Morning all,

Well I decided that since it is Monday in Australia first that I would start the weekly thread - I have so much to tell but I will write a lengthy post later once I have caught up on my messages.

JC

From the other thread;

Klop: I kind of wing my quiche recipe but next time I make it I will write down what I do for you. The Myoplex pudding is part myoplex, part plain protein powder, some SF dry pudding mix and some cottage cheese mixed with water. Make it up to your portion size and blend all ingredients and put in fridge. We don’t have eggbeaters in Australia so I stick to normal eggs. Personally it depends on what I am eating but normally for scrambled it's one whole egg and an additional 4 eggwhites.

I actually sold a place in Queensland – on the Gold Coast. It was our first investment property and it was a 4 yr old 4 bedroom house. We were very pleased with the sale.

Meg: I used to get shin splits all the time so I know what it means to buy decent shoes. They make a world of difference to your feet and legs.

Nola – it’s been so ridiculous hot up here as well and humid beyond belief.

Airegrrl: my husband has *finally* come around to being supportive. Remember that huge discussion I had with him about supporting my fatloss efforts? Well it has paid off in bucketloads. We ate well all weekend and he and I went shopping for a treadmill! (can't wait for it to arrive) It was the best fun. Good luck with the house hunting.

Mel: glad to see that your new computer is working.

Elasty – DH and I have tried our best to set ourselves up financially before having kids. You are right it is so hard when you are young if you have kids very early on. Well done on spoiling yourself.

Cindy: I think the bicep exercise you are talking about is preacher curls and they are so good for your biceps.

Hey to everyone else!

I got the BEST Valentine’s present from hubby – I was so totally spoilt. He bought me a diamond tennis bracelet and it is totally exquisite. I haven’t stopped smiling since I put it on!

JC

Good morning, JC and LWL! What a nice surprise to wake up this AM and see that JC got us started for the week. JC, that is so cool about the bracelet! Bet you’re not taking it off for a while! And shopping for a treadmill! Sounds like things are really looking up.

I’m so JAZZED about this week — not sure why, but it just feels like it’s going to be a great one. I’m psyched for some awesome workouts — legs today. You too, Ilene? Are we lunging today, baby?

I told y’all about getting my new shoes last week (BTW, the store is Fleet Feet and apparently there are others: www.fleetfeet.com) and my toes are feeling a little better. So my new shoes and I have been getting back into running (trust me, I use the word 'run' loosely here — it’s more like 'amble' —'meander' — or 'waddle' since old men in wheelchairs go faster than I do). Anyway, I loaded up the iPod with some new tunes yesterday, set the volume on ear bleed and ran for a mile and a half. Not bad for a start. My goal for this week is two miles every 6:00 AM (it’s an indoor track). Here’s my logic: you don’t see many runners with fat legs. Most have lean legs so - if I want lean legs - I’ll run.

So I’m heading out in the 9 degree darkness in a few minutes in my quest for lean legs.

Let’s make this a strong and healthy and terrific week!

G' Morning, LWL!

JC- lucky you on the tennis bracelet! So neat to be surprised with something so special. WTG on your return from your real estate investment.

Meg- Send some of that energy west, please. I have lots on my plate this week and need to get my butt in gear.

Took a rest day yesterday and went to bed feeling like all I wanted to do was get up again and run. We went to the movies and saw Return of the King, again, but sitting that long made me antsy. So I'm anxious for DH to leave for work and I can get on the treadmill.

Today is back-shoulders-chest and I will probably do some abs too. Food wasn't bad the past few days, but not as clean as it could be, so today it's back on program for sure. I swear I've gained and lost the same 2# at least 6 times over the past 2+ weeks. Frustrating.

Have a great Monday - STRONG-HEALTHY and TERRIFIC! Yep, today I will walk the talk.

dip

Good mornin' LWL

JEC ~~ I hope that the bracelet is ALL you're wearing to bed ... Congrats on the real estate deal too...But like Hawaii, the bracelet outshines the real estate ...

Meg ~~ Yep leg day today here too... Do you do cardio on leg day? I've had a day of rest yesterday, and feel antsy today and want to do cardio along with legs, and unlike you and Dip I only go to the gym ONCE/day! So what's your leg program today Meg?

Dip ~~ STRONG-HEALTHY and TERRIFIC! Yep, today I will walk the talk. Sounds like a plan to me!! I'm going to copy cat you on this one, K?

Lets go girls!!

Lets be careful out there LWL...

Later...

Woohoo JC! A treadmill and a bracelet! Quite a Valentine's Day! Sounds divine. I thought dh was out on the open water these days, tho. Did they come back for a quick visit to be with their sweeties?

Meg- It's always 3 degrees warmer here than Pitt. Whenever you say what the temp is there, is is consistently 3 lower than mine at 6 am. Umm, I guess that's today's trivia tidbit. I may join you and Ilene on leg day today. and some cardio. I'm still feeling like the stay-puffed marshmallow man from wine and cheese. This week may be 2 leg days, and one isolation arm day. My shoulder/pec/back is getting better, but I'm still feeling it and afraid to make it worse again. Today was supposed to be back and bi's. I can't face not lifting at all. I like your theory on runners. Now what do I do to get a flat stomach? (yeah, actually I know the answer )

Dip- You can get it back! just look at the last 2 weeks as a pothole in the road. I swear I've gained and lost the same 2# at least 6 times over the past 2+ weeks. Substitute years, and that's my situation

My Valentine's present isn't quite working- but I do love my new computer. It's sooo fast. No long waits for pages to load. Fitday is a breeze instead of a long chore! The only thing that doesn't work right is I can't receive email. I can send just fine, but nothing's coming in!

Today I have NO clients- my first day off in ages. All the moms cancelled because of no school for their kids, and gym classes are cancelled also. My kid has school, thanks to the two week teacher strike we had in Sept-October. He's not cheering now, that's for sure. So I'm going to go do some cardio and legs light, then hit the used book store. Luckily vacuuming hurts my shoulder so no cleaning, though the house could sure use it. BTW, anybody try those treadmill lunges? I did 10 minutes on Thursday, 5minutes at incline 15, adn 5 minutes of incline 5 at 1.2 miles per hour. It was Sunday morning when I could first walk without searing pain in my calves, and I usually hit calves really hard. And those lunges were unweighted. I may try ankle weights after a few more sessions

New week, LWL! Let's make it count!

Mel

Meg ~~ I agree with you on the runners, they are slim! (I forgot to mention this last post) I met a girl, at the gym of course, actually a couple of them, who have started running in the last year, and they were soooo slim! I thought, what are they doing and I'm not? It's the running!! So running I have started and enjoy...

Mel ~~ I just may try that lunging on the treadmill... Did anyone laugh at you? But alas, at this point in time in our lives, who gives a hoot!!...... Nothing like a fast 'puter, gotta love that....

I'm full of P&V as Dip would say... Ok I should go clean the fridge before I get too lazy and spend all day on here... fast or slow I love the 'puter...

Ilene- No one laughed at me, but you are right: at this point I don't give what most people think. I did have 2 of my clients stop by as I lunged and ask if I was going to make them do it. Why, of course!

Actually, there seems to be a sudden lungefest going on at my gym. There are about 5 women prepping for shows or who think they are, and another 8 or 9 "hardcores" like myself who have no interest in competing, but work our butts off. We've got a whole repetoire of different lunges, including plyometric jump lunges which destroy my knees. There's one woman who is known as Susan "Lunge" because she must spend 45 minutes at least 3x per week doing a variety pack of lunges.

Good morning ladies!

My, everyone is so chatty this morning!

JC - congrats on the bracelet - you are spoiled! (yes, I'm just jealous!)

I did make it into the gym this morning, but it was a bit uninspired as my Monday mornings are always dragging due to my sleep schedule getting all messed up over the weekend.

About the bicep curls I mentioned - sorry, I wasn't more specific. They are done with dumbbells, sitting on an incline bench, leaning back, with your arms hanging down perpendicular to the ground. So, the incline adds some additional distance to the curl. I can't do preacher curls - "the girls" get in the way!

Mel - I will hold off on making any changes to my diet just yet - it seems to be working ok for me right now - just went through a week of the "shrinking" feeling, so progress is being made. I just can't believe I'm actually eating that much protein! And to think that I used to struggle with getting even 100 grams in! I checked and my carbs were at 130ish, so it seems like it's not too low. I'll just have to see how the hunger thing works out.

Hope everyone has a great day!
Cindy

Hi all,

JC, Congrats on the house sale, the bracelet and the tread. SEE, We read it and REMEMBERED it all this time.

I don't care if people laugh at me at the gym anymore. Heck, I laugh right back at them because at Bally's there NO telling what you are going to see on any given day.

I did UB on Saturday am with 50 minutes on the ellipse. When I got home from the gym, DD had dumped two big spoons of cottage cheese, 1 spoon of my PB and a banana in the blender to make me breakfast. Love that kid. She also wanted to bake a cake from scratch for her dad for Valentines so we did that. When he came over to get his cake, I slipped into the kitchen and poured dishwashing liquid in the rest of the cake batter and icing to keep ME from eating it. I had a few bites of an oreo ice cream cake and a virgin pina colada for dinner w/ the kids but I didn't eat the rice and had scallops for my dinner so I don't feel too bad about V-day. It could have been worse.

Sunday was lower body (I did SQUATS!!!!) and 45 minutes on the ellipse. I can't make my scale budge so I am upping my cardio to six sessions per week. Eats were clean.

In regards to scales, I am ready to toss my own. In the past, when losing weight, I have always slashed calories down to around 1,000 per day and upped cardio to around 5 - 6 sessions a week and seen rapid results. Last April, my mom was diagonosed with chronic osteoporosis and since I don't want to be in the same boat, I started looking into weight lifting to help with my own bone density and that's when I found all of you. THIS year, I have been working to lose weight, eating a higher amount of protein, and weight lifting and although my clothes fit looser, my scale has not moved one inch in 21 days. This is very frustrating because in the past I have seen rapid results. My first goal was to drop 10 pounds by Feb. 24. Unless I cut off a limb, that won't happen. I need some help on coming up with different types of goals because I honestly have no idea what to expect from the scales this time around.

Tika -- Just my thoughts, yes I know it's nice to see the scale move, I totally agree... but having said that, mine didn't move till this January... Before that I went from Jan.03 to Jan 04, without a budge, unless you call fluctuating 2# all year a budge... But, I did go from a size 14 to a 10, and I think that is reason to celebrate... But I agree it's totally disappointing when it does not move!!!!!! Look at other facets of your body that have changed instead, we know you work had so it's gotta fall into place eventually... Just my .02 cents ramble... Was this your first attempt at squats? way to go...

Cindy ~~ I agree with the rest of the gals, hold off on upping your calories just yet, maybe your body is adjusting to making new muscles...

Well I got realllllly ambitious and cleaned the oven.... I'm full of words today.......

Later ....

I'm back!

Ilene - get off the computer, LOL. I should talk. I just sat down to do my Fitday, and one thing led to another and back again. So this is the last stop because I have to get some things done. I like when you used the censored words; makes me guess what they might have been.

Did a super intense tread run this morning and feel real good about it. Got that running bug out. Just wish I could go longer, but the smoking gets in the way. Today I am working on seeing how long I can go in between cancer sticks. This past week I have been studying the heart and how it all works, and man, I am talking myself into this quit campaign big time. Another case of denial was that I would never admit to myself that those horrible, painful vericosed veins I suffered with for all those years were from smoking. I just may surprise myself and everybody else by putting the oxygen robbers sooner than my quit date.

Duh, forgot to add that since I have been running, if you can call it that, my belly seems flatter.

Well, going to do some pilates and get on with the day. Check back later.

dip

Good morning all, i am a little bit sad today. My dad is leaving today to fly out to the Northwest Territories where he lives. He was just home for a week for his sisters funeral. He left here about a half an hour ago and has to drive to the airport
i have to work so I am unable to go to the airport to see him off. man am i sad. He is going to try and come home for my wedding in July but he will have to see if he can have the time off.

So the gym was non-exsistant for me this morning, wanted to spend every second with my daddy

Back at it tomorrow and I must say that I really have to get into the diet part. Past week of running around with the funeral and all has made my eating bad. I am gonna have to eat cleaner if i want to see those results.

Well have to go and get ready for work I work in like 15 minutes, thank god i live 2 minutes away. Gotta go, have a good day

ps anyone who wants to give me a good lecture about the diet thing, I am sure ready for one..................so batter up

Jen - The best person to lecture you is you. We all can talk about you like a low down dirty such and such, but ultimately, what you put in your mouth affects your waistline, not mine. So go ahead, curse yourself out and then get those clean eats happening.

Ilene - This is my first time doing squats this year and also my first time EVER doing them without a spotter. Squats intimidate me. Go figure. I whipped my legs yesterday - think I did too much on them - so instead of running tonight, I will ride the bike instead to get through some of the soreness. Plus I have to re-braid DS and DD's hair. I spend so much time on making them look good, I look one step away from bed-head myself.

At Bally's they have a poster of a woman's calf with a tattoo on it that says "I'm gonna walk like a Grandma tomorrow." Well that's me today.

Peace. Tiki.

Whew! Life has been very busy - even on a three-day weekend! Sorry I've been so scarce lately...

Lots of stuff going on - I didn't want to spend my weekend 'vegging out' in the house so I planned a bunch of activities to stay OUT. One of them, of course, is spending time with Dakota. I've been there every day this weekend! In fact, I just got back from the gym about 20 minutes ago, gonna have something to eat, hop in the shower and get over to the stables and ride a bit, then (time permitting) try and get to an 11:30 Pilates Mat Strength class at the gym...maybe shop for some new gym shoes...and I have a massage scheduled for early evening so I will be a busy bee to say the least!

Even though I was at the gym kind of late this morning (for me that is - 6:15 am or so) it was pretty quiet. I guess the rain and wind combined with the holiday is keeping people in bed today! Had a great chest/tri workout followed by some cardio...

JC! Let me add my CONGRATS on the home sale - I have never been a homeowner myself, but my sister and her DH just bought a new home (well, it's 40 years old but it's new to THEM) and sold their former house - took about a week or so to get a buyer. Escrow on the old house closes this week. I LOVE their new digs - it's a California ranch-style house on a 1/2 acre lot with some nice big trees and a huge backyard. And only 1/2 a block from Jim and I, as opposed to the 2 block walk I used to make.

I am SO PROUD of my hubby right now - at work on Thursday him and his buddy Shree played at the Black History Month celebration. They were GREAT (of course I'm biased). Shree had brought a bunch of CD's and by the time the assembly was over, they were all gone - with a list of people requesting a copy as well! (Shree is actually the singer/songwriter - Jim accompanied him on bass).

Just looked at the clock and I've GOT to run - I have to be at the stables in an hour or so and I haven't eaten yet! Ai yi!