Bring IT! Part II: Team No Excuses

AmyNVegas

WooHoo!!! :drinker: meisje you will be in that dress before long you are doing great!:flowerforyou:

mrsyac2

I took lastnight off I was at work fooooorrrrreeeevvvvver!
But I hit the gym tonight I was there for an hour and burned 602 calories
I did the elliptical/cross trainer then hit the stair climber (brutal but I like it lol) then worked my abs tonight-

Good job everyone on your workouts

mrsyac2

Well I certainly feel like a Brought it this morning. I am feeling very tired and slightly discouraged. I completed my first day of week 4 of Couch to 5K this morning then did another 25min cardio. But I found the Couch 2 5K run very hard. I was on the Treadmill for a change today, but only running at 7km/h which is very slow. My heart rate was up in the mid-high 160s and peaking at 172bpm during the runs though. It's hard to imagine being able to complete week 5 at this point of time I know I have 2 more runs this week, so maybe I'll surpise myself but I don't think so.

Also my weight isn't moving this week. It's been my TOM, but still some progress for this hard work would be good!

I just had my TOM keep pushing and it will come off in like 4 days....Good luck ..dont get discouraged this is just another hurdle...SO LEAP OVER IT!

So true- I don't weigh myself that week at all so basically I have 3 weeks a month to weigh thats it- I actually just hopped on the scale and thought I gained until I remembered its about that time so that made me happy cause I must admit I was like WHAT:noway: - but all is good I will weigh in 1-2 days after my friend comes and goes lol- Don't get discouraged keeping working out

mgullette

If any of you are into podcasts (I spend a lot of time in a quiet office at work, so I'm addicted), there is a good one called Fat2Fit radio that's free and there are many episodes. They also have a website...if you get a chance check it out!

M

mgullette

Well I have given up studying finance and cash flow calculations for the night:huh: :yawn: and I thought of a question.

Does your company health plan offer an insurance incentive (refund/per pound lost or time without cigarettes) for losing weight or quitting smoking? If so, do you think that these plans actually work and motivate people, or do you think they are trends in insurance that won't last? Would you participate in the program or not? Do you think that health of employees is a liability to companies today? What else do you think could be done? Has your employer gone above and beyond what you would expect (gym memberships, nutrition consultants, personal training sessions, etc)?

Just trying to get some thoughts on social changes that are happening too. I am very curious about the social impact of what we are doing and the trends in our society and culture. Please feel free to chime in with your thoughts...

Good night everyone!

M

Georg

My employer has some of the best coverage in our area. But no incentives, child care, or anything else you mentioned. We have top of the line medical, dental & vision coverage.
I think incentives for non smokers would be great - but the skinny smokers would advocate low weight incentives!:sad:
btw-
We had lunch today at Red Lobster & who didn't have a biscuit!!????
Me!!!!!!!!!!!!:blushing:

MyaPapaya75

Good Morning Bring it Bunch!!!

Michelle, As for myself being a beautician healthcare offered sucks bigtime...I am nit sure that employers are responsible for providing gym memberships and such however I do think the GOVERNMENT is ....I hope that answered the question lol Im still trying to wake up ....I went to bed like hmmm 5am chatting away on the phone but I am up for my workout I might take a nap later....

Georg, WTG on not eating the biscuits...I am sure it was hard but the feeling after was well worth it..great way to BRING IT!!

Well I must be off to get myself some food and also start my 2hr routine.....I know everyone will BRING IT HARD TODAY...especially those with weigh in's tomorrow......:drinker:

mgullette

Good Morning team!

The reason I asked everyone is because some of the trends in Human Resources are leaning towards insurance plans that offer incentives or rebates for quitting smoking and losing weight. As many of you know, they look at unhealthy employees as a liability, and it's true. Smokers and obese people have more health issues than those who exercise and don't smoke, ultimately costing more in health care bills than giving incentives would be.

One of the places I used to work installed a state of the art gym, with free weights, ellipticals, treadmills, and machines. There was also a yoga room with a padded floor and a tv/dvd player set so you could do videos if you wanted. They hired two personal trainers/nutritionists to work with each employee wishing to participate and gave classes (interval training or cardio) during lunch hours. The insurance rebate called for a quarterly weigh-in, and at the end of the year each pound you managed to lose and keep off was $5 in your pocket. Now, some people stupidly tried to gain weight before the first weigh in so they'd show big losses, but they were only hurting themselves:laugh: .

Georg, those biscuits are KILLER! My brother and I used to go there just so we could eat biscuits when we were younger:noway: I don't even want to know what's in them anymore! I think we might be going to Red Lobster for my mom's birthday dinner tonight (her 2nd annual 50th birthday party) and I will be avoiding them as well. I know they have grilled chicken and veggies on the menu so I will just halve my portion and watch the sodium.

Way to bring it this weekend everyone! I'll be out studying all day so I won't have time to check in until tonight....

M

meisje

belgium pays you a few dollars a day (depending on how far you go) for biking to and from work. my father-in-law bikes almost 2 hours every day, my mother-in-law maybe about 30 minutes and my bf at least 1.5 hours. i love it. basically, you can buy a brand-new $500 bike and have it paid for within a few months! plus, you are healthier, enjoying the fresh air and keeping less cars on the road.
today it is stormy and cold so i'm not going for an outdoor run, but i will be sure to get into the gym later on. also, i might go to a movie later, but i will bring my own treats: grapes and carrot sticks!
keep up the good "work" everyone! you all should be amazingly proud of yourselves every single day!

Georg

wahooooo!!!!
:bigsmile:
This non-biscuit eater is down a pound today!!!!

mrsyac2

my job (i work in a hospital) has a gym but you have to pay for it- However they don't say anything to the smokers or the obese people but every year near your birthday everyone has to go to Employee Health and get a physical including blood work- The job pays for it (they don't give you perscriptions or anything like that)

As for me I am a smoker who works out and Per my doctor I am quite healthy!!!

Other than that there isn't any incentive to lose weight. But at my sisters job they signed up for weight watchers and I have heard of other jobs doing things like the biggest loser - (which I think is great)

mgullette

my job (i work in a hospital) has a gym but you have to pay for it- However they don't say anything to the smokers or the obese people but every year near your birthday everyone has to go to Employee Health and get a physical including blood work- The job pays for it (they don't give you perscriptions or anything like that)

As for me I am a smoker who works out and Per my doctor I am quite healthy!!!

Other than that there isn't any incentive to lose weight. But at my sisters job they signed up for weight watchers and I have heard of other jobs doing things like the biggest loser - (which I think is great)

Aww, quit that smoking...:noway:

mgullette

I agree with whoever posted about Jillian's podcast...awesome.

Candy= diabetes in a box! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Sooo true!

"If you're still smoking, give me a break! It's '09! Get a clue! You're not only killing yourself but those around you. You are that annoying guy that everyone hates because you're smoke is blowing in their face while they're trying to eat. Smoking hasn't been cool since the '30s when people didn't know any better."

God I love her!

MissResa

My hubby's health insurance company recently started a poll that asks you questions about your diet and other health factors, including smoking and exercising. After you fill out the on-line questionaire, it will give you feedback on things that you could improve on, such as adding more fruits to your diet, smoking cessation, etc. One BIG incentive... Everyone who completed this poll received a $100.00 check in the mail!!! I think it was their way to get people more aware of their health and different ways to improve it.:bigsmile:

MyaPapaya75

Wooohooooo Im done with my workout for today!!! now to get some potassium in me I felt a leg cramp coming on while excercising....I hope everyone is having a super day!:drinker:

mgullette

TurboJam Cardio Party 3 done! Going to go run a few miles after a meeting tonight...I can't wait!

Great weekend everyone. Way to go!

M

Georg

My hubby has a shin splint issue, & I went walking without him anyway! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
That's a major step for me.
Usually when one of us is under the weather (or whatever) the other stays home, too. Not this time!!!!!
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

meisje

isn't it an awesome feeling to work out when/in a circumstance that you normally wouldn't?! great job keeping to you fitness schedule!
i am *finally* headed to the gym where i will run and walk and do some weights before i come home to stretch and relax with some light yoga.
i still have some concerns with my caloric intake - it seems way to low (even though my protein is always too high). i had "food issues" waaaay back in my past life and i really don't want to go there again. any tips?
ps - i gifted myself with lots of rewards today for meeting so many goals this week: new clothes in small sizes! :happy:

sweetapplepi

Watching my hubby put together the elliptical machine right now. He's so cute! This is going to take a while, it's very labor intensive.
I should be back later to post my workout if I do it. Today is my rest day though, so I'm not sure if I will. =]
Either way, have a great successful rest of the day everyone!

mgullette

Way to Bring IT this weekend everyone!

Let's hear how that elliptical is working out Sweet...

M

neeterskeeter

Hi everyone. It's exciting to read about everyone's progress! Good job!!

I am really really happy to report that I am back down to 133 lb. You might remember I gained almost 5 pounds in a week somehow, from 132.8 to 137. But now it evened back out and I am ready to keep losing!!!

Here is an accomplishment: Last night I was doing the Making the Cut workout with my friend at the gym, and part of some of the routines say "Dips... perform to muscle failure." That's when you grip two bars by your side and lower yourself down and come back up, kind of the opposite of a pull-up or a chin-up. Well for the past couple routines where it's said to do dips, I've been able to do 5... but yesterday all of a sudden I could do 10!!! I feel so much stronger.

Tonight my boyfriend and I are going to an awards dinner for his job, the theme is Black and White and I'm wearing a black and white dress from White House Black Market. He told me this morning that I look skinny and petite and he can't wait to see me in the dress. I am really hoping I look slim!!! I will have to take a picture and post it.

This morning I found a calorie log I kept in the summer of 2006, when I went from 135 to 125. It was inspiring and I think I can do it again!!! Except I ate *way too few* calories some days, and now I want to do it the healthy way. But M you've helped me see that maybe I don't need as many as I thought, and seeing the book reminded me that the only way I manage to lose weight is to really watch the calories, so I'm keeping them to 1400, even when I work out (unless I work out *lots* and really need the extra energy). I've found that eating 1400 is fine, I don't feel famished, I have strength to do my workouts, and I manage to lose weight.

I had Kashi 7 grain puffed rice cereal (how do they manage to fit in all that yumminess in those few calories???) for breakfast with half a scoop of whey protein, 1 banana, and 1/2 cup skim milk. I just ate one piece of whole wheat toast (M, I used to eat a sandwich for lunch but to reduce my carbs I've just been using one piece of bread and having an open-faced toasted sandwich -- I think it's helped) with 7 slices of turkey and chicken lunchmeat, 1 ounce part skim mozarella cheese, chopped red and green bell peppers and roma tomato, and 8 sprays of Wishbone Italian Spritzer salad dressing. I've found that this is the perfect lunch that combines complex carbs, protein, dairy and veggies. I'm about to have a peach and go for a long run with my dog!! Then tonight at the dinner I'll have chicken or fish and salad. I've eaten less today to save up for the dinner and I may have one or two drinks but at the moment I totally don't feel like it. It feels so good to be healthy. I can't wait to go run outside!!!

Hope you're all having a great weekend.

Neeterskeeter!

I figured you would drop right back down to 132 pretty fast. Tricep dips eh? Those are killer but I've been getting better at them too. I love it when I make huge gains in short periods of time like I am with my push-ups. My arms are starting to look good! I just need to cut some more body fat and they'd be hot!

Have fun at the awards dinner tonight! You better take some pics and post them because we'll be watching for them! Actually, I think that we should all start taking progress pics. Pictures are the best way to see your progress as others see it. How about every 30 days? Actually, my 30 day photos from P90X disappointed me, which motivated me to start logging all the calories and join this site! Changes are happening all over the place now and I'm excited to take day 60s here soon.

The reason I don't think I need as many calories as I originally thought is because someone from BB was doing doubles (2 hours of workouts a day) and she keeps her calories at 1400 a day. She is also ripped! While I don't necessarily want to be ripped, that made me think twice about my caloric intake. Her husband also only eats around 2000 calories per day, and he is also ripped. They said keep it simple and keep it clean. Once you learn to listen to your body cues, you know if you really need to eat or not. If you're bonking during your workouts, then you need to bump it up by 200 or so, but if you're losing weight and body fat, and also have enough energy to do your workouts at full intensity, you're eating enough. Also, if you're getting sufficient protein, you're muscles have the nutrients they need to repair and recover. I don't think staying at 1400 will send your body into starvation mode; I eat every 3 hours, 6 times per day and my body has come to expect food at those times. I feel great! Today at Bergner's I was trying on clothes and realized that I actually liked the way my body was looking! :laugh:

That being said, I am of the school of "You DON'T need to eat all of your exercise calories." In fact, I eat almost none of mine back. Last night I decided that I was going to try to bump up my daily calorie burn to 1000 per day to create a bigger deficit, so probably 1.5-2 hours of exercise per day.

I don't necessarily think eating bread is bad; in fact, I do LOVE some whole grain, really gritty bread every now and then. But now is crunch time for me, and bread really doesn't have a place right now. And I don't miss it. The articles I've read about how bodybuilders reduce fat (their cutting phase) say they do it by reducing carbs. Then when they're bulking, they up their carbs to put on some muscle mass (closer to an athletic diet). It's pretty difficult to do both at the same time, but P90X is probably the closest you can come with an at-home fitness program. When I drop some more body fat and start running (hopefully daily) I will probably bump up my carbs a little bit. That lunch sounds yummy. I LOVE tomatoes and bell peppers.

So, Progress Pics team? Let's see 'em!

Just finished Legs and BackX, will do TJ later.

M

Those are good thoughts about 1400 calories. Right now I am aiming to stick to 1400, workouts or not, and I will let you know how it works out for me. I did take a couple pics at the awards dinner (my boyfriend won a branch manager award and participated in a RockBand competition and we had a lot of fun) and I will post them as soon as I manage to upload them. I'm so tired right now but I will try to do it tomorrow... I think I looked pretty skinny (for me) in my dress if I do say so myself. I am very happy with my results right now. I agree progress pics are helpful. Also, I do want to become pretty ripped!!!!

Good night everyone.

mgullette

Good Morning Team!

Not too much time today, but I will be spot on with nutrition, that's for sure. I'm getting ready to do Cardio Party 3, and hopefully I'll be doing KenpoX later tonight....depends how much studying takes over my life.

Let's start off the week right! Bring IT!

M

MyaPapaya75

Goooooood Morning Bring It Family!!!

Blah 9am is just too early for me...so Im sitting here under my heated blanket until I get the umph to tackle breakfast this morning..yesterday I had 1/2 cup sweet potato all i can say is YUCK it made me feel horrible Im not sure why but I was bloated and gassy all day....I will have to find other ways to get potassium....today is my weigh in day so Im excited to see how much Im granted for my work last week haha. I hope everyone is focused and motivated this morning ...New week New challenges but we can do it! I sorted all my clothes Im about 5lbs away from feeling comfortable in my size 17 juniors jeans..I cant wait they are my favorite...I threw out my size 20 womens...the thing I noticed is I cant wear womens sizes they are baggy ..I never really cared how things looked on me as long as i could get them over my tummy..but now im wanting my jeans to fit right all over. Im going to try to get in a success picture today I will let u guys know when its on my profile....Bring it TODAY!!!!:drinker:

mgullette

Hmm I never had sweet potatoes make me gassy. Though I don't eat them often at all, so maybe I just don't remember.

Way to throw out your old bigger clothes. I'm a big advocate of getting rid of them so you don't have something to reach for should you relapse a bit....it motivates you to kick it into gear again! As far as juniors vs womens...I think you might just have to look a little harder for things that fit once you get to the size you want. What are you going for? Personally, juniors jeans are a little too low rise for me most of the time....no muffin top for this girl:noway: :noway: .

Yes, success pictures everyone!

M

jessmomof3

Hello everyone! Monday and back to routine here! I did ChaLean Extreme Lean Circuit #1 this morning. I'm on my last week of ChaLean!!!! :bigsmile: I love these workouts!

Clean eats this weekend, ate back some of my exercise cals on Saturday (burned 760 with my 7 mile run), and kept the cals lower y'day for my rest day.

I got rid of my old clothes a couple yrs ago. At my largest, I was barely fitting into a size 16. (but refused to buy 18's!) I wear a comfortable 6 now, sometimes 4 (depends on the brand!). I love Plato's Closet teen resale store for jeans. I don't go for the super low cut and not the *mom* jeans. :bigsmile: Somewhere in-between.

Have a super day! Bring it! :drinker:

sweetapplepi

Good morning everyone! Happy Monday =]
Sounds like everyone is having a great start already. =] My hubby finished putting the elliptical machine together last night, it took a few hours though. He did a great job! We both tried it out and it's def money well spent! I'm going to eat breakfast in abit and then hop on the elliptical and watch my hubby play Rock Band. :laugh:
bbl to post!

Oh by the way, I love the 30 day post idea. I think that would be very encouraging for everyone. =]

MyaPapaya75

HMMMM I must be missing a post ..Apple can u copy to me the 30day post idea u mentioned..thanks..
Well todays weigh in was 225 so down 4lbs since last monday...my official weigh in is monday but because of some challenges i weigh in on wed,friday...im slowly hitting that 50 pound mark..well not slowly lol but slow to me...haha..

M, my ultimate goal is 120'ish but Im going to look more into my goal once I hit 150...:drinker: the main problem with pants for me is my lower body is pretty much in good shape ..its my tummy thats horrid...but in the junior section they sell these button up jeans there is no zipper and they are kinda high in the waist so it holds everthing in nicely LOLOL....although I was eyeing a pair of Dereon jeans my goal my gawd so worth it i cant wait http://shop.dereon.com/nshop/product.php?view=listing&dept=Women&groupName=Jeans&both=yes

mgullette

I think Sweet is referring to posting progress pics every 30 days...yes we should!!!!!!!!!!!!


Cardio Party 3 done...Kenpo X later tonight.

mgullette

Just to keep everyone accountable to eating clean, I think we should all post a day or two of our menus and calories for the past few days...we've been posting our exercise. What do you all think?

M

sweetapplepi

Hi everyone. It's exciting to read about everyone's progress! Good job!!

I am really really happy to report that I am back down to 133 lb. You might remember I gained almost 5 pounds in a week somehow, from 132.8 to 137. But now it evened back out and I am ready to keep losing!!!

Here is an accomplishment: Last night I was doing the Making the Cut workout with my friend at the gym, and part of some of the routines say "Dips... perform to muscle failure." That's when you grip two bars by your side and lower yourself down and come back up, kind of the opposite of a pull-up or a chin-up. Well for the past couple routines where it's said to do dips, I've been able to do 5... but yesterday all of a sudden I could do 10!!! I feel so much stronger.

Tonight my boyfriend and I are going to an awards dinner for his job, the theme is Black and White and I'm wearing a black and white dress from White House Black Market. He told me this morning that I look skinny and petite and he can't wait to see me in the dress. I am really hoping I look slim!!! I will have to take a picture and post it.

This morning I found a calorie log I kept in the summer of 2006, when I went from 135 to 125. It was inspiring and I think I can do it again!!! Except I ate *way too few* calories some days, and now I want to do it the healthy way. But M you've helped me see that maybe I don't need as many as I thought, and seeing the book reminded me that the only way I manage to lose weight is to really watch the calories, so I'm keeping them to 1400, even when I work out (unless I work out *lots* and really need the extra energy). I've found that eating 1400 is fine, I don't feel famished, I have strength to do my workouts, and I manage to lose weight.

I had Kashi 7 grain puffed rice cereal (how do they manage to fit in all that yumminess in those few calories???) for breakfast with half a scoop of whey protein, 1 banana, and 1/2 cup skim milk. I just ate one piece of whole wheat toast (M, I used to eat a sandwich for lunch but to reduce my carbs I've just been using one piece of bread and having an open-faced toasted sandwich -- I think it's helped) with 7 slices of turkey and chicken lunchmeat, 1 ounce part skim mozarella cheese, chopped red and green bell peppers and roma tomato, and 8 sprays of Wishbone Italian Spritzer salad dressing. I've found that this is the perfect lunch that combines complex carbs, protein, dairy and veggies. I'm about to have a peach and go for a long run with my dog!! Then tonight at the dinner I'll have chicken or fish and salad. I've eaten less today to save up for the dinner and I may have one or two drinks but at the moment I totally don't feel like it. It feels so good to be healthy. I can't wait to go run outside!!!

Hope you're all having a great weekend.

Neeterskeeter!

I figured you would drop right back down to 132 pretty fast. Tricep dips eh? Those are killer but I've been getting better at them too. I love it when I make huge gains in short periods of time like I am with my push-ups. My arms are starting to look good! I just need to cut some more body fat and they'd be hot!

Have fun at the awards dinner tonight! You better take some pics and post them because we'll be watching for them! Actually, I think that we should all start taking progress pics. Pictures are the best way to see your progress as others see it. How about every 30 days? Actually, my 30 day photos from P90X disappointed me, which motivated me to start logging all the calories and join this site! Changes are happening all over the place now and I'm excited to take day 60s here soon.

The reason I don't think I need as many calories as I originally thought is because someone from BB was doing doubles (2 hours of workouts a day) and she keeps her calories at 1400 a day. She is also ripped! While I don't necessarily want to be ripped, that made me think twice about my caloric intake. Her husband also only eats around 2000 calories per day, and he is also ripped. They said keep it simple and keep it clean. Once you learn to listen to your body cues, you know if you really need to eat or not. If you're bonking during your workouts, then you need to bump it up by 200 or so, but if you're losing weight and body fat, and also have enough energy to do your workouts at full intensity, you're eating enough. Also, if you're getting sufficient protein, you're muscles have the nutrients they need to repair and recover. I don't think staying at 1400 will send your body into starvation mode; I eat every 3 hours, 6 times per day and my body has come to expect food at those times. I feel great! Today at Bergner's I was trying on clothes and realized that I actually liked the way my body was looking! :laugh:

That being said, I am of the school of "You DON'T need to eat all of your exercise calories." In fact, I eat almost none of mine back. Last night I decided that I was going to try to bump up my daily calorie burn to 1000 per day to create a bigger deficit, so probably 1.5-2 hours of exercise per day.

I don't necessarily think eating bread is bad; in fact, I do LOVE some whole grain, really gritty bread every now and then. But now is crunch time for me, and bread really doesn't have a place right now. And I don't miss it. The articles I've read about how bodybuilders reduce fat (their cutting phase) say they do it by reducing carbs. Then when they're bulking, they up their carbs to put on some muscle mass (closer to an athletic diet). It's pretty difficult to do both at the same time, but P90X is probably the closest you can come with an at-home fitness program. When I drop some more body fat and start running (hopefully daily) I will probably bump up my carbs a little bit. That lunch sounds yummy. I LOVE tomatoes and bell peppers.

So, Progress Pics team? Let's see 'em!

Just finished Legs and BackX, will do TJ later.

M

Those are good thoughts about 1400 calories. Right now I am aiming to stick to 1400, workouts or not, and I will let you know how it works out for me. I did take a couple pics at the awards dinner (my boyfriend won a branch manager award and participated in a RockBand competition and we had a lot of fun) and I will post them as soon as I manage to upload them. I'm so tired right now but I will try to do it tomorrow... I think I looked pretty skinny (for me) in my dress if I do say so myself. I am very happy with my results right now. I agree progress pics are helpful. Also, I do want to become pretty ripped!!!!

Good night everyone.

It's in this post lol somewhere =]