I want to thank everyone for wishing my well with my 'eye' problem. You guys are all so sweet! I was probably kind of out of it that day to clarify, but its not actually an eye problem. It's a whiplash thing from a car accident in January. Last time it happened it was terrible, spent the night in the hospital, and the CT scan showed nothing. My guess is its a nerve getting pinched, can't really think of another explanation? It also causes my arm to go numb.

I watched Super Size Me last night. I'm really glad I did, and am thinking about looking to see if I can buy it. I went shopping today and could not bring myself to buy anything bad! I bought fruit and veggies like they were goin out of style, fresh meat, some plain yogurt, muesli and raspberries. I even TRIED to buy my favorites, peanut m&m's, and I stood in front of them and couldn't do it! I love it!!!
hehe
Tammy

Ok, so this week hasn't gone so well so far, workout-wise. I set my alarm for 5:00 this morning and when it went off, I realized that my husband had fallen asleep on the couch in the room where the treadmill is and slept there all night. I just didn't have the heart to roust him out and make him leave, so my sleepy brain said, just re-set the clock and try again tomorrow. Isn't that how I got in this "shape" that I'm in now?

And then I had to work late because I am taking vacation the rest of this week, so I had to get ahead so I could leave. I know, that makes no sense, does it - kill myself working so I can take the vacation I have earned? (whine, whine, whine) My children are out of school Thurs and Fri and we're going to the mountains of North Carolina to see my parents and the pretty fall leaves. There will be plenty of walking there! My 85-year-old Daddy (yes, some of us Southern women still call him "Daddy" LOL!!) gets up every morning and walks at about 6:00 and I'm going with him.

Ilene, you asked why I lurked for two years before I joined. I think it was because joining and posting is going to make me accountable, and I have started and failed so many times that I was afraid to even start again. But not being accountable isn’t working, either, so here I am. And this group is so caring and non-judgmental and knowledgeable and successful that I feel that it is a positive place for me to be now.

Have a nice weekend, everyone, I'll check back in next week with some exercise success!

Well, I just want to say, I could kick my husband's butt if he didn't already have pneumonia, like I told him last week!!! :devil: After three weeks of hacking and coughing and a couple of days of a fever, guess what, I was right. He probably shouldn't have tried to install the kitchen track lighting, or do his mom's yard work.
And he should have been pushing the fluids and going to bed when I told him. Anyway, venting done. As you can tell I am not in the nursing field. ;)

I skipped the gym this morning. I did a great LBWO yesterday, upping the weights and added some yoga midday, so I decided sleep was definately in order. I may hit the gym for some cardio tonight, if I can get away from the sick.

L2L - I love your post about your small children appreciating your food. My daughter is an expert on the carbs, all the rices, all the pasta and keep that breakfast cereal coming. Full fat milk too. But she also eats the brocoli and spinach with me, as well as the scrambled eggs made with cheese or without. She recently told me she can't eat green beans, I am wondering if it is some religious thing, she often states she "can't" not she doesn't want to???

I had my first acorn squash of the season last night, I figure 20 net carbs, but oh so good. I keep telling myself, full of nutrition. I am amazed though I got that "almost stuffed" feeling I don't get while eating lowcarb. Message here for those who will listen Liza.

CINDY - A Thanksgiving challange is a great idea, I am trying to follow a 100 days to Christmas one, though I have some work to do to get to the challange level. LOL.

TAMMY - So do you plan to carry a picture of the Supersize Me video cover with you to the store along with the shopping list? I can't even bring myself to watch the movie, it just isn't what I want to eat. Though I have to say, the BK salads and chicken aren't too bad in a bind.

SusanL - Oh yes, the working like a dog to go on vacation, like this week, a four day week, and Mondays are my 12 hour days, so I have the same deadlines with 3 1/2 days to get the work done. I am not giving up my Columbus Day holiday though. Reminds me to put in for some time off next week. Halloween costumes must be done. :devil:

Good morning/day all :)

I might skip the gym tonight (*gasp*) but it is my own fault, I've been slacking/procrastinating on my homework which is due tomorrow so I'm going to have to boogie today and finish it up. It isn't really that big a deal to me because tonight would be a cardio night anyway and I hate cardio ;) I know I need to work on it and I am planning to take a step class on Friday but it is the easiest thing for me to skip.

Ilene - I saw your "recipe" for your oatmeal/cereal thingy on another forum and you said it tasted like granola which was my cue to go ahead and try it. Last night, I headed to my local healthfood store and picked up the ingredients including unsweetened soymilk and I ate it for breakfast. I don't know about the taste like granola part but I did like it and thought it was very filling. I think I'll have that every once in a while, maybe even buy some frozen berries once in a while to mix in.

ooops, slipped a bit
 

Just a quickie for Susan the Artmaker (about to dash off and do legs) -- I belong to Ballys -- I walked into mine weighing 257 pounds and, with the help of a personal trainer there, FINALLY lost all the weight. :D So you'll hear me say good things about mine, but like all gyms, there's good ones and bad ones. What's important is how you feel about it -- do the hours meet your needs, how's the price, is it close by, does it have the equipment and classes that you'd use etc? I think it would be awesome to belong to a new gym -- ours is 20 years old and in desperate need of some updating. But it's close by and does the trick so I'll stick around. ;)

Super Size Me is a documentary about McDonalds -- here's a article and thread on it from a few months ago: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40331

Artmaker, I joined Bally's 4 years ago (I just found that out because I had to get a new ID and it said my join date of 7/2000) and I've gone off and on to many different Bally's gyms. I like the one I currently go to (even though the one I went to when I lived in California was probably my favorite for nostalgia reasons). I have found it to be a decent environment with good hours and quite economical. Since they are brand new and opening, they may be offering special deals right when they open. On the Bally's website, you can get a 2 week pass to try it out and see if you like it.

As for veggies, for certain veggies, I like frozen. I have frozen cauliflower, brussel sprouts, green beans and asparagus that I enjoy. I have found out though that I don't enjoy frozen broccoli although I love fresh broccoli.

Happy Hump Day! (ie: Wed...)
 

Hi Guys. Well I am posting good or bad like I said....
and as you'll see we have a mishmash of both... :dizzy:

Yesterday :hungry:
9:30 Mocha :p

11:00
Packet of Tuna/ big jar of baby squash :D

2:00
Protein Shake :)

3:30
4oz Turkey
1/2 cup mixed veggies :D

4 to 5:15 Workout

5:30
Protein Shake :)

6:30
4oz Beef Tips
3/4 cup veggies :)

9:00
2 mini PB Cups
3/4 Cup Vanilla Ice Cream w/ choc syrup :(
ARGH!!!!!! (the eves are BY FAR my biggest challenge...Darn it!!)


Workout :strong:
Chest, Shoulders, Calves, Abs
I usually do not train these parts on Wed, but I have missed a lot lately so I am "off" on my split :faint:

Smith Incline Press (I did not inc. the weight of the bar since the Smith mach. apparatus helps considerably during the lift...Precisely why I chose it this time!!)
0X25 50X16 70X12 90X10X9X9

Hammer Strength Decline Press (A free weight loaded apparatus)
180X14X14X10

Flat Bench Flyes w/ DB's
25'sX22 30'sX18X16X12 dropt to 20'sX8

'Tri-sets' on Cables for shoulders
OK, I don't think I went over 'Tri-Sets' in my speech the other day ;)
Not to be confused with a Triple drop which is where you drop the weight on the same excersise. a 'Tri-set' is exactly like a Superset except instead of only 2 excersises, you do 3...kinda like a repeating cicuit.:blah:

What I did...
Cable Front raise
20#X11ea 20#X9ea 15#X13ea
Cable Side Raise
15#X15eaX15eaX15ea
Cable Rear Delt raise
15X12eaX12eaX10ea
so what I did was do cable front raises, left arm then right, immediatly moved to Cable Side raises and did left arm then right, immediatly moved to Cable rear delt raises and did left arm then right. Then I rested like you normally would between sets. I continued this 3 times. Another option would have been to complete all sets on one arm then move to the other, then rest........K nuff about that :blah:
Donkey Calf Raises (on the Donkey stack machine)
360X30X24X18 320X16X14
Roman Chair for abs
24,20,18,16,9


That's all I got
I have decided to post my stuff the next day so I can copy it from my journal
so tommorrow I'll post todays stuff.

Other stuff
I have to say while I am not a fast food advocate, I think it is a step in the right direction for them to at least offer healthier alternatives. I mean these places aren't going anywhere. People will continue to utilize them so it's a good idea to offer some decent choices....
No comments on Bally's...I worked out at one.. like when I was a teen, but I don't remember it much.
I work out at Golds and I love it. There is an older Gold's (still very nice but older) and a new Gold's within the same distance form my home. They are owned by the same people. I tried the newer one a couple times but it was a bit too 'clubby' and social for me. I was like "Great...all were missing are the strobe lights and a waitress...."
There are more BodyBuilders at my Gym (the older Gold's) and I like the atmosphere a little more. There is music playing of course, but a lot less chattering and a lot more lifting going on. You have to feel comfortable at whatever Gym you choose. :workout:

Have an awesome day guys :grouphug:
Blessings :angel:
L2L

My goodness I cannot believe how hard it has been for me to get on the computer lately, I sure hope things start calming down pretty soon. Things have been going pretty good with my workouts, had a really good LBWO Tuesday and UBWO today. I’m still no wear near the weight you ladies lift but I’m doing supersets (or at least I think I’m doing supersets) and by the time I get to the 3rd set I’m really having to push to get in 8 reps. I do love the fatigue from a good workout and feeling the muscles later in the day. I’ve also been doing an exercise class at work 3 times a week during lunch. They are calling it “Core Body Strengthening” and it really kicks butt, several of the guys actually have to wipe up the sweat off the floor when they finish. I have to pace myself but I do a pretty reasonable job of keeping up with them. On Tues and Thurs I walk during lunch, it takes me about 50 minutes to get in 3.5 miles. Now that it is cooling down I don’t have to spend so much time looking for the shade of the trees to walk under. The earlier in the day I get my workouts in the better for me, I like to vegg out once I get home after work. The only way I can successfully workout in the evening is when I stop at a gym before I get to the house, with my workout room at the house now I don’t have a gym membership anymore so that isn’t an option, besides I’m the last one to leave the house in the morning so I get up when everyone else leaves and have a good 2 hours to myself before I need to head out.

It is nice to catch up with you all, L2L you really educate and motivate me with your posts so don’t apologize for going into details. It is really helpful.

Regarding the kids getting into prepared food, when my step sons lived at home I use to take my prepared portions and put them in a grocery bag in the refrig, everyone knew if it was in that bag I had plans for it (either as a meal or for lunches, etc.) Anything not in the bag could be snacked on. Of course that evolved after the great crock-pot episode where I came home from work to find that Stepson # 3 had eaten the entire evening meal as an after school snack because it smelt so good when he walked in the door. (See I like to vegg out after work note above.) To say the least it did not go over well.

TTFN,
Evangeline

Susan_L-- Oh yes the ole “makes me accountable” reason!! That is exactly why you should be here, posting and sharing... It’s kept me pretty much in check for the last couple of years... Another thing that makes me really accountable is taking pics AND posting the :censored: things!! Oye vey!! Talk about accountability...

Nelie – Are you saying that you like or dislike my concoction? :rofl: It’s ok if you don’t like it, I have very weird taste and sometimes when I know it’s healthy I’ll just eat it for the :devil: of it! Most healthy stuff after eating junk for so long is an acquired taste too IMO... BTW your #s are going down young lady! ;) :high:

Cindy – Thanksgiving challenge sounds really good, I’m in!

L2L – Baby squash in a jar? Is that good? Never heard of them in a jar... Your workouts are awesome I often cut and paste them to docs for future reference, keep it up...

Evangeline – Sounds like your days are pretty full no wonder you can’t get to the puter.. but buzy is a good thing, a very good think, keeps us overeaters out of the kitchen!

I had a pretty busy day myself today... I worked till 12:30 then came home and decided that it was just too beautiful of a day to be inside at the gym so I went for a jog, it was a great one too... I did that for an hour... Then got home had to shower and clean up again to go to a meeting... after the meeting I had to pick up a cheese plate for my brother and his wife... then had supper, then went to a wake my SIL's mom passed away... and now I'm here... All in all food was ok, but not stellar! Tomorrow I don't work because I'm going to a funeral but it's only at 11am and I'll have lots of time to make it to the gym... It looks like it will be a very long day tho...

Anywhoo time for bed for moi! TTFN :wave:

Ilene - I like your concotion! It is quick, not hot (so I don't have to deal with cooking it or waiting for it to cool down) and tasty. I just didn't think it tasted like granola to me. I started thinking about how I could make real granola but I think it really requires something sugary to get the nice clumpy crunchy thing going on. Maybe one day I'll try experimenting. I'll also say I'll eat stuff just because I know it is healthy. I've been trying really hard with cottage cheese but I think I can only eat it if it is mixed with yogurt and some sweetener. There are other similar things that I've acquired a taste to and honestly, I kind of feel a sense of pride in eating healthy.

My numbers have gone down a few lbs and it makes me want to cry sometimes just because I really really really never expected to be below 300 lbs. I know it'll be a while before I see the hundredths place drop again but that doesn't bother me, I'll get there. I don't think I've ever been so sure of something in my life as I am of that.

thanks for the info
 

Got a good UBWO at the gym this morning. I also got some more ideas on some UB moves, to shake things up. I did have to avoid the heavy breather, there is only one early in the am, but he is loud. :o

Bit overcast here, but not so that I can't walk to my errands.

I am going to do a 12 week BFL, I want some real direction and plan in front of me. I think that the program is good for focusing and keeping the focus. So far the pounds are not coming off though the inches are from around my legs and arms. Though my midsection seems to be getting fatter. What is up with that? I am going to pull out the notebook of measurements and check it out to see if it is in my mind or what.

Artmaker, nearly 6 years ago, I developed a bad back which I attribute to doing cardio at home without shoes. I don't think my back could take the pounding. Anyway, after a few cortisone shots, lots of motrin and some chiropractic work, I haven't had any problems in a while but I am still careful with my back. The most important thing when doing weights is to keep a flat back that way you don't stress your back. Also working on your abs also helps your back.

Good Morning LWL, just wanted to pop in for a second and mention how good it feels to grab a 5 gallon bottle of water to put on the water cooler and have it feel light. I was surprised, I normally take one off the top of the rack so I don’t have to lift it to much and today the only option was the bottom shelf. I pulled it out and was shocked at how light it seemed. I must be really developing some strength.

It just made me smile and wanted to share with you all.

Back to work,
Evangeline

PS Ilene: I can say I enjoy your oatmeal, it makes for a nice change of pace, I fix it on Saturdays a lot of the time.

Nellie: The rate you are going you are busy enough that time is going to go by very quickly and before you realize it you will have another hundreth place drop. When you are working hard it is amazing how quickly time goes by and the way you are focused it is only a matter of time. Keep up the good work.

E