Everyday Exercisers, week of July 9, 2001
 

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! :)

Welcome to the new thread!

Morrigan: Sounds like you had a great weekend! Biking into town + swimming in the lake? I'm jealous! ;) I loved seeing the map of where you're from -- that was really neat! Looks like a beautiful place!

Stamper: Thanks for the advice about my hamstrings -- I've been trying to remember to stretch really well before + after each workout, and right before bed, and that seems to be helping. Sounds like you had a heck of a weekend too! Good for you for making yourself get in the pool even though you were tired -- sounds like it made you feel a whole lot better! (now if only we could remember that every time we didn't want to exercise! ;) )
Congrats to both of you for having such a fun + active weekend!

my update:
Well, as I said, Friday was my rest day. DH and I did the grocery shopping + went out for sushi that night, and rented 'O Brother Where Art Thou' finally. Amazingly, I think I stayed within my food goals!
Sat: did laundry and went to the gym with DH, where I did 30 minutes of intervals on the elliptical crossramp. It wasn't as hard as the first time, but I still got plenty sweaty! Came home + had a big snack of fresh fruit we picked up on the way home, which was really good. That night I wasn't quite as good, and had a gyro-like sandwich from the Middle Eastern place across the street and three beers. I ate very well previously in the day though, so I think I might still be in the clear.
Sun: went to the gym with DH for my total body weights workout. I did the same weights as Thursday -- I tried to go up on a few (like biceps), but my muscles let me know that I was being a little demanding! :lol: Upped the number of sets on a few, but couldn't do a couple of the exercises that are in my routine because they didn't have the machines. Luckily, they weren't the core exercises -- mainly some deltoid work + an extra leg machine. Fruit snack after workout again (this is getting to be a habit with us now), and fatfree hotdogs for dinner. All in all a very healthy day!

Where did the weekend go?
 

Happy Monday! These weekends keep getting shorter and shorter. Here is my weekend update:

Friday - 20 minute Denise Austin Pilates video, 2 sets of arms (I use 5 and 10# weights and do 10 reps of all the basic arm strength training exercises).

Saturday - Swimmimg for 90 minutes (OK, about 30 min of actual swimming, the other 60 was basically goofing around in the water...that counts too, right?)

Sunday - Hubby got sick while he was out of town. I had to drive 2 1/2 hours to pick him up at 2:00am. The ride home took 4 hours because I had to pull over for him every 15 minutes. Needless to say, once I got home, I was pooped. I ended up having to take him to the Emergency Room around 9:00pm. So I babied him for about 17 hours. I didn't get in any exercise, but DH is doing much better.

This week, I've worked out a schedule of exercise. I plan on doing my Pilates video M,T,Th,F adding some strength training and walking when I have time. I also plan to swim as much as possible in the upcoming week and not overindulge at the wedding I am going to this weekend.

I agree with a lot of you that a food journal is a little too much for everyday use. I usually just break mine out when my eating habits take a turn for the worst. I also do my budget and daily spending in that book so I usually have it with me anyway.

Thank you all for the warm welcome to your forum. I have tried out many threads on the 3fc site, this one seems like one I will really enjoy.

Meredith
175/140/125

Today I rode my bike to town (40 minutes) and did 10 on the bike and 10 on the treadmill at Physical Therepy. I still plan on going swimming but have been caught in a nightmare of ISP holding for the next available operator today. My ISP got bought out and they changed everything including my email address (which I am not to happy about.) I don't mind change but I used to have an easy to remember address ([email protected]) and they assigned me one that makes no sense, and has 20 characters. If I could sue I would want to. I loved my old email address. And changing IPS's is not an option in a small town. I called all around and the one I am with is the fastest in town. So here I am on a beautiful day that I should be spending outside and I just spent 2 hours on the phone.

Morrigan: The lake area where you live looks like it is probably very beautiful. What a great place to be able to swim. Don't worry - at least where I am concerned the psychos didn't give your town a bad name. I have heard of all of them of course but never associated them with a particular place. Glad you got to bike today - sorry to hear about the ISP fiasco. I just hate having to be on hold like that when you've got better things to do.

Meredith: Is your DH feeling better now? I hope you don't get it. It sounds like you have a good exercise plan for the week. I think planning is so important - both for the food intake and the exercise. But I don't always make myself do it but I do better when I plan.

Copperblu: How was the movie? I've heard of that but I can't remember who was in it or what it was about. The last movie I rented was "Nurse Betty". I took my daughter to see "Atlantis" yesterday afternoon. I popped my own healthy popcorn and took it to the theater to avoid the fattening theater kind. Sounds like you are really doing great with your weights and the gym equipment.

My update: I made myself get up this morning and I did yoga for 45 minutes and then I did lower body leg weight exercises and some abs. It was almost an hour of exercise. Tonight I swam laps and used the kickboard in the pool. I did a total of an hour between the two including some stretching at the end. So I feel pretty relaxed right now but I don't feel tired like when you've overdone it or been on your feet too long. I guess I'll see how I feel in the am. I am hoping I can get up again tomorrow and doing upper body weights and some yoga.

Hi guys! Hope you don't mind another person joining in. I just started a weight loss program and would love to join in your conversations about exercise. I find that reading your posts helps keep me motivated. Last week I walked 30 miles. I was pleased with the distance, but only lost .8 pounds. The week before that I walked 23 miles and lost 6.4 pounds. Go figure. Anyway, yesterday was my off day. My husband and I hit golf balls last night so that counts as a little bit of exercise I hope. Today I plan on walking 4 miles on my treadmill and then going back to kickboxing class tonight (45 minutes). I really enjoy kickboxing, but havent been there since February. Sometimes I feel uncomfortable there because everyone is a tiny size 4 or 6. And I'm not. Oh well, I can't let that hold me back. Hope you all have a great day. It is very humid and hot in Cincinnati. Take care,
Saggy

Wow, lots of traffic!

Saggy: cute name! Welcome! :wave: Sounds like you are doing a LOT of walking! No wonder you lost 6.4 pounds in a week -- wow!! Kickboxing is really great exercise as well -- don't let the tiny girls keep you out! ;) We can't let our anxiety about the skinnyminis (and believe me, I know what you're talking about) steal away our chance for health + high kicks!

Stamper: 'O Brother Where Art Thou' was GREAT. It's a farce by the Coen brothers (who wrote + produced "Fargo," "Raising Arizona," and "Blood Simple") based on "The Odyssey". Set in the deep South in the 40s or 50s (I'm never very clear on stuff like that), it follows three escaped convicts on their way to find a supposed buried treasure. It's hysterical, and George Clooney is surprisingly good in it. And that's the end of today's movie review! ;)
I'm glad to hear that you're doing so well on your exercise plan --and having such a good time doing it! Two long exercise sessions in one day! What a great Monday!

Morrigan: I'm sorry to hear about your ISP woes! How frustrating! I hope your troubles clear up soon!
I'm glad you still got your workout in though -- and a bike ride into town is such a great way to get your exercise in! Hope you got your swim!

Meredith: I'm so sorry to hear about your DH! I hope he's okay, and you're not coming down with anything! Sounds exhausting for both of you! :(
Looks like you had a great weekend though, and your exercise plan for the week looks good! I need to fit in more Pilates into my own schedule! I'm just soooo lazy about ab work, even though I desperately need it! (proven by the fact that the reason I avoid it is because my tummy gets so tired...because it's out of shape!! Ah, logic. ;) )

Looks like everyone had a very healthy weekend, and is set up for a great week! :D

Good morning! I have a lot of respect for those of you that can wake up early to exercise. I have such a hard time peeling myself out of bed every morning. I keep trying by setting my alarm at 6:30 but I just can't do it. :yawn:

Do any of you know the song "Fat bottomed girls" by Queen? I just heard it on the radio. That song always gets me all motivated to move. I don't know what it is about it, maybe I just like when he screams "get on your bikes and ride!". Of course he's referring to motorcycles, nonetheless I want to hit the bike path. :p

Update - Last night I did my 20 minutes of Pilates with a little bit of extra ab work. I also did some good old squats and lunges. I love Pilates but I always feel like I need a little cardio boost as well. I did a ten minute stretch of alternating jumping jacks and running stairs. My kitties and my husband thought I went nuts. They might be right. :dizzy:

Anyway, have a great day everyone!

Wow!
 

Look what happens when I go away! This is great!

Welcome to Meredith and Saggy.... I just know you're gonna love this thread, as much as I do!

It sounds like everyone's doing good. Thanks so much Stamper for talking to your yoga instructor for me. It doesn't look like I have to worry about it too much for this month, but it's good information to have for *next month* (I hope!) I'm still charting, but since this is my first cycle after birth control pills, it's probably a little funky. Here's my link to the chart: http://www.lifecyclesoft.com/cgi-bin/chart.pl/zbgxv (I hope that works!) I missed a couple days of temping during our trip, but otherwise, I'm doing good with it.

Anyway, we had a good time on our trip...lots of hiking to balance out the "camping food" (eggs, bacon, sausage, hotdogs, fried chicken, and on and on and on...) No wonder my face broke out! Oh well... such is life.

I am back on track again as of today. Although I missed yoga last night because we didn't get home early enough, I am off to Curves after work, and then between trips to the basement to do the laundry, cleaning up the mess my cats made, and finishing emptying the trailer... I should be sweating off a lot!

Talk to ya later!

my update
 

Such a long post, I decided to put my update in a different msg!

Yesterday: worked at home, and went to the gym in the afternoon. It was "Cardio Day" for me, so I did 30 minutes on the elliptical crossramp machine, doing high-low intervals of 2 minutes each. By the end, it claimed I'd gone 3 miles and burned 340 calories! That's 1/10th of a mile more than I've managed before now in the same time period -- which is a small accomplishment, but nice to see progress...especially when the other thing I see is my sweaty red face in the gym mirror! :lol:

Today: up early, to the gym before work for "Weights Day." Did my total body weight routine (and got the machines that I missed on the weekend :)). As a progress report, here's what I'm up to for each exercise (generally 2 sets of 10 reps each):
Leg press: 100lbs
Quad extension: 50lbs
Seated hamstring curl: 50lbs
Glute kick: 50lbs
Adductor (3 sets) : 50lbs
Abductor (3 sets) : 50lbs
Chest press: 30lbs
Pec fly: 30lbs
Lateral deltoid lift: 30 lbs
Rear deltoid: 15lbs
Rear lat row: 35lbs
Lat pulldown: 50lbs
Overhead "military" press: 20lbs
Biceps: 20lbs
Triceps: 20lbs

I've been tracking my progress, and I want to see where I am in a few weeks. I think I can increase my weight for the leg press + thigh exercises pretty soon, and probably for the lat pulldown + lat row. My arms + chest are stubborn though (dumb old "less upper body strength than men" thing! :mad: ), and that's what I'd really like to see go up, along with my little weakling shoulders. Wish me luck, girls! ;)

Tonight I'll try to get in some crunches, despite my intense reluctance ;), and tomorrow is Cardio Day!

Whoops! Cross posted again!

Meredith: Your comments about "Fat Bottomed Girls" made me laugh! :lol: My college boyfriend's singing group used to perform that as part of a "naughty" medley that they did for encores -- imagine 16 guys in tuxes singing an a capella version of that! Now that was funny!
You're probably right that you need some cardio, although I think all your Pilates work is great. I hate cardio, but I make myself do it for my own good. Bleah -- it's the lima beans of exercise to me. ;)
Oh, and believe you me, getting up at 6:30 for exercise did NOT come easily to me. It was only after I realized I would keep skipping workouts when I got home late that I forced myself to go to the gym in the AM. And the first few weeks were noooo picnic.

Marvin: Welcome back!! I hope you had a great time on your camping trip! That's the nice thing about hiking, isn't it? You could practically eat a whole kitchen by yourself and not gain weight! :lol:
My face is breaking out too, but I haven't got a good (or yummy!) reason. Best I can think of is that my face is getting clogged up w/summer and/or gym sweatiness. Bah!

Meredith-do you do pilates at home or go to a gym for it? i would like to try it. Can you recommend a good video to start out with?
Thanks,
Saggy

Well, I'm not Meredith, but I like the Living Arts Beginning Matwork for a beginner Pilates tape. It breaks down the basics of Pilates very well, and uses easy-to-understand cues throughout the moves to keep you in good form. I have the Method Precision Toning and the Method Target Zones (i think that's the name) as well, which I think are more intermediate tapes -- and which I highly recommend once you've got the basics down and can focus on precise form.

Thanks for the tape advice, that is something I would like to try. I only have a dvd though, so I am a bit limited in my exercise video choices.

I rode my bike to town (mostly downhill 40 minutes) and back home (mostly flat to uphill) - grandpa intercepted me in his truck because he didn't think I should be exercising in such hot weather, so I only got in 1:05 hours,

Our "gym" is still in the stone age. They think that they are pretty modern by having a kickboxing class. They had no idea what I was talking about when I asked if they offer Pilates or Spinning classes. I do the Denise Austin video. I like it because it is 2 20 minute exercises. I do exercise 1 on Monday and Thursdays and exercise 2 on Tuesdays and Fridays. I hope to work up to being able to do the whole 40 minutes in one setting. I don't like Denise Austin but I really haven't found an aerobics instructor that I truly enjoy yet. I'm sure they are out there, I just don't have much luck finding them. I can't stand the whole "you can do it" kick. They say it knowing darn well that you are sweating, grunting and turning weird shades of purple as they are breathing and smiling in their little leotards without a drop of sweat on them. Aaaarrrrrrrrrgggggg!

Ok, sorry. Anyway...Like Copperblu I like the Living Arts series of tapes. I have several of their yoga tapes. I think those are the best because they are difficult but not complicated. I hear your pain about the DVD thing. I haven't been able to find any around here for DVD. Luckily I kept my VHS player anyway. I'm kind of a video junky. I have a whole library of workout tapes. It's kind of a necessity here in South Dakota. Just for example, yesterday was 104 degrees until about 5:00. Then it started storming and eventually we had some tornados fly through the state. In the middle of winter, temps are well below zero with the wind chills making it an average of 20-30 below. Needless to say, most exercise takes place indoors.

Hey, I was wondering if this thread has a bio page burried somewhere. If not, it would be nice for the new folk like myself to learn a little bit about you all. I suppose, I should get some work done. :p

Wow - so many posts in one day!

First, since Meredith asked to know something about us and there are other new people on the thread, here's my summary.

I'm married and I have an 11 year old daughter. They are both slim and trim. Actually, my DH has gained about 40 pounds since we married 20 years ago and now instead of skinny he's just a healthy weight. He likes to eat healthy and exercise though so he's a big help. I work full-time and my daughter has some special needs so she keeps me busy.

My favorite exercises are walking (as long as it's not super cold or hot & sticky), swimming and water aerobics (all year round), and yoga. I hate working out with weights but I've started alternating arms one day and legs the next because I know building muscle will help my metabolism. Also, I recently read that after age 40 (I'm 41) you lose some significant % of muscle mass as you age unless you do some exercise with weights. My mom is 71 and in better shape than me with her muscles so she's my role model. I belong to the YMCA and love the exercise bike and treadmill but I usually don't get there in the summer because we have our own pool. I used to do step aerobics and love them but don't do them much now because my knees bother me. I think when I get some of this weight off I can get back to them. I also used to go to Weight Watchers but now I am just following the program on my own (the Winning Points program).

Now hopefully I have been posting my weight right (what I was, what I am now, and where I want to be): 206/199/145.

I'll put my greetings and update in another post - this is really long.

Congratulations Stamper on crossing the 00 barrier - that is a great achievement!

I rode my bike for 1:05 hours today and am headed to the gym to lift weights with my DH. I am going to do lots of abs and some knee exercises. I am planning on riding my bike to school (I am teaching summer school for 2 more weeks) every day until I finish working. I love riding my bike because it is such a beautiful ride it doesn't seem like exercise.

I have attatched a picture of the long bridge. It makes up 2 miles of the 10 mile bike ride to town everyday. The angle is a little weird on this pic - it makes the mountains seem a lot smaller than they really are. If you look close at the mountains in the background you can see in runs up at Schweitzer Mt Ski Resort where I work in the winter.

Meredith, I agree with you about Denise Austin. I used to tape her from ESPN and exercise with that. I like her routines but she is too perky. I do like Kathy Smith. I have her Step Aerobic Tape and I used to like Bodies In Motion. I taped that too but they have "official" tapes in the stores and video stores.

Copperblu, you really do some hefty workouts! I guess you can tell from the exercises I prefer that I don't like to sweat! Actually, when I used to get to the Y and do the treadmill, I sweated buckets and it did feel great when I was done, but it seemed like only the MEN sweated. The women always looked great, even though they were running on the treadmill! Are you doing your weights on Nautilus? I am just doing mine at home with 5 pound weights for my arms and adjustable leg weights. I think I am going to have to get some 10 pound weights because some of the exercises are too easy. By the way, after you described that movie I remember seeing the previews. There's so many I want to see I can't keep track of them all.

Morrigan: An hour bike ride is still a good amount of exercise. It's nice to get out in the fresh air too!

Marvin: Welcome back! Sounds like you had a nice trip. It's great to be able to eat those hearty breakfasts because you know you will hike it off! Sorry things didn't work out this month - it can take a while sometimes. My face has been breaking out too this week. I think it's the humid weather we've had recently.

Saggy: Welcome! What weight loss program are you following? It sounds like you've had a a good loss so far. Sometimes you lose a lot the first week and then it slows down to a more steady 1 or 2 pounds after that. You are really doing a lot of walking! Do you do it all on your treadmill or do you do some outdoors?

My update: I woke up at 5:20 am and should have gone downstairs and exercises, but I opted to sleep longer. I really love to sleep - I used to need so little. Anyway, when I got home I started supper and then I did my workout for my arms with weights. Then I went out and did 45 minutes in the pool and by then supper was ready. My weight is at a plateau right now, but I know part of it is because I didn't keep track of what I ate a few times. I measured myself last night (aagh, what a moment of reckoning!) so I can start keeping track to see if I am losing inches. That's it. Have a good Wednesday!

Morrigan: Thanks for the congrats. I did really feel great when I went below 200 but I've been here for a few weeks (actually hovering up a pound and back down). I feel certain I am going to lose this more this week though! Thanks for sharing that beautiful picture with us. Hope you have a good workout with your DH!

Stamper, thanks for the welcome. I am loosely following the Weight Watchers program. I don't go to classes, but I have all the materials. I usually walk outside and on the treadmill. Sometimes I will go to the park and walk 3 miles in the morning and then do 3 miles in the evening on the treadmill. I'm a teacher so it's nice to have the luxery of being off all summer and exercising at different times during the day. My major problem right now is feeling like I need to do a ton of exercise each day because when I weigh myself on Monday mornings I want a 5 pound loss each week. Obviously this is not realistic. Does anyone else feel that way? I have a friend who is struggling with the same thing. We both feel like we need to get in 2 hours of exercise each day to lose weight. Needless to say, last week when I walked 30 miles I thought I would have a huge loss but only lost .8 pounds.. Iwas very disappointed with myself and don't like feeling that way. Does anyone else feel this way?

saggy

Good morning!

Meredith ~ This is me: I'm a 25 yo municipal gov't worker in Southern Alberta, Canada. My dh is 28 and we got married just over two years ago. He's an agricultural mechanic, and we are currently trying to conceive our first (human) baby. We are living on the family farm, and planning to build a house there early next year. Right now, we're the proud parents of about 13 cats, 1 dog, two birds, a bunch of fish, and 8 turkeys.... As you can tell, I'm a huge animal lover and so is dh. I joined the local Curves for Women gyn when it opened here in late November of last year. As you can see by my signature, I've had some success with it, but also aggravated my knees in the process. All is well now as long as I wear my braces, and make slight modifications to my workouts. I also just started a beginner's yoga class, and I adore it! I have some tapes at home of various types of exercise, but I'm terrible at actually doing them! (Isn't almost everybody?) :lol: I also like to swim and walk and ride my bike.

Whew! ;) And I thought I was boring! :) Anyway, Saggy... I guess I feel that way sometimes too. Mostly, I'm a very positive person, and I see that for me, any movement is an improvement. I tend to be a more stationary person, as in reading, watching tv, crafts, etc... and I've never enjoyed sports. Which, again, is why I love Curves. It's just part of my routine, whether I like it or not! :lol:

Sounds like you guys are keepin it up! Great picture, Morrigan! You live in very beautiful country! And that bike ride is a great way to get to work... I wish I oculd, but it takes 25 minutes to drive to work! ;) No way am I gonna ride!

Stamper, keep up that positive attitude. It'll get you much farther than any exercise ever will... not that I'm telling you to stop exercising! :p Hee, hee... you know what I mean! :D

Copperblu, wtg girl! You are an exercising machine! Sorry to hear about your breakout, though. I hate it when my face does this, which it hasn't done this bad since before I started the bcp over 4 years ago! :o I think it's a combination of the greasy foods on the weekend, the suntan lotion, the heat making me sweat, and the fact that I'm expecting Aunt Flo! What a mess I am! Bloated, *****y, pimply.... bleh! :devil:

As for me.... really sweaty workout at Curves last night, but it felt really good to be back! It's supposed to be killer hot again today, but I'll drag myself there anyway... it seems to help with my pms feelings. I'm having a hard time eating enough right now with this heat... I'm sure trying though!

Enough chatter for now! :wave:

Wow -- lots of posts! :D

Stamper: Congrats on the loss! And as they say about birthdays..."and many mooooore!" ;) I'm sure you'll be out of your plateau soon -- you are definitely on the right track to send some little friends along after those missing pounds! Glad to hear you got your workout in -- and it's great that you're getting in your weight workouts even thought you hate them! You're right that building muscle is VITAL in sustaining long term weightloss + fitness, not to mention healthy bones!
About my weight workouts -- I've been doing them on the gym Nautilus machines since I stopped having time (or the right temperature!) to workout at home. Generally you can lift a little more than you usually could when using a Nautilus, because of the machine's support of the right track of movement + the smooth motion. I like the machines a lot, but I don't want to abandon the free weights for good -- they're very handy, and force you to engage more "supporting muscles" in each motion that you use with the machine.
I actually like weight workouts the best, because you get the least sweaty. ;) I like the easy-to-track progress as well, and the challenge of upping the weights. I'm switching machines constantly, depending on what's open, so I don't really get a chance to get bored.

Morrigan: That picture of the bridge you ride on is GORGEOUS! WOW! It is a beautiful ride -- I can see why you don't notice that it's exercise! Sounds like you've been having a wonderful week -- kudos!

Meredith: I hate Denise Austin too! She is so darn PERKY! You might enjoy tapes by Karen Voight -- some people don't like her serious demeanor, but I've found that she's one of the few instructors I can stand. She's very no nonsense, great form + cueing, and doesn't do that whole "cheerleading" thing. I think you might really enjoy her style.
Like you, I have a HUGE library of tapes -- I was a big video exerciser until DH decided that we should join a gym. I have a lot of tapes by The Firm, who you might also enjoy. In general, the instructors are not bubbly, but friendly + serious, and the aerobic + weights combo workouts are WICKED. The Basics tapes are a really good introduction, as I think everything else is a little too deadly to start out with.

Saggy: I do know what you're talking about -- especially as I've been on a plateau for MONTHS!! I try not to tie my weight into what I'm doing that specific week, as loss can come in bits + spurts, and seems to follow indecipherable rules. Also, it fluctuates a LOT, and sometimes I forget that I didn't get enough water or something and will get myself all in a state because I'm up 3 pounds...which will turn out to be all because I had too much salt the day before. And I'm glad you see that anticipating a 5 pound loss every week is completely unrealistic -- not to mention unhealthy!! Sometimes your body will show off a month of activity by slowly + steadily losing, and sometimes a sudden drop of several pounds instead -- but to consistently lose more than 2 pounds a week is not healthy, and not a realistic goal. Losing weight at a rate of 2 pounds or less per week is the healthiest + most successful path to long term weight loss and gives your body time to adjust to its new "set point" and metabolism.
At any rate, all that aside, to have a healthy relationship with our weight, we have to stop focusing so much on the number, and focus more on what we are doing for our bodies. We are getting fitter + stronger + healthier each day. Every day that we exercise, we are doing something good for ourselves. We deserve to be healthy, and we deserve to feel good, and we are treating ourselves well. Try to think about how you feel after you exercise, and how much better you feel overall when you're treating your body right, rather than how the scale reflects your actions. It's hard, I know, and I fight this same battle myself -- but we can't keep looking at our bodies as if they are the enemy. And the biggest rabblerouser we have in that fight is the scale. You're not going to let a piece of cake push you around, why let the scale? The scale doesn't know muscle from fat, the scale doesn't understand cardiovascular fitness, the scale doesn't comprehend better sleep, more flexibility, mobility, or strength. The scale doesn't know anything -- only you do. And only you can determine how you feel.

/end rambling soapboxing ;)

Damn, Marvin! Cross posting AGAIN! ;)

Congrats on the workout! Way to jump right back in! :) I'm heading into PMS territory too, and am already feeling the fatigue. Not to mention the breakouts! :mad: Feh!

(thanks for the encouragement :) -- i still remember everyone chipping in to get my butt out of a slump a few weeks back...thanks guys! :D)

Oh, and I almost forgot my update!

Last night, I decided to go to bed early, and completely forgot that I was going to do some crunches! :rolleyes: Dummy! Got to do them tonight then.

Today: Draaaaged my sorry butt out of bed to the gym, where I yawned (!) throughout my whole workout!! I thought I wasn't going to make it past 10 minutes! But I cajoled myself into "just 15", and then by 15 it was "okay, just 20 and then you can stop", and then by 20 the workout's almost over, so I stuck with it! 30 minutes on the elliptical crosstrainer (intervals) -- 330 cals, 2.95 miles, which I'm pretty pleased with considering how dead tired I was + how NOT into my workout.

Sticking to my food goals very well, though I could use a bit more fiber. Going back to journalling ifor this bit is helping a lot, and I can see how everything's adding up. I was getting at least 200-300 more cals per day than I get when I journal. So I'll keep it up for the next few weeks until it drives me crazy again. ;)

And tomorrow's Weights Day!

Here's my bio:
I'm a newlywed. My hubby and I got hitched in January after dating for a few years. I turn 21 next month and DH is 25. We both work for a non-profit counseling center. I do outreach and development (in case there are any philanthropists out there :) ) and DH is the coordinator for a visitation and exchange center program.

I follow a basic food pyramid eating plan and my mother is a Weight Watcher so I incorporate more fiber and such in to my diet like she does. She has lost 80 pounds so far, she is my role models in many ways. I quit smoking 18 days ago so right now I am trying not to gain rather than worrying about losing. I have been at the same weight for close to a year. I have lost inches though. I don't weigh myself very often. I don't even own a scale. Mostly because I don't look my weight. I was in ballet for 13 years and I do a lot of strength training, so I know I have more muscle mass than most people my size. I also just got off Depo-Provera (the shot) and started Ortho Tri-cycline birth control pills, so I'm trying to make sure my weight doesn't go wonky.

Most people don't think I have any weight/inches to lose...but those people don't see me naked! :p My hubby is very supportive but thinks that I have a tendency to obsess about exercise. I drink my diet soda when I'm with the "drinking buddies" and schedule work outs in my dayplanner. I feel they are just as important as meetings. When I'm in the middle of a special event or writing a grant, I slip out to go to the gym so I can keep my sanity.

Now that you know my life story...here's my update!

Last night I did 1 superset (extra weight) of arms. I did my ab workout and some good stretching. I also did 10 minutes on my health rider. All in all about 45 minutes. I also made sure that I drank a full 3 liters of water. Since quitting smoking, my workouts last longer and it's easier to get the water in (maybe that oral fixation business). Tonight I hope to take a nice long walk. It's only supposed to get to 80 degrees today. Perfect walking weather. Talk to you later!

I rode my bike to town again today (35 minutes) and I am riding over to Physical Therepy after school for another workout there on my knees.

Hi everyone:

Morrigan: Glad to see you are getting to do a lot of bike riding. How is your knee progressing?

Meridith: Congratulations on stopping smoking! That's a terrific thing to do for your health. I bet all that water you are drinking will help you not to crave food in place of smoking. I've never been a smoker so I can't relate too much. Chocolate is my addiction. As long as I don't have ANY, I don't want it. But one piece can really set me off.

Saggy: I can relate to what you are saying. Even though I know 1 or 2 pounds a week is a good loss, I have so much to lose that I'd like to just see it drop off 5 pounds at a time. I did have some days when I really got a lot more exercise but it seemed to catch up with me and then I had to take a day off from exercising. I really like what Copperblu had to say about losing at a healthy pace.

Copperblu, you really put that well in your note to Saggy. Even though I'd like to see that scale go down faster I've been much less frustrated with the scale this time and looking more at other positive changes like better snack choices, more water and I don't think I've missed a day of exercise for a while. I can see subtle changes where my shoulders are getting more toned and I just feel more flexible when I walk like I'm not waddling down the hall at work! I really feel good, no matter what that darned scale says!

Marvin: Like you, I really enjoy some sedentary activities like sitting in front of this computer and also watching TV (more in the winter though) and stamping (scrapbooking & making cards). So most exercise is an effort except I LOVE to swim and walk. So I'm so lucky the weather has been great for the most part this summer. Way to go on getting to Curves for your workout, even in the hot weather.

My update: Today was my aerobic (non-weights) day so I came home at lunch and did 30 minutes of water aerobics and went back to work. Then I did 30 more tonight. I drank about 2 quarts of water today and yesterday. I was so thirsty. For those of you interested in Yoga, I have found some interesting things on the Web. I had heard about some Yoga moves you can do at the office and stumbled onto something. It's neat because there are images for each exercise and they "move" so you can see how to do them. Just passing this on for anyone chained to a desk during the day like me.

http://www.mydailyyoga.com/yoga/everyday_yoga.html

Hey guys, Here' s my update for the day. I did step aerobics for 30 minutes at home and went to a kickboxing class which lasted 45 minutes. My husband and I went to the local park and walked (slowly) around the trail which is 1.8 miles. Kickboxing was great and I'm glad I went back to class.
Have a good evening!
Saggy

My Update...
 

Last night I really didn't feel like exercising at all. I convinced myself to do it around 9:30. I did my Pilates routine. It felt so good and it felt great to go to bed knowing that I didn't bone out on it. I couldn't sleep well though. I know you shouldn't exercise right before bed, but that's really the only time I have. Anyway, I think I got to sleep around 3:00 this morning. I did not want to wake up this morning, so I'm dragging. I have a big day at work today, so I better get a coffee IV in me! I'm going to steal some of everyone's motivation. You all do a great job, I'm in awe!

Later,
Meredith

Hi All!

Meredith: Congratulations on quitting smoking!! DH and I have just kicked our baby "2 cigarettes a day" habit -- we never smoked heavily, but went from 3-5 a day down to 2, then down to 1, and now don't smoke during the week at all. We still have the bad habit of smoking when we're out at bars though, but at least now we look on a heavy smoking night as "4 or 5 cigarettes!!", whereas I used to smoke almost an entire pack when I went out. I find that exercising regularly makes me not want to smoke, which is a great side benefit.
Your job sounds very interesting! And stressful! I think it's great that you use exercise to relieve the stress, rather than food. And you drink soda when out w/ your "drinking buddies"?! You have more willpower than I, my friend! :lol:

Morrigan: Another great ride, I see! Good for you! I hope your knee is doing better!

Stamper: Thanks for the yoga link! That was great! I am definitely going to try to incorporate that in my day!
Sounds like you had a great day yesterday, and it's great that you have a positive attitude about the process! You're creating a whole new lifestyle for the rest of your life, not just looking for a quick fix, and I think that's the best route.

Saggy: Glad to hear you went back to the kickboxing class! Yay! You had quite a busy day yesterday! Congrats on getting in so much exercise! And it's nice that you could spend time with your hubby while doing so. :)

***
I have a suggestion -- would you like to start a bio thread for this group? You could cut + paste any bio post that you've already made, and then we'd have one spot for all that information. Newcomers could check out the bio thread + post their own, and we'd only have to post our own bio once. Sound like a good idea?

Whoops, cross posted w/Meredith!
I'm sorry to hear you had trouble sleeping -- I've always been insomniatic, even as a kid, and I often have the same trouble...dragging myself into work after getting to sleep at 3am. Exercise has helped, but it doesn't always do the trick. I feel your pain!!
I'm impressed that you still did your Pilates though, even though you really didn't want to -- those workouts are the biggest successes in my eyes, because that is a real triumph of willpower and keeping an eye on your long term goals. It's easy to exercise when you're a bundle of energy -- it's a real feat when you have to drag yourself into it. Good for you!

Hey look! Two pages! It's been a while since that happened to our "little" thread, hasn't it, Copperblu? :D It's great! BTW, great idea on the bio-thread! Count me in!

I don't have much time this morning, but I wanted to check in and let you know I had another great workout at Curves yesterday, and will probably make it there tonight too... a coworker is leaving for an 18 month leave of absence, so there's a party after work, but I don't plan on staying too long ~ we'll see!

Anyway, thanks for the yoga website, Stamper! Looks good... I'll just have to try fitting it in... hmmm...

Meredith! Congrats on quitting! I quit my half pack a day habit over three years ago, and I still sometimes crave a smoke, especially when I'm drinking around smokers. I tried a drag a couple months ago, and YUCK!

Keep up the good work everyone!

my update
 

Two pages!
AND, I still haven't posted my own update, forgetful as I am!
Congrats on the great workout Marvin, and have fun at the party!

my update:
Today, draaaaged my butt out of bed again (I have been REALLY tired the last few days) and went for my weights workout. Got everything in, and went up by 5 pounds on the lat pull, leg press, adductor, abductor, and triceps press. Did an extra set on the chest press + leg press.
Phew! Now I can go to my Girls' Night Out with a clear conscience! ;)
And tomorrow is rest day! Yay! But a doctor's appointment -- Boo! Ah well.

Oh, I nearly forgot! I weighed in at 148 today! The scale has finally moved!!!! I'm going to wait to see if it holds up before changing my signature, but I am mighty pleased to see even the smallest amount of possible change after such a long plateau.

I think the bio page is a good idea, but 3FC already provides a place for it on the profile. If you scroll to the top of the screen and click on profile, and then on edit profile. You can type in info about yourself, attatch avatars, even attatch your home page if you have one.

I rode my bike to town again today. It was great!

Marvin, You keep mentioning Curves. What is it?

My plan for the day is to do my Firm Body parts upper body tape and go to kickboxing class.

I went shopping this morning because the husband complained he didn't have enough shorts, so i figure that counts as exercise too since I was there for 2 hours!:)

Actually, a lot of people don't fill out the profile information because they don't want to be targeted by data collecting programs or random stalkers. I never fill them out, so I'm not sure how much space the bio segment of the 3fatchicks profile gives you. At any rate, I think the idea is to have one spot where all of the bios were gathered, so you could see the group at a glance.

Hi! Glad some of you checked out the yoga link and liked it.

Copperblu: Congratulations on your scale going down. You are just a few pounds away from where I want to get to (my goal is 145). I would participate in a BIO page. I do have a few things on the Profile but I had the same concern you mentioned.

Saggy: That's great that you are back into your kickboxing class. I've never tried that. I hear it's a great workout. Probably good for stress relief too?

Meridith: That's great that you got your workout in at night but too bad you couldn't sleep. That can be so frustrating. I used to have trouble sleeping all the time (even as a kid) but once I had a baby it's like my body rhythms changed or something. Now I am usually asleep right after I lay down. Once in a while I can't sleep and if I toss and turn more than 1/2 hour I go lay down on the couch and turn on the TV. I fall asleep best to QVC.

Marvin: Hope you got to Curves and had a good time at the party for your co-worker.

Morrigan: Is an avatar the little symbol you attach under your name (like Marvin's Martian and your design)? I was looking at the profile the other night trying to figure out how to select one and couldn't figure it out :?:

My update: Got on the scale today and I had lost 1/2 pound, which was great since I've been stuck. Tonight we went out to eat at Applebees and I got on the DottiesWeightLossZone board to look up the Weight Watcher points first. So I got the low-fat chicken quesadillas. I went outside and did 30 minutes of laps when we got home. It was down in the 70's by then (almost 9 pm) but the water was almost 80 so that wasn't too bad. Now I still need to do my leg weight exercises since I didn't get myself out of bed this morning. I was tempted to skip it but since Meredith did her workout at night I feel inspired.

Tomorrow night we are going out to eat again and to hear a band so I probably won't get to post. I hope I can make good choices and not drink to much. Maybe I can get my DH to dance with me for exercise!

Have a good Friday!

Good morning and happy friday! :D

WTG, Copperblu, on your loss! I'm sure it's accurate, because you've been working sooooo hard! ;) It's about time the scale finally showed it for ya! Congrats!

Saggy, check out www.curvesforwomen.com Curves is a great facility, women only, that focuses on strength training through resistance. It only takes a half hour to do, and because it's a circuit, with prompts to change stations, you don't have to think too much! :lol: Basically, you just pick a station to start at, and go around the circle three times. How easy is that? :)

Morrigan, good job on the riding! Do you wear a brace or anything on your knee when you're on your bike? I've got a couple different kinds... one is like a cotton type sleeve, with metal bracing up the sides, and the other is a neoprene wrap around style..... I just have to say that that neoprene is he** when you're sweating! :LOL:

Stamper, you're right, the Marvin under my name is an avatar... I think Morrigan's is one of the one's that you can just select off the 3FC's page.... mine is a custom picture.... I managed to figure the process out before. Let me get out there, and I'll try to make up some instruction for you! BTW, great job on the loss!

As for me, I skipped out on Curves last night... :( I stayed a little too long at the party last night (but I wasn't drinking!) and by the time I left, all I wanted was to go home... I was sooooo tired! I still am, and actually feel like I hardly slept at all. Anyway, I am going to Curves today whether I like it or not, which will make it my minimum of three times a week... I HAVE to get back into swimming! Next week, I promise! ;)

See ya later!

Stamper,

Here;'s how to get the avatar!

Go to the profiles page (through the link at the top of every page), and click on "edit options".

Once you're there, scroll down to the section called "other options" and click on "avatar"

Then click on "change avatar", and then you can either pick one of the available pictures, link to a pic on the web, or upload one from your computer.

Good luck! ;)

The good news is that since I started with the everday exercisers thread I have worked out 26 days consecutively (with only July 4th as a day of rest). It sounds great, but some of the work outs have been less tham optimal (under 20 minutes of cardio at low intensity). What I want to do now is up the intensity. I thought about doing BFL, but decided not to for now. I am pretty happy with my diet and not all the exercises in the BLF book are suited to my knee recovery.

So today at PT I handed my physical therepist a pen and told her what kind of things I already do in the gym (although sporadically) and asked her what else I should be doing and how often I should be doing it etc... Right now I do 1.5 hours of weights 3 days a week for my right calf, quad, hamstring, and butt. We set up a schedule for covering my left leg at the gym as well as arms, abs and back. Starting tonight I am going to be going to the gym every other day for weight training. I am going to write down how many reps and what the weight is and chart my progress through the end of the summer (once school starts my workout schedule always gets messed up). I am also going to do aerobic exercise 7 days a week (like I have been), but I am going to try to do intense aerobic exercise at least 3 days a week for 60 minutes. Right now I rarely break a sweat and I know I will have to it I am going to get in shape.

I am pretty excited about getting started. It has been a long time since I challanged myself like this physically and the most I have ever lasted is about 2 weeks and then I stopped going to the gym. I figured since I don't have to work until August 29th, it gives me a month and a half to take care of myself. I am going to measure myself all over and try on a tight pair of jeans and write it all down so I can keep track of my progress for the next 2 months.

Wish me luck!