Happy Easter to everyone!!!! I made sure to get my butt to the gym this morning so that I feel a bit better about getting through the meal today ;) LOL My aunt's making her delicious potato salad.....so I needed that time in the gym since I love my aunt's potato salad ;)

Oh, HAPPY EASTER, everyone! I just love Easter!

I really love this site. I do reading on it sometimes, and I've really learned a lot about health and nutrition and perseverance! I'll go on a kick and read for a week or something and be really accountable with myself, and then I take a week off and it goes downhill. I've been good with exercising, but my eating habits have not been great. I think I really want to start posting on here and get to know you all, and be accountable to YOU as well. So I'm gonna start posting on the weekly chat :) I'm going to attempt to learn everyone's names this time, so bear with me.

SO THAT being said, short re-intro; my name is Chris, I'm 22 (soon to be 23 next month!) My screenname is Everlasting because I believe in the everlasting love that our God has for us; I know I'm loved no matter what I do, or what I look like, or what I weigh. I'm studying environmental science at university, and I graduate in December (finally, it will make my undergrad 5.5 years). Though, I work in human services with kiddos with disabilities and I LOVE it. I want to be an occupational therapist someday.

I love being active... probably addicted to exercise. BUT, I have trouble with food intake. I will go through spurts of eating almost nothing, to binging, and I really need to get it in control. I love pop, but I'm trying to cut it out and so far I'm on day 4 of that.

Chele: I love to read books at the gym. People always look at me funny, but now that you said you do it too, I'm encouraged to go again and start a new book. :)

Platform: Happy late birthday! Glad you had fun in NYC! I would just LOVE to visit that city, but I'm terrified of going by myself. Post some birthday pictures if you have some?

Samantha: You are impressively close to your goal!

Taylor: I'm totally with you on the siblings ditching. It stinks. My little sister moved out and got married without even inviting my mum to the wedding and then moved across the country and doesn't communicate with the family anymore. Let me tell you, it is stressful, and the holidays were especially!!



NOW! I'm going to make my special brownie dessert for the fellowship meal today, and do some bellydancing while it's cooking! HAVE A GOOD AFTERNOON, ladies!

Everlasting - Thanks for the Bday wishes! I will post some NYC pics in the 20 something's photo album this week. Welcome back to the chat!

Mary - I'm so glad you had fun in NYC! What a great way to celebrate your birthday.

Haley - I think I might have to try taking classes at the gym. I keep seeing this kickboxing class and it's packed! Seems interesting. And there's early morning yoga (but it's at 8am :() That's sweet that you joined the spinning world though! I'm sure you kick butt at it.

Everlasting - Welcome!

Happy easter everyone

Jess - take kickboxing. Its my absolute favorite workout. I am hoping i can go to my class tomorrow even though my finger isnt 100%. Its the sole reason I joined this other gym even though i already belong to one. I love it that much

platform - happy birthday!!! And NYC is a great way to celebrate

haley - how did weigh in go this morning?

chris - welcome! Is there a food plan that you try and follow or are you concentrating on just healthy eating in general? I have learned some great tips about food and new things to try on here and i am sure you will too.


how is it sunday already?! I guess i should clean and go for a run now before our cookout starts. Can we have a weekend do over??

Happy Easter to those who celebrate it! I just got back from my trip and it was good. Walked everywhere and got some laps in the pool. However, I just ate Easter dinner and didn't do too well. Lots of bread, lol. But back work tomorrow and back to the gym!

Alana- The sodium from my dinner last night did not make the weigh in go very well... so I guess I'll have to wait another week for onderland... boo hoo... also this easter dinner probably didnt help my case very much... its honestly been my first real off plan day in awhile and thats ok with me... last night I ate well but I hate sushi and ate late and drank a beer so I know the flucuations were bc of that

Jess- I have not a single intrest in yoga however my gym has a kickboxing class that is supposedly murder...I guess its really hard and its always full but I just dont love being on a time limit for when I need to get in the gym... keep the onderland door proped open for me...I'm trying to sneak in

Everlasting- Welcome... I only ever drink water now... I dont even think about other things...it will get easier

chinese food blew my weight last night hoping a day or two from now to get over it

Question for the runners/those that get sore muscles from working hard:

How much more water should I drink and how many days of rest? My calves are very tight and sore, I was on my feet from Wednesday to Sunday walking and standing all day (which was good for my weigh in, getting very close to being in the 150s again - I'm at 163 now). And does soaking in epsom salt affect water weight at all? We can't absorb the salt in through our pores, can we?

And my Aunt and Uncle and their kids were over for Easter dinner and we got the details ironed out for my nanny gig in the summer (thank god, a job again). AND I found out that they don't have any clubs or teams or sports things to do like they have in the past, so I get to take them down the shore allll the time! Hooray! Beach, here I come! And I'm usually very active with them in the summer, they like playing tennis and taking walks and dancing and swimming.

Happy Easter everyone. Our family decided just to go to kfc for dinner instead of cooking ok i can handle that i looked up on kfc they had a blt salad 300 calories i'm goo to go right? WRONG our kfc didnt have them so i ended up ordering a grilled sandwich which wasnt good the chicken was dry and kinda burnt on one side the wedge were cold so i guess it worked out good ididnt eat much came home had a yogurt

Happy Zombie Jesus Day!!! [Sorry if that offends you, have a sense of humor]

My eating today actually wasn't horrible. My mom made a seafood pasta salad but I talked her into making it with whole wheat pasta. I had some ham. Then I went and got some low carb ice cream which was yummmyyy...

I just feel like I'm having a major sodium hang over. I haven't drank as much water as usual today and am definitely feeling it.


I'm glad to hear everyone had a nice day!

Mary - Not that I'm much of a runner, but I have found that rest days are very important. If I do C25K one day I definitely don't do it the next. The rest days are important. Also, I was having a bit of a shin splint (not full on) the other day and rather than running I got on the elliptical instead (Stella's suggestion) and was okay with that. I usually do the treadmill + bike... even if I am sore. So I would say... take a rest day and do something with less impact.

Also, I asked my parents their opinion on the epsom salt. They concurred it would be a very minimal amount so I wouldn't worry about it. It's not like you're drinking salt water.

I'm so not ready to return to work. Tomorrow is a teacher work day though so hardly anyone will be there. WHEEEE!!!!

Everlasting - I see a lot of people reading at the gym when I'm there. Some people read while on the elliptical, which I've tried and it makes me somewhat dizzy!!! haha The exercise bike is the best way for me to read...plus, it makes the time go by a bit quicker than just watching tv or listening to music. Welcome!!! :)

Tonight is opening night for the Red Sox and part of the opening ceremonies had this little 5 year old boy reciting (from memory) the speech that Herb Brooks gave to his hockey players before they played the Soviet Union from Miracle. He changed the hockey references to all baseball/Red Sox references and it was the absolute CUTEST thing I have ever seen!!! The little kid was even dressed in a sport coat and khaki pants and his hair was parted so that he looked a bit like Herb Brooks. He said the whole thing, including the "SCREW EM!" part. The Red Sox players absolutely lost it at that point. At the end, they were all giving knuckles to the little kid. I have never giggled so much....it was just so freaking cute!!! I really hope it makes it up on Youtube at some point :)

ETA....I found it!!! haha http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkqAErSitJM

Mary - Stretch. And eat a banana or something high in potassium to prevent muscle cramps. Water is important but you don't need to drown yourself in it. I think I consume about a gallon of water a day (so I spend half of my waking time on the potty. Sad, I know). And YES to rest. I think the max for people who are training to run long distances is to run 5 days a week, but that's not saying run 8 miles every day. Usually it's 2 long days and the rest are shorter. But if you're not accustomed to running, I'd say run one day rest one day. STRETCH though. Before and after.

everlasting- I always read at the gym on the ellitpical or the stairmaster... it makes it more enjoyable and it gets in a good hour of reading

Feral - Thanks for asking about the epsom salt! Tomorrow I'm hanging at home to work on classwork so I'll take a soak with it then :) I ended up not drinking that much water today, anyway - just my usual amount.

Jess72 - I did eat a banana :) I eat one as my morning snack! And I'm not training to run lol, just sooo sore after walking all over NYC for two days and then getting ready/partying it up Friday night. I figured the runner's would know what to do lol!

I saw an April Goals thread in the forum and I've decided to aim for 3-5lbs loss in April and I've pledged to not binge this month!!!!