I ran yesterday evening after work and really enjoyed. I didn't get to the Weider last night - I pushed the run a little longer and didn't have Weider left in me. I have it on schedule for today.

Lydia - the new gym does sound great! That was me that asked about lining up the legos and the cars - when I read that he had them all organized in baggies by color it made me think about it. DH's ex wife is a little worried that DSS might be a autistic because he lines everything up, but I don't think so. I remember doing that as a child, too. I think he is just being a kid. Thanks for sharing your son's matchbox car crop circles!

Handstand pushups... eeww...

Mel: You are absolutely right about the progression process. The "first time you wore a tank top...How did you know. ) I really am excited and it will be just fine. According to the stats they provided they only have ten or less guests at the time of day that I usually workout so I will have plenty of room to roam about and explore.

Midwife: Enjoy your jean shopping. And great job with the Power Camp Class. Are you sore today?

Shannon: I've seen other little preschool boys organize their toys like this too. I'm pretty certain it is just a stage in and of itself.

Alena: See. See. Five inch difference between the waist and hips. Doesn't that make sense Midwife? It's all about proportion and where that fat is stored. After your post I had to go measure myself. There is a nine inch difference between the smallest part of my waist and the largest part of my hips. I'm going to watch this over the next few months and into summer to see if this changes with deliberate effort. A little self experiment. Me verses my genes or should that be jeans.

This morning was a cycling workout in the basement. Just too darn cold, and a little bit of snow covering the roads at 4:30 this morning. I am so grateful for that bike.

Have a great morning.

I see, you and midwife are just into throwing tough challenges my way.
First midwife with her impossible-to-achieve 17% of body fat, now you with a NINE inch difference between waist and hips. (btw, I have no idea where the smallest part of my waist is ... since I am so straight [and I am not talking sexual preference here LOL] ... I measure at navel).
Why did you include the horror face, Lyd? Are planning to achieve a difference even bigger than nine inches????

OMG. No way would I want to achieve a bigger difference. Seriously. I'm very self conscious about it. Since I don't carry a lot of weight on top, I'm not quite as "balanced" as an overall image. I really on shoulder work for an overall balanced look.

If I were to lose more weight I am assuming that the difference would still be nine to seven inches if the weight came off from the my body in a proportional way. (Not that we have any control of how it comes off) Thing is, I'm not sure that it will do that but I'm curious. If I were to get to a lower bodyfat percentage would that ratio still say the same? Also, If I were to get down to a size four jean, (not that I think I will) would that ratio still be close to what it is today? Just rambling thoughts not really crazy "putting myself into health risk" ambition here to find out.

The horror face? Well, because I was having a flashback to the first year after I lost about fifty pounds. I spent two hours in a dressing room with two sales associates running back and forth to find a single pair of pants that fit me. All of them gaped ridiculously around my waist. Couldn't sit down in them without inviting another person inside them to help fill them out. Let's just say that finding well fitting pants is tough and I since have a fantastic tailor.

No competitive worries here Elana. I just think it is interesting to point out how very different all our bodies are shaped even when we find ourselves way within the healthy/fit guidelines. At the end of the day, the most important part is that we love and respect what our bodies have done for us and what it is capable of doing for us.

As a side note, I was musing this morning on my bike how these hips only really served me well twice in my life. DS1 and DS2. Beyond that, they've kind of been an annoyance as far as my knees are concerned.

I don't have much in the way of hips either - I have 4.5-5 inches between largest part of hips and waist, too... I always wanted hips... I also have no boobs, so my chest measurement is also almost the same size as my waist... My mom described me last week as a 'bonestick'- while I found that offensive considering her tiny 83 pound body, I can somewhat see the point when I look at measurements like that! I'm hoping weight training will give me some more definition in some places (like my non-booty! ), and I'm having the boobs surgically taken care of next week...

What's your surgery date, Shannon? (if you want to share---just want to be thinking of you that day!)

1/22. A week from Thursday. 9:30 am EST. 8 days, 20.5 hours from today.

Not that I'm obsessively counting down to the day, or anything.

I used to have something like an 11 inch difference between hips and waist. I was just looking in the mirror this morning thinking my booty will never go away.

Alena, my waist is still bigger than my hips, so I'm not measuring! lol. All my weight just settles right in the middle. It's much, much better than this time last year, though, so I'm not complaining. I confess I do get a little jealous when newbs post things like, "I lost 6 pounds and 2 pants sizes already!" I had to lose over 40 lbs just to go down one size in jeans! (whine)

Lydia, your new gym sounds awesome! I wish I could afford crossfit, or find something like it. I like the idea of actually getting to know some people. I guess I'm used to that from skating. Working out at the Y is definitely a solitary experience, unless you bring your own workout buddy.

I had a good at-home workout last night. Couldn't get enthused about the LB lifting at home, so I did the crossfit WOD instead, then some running and skills practice.

Anne, I can't do a handstand pushup yet, I'm just working on the baby steps. There's a video somewhere that shows the progressions, but I am not having any luck finding it right now.

Ah, CHeryl, I'm with you. My weight is in my waist/abdomen, but with plenty in my butt as well. I'm in danger of having clown legs on my pants. If not for the waist, I'd wear a smaller size, but when I try them on (same brand, next size down) the pockets gap and it's a struggle to do up the button. But the legs are much better. Oh well, I'm pushing the cardio to help shift some of that.

Good luck with your surgery Shannon. Wish I could share some of my boobs with you. I'd love to be smaller, but family genetics on both side really got me. No one on either side smaller than a DD! Even if I did a reduction now, I doubt I'd get rid of the grooves in my shoulders.

Okay, I'm procrastinating here. Time to get to work.

Shannon:I wish you the best of luck and results with your surgery. Please keep us posted with how you are doing post op. How exciting though.

Cheryl: Hey thanks about the thumbs up on the gym. Actually, this place was not more expensive than my Y membership. I think that if I opted for the higher level membership which included nutritional advice then it would have been but I really don't think that's something I need. I am considering having my resting metabolic rate tested though. I'm always concerned that I'm undereating when I am trying to lean out or working harder in the summer. But really, I'm sure I more than make up for that in the winter coat months.

The Y was a bit of a solitary workout experience but after a while I did get to know several of the regular members. After four years it would have been pretty bad if I was that anonymous.

I got the ALL - CLEAR on my 6 month visit with Dr. Urology today!

So Mel, I think I can cut down on the lemonade now, and hopefully see more of a loss from it. But I'll tell ya, I was more than willing to gain 10 lbs from drinking it if it kept me off the surgery table. It wasn't that bad tho - maybe 4 or 5 lbs by cutting it 50/50 with water? It is alot of sugar, but you do what ya gotta do.

Signing in here with the 10-12" gap b/w waist and hips - first noticed in jr. high by the band boy who told me I had such child bearing hips. At the time, after I processed it for a looong time (7th grade, come on!) I think I wanted to slug him. Now I have no idea if it was a slam or not! Anyway, that much hasn't changed and I have gained proportionately. I can NEVER wear jeans unless they are sick mom jeans. I can put 2 fists in my waistband when I sit down and with today's styles, there's no mystery about what day of the week it is either, if you get my drift! ha ha I'm too giddy about my kidney u/s being all clear. I'll go spread cheer somewhere else! Shannon, GL with the surgery. I need to do the same thing, get the kids put back up where they belong. I'm short waisted, it's a mess.

WONDERFUL!

Fran, congratulations!

Midwife, I meant to say the other day, WTG with the weights on the shoulder press...you are strong! My shoulders are still so weak, but they're better than they were a year ago, so there's hope for me yet, I think.

Lydia, maybe if I could be more like you and Mel, doing some crazy antics with the swiss ball or hanging upside down from the pull-up bar, I'd get noticed. Hey, somebody might talk to me, at least! I just pay the membership so I can use the assisted pull-up machine. Once I get a real pull-up, I might be outta there. I joined the Y so my boy could go, too, but he never wants to go when I do.

Everybody else gets the , because I still haven't done my workout.