M and I have added a lot to our morning walks. First it was the amount of time we walk (from 30 minutes to 1 hour), then it was distance (from 1 mile to 2.5-3 miles), then it was stairs (10 minutes of climbing stairs downtown really makes you feel the burn!) and then this week we added something - or rather someone - new.
Mr. Kawaii decided to join us on our morning walk yesterday morning, and it was great having him along. For one thing, it was wonderful to have a third voice in the conversation that always happens in tandem with the walk. It was also great to share with him all of the joys and gripes of the daily routine and get his insight on a few things that M has been mulling over.
It was mostly great having him join us because he's just fun to be around, no matter what the activity. I hope he continues coming back out with us. Someone's got to hold my stuff when I get a half mile into the walk and realize I have no pockets!
Showing posts with label cardio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cardio. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 31
Saturday, April 2
The Garden Is Growing
I spent a couple of hours out in the yard this morning with M, doing our best to chop through the overgrown bushes and rake up the leaves that have been hanging out on the ground since... October. The time flew by, and before we knew it, it was time for lunch! Although the dent in the yard work isn't a huge one, it is finally Springtime and so no longer is foul weather a valid excuse for failing to go outside and be in nature.
Today the bushes were conquered... tomorrow we head back outside for some paintball! :)
Today the bushes were conquered... tomorrow we head back outside for some paintball! :)
Sunday, March 13
Wii Played
Mr. Kawaii and I had an unsuccessful round of house hunting this afternoon, and when we came home we had to decide if we were going to hang our heads in mopey despair or find some other way to blow off some steam. In a moment of brilliant healthy and proactive thought, we decided to turn on the Wii and play some Wii Sports games to shake the blues out of our systems.
A few rounds of tennis, 9 holes of golf and a game of bowling later, we both felt much better about the world in general. It is amazing how a little jumping, waving and twitching around the living room makes the world seem a little brighter.
A few rounds of tennis, 9 holes of golf and a game of bowling later, we both felt much better about the world in general. It is amazing how a little jumping, waving and twitching around the living room makes the world seem a little brighter.
Sunday, February 6
Guns, Knives and Exercise
I'm hopping on for just a brief moment before going back to enjoying my relaxing day off. :)
Today Mr. Kawaii and I headed to a Gun and Knife show at the Expo Center in Portland and walked through the show for about 2 1/2 hours before finally deciding it was time to stop shopping and head home for some lunch. We had a great time, saw lots of really cool and interesting things, successfully avoided the hot dog and hamburger stands and got to enjoy being out and about together.
It's been a great day!
Today Mr. Kawaii and I headed to a Gun and Knife show at the Expo Center in Portland and walked through the show for about 2 1/2 hours before finally deciding it was time to stop shopping and head home for some lunch. We had a great time, saw lots of really cool and interesting things, successfully avoided the hot dog and hamburger stands and got to enjoy being out and about together.
It's been a great day!
Friday, February 4
The Pooch Walk
This morning, Pooch awakened to the day like a puppy let out of his mother's pen for the first time. He brought me several bones in bed, barked at me through the bathroom door, bounced on Dummy to say "hello" and generally ran amok through two episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch (don't you judge me). I finally gave in to his hounding and got myself up and dressed for a walk around the block.
I was hesitant to take him on a walk earlier this week because of my back, but his flamboyancy this morning warranted risking the possibility of pain just to gain some peace and quiet! Luckily, once he was on the leash and out the door he behaved himself and refrained from pulling too hard on the leash to inspect tantalizing shrubbery and barely-contained trash cans during our stroll. I decided, partially in an effort to make sure he'd nap the rest of the day and partially to see just how out of shape I've gotten since my workout hiatus, to jog a portion of the way and was relieved to be able to make it from one end of the block to the other without feeling out of breath or pulling some vital muscle group.
We only went a mile, and I'm glad I didn't push myself further because as I type I can feel my back tensing as I sit here. A nice hot shower and some extra strength Tylenol are in order to keep it from getting worse, I think. But back pain aside, it was a great walk - and Pooch... is already asleep. Peace!
I was hesitant to take him on a walk earlier this week because of my back, but his flamboyancy this morning warranted risking the possibility of pain just to gain some peace and quiet! Luckily, once he was on the leash and out the door he behaved himself and refrained from pulling too hard on the leash to inspect tantalizing shrubbery and barely-contained trash cans during our stroll. I decided, partially in an effort to make sure he'd nap the rest of the day and partially to see just how out of shape I've gotten since my workout hiatus, to jog a portion of the way and was relieved to be able to make it from one end of the block to the other without feeling out of breath or pulling some vital muscle group.
We only went a mile, and I'm glad I didn't push myself further because as I type I can feel my back tensing as I sit here. A nice hot shower and some extra strength Tylenol are in order to keep it from getting worse, I think. But back pain aside, it was a great walk - and Pooch... is already asleep. Peace!
Thursday, February 3
Ah, My Aching Back!
Well, the back saga continues. I made it out of the house for a short romp around the neighborhood, about a mile and a third, but by the time I rounded the last corner my upper back was achy from all the swinging and strutting of my hips and shoulders. Oh yes, I swing and strut.
The little adventure got me out of the house for a bit though and loosened up the rest of me. I'm going to have to rest a while, but who knows - the joys of lifting laundry and folding it energetically may just be in my future.
The little adventure got me out of the house for a bit though and loosened up the rest of me. I'm going to have to rest a while, but who knows - the joys of lifting laundry and folding it energetically may just be in my future.
Sunday, November 21
Weathering the Wii
It was too crisp and chilly outside this morning to convince anyone to head outdoors for an early morning stroll, so instead I grabbed Mr. Kawaii and we worked up a sweat battling each other on the Wii. 5 rounds of tennis got our hearts pounding, and then a set of bowling helped us to cool down.
It's great to have options like Exercise TV, the Wii and workout videos to keep us moving even during icky weather. It certainly helps me to feel like less of a slouch!
It's great to have options like Exercise TV, the Wii and workout videos to keep us moving even during icky weather. It certainly helps me to feel like less of a slouch!
Saturday, November 20
2 and a Half Mile
Well, it's not as rugged and gritty as Eminem's 8 Mile, but the walk around my neighborhood after a few days of a flu/cold bug brought me back to life. I've been feeling really sluggish and tired because of the sickness, and I hate that feeling of a shower and a fresh set of clothes taking all the energy I can muster for the day. Hopefully, that sickly feeling is gone for good and I can focus the next few days on having family over for Thanksgiving!
Luckily, even though I haven't been really active this week I managed to make it through without gaining any weight. I think my metabolism has finally found a happy place and that is certainly something to be thankful for!
Luckily, even though I haven't been really active this week I managed to make it through without gaining any weight. I think my metabolism has finally found a happy place and that is certainly something to be thankful for!
Friday, November 12
A Return to the Living Room
Although I have it on my "Things To Do" list, I haven't yet called the good folks at Oregon Athletic Club to find out about their memberships (Mr. Kawaii was a doll last week and got me an "in" with one of the staff there for a tour and a spin on the treadmill). I'm hoping to get to it later today, but I just never know what I'm actually going to accomplish in a given day.
I was up and raring to go this morning though, and so I decided to pop in the trusty old Denise Austin Fat Blasting Yoga DVD and give it a whirl. I haven't visited Digital Denise in months, and haven't been practicing much yoga at all recently and it showed within the first several seconds of the workout. I hadn't realized how tight my body had gotten until the first downward facing dog when I realized I had to really work to touch my toes!
I pulled through the end of the DVD, barely managing to bend myself into some of the poses, and decided that I need to bring yoga back into my workout focus at least a couple times a month to keep things limber. I'm probably also not stretching enough before or after my other workouts, so I'm going to work on focusing on that as well. Hopefully I'll be able to bend into a pretzel by Christmas!
I was up and raring to go this morning though, and so I decided to pop in the trusty old Denise Austin Fat Blasting Yoga DVD and give it a whirl. I haven't visited Digital Denise in months, and haven't been practicing much yoga at all recently and it showed within the first several seconds of the workout. I hadn't realized how tight my body had gotten until the first downward facing dog when I realized I had to really work to touch my toes!
I pulled through the end of the DVD, barely managing to bend myself into some of the poses, and decided that I need to bring yoga back into my workout focus at least a couple times a month to keep things limber. I'm probably also not stretching enough before or after my other workouts, so I'm going to work on focusing on that as well. Hopefully I'll be able to bend into a pretzel by Christmas!
Thursday, November 11
Chasing the 4:35 Train
Adding some oompf to an otherwise computer-keying day, I decided to take a walk through the neighborhood to the local grocery store this afternoon. On my way back as I crossed over the train tracks I noticed the afternoon train coming down the line. I decided to try to beat the train through the neighborhood (the tracks run parallel to the road that I walk to get to my house) and held my giant bundle of toilet paper and brownie mix tight against my chest as I hoofed it across the concrete.
The train probably moves at 4 or 5 miles an hour, which is still slightly faster than I can walk and so I really had to push myself which is surprisingly difficult with 12 rolls of toilet paper filling both arms and a sack of boxed goodness pounding against your outer thigh. The people in the neighborhood all looked at me in confusion as I peeked between the houses to see how I was progressing and trying to stay in front of the nose of the train.
Sadly the train beat me to the end of the street, but only by a nose. I was even with the conductor's window at the end of the "race". I take a proud second place though, realizing that the conductor has thousands of tons of steel, fuel and momentum keeping him moving and all I've got are a pair of New Balance shoes and the promise of frosted brownies in my future.
The train probably moves at 4 or 5 miles an hour, which is still slightly faster than I can walk and so I really had to push myself which is surprisingly difficult with 12 rolls of toilet paper filling both arms and a sack of boxed goodness pounding against your outer thigh. The people in the neighborhood all looked at me in confusion as I peeked between the houses to see how I was progressing and trying to stay in front of the nose of the train.
Sadly the train beat me to the end of the street, but only by a nose. I was even with the conductor's window at the end of the "race". I take a proud second place though, realizing that the conductor has thousands of tons of steel, fuel and momentum keeping him moving and all I've got are a pair of New Balance shoes and the promise of frosted brownies in my future.
Wednesday, November 10
Recognizing My Own Success Story
I realized this morning that I have been blogging about my exercise adventure for just about 6 months now, and what a journey it has been. I've seen my share of highs and lows over the last six months, have been witness to great changes in M and K, and even a few in myself. I spent the morning on a 2.5 mile walk with Pooch, and we spent our time out on the sidewalk reflecting on where I've been and where I'm heading.
When I started this blog, it was with the idea that if I had some outside accountability that maybe I'd be able to stick with the whole "lifestyle change" concept long enough for it to start working. Work it has, although not in the way that I had expected it to. I was seeking instant results on the scale, expecting to drop 40 or 50 pounds within six months and be back to a size 8 before Christmas.
Although those aren't the results that I've seen so far, I am confident that they are on the horizon and I am taking one step at a time in the right direction. Unfortunately, in my past I have done a number on my body through 10 years of binge eating and starvation topped off with 4 years of eating fast food roughly 12 times a week. Because of my past diet insanity, my body is still afraid to let go of the pounds although it has started shifting things around and transforming some of those former lumps into muscle that are so real you can see and feel them lurking under my skin.
All those trips to the gym, laps around the track and yoga sessions in the living room have given me results that are frequent and substantial enough to keep me going, and through blogging about the craziness of trying to jog with a dog who wants to paint fences every 50 feet and being attacked by flora and fauna in equal doses in the back yard, I have been able to share my experience with others.
This experience has reminded me that sometimes we just have to recognize our own success story instead of comparing ourselves to others. We might not all be millionaire-triathlete-raceway-superstars, but we are all treading the paces of our own journey to shape who we will become in the years ahead of us. And while yes, it is great when there are enthusiastic people like M and K to encourage us along the way, there will always be those days when we just have to get up and be our own cheerleader.
So, in the spirit of cheering for myself, here are my awesome results that have stacked up over the last six months:
Sure, I haven't met my goals of losing 40 pounds and dropping to a size 8, but look at all the things I HAVE done! Most of the things I have achieved are things that I never even thought of as goals, but they went ahead and showed up anyway. The proof is in the fat-free lactose-free sugar-free pudding, and I know that as long as I continue avoiding the drive-thru lane and keep finding ways to be active that I will continue to inch my way towards the smaller bottom of my dreams.
When I started this blog, it was with the idea that if I had some outside accountability that maybe I'd be able to stick with the whole "lifestyle change" concept long enough for it to start working. Work it has, although not in the way that I had expected it to. I was seeking instant results on the scale, expecting to drop 40 or 50 pounds within six months and be back to a size 8 before Christmas.
Although those aren't the results that I've seen so far, I am confident that they are on the horizon and I am taking one step at a time in the right direction. Unfortunately, in my past I have done a number on my body through 10 years of binge eating and starvation topped off with 4 years of eating fast food roughly 12 times a week. Because of my past diet insanity, my body is still afraid to let go of the pounds although it has started shifting things around and transforming some of those former lumps into muscle that are so real you can see and feel them lurking under my skin.
All those trips to the gym, laps around the track and yoga sessions in the living room have given me results that are frequent and substantial enough to keep me going, and through blogging about the craziness of trying to jog with a dog who wants to paint fences every 50 feet and being attacked by flora and fauna in equal doses in the back yard, I have been able to share my experience with others.
This experience has reminded me that sometimes we just have to recognize our own success story instead of comparing ourselves to others. We might not all be millionaire-triathlete-raceway-superstars, but we are all treading the paces of our own journey to shape who we will become in the years ahead of us. And while yes, it is great when there are enthusiastic people like M and K to encourage us along the way, there will always be those days when we just have to get up and be our own cheerleader.
So, in the spirit of cheering for myself, here are my awesome results that have stacked up over the last six months:
- Gone from barely being able to zip up my size 18 jeans to comfortably fitting into my size 16 jeans and size 14 dresses.
- Lost 3 pounds since starting this blog, and 6 pounds overall.
- Have traversed the gap in my belt, going from barely able to get into the last notch on the belt to now being 4 notches in.
- Discovered that I have "tank top arms" for the first time in years, with muscular shoulders and emerging biceps.
- Went from walking a 22 minute mile to being able to walk/jog a 16 minute mile.
- Have slimmed to a point where my fingers are thin enough to wear my wedding ring every day, even to sleep.
- Can see my wrist bones for the first time since 1997.
- No longer feel like I am "spilling out" over the edge of chairs, car seats or benches.
- Have more energy than I know what to do with some days!
Sure, I haven't met my goals of losing 40 pounds and dropping to a size 8, but look at all the things I HAVE done! Most of the things I have achieved are things that I never even thought of as goals, but they went ahead and showed up anyway. The proof is in the fat-free lactose-free sugar-free pudding, and I know that as long as I continue avoiding the drive-thru lane and keep finding ways to be active that I will continue to inch my way towards the smaller bottom of my dreams.
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| Nearing the Finish line at the 2010 Great Columbia Crossing October, 2010 |
Sunday, September 12
A Long Anticipated Reunion
It has been a long, long time since I attempted a Billy Blannks workout. This morning I was having a really difficult time getting motiviated to get up and go though, and as I pondered what I might do to get a workout done, I decided to check out YouTube to see if anyone in this great wide world had uploaded any of Billy's workouts. Lo and behold, they have! And not just excerpts of workouts, but full versions (paired down into chapters). God bless the internet.
I was suffering the double whammy of not only feeling unmotivated this morning but also feeling a bit sluggish and lethargic. So I was sure that I'd be able to start the workout, but didn't expect to finish it. I figured, an attempt would be better than nothing though, and so I started the TaeBo Cardio Billy Blanks workout.
True to my initial thoughts, I made it through part 2 of the workout and felt like I was ready to quit. One thing about TaeBo is that it REALLY gets you sweating, and so after about 20 minutes I felt like I had gotten a complete workout. But there were three more chapters left, and so I pushed through my workout wall and kept going. And I'm so glad I did!!
Not only did I make it through the remainder of the workout, but I was able to do it without taking more than two breaks for water and to catch my breath. This summer of working out has really been building into my body responding to challenges and coming out swinging, and I'm amazed with myself when I try something new (or go back to something I used to do when I was super-fit) and am able to succede. Although I still haven't lost a bunch of weight (still hovering around 194 these days...) there is no denying that my stamina and strength are drastically improved from what they were in May.
I am glad I made it through the end of the workout, and had forgotten how encouraging and uplifting Billy is at the end of his programs. He does a great job of doing a full cooldown, something that is lacking in most workout videos, and of speaking very heartfelt and sincere words to let you know you've done a good job and he hopes you'll be back to work out with him again soon. Even on tape, Billy is an inspiration to exercisers and I encourage you to give his workouts a shot even if all you do is fast forward to the end when you need a little pick-me-up.
I was suffering the double whammy of not only feeling unmotivated this morning but also feeling a bit sluggish and lethargic. So I was sure that I'd be able to start the workout, but didn't expect to finish it. I figured, an attempt would be better than nothing though, and so I started the TaeBo Cardio Billy Blanks workout.
True to my initial thoughts, I made it through part 2 of the workout and felt like I was ready to quit. One thing about TaeBo is that it REALLY gets you sweating, and so after about 20 minutes I felt like I had gotten a complete workout. But there were three more chapters left, and so I pushed through my workout wall and kept going. And I'm so glad I did!!
Not only did I make it through the remainder of the workout, but I was able to do it without taking more than two breaks for water and to catch my breath. This summer of working out has really been building into my body responding to challenges and coming out swinging, and I'm amazed with myself when I try something new (or go back to something I used to do when I was super-fit) and am able to succede. Although I still haven't lost a bunch of weight (still hovering around 194 these days...) there is no denying that my stamina and strength are drastically improved from what they were in May.
I am glad I made it through the end of the workout, and had forgotten how encouraging and uplifting Billy is at the end of his programs. He does a great job of doing a full cooldown, something that is lacking in most workout videos, and of speaking very heartfelt and sincere words to let you know you've done a good job and he hopes you'll be back to work out with him again soon. Even on tape, Billy is an inspiration to exercisers and I encourage you to give his workouts a shot even if all you do is fast forward to the end when you need a little pick-me-up.
Friday, August 27
The End of the 30 Day Challenge
Today marks the end of the 10 Pound Slimdown Challenge! M and I decided that for our last day we would really push to give it our all and so for our Total Body and Core workouts we mixed it up with two exercises that we hadn't done before.
For the Total Body portion, we chose a 30 minute workout called Cardio Groove n' Burn with Jennifer Galardi (who if you click on her name you will discover has had a HORRIBLE photoshop job done... I promise in the workout she does have a back). We figured after 30 days of working out we could handle a 30 minute workout just fine... and we did! The dance routine that Jennifer teaches is really difficult to follow at first, but by the end of the workout both M and I were able to do it... sort of. I'm sure if I did this workout again I would look less like a dork than I did today!
For abs, we turned to Elise Gulon in Straight to the Core. Now, Elise's workout was only 10 minutes, but it was one of the most difficult ab exercises I've ever done! Within a few minutes of starting the workout, I was having a hard time keeping up and it took all the strength I could muster to finish the full 10 minutes. I'll be bookmarking that one to return to again - I want to be able to effortlessly move through the positions the way Elise does. She really shows you what having a core is all about.
So... drumroll... here are the results of the 10 Pound Slimdown challenge:
I didn't lose 10 pounds. I will tentatively say that I've lost 2 pounds, although with me you never know if it's really 2 pounds of weight loss or if I just happen to be having a "skinny" day. For the sake of the experiment, we'll call it weight loss though because it makes me feel better!
M also didn't lose 10 pounds, but she did lose 6!
Although we didn't drop the 10 pounds we were hoping for, the variety of workouts that we've done over the last 30 days have most certainly made us more fit. Both of us are noticing that are clothes are becoming more loose and our limbs are more toned. I do not doubt that as we continue to work to get fit that the pounds will start to drop eventually. In the meantime, the 10 Pound Slimdown calendar kept us focused and helped to keep us from skipping exercises and introduced us both to exercises we had never tried before.
In the end, I call it a success!!
For the Total Body portion, we chose a 30 minute workout called Cardio Groove n' Burn with Jennifer Galardi (who if you click on her name you will discover has had a HORRIBLE photoshop job done... I promise in the workout she does have a back). We figured after 30 days of working out we could handle a 30 minute workout just fine... and we did! The dance routine that Jennifer teaches is really difficult to follow at first, but by the end of the workout both M and I were able to do it... sort of. I'm sure if I did this workout again I would look less like a dork than I did today!
For abs, we turned to Elise Gulon in Straight to the Core. Now, Elise's workout was only 10 minutes, but it was one of the most difficult ab exercises I've ever done! Within a few minutes of starting the workout, I was having a hard time keeping up and it took all the strength I could muster to finish the full 10 minutes. I'll be bookmarking that one to return to again - I want to be able to effortlessly move through the positions the way Elise does. She really shows you what having a core is all about.
So... drumroll... here are the results of the 10 Pound Slimdown challenge:
I didn't lose 10 pounds. I will tentatively say that I've lost 2 pounds, although with me you never know if it's really 2 pounds of weight loss or if I just happen to be having a "skinny" day. For the sake of the experiment, we'll call it weight loss though because it makes me feel better!
M also didn't lose 10 pounds, but she did lose 6!
Although we didn't drop the 10 pounds we were hoping for, the variety of workouts that we've done over the last 30 days have most certainly made us more fit. Both of us are noticing that are clothes are becoming more loose and our limbs are more toned. I do not doubt that as we continue to work to get fit that the pounds will start to drop eventually. In the meantime, the 10 Pound Slimdown calendar kept us focused and helped to keep us from skipping exercises and introduced us both to exercises we had never tried before.
In the end, I call it a success!!
Tuesday, July 27
We're Making Another Left Turn!
Hello out there! I've been off for the last three days or so for some time with my family and a bit of recovery from too much sun. I'm sure all of you know this already - but when you're out in the warm weather (and particularly when you're working up a sweat) hard lemonade is not a substitute for water... no matter how much we'd like it to be.
Now that I'm back in good form and headache free, I met up with M and K for another few rounds of track-walking. We busted out 2.25 miles this evening while we caught up on the highs and lows and in-betweens of life that has occurred since our last walk. K showed us all up with actual exercise clothes on, and made me secretly vow that next time I'll be better prepared too. Truth be told, if I would have taken the time to put on some sweatpants, a sports bra and a loose t-shirt I probably would have been a thousand times more comfortable than my jeans, push-up bra and fitted shirt, even if I did look fabulous.
K also proposed we start working out on the regular with Exercise TV's 10 Pound Slim-Down Workout Plan. If you scroll down the page, there is a workout calendar about 3/4 of the way down that you can print for free, and follow the exercises along with videos On Demand or through online downloads. Her proposal, and smart looking athletic attire, made it impossible for me to say no - so I'll be blogging about it a lot over the next 30 days.
M, K and I agreed we should also keep up with the walking since we are planning on doing some 10K's later this fall, and hopefully the extra exercises will get us all over the weight "hump" that we're on now. Progress is being seen, however slight, and I know that as long as we all keep our momentum we will be trim in no time.
Now that I'm back in good form and headache free, I met up with M and K for another few rounds of track-walking. We busted out 2.25 miles this evening while we caught up on the highs and lows and in-betweens of life that has occurred since our last walk. K showed us all up with actual exercise clothes on, and made me secretly vow that next time I'll be better prepared too. Truth be told, if I would have taken the time to put on some sweatpants, a sports bra and a loose t-shirt I probably would have been a thousand times more comfortable than my jeans, push-up bra and fitted shirt, even if I did look fabulous.
K also proposed we start working out on the regular with Exercise TV's 10 Pound Slim-Down Workout Plan. If you scroll down the page, there is a workout calendar about 3/4 of the way down that you can print for free, and follow the exercises along with videos On Demand or through online downloads. Her proposal, and smart looking athletic attire, made it impossible for me to say no - so I'll be blogging about it a lot over the next 30 days.
M, K and I agreed we should also keep up with the walking since we are planning on doing some 10K's later this fall, and hopefully the extra exercises will get us all over the weight "hump" that we're on now. Progress is being seen, however slight, and I know that as long as we all keep our momentum we will be trim in no time.
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