Good Mornin' LGWL ....

Wow I can't believe I'm the first one here...

I'm pleased with my weekend...I stayed on track food wise except for a couple of glasses of wine on Saturday night and to my surprise I'm down 1# this morning... The lowest I've been in a year!! I was looking over my fitday weight tracking and last June I was 164 and now I'm 151 !! SLOOOW and steady wins!!

This week I'm prepping for a yard sale and cleaning my closet out of my size 14 !! 14 is NO more!!

Mel -- How you healing from hour surgery? Are you back full time at the gym?

Dip -- Hope you're having a good vacation! And your hand is healing well...

Meg -- Hope you're keeping on track while you're away!!

Cindy -- How are your preps coming along for the yard sale?

Tidey -- Any new recipes?

Robin -- Is your year winding down soon?

Tiki -- Our cheerleader! How ya doin'?

Godess Jessica -- Where are the pics of the new you?

I know I've missed a few but I've got a mental block at the moment and I appologize but it doesn't mean I'm not thinking of you!!

Well I'm off to then bike to the gym to do and then cleaning the basement and some gardening, some roller blading too....

So take care all, and lets be careful out there...

Good morning Ilene and Jack and all the LWL -- checking in from beautiful New Mexico on DD's laptop. I'm on her patio right now watching 16 hot air balloons float over the city. It's so beautiful with the early morning sun rising behind them and the clear blue sky ...

We're doing well on the move and getting her settled. I haven't had a chance for any exercise other than pushing shopping carts around Target and carrying bags to her apartment but will find a way for some cardio today. The food is fabulous but it's all carbs and fat and nothing we'd consider remotely clean -- except for salsa.

Congratulations on the new number, Ilene! All your hard work is sure paying off.

Good luck with the BBQ, Jack! I haven't had a spiked watermelon since college.

Hope everyone has a fun holiday! I'll be home on Thursday.

Jack -- Spiked Watermellon? Is there a recipe for that,that you can share?

Meg -- I love hot air ballons! They seem so serene. I've never gone up in one tho have you?

Spiked Watermelon????? Never heard of it. Jack or Meg, please share.

Jack I hope your BBQ went well. I know you have excellent grilling skills because you are male. I cheated and had a girlfriends husband do my grilling for me. DD, two of her girlfriends and I made shrimp and chicken kabobs (first time) and it was FUN!!!

Meg - that view of the ballons sounds beautiful. Perchance you got a picture of it?

Good morning my queen. Great job on the clean weekend AND the #1 loss. That sounds like a good formula - drink wine, lose weight. Perhaps you should put it on an infomercial. You are absolutely correct though - slow and steady wins the race.

Oh yeah, I bought myself a BICYCLE!! I rode for 50 minutes on Saturday and then when I got the crew back yesterday, we all rode for 40 minutes. There is a beautiful neighborhood near us with lots of shady trees, well manicured lawns, flowers all kinds of pretty smells and we perused over half of it.

One point of interest (or disgust) I rode past this yard on Saturday that could have been on the cover of a home and garden magazine - it was breathtaking. The owner was out in the yard and I complimented him on his yard. He looked at me as if he thought I was scoping out his house to rob it and was very rude. Go figure. That type thing sure makes me miss the south.

Wish I could say that food was on point, but today is a new day - official cheerleading tryouts start today and I will hopefully be too busy to find time to eat stupid stuff.

Peace. Tiki.

Can I have the piece right uner the wedge?

Thanks, everyone, I’m learning so much from you all.

Today’s lesson is one you all know back-to-front: we are all different and we need different things at different times. How I agreed with Dove who’s lost 3kg (about 6.5lbs) in no time at all from ‘the sheer joy of working the body’. Brilliant. And how I agreed with Ilene’s ‘SLOOOW and steady’ work. Just terrific. And Jennifa who’s cutting down on caffeine and is in a size 12! Excellent. As I’ve described elsewhere in this forum, my current approach is one of relaxed effort. That is, I’m putting in the effort (cardio, weights, nutrition) but I’m being relaxed about fat loss. It will come in due course. You’ve all told me that and I believe you. Thanks.

Turning to the doctor’s surgery.

Dip, your accident with the hedge trimmer was quite horrible! I do hope you’re feeling a bit better now and that the medics can sort out the nerve.

Mel, I’ve been thinking about you and your tum, especially now you’re back in the gymn. Can you manage to rest it enough? We use those abs more than we think.

Cindy, please look after your shoulder. I’m another with a cronky shoulder (prompted by a motorbike accident at 18).

Finally and Absolutly, Jack. Listen, I’ve spent time in Scandinavia, I’m living with two part-Russians, I know that vodka is one of the most dangerous substances known to humankind. How’s the head now?!

To Stockholm. Tidey, I don’t think we’ve met, so hej! What are your plans for Midsummer?

To New Mexico. Meg, you do travel at the moment, don’t you? I’m improving my knowledge of the US with each flight you take.

Tiki – very, very impressive action in buying a bike and getting out on it. Have you got the gear too? (Gear = clobber = clothing.) Biking is on my list but I haven’t worked quite what to do yet. Should I renovate my old one (rusting quietly and effectively in the kitchen at work)? Should I borrow the Man’s (needs a full overhaul and he’s planning on using it himself)? Should I buy another (but I haven’t got the funds)? More work needed on this project, but later, I think. Relaxed effort, you see? One or two projects at a time.

hello all, its been a while. typing is terrible, i'm still one-handed suffering from tennis elbow. anyone out there who has had it? its awful, i'm complaining, but it just so painful, i haven't lifted in a month & my elbow has barely improved. i'm off to see a specialist tomorrow. i must have a severe case. please share your elbow stories and tell me what i'm doing wrong. should i use ice? immobilize?? hopefully the dr. i see will be a good one.

so since i boasted that i'm taking a month off from sweets, all i have done is eat, eat, eat, and not the good stuff. my weight is up, my confidence is GONE and my faith is faltering. i'm back to taking it one day at a time, starting right now. been ok eating for the past two days, but before that i was on an all-out binge. i hope to start posting daily again b/c apparently i can't do this alone. i'm starting to fear i have some sort of disorder or something, why can't i get control, i was doing so well. but i feel determined so clean eats and cardio ahead.

congrats to you ilene, you're doing awesome.

Hello Tiki, mel, meg, jack, silver & tidey. Hello everyone!!!

Anne

Anne -- That's awful about your elbow, I have no advice whatsoever to give you about that problem I've never encountered it for myself or someone else, so good luck on finding the right doctor...But good for you on coming back here with stellar determination! We're here to help you that's for sure. Two days of clean eats is great so keep it up....

Jack -- I'm gonna have meself some o' that spiked watermelon when I have the gals come over this summer! Sounds delish!

Silver -- I feel relaxed just reading your posts so thank you for that!

Today food wise has been a very good day for me, altho I've had something bad that I won't mention here, but I did keep it under control and have no guilt about it... I didn't go over my calories at all but the fat was high... I didn't make it to the gym either , after four straight days I felt I needed the break. That and I pulled something in my shoulder yesterday doing arms...When I get pull a muscle this is what I do and always have done... I take a hot stiff shower and just let the water cascade onto to the sore spot, then get DH to massage it deeply with A535 or Tiger Balm, then apply a hot water bottle for a while, along with a couple of Tylenol or Advil... I usually do this once or twice and my pain is gone... This is what I have always done and it has always worked for me... I guess to the professional it would depend on the injury, but every time I pull something this is what I do and it works , so I'm very happy with that... I was almost perfect this morning after this ritual last night but I thought I would give it a gym rest anyways...

Well other than that not too darn much in this neck of the woods.... same ole , same ole ....

Hey guys!! Wow.... have I ever missed ya'll!

Life has been hectic... and I have a few weeks of posts to catch up with...will do that over the weekend. I have been busy at work, busy keeping up with the house duties and most importantly.... I am finishing up Week 8 ( ) of my challenge! I admit, I have missed 2 workouts, one due to a migraine headache (stayed home from work) and the other one for being bloody exhausted one morning, and the eats have been 98% on track. I can honestly say I have never felt better.... I may not look like the 2004 Grand Champion, but my clothes are smaller, my energy levels are sky high (or else I could never have gotten through the last 3 weeks!) and best of all... I just feel fantastic!

All this is due to no miracle .... just the 3 basics - - weights cardio clean eats Slow and steady reaches their goals.

Now that the update is done.... Hey all you Canadians!!! How bizzzzzzare is the NHL???? CALGARY??? I am in shock. Being a die hard Oilers fan (and have been taught since a small child to hate Calgary) I found it difficult at first to cheer for my most loathed team..... but being Canadian and the fact that the coach grew up basically down the road from me.... and was raised to worship the Sutter boys hockey skills.... ok.... I am secretly hoping they win, but will continue to send abusive emails to my crazy cousins from cowtown.... he he he I am scared to return to Alberta if my little brother gets married before the next playoff season next year....

Hope everyone is enjoying the lovely northern hemisphere summer... it has been cold and rainy for about a month now.... but I will survive.... those 40 degree celcius days are around the corner I am sure!

Take care everyone!

Nola.

Hey LWL! Good Thursday Morning
Same olde, same ole, here too. Clean eats, water, light lifting and short cardio. BORING as %^#$, but all I can do right now. And going to work. At least that is physcal.

Dip- Sorry to hear about your hand. That must have been scary as well as painful. Hope everything heals correctly.

Nola! Wow, you've been busy, but it sounds like that's good for you. Congratulations on feeling stronger, smaller, and more energetic. And don't worry about next year's play-offs, there may not be a season next year according to all the rhetoric flying around between the owners and the players' union. I think the Cup belongs back in Canada, whether it's in Calgary or MooseJaw. Whoever heard of anything so silly as hockey in FLORIDA?????

Ilene- Better have a lot of girls over for that spiked watermelon From past experience, it, packs a real punch. Sorry to hear you pulled something, I usually do ice first, then your routine. Hope all is well next time you hit the gym.

Anne- I've gone through endless bouts with tennis elbow- sometimes even from playing tennis. At one point I let it get so bad by "playing through the pain" that I couldn't even hold a cup of coffee in my right hand. The only thing that helped was rest, ice and ibuprophen. Of course, I usually ignore the first part of that prescription and continue to lift or play, then strap frozen peas to the affected limb and gobble painkillers. But sooner or later you do have to give in and rest it. Sounds like you've done that part. Hop back on the clean eats wagon, there are still plenty of things you can do, and get some cardio going. Sounds like you fell into the vicious circle of all or nothing. Two days is a good start, now add another and come back and tell us about it.

Hi SilverBirch- love your attitude. I never relax about anything, but I wish I could. Kudos to you for your approach. Whatever works.

Jack- I'm sure I'll need a ride home!

Tiki- Morning! Another crazy day? Looking at the weather map, all your storms are over us now, so you'll be able to use that new bike

Hi to everyone I've missed- JC!!!! are you out there?

Gotta go to work,
Mel

hey all!

things here are ok, eats havent been as clean as Id like to report but thats partly because i cant afford to buy any food atm so we're cleaning fridge/freezer. Yesterdays dinner was salad, more salad, a bit of pasta and some chicken so I guess thats ok, and I even made the dressing myself (low fat!).

Im off to the gym soon, still pondering what to do today.. gosh I gotta get my plan set down on paper, this is ridiculous! Maybe Ill just go back to basics and do BFL again, since when I try to bugger around with things it seems to set me up for failure.

Silverbirch! HI! Sounds like youre doing well. I know I need to get my brain around things and relax also but I seem to be making a mess of everything lately *sigh* As for midsummer, we dont have concrete plans yet but thanks for reminding me so I can nag my SO about it hehe. Probably head out into the woods and bbq or something (bringing lots of beer and aquavit of course, this IS sweden!)

And to bring up a possibly heated topic here, does anyone watch Extream Makeover? We're way behind on the tv-seasons here but I just saw a show where there were 3 ppl who had to loose a LOT of weight before they got their makeovers, like 30 lbs in 5 weeks or something like that, and they DID it, and their trainer said a lot of stuff that 1) I hear in here all the time and 2) reminded me to pull my head out of the cookie jar. The biggest thing I heard though was a reminder of what Ive heard here again and again and again... you need to create and environment where you CANNOT FAIL. And Im sitting here thinking, well its bloody easy when youre in a hotel room that has no food other than what the chef delivers, right? Just another burning reason that Im excited about moving out on our own soon (for those who wonder, my SO and I have been stuck sharing a house with his cool and wonderful but sugar addict mom for nearly 4 years due to a chain of bad luck on the job-front) because nothing will be there that I DONT BUY! I warned my SO about this and he didnt seem to worried.. teehee we'll see how he feels when the cheese is fat free and the pasta is whole grain probably 90% of the time (then again, he cant tell pork tenderloin from porkchops so maybe he wont care?) Now I know that I cant put all the blame off myself, but its true that you cant eat it if it isnt there, and unfortunetly there is LOTS of crap in the pantry here..

bah, enough rambling.

And someone asked about a new recipie? well I have one thats a variation of lots of old ones. maybe its just more of an idea..

Easy fries: boiled potatoes keep for at least 5 days in the fridge. Boil a bunch of servings of potatoes, let them cool. store in fridge (or cut into wedges and store them in the freezer) until want to eat them, slice, season, then spray/brush lightly with oil, and broil in the oven for 5 minutes until they are crispy. saves time and youre never thinking "gosh i wish i could have fries but they take ages!" (i season mine with onion and chili powder)

off i go!
Tidey

Good morning LWL!

I've been MIA, due to a new man in my life (yippee!), but nutrition and workouts are good.

Still babying my bicep tendon, so no UBWOs - just lots of cardio! (So Anne, you have some company in the tendonitis thing!) The good thing is that I'm burning lots of calories, the bad thing is that I'm starving all the time, and always too soon for my eating schedule.

Nola - good to hear from you again - I think I'm in week 8 for my Challenge as well. Keep up the good work!

Tidey - nice to hear from you as well.

Jack - the watermelon reminds me of my college years - we used to do that all the time! Might have to have one (or two) this summer!

Hey, where's Colleen?

Hello to everyone else - I'm actually in a meeting, which I should be paying attention to, so I have to go.
Cindy

Oh boy oh boy .... look at all of those familiar faces popping back in. Add me to the missing in action. Things have remained insanely busy at work, and all of a sudden, Airedale Rescue has taken on a life of its own. I've got abandoned dogs popping up all over the state! I don't suppose anyone here is interested in a 120-pound unhousbroken male? He's a sweetie, but he's a handful.

Anne, you're not the only one who's hit a bad patch. I'm struggling, too. I figure we just have to get through it. What I NEED are those old familiar standbys -- clean food, exercise, rest. Of the three, the only thing I'm getting is the rest In fact, it seems I can't get enough sleep, which means I'm not getting up in time for my usual cardio workout. It becomes an endless chain. And then it becomes a head game. Sigh. This, too, shall pass.

Regarding that case of tennis elbow ... I can only repeat the advice others have given: you come to a point when you HAVE to rest it. But this is an interesting topic. It seems that a number of us are struggling with injuries, aches and pains. How to cope, is the question.

I don't want to make too much of it because when I do that, I feel like a victim. But if I don't make something of it, I fail to come up with an action plan. And in the vacuum, I fail to eat well and exercise.

Funny ... I didn't know I was going to say that until I said it. I think I need to go away and think about it for awhile.

So, I'll talk to you all later.

hey all

woohoo! feelin great (give it a few hours for the ow ow to start tho hehe) I did my first bi's and chest workout in ohh 3 months today. didnt lose any chest strength but my bi's are back to being weak and sad.. ah well, im up to the challenge I did about an hour of walking as well, with a few mins of jogging. I find if i keep a decent incline on the tred that I sweat more than if I bike hard on high resistance, and my thighs dont give out

Tomorrow Im shooting for legs and abs, and more walking Food isnt 100% squeaky, but its liveable and healthy

New recipie of the day: getting sick of your usual protien whey drink? Add a tsp of your favorite sugarfree syrup (or essence of your choice) and some cocoa powder OR a bit of cold coffee. Actually, vanilla whey and coffee is a great combo. Just dont mix it with hot coffee!

Tidey

Hello all,

Well, the semester is finally over and I got all A's. Yay me! I'm really glad school is out for summer because I need a break and I need to get my priorities back in order. I leave in 12 days to go to England. We're spending one week dancing in the Cotswolds and a week in London. I've very excited but I have no idea what to pack! I heard the rule is to pack what you need and then cut it in half. HALF? Are you kidding?

I'm thinking about biking to work. I live in the city and work about 4 miles outside the city. It's just figuring out a way to get there with as little traffic as possible..... oh yeah, and I need a bike.

Tiki - Where'd you get your bike? How's you pick it out??

Mel - You are always such an inspiration. You have so made this a way of life for you. I love it.

Illeen - Honey, I'm not sure where you got the idea that I'm now a size 12 but I wish! There is no new me!

Tidey - that same recipe is SUPER good with sweet potatoes.