak/shrimp...I ordered enchiladas which came in corn tortillas one had chicken, one had ilichita which is a spicy shredded beef, one had chorzio. I nixed most of the cheese and tortillas and just had the filling. Portion sizes were very reasonable. Oh, on appetizer called Pura Vida (also the restaurant name) was a little stack of grilled squash, zucchini layered with mozz cheese in a curry sauce. It was all very good. The group tends to share and sample stuff. Rice and black beans are also common. Desserts were coconut/cinnamon/rice pudding and fried bananas. I had one small bite of each.
Geo - Yep...that's the one I'm reading. I just can't seem to find the time to read. Yesterday while one kiddo was napping and the other was watching TV I stretched out on the couch, read a page and dozed off. Not because of the book, but because I never get to relax like that.
Terri - Sounds like a busy, busy day. I have to laugh at the image of your dog. Is he fully recovered today?
Lunch/meeting today is at California Pizza Kitchen. I've already decided what to order and logged my calories.
Hitting the shower....always fun with two toddlers running around. I'm usually able to coral them into my bedroom and get them watching some tv while I get a quickie shower.
Trailer is sold. First person to show up and they only offered us $50 less. I would have taken $250 less. Then we had someone show up and acted like a lunatic. We had called to say that the trailer was sold and he was in route. Instead of turning around, he decided to come on out and pick a fight. He threatened to take us to small claims court to recover his gas money. He threatened to call the prosecuting attorney. He threatened that he knows the county sheriff personally. DH called the sheriff. I took his picture on our property. He called the sheriff. The sheriff's office told him he was wrong and to leave us alone. What a dumba$$. I could have taken him though and was ready if he made any more moves towards DH. How's that for a nice Christian Sunday morning?
I guess I have been relishing the less pressure a little too much. 
Plus, spring allergies have kicked me in the head so I've been having a lot of fatigue related to that. On a plus side of spring allergies, I have beautiful dark purple hyacinths and purple/white crocus' that bloomed this week. Just made me heart soar to see the first flowers of spring. I was so excited, I had to take pictures. 
to all!!
Oh yeah, start draining the pool for a new pool liner that is coming soon. And carry buckets of sand to put around the pool. Ick, no wonder I was trying to forget that.
I have so much I want and need to do outside! 
He finally came to enough to get up and stumble to his crate to sleep it off. Poor baby!
allergies. I had a nap and then was wiped out all the rest of the afternoon. I've already had my allergy medicine today and hope to have a better day. 