Member123

I love reading your posts but I can't see the pictures. It is just a box

with a red x in it. When I click on it, nothing happens. Can anyone tell

me what I need to do in order to see the pictures? I would appreciate it.

Good morning.

Are you saying you can't see the pictures in Anita's post above? Did you try the link that Joby posted? If you can't see the pictures in Anita's post, then use Joby's link because all Anita did was repost the pictures from the outside link into CC. Don't know why you can't see the pictures because they are there for me, but the CC gremlins tend to do strange things sometimes!

Just took a quick look at Joby's link. Don't know why Anita did it this way, but the numbering of the pictures 1 thru 6 using Anita's descriptions is A1, A2, A3, B1, B3, B2...

Kasi,

One additional point.

Our bodies go through significant changes on the cellular level before the change gets expressed in a way that we can see... sometimes even feel. Before you actually get to see a weight loss or inch loss, your body has made tremendous improvement where it matters the most. What we have outside is cosmetic; what happens in the systems of our body is what determines our health. So don't be discouraged by a "seeming" lack of progress... because I promise you that your body is responding to your diet and Zumba!

Debbie,

Hi there.

Get ready to sweat! One thing that is so amazing to me is the amount of sweat that I work up in a Zumba class. It's one of the things that amazes a lot of women who come for the first time. I remember this one woman who wore a hoodie-type of coverup to class and I just told her that she needed to take that off. She said that she couldn't because she hadn't worn a sufficient tank top and... drumroll... besides, she doesn't sweat. Halfway through class, she looked at me in desperation. I told her to go ahead and take it off... who cares?... but she was too embarassed and suffered through. LOL. So don't wear a hoodie to class!

Do you have any questions? Ask them here! Love Zumba. Hate exercise. Especially cardio. Zumba amazes me because I've been going to classes since December, 2010. That's a long time for me to stick to a cardio program. And I'm not getting bored, at all. It's the first time that I actually have understood when people talk about the "endorphine high" or "runner's high" from a cardio program. I always thought those people were just kind of soft in the head. But, now I understand.

Kasi,

I'm so sorry.

I agree with what Debbie and Anita have said to you... EXCEPT... I have another recommendation.

I think you need to LAUGH.

I'm really serious about this. It sounds to me like you have a bit of depression. Now, I'm not talking about over-the-cliff, need-my-meds, clinical depression. I'm just talking about the little things in life that can get us down and make us feel less than happy. Things like your boss not appreciating all the hard work you're doing. Things like reading about other people's success when you're trying so hard to have some of your own... doing all the right things and not seeing the results you deserve. Things like not having your favorite pair of jeans washed and ready to wear... little things... that make us feel unhappy.

Girl, you need a HUG. And, you need to just laugh. So my recommendation is to take a look at the TV offers and see if there's a good comedy movie or comedy sitcom on tonight. If not, then get yourself off the couch and go rent a few good comedies. Let yourself laugh... and laugh out loud... and don't be surprised if your laughing makes you feel like crying... and then do that. And then come back and watch some more comedy! I'm totally serious. Because the stress levels that you have right now are just too off-the-chart.

Here's a little something to get you started: (I'm not taking credit.. I copied these from an email sent to me by a friend)...

"life" according to "ducky"

I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt with 'Guess' on it.

So I said 'Implants?' She hit me.

When I was young we used to go 'skinny dipping,' now I just 'chunky dunk.'

I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose fitting clothing. If I HAD any loose fitting clothing, I wouldn't have signed up in the first place!

Feel better, Kasi. We really care about you.

Debbie?

Are you here?

Worlds are colliding! Worlds are colliding!

Seriously, stop thinking about exercising and go to a Zumba class in your area. You can find one by going online to the zumba.com website and putting in your area in the search to find an instructor and where they teach a class. The search isn't very "friendly" and doesn't work some of the time. So give it the most general, rather than specific, information. For example, if I want to find someone in my area, I can't really put in my city... I go for the state and I can locate the person I'm trying to find.

So, here's the brain tease. Don't think that you're going to start exercising. Think that you're going to start dancing... or start taking Zumba. Just give it another definition.

I promise you that you'll have fun. If you like music. If you enjoy moving your body to a beat... aka cruise line dancing... or just swaying or tapping your foot when a favorite song is playing... then... I promise you that you'll enjoy Zumba.

And the benefits will just happen... sort of like magic. Sort of like wearing your color palette!... I'm not kidding!

I struggled for years with an underactive thyroid. I seriously thought that I was just going to have to live with the extra 15 to 20 lbs that had "appeared" on my body.. that I couldn't get rid of with lower food intake. I read all sorts of opinions that said "underactive thryoid decreases your metabolism by at least 10% and so, therefore, you can't get enough nutrients into your diet if you decrease your calorie intake to the level of requirement to lose the additional fat that an underactive thryoid will deposit on your body." This is NOT true.

I did some exercise. Mostly strength training. I didn't love it; but I did it.

Then Anita took me to a Zumba class. I didn't go because I wanted to go to a Zumba class. I went because I wanted Anita to go to the Zumba class. Who knew that I would end up finding something that I love to do?

Anita shared her stats with everyone. I can't really share because, believe it or not, I didn't take measurements before starting Zumba! I didn't know that I would be embarking on something that would change my body so drastically..

I can tell you this:

first Zumba class was in December, 2010. Was difficult for me to do and I had a struggle to keep my max heart rate low because I was operating with more erroneous information. Since then, I've learned that your max heart rate does NOT change with AGE and so I've been just allowing my heart to do its thing... and I usually go to Zumba between 3 and 5 times a week...

So, since December, 2010...

12 to 13 lbs weight loss

4 inches loss on my ribcage (bra size decreased from 38 to 34 band size)

2 inches loss on my waist

2-1/2 inchess loss on my hips

I've lost the muffin top from my bra. My back is smooth. I don't know what I"ve lost on my thighs.. but my pants size has gone from a Chico's 1.5 to a Chico's 0.5. My tops have gone from a Chico's 1 to a Chico's 0.

And, seriously, it was just done by going to Zumba. I didn't exercise or diet! Just ate my normal, healthy eating choices and Zumba. :D

What recipes are you looking for? Chime in here. We talk about a lot of things... you'll enjoy talking with Kasi and Donna as well as Anita.

Ladies, Debbie may join us..... we'll see....

Ladies, (Hi, Kim... welcome back! I've been thinking about you... BTW, those piles of "dirt" that you were wondering about alongside the highway. Lady friend! Those are our foothills! Just like your DH, DS, and I thought when you were describing them... I was on that highway the other day and thought of you.)

Posting the pictures is a dream/nightmare, isn't it? First, I go through the whole resistance to posting thing. Then, I get my emotions all stirred up waiting for some feedback and responses. Then I think that I'll never post another picture again. Then the responses come and the whole discussion plays out and I realize that I've had a bit of fun doing it. So, it's just something that I think we have to practice... practice... practice.

Kim, I'm so sorry that you're having problems with the computer. That just adds to the drama of the emotions about posting in the first place. Like... "is this a sign fform the universe that I'm not supposed to be doing this?" It isn't; be persistent. Sometimes the servers are non-cooperative. The best site that I can seem to use without as much difficulty is photobucket.

Wardrobe issues. Here are my current thoughts.

I'll relate it back to those white capris with the gold thread that I wanted so badly for my last cruise... and I thought would look stunning because of the nautical environment, etc. And I even convinced Anita that I could buy something that was definitely not in my palette because I didn't have to buy different shoes, etc. So we had that whole discussion about when we could "break the rules." Remember?

But, I also bought the exact same capris in a sand color, a very golden beige. When I saw the difference(s) in the pictures that were taken when I had the white capris vs the sand capris... well then I could visually see what an eyesore those white capris brought to my outfit and how wonderfully the sand capris just made a complete statement and enhanced my overall look. So now I'm convinced that "breaking the rules" isn't that wonderful... or justified.

But old habits are hard to break! I don't know why I'm so drawn to black/white dressing. Maybe because I did it for years and years? Those outfits that are displayed in catalogs and the mannequins look gorgeous to me! But at least I'm smart enough to know to resist them. As much as I love my black formal dress... it so doesn't look that gorgeous on me. Well, that's not true. The dress looks gorgeous and I get many, many compliments when I wear it. The compliments are all about the gorgeous dress... not a word about the gorgeous ME. I want to hear "YOU look gorgeous tonight" NOT "wow, what a gorgeous dress."

Here's what you have to do... here's opinion time...

just practice in front of a mirror with your current clothing...

... you have at least one item that you know, without hesitation, is FIRE...

Hold up fabric to your face and see what happens to your (a) complexion (b) eyes © hair. Just hold up the fabric, look for a while, take away the fabric, look.

There may be absolutely nothing that happens... that you can see...

Now, hold up the fabric that you know for certain is FIRE...

I can practically guarantee you that you'll see an immediate difference. Something will happen. You will immediately have the experience of... being drawn to your eyes... seeing your skin take on a healthier glow... etc.

Just try this.

Ditch the cards... and look in the mirror...

Why did the fabric that didn't appear to do anything act like that? Because it doesn't DO anything for you... it's not in your color palette... and the fabric that makes you appear healthier, less tired, brighter eyed.. well, it's FIRE.

If you practice this enough, you will SEE the difference. I know you will. Because you can see the difference in others. If you really can't see any differences at all, then enlist the help of your BFF. You'll be able to see the difference, perhaps, more objectively in another person.

When Anita came to visit, we just tried on some of my items that were questionable for me... like the Venice scene top... and it was so, so much prettier on her than on me. She said that she was going to post a picture of that top so that we could see the comparison. Smarty pants said, "the ladies can see what happens when an EARTH wears an EARTH instead of a FIRE wearing an EARTH! So they'll know it wasn't a problem with the top!" I think I just gave her a raspberry or some appropriate answer to that statement... not sure at the moment...

What was surprising was when she tried on some items that I thought were definitely mine. And we discussed whether the mistake was in the clearness of the fabric because it just looked better on her than we thought it would. That's when we had the whole discussion about a bright, clear color vs a bright, muted color.

Anyway, the point of this is that... it's not easy. And I have found myself getting pickier and pickier and pickier. Debbie, you're so right... it seems like such an effort in shopping.. and I never understood the whole "shopping" concept before.. but now I do. To find the perfect "something," in color, fit, fabric, style... it takes a lot of shopping. No more running in and out of stores. This is serious, serious business.

LOL.

But, it is serious! Because we know that we can look our best and we don't want to settle anymore for looking less than we know we can. So we just have to evolve through this learning phase and its associated frustrations.

IMO. :D

Looking forward to your pictures, Kim! :D

Yes, Kim, I feel self-absorbed and so very exposed when posting my own pictures. I didn't realize that would happen, did you?

 

For example, the coral shirt that Anita showed on the EARTH thread was something I might have picked IRL I think.

ROFLMAO.

You do remember that Anita came for a quick visit, right?

Where do you think she GOT that coral shirt?

LOL.

And, the Venice scene shirt.... and the coral sundress... and ... well.. whatever...

now that I've spit my coffee at the screen, I'll go back and continue reading your post.... :D:D

High five, Donna!

Zumba may kick your hiney the first time back after 6 weeks! Just saying from experince. But, you'll recover very quickly and the next time won't leave you gasping for air as much... OR... you might be just fine. :D Let us know.

Fighting off infection is so tiring on the body. Glad that you're coming round the bend and feeling better. Good to hear from you!

... another thing to remember as you think about wearing a top or a bottom more than once is the fact that you don't wear the clothing for the same length of time that you normally wear an outfit, if you wear it for the entire day.

For example, thinking about a typical port day... up in the morning and out for a shore excursion and then back to the ship for a shower and a change of clothing into something that you would consider comfortable to wear to a lounge, etc. Depending upon the timing of the day, this might be the evening outfit OR you might be in for a different change of clothing for dinner, etc. So, in theory, you might have 3 outfit changes, depending upon whether you're porting in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, etc. Also, if the port day would be a formal evening and you don't want to get dressed formally as quickly as you want to shower and change from your port day clothes... or you've got a spa appointment booked... etc.

But, this is why the MDR outfit, if thought about, could transfer over to a day outfit because you will only being wearing that item for about 3 or 4 hours, etc. Of course, this could be different if you're the type of person who goes from the MDR to an evening of high energy dancing, etc. So all of this thought process is tempered by how active you are, etc.

My point is just to give some thought as to the actual wearing time of these items of clothing because it's not really as bad as it might seem, at first blush, of saying that you'll be wearing a particular item for 3 wearings.

What a sweet story about the 17-year old "puppy." Those old souls are very precious. What a terrific watch dog! LOL. So petting her didn't even get her attention? She must have been deep down in that REM sleep... way to go puppy! LOL.

Nope, tomorrow is Kisha. Yes, I will try to remember. I'll ask her to do the Down Low and then take notes of the choreo. Actually, I was thinking of bringing the IPOD and trying to tape the class, so I could just talk (mutter actually) as it's recording and that would be helpful for me to remember the choreo. IF I can't get her to "do" the song, then I'll talk with her (again) about choreo.

You are going to be TIRED when your adrenaline wears off! That is my prediction for this day.

So yesterday, I made an absolutely horrible mess of my kitchen. I decided that I wanted to take a pantry, refrigerator, freezer inventory... because I really want to know what kind of variety we have in our eating habits... and I've just been assuming that we have excellent choices. But I'd like to actually know what we eat. I read a stat that says "most people" (they always do that generic "all" "some" "most" don't they?!?).. have extreme spoilage when they buy fresh produce... the stat was that 25% of fresh food is thrown away!... that's a LOT. I don't do that; I know that for sure! But, I do get carried away sometimes, when the produce looks so great and I buy on an indulgence whim. Like right now, I bought a container of raspberries, and one of blueberries, and 2 of strawberries! There are only 2 of us here... so this means that we'll be having fruit in the morning and also fruit as dessert in the evening... but I can pretty much guarantee that there won't be spoilage.

Anyway, I'm trying to get a system in place for keeping track of items in the pantry, etc. I searched and searched for an app for my IPOD but couldn't find one that I thought was what I wanted. So I ended up with pieces of paper... which is totally what I DON'T want because it's way too cumbersome and time consuming to accomplish what I really want to do. So, of course, now I have the pantry "stuff" all over my kitchen island and I've created a huge mess... and since I was doing inventory and I saw all my flour... I thought what the heck and decided to make some bread! So that's in there as well....

There's a New York baker here who has perfected a no-knead bread. It's such a simple thing to do, but you do have to let it ferment for 18 hours. So, last night at 8:30pm I put it together and it's sitting there looking all bubbly and smelling yeasty this morning. It just has to sit around until about 2:00pm, or so. A really good bread. Anyone interested in this recipe?

Everyone have a great weekend!

Kasi,

I'm in agreement with Anita about the calorie burn.

When you put your data into your HRM, did you have to go through a maximum heart beat exercise or did you just have to enter your birthdate? If you entered your birthdate, then the HRM will calculate your calorie burn based upon an ages old formula that takes your age into consideration. It's that 220 minus your age factor formula manipulation. If you had to go through a maximum heart rate exercise then the HRM will be more attuned to you, individually, since the calorie burn will be based upon your individual intensity level (percentage of heart rate as it relates to your maximum). Either way, you will be getting what I would consider to be a great "estimate" of your calorie burn.

I don't know if I really believe the actual calorie burn numbers that my HRM displays. My HRM is based upon a maximum heart rate test because the age calculation formula wouldn't work fo me: I had to fudge my birthdate because whenever I do Zumba my heart rate goes way above what the formula "wants" to see as the maximum heart rate; therefore, the old HRM that I had wouldn't let me be "in the zone" and wouldn't calculate anything for me. This new HRM does a calculation and it's fairly high; I can tell you that I average about 159bpm and hit a peak of about 175bpm in a 55 minute class.

As Anita said, I have Kisha, Young, Miri, Evelyn, Teddy, Kristy, Melanie, Raquel as a choice of instructor(s) in any given week. Usually, I get to have just one of these every week; in other words, in most weeks I don't have the opportunity to double up on an instructor. It's gotten to the point where I know pretty much what my calorie burn is going to be depending upon which instructor I go to.

Here are some pointers that I can tell you... if you feel like you want to increase your calorie burn (although your burn is already AWESOME :D ), because I've been able to analyze some differences in these instructors.

(1) Add arms above your head. When you're doing any of the arm movements that have you moving your arms, the higher you move them above your heart... the more your heart has to work... higher heart rate equal more effort and more calories burned.

(2) Add leg movement in between beats. This is hard for me to explain, but for example if you're moving side-to-side in a rhythm of starting with feet together.. step out with the right foot (1-count)... step back (2-count)... step out with the left foot (3-count)... step back (4-count). To the beat of the music, you could also do a step out with the right foot, step together, bounce the right foot, step out with the left foot, step together, bounce the left foot. At the same time as your kind of bouncing the foot, you're moving your hips in a type of shimmy. What I'm saying is that you're just putting your body through more movement in the routine. I've noticed that women in my classes have a tendency to "rest" on those beats... if you understand what I'm trying to say. Anita coud do a better job describing this, if she even understands what I'm trying to say.

(3) Make sure that you do your movements with emphasis and precision; especially the reverse crunches into the arm pump movements.

But, to answer your question, I usually burn from the high-700's into the mid-800's. I am always a wet rag at the end of class. Especially if an instructor is really, really good at doing a cool-down song... omg... I literally drip sweat in a very un-ladylike way. I've been thinking of getting a sweatband because I'm so tired of my hair!

I live in the American Southwest, which is literally living in a desert. We live in what they call a lush desert because we have many beautiful native desert plants, including sajuarho cactus. My understanding is that our desert is very similar to the topography of the Middle East. Right now, we're heading into a cooler week... which we're very grateful for!... where the temps should max out about 103 F. We have very low humidity so the 103 F doesn't feel too bad. It's a welcome change from the 110 F! Absolutely!

Drinking lots of water. Staying under air conditioning. And, absolutely positively NOT turning on the oven! Doing cooking in slow cooking machines, outside grilling, and quick cooks on an inside gas stove.

Had my grilling class this last Monday and loved it. We have a chef here, Bobby Flay, who is famous here like Gordon Ramsay is there. Although Gordon Ramsay is famous here, too! :D But Bobby Flay is most famous for Southwestern food flavors and lots of grilling. I had the most amazing grilled plum, gorgonzola, pine nut salad! We learned to grill meat this week: filet mignon, pork tenderloin, chicken thighs. Next week will be seafood: salmon, scallops, shrimp. Very tasty and fun.

Information overload.

Don't you feel that way sometimes? ABout just any subject?

As it turns out, I thought that book was going to give me some fairly important general information.... from a brain surgeon no less. But, at the very end of the book, he informs that the people he's been "studying" and working with are all morbidly obese. People who can't, literally, get off the couch due to their huge mass without having shortness of breath. I'm pretty sure that those people have gotten their body systems terribly out of whack... so I'm not sure that "studying" them is appropriate to tell the general population how the body works.

Plus, I did find out about that GI chart. As you said, it's now under some discussion as to its appropriateness. The way that foods were determined to be placed on the GI chart was... people were given food that is 100% glucose and their blood was taken every 15 minutes for 2 hours. That was the establishment of a BASE. Then, they were given a food, any food, and the blood draw was repeated. A comparison was made and the food was given a GI number. I'm no scientist... but I can definitely see the flaw in this procedure. So when I found that out, I also took the whole GI chart with a proverbial grain of salt.

Anyway, there really isn't a MAGIC formula, right? It's just good old plugging along and doing what you know you should be doing... eating well... and exercising. The only formula that works is that to lose weight you have to expend more energy than you take in... that is about the only given that we absolutely know for sure.

Which means that I should get going to my Zumba class this morning. I was a bit bummed yesterday because I didn't go to class and then I found out that the regular instructor had a substitution with an instructor that I LOVE. Miri just has the best playlist and she's beautiful and so happy, positive energy. And I missed her because of my attitude yesterday. So I'm gritting my teeth today and just getting out in that heat index and getting it done. Then I'll come back and open up the frig and figure out what to make for lunch/dinner.

I think I'm just ready for holidays or something! I keep wishing I could bake something but I don't dare turn on the oven... it's so HOT here right now. Goodness I feel a bit like whining. I simply don't want to do what I should do; I'm very disinterested in cleaning and gardening. Truth be told, I wouldn't mind sitting around all day in my PJs, eating chocolate and watching comedies... or Gordon Ramsay's The F Word show! Love that show. <sigh> Off to put on Zumba clothes.

OK.

Basically, reading this book is a waste of time.

Except:

There was one idea that is worth considering. The ultimate end game of the author is to sell you his "miracle" weight loss supplement, so now I'm a bit irritated that I brought this book up to you ladies. But, again, there is one idea that is worth looking at...

and that is the idea about the insulin triggers. I will do more looking around and make sure that there is supporting information to this explanation about insulin controlling not only our blood sugar levels, but also our fat in/out levels within our fat cells.

The author has an intriguing illustration. He discusses the problem that we can have when we "eat like a bird and still gain weight." He has a plausible scenario where he describes the process (using the example of a person needing to burn 2,000 calories a day to maintain body weight), where you cut calories by 10% to 1800 per day and lose a bit of weight until a weight-loss plateau develops. Then cut calories to 1600 per day to restart weight loss. If poor food choices are made (that generate high insulin levels), then some of those calories will be stored as fat (because you need 1800 calories by now to maintain your weight), so only 1400 calories are actually going to be burned as energy by the body. Now, the body goes into "starvation mode" and burns only the 1400 calories, storing the 200 calories as fat. So you are in a tremendous weight loss plateau that is significantly difficult to overcome... because of food choices.

He makes the illustration of eating a high-carb breakfast with some high sugar components... think cereal, milk, glass of orange juice, banana. This type of breakfast will spike your insulin.

On the flip side. If you eat calories, with food choices, that keep your insulin levels as low as possible... then the low insulin level allows fat stores to be released as additional energy... say when you're doing Zumba (the author didn't say that btw), so the body can burn the calories eaten as energy as well as the fat store energy. Because the body is using the fat store energy, your appetite eventually decreases and since your body is burning fat stores... well, then... voila... weight loss.

So, the basic story here is to control your insulin surges. What that means is... of course... good food choices. One thing that he states is to not be "afraid" of fat. In America, there can be a direct correlation drawn between being given the information to reduce our fat ratio within our food choices and our exploding obesity epidemic.

So, there you have it.

It's really the same information. Just given with a bit more bias to making food choices that make you feel satisfied... which includes the carbohydrates that come with fiber... and fat..

For me, I was impressed with the author's credentials... being a brain surgeon and all... then became very unimpressed with the double-blind-placebo-clinical-trial for my fabulous-weight-loss-appetite-suppressant-miracle-drug. That is, of course, a weight loss supplement so "this statement has not been proven by the FDA," etc. :mad: :o :p

Day spent reading primarily worthless book... free because it came from the library, but could have actually washed my hair... waste of time

Getting to weight loss supplement chapter... <insert appropriate word here> embarassment that I brought this book to the attention of my friends on Zumba thread

Recommending Zumba? PRICELESS.

LOL.. :D:D

Hope everyone had a good Friday.

Good morning, ladies.

DISCLAIMER:

Well! Like Kasi says, if this subject bores you... then skip my post! I find it to be fascinating, and I'm hoping that I get some very practical information as I continue to read.

So I started reading the book Feed Your Brain Lose Your Belly that is written by a brain surgeon. He flatly states in this book that there is a critical link between food, brains, and appetite and that there is a connection between the increase of obesity and Alzheimer's. He doesn't just sound the alarm; he also gives information on nutritional guidance, etc. I've only gotten a few pages into the book and already he's stated that the most important hormone to weight loss is insulin. For years, I thought the most important hormone to weight loss was thyroid; but he dispels that as less significant than insulin.

I know just a bit about insulin because of its association with diabetes, blood sugar levels. I admit that I have just a basic knowledge of insulin and how it works in the body. So I'm now at the beginning of some interesting information that I will try to share with everyone.

I have one of those "apple" body types where my fat is deposited more in my belly than in my hips and thighs. I've read that that is a more "dangerous" area of body fat deposit, so that is why I became interested in this topic.

In the first part of the book, the author discussed our fat cells and their necessity for our survival. He makes an interesting point that our fat cells are there to store energy and that without them we would have to be inputting energy (aka eating) all the time; we couldn't sleep because we couldn't go that long without eating. The fat cells are a 2-way energy system; they store energy and they release energy. Insulin is the trigger that gives the signal to the fat cells that it's time to store or it's time to release.

When our body is off-kilter because of the insulin level(s), then we will store much more fat than we need; when we get fatter, we don't actually get more fat cells... we just get bigger fat cells. The author says to think of fat cells like balloons with liquid inside; the balloons just get bigger and bigger as more liquid is placed inside them and conversely shrink as liquid is released.

Veggie box came today. It was different than I expected in that it's a box that is closed up with packing tape. That's great because I was having terrible thoughts of going out there to retrieve my box and fighting off insects (I even thought of a snake! :eek:) so it was a relief to see the enclosed box! Which makes sense because I can also order eggs and grass-fed beef so I didn't know how that was going to work. Why I thought this was going to be an open-top box is just... weird...

And I have such a headache today! it's coming from some extremely tight shoulder muscles and radiating up the back of my neck. I think the weather (heat) is really getting to me. It's just been such a beater heat lately... maybe I'm a bit dehydrated. Anyway, not feeling at the peak today.... think I might just sit around and stare at walls a bit...

Looking forward to the weekend! Everyone enjoy your day...

Pam

So, Deb, are you saying that you never, ever just hold up fabric to your face to see how it responds for you?

By that I'm asking, are you always staring at your color card(s) in order to figure out if the fabric is matching the color(s) on there or is making that "happy color party" that Anita talks about?

Because that would make a difference in whether what struck me with your pictures makes any sense to you.

Here is what I see.

In a nutshell, you love blue. Blue in some shade is in every single scarf except for C2 and C3... which we don't really have to talk about C3 right? C3 is what you should do when you want to go home from work because you aren't feeling well, and everyone would agree that you look really tired and need a rest before you come down with a miserable case of whatever ails you. That's an old joke from the old Seasons Thread!

OK, so back to blue. Never mind why you are drawn to the color blue, BUT it does affect your eyes.... in a big way. In C1 it is difficult to figure out if your eyes are picking up the blue from the scarf or from the beautiful blue top that you're wearing. In any event, if you thought that C1 was right for you... it's because of the blue in the scarf that is affecting the eyes.

Your eyes are so pretty. When looking at your pictures, it's easy to focus on your eyes and ignore the rest. Which is what I was going to say to you. If your holding up these scarves and trying to figure out whether they flatter you or whether they are the right color for you... you can't focus on your eyes to make that determination. You have to look at your skin and your hair; that's where the story will be told for you.

I've gotten to the point with my shopping that I'm pretty much not relying on the color cards anymore. CJW had some information on the cards that he printed them on glossy stock because material swatches can confuse your eye with texture. What I simply do now... is... hold up the fabric to my face and see what happens with my skin tone.

Then the ultimate test is (a) to make sure that the color works with gold accents better than with silver accents and (b) the BIGGY is whether it fits into my closet. Not so much that the color looks good with everything that is in there, but whether or not the color can hold its own in the brightness factor with the colors in there.

The last time that I purchased items of clothing, I didn't really care as much about the brightness... because I was mistaken in my thoughts that at least WARM would be enough for me. This is why Anita ended up with some new jackets/tops to put into her closet. WARM isn't enough... it has GOT to be BRIGHT, as well. I saw what happened to my skin tone when I just wore warmth without the brightness factor.

And I think the same is true for you. Even though our overall coloring is so incredibly different... the warmth and brightness makes you look healthy and younger. Warmth without brightness.... sorry... but to my eye it adds years to your face. Brightness without warmth... again... to my eye it throws shadows onto your face in a non-complementary way. Like the difference between A1 and A3 is really remarkable.

Does this make sense to you? Do you think I noticed something that might prove helpful?

OMG, Debbie! I totally understand. When that happens to me, I almost can't even speak for a few hours. I've tried to get into the habit of highlighting the text and saving the copy before I hit the Reply button. I do that for such a long time; never have any problems; and then I don't and BAM there it goes into the cyber weeds! Don't cry. We'll talk soon.

Preparing for formal nights, I envision time to do a mask (while relaxing on the balcony), time to do a special hair conditioning treatment while luxuriating in the shower, and certainly time to exfoliate (in the shower, of course)...but it doesn't always work that way.

A good book keeps my attention during an afternoon on the pool deck, DH suggests a midday beverage at the bar OR even a 3 PM coffee break...and suddenly that mask isn't a priority.

 

Do you plan that way, too??? Do you spend more time or less time in front of the mirror when cruising?

 

The shower routine and application and removal of makeup doesn't change, but the extra 30-minute ones often don't make it into the day's activities.

Indiana71, it is the most amazing thing! When I first started cruising, I thought that I would spend all this time doing treatments: everything from teeth whitening to facial masks! Not necessarily on formal nights, only, but basically during sea days, etc. I can't believe how social the ships are; how much fun I have either attending a ship's activity or just talking with people or just relaxing onboard at some venue... even if I'm on my balcony, I don't want to be wearing a mask and miss the opportunity of being spontaneous if my DH arrives and wants to go listen to some music or have a cocktail. So, I find myself actually almost "rushing" through some of my beauty routines and almost resenting chipped nail polish repairs (because I usually take longer than one-week cruises).

You made me laugh with an earlier post where you said that you weren't going to take a lipstick brush because it took too much time in the bathroom! I relate to that!

So, for me, I spend quite a bit of time in the week before the cruise... getting ready not only with my outfits but also taking a bit of extra time to do all the things... eyebrows, facial masks, waxing, pedi/mani.. relaxing.. because I know that my cruise will be busy, busy, busy, and more busy.

Debbie,

Do you agree with what Anita posted as the hit and misses?

Before I tell you what I think I see, please let me know what you think of Anita's thoughts. Because I really think that I'm onto something about why you might be feeling confused. Then, I thought... well, maybe Debbie isn't feeling all that confused... and if I post these thoughts... I might confuse her! KWIM? So before I get into that discussion, I feel like it would be better to hear your take on the pictures.

I've got my thoughts all sorted out... so we'll see if Anita thinks I'm onto something... LOL... Anita rocks...

Donna,

So sorry that you've been feeling poorly. Sore throat... that's no fun at all. Get better soon. I think a veggie box is a great inspirational tool; we'll see. Do share what they deliver as it will be fun to see how our veggies differ. We are still in very high temperatures every day, but we're actually entering into an extremely wonderful winter garden season; in fact, we might be able to have a second season of tomatoes... if you can believe that!

Kim,

You simply can't diet. If you "diet," then you will always yo-yo. If you think about it, when you diet you're adjusting your food intake in such a way that you're reducing your calories so that your body canNOT maintain its current weight which means it's current ratio of fat and lean muscle mass. Fat is deposited on your body in one of two ways: either subcutaneous fat which is the fat that is between your skin and your muscles or visceral fat which is the fat that is all over your body, which includes encasing your organs, etc. What you SEE more of is the subcutaneous fat... maybe what you would call cellulite... and the fat that you can jiggle or grasp when you see a muffin top. The fat that you don't see... the visceral fat... is the fat that is most harmful to your body, ending up placing plaque in your blood vesssels in the form of cholestorol, etc. The goal is... to get rid of all this excess fat... to improve or at least maintain your lean muscle mass... which translates into a drop in weight on your scale.

So, you go on a rigorous eating routine... a "diet," and your body adjusts to the lowered calorie intake, and it removes the fat. And you're happy. Then, you go back to eating "normal" because you no longer need to "diet," and your body doesn't need those extra calories... and being the efficient machine that it is... it simply deposits fat onto your frame and you add weight... your scale goes up... and you're not happy.

Which is why "dieting" never works. The only thing that works is... lifestyle change(s).

The best thing to do is to evaluate your current habits. Find the things that trigger you to lose control. For example, for me, it's potato chips (actually, any form of chips). I lose control; I eat the entire bag; I eat the entire chips basket at a Mexican restaurant; I simply don't have the willpower to allow chips into my eating lifestyle. So, since I'm at a loss for willpower... I remove chips from my pantry. Chips are a trigger for me. Find those items, and don't allow them into your mouth until you're either (a) able to control yourself and/or (b) at your maintenance weight and can "afford" an off day.

Second thing to do is to find the food items within your current eating habit that could be improved, whether in the form of less fat or less sugar. Find your current calorie intake and figure out how you can shave some of that away... by analyzing your portion control (for example) and/or by eliminating something that is higher sugar for lower sugar (for example). Just shave calories, but shave them in such a way that you can FOREVER change the way that you eat that particular item.

And, of course, find exercise that you love to do. That won't raise your cortisol (stress) levels by the very thought of having to do it, but that you actually get excited about doing.

Anita will be back here soon and talk with you about Zumba and Zumba/Curves combination classes. She's having a schedule adjustment right now because school started this week and there are some changes to her schedule that she has to smooth over. So when she has a free moment, I know that she'll be back here to talk with everyone!

Kasi! Your itinerary sounds amazing! You must tell me about your ports because I've heard such fascinating things about them, and I'm seriously considering going... but I'm also a little intimidated by being an American in the Middle East. I won't lie. I've heard stories about needing armed escorts when doing shore excursions so I'd like to know if those stories are, in fact, true. Or maybe that's only for Alexandria, Egypt and not for Israel? Please let me know.

I'm heading to the Caribbean. I think I have an amazing itinerary, as well. But, I don't get to go until the 27th of October. Here's my schedule:

27th, 28th of October... fly to Boston, Massachusetts and do typical tourist sightseeing... eating clam chowder and Bostom creme pie.. and maybe lobster

29th of October... board the Jewel of the Seas

sea days until

2nd of November... St. Thomas (don't know yet what we're doing here)

3rd of November... St. Kitts; we'll be taking an island tour with 10 other peope.. so 12 of us will tour St. Kitts with a young man named Royston. We'll have a Creole beach lunch, some beach time, see all the island sights and hear the history.

4th of November... St. Lucia; we'll be on a boat tour of the island and will be able to snorkel (not me, I don't swim!)

5th of November... Barbados; we'll do a catamaran sailing.

sea day

7th of November... Curacao; another island tour and we'll be able to go to the Curacao factory and see how the liquor is made

8th of November... Aruba; another island tour by a native tour guide.

3 sea days

12th of November. Tampa, Florida (don't know yet what we'll do)

sea day

14th of November... Cozumel, Mexico; beach resort day planned.. just lazy, buffet eating, tequila drinks... sandy beaches and blue water

15th of November... Costa Maya; tour of Mayan ruins! So excited about this!

sea day

17th of November... disembarkation. Fly to Houston to visit Anita! Yeah!

I found several Zumba instructors in the Caribbean, but I couldn't get anyone from my Roll Call interested! They were going to give us a special Zumba class and everything.... :mad: ... so disappointed.

So here's hoping Donna gets healthier super fast. That Kasi's workload lightens up a bit! (Kasi.. what kind of work do you do?) That Kim remains inspired to make changes that are positive (Kim... what kind of recipes do you need help with?). Let's all pray for the people who are dealing with Hurricane Irene; she's a massive storm and so far the people of Puerto Rico are struggling and the Bahamas are getting braced. My goodness... it is all sound and fury. Everyone here... stay safe.

Debbie. I think there's a reason that they say "a picture is worth a thousand words." So, yes, I have some opinions and some things to say, but I'm running out the door to get to a Zumba class.... so I'll post tomorrow when I can sort out my thoughts.

Just quickly though, Yes! Don't wear EARTH!

LOL.

And didn't we think that it would be our "second" best color? But, I do have some thoughts.... gotta run... tried to find you a cocktail but I couldn't before time got away from me. But you deserve a cocktail for being... oh... so... brave...

Kasi,

It sounds like you are doing what we call "burning the candle at both ends." Exhausting! For sure!

Makes the vacation just that much sweeter, as long as you don't sleep the first few days away.

Remember to take a few minutes in each day.... at least 15 minutes or so... to just BE... breathe.... relax your shoulders... give yourself some head rolls... close your eyes and visualize being onboard a ship!... whatever it takes to relieve the stress at some point during the day.

Did you get word from your doctor about your blood test results? I'm so hoping that you hear good news. :D:D:D

Hi, Kim,

Absolutely, please come into the conversation and join our supportive group. Anita is my daughter; Donna lives in Scotland and is an inspiration; Kasi lives in Germany and is great fun and supportive. We have people who stop by, impulsively, and say a few words but don't seem to join into the spiritied discussion. So please don't be one of those! Drop in and talk and get to know us and let us get to know you!

Your signature doesn't say where you are going on your December cruise. Tell us a little about your upcoming vacation and what you're trying to achieve.

Eating out... it seems like that is something that we all struggle with! And drinking water... LOL... those seem to be the two main issues that we all wish we could do better.

I've done something that I'm hoping is going to work for me. I decided to research the various farms in my area and figure out what I could do to get more local and varied vegetables into my diet. As it turns out, there is a company called Nature's Garden Delivered and they do exactly that: they deliver fresh produce to your door on a weekly basis. They seem to have a great operation and I'm really looking forward to getting my first box! I'll let everyone know; my delivery date is on Friday. They let you know beforehand what you will receive (so you can subsitute or exchange items if you wish) so I know that I'll be getting: bananas, cantaloupe, broccoli, carrots, rainbow chard, grean leaf lettuce, mango, tomato, onions, plums, pluots, Yukon Gold potatoes, and cilantro! Doesn't it all sound yummy?!?

I've also been researching grass-fed beef, etc. I'm just on some kind of "kick," because I've also been reading a lot of cookbooks, chef's stories, restaurant stories, etc. Just funny what our minds turn to... I think that I'm tired of being hot, want to have cooler weather, turn on my oven, and eat some comfort food. In the meantime, it's still very hot here, so I'm taking a cooking class on grilling... go figure. I just need something to spark more creativity in the kitchen!

Anyway, restaurant ordering is quite an art! Of course, it depends on what type of restaurant that you're in... the main things that are so terrible to try to overcome are the chips/salsa sitting on the table with endless refills if you're in a Mexican restaurant or the bread basket(s) in other restaurant(s). So difficult. Because the restaurants are all about flavor, at the expense of high calorie additions like butter and water-retaining flavor enhancers like salt. So, the best thing to do is to prepare beforehand as much as you can... by going online to check out the menu and do some nutritional research (if you can). How did you do?

Totally correct, Debbie, et al :o

 

I shall do it soon. I'll do black and white and see what else I can come up with in the incorrect colors (probably won't be too hard :) )

Kim,

If I may suggest?

The "experiment" was to determine whether we looked better in warm, muted or cool, bright colors. Since I know how much you love your blues, purples... why don't you consider posting pictures where you KNOW that the blue is FIRE and where you think the blue might be ICE... purple... green... etc. Since I think that you are most interested in figuring out how to look for the colors that you love so much. What do you think? Good idea? Helpful?

Did you get DS's film developed yet? Any great Grand Canyon pictures? Any good vacation pictures of you? Would love to see, if you feel like sharing.

... here's the deal.

If you look at the silver topping to that neck form, it looks really good with the scarf. That would be my first tip off that the colors aren't FIRE in the blue/red spectrum of that particular scarf. Also, the whiteness of the dress form, itself, would be my second tip off that the scarf would fall into the ICE spectrum instead. In my mind's eye, if I paired gold and cream with that scarf, then the brilliance of the colors would be deadened. Much, as it turns out, pairing white pants with my FIRE tops just made the top feel LESS electric, brilliant, etc. It's a strange phenomenon to me, how that happens.

I so understand about the FIT of the clothes. You are also on a weight loss journey? Forgive me for not remembering that detail. I didn't realize that I would change my shape so much by doing cardio and losing, actually, such a small amount of scale weight. I, too, am absolutely frustrated with my wardrobe. Baggy pants... baggy, baggy pants. And something has happened to the shape of me vs the fit chart measurments! My hips have decreased significantly, but the waist measurment hasn't decreased as much... so in order for my hiney to look good, I end up with a muffin top! I could scream!

So, I know (I think) exactly what emotions you're going through...

Looking forward to pictures. Hey, it's only fair that other people post pictures and, Kim, yes I'm talking to you! LOL. Only because you promised! I think that we should confirm some of the issues that I had with those secondary color choices... reminder: whether we would be better in ICE or EARTH if we can't locate FIRE colors...;)

Still be AOK... we're all just going through some bumps. Anita said she thinks I'm having a mid-life crisis! :eek:

Kasi,

This is the week of your doctor's appointment... what day is it? Please let us know your results... what was said... did you get off of your high blood pressure medicine?

How are your Zumba clothes working out?

OMG... Anita brought me such a cute pair of Zumba pants... and I really love them... fun colors, etc.... EXCEPT... and she knows this... they have the most "unfortunate" sweat pattern! I can't figure out exactly why? Maybe it has to do with sitting down and having that area of my body in such a way that air doesn't circulate so the wicking nature of the fabric doesn't have the same affect? BUT... it absolutely looks like you've had a problem with "bathroom" business with these pants. I can't go anywhere but home on the days that I wear them to class. I even had an instructor laugh and tell me that she couldn't wear them anymore because of the embarassment factor.

Anyway, now I really want the camouflage Zumba pants because those don't have the same "issue." LOL.

I took a look at Anita's playlist. I know about 6 of those songs, but only because of going to Kelly's classes. We don't do many of those songs in my area. I'll look them up on youtube. Does anyone want me to post youtube links for them? I'll have to find that site that translates youtube videos into MP3 files, again. I could use some new music.

How is everyone? I tell you... I'm a "little" tired of our summer actually. I will be super glad when the A/C stops running! I can't imagine having the heater kick in... that's amazing. Which reminds me... could you tell me what the temperature is likely to be in the Mediterrannean for the last of November, early December? I'm thinking of taking a Transatlantic from Rome at that time. Is it a good time of the year to tour the Amalfi Coast? With your heat kicking in already, I just realized that it might be really cold by then! Living here in the Southwest Desert, I get very startled by the weather in other locations.

Jo,

:o

Please tell Oliver I'm so sorry that I got his name wrong. Good grief. I so enjoyed seeing both Oliver and Emily having such a good time. Please tell them that it made me feel very comfortable about taking my grandson on a cruise. His Mom and Dad are a little worried that he might be too young to cruise, but he's Oliver's age so... after seeing how well Oliver got on with everything to do with shore excursions, dining, formal night pictures and the eating of ice cream... I'm convinced that our family will have a fabulous time!