<p>The new Y has their grand opening today and they do have an indoor track so there’s another option. We’re going over there in a little while to check it out. They have most of the stuff that our current Y has (no tennis courts) and a few things that our Y doesn’t have. Our membership entitles us to use both.</p>
<p>Unfortunately they both have the same hours. Sometimes I like to workout later than their posted hours, which are abbreviated on the weekends. Still more options are good.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I wondered how that transition was going for you. I’ve been thinking about how and where I would add calories to my diet. The easy place would be snacks and stuff, but I’m not sure I want to re-open those doors. I mean, do I really want to start eating candy or cookies or chips again? Probably not.</p>
<p>I probably could crank up the carbs a bit, have a few more pizza or pasta splurge meals.</p>
<p>Any tips?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>We have until 6 PM, no? H and I are going to the movies, using 2 gift passes from a Christmas gift. Would hate to leave 2 unused movie passes “behind” …</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>It will be a while before I have to deal with that but pizza and pasta are dangerous for me. Last night my wife made a spinach pie. An 18 inch by 12 inch pan. I had one large piece and then grabbed another and that was 700 or 800 calories. She offered me one this morning and I declined going back to my regular protein foods.</p>
<p>Pizza is one of those foods that I have trouble stopping after I get started. Same with Cheese-Its. I think that it will be a matter of watching calories and weight when I get to where I want to be and I can imagine fluctuating within a five pound +/- range.</p>
<p>Well, it was supposed to be at 6:00 PM everywhere. Australia is still around.</p>
<p>Daughter just told me about rapture pranks. Buy clothes at Goodwill, spread them out on a sidewalk as if someone was raptured away.</p>
<p>^^^LOL!!</p>
<p>As far as adding calories, I would make sure to do it with healthy foods – e.g., increase portion size, have an apple with peanut butter, have an extra yogurt. I’d focus on adding lean protein.</p>
<p>The new Y is very, very nice. All of the weights (dumbbells and plates) are soft-coated. The indoor track is on the second floor which I’m not a fan of and the fences to prevent falling are a bit short for my tastes. The pool was very well designed. There’s a water-slide area, a very shallow area for infants and lap lanes. They had a ton of Cybex equipment that looks wonderful. Lots of different kinds of weight machines with different angles than I’m used to. You load weight plates for resistance.</p>
<p>The aerobic machines were touch screen operated and you could watch television shows (appears that the machines are hooked up to cable) while you workout. They also had one Airdyne which I, of course, tried out. It is very, smooth and I was able to generate considerable airflow with it. It was on the lowest setting so peddling wasn’t efficient but I can see why it is better than your usual gym bicycle. This model didn’t have toe-clips which I used to use for regular biking so that you can workout on the upstroke and downstroke.</p>
<p>The locker room was tiny.</p>
<p>They had a nice aerobic/dance room. They hadn’t put up the ballet bars yet - they were still on the floor. They basketball area only had space for one full-court game. They had a spinning room, conference room, snack area, infants area, childrens area (I assume that they will run a day-care there).</p>
<p>It was very, very nice. My main issue is that the place is way too small for the number of people that it will likely serve. There aren’t a lot of places that offer the family workout environment along with a pool. One coworker that I met there told me that he dropped his individual membership at his club ($125/month) to join the Y. The Y individual membership is about $40 I think. If it’s too crowded at the Y, then he’s going back to the country club. I saw other coworkers there today too.</p>
<p>So I have another option when traveling between work and home.</p>
<p>Toe clips would be dangerous on an Airdyne. There’s no coasting – the pedals keep moving until the thing comes to complete stop. So, you have to be able to take your feet off the moving pedals and put them on the front foot pegs. If you got “in trouble”, you wouldn’t be able to stop pedaling or get off with your feet in the clips.</p>
<p>The toe clips that I used were loose enough to get out of quickly in case of a panic stop so that you wouldn’t fall over. Cleats would be more of an issue. On club equipment, some exercise bicycles have the toe-clips. They are a big strap of soft plastic and they aren’t designed to be tight.</p>
<p>I wanted to say thanks to whoever recommended the “Eat This Not That” books. I picked up the restaurant one today, and while it would be tons more helpful if it included carbs rather than focusing on fats, it does discuss sugar for some of the items. I haven’t read the whole book yet but one helpful thing I have learned is that BBQ sauce has way more sugar than I would have guessed.</p>
<p>idad, I’m staying away from all my old “trigger” foods. I’m an addict, plain and simple. I still eat 4 times a day–3 meals and 1 planned, substantial snack. I increased my breakfast, since I work out first thing in the morning. Also, I’m not a huge fan of breakfast, so it’s harder for me to get in trouble.</p>
<p>As a 5’3", 48 year old woman, I really don’t need a ton of calories to stay alive. 
By working out, I can have about 2200-2300 calories a day. I never feel deprived. Big carb meals remain a once or twice a week splurge–pizza tonight!</p>
<p>Workout Today:</p>
<p>Supersets–
8 KB Swings @50 pounds
4 (per arm) Single Arm Swing @20 pounds
4 (per arm) Single Arm Snatch @20 pounds</p>
<p>I did 4 sets of this where I moved straight into the next exercise…</p>
<p>70 degree and bright blue sky this afternoon, so I headed out for my trusty 5k of hills. Set up the watch to give me five 2-minute jogging intervals again. Average heart rate 79%. Max heart rate 99%. Definitely some huffin’ and puffin’ out there today.</p>
<p>I think I’m pretty much “wore out” from interval workouts this week. All “long” intervals of 90 to 120 seconds. Definitely a range where I needed some work. Two walk/jog sessions and a hard Airdyne workout in the last three days is about all my tired ol’ (formerly) fat legs can take!</p>
<p>Just got back from Trader Joes and I picked up a small tub of Greek Nonfat yogurt. Packs a protein wallop and low calories in a cup of the stuff. Also picked up two tubs of cottage cheese. TJs doesn’t have preservatives which leave a bit of an aftertaste that I found with Hood.</p>
<p>My my, is that our idad, RUNNING? I sense a 5k race in your future :)</p>
<p>He’s welcome to join me in the Manchester 5K. At his current weight, I think that he could crank up the pace and distance pretty quickly.</p>
<p>There are lots and lots of road races in the MA area and I think that they’re held practically every weekend. In some cases, there are more than one per weekend. The Manchester race typically has over 5K people so it’s fairly big.</p>
<p>So at mile 4 of what passes for “running” these days, there was a guy just ahead of me on the path. He wasn’t going very fast and I had a choice of either sitting behind him and enjoying a nice, comfortable pace for my last 2 miles or going around him. I decided (of course) to pass him, but then I had to crank up the pace so that he wasn’t sitting on MY heels! This meant I was pushing more than I wanted and had to keep glancing back over my shoulder to see where he was. As we approached the final half mile I knew I didn’t have enough left to hold him off since the last 1/2 mile is a gradual uphill and not fun. I was hoping he would turn around, which he did! All this Olympic-level jockeying for “race” position was occurring at about a 10-10:30 pace! Idiocy!! I guess it stays in your brain even when it leaves your legs!<br>
(I’m not running much- and it isn’t comfortable but it isn’t painful. Mainly just tight. PT said “this level of running” is OK. Have to keep it pretty flat and slow.)</p>
<p>P.S. At this rate iDad would beat me in a 5K. BUT- I have the cutest running skirt with little hearts all over it. I would win the fashion contest.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I don’t know, now. My legs are lookin’ pretty cute in my little Nike running shorts, if I do say so myself! I’m waiting for a warm day to break out the 5-inch short shorts and really show off the results of all those damn split squats! :)</p>
<p>I wore a full-geek neon yellow Brooks shirt yesterday.</p>
<hr>
<p>If you thnk overtaking while jogging is annoying, it’s really a long-drawn out affair when walking. The closing rates are glacial. I can usually complete the pass on the next uphill grade. Those are my specialty!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Maybe a walk/jog 5K for ol’ (formerly) fat guys! Nobody is going to mistake me for a Kenyan anytime soon. :)</p>
<p>MOfWC, I’m drooling - I want your cute skirt. Running skirts are great. Yes, you definitely win in the “run with style” category.</p>
<p>Had to run on a treadmill this morning, because there were no good running paths near the hotel (the .5 mile path does not count as a running trail in my books). Only could go for 7 miles, since the gym got busy, and I could not hog the treadmill. The minute I hopped off, a young guy jumped on and took off with an ungodly speed. In 3 minutes he was panting and huffing, and in 10 minutes his run was over. His girlfriend (maybe wife) was doing “circuits”: 2 minutes of very slow pedaling, 2 minutes of walking on a treadmill, 1-2 reps on some weight machines, etc. She looked really bored and annoyed, perhaps, she was unhappy that she was dragged out of bed so early to spend a few minutes in a smelly gym. Breakfast buffet at the hotel was awesome. DD was amused by the sign on the fruit basket which read, “Fruit. Low fat option”.</p>