alleysgurl

I would give anything to have kids that didn't get sick! lol During the fall/winter/spring, our weather is so up and down that it's hard for ANYONE to stay well.

Some rain here and there would be nice. It's supposed to be 80 degrees outside today...starting to really warm up. Kind of makes me want to "spring clean". Kind of....

Your new DVD's sound intense! You'll have to let me know what changes you start seeing and all of that. It'll be interesting to see the process your body will go thru. I have still been working out. Yesterday I actually got in 40 min at 1 time! It was great. We'll be running again this coming weekend. I work every night until Saturday this week so it's been difficult.

Other changes to my diet? I've cut my portions down a little bit again. It's amazing how much food we put on our plates and then don't realize it until we start cutting back.

behaze

Yeah, they're intense. We're actually starting the program on Monday, because it's 6 days a week and we'd like a weekend day off (you can do the stretch DVD on the 7th day, or nothing at all). There are 12 workouts, but we got 2 free workouts with it, so I did one of those this morning, then followed it up with the stretch DVD. Wow. I feel great. Adrenalin is a wonderful thing. We are taking day 0, day 30, day 60 and day 90 photos, so I'm happy to share those with you. Women have varying degrees of changes in their body (always a change, but some get 'ripped' and some just get slender), but men, if they're not obese, generally end up with a 6-pack. My partner is very much looking forward to his new body in June.

I know (re: cutting down portion size). I made a casserole the other night, which served 6. Once upon a time, the three of us would chomp through 2 servings each, plus whatever sides we had. Now, there are 3 servings individually container-ed in the freezer for a quick dinner or lunches for the boys. Once I was finished my dinner, I looked at the left-overs and just went, 'nope. I'm full. Don't want it.' Even my partner didn't go back for more (except to pick out a few pieces of broccoli). It really is amazing to think of the amount of food you eat which your body really, really, really doesn't need.

I need to do an 'autumn clean'. I've been kind of slack on the housewife front for the past few weeks. Fortunately, my partner learned long ago not to complain when I can't be bothered washing the clothes or scrubbing the bathroom (he also learned to give me copious amounts of praise when I put in a full day's worth of scrubbing and mopping). Work and school clothes are always clean at the start of the week, and their food is pretty much always prepared by me, so if I hear any complaints, I prove what life's like when I do absolutely nothing. Hehehe. However, now when I open the linen cupboards, I see crap stacked in, shoved in, precariously balanced on shelves and I'm trying to work myself up to getting off my butt, emptying it all out and re-stacking. Ugh.

It occurred to me this morning that I kind of don't want the driveway to be finished, because that means we'll get an inspection. We haven't had one since August (the real estate is supposed to do them every 3 months) because they didn't want to drive up the driveway. Now they'll have no excuse. I guess that'll make me HAVE to do this 'autumn clean', though. Our lawn mower died on us a couple of weeks ago, too, so that's just something else we'll need to get fixed and actually do. The area I got done before it conked out is now already ankle-deep and scraggly (you don't want to know what the area I didn't get done looks like ).

It's our 10 year anniversary tomorrow. I was supposed to pick up my gift for him yesterday, but I forgot about it and spent the money on exercise equipment for p90x (and a new blender, because our old one was seriously crap). I'll have to get in on Saturday. I'm getting him an onyx ring with something engraved inside. I know it's not particularly inspired, but he does want one.

Well, have fun working! I hope you get to pack in some more exercise like yesterdays! Don't you just feel so fantastic once you've finished and had a nice, long, hot shower? I think I might reward myself - kick back on the lounge with a movie until I have to go pick up my boy from school.

How are your jeans fitting, now?

alleysgurl

Happy Anniversary!!! 10yrs is great.

Yeah, now I'm really anxious to see pictures of your progress as you do these DVD's! Are you hoping to get ripped or slender? If I could choose, I'd go slender. You?
What are your thoughts on taking a energy supplement/appetite suppressant? I'm thinking about trying a few different ones to see how my body reacts. We could all use more energy, right? Especially us moms.

My husband does a really good job at sharing in the house keeping responsibilities. Since I usually work at night, he'll do some laundry or vacuum. The kitchen is always dishless. Not wiped down but no dirty dishes laying around. He's great! I don't know what I'd do without him. Every now and then I'll get myself into a routine and the house stays really nice and clean for a few weeks. Notice I said "a few weeks". haha

The ring sounds nice! If it's something that he's wanting, it'll be all the more special. Don't beat yourself up for forgetting. 9 times out of 10, guys don't really expect/want anything.

I can button the waist on the jeans, IF I can pull them up past my thighs. It's a start though! You?

behaze

Thanks! Our anniversary was great. My partner tricked me into believing he was working, so he set his alarm for his usual wake-up time, then went in to get ready. I thought I heard the baby monitor go off, but didn't hear it again, so fell back to sleep. I woke up at 7.30 (wow!) and discovered that he had the boys ready for the day, had breakfasted and clothed them, and he took my 8yo to school so I could have a bit of 'me' time. He came home with some hired DVDs and we spent the day snuggled up on the couch. What a sweetheart. We were meaning to play Mr Squiggle and old-school Super Mario Brothers, but just didn't get around to it. The first night we met, he came to my house to pick up his friend, who was going out with my roommate. They were going to a party. But, he met me and I was so charismatic and gorgeous (hehehe) that they didn't end up going to the party. So his friend and my roommate ended up locked away in the bedroom watching movies and we sat at the kitchen table drinking and playing Mr Squiggle - do you remember the old TV show? People would send in random squiggles and shapes and dots or whatever on a piece of paper, and Mr Squiggle would turn them into a picture. Silly, I know, but we played it for hours. Though funnily enough, I do recall the first time I saw him; one afternoon, I was walking home from work and a van pulled up, a tall guy with long black hair, a black trenchcoat and big black boots climbed out and disappeared into a house (which was my roommate's boyfriend's house - though they weren't together at the time). I have always thought it somewhat auspicious that I remember such a random and non-descript event - that was probably about 6 months before we actually met. Then I discovered that when I was about 10 or 11, I used to do a ceramics class with his youngest sister, and I remember her well, though we didn't associate. Weird.

I don't want to become 'grrr! Steroids!!!' ripped, but I'd like a little bit of muscle definition in my abs and arms/back. I did the first day of workouts this morning (Chest, Back and Abs) and my arms are quaking! Wow. What a workout. I feel great, though. I'll post comparitive pictures at 30 days (then 60, then the final ones) so you can see how they're working. By the feel of my shoulder and chest muscles at the moment, I have a pretty good feeling they're going to work!

Energy supplements - go for it, if you're a bit run-down. I definitely agree we could all use more energy! As for the appetite suppressants, I am personally not too keen on them for myself. Perhaps you could try having a big glass of water before you eat. The water will give you a short-term feeling of fullness, so you shouldn't eat as much through your meal. By the time the water has worked its way through, your body should have recognised it has had enough food. I don't know. If that doesn't work for you, maybe the suppressants are the way to go to help you along a bit.

My jeans fit perfectly around the hips, now! I'm quite excited about that. They're a bit baggy around the bum and thighs (I have lots of baby belly ), but that's okay. I don't wear jeans too often, anyway. I've switched to 'skinny pants', now. I have a pair of vibrant purple exercise shorts I once fit into when I lost weight last time. They look like baby shorts when I hold them up against myself at the moment, but I'm kind of hoping they'll fit again. I can't pull them up, yet.

Your husband sounds awesome! It's lovely to have someone help out with the mundane things. I didn't, by the way, mean to insinuate my partner doesn't help out because he does every now and then - and he's especially good with the kids.

How did you go over the weekend? Did you fit in some exercise? Are you guys getting some running in again? Are your kids feeling better, now? Did you enjoy your night off work?

behaze

Weigh-in: Loss of 300g, which is about two-thirds of a pound.

How did you go?

alleysgurl

lol Sounds like you have quite the catch! How sweet of him to do all of those things for you. Sometimes the smallest of things mean the most. That's great! Thanks for sharing the story about how you met. Us girls always remember. Guys...not so much. haha Alex and I were high school sweet hearts. Dated for 1 1/2yrs before breaking up. I was engaged once and he dated a girl pretty seriously before both of our relationships ended. He is best friends with my brother so it wasn't too hard to get his attention 4 yrs later. The second go around, it was easy. We just clicked and seemed to pick up from where we left off. We'll be married for 7yrs this coming June.

Do the DVD's warn that "muscle quaking may occur"? lol Sounds like some serious workout! I did a few of the P90X exercises that I found online and was feeling the burn. I may have to save my money and get them.

Yeah, I seem to get tired in the early afternoon. I realize that it's perfectly normal since I'm a mom on the brink of turning 30 but, it's frustrating. A little energy boost is what I need.

I actually tried on a pair of khakis yesterday and could tell a big difference in the way they fit around my belly area. Which was good considering I kind of fell off the band wagon over the weekend and pretty much ate what I wanted to. YIKES So, it didn't surprise me when the scale showed I had gained 1 lb. But, we're going on holiday this coming weekend to California and will be doing a lot of walking. I'm hoping to find the stairs at the hotel we'll be staying at too.

behaze

I definitely don't take him for granted. We've shared so very much together, from debilitating, heart-breaking tragedies to borderline poverty to just sitting in the dark on the verandah, giggling like kids at stupid things. He's done things for me no man wants to even consider, let alone do.

That's amazing that you and Alex came back together again after however many years. I guess you both needed to experience other things before committing to each other so steadfastly. I guess it makes things nice and cruisy at family get-togethers if your brother and he are bestest buddies, eh? Have you got anything planned for your 7 year anniversary?

I'm gonna say 'save those pennies'! Truly, I feel fantastic! I no longer have that little baby-flap going on (though it is still a bit smoodgy), and I've only been doing it a few days. The changes are already noticeable. Can't wait to compare the day 0 and day 30 photos! Yesterday, when I was having a flat tyre replaced, I was standing at my car, waiting, and the guys in the workshop were taking little side-long glances at me. Of course, I pretended to be all cool and collected, like it's an everyday thing, but I haven't been given a side-long glance from a strange guy in so long. The guy who brought the tyre out to put in my boot kind of tripped over himself saying 'thankyou' to me (I don't know why he was thanking me). I told my partner last night and he just gave me a huge, knowing grin. Boosted ego? You betcha!

Nice (re: holiday). Is there a particular reason you're going away, or just for the hell of it? And I hope you find those stairs, too, even just to know where to go in case of fire!

alleysgurl

Oh it's good to be back! We had such a wonderful time and it was a much needed trip away from the daily grind. We have annual passes to Sea World in San Diego, California that are expiring soon so we wanted to go before that happened.
I didn't find the stairs, although every fire exit strategy showed them right by our room...
But, we did LOTS of walking, pushing double strollers, holding kids on shoulders, etc. I was sick most of the trip and didn't have much of an appetite so I'm pleased to announce that I lost 2lbs!! YAY. I could really tell a difference in my stamina level.

So, you're getting your bikini body already?! That's awesome! I can't wait to see progress pictures. It's a great feeling to get checked out, huh? It's kind of like, "a couple of kids and some hard knocks in life and I've still got it!" haha
You go girl!

scaried

Hello to you all!

I am new to this site as I think it's time I had someone to talk to about trying to shift this weight who really understands!

So I would welcome any advice, tips, motivation! And I am happy to help in any way I can too

So a little about me - I'm 35, female, from the UK.

I am restarting a massive health/weightloss kick after a few years of staying the same weight.

About 3 years back I managed to lose 8 stone - I used to weigh 23 stone. I kind of came to a halt at my current weight and I thought I was happy with that - it was a big change both physically and psychologically to get used to!

But I've realised I'm still not happy with my body and so I have to try to shift the rrest of it.

So new vision, new target, but it is hard and it is really difficult to shift the pounds now.

I would appreciate any support/help and really just some new friends to have a good chat to - even in cyberland!

Hope you all have a good weekend,
Sarah
x

scaried

oops sorry thought it was a new thread - sorry ladies! will try to post in the right place now :S lol