Today is weigh in day so I just got off the scale and it said I am down to 252 thats four pounds less than nearly 3 weeks ago.I think it could have been a bit less but this last week I havent works out as much as the weeks before..havent felt to good so I rested more,I feel better today so tomorrow im back to the gym to lose some more chub.
I want to thank and congradulate the folks hear who are doing what it takes to be healthy,give incouragement to each other,give plenty of advice and ideas for us to try and share.Good job and cary on.:hangloose:

Are y'all tired of me blah-blah-blahing yet?
I dunno. I usually don't share anything about my exercise routines or eating plans because it's such a personal and private journey but I did hit a pretty major milestone tonight and want to share.

I just got off of my treadmill and was able to walk 3/4 of a mile pretty vigorously.
I was able to do 20 solid minutes without feeling scared and, more significantly, without much more than mild pain.
Im pretty proud of that.

My goal is to do a mile. I'll be there by the end of the week.

Now if everyone would post their favorite workout music mixes, that would be great because Janet Jackson's "Feedback" and Petey Pablo's "Raise Up" are getting OLDDDD!

So proud of you! I pushed myself pretty hard today too. I did mile walk, and then tried to run a half mile. I didn't do the half mile, only a quarter, but God bless, it was so much more than I thought I was going to do. You are absolutely right! It is scary as hell to do this. You are beautiful and amazing, and thank you for sharing!

P.S. I had a really emotional day today because of how much it feels good to do this. Sounds kinda crazy.

Medusa
I use anything with a good rythum and drum beats,Jerry Lee Louis,the original Rocky sound track esp the one with servivor on it,Ray Stevens is good I really like the corney ones cause it keeps me up beat...and sometimes the big band and music by Glen Miller and Benny Goodman yeah I telling my age a bit.Dont forget some of the old rock and rockabill stuff works really well to.
I never could feel comfy on a tredmill so I sold mine cause it just didnt feel stedy.At the wellness center I use a rowing machine,a recumbant bike I went 61/2 miles the last day I went to the club.I laso do a lot of weigh lifting as well as some balance stuff.The center is haveing tichi class start next week gonna give it a try being im a stumbling triping over my feet fool maybe I can gain some balance.
Take care
Rock

P.S..Medusa
Go to the goodwill store and check the cd's and casets they have I got a whole lot of my music for .99 each..workout and motivation stuff a dollar or two.I love shopeing in the place
Rock

This is awesome! Make sure you taper off slowly because the caffeine headache is NO FRIGGIN' JOKE! I had a low-grade headache for a WEEK after I quit Diet Cokes. Some of it might have been the artifical sweetener but was probably more about the caffeine than anything.

Squeeze a little lemon in your water or a lime to make it interesting. After a week or two you will find that you crave water over anything else :)

let's do it
 

Let's talk turkey!
 

Ok Pinkie - Help a girl out! I am SCARED of ground turkey. Does it have a funky taste? How's the texture?

That is next on my list of things to convert in our diet because we were eating WAY too much red meat. I have several recipes that look like they might be good with ground turkey but I've been scared to take the plunge for imaginging that it will taste FUNKAYYY!

when I am on the treadmill, which I enjoy since I do my nina-power-treadmill, which means I do the incline at 4.5 or 5.5 and the speed is a little under a 20 min. mile (I like to do a 17 min. mile, but there are times I don't make that goal), which I know is slow, but I like the intensity of the higher incline, rather than upping the speed...and I try for several miles, or at least 40 mins...BUT--there was a point, I watch movies on my i-touch...for me, it's much more engaging than music...also, the gym music I had for Years are all on, and remember here I. Am. Old., the music is on tapes!...I miss them, the tapes that is since a wonderful departed friend was a genus at making tapes for people...we all still have them, he made them with each of us in mind, and they are all of them, for all of us, perfect....so, since I can't listen to john's tapes any more, I watch movies...just a thought is all...

(now, if I could figure how to get my beloved dave 'n cody on the touch you'd never see me any where but at the gym, watching them!) :)

don't fear the turkey
 

We eat a lot of ground turkey and I agree with Pinkie, after awhile it tastes just like hamburger to me (well, almost!). We don't eat a lot of red meat at all anymore. If you do take the plunge and buy ground turkey Medusa, I have a few tips for you. I like a turkey burger on the grill. So we buy ground turkey and mix it with somethings to spice it up before I throw them on the grill. I have used combos of the following: salt and pepper, or seasoned salt, granulated garlic, Worcestershire or like an A1 steak sauce, chopped green onions, or my personal fave diced red onions, even fresh herbs (whatever you like). This stuff adds zero fat and zero or maybe one point to your food (if you're doing WWs) but adds great flavor. I have also added an egg and bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese to make meatballs but now that I'm on WWs I don't. Very tasty! Really, ground turkey is a great addition to those of you who want to get away from red meat. I get the 93/7, that's some very lean meat folks. And there's really little or no fat to drain off!


It would be great if we could share some new music ideas! I have two ipods and I am burnt on all my music these days! I'm open to almost everything and will come back and post my some faves later. I'd love to hear about everyone's ideas for good work out music. Thanks for sharing and reading everyone!

Back to the salt mines!



:koolaid:

I'm doing Weight watcher's at work. Today was the first weigh-in day and (for two weeks since last week was a holiday monday) - down 4.2lbs. Not bad considering I ate chocolate every day and mcdonald's yesterday (yes I counted the points).

Need to cook more but it's a good start.

Today is Monday..Yes, I worked out.At the moment my body is cusin me big time for the two hours I put in at the gym.After 30 minits on the cross trainer then another 20 on the epilitical I should have been dead..but I went upstairs to the weight room wich is my curse in life cause if I dont go there I dont feel ive done a work out.After mega amount of ab crinches,leg presses with 140pounds,then the weigh bar thingy and then the squats with 125 pounds in the bar plus various other things I did a fue of hear and there..I quit for the day.tomorrow is a work day I prolly will be crawling but I will be there.Today was the day to go for broke or stay home day.If I have any good sence tomorrow I should go swiming but I will have tp stop by the weight room to do what I didnt do today.Yeah I know im a gluton for pinishment and pain..it takes me to a zen place after a while...really it dose.

If anyone in here has purchased a "shake-weight", I miiiiight reserve the right to make fun of you :)

Seriously, anyone wanna talk about their exercise routine? Do you bike or walk? Lift weights? A combo of everything? What has gotten you the best results?

p.s. Im about to head over to the Farmer's Market. I'll post back what I pick up! :)

Just did 15 minutes on the Mobia...working my way up to 30 minutes....and drank a whole bottle of water while I was at it. :cheer:

Dripping sweat...and now headed to the shower.

For the past 1.5 years, I have kept up with averaging 4 hours per week minimum of exercise. That's my requirement for myself! I keep a calendar just for exercise, and I put a sticker for every 30 minutes of exercise. Thus if I have a week where I don't exercise at all, then I have to exercise over 4 hours until I get back to averaging 4 hours! It helps so much to have this system because I can't lie to myself!

I love exercising! I know a lot of people don't but as someone who has struggled with depression and anxiety, the endorphin rush and overall calmly energizing effect it has on me is not to be beat! If I have the time, I will exercise straight for three or four hours. It's not true that full-figured people can't rock the gym. It just takes time and practice.

I have a few favorite exercises. I love to use a recumbent bike and to lift 3 lb weights the whole time while I do it. For anyone who has knee problems (me) or is full-figured and is thus at risk for knee stress, a wonderful way to achieve a high heart rate is too lessen the level on the bike (thus putting less pressure on your knees) while lifting simultaneous with riding. I do this for 1 to 2 hours at a time (with a bottle of water at my side).

I love to swim and usually swim laps for an hour, sometimes two. It's fun to do after biking. I have had problems in the past with sinus infections and figured out all kinds of great ways to avoid them should anyone ever need to know. Swimming is very meditative and anonymous, and really nothing compares to it for me. It is the exercise that is least injurious to the body, particularly the knees.

I love to do thirty minute sessions on the floor where I do sit-ups and stretches. I do this after doing my cardio. It is very relaxing and the stretching helps prevent injuries.

Since I exercise at a gym, one of the most helpful things I've found is to spend a lot of time watching other people exercise. I always learn something new to try.

We do have a bike at home that BB uses but I like to exercise at the gym. I love having a clear separation from home, where I generally do my art, and the gym, where I work out. The gym feels like a church to me. I feel that it is my time to be in touch with my body and not think about all my worries. I also find that I eat better when going to the gym because I'm more in tune with my body.

Usually when I go on a binge or a period of insomnia, my eating and exercise go out the window together. That happens for about a week total every month (actually 6.5 days, as I've been tracking the average number of days per month for six months). If I could lessen these breakdowns, then I'd be able to go from maintaining my weight to losing weight. Sometimes I just get so stressed that I completely break down in an unhealthy way. Life is rough that way, but I'm gonna keep trying and not be too hard on myself either!

At the moment I can't afford a gym membership so I've gotten creative with finding aerobic and strength training exercises I can do at/near home.

Dog walks - 3x a day. Good for him, good for me.
15minutes in the morning, 15minutes before bed, and somewhere between 30-60minutes in the late afternoon/early evening (depending on my work schedule). The longer walks are no less than 4x a week. It can be challenging to get an aerobic walking pace going with a dog, but I've been training Cosmo to keep pace on our longer walks. I'm fortunate to have miles and miles of bike path running right outside of my back garden. On average we do 2-4miles at a rate of 4-4.25mph

Hula Hoop!
It makes me laugh and its great aerobic exercise when you can sustain it. I hula-hoop 20-30min.

Balance Ball
I love the balance ball because I can do core strengthening exercises without straining/harming my neck.
The balance ball takes a little bit of time to find your center of gravity on - but once you do, it is fantastic. I rarely do floor/mat exercises without it. Here is a page I have bookmarked because it has some great core strengthening exercises with the balance ball.
http://www.ehow.com/video_7524692_st...cises-abs.html

Pilates
For core strength. Pilates are hard-core, though you might not think it from observing. Small, controlled exercise in repetition that target the core. There are a lot of pilates programmes on on-demand type channels. Though I recommend starting out with a class or two so that an instructor can correct you position, so that you get a truly effective work out. Taking a pilates class is also GREAT for people with injuries to the neck or back because all of the exercises can be adjusted to suit your needs.

Couch25k
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
I hate running, but I am trying this because running would be the most time efficient and cost effective aerobic workout I could do. I still dislike running, but this programme does allow you to slowly increase your endurance.

Swimming
I love love love the water so this time of year is great for me.
An all-over body work out that you can do at your own pace, with very little stress on your body.

Ok folks! Just got back from the Farmer's Market!

Here's what I got:

a huge ripe cantelope - $1.50
a huge sack of red new potatoes - $3.00
green bell peppers - 5/$1
purple onions - 3/$1
a pound of strawberries - $2
a pound of peaches - $2
a jar of salsa that I will probably give to someone here at work - $5

And it was ALL organic!


There weren't too many people there today because it's like 150 degrees outside but the lady at one of the booths who I fell in love with said that if I come at 8am I can get pretty much any fruit or vegetable you can imagine.

DEFINITELY going back on Thursday. I love the idea of buying local and also, many of the vendors are elderly so I kinda love handing over my dollars to those wrinkled palms rather than Wal-Mart or the grocery store.

WEE!

*I need all the help I can get*
 

I'm not sure if this is the only thread talking about WW tips, recipes, encouragement, but if so I'd like to jump in. :cheer:

Dreamsicle Shiver
 

Feelin' Shakie!

http://www.hungry-girl.com/uploads/s...Shiver_web.jpg

"Knock, knock! Who's there? Orange. Orange who? Orange you craving a creamy new concoction that combines orange and vanilla? This new sipper is AMAZING! Grab a straw, people."

Ingredients:
2 tsp. fat-free nondairy powdered creamer (like the kind by Coffee-mate)
1 no-calorie sweetener packet (like Splenda or Truvia)
1 cup Trop50 No Pulp orange juice beverage
1/2 cup fat-free vanilla ice cream
1 1/2 cups crushed ice or 8 - 12 ice cubes

Directions:
In a tall glass, combine powdered creamer and sweetener with 2 tbsp. very hot water; stir to dissolve. Add Trop50 and mix well.

Transfer contents of the glass to a blender. Add all remaining ingredients and blend at high speed until thoroughly mixed. If needed, remove blender from the base, stir mixture, and blend again.

Pour into the glass, stick a straw in it, and slurp away!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Serving Size: entire recipe (about 16 oz.)
Calories: 164
Fat: <0.5g
Sodium: 65mg
Carbs: 38g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 20g
Protein: 3g

PointsPlus® value 4*

HG's Ultimate Movie-Viewing Snack Mix
 

HG's Ultimate Movie-Viewing Snack Mix

http://www.hungry-girl.com/uploads/I...ackMix_web.png

PER SERVING (1/4th of recipe, about 2 1/2 cups): 187 calories, 3.5g fat, 235mg sodium, 35g carbs, 3g fiber, 14g sugars, 3g protein -- PointsPlus® value 5*

Wanna snack on something large, sweet, AND salty!? Smuggle in a serving of this stuff...

Ingredients:
1 standard-sized bag 94% fat-free butter-flavored microwave popcorn
2 1/2 tbsp. peanut butter chips (found in the baking aisle)
1 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar (not packed)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 cups Chocolate Cheerios (or another low-fat chocolatey cereal with about 130 calories per cup)

Directions:
Cook popcorn according to package directions. Meanwhile, place peanut butter chips into a small sealable plastic bag; using a meat mallet or another heavy utensil, finely crush chips through the bag.

Once popcorn is just cool enough to handle, measure 8 cups and place in a large microwave-safe bowl, discarding any unpopped kernels. (Save the rest of the popcorn for another time.) Evenly sprinkle crushed peanut butter chips, brown sugar, and cinnamon over the popcorn.

Microwave for 30 seconds, or until the crushed peanut butter chips have partially melted.

Gently but thoroughly mix contents of the bowl to evenly distribute the toppings. Add chocolate cereal and mix well.

Serve it up (or pack it into sealable bags) and enjoy!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Ham and Black Bean Wraps
 

http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images...wraps_n_lg.jpg

PointsPlus™ Value: 7
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 18 min
Cooking Time: 6 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients


1 spray(s) cooking spray
1 cup(s) cooked lean ham, diced
1 cup(s) canned refried black beans
1 cup(s) canned black beans, rinsed and drained

4 medium whole wheat tortilla(s), warmed

1/2 cup(s) fat-free black bean dip

2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped

1/4 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, or low-fat shredded Monterey Jack
2 medium scallion(s), chopped
Instructions

Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over high heat. Add ham; sauté until browned and crispy on edges, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in both beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 3 minutes.

Place a tortilla on a dinner plate and spread with 2 tablespoons of dip; top with 1/2 cup of bean mixture, 1/2 tablespoon of cilantro, 1 tablespoon of cheese and 1/4 of scallions. Fold in sides of tortilla and roll up; repeat with remaining ingredients. Yields 1 wrap per serving.

Tonyaboo - This is such a good thing that you recognized your weak spot and asked for encourgement. I love me some chips and salsa and get the desire for the crunchy/spicy goodness.

I think there are a lot of salsas available that are actually pretty low in calories or you could make one at home with the basics. The chip part would be the hard one but maybe some baked chips or a few Rye Crisps would do it?

To satiate my Mexican food craving, I have done a "taco salad" with lettuce, black beans, a few sprinkles of corn, salsa, cilantro, onion, and baked chicken. It REALLY satisfies. :)

Black Bean Salsa with Chili-Baked Chips
 

http://aka.weightwatchers.com/images...ansalsa_lg.jpg

PointsPlus™ Value: 3
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 21 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Sure, you can buy salsa in a jar, but our homemade variety is bursting with the flavors of juicy tomatoes, crisp red onions and freshly chopped cilantro.
Ingredients
19 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained
14 1/2 oz canned crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted, drained
2 medium tomato(es), chopped
1/2 cup(s) red onion(s), chopped
1/4 cup(s) cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp table salt
8 medium tortilla, flour, fat-free
1 spray(s) cooking spray, or enough to coat tortillas
2 tsp chili powder
Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a medium bowl, combine beans, tomatoes, onion, cilantro and salt; set aside. (Note: If you cannot find fire-roasted tomatoes, substitute any type of canned crushed tomatoes, with or without additional flavors.)

Slice tortillas into 8 triangles each. Place on 2 nonstick baking sheets and lightly coat with cooking spray; sprinkle with chili powder. Bake until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Yields 8 chips and about 1/2 cup of salsa per serving.

Ok salsa lovers I got this to say,make it at home.as some of you know in on the low carb diet so I watch the carbs and usely can keep them at 50 to 75 a day with something like 1200 calories or less.If you make salsa at home it has very little carbs cause its made of veggies,to season it use sea salt or light salt..I think I saw some light sea salt at the store but I didnt check it out.Any way,for chips use pork skins they have lots of crunch together they taste really good.If you ever need to use something to replace sugar I use splenda,it taste the same,I can use it to cook with and all is well.The thing that makes store bought salsa so bad to eat for us trying to lose weight is they use all kinds of preservativers and inhansers that have lots of calories.Since I have been watching carbs I have felt better as each day has gone by.I didnt start on the Adkins diet plan where you start with no carbs at all but am following the diabetic food plan wich at first I thought was going to be hard,in a way it is only cause I do miss the sweet stuff I use to like

Today I managed 8 laps of the pool,when I started I couldnt do but 3 or four so I am improveing,I am not much of a swimer but I try as best I can.I didnt do anything else to day cause its suposed to be my easy day but I just feel I need to do something more..so when I cools off some tonight im going to walk up the block and back its a little more than a half mile but will have to do.This afternoon when I was leaveing I was ask by the desk person why I go to the weight room nearly every day,I told her I need to build up the muscels cause I didnt want the weight im loseing to end up being hanging fat that I have seen happen to so many when they lose a large amount of weight...by time I get to 200 I would have lost 103pounds..and as I have 54 more to go I go to the weight room as much as I feel nessary.Her reply was..but u will turn into a muscel bound weight lifter..women arent supose to look that way..I told her I didnt have time to educate her on my reason as I wasnt a teacher nor did care to be.She looked so clueless its not funny..maybe oneday a light will blink on in her head.

Rockin - When I did Atkins, I would often eat salsa on pork rinds in my desperation to have something crunchy :)

I got ya on wanting something crunchy,I thought missing sweets and fruit would be the thing I missed most but it was wanting crunchy stuff,You should try them with peanut butter..yumm.They r good as a subsitute for crutons for soups and salads.

It's funny that you mentioned rye crisps because that's exactly what I use. "Finn Crisp Original" is my favorite kind: tasty, not high in sodium, and pure whole grain. I melt a little organic mozzarella on top and dip it in a spicy green salsa so that I drink a lot of water with it to fill myself up. It's one of my favorite snacks!

First off I want to thank the person who high lighted some words in a post I made a bit ago,it really is a lot of reinforcement to keep on with what im doing.Again tks a bunch.
A fue moments ago I gess I got a taste of reverse parenting,yes u know when the kid who is 38 give u the over the glasses look I use to give him when I wasnt happy about something.Not that it did him any good to do that..well I was out in 95 degree heet doing a mini work out on the patio after I got back from my walk.I mean the stuff looked lonley from me not using it so much..sooo I did 60 bench presses,75 quick steps on the stepper,then rode my exersise bike for a hard 10 minits then cooled dowm just walking around shooting hoops.I told him that he is doing the same thing I did at his age when I put on the first fue pounds right in the old bread basket.I also sugested he start doing a fue things to keep it in check now rather than later..or end up doing something about it at 65 on the edge of diabeties wich he has a huge chanch of geting cause his dad has it and so dose his brother.Then I came in to refill my water jug.

Can you say more, both about Skinny Sloppy Joes and about apple string fries? All of this sounds delicious!