# Who is trying to shape up for spring??



## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

I AM! I sat around all November, December & January....got flubbity, lazy and unfit. Out of breath running the stairs. Feeling like a bloated sack of me. Been eating better, doing LOTS of exercise, as my sore knee permits. Losing weight! I gotta tweak the diet and get the knee looked at as its harshing my mellow. I need to eat MORE as my metabolism is slowing. This is exciting to be in control of my body again. I just bought new swim goggles and am looking for a waterproof mp3 player or case....

What r u doing to de-flab for spring?? Gotta have muscles to turn the soil to plant your early peas!


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## Allen H (Feb 13, 2010)

I actually started the Medifast diet six weeks ago. I was 282 pounds. Im trying to get to 230. Ive already lost 33 pounds so Im pretty happy with the results. I should be off the diet by June and at my goal weight, then its all portion control.


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## Citizen Tallee (Apr 13, 2004)

I'm trying to shake off the winter lethargy, and for a change I'm seriously looking forward to spring (I'm pretty much psyched to go out and purchase a pair of rollerblades this year). As for shaping up in the meanwhile... I try and get in a cardio workout three or four times a week, along with weight training every other day. I was doing well for the last couple months, but I've really started slacking these past couple weeks. Time to dust off the ol' exercise bike, methinks.


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## NoahFentz (May 13, 2007)

Two words: WiiFit


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## Allen H (Feb 13, 2010)

get Land rollers, I love mine.
www.landroller.com


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

Eat right, a little more excercise, portion control is the key. I always have a few (10ish) pounds of holiday fat to lose come January. The holidays being October thru December.


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

I am trying to shape up for life, not just spring.

I do the Wii: My Fitness Coach 6 days a week and jog on the treadmill 3 days a week. Not doing a diet (due to medical issues) but watching what I eat and less of it. 

We shall see how it goes ... 14lbs since Jan 1st ... about 30lbs more to go.


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## Jaybo (Mar 2, 2009)

My 16yr old son and I got the P90X program. I learned I can't keep up with a 16yr old really quick!


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## Adam I (Jun 16, 2007)

I've lost 34 pounds since jan due to second job and smaller portions


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

WOW! you people are really DOing it! Congrats!


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## morbidmike (Sep 11, 2009)

I'm still 215 lbs at 6'4" so I guess I'll do nothing damn I think I just lost a pound typing this hahahaha


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## Allen H (Feb 13, 2010)

sure Mike, laugh it up. How old are you again?


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

LOL, Morbid, you're incorrigible

Like a lot of Halloween folks, I got slack on the exercise program around October and then stayed slack through the holidays. I'm now getting back on track (don't have a weight problem, just need to tone and rearrange what I have). We have a Nordic Track, a rowing machine, and a weight gym in the house, so I have no excuse for not keeping fit.


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## The Creepster (Sep 18, 2009)

Maybe I should start to limit my intake and exercise...hmmmmmm right after this super set I will start to exercise:googly: CAN I HAVE SOME MORE WEIGHT PLEASE


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## trishaanne (Aug 20, 2005)

I need to lose ALOT but can't seem to find the willpower, time or energy to do it. With the grandkids here 13 hours a day, there is no time to go to the gym and by the time the little darlings leave, I am too tired to do anything except walk to my room! We started weight watchers at the beginning of the year but eating healthy is so much more expensive! With my stepson moving back in, my grocery bill has already increased and with him not having insurance we are stuck paying for his EXTREMELY expensive prescriptions and doctors bills until we can hopefully get him Social Security Disability. SOOO, while my intentions were good, it hasn't happened yet. I'll take any advice you folks can offer. If only macaroni and cheese and chuck roast with mashed potatoes didn't taste so damned good!!!!!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Trish, you'd think that running after grandkids 13 hours a day would be enough of an exercise program for anyone

Interesting that you mention that eating healthy is expensive. I've heard other people make the same comment, but I'd be interested in figuring out whether that's really the case. That might be worth doing as a real life experiment and see how it pans out money-wise.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Trish: Have him apply for disabilty ASAP, as if he is approved, he will get back pay to the time he applied. Get a lawyer to help with his case. which helps to keep on track with paperwork, etc. No shame in going to food pantry for food! Most Y's offer sliding scale memberships (it can be free!) but you have to apply. You could then take the kiddos AND your own hiney to the pool and have them burn off some energy. Our Y even has great floaty things for thier backs so they don't drown (as easily); you dont have to buy them. If stepson has NO insurance, call the pharmacy: they have the phone #'s of all the compnaies who manufactur the medicines he is on..almost all now have prescription assistance programs. Call local Catholic Charities (you dont have to be Catholic), Salvation Army etc to find a person who can help you negotiate the assistance in your area & tell u what is available. I was able to get a full scholarship to the Y kindergarten camp last summer for my then-5 year old..she LOVED it and I didnt have a bored kid around all summer.Granted, I blew lots of $$ on gas getting her back & forth, but it was worth it to see her so happy & exhausted at the end of the day. Just take a hour or so and make some phone calls to get the ball rolling...u would be surprised how much help there is (and isn't..lol) out there. I also never knew that my church has theri own food pantry. I got better quality food there, PLUS they give u giftcard to buy tiletries, etc. to In terms of feeding everyone: you CAN get whole wheat pastas etc from the food pantry- u just have to ask for it. I find that anything whole wheat combined with a protein keeps my kids MUCH less hungry for longer. And surviving this economy takes lots of meal planning and note taking on how to get help. I keep a notebook on who I call & when.
Best of luck. Welcome to the New America.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

And eating healthier **is** more expensive.Fresh fruits and veggies have a very limited shelf life. I switched to lots of no sugar, canned fruits, but I still sometimes throw out salad (like I did this week when 2 boxes of organic salad went bad a day early). But its hard to compare unless you look at quality of what u eat, too. Box of generic powdered mac & cheese: 30 cents. Real low fat cheese, milk, with Smart taste (higher fiber) pasta is MUCH more expensive...BUT, you will not be hungry in 1/2 an hour. Powdered milk is very cheap, but so gross no one can drink it. Real milk is expensive....so lots of my daughter's friends drink LOTS of soda, as it's 68 cents a 2 liter bottle at the cheapest market. One of her friends eats popcorn for dinner many times a week. Its SCARY. I could go on & on, but you get the idea. It's parents who are stressed working 3 jobs, burdened with bills, (& are still BUYING STUFF they don't need) and not paying attention to feeding themselves or getting their kids to bed at a decent hour. My daughter is 12 & has 4 friends who go to bed at 1 am every night. WTH!? 
Omg..shut me UP.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Sounds like what we need is a $20 Food Challenge

You're definitely right about organic typically costing more. I don't go out of my way to buy organic, although the organic chicken sold at our local supermarket does seem to taste better. True also that you need to plan when working with fresh foods because of the spoilage factor. Since there are only two of us at home (not counting the dog), we tend to buy fruits and vegetables in smaller quantities.

I think popcorn makes for a very good dinner, actually I've done that myself many a time.


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## Death's Door (Mar 22, 2006)

Even though the holidays have come and gone, my weight just fluctuats around 5 pounds which is good. I have kept undesirable pounds off for two years. I still hit the gym 3 time a week and have just started body building. Portion control and exercise are the key ingredients in this creamy/chocolate/rich/junk food world that we live in.


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

I've been good about using the Nordic Track or rowing machine almost nightly. I've stayed away from the weights after injuring my ribs shoveling snow. Hope to be able to start back soon. I'll get some extra exercise once the grass needs mowing again. Hope to drop 5-10 lbs by Summer, but I can't stay away from cookies (and it's Girl Scout cookie season again).


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## trishaanne (Aug 20, 2005)

Deb, thanks for all the info. I didn't mean to sound like we're destitute..lol. Hubby makes a great living but all the unexpected expenses hit us at the same time we started to diet. We have started the disability process, first having to start getting temporary disability and then go to permanent. He was living with his mom, who didn't feel the need to take him to get the process started since he was the only one making money (she quit her job and he was paying all the bills!) We took the forms over to his job to get them filled out over a month ago and we still haven't gotten them back. Turns out they sat at the store for over 2 weeks before they sent them to the main office for completion because, are you ready for this.....they didn't have a stamp!!!!! Pissed us off too! Then the main office has been sitting on them for 2 weeks. Hubby finally called that office today and lit into them. Once he gets insurance, he'll be paying for his own stuff and our budget will lighten up. As for the gym or the YMCA, taking 2 two year olds is impossible, especially since I don't have a car until hubbys gets home from work, around 7:00. Once the weather breaks we can walk again at night after dinner and after they go home, and once the summer gets here, and I can open the pool, then exercise is a piece of cake...mmmmmmm...cake! lol.
And yes, fresh fruit and vegetables are quite pricey when you are buying for 3 adults and 2 toddlers. We've gradually been cutting down portions though, instead of trying to do it all at once. It's been working, but it's a slow process. I guess slow and steady is better than all at once and then having it all come back on. I figure if I lose it slow, by the year 2015 I should be good to go....LOL.


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## The Archivist (May 31, 2009)

Hey Trish, try bench pressing the kids. They'd love the thrill of it and you get your exercise. Just need to rig up some kind of harness to strap them into.  An alternative to buying the vegetables is to grow your own either in the ground if you have a yard or hydroponically.

Anyway, on my change of dietary lifestyle, I'm still on Weight Watchers having lost 50-odd lbs., still walk to most local destinations when the weather cooperates(up to a 4 - 5 mile walk most days), I'm on the California EBT system (food stamps) and get my medical free through UCLA-Olive View Medical Center. I usually eat pre-made frozen dinners though now that we're coming out of the holiday deep-freeze I've started making meals again. 

I too need to find out how to get on SSI or SSDI to supplement the income I get from California Unemployment Insurance...next stop after poking around here for a few minutes.


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## halstaff (Nov 18, 2009)

I too have enjoyed backing off the training and putting on a few extra pounds over the holidays and spending some time working on my 2010 Halloween projects. My other passion is racing Ironman Triathlons so the training is picking up again which really cuts into the prop making time.
Working out and watching what you eat needs to become a lifestyle. I teach indoor cycling at the gym as my fun job and try to get our members to set an attainable goal. For me it's having a race on the schedule, for others it may be getting into new, smaller clothes or dropping X number of pounds for a reunion. It's not a quick or easy process but a regular routine over a long time is much better than dropping a lot of weight fast.
Schedule your workouts just like you plan for everything else. That's what gets me up early to do my workouts because if it's on the schedule, I have to do it. Plus we deserve a little time each day for us. I always feel better and have more energy to face the day after getting in my workout.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Having a dog helps, too. If it weren't for our dog, we would not be getting a morning walk in every day.


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## morbidmike (Sep 11, 2009)

are we all still looseing weight ????......good to all who are trying I hope it works out for you all!!! that said I'm going to McDonalds for 4 cheeseburgers and a chocolate shake muhahahahaha mmmmmm tasty...omg I just lost another pound typing this how awsome is that 3 snaps in a z formation mmmmmmm humm


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

Yep, I'm still losing weight ... actually added weights to my workouts! I got FLABS OF STEEL right now ... but things are changing!


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

Yep, a pound or two a week. Slow is better. It went on slow, it should come off the same way.


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## Ms. Wicked (Nov 14, 2006)

I put on a few pounds over the holidays.

But since January 4, I've been working out nearly every day... I don't diet; I just eat balanced and in moderation on a regular basis. If there is something going on like a party or celebration, of course I enjoy myself.

I reached my goal of 138 pounds. Now I just need to maintain. For me it's about being healthy... diabetes and heart disease is rife in my family and too many uncles/aunts/my dad all passed in their 40's and 50's. That's what keeps me motivated.


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## The Archivist (May 31, 2009)

RoxyBlue said:


> Sounds like what we need is a $20 Food Challenge


I like the sound of that; I wonder which company, food network, biggest loser, etc. would like to sponsor something like that? I totally agree with the cost analysis between the "fake" stuff and "real" stuff.

I used to grow my own vegetables in my parent's backyard before I moved, and I gotta say that I produced a LOT of quality veggies with a minimal amount of work and space. I also gave some to the neighbors (zucchini plants are amazing in this respect. They don't look like it, but they're incredible producers.) I used the square foot gardening method.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Family is asking me to stop making so many dishes with legumes in them..I wonder WHY?

LOL....(toot!)


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## Zurgh (Dec 21, 2009)

EGGPLANT! Minimal calories & nutritional value. Deemed unlucky in ancient japan. Good filler & many varieties, too! Easy to grow at home. Related to tomatoes & green peppers. They chase me in my dreams. Make them stop!


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## The Creepster (Sep 18, 2009)

Bruno says "enough with your yappin..lets go throw some iron!!!!"


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

LOL, I love your cats, Creep And how kind of him to prewarm the seat for you!


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## The Creepster (Sep 18, 2009)

RoxyBlue said:


> LOL, I love your cats, Creep And how kind of him to prewarm the seat for you!


We tore it up today.....385lbs on the bench....90 lbs Zottman dumbbell curls... 500 lbs Dead Lifts....70 lbs Arnold presses...etc the list goes on...but WE ARE JACKED:googly: OH YEAH nothing like it in the world!!!


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## fick209 (Aug 31, 2009)

Creepster, I would go to the gym every day if Bruno was waiting for me 
I origanally started my exercise routine about a month ago just to get through the winter blues and get my energy levels back up. It worked...I'm already sleeping better at night, feel better during the day, and the few pounds that have come off doesnt hurt either:googly: Thank you Creepster and IMU for the motivation


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## morbidmike (Sep 11, 2009)

I worked out big time today I shoveled over 60 lbs of doggie dodo oh yeah I felt ther burn and my arms went numb but I feel better and my yard is clean I might have lost a pound or so but I'll gain it back in a few months dont worry people i'll be ok


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

I started cutting portions and going back to the gym.
I need to lose about 50 pounds...yes, 50! People argue with me when I say I need to lose that much. I gain all over and I am only 5' 3".


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## The Creepster (Sep 18, 2009)

fick209 said:


> Creepster, I would go to the gym every day if Bruno was waiting for me
> I origanally started my exercise routine about a month ago just to get through the winter blues and get my energy levels back up. It worked...I'm already sleeping better at night, feel better during the day, and the few pounds that have come off doesnt hurt either:googly: Thank you Creepster and IMU for the motivation


I don't know if you could keep up, Bruno is pretty cut....no problem Fick, I like to see people take care of their bodies


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Torn meniscus, not ACL..but doc sez I can still swim til surgery date. Now I gotta figure out how to take in my pants...they are falling off of me! YAY! Soon I'm gonna look stupid with baggity clothes.And I had JUST bought a ton of new clothes before I decided to get my act back together. Maybe we can swap..as we go down, pass the sizes to the next person...lol. I gotta buy a new swim suit soon, or My Girls are gonna bob right out. As BUOYS!

Instead of making golabki (stuffed cabbage rolls) I made it into a most delicious soup! Half of my family ate it..the other won't ever even TRY anything with cabbage, eve tho' I tell 'em it tastes nothing like it smells. Oh well. More for me! Very little meat, lots of onion, a nice mild brown rice...red pepper soup, Campbell's Tomato soup and broth for the base, a whole small head of tender cabbage...yumyumyum. Oh- and with a nice chewy rye bread to stick in the soup and get some of the thick soup juices.....oh yummmmmmmmmmmmmm. Peasant food. YUM.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Dammit, you're making me hungry now, deb!!!


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## halstaff (Nov 18, 2009)

Stop talking about food! I got on the scale and need to get serious. Maybe the 60 mile bike ride this morning will burn off some of the extra.


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## Allen H (Feb 13, 2010)

I was 282 in January when i started medifast, this morning I was 236! It hard staying on plan but the results are worth it.


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## Devils Chariot (May 23, 2007)

Jaybo said:


> My 16yr old son and I got the P90X program. I learned I can't keep up with a 16yr old really quick!


P90x is badass!

I do Slim in 6 with the wife, another beachbody.com product. Its a very good workout and its only 24 minutes.


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## Kaoru (May 6, 2009)

Been walking again myself since the weathers starting to get warmer. Definately felt the pain a bit after the first few times but it felt good walking and man I swear its always like this with this time of year. Now if I can drag Terrormaster to walk with me it be great!


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## BillyC333 (Mar 13, 2010)

I did a month of the insanity workout and followed its diet plan and lost around 20lbs.


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## Jaybo (Mar 2, 2009)

Devils Chariot said:


> P90x is badass!
> 
> I do Slim in 6 with the wife, another beachbody.com product. Its a very good workout and its only 24 minutes.


Yeah, I think we started off with a program a little too big for us. My son wants to bulk up and get BIG, and I want to slim down and get LEAN. Which means we need to do the program in different order and can't work out together.

Or so we thought. It's kicking our butts so bad, it doesn't matter which path we take, lean or classic. So, the P90X 3 month program is probably going to take us 6 to 9 months! P180X and P270X!

Hopefully we can turn the X from Xhausted to Xtreme before the end of the year.


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## Jaybo (Mar 2, 2009)

Allen H said:


> I was 282 in January when i started medifast, this morning I was 236! It hard staying on plan but the results are worth it.


Wow! Great job! Now seeing as how you work at Scarebrough Faire, put on a suit of armor and run around hitting the other guys with a sword this spring. You'll be a scrawny beanpole by June!

All kidding aside, congratulations on your progress so far!


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## nixie (Sep 17, 2008)

I usually trim up a bit in the spring doing heavy yard work. For some reason, what I eat or don't eat doesn't seem to make much of a difference, which can be really frustrating.


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## morbidmike (Sep 11, 2009)

I had a real good work out the other day I was hauling bricks tied to a rope 3 stories to the roof I should have stretched first cause I pulled something in my back but that didnt stop me I'm a machine and pretty good with celuclay too!!!


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