Jen, there's no escaping us, we will follow you around and force support on you! So expect it!

Thanks Nori! I checked it out, motivation is a great thing.

How did I know that you would say something like that Josephine Thanks girl! I appreciate the threat.

This is something I am sharing with all 3 teams:

Philosophical thought for the day:

Do you love yourself?

"At the heart of personality is the need to feel a sense of being lovable without having to qualify for that acceptance."

-- Dr. Paul Tournier

How do you see yourself as unlovable?

Take a few minutes to write down why you perceive yourself to be unlovable. Look at the list and see if you can identify where those characterizations originated. Can you pinpoint old messages from parents, teachers, and friends that led you to negative conclusions about yourself? Are those messages valid today?

The beliefs we adopt as children usually don't hold when we view them objectively as adults. Can you let them go? Can you begin to see yourself as a unique expression of life, a genuine gift to the world?

"You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection."

-- Buddha

"Limitless like the ocean are your excellent qualities."

-- Dalai Lama

Hi bluesers - stopping in to say hi and report in.

I've been super busy lately, long hours, lots of busy busy. Unfortunately I have not been op much at all, so I am trying to focus on getting that back in order. Exercise has been good though - I've been getting out on the river a lot, so mucho exercise minutes from that have probably been mitigating the non-op eating. Just think how awesome they will be working together!

OK, thats it for me - I feel kinda like I've lost track of the chat lately. I'll try to become more sociable again Keep up the good work everyone!

Amarie

Well, we're at Hump Day here in SpaWorld during Staycation! I guess I should rename it as bootcamp week and not spa week. We're a little heavy on sweat here and the manicures and facials are completely void.

I should stay off the scale til Monday but I may make that decision later. Right now I am weighing daily and getting spooked. I know I'm doing everything right........yesterday as an example I did an hour on the treadmill (over 2 sessions), 20 mins elliptical, and a 30 min pilates tape. Gee that doesn't sound like very much typing it all out, but I'll tell you it seemed to be the focus of my day. Today I've already done my fbwo. I'm up 2-3 lbs. I guess that's my body sucking down all this water and my muscles staying well-hydrated, and I suppose at some point it will start to show some drops in pounds, but I don't know...... Nori, you can weigh in here and give me a few words of encouragement like what I already know about how on Monday my weight may still be up 2-3 lbs but my pants will fit better? I tried on the pants today - not quite able to say that just yet, but I have 4 more days of this.........

Zinke - I think working on the cable machines is great and does not quality as an "evil machine" in Meg & Mel's world. While machines in general do restrict your free motion range, the cables do force you to control them and use core muscles to balance them. So while they are on a machine, cable work is pretty similar to free weights. They would give you 2 thumbs up, so don't avoid the cables!

The bugs calmed down enough that I was able to take the kids outdoors for a bit yesterday. They went to bed fine and 30 minutes later **** broke out. All night long they took turns waking up every 30 minutes. Runny noses and sneezing. No one slept well and they are currently down for a nap (which never, ever happens here). Hope you have low pollen counts for your walk tonight.

Despite my poor sleep last night I still went to the gym. Before I would have used it as a perfect excuse. Not today. I pulled on my big girl panties and went anyways. I also started C25K over with W1D1. I was really surprised it was so easy. I haven't done it since mid May and then I stopped during W3. I'm gonna go ahead and jump to W2 on Friday and see how I feel.

Food sucks. I am so far off plan it isn't even funny. I'm pretty sure I just ovulated and historically that is just a bad time for me anyways. Then with my sudden increase in exercise, I am starving. I think I could eat the house right now.

Can you follow me, too?????

I have no problems with the cables. To me that isn't a machine. Or even the leg press machine. She wanted me to get on the dreaded ab/adductor machine and was telling me how great it works. She's the owner and her DH is the trainer. I got a little scared for a minute since he will be who I will be training with. I do understand though that she probably doesn't want me to get hurt before he gets a chance to kill me. I'm up in the air about my feelings on the leg extension and prone leg curl machine.

No time to catch up today! Just wanted to pop in and remind you to drink your water, sing in the shower and take deep belly breaths today!

I love using the cables! Use themnearly everyday for various things. Today did chest press and bicep curls on them.

Billie - I've never been on an ab machine either. Why? You can do so many other cooler moves to trim the middle and strengthen core. I swear some gals at the gym think those are cardio machines and are on them for like 20 minutes!

Hi everyone! I am super busy at work today and I have to work late too (ick!). I am totally op today (yea!) and so far the scale is showing another loss for this week too.

Have a great afternoon/evening!

I'm telling you what ladies - I currently feel like I just had another c/section. That's how much I have been working my abs. It's really tight in the lower belly area. ANy guesses as to what's doing it? It works so well that I cut out the ab work during my weigh lifting. Well, this and bc I've heard alot of fit people say they never do isolated ab work, just work on core exercises instead.

And the answer is???

PILATES!! I'm a total convert!

hey girls my elliptical died last night.. i have metal shavings and greases and much all over my floor and the thing is clunking and carrying on , screachign and is now completely unusable.. .. .. so i had a somewhat sleepless night last night i stayed up late searching the net high and low for a new but inexpensive elliptical... PFFFTT.. lol no good.. no way no how uh uh...

So i decided this morning kmart has a dssale on and i have seen they have a health sections so i thought id go have a look and.....
I found a treadmill that goes to 13km an hour hold 130 kg .. and best part of all.. had been reduced to 399 then had an extra 30 % off .. OMG it was my day.. i got the last one in the store.. and they let me layby it too .. so.. im am over the moon . 280 for a tradmill is amazing.. even seconfd hand they are $500 here new they start over $1000 and they would even support my weight they have a 100kg rating .. the next one with the 125kg rating is 1399... im blown away.. there was a girl that got there 2 minutes after me and was asking about it too.. she was giving me death looks . becuase they said they didnt have another one.. but they rang around and found her one they are going to bring in for her.. so i didnt feel so guilty after that.

Im gonna be in trouble though becuase after i left there i went to the workout store and put a really nice elliptical on layby too .. lol.. its 899 and a absolute dream to use.. it was 1299 reduced and it has a 6 year parts and service warrenty . its a health stream genisis i think.. .. i know its health stream and it has a much large gate then my old one.. .,
I plan on getting the treadmill off layby next week or so and then the elliptical as soon as i can .. lol i have 12 week to pay it off so.. i may need that 12 week too .. it was so nice.. omg im in love already ..

who would have thought the girl that didnt ever exercise would love it sooo much.. but find the right machine and your in heaven ..

talk to you guys later.. iver been bad today i went out with breaskfast and its now midday and im starving.. someone please give me a kick up the bum...

Yeah, Pilates is awesome!! I include many pilates ab moves mixed in with other core stability moves - plank (regular and side) and lots of moves that involve swiss exercise balls. I do occasionally do regular old crunches too - like bicycle crunches... I usually do 3 sets each of 1 lower, 1 upper and 1 oblique ab move each day though. Just keep mixing them up.

You can see that Ab Rockers are at the end of both lists! http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/a...Best_Ab_Ex.htm

Glad you found some good deals on equipment, Amy! I'd have to take my bed out of the house if I wanted a home gym.