We be liftin'!!!!
My gym reopened today, chock full of resolutionaires. But I wasn't intimidated just got on doing my thing. The good thing is I am really nowhere near the fattest in the gym anymore
I had a great time I so miss the high you get from lifting when I don't do it for a while! And one of the cute instructors was there and we had a nice chat and he noticed I had lost weight over Christmas!
I hope I'm not a resolutionary but I'm glad that Christmas is over. Heading back to the gym tomorrow to pick up where I left off in November (working in retail sucks). It's hard to believe that 6 wks off has left me so soft and squishy.
Went on a 15 mi back country camping in the woods trip last week. It wasn't exactly arduous but it would have been a year ago (yay me!).
I'm looking forward to getting rid of this last 5 (OK, maybe 7 or 8 now) pounds and lifting again.
Hey gals! Unfortunately, a migraine has kept me out of the gym the last two days, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will be gone in the morning, and I can get back started into my routine.
The good news is that my eating has been spot-on - I'd forgotten how easy BFL eating can be for me. But, I'm trying to incorporate some new recipes into my plan, so if anyone has any, please share!
Hey, does anyone in the US or Canada subscribe to "Fitness"? Do you like it? They have a 3 years for the price of 1 deal right now (got it in the mail), but I don't want to deal with the clutter of another mag in my house if it's not worth it.
Question for you trainers out there - what are your thoughts on Step routines? I've been thinking of buying one again, and using it for double duty as a lifting bench.
Robin - so good to hear from you again. Glad you're lifting again.
That reminds me - anyone heard from Dip recently?
Cindy
I didn't want to exercise today. I was all blah from doing desk work. Ya know, sedentary begets sedentary? So, I started to just walk on my old manual treadmill. Well, it's in the fitness room .... so I did abs and back for a half hour. That's better!
Hi LWL, I am getting back into my groove. Did 45 min of chest and biceps today and 30 min on the elliptical. I am loving my new heart rate monitor - it is really helping to keep my intensity up during cardio. I am eating clean and am starting to feel better. I still have a lingering headache as my body gets rid of the sugar and garbage that I have ingested over the past 2 weeks.
Cindy - I read Fitness, you can sometimes get it in the big WHSmiths at railway stations over here. I do like it since it's a change to what we usually get. BUT I have a subscription to Zest (which was free with some supermarket thing) and I just end up shouting at it every month since they never explain stuff properly and this month's cover girl was exposing far too much rib to be healthy!
end of rant....
Onto lifting news - I've changed up my routine from working to failure -1 for one set (however many reps that might be, approx 10) to 3 sets of 8 reps. I'm using a routine from the Anita Bean book I got for Christmas and boy is my a$$ feeling the burn! Although I've found that the way I'm doing split squats (either right or wrong) is contributing to my dodgy knee, so I only did 2 sets rather than 3.
Had a great eating day yesterday but this morning the scales aren't showing it Not that it matters TOOOOOOOO much but
Hi and welcome back to the LWL Lurkers - glad to see you all posting. Last night I tried to move my cardio from am to 6pm. I was up until 2am. I am guessing that was a little too late for me. I will try again around 3 or 4 and see if it is better for me. That will also be after I get up from my afternoon "down time" - unless I have doctor's appointments. It seems that from now until mid- Feb is one appointment afer another. Hopefully it will come together soon and I can move onto "phase 2" (whatever that may be).
Mel - did I miss something with a new gym? Guess I did, please fill me in and I am sorry for not paying attention
Fri I had my first session with my gym owner - I love his workout with me. Today is my first weight session with my massage therapist/yoga instructor (she is multi-talented and mulit-certified and I am multi-lucky). So my new schedule is loooking like this: Mon - private yoga, Tues - Pilates, Wed - weight, Thurs- yoga class, Fri - weights, Sat - 1/2 marathon training group. And 450 calories of cardio at least 4 days (that is owner's plan - I'll try it for a while).
I am trying to get back to cleaner eats. It is night time eating. I finished dinner last night then went to town on an ouce of cashews and about 2 cups of mangos. It is healthy food, but it adds up. I see from starting FitDay again that it was a 1600 calorie day, but 700 were from dinner and after. I will try to eat more during the day and see if that helps at night.
Have a great day - 2006 is our year, ladies. Use it well!
*edit* Allow me to give you my new recipe I read in some magazine over the holidays: take any grains that take a long time - place with recommended amount of water in a crockpot on low overnight. I did this with Scottish Oats and now have a large tub in my refrigerator ready to eat. No more "settling" for 3 min oatmeal anymore. It was a bit of a "duh" moment for me and I had to share. I will try with brown rice next.
Oh, good plan with the crockpot, Ellen! I often pass on brown rice because I don't want to wait for it to cook. I'll be interested in seeing how it works. I should try the Scottish oats too. I eat the 3 min Old Fashioned oats, and they are 150% better than the instant variety.
2F - I'm with you. If I have a good day, why doesn't the scale move at least 5# the next day? We are so into instant gratification.
The gym was indeed very full last night. I was doing weights, so didn't have too much of a problem. Only had to wait for a bench that inclines, and work in with another woman on the lat pulldown. DH said the cardio machines (in another section from the weights) were all full. Oh, and this week, they decided to get going on the remodel of the women's locker room! It's about 20% smaller at the moment, as they moved lockers to build a wall, took out a bench to accommodate the lockers, and moved the doorway! Plus, we have men's voices that sound like they're right in the room, although they're actually on the other side of the temporary wall. Getting dressed without getting an elbow in your ribs was tricky.
Ellen, I love your workout schedule; can you send your trainer to Indiana? I'm trying a mix of activities along the same lines, although I'm falling short in the cardio department. I need to kick it up. And I only had time for 20 minutes of easy yoga this morning, yet I was amazed at how much better I felt, having given it so little effort (note to self: find more intense short yoga tapes for those mornings that are simply too short on time -- anyone have any suggestions?) I've also just ordered a tai chi tape. Water aerobics resumes next week, and I can hardly wait. Boy, do I miss those sessions in the pool.
Did a pretty strenuous full-body workout yesterday to good effect, although my upper back was sore this morning. Trainer has me working on a variety of machines, free weights and the ball; I like the variety and so far, I'm injury free. Yippee The cardio machines were full yesterday morning; the weight room wasn't. I can only imagine what the place was like last night.
Another hint for steaming rice: use a rice cooker. I adore mine; have had it for years and years and years. I had to adjust the water/rice ratio when I switched to brown rice, but it works every time, and I don't have to pay it any attention. I usually cook A LOT, and then divvy it up and freeze it in ziplocks, that I can just pop in my lunch. Soooo easy.
Uh, Pat ... would that be a male or a female elbow in your ribs
Ah it's the gentle and lovely Robin. Hi there!
I did legs today. Somehow it feels like ages since I've done any lunge walking. How could I have forgotten to do that. It' so awesome.
I love leg days. Hmmm, I may have said that before.
Pat I'm still having a My scales are still stuck! I am NOT happy! I've even cut down 150kcals more a day for the past 3 days. I'm drinking water like a crazy woman and generally being active. MOAN.
Ah the joys of working out at home... No elbows to contend with, my own music, no changing rooms, the equipment's always free...
If anyone has any plateau-busting suggestions, I'll be willing to give them a go! I'm getting desperate here! (patience just isn't happening this week!)
Ah, Robin, my problem, too is getting the cardio in. Strength training with these two trainers leaves me beat so it is not going to happen after a session. The owner is in the camp to do cardio after strength, so that means I'll go back later in the day (my gym is a short walk from my house - no excuses). I tried to go back Tues night with DH. I did 45 min (and 450 calories) on the recumbent and felt good. I felt SO good I was up until after 2am and dragging my butt most of yesterday and today is starting the same way. Luckily, I am starting a new yoga class today and I heard this is an "easier" class than what I have been doing. My gym does Vinyasa and this is more of a traditional Hatha. Don't I sound like I know what I am talking about (nope, I just go for the nap at the end). I'll try to do cardio later - like 3 or 4, after my "down time" (because I am too old to acknowledge I am taking a nap). Oh, and I am loving my oatmeal. Yum!! and so easy.
2F - stay away from the scales for week or two and concentrate on how you feel and look. Use Ilene's "pants-o-meter". My theory is sometimes the body needs to adjust to anew weight and it "holds" for 3-4 weeks to feel it out and adjust, then you will start losing again. As long as you aren't gaining and are doing everything spot on, keep doing what you are. Make sure you don;t drop your calories too low. Try varying (1600 one day, 1800, then down to 1600 for two days then back to 1800, maybe one day at 2000 then back to 1600 ...) It keeps the body guessing! If tracking is a headache, add a piece of fruit or small snack and use that as your variation. Just donlt get frustrated 2F (OK, that was funny to me!)
I'm slightly more chilled out now - I've been reading Hussman fitness website, v good! And I will be having a "free day" on Saturday for my Birthday so the calories spike like that! Plus I try to go by how hungry I am and don't eat up to my limit some days to have a little bit of variation. I think I need to hide the scales again! I will give them to DF to secrete somewhere! Thanks for the chin-up ellen
Wow, a lot of posters on the forum today, and a lot of old friends as well! I'm trying to get back into the groove as per today. The children went to XH this afternoon, and I went back to work after that. I'll work as well tomorrow, to make up for the hours of the rest of the week.
Not much to tell on the excercise front: I'm doing a little bit of lifting & stuff with resistance bands to help out my RSI. And I did my yoga meditation CD on monday. I definitely have to figure out a way to get the excercise back into my life, but I haven't yet for the moment.
Pat - glad you mentioned that the days are lengthening with minutes per day now. I really hate it when it is cold and dark.
Although I've found that the way I'm doing split squats (either right or wrong) is contributing to my dodgy knee, so I only did 2 sets rather than 3.
Not that it matters TOOOOOOOO much but 
Plus, we have men's voices that sound like they're right in the room, although they're actually on the other side of the temporary wall. 
Getting dressed without getting an elbow in your ribs was tricky.
Hmmm, I may have said that before.
I am NOT happy! I've even cut down 150kcals more a day for the past 3 days. 
I'm drinking water like a crazy woman and generally being active. MOAN. 
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