Welcome to the new week's thread! That last one was getting LONG!

What happened over the weekend:
I went out and had pizza + sangria at that Friday lunch -- AND a buttercream frosted cupcake at a goodbye party! My only consolation is that we had to walk a bit to get to the bakery to pick up the cupcakes!
I had several ciders on Fri + Sat -- bleh, high calorie! And followed it up with the traditional accompaniment of french fries!! VERY bad. Also had a lot of takout Chinese on w/friends on Sat night, and we know how bad that stuff is for us!! A VERY unhealthy eating weekend. I tried at least to minimize the amount of fried/battered dishes ordered, insisted on steamed veggie dumplings rather than pork, and only ate the soy-based dishes -- but it's still not very healthy. I guess I'll have to give myself credit for trying to make the best of a bad situation though.
I did get in another workout on Sat though -- did another Hare -- so I offset some of the damage. I'm not looking for a loss this week though, after the weekend I had!

Let me see if I can remember other's posts from before the weekend:
zookeeper: It sounds like you have a very active job! And fun! And I'm definitely with you on the volleyball thing -- that sure is exercise!! I think it's great that you fit activity into part of your daily life.
Big Sal: That walk to the castle sounds great! I'm jealous! Good for you for getting your sons up and about with you! I certainly must admire your valor in even attempting to get up at 6:30am on a Sunday!!
tornadoterr: Making exercise your priority is a GREAT first step, and one of the most important things we do on our road to fitness. Congrats on taking that step, and can't wait to see your plan of attack!
MarvinTM: I wish I had been smart and planned my meals like you!! Then maybe I wouldn't have ended up eating all those fries! I do agree with you though that working out makes the "bad days" you run into feel slightly better, like a pre-emptive strike against the pizza + beer.
MinyMony: Congrats on meeting your goal!! (And while you have my sympathies for the awkward loose bathing suit fiasco, it's fabulous that you're in that somewhat embarassing situation! )
I know EXACTLY what you mean about starting to slow down. Now that the most immediate impetus for my lifestyle change is gone (I'm comfortable in my clothes again + am looking a little slimmer), my brain is trying to scam me into slacking off. My eating habits are starting to slip a little, and even though I'm working out as hard as I was a month before, I can feel the subtle difference in my attitude. I'm REALLY on guard, and have to be very careful not to let myself get away with this sort of almost unnoticable sabotage.

Anyways, I'm going to post my schedule in a new post to break up the length a little!

Okay, now the schedule! This is tentative, because I haven't decided if I should wait a day between my Hare/Tortoise workouts. If I decide to put a "rest" day between them, I'll do Kathy Smith Peak Fat Burning as a cardio on Tuesday and end up doing only one of each Firm workout during the week, and doing Hare on Sat instead of Tortoise.

M: Firm: Hare
T: Firm: Tortoise
W: Firm: Hare
Th: planned rest (DH's birthday!)
F: planned rest
S: Firm: Tortoise
(i put Saturday on the rotation this time because I know DH is going to a hockey game w/a friend on Sat, so I'll have time to workout at home, which I normally don't)

Update on photos: I asked DH nicely, and he agreed to take progress photos for me! And didn't tease. I'm glad, because people are starting to tell me I look like I've lost weight (on the scale it's only 5 lbs), but I don't have a clear picture of what I looked like before to compare with, and though I feel great + firmer, I don't really know what I look like as compared with before. I think the photos will really help me keep better track of my progress, and hopefully keep me from getting discouraged!

Dinners (+ lunch leftovers) for this week: lean barbecue meatloaf + lowfat sausage/shrimp gumbo!
However, we're having steak for DH's birthday dinner. For that I'll just have to watch my portion control.

I'm back. I missed everyone. Feeling better and looking forward to getting back to exercise. Been about a week since i exercised. I am going to add somethings into the routine this week. This is the schedule for this week.

Monday - Buns of Steel Video (only a portion)
Ab Workout - Karen Voight Energy Spirit
a.m. - 30 minutes treadmill
p.m. - 30 minutes treadmill or bike

Tuesday - 45 minutes bike or treadmill or combo

Wednesday - same as Monday

Thursday - Same on Tuesday

Friday - Same as Monday

Saturday and Sunday - will do some workout. just not sure what one.

I would like to start walking outside. It is a beautiful day here in Michigan today. About 50 degrees and sunshine. Spring is in the air.

I had a couple of surprises this week. I had bought a pair of shorts at Old Navy last month and they were too small. I tried them on yesterday and guess what - I can button them. About five more pounds and they will be perfect. At church yesterday, a friend commented about the fact that i had lost weight.

i missed everyone and the support that you give me. Glad to be back.

Sally

Aargh! I had a foot long post all typed up and just lost it!

Well, I don't feel like typing it all in again, so here is the abbreviated version:

Friday weigh in : 158 (up 1.5) I know that it's TOM, and I'm all screwy there because I'm changing BCP, but still dissapointing ~ no weigh in this week!

This week:
Mon - Curves, aerobic video
Tues - Curves, bowling
Wed - Curves, marching video
Thurs - Curves, aerobic video
Fri - Curves, marching video

This weekend: Not so good ~ blew diet on Sunday ~ dh left for business ~ got a little exercise ~ no water....

Congrats, Sally on the shorts! What a great reminder of your progress!

Talk later,
Marvin

Hi everyone I'm sitting here all sweaty & out of breath after my Tae Bo basic. Am starting to get used to it - all I need to master is being able to do all the lunges at the end & being able to breathe whilst doing the exercises would be good too. I do enjoy it, its a challenge & one day I will do it every single repeat & not be out of breath at the end of it - think that day may be a long way off though. I'm drinking my way through another pint of water then it's off to the shower.

had a really good weekend, which showed in the loss of another 2lbs this morning. This week will be hard though I have a nite out with friends, a promised dinner at pizza hut & my sons birthday. Need to really work at it this week.

Plan for the week

Mon - Tae Bo basic - done
Tue - Aerobic tape - "figure it out"
Wed - Aerobic tape - "figure happy"
Thur - Tae Bo basic
Fri - exercise bike 10 miles
Sat - Tae Bo basic or "figure it out" aerobic tape not decided which one yet
Sun - Aerobic Tape - "figure happy"

No swim this week as I can only go on a Friday night & thats my big nite out. As well as all this, as usual I will be walking aroud a very exicting (not) business park for 30 minutes every lunchtime.

It's hard work but it's gonna be worth it. See you later.

Last week my schedule was a little too ambitious. Call me crazy but I'm going to try the same thing this week. (I went swimsuit shopping today - so depressing. I've lost almost 20lbs but it sure doesn't look like it in the dressing room I have my work cut out for me if I want to make some major progress before this summer.)


copperblu Chinese Food!!! I haven't had any I haven't cooked myself in a long time. I sure do miss it...but it was murder on the thighs. (At least the typical American adaptations of Chinese foods are)

mustang sally Your schedule looks mighty ambitious as well. I'm glad you're back. I know how tough it is to come back from an impromtu exercise hiatus. Congrats on those shorts. The last time I tried Old Navy...nothing in the store fit "right." Maybe I'll have better luck this summer with my new and improved shape!

MarvinTM Reading your post has reminded me to cut and paste RIGHT NOW! OK. Don't stress about the weight now. I always seem to gain at least 2 lbs during TOM. But they always disappear eventually. Congrats on making your St. Patty Goal! Checking out your schedule - it looks great. What type of aerobic videos are you doing?

BTW - My aunt just loaned me her Pilates video. Has anyone tried Pilates...what did you think?

Big Sal 2 lbs and Tae Bo! Way to go! I just can't seem to get Tae Bo. I'm pretty uncoordinated but I think a lack of balance is an even more problematic for me. I have such weak ankles. How long have you been doing it?

Now, I'm going to go back to the old thread and cut and paste my schedule over here to keep me accountable.

MON - a.m. Water aerobics, swim laps
p.m. abs, yoga (P.M. Yoga - Firm More 5 Day Abs)

TUES - a.m. step workout (Kathy Smith Step )
p.m. abs, upper body (Karen Voight Firm Arms & Abs)

WED - a.m. 30 min Firm Video (classic v.1 wish me luck )
p.m. Abs, stretch (K. Voight Pure Simple Stretch -Firm M5D Abs)

THUR - a.m. Crunch aerobic tape (Hi/Lo)
p.m. abs, lower body (K. Voight Lean Legs & Buns - Firm M5D Abs)

FRI - a.m. Water aerobics, swim laps
p.m. abs , yoga ( a.m. yoga - Firm M5D abs)

SAT - a.m. Walk 2 miles
p.m. abs, upper body (Donna Richardson- Firm M5D Abs

SUN - a.m. REST
p.m. abs & lowerbody (Donna Richardson)

_____

Report - I've already been to the Y today. A short Ab and yoga workout should be easy to fit in tonight.

Hi all!!!! Well, I actually did exercise tonight, I did the FIRM workout and then my daughter wanted to do TAE BOE so I said OK, I'll do a little of that one too and we ended up doing the whole basics tape. Boy do I feel great right now, but I know I will be sore tomorrow. I will have to get up early to exercise in morning because my sisters father in law passed away Sat evening and I have to go to funeral home tomorrow after work, then dinner, then help with homework,etc. But I will get in exercise tomorrow even if it means walking on my lunch hour. Thanks everyone for the motivation to start this exercise program and for the support everyone gives to us when we need it!!!! What a great group!!!!

Oh well, I didn't get in last evenings workout but I'm not going to let it slide this time. I'll try to add it to todays schedule. I'm home today babysitting my brothers daughter (4yr) and my cousins daughter (14 mo). Wish me luck!

Hey all!

mustang sally: Welcome back! Congratulations on the shorts!! That's GREAT! And isn't it wonderful when people start to notice all the hard work you've put in? I can't wait to start walking outside either -- DH and I like to wander around the city on the weekends, exploring...it'll be great to have the sun out + the smell of spring in the air.

MarvinTM: Argh! The lost posts! I know how you feel about the weigh-in -- the last few days I've been up too, and it's been bringing me down a little. I think mainly it's water retained due to the start of PMS + the Chinese food/St. Paddy's ciders (you can see I also had an unhealthy weekend ). It bums me out, but at this point even I can see a difference (mainly in muscle tone), so I try to think about that instead.
Judging by your schedule though, it looks like you'll have made up for your bad weekend in no time!

Big Sal: Congratulations on your loss! That's got to be encouraging! It looks like you have a lot of activity planned for this week -- another healthy week in front of you! Good for you for challenging yourself with the Tae-Bo -- it's only when we challenge ourselves that we can break our plateaus and become stronger.

MinyMony: NO ONE looks good in those dressing rooms! That light is the WORST! 20 pounds is a huge accomplishment, and I don't want you to let any dumb old flourescent lights take it away from you!
The Chinese food -- I know, I know! The "American" Chinese food is TERRIBLE for us. Such are the trials of living w/DH -- I try to keep us both eating healthy foods the majority of the time, but I don't always win.
Pilates -- I have 2 Pilates tapes. Unfortunately they're a little too advanced -- I think I need a beginning tape to "work up" to the ones I have now, but I find if you concentrate, you'll get a really tough toning workout out of Pilates. I'm planning on getting a beginner's tape + adding it to my schedule to balance out my other work.
As for your schedule, I won't call you crazy, I'll call you inspired + dedicated!

tornadoterr: Congratulations on getting your workout in!! Getting TWO in, in fact! You're a powerhouse! About fitting in exercise -- I've found that I feel better on days that I can't workout if I just get in any extra activity, like walking to a farther subway stop or making a point of walking to people's offices rather than e-mailing. You've got to get it in when you can, and every little bit helps!
If I may ask, what Firm tape/tapes are you using?

My news: did my Hare last night! I'm especially pleased, because I was tired + really not in the mood, but when I got home, I was in my workout clothes + putting in the tape before I even realized what was happening! I loooove force of habit!
Made lowfat meatloaf last night -- delicious, but not very solid. It kind of crumbles. I'm thinking I'm not using enough breadcrumbs?

My TOM is finally here and that PMS is gone! I'm still bloated but feeling much better now!

Anyway, I had a great day yesterday even though I missed Curves. I developed a rather killer headache yesterday afternoon and it was still lingering so I skipped. I don't feel too bad though, as I will go for the next four days for sure, and I also did do an aerobic workout last night ~

I am surely the queen of cheap! My videos all cost me less than $5 secondhand ~ so of course I have Richard Simmons "Sweatin to the Oldies" (which I tried last night ~ how cheesy!), A couple of step videos (couldn't tell you who does them ~ they're not too bad though, good music), one really bad Tony Little Abs tape , one really good one called Sculpt and Groove, which does intervals of aerobics and sculpting, Tae Bo (dubbed from a friend SSSH! Don't tell!), and a couple other ones that aren't too cheesy!

I haven't tried Pilates yet, but I am interested in it. There is a show on the Health Network that does Pilates, and I have thought about trying it. I did watch a few minutes of it once, and it looked killer! Maybe someday!

Anyway, I have a good day planned out today ~ Curves and bowling ~ a good meal plan (perfect with cals, fat & fiber ~ now I have to just stick to it!) Starting my water, and looking forward to the day!

See ya later!
Marvin

Hi Ladies -

Sounds like a good day for everyone. AWESOME!!!!!!!

I was able to get my exercise in today. I had to split it into two workouts. I did 30 minutes on the treadmill this morning and 30 minutes tonight. My thighs are sore because of the "Buns of Steel" workout i did yesterday. Hopefully my legs will be ready for the challenge Wednesday a.m.

MTM - I like to find my videos "cheap"too. I seem to find sections i like on each one. My goal for this week is to incorporate them into my weekly workout. Pilates does look interesting. I have seen it advertised on QVC.

MiniMony - I think we should shop for our bathing suits with blindfolds on. Nothing ever looks good!!!!!

Big Sal - That TaeBo workout is so challenging. Good for you. You mentioned your son's birthday - my son's birthday is March 27. He will be 21 years old. I guess i am just getting younger (haha)

copperblu - Lowfat Meatloaf - i can't find a recipe that i like. Maybe i could try yours. Force of habit sounds like it worked in your favor when it came to the "Hare".

tornadoterr - FIRM and TaeBo - very ambitious. I am jealous. I see we are sorta neighbors. I live in a suburb of Detroit (about 20 miles south of Detroit near I-75). GO GREEN!!!!

It is about 11:30 p.m. It has been a long day, but wanted to check in with you. Have a good day on Wednesday.

Sally

Good morning everyone! You'll have to forgive my short term absenses - I started watching my 2 mo old goddaughter on Monday for 10-12 hours a day, so she keeps me busy and off the computer. The upshot is I also think she keeps me so busy, I don't snack as much!

I'm on Day 2 of a Tae Bo 21 Day Challenge. I'm glad to see others doing it! I am so hopelessly addicted to it! Just ask Big Sal (and yes, it will get easier. Mind you, it will never be EASY, because the better you get at it, the harder you push yourself for some reason!).

Copperblu - Another Chinese food lover! We only get Chinese about once every 2 months, but oh what a treat! Is anything actually low-fat there? And I think you will really like seeing your progress pictures. I have my DD take a side and a front shot each month, then I put them side-by-side on a publisher document so I can really see the difference. I loved the change from Jan - Feb. The Feb - March one wasn't as defined.

Sally - Weigh to go on the shorts! What a great feeling that must've been!

MinyMony - You can do Tae Bo too! Trust me! I'm 225 with two left feet and have a hubby even more uncoordinated than I! He can even do it. It does take some practice....you just work the instructional tapes til you know the form and then work the Basic at your own speed. The coordination and balance comes with time. I was amazed at how fast my balance got better.

Well, gotta go! The baby will be here any minute!

Happy "Hump" Day!

MarvinTM: Thank heavens the PMS is gone! I'm just starting mine -- and came home and crammed all sorts of odd things in my mouth! Salami?!
I've decided that now that my PMS cravings have changed to meat + cheese (I used to crave carbs when I was in high school, then chocolate up until a few months ago, occasionally salty/crunchy), I need to find a healthy substitute for summer sausage or whatever it is I end up eating. I've managed to replace most of my PMS binge foods with healthier versions -- lowfat cheese, reduced fat chips or Triscuits, fatfree chocolate pudding -- but I haven't found anything for that weird meat craving yet.
I also buy a lot of tapes cheap -- either from ebay or half.com. Now that I do Firm workouts, I get Firm tapes secondhand from people on the Firm message boards. There's a whole section set up for tape trading/selling!

mustang sally: I'd be happy to share my meatloaf recipe w/you! I'll get the recipe tonight + post it tomorrow morning! There's also a Black Bean Enchilada Pie recipe on one of the earlier threads -- although I like to experiment a lot, I have a lot of basic lowfat "homecooking" style recipes because I have to placate DH's craving for dishes that don't have 5 adjectives + things like "lemongrass" in them.

Big Sal: I hadn't thought about taking progress pics from the side too! That's a really good idea! I wish I'd had pics for the first month, because like you, I think that's when the most dramatic improvements took place. Poo.

News: Well, I binged a little when I got home last night, but I won't beat myself up over it. I actually stopped to measure out a single serving of chips so that I didn't eat half the bag, so I can't be too bad.
It seemed to take forever for me to get motivated to do the Tortoise workout! I think I've answered my own question of whether I need a rest day between...the answer is yes! I was so exhausted by the end I could barely lift up my feet -- I had to stop about 10 minutes before the end! That depressed me, but at least I did get up + do 50 minutes of the workout -- and I've learned a valuable lesson about rest days.
Cooked the lowfat gumbo last night, which was delicious. I brought some in for lunch today -- yum!

Okay ~ I'm going to whine a little ~ so bear with me while I get it out!

I woke up this morning after having a horrible dream about breaking up with dh, and a already had a headache ~ it's nasty again! So, I drag my sorry butt into work, where I'm sitting here with nothing to do, wishing my headache would go away, and missing dh pretty bad.... only 3 more sleeps until he's home! The weather changed this week, and it's not so sunny out again ~ I feel bloated still from TOM ~ and I just generally wanna cry!

Phew! That makes me feel a little better! I'm still pretty miserable ~ but I know it won't last too long ~ never does!

Yesterday was ok ~ a little over in fat & cals ~ but did Curves and bowling, so I'm feeling ok about it. I'll be happier tomorrow I promise

Copperblu ~ Strangely enough I crave ketchup at TOM! Of course, then you have to have something with ketchup, usually meaty or fries..... bleh!