S
SweatPea
Guest
Good luck on that painful challenge!
Struggles on the road to health
- Thread starter MindiK
- Start date
Yeah...the challenge. The husband turned chicken on me and wouldn't go. His "leg hurts," he said. Yeah. Right. So I won by forfeit.
Thanksgiving is stressing me out, with all the food that'll be in my face in a couple of days. I think I'll do ok, though. And I plan to go to the track that morning, before I leave for my brother's place, to get a workout in. The gym I go to is closed that day.
Know what else stresses me out? Hamburger Helper. Gonna have some of it tonight, and I'm not sure what to figure on calories. The type we've got says it's 320 calories, prepared, and among the other nutritional information, it says the prepared stuff includes 22 grams of protein. Am I safe to assume the "prepared" amount INCLUDES meat, or should I add that separately??
Thanksgiving is stressing me out, with all the food that'll be in my face in a couple of days. I think I'll do ok, though. And I plan to go to the track that morning, before I leave for my brother's place, to get a workout in. The gym I go to is closed that day.
Know what else stresses me out? Hamburger Helper. Gonna have some of it tonight, and I'm not sure what to figure on calories. The type we've got says it's 320 calories, prepared, and among the other nutritional information, it says the prepared stuff includes 22 grams of protein. Am I safe to assume the "prepared" amount INCLUDES meat, or should I add that separately??
Well, on the HB Helper, I assumed the prepared was without meat, and added it separately. It was the mother-in-law's birthday yesterday, so I had a small piece of butter pecan cake with butter cream icing. Yum. 
Today I went and worked out, as I do every morning. They'd been telling me previously, when I asked, that the workout center was only closed on Thanksgiving. Well, this morning I told the attendant I'd see her Friday and she said..."We won't be here Friday. We'll be back Monday."
What!?
So what do I do? I thought I could just go tot he track and walk/run a little, maybe climb some bleacher steps. But the weather's getting cold, as of today, and rain is supposed to start and continue through at least Saturday night. Maybe even a little snow. (In Texas...yeah, right. But that's what the weather says.)
So now I'm in need of some home workout ideas, just in case. I have nothing...no weights, no machines, no jump rope. Nada. What's a girl to do?!
Today I went and worked out, as I do every morning. They'd been telling me previously, when I asked, that the workout center was only closed on Thanksgiving. Well, this morning I told the attendant I'd see her Friday and she said..."We won't be here Friday. We'll be back Monday."
What!?
So what do I do? I thought I could just go tot he track and walk/run a little, maybe climb some bleacher steps. But the weather's getting cold, as of today, and rain is supposed to start and continue through at least Saturday night. Maybe even a little snow. (In Texas...yeah, right. But that's what the weather says.)
So now I'm in need of some home workout ideas, just in case. I have nothing...no weights, no machines, no jump rope. Nada. What's a girl to do?!
Cold weather, snow, workouts and more
Oh, and Thanksgiving! I made it through Turkey Day without gaining a pound. In fact, I may have lost one, but that's not official until Wednesday, which is my new "official" weigh-in day. I even ate a small piece of pumpkin pie, and then a small piece of chocolate pie (with chocolate crust....) over the weekend. Yum. That's one thing I'm LOVING about this. I'm eating healthier 98 percent of the time, yet allowing for the good things to put in variety. I'm not cutting out everything I used to eat, I'm just eating less of it, or eating it less often. I think that's REALLY helping me stick to it.
So anyway, it snowed at my brother's house near Fort Worth on Thanksgiving Day, but it didn't stick. We didn't get any where I live until yesterday and last night. It got really icy out on the highway...my husband just called, and while he was leaving town for work he came up on a head-on collision. Normally it'd be my job to go take pictures for the paper, but I decided after he said there was black ice ALL over the place out there that I'd rather stay here and preserve my life and vehicle than run off and try to take pictures of something. There comes a time when my life has to be more important than a picture, and this is one of those times. He just called back and said he was glad I hadn't come out there, because everyone driving out that way is sliding and wrecking all over the place. I'm not good on ice. He is...and right now he's in a full size 18-wheeler hauling about 250,000 pounds of metal. He's good to go.
So anyway, on Thursday and Friday it was just cold. Thursday I went to the track and walked a mile in about 15 minutes, then jogged and walked another one in a little less time...between 10 and 15 minutes. Friday I woke up SO sore. Which brings up a question....
Why was I so sore? I've been working out and using many of the same muscles I've been using every day since July 30. So why was I sore, like I hadn't EVER worked out before?
On Friday the husband went with me, and matched me step for step. It was odd on Friday....there was a little sleet/snow falling on half the track, but not on the other half. Weird. But his matching my pace was really depressing. Don't get me wrong...I was glad he went. But it made me feel like nothing I've been doing has improved my health in any way.
I mean...he's 29, has smoked since he was 17 (1 1/2 packs a day average), drinks beer on weekends, never watches what he eats and doesn't work out. And yet he could've gone on when I had to stop. I know I'm losing weight, but obviously my overall fitness level isn't improving at all. What's up with that?
Oh, and Thanksgiving! I made it through Turkey Day without gaining a pound. In fact, I may have lost one, but that's not official until Wednesday, which is my new "official" weigh-in day. I even ate a small piece of pumpkin pie, and then a small piece of chocolate pie (with chocolate crust....) over the weekend. Yum. That's one thing I'm LOVING about this. I'm eating healthier 98 percent of the time, yet allowing for the good things to put in variety. I'm not cutting out everything I used to eat, I'm just eating less of it, or eating it less often. I think that's REALLY helping me stick to it.
So anyway, it snowed at my brother's house near Fort Worth on Thanksgiving Day, but it didn't stick. We didn't get any where I live until yesterday and last night. It got really icy out on the highway...my husband just called, and while he was leaving town for work he came up on a head-on collision. Normally it'd be my job to go take pictures for the paper, but I decided after he said there was black ice ALL over the place out there that I'd rather stay here and preserve my life and vehicle than run off and try to take pictures of something. There comes a time when my life has to be more important than a picture, and this is one of those times. He just called back and said he was glad I hadn't come out there, because everyone driving out that way is sliding and wrecking all over the place. I'm not good on ice. He is...and right now he's in a full size 18-wheeler hauling about 250,000 pounds of metal. He's good to go.
So anyway, on Thursday and Friday it was just cold. Thursday I went to the track and walked a mile in about 15 minutes, then jogged and walked another one in a little less time...between 10 and 15 minutes. Friday I woke up SO sore. Which brings up a question....
Why was I so sore? I've been working out and using many of the same muscles I've been using every day since July 30. So why was I sore, like I hadn't EVER worked out before?
On Friday the husband went with me, and matched me step for step. It was odd on Friday....there was a little sleet/snow falling on half the track, but not on the other half. Weird. But his matching my pace was really depressing. Don't get me wrong...I was glad he went. But it made me feel like nothing I've been doing has improved my health in any way.
I mean...he's 29, has smoked since he was 17 (1 1/2 packs a day average), drinks beer on weekends, never watches what he eats and doesn't work out. And yet he could've gone on when I had to stop. I know I'm losing weight, but obviously my overall fitness level isn't improving at all. What's up with that?
On Tuesday morning I kinda slacked on the workout. I've got a cold, and when I wake up in the morning I'm hacking and coughing and sneezing and such, so I got on the elliptical for 20 minutes and nearly DIED. I kept having to stop to blow my nose, cough, etc. It took me half an hour to do the 20 minutes. All this crud clears up in the afternoons, so that's what I'm doing this week.
Yesterday went MUCH better. I hit the bike for 25 minutes, did my normal weights (went up to 60 pounds on my legs), added another lift the lady there said would help my arms with the free weights, and then did the elliptical for 15 minutes. I was a sweaty mess when I was done, but it felt GOOD.
I've also found that going in the afternoon is breaking me out of the rut I was in. I've been going in the morning for so long I wasn't wanting to get up and do it anymore. I'm doing the same things, but it seems different in the afternoon. Who knows why?
Got on the scale yesterday and was down to 193. Whoo hoo!!!! Then stepped on this morning for the heck of it and saw a 191. I stopped short of celebrating, though, because I figure that'll go back up a couple of pounds (as in an inaccurate reading). I get those sometimes...but it was good to see.
Anyway, gotta work. Yay.
Yesterday went MUCH better. I hit the bike for 25 minutes, did my normal weights (went up to 60 pounds on my legs), added another lift the lady there said would help my arms with the free weights, and then did the elliptical for 15 minutes. I was a sweaty mess when I was done, but it felt GOOD.
I've also found that going in the afternoon is breaking me out of the rut I was in. I've been going in the morning for so long I wasn't wanting to get up and do it anymore. I'm doing the same things, but it seems different in the afternoon. Who knows why?
Got on the scale yesterday and was down to 193. Whoo hoo!!!!
Then stepped on this morning for the heck of it and saw a 191. I stopped short of celebrating, though, because I figure that'll go back up a couple of pounds (as in an inaccurate reading). I get those sometimes...but it was good to see.Anyway, gotta work. Yay.
Nice scale reading - still worthy of a celebration - you know if it got there once -it's only a matter of time before it gets there again... well done.
What a weekend. The husband and I went to see his dad in Oklahoma, and that's the first time I'd ever been up there. It was a 3 hour drive, and we spent one night and left Sunday to come back to Texas. Spent entirely too much money, and ate out too much, but I think I was able to keep things within the normal range. I got on the scale this morning and it said 192.2, which is up from the 191 or so it was reading before the weekend.
I still think that was too low, but anyway. If I got through the weekend with only a one pound gain, I did ok. But, for that matter, this is my "no weigh" week due to cramping, bloating and water retention. So I'll see where I ultimately land this coming weekend, or next week.
Thursday will be rough...it's the city's annual Christmas thing, and I've got to make cookies and TRY not to eat them. The holidays are rough on a diet....
I still think that was too low, but anyway. If I got through the weekend with only a one pound gain, I did ok. But, for that matter, this is my "no weigh" week due to cramping, bloating and water retention. So I'll see where I ultimately land this coming weekend, or next week.
Thursday will be rough...it's the city's annual Christmas thing, and I've got to make cookies and TRY not to eat them. The holidays are rough on a diet....
make the cookies you don't like.. 
That's the plan, Maleficent. I'm NOT a fan of pecans, at all, so I'm using those in the chocolate and peanut butter chip ones.
I went home yesterday and found out the husband is being sent with a load of stuff up to Kansas tomorrow night, and won't be back 'til Thursday. So the dinner I'd planned is a no-go, since I'll be cooking for only one.
Any ideas on something I can make at home, for one, without a lot of effort (since I'll be making cookies at the same time)?
I went home yesterday and found out the husband is being sent with a load of stuff up to Kansas tomorrow night, and won't be back 'til Thursday. So the dinner I'd planned is a no-go, since I'll be cooking for only one.
Any ideas on something I can make at home, for one, without a lot of effort (since I'll be making cookies at the same time)?
Had half a day off yesterday, and it was great. I'd worked out in the morning, and my husband was gone on a work trip ('til today), so I became a couch potato for a while, then put up a Christmas tree, made cookies for tonight's downtown event-thingy, and decided to make my husband suffer. (Insert evil laugh here)
You see, my mom and I always put up our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. For the first 21 years of my life (or, well...the 18 or so I can remember), it was me and my mom and a tree working off those Thanksgiving calories. Well, my mom died very suddenly in January 2004, and ever since then, other than the first Christmas when I was too depressed to care, I've kept that tradition.
The husband wouldn't allow it, because HIS family's tradition was to have a real tree up a couple of weeks before Christmas, then down the next day. So we "compromised," and I put it up yesterday.
But to make him suffer for breaking my tradition, I put up more than the tree. I found a sparkly red table runner and put it on the coffee table, directly in the line of sight between the couch, where he lives, and the TV. On top of the runner I put a little snowman snow globe and a set of cute, tall candle holders (also sparkly) that look like candy canes. On the table to the right I put a glittery silver wire Christmas tree that's about 8 inches tall. The actual tree isn't far behind it.
He'll be surrounded!!!
I just hope it all survives his return home, when I'm not there this afternoon.
Today will be a busy day... Worked out this morning (20 minutes on the bike and 15 on the elliptical. Workouts during that "time of the month" suck!). I'm supposed to be uploading news to our Web site, but the service seems to be down. I've got to put pictures on another site, go through the area obituaries, do an interview at 10 a.m., run to lunch for a peanut butter sandwich, take the dog to the vet in a town 30 minutes away, return to work, hope the dog doesn't have another allergic reaction to the shot, go home at 4, eat dinner and come BACK to work from 5:30-8 or so.
Wish me luck...
You see, my mom and I always put up our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. For the first 21 years of my life (or, well...the 18 or so I can remember), it was me and my mom and a tree working off those Thanksgiving calories. Well, my mom died very suddenly in January 2004, and ever since then, other than the first Christmas when I was too depressed to care, I've kept that tradition.
The husband wouldn't allow it, because HIS family's tradition was to have a real tree up a couple of weeks before Christmas, then down the next day. So we "compromised," and I put it up yesterday.
But to make him suffer for breaking my tradition, I put up more than the tree. I found a sparkly red table runner and put it on the coffee table, directly in the line of sight between the couch, where he lives, and the TV. On top of the runner I put a little snowman snow globe and a set of cute, tall candle holders (also sparkly) that look like candy canes. On the table to the right I put a glittery silver wire Christmas tree that's about 8 inches tall. The actual tree isn't far behind it.
He'll be surrounded!!!
I just hope it all survives his return home, when I'm not there this afternoon.Today will be a busy day... Worked out this morning (20 minutes on the bike and 15 on the elliptical. Workouts during that "time of the month" suck!). I'm supposed to be uploading news to our Web site, but the service seems to be down. I've got to put pictures on another site, go through the area obituaries, do an interview at 10 a.m., run to lunch for a peanut butter sandwich, take the dog to the vet in a town 30 minutes away, return to work, hope the dog doesn't have another allergic reaction to the shot, go home at 4, eat dinner and come BACK to work from 5:30-8 or so.
Wish me luck...
Cookies are the devil!
Somehow, some way, I made it through a week of being bombarded with (and eating) sweets without gaining weight. Whoo hoo!!!!! Official weigh-in is Wednesday, so let's keep our fingers crossed that it STAYS that way.
The weekend was ok. Got most of the Christmas shopping done. All that's left is the husband. I've got an idea of what I'm getting him, and luckily I've got half a day of vacation to take by Friday so I can get it done. It's SO busy this Christmas season, and mostly with HIS family. We've got to go to his Granny's this Sunday and his dad's next Saturday, while finding time to do everything else we have to do, too.
At least the busy stuff is on the weekend, so it won't affect my workout schedule. I'm so used to going every day I nearly had a fit when it was looking like it'd be too icy this morning to go. I would've made it, but the lady who opens up the place lives way out in the country and wasn't going to come in if it was icy. Thank goodness all the ice stayed to the north.
Is it normal to get so antsy over maybe missing a workout? Am I becoming unhealthily obsessed?
On the bad side, all the ice means the husband is probably not working, and therefore not getting paid, 'til Oklahoma defrosts. Which may be a few days. Which is seriously going to have an impact on Christmas.
Went to work out this morning, and about halfway through a 30 minute session on the recumbent bike the little strap on the pedal broke, so my left foot started flying around all over the place. It was hard to get through it, but I finished the 30 minutes with a little over 8 miles ridden. My left hip was killing me, so I slacked a little on the lower-body weights and didn't do the elliptical. I'll pick it back up tomorrow. Unless this junk all freezes today and tonight...then my workout may be skiing to work!!
Somehow, some way, I made it through a week of being bombarded with (and eating) sweets without gaining weight. Whoo hoo!!!!! Official weigh-in is Wednesday, so let's keep our fingers crossed that it STAYS that way.
The weekend was ok. Got most of the Christmas shopping done. All that's left is the husband. I've got an idea of what I'm getting him, and luckily I've got half a day of vacation to take by Friday so I can get it done. It's SO busy this Christmas season, and mostly with HIS family. We've got to go to his Granny's this Sunday and his dad's next Saturday, while finding time to do everything else we have to do, too.
At least the busy stuff is on the weekend, so it won't affect my workout schedule. I'm so used to going every day I nearly had a fit when it was looking like it'd be too icy this morning to go. I would've made it, but the lady who opens up the place lives way out in the country and wasn't going to come in if it was icy. Thank goodness all the ice stayed to the north.
Is it normal to get so antsy over maybe missing a workout? Am I becoming unhealthily obsessed?
On the bad side, all the ice means the husband is probably not working, and therefore not getting paid, 'til Oklahoma defrosts. Which may be a few days. Which is seriously going to have an impact on Christmas.
Went to work out this morning, and about halfway through a 30 minute session on the recumbent bike the little strap on the pedal broke, so my left foot started flying around all over the place. It was hard to get through it, but I finished the 30 minutes with a little over 8 miles ridden. My left hip was killing me, so I slacked a little on the lower-body weights and didn't do the elliptical. I'll pick it back up tomorrow. Unless this junk all freezes today and tonight...then my workout may be skiing to work!!
Halfway there!
So I got in the scale this morning and....189.0!! It's the second day I got that reading, so I guess it's sticking. Yay!!
I changed my ticker to reflect both my starting weight, 220, and my goal, 160. At least I think that's my goal. I'm not sure what my "ideal" healthy weight really is. I'm 5'9" and, according to the "finger test" (where you loop your thumb and forefinger around the smallest part of your wrist - if they overlap you've got a small frame, if they touch just barely you're medium and if they don't touch at all you're large)...I'm a small frame. Who knew!? Different sites say different things. Can anyone help me on this? Should I be looking at weight, or overall BMI?
Anyway, the husband didn't have to get up as early as always, so I slept in a little with him. I'm going to work out this afternoon. The machines are getting SO tedious. I wish they had more stuff up there. Just a treadmill (which I hate with a passion), a recumbent bike and an elliptical trainer, and the nautilus machine. And the elliptical trainer is in a room all by itself, without any TV, music or people to give you something to look at or think of. All I hear is my labored breathing and the beating of my heart for 15-25 minutes at a time. Not fun at ALL.
Gotta work...whee.
So I got in the scale this morning and....189.0!! It's the second day I got that reading, so I guess it's sticking. Yay!!
I changed my ticker to reflect both my starting weight, 220, and my goal, 160. At least I think that's my goal. I'm not sure what my "ideal" healthy weight really is. I'm 5'9" and, according to the "finger test" (where you loop your thumb and forefinger around the smallest part of your wrist - if they overlap you've got a small frame, if they touch just barely you're medium and if they don't touch at all you're large)...I'm a small frame. Who knew!? Different sites say different things. Can anyone help me on this? Should I be looking at weight, or overall BMI?
Anyway, the husband didn't have to get up as early as always, so I slept in a little with him. I'm going to work out this afternoon. The machines are getting SO tedious. I wish they had more stuff up there. Just a treadmill (which I hate with a passion), a recumbent bike and an elliptical trainer, and the nautilus machine. And the elliptical trainer is in a room all by itself, without any TV, music or people to give you something to look at or think of. All I hear is my labored breathing and the beating of my heart for 15-25 minutes at a time. Not fun at ALL.
Gotta work...whee.
So this past Sunday we had Christmas #1 with my husband's grandmother. I did ok on the eating, considering she only had sandwiches. I ate a turkey and cheese sandwich...or about 2/3 of the meat and cheese, and all the bread. I can't STAND when turkey is all stringy...yuck. Anyway...I ate some potato chips, little cheese cubes and some pickles. I stayed away from the cheesecake for dessert, even though it is my most favorite thing on this earth. If I could choose one single thing to eat every single day for the rest of my life it'd be cheesecake.
So I did well all weekend long, and stayed within the calorie limit. Imagine my surprise when I stepped on the scale this morning and saw a 1 pound gain.
I was freaking out at first, then I thought...I drank really NO water this weekend. I do so horrible with water on weekends. At our local Dollar Store they sell 50.7 ounce bottles of water, and I buy those for work during the week. I'll generally drink at least 1 1/2 bottles per DAY. Then on weekends...nothing.
Can lack of water on weekends, which are only two days, cause weight gain?
So I did well all weekend long, and stayed within the calorie limit. Imagine my surprise when I stepped on the scale this morning and saw a 1 pound gain.
I was freaking out at first, then I thought...I drank really NO water this weekend. I do so horrible with water on weekends. At our local Dollar Store they sell 50.7 ounce bottles of water, and I buy those for work during the week. I'll generally drink at least 1 1/2 bottles per DAY. Then on weekends...nothing.
Can lack of water on weekends, which are only two days, cause weight gain?
So this past Sunday we had Christmas #1 with my husband's grandmother. I did ok on the eating, considering she only had sandwiches. I ate a turkey and cheese sandwich...or about 2/3 of the meat and cheese, and all the bread. I can't STAND when turkey is all stringy...yuck. Anyway...I ate some potato chips, little cheese cubes and some pickles. I stayed away from the cheesecake for dessert, even though it is my most favorite thing on this earth. If I could choose one single thing to eat every single day for the rest of my life it'd be cheesecake.
So I did well all weekend long, and stayed within the calorie limit. Imagine my surprise when I stepped on the scale this morning and saw a 1 pound gain.
I was freaking out at first, then I thought...I drank really NO water this weekend. I do so horrible with water on weekends. At our local Dollar Store they sell 50.7 ounce bottles of water, and I buy those for work during the week. I'll generally drink at least 1 1/2 bottles per DAY. Then on weekends...nothing.
Can lack of water on weekends, which are only two days, cause weight gain?
Oh, also on Friday, when I was lifting weight on the Nautilus machine, I had a little incident brought on by my own inability to function properly.
I'd been lifting with me legs and went to stand up. Rather than just lift a leg OVER the thing, I whacked my knee into it. Yeah, it hurt. A lot. My entire left knee from about two inches above to the bottom of my kneecap is blue. My husband had no sympathy.
So that was my weekend. This week I'm burned out on the bike, so I'm going to do more elliptical. Wish me luck!!
So I did well all weekend long, and stayed within the calorie limit. Imagine my surprise when I stepped on the scale this morning and saw a 1 pound gain.
I was freaking out at first, then I thought...I drank really NO water this weekend. I do so horrible with water on weekends. At our local Dollar Store they sell 50.7 ounce bottles of water, and I buy those for work during the week. I'll generally drink at least 1 1/2 bottles per DAY. Then on weekends...nothing.
Can lack of water on weekends, which are only two days, cause weight gain?
Oh, also on Friday, when I was lifting weight on the Nautilus machine, I had a little incident brought on by my own inability to function properly.
I'd been lifting with me legs and went to stand up. Rather than just lift a leg OVER the thing, I whacked my knee into it. Yeah, it hurt. A lot. My entire left knee from about two inches above to the bottom of my kneecap is blue. My husband had no sympathy.
So that was my weekend. This week I'm burned out on the bike, so I'm going to do more elliptical. Wish me luck!!
S
SweatPea
Guest
Hi Mindi! 
It sounds like you are doing well! And your ticker is going in the right direction....Congrats on the success thus far.
It sounds like you are doing well! And your ticker is going in the right direction....Congrats on the success thus far.
Thanks SweatPea!! I think things have finally leveled out after my water-free weekend, too.
Update:
I'm getting SO burned out on the little bit of exercise equipment the place I work out at has. So I'm changing things up a little bit. On the elliptical, especially.
I've been doing 15-20 minutes at a time on the machine, and it's just gotten SO boring! In a room with nothing to look at and nobody to talk to and nothing to distract me...it just drags on. So a couple of days ago I began an elliptical "routine" of sorts where I spend two minutes going forward, then one minute backward. I watch the clock on the machine when I'm doing it, which used to bother me, but this way it gives me some type of change to look forward to so it goes by so much faster. It'll improve even more, I think, after I get an Ipod or something to let me listen to some music.
The workouts are still hard on the elliptical, but it's easier for me to complete them this way. I'm even going to up my time at least five minutes today, and see if that holds true. Wish me luck!
Update:
I'm getting SO burned out on the little bit of exercise equipment the place I work out at has. So I'm changing things up a little bit. On the elliptical, especially.
I've been doing 15-20 minutes at a time on the machine, and it's just gotten SO boring! In a room with nothing to look at and nobody to talk to and nothing to distract me...it just drags on. So a couple of days ago I began an elliptical "routine" of sorts where I spend two minutes going forward, then one minute backward. I watch the clock on the machine when I'm doing it, which used to bother me, but this way it gives me some type of change to look forward to so it goes by so much faster. It'll improve even more, I think, after I get an Ipod or something to let me listen to some music.
The workouts are still hard on the elliptical, but it's easier for me to complete them this way. I'm even going to up my time at least five minutes today, and see if that holds true. Wish me luck!
Check out women's health magazine's website - they usually have suggested programs that you can use to kick ulp your cardio routine to make it more effective and more fun for yourself... generally it's a specific time at a specific interval...