6 Month Alumni -Week of Nov 8

Yes I saw the update (I must have been looking at it when you posted Kim!) And, I looked at all the pictures from Circuit Blast - WOW! I'm so excited! Yes, let's plan to start on the 4th I guess. I like to start on Sundays, but I know everyone else likes Mondays, so 4th works for me!

Kim, yes, I like Hot Flashy Girl (I should change my name!)! It's kinda flashy huh? :eek: Well, I know I'm the old girl in our group. I'm 54. So what happened is the last few years I've been on this really low dose birth control pill...I guess like the last one before going into menopause. I didn't want to go off because I was traveling so much (and used to have horrendous periods). Anyway, during that time I would have an occasional hot flash and my Dr had said that if I was having ANY hot flashes while on that pill I would probably be having lots of them when I went off. Well, say no more...I went off the end of July and the hot flashes started almost immediately. I thought part of it though was my body readjusting to being off the pill but didn't really know if I was in menopause or not. Well...now we know...the mystery is solved! So I do remember my first hot flash being about 4 years ago - I was in an airport and thought I was suddenly getting the flu and feverish! The first few, I had no idea what was happening to me and they were very sparse. So I guess I've been having these for a while, but the pill masked them.

Yes, it is unusual for us to be this cold this early. But we do occasionally have snow for Thanksgiving. Don't you think it's interesting to learn about some of these people that win these lotteries? So often it truly is someone that really needs it! That would be fun though wouldn't it to help someone spend their money on a home gym setup!

How frustrating to have gained weight! Here's a book I would recommend you read: "Eat to Live" That's pretty much how I eat. Lots of fruits and vegetables, fish, and no processed food. (DH doesn't eat as clean as I do.) I'm helping a girl at work lose weight (100 lbs). We're following the concepts in this book and as of today, she's lost 41 lbs. in 9 weeks and feels great. She's using Amanda in TBL as her competition as they were about the same size, etc., and right now they've lost the same body fat percentage. (See I'm secretly Jillian!)
 
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BOO!!!! Anybody remember me? Mind if I join you this afternoon (Friday???)?

I've thought about you gals VERY OFTEN over the last several weeks! I hope you ALL have been doing FANTASTICALLY and rocking your daily workouts!

HOW ARE YOU ALL?????????

I've been trying to be patient for Shock Cardio, because I'm DYING to do another round of STS! But I want to combine it with the cardio series. I've been working a 12 week Body For Life rotation and tomorrow is my very last workout (Hiit and core) of these 12 weeks! I've been on fire and feel awesome and am ready to change up my routine! I've been checking in at a BFL tracker site, which has kept me from checking in here (with limited time, I can't check in too many places, and I really felt I needed the extra info I have been able to get from over there.) BUT I'VE MISSED YOU GALS!!!!!!!!!

I made Cendrine's Super Energy Kale Soup earlier this week and I found myself wishing I could just chat with you all again!!!!

I am sooooooooo very sorry I lost touch with you gals! But it's so nice to see you all still checking in with each other STILL!!! Is it the usual gang? Have new members? What's the latest???

So...tell me, how have you been???????????????

Gayle
 
GAAAYYYLLLLEEEE!!!!!

We've missed you! We knew you were out there! So glad to hear from you! It's just me, Rachel, Cendrine and Kim - we've been the Fab 4! LOL! :eek: You're welcome to pop-in whenever you feel like it or rejoin us!

All is well! I (all of us I think) are anxiously awaiting STS Cardio and plan to start a rotation with STS in January which you're welcome to join us! I did 4 weeks of Meso 2 and then 3 of us will be starting the November rotation next week. How did you do on the BFL rotation? Were you trying to lose weight or tone or what? Tell us more and share your results!

Life is good and we miss you too!!!
 
Good to hear from you Gayle! I'm glad to hear you are doing well and I just knew you would see your BFL rotation through, High Fives for completing it! Hope to see you back here again more often!

Kim, if you ever need healhy treats that still taste yummy, look no further, I have an arsenal of recipes!LOL! It has been said about me that I make healthy taste good....LOL! I'm gonna use that phrase for marketing purposes if I ever start a food busniess...LOL!
It would be a ton of fun to go on a shopping spree for someone who needs to be outfitted with gym stuff, wouldn't it?

Jo, I hope you find something that works to make your hot flashes more bearable. I can't believe how often you get hit with them eating as well as you do! Just imagine how bad it would be if you didn't have this super healthy lifestyle!

Rachel, I know for a fact I would have a hard time eating as well as I do if I was not home all day every day! don't beat yourself up, you are doing an amazing job as you are!

DS has been complaining all day about not feeling good. I have started giving him GSE in his drinks to counteract any bugs he may be fighting. He is down napping now, which I'm sure will help him.
 
Awwww, thanks ladies for allowing my eventual return to be today! You rock! :D

Cendrine, I LOVE recipes, as you know, so ALWAYS feel free to share anything and everything tasty/healthy/clean...all rolled into one!

As for my BFL rotation. When we were all doing the 6 month STS rotation way back WHEN, I struggled with my eating for that Meso 3. I wasn't totally happy with Meso 3 and that got to my head. :confused: So my eating started to go downhill. Then I'd refocus and do well for a few weeks, then take a few bad food days, all the while my workouts were VERY consistant and tough....and so on and so on, so when I started the BFL rotation, I was aiming at losing weight (again, yes, unfortunately so) and to tone up again. My main goal was to keep the tough workouts, but refocus my eating, which I KNEW would bring out my STS-earned muscles again...and it did. I've lost several pounds and inches and I'm super happy with where I'm at. But NOW.....I'm ready and WANT TO take it to the next level. I've never been BEYOND where I am at THIS point. Does that make sense? I'm ready to take it up to the next level and now that my weight is back down, I have my focus back, and have the past 12 weeks in my back pocket, I'm READY FOR IT! I'll take my final measurements and pictures on Sunday morning and will share them with you gals, if you'd like.

NOW..........after my earlier post, I went back on this week's thread and read up on this week's events and realized that it IS the Fab 4, truly! You ladies are awesome and I'm really so very happy that you've been there for each other thru hot flashes, Shock Cardio updates, green smoothies :p, family issues, and plain ol' day-to-day STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gayle
 
It is great to see you Gayle...I wondered if you were off rallying some other troops somewhere:D! I know what you mean about the next level...I always get to a point and then it seems like I just can not get passed it. I am still having fun while I am doing it though!!!

Well it is finally Friday...I am so glad to see it but I feel I have a million things to do! But I am going to try to relax and what gets done does and what doesn't...well doesn't I guess:p! Oh that is so easy to write but so hard to do! I really need to do some christmas shopping but when I think about spending the day in town ughhh! I like to Christmas shop for my niece and nephews but I wish I could be the only one shopping! I guess that is a little unreasonable right!

I was not going to do anything tomorrow but I think I talked myself into a full body workout. I got the super set/ push pull with the last bundle I got and loaned it to a friend so I never got around to trying it so I think I will do one of those tomorrow morning just to get the weekend off to a good start. I love a good weight work out so which one of those do yall like the best?

Jo-That is weird to me that the birth control put off the symptoms of your menopause. I have not ever been on birth control. I think I am leary of the extra chemicals. I always wondered about hot flashes. I know this sounds stupid but I wondered if I would be able to tell if I was having one or if I was just hot...But from the sounds of it I think I would be able to tell! Just from your description.

Cendrine=How is your DH? I hope he is just suffering from something minor. I keep forgetting to comment on you saying you are lazy. To me anyone who gets up most days and works out, home schools her children and takes the time to do it right, and puts all that effort into your food...ie birthday cakes and interesting dinners...Does Not Sound Like A Lazy Person To Me!!!
And if you have any interesting ideas for Thanksgiving let me know. DH wants a pumpkin pie which I will probably make regular but I like Sweet potatoe and I would love any other ideas.

Kim-I had to laugh about the polar bear jail...It is like night and day for us 2. I just am fascinated by it. I am sorry about those sucky three pounds but I think I have noticed something. ..When we were doing sts and we would take the week off I felt like I shrank a little...and this week I feel the same way. I think when I work out so intensely my body is kind of always inflamed (for lack of a better word). Did you go right from CLX to Insanity? Maybe it is water retention...Of course I am no expert and do not know a lot about this stuff but I just am going by my body experience.

I forgot to tell yall that my MIL broke her foot yesterday...It is the strangest thing. She said she was setting on it one her couch kind of cross legged and when she got up she went to put weight on it and she felt the break...When she got to the dr he told her she had pretty severe osteoporosis. She went through menopause early...I think 45 and the doc said that really brings it on...So we all need to make sure we get our calcium!

OK I am off to wash work out of my hair!!

Have a great night!

Rachel
 
Gayle, my meso 3 experience kind of was the same as yours and I messed up my diet this summer too, but it sounds we're both back on track!
I would ove to see your pics, nothing like some inspiration, you are good at that!

Rachel, I have a tenative plan about thanksgiving myself , food wise, I'll try to post what I'm planning on doing some time this weekend for you and maybe it will be something you want to do too! thanks for your vote of confidence about my not being lazy...You are very sweet.
I wish I had Push and Pull, but I don't so I can't tell you which one I'd do, but I bet you would love either! Oh and by the way, my workouts came in today! yay, including my STS T-shirt, Jo! Now I just have to keep eating clean so I look good in it, it's pretty formfitting, I noticed! LOL!

Ds has a fever...:( I forced fluids for him all day. He went to bed super early. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
 
Oh Cendrine, I hope DS gets better fast! Here's a good juice (it he'd drink it). It's from the Miracle juice book and I used it when I was feeling under the weather - it tastes good but I don't know how kids would like it:

1 yellow peppeer
1 orange pepper
1 red pepper
1 orange
1 tbsp mint

Chock full of immune boosting nutrients!

We are getting ready to watch a movie so I'll try and get back to post a little more!
 
Well its early and I love it. That means I have a good long day ahead to get a lot done! Last night DH went to hang out with a buddy of his so I had the house to myself...That is the first time in a long time. It was so nice but then I caught myself talking to the cat. She did not mind the company though:D

I am off to play eenie meenie miny moe and see which workout I am going to do.

BBL

Rachel
 
Welcome back Gayle! Good job with the BFL!! I'll love to see the pictures of your results! How are the boys doing?

We're planning on doing a STS rotation together at the beginning of January, are you going to join us?? I'm doing a rotation of Insanity with DH right now and going on our Disney trip soon.

What workout did you decide on Rachael. I got Insanity done early this morning. Glad to get it out of the way and enjoy the rest of the day. I love both Supersets and push/pull. They are a little easier weight workouts. I haven't done either for ages! Does you MIL have a cast on? You're right calcium and weight bearing exercises are so important.

Jillian/Hot Flashy Girl That's so neat that your helping your coworker and done so well!!! What kind of workouts is she doing? I'll see if our library has "eat to Live" , do you know the author's name?

Cendrien Hope your ds is feeling better today??? I'm sure I'll have lots of questions for you about healthy eating. I think in the past with all my sports/fitness as long as I didn't eat too bad I did okay (but often 10-15 lbs overweight) but with age my weight is creeping up. I don't think my fitness needs to change:rolleyes: it's the food. That will be by New Year's Eve resolution is to learn more to bring my eating habits from not bad to good.

Rachael Good luck with the Christmas shopping. Any ideas of what you are going to buy?

Not much planned for today, ds has an out to town hockey game but dd doesn not want to go. DH is taking a car full of kids so if dd and I go we have to drive seperately so we'll see. DD has piano lessons. Going to get some scrapbooking done.
 
Hi, ladies.

I finished out my rotation this morning with Kick Max (all of it except the Leg Drills) and core work. WOO HOO!!! Feeling awesome and ready for tomorrow's rest day and to start a fresh week on Monday with Cathe and crew....deciding which to do, and seriously considering doing the first week of the Nov rotation with you gals.

Sorry to hit and run.....got a lazy day today, but getting a few things done around here before we run an errand or 2!

Gayle
 
Hi Everyone,

ds is up and feeling well so far. He drank his green smoothie in a jiffy and is busy looking at slides under the microscope from dh. I hope he will stay well, sometimes the fever breaks during the night and then comes back later in the day. But I hope this was it! THanks Jo, for the juice recipe, sure looks like a good one! I don't have a juicer though, so I would have to blend the stuff, which I might!

Galye, it would be fun to have you join us on the November rotation as well!

Kim, it's interesting that you mentioned the working out six days a week for a long time, I have been doing 6 times a week almost all year and that's from 4-5 times a week so I think maybe it is time to take it easier in December before STS! Good thoughts! For me, it is like you said about yourself, the workouts are not the issue, it's how much I put in my mouth that needs to be watched....:eek: I just really enjoy food! The green smoothies have helped me not snack on brainless stuff this past month. I'm not weighing myself right now, so I can't see what effects it has on my weight, but I hope it will make a difference long term.

Rachel, funny that you talked to your cat! LOL! I love to have the house to myself too, even if I don't do anything different than if my family was home too. It's just nice to be all alone sometimes!
 
So, Cendrine, are these green smoothies something new for you??? I'm intrigued by this and have checked it out on several sites, but never really took the plunge. I'd love any input you can share!

Gayle
 
I've been doing green smoothies for a little oer a month now and I love them, so does dh and the kids!

what I would recommend is that you start with less greens and more fruit and then work your way up gradually. And I would also not start with any greens other than spinach because of the flavor, then add one leaf per batch and see if you still like it.

I'm posting two recipes here that have been great ones to start with and fall back on.

Robyn’s Green Smoothie
The highest and best use of your time in the kitchen!
Makes approx. 8 cups of 100% raw smoothie.
Tips: For beginners and those trying to convert children, consider using LESS greens and
MORE fruit (especially berries and bananas) in the beginning, gradually working up to a
50/50 ratio as described here. Use just the mild flavors in this transition phase, like
spinach, kale, collards, and chard. Add more water if you feel the smoothie is too thick.
Put 2 cups filtered water in the BlendTec Total Blender.
Optionally, add:
½ to 1 tsp. stevia (herbal sweetener) or 1/3 cup agave syrup (low glycemic index)
1/4 whole lemon, including peel (anti-skin cancer, high in flavanoids)
2-3 Tbsp. fresh, refrigerated flax oil (omega-3 rich oil)
Gradually add greens until, briefly pureed, the mixture comes up the 5-cup line (or less if
you are “converting”):
½ to 1 lb. raw, washed greens:
spinach, chard, kale, collards are your mainstays
turnip, mustard, dandelion greens, arugula—use more sparingly, as they are
spicy or bitter
lettuces and beet greens are also good—use freely
try avocado or cabbage or 1-2 stalks celery
For the adventurous, use edible weeds in nonsprayed fields: purslane has a mild
flavor and vines along the ground everywhere; also use lambsquarter leaves, morning
glory, and thistle more sparingly because they have a stronger taste.
Puree greens mixture for 90 seconds until very smooth.
Gradually add fruit until the container is completely full and blend 90 seconds or until well
blended:
1-2 bananas to add a creamy texture and sweetness
1-2 cups frozen mixed berries (tastes wonderful and makes the smoothie purple
rather than green)
any other fruit to taste: our favorites are pears and peaches, but also use apples,
oranges, apricots, cantaloupe (with seeds—very high in antioxidants!), mango, pineapple,
anything!
The more frozen fruit, the tastier your smoothie will be, and the BlendTec Total Blender
can handle it! You can save your smoothie in the frig for up to two days—just shake well
before drinking.
Note: For you “food combining” adherents, Victoria Boutenko explains in detail that greens are not vegetables, they are GREENS, a
category by themselves, and it is perfectly appropriate to combine them with fruit, unlike starchy potatoes or corn.
Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie
I have been drinking this every morning for five years, just because I love it. Raw beets are
an excellent blood purifier, coconut liquid is packed with minerals and electrolytes, and
how many breakfasts do you know that taste great and contain raw carrots and beets?
Makes one quart, a 450-calorie breakfast that has 4 servings of fruits and vegetables, 15
percent plant protein, and good fats in the cashews.
1 ½ cups coconut liquid (best raw, or from a can, both can be found at Asian markets)
1 large carrot, cleaned and cut in 3 pieces (or 5-6 baby carrots)
½ a medium beet, peeled
¼ cup cashews
¼ cup chopped dates (inexpensive in bulk foods at a health food store)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. hemp protein powder (optional)
12 frozen strawberries
See my YouTube GreenSmoothieGirl video demos on getting coconuts open easily and
making this recipe. Puree all ingredients except strawberries and hemp protein in
BlendTec at a high speed for 90 seconds. Add strawberries and puree on high until
smooth. Add hemp protein for the last 5 seconds.
My method for opening a coconut:
Cut 1” off the flat with a sharp knife. Using a hammer hitting a screwdriver, poke two
holes in that flat end, the drainage hole being in the softest part if you can see it. Drain
liquid into your BlendTec Total Blender container.
When I’ve collected some drained coconuts in the fridge, my teenage son scrapes the meat
out of the coconut for use later (see chocolate mint pudding recipe in this collection). My
son takes the coconut outside on the cement and breaks it open by putting it in double
plastic grocery bags and smashing it on the cement. For added fun, he sometimes uses a
hammer. He scrapes the meat out and puts it in Ziploc Baggies in the freezer.

If you don't want to do the coconut ordeal, which I don't, Whole Foods sells cartons of coconut water. Or you can just use regular water. It doesn't do much to the flavor since it's pretty neutral tasting. It's just that you loose some of the good nutrients from the coconut water. BUt I don't see myself cracking open coconuts on a regular basis...LOL!
 
Hi Everyone!

I'll be back and check up with all of you later as I'm on a break from cleaning! I've got everyone helping me so want to take advantage of their good will (and good mood!). I'll reward them all later with a delicious juice!

I did Circuit Max this morning after not having done that in probably 2 years. It was invigorating!

BBL!
 
I'm back from grocery shopping and laundry.

Gayle, I wanted to tell you, before I forget, we start a new thread every Sunday.

I just entered all the November rotation into my workout calendar, so I am all set to go, even though I won't start until Monday. Jo, you are starting tomorrow, right? Didn't they used to do the rotation for download? I liked it when all you had to do is choose start date and then the whole month was entered for you... :D


Rachel, here is what I am thinking of doing for Thanksgiving. I am lucky that I don't have to do traditional recipes because I didn't grow up with any in Switzerland, so I get away with doing something special even if it is not what the average American would expect...LOL!

I won't be doing a whole turkey because I don't like dealing with a whole turkey and I don't like all the leftovers, so I'll probably be doing a turkey breast or some other cut of meat. I saw a pomegranate glaze that intrigued me, I'll probably try that.
For a veggie I am going to do green beans with roasted chestnuts, I used to love them at home but people don't usually make it here.
I'm also going to make coconut-cardamon sweet potatoes, mashed.
I may or may not do a stuffing (if I do one, it will be one with mushrooms and leeks and probably some kind of healthy sausage.
For desert, I'm thinking of making a spiced pumpkin mousse.
dh likes cranberry sauce, so I'll probably make him some and some gravy too.

If any of those recipes sound yummy, I'll post them for you.
I made a cranberry pie last year. It was not at all clean but it was super delish, but also timeconsuming because you have to strain the berries and it takes a long time. I was going to do that for dessert but I don't think I'm going to have tiem this year. But if you are up for a splurge, I'll give you that recipe!

Any thoughts yet on what you are going to make?
 
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