A Quick Leg Session. Saturday, January 30.

I was in a rush on Saturday – just an hour in which to complete my workout as the gym closes early. And errands to run, anyway. But I still managed a reasonable little leg session.

In the gym, by myself:

Warm-up: Smith squats, no added weight x 15 (I know, I know, Mike. I’ll do better next time.)

Smith Squats: Bar +50 lbs. x 12; +70 lbs. x 12; +90 lbs. x 10

Leg Press: Sled + 90 lbs. x 12; + 180 lbs. x 12; +230 lbs. x 10 (you can tell from the weights that this is the kind of leg press I like – old-fashioned, with lots of back support.)

Romanian Deadlifts: Olympic bar + 20 lbs. x 12. Range of motion was limited by the squat cage, so I tried them off a step. But it was awkward to reach the bar for the initial lift, and I tweaked my back. So I switched to:

Dumbbell Deadlifts: 25 lbs. x 12; 35 lbs. x 10; 45 lbs. x 6. This was problematic, too, though from the point of view of my upper body. Lifting the 45 lb. dumbbells off the rack was a challenge as the rack is almost at chest height – and of course, it never occurred to me to lift them off one at a time…. I did, however, clue in and re-racked them one at a time. But I feel it today.

Stability Ball Hamstring Curls: 12; 12. Only two little sets, as my back was bothering me from the original deadlifts.

Stretching: Cobras, Upward Dog, Side Knee Drops with a Hold.

The End.

[Via http://musclegirl.wordpress.com]

Day 25 Weight Loss- January 30, 2010

Day 25

Weight- 223.2 lb.

Food Consumed-  ? Calories

 x2 foot long chicken breast sub from Subway (no sauces), water, yogurt, and milk to go with my protein shake

Workout-

Did some core exercises on my exercise ball.

Supplements taken-

Took some multivitamins in the afternoon.

Overall thoughts-

Wow, I am sore all over. I kinda took a break today, and just did a bit of core exercises on my exercise ball.  Mostly a boring day due to this, nothing really special to note.

[Via http://donmichaels.wordpress.com]

Snow Day Saturday!

Well it looks like the weathermen were RIGHT for once! We have over a foot of snow on the ground and its still falling…guess I’ll find a way to enjoy it! I wasn’t too excited about being cooped up inside this weekend, but now that the snow is here, its really pretty and I’m actually excited to have a “day off” from everyday life. I honestly NEED a break from working out, and I never give myself one…so today is a mandatory day off from cardio, at least. I do plan to do some strength training/Pilates/Core Challenge workout throughout the day. Hey, what else is there to do?

I do think I’ll watch movies alllll day long while I’m doing whatever it is I find to do…ha ha its so weird to act like I have nothing to do, when in fact I could be doing LOTS of schoolwork! Oh well, I’ll save that for another snow school day!

Obviously, I’m in the mountains, so all of this snow isn’t uncommon…but where I’m actually from is near the Atlantic coast, so we rarely get snow. Wellllll, as of this morning, they have about as much snow at home as we do here in the mountains! How exciting I just wish I was there to enjoy it with everyone. So far most of my good friends/family members from home have started out the day drinking (haha I suppose there’s nothing better to do!) and sledding…sounds like a dangerous combination…but I would probably do it too, honestly!

I hope everyone who woke up to snow this morning is out enjoying it! And for everyone else, enjoy being able to go out and do things while us others are cooped up at home!

-xoxo

[Via http://britdanielle07.wordpress.com]

My New Running Buddy

Meet Eva, my new running buddy.  She’s a dachsund mix, weighs about 35 pounds and is a foot tall.  Her legs are about 10″ long.

Every time I got tired jogging today, I’d look down at Eva just trotting along and think “How does she walk as fast as I jog when her legs are only ten inches long?!”

It was hugely motivational.  That and the old lady that raced past me.  That and remembering the wii fit telling me that my body won’t train itself.  I laughed at it the first time, then realized how true it is, that doing nothing isn’t getting me anywhere.

So W3D1 was VERY hard, but wasn’t impossible.  I took about 20 seconds of walking rests in a few installments.  I think I’m going to take some inspirations from the RLR ladies and take not rush myself and risk injuring my knees (which like to be injured).

I’m also very thankful for Conan’s encouragement to press on with Week 3.  Knowing somebody is there watching and being encouraging is so meaningful.

For the next week, I’m focusing this week on visualizing a successful Week 3 jog.  I have been listening to Gregory Boyd podcasts and he talks a lot about positive visualization, and using your imagination to break new ground.  I’ve found him to be a great coach in an odd way.  Oddly, I like podcasts much better than music for jogging, not knowing what is coming makes it feel less predictable, and I find myself at the end of the jog much sooner.

I visualize myself pushing through each run, and wanting to quit, but pressing on, feeling like rubber, sweating like a dog, and taking pride in another successful week.  So here’s to week 3 with my new running partner (who makes me feel safer at night), and making it to week 4!

Oh, and of course, my Follow Friday recommendations!

• Requiemm – Conan, C25K road warrior extraordinaire.  I already feel like he’s a good friend.
• JennyGetsFit – She sells Beach Body products, but she also is really knowledgeable and answers any and all fitness questions.  She’s very encouraging and a great motivator.
• SkinnyJeans – She posts great fitness articles, tasty recipes and convenient reminders that help keep me on target.
• JenniferNobile – She keeps a sweet blog and just started the South Beach Diet!  If you’re doing SBD, stop by and share some love with her!
• JeronKerridge – This guy makes me want to join a gym, which I totally can’t do, but I am certainly inspired by him.  Another great motivator.
• MissCarolynC – MissC lives near me, and one of these weekends we’re going to do yoga together.  I adore her, and she’s so cute and funny!  She’s also really skinny, which isn’t what I”m going for, but it would be awesome if I were skinny and could run, too!  She’s a better accountability buddy than Eva Love, and smells better too.

[Via http://sareece.wordpress.com]

Meet the manager before joining the club

It may be true that a highly motivated person can work out well even at a club managed by his or her worst enemy. But most of us are not like that. We all know that our dues are in part paying for his or her salary.

Liking a club owner or manager may sound trivial to the dedicated athlete. He or she will say that at best these folks pay the club’s bills in a timely fashion, thereby insuring that doors will stay open. Beyond that they are little relevance.

If we were all as single-minded as an Olympic champion, this might very well be all that we would need to care about. But few of us are  at that point. Consequently, the feelings we have toward the club’s decision-maker is of utmost importance.

Liking this individual can be crucial. By liking, it assumed that there is a general respect for his or her attitudes and inclinations toward the both the members and staff. These become evidenced in his or her daily actions when at the club and also in the staff when they are not present.

Disliking what club owners or managers are all about creates an unhealthy set of feelings. Few of us thrive on such antipathy. Those of us who do are most often eventually cut off from further relating even to members like ourselves. That can cause one to lose interest in the daily attendance which is needed for workout success.

Perhaps the single most important question to ask about this person is over whether they care about the club members actually improving at their fitness routines. That is far different than only caring about the number of advance paid memberships.

We all go through up and downs when maintaining a regular fitness lifestyle. As a result we need all of the help we can get to stay on course. A large part of that comes from having a good feeling toward person who pays the club’s bills.

Perhaps the best way to say it is that we are all better off around others who rely on us more for our improvements than for our monthly dues payment. Knowing that others care about our success makes it far easier to make to the club that day when it seems just to hard or do that one more repetition or to even make it there in the first place.

[Via http://4everfitness.wordpress.com]

Day 22 Weight Loss- January 27, 2010

Day 22

Weight- 223.3 lb.

Food Consumed-  ? Calories

 x2 foot long chicken breast sub from Subway (no sauces), water, yogurt, and milk to go with my protein shake

Workout-

Did some core exercises on my exercise ball. Did an hour of cardio on a “gazelle”. Today was biceps and legs at the gym.

Supplements taken-

Took some multivitamins in the afternoon. Had a protein shake.

Overall thoughts-

Fun times at the gym. I started off doing dumbell curls for biceps. I got to my last set, in a semi-amusing sequence that was as follows:

12 Reps of 20 lbs.

10 Reps of 25 lbs.

…4 Reps of 30 lbs….on my right arm…ZERO on my left…gave up and tried to do 25..couldn’t… went back to the start

12 Reps of 20 lbs.

At this point I was a little confused. I was literally unable to get that weight up using my left arm at all, no matter how hard I tried. The only thing I can think that would have made my arm so tired was the relatively short breaks between my sets (I have tried to speed things up based on everyone’s feedback). I was surprised, because it was the first workout of the day, and my 3rd set…and I was unable to get that weight up (last week with longer sets, I think I was able to do 2 reps on my left arm). I figured my right arm would be stronger since it is my dominant one, but I didn’t think it would be that dramatically different. I hope I don’t end up with a beast right arm, and a small left one lol. Fortunately I finished out the day after that relatively a bit higher then normal in terms of repetitions (which means I may have to increase weight soon!). My buddy is insisting we go to the gym again tomorrow, and work on a single muscle…don’t know if that is a good idea…it would be pretty brutal without off-muscle exercises in between my workouts.

[Via http://donmichaels.wordpress.com]

Shrimp Cocktail = Healthy Snack

Bloody Mary shrimp cocktail: Mix a few cups of low-sodium V8 with horseradish, Worcestershire, lemon juice, Tabasco, and maybe a bit of vodka. Pour into wine or martini glasses, top with chopped cucumbers and avocadoes, and rim the glass with cooked shrimp.

Thanks Eat This, Not That!

[Via http://iwantmysexyback.wordpress.com]

In It to Win It!

I may have mentioned before that exercise is a lot more difficult for me than maintaining proper nutrition.  I got my nutrition in line almost three months ago; the exercise is only going on one month.  But I’ve been thinking lately that something must be wrong with me.  You see, I’m beginning to…well…like it!  “It” being exercise; crazy talk, I know.  I must have pulled something in my brain during my last strength training routine, because this can’t be a sane individual talking.

I guess it’s not so much the exercise I like as the feeling I get that lasts from about 10-12 minutes after I start until long after I’m finished.  It’s total energy, optimism, accomplishment, and confidence.  And that’s pretty good motivation to get my formerly lazy hide on the treadmill or doing a strength training routine – that and the fact that the co-worker who complimented my weight loss on Friday has now taken to nicknaming me “Skinny,” which I assure you I am far from being.  (The smile this has put on my face, though, may even make me break my two year old policy of not giving Christmas gifts to co-workers when the holidays roll around this year).

But…in what must have been an act induced by endorphin drunkenness, I e-mailed my trainer last week (who really is great – you can reach her website under “Resources” on the right hand side of the page – FITT Solutions – here in the Atlanta area) to do something I never thought I would do – I told her that my strength training routine had some exercises that were getting too easy for me.  She e-mailed back and told me to increase the weight on a few of them – that sounded cool.  But then she also told me to work my crunches up to 250-300 per session!  Come again?  Her fingers must have gotten a little slap happy on the keyboard and added unintended zeroes on the end of those numbers, I thought.  Sheesh!

And then, in a split second, I decided that I was in this to win it, and I was going to do whatever she said, grin and bear it, and only complain if something physically hurt me.  She is an expert, after all, and a really nice person to boot, so I just had to trust her on this one.  I e-mailed back a simple, “Thanks!” proud of myself for my new-found resolve and commitment.  (Though she also  reads this blog on occasion, so I guess in some sense, the jig is us for yours truly looking like a happy camper on that one.)  I’ve advanced from 40 crunches per session to 160 per session in the past week, and I’m damn bent determined to make it up to 300 before my next session with her in a couple of weeks – nothing like a good challenge to get “Skinny” motivated!

[Via http://reconstructingthirty.wordpress.com]

Supplements in the Primal Blueprint

Mark’s Daily Apple is the blog home of the author of the Primal Blueprint. I recommend visiting the site and getting a feel for what the Primal Blueprint is all about, there’s a Primal Blueprint 101 section that introduced the concepts. The blog post I of interest today is on supplements. The author mentioned that our paleolithic ancestor didn’t take supplements, but that doesn’t mean we’ll have the same benefits going supplement free in our modern lives. The differences highlighted in the post refer to food quality, artificial lighting, and modern habits. While getting nutrients from food is preferred, those factors just mentioned make it hard to get an equal nutrient profile as our paleolithic ancestors. The recommended nutrients to take were antioxidants, probiotics, fish oils, and protein powder.

The benefits of getting quality nutrients in the right amount isn’t isolated to your diet. It spills over into your overall health and fitness. Diet is a complimentary part to fitness. If your goal is to be healthy, you need both diet and exercise. Any training regiment or fitness program that disregards one of those things is incomplete.

[Via http://uasunny.wordpress.com]

Little Lotus Yoga- bringing calm & relaxation to your child's life

Hello to all Little Lotus Enthusiasts! I wanted to share with all our class design as I have many inquiries into our class design and what is incorporated into children’s yoga classes. The famous questions is always- How do you do yoga with 2 year olds!?

Tune In

We always begin with a tuning in to the class. The little one’s enjoy sharing their OM’s!

Sharing & Caring

This is a special time when the children are invited to share anything special that is happening in their lives and share how their heart feels. For the little one’s we usually hear MY HEART IS HAPPY today! I find the 6-12 year old yogi’s and yogini’s enjoy the supportive atmosphere to possibly share any areas of stress they had in their day (ie: test, disagreement with friend, sister, etc.)

Pranayama

Pranayama is the control of life force, which is our breath. Little Lotus 2-5 year olds share in balloon breathing, begin to understand that they can create breathe through noise and mouth, etc. Little Lotus 6-12 year olds begin alternate nostril breathing, deep abdominal breathing, cooling breath and others!

Asana

This is our posture practice time. Little Lotus 2-5 year olds enjoy imitating animals in various yoga asana (postures), including dogs, frogs, whales, cats, cows and more! Little Lotus 6-12 year olds may begin Sun Salutations and vinyasa flows (flowing movements from one posture to another) and more advanced postures.

Yoga off the Mat

This is an opportunity for participants to grow in an environmentally friendly and “green living” way. We share, talk about & design crafts about recycling, protecting trees and our responsibility to maintaining a safe and clean Earth. Younger yogi’s and yogini’s may share thoughts through various colouring in their journals, with older yogi’s and yogini’s sharing thoughts and emotions through pictures and written entries in their journals.

Relaxation

Students are encouraged to relax into savasana (corpse pose / starfish) for a final relaxation at the end of class. Story meditations are sometimes shared. Little Lotus 6-12 year old participants may also use this time to meditate on a positive thought (ie: I am brave, I share with others) they have chosen. Our class ends in a creative circle creating peace and serenity, sharing another round of OM’s and special good-bye’s until the following class!

We love to hear what you enjoy the most in any children’s or family yoga classes you have participated in. Feel free to share! Or, let us know what your little yogi likes to come home from class and share with you

Namaste ~Amanda

[Via http://littlelotusyoga.wordpress.com]

Darn Monkey!

Yesterday was a sick day for me. I had a really bad RA flare up and didn’t sleep the night before and was in pain until I could get my hands on some predisone!!!! What did that mean?… my 6 day straight plan was thwarted. See Monkey insert Wrench! It’s all good now because my body had a chance to recover a little yesterday and I feel well enough to attend my Zumba class tonight…WITH slight modifications.

I am really missing my Yoga classes I think it’s been 3 weeks since I’ve attended…my flares have been in my shoulders and wrists which make  it impossible  to do downward facing dog and lots of other mat poses…I may have to look into some restorative classes before I return to regular classes. Booooo! But I will do what needs to be done.

Sweet hubby  has also promised a dinner out at Frontera tonight…AFTER Zumba ONLY Nice incentive huh.

Does that Monkey frequently get his wrench into your plans ?

[Via http://feetfirstand40.wordpress.com]

Dining Out

Today was my first official run day at the gym, and I decided to try an interval run. The one I chose was 30 minutes of running at speeds fluxuating between 6.0 and 7.0. Considering I usually run at about 5 .8 to 6.0, this was a huge self challenge! And it kicked my butt!

The 5 minute warm up at 5.5 was like my usual “run” (which I now know is really a jog) and got me energized. I actually ran at a 7.0 for the first time!! Then, at minute 18, 1.84 miles into the workout, butt was officially kicked. I slowed down to a 4.0 fast walk for 2 minutes, thinking I would be able to jump back into it after a little rest, but 2 minutes at 6.0  and then 6.5, I knew I had to stop. I was imagining my legs buckling under me and flying across the cardio area, crashing into the very large guy on the elliptical behind me. I ended up walking until minute 25, 2.34 miles total. I was disappointed that I didn’t complete my first run challenge workout, but when I realized how much I was sweating, I knew I had pushed myself. Which is part of my 3 mile goal as well

Z got a great grade on one of his final exams from last semester, so we decided to get sushi to celebrate! We went down the street to Fish Market on Brighton Avenue. There were only 2 other tables with people, but considering the place only has 3 tables and 6 – 8 seats around the sushi bar, it was a busy night for them We ordered 2 salmon cucumber rolls, 2 yellowtail cucumber rolls, and 2 spicy tuna.

Sushi is one of my all-time favorite foods, and this fish was excellent quality. I especially loved the spicy tuna:

So pretty! Some places fill the tuna up with gobs of the spicy mayo which, while delicious, completly erases any tuna flavor. At Fish Market, they put just the right amount of mayo down the side of the roll, and the tuna was only lightly spiced, making each bite a new discovery for your tastebuds! Tuna, then spice, then the coolness of cucumber — yum! I usually order more exotic things when I eat sushi (a few months ago I tried sea urchin for the first time! Yumventure indeed!) but for a cheap, quick sushi meal this was just great.

FYI to all the sushi fans out there – Fish Market does not have their liquor license yet, so no sake or Japanese beer :( They do, however, offer some delicious looking red bean ice cream, which I will definitely have to try next time.

I finally finished painting our bedroom accent wall, hoorah! Now I just have to put the decorations back up

[Via http://yumventures.wordpress.com]

Personal Fitness and LOVE/hate running

I am the sort of guy who doesn’t look terribly different at 215 or at 195 pounds.  One reason is that I’ve got a big frame, I’m 6′2″, so I just look like a big, studly guy, regardless.  (Back off, ladies, remember, I’m engaged).  With the Christmas ups and the marathon training downs of late 2009 behind me, it’s now a matter of finding a healthy place.

At 195 pounds, I’m “technically” overweight, though I feel like a million bucks – I look slim, my pants fit wonderfully, and I have tons of energy.  At 205, things are a bit snugger, but I crave running.  At 210 or 215, I become a size 37 waist (making all of my pants not fit) and I become a sloth.  It’s interesting what a little bit of lifestyle and weight can do.

Future Mrs. Myall Road is envious because I can maintain my weight, with 10-20 miles per week of running, at about 2500 calories a day.  For those who aren’t totally obsessive calorie counters, that means I can have my cereal, my sandwich/chips at lunch, my big dinner, and a snack, and be under the limit.

The point is, as everyone knows, there is a snowball effect here, which is why weight bounces.  When I LOVE running, it’s easy to lose weight, and at lower weights, I love running more.  At higher weights, I love it less, and it all snowballs.

I’m just ready to stay in running shape, stay in size 36 jeans (maybe even with the belt pulled tighter than usual), stay south of the Mendoza weight line, and stay healthy for 2010.  It’s got to be a lifestyle, rather than a resolution.  So if it’s running, the new P90X craze, or even, as some crazy people do, both, working out and staying healthy can’t be something I do to “be good.”  It just has to be something I do.

[Via http://myallroad.wordpress.com]

Fast Track Triathlon Camp

Triathletes learn training skills and techniques at the Fast Track Triathlon Camp, sponsored by the Brian Thomas Wright Creative Group in Portland, Oregon on January 10, 2010. Andrea J. Wright / The Wright Pictures Visit: www.fasttracktriathloncamp.com and http://btwcg.com Buy prints: http://www.photoshelter.com/c/thewrightpictures/gallery-list

[Via http://theportlandtimes.wordpress.com]

Very sore

So yesterday I ran a whopping 8 miles, 5 of which were with my fellow PETA Pack runners. The other 3 miles were to and from the run. Today I am super sore. I am literally hobbling around. Rachelle seems pretty sore too, she went for a 4 mile run while I was out.It has been so god awfully cold lately that I haven’t truly kept up with my training. for a while I was condensing my running and cross-training into a single day. But honestly, running on a treadmill isn’t the same as running outside. My legs are so sore that I will be spending the whole day inside today (it’s an effort to get to the kitchen from the couch, I dare not brave the three flights of stairs down from my apartment).

Last week I went to the gym with Drew and Lindsay. I mainly worked on my abs, but I did run a couple miles as well as work on my legs, arms and back with weights. I discovered the medicine ball. I was doing the 45 degree twists with the medicine ball. I did 200 reps (starting off with 120 reps @ 16lbs and upping it to 20lbs for the last 80 reps.), I also did long arm crunches set at 90 lbs. Let me say that my mid-section was not happy with me the following day. Luckily being vegan means a much faster recovery from strenuous workouts like that.

Anyway, I need a new pair of shoes. The $20 pair of joggers I have now just aren’t cutting it. While I can run a mile or two in them without much worry, after that the heal strikes really start to fuck with my pace. The reverberation up my leg is a killer. I am thinking of picking up the Newbalance MR905. The running store near my apartment has a pair in my size and I think I am going to try them on this week. Especially since next week’s run is a mile longer than this one.

[Via http://kenxvx.wordpress.com]

Family Exercise - Play Together

The family that plays together, stays FIT together.

This weekend, we’re discussing ways for families to incorporate together time and fitness.  Physical activity shouldn’t be a chore or a dreaded event.  Just like turning room clean-up into a game becomes more fun for the child (and the parent who’s spared of the disobedience or whining), physical activity where the entire family participates can be a fun experience where beautiful memories and healthy habits are created.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 16 percent of children (over 9 million) 6-19 years old are overweight or obese — a number that has tripled since 1980.  Over the past three decades the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 years and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years.

Experts agree that inactivity and poor eating habits contribute to obesity. While national guidelines recommend 150 minutes of physical activity each week for elementary children and 225 minutes for older children, only Illinois has a statewide requirement for daily physical education.

Why rely on the government to give your child his daily dose of exercise?  As a parent, I kinda feel like it’s my responsibility to teach my child how to live a strong and healthy life–I don’t think anyone else can do a better job with that than my husband and me.

Here’s three suggestions for families to engage in physical fitness while enjoying time together:

• Go on a weekly nature hike. If you live in an area with varying terrain, the hike alone with increase the breathing and heart rate while giving everyone’s legs a good climbing workout.  If you live in a relatively flat area, then incorporate speed drills.  Run or race to a specific tree or marker that’s 10 or 20 feet away, and then walk, and repeat at varying markers throughout your route.

• Go on a family bike ride. If you have older children who have bikes, then pick a route with minimal or no traffic.  If you have a bike trailer for smaller children, you can tow them in a low-traffic area.  They’ll learn to appreciate the time together and desire to exercise just like YOU!  Wouldn’t it be fun to have a bike trailer like the one *pictured above?

Do yoga or stretches together. Yoga for pregnant women, and post-partum moms is often a great way to help your body relax, and find balance with your constantly shifting center of gravity.  If you’re unsure of how to incorporate this back into your life once baby arrives, we’ll talk about some great tips for this later this weekend.

• Do family calisthenics a few times a week. These are good, old-fashioned exercises such as jumping jacks, skipping, galloping, jumping across one end of the backyard to another.  If you’re familiar with other calisthenics, use those, too: crunches, push-ups, pull-ups.  Make it a game and do it together as a family.  Laugh, have fun, and encourage one another.

A basic calisthenic exercise that small children usually do perfectly and innately by the time they learn to walk is the squat.  As they get a little older, children tend to forget how to do a perfect squat since they don’t do it all the time…well, at least not in our culture.  Kids and adults in several countries in Asia perform perfect squats their entire lives.Why is it important to learn how to do a good squat?

The squat is a basic movement that we perform our entire lives.

• We often bend down to pick something up, and then stand up.
• Small children naturally squat with their feet flat on the ground, and then stand up using their stronger thigh, buttocks, and leg muscles.
• Over time, we incorporate less of our strong thigh and buttocks muscles, and rely more on bending over with our backs.
• Improper execution of this simple task can lead to wear and tear on the joints and discs in the low back over the course of time, resulting in back muscle strain, sciatica (or sharp/numb radiating back pain), and low back disc problems.

Want to learn how to teach your kids the proper form for a squat?  Actually, do YOU want to learn a simple method to do a perfect squat?  Watch this 5 minute video by Crossfit instructor Jeff Martin (complete with two cute kids).

YOUR TURN:  In what ways do you incorporate fitness into your family routine?

Subscribe // Twitter me: drdolly *Bicycle image above by Kamyar Adl via Flickr

[Via http://travelingwithbaby.wordpress.com]

Magical Moments

When I arrive at school at 7am, I am not always awake enough to overflow with enthusiasm. That’s when I say–Thank goodness for the students! There is something magical about a child’s view on…well, basically everything. Once I open my gym door and they come in, their eyes are all lit up and they’re all smiles and full of energy–What are we doing today? They can barely contain themselves when I tell them where to go and what to do. Then when I turn the music on, forget about it! They are now bursting with excitement and the energy fills the room as their little voices fill my ears.

It’s contagious. Next thing you know, I am singing Miley Cyrus at the top of my lungs as I am running and playing with them. I can hit a badminton birdie with a foam racquet 20 times in a row, do 10 push-ups, hold a plank for 30 seconds and then run laps with a 9-year-old and it’s my job!! I always tell the kids –Don’t tell anyone how much fun Ms. Isbell has in here. They won’t want to pay me anymore.

Today, I paused for a moment, and I really watched them. I watched the expressions on their faces. The happiness they showed when playing with a friend, the exhilaration when they were successful,  the frustration when they were not. I studied how they figured out skills through trial and error. I noticed how they interacted with each other and how sometimes they didn’t even notice each other. And I witnessed countless close calls that most parents could not bear to see, as boys and girls seemingly flew through the room and sometimes through the air, yet somehow they landed on their feet and no one went to clinic!…today.

And the best part hadn’t come yet. When class was over and they were lining up, THEY thanked ME. With their sweaty little heads and their red toothy faces. They were thanking me. Funny, isn’t it? They made my day and then they thanked me. Life is good!

[Via http://judithisbell.wordpress.com]

Fitness = Happy Bride

“Exercising gives you endorphins, Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t kill” –Elle Woods, Legally Blonde

 One of my most favorite lines from a movie, mainly because it’s true.   I started right after Christmas trying to do some kind of exercise everyday.  It’s mainly been a work out on the Wii (we’ve accumulated Wii fit, EA Active and some others) and its been working.  It consists of using your own body’s resistance and mixes a lot of yoga.  Exercise should be a part of every person’s life, but so it seems especially brides!  Every magazine, online article, or book I read, says “Get fit for your wedding!”

There are a number of duh reasons:

1. look good in the dress
2. look good on the honeymoon
3. look good for your future husband

Other more fantastic reasons:

1. Endorphins-they make you happy. (Most exciting time in your life, you should be happy!)
2. takes away stress (see reason 1)
3. gets your mind off of wedding planning
4.  its much-needed “me” time

 Even if I’m only able to get in 15 min, it’s definitely helping me.  I think more my psyche than anything else, but it makes me glad.  Also with the fitness, comes eating right.  Last night , we raided walmart for healthy food and drinks.  I don’t drink coffee, so my morning pick-me up is Diet Dr. Pepper.  Instead, I’m gonna try Cran-Energy.  So far this morning I think its working.  I’m pretty chipper.  A harder fitness routine should be coming soon.  My maid of honor happens to also be a fitness trainer (boot camp queen!) which is pleasantly convenient!  She’s gonna plan  some kind of a workout for me. YAY!

 In case you need some motivation like I did, here are some great tips from

The Knot.com:

Wedding Get-In Shape Checklist:

http://www.theknot.com/pdf/gettinginshape.pdf

 Wedding Dress Workout: 

http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-beauty-tips/wedding-workout-exercise/articles/the-knot-wedding-dress-workout.aspx

 The Ultimate Pre-Wedding Abs Workout:

http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-beauty-tips/wedding-workout-exercise/articles/the-ultimate-abs-workout.aspx

 Wedding Workout Playlists: 

http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-beauty-tips/wedding-workout-exercise/articles/workout-music-playlists.aspx

[Via http://thefuturemrst.wordpress.com]

Speed Work

A cold winter night where most people are in the comfort of their homes, and here we are, 50 people under the bright lights of the stadium, lining up on the rubber track to run 400 repeats. Under the coach’s direction, we take off in several heats, grouped by our speed. I am waiting for my group to be called. The voices around me are discussing what time we should complete one lap in. Don’t go out too fast. We have to do 8 of these. Take it easy on the first lap…

Team Runyon, Go! And off we go and I am looking straight ahead and my legs underneath me finding a rhythm, my arms pumping, I can hear my breathing. I feel like a race horse, looking for my stride, my comfort. This incredible surge of adrenaline and power rushing through me. I round the second turn and I feel a burst, as I control my speed all the way to the finish.

What a rush! 7 more times, I think. Between runs, everyone talking, comparing times. I just try to keep my focus. I have set the bar high for myself and I am going to rise to the challenge. Just an hour ago, I was Mom, cooking dinner, barking out orders, making arrangements for my absence. But, now, I am a runner. In my tights, my hat and gloves, racing against myself to tap into my inner speed demon.

And, behold, I do not disappoint myself. The last lap was happening before I knew what hit me. I was racing, legs turning, arms pumping, breath heavy, giving 100% to the moment.

And tomorrow my legs will be sore. I will savor the memory of those fleeting moments when I felt so strong, so fast and so in control.

[Via http://judithisbell.wordpress.com]

Walk It Out for Wii hits the pavement today

After several delays, the walking game Walk It Out has now been released. Details are still sparse, but they do have a Facebook page with some screen shots.

Another rather unlikely place to dig up some info is in the discussion forum on its Amazon product page (scroll down to where it says Customer Discussions). A user named jadepearli seems to know a few things about the game. According to him/her/it, you can use either the nunchuck/Wiimote combo (put the nunchuck in your pocket), the balance board, or the DDR pad to do your virtual walking.  The game also lets you vary your pace by walking on beat or on half time or double time (you get points for staying on beat) and it keeps a record of number of steps, distance walked, and calories burned.  If it’s like the DDR games, it will calculate your calories using a formula derived from your  weight and steps – not dead-on accurate (these things never are) but pretty close.

Nothing against balance boards, but I think the mat-style controller is the best, most tried-and-true way to get a cardio workout out of the Wii, as well as bone-building impact.  So I’m glad to see Konami branching out into more games for its DDR mat besides DDR.  Walk It Out may sound pedestrian, but I hope it works well and becomes a sleeper hit like Just Dance.

[Via http://arrowdynamicmom.wordpress.com]

Take a Hint

Some helpful hints:

1.  Use a scrub each time you shower – if you run out or don’t want to spend the extra change – use sugar.   Even if you don’t want to use it on your entire body – hit the heels, knees and elbows each time.

2.  When washing or moisturizing our face – always use an upward motion.  Imagine all the years of literally pulling your skin down if you don’t.

3.  When touching your eye area – use the ring finger.  It has the least amount of pressure – even more so than the pinky, believe it or not.

4.  Use a darker eye shadow with a bit of water and a skinny brush for an eye liner – instead of a liquid eye liner (God forbid) or a pencil.  At our age – the two latter choices are just a bit too harsh.

5.  Eat protein at every meal.  It’s more filling and builds muscle.

6.  Use weight resistance AND cardio to burn fat.  Once you turn some of that fat to muscle, the muscle continues to burn calories and metabolize even when you’re not working out.  Besides, variety keeps it interesting and you’re more likely to stick with a workout if you enjoy it.

7.  Sleep face up.  All those lines in your face and decollete that go away during the morning – find their way back years later if you continue to encourage them.

8.  Comb your hair IN the shower – or shortly afterwards, while it is still wet.  If  you wait until it’s dry, there will be many more tangles and breakage.  Buy the widest toothed comb you can find.

9.  Use taupe colored eyebrow pencil if you are light in complexion.  Your eyebrows do so much to frame your face, and as you age, they lose thickness (and arch) naturally, so may need to be redefined.

10.  FLIRT – it feels good and isn’t cheating.  LOL

[Via http://barbarabutton.wordpress.com]

Sunday "Fitness"

Every woman I know is busy. Busy with home, busy with work, busy with kids, busy with friends, busy with family, etc. etc.!

And, most women I know say that they are too busy to take care of themselves. This is very hard for us women to do! We are so busy taking care of everyone else, that we neglect ourselves.

You have the right to feel good, have energy, and enjoy life! I can’t say that enough to the women in my life. Actually, to all of you. Men too. I know really great men too that neglect their health.

My Happiness Project theme this month is fitness. The point I want to make today is that Fitness is about taking care of Y.O.U.! Feeling great and having energy to get through the day. Being healthy so that you can be with your kids, spouse, friends and family!

Sunday should be a time to unwind and rest; preparing for the busy week ahead. Spend time taking care of you. Relax, unwind, do what YOU want to do.

Start with something relaxing: a warm cup of tea/coffee/cocoa and a good book or magazine or article that you’ve been meaning to read. Find a quiet corner and just breath. They can do without you for 15 minutes! Unwind. Focus on yourself. You will be surprised at the results! How wonderful even just 15 minutes of uninterrupted “ME” time can be. And it is NOT being selfish! Everyone deserves some time to themselves.

Here are a couple videos to get you “in the mood” for quiet Sunday Fitness:

[Via http://cevraini.wordpress.com]

Day 9... Bad day

I started off the day well. For breakfast I had ham with mushrooms and hot sauce on bread.

I ended up skipping lunch.

I went out with a friend tonight to Tim’s pizza and ended up drinking a pitcher of Sam Adams winter lager and eating some cheese sticks (which is really bread sticks with cheese melted on them). Then I went home and ate a couple of ham sandwiches… Could have been a worse night though.

It was nice to go out and drink with a friend though.

[Via http://weegens.wordpress.com]

The Devil is a LIAR and So is My Scale!

I don’t know about everyone else, but it has come to my attention that my scale . . . the one I hide behind the bathroom door is officially a LIAR (and evil)! Maybe that’s it. It’s upset with me because I keep it hidden and out of sight and it’s getting revenge.  There is no other reason why it would want to lie to me like this when I step on! Oh and it is such a BIG lie too! All women know exactly what I am talking about because I know your scale has probably lied to you at least once if not twice. It’s Monday morning, you are about to get in the shower (so you have nothing that could cause unnecessary weight), you step on the scale and BAM it spits out a complete untruth. A boldface lie! You are wondering why it would deceive you this way. Right? Everyone knows the best time to weigh yourself is first thing in the morning when your stomach is empty. So you’re not sure what went wrong. You did everything right and you get this lie. It is definitely angry with you about something!

Well, I am going to do something about mine. I will not stand for this treatment anymore and I am going to make the scale my friend again. First, for the next month it is going in the closet. We need some time apart for a while. There will be no more play time with me getting off and on at least 5 times, shifting feet, or alternating foot positions. I’m done with that!

Next, I am going to show that scale.  I’m cutting out all of those holiday sweets that I have been consuming since Thanksgiving. Ha, take that scale! You’re gonna want to be my friend. Only apples and grapefruits for me. Yeah!

Did you say wine, margaritas? You got it, cutting back on that too and juice (especially Mango Lemonade and Trader Joe’s Pink Lemonade Italian Soda). That scale doesn’t know who it’s messing with. 100% pure aqua, H20, good ol’ fashion faucet fluid. Okay well maybe filtered.

Oh I am not done yet. No more french fries (for now)! Yep, I am getting out the big guns to take down the scale and it will begging for us to be friends again. I will not succumb to the fries calling my name or the delicious smell wafting from the door as I walk pass Five Guys.

Croissants for breakfast? No way! Who cares if they are buttery, flaky, come with different fillings and melt in your mouth. (Oh my!) They are out too and nothing but multigrain toast will do. Next thing I know, that scale will be rushing to be underfoot.

Finally, and this is huge. This will surely get me back into the good graces of the scale. I am going to start running, spinning and yoga-ing again!!  Apparently, you lose tons of calories and fat from exercising! Who knew? If that doesn’t win it over, then nothing will.

I sure hope this works because I would hate to have to throw that scale out of the window and watch it splatter into tiny pieces. So, if you are fighting with your scale, maybe you too should try getting back into its good graces. But remember, everything in moderation.

Good Luck!!

[Via http://savvyhealthgirl.com]

falling to bits

I’m getting old and the body’s beginning to show its age. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have very few medical problems beyond an expanding waistline and reducing hairline. But things are starting to change…

Let’s start with knees.  My daughter R’s had a major operation on one of hers, my wife C’s knees are a constant source of strains and aches and my brother D has had several operations on one damaged knee, which haven’t fully cured the problem. Several of my mates who played 5 a-side needed knee supports to get them through a match. But I’ve never, ever had a problem with my knees. Until the morning of our last stay in Italy when I knelt down to clear some mess from our patio and felt a twang as I stood up. Since then my knee locks up whenever I drive for longish periods or curl up on the couch. If I’ve been rolling around on the ground playing with the grandkids then try to stand up, it’s like watching a man with a crippled leg get to his feet. If I was sat by a pool, you’d swear it was a re-enactment of the Bethesada miracle. Old football injuries would heal up within a week or so but this stiffening has been getting ever so steadily worse over the past year and I’m slightly worried because don’t people say that once your knees go there’s no reversing the process? Of course surgery might help but I’m a leading member of the CFH party (Cowardice in the Face of Hospitalisation)and  I’d rather go blind (er… see below) than go under the knife. Bloody knee.

Then over Xmas I bit on something and one of my teeth shattered. Long-term readers may well remember the posting of the very worst day I spent in Italy (‘bad day at the ufficio’ from 4 July 2007) which culminated in me breaking a tooth biting on some chocolate. As with then, it was necessary to go and see my good friend and brilliant dentist Pete the other day. If I have had a physical weak-spot it’s been with my teeth and over the years Pete must have performed more dental surgery on my mouth than on all his other patients combined. You name the procedure Pete’s perfected it on my molars. Anyway I hadn’t seen him for a while and we did the usual catch up chat before he did some temporary cover work on the broken tooth and ran the rule over my other dental fixtures. I was virtually his first ‘urgent’ case  (I only ever appear in his diary on that basis) upon returning from his Xmas break/skiing holiday. His voice had that here-we-go-again kind of ring to it as he sighed and told me that, as is the norm with me, I was looking at one new crown, two repairs to some damaged fillings, reconstructive work on another cracked tooth and, my very favorite procedure, root canal treatment on one of my tricky canine teeth. We both knew that we’d be seeing a lot of each other over the next few months and I went and made a raft of appointments with his receptionist, through to World Cup time. Sigh. Bloody teeth.

Then yesterday I went along to the opticians in Richmond recommended by my son-in-law E. My shocking blue and white Timmy Mallettesque glasses had fallen off my non-grip head once too often over Xmas and had broken beyond repair. I’ve been wearing a pair of reading glasses from Boots for the last couple of weeks but they’re only so good of course and I needed a new prescription pair. But as it’s over 3 years since my last eye test (in Italy) I figured a new test might be advisable especially as I’ve become aware that my long sightedness is starting to deteriorate (night-driving in particular is becoming a real strain for me).  So off I toddled to meet optician Fara who is quite the loveliest eye-tester I’ve met, well, since Dr Barbara in Italy. I did all the tests and at the end of it Fara told me that yes I’d need a new prescription but she’d also noticed another slight problem whilst studying the eyeball. I thought she was going to say that my blood pressure was a touch high, which is what opticians can often detect on the retina. But no she told me that it looked like I might have a fairly rare condition called  narrow-angle glaecoma or something. This is when the anterior chamber between the cornea (skin of the eyeball) and iris becomes too shallow. She was going to refer me to see an eye specialist with more sophisticated measuring equipment to ascertain how severe the condition might be. Umm. Not quite what I was hoping to hear. Bloody stupid glasses.

I hadn’t heard about this condition before so I asked Fara what it might mean and was it correctable etc. Apparently these are the options:

- the condition could worsen if it hadn’t been detected and if the gap gets so shallow that it closes then this can cause the eye to lose its ability to cleanse itself internally of fluid which is regularly produced delivering a pain so excruciating that it causes uncontrollable nausea and almost certain damage to the optic nerve and probable blindness. Gulp. I’m not making this up.

- the good news is that the condition has been identified and the consultant will be able to assess its status. If he/she thinks the gap is dangerously shallow then invasive surgery will be recommended. In other words I’d have to go into hospital (feeling nauseous already) and have an eye popped out whilst they slice into it? That’s the good news? Don’t they know I’d rather have my knees removed with a rusty axe than have invasive eye surgery?

- of course, Fara said, the consultant may just decide that the condition isn’t  severe and may just recommend that  a new prescription set of specs and regular eye-tests to check on its status may be enough.

Try and guess which option I’m rooting for? In fact I’ve been praying to baby Jesus ever since and promising that I’ll be kind to my family, those less fortunate than myself and even poor animals if he could just deliver option 3 for me. But I’m not sure baby Jesus owes me too many favours to be honest. So here’s hoping that the consultant can Find the Gap eh!

More medical bulletins will be issued in due course.

pp

[Via http://pastapaulie.wordpress.com]

See Every Day as a Chance for a New Year

By Kami Gray

Forget January 1st. It’s come and gone anyway so let it go and see every day as a chance for new year.

As you experience them, embrace those “low” points where action is needed to live an improved life – the life you desire. No negotiating, no stalling, and no taking better care of yourself in the future.

The reason many people make New Year’s resolutions:

New Year’s resolutions are a tool for negotiating with ourselves; we want to allow ourselves to have fun, be carefree and enjoy the holidays (or the entire year!) by overindulging in spending, drinking, eating, and letting our exercise routines lapse. It’s human nature to say, “I’ll be better tomorrow or starting Monday.” New Year’s resolutions are the Granddaddy of this thought process.

Why most people don’t follow through with their New Year’s resolutions:

It’s a mind trick to begin with. It’s a way of stating what you desire for yourself, but stalling on that idea. It’s like saying, “it’s okay to not take care of myself right now because I have a plan to do that in the future.” People don’t follow through with them because they’re not acting on their resolution immediately — like when they’re at the doctor’s office and he/she says they need to lose 40 pounds, or they get their credit card statement and are over their credit limit (again), or they can’t get off the couch because they’re so hung-over from drinking countless Jack and Cokes.

Honesty really is the best policy.

We think of honesty as an exceptional quality in others, but so often we tell repeated lies to ourselves. Brutal honesty is the only way to put an end to the rationalizing and the negotiations you make over and over. Write it down, say it out loud, or tell your best friend or spouse just how low you feel and ask them to help you and support you in turning things around. I work with overweight or obese people and one of the first things I ask them to do is use the word FAT. It has become so touchy and politically incorrect to tell it like it is.  That’s what that doughy filling is though – it’s FAT. Tell it like it is and you are one step closer to the life you desire.

The reason people stick with New Year’s resolutions for awhile and then quit:

Look at dieters and the common occurrence of yo-yo dieting. This happens because well-meaning dieters haven’t changed their relationship with food or how they think of food. My jeans used to be six sizes larger than they are today. That was 23 years ago. No New Year’s resolution could help me unless I, got real with myself, examined my relationship with food and understood my eating triggers, embraced my bad habits, and acted immediately – at the moment I felt lousy, looked awful, and was filled with self disgust.

How to hit the reset button when you’ve quit or taken a break from New Year’s resolutions:

Nothing happens overnight. The weight gain, the financial mess, and the over-drinking have been a long time of bad habits in the making. It’s time to embrace baby steps and change your habits. So you ate a chocolate chip cookie and blew your new year’s resolution. Understand that you haven’t blown anything. It’s just a cookie! But many dieters figure well, I’ve gone and ruined my diet for today so I may as well really blow it and eat a few more cookies or maybe a half a pint of ice cream. Instead, cut your losses and move on. Forgive yourself, let it go, vow to be better the rest of the day, and move on. It’s about baby steps. Baby steps in the right direction add up to real measurable results. Cliché? You betcha! Does it work? Darn straight it does.

Are you putting the same item on your New Year’s resolutions list year-after-year?

In the same way that many people struggle with diet and weight loss, I used to struggle with office organization — we all have weak areas, and that was one of mine.  My system of dumping handfuls of receipts into a giant drawer was inefficient and causing me a great deal of stress at tax time. I actually sat on the floor and cried one year on August fifteenth, the day my income tax extension was (over) due.   That was my low point and the start of my new year. Up until then, I had never shown anyone just how poorly my office was organized was, but I called a friend who is an office organization expert, admitted I had a problem, and let her see first-hand just how bad it was. Now she was on the floor, but laughing hysterically. Then she took my drawers away to prevent me from emptying my pockets and purse into a giant black hole. I’ve slipped up a few times, but I catch myself, correct the behavior quickly, and get back on track.

It’s January 7th. The first day of your new year. Embrace this day with candor, honesty, and action.

[Via http://fitnesstouring.wordpress.com]

Happy+New

Happy New Year!

It’s been a while since I updated, and that’s because there really hasn’t been much to report: I was knocked for six throughout December by a nasty cough then wasn’t going to risk breaking my neck by running on ice. But this is 2010, it’s a new year, a new decade and a healthier new me. I got off to a good start, getting out nice and early on new year’s day for the Serpentine 10k in Hyde Park. Oh my, it was ffffffreezing out there! I put on my new Helly Hansen base layer, my new hat and my new gloves (and everything in between of course) and joined the rest of the nutters at the start. I found myself walking round in circles and rubbing my thighs like Vic Reeves to keep warm, but we were soon off.

I didn’t have high hopes for this race, not having run for a few weeks and being heavily laden down by Christmas stodge, and I didn’t surprise myself, coming in at an all-time personal worst. Things were ok to start with, then both of my knees started really, really hurting – the left one below the knee cap and the right one in an ITBS kind of way – so I was struggling around with a grimace on my face. The cold air also triggered my chest to tighten up so I felt all-round crap. I kept on going though.

It was a beautiful day, so bright and crisp, and it’s a good race, laid back, friendly and in a nice setting. Edward and Hector were making their way over to the Princess Diana Memorial Playground (it’s fantastic), and paused to wave at me over a bridge part way along, always uplifting to see their smiling faces. The course does a loop at one point, and I was suddenly being lapped by the short-shorts brigade and getting all muddled by the KM markers, but things picked up when I really had done 7k and my knees seemed to ease up a bit. I kept on, plod, plod, plod and made it to the finish line where I picked up my bag and quickly put on my big puffa jacket. Brrrrr. I could have done with a banana or something at this point, but there was just some icy cold water on offer…a hot chocolate at the playground warmed me up a bit

Time: 1 hour 2 minutes 13 seconds

Distance: 10.11 km

Average Pace: 6.09

Best Pace: 3.56

Calories: 681

I just had a look at Fetch, and it seems I ran 599 miles last year. Damn it, I wish I’d read that last week so I could have made it up and over 600! I have taken advantage of our local leisure centre’s New Year offer of three months for the price of two, or something like that, and invested my Christmas and birthday money in some gym and swim membership for the next few months. I am feeling well and truly lumpy-tumpy right now, so I need to get burning those calories and pumping those muscles. I went to my first Spinning class in about three years on Sunday and felt like I hadn’t been away. The instructor was French though, and I couldn’t really hear him, so all I heard every so often was ‘rrrresistaaahnce’, felt like I was watching ‘Allo, Allo’!

[Via http://fitartist.wordpress.com]

Flirty Girl Fitness

Created by Kerry and Krista Knee, the Flirty Girl Fitness Program is a fun and exciting way to get fit and unlock your inner diva. All shipments are discreet and arrive in plain, unmarked boxes.

• Booty Beat DVD – includes the bonus workout Sexy Stretch!
• Chair Dance DVD
• Flirty FIt & Fabulous booklet
• Includes the convenience of the Flirty Girl Preview Program

At just one easy payment of only $9.99 plus $7.23 shipping and handling, it’s an excellent value! With the Flirty Girl program, there are no boring repetitive routines and no tiresome treadmills.

You’ll learn some of the worlds sexiest dance moves from videos, club dancing and even exotic dancing and turn them into fast, fun fat burning routines that anyone can do. The secret is in the specially designed dance moves that use your own body weight to create targeted muscle toning resistance.

While you think and feel like you’re just having fun, dancing to the music…

you don’t even realize that you’re also burning calories plus losing pounds and inches!

FLIRTY GIRL PREVIEW PROGRAM

The Flirty Girl Fitness Program is Designed to Give You the Advantage You Need to Sculpt Your Entire Body So You’ll See Amazing Results!

Risk Free Preview Program

When you order one of the amazing Flirty Girl Kits that include the Preview Program, you’ll automatically receive the incredible savings and benefits of the Flirty Girl Risk FREE Preview Program. We know you’ll love all of our DVDs and they will help keep your workouts fresh and exciting which is one of the main keys to help maximize your results!

Free Bonus Gifts!

Flirty Girl Fitness wants to keep you motivated, so we have designed some of our DVDs to pair with other exciting products. As part of the Risk Free Preview Program, you’ll receive Free Bonus Gifts!

Here’s just a few of the Free Bonuses that you’ll receive:

• Gel Balls – Use these small weighted balls to sculpt your entire body and accelerate your abdominal workout even further!
• Resistance Band – Take your workouts to the next level by incorporating greater resistance.

Each of these Free bonus gifts are valued at $15 to $25, but you’ll receive these Free as a special benefit of the Risk Free Preview Program.

Satisfaction Guaranteed!

Our 30-day money back guarantee lets you try theFlirty Girl Preview Program risk free. Customers can evaluate their purchases for up to 30 days. If you are not completely satisfied, we’ll refund every penny of your purchase price. No questions asked!

Convenience – Right to Your Doorstep!

Fresh and exciting workouts right to your doorstep! Starting in 30 days, and then every other month, you’ll receive two new workout videos at a special reserved price of $19.99 per month plus $6.99 shipping and handling. You can cancel at any time by calling our toll free customer service number, and the Flirty Girl Fitness DVDs come with our 30-day money back guarantee. Now how easy is that?

[Via http://flirtygirlworkout.wordpress.com]

My exercise plan

I started the day with a healthy breakfast: egg white omelet with grapes on the side.  I drank my two glasses of water and am getting ready to make Sunday pasta sauce with meatballs.

Sunday is also the day that I plan my workouts for the week.  I plan on doing the following at the gym:

Monday:

upper body weights

30 minutes cardio

Tuesday:

lower body weights, abs

30 minutes cardio

Wednesday:

1 hour cardio

Thursday:

upper body weights

30 minutes cardio

Friday:

lower body weights, abs

30 minutes cardio

I also stretch for 10 minutes after each workout, unless I spent too much time talking at the gym and don’t have any time left after my workout!

[Via http://therightfit.wordpress.com]

Free Fitness Info!

Like2Lift is your online source for FREE health and fitness info!  Everything you need to know about diets, nutrition, supplements, and fitness routines.

If you are a newbie to the world of health and fitness or if you are struggling to get the results you desire, then KEEP READING!

Hi, my name is Scott and I am a well experienced health and fitness trainer.  I have tried many of the “get ripped fast” fitness programs and supplements so you don’t have too.  I am not in this to make money, only to share the knowledge that I have attained over the years.  On this website you will find helpful knowledge and tips about various health and fitness topics.  I will cover everything from supplements to rigorous workout and fitness routines.  I will tell you what works for me and my clients so you can get yourself on the right track.

This is a quote I live my life by: “There are no shortcuts in life.”

Anytime you see a supplement or fitness routine claim that you will get ripped or lose pounds fast, you can expect heartache.  The only way you will achieve your goals is through honest hard work and dedication.  I really get sick of companies making false statements and empty promises.  It is no wonder that almost all the supplements at your local store are NOT backed by the FDA.  And the ones that are, well there is a pretty good chance they will be recalled.  I will give you the short and sweet on what works for me and my clients.

Please take a moment to explore my website.  There is a ton of information here to help you reach your health and fitness goals.  I have provided many useful links to related websites that may help you in addition to this one.  Always consult a licensed doctor before starting any physical routine and consuming supplements.  The information contained on this website is based on my own personal experiences and holds no liabilities. Please feel free to post comments and suggestions about the site and/or your own personal experiences.

[Via http://like2lift.wordpress.com]

New year, new start, new blogging

So I’m back to blogging!  Since I’m unemployed as of yesterday, I’ve decided the next few months are about me me me.  And I plan on blogging about it.  Not just health and fitness goals, but everything.  I have a good opportunity to explore my city, really concentrate on working out, cooking and eating well, as well as my job search.  Those all seem like good things to me!

I have been trying to think of another “challenge” for myself since my vegan experiment and I think my next one will be  yoga.  Yoga at least 6 days per week, but I’ll really shoot for 7 days.  I’m not going to be ridiculous about it though.  For instance…if I can only do 20 minutes that day, that’s what I’ll do.  I have found some good podcasts to use, I have DVDs, classes at my gym and I’m going to try Yoga to the People in my neighborhood because they do yoga on a donation basis so it’s something extra I can afford.  You always hear about the great benefits of yoga, but I have practiced so inconsistently over the last 15 years that I don’t believe I’ve really gotten the full effect.  I will be starting this challenge on Monday.

I won’t bore people with all my fabulous numbers, but yes, I want to lose some weight and some inches.  Once I hit various milestones I’ll post the negative numbers, but I really just want to focus on correcting bad habits, trying new things and being consistent.  I’m sure the first few weeks will be difficult, like any new habit, but I’m looking forward to it!

[Via http://fat2fabulous.wordpress.com]

My goals for 2010

Happy New Year! I cannot believe it is 2010 and the start of a new decade. I have a good feeling about 2010 – it is going to be a big year. It will mark the 10th anniversary of my moving to the USA, my parents 50th wedding anniversary and hopefully the year when I become a naturalized US Citizen.

For the last few years I have taken the time to set and write down personal goals for the things I want to achieve in the new year. I am a big believer that when you write goals and review them regularly you are more likely to stay on target and actually achieve them. I am also a big believer in accountability and I think that when you tell people about your goals this is another great way to stay on track.

So in the spirit of full disclosure, and to ask for your help in achieving my goals, here is what I want to achieve in 2010.

Health and Fitness

• Run Disney Marathon under 4 hours 40 minutes – January 10, 2010
• Train for and complete 50 mile Tour de Cure Bike Race – February 28, 2010
• Train for and complete Florida Half Ironman – May 16, 2010
• Reach goal weight of 185 lbs and 16% body fat prior to Florida Half Ironman

Personal

• Read one book a month
• Become a US Citizen
• Blog at least once every two weeks

Professional

• Earn at least 20 continuing education credits for SPHR re-certification

Travel

• Spend a long weekend in New York and Atlanta

Here is to 2010. A year full of things that have never been, and great adventures!

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