DVD/Video/At Home Exercisers, Week of Sept. 6th

[sweetpea]

Happy Labor Day everyone (well, except Paula...but happy monday to you!)!
Figured I better check in today since so much happened yesterday!
First, exercise plan and food plan so i don't forget: Today is Firm day, holiday or not! Not sure which tape yet, maybe Super Cardio Sculpt then headed to mom/dad's for dinner with family to celebrate the holiday and their 35th wedding anniversary.
Food plan:
bkft: cream of wheat/honey/raisins
snack: peaches from MIL
lunch: leftover pizza
snack: ?? (at mom/dad's)
dinner: shisk kebabs, slaw, corn fritter casserole and ??? and strawberry cake and pies for dessert!

OKAY--so DH left yesterday afternoon for Manchester, England for 3 weeks away from me and lil' pea. Needless to say this prego was VERY emotional all weekend! But I had a great meeting/consultation with my new client friday night--YEA! she is very excited--I took sample menus with me and she ended up picking meals from that and ta-da I went and cooked last night! So after dropping DH off at the airport and shedding the last tears I had :( i headed to the grocery :) and then to her house to cook--it went great. She watched me cook and we talked the whole time--I was proud of myself for being able to follow recipes of four diff. meals AND consult with her too! :) Had a great time and her enthusiasm is so contagious that it was the perfect way for me to spend the evening after having a sad day.
And as I was walking in the door last night, my phone rang and it was DH --he had made it to Newark and according to the flight website, he has arrived in England, just haven't heard yet! :)

So I am doing fine so far--how many more days to go? :) Slept good and am ready to enjoy today though i do wish my true love was here to celebrate with us! Lil' pea is a movin' and a groovin' so it's time to hit the dungeon! Have a great start to your week everyone!

[Molli526]

Good Morning!

Just relaxing today. Need to run to the grocery store for a couple things and that is that. DH and I are getting a new table, chairs and china cabinet today. I am so excited! It will be our first big furniture purchase together - and we've been married almost 3 years. We've been eating on a card table since we've moved, and hopefully the furniture will be in before Charlie's baptism.

I got in most of lower body sculpt with Libby yesterday. I am going to try to get some cardio in later this afternoon after we get back from the furniture store, and while Charlie naps. DH is putting in the lawn, so I have been on Charlie duty this weekend. I also did Upper Body Sculpt on Saturday. Janet does look plastic-y, but it is a good workout for the upper body.

Sweetpea-

Has little pea flipped yet? I am sure time will fly while DH is gone!

[TerriS]

Sweetpea, good luck surviving DH being away!!! Mine travels a lot and earlier this year he was overseas for TWO MONTHS! I was so bummed then, I can't imagine doing it at 30+ week prego!!! You are a toughie! Glad that your consult helped give you something good to focus on.

Molli, how exciting about the furniture!!! We just got a new entertainment center, also married 3 years, and boy was that exciting!

So we are having a pretty good weekend. Eating has been so-so, totally not Core, but whatever, I'll get back on track tomorrow. Did manage to do a killer bike ride yesterday...about 22 miles, but a lot of it was a long slow uphill...yowza my quads were on fire! And I know it must have been tough because the HRM said I burned 1200 calories :eek: - it sure felt like it! Blessedly we had dinner at a friends' house who had a jacuzzi, and that sure helped the tired legs. :) Today if anything I'll get a walk in.

[Gilgamesh37]

Terri! 1200 cals! OMG, I can't even imagine. Maybe I need to buy a bike, I haven't ridden in probably 25 years.

SweetPea I know it's not the same, but we'll keep you company while Mr. Pea is gone. My dad used to go on long trips when I was younger--before I was born he went to Antarctica for something like 5 months and Mom hung in there okay--but she wasn't pregnant at the time.

Hi Molli! Congrats on the furniture!

Eating has been so-so all weekend, wine consumption has been up....made So Carolina pulled pork on Saturday, which DBF just loved. Saturday did Cardio Step Mix--had to keep bringing it down off the step to stay in my THZ, though, still don't quite know what's up with my exertion levels. Yesterday was mowing the lawn, 80+ minutes in zone and 632 cals. Today will be weights of some sort, maybe I'll finally sit down and work out a set of exercises for the CrossBow.

Hi to everybody else!

[SusanMarie]

One Question to Terri,

What is an HRM ?

Love,
Susan

[Molli526]

Not Terri but it is Heart Rate Monitor.

Welcome! :D

[JanetJ]

Mind if a new person joins in? I could use a place to come and be accountable for my exercise and food plans. I just rejoined WW a couple of weeks ago (not doing Core so far) after putting on some post-wedding poundage. I had a great loss at my first weigh-in and tomorrow will be my second before hopping on a plane to St. Louis for a quick business trip. I exercise at home, mostly to Firm videos, though I do throw in a treadmill workout once in a while. I just got the newest Firm system a couple days ago with the new box. Today I did Complete Body Sculpting - wow! That incline on the box is killer! I plan to the the 30 minute cardio dvd with Lisa (can't remember the official name right now) before going to weigh in/airport. Will also do my very best on the trip with the buffets they provide us and airport food.

Terri, 1200 calories!!!! Oh my.:eek:

Molli, congrats on the furniture. DH and I just redid our living room this weekend and got our first "adult" furniture. Very exciting.

[Molli526]

Welcome Janet!

There are a lot of us who do the Firm. I am anxiuosly awaiting my BSS3! Very glad to hear the workouts are challenging with the new incline box :D

[SusanMarie]

Hi Moli,

Sorry about the mix up in names.

How much is a Heart Rate Monitor ? It sounds like something I may want if it shows how many calories you burn.

Thank You !!!

Love,
Susan

[TerriS]

Susan, heart rate monitors vary in price depending on how many bells and whistles you have. I think they start at around $40 for a very basic model and go up into the hundreds. I got the most basic model that I could, but I wanted the calorie counting feature, and that one retails for $90-100. Check out
http://www.polarusa.com/consumer/productfinder/productfinder.asp

So I was pretty pathetic this morning, just 20 minutes on the ol' elliptical, but something is always better than nothing. Hoping to have a good week with low stress and lots of exercise and good eating!

Today's plan:
b'fast: smoothie
snack: light yogurt with 1/2 cup Fiber One and strawberries/blueberries
lunch: salad with spinach, leftover flank steak, veggies
snacks: bean salad, homemade hummus with cut up veggies
dinner: some sort of pizza (gonna try EmilyK's oat bran pizza crust) with chicken and roasted vegetables
dessert: pudding! (sugarfree, fat free pudding made with nonfat milk is Core)

[sweetpea]

Welcome Janet! Yea--another Firmie! :) Which reminds me--my new client is trying the Firm to lose her weight--i about hugged her when she told me she got the Firm videos and that she had to stop halfway thru and sitdown! She doesn't exercise much, well, at least didn't before.
Well, figured I better check in before i get busy and forget--today is a midwife appt day--i can't believe how close we are to our due date, but we all know...babies come when ready! so my mom is going with me today so she can see the birth center and hear lil' pea's heartbeat (a new thing for her!) then off to get yeast for DH's home brew he left me in charge of YIKES! speaking of which, heard from DH last night and he made it safe and sound to manchester and we have been emailng this a.m.--i do miss him, but not to dreadfully yet--i am sure by the third week i will be a wreck! lance the cat is wondering where he is too...he keeps walking back and forth across my desk looking for him?!?!?
well, i got my walk in this a.m.--kept a good pace and got it done in 44 minutes--took my phone with me, of course, just in case and mom called! she's a little nervous these days... I did manage to get Super Cardio Sculpt in yesterday--shew! that cool down on that tape is NOT a cool down..i have probably said that before, but my heart rate is the highest during the cool down...but i still love that tape. I think i might need to get Lower Body Sculpt or whatever it's called to go with my newest tape--Upper Body Sculpt. Can we say addiction?

Terri--holy crap! i too am trying to imagine burning 1200 calories or riding my bike for 22 miles--DH loves to ride, me, too much burning in the thighs... and a sore you-know-what usually :(

Gil--i love hearing you talk about drinking too much wine--we used to drink a glass a night with dinner--i think that is the only thing i really miss about being prego and thank you for keeping me company while DH is gone--you all will be a big help to me even though you don't know it!

Molli--yea on the new furniture--DH got the cradle done last week before he left so i need to remember to get pictures posted for you all to see it..it is beee-uuuuuu-tteeee-ful, i must say! how was charlie duty this weekend while DH put in the lawn?

Engineer--thought of you this a.m. when i was watching the news--they had a special report from the local fairgrounds where there is a horse show going on...they only showed the little tiny horses (not ponies--they don't like to be called ponies b/c they are actually horses :)) but i was hoping they would show some big beauties! hope yours are being good girls!

Hello to everyone else--I am off to get ready for my appt--will be back later to check on you all!

Food plan for today:
bkft: raisin bran/grape nuts with skim milk
snack: banana/milk
lunch: leftover pizza and some carrots
snack: cottage cheese and plums
dinner: see lunch
dessert: hmmm...either a frozen brownie and milk or piece of cake and milk! :)

[EsteemSamurai]

Hi all,

Another week, more travel. I leave for Atlanta today, which I'm not really geeked up about, but I had an amazing weekend, so I'm focussing on that! Saturday, DH and I went for a hike in Redding, CT, where we did some more geocaching. I promised before that I'd talk about geocaching - basically, I'm going to steal gratuitiously from the offical website, since they've been explaining a lot longer than I have. :)

Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for gps users. Participating in a cache hunt is a good way to take advantage of the wonderful features and capability of a gps unit. The basic idea is to have individuals and organizations set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches on the internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the caches. Once found, a cache may provide the visitor with a wide variety of rewards. All the visitor is asked to do is if they get something they should try to leave something for the cache.

A GPS unit is a navigational device (in our case, hand held), that takes signal from satellites and uses that signal to help guide the user to coordinates entered by the user. It's sort of like an interactive map. :)

SO... DH and I have been geocaching since February, 2004, and it's all kinds of fun. We went on Saturday, as I said, to Redding (Saugatuck Natural Falls) and found our cache pretty easily - it wasn't a hard hike, despite the description, so we were out about an hour and fifteen minutes and I burned 200 calories according to my HRM. I'll take it. I'm not entirely sure I agree, but I haven't tweaked it to match my personal heart rate yet, so that might make a difference. Found (while on the ride home), that my resting heart rate is actually around 55-60 bpm.

After the hike, DH and I took my parents out to dinner at Telluride (www.telluriderestaurant.com). It was tasty, but it took a long time and my Dad is extremely impatient. Didn't help that it was his birthday dinner... oh well... :rolleyes: We tried. I had the hot iron seared tuna, DH had a salmon special, Mom had the sauteed scallops, and Dad had the venison osso buco.

Sunday, we went hiking again, this time at Tarryville Park in Danbury. We were out for about 2 hours, but couldn't find the cache. It was too gray and wet - the GPS was bouncing around all over the place and we couldn't get a clear read on our coordinates. So, it was a Did-Not-Find. Oh well. Burned 300 calories. Came home, walked to Blockbuster to return a movie (100 calories), and then made dinner. It was a nice quiet night.

Monday no hiking, but we did go to EMS to get me fitted for a pack. I'm excited - decided to try and get into longer-spanned hiking, and since i just got my compensation information (including a rather anemic bonus), I decided to use it toward that end. After backpack hunting, we went house hunting, but no luck there. The real estate market here in Stamford is awful. You can't even find a listing for less than $350k if you're looking for a single family home... and those are in a dive-area.

Got home, grabbed my keys, and walked over to the grocery store to pick up fixings to make DH biscuits. He's been craving them ever since he saw Alton's biscuit special. So, I made them to rave reviews. Gotta love a hubby who enjoys my experiments. :)

Today I'm working from home to try and get a little more accomplished in terms of packing. I freaked out majorly when I thought I lost my cell phone. But it's been found.

Personals later - I have a conference call in about 5 minutes.
Take care!

~Sarah

[Gilgamesh37]

Welcome Janet and Susan! I'm a Firm gal as well--and Susan, I have a Polar A5, which was about $100. I love it, though I still have not learned to use all the functions (I've had it 3 years) so it probably has more features than I really need. I love my HRM for cardio, but I do find it frustrating that there's no good way (that I've found, anyway) to measure calories burned during weight/exertion workouts. One time I wore my HRM during Volume I with Susan Harris--it said I only burned 35 calories, so you KNOW that ain't right.

No weight workout yesterday--we're having plumbing problems at the house which are extremely frustrating and which chewed up a lot of time and most of my good will for teh weekend. DBF and I went on a walk, about 2 miles, so at least I did something.

[cniles]

Hi guys!! And welcome Janet and Susan!!!

Ok I did nothing exercise oriented this weekend:eek: - But we did have a great time!

Friday we drove up to State College - Sam got sick on the way up:rolleyes: - yick (my kids just aren't back road drivers!!) We had a great time at the Penn State game (they kicked butt!!) we tailgated, kids played badmitton (dodging cars, and drunk students!) Then on Sunday we had a picnic with our neighbors and had lots of good food (grilled scallops, homemade wings, dips, desserts - wine) and then went to see the fireworks. Monday I made Alysha's sauce using our tomatoes and then made lasagna and zucchini bread while watching the US open. So again, no exercise.

Today I went into Sam's school to volunteer for a couple of hours, got a TB test and mailed off my state police and child abuse documents to get run through the system. My latest thing is I'm putting in an application to be a sub aide in the schools - I have lots of special ed type experience and they need help bad. With Sam in full time, I have some time on my hands (not that I won't miss sitting around on the couch, watching Court TV eating bon bons...!!!)

So today I think I need to mow the lawn before all this rain from the south comes up - 3 days of rain they're predicting.

Food:
Breakfast - carb counting whole wheat bread with PB
Lunch - egg salad with tomatoes and fresh mozerella
Snack - almonds
Dinner - roasted chicken with green beans from the garden

Sweetpea - I was thinking of you on Sunday!!!!! You're gonna be ok! Thank goodness for email, huh?!! So glad the time with your new client went well - yea!! Happy thoughts for your appt today with the midwife - has lil pea turned over???

Gil - ugh plumbing problems!!! How old is your house? I will never forget when our toliet overflowed and would not stop running!! This was our "money pit" house!!! good luck!

Terri - OMG - I can't believe you used up that many calories - you rock bicycle girl!!!:D Are you sore today?

Esteem Sarah - wow, that sounds really cool!! How did you hear about it and get involved. So you get to solve and puzzle and hike at the same time!!! Hang in there with your travels!! Do you have food packed?:)

Molli - yea for the new furniture!! Bill and I just bought our new set of bedroom furniture last winter - first big spend for us in 8 years! Let us know when you get BSS3 - anxious to hear more reviews!!

Gotta go mow!!! Hi everyone else!!!:)

[shoefling]

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a nice long weekend. The Iowa football game on Saturday was fun even though we only stayed for the first half. Then we hit the road to northwest Iowa for the weekend to see family. So no exercise for me. We got home Monday evening and I have been trying to catch up on some schoolwork. I did run my 3 miles this morning, so am trying to keep in the swing of things. DH is finally over his month long barrage of shows that he has had to work at. I think he has had 3 days off since August 10. He also stepped on the scale last night and saw that he had gained 10 pounds in the last month, which puts him at his highest weight ever. Needless to say he was not very happy. I am trying to support him in eating well and exercising except he has no idea about portion control. I know that he wants to lose weight, I just don't know if he knows how or wants to really put the effort in. I need to send him to see you Sweetpea!

Molli- Yeah on the new furniture! I am anxiously awaiting a sectional for our family room that we ordered at the end of August.

Sweetpea- Hope the next 3 weeks fly by for you!

Terri- Wow, 1200 calories. That's amazing!

Gil- Did you see my post at the end of last week about Iowa? I love wine but don't drink it very often because DH does not care for it.

Charrise- Glad that you had such a fun weekend! Too bad Sam got car sick though.

Esteem Sarah- That geocaching sounds like fun. How did you get into it? Too bad that you were unable to find the spot on Sunday. I hope that your trip this week goes well!

Welcome Janet and Susan! I also do the FIRM. I don't have a heart rate monitor so I can't help there.

Also hi to everyone else I may have missed!

[swquilts]

Wow! I've been gone forever, haven't I?

I haven't done any treadmill or videos since my leg is still bothering me quite a bit. I'm thinking toward sciatic nerve at this point. Going to the chiropractor today, maybe that will help. It really bothered me this last weekend while walking around down at the Nascar race. :(

sweetpea-The time will fly and before you know it your DH will be back and just in time for lil pea's arrival!! Sounds like you will be able to keep yourself busy.

Welcome Janet and Susan! You will really enjoy it here! Everyone is great!

Needless to say, it's back on the WW plan for moi. I wasn't very good while at the track and the alcohol was flooowwwinnnggggggg. :eek: The next couple of weeks will be rough though. Wed night I have this dinner function to go to and you all know how "uck" banquet food can be. Thurs is our 9th anniversary, but we're going out Friday instead. Then next week I leave on Thursday for 5 days in San Antonio for a conference. Will need to just make good choices!

Later!!

[SusanMarie]

Hi Terri,

Thank You for the info on the HRM.

TO EVERYONE,

Thank You for the warm welcoming!!!

Love,
Susan

[cniles]

Susan - Thursday is OUR 9th anniversary as well!!! 9/9/95!!!:D

Unfortunately it's soccer games and back to school night so no night out for us!!! Someday..... (we said the same thing last year!!:rolleyes: :) )

[Gilgamesh37]

This is downright bizarre----because OUR 9th anniversary is Wed 9/8. (granted, it's the anniversary of the day we met--since we kind of drifted into dating each other, the only other specific date we could celebrate would be hte first time we slept together and that's just.....tacky somehow)

[EmilyK]

Okay, you guys... I swear tomorrow I start back to being good. I don't know if we'll be able to squeeze walks in again with the dark coming so quickly. Frodo is scared of the dark, so walks tend to be a little more frustrating with him. So, it looks like it'll be video workouts (hence being a part of this group) for me! I wish there were more prego videos that aren't so long... I just don't seem to be able to fit in an hour each evening! This weekend, we pretty much just took it easy. I did manage to get all of my fall decorations put up!! :) We went to a cookout, so we won't discuss food for the weekend. I'm also not planning on posting my food for today... it's going to be a bad one!! :D :D It's my birthday, so we're going out to Skyline for dinner (I can't wait!!) and then picking up a small cake or something along those lines.

I'm kind of busy at work right now, so personals will have to wait! Sorry guys! I promise I'll write more tomorrow...

(all these promises for tomorrow!! :D)

[engineer]

:( Ok consider me hanging my head in shame. Very poor food choices for the last three days and no workouts (unless you consider embarassing myself on the dance floor on Sunday night at the wedding reception a workout:rolleyes: )

Today will be better - I will post tomorrow with the proof!

[EsteemSamurai]

We only have dialup at this stupid hotel, so this must be brief. Got here safe and sound, despite the hurricane - even managed to get in on time! I'm waiting on my dinner now (steamed shrimp & broccoli from a local chinese place) and I *did* exercise when I got here - 10 minutes on the psycho-ellipse (I've NEVER had such a difficult time with one of these things before... it was like an ellipse machine kicked up to 11... 1 minute on, and my HR was up to 150 bpm) and then 20 minutes speed walking (~4.7 mph) on the treadmill.

More later, when I have real internet. ;)

~S

[sweetpea]

Good morning all and WOW do we have lots of Happy Anniversaries and Birthdays to wish--Happy Anniversary (tomorrow) to Charisse and Susan and Happy Anniversary today to Gil today! And Happy Birthday to Emily (was in yesterday or today?)! Tomorrow I celebrate my 27th birthday with a day of shopping and eating out with my mom/sister/great aunt! :) All these September celebrations! :)

Today is Firm day--hmmm...which tape today!? I think I might do BSS2 with Allie since I have been neglecting those tapes (the BSS2 tapes). I have my Mom's Connection (bible study for mommies who dont work or anyone else who doesn't work full time (like me!)) this a.m. so i am going to hurry thru my post and head down to the dungeon.

Survived the night alone again :) lovin' my body pillow! had a midwife appt yesterday--and yes, baby is still breech, which i can tell--it's head is VISIBLE on either side of my belly button--crazy. But all else is great--i have started to TALK to the baby and tell it what i want to do which actually causes ALOT of movement, so i am still very hopeful it will turn on its own. Otherwise at our next appt in 2 weeks we will do a version or is it aversion? anyway, physically turn this kid. Keep those fingers crossed! :) and DH emailed several times yesterday and called twice--he is doing great despite the bad hotel food he has been eating!

Food plan for today:
bkft: oatmeal with brown sugar
snack: at mom's connectoin
lunch: hmm...probably leftover pizza again and carrots
snack: apple/cottage cheese
dinner: probably spaghetti/sauce (eric doesn't really like that meal and i love it!) and milk
dessert: more cake/milk

sarah: geocaching sounds so fun--woudl be good practice for DH and his adventure races all though they can't use GPS, they just get coordinates, a map and a compass! i love the idea! what kind of pack did you get? we used to hike ALOT in college and i love my pack--just a L.L. Bean one but i love it! I saw the AB biscuit special and the recipe is staring at me from where i sit...maybe i will have biscuits tonight. And yea for getting in a workout while traveling!

gil: ewww...i HATE plumbing problems. just always seem the most complicated to fix, etc. and makes such a mess in the meantime. and i laughed out loud at the "tacky" anniversary :)

charisse: glad you had fun at the game despite the puking incident and the weekend of no working out hasn't thrown off yourweek has it? and your sub aide job sounds perfect--keep you off the couch and away from those bonbons (which i think are imaginary--i doubt you do that!)

shoefling: well at least you got your 3 mile run in and got your week started off right! i will send good vibes to DH for losing his weight he gained...does he eat more/bad food when doing these shows? i would be happy to help!

Emily--poor Frodo is afraid of the dark?! oh man! you may have to just start doing 1/2 of a tape one day and 1/2 the next day! :) how frustrating--you might have to get some new videos--some of the Firm ones are only 30 minutes! you can do it!! and hope you enjoyed skyline and your b-day!

Susan--sorry about your leg--that would bum me out big time-not only pain but the fact you can't workout, etc. maybe you can still do the upper body parts of tapes?

Paula--where are you our lovely? has dr. love taken you captive AGAIN?

Engineer--NEW day, NEW start to working out--but i would have LOVED to have seen you on the dance floor! :)

[TerriS]

joining the hanging head in shame club. with aunt flo here for a visit mood and body are ucky. ucky eating yesterday turned into feeling ucky this morning = no workout. joining the promises for tomorrow club as well. on top of that all the rain from Ms. Hurricane Frances is upon us making walking a challenge as well. bleh!

sorry to be a downer post! will try to be better tomorrow!

[engineer]

Ok back on the bandwagon:D
Functional Strength 42 min
45 minute weightloss program on the treadmill

Calories Consumed ~2000 (maybe more I snacked on some left overs from this weekend sesame oat sticks and some dried fruit type trail mix):eek:

Calories Burned ~700 (HRM got dislodged and was reading 0 during a good portion of Functional Strength but I upped the weight on the user feature...'cause my weight has gone up :mad: :( )

Calories Remaining ~1300 (But Sweetpea I figure I'm probably closer to that 1400 number you would like to see) ;)

Big Happy Anniversary to Gil:cool:

And Happy B-day to Emily:)

[EsteemSamurai]

Morning all,

Another day, another site visit. I'm actually playing hookie from a meeting - I know, I'm a horrible person, but I really shouldn't be here period, as IT isn't until tomorrow. OF course, didn't find that out until I got into the Atlanta airport yesterday, because my contact didn't call me until I was in the air, but that's beyond the point.

No exercise yet today - I slept really poorly, and ended up only getting 'good sleep' (you know what I mean... you can feel a difference) until around 6am this morning, so I slept until 6:45am in anticipation of having a long day. I'll go to the gym again tonight and walk on the treadmill again to try and get rid of whatever pent up anxiety I have, though it was a pretty crummy experience yesterday - a woman and her toddler were there, and the woman watched TV while the toddler toddled over all the equipment! He turned on treadmills and played slide on the belts and tried to use the weights, only to succeed in pinching himself. I was SO annoyed by the mother's negligance, and I wanted to say something to her, but couldn't force myself to do it. *sighs* But if they're back tonight, that's it.

Eating has started out poorly. I ate a VERY good dinner last night of steamed shrimp and vegetables, leftover tuna salad from lunch (rode with me in my purse), and an apple, but have had nothing but diet soda this morning and I don't see that changing. It's hard to eat healthily down south, at least for me. The lower fat/calorie options (at the cafeteria) are all very carb heavy (i.e. oatmeal), which my nutritionist tells me isn't good for my body, whereas the meat/protein options are high calorie/high fat (i.e. sausage, meatloaf, fried chicken, etc). The guy I'm working with found a carribbean joint though, so maybe dinner will be better.

Gil: Have you setup your A5 so that it matches your body exactly (i.e. done the fit test, done the myZone/myCal stuff)? Did it make a big difference when you did (if you did)? I find the same thing you do - its frustrating that it only shows the 'cardio' calories and not the weight bearing calories. I'm sure that DH & my 2 hour hike on Sunday burned more than 300 calories, but that's all it showed, despite the huge changes in terrain (~120 feet up and down) and the uneven landscape. Hope your plumbing problems have resolved themselves... that's the worst, when those things don't work.

Charisse - First, CONGRATS ON THE BIG TEN WIN! :) Being a Big 10 family, we cheer big ten before any other conferences, so we were thrilled to see how well the Big 10 did... only one major loss (and it was MSU, soo... *laughs) Are you liking the volunteering at Sam's school? Are there a lot of special needs kids there? My roommate in college, Heather, specialized in working with autistic kids, and I was always so impressed by her patience. You go, girl! In response to your question, DH and I got into it when he got his GPS device. His mom and brother gave it to him for his birthday, and he started trying to find ways to use it. There's a similar game that has the player looking for imbedded plaques/coins in the ground that were placed by the department of something or other in the 50s, which is what he started with. THen, when he came out to be with me, we started hiking together - it was a way for him to control my exercise, since I was doing alittle too much. We found we really loved hiking, but needed a goal (we're both first-borns, overachievers, and we need to win), and in reading an article in Wired magazine, I learned about geocaching. DH says he already knew about it, but... who knows. :) Anyway, we decided to try it, since we already had the gear required, and we fell in love! Now we not only hunt, but also place caches in CT.

Shoefling: Another Big Ten Congrats! You guys massacred your opponent, so it was okay to leave at the half, right? :) How was the family gathering - did you have fun? Were you able to catch up on your school work?

Susan: I'm sorry your leg is bothering you - I hope the visit to the chiropractor helps alleviate some of the discomfort. In the interim, have you thought about swimming? Might help you stay active while you're waiting to heal. Just a thought. Are you doing the new Core WW or are you doing the old Flexpoint system? Good luck at the banquet - I totally feel your pain on that one. Isn't travel/business dinners the best? :rolleyes:

SusanMarie: Welcome!

Emily: Do you have the Cincinnati chili at Skyline? When we were in Springdale last year, those places were everywhere, but I never tried them. We did get to the famous BBQ place down by the river though... it was okay. I'm not a huge BBQ person, but the grilled fish was amazingly good for the midwest. ;) Poor little Frodo... maybe you can get him a headlantern so he won't be stuck in the dark? :) Or is it the shadows that scare him?

Engineer: After all those amazing bowflex workouts, treadmill times, and videos, I think a weekend off is just fine. Just need to jump back on that horse, right? ;) And it looks like you did exactly that. Awesome!

Sweetpea: I wonder if Little Pea has gymnast aspirations - why else would he spend so much time upside down? Rappelling, maybe? You've got an adventurous little one in there. Do you know yet whether or not its a boy or a girl?

I think your DH would definitely get into it - it'd also be something you and he and little Pea could do together. The nice thing is you basically go at your own pace, and the cache sites are rated for difficulty and terrain, so many are kid/dog/family friendly. We've done a few orienteering caches which rely on compass, maps, etc. - those are fun too, albeit a little more brain time. Neither one of us were scouts, so there was a learning curve, but we managed. And in fact, the first cache we placed was a multi (which means more than one stage to get to the end) which gave the GPS coordinates to the first stage, and then gave orienteering instructions from that point to get to the final stage. Good fun. You asked about the packs - I'm still in research mode (and I'm actually chronicling it, since there's little to no information on the web for women interested in the sports), but of the packs I tried on on Sunday, I liked the Kelty Redcloud 5000 Wms best, followed by a similar EMS pack (Ascent 4200 wms, I think) and a similar Northface pack. I'm going with an internal frame, since I want the mobility they offer. I'll let you know what I ultimately choose - I'm planning to go to a local outdoors shop to try packs there and get a little more guidance before I make a final decision.

Oh, and the biscuits turned out beautifully - we actually followed the TV show directions as opposed to the recipe available online, which showed you how to make your own biscuit flour (3 pts. AP to 1 pt. cake), how to cut the biscuits to ensure fluffiness, and how to dimple the tops to create more even, flat surfaces (otherwise you get domed tops... not too biscuity). DH said they were perfectly balanced - no one flavor overwhelmed the others. He ate *5* the night I made them! :eek:

Terri: We're all entitled to membership in the hall of shame from time to time. :) Aunt Flo doesn't make it easy, either - for me, that comes with ridiculous cramps and a general sense of malaise, so any kind of workout is a major challenge. Good luck getting out there - the weather report in Atlanta suggests that it's supposed to be sunny here starting tomorrow, so perhaps you'll have a similar experience?

Off to do some real work, all! Take care!!

[Gilgamesh37]

sigh. Still having $*(@*&)!( plumbing problems. Think I've convinced DBF to try my approach to fixing this, so hopefully, if I'm right, it should be fixed later today. If I'm wrong, then we're really screwed because I have no clue what's causing our problems. And I cannot currently run the washing machine or the dishwasher, which is making me a little nuts.

Iowa Sarah--Go Hawks!!! So what did you think of all the Herkys? I've heard varying opinions, both that they're kind of cool and that they're incredibly dorky.

Esteem Sarah--I haven't done as mcuh with my A5 as I'd like, largely because I find the directions somewhat sparse and I can't get it to work the way they say it does. I had to turn the alarm off completely because it was beating even during my THZ. I did do actualy resting heart rate and set my THZ from there, even though some days it seems kind of low to me.

Emily: happy Birthday!!! Enjoy your evening out, tomorrow is plenty of time for mindful eating.

Engineer--don't you dare hang your head. Dancing is great exercise and I bet you and Scott looked fine (and from what else you told me about hte wedding, even if you were the geekiest couple there, I'm still betting most folks were watching the guy pole-dancing and not you). And you're right back on track, so yay for you!

Sweetpea--I'm sure lil pea will turn around. My friend Moxie's baby was breech way up until the end--she had to do that thing with her midwife where she was on all fours nad the midwife was trying to physically turn the baby (it sounded.....unusual) and anyway, the baby finally just flipped around on her own.

Charisse--sorry to hear about Sam's car sickness. I used to be fine as a kid, but I've developed SEVERE motion sickness as an adult, which is a huge bummer. Even if we're onyl driving 3 miles into town for dinner, I have to do all kinds of weird stuff or I'll be too nauseated to eat when we get there. DBF makes fun of me.

Did Strong Bear last night--or more like Wimpy Little Begging For Mercy Bear. Yikes. Obviously it's been too long since I did that workout. Eating was mostly okay--I've been nibbling a bit on mini-size candy bars (I have the office candy bowl in our dept) which I must STOP. Tonight is a rest night because I want to do a nice dinner for our anniversary--will try to just do veggies and lean meat, but some champagne might sneak in there.......:D

[cniles]

Ok it's my turn to join the hall of shame!! I just cannot get myself motivated!!! Did not mow yesterday, told myself I'd exercise today - still have done nothing!!! I'm on a different schedule than I was this summer (used to go down right around 8am about an hour and a half after I ate) BUT now I don't get back from taking Sam in until at least 9:30am and then I'm usually running errands etc... it's rainy today, humid just plain yucky. I have bunco tonight so that means snacking and wine. NEED TO EXERCISE!!!!

Happy Anniversary Gil!!!!!:p
Happy Birthday Emily:D
Happy Birthday tomorrow Sweetpea!!!:p
Happy Anniversary tomorrow Susan!!!:D

EsteemSarah - I wanted to jump up and down when I read your first post and say yea!!!!! Go Sarah!!!!! Even though you had a yucky night and a yucky breakfast, I'm still saying Yea..... Go Sarah!!!!!! Hope you squeeze in a walk tonight and get some sort of healthy dinner!!

Gil - enjoy your champagne!!!;) Hope the plumbing gets better!

Terri - here's to a better day tomorrow!! (at least we're not in NYC where all of the subways are flooded!! My sister can't get to work!)

Engineer - the quote from Gil..... (and from what else you told me about hte wedding, even if you were the geekiest couple there, I'm still betting most folks were watching the guy pole-dancing and not you). DO TELL!!:D And you rock - getting back on that exerise mode!! GLAD TO SEE YOU BACK AND POSTING!:)

Sweetpea - isn't the body pillow wonderful?!! Not the best sub for your husband but it'll do for now! Shopping with your family sounds like fun!! Rest up for tomorrow!

Emily - I hope you enjoyed your birthday - how was dinner????

[EsteemSamurai]

I wanna hear the pole dancing story too!!! :)

~S

[engineer]

Not much to tell really. The wedding was outside and it's been raining non-stop lately. So they put up tents for the ceremony and reception. After the reception they removed the tables and the music was set up in a corner of this tent. Well one of the groomsmen (Whimpy is his nickname) proceded to get hammered. There was an open bar and he took full advantage, although he wasn't the only one. And after dancing for a while he realized there was a pole (holding up the tent) and decided to make that his partner. Well it didn't take long and there was encouragement from the crowd and so he started pole dancing (aka stripper moves). Thank goodness he was a little too far gone to actually remove clothes (or maybe it was the GF he was with that made him think twice, although she was also three sheets to the wind). And then he tried to climb it, but couldn't manage himself and the rest of the guys could only push him so far. He was having a very good time.

[cniles]

:D :D :D

Gotta love drunk wedding stories starring a guy named Whimpy!;)

[Gilgamesh37]

D*mn it, now I'm thinking I want to buy the S Factor videos again....only DBF won't let me install a pole at the house, not even in my workout room. Why do *I* have to date the only male in the entire world who thinks stripping is offensive to men ??!!?!

(cuz I know someone's gonna ask: he thinks it's offensive and demeaning because it basically says "you're so simple and dumb and predictable and we just need to do X, Y and Z and you're turned on." For the same reason, all of my high-end lingerie from before I met him simply languishes in the drawer. *sigh* )

[swquilts]

These posts are starting to crack me up! ;)

Well, my chiro pushed and prodded on the gluteus maximus to help loosen up those muscles, less ache to walk but VERY tender to the touch. DH also used our hand held vibrator (nooooo other thoughts here, OK? ;) ) on the spot. Hurt like he)), but I think it worked a bit.

No pool, but a good idea about the upper body workouts Sweetpea!

How cosmic about anniversaries!! doodoodoodoodoooooooo Congrats to all!! :) I think we're going to a new Indian casino nearby, have a nice dinner and blow some money Friday night.

And Happy Birthdays to Emily and Sweetpea!!!

Gotta boogie!!!

[Paula H]

Here I am, here I am!!!

Man, what a week this one's turning out to be! I've hardly been near the computer for most of the week, I just seem to be out all the time!!

First up - happy birthdays to sweetpea and Emily!!! (I won't sing for you :D )

And happy anniversaries to all the anniversary people (man, did anyone not have a birthday or anniversary in this thread this week???)

And welcome to Janet and Susan!!

Hoorah for new furniture! :D :D And boo to bad plumbing! :mad: :mad:

The advertising course on Monday was fantastic, and I was pleased with myself for parking ten minutes away from the venue (although this was just so I could get free all-day parking) and power walking there and back. Or at least, power walking the best I could in knee-high boots ;) Tuesday and Wednesday just slid by too fast, but this afternoon I was determined, and so did Burn & Firm, even though I was expecting a courier to show up (did he arrive?? of course not) and usually I put off getting sweaty if I'm anticipating a courier.

A big motivator is the fact I'm participating in a study into nutrition and lifestyle, and next Wednesday I go along for my interview and to have my body fat read (both calipers and inside some machine called a "Bod Pod"). It's been over six years since I last had my body fat tested (with calipers, during the height of my kickboxing training, when I didn't have a car and so biked everywhere and worked out virtually every day, and I was about 21% body fat) and I know it'll be higher, but I figure knowing the actual number will give me a good kick in the rear to try harder. :) Well, that's the theory anyway...

Argh! Look at the time!! I've got to dash and get dinner started - another meeting this evening, so I need to have dinner ready soon after Dr Love gets in the door, so I can then have time to eat and get out the door!! Can't wait for life to get a bit calmer.... (waiting, waiting, waiting)

Miss you all!! Keep on doin' what you do!

[sweetpea]

Hi all! Just a quick post as I am on my way to make myself some birthday biscuits (AB's!) and shower, etc and head out for my big day of shopping and eating with my mom/sister/nephew and great aunt! YEA!! if only DH was here to kiss me goodbye :( But he has emailed several times and already sang to me and gave me my gift before he left so he is doing great so far (i will tell more about the gift tomorrow when i have more time...)
So workout for today was my 44 min. power walk and it felt great..nice 62 degrees makes it even better! I did BSS2 with Allie yestrday and it kicked my butt (i must say that was a new feeling for me for this particular tape) so i am def. feeling all of my 35 weeks prego!
Have a great day and thank you for the happy birthday wishes..hope emily's was happy too!!
I promise to get all caught up tomorrow...and hopefully report that lil' pea flipped for his/her mommy's birthday! :)

[cniles]

Happy Birthday Sweetpea!!! :)

Hope you have a great day shopping/lunching etc......

Susan - Have a wonderful Anniversary Dinner!! Have one for us!;) We have back to school night and a soccer game so we'll celebrate later! Hmmmm...... vibrator huh;) glad it was able to help!!

Paula - so glad the course went well. How exciting to be in study! Nothing like a little outside motivation to get ya going!!!!

Gil - Keep pushing for that pole girl!!;)

Well off to the doctor's this am for a check up - I need to get bloodwork done (cholesterol, thyroid...) and a check on my ears. Remember when I blew out my ear last February - well it still isn't right and I want him to look at it before cold season blows through and I have more ear problems. I'm predicting it:(

THEN - I PROMISE I WILL come home and workout! I think it's been about a week - how pathetic. My scale reflects it and so does my belly!! So back on the band wagon!!!!!

Food:
Breakfast: 2 pieces low carb WW toast with PB
Lunch: Egg salad with tomato salad
Snack: Almonds
Dinner: Turkey Meatloaf with green beans

Have a great day everyone!!!
:)

[TerriS]

Happy Birthday Sweetpea!!!!! It must be hard having DH so far away, but how sweet that he has already sung to you and keeping the calls and emails coming!

Paula, I'd be terrified to see a real measurement of my body fat...you are brave!

So I rallied this morning and did a round of Taebo even though I totally didn't feel like it. I didn't feel like it for maybe the first 10-15 minutes but then the ol' adrenaline kicked in and I felt soooo much better. Glad to have done that. :) Eating was marginal yesterday, let's hope I do better today...
b'fast: smoothie, egg beaters, canadian bacon, slice of cheese
snack: yogurt w/fiber one, wheat germ, and a tablespoon of pecans
lunch: out to an Asian place, I'm thinking miso soup and sushi?
snack: pudding, bean salad, or hummus w/veggies
dinner: maple-glazed tilapia, green beans, squash
dessert: ice cream and Must See TV!

[JanetJ]

Thank you for the very warm welcome everyone! This seems like a very friendly and supportive environment and I'm looking forward to contributing. I got home from St. Louis very late last night and am writing this brief note before heading back into work. (is it Friday yet?) Tuesday I did the Fat Blasting Cardio from BSS3 - another tough one, fast moves that will take a couple rounds to get used to, but it's a good tape. I like Lisa as an instructor. Tomorrow I will likely do that tape again. My eating in St. Louis was really good, I think, considering my choices. My only lapse was California Pizza Kitchen at the airport last night - but I did pass up the cookies and chips on the plane!

Happy Birthday and Happy Aniversary to all that are celebrating this month - there's a lot! I hope to be able to write more later today as things get back to normal.

[engineer]

Can you say feel the burn? Oh yes my backside is telling me I did some squats last night.

Just Right - Weights, Cardio & Yoga 43 min
Fat Blaster - 44 min

Calories consumed - 1946.5
Calories burned - 589
Calories remaining - 1357.5

Happy Anniversary to both Charisse and Susan:D
Happy Birthday Sweetpea (only 27:eek: Now I feel old)

[cniles]

I did it!! Finally, whew! I did Tae Bo Energy this morning. Inspired by Terri's post:D Felt good to sweat!

Engineer - rest your hiney on a pillow!!:)

Janet - Who are the other instructions in BSS3? Lisa is one? I'm still debating on whether to get this or not.... I still have to replace my sculpting stick!!:( And how can you pass up California Pizza???? You are human!:)

Dr wants me to try a different antihistamine - Allegra to see if that helps my ears.... of course we have to jump through hoops with my insurance, Prior Auth etc.... If this doesn't work he's sending me to an ENT - we'll see!

[JanetJ]

Originally posted by cniles


Janet - Who are the other instructions in BSS3? Lisa is one? I'm still debating on whether to get this or not.... I still have to replace my sculpting stick!!:( And how can you pass up California Pizza???? You are human!:)
[/B]

Let's see if I can remember. I got 4 dvd's and the new box (even though it only said it came with 3?). Lisa does the short cardio one, Stephanie does another, Christa another and I think it's Jen that does the extra one I got. I hope I remember that correctly. Libby is also in all the tapes it seems doing the less advanced version.

[engineer]

Not Jen it's Pam Cauthan from the original Firm Variety Series either Strong Heart or Strong Body.

[EmilyK]

Hey guys, this is going to be a really quick post... work is brutal this week and next, so I may avoid posting to save some time for my project. I'll be freed up again mid-week next week. Sorry! I had a great birthday and enjoyed the Skyline (yes, Cincy style) very much. Happy birthday to sweetpea and happy anniversary to everybody else!! I feel bad abandoning you guys, but I just am so stressed right now.

I'll check in to read up on everything, but it takes me so darn long to post!! :(

[Gilgamesh37]

Emily, don't be silly--you're not abandoning us, life ebbs and flows and right now your real life needs more attention. We're not going anywhere, you can hop back on board whenever it works for you.

Janet, you'll have to tell us what you think when you get to Pam Cauthen's tape (and that goes for any of hte rest of you, too). As I recall, when BSS3 first came out, Pam's appearance was the one that caused the most uproar and controversy--word was she had become terribly thin (the term "skeletal" was thrown about a lot) so I'll be interested to see if you find her appearance startling. One thing I always liked about Firm instructors was that they looked healthy and not lollipop-ish--but as I said recently, you put LaReine Chabut against the current Firm women and she looks like a moose.

Happy Birthday Sweetpea!!

Anniversary dinner was very low key--DBF doesn't really like being told WHEN he has to celebrate, but he humored me. We did steaks on the grill, oven spicy fries :o , lovely tomatoes from the Farmer's Market, and, um, some champagne <whistling, not mentioning that she drank the bottle basically by herself> And since the Cubs were in the tank, DBF let me watch Good Eats at 9. Whatta guy!

[JanetJ]

Regarding Pam on the Firm tapes, she is a bit scary looking. I thinking skeletal is about right, though the girl has some serious muscle if that makes sense. She leads the extra dvd I got, but she's also in all the other three as well. It's the same five people in all the videos, they just rotate who leads. I think one of the reasons I like Lisa is because she does look more real to me.

Gil, your anniversary dinner sounds very nice to me. Champagne and Good Eats? Great combo!:)

[Paula H]

Eck - I'm currently fighting a cold, having had a sore throat for the last few days (we're having a very late blast of bugs in New Zealand this year). I've called in sick for work tomorrow in the hope that lots of sleep/relaxation/blackcurrant tea might kick it in the head before it turns into full-blown-sick.

So today I did a "light" workout - walked up the road to drop off mail to the former houseowners, then did half an hour of More Low And Loose from Crunch's TV show. It was fun and just enough to get my body moving without tiring me out.

Now I'm off to curl up on the couch and wait for Dr Love to produce dinner - it's a tough life I tell ya!!

Sorry, no time for personals (again :rolleyes: ), I'm really pooped!

[Paula H]

Originally posted by Gilgamesh37
D*mn it, now I'm thinking I want to buy the S Factor videos again....only DBF won't let me install a pole at the house, not even in my workout room. Why do *I* have to date the only male in the entire world who thinks stripping is offensive to men ??!!?!

(cuz I know someone's gonna ask: he thinks it's offensive and demeaning because it basically says "you're so simple and dumb and predictable and we just need to do X, Y and Z and you're turned on." For the same reason, all of my high-end lingerie from before I met him simply languishes in the drawer. *sigh* )

Forgot to say to Gilgamesh - when I told Dr Love about this, he said (and this is a direct quote) "Yeah, so what's his point?". Lots of laughing as we giggled about the fact that men are so simple and dumb and predictable and we just need to do X, Y and Z (and if they're very very lucky, Q) and they're turned on.

I say buy the pole and wear the lingerie. :D :D And see how simple/dumb/predictable your DBF is... (sorry, I'm such a trouble maker) ;)

[sweetpea]

hi all! another fly by post--grr..i hate doing this! i must say i briefly read thru/skimmed your posts from yesterday and i was laughing my bootie off! you all kill me...and welcome janet! i don't think i ever said that! (bad sweetpea--blame it on prego hormones!)
anyway, i had a great b-day which i will have to tell you all about later and now i am off to watch my nephew for my sister then home to mow for my workout today. i might do upper body sculpt just to get some wt training in but i will wait and see how i feel after mowing this afternoon after chasing a toddler around all a.m.!
i miss posting to you all but hope to get all caught up this afternoon/evening so be sure to check back (as if my posts are THAT exciting...:)) and DH is doing great and planning a weekend with my brother (who is living in London) so yea! and lil' pea is kicking and moving so i think i will go lay down upside down a bit to see if we can flip! :) have a great day/workout all!

[TerriS]

good luck getting lil' pea to flip, sweetpea!!! :)

no workout for me this morning...had a little extra wine last night, whew. but the weather is fab so I am hoping for a power walk/run tonight.

charisse, I feel all speshul that I inspired you. how'd you like the TB Energy?

[engineer]

DH had his violin/fiddle lesson yesterday so I knew I'd be eating leftovers and that time wasn't an issue so I really put the hammer down. (Mind you we didn't get out of here until 5:30pm:mad: )

15 minute weightloss program on the treadmill
Bowflex 2 sets of 14 of 10 different exercises 30 min
Cardio Step Mix (I love that tape) 62 min

Calories consumed...2199.5:eek:
Calories used...821:D
Calories remaining...1378.5;)

Tonight we are taking the new bride out for dinner. Her DH had to go to Europe for business, he left on Tuesday the wedding was on Sunday, and she was suppose to fly out on Thursday but things got mixed up and now she's not leaving until Monday:( . So no exercise but if my DH has to work on Saturday (he thinks he will) then I can do it then.:)

[cniles]

Happy Friday afternoon all!!

Admidst all of our running around yesterday (soccer game and back to school night) hubby and I had a nice evening after the boys went to bed. He bought me this beautiful artisan wrought iron wine rack - it's gorgeous!:p He's so good to me! (I just bought him a couple of books on decks and patios!:rolleyes: :) )

Sam did great in his soccer game. 4 and 5 year olds are soooo cute running around trying to kick the ball with their t-shirts down to their knees!! He loved it.

Met Jack's teacher - she's great!! Think it will be a good year even though he is fighting me tooth and nail on homework. He also has a nasty case of poison ivy on his leg - yuck. It's oozing today and I had to put gauze on it.

I mowed the lawn this morning. That's probably all I'll be able to do today. My brother-in-law and family are coming down tonight for the weekend. We have a block party tomorrow eve and will then watch the PSU game on TV. Will have to exercise on Sunday when everyone leaves!!:)

Terri - you DID in inspire me. I like Energy better than strength - but it's not a kickbutt cardio aerobic workout - you know what I mean? It's a good basic DVD, very clear and not a lot of double time stuff. I've been sore the next day every time I do it so I know it's doing something!! I've been meaning to ask you - he stresses in this tape to punch with your thumbs up.... I don't remember that in my old tape - is this new? Or am I just out of it?:rolleyes: :)

Sweetpea - Glad you had a good day yesterday!! Post when you can

Paula - hope you feel better my dear!! Get that Dr. Love to make you something special!!

Engineer - Enjoy your dinner tonight. Is Scott's toe all better?

Janet - thanks for the input. How is Christa in leading? She always reminded me of a barbie who stood in the back in BS1!!:eek:

Gil - yummm champagne - I may have to go out and get some. We're doing a belated Ann dinner on Sunday with mussels and crabcakes! Glad you had a good eve.

Emily - my dear post when you can - as Gil said we'll be here!!! Take care of your life first!!:)

Susan - how was your Anniversary dinner???

Hi everyone!! Have a great weekend!:)

[TerriS]

Charisse, I don't remember anything about punching with thumbs up from the videos/DVDs that I have...wacky! Does that mean your whole arm is rotated...about 45 degrees or so? Maybe it works the arm muscles differently? Very curious.

[sweetpea]

yea! i am back! i had to come back this afternoon and address all personals...then i am going to do upper body sculpt and mow the grass once the sun goes down a little--probably AFTER dinner (which i have no idea what i am having for dinner...hmmmm)

Had a great birthday of shopping with my sister/nephew/mom and great-aunt (who is like my grandma from that side of the family)--my sister bought me all new Vict. Secret underwear--nothing fancy, just some new cotton undies and she also got a cute baby outfit for lil' pea--says "spoiled" on the onsie and on the little matching hat. too darn cute. then i had dinner/dietetic assoc. meeting about an hour from home and it lasted till 9:30 p.m. but it was soooo worth it! it's this classy tiny restaurant stuck in a little town--amazing food--we had a fantastic salad with a walnut oil/dijon dressing, homemade whole wheat bread that was to die for, chicken divan crepes with creamy yummy sauce and unbelievably hot! with baby carrots and fresh peas, then for dessert we had choices, but i chose the cheesecake with homemade caramel on top and then a sprinkle of fleur de sel--AMAZING. i am not a cheesecake fan, first of all, but this was not like dense cheesecake. first it came in a tiny jelly jar (complete with the lid/ring of to the side on the plate with some pansies!) and it was so creamy and just simple tasting withthis awesome layer of caramel then the sprinkle of salt. unbelievable. the best b-day dinner i could have ever asked for--and i even got a candle in my dessert and got sung too! :) so my b-day was fabulous, thanks for all the birthday wishes!

okay--here goes...

gil--oh yes, i back paula 100% and say get the S Factor tapes and maybe a removable pole? and go for it...actually i dont' think you really even need the pole. i am going to look for them on ebay and buy them for you and if you happen to get them in the mail then DBF can't argue with a gift can he??? i'm horrible. just love videos, especially ones i really want! and as far as the champagne...well, someone has to celebrate it RIGHT, right? :) i think i better change my name to evilpea rather than sweetpea...

susan--how is the gluteus maximus? any better since it's been poked and prodded?

paula--that a girl--power walking in your knee high boots--i love it! and i can see it perfectly in my mind though i have never met you! :) and i can't wait to hear about this study...sounds like fun to me (nutrition geek). and make sure you REST REST REST so that cold will go away and i agree, let Dr. Love take care of you, he IS a doctor!! (and good for you for still working out despite the beginning of the cold coming on!)

Terri--great job on getting tae bo done--and i just have to say (probably for the 10th time but i can't remember) i love fiber one. i love fiber one. i love fiber one even more on yogurt. :)

Janet--oh keep the reviews of BSS3 coming...it is going to be my present to myself after the baby is born if i keep hearing good reviews, etc. and i was absolutely laughing out loud at your comment "pam...is a bit scary looking...skeletal" oh my gosh! i haven't seen her, not sure who she is but crap-i can just imagine it.and california pizza kitchen is ALWAYS allowed..just not everyday, right?

Engineer--how is your hiney? still sore? oh and being 27 for me--i feel old now, that number justs seems so much older than 25 or 26 but oh well--too bad i still look 21! but i know that will be great someday too, just wish people would stop whispering about the pregnant 18 year old in line in front of them in the grocery, well thank heavens she is married...ughh...i CAN HEAR YOU. sorry, mini rant. and i just have to say it again--your workouts rock. you are an amazing woman, whether or not the scale/body fat perc. SHOWS it--you are a very strong, cabable woman--many women, regardless of age/situation, would never think to work out like you do! you rock!!

Charisse--ear problems are the worst in my book--nothing more irritating--hope it gets cleared up soon! and yea on sam's success at soccer and your anniversary gift from DH! GO PSU! (not really a fan, but i will root on your behalf!) and i agree about Christa being a barbie in the back of the BSS1 tapes--kinda dopey at times too.

Emily--hello my busy little prego friend! did i ever answer when you are supposed to have a baby shower? i dont' know the exact etiquette, but mine is tomorrow and i am 5 weeks away. i think having it at like 8 weeks would be ideal though...hope you are doing well! :)

Have a great weekend--hello to the sarahs and anyone else i left out! see you all again on monday...oh and tomorrow i am off to the pool for another day of swimming and trying to flip pea! :)

[JanetJ]

Another Firm BSS3 review: I did Total Muscle Shaping this morning, led by Stephanie. Good workout, I especially liked the upper body moves while using the incline box. I think this has been the toughest of the three, so far. Some of the cardio segments aren't cued that well, but with repetition it will be fine. I'm expecting to be sore tomorrow and that's probably a good thing. We are having a NFL opening day party tomorrow. DH has planned the menu and I think the only healthy food will be the celery sticks that are served with the buffalo wings.:) Being sore will help me remember that I don't want/need to eat the wings.

sweetpea, your birthday sounds like it was great. That cheesecake dessert sounds fantastic!

Charisse, sounds like you've got a busy weekend going on. Hope you are enjoying your time with your family.

engineer, wow! Your workouts are awe-inspiring.

Paula, hope you are feeling better!

Hope everyone else is enjoying their weekend. I'm off to vacuum and get the house ready for the party.