Once you start, is it fine? Are you bored with your routine? Whenever I get bored I notice that it's harder for me to get motivated to do it - so I have to try something new. Exercising is like brushing my teeth now. It's not an option (unless a planned day off) to not do something physical.

Chelle! Got it to work now.

Cristina: Thanks for the crossed fingers. Don't get a hand cramp now. And, I've just gotta ask...what is the name FrouFrou all about?

Rhonda: Tell yourself you're just going to do 10 minutes of exercise. Maybe once you get started you'll be good to go. Then again, if 10 minutes is all you've got in you, at least you've given 10 minutes of your life over to doing something for yourself that will help you love you more.

QOTD:
Like Dix, I'd like to be a compilation of folks.

Storm (from the X-Men): just because every girl needs a superpower.
V. I. Warshawski: Chicago-based, strong-willed, no-nonsense, tough-a** private detective broad from Sara Paretsky's series (Kathleen Turner starred in the movie)
Buffy? Faith?: I can't decide to be a good vampire slayer or bad vampire slayer. I think Faith had much more fun, Dix.

Have a beautiful Wednesday, everyone! Tonight is belly dance class so I'm on !


- Sonja

I had to bribe myself to workout this morning. I've got a horrible sinus headache that's lasted 3 days, and I took meds too late last night and didn't want to get up this morning. At 5:30am I'm in bed thinking to myself.."more sleep or go workout?" Finally I decided that if I drug my tush to the gym and did 30 minutes on the treadmill I'd "earn" a tanning session. So I went and did my walk, and then hopped into the tanning bed for a little sun therapy. I'm a little bored with my regular workout too. I've spent today at work putting together a free weight workout, complete with excel log page and instructions. I've never done free weights before, so hopefully it will challenge me. I'm attaching it so if you'd like to comment, feel free. I know several of you have free weight experience.

I do miss my blue gals!!! I know how you love my ! points chellez So I'm going to give a big hello to Chellez, Selina, Rhonda, Onthetee...I'm sure I'm missing some. I have to give props to my new team though I love them Hun B. is awesome

Dee - Looks good! The only thing I'd comment on is the order you have them graphed out in. Is that the order you do them in? My personal trainer has me doing the biggest muscles first...chest, back, shoulders and then biceps and triceps. Here's an article about sequence of weights.

Umm, my OCD kicked in , they are in alphabetical order except for the last 2, which are in a different spot in the gym. I'm going to go look at that article now, thanks!

Congrats everyone for the win this week! I'm sorry I wasn't able to contribute (0 pound loss...doh!), I've been sabotaging myself left and right for the last week or so and I just need to get back in the game.

I'm going right now to watch last nights Biggest Loser (and the last 2 or 3 Australian ones, now that they've started up again) and I'll be tearing it up on the bike while doing so! These tv shows, and just seeing other people going through some of the same things I do, really inspires me. Everyone in this team is doing a lot for my motivation as well Thanks for all the help!

Take care,

John

How exciting that we were the week 3 winners? Doing the happy dance and working hard toward this next weeks loss!

Am also pondering the question of which fictional character.....I would have picked Trixie Belden as a young girl.....I think I'd like to take a whirl at being Carrie Bradshaw for 6 months or so.....oh, and it'd be a hoot to be the character Holly Hunter plays in Home for the Holidays!

Hey John - you're so close to your next mini-goal!! I'm sure you'll get it this week!

I'd decided to take the day off from cardio since my back was so out this morning. I did some pilates this afternoon. The spasms have let up a bit and I'm moving with more ease. I want to go to the gym when DH gets home tonight, but the voice inside says I should take the day off...what to do...what to do...I so want this week to be the big-drop-on-the-scale-week.

Dee, I'd throw in one or two more lower body exercises since you're doing all upper body with the exception of your squats. How about lunges, deadlifts, or ball squats against a wall? Engaging those largest lower body muscles will really get things moving in the right direction for you. I don't know how many reps you are planning to do, but you don't really need to do more than 12 at a weight that is taxing for you. So for example, no need to do 20 reps with 3 lb weights. Jump up to as much weight as you can do well for 8, 10 or 12 reps and you'll get better results.

Hello friends, just checking in right quick before bed. So excited we won this week, YEAH US! I've officially become obsessed with the biggest loser television program, more so than I ever have with a TV series. Does anyone know if you can buy the past seasons on DVD like you can with shows like sex in the city? And JOHN, where do you find the Australian version, is it just on regular TV?
Dee - I love your technique of rewarding with tanning. That's awesome.
Sportmom - I hate ball squats. I truly admire anyone who can do those with any ease or grace.
Chelle - How's the pup? Is she cured?
Rhonda - I agree with Sonja, get on the treadmill with the idea that you only have to do 5 or 10 minutes. Once you're on you may decide to just keep going since getting started is always the hardest part. If you still feel blah after a few minutes then get off and you certainly are no worse for it...and follow it up with a bubble bath either way!
Selena - Did we ever get a summary your ghost hunt? I've read all the pages and cannot recall any word on how it went.

I had such fun with all the links a few pages back about body fat and ideal weight. I'm slightly skeptical about the accuracy of the body fat function on my scale, though, so that could really throw the whole formula off. My goal of 138 seems fairly reasonable based on the numbers I used so I'm sticking with that number for now, but the weight loss has slowed significantly so I'll just have to be more patient. I'm considering bumping my calories up to try to beat this slight plateau but I am scared to. I'm averaging 1350 right now which seems fairly reasonable combined with my exercise but I just don't know what to do. My natural inclination is to bump them down for a week or so but I know that is probably not smart so I guess I'll stay where I am for a bit and see what happens.

Good morning, Bluesers!

Anybody else feeling especially tired today? For the last two days, I've had to drag myself out of bed. I'll have to take a look at my food and make sure I'm getting enough protein. Speaking of food, I've been neglecting my calorie tracking for the last two days. It is incredibly easy to go off track again, so I have today's tracking sheet on my desktop and breakfast has already been tracked. When Hubby wakes up, I'll get our plans for lunch and dinner to plan my calories for the day. Now, if I can just get a handle on my exercise. I've got to dig down deep and find my determination and committment again. I think a big part of my problem is that I'm really missing my friend and work stress is snowballing. The crazy thing is that I know exercise will help me deal with the stress.

Hope everyone has a great on-plan day....with lots of exercise!

GO BLUE!

Anybody have a good question for the day?

Chelle - how about that Blue team challenge? The red team just might spank our butts this week as they have a challenge to keep them motivated and going strong.

Rhonda -- How about a twist on the travel challenge. Maybe we start on the East Coast and "travel" West. We can earn "miles" in ways similar to those set up to earn "dollars" in the red team challenge (exercise miles, staying on plan miles, drinking your water miles, posting to the boards miles, etc.). I know that I-40 travels from Wilmington, NC to Barstow, CA. It's 2,550 miles long. Maybe we can "travel" that road together!