Weekend-shmeekend, Marie! I would love four days off. Alas, I am behind on several things with a deadline, so I'll be working all day Saturday. Our office is officially closed on Tuesday for Veterans Day, but I'll be in then, too...gotta whittle this pile down! I hope you're home snuggling with the dogs soon.

I did a good aerobic workout this morning (that chatterbox Leslie Sansome, with the sound on mute ). My right shoulder is better, but it's still very achy in the mornings, so I haven't lifted weights in ages. I was eating well yesterday, but I've been munching all afternoon--grapes, a few almonds, a few baked chips, not so awful, but I keep looking around for more, so I'm consuming too many calories. Stress, that's all it is.

I'm still sporadic with logging my food. What am I gonna do about this? Suggestions welcome!

Carol, I know you can get that cholesterol down. I love oatmeal, and I take a fish oil tablet in the AM and with dinner. I'm jealous that your company kicks in toward your gym fees!

Mazza, I grew up in the Snow Belt, so by Christmas we'd already had one or two major snow storms. We get a little snow in DC, but usually not much and it doesn't last long. Now if you want snow, Carol's your girl, she can tell you all about it!

Auntie and Mi Mi, I think I made a huge mistake with chocolate a few months ago, and I'm still paying for it. I tried keeping really good dark chocolate at home so that I could have a little bit as a planned treat. That works for some people, but for not for me. As the old folks used to say, if you're ride with the Devil, you know he's gonna want to drive! Plus I was trying to stop afternoon cravings with that sweetened protein crystal stuff they sell now, you stir it into water, and with just a few calories, presto-change-o, your craving goes away. That seemed to help at first, but unfortunately, artificial sweeteners also make me want more food...so the Carb Monster has been behind the wheel a lot these past three months.

Oops, I've been nattering on. Time to go home to a lovely big salad with chicken, and a chocolate protein shake for dessert.

judy

Judy I hear ya! I ate one nutter butter today; I couldn't help it! I like to think that since I did 30 min on the treadmill, and 1 hour of a powerlift weight class, that hopefully, if my body loves me, it will burn it off ASAP! But, we know how that goes

This week has been rough since I incorporated the weights into my workout. In a nutshell, I have so much blubber around my muscles, that I never realized how weak I was. I lifted on Tuesday, and then noticed a weight class going on, and I decided to attend it on Wednesday. Needless to say, I flet the burn!! And when I say burn, I mean burn!!! LOL! I was very proud of myself for going in the class and just doing it. I went again to the class today. We work all the muscles in the body so, this will be my weight training. Man, I feel so fatigued.

Question, is there a correlation between lifting weights and being hungry? For some reason, I am always so hungry a few hours after lifting weights? What is that about?

Mi Mi

Marie, your going to have to explain to me how you use your windows mobile program on your phone to find out calories when your out. I have windows mobile on my phone, a Black Jack; and I've never really figured out how to use it.

Mi Mi

Oooooh man, what a sunday it's been.

My mum and I went out for the day and I ended up eating vanilla slice, some caramel tart and an almond & chocolate pastry thing. Definetly not waistline friendly, but nonetheless - I thoroughly enjoyed everything and tomorrow is a new day.

Low cal chili sounds delicious, Marie. I love spicy foods. A nap with your dogs sounds lovely - how's that for bonding with pets?

Mi Mi - I totally empathise with the strength training + hunger thing. On my weight lifting days, I'd get home and after my shower, I'd feel like I could eat an entire chicken by myself! What I find really helped was eating a snack about 40mins before hitting the gym - like an apple or something equally carby. Also, planning to do my WL so that I could get home and eat my meal of the day containing the most protein within an hour of getting home.

Cardio makes me nowhere near as famished. In the short term, at least, it supresses my appetite.

Auntie - hersheys kisses!! Ooooh man. That's all I can think to say!

I hope you all have a great sunday!

The evil chocolate monster...


So, I did have a few Hershey Kisses yesterday, but I wore my pedometer to work, and I got in just about 3 miles walking back and forth throughout the day, so I figured it was all OK. Well, it seems that we were too busy to have lunch, so by the time I got home, I was famished and wanted pizza. Mmmmmm, pizza... That was fine, but then I don't know what happened to me later! I lost my mind and ate about 600 calories worth of chocolate, when I wasn't even hungry. I'm blaming the monster.

Marie, sounds like you had a productive day! I think I'm ready to start a little bit of Christmas shopping, too. Now I just have to decide what I'm after, so I don't go overboard. Have a nice breakfast out!

Mazza, oh, you had a sweet day, too! Ah, I guess that's just life. As long as we don't do it every day, right?

All right, I've got a lot to catch up on around the house today, so I have to rip myself away from the computer. I think I'll put the pedometer on again, to keep me moving. Today's Eagles game isn't until nighttime, so I have all day to get some work done and calories burned! Have a good one, everyone!

Hello everyone! Well I am on the road to work on my healthy lifestyle oh its not always so easy. I did work out yesterday and plan to hit the gym on my way back from visiting my SIL at the hospital. She had her elbow replacement out as the body rejected it for 5 years crazy huh? They put some pins in and she is in quite alot of pain. Staying there since fri. till most likely mon. I felt really great at the gym yesterday really getting into the swing of things. Trying so new equipment etc. On the 15th we have an instructional appt. schedule with a trainer to become more in tune with the machines. They have an area with a circuit training 6 machines I think in 30 min. workout suppose to work out all your areas etc. Sounded good to me. I am becoming more comfortable with the gym and knowing what machines are there no workout classes with this gym but thats okay. For my price its still great and now the company is paying me back eventually. Marie happy 4 day to you girl you deserve every bit of it. Let me know about the sour dough bread yummy. I bought some whole wheat eng. muffins yesterday had one for breakfast with one sliced boiled egg 1 T. Mozz. cheese, 2 slices bacon can. style low fat 70 cals. and switched to a Land of Lakes 1/2 butter light stuff 50 cals a serving low chol. not so bad. Not that I use much. My cals were on the mark yesterday but I did induldge in some wine last night with a friend then we had a girls night out. Went to the casino has some good laughs won lost but came home with 5 extra than I went with so I consider myself a winner.
Judy I made myself a little journal on the computer and then copied it cut it up and made a little book it fits in my purse so I always have it. I am getting better about documenting in it. It has date, wt, activities,water, Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack on it. Then I total it out at the end of the day. Its nice cause its small and always with me and individualized to fit my needs and goals. Its good for me to flip back to ck how many times I have been to the gym etc. When I lost wt. and what I ate then etc.
Snow stay away! Weather is still nice but we are to get some rain later on today. No snow in the forecast Marie you can keep it for awhile yet.
Well everyone this wt is stubborn but at least I am using my scale daily. Its not moving so quickly but when I first workout it never does guess building muscle? I agree with all of you on the med. thing forget it I don't think that 269 was all that off the road of healthy is it? I will look up the numbers later on. Few twiks in the diet more activity and I should be fine. I have inc. my fish oill too. I used to take only one now 2 and can't seem to get into the 3rd one at bedtime I always forget.
Oh on the job front my boss and the director have asked me to teach other coworkers how to write up more details in their paperwork and how to document monthly so that we are more than covered for funding and audits. I am not sure how my coworkers will feel about that? I requested for the upper hand folks to tell them that this process will be happening instead of me at their request. They also are doing this so they can show my leadership skills with in the dept. and are working on still wanting me to move up in mtg. If it happens thats okay if not down the road there will be other opportunities for me to change my daily activities a bit with community outreach program we are involved in now. Time will tell I am just not worrying about it if it happens fine if not no biggy.
Take care have a super day and don't for get every choice is our choice. What goes in our mouths is up to us and us only. Have a super day!

I'm taking a break from work. I am supposed to be finishing up at least one of my many projects, but my mind is so scattered (don't forget about X; doh, I forgot about Y) that I can't concentrate. So I've been making up wall charts to reassure me that nothing critical will disappear from sight. Many Post-it notes are being sacrificed in furtherance of my mission, but I'm just helping them achieve their destiny, after all Yes, I may have official "lost it."

Carol, you're getting me psyched to work out! I really noticed this morning how much muscle tone I've lost this past month. Congrats on being asked to take more of a leadership role at work. It always feels awkward at first, but if you don't make a big deal out of it, neither should anyone else. It helps me to use examples of other people's skills or best work, as a way of reminding myself and the other folks that we're all figuring this out and learning from each other.

Auntie, are you sure that guy's a monster? The mouth is plenty big, but the arms need to be longer and the hands need to look like shovels!

Mazza, calories you eat while you're hanging out with you mom don't count.

Marie, sounds like you're having a lovely weekend. But aren't you ruining the doggies' surprise by giving them their presents so early?

Mi Mi, I tend to want to eat more when I'm serious about building muscle. That also happens if I fall off the cardio wagon (as I have this past few weeks) and then climb back on, then it goes away.

Lu and Penny, I hoep you're doing well today.

So re the logging: I have a lovely calendar that I keep in my purse, and it works just fine, when I use it. I track water, food and workouts, not trying to count calories, just what time and how much, and any notes re travel, challenges or ah-ha!s. Over the years I've had success with those logs from the bookstore that have nutritional counts at the back. I've also tried a simple Excel spreadsheet, and a couple of web-based tracking programs. I always have my Blackberry, so I could use it for an electronic system or just to take notes. I don't think the problem is the tool I use, I think I'm resisting putting the energy into following any structure right now . I think it's in reaction to how life has been since the late summer, a stubborn but unproductive response to feeling overloaded. I've thought about going to a therapist or a nutritionist, but that would be yet one more thing to organize, pay for and find time for in my calendar I hope I snap out of this soon! I don't want to slide back up the scale.

Back to work. At least I'll feel more organized on Monday....

judy

Girls a new recipe to share today. Maybe you have heard of it or tried it already ww pumpkin cake. It really was a little bit the texture of gingerbread cake I thought. At any rate not sure of the pts. or cals but here it is:
1 carrot or spice cake mix
1 can of solid pumpkin it has lots of fiber I hear.
Bake it in a 8'' pan greased and floured at 350 until done fork clear done!
Then you serve it with fat free cool whip.
Hey I made it today and the hubby and brother in law never new it was healthy way to go huh? Anyways its pretty good moist and tasty. A nurse at the hospital gave it to me. Also a crock pot soup recipe that cooks all night with the V8 juice, potatoes, beef chunks, and then the next day on low you add all the rest of the veggies and cabbage, good season dry salad dressing mix to season it. She said its great I am not sure about that seasoning for soup but I do like it for salad. Well what do you think ever hear of such crazy recipes? Just thought I'd share. SIL still is in the hospital I visited for a few hrs. then shopped for groceries and a few christmas gifts. Then came home baked the cake made scallops broiled for dinner and some veggies. Cleaned the ref. out yuk I hate that job. Now I am going to sweep and mop the kitchen and I am done for the day. Time to relax.

hi all. Trying something new. Sending and reading the messages from my Ipod itouch. It's slow and strange. TTYL.