Reflecting on the Challenge

I have been in a funk mentally lately. But still been working out! And my eating has been very mindful, until yesterday and visitors! Uh oh..

Mindful eating, not dieting? Nice articles here. Ten principles.....

1. Reject the Diet Mentality
2. Honor Your Hunger
3. Make Peace with Food Call a truce, stop the food fight! Give yourself unconditional permission to eat.
4. Challenge the Food Police .Scream a loud "NO" to thoughts in your head that declare you're "good" for eating under 1000 calories or "bad" because you ate a piece of chocolate cake.
5. Respect Your Fullness Listen for the body signals that tell you that you are no longer hungry.
6. Discover the Satisfaction Factor The Japanese have the wisdom to promote pleasure as one of their goals of healthy living
7. Honor Your Feelings Without Using Food Find ways to comfort , nurture, distract, and resolve your issues without using food.
8. Respect Your Body Accept your genetic blueprint.
9. Exercise--Feel the Difference
10 Honor Your Health--Gentle Nutrition

Also have been reading about the importance of cross training, and of weight training for women, especialy as they get older. So, I thought I should probably change up my routine a bit.

Saturday, instead of Taebo, did a FIRM weights workout. Sunday and today , instead of Taebo, did Turbo Jam - still kickboxing but with an anaerobic drill and capoeria.

Going to plan not to pick at food when tired after work this evening!

Working out and weight loss

This week, I changed up my workout routine. Inspired by a thread at Video Fitness, I pulled out my Cindy Crawford workouts.

High repetition, low weights, fast paced but not true aerobics.

I alternated between The Next Challenge and Shape your Body all week, I gave it my all. I sang to the music ( songs by Blondie, Seal,the Smithereens, - the song Crazy, Top Top of the Pops and so on).

I worked hard and enjoyed myself. And today , in spite of a big restaurant lunch yesterday, and in spite of the accompanying fair amount of alcohol, I found I'd lost a kilo.

Woo hoo!

And my arms and glutes just look a littletighter, too

Thik I'll try and stay with Cindy this week!

Walk, Walk, Walk

Yep, that is what I have been doing lately. Walking. An hour every day.

Walking is the only workout that gets my doctor's approval right now, post surgery. I see him again on June 24 ( the feast of The Birth of St John the Baptist and our liturgical year celebration with Xmas Pudding and Xmas Cake in June) . At this visit, I hope to get the okay for adding in other workouts.

But , mean time, walking is not so bad. It is rhythmic. It is fun. It encourages meditation. And it is helping me maintain my weight loss.

I lost a few kilograms after surgery but thought I'd put them back on with no workouts. I have a fear of getting fat again. I'm not fat any more, I'm normal BMI, pretty fit but not super thin! Dang! lol!

Anyway, weight gain hasn't happened. You know, an hour of walking cardio every day is helping me maintain my weight. Coupled with some loose calorie counting, of course!


Walking is man's best medicine - Hippocrates

Definitely. I have been dealing with some stress and anger and depression in a family member's life and walking away from things for an hour really helps. Sometimes, this person walks with me - the exercise and time together outside, even if we don't talk, has to be good for both of us, right? I usually pray my Rosary while walking. I ask St Anthony of Padua for his intercession. Or I stay home, I put on a walking workout DVD ( yes, they do exist! lol) and I walk and smile and blow off worry. Or concerns.

And those super addictive make-me-feel-happy edorphins kick in. I am a pretty happy person any way, like to smile and laugh. Walking, and working out, makes me even happier!

I feel good! - James Brown.

Walking workout DVDs? I've been doing some by Leslie Sansone - especially like her 5 mile fast walk and her 4 mile fast walk - these have options and markers for just doing one/two/three miles, too! These also have weight training options, if you want to add in some weights while walking -well, I can't, my doc says no weights for now but at least the option is there.

I also have some fun George Foreman, ex boxer, walking DVDs and one Prevention one with trainer Chris Freytag.

I can't wait to get back to my Billy (Taebo) and Chalene (Turbo Jam) and to the Stepford Wives of The Firms. But walking is working fine for me right now.

Maybe you can add some walking into your week? You don't have to do an hour, even a fifteen minute walk is cool!

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and right
Meet in her aspect and her eyes...Lord Byron

( She walks in beauty....I wish! I'm more like Big Girls Are Beautiful by Mika, well, not exactly beautiful! lol! ~ Check out Mika's YouTube clip for the Big Girls song... )

A quote

Of course I work out, my stress acts like aerobics. - Woody Allen

Can you imagine it? lol!

The value of exercise

I found this quote to be very encouraging - I love my workouts and believe that fitness is more important than a number on a scale ( most of the time!). How I feel is so much better after regular workouts...

I hope this encourages you also, to continue or to re-start your workout routines. :-)

"..exercise is so vitally important because of its mental, not physical, benefit. There are obviously tons of physical benefits, but the most important mental benefit is that exercise keeps your mind toned. When you work out, you are reminding yourself that health and fitness are strong values that you are choosing to live by. Because exercise is immediately rewarding, owing to the feel-good hormones that are stimulated, you receive a reward for doing something good for yourelf. According to bariatric expert D. J. Shah, during or after exercise or bodies secrete good hormones as well as glucagons. These all have beneficial effects on the body's metabolism. Additionally, the hormone level of cortisol goes down, which benefits the body for weight loss. Thus, exercise keeps you in the mindset of health." from "Joining the Thin Club" by Judith Lederman

Heart rate tracking

For those that like to track heartrates, here is a site that calculates what your training zones are.
Click Here.

Fitness for those over 40?

This is an interesting article with three "over age 40" fitness leaders - Judi Sheppard Missett, Kathy Smiith and Tamilee Webb.

Sharing some fitness sites...

Video Fitness ~ I mostly visit the Reader's Forum, lots of helpful ideas on video workouts and on general fitness.

Taebo fan's page ~ again, I usually hang out at the forum.

Calorie Queens ~ forum and info about their helpful book and way of life eating. Inspiring!

The US Navy Seal Workout

Free workout routines

Extra pounds dotcom ~ a fitness/weight loss blogging area

The 90/10 Weight Loss Plan ~ good info here, good book!

What makes your heart sing?

Cindy asked this question on her blog. And do you know my answer?

Working out!

Yes, I love playing basketball or cricket or skateboarding with the kids. And I love going on family walks. But for my mental health and joy and fitness and weight, I also need my own workout. Where I push myself and use muscles I didn't know I had!

My heart sings after a good workout. I have been known to sing out loud, jump in the air with enthusiasm and to ask why others don't work out when it can make you feel this way. What way? Like a million bucks! lol!

My dh and kids tease me about this but I truly love my workouts. I love the endorphin high and the way I feel after a hard workout. I'm on a high and want to share that with others.

Like this morning. I did Taebo Celebrity Fit Cardio followed by the floorwork section of Taebo Ultimate Abs. I rocked, I had fun, I was smiling at the kids at the end.

My heart was singing. :-)

DOMs..

I've been doing the Cindy Crawford workouts the last three days, interspersed with Turbo Jam for cardio.

Wow, talk about DOMS!

This is surprising as it is mostly low weight work - but definitely high rep. The unweighted leg and butt work and floorwork is deceptive - you think its easy but you feel it the next day.I've been lifting heavier weights with the FIRM style of workouts so interesting to get DOMS from lighter weights...

I think I'm doing a Slim Training routine for the next two weeks or so - alternating with cardio.Maybe longer? But I am not good at long rotations.

I'll do any of my low weight high rep weight workouts for the Slim Training effect.

Here is some info on Slim Training -

BEACH BODY FITNESS

Slim Training: Yes You Can Change Your Shape!Beach Body has created a new technique for slimming the body, called "Slim Training™", which is the basis for a new program called Slim in 6™ - but it’s something you can create on your own as well. While Slim Training is not a revolutionary fitness concept altogether, it is the first time it has been tested andorganized into a system to work for everyone.Slim Training combines many elements from traditional fitness programs into one routine that specifically targets all of your energy systems in order to slim down your body. If you have ever done basic training in the military or completed a pre-season "hell week" for a sport, chances are that you have done a similar type of program. What makes Slim Training unique is that instead of being targeted at a sport or performance-related goal, this program is designed to target the way you look and feel!

Sound science: Slim Training is, for the most part, sound science. For six weeks, six days a week, each session you should warm-up, stretch out, work out all of your muscle groups, and your cardiovascular system, then warm down. The 6-week program starts at an easy pace and increases in intensity over time until you peak around the sixth week. Then you should take a break for rest and recovery.

Revolutionary science: Slim training differs from most techniques in that you work all of your muscle groups every day for 6 consecutive days. This is in stark contrast to what most professionals say is optimum. The reason it works is that each workout doesn't totally max each muscle group. While the overall workouts should be intense, you shouldn't overload each muscle group to the point where it needs the standard 48 hours for recovery.If you decide to use Slim in 6 to get the results of the Slim Training technique, the program's "coach" and creator, Debbie Siebers (also of "Thin Thighs Guaranteed!") is there to make certain that you don't overdo it. If you decide to construct a Slim Training™ routine of your own for six weeks - for instance combining the Sculpt and Sweat tapes of Power 90 into one daily "Slim Session", each workout should tax your system enough so that you can ensure strength gains and maximize your body's fat burning capabilities WITHOUT OVERTRAINING.

Use low weight and high repetition resistance training. This allows for only very slight muscle hypertrophy (growth), which is offset by the body's fat loss over the course of the 6 week program. The result is a slimmer, fitter you.

Important: If you decide to turn your current program into a Slim Training program: If you are working your body to its maximum right now and try this, you could overload your body and "overtrain". Overtraining can lead to compromised progress, injuries, and eventually illness. When you workout hard (like in Power 90), your body breaks down. You need to wait for it to recover to train again. That’s how you get stronger. But if you work out too soon, then you will actually reduce your strength and weaken your body’s systems. You must exercise caution not to overdo it if you decide to put your own Slim Training program together!

Overtraining is why the time between resistance workouts should normally vary from a day to as many as 6 or 7 days, depending upon individual recuperative ability, size and type of muscle, efficient use of supplements, diet, rest and other restorative techniques, and the severity of the overload.Six to seven days for recovery is for severe overload only and is in the realm of the serious athlete. "Normal" gym type workouts will not generate this much "microtrauma" to your system.

Overload is what we call intensity of the workout, with intensity meaning purely resistance training. Meaning simply that for Slim Training, the amount of weight that you push around should be reduced. You don't want to attempt to lift your maximum weight. If you ever fail at less than 12-15 reps, then lighten the load. You can recover quickly from daily aerobic exercise but resistance training (heavy weights, plyometrics, etc) will hammer you if you attempt to do it to the max each day. This doesn't mean that you don't work hard. It just means that you need to re-set your gauges for the purposes of Slim Training™. Don't attempt to lift the same weights you were lifting when you were resting a day or more between sessions. That would be a recipe for overtraining. But if you can make yourself re-adjust and go backwards (hard for some), then you can turn your current program into a Slim Training program and expect results.

Finally, remember that Slim Training was designed to only last 6 weeks. It can be a taxing program. You should back off once you peak and give yourself some time to recover while you get ready to blast away at your next program.So if you want to change your body shape from say, a pear shape to a V shape, you’ll find this Slim Training technique is a great tool for you when utilized correctly!

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?

This one is for the walkers!

I walked my way slim...

Updates

Well, yesterday, I was down. Sad at my older sons leaving to return interstate after the hols. Cried all through Mass last night.

What does this have to do with fitness?

I ate too much takeaway dinner and too much chocolate - and I just about never eat chocolate!

It is as though eating will fill the hole, help me deal with sadness. Yeah, right. And I kept thinking - who can be bothered with taking time to make healthy choices, I'll go back to healthy eating tomorrow.

So, here I am. Back to healthy eating today.

My workout yesterday was another FIRM -
Supercharged Sculpting from the 2004 Transfirmer Series. I added in a bonus ab section from one of the other workouts from this series.

I have decided to loosely follow the FIRM rotation I posted earlier - probably not the whole 90 Day rotation but at least the first month ( 30 days). Subbing in other workouts of the same category if I don't wanna do a FIRM workout.

The FIRM was originally planned to be done almost daily - using light-ish weights or alternating light and heavy. This is the theory of overtraining - building muscle definition and endurance and achieving fat loss, not building bigger muscle. Overtraining defies the rule of rest between weight workouts - hence the need not to go too heavy.

Woke up with a mild case of DOMS ( Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) - not because the workouts are hard in and of themselves but because of the overtraining factor, three days in a row of weights and cardio and abs. I love DOMS! Makes me feel worked out.

Workout plan for today is cardio ( FIRM or Taebo or Turbo Jam) and more abs.

The FIRM Workouts

Yesterday I did a Classic FIRM workout -Volume 4 - the Time Crunch Workout. 45 minutes of cardio and weights, using an aerobic step.

Here is a 90 Day Rotation, using the FIRM workouts - however, the workouts are listed by category ( cardio/weights/total body) so you can sub any other workout of choice for a FIRM workout. Each month has a fitness focus and a nutrition goal.

I haven't tried this rotation ( where would I fit in my Taebo and Turbo Jam??) - but it is a thought....

Workout calendars

I print out one each month and keep it on the fridge, as a workout record and as a motivator.

There are stickers , too, if you are so inclined... ( I'm not!).


Fitness calendar

Leonie - workouts

Thanx Cindy for inviting me to contribute to this blog.

My workouts are mostly kickboxing

Yesterday, New Years Eve, I did Taebo Bootcamp Cardio Live ( DVD) followed by strength training from the book - Gleason's Gym Boxing Workout for Women .

I want to do more bootcamp style workouts to improve my strength. I love the athletic feel of bootcamp workouts, being pushed to my max, the whole military thing. Think Demi Moore in G I Jane. :-)