Happy Monday

Despite a perfect week and weekend, eating like an and doing every workout, I'm up half a pound for the week, instead of down one. What is with that????
I even did an hour long cardio triathalon yesterday including sprints. Yuck. I'm baffled and there's not much more to add exercise wise or strip out of my diet. I really wanted to get a few more off before the Christmas-New Years Week. I don't like the trend

OK, that's my gripe for the day.
Legs and some cardio, lots of clients, then ds's holiday chorus concert tonight.

Have a good one,
Mel

Oh no Mel!! I hope you get a 2 lb drop one day this week.

My weekly news is that I'm trying out my protein smoothies this week to try something different. I had great success with them last winter. Each one is strawberries, water, and about 27g protein in an 18 oz drink. I'm using them as meal replacements for b'fast and lunch to see if I can budge myself from my mini-plateau. I've read in so many forums (esp the wls one) where people didn't see real progress until they upped the protein they were getting each day. Does anyone here have experience with that?


I'm also interested to see if the additional protein shots helps with all the weight training I'm doing now. Because I definitely see and feel a huge difference between using free weights and from this time last year when I was using only machines. Thanks to you great moderators here for getting me on the right track with that!! to Mel for that tip and to Meg!

I lost your pound for you Mel, so sorry. Will try not to let it happen again (grin).

I'm feeling pretty good....a week of being good has resulting in me dropping some of the weight gained over thanksgiving. Now if I can only stay on the straight and narrow this week....the most dangerous of the year, as I've got 3birthday luncheons and two holiday parties. Did go to one party yesterday and even with it being a potluck stayed decent....ate the vegetarian tamale pie I brought, fruit, and two cookies, but that was it...and was super good the rest of the day. This season is really tough, with both my birthday and the holidays all lumped together.

Hope everyone had a good weekend....Nelie, when are we going to see the wedding pictures, you look so good in the one you showed...want more.

HRBabe, what I've noticed when I've had more protein is that I don't get that afternoon lag...i.e., tiredness/sluggishness that I used to get. I'm finding that adding more protein around 2-2:30 helps keep me energized. I've been alternating between a hardboiled egg and collage cheese and mangoes, and it seems to be working.

Susan F.

Down another pound, and working hard. did a lot of walking after my LBWO. This morning concentrated on my arms and abs. though it was hard waking up this Monday.

MEL - Later this week you will drop 4 pounds, I got the insight from the mystic who left her card on my car windshield this afternoon. LOL.

FRAN - I am another who needs more protein, I usually go the egg/egg white route with protein shakes and cottage cheese, I use lots of frozen berries. I also use lots of baked chicken. I am able to get through the morning with fewer peaks and lulls in my energy levesl. Thanks for the wake up call.

SUSAN - I am not giving MEL my 2 pounds, I will contact the mystic if she wants though.

Tomorrow is yoga and some core workout, I am going for consistency this December.

Had a fab dinner tonite with Foreman grilled chicken, vegetarian baked beans, and brown rice. (I was craving fiber and protein, can you tell? Not a vegy to be found on that plate!)

I'm using these things called chiken tenderloins. Purdue and some other chicken houses produce them. YUMMEE! About 5 minutes total on the Foreman and they were sooo good that the kids even ate them! For some reason, I can't get a whole breast cooked right to save my life (but might try again on the foreman). Now I'm off to Amazon to hunt for a foreman with the removable grills for washing. The cleanup tonite took longer than the cooking & eating, and that's a definite bummer. (Don't submerge the unit, don't bump the countertop and take a chunk out, balance the whole thing and hold it while you try to scrub it, scrub it all over for the grease seems to travel, and on and on.)

I've had the wierdest day. Normally I love legs day ... lbwo ... either/or ... Today I could hardly wait. I would have left work early if someone had suggested it.
Stuff got in the way ... I was sooo restless on the phone with my bro, my DS ... visiting with my SIL ... I finally got at it at about 9 and couldn't settle in .... just too restless or something. Even music didn't help! I finally just went for a short run.
Odd.

Whoo, hoo! Big news here!! We won our public TV station giveaway (called the Grubstake Sweepstakes) which was - ta da - $1,500 GC to an Anchorage mall, which includes a Sears and a HUGE grocery store!! I'm so psyched. Gonna get a new Foodsaver and stock up!

Fran - I'm on my second (larger) GF grill. The easiest way I've found to clean them is to put really wet (think dripping) paper towels into the grill when you take the food out. Close the lid and let the steam do its work while you enjoy dinner. (Unplug the grill, of course. ) When cleanup time comes, just wipe up the mess with a dry paper towel or sponge. This really works well 95% of the time. I'd love a removable plate one too, but this one was a gift and will likely last at least the 5 years our small one did.

Ok I have confession time.

Ever since the wedding (almost a month ago), I've been off. Food has been off, some days better than others and exercise has been off. Mostly I've noticed a portion creep with my food. I need to get back into the groove but I've lost my groove temporarily. One good thing is that I've been waking up early but I've been waking up early to play with the cat. I need to get my booty on the elliptical instead. My size 20 jeans I was so proud of were washed and dried in the dryer and are now tight again. We can't have that. Of course it has nothing to do with the 4 lbs I've gained since the wedding.

Anyway, that is my confession for the day and I know I have to admit it before I can move past it.

Nelie - I'm still battling with honeymoon pudge, we'll get there!

Mel - was it you heavy deadlifting??? Then isn't that where your extra lb has come from? Remember what you said, water etc going to repair the muscles

I won my tournament fight last night! Nothing very exciting, it was an in club tournament and I was matched with a 14 YO Karate black belt. He was really psyching himself up by putting me down before we faught! He was taking the pee out of my pink gloves, laughing that he was going to beat me to a pulp, knock me out etc etc... When the time came he managed to get one hit in while I was using him as a punch-bag! I felt really cheated since I didn't get a good fight - I just mullered him! I guess those black belts must be easy to come by in Karate!

I got a trophy too...

LOL Fru, you're scaring me!!

Nelie, welcome back to the light side. I knew something was up with you. It's never a good sign when people go missing! We've missed you!

My protein smoothies are doing their thing. Finally saw a scale budge this morning, 1 full pound. Exciting stuff! Well, the protein and all the

I'm sleepy now
Almost too tired to think about ubwo tomorrow ... almost.

Hi LWL,

I'm back after lurking for a bit. I had some major computer cleanup to do as DS contracted a virus through MSN. Sigh. I had to reinstall this one over the weekend, and will upgrade DSs computer next. Needless to say, excercise has suffered and the scale is up. I really need to clean up my act. So far I found that the afternoons are my downfall. I come home starving, and then I eat to much. Then I am so tired, that I do not work out. I only did 1 hour power on monday, still feel some soreness, but I need much more exercise to lose weight.

On the plus side: my energy is up again, I went to bed at the same time as DS yesterday and the day before, and yesterday I did not even nap in the afternoon! Also, I received a signed copy of my divorce settlement in the mail last weekend. One gone, two more milestones to go.

Frus - what an awesome success with the kickboxing!!

Hi to all the LWL,

Have a good day all,
rabbit

I've been a bit woozley all week - taken odd bits of the week off work, been in bed, not been down the gym since last week

I'm at work today and am planning on getting 3 hours of kickboxing in tonight. Nothing like easing back in slowly!

Rabbit, I have the same problem with fatigue. I can feel fine until I get to the front door of my house and once I’m home and start to relax the fatigue just washes over me like a wave. Some nights I’m so tired I feel like I could cry. I’ve learned that if I come in, grab a protein beverage (I usually use Slimfast ONLY because it is in a can and I don’t have to take the time to fix it and it is only 2 points. If I keep protein bars in the house I can’t just have one). The real benefit is that I don’t have to do anything but open and pour, sit down and relax for about 30 minutes. It is amazing how much my energy bounces back after that. I get up and fix a "real" dinner for DH and myself. I typically workout in the morning because it is to late in the evening to be working out if I plan on going to bed and actually drifting off to sleep.

Before I started having a snack, if I sat down when I got home I wouldn’t muster the energy to even fix dinner. It can just be something like ½ cup of cottage cheese, something quick, nutritious, that you can curl up, nibble at and re-energize with.

Hope this helps, it’s made a huge difference in my evenings.

Hi LWL,

WOW, Evangeline this sounds like such a good tip! You describe my problem to a T. I'll stock up on proteine powder & mix myself a drink to put in the fridge. See if that works.

Have a good one everyone,
Rabbit