I'm still here. Having some time/stress/DH health issues, but I think they're getting resolved. While I haven't been to the gym as much as I want, I'm trying to keep my eating "clean" - like the rest of you I tend to run for the kitchen to alleviate that stress. . .
Sandy, sorry to hear about your husband's job. Hope something better comes along soon.
Rabbit, glad you're crawling out of that hole. I'm right below you pushing you up - then you can reach your hand in for me, okay?
Ellen, I love reading about your workouts. Makes me smile to hear how much you like running!
Ilene, be sure to get some time for yourself. Can you do anything while your Dad is having his treatment? I know that radiation treatments themselves don't take too long, probably less time than all that driving time! Be careful on the road.
Hi to the rest of you! I'm exercising vicariously through you! I'll be back to it tomorrow or Monday I hope!
(Warning - this is VERY long post. I won't be hurt if you skip it)
Thank you all.
Sandy - sorry to hear about DH. I hope it gets easier. You know it will just take time but opportunity will appear. Meanwhile, be sure to take of yourself so you can be there for him.
Pat, Ilene, Mel - you all take care of yourselves, too through these times of stress.
Tiki - those kids are amazing. Can I borrow them? And I love "keep you eats clean and workouts dirty". When I use it I promise to give you authorship.
I need to work on defining my "off" days to include "goofing off". Yesterday I did no formal exercise, but (for those familar with DC) walked 3 times through the areas around Metro Center and Dupont Circle picking up my race packet for Sat and wedding dress shopping with a friend. Yep, ankles still hurting. Then Friend1 drove me to Friend2's house for a "girls night" and we went to see Mary Chapin Carpenter - great concert, food out of my control as the other ladies brought strombolis and wine. Maybe I needed a break like that to get me back on track(?). Came home hot, sticky and in a great mood (hmm, must of been the music or the wine - who cares?). Took a while to wind down, but finally went of to sleep with my achy ankles.
Got to the gym by 8 for a Pilates class and session with trainer. Then I took my trainer out for coffee so we could talk about my (really bad) reaction to my measurements and tried to set goals for near future. Lots of questions, but no real answers. I think a lot of this is the fact that he has never been female or unathletic or overweight. He is also relatively new to the field - probably a year to 18 months. He even mentioned that he doesn't do the calipers often enough to have the confidence that his measurements were right. On the other hand, he sure is bending over backwards to help me. I am not trying to make this his fault - it must be something I am doing wrong, either though my workouts or expectations. He feels that I have 3 issues that I am trying to work all at once: weight loss, endurance and strength training. He asked if I could only do one which would it be? Then he would work that side harder and continue the other two, but not with as much intensity. He has also offered to work with one of the other trainers (the ex-body builder who has been doing PT with overweight clients for years - and has had some amazing success) to help me establish realistic goals. I am tired, very tired, of trying to lose weight and wish I was done and in maintenance. When I went to the GYN this week she commented that it was great I had lost 20 pounds since last year. I think it sucks that it took me a year to lose 20 pounds. Oh, and I lost 5 pounds in the last 3 months. So, Mel, I would say my weight loss has slowed considerably over the past year. See the dilemma? On the other hand, I am happy that I have a few stretch marks (stomach, breasts, upper arms) and the only excess skin areas I have are on my neck and inner thighs. I do believe it is the strength training that has made that true. And (because that is not enough) the endurance is important to help me get ready for the marathon. And Hillary Swank (Million Dollar Baby)/Linda Hamilton (T2) arms would be awesome.
So, I have lots of random thoughts, but no firm plan on goals. I am thinking it makes sense to make the weight loss my first priority. The only bad thing is I know he will put me on the bike for that, but I can learn to suck that up and move forward, I guess. I don't want to give up the running and I think it would help as that is cardio - right?
I also need to get back and remember the other changes - especially to my health. I know I am much better now and out of a lot of danger areas. I like the way I look (most days) and enjoy wearing clothes in "normal" sizes. I like that "look" my husband gets on his face when he looks at me (OK, I like that a lot). So I think I have worked this out - have my trainer start to include more cardio in my training sessions but include some lifting, continue with the running 4x a week and shooting for the marathon, elliptical 1-2 times a week and keep the yoga and Pilates, just because I like them.
The other question he asked it how often we should look at measurements (weight, inches and body fat). I know the weekly weigh-ins at WW made me nutty - especially as I lose so slowly and it makes me feel like a failure. Based on my reaction to the body fat this week, quarterly may be too long. What do you do? (Ilene, I hear you - I thought the pants-o-meter was working until the calipers and scale stepped in).
Thanks for listening and reading my whines. I'm going to ice my ankles and mentally prepare for tomorrow and lay out my clothes.
I see you have all been busy this week and getting back to training (Mel and Ilene).
Ilene, I'm sorry about your father, and I hope he will get through the therapy well, I don't know what else to say, my mother went through the same (although of course not with her prostate).
Sashenka, hang in there, and don't get any nasty food in the house.
Ellen, I read your post whole and saw a lot of things I recognized. I have been working for the last year on losing weight and training at the same time. For me, many reps seem to work in combination with a lot of cardio and Aero. My main problem, however, is not training, first it's food and then my thyroid, which I have to have a good look at soon.
But the food does me in every time. I think the issues you discussed with you trainer are to the point. Apart from that: How do you keep yourself clean foodwise? My friend, an athlete, always used to say that eating is 70%, the rest is done by weights and training. Seeing how I eat and train, that's probably true.
You are on the right track in putting serious thought into the matter, so I know you will find the right answer for your own body to deal with it.
It's been a good week for me too, not as hot as in some of your hometowns, but nice enough. Training went well, food was BAAAAAAD!(PMS???).
The Chippendales turned out to be 3 Frenchies, according to my friend they were not as professional as the real thing, but basically I had to laugh so much about the local french ladies (all ages, to about 75!), all primped up and screaming hysterically in front of the stage in our local dance hall (which is painted an institutional brown and beige dating from the seventies), that I basically had too many tears in my eyes to see much detail on stage.
The rest of the week was comparatively tame, of course.
I also miss Jack, where has he gone?
DBF bought us a badminton net and two rackets, we've been playing in the garden at 23.00 at night yesterday because he wanted so badly to try it out, it felt like we were 12 again, that was fun!
No more news for now, oh, yes changed my program again as it is getting too easy FAST!
Ellen- I have a lot of thoughts about your post, which hopefully I'll gt to post later this weekend.
Hi GG!
I just got ack from the gym...2 client, then crazy cardio for me. This one was a real doozie: 2 minutes on the stairmaster at speed set at 60, then 30 seconds of pop-ups on the left leg, 30 seconds on the right leg, 30 seconds standing lunges w/ 10 lb dumbbells on left leg, 30 second on right leg, then back to stair master. Keep repeating for 40 minutes, alternating the starting leg each time. I wasn't sucking wind at the end, but there were puddles all around me that I had to mop up
Heyyy,I'm back.I haven't been lifting for like 2 weeks.It all started when I was sick for a week,and all **** broke loose.I broke every single weight loss rule and I've been inactive.And I was doing so well!I gained a couple of pounds too( I was at 155 and I'm now 158-159).I'm going to fool myself a bit and say it is intestinal contents.Yeah! Well,it could have been much worse!
Now I have to find the motivation to lift again.I will read your posts and visit stumptuous.com because that is what motivated me to start in the first place.
Did my 10K this morning. It was hot and humid, but I finished in 1:24:38 as it was my first really hot and humid day and I did not want to push it. it is all good.
Mel - I look forward to your comments. This race really did help me with crawling out of my hole. Now, the issues have not gone away, and I have made no real decisions on my goals, but I did get them back in their proper perspective by taking away some of the sabotage self-talk and realizing I could have never done something like this a year ago. Progress is not always a statistical measure. I am sorry to have been so down about all this. What a roller coaster!
Lieke - thank you for the validation. It is good to know I am not alone. The primary reason food is not too much of an issue for it is because I am wrapped really tight and have control issues I also know that I feel bad when I eat bad and really have to limit the indulgences. I also know that wine beats chocolate every time and one drink is OK but more hurts me the next day. That being said, I did "treat" myself after my run - we went out and I had a crabcake and salad (nothing wrong with that) but took limits on the other things: 6 french fries, one Bloody Mary and 2 demitasse spoons of a sinful pina colada pudding. This is living and I am willing. I remember something my WW leader said once.. "the 6th bite tastes as good as the 2nd - the first bite is always the best, then they kind of run together." So I make it a rule to stop after the 2nd bite. I know it sounds silly, but it works for me. I also do not have any convienence foods in the house, cook most of my own meals. If I want something, I have to go out and get it. Like I said, I have control issues. But the biggest thing is understanding that I make enjoy the taste of something for the moment but will pay for it over the next day. I also know that as much as I love to drink, my body does not metabolize alcohol well and it will take me 3-5 days to get back to where I was before the drink. It is about learning ourselves.
Zapphire - good to have you back, girlfirend. You know you have a place here on the treadmill next to mine. By showing up and posting, you have taken the first step to get back to your goals!
Hey, Ellen! Way to go on the 10K. Congratulations! I'm watching the Nationals/Mariners game, but I can't see you!!!
Thanks Pat - I was right there behind home plate (and three sections back). I was waving to you. Wow, my Nats are still in first place. Nothing like a home team.
hi Ilene- i hope you are still hanging in there, and I wish you strenght from here with your dad
Hi Mel - I always am absolutely amazed at your cardio workouts. No - way that I could match that intensity, but i do have 1 thing in common: after my workout ( i usually aim for 1 hour) I am dripping wet. So i think that is a good thing.
Ellenuw- congratulations on the 10k. I hope you are doing Ok on the other issues. You sound like you are in a bit of undecisive dip. Just keep hanging in while you make up your mind what goal to go for.
Sashenka - are you out there and OK ??
Tiki- LOVE your post. keep the food clean and the workout dirty. And I think you have great kids !
Pat - I feel your push in getting out of the hole. i hope you see my hand reachting out for you !!
Hi to greek girl !
All in all, we are getting reall support in the group, and I really find this very helpfull.
Excercise wise I did 7 kms on the treadmill again yesterday, and I plan to do some yoga or stretching today to get rid of a lot off muscle tension and creacking joints.
This one was a real doozie: 2 minutes on the stairmaster at speed set at 60, then 30 seconds of pop-ups on the left leg, 30 seconds on the right leg, 30 seconds standing lunges w/ 10 lb dumbbells on left leg, 30 second on right leg, then back to stair master. Keep repeating for 40 minutes, alternating the starting leg each time. I wasn't sucking wind at the end, but there were puddles all around me that I had to mop up 
