Silverbirch I do believe that was Dionne Warwick. I shall be singing that song all day now!

Did a very heavy set of UBW last night, feeling a lot better for it! I managed that on a running day too! Hooray! I've re-jigged my schedule so that I can fit in 3 runs, 3 weights and 2 kickboxing without clashing my leg weights and a cardio session, just means I only have one day off, but I can cope with that if it's going to have dramatic effects like silverbirch

Double kickboxing tonight, I hope we get a hard workout! Got all my clean eats with me today, am feeling optimistic for the weekend since DF is away in Cornwall so I will have only myself to blame! Means I can stay in and eat healthily (I wouldn't even chance going to the shops this weekend ).

Have a lovely day all, as silverbirch says, just walk on by!

Kykaree and 2F: I can cope with being a dramatic over-achiever for the time being. As long as it doesn't give me a headache.

Dionne Warwick - thanks, 2F! Just keep 'walk on by' playing in your head.

So now I'm ahead with weight loss and I'm going firm.

The aim and rationale

Lose 2 stone (28lbs) by 1st December 2006. That gives me loads of time to reach the target. And if I get there fast, time to practise maintaining.

The objectives

4 of 7lbs each. That makes it feel manageable.

The method

Put time aside to make this a priority.
Lift heavy weights, do interval or high intensity cardio. Now I'm happy about my gymn (and occasional trainer) this should be fine.
Move as much as possible in the rest of my daily life. (Helped here by the Boy who likes to sing 'I like to move it, move it' from a cartoon called Madagascar.)
Be rigorous about eating clean, modest portions. (I've never eaten junk at all so I don't intend to start. I'll become more of a wholefood and vegetable and water fanatic than I am already. I'll particularly cut out saturated fats as much as possible. Ilene's talked recently somewhere about eating clean and the fat melting off. That sounds good to me.)
Get enough sleep.
Keep coming here.

It'll go well. I feel quietly confident.

Everyone, just walk on by!

Love, Silverbirch

"I like to move it move it!..... I like to MOVE IT!" I know that song from when it wasn't in Madagascar

Silverbirch - I am totally 100% with you on this! I love your little theme songs (like in Ally McBeal?)

I'm going to try a lot harder to keep eating clean. I have my chocolate-a-day treat and I guess I should cut that out! I'd throw them away if they weren't so bloomin expensive! And I have a whole pound box of Thorntons Continentals that I got my Mum to buy me for Christmas in a moment of madness! Gah! Maybe I'll cut down to one very other day!

: We can do this! YEAH!

Did a double kickboxing lesson last night. Had the second lesson to myself so I got to practise BBK (bloody back kicks!) - I have Christmas homework! I'm planning heavy legs tonight and a run tomorrow. Also got a girlie dancing night out, so should burn some serious calories on the dance floor!

DF is away for the weekend so I should be a clean little girlie all weekend! I have no excuses! Just got to battle with the Christmas lunch on Tuesday, but I'm counting on melon for starters, turkey with lots of veg and one of each type of potato, no gravy and I don't like stuffing or other trimmings (unless there's pigs in blankets!), then I'm going to have dessert, but half of it, ok I'll try and leave at least some of it! Then a nice clean dinner on the evening.

hi LWL,

Friday already !! Another no work day, and I have already been shopping for my groceries for next week. I still have a fridge full of food, so I could make it fairly sparse. I found out last week that if I buy comfort food to get me through the weekends without kids, I end up with a fridge full because I always buy too much, and then I also eat it!!!

XH is away now for about 2 months and I really seemed to have perked up. There are a lot of things actually going much better in thouse. It seems I hardly have to cook anymore, and guess what? I did not have to buy potato chips for the past 2 months! This is because we don't have to wait eating dinner untill XH came home anymore. This means we eat about 1 hour earlier, and so we do not have to eat potatochips because we are hungry but dinner is still 1 hour away!!!

Also I am busy again with a "backlog" of things to change. I mentioned already that I have bought smoke and CO alarms for the house, to be installed this weekend, but I am also replacing some of the electricsl extension cords. XH swore that they were perfectly safe, but I like them to also LOOK safe, so I am replacing them. It really feels good to do these things.

Good news also from my regular therapist: She saw me yesterday and has the impression that mentally I'm fairly allright now. I have to come back in february, and then we'll evaluate if I need any more sessions.

Ellenuw- Glad to hear you got into the full catastrophe living book. I have mentioned here before that after reading the book I also bought the CDs, and it works for me!! Doing the CDs makes it easier to track the unconscious thoughts that I have, and then I can deal with them. This is better because once I have dealt with them I have more energy to spend on other things.

Silverbirch, 2F - You girls rock !

Gave a great day all,
rabbit

Thanks to the thoughtful mod who moved my post to where it belongs

Things are going well - slowly trying to get back into a rhythm of cardio and weights. Then my trainer turned in his notice - I saw it coming and am very happy for him. Now I am trying to line up a new routine with a new trainer. Oh, have to find one, first. The problem is the senior trainers at my gym are pretty booked and I don't feel comfortable with the ones who have just been certified because 1) I know that means they can pass a test - may not have a lot of practical experience; and 2) I am really not part of the "general population" anymore and want someone who has the physiology background and 3) finding the right personality to work with me. All this on top of getting back from vacation and right into the holidays. I am excited and want to play and enjoy the season, not stress over the gym. I figure it will all work itself out somehow and I need to be proactive, but not obsessive (thanks for the book suggestion, again, rabbit!).

Eats are coming along well - they are clean, but portions need to come down, especially nuts (tis the season and all). Cardio is back - I am enjoying speed walking, as much as I have been able to figure out on my own. I'd still like a lesson with a pro, so if anyone hears ... I am glad to be back to yoga and Pilates.

I have an appointment with Internist this afternoon to talk about the neuropathy in my leg (like it's stopped me, huh?). So far the drug has brought it down in intensity but not gone) and therapist on Sat. I think with all the uncertainty on top of the physical symptoms I am doing pretty well. I have my good days and bad days, but I am pushing forward. I know things are a lot different than when my sister was diagnosed and there are plenty of sources for me to investigate. I am not sure how different things would be with a conclusive diagnosis expcet all 5 drugs on the market for MS sound pretty miserable. BTW - a number of people have talked to me about accupuncture for my leg pain - anyone have any experience there?

rabbit - I am so proud of you I could burst. You are an amazing lady with a deep reserve of personal strength. No matter how snarky XH acts, you are a lady and strong provider for yourself and children. What better gift could you find under your tree but your true strength and beauty? I am sure your children and friends see it, too.

Pat - good luck with you MIL. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Silverbirch and 2F - I love your attitudes. I think of you and start humming. You'd be amazed the things my mind wanders to during cardio. Now I have a soundtrack to go with it!

Greetings to Mel, Ilene, Kyree, Shannon and all I have missed - have a great weekend. I am ready for it

On the "soundtrack" issue - I've just loaded my Zen with "I like to move it" and I'm still looking for "Walk on by" and I've just figured out how to make a playlist so I can put all my running tracks together!

2F when you figure that playlist out, let me know! I have a Zen, but when I want more than one song, I have to call up the library and do a lot of "add to play!"

Ellen, sounds like you're enjoying the season! I personally know nothing about acupuncture, though I know a couple of people who swear by it - more for pain though.

Rabbit - you are doing great!! ANd yay for bill of clean mental health!

Silver - Yay for a good gym and weight "falling off."

at the rest of you!

DH left in the pouring rain last night, going to the east coast where I see you're having rotten weather too! I worry about him in a rental car with who-knows-what for tires. I'm sure he'll be missing his 4 wheel drive truck! MIL was moved to a nursing home yesterday, and no word yet on how that went. Hoping to hear from DH later. He's arriving in Boston about 5 pm, just what you need in a snowstorm, Friday night rush hour.

We got our tree up and decorated before he left, so at least we look Christmasy now. I'm mailing my last package this morning, and hope to finish the cards over the weekend. I have 2 parties Sat night - one dressy (have a new "sparkly" outfit) and one totally not! I'll have dinner a the first, the local hospital's where I will know only a handful of people, then move on to the casual where I'll know most everyone, but including my boss, so I'd better behave.

Well I've got all my chores done already and it's only 2pm!

I went to the post office this morning - queueing outside before it opened - then bought tree decs, then went to the optician, I've got contact lenses and new specs (which are lovely and trendy btw). Dropped all the shopping off at home then headed out for the Christmas tree with some recycling stuff (the bins are in the Christmas tree shop car park). Bought a 3' tree in a pot (living tree) and carried it back home no problem

Had a lovely clean lunch then decorated the tree. Just need to put the room back the way it was and have a little sweep up, take the washing out of the machine and it's time for a nap before my night out tonight!

I've had the Christmas carols blaring all day - the neighbours will wonder what's hit them! Hope everyone's having a lovely weekend! :

Another track I've thought of ... but it only really works for people who think in avoirdupois weight. Fyi: 1 stone = 14lbs = 6.4kg.

drumroll ...

Roll away the stone by Mott the Hoople. 1973. Glamrock. Roll awaaaay the stone!

Should we start a thread? If I can think of three songs, there must be many, many more!

Hello ladies who lift. I have been reading your threads for a bit and I love the support that you give each other. I thought that I would introduce myself. I have been working out since October and have been pretty successful. I am really trying to eat clean - no sugar, no processed foods - but the holiday season has thrown me for a loop. I am not losing right now but I am not gaining either. I lift 3 times a week. For the past 4 weeks I have been doing a full body workout but I think I am going to change it up after Christmas. My body tends to be quite muscular and adapts to any exercise routine within 6 weeks and if I don't change my routine I will not see the gains that I am looking for. I do tons of cardio - elliptical, running, and jumping on our trampoline. I know that I'd be losing better if I could avoid all the sugar that keeps making its way into my house in the name of Christmas. Anyway, I thought I'd say hi.

Hello AMY! We luvs newbies! (beat ya Ilene! )

Had a good weekend so far - very clean yesterday and I went dancing yesterday evening in my high high heels - gave my calves a good workout.

Silverbirch - I don't know rolll away the stone and I didn't know that our weight thingy was called avoirdupois either! You learn something new every day I will look up roll away the stone though - I like the sound of it (another track for my Zen!).

I'm trying to get myself out for a run today - I've bribed myself with a trip to see Narnia at the cinema. But it's COLD! BRRRRRRRR! Lung burning here we come! And my legs are still a bit sore from dancing. I might go. I should go!

Hi Amy! Glad you decided to join us.

Yep, we'd all be further along without the demon sugar

And everyone's body adapts after 4-6 weeks of the same program. You definitely need to change things up after the holidays

Mel

I'm thinking of splitting up my weight training workout from 3 whole body workouts a week to working different body parts of different days. I was wondering what advice you all have for splitting up the body parts. What do you guys do? My fitness goals are to lose weight, become a better runner (I run about 4 times a week for a total of about 15 miles) and tone up my flabby self.

This weekend has kind of been tough for me. We went for a 5 mile run yesterday but my legs were really tight afterwards so I didn't do my weight lifting routine. I didn't get much sleep last night because my son (2 1/2 yrs old) is sick and miserable. I haven't made good food choices today (demon sugar!) but I guess tomorrow is another day. I haven't gained any this week but I haven't lost any either (kind of bums me out but what can I expect after a week of eating crap?)

I hope to get to know you all better and learn from you.