Hi everyone - Well today dawns a bit brighter. Last night was rough. The princess had trouble digesting the shock of Maxie's passing. We had some therapeutic crying, poured over photos and shared "remember when" stories. Everyone seemed a bit subdued but better today. Maxie was a sheltie (think miniature lassie). He was our second sheltie. We had him for 11 years, the first few of them overlapping with our first sheltie MacDuff. Duff was showdog quality, Maxie was the runt of the litter. Duff was beautifully trained and obedient (I didn't have kids then), Max was Duff's evil twin! LOL

It sure is quiet in the house w/out Maxie hanging around keeping me company.

Some good news though: I stepped on the scale today and Hooray! I'm maintaining! LOL. I know that sounds pretty lame but that is my winter goal, to just maintain til the weather warms up and I'm out for 2 hours a day again. The scale read about 168 this morning which is exactly where I was pre Holiday food fest so no complaints here.

Thank you so much for the kind thoughts ITRM I am genuinely appreciative. I am the exact same way re: Beats Per Min. I need that when I'm on the eliptical. I visited the Turbo Jam website and I think jumped from there to other sites that had music where I was able to get 1 or 2. Mostly I just listen to the popular dance music when I'm on there. If you want, I can send you a copy of my playlist and you can see if there's anything there that works for you.

Welcome back college bride. Good luck with the new goal of No Junk Food. You can do it. After a while you will wonder how you ever ate that stuff at all!

Well the princess just got home so I'm going to sign off. Have a great day!

*Doing a "Drive-By*

Adding my Maxie condolences- - had to smile about Evil-Twinness - our new lil Westie is just a joy AND A TERROR - has brought new life to our 12 yr old mini-schnauz - who I don't think is long for this world--hope it is as quick as your Maxie.

I've only taken my measurements ONCE - gotta find them in this Thread when I have time. Think I'll take them again Feb 1st and do it each month thereafter - have no idea what they'll be - just curious.

thanks so much to everyone for the kind thoughts and support. We are all getting on with the business of living.

Last night Dh and I went out dancing! yep. There is a local fitness club that is unbelievably beautiful. The lockers are all gorgeous wood, there are indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, racketball courts, steam rooms, saunas, hot tubs both coed and unisex, classes in everything you can imagine including spinning, basketball courts and a HUGE fitness room w/ machines. Each machine has its own flat screen tv. It is amazing. A g/f of mine is a member (it's 100bucks a month and that includes EVERYTHING, every class, towels, toiletries, everything but the food and drink). Apparently this club hosts cocktail hour every friday and last night was their annual winterfest. For 15bucks we had dinner and dancing and a cash bar. It was very fun. The club is just stunning.

We ate so much crap. There were chef stations all over and they were making fresh stirfry, fresh lobster ravioli, fresh bananas foster, fresh caesar salad.

My g/f wants me to join the club but it really isn't convenient for me to be a member there. Besides, like I keep telling her, All I'm really interested in is the spinning and a few machines. With the set up of my new trainer, I do spinning at home. I have an eliptical machine that I use at home and in the summer time, I don't set foot inside a gym. I'm out on the bike for 2 to 3 hours a day. I realize that it's a great club, but I don't need it.

I'm going to look into what the guest rate is so maybe I can pay for a day and go with her now and then for kicks but that's it. Meanwhile, I'm going to go ride the trainer just now to try to burn off some of the calories from last night. I just feel soooo tired.

T.

Hi all, I'm back. Just couldn't find time to get here for whatever reason. Happy to report I made it to the gym 4 times this week. I would be content to do that every week. I'm going to try to fit it in this week too.

T, So sorry to hear about the furry friend My pug is battleing cancer right now and I don't know what we will do if she doesn't make it. She is about 7 y/o but we have only had her for 4 years and it hasn't been nearly enough time w/ her. Wow that gym sounds phenomenal, I love a nice gym/spa. I was a member at a nice one when I worked in the big city and I miss it so much. That is a steal for $100 per month but I understand that if it is not convenient or needed it is no bargain at all.

Aud, Can't wait untill the 1st to see what your progress has been in inches. I haven't been able to dig up a measuring thingy (I don't sew) and keep forgetting to pick one up. But I really need to measure my waist, that is what the "you" book says anyways.

Jo, TOM really screws me up too. And it is about a week away. I'm going to try to combat it this time by watching my salt intake. Maybe it will help maybe not.

Z, Glad you are back. Sorry about the scale dillema. I think it is unbelievable too since you have been working out so much. Maybe it was just a difference in scales. Oh well, maybe you need to start going by a measuring tape too.

Well I must sign off, be back tomorrow w/ weigh in results...

MJ

Hello Emjay! I was just surfing through the site and came across this thread. I was so excited to see a familiar name!! Sounds like you're doing well. I'm still trudging along. Just still struggling with losing, regaining then relosing the same stubborn lbs. Anyway, I just had to say hello!

Hi everyone else I've been a member of 3fc for quite some time but I havent been in here in almost a yr I think. First my computer crashed, then I got a new position at work. Ended up just overwhelmed with the new workload and other things and havent been able to find time to get back in here. When I posted regularly, Emjay and I were in the same thread.

Maybe someday soon I will be able to get back to coming here more often. Nice meeting all of you!

Miki

I keep missing what "spinning" is . . . something to do with the bike?

Hiya miki! Jump on in here.

Have been a total vegetable all weekend - but didn't eat hardly any! Work stress is taking its toll - resolved - like I do every Monday - to combat it in a healthy - positive way.

TOM is finally gone; that darn fluid retention gets me every month. BUT, I did get another lb. off AND that means I've met my January goal of being down 5 lbs. by 2/1/07. I also just had a fantastic treadmill run. I ran 3 miles in 44:50 minutes!! That's a first ever for me. I know, "real" runners would think that was wimpy but a 15 minute mile was always just out of reach. Since I got the 3 miles done in less time, I stayed on an extra 1/2 mile for a total of 3.5 miles today. What a great NSV this is!!! Very happy about it (can you tell???)

The kids had a 2 hr. delay due to icy roads so they'll be home in just a few hours. No dog walks today. But since it's so cold, the ground is frozen and she can run all around the yard chasing the little bunnies, squirrels and kitty cats that come visiting. It's great fun to watch her try and catch them. She treed a cat a few weeks back (several strays around and people keep feeding them so they are well and keep reproducing! We will be over run w/them some day I fear!). Don't worry, little kitty cat got down and ran away just fine. For some reason the animals like our yard cause it's fenced in. Go figure!

Jen, I'd love it if you'd PM me your playlist and I'll do the same. Ok, so just remember that I'm 46 and just give some of the tunes a chance!

Hope everyone had a good weekend and is doing their best to stay the course. TTFN!!!!

Jo

YESSSS! I did it! The first couple of times I attempted the spinervals dvd it kicked my tang. I finished it today!

aud: Spinning is working out on a stationary bike. It is doing sprint intervals at different levels of resistance. Standing and sitting. It can be done on a regular bike that's attached to a trainer (like mine) or in a class at a gym on special stationary bikes. Usually these classes play music really loud and they are led by an instructor who is also riding. It burns calories like crazy.

Today I completed the 45 min video and burned about 500 calories. I feel great! I'm really psyched that I completed the workout. It's only 10am and my stomach is growling now though. Will grab an apple while I start my chores.

Enjoy the day everyone!!!

PS: HI Miki!! Welcome!!

Hello everyone, been awhile but I am back. As you recall I mentioned TOM was due on Friday, well she never showed, needless to say I was panicked and stressed, so of course I fell off track. Now is now time for a baby. I would be due at such a bad time, part way through the semester. I am a little more than a year away from graduation, we dont' want another baby for some time. Any way she finally showed this morning and I cried-tears of joy. So I am so back and so ready to kick some butt and you can bet me and the hubby are gonna be a little more careful in the future
Well I only gained a little over a pound with her this month so that should be easy to lose.

isthatreallyme-the hubby bought me an ipod for my early bday this last weekend. I haven't actually put any songs on it yet, i have over 400 cds that I am currently importing my favorite songs to the computer but once I start setting up playlists I will be sure to share them. I am so excited about getting it up and running.

Well I hate to run like this but Open Season come out today and I promised my girls we would get it and I have lots of house work to get caught up-depression is horrible but I am out of that now. Talk to you ladies later on.
Jen

LIW - congrats on your NSV!! Doesn't it feel just fantastic when you accomplish something that was just eluding you? That's how I feel about running on the TM. I did another 3 miles in 45:10 minutes today. And I had to force myself to just keep going cause I just wanted to sit down the whole time! But once done, boy does it feel great. I also did 25 min. of total gym and just got back from a 1.5 mile dogwalk -- boy, was she happy to get out!!

Jen - if you figure out how to copy your playlists (the names and artists) into a word doc or something, let me know. I keep trying but I'm not having any luck. Cutting and pasting only copied part of the lists and put it in some text box. I'll keep trying. And congrats on no congrats!! Possible baby at the wrong time can really bend your mind. I've never had a baby scare -- oh wait, yes I have -- I have three kids!!

Jo

Miki, OMG, I have been thinking about you lately...So glad to see you here again. Hopefully you can check in once in a while, even if it is just once a week. I came back to the site Nov 06 I think and have been trudging along, or maybe it was December. Hope everything is going good for you. Is your rotator cuff fully healed, no surgery I hope??? Well anyways we have a really great group here and hope you can join us now and then. Thanks for looking me up.

Jo, Great job w/ the 15 minute miles. I can't usually do that on a treadmill, but on the elliptical I can do about 3.2 - 3.4 miles in 30 minutes. That includes a warm up and cool down. Since I don't have either machine at home I have my choice at the gym and always perform better on the elliptical. Have you ever tried one? Also, I have been watching your miles add up on your ticker, you are doing awesome. I'm definately going to do that in February. Was that ticker from this site or did you import it?

T, Good job on the spinervals. Sounds like everything is coming together as planned w/ the cyclops (sp?). Not many people have a spinning class right in their own home. Does the dvd have good music on it?

Jen, Don't feel bad I was up 2 lbs. this week and I think it was cuz of pre TOM. Lucky me, I'll have it on our b-day, yuck. That is cool about the ipod, wish I had one.

Aud, Hang in there and keep doing those pilates. I bet you have big plans for Super Bowl. Well do ya?

Yup that is right up 2 lbs. this week and for once I really don't know how. Usually I know exactly how but I'm not going to question and just try to stay on track w/ my excercising. I'm in the middle of a blizzard right now and have been waiting all day for the h20 softener repair guy that still hasn't showed so I didn't go to the gym this AM. The dude that is supposed to plow the drive hasn't showed up yet either. I guess the 14 inches of snow we got overnight really threw a wrench in things. But I did manage a 2-mile WATP before noon so that is good. We have snow for the rest of the week so it may be me and Leslie Sandsone all week instead of the gym. Oh well better than nothing.

TTYAL, MJ

Correction I lost one pound not two. I don't know what I was thinking. Oh well, that makes me feel better. Carry on.

Okay correction #2, that is gained not lost. I'm having a blond day...

Well I just finished a measley 2 miles on the tm. I had a HUGE fight w/my 10 yr. old this a.m. I am so unbelievably pissed at her. All over the stupid computer. She wanted to play her new game (mall tycoon); her time was limited. I told her she only had 1/2 hr.; I told her if she gave me hard time when it was time to get off that she'd get in trouble; I gave her a solid 5 minute heads-up when I went upstairs to get changed. But as soon as I said ok, you have to eat and get going she just started in the whinning, tantruming, telling me to shut up, back talk, you name it. She does this often -- learned, no doubt, from her brother. I gave her numerous warnings that if she didn't knock it off she'd lose the computer for the remainder of the day, then the next day, etc. Well she kept it up, is grounded off the computer till Saturday and she is no longer allowed on it in the mornings. Which sucks because sometimes she's up at 6am and doesn't need to leave till 8:30am. I tried to not get mad but she just pushed every single button and I just exploded. My mental state was so not into exercising. All I wanted was to get her over to school and be back by 8:30 or so; that way I could get the tm done and get a shower and get dressed by 10am. Sorry to rant here but she just makes me so bloody

MJ, no I've never tried an elliptical machine. Is that the one where you move your arms and legs simultaneously sort of in an arc-like motion? Hope I described that right. I got the fitness ticker from the ticker factory. I did a search on "tickory factor" and clicked on the link that said "weight loss - diet ticker". Oh, and everytime I would update my miles I would delete the one in my signature then cut and paste the new info. You just have to update your ticker and when you logon to here, it automatically is updated. Took me a few weeks to figure THAT one out! And I don't know why, but my ticker still says I have .5 miles to go. I monkeyed around w/the mileage numbers to see if I could get that to change but anything over my goal just kept saying I had xx more miles to go. Dunno what's up w/that.

At least I reached my 70 mile goal; starting a new one tomorrow. I was/am so mad at her behavior that I ripped the ipod off my head after 1/2 mile and just fumed the entire time. Not much fun.

Jo

WOWzers - you all are AWESOME! Very inspiring work outs and achievements!!! I've been walking like crazy but not making the time for anything else - therefore - up two pounds. Not freaking and gonna continue to strive for balance.

My 9 yr old is related to your 10 yr old - I swear Jo! Just plain ornery at times and a definite button pusher - even tho' she KNOWS I will follow thru with the punishment. Grrrrrrrrr! It's definitely an adventure - soooo glad gingerj's baby scare turned out well!!!

Just drove some county roads that were another adventure altogether - 2" of packed snowy ice - found my "slot" and made it home - but nerve wracking and lonely at this time of the Wee Hours - doubled my drive home time but am celebrating LIFE with a big glass of water and a sleeping pill!!!

Finishing up Super Bowl plan and recipes tomorrow emmieJ . . . ttya then!