The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[katieb920]

(although finding the dried fruits without sugar might still be a challenge). Of course, by then I'll probably be out of this phase, anyway.

Hey robin you really impress me. I am a chef and I would not even think about making my own trail mix. But I did have a thought, have you ever considered buying a dehydrator. My father in law has one and dries all of his own fruits. And gives us a bunch (for matthew) I am not in maintnence yet so no fruit for me, My favaorite is the mango. YUM. Then you do not have to worry about all of the sugars.

[cydj21]

Katie's idea about the dehydrator sounds great! I might still your idea about roasting the nuts and drying my own fruit when I hit maintenance...I hate not knowing what I am eating. It's part of the MF transformation.

I have to say, the burger/fries/shake combo sounds great. I haven't eaten any red meat in over three years, but every once in a while a good burger sounds so delicious. I usually just use super lean ground turkey and when not on MF mix it up some fresh chopped basil, garlic and reduced fat feta...low cal Greek burgers! They are pretty darn tasty, too.

Also, I like your idea about staying strict during the week and occasionally allowing yourself a weekend indulgence without using it as an excuse to binge all weekend. It sounds like a very practical and adaptable way of maintaining a complete lifestyle change without denying yourself the occasional taste of something yummy - for me that is when I get crazy thinking about what I "can't have" and then I fixate on it and want it more.

[DogMa]

It's funny, you guys, right after I typed that, I started thinking about getting a dehydrator and drying my own fruit. A lot of stuff's easy to find without added sugar, but things like cranberries aren't - and it'd be cool to do blueberries when they're in season and cheap at Costco. It's definitely something to consider. (Of course, the minute I buy one, my trail mix phase will pass and I'll never use the darn thing again!!)

And yeah, I can't deny myself all the time. Sometimes I just want a big, juicy burger or steak or whatever. And fries - they may be horrible for you, but I still love 'em. I just have to make sure I don't have that stuff all the time.

So last night I did my PUSH workout, even though I was only going to do half (and do the second half tonight). It was a little late, but once I started, I just wanted to do the whole thing. I even added a couple of extra abdominal things at the end. And this morning I had a good run/walk again. My monitor says I burned 650 calories, which is pretty darn good for my size. And lack of athleticism. One thing that's just so unfair is how few calories you burn when you're smaller. Sigh. (And I know, get out the violins.)

Anyway, I actually ate what I had planned to yesterday AND did the workouts last night and this morning, and I feel GREAT today. Even though I didn't sleep very well and kept waking up every hour or so, thinking it was time to get up. Might be the late workout, but i hope not because I'm going to try to do it again tomorrow night.

[Tawanda]

I just exercised!!! Only 13 or 14 minutes on the treadmill, but it is a start. My thanks to you, Lauren, Lizabette and all the others who exercise regularly (and share their exercise stories).

[DogMa]

Yay for T!! I saw you also drank eight glasses of water yesterday, so double-yay for you!!

I got invited out to lunch today to an Indian place, and of course I said yes. But at least I was restrained and stuck to tandoori chicken and lots of veggies, with just a spoonful of rice and one piece of naan. So probably more salt than usual and not QUITE as healthy as what I'd planned, but nothing horrible, either. I'm gonna cut out one afternoon snack and just have something late this afternoon so I'm not starving by dinner, and then have a nice salad for dinner (but maybe leave out some of the stuff I usually put on there, to cut the calories a little).

[cydj21]

Gosh I love tandoori chicken!

I've been wondering what your PUSH is all about. Can you fill me in? Sounds like you had an excellent workout!

[DogMa]

I'm pretty sure it's at www dot push dot tv, if I recall correctly. Basically, you go on and fill out a questionnaire about your fitness level, goals, equipment (free weights, stability ball), etc. and pick a trainer (including Bob Harper from "Biggest Loser") and tell 'em if you want 30 or 40 minutes. They customize a workout for you and send you some resistance bands plus a DVD every month with two strength workouts (you do one for two weeks, then the other for the next two weeks), a cardio workout (they have a big selection, but I've never done 'em since I do my own cardio), a workout for your chosen area of emphasis (which you can change every month) and a bonus workout that you also can choose (one for abs, one for butt, etc.).

The workouts are very straightforward and easy to follow, and they show your trainer from different angles so you can make sure you're doing each exercise correctly. And they get progressively harder as you build strength.

I LOVE them. They have me doing things I never thought I could do, and they did an amazing job of matching the workout to my level (there's sometimes an exercise I can't complete, but I e-mailed and they said that's how it should be, as long as you can do some of the reps and it's only one or two things).

But I went from having zero ab strength to being able to do all kinds of pilates and yoga things and full sit-ups and crunches with weights and whatever. And full, non-girly push-ups. And one-legged squats.

It's $25 a month, and since I don't have to leave my house and go to a gym, I'm much better about doing it (or I was for a while, and then I was sick and away on a trip and got a new job and such, but I'm getting back in the habit again).

[cydj21]

That sounds absolutely fantastic! Gosh - I wish I didn't already pay $45/month for my gym membership, because I almost feel like I'd much rather be doing this. With that said...I've been saying I would treat myself to a trainer when I hit 100lbs lost so perhaps I will check this out and make this my 100lbs lost treat instead. Exciting!

Congratulations on the non-girly push ups! I am hoping to get there someday myself!

[DogMa]

Yeah, I tried this out for a month or so and then dropped my gym membership. I liked all the equipment there and everything, but I figure I'm better off with something I'll actually DO. I tend to stick with the gym for a while, then stop going (especially now, when my hours are pretty long already, so it'd be really hard to go after work - and I hate going DURING work and getting all sweaty).

[Lauren]

Hey, Rob! Um, did I miss your birthday! I read above in your posts about your birthday cake, and it dawned on me that you were celebrating! But for some reason I thought your birthday was awhile ago...am I having a blonde moment? (regular occurance)

How's it going? It sounds like you are doing great and back in the zone after your travels and stuff.

The PUSH thing sounds good to me, too, but I live in an apartment, and I think I'd always be worried that I was annoying the folks beneath me with jumping around and stuff. Unless it's not cardio??

Cheers -

Lauren

[DogMa]

Each DVD includes a cardio workout, but I don't do 'em since I love the treadmill so much.

And no, no, it was a birthday celebration for a relative. I said I didn't have any cake, Cyd (I think) said she would find it hard to resist, and I said my general rule is that I try to only have birthday cake to celebrate my OWN birthday. Because otherwise there'd be cake all the time. Mine's not till September.

[DogMa]

Argh. No running today, and a shorter walk than usual, although I plan to do PUSH tonight. My tummy's been upset (umm, more a sandbox issue) ever since that Indian food the other day. I've had extra fiber, lots of spinach (usually helps), etc., but still uncomfortable and bloated beyond belief. I'm having some yogurt stuff with active cultures today, and if it's not better by the time I get home, I'm going with the Miralax.

Sorry to be so graphic. But I'm SO bloated, and I hate this feeling. And seeing this number on the scale, even though I know it'll go down as soon as everything clears up. Or out.

[katieb920]

Hope you feel better......

Can I ask you something? Now since you have lost the weight and have kept it off. Do you love exercise, or do you just know that you have to do it.

[cydj21]

Oh Robin, I'm feeling ya girl. I actually ditched my plan to do a caprese salad with low-fat mozarella as my L/G yesterday because I was afraid of what the dairy would do to my digestive system after essentially no dairy in 4 weeks. I hope you start feeling better soon!

[DogMa]

I'm happy to report that it's not completely done, but it's much, much better. Yay. I'm becoming a big fan of that tzatziki from Costco, with live, active cultures, because it seems to really work on me (I hadn't had it for a few days, which I think is what caused the problem).

Katie, I love certain aspects of the exercise. I love the feeling of accomplishment and strength I get when I do things like push-ups or the one-legged squats. I don't love the running, but I love that I CAN run, and I love the feeling I have when I get off the treadmill and I'm drenched in sweat and I know I really worked hard. And I have noticed that I have more energy and a more positive outlook all day when I run in the morning; if it's a day off or I have a bad workout for some reason, I just feel kind of "off" all day. But the actual working out? Honestly, no, I don't love it. It's just something I have to do every day, like brushing my teeth or doing laundry or something. A necessary chore.