You're welcome!!

Yeah, I keep the graphs honest so that I can look back and if my weight isn't doing what I want it to, then I can see if it's because I'm not working out hard enough or because my eating is jacked up or whatever - or if it appears to just be some random thing.

After taking way too much time off, I have a new goal and some fresh motivation now that the snow is melting and summer is on it's way.

Thanks for the pepper-ducation, Drew. Seems that I likely bit into a wee meany-cayenne, (or some other pepper of the same heat, so I'm told).

All I can say is I am extremely wary of certain dishes now.

; )

M.

Hi Drew! Hope you're having a great vacation! Ive been off work for 2 weeks, as well as my gym has been closed for 2 weeks! So I am really feeling like a fat slob right now! I've made a commitment to go to the gym when it opens on monday though! I can't wait! just having this 2 weeks of doing very little is starting to get depressing aswell. Just lucky my boss didn't give me 3 weeks off! I am excited about starting the year off fresh with heaps of enthusiasm to get back into my exercise routines! How have you been going? Setting yourself any new years resolutions or new goals to start the year with? My first goal is to get back onto traineo more often for more self encouragement!
Keep smiling! :-)
Jemma

The Holidays destroyed me, all self control and motivation has been thrown out the window. Going on a vacation til Monday, then it's gym, gym, gym!

Ok! I admit it…. I have been a bad motivator!

Hell, the last month or so I haven’t had enough motivation for me. A lot has changed in my life – I am single, I moved to the city (from the burbs), and of course the Holidays and Holiday parties. About the only thing that hasn’t changed in the last couple of months is my weight, I have been in the 213-227 range. Truth be told I should be lucky not to have tipped over 227.

Well, let the fun begin. I can see 185, and I see it by February.

I hope you are up for some accountability, cause I sure am!

Since you are local, wanna workout sometime?

Good luck!

Fred

Cardio (Mostly running). I go about 3 miles a day M-F, and on Sun I do a 7 mile run (at least that's what I've been doing the last couple weeks).

I have been lifting for about an 1/2 hour a day M-F as well. I try to work out 1 muscle group each day. Giving a weeks rest for each muscle.

Starting in Jan. I plan on lifting longer and running less.
It will be my 6 month mark. I planned on trimming down a bit more prior to adding lean mass, but figured more muscle will result in more calories burned.

Hi Drew! Im sorry I've been so slack with getting onto traineo lately and not replying to your messages! I've started a summer job and it has been taking all my time! I have got into a habit of going to the gym on 2 of my days off work. And the other 2 days where i dont work full days, i get out and about in town doing lots of walking and errands. the other 3 days i am at work on my feet for about 9 hours! So don't go getting any ideas that I'm not working out! I've managed to hit a plateau with weight loss, but i am ok with that because i know i am working hard, and its not gaining weight! How is everything going for you? I am also about to move house so am also busy packing so im not spending much time at all on my computer these days! Hope you're doing well!

Hi Drew, thanks for leaving the message. I've been pretty much totally off trsack since Thanksgiving but this gives me a good reason to start up my program again. I will go back on my calories goals tomorrow (its already 7pm here) and start my workouts Saturday. I have a big exam for work on Friday that I've been studying for which I am stressed about, I was out of town for a bit and these things combined with Thanksgiving have made me totally go off the wagon! But I can always start again, so I'll start right away. As I am spending the next few days studying and taking my exam, my first proper workout won't be until Saturday, but I'll start logging them again here.

Thanks for the message, it helps to get me back on track. And you look like you're doing good with the weight loss! Well done!

Things to do better:
1. Improve diet.
2. Sleep more.
3. Push myself, not maintain.
4. Be more and more awesome everyday.

well i'm running on my tredmill everyday(2 miles a day plus dieting,and gym class) im really afraid of becoming diabetic and honoestly im tired of being overweight. i want to atlest loose 3 inches off my waist and be able to get clothes from the stores that all my friends go to.i'm really determined to become healthy and live a longer life.i just ran today after along time(new tread) and wow i feel so good after i run. i feel like i just won 20 millon dollars.well good luck on yer goal :))

Hey Drew! I am hanging in there. I know I havn't been loging things...life is pretty stressful at the moment. I am frantically job hunting and flat hunting, as well as recovering from 2 leg injuries which have kept me away from the gym for 2 weeks :-( My physiotherapist has finally given me the go ahead and i am allowed to ease back into the gym this week, and hopefully start a slow running program by next week! YAY! I have noticed I have been getting really upset and depressed, not only becuase everything is so stressful, but I havn't been able to go the gym and have a good hard workout to get it all out! I can't wait till i an really get back into it. How about you? Sounds like a good change in workout to get around that plateau! Is it working out well for you?

This past week I started training with a new workout partner who has opposite goals...but I've been platueuing between 215-212, so the change of pace may help out. So I'm going from heavy cardio, light lifting to light-moderate cardio, heavy lifting. WOOHOO

Mini Goals (thanks Jemma):
205lbs by 12/31/07
Increase running frequency - 4 miles/week
Eat out once a week.

Thanks Drew! I've only been to the gym once this week, but have been running lots of errands, and walking around to job interviews lots every day (not having a car is good for extra exercise!) Though I have to keep reminding myself I've been doing all this walking because I sit down at the end of the day thinking "Oh No! I havn't been to the gym today!" But I'm still getting hopefully enough exercise. So my mini goals didn't get completed, but I think i would have walked a lot more than 15km in the last week! I am really focusing on my food intake this week. I had a bit of a binge weekend that i need to recover from. It was such terrible binging I am just craving fruits and salads! How do you keep your diet or calorie intake so consistant?

Hi Drew, things are going much better this week! I just had my 3rd workout and though my diet hasn't been the greatest, it hasn't been too bad either. I haven't binged or overeaten at all this week, so hopefully the weekend will go well too.

You look like you're doing great by the way! Well done and keep up the good progress!

Hey Drew, been working out, but haven't logged it in awhile. I just updated my profile. Thanks for checking in. You've been making killer progress. Keep it up!

I am finally all done with university for this year! I have 4 months of summer to enjoy now! Tims for me to start looking for a full time job! But until then, I am commiting myself to going to the gym every weekday! I've not been logging my workouts or diet very well this past week... maybe thats a good thing so no-one can tell how many celebratory drinks I've had this weekend! Hows everything going for you?

Yup Drew that sure is a long time to be in one place! But it is my last week before summer break, so I have lots of assignments due and they have been needing a lot of work! I can't wait until next week when I will actually have the time to go to the gym! I am thinking about starting swimming twice a week over summer as well! It's sad that we so often put our health after our work and study! But you're right, at least we really are trying, even if we don't get it right every week!

Hi Drew, I'm so sorry! I only just today saw your message from the 10th that you left on my page...I haven't been ignoring you!

I am living in England because my husband is from here, although I also did study here while I was in college. I like it here but I still miss the great midwest (well, Chicago and Minneapolis anyway!).

Anyway, I had a not so good weekend. I had to make banoffee pie yesterday to use up all my bananas and ended up eating half of it! But I had a really hard workout so the scale this morning was down from yesterday morning.

I'm on a group on Spark People where we set a goal for the week and then check in daily to post our progress. My goal for this week is to exercise every day, even if it's only for 15 minutes a day. It really helps me to be accountable to people, in fact it may be the only thing that really motivates me, so I'm glad to be a part of that group (and traineo as well!)

Otherwise, I have a personal goal to stay within 1500 calories a day, which I can do really well with for a few days but as I near the end of the week I slowly do worse and worse. Anyway, hoping to change those bad habits.

Those are the things I am trying for the moment, how about you?

Hi Drew! hows it going?! Its the weekend here again already! I havnt been to the gym all week and I feel so guilty for it! I have been at uni working hard 8am - 10pm every day this week and still going at it through the weekend! i Intend on getting into the gym today before work though! I have one more week of classes, where i have heaps of assignments due before summer holidays! Ive been keeping a pretty good diet though (sitting in class all day and having no money means i cant go buy bad food to snack on!) Looks like your keeping at it better than me at the moment! Kepp up the good work!

Hi, Drew,

Just stopping by to drop off some good vibes from France, for you to do with what ye will.

Have a productive, positive day,

M.

Hey Drew, on the Wii, the boxing included in Sports can really get me to break a sweat. The other one that can get the heart rate going with a friend is Tennis. Although with tennis, it's very easy to half-ass it. Make sure you really swing. Looks like you're making great progress. Keep it up.

Hi Drew! Thanks for the message about "cheat days" being ok! I was just starting to feel bad about it then I saw your message! I dont know why, but on the weekends i just can't stick to my weekdays healthy eating pattern, and its not like I go and eat pizzas and cakes and sweets or anything, I just find I'm nibbling on food more often. Because i work a split shift on weekends I feel like i have so much less energy and need the extra food to keep going. I know its partly mindset, but its a hard habit to kick! It has been really encouraging though to find out I have lost 2 kj since i first weighed in just over a month ago, so this weekend it is my goal to stick with healthier food (but not completely deprive myself of the sweet stuff!) and kick that habit of over eating on weekends! Thanks again for the support :-) Hows it all going for you?

Hey Drew! Looks like your going really well! To reach my goals I am trying to get to the gym 2-3 times a week, aswell as cutting down portion sizes in my meals, and cutting out some of the bad things I was eating/drinking every day. We have a lot of white bread in my house (its just so much cheaper and my flatmates eat alot!) So I am cutting that out completely, and trying to have more fruit and vegetable servings per day, as I realised that for a while I wasn't having any vegetables at all! (My flatmates don't like cooking vegetables on their cooking nights :-( ) I was doing really well with all of these things the last 2 weeks, until this weekend just past, where it all flew out the window due to a big night out! But it's monday now, a new week starting, and I'm already back on track to healthy eating! Just need to get into the gym now!
How about yourself? What do you find is the hardest for you to keep on track with?

Excellent picture Drew, you look very ponderant. In fact, you look very trim in that picture, like you have lost 4 or 5 lbs already. What is the water bottle thing about?