40+ Club - Fall Fitness Fanatics

singfree

Good morning!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. The weather was rainy on Saturday, but yesterday was beautiful. We were able to see our Grandson on Saturday which was a complete joy. He will turn 2 on Nov. 9. Yesterday was busy with Church in the morning and our Church choir participated in a benefit concert at another local Church in the afternoon. Then back home for laundry, cooking, getting ready for the next week etc...

We made a wonderful beef roast in the slow cooker yesterday with some fresh root vegetables. Instead of potatoes, I used fresh turnips, onions, carrots & celery. We had some when we got home after the concert. Great!! We like to cook on Sunday so we have leftovers for a few meals.

Every Monday I am rededicating myself to getting in better shape, especially with food and exercise. I did pretty well last week but I know that I can do even better. I was able to get in a quick Insanity workout last evening. Today will be tough since I have choir in Hershey tonight.

Alf, great news on the marathon. You did a super job!!! :drinker: Are you going to stay with running and Zumba? You're one tough lady!!!

Stiring, I know you are leaving this week and I want to wish you and your husband all the best. I know this move will be a rewarding one and you will cherish the experience for a lifetime. Think of us often, and write when you can!

Have a great day!!

alf1163

Good morning!!!!! :drinker: :drinker: Raining here so no running outdoors today. I might just walk on the treadmill. I really need to try to loosen up my thighs. I am still very sore from Sat. It hurts the most when I come down stairs and squat down. Ouch!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is not so much the quads but the abductors that are very sore, strange. :noway: :noway: Any ideas on how to get rid of the soreness fast. We are running a 10K this Saturday and the Rock and Roll half marathon on Nov 15. I cant wait for that one, it will be fun. I am hoping it is not very cold. Anyone runs or walks outdoors in the cold? What pants do you wear? I wore shorts this past Sat and the temp was in the 50's starting up. I think my legs were not warm enough for the race and I started too fast too soon. That might have contributed to the soreness.

Stiring, when do you leave? I hope you can log in before you do. If not, I wish you a safe trip and I am looking forward to hearing from you soon. I know it can be a little intimidating to move to another country but it is exciting at the same time. In a way I miss that part of being in the military. My husband and I have been talking about going to Korea so if we go soon we can visit!!! :drinker:

Sing, thanks! All these races were already scheduled before I got certified to Zumba. I dont know what I will do once I start teaching. I do enjoy running and I love doing races. I am hoping to get my daughter into them, at least the walking ones (she has asthma). She also likes to do Zumba. I started wk 2 of P90X yesterday. My left shoulder is sore. I dont know what is going to happen when I need to do legs and back on Thu!!! OUCH!!!! :noway: :sick: :sick:

Have a great day!!!! :flowerforyou:

StiringWendel

Good morning!

alf, congratulations on the half marathon! :drinker: Your time is amazing!! :drinker: Sorry to hear you are sore though. I would suggest warm baths/showers, tylenol (or aspirin or over-the-counter pain med of your choice), and some gentle stretching exercises. Don't do too much if your muscles are actually sore to the touch. If they aren't sore to touch, I've always found that a light workout is one of the best things to get rid of soreness. I also think that you might want to find some longer running pants for the cooler temps. I know places like Roadrunner Sports have some great light weight longer running pants that are form fitting (I don't like baggy workout clothes because I feel like they restrict my movement more than enhance my movement) and, again, very light weight. Again, congrats!

singfree, sounds like you had a great weekend. When we lived in Fairbanks, the Barnes and Noble up there was the happening place to be, and my husband and I visited almost every weekend. I am a book lover AND a coffee lover, and on a cold winter's day with a fireplace burning in the middle of the store, I always felt like I was visiting a home away from home at that store. It sounds silly....but we had family and friends visit, and they felt the same way, so........Glad you were able to see your grandson this weekend as well.

Things here are crazy. I had a horrible weekend of eating (I won't even get into that), but I know I was undereating all last week, and it caught up with me on Friday. Instead of making wise choices, I made poor choices. But I'm not too concerned about it right now to be honest. I don't think this will be a repeating theme, and this morning I am reminded once again why I need to stay away from too much sugar! I'm alternating between feeling like I'm on a caffeine high and really needing a nap. Oh, well.

I did manage to get one workout in this weekend (Insanity Max Sports Intervals), so that was good. I'm hoping to workout today, but I've got some things to do first (like pack). I will make it a priority, though, sometime today and tomorrow. After that, all bets are off regarding workouts for the rest of the week.

Here's our schedule right now. They pick up our stuff going into storage tomorrow. Then our household goods go out Wednesday thru Friday. We'll move out of the house into billeting on base on Wednesday. Then we spend 10 days in billeting and fly out of the country on Saturday November 7. I probably won't be around much the rest of the week because these packing days can get very long. But I should be around some next week provided the internet in billeting is working (and from our experience arriving on base 16 months ago, that isn't a guarantee). Right now, we are scheduled to move into our new home in Korea (with loaner furniture!) on November 10, and we should have internet hooked up right away (keep your fingers crossed!) So I'm hoping my time away from you all is brief. I'll be anxious to hear how everybody is doing as Thanksgiving approaches and I'll need your support to help me get back on track with my eating/exercise (no doubt!). I am nervous, anxious, excited and tired right now, which is to be expected I suppose. But the good thing is my husband and I have been down this road many times, so I'm not TOO nervous, anxious, excited or tired right now (if that makes any sense).

And, alf, I hope you have a chance to come visit in Korea! From what I hear, Osan AB has a great new gym so we could even workout together!! :drinker:

Hope everybody has a great day. :flowerforyou:

singfree

Good morning!

Not too much to report from yesterday. I was able to get in about 15 mins of an Insanity workout, which really gets the heart pumping even in that short of a workout. I also took a 2 mile walk at lunch. Tuesday is my hard workout day. I'll be doing a shorter Insanity workout and a strngth workout with P90X. Eating was OK except for the wine & pretzels at 10:30 pm after choir rehearsal. That's THE habit I need to curb.

Alf, the effects of the long run the other day is telling you something...rest!! Do some stretching or yoga, but don't tax your body before it recovers. As we grow older, we need more time between bouts of heavy exertion. Treat yourself to a nice hot bath and put hubby to work with a massage.

Stiring, thanks for the update on your move to Korea. We will think of you often!

Tron, have you started your diet & workouts yet? Good luck, I'm here with you all the way!!


Have a great day!

zebras

Good morning All!

We had a nice time in Maine, but since it was raining, all we did was eat. I'm afraid to get back on the scale! Actually had my quarterly visit with the doctor this afternoon, and I'm down 4 lbs since my last visit, but it would have been even better, had it not been directly after birthday and trip eating. Oh well, I'm sure I'll get back on track this week.

Stiring, I think we should all have a field trip and visit you. Korea would not know what hit it!

Alf, congratulations on the race, you are amazing!

singfree

Good morning!

It's been raining here since yesterday and I'm ready for some nice Autumn weather. This time of year is beautiful, except when it is cold and damp. I'm already dreading the time change this weekend.

The next few weeks will be stressful at work. I am in charge of organizing the company's year-end physical inventory count. Not a pleasant task to say the least. Long hours working in cold & damp storage barns is not making me a happy camper. I'm also stressed with some family issues which really adds to my woes. I'm sorry, I'm painting a gloomy picture for you. I am so very thankful on many levels. The problem is that I tend to eat anything and everything during these times.

I'm still working out nearly every day. My body has gotten somewhat used to Insanity and can take the pounding a bit better. I just need to stay focused, especially with my nutrition. Thanks friends for all of your continued help and support!

Have a great day!

zebras

Sing: Sorry to hear about your stress. Keep thoughts of your excellent progress when you are reaching for food.

I found your ladybugs when we were in Maine. Apparently they have some kind of program that releases extra ones into the wild (I don't know why), and the place we were staying at says they all decide to fly to their property! So, Sunday morning was the only time we were there when it wasn't raining and I was sitting out on the porch reading in the sunshine, and they kept landing on the back of my neck. A very uncomfortable feeling.

duffyzmom

Hi All! Sorry I've been MIA but life happens. I've skimmed through the posts and sounds like most are doing great! Aside from the flu running rampant through our house last week, a great trip to Vegas and a new personal best in my latest Half Marathon - life here has been dominated by 2 teenagers and their schedules. Next week Volleyball and Tennis finish so I am hoping for a little more me time. My son and I just started training for a 5K that takes place in December and now that mileage is down I'm hoping to give CX another chance. Just crossing my fingers that my neck problems don't start again because within a week of stopping the program my neck was better.

ALF- Hope the news is good from your biopsy and Way to go on your Half!
Stiring - I neighbor of mine has spent the last 3 years living in Korea and loved it!

mkwood10

Hello all!!

The hubby leaves for Virginia on Nov. 8 to do final outprocessing, and then starts his multiple day journey to Afghanistan on Nov. 13. He IS going for the full 6 months:frown: :frown: . The only good thing about that is that they start counting days on the day he leaves KS, so he'll be home before Mother's Day I can be looking great by then!!!

The daughters and I are doing OK so far - last night was hard for me; I called my parents and sister to let them know what was going on. They (especially my mom) just don't understand why he still has to do things like this deployment when he's retired from the Army.......... I don't think they'll ever understand because they haven't lived the life. My brother understands; he was active duty for 8 years.

The next 10 days are going to fly by, so don't know when I'll be able to check in again............so everyone take care!!!
Marla

singfree

Good morning!

As the saying goes, " These are the times that try men's (and women's) souls".

Stressful, trying times indeed. Now is the time to band together here as a group. No matter what your personal situation may be, everyone needs a support group. MK and Stiring, we are with you all the way! And to any of my dear friends who are suffering, please don't go through your pain alone. It's always easier when there is someone to lean on.

When I think of how fortunate I am, I should never utter even on complaint. Instead of looking at a gloomy picture, I am only going to focus on what is good and right. I have neither the time nor the desire to dwell on all things negative. It just weighs me down and gets in the way of happiness and health. Yes, I'm dealing with stress from work and other factors as well. But I'm NOT going to let it defeat me.

Let's focus on good health as we look to the future. Let's take care of the body that we've been given. Let's start right now!

Have a wonderful day everyone!!! :flowerforyou:

alf1163

Good morning!

As the saying goes, " These are the times that try men's (and women's) souls".

Stressful, trying times indeed. Now is the time to band together here as a group. No matter what your personal situation may be, everyone needs a support group. MK and Stiring, we are with you all the way! And to any of my dear friends who are suffering, please don't go through your pain alone. It's always easier when there is someone to lean on.

When I think of how fortunate I am, I should never utter even on complaint. Instead of looking at a gloomy picture, I am only going to focus on what is good and right. I have neither the time nor the desire to dwell on all things negative. It just weighs me down and gets in the way of happiness and health. Yes, I'm dealing with stress from work and other factors as well. But I'm NOT going to let it defeat me.

Let's focus on good health as we look to the future. Let's take care of the body that we've been given. Let's start right now!

Have a wonderful day everyone!!! :flowerforyou:

AMEN :flowerforyou:

MK, hang in there. We are here for you.

Duffy, great to hear from you. :drinker: I want to start another round of Chalean Extreme in Jan. Maybe we can do it together. :drinker:

I am planning to do Yoga X tonight and rest/stretch tomorrow. I need to rest my legs as much as possible for my 10K on Saturday. I hope it is not very cold but I am going to buy some running tights today just in case. I think they said it might be 45 degrees on Sat morning. I still need them in 2 wks for the half marathon. Last year they had record lows, in the 30's, at the start. Duffy, any suggestions? What do you wear on your runs when it is cold?

Gotta get ready for work. :grumble: Have a wondeful day!! :flowerforyou:

duffyzmom

Alf: I'm not sure I'm the right person to ask - Texas and Michigan are a world a part as far as weather goes. Generally, I'm in shorts if the weather is 40+ and sometimes you will see me with shorts and a short sleeve shirt and wearing gloves and a knit cap. I tend to heat up quickly. The race I run in December has been run in the teens and 20s - then I will wear pants and I have a pair I love but it usually takes me a good week or two to get used to the switch from shorts to pants. I'd suggest investing in a good sweat wicking long sleeved shirt - I will wear that with shorts in the 30s and 40s. Just remember to get at least a mile or more of warm up in before a race when the temps are low.

Texssippian

Hi Duffy! Glad to hear from you!

MK: So sorry that your hubby has to go over seas on such short notice and at this time of year. We are here for you.

Stiring: Best wishes in Korea! Take care of yourself and have a blast at the ball, even if it is rubber chicken, That still sounds like a fairy tale.

Alf: Congrats on the Zumba certification and the half marathon! We are doing the 5k Jack-o-lantern jog at our local park on Saturday.

Sing: You always sound positive to me. You are right about the temptations of the season. My guilty pleasure at Halloween: the little candy corn pumpkins. If I start, I can’t stop. I am not that much of sweet freak but those really get me. Luckily, we have none at the house. I did eat one at work last night after I had been there for 12 hours and still had several hours more work to do (which I did at home).

Zebras: Ladybugs are cute but not on the back of the neck!

Brother in law got to go home to Mississippi last weekend but had to be back in New Orleans for labs on Monday. The lab numbers showed early rejection of the liver so he had to go back into the hospital. This is actually a good sign because his body is getting well enough to notice the new liver and not just try to stay alive. He is feeling really great and is hoping to get to go home this weekend to trick or treat with his 7 year old daughter. She has a beautiful witch's costume with parts bought by one grandmother and others made by the other grandmother.

My 78 year old mother has been doing water aerobics and water walking for about 15 years off and on. She has been going to a Silver Sneakers gym close to her house since my dad died last November and has been doing the water walking class twice a week, except for the couple of months she was in PT for a herniated disc. Anyway, she told me tonight that the people at the gym have asked her to teach the water walking class as a sub! She is very excited but very nervous. She will be wonderful.

Speaking of water, I left work early today and was home in time to do deep water aerobics. How I love it! One of the high school water polo teams was practicing in part of the pool. I want to do that! I need to see if there is a "senior" water polo team somewhere in the DFW area. Looks like so much fun!

Mr. Holiday (husband) is in his prime with Halloween. He finally found a pumpkin worthy of his carving. The pumpkin lights are in the bushes. We are bagging a piece of candy and a Halloween treat in Halloween goody bags tonight. It is not enough just to give out candy!

I am wearing a pair of pj pants my sweet daughter bought for me two years ago which i could not get close to fitting into. Also, today my hose (yes I still wear hose) fell down. Probably time to get a smaller size.

Those of you who are worrying about your weight (OK, I weigh every day too...) Even though the scale is not going down, my clothes are fitting looser and people are commenting on good I am looking, so keep up the lifestyle even if the weight does not change!

Take care all! TxMs

singfree

Good morning!

Another happy Friday. Every Friday is a happy one. Our Grandson is coming for a visit today and is staying overnight. He is such a joy to have around. And I thought that I was energitic!

Nothing much to report on this "reporting" day. I got some decent exercise in this week. I was very tired yesterday after work and did not exercise. I really think it is the stress I've been experiencing lately. Good and bad with my diet...seems like it's becoming a pattern...snap out of it... NOW!!!! I have not weighed myself, but my clothes are still fitting well, although in the mirror I see places on my body that still need improvement. I guess we are all that way, huh?

I'm really looking forward to the weekend. I want to get a few good exercise sessions in. Next week will be a bear at work. I will probably have to work all 7 days next week. I hope that I can have some energy for exercise, and willpower to say NO to junk food. Wish me well!

Tex, I'm very glad to hear from you. It sounds like your BIL is really coming along well. That's good to hear! Also kudos to your mother!!! I only wish that my Mom had taken care of herself in her younger years. She is 80 and in Assisted Living. She is mostly confined to a wheelchair and walker for mobility. That is motivation for me to stay healthy. I want to enjoy my later years. To me that is not living.

Duffy, good to hear from you too! We have about the same weather as you this time of year. I can't see myself running in December. I do like to hike in the cold weather, only if I am dressed warmly enough.

Have a wonderful weekend!

duffyzmom

Happy Friday and Happy Halloween All!

Texas: Glad to hear you have so much good news. I'm envious of the deep water aerobics - I'm a swimmer at heart but just could never get into the lane swimming thing because our pool is so packed. Maybe I should look into deep water aerobics as an alternative for me on nonrunning days.

Sing: Enjoy your grandson's visit - I'm sure it will be exhausting in a good way!

Reporting day -Exercise has been good this week - Food and H20 not good so my goal for next week is to make sure I get my water and with every drink remind myself to make healthy food choices.

StiringWendel

Hi all! Back in time for Friday check-in.

This week has been impossible. I worked out only Monday and Tuesday, and even though I have time today to workout, I need a break. It has been quite a week to say the least. I've been making some good food choices and some horrible food choices. I understand now why moving has always been rough for me in terms of diet. Some of it is preventable, but some of it isn't. The good thing is I'm not going all out on bad eating. The bad thing is I could be better under control than what I am. I'm hoping next week to go in that direction and am willing to give myself this week of not-so-good eating because, right now, I'm just trying to get through it all.

We got moved out of the house yesterday. It wasn't the best move, and I will be surprised if we don't see quite a bit of damage on the other end. I tried to protect the material things that are most dear to us, but I felt I could only fight so many battles with the movers and chose those battles wisely (hopefully). My husband was able to be with me on Wednesday, but the movers were only there for five hours (wrapping stuff up). Yesterday was a very long day--seven movers and just me--for over twelve hours. I really hate when they are crating our stuff up in the dark, but that is what happened. Like I said before, I better understand why I've always gone off the deep end with food during these times because the day was long, I was starving, I was tired....and it is emotional. No matter how often I do it, I am always sad to leave a house we've made a home. I try not to think about it too much, but that doesn't always work.

But today is a new day. I'm going to give my body a bit of a rest because I've been doing some heavy lifting the past few days....and then get back on track. My body is definitely not enjoying all of the sugar I've been eating, so that will definitely end. I also look forward to getting back to Insanity next week because, without a doubt, I managed to get through this move physically much better than I have others in the past because I'm more fit. I want to make sure I feel the same way in two months when our stuff (or what's left of it) gets to Korea.

Enough about me! duffy, so good to see you. :drinker: And congrats on the half marathon. How is your neck doing? I hope all is well there.

Tex, good to see you too. :flowerforyou: I'm happy to hear about your brother-in-law, and hope he continues his road to improvement. And good news about the clothes fitting. For me, that always makes me feel happier than anything the scale says.

singfree, thanks so much for your positive words. I managed to read your post yesterday morning before heading out to the house, and you have no idea how many times I thought about it yesterday. My husband called me last night just as they were putting the last nail into our last crate, and he asked me if I thought anything would make it to the other side of the ocean. And I thought 'focus on the positive' and I said to him 'It doesn't matter as long as we are there together'......and I meant it! Thank you for reminding me to think about the positive because I needed to do that yesterday. I hope you have a great weekend with your grandson. How fun to be able to spend Halloween with him!

mk, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I was thinking about you as well yesterday when I made that statement to my husband about being together. Because no matter how tough this time is for my husband and I, there are toughter situations. And you, my friend, are facing one of them in my opinion. I will be thinking about you over the next week as you prepare for your husband's departure. Your husband has my total respect for what he is doing.

I hope everybody has a great Friday, a very Happy Halloween....AND enjoys the extra hour this weekend is giving to us. Take care!

singfree

Stiring, you are a GREAT person! :flowerforyou: I'm amazed that you had time to check in with us. I really wasn't expecting to hear from you for a while. A wonderful surprise indeed!! That made my day (and weekend)!!!

My wife is picking up our GS at 3 pm, so he should be waiting for me at the door when I get home from work. I bought some salmon (frozen) at Wal-Mart over my lunch hour. I think I will make that and some veg for dinner (witha nice glass of wine, of course). The little guy likes just about anything so he will enjoy some nice healthy salmon too!

Duffy, I'm with you on the water. I'm ok in the morning, but I drink a bit less in the afternoon and evening. I always feel like I'm flushing out my system of the bad stuff when I drink a lot of water (and the hourly bathroom ritual).

cardigirl

Sending many virtual hugs to you Stiring. Having moved many times in my adult life, I know just how awful it can be, and especially leaving a place that's become home. I hope your things arrive with no damage and that you find many things in Korea to enjoy. (Every time I've moved, I've been really sad to leave, but have always ended up liking the place I moved to...I'm sure you will too!)

Don't worry about the eating right now. I think a few days or even a week probably will not set you back too far. Good luck with the trip over and I can't wait to hear all about Korea...

Sing, have an awesome time with your grandson! Sorry you'll be working so hard next week. I've just come off of a week like that. Whew, they are hard on the system!

Texassippian, I sure would love to see a pic of the husband's pumpkin after it's carved. You guys sound like you have a lot of fun together. And great news about your BIL...I'll be praying for his continued recovery.

MK, I cannot imagine what it's going to be like for you but I want to thank you and your family for the service you give to this country.



Since it's reporting day, I wanted to report! Heh. I'm .5 lbs away from my goal of minus 30 lbs. Soooo excited....and after I reach that goal, I'm going to set another one. Weight wise, I cannot go down too much further, but am going to continue to work on my stamina.

The trainer has me jumping rope, which the way he wants me to jump is way different from what I was used to as a kid, so I'm finding it exhausting and also I'm clumsy with it. Hopefully I'll get used to it and begin to build up my strength on it.

Food has been going pretty well. I'm not too tempted by the sweet stuff that's all around me this time of year...so no strategies needed to be put in place. Thanksgiving will be a different matter all together.

Texssippian

Hi all! Happy Halloween! We started the day with the Jack-o-Latern jog at the park close to our house. We are blessed with an awesome city Parks and Rec Department. About 200 runners and 150 walkers. Many people dressed in their Halloween costumes. Brisk 45 degrees which is quite cool for north Texas. Great fun and a great way to start the day.

We made 120 goody bags for trick-or-treaters for tonight last night while watching ET which my husband considers a Halloween movie. I did a good job NOT eating the candy while putting together the bags. Someone else was the "quality control" tester...

Hubs has not carved the pumpkin yet so don't know what design he will do. I will post a picture along with a picture of the house. Weather should be brisk tonight for t-ot. Don't have the laundry basket full of unmatched socks that I had when the kids were little. Cold Halloween night was a great way to get rid of the socks by giving them to kids with frozen hands. The socks were a bigger hit than the candy!

I was talking to a consultant we are using at work yesterday. I found out the consultant lives in San Francisco. I told her our son was out there in graduate school. She was actually shocked that I had a son old enough for grad school. That was fun.

Cardi girl: congrats on getting to your target weight. Sing: enjoy your grandson. Have a great weekend all and remember to change the batteries in your smoke detectors and make sure your elderly family and friends have someone to do that for them. (Brother is an assistant state fire marshall in Mississippi.)
Go Ole Miss Rebels and UT Longhorns!
TxMs

alf1163

Hello gang!!!

Stiring, good to hear from you!! When are you leaving? I pray everything goes well and you have a safe trip to Korea. I think of you often.

MK, how are you doing??? (((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))))))

Duffy, Sing, Tex, Cardi, great to hear from everyone!!!!

Weight at goal yesterday, so it is a fine line to going over...:grumble: I really need to stay focused to fight temptation, they are starting to get to me and I don't like it. I really dont want to get disappointed again like last year gaining 9lbs from Oct - Jan 1. I am glad I have stayed consistent with my workouts. I ran a 10K today, finished in 55:53, 3rd place in my age category. Got a nice bronze medal. Tomorrow I start wk 3 of phase 3 (last phase) of P90X. I really cant wait to finish and try something else, been thinking about going back to the gym to do weight trng.

Tonight my husband and I are going out. That is after taking my son trick or treating. We will be pirates. Will post pics sometime this week.

Take care!!! Happy Halloween!!! :flowerforyou:

Texssippian

Hi all! Save your pumpkin seeds. Check out the chicken pepian recipe on foodnetwork.com Roasted tomatilos, pablano pepper and pumpkin seeds. I think I am going to make the sauce to put over tilapia later this week.

tron3002

Happy Halloween everyone!!!! I hope you all have a safe trick or treat night....
I just got home. Took my mother in law, son, and nephew to run all their errands. It was nice to get out of the house and visit for a while. Tonight I plan on getting all my meals ready for the week. I am gonna do the diet I was on before finding this sight. Its just a lot of chicken and veggies along with eating small meals every 2 to 3 hours which is what we should be doing anyway. BUT being as I've NEVER eaten that way its hard to get into the habit. I have a couple of weeks (I think) before I start getting busy again with moving my mother from outta state closer to me then get everything ready for company during Thanksgiving. When I get busy its hard to stay on track.
Have any of you seen the infomercial for the ab circle pro? It sounds amazing if its true but thats just the thing.... Dos it really work your abs the way it says it does.

singfree

Good morning!

Just a quick check in before Church. I hope everyone's weekend is going well.

Alf, are you a Pirate From the Carribbean? Sorry, I couldn't resist that one! Great job with your run!!

Have a great day!

StiringWendel

Good morning!

Tex, I can't wait to see your pumpkin. Please post photos! I hope you had a fun Halloween with Mr. Holiday. :happy:

alf, great job on the run. How fun that you dressed up for Halloween! I know what you mean about being ready to be done with P90X. I was too. But funny thing is late on Friday, I felt like a workout. I knew I wasn't up to Insanity physically, so the workout I chose to do was P90X Plyo, and I had a great time doing it. I am still surprised, given that my boredom threshold is usually so low, that I feel like doing any of these workouts anymore.

tron, I've never seen anything about the Ab Circle Pro, but I did just look at their website. I would say a good rule of thumb to follow regarding purchasing exercise equipment via infomercial is to shy away from things that make unrealistic promises....as I feel this one does. From everything I've listened to and read, the best way of getting fat off your belly is to control your diet. In fact, some fitness experts (Jillian Michaels being one) don't even really think the abs need to be worked out as a separate muscle group if you are using them in other exercises (like squats, planks, etc). As I'm sure you are aware, you can't 'spot reduce' fat on your body through exercise, so anything that promises it will 'get rid of love handles' through an exercise like this is, quite frankly, not being truthful because the human body doesn't work that way. I believe a person has a better chance of getting rid of love handles through proper dieting and aerobic activity than through any ab exercise. Now there are benefits to ab exercises, of course, including strengthening your core to support your lower back, etc. And if you have a very low percentage of body fat, ab exercises can provide that 'six pack' look. So they are worth doing. But if you are looking for an opinion on how to lose weight around the mid-section, I would say it is through diet and complete body exercises (like aerobics or strength training activities that utilize your core) and not through focusing totally on working out your abs. But this is just my opinion, of course. :flowerforyou:

I had an outrageously bad day eating yesterday, but I'm back on track for today. I just figured it was going to be my last blast (after a bad week of eating), but I've had enough. I learned some lessons through this week, though, which is good. I really do feel better when I eat right, that's for sure. I also understand how much eating poorly really makes the cravings far worse than I realized they were....in other words, far worse than they are when I'm eating completely clean. I have no way of knowing how much weight I put on this week, but I feel heavy, and I don't like the feeling (especially since I may have put on, at most, about a pound or two....so there is no real reason for feeling 'heavy'). So back to healthier eating today, that's for sure!

singfree, thanks for your kind words on Friday. :flowerforyou:

We leave the country next Saturday. Now that all of the hard work is done, I'm getting more nervous/excited. I hope I can keep the excitement levels higher than the nervous levels throughout the week. But since I'm not a great fan of flying, I"m thinking nervous may win out in the end. :laugh:

Hope everybody has a great Sunday!

Texssippian

Hi Stirring! Hang in there. Nervous energy burns calories!

We had a successful Halloween last night. I have to remember with the time change happening after Halloween instead of before, trick or treaters start later. WE had around 150 t-o-ters. Had make more bags as we had only made 120. Lots of groups of kids with their parents. Our trainer brought her two kids by. At 9:15 we called it quits, brought all the decorations inside (just to be safe) and did not have any stragglers after we turned out the lights. I posted pics from last year when Mr. Holiday carved two pumpkins: an owl and a bat. He uses patterns that he buys. Also have some pictures of the decorations. The one on the front porch has fog from one of the fog machines. The St. Francis statue in the background is not part of the Halloween decorations. He stays all the time.

Looking forward to a great November to get ready for a healthy December.

Swissmiss

Well, I have been absent again. Not much time for the computer. The YMCA did not have any classes this past week due to registration week. Soooo, I didn't get any exercise in at all and on top of that I didn't even keep track of what I ate and didn't eat very well. BUT, I didn't gain any weight. I am thinking that having a break may be just what I need to get things going again. What do all of you think?

singfree

Good morning!

I hope that everyone had a good weekend. We had a nice time with our Grandson on Friday night. He is such a great little boy. Next Monday he will be 2 years old! I got some good exercise in this weekend. I did some Insanity and we took a long hike up on the mountain yesterday. The crip fall air and fallen leaves were wonderful. My eating was pretty good too. On Saturday we had grilled salmon at Red Lobster. Amazingly, I ate no desserts over the weekend...what willpower!!!

Swiss, I think that change is a good thing, but not exercising and eating poorly is NOT the change your body needs. When I need a change, I vary my exercise and diet a bit, but I never stop exercising. Sometimes a day or two of yoga or stretching is recommended. Believe me, I've fallen into the trap of eating bad and not exercising. At first it seemed ok, but the weight and fat crept back on as if by magic. Especially at this critical time of the year we must guard against weight gain. The weather is getting colder, the days shorter and the holidays are quickly approaching. Nearly every day I need to make food choices, whether they are good or bad. My goal is to cut down on the bad things and increase my exercise so that I don't start gaining. The period between Thanksgiving and the New Year are usually my downfall. I am determined not to let it happen this year.

Tex, it sounds like you had a great Halloween!!! We are usually not home in the evening so we don't receive the little goblins. If we had candy in the house it would be in this goblin's belly!!!!

Stiring, thanks for the update. I hope that you are able to stay with us until your departure date. I agree about the abs. Many of my exercises incorporate ab work to some degree. Most people think that by working the abs that the fat around the middle will disappear. They will get strong abs...with a thick layer of fat on top. For me, a good diet and some HIIT gives me far better results.

This is going to be a very busy week. I'll probably work all seven days this week. Next Monday is our year-end physical inventory...the most dreaded day of the year for me!!!

Have a great day!

cardigirl

Happy Monday everyone! Looks like we got through the weekend just fine.

Texassipian, thanks for posting the pics, your house looks SCARY! :laugh: Love how much you and your husband get into the holiday!

I have far too much Halloween candy left over. I thought we'd have more Trick or Treaters this year because the weather was so nice, but we had less that last year. Odd. My son carved the pumpkin this year and because he is a big Minnesota Twins fan he carved the Twins logo onto the pumpkin, which got quite a few nice comments from people coming by. Cutest costume I saw this year was a little tyke, maybe 12 to 13 months old, dressed up like a lobster, soooooo cute!

Alf, forgot to tell you congrats on the race. You're amazing! Love that your husband is running with you. Such a great activity to do together!

Sing, hiking on the mountain sounds great! Good for you! Glad you had such a good time with the grandson. Kids that age are so much fun. Good luck with your tough week at work.

Stiring, I know exactly what you mean about "slipping." The old habits are so easy to go back to, aren't they? I too have noticed how different I feel when I'm not eating correctly. Even if I stay in my calorie allotment for the day, if I don't have the right blend of fats, carbs, and protein, I feel "off." I'm certain that you will get back on track soon, though, because you've done so well before. Stress is tough on our systems and once you get settled I'm sure you will easily get back into your routine!

Swiss, I think sometimes a break is needed, but it is too easy to go backwards once we decide to do that. My trainer tells me that taking a week off from exercise every 4 months is a good thing. Allows the body to reset. Hope this week is better for you!

Hope everyone has a good week! :flowerforyou:

duffyzmom

Happy Monday All! I sit at the computer with my water bottle full and sipping away. A good start to the week. I am going to log my food again and am trying to schedule my meals out in the morning. Hopefully this way I want be tempted to eat anything that hasn't already been logged.

Glad to hear everyone had a Happy Halloween! Stiring you will be in my thoughts and prayers. We've moved 3 times in the last 5 years and know exactly how stressful that can be.

StiringWendel

Good morning everybody!

Swissmiss, sometimes I think a break is good as long as it is a reasonable break. I would be hesitant to combine a break on both food and exercise at the same time, and, like singfree, think it may be better to select one or the other instead of both at the same time. I know I just took a break in terms of eating, and I think that helped me because it has helped me remember why I eat cleaner, but I needed a mental break and am now convinced it is okay to take one when needed without dire consequences. But I did workout five out of the eight days I was on that break which I think helped fend off some of the consequences.

singfree, I'm glad you enjoyed your time with your grandson! I hope your week goes well. And congrats on a good, clean eating weekend. :drinker: Great job given the stress you are experiencing right now.

duffy, you've moved as much as we have!! This is our seventh move this decade, all but one of those moves over thousands of miles and/or to different countries. Like I've said before, though, no matter how many times we do this, it is still stressful.

That being said, I feel like I'm back on track with my eating. I did an Insanity workout yesterday, and despite the fact we had a going-away dinner last night, ate very well yesterday. Like you, duffy, I'm going to log my food this week and make sure I stick to what I've logged. This week we are having quite a few going-away breakfasts/lunches, so it would be easy to eat with abandon, but I don't want to do that.

On tap for today is another Insanity workout (I'm going to do the first week of the rotation this week). I'll probably also try to do a little bit of a P90X workout (probably Shoulders/Arms) with a resistance band. And then I'm going to go for a long walk and enjoy the 80 degree temps here in SoCal while I have them! All that, combined with some better eating, should clear this heavy feeling I've been experiencing the last few days.

I hope everybody has a good day. I'm hoping to check-in every day this week because I will need you all to keep me in line!! :flowerforyou: