Hi Everyone

Just thought I'd start a new thread for February. Please join in

A new thread, yay!

Hi Sum
I wish I could find a place to swim around here. There are YMCA's, but they're usually overcrowded. I usually am at the gym about 3 hours also, how long do you treadmill btw?

Chardonnay, I walk at 4.3 mph (incline 2) for 60 minutes and then 5 minute cooldown. I wish I could run, but I shattered my ankle some years ago and running hurts it. How about you? Are you a runner or a walker?

Our pool is absolutely gorgeous at the gym and around 2 pm is never crowded.

What do you do at the gym?

My weight started melting off after I started my long days at the gym. I don't think diet alone would do the trick for me, well I actually know it won't. I tried dieting myself thin and it was really slow going. I started going to the gym, seriously, December 13th and I have lost 12-14 pounds so far.

Better weigh in for me. I lost another 1.4 lbs of my mystery bloat, still not where I was on the 29th but getting closer. Perhaps one more day of strict clean eating and loads of water will bring me back down to 142 (141.8 to be exact )

Krampus, are you starting daily weigh in thread for this month? (Pretty please)

Hi Sum

Thank goodness you're losing that bloat...d-day is tomorrow for me! But tonight my bf and I are going out to eat...deli food. Smoked meat, chopped liver, Verinikas (kind of like perogies) with sour cream...once in a while we love going to the deli for dinner, so I'm hoping that doesn't flub up my weigh-in tomorrow morning.

I'm like you, dieting alone won't do it. I have a very slow metabolism and if I just diet, I might be lucky to drop a pound a month. Oh, so you just started at the gym almost 2 months ago? Good for you! It really does help with the weight loss!! Overall do you like the experience? I can't run...I used to run in the woods. In 2009 I decided to face a fear and take downhill skiing lessons. Within the first hour, a little "dude" on a snowboard jumped lanes into my beginner lane and slammed into me, right knee dislocated. Ever since then, running hurts too much, in fact, so does driving too long - thank goodness for cruise control! But I also have this problem with my esophagus. At the base, I have a "lazy valve", if acid from my stomach irritates it, then it won't open and shut properly so food gets stuck. I've found that if I try to even do a slow jog, I get heartburn and I pay for it at lunch time. It's a very painful experience, and all I can do is either wait for the food to drop, or bring it back up...unfortunately panic sets in and it comes up. The mind is very powerful, I keep saying out loud "you're not choking, it's your esophagus, not your trachea"...but so far I haven't been able to control the panic. Horrible affliction, but I refuse surgery, so I have to deal with it. I'm lucky my bf is very supportive, he comes over and hugs me, tells me it's okay, even comes to the bathroom with me to hold my hair...lovely man

So yeah, I'm a speed walker! I don't use an incline yet, but I"m working my way up to it. I do about 5.4 mph and I speed walk to the beat of songs I've chosen so that the time goes quickly and it's more fun. Most gym days (T-TH-SA) I try to do about 90 minutes cardio - but I change up on the machines because I get bored so the most I've done on the treadmill is 45 minutes, then weight training and stretching. My weight training is 3 sets of 12, but I can't do any of the ab machines because of the esophagus problem.

On M-W-F, I stay at home and do some intense yoga - usually between 60-90 minutes. I do a hip-opening routine each time (45 mins), then I target either my legs or my upper body with another 30 minute routine, followed by about 15 minutes of ab work - no situps, but I do leg ups and planks. Sundays - aaaah today - complete day off!

So there's my life story for today lol I like the chat threads, it's nice to get to know people

Hi Chardonnay and Sum!
You guys are much more intense about exercise than I am. I try to do a 30-50 min work out video 5 days a week. In the nicer weather I like to hike. Chardonnay, I hope you find a place to swim.

This week, after 7 months, I hit my original goal of 138lbs, but now that I am there I totally feel like I need to lose more. So I nudged my goal weight down and I am still on plan.

I love coming here for motivation.

Hi Tilly5

I think it's great that you want to keep going! Good luck and congrats on reaching your original goal! What workout do you do?

For me the exercise is a must because of my really unstable metabolism. But I also love how it makes me feel. I have depression and anxiety and I quit meds, so daily exercise is needed to keep me feeling happy

Right now I am alternating between Leslie Sansone walking videos and Jessica Smith walking with standing abs work. I am really too cheap to do gym membership, so in-home, YouTube exercising is a good plan for me. My favorite thing to do is hike and I have a hobby that involves hiking, but at the moment I am not hiking much due to the snow.

I ate about 500 times more than I needed to at the Superbowl. The game was boring, the food was good, none of these excuses/reasons make it necessary to eat to the point of massive physical discomfort! I had intense "food dreams" as I tend to when I overeat at night and I was up like 3 lbs this morning. Gross.

Roommate and I ran 7 miles before the game which was nice, especially because it's going to snow a ton tomorrow-Wednesday. She has a herniated disc and was on her first run with new minimalist shoes so we went pretty slowly, but 7 miles is 7 miles.

Hi Tilly5 Yeah, I'm a hiker too. I just love being in the woods and climbing mountains. My bf and I currently live in the city but the mountains are just an hour away. We both love fishing, so we can't wait for the spring. We usually do an hour or so hike then get ourselves to a lake to fish. It's not easy in the winter, you definitely need snowshoes, snowpants and the WILL....which I don't have when it's freezing out!!

Hi Krampus 7 miles is a great run! Too bad about the 3lb gain. I used to totally overeat at sporting events. I don't have a tv anymore and I do go to them, so I'm lucky to avoid the entire mess of chicken wings and fried cheese...

Hi Everyone

I'm super happy to say I lost 3 pounds of that 5lb weight gain I suffered last week I'm tickled!

So today is fasting day for me. I have to figure out what I'll make for my 500 calorie allotment. I have mushrooms, so a nice "cream" of mushroom soup (minus the cream) will be really yummy, nutritious and low in calories.

Hi everyone!

Thanks for starting a February thread. February . . . not my favorite month. I'm going to do lots of running to keep the midwinter blues away. I'm toying with signing up for a half marathon on March 15. It will definitely keep me running, and it's in a beautiful redrock canyon, but it costs cashmoney and ergh, I don't have any other excuses. Krampus, seven miles is SEVEN MILES. Good job!

I've been having a lot of fun with/learning a lot from this little fitbit thingy. The biggest thing is that for the first time in my life I *get* the calories in/calories out thing. I've made some progress too!

This was the first Superbowl game I've watched in maybe 10 years. Too much food and a very boring game. I think I'll go for a long hike next year

Krampus - Great going on the 7 mile run. Good thing there is only one Super Bowl per year. :-)

Chardonnay - Congrats on the 3lb loss. Mushroom soups sounds good.

skutumpah - Great going to use a fitbit. Those things seem like a great motivational tool.

I'm trying to come up with a better goal. I thought when I hit 138 (my original goal) that I'd feel done, but I still have fat around the hips. I guess it is time to really target that area in workouts.

Chardonnay congrats on your 3 pounds!

Tilly5 I have a feeling that once (and if, ugh) I reach my goal, I won't be happy either and I will go for another 5-8 pounds more. -- I just have to be careful because I am 46 that I won't look to gaunt on my face. At 35 120 pounds looked good on me, but at 46 I am not sure.... I actually like how my face looks right now; I wish I could keep the little fat I have on my face and lose everywhere else...lol

skutumpah I love my fitbit. What kind did you get? If I remember to put it on, it really keeps me motivated to get all those steps in. I like it as well because it "talks" with MFP and I get the total calorie burn from my exercise and food.

LOL krampus!! So you are 200 pounds now? -- The game was really boring. We were at home and I napped through it.

I ate like a pig last night. TOM is getting near and all the cravings came out. Scale did not jump that much, partially because I had fasted all day prior to my binge. -- I volunteer at a local Finnish Center (FCA) and the days I am there I simply don't have time to go out and eat and I keep forgetting to pack my lunch. -- So I have adopted those days as my fast days. -- I try to fast 1 x week. Usually I just come home and have a sensible dinner, but not last night... I gorged on everything I had around the house. UGH!!!! This weight won't come off if I eat like that!

Today I have been really good I went back to eating my normal bfast of orange and a "fried" egg and I am about to have a salad for lunch. Then I am off to my gym. It is my 3 hour workout day; First I left weights for 45 min, then hop on treadmill for an hour and then I will swim 45min-1h. If I am home early enough, I may squeeze a hike in as well.

So off to have some lunch and then gym....

Everyone have a beautiful day!!!