Weekly Chatting Thread 2/22-2/28
 

Hey guys - hope everyone is prepared for another week. I have a feeling I'm going to be REALLY busy this week. Hopefully, I'll have the strength to stay on plan. BUT I went to an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet (and I was HUNGRY) this weekend and stayed on plan. Amazing. It's starting to look a lot like spring!

I think this is going to be a pretty crazy week for me, too. Lots of stuff needs to get done for school before spring break and the weeks are dwindling! I have a paper and a presentation due next week.

I've got to make more time for exercising, I'm really falling short of my cross-training goals. I'm getting the running mileage I should be, but I need to be more consistent about cross training so that my overall physical condition can keep up with the demands that my training schedule puts on my body. The long run for this past weekend was 6 miles, which I made it through relatively problem free. Next weekend is 7 miles, so I'm going to try to start running outside. 70+ minutes is more time than I really want to spend on the treadmill in one day. I know it's harder to run outside, but I've realized that if I take it slow and take little walking breaks to drink water, my body can accomplish more than I ever suspected.

I'm trying to keep a positive attitude, I've told people that I'm training to run a half-marathon, so I've got to keep believing that I can accomplish this goal. Now I just need to go shopping for some gear to make outdoor running more comfortable.

Yeah, school is definately roaring to an end. I hate this time of the term. I just got back from a WONDERFUL long run outside. I love the Pacific Northwest, it's just beautiful! My city has a really wonderful trail system running through it and I just got on the trail today and ran for what seemed like forever! It was wonderful. I was out so long I had to catch a bus to get back home before it got dark outside. I just got caught up in it... gorgeous!

Wow! Look at all the runners! I'm so impressed by you both! I hope to be like you someday. :D

What do you know? I've got a busy week at work, too. My boss is really big on procastinating, so there is always a huge rush at deadline. I've found out that I work fairly well under pressure, though. It's a good thing, too!

I had a really OP weekend. I got in lots of exercise and ate really well. I hope it pays off on the scale tomorrow at weigh-in. I've had some stressful things going on, and instead of eating like a maniac, I've been more focused than ever. Maybe because that's the one area of my life I can actually control at the moment... :dizzy:

I hope everyone has a great week!

Take care,
Jina

It seems as though everyone is very busy this week and I will add my name to that list!

I've got a conference paper deadline in March and its gonna be a race to the finish. I'm going to do my best to keep exercising since I just started to get in the groove again.

My eating was bad this weekend (went out twice), but oh well. I am just trying to get back into the groove of exercising 5 days a week. Then I will tackle my eating. That plan worked for me in the past, so I will try it again.

Ok, back to work!

hello, all! i'm still around, just haven't been here in a few days. but surprisingly, it's not because i've been bad! i'm totally on plan! complete with achy legs and butt from the workout video i did yesterday. i'm just finding it difficult to do everything on the computer in the amount of time i have. which is better than being all caught up on here but having no time to workout or prepare healthy meals, right? right!

anyways, i weigh on wednesday, and i don't expect it to be a great number because six days of good eating can't undo a whole month. but after that, the numbers will begin to go down again.

holly - Hiya! I just browsed your website. I musta forgot or something, but you majored in computer science? Thats so cool! I'm also a geek :)

I'm going against the flow. My week isn't so busy, but I do feel as if I'm about ready to fall off the wagon. Yesterday I had a HUGE lunch at my Grandma's (healthy, but still way too much) I ate out for dinner last night and for lunch today. I've got the winter blahs and I'm ready for spring. So, I'm not in the best of moods (and I'm sure PMS has nothing to do with it--yeah, sure...) I just want to give in. Help!!! I'm trying to keep sight of my goals! I really want to wear a certain dress to a friends wedding in June I guess that's my first major goal. That will have to take off 15 lbs. I reread my April 1 challenge and I'm not so sure I'm going to make it. =( It's a lot closer than I think. I really have to bump up my cardio. I wish I could run as much as some of you do. I guess I should start small first. Thanks for letting me vent!

Tanya & Holly, you both have great sites! It's fun to know more about you both! Good luck with the wedding Tanya & enjoy every minute of it. It flies by!

dee - Thanks! I'm having fun planning the wedding despite the stress :)
As far as your April challenge being too ambitious.. I think thats sorta good. It pushses you to work really hard. Deep down inside you know whats realistic, so when you reach the end of the challenge and have done better then whats realistic but not what your goal was.. you will be very happy. But above all, just keep working hard. You are doing great! You will lose those 15 pounds before June. Thats a very realtisitc goal.

My April 1 Goal is VERY ambitious - but I pledged to reward myself with a session with a personal trainer if I get there. There's really only 5 weeks until then, but making the goal very challenging helps to keep me more on track then ever! I weigh in Wednesday, and I'll be happy if I'm at 215 (which is VERY possible, even likely - I've lost 2 lbs./week steadily for awhile) - that'll put me at a 3 lb. loss per week. High - but not impossible. And if I'm at 205 on April 1 - no big deal. I'll keep truckin' and reward myself when I do get to onederland.

Jenicra - I think that's a good attitude to have about goals - work hard to achieve them but don't stop working if you don't. Sometimes I get so frustrated when I don't accomplish what I wanted to that it's hard not to give up.

So, I turned my paper in but still have to get ready for a presentation, which is nerve wracking. I don't mind public speaking at all (law school would be pretty horrifying if I couldn't deal with speaking in front of groups) but it's a group project and I don't feel as though I can rely on everyone to get their work done.

Time for bed, I'm going to get up and go for a run tomorrow. I'm pretty stressed and I think that will make me feel better.

hey gang! I am alittle upset this week because I keep gaining and losing the same 2 lbs.
I wanted to ask yall

When taking your measurements for your hips; Do you lift your stomach if its hanging the same length to ur hips or do u measure your hips around the stomach?

I'm not sure what I was thinking by then.. but I found myself setting goals according to friends' weights..
like : "okay, the next goal is to weigh the same/less than [insert a friend's name here], after that.. [another friend], and finally [yet another]."

somehow I like it that way ^^; competitive nature?

Happy Mardi Gras to everyone celebrating! We do a party at school (I teach preschool) and the kids get pretty jazzed about the whole thing...beads & all! It was a fun, though hectic, day.
Just wanted to check in & say hey to everyone....hope this week's going great! Mine is going great for the first time in a long time! It feels good! (-;

Lynnie: Sorry to hear that you're battling those same two pounds. It feels like I've been the same weight for months now! It can get frustrating. But, I figure as long as you're still making positive changes, your body will eventually cooperate and drop pounds. Just keep at it! As for measuring, I'm not sure... :?: I'm not good at it. I'm never sure that I'm measuring the exact same way each time. Maybe someone else can help you out.

Jen: It's good to hear things are going great for you!

Things are going well here, too. I lost 2.5 pounds this week, and I've been keeping at jogging. I'm still only jogging 1/4 of a mile, but it is getting easier. Exercise in general is definitely a habit for me now. I feel like I'm missing something in my day if I don't exercise.

I hope everyone is having a great week!

Take care,
Jina

Jina - I know what you mean. I always dread exercising, but once I start and when I'm done, I love it.

jen & Jina - Right now, I feel the same way about exercising. I have to drag myself there but afterwards I am so glad i went. I hope to get back to the stage where I actually enjoy it, but I need to reduce the stress in my life. But that won't happen for awhile.

i just go right around my lower belly. hey, it's gonna shrink out of there sometime!

Today is Day 7 of staying on plan 99% - I had about 1700 cals. Saturday, but that was my only discretion (and that wasn't a huge deal). I am so proud of myself! And it definately paid off at the scales.

my weigh-in was bad. up 4 pounds for the month. argh.

david's promised to kick my butt when he can. i've promised to actually start counting, like i've been doing these last 5 days.

and i'm back to weighing weekly. i am just not accountable monthly.

i feel bad right now. i feel like none of my clothes fit (they do) and that i look HUGE (i don't, no more so than before). it's a blow to my self image and i will have to work to get it back. but i will.

Holly - I know that right now you feel bad, but weight doesn't all come back overnight. So don't worry. You are bound to have ups and downs along this journey, but you are making all the right decisions to stay on track. So just remember you are in this for the long run and that you are determined to succeed even though things seem very tough right now.
I hope you feel better.

Jen - You are doing great!!! I had a mini binge last night. Ate too many carbs (popcorn and crackers). Oh well. I think it was related to TOM.

Holly - Keep your head up - those 4 lbs. can be off in 2 weeks. No worries. You're already on the right track... if you can't be accountable for a monthly weigh-in than you've realized that you've got to change your habits. And it sounds like you're already well on your way to doing so. :grouphug:

Yes, yes, yes! I ate pizza responsibly last night (2 slices). :cool: I tried to pawn the leftovers off on my friend, but no dice. So I came home with 3 more slices. It called to me today at lunch. I ate one. I ate another. And you know what I did with the third one? THREW IT AWAY! :cb: Hurrah for responsible indulgences! :T

Holly: With the changes you're making, those four pounds will come off sooner than you think. You can do it!

Jenicra: WOW! That is awesome. I absolutely love pizza! I don't know that I would have the restraint that you did. Great job! :cb:

Jenicra you ROCK!!!! Now it's my turn. For dinner tonight I've got a meeting and there will be pizza. Pizza is my downfall! I seriously could eat it everyday of the week! I'm proud of you that you threw away the rest of it. I'm just getting in to the mindset that it's better for me to throw away or pawn off food to others than to "clear my plate" just because it's there. I'll let you know how many I eat. (Now that I know I'm accountable, I think I'll be less tempted to pig)

Sounds like you ladies are making some smart decisions these days. (-; I agree, Holly, you will take care of those extra pounds before long! I know it is a tough place to be; been there myself the past couple weeks. You can do it, though.

Helloooooooo everybody!

Everybody seems to be in a good mood! I'm glad!

Just wanted to let everybody know that I am about to throw all those report cards out the window...They are due Monday and I am way behind. Will I survive???

Besides that I am having a great week! Can't wait for April first!!! I am so into that challenge! 160, here I come!!!

Sacha

Has anyone noticed that they lose weight really unevenly? I was looking at this little notebook that I've been keeping with my measurements and weight. I haven't updated it in a year, but a year ago I was about 10 pounds heavier and most of my measurements were 1 inch larger.

I know it's not much, but I was just working on maintaining for most of the year, didn't actually move the goal weight down to 125 until the end of September/beginning of October.

Anyway, my upper thighs? Have not shrunk a fraction of an inch. The rest of my body is shrinking away slowly, even the lower half of my thighs, the upper thighs seem destined to stay flabby. I do plenty of lower body strength work - squats, lunges, leg presses, inner and outer thigh machines, calf raises, hamstring curls, etc. I have nice muscles in that area, it's just covered with jiggly fat that will not leave.

I know I should just keep up the good work, it's just frustrating. I have to wear fitted pants in a size larger than my hips and waist need just to cram the thighs in. I'm going to keep running, if anything will budge all the fat, a half-marathon's got to help.

I did bad :( no workout for me today and I had ice cream. Oh well, tomorrow I will work out..

If I don't I give you permission to kick my butt.

Noooo! I did bad! :nono: I ate 4 peices of pizza last night, they were relatively small, but it was quite unnecessary to eat 4 of them.:(

I haven't been watching what I eat. I really need to get back on track and plan out everything I'm going to eat. I know I eat okay when I do that.

I am now committed to start again. :cool:

Sacha: No throwing report cards out the window! :D

Tonic: Hopefully, I don't have to give a butt kicking! :lol:

Katia: I've still got about 30 pounds to lose, but I'm almost scared about getting close to goal, if that makes any sense. What if I'm still not happy with my body? What if some of this fat never goes away? What if we keep working hard, and we still can't see the progress that we want to see? I really don't have an answer to your question. I guess like you said, all you can do is keep working hard. I would definitely think running a half-marathon would do some serious work on your thighs! By the way, I am so impressed that you're doing that -- it's amazing!

Dee: That's OK about the pizza. I think the key is realizing you overate and make changes to not let it happen that often. You'll do great!

Things have been going great here. I've been exercising and eating healthy all week, and it feels fabulous! And, I think these healthy choices are becoming habits, which is wonderful news! I actually *love* exercising now. That is a huge change for me.

My dad is coming to visit this weekend, so I've been busy cleaning. It will be a fun weekend. Too short, though! I think they all are, though. :(

Hope everyone is doing well!

Take care,
Jina

i peeked today. it said 187, so maybe 2 of those pounds yesterday were bloat or something. at least there's less fat to go now!

Dee: 4 pieces isn't too bad, really. Especially if they were small. But you're right, indulgences like that have to be worked into your usual food program, not added right on top! :)
Jina: I'm so excited that you have started to love exercising! I hope I can get there sometime soon - sometimes I look forward to it, but not always, and I'm always ALWAYS glad when I do it.
Holly: Happy to hear that your weigh-in yesterday was temporary. That's always nice, huh? Maybe those 2 other oounds are water weight too and you'll lose them easily as well? We can always hope!

Today is a crazy day! I work at the newspaper this morning (I should SO be getting ready right now), then I have a French test (C'est vrai!), then I zip over to my other job, then race up to Portland (shout-out to StarPrincess! :) It's a 2.5 hr. drive.) for our catering meeting. Yikes! And I have a little bit of homework to do tonight before I get to sleep. I'm tired already.

Jina - That's exactly the way I'm feeling - I'm getting nervous because I'm finally really close seeing what my goal looks like and my body is still not where I want it to be. I don't want to set my goal lower because apart from these isolated fatty areas, the rest of my body is in pretty good shape. I know all this work wasn't wasted because I am a lot healthier as a result, I just had a mental image of what "goal" would look like (and I'm only 5 pounds away as of this morning - 130.0 on the scale) and I'm afraid that I'll never get there.

I'm so excited! The baby I've been watching for the last 6+ months just started crawling today! Oh, he's sooooo cute! I love it!

Sounds like most everyone's having a good, if busy, day! I have been blessed with a snow day today, so I got to stay at home. And, it actually snowed (here in SC it's more often ice or sleet). It's so pretty!
Congrats on the 2 lbs, Holly--that must be a helpful relief. (-; The rest will come, I know it!
Sacha--I hope the report cards don't eat you alive! You can finish 'em--and what a relief it will be when they're done, I bet.
Have a great night all--I plan to stay in & cozy up with my DH!

Good morning!

What a great day it is...I am visiting my parents, my dog and my cat this weekend! My fiancé and I are going to a motorcycle show on Saturday...Can't wait to try a new jacket because the one from last summer is way too big now!

Jen --- Do you have a March break/Spring break?

Jina --- Since you seem to be a reality TV fanatic like me, do you watch Amrican Idol? I am addicted to that show man!

Sacha

Hey, Sacha! Glad you're having a great day and are in for a great weekend! Are the report cards causing you any more trouble?

My only reality TV vice is "The Bachelorette/The Bahelor." I really don't watch TV much, but I can't miss that show. Sad, I know...

Hope everyone has a great Friday and a wonderful weekend!

Take care,
Jina

oooh bachelorette, i watched that. did you like the guy she picked jina? i didn't. :( i wanted her to pick the other one!

did pretty good yesterday, but my boss, the bank, and traffic lights made me miss that yoga class i was so excited about. i hadn't packed tennis shows, so i couldn't really do anything else at the gym. i was all mad and i went home. but i forced myself to do my yoga dvd, so i got some exercise/stretching. and today i'm going to the gym for a normal workout. not sure if it will be UB or LB.

and eating? by fitday's count: 1359. not bad! yay.