HLSG: Week of August 6th

[MelissaAS]

Hey folks- anyone want to check in?

I had a good week- back on track with the eating after being sick but still easing into the exercise (full steam starts today!). I was a little distracted by a weekend away in NYC (yummy, but not healthy eats) but I feel good about a little indulgence once in a while- moderation (and not beating myself up) is key for me...

How's everyone else doing?

Melissa

[aggie94]

I'll bite. I had been doing fabulously! Almost two weeks of working out every day, eating CL meals for lunch and dinner, avoiding the temptation to go out to eat with friends... Then, my best friend's wedding. :o Three constant days of eating. First, the "rehearsal" dinner (it was really just an excuse for the bride to invite over her friends and family to help her with last minute stuff!), then the actual wedding, and then the day after (tons of leftovers, and omigod - you should see all the cake that she tried to push off on me!). And on top of all that, I was way too busy to even make it to the gym. Oh, well. Just imagine how it would have gone had I not been doing well beforehand!

Now that the festivities are over, back to the grind.

[Sara Emily]

I'm glad you're feeling better, Melissa. :) I couldn't agree MORE with your philosophy about indulgences in moderation. They keep us going and balanced, it seems.

I've done pre-e-e-ety well with my eating this past week, but GREAT with my exercise. Although I have been consistent with my workouts, I have also gotten fairly lazy and have known that I needed to push myself a good bit harder, particularly with strength training/toning work.

I started the week with regular walks and Kathy Smith's Cardio Fat Burning tape. On Wednesday, I went out to lunch with a neighbor and she talked me into considering what I never thought I would do - join a gym. I LIKE my solitary workouts at home, but as she toured me around the facilities, I began to get excited about the possibilities!

I went home to "feel" DH out about my joining and, before I could get very far, he STUNNED me by asking if they had a special "couples" rate! :eek: They DID ....... so WE did - JOIN, that is! :D

I'm even in sadder shape than I imagined with my strength training abilities but, I keep trying to remember that that means I have SO MUCH ROOM to grow and see improvement! The free classes they feature also look great, so I will avail myself of different ones throughout the year.

It's good to have this forum to share our accomplishments, make confession when necessary, and ALWAYS RETURN to center! :D

[AZLorena]

ok---I can fess up.

Last week was a good week! I spent a couple of weeks going to the gym for aerobic classes instead of my usual walking (or so miles) because the heat was getting pretty terrible around here. Anyway, I was getting kind of frustrated because I seemed to reach a plateau (I know this is going to happen every so often.) i have been working really hard all summer and had lost 16 lbs at this point. I was not ready to reach a plateau. Anyway, this past week I went back to walking and when I went to weigh myself yesterday, I had lost another 3 or 4 lbs. I am going to call it an even 20 for the summer. (I am a recovering "big girl" that started at 264 at the beginning of the summer. I still have a long way to go.

Anyway, I am proud of myself because my goal for the summer was to lose 10 lbs. I figured 1 lb a week for 10 weeks was reasonable. I am thrilled that I achieved double my goal.

I started back to work for meetings this week.(I am an elemntary school music teacher.) A lot of people commented on how good I look. That felt good. I am a little worried about keeping up my exercise schedule after school officially starts, but I am not going to obsess about it.

I am not sure what kind of goal I am going to set for the school year. I would like to shoot for 30 lbs by May. I think that would be reasonable again using the whole one pound a week idea.

This week my goal is to keep up with everything.....exercise and eating well. I have a dress that I would like to wear to a party this weekend that is just a teeny bit too tight. I am hoping that I can look good in it by Saturday. I will let you know next week.

[Laura]

This past week was pretty good despite it being my birthday and going out to eat a lot! I have continued to get to the gym at least 4x per week with both strength and cardio training so I am not getting too out of hand. Next week is vacation however so we will see how it goes. Sounds like everyone is keeping a good balance. Good job!

[lindrusso]

Laura - Happy Birthday! Did you try to sneak it by us by not putting it on the calendar????

AZLorena - Great job!

Ahhhh....finally I am getting back on track and it feels sooooo good! Hubby is back from a week-long trip, so I'm back to cooking healthy again and I've hit the gym two days so far, shooting for 5. (Notice I am talking about this week, as last week was a lost cause! ;) )

I ran a little bit yesterday (only 3 3-minute intervals), but something still doesn't feel right on my left leg, so I guess I'll be walking and or doing the elliptical machine this week. Darn, I was starting to do fairly well, but what can you do?

Have a great week everyone!

[Laura]

Originally posted by lindrusso
Laura - Happy Birthday! Did you try to sneak it by us by not putting it on the calendar????
Basically, yes! It did feel weird waking up Saturday morning and saying wow, I am 39! People tell me I look younger, and I feel great, so I know age should not matter, but it did feel a little weird. On the upside, my wonderful SO gave me a 10 piece set of all-clad cookware (Emeril's line) While no one in my family could understand my excitement, I was delighted. I can't tell you how much fun I had throwing out the old stuff that was 14 years old and cheap when I bought it.

[Gina O]

Happy belated birthday Laura! :)

Well, last week was okay.... no worse than expected, but no better either. I spent the week on campus, sleeping in a dorm and eating in the cafeteria. For the week, I managed to run 3 times and made it to Curves twice. I also biked on Saturday for about 15 miles.

Of course, a seemingly endless supply of food made the eating part much more difficult (the chocolate chip cookies were sooooooo good), but I still did okay.

This week is back to a more consistant running program and increasing milage a bit. Later in the week I am traveling.... this time Tulsa, OK, Albuquerque, NM and Kansas City, MO between Thursday and next Wednesday. The great part is getting to run in all these different cities, the bad part is making good food choices in lots of fabulous restaurants. Gina

[jd]

I missed checking in last week due to vacation. While I tracked points while I was away, although they were high every day, I also walked and hiked a lot. When I weighed in, I was bang on the pre-vacation weight (I'm on maintenance). Yippee!! My real bragging combines not gaining AND having a new flavour of ice cream every day of vacation. I'm not going to get real excited until the next weigh in to make sure there is no delayed reaction.

lindrusso, I started to get a tightness in my lower calf a few weeks ago after starting a running program. How do you ramp back up after your eliptical/walking period?

Laura, Happy BD!

AZLorena - congratulations on your losses! Your attitude and reasonable goals are sure signs of your success!

[KValley]

So, I've lurked on this thread since joining the BB in March, but I've never actually joined in. I had a bit of an ephiphany while sitting in the bathtub on Saturday night, reading the latest issue of SHAPE magazine and felt like I needed to: a) share; b) meet the challenge of being held "accountable" for changes that I want to make, by sharing them publicly.

First, my challenge: last year (this week, actually) I started my new job, telecommuting from home and traveling 1-2 weeks a month. This change in routine meant I was getting less "natural" exercise (walking to-from bus stop, walking across campus to meetings, up and down the hall of our building etc); it also means meals out when I travel and an interruption to my workout routine. When I travel, food definitely becomes a source of comfort. Generally, I don't have a problem getting some sort of exercise, but it is never as intense as I am used to at home, and after several days I just give up and let things go, food and exercise-wise. From August-January of last year I gained several pounds. After beating myself up emotionally for this, I got into gear and lost it this spring and summer the old-fashioned way- watching what I ate and working out harder. I am now in better shape and stronger than I have ever been. I have also tried new things and count running and boxing in my repertoire.

But, as I enter the new travel season (I hit the road in early September and travel an average of 10 days a month through December) I am so fearful of a replay of last year. I don't want to go through the emotional turmoil I did last year as the weight slowly creeped up, not to mention the physical battle.

I am really proud of my "diet" (I mean this in a holistic sense, as in the sum of what I eat- I do not, will not DIET)- I have several things I am working on (e.g. less sugar, more whole grains), but I see them as life changes, not temporary means to a lighter end. In fact, I LOVE to eat- my challenge is portion sizes, eating too quickly, and dinner. I do keep track of my calories and I do great until dinner. A glass of wine, conversation, good food, and suddenly I am eating more and faster than I intended. I have always been a speed eater and I know I HAVE to slow down!!

My epiphany: The recent issue of SHAPE has an article which discusses "mindful eating". This isn't a new concept to me, but after a week of both eating out and making big dinners for a newly returned DH, I was feeling really full and unhappy- suddenly this "mindful eating" hit home and I knew it was high time to make some lasting changes. So, my goals are to eat more slowly and to STOP when I am full, no matter how good the meal is. Leftovers are just as good(if not better!).

GinaO- you are my inspiration to run in the cities where I travel!

And you are all so inspiring- I can't tell you how many times I have nearly skipped a workout, only to read this thread and found the motivation to get a move on!

Off to kickboxing....

[AZLorena]

thanks jd and lindrusso for your encouraging comments.

Today I passed my first "back to work" test. THE WELCOME BACK BREAKFAST for the teachers. A whole table of baked goods and fruit and juice. I took 1 plain little mini bagel (no cream cheese)and a couple pieces of fruit....no juice. Then our wonderful administrators gave us a meeting "survival kit" with baggies of potato chips and candies and chocolates. I slipped my baggies of chips into someone else's bag, and put all of the candy and chocolate into my goodie can for the kids. I munched on my little baggie of dried fruit during the meeting. The truth is....the bad stuff isn't really all that appealing to me anymore. I guess that is a good thing.

I am pleased to read that everyone is working hard to maintain or push a little harder. This is a great thread. I am excited for the accomplishments of everyone that posts. You guys are awesome!

[Gina O]

KValley-

Thanks so much for sharing your story and the information from the article in Shape magazine. I, too, struggle a great deal when eating out, especially while traveling. If I could pick the restaurant everytime, it would be sooooo much better, but it rarely works out that way. The one thing that REALLY has help me, especially on long road trips is getting into a routine and sticking to it. I always look at my schedule in detail and first decide exactly when I am going to run according to my training plan (four times per week). Then I plan meals around that.... and I have also started packing something in case I don't have time for a "formal" meal. A few peanut butter Ritz Bits make a huge difference. It allows me not to have to worry about food as much.

I really do enjoy running in new cities. I usually head toward a nearby nicer neighborhood and run up and down the streets there. Since I usually have a car, I will sometimes scout it out a little before hand. I have found some nice parks to run in this way. When I am desparate, I have driven to a better part of town, parked at a school and run from there around the neighborhoods. I am looking forward, at the end of the year, to making a list of all the cities I have run in. If we are going to be in any of the same places, let me know.... I also have trips to Washington D.C., San Francisco and Miami planned between now and the end of the year. Good luck, Gina

[emilycat]

Gina, I probably don't need to tell you this, but have you checked the "On the Road" section on the RW site? They have tons of cities archived, and lots of great information on where to run there. Also, if you can't find a city you're visiting on their site, go to www.runtheplanet.com It has great listing of cities all of the world, with comments from other runners who've run there or live there.

[KValley]

Originally posted by Gina O
If we are going to be in any of the same places, let me know.... I also have trips to Washington D.C., San Francisco and Miami planned between now and the end of the year. Good luck, Gina

Gina,

My travel is all West Coast/Rocky Mountain/Southwest (poor me!), with trips to Atlanta every 4-5 months. I will be in the Bay Area September 26-October 5...

Some tricks for eating on the road that made my spring travel much easier that last fall's:

*pack my own meals for the plane ride
*SOUP! Wherever possible, I start my meals off with a bowl of a vegetable/chicken/beef broth based soup
*Asking for a leftovers container at the start of the meal and eating only half
* I often get hotels with microwaves in the room- then I find an Indian or Vietnamese takeout- a ton of good, healthy food for very little- it lasts me through two dinners, at least. Plus, I can get light microwave popcorn to soothe the munchies

I'm lucky in that my travel is to university towns, so finding places to walk/run is often as easy as heading straight for campus. I found a hotel in Davis that loans out bikes!

What I struggle with is not being able to lift weights- I have a resistance band, but I've not been using it on the road- I'll try harder :(

Em- I will be in London in late Fall- the Run the Planet website is great!!!

[Gina O]

Emily-

I have checked out that part of RW, but only briefly. I need to go through it a bit more thoroughly. I am especially interested in some good runs in the DC area since I will most likely be there almost a week (and without a car). I have not looked at the runtheplanet site, that will be a new treat!

KVally-

Which hotels do you find that typically have the microwaves? The only ones I have stayed in with them are Embassy Suites and a Residence Inn. Are there any others that I should watch out for? Also, what do you pack for the plane? I really hate airplane/airport food and would love some suggestions for that.

I will be in SNF the first week of September, will be long gone before you get there. (Although, I am sure I will want to stay through the month!!!)

[lindrusso]

Julie - so glady you joined us!

Your comment about not being able to lift weights when traveling goes straight to the heart of my problem! Fortunately (fortunately for my workout, anyway ;) ), I don't travel all that often, but when I do, it's the weights that I miss the most.

You can do some things without weights - didn't Shape have something about this in the Sept. issue? - such as push ups, dips (for your triceps), lunges, squats, etc. But what about biceps and shoulders, etc.?

Anyone have any tips on keeping your muscles from wasting away while vacationing?

Has CL addressed this yet? Hint, hint....

[KValley]

Alysha,

The February '01 issue of Shape has resistance tube exercises, and the November 2000 issue has a No Excuses workout with resistance tubes designed specifically for travel - there are several for shoulders and biceps. If your library carries back issues, these are great (particularly November). I took this with me on the road and actually did it a couple of times ;)

There is also a recent CL (I'm sure within the last year) that has a Gin Miller workout to do while watching TV. That seems a little counter-productive (read, silly) to me, but I clipped it because it was possible to do within the confines of a hotel room. She uses hand weights, but you could do the same exercises with a resistance tube, it seems to me. The pages don't indicate which CL it is from and I clipped it out, sorry !!

Gina, I've had the best luck with Holiday Inn Express (in terms of finding rooms with microwaves), but it seems to be luck of the draw. I always ask for one when I check in. They also have fresh baked cookies in the evenings! Dangerous!!

On my outbound flight, I pack a peanut butter sandwich, carrots, a craisin/chocolate chip mixture, and an apple. The crunchy things satisfy my fidgetyness (sp), the PB is so satisfying, and I need something sweet- hence the CC and Craisins.

I can't make my own lunch on the homebound flight, but I can usually stop at a grocery store on the way to the airport and still get fresh fruit, pre-cut veggies, string cheese, Fig Newtons. I also keep an eye out for a Subway- a 6-inch turkey with swiss cheese on their new multigrain bread is about 300 kcal.