These Are The MAYS of our Lives- The MAYers, Part VI

[lakehead92]

Hi everyone.

I've not been able to check in much this week, my head cold is kind of dragging me down, and when I get home from running all my errands, I am happy to just go lay down and rest for a while.

Emily has a bit of this cold as well, so I think we will skip gymnastics today, so that we germ carriers don't spread it around too far.

But we do need to go out and get groceries and a few other things. As far as shopping for christmas, its just my niece and the teacher gifts that I have left to get , and most likely it will be gift cards this year for them. I'm ready to be done!

I'll stay home the next two weeks and bake and clean and prepare for all my company that will be coming to spend the holiday with us.
I think I have figured out all the sleeping arrangements as well, and everyone should be comfy.


I have both trees up now, and our outdoor lights as well. Starting to feel very festive here now.

 

[trixiequilts]

Trixie- If I had photoshop, I'd make one of you and your beloved Mr. Phelps. I can picture it now. Phelps standing next a body with a zebra mickey head pasted on where her face should be. Hope you get that day without kids real soon or at least a day without fevers.

My DH is a graphic designer and he could do a great pic of me and MP, but for some reason I don't think I should ask him.

Well, the girls were both back at school yesterday...DD10 must not have had the same thing as DD7. But now I'm sick.

So WDW must be getting desperate for some visitors....guess who got a pin code in the mail today. Yep, they are trying to draw in us foreigners now.

YAY Lake!!!

So when are you going???

 

[lakehead92]

YAY Lake!!!

So when are you going???

Not sure we can. With my dad's birthday trip already in the works for next year, and paying off the renovations. I'm not sure it would be very responsible of us, but we will see what happens. We have until february to think about it. So things may change.

 

[JoBird]

Morning! I woke up early and went to the gym this morning! Yay me!

I know that some of you are avid gym people - do you have any suggestions on workouts? I generally have 45 min - hour to work out and after I do a 1/2 hour of cardio I am kind of lost as to where to go from there. I know I need to do more work with weights, but I don't know what to do.


Oh yeah - and I'm sorry!!! Snoop was the 1st one that came to mind. LMAO. He's definitely the most intimidating of those choices.

RF- Sorry this is long------
Back when I was hard core training, I used a lot of different books but the one that helped me a ton was "Sculpting Her Body Perfect" by Brad Schoenfeld. I think he may have come out with a different version since then.

I was addicted to training in an intense way. I worked out 6 days a week, starting with cardio every day for 20 minutes. On the treadmill I would walk for one minute then run as hard and as fast as I could for one minute. Back and forth for 20 minutes- interval training. It sets your metabolism up for your workout and continues to burn calories for a long time afterwards. It is better than running for a straight 20 minutes.

Afterwards, depending on the day, I would work out these body parts:
Monday- legs, Abs
Tuesday -Shoulders, Bi;s and Tris
Wed- legs, Abs
Thurs- chest back and Abs
Fri- legs
Sat- Shoulders bi's tri's and Abs again
Sun- rest

I used free weights, cables as much as possible.
For each body part- legs for example, I'd break down into hamstrings/calves/glutes. For hamstrings I'd do three different machines or free weight excercises with three sets of 10- 12 reps, always having the weight high enough so that the last one is excrutiatingly painful, or to failure as they say. Glutes were the same, only I'd add to those three excercises around 150 lunges each leg. Walking lunges, backward lunges, box lunges. I'd do squats-- loads and loads of squats- until I realized I was building ginormous side (hip) muscles. My body responds to weights very quickly.

Rest for thirty seconds only between sets- this keeps metabolism flowing.

While doing this I adhered to a very strict high protein diet.
In the morning I'd wake to One cup of black coffee.
Around 8, I'd have a piece of whole wheat toast with natural peanut butter- (Not the jif stuff) or Kashi go lean cereal. Water, water water- carried a jug around constantly.
At 10, I'd drink a protein shake with fat free milk.
At noon, I'd eat a spinach/ salmon salad with EVOO and lemon dressing.

Work out from 1- 3 pm.
Protien shake with milk and peanut butter (natural) immediately following.

at 4pm, I'd have 6 almonds and a cup of Greek yogurt (fat free with the high protein count).

at 6 we'd have dinner and I'd eat plain chicken and a veg and brown rice.

8 pm was a protein of some sort and an apple.

You may also want to add in ff cottage cheese as a protein and egg whites- both of which I cannot eat but are perfect "whole foods" and a great source of protein.

That book I mentioned above has all the weight excercises I did with illustrations and different workouts, which I didn't follow. I wouldn't suggest you work out with weights as hard as I did until you build up stamina- maybe 6 months of build time.

I got a trainer after about 6 months who told me he was going to work me out the way he trained boxers b/c I was almost to the point of overtraining. He added in a slew of excercises that really helped out. WHo knew you could do 5 different excercises on the Leg Extension machine, simply but positioning your feet a different way to target different teeny tiny muscles in your hamstrings???? I never knew it.

You might want to hire a trainer to get you started- it would give you a basis for it and help you get your groundings so that you aren't walking aimlessly around.

Oh, and also keep a journal- go into each workout with a list of the machines/ excercises you are going to perform. Keeps you accountable, you'll feel guilty if you see in writing one exercise that you failed to complete written out there.

I know this sounds like a ton of info- but seriously- you have to just do a trial and error thing to see what works for you. This is what I found worked for me after many different times of trying to get my weight down and build muscle.




Hum..... I need to start back. Thanks for the idea.

Good luck with it.

Jo

 

[rusafee1183]

Jo - that's amazing! Thanks so much for your help! I printed this out and I am going to try to modify the workout schedule.

I need some good luck! I have never been able to stick to anything! I am the perfect example of a yo-yo dieter. But I am hoping to try to do a lot better

P.S. - I am sending in an audition tape to The Biggest Loser for the 2010 season! I don't know if they would take me, I am basically the in the lightest category that any of the contestants are. But, it's worth a shot! My friend Rachel is going to send in a tape with me!

 

[seacrestpromo]

Good Morning Mayers!

Tas - Have a safe trip and a fun time at DLR with the family!

Jo - You made me exhausted just reading all that exercise stuff you did. Amazing.

RF - Have fun making your audition tape for TBL! My son Chris watches that show each week. I think he is love with Jillian ever since he met her a few months ago. LOL!

Trix & Lake - Hope you all feel better soon!

Mon - Those turkeys are usually there for the whole year. After that I don't know where they go. Have to find out. But I often wonder what goes through their mind when they smell those turkey legs.

Shelly - You haven't checked in today - where are you???

Sea

 

[JoBird]

You're welcome, RF!

I've always found that getting into a routine is all mind games. That's the hardest part- getting into the routine. Once you start doing it, it becomes second nature- and that piece of cheesecake looks like a plate of fat instead of something glorious.

Write down your goals- post them all over the house- mirrors, computer, fridge- read them out loud every day--- and, along with........ this is the hard part..... pictures of women who have a body that you like and you think is a feasible goal for you to set your sights on. Seeing them stare at you with their beautiful bodies motivates you and helps you say no faster than anything. I used to have pics of fitness models hung in the closet where I'd get dressed. When my pants started to get big on me, I'd look at those pics and stick my tongue out at them as I'd flounce out the door to the gym. It works. It's all a game that you have to create in your mind and win.


Oooh- I'm encouraging myself over here.



The Biggest Loser might not take you--- but there are gyms all over that do that sort of thing in the new year. See if you can find one. One of them here even did it in correlation with a newscast. They'd weigh in once a week and get put on the news. Ouch. Talk about humilitation if you gained instead of lost. Yikes.


Let me know if I can help with anything else.

Jo

 

[JoBird]

Hi Sea!!!!!!!

 

[JoBird]

Forgot to add RF- the 6 almonds I ate were raw, unsalted. Roasting nuts changes them, takes away the good stuff. And only eat 6 of them. It is for the protein that you are eating that amount and any more than that will be too much fat.

You can get raw almonds anywhere- but Trader Joes in the city had them there and I loved shopping there. Do you know where that is?

 

[seacrestpromo]

Hi Jo - Trader Jo's is the best! We have two stores less than a mile from our home.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Afternoon MAYers.

Santa's Workshop is done!! Wow that was a lot of work.

Now I need to get it in gear around here for the holidays!

 

[seacrestpromo]

Ok, I am finally going to start to put up some pictures of our Western Caribbean cruise...it will be in bite size portions.

Waiting for our red-eye flight at LAX to Ft. Lauderdale

Our first view of the ship - The Crown Princess!

Safety drill...note my dorky BIL in the background

My boys and their aunt Pam, my sister.

After the drill, had to get a snack at the food court...see that brownie? I think I had about 30 of them during the whole week. They were insanely addicting.

Chilling in our room with our Bon Voyage champagne.

Heading out to sea behind another ship.

Sailing off into the sunset...

Sea

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Beautiful pictures Sea!

 

[lakehead92]

Asking for some very special prayers from my friend Amanda and her family today. Malik past away this morning after his 5 month battle with brain cancer. He was almost 4 years old. God has just accepted the sweetest and most precious little angel ever.

 

[JoBird]

Sea! Oh my gosh- the pictures are beautiful!

Sea was out to Sea!!!!!

Can't wait to see more.

 

[JoBird]

Asking for some very specail prayers from my friend Amanda and her family today. Malik past away this morning after his 5 month battle with brain cancer. He was almost 4 years old. God has just accepted the sweetest and most precious little angel ever.

Lake---I am so very very sorry. It is such a hard thing to hear. Prayers for Little Malik's family are being lifted up.
May God's peace be upon them, holding them in this time of grief.

Right now, Malik is alive and well, only out of our sight- but being held tightly by his angels in a place filled with God's glory. May you and all who loved him be comforted.



Jo

 

[mari360]

Lake - OMG my prayers are with him and his family. I know for a while you kept us updated on his progress. It's just so sad that this had to happen to him but at least he will not be in any pain anymore.

Sea - Great pics.....

Hey guys i know I have been MIA and now more since research papers were due and now starting next week i have Finals... wish me luck everyone...

 

[lakehead92]

Lake---I am so very very sorry. It is such a hard thing to hear. Prayers for Little Malik's family are being lifted up.
May God's peace be upon them, holding them in this time of grief.

Right now, Malik is alive and well, only out of our sight- but being held tightly by his angels in a place filled with God's glory. May you and all who loved him be comforted.



Jo

Lake - OMG my prayers are with him and his family. I know for a while you kept us updated on his progress. It's just so sad that this had to happen to him but at least he will not be in any pain anymore.

Thank you!
My heart is just aching.

I do know that he is at peace now,and over the last month he was in a lot of pain, and had to be sedated a lot.
I honestly hadn't shared new updates lately because of how painful it was to think abaout.

Even with all his hospital visits and with the pain the thing he wanted most like all 3 year old boys was to go home to play with his sisters Aida and Kate and his brand new baby brother Eli.

The steroids for the tumor had made him very unrecognizable, and his face had puffed up to 3x its normal size.

I believe in the power of prayer, and hope that Amanda and Joe and the kids and their extended family will feel them all and be lifted up by them to help them through this terrible loss.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I'm so sorry to hear that Lake. The family will be in our prayers.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Good luck with your finals Mari!