Gretchen's Secrets of Adulthood

One of the links on the right side of our blog is for The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. This is a fabulous site that I found not too long ago which I really recommend checking out, especially if you're having a crap day. I wanted to share the author's Secrets of Adulthood because I found them particularly wonderful. I've already posted them at my desk. Do yourself a favor and just take a minute to soak these up:

The days are long, but the years are short.
Someplace, keep an empty shelf.
Turning the computer on and off a few times often fixes a glitch.
It's okay to ask for help.
You can choose what you do; you can't choose what you LIKE to do.
Happiness doesn't always make you feel happy.
What you do EVERY DAY matters more than what you do ONCE IN A WHILE.
You don't have to be good at everything.
Soap and water removes most stains.
It's important to be nice to EVERYONE.
You know as much as most people.
Over-the-counter medicines are very effective.
Eat better, eat less, exercise more.
What's fun for other people may not be fun for you -- and vice versa.
People actually prefer that you buy wedding gifts off their registry.
Houseplants and photo albums are a lot of trouble.
If you're not failing, you're not trying hard enough.
No deposit, no return.

holler.

60 minutes on the treadmill today! Holler back yo.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

meet angela

Hello Everyone!
Thanks so much for including me in this. I'm Angela. I know Amy through AIS. I'm a photographer too...shoot fashion, weddings, anything people oriented. I'm getting married in September...Amy is my bridesmaid :) Yay! So, of course I am on a diet.
I've read Skinny Bitch, and followed it for 8 weeks and lost 25 lbs. It was awesome...but I fell off after Christmas and gained a whopping 15 lbs. back. Yuck. (I did still eat meat, just very limited) I recommend this diet very much and am back on it as of today.
I am 125 lbs and my goal is 115. My size ranges from 4-6 and I'd like to consistently be a 2 or 4. I am 5'2" and have a medium frame. My backside is curvy...to say the least. Last week I seriously set off the alarm in the elevator with my ass. Embarrassing! The elevator guy called to ask if I was okay which rubbed it in even more.
I'm happy to be with you and look forward to walking down the aisle at my new fabulous weight.

Off the Wagon and Back on the Horse!

Wait... that doesn't make any sense ...

At any rate, I am back in the game. For some reason the past two weeks have been crap for me. Bad food, no exercise, poor sleeping, and stress. Well my friends, today is a new day. I am renewed. Don't ask why because I don't know. I went to bed last night feeling completely crappy about myself and woke this morning with a renewed sense of purpose. Today is the day I start over. Today is the day I finally make it to the gym. Today is the day I count my WW points like a good girl. Today is the day I drink lots of water. Today is the day I make better choices and today is the day I go to bed on time. Thanks to Angela (who will be joining us today I think) my new holy grail of weight loss will be the ebay dress I'm bidding on to wear in her September wedding (cross you fingers that I win!).

This gorgeous dress is a size 6. I am not. Come September it WILL fit me and I WILL look sassy and completely fabulous.

Melissa's Update

I'm at 182 lbs. My number keeps rising. It always seems like life just gets in the way. I'm not going to get discouraged. I'm just going to keep on working on it. My problem isn't eating, it's finding the time to get adequate exercise in. With the triathlon coming up in August, I better get my butt moving if I want to finish in 2 1/2 hours!

I'm at 167lbs today

What do you mean I'm doing it wrong!??

I found this article on WeightWatchers and thought it might be interesting to everyone. It's a good reminder to stretch before and after your workouts. If you already stretch, yay, good for you! But, did you know that you might be doing it wrong?

Bad Stretch #1: The Plow

You stretch your back by lying on the floor with your feet in front of you. Then you pull your feet up and back behind your head, so your toes are touching the floor. The problem: "This stretch puts too much pressure on the upper spine and neck area, and puts you at great risk for muscle strain," says John Acquaviva, PhD, associate professor of physical education at Northern Virginia Community College. The alternative: Stretching your back is as easy as bending over. Stand up, bend forward at the waist — you should bend your knees — and hold onto your calves. Acquaviva adds, "Bending your knees is key, though; it takes the pressure off your hamstrings and puts the focus where it should be — on your lower back."

Bad Stretch #2: The Hurdler

You sit facing forward with both legs out in front of you. Then you bring one leg back behind you (bent at the knee) so that one heel is under your butt. Next, you lean back and feel the stretch in your quadriceps. The problem: "This can do serious damage to the knee," warns Acquaviva, "to the point where surgery is needed." The alternative: Try the standing quad stretch: Stand up straight, grab the top of your foot behind you, and gently pull your heel toward your butt. Keep your hips level, knees together and supporting leg slightly bent. Use a bar or the wall for balance, but don't lean forward. You can feel the stretch in your quads, without feeling pain in your knees.

Bad Stretch #3: The Old-Fashioned Windmill

Bending from the waist, you twist down, bringing your right hand to your left ankle, stretching your back and hamstrings. The problem: Too much rapid stress on your lower back. The alternative: Sit on the floor with your legs in a "V" in front of you. Turn to one leg and lean forward, keeping your back long and your shoulders square. Try to push your chest out beyond your toes. If it's too hard, bend your knee. "You get more out of this stretch," says Annemarie Miller, former group fitness training manager at New York Sports Clubs. "It stretches your lower back, hamstrings and inner thighs."

Bad Stretch #4: The Neck Roll

To loosen your neck muscles, you roll your head around in a circle.The problem: "You don't want to roll your head in a complete circle," says Miller. "It puts too much stress on your neck and your cervical vertebrae. You can damage your spinal column, and add tension and stress to that area." The alternative: Rolling your head left, forward and right is OK — just don't roll it back. But here's an even better solution: Sit up straight on the floor, look slightly up and raise your head up (not backwards). Feel yourself pulling up through your back and neck.

New Member!

I want you all to join me in welcoming the lovely Angela to our blog. For those of you who don't already know Angela, she is a good friend of mine from the Art Institute who is also getting married later this year. I'm sure Angela will be as much an inspiration to us as we'll be to her. Welcome, Ange!!!

Rock & Roll Marathon

Hi all, Amy- loved your comments, thanks! I weigh 166lbs as of this morning. From now one I'm weighing myself in the morning. It is just too depressing to do it at night! I also swam for 50 mins on Saturday and did house work for 8 hrs. on Sunday.

I have enrolled in the Seattle- Rock & Roll 1/2 Marathon. I will be walking the event with my sister-in-law's sister. Any of you are welcome to join me on Sat. June 27th by registering at http://www.rnrseattle.com/register.html. There is also a Health & Fitness Expo that is part of it: Location: Qwest Event Center June 25 & 26, Thursday: 11 am – 6 pm, Friday: 10 am – 7 pm.
Cheers, Liz

Back to Business

After a weekend of candybars, jelly beans, taffy, chocolate, homemade scones, homemade jam, cheez-its, wine, mimosas, and beer... I'm back on track. I am sharing a pic of my lunch choices today because I am quite proud of myself. Yogurt, veggies, and a turkey sandwich (ignore the fact that it's on a croissant, please). I'm going to attempt to make it to the gym this afternoon, wish me luck. I'm already sleepy.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, ladies!

I hope everyone is enjoying a day of indulgence!!!

...chocolate bunnies, chocolate eggs, deviled eggs, ham, jelly beans.....

Enjoy the day! We can all restart our healthier eatting habits tomorrow!!