Does moving furniture, installing shelves and painting count as a workout?

My treadmill is out of commission til I get my fitness room painted green. I need my chi to be right before I can exercise

I will think of something tonight. Originally we weren't supposed to have an crazy side challenges just a one size fits all... but Melissa was a bad girl and broke a rule!

Now that we have a sub forum we can have them and not drowned out the Jillian girls stuff I was so worried about.

PS: Why haven't you put up your banner I made you missy!?

OMG - I'd die holding it for the whole commercial break! I do them in sets of 3 and the first one I can only hold in proper form with butt really clenched for 1 minute, the 2nd one for about 45 sec and the last one for 30-45 seconds.

I aim on this week being my best weight loss week yet on the challenge - which means to lose more than 1.8 pounds. Unless TOM bites me on weigh in day. Knowing my pattern of weight loss I'm due for a big drop about now, followed by a few weeks of 1 pound losses.

CHELLE...trying to do the banner...it keeps telling me it is too big, ugh! Going to go try again and see what happens.

Okay, I know what the chair thing is but what is the plank thing? I've done my exercise for the day but will attempt one or both of those.

Hey black broke it first!!! LOL! I dont mind one bit if you "borrow" our travel idea!

Here's how to do plank

1. Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor.
2. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.
3. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.
4. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air.
5. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.

It doesn't have to so so elaborate. Simple is great!

Depending on how my chest cold goes (I'm pretty tight and wheezy right now) I want to add 20 minutes of physical activity each day - on top of what I normally do. I'm going to do go a dvd right now and then do an additional 20 min of lower body stuff.

Elizabeth - to be honest I feel the same way!! So many times my posts end a thread as well. But someones has to!! Plus, I'm not usually the first or second person to post on any threads either, and often it's "already been said". This is a pretty new thread/challenge, so I feel like I'm still getting to know everyone. There is a lot of leaving your thoughts and comments and then no responses to your post in particular. I read everything, just don't have time to comment on it all. We're a team and I think that when we all put what we can on the table, others can take it or leave it, learn something new or just feel encouraged! We don't have to acknowledge everything, KWIM? Plus it's just good for me to type my thoughts down here for my own sake - whether it means anything to anyone else.

Elizabeth...good to see you posting! I sort of feel the same way at times so you are not alone. WTG on the pound! A pound is a good loss so keep up the good work! I know we all want to see a big loss but all those 1 pounders add up in the end so...you are doing great! And WTG on giving up beef! Wish I could do that! I am a meat lover, probably eat too much.

Chelle...got the one put up after I resized it. But it wouldn't let me put both

Melissa...thanks, I think it will kill me but I will try it at least once, lol!

Good day ladies!

Wow I am excited to watch the show tonight now!! I may have to leave class early to get home by 8! I LOVE challenges!

Those of you who work out during the show, do you have a treadmill or something at home? I don't have anything here. And I don't think I can do crunches or jumping jacks for two hours.

But... maybe during all the commercial breaks? That'll keep me from raiding the fridge at least.

Heather - If I did jumping jacks for two hours my boobs would still be bouncing tomorrow. (Sorry John - that was probably TMI )

Elizabeth - No worries about ending a thread here - we lurve to talk. Where you at in WI? I have an old boyfriend that lives in Racine now. I went up to visit during Summerfest in 2000 and darn near froze to death on the 4th of July. Don't smack me, but it's been upper 70's here this week.

OK, thank goodness you are calling for a flat plank and not a killer side plank! I will give it a whirl, plus the wall sit, and we'll see. No doubt i will choose the presidential update commercial break and be stuck in that position for 5 minutes!!!! lol

Yay, nice to hear from you folks! I'll post more often...this week is a little off emotionally for me, so it'll be good to be in generous company. I'm in La Crosse which is on the Mississippi river bordering Minnesota...freezing! I'm up for the plank...lord knows I need to keep moving so I don't let the winter doldrums get to me. I don't watch the biggest loser too often, but it looks like that's going to change. I really want to lose the weight this time, and it's nice to have a community. Thanks for the feedback on how I'm not alone feeling dorky with posting...I'll do more and jump in when I can. The 1 lb loss is okay, I'm just worried that it was water weight / hopefully not. GO BLUE!

Hooray for us! Congratulations, team, and Congratulations to our Biggest Loser!

Remarkably enough, it was 75 degrees here this afternoon! I left work early, grabbed my dog and went for a long walk in the park. But, it's supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow, and then the projected highs for the weekend are in the 30s. Bleaahhh...

For those of you in cold climates, here's a good soup recipe that I'm going to try this weekend to help me keep warm:

MEXICAN CHICKEN SOUP (4 servings)
5 white corn tortillas (6” diameter), sliced into ¼ inch strips
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 12 ounces), thinly sliced crosswise
½ canned chipotle chile pepper, sliced, or 2 tablespoons hot salsa
¾ cup halved grape tomatoes
¼ cup cilantro leaves

1. Scatter tortilla strips on toaster oven tray. Toast, turning strips occasionally, until aromatic and golden in spots, about 5 minutes. Remove tray from toaster oven and set tortilla strips aside.
2. Bring broth to a boil in large, heavy pot. Add chicken, chile pepper, and grape tomatoes and return to a boil. Immediately remove from heat.
3. To serve, divide tortilla strips and cilantro leaves among 4 bowls, mounding them in the center. Ladle hot soup into bowls and serve.

247 calories
27 g protein
19 g carbohydrates (2 g fiber)
6 g fat (1 g saturated)
81 mg cholesterol
286 mg sodium