Checking in: Monday was a good day. I got up too late to workout, but walked for 20 minutes and went to Curves after work. I ate on program and managed not to inhale extra carbs in the evening . Today I got up in time for 45 minutes of cardio before voting, and walked for 20 minutes. I have been on program so far today, but I spaced out when I went out for lunch and ate a small portion of cous-cous, which was yummy but not on my gluten-free diet . I thought, "Hey, isn't this made out of wheat?" after I'd cleaned my plate. Oh, well, it will be a while before this becomes second nature. I will focus on sticking to the plan tonight, and no extra carbs!
Soulmia, Kiwichic, Ashley--I hope you're hanging in there, too! The mantra is: practice awareness, manage stress and emotions, and plan in advance. That's not too much to remember, is it?
You're doing awesome, Judy-- keep it up!! Don't fret over a bowl of couscous; especially since it was a small portion, as well as yummy. It takes a while for new habits to become automatic-- it took me a little less than two years to get to where I am today in terms of exercise alone...(Note that my rate of progress is painfully slow.)
Yesterday's stats:
11/07: 1 hr Body Pump, 30 minutes of cardio, 1500 cal, 2 liters H2O & I VOTED!
Judy, you're in Virginia!! All eyes are on Virginia now, as you know...
I managed to watch hours of election coverage last night without snacking, which is a victory for me . I am a bit of a politicial junkie, but I made myself go to bed at a reasonable time so that I wouldn't sleep through this morning's workout time. I did a 50-minute cardio routine, and so far am eating on program.
I set an exercise goal of at least 300 minutes of cardio a week. Besides cardio routines and machines, that would include brisk walks of 20 minutes or more and circuit-training routines. For several months I was closer to 350 minutes/week, so even with the colder weather and some out-of-town-travel, I should be able to do this through the end of the year.
The cous-cous was an issue because I'm trying to be gluten-free for a while, to find out if it's causing health problems. I have to pay more attention to what I eat! Oh, well, today's another day.
I managed to watch hours of election coverage last night without snacking, which is a victory for me . I am a bit of a politicial junkie
Tee hee!! Me too!! I, on the other hand, dozed off on the couch while watching CNN, and then woke up four hours later, at approximately 2:35am, so as to catch up on all I had missed out on while asleep... The whole experience was energizing & therapeutic at once.
Now, all politics aside, your exercise goal sounds attainable and you should definitely, definitely, give Body Pump a try. I tend to aim at about 1 hour of exercise per day, whether it be a session of Body Pump or cardio, and I'm usually very successful at meeting my goal. (It's about the only thing I do right...)
I must say that the gluten-free thing sounds a bit annoying (i.e. too restrictive) and I hope you won't have to put up with it for too long. Then again, I'm fairly ignorant, and if it turns out that your health is at stake, then by all means shun as many bowls of gluten as you have to...
Today's stats:
11/08: 60 minutes of cardio, 1700 calories, 2 liters H2O 11/09: #@$! (Yet another rotten day...)
Daily goals for the next 13 days, leading up to 11/22 and 11/23:
- 60 minutes of exercise
- 1400 calories max.
- 5 small meals consumed at fixed intervals
- No binging
- At least 2 liters of H2O
Have a lovely tomorrow!!
cheers,
elizabeth
Last edited by elizabeth28; 11-09-2006 at 09:38 PM.
I got through all my meetings and ended the work week without screaming, which is better than I'd hoped, so that's good. I have been doing well with food, although today I think I've been eating too much out of sheer relief, so I will just have a honkin' big salad for dinner and bar myself from the kitchen after that, and do yoga before going to bed. I've done about 300 minutes of cardio this week (I took today off) so so far, so good.
Hang in there, Elizabeth, and everyone else who signed onto the Challenge! We can do this!
I kept out of the kitchen last night, just had a big cup of mint tea after dinner and fruit for dessert. I did Karen Voight's "Burn and Firm" circuit video this morning, which I like to do on Sundays but haven't in over a month, before I started getting sick. I'll feel it tomorrow....
Heya, Judy! I'm so glad you're doing great!! Minus one whole pound & 300 min of cardio: kudos! I'm sort of doing well, as well... But I don't have plans to weigh myself anytime soon.
So.... Thanksgiving is only a week away! Any thoughts, comments, concerns? All I can say is that I look forward to NOT gorging and to enjoying my meal like a normal person. (Or as close to it as I can get... )
Take care,
elizabeth
Last edited by elizabeth28; 11-14-2006 at 09:56 PM.
Reason: update
Thanks for the PM, Elizabeth! It sounds like you are doing great! I'm on target with the cardio, and eating on program, so I should reach my New Year's goal
I'm focusing on the T'giving weekend, not the one day of meals. I'm getting my hair done, I'll gorge myself on movies, and start planning for Xmas stuff. I think I will be a hermit on the big day, cook up a turkey breast in the crock pot, and kick back in front of some football. That's my plan--relax, and make the four days work for me. How about you?
Heya, Judy! It may sound as if I'm doing great, but I can assure you that I haven't lost any weight... Of course, I haven't gained any weight either, but we won't know that for sure until I finally step on the scale. Ah, well. Today was a surprisingly good day:
11/15: 1300 calories, 60 minutes of cardio, 3 liters of H2O
Next week is bound to be insanely challenging; nearly all of my plans involve going out to dinner, lunch and/or breakfast with friends and/or family...
You, on the other hand, will get to unwind with a weekend of pampering, and a Thanksgiving Day of solitude and meditation. Needless to say, I envy you.
I'm traveling a lot between now and the end of the year, with very few weekends at home, so it will be a real treat to hang out and be a hermit next week. One of the benefits of being a middle-aged single woman who lives far from her family is that I don't have to do anything for T'giving. Don't have to cook, visit with other folks, find a date, feel festive, travel or buy gifts. Of course I can do any and all of these things when I feel so inclined, so it's a perfect four-day weekend, as far as I'm concerned.
I've done over 250 minutes of cardio since Sunday, so I'm doing well there. i had too many carbs yesterday, but nothing off the program. I'm leaving town this afternoon, so I did an extra-long workout this morning (20 mins cardio and 40 minutes of weights) and am eating lightly and packing healthy snacks. I'll be back Friday night, so there's no reason to stray from the plan.
Elizabeth, don't despair! Maybe your metabolism is fighting back. If you can stick with your program next week, you'll be in great shape for the rest of the year.
Hope you are all hanging in there! I mostly made good choices over these past few days. I spent many frustrating hours stuck in airports on Thursday and Friday, but managed not to destress with junk food. I'm on target for my workout goals, and ordered two new videos from Collage last week to shake things up.
This week is the Big Daddy of Pig-Out Meals! I will have my own healthy feast, with extra calories but mostly of the healthy variety, followed by three days of extra workouts. It's funny to go to the grocery store when all the 'amateurs' are there, looking puzzled by poultry options ("So how big is a big turkey, anyway," I heard somebody ask) or confused by the spices...
Yes, we're all hanging in there... although, at this point I'm pretty sure it's just you and me. So, for the most part, I have been busy & introspective, while slowly getting back on track, keeping up with my exercise routine, and desperately trying not to binge. I went out to dinner with friends earlier tonight, and though I didn't make the best dietary choices, I have few, if any, regrets. Tomorrow I'll probably spend the day stuck in an airport, as well, and the next three or four days are going to be beyond challenging, as I will not have access to a healthful feast. (I will keep you posted on the outcome...)
On the bright side, it's Thanksgiving and I plan on having a good time, despite the part of me that would rather hide in a closet and meditate.
I'm glad you're doing well & that you're sticking to the challenge. (But don't get your hopes up because we still have a long way to go & I can still win. )
Quote:
"So how big is a big turkey, anyway"
Heh... well, it's all so relative. At least it's a relevant question...
I hope you have an awesome & serene Thanksgiving day! I'll be back with an update on Sunday.
Congratulations! What was the secret of yoru sucess this year?
I also managed to feast 'moderately' for a change, although I dipped into the leftovers too many times the next few days. I'm having curried turkey soup for lunch today . I did very well with my workouts last week, and even got nearly 40 minutes of cardio in this morning, despite having an 8AM dentist's appointment. One week down, five to go....I will be away from home for four times before the end of the year. I leave town on Thursday to spend a long weekend with my family as we celebrate my brother's 40th b-day. I'll take my mini-DVD player and some workout videos....
Hmmm. I don’t know if this qualifies as a secret of success, but on Thanksgiving Day I found myself in the presence of friends and family members who tend to elicit the very best in me; greed and gluttony just weren’t on the agenda.
In other news, I finally made it back to the gym today, after a week-long self-imposed hiatus. (For some reason, I don't do so well with DVD workouts. I almost always end up sitting on the couch and/or having a snack, instead of working out...)
I also have a new favorite hot beverage: steamed vanilla-flavored soymilk, sweetened w/ splenda, and sprinkled w/ cinnamon. (FYI. )
. Today I got up in time for 45 minutes of cardio before voting, and walked for 20 minutes. I have been on program so far today, but I spaced out when I went out for lunch and ate a small portion of cous-cous, which was yummy but not on my gluten-free diet
. I thought, "Hey, isn't this made out of wheat?" after I'd cleaned my plate. Oh, well, it will be a while before this becomes second nature. I will focus on sticking to the plan tonight, and no extra carbs!
It takes a while for new habits to become automatic-- it took me a little less than two years to get to where I am today in terms of exercise alone...(Note that my rate of progress is painfully slow.)
)