Thanks, gals! Yes, I'm having a nice birthday. The girls are VERY confused as to why we aren't having cake, they want to decorate, and keep asking when people are coming! I told James I didn't want to do anything special since I just got back from a trip and am leaving again tomorrow. I'm sure he'll do something "special" for me later on!:D Josh made sure I had a very special birthday training session. Whole body workout with lots of new core work that I will feel for a couple days to come!

Rhonda - the birthday list is on the bottom of the main page of the forum.

Chellez - I didn't know you were sick. Is that common in your area? We don't get much of it out here, but I do send blood out from time to time to test for it.

SAD news about my nephew who has the low RBC issues. I went to Dornbecker (children's hospital in Portland) with my sister last week. We were holding out hope that it was caused by viral supression of RBC's, but that's not the case. They are doing a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy next Tuesday, but hematologist is 90% sure that Lucas has Diamond-Blackfan Anemia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond-Blackfan_anemia. This is a very rare (600 documented cases) disease and there is no easy cure. Either steroids every day of you life together with regular RBC transfusions, or a bone marrow transplant and possibly more than one.

Oh Nori, I'm so sorry to hear about your nephew! That's just terrible.

Congrats blue team!!!

I went out of town this weekend, and managed to be mostly OP, which I am excited about, though I did gain a little water weight. I never overate or had too many calories, but I dad have more diet soda and processed food than usual, which I expect accounts for the bloat. Next week I visit my family in Savannah and I am bouncing back and forth between being super anxious (we are dysfuctional at the best of times) and excited (I do still love them!).

way to go blue team
 

Wow two weeks in a row - can't say I helped but wow for everyone else's losses!

michelle - very fun new pic

Happy Birthday!


Linda

Oh, Nori, I am so sorry. I will keep your family in my thoughts.

Nori, that's sad about your nephew. My best wishes to him :hug:

Nori-Happy Birthday! :bday2you: I'm so sorry about your nephew. I will keep your family in my prayers. :hug:

Nori--I am so sorry to hear about your nephew!

I ran 3.5 today. I was way fast at the 2.7 mark, so I decided it just made sense to run the time and not the mileage! I have no doubt I can make the 4 mile mark by August 6!

Nori, I am so sorry to hear about your nephew.

Anna, awesome run!

Well, I am working from home today, which used to be a special treat. Now that we have upstairs neighbors with a set of young twins... Well... it's not so special anymore. Being underneath two boys who crawl and bang and thump and roll is a little trying.

PLUS, some construction just started outside our front door, our landlord wants to dig out the yard and put in a deck and a patio. Fine with me, means we won't bring in so much garden into the house. But talk about distraction. Yikes.

...On go the headphones.

Last night we managed a 2.5 mile run/walk. It felt great. I had to keep telling myself while I was running, "just because you can stop doesn't mean you should. Just because you're tired doesn't mean you need to stop running." My brain likes to tell me that life would be oh so much better if I just maintain the status quo and not push myself to improve with the running. I feel like I actually did really well with the running yesterday - DH was out of breath, that's always a good sign! :D

That is funny, I tell myself when I run, "The key to running farther is simple.....don't stop."

Good morning, Bluesers!

I had another on-plan day yesterday, but no exercise again. I had to return books to the library and run by the pet store. Well, when I came out of the pet store, my truck wouldn't start. My battery was dead and I couldn't find anyone around who had jumper cables. I had to wait for 30 minutes for Hubby to drive from home to jump the truck. By the time I made it home, it was after 9:00. Today, I am determined to exercise!

Nori, I'll be saying prayers for your little nephew and his family.

Hope everyone has a great on-plan day.

All this talk about running really is making me want to start. I have this 200 pounds mark in my head as a good weight to start at. Spoke with Josh about it yesterday and he said he thought I should get my body fat/bone mass tested and if my bones are "good" and could support it to start now. I honestly wasn't even thinking about my bones. I was thinking joints! Of course, he thinks I'm on glucosamine since he told me to start it months ago and I never did!

Thanks for all you good thoughts for Lucas. My sister Amy is sort of in denial right now and not allowing herself to think/research. Her husband is a wonderful man and I know they will come through this stronger. And of course nothing is 100% diagnosed yet until the bone marrow biopsy.

I'm headed out of town for a few days again...I'm also in those few days before AF and I'm STARVING. I know once AF comes my appetite goes away, so I just need to keep a level head here. Going to my parents house scares me a little since there's some "junk". Not "bad" junk - but stuff I like, like breakfast cookies, yummy organic blue corn tortilla chips, TONS of fresh fruit like local cherries. I will not binge. I'm in that week before AF so am retaining like crazy. A binge will only disappoint.

I see a lot of people around here, Nori, who start running over 200 - I wasn't much over 200, but I was definitely over 200 when I started. It has definitely helped me lose better since I started doing it regularly, better than living room DVDs have. Definitely if you think your bones/joints can support it you should go for it. Even just taking it slow would be something to be proud of - when I started jogging I was jogging at about the same pace I was walking!

I am the same way around my parents' houses too - I still haven't managed to convince myself that parents' houses do not equal permission to eat absolutely everything. Good luck with it!

I started running over 200 also -- I wouldn't wait and I wouldn't worry about your bones, unless you have some sort of special condition. Just take it slow and steady and don't rush anything. :)

I too started doing the C25K program well over 200, but then I am doing it on the Elliptical since I am not allowed to run by Dr orders due to a REALLY bad knee injury. He likes the elliptical because it gives me the best workout for the least impact. If you don't think you are quite ready to run (i.e. impact running), you might want to start running on the Elliptical to get you ready for the ground. It would mean doing a running program twice, but it might be worth it if you want to save the wear and tear on your bones until you are lighter:D

Mommy bones are different, though, and that is something to consider. Pregnancy and breastfeeding can make a huge difference even if you are taking your calcium.

That said, if you want to try it, why not? If it does not work out, you can try again later....enjoy your trip!

I'm about your weight Nori and I am running. I'm not quite as consistent as I should be but I am doing it.

Of course I now also have to play the wait and see game with how my toe is going to feel. Everyone who saw it today said it looks broke to them. Of course though I didn't go to the doctor so I don't know for sure. I did make it to the gym this morning. I stuck with upper body and had no problems. I am on W3D2 and could only walk a very slow 3mph on the treadmill. I stuck out 15 minutes of grimacing before I gave up and hopped on the stairmaster instead. That was much better.

Anna - Way to go on increasing your mileage. Are you just trying to get in the groove so Jo doesn't leave you in the dust when you visit?

Jaime - I challenge you to offer to watch said twins for a few hours while trying to work from home, lol.

Nori - Hope you had a great birthday and that you enjoy your trip.

Just to add in my quick two cents about weight and running, I started running this time around when I was 225. I don't think the weight caused me any problems but I did have to start out extra slow. I ended up with an injury as a result of pushing myself too quickly (don't go from nothing to 10K in 6 weeks!!) but I don't think it had anything to do with my weight.

On the other end of things, when I was 160 and running I still had injuries. I think it's just the way it is if you're not careful about running at any weight.

I need to get my butt back in gear and get back on plan for my eating. It's cold and rainy here this week and I'm tired so I'm eating carbs like mad. I bought a big bin of spinach and some sprouts this morning so I'll get in a huge salad this afternoon.

I'm trying to feel motivated for running today. I was really ouchy yesterday. Meh.

Well there you go, something I didn't consider. Good to know, Anna, thanks!

Zinke - Unfortunately a doctor won't be able to do much about your broken toe... My old housemate broke her toe in the same fashion you broke yours (stubbing it on a bedpost), she went to the doctor and all they told her to do was tape it up and take it easy. Took about 6 weeks before she felt she could walk for any length of time :( I'm impressed by your dedication though, getting on that stairmaster! I woulda just given in to a little pity party, population: me and my broken toe :lol:

I would have attended your party J, specially if you served all that yummy stuff you've been cooking! Bring on the quinoa, baby!

I knew they wouldn't do anything for it so I saved my money. $$$

Honestly, I tried the pity party thing. I was on the phone with DH when it happened. He told me politely to shut up and quit whining about it since there was nothing anyone could do. He is right even if I hated him for it at the time. He did apologize when I told him a little while ago what it looks like. He probably thought I was overreacting.

The treadmill hurt but surprisingly the stairmaster did not. I thought about the elliptical but decided to not push my luck. The owner did notice I didn't run today and she did ask me why though. Nice to know she noticed since I've only been there for a month.

I am also pleased to report that I was encouraged by Jo's Flatout Wrap photos that I bought some today. Holy crikey, $3.99 a package! They better be good.

Hm.... Josephine's company.... keeping leftovers for lunch.

Josephine's company..... leftovers for lunch.


Josephine.... lunch.

Uh, I'll have to get back to you on that one. It's a tough call.

So I did the STUPIDEST thing ever this morning . . . I'm in the middle of my TOM and I got on the scale this morning! :( I don't know what the heck I was thinking and I'm up 2 lbs. I could kick myself for getting on the scale at all. I'm fighting really hard not to let it get to me because in my mind I know that it's because TOM and not because I haven't been OP because I have been OP for 9 days straight.

On the whole running thing . . . I do C25K and you guys know how much I weigh so if I can attempt it ANYONE can :)

Morning everyone...Hope everyone is doing good.

Nothing much going on here...I've been exercising and working on staying OP. I'm feeling a little good about it but the damn scale is not moving. So I'm not going to go near my scale till my official weigh in a hard thing to do but I think I can manage few days without it.

Last night was my Cardio Tennis class. Our regular instructor could not make it and we had a substitute. Man! if he'd only made us play and talk less it would have been great. You'd think the class was Tennis theory rather than cardio tennis. We had to stop the coach in the middle of his explanation and tell him hey can we play some and get in a little cardio. So we played a little not the usual class but I ran as much as possible after the tennis balls. Also, dh and I stayed after the class and played only little bit (to get in some exercise) as it was already 10 pm when the class ended. Then of course playing that late got me wired up so I couldn't sleep till like 12 :rolleyes: which snowballed into not being able to wake up at 5 this morning to do my treadmill.

Billie, I hope you feel better. I can imagine the pain you're going thru. I had dislocated my toe a while back and the doc pulled it back in place. It was SO painful. Then 2 days later I dislocated it again (same toe) and the doc freaked out and put a cast on my foot/toe and scared me that if I do it again then he'll have to put me in the hospital...little extreme but it worked. Not that I was trying to dislocate it on purpose you know....I was a teen sh** happens :) Anywho, I really hope you feel better soon. :hug:

On flat out wraps, I bought some the other day FINALLY. I found Wegmans carried them. I was almost ready to order them online. I bought the lite Italian and Sun Dried tomatoes one. Only tried the Italian for now and I like it...very light and tastes good. Thanks Jo :D Oh I also like La Tortilla Factory wraps...low cal and tastes good.

Jen, don't be disappointed. I know I go thru the same thing every month. You'd think I would have learned by now that TOM increases weight but no I freak out every month. So I hear ya sister...try not to stress out and hide the scale for the week. You've done awesome stayed OP for 9 days... I'm hiding my scale for next few days so can you!! Com'on girl you know you can do it :hug:

Well, my losses are getting consistently smaller...started out at 2 pounds/week consistently, then 1.5, then 1, now posting a .5 loss for this week :dizzy: A loss is a loss, so I'll take it!

I wonder if my head is out of the game now that I'm so gung-ho about the weight loss surgery. I am VERY excited about meeting other WLS patients in my area this Saturday for lunch, and I'm also very excited about going to the free information session offered by my preferred surgeon's office.

But I NEED to keep my head on straight when it comes to my diabetes. I won't be able to have the surgery for probably almost a year (need 6 months medically supervised diet, nutritional evaluation, psych evaluation, surgeon consultation, schedule an op date...), so I absolutely cannot just let my low-carb plan go. I don't need any diabetes-related complications before the surgery! And there's certainly no reason to GAIN weight pre-op (as I have read of some people doing). I'll need to be very committed to my eating plan post-op, so I need to start practicing that commitment now!

I'm starting to get slammed at work again. I've worked a minimum of 10 hours every day this week so far. I can't believe how exhausting it is and how easily it throws me off track diet-wise. I need to learn how to deal with the stress, energy drain, and time constraints better to prove I will be able to adhere to my food and nutrition plan post-op regardless of work schedule or how much life gets in the way.

I think that was all sort of a little pep talk to myself...I now return you to your regularly scheduled chatting already in progress :p

Even if the doc can't do something, take some ibuprofen. No need to suffer.

As for Jo and I? She would leave me in the dust, mop the floor with me and hang me out to dry. If I followed her for one day, I am sure I would be in the fetal position by noon.


I am sending you our sunshine, but you have to take the humidity with it.

As someone who was dx with osteoporosis at 37, it is one of my areas of intimate knowledge.

Why I am happy this morning:
A month ago, I walked 3.5 miles in the AM. Now I run that far.

3 miles is my short run.

I can do more push ups now (around 16) than I could in high school.

I have discovered that there are many fruits I like, but they cannot be cold/from the fridge. So I set my fruit out for the day when I get milk for my coffee.

I am getting 20-30 cherry tomatoes a day and one cuke. I am getting a bell pepper every other day.

Good Morning! I am in a great mood today! Not sure why, but I'll take it! Probably partly b/c I am off tomorrow--have to help dh w/ some stuff for the wedding his is in on Sat, then I am treating myself to a mani/pedi....I cannot wait!!!

Oh, this is me too! Biting into an apple straight from the fridge makes my teeth hurt so if my fruit bowl is empty I tend not no get in enough fruits.

I did my hill training last night and it was not too bad. The Running Room was doing a special event called the 20 minute challenge last night so we did that for our warmup (and got free running hats!) then drove over to the hill. I did 6 reps and I kept it fairly slow so I felt pretty good for the whole thing. I learned a new stretch for my lower legs and I think it really helped me out because I'm not nearly as sore today as I thought I'd be.

On the food side of things, I ordered this book last night and I'm really looking forward to reading it.

Today is a rest day from running but I'm going to do a yoga video. Woohoo!

maybe not weight loss but I did
 

for me huge news - I lost 1/4 inch on my upper arms! :carrot:

I am trying to eat well but I blew it today with ice cream - no sugar - for snack today- I must find a more fitting reward to losing - food is not the way but so easy:o

Congratulations, that's awesome!

Kim -- do you ice your legs after a long run?

Hello everyone. Made it into vegas just fine. I absolutely love my moms new home. I am gonna try to convince my hubby to move out here. I love vegas. i loved it before but i guess not being able to be around here, I miss it even more.
I'm anxious to start exercising again. the area she lives in has a workout facility and Im planning on going tomorrow morning. I am tired today. Jet lag.

Well, better go. Gonna go plurk for awhile. then gonna go IM and snack on some chickpea snaps.....yummo.

Cute earrings? A new bag? New running skirt?

That just sounds painful....ice? Not unless I see horrible swelling that cannot be alleviated with meds.

A ~10 minute ice bath (just over your legs) after long runs is actually really helpful - brings down swelling, helps with soreness, makes recovery faster. I usually only use them for runs over 10 miles, but I don't get much leg soreness until I'm over that distance. You can use them after any mileage if you get leg soreness...

It is also good for what I like to call "vocal therapy" -- once you put that ice in feel free to vocalize your opinions of the process at top volume. Very therapeutic.

Hi gals :wave:

Another drive-by post - things are crazy in my life these days. Congrats on our win this week! Keep up the good work!
Cindy

I do sometimes, probably not as often as I should. Evening runs often end up bumping up against the kids' bedtime so it doesn't work out but after my long runs I make the effort. DD loves to stand beside the tub and listen to me scream. ;)

I did a Rodney Yee abs yoga video tonight and it was really nice. I think I'll have to do it a few times to really get the knack of it but my body feels really good now. Now that I've got the TV and VCR set up upstairs, I'm going to sneak away for a quick yoga time more often.

Good morning blue team! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. I know I have...even if it has been super busy with the kids and I have not gotten to the gym like I would like to. Oh well...I knew I wouldnt be able to as much.

I have enjoyed this challenge so much, I love that I need to account to you every week. Its been very helpful. I am so looking forward to doing the next one. Im sorry I have not been able to participate in the chats as much as others, it just comes down to time...I dont have enough of it!!

Have a great OP day ladies...and I have a question for you all. What thing do you notice most about yourself or your body since you have started getting healthier?

well, two things actually - one is that I am thinking of the overall food choices for the day and I am watching for a shrinking waist or at least an indentation for where my waist could showlol

I also appreciate the checking in for the day and finding out how you well you all are doing

:scooter:

Another good 3 miles today; I will go for 3.8 tomorrow. It helped that I was up a little earlier, and it was not so blasted hot. I wonder how early I will have to get up tomorrow!