wildbeanerz

I'm here but will probably just be reading along this week. I am not doing horribly or anything. I have still been eating a few things that I know that I shouldn't and have to put a stop to that. I'm also still up about 5-6 lbs from TOTM. It should be over any day now and hopefully I can get those pounds back off by Monday. Monday starts this years Healthy Weigh Challenge at work for 8 weeks. I am trying to come up with a goal for those eight weeks. I don't want to shoot too low and say 10lbs because I know that honestly I can do better than that. So maybe I will say 15 lbs. That would be almost 2lbs a week though and I'll have TOTM twice in there.

I went to my yearly 'lady' appointment yesterday and Mike will be proud that I scheduled my baseline mammogram for May 30th. She wanted to start when I'm 35 anyway and she said yesterday again about how nodular my breast tissue is so it will be a good idea to get a baseline mammo. Also while I was there we discussed frequency of TOTM since it is about every 3 to 3-1/2 weeks for the past 5-6 months. And sorry Mike ... heavier flow than usual with clots that aren't usual for me and more cramping than is usual too .... so I will be having a trans-vaginal ultrasound next Monday (March 5th) followed up with a hysterosonogram the following Wednesday (14th) where they insert water into your uterus during the procedure. These will be to check for uterine polyps. I had one before and it caused the same symptoms but worse. She thinks that I may be leading up to that again.

On the son issue...tomorrow is a psych eval to determine if he is right for placement at a different partial hospitalization program. If he is accepted we have an appt immediately following to do the intake paperwork. I really hope that he is accepted because if not, I have a son at home who needs care and won't have anywhere to go for schooling & intensive therapy until I find another program to take him. That would not be a good situation!

Mike ... Good luck on your 1/2 this weekend! I know you can do it in whatever amount of time you set your mind to!

Tori ... Your pics from last week looked so fun!...You go girl! You have great goals this week!

Pam ... Your train trip sounds like heaven to me right now. I'd give anything for a week of rest. ... I love that you are in a weight loss challenge too. Mine is also for 8 weeks starting Monday march 5th.

Amy ... I feel ya on the split fingers. It is cold in my office almost always since I work next to a refrigerated warehouse and my cuticles and nails are really paying the price. .. I love that you do all that sewing and stuff for your girls. You really are a great mom and the time you spend will pay off greatly when they are older and look back on all those things! ... Can't wait to see baby bunnies!!

Quinn ... You're doing great on your goals this week!

Shalafi ... Love your goal of not being squishy! I have no actual weight goal but more of a feeling and size in mind. Welcome to the group!

Darlene ... Glad to hear you like your new job. I am right there with you on the crazy busy-ness.

Mern ... Where are you? Did I miss your post?

Kimbur ... That's a lot of exercise! I hope it breaks your plateau for ya!

Terri ... You are doing awesome! How is the Shred? Does it have stuff you can do when you aren't that fit? I might have to look into it. I'm getting a little bored with what I do but I gravitate towards doing what I know because it does work for me.

Lizzie ... Thank you for the personal good wishes. They are much needed right now. He is home and so far so good, but nothing has stressed or angered him yet. So we shall see once he is back to a daily routine what happens. He was very surprised to learn that we have considered going the residential treatment route for a longer term inpatient care if him being home this time doesn't work out. I think it may have been a bit of a shocker to his brain that we would actually consider doing that to him (FOR HIM!)

I'm sorry to anyone that I left out, but this week is so crazy for me! Has anyone heard from Rose lately? I miss her posts!

bojibridge

Thanks for the good wishes on my exam, guys. It was easier than expected, but that doesn't necessarily translate into a good grade - there were lots of little things I may have missed.

taubele

April, lovely for you to check in, and good luck on your 8-week goal for work! I've been so interested in reading how you/your son are doing. I just want you to know that seeing you keep yourself mentally in the game and doing what's best for him have been awesome for me to watch. I can't imagine what you go through on a daily or weekly basis and your strength is inspiring

Regarding the Shred -- it's about 25-27 minutes per workout, including the warmup and cooldown, with the intense part being like 18 or 19 minutes, I think. It's a combined strength/cardio/abs routine, where you do 3 minutes of strength, followed immediately by 2 minutes of cardio, and then 1 minute of ab work in 3 cycles. There's no resting involved. You just need a mat or carpet and some hand weights. I personally use two sets of hand weights ( a 2 lb. and a 4 lb. ) because some of the strength exercises are easier/harder for me. I use the heavier weights on the ones that are easier for me (like back exercises).

I personally had a hard time with it when I was a little more out-of-shape when I was beginning my lifestyle change. The no-resting is a killer, because you just want to catch your breath. You learn when to take your "breathers" during the strength and abs portions. There's nothing particularly hard about it in terms of the moves - they're pretty simple - but there's no hiding that she's basically trying to beat you up for 20 minutes.

It's broken into 3 levels that you're supposed to do for 10 days each.

Level 1 goes like this:

Warmup (dynamic stretching, jumping jacks)

Circuit 1

Strength:
30 seconds -- pushups
1 minute -- combined legs and arms (squats with a shoulder press)
30 seconds -- pushups
1 minute -- combined legs and arms (squats with a shoulder press)
Cardio:
1 minute jumping jacks, 1 minute jumprope (split into 30 seconds each jacks/rope/jacks/rope)
Abs:
30 seconds crunches, 30 seconds reverse crunches

Circuit 2

Strength:
30 seconds dumbbell rows
1 minute -- combined legs and arms (lunges and bicep curls)
Repeat

Cardio:
1 minute butt kicks, 1 minute punches (split into 30 second segments butt kicks/punches/butt kicks/punches

Abs:
1 minute obliques (30 secs each side)

Circuit 3

Strength:
30 seconds chest flies
1 minute -- combined legs and arms (side lunge with anterior raises -- I HATE anterior raises)
Repeat

Cardio:
30 seconds of each cardio -- jacks, butt kicks, punches, jumprope

Abs:
1 minute bicycle crunches

Cooldown:
Static stretching

Levels 2 and 3 get progressively harder with things like planks and more intense cardio moves.

It's nothing that is particularly hard in terms of technique, but it's a little intense, and Jillian is yelling at you the entire time I found when I first started I had a LOT of soreness in my muscles (so much that it was really painful to sit/get up/walk down stairs) and I often skipped days, and took small breaks during portions of the tape even when you're not supposed to. It's easier now, but still challenging. Jillian does show you ways to modify moves to make them easier, and one of her backups is ALWAYS showing the low-impact version of harder moves to make sure you have proper form, but even the easy moves, you feel it. At least I do I'd say to give it a try if you think that you're ready to have a hard workout, but if you struggle with things like pushups and lunges etc., you might want to wait. This is the first time I've been able to do it for 5 days in a row.

Just my two cents. Anyone else with experience can certainly chime in Goodness, I wrote a novel again...

wildbeanerz

Terri ... Thank you so much for that explanation! I think it does look like something that I could give a go at. I may have to modify the pushups just because I am still so heavy but somehow even though I am heavy I am pretty fit, flexible and capable of things that some people half my size can't do. Ha! I had my 14 yr old son who loves to box his heavy bag and do situps and lift weights work out with me a few mornings and he doesn't do half of what I do and he's beat!

I'll have to look for the disc and give it a shot. It might be what I need to do to really make the most of the next 8 weeks.

Thanks for the compliments about my son too. It is seriously the hardest thing that I have ever gone through in my life. It helps me immensely to sort of journal it out to you guys. I really appreciate all the encouragement that I have gotten here.

taubele

I still do modified pushups (on my knees versus up on the balls of my feet) and one of her backups is doing the modifieds

My half-excuse is that regular pushups are really tough on my bad ankle. I can do them, but it definitely twinges on the reconstructed tendons and I just don't want to injure myself that way again. I make up for it by going as fast as I can doing the modifieds and I hope it all evens out in the end.

Shalafi

Good Morning/Afternoon All!

soo results from yesterday.

Health/Fitness
1-calories at least 1000 no more than 1100 M:851(Was still recovering from Fun day on Sunday)
2-64 oz water a day- Yeah This mite be the biggest challenge for me!M: 24oz
3-stick to new work out schedule- Finish lvl 2 of 30 day shred on Monday start lvl 3 tuesday for the next 10 days. *flex* I can do it, or die trying.M:Y!!!
4-Post and Blog daily[COLOR="Black"]M:Y
5- Roller blade at least every other day min of 30mins M: Y
Life/Home
1- clean out garage!!!! M:N

*looks at all her red* Yeah I'm work in progress.

Joanna Well yay the exam is over, I'm sure you did fine!

Wildbeanerz ohhh You should go for the 15lbs, Make it a challenge.

Tori HA! I would love to see a video of you doing zumba, you know to support you and all *snickers*

Taubele Oh yay Another Shreder. Have you done all 3 lvls before? I'm starting Lvl 3 today, Did all of lvl one 10days no breaks. Lvl 2 took 2 breaks so I would like to try and do all 10 days of 3 without breaking.

For anyone who wants to try out the shred lvl 1's full video is up on youtube.

ToriD1012

Just logged and ate lunch, an hour and a half later than normal. But at least I had a few minutes of down time. Gonna get back to it so I can get out of here at a decent time this afternoon. And then I have to put in my miles AND do the Burn. It's been a while since I've popped that one in the DVD player so it may hurt. I'll probably be complaining tomorrow. Terri I'm counting on you to smack me around a little bit so I don't have to tell Mike that he's awesome. Great motivation to get it done, BTW!!

almeeker

April, any woman that can stand thigh deep in muck weed to transplant lilies can manage the Shred. It's about as complicated as Jr. High gym class, like Terri said it's very basic. It does work so I think if you spend the $10 you won't be out the money. My only beef with it is that the music was added after the fact and so very little of it is in sync to the beat, which throws me off. It's also not fun, sorry I'm a child of the 80's when Jazzercise, Dancercize, Aerobics, and big hair were the norm, (and Richard Simmons seemed much less weird) working out to music should be a little fun in my mind. Nobody shouts out any "woo" for Jillian, she's all about sweat, not so much about enjoyment. Now if you want some evil in your workout, get you some Bob Harper, he's at least having fun making you hurt yourself, pure evil.

wildbeanerz

I have never done a workout video and I always hesitate to buy them. I hate really upbeat perky people and I just know that if that is what it is, then I won't do it. I know Jillian is pretty no nonsense so she might be okay for me and at $10 it really wouldn't be that big of a waste if I couldn't stand her, LOL. ... Maybe I should just check ebay for some Richard Simmons!! It would at least be good for calorie burn from laughing!

I am so dying to get out in the yard. If it would just get above 60 for a week or so to dry things up! I am not usually one to long for summer, but this year I just can't wait to get outside and be doing stuff. I guess that is a sign that I am healthier inside & out

fit4luv

I'm putting out only my FIT goals this week. I'm working on changing how I manage housework & other goals. Maybe next week I'll add on the DAY (Life) goals.

~~Changes~~
1. Water: I increased water intake goal from 48 oz daily to 64 oz daily. Thanks to Amy, I'm now into a better habitual pattern with how I "divide and conquer".

2. Caloric Intake: Was at 1800 calorie, but am now working downward. I'm leaning toward 1600 calorie per day and hopefully soon that will be on the high side.

~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~
FitDay Challenge *~* March Onward
Check-in: MON -
Sun = Cushion Day {Respite with Reason} . . . Daily = x6/wk
“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu


MON MISSION -> WATER: Think & Drink 16 oz/x4 ~DONE
TUES MISSION -> WALK: 3 miles ~DONE
WED MISSION -> FOOD: Try a new & simple recipe. ~

FIT => Focus * Intake * Train
FOCUS {Mind & Heart}
*Audio Bible (10 Chapt):
*Hlth Group (Bk Study, 7 Sections): x4
*Thankfulness Journal (x6): x2

INTAKE {Nutrition}
FOOD: .'. Think {5 Grain/Meat/Veg/Oils} & {3 Dairy~1½ Fruit} & {Extra w/in Goal}
*1600-1700 Calorie: AT/BELOW x1 ::: ABOVE x0
*Water 64 oz: YES x1 ::: No x0
*Supplements: YES x1 ::: No x0

TRAIN {Movement}
*Aerobic (150"): 30"
*Muscular (2x Each): UEs x1 ~ LEs x0 ~ Torso/Fx x0
*Mindful Miles (10): 2 miles