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Etiquette
April 28, 2006 by Renee @ 07:34 AMSo this AM, I'm in the gym before her. When she entered, the first thing she did was turn off the A/C. Considering I was sweating like a stuck pig, I got miffed. It's not even that she turned the temp up so it took longer to come on, she turned it OFF.
I'm thinking, Hey, I was here first. When I leave, the gym is yours to do as you wish. How can you come in and just turn it off? You just got here Janie Come Lately.
I mean it's almost like me watching TV and she reaches for the remote and starts flipping the channel. In such a tiny gym, there's an unspoken rule: if you come in after someone, whoever is there first pretty much runs the place.
For as long as I've been going there, that dynamic works well, if someone is there before me, I watch what they watch, take the machine they aren't using or before I do something that infringes on their space, ask if they mind if I do such and such. Most people show me the same courtesy.
So what do you think?
In a small community gym do you think it is first come/first in charge and you adjust your needs till they leave? Or if you were the latecomer, do you feel you have every right to change the TV, adjust the lights and or control the A/C, as if the other person is not there, to suit your needs?
Suprising newness
September 21, 2005 by Renee @ 08:51 AMIf I did this right, the colors should be looking quite different. Just my way of saying, Happy Fall.
********
Astute visitors w/eagle sharp focus may have noticed a new addition to the right side, where it says "Watch this space". It relates to the super duper secret and will be revealed shortly. Till it is, I figured, as with all I do, why not make a game of it. I blame this on watching listening to way too much reality tv (RU that girl, The Biggest Loser, Big Brother [You wuz robbed Ivette!]) in the last week.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to make a guess on what the graphic is all about. Guess as many times as you want, I'll leave this entry pinned @ the top for a while and the person who guesses the closest or whose answer makes me snort the loudest, wins. And I can't say how long I'll keep this pinned b/c it'll be a tip off, but here's a hint: watch the pictures closely...
*muahahahahaha - - - choke*
Why'd you fall off?
September 12, 2005 by Renee @ 09:02 AMRemember What say you's? It's baaaack.
Going thru that hellacious heat wave sometime late July/early August, everything got sucked out of me. Rather than fight it, I just went w/the flow until the desire came back. Which it has been, in dribs and drabs but nothing like the start of the year. Here I sit, staring 2006 in the face, coming up on the holiday eating season starting next month, trying not to just say to hell with it. Correction, I am saying it, I'm just trying not to give in to it.
I'm curious about something. Has anyone else fallen off lately? Are you just resigning yourself to really doing something in January? Is losing weight going to be the last thing on your mind for the next 3 months? Will you just try to maintain or are you just going to let the lbs fall where the may?
Were you pumped in January, and now you're slumped?
The hell does that mean?
June 21, 2005 by Renee @ 08:33 AMYesterday when I went home I ran into the maintenance man. As I was walking up the stairs, I guess he didn't recognize me and gave a generic hello. But when I lifted my head he calls out, "Oh hey! Man, you are looking [incoherent babble] every time I see you, one minute you are going up, next you are going down [insert yucking it up laughter]"
This man is referring to my weight. 
When I first started using the gym last year after going for 2 afternoons in a row, both times he saw me, the following week he said I looked like I lost a ton of weight.
Now that I've established, he is crazed, it's your turn.
This weeks topic: Who is your version of my crazed maintenance man? What is the most obnoxious thing someone has said to you about you're weight? Whether you have lost a lot or gained a lot? Leave all dickheaded comments so I know I'm not alone.
Buddy up
June 14, 2005 by Renee @ 10:31 AMI'm a tad busy so I'll throw up a new what say you topic for everyone to chat amongst themselves till I have time to collect my thoughts on a few things.
Here's the scenario, you are given a choice to partner w/a buddy in your weight loss/getting fit attempts:
-
Buddy A - She is 10lbs heavier than you. She reminds you of what direction you don't want to head towards. -
Buddy B - She is your weight. As the weight goes down, she can relate to you lb for lb.
Buddy C - She weighs 10lbs less than you do. Still close enough for her to relate to your struggle, but just far enough that you get a glimpse of what you can be.
or
Buddy D - She is @ your goal weight for over a year. She's already been down the road, knows the ups and downs. She may not relate on the lb for lb struggle, but she is proof that it can happen.
This weeks topic: Which buddy would you choose & why?
Workout styles
June 05, 2005 by Renee @ 10:30 AMI'm a video junkie. I retain information better that way. As much as I like body for life, I'm still waiting till they come out w/a workout video. And I don't exagerate. The first year I started to do something about my weight, around 2002, I was introduced to that book by a co-worker. It's only last year when I moved onto workout videos did I realize I was doing lunges totally wrong and why my knees always killed me. Rather than step forward and then move down, I lunged myself forward. 
I need verbal instructions and visual examples.
This weeks topic: What's your workout style? Do you do better w/instructional videos? Or in a group setting like a classroom? Do you prefer to go by the text & pictures in a magazine or book? Or do you need one on one w/trainer to get first get started? Or is your style something I didn't list? How do you get your workout on?
What do you want more body or food?
May 31, 2005 by Renee @ 07:52 AMThose zany scientists over @ Acme Wonder Pills are at it again.
Workout Pill is guaranteed to give you the body of your dreams. You'll be sleek, toned and flab free. The only caveat is, you will have to eat a very restricted diet, no sweets or snacking allowed. Once a month you'll be allowed one single cheat meal. If you go over the preset calories in any single day, the excess weight will return immediately.
With the No Gain Pill you can continue to eat all your favorite foods w/o gaining weight. No more worrying about counting calories, points, carbs, fats. No need to workout for weight loss either. The only caveat is, you will always be overweight.
Which pill do you choose? The one that'll require you to eat a strict cheat free meal plan but have gives a great body in return. Or the pill that will allow you to eat whatever whenever, you'll remain overweight, but you won't gain any more weight.
This week's topic: What do you want more body or food?
When did you know?
May 22, 2005 by Renee @ 06:39 PMMarci's comment about her little girl and what the other kids said about weight made me think back to my own childhood. I was a skinny kid, bony actually. When I hit puberty, the weight gain started. I swear I went from wearing children sizes to wearing adult sized 12/14's overnight. B/c I hadn't yet grown taller, it took a few more years for my height to catch up and me to even out.
My earliest memory of the concept of weight, as well as personally feeling fat for the 1st time in my life, was when I was 12 years. My aunt came over to visit and we were chatting in the living room. I remember her looking @ me saying that my cheeks looked like two rosy apples they were so chubby. To this day, whenever I need to gauge if I am in fact gaining weight, I judge it by whether or not I can see my cheeks in the lower parts of my eyes.
So this weeks topic: Around what age were you made aware of what weight meant? Was it comments made about you from a family member or school friends? Was it comments directed @ someone else you happened to overhear or be a part of? Did it start when you were a teen? In grade school? In pre k?
1000 Words
May 19, 2005 by Renee @ 11:58 AMI have a lot swirling in my head about these ladies, but before I rant on & b/c I'm pretty beat today, I'll put this out there to hear what others think.
After
Looking at these pictures, what goes thru your mind?
Does size matter?
May 16, 2005 by Renee @ 10:47 AMSpeaking of clothing, when I was slimmer, sizes 4-8, I dressed very trendy. Mostly b/c I worked in retail and had a great discount, but mainly b/c I lived @ home and had a huge disposable income. When I moved out, I was still fairly slim, more an 8, creeping towards a 10 but my cute clothes still fit. By then I discovered Targay so I was able to afford a cheaper cute outfit or two.
Along the way when I became downright fat for my size, all my personal taste went out the window. A combination of "I don't want to admit I'm really that size and if I buy the flare jeans it'll be a confession so I'll stick w/the generic elastic waist large sweat suit type pants" caused me to lose my fashion sense.
Once in a while I'd see a girl my size, or bigger, wearing a very trendy outfit, belly exposed, arms showing tight pants with her stomach overlapping, with a "I don't give a fuck" attitude. I wouldn't gawk b/c that's rude, but I was mesmerized. I admired her braveness and attitude, but I couldn't do it. Mostly b/c I know what I looked like before and what I want to get back to looking like.
On the flip side I'd see another girl, again my size or larger wearing a very fashionable outfit, appropriate for her size, ie she wasn't spilling out of it, and looking great. I admired her too, but again I couldn't do it.
It's weird, but for me, I just felt if I started to shop my size, I'd stay this size for all times. But if I treated it like "I'm just passing thru nothing to see here" by wearing overalls, large t-shirts and baggy pants then @ some point I'd get to be the old me again.
So this weeks topic: if you, according to your own personal standards are overweight, how does that impact your sense of style? Keep in mind this is according to your standard of overweight. I don't want anyone to feel I think they're fat b/c they are xxlbs. Overweight to some may be 10lbs to others it's 50 or 100. You don't have to say what you weigh or what size you buy, but if weight is something you are dealing with, I'm curious to hear how it impacts you when shopping.
If you've gained weight and are now a few sizes bigger than you'd like to be, do you shop differently? If you've always been overweight, did that stop you from wearing clothes geared for the Britney Spears bodies of the world?
Do you dress down b/c of weight or are you a trendy fashionista size be damned?
Motivaton or Willpower?
May 11, 2005 by Renee @ 01:31 PMTwo weight loss wonder pills have been created w/absolutely no side effects. The only caveat is you can't take them both. Given the choice, which pill would you take:
The Motivation Pill
Guarantees to keep you pumped up & raring to go for all workouts.
The Willpower Pill
Guarantees to give you the strength to resist foods you don't need.
On the surface both pills seemingly do the same thing, but the real question is, what do you suffer from more when it comes to losing weight? A lack of motivation or a lack of willpower?
Size
April 24, 2005 by Renee @ 08:06 AMI went thru this scenario earlier in the week. In a pinch I had to wear an old pair of size 16 pants. And the damn things fit, albeit baggy, but they didn't drop off my hips when I pulled them up. So it made me think, Well even though I'm a 12, I can probably can squeeze into a 10 if I try. But is that my size? And if I'm judging size by what fits, well I can easily wear an 18 too.
This weeks topic: What makes clothing your size? Do you go solely by what fits? If so do you claim the larger size b/c it can fit too? Or do you go by what you can get on, no matter how tight is? So long as it zips it fits?
New Feature
April 17, 2005 by Renee @ 05:13 PMA new spin on the defunct weekly poll, introducing a weekly open discussion category, What Say You? I'm nosy & like learning new things. I want to know the thoughts of others tackling various weight, health, diet related issues. You don't need a blog to reply and I'll try to keep it non-controversial. If any issue makes you want to remain anonymous...make up a fake email...I don't mind. Consider this category an open chat. A place to share tips, tricks, voice your opinion or ways you've coped w/something amongst similar folks. A meeting place or sorts. A getting to know you kinda spot. A blog version of Starbucks even! Too far? Thought so.
I'll keep the topics pinned @ the top for about a week, but if no one bites, I'll post something else. If it's jumping I'll keep it posted longer. Fair warning, I'm an only child and can entertain myself for hours on end. If no one replies, I'll be forced to answer the questions myself. And then reply to myself. Please don't make me look that desperate M'kay? 
This weeks topic: You have one choice: A Personal Trainer OR a Personal Chef. Which do you pick & why?
