Welcome to February, April Bandits! We've rounded the corner of the New Year and our Bandiversaries are just a couple of months away. Woohoo!This is OUR YEAR to make goal! Let's let exercise in February help!

We're upping our challenge for the month in number of sessions (by one). Our ultimate goal is 20 sessions a month for 45 minutes each session, and we'll get there by April. For now, here's February's challenge:

(1) Complete 18 or more exercise sessions (counting only one session per day, if you're the type to do more!); and

(2) To count, each session must be at least 40 minutes in duration (two 20 min sessions in one day still counts).

We can do it!

Hello All,

My name is Sara, I live in England (Southwest) I'm having surgery on April 2nd, Im 245lbs and 5ft 4. I hope you dont mind me visiting this site, I'd like to get your advise on setting up an achevible exercise routine, I do get out of puff easily, I thought Id try and do some sort of exercise 3 times a week, my goal prior to surgery is to lose 14lbs. I saw in the begining of your thread that you set up so many exercise sessions,Id appriiate it if you can advise me, thank you

Hi Sara - Welcome! I already "know" you from your new April 2007 thread! It's wonderful that you're already starting to think of exercise as a part of your "new life". It's been such a part of my life since I've joined this group and I am now a studly Grammy! I don't know what you have available for use - but, I believe the best thing you can do to start is to walk. Our challenge is up to 18 sessions of at least 40 minutes for this month - BUT, in just getting started - don't worry about the length of time or how many sessions you get for the month..............just start! I know I was about the same weight and height as you last April and I started walking a couple/3 times a week just in my neighborhood - my knees and ankles were hurting, but I pushed thru with about a 20 - 30 min walk. I found this group and gradually started adding exercises classes at a gym - I love classes - they're fun for me - and I need fun to keep doing it! I found a dance/tai-chi/martial arts class called NIA that I love. I now do that 5 times a week - add a strenghth conditioning class a couple of days a week and still get in a walk with my husband once/twice a week. My knees and ankles are now very strong!...............and since, because of my age - 67 - don't want to have Plastic Surgery...........and because of all the exercise I jiggle a lot less than I would have without exercising - and I feel great!

Keep coming back to this group - it's a wonderful support for exercise and all band related "stuff"..............Happy Banding - quick recovery from surgery and onward to a happier, healthier life!

Bl.uehill, We are all so thankful you are out of the hospital. We were worried about you! I'm sure your daughter is taking great care of you and your birthday will be here before you know it. Keep us posted on your recovery.

Sara, Betty is right -- just start something and commit to it -- walking 3 times a week would be great. Or, if you're up for more, all the better. Dont kill yourself early on. This is about setting yourself a goal that you can keep attaining monthly for a lifetime. I know you'll do great.

Wow, what a time you have had, glad you are with your daughter now, that will perk you up big time!!!! And the last thing you have to worry about is putting on weight, can your daughter access a blender and you could make smoothies with protein powder etc, there is loads you could eat!!!

Well I put my bike in front of the TV and watched some of the Oscars, and went for a run along the road, had a swim in the wonderful, cool water at the beach, everyone is commenting how wonderful and happy i seem lately! Someone even pulled me aside at work to comment on it!

30 mins walk/run outside

12 mins stationary bike

XX Amourette

Hi everyone!

Bluehill I am so glad you are out of the hospital! I hope all goes well.

Kat how is your granddaughter?

Julie- it sounds like St. Barts was great. I think you are brave for considering the PS. I am not sure I will ever go there... I do not like surgery and am a bad patient!!

Sarah, welcome to our group. Yep... just start the exercise slowly. I did in house weights for a month, then I progressed to aerobics, and then to walking/ running. When I began running it was run 1 minute, walk 3 minutes... from there I moved on.

So... I have been in montreal for most of last week. I am working with a new consultant (on creating ministry of education exit exam), who I only just met and she is a runner!!! Yipee we had lots to talk about (including my $400 trip to the runnin room- ouch!!)

So I finally bit the bullet and registered for my first 5 k. It is March 25th in Montreal. I am hoping I can get my time down to 40 minutes (it seems to be hovering about 43 right now...) But I can run it all without a break and feel good doing it.

As well, I was happy because the scale is still moving. Check it out!!

Oh... huge NSV... I went shopping and bought a new sweater and pants at THE GAP... no more plus size stores!!!! As well I bought a new bathing suit at Bikini Village... how wierd is all of that!!

I hope you guys have a good week. I am staying home today with my kids (I was away for work all weekend). So I am just going to enjoy them today!!

Thanks,

Dawn

Banded

April 4, 2006

Montreal

358/ 196/179 (I bet I will want it to be lower)

Exercise sessions this month=18 sessions (I hope to get it to 20)

Dawn, I'm so excited for you and your race!!! It's going to be a blast. I know you can get it to under 40 minutes. You're a star. You're not going to believe the rush you feel when you finish. It's amazing.

I'm sorry to report that there's no way I'll meet the challenge this month. I'm a little sad about it, but I'm not letting the fact that there are only 3 days left in the month yet I owe 5 sessions bog me down. I had a fleeting thought that I wouldn't go to the gym until Thurs since I couldn't meet the challenge, but that's just crazy talk. I'll do the best I can do, which is 16/18 sessions. Given that I ran a race this month, moved apartments and went on vacation, AND it's a short month, I think I'm OK with the results and I look forward to meeting the challenge next month. Sound good?

Julie - I did meet the challenge and today I'm taking the day off! You have been so great for months - biggy deal about maybe not meeting this months.........stop that! I think that at times we just need a rest! Your busy schedule just blows me away - I lead the life of a kick-back retired grammy - gym/walk in the morning, come home do a little housework, have fun with Alan (afternoon delight (yah right), or work in the yard, or go to a movie or read a good book or go "do damage" (as Alan calls it) with my girlfriends................

Dawn - did I miss something about a $400 running room? I just looked at your ticker.................oh my.......go Dawn!

Blue - how are you?

We've got grandkids this week - watching them at their house during the week and bringing them to our house for the week-end - parents going to Florida to visit an old sick Dad (my daughter-in-laws)..........and so happy to say that we're able to still do this!

For some reason I've been really tight for my eve meal the past few days and the night before and last night lost my dinner and got my self irritated enough so that I couldn't get down some butternut squash Soup (I tried that after losing my dinner - wrong)............did however get down some hot tea. Going to take it easy for a couple of days with just liquids - amazing, just last week was thinking about a fill - this band is just plain crazy at times! Still after almost a year working on learning how to use it!

I had a great run last night. 4 miles in an hour seems to be my new "comfy" speed -- plenty of time in there for walk breaks, including a 15 minute warmup. I'm starting a new running program -- 2 days running, one day something else, 3 days running, one day something else (or off). I'm going to do that for March, until my surgery, then I'll be in the best possible cardio shape I can be in.

Time for lunch. I'm HUNGRY after my run last night!

Take care,

Hello ladies!

Sorry I have been MIA---it has been a hectic time. I am keeping Kinsey still, and we got the grndson's 1st birthday done, and I survived it. My house did too, for the most part, I have spent time on and off cleaning for 2 days. I am glad it is over, which is sad, I don't mean it because of the little guy---not at all, it was a HUGE to-do that he had no clue what was going on.

Not sure if I mentioned all the legal wrangling we have been going through with a local artist who drive through our field fence. There were several witnesses, he stopped, and propped the fence up and left....with us having a bull and over a dozen cows in the field! And it has roadside frontage! He never told us! about it, a neighbor called us...and in the end he had given the neighbor a fake name and place of employment, BUT one of the high school boys present knew him from an art class!! Tell ya what when we walked in and he found out why we were there, he was not a happy camper!!!He guaranteed me in front of an officer--- I called him in for a civil standby, after the guy had cursed out my Father In Law on the phone---that he would be out to fix it and never showed. So we filed suit---and he responded, wanting now to settle it out of court, so I spent all yesterday afternoon in a mediation with him. He once again lost his temper, and the mediator was going to send us on our way and report to the court her findings, when he suddenly decided FINE he would pay our damages...then wigged out again that he could not write me a check right then and there. I have to go tomorrow, and get the settlement....settled. What a pain in the butt!!! Anyway--that's where I been a hidin'!

Blue---I am so glad you are now in your DD's care and out of the hospital--I am so sorry it happened and messed up your vacation. Thank goodness you are taking care of it though. Please know I am thinking of you and hoping you heal quickly, so you can return to the comfort of your own home.

After tonights workout (which I need to add up my time!) I will have exceeded the workouts---although I don't feel like I have really worked as hard at them as I should have!!! I know I have put in the time, but since so much of it has been walking and using the eliptical here at home, it doesn't seem like I did much. I am anxious to be able to vary what I do---come on Spring!!! I have no idea if my weight has changed, I am officially boycotting the scale---for a month! I can keep a pretty good guage by how my clothes fit, and I know when I am doing right and wrong---so I am so tired of it not moving---I moved it, right on out the the garage!

Dawn congrats on signing up for the run!!! You, Julie, and Amourette rock on! You'll have to run for me too!!! I'm with Betty---this Granny is unable to run, although the thought is appealling, it cannot be done! In fact I am getting the Granny workout today, I had my granddaughter all day, while my DD worked, and tonight she has a class so I will likely have her through the evening!! There is a reason God gives you 2 year olds when you are young!!! I am afraid my DD is considering a career change. She is a nurse, and is going to Citizens On Patrol---she wanted to be a cop years ago, I am afraid the desire has reared its head again....will have to wait and see, and let her live her life, but I don't have to say I am happy about it!

Well dinner is cooking, and Kinsey needs another book she says, so guess I will go take care of things!

Talk to y'all soon!

Kat

I'm ba-a-a-ack!

I have tonight and tomorrow to get to 16 workouts. I won't make the goal either, Julie. That is why I think we should have a few levels of achievement, bronze, silver and gold!! Then we won't feel like "losers" if we only fit in 16 workouts.

So I have been looking forward to this little jaunt to Mexico as I have not had a fill in nearly 7 months. Over the weekend I ate candy, ice cream, and prepared for total deprivation. There was NO way I would run in the snowstorm, so when I gingerly lifted the other leg onto the scale I winced at what number would be my fate. I actually lost .5 a pound. NOT RIGHT!!

In Mexico, I got only .2 cc additional fill. So I'm at 1.6. The doctor knows I am conservative and terrified of a slip from PB's. So he gave the most minute amount. I don't even feel it. Oh, please let it tighten over the next week! I warned him that I am ravenous 30 minutes after eating. He told me that it is caused from the exercise.

One NSV is that the nutritionist was sharing with me that she could walk/run 5K in 45:00. "YES!!" I pumped my fist and bragged that four months ago I ran it in under 34:00. hahaha! I hope to beat that time next week....

Blue, you might be too weak to post, but we are all thinking of you just the same.

Julie, I'm so glad you are back from your trip and moving ahead with the surgery! We'll all see how you do, then follow....Hey, isn't that what we have been doing all along?? Thank you for being our pacesetter, even though you couldn't fit it in. We are all working through stuff this month!

Hugs to ALL!!!!

Boo... you ran a 5 km in under 34??? Wow I am seriously impressed. I am sitting around 43 minutes and am having a tough time getting it lower... but maybe with more weight loss I will get there.

Wow- you rock

Dawn

Banded April 4, 2006

Montreal

358/196/179

Excersie sessions this month = 19 sessions

30 mins cardio, 30 min weights, 10 mins running on treadmill ( its ok the cute firemen were there hehehe)

Boo, I have no LA runs (whoops mean flights hehehe) at all for next six weeks but will let you know if I do as I normally do, Dawn do you speak French with all your time in Montreal, ok off to bed have to be up at 4.30 to go to Melbourne. Eva who is your date this week, as for me I THINK I am dating the same guy hehehe, he is stressed this week at work, but we haven't caught up in 3 weeks, managd to get a date for this Friday ( wish me luck all) but secretly I think I have lost interest!

Will continue my saga in installments, look for the nxt one in 2 days, sorry to all you happily, married people, dating sucks, believe me!!! Hehehe

Good luck with all our challenges tomorrow, we can do it.

We also need to start thinking of doing something special in April for our anniversary, maybe all of us in the chat room or something, or does anyone know how to set up a web site for us?

XX:D Amourette

I'm ending the month as a "lug/slug"? No workout today either! On purpose, just decided I need a rest! Onward to March - can you believe it's been almost a year?

Hi All,

Thank you Betty, Julie & Delta in welcoming me to the group. Ok....its the beging of March now, have 4 weeks to try and shape up prior to surgery...so will go for the x 3 workouts and walk at weekends

I was giggling to myself at the couple of posts about not reaching this months goal, 'cos I am so bad, I don't even know what the goal is, sorry all, I am a bit slack, i am sure I have passed it though, otherwise I wouldn't be saying this, today I had to fight off again at work all the comments about my weight loss and great attitude, I never work with the same people. sometimes I don't see them for years........I don't reveal though it is too personal for me, wow, so the 1st of March is over here already, what is the challenge for us now, and what is our celebration ideas for April!!! Maybe a big chat in the chatroom together?

XX Amourette, no workout today just 15 hours on my feet, 4 of them in killer stillettos hehehe!