Not as good as actual pumpkin pie or pumpkin pie ice cream though. I'll have to check out the pudding.

Thanks for the reference to pumpkin pudding - I will have to look for that. And to add to the first comment, pumpkin fluff is quite tasty too - mix one can pumpkin (I think it is about 14 oz), half a box of SF FF vanilla instant pudding and one tub FF cool whip. It tastes great - consistency about that of mousse - and again, definitely counts at least as one veggie.

running outside in colder weather is definitely do-able, and also pretty invigorating. you should check out your local running store for winter running clothes. they can tell you all about layering, and show you which pieces of gear you'll need at what temperatures. with the right clothes, running in the cold really isn't that uncomfortable. (in fact, most of the time i find it more pleasurable than running in the dead of summer.) the clothes might seem a little expensive, but they are well worth it in the sense that it will keep you motivated to run and they last a long time.

I completely agree on the boredom of the treadmill. Now that I have kids though it is sometimes the only time I can get a workout in!
One mental trick I use is to play with the incline. I pretend I'm going up/down hills (like outside) and I use a timer to keep myself on task. It helps a little bit with the monotony of treadmill walking/running.

We have a park within walking distance that has cross country ski trails and since I live in one of the snowiest cities in the US I'm going to take advantage of it. Used cross country skis are pretty cheap too, only sixty bucks for the whole setup, skis, boots and poles.

I love pumpkin stuff too. I freeze canned pumpkin in an ice cube tray and use it for smoothies. You have to make the cubes small though, or they are too hard for the blender to grind up.

You are an inspiration for me to want to start running and being a better person. Your before/present pictures are amazing and I want to be in your shoes at the end of my journey. Now, if you could only drag me on your back during those big hikes into the woods...you'd be doing me a favor or getting my lazy butt in to gear...and adding additional weight on your to burn more calories! Tsk Tsk. As for the neighbor downstairs....if he complains...just ask him if he is going to shovel the trail for you in the winter months? If not- put up with it!
I'm going to add you to my daily read. I'm trying to lose 100 pds. First month has been a battle- to say the least!

Cheers!

Best of luck with the new wardrobe. I just lost only 15 pounds and I can even see hints of your problem, and I know that people must say "what a nice problem to have," but seriously, replacing an entire wardrobe is hard on the wallet. We should start a clothing exchange forum on here or something!

I am dreading the Return to the Gym too. I had been going there for quite a while in all weather and it's been fine, but since spring I have been running outside (a new thing for me) and now the gym sounds boring and smelly and stale. I don't mind the cold so much--in fact, I love it--but I do mind the shortening days (basically, pretty soon I won't be able to leave work early enough to run without it getting dark) and the potential for ice in the winter months. I am clumsy and there is no way I'll be able to run anywhere near ice without breaking both legs.

I have found that for some reason my body still thinks it's 265 lbs. Consequently I now get a chill in a strong breeze. I wish my body would CATCH UP already. It's been 9 years since I was that big!

My music is full of 80's goofy music, too, Katharine... "Walking on Sunshine" is the first one I hear after I plug in. I'm old too! :-)

PQ - Um, the shows magically appeared on my computer somehow via completely legal means.

I also hate exercising on a machine rather than outside for the most part BUT it is so hot here I learned to use the treadmill and elliptical machines. I usually push myself hard the forst 15-20 mins and then for the rest of the hour watch tv. It distracts me enough to actually exercise without looking at the time every 5 mins.

PQ - Ironically, it got up to 90 degrees today, but I swear it was freezing the night of the Ani D concert!

I'm like you. I hate running on the TM...once I had to do 7 miles on the TM due to inclimate weather and I nearly died of boredom, even with a tv.

It would have been better if they had DVD players attached so you could choose what to watch, I admit. (There was a TV but not many channels.) No rose without a thorn.

Sad to say, apart from a couple of pairs of jeans, I've never shrunk enough that clothes were ridiculously big. But then, I still have my baggy T-shirts from the 90s.

Also - pumpkin- and cinnamon-flavoured things are the best part of fall. Mmmm.

PQ - It's pudding! Jell-O makes it, but it's pudding! Pumpkin Jell-O would be a bit odd.

http://nymag.com/news/sports/38001/

I want to hear your thoughts!

PQ - Man, sometimes I feel like I'm being assigned homework. I'll try to read it soon, but I've been really busy week, so any coherent thoughts might have to wait.

I'm not saying everyone will have these results but I have had them. I don't pay any mind to studies anymore, I just do what I know works for me.