Just got back from Michigan. I did pretty well over the holiday. I checked my weight daily so I wouldn't overdo it and kept the deserts to a minimum. Tried really hard not to eat when I wasn't hungry. Had a good time but am glad to be home. I really missed shopping. I usually go the day after with my aunt & G-ma but I wasn't home in Iowa this year .

I'll check in sometime tomorrow.

Rachel

ITS MONDAY

The long weekend is over and back to work we go! How did everyone do over the holiday? Well I did BAD, I didnt eat that much but I havent exercised since Wednesday, and I gained back 1 1/2 lbs. But I'm not gonna let that discourage me, that just means I have to work extra hard this week to take it back off

I hope all of you are doing well and if you fell off the wagon like I did just shake it off and keep on going! And if you need some extra motivation that what we're here for!

I think we should all set mini goals for Christmas, so when we reach our goal we'll get another boost of confidence, but it needs to be realistic. Christmas is in about 4 weeks so I think I could lose 8-10 lbs by Christmas! Is anyone else up for a little challenge? Well ladies I hope you all have a good and healthy day!

I would definitely be up for a mini goal. I think I could lose 8 - 10 lbs by Christmas. I have a ton of dresses that I would love to be able to wear again.


I intended to get up at 5 this morning and go to the gym, but 5 came so early. We didn't even get home from our trip until after 9 last night. I'll try again tomorrow morning. I just need to suck it up and go.

Rachel

Tell me about it, I used to be an Asst Manager at a clothing store so we got 40% off everything, of course I bought evrything. They should of just paid me in clothes because my paycheck went right back into the store. Now I have so much clothes that doesnt fit anymore but I refuse to give them away because I know that I'll fit into them someday! I sure hope that someday comes soon!

So how is everyone else doing? I was really good yesterday, I walked for 50 minutes and I ate good stuff, a lot of veggies. I hope I can do the same today! I hope all of you are doing well too. I'm cheering for you!

Go Girls!
We can do this!
Lets get in shape!

I still didn't get up and go to the gym this morning. Somehow I managed to turn both of my alarms off and I was 10 minutes late for work. Hopefully things turn around for me today. I'm going to try to get to the gym after school. Maybe I can get my husband to go with me tonight. I still have to walk the dog so at least I'll get some exercise.

Rachel

Hello Ladies!

I certainly didn’t eat very well over the weekend, but I tried to compensate by not eating too much. Looking at our eating habits now I don’t even know how it’s possible that I was raised by these people. My dad tried to offer me pumpkin pie for breakfast before I left for the airport yesterday morning (no, I’m not kidding, and yes, I said no). My mom’s fridge is full of cheese, meat (mostly the unhealthy kind like hot dogs, ew!) sugary yogurt, soda, and the only bread in that house is white bread. And of course I had to save my potatoes before grandma put gravy all over them. I did eat a ton of my aunt’s famous taco dip at the Thanksgiving gathering, but ate just a small portion of mashed potatoes and Morningstar Farms “chicken” marinara that I picked up for myself for dinner. I was surrounded by cookies, pie, and leftover Halloween candy all weekend, but I tried to keep my intake to a minimum.

I went to the YMCA (the one in my home town is the best!) on Saturday: 45 min on the elliptical and 45 min circuit weight training, Sunday: 15 min on elliptical and Bodyflow class (go check out the site for a description of this class http://www.lesmillsusa.com/site/prog...s-program.aspx ) this was an amazing experience. The class was so challenging and made me feel so good! None of my local YMCA locations offer this, but I’m going to write them and put in a request. Ihear great things about the Bodypump classes too from my sister. Monday: I did a class called “Deep Water Boot Camp”, but it really wasn’t as challenging as I hoped, so I stayed after and did a ½ hour of laps.

Also, after my Monday workout I stepped on the scale for the first time in over a month, and found that I’ve lost 10 lbs total in the past two months! It was very exciting for me.

I ate horribly yesterday (airport food, ick!) and ate Thai delivery last night, but I’m back in the saddle today.

I’ll set myself a goal of another 5 lbs by Christmas.

Hi Ladies
I fell off the wagon big time. Not on thanksgiving but over the weekend and monday and tuesday. i have just been eating junk. My main problem is that i have had a cold and when i am sick all i want is chicken noodle soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, and i might add not good for you homemade kind of soup, but the lipton kind that comes in a box.

I think that it is a great idea to have mini goals. I want to lose 4 pounds befor christmas and i would be happy. That does not sound like very much but given that my "scale" is on strike I don't want to set a goal that is not realistic.
well ladies it looks like it is time for all of us to get with the program if we want to make our goals. Have a great day everyone.

I did much better today with my diet and exercise. I just got in from walking the dog 2 miles and boy is it cold. We're supposed to get about 4 inches of snow tonight. Still haven't drug my butt out of bed for a morning workout yet. My bed is so toasty and warm in the morning and I am NOT a morning person anyway. I'll try again tomorrow.

Rachel

Hey Ladies,

I just wanted to check in with you guys before I go workout. I convinced my friend to do this diet with me so now I have you great buddies and a work out buddy. She has a gym at her apartment so I'm going to meet her over there. There is also a pool but its a little cold today so I dont think I'll be swimming eventhough I LOVE to swim. If I had a pool at my house I lose all the weight just form swimming all day, but I dont .
I usually workout first thing in the morning but now I have to wait for her so I dont know how thats gonna work out for me. I like working out in the morning it makes me feel better all day long. I was home today so I tried to keep busy so I wont go into the kitchen. I got a lot done, I put up all the Christmas decorations and I assembled the tree, I have to wait for the rest of the family to decorate it, I even scratched a few people off my shopping list.

I know what you mean, I'm Indian and my family eats rice with every meal!!
They wake up and eat a meal the size of a normal persons dinner and then eat dinner the size of dinner. After we eat they always have to give you something sweet, and Indian sweets are so rich and not very low in calories.
I've been used to eating like that for so long It was hard to change my eating habits, the exercise wasn't so bad but giving up all that yummy food was soooo hard.

Well girls time for me to go sweat! I hope you all have a good day. Keep up the good work!

Hello Ladies!

Hope you are all having a good “rebound” week coming out of Thanksgiving. I wish I could be one of those people who gets up before dawn to work out, but that has just never been my thing. No matter how much I tell myself the night before that I will get up when the alarm goes off, something happens in the morning that makes that somehow physically impossible. I think I have too many bad memories of hitting the freezing cold pool at 5am for swim practice in high school.

I’ve been eating OK since I got back, maybe a couple small pieces of chocolate that weren’t necessary, but nothing too bad.

I’m back to the gym right after work today. Just the usual elliptical and weight circuit routine tonight. Do any of you ladies lift? This is the first time I’ve done it of my own accord and am wondering how much lifting is enough? I tried doing 3 weight sessions a week, but that just felt like too much and was very time consuming so now I’m aiming for 2. Just curious what kind of weight routine you might all be doing.

I usually lift with my husband. We haven't been very good about getting to the gym lately. We used to lift every morning. We lifted a different muscle group each day. Monday we did chest, Tuesday we did biceps, Wednesday we did legs, Thursday we did Lats, Fridays we did triceps. We usually added in some sit-ups or crunches and a lot of cardio. I was doing great when we were going to the gym every day. Then we both kind of slacked off after the wedding. We both completely lost our motivation to get to the gym. I've been in a few times mostly I did cardio.

The only thing you have to remember about lifting is that muscle weighs more than fat. So as you gain muscle and lose fat you will eventually plateau and the scale may stop going down. You will probably look and feel better but the weight won't change.

I try to focus more on how my clothes fit than the numbers on the scale. Although, it is really nice to see those numbers change and get smaller.

I did pretty well this weekend. I didn't go overboard on anything and I did walk the dog this weekend. I spent Saturday evening scrapbooking with a friend. We did a little drinking which added some extra calories but you have to do that once in a while.

Still need to get into the gym. I'll try to go sometime tonight. I have to do some Christmas shopping after school today. Maybe I'll power walk the mall. Then I still have to walk the dog and it is COLD here.

Rachel

Hi Everyone
Hope you all had a good weekend, it was not great weather wise here, it snowed and was blowing really hard, it would be the only time that i actually wanted to get out and do somthing. i really wanted to go look for my christmas tree this weekend. that is great excersize it is like walking in the water only much harder and colder. i think that you must burn more calories when it is cold you have to work harder to keep warm. well that is just my thinking on that. anyway it did not work out because it was way to cold here, when it is 5 degrees i want to do nothing. i am still trying to buy the rest of my strip tease videos, i love those videos. i think is is because i don't really feel like i am working out. i hate to exersize A LOT. well ladies i have to go. i will check back later and let you know how the day is going. Have a great day.

We had the nasty cold and blowing snow here too. I was supposed to go Christmas shopping with a friend but we only made it about 10 miles from her house and we decided to turn around and go home. We spent the afternoon scrapbooking and drinking. It is about -6 here today with the wind chill. If walking in the cold burns more calories I should burn a ton walking the dog tonight. Well, I have to get going. Have some Christmas shopping to do. Walking in the mall is good exercise too! Hope everyone is having good luck with the diets. Try to avoid all the dreadfully delicious holiday treats.

Rachel