Downward Facing Wet Dog

I have a little beef with this whole exercise DVD thing.  This morning, I was feeling a little stiff so I popped in my trusty Yoga DVD and started to follow along.  About 15 minutes in, I could feel the sweat start rolling off my back and I looked up to the screen to find that not one of the group of people on my big-screen-you-can-see-every-arm-hair-and-extra-nipple HDTV had even started to break a sweat.  There was no glistening skin, no darkening spandex, no need for a hand towel to mop up a damp brow.

It may surprise you that I have been using this very same DVD for nearly 7 years now and I am just noticing this issue, but I would like to point out that because I've had this disk for so long I rarely actually watch it - I just have it playing so that I can listen to the position changes and not find myself stuck in an Eagle pose for 10 minutes while I get lost in a daydream about chocolate fudge brownies.  Also, I am not observant and even if this same issue has bothered me in the past I have no memory skills, both counts of which my husband will happily confirm.

I ended the routine smelling quite like a wet dog (there's nothing like realizing halfway through your workout that the carpet smells like your dog used it for an extensive back-scratching), and I just had to share this injustice with the internet.  Whether these exercise gurus have the air conditioning turned on full blast in their studio or have had their sweat glands removed is beyond me, but I am going to start a petition to have some production studio intern at least spray them down with a mist of water in the future so that they appear more human, and I feel less like a slimy toad.  Who's with me?

Feeling the CRUNCH!

Continuing to browse through the many exercise video offerings of Netflix, this morning I worked out along with Crunch Fat-Burning Pilates.  The Crunch workouts are classically some of my favorite routines, and I have used their workout videos off and on for nearly 15 years.  I recently discovered that Crunch also opened a gym within an hour of my house, and I am struggling with the urge to check it out since I know it is too far for me to visit regularly should I fall in love with it.

But I digress.  I have never really gotten into Pilates, but the Crunch workout married it with a cardio routine to make it feel a bit more familiar to me.  The first 20 minutes really got my heart pumping and sweat beating, and then the last 20 minutes which was a purely Pilates routine made my core scream... in a good way!  The good news is that I got the workout in and completed it from start to finish, something I doubted I'd be able to do because of an achy shoulder (I really do wish I'd stop getting older). Now I'm crunched on time and late for my next To-Do, but at least I'm worked out!

A Two-Fer

I was feeling on my a-game this morning and so Pooch and I went for a nice mile-long walk around the neighborhood (in the wind and rain) and then I came back inside to do a half hour of yoga (god bless heat and a freshly vacuumed carpet).  Now my clothes are wet from the rain and my abs feel like a pile of jelly so I know I did a good job working out today!

Now that we're back home, Dummy the cat and Pooch are curled up for a nap and I'm feeling a little jealous.  I have no time for such frivolities.  But I am going to take an extra long shower before I dive back into work for the afternoon.

Starting Off On The Right Foot

I woke up bright and early this morning to flip all of my calendars to "March" and get a workout in before moving on to work, errands and family responsibilities.  This drive to start the month off with a 30 minute yoga workout instead of a bucket of doughnuts came from talking to my most beautiful friend, E, about her firefighter training.  After our chat last night I decided that if she can get up in the rain, sleet, hail and snow to run 5 miles a day then I can certainly do some Warrior Stances for a half hour in the comfort of my warm and cozy living room.

When I'm feeling discouraged it often (if not always) helps to know that I'm not the only one trying to get a smaller bottom.  There are many others out there sweating on sidewalks, treadmills, monkey bars and in swimming pools in search of a more fit self.  It makes the whole early morning yoga endeavor seem like part of a movement far bigger than me.  Together, we can find fitness!

Housework and Yoga Go Hand-in-Hand

I began my morning workout by discovering that nothing makes you aware of the need to vacuum more than a poorly-situated Downward Facing Dog.  So it seems that I will be spending a fair portion of this beautiful snowy day indoors tidying up.  I've already gotten my yoga, vacuuming and dusting out of the way but it appears that sweeping, mopping, laundry and dishes are all equal parts of my future.

The nice thing about starting the day with yoga is that once you get used to the poses it isn't an overly thought-consuming activity and it gives you an opportunity to reflect on what you hope to accomplish during the day.  It gives you time to reflect on the things that are going on in your hectic life as you ascend into Eagle Pose, and makes you think that if everyone just took 5 minutes out of their day to perfect Pose of the Dancer then the world would be a much better place.

Another thing yoga in the morning does is punish you for skipping breakfast and remind you sternly that it is the most important meal of the day.  As I type, I am clutching a cereal bowl and vowing that tomorrow I'll eat before I attempt the Warrior Series.

Goodness, Yoga teaches me a lot.

30 Minutes Isn't Really That Long...

This weekend we are celebrating a milestone in M's life... she's turned 50 this week and is embracing her new life with gusto!  Our family decided to start her out on her 50th year on the right foot, so we are headed to the casino for the next two days for fun, gambling, family and delicious eats.

I figured I probably would need whatever extra "feel good" energy I could muster to keep up with her this weekend, so I popped in my Yoga DVD and for the first time this week was able to make it through to the end of a 30 minute session without succumbing to my body's cries for a break.  Whenever I get back into the groove I am amazed at how quickly a 30 minute workout can fly by when you aren't focusing on how hard it is or how sweaty you're getting, and I am glad that I made it to the last Sun Salutation without falling over.

I am hoping (fingers crossed) that I am building workout momentum again.  It feels like I am making more strides in this arena after putting the endeavor on "pause" the last couple of months.  I am glad that even though some days this winter have made fitness seem like an impossible endeavor I never gave up on myself completely.  I think it will be a good year for not only M, but for me as well.

Flexing Fannies

I hit the living room for another round of yoga today and managed to stay on the mat for about 25 minutes before my left knee took on a life of its own and began dancing and wiggling in a kind of muscle spasm I've never seen before.  Rather than push myself through the last 5 minutes of the workout and risk my Jello-knee going completely haywire I did a little cool-down stretching and then walked away.

Unfortunately as the weather has started getting nicer and my friends and family have realized that spring is quickly approaching, our group has become littered with twisted ankles and pulled muscles.  We're all in a rush to get back into our workout routines and while getting back into shape after a winter of hibernating under a stack of pumpkin pies, roasted turkeys and chocolate covered strawberries is rapidly climbing to the top of our list it is best to tread softly during these first few weeks of workout weather.

My knee has stopped jiggling, so I think it's time to hit the showers.  On to the rest of the day!

Get 'Er Done!

I've been feeling a little... sloth lately.  It's been difficult with the cold weather and abundance of yummy holiday treats to get motivated to keep with the workout instead of curling up on the couch and eating chocolates, and I've got to admit that the couch and chocolates have been winning the battle more and more lately.

I talked to T about my lethargy this morning and she reminded me that it's those days when we'd just rather stay in bed that we need to get out and do something the most.  With a heavy sigh, I agreed, and because of our chat I pulled together all the energy and determination I could muster.  The result?  20 minutes of Yoga on my "done" list for the day and a healthy dose of sweaty reminder that I can do this stuff!

Now I'm off to battle the rest of my day, but wanted to pass my exercise endeavors onto the internet before I forgot.  If you're having the same problem of getting your workout going, fear not! You are not alone.  Together we can fight the flab and win!

Leave Your Attitude At The Door (But Please Bring Your Deodorant)

I had a very enjoyable night last night, falling asleep somewhere in the wee hours of the morning only to rise again at the sound of a 6a.m. alarm.  OK, to be fair said alarm was snoozed until 6:30 - but still.

The brief sleep didn't put me in a terrible mood, per se, but it did make getting a move on my morning a difficult proposition.  Especially when it came to the workout.  I debated skipping it altogether, dreaming instead of losing myself in a batch of cheesecake-chocolate-chip cookies courtesy of a certain nephew's school fundraiser.  But my guilt and desire to attempt to stick with my ongoing progress won out in the end.

I made it about ten minutes into my yoga routine when I began thinking, "Huh.  I don't know why I always psyche myself out of working out.  I always feel better once I'm doing it."  This thought was immediately followed by arms going up in an overhead stretch and a smell of... yuck.  I hate it when I forget to put deodorant on before a workout!

I battled through the sleepies (and the smell) until I made it to the end of the routine.  After I put my arms back down to my sides it dawned on me that I no longer feel like a sloth reaching for a morning caffeine kick to jump-start my day.  I'm suddenly awake, feel like I've accomplished something and am ready to take on the next project with gusto.

Funny what a little morning exercise will do.

Shop Till You're Thin!

In about an hour I am going to make the trek out to the mall for some Christmas shopping with a friend, the same as Mr. Kawaii and I did earlier this week (although I was too busy to blog about it afterward - bad Denise!).  Although it may seem odd to post mall-shopping as an exercise, the truth is that you burn a pretty fair amount of calories while shopping - whether at the grocery store or at the mall.

Shopping, particularly extended shopping (an hour or more) includes some of the very same exercise moves that you loathe at the gym: walking for extended periods of time, lifting objects of weight, and if you're trying on lots of clothes there's squatting, over-the-head reaches, and any number of other odd movements you might make trying to get a good look at yourself in the mirror.  

Don't believe me?  I looked up some information on shopping as exercise - every woman's dream - from Nutrition ATC and found an article that backs up what I'm talking about.  In an article found on their site (originally published by StarBulletin) they state that a 200lb person can burn as much as 750 calories during a 3 hour shopping trip at the mall just by slowly walking from store to store and standing in line.  They also note that a "super shopper" who is more active (fidgeting in line, picking up and inspecting merchandise, waving to friends or flustered mall staff) may burn an additional 100 to 250 calories during the same time-span.

All that adds up to a workout that can't be found ordering Christmas presents online.  Who needs a better excuse to get out and get shopping?  A word of warning though - avoid the food-court lest all your shopping exercises be undone by pretzels, cinnamon rolls and fried foods.  I'll see you there!

(And I promise to try to find an hour somewhere in my day to do some yoga too.)

ReBooting the 21 Day Yoga Challenge

As it often happens, the day after I initially started the 21 day Denise Austin Fat Blasting Yoga challenge I came down with a terrible chest/head cold that kept me in bed for almost a full week.  Even though I've been up and about for a couple of days now, anything too strenuous was sending me into coughing fits and so I avoided exercise like the plague.

It wasn't until this morning that I felt confident in giving yoga another shot and re-starting the challenge to follow a 1 hour yoga routine 3 times a week for 3 weeks.  I blew my nose, grabbed a glass of water and very tentatively started the workout.  I made it through most of the hour, only having to take a couple of breaks to de-congest after hanging out in a downward-facing-dog position for a little bit too long, and surprisingly feel better now than I did when I woke up.  The tightness in my chest and back is still there from all the congestion and a week of coughing, but it is lessened and I feel much less stiff in my shoulders and neck as well.

I am hopeful that the gentle exercise will help to jump-start my ability to breathe fully again, and hopefully wipe out the remains of my cold before I head out to play paintball in the rain on Saturday.  The idea of shooting wet elves and reindeer with my paintball marker during a drizzle will sound much more appealing if I'm not having to blow my nose on soggy tissue paper the entire afternoon.

Sweating Out the Turkey

After a few of days of nothing but turkey, yams and apple pie, I figured it was probably time to get back into the workout groove.  Luckily, when I woke up this morning I was full of energy and ready to go, so I ran with the feeling and popped Denise Austin's Fat Blasting Yoga in and pushed play before I had a chance to talk myself out of it.

Even though it's been a while since I last practiced any yoga poses, my body fell right back into it as if it hadn't taken a break at all.  I couldn't believe that I had enough energy and strength to complete the first segment, let alone all three, but here I sit an hour later with every muscle stretched and pose completed (except for the one where you sit cross-legged and push your body off the floor with your hands - that is just crazy talk).

When I first purchased this particular workout DVD years ago, it came with a 21 day challenge.  "In 21 days, you'll see great results," Denise promises at the beginning of the program.  So, what the heck.  I haven't done a fitness challenge in a while so I think I'll give it a go.  I've got nothing to lose but inches 'round the middle!

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!

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:

• 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.

Nearing the Finish line at the 2010 Great Columbia Crossing
October, 2010

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.

Toga! Toga! Toga! No Wait... YOGA!

This morning in a rare mood of adventure, M asked me to show her the ways of Yoga.  Delighted, I turned to my dear friend, On Demand and selected a 15 minute beginner workout (called, amazingly enough, Beginner Yoga).  We moved my coffee table and recliner out of the way so we'd both have room to move, bend and stretch, on off we went!

I can tell you that the first time I decided I'd give yoga a try, I was pretty sure that it was a piece of cake.  "A piece of crumb-cake."  I mean, all it is is standing up, bending over and breathing in and out... and those are things that I do at one time or another every day.  M had much the same view, and looked at me like I was riding the short-bus when I told her that if she wasn't able to do everything the exercise show said, to just find a comfortable position and wait it out until the next pose.  She nodded politely, and even refrained from rolling her eyes at me, which was a nice touch.

About 5 minutes in, M started muttering things like, "You want me to do what?" and "Pfffft.  Yeah, right." I did my best to keep her frustration out of my Zen since I knew she was irritated with the size 2 model on the TV and not with me.  I am proud to say that she did give it her best, and did make it to the end of the exercise without too many Hrumphf's and "Arrrrg's.  As she was wrapping up she conceded that the exercise was just a bit more difficult than she had anticipated, and she hasn't had to bend her knees "that way" in a long time.  She did agree to give it another shot in a few days, and I assured her that with practice all the poses get much easier.

Once M was done, I then moved on to the intermediate level 10 Pound Slimdown Yoga routine.  A 25 minute workout, I thought it would be a great addition to the beginner yoga we'd already completed.  As it turns out, I'm not as "Intermediate" as I thought.  10 minutes in and I was having difficulty doing the moves, I was hot and sweaty, and just about done.  The workout was fantastic, but after not having done yoga in a couple of weeks, it was just a little too much for my tense and tired body.

All said, I got close to a 30 minute yoga workout completed and then M and I went to a local Farmer's Market for a mile walk between booths.  I was even good and refrained from taste-testing everything, although the Marionberry Pie flavored jam got the better of me.  I only had about an eighth of a teaspoon though, so still pretty darn good.

Now that the heat is starting to wane, I feel like my activity level will come back up.  It's been near 100* every day for the last week and the hell-fire has made it really difficult to walk away from the freezer section at the grocery store.  Luckily, M, K, Mr. Kawaii and I are all in this together and keeping one another accountable, otherwise, who knows where we'd be!

 

Life Keeps On Truckin'

Hello readers.  This has been a challenging week, but tonight I am back at the fitness goals and so I decided to force myself to sit down long enough to write what's been happening down on virtual paper.

Over the course of 4th of July weekend, exercise was found by walking through town to various events and gatherings rather than driving.  Not only did this afford me and Mr. Kawaii the luxury of not having to find parking, not having to battle with traffic and not having to worry about accidentally running over fireworks, but it allowed us to walk between 3 and 4 miles on July 3rd and July 4th.

Unfortunately, due to a family emergency, two birthdays and my own need to recuperate, no further exercise happened on the 5th through the 7th.  Today M and I got back on the proverbial horse through errand running and house-cleaning.  Completing a walk of over a mile, and breaking a sweat doing general cleaning rounded out our exercise for the day.  We debated walking the track this evening also, but the heat and continued family needs are going to force us to stay indoors today.

On a high note, M has decided to give yoga a go and it sounds like we are going to make our first attempts at Downward Facing Dog tomorrow.  Wish me luck - and M balance.  We'll both need it!

Hipster Yoga... Not Just For Dallas Any More

In a rare turn of events, this evening I endured what I think is probably the least enjoyable Yoga experience I've had.  Contrary to the positive reviews of their workout DVDs, when I tried the 25 minute DCC Slimdown Yoga routine on Exercise TV (on demand) I was left less than impressed and I am sorry to say that I don't recommend it.

Not that I didn't get my stretch on, that certainly was the end result.  But the exercise instructor (sorry, I didn't catch his name) really rubbed me the wrong way with his rapid-instructions and constant chatter.  Although I get that he was trying to get the point across that Yoga is an experience unique to your body and easily tailored to work at your own pace and fitness level, I was not recharged or encouraged by his rapid-fire affirmations.  Things like, "Hey don't worry if you're doing it wrong.  It's just Yoga." Or, "Now that you've got it, let's get twisted." (WTH... are we making mixed dinks?) I spent too much time trying to figure out if he was a pot-head trying to be on the ball, or if he was a hipster who had one too many espressos before starting the class.

Whichever was the case for Mr. Chatterbox, I think that suffering through the exercise has tainted my glorified lifelong vision of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.  I've always wanted to have a chance to dance around in one of their cute little uniforms but if they have to deal with that guy on the regular as a part of being on the squad, I'll cheer for the Seahawks instead.

On a more positive note, I also spent 30 minutes pulling weeds in the back yard and have discovered that this activity is so much easier when it is a few stubby starts instead of a thicket of completely unruly plant habitat.  I was able to get all the little baby blackberry bushes pulled out of my path (those things are persistent!!) and dug up the few remaining dandelion roots that were stealthily hanging out underground.  The yard is still looking beautiful, and 60% of the plants I started with are still alive.  Doesn't sound like much, but for me that is BIG success!

Track Attack

Tacked onto yesterday's work-out schedule was an additional afternoon of painting primer in a family members' living room.  I give credit to the morning's yoga routine for escaping too many aches, pains or stiffness this morning from the endeavor and aside from a sore shoulder survived the endeavor unscathed.

Although Mondays are typically a day for rest and relaxation, today has been an exceptionally busy day of trying to catch up on all the chores and errands that were neglected over the last three days of Yard Sale and Father's Day celebration.

In the midst of a brief window of time between projects where there was about 90 minutes of unscheduled chaos, M and I headed out to the track and spent an hour walking 2.5 miles in the mid-day mugginess.  The exercise gave us both the afternoon boost we needed, and now that I'm back to the tasks at hand I feel much less groggy and lethargic than I did a couple hours ago.  It's amazing how exercising can make you feel as rested, yet more alert, than an afternoon nap!

In an effort to entertain ourselves as we made yet another left turn, we played around with swinging our arms while we walked.  The wider we swung them the longer our strides got, and by swinging in short several-inch bursts we took many quick little steps.  The result ended up being pretty comical (the track "regulars" kept staring at us in horror as we swung far and wide, almost hitting one another) and made at least a couple of the laps fly by before we knew it.

M has decided that walking the track is her favorite type of exercise, and I will agree I like the opportunity to be outside and moving without having to think about where I'm stepping.  I keep trying to convince her to give Yoga one more try, but she turns up her nose (while doing as little stretching of the neck as possible) at the idea.  We're scheduled to meet K at the track again tomorrow, but maybe later this week I'll be able to convince her to do Sun Salutation with me.

Yoganna Feel Better?

Ah, yesterday came and went in a flurry of yard-sale activities & running the leftovers to GoodWill to see if they have any better luck selling it.  The sale was a decent success and we sold probably 70% of what we started with!  Unfortunately the sale and aftermath took up the entire day and I didn't get a chance to get much exercise in aside from moving boxes and crates of stuff out onto the driveway and then into the back of my SUV.

This morning, I woke up with the need to unwind (and exercise some Blackberry Crisp calories away) and so I tuned into Namaste Yoga on FitTV.  I have discovered when doing exercise along with regular broadcasts that the commercial breaks really take a toll on the exercise.  It's hard to keep your heart-rate moving and your mind focused on working out when theres 5 minutes of "down time" during the breaks!  I filled the commercial breaks with a few yoga poses I remembered enjoying from other yoga workouts so that I could keep moving continuously for the full 30 minutes of the program.  The result is that I was able to feel my muscles warm up, sweat a little and stretch out a LOT.  All the pain and strain from sitting outside and moving furniture on concrete have melted away and I feel ready to face the madness that is Father's Day with my brain and body intact.

I did an impromptu weigh-in this morning (I haven't been weighing myself daily, trying to not be so focused on the numbers) and while I am still maintaining my weight I have noticed that the sleeves of my shirts are all far more roomy, and my pants are starting to get baggy in the seat.  My shoulders, lower abs, calves and back have all started to tone up more and the rolly-polly-fat rolls are all starting to disappear.  It's exciting!

I hope that as summer comes into full swing that you are seeing your own great results from being more active also.  I thank you all for your support this far and look forward to seeing where we all end up!