Everday Exercisers ~ Week of July 16th!
 

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! :wave:

Good morning! I hope that you all had a good weekend!

It sounds like a very ambitious plan that you're embarking on, Morrigan! Congrats on being so brave! And I'm really glad that you and your pt worked this out! And please don't feel anything but thrilled about your "streak"! Even if it's not all "optimum" exercise, it's still a great deal better than nothing! I'm proud of you! :smug:

Stamper, you are soooo strong! I can't even imagine "wasting" all that whipped cream! :lol: Seriously though, it was a good way to cut back on the fat/cals, and still have that treat... mmmm... coffee and kahlua! Actually on Saturday, we were at a birthday party for dh's boss, and I had a small cup of coffee with a little drop of baileys in it, and it was great! I've pretty much given up drinking since we started TTC, so it was even more of a treat!

Saggy, :( , sounds like your dh owes you big! I'd extract large punishments if I were you! You know, housecleaning, laundry, cooking, plus a good massage!! :lol: The things we do for men!

As for me, I had a pretty good weekend, although I didn't get much of a chance to relax! Friday night, I sweated buckets at Curves! Then off for a nice dinner and quiet evening at home.... Saturday, off to the city for some shopping, then to dh's boss' birthday party for the evening... we got home pretty late, so Sunday was a sleep in day (all the way to 9 o'clock!!!:o) Then I spent most of the day yesterday cleaning house.

This week is looking fairly good, here's my plan:
Today: Curves, yoga
Tuesday: swimming, Curves
Wednesday: swimming, Curves
Thursday: swimming (no Curves because I'm in a farmer's market for the small business I run)
Friday: swimming, Curves

Talk to ya later!

I've had the most stressful couple of days I've ever had. I've been traveling too much, eating too much, crying too much and exercising too little. I'm going to try to get back in the swing of things now that I'm back at work. I know I couldn't gain a substantial amount of weight in that time, but my skirt is fitting a little tighter than I'd like. I'll drink a bunch of water today so I can hopefully get out some of this water weight.

Even with all of this stress, I haven't been smoking. I had a few drags last Friday night and realized that I didn't want to start smoking again. So, I am back on program with everything. It's hard when I've been on such an emotional roller coaster. My husband will be out of town for the next month or so, which really sucks. I do have more "me" time though. I will be able to get in some extra exercise hopefully. I will be working my usual 40 hours here this week, plus my agency is moving to the hospital. They are contracting me out to paint in preporation for the move. All the rooms have to be repainted because this wing of the hospital hasn't been used for a while. It is the old OB unit. Also, I start working at the video store soon. That will be mostly weekends. If I keep myself busy, then I won't miss DH as much. OK, I'll miss him as much, but I won't have as much time to dwell on it.

I have to go to Minneapolis on Friday. It's an eight hour drive, but I get to go with my mom which will be nice. I have a conference there for rural health. We've decided to turn it into a mini vacation. Shopping is always a good way to get unstressed! Especially when there is no sales tax. ;)

I hope to get a good workout in tonight. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for starting the new thread Marvin! Glad to hear you got back to Curves!

Stamper: That was great thinking ahead for your trip to Applebee's! Good planning for obstacles! And I'm impressed that you gave up the whipped cream too! You are making great choices! Sounds like you've been getting in lots of exercise too! Three cheers! :D And isn't it nice how other people's progress can keep us inspired? Teamwork!


Morrigan: Your plan sounds great!! I think it's wonderful that you've been so consistent with your exercise, and it's great that you're looking to up the intensity -- it's a great head start before you have to head back to school and probably cut back on your workout time. Then you'll be ready to compensate for the reduced time with higher intensity workouts, and it won't hurt a bit! And TWO hours in the gym?! You've gone hardcore! :) You go girl! ;)

Saggy: Your hubby definitely owes you big time! Hope you got in your workout yesterday, and that stroll in the park sounds great!

Whoops! Cross posted!

Meredith! I'm so sorry to hear you're going through such a rough time!! :( It must be horrible to have to be away from your husband for so long! And it sounds like you're having a crazy time at work too! My heart goes out to you -- I hope things get better for you soon! Best wishes + my sympathies.

Forgot my update!
Thurs: got my workout in in the morning, went out w/the girls that night. Actually did a fairly good job staying within goals, considering. ;) I think I only went 100-200 cals over my goal, which I'm thankful for on a Night Out.

Friday: had to go for my colposcopy, which was a joy. Luckily, it was my scheduled rest day anyway. Bought a bunch of fruit on my way home, and actually ended up eating fairly well for the rest of the day, despite the pizza for dinner. ;)

Sat: Spent the day w/DH and a friend of ours who's going to Germany for a few months -- didn't get to the gym, and ate TERRIBLY. I had even brought healthy snacks with me, since we were supposed to go to a baseball game, but we didn't, and by the end of the evening I'd had too many chips + too many beers. :(

Sun: DH + I dragged ourselves to the gym, and ate pretty well. I did a full body weights day, and upped poundage on a few exercises, so I was feeling pretty good. DH, on the other hand, hadn't been to the gym for a few days AND had overindulged the night before -- so he was one sorry boy on the elliptical. :lol: I also had a goofy moment of pride -- I saw my arms when I was using the pec fly, and it was really neat -- I could see the dividing line of my biceps muscle! Woo hoo!

Today: Up and at 'em for Cardio Day. Tired this morning and the AC in my gym wasn't working, so I only did 25 minutes of intervals(before cooldown) on the elliptical crossramp. I'm adding some extra fruit into my day this week, since I feel like I'm not getting enough fruit/veggies during the week -- blueberries in my pre-workout cereal, on strawberries/blueberries for my morning snack. Hope to stay very much on goal this week to "make up" for my bad Saturday.

And final news: weighed in again on Friday, after my auspicious Thurs. weigh-in -- and came in at 148! Checked it again on the doc's scale, and it's accurate! Now I can't weigh myself again for at least a week, since it's PMS/TOM week, and I know I'll only bother myself with the fluctuations.

Tomorrow's Weights Day!

Thanks for all of the encouragment everyone! It certainly is easier to justify spending 2 hours at the gym when I have no job and no kids. I am in awe of all the moms out there that still find time to work out. I am actually very lucky. Our gym has free day care, so when I do have kids I won't have an excuse not to go.

I got up this morning and it was raining - so I wasn't exactly looking forward to riding my bike into town. My DH had to be in town at 5:30 - so I had him give me a ride and drop me off at the gym. I worked out for an hour and 45 minutes. 25 minutes on the stairmaster, 20 minutes on the recumbant bike, 5 minutes walking, 10 minutes stretching, and the rest weights. My muscles were so sore from Saturday that I had to lower my weight on the 3rd set of 12 in order to lift them. My body feels nice all over - I am so glad I have been putting in time alottments for stretching. I bought a watch last week (haven't had one in years) and I set the timer for 1 minute and make sure to hold each stretch that long. I may up it to 2 minutes pretty soon. I still have PT to go for my knee today. That is another 1.5 hours of working out, but just for my right leg. At the gym I only do weights for my left leg, since my right leg gets covered at PT.

I set up a page that I am going to record my workouts on at http://members.tripod.com/wendyauld/records.htm

It is a spreadsheet and you have to look at the tabs on the bottom left hand corner to switch between the diet page, the weight loss graph, and the exercise page.

Wendy (or winnie) is my real name BTW. Morrigan was my Chesapeake Bay Retreiver that was killed my a car last year. I got a new puppy and built a big fence, but I still miss her a lot.

Hey Guys, Hope everyone is having a great day so far. I was very pleased this morning when I weighed in. I lost 4 pounds which makes a total of 11 pounds in 3 weeks. YAY!!! We are leaving for Hilton Head on July 28th and I hope to lose a few more pounds before then. Hilton Head will be a challenge because of all the good food. But the place we stay in has a gym so I will try and use it at least 4 times that week. It will be difficult to not drink some Coronas while I am there. Beer really sticks to me for some reason. My hubby of course will eat like pig that week and not gain anything.
Tomorrow I have to go to a farewell party for a girl I teach with. She took a new job and now the school is having a party for her. It will be challenging because there will be lots of food there. WIsh me luck.
Exercise plan for the day: Kickboxing class (45 minutes)
Hit golf balls with DH tonight
(hopefully)

Copperblue- What is a colposcopy? I hope you are OK!

Take care,
Saggy

Hi Everyone!

I think this thread is great! Mind if I join you? I've lost about 45 lbs, and part of the reason for my weightloss is due to exercise. It sure does help knowing other people are working at becoming more fit, too. I'm so impressed at everyone's progress! (Hi Morrigan, glad to see you off those crutches!)My goal is to get to the gym or do some kind of exercise at least 5 days a week. I find that when I exercise I feel better mentally and physically.

This morning I got up and did my Body Flex tape (a combo of yoga/breathing exercises). It felt great to start off the day that way.

Have a great day, everyone!
(Hugs),
Dena

Hey Dena - I am glad to see you back. Crone and I have been posting over on support under summer lites with just a few great newbies most of the summer. I also have got the exercise bug since I actually can now and have been posting here everyday - it really helps out a lot!

I am still using dietwatch and I burned a whopping 619 calories today. I really want to start losing again and hope that lifting weights will jump start my weight loss. Right now I have lost 3 lbs since the begging of June. I still have 7 more of the 10 lbs I gained back to take off.

Hi all!

Morrigan: I loved your page -- great idea! I keep Excel charts on my computer for myself, but haven't got the courage to post them online yet! ;) I can't believe some of the weights you're using! I'm going to have to step it up to keep pace with you!
Stretching is great -- if I don't make enough time to stretch properly after a workout, I always feel it.

Saggy: Congrats on your loss! Way to go! I think it's great that you're planning to use the gym on your vacation -- all my willpower seems to fly right out the window whenever I go on vacation, and I'm always afraid to look at the scale afterwards!
A colposcopy is a procedure done by your OB-GYN when your PAP smear results indicate an abnormality. They then have to investigate it and basically look for the tricky cells with a special lens + take biopsy samples from your cervix. They don't give you any local anesthetic for this. It's supposedly a minor procedure, with "mild discomfort", but from all accounts I've heard (and my own experience) it's actually EXTREMELY painful. It's nothing I'd want to go through again.

Dena: :wave: Welcome! Glad to have you!

my update:
Skipped a planned workout for the first time in several weeks. :( I was just too sore and too exhausted to deal with it this morning. I think I'm going to crash really early tonight and try to make up the sleep deficit I've been operating under. Hoping tomorrow goes better!

Busy, busy, busy! :)
 

Wow! If this level of posting keeps up, we may need a daily thread! :lol:

{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}} for Meredith! I know how hard it is to get motivated when you're feeling sad, and especially missing your dh.... how long is he gone for? My dh goes away only a couple times a year for service schools, but that's only a week at the most. It's actually kind of nice for us, so I guess it's true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. :love: Take care of yourself, and congrats on the not smoking thing! That's great!

Copperblu! Your plateau is officially over! Yay! :smug: I'm so proud of you for sticking to it for so long, and now look where it's got ya! You're doing great, and you're an inspiration! And we cross posted again! I see that your body is telling you to give it a rest, so I'm sure this rest day will help you. Have a good sleep tonight!

Morrigan, that's a great way to keep track of your weight lifting progress! And ITA with you about moms who find the time to work out! I can barely find the time myself sometimes, so I can hardly imagine how i'm gonna do it once I'm a mom.... Oh, I love the sound of that! :lol:

Another 4 lbs! :o Saggy, I'm impressed! And 11 pounds over the last three weeks! Wow! You are on a roll, woman! Where is Hilton Head? It kinda sounds familiar, but.... Anyway, good luck at your party later, and keep up the great work!!!!!

Welcome, Dena, we're glad to have you! And congrats on your loss so far. The 5 active days a week is what I'm trying for too. It doesn't always happen, but I'm a lot more consistent with exercising now than I ever have been in my life! I've heard of Body Flex...it's somewhat like Oxycise, isn't it? I've thought of trying that stuff... I especially like the idea of doing the commuter tape on my way back and forth to work everyday. Are you seeing any results?

As for me: I had a highly stressed afternoon, with a blinding headache, so I didn't make it to Curves before yoga, but my yoga class was sheer heaven! We got to learn the Sun Salutation last night, and it wasn't nearly as hard as it looked like! It's a challenge all right, but not the overwhelming pretzel contortion that I was dreading! I've made myself a promise to practice at least a little yoga everyday this week.

I've been feeling really bloated this past week. I still haven't gotten to TOM (darn bcp), but according to my charting, it should be here in about a week.... ugh.... I have yet to weigh in for the month at Curves, and I'm dreading it. I just know that the numbers gone up, cause I can feel it. It's a combination of my wacky hormones, the dreadful holiday eating, the skipping workouts.... I'm just so focused on TTC, who wants to pay attention to anything else!! Well...... I guess I need a little whipping.... any volunteers? :lol:

So, needless to say, I didn't make it to the pool this morning, but I will be at Curves this afternoon, and as promised to myself, at least a little yoga tonight too.

Gotta go!

I don't know how accurate all those weights are. They are the weights on the medX circuit at our gym. MedX are big machines with pulleys and weights. The only free weights I do are the tricep extensions, bicep curls, and shoulder extentions. When I bench press with free weights I am only at 80-90 lbs. I have to use those number though - because that is what the machine says - so I can keep track. When I get home I think I will write that in on my page so I don't look like quite the amazon.

It is cold here today (after a month of 90+). I wimped out and stayed under the covers for a long time and didn't ride my bike to town. So that means I am going to the gym after school today. No weights - but I sure like getting my heart rate up on the stairclimber. I am going to spend at least an hour on cardio today.

Hey everyone! Thank you for all of your nice words. I have an anxiety disorder and my emotions just seem to rule my life sometimes. Sometimes I just feel like an unstable ball of emotions and the slightest little disturbance just rocks me. It always takes me a while to get back to "normal" too. Anyway, DH is going to be gone for a whole month. He used to work on the road and I'd only see him on the weekends, but a whole month!?!? I get to go see him in about a week and a half. OK, I'll quit whining now! :p

I don't know why I always hear "Fat bottomed girls" when I am replying in this thread. This has happened three times now. Maybe they play the same song at the same time once a week or so. Or maybe it's to help motivate me to get off my fat bottom. Who knows?

Last night I did my Pilates. I couldn't sleep at all last night. I rolled around until my alarm went off this morning. I don't think I slept a wink. I'm pooped. I think I'm going to call my doctor and see if I need to change medications or if he can give me a sleep aid. I better go get some work done. I have a big fundraiser coming up in August, another one in September and a newsletter to write as well. No rest for the wicked. Have a good day!

Hey Guys! I just got back from the party I had to go to. I did very well there. (only ate 1 cookie and passed up cake). But once I got home my willpower crumbled and I ended up eating 2 and a half pieces of this cheesecake dessert I made. Now I feel guilty. Hopefully my husband will take the leftovers to work tomorrow and I won't be tempted anymore.

Marvin--Hilton Head is an island off South Carolina. It's not as touristy as most beaches which I why I love it. There are also tons of great sea food restaurants.

Copperblu-- Hope your test come back with great results.

Meredith--Use the time when your husband is out of time for relaxing. Maybe you can have a girls day out and get a manicure and a massage!

As for exercise today, I did my Firm Parts upper body workout with weights and I am going kickboxing tonight for 60 minutes.

Talk to you all tomorrow.
Saggy

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for the warm welcome, Copperblu, Morrigan and Marvin!

Yesterday I went to the gym and did 45 minutes on the treadmill and worked out for 45 minutes on the machines. It felt so good. Then I got stressed out by my work and started overeating. Hello!! Morrigan, your streaking game got me right back on track today. It feels good to be good.

This morning I did my Body Flex tape so far. Yes, Marvin the Martian, I think the tape is like Oxycise. I've already noticed an improvement in my toning in just a couple of days. It's supposed to make you lose inches, so I'll keep you posted on what happens.

Today's kind of a busy day, so I won't have time for the gym but I'll get on my stationary bike.

I keep reminding myself of how great I feel when I exercise and eat right. It's really does help me physically and mentally.

Let's keep moving, eating right and drinking our water.
(Hugs),
Dena

Hi everyone!

Thanks for the email saggy! and the encouraging words Dena and copperblue and Marvin!

I went to the gym today (I lifted yesterday) and did 60 minutes on the stationary bike and 30 minutes on the stairmaster. Then I did all my ab exercises and 3 sets of 10 pushups. I stretched, came home and had a good lunch and 32 oz of water.

I am going out for sushi and movies tonight - but I think I am going to have the sushi first so I don't crave popcorn at the movie. I am going to see Pearl Harbor (which I hear is dippy) with a friend from Japan who is flying back to Osaka on the 24th and wants to see the unedited version before she gets home (her mom and sis saw it there and it cost them $24 a ticket) - so it is cheaper for her to watch it here before she goes home.

Hey everyone! A quick check-in before I leave for the day --

Marvin: I think you're right that we may soon need a daily thread!! :lol:
I KNOW what you mean w/the PMS -- I'm doing it too, and I'm tired (but having trouble sleeping), bloated, spotty, moody, and can't stop eating!! I had a piece of pizza leftover from a meeting after I'd had my own healthy lunch today, and just had a piece of chocolate cake at an office birthday party that I SO did not need! I looked at my stomach this morning, and I swear it was sticking out a good 2 inches more than usual! :mad:
So I will grant you some leeway for the PMS crazies. ;) BUT you know you don't want to be an unhealthy mommy, so don't you neglect your exercise in the midst of all this TTC excitement! :nono:
The yoga sounds fun, and maybe I will try some tonight if I'm not too burnt out -- it might be just what I need to keep moving in the midst of this slug-time.

Morrigan: I'm impressed by your cardio day!! I can't spend even close to that amount on the cardio machines w/out a) wanting to die and b) getting darn close to dying...of boredom! I am a cardio wimp! I wish I had your stamina!
Your movie '"date" with your friend sounds fun -- although I think you're right, I've also heard that "Pearl Harbor" is kind of dippy. ;) Yay for sushi though! I just had sushi for lunch yesterday -- yum! And so good for you! Have fun!

Meredith: I'm glad you're feeling a little better, although your sleepless night sounds terrible! I've always been on the insomniatic side (since I was a kid), and though the exercise has helped a lot, I know there's nothing worse than being SO tired but completely unable to get the sleep you so desperately need. :( Good luck!
It's good to hear you got in your Pilates! It's easy to give up our exercise in times of stress, and I'm glad you're still trying to take care of yourself.
I think having to suddenly be parted from your loved one for a month and a half would make anyone upset + blue, and I hope you're not getting down on yourself for having an honest emotional reaction. You have a right to cry + stomp about!

Saggy: Try not to feel too bad about the cheesecake -- we have to allow ourselves the occasional "slip-up" without feeling like we are "bad" or wrong for giving in to a craving. I'm trying to talk myself down from my own post-treat guilt, and I know how it makes you feel like you "blew it" or you should have just been stronger or whatever. But think about all the times this past week when you made the hard choice, and you passed up immediate gratification for your long term goals! The path to our goals is not straight + narrow, and I think if we make the healthier choices more often then not, we'll end up okay. :)
And I see you had a great workout!
Thanks for the support regarding my test -- I'll know in about 2 weeks what's up, and in the meantime am just trying not to think about it + get myself into a tizzy.

Dena: Such a good exercise day yesterday! Good for you! Heck, maybe your overeating was just your hardworking body pushing for fuel! ;)
And you're right -- I really do feel so much better when I'm active. I've got to keep that in mind when I'm feeling like I do now -- all tired + poopy + sooo reluctant to push myself into motion! I've got to make it back to the gym tomorrow, or I won't be able to keep up with you girls, you're doing so well! :)

See you all tomorrow morning!

Good morning!

I don't have a lot of time this morning, but wanted to check in. I had a pretty good workout yesterday at Curves, and then a very productive evening getting ready for tomorrow's farmer's market.

I'm going golfing this afternoon after work, so I'll probably miss Curves, but golfing's good too, right? ;) OMG, I totally forgot, I have to go to the dentist's this morning!

Gotta run!

Hey all! Here I am again!

Can you tell by the exclamation points that I'm feeling better? ;) Why yes, I DID make it to the gym this morning!

I didn't get to bed as early as I had wanted to (got sucked in by "The Perfect Storm"), but I managed to haul my sorry butt to the gym this morning for Cardio Day. Why is it that after just ONE skipped workout, I feel like I'm recovering from a looong slump?! So weird. Anyway, did my 30 minutes of intervals on the elliptical crossramp, and got my best distance for that time yet (by a smidgen). Guess I really did need a rest! At any rate, it's good to be back on track, and hopefully I'll be as successful dragging myself to my weights workout tomorrow.
Ate too much yesterday, but balanced it out w/a healthy dinner (I've got a recipe for healthy tortilla soup + grilled turkey clubs if anyone wants :) ). Still, only going over my goals by about 100-150 cals, which isn't bad for PMS week. Luckily my drinks date w/a friend on Thursday was cancelled, so I don't have to worry about overindulging that night. People at work are going out Friday afternoon (we have a special summer schedule) to celebrate a coworker's birthday, so I'm going to have to think about how to deal with that dietary landmine when it comes. Ah, the world is full of temptations. ;)

Hope everyone's doing well, and remember the week's half over! :)

P.S. Marvin: cross-posted AGAIN! Glad to hear you had a good night, and I hope the dentist isn't too bad! ;)

Wednesday and a lot to do
 

I didn't ride my bike again today (for the 3rd day in a row) -- today's excuse was that I went to see Pearl Harbor in Spokane (a 1:10 drive) and didn't get home until 1:30 am and was too tired to drag my rear out of bed this morning.

This only puts off the inevitable - now I have summer school until 10:30, PT for my knee from 10:30-12:00 and then off to the health club for all my weights. I will probably be in the gym until 1:30 or 2:00. This not having a job as an excuse not to exercise is really helping me out this summer.

As for all the cardio - it sounds like a lot - but it never is very intense. I don't know what it is about my body, but I can enter this state while exercising where my breathing slows down and I rarely break a sweat even when doing the exact same thing as the person next to me. It is strange - but I can actually slow down my breathing and pulse in this kind of meditative state. I was a really good swimmer in high school and it was the same place I went to in races. My body could be going all out but my mind and my breathing are in a completely different place that doesn't feel the pain or oxygen depravation in my limbs. The only way I can really get out of that is to do something for an extended duration. If I go over 30 or 40 mintues at a high intensity- then I start to sweat.

I just reread the paragraph above and it sounds kind of crazy - but I really do have a heck of a time getting my heart rate up. The only exercise that really does it for me is running - if I run then my heart rate just shoots up, but I can't run yet because of my knee - and once I get into shape then running is like the rest of the sports - I don't go real fast but I can go for a long, long time.

I hope no one minds me joining in :)

I am trying to lose some inches.

My workout schedule is:

Wed-Weights at gym & cardio & pilates
Thur-Interval Step at gym
Fri-Step & weights at gym & pilates
Sat-treadmill at home

I normally exercise at least 3 times a week but it isn't enoug to lose the inches I've got on my hips, stomach and butt.

Thanks for letting me join in!:D

Welcome Sherryi - I just joined in here myself a few weeks ago when I started exercising everyday. I have been here every day since June 18th and exercised everyday except July 4th. In that same time I have lost 6 lbs! I love coming here for motivation and accountability.

Welcome again!

I forgot to ask if anyone has tried to use a heart rate monitor.

I use on for my cardio workout. I found after tracking that I wasn't getting my heart rate high enough to lose weight. I was in a maintenance zone.

I just started working out with the heart rate monitor and can tell a difference already :p

Hi Morrigan. Thanks for the warm welcome :D

Congrats on your loss :cool:

Do you exercise at the gym or at home?

Welcome Sherryi!

We're happy to have you, and I think it's great that you're trying to commit to more frequent exercise! Doing up to 3 workouts on your chosen days sounds time consuming! How do you do it?
I don't use a heart rate monitor, although I've considered it. Some of the machines I use have monitors on them, which is very helpful, since I've been known to get too high too fast. What do you mean by a "maintenance" heart rate? Is that what would be classified as 'level 1' of exertion? I'm actually close to buying a HRM, now that I'm using machines that don't have them built in more often (I might get one as my next reward for sticking to my workouts for a specified time). I'm wondering if it's possible to get a HRM that doesn't require a chest strap?

Morrigan: I don't think you sounded weird at all! :) It sounds like you a) are in good cardiovascular shape and b) have an ability to enter a meditative state while exercising, thus lowering your pulse and your perceived exertion. Sounds wonderful, and I wish I were capable of it!
And you are so right -- posting to this thread helps me out a lot -- I LOVE posting that I got a good workout in, and I HATE having to report that I skipped! :lol: My workouts have gotten more frequent , more intense, and more consistent since I started posting on this thread, and I definitely believe that the accountability + support this thread provides are largely responsible.

With that said, off to finish my lunch! :)

Cooperblu--what I mean by maintenance zone is that I was only working out hard enough to maintain my current weight without gaining and I haven't gained in 2 years. I wasn't working out hard enough to burn anything. I'm talking about exertion of a level 7 or 8. I got this from Bob Greene's book Make the Connection & Keep the Connection. (both at your local library) It says a level 7 is where you could carry on a converation but don't feel like it. Level 8 is where you could carry on a conversation also but wouldn't want to & you aren't sure if you can keep up the pace for the rest of the workout.

He also talks about staying in the fat burning zone for at least 20 mins. I figure I will start out with 20 & work my way up to the max which is 40 minutes.

I got my heart rate monitor from Sam's Club and it does have a chest strap. I don't need it anymore after using it a few times--the chest strap that is b/c I know when I'm in my fat burning zone. I do use the watch b/c it has an awesome stop watch on it & I can make sure I stay in my fat burning zone for at least 20 minutes.

Before I was hardly even sweating but now I am breaking out into a full sweat and feel like my cardio endurance is better than ever. I feel stronger & I can't believe how pumped up I am after working out.

I don't have a set workout schedule. I'm sure coming here & posting my workouts will help to keep me motiviated.

Sorry for babbling on :p :p

Hi Sherryi! Welcome to the thread. I'm sure you will find it as enjoyable as I do. I noticed that you are from Charleston S.C. My husband and I are going to Hilton Head on July 28th and talked about taking a day and checking out Charleston. How many hours is it from Hilton Head?

Copperblu- I,too, have major PMS right now. My boobs are so sore and I am grouchy. Thanks for the encouragement on my cheesecake slip up. I will attribute it to PMS.

Morrigan- You do sound crazy! Just kidding. I totally know what you mean. Sometimes when I walk on the treadmill I kind of get into a zone and block out everything around me. It can be very meditative. How was the movie? Was it cheesy?

Marvin- Have fun golfing. I hit golf balls last night with my husband and for some reason I was crushing them. (this is very unusual). My husband was having a hard time with his shots so of course I rubbed it in!

Dena- Welcome!

Meredith- Good luck with the fundraiser. Don't let it stress you out.

Have a good day!

workout update for the day:
walked 3.2 miles at the park
did half an hour of step aerobics
will be going to kickboxing class tonight for 45 minutes.

Saggy

oops, sorry so loooong-winded....
 

Hi exercisers!!! I'd like to join you if you don't mind. I'm sitting here on my lunch hour at work with my jogging stuff in a bag at my feet (still clean). Here's my deal.... The best time for me to exercise is in the morning before work. I'm fairly consistent at it but not as consistent as I'd like to be. A perfect week would be: 2 days of swimming; 2 days of running; and 2 days of weights/lifecycle (or actual bicycle). However, I can't remember the last perfect week I had. If I don't get it done before work, then my next option is to run at lunch (we have shower facilities in our building). After work is not realistic for me because (a) I've never been a motivated nighttimer; and (b) I have a one-year-old daughter and 14 year-old stepdaughter that I like to spend my evenings with (oh, and a dh).

Soooo, what keeps me from getting my workout in on some mornings.....hmmmmm....? Let's take this morning for example. It was supposed to be a swim day. On swim days I have to be at the YMCA by 5:30 (to get a lane and have enough time). When my alarm went off this morning I struggled and fought and struggled, but next thing I knew my hubby was bringing me a cup of coffee saying "time to get up." DARN! It was too late to go swimming. So I packed up my gym bag for my lunchtime run. Ugh...it's too hot to run at lunch (at least that's my excuse de jour). I'll come back all red-faced and my hair will look funny. Okay, so let's go back to this a.m. What went wrong? Oh, perhaps we should go further back to last evening. Could it have been the 3rd glass of wine???? Yes, I admit it. I love vino and whenever I exceed 1-2 glasses, the odds are that I won't get up early to workout.

Now that I've sufficiently bored you to death (you've probably all gone to workout since even that's more fun than reading this post), I'll state my goals and shut up. I want to workout 6 days a week (as described above). My workout journal starts the week on Sunday. As of last Sunday I have worked out exactly ONCE. I won't be working out today so the best I can do this week is 4 days (Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat), unless I fit in multiple workouts on one day, but that's highly unlikely. As of Sunday 7/22 I will work hard on my goal of 6 days.

Morrigan, I have to confess that I've been a lurker for some time and have really enjoyed your posts on the support thread. (Incidentally we seem to share a love of wine among other things.) I've enjoyed everyone's posts and have wanted to contribute but just haven't felt I had much to add. I think this is a good place for me to start.

Thanks to all for your input and insights! I'll report after my morning workout tomorrow (Thurs - bike/weights).


Take care!

Hey everyone! Welcome jusdoit and sherryi! This is a fun place to post. I'm pretty new to this thread as well and everyone here is great!

Well, last night wasn't good. I skipped another workout. :p I did go see my little brother's play. He's in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He sang a solo and was soooo good. Not just little brother good, but honest to God good! I was so proud. Tonight I have to work at the video store from 6 to 10. If I don't get any other exercise in, it's still a lot of standing, squatting, stretching and moving. Maybe I can get in some Pilates after 10:00 or squeeze something in from 5 to 6. I have the same schedule tomorrow.

Friday after work I have to drive eight hours. This weekend I am going to do some major power shopping. That is my all time favorite ways to burn calories. I'm not a huge fan of the Mall of America but that's a good evening activity. I love downtown Minneapolis, I figure a good six hours of shopping both Saturday and Sunday will do some fat burning. Plus, I am going with my mother. She is a weight watcher to the core and she knows all the healthy restaurants and is the original power shopper.

Hopefully I will have a good workout report for tomorrow, I'm getting sick of posting about my skipping out! I've been eating healthier the last few days though. My appetite is getting back to normal after several days of marathon eating. I better get some work done today. Take care!

A good workout - but I was a bit sleepy through the whole thing
 

There are so many posts! This place is hopping! I did cardio and weights today and burned 625 calories (35 minute treadmill, 30 minutes bike, 5 minutes row, 1 hr of weights at gym, 1:15 minutes of knee exercises at PT). I am eating good and I finally hit 150 lbs this morning!!!!!

Sherryi I used to work out whereveer when I was just trying to get a bit of exercise in every day: swimming at the beach, riding my bike to town, walking at the HS track, etc... Last Saturday I started lifting weights - and for that I have been going to the gym.

meredith Whenever I have a skip out day I do 50 crunches before bed, that way I can always say I did something!

justdoit I am glad you came out of lurkerdom. I have always been an exercise procrastinator, expecially when I am busy with my job and family stuff. Coming here to log in what I do everyday really helps motivate me to keep it up. I hope it will do the same for you!

Pearl Harbor was better than I expected - it was actually two movies in one - an hour long cheesy love story with heros and such - then 45 minutes of war - then back to cheesy love story - a bit more war and over. It was like 3 hours. The love story was good (Danny (one of the pilots) was HOT!), the war scene was spectacular - but the whole movie came off a bit disjointed.

I have never tried a heart moniter - but I think they are great from everything I have heard about them - and you can really increase your calorie burn by keeping your heart rate up for losing weight.

Hi Everyone!

I just came back from the gym and am feeling really good. I decided to report in right after my workout before I start dinner, so I know I'll stay on track today. This morning I did my Body Flex tape, then went for a walk and this afternoon I spent 1 1/2 hrs. at the gym. I got on the treadmill for 46 minutes and worked out on the machines the rest of the time. I'm organizing my time more, so I can do these things and get my work done, too. Who knew I could get all this stuff accomplished?LOL

I believe when I start blowing my diet, it's because I'm overwhelmed with everything... not enough time to get everything done. So a little organization here and there helped me loads today. Let's hope I can continue this plan.LOL

Copperblu, I know exactly what you mean about missing one workout and feeling like you're recovering from a loooong slump. I actually have to drag myself to the gym and just make myself get on the treadmill. I also feel sheepish and embarrassed... like everyone at the gym knows I didn't come in the day before. (They probably didn't come either.LOL) After my workout is over, however, I feel super! Of course, I'm not sure if it's because I'm done or because of all the endorphins.LOL

Morrigan, the only way I can get into any meditative state when I'm exercising is by getting lost in the music. Thank God the speaker is close to me when I'm on the treadmill, because I can keeping going and going, just like the energizer bunny. When the songs are bad, however, I snap out of my trance.LOL

Saggy, I love your exercise schedule! Do you like kickboxing? Is it something like Tae Bo? I was into Tae Bo a lot last year. Maybe I should dust off my old video.LOL

Welcome, Sheryl and Justdoit! I'm new, too. The gals here are very supportive and motivational!! This is an absolutely great thread!!

Meredith, tell me more about Pilates. It sounds interesting.

Well, it's time for me to cook dinner.
Let's all keep working out.
(Hugs),
Dena

Hey Meredith! I was in Minneapolis with my husband in June. He was there on business and I went along for the ride. I did some shopping at the Boston Store and a mall that was connected to it.
We were only there for 2 days so we didn't get to do too much, but I enjoyed my time there.

Saggy

Happy Thursday all!

Morrigan--Great job in the workout and eating. I do great with my exercise but eating is another story.

Saggy-I think Hilton Head is 3-4 hours from Charleston but not sure. I haven't been there in years. If you come to Charleston, go downtown to the market for some shopping & they have some great restaurants down there--Bocci's for Italian to name one & bring your shades, shorts and suncreen--it is so HOT & HUMID here. Be safe traveling.

JustDoIt :lol: about your post. Maybe you could say you will just workout 3 days a week instead of 6. I had set unrealistic workout schedule for myself and had to modify it to fit my real life. I tell myself I have to workout at least 3 times a week but always end up working out more when I don't have to :)

Meredith--Be safe traveling. WOW--12 hours of shopping--I'm jealous but don't think I could keep up anyways. I noticed The Four Agreements is your sig--I have them posted to my computer

Dena-Planning is the key. I wish I planned out my meals better and actually liked to cook :)

Last night I did weights & cardio at the gym. Today is interval step with light weights. Interval is 5-10 step and 5 mins weights. It really shows instant results and keeps me pumped up!!!!!

Have a GREAT Thursday all!

Wow! It took me forever to read all the new posts! :)

Welcome to Sherryi and JusDoIt! I know that you'll fit in great here....

Copperblu! I would love to get your recipes! Post em soon, kay? And the dentist was great this time, thanks for asking! Look, :D, no cavities! :lol:

Morrigan ~ I do kinda know what you mean about that zone, although it doesn't happen to me very often... I wish it would though! What a benefit! ;)

Sherryi ~ I've thought about a heratrate monitor as well. It's for a different reason though! I have one heck of a time counting my heart beats while there is music playing! :lol: I guess I'm easily distracted! Every time I try, somehow my heart beats end up beating in time to the music!!!! :dizzy:

Saggy ~ Golfing last night was great! :smug: I had a very good game, which was surprising since it's the first time I've swung a club this year! The weather was beautiful, and a few times, I felt my heartrate climb with all the walking, so I'm happy about that!

jusdoit ~ I know exactly what you mean about struggling in the morning..... I have to be at work at 7, so if I want to go swimming, I have to be up at 5 to get to the pool by 6, then a half hour to swim and off to work.... I have never been much of a morning person, but like Copperblu says, as long as you roll out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off, you should be ok...it's when you linger that you get into trouble... so don't think about it ~ just roll out of bed! :lol: Now here's the pot calling the kettle black!

To Be Continued....

(The board wouldn't let me post such along post with all the smilies and stuff, so I had to split it in two!)

Meredith! 12 hours of shopping! Take me, take me! ;) I realized yesterday morning when I was searching for some nice clothes to wear golfing, that I need to go shopping in a serious way! My work is very casual ~ jeans, tshirts.... so I don't really have very much in the way of "nice" stuff..... Of course this gives me the perfect excuse to go to the mall! :s:

Dena ~ ITA about the organization helping! As long as my entire day is planned, I have a much better chance of getting everything done. I keep a little notebook in my purse, and have a page for each day, so I can keep a list and cross things off as I get them done. This takes care of errands, cleaning, cooking, everything! Without that notebook, I'd forget everything! :dizzy:

My Update:
I'm not going to have time to get to Curves today, what with the farmer's market after work, but I do plan on doing a short yoga workout at lunch.... Wish me luck at the market!

See ya later! :wave:

Wow! I think next week we might have to start new threads for each day!

Welcome Jusdoit!
I didn't think your post was boring at all! I know what you're talking about with everything getting in your way to keep you from getting in a workout! Sometimes it seems like the forces of the universe (or just our choices from the day before ;)) are against us!
I find that just a glass or 2 of wine will leave me sleepy in the mornings too -- and I do like my wine! But I can't have it during the week anymore, or I'll never get up do to my workout!

Saggy: Hilton Head sounds great! I've always wondered about going, but it's too far for just a long weekend trip for us, and that seems to be the only kind of trip we've been making lately.
Yeah, PMS -- my PMS/TOM made me eat a brownie last night! I had SUCH a craving, I thought I'd go mad! I can't wait 'til this is over!!

Meredith: Have fun w/your mom! And while we definitely should try to get out of a slump before it becomes a lifestyle, don't worry about it too much -- we all have bad weeks!

Morrigan: What a workout!! And congrats on hitting 150! :D That hard work's paying off, eh? ;)

Dena: Nice to see you! Sounds like you're doing great!! Organization helps a LOT, though sometimes I sure do get tired of chopping up my fruit + picking out my clothes + getting everything ready the night before!

Sherryi: Congrats on getting your workout in! I think you're right about setting a minimum that you think you can meet -- that way you don't feel bad when you don't have an "Ironwoman" week, and you're always trying to beat your minimum, because then you did "more." It's a good system!

my update:
Well, I'm sorry to report that I didn't make it to the gym for my weights this morning. :( Would NOT get out of bed. I just don't have the hang of fitting in my workouts during PMS/TOM week yet! Sigh. At least I'm getting some workouts in (Sun, Mon, Wed) -- for a few months there, I'd end up just having a whole skipped week, because I'd just feel too tired + blah to workout after work (which is when I was exercising at the time), and before I knew it, I'd have skipped almost every workout that week! Maybe I can convince DH to go with me this evening + try to make it up.
The strangest thing, I think, is that for a self-confessed cardio hater, it's my weights workouts I've been skipping this week. Very strange!

Cross posted w/Marvin AGAIN! ;)

Will post those recipes ASAP! I'll try to remember to bring them in tomorrow, so I can type them up.
And youve got it -- it was the LINGERING that did me in!! If I hadn't paused for that second after shutting off the alarm... argh! :mad:
Glad to hear the dentist's went well! I SO have to make an appointment -- I haven't been for YEARS. :o

Marvin--I just got my first golf lesson last week and plan another one in a few weeks from DF. I have to learn all the basics first before I attempt to play a game. I have walked it with my finace' before and I know what you mean about hard work.

Copperblu-Don't beat yourself up; just pick yourself up and get back on track. I'm a cardio lover & am trying to become the weight lifting queen :)

Only 6 more days until my vacation :) :D We're going to the mountains near Ashville, NC. I will probably exercise almost everyday on vacation b/c my soon to be sister-in-law and I go swimming everyday and take yoga classes & go walking after meals. The weather will be perfect also.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

WOW - We are a busy place!

I am going to do lots of cardio today and abs. I think I am going to do ab stuff every day with the cardio. They don't seem to need a day of rest like my arms always do.

What I was saying about zoning out - is that I don't think it is that good for my goal of working out harder and burning calories. I am going through the motions - but my heart rate just isn't there. Of course - I can go for a long time - which probably compensates, but I want to do more intense exercise.

Another problem is that my knee is still not 100%. I tried jogging, but it became pretty swollen - so my PT nixed that for another week or so. I still can't run. I am not supposed to kick vigorously in the pool. I can ride up hill now, but only on spin cycle, not pushing really hard. The stair master works pretty good - but i have to do it backwards and it hurts a bit if I go too deep. I guess I am just going to have to be satisfied with low intensity workouts until I get a little bit better. It is hard to believe that 5 months after surgery my knee is still swollen all the time. The doctor said that should disappear about 9-12 months out.

I sound so whiney. I shouldn't be complaining. I am doing way better every week.