Hi all - congrats on getting through the first holiday - just one more and back to our 'real' lives, huh? I am ready!
Food is going well - during the day at least. All bets are off at night. I don't understand. It usually doesn;t bother me, but the cookies are screaming my name every night while we are hanging out and watching TV. I am more aware and concentrating on eating regularly and high quality protein today. If tonight is the same, all the "treats" go down the trash chute. If DH wants something he can go back to bringing it in one serving at a time, like it was before the Holidays (I'm talking Thanksgiving, unfortunately).
We had a great Christmas. It poured here, so we stayed in, cooked a lovely dinner and had a marathon of "Desperate Housewives" Season 1 (we missed it live). The day after we went to Balto and saw my Mom, my niece and her father's side of the family. After, I was ready to come to my nice quiet home and finish Season 1 of those ladies of Wiseria La. What a hoot!
Today we went to Costco (my first time back since pre-TG), so that was both my cardio and lifitng for today. I am not sure what was worse, the shopping tiself or the putting away.
My exercise is going well - mostly cardio this week and my regular Pilates session. Have one weight workout scheduled for Fri. Then back to yoga next week and a full weight workout the following week. I am concentrating on getting back to cardio 5-6 days and a "something else" 5 days. The game plan seems to be yoga 2x a week, weights 2x a week and Pilates 1x a week with "long walks" (what used to be my long runs) on Sat. I'll see how it goes. Fatigue is better, but still not where it should be. Leg pain is just pissing me off now. I see the MS Specialist in Feb, and I will probably still not get a formal diagnosis until another "flare" unless they find somehing else.
And I got BFFM as a gift - just finished printing out and I look forward to reading it. Thanks for the suggestion. My food choices will be getting better and better. Also got the new Santana CD - love it!
2006 is all about being as strong and healthy as I can be, and face all the physcial and emotional challenges from a position of strength and grace. No numbers this year, but I will use Ilene's "pants-o-meter" and keep trying to trade for the smaller model every few months. I have also agreed to be an assistant coach for DCFIT next year and will work with midpack walkers who's goal is a half marathon. How cool is that? What are your goals for next year?
Hi all! I had a great Christmas! Courtesy of stomach bug as well as some great forward planning by dh and myself, I have managed to stay on plan and lose weight over the holidays! hence the chicken avatar. My plateau lasted so long, I thought I deserved to acknowledge the work I did this year.
My goals for this year are:
to learn new ways to exercise
to do things I never would have done before, like hiking, rafting and horse riding now I can't use weight as an excuse
to keep making good food choices
to stay positive
to keep being the best me I can be
The main thing I want to do is start yoga. The main reason for this is now that my body shape has changed so much, I am starting to feel a bit disconnected with where I am at. And that is worrying, because that is how I got so fat in the first place - that I didn't feel connected with my body and it felt like the weight gain was happening to someone else. The weight training certainly helps a bit with that, but I feel I need something more. We are having a big yoga expo in April in Manchester and thought I'd go and check out all the styles and whats on offer!
You all sounds like you are doing wonderfully Thanks for the push, Pat, Rabbit and 2F I'm well into day 2 clean eats and not craving junk nearly as badly. We are goin out tonight for sushi, but I consider that 99% clean, anyway.
I did a "trash the legs" workout today, finally getting back to the strength numbers of a few months ago. And I reracked my own plates
Tomorrow dd and I are supposed to go skiing in the Poconos, but of course the ONE day I take off work, and it's supposed to rain We'll probably get up early and reassess the weather. I was really looking forward to it. Of course, my legs may be sore sore I won't be able to ski If we can't go tomorrow, she's here until next week, so I may play hookie and try again. For some reason, it's getting progressively warmer here, tho.
My goal for the next few months is to get back to the strength levels and pants size that I had 2-3 months ago I'm staying off the scale- but I know it's bad now. The pants-o-meter is very effective since I have jeans in tight-medium-loose versions of three different sizes in my closet
Things are going well here. I went to the gymn on Christmas Eve and have been twice since. We did some good forward planning as well and I've been eating pretty clean. I don't seem to like much sugar or fat at the moment. And chocolate - only if it's very, very good stuff. I haven't drunk much at all as it seems to make my tummy hurt. And the best bit was going to a party and eating nothing at all. I stashed the horrible birthday cake behind some Christmas cards. Yes, I am truly virtuous and the party gear I bought in early December is looking a bit loose! The scales are still playing the game too but I expect them to rebel soon. (I think that's the kind of personality they have: they play along for a bit and then they just simply can't be bothered.)
Well, we're out of the holiday woods and there are just a few trees left. Then we're out onto the gentle downward slope of the meadow. Sunshine and flowers all the way.
Good to hear from you all. And rabbit: ace work with the car!
Ah, must be close to New Year's, everyone's setting goals! And I'm right there with you...
In addition to raquetball with DH, the upgrade in our gym membership will let me take classes too. There is a yoga class I'll try (though, I like the yoga studio where I've gone before) as well as some aerobics I'd like to do for some cardio variety. My real goal though, besides losing weight, is to get back to running and/or distance biking. At this weight, the biking is a better bet, but with some consistency in the cardio and clean eating I can be enough lower in weight to do some running again. The HS track here is made of some really nice material which isn't too hard on your legs. In addition, they have a developed trail through the grounds of the campus - and it's all 1/2 mile down a bike trail from the gym! I ran there with a running group a few years back. Very nice.
We are going on a trip to the National Parks in Utah at the end of April, and I really want to be in good shape for that. I know that the altitude will slow me down, but I want to be the best I can. This trip, btw, is the complete opposite of our England trip last spring. This is an Elderhostel trip, complete with lectures, etc in the evenings. But, you show up at the start, and they have taken care of the lodging, meals, transportation, luggage, etc. You just go along and enjoy. There is a fair bit of hiking involved though.
Ellen, your attitude continues to impress me. Glad you had a nice holiday, and keep up the good work!
Hiya ladies! I think I'm going to have my Dh check my measurements again (I can't seem to do it myself on certain parts, especially arms, so it's easier to just have him do it). I'm a little scared. I did measure my thigh today, and if I did it in the same spot he measured last time (on Dec. 2), my thigh has gotten an inch bigger! Yikes! Great that I'm building muscle, but the fat is just hanging on.
My goal for the new year will be to keep up my exercise routine--at least 4 days of exercise a week, preferably more. Dh and I are trying to conceive, so I hate to set a goal of anything like losing weight or even pants sizes and then get pregnant and have that all go out the window (though I won't mind a bit), so I think I'll just stick with the quantity of exercise.
I'm adding free weights to my gym workout little by little. I like using dumbbells, at least, so I'm trying to do more with those. There are so many exercises to do, and not enough time to do them, it seems!
I guess I'm still trying to get back on the clean eating wagon. I am such a stress eater and having family houseguests for over a week equals stress for me. Plus DH is home from work so there really are just too many people in too small a space for too long (there's me, DH, DS-2 yrs, my mom, and my neice - 6 yrs all cooped up in the rain together). We took everybody to see King Kong today but the kids cannot stop whining or picking on eachother which sets DH on edge and it all trickles down from there.
I have been doing well exercising. I did a great upper body workout yesterday and I am Uber sore today. Today I worked out abs and 45 min on the elliptical machine. I'm hoping to burn off some of the extra calories that I just cannot keep myself from eating. I can't wait until the fam goes home and life goes back to normal.
Here is rabbit still on christmas holiday. Clean eating is failing me. I bought a can of whipped cream as a treat for my son... and he is staying with a friend so guess who was on to the whipped cream ??? I really should not buy stuff that I find good to eat. If its there, and I have a holiday, the stuff is screaming at me: take me, you have deserved it!!!. Oh wel, I don't dare to look at the scale right now, and I know I will be in this mode untill thursday next week.... Then I start work again.
One good thing though is that this morning I did my fourth CD of the stress clinics program, and it is another Yoga one. I really felt I needed it as I was still stressed out from the whole car buying experience. But the yoga was good. I stretched all kind of muscles in my back and neck that I had not even realised were there. But they were, and they were totally in need of stretching.
I have read all your new years resolutions... wow. I don't have real resolutions, except for cleaning up this mess that XH has got me and the kids in. I guess that will occupy me for the first half of 2006. Then, holiday to california with my kids. After that ??? I have no idea. But I do want to bring back regular excercise into my life and shape up the meditation thing. I tend to let other things take priority and that does not do for the long run.
Pat - how exciting to go and do raquetball... it seems to be so fast moving!
Mel - I hope you will get to your skiing. Overhere we are having snow for the 2nd or 3rd time this year. It's terrifiiing! Of course normally we do not have winter tires so if there is any snow at all it makes a traffic chaos at once. I have heard though that other parts of europe are much worse. And I had to laugh when I read that you at least do manage to rerack your plates after lifting!
2F, silverbirch - keep up the good work Laydees!
Ellen - Glad to hear you are still hanging in here. What is BFFM though ?
Good morning from a wozzy rabbit. My head is full off cotton wool, and i feel like a zombie with a stomach ache. I have to remember NOt to eat whipped cream & rich and sugary foods - thay always make me feel totally lousy.
Hopefully a session with my yogaCD will clear my head a bit. For the rest, I'm drinking lots and lots of hot water. The only thing I'm sure will not upset my stomach any more.
I bought 4 25lbs plates yesterday! DF helped me carry them home, although my arms are less sore than his today! I thought they were 20lbs (they only said the metric in the catalogue) but when I got them out it turns out they're quite heavy! Ones for the barbell I think!
Having a rubbish evening time like ellen this past couple of days. And to top it all it's snowing so I won't be going out for a run today. I'm going to use those 25 pounders though!
Off to Tescos to buy the good stuff today since I inhaled the last of the biscuits last night I just have to restock with fruit and veg!
rabbit, I hope you can 'sleep" this off and feel better soon. It wasn't until I started honestly changing my life and eating well and exercising regularly that I learned you could get a hangover from food. My heart goes out to you {hugs}. Really, I think I spent over 30 years in a 'food hangover' and thought that feeling was awful, but normal. You will get through this and stronger for the next battle of whipped cream. Just add it to the "Lessons Learned (Again)" column, and move forward. Mine has run off the page and is starting to become a book
Speaking of whipped cream, I have been invited to a New Year's Eve party. My friend wants to celebrate something from each time zone. I volunteered to channel my inner French girl and bring the Yule Log or Bucnel Noel (hope I spelled that right). It is a jelly roll with wonderful cream and rasberry jam inside and chocolate on top, shaped and decorated like a log. It is sinfully delicious and I am glad to leave it at her house ... but it goes so wonderfully with champagne and is tastier than Southern US black Eyed Peas, KWIM.
Today is my first workout with my new trainer, and owner of my gym. DH was still moaning yesterday from his workout on Wed. We ran into the new trainer yesterday and he kept mumbling something about going to the next level. Yikes!!
BFFM is an e-book, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. A number of ladies here and on the maintenance side recommended it. This is the year I work on tweaking my diet (without getting too crazy - I can get very tied up in numbers and am trying to relax - remember resolution, self - no concrete numbers - feel better and healthier. rats, not even the 1st yet and already having problems with that one...)
You should have seen me at Costco. It was the first time my husband had been shopping with me in a very long time. Even though the cart was full, I kept putting more stuff back as I read the labels of what he was picking - no hydronated oils, no high fructose corn syrup, how many grams of sugar in a serving? You get the picture. He said I should start a business, or at least a website of products by beand name that get my "stamp" of approval. I told him it already exists on 3FC!!
Have a great day...get your plans in place for the new year ... we are her together and will make 2006 our best year ever.
DH will not go shopping with me! I normally go to our fresh market, and buy raw materials, but if I go to the supermarket, it takes ages!!! I don't know if the US labelling laws are better than ours, but labelling is so unclear here, it's annoying! I am still used to Aussie labelling which seems a bit easier to comprehend. Aussie's are generally more health concious than Brits! (there's my first sweeping generalisation of the day!)
I have been to the gym at lunch time, that's three days this week. Cardio today, it was really fun. I am so lucky to have a gym at work, and I have a brand new gym buddy.
Four hours to go and then I can go home, it is so quiet at work, it's driving me crazy! (remind me I said that when it goes mad next week and I have no time to think.)
Aussie's are generally more health concious than Brits! (there's my first sweeping generalisation of the day!)
You're allowed two more and then that will be QUITE ENOUGH, thank you!
Good stuff in the supermarket, Ellen. Christmas really showed me how very little it takes now to make me feel quite poorly. (I didn't get as far as a food hangover, thank goodness.)
Rabbit, hope you feel better now. I like hot water too. Are you snowed in yet?
Good work with the plates, 2F.
Anvy - I feel for you with all those people in a small space. It's tiny here and we're always tripping over one another. It was a bit challenging tonight with the Man ironing, the Boy (5 yrs) pretending to be either a chimpanzee or a macaque (we went to the zoo yesterday) and me just trying to tidy up a bit and also have a quiet time with a book. Too many moving parts!
Hullo hellcat and Water Rat!
Back, biceps and treadmill intervals today. Gymn is still packed with visitors and people off on holiday.
2006 is going to be our year. I feel it in my muscles. (Oh, yes! My abs twitched on the way to the gymn today. I think it was in pleasurable excitement!)
Finished off the last of the "not so good" chocolates last night so I really don't think there's anything decent left to scoff in the evenings! PLUS we'll be out tonight, so no more evening binges for the rest of the year!
Going to be an for a week then it's my birthday! I have half of the chocolate log (in the freezer) for a cake and I've saved half the "nice" chocolates for then too!
I'm really really REALLY going to try this year. I've been asked to teach a kickboxing class on a Monday night as well as go to the Tuesday and Thursday classes. I'm really going to focus on my fitness, getting my running up to scratch and fitting in all my scheduled workouts and stretching. Food will fall into place since it looks like I'll be too busy to eat!
Happy New Year everyone, let's make this year the last as "losers" (for those of us who still are losers )
I'm over my food hangover !!! As you say Ellen, another lesson learned.
2F - I'm with you! 2006 is going to be my year!!
Hi to all the others, and a happy new year to all of you!
I'll tidy up the house a bit, feed the animals and then I'm off to a new years party. Fortunately the snow has stopped and no traffic problems are expected for today or tomorrow.
Thanks for the push, Pat, Rabbit and 2F 
I'm well into day 2 clean eats and not craving junk nearly as badly. We are goin out tonight for sushi, but I consider that 99% clean, anyway.
We'll probably get up early and reassess the weather. I was really looking forward to it. Of course, my legs may be sore sore I won't be able to ski 
If we can't go tomorrow, she's here until next week, so I may play hookie and try again. For some reason, it's getting progressively warmer here, tho.
I'm staying off the scale- but I know it's bad now. The pants-o-meter is very effective since I have jeans in tight-medium-loose versions of three different sizes in my closet 
Silverbirch and Mel, and the rest of you.
I thought they were 20lbs (they only said the metric in the catalogue) but when I got them out it turns out they're quite heavy! 
:
for a week then it's my birthday! I have half of the chocolate log (in the freezer) for a cake and I've saved half the "nice" chocolates for then too!
I'm really going to focus on my fitness, getting my running up to scratch and fitting in all my scheduled workouts and stretching. Food will fall into place since it looks like I'll be too busy to eat! 