I have decided I'm going to sign up for a "women on weights" class that is on-going at my gym. A friend of mine is in the 7am M-W-F class, and she looks fantastic. I'm already lifting weights three times a week, but this will be more structured, much harder, and hopefully will push me over this plateau I seem to be in at the moment. (your body gets used to the exercise you do, it becomes more efficient, and you end up burning fewer calories doing the same old exercises you usually do). I'm still stuck at 165. At this point, I don't care WHAT I end up weighing if I can just get rid of the saddlebags hanging over the top of my jeans!

jodi

That sounds like the Group Power class at my YMCA. It's essentially weight lifting to music. It's really, really popular here - both men and women. I've done it a couple of times, but found some of the moves hard on my shoulders - particularly where you hoist the barbell on them, behind your neck.

Having only "discovered" group exercise in the past year, I am enjoying them much more than I imagined. You really do get an extra degree of motivation when you're part of a group and it's much less boring.

The only thing I worry about is my back - but I pretty much know what bothers it, so I will just have to modify those things to protect it. I got to jazzercise about 5 days a week - cardio workouts to music, and it's a BLAST. I love it! (they do weights to, at the end of the workout, but I leave before that part since I do weights at the gym).

Jodi (who got the munchies bad last night and ate a ton of Paul Newman/Costco cereal - the kind with macademia nuts and cranberries - right out of the box. Gads. Haven't been brave enough to get on the scale yet today...)

93# today. Help! I'm melting! I'm melting!

Doug, you look GREAT!

Elena

Good for you Doug. You ought to reward yourself with a box of donuts.

I'm off hummus and nuts and back to cereal... that darned kid...

I'm snacking on a box of 'Heavenly Desserts' from D-Liteful Baking Co, a friend bought in Florida. They're 0 everything. Ingredients include cocoa and egg whites. They look like drops of meringue. There are lots of different flavors.
Uh oh "Excessive consumption may have a laxitive effect"

Hey Newpianoplayer, we've just been invited to play with the Brampton Symphony in Feb 2008. You gonna be around? Would love to meet you!

quote:

Originally posted by EHpianist:
Hey Newpianoplayer, we've just been invited to play with the Brampton Symphony in Feb 2008. You gonna be around? Would love to meet you!

Elena
I'll be there. Do you know the date yet. Brampton is a small city outside of Toronto.

Well, the proof is in the pudding (or make that custard with lots of egg yolks, but no sugar please). After 6 months following the Schwarzbein Principle diet, with eggs every morning, sausage and meats whenever I please, whole milk yogurt and cream on my fruit my cholesterol reading is better than it's ever been:

HDL=87, LDL = 80, Triglyercide = 44

Dislosure: I've never had high cholesterol. I tried fining my previous reading and can't. But, I was a little nervous that with all this unrestrained fat intake it might skew things. I'd really be curious to see how following the diet for several months would affect someone who did consistently have been cholesterol counts.

Those are great numbers, KathyK.

My HDL is 100, my LDL's are too low to measure and my Triglycerides are like 37 I think. BUT... my total number is higher than I would like. They tell me not to bother about it, but I would like it back to the 180's.

quote:

Elena
I'll be there. Do you know the date yet. Brampton is a small city outside of Toronto.

Sat. Feb 9th at the Rose Theatre in Brampton. It is supposed to be a new performing arts center there. Look forward to meeting you!!!

Elena

I was presented with this question today

You are walking down the street and find a lamp. And, like any person that finds a lamp, you rub it. Amazingly, a genie appears in front of you. Happy to have been released from his lamp and seeing that you have been on a diet, the genie instantly transforms your body and you suddenly find yourself at your goal weight. However, like all genies, he has a catch and offers you the following choice:

1. You can return to your goal weight and use the vision of yourself as fuel for your fire and know that if you work hard and stay dedicated, you can not only achieve the vision that you witnessed, but enjoy it for the rest of your life. In fact, if you work and follow the program, you are 100% guaranteed to succeed. And, the genie will even send you back with a commemorative keepsake photo and all of the supplies you need to be successful.

Or.....

2. You can remain at your goal weight. However, every six months you'll be transformed back into your pre-weight loss state, then in another six months, back to your goal weight. Ultimately, you'll eternally yo-yo back and forth - six months at your goal weight and six months back.

What would you do?

On one hand, you have been given an assurance that you can do this and you have everything at your disposal to be successful. But, it will require work and dedication. And, on the other, you can do nothing and enjoy your goal weight 6 months out of the year, but have to return to your former self the other six months. Hmmmm.....

Remember, for the sake of the exercise, not choosing a path or inventing a 3rd option is not part of the deal (always one in the crowd).

I did and would choose No. 1. It worked and continues to work for me. I'm eating well, and more than I ate before and seldom feel deprived. Although I've given up refined carbs, I eat good fat to my heart's content. Ever tried a bowl of fresh strawberries swimming in cream? Aside from the fact that I dropped about 25 pounds over the course of 8 months, down 1 - 2 sizes, I also have been much, much healthier.

I do also exercise more (having added two days to my former 3 x/week routine. But, there again, although it's work, I feel so much better doing it that it seems a very small price to pay.

So, yup, it takes a lifelong commitment, but the way I see it, it's just developing a new set of habits - this time, good ones.