Misti, congrats on the lbs down! I knew it would happen but I completely understand the frustration.

Jill, congrats on the progress! It is good to know that what you are doing is working. I also can't wait until 260. I was that weight when I was 16 (for about a week). As far as dandruff goes, I think your scalp gets resistant if you keep using the same stuff over and over. I would say try to rotate. Have you tried T-gel? Have you tried T-sal? I read up about this a couple months ago and they said rotate, rotate and rotate.

Melissa, as far as starting weights for various upper body weights, it would be hard for me to calculate because I've used a mix of free weights and machines throughout my weight training. Also, I've been able to build up strength, but if I take too long of a break, then I need to build up again.
For biceps/triceps, I'd estimate starting around 10 lbs each.
For biceps/triceps, I'm up to around 20-25 lbs each.
For shoulders, I'd estimate starting around 8 lbs each.
For shoulders, I'm about 15-20 lbs each.
For chest, I'd estimate starting around 15 lbs each.
For chest, I'm about 25-30 lbs each.
For back, I'd estimate starting around 20 lbs each.
For back, I'm about 30-35 lbs each.
Of course it does depend on the exercise and I'm also not the strongest I've ever been. I've been able to use 40-50 lb dumbbells for both back and chest before but that was when I was doing strength training consistently. Right now I'm back to building up my strength again as well. Basically, biceps/triceps and shoulders are slower to increase strength, back and chest are bigger muscles and can increase strength more easily.

Tammy, I just wanted to say hi. It is nice to see you here and you have lost an amazing amount of weight.

Ammi, I have seen the star wars lego games but I've held off for the moment. I actually saw a preview for star wars lego with the original trilogy. I can't wait to try that one. I'm a sucker for the original star wars movies.

Hey Everyone~

Ammi and Melissa~ Are you talking about GTA liberty cities? It has been released here for about a month for ps2. Steve said the next one he thought was only going to be released for the PS3

Ammi~ Another loss this week!! Congrats !!!! you are SO in control girl! Makes me envious! I am going walking... this afternoon!!! I need to get moving again

Jilly ~ My stubborn weight is 330. I get to it. I get under it. I go back over it. its so maddening!!

ok I AM going walking now. I cleaned last night all night. My basement is AWFUL and I still could be down there for a little bit. I am going down again cause I NEED to get my equipment set up again.

Talk to you all later
Brenda

ammi great on the weight loss! i did ok on the oTTSO BUT MY CAT KEPT GETTING ON MY MOUSE PAD SLOWING ME DOWN ON MOVING THE BALL WHERE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO GO SO I EVENTUALLY GAVE UP. I LOVE THAT GAME!

Nelie - Ok I have to admit it, I saw Star Wars when I was young, and I can't even remember it. I haven't seen any of the other Star Wars films Can you believe it

Brenda - hey girl you haven't updated your blog in ages, I wish you would, I love to read your posts

Thanks for the congrats on my weight loss, thankfully yes the weight is coming off regularly. I just know when I hit a plateau it will be a mighty bad one though!!

Oh so Liberty Cities is out over there, that's cool. Things always get released there before they do here. That's one of the reasons Daren bought a US PS2, and a voltage convertor from eBay, he can get the games earlier AND they work our cheaper!

Did you go for your walk?

Crock - where are you my friend. I have emailed and sent off line messages on Yahoo and you are nowhere to be seen. Please get in touch soon and let us know you are ok

Sharon - are you on MSN today? Stupid thing isn't letting me log in I have tried and I just get more angry, I hate when things play up. I hope you are having a good day

Annie - Just sending big hugs your way just in case you get to check the board. Just call me worry wart, but between you and Crock I am going grey here

Patti - I was all caught up with my emails, MSN isn't working to chat with friends, so I have spent AGES on Pogo today. But not playing Lottso, I have a new found addiction on that site, Dice City Rollers. I love it even more than Lottso and that's saying something. LOL at your cat preventing you from playing the game properly

Thanks for being pleased about my weight loss, I feel pretty bad though because I want it to be YOU that has a loss, those scales have been stubborn for way too long. Hey, do you want to borrow mine

Ok well it's time to go cook tea, tonight the tribe are having home made curry and rice, as for me, hmm, not sure, will decide when I get downstairs. Bye for now,

Hugs,

Ammi

Jill, I use Neutrogena T/Gel shampoo. The kind I use is a tar colored (and smells like tar, too.. the only downside) shampoo that can be used several times a week if need be. There are other T/Gel shampoos that may work, but I've never tried them. It's not too expensive, but it works wonders for me. For a long time, I had dandruff all the time and nothing would get rid of it. Now it's just every once in a while, but as soon as I use the T/Gel a couple times, it's gone.

Ammi i would love your scales lol. dont feel bad you are doing so great... mine will move again soon i have no doubt about it!

Hello All- Just stopping in quick during lunch break- going to have to get running again, I have 6 groups in house to take care of, i can't believe I've actually managed a full length lunch break! I'm frustrated because I brought my workout clothes so that after work I could go to the gym to take a cycle class at 6:30p, but one of my clients called and she added a 7pm break, so now I can't leave until I make sure that gets out okay- I'm still going to go to the gym, but I so prefer to take classes instead of going it on a machine solo- i get to bored.... I'll stop complaining now I'm excited because the food for my Nutrisystem diet should have arrived sometime today- so hopefully tommorrow I'll have a more detailed diet to stick to!

Kenya- I know what you mean about having time with school for movies. I start in a couple of weeks, and I'm doing school full time, plus working full time, so once that starts i wont have anything left. What are you studying?

Jill- 1 week OP, that great- and your down 8 pounds, that's great! Keep it up- you're doing so well

Sabrina- I love walk away the pounds- when I moved I lost the 1 mile walk, and only have th 2 and 3 mile now. I haven't done them in a while, but I love that I can feel myself progressing as I do them. I have the water weights too- have you tried them? I don't use them often, b/c i'm usually tired enough from the weight of my arms

Misit- Congratulations on being down!!

Ammi- yeah, down 3 pounds- you're doing so good!
I don't feel too guilty about the soda, I don't think I've ever been dedicated enough to bring carrot sticks, so I have to give myself kudos for that!

Well- have to get running, I check in later this evening!

Ammi – I checked out Guild Wars and it looks interesting. The thing is that I mostly prefer to play by myself and not online. I Guild Wars online only or does it have single game play? Congrats on being down another 3 pounds. You are doing SO well! Oh, and I just love a good curry. I made one last week with tofu and it was great.

Nelie – WOW – you can lift much heavier stuff than I can. I am mostly at your starting numbers and below on the back. Of course you have to start somewhere. Your hikes sound fantastic. I am finding more and more the longing to be outside and enjoy the outdoors. I never thought of myself as an outdoorsy kind of person, but I think I am changing.

Sabrina – I have both the 1-mile and the 2-mile WATP and like them both. I mostly go to the gym now, but I still use them at home occasionally. I am actually trying to start using them more often by getting up and doing something before work. So far I haven’t gotten there. I would also love to try DDR or YourselfFitness, but I don’t have a game system and haven’t wanted to spend the money on one. I know that I could get very addicted to it and spend way too much time and money on games.

Zelma – That would be so cool if you could put up the pictures and we could vote too. You are an amazing bargain shopper! Although do you find it much easier now that you fit into regular sizes to find such great bargains? They just don’t seem to exist so much in the plus size world.

Jill – Congrats on your loss! That is so fantastic you were able to stick with things even through the weekend – that is my trouble time too. For dandruff, my miracle solution no longer exists, so I am hesitant to mention it, but I will anyway. There is this expensive French shampoo called Phytologie and they used to have a product called Phytocoltar. They stopped making it quite a while ago. I was lucky to pick up a few bottles on eBay several months ago. I find it is the only thing that gets rid of the flakes for me. It is very gentle and makes my hair feel really good too. The other problem is my BF hates the smell, so I only use it on occasion, but even using it every once in a while seems to do the trick.

Misti – That is great that the FFM has made a visit! I am hoping she will come see me again soon. I must have done something to piss her off. Whatever it is, I’m sorry! Can you put in a good word for me next time you see her?

Tilly – You asked about when people weigh – I weigh every day. However, I only count it on Thursdays. Waiting a whole week is too much anticipation for me, and I don’t get too bummed out by daily fluctuations. I know I can easily be up or down several pounds due to water weight, so that also helps get a better overall picture for me.

Norma – As far as treadmills go, you might want to figure out a few models that would work for you and then watch craigslist or some other type of classifieds. Treadmills are something that people sell a lot because they have good intentions and then can’t use them, or they are too big and heavy to move long distance.

I also love dance. I have several workout videos that are dance based (Bellydance and Masala Bangra) and I can’t wait to be more coordinated to do them better. Actually there are a few I should try again since it has been awhile. Some day I would love to take ballroom. I have this image of the waltz in The King and I – some day I want to be able to swoop around the dance floor like that. Also, there is this great video that always inspires me about becoming more fit – Weapon of Choice by Fat Boy Slim. It has Christopher Walken dancing around this empty hotel and it is SO cool. I would love to feel that kind of freedom of movement someday.

I had an amazingly productive day cleaning yesterday – so much so that I didn’t want to stop and break for exercise. It is OK – I will make it up. I got my desk totally cleared, all my bills and everything filed (instead of just piled up). It feels SO good – it has been on my to do list for so long. It is amazing how when those things are done then you feel possibilities open up of all the other things you could do, instead of being trapped by what you haven’t done. I need to remember that feeling every time I am procrastinating about doing something. Besides getting healthy I think that is my #1 thing I need to work on in my life, and the two are definitely connected.

Melissa -- Regarding weights... Where to start depends on what you can do. When I started at the gym, I had never done it before, so I was a bit nervous. I started with amounts so that I was tired after a set of 12 or so, and did 3 sets for each muscle. Now I work it so that I exhaust the muscle by 12 repetitions and generally can't do any more. I do 3 sets of these repetitions.

I completely recommend checking out the Ladies and Gents who Lift forum here on 3fc, it is a great resource. I also bought "Weight Lifting for Dummies".

I reallly think weight lifting has helped me keep losing regularly and helping my body tone under all this fat! And it turns out I am no lightweight!

I am on Cape Cod today visiting my mom, and I not only went to the beach, but I swam in the water! It was glorious! First time I've really swum (swam?) in the ocean in at least 4 years! Granted, it wasn't for long, but I did it!

There. I did it. I walked for 67 minutes. Not without a break at my MIL but I still did it!

Ammi~ Yeah I know. The blog is waiting for me. I have lots to add, just not enough time. I guess I will put that on my list for tonight. I have to do some office work for hubby too but that shouldnt take long. I check out yours almost every day too *L* I feel bad if I don't have lots of time to write a nice long one so I end up not writing anything! Tonight! I promise!

Nancy~ Hubby plays Guild Wars all the time and I asked him about it for you. He says that you have to play online but you dont have to play with other people. Its up to you if you wish to play with "live" groups or if you wish to play with computer controlled team mates/characters.

OK off to the store to pick up some ground chicken. Hubby wants meatballs for supper and wwheat speghetti. Thats suits me fine! Leftovers to portion and freeze Less sodium filled lunches for work!

I'll be around later
Brenda

Patti - thanks, I feel a bit better now

Kimberly - I love how excited you are about that Nutrisystem food arriving tomorrow. I hope you will enjoy it all and it's all yummy!

Glad you are ok about that soda you had, like you said, you needn't think of that when you should be giving kudos to yourself for taking carrots to eat at the cinema!!

Nancy - I asked Daren more about Guild Wars, he said that you have to play it online, but that you don't have to play with other people. You can choose 6 AIs to become a group with you. I am the same on Pogo, I don't mind playing with people I know, but I don't like playing against strangers, I normally choose a 'robot' as my opponent

That's great that you had such a productive day. There's nothing like the feeling after you have sorted out your paper work and made sure all your bills are paid etc.

Heather - woohoo, that's so brilliant that you went swimming in the ocean for the first time in 4 years. I know how wonderful a feeling it is, remember earlier this year I went in the water after many years too. Didn't actually swim, but I had a great time splashing around

Brenda - well done on walking as much as you did, it feels great doesn't it!! I am glad you intend to write more in your blog soon, I shall check on it often I normally write short posts as you know, so I don't have to worry about finding the time to write nice long ones!!

It's great isn't it when you can freeze or refridgerate a meal so that you can have it the next day or another day. I always do that with a tuna pasta bake. I swear it tastes nicer the next day after you cook it too

Oooh somebody just PMd me on Yahoo, time to go for a chat, so take care all and I will probably check in again before bed time,

Hugs,

Ammi

As I said it is kind of hard to estimate but those are free weights. For machines, I'm able to lift a lot more. It is good to fatigue after 10-12 reps, that is what I strive for. I also have to say I'm strong and I've always kind of been strong, even before doing a lot of weights.

Ammi has your hubby played God Of War? i just got that game and it looks to quite challenging!