[krampus]

Hey everyone,

I had a great night last night nerding out with friends, even if I came in dead last during our game of Settlers of Catan. We ordered sushi and I was HUNGRY so I had 3 rolls (eel, yellowtail, spicy tuna) and chicken satay and tried a bunch of everyone else's too. The sodium is brutal but didn't affect my weigh-in this morning. Ending February feeling great about myself at 123.0.

I'm getting F#*KING SICK again though, very sore throat and the nasal drip is back. Today is supposed to be Upper Body B - I will probably stay at work late and I hate literally everything on the list except the stuff involving the cable machine. Lateral side raises are THE WORST - and I notice even 250+ lb bodybuilder guys are only using 15 pound DBs for those.

<3 you all!

olehcat Hope you don't have a cleaning bill after your friend's unfortunate sickness...how is she doing today? I hope it was nothing or a fluke and not something serious. Enjoy running - better to have a water weight spike from exercising than from eating a pile of junk!

TurboMammoth I had a really pathetic poop this morning and also feel large and in charge. Maybe posting on this thread means our cycles coordinate with each other - I know my roommate and I often end up on the same "schedule!" Congrats on the gig with your old boss! Will you get paid to write or for when it is published?

[TheBunneh]

Morning! Was 149.0 this morning, so maaaybe I'll be able to start off March by dipping into 148 again. We'll see.

olehcat So sorry about your friend, not a fun evening. Good luck with your run and remember water weight is just an illusion! It disappears just like it pops up.

krampus Buh to being sick! I came home sick from visiting family in Dec and my throat still doesn't feel normal. Good luck with your workout, hope you don't over-do it with a cold starting though!

[JossFit]

Happy Friday Eve ladies!! One week from today and I'll be with my handsome hubby! Whoot!!

Today I did a cardio day, since I did some lifting yesterday and my back is SO SORE! I didn't do a super crazy workout yesterday, but I went to the gym and played around with things I haven't been doing in a while.

I feel a bit weird today... a bit physically, but mostly in my noggin; I feel like I am somehow liberated from this program, but what I'm doing is not all that dissimilar from what I was doing while on it;

I am happy to be eating the things I really enjoy again, though it's not a huge departure from how I was eating on his plan. I am still eating oatmeal and egg whites for breakfast, but I've added back in coffee creamer. I will add in other things as time goes on but right now it's easier because I almost dont want to overwhelm my body with a bunch of 'new' things. I'm eating my beloved green apples, my favorite salad dressing, and some things that didn't EXACTLY fit the mold of the program (my Justin's Natural Vanilla Almond Butter has 4g of sugar per serving, and his program only allowed nut butters with 2g or less... stuff like that.) It's not like I eat a lot of processed things but his program was VERY specific; exact weights of exact foods (for example, 200g asparagus, 113g cooked chicken, etc.) so it was all very generic stuff. No wiggle room.

Well, until the Bastage tried to take all my fats away. Um, no. I don't do well on less than 30% fat.

I am keeping my calories lower for the next week because I know I did some damage on Monday and Tuesday (OK, a lot of damage) and I'll be going out with my hubby one of those nights next weekend. I'm trying not to backslide too far because ultimately I DO still want to lose like 1-1.5 pounds a week, however its not like 1100 calories a day low like he wanted me to do.

My cardio is dropping a bit, but I still plan to do 60-70 minutes on non-lifting days and 30 minutes on lifting days. So, I'm really only losing like 90 minutes a week. (Um, yeah I guess 90 minutes IS still kind of a lot). My workouts will be more intense and less old-school though, so I think the calorie burn will be made up from that.

Honestly I don't like the way his program was making me look! I don't feel like I've lost much overall size because I was putting on upper body muscle.

So while that stuff is all well and good, to be honest I am a bit scared that I won't stick with my program either. I know that whether on his program or my own all I can do is take it a day at a time, but it still worries me. I signed up with him to take away the arguements about what I should do, but then I didn't like how overly restrictive it was and how crazy it was getting. Maybe I just need a reminder that I DO know what to do, and I should now appreciate that I get to be the one to make the choices. (See how crazy I'm making myself today?!)

I know right now my body is all wonky and I am bloated and sore and everything is just going right through me, except the water which seems to want to stay in place! LOL I'm like bloated and puffy, but pooping 6 times a day?! Awesome.

I'm going to weigh myself on Saturday and sort of establish my 'new normal' to see where I am, but I have no idea what I'm going to see. Hopefully I lose a bit of water weight in the next two days and it gives me a better gauge of where I'm really at. I would LOVE to still be at 125-126 (where I was as of Monday) but it's a crap shoot at this point. I could be back up to 130 or down to 124 for all I know!

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

TheBunneh - Well if you just stay on plan today all you would need is a .1 pound dip to actually see 148-something by tomorrow! That would be awesome!

Krampus - I'm sort of surprised that the sushi sodium didn't have more of an impact too! I'm absolutely THRILLED that you're ending the month on such a great note. I am just reminding myself of where you were before your vacation to the keys and how you were beating yourself up and feeling bad, and that was only a couple of weeks ago. I'm hoping that I will start to see some more worthwhile forward momentum soon. I long for the days of just a few months ago when I was happy with my meals, happy with my plan, and happy with my body.
I want so badly to get back to where I was and where you are; just going about my LIFE, generally making good decisions, lifting heavy stuff and enjoying my food. I felt like each day working with my coach was an accomplishment, but only because it felt like WORK each day. Anyway, there I go getting in my own head again!

I LOVE lateral side raises! I do them with 10 pounds on a cable machine because it actually makes it harder due to the constant tension, but I also like to do lateral drop sets with dumbbells.
Give this a try; start with the absolute heaviest weight you can manage and just do however many you can (even if it's only 2 reps) and then pick up the next lowest weight and repeat all the way down the rack.
I usually grab 25's (Yes, I'm a beast) and knock out 5-7 reps, grab the 20's and repeat all the way down to the 5's or 10's. It usually ends up being about 30 reps total and it's a crazy way to build size, strength AND endurance.

Olehcat - I'm happy to see that you're losing water weight, but that sucks that you can't find time to get your workouts done! It sounds like an absolutely hellish week for you.

I hope your friend is alright! Man, I can relate... I have such a sensitive stomach sometimes that things will just hit me like that and I get REALLY ill. Admittedly it's not been as much of a problem since I stopped taking BC, but I still battle my tummy from time to time.

LOL, well you said my body was probably shocked and relieved... shocked yes, relieved? Not so much! I feel terrible right now! Bloated and gassy and just ICKY in general and my clothes are tight and it just sucks. I was really hoping that I'd take a rest and carb-up and see a whoosh, but now I'm just hoping not to see too much of a gain on Saturday.

Turbo - You're right, I'm definitely motivated right now. I feel like I need to prove to myself and to everyone that I may not be some hot shot trainer, but I know how to get myself into shape better than he does. Neener neener!

I wish I could trade you poops! LOL, that sounds gross but you know what I mean; I haven't been able to STOP in the last two days. They arent' even like satisfying anymore... just tiny little bits. "Oh, you ate 4 bites of food? Lets go poop! You drank 6 cups of water? We're keeping ALLLL THE WATER!!" -- My poor body hates me.

Your cabin trip sounds like a blast! I'm really hoping that my hubby and I can get a camping trip in before he leaves. he's *supposed* to have two weeks off at the beginning of May, so that would be the perfect time for it.

That's great that you have a project to work on, and that will PAY you! Yay! Have you looked into finding a part time job anywhere since you last mentioned it?


Alexis, Dorian, Kakers, Bayzee, Maddie (AND any other lurker lookie loos we might have...(Wildflower, LockItUp, Domlacha, Pixelllate)) Hope you're all doing well today!

[Bayzee]

Hello Feathers...I woke this morning feeling sick again. Tons of congestion and runny nose is back. Soooo frustrating.

I still feel bloated...like it's my TOM, but I'm not due for a couple of weeks. I'm drinking tons of water today to see if that helps, but I honestly feel like my period is due any minute!

Anyhoooo...

Krampus...Lateral side raises, front raises and DB flys are my least favorite exercises. I am SO weak in those areas. I do 4-5 sets of only 4-5 reps for those exercises with the highest weight I can handle. I drop set as well if needed. I am trying to build strength for those exercises, so I don't worry about reps as much.

Joss...Good for you for finding a balance. I'm feeling yucky too. Everytime my calories get increased, I feel bloated. I have to talk to my coach about it. She promises me I am not eating a lot of food, but it plays havoc on me and ....the dreaded scale. It's my day off, so I lowered my calories to see how I feel tomorrow. As soon as as I have a refeed meal...I poop all day. I love it! lol!
OK...and I'm noticing tons of gains in my upper body and I don't know if I like it! My shoulders are looking like a foodtball players'! lol! A complete exageration, but I already have wide shoulders, but I swear they look beefy!

Turbo...It's nice that you are going to get paid for something you love to do. Sounds like a great opportunity.

Alexis, Dorian, Kakers, Olecat, Maddie, the bunneh sorry I missed you and I will do some catching up later tonight.

[Alexistrophic]

Joss ~ Who you callin' a lurker, man? I'm a regular who just had a busy day. :P You know, I so relate to what you're going through just now. It's those "everyday times" that tend to be the most difficult. As you say, it's a process of learning to trust yourself and your knowledge of your body. And lookit: You broke through your "ten day" on plan wall.

Krampus ~ Thanks for the monitor advice. I feel like I could do with a bit of data just now... Numbers might inspire me to keep my butt moving. No sick-getting! And lol at you smoking the 250+ lb dude in the lifting front.

Turbo ~ How exciting for the old boss writing article portion of your thesis and payment!!! Even better!!! Yay!!! And girl, whatever you're doing is working for you. From here, it just seems like you're being reasonable and consistent. These are good things.

Olehcat ~ Yuuuck about your poor friend gettin' sick. No fun, bun. Your on a great roll with the weight, though. Do you think that drinking more water would help you not retain so much water when you run? I wonder the same thing myself....

thebunneh ~ Good numbers in the new month. Yay!

Bayzee ~ Yuck for getting sick! Hydrate, rest, and take care of yourself! Lots of vitamin C and zinc!!!

~~~

Happy thursday-almost-friday, my feather friends!

Actually trying to step it up a bit and focus more at work, so late check in today. Made a ton of calls and feeling more productive and better overall, though. Slept on the floor last night (mattress is nearing the end of its days) and woke up bright-eyed, without lower back pain. Magic, I tell you.

Also stayed on target food-wise last night and got in a bit of yoga before bed. That's 3/4 days of exercise. One more day and I made my baby goal.

Children's concert (dress rehearsal) tonight, then formal concert tomorrow. It will be interesting. This is a rough program and not really suitable for kids, but oh, well. Better they learn early.

I lost the top to my fave water bottle last week and have been hunting for a replacement ever since. I've been eyeing a Bubba water jug (32 oz with a straw) but not sure it'll fit in my cup holder... $15 for a water bottle? Steap, man, but it might be good inspiration to hydrate.

[krampus]

UGH I feel ILL ILL ILL, sore throat and postnasal drip. Looks like I'm going to have to start Upper Body B next week or tomorrow morning (not terribly likely).

barfffffffffffffffff.

[TurboMammoth]

olehcat : It is so awesome that your weight keep on dropping even if you are running around being super busy... good job!! That is crazy for your friend... Hope she is feeling better!

krampus : Wow, keeping your low weight after sushis is a major WIN! I hope you won't get sick again for your cabin trip! For the paper writing, I'm going to get paid when I put a decent draft on his desk. I'm doing it the way I want though, I can take all the time I want and got no pressure.

TheBunneh : I really hope you'll see the 148 tomorrow! Sending good vibes your way!

Joss : You may not be some hot trainer (and I guess by hot trainer, a d*ck who is cutting all your fat, right!? LOL). But what is playing in your favor is that you actually DID this before... you're not trying to lose weight and get fit for the first time!! That chick know her stuff!

I have look a bit, I know where I want to drop my resume, I just need to do this actually!

Oh, and it's okay, not need to share your poop LOL Sorry to hear you're stuck with the rabbit poop now though!

I really wish you can find some time to get this camping trip with you husband! Going camping the significant other is such a great relaxing time!

Bayzee : The TOM symptoms without the TOM must be frustrating... I get so annoyed when I feel them during TOM, feeling them just like that would drive me nuuuts. Hope you're going to feel better soon!

Alexis : You are so close to your exercice goal!! No back pain after sleeping on the floor? Really? How did you do thaaat! (oh yes, you said ''magic'', I forgot ) Seriously, I slept on a matress that was loosing its air last summer with a friend; we ended up spending most of the night on the ground of the tent, and it was like sand underneath, so not that hard, but it felt you we were ran on by a truck. You have all my admiration!

Have fun at your concerts!

***

Hi ladies! It is almost friday yayy (... like the week days are bothering my housewife status, bwahaha :P). 139.2 this morning again. It is fun, everytime I come in here complaining about something (like my complaints about pooping yesterday), it all magically get solved. I scored a 3.5-4 stars poop this morning.

I hit the gym this afternoon and I had plan to do shoulder and arms but it was really hard and sucked. I think that doing all my arms the same day was maybe too much, and after the first couple of exercises, the arms got tired and I was barely able to lift anything. I ran 6k on the threadmill and was planning for a chill out 15 minutes on the bike after the weight, but because the weight training sucked, I pushed the bike to 30 minutes and broke a sweat. The only positive thing for the weight training was that I increase the deadlift weight to 40 lbs and it was still fairly easy, I'm probably increase to 45 next week.

I'm really hoping for a loss tomorrow, if I get stuck to 139.2, I will have a gain compared to last week. Ohhh well we'll see

Tonight on the menu is rolled thing pancakes with aspargus, turkey slices and light cheese inside. I love having breakfast thing as a main course

Take care ladies!