hi all,

love the cat pics. i love cats but both me and DS are allergic to them so no can do. DD feels so cheated because she loves animals and we just can't have one. I am definitely NOT a dog person. I did chest bi and legs last night. Have no crew this weekend so I am hitting the gym for a 45 minute session on the treadmill, then hitting the weights for shoulders, back and tris. Since the monsters are gone, I will also be able to get into the gym sat and sun am before the crowds get there. that is the best way to go.

Irish - congrats on those missing inches and Meg, if you need me to, I will come to your house -free of charge - and PERSONALLY throw your scale out the window!

Hi all :D

Im SO sore from UBWO yesterday, and I ususally dont get sore very much... Im sure its because I missed my last UBWO and its SO not worth the pain! Im still seeing some loss in my gut overhang (slow but steady) so Im quite pleased :D Feeling darn slim actually :dance: even tho I still have a long way to go.

Today's dinner is beef tenderloin steaks on the BBQ and Im drooling just thinking about it LOL If anyone asks me "where's the beef?", I usually point to my tummy LOL.

Here's a pic of our kitty Pandy, since we're all sharing ;)


Off to make dinner! Talk to you all later!

Tidey

Tidey --- I love black cats, my SIL has one too her name is Jada...Steak sounds very good, can I come over.?

Paula -- Wow congrats on your 5 inches!!! You must be so proud of yourself, and with good reason...

Here I be... :lol:

I have a really cute pic at home of The Sparkmeister on his tree house (pre-Megan). Jim's taken some photos of them together...they snuggle together occasionally now, in between spats - Megan has deliberately baited Sparky - one time we caught her biting his tail so he would attack her! :lol:

Well, so much for our hot weather...back to drizzle and clouds again but supposedly it's going to clear up by tomorrow... ;)

So much to read!!
 

I had to spend almost an hour to catch up with you girls!!!

Hockey
I am married to an AUSSIE who is almost as fanatical about ice hockey as I am..... I have a Tommy Salo home jersey... Edmonton of course! Went to 2 of the Stanley Cup winning games when I was a young tacker and the Oilers were in their glory days. Hubby has the Chelios Red Wings jersey and yep... some days we put the jerseys on and tell each other how crap the other team is. Especially when we listen to the Edmonton/Detroit games over the net. I almost divorced him when he admited that after 6 months of watching the Canada vrs USA olympic gold medal game every weekend, he taped *gasp* an NBA game over top.... I tell you girls, I cried for a week. Wackos?? Yes we are!!

Hot Hubbies
WOWsers..... hot stuff!! I will have to dig around my photo files to find something to contribute.... the only one I have in mind is in bike gear.... including helmet.... ha ha ha. 99% of our photos are of me... to prove to my mom I am still alive over here!! ha ha ha Hubby loves the gym and is the reason I go every single morning. Even though he is not doing BFL as strict as I am, he is eating much better and making progress. He has his own routine and has started doing the 20 min cardio of BFL, he never used intervals before and has found that the elliptical is an evil machine :) He had a knee reconstruction 8 months ago, and has just gone back to playing basketball once a week, wearing a pretty serious knee brace.

Week 6
Another wow... in a week I will be half done. I am feeling smaller, heaps more energy and I could care less about the scale, so I am really looking forward to taking photos next week.

Sick Dads....
Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of my dad's heart surgery. He had a triple by-pass. I understand anyone's feelings of being far away when a family member is not well. It broke my heart last year that I could not be there. I had a good cry after I got the phone call from him a couple of days later when he snuck out of his room to a payphone to tell me he was alright. My thoughts are with both of you, and I hope that everything works out.

Kitty Cats!!!
We have two.... both are 'rescue' kitties and I deeply miss my cats I had in Canada, even though they are both in loving homes and spoiled rotten. The two we have 'tolerate' each other so there is no romance, just the occasional hissy spit about once a week. Since it is bbbrrrrr chilly here now, we humans provide the body heat for the two felines that sleep on our bed, as far apart as they can possibly get while still staying in contact with the warm humans.

Well chickies.....
I should get something done, it is well after 3 pm over here on a Saturday and I have done nothing but a few loads of laundry, a 2 hour chat with my mom in Canada (thank goodness for prepaid overseas phone cards!) and some serious free day indulgences, do they have white chocolate Twix over there??? Yummy yuck they gave me a sick tummy... toooooooooo sweet!!! Which means I will never want to eat them again *gags* We are going out to our fav italian place (Il Gamberro on Lygon Street, Carlton - - for the aussies!!!) for dinner.... I can smell/taste that canelloni and tiramisu!!! Free day keeps me so honest during the week and sane as well.

Have a good weekend!!
Nola.

Crazy Photo
 

Ok.... here we are as at..... end of September last year, I do believe this was Grand Final weekend for the Footy here, we took the bikes up to a pub in the POURING rain... this is after a meal and a good long stand in front of the fire..... I just can't believe my chubby cheeks!!!!

One more.....
 

This is how happy I am at a hockey game.....

Hockey once more
 

Haha- Kanola, your post had me laughing! We could have a good fight fest! DH wears his (very old) Guy La Fleur Montreal jersey or (almost as old) Daryll Sittler Leafs jersey and I wear my John LeClair Flyers jersey and we glare at each other. Of course now that we've lived in Philadelphia for 19 years, he's really more of a Flyers fan, but old habits (and habitants) die hard! The only thing we argree on is that we hate New Jersey!!!! Especially Martin Brodeur :yikes: Won't he ever retire?

kitties- After 2 weeks of living in the ceiling, I trapped my new kitten with a salmon filet in a have a heart trap. She lived locked in our bathroom for another two weeks, then bathroom-bedroom, then the upstairs, and she just this week (2 months later?) has decided that the whole house is really safe despite an overly bouncy standard poodle. One good whack across the nose which drew quite a bit of dog blood has evened out their relationship. She has gone from being a terrified feral kitty to an incredibly affectionate purr-box who wants to be plastered to a person (preferebly on smeone's head) at all times. She purrs so loud that my son wanted to name her "motorcycle", so we compromised on "Harley".

ok, back on topic. Finished the lifting week with chest and back yesterday. First time I ever did that combo and it felt weird not to spend most of a session on one or the other, but I'm good and sore today. Will keep this split for at least 4 weeks, but it's not my favorite yet. Eating has been good, except for devouring nearly a whole cow the day after leg day. The scale is up a tad since then ( I know, I know, don't yell it again Ilene) so I think most of the cow is still in me. :moo: That day, fish and lettuce just wan't going to do it!

I can't find any pictures to post- I have a family photo in out LWL album taken exactly a year ago- my hair is longer and browner now, dh's is grayer, ds is bigger and dd has shorter hair, but other than that- no changes. The dog looks the same. I just can't squish my photos down enough to fit on this site. I don't know how you all post those nice big pics- I guess I've set the resolution too high on my digi camera, and I just don't have enough time to play in photoshop.

lots of yard work and cardio today, and watching ds's soccer game in the rain...ho-hum, rain again.

mel

Hey Everyone -

My lord... You all are so talkative lately! It's great! :D

Tik - Thank you. I don't feel very strong sometimes, but I really respect my kids, and I know if they don't start making their own decisions (good or bad), then when they're on their own, they won't know HOW to make those decisions. I just feel blessed to have the kids I do. They are far from perfect, just like me, but they are really nifty people. ~~ It's a good thing your nephew asked about touching first! At 4 my son would have just walked right up and grabbed! :lol: ~~ I used to have a mess of cats, as a matter of fact when I left Alaska I needed to find a home for the three I had left, all of whom were old. My best friend up there took my very first cat - he was 14 when I left the state, and he just passed away a couple weeks ago at the ripe old age of 21. I'm so very glad that he had a loving home for the rest of his very long life. I can't have cats now because my BF is allergic to them. So I have everything else, instead. ;)

Trinidad - Nice looking husband!! I may have to see if I can find a pic of my BF to post. We both tend to avoid cameras like the plague, but ... there has to be something around here. Thanks for your kind words about me and my daughter. Like I told Tik - sometimes I don't feel very strong. I'm just thrilled she's going to be here with me for a while longer. I can kind of sympathize with your husband wanting the short hair - I finally hacked off about 2 feet of mine here a month or so ago because I got tired of dealing with it. Now I'm thinking about going even shorter! I want wash and wear hair!! :lol:

Tidey - And you too!! Nice looking guy! Geez. As far as what do I want to wear?? Shorts and a tank top without looking like the sta-puff marshmallow man!!! :yikes: I know what you mean about missing a workout and suffering the pain price. There is a marked difference between the ache I feel after a regularly scheduled workout, and one I've done after I've missed one or two. It hurts! Kind of made me more disciplined about not blowing off a lifting session, indeed. You just made me SO hungry for a steak!! *drool*

Meg - OMG my Dad would be thrilled to see your husbands stuff. He's a history buff, too. Has this huge library of books, maps, the whole bit. He helped spur my fascination with Tzarist Russa, and when I go someplace down here which has a military history, I take pictures and tell him all about it. He loves to talk about stuff like that. :) Thank you so much for your encouraging words on the emotional eating. I am finding that - just as much as I may crave the chocolate and carbs sometimes - I am starting to crave being OP and working out as a source of comfort. It makes me feel "right" and good about my life. I can see that seeping into my daughter, too. I know it's not an overnight thing, I'm just happy that it's happening at all. And I've found that with my occasional lapses, I simply accept them as part of life and move on. I no longer spend days feeling like a failure or disgusted with myself. I just enjoy the treat and move on. I think I like this way of living! :D And I can SOOOOO relate to your scale obsession and your fear of gaining weight overnight. I'm trying to beat that one, too. Again, slowly I'm realizing that I am getting a handle on portions, but I still don't trust myself. Time will be my ally on this one. The more fat I lose, the better shape I get into, the less I will be terrified that I'll blow up in one weekend to the fat, out of shape person I was. And as far as your "duh" moment... I had to FORCE myself to eat 1200 calories when I first started on this plan because I would let fear consume me and end up being terrified to eat anything at all. Of course, after a week or two of 500 - 900 calories a day, I was weak as a kitten and, like you, would end up going completely off plan and binging. Even if intellectually I knew I needed to eat to lose, emotionally it would wreck me. I called myself a "fat anorexic" and the fear of even starting onto another "diet" kept me from even trying for years. All I can say is thank god for fitday.com, because by entering my food into that on a daily basis for over three months and keeping track of my weight with a scale, I finally proved to myself that I can EAT and lose weight. So ... I'll join you in that "duh" and we'll just keep moving forward, eh? :grouphug: Now it's just scary to keep realizing that 1500 calories is really too low for the weights and aerobics I'm trying to do every week. But I'll get this pounded into my head too. :yes:

Irish - Congrats on the lost inches!! I hope I can join you in that club soon!

Mrs. Jim - Hope your weather cleared up for today!

Mel - Hey, I have a hedgehog named Harley! Hog.. Harley... get it? Yeah, ok .. it's lame, but he's cute as all get out. I've gone through that "I must eat" stuff too. And I don't want light and fluffy, I want lots of dead cow. My sympathies.

Kanola - I'm so glad your Dad came through the surgery well. That's a serious one! I can really understand the crying from relief. I went through that one last night. No free Sunday for me this week, I used that up Wednesday on my "Les is staying with me celebration!" :lol:

Ok .. Update on dad. He's doing better!!! Yay! :cb: :dance: He knows who he is, he recognized my brother and his girlfriend, he knows he's in the hospital. He's still not completely in the "here and now" but I really think now that he'll come back to that, too. He is still restrained because he keeps trying to get out of the bed to go home. ;) He's talking a little bit now, and he can eat soft foods like ice cream (go Dad! eat some for me!) and mashed potatoes. I got the call from Liz about midnight last night and I spent about a half hour after the call simply laying in my bed sobbing with relief. It was great to be able to tell Richard and the kids the good news. Well then I had to deal with my son trying to hack off his finger (he was peeling an orange and slipped) with a paring knife. He nearly did it, too... *sigh* No stitches required, got the bleeding stopped with pressure and ice, but I came *this* close to hauling his butt to the emergency room.

Pretty good on food yesterday, did get a chocolate fix with some sugar-free/made with skim milk chocolate pudding, but again, I figure that's a small price to pay.

I can really feel the muscles getting bigger, especially in my arms. It's kind of a weird feeling. My daughter is making progress in the form of her pants fitting better. Today is make up day for our UBWO and aerobic interval.

Today is a good day. I hope everyone is having a GREAT weekend!!

Mel --- You have MAIL!! :lol:

Raven -- Nothing like short wash and wear hair... specially if you are exercising alot, wearing healmets and stuff.... I love it... My hair is a tad shorter now than in my AV pic.... My summer hair cut... the AV was taken in September at the end of summer so I was starting to let it grow again, for a change in the winter....
I love fitday also, what a great idea for a site...

Hey has anyone heard from Ariane??? Gosh it's been ages, I hope everything is good if you're lurking Ariane... PM me if you want...

Today is cloudy and sort of hazy but I chanced it this morning to go for a bike ride because I had to try my new goggles (they are awesome BTW) ended up doing 20k (12.5miles) in less than an hour... and didn't get rained on at all.... I just may go again later, or at least tomorrow... for now I have to get back to housework...

Later all...

Well .. argh. I'm up a half pound on the scale this week. BUT since I took my measurements, I've lost inches on my chest, waist and hips. That's good. I worked pretty hard with the weights this week, and really pushed the aerobic interval training. I know I'll be pushing hard again this week. It's just a matter of time till the fat loss overshadows the muscle gain. I just have to remind myself, as I remind my daughter, to be patient, keep doing the right things, and only good things can happen.

Ilene, I tried your 1 egg and egg whites suggestion for breakfast this morning. A little bland, I might try to think of something I can toss in them for flavor, other than that, a good way to start the day with adequate protein, which has been tough for me. I'm still new at this, so all the help from this forum is fantastic!

Eating enough quality food is still a challenge, but I'm working on it!

When I do eggs I use garlic powder (just a teensy bit), onion powder, chili powder, tabasco (chili sauce), ff cheese, and salt and pepper :) not all at once but you can mix and match and its pretty good :D

Had a great LBWO at the gym today, and eating is clean thus far. Free day was yesterday and it was mostly sugar so Im feeling it today *blech*

Only one week and Im back in Canada for vacation! :dance: I'll definately be checking in for support while Im there (and surrounded by fast food and donuts!! augh!)

have a great sunday!

Tidey

Raven -- If you only used egg and egg whites, yes it can be bland... I often, time permitting, saute onions, garlic, red peppers, green peppers, celeries in the pan... then whisk the egg and eggwhites, pour on top... add a little bit of gratted cheese and then put it under the broiler for 2-4 minutes till done... THIS will not be bland...Red pepper sauce adds a zig too... the reason I do just eggs and whites at lunch is that its quick. and like you say full of the protein you need... Just experiment, that's the fun of it....

Rain again today... is the whole wide world taken over by rain or what?? So, needless to day I can't go biking so I guess I'll go shopping with D...:D.... now that's a compomise!!

Later all...

Raven -- Good for you on the INCHES lost, those inches and the pant-o-meter are a much more reliable source than the !@#$!@#$!@#$ scale!!

OH, and I too, iIcan't believe, am fitting in a pair of jeans, that are out of style, but that I use as my meter .... Forgot to mention that last week... WHOO HOOOO!!

Ok now D is getting annoyed with me .... gotta goooooo...

I’ve missed all of you — even though it’s only been a day and a half! Our email and Internet went out on Friday and was out most of yesterday (had time to briefly check email once before it went down again) and now I’m finally back. Gack! Like living in the Dark Ages or something! DH commented that this was the only time I ever turn on the TV — and I was just checking the weather. I didn’t realize how much it helps me to be able to come here if I’m having a tough day, which yesterday was. I can always read something here that helps me out or inspires me — but no LWL! Total withdrawal! :grouphug: However, I did manage to stumble through the day and not eat all the things that were calling my name (day-after-leg-day-itis, I think), although without Fitday, I went a little higher on the carbs and lower on the protein that I would have ordinarily (which, of course, is my natural tendency — you know, the 80% carb, 20% fat, 0% protein diet!). :D :D :D

So today is another big day for me — two years ago today was the last day I weighed 257 pounds. On June 1, 2001, I walked into the gym for the first time, feeling SO out of place, and changed my life. I was out shopping today and saw a pair of black jeans with butterflies embroidered on them and had to buy them. My metaphor for this journey has been a butterfly coming out of its cocoon and this was just too perfect for the day.

Raven -- speaking as one scale-obsessed person to another — a half pound is literally 8 oz. of water (yes, I have weighed it out to see). It’s nothing. And everything you said in your post is so “me” also — the fear of eating more, fear of gaining, etc. It means a lot to me to have other people who are working on the same issues — helps me to get it clear in my mind.

Kanola! -- You are a total cutie! And I don’t think your cheeks are chubby at all. You have a terrific smile! Got any hubby photos where we can — shall we say — see what he REALLY looks like?! :lol:

Ilene -- WTG on the jeans!!! :high:

Another first for me today — I did a step aerobics class. I have avoided these like the plague after a disastrous attempt early on in my weight loss, when my natural gracelessness combined with my excess weight to create a total nightmare. I left in the middle of the class that day, slunk back to the weight room, and vowed never to return. So I decided to face that particular demon and lo and behold — I’m still as clumsy as ever :lol: but didn’t have any trouble keeping up. Much to my surprise, it was actually fun. The hour just whizzed by! If I can learn all of the steps, I’m going to keep going. Now someone just needs to explain to me just what the heck a grapevine is ….


Today in the gym I saw a very overweight woman (300+ pounds) who is fairly new — I’ve seen her every day for the past week — so I introduced myself and tried to give her some encouragement. She was SO happy that I stopped to talk to her — she said she was having a major anxiety attack about just being there and was ready to walk out. I told her my story and kept her company for a while and said that whenever she sees me there (even if I don’t see her), to come over and let me know how she is doing. I don’t think I’ll ever forget how I felt — huge, alien, so self-conscious — when I first walked in a gym. So my request to all of you is — if see someone like that, maybe just take a minute and say “hi” — it means more than you will ever know.

Speaking of kitties, our “old lady” will be 20 next month. She is having kidney problems and we give her subcutaneous fluids every night with an IV bag. We are going on vacation for a week in the middle of June and I’m at a loss to know what to do with her. I can’t just have the neighbor kids come in like we always have because of the needles and IV bag and all (for us it is a two-person job). I think I’m going to have to board her at the vet’s, which she will hate (she has been pronounced the "most uncooperative“ cat to ever come through there) but at least she’ll still be alive when we come home. Maybe there’s a tech there who would make house calls. But she’s still happy and feisty and we want to keep her going as long as she has a good life.

Let’s hope that June means summer and sunshine!

Meg