<p>My max is around 185-187. I cheated on the low HR stuff this morning because I was just too frustrated by it. I did it for 3 miles (ave HR 134) and then cranked up the pace for some intervals and averaged 141 for the total 6 miles. Got up to 160 at 10:00 pace which is pretty pathetic, but that’s where things are right now. I figure I’ve lost about 2 minutes a mile during the layoff. I got to watch it snow lightly outside over the frozen pool while I was on the treadmill.</p>
<p>I’m heading out to take my first stab at what looks like 15 to 18 inches of snow with the snowblower. We have a long driveway, so this could be my workout for the day. And, then there’s the deck that has to be shoveled to get to the bar-b-q grill. That’s gonna be a multi-day affair, starting with a path to the grill and going from there. I shovelled the whole thing in one shot last time, but this is a heckuva lot more snow.</p>
<p>We have a fellow who has plowed our private road and driveway for 23 years, since we’ve been in the house (and probably before that, for the people who lived here before). He said he’s never seen it this bad.</p>
<p>I think we easily got two feet. It’s certainly above my knees. </p>
<p>My dogs aren’t real happy with it either. There’s so much snow, they can’t go through it.</p>
<p>Yes. I measured 22 inches in the middle of my driveway. The snow bank where the plows had hit at the bottom of the drive was a good three feet – well over the top of my snow blower. </p>
<p>There was so much snow that I couldn’t even worry about getting a clear driveway – just move the first load of it off. It’s still snowing, so I’ll have to do again tomorrow anyway. Absolutely brutal.</p>
<p>No workout for me today. I’m warming up with a cup of coffee and then heading out to put a dent in the snow on the deck. If I can get a little patch by the door and a path to the grill and shovel out a little area big enough to grill some chicken, that’ll be good. Anything beyond that will be a bonus. There’s a lot of snow. I’d leave it, but a few thaw and freeze cycles and it turns into ice and then it’ll be late April before I can cook out again.</p>
<p>I’d say that we got about 20 inches and it’s still coming down. Just cleaned the car and moved it and did a little more shoveling and came in to warm up. Will go back out shortly to do the roof. Temps seem to have dropped from earlier in the day.</p>
<p>Biggest storm that I’ve been in was in the late 70s. I was at Boston College and couldn’t get to the T to get back home so I stayed overnight in one of the classroom buildings. I had to walk home (five miles) because the T wasn’t running. Practically no cars on the road. It’s all part of living in New England. At least we haven’t had back-to-back snowstorms so less danger of ice dams.</p>
<p>Been there, done that! Welcome to a taste of a MN winter! ;)</p>
<p>Well, I shoveled about half the deck. Maybe 225 square feet, 2 feet deep. Every shovel lifted up and over the waist high railing. Cleared out all around the grill and the smoker. I could do up a couple slabs of baby backs out there right now if I felt like it…</p>
<p>Meanwhile, I missed my Wednesday workout. I don’t feel like I missed a workout, though. About 2 hours of wrestling the snow blower and about 50 minutes of shovelling heavy snow.</p>
<p>I-dad, I bet that you burned more calories today than you normally would during your typicalal workout! Have an extra rib tonight! :)</p>
<p>Not much shoveling for me - only 3-4 inches that turned into slush by morning, so I just made sure that the drain areas were all cleared. Wrangling the garbage and recycling cans down the slushy drive was a bit of a challenge, but not as bad as driving my van. I’m so glad that I have my treadmill!</p>
<p>About 5" of snow here. Nothing to stop a girl from walking.</p>
<p>I was looking thru my logs of weight training. I think I started using machines in the fall of 1980, but in 1987 we went to York Barbell and outfitted out basement. I have all of my sheets since October of 1987. I am using those sheets to help me get back on track after a long hiatus. I realized I stopped doing weight training the week my dad was admitted to the hospital (first week of November) and I just started back this week. The only times I ever abandoned training for that long since '87 was when I was pregnant and when I broke my leg. Well - no excuses now. Can’t lie to yourself when you keep a log.</p>
<p>Made a wonderful soup tonight. </p>
<p>Lentil Chowder</p>
<p>1 large onion, chopped
1 cup of lentils (I used red)
4 cups of water
1 medium butternut squash, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 potato, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. of tomato paste
2 tsp. thyme
ground pepper to taste
fresh parsley for garnish</p>
<p>Saute onions in small amount of oil until softened. Add all ingredients (except parsley) and bring to a low boil. Simmer for about an hour and half. Add parsley before serving.</p>
<p>Just started my first round of leaning out the window with a short shovel. I had to push the snow out of the way of the screen. There was about 8 inch of snow to push out of the way. I pushed a lot of snow about halfway down the roof and got some kind of blister or pinch in a finger. I’m taking a break and then will go at it with a bigger shovel. When I get it far enough down the roof, I’ll pull it down with a roof rake from below. Then I have to do the other side. Sometimes I wish I had a shovel with a six-foot pole and handle. I have looked for one in the past at the local home-depot and hardware stores in the area but most are five feet or less.</p>
<p>Leaning out of a window to do a roof is a pain because you’re using your arms to do everything - no leverage available from your legs and hips.</p>
<p>Yum WNP!!! Sounds wonderful!
I roasted spaghetti squash and sweet potatoes, mixed together with a little sea salt, pepper and olive oil. H LOVED it, as did I!</p>
<p>Finally done with getting the snow off the roof - it’s in a pile on the driveway - I’ll do that some other time or hopefully it will all just melt. No snow expected until next Tuesday.</p>
<p>I’m drenched right now. Two tech tees and a hooded sweatshirt. Probably worked harder than a regular run.</p>
<p>I have been trying to expand my repertoire of lunch choices beyond dinner leftovers and discovered at Costco a french onion soup that is quite tasty and seems to be a good amount of protein for the calories (for a soup). What do you all think? I have eaten this for lunch every day this week, so I am a little worried! (The only problem I see is sodium, but my daily sodium is usually below the guideline or slightly above; plus, no high blood pressure issues.)</p>
<p>Calories 220
Sodium 840 mg
Protein 14 g
Total Fat 11 g<br>
Saturated 6 g<br>
Polyunsaturated 0 g<br>
Monounsaturated 0 g<br>
Trans 0 g<br>
Cholesterol 30 mg
Potassium 0 mg<br>
Total Carbs 18 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Sugars 7 g</p>
<p>I eat a can of soup for lunch more often than not. I usually jazz it up with some fresh veggies sauteed in a teaspoon of olive oil and some croutons or saltines. 300 calories or so for a big bowl. Very filling. The only downside is the high salt of prepared soups. C’est la vie.</p>
<p>French onion is really low cal. I think a whole can of Progresso French onion soup is just 100 calories. So I can jazz it up with a 50 calories of olive oil (and a bunch of onions), 50 75 calories of croutons, and a 100 calorie slice of cheese and still come in at 325 calories and feel stuffed.</p>
<p>Chili is also very filling for reasonable cals.</p>
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<p>I’ve learned. When I came in from snow blowing, I changed out of the winter parka and put on the little light Brooks running windbreaker for shovelling the deck. You’ll work up a sweat in no time shovelling snow. I just had on the polartech lightweight base layer shirt, a long sleeve tech T (medium weight), and the thin Brooks jacket to stay dry in the snow and wind. Instead of jeans, I wore the polartech thin long johns, light 100-weight fleece pants, and $14 New Balance bargain of the day windbreaker pants off the clearance rack at Marshalls (to stay dry). This tech stuff is fantastic for snow removal!</p>
<p>The big challenge with the snow blower is that you get soaked from the snow blowing back all over you for a couple of hours. At least it wasn’t raining. That is really nasty clearing snow in the pouring rain.</p>
<p>new here, just wondering if they is anyone else out there looking to lose over fifty lbs.? I weigh more than I did when I was prego…eeek!<br>
I am inspired though and have my journal all ready to go. I really want to do this, so I can find that happy place again!</p>
<p>faithfirst:</p>
<p>You can do it. Once you get started, it’s kind of self-sustaining journey. I’ve lost 70 pounds in 11 months. My main piece of advice is to not worry about the 50 pounds. Just set a goal of losing five pounds, maybe ten pounds. When you debate whether to leave than can of Pringles on the shelf or whether to skip a workout, just say, “Aw come on, it’s only five pounds, I can do this for a couple of weeks and then I’ll have the Pringles if I want 'em…” Each five pounds becomes it’s own little victory and helps provide the motivation to keep going for the next five pounds.</p>
<p>And besides, what choice do you have? You aren’t going to lose 50 pounds until you lose the next five…</p>
<p>Faithfirst, if my lazy, cheese-loving tush could shed 27 lb (152 lb —> 125 lb) in less than a year, you can do it! All you need to do is to create a deficit of 3500 calories per week to lose a lb of fat/week. It is really not that hard! Add a little exercise (which you can ramp up as you become fitter), and shed some empty calories from your diet (I went cold turkey on bread and sugary things, but kept my cheese!). I never tortured myself with exercise or starved myself to death. My goal was to lose 10-15 lb (to be able to fit into some wonderful stuff sold by Yoox ;)), but I got re-hooked on running and doing weights, and- voila! - the pounds kept disappearing. I also have a little secret: NM and Nordy send me catalogs that work as great motivational tools. I keep one catalog on the dining table, and flip through the pages if I have a sudden urge to eat something unhealthy, like a bowl of ice cream or a slice of cheesecake, and my desire to stuff myself goes away for some unexplained reason 
Just do not deprive yourself of treats completely! Have a cookie or a candy bar once in a while as a reward.</p>
<p>Ran 5 miles today! Yay! I usually get bored after 30 minutes. Many thanks to Mr. White for keeping me amused for 44.5 minutes. The treadmill says I burned 500 calories (I entered my real weight and age) :)</p>