Isn't This Better Than Dieting?

A quote from the old classic FIRM workout Volume 1.


Such an 80s workout classic. Yet so effective. Cardio and weights. You can do the whole 70 minutes or break it up into parts. I'm addicted to the high impact cardio, the push ups on the dumb bells, the killer legwork, the chest work, the abs....I don't often do the whole workout but have been doing parts since Wed of last week, every day, after I heard of the untimely death of the workout's creator.

The FIRM used to promise visible results in ten workouts. And it is kind of true. I've done six days of the FIRM Volume 1 in a row and people have already asked me if I have lost weight.



It is more fun than dieting..I find I need tough-ish workouts to help me lose weight, to keep that waist line in shape...And I need to watch what I eat...That is the tricky part right now!

I am reading the book I mentioned a few posts back - Finally Thin.

At first, I didn't feel the book was helpful for me. She lost a lot of weight, as I did, but she looks thin and gorgeous while I look...fat and ugly.

The author raves about never having to worry do I look fat in this? But I worry about that most days.

Amd she doesn't do a lot of talk about emotional eating. Eating to cover up emotions.

But then, I gave myself a mental shake up. A mental slap. Come on, girl!

I realised that maybe I was just being way too negative and that this negativity was attributing to my inability to lose a few more kilograms.

Now, I am reading the book with a positive frame of mind. I might be old. I might be fat. But I am not as fat as I was. I might never be as thin as the author. I might never rejoice at what I see in photos. But I can learn some more positive food habits .

Like - thinking, really thinking, before I eat.

And returning to my own, personalised sort of food plan..meals and calorie allowances that suit me. Not someone else.

Knowing there is never just one way.

And learning that it is okay to take care of myself, too.

Ouch!

From the comments

My check in...and looking for help in dealing with that stress eating. That picking at food here and there...Any ideas?

Rachel and Niamh - looking forward to updates!
Today I did a new workout - Tracy Mallett's Sexy in Six - terrible name but a good mix of cardio, light weights, yoga, pilates. Nice for me cos lately I've been doing more walking/jogging.

Eating not so great - stress eating, you know? But I am determined to get there - lose those pesky 10 kg!!

Log

Workouts - a week of Jillian Michaels, the trainer from The Biggest Loser. Half hour workouts that are tough, intense cardio and weights, plyometrics or jump training, intervals and circuits. Did Cardio Kickbox, Shape up Frontside and Backside, 30 Day Shred Levels 1, 2,3. They pack a punch in 30 minutes and the change from my usual 60 minute Taebo saw me lose a kilogram on the scales - even though I didn't change my diet at all. It is said that one should change things up wrt workouts and I guess my body needed that change! Three more kg for goal number 1.

Food - Well, I have goals and thoughts.

Fill half the plate with veggies and/or fruit.

Choose fresh, natural, good quality foods from several different food groups - as much as possible, that is!

Give my eating some thought, some planning, some structure.

Try not to skip meals.

Don't ban any food or drink. Allow treat foods in small but regular quantities.

Stop obsessing over the calories in food.Choose wholesome natural foods ( where I can) , food that I know will make me feel good.

Look for other ways of dealing with my emotions. It's not all about the food, you know!

Don't pick or snack, especially when tired. Stick to fruit, crackers, tea. Okay?

GET THE BALANCE RIGHT!

Losing another kilogram..

...makes me feel the self control is good, I am happy, I am mostly eating better, the scale has moved in the right direction..yet I am also scared lest I lose control and put that kilogram ( 2.2 lbs) back on. Weird. Even in success, there is fear and trepidation...

A Reminder

Feeling fat and ugly recently..did a Taebo Advanced Live Workout today..and Billy Blanks, the instructor, reminded me of why I do this..it is not all about looks but also about health..and fitness..and energy..and who I am and how I feel..and learning self control and disciplibe..and smiling ( those endorphins!).

One of Billy Blanks' maxims ~

Get Fit
Be Strong
Have Fun
And put the losing weight part last...

The power of words.

A Loss!

I may be exhausted ( busy week, bad day yesterday..) but..trumpets please ..at least I lost a kilogram...2.2lbs for my US friends.

My eating hasn't been great but I have tried to watch portions and continue to workout. Obviously with some success.

A loss of weight, good news on the scales, can make up for a multitude of bad days and for an exhausted TGIF grumpiness..

Agree?

Log

Monday - Taebo Advanced Live 1 60 minutes - a great combo to Duran Duran's Rio!

Tuesday - Tabeo Advanced Live -the DVD - love the crane and the wax on/wax off moves- 60 minutes

Wednesday - 40 minutes Cindy Crawford Shape Your Body Workout 1 - fun ab work

Thursday - 40 minutes Cindy Crawford Shape Your Body Workout 2 - killer upper body with weights

Friday - Taebo Advanced Live 6 - nice standing ab work - almost 60 minutes

Saturday - the Express workout from the FIRM High Definition Sculpt - 25 minutes - then the strength and ab sections from Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred - about another ten minutes or so. Wow, I'm feeling it today!

Sunday - off to deliver junk mail with the kids ( walking!) and then probably a FIRM cardio and sculpt workout.

Eating log? Don't bother! It hasn't been great! Skipping meals or eating sweets!

Here's my log - where's yours? :-)

Log updates

I've been much better wrt eating and food choices. Thinking before I eat. Reminding myself of a couple of mantras ~

1. WIWM ( what I want most - health, looking better in clothes , rather than a second helping..)

2. I don't do that any more ( not stuffing myself with food when I was upset!)

3. If they can, I can ( reading a book about Skinny Chicks and reminding myself of good choices)

Been very busy so some days have only worked out 30 minutes or 45 minutes but I have continued to work out every day. Mostly a mix of cardio with a little bit of resistance work - Taebo, Turbo Jam, Jane Fonda....

These two pics remind me of some of my progress these last four years...

Stress less

Stress less has been part of my February Challenge. More strength training. Less stress.

I mean stressing less about what I am eating and what I am weighing.

Eat healthfully and mindfully without obsessing about calories or weight on the scale.

Of course, those things are important but they don't define me. I'm into this fitness thing for health and for that feeling of joy, of energy, of well being, of I can do anything!

Yesterday and today, I went for some new ways to approach workouts. I combined workouts.

Sunday I did Taebo Bootcamp Live ( 30 minutes) then added a 15 minute toning workout from Jazzercise, given to me by an older lady friend who was cleaning outher cupboards. Jazzercise made me think of you, Cindy!

Today, I did a 30 minute Taebo followed by the last 20 minutes of Turbo Jam's Punch Kick and Jam. capoeria and toning and working on form with a little tai chi stetch.

Injecting some fun and variety into my daily workouts.

P.S. Speaking of Jazzercise...Collage Video has two new Jazzercise workouts listed. Apart from the toning workout mentoned above, I've never done a Jazzercise workout. I'm tempted to add them to my birthday wish list of workout DVDs....

February Challenge?

Any thoughts on a February Challenge? Who's in?

I already mentioned that I want to add in more strength training.

Still thinking about another focus for February.

Ideas, anyone?

...This week...Positive is the key word!

Hello everyone!

Last week went pretty well...my workouts lagged behind a bit (shame) but I have been working on my nutrition and detoxing from the holidays. Have managed to incorporate our home based meals with lots of salads, vegies and fruits. Am feeling so much better for it!

I ended up seeing "Yes Man" this week....which if I had known about some of the scenes, I would not have gone to...but...the message of being positive kept resounding in me! Of taking on the challenges (within reason...which he failed to do and burst some bubbles along the way )and of facing the challenges and opportunities in life with the "I will and I can" attitude....what we have been talking about in our efforts right along....this attitude opened up the doors to many great experiences for him, which he would have otherwise missed out on!

I can tend to be overcautious in many ways...
Spontaneous on one hand or so I think... but much often weighing myself down with the "oh what if" or " I can't do that" thoughts.
In the end undermining myself. My husband is great at challenging me in this way....but even then I'm like a stubburn horse that doesn't budge if I don't instantly feel comfortable with it!

So this week...my attitude will be tuned into positiveness!
Positive attitude towards:
1. My Ab Bootcamp exercises
2. My Eating habits
3. My personal relationships with my kids and husband and friends
4. My fear of rejection with cooking: I am volunteering to provide a dish for a fiesta our church is holding next weekend

I'm putting scriptures up on the walls that reinforce this....I am going to 'love what I do...what ever it is that I do...So help me God!

.....The Holiday is OVER...now I have to deal with the damage!

Hi Fitness Buddies....

I was missing in action....not wanting to come back from holidays...wanting to avoid the mundane for as long as I possibly could! For no other reason than that I loved the 'freedom' that being a tourist and exploring new things brings...but...Alas...though we walked heaps...diet was a not structured...found my appetite actually went due to the heat but we overloaded on Cokes, in an effort to satisfy dehydration and I now realize how WRONG that decision was.

The walking has made my legs really strong...but...I look like a paddle pop!

Lacking any focused upper body exercise, I look like a water balloon that has been squeezed from the bottom and is top heavy...and...oh boy...does it feel uncomfortable! I had taken a Tae Bo dvd with me but the cabin we were at had no dvd player and I thought that with the exercise I was doing...I would be ok...though I was swimming everday and walking...I have come to realize that the upper body is my stubborn section...it requires specific exercising...targeting the whole mass!

I agree with you, Cindy, about focusing on the positive. My realization that I have to do specific exercises for the upper body has given me focus...I just have to do it if I want to see results and it has to be long term!

I'm still catching up with older posts but just want to encourage everyone to keep on keeping on!

This week's commitment for fitness will be:

1. Nutrition
More vegies and fruits (we had very little during the holidays...lots of take-aways)
I like the idea of 'listening to our bodies needs' and the smaller meal concept...think my body functions better

2. Fitness
Ab bootcamp
Walking.....actually like it now...walking on the boardwalks of beaches of the Sunshine Coast were awesome! Maroubra beach here I come!

3. Mental Fitness
Positive thinking
Remaining active: relationships, learning, faith!

We have the power to change....Let's do it!