Good morning and happy weekend! It’s actually the middle of the night but I couldn’t get comfy enough to sleep so I got up for a while — things seem to hurt more at night, for some reason. Later I’ll lay down with my book, which usually puts me back to sleep.

We have a family reunion this weekend, but fortunately I’m off the hook as far as food and entertainment go, except for chocolate chip cookies . Ilene, a “spaghetti-Q” sounds just hideous. How did you do? Carbs absolutely put me to sleep too and I’m thinking that one of the reasons that I crave carbs when I’m tired is that my body just wants to SLEEP! Better to sleep in the first place than binge, hmmmm?

Ledom, you’ve discovered one of the main reasons that I use Fitday — to keep the calories under control. I KNOW that they would go much higher than I want if I didn’t keep track of them, even if all I was eating was clean food. And too many calories of clean food will stall your weight loss — unfortunately, there’s no “free lunch” as they say, even if it’s tuna and an apple! At first, it seems like a pain to keep writing it all down, but now it’s second nature to me. What I do to pre-plan is just use the arrows to go to the next day and work up a menu plan to fit whatever my goals are. Sometimes I’ll change that as the day goes on, but keep it within the general guidelines for the day. BTW, you can use the “goals” tab to set up parameters for things like calories and carbs and protein etc. Then you can use “reports” to see how you are doing meeting those goals, daily or weekly or monthly.

We didn’t lose power on Thursday but DD (in Ohio) and MIL (in NW Pa) did, but fortunately they both got it back that evening. DH is on the emergency management team for his building (a post 9/11 innovation) and they got activated but all was normal here.

Awesome workouts this week, Ilene! I would so LOVE to work out with you in person — sounds like you are a maniac after my own heart!

I walked 3 miles on Thursday and 2.5 yesterday and am just counting the days until I get un-stapled and un-stitched. I plan on trying to convince my doctor to let me start some light lifting next Friday, which will be three weeks post-surgery. He calls me a “fast healer” and I have no doubt that it’s because of all the protein that I eat.

OK, I think I’ll try this sleeping stuff again. Have great weekends, all!

Meg

Hi everyone! Meg, I'm so happy you are sharing your progress here and anticipate every new post. I'm counting down to my official start on BFL while lurking and learning from every one of you.

I just wanted to share my experience with Fitday. com. Like most of you, it has become second nature for me, as planning, weighing and measuring. When I'm in a situation where I cant measure, I apply the "3-bite rule."

Anyway, when I used to grocery shop I had a list of what we needed and then of course added what I thought we might have "a taste for" over the next several days. It's just my husband and myself, and I don't even want to think about all the food $ that was thrown out in the trash. I have known for many years that I did this because of my childhood experience - my mother shopped on Saturday, and by Monday all the "goodies" were gone. My best friend's mother made sure the frig was full all the time with whatever anybody wanted, and for some reason that made an impression on me which I carried over when I became in charge of the food.

I started using Fitday July 1 when I started a modified version of South Beach Phase I. The first thing I did was clean out the frig and cabinets, and rearranged so that things I needed to keep but illegal were out of sight. For example, I put all cereal in a bottom cabinet I seldom use/open as well as ingredients for baking. I now grocery shop for clean food and low-gly carbs only. Each morning, I plan my food for the day on Fitday based on what's available. If we are low on food, I just eat what is left knowing I have to go to the grocery store soon. The bottom line is that our grocery bill has decreased considerably because my husband will eat what I put in front of him. And if he gets a hankering for something (fast food) I won't eat, he'll go get it himself. And he is losing weight right along with me. (Now if I can just get him to start lifting!) When it comes time for my afternoon snack or supper, I consult my Fitday to see where my calories are at, or if I need to, excuse the pun, beef up my protein.

BTW, I tried squats this week for the first time, and I now know what someone said the other day about getting up and down from the toilet. I laughed out loud when I felt the hurt, not pain. I consider such events as "little victories."

Have a great weekend, and keep those posts flowing. You all are my lifeline since I have no one here in the real world doing anything remotely close to what I'm doing.

dip

Good afternoon girls

Meg – Thanks for asking about the Spaghetti-Q it went very well I served myself only a half cup of pasta and the sauce on top, had salad and some cheese... What kills me most of the time is the wine of course, but other than that, it went very well.... Oy Meg we had an awesome workout this morning bis, tris, and shoulders.... OUCH!!! I usually don’t go to the gym on Sat. and Sun. but next week we are going to Niagara Falls and I won’t be making it to the gym so I’m doing some extra work this weekend...Yep Meg I can be a bit of a maniac in the gym... BTW food, other than yesterday, has been 100% this week, and this morning I tried a size 14 skirt and it was wayyyyy too big... woohhoo!!

Dip – I’ve never heard of the “3 bite rule”... I’m French so I can be a bit slow at times... I suppose you only take three bites of the food? I’m happy to see that your DH is helping you along in your journey... My DH will eat anything I put in front of him too, except protein pancake concoctions that I like to make for myself, which is fine, but I DO love them!! I’m so glad you posted that your food bill has gone down, because a lot of people think that eating healthy and clean makes it go up.... Like a bag of potato chips or cookies are cheap!! And WOOHOO on the squats, now you’re hooked!!

Hello Everyone,

I've read through the latest thread and I really like the sounds of it and would like to join you. Hoping I can jump aboard!

So, here's a bit of background information on me. Hmm, where to start . . . OK, at the beginning. Stats first. I just turned 44, am originally from Pittsburgh and have been here in Tokyo for the past 20 years. As a kid I was always very active but at the start of high school (and my mother being diagnosed with cancer) I started to binge eat and really blew up. I stopped exercising much and my weight continued to be a major problem. I guess I peaked at around 20 and don't know what I weighed, maybe around 180 lbs. I was in Germany (major was German) and didn't exercise at all. Just drank lots of beer and other alcohol! Afterward I went to India, where having stopped drinking I started getting things under control. I then went to Japan and that's where I wandered in to a bodybuilding gym and voila! I was hooked. I starved myself down to get the fat off and then started packing on muscle. The place was a really intense place and I loved it. I trained with a guy who went on to be Mr. Japan for 13 years straight. I really really got into it and the fat came off and the muscle poured on. I was obsessed and it was great!

Then, I started gaining fat and didn't like how I looked. I loved being strong but hated looking like a Hulk. And with the average Japanese (well every woman at the time) being into the no-muscle look I slowly got away from it. I could never seem to get the fat off but for me it was either go heavy or not at all. If I went to a gym I craved that going-heavy adrenalin rush!

Well, the short of it is that now I've been staying away from going heavy and have been more interested in getting my weight (fat percents) down. I'm now at about 68 kg (about 150 lbs) and I'm only 157 cm (5 feet 1 1/2 inches tall). I ride dressage and want to have a leaner look. Problem is I can only ride twice a week. I do cardio, jogging, walking, cycling but really have never lost my love of the lean mean body, strong and flexible. That's my goal now. I'm thinking I don't have to stay away from the weights if I can just get it all together and get the fat off. That has always been the problem, too much fat over the muscle. For the past month or so I stopped lifting and though I've lost weight and size I'm not at all happy with the look, because I can feel there is much more fat there.

So, now I'm thinking, with the support I'm hoping to get from you (please!) that maybe, just maybe I can get it ALL together and get that body I've always wanted.

From reading this thread I can see you're all at different levels of training and that's what I find so refreshing. I've checked out bodybuilding sites but the people there seemed to have never had the problem with eating, the emotional ties to food that I have had. But other threads I've looked at on this board don't have that passion for exercise either. I have both and that is the problem. This conflict has meant I've been mostly canceling my efforts out and that has been frustrating and led to me losing my motivation.

Well, sorry to make this so long, but I thought I should give you the background on me.

I don't know what my end goals will be in numbers but I'll know better as I go along by the look.

Well, OK, don't want this to get any longer. Hope you'll all take me under wing!!

Hey Lanaii, the 3 bite rule is that you don't deprive yourself of something you just absolutely *think* you have to have. Take 3 bites and get rid of it. I usually find it doesn't taste like I expected, and realize even the 3 bites was not worth the damage.

Latest example - We went to our State Fair last week and the latest food added this year and featured on our local news - A Deep Fried Twinkie. Yes, ladies, that's right, step right up and eat an instant heart attack. I do believe from the best of my feeble recollection that the newsfolks said it had like over 500 calories and 165 grams of fat. So as we strolled the fair we came upon the Twinkie Wagon. I watched how they were made - first dipped in a wet batter similar to the batter on a corndog, deep fried, rolled in powdered sugar and drizzled with your choice of chocolate, strawberry or raspberry goo. Whip Cream was optional. There were 4 of us and we figured one split between us wouldn't be so bad. I had one small bite and almost tossed my cookies it was so rich. There was no way I was going to take 2 more bites of it. As a former bread, pie, cake, cookie, pastry carb lover, I was proud of myself.

Most of the food at the fair was illegal and I had a gyros without the pita and scraped as much sauce off I could get. There was plenty of water around too. We sat outside a wagon that was selling eclairs and puffy pastries. And all I could think about was finding a vendor that would be willing to sell my concoction of Sugar Free, very low fat zucchini bread as an alternative to all the other garbage food available. The price of a mini loaf would be costly as I use Splenda, but we paid $6 for that deep fried Twinkie. For those of you who don't know what a Twinkie is: http://www.junkfoodnews.com/twinkies.htm

Eating clean is cheaper than buying junk and convenience food. I have a deep freeze and get my meat and poultry on sale and stock up. Some times we can get a 1/2 gallon of skim milk for 88 cents. Some one told me milk can be frozen, but I never tried it. I buy things like tomato juice, V-8 and oatmeal at Wal-mart. The grocery store is exactly one mile away but we have no sidewalks to get it to it. Otherwise, I'd be making the walk every 2 days or so and should be able to carry 2 if not 4 bags at a trip. The town was suppose to start installing sidewalks and widening our road in the spring but it hasn't happened yet, even though they have paid us to use our property for the project. Grrr. The road is too busy, narrow and dangerous at all times of the day to attempt the hike.

blah, blah, blah, blah - ok, I'm done. LOL

Welcome, redballoon!

Welcome, Redballoon! I love your icon! It sounds like you've been on the same lifting/eating path that I have been on for many years, as well. I'm 42, two kids, and was a powerlifter in my 20s. Amazing how much has changed since then! I've been lifting again since about April here at home, I started setting up my own free weight set, and my daughter and I lift together.

We also ride together. That is a slightly more recent development, but we've both ridden mostly western pleasure quite a lot in the past. I'm going to be doing hunt seat, mostly because the horse I'm buying is pretty much western pleasure trained, and this is a good way to do english with a western horse. Nickie (my daughter) is still deciding which way to jump (no pun intended).

I also run, do pilates, and for fun do the WATP and Taebo videos. I've learned a LOT from the folks here, and from the stickies on the top of the forum. It's great to see you here!

dipthong, RavenToy, Thanks for the welcome. Raven, glad you like my avatar. I was going to change it to better reflect the new me (as it comes along) but I've grown fond of it (have always loved hamsters, that's why I picked it). I also like the reminder of me shoving food into my face like a hamster, carrying it all away and packing it in their dens for future?! use, hard times, whatever!

Yes, I'd seen that you and some others are into horses. I was also interested in the name of your beauty, Arashi Rei. It sounds Japanese, could be translated as "Storm Spirit (Ghost)" in Japanese. Is that why you named him(?) that?

Powerlifting? Yes, I think that's what you would have called me too though I didn't compete. With all the fat I wasn't near bodybuilding, it's just that I really trained the whole body. I hate to ask you what your squatted . . . but what did you squat? Pilates is great for riding, especially dressage. I need it for my stubborn and very feisty Haflinger mix. Maintaining position on her is a real core muscle builder. Problem is I find the Pilates tapes I've bought so incredibly boring they turned me off the exercises. Any tips there to getting/staying motivated. I never got far enough to even learn the exercises. Any suggestions on THE ones to learn whether I like 'em or not?

dipthong, love the tale of the fair. Really makes you wonder what people are doing when they eat calorie/sugar/fat bombs like the ones you described. I'd line up for your zucchini bread. I bet if you tried you could get a nice business going. There must be lots of people who are trying not to eat unwisely but when there's no choice they're likely to just buy what's offered.

Well, I'm going to head to the gym soon here myself. I'm 13 hours ahead of the East Coast so it's already going on noon Sunday here.

Looking forward to meeting more of you, especially Meg, fellow Pittsburgher!

Bye for now.

Wow.... looks like this group is really going international!

Welcome to the new people, I have been almost non-existant lately, but I am coming back!

Went to the gym for the first time since the day procedure and did a light 20 mins on the treadmill. It was good to get back into it, even if it is slowly. I don't have staples and stitches like Meg, but you are so inspiring!! I tell myself that if she can be out walking... so can I!!

It is a cloudy windy day here in Melbourne. Yesterday was beautiful, it was just a taste of spring... but now we are back to the cold weather today

Took the motorbikes out in the hills yesterday and I had a great day. Hubby is out with one of his mates today too, but I was feeling domestic, wanted to ring my mommy in Canada, and have some time alone. I don't get much of that lately!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Nola.

Welcome Red ... WE LUVS NEWBIES HERE !!

You've been around the world haven't you? That's awesome.

I'm really tired it's almost midnight here and I'm going to bed but just wanted to say hi...

Later all...

P.S. Meg we're working legs and back tomorrow, be there or be square!!!!

This early morning stuff is for the birds, for sure, but I think I can get back to a more normal sleep pattern after I get my hardware removed. In the meantime, I’m up and reading!

Ilene — I am so up for legs today — wish I could join you for real! What are we doing? More squats and lunges? You did great at the Spaghetti-Q! So you’re 5’ 3” — you’ll look awesome at 135! (Are we all short?? ) It’s going to happen, I just know it — keep having those good days, one after another.

Redballoon (after the film?) — welcome! Got to ask — where in Pittsburgh are you from? I’m in Mt. Lebanon. Do you ever get back here? You’re totally right about LWL — for most of us, getting to the gym is not a problem but we fight the food demons every day. If that describes you, then you are definitely in the right place! It sounds like you realize that you’re going to have to go back to weights to really get the body that you want — to build muscle to burn off fat. There’s three parts to fat loss — nutrition, cardio, and weights — and you have to do all three, IMO, to get the best results. I’m glad you’ve joined us and broadened our little community some more. BTW, I have a good friend who lived in Japan a few years ago and did a lot of bodybuilding there also. Is that a common Japanese thing or is it unusual?

Dip — deep fried Twinkies! Yep, heard of them. At fairs now they seem to deep-fry everything, from Twinkies to various candy bars to Oreos to anything that they think of to throw in the fryer. Just what we all need … riigghht ….When is your official BFL start date? I completely agree with you about the cost of healthy food — never understood people who say that it’s too expensive. I know for sure that my total grocery bill is less than it used to be. First, I consume far fewer calories than I used to and second, what I eat is mostly unprocessed, so is by definition less expensive than all the crap I used to eat. Like Ilene said, think of the price of a bag of Doritos! Or that single-serving pint of B&Js!

Kanola — glad you’re feeling better! Walking, even at my glacial pace, has really helped my recovery and brought some of my energy back. And it’s a mental health thing too — I need my thinking time. I’m going to shoot for my three miles today and I think I’ll do it on the gym track instead of the treadmill. The track is elevated above the weights and cardio machines, so you can people-watch as you walk, which is quite entertaining. Love watching the “big macho guys” on the bench-press doing two reps with way too much weight, grunting loudly and banging the bar down so that everyone looks and is impressed (not). And trying to figure out which exercise has the most people with bad form — I think it’s the lat pull down — I honestly worry about people injuring themselves with some of the bizarre stuff that they do.

Later!

Meg

G'morning ladies, and good evening to redballoon!

I go to a Ladies Only (trade name) gym and people watch too, although I would prefer watching mucho machos instead of ladies. We have serious participants, and ones who are there obviously thinking all they have to do is a half-hearted program and everything will change for them, NOT! When I first joined many years ago, I had that attitude and quit going because I saw no results. When I started up again in March, I took it quite seriously paying attention to reps, form and time spent. My son's fiance and some of her friends from work also joined at that time and thought they could run in after work and be out in 1/2 an hour. They couldn't understand why I walked 2 miles and did the machines for at least an hour - they thought I was just a slow, fat old lady. They sat in the hot tub while I worked. They now look the same - I don't!

Meg, my official start Day for BFL will be the day after Labor Day since we will be away for that long weekend. I committed to the Labor Day Challenge in the Buddy section upstairs and will see it through. Beside using this time to mentally prepare, read and learning the weight-lifting exercises, I need to spruce up my area in the basement. I have been accumulating equipment at auctions the past few weeks but need to make the area more pleasant. There is a 12' walk-out sliding glass door which allows plenty of natural light and a view of our 4 acre backyard, but the basement isn't finished. I'm thinking about hanging bright colored sheets or even cheaper, shower curtain liners along the walls to hide the "stuff" and I need to add some mirrors.
My trusty treadmill remains in the LR facing the TV in the FR, but I find myself using that time for thinking too rather than trying to hear the TV over the noise from the treadmill.

My intention when I start BFL is to lift every other day and do cardio in between. I have been taking a scoop of EAS whey protein powder after lifting to boost my protein intake. I have a question for you experienced gals - do you or have you taken Creatine?

Have a great Sunday!

dip

Heh Meg, I just got in and can write a line before I MUST get to bed. I grew up in Mt. Lebanon! Just had to say that. When I read your post. Wow! Will write more later.

Hello all, Yesterday I got to the gym and hooked up with a lot of familiar faces from my gung-ho iron-slinging days. The old gym I used to train at then was bought out by Gold's and those people got memberships. I'd been a Gold's member mostly because the hours and locations were good for me but I still liked going to the old sweat pit occassionally. It's sad to know it's gone but Mr. Nippon was there yesterday and working out and he really gets the place going. There were a lot of women going pretty heavy too so it relit that old fire in me and I did a heavier than usual workout.

I think I definitely going to go heavy again but really work on getting the fat off.

**********

Hello Kanola, riding bikes, that's cool. Sounds like a lot of fun. Is that you in the picture under your name?

Hello Lanaii1, Thanks for the welcome. Yes, I got a lot of traveling in before I kind of stuck down here in Tokyo. That's a trip in itself though so I don't feel deprived. How did your leg routine go? I did legs yesterday too. It's amazing the muscle I still have for squats even though I haven't done them in a long time. Nothing like some other women going a bit heavy on the racks next to me to get the competitive juices going. But balance, balance. This is what must be my mantra. What's your favorite leg exercise. Of course, it's regular full-down squats with me. You do back with legs? Hmm, I work chest and back. What kind of split do you do?

Meg, oh, yes, Mt. Lebanon. Like I said in my little post last night (got in after 1 a.m.) I grew up there. Have you been there a long time? Yes, my user name is after the film. I had always thought of the red balloon as it flew out of reach of the little boy as being similar to the elusive `body I want!' Actually, it's been so long since I saw the film (in highschool French class) that I think that's not the theme of the film at all. It's more about the balloon befriending the little boy, isn't it? But that's what I remembered and when searching my brain for a name to use for some reason I hit on that. Also, I have red hair so I thought it apt.

I rarely get back to the States these days. I just don't have any money because of my expensive riding habit. But sometimes I do. My dad is in McMurray, my sister in Philly. We still have the old house in Mt. Lebanon and when I go there I go back there too.

Oh yes, I'm ready to get it all together this time. I am very aware of what that involves and I'm psyched this time. Yesterday at the gym I was saying to my old friend (Mr. Nippon) how I'm thinking of going heavy again. He has never gotten away from near competition condition for the past 20 years, just kept getting bigger and better. He is so inspiring. I said how I could never seem to get the fat off and he just goes, ''Well, that's because you train hard and then go and eat and drink whatever you want, so what do you expect?!'' He is so logical and so right. I had to laugh. He just seems to never have to fight the food demons. I just have to stop being so self-indulgent and become a bit more like him.

Your friend in Japan, male or female, Japanese or not? No, bodybuilding is still in the realm of freak shows here for the average person. A woman into weight training (heavy) here has to be a real maverick. Even the men do. Unfortunately the contests are geared for more who can get the more fat off so you wind up with a lot of very scrawny looking winners (the women). It's a shame.The woman who do pack on the muscle won't win. They tend not to compete but there are very few of them anyhow. Powerlifting is quite popular (relatively speaking). But none of this is out in the open.

diphthong, I've never taken creatine but know it can cause a lot of weight gain in women. I've always gone totally natural and have no problem putting on muscle. I'm also a vegetarian. I think a lot of people training these days look far too much to supplements and would do better to gain confidence in what they can do on just hard training and good wholesome food. It's also a lot cheaper!

YIKES!!

I take off for the weekend and y'all were quite busy

Welcome, Red Balloon

I have had a rough last few days to say the least. Long story short.....I am in a job now that I can't stand. I took it after being on unemployment a few months, and the money was good and the hours were also......I come from a retail sales background, so working days and M-F was very attractive. But, it was business to business phone sales - glorified telemarketing. I found out rather quickly I did not like it, but it paid the bills. Needless to say, I have not done well - this company has overhired, and the people hired with me or after me are having problems also. What it boils down to is they are trying to make me quit. Friday my boss was using the fact that I check in with my kids constantly during the day on the phone, and she wrote me up for that and asked if I needed to be home with them, then asked me if this job was truly for me, and bla bla. I know sales/pressure tactics when I see them, and she was trying to use it on me. While I can deal with that, it still upset me a great deal - I have always done very well in my jobs, gotten good reviews from peers and supervisors, and never gotten written up or anything. So, I was quite upset and just did not want to eat. I wanted to curse her out and quit, but that is what they want.

So, I figure I will start to look for other options....in the meanwhile, if they want to get rid of me that badly they can fire me - at least that way I probably will get unemployment. UGH!!

Thanks for hearing my vent.......I am better now, and only work 3 days this week before I go out of town for another 5...thank heavens!!

Robin