Weight and Resistance Training - LWL # 128 -- Nov. 10-16

Wohoo! I get to start the thread :)

Finally back after my whirlwind trip to meet Meg in Pittsburgh, then on to Columbus to visit my dd. Both visits were way too short!

Meg and I had a wonderful time together, when she's already described. I just wanted to add that the sushi tuna shake she sent me off with was delicious ;)

I ate faily cleanly until yesterday when I nibbled trail mix and coffee for 7 hours while driving to stay awake. Ugh- I paid for it with little sleep and a stomach ache. Didn't set foot in a gym at all, but Saturday we did a lot of walking both before and after the VERY long, cold football game. Dip, you are right, it's quite an experience. Especially being in the "student" section". About 105,500 people in the arena, most of them already warmed up with beer and whatever by noon.

Meeting Meg was just as she decribed it- we talked like old friends, not people who had just met. And she's much tinier than me, and looks younger.

Got to go, just wanted to check in.

mel

Happy Monday!

Not much going on other than the usual all fired up Monday go getums. Big burn cardio is out of the way, and I'm ready for meal 2. Just wanted to stop by and say HI! and have a Great Day!

dip

Hello,

Just poppin' in too... Working all day suck! Back later!

Welcome back Mel and happy new week, everyone! I’m sitting here typing because my legs don’t work (how do you think DH will react to “sorry sweetheart, but no dinner tonight and the house is a mess because I did legs today”?) :lol: Hey Ilene, got a new one for you — squats while balancing on half a ball. The new gym toy is a ball that looks like a resist-a-ball that’s been cut in half. I stood on the flat surface and tried to do squats (while praying that I wouldn't fall on my face or butt). My legs shook uncontrollably — there are all sorts of little stabilizing muscles you need that obviously I haven’t used for awhile. Then for squat funsies, the trainer set the bars on one of the squat cages really low and I had to touch the squat bar to the cage bars at the bottom of each rep. And then two kinds of lunges, dropsets on leg press, extensions and curls, etc. Dysfunctional legs. Love 'em. :dizzy:

Our Sunday paper yesterday had an article about super sizing the world for large people: http://www.post-gazette.com/lifestyle/20031109widebodies1109p3.asp It’s an interesting article and I’m conflicted about the issue, but the reason I bring it up is this line:
"Once your [body mass index] is over 40, your stomach is stretched to the size of your head," Friday said. A normal stomach is about the size of the fist. "What's critical for people to understand is that once you're over [a BMI of] 40, every diet will fail. And it will have nothing to do with willpower."

He flat out says that you can’t lose the weight with diet and exercise if your BMI is over 40 and goes on to tout weight loss surgery as the only effective treatment for obesity. That really jumped out at me since at my high weight of 257 at 5’4”, my BMI was 44 and Karen’s was even higher at her high weight.

Well, guess what, Dr. Friday? We’ve lost the weight and are keeping it off and so are a lot of other successful losers here at 3FC. That really got me steamed — he’s TELLING people that it’s impossible for them to lose the weight. How many people will read that and believe that it’s useless to even try? I’m writing letters to both him and the paper, but it’s getting tougher and tougher to get people to listen with “experts” making those kinds of irresponsible statements. Weight loss surgery is just snowballing in popularity — I think the rates are doubling every year. One of our local hospitals just opened a big center for bariatric (weight loss) surgery — not a center for weight loss that includes other methods like diet and exercise, but just surgery. I was sorely tempted to crash their gala opening night reception. Don't get me wrong -- some people need WLS -- but I believe that most of us can permanently lose the fat without surgery.

Rant over -- hi all — don’t have time for more now but I have to add that Mel’s full of baloney. :D

Meg

Baloney? Did I hear baloney? I think I'm full of it, too. At least I'm full of something; maybe just old-fashioned angst.

I've had the most frustrating couple of weeks. To begin with, I *think* I was sick -- either ailing, or having the most hellacious arthritis/fibromyalgia flare I've ever had. Lasted for days and days. Not only did my aches and pains become Aches and Pains, whatever I had did a number on my head. And now that I'm feeling better, my head is still not screwed back on right.

I hate it when it gets like this. Having trouble eating clean. Not doing much exercise. Feeling out of sorts and out of control.

But I must tell you all -- although I haven't posted, I've been reading WHL religiously, trying to keep my consciousness here, if nothing else. Thank you all for sharing your lives. It has made a huge difference in mine. I may not have had the energy or the gumption to post, but I absorbed everything you all had to say.

I'm wearing a new suit that I particuarly like today. I would like to be wearing it after the holidays as well. So I think I'll take this one day at a time. I know what to do; I just need to do it. To begin with, I'm going to fill out my log for today, which will be the first time I've done so in more than two weeks. And I will have a clean dinner tonight. And so it begins again.

Best wishes to you all.

Oh, Robin! So sorry to hear about your flare-up. I had one that started about a week and a half ago, and lasted for about a week. It was the first in so long that I'd forgotten how miserable it can be. I FORCED myself to do light full body workouts and moderate cardio, because I knew if I stopped exercising, food would go right out the window with it, and that just makes it worse. Today was my first "regular" weight session and I'm feeling much more tired than usual.

I hope you're feeling better :)

mel

Hey guys,

From the other thread - Anita - The power of now is a spiritual book about focusing on the present and not the future or the past. It's also about learning to recognise and surrender to your inner self and recognising the difference between who you are and what your life situation is. From that you can draw inner peace and truely enjoy this moment for what it is.

It's sound airey fairy and kinda is but the mental game was getting on top of me and this is helping me block out the mental chatter so that I can focus on the inside. It's a very enlightening book.

JC

JEC-That's almost exactly what I have been trying to tell people. Ever since I gave up the BS of the diet/binge cycle, since I surrendered I feel so much better. Its actually coming together.

Mel and Robin- Sorry to hear about your flare ups. I cannot imagine your pain. I hate pain, and I tend to ignore it when its probably telling me something.

Meg- I couldn't believe that article. So are they going to make special airplanes to carry PLUS size passengers. I already knew they fiddled with the sizes. BUT THIS IS RIDICULOUS. When is the wake-up call? I remember when I was 265, I walked around clueless. It took me a new job and a physical to have the shock of it. And you know I have a **** of a time getting my bottoms below an 18/20 when I weigh 200 lbs, but at 265 I wore a 24, hmmm something seems wrong with that picture.

Lanaii and Dip-:cool: HAPPY DAY! And yes working all day SUCKS!

I had a pretty good day, besides trying to amuse myself at work for 9 hours. Day 15, no sugar, and I actually watched someone eat a candybar. I was a little jealous that they could eat it, but truth be told I wasn't really interested. I like cooking for myself all the time it feels like I am treating me!

WO was good. I actually felt the burn and was about able to get up to where I was with my legs. WISH ME LUCK AT PHYSICAL THERAPY TOMMOROW! I want a straight arm and the ability to lift weight for my UB soon!. (Can your boobs start to sag in 3 weeks?:p )

Chris

IN Robin and Mel, Sorry to hear about your flare-ups. I have a friend who has it also, AND has also been miserable the past 2 weeks or so. I don't know that much about it, but does the change in weather, or colder dampness have anything to do with it? So sorry for your pain. I can't imagine what you all go through - it has to be pure ****.

I just came from the grocery store, and sure enough, the old tum started gurgling again. DH was with me, and I told him we had to check out and fast. Of course he was totally confused because I hadn't shared this IBS thing with him. In fact, I didn't even think about it until the tum started churning. I got home and it's still churning, so I suspect an 'attack' will happen any minute. Geez. He did laugh at me as we walked swiftly by the bakery section and I gave the ol' LWL salute.

Ate very clean, low-carb, low-fat today, did super cardio and UBWO with abs. Back on track and feeling great about it. Hope to have a recent pic up by tomorrow evening.

JC - glad to see you post.

Meg - I gleaned that article, and I agree that Dr. Friday sounds like he's found his pot of gold in WLS surgery. Back in the 70's, I worked for the only GP turned bariatric dr. in Chicago who did Optifast. People came from all over, driving hundreds of miles every week to be starved into weight loss. There were some remarkable cases, and I was wondering just the other day how many of those people kept if off. The dr.'s wife who shared the practice with him was a nutritionist who re-taught the protein-sparing patients how to eat again. They had a nice little gold mine too.

Good evening to all, and hope you had a good day too.

Edited for - Hey Chris, I must have been writing while you were posting. Sounds like you've kicked the sugar, chickie, and a big GOOD FOR YOU. You will feel so much better, and stuff won't taste as good as you thought it would if you do take a taste now and then. Good luck with your PT tomorrow, and get that arm back into shape soon.

dip

Well I did it - got up and did my LBWO today before work. I'm pretty proud of myself for saying I'd do it, and then actually following through and doing it - I'm just not a morning person. I was dragging by noon today, but I know it will get better. Tomorrow I'll have the fun of showering and getting totally ready at the gym, which I'm not too fond of, but it's got to be done!
Cindy

:tread: Happy Tuesday Ladies! Look at the new smilies they've added! :crazy: What Fun!

First of all, Thank A Vet. :thanks: And if you are one, or currently serving, Thank You! for your sacrifice and the job you do. Also, thank you to the families of our military for their sacrifices.

We overslept by an hour this morning, so I'm running behind and need to get my cardio out of the way. Sore this morning for sure, and was last night trying to fall asleep, but once I did I was a goner.

Hope you all have a safe and healthy day! Check back later!

dip

:cheer: O-M-G ILENE LUVS NEW SMILLIES :cheer: :stars: Sooo much to choose from sooo little time...:rofl:

*~ Meg ~* I had a terrific w/o... I tried this doodad at the gym that reminds me of that half ball you were talking about it’s called a Reebok Core Trainer, I think... Well I did some squats on it :faint: me thinks me gonna be some sore tomorrow!! I did a whole lotta legs today...
1. – 6 sets -- Leg presses
2. – 4 sets -- Leg extensions
3. – 4 sets -- Leg curls
4. – 4 sets -- Squats à la Meg
5. – 4 sets -- Wall sits
6. --4 sets -- One legged squats or back lunges (one leg at the back on a bench sort of thingy) –
I think I’m gonna be sore tomorrow!!

Meg, we are 8.6 hours away from each other if I should ever go south...
And Cindy we are 4 hours away from each other....

No big plans today except I’m going to get my Mom and we’re going shopping today...

Later all...

:wave: Hi Dip Girl!! Missed your post there!! :crazy:

Hey all!

Sorry I've been missing for a while, I'm still on plan, plugging away, losing at a healthy rate and just really busy at work.

I had a couple of thoughts about the article:

I'm six feet tall and am always hitting my head on things like airplane ceilings, cabinets, and car roofs. I truly hope they DO make cars and airplanes bigger - I am tired of hitting my head and having bruised kneecaps every time I fly.

Also, Dr. Friday is a psychologist so I don't know if he's making direct cash from surgery. Why a psychologist is quoted about surgery I don't know.

I have some issues with the other doctor - the ethics one - I mean, if we all WANT to be super sized then why are we spending billions on weight loss plans every year? I must have missed my "subtle clue" that I'm too tall for this country and I should have stopped at, say, 5'4" so I could be comfortable with car and airplane sizes.... I mean really, don't people have a right to be safe no matter what size they are? Some of the article was about how to accomodate fat but the height issue is in there, too, and no matter how much weight I lose I'm still going to be tall. So for what it's worth, there's a tall girl's perspective.

Hope you all are doing great!!!!

>>"Also, Dr. Friday is a psychologist so I don't know if he's making direct cash from surgery. Why a psychologist is quoted about surgery I don't know."<<

The article states that Dr. Friday counsels baraitric surgery patients. From my understanding, that is one of the pre-qualifiers for a WLS candidate. He is more than likely attached to a bariatric LLC or partnership, beside his seat at UPMC Shadyside.

Jennifa, I understand what you are saying about tall and large-boned people. My son is one of them and I know what he goes through, poor guy. His dad is large too. When DS started his growing spurt, I used to tease him that it was from eating cereals fortified purposely for the past 30 years to create a civilization of Amazons and Giants (conspiracy theory joke.) But if you look around, it seems there are defiitely more large young adults than ever before. I agree it's time to do something about those minimized seats on planes. Not necessarily for the obese, but for just the larger population and us folks who need to stretch out our legs to avoid blood clots. Glad to hear you are still OP and doing good!

Hi Ilene! Have fun with Mom and shopping today!

dip, former 39

It's a damp and dreary Tuesday here in South Center Indiana, but I'm feeling pretty good about my world this morning. I took a cue from Mel (thanks Mel :angel: ) and tried an easy walk on the treadmill this morning -- 30 minutes; never got my heart rate over 102 or so. (By comparison, my target rate is 120, and I usually do intervals.) Afterward, I went upstairs and stretched my hamstrings -- still trying to eliminate that pain in the butt, which is aggravating.

Tomorrow morning, I thought I'd pull out an old video that I bought from Prevention -- I think it's called From Fat to Fit, or something. Anyhoo, it runs about 20 minutes, and is geared for the person just starting to exercise, or recovering from injury. It's a whole-body workout, emphasizing good form and slow, deliberate lifting. I'm thinking that using that tape may be a way to ease into a better lifting program. Maybe I tried to do too much too soon.

I think I'm going to tape a note to my bathroom mirror that says something like, "Remember Plan B." Or maybe just "Plan B." Boy, was I quick to forget the wisdom of that advice when I got sidelined. And yes, Dip, it may well have been the weather.

Dip, you mentioned Optifast. I did that, back in the 70s. It was a miracle. I took off 55 pounds in 99 days. I put 60 back on in about the same time, and I am convinced that some of the stomach/digestive problems I suffer today stem from that disasterous time in my life. Oh, I went to the "counseling" sessions they offered, but talk about bum advice. I even remember them discouraging much exercise because it would "hamper our weight loss." I'll bet they were afraid we'd all keel over, but you couldn't tell me that then. Unfortunately, you couldn't tell me much of anything in those days.

Chris, good job on the sugar. I think I need to do this as well. I suspect it will lessen my aches and pains, and I know I feel better when I just don't eat the white stuff. On the other hand
, I'm feeling a little paranoid about telling myself I *cannot* have something. Everytime I try that, it backfires.

So let me ask you all -- does the whole idea of a "free day" or a "free meal" help you deal with that?

There's a motherload of good eating/exercising/coping advice in all of the magazines this month. And I still have most of Venuto to finish. Maybe I'll tack them *all* to my bathroom mirror. :lol:

Have a great day all.

Busy busy busy here this week - I have a meeting in NYC that I fly out for on Sunday so I've been getting my stuff together...

Meg - about that article you posted - I might be wrong here but the person quoted in the article, Bill Fabrey, I believe is also the founder of NAAFA (National Association for the Acceptance of Fat Americans). Just thought that was interesting...

As far as my views on WLS surgery - and I know we have a forum here on 3FC - I think that in EXTREME circumstances that WLS might be necessary as a LAST RESORT. Unfortunately, from the way I've seen it being promoted in the last few years, it's being marketed in a way similar to plastic surgery...as a miracle no-fail way of losing weight. Personally, I KNOW that it's possible to be VERY overweight - I suppose 265 is still considered obese, even in these times where seeing people who are well over 300-400 pounds is fast becoming almost normal - and lose weight permanently. So does Meg and a bunch of other folks here at 3FC. It CAN be done - if I have a message to impart here at 3FC it's that you CAN DO IT. It sure as heck ain't easy as all those diet and fitness infomercials will have you believe, but YUP it CAN be done...without surgery ;)

Robin - I did Optifast too - I lost and kept off 80 pounds (65 during the fasting stage) but I wouldn't recommend it, for the same reasons you mentioned - as I've stated before, I was participating in a Stanford University weight management study which lasted 18 months - and out of the 1,000 women who participated, less than 5% kept the weight off at the 18-month point - most had regained part or all of their lost weight. I credit my rare success to the fact that I went to all the meetings, did all the homework, and that we had a super counselor who kept it 'real' for me...before doing the Optifast program I had already started what Dr. Phil calls "intentional exercise" - walking with my Walkman and headphones, working out to a low-impact aerobics video ("Idrea Says 'Yes You Can!'") and attending a once-weekly "Great Shape" dance class at Kaiser. (the Optifast plan had obviously changed between the 70's and 1990, when I did it - because they encouraged exercise - the minimum recommended was 30 minutes of walking 5 days a week...)

Airplane seat sizes: Don't quote me, but I think I read somewhere that regular airplane seats have actually INCREASED in size since the 60's...I know that the last few times I've flown there has been more room between seats...but as a friend of mine who works in a travel agency told me - people want to fly at a lower fare, and one way to lower fares is to have more seats per plane...as for bigger cars, it seems as though our parking lot at work is filled with Hummers and Lincoln Navigators and other SUV's...I'm just happy with my little Jetta :)

Back to work...arrggghh...

As someone who stopped growing shy of the norm, life's not real easy either. At 5'3", I can't drive most American cars. If I can reach the pedals, the steering wheel is in my face and the seatbelt across my nose. I can't reach the shelf at the grocery store where the healthy cereals are kept. I can't reach my own kitchen cabinets. No way can I get carry on luggage in or out of the overhead racks on a plane. AND THE WORST: I can't use the new Donkey calf machine at the new gym, because there is no way that someone shorter than 5'8" can use it. In fact, most gym machines are sized for the "average" guy, making them anatomically incorrect for anyone who is short or has narrower shoulders.
Someday I would love to bump my head on something instead of having to carry a stool around like a 4 year old.

End of rant.

mel

At 5-foot-4, I'm in almost the same boat as Mel, although I can swing a suitcase into an overhead rack as long as I haven't overpacked. Yet another reason for traveling light. However, in almost every single room of my house you will find a one-step Rubbermaid stool, without which I could never reach much of anything in any of the closets, the basement shelves those upper shelves in the kitchen and the entire garage. aaarrrrgggg!

I am 5'2" and struggle lots with reaching stuff.

If my husband does not want me to see something, it goes on the top shelf (cookies, left over candy,etc) because I need a chair to reach it.

Hubby is 6'3", so we have a serious height difference! At least I never have to wear flat shoes.

I was reading an interesting article yesterday while having coffee. It was about a woman in Australia who was just over five feet tall and she had surgery done in Russia to increase her height. She gained 8cm over 4 months and is in pain every day of her life. The article was pretty graphic, how they broke her legs in 8 places and fitted pins in her legs. It cost her $40,000 and then healthcare had to pick up the tab for 4 visits to deal with her pins once she got back home. Not to mention the ongoing costs she will incur over the years with ongoing problems. The surgery has a 100% complication rate.

It may be no different than other forms of cosmetic surgery, and
just because it does not appeal to me.... does not make it 'wrong'. If it helps her self esteem, then I guess go for it? I would have two shiny sports bikes in the garage long before I would have that surgery! ha ha ha and I am sure that we all could spend the money on different things we love that makes us feel fantastic about ourselves.

Another note... staying on track and having a great week! Hope everyone else is too!

Must get back to work....

Nola.

Well, I'm 5'6" so I guess that means that I'm a pretty good height- not too tall and not too short. ;)

Lately I've been reflecting on how beneficial exercise is not just for weight loss but for our emotions and mental state too. (Right I know this has been done many a time before, but exercise is so wonderful it deserves a rerun, right?) I do quite love cardio, even more than weights, I must say. It's such a relief and a joy even to hit the gym and run my little heart out figuratively speaking on the elliptical. I get to think and work off my frustrations and listen to the music I like... plus I get to lose fat too! This is why I prefer longer cardio sessions over HIIT. :) Just my little thought of the minute.

Have a good day, everyone!

Hi girls :wave:

Well I just came back from a Yoga class, which I enjoyed, it was fre too, my sister in law had heard about it, although she’s a Yoga teacher herself she’s always wanting to go to new places... So we did, and it was good...

I’m also 5’3 and funny I never ever considered myself short, :dunno: ... Many people tell me I look tall, for some reason... Even once at WW years ago the lady didn’t believe me when I told her my height, she HAD to check it!! :lol: DH is 5’10 and I feel very short beside him tho...


*~ Laural ~* I agree exercising is great... But I’m the opposite of you,* I * love my weights :strong: the best... I can get into myself and forget everything around me, specially when I’m training alone, I try to visualize all the muscle fibers working and such pretty neat IMO. And it’s the same for you... So cool isnt’ it?

*~ Airegrrl ~* I’m so sorry to hear of your constant pain, I can’t imagine at all how that feels. But you’re so right about how quickly we forget Plan B... We all know that you’ll get back to Plan A pronto... Part of Plan B is returning to Plan A....


Well gotta get going just remember the sheets are still in the dryer...

Later all!!

Hmmm. All this talk about height reminds me that I was considered tall in high school. I'm not even 5'6" and still feel tall when around petite little flowers. My husband is the same height so I have to be careful about shoes when we go out, otherwise it really doesn't bother me. It did when we were dating though, and I had to get passed it because I've always been attracted to tall and large men.

Anyway, just stopped by to say "198#" pics are now up at the photo album. The top I had on was too big, but the best I could do. Sorry the pix are so grainey; I did try to clean them up a bit.

http://groups.msn.com/3FCLadiesWhoLift/projectdip.msnw?Page=1

dip

Dip, what can I say?
You look stunning, you honestly do. Your hair and eyes look beautiful as well. :) And that coat is certainly a nice reward... you'll be able to enjoy it through Winter, hey? How cold does it get in your area? But anyway, keep up the good work!

P.S.: So what's the next reward? ;)

Dip -- Just checkin' in before bed and .... Love that jacket and the weight loss really shows in your face... You look great!!

I have to think of a reward too.... It's a great incentive...

Very nice Dip. Lookin good.

Dip - You go, girl! :cheer: You look fantastic ;)

dip,

WOW! Thats a super coat, and you look great :D

I think what I noticed most was how happy you look, you're glowing!!

*hugs*
Tidey

Good morning! Dragged myself over to the computer with my coffee and saw — Dip! What a great way to start the morning! You are radiant, Dippy, just beautiful. What remarkable changes you’ve made and it only gets better from here. The fun part now for you is going to be discovering bones as they emerge — collarbones, hip bones, ribs, and eventually you’ll discover that you have bones in your butt too! (who would have thunk???) :D One question — is the painting over the fireplace YOUR sailboat?

Like many of you, I’m on the short side at 5’4” but I don’t really notice it except at the gym and buying clothes. Mel’s right — gym equipment is NOT designed for women, period, let alone short women. Anyone else run across a machine that isn’t made for boobs? We’ve got some Hammer Strength machines — a bicep curl one and several of the rows — that have pads right at chest level and I’m always having to … rearrange … things to be able to use them. :lol: As for the height issue, I have to stand on the seat of the lat pull down machine to change the bar and the cables sometimes defy me entirely in the top position. With clothes, I’m right in between petites and regulars — petite tops are great, pants are too short, but regular pants invariably have to be hemmed up.

But my baby sister is 6’ tall and her clothes problems are far worse — at least I can find pants and hem them — she can’t find clothes that fit and the ones that do are usually very expensive. Shopping with her is so frustrating because she is built like a model and looks gorgeous in everything, but 90% of what she tries on is too short in the sleeves or pants. But without a doubt, height is an advantage to a woman in the business world. She’s a litigation partner in a top law firm and her height has served her well. It seems like she is taken more seriously and commands more respect than someone (male or female) who is my height. Ever read those studies about how tall men earn more and the taller candidate generally wins the Presidency? Interesting stuff.

Colleen, it’s so good to see you posting again. We missed you and it’s great that you’re keeping up with the running. I haven’t really gotten back into it since my lay-off and have resolved to try it again this morning. I’ll be thinking of you, chickie, as I lumber around the track huffing and puffing!

Indiana Robin — glad that you’re feeling a little better. Thanks for sharing your experiences with Optifast — it really underscores that we have to lose the weight in a way that we can live with indefinitely. As a lot of us have found out, maintenance doesn't look any different than losing. And Optifast sure isn’t a realistic plan for life. Same thing with so many of those crazy diets out there — sure, you’ll lose in the short run but can you maintain the loss? I’m not impressed with someone losing 5# in their first week on a diet. I AM impressed by someone losing 5or 10# or whatever — regardless of how long it takes — and keeping it off forever.

Hey Chris! How was physical therapy? I hear ya on the sugar … evil evil evil stuff. :devil: Can’t answer your boob question, as I have none. :o

Ledom — I think you were very brave to post about your weight history. I know that you’ve been reluctant to talk about how much you weigh, so that took a lot of courage to go public. Congratulations on the 53 pounds lost forever! That is quite an accomplishment regardless of how long it took to get there. The important thing is never to go back and that’s what you’re doing. I think that your willingness to post publicly about your weight means that you’re ready to take the next step and move on to some lower numbers. In the end, it doesn't matter if it takes you months or years to reach your goal, so long as you keep moving down.

Yay Cindy! Proud of you for doing it!

Ilene — just once in this lifetime I HAVE to do legs with you! Better watch out, I’m going to show up at your gym some day and surprise you.

What've you been up to, Tidey girl?

Meg

Meg -- ANYTIME you're on for the leg workout!! It'll have to be a night time run for you to get to the gym at 5:30AM tho :lol: ... Someday Meg we WILL have a LWL meet and leg workout somewhere, obviously in the US of A, and that's fine by moi!

I had a good chest workout this morning... Bench pressed 100# 6 reps with a spotter of course... I finally found a guy whom I don't feel uncomfortable asking to spot me... YAY... As I'm thinking of that "uncomfortableness", I really don't know WHY I would be uncomfortable asking anybody at the gym, after all I've been going there for almost 20 years!! What's up with that?... OK, NOTE to self not to do that anymore because there is no reason for it... because I know that if someone asked me for help in anyway I would GLADLY do it... Ok note taken...:lol:

Working till 12:30 today, and I'm thinking I will go do some shopping and start Christmas cooking.... Notice I said "cooking" and NOT "baking".... because I have stopped baking all together... I let someone else bring the desert and I don't have to eat any of the dough BEFORE I put it in the oven.... Yes, I would eat the raw dough .... ewwww... You know, I think I would now be able to bake deserts because just the thought of that dough makes me cringe now.... something else to think about today...

OK, nuf of the ramblin' gotta go shower...

G' Morning LWL!

We have been oversleeping but this morning by over an hour, and I am running waaay behind.

Thank you all for your compliments! Don't think I get duded up every day like that. We went out Saturday night so the pics were taken just before we left. My son's fiance kept telling me all night that she couldn't get over how good I look. I just keep thinking about how good I feel, and how much better I will look 6 months from now. I was disappointed that the pics turned out so bad. That dern camera just doesn't take good indoor pics.

I am painting the diningroom/office soon to be a real diningroom today, the first half anyway. So I will check back later on 'break' and reply to your questions then. Have to hit the treadmill before I start, and today is LBWO and bi's. I love working my bi's because the results are the most obvious, for now anyway.

Have a great day!

dip

Holy craperooni, do you guys realize we only have about 6 weeks or so until Christmas? I'm bound and determined to do some damage control *now* so that I can relax a little over the holiday.

Today has begun on a sour note - could not for the life of me wake up to get in my AM workout, and in a rush, fixed a PB&J sandwich for breakfast. NOT good.... But entirely typical for me to eat this way on days that I do not get up to workout - for some reason, i crave carbs, detest water, and feel the need to eat something every hour or so :hun: (Man, I lvoe these new smilies!) If that's not incentive to work out tomorrow AM, I don't know what is... I have running club after work, so at least I'll get some good cardio in, but kicking myself for not getting up early this morning.

How's everyone else doing today?

ahh Meg, you could psycicly feel my laziness couldnt you? :sorry:

I've been eating clean, but havent gone to the gym since sunday. No real reason other than I havent pulled my butt out of my chair to do it. Its dark here by 3:30pm (and I mean ALL the way dark) so I find it tough to get up the energy to walk to the gym. Much easier to sit at home and surf the net/do homework.

6 weeks till xmas? AUUUUUUUGH! *panic* (does holiday stress increase your metabolism.... *ponder*)

I have tomorrow off so I am going to get in my workout and do some low intensity cardio on the bike.

It seems like I let 1 thing or the other slide.. either Im eating clean or getting all my WO's in, rarely both at the same time for over a week. Im still making progress tho, losing fat and slowly gaining strength. Im STILL fighting the last remenants of a cold (runny nose, sneezing and sore throat) so hopefully my energy will be back soon.

I just need a really big boot in the bum. :)

Tidey

Hello Ladies!

I need a good butt kickin from you ladies. My free day on Saturday turned into 4 free days!!!! Augggggghhhhhh!

I am sooooo disgusted. I HATE FREE DAYS!!!! I tried the one meal on Saturday and the one meal on Sunday, but it still just kept on going. I had better luck with the one complete free day. So anyway, along with that I haven't been to the gym since Saturday. What's up with that??? Laziness, guilt, whatever.

Okay, so what's the answer. Should I just sit here and be depressed and keep going in the wrong direction. HECK NO!!!

So, tonight I am going to the gym to do my cardio. I will eat clean the next 4 meals. Drink eight 8oz glasses of water.

I do not want to go backwards. Who wants to walk backwards all of their life.

Moving forward and onward.

Anita

Great attitude Anita! You're right -- we can't undo the past, so pick yourself up, learn from your mistakes and just keep going.

One thought on Free Day -- you're not the only one who has problems with it. Are you doing BFL? Some BFLers who have a history of binging have found it necessary to eliminate Free Day or really redefine it for themselves to keep it from turning into an all-day binge. If two free meals didn't work for you -- one? None?

I'm a big-time binger myself and once I get a taste of something sweet, it's a trigger for me to go crazy. I didn't do BFL but had my best results when I didn't cheat or have a free day or even meal (except I had a taste of this and that at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners). Otherwise, I could easily undo six good days of work in fifteen minutes. Even now, in my "maintenance mode", I don't have scheduled free meals. I'll take one once in a while for a special occasion (like dinner out or a holiday) but I don't have one planned in each week.

It's all about what works for you!

Meg

Break time! and listening to Dr. Phil in the background. Eats are on target, cardio done and LBWO after this. After taping off the woodwork and spackling, I hope to get the paint on before midnight. Maybe DH will roll if I do the brush work. This is what I hate about getting old-it takes longer to get anything done. When I was in my 20's, I could paint a one bedroom apartment in a weekend. :rolleyes:

laurel - Winters here stink. Being from Chicago, I am use to cold weather. Here in central Indiana, most of the fall and winter doesn't get colder than in the 30's and 40's. Great! one might say, but it's also very damp. And that dampness just goes to your bones, no matter how many layers of clothing you wear. Give me a sunny day in the 20's or teens any day, or even with snow. So I still need a jacket to run to the store, much warmer than the leather. I have a too-big faux fur that I still intend to wear when it really gets cold. Thanks for your kind compliments!

Ilene - Yep it was a great incentive, but ya know, there's nothing I really want bad enough that I can think of as an incentive at this point, other than to get to goal. Each week I set a goal weight and write the number large in my day-timer. That keeps me stoked. I agree my face is really showing it, and I am taking special care of my skin. :crossed:

ledom and Colleen - Thank you so much! And Tidey, yes I am much happier. Actually, I am down right giddy on one hand, but ashamed of myself for waiting til I was 51 YO to do anything. There are so many emotions that go with the program of which I didn't expect.

Meg - Thank you also! I have found those bones in the butt, because the majority of my butt was pretty high up and still is. I must touch my hip bones 50 times a day, wow. I didn't know I had any. The water-color on the mantel is not our boat. DH's sister was an artist, and it's one of hers. I say "was" because she has early on-set Alzheimers that started when she was around 48. She's now 52 fucntioning as an 8 year-old. Very sad for such an intelligent and talented woman. (sigh) I have a friend who is an artist and wants to paint a portrait of our boat for Christmas, but we have yet been able to get a good photo of her undersail. DH would have to single-hand while I snap photos from another location, preferably from another boat. We have marina mates who took some of ours undersail, but we haven't seen them at the marina since July, so no photos.

Anita - I'm a binger too. In fact, last Friday I ate non-stop from 9AM until 2PM. But I recorded everything on Fitday as I was doing it, very consciously actually, and stopped when I got to 1600 calories. And it was all clean food because that's all that's here. My protein, carbs and fat may have been out of sync, but I didn't do any damage. This time. I had a bad spell of bad eating not that long ago and gained 8 pounds. Like Meg sez we do it, it's over, and time to move on. Have some patience with yourself to find what works best for you with those 'free days/meals.' It has taken me months to be able to trust myself in a restaurant. Are you familiar with the "3-bite rule?" (was that in BFL? I've read so many things I forget where I read it) It works for me.

Well, down to the dungeon for my work-out. :strong: Big Hello to everyone! Have a great evening, and thank you again for the compliments. :thanks:

Best,

dip

Just did my leg workout- omg have I ever lost stamina in 2 weeks. I'm ready for a nap now, and it wasn't nearly the workout I usually do. I could still go really heavy, but supersets just about killed me and I'm really about to fall asleep here. But it does feel good to get back to my regular split even tho I think it will be at least another week before I can be as intense as usual.

Dip: Love the pictures and your new coat! you really have made some major changes! :) Have you picked out a goal outfit for Christmas or New Years?

Anita: I'm another one who couldn't handle free day. I lost all the weight before I started BFL, without any free meals or days. I did have a few extra nibbles on holidays like Meg, but never allowed a free anything. I think it would have totally derailed me. It wasn't until about 3/4 through C1 that I started doing freeday, and I really had problems with it. I still, 2 years later, have problems if I go off plan. I'm not doing straight BFL anymore, but it's hard not to think "Oh goody, it's Sunday. Time to pig out." Now I try to stay on plan except for special occassions.

Tidey: Get thee to the GYM! No, stress does not increase your metabolism, it increases your cortisol levels, which eats muscle. So go de-stress and build muscle in the gym. But yuck- dark at 3:30 is kind of depressing. I remember spending a summer in Denmark when I was in college and I nearly went nuts from the light. I can't sleep when it's light and it was light until about 2am, and then again at 5am. That was a very sleep-deprived summer. Good thing I was a lot younger.

Hi Colleen! Nice to see you back. Sounds like you are enjoying your running. Do you have a dog? You would be a dalmation, standard poodle or golden's best friend.

Ilene- I'll join you for a leg workout, too. Just give me another week or two to recuperate. How about Rochester or Buf. if it's not snowing? Oh yeah- it's always snowing there. Or we could all meet in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Indiana Robin- Hope you are feeling better. Did the treadmill help? I always find that moving helps, even if it's just psychological.

OK- off to find some food before I go to sleep here.

mel

I have got all my stuff ready for the gym tomorrow! Off I gooooooooo! :D

Here's a cute thing I picked up off another board:

Andy Rooney says, "As I grow in age, I value women who are over 40 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:


A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, "What are you thinking?" She doesn't care what you think.

If a woman over 40 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. Shedoes something she wants to do. And it's usually something more interesting.

A woman over 40 knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is,what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of 40 give a damn what you might think about her or what she's doing.

Women over 40 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it.

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.

A woman over 40 has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women. Women over 40 couldn't care less if you're attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won't betray her.

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 40. They always know.

A woman over 40 looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women or drag queens. Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off you are a jerk if you are acting like one. You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart,well-coiffed hot woman of 40+, there is a bald, paunchy relic in ill fitting pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year-old waitress..

Ladies, I apologize.

ANDY ROONEY

------------

Incidently, as a 22 year old who has waited tables *cough* I could live without the last bit hehe
*hugs to all*
Tidey

Just had to jump in as well on the height thing - I'm 5'4", and never really felt too short, although I'm weirdly proportioned, very short legs and very long torso. However, I've recently started hanging out with a guy who is 6'4", and I feel incredibly short next to him!

Weight machines made for men are fine for me for sitting, because of my long torso, but then I have to adjust the leg parts quite a bit. About the bust issue - I've noticed many back machines where you row toward you are quite uncomfortable for me - basically my chest is in the way. And forget preacher curls - I just can't deal with the squishing!
Cindy

Tidey - as I just passed the 40 milestone, I LOVED your post from Andy Rooney - thanks so much for sharing it. Perhaps I'll be sharing it with a certain 32-yo, who thinks I'm too old for him!

Anyway, how about sharing some new photos of yourself with us? I've only seen your old ones from April, and I'd love to see how much progress you've made since then. And, I'm sure you'd love all the compliments we'd be giving! Nothing like praise to motivate you to get back into the swing of things!
Cindy

Anita, One of my favorite sayings when I first started BFL is, you are never more than 2 hrs. from being back on program. Just make that next meal clean and your back on the diet.

glad you liked the post! :D

Unfortunetly, I look the same as I did in april. A 10 week vacation in canada and not staying on clean eats ment that I gained a bit of fat back and lost some muscle, but I was still in better shape than when I started. I will take a new "before" photo and put it up asap!

Despite not finishing 3 challenges this year, which was a goal of mine, I am still pretty pleased with my progress. Ive learned SO MUCH about eating properly and taking care of myself. Im in better shape than I can remember being in for a long time, and even tho I have a long way to go I actually LIKE myself! :D I find it easier to eat clean, and dont go all crazy on freeday.

Im going to enter the 1st BFL challenge of 2004, so hopefully that will be some more motivation for me.

I have lost 3kg in the last 4 weeks, despite being sick for 2 weeks and eating lots of soup, crackers and mashed potatoes, and missing a bunch of w/o's. I think Ive got a good plan :D

Tidey

Tidey -- Loved Andy Rooney's view of 40+ women...:lol:

Ledom -- I still say that! I love that saying...

Mel -- Niagara-on-the-Lake would be an awesome place to meet... and the shopping we could do...O-M-G!!!! :dance:

Today I almost had a binge but nipped it in the bud... I had lunch but not enough protein... about an hour later I spotted a granola bar (my downfall!!) actually I went looking in the fridge downstairs for it :nono: Anywhoo..... after ONLY 2 granola bars I stopped and thought a bit, which you all know it's very hard to THINK when your having a craving, and made myself some oatmeal and chocolate PP with about 3 tsp of splenda to curb my sweet tooth... and good golly it worked :cheer: My carbs are a bit high for the day but that's ok I didn't go on a binge and I'm pleased with that...

Tidey - I think maintenance is as admirable as obvious results. I can relate to where you are, and for anyone who's had issues with their weight in the past, being able to maintain the progress you've made thus far for that long of a period of time is truly a measure of success, and a good indicator that these results are for good. Way to go, chickie ;)

Mel - I am dogless, unfortunately (any animal would go bizerk in my tiny apartment!) Still running, but finding it difficult to do it on my own. I'm really doing well in my "group run" class, but it's SO easy to convince myself that I can't go any further when it's just me by my lonesome.

Ok, I know the scale is useless, but I would really like to see the 160's by Christmas. I've hovered between 172-176 for the past 3 or 4 months, and it's time to get moving again.

Will read through all of the posts later - this chick need to EAT!

… I feel 100% better. Yesterday, as I mentioned, I put in 30 relatively easy minutes on the treadmill. I’d worked up a sweat at the end, but I didn’t really push that heart rate into the target zone, and I didn’t do intervals. Then, this morning, I popped my 20-minute weightlifting-for-weaklings tape into the VCR. This is a “total body” (although there’s no chest) workout that has one exercise per body part. I used moderate (for me) weights. Went through the tape once. And quit.

And tonight, I feel really really good. As Mel said, I just needed to get moving. And I needed to scale back.

So, now I’m trying to decide what to do next. Tomorrow, I’ll do the treadmill again, and I think I’ll do another 30 or maybe 40 minutes at a moderate pace. I’m going to lay off the intervals for a bit while I experiment with times and pace. (And I have to agree with Laural about the benefits of cardio – nothing does my spirits as much good as a little cardio – even a stroll works wonders.)

But what to do with the weights? I could hang in there with this easy tape for awhile and go through it every 3 days (that’s 2 days between workouts). Then, possibly, go back to upper and lower splits, but instead of doing BFL pyramids, do single sets of more exercises. And then, when I can do a variety of exercises, upper and lower, either add sets or add weights. At least, that’s what I’m thinking for now. If anyone has any thoughts, I’d love to hear them. :coach:

Now, let me see if I can answer some of your posts. Golleeeeeee, have we been talkative today.

I can’t go another minute without saying Way to Go Dip! :goodvibes: Love that jacket. Love that smile even more. You’re right about the trials and tribulations of getting older (some things I don’t even *think* of doing in less than 3 days), but I sure like the way the rest of me works. Just ask Andy Rooney.

Colleen, first off, may I appropriate “craperoonie.” This is a word that belongs in everyone’s vocabulary. Sums up my feelings exactly sometimes. And it makes me giggle. And I’m right there with you on days that start out bad. I can tell from the moment that my feet hit the floor and I decide to take a pass on some kind of workout, that I’m in deep trouble. Before I know it, I’ve got a muffin in my hand and I’m headed south. Sigh. I’m glad to know I have company, but we need to keep that ol’ Plan B in mind. :grouphug:

Anita, just hang in there. Chalk it up to experience and remember that we keep on learning every time something happens. I had a funny lightbulb moment yesterday that reminded me of another revelation I had several years ago. (And now I must digress to apologize if I’ve told this story before. The sorry truth is that my short-term memory has gone to **** in a handbasket. I can’t remember what I had for breakfast, let alone what I posted a week ago.)

Anyhoo … ever since I was a tiny tot and anyone made toast at our house, they always made two pieces. Always. So, of course, whenever I made toast, I always made two pieces. Always. No exceptions. Friends, this lasted until I was about 30. And then one day, lo and behold, I was making breakfast for a group and someone said she’d love to eggs with a piece of toast. So, natch, I put two in the toaster. And when I took them out and presented them to her, she said, “Oh no thanks, one will do it.” I was stunned.

Now, I’ll bet you think this is a joke, but I swear on my favorite soufflé pan that’s it’s the truth. And since then, I’ve pretty much toasted and eaten one piece of slice for many a meal (because you all realize, of course, that if you toast two slices, you have to eat both. aaarrrggg).

So, you think I’d extrapolate, don’t you. Wrong. For years, I’ve been eating 3 ounces of most meats. No matter what else I was doing, I’d cut something in half or in portions so that it equaled 3 ounces. But I’ve been doing higher protein eating since about July. I’m reading the books. I’m reading the recipes. I’m concocting meals, but I’m still religiously maintaining the 3-ounce rule. And man, there are many days that I’m HUNGRY. All the while I’m thinking I’m eating HIGH protein. Sometimes the lights are on, but no one’s home.

Last night, I broil chicken breasts for dinner. We have fresh spinach, and DH and I split a baked potato. I look at the chicken breast. I weigh it – it’s all of 4.2 ounces. And all of a sudden I realize: I can eat the whole thing. In fact, it’s better if I eat the whole thing rather than, say, more baked potato. Or any of the temptations that might lure me back into the kitchen later. It was a satisfying meal. And I didn’t nibble.

Now, I’m 55. You’d think this stuff would be obvious wouldn’t you, and that I would have learned it by now. But you know what? It’s not. We keep learning. Every day.

One Piece of Toast. Four ounces of chicken. Single sets instead of pyramids. Plan B.

We can all do this, if I don’t drown you in sheer verbage. Like I said, I feel great. :cb:

See you tomorrow.

IN Robin, great post, and I sure can relate to 2 pieces of toast. I found it hard to just have one, when I do.

I was looking through my journal last night trying to find a date when something unrelated happened. I found this entry, after a "free day" when we went to a buffet, I pigged out, and gained 3# overnight:

At GC, a tall and thin lady was sitting next to us. I watched what she ate. It wasn't so much of what she ate, but how much of each thing - a little dab of this and that, but she made 3 trips (plates.) If I had practiced some self-control, and practiced the 3-bite rule, I probably wouldn't be regretting my behavior this morning.

Meg - was wondering how the swelling of your legs is going? Are you seing any improvement?

Ilene - Congrats :high: on nipping in the bud! :bravo: Yesterday I found a bag of Tootsie Pops in my husband's underwear drawer, and an empty bag of Reese's. He's a closet eater! but still losing. I had one choc Tootsie Pop, enjoyed it and that was surprisingly, that. I told him he needs to find a new hiding place.

Maintaining is foreign to me yet. I was thinking yesterday while lifting that I will not let my weights and equipment in the basement gather dust or cobwebs after I reach goal. I may not have to lift as much then, but I will continue. Same for cardio.

Feeling the results of yesterday's LBWO, but I haven't been drinking water this week like I should be. I will make a conscious effort to correct that today.

On with the day, and hope you all have a safe and healthy one!
Hi to all! :)

dip

Real quick post-
Dip- I hate to burst your bubble, but I find maintaining is a lot harder than losing in the first place. I feel like I have to work just as hard, eat just as clean if not harder and cleaner, just to stand still. For one thing, the excitement of it all kind of wears off after a while and you realize it is a LIFETIME commitment if you want to keep the body you've achieved (not that mine's all that great.)

I think Karen and Meg will probably agree on this. But the upside now is that I can't imagine NOT living this way. It doesn't cross my mind to skip workouts or go back to eating the way I used to. At least not for more than a few hours!

mel

Hi Mel - I was just about to sign off. Yes, I've read Meg and Karen on the subject of maintaining, and every day I have to tell myself, "this is for life, from here on out." And same for cardio and weight training. I was thinking about how I accumulated my equipment - someone's else's either giving it up, or moving onto bigger and better. I would really like to have some new modern equipment rather than someone's used stuff. But I am thankful for what I have, and will not let it just become a memory of what I did at one time. KWIM? Same for my gym membership. I hardly go anymore, but for $12/month, I won't give it up either.

dip

Hey ladies!

Thanks to all of you for your words. They really made a difference. 2 hours from being right back on program. Loved that!!! Yes. I am back on track. This is a forever thing for me. I hope that I can always come here and share my ups and downs. It is soooo much easier to share ups though.

Mel- wow, you shared something that really made me think. I mean, I was feeling that this whole losing weight thing is sooo tough, and boy won't it be soooo easy once I reach goal and start maintenance. Well, you have really opened my eyes to the fact that this really is a lifetime thing. Thanks for the insight.


Dip- I sometimes watch to see what thin/healthy people eat and how they eat. Its amazing!!! My hubby, who is muscular and thin, will turn down a piece of cake if he really is not hungry or doesn't have a taste for it. Oh my how I wish I could ever not have a taste for a piece of cake. My do I have a long way to go.

For all the other ladies here, I am so happy to be a part of this group. You all inspire me with your posts. May everyone have a life changing day!!!

Anita

Finally back on line after the high winds took out our cable and Internet for a while. At the risk of boring you to tears with my repetition, Dip, Mel’s right but I never would have believed it. I really truly thought that when I got to 135 pounds, the world would change and that *I* would change and suddenly become a “normal” person with regard to food. You know, no binges, no cravings, effortlessly maintaining my weight, healthy relationship with food, happily ever after, yadda yadda.

Wrong!!!!

I’m still the same person with the same warped relationship with food that I always had. I absolutely still want chocolate and still want to binge and still want to do all the destructive stuff that got me fat to begin with. The only thing that’s different is that I have some strategies in my toolbox to deal with all these issues. But I’m not cured of anything, by a long shot.

I now do everything that I did to lose WITHOUT the satisfaction of seeing the scale go down every week. It gets boring, it gets tiresome, it's HARD, sometimes I just want ONE LOUSY DAY OFF. But all my billions of fat cells are still with me, though shrunken, and they want nothing more than to get fat again. It would take me about three months to put on 50 pounds and I’m sure I could easily load all the fat back on in less time than it took to get it of.

So, dear Dip, when you reach your goal weight (and I know you will), you better not plan to change anything that you do. I suspect you’ll have to do exactly the same exercise — probably with more intensity — just to maintain and you’ll be planning out your meals and eating exactly the way you do now, though hopefully at a slightly higher calorie level.

Lots of people can lose weight — we see it all the time at 3FC. Sadly, most regain it. You’ve seen those abysmal statistics about 95% regaining lost weight. In my experience, the only way to maintain the loss is to keep doing what we did in order to lose. So, in reality, maintaining isn’t foreign to you at all. You’re practicing your maintenance skills right now, while you’re losing, with what you do everyday. Cardio — weights — clean eating. Heck, yes, it’s for life!

Meg

Hey Everybody!!!!!! :wave:

Nice to see you all again!!! I have a quick question...what are those big balls called that you excercise on?

LOL.....:lol: Get your minds out of the gutters !

I mean the workout balls. I'm making my xmas wish list. Is this a good investment and how much are they?

Talk to ya soon! :wave:

They're usually just called "workout balls" or "stability balls" - Usually about $20. I got mine at Target about a year ago, but most any sporting goods store or big retailer like Wal-Mart, Kmart, etc., should have them

Hi all,

Wow you are busy posters!

SWISS balls! I have 2, one at home, one at work, and LOVE them. I got mine at bodytrends dot com and they also have a poster set featuring exercises to do with the balls.

Right, I guess I'll be the lone tall chick here. I really do hope they consider car and airplane adjustments - when I ride in my friend's car I hit my head on the frame every time she turns a sharp corner. I actually did get a concussion from that once - the car seats often won't go low enough and so it doesn't take much to make my head hit the frame of the car. And I'm not THAT tall - 6 feet even.

Was it Mel who said she was tired of feeling like a 4 year old? I hear ya on the society making you feel less than marvelous - except I always feel like a bull in a china shop, I never feel petite and cute - I always feel huge, no matter how thin I am!

The point is, we all deserve to wear clothes that fit and sit in safely sized seats no matter how tall or short we are.

Oo and I have to say on FREE DAY -

Take it! I'm halfway through my 2nd challenge and I tried to eliminate or reduce my free day. Unh-unh. Not good for me. I do MUCH better if I just stay OP 6 days and then go for it (and I mean go for it!) on free day. Like Suzanne 3FC says, what works for Jane may not work for Mary......

Originally posted by jennifa
[B]Right, I guess I'll be the lone tall chick here. I really do hope they consider car and airplane adjustments - when I ride in my friend's car I hit my head on the frame every time she turns a sharp corner. I actually did get a concussion from that once - the car seats often won't go low enough and so it doesn't take much to make my head hit the frame of the car. And I'm not THAT tall - 6 feet even.

The point is, we all deserve to wear clothes that fit and sit in safely sized seats no matter how tall or short we are.



But the thing is...Meg (and the article she was referring to) wasn't referring to tall or short, it was referring to making concessions/changes to suit the growing obesity epidemic. And I still say, judging from the cars parked in our lot here at work, there are PLENTY of different models out there for tall folks - our CEO is well over 6 foot tall and drives a Lincoln Navigator, in fact most of the men in our company are over 6 feet tall and either drive trucks, SUVs or sedans. Again, the discussion was primarily about FAT, not height.

Originally posted by jennifa
Oo and I have to say on FREE DAY -

Take it! I'm halfway through my 2nd challenge and I tried to eliminate or reduce my free day. Unh-unh. Not good for me. I do MUCH better if I just stay OP 6 days and then go for it (and I mean go for it!) on free day. Like Suzanne 3FC says, what works for Jane may not work for Mary......

True enough, but if someone has a binge-eating problem, IMO they are FAR better off just having a couple of free meals or treats rather than a blow-out day...I didn't really start to lose bodyfat on BFL until I stopped having the free-for-all gut-busting pigout free days, and I feel much better. Again, here's what Hussman says about Free Days...
A few words about your free day. You should think of the free day as an opportunity to choose "unauthorized" foods. It's not about losing control. It's about making choices and enjoying those choices. The danger of going overboard is that a wild pig-out style free day can blow several days of "caloric deficits" that are essential for fat loss, and can also be detrimental for people who tend to be binge eaters. If you're not a little careful, the idea of "free days" can create an "all or nothing" mindset and sets up binge eating patterns that are hard to eliminate later. That said, kept in perspective, the free day may help counter the risk that your body senses a fasting state. Metabolically, you're trying to convince your body that it doesn't have to lower its metabolism, shed muscle, or defend its fat stores in response to the change in its "environment". You don't need a huge number of extra calories to do that. It's good if your free meals make you feel warm, and it's great if you actually break a light sweat. The free day gives you something to look forward to, keeps your body "confused", and gives you a chance to have that pizza and ice cream you've been eyeing all week, but don't go way overboard. There's some evidence that cycling high and low caloric periods with weight training can help muscle gains, but the effective cycle is evidently about two weeks, not one day. And if your primary concern is fat loss, I wouldn't try to get that fancy.

If you prefer, my impression is that you can substitute the free day with 2 "free meals" between any Sunday-Saturday period (following the program for other meals on those days). Don't try to "spread" your free day across the whole week and then kid yourself that you're following the program. That said, if you do have something that's "unauthorized," don't fall into all-or-nothing thinking and say "I blew it! I'm a loser! The day is ruined! Now it's a free day!" followed by a self-destructive binge. Just have a little bit less to eat later that day, or the next day, to make up for that small amount of lost ground. The main thing is that you don't turn small indiscretions into self-destructive binges. We're all human. If you ate the cookie, you ate the cookie. Now get on with your program.

That's weird Jennifa that you have such trouble in cars and airplanes. My BF is 6'3, very long man with long, lanky legs and he fits comfortably in a GEO Metro, which is his commute car and last fall when he flew to Switzerland to visit his mother, he had no problem at all flying coach, and he didn't even get an aisle seat.

Meg, what you said about thinking if you got to a certain weight that your food issues would magically disappear, and you'd be 'normal', just threw me a jolt! I never really considered that I would NOT be 'normal' when I get to where I want to be....now you put a WHOLE new thought process in my head and I must muddle that one around...

'sigh' Where does the obsession end? Or does it ever really end?

I second what everyone has said about losing weight vs. maintaining, but there's one point that's only been touched on, and deserves additional comment. And that's this: what makes maintenance easier is that you have what Meg calls a toolbox. One of the advantages of losing weight slowly is that you learn along the way. You never have to go back to square one -- those awful days when you looked at yourself and asked, how in the world did I ever get to this point. You will have learned exactly how you got there and, more to the point, you will have learned how you reinvented yourself. And that's what holds desperation at bay.

These days, although I still encounter my fair share of lightbulb moments, there are lots of things I do without even thinking. I *always* order salad dressing on the side. I almost always cut restaurant portions in half -- I don't even hesitate. I've made it a personal rules to never eat appetizers or hors d'oeuvres at a party (I'm not saying that you need do this; it's just what works for me.) In other words, I've developed a set of coping strategies that come as naturally as breathing. And I'll bet every maintainer on this board has done the same thing.

So while staving off a binge will always be a challenge, life *does* get easier, don't you think? And don't forget, we also know about exercise and weight training, and that is the most powerful weapon in the world when it comes to maintenance!

Thanks Jennifa for the word on the Swiss balls. I've been wondering about them; I think it's time to go shopping.

Gotta run. Greetings to all.

colleen,

thanks :) now that I think about it Ive never lost weight and maintained. Always slowly packed it back on. It did take a bit of planning and restraint to not pig out all the time (hey, its a vacation right) but I am glad I did that and still enjoyed myself.

AAAAND :D I did get to the gym today. 20mins on the bike and bi's, chest and legs. Im SO tired and hungry hehe. But I definately feel better.

Airegrrl, I have just changed from doing BFL pyramids (light to heavy) to heavy-light. Much harder effort wise, and Im really seeing results. I do 4 sets (plus 1 warm up set on the lightest weight with 10 reps) of 8,10,12,15 dropping the weight 1kg/5kg each time (Depending on what the exercise is). The last set is aaaaaaaaagony but not in that "i think I might tear something" way that BFL was for me.

ex. My 6 rep squat on BFL was 55kg. Now I do 40kg for 8 reps, 37.5kg for 10 reps, 35kg for 12 reps and 30kg for 15 reps with rest of 1 min between sets. It leaves me with noodle legs, whereas I never had that during BFL.

So if you're looking for another change-up idea thats one I recommend :)

Well, Im off to bed now. Tired and need to rest to build that muscle!

Tidey
on plan!

Meg, insightful and on-time as always. I tend to agree we are armed with the 'toolbox', and the induction of new behaviors and habits. However, what has me to thinking is *now* there is the reward and personal satisfaction of the scale going down. How will I handle it when it stops? I am curious and eager to explore how far I can take this, but what happens when there is no longer a pay-off? Since I am still working Dr. Phil's Keys, I am hoping the answers for my individual relationship with food will surface. But I am still prone to emotional eating/binging, but with a better choice of weapons (Choc Chip cookie dough versus SF fudgesicles.) And now I can, for the mostpart, stop. Changing my avatar signature - Maintainer in Training.

I bought a ball a few weeks ago and love it.

dip

*now* there is the reward and personal satisfaction of the scale going down. How will I handle it when it stops? I am curious and eager to explore how far I can take this, but what happens when there is no longer a pay-off?

Oh Dip! When you get to your goal, the pay-offs never stop coming. Every time you catch sight of yourself in a mirror, every time you shop for clothes, every day that you feel strong, healthy, confident and bursting with energy -- those are the pay-offs!

I'm still in the "pinch me" stage of losing the weight. I just can't believe that I finally -- after struggling my whole life -- have vanquished the fat monster. For me, every morning is Christmas morning and my gift is my new life.

You won't believe the payoffs that you'll discover!

Meg

Hi everyone - Well, today I got back into the "dungeon". (My bench and weights are in the basement too Dip.) I had a really good workout with a new lifting scheme. I was going to wait until I had a couple weeks under my belt before claiming to be back on the wagon, but heck - I wanted you all to know I am back at it now. I also had a clean diet today. I'm tired of making excuses for myself and definitely want to ward of any holiday baggage. I want to greet the new year with no regrets. I find I can let myself go up to a certain point before I just can't stand it. I made a point of putting on my tightest jeans this morning to remind myself where I am and where I want to be. I am going to wear them all day tomorrow, they still fit and that's a good thing.

New photos posted - finally getting around to sharing my C3 week 5 progress photos - and your opinion is welcome.
Cindy

Well I guess since you all say everything so well for me I will just do a quick check in. Where are the pics posted again? I thought it was in a sticky and now I can't find it. Dying to see Cindy's results

I probably doing as well as can be expected. I am sugar free and sticking to my food plan. Physical therapy sucks and is super painful. I have come to rest with cardio. I have surrendered, instead of fighting it and feeling miserable the whole time I have given up and I just do it. It's made my last several workouts more effective and I have been able to do the full 45 min (I STILL RATHER LIFT WEIGHTS AND DO THE 20 min HIIT).

I feel like my life is calming down without the sugar and I am gaining a clarity and a sanity I have not known for a long time. BUT now I can smell better, doughnuts about bowl me over and sickly sweet smell of them makes me sick.

So thats it for me. Keep being so wise. And Karen your so right on Free Day, especially when it comes to us binge eaters.
Chris

I used to be a binge eater, no doot aboot it (as we canadians are acused of saying hehe) During C1 I used about the 1st 2/3 of my freedays to binge. And I always felt it the next morning.

But somehow I realized just how silly and disfunctional that was. So I decided to slowly change my freeday. I still bought the chips, but I would only eat half the bag and then throw the rest out. I ate all my favorite stuff but only half what I used to (ok, lasagna is the exception here. Swedish lasgana doesnt have any cheese in it, just lots of meat and tomatoes, so I still have a big peice. It doenst torture my tummy).

Now on freeday, I go out for coffee and a peice of cake with my SO. Once a week, we sit down in a nice cafe and enjoy each others company over a latte and something sweet. It satisfies my sweet tooth, and feels really nice. Like a date almost. Freeday has more become "date day" for me.

I start off with a clean breakfast, then we have coffee in the afternoon, and then I have a tasty dinner (last weekend was hamburgers from the local joint. very good!) which is usually modifed to be slightly healthier. For example. I didnt get any dressings on my burger. I had lettuce, tomato, pizza salad (will post recipie for this eventually, its a swedish thng and its so good!) pickles and ketchup. At home I added american mustard (Swedish mustard is horrible) and light mayo. We made oven fries instead of getting the fat bombs from the burger place. Horrible meal made better, and much tastier with no cramps after :D We had chocolate pudding for dessert, but no whip cream for me.

That, and LOTS of water was my freeday. No candy, no crazy nacho eating. Im finally in control.

For me, freeday helped me see what the problem was, and gave me an authorised chance to fix it, slowly, on my own terms.

So it really is a very personal thing. What worked for me can be disaster for some other people. Im just glad that (So far) Ive come out on top.

(btw, yesterday I brought a myoplex bar for after my workout but the thought of all that sugary stuff made my stomach turn! I bought a banana istead :D )

Tidey

**just saw your pics Cindy!!! WOW! The incredible shrinking behind! :O And you're loosing the spillover at your bust too! You're leaning out in the tummy and legs and LOOK AT THAT SMILE!! Thanks for inspiring me to have another clean day!**

Picture a tennis ball. Got it? Round. Fuzzy. Inflexible in the middle.

Now, picture a tennis ball doing a yoga pose, say the triangle pose, or the dog pose.

Got it?

That's me doing yoga. :lol:

When I got up this morning, I felt stiff and tired but I wanted to do *something,* so I got out one of my yoga tapes and gave it a whirl. I'm about as flexible as a 2-by-4, but I must say it felt really really good. So I'm going to add some stretching and yoga to my routine. It's a great alternative.

Tidy, thanks for the other alternative workouts (the reverse pyramids, if you will). I may try those as well, once I get back to upper and lower workouts. And what great insights on freedays and binging. Thanks for sharing.

Chris, hang in there with the therapy. I know it's painful, but it will help! Do they treat you with heat and/or ice afterward? Sometimes that helps a lot. And congrats on successfully dealing with the sugar.:bravo:

TGIF, eh. Hope you all have a good one.

Hi LWL! Happy Friday!

Cindy - Definitely can see some firm up and the "amazing shrinking butt." And a difference in your waist. You go, girl! :cheer:

Tidey - always something good from the wise and exprienced. You're a pretty smart chickie, for a chickie.

Chris - So glad to hear your assessment of sugar elimination. It gets easier as it goes. Several years back I had a partnership in a cotton candy mobile and have developed an adversion to cotton candy. When I *think* I want sugar, I just imagine watermelon or bubblegum flavored sugar being spun into cotton candy. Hope PT gets easier for you.

Meg - Taken under advisement, copied and filed. I put it on my calendar for review on May 15, 2004. :thanks:

On the run today, everyone have a great day and I'll check back later.

dip

I thought you gals might get a chuckle out of my physical therapy session this morning. He staightend my arm, and I took a big inhale and went into my yoga breathing, concentrating on getting the breath into the muscle. Then we did all this back and forth flexing, and he starts to give me a hard time,"You breathe like a bodybuilder" :lol: Then he tells me not to strangle the towel or to put my full effort into the excercises.:?: If 110% is what I am willing for why not. 45 min of therapy and 10 mins on ice, and here is the really dumb part, I actually worked up a sweat. :p Still motored my booty over to the gym for my LBWO and 20 min of cardio. Got my Advil in and my Icy/Hot on and we'll just see how the arm feels when I do Yoga tommorow.:D

Tidey-You said what I meant and so much better. Though I have given up on the first bite of any trigger foods.

Airregirl- Good for you doing Yoga, any stretching program can prevent injury. And the flexibility will come.

Dip- Don't forget to smell the roses during your running

:)
Miss Chris

Thanks for the comments, Dip and Tidey - I hadn't noticed my "incredible shrinking behind", but now I see it. It's always a bonus to realized you're improving anywhere in back, since you never get to see that part of yourself!

I'm actually up at 7am today (shocking for a Saturday), and over coffee I'm contemplating keeping up the morning workout thing, and getting on my treadmill or Nordictrack in a few minutes. It would be great to get it out of the way, and chances are, if I don't do it now, I may skip today.

Also thinking I'll drag out my Winsor pilates DVDs and do them as well - it's been a while, but I want to start focusing on my middle more.

Ok, off I go - will check back with you gals later. Happy Saturday!
Cindy

Cindy, you're looking very pretty. Nice work.

OK- I know I've gone round the bend now. I woke up sitting up in bed at 3am, still half dreaming about doing an ab workout and struggling to do full sit ups. Dh pushed me back down and grunted at me. Do ya think I need to do abs again today??:lol:

Mel

Good morning gals! It's just occured to me that last week, for the first time in ages, I actually got all 6 of my workouts in!

:dancer: :cheer:

Yesterday after posting, I got on my Nordictrack and got in a great 20MAS - although I froze since my NT is in the garage, and it was around 32F outside! My hands were the worst - in fact, I had to stop and grab gloves to put on! Think I'll have to move it inside, or in the basement if I intend to keep using it! Then, I was motivated enough to also do my Windsor pilates tape. Today my stomach and thighs are quite sore - in a good way, of course. I'm planning to keep up the pilates on my cardio days, and perhaps continue using the NT for Saturday cardio - saves me from having to drive into work to use the gym.

Had a great breakfast of protein pancakes and OJ this morning - I think I'm going to eat clean today and make this out to have been an absolutely perfect week!

Did some clothes shopping yesterday - needed a new winter coat, since last years is just swimming on me. I was thrilled to be able to buy some tops in Large, as opposed to XL! :cheer:

IN Robin - good for you for doing some yoga - because of the physical therapy for my knee, I've become aware of how not flexible I was, and I've been trying to add a lot of stretching into my routine as well. Perhaps I'll see about getting a new yoga tape.

Re: Free Day - mine has been reduced to a couple of free meals each week - usually Friday and/or Saturday night, or maybe a free snack somewhere on the weekend. Yesterday it was a couple of ounces of Combos, just because... Last week I didn't take any free meals at all. I think just knowing I can have the free day/meal if I need it is enough. At the beginning of BFL, my free days were always a complete eating frenzy, but have tapered off as time has gone by.

Tidey - I may try your reverse pyramids as well - feel like I need to shake up my routine a bit. I was also looking at the article on "periodization" in the lasted issue of Energy, and if I can figure it out, I may think about givng that a try.

Ledom - congrats on getting back into the "dungeon"!

Ok gals, enough rambling - I'll check back with you later! Have a good day!
Cindy

Thanks Cindy, just so you know it wasn't a one day wonder - just finished a great back and tricep workout AFTER hiking 3 mountain miles w/ my girlfriends this a.m.

LOL Mel, yep, difinitely around the bend IMO!!!!

Sunday, November 16, 2003

Good Mornin’ Girls :wave:

*~ Airegrrl ~* I love Yoga and should do it more regularly. My SIL is a teacher and I could go to her classes for free but I don’t , lazy that I am after a full day, I hate to go out after I’ve settled in for the evening...

*~ Mel ~* Doing abs in your sleep :rofl: Yep I’d say that’s over the edge...

*~ Cindy ~* You are looking really awesome! Great work!! I have to kick-up my workouts a notch too this week, my body adjusts to w/o’s in about 3 weeks... Maybe I’ll try my fav EDT training...

*~ Colleen ~* Are you still doing the EDT workouts? The routine I am going to start this week is different than the one I posted a while back.... The one I’ve been typing from the magazine, I haven’t worked on it for a while, and I WILL finish typing it, so I can post it on the Exercise sticky...

Well gotta go I need to do some shopping.... Later all...

*~ Nola ~* I forgot to mention your pics!! Aren't you just the cutest thing!! What a beautiful scenerie at the top of that bridge...

Good for you, Ledom! Where are you located that you could do a mountain hike? I could do one near here, but it's just too dang cold out!

Mel - we must have been posting at the same time! That dream is a bit much - and the fact that you were actually sitting up! Scary! But funny you mention full situps - I just read an article that said that they were one of the most effect ab workouts - much more so than crunches!
Cindy

Hey girls! Been a busy week... but it was a GREAT one!

It may have taken a full challenge and more to figure out the free day binge=disaster! I had a nice free meal, and low fat ice cream and voila! No cramps and pain! DUH! I never thought of myself as a 'binge' eater, but I do have that trait. I am an emotional binge eater, even worse!

After having a very strong week, I am so ready for another one!

Lanai - thanks for the compliments he he he *blushes*

Well... I have a huge day ahead of me at work and need to kick some serious butt.

Have a great day girls!
Nola.