Good morning.

Today is already going better. I'm trying to get caught up on everything I didn't finish yesterday. So far so good.

Buffy sounds like a pretty good way to end the year. I never did catch the last episode of that show (or Angel). Did you watch Angel? I was just happy for the extra time off from work.

I know nautilus is for weight training but wasn't able to get close enough to see how they work. If I have to go by myself it might be safer not to use free weights. The people seemed nice enough. It's a family oriented place and fairly new so it is clean and has new stuff, which is good. I would be comfortable working out there (even though there is only one big room for men and women and for cardio (except for the classes) as long as I can figure out how to put it in my schedule. I don't want to give up too much time with bf and I have so much work to get done at house this winter (painting and stuff). I'm just torn so I'm decided by not deciding and that's not good. Thanks for the encouragement - today is rainy so I'm not sure what I am going to do to get a little movement in today. Did you go to the gym?

A day with friends sounds wonderfful!

I use SPSS at work too. I took a class on cd over the summer. It was very helpful to get me acclimated to the program. I don't remember everything but I can always go back and there are always reference books. I just like knowing what its capabilities are and aren't - it's definitely not a perfect program. Good luck.

How do you define the perfect pull-up?

Maybe I should make some goals for 2005. I'll think about it. Renee - how are you? Do you have goals for 2005?

Morning ladies!

Well the holiday sttretch is over and that means this fatchick has /got/ to get back on her best behaviour. I failed yesterday! I started off so well, as it was the first Monday in about five weeks I didn't stop for my Monday McDonalds. Instead, I picked up some Kashi Autumn Harvest shredded wheat cereal and skim milk to keep at work and I had a bowl. At lunch, I was opting for ramen because it was cheap and easy and here. (I know it's not good for you, but I am not being so picky) Well it tasted SO bad. I got through about 5 spoons and couldn't do another mouthful. I had bought it on sale at Target, I guess there *is* a difference between brands of ramen. Well it was now 12:45 and my lunch ends at 1pm and so I was out of time to go run for something new. I ended up splitting a pizza with someone, and GOD was it good. Dinner ended up being cheese and crackers, ice cream and nachos. I think that maybe it's getting close to my monthly visitor based on that menu! Good grief. I didn't go OVERboard with portions, but geez, crappy selections all day.

Today, I started off with my cereal, I will eat my OTHER kind of Ramen for lunch and then have whole wheat pasta and spaghetti for dinner. I also already talked my sister into going to the gym tomorrow, so yaaay! My goal for today is to write up a little sheet that I can keep track of my progress with, or maybe run to the Walgreens and pick up a tiny note book to use. Or maybe I will use the normal sized notebook I have already. I can keep track of my sister and I both.

It's funny because we took before pictures when we started this, and I've been hounding her to get on landing new pics now, because I know for a fact that we physically look different and I think it'd be encouraging to SEE that for ourselves. The whole ' Camera doesn't lie ' bit. It was a real shocker when we looked at our first pics. Wow. Heh.

I need to get back on track with my lunches I think. Or rather, lunches and snacks. I think I will pack tomorrow's lunch, tonight before bed. That was working well.

My new years was quiet as well, I was playing my favorite video game, World of Warcraft. It sounds icky yes I know heh, but it's one of those online games where you log in, play with thousands of other people all at once, run around and kill monsters, gain your levels, hunt for good loot and perform noble quests! Hahahaha. I play with my friend from Canada, whom I have known over ten years now, and had dated for a while. To be honest, we are still pretty soft on eachother, but we are nothing 'official'.

Work has been slow so far this week, I guess people are still crawling back into routine. Sounds like we are all stepping into the New Year and being ready to shine!

As for goals - Well, I am aiming for 130 by May1st. Which is doable, if I really stick with everything. And then. Holy smokes, I can't even describe what it'll be like. By Oct, I should get my braces off. I will be like a whole new person.

I should set more/more detailed goals. I think I'll work on that. Er, right after I put together my weight lifting sheet!

Welcome back Renee.

How did things go today at lunch? It sounds like you have made some good changes to your diet and good luck with the gym. Make sure you tell us all about it.

It is definitely hard to be 'good' when things don't go as planned. I find that to be a big problem - you must eat and you don't have anything healthy around. Congratulations on not going to McD. One meal at a time.

Today went ok for me. bf had dinner waiting for me when I got home. We painted and had a good time. Why I have to eat after he leaves I'll never know. Tonight wasn't as bad as some nights but still, I know I shouldn't be eating, and definitely not past 10pm.

Gotta go to bed but wanted to check in. Have a good night.

Hi guys – I’m having some quiet days before everything starts up again. I’m doing some reading, and have been trying to organize my papers, and put together some kind of reading list for the semester. The weather is bad, but that’s OK since I don’t have to go outside much.

And yes, I did put my weightlifting goals for 2005 in my signature: visible every day! And, aren’t they very concrete and specific? I made them easy to measure and evaluate!
I won’t have to wonder whether I actually reach them or not. (I’ve tried vague goals, like “getting healthy”, etc before, but they’re completely hopeless if you haven’t defined what that actually means for you – which I never did….). So this year I’m being very specific!
And one perfect pull-up: I mean one pull-up executed with perfect form. And I’m nowhere close being able to do that now.
According to Krista, a good way to start is to build up strength by doing ‘lat pull downs’ until you lift 70% of your bodyweight. Then you can start practice on the Pull-down bar. So for the first months I’m working on improving the weight I lift on my ‘lat pull downs’.

I used to watch Buffy a lot – and I especially loved the first 5 seasons. I also watched Angel, and was really sad when they cancelled the show last spring; it was still very good when it ended. Buffy never got bad either, just a little bit weaker by the end of season 7. Not like X-files – which I loved obsessively for years – that ended horribly. The last two seasons were so bad that I’ve now decided they never happened…

Looking forward to learn from you how the nautilus machines work, if you decide to start, Ang. I understand that your decision is difficult – maybe it would be better to let the whole thing wait a bit?

Renee – good for you that you improved your food choices! And a big Yey for going to the gym too!
So, you were impressed by how you look now compared to when you started out losing weight? That is so great! We really do get so used to living in our bodies that we forget they ever used to look any different than they do right now. I like your goals too!

Ang – it sounds nice to have your bf helping you paint in the evenings! I’m so glad you found somebody who’s spending time with you!

OK ladies – have a nice day out there today!

Morning all.

Well I came to work with a bad attitude. We got 2" of snow last night which is no big deal. The big deal, is that between now and Thursday night, we are supposed to get up to 12" more of it. My boss is a right ******* when it comes to this, and I know he won't let us leave early to avoid some of the mess. It frustrates me, because when you are talking this much snow, it means the plows won't be able to keep up and it's actually dangerous to be driving.

Last night's dinner blew up. My sister had said she was making whole wheat spaghetti, and I had a wonderful eating day up until then. Well she had ended up going out with coworkers, and would not be home till 6:30 and dinner wouldn't be set until 7:00. I had made plans with folks to do something immediately after dinner, thinking dinner would have been at 6:00 and so I had to go fetch my own food. Now, I was also STARVED because I ate an early lunch, so I drove to McDonalds and had a burger and fries. It was the first burger and fries from a fast food place since August, and I feel soooo bad that I cheated on it. It didn't even taste good. Well, ok the fries were yummy, but the burger was so nasty, and all night when I burped it up, it tasted like old rotten fish? Weird.

So back on track today. Had my cereal, I have the left over pasta for lunch, and will likely have it for dinner. We were supposed to go to the gym tonight, but based on the weather forecast, I really doubt we will risk driving through the snow for it.

Ang- If you always eat after he leaves, it sounds like it's an emotional trigger. Like maybe you feel at a loss of what to do once he goes, and you turn to food. Maybe start a routine of doing something else? Like, as soon as he goes, you take a bath? Or even better yet, maybe do some stretches, or easy at home exercises. Rewire that part of your routine.

Mette- I am so jealous of you and your taking it easy! I wanna take it easy. I like your goals too. I think I will really sit down and make out some goals with clear definitions. I do a lot of those, 'be healthier' kind of goals. Well, what's healthier?

Did I ever tell you gals, that the last softball game of the season, I hit not one, but two doubles and landed on 2nd base for both of them? I just thought of that, because I have it in my signature as a joke, but I suppose it could have been a goal. It was great, because my whole team was cheering me on and going, "Renee!! You made it to second!" And even one of the guys said, "Damn I never seen you move so fast, what's gotten into you?" - I just grinned and said, "Nothing, twenty pounds has gotten out!"

Anyway, that's it for now. Take care!

mette - enjoy your quiet time and pamper yourself a little. I'm sure you will be very busy once the semester starts.

I have been thinking about my health goals for 2005. What do you think...
Weight less than 170lbs.
Weightlifting routine at least 2 days a week
Let bf pick me up (as in lift me in his arms)
Cook at home at least 2 days a week

I could NEVER do a pull up. In school we had to hold ourselves up to the bar and I couldn't even do that. I wasn't small as a child either.

I decided to wait on the Y since I am planning on painting after work a lot of days and next week I have a friend coming. I'm not saying I want to wait to lose weight, but sometimes it just isn't the time. I walked yesterday at lunch and I'm trying to watch what I eat as best I can. When I can do more I will.

I watch Angel in the mornings as I get ready for work. I'm hoping to catch the episodes I missed, like the last one. I agree with you about X-files. I liked David Duchovny (Fox Mulder really), so when he left it was harder to stay interested. Renee - did you watch any of these shows?

Before pictures (or any pictures) can be scary. I was cleaning up some digital pics and saw what I looked like a couple of years ago - what was I thinking? A few years I saw a picture of me (don't usually have pics taken) and until then had not realized quite how big I had gotten. It is an eye opener. Renee - stay on your sister so you can get those new pics - reality checks can be positive too.

We're getting snow right now - it stinks. Renee - be careful driving. Maybe try to take some time to do something fun in the snow (e.g. snowball fight or sledding).

Renee - next time you want a burger just remember how bad that one was last night. Take the positive out of the situation and realize it was a learning experience. Great that you are back on track. Do you think your sister would be up for doing something in the house with you since you can't go to the gym?

Renee - if bf can get through the snow tonight I'll try your idea after he leaves. I definitely have emotional triggers. I'm thinking of bringing a mat down to the living room and starting to stretch again to regain some of the flexibility that I lost. Thanks for the insight and good idea.

Congratulations Renee on the doubles. You hadn't mentioned it and I had noticed it in your signature. So you made your 2004 goal then.

Enjoy your afternoons.

What would you think of starting a new thread for 2005? We're at page 12 and I thought it might make it easier, although it makes it harder to look back. Just a thought - not committed either way.

Just a quick one – I’m on my way out for the day. Hope you’re both OK in the snow.

Renee: good luck in the gym: have fun!
Ang – I really like your goals. I think they’re nice and specific, and they’re very directed towards changes in your daily/weekly routines which I think it’s very good. I’ve been thinking of making some cooking goals too: trying out new recipes once a week or something. I also like that your goals aren’t extreme, but just small changes. Wish you the best of luck!
And – heh – I like the one about letting your bf pick you up!

I’ve never done a pull-up either! Never ever in my life! But I’m confident that 2005 will be the year I do my first one!

And Ang: I think a new thread for 2005 is a good idea too. Go for it!

Have a nice day everybody, I’ll write more later – or tomorrow. I’m off meeting friends for the day!

Hope you guys aren’t snowed in or anything…

I’m having an off day – not feeling very good, I don’t know what’s wrong – just feeling a bit blue I think.
I went to the gym this morning and did back and abs. I’m also still sore from my biceps curls yesterday. Then I went to meet with the psychologist who’s going to be my supervisor this spring, and that went well too, I think. The whole thing (practice, doing therapy, doing psychological work with *real* people) is scary as ****, but my philosophy this semester is to throw myself into it as much as possible. Learn as much as possible. We'll see how smart that will be...

Not much is happening here. I overate on roasted in-shell peanuts last night: it’s been forever since I ate that, and it was very good – even if I felt a bit stuffed after.
Maybe I’m just bored. Anyway – hope you guys are OK. Have a good Friday!

I'm sorry I was away. I did get snowed in on Thursday and then Friday at work I was so busy trying to get caught up. I should have brought work home on Wednesday but wasn't thinking. I'll try to get on again later but wanted to check in.

mette - I'm sorry you weren't having a good day yesterday. It sounds like things went well in the morning. What felt 'off'? Did you feel sick or was it emotional/mental? Do you feel better today?

I started our new thread. I have included this url and hope it works. See you there!

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/show...275#post747275