VegannNY

...there was a challenge where snakes were placed in a sinking canoe, and the participants had to hold the snakes over their head. One of the girls gave up, and threw the snakes in the water (they looked like garters, I think.) Now, I'm normally not all that upset about such things, but I couldn't help wonder if the snakes drowned (can garters swim?) Just overall, it left me with a terrible impression - both re: the particular contestant and the show in general. Hey, I've had snakes, and they're decent (and quiet, well mannered) pets!!

Got to agree! There are three instructors where I go (and one other at a different NYSC branch that I occasionally frequent.) Only two (interestingly enough, both of the guys) are really energizing. I slog through the female's routines, but there's just no fire... Also interesting is that three of them are kind of, um, stout. You'd think spinning instructors would all be lean mean workout machines, but not so. But if they get my blood pumping, who cares? ...so just started back with the spinning. (I was taking some time off and playing with the elliptical these past few weeks.) Good to be back. STILL amazingly upset with my inability to lose the 13lbs that I have left to my goals. It's been forever...probably mostly due to my diet which has been on-off. Grrrrrrr. Granted, I'm not fat, but it's still very, VERY frustrating. We'll see how this new spate of spinning classes pays off (along with the lifting, of course...)

5'7 - 127lbs (though aiming for 115...wanna be ripped!) (FYI to Vegan Josh...though you look good both ways, I'm voting for the ripped look there, too...)

Thx for checking in - not so amazing, actually. My gains seem to have plateaued, and I'm tweaking the routine, to see what works. Ah, 100lb bench, will I ever see thee?

Hey VP, Good to hear you're still around....and definitely good to hear that you're recuperating well from surgery...(!) (Take it easy as long as need be, of course!) In the meantime, happy holidays!!

Well, worst case scenario there's Nitro fusion..which is pretty darned good (as opposed to Gemma, which is blech.) But I'd love to try Procore if it was available. Wonder if the company has gone bankrupt? Haven't seen anything on the web to indicate that, but it's a logical conclusion....

Hey, thanks for the response! Oh mi gawd, do I *love* Vegan Dad...I'm going through an orgy of trying almost all the recipes, as the urge hits. Loving what one can do with seitan and a few spices...and I'm probably trying the TVP Shepherd's Pie tonight. BTW, he's going to be putting out an ebook any day now, and I'm salivating waiting for it. (Only problem is, it's only going to be for recipes through June 08, and there are so many since that I happen to love...) *Sigh*. Vegan Punk Kitchen, eat your heart out! On a training note: my new (more realistic goal) is to get myself to 125 before year end, and then shoot for 115 ultimately. (I'm 5 -7 plus, and relatively well muscled.) I want to see my abs for at least a four pack, darn it! Dam those office holiday parties...! (PS: considering doubling the lifting, and dropping the cardio altogether. Just another experiment to see what works with my metabolism. Honestly, if it *does* work, it'd be way more fun and practical. I get bored w/cardio, and have to wash twice as much gym laundry.) Just...gimme more muscle, and I'll be happy...

Ah. Maybe I'll go for the ACE, for the heck of it. (During day hours, I'm actually a Financial Analyst, but darn it, I gotta have fun for part of the day. And if I can get paid for it too...?)

Hey SS - Thanks for the link...! (Would still like to know how Veggie P is doing... VP, you out there these days? )

Good info (I'm interested in the certification options, as well, and thought I'd search rather than repost.) Now, the best follow-up question is - what's a reasonable income to expect for someone just starting as a personal trainer?

Me too - curious as to how you're doing! On a side note, where do you get your Procore? I just browsed around the web, and it seems to be out of stock everywhere...! (And tried Gemma. Not all that impressed.) Best, -J

God, I don't believe that I started this thread back in Aug... So much time has passed (with limited loss of bodyfat.) As much as I hate to admit it, I'm *still* hovering around 127 lbs, and really need to cut down the bodyfat. (Again, the target is 115.) The only good point at this stage is that I've definitely been building muscle all this time, so once the padding is gone, it'll look good. The problem: still waffling with the DARNED diet. Played a bit with raw, and think I've again come to the conclusion that low carb is what my body responds to best. (Back in my Atkins-omni days, I lost a slew of weight quickly and effortlessly, with no pain or problems. Yet, when I tried to watch what I eat as a vegan, I tend to feel hungry a good portion of the time, which is a real deterrent.) But as a commmited ethical vegan, I have to find a way to make this diet work, and accomplish my BB goals. (Have fallen into a 2 day split - chest and back. I'm doing spin classes every morning after weightlifting, and that seems to work my legs quite well by itself.) The only really high point right now? As a life-long NON-COOK, I've finally caught the culinary bug, and found the PERFECT website: www.vegandad.blogspot. This guy has a million and one tasty ways to make just the kinds of things I like...such as vegan sausage, and Chickn fingers...and lots of stuff that's either naturally low carb or easily adapted. I LOVE this website, and think it'll ultimately be a great resource for this whole nutritional dilemma. Should be posting a pic or two once things slow down...and hopefully once I lost a pound or two...

Dear Liz - About the mention you made about having to save up. How much (approximately) *did* it cost to move? (We're planning on taking only the bare essentials, such as clothes, and worry about things like furniture once we're over the pond.) (Which leads me to a great followup question - do they have good equivalents to the Salvation Army over in the UK/London? I'm a huge thrift store fan - hate paying full price for anything, and would hate to be without such shopping outlets. That would be *almost* as bad as not having access to a good gym!) PS: still trying to narrow down the location to either London or Glasgow...both are still in the running, so I guess we'll have to visit more extensively before finalizing the target...)

Formica (and Dan) - Thanks! I don't *forsee* being willing to move until/unless one of us gets an offer (probably me...my husband's a brewer and writer, which I figure is a little less marketable nowadays...!) Out of curiosity, how would the base salary differ for other towns in the UK (just in general, of course)? Specifically: Brighton or perhaps Glasgow in Scotland? One other question - assuming I qualify for a Visa, about how long does it take to get one, and how long is it good for? Thanks and best...! (And thank god it's Friday...!)

Oh, I've done this one. (In fact, it's my only tried-and-true special-occasion vegan dessert.) PS: They're really good...and omni's love 'em, too!

It's Vegan Dad: http://www.vegandad.blogspot.com/ He focuses alot on fake meat and comfort food...and I love every bit of it. I'm SO not a cook. (My idea of a meal is a protein bar, or raw cashews, or something cold right out of the refrigerator.) And--in my late thirties--I would've wagered that it was completely unlikely that I'd ever want to learn this late in the game. Just no interest whatsoever. Believe it or not, VeganDad changed that! (Can't abbreviate it to "VD"...that just sounds bad....) The recipes are easy, fun...I've already learned how to make a killer sausage from Seitan and pinto beans, struck out on the sweet and hot tofu, succeeded on scones...and now have my eye set on the Irish Stew, Raviolis, and (some day) the lasagna and shepherd's pie. Oh yeah, and the "chicken" mcnuggets and BBW seitan skewers are pretty killer, too. (And no, I have NO affiliation with this guy...just really impressed.) I've even got my permanently meat eating husband liking some of the recipes... Won't it be fascinating if I turn into the cook in the family for a change!! Course, buying up all the necessary spices initially is a teeny bit pricey, but wow I'm having fun!

...so what do you figure is a good *basic* salary to get by on, in London? (That is, and have enough left over to do something nice occasionally?) I know, it completely depends on the job as to what I can actually get in terms of salary. But what's baseline? Thx...!

Can't swear re: any booty development (yet) - but I can now say that I've done 5 spinning classes in a row, and it's still good. Okay, painful at times, and there are moments that I want to just...well...stop....but the *adrenaline* rush at the end is great! (Course, I'd rather be taking free falls and joint locks, but that's how the cookie crumbles...!)

...good to know, thanks!!

Oh. My. God. I am *so* not a cardio person. Never have been - couldn't stand the aerobics craze back in the 80s, don't generally like group classes. The only cardio I ever loved was Jujitsu, and a tiny bit of jogging, before I was injured, and had to drop out of both. But I'd been seeing people coming out of the classes, absolutely drenched in sweat (which reminded me of my martial arts days), and I just had to try. Wow. I am so hooked. 45 minutes long, it kept me engaged, and man, did we all sweat! A few weeks of this--along with my usual heavy lifting--and (I'm hoping) that I'll be seeing some serious definition. Yay! What a great class! (Funny, since it seems like only group cycling..!)

Liz - Thanks! How *is* the tax situation, overall? Honestly, I was shocked when you wrote that there's a renter/council tax and even a TV tax...! (Is that even if you don't have service, and just keep it around to play DVDs??) Here in the States, we're paying around 30% tax...how much worse is it over on that end of the pond? Thx...!

...and believe me - $1200 is the low end in NYC!!!! (Probably would get you a studio or MAYBE a really bad one bedroom)

Sounds promising... I'm leaning a little towards London due to my NYC bias (though Newcastle, hmmm? Also, I'd honestly consider Edinburgh and Glasgow too, if they have the same vibe) I like having areas of city to explore, with lots of variety. It kind of sounds like London has the same sort of layout as NYC, ie: we have outlying boroughs that most people live in, because Manhattan itself can get rather expensive. (We live in the Bronx, the borough that still has a rep as being somewhat dangerous, but our area is actually rather nice.) One negative on the London side - as I remember it, the tube has zones and you pay different amounts depending on where you're going. In NYC, it's a flat fare, and you can ride anywhere for $2.00 one way. We definitely would want to rent a flat - not really in the position to buy! (And it looks like I'd fall into Tier 1, my husband into Tier 2.) We're really basically making about $70K here...if I could get something comparable, I'm guessing it would be enough with something left over? Formica, you said you and your partner are making about 50K? Out of curiosity, what would prices be for some standard items in London? For instance, in NYC, average prices include: $1200 + for an apartment $5 for a sandwich $100 for a monthly gym membership $4 for a commute back and forth on the subway $75 monthly cell phone service $150 for a suit, $30 for shoes (though, I always go to thrift stores!!!) $150 for car insurance (wonder if we'd need a car at all, and what parking is like?) Also, is there anything we should know about health insurance?? Also, how are the vegan options? Honestly, you can't get by in NYC comfortably under $50K. People do manage it, but I'm really not sure how...and I'm a real pennypincher. Thanks again for all the advice thus far... (Gee, if/when we move, maybe we could actually meetup! )

DaN - Fair enough question (and do please let me know if I'm somewhat off the mark on my reasoning.) I've lived in NYC for over a decade, and really want to see the rest of the world. Honestly, taking one week off a year to go to a country isn't going to do it - I'm in my late thirties, and could never see everything in time. My thought is that moving to Europe would allow me to branch out easier...and England's the most obvious place to go (both my husband and I speak basically English, and aren't looking to relocate to someplace where communication would be a difficulty.) Don't know...does that sound like a sufficient reason? That aside, what's the gym situation in London? (In NYC, I can be sure of being within 5 blocks of a NYSC at all times, which is a huge plus for me...!) Anything comparable (or at least convenient and affordable) on that side of the pond?

Liz - Thanks! Looks like I'd fit into Tier 1, though I do need to do more research before I'm done. In the meantime, what's it like in terms of culture shock in England? Granted, I've visited, but are there certain things that take getting used to the longterm? (I've started reading ex-pat discussion groups, and apparently there are a certain number of Americans that find England requires some adjustment...) Thx...! PS: what do you think of Brighton as a possiblity, or Manchester? (Commuting wise, I'd be okay with a 1 hour commute max to a job...kind of what I've got here in NYC...!)