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!

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.

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!

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!

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!

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!

Day 2: Plyometric Cardio Circuit

Today I did the first real workout of Insanity: Plyometric Cardio Circuit.  I plugged in the DVD, cranked up the stereo system, and jammed out to Three Days Grace, Thousand Foot Krutch, Korn, and other high intensity bands (let's face it, Beach Body didn't select the best background music so I always turn it off).

Phase 1:  Warm Up
This "warm up" could be considered a workout on it's own!  It starts out simple enough with jogging in place and jumping jacks, but quickly increases in intensity to Heismans and Mummy Kicks.  That may not seem difficult, but you do three rounds (that are 3 minutes 30 seconds each), pushing yourself faster and harder each time.

Phase 2:  Stretching
I absolutely love stretching!  I love the way it feels when tight, stiff muscles relax and stretch out.  I take my time and enjoy a long, slow stretch.  Shawn T does a very brief stretching routine that I don't particularly enjoy because it doesn't allow me enough time to feel like I've stretched properly (but maybe that's just my martial arts background talking).

Phase 3:  Workout Set 1
Just like the warm up, you perform three reps of five workouts starting with Suicide Drills and progressing to Ski Jumps.  I got a little overzealous yesterday after my Fit Test and went for a two mile brisk walk and aggravated my shins.  I the first rep with the group, but the last two I had to do some modifications because my shins were really starting to hurt.  I stopped all the jumping and hopping that the group was doing and modified the exercises.

• Suicide Drills - I was able to do these just fine.
• Powder Squats - I modified to just regular squats and tried to keep up with Shawn's pace.
• Mountain Climbers - I was modified to jogging in place and punching at the ceiling.
• Ski Jumps - I kept my feet about 4-6 inches apart and powered up with my legs while throwing my arms down and back - almost like a row.

After the third rep, Shawn tacked on a few extra exercises:  Switch Feet (couldn't do these) and Football Sprints (did all but the set and sprint parts).

Phase 4:  Workout Set 2

• Basketball Jumps - My shins were still aching, so I did the squatting and "shooting," but no jumping.
• Level 1 Drills - I did modified push-ups from my knees but instead of running it out, standing up, and back down, I just held a full plank until the next set of push-ups.
• Ski Abs - Wasn't able to do these, so I just held a full plank as long as I could.

Shawn tacked on Jabs, Cross Jacks, Uppercuts, and Attack exercises here.  At this point, my youngest daughter had had enough of me doing Mickey Mouskercises (what my oldest calls my workouts) and demanded that I hold her.  I finished as best as I could with a 1 1/2 year old on my hip.

Phase 5:  Cool Down

This is another short stretching secession, but you will discover tight muscles you didn't even know you had.  My first stretches were actually deeper than the cool down stretches!  When Shawn says "peace out," it is such a relief because the last 45 minutes of torture is over!

My Advice

Please be careful when doing these workouts.  Hypoglycemia runs in my family and I occasionally have problems with my blood sugar (though I've never been officially diagnosed).  While I do not recommend eating right before starting a video, you should definitely eat something small about an hour before - a granola bar, a piece of whole grain bread, anything "complex" to keep your blood sugar more stable.

I also have naturally low blood pressure.  So low that my blood pressure is high if I hit 110/70 and I usually have about 100/60.   This causes me to have dizzy spells if I stand up too fast and let me tell you, all the ups and downs of these workouts can definitely set the room spinning for me.  I tend not to worry so much about checking my heart rate because of this.  However, if you have high blood pressure, I would definitely recommend checking your heart rate and making sure you stay in your recommended beats per minute range.  There are several smartphone apps for this, or you could get a heart rate monitor that you wear.  A simple Google search will pull up tons of options.

See you Friday!

Day 1: This Is Me & Fit Test

Hi there!

So this will be my first blog post for the revamped Blog It Off and I figure I should tell you a little about myself.  I am a mother of two beautiful little girls and married to my wonderful husband of four years.  Now, I love my children dearly, but having a little one grow inside you takes a major tole on your body.  I now tote around roughly forty extra pounds of fat and much less muscle.  You see, before my kids I was a very fit martial artist and had been training for eleven years.  I miss the confidence I had when I was in shape.  I miss being able to look in the mirror and not hate what I was looking at.  I feel like a stranger is looking back at me and I'm tired of it.

I've tried a couple things to get back in shape but I haven't stuck to anything for more than a few months because I wasn't seeing results.  I tried running, I tried dieting, I tried to get back into martial arts,  I even tried diet pills.  Nothing stuck in the long run.  I decided that dieting wasn't for me because I wanted a lifestyle change not a short-term fix.  I was discouraged when I tried to pick up martial arts again because I couldn't do everything I had been able to (totally irrational thinking I know..)  I actually kind of liked the diet pills more for the boost they gave me during the day, but also because I lost a few pounds rather quickly.  But pills are not a fix to the problem.  They will not change your lifestyle - the root of almost all weight problems.  Pills can only mask the problem and offer temporary success if you do not use them with regular healthy eating and workouts.

In 2013, I also tried the workout program Insanity.  I liked it, but wasn't pleased with the results (or lack of, actually).  I lost roughly five pounds during the program where all over I see reports of people losing twenty or more in the first round.  Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed.  I allowed myself to give up on my fitness dreams and resigned myself to having "the mommy body" for a whole year.

But not any more!  Late January, I picked up running again and found that I no longer care about what people think when they see me working out - life is to short to worry about other's opinions!  I'm running (well, jogging actually), about 11 miles a week and following a Couch to 5K program.

I've also decided to start my second round of Insanity and did my first Fit Test today.  Here are my results:

• Switch Kicks - 55 (these weren't too bad)
• Power Jacks - 25 (my thighs started burning FAST!)
• Power Knees - 55 (these are harder than you expect)
• Power Jumps - 15 (these are difficult)
• Globe Jumps - 5 (these don't seem hard, but after about two rounds, you're feeling it!)
• Suicide Jumps - 9 (call me crazy, but I actually really love doing these)
• Push-Up Jacks - 10 (I could have just done the "jack" part and been worn out!)
• Low Plank Obliques - 50 (my form started suffering about half way through and my feet kept slipping)

Now for my starting measurements:

• Arms - 12.5"
• Chest - 38"
• Waist - 42.5"
• Hips - 43.5"
• Thighs - 22.5"

• Weight - 171.6 lbs.
• BMI - 27.3

And my "Before" pictures:

I'll be using MusclePharm's Shred Matrix instead of coffee (with LOTS of creamer) for the energy boost I need in the morning.  On days I'm really dragging, I may even use MusclePharm's pre-workout drink, Assault, in Raspberry Lemonade.

I'll be doing my Insanity workouts Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and running my C25K program Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.

I'm using Noom Coach to track my calories in and calories burned.  I also have the Noom Pedometer to track my steps throughout the day, with a daily goal of 8000.

Thank you for reading and following along with me on my fitness journey!  See you tomorrow!