On my way to 63kgs

[Flumes]

I'm movin to Spain! Thats a crazy deal! You are very lucky! And if your hubby goes with you, thats even better! The whole family for 140 euros a year. Awesome!

Gym membership here is about 600 a year each...no family discounts that I know of and no sharing memberships. And ours is only open till 9:00 pm on weeknights and 6pm on weekends. No pool...small weight area. Lotsa fancy machines that mostly women end up using.
My employer pays for a good chunk of mine so I cant complain too much.

As for tightening up somewhat....I learned you should lift weights with a rest day inbetween. It gives your muscles a chance to grow.

Have fun and good luck to your family with sharing your gym experience with you.
I just read your post prior to this with the 4 gyms and three pools etc. and govt funded! WOW!!! Lucky you!

 

[heatherdee]

OH my gosh!!! I just had to stop in to say how impressed I am with your before and after photos!!! You look AWESOME!!! I can't believe you don't see the difference - because I DEFINITELY do. You look absolutely fantastic!! I am so motivated.

 

[ecky1]

I'm movin to Spain!

Woohoo, Flumes and me will be able to run together.

I realize how lucky I am with the gym prices. The one I go to is the best equipped of the lot but is surprisingly empty although I'm told that it gets really busy in the late afternoon and evening. My sister pays to go to a gym 70 euros a month but as well as the gym she gets to go to as many classes as she wants to including things like yoga, pilates, aquagym, step, salsa, etc as well as use of the hot tubs sauna etc. Although that is a lot more it is also pretty good value if you go to a lot of classes.
Thanks for the info about the rest days. I will be able to do the treadmill each time I go and one day do upper body and one day do lower body. Or does a rest day mean a complete rest not just certain parts of the body?

 

[ecky1]

Thanks Heather, I do see some difference but my head won't let me believe that others will. I sort of expect people to think - who's she kidding she's still fat - but deep down I know that the improvement so far is enormous or I wouldn't have put the photos up. It's an insecurity thing but I'm fighting it.
When somebody looks at me now I think they are looking at me thinking that I am fat and then I realize that they are just looking at me for no particular reason so therefore maybe before they weren't looking at me judgementaly either but me lack of self esteem made me think that everybody that glanced in my direction was looking at the fat lady.

OH my gosh!!! I just had to stop in to say how impressed I am with your before and after photos!!! You look AWESOME!!! I can't believe you don't see the difference - because I DEFINITELY do. You look absolutely fantastic!! I am so motivated.

 

[Stacy]

When somebody looks at me now I think they are looking at me thinking that I am fat and then I realize that they are just looking at me for no particular reason so therefore maybe before they weren't looking at me judgementaly either but me lack of self esteem made me think that everybody that glanced in my direction was looking at the fat lady.

I think many people feel that way. I really hope that your confidence grows along with your new strength and fitness levels! I can tell your confidence is already growing and I'm so pleased! Hold your head high, sweetie!

 

[Flumes]

Woohoo, Flumes and me will be able to run together.

I realize how lucky I am with the gym prices. The one I go to is the best equipped of the lot but is surprisingly empty although I'm told that it gets really busy in the late afternoon and evening. My sister pays to go to a gym 70 euros a month but as well as the gym she gets to go to as many classes as she wants to including things like yoga, pilates, aquagym, step, salsa, etc as well as use of the hot tubs sauna etc. Although that is a lot more it is also pretty good value if you go to a lot of classes.
Thanks for the info about the rest days. I will be able to do the treadmill each time I go and one day do upper body and one day do lower body. Or does a rest day mean a complete rest not just certain parts of the body?

No...rest days are for the muscle group you worked on so alternating upper and lower muscle groups each day will alternately rest them properly. From what I read, (I'm such a book of knowledge now lol), alot of weight lifters/bodybuilders only lift 3 Xs a week (whole body workouts) and take the weekend off....so they get a two day rest in there too. (If you alternate, you will do 6 workouts and only one day complete rest see?
Also learned, if you want to get big....lift heavy weights a few times. If you want to get toned, lift lighter weights a lot.
In either case....you either have to add weights or increase repetitions as it gets easier to keep the resistance up as you get stronger.
And don't worry about becoming a knuckle dragger or amazon woman from lifting (even heavy) weights ....unless you are eating a big surplus of calories, your not going to add "big" muscles. It takes protein to make muscles, and your body doesn't store protein, nor does fat convert to muscle...so dont worry bout the big muscles with women weight lifting myth.

Ok....enough of my blabberin! I'm just happy you are doing great!!

Have a great day...

 

[Sunflower2]

Oh my god!! Those photos are AWESOME! You look amazing!! Really, you do! So slim and look at your tiny wasit! You've done so well

 

[JanaNanner]

I'm so jealous about your good fortune with your gym. That is an amazing deal. I really want a gym membership but I am a poor person and the gyms here are so expensive. I just work out at home as much as I can with what I have. Apparently I need to live where you live... yeah, sure, it's another country on another continent and an expensive move just for an inexpensive gym membership is not exactly logical, but ooooh well.

Had a nice surprise at the gym. I paid 40 euros for 6 months worth of gym which is amazing value and now they have told me that my husband can come free on my pass. So it works out at 20 euros each (less than 5 US dollars a month for unlimited use 7 days a week) and it cost an extras 30 euros for my daughter.
I'm hoping to tighten up some bits but I think that my upper arms and stomach will be quite a challenge.

It's not just one gym but we have a choice of 4 gyms in the area as well as 2 outdoor and 3 indoor swimming pools all included in the price. It's all local government funded. If you have a family of parents and several kids it's still only 40 euros for the whole family.

 

[ecky1]

Oh my god!! Those photos are AWESOME! You look amazing!! Really, you do! So slim and look at your tiny wasit! You've done so well

Thanks, I feel so much better with the weight loss

Flumes - thanks for the info.

JanaNanner - I'm really lucky to have such a cheap gym as I wouldn't be able to pay 70€ a month for the private ones.

Well, I was a bit naughty yesterday. At lunch time I had family round for a BBQ but managed to not go too mad but then in the evening we had a football party at my house as Spain got through to the World Cup Final. There were nearly 20 people here to watch the game, so we had bowl after bowl of crisps and popcorn as well as pizzas. Then of course when we won we had to celebrate
Didn't exercise at all yesterday but I keep reading that you should rest at least one day a week so it was a conscious decision. Maybe picked the wrong day not to exercise.

PS does anybody know what the little green squares mean that are found under Rep Power?

PPS my daughter's friend just rang to ask if we are going to the gym today. I'm so happy as I didn't expect either of them to want to come with me after last night's celebrations

 

[Flumes]

PS does anybody know what the little green squares mean that are found under Rep Power?

Just hover your cursor over the green squares....prolly put a smile on your face and then want to check out others green squares

Congrats to your country's championship! Much deserved. They played a very offensive game with alot of ball control....Netherlands did a great job defensively but I think it was Spain's that deserved the win. (Hope you partied hearty!)

Have a great day at the gym with your fam!

 

[JanaNanner]

Well, I was a bit naughty yesterday. At lunch time I had family round for a BBQ but managed to not go too mad but then in the evening we had a football party at my house as Spain got through to the World Cup Final. There were nearly 20 people here to watch the game, so we had bowl after bowl of crisps and popcorn as well as pizzas. Then of course when we won we had to celebrate
Didn't exercise at all yesterday but I keep reading that you should rest at least one day a week so it was a conscious decision. Maybe picked the wrong day not to exercise.

PS does anybody know what the little green squares mean that are found under Rep Power?

PPS my daughter's friend just rang to ask if we are going to the gym today. I'm so happy as I didn't expect either of them to want to come with me after last night's celebrations

I was wondering about the rep power, too. I have no idea but hope someone else will explain it. (Haha, and I just noticed Flumes' post. )

It's really difficult being around other people who do not eat healthy. It presents a lot of temptation to join in with them and eat everything they are eating.

And you know, even though you may have gone a little overboard yesterday, I'm sure your daughter's friends can see how much weight you have lost and trust you as an example of how to be a healthy person. What you've done is commendable and I'm sure that's exactly how they feel when they think of you.

 

[Stacy]

Well it sounds like a bit over board on the pizza and crisps but as long as you work out good and hard over the next few days it should all be good. lol I try and do that, when I've splurged some. In any case it sounds like you had a lot of fun and that's awesome, we can't be denying ourselves all the time. *hugs*

 

[jjjay]

Sounds like you had a good time!! And lets face it, even if Spain win the next world cup...that's only a party once every four years!! Just push a bit more down the gym next time you go - it will be fine. The whole point is lifestyle of moderation - not to cut out all the fun stuff.

A while back I decided that if I cut everything out and lived a completely bland puritan lifestyle, I could probably lose 3lbs a week etc... or I could lose 1-2lbs and live with a diet that was do-able long term.

 

[Alta818]

Just hover your cursor over the green squares....prolly put a smile on your face and then want to check out others green squares

Congrats to your country's championship! Much deserved. They played a very offensive game with alot of ball control....Netherlands did a great job defensively but I think it was Spain's that deserved the win. (Hope you partied hearty!)

Have a great day at the gym with your fam!

Omg. I didn't know that until right now about the little green squares either! LOL!! very cute!

 

[ecky1]

Flumes - LOL, never thought to hover over it. Is it totally random or is there some method to it? I'm a jewel in the rough. I think that is about right. I definitely need to smarten myself up and I could look quite presentable now. I think that there is a girls night out coming up so we'll see just how much of a jewel I can be.


Well yesterday my daughter her friend and myself decided to try out a new gym as we had some complimentary tickets. We got there expecting to have our free session straight away but got an hour and a half tour, speech and hard sell. At the end we were told that we could try the place out but we'd had enough by then and just wanted to get out so we went for a walk instead.
The girls went out last night and the friend is sleeping over but they told me to get them up to go to the gym today. It's so nice to have somebody to go with me.

ETA - It's now later in the day. The girls let me down as they didn't get in until 5 oclock this morning but have promised to come tomorrow.
I came out so happy from the gym. I ran for 3 kms without stopping walked for 10 mins and then ran another 3 kms. I'll soon be able to run a 5k without slowing.
I came out on a total high and I think felt prouder of myself than almost any time in my life. Then in the car I started thinking about how my mum would have been so proud of me and I could hear her in my head saying that she was always there with me and was proud.
Then the song - You'll Never Walk Alone - came on the car radio and I sobbed all the way home.
It was a real mixture of emotions and has left me exhausted. I'm quite emotional this week as on Monday it will be a year since we lost my my mum and I miss her so much.
Sorry for the long post. I needed to write that down.

 

[Stacy]

I came out so happy from the gym. I ran for 3 kms without stopping walked for 10 mins and then ran another 3 kms. I'll soon be able to run a 5k without slowing.

That's amazing! A 5k run without slowing would be an awesome accomplishment! You ran 3 kms today! That's ....whoa!

I came out on a total high and I think felt prouder of myself than almost any time in my life. Then in the car I started thinking about how my mum would have been so proud of me and I could hear her in my head saying that she was always there with me and was proud.
Then the song - You'll Never Walk Alone - came on the car radio and I sobbed all the way home.
It was a real mixture of emotions and has left me exhausted. I'm quite emotional this week as on Monday it will be a year since we lost my my mum and I miss her so much.
Sorry for the long post. I needed to write that down.

Reading this made me emotional. That's such a beautiful and moving moment! I have no words to describe how this made me feel. Thank you for opening up and sharing this. You're a beautiful soul, sweetie! *hugs*

 

[heatherdee]

Just quickly have to say - the little green squares are your "reputation" and you get them from other members! There is a little link on each member's posting that says "give rep for this post". That basically just means that you think what they had to say was meaningful/helpful/etc. The more "rep" someone has, generally the longer they've been around and have been posting and contributing to the community. If someone has been less than helpful, they can also lose rep, although I am less sure how that happens (as I'm never giving negative feedback, I just ignore!)

Thanks for sharing about your mom. That was a beautiful tribute to her, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who was able to really feel your loss through that post. You are doing an amazing thing for yourself, and I am sure she would be hella proud of you.

And I would be remiss if I didn't say CONGRATS ON THE RUNNING!!! That's FANTASTIC! Woohoo!

 

[ecky1]

Thank you so much Stacy and Heather for your support.

 

[ecky1]

I'm having a great day. Went for my WW weigh in and had a decent weight loss for the first time in weeks. 900g (2lbs)
Then went to the gym and ran 3.5kms without slowing so beat yesterday by half a km. Ran on and off for a bit more and then did some strength machines.

 

[Rox2]

I'm having a great day. Went for my WW weigh in and had a decent weight loss for the first time in weeks. 900g (2lbs)
Then went to the gym and ran 3.5kms without slowing so beat yesterday by half a km. Ran on and off for a bit more and then did some strength machines.

That's great!
I'm so impressed by your motivation!

I'm just sorry I don't have more time to read and comment here right now. Please know that I think of you and plan to be a faithful reader again when the end of August gets here and vacation craziness is over.

Take care and keep up the good work!