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

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  • wardiemelissa
    wardiemelissa Posts: 365 Member
    Happy Saturday Everyone!!!

    Got in a good 4 miles today outside I was really excited to get back to running outside...with the exception of the wind it was a fantastic run-may even one of my best. I can really tell this 1/2 marathon training is helping with my speed. Had an average pace of 9:05 per mile (6.6 mph) and had negative splits at each mile. Felt great!!!! :happy:

    Bumming around the rest of the day...enjoying a nice GM right now then shower and maybe shopping for some new running shoes??? Starting to feel the wear on my poor Asics.....ugh...love my shoes!

    Have a wonderful day!!!
    Melissa
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
    Gonks-sorry to hear about your WI...at least it wasn't another gain this week and you only stayed the same! no worries though....we still have 9 days til the end of Feb so you could def still have a decent loss for the month...good luck! and good luck on the apartment search as well :)

    Rachel-180 isn't bad...but I would def look up what your target HR and max HR should be online...I think they base it off of your age, resting HR, and weight?? in fact, I should prob also do this myself!!

    AFM-i am still not really knowing what my "groove" is this week but I am not liking it at all!! I hope I get over it soon...or I will never reach my 6lb goal for the month...here's to keeping a positive attitude and outlook on all of this... *cheers* (with water of course)
  • lostalykat
    lostalykat Posts: 683 Member
    Selfish post guys! I SWEAR I LOVE YOU JUST BUSY!
    Aly's Measurements 1/18 2/18/2011
    Neck 13.5
    Upper arm 14.75 13.5
    Forearm 10 10
    Chest (nip) 40.5 39.5
    Waist 33.5 33
    Hip-Thigh hits 43.5 42.5
    Thigh 26.5 26.5
    Calf 15 15 1/8

    As you can see I did my measurements last night, glad to see a progress, I am down 3.7 pounds since I measured so it is nice to see it coming off where it counts hehe.

    Our workout was cancelled due to bad weather so I went to the gym and did an interval run instead which was nice but so boring. I miss running outside. I have ran on the treadmill 2 times this week due to bad weather bla. It is supposed to get better tomorrow. We have a Swim bike workout tomorrow since our bike ride was rained out. I just had a piece of rice bread with peanut butter sooo good! I am trying gluten free right now and I have to say it feels like it digests better. Maybe my issue was with gluten all along... we shall see. I have dinner tonight with the family at a sushi restaurant so that should be fun, no drinking again which will be fine since my family is kinda on that wagon as well which is good. I get to see my little nephew who is one today yay! I have to get in the shower then brave the weather to grab some bday gifts. Have a great weekend everyone!
  • finncmh
    finncmh Posts: 290
    Well February just isnt my month for the kicking *kitten* group. Sorry ladies. I have tons of reasons but I just dont feel like getting in to them right now. Im fine and have still been lurking on here but just havent been up to par with logging or posting- and at this point I am ok with that. SH$T just kinda hit the fan this week stress level wise and the fiance and I are finally coming down off the craziness of having his car totalled a few weeks ago and whatnot. Feeling in a much better place and hoping to be posting more often. Heads just not really in it right now. I miss you ladies and no worries Im not going anywhere. Just need to focus on me and the boy and all that good stuff! Happy Saturday everyone!

    Cait
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
    This is a new recipe that I tried tonight, which was pretty good, so I thought that I would post it :)

    Cider Pulled Pork (slow cooker recipe)

    2lbs pork loin (I used boneless ribs)
    3/4tsp salt
    1/4tsp pepper
    2 cups (divided) unsweetened apple juice
    3 sprigs rosemary (I used 3 tsps)
    1/2 cup dried cherries (I used dried plums)
    5 tsp cornstarch

    1.salt/pepper pork and brown pork in a skillet.
    2.add 1c apple juice into slow cooker, add 2tsps Rosemary. Top with pork and remaining rosemary. Add plums. Cover and cook for 5 hours on low.
    3. Remove meat, shred, and keep warm.
    4. Strain cooking liquid into saucepan and add 3/4 cup apple juice. Bring to boil.
    5. Combine cornstarch and remaining 1/4c apple juice until smooth and add to liquid mixture. Bring to boil, cover, stir, and cook for 1-2 min until thickened.
    6. Add sauce to meat and serve over brown rice.

    Makes 6 servings.
    1 serving(without rice)~244 calories, 9g fat, 368mg sodium, 20g carbs, 1g fiber, 32g protein

    food1.jpg
  • shelsab
    shelsab Posts: 138 Member
    lola-just got a membership with 24 hr fitness. Got the costco deal. 299 for 2 yrs averaging to 12.50 per month. We had already signed up for about 25 per month and took them the deal from costco and they reimbursed us. I like having a gym membership because I enjoy the classes and its a good way to get out of the house if needed, esp if I do not want to workout outside :]

    Bethany: I thought you lived in LA.... sorry. But maybe look for cheaper places to live around your neighborhood. Keep thinking positive! And I totally understand about having a plan...its a must with me too!

    gonks- sorry about your WI. At least you maintained the same weight...think positive!

    Aly- congrats on your measurements!

    Melissa- great run!

    old QOTD: I LOVE LOVE LOVE RAIN! I love the smell and the cloudiness. Though I dislike it when I am working because I do not get to enjoy it. But I still love the sunshine toO!

    I had a great time running errands, getting the discount at costco for the gym and shopping at michaels, though I wish I could buy so much more! Have a great night everyone!

    -Alexis
  • KanCrav
    KanCrav Posts: 439 Member
    ~Radd... dinner looks awesome!~! Can I come over????

    ~Alexis...thats soo awesome that you got such a great deal on your gym membership!~!

    ~Cait... I hope the stress in your life starts to cool down. Good luck.

    AFM... Just did half of an Army PT test. Instead of seeing how many sit ups and pushups I can do in 2 min each, I did one min for each one. I got 9 push ups in and 25 situps. And instead of timing 2 miles (which I CANT do yet) I did one mile. 11 min!~! not bad, almost died, and my lungs are still on fire but not bad I dont think. Its soo cold out that I feel like my lungs are frozen.

    I am a little disapointed though. I thought I could do more situps. I swear I didnt even feel any pain. My stomach just gave out. I was soo mad at myself. I guess all those crunches and stuff I have been doing werent perfect. I need to watch my form. Not sure who said it, but one of you told me to watch my form a few days ago, and you were right!~! well now I have something to go on. I have a score to beat. I am going into a rehab for 6 weeks. Its a military run rehab so we have PT everyday. So I plan on being able to do a whole PT test when I get out!~!~!
  • wardiemelissa
    wardiemelissa Posts: 365 Member
    Happy Friday ladies!!

    This is going to be a selfish post for me so bare with me and hopefully we all make it through it...

    So yesterday was a horrible food day for me. Perhaps its my body's TOM. Due to BC, I don't have an actual TOM but I think my body still emotionally goes through it. So I was eating just about every sweet that I could set my eyes on. I guess I had woke up in a bad mood yesterday too since I didn't get to talk to the bf the night before. Yes...I know that sounds childish but I am not used to him working his 2nd job so I usually get to talk to him every night. So that kinda got my day started on the wrong foot which led to bad eating habits all day long. Then I got home and was informed that my stepdad got the job in Arizona and would be leaving within the next couple of weeks. Which means that my parent's plan to move to Arizona is playing out for them. But I have no idea where I am going to live once they go. I can't afford a place of my own. I struggle as it is. So my immediate fear was that my daughter and I would be living out of my car. I know I am being dramatic but without any options, I am freaking out. And without anyone to really talk to about the situation last night, I cried as I combed my daughter's hair and then once I put the kids to bed, I curled up with a bowl of ice cream. I know that resorting to my old habits will not make the situation better or even give me the level of comfort that I need. I am hoping that today will go better. I got to bed early last night and missed the bf's call after he got off work cause I fell asleep but I am feeling well rested and ready to face the day. I am off at 4 today which will give me time to hit up the gym before I have to get the kids from daycare. Then the kids and I are gonna make flat out pizzas and watch Monsters, Inc.

    Sorry yo hear about your situation. I hope you know that we are all here for you and keeping you in our thoughts! Just remember your kids LOVE you very much and stay strong for them!!!! I know it seems irrelevant to say but...everything happens for a reason! Keep your chin up girly!!!! :heart: :heart:

    Melissa:heart:
  • wardiemelissa
    wardiemelissa Posts: 365 Member
    This is a new recipe that I tried tonight, which was pretty good, so I thought that I would post it :)

    Cider Pulled Pork (slow cooker recipe)

    2lbs pork loin (I used boneless ribs)
    3/4tsp salt
    1/4tsp pepper
    2 cups (divided) unsweetened apple juice
    3 sprigs rosemary (I used 3 tsps)
    1/2 cup dried cherries (I used dried plums)
    5 tsp cornstarch

    1.salt/pepper pork and brown pork in a skillet.
    2.add 1c apple juice into slow cooker, add 2tsps Rosemary. Top with pork and remaining rosemary. Add plums. Cover and cook for 5 hours on low.
    3. Remove meat, shred, and keep warm.
    4. Strain cooking liquid into saucepan and add 3/4 cup apple juice. Bring to boil.
    5. Combine cornstarch and remaining 1/4c apple juice until smooth and add to liquid mixture. Bring to boil, cover, stir, and cook for 1-2 min until thickened.
    6. Add sauce to meat and serve over brown rice.

    Makes 6 servings.
    1 serving(without rice)~244 calories, 9g fat, 368mg sodium, 20g carbs, 1g fiber, 32g protein

    food1.jpg

    Looks yummy!!! Wrote it down to try!!! Thanks! Tj!!!
  • wardiemelissa
    wardiemelissa Posts: 365 Member
    Brisk Sunday here on the homefront...supposed to get 5-10 inches of snow and freezing rain! So hoping to get my 9 miles in early today snd outside. Went and bought some Gu and some new shoes. I went between the Asics 2160 (didn't have any 2150's) and the Brooks Adrenaline. The Asics were cute purple and gray but felt heavier than the Brooks...so I went with the Brooks. Anyone else have the Brooks???

    Going to run in my Asics today so I don't go out for my first run in my new shoes...going to try the Mint Chocolate GU today. I bought the Mint Chocolate, Chocolate Outrage, and the Vanilla.

    Made Venison Sausage Jumbo stuffed shells last night and they were GOOD!!!!

    1 lb italian venison sausage (you can use beef or turkey)
    15 oz lowfat ricotta cheese
    2 c reduced fat italian shredded cheese
    24 jumbo shells
    9 oz frozen spinach
    1/2 tsp dried basil
    3.4 c shredded carrot (I used about 1 cup)
    1 jar pasta sauce (25.5 oz)

    Heat oven to 350. Spray 13x9 baking dish. Cook and drain pasta and cook sausage. In a medium bowl mix the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the italian shredded cheese, spinach, and basil until well mixed. Stir in venison and carrots. Spread 1/2 cup of pasta sauce over the bottom of baking dish. Spoon about 3 oz of sausage mix into each shell-I used my hands it was easier. Arrange shells filled side up on top of the sauce. Pour rest of sauce over the shells. Cover shells with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese and bake 5-10 more minutes.

    Welcome to all of the new kick *kitten* ladies!!! This is a great forum of support and motivation! A great group of women on here that have helped me stay focused and on track :happy:

    Have a healthy and fit Sunday,
    Melissa:drinker:
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
    Sorry Ive been MIA...

    Running, time with Ty, and all sorts of other stress. Ill be running my 9miles this morning once I get home (still out of town) and then catching up with you folks when I can. Weekends are just bad for me...

    Gonks - Stress. That's why. Serious. Read this please: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/173853-an-objective-look-at-eating-exercise-calories Things WILL improve :heart: <<hugs>>

    Melissa - Your running is NUTSSSS!!! :noway: Intensity in ten cities, woman! I am in AWE. Congrats :drinker:

    Talk to the rest of you soon. Great progress - Much love :heart:
  • mkingraham
    mkingraham Posts: 445 Member
    Good Morning (almost afternoon) Everyone!

    So yesterday was my rest day, but I ate like I worked out for 4 hours- blah. This was the first time that I have just totally eatten without much thought. I didn't really plan out my meal yesterday and was super tired so I took a nap. When my husband woke me up he was starving and neither one of us felt like cooking. We roamed the grocery store and since I was not feeling the cooking and didn't know what to get I let him convience me into a frozen pizza. They are so bad for you. Then he also grabbed some chips and cheese dip- a fav of ours but again- totally not good for you. I should have stopped him or just not had any, but instead I shoveled it in. Needless to say I am WAY over on everything for yesterday. But I still logged it because if I don't log everything I eat- what's the point of logging at all right. And I am keeping in mind that today is a new day. We are also making a grocery list and going to pick up the items needed for a week of clean eating meals out of the clean eating magazine. These dishes look super delicious and I was excited to realize that I actually had been eating very close to clean to begin with. I just need to eliminate a few more things from my diet and replace them with healthier choices and I will be a clean eater!

    The other thing I have noticed is that I haven't been eating my snacks lately. I haven't even been packing them. I think that has been why my energy has been suffering a little bit in the afternoons. So I am going to make a huge point of finishing February off strong by eating clean, eating all of my meals and snacks and continuing with my exercise routine. I hope you guys had a better Saturday night then I did :)

    Keep up the great work!!

    Megan
  • finncmh
    finncmh Posts: 290
    Hey All- love all the recipe sharing you guys are doing on here! Great to see that! Things are going well. Stress is over and in all honesty I sometimes feel like its not so much the stressful events that are going on but what we do with them and how we handle them. I dunno it that makes sense. So I am just try to keep myself balanced and take it one moment at a time. Just wanted to pop in and let you all know that I am here and cheering you on as you are all Kicking *kitten* with what seems like a crazy month for all of us. Keep up the great work and enjoy the rest of your Sunday ladies!

    Cait
  • wardiemelissa
    wardiemelissa Posts: 365 Member
    Got my 9 miler in today and it felt good averaged 6.1 mph and finished in 1:28:16. So overall not too bad!!! Glad I got it in before the "crazy" storm that is supposed to hit!!! Came home and made myself a TASTY GM :love: . Took a shower and colored my hair (went a little lighter since spring is right around the corner).

    Just had lunch...tortilla with canned chicken, bell peppers, shredded carrots, salsa, and a little bit of shredded cheese...with a banana-quite yummy and filling. Going to do NOTHING for the rest of the day.

    Have a great night y'all!!!

    Melissa:heart:
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
    Got my 9miles in today... actually 9.23miles, so that my weekend total mileage would be 13.1mi + (yea I'm a dork). My pace was 10:24, which is pretty darn good and in line with my expected 1/2 marathon pace. So I am happy :happy: Foot was sore and tender and my legs cramped up for the last 15mins, but I got it done! A super challenging course as well - Check out these elevations: http://runkeeper.com/user/MeagAlayne/activity/26496068

    My GM was incredible today too Melissa! Mmmm So good. Then sautéd cabbage with my tofu scramble leftovers and pico de gallo. Sooo yummy and filling. And loaded with good protein, fat, and tons of veggies and fiber! Makes for a very happy Meag :bigsmile:

    Heading out for a few hours of shopping and quality time with my mom now. And I'm totallly having some licorice, sugar be damned! I earned i with my badass run :happy: Tonight I've got a lead on a bar job in Hamilton so I'm going to check that out, potentially... Ill be back later to check in.

    Happy to see you here again Cait!! Have a wonderful Sunday everyone :heart:
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
    Kandace- thanx!! I will be eating the leftovers tonight and tomorrow as well!! Great job on the army challenge and good luck with rehab...I wish you the best :)

    Melissa-thanx, it was super yummy! and I just wrote yours down to try also...I'll letcha know how it is when I try it, thanks :)

    Megan- we all have days like those! WTG on logging everything...that is SUPER important! get right back on track, and you've go this!

    Cait-I hope all is going well for you...we are all still here and kicking it so jump back in whenever you are ready!

    AFM-as you all have read...I was off track (mentally) for a couple of days...but I am happy to say that I am right back to normal and ready to finish out the month strong! ONLY 8 days to go...so let's do this!
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
    Hey y'all...

    OK I'm back. I feel sooo BLAH today :frown: This week has just been brutal! Seems like a lot of us are feeling stressed and pulled in a million directions. I hope the Kickin' *kitten* crew has a muuuch better week ahead! Fingers and toes crossed!

    Tara - Great attitude lady! Hoping to wake up with the same spring in my step tomorrow :happy: Love it!

    Gonks - Happy to hear you're changing things up. I think that forum posting is RIGHT on the money. Your stress bucket is toppling over and you need to fuel up and take a breather from "losing" to just give your body a break. It's so impressive that you "get it" and these things register with you - weight loss is not all black and white, deprivation and success on the scales. There's a lot at play here and I am sooo impressed that you can step back and see things for what they are. Sometimes, I think our minds get totally clouded by the end goal and with wanting to see progress, and we forget to treat our bodies with respect and to give ourselves a break when it's needed - I know that I am the #1 culprit of this some days, no irony intended here - so it's refreshing to see that you have such a level head. I'm glad you're here to keep us all in line, missy :wink: Major enormous <<hugs>> coming your way. Hope your stress is mitigated by a sweet-*kitten* apartment that pops up and Tom LOVES. Couldn't hurt, right?

    Megan - Glad you liked the magazine and recipes and hoping to see some posted if they turn out well!! :bigsmile: My tofu scramble recipe turned out amazing and it's definitely getting added to my regular rotation of lunch-time fuel. That and sautéd cabbage which I am now in LOVE with. If you cut up some plain green cabbage into rough cubes and sauté it on med-high in a little Pam until it caramelizes it's a great, healthy bed of "greens" to have with just about anything - nice and sweet, and wonderfully nutritious. Highly recommended. Don't worry about the off-day - we ALL have 'em. Glad to see you're hopping right back onto the horse and getting back on track. That's what's important.

    Thanks for the recipes ladies :bigsmile: I love them! And I love to know what other people are eating!!

    Here's what we had last night - It was a take on Chinese "Orange Chicken" but we did it with super lean pork loin chops, veggies and added some rice to make it a full-meal stir fry. Turned out great.

    Makes 3 servings

    3 -4oz pork loin chops, fat trimmed and cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
    2 1/2 Tbsp less sodium soy, divided
    1 Tbsp corn starch
    2 tsp oil, for cooking (we used olive, I think, but whatever works!)
    1/2 medium onion, sliced
    1 medium carrot, sliced into thin coins
    8 large stalks asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 tsp (approx) ginger, minced
    1/4 cup 100% orange juice
    1 tsp brown sugar
    1/4 - 1/2 tsp sriracha hot chili paste (or other asian hot chili paste), to taste
    1/2 cup dry jasmine rice

    Combine pork cubes, 1 Tbsp each soy sauce and corn starch and set aside for 15-20 mins (could use rice wine or sherry for soy sauce, we just didn't have any).
    Prepare the rice according to package directions.
    Heat oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Cook pork until nicely browned on the outside but still tender. Remove with juices and set aside, covered. Spray the skillet lightly and add onions and carrots; cook 3-5 mins until beginning to brown and add asparagus and 1/41/3 cup water. Cover and cook 3-5 additional mins until tender crisp (I never time so these are just guesses). While cooking, mix orange juice, 1 1/2 Tbsp soy, brown sugar, and hot chili paste. Set aside.
    Once veggies are cooked to desired tenderness, remove lid, add garlic and ginger, and allow water to evaporate for 2 mins. Return pork and toss in sauce. Mix to combine and bring to a simmer. Add cooked rice, mix and serve.

    Approx 350 cals per serving, but I don't have the facts in front of me ATM. Tasted great though and the boy liked it a lot!

    Have got to run for dinner but I'll be back to post selfishly tonight... Possible job lead, terrible food day yesterday, and a whole bunch of other updates. You know how I am - constantly have things to write about!!

    Take care ladies XOXO
    Meag
  • KanCrav
    KanCrav Posts: 439 Member
    ~meag... way to go with the run. Your awesome!~! After my ONE mile in the freezing cold I cant even begin to wrap my mind around NINE~!~! wew..!~! Thats dedication and training!~!~! Good for you!~!

    ~Melissa... you too on the run..!~!~! woot woot!~!.. inspiration shooting out at all angles today!~! If I told my husband how many venison recipes you post he would kill me for not cooking any of them!~!

    ~Radd... 8 days to go and a possitive attitude... im right there with you!~! Finish srong!~!

    AFM... its Monday. I am really thrown off by it being Presidents day though. I ususally have a meeting with my AA counselor on mondays, but not today. :frown: oh well, ill get over it. My back is killing me today, I guess from the teest yesterday. Uhh im still mad about how I did. But I sat down and made a exercise schedule FINALLY. My goal for the last 8 days of Feb is at least four gym days and at least 3 home workouts. Lets do this!~!~!
  • allie7383
    allie7383 Posts: 865 Member
    hey ladies!!
    wow have i been MIA for a long time.. so much to catch up on.. first i just want to say thanks for all the support this month both with the weight loss issues and not.. I took the GRE on monday, which went ok. I looke dup the average scores and mine were a little below them, but I"m not applying to an ivy league school or anything so i'll take it. i was getting so frustrated because i got to the place 15 minutes early, and they didn't call me in until almost 9, when my appointment was for 8:30. argh! the first part consists of writing 2 essays, and for the first you get 45 min. wow was it hard to get my mind back into doing things like that. a good 10 minutes went by and i had about 3 sentences typed, and still had half a clue as to where my essay was going lol. i managed to pull it together and just made it before time ran out. we'll see how well i did when i get my scores.

    as far as other things this month... well my goals were basically down the tubes, but i think today was that day that i'm turning it around. i'd log on here on my phone and read status updates and that was about it. work is crazy stressful right now due to people leaving my already small-staffed shift, and the managers above me are doing a sub-par job in my opinion in regards to dealing with things in general, not just with my shift. i wanted to get back on schedule with TurboFire, which didn't happen, so i decided to just start again from the beginning. on the plus side, i would work out by doing Just Dance 2, with my weighted gloves, and if you really go full out with it, you'll def get a great burn, plus it's just fun. i'd pretty much lost 95% of my motivation, and was trying desperately to get it back, and was semi-obsessed with watching weight loss shows on tv lol. oh and forget the non-existent logging! :grumble:

    i don't know what it is with with month, but from reading through the posts it seems everyone's been going through some downers... thank goodness the bulk of the cold months is over, and the spring light is nearing!! today i decided to really get focused again, b/c i really want to look good for this summer and rock a bikini for the first time. i was all set to start TF but got met with a rolled eyes expression from my mother, who camped herself in front of the tv through 3 straight hockey games.. god forbid she watches one not in HD for an hour! ugh she started to take it back but i said forget it and went running instead.. i made it 2 miles, walked 1/4, then another 3/4, walked 1/4 then finished out the rest. wow it was a battle today, but i felt great seeing the burn on my HRM.

    Stuartme-happy belated bday!! and congrats on the progess with C25K!

    brittfam & NicNac86-welcome!! never too late to join in with this amazingly fantastic group. everyone here is so supportive and has made such an impact on my journey!

    Kandace- believe me i know it's such a downer to see the scale go up, but keep working hard, and take a break from the evil scale, and i say as long as you're feeling great, then forget what the number is... i need to take my own advice haha! also, sorry to hear of your mom. i lost my father almost 9 years ago, and while i've dealt with that a long time ago, i still can't verbally tell people how it affected my mom.. even thinking about it gets me upset.

    Guam- sorry to hear about your living situation. my friend had a similar issue with her parents moving, forcing her to find a place.. she moved in with her bf, and although they had their problems, things seem to be ok now.. and her parents ended up not moving after all. hope all works out for you!

    Meag- hope your aches and pains are better! you always amaze me with the runs and esp your eating habits. now that i've gotten the exercise thing down i need to spend time on actually preparing more things besides chicken lol. i acutally really enjoy cooking, but i feel like i spend a fortune and come out with 2 meals. i found this cookbook in which all of the recipes have 5 ingredients or less, and i've made a couple things from it which were fab.. i should really take another look :tongue:

    Megan- major congrats on the 2 miles!! the first i did it i felt like cartwheeling through the park lol. i totally feel ya with the music getting you through. My repeat is usally Lady Gaga-Bad Romance, or some Coheed.

    tara- love the new pic, so cute! hope your WI's go well!! i'm sure you'll be kicking *kitten* this month as usual!

    ok my computer at work is going to be restarting in 15 minutes, so i apologize if i don't get to everyone before then!

    gonks- sorry your WI was less than perfect, but at least it wasn't a gain, like my last one! hope things are going well with the apt search!!

    finn- my girl! you've been in the depths like me lol. hopefully march will be a better month for us all! sorry to hear about the car.. my sister's on her 3rd now, at the age of 22 lol.

    lola- i don't belong to a gym, and have lost all my weight without one. i did curves a while back it was about $45/month. i don't have a good relationship with gyms as i start out good then a couple months in i just flat out stop going. the price will vary depending on the place.. we have a Retro Fitness near me which is $20/month. i've relied on the pavement for running, and my girl Chalene Johnson for TurboJam/Fire.. not to sound like an infomercial, but my life has totally been changed by her workouts. just go with what works best for you, no right or wrong way as long as you're losing weight!

    melissa- great job on the run! i can't wait to get to the point where i'm keeping up with u and Meag.. you guys keep me reaching. i have my 1/2 in oct, so i have plenty of time to train, and hope to do some 5k's in the coming months. my co-worker/friend is doing it with me, so it'll be nice to have someone to train with..

    ok that's all i can get to for now.. hope everyone had a good weekend... i'm on night 4 of 5, and am starting to feel it, ugh! the good thing is i have tues and wed off to look forward to, and my reward will be seeing Lady Gaga @ MSG on tues, night, and snowboarding on wed!!! sooo excited!! p.s. i tried to SB again, and it was actually fun this time lol, except when i fell on my knees, which caused so major bruises and soreness for a couple days..:flowerforyou:
  • NicNac86
    NicNac86 Posts: 130
    Hey everyone,

    Well it was weigh in day on Saturday and I've lost another 2.8 pounds this week - go me!

    I felt so good after that I went for a JOG - yes me, I JOGGED! Took my dog out for a walk and thought, what the heck just go for it! I must admit it felt good, the kinda thing I could get addicted to lol.

    Seeing as we're sharing recipes, here's something for those of you who like something a bit spicy.

    Homemade chicken shish kebabs - Serves 6.

    200g low fat natural yogurt
    1 rounded tbsp asian spice mix (or garram masala)
    1 rounded tbsp medium curry powder
    1/2 tsp salt,
    1/2 tsp black pepper,
    1 garlic clove, crushed
    575g skinless chicken breasts

    Mix everything but the chicken together in a bowl or dish large enough to fit the chicken in. It should come together a nice golden brown colour.

    You can either dice the chicken up now, or leave the breasts whole. If you leave them whole, make 3 or 4 slits along the breasts to allow the marinade to get really deep into the meat.

    Mix/coat all the chicken in the marinade mix. Cover with foil/cling film for at least 4 hours or over night if possible and refrigerate.

    Cook on a non stick baking sheet on Gas Mark 6 (400F, 200C) for 20-25 mins until the meat is cooked and juices run clear.

    Finish the chicken off under a medium grill to give it a smokey flavour if you like.

    Serve with rice and veggies/salad of your choice.

    I'm making this tonight actually (marinading as we speak) so I'll post a pic or two when I've made it :)

    1 serving - 197 calories, 5g carbs, 6g fat, 30g protein without rice/veggies.
  • KanCrav
    KanCrav Posts: 439 Member
    quick selfish post for me.. just trying to keep things on track. I have to "readjust" my goal. In the begining of the month I wanted to reach 157. I dont think thats going to happen. (had a very stressful month) I started out at 163, so all month I have only lost one pound. I feel like thismonth as been soo long and so unproductive for me. But I cant get too discouraged. all I can go is take my weight and continue. uhh, I would be lieing if I wasnt super frustrated though. But uhh... here goes..

    160 by Feb 28th
    week 4/5 of Feb.... gym 4xs. home w/o 3xs. at least 25 situps a day 10 push ups every other day.


    ~NicNac... way to go on the loss!~!~!
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
    NicNac - That recipe looks great! Let me know how it turns out... Sounds like a lot of curry and garam masala, but I love things a little spicy. I might even recommend adding a little cayenne as well, just to kick it up :) I made cajun shish kabobs a while ago with veggeis and pineapple and a yogurt based marinade and it was awesome... I bet if you skewered the pieces of chicken with some veggies commonly found in indian cuisine, like cubed eggplant, onions, and peppers and then roasted them in the oven, it would be great! :bigsmile: My mind is just racing with possibilities. If you're short on time, you could even just skip the skewering, let the chicken marinade and then toss the veggies in a casserole dish or on a baking sheet and top with the chicken pieces and toss it all in the oven...The veggies might need a little longer to cook, though. Sounds great! OH and wonderful loss and jog btw!! It's great to hear that you just "went for it" and you felt good about it afterward. Sounds like you've got a stellar attitude :happy:

    Allie!! Happy to see you back girl :bigsmile: I think the spring weather, longer days, and the snow finally melting a bit will definitely bring about some change for us ladies. I am hoping that our March thread will contain a little more sunshine and a lot less stress for everyone... February can be such a hard month! :ohwell: Glad to hear you're back on track though and it sounds like your running is going well. The burn on my HRM is always such a great motivator - Running is wonderful for that! Combined with a TF workout a few times a week and you'll be back on track in no time. Good luck lady :drinker:

    Lola - Dunno how I missed this, but apparently you asked about gym memberships? Anyway, I am a member of the Y and I pay (with tax) about $53 a month... It's steep considering I am unemployed, but I go to the gym 3-5 times a week so I make good use of it. I can also use their pools and squash/racquetball courts and they have quite a few classes that I enjoy. That being said, I lost ALL my weight without a gym and only got a membership once I started maintenance (I was too cheap/poor before), so it's very much possible to do it all sans-equipment. Hope you figure out what's best for you!

    Family Day in Ontario today - which is a ridiculous excuse for a civic holiday - so Tyler is going to come over and my extended family is having some kind of affair nearby, so I think we'll swing by that for an hour and say "hi". It's the first real meeting of my boyfriend for my extended family (I have been keeping him all to myself) so I am a bit stressed out... Mostly because, like everyone, I have extremely embarrassing family members that I want to shield him from, but I might as well just get it over with now... No clue what we're doing tonight. Hopefully just relaxing :bigsmile: My legs could use a break!

    Have a wonderful Monday, everyone. Let's finish this month off strong! :drinker: 7 more days!! :drinker:
    Meag:heart:
  • TiniTurtle
    TiniTurtle Posts: 595 Member
    it's been a couple weeks since i've been on the forum. i was depressed over valentines day & had a few really bad food days & got off track & then i was sick & stopped doing the 30 day shred, but through being sick (majority lost was prob water weight), i dropped the rest of my goal for this month! i'm 124lbs :o) so i'm back & feeling much better & starting back on the 30 day shred today & eating right. fresh start! i'm kind of expecting to put another couple pounds back on or maintain the rest of this month because i was sick & not keeping anything in for most of last week, but i'm happy with the results now that i'm feeling better. it's crazy that like 5 pages of the forum were added in the last week or so that i haven't been on here! i'll read back & catch up with everyone & hope everyone else has been making progress & doing well!

    so monday weigh in is 124lbs (-4 this month!)
  • Hey! It snowed last night, so I think I shall get some exercise by shoveling (& it helps mama out too while dads in Port Elgin) :P
  • Rachel - I have a membership at my school's athletics centre which is included in our fees, but a paid membership runs about $45 monthly I believe. Before using the gym at school, I had a membership at Goodlife, which was $22 biweekly for a year membership and way too steep imo compared with the facilities at other gyms for the same cost or less.

    Tj - that dinner looks amazing. Slowcooker meals are the best!

    Cait - :heart: hugs to you - I hope things look up, and your attitude is great - you are so right, it's more how we handle what life throws at us rather than the content of the situation itself. Keep on rocking on with that awesome outlook and you will come out the other side soaring.

    NicNac - Welcome! And that recipe looks so good - totally trying it tonight, I usually end up throwing some approximation of those ingredients into my wok as I'm finishing a stirfry to make what I like to think is a kind of curry haha. This sounds much better so I'm totally going to give it a try.

    Meag - Also an Ontarian so I feel you on the ridiculousness of having a civic holiday today. I just rained all over my roommate's parade as she was heading out to the post office by being the messenger of that there's no way she's overnighting any package today.

    Oh and after a trip to the grocery store last week, pondering the squash for several minutes, googling pictures of buttercup squash on my phone while at the grocery store still, and consulting another person in the produce section, I ended up with - an acorn squash according to the more thorough googling I've done since. What I now recognize as the buttercup squash had a label written in spanish I think and google image results maddeningly show pictures of both the acorn and the buttercup. I know you linked a picture of what it looked like, and I definitely looked at it - I just have a really terrible memory apparently. Ah well, trial and error is a good form of learning.

    AFM - Feel kind of thrown off my workouts, had midterms last week so was crazy busy and didn't work out as much as I wanted to (though I still got in the minimum amount at least planned for cardio) and then got slammed on Friday with a nasty 48-hr kinda bug. It was the oddest thing, I felt fine Friday morning, suddenly felt exhausted early afternoon so laid down for a minute, and then woke up 5 hours later with swollen glands, a seriously painful throat, and all fevered and feeling like garbage. Totally came out of nowhere, and I'm glad its seemingly completely gone now. But I finally broke the plateau I've been on for the last couple weeks so I'm stoked about that - seems like upping my daily intake by a bit and getting better about eating at least some of my exercise calories did the trick. Maybe just coincidental timing since it was about a week after I put my daily levels up, but it seems pretty in line with what everyone says here about calorie deficits and eating your exercise calories. Anyway, I'm going to get back into it today and finish the month strong with all of the kicking *kitten* people! There's a pilates class at the gym I'm wanting to try to mix up my workouts more, does anyone have any experience/tips/whatever with pilates they want to share? Definitely stretch enough beforehand would be number one I'm assuming lol.

    Hope everyone is having a great Monday! :happy:
  • mkingraham
    mkingraham Posts: 445 Member
    Good Afternoon *kitten* Kickers!!

    Going to be a selfish post for now but I promise to at least attempt to comment back to everyone at some point today! I did W6D1 of C25K today and it was awesome! I was worried how it was going to feel after running the 2 miles on Friday, but I took both Saturday and Sunday off from exercising, well on Sunday we did a mile walk with our pup but it was not at any sort of heart pumping pace. It felt good to do the workout and then I followed it up with a strength training workout.

    Last night I had Chile Chicken Tortillas from the Clean Eating Magazine- all I have to say is YUMMMMMMMMM! Both the hubby and me really loved it! It is chicken strips with chili powder on it quickly cooked in a pan. With whole wheat tortillas and a delicious avocado sour cream. Yum! And its a little over 400 calories for a serving which had more chicken on it then the magazine suggested. We have a week of receipies that we are trying from the mag and I will keep everyone posted on how they turn out. Tonight is a seafood corn chowder.

    I'm feeling really positive about this clean eating and feeling great that C25K is going so well! Just having a great Monday and ready for March to get here so I can carry this positive energy into it! Keep up the great work everybody!
  • I'm back! I've been gone from the board, but not gone from MFP for about two weeks. Was at my parent's place in AZ and then when I came back to Canada I had so much work piled up that I really had to focus on it for about a week. Also had a lot of job stuff rolling around. I've been on multiple 2 - 3 month contracts for the last year and this week I interviewed for my own position so that I could get a 13 month contract (until next fiscal). Finally accepted the job last Thursday but am still sorting out some of the compensation details.

    I'm kung fu-ing so hard! 3 x a week for the first time last week! I was very proud of myself. I'm learning a basic form that I can hopefully compete with at the next big martial arts tournament in May. My sifu (chinese equiv of japanese sensei) says that I'm learning very fast thanks to my athletic and dancing back ground, so that's my new goal right now: to master the form to a solid novice level so I can compete in the Novice 18+ in late may. We'll see how it goes!

    Here's what my week's look like work out wise:

    Monday: Step class
    Tuesday: Kung fu!
    Weds: Spin Class
    Thursday: Yoga and Kung Fu
    Friday: Pilates
    Sat: Rest
    Sunday: KUNG FUUUUUUU
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
    Meag-thnx for the recipe...looks great!

    Kandace- AGREED!! and WTG on setting some new goals for yourself...you are doing great!

    Allie-welcome back and thanks :)

    Nic-thnx for the recipe and WTG!

    jnlynch-welcome back and great loss so far!

    Seripha-welcome back to you too...hope you had fun in AZ, and great job with the Kung Fu! that will super exciting if you get to compete!
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
    Super quick check in while the boy is on the phone...

    Had popcorn today at the theatre, didn't work out, and still stayed within my cals! Crazy - wasn't even intentional. We just didn't have much time to eat today, honestly... Had a family function thing and went to the movies right after dinner. Terrible, terrible movie. The King's Speech was sold out :grumble:

    Made another awesome chicken and spice stir fry today with the same spice mix as the tofu scramble. Turned out great! And really healthy. Big workout day planned tomorrow and tons of healthy food. Yay! :drinker:

    Echo - Lame! Acorn squash is NOTHING like buttercup and way underwhelming... Sorry to hear it. Please don't let the acorn squash sully your opinion of winter squash in general. I promise you the buttercup will redeem it :tongue: With the acorn, just steam it quickly in the microwave (whole with a few piercings), cut it in half and roast it in the oven with spices, brown sugar and cinnamon, or whatever you like! A quick recipe search will yield loads of ideas - I know that there's a stuffed acorn squash recipe on these threads somewhere, too... I think Melissa posted one last month (??)

    Great work everyone! Will catch up more tomorrow :heart:
  • allie7383
    allie7383 Posts: 865 Member
    hey everyone! ok super selfish post but today i'm feeling awesome... at WI today i was 153.0, bringing me officially to 40.5 lbs lost!! i never thought i could lose 4, let alone 40 lol. a big part of that is thanks to you guys and the support from this group i've gotten since we started last year.. tonight is night 5, and although i'm def feeling it, i have 4 more hours before 2 glorious fun filled days off! wed. will be snowboarding as i said so that'll de be my workout for the day lol.

    good luck to those weighing in and hope you all have a good week ahead!
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