Is it really October? The leaves are starting to fall, but it's still pretty hot here. I think they are falling off the trees because it's so dry.

Today was my rest day, and boy did I need it. By Saturday afternoon, just about everything is sore. I thought about doing some light cardio, naaah. Sometimes the old bod just need a rest day!

Food is on, only a slight blip on Friday night. Today I cooked all my breakfasts for the week (as well as ds's), made a big pot of brown rice and froze it in portion sized baggies, cooked some sweet potaters, and loaded up on chickn breasts and eggs on sale. I need another fridge!

DH has been having some lower back issues and finished a couple of session of PT. He works out, but most "vanity muscles" So this afternoon I did a session with him to teach him some back exercises. He's complaining already

How is everyone doing?

Mel

I'm taking the workout posted by Depalma and my friend Rob and I are starting a M/W/F lifting and HIIT regime starting tomorrow! I'm excited to be working on resistance and even more excited that I've got a partner to do it with. I'll be checking in this forum now, too--since I'll actually be lifting for real on a regular basis!

You're definitely the inspiration I needed today. The past four days have been a binging blur topped off today by a greasy hamburger, fries, and a Oreo/mint shake. I'm looking forward to tomorrow when I get myself back on track. The first step is to plan the menu for the week.

Welcome Azur! Enjoy the new workout and let us know how it goes!

Kylie- Good to see you Come on back on track!

Got up 20 minutes late this morning due to a his/her alarm confusuion Managed 40 minutes of elliptical and the fastest breakfast and shower ever!

Gotta go--

Mel

Morning everyone! Happy October. I have somehow slipped into a cardio only mode, I guess just to see how it would work (well), but I know I'm missing the other side of the coin (but the scale likes it better, hmmm). Have a big trip for work to NYC Weds-Fri and then I'll get back on the full out schedule including weights again. Yup, promise! I know even if the scale doesn't move, the waistline will, so that's the whole package for me.

Hi LWL,

I had a bad weekend food wise- can you imagine bingeing on beetroots ??? I have just decided that the kids need to get their own snacks from the store from now on.
Apart from that - nothing new. Scale still showing 4 pounds holiday gain, did not bike to work because of rain, and i will go to power class this evening.

Have a great day,
rabbit

Hi LWL!

Thanks for the nice compliments on the dress, I'm just happy I finally found something I like and no longer have to be tortured by the bridal gown shopping process.

I actually have shrunk up top a bit in the last 10 pounds or so, thank the powers that be! Clothes shopping is still a bit tricky but not nearly so impossible as it was.

rabbit - Good job on the exercise last week! What are beetroots?

Fran - I've been doing mostly cardio too, but it's not helping the scale much for me.

Azure - Hope you're enjoying day 1 of your new program.

I joined the YMCA over the weekend, yay! It has been nearly a year since I've had a gym membership, I think this is just the kick in the pants I needed. I got lots of exercise in this weekend, treadmill + elliptical cardio and UBWO on Sat, 2 mile jog on the trails by the lake and 1 hour yoga class yesterday. I'm going to check out the spinning class after work today. I'm also going to set up an appointment to get someone to show me around the weight equipment, they have a lot of the machines that I used to use at my old gym, but also some cable machines that I'm not familiar with.

Got a tetanus booster this morning, my arm is pretty sore so maybe no lifting for a couple days.

Hope everyone is having a good Monday

Happy October everyone!

I'm feeling a bit "bluesy" today in regards to food/workouts. As I think I've said before, I've been a lot hungrier in the last few weeks (or maybe I've just not been as willing or able to ignore the hunger that's always there). I've managed to keep the weight mostly okay but it's been a struggle. And, I ran my first 5k race yesterday which was really cool but now I'm feeling out of sorts.

I don't know what to do, now that i'm not training for the race. I can still keep running outside, the weather is still great for that but I wanted to get back to more lifting - Fran - I've also been in a more cardio zone lately but no scale benefits. So today I wanted to get to the gym for a good UBWO but work got busy and I just didn't go. If I had a spinning class booked or if I was going to run, I think I would have gone.

I just hope I can shake this off and get into a new schedule. I need a set schedule or I tend to not go.

I guess I'm just trying to say that I'm worried and don't want to slip!

I will go to the gym tomorrow and do something! There, I said it. I'll be back tomorrow to confirm that I did!

Funny, though, how I just ran the 5k yesterday and I'm already worried about slipping!

Elissa- give yourself some credit! You just ran your first organized 5k!
I remember that you used to like different classes. Does the gym where you go now have bodypump or power pump or something like that? For starters, if you knew that you were going to a class with a START TIME you might feel a little more organized and do it.

My dd, who has been lifting for the last 6 years both as part of team athletic conditioning then on her own, just discovered body pump. She loves it- it's just social enough and hard enough to keep her interested. Maybe a good way to break up a solitary routine for a few weeks, or to get back into gym mode

Fran- Yep, cardio only is going to make the scale go down quicker, but not the clothing size! I don't know if you were here when I trained for a marathon about 3 years ago, but I lost about 2 pounds and gained body fat I was also lifting, but not at the same intensity. It takes a long time to train for a marathon- not much time left over for the weights.

Hi shan- I hope you weren't offended by my comment! I think you're one of the few people not complaining about the boobage shrink! The dress really looks fantastic. And a gym after a whole year! I'd be like a kid in a candy store.

Tomorrow is going to be super early- we have a school conference at 7:30 and I'm determined to get my cardio in anyway. I think I'll triple check those alarms tonight

Mel

I just wanted to update with how my first lifting/HIIT session went tonight with my friend, Rob. We're going to go pretty easy this first week or so, until we're more familiar with the routine. After that, we'll probably up the weight we're using, and do 3 sets of 8-10 reps. We're gonna try this out for 6 weeks, then switch it up. Here's what today looked like:

Workout A:
1. Goblet Squats w/ 15 lb dumbell (2 sets of 12)
2. Supine Hip Extentions using a bench (Friday, we'll use a Swiss Ball) (2 sets of 12)
3. Dumbell Alternating Shoulder Press w/ 15 lb dumbell (2 sets of 12)
4. Lat Pulldowns with 60 pounds (2 sets of 12)
5. Planks (3 sets of 30 second holds)

6. Sprints for HIIT -- We did 10 minutes of sprinting on the football field. We did it width-wise across the football practice field, sprinting across, then walking back. 10 minutes was KILLER. Next time, we're going to do 5 minutes of warm-up beforehand.

I had a good time, and it's SO less intimidating at the gym when you've got a partner in that crowded weight section! Our next session is Wednesday (where we'll do the "B" workout)!

Hi All,

Just a quick check in before I get started on the day. After I get The Boy off to school I'm headed for the gym for leg day. I'm finally starting to feel like my hammies are developing, so I've gotta keep chugging!

Azure: sounds like a fun workout. Let us know how it's working for you!

Rabbit: Beet binge? Gah! I love beets, but more than 2 or 3 gives me a stomach ache ... not to mention reddish pee a couple hours later. (I once had a roommate who took herself to the emergency room after eating too many beets because she thought she was bleeding internally. The nurse at the ER said it happens more often than you'd think!)

Mel: 7:30 meetings are brutal. I've got one coming up later this month, but also 3 Monday's worth of 8:00 am meetings. Don't they have any respect for our gym time?

Everyone: Have a fantastic day, and be strong!

Kim

Mel - thanks for the kind words. And yes, I did always enjoy classes more than working out alone. I need the structure and the forced commitment of having to stay to the end of the class. And I love the body pump/group power class (same class, different companies). And I'm so glad to hear that someone who has done some serious lifting likes them too. I just need to find another one to fit into my schedule. I do one a week right now. As I said, I got caught up in the cardio frenzy so I like when you mention how you didn't get any smaller doing cardio. I know that I need to lift more and I will, I just have to settle in to a new schedule.

Azure - that new workout sounds great and I looked at what depalma posted in the other thread and I may "steal" some of it too!

Hope everyone has a great workout day!

elisa - Congrats on your first official 5k! Hope you get your lifting mojo back soon. If you find mine in the process, please tell it to call me, it's been missing for some time now.

Azure - New routine sounds great. I've never had a gym buddy, every time I've tried to involve someone else they flake out before long. But it sounds like fun!

Mel - No offense taken! My only qualm about the boob shrinkage is that by the time I lose all this weight I will probably have orange-in-tube-sock boobs, it's starting already

I am like a kid in a candy store, I've been to a class at the gym Sun and Mon and plan to go to Flow Yoga tonight. Not sure what that is, hoping it's like the BodyFlow classes.

Spin was good last night, really friendly instructor and group. Only a 45 min class, which I prefer to a full hour. I can only take so much cardio in one go.

My legs are pretty tired after my run this morning. I have a full day on Friday and am flying out of town for the weekend, so tomorrow I might try out the Power Pump class and fit in another run on Thurs and call that good until I get back. Going right back to work on Monday, I might just need to come home and crash after that, pick things back up on Tuesday.

Dragged myself to the gym today for a "hardcore abs/core" class. Only 30 minutes but I feel good about going and am sure that I will be suffering for it tomorrow!

Shan - I love my spinning classes so I'm happy to discuss how cool they are anytime! This was part of my cardio frenzy - two spinning classes per week plus a couple of runs cut into my lifting time but I'm now trying to re-prioritize!

So, yesterday I stumbled across a T-shirt from a Usenet weightlifting newsgroup to which I "belonged" a long time ago. Here's the saying, paraphrased because I can't remember the exact wording:

"The myth that women shouldn't lift heavy is propagated by women who fear strength and men who fear strong women."

(Actually, I think it might have said "women who fear effort," but I like this version better.)

Discuss as you will!

Kim