I have an uncle with whom I am pretty close. As I type, I realize I need to call him very soon. He and my aunt are WONDERFUL people. They had two golden retrievers and have stayed at Le Chateau Miller (say it with a French accent) when they have come to town to visit. Unfortunately, they had to put their oldest baby down not too long ago. He was a giant bear. We still keep his picture on our fridge, Dutch and Ruca still know his name and we tell Ty all about him.
My uncle was a trainer in Los Angeles for a very long time. He got out of the business needing a change. The last time I was serious about losing weight and getting on the exercise wagon, I consulted him when I hit plateaus. If you aren't sure what a plateau is, it is what they call it when your weight is at a standstill. He recommended some good supplements for me to try and even the company I should buy. He also evaluated what I was eating during the times of plateaus, which can definitely play a huge part in things, even if you are eating healthy foods. During one particular plateau, I was eating a lot of tomatoes because my parents' garden had an overabundance of them. I love home-grown tomatoes and was eating incredible amounts of them. I learned they could be high in sugar. I didn't stop eating tomatoes, but I did cut back on them. Too much of a good thing. EVERYTHING IN MODERATION. I tend to go a little crazy sometimes. Ha!
Ever since I can remember, my uncle has been very health conscious. He would workout at local gyms here when he would visit. Not to mention that he has ALWAYS been a very animated person. I truly love that about him. He's always staying active and moving and doing SOMETHING. I love that about him as well. As I look at the way he was raised, he was raised with very rich, fattening food, but still found his way to fitness and healthy living. So, it could be something with which you are born, but it doesn't mean that your parents dictate what path you choose.
The reason I tell you about my uncle? I love him a lot, but not only that, but that there are people amongst you that can help you reach your goals and stay on track. Think hard about the people in your own family circles. Think about friends, think about co-workers, think about the people that you would like to model aspects of your life. I also tell you about my uncle because he CHOSE to be health-minded. You can, too! You can choose your own path. You can pave your own road. You can sod your own lawn. Oh yeah, that's deep. So, find your path, road, lawn and get to it! Go for it with all you have. START SMALL. Eat tomatoes. But not too many.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you hoping I'll get off the heavy talks, until next time...
Showing posts with label START SMALL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label START SMALL. Show all posts
Friday, May 25, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Things you CAN change
You know how sometimes you can get carried away worrying about things that are out of your control? You know, the price of gas, the price of groceries, irrational fears taking over, etc. etc.? Those things are things that you have absolutely no control over. And I must say, depending on whom you talk to, some may think we have no control over anything and a higher power is in charge, but I think that is a completely different topic and way more complex than a blog about me eating and jiggling my fat can really hash out.
We all have probably been to that point of worrying about things we cannot change instead of focusing on the things we CAN change. Some people tend to dwell on the effort and work involved in starting a workout regimen instead of finding the smaller portions to make it happen. I'm here to tell you that you CAN change yourself, no matter how old or young you may be. You CAN do it. Whether it is the way you think, treat people, act or what you may or may not be doing.
My previous post was about me taking dance lessons. This was in my adult life. You gotta get past the idea that you are going to be stellar and awesome at everything you do and thinking that it is a bad thing to try out new things and not be so great at it. Something happens as you get older where you don't put yourself in situations to make an ass out of yourself publicly...as much. But how are you ever going to know if you truly like something or if something fits you if you never try something new?
START SMALL - check out something that is reasonable in price and is something outside of your comfort zone. One of my part-time PICs posts frequently on FaceBook about stepping outside of your comfort zone. There is a lot to be said about this statement and I am soooooooooooo going to say all that I have to say about it. Read on, I know you want to.
In the past, I would consistently stay within the things that didn't scare me. Hey! At least I was consistent!!!!!!! Anyhoo, I wouldn't venture out of what I knew how to do and what was familiar to me. I'm not sure if I was afraid to fail, afraid to make an ass out of myself, afraid that I would injure myself, I don't know what exactly. Example would be when I would see the Insanity or P90X infomercials, I had it in my head that it was way too hard for me and that there was no way I could do it. Once my BeachBody friend recommended TurboFire to me and I got it and first read through the warning at the beginning of each DVD, I was really scared. I thought to myself, "holy balls, what am I getting myself into?" Then, I talked myself down by saying, "why can't you do this, Trish? You have already 'mastered' the stuff you have at home, why can't this be the next?" It wasn't until I was knee-deep in TurboFire that I found out that TurboFire is in the same "advanced" category as P90X and Insanity. Being knee-deep and loving it, I started to look at those infomercials a little differently. I started seeing them as new challenges and skills to master rather than being intimidating and something I couldn't ever achieve. I began looking at those infomercials as the "next step" rather than a goal I would never see. Funny how you can change your own mind, right? I changed my own frame of mind and my own thoughts by doing what was uncomfortable for me at first. Then, it became familiar. Really, wasn't there a time when the familiar was unfamiliar? I think so, we just forget that unfamiliar time once it becomes rote and familiar.
What are my typing-happy fingers trying to tell you? What exactly am I trying to say? I'm saying, you can do whatever you set your mind to. You can change your mind. You can change your frame of thought. You can change you. After all, YOU are the only one that can change you. No amount of blogging that I do can change you. You have to want it to make the change. So, cue "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson and make a change for once in your life, it's gonna feel real good, gonna make a difference.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you with "Man in the Mirror" stuck in your head, SHAMON! SHAMON! WOO! WOO! WOO! until next time...
We all have probably been to that point of worrying about things we cannot change instead of focusing on the things we CAN change. Some people tend to dwell on the effort and work involved in starting a workout regimen instead of finding the smaller portions to make it happen. I'm here to tell you that you CAN change yourself, no matter how old or young you may be. You CAN do it. Whether it is the way you think, treat people, act or what you may or may not be doing.
My previous post was about me taking dance lessons. This was in my adult life. You gotta get past the idea that you are going to be stellar and awesome at everything you do and thinking that it is a bad thing to try out new things and not be so great at it. Something happens as you get older where you don't put yourself in situations to make an ass out of yourself publicly...as much. But how are you ever going to know if you truly like something or if something fits you if you never try something new?
START SMALL - check out something that is reasonable in price and is something outside of your comfort zone. One of my part-time PICs posts frequently on FaceBook about stepping outside of your comfort zone. There is a lot to be said about this statement and I am soooooooooooo going to say all that I have to say about it. Read on, I know you want to.
In the past, I would consistently stay within the things that didn't scare me. Hey! At least I was consistent!!!!!!! Anyhoo, I wouldn't venture out of what I knew how to do and what was familiar to me. I'm not sure if I was afraid to fail, afraid to make an ass out of myself, afraid that I would injure myself, I don't know what exactly. Example would be when I would see the Insanity or P90X infomercials, I had it in my head that it was way too hard for me and that there was no way I could do it. Once my BeachBody friend recommended TurboFire to me and I got it and first read through the warning at the beginning of each DVD, I was really scared. I thought to myself, "holy balls, what am I getting myself into?" Then, I talked myself down by saying, "why can't you do this, Trish? You have already 'mastered' the stuff you have at home, why can't this be the next?" It wasn't until I was knee-deep in TurboFire that I found out that TurboFire is in the same "advanced" category as P90X and Insanity. Being knee-deep and loving it, I started to look at those infomercials a little differently. I started seeing them as new challenges and skills to master rather than being intimidating and something I couldn't ever achieve. I began looking at those infomercials as the "next step" rather than a goal I would never see. Funny how you can change your own mind, right? I changed my own frame of mind and my own thoughts by doing what was uncomfortable for me at first. Then, it became familiar. Really, wasn't there a time when the familiar was unfamiliar? I think so, we just forget that unfamiliar time once it becomes rote and familiar.
What are my typing-happy fingers trying to tell you? What exactly am I trying to say? I'm saying, you can do whatever you set your mind to. You can change your mind. You can change your frame of thought. You can change you. After all, YOU are the only one that can change you. No amount of blogging that I do can change you. You have to want it to make the change. So, cue "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson and make a change for once in your life, it's gonna feel real good, gonna make a difference.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you with "Man in the Mirror" stuck in your head, SHAMON! SHAMON! WOO! WOO! WOO! until next time...
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Insanity Days 2 and 3
Day 2
I didn't watch the workout before I did it. I wish I had so I knew what the actual moves would be. I am sweaty as I type this. My face feels sunburned like it did when I first started TurboFire. I coughed quite a bit, having to take a few extra breaks.
The format of the workout is in chunks of three to four minutes with thirty second breaks for water in between the chunks of time. I didn't make it through the beginning of the final circuit completely because that is when the mother of all coughing fits began. The moves are simple and are what you might expect from elementary school P.E. class. I'm talking jumping jacks, butt kicks, squats, push-ups, high knees and burpees. As high intensity and high impact as this is supposed to be, I can see how you can make it lower impact, but keep the intensity. As long as you are able to jump and run, you can do this workout.
After today, I am missing Chalene. I miss her upbeat personality and good music. The music on Insanity is kinda creepy like you would hear in a really low budget horror movie or an extremely dramatic moment in a Lifetime movie. Tomorrow, I plan to bust out the iPod and get some tunes going to enhance the experience.
What I notice about my body today is that I continued to sweat after a shower and with the wind of the car ride to work swirling around my head. Wow. I missed that. I love to sweat. I am also noticing that my shoulders have some soreness as do my inner thighs. The longer I sat in my chair at work, the stiffer I got. It was pretty interesting by the end of the day with stiff legs.
Day 3
Today was better for me with coughing. I coughed less and did more! It felt good! Mentally, I do really great because my brain is pushing me to go harder and faster. I do as much as I can, but I am nowhere near keeping up with the rest of the people. I am determined to "master" it all eventually!!!
My right calf was very tight this morning, but once warmed up, it didn't bother me one bit. I was pleased.
Today I opted out of the music and grabbed my iPod. Too bad it died ten minutes in. I had a good groove going with "Ace of Spades." Tomorrow it will be fully charged!!
What I really like about this so far, is that it isn't choreographed so if you have to go slower with some of the moves, you aren't behind in anything. The only time this proves to be untrue is when Shaun T has you do a certain number of pushups or jumps. In that case, if I am not able to do the number of reps in the allotted time, I do as many as I can and make a mental note for next time to do more.
What I like about Insanity and it not being choreographed, I like that TurboFire is. I felt like I could master certain things better knowing that Chalene set the bar. There is a lot of self-discipline in working out at home, but there is a new level of self-discipline AND self-motivation with Insanity not having preset benchmarks because YOUR PERFORMANCE is the benchmark.
I am still sweating as I type this a half hour after the workout. I will see how my body reacts again today. I sat too long a few times at work. Made for interesting times walking down the hall to the restroom.
I noticed today that I got the shakes two different times like I hadn't eaten in hours. I am hoping this means the workouts continue to work long after I have stopped the workout.
Again, please excuse typos as I am posting from my phone.
Signing off for now, too all of you near and far and to those of you considering doing Insanity, until next time...
I didn't watch the workout before I did it. I wish I had so I knew what the actual moves would be. I am sweaty as I type this. My face feels sunburned like it did when I first started TurboFire. I coughed quite a bit, having to take a few extra breaks.
The format of the workout is in chunks of three to four minutes with thirty second breaks for water in between the chunks of time. I didn't make it through the beginning of the final circuit completely because that is when the mother of all coughing fits began. The moves are simple and are what you might expect from elementary school P.E. class. I'm talking jumping jacks, butt kicks, squats, push-ups, high knees and burpees. As high intensity and high impact as this is supposed to be, I can see how you can make it lower impact, but keep the intensity. As long as you are able to jump and run, you can do this workout.
After today, I am missing Chalene. I miss her upbeat personality and good music. The music on Insanity is kinda creepy like you would hear in a really low budget horror movie or an extremely dramatic moment in a Lifetime movie. Tomorrow, I plan to bust out the iPod and get some tunes going to enhance the experience.
What I notice about my body today is that I continued to sweat after a shower and with the wind of the car ride to work swirling around my head. Wow. I missed that. I love to sweat. I am also noticing that my shoulders have some soreness as do my inner thighs. The longer I sat in my chair at work, the stiffer I got. It was pretty interesting by the end of the day with stiff legs.
Day 3
Today was better for me with coughing. I coughed less and did more! It felt good! Mentally, I do really great because my brain is pushing me to go harder and faster. I do as much as I can, but I am nowhere near keeping up with the rest of the people. I am determined to "master" it all eventually!!!
My right calf was very tight this morning, but once warmed up, it didn't bother me one bit. I was pleased.
Today I opted out of the music and grabbed my iPod. Too bad it died ten minutes in. I had a good groove going with "Ace of Spades." Tomorrow it will be fully charged!!
What I really like about this so far, is that it isn't choreographed so if you have to go slower with some of the moves, you aren't behind in anything. The only time this proves to be untrue is when Shaun T has you do a certain number of pushups or jumps. In that case, if I am not able to do the number of reps in the allotted time, I do as many as I can and make a mental note for next time to do more.
What I like about Insanity and it not being choreographed, I like that TurboFire is. I felt like I could master certain things better knowing that Chalene set the bar. There is a lot of self-discipline in working out at home, but there is a new level of self-discipline AND self-motivation with Insanity not having preset benchmarks because YOUR PERFORMANCE is the benchmark.
I am still sweating as I type this a half hour after the workout. I will see how my body reacts again today. I sat too long a few times at work. Made for interesting times walking down the hall to the restroom.
I noticed today that I got the shakes two different times like I hadn't eaten in hours. I am hoping this means the workouts continue to work long after I have stopped the workout.
Again, please excuse typos as I am posting from my phone.
Signing off for now, too all of you near and far and to those of you considering doing Insanity, until next time...
Monday, May 14, 2012
Insanity Day 1
Today was the first day of Insanity and it was just the Fit Test to start the benchmarks for the next 9 weeks. Brett's cousin and her husband started Insanity exactly 2 weeks before I did. They confessed that they took a "puke bucket" downstairs with them when they went to do their first Insanity workout. Her husband said, "Godspeed, Trisha, godspeed" when he heard I was joining in on the fun of Insanity.
I am making a mental note to myself to wait until coughing from bronchitis has completely ceased before starting to workout again. It feels good NOW after having completed a workout after many weeks. The similarities between Insanity and TurboFire are incredible. I already felt "at home" when doing the routine for the first time. That was refreshing and made it less daunting. I also felt right at home with the giant "WARNING" scrolling up the screen!
I woke up at 4:15 this morning to get my week rolling. I had a pretty rough night last night again, but still getting better each night. I went to bed with and woke up with a stiff neck, but amazingly after doing the Fit Test, my neck is looser and I seem to be regaining full range of motion again! Anyhoo, the warm up is fast-paced like TurboFire with some stretching. I like these warm ups, but I would have liked a little bit more of a warm up and stretch on my arms and shoulders only because I'm still wiping the cobwebs from my eyes and my muscles are still sleeping as I slap on my Vibrams.
Shaun T is pretty easy to look at while working out. I pretend my jelly belly isn't jiggling at all as he "stares" at me through the TV screen. I did notice that I am going to have to turn the volume up a little more with his voice being lower than Chalene's, it is hard to hear him through the white noise maker of the crickets in the baby monitor.
I drank a lot of water before and during the workout, worked up a good sweat and didn't come close to vomiting. Yay, me! I was disappointed in myself for the results of my Fit Test because I know I can do better. I know in my heart that I did the best I could do getting back into "the game," but it doesn't change my drive to want to do better and continue to improve myself.
I am looking forward to seeing what the next workout will be and feel a sense of revival in the motivation department. I am soooo looking forward to doing it again and feeling that mental clarity I used to feel everyday. I am going to try and post about the Insanity workouts as they are happening. It may not be everyday as the workouts get longer and my time to blog in the morning will get shorter, but I will try to combine a couple of workouts in one post until I have talked about all the workouts.
I will also say that I love the schedule that is already laid out for Insanity. The day off from Insanity is Sunday, which fits right in with my Free Sundays. I can't decide what workout I will do on Sundays. Maybe I will miss Chalene by then? Maybe I will feel the need to get Hip Hop Abs? Maybe Billy will be waiting for me with open arms? I think if I get back together with Billy, I will put a piece of construction paper on the TV over his daughter Shellie so I don't have to see her overact throughout the ENTIRE series. Or maybe I will rock some Jillian Michaels? The sky is the limit and I'm loving the clear view!!!!!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you just starting Insanity as well, until next time...
I am making a mental note to myself to wait until coughing from bronchitis has completely ceased before starting to workout again. It feels good NOW after having completed a workout after many weeks. The similarities between Insanity and TurboFire are incredible. I already felt "at home" when doing the routine for the first time. That was refreshing and made it less daunting. I also felt right at home with the giant "WARNING" scrolling up the screen!
I woke up at 4:15 this morning to get my week rolling. I had a pretty rough night last night again, but still getting better each night. I went to bed with and woke up with a stiff neck, but amazingly after doing the Fit Test, my neck is looser and I seem to be regaining full range of motion again! Anyhoo, the warm up is fast-paced like TurboFire with some stretching. I like these warm ups, but I would have liked a little bit more of a warm up and stretch on my arms and shoulders only because I'm still wiping the cobwebs from my eyes and my muscles are still sleeping as I slap on my Vibrams.
Shaun T is pretty easy to look at while working out. I pretend my jelly belly isn't jiggling at all as he "stares" at me through the TV screen. I did notice that I am going to have to turn the volume up a little more with his voice being lower than Chalene's, it is hard to hear him through the white noise maker of the crickets in the baby monitor.
I drank a lot of water before and during the workout, worked up a good sweat and didn't come close to vomiting. Yay, me! I was disappointed in myself for the results of my Fit Test because I know I can do better. I know in my heart that I did the best I could do getting back into "the game," but it doesn't change my drive to want to do better and continue to improve myself.
I am looking forward to seeing what the next workout will be and feel a sense of revival in the motivation department. I am soooo looking forward to doing it again and feeling that mental clarity I used to feel everyday. I am going to try and post about the Insanity workouts as they are happening. It may not be everyday as the workouts get longer and my time to blog in the morning will get shorter, but I will try to combine a couple of workouts in one post until I have talked about all the workouts.
I will also say that I love the schedule that is already laid out for Insanity. The day off from Insanity is Sunday, which fits right in with my Free Sundays. I can't decide what workout I will do on Sundays. Maybe I will miss Chalene by then? Maybe I will feel the need to get Hip Hop Abs? Maybe Billy will be waiting for me with open arms? I think if I get back together with Billy, I will put a piece of construction paper on the TV over his daughter Shellie so I don't have to see her overact throughout the ENTIRE series. Or maybe I will rock some Jillian Michaels? The sky is the limit and I'm loving the clear view!!!!!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you just starting Insanity as well, until next time...
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Battling the foot injury, again.
I've had a rough few weeks. First, the nasty hand, foot and mouth disease, then I seemed to re-injure my foot. You may recall a while back, I jammed my toes after so gracefully tripping on a Nylabone that was so carefully left in the middle of the hallway. I thought it was something that passed on its own. I was so wrong. The weather got nicer and I was going barefoot in the house after work until bedtime. I wasn't able to walk at all a couple of days in a row, but oddly enough, I didn't have much pain in my foot when I would wear shoes. I went shopping for an entire day, while chasing Tyson around and didn't have one hint of pain. The moment I got home, I kicked off my kicks and I was walking around the house and within a half hour, I could barely walk. I was limping around the house and I really thought something was broken in there. The next day, I woke up and it felt a lot better. At this point, I hadn't worked out for 3 days. I decided to take the rest of the day off and give my foot a little more time and I would hit the workout hard the next morning.
Monday morning rolls around, alarm goes off at 4:15, I literally jump out of bed and hit the ground running and... my foot was in so much pain. I yelled some expletives, went to the bathroom and returned to bed. I called my doctor and made an appointment. I got x-rays and he then referred me on to a podiatrist. Fortunately, the podiatry department had an opening for the next day. My doctor confirmed through x-rays that my foot was not broken (thank all that is holy) and the podiatrist said that I had capsulitis. The capsule around the joint in my second toe, right in the ball of my foot is inflamed and the more I walk barefoot in the house on hard floors, the worse it gets. So, his recommendation was to wear some sort of footwear at all times. Nope, I'm not kidding. When it is 86 degrees out, I'm wearing my red Muppet fur Acorn slippers around the house! Okay, okay, so it is a small price to pay when I haven't had any foot pain all week long. So, after my foot gets to feeling better, I got to workout after a week of foot pain! Oh and by the way, this capsulitis is a direct effect of the same injury from the stinking dog toy in the hallway. Seriously. The kicker? I got a cold immediately after. Great. Another break from working out ensued.
I have learned with all these curve balls that I am not good at adjusting things for myself. I want things to go the way I want things to go for myself and any other way is not acceptable. Did you get that? Good! I'm easy going when it comes to things with Brett, Ty or the pups, but not myself. Who would have thought? I know, it is a lot to ask for things to go the way I want them to when and how I want them to. I need to be more flexible and resilient.
Let me tell you, it has been a rough few weeks because nothing has been consistent. The only consistency has been my working out. That was always a sure thing. Not so much when injury and illness strike. It becomes an anxiety ridden, depressing time for me. I feel like no matter what I do, whether it be walking or getting in a short workout, is not enough and not good enough. I need to get over that and realize that I'm not on any deadline for this life change. I'm in this for the long haul and I am sure there will be PLENTY more times like these that I am going to have to roll with the punches. I'm just not going to give up. Even if it means that I have to START SMALL again, I'm not giving up. I've given up on myself enough times that this is not going to be one of those times. The time is now to buckle down and get back into it. I'm ready and I need to push past this bump and give it all I've got. It is a little corny to type this all out, but I do it for the benefit of someone else that might be on the verge of giving up. The time is now. Go do your thing!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you that may have already given up, it's not too late and until next time...
Monday morning rolls around, alarm goes off at 4:15, I literally jump out of bed and hit the ground running and... my foot was in so much pain. I yelled some expletives, went to the bathroom and returned to bed. I called my doctor and made an appointment. I got x-rays and he then referred me on to a podiatrist. Fortunately, the podiatry department had an opening for the next day. My doctor confirmed through x-rays that my foot was not broken (thank all that is holy) and the podiatrist said that I had capsulitis. The capsule around the joint in my second toe, right in the ball of my foot is inflamed and the more I walk barefoot in the house on hard floors, the worse it gets. So, his recommendation was to wear some sort of footwear at all times. Nope, I'm not kidding. When it is 86 degrees out, I'm wearing my red Muppet fur Acorn slippers around the house! Okay, okay, so it is a small price to pay when I haven't had any foot pain all week long. So, after my foot gets to feeling better, I got to workout after a week of foot pain! Oh and by the way, this capsulitis is a direct effect of the same injury from the stinking dog toy in the hallway. Seriously. The kicker? I got a cold immediately after. Great. Another break from working out ensued.
I have learned with all these curve balls that I am not good at adjusting things for myself. I want things to go the way I want things to go for myself and any other way is not acceptable. Did you get that? Good! I'm easy going when it comes to things with Brett, Ty or the pups, but not myself. Who would have thought? I know, it is a lot to ask for things to go the way I want them to when and how I want them to. I need to be more flexible and resilient.
Let me tell you, it has been a rough few weeks because nothing has been consistent. The only consistency has been my working out. That was always a sure thing. Not so much when injury and illness strike. It becomes an anxiety ridden, depressing time for me. I feel like no matter what I do, whether it be walking or getting in a short workout, is not enough and not good enough. I need to get over that and realize that I'm not on any deadline for this life change. I'm in this for the long haul and I am sure there will be PLENTY more times like these that I am going to have to roll with the punches. I'm just not going to give up. Even if it means that I have to START SMALL again, I'm not giving up. I've given up on myself enough times that this is not going to be one of those times. The time is now to buckle down and get back into it. I'm ready and I need to push past this bump and give it all I've got. It is a little corny to type this all out, but I do it for the benefit of someone else that might be on the verge of giving up. The time is now. Go do your thing!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you that may have already given up, it's not too late and until next time...
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
La Musica
Anyone that knows me knows that I am a music lover. I really do appreciate just about every type of music. Music is so therapeutic and can really affect your mood and/or attitudes.
I listen to music almost everyday all day at work. I usually have one ear bud in and am able to immerse myself in the task at hand. Of course, if I get way too much playing from the "Beaches" soundtrack, I'm most likely to start feeling a little sad. Hit shuffle. Problem solved.
I love music that makes me move. I find these types of songs very good for my walks. One ear bud in, playlist with the following, but not limited to, makes for a great walk!
Walk - Foo Fighters
Rain King - Counting Crows
Party All the Time - Black Eyed Peas
Back on the Chain Gang - The Pretenders
So What - Pink
Pose - Justin Timberlake
Bounce - Timbaland
Killing in the Name and Bulls on Parade - Rage Against the Machine
Get Low - Lil Jon
Super Bass - Nicki Minaj
Beware (the JayZ remix) - Panjabi MC
Click Click Boom - Saliva
A Little Less Conversation - Elvis
Country Grammar - Nelly
Stronger - Kanye West
Getting a good workout in can be as easy as creating a playlist. I sometimes look up songs online to get the beats per minute. Obviously, the higher the number, the faster the song. When I walk with my whole library on shuffle, the slower songs tend to slow me down, significantly. What I typically do is create a specific playlist with the length I want to walk. If I take the same route, I can usually mark where I need to turn around and head back home. I DO NOT walk with even one ear bud in when I am walking with Ty. There is already way too much going on for me to have another distraction. I do the same when walking the pups. I only do it when it is just me, myself and I. Less distraction and seems safer.
When I get the opportunity to clean the house without Ty or Brett around, I play upbeat, fast music and I play it very loud. I can usually get accomplished in two hours what used to take me four or more. If the music is right, I can dance and clean at the same time. There is something to be said about running up and down the stairs as fast as I can without tripping, carrying bedding.
Ty and I used to dance a lot when we would get home from work/daycare. He doesn't like to dance nearly as much as he used to and quite frankly, he knows how bad of a dancer I am and I sense he is embarrassed for me when he sees me busting my moves.
I haven't tried using the same playlist for biking. Probably since my bike has still not moved since I first mentioned in this blog that I actually own a bike. As a matter of fact, my bike has become a beautiful fixture in which Brett hangs our brand new garden hose! It's lovely. Simply lovely!!!
On the topic of music, I just want to publicly say that I think Weird Al is a genius. I seriously do. Speaking of Weird Al, but not created by the genius himself is a parody of the song "We Are Young" titled "We Are Not Young." It is about people in their 30's and it really rings true. Check it out. And yes, like the song says, I did start a blog in my 30's. Wahoo!!!!!!!!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you that have more music ideas for me, until next time...
I listen to music almost everyday all day at work. I usually have one ear bud in and am able to immerse myself in the task at hand. Of course, if I get way too much playing from the "Beaches" soundtrack, I'm most likely to start feeling a little sad. Hit shuffle. Problem solved.
I love music that makes me move. I find these types of songs very good for my walks. One ear bud in, playlist with the following, but not limited to, makes for a great walk!
Walk - Foo Fighters
Rain King - Counting Crows
Party All the Time - Black Eyed Peas
Back on the Chain Gang - The Pretenders
So What - Pink
Pose - Justin Timberlake
Bounce - Timbaland
Killing in the Name and Bulls on Parade - Rage Against the Machine
Get Low - Lil Jon
Super Bass - Nicki Minaj
Beware (the JayZ remix) - Panjabi MC
Click Click Boom - Saliva
A Little Less Conversation - Elvis
Country Grammar - Nelly
Stronger - Kanye West
Getting a good workout in can be as easy as creating a playlist. I sometimes look up songs online to get the beats per minute. Obviously, the higher the number, the faster the song. When I walk with my whole library on shuffle, the slower songs tend to slow me down, significantly. What I typically do is create a specific playlist with the length I want to walk. If I take the same route, I can usually mark where I need to turn around and head back home. I DO NOT walk with even one ear bud in when I am walking with Ty. There is already way too much going on for me to have another distraction. I do the same when walking the pups. I only do it when it is just me, myself and I. Less distraction and seems safer.
When I get the opportunity to clean the house without Ty or Brett around, I play upbeat, fast music and I play it very loud. I can usually get accomplished in two hours what used to take me four or more. If the music is right, I can dance and clean at the same time. There is something to be said about running up and down the stairs as fast as I can without tripping, carrying bedding.
Ty and I used to dance a lot when we would get home from work/daycare. He doesn't like to dance nearly as much as he used to and quite frankly, he knows how bad of a dancer I am and I sense he is embarrassed for me when he sees me busting my moves.
I haven't tried using the same playlist for biking. Probably since my bike has still not moved since I first mentioned in this blog that I actually own a bike. As a matter of fact, my bike has become a beautiful fixture in which Brett hangs our brand new garden hose! It's lovely. Simply lovely!!!
On the topic of music, I just want to publicly say that I think Weird Al is a genius. I seriously do. Speaking of Weird Al, but not created by the genius himself is a parody of the song "We Are Young" titled "We Are Not Young." It is about people in their 30's and it really rings true. Check it out. And yes, like the song says, I did start a blog in my 30's. Wahoo!!!!!!!!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you that have more music ideas for me, until next time...
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Trisha. The Dancer.
I have mentioned a couple of times how awful of a dancer I am. Well, things have not changed in that department and in fact, they are most likely worse. I'm just not a good dancer. I don't even think I'm a good enough dancer to dance alone like no one is watching me. There is nothing sexy, seductive or graceful about the way I move. Nothing. It's pretty bad.
I never got to take dance classes as a child except for when my grandmother paid for me to take a dance/tumbling class at the local dance center. I loved it, except it sticks in my mind how at recital time, we were pirates and had these stirrup pants, white of all colors and they didn't want us to wear underwear under those pants. Ummm, every time I did a cartwheel, it felt like those pants were coming off and they were also made out of polyester which did NOT feel good on my nether-regions, so I did not go panty-less during recital time. I was 5. Yes, 5.
Anyway, as an adult, I thought it would be fun to take tap lessons. My mom sent me a check for my birthday in college to be able to take tap lessons, but by the time the next session started, I had a class during tap lessons. Poop. Fast forward to about 7 years ago and again, I wanted to take tap lessons. I signed up with some friends, bought some tap shoes and away I went. Yes, it was an adult tap class so I didn't look anymore ridiculous than I normally do. Let me tell you, there is serious leg muscle involved in tap dancing. It was hard, but it was so much fun to learn some basics. I didn't last too long in the class, I think I only took those lessons for about two months before I found out that they had a hip-hop class. Score for me!!!
The class was taught by a lovely gentleman with some seriously wicked awesome moves!!!! He was great. I had fun in that class. It was easy to follow and a good workout. One day, I got to class and he was not there. Something had happened and he couldn't make it to class on short notice. They would generally cancel class, but because this had happened before, they didn't want to cancel again. So, the BREAKDANCING teacher filled in and gave us a BREAKDANCING lesson. Yes, I am totally serious. There was a little girl there on that particular day, I think she was about 7 or so. She had come to hip-hop class to try it out to see if she would like it. Well, this cute little girl immediately latched on to me the moment she walked in. You know how some people attract cats or dogs? I attract kids. Maybe it is because I do crap like this making me appear younger than I am? I don't know, either way, I'm okay with it all. Anyhoo, we are doing these breakdancing moves and this one particular move, you were down on your hands, resting one knee on an elbow and the other leg was resting on the leg on the knee. Did you get that?! Good!!
I am trying and trying and trying to get this move because we aren't doing it to music or anything, we are doing it in slow motion to get the technique down. Little girl is right next to me and she is starting to get it. I keep trying and trying and finally gave up and without thinking, sat back, somewhat out of breath and said, "I can't do it." The little girl held the move, leg in the air and her little face looking up at me while I sit there being a big baby, says to me, "YES YOU CAN! You CAN do it, Trish!" Yeah, she seriously did. I honestly cannot make this stuff up. So, what do I do? I pick up my crap and leave class. KIDDING! I spent the rest of the class doing it all the best I could.
Fast forward a couple days when we are helping my grandpa move into his apartment. I could barely walk. We were walking up and down stairs, carrying stuff and my ENTIRE body, except my fingers HURT. Bad. Remember my jean-hiking dad? Well, he finally inquired as to my herky jerky movement and asked if I had a hard workout recently. I told him about the breakdancing snafu, blah blah blah. And here is the wisdom I receive from jean-hiking dad, "shit, Trish, you aren't sixteen anymore!" Really, dad? Really? Mr. Obvious.
Again, there I go, putting myself out there trying something new. It still took a couple more days to recover, but I sure as crap didn't sign up for breakdancing lessons.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you thinking about taking breakdancing, until next time...
I never got to take dance classes as a child except for when my grandmother paid for me to take a dance/tumbling class at the local dance center. I loved it, except it sticks in my mind how at recital time, we were pirates and had these stirrup pants, white of all colors and they didn't want us to wear underwear under those pants. Ummm, every time I did a cartwheel, it felt like those pants were coming off and they were also made out of polyester which did NOT feel good on my nether-regions, so I did not go panty-less during recital time. I was 5. Yes, 5.
Anyway, as an adult, I thought it would be fun to take tap lessons. My mom sent me a check for my birthday in college to be able to take tap lessons, but by the time the next session started, I had a class during tap lessons. Poop. Fast forward to about 7 years ago and again, I wanted to take tap lessons. I signed up with some friends, bought some tap shoes and away I went. Yes, it was an adult tap class so I didn't look anymore ridiculous than I normally do. Let me tell you, there is serious leg muscle involved in tap dancing. It was hard, but it was so much fun to learn some basics. I didn't last too long in the class, I think I only took those lessons for about two months before I found out that they had a hip-hop class. Score for me!!!
The class was taught by a lovely gentleman with some seriously wicked awesome moves!!!! He was great. I had fun in that class. It was easy to follow and a good workout. One day, I got to class and he was not there. Something had happened and he couldn't make it to class on short notice. They would generally cancel class, but because this had happened before, they didn't want to cancel again. So, the BREAKDANCING teacher filled in and gave us a BREAKDANCING lesson. Yes, I am totally serious. There was a little girl there on that particular day, I think she was about 7 or so. She had come to hip-hop class to try it out to see if she would like it. Well, this cute little girl immediately latched on to me the moment she walked in. You know how some people attract cats or dogs? I attract kids. Maybe it is because I do crap like this making me appear younger than I am? I don't know, either way, I'm okay with it all. Anyhoo, we are doing these breakdancing moves and this one particular move, you were down on your hands, resting one knee on an elbow and the other leg was resting on the leg on the knee. Did you get that?! Good!!
I am trying and trying and trying to get this move because we aren't doing it to music or anything, we are doing it in slow motion to get the technique down. Little girl is right next to me and she is starting to get it. I keep trying and trying and finally gave up and without thinking, sat back, somewhat out of breath and said, "I can't do it." The little girl held the move, leg in the air and her little face looking up at me while I sit there being a big baby, says to me, "YES YOU CAN! You CAN do it, Trish!" Yeah, she seriously did. I honestly cannot make this stuff up. So, what do I do? I pick up my crap and leave class. KIDDING! I spent the rest of the class doing it all the best I could.
Fast forward a couple days when we are helping my grandpa move into his apartment. I could barely walk. We were walking up and down stairs, carrying stuff and my ENTIRE body, except my fingers HURT. Bad. Remember my jean-hiking dad? Well, he finally inquired as to my herky jerky movement and asked if I had a hard workout recently. I told him about the breakdancing snafu, blah blah blah. And here is the wisdom I receive from jean-hiking dad, "shit, Trish, you aren't sixteen anymore!" Really, dad? Really? Mr. Obvious.
Again, there I go, putting myself out there trying something new. It still took a couple more days to recover, but I sure as crap didn't sign up for breakdancing lessons.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you thinking about taking breakdancing, until next time...
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Hiatus. Bunk.
This previous week, Tyson got hand, foot and mouth disease. Yay. Everyone at daycare ended up with it, too. Yay. Well, before we knew what it was, I was kissing him like normal (as if anything could keep me from kissing him). For the second time in my adult life, I got hand, foot and mouth. Yay. I started the week off strong, working out everyday, then by Thursday, I couldn't do it. My throat was so incredibly sore and I was exhausted. I took Thursday off. Then, I got worse and ended up taking Friday off, too. For good measure, I took Saturday off as well. This was the longest I had gone without working out in a LOOOOOOONNNNNNNNG time. And of course I was watching what I was eating. No, not really. I was just eating whatever sounded good because nothing did sound good and I was just hungry and tired.
After taking three days off, I decided to start week 10 of TurboFire all over again. I started the week off wrong anyway because I apparently forgot how to read the fricken schedule in all of this. So, I'm still back at it, doing my thing as I started off last week.
What is funny, and maybe this was because I wasn't feeling well, is that while I was eating whatever and not doing any workouts is that I didn't feel like I missed being like that at all. I don't miss eating crap. Well, maybe a little at times. I sure didn't miss not working out. Did you get that? Good! It felt really weird not working out and not being conscientious about what I ate. My new normal is what I have become. I like it! I do like having something to look forward to in a workout and knowing how good I am going to feel afterwards.
So, if you miss a couple or a few days of your workout. So what? If you stray from the beaten path for a bit, so what? The important thing is that you get back up and get on with it. Refocus yourself and realign your goals. Maybe you needed a hiatus to stay motivated? Maybe you needed those extra cookies and burgers to realize that you don't really miss it? Get back with it! Stick with it!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you that weren't thinking about cookies until now, until next time...
After taking three days off, I decided to start week 10 of TurboFire all over again. I started the week off wrong anyway because I apparently forgot how to read the fricken schedule in all of this. So, I'm still back at it, doing my thing as I started off last week.
What is funny, and maybe this was because I wasn't feeling well, is that while I was eating whatever and not doing any workouts is that I didn't feel like I missed being like that at all. I don't miss eating crap. Well, maybe a little at times. I sure didn't miss not working out. Did you get that? Good! It felt really weird not working out and not being conscientious about what I ate. My new normal is what I have become. I like it! I do like having something to look forward to in a workout and knowing how good I am going to feel afterwards.
So, if you miss a couple or a few days of your workout. So what? If you stray from the beaten path for a bit, so what? The important thing is that you get back up and get on with it. Refocus yourself and realign your goals. Maybe you needed a hiatus to stay motivated? Maybe you needed those extra cookies and burgers to realize that you don't really miss it? Get back with it! Stick with it!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you that weren't thinking about cookies until now, until next time...
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Setting Yourself Up for SUCCESS!!!!!!
I am confident that because I can make a workout routine work in my busy life, that YOU can do so, also! There are many components to being successful in your journey and accomplishing your goals, but if you can start with a strong foundation, you can do it!
If you are still trying to figure out what kind of workout to do and live in a changing climate, there's good news here! The weather is nice enough to walk. Walking doesn't require any extra equipment or videos. Most of you have a decent pair of shoes to start hitting the streets! Set a small goal for yourself and put it somewhere where it can be seen. For example, if your goal is to be more active, then set four days a week to make it a point to get out and walk. Four days a week isn't too much. You will still have three days a week to not do anything. Mark the walking days on a calendar where you can see it. Set the time. Make walking like you are going to meet someone for dinner. In other words, make plans to walk and keep the commitment like you would anything else. Set yourself up for success, choose a time that works for YOU to get your activity in. Make it a priority.
Follow through with your goals. I've said before that to START SMALL means to break it down into manageable bits. Start with four times a week for four weeks. If, after four weeks, you aren't feeling the love of walking or being more active, then after you have completed week four, you can push on to something different! You aren't tied down to one type of exercise, you have the freedom to choose what you want to do.
Maybe you want to join a gym because it helps you to get away from the house? There are many gym options available these days. You now have the option to go 24 hours a day. What a novel idea!! Or, check out your local community center and see if they have a weight/cardio room. These can be great for just starting out because some of these centers don't require a monthly membership and you can pay by the visit. Check out your local parks and recreation programs. They can offer different classes to try at a very reasonable cost. I got a lot of exposure to different types of workouts by signing up for different classes. If I wasn't fond of a particular class, it was usually only four weeks per session, so I knew it wasn't going to be forever. Taking one class that meets once a week for an hour can take care of one of the four activities in your goal. Find your niche! Find what you like to do and do it!!!!
After you have reached your goal, set a new one. Make it manageable. Example: if your goal is to lose weight, set a long-term goal to lose 40 pounds, but break it down to lose 8 pounds per month. Keep revisiting the goals. Make sure your goals are within your means, but also be sure to push yourself a little as well. Before you know it, you will be checking your goals off you list!!!
Tell yourself: I CAN do this! I CAN succeed! I CAN reach my goals!! I know you can do it all!!!!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you getting busy on your goals, until next time...
If you are still trying to figure out what kind of workout to do and live in a changing climate, there's good news here! The weather is nice enough to walk. Walking doesn't require any extra equipment or videos. Most of you have a decent pair of shoes to start hitting the streets! Set a small goal for yourself and put it somewhere where it can be seen. For example, if your goal is to be more active, then set four days a week to make it a point to get out and walk. Four days a week isn't too much. You will still have three days a week to not do anything. Mark the walking days on a calendar where you can see it. Set the time. Make walking like you are going to meet someone for dinner. In other words, make plans to walk and keep the commitment like you would anything else. Set yourself up for success, choose a time that works for YOU to get your activity in. Make it a priority.
Follow through with your goals. I've said before that to START SMALL means to break it down into manageable bits. Start with four times a week for four weeks. If, after four weeks, you aren't feeling the love of walking or being more active, then after you have completed week four, you can push on to something different! You aren't tied down to one type of exercise, you have the freedom to choose what you want to do.
Maybe you want to join a gym because it helps you to get away from the house? There are many gym options available these days. You now have the option to go 24 hours a day. What a novel idea!! Or, check out your local community center and see if they have a weight/cardio room. These can be great for just starting out because some of these centers don't require a monthly membership and you can pay by the visit. Check out your local parks and recreation programs. They can offer different classes to try at a very reasonable cost. I got a lot of exposure to different types of workouts by signing up for different classes. If I wasn't fond of a particular class, it was usually only four weeks per session, so I knew it wasn't going to be forever. Taking one class that meets once a week for an hour can take care of one of the four activities in your goal. Find your niche! Find what you like to do and do it!!!!
After you have reached your goal, set a new one. Make it manageable. Example: if your goal is to lose weight, set a long-term goal to lose 40 pounds, but break it down to lose 8 pounds per month. Keep revisiting the goals. Make sure your goals are within your means, but also be sure to push yourself a little as well. Before you know it, you will be checking your goals off you list!!!
Tell yourself: I CAN do this! I CAN succeed! I CAN reach my goals!! I know you can do it all!!!!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you getting busy on your goals, until next time...
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
The Joys of Home Ownership
The last time I was hitting the gym hard was about 5 years ago. I was doing great, feeling pretty good and exceeding my own expectations. That summer, Brett and our brother in law were preparing to go on a trip to Montana. It was the night before they were to depart and I was doing laundry. I turned the washer on and went upstairs to the kitchen to do a few things. As I was busy with the kitchen stuff, after about 10 minutes, I could REALLY hear the washing machine. I thought and said out loud, "wow! The washing machine sounds really loud right now, like running water... oh crap!" I ran downstairs to find that a hose had broken loose and was spraying water EVERYWHERE in the laundry room.
I yelled for Brett to come down. He and I cleaned up the mess as best as we could and he reattached the hose. I kept on with the laundry. The hose came off again. Again, we cleaned up the mess. He again reattached the hose. Since there was carpet down in our laundry room at the time, we both agreed that I would have to take that out the next day because it would smell by the time he returned. At this point, it was about midnight and they were leaving in a few hours. Went to bed, slept it off. I woke up bright and early and started chopping up the carpet and the half of the carpet pad that was down there.
Do you have any idea how heavy wet carpet is? Let me tell you that it was so incredibly heavy, awkward and being a do-it-myselfer that I am, did it by myself. The back of the carpet was so rough and it scratched and scraped my arms and legs so bad. It looked like I got into a fight with a cat using sandpaper as a weapon.
Carpet and padding hauled to the curb, laundry started AGAIN. I mopped and was going to put away the knives and blades I used in the garage. Came back down to finish up to find the washer had broken free AGAIN. Water everywhere. AGAIN. This time, I called my jean hiking dad to help get it reattached. He came, he saw the carpet and asked why in the hell I didn't call for help. My response: I don't know. Ha!! That one day was a superb workout minus the part where I broke down, fell to my knees, started crying and cussing up a storm that was not suitable for many adults. Wait! I didn't tell you that part?!?! Hmm, must have forgotten!!!
I have also been known to shovel rocks into a wheelbarrow and haul rocks to the backyard. I have also been known to load big pieces of concrete into the same wheelbarrow to haul it uphill to the driveway. Both excellent workouts. Multitasking once again at its finest!!
We do need to put more rock in our backyard. I intend to replace a workout or two with this activity. I'm kind of looking forward to it. I'm a sick puppy. I'm okay with that though!!!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you trying to figure out which home projects can be good workouts, until next time...
I yelled for Brett to come down. He and I cleaned up the mess as best as we could and he reattached the hose. I kept on with the laundry. The hose came off again. Again, we cleaned up the mess. He again reattached the hose. Since there was carpet down in our laundry room at the time, we both agreed that I would have to take that out the next day because it would smell by the time he returned. At this point, it was about midnight and they were leaving in a few hours. Went to bed, slept it off. I woke up bright and early and started chopping up the carpet and the half of the carpet pad that was down there.
Do you have any idea how heavy wet carpet is? Let me tell you that it was so incredibly heavy, awkward and being a do-it-myselfer that I am, did it by myself. The back of the carpet was so rough and it scratched and scraped my arms and legs so bad. It looked like I got into a fight with a cat using sandpaper as a weapon.
Carpet and padding hauled to the curb, laundry started AGAIN. I mopped and was going to put away the knives and blades I used in the garage. Came back down to finish up to find the washer had broken free AGAIN. Water everywhere. AGAIN. This time, I called my jean hiking dad to help get it reattached. He came, he saw the carpet and asked why in the hell I didn't call for help. My response: I don't know. Ha!! That one day was a superb workout minus the part where I broke down, fell to my knees, started crying and cussing up a storm that was not suitable for many adults. Wait! I didn't tell you that part?!?! Hmm, must have forgotten!!!
I have also been known to shovel rocks into a wheelbarrow and haul rocks to the backyard. I have also been known to load big pieces of concrete into the same wheelbarrow to haul it uphill to the driveway. Both excellent workouts. Multitasking once again at its finest!!
We do need to put more rock in our backyard. I intend to replace a workout or two with this activity. I'm kind of looking forward to it. I'm a sick puppy. I'm okay with that though!!!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you trying to figure out which home projects can be good workouts, until next time...
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Million Dollar Idea
I am almost done with 12 weeks of TurboFire. I have almost every single workout memorized. Not only have I memorized the moves, but I know EXACTLY what Chalene is going to say before she says it. It reminds me of watching "Encino Man" and knowing all the dialogue and saying it the entire movie.
So, now that I know what she is going to say, I have also heard the words: rotator cuff, abductors, spinea erector and IT band more times than I can count amongst other new vocabulary. So, what if someone came up with workouts that had "lesson plans"??? For example, let's say you wanted to learn about dinosaurs, you could get a TurboFire workout with dinosaur facts and such built right in. I wouldn't mind a lesson plan based on my entire semester of government my senior year in high school. No aptitude for that, but if I listened to it over and over again, I think I might get it. I like it! It would be a new way to multi-task!!!!! Chew on THAT!
Okay, moving on. I now fast forward through the extreme warning that precedes every TurboFire workout. I DID read it the first time around and it actually scared me. It says if you feel discomfort, nausea, pain, etc, to discontinue the workout. It states that TurboFire is not for everyone and you should consult a doctor before beginning this workout. What's funny is that most doctors don't know about the newest workouts available out there, so how in the world are they going to help you if they don't know? I can understand that someone with heart problems may be limited in what they should be doing, but if you don't even know what type of workout it is, how are you going to give advice on it. I know, I know, it is a disclaimer on ALL workouts, but seriously. I have heard that Insanity has a similar warning before each workout, too. So, I look forward to getting the crap scared out of me once again.
Choosing the right workout can be kind of tough, but you have to start somewhere. With START SMALL, start with the stuff you already know how to do. Like walking, for example. Walk at a fast pace for a certain amount of minutes and increase both the speed and time until you need to move to something else or are able to jog. It IS that simple. If you have a bike, get that puppy a tune-up and get on it! You can get an inexpensive speedometer that will help gauge where you are in your intensity. The important thing is to continue to challenge yourself. Be brave!!! Jump to it! (literally if you have good knees, figuratively if you have bad knees)
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you thinking about making a workout video with dinosaur facts in subliminal messages, until next time...
So, now that I know what she is going to say, I have also heard the words: rotator cuff, abductors, spinea erector and IT band more times than I can count amongst other new vocabulary. So, what if someone came up with workouts that had "lesson plans"??? For example, let's say you wanted to learn about dinosaurs, you could get a TurboFire workout with dinosaur facts and such built right in. I wouldn't mind a lesson plan based on my entire semester of government my senior year in high school. No aptitude for that, but if I listened to it over and over again, I think I might get it. I like it! It would be a new way to multi-task!!!!! Chew on THAT!
Okay, moving on. I now fast forward through the extreme warning that precedes every TurboFire workout. I DID read it the first time around and it actually scared me. It says if you feel discomfort, nausea, pain, etc, to discontinue the workout. It states that TurboFire is not for everyone and you should consult a doctor before beginning this workout. What's funny is that most doctors don't know about the newest workouts available out there, so how in the world are they going to help you if they don't know? I can understand that someone with heart problems may be limited in what they should be doing, but if you don't even know what type of workout it is, how are you going to give advice on it. I know, I know, it is a disclaimer on ALL workouts, but seriously. I have heard that Insanity has a similar warning before each workout, too. So, I look forward to getting the crap scared out of me once again.
Choosing the right workout can be kind of tough, but you have to start somewhere. With START SMALL, start with the stuff you already know how to do. Like walking, for example. Walk at a fast pace for a certain amount of minutes and increase both the speed and time until you need to move to something else or are able to jog. It IS that simple. If you have a bike, get that puppy a tune-up and get on it! You can get an inexpensive speedometer that will help gauge where you are in your intensity. The important thing is to continue to challenge yourself. Be brave!!! Jump to it! (literally if you have good knees, figuratively if you have bad knees)
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you thinking about making a workout video with dinosaur facts in subliminal messages, until next time...
Friday, April 13, 2012
People are funny
People are funny. And I don't mean "ha ha" funny, I mean they can be ridiculous, intrusive and exasperating. From time to time, people have asked me if I am pregnant. The first couple of times this happened, I got rid of a lot of shirts and never wore the longer flowy shirts again. My response to them was "no. I'm just fat. Thanks." The dialogue to follow was never a sincere apology or even an insincere one. The person usually tried to justify their asking. I don't know about you, but I sure wouldn't even ask a woman if she were pregnant even if I was 99% sure that she was. It is just something you don't do. Alas, people still do it.
It hasn't happened to me in a long time, thankfully, but I'm pretty sure my snippiness about the topic made people think. I started responding to people with "since when do pregnant women look like they are harboring a baby anaconda? Last time I checked, the belly should be round and somewhat hard. This, (as I would grab my gut, squeezing it and shaking it a bit) is NOT a baby belly, unless I'm going to give birth to a baby anaconda sometime soon." Yeah, I really did say that. More than once. Not my proudest moments. I tend to have a problem with handling things with an amount of grace that saves me from looking like an a-hole because I get so worked up and let things slide until I can't take it anymore. Character flaw. Or it is the trait of my dad. Maybe both. You decide.
Another "funny" type I encounter are those that don't know what else to say so they say things that come off insincere or condescending. Seriously, the "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" rule is a good one to keep in your back pocket. Be sincere. Say what you mean and mean what you say. It works better for everyone involved.
Another "funny" type is the intrusive one. I have a family member that is extremely intrusive and overly opinionated when it comes to topics that are none of his/her business. Things that shouldn't bother me, end up making me feel deflated and angry. Now, I just avoid her and distance myself more and more. Things are definitely a lot easier without people trying to pull you down.
I learned a while ago, but later in life, from an awesome friend to "speak out of love." Meaning, when people tick you off, as much as you want to put them in their place, you should only do so out of love for that person, not out of spite.Now, I admit, I have a hard time with this general rule of thumb, but I can honestly say that it has helped me in my personal life and family relationships because I remind myself to speak out of love for that person instead of anger towards that person. It actually does help if you truly love and care for that person to begin with. I can't help you there, sorry.
There are quite a few people in my life with whom I am close that are negative. Oddly enough, the relationships I have with them are positive and healthy, but their attitudes are negative towards many many many things. Sitting here typing, I can't think of much positive that these people say in a day. Surprisingly, this has not had much of an affect on me. Maybe it is because I am hoping they will "catch on" to my trend and be more positive? I don't know. No, I'm not trying to change them either or make them my mission, but I want to lead by example. Don't get me wrong, you get me on a tirade about receiving the wrong car part or a nasty person trying to bring me down, I WILL unleash. I just try to not be like this every moment of every day.
I saw on a post by my sister in law that my mother in law had told her: Everyday we meet people we want to be like and people we don't want to be like. All that matters at the end of the day when I look in the mirror is that I am who I want to be.
I agree with this post. I think it is great. I do however think that there is always room for improvement. There is always a way to make yourself better. A different way of thinking, a different way of coping, a different way of reacting, a different way to do anything. Another START SMALL task. What can you do?
With that thought, I'm signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you with suggestions of what to name my baby anaconda, until next time...
It hasn't happened to me in a long time, thankfully, but I'm pretty sure my snippiness about the topic made people think. I started responding to people with "since when do pregnant women look like they are harboring a baby anaconda? Last time I checked, the belly should be round and somewhat hard. This, (as I would grab my gut, squeezing it and shaking it a bit) is NOT a baby belly, unless I'm going to give birth to a baby anaconda sometime soon." Yeah, I really did say that. More than once. Not my proudest moments. I tend to have a problem with handling things with an amount of grace that saves me from looking like an a-hole because I get so worked up and let things slide until I can't take it anymore. Character flaw. Or it is the trait of my dad. Maybe both. You decide.
Another "funny" type I encounter are those that don't know what else to say so they say things that come off insincere or condescending. Seriously, the "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" rule is a good one to keep in your back pocket. Be sincere. Say what you mean and mean what you say. It works better for everyone involved.
Another "funny" type is the intrusive one. I have a family member that is extremely intrusive and overly opinionated when it comes to topics that are none of his/her business. Things that shouldn't bother me, end up making me feel deflated and angry. Now, I just avoid her and distance myself more and more. Things are definitely a lot easier without people trying to pull you down.
I learned a while ago, but later in life, from an awesome friend to "speak out of love." Meaning, when people tick you off, as much as you want to put them in their place, you should only do so out of love for that person, not out of spite.Now, I admit, I have a hard time with this general rule of thumb, but I can honestly say that it has helped me in my personal life and family relationships because I remind myself to speak out of love for that person instead of anger towards that person. It actually does help if you truly love and care for that person to begin with. I can't help you there, sorry.
There are quite a few people in my life with whom I am close that are negative. Oddly enough, the relationships I have with them are positive and healthy, but their attitudes are negative towards many many many things. Sitting here typing, I can't think of much positive that these people say in a day. Surprisingly, this has not had much of an affect on me. Maybe it is because I am hoping they will "catch on" to my trend and be more positive? I don't know. No, I'm not trying to change them either or make them my mission, but I want to lead by example. Don't get me wrong, you get me on a tirade about receiving the wrong car part or a nasty person trying to bring me down, I WILL unleash. I just try to not be like this every moment of every day.
I saw on a post by my sister in law that my mother in law had told her: Everyday we meet people we want to be like and people we don't want to be like. All that matters at the end of the day when I look in the mirror is that I am who I want to be.
I agree with this post. I think it is great. I do however think that there is always room for improvement. There is always a way to make yourself better. A different way of thinking, a different way of coping, a different way of reacting, a different way to do anything. Another START SMALL task. What can you do?
With that thought, I'm signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you with suggestions of what to name my baby anaconda, until next time...
Monday, April 9, 2012
Work!
I know a lot of you that read my blog work in an office setting where food days, potluck days, or as I like to call them, grazing days, are commonplace. I used to love these days. You know, you walk around all day, looking for food, overeating and feeling disgusting by the time you leave work?
Unfortunately last year during two of the food days, I accidentally ingested some sort of nut. Had the fat lips and itchy mouth and thankfully I had some quick dissolve Benadryl strips on hand both times. I bowed out of food days permanently after the second time. Now, I know that many of you don't have nut allergies, but I will tell you that five years ago when I was on the path to losing weight, I gracefully declined to participate in these grazing days. I felt that if I didn't bring anything, I didn't have a right to make a hog of myself and trough-out. I didn't even feel like I could make a little piggy of myself and nibble on anything that was out there. Because I didn't contribute, I didn't feel like I could eat the food. This was incredibly helpful in staying on track. Some people feel funny about saying no to participating in such gatherings at work because it may appear to be snobbish by not participating and partaking. My thought is that I am going to do what is best for me and it is best for me to stay away from naughty food.
Once a month at work (if not more), we all take turns bringing in some sort of treat for the office. I usually pick bagels and reduced fat cream cheese as do many of the others. Of course, someone has to make brownies, salsa con queso with meat and tortilla chips, Russian tea cake (I think that's what it's called), scotcheroos, cupcakes, homemade salted nut rolls and the occasional box of Casey's frosted sugar cookies. Sigh, I'm a SUCKER for frosted sugar cookies. I love them. Love them. Love them. Yum. Sigh. Unless it has peanuts or some sort of nuts, I'm all about those treats. Dammit. At least it is only once a month and the naughty snacks aren't more than once a month. I would be in trouble.
I have said that I keep healthy snacks at my desk. And I really do. I keep a small pantry there. It lessens the chances that I am going to go and get something quick and unhealthy when I'm hungry. I also take my lunch to work. I realize that this is not possible for everyone and that eating cold sandwiches can be boring and actually force you to binge on things that aren't as good for you. If you are a habitual out-for-lunch eater, try taking your lunch a few times a week. Utilize leftovers, if you have a microwave available at work. Not only can you portion it out ahead of time, you also know what is in your meal that you prepared yourself.
I mentioned that I utilize work breaks to take walks. I like these boosts of exercise throughout the day whenever it is possible. Almost everyday, I walk during my morning and afternoon breaks. Then, if it is really nice, I will eat my lunch quick and use the rest of my lunch to walk. You have heard people say to take the stairs and park farther away. I also think these are good small things to do during your day. Funny thing is that I take the elevator in the morning at work because I am usually carrying so much stuff and have wobbly legs from working out. I DO take the stairs the rest of the time. Most of the time. Ha! I don't generally park farther away because it is still dark when I get to work. I'd rather not have to walk across a dark parking lot first thing in the morning. Of course, if I am a little scared, I could turn that into a jog into the building! Well, now we are back to all the stuff I haul to work in the morning. Sigh. I'll keep you posted on that one.
Things you can do at work, especially if you have a job where you sit at a desk all day is keep good posture. Tighten your abs while you work. It will eventually come to the point where you don't have to think about it anymore.
If I start to feel a sleepy after staring at my computer screen for hours or if sitting in my chair starts to make my hips ache, I WILL get up and do a set of jumping jacks or set of squats. Gets the blood flowing and my mind rejuvenated. They don't take more than one minute, so it isn't like I'm spending incredible amounts of time doing things other than working. It helps me to be more productive.
Good luck to you to START SMALL! Make the changes! Be the changes! I don't even know what that means. That was ridiculous actually. But I'm not taking it off. Extemporaneous writing at its finest!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you that can't wait to get to work to try these out, until next time...
Unfortunately last year during two of the food days, I accidentally ingested some sort of nut. Had the fat lips and itchy mouth and thankfully I had some quick dissolve Benadryl strips on hand both times. I bowed out of food days permanently after the second time. Now, I know that many of you don't have nut allergies, but I will tell you that five years ago when I was on the path to losing weight, I gracefully declined to participate in these grazing days. I felt that if I didn't bring anything, I didn't have a right to make a hog of myself and trough-out. I didn't even feel like I could make a little piggy of myself and nibble on anything that was out there. Because I didn't contribute, I didn't feel like I could eat the food. This was incredibly helpful in staying on track. Some people feel funny about saying no to participating in such gatherings at work because it may appear to be snobbish by not participating and partaking. My thought is that I am going to do what is best for me and it is best for me to stay away from naughty food.
Once a month at work (if not more), we all take turns bringing in some sort of treat for the office. I usually pick bagels and reduced fat cream cheese as do many of the others. Of course, someone has to make brownies, salsa con queso with meat and tortilla chips, Russian tea cake (I think that's what it's called), scotcheroos, cupcakes, homemade salted nut rolls and the occasional box of Casey's frosted sugar cookies. Sigh, I'm a SUCKER for frosted sugar cookies. I love them. Love them. Love them. Yum. Sigh. Unless it has peanuts or some sort of nuts, I'm all about those treats. Dammit. At least it is only once a month and the naughty snacks aren't more than once a month. I would be in trouble.
I have said that I keep healthy snacks at my desk. And I really do. I keep a small pantry there. It lessens the chances that I am going to go and get something quick and unhealthy when I'm hungry. I also take my lunch to work. I realize that this is not possible for everyone and that eating cold sandwiches can be boring and actually force you to binge on things that aren't as good for you. If you are a habitual out-for-lunch eater, try taking your lunch a few times a week. Utilize leftovers, if you have a microwave available at work. Not only can you portion it out ahead of time, you also know what is in your meal that you prepared yourself.
I mentioned that I utilize work breaks to take walks. I like these boosts of exercise throughout the day whenever it is possible. Almost everyday, I walk during my morning and afternoon breaks. Then, if it is really nice, I will eat my lunch quick and use the rest of my lunch to walk. You have heard people say to take the stairs and park farther away. I also think these are good small things to do during your day. Funny thing is that I take the elevator in the morning at work because I am usually carrying so much stuff and have wobbly legs from working out. I DO take the stairs the rest of the time. Most of the time. Ha! I don't generally park farther away because it is still dark when I get to work. I'd rather not have to walk across a dark parking lot first thing in the morning. Of course, if I am a little scared, I could turn that into a jog into the building! Well, now we are back to all the stuff I haul to work in the morning. Sigh. I'll keep you posted on that one.
Things you can do at work, especially if you have a job where you sit at a desk all day is keep good posture. Tighten your abs while you work. It will eventually come to the point where you don't have to think about it anymore.
If I start to feel a sleepy after staring at my computer screen for hours or if sitting in my chair starts to make my hips ache, I WILL get up and do a set of jumping jacks or set of squats. Gets the blood flowing and my mind rejuvenated. They don't take more than one minute, so it isn't like I'm spending incredible amounts of time doing things other than working. It helps me to be more productive.
Good luck to you to START SMALL! Make the changes! Be the changes! I don't even know what that means. That was ridiculous actually. But I'm not taking it off. Extemporaneous writing at its finest!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you that can't wait to get to work to try these out, until next time...
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Yes, I have a neurologist. No, it is not for that.
I do have a neurologist and no it isn't to fix whatever is wrong with my brain and its inability to stay on task while I blog. That's something that isn't fixable. FYI. I have been plagued by headaches most of my life. They returned with a vengeance about eight months ago. After multiple visits to my wicked awesome neurologist, we have found a medication that works and actually allows me to lose weight. Hooray!!!
I think going to the neurologist is funny. I have to do a battery of tests each time that I compare to what I have seen on TV for field sobriety tests. I pass every time, although the thought to drink a forty of OE before I go has crossed my mind.
I am more focused than ever being nearly headache free. How many of us put off taking care of ourselves due to the inconvenience, the time or the thought of even adding one more thing to our lists? I know I have. I still do. But I also know what I put off these days does not inhibit my ability to drag my flabby ass outta bed at 4:15 in the morning. Should I put headaches on the back-burner of solution, my motivation would go down.
The equation is simple. A happy you + feeling good about yourself * the motivation you bring to yourself = x (all the great things you can achieve)
Cheesy as Chester Cheetah. I know. But it is true.
I'm not a big fan of excuses. There is no excuse for excuses. It boils down to you. No matter which way you cut it. Your failures and your successes are all you. Be proud of each. I think all successes follow great failures. Think about it. How many times did you whizz in your pants before you "got it" and started using the toilet? Same goes for crapping your pants. Hey, maybe you still do both from time to time, maybe because of laziness, lack of control or just for fun. Any way you roll, I'm not here to judge what you do in your underwear. Anyhoo, thinking about failures before successes: how many times did you fail tests to realize what you needed to do to get a better grade? How many times did you burn your supper until you got it right? How many "bad" jobs did you take before you took the right one? How many friends did you lose before you figured out how to treat people? The list goes on and on.
How many roles do you fill in a day? Example for me: I'm wife, mother, daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, sister-in-law, coworker, tutor, friend, niece, cousin, granddaughter and wicked awesome blogger (right? right!). Again, another list that could go longer if I thought more about it. Point is, right there, those are pretty great successes for me, too. No one has disowned me... yet. I figure I can't be all of that without some sort of success. I guess you could add the prefix of "shitty" to each one and the effect is wrecked. Touche. Touche. Let's pretend I didn't type that "shitty" part.
If you have made it this far in life and are reading my blog, you have a lot to be proud of. START SMALL and work your way up to find all of your amazing successes. I can only hope that this journey of being thinner and healthier is going to be one of my amazing success stories. Lord knows I have failed quite a few times at this stuff. Hopefully I'm getting it right this time around.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you trying to not be the shittiest you can be, until next time...
I think going to the neurologist is funny. I have to do a battery of tests each time that I compare to what I have seen on TV for field sobriety tests. I pass every time, although the thought to drink a forty of OE before I go has crossed my mind.
I am more focused than ever being nearly headache free. How many of us put off taking care of ourselves due to the inconvenience, the time or the thought of even adding one more thing to our lists? I know I have. I still do. But I also know what I put off these days does not inhibit my ability to drag my flabby ass outta bed at 4:15 in the morning. Should I put headaches on the back-burner of solution, my motivation would go down.
The equation is simple. A happy you + feeling good about yourself * the motivation you bring to yourself = x (all the great things you can achieve)
Cheesy as Chester Cheetah. I know. But it is true.
I'm not a big fan of excuses. There is no excuse for excuses. It boils down to you. No matter which way you cut it. Your failures and your successes are all you. Be proud of each. I think all successes follow great failures. Think about it. How many times did you whizz in your pants before you "got it" and started using the toilet? Same goes for crapping your pants. Hey, maybe you still do both from time to time, maybe because of laziness, lack of control or just for fun. Any way you roll, I'm not here to judge what you do in your underwear. Anyhoo, thinking about failures before successes: how many times did you fail tests to realize what you needed to do to get a better grade? How many times did you burn your supper until you got it right? How many "bad" jobs did you take before you took the right one? How many friends did you lose before you figured out how to treat people? The list goes on and on.
How many roles do you fill in a day? Example for me: I'm wife, mother, daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, sister-in-law, coworker, tutor, friend, niece, cousin, granddaughter and wicked awesome blogger (right? right!). Again, another list that could go longer if I thought more about it. Point is, right there, those are pretty great successes for me, too. No one has disowned me... yet. I figure I can't be all of that without some sort of success. I guess you could add the prefix of "shitty" to each one and the effect is wrecked. Touche. Touche. Let's pretend I didn't type that "shitty" part.
If you have made it this far in life and are reading my blog, you have a lot to be proud of. START SMALL and work your way up to find all of your amazing successes. I can only hope that this journey of being thinner and healthier is going to be one of my amazing success stories. Lord knows I have failed quite a few times at this stuff. Hopefully I'm getting it right this time around.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you trying to not be the shittiest you can be, until next time...
Monday, April 2, 2012
Change it up!!!!
Sometimes I find it hard to stick with the same workout (or type) day after day after day after day. I have some sort of inability to keep it going WELL enough where I get something out of it. I lose motivation and drive when it gets monotonous. Not only does my mind get bored, my body does, too. The point where the workouts get too easy or I feel like I could do the workout without the video, that is the point where I need to change it up.
I have listed in previous posts the various things I do to workout. Sometimes, it is just as simple as swapping out an evening workout with a nice long and brisk walk. I feel like I'm doing my body a favor by using different muscles and letting the ones I continuously use, take a break.
I have been having trouble with my abs. I have never had this much trouble before, using and strengthening and actually feeling sore from ab work. I can only pinpoint the issue to one thing and that would be the c-section. TurboFire has a couple of different abdominal and core workouts that I do, but even if I do them slowly and at my own pace, I hardly feel anything except for when I am actually doing it and I am swearing and whisper screaming. (This is when Brett is hollering down the stairs, "you okay, honey?!" I reply, "yeah! Abs." He responds, "Okay. Well, don't hurt yourself!") So, I am going to change it up and see if other ab workouts that I own can do the trick. I'm weird like that where I NEED to feel sore in my abs to know it is working. Otherwise, I could be using my back muscles and with have a nice Quasimodo hump before I know it. So, I'm going to go back to START SMALL and see what I can do.
I'm already contemplating my next move after TurboFire and I really want to do Insanity. I have built up the confidence to tackle what I used to believe was impossible for me. Then, I also think about bumping it up to the advanced TurboFire or adding ChaLean Extreme and mixing that in with TurboFire. Orrrr going for another round of TurboFire because I now know what to expect. Or even reuniting with Billy and his newer TaeBo series. Reunited and it feels so good!!! I go back and forth and really don't know what to do. I've got a few more weeks before a decision has to be made and if I need to contact my BeachBody Rep or what I'm going to do. Decisions, decisions, decisions.
If I choose something other than TurboFire, I will be back to START SMALL again. I'm okay with that. All of this is now just a part of my life and how I roll that it just feels natural now.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you trying to get that "reunited" song out of your head, until next time...
I have listed in previous posts the various things I do to workout. Sometimes, it is just as simple as swapping out an evening workout with a nice long and brisk walk. I feel like I'm doing my body a favor by using different muscles and letting the ones I continuously use, take a break.
I have been having trouble with my abs. I have never had this much trouble before, using and strengthening and actually feeling sore from ab work. I can only pinpoint the issue to one thing and that would be the c-section. TurboFire has a couple of different abdominal and core workouts that I do, but even if I do them slowly and at my own pace, I hardly feel anything except for when I am actually doing it and I am swearing and whisper screaming. (This is when Brett is hollering down the stairs, "you okay, honey?!" I reply, "yeah! Abs." He responds, "Okay. Well, don't hurt yourself!") So, I am going to change it up and see if other ab workouts that I own can do the trick. I'm weird like that where I NEED to feel sore in my abs to know it is working. Otherwise, I could be using my back muscles and with have a nice Quasimodo hump before I know it. So, I'm going to go back to START SMALL and see what I can do.
I'm already contemplating my next move after TurboFire and I really want to do Insanity. I have built up the confidence to tackle what I used to believe was impossible for me. Then, I also think about bumping it up to the advanced TurboFire or adding ChaLean Extreme and mixing that in with TurboFire. Orrrr going for another round of TurboFire because I now know what to expect. Or even reuniting with Billy and his newer TaeBo series. Reunited and it feels so good!!! I go back and forth and really don't know what to do. I've got a few more weeks before a decision has to be made and if I need to contact my BeachBody Rep or what I'm going to do. Decisions, decisions, decisions.
If I choose something other than TurboFire, I will be back to START SMALL again. I'm okay with that. All of this is now just a part of my life and how I roll that it just feels natural now.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you trying to get that "reunited" song out of your head, until next time...
The Drive You Don't Know You Have
Since starting this blog, I have been sought out by multiple family members and friends about ideas, suggestions and advice on what to do to START SMALL. Depending on the person and my own, non-professional, but experienced in the home workouts knowledge, I usually recommend starting with Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. I like it because it covers a lot of muscle groups in a shorter amount of time. Perfect to START SMALL. Moreover, it is inexpensive and there are three different levels, so you can work your way up.
For most people, it isn't WHAT to do, but HOW to do it and KEEP doing it. I would like to think that all the people that have asked for my advice are serious about starting something up because they see me as someone more like them and can see me achieving goals and making it work with my busy schedule. Some may need someone to just show them something they might like to get them going. I wouldn't have found TurboFire if my old friend hadn't suggested it. (Thank you, again!!!)
I have one particular family member that quite a few years ago was working TWO full-time jobs. Wow. That is serious dedication and drive right there. This person hardly slept and when this person did, she was out. This person was known to be so deep in sleep and carry on a conversation where you couldn't tell that she really wasn't awake. You would tell her to go back to sleep and minutes later, she would be frantic trying to remember if she had done what she was supposed to do before she fell asleep the first time. Did you catch all that? Good.
This brings me to my first point. Sleep. Sleep is so incredibly important to staying motivated. Think about it. When you get less and less sleep every night, do you find it harder and harder to concentrate and stay on task? Eventually, I give up and give in to resting up. With plenty of rest, you already have one excuse to NOT use. With plenty of rest, you are probably more likely to get up and do something for yourself. With plenty of rest, you are able to execute workouts better and avoid injuries. With plenty of rest, you are less likely to become ill. With plenty of rest, you are more likely to stay motivated and focused. Keep the sleeping part in the back of your mind while you read the next part.
Okay, back to my sleep-deprived family member. Alright, so after doing this working two jobs thing for quite some time, I visited this family member one day. I happened to notice that the latest Windor Pilates set was sitting on her counter, unopened. Me, being a junkie on infomercials even back then, asked about it with a certain sense of jealousy. This is how the conversation went:
Me: You got Windsor Pilates?!?!?!?!
Family Member: Oh, boy, did I.
M: You have tried it already???
F: Umm, no. Here's what happened. You know how I fall asleep on the couch after work and stay there sometimes until 3 or 4 in the morning with the TV on?
M: Uh-huh...
F: So, about a week ago, I was asleep on the couch. I woke up and the TV was on and just couldn't shake Windsor Pilates out of my mind. I kept thinking how great it was for my body and how wonderful of a workout it was, so I turned off the TV and went to bed.
M: Uh-huh...
F: The next morning, I get up only to find my purse with my credit card out sitting by the phone. I was thinking that there is no way I actually ordered that! Today, there was a package on the front steps and it was confirmation that I had ordered it in my sleep.
M: (uncontrolled laughter)
Remember what I said about sleep? Put that in your back pocket. I want to also mention that before this family member quit her second job, she also ordered the Ab Roller in her sleep. I actually got to try this one out for a while, not bad, but not stellar, either.
Anyway, this family member has asked me about what she should do to START SMALL. No, I did NOT tell her to bust out the Windsor Pilates or the Ab Roller. I think she has the drive to get herself into the workout mode, just doesn't know where to begin. Hello?! She ordered workout stuff in her sleep! If she could have gotten herself to actually workout in her sleep, you can color me jealous as hell. I have always said I would love it if someone would come and move my arms and legs while I slept. Sounds perfect to me. She may have the drive, but she just needs the motivation and discipline to get it done. I believe she does have it and can do it, if she just gets herself into the habit of doing it. If she does like Chalene says and makes her workouts non-negotiable, she will be just fine!! DO YOU HEAR ME?!?! I know you do. :)
I recommended Jillian to this family member to do. It might be a little bit of a challenge, but I am confident in her ability to do it because she is pretty active already and I really think she could handle it since she is in good physical shape. Again, DO YOU HEAR ME?! YOU CAN DO THIS?!
As a side note, if you do start a workout that is on DVD, I strongly recommend watching it and go through the motions at least once before jumping in. This should help you to know what to expect and to avoid injury. TurboFire has a "New To Class" feature that pauses the actual workout to show the breakdown. Most DVDs do not have this feature.
START SMALL. Plan your workout. Sleep well. Execute your plan. YOU CAN DO IT!!!!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you wondering if this is a true story, yes, my friends, it is indeed a true story and until next time...
For most people, it isn't WHAT to do, but HOW to do it and KEEP doing it. I would like to think that all the people that have asked for my advice are serious about starting something up because they see me as someone more like them and can see me achieving goals and making it work with my busy schedule. Some may need someone to just show them something they might like to get them going. I wouldn't have found TurboFire if my old friend hadn't suggested it. (Thank you, again!!!)
I have one particular family member that quite a few years ago was working TWO full-time jobs. Wow. That is serious dedication and drive right there. This person hardly slept and when this person did, she was out. This person was known to be so deep in sleep and carry on a conversation where you couldn't tell that she really wasn't awake. You would tell her to go back to sleep and minutes later, she would be frantic trying to remember if she had done what she was supposed to do before she fell asleep the first time. Did you catch all that? Good.
This brings me to my first point. Sleep. Sleep is so incredibly important to staying motivated. Think about it. When you get less and less sleep every night, do you find it harder and harder to concentrate and stay on task? Eventually, I give up and give in to resting up. With plenty of rest, you already have one excuse to NOT use. With plenty of rest, you are probably more likely to get up and do something for yourself. With plenty of rest, you are able to execute workouts better and avoid injuries. With plenty of rest, you are less likely to become ill. With plenty of rest, you are more likely to stay motivated and focused. Keep the sleeping part in the back of your mind while you read the next part.
Okay, back to my sleep-deprived family member. Alright, so after doing this working two jobs thing for quite some time, I visited this family member one day. I happened to notice that the latest Windor Pilates set was sitting on her counter, unopened. Me, being a junkie on infomercials even back then, asked about it with a certain sense of jealousy. This is how the conversation went:
Me: You got Windsor Pilates?!?!?!?!
Family Member: Oh, boy, did I.
M: You have tried it already???
F: Umm, no. Here's what happened. You know how I fall asleep on the couch after work and stay there sometimes until 3 or 4 in the morning with the TV on?
M: Uh-huh...
F: So, about a week ago, I was asleep on the couch. I woke up and the TV was on and just couldn't shake Windsor Pilates out of my mind. I kept thinking how great it was for my body and how wonderful of a workout it was, so I turned off the TV and went to bed.
M: Uh-huh...
F: The next morning, I get up only to find my purse with my credit card out sitting by the phone. I was thinking that there is no way I actually ordered that! Today, there was a package on the front steps and it was confirmation that I had ordered it in my sleep.
M: (uncontrolled laughter)
Remember what I said about sleep? Put that in your back pocket. I want to also mention that before this family member quit her second job, she also ordered the Ab Roller in her sleep. I actually got to try this one out for a while, not bad, but not stellar, either.
Anyway, this family member has asked me about what she should do to START SMALL. No, I did NOT tell her to bust out the Windsor Pilates or the Ab Roller. I think she has the drive to get herself into the workout mode, just doesn't know where to begin. Hello?! She ordered workout stuff in her sleep! If she could have gotten herself to actually workout in her sleep, you can color me jealous as hell. I have always said I would love it if someone would come and move my arms and legs while I slept. Sounds perfect to me. She may have the drive, but she just needs the motivation and discipline to get it done. I believe she does have it and can do it, if she just gets herself into the habit of doing it. If she does like Chalene says and makes her workouts non-negotiable, she will be just fine!! DO YOU HEAR ME?!?! I know you do. :)
I recommended Jillian to this family member to do. It might be a little bit of a challenge, but I am confident in her ability to do it because she is pretty active already and I really think she could handle it since she is in good physical shape. Again, DO YOU HEAR ME?! YOU CAN DO THIS?!
As a side note, if you do start a workout that is on DVD, I strongly recommend watching it and go through the motions at least once before jumping in. This should help you to know what to expect and to avoid injury. TurboFire has a "New To Class" feature that pauses the actual workout to show the breakdown. Most DVDs do not have this feature.
START SMALL. Plan your workout. Sleep well. Execute your plan. YOU CAN DO IT!!!!
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you wondering if this is a true story, yes, my friends, it is indeed a true story and until next time...
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Fat Childhood...and then some
I was born a thin child. I have the pictures to prove it. Then, heredity took over. My parents, my dad 6'4" and a nice thick build and my mom, 5' on a good day with a little heel on her shoes and a very petite, thin build, made your favorite blogger. (That's me, by the way) Without using profanity and looking at this without sugar coating it, I was totally skull f*&(^d in the genes department. No, not the mom jeans, the other genes. I got my dad's build and my mom's height. Fab. My sister, on the other hand, got my dad's height and mom's build. What. The. Hell? She says, "well at least you have straight teeth!!" (yes, I just looked left, then right, then left again. She really does say that.) No, I don't blame my parents for my fattishness, it is just fun to poke at them a little bit. Hee hee.
Okay, my sister called me "fatso" a few times growing up and while it probably wasn't the nicest thing to say, you gotta appreciate the brutal honesty of a little sister. It
was true. Sigh. You know those tests they give you in school
at the beginning and the end of the school year where they measure your weight, height, BODY COMPOSITION, flexibility, ypu ran the mile, did pull-ups, push-ups and sit-ups? I would find myself devastated by the "results" of these types of tests, especially in elementary school. The problem was that not only did I feel like a failure, I wasn't taught how to "fix" the problem. So, what was the point of all of it? Well, in my loud opinion, there was no point. Without teaching me what I needed to do to be in a "good range," I was left dreading the test at the end of the year which was undoubtedly going to confirm that I was still a weak fatass. No, I'm not going to start protesting these tests in elementary schools. I'm just painting you a fatty picture of fatty me. My parents weren't into routine fitness back in the day, so I didn't have someone close by to guide me on what should be done or what to do with that information. Did I also mention that this being back in the day, my jean hiking dad would cook old school with bacon grease? He will tell you to this day, "but it tastes really good!" Umm,
yeah, dad, nothing like your lips glistening from grease. I'll stick with EVOO or cooking spray, thanks.
I struggled with chunkiness for a very very long time and even went a couple years of throwing my lunch away and having nothing but a Jammin' Berry Hi-C juice box once a day and choking down as little as possible at supper time. I got thin. People noticed. Boys noticed. I liked my thinner self, with the exception of the obsessiveness of staying thin.
Fast forward a few years and I pack on the pounds like I am saving up for a trip on an expedition trans-Antarctica.
Fast forward a couple years more and I start losing the weight thanks to the release of Tae-Bo. Thanks again, Billy for the wonderful mornings and some fantastic evenings. Raaaarrrr. This was the point where I had to stop because little did I know that the flab I was carrying around my waist, was also holding up my rather large chest. I recall going for a walk, barely making it back home because my back seized up on me (before cell phones were more than just using
them for emergencies on the road). I finally made it home and
immediately called my jean hiking dad and told him I wanted a breast reduction. He said okay, we will get it done. We did. God bless my jean hiking dad for calling insurance and finding out exactly what we needed to do.
Fast forward quite a few more years, I woke up one morning and decided to make changes. I signed up for water aerobics classes where I happened to be the youngest person there. I even got my mom to sign up for a session or two! What a supportive group - older women. Perfect! That class turned into twice a week, then I started getting braver and trying other classes, toning, yoga, weight training, aerobics, circuit training, step aerobics and my least favorite was a "dance" class that wasn't anything like dancing at all. What a waste. This time around, after all was said, but I wasn't done, I lost 42 pounds. Then, (here's the short version), I started feeling poorly, was diagnosed as being in ovarian failure/early menopause and ended up getting pregnant. Wow.
Fast forward another year plus a few months and I just decided to go for it again. I practiced my START SMALL philosophy
and ran with it, literally.
I am somewhat bothered by the charts at the doctors offices (or the wii fit that exclaims, "that's obese!" whenever i get on there) that tell you where you should be weight wise. I often wonder how every single person can fit into that chart given their genetic makeup and how, other than basic functions of your body, how someone other than yourself can be an expert on YOUR body. YOU have to figure out what is BEST for you and be your own expert.
I am still playing and trying to fine tune things for me. I know what I do and don't want for myself, so there's half the battle already won. I blog about what I do to spark ideas in you all and they are yours to leave or take. I know that it is easier for me to take suggestions from someone who is more like me rather than the person whom has more time to spare, more money and in a completely different place in their life. I can assure you that I am human, otherwise I think I would do a better job being me if I had superhuman abilities.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to my friend BK whom I met in water
aerobics, until next time...
Okay, my sister called me "fatso" a few times growing up and while it probably wasn't the nicest thing to say, you gotta appreciate the brutal honesty of a little sister. It
was true. Sigh. You know those tests they give you in school
at the beginning and the end of the school year where they measure your weight, height, BODY COMPOSITION, flexibility, ypu ran the mile, did pull-ups, push-ups and sit-ups? I would find myself devastated by the "results" of these types of tests, especially in elementary school. The problem was that not only did I feel like a failure, I wasn't taught how to "fix" the problem. So, what was the point of all of it? Well, in my loud opinion, there was no point. Without teaching me what I needed to do to be in a "good range," I was left dreading the test at the end of the year which was undoubtedly going to confirm that I was still a weak fatass. No, I'm not going to start protesting these tests in elementary schools. I'm just painting you a fatty picture of fatty me. My parents weren't into routine fitness back in the day, so I didn't have someone close by to guide me on what should be done or what to do with that information. Did I also mention that this being back in the day, my jean hiking dad would cook old school with bacon grease? He will tell you to this day, "but it tastes really good!" Umm,
yeah, dad, nothing like your lips glistening from grease. I'll stick with EVOO or cooking spray, thanks.
I struggled with chunkiness for a very very long time and even went a couple years of throwing my lunch away and having nothing but a Jammin' Berry Hi-C juice box once a day and choking down as little as possible at supper time. I got thin. People noticed. Boys noticed. I liked my thinner self, with the exception of the obsessiveness of staying thin.
Fast forward a few years and I pack on the pounds like I am saving up for a trip on an expedition trans-Antarctica.
Fast forward a couple years more and I start losing the weight thanks to the release of Tae-Bo. Thanks again, Billy for the wonderful mornings and some fantastic evenings. Raaaarrrr. This was the point where I had to stop because little did I know that the flab I was carrying around my waist, was also holding up my rather large chest. I recall going for a walk, barely making it back home because my back seized up on me (before cell phones were more than just using
them for emergencies on the road). I finally made it home and
immediately called my jean hiking dad and told him I wanted a breast reduction. He said okay, we will get it done. We did. God bless my jean hiking dad for calling insurance and finding out exactly what we needed to do.
Fast forward quite a few more years, I woke up one morning and decided to make changes. I signed up for water aerobics classes where I happened to be the youngest person there. I even got my mom to sign up for a session or two! What a supportive group - older women. Perfect! That class turned into twice a week, then I started getting braver and trying other classes, toning, yoga, weight training, aerobics, circuit training, step aerobics and my least favorite was a "dance" class that wasn't anything like dancing at all. What a waste. This time around, after all was said, but I wasn't done, I lost 42 pounds. Then, (here's the short version), I started feeling poorly, was diagnosed as being in ovarian failure/early menopause and ended up getting pregnant. Wow.
Fast forward another year plus a few months and I just decided to go for it again. I practiced my START SMALL philosophy
and ran with it, literally.
I am somewhat bothered by the charts at the doctors offices (or the wii fit that exclaims, "that's obese!" whenever i get on there) that tell you where you should be weight wise. I often wonder how every single person can fit into that chart given their genetic makeup and how, other than basic functions of your body, how someone other than yourself can be an expert on YOUR body. YOU have to figure out what is BEST for you and be your own expert.
I am still playing and trying to fine tune things for me. I know what I do and don't want for myself, so there's half the battle already won. I blog about what I do to spark ideas in you all and they are yours to leave or take. I know that it is easier for me to take suggestions from someone who is more like me rather than the person whom has more time to spare, more money and in a completely different place in their life. I can assure you that I am human, otherwise I think I would do a better job being me if I had superhuman abilities.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to my friend BK whom I met in water
aerobics, until next time...
How I got to this point
I didn't wake up and start doing TurboFire. In fact, the warning before each workout strongly recommends against jumping into it like that. I started small. Over a year ago, I had been doing yoga everyday. I bumped it up with the gazelle every night for 30 minutes or more. I went on like this for a month, each time increasing the gazelle time and the level of yoga. This whole time, I was able to get up at 5 and get in a workout. Then, I eliminated yoga because I enjoyed the cardio more and was able to watch reruns of Dr Phil, Full House and a whole lotta infomercials. I started watching the workout infomercials for Insanity, p90x, Brazil Butt Lift, some sort of Pilate machine endorsed by Susan Lucci and of course the machine endorsed by Christie Brinkley and Chuck Norris.
There came a point where I was wanting more of a challenge and something more aggressive. I broke down and bought Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. I liked everything about it except Jillian telling me that she has 300 pound people doing jumping jacks. I would whisper scream "bullshit!!!!" and press on. One morning, I saw her face in the DVD cover and decided that Jillian and I needed to break up if only for a little while.
Back to the Gazelle and infomercials. But by this time my 5am workout needed to be moved up to 4:45 to allow more time for the increase. Then, it went to 4:30. I decided to go through all my videos and take inventory. I figured there was no time like the present to rekindle the fire between Billy and I. I started doing Tae Bo for 24 minutes in the morning, then my trusty Gazelle in the evenings. I mastered the beginner Tae Bo and then moved on to the advanced. After watching Billy's junk, sweaty boob girl that doesn't seem to have a whole lot of technique, Billy's oh so irritating daughter and the bouncy girl with the curly hair one too many times, I needed a change. I purchased Billy Blanks Jr's dance DVD. Remember, I AM A TERRIBLE DANCER. HORRIBLE. awful. I liked it enough, but went back and forth between father and son for a while until I couldn't take it.
An old friend recommended TurboFire to me and that's where I am now. As I write this post, I am in week 5. I love Chalene. She's like me but WAY more positive. And thin. And really fit. And blonde. Ty still loves doing TurboFire with me. He provides the entertainment value to my workouts from time to time.
The workouts are getting longer and my time is limited in the morning. I am going to get up at 4:15. I am also only giving myself the one day a week to sleep in. I have decided that getting up at my normal time is way more beneficial than trying to work in my workouts. I feel crazy nerdy saying all that, but there is serious truth in it.
Anyone wanting to start adding exercise to their daily routine should START SMALL. Try 20 minutes 4 days a week for 4 weeks. Increase to 30 minutes 5 days a week for 4 weeks. Keep increasing until you find your balance. I really wish this time around I had taken measurements. The results appear so quick with measurements, whereas with weight/scales, it doesn't always happen that way. Sad.
Whatever your START SMALL is, find it! You can do it. Go for a walk during your work breaks or use your work break walks as "bonus" time. Channel your inner workout nerd!!!!!
Signing off for now. To all of you near and far and to those of you trying to figure out what you can do to START SMALL, until next time...
There came a point where I was wanting more of a challenge and something more aggressive. I broke down and bought Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. I liked everything about it except Jillian telling me that she has 300 pound people doing jumping jacks. I would whisper scream "bullshit!!!!" and press on. One morning, I saw her face in the DVD cover and decided that Jillian and I needed to break up if only for a little while.
Back to the Gazelle and infomercials. But by this time my 5am workout needed to be moved up to 4:45 to allow more time for the increase. Then, it went to 4:30. I decided to go through all my videos and take inventory. I figured there was no time like the present to rekindle the fire between Billy and I. I started doing Tae Bo for 24 minutes in the morning, then my trusty Gazelle in the evenings. I mastered the beginner Tae Bo and then moved on to the advanced. After watching Billy's junk, sweaty boob girl that doesn't seem to have a whole lot of technique, Billy's oh so irritating daughter and the bouncy girl with the curly hair one too many times, I needed a change. I purchased Billy Blanks Jr's dance DVD. Remember, I AM A TERRIBLE DANCER. HORRIBLE. awful. I liked it enough, but went back and forth between father and son for a while until I couldn't take it.
An old friend recommended TurboFire to me and that's where I am now. As I write this post, I am in week 5. I love Chalene. She's like me but WAY more positive. And thin. And really fit. And blonde. Ty still loves doing TurboFire with me. He provides the entertainment value to my workouts from time to time.
The workouts are getting longer and my time is limited in the morning. I am going to get up at 4:15. I am also only giving myself the one day a week to sleep in. I have decided that getting up at my normal time is way more beneficial than trying to work in my workouts. I feel crazy nerdy saying all that, but there is serious truth in it.
Anyone wanting to start adding exercise to their daily routine should START SMALL. Try 20 minutes 4 days a week for 4 weeks. Increase to 30 minutes 5 days a week for 4 weeks. Keep increasing until you find your balance. I really wish this time around I had taken measurements. The results appear so quick with measurements, whereas with weight/scales, it doesn't always happen that way. Sad.
Whatever your START SMALL is, find it! You can do it. Go for a walk during your work breaks or use your work break walks as "bonus" time. Channel your inner workout nerd!!!!!
Signing off for now. To all of you near and far and to those of you trying to figure out what you can do to START SMALL, until next time...
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Oh Sunday Mornings...
Sundays are by far my worst motivational nightmares. Brett gets to sleep in, I get up bright and early with Ty.
Ty and I lounge around, he drinks watered down juice in a sippy cup and I drink coffee. We watch an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse of his choice, then another, a couple poops go on between the pups, Ty and I and it is a generally glorious morning. I'm relaxed, enjoying the great company and sometimes grandparents come for coffee and playtime with Ty.
By the time everyone clears out and the coffee has run dry, it is time to prep lunch. Then after lunch is nap time and I am usually pooped by then and am ready to relax.
This Sunday, we had my brother in law, nephew and niece come over. They stayed the entire morning and for nap because my sister had some crazy weekend shifts. We ate a REALLY REALLY healthy (umm, yeah right) Hickory Park lunch since it was kind of a spur of the moment visit. I did have time to pick up the house, change sheets all over the house for the three nappers, start laundry and watch Brett vacuum.
There I am with Brett and my brother in law and three kids. It is more chaotic with... Brett and my brother in law. Ha! We got all the kids down for nap, the big boys were going to nap as well. I took advantage of the wicked nice weather (overcast, warm and a light breeze) and headed out to the neighborhood...alone. It has been a while since I have been able to walk at a good pace and not have to talk about the number of hoops in people's driveways. I walked for exactly 30 minutes to return sweaty and with tight hamstrings and butt. Wow! It is amazing that after working out sometimes twice a day, then going for sustained walking at a nice clip how out of practice my legs and butt were. It was like they didn't know what to do with themselves after a while. I didn't think I was going to make it home.
I made it home. The big boys headed outside and I fired up TurboJam with the sweet sounds of my niece snoring, Ty snoring and my nephew STILL opposed to taking a nap at my house. I continue to sweat. Sometimes, you have to get creative with how you get your exercise in for the day. You have to be willing to bend and do something different when your first choice isn't available. It is a proud moment that I got a workout in with 3 kids sleeping... twice!!!!
Signing off for now. To all of you near and far and to those of you trying to figure out how Hickory Park cheeseballs fit into your daily calorie allotment, until next time...
Ty and I lounge around, he drinks watered down juice in a sippy cup and I drink coffee. We watch an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse of his choice, then another, a couple poops go on between the pups, Ty and I and it is a generally glorious morning. I'm relaxed, enjoying the great company and sometimes grandparents come for coffee and playtime with Ty.
By the time everyone clears out and the coffee has run dry, it is time to prep lunch. Then after lunch is nap time and I am usually pooped by then and am ready to relax.
This Sunday, we had my brother in law, nephew and niece come over. They stayed the entire morning and for nap because my sister had some crazy weekend shifts. We ate a REALLY REALLY healthy (umm, yeah right) Hickory Park lunch since it was kind of a spur of the moment visit. I did have time to pick up the house, change sheets all over the house for the three nappers, start laundry and watch Brett vacuum.
There I am with Brett and my brother in law and three kids. It is more chaotic with... Brett and my brother in law. Ha! We got all the kids down for nap, the big boys were going to nap as well. I took advantage of the wicked nice weather (overcast, warm and a light breeze) and headed out to the neighborhood...alone. It has been a while since I have been able to walk at a good pace and not have to talk about the number of hoops in people's driveways. I walked for exactly 30 minutes to return sweaty and with tight hamstrings and butt. Wow! It is amazing that after working out sometimes twice a day, then going for sustained walking at a nice clip how out of practice my legs and butt were. It was like they didn't know what to do with themselves after a while. I didn't think I was going to make it home.
I made it home. The big boys headed outside and I fired up TurboJam with the sweet sounds of my niece snoring, Ty snoring and my nephew STILL opposed to taking a nap at my house. I continue to sweat. Sometimes, you have to get creative with how you get your exercise in for the day. You have to be willing to bend and do something different when your first choice isn't available. It is a proud moment that I got a workout in with 3 kids sleeping... twice!!!!
Signing off for now. To all of you near and far and to those of you trying to figure out how Hickory Park cheeseballs fit into your daily calorie allotment, until next time...
Friday, March 16, 2012
My Biggest Fans
I have mentioned that I have a fan club of my own that has four members. Hopefully, I don't need to list them out because it seems pretty logical to me.
I do have to say that my biggest fan and best supporter is Brett, my Partner In Crime #1. Although, sometimes I think he feels like he is on the back-burner, he never says one word about it. He really does help me to keep going because he doesn't try to guilt me into anything, nor does he try to make me feel any way, but good about what I am doing. He encourages me every step of the way and congratulates me when I hit a milestone. It makes it so much easier to have support at home, even if he isn't working out with me, which I have tried and offered to have him do multiple workouts with me, he declines, but he is still there cheering me on. I appreciate that support a ton!
My other biggest fan is Tyson. Brett coaches him on telling me that I'm beautiful, which at first, I was like, "he knows maybe 20 people!" Now, I'm like, "he knows 20 people and I'm beautiful!" Ha!! I'll take it for now until he hits that point when he realizes that there are way more women in the world.
Since I've had TurboFire, I've had my sister do a couple of workouts with me. She's trying to get herself back into the workout routine and is finding the same challenges that many of us find: kids, work, home, spouse, fun, etc. So, we've been trying to incorporate our workouts with our almost weekly get-togethers. It is fun and dangerous for my sister and I to workout together. One of us is going to get seriously hurt one of these days. Typically, we get to laughing so hard when we try a new workout together for the first time, that we are not able to complete it. She usually has to bust out her inhaler and I am on the brinks of wetting my pants.
Last weekend, I introduced her to a TurboFire HIIT workout. Everything was going smoothly and we were doing our thing, sweating like crazy and we get to the last interval. We were to run high-knees in between jumping jacks. I look over and she has succumbed to the fatigue and intensity of the workout and instead of high-knees, her feet are kicking in the air like she is doing a Russian dance. I couldn't help but laugh.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to my sister who is either laughing or ticked that I posted this, until next time...
I do have to say that my biggest fan and best supporter is Brett, my Partner In Crime #1. Although, sometimes I think he feels like he is on the back-burner, he never says one word about it. He really does help me to keep going because he doesn't try to guilt me into anything, nor does he try to make me feel any way, but good about what I am doing. He encourages me every step of the way and congratulates me when I hit a milestone. It makes it so much easier to have support at home, even if he isn't working out with me, which I have tried and offered to have him do multiple workouts with me, he declines, but he is still there cheering me on. I appreciate that support a ton!
My other biggest fan is Tyson. Brett coaches him on telling me that I'm beautiful, which at first, I was like, "he knows maybe 20 people!" Now, I'm like, "he knows 20 people and I'm beautiful!" Ha!! I'll take it for now until he hits that point when he realizes that there are way more women in the world.
Since I've had TurboFire, I've had my sister do a couple of workouts with me. She's trying to get herself back into the workout routine and is finding the same challenges that many of us find: kids, work, home, spouse, fun, etc. So, we've been trying to incorporate our workouts with our almost weekly get-togethers. It is fun and dangerous for my sister and I to workout together. One of us is going to get seriously hurt one of these days. Typically, we get to laughing so hard when we try a new workout together for the first time, that we are not able to complete it. She usually has to bust out her inhaler and I am on the brinks of wetting my pants.
Last weekend, I introduced her to a TurboFire HIIT workout. Everything was going smoothly and we were doing our thing, sweating like crazy and we get to the last interval. We were to run high-knees in between jumping jacks. I look over and she has succumbed to the fatigue and intensity of the workout and instead of high-knees, her feet are kicking in the air like she is doing a Russian dance. I couldn't help but laugh.
Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to my sister who is either laughing or ticked that I posted this, until next time...
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