Walking on the threadmill is great when you're with a friend. I never walked on the treadmill till my BF Nikki joined my gym. Now the time flies by as we gossip and fuss. Add that to my time on weights and I'm getting in even more exercise.

It is great when yu have friends with you. The time goes by so fast!!

I love workingout with someone else!! I have only done it a couple of times this time, but DH and I used to go to the gym together, before the kids. I also like to walk with friends.

I think im going to the grocery store first thing this morning. I want to get some lean cuisines they saved my behind this last week. When I didn't know what else to eat I could reach for a lean cuisine. I try only getting the really low cal ones. They seem to hit the spot. I lost 2.2 pounds this week. Yay!!! Ofcourse I think I did more exercise this week too. (ie..flag football, etc).

I used to like to work out with other people... I don't know what happened, but now I seem to prefer working out by myself. (Maybe because I've HAD to get used to working out alone because DH abandoned his exercise initiative!)

I just sort of go in there, put my head down, plug in my headphones and get into my zone!

I do miss the conversation, though... maybe it's time to get back into the racquetball court with a buddy!

I don't know about you chickies... but its been a challenging first week of December for me! First of all, it is $#@%^! FREEZING outside! :tantrum: It is also dark by 4:30 which is SO depressing. :cry: After struggling so much over the week long Thanksgiving Holiday of Suffering and Temptation with my family, I am just tired. Thankfully I am all too aware that successful weight loss means I have to ignore how I am feeling and not rely on motivation, enthusiasm, and my emotions and just grit my teeth and do it. Well do it most of the time hahahaa! Anyway, I'm hanging in there and hoping for a more positive attitude in coming days. I just can't wait for Jan 1 to roll around... the New Year always brings with it a new burst of energy. Man will this ever become more normal and not such a challenge? How is everyone else doing?

YES YES YES!! I agree Sojuorner It has been a very challenging week for me to get the workouts in. SO far I think I have done something everyday, but not as much as I want to!

Im not doing so hot thus far. Fell waaaayyyy short on my goal for week one. I only exercised 2ce when my goal was 4.
But im not going to let that get me down, tomorrow starts week two!
Good luck everyone.
Happy Holidayz!

Hey every one! I've been doing quite well this week, and WI is tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed. I know I've lost inches, but the weight just does NOT want to come off. I hate how my body works!

I had a friend from high school that her nick name was shelliebellie. You remind me of her; she moved to indiana. great gal. inches is just as good if not better than weight loss keep up the good work. congrats

Congrats LoveandLaugh!

Rowdy, I only like having someone there with me if I'm walking the track or the threadmill. But when I'm lifting weights, I prefer to be alone.

Sojo, it is freezing down here too! You know it's bad when I would rather get a $15 ticket than go outside and put 50 cents in the meter! And this getting dark early is throwing my internal clock off REALLY bad.

I need some serious :dust: and a :kickbutt: and a :frypan: to get myself going today. I think i'm just going to get going and see what happens...stay tuned. "Over and Out."

yikes. i've been so sick this last week. but you guys the coolest thing is going on.

ok there is this 15k run called the "Gate River Run" and in our paper, they published a novice training schedule.

so as of tomorrow. i'm officially training for a 5k race.

9 miles. its either 8 or 10 weeks away.

and i'm so excited!

Wow elvyn you will do fabulous. How exciting. I actually did what I was going to and got up off my chair exercised for 120 minutes total today!! I feel so much better!! Thankful this thread is here!!

Morning everyone! I'm doing really well with my exercise. They are having this fitness challenge at my gym and I joined in. Two weeks till Christmas everyone! You all prepared?

I have been sick for more than a few days now, :( but I am determined to meet my exercise challenge. So from now till the end of the month I plan on working out for at least 60 minutes (okay Not today, but as soon as I feel better. I hope to do some sort of exercise everyday!!)

I wont finish christmas shopping until the 22 (when DH and I get paid ) I usually wait until the 24th so I will be done early this year! :)

wow dollypie you are keeping up with me; you are an inspiration and I need that. You all are an inspiration and I wouldn't keep going if it wasn't for you all!! Thank you for being here!!

Good morning everybody. I gotta tell you I have not been enjoying this challenge. I know for many of you it's just what the doctor ordered. But for me, I find it annoying and I'm having trouble keeping track of my minutes exercised. I have been sooo obessesed lately with trying to "sneak" in exercise that there's just no way I can post an honest number. I don't think my sneaking in exercise amounts to much in way of cardio or muscle gain, but nevertheless, I do believe it's burning calories. I've just been doing silly things to get some extra movement going. Like I no longer use a laundry basket, I know it sounds crazy, but yeah, so I'm back and forth walking with my laundry, first dirty, then clean, back and forth, back and forth. When I watch TV I get up at EVERY commercial and do something, anything, straighten up the house, wash some dishes, a couple of legs lifts, just some movement. When my daughter leaves in the morning at 7:00 as I see her out I do 60 leg lifts, holding onto the bannister right there in my PJ's. I've added a walk everyday, I have a shopping area about 1/2 mile away from where I live, and at least 5 days a week I make it my business to walk there and pick up some stupid item that I need. When I'm on the computer I am constantly in motion. When I'm in the kitchen cooking I keep the radio on and when a good song comes on, yup I stop what I'm doing and start dancing, which is on top of what I normally set aside to dance. And yes that does slow down dinner sometimes. I've been a bit obsessive lately, no doubt, so therefore I really don't think I need the accountability that I was looking for in this challenge. I don't like going back to edit and it's just not working out for me. So therefore I am officially dropping out of this challenge. I don't know what else to say except that I'm sorry. I wish you all the best of luck with your goals and I look forward to seeing you around elsewhere.
Bye, for now. :wave: :wave: :wave:

Bye Robin. :(

Doing well with working out, I KNOW I will make my goal this month. Last month was out of my control, but it got me into the habit of working out every weekday. I've been trying to get at least 75 minutes of workout in, but I wonder if you guys think 15 minutes of stretching to a video counts as minutes? I find it a really good way to cool down, and it makes me less sore the next day.

:wave: bye robin I'll see you on the other thread!!

Shellie, good for you! I am having some trouble getting my exercise in because either I have been sick, or my kids have been sick. Infact I have 19 days to get in almost 1200 minutes, that is about 65 minutes per day until the 31. I can do it, I can do it, I can do it. I just need to start walking more, that helps add in the minutes!

See you around on another thread Robin:hug:

I was waiting for my workout partner this morning. I suggested coming over and working out. I set up three stations; treadmill/ps2 dance pad/aerobic low impact step to do 20-30min at each station switching off. I waited til 11a and she never showed or called, miss comunication I am sure but nevertheless, :( I think she would rather do the gym. I kind of feel like I wasted my morning waiting. Maybe it is better to do this on my own. I get to discouraged when someone doesn't show.

Now I have to go grocery shopping and I am depressed:(

You can do it Jeni!!!! Just take it day by day, and count the little things!

Count me as another one that has a cold. Fortunately I'm getting better. :)

And fortunately it is just a head cold so I can still do my run if I take cough syrup beforehand. That and since I can't smell anything, it makes avoiding temptation easy. :p

Unfortunately my original goal of running 20 minutes straight by Christmas has been postponed. I can do my easy run (six minute intervals) fine ,but anything further than that and it aggravates my cold.

So I'm planning on making my 20 minute goal by or sometime in February. I figured that would be a good month since it will be my 2-year lifestyle change anniversary. How time flies!! It's hard to believe that I've been exercising almost every weekday for over a year.

My ultimate goal longterm is to run 30 minutes straight. Well that and to eventually run a 5k on the treadmill.

loveandlaughalways: I always found it easier to workout alone. At least in my case, if someone didn't show then I wouldn't exercise at all.

Maybe next time you can just tell your friend that you are exercising at x time and if she wants to workout with you then she is welcome to come. If your friend doesn't show say thirty minutes later, then start without her.

rockinrobin:

Awww sweetie! Do NOT feel bad! I am usually so busy between my house, hubby, shopping, taking the bus every where, walkling alot, all my kids, trying to research healthy eating, I am getting a bit fanatical about it now and worrying about every little thing, like what they put IN our food etc even when it is supposed to be fresh! that I don't get here more than a few times a month, plus with my healthy challenge chick group that I try to check in at least once a day with them. SO don't feel bad! I think you are doing great and just getting moving more is awesome. I can understand it being a hassle going back and tracking stuff. But I do want to urge you even just for yourself it is good to write it down, to see how far you have come. I have my own blog and I have been tracking my walking ever since the end of April(I was tracking it in an offline journal before that but it is on a disk now some where) anyhow the point I am making is it really helps to look back on the months when you did lose and see if you lost or maintained. That really helped me with one month where I had 1730 minutes of walking in and lost 7, I think it was July. But August hit it was so hot most of the time I barely got 1130 minutes in and it was no surprise I only lost like 3 pounds that month! That was when I looked back and told myself the walking has got to increase and is when I got serious about watching my portions and then jumped to cal control and cut my red meat and potatoes down to once a week. That made a huge change and I have been losing steadily ever since then, september!

I hope what I am saying makes sense and you are doing a great job no matter what you are doing! :hug:

Wow Jasmine, I see you're down to 208!!! You'll be in One-derland in no time at all. The truth of the matter is I don't feel bad at all, I'm kinda looking at this as a good thing actually. The thing is that I'm exercising a lot, just since it's frequent and in spurts I'm having a hard time recording it. I just can't be bothered tracking it right now. But just because I'm not recording it doesn't mean that I'm not doing it. I just have a lot on my plate now, so to speak and recording is not a priority for me. I'm quite pleased with my progress so far, so yeah whatever I'm doing I'm gonna stick to if for now and make adjustments as need be. I appreciate your concern and advice. I always like to hear what you have to say! :smug: Maybe one of these days I'll join you on your Hot Chicks Challenge. Thanks again.

Okay anyhow so I wanted to jump in and tell you ladies to keep up the great work! Remember to just take it one day at a time and just remember, next year you will be glad you started losing this year! :D

Anyhow my minutes are at 722 right now. A 55 minute average right now. I want to kick it up a little bit. I want at lkeast a 60 minute daily average and I have only done the pilaties and 8 minute abs once this month so I need to do that again soon. On the upside, I am down 5 pounds this month already! Whee!!!! I have not been walking as much but I have added more fat into my diet. I am still trying to keep a good balance like some higher fat days and then some lower ones to balance it out. I had pizza and crazy bread on dd's bday last week and went a little crazy and had cake but I had planned it. I stuck to lower cals for the rest of the week and wound up with a 1507 cal average for the whole week and that sounds fine to me!

Lately I have been worried about eating enogh cals cause it just seems the more healthy food I eat, the less hungry I am so I am having 1200-1400 cal days with no problem! I am also cutting back on the coffee. I was having 5 tbs a day of hazelnut creamer which has like 5 grams of sugar per tbs. It also has 175 cals. Now I don't mind working in the cals but I am trying to watch the sugar and drink green tea instead. A few days a week I still have coffee though. I told myself it is okay to do low cal but to try to have a 1500 average for the week and not just do 1200 all week. Then on the flipside I am trying to be good about telling myself, ok, so I am at 1200, but I am NOT hungry so why should I eat more? It is frustrating. SO I think if I at least stick to a 1500 average I should be okay. It is great feeling so in control of my eating. Ladies let me tell you cut out the processed foods, the sugar, the white flour and especially HFCS!!! I feel great and satisfied and am not getting cravings! Next week is my b~day and I am looking forward to some fresh tortillas and beef tamales though! :D

rockinrobin:

Hey sweetie it is always so good to hear from ya! The hot chicks is a club so you can feel free to stop by once a month or once a week or just whenever, we'd love to have ya! :hug:

WHat I meant was the walking to the store. That is great! That is how I do it sometimes. I have a liquor store a 30 minute walk from my house so I will make an excuse like I need a bell pepper, or eggs, or something. :D It really helps to have a purpose. There are actually a few lil stores out that way. :D I also have two different buses that come out here. One is 5 minutes away and one is 15 minutes away and there is another stop on that one that is 22 minutes away so that really helps too!
Awww thanx!!! You are doing great too!!! It is an inspiration for me to see how much you have lost as welll!! Great job!!! I am so proud of you!! Yeah I am down 5 this month so I am stoked! I cut the cals down but actually loaded up on the fat a little bit. When I looked back at my fitday I noticed that in Oct when I lost like 9.50 pounds, that was the month I was still struggling with food a bit, alot of my days were pretty high fat wise,(yes I try to get healthy fats too) my walking was a 67 minute average but I lost! The next month I was excited and was more rigorous about having lower fat and walked and had roughly an 87 minute average(20 minutes a day more!!!) Yet I lost only 7 but gained one back with turkey week, so 6. That is just crazy, more walking, less fat and less losing? SO this month I decided to cut the cals, not go crazy on the walking, try to average 60 a day, If I go over that is fine, but not to go for extra, I also want to get those pilaties and abs done more often but I am dragging on that, and to get a little more fat back in and voila! I am doing great! I have been reading alot lately about fat, how it is not fat that makes you fat necessarily. Obviously cals in vs. cals out does. Look at nature, things are not naturally low fat, not even breast milk! I can't remember the exact pronciple but there is fat on alot of things for a reason, can't remember if it helps you absorb the nutrition from the foods or what. Way back when there was not low fat anything. Everything was home made fresh or fresh from the farm. Sugar was to a minimum. There was no prepacked foods and all that. Once everything changed we have a diabetes crisis. Calcium is a big deal and I have read alot how yogurt gets rid of belly fat especially! And I have been losing inches! I will have to post my stats later.

11-25-06 Saturday: 214 pounds

46.5 on belly button ( I read somewhere else after this that you are supposed to suck it in! SO I did both the following week)

12-03-06 Sunday : 212 pounds

44 on belly button (So a 2.5 inch loss that week!!!)

{41 sucked in}

12-10-06 Sunday : 210 pounds

43 on belly button (So a 1 inch loss that week)

{ 39.5 sucked in, so a 1.5 inch loss on that!}

And I will tell you ladies my pants story from my other thread:

Okay so I think I am in a 16 now!!!!!

Okay about a month and a week ago or so we went and there were tow pairs of 18 jeans, not stretch. One was Levi low rise and the other another brand. Well the other brand fit so I bought em and was happy cause I was coming out of 20-22's. The other 18 was not going to even button not even with sucking it in, a big gap in the middle! Ok, no problem. A couple weeks ago I go back and try them on again and they fit!! Hooray! I did not buy them cause I still didn't like the low rise. Well today I am killing time waiting for dh to meet me for lunch and I got brave and tried on the 16's. They are snug, but they fit!!!!!! Hooray!!!! I am so happy!!! And to think, a month and a half ago the 18's wouldn't even fit! I did not buy them but I seen a "little black dress" By that time dh had come and I tried it on and it fit nicely, it is adorable! I put it on hold and am going to get it tomorrow!!! When I get a chance I will take a pic and show it off. The dress will be for x~mas and what a great dress to show off in to my family. They are really proud of me(grandma and 2 aunt's. Last x~mas I was 250, I should be about 205 by this x~mas and the last time they seen me was a few months ago when I was 235!!!! SO 30 since then and they thought I looked great then!!

Yogurt

Butter

I did want to stress the key here is REAL butter! I know it is more expensive but isn't our health worth it? Also there is a brand that has no bovine growth hormones in their cheese: Tillamook. They guaranteed it for their cheese and are trying to get it to their other products as well. The real milk website had mentioned them since they do alot of grass feeding of their cows instead of the grain which is not that good for us. I have switched to tillamook butter and cheese. There are alot of great articles on that weston price site, feel free to look around everyone. This is another great one:

Politically Incorrect: The Neglected Nutritional Research of Dr. Weston Price, DDS

Oh and if anyone has the 411~info on sucking it in to measure vs. not then please let me know!

Okay ladies ya'll are going to laugh when I tell you that I didn't realize that we were posting on this thread. I was just going back and editing my time on the first page and not reading the rest...silly me. So I don't think I will make my goal this month although I am still exercising regularly. Mon-Fri I go to the gym in the morning for an hour and then I would get a walk in w/ the dogs in the evening. Although it get dark so soon I don't like walking in the dark. Also we have had some cold spells.

All of you have done such a great job with the exercise! This is a real motivating thread for me because I want to add minutes so I exercise.

Jasmine, go to this link about sucking in while you measure

http://www.oprah.com/health/yourbody...1129_102.jhtml

Thanx Dolly I 'll check it out you lil dork! 5 pages and you didn't know we were posting? :lol:

Great news everyone: I'm BACK ONLINE! We got the computer back yesterday and I just feel complete now!

Thanks dolly; I thought I was in big trouble when I measured 41 inches every time; now i'm a 38 inches in the waist. Much better I think...I still fit a size 16-18 though. 16 is getting more and more comfortable though and 18 seems to almost fall off.

Okay I don't know if I am going to make my 1500 minutes, but I am going to try my hardest. I will need to do 58 minutes of exercise everyday until the end of the month and even on Christmas. I don't think it is going to happen...

I don't think I'm gonna make my goal either but that's okay. I still am getting more exercise in than last month!

I am glad I am not the only one. I am no where near where I wanted to be. LIKE NO WHERE NEAR!! I haven't had much time to myself this month, plus I was SICK for 2 weeks. Oh well I will try my best to finish with a bang!! Then next month here I come!!!!

Wow. I just spent some time going back through the thread and everyone is doing great on their exercise. I am in complete awe of those who are consistently doing 50 or 60 min or more of exercise a day. I rebel against minutes myself. I have had to set distance goals to feel like I'm accomplishing anything.

One silly question - JMC: What is shovelglove? I have never heard of that and it sounds interesting.

The other thing I realized is that counting today there are still 12 days left in the month. For some reason I wasn't paying attention to the fact that there is almost a whole week after x-mas. I think I'll be able to make my swimming goal, but walking is probably going to fall short.

Here's to keeping moving for the next 12 days!!!!
:woops: :swim: :exercise: :strong: :running:

The question is not as silly as the exercise. It's swinging around a sledgehammer (see http://www.shovelglove.com ) in certain "useful movements." So it's a weightbearing exercise that provides compound movements.

Sledgehammers apparently come in different weights (who knew???) There's 8lb, 12 lb, 16 lb, 20 lb, maybe a 10 lb. I've been weightlifting a while but began with an 8 lb sledge. The 8 lber nearly kills me. The extra force needed to lift something with one heavy end is amazing.

The guy who developed this idea also has developed a diet. No-S. Its entire plan is 14 short words: NO Snacks, NO Sweets, NO Seconds. Except (sometimes) on days that start with "S." (The S- days are Saturday, Sunday, Special days like birthdays, Christmas, etc.) http://www.nosdiet.com/

Anyway, the exercise is fun. It's simple and it's practical. Plus you can buy your weightlifting equipment at a hardware store. How cool is that? (My parents added on to your house when I was an impressionable young thing so I've had a lifelong love of hardware & lumber stores. Weird I know.)

jmc

That is so cool JMC I have a couple sledgehammers in the garage now. I have used them in the past and they are definately ackwardly heavy. I will have to check this exercise out!! Thanks for sharing. I'm always looking for fun ways to get exercise.