Kicking *kitten* In Our Twenties - December Challenge!!

tjradd73

30poundsto30-hey, the push-up challenge that I am doing (along with a few others on this thread) is http://hundredpushups.com , it is quite a challenge to say the least!! lol as far as my crunches go, its just my own thing, i like to be sure to get all of the areas!

Allie-great goals!

Gonks-thanks for the tupperware idea...i needed something to tell my mom for X-mas! and congrats on your 2lbs and your half way point, that is so great!!

Meag-get some sleep girl!! If the boys are noticing you know it must be true!!

hollydestra-welcome to the thread/site and great goals you've got set!

Spell-when i had a trainer and was training for my 10K she told me not to do the elliptical, that is was NOT the same as running! she said only use the treadmill or actually run on ground or a track for my cardio days, and then of course don't forget your strength/resistance days!

Guam-you got it girl!! I hope she follows suit easier than expected!! i know how hard things can be (single mother here) but you are a strong person and you are going to get through it

Rhammond-welcome and great goals!!

CaptainJim-good luck on your weighin tomorrow!!

QOTD-i am a Respiratory Therapist in Medical ICU, I have been doing this for over 8 years and although it can get physically and emotionally exhausting at times, its really a great job

AFM-still doing good on the eating, and I did my push-ups and 130 crunches today...so one more in the next 3 days to hit week 1 of 1 on it!! Great job to everyone else that I didn't mention and good luck to you all!!

TaraMaria

Hey all!

Wow! We are an awesome group of 20 somethings!!!! Reading all that you've accomplished is amazing! )

It has snowed so crazily...omg! Its been insane! We have 7...maybe 8 inches here in Central IL. My house is sooo cozy when its snowing though! I love being on the couch, staring out the bay window at the huge flakes of snow! )

Tonight was rough. Don't get me wrong, I love time with my boys more then anything in the world. They are my everything. We had the most amazing day. Snuggling with breakfast in bed, watching old tv shows, went to the gym where I got to swim laps for 30 minutes and splash with the men. Then we headed to Mickey D's for even more fun! The tunnels there are for adults too! I love getting in there and playing with Grady. A few groceries then home. We baked and played and had a great day. But sometimes it hits me so hard...Grady's autism. We got into a bit of a disagreement when he made a mess tonight and it ended up with me trying to show him how to clean it up, him not understanding, shutting down and us both in tears. It hurts SO bad. He functions at more of an 18 month old level then a 3 year old level and so many actions have to be hand over hand. He is so smart. But as a mom...sometimes its just plain hard! Ah well...when he finally was coming out of his glassed over fog, he crawled over to me and asked for a hug and kiss...which made me cry harder...lol! )

I feel pretty worn out tonight so I'm not going to reply to everyone...but seriously, you are all amazing...I'm so impressed by the awesome group we have! )

tjradd73

TaraMaria-I can imagine the struggles that you must have with raising your son on occassion...it def takes a special person to be able to do a good job at it! Sounds like even though it is hard sometimes...you've got it down!! so great job for that and keep on being a good momma!!

meagalayne

Just marking my spot for now...

Very, very long few days. Incredibly awesome but I'm missing my MFP time :ohwell: I really miss reading all your posts and I promise to get caught up tomorrow!

Quick selfish update... Had a BRUTAL food day today. I said I wasn't going to count, but I did anyway. About 500 cals over, which sucks big time. Was technically my "cheat" day, and hopefully all my extra working out this week is going to balance it out, but definitely not expecting a great day on the scale Monday. Next weekend is looking to be just as bad.

Fri/Sat are becoming increasingly more difficult now... My boy spends the night Friday, we have dinner and hang around and then in the mornings we have breakfast together, which is usually oatmeal (great for me) but today we had french toast with my parents and it was a caloric disaster. Had an amazing day outside together scoping out a really sweet town about 30 mins from here (for moving potential in the future). Worked tonight, keeping me up a solid 21.5 hours, which means more eating...

Definitely not good. On the bright side, long run tomorrow. 7 miles and I need to burn every last one of those calories I ate today. Far too much snacking and dessert. Argh! :grumble: Back on track!!

Hope everyone else is having an easier time being good. It only took me three months on MFP to finally crumble under pressure and have a really bad day... Hope it's the last one for a while!

I'll be back tomorrow to catch up with everyone else. Be good :bigsmile:
Meag

rai8759

Meag! Don't sweat it girl. One cheat day since you started mfp?!! Puhleeze! You are doing so good! Please don't worry or beat yourself up. 7 miles tomorrow! From the short time I've been mfpals with you I see a girl totally on fire 2 get fit. One little day is not going to change that. Of course I'm not giving you an excuse to do that every day lol, but what is past is past and you really planned well with your 7 mi run the day after.. you will just burn those calories away.

meggonkgonk

30lbs- I’m not sure there’s a magic day that eating right becomes easier but certainly after making the choices a number of times, your go-to food choices do become healthier rather than not.

Cait- That sounds AWESOME!!! It’s so rare to just find a job you love- it’s so brave that you stuck with it despite the reactions of people around you.

Rachel (Rai) --> That’s what I’m going to call you to distinguish you. I amuse myself—If you have knee pain, there is a stretch that I found in Tai Chi designed for knees. Stand feet close together, bend and place your hands on your knees. Circle 3-6 times toward each side. It feels ridiculous, and not like its doing anything, but I have noticed a big decrease in knee pain when I do it.

Also- strengthen your quads by going up every stair you see!

Mike- How you feelin today?

Bethany- wtg on school and work! Hard combo! I’m glad you are having a good day-I hope dancing was fun!

Tara- I’ve got no helpful words for you. Autism is just plain hard. <<Big Hugs>> One thing he clearly knows is how much you love him, and that’s what’s important

Meag- don’t worry too much about balancing it out. You do so well during the week- you’ll be really surprised what one big day can do for you. It can actually help kick your metabolism right in the fanny! Esp with the long run tomorrow.

Happy sunday everyone!

~Gonk

meagalayne

Thanks Rai and Gonks! I feel better about it today - much better actually. In the long run, my "cheat" day yesterday was about a million times healthier than a normal day would have been 1 year ago, and I was very adamant about making healthy choices at dinner and for my night-time snacks before/after work. I had oatmeal, fresh veggies, hummus, some bulgar wheat salad, and an apple after my awfulnes at breakfast and few bites of desserts here and there to balance out my day. I guess it was just those few bad choices that piled up and made me feel like a bit of a failure. But you're absolutely right, Gonks - I am sure it won't be the end of the world and it may even give my body a kick in the *kitten*. Considering I was a few hundred cals under on Friday, hopefully it evens out. Today should be good as well!!

Uhmm so how is it that we are ALL such awesome successful brilliant women and no one ever thought to ask how we spent our days?!? I am so impressed by all of you and I loved hearing about your careers/vocations in life :happy: It's incredible to hear how many of you are working really emotionally and physically demanding jobs and still keeping up with this lifestyle. I commend all of you. I am not so sure I could do what you do. And to those of you who work in health care, big big ups -- I used to work in research at a Geriatrics hospital and I couldn't imagine working on one of the floors with patients. I see how nurses, docs, aides, etc give SO much of themselves for the patients and I am truly in awe :flowerforyou: You ladies are amazing! Those of you with kids... Wow! That's a whole 'nother ball game. I bow down in awe and wonder

Also - hot damn we're a bunch of smart ladies in general! How many graduate students/degrees between the lot of us? Phew! We are a group to be reckoned with, that's for sure. The downside is that I found with all my dedication to school, volunteering and politics (in the day) I was remiss to focus on my own self, my health, and often times making myself truly happy. Perhaps that's the plight of an independent successful woman these days - trying to find balance!

Cait - Hope you enjoy your lifting and strengthening! I am trying to do mine 3x a week, so maybe we can keep each other on track? I have trouble getting motivated because I dread the muscle pain, but I know I feel super accomplished after the fact. Let's stay on each other's case about it!

Rai - IASIP makes me a total mess! I laugh so hard that I cry and my boy usually has to pause the show mid-way so that we can have a laughing fit and then resume without missing any action. It's absolutely the best show on television! And it's the only thing I will take time out of my day to actually sit down and watch. I love it! As for hives and cold, thankfully not. Honestly I just lose all feeling my in hands and feet and then they get tingly, numb and after a few mins start burning and become very painful. Once they are cold they are impossible to warm up until I am inside a warm building for 20+ minutes and can devote time to warming them. It's really frustrating. After walking about 750m in the cold yesterday my feet were in total agony :ohwell: Not really too sure what to do. Drs appt for sure!

For strengthing your quads: stairs, lunges, squats. From my experience, running downhill tends to work your quads pretty hard, and uphill tends to isolate your hamstrings. Alternating and running some hills when you can, up and down (not just on the treadmill), can help to work different muscle groups and also helps to challenge your cardio and vary your workout. They don't have to be massive hills but just long steady inclines or short bursts. Give it a try :happy:

Guam - Hiking with the kids sounds wonderful! I absolutely LOVE hiking as an activity because it's active and gives me lots of quality time with the boy. It's quiet and we can chat, we can challenge each other to race to the top of hills (were a bit like children in that sense) or just walk/cilmb speedily for a hour or two and get a good burn. The scenery is such a nice bonus :happy: It's also a great way to explore the places around you that you wouldn't normally get to see. In the last year I have seen so much of my surrounding region via hiking and walking and it's been really wonderful. Good luck!

Tara - You sound like an amazing mom doing an amazing job! I second what Gonks said - Autism is just plain hard. I'm glad you feel comfortable enough to share your struggles here. I really hope that it helps knowing you have a group of supportive ladies to listen and comfort you when needed. <<HUGS>>

OK I'm late for my long run. Tried to catch up!! Much love to everyone. Enjoy your Sundays and we'll back to our first FULL week of December tomorrow - Hope y'all are ready! :drinker: :bigsmile: :drinker:
Meag

rai8759

Meag and Gonks - thanks for the tips ladies!! I'll hafta try that Tai Chi stretch AND doing some stairs/lunges/squats.. Turbo Jam is almost all squats. Did it yesterday and had zero knee pain so maybe its getting better? I like the up-hill jogging and running up every stair I see (lol) the most since I can just slip that in with regular routine.

Gonks - Just don't call me late for dinner :laugh: How is it that we weren't friends til today?!! major problem. glad it is now fixed. yay!!

Happy Sunday ladies. Got a busy rest of the day ahead of me, but am plugging my calories away. WI day tomorrow!!! whaaa! Kind of excited... kind of wanting not to care. lol.

Rai

finncmh

Rachel (Rai) – I am keeping my fingers crossed on this job. It is so nice to have a job that I love coming to every day and all that good stuff. So hopefully it will keep going that way.
As for the strength training- I can only get to the gym two times a week because of my weird hours at the store and their hours at the gym. So I met with the owner of the gym and he helped me come up with a training program to start that would allow me to still get enough lifting in. I usually lift Tuesdays and then either Thursday or Friday as my second day. It is a full body lifting routine that usually lasts me about an hour. So it works out for my schedule. I LOVE lifting and am a big believer in it boosting your metabolism and you also burn more fat from lifting than with cardio because your muscles are repairing themselves for up to 48 hours after your lift so you are still burning calories that whole time. I think it is all about the balance of a good routine. Someone once told me “Counting calories is to see a change in the scale, cardio is to have a healthy body/life, and lifting is for burning fat” it really makes sense and if you can balance all three of those your are SET! And good luck with WI tomorrow!!!

Mike- good luck with the weigh-in today!

Bethany- I totally hear you on being a therapist to your customers! Some days are worse than others. Good for you on going back for your Bachelor’s degree that is AWESOME! You are so kick *kitten* with everything you do- raising your kids, committing to a healthy lifestyle, and working on school. Awesome job

Tara (TJ) you are just rockin it out girl. Keep it up! I love reading about all of your challenges and am so appreciative of the effort you have put towards challenging me

Tara (Marie) still waiting for our first real snow here…. Enjoy those cozy moments. I have so much respect for you right now. Working with children with autism I only have a very small understanding of what you go through. But I am in such awe of how much love and compassion that emanates when you write about your son. That had to have been such an incredible moment that you shared with him when he came over for a hug. I cant say it enough- you are absolutely incredible!

Meag- agreed with everyone else. You cant beat yourself up just get right back on the wagon! You are too incredible to get yourself down about this!!! You totally nailed with your words about this group. You have a nack for summing up what I am thinking
Would love to keep on each other about lifting. Its so funny because I am get myself worked up about running and how that will feel but I LOVE lifting and how I feel. I like the hurt muscle feeling that night and the day after. Its my sign that my body is working hard to repair and burn calories!

Gonk- thanks so much for the kind words! It was tough at first but so well worth it! Your job sounds pretty sweet as well! And so does living in the city. I get to go down once and a while for work and then I get to live in a gorgeous rural area… best of both worlds for me

AFM- just plugging along. Doing well getting back in to strength training now just need to come up with a better walk/running schedule to incorporate that in better! Keep up the great work all!!!!

CaptainJim157

Hey Girls! I did my weigh in, only lost 0.9 lbs Oh well, at least it's still something ^^
I was just about to put up the Christmas tree (generally takes 2 hrs or so) could I count that as exercise? If so, what would I put it under?

meggonkgonk

Hey Mike-

.9 lbs is a great loss- you should be right around 1lb a week so that's right in the ball park! No frownies! I banish and forbid them! (At least for a loss)

You could count it as exercise, but I typically wouldn't. For one, its only going to be marginal cals burned. And when it comes to life activites, I don't count them as intentional exercises unless it feels like I am exerting myself over much. IE- I walk to and from the subway everyday- proly about 10 min each way- and don't count that. But if I walk to the boy's apt (about 1.78 mi) I count that. If you do want to count it I would suggest either "Stretching" or "Yoga" , but I tend to err on the sides of under estimating workouts and over estimating calories.

meagalayne

7.25 miles exactly today in JUST under 75 minutes. Rocked it. Faster than my long run last week. A cool 10:20 pace. Really happy with it. I also ran ALL the hills and didn't quit. And now I'm treating myself to shopping and hopefully a new pair of winter boots to keep my toes WARM!

Have a great Sunday, ladies!

CaptainJim157

Thanks Gonk
I won't add it then :P It does make me work up a sweat though :P heh

meggonkgonk

It does, and that's good, but its more to prevent overcompensating/overestimating. It's really just me being a bit conservative :-)

rai8759

Meag... can I just say you are a BEAST! Over 7 mi in 75 minutes! WOW. You get it girl! Those b-fast calories are begging for mercy but they were DENIED! lol. Hope you find some awesome boots!

Capt. - Think Gonks is right for the decorating and the frownie face. 0.9 pounds is basically one pound and that is a healthy rate of weight loss. Keep it up!! The thing that motivates me the most is thinking if I weren't doing anything the scale would be slowly increasing, not slowly decreasing. So chin up! You are doing great!

Feeling pretty confident about the rest of the day. Have my calories all planned out even though snacks will be surrounding me pretty soon. Since I'm the one bringing the snacks I know exactly what is in them :devil: mwahaha. Like being able to keep up with this thread. :happy: Will check in later.

CaptainJim157

Thanks for the encouragement about the weight loss, I was just confused, I was under my cal everyday, and that's all I lost, Lol
I thought it'd be at least a pound & a half

megteg

Is it too late to join in on this group?

I'm 26 - hoping to lose 40lbs to get back to a healthy and feel confident :-)

I'm new to MFP too - just started here about 2 weeks ago. Haven't lost yet, but here are my goals for December:

-Log EVERYDAY, and stay at or under 1500 cals/day
-Lose 5lbs by end of December

tjradd73

Meag-way to count your cheat day still...I always count no matter what, that way you know the reasons for what happened when it did!! you are doing great though, so like everyone else said, 1 cheat day won't kill you! fantastic run to btw!

Cait-thnx lady you are always so complimentary and i really appreciate it! Sugar challenge next for me starting Wednesday if you care to join?! And glad to hear the strength training is coming along...I'm here if you need a kick in the *kitten*!!! you doing great

CaptainJim(Mike right?!)-i agree 0.9lbs is still a good loss, reevaluate your calories and calorie goals if you are confused by it, remember you need to have a defecit of 3500calories to lose even 1lb!! also i agree...i wouldnt count the tree as working out but if you do want to then i just recommend not eating those calories! great job though so far...keep it up!

Megteg-welcome to the site and this thread, those are great goals for Decemeber I will add you to the list!!

AFM-I did a 45 minute cardio workout today...happy i got my butt goin before work to get it done! I will be doing my push-ups and crunches tomorrow to make it my 3 day for the week, and still eating well here!! i hope weigh-in on Wednesday shows my hard work! great job and good luck to everyone!!

tjradd73

just adding megteg!

km323 - Reach 185lbs, run 4x per week, get to sleep before 2am each night, avoid french fries and log every day
kvr414- Lose another 10 lbs. drink 10 cups of water a day, do a 3x to 5x a day routine of situps, pushups, lunges til fatigue.
roobean33 - Reach 128lbs, drink more H20 daily, try new healthy recipes, avoid most of the holiday treats
inskydiamonds - Continue my biweekly meal challenges, because they force me to reach outside the box for things to eat for dinner. (December 1-5: Suggestions from MFP friends / December 6-19: Low-Cal Desserts / December 20-31: Meals Under $10). Lose 4 pounds, bringing me to 183.
Keysr-Cook for myself and become more active outside with fun winter sports
krishatherley - drop another 3-4 lbs
wardiemelissa-maintain current weight of 125 lbs.; continue exercise regimine of running 2-3 times a week (with one long run between 7-8 miles), strength training (30 day Shred), and stretching (yoga); plan healthy dinners for the week; and begin to tone those trouble zones (No More Trouble Zones)
SkierElle: Reach 175 lbs, still limit sweets but allow myself a few if they fit w/in calories, when I'm home for Xmas try to involve family in fun exercise!
meagalayne - Reach 130lb by 12/11/10 and maintain to 01/01/11, complete 20 consecutive push-ups, complete 5 full weeks of Cutting Body Fat (3x/week) weight lifting and extend longest run distance to 9 miles - NO EXCUSES!
rai8759 - Go from 167.4 to 162 by 1/3/11 (1.08 lbs/week); Carry a water bottle around with me and drink 8-10 cups of water per day; Be true to my food diary even if i miss a day get right back into it the next day!!
Tai_88 – continue my no candy streak (limit of one piece of candy per week); stop drinking soda for the month; at least 3 workouts per week; get my 2 mile time under 18:30; logging everyday – especially when I don’t want to.
Hazeldiva1913---drink at least 12 cups of water a day, loose 10 lbs by christmas. Im at 299 need to be at 289 on xmas day...start incorporating more strength training...no eating out more than once a week!!!
chawntamarie - Reach 140lbs by Christmas (4 lb. loss), Workout 5 times/week and cook my own meals 2-3 times per week.
finncmh- lose 5lbs bringing me to 193 by New Years eve, strength training 2x's a week, develop a solid running/walking routine, try one new healthy meal a week!
Mevan17- lose 3 lbs to get to 141 lb, run 4 days/week, no cookies
Stuartme123 - DecSW = 161. 30 min of cardio 3x a week, Keep unhealthy snacking to under 200 calories/day, Add veggies that wouldn't normally be there to at least one meal a day, Try one new healthy recipe a week, Lose 1lb a week for a total of 4lbs.
CaptainJim157 - Dec SW = 172.2 lbs, lose 10 lbs by the end of December (2 lbs a week), control my anxiety a bit better (Can that be one of my goals?)
Tickyfoxster710- Dec SW=294lbs, goal lose 9lbs by the end of December, finish my 10k running plan, try to get up to 8 miles before the end of the year, start my second round of 6 week triple challenge (finish the first week of January) ( goal 100 push ups, 200 situps, 200 squats consecutive)
Jourdan_Rystrom - DecSW=136. I want to reach 133 by the end of December and have even more muscle tone! Log on to MFP EVERY DAY and always stay under my calories! I want to drop my BF% to 22%! I also want to include more greens in my diet!
meggonkgonk: Reach 150 lbs, complete 1 unabridged week of training, Week 4 of pushup challenge and 1 unassisted pullup
GuamGrly (Bethany) - lose 5 pounds before 2011. Work out twice a week. Continue with my C25K training.
Losstalykat:* Do one nice relaxing thing for myself once a week. (massage, bath with wine and book, new workout class....)* Focus on Triathlon Training, workout as close to the training schedule as possible. * Only eat 2 sweets a week(it is the holidays after all)*Measure at the beginning and end of the month.
spellbinder25: (1) Start with week 3 of C25K. From week 4 onwards, do each week twice. (2) Cook twice a week, (3) Have a serving of fruit everyday, (4) Do squats and crunches thrice a week, (5) Lose 5.5 lbs to reach 145lbs.
seripha - Dec SW = 156.5, goal to lose another 5 lbs by the end of December, continue to exercise 4 - 5 times a week, and avoid binging on the weekend!
miss_amy: current weight loss: 26.4lbs- goal: at least 32lb total loss (5.6lbs)- ultimate goal: 35lb total loss (8.6). NSG: eat less carbs!
TaraMaria - Ab workout 3x's weekly, 4500 calories burned weekly, 97.5 miles walked/ran by Christmas, build up to running/walking 5 miles and finally no refined sugars for the month of December
SKINNYACK- Get under 160- ideally 157 by Dec 31st. I'm currently stuck at 161. Be able to hold side arm planks for 90 seconds each arm without shaking. Run my first official 5K. Finish Month 1 of P90X
Fiore89 -- Go to the gym daily, eat less carbs and more protein, log in MFP daily, pack a healthy lunch to work and stay under my calorie intake!!! :-)
Allislefttogain: Maintain in 118-123 range; minimum base running of 8-10 miles a week; long run of 13.1; weigh-ins on 10th/ 20th/30th of December; try a new workout (or 2 or 3); 64 oz of water daily (no counting tea water!) and experiment in the kitchen http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/TaraMaria
Tjradd73-to lose 8lbs and 2", continue on with the push-up challenge, and do 3 days a week of abs!
cruan- Stay on the Herbalife plan, get my protein intake that I need, lose at least 5 lbs, and exercise, exercise, exercise!
emmarie1630- lose 4lbs, eat out less, stay active over the holidays, drink more water
30poundsto30- lose 10 pounds, exercise 3x a week, walk my dog everyday and drink at least 64 ounces of water daily
SkiptomyLou32: 123 by end of December, run 3x week, weights 3x week, continue to cut sweets
Nisharae- be below 207 pounds by January first...Running 5 minutes straight on the treadmill @ atleast 5.2 speed. HERE WE GO!
js775219-lose 6-10lbs, 3 straight weeks of bootcamp, log ALL calories EVERYDAY!
allie7383- lose at least 3 lbs, work out at least 5 times a week, and drink over 8 glasses of water per day.
megteg-lose 5lbs, log in everyday and stay at or under 1500 calories.

wardiemelissa

HOOLY Jumping thread...I didn't have time to check in much yesterday....busy day cleaning, a birthday party...managed not to eat cake or a cupcake and had veggies and fruit! Today I cleaned my girls' rooms from about 8 am until 11:30 am. Dressers reorganized, toy bins cleaned out, closets picked up...felt good until I got home from grocery shopping and the rooms were destroyed! My hubby did at least fold the laundry that was in the dryer while I was gone. Managed to get in an almost 3.5 mile run tonight so that recharched my batteries! Came home and steaks and red skins on the grill! YUMMY!!!!

Hope everyone has a great week!!!!!

meagalayne

OK back from shopping and going to devote some time to my wonderful MFPals here :happy: I've missed you!

Tara - Thanks girl. I know, I know... And trust me, I ALWAYS log. The only times I haven't logged were while I was away without a computer handy to access my diary. I didn't want to count yesterday's breakfast because I wanted to have my cheat meal guilt free, and knowing how much is in things tends to make me feel worse about eating them, even when they aren't all that bad. I am a *bit* neurotic about my eating habits and I don't want to creep into "obsessive" territory, which my family for the most part already thinks I have. I eat a *lot* of food for a fairly small body because my appetite is gigantic. That means that I have to be diligent about how I spend my calories and typically do not go much over 350 or 400 calories at any given meal. With a good burn, I can eat about 5 meals a day plus a snack and some coffee. Anyway, I log religiously and am adamant about counting everything, and so now that I am nearing maintenance I want to know that I can treat myself to things without getting too anxious or being a total crazy person... This is going to take time, but I should definitely start taking some baby steps toward it. Sure I can count calories for the rest of my life but that doesn't seem very practical - at least not 100% of the time. I've got to find some balance and stop relying SO heavily on my food diary ALL the time. That's all :happy:

Sounds like you are having a great week! Good calorie burn today and cardio work-out. Get those push-ups in! If I'm falling behind, someone has to stay on track hahaha

Mike/Gonk/Rai/etc... Like always, Gonks has some pretty sage advice. Err on the side of caution, I'd say, and just chalk it up to extra burned calories and perhaps an extra ounce or two of lost weight. I don't typically log every bit of exercise I do, and I usually underestimate my burn if I'm not relatively positive of what it is, just because I'd rather underestimate than overestimate and end up overeating/self-sabotaging for no good reason. You definitely need to be eating a majority of your exercise calories on a regular basis, but for light exercise once in a while, I'd say you are safe not to log it.

Rai - I just thought of another great exercise I used to prep for my downhill run in Oct - Step ups! They are awful and horrendous and will make you cry, but great for building up your quads. Hold some weights or something around 5-10lbs in each hand at your sides. Find a bench, either a weight lifting bench at the gym or a park bench outside (anything stable about that height will works but avoid stairs because you want to be stepping straight up), and step up with one foot, follow with the other and then step down, as you would doing a basic step in aerobics. Do an equal # of reps on each side until your legs feel like they're going to fall off. Take a rest and then do some more :happy: Seriously, they are bad *kitten*. Just keep yourself up-right, shoulders back and down (relaxed), and try to limit your forward movement - step down as close to the bench as you can.

Also - Just make sure you are down-hill jogging as much as you are up-hill jogging! If you only work your hams and not your quads, you could be in trouble. I never understood this about treadmills... And LOL @ your comments about my run. Those b-fast calories are definitely gone and burned away today! Woohoot! :drinker:

Cait - I am glad you agreed! I'll definitely be getting all "up in your grill" about strength training and I hope you do the same for me. I am going to try to do mine M/W/F with three different workouts, targeting different muscle groups - I think? Not entirely sure yet. I'd love to know what your weight circuit looks like! And thanks for the kind words. I can't believe what a sweetheart you are sometimes! hehe Well, I can, because you are always so lovely, but it still gets me every time! :happy:

Megteg - Not nearly enough Meg's/Meag's on this forum yet! :laugh: Welcome! I hope you find that this thread helps to keep you motivated and inspired. It's been a great source of support for me these last few months and I know that others feel the same. Good luck and keep us informed :flowerforyou:

Melissa - Sounds like you're having a BRILLIANT weekend! Great job avoiding the sweets, getting your veggies/fruits, and getting organized (two steps forward, one step back with kids sometimes, but you do what you can lol)! The run is just the proverbial icing on the cake (that you didn't eat, you dedicated lady you!). Hollah! :drinker:

AFM - Went to buy winter boots today and came home empty handed. Really disappointing actually. It's quite peculiar to me that in CANADA - the coldest effing place on earth, it seems - it's so damned difficult to find a pair of warm, sensible winter boots that don't make me look like I live in the tundra. Apparently in the world of boots, practicality and fashion are completely incompatible. Argh! It's my mission this week to find a pair that will keep my toes happy this winter.

More on my run... I was SO happy with my performance today. My legs were extremely sore when I got out there but I figured they would loosen up as I ran, and they did somewhat. I definitely had to push through the sore knees and quads from all my squats on Thurs and running Fri (still hurting, I know...) but I managed and I was able to stop less frequently, albeit a little earlier, than the last long run along the same course. It's a very challenging course for me because of the elevations early on, but I was able to make most of my walking breaks between 1 and 2 mins and only took 5 over the course of 75 minutes (there were a few lights I had to stop for, but I tend to get frustrated and jay-walk as soon as the road is clear so it's negligible). I managed to run the last 1.5 miles at around a 10:00 min/mile, and none of my miles were over 10:46. You can see the deets here if you are interested: http://runkeeper.com/user/MeagAlayne/activity/20918838, along with all the rest of the activities that I track on a day to day basis. I love my RunKeeper app :bigsmile:

WI tomorrow morning and I am hoping to see a loss but I'll happy if I maintained as well. I have had a good week, over all, but lots of ups and downs really and I know that when you change your exercise regime, and ramp up your running + weight training, as I have over the last few weeks, your body can react unfavourably. I am fully prepared for that (or so I think) -- I know that I have been working REALLY hard, especially at the gym and hitting the pavement, and have made so many 'gains' with regards to my non-scale goals. My running is better than ever, I am gaining tone and definition in parts of my body that I've never even seen before, and generally I have been really good about staying on track. So I am not going to beat myself up if the # on the scale sucks tomorrow. Hopefully. And if I do, please smack some sense into me :noway: hahah

Figured out my work-out schedule for the week. I'm going to give it a go and see how I like it. Constructive criticism always welcome and encouraged!

Mon - Low Volume Workout 2; 35 mins cross-train (trying the bike again tomorrow on account of Aly's suggestion!); stretch
Tues - 4 mile run
Wed - Time-Pressed Full Body Workout; 35 mins cross-train (rowing, perhaps? I always loved rowing when I was younger but I never hear anything about it on the boards...)
Thurs - 3 mile run, speed work
Fri - Low Volume Workout 1; 35 mins cross-train (undecided) and then birthday festivities
Sat - REST DAY - and my birthday! :drinker:
Sun - 6 mile run

Last but not least - Cauliflower pizza is on the menu tomorrow! And boy am I excited to try it! I've been waiting all week but I haven't had the time. For those of you that are interested, here's a link to the forum post on MFP: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/130577-you-asked-for-it-cauli-crust-pizza-pics

I hope everyone has a great night. I'm going to be busy with the boy once again tonight but I'll check in before bed to see how my favourite ladies (and gent) are doing.

CaptainJim157

Night girls! Tty tomorrow!

robyn0629

I NEED HELP!!!- I find it soooo hard to stay motivated with my fitness plan. At times I do a food/fintness journal, I do that for a while then I stop and start again (when i notice my jeans are starting to feel a bit snug). Then I tell myself that I'll get up early in the morning before I go to work and workout and that never works because I end up waking up 10 min before my alarm goes off and hitting snooze for the next 30 min. I try to fix healthy lunches but by the time i get off work I just want a burger and something SWEET ( I am addicted to cookies and cake---i find it soo hard to resist these 2 things). I just find it hard setting a goal and sticking to it. Please help.

SW (12/5/10) - 170lbs
GW - 140 lbs
CW- 170 lbs

meagalayne

I NEED HELP!!!- I find it soooo hard to stay motivated with my fitness plan. At times I do a food/fintness journal, I do that for a while then I stop and start again (when i notice my jeans are starting to feel a bit snug). Then I tell myself that I'll get up early in the morning before I go to work and workout and that never works because I end up waking up 10 min before my alarm goes off and hitting snooze for the next 30 min. I try to fix healthy lunches but by the time i get off work I just want a burger and something SWEET ( I am addicted to cookies and cake---i find it soo hard to resist these 2 things). I just find it hard setting a goal and sticking to it. Please help.

SW (12/5/10) - 170lbs
GW - 140 lbs
CW- 170 lbs

The cold hard truth: You don't want it enough.

Unfortunately, we can't want it for you! Ultimately that's what it comes down to, Robyn. You have to WANT It because it's hard work changing your life and making this a life-long healthy living plan, instead of a short term diet, is the only way that you can lose the weight and keep it off. Logging for a while and then stopping once you tire of it is not going to be very effective. Getting motivated to get healthy and fit (and subsequently lose weight) is something you have to do on your own, for yourself. You have to be in the right head space and you have to WANT IT.

Once you want it, it's a million times easier to stick it out. Make a list of the reasons you want to be fit and healthy. And then make a list of targets or goals that comes to mind when you think of what a healthy version of YOU would be like. What sort of things do you want to be able to do/wear/feel/etc? What would signify progress? Other than weight loss, what sort of progress do you want to see? Ex. "I want to get dressed up to go out with my friends for a night and feel good about how I look." or "I want to spend more time outside playing with my daughter without feeling winded or tired." Then, make a PLAN. How are you going to get there. What changes can you make that you are going to be able to sustain for the LONG TERM.

I've said it before on this thread but it bears repeating: If what you are doing to lose weight right now is not something that you feel willing and able to maintain (happily) for the foreseeable future, then something has to change. Things don't go back to normal once you hit goal weight. You have to keep eating healthy and working out. You have to make time to maintain your weight and to nurture yourself. You also absolutely have to know your way around food and to have a healthy relationship with it. If it feels like a chore now, you're going to end up feeling like a prisoner in your own life.

So wait until you're ready to make a change. Otherwise, motivation will wain. Because yes - Being healthy and fit is hard work if you don't really, really want to change.

tali1987

i think we all of those issues as well. Or you get bored going to the gym because you find yourself kinda doing the same thing everyday.

meggonkgonk

I NEED HELP!!!- I find it soooo hard to stay motivated with my fitness plan.

I agree with Meag on this- You really have to want it and committing isn't a a matter of can/can't as much as will/won't.

That being said, there's no reason you CAN'T commit to these things. As a person starting from and aiming for similar places as you, and a girl who has been on and off diets and weightloss and working out plan since about the age of 13, I know that just like in sports, it's part mental and part physical. The mental part is all your commitment, your persistence and your refusal to throw in the towel because of a bad day. The other part, the physical part, is how these plans fit into your life. And that sounds like maybe it's not working for you and that is just as important.

That's kind of my round about way of saying, maybe you need a change. It sounds like the food and workout you try to commit to, they aren't for you and that can eat away at the toughest resolve- because you are trying to be something you aren't. I, for example, LOVE junk food. Cheese burgers, pop corn, pizza, Chipotle- I love to eat all of these things. Do I abstain from them just because I am trying to lose weight? NO. I plan for them, I cut them back, I make them more of a treat. But I don't cut them out completely, because it's part of what I like about myself- I can enjoy the crap out of junk food!

Any way, my point is, if your working out isn't something you stick to in the morning, try evening workouts, try working more activity in your day to day activities. If you get to work with a salad and just want a burger- then dammit, make yourself a burger for lunch! I am a big advocate of your fitness and health fitting into your life which many people see as kind of lazy- but like Meag said, if you can't see yourself doing it for long term, its never goign to be anything worth putting effort into in the first place.

My personal recommendation is for baby steps and patience. Last year, at 182 lbs, I decided I was going to change (again) but this time I took it slow. No measurements of any kind. No inches or lbs. Just me C25k, and an eating plan from Women's health. I didn't stick strictly to either one, which was ok for me- my focus was on learning to incorporate these things and to not feel guilty when I "messed up". At the end of the summer, I found MFP and about 8 lbs down (174) I felt really ready to intentionally lose weight. Since then, counting calories has been a breeze- because the structure of my diet is 2nd nature. Sticking to "working out" in the strict gym-ish sense of the word is my biggest obstacle (cuz I love TV and sleeping) but my life is active enough that I'm OK without it, and here I've found a community of women (and guy!) who push me to keep going higher, further and faster than ever- each week.

So Meag is right- it has to be something you want. But it also has to be something you are and something you are willing to work for, no matter what the outcome to your weight. That's the only way it will become more than a cycle of highs and lows.

*Steps off of Soap Box*

We'd love to have you here, love to encourage you no matter what your goals are- even if it's just to stick to packed lunches or make dinner 6x a week. We'll be here for you!

Peace
~Gonks

jillybeanruns

Morning all! Hope you had nice weekends!

My parents' were up for the weekend and I ate much worse than I should have...but I also ran a fair bit as well, so it all balances out. I'm really big on "everything in moderation", but I had a bit too many sweets/unhealthy fats this weekend. Back to it today! Ran 5 miles Saturday (and then shopped for 7 hours) and ran 10.58 miles yesterday. Not quite the 13.1 I wanted, but I have bad asthma and temps felt like they were in -10s (F) yesterday so I opted to stop running instead of have a major asthma attack. Honestly should have come in sooner, but I'm stubborn and competitive and used my inhaler WAY too many times before I did. I don't belong to a gym but really want to get my BF% tested. Even with maintaining, I'm still dropping sizes and it's making me curious as to what my BF is. So this week's mission is to see if I can get it tested for a reasonable rate as I'm not looking to join a gym right now.

Did a bit of yoga this morning as my muscles are beat down from running and I needed to really stretch. Probably will do strength tonight and then soak in some muscle relief bath salts before I watch Monday Night Football! Weigh-in on Friday for me and race #12 (my final race in my 12 race goal for the year) is on Sunday. I get to decide mid-race if I want to do 2,4 or 6 miles as it's a series of loops.

wardiemelissa

HOOLY Jumping thread...I didn't have time to check in much yesterday....busy day cleaning, a birthday party...managed not to eat cake or a cupcake and had veggies and fruit! Today I cleaned my girls' rooms from about 8 am until 11:30 am. Dressers reorganized, toy bins cleaned out, closets picked up...felt good until I got home from grocery shopping and the rooms were destroyed! My hubby did at least fold the laundry that was in the dryer while I was gone. Managed to get in an almost 3.5 mile run tonight so that recharched my batteries! Came home and steaks and red skins on the grill! YUMMY!!!!

Hope everyone has a great week!!!!!

oops...HOLY not HOOLY!!!! and I'm a teacher!!!:noway:

rai8759

Tali - I agree we all hit walls with food or our workouts, but Meag is totally right when she says that these changes we're making have to be sustainable. In truth, you wouldn't be able to eat the exact same thing every single day or do the exact same workout. Life throws curves at you that make that impossible (hello! birthday parties, Christmas, etc) and/or that would just be SO BORING!! If your feeling that discouragement instead of letting that stop you- change it up.. like try a new work out DVD (you can take them out of the library for free) or a new routine at the gym. Try a new recipe. Look up the nutritional value to a restaurant and go out to eat.


Robyn: I think most of, if not all of us, have come out of a nasty cycle of dieting, giving up, dieting, giving up. This is not the answer. It only creates a way for you to beat yourself up when you fail. Getting fit (and loosing weight) has to be a lifelong commitment. That may sound extreme, but what is the alternative? Your current lifestyle is making you bigger and your pants tighter. lol I know how that is! If you still find yourself falling off the wagon, here are some practical tips.

Always ALWAYS always track everything you put into your mouth in the food diary. You will be shocked at how many calories you consume and you won't be able to think "I don't eat THAT much...". Open your eyes with the truth.

Be realistic about exercise. Maybe you are just not a morning person. Maybe you need to exercise in the evenings after work. Don't sabotage yourself by setting unrealistic standards that you will just not do. However, again, Meag is right. This journey will require regular exercise, so get your head on straight to expect that in the future if you plan to continue.

For a sweet tooth: I challenge you to eat 5 pieces of fruit a day. You body craves simple sugars because it needs them for proper brain function. However, feeding that craving with candy and soda only creates more hunger later since there is no fiber or protein in it to feed your body long term. Fruit has that fiber!!! Even better pair a piece of fruit with some protein.. like an apple with low cal peanut butter or some almonds.

You are going to be hungry when you lower your calorie intake. You have trained your body into some bad habits.... your stomach and your brain expects to deal with more food than you need. You can help combat this by lowering your calorie intake gradually, but that means it will be much longer until you see a loss in the scale. Also, combat this by eating foods full of fiber and lean protein (VEGGIES, fish, chicken, seafood, FRUIT)

You are going to crave things that are too many calories or that are not a wise choice even if they are within your calories. Again, you have created habits in your relationship with food that need to be demolished. Think through your relationship with food. Do you eat when your happy? sad? bored? What excuses do you use to overeat? Break down your illogical desire to eat more than you need. Knowing this is a tool for you to be able to say "NO! I DON'T NEED THAT SODA!! I'M JUST BORED, TIRED, SAD (INSERT OWN WORD HERE)."

The bottom line.. are you ready for this change? Are you really willing to put the work in? If not, this will just be another diet, and even if you do drop the weight if you mindset is not changed then the weight will come back. This is not a "diet" that you are one day "done with". You can take it as fast or slow as you want, but no one can do it for you. I know since I've tried and failed at many diets, but so far this is working for me since I know I'm dedicated to the change. I hold myself completely responsible for the food I put in my mouth instead of evil twin Rachel being in charge when I eat the entire box of cereal. lol. You can do it!! But.. you need to do it!!

meagalayne

Gonks - Great response. You're far more diplomatic than me for the most part hahaha!

(Rai - You were posting while I was typing furiously and so I just read yours - Wonderful advice as well!)

If you start off Day 1 thinking you can't do it, you aren't going to get very far, IMO. So many women on this thread have the best possible attitude and I attribute a lot of their success to that fact. I think we all really *want* it and we're all ready to work for it - and that's why we're all making such incredible progress :happy: Having others around to support and motivate you can definitely be helpful, but if you are starting with a defeatist attitude there isn't much anyone else can do. It's got to be a change for you!

Robyn - Sorry if my reply came off more harshly than intended, but I guess I'm a proponent of "telling it like it is". We all have days we need to vent and feel like we're failing. We'd love to have you as a member of our group if you want to set up some goals for yourself and work hard to meet them, whatever they might be. They don't have to be weight loss goals at all, just anything that helps you work toward a sustainable healthy lifestyle. There is so much awesome advice and support in this group; it's a great resource for any questions you might have or suggestions you may need about food, fitness, health and well-being.

Jill - I'd be very curious to know my own BF % as well.. I know I can get that checked at my gym but I don't really feel like paying for it. Perhaps I'll ask next time I'm in :happy: Then again, I have no idea what it was when I started, but I'm going to guess it was AWFUL! haha Could be interesting to see how things are going now...

AFM - Pretty meager weight loss today - 0.2lbs from last Monday, and 1.7lbs from last Wednesday (when I foolishly weighed-in to start the month and was up 1.5lbs). At least it's not a gain! I am going to really kick my own butt this week to lose some weight before my birthday weekend. Hopefully my new weight lifting plan won't have too much of an adverse affect on my weight-loss, but if it does I can certainly be happy with being in and around 131.4lbs for a while. 130 is just a number and if I know I'm fit and healthy and making progress, then I am not *too* focused on the # itself. It would be nice to hit my 60lb-lost target, but I am not going to obsess over 1.5lbs. I refuse! With all my hard work and progress, being upset over 1.5lbs is not worth it at all. I am just going to focus on being happy with everything I have accomplished so far! And who knows - maybe I'll have a great week this week :bigsmile: I guess we'll see.

I am thinking I may WI on Friday morning before my birthday celebrations kick-off. I am going to be eating a whole bunch of my favourite delicious foods this weekend and so I will likely gain a lb or two. Doesn't help that I'll be decorating a gingerbread house on Sunday with the boy and some friends. I assume far too much chocolate and candy will be consumed during that process. Still going to get in my workouts Fri and my long run on Sun - We'll see how things go!

On the agenda for today - push-ups and stretching at home (desperately needed after yesterday's run) and then Low Volume Workout 2 and some cycling at the gym tonight. Have a wonderful Monday everyone!!

Meag