Weight and Resistance Training - LWL # 241 Feb 6 - Feb 12

Morning LWL :sunny:
Brrrrr.....winter finally hit here. My 2 inch high daffodils are mightily surprised.

Reading back over last week's posts, I realized I haven't updated my February challenge at all. Bad Mel. I've done pretty well. One ugly eating day, and one slug day when I was so tired after work that I just crawled between the couch and the kitchen and bathroom for a few hours, but otherwise good. The scale, however, it NOT reflecting this over goodness :( My weight is slowly going UP! Along with some other symptoms, I think my previously high thyroid is now crashing and burning. My appointment with the snippy endocrinologist is in another two weeks, so we'll see.

My big excitement for the weekend end is...tada...I bought a treadmill :carrot: Since moving gyms, I've hated doing cardio more than usual. The cardio room is dark and noisy, so I've been doing more running outside which makes my hips and knees ache, and recumbent bike at home. Now I have another option. I found a guy who buys used gym equipment, reconditions it, then usually wholesales it. He was willing to sell me ONE. It's a club-grade treadmill with a nice BIG cushioned deck, just like the ones at the gym. Now I just have to figure out where to put this behemoth.

Rabbit- Great news on the job front. That must make you feel better. Sorry about the horrendous weekend with XH.

Pat-Glad DH made it home between volcano puffs!

Ellen- Thinking of you today with your MS doc appt.

Tru- That's quite a lift! Hope you had a spotter ;)

OK, I'm outta here. Full day at the gym. Chest and cardio (at the gym) for me.


Mel

:wave: Hello ladies!

WOW :eek: a new treadmill! :D I wanna play! :lol:

Just did crazy 5k run in 34.something minutes! :D :D :D :hyper: and to think I couldn't run for toffee about 6 weeks ago! I rock! :rofl:

Changing up the weights today, haven't even looked at the program yet so I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing! Although it will be upper body work, so that's ok!

Had a great weekend food wise, apart from a carb frenzy since there was 70% off the bakery items at the supermarket on Friday night and I was hungry! :o It doesn't seem to have done me any harm since the scales are actually inching downwards. :cheer:

Good news all round is motivating me even more! I've had nothing processed today and I've probably eaten my 5 portions of fruit and veg already! :cheer:

Hope everyone's on plan for a good week... :hug:

Brrrrr.....winter finally hit here. My 2 inch high daffodils are mightily surprised.

:lol: Mel! We've got your weather now - rain, wind and 36 degrees! All of snow is on the way out... Anchorage, which is on the water, is just enough colder that they cancelled school, mostly because the side roads are so icy the buses can't get through (very few kids in Alaska walk to school because of the long hours of darkness, and moose).

Rabbit, :hug: Let's just plan on you having a better week this week, okay? :) GOod to see you have some good job options, people that really seem to want you!

Frus, great job on the running! I'm back at the gym tonight, though I think I'm going to do the body pump class instead of running. (I originally typed boy pump - now there's a visual for you! :rofl: )

I loved my racquetball clinic on Sat, and now I'm ready to show DH what I learned and we can stumble through together. Sat after the clinic he had us playing short games. I played with a 20 something, and she beat me mainly because she could move faster! :eek:

Sat was a lost cause eating-wise, but yesterday was pefecto! :carrot: So far today is too. Had some cottage cheese with applesauce, added in some ground flax and a few walnuts. Yummmy.

So I had a Starbucks today for like the first time in 2 months. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I liked getting hot chocolate there. I usually will get a FF hot chocolate, no whip. But it's not part of the new no-caffeine eating plan.

DD is sick today, so while we're filling our Rx at Target, I have about 20 mins to kill and her throat hurts, so I get her a kiddie hc and I get a venti, fat free, etc.

I'm about 1/2 way done and I'm literally feeling sick to my stomach, like I need to go lie down. I can't believe I used to love these things AND their full-fat counterparts. I actually had to throw mine away, it was just too sweet. What a testament how we can "heal" our unhealthy bodies with behavior modifications. And how scary at how much we are accustomed to poisoning our bodies with junk most days, without thinking about it!

Pat - are moose really that dangerous? Do they stampede little school children? I never would have thought about that! Hope you enjoyed your boy pump! :rofl: :lol3:

I changed my weights routine last night, it includes stability ball push ups! :rofl: Staying on the ball was the hardest part! :lol:

hrbabe, yes isn't it strange the things we "used to eat" that we can't stomach any more! Processed and breaded/battered things usually make me want to hurl now, but I grew up eating fish fingers and oven chips and potato waffles and chicken nuggets and whatever other junk there was around!

Easy day today, just kickboxing :hyper:

:goodvibes:

Yesterday with the MS Doc was pretty amazing. I found out that I do have MS and am actually relieved to have a positive diagnosis. I now know this is not in my head and I am not lazy. He is starting me on a drug therapy primarily to lengthen the time between attacks, but as a secondary action expects it to relieve most of the viral symtoms (i.e., recurrent shingles and fatigue). YAY! He also sees no reason why I can't get back to where I was physically and be able to run a marathon. He stressed that it probably won't be a Spring 06 marathon, but one will be in my future, if I chose. He saw no problem with me do a walking half marathon this fall. What he did tell me was to lay off trying to get back to "working out" while he is starting the medication (it will take about 6 weeks to get me to full dose) and concentrate instead on moving every day. Take a walk without a heart rate monitor and enjoy the time. This is a radical change - ENJOY a simple walk? He also said to stick with the yoga and Pilates and I ca nstart lifting again when I have more stamina. He told me to listen and trust my body and I will know when. Wow. So, that is what I know and I feel pretty good about it. Thanks for holding my hand.

:hug: Glad it all seems to have sorted itself out for you. I'm glad you can do your marathon too! Hooray! :hug:

Hi LWL,

Ellenuw - I'm so glad for you! Finally this sounds like a Dr that works with you and not against you!!

Hi to all the other lifters. I went to power class yesterday, which was OK. Another cloud has appeared on my horizon, I must attrackt these things like a magnet. My DS school phoned yesterday that his grades have dropped and he is in the danger zone. I was perplexed and asked if theyt had taken the circumstances into account. Apparently they has the impression the divorce was rolling smoothly. I said not at all, & I have made an appointment for tomorrow with the 2nd grade coordinator. She was a bit harsh on the phone and I just burst out in tears when i explained things were not well st home for my son. Anyway, now to get him some help and make him accept it is the next challenge.

I worked for 3 hours this morning but was so stressed out that I just went to lie down and do my body scan meditation CD. I feel better now. My daughter has her test for secondary school today. As the chinese say I live in " interesting times".

Have a great day all,
rabbit

Ellen -- :hug: that's great news!! There is a girl in our running group who has MS and her doc says she can run 5k as long has she doesn't get overheated. There is something about MS and heat and sun that don't mix. When we come back from our runs she stretches outside as to not get the heat. She cannot run in the morning because she says she has "MS legs" but anytime afterwards is fine. In the summer she runs at night in the dark I just may join her this summer because I really, really dislike the heat. Bravo to your Doc for working WITH you...

I've been having a difficult time with food, exercise :rolleyes: Last week I ran twice and made it to the gym twice... I haven't gained but I "feel" fat :( I just have to get crackalakin' !! This morning I had a mediocre leg workout and tonight I run at 4:15... Thank goodness for that running group, they keep me accountable...

Rabbit -- Even if a divorce runs "smoothly" it always affects the children, get some good counselling for him...

2F -- Even if moose look timid I wouldn't want to meet one in a dark alley :fr: ... :lol:...

2F - Moose have been known to attack, though it's not always a given. The worst thing is that they are HUGE! I once came very close to one on the highway while driving a little pickup truck and I could see that the hood of the truck was going to right under the moose's stomach! Fortunately, he got off the road before I hit him - but it was closer than I liked. :eek:

Ellen, glad to hear you have a definitive diagnosis, and a doctor that will work with you and recognizes your goals! That's a big thing.

Rabbit, it's a two steps forward, one step back sort of situation you're in. Overall you're doing well, just keep moving foward. And lots of cyber :hug: for you!! As Ilene said your son may benefit from some counselling - kids of his age often think - unrealistically - that divorce is somehow their fault.

I had a great workout last night. Did a mile on the :tread: then the bodypump class. My poor arms are so sore today :lol: and going up and down stairs is, um, interesting! She makes us do lots and lots of squats and lunges, as well as upper body work and oh-so-many crunches - OUCH! Today is most assuredly a rest day. :rofl:

Ellen :hug: Even when the diagnosis isn't great, just knowing what it is can be a relief. You have such a positive attitude and it really does sound like your doc wants to work with you and see you flourish.

Pat- I once "stalked" a moose in Maine to get pictures. Got about 10 feet from him and some great pics! Everyone who saw the pictures and knew that I didn't have a long telephoto was horrified-- I had no idea how dangerous they could be!

Just did legs...gawd...I'm not going to be able to walk! I discovered one of our gym members used to be the head trainer at a nearby Bally's but burned out on training. He spotted me and egged me on to heavier squats that I usually try without a spotter. :crazy:

OK, back to the gym!

Mel

You people are haunting me. No matter how I search .... there's the ladies who lift .... better go read some ....

Okie Dokie, I'm seriously SORE!

and I remembered that moose was in northern Quebec, not Maine. :dizzy:

Susan, why do you think we are stalking YOU?

The first moose I ever saw was in Maine - my 66 VW bug would have gone right under it! :lol: Now think about the fact that these are game animals here - we've had a hind quarter given us, lasted like 2 years! Tastes good though, and very lean. :)

Oh I wanna see a Moose :tantrum: You guys have all the fun ;)

Great kickboxing last night, beating up the blokes! Almost did box splits :carrot:

Good eating the past week or so, back on track with a vengence! :hyper:

:goodscale Dropped 2lbs since Friday :faint: Still feeling it's a fluke! We'll see what happens when Mr TOM leaves the house!

:goodvibes: all you Moose stalkers and Susan stalkers :lol3:

Hi LWL,

Thanks all of you for your support.

Yesterday I was a bit revived from the meditation CD, but I burst into tears when I made an appointment to see the coorddinator at my son's school. So I decided this is it, I'm in for some rest and recreation this week. Did not work more yesterday, took it very easy cooking, and installed a webcam & headset for my daughter. She is very thrilled to chat with her friends in video conversations. And I had a talk with my son about how to handle the situation.

Today I went to the gym, 20 mins bike, 1hr power class and 1 hour Billy's bootcamp. It feels really good. I see this as a signal bfrom my body & mind...I have to make more time in my scedule to relax. Fortunately, i think I have the most important stuff covered. Now for the lawyers to do their work.

And next time I have such a terrible scedule, I have to remember to take time of for meditation.

Is a Moose REALLY so big that a VW beetle could pass under it ????? How much does it weigh? It sounds like a whale on land!

Have a great day all,
rabbit

Pat - I gotta ask in my worst Russian accent (and I am so sorry), but do you see Moose and Squirrel? :D

rabbit - hang in there. You are doing great.

Hullo, everyone! I'm back from London, relaxed, and with a new haircut and some boots and gloves and underwear. Interesting to see myself in the mirror in some familiar changing rooms. I definitely have lost fat and I've got some muscle definition that's just dying to get out! My friend said I looked very well, and had lost a lot of weight. Good for me!

And I've been eating like a horse. What is it about being away? I suppose clean food is more difficult to get hold of, I walk much more, I climb escalators. Perhaps I just need more food. Could be as simple as that.

Must knuckle down now. It feels as though it'd be very easy to go slip, slip sliding away. I've been to the gymn! But it's the food which is the problem.

Ellen - I'm glad to hear you've got a diagnosis at last. Your doctor sounds pretty balanced. That's someone to work with. We're here for you. :hug: Word of the year: enjoy your exercise. We can all learn from that.

Rabbit - you are doing so well. :hug: to you and :hug: for your children too. I hope the school will grow up, fast, and understand that splitting up and divorce may be common but that does not take away the pain and confusion. It is the school's job to be part of the children's support system.

2F - over here, I think we call moose 'elk'. (I think there could be some international confusion about these terms but that's a bit OT.) In prehistoric times there used to be the Giant Irish Elk. I think one's in the National Museum in Dublin (fell into a bog and was preserved). These guys are big creatures. But I like them.

Cooee! SusanB - are you there? :wave:

:wave: everyone!

Yes, I'm here! I did 40 minutes of legs yesterday and tried a new shoulder thing for .... well to see if I could. It's a part of my machine that I've never used because I ... couldn't make the dratted thing move. But I did it! Military press my instruction sheets call it. Three sets of 10 reps with 50 lbs. The last six or seven reps were pretty shaky.
So much for my weinie woman arms! Did I tell ya that the gal who gave me my flu shot checked out my left delt and asked if I'd been working out?
Man, I hate that dancing carrot! Isn't there something else?

:cb:

:dancer:

:dance:

SB- Over here, moose and elk are quite different. Elk are about halfway size-wise between deer and moose. They all taste good :D and very lean!

Mel

I gotta ask in my worst Russian accent (and I am so sorry), but do you see Moose and Squirrel?

Ellen :rofl: One of my all time favorite cartoons as it happens - and yes, we see them, though not often together. :lol:

SB - here's a link to a short item with pictures about "our" moose
http://www.alaska.com/activities/wildview/story/4831733p-4773396c.html

Basically,
An adult male (bull) moose can weigh 1,600 pounds and the female (cow) a little less. Only the male has antlers, which fall off in the winter. Males can also be distinguised by their longer "bell" hanging from the lower jaw. Tips: Moose calves are born in mid-May. Whatever you do, don't get between a cow moose and her one or two calves; she will be protective. Even though moose seem cute, like Bullwinkle, they're wild animals and should not be fed or walked up to by well-meaning watchers. Moose can run 35 mph and have instinctive kicking ability.

And as Mel noted, they are very, very tasty! :D

Rabbit, sounds like you're doing a little better. Good for you recognizing you need the balance in your life now more than ever.

Yesterday was a rest day, but I did run into WW and get an "official" weigh-in - DOWN 2.4 :goodscale: Whoopee! Amazing what clean eats and good workouts will do. ;)

Just came back from a good chest/tri workout this morning I ran 5k, later it's swimming :carrot:
Food is good today too....*whew* finally!!

I wanted to do chest today but everything I did hurt my arms. I guess those shoulder things were hard yesterday.
Oh thanks Jenfrus ... a humping banana is much better than that lewd carrot. What is that white thing?

Susan -- that white thing is a dancing cloud :dance: or a dancing marshmallow if you're really really hungry...

Pat -- Way to go on the weightloss... Yes, clean eats and exercise WILL do the trick, go figure, who wouda thunk! It's not rocket science, so why do we just not stick with it most of the time??

Today was finally a good day... I ran, I made it to the gym, I swam AND I ate clean!! It's all good...

Nite now :yawn: ...

:dance: It's the Michelin man on speed! :rofl:

I like :dancer: Because he sings "woohoooo" (at least in Jenfrus's world he does anyway!)

Did a :cool: UBW last night. Added some new exercises and kept some old favourites. I lifted in front of my mirror rather than my full length window and I could see those muscles popping! :D

Double kickboxing tonight - 2 hours of circuits :chin: Ah well at least it keeps me off the streets (and away from the Moose!).

Ilene - your good day sounds more like a "perfect" day, swim run gym and clean food! WOW :eek:

Keep it up everyone :bravo:

Quick post. Frus, dear, I'm giving up the Fab Feb Challenge. I think it's making me worse. I thought I'd give it a whirl even though I know I'm very bloody-minded. And this is proof positive. Now watch me get back on track. Um, :crossed:

Good luck, everyone. Hope your day's a good one!

Poor sb, don't worry - I forgive you!

Oooh and I forgot to say.... I made Ilene's pancakes last night and put cocoa powder in them. They tasted JUST like chocolate cake. I will make a HUGE batch when I get my liquid egg whites in a tub from protein source and then freeze them and eat them as chocolate cake :D :T :D :dancer:

Poor sb, don't worry - I forgive you!

Oooh and I forgot to say.... I made Ilene's pancakes last night and put cocoa powder in them. They tasted JUST like chocolate cake. I will make a HUGE batch when I get my liquid egg whites in a tub from protein source and then freeze them and eat them as chocolate cake :D :T :D :dancer::hun: make room for moi, at the breakfast table please!!

Frus,
where do you get your egg whites from? my poor dog is sick of having egg yolks for her tea and as for the smell :barf: :eek: say no more !


Week 4 of BFL nearly over: Mel your protein bars are now a staple part of my diet (this week it's chocolate & Blackberry) :hungry:

(i thought i saw my bicep today :D )
Have a good weekend :wave:

When my own sweet brown hens are laying, I don't mind pitching yolks in the garbage. But when I have to pay near $3 for a dozen store boughts ...
What about eggbeaters?

Egg beaters are a brand of egg substitute that are mostly whites with some yellow coloring. They come in cardboard containers like small juice or creams containers and are usually in the dairy aisle with the eggs. I know you have them in Ontario. They also come in different "flavors": with bits of onion, red and green peppers, etc. Even at $3.00 a dozen, it's probably cheaper to pitch the yolks.

Just a quickie before kickboxing -

I'M NORMAL! :faint:

I weigh 163.5 :faint: :faint: :D :hyper: :dancer:

I've seen you guys posting about egg beaters,but i've never seen them over here (Scotland) and because i only buy free range eggs it works out pretty expensive per week.

Any uk chicks out there that knows where to buy them ?? :mag:

:bravo: Fru! You may be the only normal one on this forum :crazy:

Mel

:rofl:

shush I have just bought a 1kg tub of organic egg whites from proteinsource.co.uk (I think that's the name, I'll check on Monday) I've never seen egg beaters over here either. I do know Supercook have sachets of powdered egg whites - 2 egg whites per sachet. I've never used then as just egg whites, but they're ok if you mix them in the blender with things.