fitmom, That is AWESOME. I am so envious of your dedication and running success! You're an inspiration to me to get off my butt and actually start running again. (And doing planks.)

Magalo, I still dream of cropped tops -- I don't think I've talked to you at all before, but I think we have similar body shapes/builds (I'm also a rectangle when bigger) so I'm excited to look more like you soon ;)

Aw we should share some photos :) Have you posted pictures of you ?

I haven't -- afraid to be found :) But I might take some soon and crop them so that they don't identify me -- will definitely let you know!

Weighed in today at 112 at the gym -- it's my TOM though, so hopefully some of that is retained water? Hopefully? :/ Anyway, I updated my ticker and after thinking about it (and also because I can definitely identify more than 7 lbs of fat that could go on my thighs and tummy alone) I think I'm refreshing my goal weight down to my original unrealistic goal of 105, which is where my body has been happiest in the past. We'll see how well not-calorie-counting but keeping relatively free of grains, high-fat animal products of any kind (including cheese), and refined sugar helps me manage. I'm fairly well aware of most calorie counts by this point anyway. :)

I'm starting to become a really big fan of Egg Beaters. I worry about what they put in it, but it's so easy and delicious... I should really get back to using real egg whites from real eggs, but I'm lazy about things like that. What do you girls use for quick lean protein?

skinnyminnynow- Don't fret, I have too had days like that...as in Saturday, I went out to Golden Corral...oh goodness. If you have a bad day, just bounce back! Eat good the next day, exercise and move forward, don't get wrapped up in slip ups!

cantgetenoughchoc - My best friend has lost 30 lbs in the past year and (in my mind) didn't need to at all! She is tall probably about 5'7 so now she looks like a freakin model! At times I am jealous (she didn't exercise AT ALL and I work out 5 days a week) but others, I am so happy she made a good change for herself.

My weekend was ok. I have worked out 4 days in a row and I am taking today off (though I wanna go to the gym REALLY bad). I have been thoroughly enjoying going to the gym. I enjoy the alone time, there is no chaos from the kid, the ex, a messy home, etc etc. I can really get my mind clear. Its such a good feeling.

I have set up a goal in my head, and I have been doing ALOT of reading on it. I don't know if it will be attainable, I think I will re-evaluate when I get to my goal weight. BUT I want to do a Bikini Competition through Fitness Universe. When I reach my goal weight, I will speak/work with a personal trainer to work with my problem areas (belly, etc) and go through my diet to see what can be done to reach the ultimate fitness & physique to enter on of these competitions.

Good news: A stylist fixed my hair (I tried to put another darker blonde on it to counteract the yellow and it went orangey-pink! omg!) sooo now its honey blonde and very pretty.

Bad news: I yet again ate and ate all weekend. Sheesh. It wasn't quite as bad as last weekend, but I still did some damage. August just isn't my month!!

But I'm determined to make this week count so I look good at my boyfriend's friend's wedding. The last time I saw everyone in this group of friends I weighed 140lbs and hid behind jet black hair so no one noticed me -- so it will be nice to have a bit more self confidence around everyone this time.

Have a great day, feathers! :carrot:

cantgetenoughchoc: You're so sweet! Thanks for saying that. I guess age is just a number, lol. And I'm sure you're just as fit. :D

magalo: Ooo, a cropped top. I'm sure you'd look great in one. A couple of my nieces wear them and they all look so nice. Very 'fashion-forward', lol. Although at my age, a halter top is the equivalent. :D

skinnyelle39: You've become my cheerleader now! Thanks for all your support. Hope this week is better for you. I'm pulling for you! :hug:

lackadaisy: Running+planks=flat belly. :lol: Seriously though, running has given me confidence that despite being middle-aged, I can transform my body and become fit. I hope you start running again. TOM stinks. I'm getting over mine. I've got to try Egg Beaters. I eat tons of egg whites.

mamamorgan: Totally do the fitness competition. If I was ten years younger, I'd do it too. LOL. But I think I'll live vicariously through you. For me, walking around Disney's hotel pool clad only in a bikini that rode low on my hips (as opposed to the high-waisted ones) was probably as daunting as a fitness competition for me, seriously. It sounds like you're doing better so that's nice to hear. Keeping busy and staying focused definitely helps.

Dorian5: Honey blonde? I think you'd look great like that. I'm getting my hair done in two weeks too and can't wait. Don't beat yourself up, remember today is a new day and week. Just look forward, don't look back. You're still doing awesome in my book. And you do look like Sarah Michelle Gellar!

Well, Saturday's run was a bust. It rained and stormed all weekend long. Planned to do my sprinting this morning but rained again. So, I did it in my basement. Ran really fast in place for like 25 seconds and walked in place for 35 seconds. Did this for 20 mintues and boy, was I beat! But it felt great. :) I'm gonna do my sprinting on Wednesday and bring my older son with me, can't wait. Tonight is Pilates and I'm looking forward to that. Quiet me time.

On the diet front, TOM is almost over. Scale is at 118 lbs. Hopefully, it will be at 117 lbs. when it's totally gone. I've made a new resolution to eat oatmeal every morning (weekday). I'd been eating Cheerios but I need to tighten my diet even more, I think. So for the past three days, oatmeal it is. No sugar added, dried cranberries and walnuts as a topping. I still have that darn two-inch section of loose skin below my navel so I'm hoping that adjusting my diet even more will help this along with the planks and running.

Looked at some new exercise equipment over the weekend. But it's a tad bit expensive so I may have to wait a few more weeks. I need to get a 25 lb. kettlebell, 12 or 15 lb. dumbbells and a weighted jump rope. Hoping to have all this in place before I take my workouts inside for good (in November).

My younger son finally, finally knows how to tie a shoe and ride a bike sans training wheels. These have been my little projects this summer. I'm so darn proud of him. :love: He was shouting as he rode by me, "Mom, I'm doing it! Look at me!"

Last night I had Chinese food so I considered that my cheat meal. I had pork fried rice and wonton soup. I ate cleanly all weekend long so I gave myself permission to cheat, lol.

Have an awesome week, Feathers!! :D

BTW, this is a photo of Tori Spelling - focus on her arms (I'm speaking of the photo in the background with Tori in the white strapless dress because her in the green dress is pregnant Tori, lol), toned but not much muscle. These are basically my arms so you can see my dilemma, lol. I want sumire's arms!! :D I need to purchase the bigger weights...like yesterday. :p

http://www.topnews.in/light/files/im...-Spelling4.jpg

Good morning feathers! My weight bounced up 1.5 lbs to 127 for no apparent reason on Friday. I checked my calendar, and exactly 28 days before that, I had a similar bounce upward, and then 7 days after that I got my first post-pill period. Since Friday the depression, rage, acne, and hunger have come... so I must be PMS'ing! :D I find it fascinating that my weight seems to be my first warning bell that TOM is approaching. I've been on plan as usual, but I must say, my hunger/cravings were insane yesterday; that was the hardest day I've had in ages!

Tomorrow I leave to visit family for a week. I put a new workout playlist on my iPod to motivate me for some basic maintenance workouts while I'm away from home. Going to eat intuitively and be reasonable. I had a similar diet break in mid-June (took an exercise break as well) and didn't gain anything (beyond some initial water weight that came off in 2-3 days). So I hope to return with a similar report this time.

Got to get everything ready to go so no time for personals, but I hope you all have a great week. I look forward to catching up on everybody's posts when I return! :)

Back to say, fitmom, I think that Tori Spelling's arms are nothing to sneeze at! A lot of gals would kill to have them. (Of course we all want what we don't have, haha. :)) Have a great week!

Not me but a worthy substitute back then: http://wchinews.com/wp-content/uploa...muffin-top.jpg

This is basically what I looked like (although slightly thinner than above photo) before I got serious with my diet and exercise about four years ago. I didn't take many photos of myself for a good number of years because I was deeply ashamed so this photo is the closest representation of my former belly. I'm not kidding. I was miserable. :( Anyway, there's one photo of me looking like this in a high-waisted orange bikini on my honeymoon back in 1997! I was in some deep denial about how I really looked. Yep, even prior to having kids I had a pooch just no loose skin. After kids, my stomach was a train wreck! I've got to hunt around for it and you would laugh your collective heads off. I mean, I was twenty-five and looked much older because of it. I even considered going for a tummy tuck at one point, that's how desperate I was. I just hid it well; I was the master of disguise. Besides, I wasn't really that overweight so people assumed that I was slim all over. Not true.


ETA: Okay, so I took some photos of my stomach now but the pictures barely show my abs at all. I obviously don't have the proper lighting in my bathroom and my skin is super-light so they look all wrong IMO. My sister (love her) suggested that I google around and try to find a photo of a woman's stomach that resembles mine now. She said this photo was the one most closely resembling mine currently: http://fitnessblackbook.com/six-pack...session-begin/

BTW, my hubby and best friend confirmed that this woman's stomach very much looks like mine does so therefore it's not just wishful thinking on my part, lol. To reiterate, this is not me but the closest thing I could find since my photos (and bathroom lighting) are just not cooperating. Everyone's been asking me what I kind of look like now so I posted the link above. It's not crazy definition like Dara Torres, obviously but IMO slight definition...just enough, lol. It's weird because even the belly button in the link photo looks exactly like mine, lol. But compared to how I used to look (a.k.a. 'muffin top')? There's no question in my mind, worlds away from where I was for most of my twenties and thirties.

Hi feathers *sheepish wave*

I've been off off off off off plan for almost a week now - I was doing great for a bit there, walking and running and Zumba-ing every day, but then I got busy with visitors and a weekend away and a new part-time job and it all went to heck. Not an excuse of course but that's just what's been going on.

I'm so proud of all of you for fighting the good fight and getting fit. At this point I feel like I weigh over 140 even though I don't (just weighed myself, about 136 after a stupidly indulgent weekend of nonstop buffets at a resort). When will I learn? Feeling fat is gross, and feeling happy/fit is great.

I was very good yesterday, I ate a healthy breakfast and 350 calories for lunch, drank LOTS of water and even picked up something low calorie for dinner on the way home and planned my run.

But when I got home Mom SQUEALED because she was so excited to give me a giant square of lasagna she saved me from a dish the neighbors brought over. I could have said no, because I didn't really need it, I could have passed it up. But she was sooo excited. So, I ate it. And it was really, really delicious. If I had just eaten half of the big square, or eaten it and then continued to do my run I would have been OK. But the "I've already cheated so I might as well keep eating" mindset crept in and I ate handfuls of cookies and all sorts of crap. So, so frustrating.

So this morning I made myself get on the scale and LOOK at what the weekend and the lasagna and all of that translated to on the scale. 126lbs. I was 122 two weeks ago. I'm up FOUR pounds. I know a lot of that's water, but it was still important for me to see that I am not just "maintaining" 123-125, that it's slowly creeping up.

I'm not done losing, I hate how slackass I'm being. I'm sabotaging myself.

I feel like maybe I need to do some kind of cleanse or detox or something. I'm ready to get back in the saddle. I want to look good at this wedding on Saturday, I have a beautiful dress to wear. I want my boyfriend to think I look good and for his friends to think that I'm pretty and all of that vain, shallow stuff. :lol:

krampus - Welcome back! Feeling fat IS gross. :P But the best thing to do is get right back on that horse. I'm sure a lot of that 136 will fall right off within the first few days back on plan. :hug:

fitmom - that picture made me want a muffin. :lol: and WHOA I would sell a kidney to have my abs look like that! That woman's belly button is super cute! (Is that totally weird?) My belly button goes way in, like the one in the muffin top picture. :lol: And I agree with sumire, Tori Spelling's arms are totally awesome in my book!

sumire - Sorry to hear about TOM and PMS, but think of the WHOOSH you'll see! :D I LOVE throwing together a new workout playlist, it definitely motivates me to workout. I hope you have fun visiting family!

KEEP GOING! :carrot:

Dorian5: As far as the four lbs., could it be TOM? If not, check your weight in a day or two as it may just be water weight. Don't stress, today is a new day. :) I'm sure you will look just gorgeous in your beautiful dress with your new blonde hair, Buffy, um, I mean Dorian5! :lol: And by the way, I'm positive your bf thinks you're pretty at any weight - a few lbs. here and there is not gonna make him think otherwise. That's so funny that you think the belly button is cute. Now don't go selling any body parts, lol. Hope the rest of the week is better for you.

krampus: So sorry to hear you're feeling blah instead of not blah. Give yourself a break, you've just moved back to the States. Sometimes it takes time to adjust to everything. You'll find your groove again and it'll be better than before. If anyone knows about falling off the wagon, it's me, lol. Been there and done that many times before. Just don't give up, you've come too far to quit now. We're behind you 100%. :)

sumire: Hope you have a terrific time visiting with your family. TOM does stink, I wholeheartedly agree but it'll be gone before you know it. Have a safe trip too. P.S. Tori's arms are okay but yours are way better. :p

The whole oatmeal thing is going well. I'm eating it without any sugar at all and it doesn't taste that bad. It's raining here again so luckily this is not my running day. But the rain is so depressing. It's hard to stay motivated when it's storming outside. My two boys are going crazy inside too.

I was reading an article online last night about the 'shrink wrap effect'. I think this is what's happening with the small bit of loose skin below my navel. Basically the gist of the article was, when you've lost a fair amount of body fat and/or weight, the skin needs time to adjust to the leaner muscle. They say it takes a few months but generally it does bounce back. Also, age has something to do with it. So it may take me a bit longer plus I've had two kids. But I'm not gonna let myself obsess about it, just continue onward and upward, lol.

Hopefully, the rest of the week goes well for all you Feathers!! We need to stay strong. :hug:

fitmom Thanks for the encouraging words! Rain really is depressing and discouraging but it's clearing up here and I hope it clears up there too. Glad you're enjoying oatmeal.

Dorian5 Guess who just snarfed down three McDonalds chocolate chip cookies? We'll get this right. You'll look hot for the wedding no matter what though - isn't your profile pic 126? :)

***

My eating buddies visiting from Japan (but they're from Dublin and London) get in tonight. Hanging on for dear life - going for a run NOW. Hold me accountable!

124.0lbs -- I was retaining a lot of water! 2 pounds in one day is crazy! Although yesterday I was eating all raw fruits and veggies and protein shakes, so it makes sense. I got in a very brief jog and then walked the dog around the neighborhood until he decided he was done. (That tornado that ripped up our house has made him terrified of being outside, poor thing)

AND can I just say that I got home last night and Mom had bought a box (12!) of Krispy Kreme doughnuts (they make them on site at a shop where I live, she had picked up some hot, just-cooked doughnuts) and bought me 2 of my favorite ones -- boston creams (310 calories a piece.) And I did NOT eat them! And in order to avoid hurting her feelings, I told her I was going to save them for breakfast today. Instead, I sent them to work with the boyfriend before she woke up and I am sitting here happily finishing a protein shake. :D

The dress I'm wearing to the wedding this Saturday was way, way tight on my boobs over the weekend. I think it will fit much better if I'm not retaining water. Whenever I gain, whether it's water or fat or whatever, it boosts my chest a cup size -- it's terrible! They are already too big! I'll never forget a few days after Thanksgiving last year my boyfriend coming into the bathroom when I was taking a shower and then exclaiming that my boobs had gotten even bigger. UGH. :dizzy:

---

fitmom - I'm on BC so it's not TOM, but now that you mention it I had forgotten to take my BC pill on Sunday and had to take 2 on Monday, so it could have been that my body was getting ready to start my cycle when the hormones dropped, so I started retaining. Being a girl is rough. :p I'll have to look up this shrink wrap effect, I've lost most of that little pooch under my belly button but the skin hasn't sprung back into place yet. I used to think I was an hour glass since I was 38-28-38 at 130lbs, but now my hips are a 34, meaning that the extra inches weren't from my hips, they were from that pooch! :lol:

krampus - Mmmm, McDonalds. Big Macs look so small to me now, haha. I could eat 2 if no one was watching. :o My profile pic from my vacation, I was 126.6lbs when I left and that was taken towards the end of vacay, probably closer to 129 after all the eating I had done. Thanks for the reality check, I do like that picture of me. :) I hope you had fun with your friends, nice work on running before you even go out! You've got this. :D

Keep going, feathers!

Dorian5 - Just keep drinking that water and stay away from any extra sodium and you should have no problem fitting into that dress on Saturday!


Hello Feathers! I am trying my absolute hardest to stay positive. Monday on my way home from work, my truck broke down. Yay. Same day, I got a call for an interview for a full time job with benefits. I guess life likes to close one door and open another (at least that is what I am trying to think of it as). My roommate works nights, so he is letting me use his car during the day so I can get to work, go to the gym etc. I am really trying my hardest to take things just one day at a time. I have been trying for the last 3 nights to transfer my son from co-sleeping to his crib and he wakes up every morning at 4 am, he isn't upset or anything, he is ready to go. Ugh. I dont' get up until 5:15 and that last hour is SO valuable. This is just one more struggle to work through.

I have been sticking to the gym (today will be my 6th time at the gym since joining last Thursday) but my back is so sore....I have a huge knot in my shoulder that has been there for weeks (maybe even 2 months) and won't go away. When I run, I can feel how tense my shoulder is and it makes it really hard to enjoy doing my cardio.

Hopefully all will be well in time.

Hi Feathers!

Finally a sunny day, lol. I took my older son sprinting with me this morning and had such a blast. He was able to keep up with me pretty much until the end. I love having him for a workout partner. Funny, there was a time not too long ago (when he was a baby) that I could have never imagined him this big and us doing things together. It's awesome now that he's almost ten. :love:

Dorian5: I so wish I had your problem with the boobage, lol. I'll take your leftovers...really.:p I hope you have a terrific time at the wedding this weekend. I'll be thinking of you in your gorgeous dress. At my point in life, I've been going to a lot of communions of friends children. I haven't been to a wedding in a long time. :lol: And good for you to saying no to the Krispy Kreme donuts!! Yay!! But they are delicious, I agree. A protein shake is a much smarter choice.

krampus: Good to see that you are working in a run. Have fun visiting with friends too. It sounds like you are feeling a little better.

mamamorgan: That's awesome about the job interview. Hope you get it. And I can so relate to the 4 a.m. thing with a baby ready to go, my oldest was like that. It does get better...eventually. They grow so fast, I almost can't remember what it's like to hold a baby and it's only been a mere six years. I wish I had a gym membership but with college tuition less than ten years away, it's a pipe dream...at least for now.

So I'm a self-proclaimed fitness junkie, lol. Have you ladies heard of a guy named Rusty Moore? He has an internet blog called, "Fitness Black Book". Anyway, I've been reading his blog since it started in 2007. He's 41 years old from Seattle, Washington and not a fitness professional. He just gives tips on everything he's learned for the last 25 years. His site gets like three hundred thousand hits per week or something crazy like that. He's like a rock star in the world of internet fitness blogs. He's giving away this e-book called, "Abs Blueprint". So, I downloaded it, of course. I was reading it and was blown away. A lot of the stuff I was doing for my core work is so five mintues ago. I totally spent the better part of yesterday afternoon devouring all 45 pages of it. My routine is now completely different. I'll let you know how it goes. I have to work on strengthening my overall core strength as well as maintaining the definition I have and sharpening it a little. That's another one of my goals now. Here's the link to his amazing site in case any of you are interested: http://fitnessblackbook.com/

Anyway, tonight is Pilates and planks. I'm really feeling it from my intervals this morning and the new core routine from last night. But it so worth it, lol.

Hope the rest of the afternoon goes well for everyone. You ladies are so inspirational to me. :hug:

fitmom - I just did HIIT running for the first time ever and thought of you. I finished 15 minutes ago. Holy crap! That is my new favorite thing ever, it hurts so, so good. :carrot:

Isn't it the best? OMG! You'll be feeling it for days, trust me. I can only do it like once maybe twice a week because it totally wipes me out, lol. It burns about 200 calories but the afterburn effect lasts for 24-48 hours after the workout which is why it's so effective for fat loss. I'm so excited for you!! Yay, Dorian5!! :carrot:

122.8lbs this morning! My lowest is 122.2lbs so I am thrilled to be here after all the food nonsense that has happened since I weighed that low. Tomorrow is my weigh in, I will be happy even if I weigh today's weight.

I feel pretty good with how I've done since Tuesday, I pried a LOT of that water off. I've been eating really light spinach salad for lunch and drinking a naked smoothie -- anyone else like those? The Green Machine one is my favorite! I have to basically make it a meal though because there are 280 calories in it. :dizzy:

The boyfriend works tech support at a small software company and the wife of guy who owns the company is Swedish and she is constantly giving all of the tech boys STACKS of various European chocolate bars. He came home yesterday with a TON of them! I did eat one (maybe two) of the truffles, and had a bite of some kind of nasty sport chocolate? Ovosport, I think? I'm pretty sure it was made of leftover chalk, salt lick, and chocolate ovaltine powder. I couldn't read the package so I don't know what the purpose of it was.

--

mamamorgan - I'm sorry life's been trying to get in your way -- good for you for hitting the gym anyway! Let us know how the interview goes! And cardio IS rough with a tense shoulder, I hope it gets better soon. :hug: Know anybody who could give you a massage?

Fitmom - I am totally in love with it HIIT, it seems to be just what I needed. There is no way to get bored and it seems to be the best way to run with my asthma, oddly enough (the cool down is just long enough to let my lungs stop freaking out before I sprint hard again) So, thank you thank you! I checked it out because of you!

fitmom, dorian5 Im so impressed with you two and your HITT. Please give me some sample routines. How long do you normally do it for?

skinnyelle39 - fitmom would be the expert (and she may even critique mine, she's most welcome cause it was my first!) but this is what I did yesterday on the treadmill after a warm up walk outside with the dog:

1 minute at 8mph, then 2 minutes at 3.5mph

I did it for 21 minutes at 5% incline. It kicked my arse, hopefully I can get better at it to do more reps and/or a faster sprint.

skinnyelle39: I do my HIIT outside in the nearby playground parking lot not on a treadmill but Dorian5's routine sounded just fine. I sprint for like 20 seconds then walk for 40 seconds then sprint again then walk again. Not more than a few seconds between the sprinting and walking, otherwise it defeats the purpose. Do this for 20 minutes and you'll be drenched in sweat. It's the only thing I've found that really blasts away the last little bit of weight and/or belly fat. I only do it once maybe twice a week b/c it leaves me wiped for a few days afterwards. But I've definitely noticed a difference since doing it. My goal is to do a longer, faster sprint...but baby steps. Hope this helps. :)

Well, I'm sore as heck from my HIIT but that's to be expected. Not much to say except today is dusting and vacuuming since the rain is back. I lead such an exciting life, I know. LOL.

And my abs are aching like crazy from the new routine I'm doing. I'll give you Feathers an update in a few weeks - hopefully I'll have made some more progress.

Weighed myself this morning since TOM is long gone and I'm back at 117 lbs. Good to see the number move back down.

Hope the rest of the week is good for the rest of you. Bye for now! :)

Dorian5: I've never done my HIIT on a treadmill but from what I've read it sounds like you kicked some serious butt, lol. The incline and speed of the treadmill are what mimic the conditions of sprinting say uphill outside. You did great by my estimates and I'm so not an expert. Keep going. And very cool about the weigh-in too.

fitmom, dorian5 Thanks ladies! I avoid sprints like the plague. Cant stand that feeling of oncoming sudden death during/after each one, lol. They are no joke especially on an incline. But if its really as effective for blasting fat and taking off the last few lbs as you say it may be just what I need. Plus I love that I can be done in 20 minutes!

Im excited to give it a try. My weight hasn't changed much in the last month or so and I know Ive formed some nice muscle tone I just need to drop that layer of fat covering it all. I think my diet/ exercise plan just needs a kick in the butt for the last 10-15lbs. Hopefully this will get me there :)

Im happy both of you have returned back to your low weights. You both are awesome!

skinnyelle39: Definitely give it a try. You're so close to your goal weight, this will get you over that 'hump', so to speak. Considering it's only twenty minutes, it really packs a punch when it comes to melting the fat away. Let us know how you did. I'm so excited for you!!

I just had a super low-cal lunch and yummy too. It's Tomato Garden soup from Campbell's Select Harvest line. It comes in at only 90 calories per serving. Sodium is low too. I was so excited. Had one bowl with a glass of water. The soup is basically tomato broth with tons of vegetables. It is really delicious! Thought I pass along the findings to the rest of you ladies.

Ahh, back from the beach to real life again. I didn't take a single pair of shorts w/ me since none of them fit :(. I don't normally wear them anyway, but DH always comments about wearing pants at the beach.

All this talk about HIIT motivated me to do some exercise at work today. (not that I did that exactly, but better than sitting on my rear all day.) While waiting for my lunch to heat, I went into an empty office to do burpees, a set of 10 then a set of 9. Later I did 8, then 7. Maybe tonight I'll finish the descending set. Lately exercise has taken a back seat due to schedule and family duties (weaning my 2 yo from her pacifier makes nap and bedtimes not ideal work out times at present). So, I'm going to try for short snippets, maybe using DD for weight (25 pounds), something's better than nothing, right?


mamamorgan, I have a sore neck/shoulder right now, too. I think it's a combo of picking up the baby with one side all the time and tension. I've been using stick on heat wraps with some success, but they are not pleasant to wear in this heat.

Hi everyone
 

I'm new here. I have been doing master cleanse and juice fasting for 28days and now in the process of going back to normal eating. I have been lost about 11lbs with the cleanse, but want to lose at least 5 more lbs for the next 50days. I have been posting about my journey in my blog. You are welcome to check this out. promisewithme.blogspot.com But I am not a native English speaker, so I would appreciate if you understand my poor expressions here.

121.4lbs this morning. That is just excellent news for me, it's my lowest weight yet! I can't imagine what 120 will feel like, since that's the tip top of my maintenance level. :D

I'll try to get in front of a camera at the wedding so I can have a new avatar picture, since I'm blonde now and weigh at least 5 pounds less than I do in the current one. :carrot:

I've worked pretty hard the last 4 days and pried a lot of pounds off, I was planning to relax a little today -- but I think I'll keep at it for today and tomorrow and get back to normal on Sunday. I've been doing protein shakes for breakfast and Naked smoothies for lunch with a small salad and a multivitamin, greek yogurt for a snack (protein) and something for dinner with protein AND lots of fiber, I average 1200 calories (usually I'm closer to 1400.)

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fitmom - Oh! I'm glad to hear that I did it right. :lol: I just looked up a routine on the internet. I wanna do it again tonight! I don't think the boyfriend likes it, cause I basically start passing out around 10pm, leaving him awake with no sexy time. :lol: Good to see that you're back at your normal weight -- and I will definitely try that soup, I LOVE soup (just not sodium!) so that would be a welcome addition to boost my lunch calories alongside my usual salad.

skinnyelle39 - You should definitely try it to see if you like it -- I expected to hate it, especially with my asthma, but I enjoyed it so much! The sprints ARE rough, but by the end of the cool down interval you don't have that "oh god please just kill me" feeling anymore, and I definitely felt it for a long while afterward! It might be just what you're looking for. :)

Amy3680 - I'm sorry about the shorts. :( BUT how cool that you found the time/space to get some exercise in at work, that's great! Burpees are the most evil thing ever to me, which probably means I should be doing more of them. :lol: Good luck with the pacifier situation, that' gotta be rough! Hope you get some more time for YOU soon. :hug:

Petit Aria- Welcome! I was always scared of juice fasts and the master cleanse, I don't think I would be able to manage that. 11lbs in 28 days is serious, I am glad you're getting back to normal eating now! I'm sure you'll be able to pry those extra 5 pounds off with a healthy diet and exercise.

Good luck, ladies! :carrot:

Dorian5: LOL, I know what you mean about the 'no sexy time' - I conk out early too but that's why God made mornings. ;) Ooo, a new low for you - awesome!! You're so close to getting out of the 120's. I'm so excited for you. :)

Amy3680: Your post brought back some beautiful memories for me. I remember when I took my son's pacifiers away from them, it was two nights of incessant crying and then they forgot about it. I so remember those days and kind of miss them. :( I remember burpees from PE class in school but I think they called them 'squat thrusts' back then. They are a great way to keep in shape, I agree.

Petit Aria: I'm in awe of anyone who can do those fasts and/or cleanses. I'm just not that disciplined. I'm sure those last few pounds will melt right off you too.

Well, ladies...I'M BACK!!!! What the heck does that mean? It means that the girl from 30 years ago (yeah, I'm old, lol) that used to kick butt in the elementary school track meets is back once again! Woot! I ran 3.3 miles in 21 minutes door-to-door!!!! Can you believe it? I know I can't. My DH and DS's were like, 'you're back early' and I was like, 'yes, I am'. :carrot: I was sweating like a pig and breathing hard but I did it. I really, actually did it.

Anyway, enough with the self-love, lol. Last night I did my new revised core routine and I'm not that sore today. Any of you ladies try renegade rows? They are basically where you get into a push-up position with two dumbbells in your hands and slowly row the weight towards your chest, alternating sides - your abs contract to keep you from twisting side to side. They are killer, I tell you, killer! I did 3 sets of these with 5 reps each and my obliques were on fire, seriously. I also did my kettlebell circuit to banish the 'Tori Spelling arms' that I seem to now have. :lol:

Tonight is my Pilates and planks. I'm finding that to ease my soreness, running and/or cardio totally helps relieve it. I feel invigorated today. Funny how steady state cardio leaves me feels energized and HIIT leaves me wiped for a least a day.

I've been reading some fitness blogs online and everyone's diet seems more controlled and tied to what exercise they are doing. I don't change what I'm eating depending on my workout that day and it seems to be working. Is anyone else like that or am I just weird?!?

Have a nice relaxing weekend ladies!!

fitmom 3.3 miles in 21 minutes!!!! WOOHOO!!! So, when are you going to enter a race so you can place in your age group???? Okay...forget about just placing for your age group. I just looked up the female winner of the last race I did and her time was 20:42....and the race was a little bit short of a 5K. Seriously, there is a chance that you could WIN the race overall for females and you have only been back at running for such a short time. Impressive!

aimeebell: Your post made me chuckle, seriously. I wish I had the time to train for a race - that's like a job in and of itself, lol. But with the school year starting and my kids entering the fourth grade and kindergarten, I'm gonna be knee-deep in homework and all things school-related in less than three weeks. But that's nice to hear you think I could place for my age, of course. Don't know how well I'd fare against a younger set of people. *shrugs* Thanks, I'm actually kind of, sort of impressed with me too. :p

fitmom So when are you going to go for that 4 mile run to blast your goal out of the water weeks ahead of time? I would GLADLY accept Tori Spelling arms. Her arms are my goal. Skinny, but toned.

Dorian Awesome job this week! You will be the second most beautiful woman in the room, next to only the bride. I don't think my legs are capable of actual sprinting. Some people just aren't made to move fast, and that's me!

Petit 28 days of juice? I wouldn't make it a day. Congrats on the -11 lbs!

But you're already there! LOL No training necessary! I'm not talking about placing for your age. That time was for the overall female winner. She was 33 years old. It doesn't have to be a marathon, just a fun local 5K, to show yourself how awesome you are and have a medal to prove it LOL

Well....I knew it would catch up to me eventually, but I had done better last week than the previous three weeks where I miraculously maintained, so I was not expecting to get on the scale and see 137. Eeeeeek!!! Reality check! Just what I needed. I haven't seen a weight that high in a few months, but 138 was my original goal weight, so I tried not to freak out too much. So, I ate well yesterday, drank my water, and was relieved to see the scale back down to 133 this morning. Whew! I must keep myself in check!
My boys were at their dad's for two weeks. I don't cook when they are gone and just eat whatever I happen upon, and then we are moving tomorrow, so I was trying to clear out the cupboards/fridge/freezer without shopping. Soooo, I haven't really grocery shopped in a month, leaving me without a lot of healthy choices. First up, was a trip to Trader Joe's to stock my new home with healthy, delicious choices, so I'll be prepared for the week to come. Next up is a trip to the local fruit market.
On the plus side, I have been keeping up with my running while the boys are practicing football. It has felt harder lately. I chalked it up to running in the heat of the day with the sun still shining, but it occurred to me yesterday that lack of proper nutrition is probably playing a factor too.
The End

aimeebell: Seriously? You think I'm already there! Geesh, I need you in my mirror every morning for my daily affirmation, lol. There are a few 5K's around by me happening in the next few months...you've got the wheels turning in my head now. You've given me something to think about.

I know what you mean about the running feeling harder lately. I feel sometimes that I need to not go as low carb as I do b/c my body needs fuel to run and run efficiently. Also, the heat doesn't help, I agree with that.

I don't know what that's like to have two weeks without children, lol. Although I'm sure you miss them like crazy. But I will find out when school starts when for the first time in a decade, I will be child-free for the entire afternoon. It's weird b/c I don't feel like I even know who me is anymore, lol.

And don't worry too much about the higher weight but I do agree that the scale does keep you in check.

Fitmom, congrats on your run time! I knew you would get there. Im sure it feels great to know you are in just as good, if not better, shape than you were in your teens proving that age truly is just a number. AND you haven't even been running that long. So amazing!
Tried the HITT yesterday at the gym. Did about 20 mins of 60 seconds walking at a 3% incline/ 3.4-4.0 mph and 60 seconds of sprinting 3% incline/ 7.3-8.0 mph. Definitely tough and I was very tired afterwards. Although today not so much, Im wondering if I should push myself harder next week :D

dorian5 You are a rockstar girl! I started my sprint at 8.5 thinking that was a normal place to start.. I almost died. I only did one sprint at 8.5 the rest were btwn 8 and 7.3. And a 5% incline?!?!??! I was struggling with 3! If you can handle that you are very, very fit IMO and you give me something to aspire to!
Congrats on your low weight. You have certainly earned it! Enjoy the wedding this weekend.

Amy3680 Good job on sneaking in the exercise. I really believe every bit counts.

aimeebell Good job on getting back into the swing of things!

skinnyelle39: Ooo, I was wondering if you gave HIIT a try and you did! *high-five* That sounds about right for your first time. You've slowly got to decrease the walking time and increase the sprinting time little by little. Believe it or not, I'm still in the infant stages of HIIT myself. You did great! :carrot: And yeah, it does feel great knowing that I'm in better shape than the 'old me', lol. Keep going with the HIIT and let us know how it goes. :)

Oh my gosh, I've never been called fit! :hug: When I started jogging back in February I couldn't sustain 4.0mph (a slow jog/quick trot) for more than 5 minutes. :lol:

The fact that you did 1:1 ratio is impressive! I did 2:1 -- 2 minutes walking, 1 minute sprinting! YOU must be very fit!

I made myself take last night off, but I think I'm going to have to do it again tonight. :D

Well, ladies, I have found an answer to my Winter cardio routine. I live in the Northeast in a very snowy state so in like 2 months, running outside will have to be put on hold until next April. So, I've been reading a lot about bodyweight exercises on the internet and I am sold, lol. I found a bodyweight circuit on youtube and it's crazy -- spiderman pushups, burpees, jumping jacks, planks, you name it. It can be done 2-3 times in a row for like 20-30 minutes 3 times a week. I plan to rearrange my whole exercise schedule the next few months going from 6 days/week for a total of 5.5 hours of exercise to 5 days/week for a total of 3+ hours of exercise. I'm pretty much where I want to be (scale-wise) plus I just won't have the time to devote with the kids in school. I need to streamline my routine and this is perfect for me because it requires no equipment. I'm gonna try out the routine tonight to see how I like it.

Happy weekend everyone!