Welcome to Everyday Exercisers -- a weekly thread that focuses on healthy weightloss and overall fitness through regular exercise. Our goals are to stay active, stay hydrated, and make healthy eating choices. We share our exercise plans for the week, and check in each day to share our progress...and our set-backs. Here you'll find a supportive and encouraging environment in which to pursue your fitness goals, and a community of people who share your commitment to fitness and provide motivation and inspiration to each other. Welcome!
I'm glad to see this one, after last week's fitness debacle. A fresh start this week! And I've already begun, by making it to the gym this morning before work for 30 minutes on the bike. I feel better already.
This weekend: DH and I didn't go to the gym , but I didn't eat too badly, and we had a fun weekend together. The nice thing was that I was looking forward to going to the gym again on Monday all weekend! Who is this strange exercising person in my body?
This week, having learned my lesson (again) about posting specific plans, I'm pursuing this general plan of attack:
*For this week, I'm aiming for 3x cardio at the gym, 2 lower body workouts, and 1 upper body workout. I'd also like to get in ab work 3x. Obviously I hope to do more, but that's my minimum goal. A slightly lighter week, since TOM is coming this week, and I know I'll have at least a day where I don't feel like working out at all.
*Starting my food journal again this week -- I slacked off last week because the tedium of all that recording was starting to get to me. I'm going to start again for a "check-up" week, just to check my fiber/fat/calorie goals and make sure I'm in the right range. Generally I find the food journal most helpful in the beginning, and then I start to get annoyed by the nit-pickiness of it and stop, and then after a few weeks/months of not journalling I start to slip. So, while I don't want to food-journal forever, I think that occasional "maintenance" check-up weeks of journalling will keep me on track long-term.
Okay, well, I'll update for myself.
Yesterday, I did 30 minutes on the stationary bike at the gym before work. I got home late + didn't have time to workout before dinner, but I got antsy -- so eventually, as DH was obliging enough to offer to turn off the hockey game, I did my Firm Lower Body Sculpting tape and a segment from 5 Day Abs...in front of DH! I was very self-conscious -- but I also really wanted to get my workout in! And I did!
Had porkchops from a Cooking Light recipe for dinner (very tasty!), but snacked a lot beforehand. That's the nice thing about my normal workout routine -- generally I'm exercising during that post-work period that I tend to snack!
This morning I dragged myself out of bed + got in another 30 minutes on the bike @ the gym. I had to go down a level for most of it (I think the previous night's leg workout is to blame), but I still did it. Now if only I can motivate myself to do my Upper Body workout tonight!
I hope to see some new posts soon! It's lonely talking to myself!
What a great way to start off the new thread, Copperblu! Hopefully, we'll see a little more action here! I was off work yesterday for the holiday, so I didn't get the chance to check in ~ I thought about you though!
BTW, congrats on your successes! Working out in front of dh? That's determination!
Had a pretty good weekend ~ did some major cleaning of my storage area, got about half of the garden planted, and then had some family time yesterday.... we went to the parade, had a picnic, and relaxed down by the river while the kids played... the only bad part is that I got a MAJOR sumburn on my shoulders, arms, and knees.... So, I'm a hurtin' unit right now ~ didn't sleep very well last night, either ~ therefore, I'm not sure about Curves today with all the movements (we'll see what my arms feel like later today) ~ but I should at least be able to ride my bike tonight if I don't make it to Curves.... we'll see.....
My plan this week, as always, is to get to Curves everyday (Tues-Fri this week). If I don't make it today because of my burn, I'll ride my bike for a 30 minute minimum. That's my pledge!
I'll talk to you later!
Last edited by MarvintheMartian; 05-22-2001 at 11:06 AM.
I know it's been a long time since i have posted. This time of year i am extremely busy at work. If i hear the words "I haven't ordered a cap & gown yet" again, i think i will scream. But with a smile on my face, i tell them "sure we will order a cap and gown for you and you will have it in time for graduation".
Enough about that. I have been exercising even though i haven't been posting. Still walking on the treadmill as much as possible. I also bought a bike and dh and i take a bike ride together at night in our neighborhood for about 1/2 hour.
I am glad to see that you are both doing good and keeping up with your exercise. I know i missed a lot while i was gone.
MTM - how are your knees? Better?
Cooperblu - i see you are still enjoying your gym membership.
And here I was whining that nobody loved me! Two new posts! And Mustang Sally's back!!!
Marvin: It sounds like you had the great weekend I thought you would! What fun!! Except for the whole "ow, my own skin has turned against me!" bit. I hope it gets better soon -- and I think you're a real trooper for even trying to workout with such a sunburn!
Re: working out in front of DH -- to his credit, DH was very very good during my workout, and did his best not to seem as if he was paying attention or watching me flail around. He also did not laugh at the 80s Firm stuff like I asked. He can be pretty nice sometimes. I think I'll keep him.
Nevertheless, I'm not doing that again if I can help it.
Mustang Sally: SO GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU!! I'm so glad to hear you're doing well -- and those bike rides w/your DH sound like a lot of fun! What a nice way to spend some time together. It's great to hear you've been staying active -- and have gotten your DH into the act as well!
Your cap + gown story is hilarious! Ah -- to be a teenager again....NOT! You must have the patience of a saint!
Great to have you back, and look forward to seeing more of you!
Yay! Yay! Yay! Welcome Back Mustang Sally! (you know, not that we were desperate for more company or anything! ) Congrats on keeping up with your exercise ~ that's great! I haven't gotten my bike out and ready for riding yet, but I keep meaning to.... I'll have to this week, because we'll be doing a bunch of riding on holidays next month, and I'll need to get all those muscles up and running! I am in a lot better shape than I was last year, so the trails shouldn't be quite as painful!
Copperblu about your dh.... now, if I could just get mine to quit cracking jokes about my lobster-like skin! I'm thinking of bailing on Curves this afternoon ~ my shoulders are burning something fierce! I would've be able to do it, if I had packed a tank top, but I never thought of that.... I will tomorrow though! I should be able to either ride my bike or go for a walk (once the sun goes down a little, that is!) tonight, so no worries....
Anyway, I guess I should go do a little work now, but I'll check in tomorrow!
I am soooo sleepy this morning! I've now had two nights of crappy sleep due to the throbbing in my skin! It's mostly the tops of my shoulders and my chest now.... everywhere else seems to be getting better ~ even looks like it might turn into a real dark tan! It should, for the amount of moisture I'm putting into it!
Anyway, as expected, no Curves yesterday, but I didn't even do anything! On the upside though, I only managed about 1100 calories, so maybe it's not a bad thing to skip the exercise ~ I don't want to create too big a deficit (sp?)...
I don't really expect to make it to Curves this afternoon either, unless the pain suddenly goes away. It's driving me nuts though, as I really do want to go work out! Wah!!!
Anyway, what's up with you guys? It's supposed to get up to 28 degrees C today, and I so wish I could be outside... (wearing my sunblock, thank you very much!) Talk to ya later!
Exercise update:
*Last night: did my Upper Body workout (yay!), but didn't add the abs on afterwards (boo!).
*Today: slept right on through this morning and didn't make it to the gym. I know I won't want to go tomorrow or Friday, since the first few days of TOM are always the worst. Maybe DH and I can make it up over the weekend.
Food update:
Dinner: had a small Caesar salad made w/homemade lowfat dressing, + pasta w/vegetarian meatballs. Did have some chips before dinner, but measured it out + managed to keep it to 1 oz, so I don't feel too guilty. Am otherwise doing pretty well, and am back on track. I added a mid-morning snack to my plan on the days that I'm going to the gym in the AM and eating a light breakfast before going -- I get really hungry around 10am on those days, so have some dried apricots or instant oatmeal then, which helps a lot.
Weight update:
STILL weighing in at 150 -- will this plateau never end?? (Oh, I know the answer -- not until I stop slacking off + get it more than 3 workouts a week ) Haven't taken measurements -- that's for next week. I'm currently trying to comfort myself with the idea that even though I haven't lost any weight on the scale recently, my cellulite is headed for the hills! That's right, you better run! I will defeat you, oh Fat of Evil!
Anyways, that makes me feel a little better, but I've GOT to step up the intensity next week and break out of this rut.
That's it for the updates! And now the random babbling post!
Hey Marvin! I didn't see you there when I was posting! We cross again!
Your skin sounds BAD. Have you been using aloe vera gel? Also, sometimes ibuprofen can help w/the pain a little. A sunburn like that can really increase your risk of skin cancer, so you be careful!
I wish I could go outside too! But here it's RAINING! And raining, and raining, and rai...well, you get the idea. It's supposed to rain all weekend too. Foo.
On to random babbling:
I HATE the first few days before TOM. I feel bloated + fat, and hate all of my clothes. It's just GREAT. I have to hide my credit cards to prevent me from buying new clothes + "things to make me feel pretty" as I call them, and it takes me half an hour to get ready, since I think everything looks bad. I hate to be a stereotypical female, but it's a really noticable shift in mood. And it stinks!
Previewed Karen Voight's Lean Legs + Buns (which I have owned forever and never looked at) last night -- it's longer + has a different focus that the Firm Lower Body Sculpting parts tape, so I'm thinking about adding it into the mix for variety. I can't make up my mind what I want to do next, and have been tossing all sorts of variations around in my head. I will try not to make the mistake of posting a specific schedule again , but it's so hard to resist!!
<sigh> There's just not enough time in the week to try all the things I want to! Firm aerobic weight training, cardio, pure toning, abs, yoga, Pilates...gah! How to fit it all in? AND cooking, AND doing work I've brought home, AND spending time w/DH, AND working on my own projects?
Greetings everyone -- I would like to join this thread. I am a newbie. I just found this site, and I am addicted and I love it! People with common goals of being healthy and losing weight! I have made a couple of great buddys on the buddy up site, but I would also love to join in here to help with my fitness and exercise goals, and maybe find out how everyone is reaching theirs, etc.. So I would first like to tell everyone hi and I can't wait to get to know everyone. Also, copperblu -- you use Firm tapes -- I LOVE my Firm tapes. Although until this past Monday morning they had about 20 layers of dust on them.
To tell you guys a little about myself. I have never been a major workout person, but when I met my hubby 9 years ago he was a major road cyclist and racer, and he got me into bike riding. I actually got into the best shape of my life about 3 to 4 years ago. Then I hurt my knees and I stopped riding. Then all of a sudden I don't know what happened, I fell in love with food, quit working out entirely and pretty much packed on (probably between 40 to 50 pounds). I refuse to weigh myself at this point -- it's too depressing. The last time I checked though I had about 35 pounds to lose, and I haven't weighed myself in months now. I just know I have now been to the store twice to buy larger size clothing.
This past Monday I decided to make a lifestyle change which includes working out. On Monday and Tuesday I pulled out my Billy Blanks "Tae Bo" tapes and did a short workout, but this morning, I actually pulled out "The Firm" tape and my hand weights and at least tried. I know this will be an ongoing long, long battle because it took me a while to gain the weight, and I know it will take awhile to lose it.
Still if I could log in and read about how everyone is doing on their exercise plan for the day, and then be able to post if I'm sticking with mine, I know it will help me stick with my plan and get back into exercising. So GREETINGS EVERYONE!!!!
Hi rblackstripes! Great to have you! I've got to dash out of work now, so can't write a long msg, but I just wanted to send a brief hello! Will write longer post later!
Ok. Can I jump in the exercise pool, too? I just started exercising last Monday. I only exercise on the weekdays and leave the weekend for the "natural" exercise I get by walking, working in the yard, going to the zoo, etc. I workout to (now, don't laugh) Richard Simmons Blast Off video. It is a 20 minute low impact aerobic workout. I just added two pound hand weights so I could get more out of the short time. I also added a 10 minute ab tape last night. Wow! I didn't know I had abs. Evidently, they are under there somewhere, because I can feel them now. I use the "Quick Fix Abs" tape with Julie Upton. I really like it. She is very good about explaining how to do each move. Funny thing is, the last time I worked out, for more than a week, was back in high school.
A little about myself: I'm 30, and have a wonderful husband, a two and a half year old son, a seven month old daughter and an eleven year old step daughter. I work full time and my husband stays home with the children. I get a lot of support from him and from these boards. I have never been this successful before. Although, I have never committed myself to it this much before either. Due to a hereditary heart condition, I had a heart attack at 28. That limits some of the activity I can do outside and the length of my workouts inside but it has not kept me from eating healthy and doing some type of exercise daily. I also broke my knee a few years back and am unable to work out on a lot of the machines at the gym. But, again, that has not kept me from moving my butt and doing something for myself. Besides, although I can't change my heredity and I can't turn back time to when I broke my knee, I can lose weight and get fit and that will probably help both conditions. I am very excited about my new life.
Question for the group: If you use tapes to workout at home, which ones do you use? Do you use the same ones or rotate them?
rblackstripes Welcome to our thread! I'm sure Copperblu will be happy to have someone who uses the Firm series as well.... I'm not much for tapes, although I have several. I just get so bored doing the same thing over and over.... OK, that's kind of a silly thing to say, I do the same thing over and over at Curves every time! I guess it's the social aspect of Curves that makes the difference.... that, and I have to do it before I go home after work!
You've probably made a great decision in not weighing yourself... we get so obsessed by the number on that scale that we don't notice the great progress in the inches we've lost, or the buildup of endurance.... good for you!
Nettie Jump on in! I follow the excat same plan as you ~ "real" workouts during the week, and "fun" stuff on the weekends... Partly that's because I live out of town, and only go to Curves on the days that I work (Mon-Fri) It's great that your dh is supportive too, because it makes a big difference, especially since you have some limitations. I have knee problems too, and I know about modifying workouts ~ there are some things I just can't do.... But there's always something else I can do instead... I just have to do something!
Copperblu! Isn't it funny how we seem to post at the same time a lot!
Don't worry ~ I'm using my aloe vera gel like there's no tomorrow ~ and most of my burn is turning into a real nice tan The tops of my shoulders are still pretty painful though, and I don't think I'll make it to Curves again today, then I won't have any time tomorrow, so, this week is shot! Oh well, I've kept my eating in check, so I'll just keep on doing it! BTW, the way I look at it, everything causes cancer, so I'm not overly worried....
We're gonna get some rain now too, apparently! Thunderstorms! I love thunder! And we really do need the moisture, so I don't mind!
Oh guess what! I am on my way to organizing a beginners yoga class for my coworkers! I'm so excited! I really hope it actually happens, although it'll probably be a month or two before it does!
Anyway, I've babbled on long enough, and I'll be back later to check in!
rblackstripes: Great to have you! Congratulations on starting on your renewed commitment to fitness -- we all know that that first step is the very hardest one! After I've been in a long lull, it normally takes me at least a few months of just thinking about exercise before I actually start doing anything about it!
I think that you have a healthy approach to your weightloss -- slow and steady does ultimately win the race, and we have to remember that what came on over the course of a few years isn't going to slip off overnight, like a "fat suit," even though we may feel it's just an outfit we've put on that's temporarily hiding the real us underneath.
I'm interested in hearing about your progress with the Firm tapes -- I just started using them this February, starting with the new Basics tapes. I've since moved up, but since I started going to the gym in the morning, I've found I don't have energy for anything longer than the Parts tapes at night. I'd like to start rotating some of the longer cardio+sculpt tapes in, but it's not happening yet. I think once I manage that though, between the cardio @ the gym + the full Firm tapes, the weight should come flying off!
Anyway, welcome to the forum, and best of strength + luck!
Nettie: We'd love to have you in the "pool"! The more the merrier! (and the more people to help out when someone starts to get tired, and gets a figurative "cramp" in their side! )
We will definitely not laugh at Richard Simmons -- ANY exercise is good!
I'm really impressed that you've managed to stay active through a heart attack and a broken knee! And I admire your positive attitude! You're right -- losing weight + staying active will benefit you cardiovascularly, and, w/the right exercises, strengthen your knee as well.
About videos -- I have a LOT of videos -- a lot of Firm tapes, some yoga, some pilates, some Kathy Smith tapes, some Crunch, several Karen Voight...I just get bored too easily + want to mix it up! Which also applies to your next question -- I do rotate my tapes. I like to come up with week-long rotation plans that ensure I get the right workouts at the right times (for instance, not doing two leg-focused strength workouts in a row), and do them for 2-4 weeks at a time -- which is about as long as I can do any rotation without getting bored! So I use a few of the same ones for a few weeks, and then switch. I can't do just one video for very long, as I'll get bored w/it, so it has to be a rotation of several videos at once.
I hope that helps, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have! Again, welcome to the forum -- and congratulations on getting moving! We're all in this together!
MarvinTM: That simultaneous posting thing must be like the cycling together business! Spooky!
I'm so proud that you're organizing a yoga class! That is so neat! Very "proactive" as they'd say in business speak. I think that's wonderful. And I bet your coworkers will be really happy to have the opportunity. You can be the fitness goddess, sowing health wherever you go!
I'm glad you're taking care of your skin -- and I hope your shoulders give you a break soon! That's awfully mean of them to keep hurting! You should give them a stern talking to.
A fresh start this week! And I've already begun, by making it to the gym this morning before work for 30 minutes on the bike. 
I feel better already.
, but I didn't eat too badly, and we had a fun weekend together. The nice thing was that I was looking forward to going to the gym again on Monday all weekend! Who is this strange exercising person in my body? 
I was very self-conscious -- but I also really wanted to get my workout in! 
I was off work yesterday for the holiday, so I didn't get the chance to check in ~ I thought about you though!
So, I'm a hurtin' unit right now ~ didn't sleep very well last night, either ~ therefore, I'm not sure about Curves today with all the movements (we'll see what my arms feel like later today) ~ but I should at least be able to ride my bike tonight if I don't make it to Curves.... we'll see.....
I've now had two nights of crappy sleep due to the throbbing in my skin! It's mostly the tops of my shoulders and my chest now.... everywhere else seems to be getting better ~ even looks like it might turn into a real dark tan! 
It should, for the amount of moisture I'm putting into it!
And raining, and raining, and rai...well, you get the idea. It's supposed to rain all weekend too. Foo.
I have to hide my credit cards to prevent me from buying new clothes + "things to make me feel pretty" as I call them, and it takes me half an hour to get ready, since I think everything looks bad. I hate to be a stereotypical female, but it's a really noticable shift in mood. And it stinks! 
