There's nothing you can do. The bones are bruised, and you just have to work past it. It'll go away in a few days. Once you get over it, you have to keep riding though. If you stop for a while and then start up again........well..........you're a smart girl!! ;)

Hi Matthew, I bought an IPod, one of the later generations on Overstock.com for $40 for my granddaughter. It was reconditioned but still going strong. You might find something not quite like what you would like while saving for the one you want. Just a thought!

Good morning all. Still walking and "stairing" twice day. Just woke up, doing great on my eating plan and will weigh shortly.

Fingers crossed!

Hugs,

Yikes that sounds painful. Hope it heals quickly.

Recumbent bikes have nice, comfortable seats. Have to use that type as it is easier on my knees (as well as my rear).

I don't know if that is a possibility for you.


Regular bike seats hurt my butt too.

Morning hun,

I actually know of a place here called XS Cargo that is selling a reconditioned iPod (8GB if I remember correctly) for $169 or they have other MP3 players for pretty cheap so I'm going to invest in one very soon :-)

Yesterday’s food plan was so good I’m doing it again today :)

1 cup-o-joe with heavy cream 1.5oz.

1 giant tomato 430g
1 cup homemade really great lentil soup

Green veg salad 1/2 romaine + 1/2 spinach + mixed chopped veg + 20g raw pecans + 1/4 cup pear dressing, about 300g total;
roughly the size of my head :|
120g (4oz) London broil
3 plums, 1 red, 1 black, 1 green

All of the above sourced organic

Breakdown:

cal 1089
fat 33g
sat 14
mono 19
carb 89.2
fiber 29.5
protein 71.2

Yum, works for me!

:balloon:

Oh, It's Zumba.....I was spelling and saying it incorrectly. I am going to a saturday morning class that is outdoors. It's purpose was to raise money for breast cancer. A couple hundred people show up! Men and Women. All skill levels.
It's a good work out, I always feel a little sore the next day, but it is so much fun.

70 pounds is something to be proud of. Way to go Kim!

I got back from gym a little bit ago rode the bike 6 miles for 360calories,walked two miles on the tred mill for another 195 calories then did 30 minits of weights.I r tired and hungry when I got home,so I fixed me threee poached eggs with tow slices of whole wheat toast for a total of 22 carbs for a late lunch.Breakfast was my old stand by cottage cheese and peaches.I have chicken brest in the slow cooker simmering in mushroom sause with sweet onions..that and a salad as big as a barrel will bring life back to my tired body.

I'm feeling pissy because my ass is so bruised that I can't stand to get on my stationary bike. :poc-rant:

I did 10 minutes this morning just as a warm-up and I had wanted to do another 25 minutes tonight but even sitting there is pretty painful. I've been riding it steadily for about a week now and was hoping this pain would go away dammit!

Anyone else tried to wad up a huge beach towel to sit on that tiny bike seat while you ride? Well, it did NOT work for me!

I want to ride my bike dammit! WAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! :crybaby:

Try a sheep skin seat pad,it worked for me,or get a more comfy seat for the bike.

You can buy a gel seat cover. Very comfortable....:praying:

Angie, is your bike a recumbent bike, meaning, does it have a back for you to lean against? I hope so, because I find that really helpful.

Since stationary biking is my THANG (in a big way), here are my suggestions based on my own experience:

1) If you have the ability to move the seat a little more forward (so that your legs are more bent), do so, because it takes pressure off your ass.

2) When you bike, focus your mind on putting the pressure on your feet and legs and AWAY from your stomach, ass, and back. Bare forward not back, so that all the tension is in your legs, as if you are walking, not sitting.

3) Take 5-10 minute breaks of getting off the bike when your ass hurts. It rejuvenates itself a good amount during these breaks.

4) Does your bike have levels? The higher the level, the more your ass will hurt. Also, the faster you go, the more your ass will hurt. Try biking at the lowest level (or a lower level) if your bike has settings for levels, and try biking slower. To keep your heart rate up, get yourself some 1 pound (and you can keep going up in pounds as you train) weights to lift while you bike. You can always use soup cans or other similar objects if you don't have weights. If that feels like too much, try just doing arm exercises, as if you are holding weights. For instance, I will put my arms out like Jesus on the Cross (just describing the style) and rotate them in small circles for as long as I can stand. Then I will take a break and do the same thing again. There are so many simple exercises to do with hands and arms, and it's very surprising how, even without any weight, they keep the heart rate up! If you like the style, I'll show you 30 or so of them at the Reunion! Me = nerd.

5) Start doing some butt exercises each time after you bike. One that I like is to lay on my back with my knees up and lift my pelvis, tighten my cheeks, and hold for as long as I can. Repeat.

6) Keep up with the bike in smaller time frames so as not to wear out your ass. Gradually increase over days/ months, never going to a point where your ass gets a real beating.

7) Have your partner or personal masseuse give you a nice relaxing butt massage with healing lotions every night after you have used the bike. Alright, I admit that I just made that one up, but it does sound lovely, doesn't it?

Matthew
 

You are going thrue the same things we all go thrue when we first become health wise,for me it was when I quit smokeing a year ago,I know I did the yoyo thing about quiting.Id buy a pack and swear I could only smoke a fue hear and there then finaly quit.It didnt work that way cause I was always buying the safty pack to have around till one day I was somkeing a ciggy out of no where I went into a stage 4 asthma attack...not fun let med tell u.I gess thats what turned the tables for me cause I havent smoked sence.What I did was totaly change my routine,I stoped buying gas at my fav circke K cause they always ask if I wanted a pack or two wich I would say "yeah gimmie a couple" just out of habit.When I started on my begaining to take charge of my health I had the same prob...I told myself..one little chip wont hurt...but I cant eat just one.Where I didnt change where I shoped I told myself I was stronger than a potato chip or any food that wasnt good for me,its not easy but can be done.Now I just have it in my head that im well worth the work it take to be stronger than my foodie habbit.
Mathew, I have faith in you ablity to take charge of you life one day at the time,one step at the time.One thing I have done is take pictures of when I felt my best and looked like I wanted to look,I put them in the kitchen...on the fridge,on the cabnet doors as well as where I keep my seasonings and such..A visual note to myself to keep on keepin on.

I love this idea Rockin! :)

What a great way to motivate ourselves with the positive of how we want to look and feel. :rrose:

I'm keeping up with the eating program....sometimes finding it challenging when I'm rushing between meetings without a lot of time to prepare lunch. Think I need to spend a little more time doing the fruit and veggie preparations right after I buy them, instead of when I have 12 minutes to make and eat a salad between calls.

I got back on the Mobia for the first time in weeks yesterday. Only did 5 minutes because I'm back at square one as far as my endurance goes on it. I've resolved to get on it every day....because if I take one day off it turns into weeks. I'll start with the 5 minutes I can do, and add one minute every few days as my health coach recommended. My goal is 30 minutes, so that system seems silly....but, hey, if I get up to 30 minutes by November...I'll still be up to 30 minutes, right? :)

Good Morning Everyone,

I have noticed that since I left my old department, I am not having any junk food cravings. Except for the brownies that I made the other night. I bought two bags of salad mix with my favorite organic raspberry olive oil dressing and I've been having that with a sprinkle of low fat shredded cheese for lunch yesterday and dinner, Monday night. I can tell the difference already! I'm not as bloated and I have more energy!! I bought a small bag of m&m's yesterday and I told my mentor, that if the phone rang before I could eat one, that was a sign that I wasn't supposed to have them. The phone rang after I ate the first one and I ended up giving the bag to my supervisor.

Zimmy

Matthew- For me, I could delude myself so easily. Buying something and "putting it away", really does not work (at least for me).

It would sit there and gently keep calling my name: "Anya, cookies. Right up here in the corner where you hid us. Come on, just one. You know you want us".

I would then not be able to think about anything but those cookies until I went to get then. One cookie would turn into 10 or the bag.

I just no longer kid myself. I can't buy them, I can't have them in the house. Period.

When I got back on my eating plan, I bought a box "just to have on hand" for the GD. Bullshit. I bought it for me. I was honest with myself and opened the bag, filled it with water, put it in a trashbag and took it out to the garbage.

Matthew, you might want to get rid of those Doritos-just sayin...

Just weighed. Finally lost that damn 1/2 pound. Just weighed. 10 down, next decade to go. I have totally gotten control back and it feels awesome even though I lose at a snail's pace. It is what it is.

Hugs,

YES!

ANY of the Bellydancing dvd's by the Bidasha twins is amazing and fun (and not so high impact that you'll regret it or won't have fun)

They go through the basics of Bellydance and talk about the why's and how's! You'll dig it!

This is the one I have and love but they have several different ones and they're all good:

http://www.a-world-music-instruction...Down-Front.jpg

AWESOME Medusa... THANK YOU!

I was looking at different videos this morning on Amazon (thinking I could get something pretty cheap used) and the sheer number of exercise videos is mindblowing! I will definitely check it out.

A local friend of mine also joined our gym. She told me that on Friday evenings they have bellydancing classes. Soooo... I'm thinking if I start out with a video to see what kind of moves they do, I might join in.

I still haven't ventured into the Zumba class though YET. Those women are ANIMALS ;)

Today's menu so far....

Breakfast: 1 slice whole wheat toast with tuna salad, black coffee

Snack #1: Greek yogurt

Snack #2: Banana

Lunch: Giant salad (4 quart bowl)...organic baby greens, organic baby spinach, 1 carrot, 1/2 tomato, 1/2 cucumber, handful chopped cauliflower, handful black olives, 2 handfuls chickpeas, 1/3 avocado, topped with homemade olive oil/apple cider vinegar dressing.

5 minutes on the Mobia....tomorrow will be 6. :)

Hi all,hope you'all have had a good day.So far today acording to the index burn calculator ive rode a bike for 6 miles for 482 calories gone then went to the weigh room then burned another 282 for a grand total of 724 calories burned.At the moment in sort of at a stand still with the scale but if I keep this up it wont be for long,I hope.I had cottage cheese and peaches for breakfast,then 2 roll up lettus sandwich with turkey and low fat cheese and a 20 oz bottle of water..had a huge salad at 3pm so dinner will be (for me) prolly about 7:30 or so.Sofas ive drank 4 20oz bottles of water an one large glass fo chrystle light lemonaid.

Good Evening Everyone,

Karma is telling me not to have M&M"s, hehe. I bought another bag today, since I am making that my only indulgence for the day. As soon as I opened the bag up, my mentor, informed me that I was going on a walking tour of the hotel..By the time we got back, I was packing up my notes and leaving..Needless to say, I put the pack of M&M's on my supervisor's desk and left.

Breakfast: I had my normal cup of Greek yogurt, 8oz cup of chocolate Soymilk and 8oz cup of coffee...

Lunch: One small slice of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and fresh green beans with 1/4 cup of sweet tea.

Dinner: Two corndogs<I needed the calories after walking around a 31 story hotel>, a medium sized bowl of salad with only a sprinkle of mild cheddar cheese and two tablespoons of my favorite salad dressing.

Snacks: About ten Cheez-It crackers and 1 1/2 Fiber One bars with another glass of chocolate Soymilk with dinner..

Have a great night,

Zimmy

Medusa,
Thinker is right. There really isn't any way past it. You have to build up the scar tissue. It won't hurt if you take a day off, though.

Also, I would look into a quality seat that takes pressure off the area. To be honest with you, the best place to ask these questions are the bike thread.

Ok, well, that is just weird if someone is going to "tell on you"!

If you want help with people keeping you accountable, that is cool, but certainly no one should be "telling" on you! :-(

Interesting article
 

How to be a frugal foodie

Shopping smart doesn't mean you can't afford healthy eating

Eileen Connelly/ Associated Press

Drink fat-free or low-fat milk, and make sure half of the grains you eat are whole grains.

Do these healthy eating guidelines sound costly?

Researchers at the University of Washington raised eyebrows earlier this month with a study finding that a healthy diet is expensive and difficult for cash-strapped Americans to afford. And with the cost of food rising faster than other products — the Agriculture Department estimates that grocery prices will rise by 3.5 to 4.5 percent this year and another 3 to 4 percent in 2012 — it would seem that problem may only get worse.

But frugal foodies say it's still possible to eat well on a budget. It just takes a bit of organization and some smart strategies.

The path starts with understanding what's healthy and what's not. That's where the federal government comes in. The USDA has updated its recommendations with the aim of helping people make better food choices.

Details of the new "plate" that replaced the "food pyramid" earlier this year can be found on www.choosemyplate.gov. The site explains what types of foods provide which nutrients and which "empty" calories provide little nutrition and provides recipes for a variety of meals.

It's easiest to save if you have some basic cooking skills to rely on. Cooking is almost always going to be less expensive than buying prepared meals or eating out.

Healthy meals don't have to be gourmet concoctions, said Kelly Hancock, the author of the soon-to-be-released book "Saving Savvy" and a blogger at FaithfulProvisions.com. "You don't have to be a master chef to cook dinner every night."

Once armed with the knowledge of what to eat and how to pull it together, getting the most out of every grocery dollar requires a system. But that doesn't mean you have to resort to building up a case full of coupons.
"If you don't have the basic concepts down, coupons are not going to help you," said Hancock.

Instead of focusing on clipping and organizing coupons, put your time into planning, said Steve Economides, who with his wife, Annette, operates the website AmericasCheapestFamily.com, and last fall wrote the book "Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half."

"Everything we talk about really comes down to planning in advance," he said. "The more you plan, the more you save."

Here's a recipe for grocery saving success:

Plan meals and shopping

The Economides family makes one major shopping trip per month, with a second to pick up necessities in between. This helps cut down on impulse purchases.

Although they acknowledge that their shopping strategy relies on plenty of storage space and a large freezer, they advocate minimizing trips as much as possible. "The more times you go into a store, the more you're going to pick up unplanned items," said Annette Economides.

It's also critical to plan meals and develop a good list. Sit down for a few minutes and map out what your family will eat for the week, and you'll be less likely to randomly fill your cart. Check recipes to make sure you've got all the necessary ingredients, and aren't inviting an extra run to the store for that last item — and six others.

Waste less food

The U.S. generates more than 34 million tons of food waste each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Much of that comes from homes where uneaten food gets discarded.

Overshopping is a big contributor to waste, so planning will help cut down on that problem. Hancock said one way she avoids tossing out good food is by preparing extra-large batches and freezing a portion of what she's cooked as a convenient second meal. The Economides family also uses a weekly "leftovers night" to create a smorgasbord dinner.

Stock up with sales

Smart-shopping advocates say it's easy to get fooled by advertising if you don't know what food typically costs. Grocery chains often include items in their fliers that are not really on sale — or sale prices that are not their lowest. To know when an item is really a bargain, keep notes on the prices charged in various stores, and the price of items when they're put on sale. The stock up for your freezer or pantry.

Be sure to put whatever storage space you have available to work. Building a stockpile of staples is an important step in stretching a budget — but that doesn't mean you have to fill a room with surplus. Avoid going overboard by keeping an inventory of the items in the pantry and freezer to help you decide whether it's time to take advantage of a sale.

Shop by the season

The height of summer is prime time for many fruits and vegetables, and prices drop as the various crops hit their peak. Choosing what's in season can keep costs down, while picking out-of-season produce or items shipped a long distance will require an extra bounty.

"There's no excuse for saying, 'I can't eat fruits and vegetables because they cost too much,'" said Annette Economides.

Recipe website Epicurious.com offers an interactive seasonal ingredient map that can tutor you on what to watch for at http://epi.us/Oi8yx.

Find a local farmers market for really fresh bargains. If you shop at the end of the market hours, you'll typically find vendors offering steep discounts.

Contact a local Chamber of Commerce or visit www.localharvest.org to find a market near you. Freezing or canning any extras can extend the life of those deals through the off-season.

Hancock said seasonal items like marinades for grilling will be on sale in the spring, while baking products are discounted before the holiday season. Stocking up on items with long shelf lives during seasonal sales can help cut costs.

At first it seemed silly to Me too but I understand in a sense why she was going to do it. She's known Me for a long time and knows that My eating habits have not been the healthiest, so that is probably her way of giving Me that kick in the butt to keep Me accountable. She knows Me well enough to know that sometimes I need that extra kick in the rear to stay accountable on My ways of eating, and I'm thankful she looks out for Me :-)

I was looking through the paper this morning and saw an ad for one of our local fitness centres, Shapes, that has a coupon offering $125 for three months of the use of their training facilities. No expiry date which is good, so since My sister is going back to school full time next week, I'm going to get that membership for three months and go start working out, since I won't have to watch her during the day anymore its perfect timing (and there is a location close to My house) ~ not close enough to walk or I would but its still in the area. This is going to help Me to get started working out, and even though I know going during the cold winter months will be hell, its still not going to stop Me from working on getting healthy. There was a testimony from Shapes along with the coupon about a woman who went to there to work out and started at a weight of 365 lbs (not far from where I am now) and lost 140 lbs in about a year and a half! Obviously this won't be the case for Me and I don't expect that to happen, but its a good thing for Me to look at none the less (its an inspiration!).

Well so far its been an okay morning, I've only had breakfast but I didn't feel like much so I'm just having some orange juice and one of those Special K strawberry cereal bars ~ haven't had one in awhile and they'e been sitting in the house so I decided to have one! I still have two left which will do Me good for a couple of days :-)

I wasnt really going to *tell on you* more less saying it because i know some people on here would kick you in the butt because of what happen to you 2 weeks ago.

Did 33:30 of walk/jog cardio... 20 minutes of it was jogging!! Ain't that some shit??!!!

I know honey but its still helping to keep Me accountable and aware of things, and I appreciate that (and you) more than you'll ever know :rrose:

Good for you Thinker!!! :hangloose:

Went to the Gyn today. She gave me the business for my cholesterol. She asked: "How did this happen?"

My CHO went up 20 points in the 6-months I fell off the eating wagon.

It was the difference between no cheddar cheese, sourdough with butter & cookies and going hog-wild.

Oh well, been off all That I should not be eating for a month now, repeat CHO in 2-months. Should be back down-fingers crossed or it will be a statin for me & I do not want that!

Have a great Friday everyone:)

I echo Pinkie's statement. Go check out the gym first. In fact, check out several gyms. Nowadays, gyms are much cheaper then they used to be. Here we have one that is only $10 a month with no sign up necessary! I would pick up the phone book and call all the gyms in your area. Then visit. Then make your choice!


Also, I believe that you are on disability? In Maryland if you are on disability, you get to join the YMCA for free (or it was 5 years ago). In Delaware, it is a reduced cost. Check to see if there are programs like that up your way.

Also, Pinkie is right. Starving yourself just slows down your metabolism.

On a side note...I've always tried to feed my son in a very healthy way. It's especially important because of the Crohn's that runs in my family (and the side he takes after genetically). I was making a note of what I'd eaten today, and found myself listing his too. I thought you might be interested to see what my 14 year old son ate today. :)

• 3 eggs scrambled with american cheese
• 2 slices of whole wheat toast, dry
• hot tea

In the lunchbox:

• V8 Fusion single (strawberry banana) that supplies 1 serving of fruit and 1 serving of veggies
• peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat (the jelly has sugar, but no high fructose corn syrup)
• carrot sticks
• green seedless grapes

After school snack:

• glass of milk
• apple

Dinner (just finished):

• Huge plate of chicken stir fry (chicken breast, onion, garlic, carrot, celery, green beans, peas, fresh spinach)
• Basmati rice cooked in low sodium chicken stock

There may or may not be a Dove ice cream bar eaten for dessert later.

good low point dessert
 

I can't remember the exact points for this dessert but when I lost all my weight while on WW I ate these alot in the summer.You take two chocolate rice cakes or the popcorn cakes and put 2tbs of fat free cool whip in the middle then freeze.It's a great sweet treat.I believe it's only two points and it is filling.

On Wensday I knew I wasnt going to the gym on Thursday so I did my cardio then went to the weight room where I did a doubble dose of abb work,I didnt feel it to much when I got up yesterday but as the day went on I shure did and still do.Tomorrow im back to the gym for some upper/lower work.this time im going to try the inverson bed...ya know one of those bed things that you hang from you feet upside down.Maybe I can stretch my back a bit,who knows it may feel pretty good.Also im now keeping a calorie count along with my carbs just so I will know how many I eat,ive been sort of stuck on 251 and a touch on the scales for a couple of weeks..why I have no idea,sooner or later this to will pass just got to crunch somemore.
Say, has anyone herd this thing about coke zreo being safer than diet coke to drink,I mean it looks the same on the can if comparied to the other.So far in the last month I have bought my son 4 cases of Dr.Pepper to the 3-6packs of diet coke in the small half cans...not to bad as I use to match him can for can of the same sise can.