Starting this bad boy up.. and NO I'm not ready!! Won't be ready until after a plastic surgeon gets ahold of my belly, but I am ready for shorts!!!

Post away!

Swimsuit season, OMG.

I am not ready, have never been ready for swimsuit season. Well, not since I hit puberty. Even when I was a slender gal, was always on the flabby side (and I was a runner in high school, did weights, and the whole thing). I was the chick who looked good in clothes but not so good in a swimsuit ... At least in my opinion.

And I wish the weather would stay like it is. I don't like wearing shorts because I have huuuuuuuuuuuuuuge thighs that rub together at the top, causing the inner short legs to creep and thus I am always pulling them down as I walk.

Sorry for the gripe this morning. Was looking at swimsuits yesterday and I'm still feeling grouchy. But I observed something. I always thought I was a pear due to my huuuuuuuge thighs and hips. But now I'm kinda thinking that maybe I'm an hourglass with really heavy thighs. I have broad shoulders, broader than my hips and nearly as broad as the "saddlebags" on my upper thighs. Plus I have a waist.

On to better things. Did 40 minutes of weights for legs, dropping the weight a bit on a couple of exercises so I can do the workout again on Friday. Haven't done it yet, but plan to hit the gym this afternoon for 40 minutes of cardio. I'm really bored with the treadmill and elliptical and trying to decide what to do. Considered taking some kind of group class, but with the boycott today not sure how that will affect things. Guess I'll see when I get there!

Hope y'all have a better day than me!

Thanks everyone, it is a personal accomplishment, just like this journey that I am taking with my weight. My goal was to at least have my associates before my dad passed. But I know he knows I did it, and I know he is beaming.

Just got back from water walking, my legs really are feeling it tonight.

I'm not even ready for shorts, so there is no way I'm ready for swimsuits. But I'm getting ready for shorts (time to get out some self tanners, for this ghost body )

Hi - I haven't posted in this sticky before, but I am a regular exerciser, so I thought I would join.

This morning, I did 40 min. of stability ball/strength training (Core Secrets) and then went jogging/walking this evening for 2 miles.

And about the swimsuits???? I hear you sf40, all about looking ok in clothes, but not in a swimsuit! That's me, too, and I hate my saddlebags!!!!

Good luck everyone on the new week ahead.

I FINALLY got some real hand weights! It was getting a bit discouraging trying to do curls with a jar of pickles! Plus, I wasn't getting good results because anything that was a good weight for me to lift was too large for my hand to grasp. But anyway, it gave everyone in the house a kick to see me working out with canned goods and at least I established the habit, if nothing else! I am considering another 10 week challenge but I may focus more on making sure I exercise every day than on plain old pounds lost. After all, shouldn't that follow if I'm exercising regularly? And making sure to exercise has always been the area I let myself down in so perhaps focusing energy on that for awhile will be a good thing.

As for swimsuit season, ummmm, that'd be a no. And I live a 5 minutes walk from the beach! I don't mind shorts because I have nice legs so I just wear those and a tank top while the kids play in the sand. I never go in the water except maybe to dip my toes so it doesn't really matter anyway.

I have often considered going down there early in the morning to do some yoga but I wonder if that would seem a bit pretentious to the dog walkers out there at 6:30am?

CINDY!! GOOD TO SEE ANOTHER FACE THIS MORNING. NICE EXERCISING. HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEK TOO!

MUMMY~ IS THAT YOU WICKED??? OR ARE WE SAYING TO SOMEONE NEW??? SORRY IF I SEEM CONFUSED BUT I WOKE UP THAT WAY!

SHERRY~ I ALWAYS HATED THE WAY I LOOKED IN A BATHING SUIT ANYWAY. EVEN WHEN I WAS 104!!!
SOMETIMES I DON'T MIND BEING IN THE CHAIR.....IT COVERS UP A MULTITUDE OF SINS!!

30 MINS PEDALS FOR TODAY

HAPPY TUESDAY EVERYONE!

Hi all, I'm new here.
This is my Day 2 of Wave 1.
I love all the recipes and intend on trying most of them.

Today I walked on the treadmill--30 min.
I couldn't make myself do more. I have no energy. Could that be from no sugar and fruit?

Have a great day!
Tina

Hi everyone.

Lovely to see some new faces (as well as the old ones )

Mel- I left a phone message for the walkthewalk ladies and will let you know the email address when they call back (hopefully they're all busy despatching our bras or we'll have nothing to decorate. Glad to see you're still pedalling!

Donna- you should be proud of yourself. I'm sure that with that level of determination your weight will be no problem at all.

Sherry- For once I'm pleased to live in England as the chance of me wearing a swimsuit this year, except at the gymn, is minimal. Anyway, once everyone sees your toned muscles they won't notice anything else.

Hi Cindy- Core secrets seems a bit like my free weights program at the gymn- is it a class? I do love that Fitball!

Mummy_Tummy- if you're disciplined enought to exercise with canned goods you're certainly along the right lines! Just keep o checking in here and we will try and motivate you with the exercise.

Tina- I found I didn't have too much energy at the start of wave 1- just take it easy on yourself and keep on moving slowly...

And me..... 2 weeks on Saturday til the dreaded walk! Did I mention I did 20 miles on Saturday??

I've finally recovered the feeling in my hips after much stretching and yoga. Sunday was 45 mins elliptical, Monday 90 mins intervals on the elliptical and I went to the gymn for 20 mins elliptical this morning and did my full weights program before work. I was meant to be walking 7 miles tonight, but have felt a bit off colour today so am staying in, drinking green tea and reading as being ill is NOT in the marathon training plan.

Have a great week!

Sorry about the excess of smileys- just in that kinda mood!

Oh, forgot to mention that my plans to become arunner after the Moonwalk might've been scuppered. I ordered a minimal bounce/ high impact exercise sports bra which arrived this morning as I'm quite top heavy (36F) And it is definitely NOT minimal bounce! I would stop traffic and quite possibly knock myself out at the same time!

Any ideas....

Hi everyone!

Welcome to all the "newbies!" Please stick around and chat with us. As you'll see, many of us check in nearly every day. Can't speak for anyone else, but it really helps me.

Donna, knowing what you've been up to with school, work, Brianna, I have no doubt you will succeed with weight loss. Just keep moving, whatever you do.

Hi Cindy, is Core Secrets a DVD? I find that my midsection responds best to a lot of variety so I'm always looking for new core workouts. If we keep moving, eventually we'll look just as good out of clothes as in them!

Hi Mummy, congrats on getting hand weights! I'm impressed that you worked out with household goods. I work out at home with dumbbells, also, but may have to move my upper-body workout to the gym soon as I'm getting stronger. My weight loss has been so slow that I've given up on setting weight loss goals and focus on behavioral goals instead, as you can see by my signature. And in my opinion, yoga on the beach early in the morning sounds wonderful!

Hi Tina, hang in there! The first couple of days of Wave 1 were a little rough for me, too. It was a bit less food than I was used to, immediately following the holidays. You are probably experiencing a bit of sugar withdrawal and should get your energy back soon. Exercise while on Wave 1, but don't overdo it!

Mel, love your attitude! Good job on the pedaling!

Clare, less than two weeks! You'll be ready. It looks like you recovered nicely from 20 miles and adding 6 more will be no problem! Sorry to hear that the bra won't work. I have no suggestions as I have the opposite problem. But I feel for ya; at a 36B I find running painful and just don't know how more generously-endowed women do it (in high school I wore an A cup, which is why I was able to run then). You might try posting on the "exercise" board since there is a group of runners there who might have suggestions.

My mood is better today. Sorry for yesterday's rant. Can't fight my genetics (Dad has huge thighs), but I can try to get rid of some of the fat and keep working the muscles; would rather have huge firm thighs than huge flabby thighs. I planned out my exercise for the entire month of May and hope I stick to it. Today I did a 45-minute weight workout for my upper body and 40 minutes of cardio.

I'm quite top heavy (36F) And it is definitely NOT minimal bounce! I would stop traffic and quite possibly knock myself out at the same time!

Any ideas....

Could you try wearing a regular bra under your sports bra? I am a D, so if i go running, i wear a reg bra, plus a sports bra. minimizes bounce and maximizes comfort. I am hoping that the first weight to go will be from stomach and chest? Since you have started loosing weight, have you lost any off of your chest?

PS: Its great that your looking to implement all this excersise. Running is hard when your top heavy! Sux!

---Brittany---

I did pilates this morning, and just got back from the park with Brianna.

Yes - Core Secrets is a DVD by Gunnar Peterson. It's not a class, but it's a free weight program using a fitball. I usually do it every other day to give my muscles a day to rest. I actually look forward to doing it and I find that time goes by pretty quickly! I like variety also.

Anyway, today was only a 1 mile walk for me, I took it pretty easy.

Good morning everyone! Thank you for the lovely welcome. I think I may have posted once in the April exercise thread but have bene very lax as of late. It's a gorgeous Spring morning here! It's only just after 9:30am and I have done my strength training and had a very brisk walk. OKay, I can't take credit for the walk because I have to do it to take the little boy I childmind to school. But enforced cardio is a good thing some times, especially when I don't feel like exercising at all! However, I'll take full props for the weights followed by the yoga stretches I did at 7am. I'm currently following Jorge Crusie's 8 Minutes in the Morning because I had no idea where to begin with weights. There is a work-out routine that came with my weight set and I may start following that one. It look to be a little longer than 8 minutes, though! Still, I'm ready to kick it up a notch. I hate my chubby upper arms almost as much as my Buddha belly! Plus, I absolutely love-love-love the feeling that comes after lifting. My entire body feels very hot (in a good way) and just radiates energy. I can see why people get addicted to the feeling! ANd it sure beats being addicted to chocolate cake, eh?

Clareh, I notice you're in England, as well? Are you a native or are you an American ex-pat, like me? My darling husband was born and raised (and still works) in London but he moved down to Essex (I KNOW, I KNOW, no jokes, please! ) a few years before we met.