Ellis-Vanity is a useful motivator for me and I am slightly ashamed to admit it! Ya gotta use whatever works though!

icedragon-welcome! No competition-just taking and offering the encouragement to get it done. What are your exercise goals for October? I've put mine in my signature-it was the only way I'd be sure not to forget.

I didn't get up early this morning--margaritas with my little brother last night (he's 6'2", 220lbs little!) I had two and a splitting headache this morning. I had thought that I wouldn't be able to get a workout in last night b/c I had to fix dinner and clean the house for company, but my dh started everything so I could go out for 45 min--I ran some but not exactly in intervals b/c I was actually trying to run the full 3 miles and couldn't make it. My legs are aching from the weights on Monday, but not so bad that I feel like I injured myself. If I can't use weights tonight then I'll just do cardio and try some abs and back work on my big ole ball at home.

10/01 - 45-minute pilates class; 1-hour step aerobic class
10/02 - nothing
10/03 - 45-minutes total body conditioning class (class includes high-rep/low-weight arms/legs; abs; push-ups/plank)
***
10/04 - 45 minutes on my home elliptical
10/05 - 45 minutes on the elliptical at the gym

Tomorrow i will do cardio and weights.

Melra - I agree with vanity being a motivator! I hope your head is feeling better by now.

Melissa - I think i would rather work out in baggy clothes than tight clothes. But since i have to wear two layers to control the bounce, i usually wear a sports bra under a yoga tank with a built in bra. Then I either wear yoga pants or shorts.

<-- Me, after 40 minutes on the treadmill doing HILLS!

I did them on a 5:1 interval, it was tough! I was sweating all over!

Good reason not to get up early Mel! I didn't sleep well last night which actually makes it easier to get up at 4:40am. It will hit me about 2pm though.

Yay for new people! Welcome. Let's really sweat today ladies!

I have not idea what goals to set in the excersice department! LOL! I think just getting back in and doing something is better than nothing though. so i will log what i do this month, and try to beat it next!!!
I got inspired yesterday and did 1/2 hour treadmill (part fast walk, a little jogging!) and 10 minutes bike!
Today I am planning a light weights session (don't want to be sore tomorrow!) so I'd better get out of my Pj's and get going! !

Sweet! I just noticed you're in Australia, IceDragon! I was thinking--why is she just getting out of her pj's at 6:30pm? doh! Glad you got inspired-have a good workout with the weights!

So today for me--15min cardio warmup, 40min weights, small break to take dd to (her very first! ) Girl Scouts meeting and then 30min cardio.

Melissa: great job on the incline!

Fishwoman: You are doing SuperFantastic!

Y'all, I went shopping last night for an anniversary gift instead of working out. I hope he likes it! I will be working out through this weekend though to make up for time.

Mel, when is your anniversary? My 10 year is the 21st. My hubby is always getting lost so I got him a fancy compass that I'm engraving, "I'd be lost without you." That is the romantic present, then I also got a GPS system for his car. He won't tell me what we are doing. He said we have to be somewhere by 5:30 and we aren't coming home that night!

10/01 - 45-minute pilates class; 1-hour step aerobic class
10/02 - nothing
10/03 - 45-minutes total body conditioning class (class includes high-rep/low-weight arms/legs; abs; push-ups/plank)
10/04 - 45 minutes on my home elliptical
10/05 - 45 minutes on the elliptical at the gym
****
10/06 - 50 minutes at the gym today! 20 minutes of weight-lifting; 5 of abs; and 25 on the elliptical.

Melissa and Melra - Happy (advance) Anniversary!! My five-year was May 21st.

IceDragon - I think just getting back in and doing something is better than nothing though. that's the spirit! Every little bit is good for you!

Melissa~That is a totally great present, masculine and romantic! Ours is the 13th and we are taking the weekend at a B&B, checking out some vineyards and breweries and hanging out in a hot tub. Oktoberfest! I had hoped to be down another 5 pounds by now b/c we talked our good friends into staying at the same B&B and I really don't want to sit in a hot tub with them...they are both very fit. But I can't wait. Hubby and I have been ridiculously busy and have been looking forward to this weekend since we reserved the suite on last year's anniversary!

I didn't get in the extra cardio last night--I chose to hang out during the Brownie troop meeting (so cute! and sooo glad I'm not the troop leader, poor woman!) rather than go on a run during that time. I worked my legs quite a bit and they were still kind of wobbly feeling anyway. I was able to do all of my lunges/squats with 2-20 pound dumbells and I felt pretty good about that! I don't feel like I worked my abs or upper body as much and I'm planning on doing some light weights at home on Sat.

I'm going to get in a longer cardio tonight and this time I'm going to try to pace myself better so I can hang in there for the full time. I've noticed that I tend to up my speed on the treadmill without really thinking about whether or not I can sustain it, so I'll wait to do a little burst after 20min of running. I'm going to try for 3.5mi tonight and that will probably be all I have time for.

I'm in some sort of plateau right now--I haven't lost any weight for a month now. I did mess up a number of times on my diet and I was inconsistent with my exercise for a week. I'm trying not to get discouraged and my dh told me I needed to push through it and try for a harder workout. I think my bigger prob is the calories I'm taking IN!

Great job everyone on the workouts!

Thanks FishWoman! Great job on the workout yesterday. I really need to work on my abs.

Wow, Mel - your weekend sound like it will be great. I am jealous! My husband isn't a B&B kind of guy. He is introverted and doesn't like to hang out with other people like that. I think it sounds fabulous! I am sure you will look awesome in the hot tub. You are very close to your goal, that much weight doesn't make a huge difference.

At least you have plateau'd, I gained the last two weeks. This week I have a 3lbs loss. I was hoping for more. I want the weight the magically appeared to magically disappear too. I am going to hang tough this weekend because that has been what is killing me. I need to stay on plan all weekend! I need to buckle down or I will never get through the holidays.

So, 6 miles today. It was long and boring! It took me 83.22 minutes (but I burned over 400 calories). I did pretty good. Next week is only 60 minutes, I can't believe how much I am looking forward to running *only* 60 minutes. Hee!

melissa~isn't that your highest mile run so far? That's great! 60 minutes as an "easy" run now, huh? I'm trying to make the 30min goal (again) so the 3.5 mi one tonight will definitely test my endurance and pacing.

I don't feel close to my goal at all--I haven't been 155 in a very very long time, even when I felt my thinnest. It seems like any weight loss or gain is immediately noticeable on me and I was really hoping that the 155 would have been like wow-you've lost weight-kinda thing. eh. Along those same lines though I can't even imagine what my body will look like once I (eventually) make my goal of 135. My husband thinks I'm crazy, but I've shown him the charts and that weight is normal; it's not like I'm an Amazon. He says I just have a large build, which is true, but I gotta lot more on this build than I need and my jeans (genes) can testify to that.

Yes, 6 miles is my longest run yet. Thanks for noticing!

Good luck on the run, Mel. I am sure you can do it. I just keep telling myself as I am going only __ more minutes, that is no problem. You've done that before. Goofy stuff like that. It is a good thing I just say it in my head. The people at the gym would think I was nutty.

How tall are you? I don't remember you posting that, but I may have missed it. At 5'2" the high end of normal is 138.5. The lowest weight I can remember being is 157 about 5 years ago, right before I had my daughter. I can't believe I got as close as 160 and then screwed it up. Sometimes I really don't think my head wants me to lose the weight. I get close then *bam* do something stupid. I also cannot imagine what 130 will look like. I am fitting into size 10's now which I have never done before in my memory. Last time I lost weight I didn't strength train so I had a higher fat %. I only got as low as a 12. Well, enough of this rambling, have a great weekend!

10/01 - 45-minute pilates class; 1-hour step aerobic class
10/02 - nothing
10/03 - 45-minutes total body conditioning class (class includes high-rep/low-weight arms/legs; abs; push-ups/plank)
10/04 - 45 minutes on my home elliptical
10/05 - 45 minutes on the elliptical at the gym
10/06 - 50 minutes at the gym today! 20 minutes of weight-lifting; 5 of abs; and 25 on the elliptical.
*****
10/07 - 60 minute ballet workout.

Wow, Melissa - 83 minutes of running?!? That is amazing. Way to go!!!

Good on you melissa, i am trying to work out miles to km? (we are metric and this is hard!!)
I actually started using my treadmill again this week, and after the first 1/2 hour, i couldn't believe i used to actually spend 1 1/2 hours on it. (it gets soooo boring)
but anyway 10/5 30 min treadmill(3km) / 10 minutes bike
10/6 1 hour light weights (with some cardio in between)
10/7 35 min treadmill(4.2km) /20 min bike!
10/8 and 10/9 days off (weekend)

AND!! i bought a decline bench to do decline sit ups (your head and shoulders are lower than you legs) and OUCH!!! 2 days of that (only 5min) and i really know my abs are alive.....

Cheers all
Keep up all the good work!

icedragon~I've been doing those situps at the gym a couple times a week and yeah, they really prove you're working! I can only do 2 sets of 25 for now and I have to take a long break btw the sets. I keep trying to remind myself that it will get easier after I keep doing it for awhile, but wow, so hard!

10/01 - 45-minute pilates class; 1-hour step aerobic class
10/02 - nothing
10/03 - 45-minutes total body conditioning class (class includes high-rep/low-weight arms/legs; abs; push-ups/plank)
10/04 - 45 minutes on my home elliptical
10/05 - 45 minutes on the elliptical at the gym
10/06 - 50 minutes at the gym today! 20 minutes of weight-lifting; 5 of abs; and 25 on the elliptical.
10/07 - 60 minute ballet workout.
10/08 - nothing
10/09 - 45 minutes of pilates.
****
I will post later after i have worked out today.