[JayEll]

Hey gail!

You got those new shoes yet?

Jay

[gailr42]

Ya know, I am sort of at a loss about the shoes. We have a Big Five in town. I went there to look at shoes and they all seemed very cheap looking/feeling. I am reluctant to order on line, because it seems like every time I do that, the size is wrong and I have to fool around with returns....So, I am thinking I need to go to a mall. What stores carry quality shoes? Does anyone know? So far, I like my light weight hiking boots better than anything else I have found. I don't like shoes (or vacuum cleaners, but that's another story) that look like rocket ships, but if I have to, I will wear rocket ships.

[JayEll]

I would see if you have a Foot Locker or a Lady Foot Locker or an Athlete's Foot in your area. Or, maybe The Sports Authority.

Jay

[gailr42]

I've seen Foot Locker at the mall. I'll check it out next time I go.

[Mermom]

I just bought a pair of Adidas DAROGAS. They are marketed as a hiking shoe. They are the most comfortable and lightest fitness shoe I have ever worn. Check a pair out if you get a chance.

I love shoes! I have to limit myself to buying one pair a month. If I find something I like I buy a few different colors. I have have good luck with buying on line for the most part. Saves lots of $$$$$$

[gailr42]

I like SAS shoes. They come in N witdth, and are very comfortable. I have gotten more pairs than I care to admit on ebay. I never pay more than $20 including shipping. I only buy the ones that say they are new. So far, I haven't gotten any bad ones.

Thanks for the tip about Darogas. I will look for them. I really like the light weight hiking boots I have. They are HiTech brand (I think). I have had them a long time, but they seem to be in good condition still.

[CountingDown]

Hi all - just back from Yosemite
It was absolutely awesome! I am very, very proud of us - 6 miles of snow-covered trail hiking each day. NSV - we hiked back to the Mariposa Grove sequoias today. DIL whispered to DS after about 2 hours into the hike - wow - your parents are a lot faster this year! It is amazing what being 90+ lbs lighter (50+ for me and 40 + for DH) will do for your speed and endurance -

Gail - Yes - the vacation will help us through the winter. It is wonderful to visit the kids! They eat so healthy - so many fresh local veggies. They like taking us on all sorts of physical excursions. We laugh that it is like going to a weight-loss spa for vacation. Even with all of the ethnic restaurant food -we always lose weight

I like SAS shoes as well. I never thought to check ebay for them - good idea!

I like making meatless chili with the Boca or Morningstar farms crumbles or sausage crumbles. Black beans are my favorite for chili too.

Mermom - I will look for the Adidas, they sound great - do they come in a wide width? I have short, fat feet!

I so agree with you about potlucks! Being vegetarian, they are dangerous territory for us. You never know what animal-based products are hiding deep inside the recipe. It would be great to have a 3FC potluck!

I hope everyone is doing well! I hope that you all have a great rest of the weekend!

[JayEll]

Good morning!

I have three pairs of SAS dress shoes, and two pairs of their sandals! But, for exercise walking I wear Adidas. In fact, I'm overdue for new Adidas.

I also have a good pair of hiking boots, but they are strictly for hiking... too heavy for much else--but, I do occasionally have a chance to wear them in Fla.

CountingDown, your trip sounds so wonderful! I have only been to Yosemite once, and I loved it! Plus all those healthy vegetables...

That is GREAT about being able to go faster on the trails. Isn't it amazing how much easier it is with less weight to carry? That always amazes me--I wonder how I used to get through life.

Sometimes at the gym I'll pick up a couple of 20-pound weights and just walk around with them for a bit, to remind myself of what it was like.

My SO made a batch of soup yesterday--a variation on Portuguese kale soup, but with mustard greens and cajun sausage. Yum! And not too high in calories, even with the sausage. About 140 cals per cup, I think.

Who can believe that it's almost 2008...



Jay

[CountingDown]

Jay - that soup sounds wonderful! I love soups in the winter - they are a real comfort food for me.

I uploaded a few Yosemite pictures this morning. Thought I would share

[Mermom]

Your pictures are beautiful! Good for you for all the exercise. I bet that feels so much better with 50 less pounds to drag around.

I buy shoes on ebay quite often. So far I have had really good luck. The Adidas I recently bought on Overstock.com. The nice thing about the Darogas is that they are made of flexible material so they accomodate varying food widths.

My goal for January is to lose 3 pounds. This doesn't sound like much but I haven't lost a pound in 4 months. I have tried everything I can think of to get off this plateau I am on but maybe now after a couple weeks of increased exercise the scale ill finally change.

Anyone else setting January goals?

[gailr42]

CountingDown, the pictures are beautiful. It looks a lot like Michigan looked while I was there.

I have been up three pounds the last few days. Yikes!!!!! I don't think I have over eaten by that much. I know I have not been drinking enough water, and I have been eating (extra lean) ham. I am probably retaining some water. Darn, I wanted to be down to 142 by 19jan. That would be exactly 40 lbs in one year.

[hijude]

Hi everyone. Sorry but I disappeared for a few days. The holidays always throw me for a loop. But what I did get done was a great workout sheet that I pulled together from the web. Here is the site;
http://exercise.about.com/cs/exbegin...rbeginners.htm

It is a huge site that I get email from all the time and it is great. So I am written up and have new shoes too. I did get mine off the internet. I had been shopping and found someone who was great at fitting shoes. They did not have my size at the time so I went home and found them on the internet marked way down and saved myself a $100. So I was thrilled.

Now the get to the gym part is next. Has anyone ever watched the show on tv called You Are What You Eat....it is a British woman who does these fabulous interventions on overweight people. She is harsh but she does say that you have to do 30 minutes of cardio before each meal. Well she may be right and so that is what I am going to try and work up to. The last one will be the hardest to fit in. But first I will start with the morning.

So I hope everyone has a great New Years Eve and a great day off tomorrow.

Cheers.......Judi

[JayEll]

Hey! Happy New Year, everyone!

Hey hijude, nice to see you. That sounds like an interesting show--but I just know I'm not going to make it with the 30 minutes of cardio before every meal.

I guess it's about time for me to order new shoes myself! I often go to Zappos, but I hear they are more expensive there. I ought to try locally--more stores up here in my new town.

We're going to have some cold weather the next couple of days or so. No, really, it's supposed to get below freezing one night, which for here is quite cold enough!

Jay

[CountingDown]

Happy new year everyone! I hope you all have a terrific start to 2008.

We had a great day yesterday. DIL took me to a nail salon for a pedicure. Don't laugh - but it was my very first professional pedicure ever. OK, I've never had a manicure either. Such a sheltered life I have led... It was a delightful experience. I was absolutely enthralled watching the whole experience. 12 custom chairs all in a row, with customers getting pedicures in each one. Guys having their toenails done with french pedicures, young children getting pedicures - absolutely amazing.

Today will be spent getting ready for DIL's 27th birthday party. We are having 25+ people over for a fondue party in the apartment that we are "sitting" for their neighbors. It should be fun. We are thankful that the kids have a quite eclectic group of friends - DIL politely informed us that we will not be the "oldest" people at the party. The thought hadn't crossed my mind until she said it. It is funny how your kids think you are old, but personally - I don't consider myself old at all. I don't act old, I don't feel old ...

[Bloomer]

May I join you? I'm not VERY active yet. I'm just restarting for the umpty-umph time, and starting a walking program with a modest 20 minutes a day.

I have been very inactive. I spend 90% of my waking hours either in a classroom (teaching, but sitting -- my classes are discussion classes, and if I stand, it's as though I'm towering over them) or in front of a computer. Walking more is definitely one of my goals for 2008. We have a five-minute break between classes, and my plan is to walk up the stairs to my office and down again each break. Walking upstairs for me isn't a problem, but walking down is. I hope this will get better as I lose, and become more active!