[Ilene]

"Ilene's pancake" !!! I'm really blushing I'm soooo flattered SusanB!! OMG, I'm really blushing now "Last edited by SusanB : Today at 07:44 PM. Reason: thinkin' a bout Ilene"... How sweet!

I've had a good day food wise and the last 4/6 days have been good...I haven't gone to the gym in 3 days though, unusual for me, but I'll be going tomorrow fer sure! Other than that not much else to report. The snow has stopped and today was a gorgeous sunny bright day , if I hadn't worked this afternoon I would certainly have gone out for a jog on such an awesome day!

Well I should get off here and go watch a bit of TV with DH... sooo TTFN...

[Mel]

Oh Pat! I did mean to retype that:

Happy Birthday!

Have a good one! It's still Friday afternoon there, isn't it? But probably just as dark as it is here already....

Mel

[Ilene]

I'm just going down for a glass of wine as I speak/write I will think of you Pat!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHICKIE!!

[WaterRat]

Now I'm blushing, Ilene! :lol I went to the gym, did my UBWO (and a good one it was too!) and a mile on the elliptical and a mile on the dreadmill. Then I warmed up my car so I could stop by work and pick up my flowers and fruit on the way home. It's about 10 F here (and yes Mel, dark still, but gaining every day now, back over 6 hours! )

Then home to have leftovers for dinner. Plus a celebratory glass of wine. Now I'm going to settle down and look at my new books. A good birthday all around. If the rest of being 60 could go this well. . .

[4rabbit]

Hi LWL,

Pat: HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!. [FONT=Comic Sans MS]I hope you had a marvellous day, although what I saw on the posts this was the case.
I did not check in yesterday because Iwe had to take my daughter to the hospital dfor a checkup, 2 hours drive from here. We just took the day , went with the faimly & visited some relatives in that part of the country as well. So no excercise, bad eating etc. Everone you visit wants to give you cake, choclates etc.etc. and since the kids don't want them after 1 serving I feel that at all the other visits I at least have to accept something because it is all very well meant. Still glad we do not do this often because I do not like to eat fattening and too sweet food for social reasons.

But the checkout came out well, and today I have already done my cardio: 5 mins rowing, 25 mins jogging in place and 25 mins on the stationary bike. Arm and leg are healing, so maybe next week I can lift again. Also weighed in this morning and I am still loosing weight at the snails pace of 1/2 pund a week. However, if I keep it up I will be able to get to my interim goal which is too loose 7 pounds by the end of march (my birthday).

have a good day everyone,
rabbit

[artmaker]

I just KNEW I would forget to say happy birthday on the actual b-day, Pat, I'm notorious for forgetting, as my children will tell you. Happy post birthday, and glad it was a good day.

Qadira, how is that sore spot in your groin?

Rabbit, I would not complain about a steady loss of 1/2 pound....I would be joyous!

I had a really good week...stayed on track, maintained calorie-wise, and am now trying to up my cardio burning to 300 per day. Since it's hard to find a straight hour of cardio time, since it will cramp my lifting time, that means getting on the machines at least twice a day. Well, if it works, it's worth it.

Am about to leave for the gym and then food shopping for the week. Have a great weekend all!

[ellenuw]

Happy Birthday Pat !! I guess that was why I was drinking wine last night! Yes, that was the reason. Uh hum. It was Pat's birthday, Gee now we should finish this bottle because you know it goes bad in a few days. Don't want to waste now, do we?

Rabbit - my loses have been about 1/2 pound per week and I am thrilled to pieces. I know that I am losing and changing my body and at the same time I know I am changing my habits for good. This is a slow process and I am realistic that 25 pounds a year is a good goal for me. I started much faster - 15 pounds in 3 months, then slowed to about 2 - 3 pounds a month. I made my goal last year and hope to make it this year. I know me and my body so much better and have learned a lot in the past 15 months. This has been an amazing journey.

I would have never had the confidence to walk in my gym and even ask questions a year ago. I had looked at Ballys and Golds and felt very out of place and intimidated. I also found them too crowded and the crowd we very mixed with nothing in the middle: hard core body builders or pickups. In Oct 03 I joined Curves and was hugely successful. I added "Walk Away the Pounds" as my cardio. In Mar 04 my weight stalled and I did a very good job beating myself up and assuming the problem was me. In July I found this wonderful, small gym and have not looked back. I read BFL about the same time and liked the concept but figured I needed a trainer to show me the *right* way to do it, as I was (and still am) quite frightened of injury. Hey, I wouldn't operate heavy machinery without instruction and this stuff looked pretty heavy and intimidating to me. The trainer I originally worked with was a few years older than me (she is 49) and had worked at Curves in another state. She explained to me that some women move past the resistance level the equipment is designed for but Curves does not advertise this fact. She also had concerns that the trainers are not well trained and do not understand, so push their clients to work out harder rather than smarter. Unfortunately she has moved on. I was lucky to have found her at the right time in my life. I now have a great "team" at this gym with personal trainers and class instructors in a variety of different things. I know I oculd do it on my own now, but I like the 1-on-1 and can afford it at this point in my life, so why not? I still think if it wasn't for the confidence I initially gained from Curves and WATP I would not be here today. I also am quite proud of myself for not "settling" for a chain gym because it was convenient or offering a great deal, but chosing one that would work for me. Oh, and at the end of the day the basic gym membership is $1 more per month than Golds. Ha!

[Qadira]

Originally Posted by artmaker

Qadira, how is that sore spot in your groin?

Thanks so much for asking! It still hurts, I don't know what to do about it. It's not disabling but I know something's wrong. Maybe a tendon?

I did my cardio this morning. A 30-minute walk in the hills around our house. Did I mention that we live in the high-desert country, outside a small town up in the mountains? Well, let me tell you, there's nothing more motivating than hearing a pack of coyotes whooping and hollering in the distance and then a few minutes later, hearing them whooping and hollering again... much closer. I jammed up that hill!

Happy (belated) Birthday, Pat!

I'm considering a gym. We have a bench and free weights here at home, but I can't get good hamstrings, glutes and calves with it. The leg curls are just so uncomfortable. I love the variety a gym offers... Maybe after DH gets back to work. He got laid off 2 months ago, so we've been enjoying the benefits of the current administration's economic recovery plan. Sorry.

I joined Curves, but couldn't do the fast hydraulics because of a shoulder injury. It is a great way to get moving, though! And many women wouldn't go to a place with men there.

That's it for today. (For now, anyway) Later...

[nelie]

Hi all! I hope everyone had a good start to the year. I recently got back from a 3 week stay in California. I was able to visit the gym a few times and didn't eat as badly as I could've. Anyway, I'm back and back to trying to eat right and go to the gym. I'm actually going to try Nutrisystem for a month or two just to give me a change of pace, then I'll go back to SBD.

Hope everyone is doing well

[WaterRat]

Ellen, I found the same thing at Curves. They had a great deal here when they moved into our little town, and LOTS of women joined as the only gym within 15 miles had closed. It is a good start for many women, esp if they've done no exercise at all. I was kind of between fitness episodes I had been going to the gym before it closed, doing mostly aerobics, and running outdoors weather permitting. Then I had an injury and the gym closed and my exercise became hanging out on the couch or computer. Anyway, I joined Curves and went for about 6 months. Like many, I found that after awhile I couldn't move the equipment fast enough to get the resistance high enough without sacrificing form. Plus at ours the owners hire mostly teens/early 20's "trainers" who'd rather chat with their friends than help the customers. It was a hassle to get them to change the music, or even to answer a question. The building they were in also didn't have much for a locker room/showers, though they've since built a new building which I hear is much better that way. When the gym here reopened with new owners, I was there to sign up. It still took me over a year to develop a regular routine and get into weights. Now I haven't missed a week except when I was out of town. We are going to visit family starting next Friday, but the niece we're staying with has an elliptical in her basement, and my SIL works for a physical therapist, and will arrange for us to use their equipment. Might not be ideal, but we should be able to keep up the routine.

Thanks again for all the b'day wishes. I'm still surprised some mornings to see this old(er) lady face looking back at me. I still feel about 30!

[srmb60]

I just got out of bed so have nothing to report for today but wanted to say "HI Nelie!"

And Pat ... if you feel 30 that's ok with me. Pat is 30 and that's my story!

I need to go to the store for eggs before I can have another Ilene's pancake. My chickens are taking a midwinter hiatus Store bought doesn't taste like my own.

Would someone go to my work and throw out that lovely tin of Danish Butter Cookies before I get there?

[4rabbit]

Hi Nelie,
GLAD YOU ARE BACK!!!

And SusanB: My guess is that that tin of cookies weighs 5lbs at the most ? So for you very first UBW I would say grab that tin firmly, do some curls or someting, extend the arm backwards and throw it out of the window or into the trash with one big sweep.

I am willing to bet that pound for pound you weigh much more than that tin, so catch it, bring it down and throw it out (where you cannot recover it again).

Hope this helps,
bye,
4rabbit

[ellenuw]

Qadira and Pat - thanks for your input and agreement with my Curves experience. It is comforting to hear I am not the only one. I agree with your assessment of the "trainers" and part of that I blame on Curves corporate. They do not trainer their trainers in much more than selling and basic use of the eqipment. For a large segment of the population Curves is a great idea - it gets women out fo their houses to a safe environment to actually do physical activity 3x a week. It is amazing some of the changes I saw in my fellow Curvers, mentally as well as physically. I just wish they would acknowledge there is a point for some women when they need sometihng more.

So, here is a new one to ponder. You have heard me say that my gym has had a huge loss with the moving of my first trainer. I said they really need a woman closer to 50 to work with a lot of their population on their hormonal changes due to natural aging as well as physical training. Two of thePTs have said something to the effect that working with significantly overweight customers is an additional challenge as they have never been there. They both recommended I consider looking into it, as I would been the "been there" experiece to the table, too. I have a friend that I entered into a New Years Resolution barter with - I will be her coach in getting fit and healthy and she will be my coach in writing publishable fiction. Then I ran into an old friend and her new boyfriend (also significantly overweight) and he asked me for help. Is there are trend developing? I figure this is something I need to reseach, but right now I am glowing in the satisfaction and validation of being recognized for what I have done. Hmmm

So, if you are enjoying 30 Pat, stick with it. I would rather not because I am having so much fun here in my 40s. I have not had this much fun since I was 17. I feel like I finally started living for myself in the past couple of years
instead of doing what I was "supposed" to do. I worked in Project Management for 22 years and finally realized I was not loving the work, but loving what the work allowed me to buy (I know, my priorities were really off). I quit a little over a year ago and that was when I really started down this path. I may not get a vacation 5 times a year anymore, but I also no longer wake up screaming.

Enjoy your Sunday ladies. The sun is finally out and I plan on taking advantage of it. Oh, and my cousin sent me an e-mail that it snowed in Las Vegas yesterday. I bet that was something to see!!

[srmb60]

The cookies were gone!

I'm having a little trouble with my right elbow. But, ya know what? I don't think it's weights, I think it's knitting. I just work tonight and then I'm off til Tuesday night. I think I'll leave my knitting at work and try that.

And so by elimination ... it'll be lower body that day. Today I may float or may jump on the elliptical a little later. Or I may get some more sleep. I'm actually doing a pretty good job of that this time around.

[nelie]

I realized that only exercising sporadically for the last month is costing me in soreness, which I don't mind of course but I haven't been this sore in quite a while.

I also discovered a new recipe of sorts, a whole wheat pita pizza. I was kind of surprised how much I'd like them because I really don't care for real pizza. I topped a whole wheat pita with 1/3rd can of diced tomatoes and pressed the tomatoes with the back of a spoon into the pita to create an almost even layer of tomatoes. I then sprinkled oregano, basil, salt, crushed red peppers, garlic and chopped green onions on top of the tomato layer. After that I just picked various veggies and perhaps a lean meat to put on top of that. I then added a little low fat mozarella to top it off. I put that on a pan into the oven at 400 degrees until the cheese started to brown. Depending on the toppings, it is between 200-300 calories.