August Challenge: 8/11-8/17

[sneezles]

Well, I was shocked that there hadn't been a thread started and here it is after 10am!!! Nobody home?

This morning I was unable to do my workout because both knees hurt! Guess it was all that lovely gardening I did yesterday. I tried doing just upper body and abs but even squatting down to change weights was uncomfortable so I decided to give it a rest today. How's everyone else doing?

[lhall]

Well, we did spend a long time at the pool on Saturday so that gives me 4 workouts for last week.

This week I haven't done anything yet. Yesterday was spent getting DD1 ready for her first day of Kindegarten.

Leigh

[cangoss]

I had a great biking weekend! I did about 12 miles on Saturday and 27 miles on Sunday. I didn't make it to the festival I had planned on Saturday, but I did ride to that town on Sunday and even extended the distance a little by riding from my house instead of driving some of the way. My weeks run Sunday-Saturday, and I made my goal for the week. I had planned on doing at least 2 30 minute workouts and 3 60 minute workouts - instead I did 1 40 min, 3 60 minute, and one 135 minute (the big bike ride). yea! Now I just need to keep it up.

[RebeccaT]

Wow cangoss, you did great! I love biking, but it's just not fun around Houston with the traffic and air pollution and lack of hills. :(

Susan, I am so sorry about your knees! It it arthritis, or an injury? Or something else? I hope you are feeling back to normal soon!

Leigh, how proud you must be of your big girl! I am sure she will have so many stories to tell you when she gets home today! What an exciting milestone!

Well, I ended last week with 4 instead of 5 workouts. :mad: <-- at myself. I should have gone on Friday, but my back was hurting so bad and I was so emotionally spent from the stress of the week that I let myself talk myself out of it. I need to get back that motivation and determination I had at the beginning of the summer - I was on a roll!

Today I will do lower body weights. I don't have anything planned for the week to get in my way, so there is absolutely no reason that I can't get in 5 workouts! :)

[aggie94]

Well, last week was a wash for me. :( Between getting back from vacation and all the stuff that goes along with that, I was just too tired and worn out to get back into the swing of a routine. Other than helping BIL unload his U-Haul on Tuesday, I didn't see much physical activity last week.

But back to the grind this week. I have plans to run tonight, either with my friend (she hasn't called yet) or at the gym. I secretly hope she doesn't call, because after two weeks away, my body has forgotten how to handle 95-degree, 70% humidity weather. :eek:

[sneezles]

Originally posted by RebeccaT
Susan, I am so sorry about your knees! It it arthritis, or an injury? Or something else? I hope you are feeling back to normal soon!

Gosh I hope it's not arthritis! I think it's due to upping the weights on lunges and dips on Saturday. It's only bothersome when I climb the stairs so I haven't been up here much today partly due to that, partly due to the trip to Katy DH and I made today and partly due to the huge storm that blew through this afternoon and knocked out the power for over an hour...back on in time to cook dinner!

I've learned the hard way not to exercise through the pain so you were wise not to workout if your back was hurting! Even stress based pain can be harmful when you're working out.

Cangoss,
Wow!!!!

Eva,
Since you worked out on your vacation I think you're entitled to some down time and I know that unloading a trailer is definitely a workout!

So, Leigh, how was DD's first day???

[lhall]

Susan,
Thanks for asking. She loved it. She was playing happily when I arrived to pick her up from ASP. We had some problems this evening, but DH and I think those are due to her not being as active at school as she was at daycare. She would be on the playground 2-3 times a day at daycare.

I hope you knees are feeling better soon!

Well, I was feeling a little out of sorts or off the challenge today, but I decided a workout would help. I did my Firm Parts tape that I never got to last week and I feel much more on track. That's one for this week and 3 to go.

Cangoss,
That's a great ride!!

Leigh

[sneezles]

Leigh,
It's great that she liked school. I only have a couple of memories of kindergarten. My teacher wore this red dress with big white polka dots on it, I loved naptime and one day we found a snake in the sandbox! And I use to walk myself the 4 blocks to and from since my mother didn't drive and there were 3 younger than me at home (4, 3 and 1 yrs old at the time)!!! :eek:

DH and I attempted to walk tonight since the storm had cooled it down so nicely. By the time we got to the end of the drive the cat, Squeaker, decided he wanted to come with :rolleyes: ! He comes running down the drive whining and we figured he'd stop at the cattleguard, wrong! He followed us, whining, for half a mile!! So we turned around as it was getting dark and afraid something would spook him. Then tried again and he remained behind but we only covered the same distance because the moon was on the rise and the coyotes had started howling :eek: !

[RebeccaT]

Well, Susan, I have to worry about being run over by a drag racer, you have to worry about coyotes. I guess that's why you got out of Houston, eh? ;)

Leigh, great going on working out, even though you didn't feel like it. I always feel better if I go ahead and workout, the challenge is just getting myself there sometimes!

I did my lower body workout yesterday... walking lunges w/ 12 lb. weights were my last exercise, and BOY can I feel it in my tush! It's a great exercise!

It did cool down nicely last night after the storms... DH and I ate dinner outside for the first time since June!

Today will be cardio...

Have a great day, all!

[lindrusso]

Hi everyone! Just trying to catch up on this thread now that we are back from vacation.

Well, last week finished out with 3 workouts as I figured it would. This week I will get my 5 in for sure! This will mean working out on Saturday or Sunday, so it will take extra resolve! :) It will feel good to exercise today after sitting in the car FOREVER yesterday.

Well, I made it through a whole week without "losing it" with food. I made it through the birthday party I already talked about, two 12 hour car trips and a weekend with family without feeling bad about anything I ate. Not that I was perfect mind you, but I did not binge or overstuff myself. Whew! It is very hard to eat nutritiously at my SIL's house because she does not cook and keeps a good deal of junk food around (at least compared to my house). When I did eat something that was not part of my plan, I kept it to a small taste, not a large amount. And this is the first time I have managed NOT to eat the little chocolate donuts she likes to keep right out on the kitchen counter! :D

In my effort to avoid white bread, I have ordered bagels from Nature's Oven and they should arrive this week. Has anyone here tried these before? I LOVE bagels for breakfast in the morning (had one today, but it was white), but I also know that they have very little nutritive value in the long run. I hope the bagels from NO are good - they received positive reviews on this BB a while back.

Good luck everyone.

Alysha :)

[shoefling]

Hey all! Well, I did not make my goal of 5 workouts last week, only got in 4. But I did some walking this weekend that did not really get my heart rate up but it has to count for something right? I ran this morning and did some ab work. I may do some upper body weights tonight yet. I don't know if I am going to make my goal of 5 workouts this week or not, but I will do my best to get in what I can!

Alysha, I LOVE bagels too! I have never had the Nature's Ovens ones. Don't know if the store I shop at even carries them. I have been buying Brownberry Natural Wheat Bagels. They have 6 g of fiber per bagel which I thought was pretty good. With a little cream cheese they are pretty tasty! Let us know how the NO bagels are! And great job with getting through your vacation without feeling bad about anything you ate!

Leigh, Way to go on getting a workout in when you didn't really feel like it. Getting started always seems to be the hardest part even though we know it makes us feel great afterwards. And it's great that your DD is enjoying school. I have good memories of kindergarten. What little I can remember anyways! ;)

Cangoss, way to go on the bike! That is awesome!

Susan, Hope your knees are feeling better!

Eva, I think that you deserve a break after vacation! Especially condsidering that you worked out while on vacation. I don't envy unloading a U-Haul van in 95 degree weather. I would definitely call that a workout!

Rebecca, Lunges and squats are great for the tush!

Have a great day everyone! :cool:

Sarah

[aggie94]

Thanks, everyone, for making me feel better about my wimpy week. :) I did end up running last night, even though my friend couldn't make it. The skies were cloudy and overcast, and a thunderstorm was rolling into town, so I took advantage of the cooler weather. And just in time, because I was just finishing up my 3-mile loop when the rain started coming down in buckets. :eek:

I'm taking today off. I am soooooo exhausted, and DH and BIL are both home this evening, so I thought I'd cook a nice dinner for us instead, and maybe watch a movie. My plan for the rest of the week:

Wednesday: Body Pump class (boy, is this gonna hurt after two weeks away!)
Thursday: run
Friday: Body Pump
Saturday/Sunday: undetermined cardio at least one day, maybe swimming or biking

[clairea]

I think I made up for my somewhat wimpy week last week on Sunday. I met a friend for a 4 mile run that morning, then spent about 4 hours working in the yard again. That felt like enough to me:rolleyes: , but then the kids wanted to go ride bikes so I wound up running another couple miles alongside DS. I took yesterday off:p and did about an hour of yoga this morning, so I am planning to go for a run tomorrow morning.

Susan, I hope your knees are feeling better.

Leigh, good job working out when you didn't feel like it. Sometimes getting started is the hardest part. If I really don't want to work out I use a trick I read in (I think) Runner's World, and tell myself I only have to go for 10 minutes. I almost always want to keep going once I get started. Oh, and I'm glad Ginger had a good first day of kindergarten. Since DS is repeating kindergarten this year sending him off wasn't too hard:)

Eva, it sounds like you have a good plan for the rest of the week.

Alysha, sounds like you are happy with how you handled things on vacation. We are going to the beach in a couple of weeks, so I may need you to send me some of that resolve:D

Everyone else -- hi!

Claire

[lhall]

I was off yesterday afternoon so I baked some more cookies for DD1 and did a 20 minute yoga workout. That's 2/4 so far this week. Tonight is "leftovers" so I should be able to get in a workout easily.

Claire,
That sounds like 4 workouts in 1 day to me!

Eva,
Good timing, and I'm glad ya'll have gotten some cooler weather.

Thanks for the encouragement. Knowing I'd have to come here and report helped motivate me to do the workout as well. :D

Leigh

[sneezles]

Well, this is not turning out to be a good week for me! Sunday is my "off" day, Monday and Tuesday no exercise due to sore knees, and then this morning I was up at 7:30am but only went to sleep at 5:00am. Due to lack of sleep and a case of food poisoning (I ate at a Mexican restaurant for lunch) I think I'm just gonna post jokes today! :p Yeah, maybe I'll be on holiday this week from exercise!
:cool:

But I'm still comin' round to check on all y'all! ;)

[clairea]

Susan, it sounds like you definitely need to take a rest day! Are your knees feeling better?

I got up at 5 this morning to run, but it was raining so I didn't go. I will run in the dark, and I will run in the rain, but I won't run in the dark in the rain:D (hmmm, wonder if I have been reading too much Green Eggs and Ham?:p ) I did pull out my pilates tape and do that since I was up, but I still need to get some more running in this week. Tennis season starts next week and that will help me get some more cardio, since at our level you do a lot more running around than actually hitting balls:o

Claire

[shoefling]

Well, I am 2/5 so far this week. I got a run in this morning followed by over an hour of walking while pushing the lawnmower. It is self propelled, but still...;) I will be happy if I hit 4/5 this week! I have to work the next 3 nights and it is always hard for me to fit in working out between working 12 hour shifts and sleeping! Hopefully I will be able to fit in something even if it is short and sweet.

Claire, I wish that we had some of that rain you got this morning. Our yard is starting to look pretty brown in spots but I can't bring myself to get out the sprinklers and water it.

Susan, Sorry about the food poisoning! Ick!!! Hopefully this "break" will help the knees get back to normal!

Leigh, 2/4, way to go!

Hi to everyone else!

Have a great day all!

Sarah

[RebeccaT]

Susan, that stinks about the food poisoning! I am so sorry you are feeling puny... take it easy, we know you'll get back into it as soon as you're able!

Claire, way to go on getting up at the crack o' dawn! You are a much stronger woman than I. :p And I think it was wise not to run in the dark AND in the rain... you need to stay safe.

Sarah, your schedule sounds crazy! Are you a nurse? It can be so hard to fit workouts in when your schedule is like that... but you are doing so well!

Yesterday I did the stationary bike (the normal one, not the recumbent) for 20 minutes on hill intervals and the stairmaster for 15 on hill interval. I upped the level on the stairs... and I was SOOO exhausted by the end of it! It was a good workout.

Today is upper body. Wahoo. I have been plugging away at these for a couple of years now, and I am definitely increasing strength, but I am not getting the definition I want. :( Any hints?

Have a great day, all!

[shoefling]

Yes, I'm a nurse. And I work nights, 12 hour shifts 3 nights a week. While I love being a nurse, working nights gets old real fast! It is just hard on my body. Plus I try and live on a day schedule when I am off (like a normal person) so it is alot of jumping back and forth and catching up on sleep. Unfortunately there are no day positions in the unit that I work so I will be on nights for a while. Oh well! But it can make it hard to fit in workouts and stuff like that when you want to sleep all day!

[RebeccaT]

My best friend is a nurse, and worked nights her first three years out of nursing school. It really took a toll on her health. Like you, she would try to function like a day person on her days off, but just as she had acclimated back to days she would have to work a night shift! I admire what you are able to do, given that schedule!

[aggie94]

Ugh, Body Pump kicked my butt!! :o Two weeks of barely any strength training really took its toll on my muscle tone. I can also tell that from the scale. Even though my clothes are fitting *slightly* more snugly than they did before vacation, I have lost almost 5 pounds. Obviously my muscle has all turned to fat. :eek: :(

Still, that's two workouts down this week, and three left to go. I am planning to run again tomorrow night. Hopefully the cooler temperatures will stick around for that and at the same time hold off the rain.

[RebeccaT]

Eva, I admire your ability to look at the scale information in that way. When I stepped up my strength training earlier this year, and promptly gained 4 pounds (depends on the week, I am either 2.5 or 4 lbs. more than I was when I started). Of course, being scale-obsessed (I have it in check, but it's still not a pretty thing the way I have to talk myself into weighing every week) I focused on that number rather than the fact that I was getting more toned, and my clothes were still fitting the same way. :( I know cognitively that it's MUCH more important to have good muscle tone and strength, but I have so much trouble with those numbers... when I lost weight during the holidays last year I actually convinced myself that it was because my metabolism had magically increased, but the reality was that I did virtually NO strength training for almost a month!! :o

Sorry for the ramble there. I did upper body weights last night. Here's my routine, in case anyone is looking for ideas:

Chest press - 4 sets (12, 10, 8, 6 reps), increasing weight by 5 lbs each set.

Lat pulldowns - 4 sets (same), increasing weight by 12.5 each set (it's the way the plates are on that machine :rolleyes: )

Shoulder press w/ dumbells - 4 sets (same), starting w/ 10 lb. dumbells and increasing to 12, 15, 20

Curls - 3 sets of 12 reps, using 15 lb dumbells (ouch!)

Tricep extensions - 3 sets of 12 reps, using resistance bands

And then I do my pushups, but I do those at home when I am not fatigued from all these other exercises. :o

Today I am taking off, and I will do cardio tomorrow. It's almost Friday, everyone! :D

[Kristine]

Delurking to ask Rebecca a quick question.... :o

When you do the lat pulldowns, how much weight do you start out at? I think that my gym has the same or a similar machine (with 12.5 lb increments), and I can't imagine increasing by the weight by 12.5 lbs 3 times - I think I would die! LOL

Also, do you like your current routine (increasing the weight and decreasing reps w/ each set)? I think I need to mix up my weight lifting a bit, so I'm just curious.

[RebeccaT]

Hi Kristine!

I start out at 25, which feels very light. I do 12 reps at that weight, and I have to work hard at going slowly and deliberately since, at that weight, it would be really easy to blow through them and let momentum take over. I then go up to 37.5 (10 reps), 50 (8 reps), then I do my set of 6 reps at 62.5, Yes, it's HARD! But I keep telling myself I only have to do 6. And I make it through. :)

One thing I have done on those machines when it just doesn't seem possible to go up the full 12.5 is to use a 5 lb. dumbell. For instance, if there was just no way at all that I could do 62.5, but I was able to do 8 reps at 50 lbs. (working hard, but able to finish), then I might leave the weight set at 50, and then just rest a 5 lb. dumbell on the top plate. You can place it between the cables so that it doesn't roll off. After a couple of weeks of that, I am usually able to go up the full 12.5.

You could, of course, just use the 5 lb. dumbell for all your sets. For instance, you could start out at 37.5, then add the dumbell (making it 42.5), then increase the plate to 50, and do your final set of 6 with the dumbell at 55lbs. Does that make sense? Hope my convoluted description helps! :)

[RebeccaT]

Oh, and to answer your question, Kristine, about whether I like my routine... I have noticed a definite increase in strength doing this routine for the past 5 months. When I look at my sheets (I have found that writing down my routine every time REALLY helps me keep track of my progress, when it's time to increase my weight, etc.) I am amazed. For instance, when I started doing this, I would do chest press (barbell, not machine) at 45 lbs. (12 reps), 50 (10 reps), 55 (8 reps), 60 (6 reps). Now I am doing 65, 70, 75, 80! I never, ever thought I would get to that point! I have made improvements on every exercise (though not as dramatic!) doing this type of routine. I mix it up, changing out exercises ever 5 weeks or so (doing seated row instead of lat pulldowns, for instance... same muscle groups, but different exercise to work different areas), but always do the increase weight/decrease reps thing.

Hope that helps! :)

[sneezles]

Rebecca,
Your routine sounds great makes me wish I had easy access to machines again, sort of! Your reasoning about the scale is very enlightening for me. People keep saying "You're not still losing weight, are you?" and I keep having to tell them that I am not losing any weight! And it really bothers me that I can't see myself like that because that stupid rectangular thing in my bathroom rules my brain!!! I know all the stuff to tell myself but when I look in the mirror I don't see much difference! The muscle is there but so is the fat and that is what frustrates me!!!

Anyway, did the Firm's Cardio Sculpt this morning and made it through all 55 minutes without stopping and knees are fine so the rest really helped. Tummy is much better (at least the rumbles aren't deafening anymore :o ).

[lhall]

Well, we made it to the pool today and I did quite a bit of swimming, even a few laps. That makes me 3/4. I should have time to do one more workout as DH's parents are picking up the kids tomorrow.

Rebecca,
You workout would kill me. DH has a weight bench, and I've used it some but can't do anything close to what you do.

Leigh

[aggie94]

My running buddy bailed on me again tonight, but I went out to take advantage of the cooler weather and had a pretty decent run on my own.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I signed up to do a sprint-distance triathlon next Saturday. :eek: It's a "Couples Triathlon," but couples is pretty loosely defined as just pairs. My running buddy twisted my arm, and we entered the "Friends - Female" category together. We'll each do the whole race (1000m open water swim, 15mi bike, 5K run) and our times will be combined. I am hoping the cooler weather will at least stick around until then. Wishful thinking, but I will be thrilled if it's not 100 degrees. :o

[Kristine]

Rebecca, thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I think I definitely could work up to doing some reps at 62.5 lbs for the lat pulldowns, because I can do 2 sets of 15 at 50 lbs (with a healthy struggle ;))....in fact, I probably should be increasing my weights in several exercises, but I worry about looking too buff (I know, I know, the chances of me ending up TOO buff are slim to none, but I still have some mental block about lifting too many "heavy" weights).

I am definitely going to think about trying a program like you use....it sounds like a good way to change things up. I've been doing 2 sets of 15 for so long!

[RebeccaT]

Originally posted by sneezles
Your reasoning about the scale is very enlightening for me. People keep saying "You're not still losing weight, are you?" and I keep having to tell them that I am not losing any weight! And it really bothers me that I can't see myself like that because that stupid rectangular thing in my bathroom rules my brain!!!

Yes, yes, and yes. I type all of that stuff out, and it all makes sense. But I weighed myself this morning, and was back up again. I don't know what to think - my clothes still fit, but I am 6.5 pounds heavier than my all time low on WW, and 5 pounds above goal. I think I need to go back on WW online, start vigilantly tracking what I eat again, and try to get to the bottom of this. Like Alysha said a couple of weeks ago - my exercising hasn't been slacking off, but clearly I need to pay more attention to the other side of the equasion.

I just get so frustrated - on the one hand I am SO THRILLED with my progress in strength training. But on the other hand, it frustrates me that I have gained weight. I am definitely eating more - I noticed a marked increase in my hunger levels when I stepped up my workout routine, so I started eating about 200-300 more calories a day. But I don't seem to be burning those extra calories off... of coursem I am sure that I am eating other stuff I shouldn't be...

Alysha, did you end up rejoining WW online? I am trying to decide if that is the right thing for me to do... the points system is so easy, but I am wondering if I need to get a better hold on how much protien, carbs, fat, calories I am eating. I keep trying to use Fitday, but it's much more cumbersome than the journal on WW Online...

Sorry about my rambles today. The scale has me really shook up, and I am mad at myself for it. :(

[aggie94]

Originally posted by RebeccaT
I don't know what to think - my clothes still fit, but I am 6.5 pounds heavier than my all time low on WW, and 5 pounds above goal.

The fact that your clothes still fit is your answer. From reading about your strength training routine and seeing what kind of weight you're lifting, I have no doubt that all 6.5 extra pounds you're carrying is muscle weight. I think I'm a pretty strong person, and I've been lifting weights for a long time, and I couldn't bench what you do. And from what I saw on the scale when I got back from vacation (a 5 pound loss, but tighter clothes), I can assure you that the numbers are worthless as long as you feel good and your clothes feel good. I know it's hard to discard the numbers. I still step on the scale from time to time just to see if I've magically "lost weight" but it never budges. It helps to not have a scale at home. The only scale I use is at the gym, and hey, if I'm at the gym and working out, I'm less likely to get on the scale because when I'm in my workout mode, I don't care much about what the numbers say.

You say you want to "get to the bottom of this," but I think your answer is exactly what you've already recognized. If it would make you feel better, forget the scale for awhile and just rely on measurements. They're a lot more telling, especially when you're lifting as much as you are. I would bet that if I saw you again (it's been since last Christmas, hasn't it?), you would look slimmer and more tone than last time, even though you might weigh more.

[shoefling]

My schedule has not been very conducive to working out the last couple of days. Work...sleep...work...sleep...:o And I have to work tonight. I was hoping to fit in something short on the days that I work but it has not been happening. But tomorrow is a new day and I am off tomorrow night so I have no excuses! I have to get a workout in!

Rebecca, I agree with what others have said regarding weights and weight. I think when you are doing a stregth training workout and lifting the kind of weights you are you will definitely be adding muscle. Eva said it better than me, but if you feel good and the clothes still fit I would try and let that number on the scale go and concentrate more the measurements. I'm so impressed with your strength workouts! That is awesome!

Hi to everyone else!

Sarah

[RebeccaT]

Thanks for the encouragement guys. Eva, I do think you're right, but I also know that I lost a lot of my vigilance that I had the first 8 months of maintenance on WW. I just got tired, and thought I could do it on auto-pilot for a while. I am starting to think that's not possible. I will always have to pay attention to what I eat. :(

I have spent today journaling everything, even the Starbright Mints I ate after lunch. :o I am wondering if getting back on track with that might help - and while Fitday is cumbersome, it's free AND it gives me a lot of great information about what I am putting in my body that I don't get from WW. So I am going to try it for a couple of weeks, and see how it goes.

[sneezles]

Well, I did the Firm's Calorie Burner (I think that's what it's called), it's an hour of cardio no weights but lots of stepping. Felt good to do that today. Tomorrow I'll probably do yoga since I missed a couple of workouts earlier this week.
Yesterday was walking for an hour not too easy in this heat and humidity but I just couldn't decide what workout I wanted to do...

[SandyM]

Can I come back?

Egads. It's been forever since I've been here - and it's starting to show. :( :o I was able to get in a few good workouts on vacation, but since I got back Wednesday night, I haven't been to the gym, my eating - while not horrendous - hasn't been stellar, and my emotions are on a screaming rollercoaster heading south at a rapid rate on that first hill.

Enough whining. I'm back, and starting tomorrow, back on program. I need you guys - and I thank you for being here. You all - every one of you - inspire me on some level, and for that I'm so grateful. So thanks. :)

[clairea]

Welcome back Sandy! I hit a pretty hard exercise slump myself this summer, but am starting to get back to working out regularly. I definitely think it helps keep my emotions in check, and also makes me more likely to eat well.

I got 2 good runs in this weekend, so that put me only 1 short of my goal for last week (4). No exercise this morning, as I had to leave my house, showered and dressed and with the kids ready for school, at 5:30 am! We had to take DH and drop him off at the hospital for his treatment, then I took the kids to get breakfast and dropped DS off at school. I'm waiting for the nurse to call me to come pick him up, and then I think I am going to have to take a nap! I couldn't get to sleep last night, so that made getting up so early even harder.

How is everyone doing?

Claire