40+ Club: Beating The Winter Bulge

mkwood10

Hello all!!! Work's been crazy again, which is why I haven't been in MFP lately.:grumble: After spending the whole day on the computer at work, I just can't bring myself to get on the home computer at night. I keep saying I'm going to buy a laptop so I can have it with me in the living room, but there's too many choices out there.......I'm waiting until the hubby gets home!! He told me to just buy what I want, but I can't bring my self to spend over $500 without him having direct input!!!!:laugh: :laugh: Yeah, I know - that dates me as old, but that's one of the reasons our marriage has survived almost 28 years - we don't do anything major without discussing with the other one first!!

Scale's down not quite a pound, which I can live with because the clothes are definitely fitting looser!!! I've walked around all day today hitching up my favorite khakis........I guess it's time to see if I can fit back in the old ones from lighter days!!!

Welcome all newcomers.............we're a bit of a crazy bunch, but we keep each other motivated, right all????:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Gotta get back to work...........scheduling lots more meetings BEFORE spring break...........what fun!!!!
Marla

singfree

Good afternoon everyone!

I'm really enjoying all the great discussion going on here. This is what it's all about! Keep it coming!

MK, your hubby will be home before you know it. What a grand homecoming it will be!! Even sweeter as we grow older...we appreciated those "little" things in life.

Stiring, you are doing great, even after the big move. You know how your body reacts to different combinations of nutrition and exercise. This will be a lifelong thing, so just go with the flow and don't let the little ups and downs frustrate you.

As for me, I just finished a hike up the mountain to a place called "Pulpit Rock". It's on the Appalachian Trail, which is only 5 miles from my house. I start from the valley below and climb steadily and sometimes steeply for about 40 minutes. It's nearly 1100 vertical feet of climbing. The payoff is reaching Pulpit Rock and being able to see all the way to New Jersey (60+ miles). I'm about to do a Kettlebell workout in a few minutes. I want to make a big push before we go to California on 3/18.

Have a great day!

tron3002

String and Alf.... Have you been gaining muscle mass and maybe thats why the scale is up a bit?

Hunibun.... When you first start with WW do you stick with a certain food menu or do you pick and choose as long as you dont go over your points?

Swiss... I just noticed your new pic. You look absolutely terrific!!!

Sing... You must have better weather if your out there hiking. I wish it would warm up here I'm starting to get cabin fever.

As for me, I made my husband a nice brunch. Eggs, sausage, hash browns and toast. And of course I had some too. Now I am going to total up my calories and see how much I have to burn off. I know it hurts your progress when your trying to lose weight by not eating correctly but how much does it hurt if you burn off the necessary calories?

denimangel

First day on the weight bench today... thought my arms were going to fall off by the time I was done. Then it was exercise day for the residents at work so I had another workout...although it was nothing compared to what I do.. but a workout none the less. Tomorrow is cardio day again... treadmill again... but I am going to increase the incline a bit tomorrow.

Tonight my husband made homemade pizza... it had turkey sausage on it so a bit less fat... only had one piece... and then a cup full of grapes... but I AM STILL HUNGRY!!!! Not sure what else to have... another cup of hot tea? Will need to find something.

LOL... just saw pictures on the side of this page of an advertisement for Sexy Stomach Rules... it would appear to me that the before pic is of someone who is pregnant.... Of course you are going to lose the belly after you give birth!! They must really think we that need to lose weight are gullible.

Well time for Biggest Loser... so I'm off to watch.

Angel

aholly70

TRON3002-I DIDN'T HAVE A CERTAIN MENU,I JUST MAKE SURE I DON'T GO OVER ON POINTS BUT I EAT ALOT OF VEGGIES AND FRUIT,I JUST STARTED BUT THIS IS MY 2ND TIME WITH IT,IT'S GOING BETTER THIS TIME.I'M DOING IT ONLINE THIS TIME.I DO PLAN MY MEALS FOR THE DAY THE NIGHT BEFORE AND THAT HELPS TO.

singfree

Good evening!

Back at work...

MK, We are finally getting some "warmer" weather here. Today was all of 45 degrees, actually not too bad outside today!

Hisangel, I think you need to eat some more nutrient dense foods. The pizza dough is not terribly nutritious. Also, you are working out harder and your body is craving more good nutrition. Think about adding a lot of whole grains and veggies to your diet. Shoot for balance as you choose your foods. Good luck!

Have a good night!

StiringWendel

Hi singfree...and any other night owls out there! :flowerforyou:

hunibun, thanks for the info on Weight Watchers At Home. This could come in handy for some people I know who are struggling with their weight but far away from home. I'm happy to hear it is working for you this time.

zebras, amazing workout!! Isn't it nice to start feeling the changes?

duffy, I'm hoping getting back outdoors and doing something will help my spirits as well. I think the sudden shift from California weather to winter did me in....plus everything else involved with a move, the holidays, etc. In light of that, I don't think I've been doing too badly. But I certainly could use a little 'lift'. The sun is shining today, though, and that in itself makes a HUGE difference in how I feel. I'm going to try to get my husband out of the house this weekend and on to the running path. We'll see how that goes.

Swissmiss, good job getting back on your program!

mk, I am again amazed at how well you are doing given everything you are going through. And I wouldn't buy a computer without my husband either!! So....I guess I date myself as well. But he wouldn't either. We've been married 20 years, and it works for us too.

tron, I wish my weight gain was from gaining muscle, but it really is from too many Christmas cookies. :laugh: While I've certainly tightenedd it up and such over the past two months, I'm not going to pretend the weight is there from increased fitness. It is there because I ate way more than I should have for about two months. The worst thing is I wasn't even lifting weights at the time, so I know it isn't muscle. Oh, well. :ohwell:

As far as your question about what you eat and losing weight....no, all calories are not equal. But, at the same time, depending on how they are cooked, the breakfast foods you described aren't THAT bad. I mean, everything there has some nutritional value. It isn't as if you ate a dozen donuts which have little nutritional value. So while there may have been more fat than you otherwise would have taken in and such, I wouldn't beat yourself up over that breakfast at all. In fact, I don't think you should concern yourself about it in the least if you've fit it into your calorie allowance for the day. Again, I might say something different if you ate a bag of potato chips, but you didn't.

hisangel, I find that eating a big salad with dinner keeps me feeling really full throughout the evening. It is 'bulk' food (few calories but filling), and that really helps me at night. That being said, though, if you are just starting out lifting weights, you may find yourself hungrier than usual for a little while. Lifting weights really increases my appetite, so be on the look out for that. So you may want to try to find foods that fill you up more (more protein, less carbs) during this time. As singfree said, look for whole food and lots of veggies to help with that. Fiber is probably the best thing for making a person feel full, so pay attention to your fiber intake as well.

singfree, the hike up the mountain sounds great. I've been talking to some friends about climbing up a mountain here in Korea. We were supposed to go in about 10 days, but given that we've edged our way back into winter, I'm not so sure that would be a smart thing right now. I'm hoping to take the hike someday. I love to hike, and I miss it. I hope you are planning on doing some good treks in the Alps in a couple of months!!!

homehealthy, if you don't mind my asking, how do you know you've fallen into starvation mode? Are you more tired than normal? Have you stopped losing weight? I ask this because there is quite a bit of...panic (for lack of a better word)....about starvation mode on this board, and I find most of it to be somewhat unfounded. So I don't want you to be too concerned about slipping into starvation mode if you are going under your calories a couple of times a week and/or are under your calories consistently but only by less than 100 (or so) IF (that's a big IF) you aren't actually experiencing any symptoms of starvation mode (decreased metabolism, increased illness, etc). That being said, if you routinely are going under your calories, try calorie dense food. One of the best post workout snacks out there is....a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole grain/wheat bread. Go figure. But it is highly recommended because of the breakdown of protein, fat and carbs. And...you can pack in quite a few calories with a good ole PB&J sandwich. So try foods like peanut butter or nuts or avocados if you need food that is higher in calories but still has some beneficial nutritional value. I used to do things like add walnuts (very good for you) to my dinner salads to make up calorie content. Very simple and easy to do. I am far from a creative cook (I mean....FAR from a creative cook :laugh: ) so I do everything I can to keep things simple. Hope that helps and please ask if you have any other questions.

I started my last week of the second cycle of STS. While I feel so strong, I've also been increasingly tired the past couple of days. I remember that I went through this during my last go-around with STS as well. It was at the very end of this muscle building cycle last year that I felt that I might have been overtraining. And I'm going through the exact same thing now. I am looking forward to giving my body a rest next week. In fact, I might take about five days off from working out before I tackle that last cycle. I remember I had about that much time off last year, and it really helped. The good thing is I know that about a week or two into the third cycle, my energy levels went back up....and the weight just started falling off my body without me doing anything about it. I'm hoping that happens again this time.

Off to take a walk while the sun is shining......:drinker:

singfree

Stiring, I agree totally about the sun having an effect on one's mood. That AND the calendar. I can see light at the end of the tunnel!!! Literally...Daylight Saving Time is only 10 days away!!! Speaking of DST, did you know that Ben Franklin devised it way back in the 1700s??? Just read it online last night when I was bored....

I was amused by your description on STS. When I do a longer cycle of heavy weights, I get that "burned out" feeling of overtraining. I can overtrain with the best of them in my quest for instant gratification. For me, the weight falls off after a few more weeks. Truly, I can look at myself in the mirror one day...and the next day I am thin!!! Hope it happens soon for me. I'm telling you that within a day or two of this phenomenon, I can drop 5-6 lbs seemingly overnight. The KEY for me is consistent heavy exercise AND cutting down on junk carbs.

sunnysmile

He told me to just buy what I want, but I can't bring my self to spend over $500 without him having direct input!!!!:laugh: :laugh: Marla

Maria, I think it would be fun to spend $500 without my husbands input or potential bad advice, LOL. I usually do the research and find the best prices and items so he usually turns to me for that anyway. I don't part with $500 easily though but spending money can be fun.

Today I am pleased to report I am feeling more strength and flexibility in my swimming. I swam for 40 minutes and did 30 lengths. 18 lengths is equal to a quarter mile. If I can get to 36 then I am at a half mile, but I don't know if I will be able to. I don't want to add more time because it can make my skin itchy (even with oiling it afterwards) so I will improve as I speed up perhaps. Maybe the number of laps don't matter as much as the consistent time I'm starting to put in and the changes I'm seeing in my body.

I am afraid though that I may see no weight loss this week and even possibly a gain.

Sunny

sunnysmile

He told me to just buy what I want, but I can't bring my self to spend over $500 without him having direct input!!!!:laugh: :laugh: Marla

Maria, I think it would be fun to spend $500 without my husbands input or potential bad advice, LOL. I usually do the research and find the best prices and items so he usually turns to me for that anyway. I don't part with $500 easily though but spending money can be fun.

Today I am pleased to report I am feeling more strength and flexibility in my swimming. I swam for 40 minutes and did 30 lengths. 18 lengths is equal to a quarter mile. If I can get to 36 then I am at a half mile, but I don't know if I will be able to. I don't want to add more time because it can make my skin itchy (even with oiling it afterwards) so I will improve as I speed up perhaps. Maybe the number of laps don't matter as much as the consistent time I'm starting to put in and the changes I'm seeing in my body.

I am afraid though that I may see no weight loss this week and even possibly a gain.

Sunny

sunnysmile

machine went nuts and posted my answer twice ... sorry for the xtra post ... and hi to everyone (I didn't say that before) ... must be low blood sugar, off to eat breakfast now.

sunny

zebras

Good Morning Everyone

Sunny Good work on the improved pool time!

So, I went to the office gym last night, and they have one of the ellipticals that also has the arm moving things, so I decided to do that for a while. A few people said they hated that machine, and I thought it was kind of cool. My arms had a pleasant burn after the workout. I find I really am not much into working out with a lot of other people in the room, I know they are all probably more thinking about their own stuff, but I feel uncomfortable when I do things off the cardio machines, the trainer showed me a few things to do last week between sessions of cardio. Next week I'll have to give it more of the old college try. I am limiting myself to the office gym once a week, because if I'm not home, I have no hope of encouraging my husband to go up to the condo gym with me.

alf1163

Hi everyone!! Soooo many posts, so little time to answer... :laugh:

Thank you to all of you who gave me suggestions/encouragement. It can be frustrating at times but I will continue with my program and see what happens. I do feel great, strong and I am happy with the way I look. Sometimes we can be so hard on ourselves and I guess I am going through that right now. I've lowered the calories by about 150 cals but I am still finding it hard to eat so much during the day. The healthier you eat the bigger the quantity of foods you eat. I still eat nuts and peanut butter everyday and other denser foods. I am still struggling with what to eat after my Zumba class. Last night I had half of a detour bar. The last one I have and I am not planning on buying more. I'd rather get my nutrients from natural foods. I also ran out of protein powder and I am not so sure I want to buy more. I just cant get myself to eat meat late at night. Any ideas on what other protein sources I can eat around 8:30pm? It is so much easier to eat cereal or fruit late at night.

I apologize for not being able to answer to each individual post. Keep up the good work!!! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

JuliaSoCal

Yeah! I got a "Your looking good" today...not quite a "Have you lost weight???" but I will take it. It feels good to know that people are noticing even if they do not say anything...

I am doing it for me...'cause I want to look good in my clothes...So having people comment in a nice confirmation.

Julia

tron3002

JuliaSoCal.... Thats awesome!!! I loved it when people noticed too. The first 15lbs no one said anything. Then when I had a conversation with someone about my diet and how much I lost they were like.... I knew you lost some weight. Then why didn't you tell me?!!!!! Maybe they think its rude, like they are telling you that you were fat. But to me it would just inspire me to keep going.

String.... I dont do the chips thing but I do have major downfalls when my husband is home lately. The local casino is having a 99 cent steak dinner special to draw people in. The great thing about it is that it has an all you can eat salad/soup bar that goes with it. So every tuesday we go to this. Its delicious but I'm worried about the calories. Especially because I would love to fit into a smaller size before the wedding. I guess I will just have to break down and go on my very restrictive diet in order to lose the weight. I just dont want to do it but.......

Yesterday I walked on my treadmill.... Heres the thing, it states on the front that it's a 1/4 mile/400 meter track. So you would think that 4 x around the track would be 1 mile. But the read out states that you do a mile in less than that. Kinda confusing if you ask me. Anyway..... Burned off 420 calories on my treadmill yesterday. Today I plan on doing the same but I'm hoping to find time to fit some other type of exercise in too this time. I haven't eaten anything yet and its noon so off I go. Have a terrific day everyone!

duffyzmom

Happy Thursday All! I'm smiling because it is another running day and there is plenty of pavement in my subdivision.:drinker: Plus, we actually had sun yesterday - sure it was a sunny 37 degrees but I'll take that any day. Now if we could just get out of the 20s at night.

I am loving loving loving the Lean Phase of CX - this is definitely more like the type of strength training I've done in the past. 3 or more sets focusing on the same muscle group. I'm also loving how much this phase requires core engagement.

duffyzmom

just noticed we are in the 460s for posts - any ideas on what the new thread will be called - Sing

alf1163

Good morning!! Just finished my yummy breakfast! :laugh: I just teach Zumba tonight and looking forward to it. Last Tuesday I had 37 students!!!!!! :drinker: :drinker: That is the most I've had, it is so exciting!!!

Duffy, I also like the Lean phase. My shoulders are sore from Lean 2 yesterday. It's a good feeling, isnt it? I can sense your enthusiasm for running from reading your post. I miss running. Have a great run!! :drinker:

Tron, did you use the calorie counter on the treadmill or a heart rate monitor? The other day they were talking about the innacuracy of the calorie counter on the exercise machines and even the HRMs. They said they tend to overestimate the amount of calories you are burning. I am just going to keep trusting my HRM since it is set up with my information. I sometimes don't eat all the calories but I eat most.

How about, 40+ Club: Hopping into Spring with the Fittest Bod Ever

Have a wonderful day!!! :flowerforyou:

aholly70

GOOD MORNING,

WELL I'M ON DAY 4 OF WW AND DOING AWESOME I CAN'T BELIEVE THE WEIGHT I LOST IN 4 DAYS I'M EATING AND WORKING OUT EVERYDAY,I KNOW I'LL SLOW DONE BUT I'M EXCITED THAT SOMETHING IS WORKING FOR ME.
IT'S STARTING TO GET WARMER HERE IN WISCONSIN THEY ARE SAYING THIS WEEKEND IN THE 40'S WOO HOO!!!

zebras

Good Work Hunibun!

Good morning everyone! Last night I wasn't feeling that great I think from stress at work, and didn't feel like going up to the gym, but I managed to do Walk it Out for a little while. I'm starting to sound like an advertisement for it. But I'm so excited that I have something that motivates me to keep moving even when I don't feel great. I am dangling new clothes as my carrot also to keep me going. I'm not allowing myself to try anything new on until I reach the weight I was before I gained some of it back.

duffyzmom

Alf: Yep these shoulders are sore - I just finished Burn Intervals and man oh man that itty bitty anterior delt was screaming. Sorry your not able to enjoy the fun of running right now. I've picked a 25K to do in May so I really need to get back out running at least 4 days a week. Although I've already made peace with the fact that given the poor weather we are most likely to have between now and then it won't be a fast race for me but at least it is a new race and I understand it is a beautiful course.

I was thinking about your protein evening question - I have a couple of suggestions
1) Cottage cheese with some fruit (not my favorite and not sure I could do it in the evening)
2) I had a running coach that was very antiprotein powders (her feeling was they are a scam and waste of money) She was a big fan of plain old skim milk and if she wanted more protein she just added a little powdered milk to it to increase the protein.
3) My favorite desserts from south beach - the Ricotta Cremes Just take 1/2 cup of part-skim ricotta cheese 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract and 1 package of sugar substitute (you can use a drop of honey if you want to stay natural) If you want Lemon just add 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest. Mix it up before Zumba and but it in the fridge when you get home you'll have a yummy high protein snack. (about 180 calories - 14 g protein)

I like the idea of hopping - How about 40+ Hopping for a Healthy Lifestyle

alf1163

Hunibun, congrats on your weightloss. Keep up the good work!! :drinker:

Zebras, glad you are setting goals for yourself. Setting goals for me is what keeps me going...:drinker:

Duffy, I love your topic suggestion. Any others? Thank you for the protein snack suggestions. I am struggling with this now. Last night I had some Kashi Go Lean and skim milk. The Kashi cereal is high protein but it also has tons of carbs. I only had 1/2 cup so not bad and 1/2 of milk.

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

singfree

Good evening!

This is Friday for me...well, it will be at 6 am!!!! That's the payoff on night shift. Only 7 hours to go!

All of the new topic ideas sounds great. They all are winners. Early next week, maybe on Monday we will start it, ok??

Friday reporting day: My eating was better, but not always great. I've been exercising with my kettlebells, and they are working well. I took my bike out for a chilly 10 mile ride today. I bought bike shoes and clipless pedals for my bike. Everything went well until I got back to the garage. When I stopped, I fell over because my shoes were still attached to the pedals. I forgot to release the shoe cleats from the pedals. Very embarassing!

Anything special planned for the weekend? We are going to the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Saturday. That's the musuem that "Rocky" runs up the steps...cue the rocky theme....


Have a great weekend!

StiringWendel

Happy Friday everybody!!:drinker:

Time for check-in.....not much to report this week. My weight is the same. I had some great workouts. My eating has....changed. But more on that in a minute. But all is good, and I'm happy with where I'm at right now.

hunibun, congrats on the weight loss!!

duffy, a 25K race? Good for you!!! Are you planning any half marathons for the summer?

zebras, good job at doing something even when not feeling well. I'm so happy you've found something you enjoy that works as a motivation. That is SO key in working out consistently.

singfree, sorry to hear about your tumble! I had a similar tumble this morning....got my foot caught around a USB cord plugged into the computer, walked into the office in the dark, got my foot caught (somehow), turned for the door....and ended up on my face instead. Oh, well. No harm, no foul. But at least nobody was around to see it. Since you've taken up Kettlebells, I've been reading about them quite a bit. The other day, there was a thread on Videofitness.com about the toughest workouts people owned. Hands down....some kettlebell workouts won!! I'm going to have to get me some of those, aren't I? :bigsmile:

alf, how many hours are you eating before you go to bed? If it is a couple of hours, I think you are fine with the cereal. I think given that this is a post-workout snack, you actually need to have some carbs in it. I also think it is important to eat something that time of night that sits well with you and, obviously, the cereal and milk are doing that. Other ideas, though, would be something like lean turkey and some almonds (or other nuts). But, again, while having a banana and cereal may have been too many carbs, I think the amount of carbs in the cereal may be just about right given that you've worked out just prior to eating it.

So you mentioned HRMs. As some of you know, I've been struggling with my HRM and what it tells me I burn per workout. I've tried to ignore it, but those numbers are always in the back of my mind. But I can workout for a few hours a day, and my HRM tells me I burn something like 300 calories. :noway: As I get more fit, the fewer calories I burn....and thus, with more fitness for me comes fewer calories I can eat. It hasn't made any sense to me, and I have been increasingly frustrated (to the point of wanting to throw in the towel at times). I have been increasingly hungry, my mood has been going downhill, and, lately, my workouts are suffering because I feel tired alot. Intellectually, I know I need to be eating more. But it has been hard for me to do that given that I have a 'hard' reading on calories from my HRM. And since I'm prone to eating too much (which is why I'm here), and given the impact of moving across the world, etc., I really have been thinking I'm just looking for excuses to eat more.

Yesterday, I wandered around on this board for the first time in a little while (I usually come in, read this thread, and then move on). There was a post in the Fitness section about HRMs under-estimating calories. And one of our fellow MFPers who now works in the fitness world FINALLY explained how this could be (especially given the type of HRM I've been using). Everything he described makes perfect sense to me. I can't begin to express how much of a relief it is to have some idea based on science (from what I can tell) for why my HRM is not accurately assessing my calorie burn. And the best thing about it....I feel FREE to eat again!! As many of you know, I've been restricting my calories since the holidays (to anywhere between 1300 and 1800). During the same period, I have increased my fitness regime. Logically, I knew I probably should be taking in at a MINIMUM 2300 calories a day based on what I perceive as the intensity of my workouts (usually an STS workout followed by an Insanity or Hiit workout followed by a long walk). But my HRM tells me that 1800 is about all I should do (at most), and I've been listening to IT instead of my instincts and body. I think this explains why I've been so tired and cranky.

So yesterday, I ate a little bit more. And in just upping my calories a few hundred yesterday (even though I know I'm not supposed to increase them that much at once....I just had to because I was hurting from being so hungry the past few days) I woke up this morning feeling like a new woman. Today's workout was the best workout I've had in a LONG time. I had full energy through both my STS workout and the most intense Insanity workout for me (Max Interval Circuits) and feel like I could go on for another one. It is amazing what a little more food can do for a person. So I am intentionally eating higher again today (just finished a terrific late brunch/early lunch of whole wheat pancakes with flax, natural crunchy peanut butter and banana....YUM) just to let my body know that the starvation period is over. Tomorrow, I'll rein it back in again and actually work at increasing my calories up from 1800 in 100 calorie increments to about 2300 and see how that feels. Based on how I'm feeling today, I think it will make the world of difference.

Sorry this is so long, but I share this in case anybody else starts experiencing the same thing I have been experiencing. Here is a link to the thread where the HRM information was posted: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/84619-calorie-burn-lower-than-expected My last word on the subject (for now :bigsmile: ) is: listen to your body!! I preach it all the time. Now it's time for me to start doing it.

My ideas for a new thread title: 40+ Club: Springing Towards a Healthier Life (or something like that!)

I hope everybody has a great Friday and a good weekend!!

alf1163

Good morning!! Just a quick check in, I'd better get going... I weighed myself and I am down to where I was about 2 wks ago which it is still over my goal. But that is ok...I am still trying to figure out where I should be in terms of amount of calories I should be eating, etc. I ate very well this week. I survived two temptations at work. One day someone brought a huge homemade chocolate cake. I go in the breakroom a lot to get my meals and I kept looking at it but had none. Everyone seemed to indirectly sabotage me by telling me there was cake in the break room. Duh!! Who can miss it!!! It was huge. Then yesterday, as soon as I got to work, one of my coworkers was bringing in some huge cupcakes leftover for her birthday. I am proud to say that both times I had none!!!!!!!!!!!! And today I know there will be some breakfast tacos because they have them every other Friday. No, thank you!!!! :laugh:

Stiring, I will check out the info you shared. Thanks!!! For now, I will continue to trust my HRM but at the same time listen to my body. I had a good workout this morning but I also felt tired... I am eating my post workout snack only about an hour or less before I go to bed. I get home around 8:30pm and I am usually in bed by 9:30...Last night I didnt even have the cereal I had planned because one of my students brought me an energy drink from Mona Vie? and since I stayed longer at the gym I drank it. I didnt even check the ingredients and calorie content so I decided not to eat anything when I got home, almost at 9pm. That is probably the reason I was so tired for my workout this morning. And that is another dilemma, I usually workout very early, 5 am, so I work out on an empty stomach. :noway: It "works" for me most of the time but other times I feel weak and tired. Ugh, it is an everyday struggle!!! :noway:

I'd better go get ready for work...getting late. Hopefully I can check in again later...

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

zebras

Good Morning Everyone.

I have had a 2nd good week in a row in terms of exercising and eating my calorie goals. Looks like i"m down another 2 lbs give or take. Just proves the system works when you can manage to follow it. I've managed to stay out of the sweets for nearly two weeks, and now the cravings are pretty much gone.

Hope everyone has some fun this weekend!

sunnysmile

Hi Friends,

I went to the pool today for 35 minutes (did aqua jogging with extra resistance booties on my feet). I have to limit time in water to 35 minutes so I don't get a skin reaction (and then I oil up after the shower).

I am up 0.4 pounds ... boo hoo. But I am hoping that next week will be better. I would have thought I would have lost this week. I do feel more fit, stronger, standing better, nicer posture, etc.

I also did the new Wii Walk It Away (I think that's the name) yesterday and walked about 3000 steps. Adding in land based work is a goal but one I am slowly adding in because of knee issues. It is a fun program, even my husband did it with me last night for a little bit of time. I am building my environment as I gain points for stepping to the beat of the music. Fun,

Have a great day and send encouragement, I need it today.

Sunny

pcaseyco

Friday check in. I'm being bad about my workouts using the PACE system but will get back to it this weekend, so glad I bought a treadmill. Still managed to loose a little this week without starving. I'm trying to do the three small meals a day with two snacks, but I seem to be winding up with three normal meals (just eating smaller portions) and one morning snack.

As spring comes along and I get moved back home to Colorado, hopefully in April, I plan to add swimming, bike, hiking and kayaking into my workouts.

Have a nice weekend everyone! Looks like Pennsylvania is in for a nice weekend for a change, still have the really ugly piles of old snow everywhere and ice every morning as it's melting but it FINALLY stoped snowing!!

duffyzmom

Friday Check In: Well my weight is holding steady - I'm noticing even more muscle definition and really enjoying the Lean phase of CX although I'm totally zapped most days. Like Stiring - I may need to up my calories a little (for me probably carbs because I'm back to running 4xs a week) Yes, Stiring I am planning an October half right now my schedule is a 25K and a 7K in May, a 10 miler in August and a half in October. So I really am right now just trying to make healthy food choices without obsessing on calories.

Have a great weekend all - I'm splurging with a little bubbly on Sunday to celebrate the Oscars!

2BLean

Hello Everyone ~

Sorry that I have been MIA on this thread for a while now. I try to read through and catch up when I can but it is usually when I am at work so don’t get a lot of time. :noway: At any rate, I am still here and working hard on my workouts in the a.m. – Doing an Endurance Style Rotation w/ various STS workouts and also Cathe's cardio workouts. I am enjoying it and also working out in the evenings too (since Jan) doing either Kick Boxing, Spinning or a Strength class. As I mentioned last time I was here checking in, it seems to be helping and I feel great having the 2 workouts a day by adding a few nights a week. Would love to 5 nights a week but my hubby would like to see me once and a while. :blushing:

Stiring: Still wanting to do that STS Undulating Rotation with you in May! :drinker: I’ve been throwing the idea around on doing Insanity maybe before that!?! Thoughts?
Thanks for talking about the HRM. I too have experience similar frustrations with mine. Not quite that low on the calories burned but to sometimes feel like I pushed myself harder than the time before and I didn't burn as many; sometimes leaves me stumped. Although, as you mentioned the more I have increased my endurance, etc. the more it will take to burn more calories. I’m glad you have decided to UP the calories and found relief and a happier mood for your body!

Alf: I understand your struggle as well. I workout real early too in the a.m. (4:45 – 5:00) I try to at least eat a banana prior to my workout. Then when I do an evening workout I am not home until 8 PM. Sometimes I don’t have dinner prior to that 6:30 workout so I try to eat a very clean and healthy dinner (salad & chicken breast or turkey burger w/ a veggie) but at the same time not feeling like eating a bunch of carbs. I’ve been trying to have a good afternoon snack around 3 or 4:00 w/ some good carbs in it so that it helps to get me through as well.

Hope everyone has a great Friday and weekend ~ Sing, enjoy the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the steps!