Thrive Day 3

So with today being the last day of my Thrive sampler, I have to admit that I'm kind of bummed that I don't have anymore to take in the morning. While no, I haven't had loads of endless energy that some have, I definitely feel like it gave me a little extra bounce in my step!

I'll be completely honest in that I'm running on only about 12 - 13 hours of sleep all weekend, and I can't say I've really felt tired once so far. Friday, I was easily up to 2:00 am after waking up at 6:30. Saturday, I woke up at 8:00-ish and didn't get to bed until after 1:00 even though I felt horrible all day. Today, I woke up around 8:00 am again and am still awake at 12:18.

Today was definitely a much better day as I felt about 75% better. Not quite fully normal as of yer, but a definite improvement over Saturday. I believe tomorrow I'm going to order my first full month of Thrive and see how that goes. I intend to complete the 8 week challenge before completely passing judgement of the Thrive system, but so far I'm pretty pleased even though I haven't seen anything drastic changes from it.

Thanks for reading!

Thrive Day 2

Today, I still haven't seen the energy gain that others have claimed, but I was quite surprised by the amount that my appetite has been suppressed. I don't think it's a placebo effect, because I cam into this with a conservative mindset and not high hopes that it would be a miracle routine to make me skinny.

I will admit that I've been under the weather a bit today, but I contribute that the the spike in pollen that occurred here. Seasonal allergies are a nightmare for me and I usually get flu-like symptoms when pollen suddenly spikes. It's miserable. My hears have been stopped up, I've had the chills, and am pretty sure I have run a slight fever once or twice today. Just a bunch of sinus congestion really, but it's no fun anyway.

Hopefully it'll ease up a bit tomorrow as my allergy medicine starts really working to full effect. I'll post my review of day 3 tomorrow, but so far I do believe I'm going to try the 8 week challenge just because I'm enjoying the appetite suppression and craving control. I can't say I've really wanted cokes or sweets of any kind.

See you tomorrow!

Curiosity Killed the Cat.. Thrive Day 1

I've done better this week so far.  I didn't work out Monday or Tuesday, but yesterday afternoon (thank God for the cooler weather!), I went out for a run.  I came in a half mile early, though, because Harley started dragging behind.  I didn't want him to overheat, so we called it quits.  Today, I worked out on the Wii for a few minutes, but had to quit because Ava was tired and fussy.  Hopefully the cool weather continues and I'll be able to start Insanity again!!

Anyway, recently, my energy pill that I've been taking has caused me to be a little jittery, which I don't like.  I remembered seeing my friends on Facebook advertise Le-Vel's product Thrive.  I contacted someone and they provided me with a 3-day sampler later.  Maybe not the smartest move, but I have also signed up to become a promoter as well, because I could not find the information I was looking for online and was hoping to find some more (I still didn't really find what I wanted to know, however).  Don't worry, I will be giving an honest review of my Thrive experience both of the 3-day sampler, and the 8 week experience if I order it.

So, the first day of taking Thrive has been interesting.  I can't say I've had the boundless energy that some claim they have from the get-go, but I haven't been exhausted either (yay!).  I feel like I have been detoxing.  I've been using the restroom much more today than usual, and have been thirstier as well.  I haven't had any cravings, in fact, I've barely been hungry at all!

This morning, I took my two pills first thing.  After a few minutes, I was truely impressed that I felt fully awake because I am in no way a morning person.  I got dressed and cooked breakfast for Jacob and the kids.  By the time I was finished with all that, it was time to drink my shake.

Let me tell you, I immediately learned why it's recommended to blend the shake in a blender.  I simply shook the powder with a glass of milk and the resulting mixture was extremely gritty.  Tomorrow, I plan to blend it all together in my Nutribullet, as well as perhaps add in a Carnation breakfast shake mix to add more flavor.

After making my shake, I applied my DFT patch over my ribcage because I wanted it in a place that I could hide it.  You're supposed to apply it to a different spot each time, so tomorrow morning I'll place one on the other side.

I haven't noticed any adverse reactions thus far, other than random spurts
of energy and detox symptoms, but that's probably just my body adjusting to the products. I'll post tomorrow about day 2!

Thanks for following along!

Better Week, But Not Great

I've decided to start posting only a few times a week instead of every day since not much changes from day to day.

This week was a little better than last week.  I didn't get out to run Monday morning because Jacob and Harley had been sick the night before and I really didn't want to go out by myself.  Tuesday, I worked out with the Wii Fit and Wii Active games.  Wednesday, I went out for an early morning run with Harley.  Thursday and Friday I didn't get a workout done.

Since Emma has started school, it's really thrown off my routine.  I would love to be able to go run after dropping her off at school, but I can't leave Ava, who is usually awake until about 11:00.  After that, it's too hot to be out running.  I'm aiming to make this week better.

I am pretty proud of myself though, as I've lost almost 5 pounds in the two weeks since cleaning up my diet!  I feel better about myself.  My jeans that used to fit well are now a little looser and slightly baggy.  A few of my shirts are looser as well.  I'm definitely pretty pleased with myself :)

Not a Great Week So Far

This weeks has been quite a bust so far.  My oldest daughter just started school, so I haven't been able to get up and do my running in the morning like I had been.  For a time, I tried to get up even earlier at 5:00 and go, but after just two runs, I quickly realized I was sleep deprived since I wasn't getting in bed until 12:00 most nights.  I've been trying to get in bed by 10:00, but it doesn't always happen.

I would love to be able to go running during the middle of the day, but with a heat index over 110* F each day, I don't think it would be wise.  I'm hoping to be able to start running at night once my kids are in bed at 8:00.

Tuesday and today, I haven't been able to go to my parents's house to work out either, unfortunately.  I've been busy with my business.

I'm gonna make next week better!

Changing Up My Diet

Since I've been running pretty steadily for about a month now and have been fluctuating between gaining and losing the same 3-4 pounds, I've started focusing a little more on my diet. Honestly, it hasn't been the best for a while now. I've been eating the same junk food my kids eat (because they boycott anything that looks even remotely healthy..), and it hasn't been good for my journey. Skimpy breakfast, hotdogs and corn dogs for lunch, hamburger helper for supper.. It sucked.

So this week, I picked up some tilapia, brown rice, and broccoli to cook for lunch. So far, I'm enjoying it a lot. I know I'm not blowing off all of my efforts by eating junk all day.

Anyway, yesterday's run was nice. My pace was a little slower than usual because I wasn't quite feeling it until a little while into it as I'd stayed up too late the night before.

Today, I played Wii for about two hours. I started with Wii Active for an hour, and finished with Wii Fit for another hour. I even added in some weight lifting with the 3 pound weights I picked up from Walmart earlier today. I can imagine I'm going to be quite sore in the morning.

Thanks for reading!

Friday's Run

Don't laugh at me, but that Wii workout kicked my butt yesterday. I was sooo sore when I work up this morning. I wanted to use it as an excuse to not go running this morning, but I gave myself a mental kick in the rear and went out anyway. I increased my route distance from a quarter of a mile to just over a half mile one way.

And this isn't even mentioning the supposed to be 3 minute jog that turned into 4.5 minutes (covered about half a mile!!) because a car passed me and I didn't hear the timer go off to tell me to start walking. I was completely amazed with myself. So I may be finally moving on to Week Five!

My buzzard friends were also back now that it's cooled off some. There were a few circling overhead, but I couldn't get good pictures of them. When I stopped to get a picture, one of them even looked at me like he was checking to see if I had keeled over yet!

Warming up in the morning sun.

Can you tell that the one on the bottom
is looking right at me??

Just finished my run!
My hair is WILD!!

Stats:
Distance - 2.18 miles

Time - 33:12
Average Pace - 15:15 per mile
Fastest - 10:35 per mile
Slowest - 29:04 per mile
Calories Burned - 230 k/cal

Thanks for reading!

Thursday - Wii Active Workout

I normally don't work out other than my running, but my kids and I spent the day at my parents house today because my air went out and the heat index is 112°F.

It all started with me trying to get Emma Grace, my four year old, to play Mario Cart. She played a race or two, but lost interest because Ava, my two year old, was amassing a huge pile of toys that Emma wanted to play with.

While they were playing, I played a few Wii games, but none were really holding my interest. Then, I remembered that my parents have Wii Fit, so I wanted to play it. My Dad and I spent a good 30 minutes looking for the Balance Board, but couldn't find it. So I decided to play Wii Active instead.

I picked a pretty high intensity 30 minute work out and started sweating it out. After 40 minutes, I was finally finished with the workout.. and I burned about 220 calories!

I think I may have to start coming by to bug my parents on my non-running days to come use the Wii because it really kicked my butt! Plus, it would balance out the cardio of running with a bit of strength training.

Monday's Run

Beautiful sunrise this morning!

Monday morning was an early one! Jacob, my husband, decided he wanted to start running with me again, so we were up at 5:30 to get a run in before he had to be at work.

While we were out, I was having a really difficult time finding my pace and was having a hard time catching my breath. I chalked it up to the humidity levels in the air, but I still wasn't pleased with my run as I felt like it was a flop. That is, until I got back..

Apparently, I was subconsciously pushing myself to run faster to keep up with Jacob, who naturally runs faster than I do. I figured this out when I ended my run on the Nike+ Running app and was informed that I had set a new personal 1K record of 6:47!

Unfortunately, pushing myself like that also re-irritated my shins, so I decided not to run this morning to let them rest.

Monday's Stats:

Distance - 2.20 miles

Time - 32:04 minutes

Average Pace - 14:35 per mile

Fastest - ???

Slowest - ???

Calories Burned - 237 k/cals

Records - 6:47 1K

Ever since the most recent update, Nike+ Running hasn't been syncing data or loading properly, so I can't access all of my info..

C25K: Week 3 Day 1

I promise I'm still here!! I forgot to post last Wednesday, but I did run. Last Friday I was out of town for work and didn't get back until Sunday. Monday I was recovering from my long weekend, and Wednesday, for reasons unknown to me, my children work up at 6:45. So today has been my first chance to go running this week.

I skipped ahead to pick up where I had left off months ago at Week 3 as Week 1 and Week 2 didn't challenge me. Week 3 is definitely more of a challenge to run the 3 minutes.

Today, and I have no clue how I did it, but I actually out ran Harley! He's usually dragging me around and has plenty of energy to play with Kimber when we get back. Today, halfway through the second 3 minute jog, he laid down and refused to run another step. I took the cue and we walked back home.

Stats
Distance - 1.95 miles
Time - 30:34
Average Pace - 15:33/mile
Fastest - 10:04/mile
Slowest - 29:07/mile
Calories Burned - 201

My husband has informed me that he would like to try running with me again, so next week I'll be getting up earlier, and hopefully it'll be cooler!

I'm Baaaack!!

I know, I know.. I disappeared for quite a while, but I'm back now. I'm not sure why, but I lost my drive to get out and run - or do any exercise for that matter. For about a week now, I've been wanting to get back into it, so I finally got my butt in gear this morning.

Harley and I both felt the effects of not running for almost two months, and that wasn't helped by me accidentally starting from Week 3 Day 3 of the C25K app. Running 90 seconds, and 3 minute intervals were not the beat place to start when you're starting from pretty much the beginning!

And as much as I would love to give you my stats, apparently Nike+ Running had a glitch and didn't save my run even though it said it did.. Ah well, hopefully it saves the next one!

C25K: Week 3

Good morning! I was very tired this morning, I didn't feel good, and I didn't feel like going out...but I did it anyway! And I'm one step closer to my goal because of it!

Friday, I didn't go out because my shins had started giving me problems again. £ decided to take a long weekend to rest up and give them a break.  I thought they were better, but the moment I started running this morning, the aches came right back. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do my run and would be walking the entire time, but at the end of my first 90 second jog, the ache had lessened, so I pushed through and did all four running sessions.

I fid, however, cut my 2.5 miles back to 2. This morning was extremely humid. Both Harley and I were struggling to catch our breath and couldn't cool off, so I called it quits after I finished the C25K workout and didn't finish my half mile walk do we could both go get some water.

Here are my stats today:

Distance - 2.03 miles
Time - 30:19 minutes
Average Pace - 14:54/mile
Fastest - 10:09
Slowest - 23:03
Calories Burned - 213

The humidity and traffic slowed my time down by a full second. The thickness of the air made it feel like I was running through a wall of water! And I probably slowed my pace slightly because of my shins.

Thanks so much for reading!

Weekly Weigh In

As promised, here are my updated stats:

Arms - 12.25
Chest - 37.5
Waist - 41
Hips - 42.75
Thighs - 21.5
Weight - 172.2
BMI - 27.4

I am dissappointed, but I also understand why I gained it back. This week, my goal is to do all three of my runs and drink at least 54 ounces of water every day.

Why I Want to Lose Weight

I've had a few people ask me why I started running and the simple answer is to lose weight. But there's so much more to it that that. I want to be able to fit my dobok and be a certified bad ass again. I want to be more active so I can keep up with my kids. I want to be a role model to my kids. But most importantly, I want to feel better about myself.

I dream of the day that I can look in the mirror and not hate what I see. Many days, I simply avoid looking in the mirror so I don't have to see myself. I know that when I see myself, my mood sours for the rest of the day. I pick myself apart and tell myself how much I hate this or that, how I wish I had just a little less fat here, a little more muscle there.. My inner Mean Girl comes out against my own body.

My mind still sees me as I once was - a fit, lean martial artist. When I see myself in the mirror, the reality sinks in and I realize I no longer have that body and I hate myself for it.

Not too long ago, my husband made me go though all of my clothes and give away anything from my previous body size. Why? Because every time I looked at them or tried to wear them, I started crying. I wanted so bad to be able to fit them again and when I couldn't,  it was like my soul was crushed.

It's been hard for me to adjust to the realization that I'm no longer a slim 7 to 9, but a little chunkier 14. There were even times when I really needed to go up to a 16. For over four years now I've been struggling with this. For over four years now, I've hated the person in the mirror. For over four years now, I've hated myself.

This weekend, I'm going to post my updated body measurements and pictures. I know I've gained a few pounds. I know I've lost some of my progress. I know I'm going to be discouraged and disappointed with myself. But I'm not going to let myself quit. I'm not going to give up. I'm going to keep pushing and keep working until I can look in the mirror and be proud of who I see reflected back to me. I'm going to keep working until I reach my goals.

C25K: Week 3 Day 2

I know I said I was going to post yesterday, but ad I was getting up and getting ready I noticed the house was awfully hot. Turned out, there was something wrong with our A/C system that we spent most of the day fixing.

I went out for a run today instead. Maybe it's a good thing this week is going to be a 3 day week instead of a 4 day. My shins are really sore from Monday's run, so I may have a few weeks of "recovery" 3 day runs instead of jumping back into the 4 day weeks like I was planning.

Anyway, here are today's stats:
Distance - 2.62 miles
Time - 37:36 minutes
Average Pace - 14:19/mile
Fastest - 9:03/mile
Slowest - 96:33/mile ??
Calories Burned - 281

I must have walked faster than usual today, as my average pace is almost a minute faster than usual, even though my running was a little slower. I will admit, I have been trying to speed it up because I want to keep my heart rate up in the "calorie burn" zone.

I changed up my route slightly today as Harley has been getting stickers in his feet in one particular area. I considered trying to put socks or something on his feet to try to try to repel them, but I know he would absolutely refuse to go outside if I did. If he did decide to put up with the sicks, hoeever, it would be quite comical to watch him trot along beside me!

It's been quite humid here the past few days, so any little breeze is much appreciated. However, on my last 3 minute round, I was running against the wind and it literally felt like I was trying to move a mountain. And it wasn't even a strong breeze!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go soak my shins an some Epsom salt bath. I'll see you guys Friday!

C25K: Week 3 Day 1 (Again)

This week, I'm repeating Week 3 again, and probably will for a few more weeks. I still have trouble running the full three minutes without stopping early because I can't catch my breath.

Last week, there was only one buzzard sitting on the tree watching me. Today, there were six! A few times, one of them would even fly over about 10 feet over my head and hover for a split second. I can only imagine he was checking to see how close I was to passing out.

Buzzards aside, however, I'm running some of my fastest times the past few outings. Here's today's stats:

Distance - 2.75 miles
Time - 35:40 minutes
Average Pace - 13:51/mi
Fastest - 8:59/mi
Slowest - 33:43/mi
Calories Burned - 248

I'll see you tomorrow!

C25K: Week 3 Day 1 Repeat

I know, I know.. I've been very lazy and unmotivated for the past few weeks. My husband was out of town and I was staying up too late to want to get up and go running at 7:00 am. Bad Hunter...

But I'm back into it now! Just got back in from a 2.5 mile run and I feel great! I was quite impressed with my stamina as I was able to still run for the 3 minutes that are in Week 3. Here's my times:

Time - 34:42
Average Pace - 15:13/mile
Fastest - 9:35/mile
Slowest - 33:12/mile
Calorie Burn - 244

I also had this critter watching me the entire time.. I was beginning to feel like Simba passed out in the desert!

C25K: Week 3 Day 3

Today was rough!  According to the weather, it was 132 degrees Fahrenheit when I went out!  Now, we all know it wasn't actually (more like 70 degrees), but it sure felt like it!  The weight of the humidity in the air felt like I was running with an extra ten pounds strapped to my middle.

And if that wasn't bad enough, there were birds everywhere this morning.  And Harley is a Catahoula Cur mix, which means he was bred to be a hunting dog..  So he was trying to chase all of the birds.  One time, he actually darted in front of me and halfway across the road to chase a bird that had swooped past.  Thankfully there wasn't a car coming.

Today's stats are:
Time - 37:07 minutes
Distance - 2.44 miles
Fastest - 10:17/mile
Slowest - 34:48/mile
Avg. Pace - 15:12/mile
Calories Burned - 260

I believe that I'm going to bump up my mileage next week from 7.5 miles to 10 by adding in an extra running day.  So my new running schedule will be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.  I'll be adding in repeat day for my C25K program instead of advancing to the next week.  I may even be repeating Week 3 next week as it's pretty tough and Week 4 will be even tougher.  Week 4's workout is run 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds, run 5 minutes, walk 2.5 minutes, run 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds, run 5 minutes.  I'll give it a try Monday before I make my final decision, however.

I'll see you tomorrow for my weight in!

New Name, Same Blog

Hi guys!  What do you think of the new name?  I'm pretty excited about it!  I decided to rename the blog as I no longer use it as it was originally intended (as a food diary to keep me more accountable).  I now also have a personal Instagram account that I will post updates on and be a little more visual with my daily life than on here.  Pop on over to IG and follow me if you'd like!

Easter Break Catch Up

Hi guys!

I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday weekend!  I had an extremely busy (yet wonderful!) Easter break, so I'm just now catching up on my posts.  My last weigh in results (which I actually took Monday morning) are:

• Arms - 12 (down 0.5")
• Chest - 36.75 (down 1.25")
• Waist - 41.25 (down 1.25")
• Hips - 41.75 (down 1.25")
• Thighs - 21.25 (down 1.25")
• Weight - 168.6 (down 3 lbs)
• BMI - 26.8 (down 0.5)

I know last post I stated that I was going to repeat my C25K program's Week 2 again until I felt more comfortable running as long as Week 3, but I think part of my inability to keep up was the fact that I went at the hottest point of the day.  The heat just sapped all of my energy.

So this week, I've been doing Week 3.  I did Day 1 yesterday and Day 2 today, as I'm trying to get my running back to my Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule.  Friday, I will be completing Day 3.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to repeat Week 3 a few times.  Running for a  solid three minutes is extremely tough!

Week 3's course is running 90 seconds, walking 90 seconds, running 3 minutes, walking 3 minutes and repeating.  Yesterday, I was unable to run the first 3 minutes.  I found a better pace and was able to go the full 3 minutes the second time, however.  Today, I was able to do both 3 minute times.

Week 3 Day 1 Stats:

Distance - 2.57 miles

Time - 35:40 minutes
Fastest - 8:33/mile
Slowest - 33:43/mile

Avg. Pace - 13.51/mile

I ran my fastest 1K by running it in 6:56.  I ran my fastest mile at 12:48.

Week 3 Day 2 Stats:

Distance - 2.46 miles

Time - 38.05 minutes
Fastest - 9:50/mile
Slowest - 27:28/mile

Avg. Pace - 15.27/mile

Today's average pace should have been faster, but I had to chase down my dog and walk her back to the house in the middle of my run.  Emma Grace, my oldest, let her out of the house.

I love seeing my records update on Nike+ Running.  I can't believe I've come so far!  Here are my beginning times:

1K - 16:53

1 mile - 17.25

I can't wait to see how much faster I get and how much further I can go!

Thanks for reading!

C25K: Week 2 Day 1 Repeat

Yesterday I completely skipped doing Insanity.  As the weather warms up, my house gets to almost 80 degrees F during the day, which I feel is just a little too hot to be doing that kind of activity.  I'll try doing it earlier than I have been before I put it back on the shelf until cooler days.

Today, I went out running much later than I usually do.  I actually went at the hottest time of day because my children woke up extra early this morning.  They usually don't wake up until 9-ish, but my youngest woke up screaming about 7:45 while I was getting dressed to go out.  I guess she had a bad dream.

It was so hot when I went out today that I couldn't keep up with my Week 3 Day 1 run.  I decided to back track and start Week 2 over again as I still have difficulty running for that length of time.  I'll repeat Week 2 at least one more time before I progress to Week 3.

If I go out that late again, I'm going to have to take a bottle of water with me at least for Harley.  I was afraid he was going to get too hot.  I tried to let him drink from a small stream, but as he approached, a turtle that we both failed to see dove into the water.  He charged about 10 feet backward and decided he didn't want water that bad.  When we got home, both of us drank plenty of water and sat beside one of the air vents in the floor until we cooled down.

Thanks for reading!

C25K: Week 2 Day 3

It felt absolutely wonderful to go out for a run this morning!  I waited about an hour later than usual, so I missed most of the "morning rush" traffic - no parents speeding to get the kids to school and no college kids speeding to get to their morning class!  I did, however, have to deal with two chicken trucks that had just picked up a trailer full from the chicken farm down the road.  I don't think there's a comparable stench that exists on Earth..  They were absolutely horrible.

I don't know if any of you know what a sweet gum tree is, but they are no fun to run around.  There's a couple of them on my route and I absolutely hate it when a car is coming when I'm by these trees.  I have to be really careful to not fall down because their seed pods are all over the ground around them.  It's literally like running on huge marbles!  Here's a picture.  Just for size, they're usually about the diameter of a tealight candle if not a bit bigger.

Anyway, enough chit chat.  I had a great run this morning.  I went 2.5 miles with a time of 37:40 and an average pace of 15:03 according to Nike+ Running.

See you tomorrow!

Day 15: Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs

Pure Cardio never gets any easier.  It's still just as difficult as the first time I did it!  I know I'm improving, though, because I'm able to push myself harder and do more reps during the exercises.  My stamina is getting better and my muscles are getting stronger.  I'm really enjoying the feeling of working for the body I want.  I'm setting an example for my children, because they watch me do every workout.  I don't want my children to live a life of obesity, and I want to be able to keep up with them when they're running around.  It feels great to know I'm working toward that goal.

Every time I start to feel down and don't feel like working out, I think about my end goals and how far I've come since January.  Each and every workout I do is one step further toward my goals, and every workout I miss is ten steps backward.  Each workout skipped makes it easier to say no to the next.

Just do it!  Don't let anyone tell you you can't.  Prove them wrong.

Weekly Weigh In

I believe I've hit my first real hurdle in losing weight.  My weight stayed about the same this week, and my measurements didn't really change any.  I'm hoping that the increases I've experienced are because of muscle gains, but I know I haven't been eating like I should be either.

• Arms - 12 (down 0.5")
• Chest - 37 (down 1")
• Waist - 41 (down 1.5")
• Hips - 42.25 (down 1.25")
• Thighs - 21.25 (down 0.1.25")
• Weight - 168.6 (down 3)
• BMI - 26.8 (down 0.5)

See you Monday!

Day 14: Cardio Power & Resistance

Phew!  I had my butt kicked today!  Somehow, I did enough yesterday to make me sore today (or maybe I slept wrong, who knows), so today's Insanity workout was torture!  Obviously, no run today.  I was dog tired this morning so I slept in.  I guess it helped, because I'm feeling much better today than I was yesterday.  I had my sugar drop right about the time I started the DVD, so I drank a quick glass of tea and gave it a few minutes to kick in.  Eating supper here in about an hour, so I wasn't worried about grabbing a snack right after I finished.

Cardio Power & Resistance is a really good arm workout, especially the last half.  All the V Push-Ups, Triceps Dips, and Moving Push-Ups really made my arms feel like cooked noodles!  I actually really enjoy the feeling though, because I know each drop of sweat is progress, and progress means I'm one step closer to my goal than I was yesterday.

The other day, I read about a great motivational thing for visual people like me.  What it is, is you take a clear jar (I have a glass vase) and you fill with with things each time you complete a workout and watching it fill up is motivation for the next workout.  Some fill theirs with money and use it to reward themselves after so many workouts.  I got marbles to fill mine with, pink for running, and purple for Insanity.  Well, wouldn't you know it, the same day I bought them, I misplaced them.  So I have, quite literally, lost my marbles...  I've been looking for them for three days now!  And the bad thing is, they're in a bright yellow bag!

See you guys tomorrow!  I'm going to look for my marbles some more..

Yummy Pancakes! A Couple of My Favorite Recipes

Around here, pancakes are the ultimate breakfast food.  My kids snap them up just as fast as I can make them.  Since we usually eat pancakes at least once  a week, I've played around with my recipe to find ways to make them a little more nutritious.

I absolutely love Bisquick to make pancakes with (It's just makes it so simple and easy to make pancakes, among other things.).  I use the "Ultimate Pancake" recipe provided on the back of the box as my basis for my recipes.

Ultimate Pancake recipe
2 cups Original Bisquick mix
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla (optional)

This recipe makes pretty good pancakes as is, But I usually add in protein powder to change up the flavor, as well as add in extra protein which keeps you fuller longer.

Vanilla Protein Pancake recipe
2 cups Original Bisquick mix
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 scoop MusclePharm Combat Vanilla**
1 cup Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk*
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla (optional)

OR

Chocolate Protein Pancake recipe
2 cups Original Bisquick mix
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 scoop MusclePharm Combat Chocolate Milk**
1 cup chocolate milk (8 oz. milk plus 2 tbsp Ovaltine Chocolate Malt mix)*
2 tsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla (optional)

To Make:
Add dry ingredients into a bowl and mix.  Add milk and mix until smooth.  Add in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.  Stir in remaining wet ingredients.  Pour roughly 1/4 cup amounts onto preheated skillet (I use the heat setting 3 on my stove) and cook until edges are dry or bubbles start forming.  Flip and cook until golden.  Makes about 14 pancakes.

Want more flavors?  MusclePharm has 11 different flavors to choose from!  From Cinnamon Bun, to Mint Chocolate Chip, to Snickerdoodle, they have it!  (And I'm sure they would all make excellent pancake flavors with just a few tweaks to the Bisquick recipe.)

Now, I have one last recipe for you.  This is my Oatmeal Pancake recipe that I use when I want pancakes with a little more chewiness.

Oatmeal Pancake recipe
2 cups Original Bisquick mix
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp Greek yogurt
2 tbsp baking powder
1 scoop MusclePharm Combat Vanilla**
1 cup Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk*
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup rolled oats

To Make:
Add dry ingredients into a bowl and mix.  Add milk and mix until smooth.  Add in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.  Stir in remaining wet ingredients.  Pour roughly 1/4 cup amounts onto preheated skillet (I use the heat setting 3 on my stove) and cook until edges are dry or bubbles start forming.  Flip and cook until golden.  Makes about 14 pancakes.

Feel free to take these recipes and change them to your liking!  As you can see, the original recipe is quite forgiving.  Maybe add in some chocolate chips, or M&Ms, or maybe some almond slivers.  Experiment and have fun!

*Notice, I did not increase my liquids in any of these recipes.  I've found that, even with the extra dry ingredients, I don't need more liquid ingredients as the pancakes turn out just the same (if not better).

**I have only tried MusclePharm protein powders in my pancakes.  Different protein powders may produce different results.

Day 13: Plyometric Cardio Circuit

I just did not feel like doing this today.  I've been really sluggish all day and procrastinated until about three in the afternoon to do the workout.  I was barely able to keep up with the video or even complete it.  I finally made it through, but I felt like it would never end.  It didn't help that my shins have been aching since I woke up this morning.  Maybe I need to invest in some memory foam insoles for my running shoes..  But it's only every now and then that running irritates my shins.

I think a lot of it has to do with my poor diet recently.  I've been trying to eat more nutritious this week, but I haven't been eating near as often as I should.  Several days last week, all I ate was supper.  Absolutely terrible, I know.  I haven't been hungry for some reason, so I haven't been thinking about eating.

Tomorrow morning, before anything else, I'm going to to sit myself down and eat an egg white omelet for breakfast.  I'll even add in extra baby spinach leaves for the vitamins.

Hopefully tomorrow, I'll have more energy and feel good for my morning run!

C25K: Week 2 Day 2

Hello everyone!  I went out for my run this morning even though I really didn't want to.  But I'm glad I did!  I woke up this morning really tired and drug around until the absolute latest I could possibly go out because I was telling myself that I didn't want to go today.  When I finally forced myself outside, I told myself that I was only going to walk a few laps and go back inside.

I was not enjoying being outside, at all.  There's been a cold snap the past few days, so it was quite chilly when I started this morning.  Not to mention, there was a heavy dew on the ground that had soaked my shoes and socks through before I even made it to the road to start walking.

After my half mile warm-up, however, I finally forced myself to turn on my C25K app and started running, still telling myself that I was going to go in after two laps.  Let's face it, who likes running with wet, squidgy shoes?  I sure don't!

After two laps, I had started to wake up, the temperature was warm enough to take off my jacket (or maybe I was just hot?), and I had quit paying attention to the water squishing between my toes with every step.  I was enjoying myself!

So I finished my 2.5 miles in a rather slow 39 minutes and already completed my step goal set by Noom.  So far, I already have 6500 steps and it's only 8:20 in the morning!  Today is going to be a great day!

Get out there and work past your excuses!

Day12: Fit Test and Weekly Weigh In

I'm sorry this is so delayed.  It's allergy season here and I've been under the weather all weekend long.  Last Wednesday, I did Day 11, which I said was Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs.  Well, turns out, I accidentally skipped a day.  Wednesday I was supposed to do Cardio Powder & Resistance and Friday was supposed to be Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs.  I planned to make this up Friday, but, since I wasn't feeling well, I have changed my plans and hope to get it done this week - perhaps tomorrow.

Anyway, Saturday was my weekly weigh in day, but I never got around to posting it.  It turned out alright, however, as today was my second Fit Test.  Here are my results:

Weigh In

Arms - 12 (down 0.5")

Chest - 37 (down 1")

Waist - 41.5 (down 1")

Hips - 42 (down 1.5")

Thighs - 21 (down 0.1.5")

Weight - 169 (down 2.6)

BMI - 26.9 (down 0.4)

Fit Test

Switch Kicks - 58 (3 more)

Power Jacks - 32 (7 more)

Power Knees - 75 (20 more!)

Power Jumps - 10 (5 less)

Globe Jumps - 6 (1 more)

Suicide Jumps - 12 (3 more)

Push-Up Jacks - 25 (15 more!!)

Low Plank Obliques - 40 (10 less)

Now, you may ask, "But Hunter, aren't you bummed that you gained weight?"  My answer would be, "Yes, a little, but I know why."  There are actually a few reasons that I believe I gained weight this week.  One, would be my diet.  Since I've been feeling a little under the weather for the past week and a half, my diet has suffered as I've turned more to comfort foods rather than the healthy things I should be eating.  Instead of my 80/20 rule that I try to follow during the week, I've been munching on snacks and eating out more than I usually do simply for convenience.

Another, is because I've seen results, and my mind wants to tell me that I don't have to try as hard.  The little devil on my shoulder tells me that I should reward myself for my progress this far, and usually that involves sitting down to a Criminal Minds marathon, or going out to eat, or having that cupcake I've been eyeing.

The last reason, could be due to a gain in my lean muscle mass.  After all, I can't expect to do Insanity without gaining some muscle, can I?

So, this week, my encouragement won't be my weight loss, but rather that my clothes are fitting much looser (I can finally put my bras back on the tightest hook, my brand new jeans that fit when I bought them a week before I started Insanity are about to fall off, and I can tighten my belt two more notches.), the compliments I'm getting from my friends and family asking how much weight I've lost, and the results of my Fit Test.  Who would have thought I would have improved that much already?!

Tomorrow morning, I'm getting up and going for a run.  My husband is showing less interest in running with me, so it'll just be me and Harley out pounding the pavement.

Day 11: Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs

I'm really beginning to hate Pure Cardio..  I think it is the most difficult video so far in Insanity.  Today, I kept having to take a break because the kids needed attention.  In fact, I finally decided to start the video over again because I'd missed about half of the warm-up.  After that, they were distracted long enough to allow me to finish my first video.  My shins were really bothering me today, so I took it easy on some of the exercises, particularly the jumping ones.

Dripping sweat, it was now time for part two of today's workout, Cardio Abs.  For convenience, they're on the same DVD.  I was afraid I was about to be doing another 45 minute workout, but luckily, Cardio Abs is less than 20 minutes!  Here's how it goes:

• Jogging warm-up
• High Knees - this time, you hold your arms straight up in the air, which make this exercise 10x harder!
• High Knees w/Twist - Not fun!  I spent half of the exercise trying to get my rhythm down.
• Jump Rope - This aggravated my shins a little, so I tried to take it easy
• Tuck Jumps - Surprisingly, I could do these without my shins bothering me too bad!
• Wide Tuck Jumps - Again, I was surprised I could do these.
• C-Sit Position - This is the easiest part of the rest of this workout.
• Twists - a good ab warm-up.  If you do it long enough, it'll give you a nice ab workout.
• Twists w/Knee - this will light your abs on fire!  I had to take a break a couple of times, but tried to power through
• A-Frame Ab Twist - again, a nice little ab workout by itself.  After the constant ab workouts so far, I was feeling it.
• A-Frame w/Twist - These killed my abs!  I really enjoyed them, but I really enjoy ab work anyway.  It's one of my favorite workouts.
• Hold Center - I pushed through and held it the whole time!  I was really proud of myself.  
• Single Leg Raises - I was pleased to find I could do these alright.  I was really surprised by my core.
• Both Legs - This was killer!  I wasn't quite able to do these.  I think I got about 5, but I know my form wasn't the best either.
• High Plank
• High Plank Alt. Knees - You start out slow, then you add in a little jump between raising your knees to your side.
• Low Plank
• Low Plank Alt. Knees - At this point, my youngest thought I was trying to play and came to lay beside me on the floor.  I just held plank because I couldn't do this exercise without kneeing her in the head.
• Pulse Tucks - Low & High - I'm unable to do this exercise properly because it really hurts my lower back.  Maybe as I build up more core strength I'll be able to?

Then you do the cool down stretches.  I really enjoyed this video!  Core work is some of my favorite exercises to do.

Thanks for reading!  Weather permitting, I'll be posting about my morning run tomorrow.  If not, I'll see you Friday for Day 12!

C25K: Week 2 Day 1 & Walking

I had a great time getting out and running this morning!  I was afraid that after almost two months of not running, that I would have lost my progress and wouldn't be able to pick up where I left off.  I decided to back track a week and start from there, but I think that, thanks to Insanity, I could have picked up exactly where I'd left off!

For Week 2, you alternate 90 seconds of jogging with two minutes of walking for 20 minutes.  I did this with surprising ease!  I started to tire toward the end, however, so I think I made a wise decision by backing up a week to readjust to running.

According to Noom, I went for a total of 2.69 miles in 39 minutes with a pace of 14.27 min./mi. and burned a total of 340 calories.  According to Nike+ Running, I went 2.56 miles in 39 minutes with a pace of 15.07 min./mi. and burned a total of 277 calories.  Which is correct?  I'm not sure.  I think Noom is more correct on the calories because it's more personalized.  However, I think Nike+ Running is more correct about distance and time because I know the loop I run is about 2.5 miles.  Maybe there's something off with Noom's GPS signal.

Then, last night, my mom and I went for a walk that, according to Noom (I don't use Nike+ Running for walks because it's calculated for running), we walked 1.79 miles in 34 minutes with a pace of 18:55 min./mi. for a calorie burn of 161 for me.  Her Noom calculated over 200 calories burned for her personalized account.

Thanks for reading!  See you tomorrow for Insanity Day 11!

Follow me on Nike+ Running!  My username is hmlove1218

Day 10: Cardio Recovery

Yesterday, after my weigh in, I went out for a run for the first time in forever!  It felt great to be back out there and the dogs really enjoyed it.  My husband had Harley, the faster of our two dogs, and they were running ahead of me and Kimber because we're the slow runners.

Kimber was really excited to finally be back outside and had been pulling on the leash despite multiple corrections.  When my husband and Harley stopped for a water break, Kimber gave one good yank on the leash right as my foot was about to touch the ground and caused me to land wrong.  My ankle gave way and I hit my knees on the pavement.  After a few choice words directed at my four-legged running partner, I got up and finished my run, though we cut it half a mile short.

Anyway, over night, my ankle rested and felt better this morning, so I did my Insanity video.  Luckily it was Cardio Recovery which doesn't require all the crazy jumping around, so my ankle with have one more day to recover a bit.  My knees were scuffed up from falling, but they didn't give me any problems.

Today's workout was more of slow and controlled muscle work than the usual insane activities.  There were tons of slow leg and ab work such as squats, lunges, and leg lifts.  It took me about twice as long to complete the video as it should have, because I kept having to stop and take breaks to control my rowdy youngsters.  Maybe that's why today wasn't so difficult for me because I took longer breaks more often than the video works in.

Tomorrow will be an early morning, because this week is supposed to be sunny and warm so me and the hubby will be out running again.

See you tomorrow!

Is there anything you'd like to see me post more of?  Want recipes or meal updates?  Leave a comment below!

Weekly Weight In

I'm surprised at my measurements this week.  I didn't expect the results I had, but I'm quite happy that I got them.  I was able to wear a dress that I haven't felt comfortable wearing for almost two years now!  I can't wait to see how much more my body changes!

• Arms - 12" (down 0.5")
• Chest - 37" (down 1")
• Waist - 41.5" (down 1")
• Hips - 42" (down 1.5")
• Thighs - 21.75" (down 0.75")

• Weight - 168.2 lbs (down 3.4 lbs)
• BMI - 26.7 (down 0.6)

I wonder if the inconsistencies in my measurements each week are because of human error, or if it's an indication of muscle gain?  Food for thought.

See you Monday!

Day 9: Cardio Circuit

It took me a minute to figure out what this video was because I didn't have a DVD called Cardio Circuit like my calender stated.  I finally figured out that it is the Plyometric Cardio Circuit DVD.

My heart wasn't really in this today.  Maybe because I did it later than I usually do, maybe because I hadn't eaten much today, maybe because I was irritated by my children.  I don't know why, but I didn't have energy to do this today.  Between that and my children running around under me (have you ever tried doing push-ups with a 18 month old pushing a toy car around beneath you??), it took me over an hour to complete the 42 minute video.  I was constantly having to wait for my kids to move out of the way because I didn't want to step on any fingers or toes.  For some reason, today they simply wanted to be within 6 inches of me at all times while I was trying to do my workout.

I'm not even going to give a rundown of today's video because I feel like I didn't do half of it.  Tomorrow's my weigh-in day.  I don't expect to see the same kind of weight loss I've seen so far.  My diet at the beginning of the week wasn't that great as I've been out to eat several times.  I'm not even sure if I'll see any weight loss this week.  I hope I do, though.

See you tomorrow!

Day 8: Pure Cardio

Sorry this post is a day late.  Yesterday morning I overslept and I couldn't fit it in anywhere else in my day.  So now I have Insanity two days in a row!

Today was just as brutal as the first time I did this video.  "This sh*t is BA-nanas," as Shawn says - and it really is.  It's so intense that the co-hosts start dropping like flies about half way through the video.  If they wore mics, I can imagine that there would be many curse words flying through the air like missiles at Shawn.

• Suicide Drills - I started these going full blast.  By the end, I had slowed down to half of my original pace.
• Switch Kicks - I thought there were going to be three reps of these, so I did these easy and didn't jump.  After I finished them, I realized there weren't any repeated exercises in this video.  Oops..
• Wide Football Sprints - Easy enough.
• Stance Jacks - I did pretty well on these.  This is where I started to really tire, however, so I took a few breaks.
• Pedal - Sprinting a few seconds, jumping into one lunge on each side, and sprinting again.  I think I did alright.
• Hooks and Jump Rope - I couldn't keep up anymore and started doing it at my own pace.  I couldn't seem to get the hang of the jumps.
• Power Jacks - I was pretty exhausted at this point.  Today, I wore shorts during my workout and the feeling of my thighs rubbing together was pretty motivating to keep pushing.
• Level 2 Drills - These are fun.  I'm getting better at push-ups.  I still can't go all the way down, but I'm able to do them without going to my knees now!
• Frog Jumps - I was huffing and puffing at this point.  I think I got six sets (jump back, jump front) over the whole minute.
• Power Knees - Just like last time, it felt like someone replaced my shoes with lead weights.
• Mountain Climbers - I worked on picking my knees up higher.
• Ski Down - I love these!
• Scissor Runs - I think I finally figured out how to do these!  They're not terrible, but still not my favorite exercise.
• Suicide Jumps - Call me crazy, but these are one of my favorites!  I try to go a little slower than Shawn calls them, because I try to focus on keeping my butt down in the plank.
• Push-Up Jacks - I did five push-ups before I took a break in Down Dog pose.  I did three or four sets in the minute I had.

Needless to say, today wore me out!  See you tomorrow!

Day 7: Cardio Power & Resistance

I honestly felt like skipping Insanity today.  Time changed last night and it has left me dragging around all day.  I did my morning Happy Yoga video and I was this close to calling that enough for today.  But I know myself, I know my goals, and I know that if I procrastinate one day, I'll have an excuse for the next day, and the next, and the next.  I know this about myself.  This is actually the reason I picked up Insanity again.  Nasty weather was keeping me from being able to run (and still is..darn rain..), and I felt absolutely helpless about reaching my fitness goals.  I felt like the universe was against me, but I was determined to fight back and show the universe who's boss!

So I plugged in the video.  "Come on y'all!  'S-go!"  Shawn yells.  Oh boy, this is going to be a rough one, especially after my long weekend.  After the usual warm up and stretching routine, we got down to business.

• Power Jumps - I'm developing a love/hate relationship with these.  If I go slow and position my feet just right, I can get a few of these with "proper" form.
• Belt Kicks - Love them!  And I'm able to keep up with the group for once!
• Hit the Floor - Today, these gave me a challenge.  I didn't get very many of them done for some reason.
• V Push Ups - I figured out a rythem that works for me.  I would do 5 push-ups and then take a quick break.  I got about 3 reps of 5 done in each of the three rounds.
• Triceps Dips/ One-Legged Triceps Dips - I used the same method here as I did with V push-ups - 5 fast dips, short break.  Again, I got about 3 reps, except for the one-legged dips, I only got two reps on each side.
• Triceps Ball Push Ups - I think I figured out how to do these.  After all the triceps work from the last exercises, I only got two reps of 5.  My arms felt like floppy noodles!

After a short break came the second sets of exercises.  I was pretty worn out by the first sets, so I was very sluggish during these three rounds.

• Hurdle Jumps - I could not for the life of me keep up with the group!  Not to mention my feet were too heavy to get more than a few centimeters off of the ground.
• Globe Jumps - I don't know how many sets I got done each round.  I was moving very slowly, but I focused on my form instead of speed.
• Moving Push Ups - I can't do the moving part just yet, so I used my same technique as the first sets of exercises to do 5 really fast push ups and take a quick break.  I wasn't even on my knees!
• Floor Sprints - I have to really focus to keep my butt down.  I find that if I put my feet out just a little further than I feel is necessary, that it's easier to keep proper form.  I really pushed myself in the end and was sprinting so fast that I left a little lump in my carpet where my feet were hitting the ground.  Oops..
• 8 Hop Squats/8 Push Ups - Hop squats weren't too bad, it was the push-ups that really killed me.  I was exhausted by this point and was using my legs to help push myself up.  I guess I got in a bit of a calf workout as well!

Time to go get my protein shake!  I mix the vanilla flavored Muscle Pharm Combat in with 12 ounces of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.  Really tasty and filling, and only 175 calories!

No running tomorrow because of the weather and my family is making a trip out of town for a mini vacation, so I'll see you guys Wednesday!

Weekly Weigh In

Today I'm happy to say that I'm down about seven pounds since I started trying to lose weight!  I kind of feel bad, because I just bought new jeans a few weeks ago, and they're already baggy and loos on me.  I'm down two notches in my belt, too!  Here are my measurements for this week:

• Arms - 12.25" (down 0.25")
• Chest - 37.5" (down 0.5")
• Waist - 42.25" (down .25")
• Hips - 42" (down 1.5")
• Thighs - 21.5" (down 1")

• Weight - 169 lbs (down 2.6 lbs)
• BMI - 26.9 (down 0.4)

Day 6: Plyometric Cardio Circuit

Today was back to Plyometric Cardio Circuit.  Apparently my shins have something against this video because, out of nowhere, they started aching again right before I put the disc in the DVD player..  Like the first time, I had to take it easy on the jumping.

Phase 1:  Warm Up
Same warm up as last time (jogging in place, jumping jacks, Heismans, Mummy Kicks, etc), but I jogged in place and sprinted through half of it while my shins warmed up and loosened - no jumping jacks, high knees, or butt kicks.

Phase 2:  Stretching
Same thing as just about every video.  I have a feeling I'll be able to do this stretching routine in my sleep by the end of Insanity (which will be around June 30th since I'm only doing three workouts a week instead of six).

Phase 3:  Workout Set 1
I pushed myself a bit harder this time around since my shins didn't hurt so bad this time and because I felt like my body was better prepared for the abuse.

• Suicide Drills - These were harder this time as I pushed myself to go faster.
• Powder Squats - I did okay with these.  The first round, I wasn't able to do the "power" part, so I just did regular squats.  By the third round, though, my shins had loosened up enough that I was able to jump.  My thighs were protesting by that time though!
• Mountain Climbers - For some reason, I couldn't get the right rhythm going today and felt awkward.
• Ski Jumps - Shawn tells several of his co-hosts to keep their feet together, however, I find that I get more of a leg workout with my feet about 6 inches apart.  This forces my thighs to work harder to push me up, because they don't have each other for support.
• Switch Feet - I still hate these and my shins refused to let me do them
• Football Sprints - I was able to do these today.  My feet refused to move very fast, however.

Phase 4:  Workout Set 2

• Basketball Jumps - My legs were already wobbly from the first round of exercises, but I pushed through and did these.  By now, my shins had loosened up quite a bit.
• Level 1 Drills - I congratulate myself for these.  I did push-ups as best as I could and didn't even go to my knees once (though I did skip a few rounds of the push-ups).  I forced myself to slow down when "running it out" and focus on keeping my butt down in the proper plank position.  Boy, did that kill my arms and abs!  After the third round, I was doing good just to be able to hold myself up.
• Ski Abs - These were killer when I focused on proper technique instead of speed.  I challenged myself to do one full round (right, back, left, back) before I could take put my knees down.  Third time round, I was barely able to do two sets.
• Jabs - I focused on speed and these killed my obliques.
• Cross Jacks - These hurt my shins, so I just skipped them.
• Uppercuts - Again, a killer oblique workout when you focus on speed and power.  I envisioned Shawn's hand as a target.
• Attack - Just like jabs and uppercuts, these work your obliques.  They're just like palm strikes in my martial arts training.  I focused on speed and power, targeting a spot on my wall.  By the time I finished, I actually had a small stitch in my side!

Phase 5:  Cool Down

Oh, thank God!  I barely even remember this I was so tired!

Tomorrow is my day to weigh in and take measurements.  Hopefully there will still be some improvement!  I'm not so concerned about the number on the scale, because I know I'm gaining muscle (and muscle weighs more than fat), but hopefully my measurements have continued to decrease!  I've also been seeing my HR slowly decrease as I'm doing Insanity.  Today I barely got over 165 bpm.  See you tomorrow!

Day 5: Pure Cardio (aka Pure Hell)

Holy crap.  Today has been the hardest day so far.  It appears to be the first day of the Mississippi summer, which mean that my house is smoldering hot today.  Since I've started Insanity, I usually work out when it's about 68 degrees Fahrenheit in my house.  Today, even with the AC full blast and the fans on high, I could not get the temperature below 75 degrees.  Believe me, that is ridiculously hot to be doing this workout.  Not only is it hot, but it is Humid with a capital H.  I'm talking 94% humidity, which means that the actual 75 degrees feel like a hot, sticky 80 degrees.  Not the best weather to be sweating it out to Insanity.

Anyway, enough ranting.  Today I did the video Pure Cardio which I think should be renamed Pure Hell.  It starts off simple enough with the warm up consisting of the usual exercises:  jogging in place, jumping jacks, Heisman, 1-2-3 Heisman, butt kicks, High Knees, and Mummy Kicks.  As usual, you do this three times, increasing in intensity and speed each time.  After a 30 second water break, you move to a six minute stretching routine.  Then the figurative sh*t hits the fan..

After a short water break, it's balls-to-the-wall, non stop cardio for about 15 minutes with each exercise lasting one minute.  (Oh, you don't think that's a long time?  It feels like forever when you're doing it.)  Here's the rundown:

• Suicide Drills - Not too bad.  At this point, I paused the video to go put my daughter down for a nap.
• Switch Kicks - The martial artist in me loves these, but after about 20 seconds, my kicks had gone from about waist high to knee high.
• Wide Football Sprints - Easy enough.  I just can't keep up the same pace as the video.
• Stance Jacks - These were pretty fun, but after about 10 I'd have to take a break as my form started suffering.  My glutes were burning!
• Pedal - Sprinting a few seconds, jumping into one lunge on each side, and sprinting again.  These tire you out fast!
• Hooks and Jump Rope - I couldn't keep up anymore.  I was hooking when I was supposed to be jumping and jumping when I was supposed to be hooking.  At the end, I finally called it quits and took a short break.
• Power Jacks - After everything I've done so far, I was panting like a dog.  I think I did 5 Power Jacks overall.  Shawn was telling several of his trainees to take breaks.
• Level 2 Drills - After my recovery, these were pretty fun.  I still can't do push-ups, so I did what I could.  Even Shawn had to take a break, which just goes to show how hard this video is.
• Frog Jumps - These are similar to Globe Jumps only you jump back and forth instead of in a square.  My thighs were on fire!
• Power Knees - My body refused to cooperate at this point.  I could have sworn someone replaced my shoes with lead weights.
• Mountain Climbers - This was a bit of a break - maybe that means I'm not doing them quite right??
• Ski Down - I love these!  I swear my dog cursed me when I did these because I accidentally landed on his foot...whoops.
• Scissor Runs - I hate these..  They're not difficult or anything, but they just feel unnatural to me.  I hate doing them.
• Suicide Jumps - Call me crazy, but these are one of my favorites!  I try to go a little slower than Shawn calls them, because I try to focus on keeping my butt down in the plank.
• Push-Up Jacks - Again, I can't do a push-up.  I tried my hardest to do these and got a few little wimpy ones before I finally just did knee push-ups.

Finally! It's over!!  A minute long water break before the stretching routine (which absolutely feels amazing).

I don't know if I'll be running tomorrow or not.  It's supposed to be raining in the morning, which really sucks.  I miss being able to run.  If I get to, I'll post about it tomorrow, but if not, I'll see you Friday!

Early Morning Walking

Today was my first day to be able to go out in the morning in weeks.  I woke up with tons of energy when my alarm went off at 4:45 and bounced out of bed to get dressed.  It was such a lovely morning except for all the rain puddles..  My dog, Harley, was quite happy about those, however, because he had a drinking station every few yards.

Since I haven't been able to run for quite some time now, I took it slow this morning and briskly walked my route instead of running.  I did run about an eighth of a mile as I was finishing my walk, though.  It felt nice to be able to do it, but it also confirmed my decision to take it slow today because my shins started aching as soon as I started jogging.  I'll pick up my C25K program again Thursday, where I'll be starting week three.  Hopefully this nice, not rainy for freezing weather holds out for the rest of the week!

See you tomorrow!

Oh, and a big thank you to whoever is giving me all the +1s!  It's really encouraging :)

Day 4: Cardio Recovery

My first day back at Insanity after a long weekend was tough!  Cardio Recover is not the fast paced interval training like the previous workouts.  This is slow and controlled muscle building using your own body weight.

There's really not a true warm up in this video.  It starts off with a few yoga poses and stretches, then you start the muscle building with plank work.  My shoulders were burning!

Then starts the squats.  "Slow and controlled," Shawn sings.  "Two more!  Now hold."  Boy were my legs shaking.  Then, "Now pulse it out."  A few times I had to take a break or my legs were going to give out.  Certainly it'll be over in just a minute!  Nope.. after a 30 second break we go straight into slow lunges with the same setup as the squats.

Again, I thought it's got to be over in just a minute.  Directly back into the squats.  My hands are clasped in front of me like I'm praying, my knees are wobbling like a newborn foal, it's taking Shawn an hour to count down the last 5 seconds!  30 second break and right back to lunges.  Now I see why the women in the video have those thighs!

Then we go into a plie "stretch" as Shawn calls it.  I personally feel its just a disguised squat.  My legs can't take it much longer!

Phew!  That's over!  What's next Shawn?  Crap.. a combination of leg, core, and shoulder work!  These hellacious things Shawn calls quad strengtheners.  My sides hurt, my shoulders burn, my legs are giving out.  How do they make it look so easy??  Then Shawn takes it even further by changing the exercise to work the obliques.  At this point, my legs fail me and I welcome the Child's Pose into Downward Dog.  The stretches feel wonderful but my legs won't stop quivering.  I think this "recovery" workout is harder than the regular videos!

One last horrible exercise called Table Top Balance Pose.  I feel like I'm trying to balance on one foot on top of a 100 foot stilt.  I lightly rest my hands on the entertainment center in front of me to catch myself when I lose my balance.  The easy stretches afterward were so much more difficult just because of my wobbly legs.  After a short stretching session, it's finally over!

Weather permitting (and it's supposed to be), I'll be up bright and early with the hubby and going out for a 2.5 mile run.  I'm so looking forward to being able to run again.  The weather has been absolutely horrible for the past three weeks and we haven't been able to go.  That ultimately led me to start back up with Insanity because I was going stir crazy being stuck inside all day!

I've reached a point of mind where I'm going to lose weight no matter the excused I try to give myself of the circumstances around me, so I wasn't going to let the weather hinder my progress.  I'll see you guys tomorrow!

Weekly Weigh In

I have to say, I am completely surprised by the results of my measurements. I didn't expect to see results so quickly especially knowing I could have made better food choices this week (Yesterday, I ate out twice at a local Japanese restaurant.) Anyway, here are my measurements for this week.

• Arms - 12.5"
• Chest - 38"
• Waist - 42"
• Hips - 42.5"
• Thighs - 21.75"

• Weight - 170.2 lbs
• BMI - 27

That's almost 2 inches and over a pound lost in four days! At first I thought i must me measuring myself wrong, but then I weight myself and saw the number on the scale. I'm thrilled!! I'm so ready for next week!

See you Monday! 

Day 3: Cardio Power & Resistance

Holy wow did this video kick my butt!  Yesterday, I wasn't as sore as I expected to be from Wednesday's workout - it hit me today.  But I sweated it out with Thousand Foot Krutch blasting in the background.  After yesterday's rest day (the weather didn't cooperate for a running day), my shins were feeling much better.  They gave me a few slight twinges, but nothing a few seconds break or modifying an exercise didn't solve.

Phase 1:  Warm Up
As with every warm-up in Insanity, you could just do this 10 minute circuit two or three times and have accomplished a great workout for the day.  But this isn't just a workout video - this is Insanity!  Today's workout consisted of jogging in place, Power Jacks, Log Jumps, 123-123 Heisman, Butt Kicks, High Knees, and Vertical Jumps.

Phase 2:  Stretching
Pretty much the same routine as almost every Insanity stretching session.  It's nice, but I'm thinking I may do a yoga session before I push play to get a better stretch.

Phase 3:  Workout Set 1

• Power Jumps - These are such a challenge for me!
• Belt Kicks - The martial artist in me absolutely loves these!  Instead of keeping my hands on my "belt" as Shawn does, I put my hands up as if I was sparring.  It just felt more natural to me that way.  Maybe after I finish Insanity I'll try out Les Mill's Combat from Beach Body.  It's a martial arts based workout.
• Hit the Floor - It took me a few minutes to figure out the proper form on these, but once I did it was an incredible ab workout.
• V Push Ups - Holy crap, these are hard!  I can't even do a regular push up, so for the first round, I modified these to be on my knees.  By the last rep, I pushed myself and tried to do them as shown.  I got about 10 in the 30 second interval.
• Triceps Dips/ One-Legged Triceps Dips - Shawn added this after the third rep.  I was able to do these until Shawn said pick up a leg.  By then, my arms were on fire!  I think I got about five dips for each leg.
• Triceps Ball Push Ups - This exercise was also added after the third rep.  They confuse the crap out of me.  I can't seem to figure out the proper form, so I don't feel like I'm getting the workout I'm supposed to.

My youngest thought that I was supposed to be holding her while I did this set.  She finally gave up and started following me and the video as best as an 18 month old can.  It was too cute!

Phase 4:  Workout Set 2

• Hurdle Jumps - These were pretty fun actually.
• Globe Jumps - Globe Jumps aren't my favorite.  Each rep consists of 4 jumps (left, back, right, front) and it will wear you out fast!
• Moving Push Ups - Wasn't able to do these.  I tried doing a modified push up on my knees in the same manner, but I could ever get my hands and feet in the right places at the right time.  I finally just started doing regular push ups.
• Floor Sprints - These don't seem hard, but trying to keep your butt down while sprinting in a plank position is extremely difficult.
• 8 Hop Squats/8 Push Ups - These were added after the third rep.  The hop squats weren't hard, but the push ups slowed me down.  I the people in the video get 4 reps, I believe I only got 2.

By the end of this, I was yelling at my TV.  My kids checked on me a few times to see if I was okay.  During this set, I also had to take a few breaks because my heart rate got up over 200 bpm.  According to heart.org, for my age, my target heart rate should be between 100 and 170 bpm with a max of 200.  I've found that exercises on the floor cause my HR to jump up higher than exercises where I'm standing up.

Phase 5:  Cool Down

Thank God it's finally over!

I probably won't be running Saturday as I have a birthday party for my cousin to attend.  I will, however, update my measurements tomorrow as Saturday is the day Noom asks me to weigh in anyway.  From now on, my measurement updates will be posted on Saturday mornings.