Not so much weight but WHOA! INCHES!!!!

I, too, am interested in knowing the kind of exercises you are doing to drop the inches (my arms still jiggle! lol) and can you tell me about the WW tools? thanks...and happy losing!

I do a LOT of working out. Now, as to Weight Watchers, to use the tools you have to join the online version. It's cheaper than meetings, but you don't have face to face interaction. I do both meetings in person but log online since it's easier for me that way. Don't have to carry a book around with me to write in, and can use my cell phone (Blackberry) to log when I'm not at a regular computer.

They have a spot where you can fill in your measurements, which I did this morning. Then they chart it for you and wow! seeing the line graph dip that dramatically is so encouraging!

Working out: I take ballet classes for about 16 hours a week (I'm not a professional or on a professional track - I'm too old, but I am in training for personal reasons). I do cardio about 5-6 days a week, about 30 mins per session, alternating interval on the elliptical with steady, single speed on the same machine. I've started doing spinning but not sure I can continue because of scheduling conflicts. And today I started swimming again. I'm hoping to do that at least once a week. Trying to change up my routine to make the body lose more.

I started out by swimming, though, as my main exercise tool, because I was very overweight at the time and felt better when I was in the water. I also took water aerobics classes, for the same reason. Then moved on to using machines at the gym. I use a Heart Rate Monitor ALL the time, whether in the gym or in ballet class, to get a better, accurate account of what I burn in cals.

I also do my abs work and try to get in at least 2 weights sessions a week - not much in it, just a bit of circuit to keep the upper body going. One of my ballet instructors told us once that if we only do the legs, they will "stagnate" - we have to develop the whole body in order to make the legs continue to progress for ballet. I believe she's right.

I don't measure every week, either - just every 3 weeks or thereabouts. I think that's why it's such a dramatic drop. After seeing the loss of inches on the WW site (the graph), I took another look at myself in the mirror and, yes, I DO see a huge change from a few weeks ago. I actually liked what I saw, for the first time. I still have some ways to go, but I have set myself a goal to reach a reasonable size in about 4 weeks, when I go away to a dance camp for a week. I want to look GOOD for that! LOL!

Like I said, I do a LOT of working out. My brother today said he was very impressed not just by how much I'd lost but by HOW I lost it - no drugs, no operations, just sheer hard work. :-)

Please explain the term "micronutrients" and I'll tell ya! LOL!

I do take a handful of vitamin supplements: calcium with vitamin D, mega multi vitamin, green tea extract, l-carnitine, glucosamine/chondroitin (sp?), vitamin B-complex. The calcium, multi and B-complex are somewhat medically necessary. The rest just give me the illusion of health. Well, not really an illusion since my doctor's very pleased with both blood work and, of course, my fitness level overall.

And I take Airborne EVERY morning, no matter what. I'm a teacher so I have to try everything to keep my immune system up to par.

Is that what you mean by "micronutrients"?

Ah. Erm...no idea actually. Protein definitely higher than the other two, but not sure by how much.

I eat a heavy protein breakfast, with resistant starches (high fiber) alongside it (fruit, plain potato). Lunch during the work week is almost all veggie, with tuna, and fruit. Snacks are usually seeds, occasionally protein/fiber bar.

Dinner is protein and veggie (cooked), possibly fruit.

I am heavier on protein than anything else and try to stick with resistant starch rather than simple starch. I don't think I'm disproportionate in any food category except dairy, which I'm extremely allergic and intolerant of. I also have celiac disease, so it limits what I can eat.

Fat actually is in the least category, I'm afraid, unless I eat seeds and nuts. That tends to go in cycles. In the non-work times, I generally eat only two meals a day - breakfast (always!!) and something later, with snacks between. That's mainly because I'm too lazy to make anything.

I'm trying to balance the sugar load, in actual fact, because although I'm not diabetic and likely won't ever be, I do get spacey if I'm low on blood sugar. When that happens, regular sugar actually doesn't help - I have to have a protein. I can get by with fruit but it doesn't last long if I'm spacing out.

jenzimmer, I wish it were that easy! I can't seem to find the right balance between the eating and the working out. When I stay within my points, sometimes I lose, sometimes I don't (or sometimes I even gain!). And when I go outside my WW points, same thing - can't predict it.

I have similar issues with blood sugar, which is why I try to go heavier on the protein, not just for losing weight. Always have had this problem. I have had about 1000 cals burned EACH DAY since Monday, so far this week. Tomorrow it'll be even more since I have an hour of private lesson after my regular one, as well as Thursday, where I have an hour of private after the regular and then a further ballet class in the evening (if I survive!).

Friday's a "light" day - only one class for one hour but that'll be 300-400 cals if last week is anything to go by. Saturday will be up to 800 just for the ballet class (2 hours), I'm sure (it'll be my first time in this one, hopefully not my last!!) and Sunday I think I'll just collapse and stay in bed all day. ;-)

If I weren't on the way to a particular, non-weight-loss-related goal, I probably wouldn't be taking so many classes. But I do wish I could figure out the right balance of eating and working out!!