Hi everyone! I am officially starting my challenge today. Monday’s always a good day for that. (Plus the scale already shows that I dropped a coulple pounds!!! Whoo hooo!!!!)

After work I will be heading to the gym and do some weight training and cardio. I will post what I actually do tomorrow. I had quite an activity filled weekend that I would like to share. The weather in Cleveland, Ohio was especially nice for a change. On Friday I played hookie from work and hit the gym for an hour on the elliptical trainer and did weight training for 30 minutes. After that I met my girlfriends and went shopping. Lunch was a spinach salad - hold the hot bacon dressing and cheese, please! On Saturday I power-walked 6.5 miles, and it would have been longer if it hadn’t started raining. I kept my usual Saturday night drinking to a minimum and was much happier Sunday morning for it. On Sunday my boyfriend and I road our bike’s to get some breakfast and then rode over to where he left the car the night before at his buddie’s house 15 miles away. (He didn’t watch his beer in-take Saturday night!  ) We then tossed our bike’s in the truck and went down to the Cuyahoga River in downtown Cleveland and paddled his canoe for about an hour. Let me tell you this - you would never realize how small you can feel when you are in a tiny canoe paddling past a gigantic rock-carrying barge! The perspective is truly amazing and the backdrop of the city scape and blue sky was spectacular.

Anyhow, I am excited about this challenge. I know I can do it and I look forward to sharing my daily experiences with all of you in this community and to help cheer all of you on as well.
~ Emmi

Welcome to the challenge.  Sounds like you had a fun and active weekend.  Isn’t it great to have the power to determine how you feel. 

Paddling in the river must have been really fun.  I know what you mean, being in such a tiny boat next to a huge ship.  It really puts things into perspective - we are so small in the overall scheme of the universe, yet the universe is so receptive to us.  It’s amazing.  Just be careful, those huge ships don’t even know you exist and they can move fast. 

Sounds like you have a really good exercise plan for the week; remember to be flexible because life will be working to get in the way.

So nice to hear from you Paula. You are right about those ships not seeing you. Thankfully the one we were around was securely anchored at the time.

You are also right about being flexible. Sometimes I have to really say no alot to friends and family so that I can get my exercise in. If I don’t get to the gym I have DVD’s at home or a very nice biking/walking path near my home. But my friends beg and plead constantly to meet them after work at the bar. I love them all but I always tell them “I’ll see you after I work out and shower.” At least that method saves me a few bucks and calories. But it’s so hard to say no all the time. I don’t really know how to balance it all out. Things that I have to juggle: full-time job, full-time boyfriend, two very sweet parents in their 70’s, many, many friends wanting my attention and a home to maintain. I’m lucky if I can get to bed before midnight, usually.

It’s really the partying I have a hard time with. I love my friends and my boyfriend but to be honest we spend way too much time at bars. I have cut back lots but if I want to see them, that is what we usually do, especially my guy. I was so excited when he said he wanted to ride his bicycle to breakfast. He’s so hard to tear away from the History Channel. And he quit smoking for lent and is sticking with it. I quit smoking back in January and haven’t looked back since, myself.
Anyone out there have any ideas about staying healthy and having friends that party all of the time? Or just how to find balance between all of that?

Ask them to join you at the gym. They may say no, but then the offer has been made and you aren’t the only one not doing it their way. You have to put you first, or you won’t be your best for them. For me, I like to play board games at home with friends. That way we can drink what we want for much cheaper. And we can hear each other, and it’s more fun for me too. Plus, if you drink too much, you can always fall into bed, or on someone’s couch. But if they like the clubbing for dancing and flirting, I’ve got no help there. Been married with kids for too long.

Congratulations with the quitting smoking. I quite over 2 years ago and am thrilled about it still. Have you had the dreams that you started again and wake up in a panic? I had one this weekend. Every other ex-smoker I know also has those dreams. Freaky.

Bree

Hey there, welcome to your first 100 days.  I know the peer pressure for bars and eating out is tough.  I like Bree’s suggestion, invite them to the gym with you, invite them to your house so you can have healthy alternatives at your fingertips.  And a tough suggestion: start hanging out with your new gym buddies.  Hang in there; just know you are making the right choices and doing what’s best for you!

OK, Monday’s workout update:
Weight currently 198 lbs.
30 minutes weight equipment
40 minutes on the elliptical trainer
15 minutes power-walk around the track - cooldown
Later on: bunches of crunches on my pilates ball watching my tape of last week’s Lost and Grey’s Anatomy

Thanks for all of your support and helpful comments, Bree and Toffee! BTW: Bree that purple shirt story you wrote yesterday was really great and took a lot of courage. I have quite a few purple shirts in my closet that I’m trying to get back into!

As far as asking my friends to join me at the gym, I have done that. I once got lucky and my one girlfriend wanted to go walking with me. She wanted to sweat out the liquor from the night before. We all know that doesn’t really work but I wasn’t going to argue. I was just glad she wanted to go. My boyfriend wants nothing to do with it. Last night I talked to him around 10PM and he was smashed! His idea of working out is doing several 12 oz curls. It was Monday for goodness sake! Everybody was at the bar too. It got sad because I was missing all of the fun. I’m getting to old to be partying like a rock star anymore! Maybe it’s time to trade him in for a new model! haha

As far as hanging out with gym people, I don’t really talk to people there that much. I have my iPod going and I’m doing my own thing. Plus, I suspect most of the guys there are married and I certainly don’t want to cause any of THOSE kind of problems. I know I have some tough things to work out in my life and I appreciate all of your good advice and suggestions. Please keep them coming!

You just need to decide if that lifestyle is really still fun for you. It sounds like you have made the decision, now comes the hard part—following through. You are doing exactly what you need to be for YOU, they will come out of the life sooner or later. Everyone does. Just stay focused on YOU and don’t second guess your commitments. That will only make you feel guilty and resent your friends. Keep living for YOU and they will respect that, even if they don’t say so.

Bree

And thank you for the kind words about my story. How wonderful and strange is it that we have a place like this to compare stories and find inspiration. I don’t know what I’d do without the site, and Scott, and you guys. It really helps me focus.

Thanks for your words Bree. I have a lot of decisions to make. Tomorrow one of my friend’s, Chris, is going to Bulgaria for a whole month for work. We (my boyfriend and my close friends) are all meeting tonight to see Chris off at the local Moose Lodge that we are all members at. I told them all that I would see them later on after I hit the gym and shower. By the time I get there they will all be tanked, I know it! I’m going to do my darndest to have one drink, say goodbye and go back home and not stick around and try to catch up. Tomorrow is another friend’s birthday, also at a bar. It seems my life surrounds the stupid bar! Arghhh how frustrating! I guess I can only take things one day at a time and hope I do well tonight and try to do the same thing tomorrow. How did I ever surround myself with a bunch of drunkies?!!! I never really realized just how bad it was until now. I never used to be such a big drinker. What the heck happened?

All you can really do is live your own life and lead by example.  If these are people you really enjoy being with, then invite them to join in fun stuff that doesn’t require lots of alcohol.  If they do nothing else besides hang out in bars, you may need to find new friends who will participate in the activities you enjoy. 

By the way, check my journal post on friendship.  I think it really fits with your dilemma.  As I look at the pictures of my friends, I noticed that we are all active, and do things together.  Sure we go to the bar after the volleyball games, drink a bottle of wine at the campgrounds, go to happy hour after skiing, and party when appropriate, but that isn’t the main focus of our lives.  It’s not that I’ve cut people out of my life, but I do make choices regarding the activities I do, and in the process meet people with the same interests. 

Bar survival tip 1 - drink one glass of water for every alcoholic drink.  You will find that you drink less alcohol, and feel better since you force yourself to stay hydrated.

Bar survival tip 2 - club soda with a splash of cranberry and splash of OJ - Looks like a ‘real’ drink and tastes great.  No one else knows that you aren’t drinking, until they start passing out and you’re still sober.

Thanks Paula,
Can you point me in the right direction to your Friendship posts? You have so many.... WOW!

It’s here - way down toward the bottom of the page Paula’s 9 lives in Cat Years

Thanks Paula. I think I will have to create my own friends board. What a great idea!

Tuesday’s Workout:
10 minutes cycle warmup
35 mintutes eliptical-burned 550 calories, 2.96 miles, resistance set to 10
15 minutes - walked 1 mile around track to cooldown (9 laps)
I used to keep track of my daily steps up until this past Saturday. I need a new pedometer. Mine cracked!
I’ve been going hard since Friday so today is rest day. I’ve got to tell ya, I do the eliptical all the time and this time it kicked my butt!!! I was pooped but I still walked a mile after.

Tuesday night after I worked out and showered I met my friend’s at the Moose to see off a pal that is leaving for Bulgaria for a month. I got there around 7:45PM. I tried some of you guy’s advice: I ordered a white wine spritzer with club soda in a tall glass filled with ice. Irene, the barkeep, was shocked! “No tall Miller Light Draft?” she asked.  “Not today, Irene”, I said. Half way through I asked her to refill it with more club soda. She looked at me like I had gone mad! haha That one drink took me to 9PM when I said goodbye to everyone and headed back home. Don’t worry, I still left her a decent tip. I did really well yesterday. (patting myself on the shoulder) Thank you everyone for your support and advice. 

You did great!!!

See? You can make it just fine out there in the “real world"-have you heard the “Invisible Chicken Wing” podcast?  I seem to replay that podcast everytime I go out to dinner.  Way to go on your healthier choices, see, your mindset is already changing and that is a wonderful thing!

Great job!  You can do it.  Now you’re making good choices and it will be easy to continue to do so.

I’m so proud of you! You are doing great, with both the choices and the exercise.

Bree

Thanks you guys for all of your kind words and encouragement. I appreciate it very much. If the sunshine holds out I’m going to go to the Metropark and walk with one of my “partying” girlfriends after work today. Otherwise I’m taking her to my gym. I think I’ve finally broken through to her. She’s said she’s been walking on her own all week! That makes me so happy because she’s been so down since she lost her job. I’d so much rather be outside getting some fresh air instead of being in a smokey bar, any day.

Zookie, even though I’ve only been coming here for a week, I think you’re doing great. If I had the internet at home I’d probably be just as involved with this community as you. I can only get on here from 8AM to 5PM. Good job, girl. (I hope my boss doesn’t see this! LOL!)
Take care.

LOL, Look at you!!! You are already making an impact on someone else, people can sense it when someone is taking care of themselves, it is pretty hard not to see the benefits from it, mental, physical, and emotional.  Sounds like getting out and moving will do your friend some good!!  It is crazy this time of year weather wise in Ohio, it would be great to have the option of exercising COMFORTABLY outside year round huh?  Thanks for the kind words, you too make a difference on this forum!!!  Keep up the fabulous work, I love hearing about progress, it gets me motivated to get some of my own!!!!!

Just explain to your boss that what you learn here will make you much more productive.  It’s not just diet and exercise skills, it’s skills for life.

"Skills for life” I like that! Thanks Paula and Zookie. I think the weather is going to hold out. Yeay! Is it 5 yet?
I really like the new picture Bree. I love purple!

Thank you very much. I like it too. Everytime I wear it my life changes. It has it’s own magic. If we have a conference, I’ll wear it.

Awesome on getting a friend to start working out. Sometimes people just need the permission to take care of themselves.

Bree