how do you do your push ups? I do them leaving my knees on the floor. Otherwise faggitaboutit.


So is it just Jen, Julianna and me? Where the heck did all the other health freaks go? I didn't even wanna do this in the first place!!!

I'm trying to get into the groove... but if I'd step my arse away from the computer I'd prolly do a little better. My bike purchase got delayed due to my mail being stolen & having to deal w/ that crap. Looks like it's inside exercise for me today w/ the rain!

inside/outside it's all good!!! My back is killing me lately from the exercise but I'm not gonna let that stop me.

I quit WW because it wasn't doin' it for me and now I'm just staying away from sugar and starchy foods and exercising 5 times a week. We'll see what this does for me.

Had yummy spaghetti squash last night. Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and put 1/2 cutside down in a large mixing bowl 1/4 full with water, saran wrap on top and nuke for 20 min. Take out the "spaghetti" from the shell and mix with salt, pepper and about 1/4 cup of grated romano cheese. YUMMIE!!!!!

I usually do full push-ups, but sometimes if I feel crappy I put my knees down.

Does spaghetti squash really taste like spaghetti? Or is it just a visual likeness? If not, what does it taste like?

I think mostly it's a visual likeness and tastes basically like whatever you put on it. It's a relatively tasteless vegetable, but then most pasta is relatively tasteless until you put something on it!

So it's kind of like the concept of tofu then? Not taste-wise, but the idea that it's basically a flavor-sponge.

yes and no. It's got the texture of spaghetti but yes it kind of soaks up whatever flavor you mix with it. Some put spaghetti sauce on it but I just can't do that. Seems too weird for me. I love the stuff though!!!

I'll have to try it. It's always in the store, but I'm not a big winter squash person. I love making pumpkin bread, but that's about it.

OK, looked it up. It says one plain cup=42 calories.

Well I locarbed it all week last week and I feel GREAT!!!! Haven't lost any weight but my pants are looser so I guess I gained muscle from exercising 5 times. I did my pilates tape twice and my walk away the pounds tape three times. I hate getting started but I love the feeling once I'm done!!!

Now that I've got the first week under my belt my appetite has decreased tremendously so I'll try to cut the portions down this week and see if that makes the scales budge.


C'mon peeps tell us how you're doing!!!

Spaghetti squash is good and I'm not a huge winter squash person either. Pumpkin flavored cakes and other desserts is yummy but I don't love the other ones THAT much....

Anyway you can do a lot of interesting things with spaghetti squash and its low in calories and high in vitamins.

Dieting here has been slow. I need to step it up and work out longer hours and eat less. I'mconsidering throwing the body bugg on my credit card. *gulp*. I might talk to a counselor at my gym to see if its really worth it and get more info on it. It looks amazing though!

Well I'm just going along. Today I'm doing another couch to 5k. I think I'm also going to go shopping for food. I'm thinking about picking up a vegetable spaghetti squash and saving the seeds out of it if I like it. I've got a major secret seed stash in the freezer with about 100 packets so far and probably another 50-60 on the way. Going to grow some awesome heirloom tomatoes.

We haven't been swapping good recipes lately and the squash has me thinking ab out new things to try. Anyone have any good recipes that are husband-compatible?

Congrats to everyone for sticking to it!

I'm also feeling results by the way my clothes fit, but am discouraged that I'm not seeing it on the scale. Mentally, I understand why, but it's hard emotionally.

I think I'm going to download some new workout music for my iPod tonight. Usually I just watch the TV in the gym, but I think I need something to mix it up a bit.

Today and yesterday my clothes are way tighter than they have been. I know it's my cycle but it's so frustrating! My parents are now thinking about coming in 2 weeks so I have to get a move on. They see me twice a year and i can't leave this fat impression in their mind

Jenn-- when i was really doing well, i plateaued at like 126 FOREVER-- like 4 weeks. Then one day I stepped on the scale and I was 120. No idea why it worked like that-- 7lbs in a night-- but it did. So stay strong! It can happen!

found this:

chinese food

which looks like it has some decent ideas that could be easily modified to be kosher/halal and low-fat.

Hi-

Can I join this group? I had started my program right before Thanksgiving and remained on track thru the holidays! Now I am doing some Lean Cuisines and eating alot of fruits and veggies, exercising and taking Belly Dance classes! Some days are easier and this is a complete lifestyle overhaul for me, especially staying away from the sweets!

OK! 3rd post in a row! officially talking to myself now! I wanted to ETA above but couldn't. i was going to say for those who are going the halal route and don't use alcohol in their cooking, I've found lemon juice (fresh) can produce a lot of the same effect. I do a 1:1 ratio in recipes where I swap out.

Of course you can join, Henna Rose! Congrats on your significant weight loss so far, that's awesome!

Welcome and congrats on your weightloss so far!!!!




That's a different idea that I'll have to try. Normally I do chicken broth where it calls for white wine and beef broth where it calls for red wine, but I don't sweat the small stuff which is probably wicked haram but in my mind if it's not going to get me drunk it's ok,...for example I added dijon mustard to my beef stew last night because I love the taste it gives me and I do use vanilla extract in my baking. Neither is gonna get me loopy and certainly does not take me away from my salat or duas so in my mind it's ok.

Hi Hennarose! Welcome!

Bridget-- well it depends on what the wine is *for* in the recipe, but often times if it's being used as a tenderizer and adding a sort of "sour" flavor to the recipe, so lemon juice works fine. If it's trying to add another flavor, then obviously it's not something I can do with just lemon juice But usually I've found this works really, really well. I did this cream/tarragon/chives/lemon juice sauce that was supposed to be a red wine-- it tasted really good! That was my most daring subsitution and it worked out very well.

Dijon mustard has alcohol!?

Yup it's made with white wine!

Well, you learn something new every day!

Welcome Henna Rose - don't you just love the belly dancing? Congrats on your weight loss.

I got my new bike this weekend and have ridden for 3 days in a row so far.. minimum of 20 min, but 30 min yesterday & today.

THANKS FOR THE WARM WELCOME


It helps to know others are striving for better health ! One day at a time, "shwiya, shwiya!"

Lost 7 pounds but I actually don't feel too good (I feel weak ughh ). I know it must be wrong, but I started to eat just one meal a day, and that consists of a salad! I don't know why, but I don't have an appetite for anything, so I just settle for a salad.

Anyway, I'll try to make an effort tomorrow to eat at least 2 meals a day insha Allah.

Welcome Henna!!

You need to eat 3 times a day or you're gonna faint!!! Not only that eventually you're body will go into starvation mode and store the fat! If you're not that hungry why not drink a slimfast for breakfast or one of the meals you've been skipping? At least that way you'll get some vitamins in there. Now I'm gonna worry that you'll faint!!!

ok ok ok LOL i'll get some shakes tomorrow and i'll do my best to eat. You know I was worried my stomach was getting used to not eating and I don't want to look like a starved person! But shakes are good, that way i can fool the stomach into thinking that I'm just having a drink LOL.

But I promise I'll get back on track insha Allah. At first i thought: oh my god something's wrong with me , i have to see a doctor! But then I remembered, I'm not eating the way I should!! Of course I'll feel weak!

Shakes tomorrow for any skipped meal (and I promise insha Allah, i'll try not to skip)

Looks like my weight loss is picking up. Let's hope I can keep it up!

look at that turtle go!!!!!!!!!!!

I need to do my walk away the pounds tape tonight and i don't wanna. i wanna crawl under the covers.

Noooooooo! You're doing so good, don't blow it! Don't forget why you started in the first place!

because chaisai started this thread and everyone else was doin' it so i felt peer pressure and now only a few of us are still doing it?

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....WRONG ANSWER!

Where *is* Chaishai anyway?

My Personal Challenge

When I first started this weight loss journey, it felt like a daunting, never-ending, waiting game (kinda like the visa journey!) The only way I could make sense of it was to break it down into smaller chunks. I set a goal to tackle the first 20lbs. by my birthday and I met that goal! I have maintained that loss for a while now, and I am ready to challenge myself again.


I will lose another 20lbs. by May 10th!

Being sick today has slowed me down and caused me to re-evaluate ! I have to make the gym a priority again, keep my sweet tooth reigned in and remain focused on the results, it felt so great losing that first 20! with every 5lbs. lost I rewarded myself with a pedicure or new jeans (something that wasn't food)

I am posting this publicly so I will be accountable! C'mon, who wants to join me? What is your goal?

Sounds great, Henna! I also like the idea of nice non-food rewards. I just reached the 5 pounds mark, so maybe I should buy myself something special.

My goal is to weigh as much or less than I did when I graduated high school when I go to my 10 year reunion on April 25th. That gives me about 8 weeks to lose at least 13 pounds.

After that, I'm not sure. I guess I'll see how I feel and if I think I need to lose anymore.

My original goal if I haven't mentioned it (the one that really got me going) is to get to the weight that I need to be to have my tubal ligation reversal. I'm ten pounds away from that so that's nice. My real goal though, the one on my ticker, is to be where I was before giving birth to my second child. I won't even try for where I was before my first 'cause it'll make me cry like a baby.

I'm going to get a facial this weekend as my reward. My new sleep apnea mask is giving me zits on my chin and I'm in need of some extra tlc so I think that's what i'll do.

These are great goals ! It feels so good recognizing the mini goals, too and rewarding our progress! I had a reunion recently, it was more than 10 years and so strange. It felt as if I was back in H.S. again!

Im still doing it. I was just in the carribbean last week not doing it and im lazzzy this week trying to recover from vacation.

This week so far I have worked out twice and it was only pilates style workouts. Today I plan to do a 2 mile run and maybe some abs and butt. Tomorrow I am doing a killer total body workout and maybe some elliptical or another little run. Saturday I will probably take off and Sunday I am doing another killer total body workout and kickboxing. So I am starting the week off slow but I am going to come back with a bang at the end. I just hope I have the energy!!!

Food wise I am doing pretty bad. Pretty bad for me means I am eating meat every night, have indulged in a treat once a day. So its not THAT bad like fast food or anything but still next week I need to get back on track. I have my period this week and all of these different cravings.

The fact that you're even exercising during this time of the month is commendable!! lol. I'd be a couch potato!!!

I didn't do my tape last night BUT I was completely emotionally and physically exhausted and I think I'm on the brink of getting what everyone in my office has. Hopefully I'll just get the tired part and not the constant sneezing and blowing part. Foodwise I'm still on track though!!!!



Someone asked for recipes and if anyone's doing lowcarb I LOVE smashed cauliflower. Had it with my baby lamb chops last night and it was so good!! I just take a box of frozen cauliflower, heat up in microwave, blend in cuisinart (some smash with the potato smasher but I'm not that good at that with cauliflower) for 30 seconds or so, put in bowl and mix with about 1/2 container of Boirsin cheese, add salt and pepper and voila I love it better than mashed taters!

i'm in it too! going to a spin class, ab class, and a yoga stretch class in a few minutes! wish me luck not to keel over!lol

Jen! Tell us how it went! I think if I went to a class I'd do better because I would have forced motivation (not looking like a weak-a$$ in front of other people). When I was running 2 summers ago I had the same thing-- this 80-year-old man who was totally shaming me. I had to at least keep up. It was pretty good motivation.

Yesterday I did couch-to-5k, 25 minutes of stair stepper, 45 cruches in 4 positions, and 20 obliques. i also did some light arm exercises. I have to be cautious with my arms. i really damaged somehting that felt like the glenoid fossa on both arms/shoulders and i couldn't even take my shirt off it was so painful.. I'd wake up all the time and it was miserable. It lasted a few weeks, and then if I ever tried anything it would come right back. I haven't had anything going on for a bit but I also stopped doing any weight lifting over my head/chest.

Today I want to do couch to 5k but there are too many bosses here at work. I may be able to sneak out into the hall and do some things when no one is looking, maybe at lunch. I work by myself mostly so it's not like anyone will see me

I tried spaghetti squash yesterday. I thought it was OK. I imagine I could make it taste irresistable with enough cheese LOL, but that would defeat the purpose. it was like $5! So I don't think I'll be trying it again unless I grew my own. I did save the seeds...

the cauliflower sounds awesome, but isnt 1/2 container of boursin super fattening?!

from the boursin site: http://www.boursincheese.com/about/facts.htm

Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving (tbsp.) 2 (30g) Calcium (%) 2
Servings per Container 5 Vitamin A (%) 6
Calories 120 Protein (g) 2
Calories from Fat 110 Carbohydrate (g) < 1
Total Fat (g) 13 Sodium (mg) 180
Saturated Fat (g) 8 Cholesterol (mg) 35


So....1/2 container = 2.5 servings = 300 caolries, approx 1 carb and 32.5 g fat. Depends on what diet you're on but I'm not counting calories or fat I'm counting carbs so I'm good to go. The last time I did this diet I lost a good 30 pounds in a month and a half. I highly doubt I will do that this time around since I did eat less back then (right before going to Egypt for the first time) due to nerves, but still I'm not worried. Plus I'm definitely eating less compared to when I ate carbs all the time.

Are you still off dairy?

Going for a kick-azz bike ride this morning... what's everyone else doing today? Dis mah new bike:

No, I love it too much. What I am doing is not using it when its not really necessary ie butter on bread etc. I am using it for my coffee, if I have cereal, and just to eat like goat cheese and crackers that sort of thing. But no grilled cheese sandwiches etc.

Ahh. Yeah, I quite the "unecessary" for quite some time, and I still haven't gone back to cereal, etc. I have been dragged into something worse though-- homemade pizza.

Your bike is cool! I want one.

I will start Couch to 5K when it hits 50 degrees. For those doing it, do you carry a stopwatch?

Jackie

I do! I have this stopwatch that keeps my time.