Good afternoon all,
It's after lunch and I'm psyching myself up to do more time on the treadmill, at least 30 mins. I put in the exercise DVD from **** this morning and managed to go through the 30 mins in just a little over. I'm still pausing it during the push-up phase. I'll have to look at the old post, but I think I did more today. I did the 8 in the first section, 10 in the second section, and I did the 7-7-7 in the last section. I also did more full push-ups, mostly because my knees don't do well with the other kind. I followed it up with a nice 30 mins on the treadmill and then stopped for lunch. I'll have to push myself later to do more on the treadmill.
The weather here is cold, but sunny. I can always put up with the cold weather as long as the sun is shining. Strangely I think we actually do get a lot of sun in the winter, which helps. I'm planning to take a drive to Vineland next week (about 30 mins away) which in the summer is always a beautiful trip. We're actually running out of canned fruit, probably because I'm using it more (instead of junk). The place we buy our pitted cherries from during the summer also sells frozen during the rest of the year. I called them this week and they do have some so we'll stock up on sour and sweet cherries. I'll have to check the price on peaches, since the canned ones we get at Costco are pretty cheap. However, they're the only part of the fruit salad I make that has added sugar. Although one out of five fruits isn't bad.
Annie - sorry to hear about your company losing the contract. I suppose the only good thing about it is that you're not having the weekend training. It's rough when companies are so sure of things that fall through. I agree with you though, asking for a review when you're fourth isn't likely going to yield anything.
Carol - that's probably a good decision about the chocolate. I ended up getting one foil-wrapped heart from a neighbour. She was going to buy me something else, but my mother stopped her. I know I'm not at that place (and my never be) where a box of chocolates isn't an excuse to eat them all within 24-hours. The rock was a very cool present.
Heatherdw - glad you had a good dinner out. I wouldn't worry too much. Your rapid loss during your illness was likely a little dehydration, so it may take a week or so to settle out and find your real loss. I once lost 20 pounds in 17 days during a hospital stay. Once home I tried valiantly to hold onto the loss, but a month later I'd only kept about 5 of it off. It's more important that you're feeling better.
Torister - water does seem to find it's way in doesn't it. We have so much piled up snow here that I'm not looking forward to spring. No, hang on, I'll mop up the water if it comes, let Spring come!
Dmpls - very nice picture of you with the dog. I hope your husband is doing better (I've still got a page of thread to go so maybe you've already said). Sorry you're not doing well yourself. That's the one good thing this winter, I've avoiding getting sick. I probably shouldn't have said that out loud. Also, if the ice cream was rich it could just be a shock to your system. I was amazed the first time that happened to me. I don't remember a lot about my father when he was first diagnosed with diabetes, but my mother said when she put him on the recommended diet that she lost weight as well. My father didn't deal well with it and cheated constantly. Doctor visits are so important though. My father used to avoid going as his sugar was always up (he should have been on insulin much earlier than he was, since he could not control it with diet and pills). Hopefully the fact that you had already started changing your eating that this will make the transition easier.
Julee - I'm sorry about the comments. The internet has one good thing and it's also a bad thing - you can say anything. It means you can bare your soul or be an idiot. Don't let the idiot get you down... remember you have the 50,000 win! The book sounds interesting. I try and do some of that with my favourites. I like lasagne, but my regular recipe was somewhere in the 800 calorie range. I worked with turkey and light cheeses and came up with a 500 calorie option, for the same serving size.
CatherineM - sounds like you had a good dinner. Group dinners, no matter how good, are often more bland. I suppose they cook to the more common palate. And I agree, a lot of Canadians like a British style of cooking. I'm lucky that my mother never did (even though she's British). I'm very envious of the swimming, and I made myself a promise - that when we open our pool in April that I'll use it for exercising, not just a little light swimming. And I hate to say that I kind of share your bias from someone trying to lose 30 or 40 pounds. It doesn't make what they have to say less valid, but I sometimes feel that they don't get it. I've had this same issue with my mother at times, who at her heaviest was only 40 or so pounds over her ideal weight. Even now when she's just at the high side of a normal BMI she can eat candy along with her usual food. It's just that she can buy 3 or 4 bags a week and portion it out. She may still not understand that I'm just not that way.
Debbie - congrats on the loss. I'm slightly optimistic that I might have stopped my pause, but only slightly. I'm sorry you feel that your son is willing to cut himself off. I will just say that you never know. It might be a while, but it may change for the better.
Rainbowsmiles - it sounds like you had a lovely Valentine's Day. On the tracking of the exercise, I just log it in FitDay. I used to keep a spreadsheet though (as I used to do most of it away from the house). The only thing I really try and watch is that I'm getting my heart rate high enough with the treadmill. You get used to a specific routine and suddenly you find your heart rate isn't up as high as it was. Of course, if more honest, there's no sweat dripping down my back either. Maybe once the pool is open I'll have to set up a chart, for what I'm going to do each day, but for now it's just 60-90 mins on the treadmill, and 15 (sometimes 30) of something else. Sunday is the rest day. Although when I look at the things I've mentally decided need doing this Sunday... it's more like a 'no scheduled exercise' day. Oh, and about the weighing/measuring, I pretty much do that (and probably always will). When I'm making pasta it's just as easy to pop the scale on and weigh it. I probably pay more attention to the higher calorie items (butter, oil, pasta, etc) but I measure veggies as well, although that's more so I don't make too many.
Brandnewme - I'm so sorry to hear about your mother. It's horrible to go through that with a parent. My mother over the past 15 years has dealt with a stroke (they're still not sure why) and breast cancer. It's scary, but she's still the healthiest person I know. We share a doctor who is perhaps mid-40s and he agreed that she might just outlive us all. I try and use my family history sometimes to motivate myself (diabetes on both sides, my mother's stroke, my father's heart attack-although caused by non classic issues, and a secondary infection). Sometimes it helps a lot - here's to breaking the cycle.
(Yikes, just looked at the clock, time to take a break and do another 30 minutes on the treadmill before I feel it's too late! Well, another 30 down. I've left it down so I can talk myself into the last 30 minutes. Tomorrow is a rest day so it should be done. Ack, the thread's gone to page 8 while I was away.)
Realist - I find that planning meals is key. Okay, like everything, I tend to take it to extremes. However, there are no unplanned dinners, and even if I change my mind there are plenty of things to choose. Sometimes I freeze things completed (stews, individual lasagne, chili, meat sauce), sometimes ready to cook (meatloaf, steaks, hamburgers), and sometimes things that need more prep (pork tenderloin, chicken breasts). I also freeze sauce to use for the chicken breasts, and once the made-up curry is done I'm just going to make a batch of sauce and freeze it (adding the meat of choice). If I have free time this summer my plan is to can some of the sauces (although sometimes jar size makes freezing easier). For me the planning just makes sure that the portion sizes are controlled. And there are never any excuses to order out or pick things up.
ZedAus - I love looking at your pictures. Those, and others who have reached their goals (or are close to them) remind me that it is possible. That helps a lot on the days when I think it isn't. I spent 5 days in Hawaii, a stop-over really, on the way to Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia. It's so beautiful, although so was Fiji in it's own way as well. They're both too far away from where I am that it's unlikely I'll ever be back. I do hope to go back to Australia though (my mother did get back for a second visit), as we have relatives in Cairns, so it's somewhat like a family visit (even though they are rare).
Ratkitten - pets can be a blessing, and a curse. Glad to hear that the dog is doing well this morning. I usually love my cats until today while doing push-ups one of them kept rubbing my elbow with his face. He's back to loveable though at the moment, only because he's not helping my type.
Xena - I always think keeping a journal would be a good thing, but I never quite do it. The closest I've come is blogging, but even then you sometimes censor yourself. I'd be interested in any pointers you find, or how you do with it.
BattleAx - congrats on breaking that plateau!
Wennygrrl - welcome to the group, glad to see you joining in.
If I missed anyone, so sorry. I most likely didn't think I had anything of interest to add. To all who lost this week - congrats! To those who didn't, keep up the struggle. And special thoughts for those just holding steady... seems almost worse, doesn't it. No matter what, it will change!
I haven't managed to talk myself into another 30 minutes on the treadmill, so maybe I'll try working with the weights for another 15 minutes and then call it a day.
It was my promise for Lent. So far so good. I hope you ladies have a great weekend!
I LOVED those as a younger person. I had to get some. they are 90 calories a piece, so definitely not a purchase I'll be making often (if ever again after this), but I just had to get some of that nostalgia going. 
