Troops, ten hut!

Group Activity for Week of 10/5-1187.5 minutes! We are more than half way to our goal of 2300 minutes! You guys ROCK!

Yesterday we talked about the specific challenges that create problems for us over the weekends. I thought you guys had some great insight into exactly what the problems are. Lizzie, I liked your comments about the weekend being "me" time and learning to have that downtime without the associated off plan food.

I found a website that actually lists 20 (yes, count 'em, 20!) ways to avoid the weekend pitfalls. Here is the link:

http://www.ivillage.com/diet/print/0,,197809,00.html

I am going to try a couple of these this weekend. Specifically, I am going to keep a journal over the weekend. I don't usually do this, but it might help me see where I am going wrong and even remind me to get my meals in.

I am also going to make sure I have a healthy, hearty breakfast on both Saturday and Sunday...early enough in the day to actually count as breakfast! This might get me on a better schedule for the rest of the day?

Once you take a look at the list I would like for you to pick one or two strategies that you can try this weekend. Let us know what you are going to try and why you think it might help. Yes, homework!

I wanted to let you all know how very proud I am of all of you! I know this is a kind of mushy sentiment for crusty old sarge, but you guys just make me proud to be a part of this group!

20 minutes WATP video this AM.

Weekends: I will be more organized & plan better

Geepers, Franny. It's Thanksgiving this weekend. Could we start NEXT weekend!!
I am going to try to be more of a Martha Stewart on the weekends. Maybe a few gourmet meals that my DH and I can make together. And maybe some crunchy, healthy snacks. And less pop!

Morning Sarge!

I'm off to the gym to do a water aerobics class for an hour. Check back in later with exact minutes.

~Sharon

ok sarge! My holidays are over and it's time to be without excuses!!!! I have to get SERIOUS! i have attempted to use the step machine. I have it in from of the TV and wait until I am alone in the house (I feel ridiculous when I have kids or DH around) and go about 20 - 30 minutes and then skip a few days cuz it's really boring and I can't tell if I'm doing any good with it. I still go to my 1 hour kickboxing class (last night as well) and that which doesn't kill me should make me stronger!!! I was going to the class 3x week but now I have a "real" class on Thursday nights and the conflict is a bummer! I really don't want to do either! So kickboxing is 2x week for 5 more weeks.

I need ab help!!! Anyone? I have been doing crunches and trying sit-ups but they make my neck or lower back hurt and I don't feel it in the right place -- my ABS! I also do leg lifts and feel that in my lower back too. Never do I feel charlie-horse in the proper place! GRRRR! I've had 2 fibroid surgeries and 2 c-sections and have 8 vert. in my spine fused together...because of all that medical stuff, NO ONE wants to help my poor abs become normal! I was starting to feel ok about wearing large untucked shirts for the rest of my life!!!

Last night, after kickboxing, I stopped by the market to get eggs and ricotta cheese and the man on the way out asked me when I'm due!!! I hate that! So much for feeling good! I told him, thanks for the good wishes, but I'm just overweight! He appologized! I probably made him feel bad tool. Didn't mean to, but I've had it with the question!

Sorry I got off focus there... guess I needed to vent!

Robin,

This is what I can suggest.....

If you can, try to find a pilates instructor in your area. Call them and tell them about the problems that your having. See if you can book an hour with them and have them give you low physically straining abd exercises. This is the best way to build your stomach strength. which will support you getting more results in that dept.

Speak with your doctor, tell him that your having extreme back pain, and ask him if he will refer you to a Physical Therapist that does Pilates....you might be able to get medically approved pilates depending upon your insurance.

Pilates focuses on breathing and building strength from the abdomen. When I was doing pilates, my back and neck issues almost completely resolved. But also, one of the side effects of this work, is a 4 pack ab!! with little or no strain!!! Once you build up the ab strength, you will be able to do more sculpting exercises with better results, the stronger the ab muscles the more you can isolate them.

just an idea

Can't get the link to come up Franny ... I'll try again tonight from home ...

Exercise yesterday ... hour and a half cardio, 15 minutes weights, 10 minutes abs ...

Will try to check in again tonight ... so far 45 minutes on the treadmill today ..

Robin: another idea might be Curves for exercise. But check with your Dr. first.

Sgt. Frannie: 30 minutes at Curves this a.m.

Will check back later. Got to rush. Lizzie

Back from the gym, Sarge!

Just to report in my minutes, I did a 70 minute Aqua Aerobics class that I just love. They've had the pool closed down for two weeks for resurfacing and cleaning ....so I really missed it!
The first half of the class is all cardio, and then we work on abs and weights. It's all done in the water, so no real impact.
I usually do two days a week in the fitness room at the gym with the treadmill and weight machines to get in my weight bearing exercise in.

Rowan, thanks for the tip about Pilates. That's definitely something I will try very soon. Sounds like a wonderful way to strengthen your abs.

Have a wonderful day everyone!
~Sharon

Hi guys! Just a quick note for now.

Robin, check out this link. It is noncrunch ab exercises that may be something that you can do without any strain on your back or neck.

http://www.ivillage.com/diet/experts...4477-1,00.html

I can sympathize with how you felt at the grocery store. That has happened to me as well. There is no graceful thing to say at that point...for either person!

Before you know it comments like that will be just a bad memory.

Good luck!

Sarge: A 40 minute walk Monday, none yesterday and 1 hour and 20 minutes today to make up for yesterday!
Amazing! I can walk without a pedometer!

I won't be working out until a bit later, but figured I'd post now. I vow to do the following on weekends:

(1) Eat a healthy, filling breakfast.
(2) Go to the gym at least one of the two weekend days.
(3) Fill up on satisfying, healthy low cal snacks during the day if I plan to have a mini-splurge later that day.

I'll post again later with my minutes.

Abs drive me bezerk. If you have someone you work out with, you can do joint ab exercises. My husband and I get together at the end of our workouts to do ab exercises with different medicine balls and that huge stabilizer ball (or whatever they call it). I tend to feel the burn more in my abs when I'm on the ball and less in my back/neck. I also like the strengthening exercise where you start off laying on the floor on your belly and then you get up on your toes and forearms and keep you body very straight and hold that position. I feel that in my mid-section like you wouldn't believe! I will do about 3 or 4 of those (with a brief rest in between) and I'll feel it for a day or two. I do think, however, that if you 'sag' in the mid-section while doing this you could really hurt your back.

Reporting minutes for the day...

30 minutes treadmill
20 minutes elliptical

Ladies: Thank you so mucy for your suggestions! Wow! I feel like I'm hitting a Vegas jackpot!

Rowan: I never even would have thought of asking the doctor about pilates!!! Maybe it could be paid for by my health insurance!? What a thought!

Franny: Low impact ab exercise would be way better than poorly attempting, somewhat crunching and watching my kickboxing class do 100 sit ups!!! Thank you for the link! I will check it out after "coffee" in the am (yawn) ! I'm psyched! Thanks also for the support about the "expecting" comment at the market!

Imaxin: I exercise on my own...my girlfriend injured her knee and doesn't want to go back... but the ball is a great idea to try at home too! Can I do it alone? Do they come with directions? Ok, the big question...Do I have to inflate it??!!

I also totally agree with your "weekend warrior" plans... eating full breakfasts earlier, filling up on healthy stuff and getting to the gym! Great ideas to help fight my weekend saboteurs too!!

Lizziepie: I went to check out Curves and it was kinda expensive for what it looked like. Is it worthwhile? Do you really like going or just go cuz you have to? No one was breaking a sweat when I was there (not that I want to either). Also looked like a lot of marching between machines. Is that an accurate read?

I used to do Jazzercise but it became difficult to listen to the teacher gossip about the other students and complain or joke about her family life! Who cares!? Also, they were up to $50/month and we still needed to buy the mats, weights, stretchy things...etc. too bad because it was a cool exercise program. I'm not graceful by any stretch, but the "dancing" was fun!

Deets: Aqua-aerobics? That sounds interesting too! Do you go under water too?

Great topic! My plan for surviving the weekend is to plan what I'm going to eat and make sure I have all the ingredients, and if I have time, cooking some stuff for the week like soup and whatever. As far as the abs go, my bellydance instructor has us just suck in our belly, hold, and push out, over and over again. This is supposed to make our abs stronger for belly rolls, and I must say, I do feel a burn in my abs when I do it. It's simple but effective -- contract the muscles, hold, and release. I do it 30 times before I fall asleep lying in bed. :-D Oh! I almost forgot my minutes (yeah, I'm really cutting it close at 11:30, LOL) anyway, I did 22 min on the treadmill and 20 on the bow flex.