Yoga still a No-No

Well, I finally did it.  I went to a Yoga class (that popular one I mentioned).  I can say with completely clarity that it is NOT for me.  I hated pretty much every moment of it.

Started off the class sitting cross legged and practicing breathing in and out for 5 minutes while letting the "stress of the day float away".  Hey ... I had a pretty stress free day, I don't feel the need to let anything float away.  I guess the actual class (where we did things) wasn't so bad, other than the instructor.  She spoke so quietly that I couldn't hear anything she said.  Then she walked around with her eyes half closed, half rolled back into her head ... walking like she had the worst flu in the world and every step hurt.  I guess it was supposed to be relaxing, but it did nothing for me.  It all felt very fake.

At the end of class she shut down the lights and we were to lay completely still and silent.  For a while she was murmuring things to us (that I could barely hear).  Something came over me and I got the worst case of giggles.  This hum-dee-dum stuff just isn't for me.  The girl who came with me nailed it when she said, "The most exercise I got was trying not to fart in the downward dog".  That about sums it up for me.

I know a lot of people do it, and love it ... but it's just not for me and I won't be trying again.  I guess I have no connection with my spiritual side.  If I need some quiet time I'll put on a candle and drink a cup of tea.  For the strength and stretching aspect, well the class didn't do it for me, so I can find lots of other ways for that.

On the flip side ..... I started a Zumba class last week with my daughter, her boyfriend's Mom & his sister.  It was AWESOME!  I've tried a little Zumba before and thought it was OK, but not outstanding.  Then my daughter said she wanted to try it so I signed us up, thinking it would at least be a nice time with my daughter and all, but maybe not the best workout.  Boy was I wrong!!!

It was one of the toughest and funnest workouts I've ever done.  The instructor is this teeny tiny little Hispanic woman from Miami, Florida and boy can she move.  FULL of energy and just kept us going, going, going!  I looked absolutely ridiculous and clumsy, but if I avoided looking in the mirror then it was a ton of fun.  I felt all kinds of muscles I haven't in a long time.

Also .... the other day my SIL asked me about getting into running.  She's considering entering a 18-20Km race although she's never run before.  I offered to create a training plan for her.  Then it hit me ... I really need this training plan for myself.  I'm at ground zero with my running.  Sure I've been doing fitness classes, but running is a different beast and I am not in running condition.  So, the other day, I started following the plan with a basic run 3 minutes, walk 2 minutes x 6 sets.  When I started off the run felt great and I thought I'd only take/need 1 min walk breaks .... but I quickly ate my words and let myself fully enjoy those 2 minute breaks as I sure needed them.

Tomorrow will be another run day.  Right now it's all gonna be on the treadmill as it's disgusting outside, and I don't have the motivation to get out in that kind of weather.  The other day I was driving along and saw two women running in the rain mixed with snow and I thought to myself  "was I REALLY that crazy?".  Of course at the time I just thought I was dedicated, but at this point in my life I'm thinking I must have been a little insane. Funny how the stages of your life can change.  At this point even if I was running regular, if it was that disgusting out I think I'd just opt for a different type of exercise rather than face the cold and wet.

Hope everyone is having a great week.  I've been kind of quiet in blog-land, but I'm still around.

Take care!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Yoga? No-ga.

Well, I finally decided I would give Yoga a shot.  I've been anti-Yoga for some time.  I just don't get the whole "become one with yourself" kind of thing.  When they start talk about opening yourself to the sun and such I just zone out.  But ... tons of people love it and say there are a ton of benefits.  And, given how stupidly stiff I've been, I figure it probably wouldn't hurt.

So our local community club offers these free trial classes from time to time (I've mentioned them before) and I was signed up for a session last night.  They offered Yoga, Pilates, Abs Only, Bootcamp & Zumba.  They overlap though so you can only take two or three classes at most.

I decided to bite the bullet and try Yoga.  However, when I arrived I was sent in a general direction to the Yoga room.  Walked in and found two of my friends already there waiting.  The instructor walked in, introduced herself, then asked who had done Pilates before.  WHAT?  Oops!  I thought my friends were taking Yoga too, but nope, they had gone for the Pilates.

I actually did get up and go check out the other room that actually WAS doing Yoga.   However, there were only 2 people in there and they were both probably in their late 60's.  I decided to go back to Pilates. :)  Quite enjoyed it.  I used to take Pilates classes and realized yesterday that I quite miss it.

Will have to give the yoga another shot.  There is a drop-in class that is quite popular.  Maybe that's the one to go to.  Another day Yoga .... another day!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

You know you're low on blogging material when ....

I'm still plugging away.  Nothing too interesting to report.  Well, maybe one thing.  I dropped in on a Weight Watchers meeting and picked up the new material the other day.  3 days in, feeling pretty good, and definitely eating better.  


Saw this list on Lynsey's blog and, partly due to lack of anything interesting to post, felt like doing it myself.  (Thanks Lynsey!)


1. What is your favorite "diet" food?
Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches.  I don't like most bars or "diet" products.

2. What is your favorite movie?
I don't have a single fav, but certainly a group that I watch over and over.  Christmas Vacation is probably my most frequently watched movie over the years.  But then there is Dirty Dancing, pretty much anything with Adam Sandler (Waterboy, Mr Deeds, Big Daddy, 50 First Dates, Just Go With It).  I also really like the movie "A Walk to Remember" with Mandy Moore and have watched that a lot.


3. Where do you WANT to live? 

For the most part I quite like where I live, other than the copious amounts of rain we tend to get.  I haven't seen a whole lot of the world, but I rather enjoy the Oregon Coast.  It's probably much worse for rain than here though.  I've only ever been there in the summer.  


4. Do you have kids, want kids?  

I have two teens (girl almost 16, boy 17).  Do not want any more.  Will wait for grandchildren in another 5 yrs or so.  

5. What was the last book you read? 

Not a clue.  I haven't had much time to read for quite a while.

6. When at a picnic do you eat hotdogs or hamburgers?
A picnic, what is that???  Given the choice of the two I probably choose hot dog more often.  I especially love Turkey Dogs!


7. Do you have a strong faith?
I believe in God, I do NOT believe in church.  


8. Can you touch your toes (without bending your knees)
Most definitely!  I can reach underneath my feet actually.  Though I'm sure that has more to do with my upper body being longer in proportion than my lower body - heeheee.


9. Have your ever swam in the ocean?
I have.  On the west coast it is miserably cold though.  In Cuba it was heaven!!


10. What is your favorite topping on pizza?
We have a strong Indo-Canadian presence where I live and they make a vegetarian pizza with special spice (you can request mild, meduim, or hot - which the latter will nearly burn the skin in your mouth)  that is A-MAZ-ING!  My fav is the medium spice.


1 - What do you want done with your body after you die?
Cremated.  Don't waste money on me.


2 - Would you rather receive a practical gift you need or something silly that means something special?
That's a tough one.  I love meaningful gifts, although my family tends to suck at that kind of thing.  But I really enjoy receiving practical things because then I don't have to go out and buy them.


3 - How many pets do you have and what kinds?
Technically I have one dog, a Dacshund named Tia.  But my in-laws outside dog now resides outside our front door so I kind of call her ours. :D  We also have a cat named George that hangs out.




4 - If money weren't an issue, what would you buy?
At least one vacation home, if not more!


5 - What is one thing you plan on doing before 2012 is over?
Dropping the fat I gained in 2011


6 - How did you spend your last birthday?
Doing S.F.A!  And not so happy about it.  Wasn't much of an exciting day.


7 - What are you hoping your next NSV will be? (Non Scale Victory)
Completing one of my fitness classes without having to modify any moves and doing them all at the highest intensity.

8 - What is your favorite healthy snack?
Diced cucumbers and tomatoes with seasoning.


9 - Do you like crunchy or creamy peanut butter?
Crunchy, but everyone else likes cream and I rarely ever eat it anyway.


10 - Do you wear your shoes inside your house?
No!  I live on acreage.  Any shoes coming in to my house would carry way too much dirt.  Besides, shoes are meant for outside.  You should be comfy inside and comfy = no shoes!


11 - What kind of car do you drive?
Chrysler 300M (would like to have either a Dodge Ram 4X4 shortbox, or a Dodge Dakota 4x4 extended cab)

Week One

Week One:  Down 2.7 lbs

It's a decent start, especially considering I still have lots of changes to make.  I haven't been completely faithful to my 30 days of fitness, but there has been some fitness ... including Miss Jillian Michaels.  I was given an old laptop that I decided to use in my gym to play fitness videos.  Unfortunately I blew up the computer trying to "clean it up".  ARGH!  Oh well, it was short lived and fun while it lasted.  I can't get it to turn on now, and it's not worth taking in to get fixed.

New Years was fun.  The kids had a "few" ;) friends over, and we were all up very, very late ... but it was a good time.  I'll spare you the pictures on that one - heehee.  Now life goes back to normal and it's time to put the fun times behind us and get down to business.

Today I am back to work after being off since before Christmas.  It sucks!  I must say I quite enjoyed my days off with no agenda.  Unfortunately I've been staying up much (MUCH) too late and sleeping in late, so this morning was killer.  It's late afternoon now and I can't wait to get home and have a little nap on the couch.

The best change I've made this past week is to add water back into my life.  I got a cute smoothie cup for Christmas and have been using it to drink water.  It's funny how something like a new cup can help with that.

Hope everyone had a wonderful New Years and I wish everyone the best for 2012.

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

♫ ♪ ♫ 

On the second day of fitness,

my true self said to me,

"Drink Water!"

♫ ♪ ♫

Today's personal challenge was to drink a minimum of 8 cups of water.  I'm currently at 7 and will have the last cup before bed.

Got in a 50 min walk before the monsoon rains began this afternoon. :(  Walk was good though, but it's now currently POURING so don't know what tomorrow will hold.

Also today I recorded my weight (Eeeekkk!) and measurements (Yikes!).  Let's just say I've got some work ahead of me.

Heidi

♪ First Day of Fitness ♫

♫ ♪ ♫ 

On the first day of fitness,

my true self said to me,

"Enough is Enough!

Get your fat ass moving"

♫ ♪ ♫

And so it began .... another of my "infamous" 30 Days of Fitness!

It's been a while since I've been around here, but it's time to come back and do things right.  2011 has been a great year in many areas of my life ... fitness and weight have not been among those.  It's time to fix that.

This morning began with a 30 min walk, and a healthy breakfast.  Now it's off for a little Boxing Day shopping, and perhaps another walk this afternoon.

Hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas.  This year was one of the best we've ever had.  Had a lot of fun and we're surrounded with family and friends.  Lots of laughter and good times.

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

The Domino Effect

I just LOVE the Domino Effect...

The domino effect is a chain reaction that occurs when a small change causes a similar change nearby, which then will cause another similar change, and so on in linear sequence.

(source for picture & quote)

Last week I mentioned that I went to a boot camp class.  Originally I had asked my daughter & her boyfriend to come try out one class.  Then, I asked them to commit to five.  Then I asked if boyfriend's Mom wanted to come, which she did.  So already there, we have a little domino effect.


Now .... my son has decided he wants to come every 2nd week (mostly with the objective of one-upping his sister's boyfriend, who is also his buddy and they are highly competitive with each other).  Last night he even did a workout at home to get in a little extra training before the next class.  He already plays soccer and is fairly fit, but wants an extra edge. HAHAHA.  My husband has also decided he wants to come give it a try and see how he does.


Boyfriend's sister may also join us as she's trying to get in shape.  Then last night I heard that his family had a little "plank" contest to see who could hold it the longest.  His Dad (age 55, and while active, it is limited to his somewhat physical job and daily walks) held a plank for over 2 1/2 minutes.  Not bad!  I'm impressed.


I get so inspired by this.  And of course when it's people that are so tightly knit in my personal community it's is even more encouraging.  Last night I hit up the gym for my own personal bootcamp type workout (limited to my small gym).  Basic format:




Run 2 min at 7 - 9mph .. increasing 1mph at every 2nd set
Upper Body move x 2 sets alternating with Lower Body move
Lower Body move x 2 sets alternating with Upper Body move
*Repeat above 3 times but change Upper/Lower body moves
1:00 - 1:30 minute plank
Obliques x 15/side
Reverse Curls x 20
*repeat all of above for another set


This workout took me about 45 minutes to complete.  In total I ran 1.6 miles in 12 minutes which is an average 7:30 pace (not that I could hold that up for ANY extended amount of time).


It felt GOOD!  And I felt so pumped afterwards.

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥