Hello all and congrats to everyone on your accomplishments. I'm still plugging along. The weekend was okay. Saturday was my son's bday so had some pizza and cake and didn't get any exercise in. I was back to being good on Sunday though.

Here's a quick workout with creatine progress update Jammyblammy and Barb.

Both photos depict a full out flex, hard as I can...

The first photo was taken January 7th, 2009, the second tonite:


Since I'm a relative newbie to it, I don't know a ton about bodybuilding and realistic progress, but think this is pretty good for just 68 DAYS!!!

I don't look like this not flexing you guys! I just have somewhat nice arms in a short sleeved shirt.

It takes me a moment to realize those are real triceps underneath, no hanging flesh. Amazing, you could bounce things off my new guns.

FB - Look at those arms!!! You go girl!

I was just talking to my best friend tonight about how I'm loving the definition I'm starting to get in my arms....expect for the flabby underarm I'm dealing with. I want to be able to wear a sleeveless shirt one of these days....I will!

Thanks for sharing!!!

Ooh! Thanks and thanks Barb!

Hi friends!
I'm slowly raching my goals for Easter. I'm almost half way to my training goal and I've lost another 1,5 pounds the last week. Only 4,2 pounds left.

I worked out at the local gym where my father lives this weekend and I had a great time! But back home the Gyms cost quite much to join, so I work out by spinning at home, CC skiing or fast walking. Yesterday I first walked home from work. That is 55 minutes UP. And then I went for another walk later that evening. My legs are quite sore today, but I'm planning on walking home from work today as well.

How much does it cost to join a Gym for you?
In my city (Oslo, Norways Capital) it costs around $100 a month IF you sign up for 12 months.
Anita



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CC Easter Challenge
Workouts: Goal 30
1: Spinning 600 cal
2: Spinning 600 cal
3: Crosscounrty skiing, 600 cal
4: Crosscountry skiing, 2000 cal
5: Spinning 600 cal
6: Spinning 600 cal
7: Spinning 600 cal
8: Crosscountry skiing, 2300 cal
9: Spinning, 600 cal
10: Spinning, 600 cal
11: Gymtraining, 900 cal
12: Gymtraining, 700 cal
13: Fast walk, 580 cal
14: Fast walk, 550 cal

Juhuuu, almost half way there!

Weight: Goal 185
02.17: 193,2
03.03: 190,7
16.03: 189,2

FB - WOW, very impressive arms!!! What muscle defininition! Very hot! Those are the arms I dream of having and I will, in time.

Well I weighed this morning, just out of curiosity since I worked out hard yesterday in the hot Florida sun, and am down another 1.4 lbs! So, I am working out again today when I get off of here! I need to reach my birthday goal, which is the same date as the Easter Challenge.

jansk8r - Sounds like your meal plan is working. I haven't done the Zone, but looked into it a few years ago. I just seem to do better with calorie counting.

Barbpa - Oh can I relate to the flabby arms. I feel like I have had big arms my whole life, and I hate the crap that falls down when I lift my arms up!! Congrates on the getting some definition. I am working at it too, and now that I see FB's pic's - there is hope!! LOL

Check in later

fb WOW!!! Fantastic!!!

anita I work at a gym. Our membership is 54.95 per month for a single.

Feeling great today! No loss on the scale but it's ok. I still have 3 weeks and some odd days until Easter so I'm not worried yet. I've been doing good regardless! Plus, I think I may be reaching that point where muscle is being developed so I'm expecting my actual weight loss number to slow but hoping the inches to still come off. LOL

Hey everyone!! Happy St. Pattys Day!!

FB- As always, smokin' arms!! :wink:

Nicki- Do you get a discount or anything on your membership??

Another great day here! The weather is getting so great and one of my BFF's decided she wanted to go to the gym with us!! So I kind of felt like a big girl at the gym showing her around and some of the things that I do!!

I am really loving being able to jog on the treadmil but I am noticing that my feet are really starting to bother me? I am fine for the first 5-10 mins but then my feet ache and almost get to the point that it feels like I have a pulled muscle or something in my foot? Has anyone ever had this problem? If so, is it just my legs and feet getting used to running and will it go away? Or should I go see my doc??

Thanks!!

Have a great night everyone!!

FB - arms are awesome!

I have officially lost the 10 lbs I set out to lose for my easter goal so I'm going to add another 3 to it.

Hey Gals!

Happy St. Patrick's day!

I took off work today and had a fabulous time. Well...once I got the dentist appt out of the way. I hit the gym, went to Saladworks for lunch, jewelry shopped, did some cleaning and organizing at home, got the boys, played.....good day!

Anita - My gym is $39 per month with a 2 year contract. It's a bare bones gym. No pool, no classes, no childcare. Just exercise equipment.

Grits - We are gonna get those sexy arms!!!

Angel - My first thought is shoes. Do you have good ones? A good running store will evaluate your foot and help choose a good shoe. They can be pricey, but the service is also great. I tried a pair for a few weeks that just didn't feel right and they swaped them out for another pair that I love and have worn everyday for 6+ months.

Well...I'm doing what I do this time everynight...trying to get a stubborn 3 yo to stay in bed....off I go.

Amy, WTG on reaching your (first) Easter Challenge Goal...I think you're the first to finish! Woot! Good luck with the next 3!

FB! Big diff, nice triceps, baby! I'm not jealous! (glare)

Anita, prices vary greatly here, depending what type of place you go to. Anywhere from $39 on up to $100 seems to be the norm. Is there anything in Norway like the YMCA that we have here? It's a family facility and offers financial assistance/discounts for folks who can't afford the regular membership. I got a family membership for my son and myself for $20 a month, since I'm a single mom and don't make a lot of money. Or maybe you have a skill you can use to barter off some of the membership price? Small, one-owner gyms might be open to that. Another idea, if you have a garage or other outbuilding with room to set some things up, you might set up a local meet-up group with others who may want to work out, but can't afford a regular gym membership (or don't want to pay that much out month after month)...maybe you could start a little co-op and everybody contributes to gathering equipment. You can do a lot with little if you're creative...maybe one person has a treadmill, you have the CC skiing option, you can get old tractor tires (good to jump on or flip), fill basketballs with sand to make medicine balls, hang a pull-up bar, use jump ropes, mats for the floor, a barbell or two, some dumbbells, all kinds of options there. You could start an exercise revolution with an affordable gym membership!

Angel, if it was pulling on the front of your shin, that could be the start of shin splints, which basically means you need to slow down, do a longer warm-up of walking and some easy stretching/bending/moving the joints before you jog, and if you're new to running, then start with a beginner program like Couch to 5K (google cool running website to see that one), but basically just easing into it a lot slower. Most folks start running and run till they can't anymore, and that's where you'll run into problems. If it's just in the foot, then it might be your calves are tight, and pulling on that achilles tendon...when I get that I feel it when I'm running or skating, like on the inside of my foot near the arch and just sore in the ankle joint too. Rub some rubbing alcohol into your leg muscles, knees and around the ankle joint after you run (it's a muscle relaxer, a mild pain reliever, and stimulates circulation), and be sure to walk for a few minutes (a good marker is when your breathing returns to normal) then stretch after a run...go easy on the stretches because sometimes the muscle is stronger than the tendon, so just go till you feel a little stretch but don't lean on it (she says from experience), just wait for it to relax (might take 30 seconds or a minute) then if it feels good you can try for a little more stretch, stop and just hold that...try to take the muscle you're trying to stretch out of the working equation...like don't try to stretch your hamstring standing up, because it's trying to hold you up (ie, it's trying to contract to do it's job of holding you upright, and it can't do that and stretch at the same time)...something lying down would work better there. The foam rollers work great if you can get someone to show you how they work. They can get knots out of the muscles without pulling on the tendons at all...sorta like a massage you can do yourself. Sorry, got blabby there, but I hope something helps! Also, I'm always hurting myself with skating, so I might be cavalier about it...if you feel like it's serious and can go to the doc, definitely do that!

Grits, the Zone is pretty much calorie counting, IMO...nothing special about the recommended ratios of carbs/protein/fat, and the zone "block" thing just basically is like WW points or whatever, since the blocks all have about the same cals. It's just another way of counting cals. The Paleo thing is a crossfit recommendation for improved performance in the workouts. I haven't been able to do that with any real enthusiasm, but I'm studying up on it and can see where it might have merit...just not sure I'm ready to give up dairy altogether!

Nicki, muscles are very cool! Better than a number on the scale, any day of the week!

Barb, woot on the arm definition! I got very excited the first time I could even feel my deltoids, as there was nothin' there before! I'm still jealous of FB's delts, though!

My report: had another crossfit class today. Love that gym! Trying to figure how I can pull another month's membership out of my magic hat (which is nearly empty, dangit!). I know I could work on my own, but I'm learning so much, and also learning how easy it would be to mess up my form if nobody is watching me, so it would be good to keep going with the crossfit membership as long as I can. Mostly, I love the community there. I went to the Y last week to practice, and man, what a different dynamic, not near as friendly, IMO.

First....personals

angel Girl, I get a free membership!!! HOLLA!!! I have to pay for tanning, personal training, etc but I get discounts. LOL. A big girl. That's funny but I know exactly what you're talking about. Mb you have the wrong shoes? Just a thought

amy WOW!!! That's incredible!!!!!! WTG! And good for you for adding some more weight to lose!

barb sounds like you had a great day!!!!

jam you'll find a way to take care of it!! Mb get a job there?? LOL

So I get off work and go tan. I was gonna jump on the elliptical but Brianna was up at the sitters so I had to go get her. Went home and found a package on my step. It was two new DVDs from Flirty Girl! Ultimate Upper Body and Chair Dance: Tone and Tease. I also got a free set of weighted gel balls, super cool. Woo hoo!!! So I took care of some house cleaning and then while Brianna was eating dinner I did Ultimate Upper Body. Nice!!! Those balls really gave my arms and abs a work out. Then I put Brianna in the tub and let her play while I did 30DS.

The only thing is I don't feel like I got enough cardio in. I know I sweated during 30DS and a little on my Upper Body DVD but not as much as on the elliptical or in a class. I wonder if I did enough today?

Thoughts?

I feel great though!

Thanks bunches girls! I know they're not that big a deal, just proud of the progress I've made. I wish so badly I had taken photos like that when I started. I wish.

Jammy inspired me to learn something new. I'm a little jealous of her Crossfit adventures! (PS - our Y wasn't very friendly or supportive either. The atmosphere was like an elevator. Awkward.)

I hired a personal trainer tonite from the little gym up the street. I've known him since it's like my second home, but never worked with him.

It was a refreshing change. Since he knows how hard I work he didn't take things easy on me like a few men I've worked with. I wanted to learn a few old skool moves for my repertoire, since I'm getting bored with the same old moves.

We did heavy (for me) deep squats at 150 pounds, stifflegged deadlifts at 120 pounds and regular deadlifts at 150. I have done all of these moves before (esp squats, like zillions) but wanted to make sure my form was perfection before aiming heavier. I'm proud to say my grip failed before I did on the deadlifting!

We'll see each other every two weeks to master a few moves and give me time to do on my own before moving on. It was a little weird to have him training me while my trainer friend was working with another client. I felt like I was cheating on her.

In my limited experience, the trainers who have shown me those moves used body weight or bars only - which doesn't prepare me to go heavier on my own. It's a whole new game with heavier weights.

I AM BOUND AND DETERMINED TO BE A HOT HARDBODY BABE THIS SUMMER! It's gonna happen. I am working hard enough for it, certainly!

FB, I'm saying what you're saying! There's a world of diff between using a stick or really light weight and getting to the heavy stuff where your form starts breaking down. Like today, I got to do overhead squats with 30 lbs, which was 20 lbs more than I've ever been able to do myself. Of course I was totally botching it, but with the trainer there, she was able to help me fix my form issues, and I got to feel what it SHOULD feel like with some weight on there. It was a whole nother level! Congrats on getting out there and changing it up! That back squat has mine whupped, dawg! Do you realize that's more than your frickin' bodyweight now?!!! You are the buffness!

Amy - Congratulations on reaching your Easter Challenge Goal!! Thats awesome!!!

Barb - Yes, I can't wait to have defined arms like that - wow!

Angel - I agree with Barb, have your shoes and feet checked out. When I started walking and jogging my feet would kill me with aches, blisters and all. I went and tried different shoes and found a pair I swear by and have used for over 5 years now. I can go and go llike the energizer bunny! I love New Balance, which is what I have seen them wear on Biggest Loser - even Jillian...LOL

The YMCA here is wonderful with a new fitness center, all types of classes, indoor heated lap pool and outdoor pool and more. I agree with Jamsk8r that there isn't alot of interaction with people and the trainers, well, there OK I guess. I think a smaller, more personal gym really helps with truly learning what works.

I worked out yesterday in the heat again - geez it is hot here in Florida!! I am down a little more .4 lbs., but hey I'll take it!!! I need to change my ticker.

Have a great day everyone!

I am flying out tomorrow, so may check in tonight or tomorrow night from the hotel.