Fell Off The Wagon.

I apologize for not posting in so long. I have fallen off the wagon. Or rather, I was violently pushed, by a stomach bug that has plagued me for the last week. It has made any vigorous exercise pretty impossible. However, I am feeling much better today, so I will going to Zumba this afternoon, and posting a blog about it this evening.

Cancelled Zumba Thursday

Zumba was cancelled tonight, due to nasty weather :( It's a bummer, but you can't help but love an instructor that cares about her students. She lives close enough that it wouldn't have been an issue, so her concern was for everyone else. Gotta respect that.

To make up for missing Zumba, Matthew and I did our challenge, plus a 20 minute ab and cardio workout, that was very high intensity. It doesn't quite make up for missing an hour of Zumba, but it's better than doing nothing at all! Matthew was actually the one to suggest that we do it, since we weren't going to Zumba. I think he's gotten a burst of excitement, because he tried on his too small jeans, and although they are still too tight, they went on and he could even button them!

I'm not sure if anyone noticed, but I did not post a blog yesterday. I had intended to, but I fell asleep at 9:30pm. My sister and nephew have been staying here, and my sister keeps me up WAY too late watching movies. She went back to her boyfriend's though, so last night I laid down with Lucas at 9pm, and we both fell asleep. Whoops! Tonight I have to drive my other sister to work at 10:30, so I have to stay up ;)

Matthew goes to his dad's this weekend. I think I am going to send Just Dance 2014 with him, in the hopes that he gets at least a little exercise. Shared custody can be a tricky thing. Matthew's father and I get along very well, and co parent successfully, so I try not to criticize things. However, we also get along well enough that I can tell him how I feel about things. So, if I asked him to make Matthew exercise, I'm sure that he would do his best. He knows Matthew is trying to get healthy, but at the same time, he is the "fun" parent, so I don't want to make him go all drill Sergent. That is why I usually just let him have a rest day on his dad's weekend. But he loves Just Dance, so.... ;)

Reasons

When it comes to losing weight, you need to make sure that you are doing it for the right reasons. If you are trying to lose weight for someone else, you will probably not succeed. However, if you are doing it for YOU, then you have a much better chance for success. You should also primarily be doing it to be healthy, not just for looks. Although, let's face it, we all want to look good.

Of course I am looking forward to looking decent in a bathing suit, and fitting into my jeans again. But my main reason for starting this was, and is, health. As someone who lost my father at a very young age to heart disease, watching out for the risk factors is important. I don't smoke, and very rarely drink, so adding watching my eating habits and getting exercise makes sense.

The thing that concerns me the most with Matthew and I, is that we seem to both carry most of our weight in our stomachs. That is very bad, health wise. However, we both lost inches in our waists so far, so that is a very good thing. We just need to keep on plugging away.

Today the kids and I cleaned out the playroom and made more room. That way it is easier to exercise in there. That is where the DVD player is, so that is where I have to do my workout videos. It had tons of room, until we added a twin bed for guests. Now it is a bit more cramped, but there is still room to move. :)

Bye Bye Inches :D

I took our measurements today, and I was not disappointed!! I am down 4.25 inches, and Matthew is down 3.5!! Woo-hoo! That is definitely a good feeling. I was actually kind of dreading taking them, in case we didn't change, or worse, gained inches. So, of course, I was thrilled that we lost any at all. We didn't weigh ourselves, we'll wait a couple of weeks for that. I was only going to measure us once a month, when we weigh in, but the 30 Day Shred says to measure yourself at the end of each level. So for now we are measuring every ten (or so) days. Once the shred is done, we will do it every month.

Matthew was a little bit bummed that his body fat percent didn't change, and mine went down 2%. He just didn't lose inches in the spots that the calculator has you input. I told him to focus on the fact that he DID lose inches. That means that he is making progress. There is no deadline. This is about learning to be healthy, not losing a certain amount in a certain time frame. So, any loss is wonderful, no matter what, or how long it takes.

I still have a long way to go when it comes to teaching Matthew better eating habits. This morning he asked for chips for breakfast, and when I said no, he asked if he could go to his dad's. So, obviously that is still a work in progress. I don't even think we have any chips... He is doing pretty well with portion control, so that is good. Now he just needs to learn to make good choices with snacks, and things like that. I need to find healthy snacks that he likes. If you have any good suggestions, please let me know!



                                                     

Level 2

Today was day one of level 2 of the 30 Day Shred. In some ways I like level 2 more than level 1. However, level 2 is very plank focused. Just a thin workout mat on hardwood floors is not that ideal for plank moves. It makes me miss my carpet a little. I was definitely a sweaty mess after I was done! I was supposed to take my measurements again after level one, but I forgot. I'll do it tomorrow.

We are expecting yet another snow storm tomorrow night. Then, hopefully, it will start to warm up. I am very, very ready for Spring, and outdoor exercises. I love to walk outside. Having a backyard for the kids to play in will be nice this year as well. Matthew and I will be starting the Couch to 5k, as soon as we can get outside. I may have to buy a new stroller, if mine didn't survive the winter. It's been in the shed, but God only knows what else has been in there with it...

Tomorrow I need to seriously clean my house, and tackle my mountain of laundry. Last week I got next to nothing done, and it's going to take forever to catch up. My sister and nephew are staying here this week, again, so it will be another hectic week. I need a tropical vacation.

Back To It!!

I'm finally better. YAY!! Well, mostly. I am well enough to exercise at least. I did the 30 day Shred again today. My last day on level 1. I'm looking forward to starting level two tomorrow. I'm sure I'll feel differently once I'm actually doing it, but right now I'm excited. Level 1 was easier then I expected it to be today, even after a few days not doing it. So, that tells me that I must be ready to move on.

I'm not sure if any of you have noticed the little weight loss tickers on the side of this blog. Or, if you have, if you pay any attention to them. But we update them any time we weigh in. Normally that will be once a month, but sometimes there will be a random weigh in for various reasons. Like today. My three year old found the scale today, and wanted us to weigh ourselves, so we did. I was surprised to see that I'm down three pounds. I'm sure that it's mostly due to not eating for three days while I was ill, but hey, I'll take it! I had Matthew come weigh himself, and he's down two pounds. Not bad! I was also surprised when I put on a bra that is normally a bit tight, and it fit perfect. Awesome!!

I was a little worried that after going a few days without workouts, I might have trouble getting back into it, and start making excuses not to. However, it really wasn't hard to get going again, and I was eager to. So, that was definitely a good thing. I am the Queen of procrastination, and excuses, so this is kind of a big deal for me, sticking with this. I have found that if I make my workout a priority, instead of something that I squeeze in if I have time, they actually get done. I no longer ask my husband if he will keep an eye on the kids while I workout. Instead I say "Watch the kids, I'll be out in 20 minutes". He knows that it's not optional. I don't ask if he minds if I go to Zumba, instead I say "Early dinner tonight. I have Zumba". If my husband has to work late, then I exercise with the kids underfoot. I don't give myself any excuses to put it off, or not do it. Unless I'm horribly sick that is ;)

Valentine's Day

I woke up at 6am with a migraine. I stumbled to the bathroom, took four Tylenol, and went back to sleep. Two hours later, I awoke again, to my children trying to be quiet as they poured themselves cereal. I still had the migraine. It hung on until about noon. After that I was so drained that I could hardly stand. However, four days of being sick means that my house was a disaster. So, I got up and, with the help of my kids, cleaned it. When my husband got home, we ordered pizza, sent my daughter off to her sleepover, and called it a night. Those were our big, exciting Valentine's Day plans.

I had originally planned to take my kids out to dinner, but I just was not feeling well enough. My husband and I don't make a big deal about Valentine's day. He used to try, but I'm just not that into it. I do something small for my kids, and get my husband a card, or something small, but for me, it's a sad day. Nine years ago, my Aunt Sandi died, very, very unexpectedly, on Valentine's Day. So, she is on my mind pretty heavily every year. I still remember every detail of that day like it was yesterday...

Anyway, sorry to be a Debbie Downer. I hope those of you that celebrate had a good day. I am finally, just in the last couple of hours, feeling better. I think tomorrow I should be good to get back to working out. Finally!! That cold (flu?) was awful. I am going to be taking my kids to dinner tomorrow, since we didn't today, but I will make sure to get a workout in too. I was supposed to go to an It Works! wrap party tomorrow, but now my husband has to work :(

I'm very excited to get back to blogging about exercise, instead of fevers, or whatever I've been writing about the last few days. I've been so out of it that I honestly have no idea what I've written. I'm a little scared to go read it. I hope it was at least coherent...

No Zumba Thursday :(

Unfortunately, I was too sick for Zumba today. I was super bummed, but this cold is kicking my butt. You guys have heard me whine about being sick enough though. So, instead, I'm going to talk a little bit about Zumba.

I've already told you the history of Zumba, and said many times how much fun it is. I have had several people express interest in coming to Zumba, but only one has actually came. I figure there are two reasons to not go to Zumba.

1. You really hate to exercise, and/or just have no interest in Zumba. If this is the case, well, I'm certainly not going to force you to go, or bug you about it. I love it, but that doesn't mean that everyone will.

2. You are embarrassed about how you will look, or dislike to dance. If this is the case, you should give just one class a try. I think you'll be surprised. I honestly don't like to dance. I'm not one of those girls that loves to go out dancing. I'm terrible at it, and it's just not fun to me. So, I dreaded Zumba at first. But somehow this is fun. I'm never embarrassed, and I really enjoy myself. Maybe it's just Jess. She's a phenomenal teacher. Either way, it's worth trying, even just once :)

So, if you have always wanted to try it, but shyness is holding you back, give it a shot. I guarantee you, no one is looking at you! We are all 100% focused on Jessica. Matthew stands right next to me, and I don't even notice what he does.

That's it for me tonight. I'm at that super fun phase of a cold where your eyes pour water, and sting. So, typing isn't the easiest. Fingers crossed that this cold is almost done!! I felt worse for most of today, but am feeling a bit better now. I'm not jinxing myself though ;)

I Spoke Too Soon!

Ugh. Yesterday I got too cocky. I should have never said that it was "just" a head cold. I woke up this morning with a fever, feeling like death. I feel a thousand times worse today then I did yesterday. I just want to sleep. Or possibly die. Alas, I have three kids. And they insist on being fed every night. Honestly, kids these days... ;)

I had to skip working out today. I didn't want to, but every part of me hurts. Matthew and I didn't even do our challenge. I hope that this sickness goes away soon! I'll be bummed if I have to miss Zumba tomorrow.

Of course, today of all days, my husband had to work late. He's still not home. Luckily my kids are pretty good, and they are very helpful when I'm sick. Now hopefully they fall asleep quick, so that I can pass out. Lucas took a late nap, so he might be up late. I wanted to curl up with him earlier, but today was my late day with my nephew, Tyler, so he was here until 6:30. Sorry for whining. I really have nothing useful to write about tonight. I'm pretty out of it. Keep your fingers crossed that I get better by tomorrow!!

I'm Sick :(

My dear, sweet, and also sick, husband, was kind enough to share his cold with me. It hit me like a ton of bricks this morning, and I felt icky most of the day. I was on the fence all day about whether or not I wanted to skip my workout today. I had brief moments where I felt better, but then waves of dizziness, and all the other joys that come with a head cold, hit. But, it is just a head cold. If I had a chest cold, or the flu, the workout would have definitely been a no go. I figured with a head cold, it was worth at least trying. So, I did. I got dizzy a few times, but made it through the workout pretty well. Matthew and I also did our challenge. That was no problem, as it is very easy right now. 8 crunches, 8 leg lifts, and a 12 second plank.

Matthew and I downloaded two new apps to the iPad yesterday, and today we checked them out. It turns out that the first one was just an app to keep track of your daily workouts, so we deleted that one. The other one, simply called "Workouts", was better. It has a variety of exercises you can do for legs, abs, arms, butt, or cardio. You can chose the length, and intensity, as well. So, Matthew did ten minutes of abs, and ten of cardio for his 20 minutes today. I am going to keep looking for fun ones for him, but for now this one is pretty good. If you know of any cool ones, please let me know.

I still feel kind of yucky, so this won't be a very long post tonight. I'm going to go to sleep, and hope that I wake up tomorrow healthy :)

Time For a New Challenge

Matthew and I started a new challenge today. It is called the Brazen Fit 24 Day Ab Challenge. Here it is:

It is a fairly easy challenge, but I figured that with our goal to do 20 minutes of vigorous exercise a day, this would be a nice addition. We did day one today. It was, of course, ridiculously easy. Even Matthew was like "Really, mom? That's it?!". Yes, dear, that's it.

I also found another challenge that looks pretty good. I might have us do that one after I'm finished with the shred. Here is that one:

Matthew has also decided that he's not that into his Ninja app anymore. The only 20 minute workouts on there are alternating walking and running. That gets boring after a while. So, we are downloading two new ones to try out. I will update tomorrow with the names, and if we liked them.

I have noticed that both Matthew and I seem to do better when we have a set workout to do. Leaving us to our own devices causes chaos. We will end up slacking off, or worse, giving up! I am tired of giving up!! So I am going to make sure that we always have something to do. I have several things lined up already. And I'm always open to suggestions :)

I am sure that some people are getting sick of seeing this blog every single day. That's okay. Don't read it then. Today I got a message on Facebook from someone that I don't even know, who happened to read my blog. She had very nice things to say about it, and that was very encouraging. I am going to write this blog regardless, but it's nice to know that people read, and enjoy, it. To the people who are sick of seeing it, I'm sorry. Although, you probably aren't reading this, so...

Must Be Doing Something Right..

Well, I must be doing something right. I noticed that my pajama pants, and workout pants keep falling down. When I did the 30 Day Shred video today, I had to tie the string on my pants because they kept falling down. I've never had to do that. So, I decided to try on a couple pairs of jeans from my "someday" pile. Both pairs that I put on fit! They are a bit snug in the stomach, but they'd be perfect with the "rubber band trick". Last time that I tried them on, I couldn't even get them over my hips and butt. I'd call that progress ;)

Oh, I have a very funny story to tell. I have been drinking apple cinnamon water while I work out this week. After a day or two in the fridge, the water turns a very light yellow color. Similar to the Sangria that I have in my fridge. I almost never drink. If I do have a glass of wine, it is half of a VERY small wine glass, and that is it. Less then once a week. My sister was here last week though, and she drinks several glasses of wine every night. Yesterday, I had a large glass of apple water in my hand when I came out of the room from exercising. My husband looked at me and very calmly said "Oh... Um, is that wine..?". His face was so funny. He was trying so hard to not freak out. I could literally hear him thinking "Tracy is NEVER staying here again!" Hahaha!!!

Today was day 7 of the 30 Day Shred. My cousin Tonia advised me to take rest days, as it's better for your mind and body. So, I'm going to take her advice, and have one rest day in between each level of the 30 day shred. After I'm done with the shred, I'll do a rest day once a week. Matthew will continue to get a rest day once a week. Tonia did say that she has been known to still take a brisk walk on her "rest day", so I won't feel too bad that my "rest day" this week will be on Zumba Thursday :)

My kids like to watch me while I do my workouts, and Lucas is like my little personal trainer. He'll say "Mommy, get up, they are getting up" when the ab section ends. Or if I pause to take a drink, "Mommy, keep exercising. Those girls are still exercising". He hands me my weights, controls my music, and gives me water. It's adorable! He definitely will not let me slack off!

Alyssa likes to join me in certain exercises. Butt kicks are her favorite. She also likes the punches. I love that all three of my kids are involved in the journey with me. It's easier to stay on track when you have little eyes watching you. And when your three year old channels Jillian Michaels...

 

What a Week!

Whew! Having my sister and nephew here all week was exhausting! I love Tyler, but when you put him and Lucas together, they are crazy. My house looks like I had a week long frat party. But on the plus side, my kids went to bed very early tonight. It's been a long time since my husband and I had an evening to ourselves.

Today was day 6 of the 30 Day Shred. Level one is getting easier, but not TOO easy. I have read conflicting things on how exactly to do this workout. Jillian herself says to advance when you're ready. She never mentions rest days. So I'm assuming that you don't get any. As for moving on when I'm ready, I like the idea of each level for ten days, so I'll probably stick with that. I'm not sure what to do after the 30 Day Shred. Another video series? More shredding? Hmmm... I guess I have 24 days to decide ;)

I'm pretty sure that Lucas is getting a cold, which is fantastic. With any luck I'll get it too. Working out with a cold is the best. Seriously, I hope he's not getting sick, and I don't either. I'm done with winter now. It can go away. Oh wait. If it's warm enough when I'm done with the 30 day shred, I'm starting the Couch to 5k. I forgot. Yay!!

Sorry for the rambling and nonsense. Some days I struggle with what to write, that anyone will find interesting. Clearly, today is one of those days. I'll try to come up with something that's actually interesting tomorrow.