[zadie k]

Hello,
It makes me laugh becuase you would have to exercise for an eternity to work off a cheesecake. That is one of the things that always hits me in the whole debate about whether the types of food and softdrinks at schools are a factor in childhood obesity. The food and drink companies are always saying that it has nothing to do with them and that it is due to the inactive lifestyle of children and teens, which is partially true, but at the same time, just think of how long you have to run to work off one coke or one order of french fries.

[Idealperson]

If we had to burn off every calorie that we put into our mouth, would we have time for anything else? Thank God, we have metabolisms and nature!

[aphil]

I have had the SAME EXACT COMMENT BEFORE!!!! (Only I wasn't as nice...I said, "No I don't think it was the haircut, I think it was the 40 pounds.") hee hee hee hee hee
I couldn't resist...
I agree that the food companies are so trying to blame it ALL on inactivity. Part of it is totally true, because kids are surfing the internet and playing a zillion rounds of Nintendo Gamecube instead of riding their bike or swimming like we did when we were kids. My high school sister has a huge cell phone bill each month, and I am always on her about it. she says she can't live without it-and I told her when I was in high school NONE of us had cell phones-and that was only in 1993-heck, there were only 4 or 5 of us in my class that had a pager/beeper! I told her we all still seemed to get in touch with each other... I think a lot of it IS inactivity, but I think it goes hand in hand 50/50 with the food in our lives today. We had coke and McDonald's obviously when I was growing up, but it was only about the time I was in high school and onward that all of the "extra value meals" and the "supersizing" began. Heck, for .20 more you can get a KING size fry and coke...so why not? Going from the medium to a King size coke and fries can add 300-400 calories each time you do it-so if yo do that once a week-in 3 months you have gained a pound! That is 4 pounds gained a year just for supersizing your meal! It is all of this slow gaining over time that packs on the pounds.
My mother in law is a school cafeteria cook at a high school, and I went to visit her one day. I cold not believe it! In that cafeteria they had a Snapple machine, a candy machine, and sold tons of extras such as ice cream novelties (drumsticks and sandwiches) and just about anything else you could think of! When I was in high school-we had one pop machine in the common are of the school, and we were only allowed to use it before or after school-not with lunch! For a drink you either got white or chocolate milk, and orange juice if you were allergic, lactose intolerant, or vegetarian! You ate a choice of the two meals they fixed, or you brought your own!!!!! Letting these kids go to junior high and high school and have soda and ice cream for lunch is part of the problem...you give them their lunch money and send them off-what do you think they are going to choose? A cafeteria chicken patty or a Snickers ice cream bar????!!!!
I also think they market a lot more to kids nowadays...when I was a kid it was the hugest deal to pick a crappy sugary cereal. Now they have fruit snacks (which do not count as fruit!) and all sorts of punch drinks, color changing Koolaid, and the Nestle Wonderball-a chocolate ball filled with sugary candy and stickers! You cannot go down one aisle without the kids wanting something ELSE. The one thing I am thankful for is the kiddie packaged yogurt-I can actually give in to them and get them something they think is a treat, but is good for them. I also found Sesame Street juice boxes-which are 100% juice and not a punch/fake juice drink. They get a character, and I know it is juice and not some chemically sugar water and artificial color!
Proper diet AND exercise go hand in hand...
Aphil

[GeorgiaLady]

I agree with you, Aphil. WE have to be responsible when it comes to what our kids eat AND their activities. My son is 17 1/2 and he would be happy to tell anyone who asked that it didn't really matter WHAT he wanted to eat --- his MOM told him what he was going to eat and he'd better chow down or do without. I'm not talking about making a kid clean their plate...they should stop eating when they are full and I do believe in the occasional treat but we have to be firm with them or they'll run all over us.

Two years ago my son came home from school and asked me if I'd start packing his lunch again. I couldn't believe it as I figured it wouldn't be (cool) to carry your lunch in high school. My son was just sick and tired of the lines in the lunchroom and the greasy food. He hated it and remembered when I use to pack his lunch all the time. So I went out and looked all over town for the "black soft-sided lunch box with straps" that was the only thing that would be cool enough for high school and found one. I pack water or 100% juice, a low-fat sandwich, fruit, yogurt or cottage cheese and maybe a cookie on occasion. He's happy...I'm happy and he actually lost about 10 lbs without trying. Now he's fairly thin...136# and 5'9" but he eats some sweets and has the occasional "Matrix" drink which I can't stand but he parcels it out over a couple of days because I keep pointing out all the calories in it. He works with my husband a couple of days a week toting cribbing or other manual labor and walks on the treadmill or lifts weights when he doesn't work. Nothing spectacular but I hope these will be good lessons that he will remember when he's out on his own.

Now I compare this with my brother, who is 39, and was alway thin. He now tops 225# at least and smokes and drinks and gets no exercise. He looks like the Pilsbury Doughboy....I mean he's not looking like the kid brother I knew. I don't know what's going to happen to him and I'm not sure why he doesn't do something about it but I use that example to point out to my son that it can happen to anyone and you have to take charge of your body. ( you will all remember that this is the same brother who couldn't figure on a last minute birthday gift for his sister and sent me the tons of candy about a month ago.)

I just think it is so important to educate our kids because no one else is going to do it. If we give them several good nutritional choices, they still get to make their own decision and we know they are eating right. I wish someone had been more firm with me when I was growing up....maybe I wouldn't be having to lose all this weight now.

I will probably not get to post again till we get back.....have a super July 4th everyone....please stay safe!!!

[VermontMom]

First, aphil, congrats on your two-year anniversary here!!

Idealperson, what a pretty name, Marina! Glad the strawberries are wonderful. That recipe sounds great. We are also experiencing WARM humid weather - gosh, it seems like just so recently I was whining about our frozen water pipes!

GeorgiaLady and aphil, very thoughtful and insightful post regarding childhood and growing up with weight problems. How great that your son, GeorgiaLady, lost some excess weight relatively painlessly, with your help. I hope you see lots of positive work on your pool area when you return!

'Nola, GREAT shopping trip! big congrats on you seeing a difference in calf size. I have horrible childhood memories of shoe salespeople trying to stuff my huge calves into snow boots -argh!- so I can share your joy in seeing them get smaller!!

Hi Christine! good for you that you didn't gain!

I'm posing this at almost midnight I've worked some more doubles this week; still feel ok, not run-down, and will enjoy seeing the extra $$$ in the paycheck next week (and by going back and forth to work twice, I get the extra riding time, to satisfy my riding craving!)

Have a good night and a great tomorrow everyone!

[Idealperson]

Hello everyone...I need motivation! I haven't worked out all week! (bad girl!) I used to go to Curves 5x a week and do sit ups before bed, but last week I reached my goal at WW and totally stopped exercising! Why? I enjoyed it, but now I can't seem to make myself get there? Okay Girls, give me the kick in the butt I need.... (thanks)

[aphil]

idealperson-I am here to give you the kick in the pants you asked for!
Think about all of the wonderful things exercise does for you, and that should be reason enough to get back to it! It firms up all of your jiggly parts, like your rear end, thighs, and tummy...it helps you burn more calories so you STAY at your goal weight and not gain anything back! It is also good for your heart and bones...
You have lost inches going to Curves and doing your workouts-but I hate to say it, even if you stay at your goal weight-those inches CAN come back a little if you do not continue to work out!
What I recommend is you go back to Curves 3x a week, with a day inbetween. On your "off" days I reccomend you do something like walking, yoga, swimming, or gardening. The reason I recommend 3 x a week for Curves is because it incorporates strength training, and you need a rest day in between full body strength training workouts to allow for muscle recovery/repair and growth.
The hardest part is getting your keys and walking out the door-once you are in the Curves parking lot it is so much easier to walk on in than when you are on the couch! Get those keys and do something for yourself-besides, think of how wonderful you feel AFTER your workouts!!!!!! (there is your motivation!)
I had my first class on the continuing level last night-we worked really hard. I can really tell that I am in a more advanced class now! We practiced a lot with finger cymbals, and now I know why there are not really many male belly dancers! You have to listen to the music, concentrate on your body movements and make sure you are doing them correctly, and in time with the music-play a rhythm on your finger cymbals and make sure you are on time with the music with that, watch where you are on the floor and not bump into the dancer next to you, and actually remember the choreography! (the order in which you are supposed to do the dance moves) There are WAY too many things to think about at once for a man to do this!!!! I am sure all of you know what I speak of!
It actually reminds me of a commercial on tv we have for a local grocery store. A woman is shopping with her husband and sort of "scolding him", and he says "You really don't have to talk to me like I am 10 years old...(then he has an immediate shift in attention span as he peers into a frozen food section bin) "Hey look blue french fries!!! The woman just rolls her eyes and walks on with the cart.

[Idealperson]

Thanks Coach Aphil! I am actually going to walk to Curves for my workout...I knew I could get the encouragement from you! See ya later

[VermontMom]

Originally posted by aphil
... There are WAY too many things to think about at once for a man to do this!!!! I am sure all of you know what I speak of!
It actually reminds me of a commercial on tv we have for a local grocery store. A woman is shopping with her husband and sort of "scolding him", and he says "You really don't have to talk to me like I am 10 years old...(then he has an immediate shift in attention span as he peers into a frozen food section bin) "Hey look blue french fries!!! The woman just rolls her eyes and walks on with the cart.

!!!!!! Too funny and so true!!!

Idealperson, do you have your motivation back? Keep on exercising!!! It is so wonderful what is possible, if you keep it up. I have a hint from our Kanola, that is so important - you need to prepare and plan for the exercise session. She makes sure to pack her gym bag the night before, so there is no excuse in the morning - "uh-oh, didn't pack my bag, now there's no time" - with me, it's getting the living room in relative shape the night before - I vacuum (because when I do the floor exercise, I don't want to be amidst the Husky hair -bleh), tidy up a bit, so I don't focus on "what a bunch of slobs I live with"; and have my weights and tape ready. Even a chilling water bottle in fridge.

It's been continued HOT here (90 or above); I could only do my Step 'n' Tone tape without the step, just followed through with the weights. Better than nothing. We're supposed to get relief with a cold front today.

I'm happy that I got a compliment from a young (21) girl at work, who asked how much weight I had lost, and how I had done it, and finished by saying how great I looked - we're allowed to brag about that here, aren't we?

HELLO to everyone who has been here lately, and to those who haven't, say hello!!!

Have a great day!

Your friend,
Holly

[aphil]

Holly-OF COURSE you are allowed to brag about that here!!!!! Other people in our lives may get sick of hearing about our weight loss, weight gain, exercise plan, diet plan, etc. but that is what we are all here for! We NEVER get sick of hearing about it, or talking about it!!!! YEEEHAWWWWW!!!!!
Aphil

[Kina]

Hello Ladies! I have been popping in from time to time to keep up with all of you. I just can't seem to make the time to post. Life has me kind of tied up. I will have you know I have been exercising...cardio on the elliptical, ab workout with a tape, and have been working out my arms with some light weights. I have been focusing on the under the arm sag, you know. I haven't notice a loss on the scale but I won't let that worry me. I just keep on doing it. I don't have time everyday but I focus on every other day if nothing else I figure that is a great effort on part.

Well I mentioned earlier in my post...life has me tied up. I should tied up in knots. I don't know if I had mentioned my van had broken down. It turned out the transmission was needing some great cosmetic surgery. Sure enough $1400 dollars worth! I finally got it back but not in time. I actually got it back last Friday but had to return 3 times after that. Well I had been driving a Probe a little sporty car but really nothing to look at being that it is a '95 and hadn't been properly taken care of. Well Wednesday instead of getting out of work and just going out to the car my big brother from out of town needed me to help him out with something. So we left campus and went ahead and left my car there. I will have you know prior to coming into work I was on the road switching channels and the thought occurred to, as I looked at the radio, the radio isn't worth much and anyone who thought it had great value would be really ignorant. That was before going into work. Well while I was waiting for my brother to pick me up I looked out at my car and again the thought occurred to...why don't I move the car out by the guard shack that way the security guards have a better eye on it. But I dismissed the thought with...I always park there and have never had any problems, so I dismissed the thought of moving the car. Well so my brother and I left and when we got back we noticed the car window down and then realized the door was open! Someone has broken in and obviously tried to take the radio. They were unable to take the radio...they just made a mess and got nothing. So life has me a bit on my toes. I will check back in as much as possible.

Hugs & Smiles, Kina

[zadie k]

Hello,
Gosh, Kina, that sucks. I can't believe they tried to do that. Although I guess I am not too suprised. I once had someone try to steal my minivan with 300,000 miles on it. What did they expect to get for it, a stick of gum?

Yesterday was a not so good eating day. I stayed under calories (just barely) but when way over on the fat grams. Cheese.

I am right now wearing a size medium t-shirt. Never thought that would happen. And someone yesterday actually noticed that I was losing weight. Cool.

[Idealperson]

Hello and Good Morning!
Kina, I once had old clothes to take to Goodwill in a small tv box and someone broke my windsheild and side window to get to that box! This was in daylight in our Probabtion Dept. parking lot! Someone has balls!

Aphil, I did enjoy my workout yesterday and have packed clothes to go again today. Thanks again for the encouragement.

I am on vacation next week, getting some things done around the house (refinishing an old cupboard, painting the master bath, etc.) and then flying out for New York City to see the fireworks over the Statue of Liberty. We have a family summer house in Chappequa (where Hilary and Bill live). Hoping for good weather and good times to all. I'll catch up on posts when I come back (July 7) and I start my new job then too!

Changes=stress=over eating! Wish me luck! Have a great Fourth of July everyone!

[aphil]

Maybe they thought it was actually a tv in that box!
Idealperson-glad you got up and did your exercise! Anytime you need a kick in the pants-just let us all know!
Aphil

[silence]

Hello ladies

How's everyone? Are you all aware that we're on like page 23 here? LOL

I have decided to try WW starting Tuesday. I'm actually getting excited about it so perhaps that's a good sign! Just thought I'd make it public so I feel more inclined to stick with it!

I'll let ya know how it goes


Christine
175/175/130
minigoal 169