Good morning, LWL!
Racing off for a very long day at the gym, but first I have to take my son's homework to school. He had almost 2 weeks to get it into his backpack. Can we say "enabler"?

Chest and cardio for me- I have bad tendonitis in my elbows and forearms again. This seeme to just be a constant. Maybe because I went back to bench presses last week? I dunno, but I guess they are out of the rotation for this week.

Have a good one...clean out the kitchen!

Mel

Hope you feel better soon Mel.

Had a wicked run along the south bank. Not eaten much today though, I guess I'll have to make up for lost calories... What to have, what to have

Back to work tomorrow UGH! Ah well at least it will get me back into some sort of routine!

:

I've been doing too much stooping stuff lately. Knitting, computer ... so I did arms and shoulders today. It feels great. Sort of all over tired instead of creaky, achey.

I'm behind on food today too. Hmmm ....

Hey gang - I'm back yet again. Started a BFL challenge today, and I'm going to finish it! I have just 12 weeks until a cruise I'm going on, so I need to get back into swimsuit shape!

I took your advice Mel, and have cleaned out the kitchen. Going to the grocery store shortly to get stocked up on clean eats.

Happy New Year everyone!
Cindy

Happy New Year, everyone!

Good to see you again, Cindy. I've been thinking of you. Was it you who said when you started to look thin in the face you were about to lose a pound, then you did and your face got back to normal? (I paraphrase!) Because that's what's been happening to me! Good luck with BfL. A cruise is a good incentive.

Revamped the gymn programme this morning with the heavy weights trainer. All that's going well but I must get something to listen to when I'm doing cardio, though. Disney and I have never got on, MTV - I ask you!, and as for BBC daytime television - words fail me now I've seen several weeks' worth.

Good to see you too, Susan! A little bird told me you'd been out on your bike. I'm impressed. Keep it up if the weather holds!

2F - you've really been running London during the hols! It's a good way to explore, isn't it?

Mel - plus ca change, I suppose! This kitchen's clean. Have you done yours??

Hullo to everyone else. I think that normality is about to descend ...

Afternoon, LWL! It's a gloomy winter day here in the far north. We don't even have enough snow to lighten it up. On the up side, we are gaining daylight at over 2 min a day now.

2F - so a birthday this coming weekend? When is yours? Mine is on Sat the 7th, though I suspect - having read a post of yours somewhere else here - that I'm about 40 years older than you!! Nonetheless, nice to know another with the same after-Christmas birthday time. I have 2 acquaintances who share my day, as well as 3 others the day before or day after.

A busy weekend here getting holiday stuff put away, and the house generally back to normal. We did a NY Eve bonfire on Sat, and an open house yesterday. I had no alcohol at either, and - surprise, surprise - had an easier time controlling what I ate! I finally cooked my Christmas turkey yesterday (we had gone to neighbors on the day), and ate it - without dressing or gravey - last night. And we'll be eating it for days to come, I'm sure.

Back to the gym tomorrow. I have a new weight workout ready to go. As well I have my kitchen cleaned of holiday goodies (thanks to DH ) so clean eats will be the order of the day - and year.

Happy New Year!!

Got in a full workout with free weights today--legs and arms. Made myself go slow so I *really* felt it. I have a feeling I'll be bumping up the arm weights later this week--the next set of dumbbells is already waiting in the wings!

Did I see some January birthdays? Count me in--I'm Jan. 11th. My kids tease me that I love weights because Capricorns not only like to feel grounded, but absolutely thrive on having an obstacle to push against!

I've always wanted to visit Alaska. Maybe if I start saving now, that can be one of my rewards when I hit my goal weight!

Happy New Year to all! I've made only one resolution this year, and that's to post more, lurk less. I usually hang out at Maintainers, but (drum roll please), I'm lifting again, and I couldn't be happier

Some of you may remember that I had joined the (largely student) gym at the university where I work. It was OK, but only that. Eventually, I quit going. Then, I joined the Y, which has any number of programs tailored for the over-50 crowd. That being my crowd, I felt right at home. And then I did what I should have done a long time ago -- I signed up for a series of personal training sessions with a trainer who 1) was about my age; 2) was familiar with arthritis, fibromyalgia, and assorted complications of the passage of time; and 3) had a gentle way of dealing with idiots who kept trying to lift like they did when they were 30, before the onset of various aches and pains.

She started me out sloooooooooooooooooooooooooow, and she keeps putting the brakes on when I get over-ambitious, knowing that all I will manage to do is injure myself and drop out.

It's been wonderful. For the time being, I'm doing full-body workouts twice a week (plus yoga, pilates, water aerobics, and lots of dog walking). If anyone out there is wondering whether even a few sessions with a PT is worth it, my unqualified answer is YES.

So, I promise to post. In the meantime, welcome to a new year!!

HI LWL. Happy New Year to everyone. I am eating clean again --finally-- Today was cardio & abs day. I did 7.9 miles on the elliptical and about 20 min of abs. I am still sore from my leg workout on Saturday. DH took my measurements for the month and, though I haven't lost weight in a couple of weeks, I have lost inches. Yay.

Pat - I'm 7th Jan too! I hate having a birthday so close to Christmas, but it can't be helped! Do you get ChristmasandBirthday presents too??

Wooo a crowded positive board today! I'm lifting tonight with my programe from Anita Bean's book (I should've started yesterday but I was too lazy!) back to doing 3 sets rather than 1 set to fatigue (I didn't see much improvement with that anyway )

Keep on keeping on! I'm sure I'll be back later in the day!

Hi Everyone!

Sounds like we're making the holidays even better by being in the present moment and returning to our routines. Keeping to some sort of system is the only way I see results - momentum builds muscle, eh?

Good point, Airegrrrl, about trying to exercise as we did 20 years ago. Your approach honors exactly where we're at in this part of the life journey.

Thanks for being here, Lovelies! I'm inspired by these posts daily - sometimes, even, moment to moment.

Jean

Oooh I just remembered an NSV and I'd like to share it with you all!

Last year I used to be addicted to chips (fries), now I'd managed to loose weight quite successfully eating chips A LOT! I used to work a 7pm - 1pm shift and the canteen did DIVINE chips. So that would be my treat every so often. For lent last year I decided to give up the dreaded chips. I cracked after about a week and a half, now previous years I'd given up chocolate, no problems, even chocolate AND diet coke, but chips - NOT A CHANCE!

Anywho, getting back to the NSV, I've realised that I haven't had a chip for over 3 weeks. And you know what, I don't care! I don't miss them at all, they are not something I HAVE to have when I take a "free food" day. They have no hold over me - I no longer walk past a kebab shop drooling at the thought of chips. Well yesterday DF bought a bag of chips and I thought to myself I'd have a few and not be too bothered about it and that would be that. Well I'd just finished a run and was feeling mega tired and a bit as per usual, but I had a few chips anyway. They were ok. I did not lose control and scarf the whole packet. I did not continue eating them mindlessly, in fact I had about 10 and thought, "I need PROTEIN". I got myself to a supermarket and bought apples and cheese and sugar free lemonade!

I've broken my chip addiction!

Congrats, 2F! I used to love fries, but now find that although they still smell divine, they taste kind of gross. Same with pizza I wish I could say the same about a few other foods!

Welcome back, Robin, Cindy, and SB! Hello Amy, Jean, Pat, Cynnymynn and SusanB

I had a very early morning at the gym with 2 clients who are much more "morning people" than I am. I'm not sure what we did, but they left happy and tired. I did a good hard leg workout after that with one of my gym friends. I'm gradually getting used to the new gym and only fall over equipment occasionally now The equipment is a bit different, which really only changes my leg workouts. I'm exhausted, and I think I'll take a short nap before I go back for my late afternoon clients. I don't actually remember the last time I took a nap!

Mel

Hullo, LWL! Like Airegrrrl, I'm trying to post more, lurk less.

Had a great UBWO this morning even though I thought I would never make it to the gym. My new-ish gym is about a mile away, so when I saw that it was still rainy and cold out, I almost wimped out. Somehow I managed to drag my *** out of bed, cursing all the way as my umbrella kept turning itself inside out. Anyway, I was so glad I went, because the gym was EMPTY except for a couple beefaronis who didn't even seem to notice me. I had the best UBWO I've had in a LONG time -- basically performed at the top of my weight threshold on everything. Hope I'm feeling it tomorrow!

I hear you guys on the clean food! My hubby made a gorgeous miso and soy/ginger soup with soba, chicken breasts, and a million vegetables last night, and it tasted and felt SO GOOD. I feel like I'm finally almost detoxified from the holiday carb onslaught!

I *will* get these last 15-25 pounds off this year, preferably before we go to Italy for our 10-year anniversary. Then, mission: maintenance!

Congrats on the chips, 2F! That's a great NSV!

Happy new year to all here.

Morning LWL! Cold one here - about 20 - and while we're gaining daylight, it won't be light until after 10 am.

2F - yes, I always got Christmas/Birthday presents. And birthday parties - forget it! My folks were so done with parties by my birthday that the most I ever got was a movie and dinner with a girl friend or two (and my sister, of course). Better as an adult as you're a little more understanding! However, I always envied my sister's mid-July birthday.

Eating has been pretty clean for the last couple days, and I stocked the work fridge and cabinet so I can have lunch here rather than trolling the town and ending up eating out. Subway at best, Taco Bell at worst. At least even in my worst moments I never eat at McD's or Burger King.

The gym reopens today, and I'll be there right after work. Hopefully, the "resolutionaries" (as a friend calls the New Year's exercisers) won't be taking up too much space.

to all of you.