I decided, with some dread, to try Kick, Punch and Crunch, a fairly tough Kickbox workout. The workout includes a warm-up, simple combinations, brief stretch, kickbox conditioning drills, and kicking and punching combinations. I decided to try doing everything except the kicking and punching combinations at the end.
I could really see a difference in my level comfort cardio-wise. It was much easier today. Most of the workout is fairly low impact, and I was so pleased that I got through almost all of the conditioning drills. With frequent breaks, but I did it! I skipped the last 2 drills.
This is because something weird happened to my left leg. It felt like a cramp in my calf, so I stopped and stretched, then sat down for a water break. It felt better, almost gone, so I moved on to the next drill. It got worse partway through the drill, and I stopped immediately. Now the calf is quite sore, I'm limping, and the hamstring is a little sore also. Drat it all, an injury. Well, I'm not going to let this discourage me.
I will rest my leg, take anti-inflammatories, and concentrate on strength training for a while. If my leg still seems painful on Monday, I will definitely try to get a referral to the Sports Medicine Clinic. Continuing to work the leg is just going to prolong recovery. I haven't had an injury like this since I was running, so this is irritating, but it does not feel serious. A few days rest may be all I need. I am glad the injury happened near the end of the workout at least! :)
Saturday, March 28, 2009
More Than Skin Deep
I thought it would be fun to talk about one of my most favoritest things on earth, beauty products! I love beauty products! The more lotions and potions, the better! And skin care is so important.
I do what I can to take care of my skin. I religiously apply sunscreen every day. I joke that I'm like a vampire, as I try to avoid the sun as much as possible. When we were on vacation at Disney World with our wonderful friends Marie and Dan, did I wear a ridiculous looking straw hat every time we set foot outside? Which became more ridiculous looking as the week wore on, since I had to keep folding it up and cramming it into my bag so as not to lose it in places like the Tower of Terror? Yes I did, and Marie has the photos to prove it. But did I care how stupid I looked? Not really. I'd rather look stupid in my $5 Walmart straw hat than to look like an old hag after vacation is over.
Being the oldest one in the party at age 46, I'm kind of sensitive about "aging gracefully." It was a shock when I realized that Marie, at age 30, could totally be my daughter! In the best tradition of Bristol Palin, you know.
I have been using Origins skin care products for more than 6 years now. I've had terrific results with them. Before I started using the various products, my face was always red, blotchy, and irritated looking. Whenever I went to the clinic, where interns and residents have a go at you, they would invariably say, "Do you always have that rash on your face?" Sigh. It's not a rash. It's my natural coloring. Every winter, my lips used to crack in one or both corners, despited slathering them with every lip balm known to mankind. And even one known to cows: Bag Balm.
Once I started using the Origins skin care products regularly, all that redness and irritation disappeared. I started out using just their toner, Comforting Solution, and one of their moisturizers for senstive skin. Comforting Solution was a miracle product for me. It completely got rid of all the redness on my face. Unfortunately, Origins no longer sells this wonderful potion, although there is something really great to replace it.
Before long, I had added more products to my routine. Checks and Balances, an excellent gentle cleanser for combination skin. A Perfect World White Tea Skin Guardian. This is an antioxidant product that protects the skin from irritants in the environment. One of my favorite products ever! And some of the Plantidote products, such as the Mega-Mushroom Serum and Plantidote moisturizer for sensitive skin. Of course, as time has gone on, my skin care needs have changed. My skin is dryer and more sensitive than it used to be.
When I was at the Origins store last fall, we were joking about how many products we use. But as one of the store people said, "Wondering if you still need to use a product? Just stop using it for a week and then you'll know."
I had ample opportunity to test this theory in the ensuing months. My travel schedule, unexpected bills, illness and several other things prevented me from getting to the the store to re-stock for several months. When finally I had used up pretty much everything, I decided it was indeed worth it to continue using the products. My skin was irritated, looked awful, and worst of all, the cracks in the corners of my lips came back. I was still using cleanser, toner moisturizer, and exfoliating 2-3 times a week during this period, but several things had dropped out of my routine.
Last week I pulled out ye old credit card and made my way to the Origins store. In consultation with the fabulous Caitlyn, the store manager, these are the products I am now using:
Clean Energy: a gentle non-comedogenic cleansing oil morning and evening. It does not strip skin of its natural moisture but is a very effective cleanser. DS started using it once a day, as his acne srub was too harsh on his skin to use all the time. It gets his skin cleaner than the acne scrub, and paradoxically, makes it less oily. He could tell the difference the first time he used it.
Plantidote Skin Treatment lotion: the replacement for Comforting Solution. It's a toner, but it adds moisture to my skin. Morning and evening.
Youthtopia skin-firming serum (new to me): two drops morning and evening, after cleansing and toning. I have only been using this product for a week, and I can already see a noticeable difference. The "fine lines and wrinkles" on my forehead are definitely much less visible. And my skin feels so much more hydrated.
Youthtopia skin-firming eye cream (new to me): this is an awesome product. I was using the Plantidote eye serum (before I ran out), but this does everything that product did for me and more. It moisturizes, firms the skin to reduce the signs of aging, and fades dark circles. It is so much more moisturizing than the Plantidote serum, it's amazing. I love it, and will definitely continue to use it. Morning and evening.
Have A Nice Day SPF 15 moisturizing cream: I had been using the lotion version of HAND, as the store was out of the cream last time I went to restock. The cream is much, much better for me. I had been having to use another moisturizer as well with the lotion, but the cream is perfect for me. You can only use this cream once a day, (morning, obviously).
Nightamins moisturizing cream: my nightime moisturizer. It is great stuff, gentle, ultra-hydrating but not pore-clogging, plus it smells great (orange and vanilla). DC loves the way it smells.
I also highly recommend Modern Friction, their stellar ex-foliating scrub. It's the best exfoliating product I have ever used. According to some survey, women who had tried both it and microderabrasion procedures felt Modern Friction worked as well or better than the procedure. It is quite effective, so I only use it once a week.
The rest of the time I use Benefit's yummy Honey, Snap Out Of It exfoliating scrub, made with oatmeal and honey. It smells just like a big old oatmeal cookie, and does a great job. I exfoliate about every other day, using the Modern Friction just once a week.
I adore Benefit, but aside from Honey, Snap Out Of It and their makeup remover, Gee, That Was Quick, I don't use any Benefit skin care products. My skin is so sensitive I don't trust it to anything but my tried and true Origins products. For goodness sake, my skin is so sensitive I'm allergic to shea butter! WHO is allergic to that, it's wonderful stuff?
But I am a total Benefit makeup junkie, no, make that whore :D! I have practically every product they make, excluding their entire line of eye, lip, and cheek color (I only have SOME of those, LOL!) I plan to do a number of separate posts about the Benefit products I have tried.
Well, I can't believe how much better my skin looks and feels within just a few days of using my new products.
Do these products from Origins work? Yes.
Are they expensive? Well, kind of. The Andrew Weil Plantidote products are horrendously expensive, but the ones I've tried have all been great. The others vary as to the degree of sticker shock you wil experience. It's important to remember that most of the products give you several months' supply.
Are these products better than drugstore products? Absolutely yes. I used Neutrogena products for years, and Origins just blows those things out of the water. There's no contest. My skin FEELS and LOOKS much, much better when I use the Origins products. Of course, your mileage may vary.
If you are new to skin care-- and I've been there, for years I never used anything except the Dove soap I had in the shower, here is what I recommend using:
1. A non-comedogenic liquid cleanser that is suitable for your skin type, whether oily, dry, or combination. (Non-comedogenic means it won't clog pores). Why liquid? Because there are some kinds of facial soil that are not soluble with bar soap. Bar soap can't get your face completely clean.
2. An alcohol-free toner. Toner is important because it not only removes all traces of cleanser from your face and tightens up the pores after cleansing, it also quickly restores your skin back to its natural Ph. If you don't use a toner, it takes your skin 6 hrs. to return to its natural Ph level.
3. A non-comedogenic moisturizer that is suitable for your skin type. Even if your skin is "oily" moisturizer can help soothe it so it produces less oil.
4. Use a gentle exfoliating scrub 2-3 times per week. This sloughs off dead skin cells and keeps your skin glowing.
5 Most important, NEVER leave the house without sunscreen on your face (unless it's nighttime of course!). There is NOTHING that will age your skin faster than sun exposure. You can get moisturizers that have sunscreen in them, or if you wear makeup, you can purchase foundation that also includes sunscreen. Be sure to choose one that is PABA free.
Finally, if you can possibly afford it, visit a professional aesthetician every other month for a facial, which will "deep-clean" your skin. It is also extremely relaxing and a great way to pamper yourself. Since I was trying to save $$ for Xmas, I have quit getting my facials, pedis and manis. (YES-- we had a 100% cash, paid-for Xmas!)
But DS desperately needs a facial, and I would like to get back into my facial routine also. My fantastic aesthetician, Jenny Midgette at Spa Boudoir in Raleigh, charges about $80 for a basic 60-minute facial. If you live in the Triangle area, please visit Jenny! You'll be glad you did! She is the absolute best aesthetician I have ever worked with, and provides superb customer service.
Everyone's skin is different, and there are a zillion great products out there. I love Origins not only because their products make my skin look and feel fabulous, but also because their products are cruelty-free, responsibly produced, and do not contain Parabens, Propylene Glycol, DEA, or PABA. They also have an organic line of skin care products.
What is your skin care routine? What are your "can't live without 'em" products?
I do what I can to take care of my skin. I religiously apply sunscreen every day. I joke that I'm like a vampire, as I try to avoid the sun as much as possible. When we were on vacation at Disney World with our wonderful friends Marie and Dan, did I wear a ridiculous looking straw hat every time we set foot outside? Which became more ridiculous looking as the week wore on, since I had to keep folding it up and cramming it into my bag so as not to lose it in places like the Tower of Terror? Yes I did, and Marie has the photos to prove it. But did I care how stupid I looked? Not really. I'd rather look stupid in my $5 Walmart straw hat than to look like an old hag after vacation is over.
Being the oldest one in the party at age 46, I'm kind of sensitive about "aging gracefully." It was a shock when I realized that Marie, at age 30, could totally be my daughter! In the best tradition of Bristol Palin, you know.
I have been using Origins skin care products for more than 6 years now. I've had terrific results with them. Before I started using the various products, my face was always red, blotchy, and irritated looking. Whenever I went to the clinic, where interns and residents have a go at you, they would invariably say, "Do you always have that rash on your face?" Sigh. It's not a rash. It's my natural coloring. Every winter, my lips used to crack in one or both corners, despited slathering them with every lip balm known to mankind. And even one known to cows: Bag Balm.
Once I started using the Origins skin care products regularly, all that redness and irritation disappeared. I started out using just their toner, Comforting Solution, and one of their moisturizers for senstive skin. Comforting Solution was a miracle product for me. It completely got rid of all the redness on my face. Unfortunately, Origins no longer sells this wonderful potion, although there is something really great to replace it.
Before long, I had added more products to my routine. Checks and Balances, an excellent gentle cleanser for combination skin. A Perfect World White Tea Skin Guardian. This is an antioxidant product that protects the skin from irritants in the environment. One of my favorite products ever! And some of the Plantidote products, such as the Mega-Mushroom Serum and Plantidote moisturizer for sensitive skin. Of course, as time has gone on, my skin care needs have changed. My skin is dryer and more sensitive than it used to be.
When I was at the Origins store last fall, we were joking about how many products we use. But as one of the store people said, "Wondering if you still need to use a product? Just stop using it for a week and then you'll know."
I had ample opportunity to test this theory in the ensuing months. My travel schedule, unexpected bills, illness and several other things prevented me from getting to the the store to re-stock for several months. When finally I had used up pretty much everything, I decided it was indeed worth it to continue using the products. My skin was irritated, looked awful, and worst of all, the cracks in the corners of my lips came back. I was still using cleanser, toner moisturizer, and exfoliating 2-3 times a week during this period, but several things had dropped out of my routine.
Last week I pulled out ye old credit card and made my way to the Origins store. In consultation with the fabulous Caitlyn, the store manager, these are the products I am now using:
Clean Energy: a gentle non-comedogenic cleansing oil morning and evening. It does not strip skin of its natural moisture but is a very effective cleanser. DS started using it once a day, as his acne srub was too harsh on his skin to use all the time. It gets his skin cleaner than the acne scrub, and paradoxically, makes it less oily. He could tell the difference the first time he used it.
Plantidote Skin Treatment lotion: the replacement for Comforting Solution. It's a toner, but it adds moisture to my skin. Morning and evening.
Youthtopia skin-firming serum (new to me): two drops morning and evening, after cleansing and toning. I have only been using this product for a week, and I can already see a noticeable difference. The "fine lines and wrinkles" on my forehead are definitely much less visible. And my skin feels so much more hydrated.
Youthtopia skin-firming eye cream (new to me): this is an awesome product. I was using the Plantidote eye serum (before I ran out), but this does everything that product did for me and more. It moisturizes, firms the skin to reduce the signs of aging, and fades dark circles. It is so much more moisturizing than the Plantidote serum, it's amazing. I love it, and will definitely continue to use it. Morning and evening.
Have A Nice Day SPF 15 moisturizing cream: I had been using the lotion version of HAND, as the store was out of the cream last time I went to restock. The cream is much, much better for me. I had been having to use another moisturizer as well with the lotion, but the cream is perfect for me. You can only use this cream once a day, (morning, obviously).
Nightamins moisturizing cream: my nightime moisturizer. It is great stuff, gentle, ultra-hydrating but not pore-clogging, plus it smells great (orange and vanilla). DC loves the way it smells.
I also highly recommend Modern Friction, their stellar ex-foliating scrub. It's the best exfoliating product I have ever used. According to some survey, women who had tried both it and microderabrasion procedures felt Modern Friction worked as well or better than the procedure. It is quite effective, so I only use it once a week.
The rest of the time I use Benefit's yummy Honey, Snap Out Of It exfoliating scrub, made with oatmeal and honey. It smells just like a big old oatmeal cookie, and does a great job. I exfoliate about every other day, using the Modern Friction just once a week.
I adore Benefit, but aside from Honey, Snap Out Of It and their makeup remover, Gee, That Was Quick, I don't use any Benefit skin care products. My skin is so sensitive I don't trust it to anything but my tried and true Origins products. For goodness sake, my skin is so sensitive I'm allergic to shea butter! WHO is allergic to that, it's wonderful stuff?
But I am a total Benefit makeup junkie, no, make that whore :D! I have practically every product they make, excluding their entire line of eye, lip, and cheek color (I only have SOME of those, LOL!) I plan to do a number of separate posts about the Benefit products I have tried.
Well, I can't believe how much better my skin looks and feels within just a few days of using my new products.
Do these products from Origins work? Yes.
Are they expensive? Well, kind of. The Andrew Weil Plantidote products are horrendously expensive, but the ones I've tried have all been great. The others vary as to the degree of sticker shock you wil experience. It's important to remember that most of the products give you several months' supply.
Are these products better than drugstore products? Absolutely yes. I used Neutrogena products for years, and Origins just blows those things out of the water. There's no contest. My skin FEELS and LOOKS much, much better when I use the Origins products. Of course, your mileage may vary.
If you are new to skin care-- and I've been there, for years I never used anything except the Dove soap I had in the shower, here is what I recommend using:
1. A non-comedogenic liquid cleanser that is suitable for your skin type, whether oily, dry, or combination. (Non-comedogenic means it won't clog pores). Why liquid? Because there are some kinds of facial soil that are not soluble with bar soap. Bar soap can't get your face completely clean.
2. An alcohol-free toner. Toner is important because it not only removes all traces of cleanser from your face and tightens up the pores after cleansing, it also quickly restores your skin back to its natural Ph. If you don't use a toner, it takes your skin 6 hrs. to return to its natural Ph level.
3. A non-comedogenic moisturizer that is suitable for your skin type. Even if your skin is "oily" moisturizer can help soothe it so it produces less oil.
4. Use a gentle exfoliating scrub 2-3 times per week. This sloughs off dead skin cells and keeps your skin glowing.
5 Most important, NEVER leave the house without sunscreen on your face (unless it's nighttime of course!). There is NOTHING that will age your skin faster than sun exposure. You can get moisturizers that have sunscreen in them, or if you wear makeup, you can purchase foundation that also includes sunscreen. Be sure to choose one that is PABA free.
Finally, if you can possibly afford it, visit a professional aesthetician every other month for a facial, which will "deep-clean" your skin. It is also extremely relaxing and a great way to pamper yourself. Since I was trying to save $$ for Xmas, I have quit getting my facials, pedis and manis. (YES-- we had a 100% cash, paid-for Xmas!)
But DS desperately needs a facial, and I would like to get back into my facial routine also. My fantastic aesthetician, Jenny Midgette at Spa Boudoir in Raleigh, charges about $80 for a basic 60-minute facial. If you live in the Triangle area, please visit Jenny! You'll be glad you did! She is the absolute best aesthetician I have ever worked with, and provides superb customer service.
Everyone's skin is different, and there are a zillion great products out there. I love Origins not only because their products make my skin look and feel fabulous, but also because their products are cruelty-free, responsibly produced, and do not contain Parabens, Propylene Glycol, DEA, or PABA. They also have an organic line of skin care products.
What is your skin care routine? What are your "can't live without 'em" products?
Life Happens
Despite the best laid plans, sometimes life gets in the way of working out!
Thursday I was planning to try a kickbox workout, but I had so much to do for work I just couldn't squeeze it in before I had to take DS to his physical therapy session at 5 p.m. As it was, I was finishing up the document I was writing at 11 p.m. that night!
Believe it or not, my skinny, and very fit 15 yo threw his back out reaching down to touch his toes (??) in PE class. This is awful, but I just couldn't stop thinking about the scene in The Incredibles where Mr. Incredible is fighting the giant robot and throws his back out. At any rate, we think that's what happened to DS, because his back didn't hurt before PE class (which is called "Healthful Living" or some such rubbish) but did hurt afterwards. Gee thanks, Healthful Living, for making my son LESS healthy.
The concerning thing to me was that the pain, which seems to be worst in the piriformus area (on his posterior), was radiating down his back and into his leg, which to me suggests sciatic nerve involvement. With which, one surgery and several thousand dollars later, I myself am only too familiar. Since the pain did not go away after a few days, I took him to the dr.
You know the drill. Pediatrician is afraid to make a diagnosis, so refers us to an orthopaedist (luckily, the appt. is the following day). The good news is, no neurological impariment, and x-rays show no structural problems with the spine. At this point the orthopaedist thinks it's just a "pinched nerve," so DS is supposed to do PT 2X per week for the next month. And take a 6-day steriod taper, followed by prescription strength anti-inflammatories.
The PT seems to be helping him. I sat in Thurs. and found the proceedings fascinating. Now, I have to tell you, DS thinks certain parts of my workouts are hilarious, and is not above sharing this. Planks, for instance. (Mom, why are you shaking? Your face is red. etc.) Also seeing me on my stability ball amuses him no end. Well, guess what? It's karmic payback time!
Because DS is supposed to do a bunch of exercises on the stability ball every day, which he has realized is not so easy. And he's supposed to do planks as well. DS was having trouble understanding the instructions on how to position himself for the planks, and the therapist was quite amused when I simplified the instruction: no drawbridge, and no banana.
The therapist has found that DS's flexibility needs improvement, he has posture issues, and parts of his core (mostly lower back muscles) need strengthening to keep this from happening again. My son, who is an amazing sprinter and does 100 crunches and 80 pushups daily, cannot even get his leg up to 90 degrees when he's on his back and using the strap to stretch his hamstrings. I guess I should have encouraged him to work on stretching more!
To help DS work on his posture, the therapist taped him up (a la Kerry Welch at the Olympics) so that the tape would give him a gentle tug when he sags. He was very glad to be able to remove the darn tape at bedtime!
So, no workout on Thursday.
Yesterday was a planned rest day, but I was hoping to make up for Thursday. Didn't happen. There was much drama concerning our moving out of the apartment that I had to deal with the apt. people about.
So today will be workout #5 for the week-- I will have reached my goal for week 1 when I complete it.
Yay!! Thanks dear supporters for being there!
Thursday I was planning to try a kickbox workout, but I had so much to do for work I just couldn't squeeze it in before I had to take DS to his physical therapy session at 5 p.m. As it was, I was finishing up the document I was writing at 11 p.m. that night!
Believe it or not, my skinny, and very fit 15 yo threw his back out reaching down to touch his toes (??) in PE class. This is awful, but I just couldn't stop thinking about the scene in The Incredibles where Mr. Incredible is fighting the giant robot and throws his back out. At any rate, we think that's what happened to DS, because his back didn't hurt before PE class (which is called "Healthful Living" or some such rubbish) but did hurt afterwards. Gee thanks, Healthful Living, for making my son LESS healthy.
The concerning thing to me was that the pain, which seems to be worst in the piriformus area (on his posterior), was radiating down his back and into his leg, which to me suggests sciatic nerve involvement. With which, one surgery and several thousand dollars later, I myself am only too familiar. Since the pain did not go away after a few days, I took him to the dr.
You know the drill. Pediatrician is afraid to make a diagnosis, so refers us to an orthopaedist (luckily, the appt. is the following day). The good news is, no neurological impariment, and x-rays show no structural problems with the spine. At this point the orthopaedist thinks it's just a "pinched nerve," so DS is supposed to do PT 2X per week for the next month. And take a 6-day steriod taper, followed by prescription strength anti-inflammatories.
The PT seems to be helping him. I sat in Thurs. and found the proceedings fascinating. Now, I have to tell you, DS thinks certain parts of my workouts are hilarious, and is not above sharing this. Planks, for instance. (Mom, why are you shaking? Your face is red. etc.) Also seeing me on my stability ball amuses him no end. Well, guess what? It's karmic payback time!
Because DS is supposed to do a bunch of exercises on the stability ball every day, which he has realized is not so easy. And he's supposed to do planks as well. DS was having trouble understanding the instructions on how to position himself for the planks, and the therapist was quite amused when I simplified the instruction: no drawbridge, and no banana.
The therapist has found that DS's flexibility needs improvement, he has posture issues, and parts of his core (mostly lower back muscles) need strengthening to keep this from happening again. My son, who is an amazing sprinter and does 100 crunches and 80 pushups daily, cannot even get his leg up to 90 degrees when he's on his back and using the strap to stretch his hamstrings. I guess I should have encouraged him to work on stretching more!
To help DS work on his posture, the therapist taped him up (a la Kerry Welch at the Olympics) so that the tape would give him a gentle tug when he sags. He was very glad to be able to remove the darn tape at bedtime!
So, no workout on Thursday.
Yesterday was a planned rest day, but I was hoping to make up for Thursday. Didn't happen. There was much drama concerning our moving out of the apartment that I had to deal with the apt. people about.
So today will be workout #5 for the week-- I will have reached my goal for week 1 when I complete it.
Yay!! Thanks dear supporters for being there!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Fun with Technology
What with one thing and another, I had a pretty sucky day yesterday, so by the time I was ready to work out, I was totally frazzled and desperate to do my workout.
I put the DVD in DC's Playstation, which we are using in lieu of a dvd player. I should mention I know nothing about the playstation. In fact, I am so clueless, DC had to program a separate remote control that looks like a DVD remote juuuust for me since I can never get the game controller thing to work. I press play. Nothing happens. I eject the dvd and try again. Not responding to remote. Plus, the screen looks weird. Then I see the little forward "play" arrow at the bottom of the tv screen and I maneuver laboriously down there using my remote for dummies. Ah, success! Thing are whirring, the TV screen is coming to life. But not with Cathe. With the Grand Theft Auto 4 game!
WTH!!!! Have I activated the Wii or the X-Box instead? (There are so many darn things connected to the TV you would not believe it.) Checking both of them, no, they aren't on. Is the Grand Theft Auto Disc in the PS also? I keep hitting eject, and the only thing that comes out is my Cathe DVD. At this point, I figure I need Expert Help.
I get DS, who is irritated since he's in his room trying to compose a song on his guitar. He somehow makes GTA4 go away but nothing happens when he presses play either. He shrugs and tells me, I dunno how this thing works either. Remote needs new batteries, Mom. After several minutes of pawing through the junk drawer, I finally find 2 AA batteries in the plastic ziptop bag next to the TV, where the movers left all the batteries they had taken out of various and sundry electronics. (Last April.) I change the batteries.
Still doesn't work. By this point I am so frustrated I am ready to scream. Now I have no choice but to call in the Big Guns. DC, who is still at work, and working late, in fact, on some really important stuff. I hate to bother him, but am feeling if I do not get to work out I am going to seriously lose it. I call. No answer. I call again. Voice mail. And again. Voice mail. NOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Well, maybe the PS needs some kind of reboot. But can I figure out how to unplug it, from the nest of spaghetti wires plugged into the power strip? No. I settle for removing 2 USB cables from it, and then sticking them back in. Still won't play the DVD.
Now I'm good and mad. I'm being outsmarted by an electronic device that even small children can operate. Then a dreadful thought occurs to me. Maybe there is something wrong with my beloved Cathe DVD! Maybe it's in some format the PS can't read! This thought is too awful for words. I eject Cathe.
And pop in a random Grey's Anatomy CD that's lying close by. Now the TV is telling me there is a DVD in the player (uh oh, it didn't say this before). I hit play. Grey's Anatomy starts rolling on the TV. Well, maybe now that it's been able to find one dvd, it will recognize mine. Eject Grey's. Put Cathe back in. Nope, nothing happens. Crap!
At the absolute end of my rope, I call DC again. No answer, but, while still on the phone, hallelujah, I do hear the front door opening and DC's cheery greeting. He comes in, sees me in my workout clothes sitting dejectedly on the sofa. "You look good and worked out!" He observes. I bet. But no, because the PS won't play my workout DVD!!!!!
He comes over, tries all the same things with the remote and the options on the TV screen I've already been through. Nothing. Well, he says cheerfully, the best thing to do when this happens is reboot the system. He reaches behind the PS and hits a button. (So THAT's where the on/off/reboot button is!) . After the reboot, he hits play, and of course, IT STILL DOES NOT WORK.
I tell him the bad news: it will play Grey's Anatomy but not Cathe. He ejects the Cathe disc, turns it over, squints at it for a second or two, then uses his shirt to polish the back of the sacred Cathe DVD. Sticks it back in. Presto, PS tells us there is a DVD in its wretched maw. He hits play. It works! Well, he says cheerfully, when this happens, the best thing to do is check for smudges on the DVD.
If this had been a regular DVD player, that is the FIRST thing I would have done, not the last!! But no, Grand Theft Auto 4 has to come out of nowhere and totally confuse me.
Cursing my stupidity, I start my workout. Oh, thank God. Finally, some peace. I had decided to do the Step portion only of Cathe's Step Jump & Pump, which is a circuit-style workout that includes step, high-low, weights, and floor work (abs). I'm about 2 minutes into the warmup, finally starting to relax, and realizing, wow, this is a lot harder than I remembered, when there is DS at my elbow. Yes, moms with small kids, I'm here to tell you it doesn't get any better just because they're older.
"What?" I say, thinking, Hello, can you not see I can barely breathe, let alone talk right now?
"Is dinner ready?"
Oh, come on!! Give me a break here! I am wearing my workout clothes and jumping up and down on a step bench! Does it LOOK like I'm about to serve dinner? It's a good thing I'm too out of breath to say much.
"No."
"When WILL dinner be ready?"
How the he$ should I know!? I don't even know if I will live until the end of this workout, let alone, if I don't drop dead, how long it's going to take me to finish it!
I stop the DVD, and get down off the step so I can glare at him properly. "I don't KNOW when dinner will be ready!"
He gives me his sulky face and an eye roll. "Well, when do you THINK it will be ready?" (in his best "this-is-seriously-inconveniencing-me" voice.)
"Stefan---" I say warningly, giving him The Look and taking a menacing step toward him. Finally grasping the fact that I am a woman totally on the razor-thin edge, he does not say a word, but scurries into his room and shuts the door. He has astutely concluded that the hissy fit Mom is about to pitch totally trumps his teenage sulks.
So yes, dear readers, I finally did, despite all obstacles, get my workout in.
It is the toughest one I've tried yet. Not only did it challenge me aerobically, but my musculo-skeletal system wondered if a bomb had exploded. My legs were really tired after only about 5 minutes. Between the lack of oxygen and the lactic acid buildup in my legs, I had to stop in the middle and at the end of each of the 4 combinations. Oh, this is pitiful. Feeling like I had not quite got in 30 (non-consecutive) minutes of cardio, I decided to do 1 of the high-low segments.
When I started high-low segment 1, I remembered that is has an intensity blast that includes a long series of "the running man." No way, not today! Recalling that High-Low 1 was the toughest, I decided to do High/Low segment 2. Ah, this is nice. Some easy up-and-back step-kicks to "Rebel Rebel," then "We Need A Hero." Abruptly I realized I certainly did need a hero, because, there were 2 rounds of 8 jacks followed by 2 rounds of 8 traveling side kicks BEFORE the intensity blast. Which consists of 16 plyo-jacks (and if that doesn't make you breathless, you're doing something wrong!). And then the whole routine from step-kicking to the Intensity Blast is repeated with the other leg leading. It was actually #2 that was the hardest, not #1!
Well, Cathe completely wiped the floor with me on this whole workout! Rate of perceived exertion: double ghastly! This HAS to get better soon. You may bewondering, if I'm that out of shape (yes, I really am), why start with such advanced workouts? Well, because after so many years of being at the advanced level, I got rid of most of my beginner/intermediate level workouts. The few I have left are on VHS. One of them is Donna-mite, a terrific and fun intermediate workout by Donna Richardson. It's all Motown, so it's just a blast. Serious, big fun. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be available in DVD. However, I think I may invest the $$ to get it reformatted.
I put the DVD in DC's Playstation, which we are using in lieu of a dvd player. I should mention I know nothing about the playstation. In fact, I am so clueless, DC had to program a separate remote control that looks like a DVD remote juuuust for me since I can never get the game controller thing to work. I press play. Nothing happens. I eject the dvd and try again. Not responding to remote. Plus, the screen looks weird. Then I see the little forward "play" arrow at the bottom of the tv screen and I maneuver laboriously down there using my remote for dummies. Ah, success! Thing are whirring, the TV screen is coming to life. But not with Cathe. With the Grand Theft Auto 4 game!
WTH!!!! Have I activated the Wii or the X-Box instead? (There are so many darn things connected to the TV you would not believe it.) Checking both of them, no, they aren't on. Is the Grand Theft Auto Disc in the PS also? I keep hitting eject, and the only thing that comes out is my Cathe DVD. At this point, I figure I need Expert Help.
I get DS, who is irritated since he's in his room trying to compose a song on his guitar. He somehow makes GTA4 go away but nothing happens when he presses play either. He shrugs and tells me, I dunno how this thing works either. Remote needs new batteries, Mom. After several minutes of pawing through the junk drawer, I finally find 2 AA batteries in the plastic ziptop bag next to the TV, where the movers left all the batteries they had taken out of various and sundry electronics. (Last April.) I change the batteries.
Still doesn't work. By this point I am so frustrated I am ready to scream. Now I have no choice but to call in the Big Guns. DC, who is still at work, and working late, in fact, on some really important stuff. I hate to bother him, but am feeling if I do not get to work out I am going to seriously lose it. I call. No answer. I call again. Voice mail. And again. Voice mail. NOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Well, maybe the PS needs some kind of reboot. But can I figure out how to unplug it, from the nest of spaghetti wires plugged into the power strip? No. I settle for removing 2 USB cables from it, and then sticking them back in. Still won't play the DVD.
Now I'm good and mad. I'm being outsmarted by an electronic device that even small children can operate. Then a dreadful thought occurs to me. Maybe there is something wrong with my beloved Cathe DVD! Maybe it's in some format the PS can't read! This thought is too awful for words. I eject Cathe.
And pop in a random Grey's Anatomy CD that's lying close by. Now the TV is telling me there is a DVD in the player (uh oh, it didn't say this before). I hit play. Grey's Anatomy starts rolling on the TV. Well, maybe now that it's been able to find one dvd, it will recognize mine. Eject Grey's. Put Cathe back in. Nope, nothing happens. Crap!
At the absolute end of my rope, I call DC again. No answer, but, while still on the phone, hallelujah, I do hear the front door opening and DC's cheery greeting. He comes in, sees me in my workout clothes sitting dejectedly on the sofa. "You look good and worked out!" He observes. I bet. But no, because the PS won't play my workout DVD!!!!!
He comes over, tries all the same things with the remote and the options on the TV screen I've already been through. Nothing. Well, he says cheerfully, the best thing to do when this happens is reboot the system. He reaches behind the PS and hits a button. (So THAT's where the on/off/reboot button is!) . After the reboot, he hits play, and of course, IT STILL DOES NOT WORK.
I tell him the bad news: it will play Grey's Anatomy but not Cathe. He ejects the Cathe disc, turns it over, squints at it for a second or two, then uses his shirt to polish the back of the sacred Cathe DVD. Sticks it back in. Presto, PS tells us there is a DVD in its wretched maw. He hits play. It works! Well, he says cheerfully, when this happens, the best thing to do is check for smudges on the DVD.
If this had been a regular DVD player, that is the FIRST thing I would have done, not the last!! But no, Grand Theft Auto 4 has to come out of nowhere and totally confuse me.
Cursing my stupidity, I start my workout. Oh, thank God. Finally, some peace. I had decided to do the Step portion only of Cathe's Step Jump & Pump, which is a circuit-style workout that includes step, high-low, weights, and floor work (abs). I'm about 2 minutes into the warmup, finally starting to relax, and realizing, wow, this is a lot harder than I remembered, when there is DS at my elbow. Yes, moms with small kids, I'm here to tell you it doesn't get any better just because they're older.
"What?" I say, thinking, Hello, can you not see I can barely breathe, let alone talk right now?
"Is dinner ready?"
Oh, come on!! Give me a break here! I am wearing my workout clothes and jumping up and down on a step bench! Does it LOOK like I'm about to serve dinner? It's a good thing I'm too out of breath to say much.
"No."
"When WILL dinner be ready?"
How the he$ should I know!? I don't even know if I will live until the end of this workout, let alone, if I don't drop dead, how long it's going to take me to finish it!
I stop the DVD, and get down off the step so I can glare at him properly. "I don't KNOW when dinner will be ready!"
He gives me his sulky face and an eye roll. "Well, when do you THINK it will be ready?" (in his best "this-is-seriously-inconveniencing-me" voice.)
"Stefan---" I say warningly, giving him The Look and taking a menacing step toward him. Finally grasping the fact that I am a woman totally on the razor-thin edge, he does not say a word, but scurries into his room and shuts the door. He has astutely concluded that the hissy fit Mom is about to pitch totally trumps his teenage sulks.
So yes, dear readers, I finally did, despite all obstacles, get my workout in.
It is the toughest one I've tried yet. Not only did it challenge me aerobically, but my musculo-skeletal system wondered if a bomb had exploded. My legs were really tired after only about 5 minutes. Between the lack of oxygen and the lactic acid buildup in my legs, I had to stop in the middle and at the end of each of the 4 combinations. Oh, this is pitiful. Feeling like I had not quite got in 30 (non-consecutive) minutes of cardio, I decided to do 1 of the high-low segments.
When I started high-low segment 1, I remembered that is has an intensity blast that includes a long series of "the running man." No way, not today! Recalling that High-Low 1 was the toughest, I decided to do High/Low segment 2. Ah, this is nice. Some easy up-and-back step-kicks to "Rebel Rebel," then "We Need A Hero." Abruptly I realized I certainly did need a hero, because, there were 2 rounds of 8 jacks followed by 2 rounds of 8 traveling side kicks BEFORE the intensity blast. Which consists of 16 plyo-jacks (and if that doesn't make you breathless, you're doing something wrong!). And then the whole routine from step-kicking to the Intensity Blast is repeated with the other leg leading. It was actually #2 that was the hardest, not #1!
Well, Cathe completely wiped the floor with me on this whole workout! Rate of perceived exertion: double ghastly! This HAS to get better soon. You may bewondering, if I'm that out of shape (yes, I really am), why start with such advanced workouts? Well, because after so many years of being at the advanced level, I got rid of most of my beginner/intermediate level workouts. The few I have left are on VHS. One of them is Donna-mite, a terrific and fun intermediate workout by Donna Richardson. It's all Motown, so it's just a blast. Serious, big fun. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be available in DVD. However, I think I may invest the $$ to get it reformatted.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Live, or Diet?
I've already told you I don't believe in scales. Don't have one. Don't want one. Don't care what I weigh. I already know: too darn much! It's just a number, anyway, whether we're thinking about our starting point, or our "goal." The reason I say this is that a person can have very little bodyfat but lots of muscle and yet be at a weight the charts say is "too much." Muscle is heavier than fat. Paradoxically, it also takes up less room than fat. This is an issue especially if you do strength training.
It can be very frustrating when you've had a good week, and worked really hard, but the scale says that you've stayed the same or even gained a little weight. What has really happened is you have gained muscle mass, and you've probably shrunk some. So I just don't find the feedback helpful. I remember reading Jane Fonda's book and she said that she was 2 sizes smaller at age 40 than when she was in her 20's but weighed 10 lbs. more (from muscle mass).
I prefer to measure progress by indicators such as, how do I feel? how do my clothes fit? Can I fit into anything in my closet I couldn't wear last month? Is my endurance improving? Can I lift more weight than I did last month on this exercise? Can I do more pushups than I did yesterday? Etc.
So it won't surprise you that I don't believe in diets, either. Diets are temporary; once we've lost the weight, we go off the "diet" and go back to our old eating habits. And as I once heard someone say, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got." And in my experience, when the lbs. come back, they bring their friends! :)
I believe in "live-its." A live-it is a journey. A live-it is changes that you make in your activity levels or food choices that you can live with for the rest of your life. They don't even have to be big changes. One of the most important changes I made was to pretty much eliminate drinks with sugar as well as juices from my diet. It's amazing how many calories you can drink without realizing it. A live-it doesn't mean making perfect choices all the time. There's always tomorrow!
I don't believe in "bad foods" either. What do diets do? They are big on "all or nothing" approaches. They often take perfectly good food (carbs, for example), and make them "off-limits." Let's be honest here: is it reasonable to think that you should live the rest of your life never eating carbs? Of course not! We just have to find a way that we can peacefully and comfortably co-exist with the carbs in our diet. Which is going to be different for everybody; and easier said than done.
And the other thing: once a diet tells you, nope, can't have your favorite, Food Z anymore, what happens? All you can think about is how much you wish you could eat Food Z. You think about Food Z morning, noon, and night. You think about how glad you are that you didn't eat Food Z when the pastry cart rolled by, but secretly you WANT SOME Z! Eventually, you give in and eat the Z. Then you feel bad about yourself, and you think, well, I already blew it for today. I might as well go ahead and eat foods P and Q also. Even though you haven't eaten P or Q for weeks and haven't really missed them. You end up feeling bad about yourself and ultimately eating more, even eating stuff you don't even want, than if you had given yourself permission to eat the Z and enjoy it.
Wouldn't it be better to take this approach? I love Food Z, but I know it's calorically dense and eating a lot of it will probably not help me reach my fitness and nutritional goals. I recognize that there is a whole range of choices between always eating Z, and never eating Z. Why don't I cut down on the amount of Food Z I'm eating? I could decide to eat it once a week as a treat, something to look forward to and enjoy. Or, I could tell myself that I can have Food Z any time I want it, but just for today I've decided not to eat it. But if as the day goes on and I have a real craving for Z, and I can't stand it, for heaven's sake, eat some Z and enjoy it!!
It's just food, delicious food, that is a normal, natural part of life that the Creator has given us to enjoy. It's no better or worse than any other food. Eating it today is not going to derail our whole journey. And instead of focusing on how we ate the Z, why not give ourselves kudos for the other 900 great decisions we made today that are helping us reach those goals? Maybe tomorrow we'll make a different choice about Z. Once Z has lost its forbidden fruit status, maybe we'll find that just a bite or two of Z does the trick.
It's inevitable that we'll miss our goal sometimes. It's a natural part of the weightloss journey. And it is a journey. We may not be able to drive from San Francisco to New York in a day, but if we get in the car, and we start moving in the direction of New York, and we keep moving, we'll eventually get there. Sure, we may not take the fastest route, or the easiest route, or the best route, and we may make a few side trips or detours or have a flat tire, but we CAN still get there. Although I think I've been stuck in Memphis eating BBQ for the past year ;)
For me, the real issue is not losing weight. It's getting, and staying, healthier. It's being able to do more of the activities I enjoy. I think of myself as an athlete (yeah, right, but I can dream, can't I?) who needs to eat certain foods for optimum performance. I try to focus on getting the nutrition I need to build muscle and stamina, instead of what I shouldn't eat.
Of course, there may be medical reasons why a person needs to eliminate certain foods from his/her diet. Poatoes, white bread, and rice tend to cause my blood sugar to spike and then fall rapidly, which is not fun, so I try to avoid eating them. And some foods are just trigger foods if I start eating them: chips, for instance. Whether it's corn chips or potato chips, once I get started eating them I just can't stop, so I know it's better for me to just not get started, since I can't eat them in moderation!
But in general, I believe:
If I want to lose weight, I should eat less and move more
If the foods I love cause me to gain weight, I should just eat less of those foods
One of the best things I can do to help myself lose weight is strength training
One of the best things I can do to continue to enjoy the foods I love and maintain a healthy weight is strength training
Everyday is a perfect day for chocolate (even if it's just a taste!)
It can be very frustrating when you've had a good week, and worked really hard, but the scale says that you've stayed the same or even gained a little weight. What has really happened is you have gained muscle mass, and you've probably shrunk some. So I just don't find the feedback helpful. I remember reading Jane Fonda's book and she said that she was 2 sizes smaller at age 40 than when she was in her 20's but weighed 10 lbs. more (from muscle mass).
I prefer to measure progress by indicators such as, how do I feel? how do my clothes fit? Can I fit into anything in my closet I couldn't wear last month? Is my endurance improving? Can I lift more weight than I did last month on this exercise? Can I do more pushups than I did yesterday? Etc.
So it won't surprise you that I don't believe in diets, either. Diets are temporary; once we've lost the weight, we go off the "diet" and go back to our old eating habits. And as I once heard someone say, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got." And in my experience, when the lbs. come back, they bring their friends! :)
I believe in "live-its." A live-it is a journey. A live-it is changes that you make in your activity levels or food choices that you can live with for the rest of your life. They don't even have to be big changes. One of the most important changes I made was to pretty much eliminate drinks with sugar as well as juices from my diet. It's amazing how many calories you can drink without realizing it. A live-it doesn't mean making perfect choices all the time. There's always tomorrow!
I don't believe in "bad foods" either. What do diets do? They are big on "all or nothing" approaches. They often take perfectly good food (carbs, for example), and make them "off-limits." Let's be honest here: is it reasonable to think that you should live the rest of your life never eating carbs? Of course not! We just have to find a way that we can peacefully and comfortably co-exist with the carbs in our diet. Which is going to be different for everybody; and easier said than done.
And the other thing: once a diet tells you, nope, can't have your favorite, Food Z anymore, what happens? All you can think about is how much you wish you could eat Food Z. You think about Food Z morning, noon, and night. You think about how glad you are that you didn't eat Food Z when the pastry cart rolled by, but secretly you WANT SOME Z! Eventually, you give in and eat the Z. Then you feel bad about yourself, and you think, well, I already blew it for today. I might as well go ahead and eat foods P and Q also. Even though you haven't eaten P or Q for weeks and haven't really missed them. You end up feeling bad about yourself and ultimately eating more, even eating stuff you don't even want, than if you had given yourself permission to eat the Z and enjoy it.
Wouldn't it be better to take this approach? I love Food Z, but I know it's calorically dense and eating a lot of it will probably not help me reach my fitness and nutritional goals. I recognize that there is a whole range of choices between always eating Z, and never eating Z. Why don't I cut down on the amount of Food Z I'm eating? I could decide to eat it once a week as a treat, something to look forward to and enjoy. Or, I could tell myself that I can have Food Z any time I want it, but just for today I've decided not to eat it. But if as the day goes on and I have a real craving for Z, and I can't stand it, for heaven's sake, eat some Z and enjoy it!!
It's just food, delicious food, that is a normal, natural part of life that the Creator has given us to enjoy. It's no better or worse than any other food. Eating it today is not going to derail our whole journey. And instead of focusing on how we ate the Z, why not give ourselves kudos for the other 900 great decisions we made today that are helping us reach those goals? Maybe tomorrow we'll make a different choice about Z. Once Z has lost its forbidden fruit status, maybe we'll find that just a bite or two of Z does the trick.
It's inevitable that we'll miss our goal sometimes. It's a natural part of the weightloss journey. And it is a journey. We may not be able to drive from San Francisco to New York in a day, but if we get in the car, and we start moving in the direction of New York, and we keep moving, we'll eventually get there. Sure, we may not take the fastest route, or the easiest route, or the best route, and we may make a few side trips or detours or have a flat tire, but we CAN still get there. Although I think I've been stuck in Memphis eating BBQ for the past year ;)
For me, the real issue is not losing weight. It's getting, and staying, healthier. It's being able to do more of the activities I enjoy. I think of myself as an athlete (yeah, right, but I can dream, can't I?) who needs to eat certain foods for optimum performance. I try to focus on getting the nutrition I need to build muscle and stamina, instead of what I shouldn't eat.
Of course, there may be medical reasons why a person needs to eliminate certain foods from his/her diet. Poatoes, white bread, and rice tend to cause my blood sugar to spike and then fall rapidly, which is not fun, so I try to avoid eating them. And some foods are just trigger foods if I start eating them: chips, for instance. Whether it's corn chips or potato chips, once I get started eating them I just can't stop, so I know it's better for me to just not get started, since I can't eat them in moderation!
But in general, I believe:
If I want to lose weight, I should eat less and move more
If the foods I love cause me to gain weight, I should just eat less of those foods
One of the best things I can do to help myself lose weight is strength training
One of the best things I can do to continue to enjoy the foods I love and maintain a healthy weight is strength training
Everyday is a perfect day for chocolate (even if it's just a taste!)
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Rest Day
Today is my mom's birthday. She is 79 years old today. She lives in a retirement home in Durham, about 30 min. from here, but I had meetings this afternoon so I had to call her to wish her a happy instead of visiting. It's a good thing I did! Poor Mom. She told me the entire retirement home is under quarantine because the Norwalk (or whatever they are calling it now) virus is running rampant through the building. Tons of the residents are sick. All the public areas are closed off, including the dining room, so meals are being delivered to their rooms. They aren't supposed to leave their rooms unless absolutely necessary, and the Health Dept. doesn't even want them to leave the building! Mom is just fine, but going absolutely stir-crazy. She's still driving, and misses getting out and about. She thinks the quarantine may be lifted by Friday. So we are postponing her birthday meal until we've moved into our new house.
I really believe in the hard-hard-easy workout schedule, but I didn't feel that today's 30 min. walk with the dog did me much good. TOO easy. Maybe it'll at least keep me from being so stiff tomorrow! Still, it was nice being out in the fresh (if chilly) air and felt good to be moving. Since I'm practically like those people in Wall-E who never move but float through life on their chaise lounges, I think it would be wise to incorporate at least a 30 min. walk into every day, regardless of what else I'm doing. I haven't been this out of shape for years!
I can really feel the effects of yesterday's Christi workout, especially in my arms, LOL, courtesy of Christi's crazy-fun choreography. My deltoids and triceps are pleasantly sore, and my quads are wondering what hit them.
I feel really encouraged, though! This morning at 6 DS and I swung by the Teeter on the way to school to get some lunch provisions. Sigh. I still haven't done my weekly shopping yet. I noticed, while whizzing quickly up and down the aisles, that my legs already feel stronger and more flexible!
Ooooooh, how I love working out. Next week will be even better once I start working with the weights. I usually drop a whole size in about a week when I start strength training.
After my walk with Huck, it was late and we were all hungry and ready for dinner, so we decided to go out. I just threw on a sweater over my exercise bra (the Iron Maiden!!) and squeezed myself into my only pair of wearable jeans. It was so funny, because I usually don't wear street clothes over my exercise bra, but when I looked down while we were at the restaurat, I totally had a uniboob! It's not as evident under my baggy t-shirts that I wear for working out, but in this closer fitting sweater, yep, the unmistakable uniboob. And no one said anything-- they let me go out in public looking like some kind of deformed hoochie-mama!
Guys. They don't get it.
We've got a long way to go on all fronts, but making definite progress! I feel like a wimp starting off so slowly, but I really learned my lesson about overdoing it a few years ago.
Do y'all remember The Firm exercise videos? (Yikes, talk about Stepford!) They were all the rage. I was trying out my very first Firm workout. I was so excited. I even dutifully watched the little infomericial at the beginning of the video about using proper form. The man tried to tell me, oh yes, he told me several times, but I didn't listen.
I attacked that workout with gusto, really went for the Gold! It was only the next day when I could not move a single part of my body without experiencing excruciating pain-- I mean, it HURT just to walk, and getting up from a chair made me want to cry!-- that I remembered the man said, in his cheesy "I am the Narrator" voice, "Never attempt to do all the exercises your first time." No kidding! I had nearly terminal DOMS for over a week. It put me off strength training for years, in fact.
Slow and steady is the way! I'll be doing roundhouse kicks and 360s on my step no sweat soon enough. I can't decide if I want to do step or kickbox tomorrow-- but I'm eager to see if it's feeling any easier cardio-wise.
I really believe in the hard-hard-easy workout schedule, but I didn't feel that today's 30 min. walk with the dog did me much good. TOO easy. Maybe it'll at least keep me from being so stiff tomorrow! Still, it was nice being out in the fresh (if chilly) air and felt good to be moving. Since I'm practically like those people in Wall-E who never move but float through life on their chaise lounges, I think it would be wise to incorporate at least a 30 min. walk into every day, regardless of what else I'm doing. I haven't been this out of shape for years!
I can really feel the effects of yesterday's Christi workout, especially in my arms, LOL, courtesy of Christi's crazy-fun choreography. My deltoids and triceps are pleasantly sore, and my quads are wondering what hit them.
I feel really encouraged, though! This morning at 6 DS and I swung by the Teeter on the way to school to get some lunch provisions. Sigh. I still haven't done my weekly shopping yet. I noticed, while whizzing quickly up and down the aisles, that my legs already feel stronger and more flexible!
Ooooooh, how I love working out. Next week will be even better once I start working with the weights. I usually drop a whole size in about a week when I start strength training.
After my walk with Huck, it was late and we were all hungry and ready for dinner, so we decided to go out. I just threw on a sweater over my exercise bra (the Iron Maiden!!) and squeezed myself into my only pair of wearable jeans. It was so funny, because I usually don't wear street clothes over my exercise bra, but when I looked down while we were at the restaurat, I totally had a uniboob! It's not as evident under my baggy t-shirts that I wear for working out, but in this closer fitting sweater, yep, the unmistakable uniboob. And no one said anything-- they let me go out in public looking like some kind of deformed hoochie-mama!
Guys. They don't get it.
We've got a long way to go on all fronts, but making definite progress! I feel like a wimp starting off so slowly, but I really learned my lesson about overdoing it a few years ago.
Do y'all remember The Firm exercise videos? (Yikes, talk about Stepford!) They were all the rage. I was trying out my very first Firm workout. I was so excited. I even dutifully watched the little infomericial at the beginning of the video about using proper form. The man tried to tell me, oh yes, he told me several times, but I didn't listen.
I attacked that workout with gusto, really went for the Gold! It was only the next day when I could not move a single part of my body without experiencing excruciating pain-- I mean, it HURT just to walk, and getting up from a chair made me want to cry!-- that I remembered the man said, in his cheesy "I am the Narrator" voice, "Never attempt to do all the exercises your first time." No kidding! I had nearly terminal DOMS for over a week. It put me off strength training for years, in fact.
Slow and steady is the way! I'll be doing roundhouse kicks and 360s on my step no sweat soon enough. I can't decide if I want to do step or kickbox tomorrow-- but I'm eager to see if it's feeling any easier cardio-wise.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Still Jumpin'
By the end of the day I had started to feel the DOMS from yesterday's workout, so I decided to go with a high-low workout today. I have a vintage Christi Taylor workout from her Just For Fun series, called Still Jumpin'. The entire thing is about 65 minutes long, counting the warmup, cooldown, and stretch. There are 2 routines, but I only did the first one, plus the cooldown combination and stretch. It's a lot of fun! I had it in VHS and got it reformatted onto DVD because it's such a great workout with really fun choreography. The soundtrack seems to be all 70's and 80's pop (Then Came You, Rhythm is Gonna Get You, Love Lifted Us Up, Still the One).
As I mentioned, Christi's choreography is pretty innovative with a lot of her own moves (lunge-switch with a twist, down up and away, jogging boxstep, hip-hip, hopscotch, and kick the corner, for example) and fewer "standard" moves like grapevines, chausees, and shuffle-ball changes. My only criticism is that there are just WAY too many hamstring curls in part one, and a fairly tedious section of repeated grapevines where you kind of do chest flies with your arms and cross them at the wrists about 100 times. But it's really mostly a lot of fun, dancy choreography.
I will say I don't care for the way Christi cues. She cues the moves 2 beats in advance, so instead of cueing what you're supposed to be doing NOW, she's telling you what you're gonna do NEXT. Some people prefer that, but I find it confusing, especially when I'm trying to learn new choreography.
Once again, this formerly "Easy Day" workout kicked my out-of-shape posterior. I had to stop between each of the 4 combinations for a 2-minute break water and air break. My HRM says I burned 450 calories, not too shabby for only half a workout. I also had to stop halfway through to stretch my calves and soleus muscles. My rate of perceived exertion: ghastly, though perhaps a bit better than yesterday.
I am sure there will be pain tomorrow! I felt muscles today I had forgotten I had, LOL!
My plan is to take a long walk tomorrow instead of doing a workout, to give the muscles some recovery time. I definitely do not want to get injured right now!
As I mentioned, Christi's choreography is pretty innovative with a lot of her own moves (lunge-switch with a twist, down up and away, jogging boxstep, hip-hip, hopscotch, and kick the corner, for example) and fewer "standard" moves like grapevines, chausees, and shuffle-ball changes. My only criticism is that there are just WAY too many hamstring curls in part one, and a fairly tedious section of repeated grapevines where you kind of do chest flies with your arms and cross them at the wrists about 100 times. But it's really mostly a lot of fun, dancy choreography.
I will say I don't care for the way Christi cues. She cues the moves 2 beats in advance, so instead of cueing what you're supposed to be doing NOW, she's telling you what you're gonna do NEXT. Some people prefer that, but I find it confusing, especially when I'm trying to learn new choreography.
Once again, this formerly "Easy Day" workout kicked my out-of-shape posterior. I had to stop between each of the 4 combinations for a 2-minute break water and air break. My HRM says I burned 450 calories, not too shabby for only half a workout. I also had to stop halfway through to stretch my calves and soleus muscles. My rate of perceived exertion: ghastly, though perhaps a bit better than yesterday.
I am sure there will be pain tomorrow! I felt muscles today I had forgotten I had, LOL!
My plan is to take a long walk tomorrow instead of doing a workout, to give the muscles some recovery time. I definitely do not want to get injured right now!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Back on the Phit Wagon, Day 1
As you may have gathered from a previous post, I work out at home with DVDs. I love the privacy, the fact I can do it whenever it's convenient for me, plus it's like having my own personal trainer with me every day. If you think you can't get a good workout at home, I'm here to tell you, you have not met Cathe Friedrich. Oh, I SO want that woman's abs. Buns too.
I have an aerobic step bench, a fitness ball, resistance bands, a collection of dumbbells and a barbell. I generally do 6 workouts per week. Depending on which rotation I'm doing, I'll do total body strength training 2 or 3 times a week, or I'll do a 4 day split alternating parts of the upper and lower body.
I also have a delightfully torturous DVD that will beat. you. down: Cathe Friedrich's Butts and Guts, which I try also to work in every week, as well as her Legs and Glutes, which is not as tough, but has more floor work. Oh, how I hate floor work. And barbell lunges. And you know what they say: the ones you hate the most are the ones you need the most!
For cardio conditioning, I alternate between aerobic step, high-low aerobics, and kickbox. I used to run about 30 miles per week, and I really miss it. Unfortunately, there's nothing but hillwork here in Central NC, and I quickly blew out both achilles tendons soon after I moved here, abruptly ending my training for the Chicago marathon. I am toying with the idea of maybe getting back into running. I have some really good running shoes designed to minimize stress on the achilles by raising the heel cup. But let me just get back to where I can finish my indoor workouts first, LOL!
Of course, being not only fluffy but also disgustingly out of shape, I'm nowhere near ready to tackle the above. The sheer effort of moving my current bulk will probably effectively double the intensity of any workout right now, LOL! My plan for this week is to concentrate on cardio and getting back into my routine. I figure the DOMS just from moving again will probably be plenty to endure this week. I'm shooting for 5 30-minute cardio workouts and maybe a few extended walks with the dog.
Today I did Lower Intensity Step from Cathe's 4 Day Split series (you can preview by clicking on the link; all Cathe's DVDs include streaming video samples). Not all at once, with many pauses to gasp and drink, but I did get all the way through it, including the intensity blasts. I admit my outer-thigh around the world and jump shot series were not my best efforts, but hey, I was moving! I put in 35 minutes of respectable cardio work. I felt pretty ghastly through most of it, but I know from past experience that cardio conditioning improves amazingly rapidly. In about 3 weeks I'll probably be able to get through most of my cardio workouts without taking any breaks.
Tomorrow I will either do Christi Taylor (high-low) or some kickbox, depending on how sore I am. 4 Day Split also has a bootcamp segement for one of the cardio workouts, which I will not be ready to attempt for several weeks. Drop and give you 20? Would you settle for 1, maybe? My current state of feebleness is discouraging in the extreme, but it can only get better from here! I am determined that this is the year I will SURPASS DS in doing pushups. He does 80 a day. I read about an 80-year-old female athlete that can do 100 a day, it HAS to be possible!
Next week I'll start working strength training back in, which is the foundation of my whole program. I know that muscle burns 3 times more calories at rest than other tissue, that you get the afterburn effect for 36 hrs. after a good strength workout, and that the only way to noodge my stubborn metabolism into overdrive is to increase my muscle mass. Weirdly, most of my excess avoir-dupois seems to have settled around my hips, my upper body hasn't changed as much. I say weirdly because I've always been shaped like an inverted triangle, and I have, until now, had a classic case of "Indian Butt": meaning, I don't have one! Strength training is pretty much the only way to get gut fat to budge, and please, dear God, do something about these saddlebags I've never had before!
I also know I need to start eating for performance, which means 6 small, high-quality meals and snacks throughout the day to keep my metabolism churning. That part is going to be a challenge, especially now that my blender is broken and I can't make protein shakes. However, it is a worthwhile investment in my overall health and well-being, so I should bite the bullet and get a new blender. (Are you listening, self??)
Last year I pre-ordered Cathe's then-in-production magnum opus, the 40 DVD set, STS (Shock Training System). The name alone is enough to strike terror into my heart! Well, it just arrived a few weeks ago. I haven't yet opened it, but this week will start previewing MesoCycle 1. I haven't checked in with the forums since it's been released, but STS is supposed to be the mother of all strength training systems. I can't remember how many mesocycles it includes, but each is designed to improve a specific target, such as overall strength (one of them will increase your current level by 5%), muscle endurance, and power.
It even includes software to help you determine your 1 rep max for each and every exercise, so that you are working to the best of your ability every time, without too little or too much weight. Also, no exercise can be "too advanced" now that I can determine the exact right weight for me. I think the software also helps with nutritional planning. I look forward to trying STS with eagerness as well as apprehension. I have a feeling I'm going to need several new dumbbell sets pretty quickly here.
I'll post about STS as I preview each mesocycle.
I have an aerobic step bench, a fitness ball, resistance bands, a collection of dumbbells and a barbell. I generally do 6 workouts per week. Depending on which rotation I'm doing, I'll do total body strength training 2 or 3 times a week, or I'll do a 4 day split alternating parts of the upper and lower body.
I also have a delightfully torturous DVD that will beat. you. down: Cathe Friedrich's Butts and Guts, which I try also to work in every week, as well as her Legs and Glutes, which is not as tough, but has more floor work. Oh, how I hate floor work. And barbell lunges. And you know what they say: the ones you hate the most are the ones you need the most!
For cardio conditioning, I alternate between aerobic step, high-low aerobics, and kickbox. I used to run about 30 miles per week, and I really miss it. Unfortunately, there's nothing but hillwork here in Central NC, and I quickly blew out both achilles tendons soon after I moved here, abruptly ending my training for the Chicago marathon. I am toying with the idea of maybe getting back into running. I have some really good running shoes designed to minimize stress on the achilles by raising the heel cup. But let me just get back to where I can finish my indoor workouts first, LOL!
Of course, being not only fluffy but also disgustingly out of shape, I'm nowhere near ready to tackle the above. The sheer effort of moving my current bulk will probably effectively double the intensity of any workout right now, LOL! My plan for this week is to concentrate on cardio and getting back into my routine. I figure the DOMS just from moving again will probably be plenty to endure this week. I'm shooting for 5 30-minute cardio workouts and maybe a few extended walks with the dog.
Today I did Lower Intensity Step from Cathe's 4 Day Split series (you can preview by clicking on the link; all Cathe's DVDs include streaming video samples). Not all at once, with many pauses to gasp and drink, but I did get all the way through it, including the intensity blasts. I admit my outer-thigh around the world and jump shot series were not my best efforts, but hey, I was moving! I put in 35 minutes of respectable cardio work. I felt pretty ghastly through most of it, but I know from past experience that cardio conditioning improves amazingly rapidly. In about 3 weeks I'll probably be able to get through most of my cardio workouts without taking any breaks.
Tomorrow I will either do Christi Taylor (high-low) or some kickbox, depending on how sore I am. 4 Day Split also has a bootcamp segement for one of the cardio workouts, which I will not be ready to attempt for several weeks. Drop and give you 20? Would you settle for 1, maybe? My current state of feebleness is discouraging in the extreme, but it can only get better from here! I am determined that this is the year I will SURPASS DS in doing pushups. He does 80 a day. I read about an 80-year-old female athlete that can do 100 a day, it HAS to be possible!
Next week I'll start working strength training back in, which is the foundation of my whole program. I know that muscle burns 3 times more calories at rest than other tissue, that you get the afterburn effect for 36 hrs. after a good strength workout, and that the only way to noodge my stubborn metabolism into overdrive is to increase my muscle mass. Weirdly, most of my excess avoir-dupois seems to have settled around my hips, my upper body hasn't changed as much. I say weirdly because I've always been shaped like an inverted triangle, and I have, until now, had a classic case of "Indian Butt": meaning, I don't have one! Strength training is pretty much the only way to get gut fat to budge, and please, dear God, do something about these saddlebags I've never had before!
I also know I need to start eating for performance, which means 6 small, high-quality meals and snacks throughout the day to keep my metabolism churning. That part is going to be a challenge, especially now that my blender is broken and I can't make protein shakes. However, it is a worthwhile investment in my overall health and well-being, so I should bite the bullet and get a new blender. (Are you listening, self??)
Last year I pre-ordered Cathe's then-in-production magnum opus, the 40 DVD set, STS (Shock Training System). The name alone is enough to strike terror into my heart! Well, it just arrived a few weeks ago. I haven't yet opened it, but this week will start previewing MesoCycle 1. I haven't checked in with the forums since it's been released, but STS is supposed to be the mother of all strength training systems. I can't remember how many mesocycles it includes, but each is designed to improve a specific target, such as overall strength (one of them will increase your current level by 5%), muscle endurance, and power.
It even includes software to help you determine your 1 rep max for each and every exercise, so that you are working to the best of your ability every time, without too little or too much weight. Also, no exercise can be "too advanced" now that I can determine the exact right weight for me. I think the software also helps with nutritional planning. I look forward to trying STS with eagerness as well as apprehension. I have a feeling I'm going to need several new dumbbell sets pretty quickly here.
I'll post about STS as I preview each mesocycle.
PhitDiva debuts
OK, I admit it: for years, I was a workout junkie, strung out on the endorphins, high on Cathe.Com and VideoFitness. In other words, I had no life (LOL!). Seriously, last year when I worked in Chicago, my life consisted of work, working out, walking to Starbucks for my daily Venti Green Tea Latte, watching Gray's Anatomy, and sleeping. Then true love knocked on my door. (Among other things.)
Now I'm back home in NC, sharing a home with my Darlin' Companion, and doing the 50-50 custody 2-step with my ex. I loved my time in Chicago, but it was really, really, really the pits being without my DS except for one weekend a month. I now have a whole household, including my DS (eo week), my DC, his dog, Huckleberry, and his two cats (Elsa and Sienna). Poof. Instant family. Now I'm cooking at least 5 days a week.
I love to cook. I mean, I really, really love to cook. I had not really cooked for so many years I had forgotten how much I enjoy feeding people. Now I am totally addicted to cooking delicious dish after delicious dish.
Shoot, I'd pretty much dispensed with the entire notion of dinner, except for when DS was with me, and I'd make something for him. DC's bachelor diet pretty much consisted of Mountain Dew, chicken wings and pizza, so when we moved in together I set about to improve his nutrition, but enjoyably. I figured if I cooked it at home, and could get him to eat it, it was bound to be more nutritious than what he'd previously been eating. So that he wouldn't feel "deprived," I tried to cook all his favorites, including homemade desserts. And overall, he eats much better now and is feeling better, too. Unfortunately, all of this cooking has brought back my appetite and I've actually been eating for the first time in years.
Normally, this would not be a big deal, as I generally burn anywhere from 1000-2000 calories a day working out, depending on what I'm doing. Seriously, my young & hot Dr. in Chicago said my good cholesterol was 3 times higher than his and he was envious! However, between this and that, I started missing workouts so they became much less regular. And of course, last year, not being hampered by the possession of a car (YES!! I HATE having to maintain a car), I walked everywhere. Real fast, since I live my life on "Indian time" and am constantly late. I am now as sedentary as a sloth, since I work at home. Whole days go by when I don't even leave the house. (I hate to admit this, but sometimes I don't even bother to get dressed, and spend the whole day in my jammies.)
The coup de grace to my fitness routine came in August, when I broke my foot, and really could not work out for 6+ good weeks. Then of course, things started heating up at work, my travel schedule picked up, and our TV bit the dust, the birthday/holiday season was coming, and I was always going to get back into exercise "tomorrow," "next week," "after this next business trip."
You can guess the result. I, the Library Diva, Fitness Addict, and formerly fat person, have become a currently, well, let's just say, fluffy, person. I can hardly squeeze a toe into my size 2 jeans... my size 4 too-cute-for-words denim miniskirt is but a distant memory... (dang, I was SO looking forward to violating the office dress code with that thing) and even my size 6 "fat" jeans won't come anywhere near fastening. In short, we have a crisis. This Diva will NOT put up with this. I must shrink. Instantly.
I'm at the outer limit of what my wardrobe can contain. I actually popped a button off a skirt while on a client visit and spent half the day praying my zipper would hold and surreptitiously looking for stray safety pins. As I was shrinking, on the journey from my formerly fat self to my recently sassy and cute self, I saved a few favorite outfits, so I have clothes in various sizes. But I'm now down to one pair of extremely tight jeans and 2 or 3 shirts that fit. At least, without making me look like a hoochiemama. And I REFUSE to buy new clothes in jumbo size.
So today, I put on my workout gear, strapped on the old heart rate monitor, and broke out one of my favorite Cathe DVDs, which includes a "low intensity" step routine. I figured I would "ease" back into things.
Ha! Holy cow, that thing totally kicked my big (but still cute and sexy) butt.
I made it through the whole routine, by stopping numerous times to let my heartrate drop and to guzzle water. I'm in my personal anaerobic zone at anything over 175 and can't be happy there for long.
Tomorrow I'm going to do either kickbox or high-low (aerobics). So this blog is really about keeping myself motivated, and maybe finding a few kindred spirits in the fight against flab. And while yes, I certainly do want to lose the fluff, my major goal is to get into the best shape of my life, ever. I have a whole new pack of strength training DVDs that I can't wait to break into. I lost the weight before, and I can do it again.
But it will be a real challenge, because I am a cooking and food diva too. I refuse to eat "diet" food or anything that does not taste good. Life is too short to avoid eating good food. I don't believe in doing penance at the table.
So can this FitnessDiva balance fine cooking with weightloss and everything else she has to do? We shall see. One thing is clear: I'll need to be creative and find my own way, as conventional weightloss wisdom has never worked for me, yet I lost 70 lbs. and kept it off (kept shrinking, in fact) for 5 years. I do not own a scale and don't believe in them; if you do strength training the BMI is a joke, but I'll measure progress by how I feel and the difficulty level of the workouts I can get through. I know I can do this! Yes, we CAN! And we WILL! Life is also too short to go through it without awesomely cute clothes.
Now I'm back home in NC, sharing a home with my Darlin' Companion, and doing the 50-50 custody 2-step with my ex. I loved my time in Chicago, but it was really, really, really the pits being without my DS except for one weekend a month. I now have a whole household, including my DS (eo week), my DC, his dog, Huckleberry, and his two cats (Elsa and Sienna). Poof. Instant family. Now I'm cooking at least 5 days a week.
I love to cook. I mean, I really, really love to cook. I had not really cooked for so many years I had forgotten how much I enjoy feeding people. Now I am totally addicted to cooking delicious dish after delicious dish.
Shoot, I'd pretty much dispensed with the entire notion of dinner, except for when DS was with me, and I'd make something for him. DC's bachelor diet pretty much consisted of Mountain Dew, chicken wings and pizza, so when we moved in together I set about to improve his nutrition, but enjoyably. I figured if I cooked it at home, and could get him to eat it, it was bound to be more nutritious than what he'd previously been eating. So that he wouldn't feel "deprived," I tried to cook all his favorites, including homemade desserts. And overall, he eats much better now and is feeling better, too. Unfortunately, all of this cooking has brought back my appetite and I've actually been eating for the first time in years.
Normally, this would not be a big deal, as I generally burn anywhere from 1000-2000 calories a day working out, depending on what I'm doing. Seriously, my young & hot Dr. in Chicago said my good cholesterol was 3 times higher than his and he was envious! However, between this and that, I started missing workouts so they became much less regular. And of course, last year, not being hampered by the possession of a car (YES!! I HATE having to maintain a car), I walked everywhere. Real fast, since I live my life on "Indian time" and am constantly late. I am now as sedentary as a sloth, since I work at home. Whole days go by when I don't even leave the house. (I hate to admit this, but sometimes I don't even bother to get dressed, and spend the whole day in my jammies.)
The coup de grace to my fitness routine came in August, when I broke my foot, and really could not work out for 6+ good weeks. Then of course, things started heating up at work, my travel schedule picked up, and our TV bit the dust, the birthday/holiday season was coming, and I was always going to get back into exercise "tomorrow," "next week," "after this next business trip."
You can guess the result. I, the Library Diva, Fitness Addict, and formerly fat person, have become a currently, well, let's just say, fluffy, person. I can hardly squeeze a toe into my size 2 jeans... my size 4 too-cute-for-words denim miniskirt is but a distant memory... (dang, I was SO looking forward to violating the office dress code with that thing) and even my size 6 "fat" jeans won't come anywhere near fastening. In short, we have a crisis. This Diva will NOT put up with this. I must shrink. Instantly.
I'm at the outer limit of what my wardrobe can contain. I actually popped a button off a skirt while on a client visit and spent half the day praying my zipper would hold and surreptitiously looking for stray safety pins. As I was shrinking, on the journey from my formerly fat self to my recently sassy and cute self, I saved a few favorite outfits, so I have clothes in various sizes. But I'm now down to one pair of extremely tight jeans and 2 or 3 shirts that fit. At least, without making me look like a hoochiemama. And I REFUSE to buy new clothes in jumbo size.
So today, I put on my workout gear, strapped on the old heart rate monitor, and broke out one of my favorite Cathe DVDs, which includes a "low intensity" step routine. I figured I would "ease" back into things.
Ha! Holy cow, that thing totally kicked my big (but still cute and sexy) butt.
I made it through the whole routine, by stopping numerous times to let my heartrate drop and to guzzle water. I'm in my personal anaerobic zone at anything over 175 and can't be happy there for long.
Tomorrow I'm going to do either kickbox or high-low (aerobics). So this blog is really about keeping myself motivated, and maybe finding a few kindred spirits in the fight against flab. And while yes, I certainly do want to lose the fluff, my major goal is to get into the best shape of my life, ever. I have a whole new pack of strength training DVDs that I can't wait to break into. I lost the weight before, and I can do it again.
But it will be a real challenge, because I am a cooking and food diva too. I refuse to eat "diet" food or anything that does not taste good. Life is too short to avoid eating good food. I don't believe in doing penance at the table.
So can this FitnessDiva balance fine cooking with weightloss and everything else she has to do? We shall see. One thing is clear: I'll need to be creative and find my own way, as conventional weightloss wisdom has never worked for me, yet I lost 70 lbs. and kept it off (kept shrinking, in fact) for 5 years. I do not own a scale and don't believe in them; if you do strength training the BMI is a joke, but I'll measure progress by how I feel and the difficulty level of the workouts I can get through. I know I can do this! Yes, we CAN! And we WILL! Life is also too short to go through it without awesomely cute clothes.
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