Instead of Curves, mine is called Rounds! LOL

No walking for me last night since it was Diana's birthday and no workout this morning because of another early morning meeting. Tonight may be iffy as well because we are having sleet right now. However, I WILL make it to the gym tomorrow and get on the bike or maybe swim some laps are walk in the resistance pool.

Diane, I haven't talked to our daughter this week. She lives in Wisconsin as well, over closer to LaCrosse. First time that she has lived outside of the Sunbelt. Born in Arizona, and lived in California and Texas. She is used to some cold, but nothing like up north. I wonder how she is fairing. I know Diana will be talking to her today.

Here is my plan for this week. I have cut down my portions to just two eggs for breakfast or one egg and an ounce of some other protein, about 4 to 6 oz of protein at lunch and a small salad (today it is a can of tuna), and about 6 oz of protein for dinner, with about a 1/2 cup of non starch veggies or a small salad. Last night was perfect when we went out for dinner, I ordered the 6 oz steak, with no potato, and had veggies instead, along with about three glasses of water, while Diana drank her champagne. Then for a small treat, I had a handfull of berries. I must have drank about 2 gallons of water yesterday. In addition, I am taking a healthy amount of vitamin supplements to augment my weight loss.

Don--I hope your daughter will agree that, while it may get cold here, it is very beautiful, especially in her area.

Don-Good for you to choose so wisely in a restaurant! I find eating out to be very tough. I went to my diet place this morning and
---drum roll, please--------------I have lost 10% of my total weight in 10 weeks. Of course, that is Lindora's goal though not mine. I want to lose at least 20%. But a goal is a goal I guess!
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Helen

Wow - Don - Good Choices for you!

Helen - 10% is wonderful. Reachable goasl keep you going forward.

Diane - something about cold and calorie burning that I read somewhere is that it takes energy to keep you warm so you burn more! I could use some California SNOW!

And for me the hours of Curves had kept me away before too. But my local one has new owners and they open earlier now. I just wish they were open 7 days as well so if I missed a day I could go on Sunday.

We have a little boutique gym a couple blocks from the house that I joined a while back. Open 7 days from 6 am to 9pm. The trainer there decided that I needed to be "Bootcamped". He pushed me way over my target heartrate and I did not stop and kept going thinking he knew what he was doing. It took me an hour to recover - I was lucky to not have gotten injured from his negligence.

Congratulations Helen, that is a wonderful accompishment and a very good goal. I guess I must be thinking alike. I went back and looked at my goal and I targeted about 11% for the first 10 weeks. Right now I am at 55% of that goal after 4 weeks, so I am right on target.

Thanks. Don, if you keep making those kind of choices out, you will get there way before 10 weeks. Kathy, I think those "bootcamp" deals are for the spandex crowd who are not getting in shape but are compulsively staying in shape.

Well another update. I got a lot more stringent and serious this week. Today I weighed in, since it has been exactly one month since starting the diet. I found out that I lost three pounds since my Monday weigh in and 20 lbs overall! <img border="0" alt="[vhappy]" title="" src="graemlins/icon_vhappy.gif" />

That gave me the strength to pass on the wine and cheesecake at the builder luncheon today at the Country Club.

Also, on my bike workout this morning, I got in 7.5 miles in 30 minutes. Tomorrow, I think I may swim along with doing my weight workout.

Way to go Don - congrats! :app:

:app: :app: :app:

7.5 miles on the bike? that is really great!

Don..awesome! You're an inspiration for all of us.

Margo

Wow!! 20 pounds in a month? You are my hero!
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Helen

That Male Metabolism puts us all to shame.

Don: Congrats!!!! I read this thread but do not participate as I am basically a "going to do it tomorrow" type dieter - about 7 yrs ago I lost 25 lbs on my own in 6 months - I think the "I am going to conquer" this has to be your mindset - and boy did I have excuses and still do that got in the way of succeeding - when I lost the weight I walked 2 miles in the morning 30 minutes, briskly (6 am brutal to hear that alarm) and 2 more miles before dinner about 6 pm but finally it becomes addictive ... but not as good as chocolate - cut out wine, red meat and most starches but not all - ate lots, big portions, of salads, fruits and fish and water water water (I hate chicken unless fried) - I think the walking was a huge factor and it is cheap and easy but oh so easy NOT to do - I have state of the art exercise facilities one mile from my house - Ponte Vedra Club and we pay for the gym as part of our dues - ride a bike, all kinds of machines, weights, personal trainers, nutritionists etc, etc, etc and look at ocean in this beautiful gym - do I do it??? Of course not - too lazy .. you have inspired me! Joanna

Thanks All!

Joanna, 2 miles in 30 minutes! That is some brisk walking! Very impressive. I agree with you, it is tough getting up earlier to get in the exercise. That bed feels awfully good in the morning. I too like to get in some outdoor walking, but the weather here has not been too cooperative the past few days. It raineed on Wednesday all day and part of yesterday, and then turned to snow in the afternoon. Temps are in the 30's right now. Brrr!

Oops! I jumped on Diana's computer and guess she hadn't logged out.

Don

I did get my swim in and my weight workout this morning and now I feel like a limp washrag! I swam so fast that the goggles broke right off my face! OK, so they broke from sitting in the car not being used and the strap desintegrated.

Amazingly, I don't swim quite as good as I did in high school. I still have the form but not the function!

Don! Try using a mask & snorkel combo. It really works for swimming & gets you to the point of enjoying the swim more often. I use this since my neck can't tolerate side to down motion from problematic discs. I, too, am so impressed with yours & everyone's progress here!

Hi Michelita!

Glad to see you putting in 2 centavos here!. I love swimming with a snorkel and mask too. Better to use the energy moving the large muscles of arms and legs.

Well, down a total of 17 now in 4 weeks for me. My pants are getting loose too. I might have to go shopping soon to get some interim clothes for the way down!

Way to Go Kathy!

Lol - I have no more centavos but your weight loss is a great excuse to go shopping! I love how you all are workin' at it, one step at a time, and being persistent.

Don remember that was 7 yrs ago! I had to "work up" to the 2 miles/30 minutes of power walking - took awhile to accomplish it - every walk I tried to cut a minute off my time. I did NOT walk in the rain!!

I know this is going to sound crazy but I love my new gym...did orientation yesterday and my first workout today....it's a completly new facility connected with our local hospital and it's got some new "state of the art" equipment including
Fitlinxx equipment and programing.

I haven't had my Health Risk Assesment yet (scheduled for Monday), but when is the last time you've joined a gym where they actually do one - complete with bloodwork etc. After our assesment we get our program and then the fitlinxx system watches over us. If we don't "show" activity via the system they call us to see if we're "OK"! And if we don't want to continue our membership we just cancel - no prepayment - monthly billing until we say "no more". I love that approach!

Anyway, hope the excitement continues, I'll let you know. Oh, the other thing - it's a "silent" gym - all of the flat screen TVs (about 20) are on fm transmitters so you tune into the sound with headphones. The equipment is almost silent too - You don't hear all that machine noise and the beds must be well cushioned because you don't hear feet pounding when the runners are working out. All in all it's looks great.

Margo :)

Mt problem is that I just won't go to a gym. I am so happy to be home after work that it is enough for me to grab the dog and start walking. I don't want to carry anything or park or anything like that. It started when my son was little, and I didn't want to be away, as a single mom. No such excuse now, as he's a silent, if grumbly teen. I really need some weight training. I bought some weights, and we shall see.

That sounds great, Margo! My gym is pretty quiet because at 7 am when I go, my trainer and I are the only ones around and I have very little to say before my first pot of coffee! Altho for awhile we were joined by one of those grunting guys!? Glad he's gone.
Good goin', Kathy. "On your way down clothes" sound like just the thing.

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Helen

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Michele & Don:
Don! Try using a mask & snorkel combo. It really works for swimming & gets you to the point of enjoying the swim more often. I use this since my neck can't tolerate side to down motion from problematic discs. I, too, am so impressed with yours & everyone's progress here! [/QUOTE

Great idea. Maybe, fins too! LOL

Darn it - I thought fins sounded good too.

Sure is easier! Kathy, even though I am glad to have lost 20 lbs, I am even more impressed with your 17! I know how much harder it is for women, and that is a VERY impressive number. I know it took a huge amount of dedication.

Margo, we have Fitlinxx at our gym. It is awesome. It tells you at each station what you did on your last workout, what your settings need to be, and what your goal is. If you raise your weight, it knows and at the end of your session, it asks you if you want to change your goal. Likewise, if you don't raise your weight and you don't finish your reps, it asks if you want to lower your goal. After you finish your entire circuit, it also tells you what the total lifted for the day is.

Well Joanna, hearing about your 2 miles in 30 minutes, lead me back to the gym tonight. I just had to see what I could do. Pushing myself I got the 2 miles in at 38 minutes. What a workout!

Well Joanna, hearing about your 2 miles in 30 minutes, lead me back to the gym tonight. I just had to see what I could do. Pushing myself I got the 2 miles in at 38 minutes. What a workout! [/QB][/QUOTE]

I walked today, 2 miles, 45 min and I was DYING!!! so out of shape legs like jelly - I was trying and trying - as I said, the 30 minutes is after you are "conditioned"...but once you stop, as I did, big, bigger and biggest - or is that dumb and dumber for stopping???

Don...it's great to hear about Fitlinxx....I'm excited to try it. Unfortunately it will probably be almost 2 weeks before I go through the entire process and get my PIN #.

This is the first gym in our area to have it so it's all new to me.

I am at the 5 weeks mark now. Lost 3 more lbs. So 6 total last week and 23 lbs overall. I also made my very stringent goal. <img border="0" alt="[bounce]" title="" src="graemlins/ubbbounce2.gif" />

Don...wish I had your success.

My weight is going down about a 1/2 lb every few days - at least it's not going up but I have to wonder since I'm certainly not eating at all like I used to!

I love the new gym - this morning I did 30 minutes on the eliptical trainer, then two circuits on the weight stations, a swim and then a steam - I think I could get used to this - at long last a good habit!

And our scale with body fat measurements shows good results - so I must have some new muscle and less fat! LOL!!!! :D

Margo -

Don't be so hard on yourself - down is definitely progress! And the exercise sounds terrific. Slow and steady is good.

Margo, she is right. Slow and steady is good. Besides, you do not have near the weight that I have to lose, so it will go slower. Also as you said, you are building muscle and muscle does weigh more than fat. I am just curious though, how does the scale measure body fat? I guess that is a new thing? Mine measures body fat by how loud it groans when I step on it! LOL

Don..our Tanita scale give weight and % of Body Fat... here an article with a bit of explaination.

Not sure exactly how it works but I've seen it go up....(over the last two years) and now it's beginning to go down so there must be something to it. :)

Margo

Thanks for the info Margo.

Very interesting gizmo, if I didn't have a scale already, I'd consider buying one of these.

I know what you mean Wendy. Ours works pretty good and it is hard to want to spend the money on a new one, even though at times I think ours is a bit off. Shows me being heavier, but never lighter than I think I should be! LOL

Well, I am almost up to 25,000 lbs lifted on my weight workouts. Started at about 20,000 and just have adjusted the increments just a little each time.

Last night Diana and I went to the hockey game and I have a small success story. I ate before I picked her up, so that I wouldn't be tempted to eat something I shouldn't. Diana hadn't eaten, so after we got our seats I went and got her some pizza and a glass of wine and I was perfectly fine. Between the 2nd and 3rd periods I was a little hungry, I guess it was all that exercise of cheering (LOL), so I got a bag of peanuts after I looked at the bag and saw that each serving was 4 net carbs and 110 calories. I then took just enough to make up about 1 1/2 servings, closed the bag, and took the rest home. That may not seem like a big deal, but for me it was huge. I was concious of what I could have and I stuck to it, instead of just continuing to pop them in my mouth, which was my usual modus operendi.

YAY Don. I have done similar lately. I ordered a hamburger patty and side salad the other day. They brought the salad and later the hamburger. No bun - no sauce as I ordered it. But they put the fries on the plate. I ate one, called the waitress and asked her to take them off the table. Why? Because I am a Skinny Chick in Training! Frank was blown away - I have never met a french fry that I could not eat until now. Skinny Chicks do not eat French Fries!

That effort paid off because I am two pounds closer to my goal. 19 lbs total.

Kathy, I like it. Skinny Chick in training! That is funny. You are doing so good. Congratulations on another great week!

A friend of mine just came by to see me and she is looking great. She had gastric bypass two years ago and lost a ton of weight. However, she was complaining because now she has been yo-yo-ing back and forth between 5 lb increments for the past six months and can't seem to lose anymore. I think she is already at or close to her ideal weight, but for some reason she can't see herself as anything but fat.

You guys are all doing so well! I have completed my initial 10 week program with Lindora and signed up for another session but since we are going to Australia, the nurse suggested we wait till we return to start the second one. Now I am worried that once I lose that accountability, I won't do so good. I want to enjoy my vacation but I don't want to undo what I have accomplished so far, so the restraint you guys are showing is encouraging me to think we can pull this off. Maybe be good for breakfast and lunch but have the wine with dinner? All those Australian and New Zealand wineries to visit. Maybe a little aversion therapy would help. Can you say Vegemite!!!!
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Helen