A balance of Mind-Body-Spirit

Saturday, March 31, 2007

Taebo Get Celebrity Fit

My two new birthday present workouts were the Taebo Get Celebrity Fit workouts.

I tried these two workouts this week - one is Cardio and the other is Sculpt. Both contain cardio, the Sculpt workout holds positions more and the Cardio is faster paced.

Each workout is 45 minutes , so I have time to add in extra abs at the end! And both use no equipment, a plus for me on days when I am too lazy to drag out weights or a step or resistance bands...

These workouts are not super hard, probably at an Intermediate level. Still fun and still a decent workout.

The music is not recognizable pop songs ( darn! - unlike the Taebo Live or Turbo Jam). The songs are, however, better than the usual nondescript music of some workout DVDs - there are some songs with lyrics, some rap, some good beats.

And Billy throws in a few new, fun combinations - I love kickboxing, you really get cardio and resistance training in one hit!

Billy calls these "celebrity" workouts, because they are the type of training he gives celebrities when they ask him to be their personal trainer for a period of time.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Body Shop

The pool repair isn't done yet so today I went for something new. I went to our on post gym, The Body Shop, which reminded me of why I don't like gyms. However, I jogged, I lifted weights, I worked out which hasn't happened in a while, so I decided that I do like gyms, even those that smell like other people's sweat and have old men who hit on you. Then I took Leonie's advice and put Mr. Blanks in my Netflix queue. :)

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Back in the Saddle?

Well, after buying some bike pants and threatening myself with the YMCA spinning class, suddenly Jazzercise is fun again. lol

Also I broke down and bought some new workout clothes. They were not expensive and it does feel good to have a little color as all my old stuff was black, gray and white. I also started Diane's PT classes again.. and now can't move after her wear-out, I mean work-out yesterday. It feels SO good to be sore.

How is everyone else? It has been a bit quiet here lately!

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Still Walking....



Well, due to life circumstances, our schedule changed...but for the last two weeks, I've been able to walk 2-3 miles 3x a week.
Not a huge amount but with everything going on, it sure is better than nothin'...which used to be the routine...
So this week, if my dh is able to go back to work - he's been sick - and if the weather stays nice, we'll try to hit 4x a week again!
At least!

Image from pinkfeet.


Monday, March 19, 2007

Boredom Hits Houston, too!

Oh.. I need a change up!

I think I have hit the wall with Jazzercise... as much as I love it, I am just so tired of the format. This has happened before and I feel I need a change up.

I am not very good at doing videos at home.. I see the dust on the furniture or the laundry that needs folding, and have a hard time completing the video... :0 Leonie, your tenacity amazes me!

I do wish I could run like I did in the old days. But my allergies and joints don't agree.

I may try the Y again. I went for a bit, but it is super crowded, the ladies in the group exercise class seemed to have an 'attitude'... and there were a bunch of sweaty men in the weight room as I walked to the aerobics studio.

Now I just sound picky.

Oh well. Looking for some alternatives!

Monday, March 12, 2007

Boredom in workouts

Last week, I was feeling bored with my workouts. Nothing grabbed me. Yes, I still worked out every day and , yes, I enjoyed the workout when I did it - but the excitement and joy was not there.

So, this week, I have decided to shake up my routine. To do some workouts that I haven't done in awhile. To maybe try some new ones....

Hence, the Old School Dance Party and add ons for Sunday. And yesterday's 10 Minute Soluion Carb and Calorie Burner - I did all 5 10 minute segments: Slow and Steady Burn, Carb Burner ( kickboxing), Power Boost ( plyometrics in intervals), Interval Blast ( bootcamp) and Metabolism Booster ( compound moves with weights).

The kids gave me this one for Christmas and this is only the third time I've done this workout! See how I get into a workout rut???

Today I am off to do a Cindy Crawford workout - Shape Your Body 1. Tomorrow will be Shape Your Body 2 and then probably back to pure cardio for Thursday/Friday.

So, the cure for workout boredom - shake it up!

How are all your workouts and food plans going, this Lent?

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Today's workouts.


Being Sunday morning, a quiet morning, well, I had more time to workout. We are attending Mass this evening...And I needed to work off last night's margarita, wine and home made rocky road ( a visitor for dinner. :-) ).

I started with a old school dance workout - I love old school music. Think L L Cool J - or in this case, Sugarhill Gang. Sugarhill are the live band in Donna Richardson's Old School Dance Party workout. "So busted", I sang along with the band...
:-)

Loads of fun - I love to dance. This is an oldie but a goodie - I haven't done it for awhile, as its only 45 minutes and intermediate level. But enjoyed myself this morning.

I followed this up with the abs and lower body toning sections from
Carmen Electra's Fit to Strip workout. Don't worry - no strip tease and I don't own her strip tease workouts ( phew!). This is a toning workout, no equipment, just Carmen and her trainer Michael. Very nice and low key.

After this toning workout I added the 10 minutes abs ( or as the DVD says, belly) workout from Crunch Pick Your Spot Pilates. This DVD has four 10 minute sections - one "belly", one butt, one legs, one total body. The instructor, Ellen Barrett, has a friendly tone and cues and explains well - something I find really helpful with pilates.

So, all these workouts were "dust bunnies" i.e. workouts I hadn't done for at least a year, if not longer. But together they made a change from my normal routine and a nice long workout session.

And I followed it up with a long nature walk with dh and boys.

Monday, March 5, 2007

Cindy Lynn's Goals for Week of 3/5

The weather is pretty so I hope for lots of walks. And healthy eating. At least 80/20. As for formal exercise...

Monday:
PT and Jazzercise.
I did it. Boy was PT hard. When I was going twice a week a few weeks back, I had really become strong! I can feel how weak-y I am now since I have been going only once a week or less. Hope to keep up with 2ce a week... we shall see! Life keeps interrupting...

Tuesday:
16yos getting his wisdom teeth out.. so we will see what I am doing this day. Will try a workout video at home if can't get to Jz. Maybe I'll just eat ice cream with him!
No workout.. ate ice cream. Do I know me or what? lol Very sore from PT yesterday. Hooray!

Wednesday:
Jazzercise
Did Jazzercise... very tired day with allergies (me and 3/4 of Houston.. ick!)

Thursday:
Jazzercise and PT
Sinus infection. No workout. Ick

Friday:
Jazzercise
Worked out. Man, I was tired, could not breathe, and draggin'.. but I DID it!
(giving myself a pat on the back..lol)

Sat/Sun:
Fun stuff.... walks? tennis? We will see what happens!
Sat- went to Jz, cut out after the aerobics, but at least I did that!

Saturday, March 3, 2007

Turbo Jam...and eating....


The last few days I have gone back to my Turbo Jam workouts - I had such a craze on these last year that I almost O.D.'ed on them. :-)

What is cool about Turbo Jam is that it is a mix of dance and kickboxing - Chalene Johnson urges you to "get your freak on!".

The music is awesome and the interval cardio is very effective. And a whole lot of fun.

Thursday I did Cardio Party 1 and Ab Jam. And ice skating with the kids and some of my friend's dds. Friday - Cardio Party 2 and Ab Jam again - my abs need all my work. lol! Saturday was Cardio Party Remix and my own ab routine. Plus lots of dancing at Jonathon's birthday party.


And after all this cardio and kickboxing resistance work, today was a sculpt day - Turbo Jam Booty Sculpt and Abs. I used 4kg and 3 kg weights ( about 8 1/2 lbs and 6 1/2 lbs).

You can read some reviews of TJ here. I bought my workouts last year on ebay.

I've also been reading a book and modifying my diet a bit.

I don't diet anymore. I don't follow any plan. But I like to read about health and fitness and get some tips.

I am reading Fat Around the Middle by Dr Marilyn Glenville.


Here are her eating tips, for losing that "fat around the middle", with my modifications in brackets.


1.Stop dieting and don't count calories.

2.Eat little and often.

3. Don't skip breakfast.

4.Eliminate sugar and refined carbohydrates from your life. ( Well, I am not into banning foods so I just try to avoid these and follow the 80/20 rule - 80% of the time I eat unprocessed and healthy food and 20% of my diet is allowable "junk". :-) )

5.Add protein to each meal.

6.Eat essential fats ( in nuts, seeds, full fat hommous, avocado, for example...).

7.Don't eat on the run. ( Sometimes impossible for me but I try to be mindful more often than not)

8.Watch what you drink. ( Lots of water - this is good and a natural for me; no caffeine or alcohol - as if! I just try to cut down on caffeine - right now for Lent - and don't have my gin and tonics or margaritas or glass of wine every day. Maybe just once a week?).

9.Change the way in which you think about food. ( No obsessing, work on mind stuff and emotional eating. And remember that no one's perfect. Don't neglect the spiritual for the physical).

A balance of Mind-Body-Spirit

Thought for the Day


"Good friends are good for your health."

~Irwin Sarason

"Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy! And happy people just don't shoot their husbands!"

Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde