Okee dokee finokee! It's a new month.. ALREADY?! How did you do last month? What can you do better this month? Always room for improvement for each of us.

I'll post in a bit. Just wanted to get this thread going. Need coffee first.

consistency is my word for February. Lately it has been either all or nothing.
January was good in that I did alot more moving than I managed in December, with the holidays. And overall, I did much better eating. But unfortuanely, despite the desire to not gain over the holidays, I did, and much of January (well, all of January) was spent removing all those cookies from my waist! One day, I will learn that I cannot just help myself to anything and everything because it is a celebration. Some people can, I can't.

So, February started with 30 min on the treadmill and a session with Bob. (I hope he will be nicer to you now, Linda! LOL) Muscles are limp right now from his brutalness! LOL

100 minutes (atleast) of cardio each week, 3 days of resistence, sensible portions, making the right choices for my body when I am out (not forgeting and just ordering whatever I am in the mood for), staying focused! That is my plan for February. And, if I follow the plan exactly, not getting discouraged by the numbers on the scale.

Eat less, move more...my new mantra!

Happy February, chickies!

For Valentine's Day, I'm giving my heart a present...my increasing fitness level.

My goal for February is to have 100 miles in, biked, or WATP'd.

More later...just a quick entry to say hello!

Ok, coffee is done and so has some work. Time to post. This morning was one of those mornings I had to have a stern talking to myself about not being such a weinie. I was trying to wiggle out of doing step aerobics this morning with the excuse, "Nothing seems to make a difference, so why bother?" You know that type of thinking, I am sure. Anyway, I ignored myself and got in a sweaty 60 minute plus step aerobics workout. Gosh I hate it when I am such a pigheaded dope!! I am just glad the exercise for the week is over, well at least until Saturday when Bob beats the tar out of me again!

Renee, Glad you are taking up some of the Bob slack. He was really making me mad yesterdy so I hope he is in abetter mood now you have had some time with him.

Jenn, giving your heart a present is a fine idea. I'd also like jewelry, but I guess that is a bit off topic, huh?

Mel, Turtle.. etc missing bodies. Don't forget us. We are lonely. If you are new, please jump in. We like new exercisers and we aren't meanies!

Ok, that's better. Had to put out a few fires, and stroke a few egos The month is off to a roaring start, though. Would you believe it was 3pm before I got a chance to heat up lunch? Since I had a little more protein with breakfast, I wasn't starving to death by noontime, and got to finish with the problems before worrying. Eating my apple now, and trying to keep the juice out of the laptop.

January was a good month. 2 meals out with hubby where I made good choices. Cleaned up the eating big time, prepped a lot of frozen goodies to make dinners easier. Started increasing fruit and veggie consumption. Started back to exercising, working up from the 1 mile WATP, to the 2 mile, and then using the hand weights during the 1 and 2 mile. The bike made it up to the new house mid month, and after a good scrubbing, got 34 miles racked up on it in 10 days. Not too shabby, I think. A good foundation to build on.

February: take that good foundation, and build on it. Aim for 5 servings of fruits and veggies, 5 days a week. Log 100 miles between WATP and the bike. Add an additional day of strength training. Keep water above 1 gallon a day. Keep the food and exercise on target, and the weight will follow.

Renee- keep up the awesome Bob work!

Linda- way to go, conquering the inner sloth that we're so good at giving in to. Already jealous that tomorrow is YOUR rest day! Oh, and the jewelry- I'd love that for Valentine's Day, but I'll settle for a sensible dinner without the TV on. Oooh, maybe for 100 pounds lost, I'll get a small heart shaped pendant, as a reminder of my increased heart health! Whaddaya think? Should I go right for diamonds? LOL

Mary & Melody...miss you girls!

Diamonds all the way, Jenn! I am not much a jewelry girl, but I do love diamonds.

Checking in post-exercise, and after "breakfast for dinner."

Logged 7 miles in 24 minutes on the bike. Getting a good start to the month.

Since lunch was so late, I had a hardboiled egg about an hour and a half before I got on the bike, and then, so I'm not laying with a full stomach, I had Kashi's Organic Promise Strawberry Fields (mmm-strawberries AND raspberries!) and skim milk for dinner. Calories in at 1382, 4 servings of veggies, and 5 servings of fruit. Yes Linda, the veggie today with lunch WAS green beans, but the fruits were 2 sliced pears, an apple, and not counting the freeze dried strawberries and raspberries, so I am getting a variety in. Is that any better?

Renee, I sure agree. I don't even wear a watch, but I'll wear diamond stud earrings! They go with everything, are never out of style...definitely reward-worthy. I'll have to work on the presentation when I tell hubby our great idea! LOL Babe, it's not a food reward! LOLOL!

Almost time for bed...I have about a half hour before my eyes will be drooping. Hope everyone has a good evening!

Didn't want to, didn't want to, didn't want to...but got my butt onto the treadmill and had a sweaty 40 minute brisk walk. I don't know my speed anymore, because for some reason the readouts died and I have not been able to revive them. I am thinking about wearing the pedometer next time, so I can alteast track distance. Not that I think it is all that important. I mean if my HR is up, and I'm breaking a sweat, I must be doing ok, right?

I am going to plan to walk on the tm tomorrow too, although I have been taking the weekends off. I skipped 3 days this week, so I have got some catching up to do.

I have been stepping on and off the scale this week already. If I take the high number, no change. If I go with the low reading, one pound down. I may just wait and see what tomorrow reads.

Jenn, I too, have a pair of diamond stud earrings dh got me for our 10th wedding anniversary. They are platinum and the only thing that I can wear continuously that doesn't cause my skin to irritate. So I love them! But platinum is $$$$. So that is all I own. Way to go on the biking. I always read your reports and then think, "Renee, you slug, get up an do some exercise!" So thanks for that movtivation!

Linda, Mel, Turtle, everyone lurking! Take care!

I'm here. I'm here. I'm in work ****, but I am here! Don't people KNOW that on Fridays that brains are not functioning so you cannot ask any hard questions? Sheesh. They need to read the memo!

Today is my no exercise day so yippee again for that. One week down with Bob and the new DVD so that is good. I didn't keel over! Saturday will be a date with Bob and Sunday a date with my 75 minue step aerobics routine. The rest of the weekend is the usual mish mash of chores and cooking for the following week.

Next week I may or may not be able to post, so don't get worried if I am not around. Monday I probably will be able to but Tuesday I'll be giving a training class out of the office, Wed and Thur I'll be giving training classes all day here, Thursday evening I'll be flying to Washington and Friday giving a training class there all day and coming home Friday evening. I'll be eating out Tuesday lunch and probably dinner, Wednesday for lunch and dinner and then lunch and dinner on Thursday and every every meal on Friday. Eeeks! I will be able to keep up with the exercise just fine because since I do it at 4:30AM, no one is awake yet to interrupt me. And it is too early for work to interfere. I'll be doing my usual cooking this weekend because it a good opportunity to get some freezer meals done.

Jenn and Renee. Good going on the workouts. Bet you ar both feeling better than youw ere a month or two ago.. even if the scale hasn't moved you ARE getting healthier and that is more important than anything!

Renee- way to go, getting on that treadmill! 40 minutes...awesome! Um, I motivate you? You must be talking to the chickie behind me You know, I always compare my time to yours, and exercise, because Linda is just so far out of my league for the moment. I find I want to push myself to be more fit, and with you doing the PUSH videos and all, I guess I have to confess that your activity level motivates me! In a way, it's an endless circle.

And then there's Linda who kicks all out butts and runs circles around me, but don't tell her that she's amazing and an inspiration to all of us, cause it might go to her head ((( just teasing Linda! ))) There are no words...only open mouthed stares when I read about what you do on a daily basis.

Enough getting mushy on you all. Nope, never mentioned those things. I don't know what you're talking about....la la la la la la.....

Tonight's exercise- a 35 minute bike ride, for 10 miles. Phone rang at 15 minutes into it, hubby was on the road working, and if he was stuck & I didn't answer it, I know there'd be heck to pay. So I wobble my numb butt and jello legs off the bike and over to the phone, where I sputter "hello." Yeah, was hubby, he was stopping at the grocery store, and got to enjoy the obscene phone call with me panting like a racehorse. He thought it was funny. Dork!

He's making chicken breasts for dinner, and extras to make the weekend meals quick work while I update here. Oooh, and today my mom's present showed up- the new Leslie Sansone Walk Slim series, which I might just have to try out tomorrow morning. She's going to be on QVC at 7am (eastern), and I think they are going to preview her new 5 mile walk.

Ok, off to open my new toys like a little kid. Happy Friday, ladies. The weekend, it is here!

HELLO CHICKS OF THE GYM!!!!
I AM SORRY TO HAVE BEEN GONE SO LONG BUT ONE EAR IS GIVING ME TROUBLE. FEELING MUCH IMPROVED AND WILL PEDAL TODAY I AM GLAD JAN IS OVER WITH. WHAT A HELLISH MONTH IT WAS FOR ME. ON TO BRIGHT AND BRAND NEW FEBRUARY!!

RENEE I LIKE YOUR IDEA OF CONSISTENCY FOR 2007!!!

JEN,DD2, WE CAN ALL GIVE OUR HEART A GIFT THIS MONTH!

LINDA HOPE THE CLASS GOES WELL AND SAFE TRIP!!!

WHERE IS THE TURTLE? DOES SHE HAVE AN ALL DAY PASS? WHERE IS THE PROD? I'LL USE IT TILL LINDA GETS BACK!!!

I SIT HERE LAUGHING. I RETURN AND FIND EVERYONE ELSE HAS GONE
I AM OFF TO PEDAL AND TRY TO GET WARMED UP A BIT/ IT'S A WHOPPING 9 DEGREES HERE!!!
HAPPY MONDAY AND STAY WARM.

hey there, chickies!

I am here. The kids got a "cold" day off of school today, and will have another tomorrow, so my "me" time has been cut. Although, I won't have to run around getting them to their activities, because everything has been CANCELLED! It was -5 degrees F last night at some point. Linda, I know if you are reading this, you are like...negative 5...omg....does not compute! LOL I have been thinking about you because I know how much you love the cold! LOL NOT!

Anyway, big cleaning day around here. So, no formal exercise this morning. I will try to get on the tm a bit this evening, after dinner. The weigh in on Saturday, had me down a pound from last week-so that is what I will take!

MEL, so glad to see you back with us chicks. Hope Feb is better month for you! Pedalling will definately keep you warm!

jenn....awe....such sweet words! I am glad we motivate each other! Mel and I would like some of your warm Florida weather, could you send us some? LOL Even 40 degres would be nice right now!

Linda, hope the week is being good to you. I KNOW you worked out today!

Take care ladies! See ya all tomorrow!

I'm here. Busy but here.

Got pretty sick again on Friday. BAH. Blasted stomach. Yes I've been checked out on this before. Had an EGD (scope down the throat) and they found red bumps. This felt like the same thing so I am going to assume it is. Remedy is going easy on the eats, smaller meals, everything cooked to death and loose clothing. Gotta go buy a pair of loose pants for the plane ride. I had elastic waist pants, but those are causing me trouble about now anyway on my scar. Yes I'm falling part, thanks for asking. Anyway, it was 12 hours of stomach cramps from Friday afternoon to early Sturday morning. UGH.

I did get Bob time on Saturday and I did get step aerobics on Sunday. This morning was Bob again as well as some regular aerobics.

Jenn, Mel and Renee.. glad to see you. Not time for personals today, so keep up the good work if you are doing that and if you aren't, you had better START!

Remember I may be among thie missing the rest of the week, but I may pop itn with a wave if I can.

Super quick pre-end of day hello...

Hello, All!

10 minutes left in the day. Got through SuperBowl Sunday within calories, and with 4 loads of laundry done, and a lot of cleaning during commercials and the 2nd half of the game. And the worst thing I ate was "FauxNachos," with the baked tostitos, 2% shredded cheddar, my 93% lean taco meat, and a dollop of fat free sour cream. Under 500 calories, that was my "late lunch / early dinner" and then I just had a snack around 8:30, and then bedtime at 11pm- an hour later than normal.

Exercise is on the agenda when I get home- got the new WATP Walk Slim set from Mom, so I'll be testing that out.

Happy Monday! More later, while I'm cooling down.