Helen,
Sorry to hear of your problems on the Sapphire Princess- we were on her back 1.5 years ago up to Alaska in a similar room and we loved. We had a ps in the aft of the ship and just loves those. This is sure not the way they operate at all. I am glad that you are getting the dry cleaning now. I know you have been going through the pursers desk- have you talked to the person in charge of the hotel part of the ship- he is actually 2nd in command on those ships.
We were on the Caribbean Princess 2 weeks ago- and they allowed us to call an airline while we were floating around at Princess Cays.

Good luck on the support board. I don't normally click on this link but something told me click today.
If I could live on a cruiseship I would. :)

Wow, lets go to In-N-Out for a Double Double, some fries, and a chocolate shake! LOL

In-N-Out©
Double-Double Hamburger w/Onion©
Serving Size: 330g
Calories: 670
Calories from Fat: 370
Total Fat: 41 grams
Saturated Fat: 18 grams
Cholesterol: 120 milligrams
Sodium: 1440 milligrams
Carbohydrates: 39 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Sugars: 10 grams
Protein: 37 grams

In-N-Out©
French Fries©
Serving Size: Small
Calories: 115
Calories from Fat: 50
Total Fat: 6 grams
Saturated Fat: 1 grams
Sodium: 15 milligrams
Carbohydrates: 15 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Sugars: 2 grams

In-N-Out©
Shake - Chocolate©
Serving Size: 15 oz.
Calories: 690
Calories from Fat: 320
Total Fat: 36 grams
Saturated Fat: 24 grams
Cholesterol: 95 milligrams
Sodium: 350 milligrams
Carbohydrates: 83 grams
Fiber: 0 grams
Sugars: 62 grams
Protein: 9 grams

Hey, it is only 132 net carbs! Only about what I'm allowed for an entire week! Not to mention being 1475 calories! :eek:

OK, maybe not. This is what I did for lunch today instead. (Good thing it is such a long drive to California) LOL

Tuna Salad made with:
4.5 oz spring water packed albacore tuna
2 tablespoons Hellman's Mayonnaise
1 medium celery stalk
2 tablespoons pickle relish made with Splenda

Garden Salad made with:
2 cups of romaine lettuce
1 small plum tomato
1/2 mini cucumber
2 tablespoons of red wine vinagrette made with Splenda

Topped off with a bottle of Ozarka Natural Spring Water 16.9 oz.

Total Calories 470
Fat 32 grams
Saturated fat 5 grams
Cholesterol 71 grams
Sodium 993 grams
Carbs 10 grams
Fiber 5 grams
Net Carbs 5 grams
Sugars 5 grams
Protein 36 grams

Wow, Don, you get a lot more than I could get - 32 Grams of fat seems high to me. I do a Tuna Kit from Starkist for lunch and it's much lower.

You guys crack me up! I did a lean cuisine panini sandwich - 280 calories 7 grams fat...and it is pretty yummy!

I love following this thread - I am a deadbeat but love reading all the success tales.. I am waiting for an "easy" solution- Margo you are amazing!!! Your exercise program is incredible - walk walk walk - I know how to do it I am just lazy - Don has done so well with his walking - understand about the carbs blah blah etc but getting our fat, you know what, off the couch is the answer..in this town we have therapists, nutritionists, weight gurus, the diet seekers (my friends) pay all that money and few are thin :D :D :D :D :D

Joanna.....I wish that $$$$$ could make me thin - you're right it's plain old sweat that does it - the kind produced by exercise! Of course if I didn't stop for more norishment it would go faster! LOL :D

Confucius Don says: Man who sweat small stuff, keeps it from becoming big stuff! And man who sweats big stuff sweats by the bucket-full! :D

This thread is great. It sounds like everyone is working hard at this.

In preparatin for Tahiti, I'm trying to drop 30 - 40 lbs. I've been a yo-yo all my life and I'm tired of it. This time I'm going to keep it off! :D The last couple of years have been tough. We spent one year finishing the basement and the next year recovering. But now the weather is starting to get nice and I'll be cracking out the mountain bike this weekend.

I've already had an okay start have lost 4 lbs in a couple of weeks with light exercise and diet. My biggest problem is protion control. I don't know when to stop eating. So we've switched to meals on lunch plates and I let Christie dish it up. I also switched my morning mocha to 2%. Couldn't handle skim. Tastes like chocolate espresso water. Yuk!

Keep up the good work!

Dave

Dave....welcome to our happy group! Hope you'll enjoy sharing your weightloss journey with us.

I just had my first meeting with my trainer - I think he's going to be great! He said lots of thing that make sense to me, if I'd just stopped to think about them long ago. AND....I'll share some of his advice with you - no charge!

First piece of advice - hydration. He said "what ever your weight is in pounds - divide the # by 2 and that's how many oz. of water you should drink each day!" If you aren't, you can't maximize your metabolism etc. So, while I thought I was getting the right amount of water - I need to add some.

Second piece of advice - set small goals - things you can do - OK, we do that right???? Well, we probably tell you our BIG goals first - like Dave!

Jon (trainer) said - this week just set your goal to drink all that water EVERY day AND break a sweat exercising at least 4 times in the week! Of course I'll have to find time to get out of the bathroom :D in order to exercise!

So - now you know my goals - not one word about a scale or what I weigh - I'll let you know how it goes, but at least I know I can do these things! ;)

Thanks Margo - I remember being very successful some time ago (long time ago) and it was water water walking walking - I carried huge plastic container full of water and ice with squirt of lime in it - refilled 24/7 - it never left my side!!!

Dave, welcome to our group and congratulations on your great start. BTW, when are you going to Tahiti? That is on our list of cruises for 2008. Just waiting for RSSC to come out with the schedule and pricing.

Margo, I looked at what your trainer said, and thought at half of my body weight in oz. I would probably drown. Then I realized, I am actually drinking that anyways. With this low carb diet I am in constant lipolysis (ketosis), I am thirsty all the time and water is essential for that fat burning process to work. You are right though, You better be close to the bathroom. I work an hour from the house and often times find myself squirming by the time that I get there.

I also have some questions on what is better. Is it better to do your cardio workout first in order to get your body revved up before your weight workout, or is it better to get in your weight workout first and then do cardio to aid in the fat burning process? I have heard both.

Also, I have heard that it is important to eat protein before your workout to fuel up your body and I have also heard that it is important to eat protein within one hour of your workout to replentish your supply of protein.

I also read an article this week that said that by eating 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day rather than 3 larger meals that it will speed up your metabolism by 10%. It all has to do with the calories being expended during the digestive process.

Sometimes this gets so confusing.

Don...I'll try to get answers for all of your questions. I'm eating 3 meals and 3 snacks a day - that seems to help - I rarely feel hungry and have now lost 15 lbs. I've been dieting for 7 weeks so that's not really rapid loss - but seems about right for me. The nice thing, now people are starting to notice.

Margo - isn't that what they say is the healthiest - 2 lbs per week?
I think you and Don are doing great. Now if I would only follow your examples.

Betty....I'm hoping that's true!

I had some extra motivation - in December we did a holiday cruise in the Caribbean - for the first time in my life when I put on my bathing suit I felt like a "matronly" woman - well actually, I probably qualify, but I didn't like the "look" and I avoided the water excursions etc. - now that was dumb - we were in the CARIBBEAN! Anyway, when I got home and we book the Mariner for April I vowed to look a little less "matronly" for that cruise - I won't be Bo Derek by any stretch of the imagination (or spandex for that matter), but I will be a few pound thinner and not hiding under a big coverup! ;)

Thanks Betty! It is tough getting started, but I think it does get easier. It becomes a habit.

Margo, 15 lbs is great!!! Over two lbs per week is fantastic. Another cruise, is always a good motivator.

Right now, I am averaging a little over three per week, which considering my weight and that I am a guy is about right. However, I am now on one of those blasted plateaus. Oh well, I am still losing inches and in about another week I know the pounds will start coming off again.

I use ketostix each day to determine how much fat is being burned and so far they have been consistantly in the medium range. Not to slow and not to fast, which I guess is exactly where they are supposed to be. That means my blood sugar is fairly level with no swings.

My goal is to be on the pre-maintenance part of the diet by the time that CROSS rolls around in November. At that point I will be within 10 lbs of my goal weight and will know exactly what my CCL (critical carbohydrate level) is supposed to be along with my BMR (basal metobolism rate).

Just popping in with some information. It's best to lose 1% of your body weight per week, an average of 1 to 2 pounds. Even though it seems difficult, the slower your loss is the more likely you will be able to keep the weight off.

As for eating 5-6 times a day, this is the best way to increase your metabolism. Think of it like stoking a fire - adding a little food every few hours will keep your metabolism going. It also helps to keep your blood sugar levels even.

I don't know about whether it's good to do cardio first, then strength. Haven't heard about that one, but I'll check with my trainer too. The other day I did a 15 minute warmup on the crosstrainer, an hour of strength training/Pilates with my trainer, and felt so pumped I went back and did another 45 minutes on the crosstrainer!

Andrea!!!! You are incredible - :app: :app: :app: :app:

I spent many years working next to a client who was an Exercise Physiologist who was telephone coaching the Personal Trainers. The idea of warming up and then doing cardio BEFORE weights is the best. Your heart rate and getting your blood pumping helps build the muscles when you do the weight training. Then you cool down. The muscle building is what causes you to burn more calories. A person weighing 200 lbs with more muscle mass will burn more calories then one who weighs the same but never exercises and eats less.

Andrea, I am super impressed. I got tired, plus sore muscles, just reading your post.
Margo, we will definitely need a photo if you go with the Bo Derek braids. I had been hearing about the Miracle swimsuit from Lands End that "automatically" takes off 10 pounds. The catalog arrived yesterday - $120. I don't think so, not even for a 10 lb slimming look! :eek:

Margo bet you look great!!! Congrats

Betty, sounds like if you are buying that swimsuit, you are losing more like 60 Pounds, according to my currency converter! :D

Kathy, I heard the same thing, but also heard that by doing the weight workout first that it enhances your cardio workout to where you burn fat at a greater rate, during your cardio workout. Maybe it depends on whether strength training or weight loss is your goal.

I remember when this thread started two plus yrs ago - big congratulations to those who remained motivated - I fell off the thread :D :D :D

Yes, Sweet Cyndi started it. She and I have been chatting and she does lurk here now and again.

Don, I know about those plateaus. I'm on one too. My nutritionist was telling me that if you have been sick, they seem to happen like your body is fighting to stay in balance. I keep hoping that since I am following my plan pretty closely that another few pounds will fall off all at once. Either that or I will throw my scale out and get a new one for lack of cooperation.

Betty....I've got to check out that minus10 LB suit! :D [img]http://s7.landsend.com/is/image/LandsEnd/193176_A807_A1_CRI[/img]

This one's "only" $92! - I don't think she had 10 pound extra to start! LOL

I must have missed that suit, Margo. I'll look at the catalog again tomorrow. Why brag about a swimsuit taking away 10 lbs and put it on a Julie Roberts look alike?

She *does* kind of look like Julia Roberts, huh? :)

Masaki

Smaller meals and healthy snacks seem to be the ticket for me. I think everyone is different. What works best for someone is based on what dietary downfalls they have. For me it's overeating at meal time. I eat healthy food, just too much of it. So using lunch plates and starting with smaller serving sizes has helped. I'm re-training myself to sense when I'm full. I don't deprive myself of anything so I don't have any cravings.

Don - We are on the July 11th PG cruise. That seemed to be the best bang for the buck as far as ports go. We fly out the day after 4th of July so we have the holiday to pack. Who am I kidding though, we'll be packed weeks before that.

What is ketostix? I'd love to be able to determine how much fat I'm burning, especially during those plateaus.

Dave

Thanks Joanna and Betty! I've been spending a lot of time at the gym in preparation for hiking on FJORDS and climbing the Great Wall on PANDA. Just got back from doing 60 minutes on the crosstrainer, but I could only do 1/2 of my ab workout. There's only so much pain I can take!

Kathy - I too have always been taught it's best to warm up, do cardio and then strength train. Since new research is always being done I wasn't sure if someone had found out it's better to switch things around.

Don and Margo - I would love to have Fitlynxx at my gym. I spoke with our head of personal training about it the other day but she'd never heard of it. I'm sure it's available at the Sports Club LA, or perhaps Equinox which is opening in my neighborhood something this spring, but my gym is so great I can't change - I go to Healthworks Fitness for Women. It's about a 10 minute walk from where I live, and it's across the street from the train station so I can go right after work. Makes it easier to get there!

Joanna, I have had a yo-yo dedication for the past couple of years. I do well, then go on a cruise, then do well, then go on a cruise.... You get the picture! It is all LCT's fault! LOL

Dave, Ketostix are test strips made by Bayer and they show you how many ketones that you are expelling in your urine. Many nutritionalist use them to determine if their clients succeeding with the program. The darker purple the strip turns when dipped into a stream of urine the more you are burning fat. If it doesn't turn at all, you are not burning fat, and worse yet if it turns beige then you are storing fat! Pretty easy to tell your progress from day to day. A scale is a sign but your body fluctuates so much that often times it does not reflect what is really going on. You test it at the same time everyday and preferably when you first wake up. A bottle of 60 strips cost about $10 and you can buy them at most pharmacies over the counter.

Andrea, I really like it, because it is another area that you can really chart your progress. It is a great motivator.

There was an interesting article that was in our paper this week on a study on low carb diets that the AMA conducted. It kind of flies in the face of all that you have ever read about high protein and high fat diets.

Low Carb Dieting Wins Out

Don: Oh I know about yo-yo "ing" - seems as if you are really on your way to success this time - a big :app: :app: :app: :app:

When I'm wrong, I'll admit it. It was Eddie Bauer, not Lands End. Tried to post the photo - URL too long.

Betty, use the url thingie in the full reply form! Or maybe you can just post the picture here.

I had never looked at the full reply form. Always wondered what that was about. Bad Betty. <img border="0" alt="[bang]" title="" src="graemlins/banghead.gif" />

Regular $120 #i12 656 0657

[img]http://images.eddiebauer.com/is/image/EB/EB07AD_0120657_216A1?wid=300&hei=300&fmt=jpeg&qlt=75,0&op_sharpen=1&resMode=trilin&op_usm=0.5,1.0,0.0,0[/img]

Betty...well, that suit may hide 10 pounds, but where??????

If nothing else, these photos convince me I'd get a nice coverup no matter what suit I buy! ;)

Just a quick update. Down another 2 lbs this week. 35 since 1/2/07 and 63 since August.

I'll tell you where those hidden pounds go - rippling down your arms and legs. I've tried on these types of suits so I know :app: .

I need to get back on track. We're going to Kauai in early June. Don't want to be wearing the cover-up most of the time. Like, Joanna, I lurk here but need to get with the program.

Editing to add, I just read Don's post. Wow, you are the weight loss king. Congratulations.

Margo, I know where I hide mine. Guess that is why they call them swim TRUNKS! LOL

Thanks Donna. Lots of work, but I will get there. Last week I also got in 25 miles on the bike, 7 miles of walking, a few laps swimming, and 66,440 worth of weights lifted.

Thanks Don, and congratulations on your loss! Sounds like you've really made a lifestyle change for the better. I'll have to look for those strips. That sounds like a great way to effectivly measure progress.

Dave

Don...you are an inspiration! I'm having a moment of weakness and a glass of wine - but we all have days like that!

Margo

Hey Don, good on you!

I haven't posted for a while because I've been drifting again. And then the weekend before last my back went into spasm, and I've been tiptoeing around trying to baby myself. Then yesterday it happened again. So here I am, in my easy chair with my feet up, with my laptop table astride, attempting to keep in touch with the office. Can't do a thing for a while. Too bad when we have enforced inactivity that we couldn't just stop eating, but my appetite has not gone away.