rise of the mid-section

I'm finally feeling like life is calming down and I can regain control and so begins a new blog post.  Sorry it's been a while since my last update, life has been blah for me when it comes to wanting to blog.  so much has happened, good and better then planned and then there's the rise (increase) of my mid-section.

I stopped exercising in mid-September when I hit a brick wall and since have gained 5lbs and 6" on my waist causing some infrequent pains in my lower back.  This past weekend I put together a new notebook to record my workouts and read through pg. 90, which gets me to stage (week) 5 of the plan.  My trips to the gym have been pretty infrequent, but I have been going.  It's really just a blow to my pride going back in this type of shape.  Tacking on 5 extra pounds has really made a huge difference to how I feel and  my body shape.  I was in such great shape a few months ago and I wanted to go back to the gym feeling my sexiest and instead I'm coming back a few pounds heavier and a low self-esteem.  Though with RYBO I plan on gaining back control of my body weight and self esteem.

Last week I picked up a copy of Run Your Butt Off by Runner's World.  I kept getting the emails and after I bit it peeked my interest.  I knew that I needed to do something and my energy levels have dropped making it difficult for me to begin the Sexy is Strong Challenge again. 

Abs Today:

Weight: 159

It's now day 4 and I'm doing pretty good.  The book recommends scoring yourself each day on how well you do in eating healthy.  1 being a bad day and 5 being whatever your idle of eating healthy is.  I'm going to be posting my daily eats and workout scores like I did with Sexy is Strong Challenge on facebook and my blogging goal is at least once a week to keep myself accountable . I've also be posted embarrassing photos of my my abs (shown above) to show how much I've let my abs go and below Ive posted what they looked like back in August to help motive me to loose the extra inches.  

Goals to be accomplished by December 31 (5 weeks):
* run for 30 minutes without a rest period
* lose 4" in my abs
* eliminate lower back pain
* look and feel like I did in August (photo below)

Abs on 08/12/11:

Weight: 154


Yesterday's Eats: go
Yesterday's Workout go

beautifully serene

Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge_visit Week6
Friday. I jump out of bed with energy and purpose!

Shockingly I sleep very well last night and was so glad to wake up feeling rested.  I still passed on getting up to workout this morning, I think now because it was what I'd done all week and it was comfortable and easy.  However, I did sneak in a Tone it Up! workout before lunch time.  Though I only went through it once. 

* Detention Workout– 2-3 Repeat Circuit by Tone it Up (only once through today)
   10 R-Lunges
   10 L-Lunges
   60 secs Plank
   20 Squat Jacks
   10 R-Side Crunches w/out medicine ball
   10 L-Side Crunches w/out medicine ball
   20 Tummy Tucks

I don't have an exercise ball so I can't write "I will tone it up!" with a medicine ball, so I'll just be in plank position for 60 seconds instead.

After work I plan on stopping by two places.  One I'm super excited just from the interior pictures, but not sure if I want to be that far north.  I think the drive by will be very helping in determining if this house is worth the drive.  

HOUSE #1 WICONISCO ST    

PROS * $89,900 * 3bed, 1.5 bath *  Super close to work * $0000 Taxes * detached garage * nice size fenced in yard

CONS - Galleyway Kitchen - Looks like a forest outfront - no central air - small bathroom - no central air

Listed on 08/27/11

HOUSE #2 BUTLER ST 

PROS * $89, 900 * 3bed, but only 1 bath * HW floors * $0000 Taxes * Nice size fenced in yard * Great open kitchen

CONS - A further drive - no central air -

Listed on 02/07/11

eats

were very good today.

Breakfast:
* 1/2 blueberry bagel w pb + chia seeds + strawberries
* cottage cheese
* coffee

snack:
* black seedless grapes
* almonds
* raisins

Lunch:  Salad Wrap + cherries

* pre-made salad in deli w tuna salad
* cucumber
* cherry tomatoes
* Giant Organic Italain Dressing
* Spinach Wrap

Snack:
* chocolate protein shake
* yellow apple

each day is a gift

Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge_visit Week6
Thursday. Each day is a gift.

It was a pretty rough night again.  After the week I've had and the issues with sleep latency I need to find a way or two to help relax me so I'm not so wired before I turn out the lights.  After an hour I was finally able to fall asleep, but with some disrupted sleep and by the time my alarm went off my body was not fully rested.

I didn't get to my workout today or even yesterday, but hope sometime this evening I will get even a short workout in.  Laundry was one of the things I was able to get done this morning and glad that I only had enough for one load. 

I did however, get a chance to organize some house information and chose 4 from the printouts my Realtor gave me to review.  There were, as always, good and bad for each of them, but really some of the bad helped to eliminate them completely.

HOUSE #1 PENNWOOD. PILE: NO 

This house was a town house/row home that had some really great qualities, but also had a few things that distracted from the good.

PROS * $70, 900 * 3bed, but only 1 bath * Nicely kept neighborhood,    but just on that block * $1303 Taxes * Nice size fenced in yard

CONS - Railroad a block over - Furniture warehouse a block over - baseboards - older cabinets - pink tile in the only bathroom - no central air

HOUSE #2 GREEN.  PILE: NO  

As I made my way to this house I was getting a little nervous. the neighborhood just was to run down and dirty that there was no way I was going to even keep this a consideration. I parked for a quick second and then decided to just keep moving. Plus the road was really clogged up with vehicles and the roads were torn up.

HOUSE #3 N 3RD. PILE: REALTOR

PROS  * $94,900 * 4bed, but only 1 bath * Close to Italian Lake * Close to work * Laundry Room * Nice size fenced in yard * Includes Mic+DW+Fridge+W/D * beautiful layout and flooring * open and beautiful kitchen

CONS  - $2373 Taxes - Neighborhood could be cleaner - on street parking - window units - oil, radiator heat - asbestos shingles - back yard view

HOUSE #4 FULTON ST. PILE: REALTOR  

I was really excited about his place as it had so many great things going and in May they lowered the asking price by 35k.  It was a pretty sweet thought thinking that such a beautiful house with a 2 car garage was located in Harrisburg in my price range, but then I realized why when I drove by.  It was this beautiful bubble community surround by a whole lot of ugly.  I k now the city is trying to bring up the community, but why you would build such beautiful homes in that specific location I don't understand.  It really doesn't make me feel safe to walk outside of the bubble community and having a safe community I can walk freely in is high on my list.  With this I can definitely see why it hasn't sold and why they included a two car garage & a beautiful while privacy fence, because no one would be stupid enough to park their expensive car in such a neighborhood.  Plus, the privacy fence helps to hide the run down city around your home. 

Dispute how ugly the surrounding community is I'm still planning on making a visit., as it's like a needle in a hay stack home with all the amenities.    Really with all that it offers I would be silly not to at least walk inside and check it out.  Plus, it's the lesser priced of the ones for sale and it's the best looking as far as updates and space planned. 

PROS  * Kitchen Size * 2 bed 1.5 ba * Beautiful community * Central Air/Heat * Laundry Room * Nice size fenced in yard * price reduced 35k in May * 2 car garage * built in 2004 * gas range, mic, dw, fridge, w/d

CONS  - $110K - Surrounding Neighborhood - $2000 taxes - back yard view - possible short sale

summary

I'm still no where near making an offer on any of the houses I've viewed and driven by and wont be for a little while as I still have a pretty sizable pile of homes to drive by and potentially visit.  I've only had one house and that's the one on 5th street that I was willing to place an offer, but currently it's still off the market going through the final foreclosure stage before it goes back on the market.  Though it's nice to see what else is out there and who knows I may find something else that says this is home

Currently, I have around 6 condos/homes I would like to attend a showing and so my official Realtor is hard at work scheduling those appointments for next Tuesday.  I'll continue to keep you updated on the process and posting photos of the places I drive by and what I like and don't like and hopefully be able to make a final decision in the next 30-60 days when I'll know if I qualify for first time home buyer help.

I have two that I want to drive by before I head off to Huntington tomorrow,  and about 8 near the Derry/Berryhill area that I'll visit either Monday or Thursday next week..

eats

were almost really good.  Had 2 donuts around lunch time and 3 chocolate chip cookies around dinner.

Breakfast:
* 1/2 blueberry bagel w pb + chia seeds + strawberries
* cottage cheese
* coffee

snack:
* 2 donuts (1) chocolate frosting on plain (1) chocolate glazed

Lunch:  Salad Wrap + yellow apple

* pre-made salad in deli w tuna salad
* cucumber
* cherry tomatoes
* Giant Organic Italain Dressing
* Spinach Wrap
* broccoli, mushrooms, onions (leftovers)

Snack:
* black seedless grapes
* almonds
* raisins

Dinner
* Kashi Autumn Wheat 
* soy milk
* strawberries
* 3 small Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookies

lights in the sky

Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge_visit Week6
Wednesday. I can do anything I wish

I think maybe the run last night might have been overkill, but I'm still not regretting it.  Loved, almost, every minute of it.  Though not to happy about the sun coming in earlier now that fall is setting in.  Hoping tonight to go for another run, but not sure how long my meeting will go tongiht and if the sun will stay up long enough for me to run.  I'll I need is 2o minutes of good daylight to make me happy, please, please pretty please.

I finally got around to calling my hairdresser last night, but with it being after hours I left a message and knew they would call me back today.  I was surprised to set an appointment for next Friday.  My hairdresser is really hard to get an appointment with and you have to set it sometimes close to a month ahead in order to get a time that wont conflict with my work schedule.  I was expecting to set an appointment in October, but was surprised to hear that she had an opening next Friday at 6pm.  This would cause me to be late heading up to Huntingdon, but this was something I was willing to do, becasue I so really really need a trim.  My hair hasn't been cute in over 3 months and is so thick that it's hard to take care of.  It's going to take far less time to dry and flat iron once it's thinned and hoping that my hair will look longer.  It just seems like my hair should be or at least appear longer since I've been trying to grow it out the last 6 months.    Though the one thing I'll miss is being able to put my hair in a pony tail, because my hair wont be the same length once it's thinned. 

SIDE AND FRONT VIEW OF CURRENT HAIR LENGHT   

It rained off and on today and heavy when it was one.  I hoped that I would catch a run after my meeting, but the rain just didn't stop and an hour into the meeting a lightening storm began.  It caused a lot of chaos outside as several firetrucks made their way down the main street with police vehicles following behind.  We were uncertain what to think, especially when we peered outside to see what was going on and saw the lightening storm that seemed to stick to only two areas. 

We tried to keep the humor light, but you could feel the tension rise once the lights went out and the alarm starting to beep. After making a few phone calls and finding out there was nothing we could do about the alarm we headed back to the office with my flash light ap lighting the room we continued our meeting and closed shortly after the lights came back on and we had a plan for the next step. 

The lightening storm was still occurring, but the rain had stopped so we were able to safely make our way to our vehicles and make it home without any delays. Once home I made my way to the kitchen to settle the grumbling in my stomach.  Luckily, I had my water with me to help fill my tummy, but by 9pm I was ready to fill it with something more solid.  I grabbed a box of autumn wheat by Kashi, soy milk and strawberries enjoyed a simple bowl of cereal.  I did decided to add a slice of cornbread after sampling a small piece that was leftover from my grandparent’s dinner. If I ate butter I would have added some to it, just to moisten it up a bit, but other then that it was delicious. 

I was surprised to see such an influx of houses to review when I checked my email and spent the next 2 hours to sort through the MLS listings along with comparing the houses that sparked an interest on Trulia.com and mapping out the directions from work to get a better idea of where they are location.  Once of the listings I'm really excited about and I plan on driving by it tomorrow to determine exactly what the neighborhood is like, because that will make it or break it.  The neighborhood is so important and I want to make sure it's safe and clean.  

ANOTHER HOUSE OF INTEREST.TOP OF LIST   

eats

were pretty on today.

I very much enjoyed my spinach wrap for lunch.  I'm going to cut up the extra cucumber tomorrow so I can add more of them to my salad.  I love cucumbers and cherry tomatoes, which I slice dinto 3 sections to fit better in the wrap.  Cherry tomatoes are my most favorite finger food. 

Breakfast:
* 1/2 blueberry bagel w pb + chia seeds + strawberries
* coffee

snack:
* black seedless grapes
* almonds
* raisins

Lunch:  Salad Wrap + yellow apple

* pre-made salad in deli w tuna salad
* cucumber
* cherry tomatoes
* Giant Organic Italain Dressing
* Spinach Wrap
* broccoli, mushrooms, onions (leftovers)

Snack:
* toast
* pb + jam + chia seeds
* 1/2 banana

dinner:
* kashi autumn wheat
* soy milk
* strawberries
* cornbread

salad dreams

Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge_visit Week 5
Tuesday. I treat my body like my best friend

Another rest morning today, but the plan is to do my bodyrock workout and run after work.  This way I will have more time to enjoy my workout and also allows my body to rest a little longer.  Today at work was better, and I had good energy supply up until I decided an afternoon cup of coffee was a good idea.  I didn't need it just wanted a cup, but just felt my energy level decrease and it was just a bad idea. 

I began my workout sometime around 6 o'clock.  I started with a 5 minute jog to warm up and then placed my workout cheat sheets on the floor; practiced each move twice and began my interval timer.  

* Run the world workout – 12 minute Bodyrock interval workout
   P#1 08-08-09 R-Lunge Back to Side Lunge
   P#1 09-10-09 L-Lunge Back to Side Lunge
   P#2 20 rounds Crazy Cali Countdown - 4 minutes
   P#3 13-11-14 R-Side Crunch
   P#3 12-09-12 L-Side Crunch
* 3 mile run along River Front – Kelker to beginning of City Island bridge loop

Visit my bodyrock tab to download this workouts cheat sheet

IMAGE SOURCE    

round #1 notes.
It took about the first minute before I realized I was skipping a step (touch the ground) on the Lunge Back and what a differnce it made once I incorporated it.
round #2 notes.
The Crazy Cali Countdown was actually a pretty sweet move and finally between round 2 and 3 I got the flow down and was really having a good time. 
round #3 notes.
Though the last round I had to switch over to modified push ups.  I've never seen a side crunch done like this and boy do you feel it.  The last round was killer!

eats
were pretty on today, except for my 2nd cup of coffee in the afternoon.

I was excited to grab a pre-made salad from Giant.  I absolutely love their mixed salad with a scoop of tuna and potato salad.  It's enough for me to squeeze 3 salads out of, so lunch for the rest of the week, but need to buy more cherry tomatotes and cucumbers, since it's mostly a basic salad.  But I wanted something simple I could use my spinach wraps for.  

I wasn't sure what I was going to have as my side, but that was solved as soon as I walked inside the grocer and saw their display of tote bagged apples.  The yellow apples looked so good, but I knew I wasn't going to eat all of them before they go bad, so I took a few out since it was by the pound.

Salad: makes 3 svgs
* pre-made salad in deli (also has a scoop of tuna and potato salad)
* extra cucumber
* extra cherry tomatoes
* Giant Organic Italain Salad
* Spinach Wrap
* broccoli, mushrooms, onions (leftovers)

a weekend passed by

workout
Week 4 Friday-Monday
Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge  

I can't believe this weekend has come and gone the weekends over.  Those holiday weekends are sneaky that way.  Though I'm sure it's more, because I spent my whole weekend + Monday up in Huntingdon working and meeting a few members of the family.

PANERA: .5 MED VEGGIE w no feta, CHICKEN SOUP + APPLE  

FRIDAY.  No workout this morning.  Slept in and enjoyed every extra minute of Zzzzz  I  was excited to leave work at 4:30pm, especially since it meant I would arrive up north a little sooner.  However, I was told not to leave so early,  and decided to run a few errands and have dinner at Panera before leaving.   I absolutely love their Mediterranean Veggie sandwich (no feta) and I wanted soup over salad today so I went with the cashiers favorite.   We were a little late arriving despite what I thought would be right on time. 

View daily Workout
I accept and love myself completely

FIBER ONE + BLUEBERRIES IN SILK MILK ORIGINAL  

SATURDAY.  Seemed a little chaotic, but I managed to sneak in my bodyrock workout Burpees are Forever (my Monday workout I skipped) , I also started a push up challenge.  I completed 4 rounds, but they weren't easy, especially after my workout; 3-4-5-5 for a total of 17, plus a 2 mile run-walk.  I ran half of it, but it was just to humid and I was exhausted.   I also completed a few chores; vacuumed and cleaned out the food pantry.  It was a  tosseled mess, so I began with clearing and wiping down one shelf at a time.  I added any item older then 2009 to the outdoor animal pile also nothing would go unused and noted the expiration date on everything  with a permanent marker  oldest in front and newest in back.  It looks great now, but  took longer then expected, like several hours longer, but now you can now plan on what to make from what you see in the pantry and hopefully no food will be wasted or bought again until the old is used up. 

View Daily Workout
* 2 mile run-walk
I see the gifts in life, always

* Yoga Download:20 minute video
* 20 minute brisk walk, jog or rebound

IMAGE SOURCE  

SUNDAY. I made sure to be up and ready for morning coffee; however  no word came so I began my workout sometime around noon.  I started with a 5 minute warm up on the porch, then followed with Friday's workout, Fierce Friday by Bodyrock. I completed my push up challenge 3-4-5-5 for a total of 17 and decided on not running today.  After my shower I headed to the store so I could pick up a few ingredients for dinner.  The plan was to make turkey meat loaf muffins, but couldn't find any muffin tins so we just had turkey meatloaf.  I got the recipe off of bodybuilding.com, but wasn't  impressed.  I really enjoyed the meat loaf I made 2 weeks ago from a weight watchers cookbook. 

View Daily Workout
I choose to treat my body, mind and soul with total respect and honour

* Active Rest Day

IMAGE SOURCE  

MONDAY. started out with morning coffee and then back home for more cleaning!  Today I tackled  under the sink cabinet and the the 4-drawer cabinet next to the left of the sink.  It's really helped to find things and to clear out some of the clutter.  It makes for a more pleasant experience in the kitchen and prevents from buying something you already have 3 of.  I guess I feel better to knowing that everything has been freshly washed, including the drawers.  It's something that should be done when your in fall/spring cleaning mode.

I chose to make today an active rest day since I've been working so hard cleaning.  For dinner we attended a bbq.  While trying to figure out how I was going to go home, the guys suggested a new route for me to take, which ended up cutting an hour (one-way) off my drive and saves me from going over the mountains or paying any tolls ($11/weekend).  Plus, one of the guys was driving that direction and I was able to follow him all the way to Harrisburg.  It was a total blessing!

It's all about the effort

workout
Week 4 Thursday
Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge  

I had to fight the urge to sleep in, especially since I decided to stay up past 1am to play on my computer, but it wasn't reason enough to miss my workout so I'm proud  to say that I accomplished the At Home Workout by bodyrock. It also helped by having being prepared and having a print out of the exercises so I didn't have to mess with the internet.   Saves LOADS of time.

I did forgot to warm up beforehand and afterward didn't have enough time for a run or the Yoga for Abs routine  I was hoping that after my plans this evening I would be able to run along River Front, but I managed to forget my shoes so not sure how the night will pan out now.  Though I could still do the Yoga for Abs workout when I arrive home.

* At Home Workout: 10 minute Bodyrock interval workout
* Yoga For Abs: 10 minute video

I didn't have a major sweat session with this routine, but it was definitely a challenge to perform  each exercise correctly and with muscle intent.
View Daily Workout  

COMBO #1
I realized on the 2nd round of Santana Plank that I wasn't performing them correctly.  I forgot to twist my feet so my whole body was rotating versus just my upper body and arm.  The Diagonal Plank Jump was pretty killer to and I could have been more intentional using my ab muscles.

COMBO #2
The step ups didn't seem hard until I switched legs and then I also made sure once I pulled the other knee up that it was slow as well as slow stepping back to the floor.

COMBO #3
The duck under was the easiest to perform & even a little fun :)  The side to side push-ups, wow, were super duper hard for me, but I stuck it out without modification.

IMAGE SOURCE 

The weather was so nice after work I just couldn't resist heading out for a walk before my evening event.  As I was gathering my gear I realized  I had forgotten my shoes at home and so the only options I had available were a pair wedge flip flops that I wore to work and a pair of plaid slips ons with no support.  I ended up choosing the no support plaids, because I've attempted to walk in my wedges and it was a very unpleasant experience, however, this wasn't that much different of an experience.  Even with a pair of athletic extra cushioned socks to help cushion my feet it still wasn't enough and 30 minutes in my heels were feeling very distressed making me walk in the grass on my way back.  I felt a little silly wearing those shoes and having my armband and tunes on, but even more since I decided not to change out of my blue jeans.  I honestly didn't think I would be very sweaty, because it was very cool outside and even though I didn't have a major sweat session it was enough to create a layer of grossness and a regret of not making the quick wardrobe change. 

Before leaving for my evening event I put on a pair of workout pants that I didn't realize I had with me so my legs could breath and hopefully eliminate some of the grossness.  Though I should have changed my shirt to, but I thought I was heading home afterward and instead headed out to the bowling alley with the boys.  One of my guys is turning 25 tomorrow and I'm unable to attend the party since I'll be halfway to Huntingdon before it starts so I thought it was best to head out tonight so I could see him and wish him a Happy Birthday.  

daily affirmation
I am exactly where I need to be, right in this moment

eats:
View Daily Eats

daily goals:
* Bed by 10pm
* Read
* Repeat the daily affirmations
* log all eats and daily workout
* Review tomorrows workout: Fierce Friday by Bodyrock

blogs to recommend:
* Ola Fitness
* Get Regimental

inspiration on the wall

workout
Week 4 Wednesday
Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge  

I totally bailed on the the burpees are forever workout today and decided to sleep in.  I should have gotten up, but I was glad to get the rest especially after my run last night.  It was pretty late when I got to bed and was just feeling really drained from all the stress. 

IMAGE SOURCE  

* Burpees are Forever: 12 minute Bodyrock interval workout (Monday's routine)
* 30 minute brisk walk

My energy levels stayed low until about 30 minutes into my evening job shift.  I'm sure it was because the company was pretty good.  I think this was the very first shift in the year I've been there that was the most relaxed and everyone enjoyed being there even with the lack of willing callers.  As my energy was increasing I really wanted to  just burst out in the middle of the office and do the  Burpees are Forever workout, however I refrained and instead performed some upper body moves as I sat in my cubical taking calls.  I know I was working it, because I was starting to sweat after only 15 minutes.  It gave me loads of energy and the night flew by.  It was fantastic; wish all the shifts were as awesome as tonight.

I was also inspired by a coworker as we were talking about ways she could find ways to inspire her to workout.  One of the things I suggested was for her to schedule her workouts so she knew what time she was going to do it and what workout ahead of time.  It makes it harder to make excuses this way.  With that it inspired me to start using the weekly white board Calendar I bought a few months back from BBB, which has just been taking up wall space.  I decided it would be best used above my bed to remind me what my workout is for the next day and beside it I have a pocket folder where I'm going to store my print outs for each workout that week.

READERS QUESTION
Have you ever found yourself wanting to burst out into a workout in public?  do you remember the routine?

daily affirmation
My energy is off the charts!

eats:
View Daily Eats

daily goals:
* Bed by 10pm finally shut off the lights just after 1am-bad internet
* Read (a few online articles)
* Repeat the daily affirmations
* log all eats and daily workout
* Tomorrow's Workout: At Home Workout by Bodyrock

a rush worth repeating

workout
Week 4 Tuesday
Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge  

I was doing okay with time this morning, until I started to review today's workout and it took me a few minutes to long to adjust to the exercises and instead of heading to the shower afterward  I decided to go for a 10-minute run.

COMBO #1
I really liked the crab toe touch.  It was  a bit of a challenge and you could feel it working your abs.  The dive bomber was something I was unable to do and performed modified push-ups, though now that I think of it; should have subbed cobra into downward dog- next time.  I also messed up on the timer aspect so I only performed 2 rounds instead of 4. 

SCORE:	Crab Toe Touch:	Mod-Push Ups:
	15/20	9/10

COMBO #2
I performed a normal lunge and nixed the jump and the mountain climbers I'm used to.  Man this was pretty intense and wow did my legs hate me about 2 rounds into this combo. 

SCORE:	Lunge:	Mountain Climber:
	4/4/4/4	10/10/8/8

COMBO #3
This set proved a bit of a challenge and needed some modification for the one-leg hot attack.  I performed a normal squat with a assisted (stairs) pike pres and the thigh shrinker exercise was easy to focus on your intensity in so you could really feel it in your abs and thighs.

SCORE:	Squat w Asst.:	Thigh Shrinker:
	10/10/10/8	9/10/9/10

MORNING RUN go
Around the block: 1.06 miles

EVENING RUN go
City Island Bridge to Kelker st and back: 2.93 miles

The weather was beckoning me to run and I was glad to sneak out before the sun set, because it felt amazing and my flow was set on.  My first mile only took me 9:48 and my second 9:32, which is a huge improvement.   Not sure if it's because of the bodyrock workouts or just a sugar rush from the small piece of red velvet cake I had prior to my run.  Either way I would love to duplicate that rush again and again and again! 

IMAGE SOURCE  

READERS QUESTIONS
What's your favorite food that fuels you for a run?

* Hot attack Workout: 12 minute Bodyrock interval workout
* Strong Core Yoga: 8 minute video
* yoga for bedtime routine just 3 minutes just before bed

View Daily Workout

daily affirmation
Thank you, beautiful body, for carrying me through each day 

eats:
View Daily Eats

daily review:
* read Scale Down ch. 0 pg 00-00 (00 minutes)
* Tomorrow's Workout: rest day
* in bed by 10:30pm and lights out by 11:10pm
* repeated the daily affirmations throughout the day
* noted my workouts and meals in my journal
* eats were pretty on minus the small piece of red velvet cake.

just wanna run

workout
Week 4 Monday
Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge  

I had every intention of doing the Burpees are Forever workout this morning until I woke up with a sore back and ended up resetting my alarm to a rest day and slept for another hour.  I wasn't really sure exactly what I did, but sometime around lunch I remembered the punch twists I did on the mini-trampoline after my bodyrock workout yesterday.  There feels like a knot is in my right shoulder blade; right in the middle.

The sun was out after work and I was feeling like a run, but without any running gear I wasn't able to make that a reality.  This has happened more often then I'd like and I should really get back into the habit of having my running gear on hand at all times.   I hoped to head out once I got home, but I  lost all running steam and just changed into my jammies and decided that rest was the best option for my back.  This way I'll be ready for my workout tomorrow. 

Sometimes you have to make adjustments and today my body needed t orest, so I'll just make sure to swap out my next rest day (Wednesday) for today's workout and everything will even out.    

IMAGE SOURCE  

* Burpees are Forever: 12 minute Bodyrock interval workout
* 30 minute brisk walk

daily affirmation
I am 100% committed to being the best I can be

Proverbs 10:29
the way of the Lord is strenght for the upright
eats:

View Daily Eats
not added

daily review:
* read Scale Down ch. 0 pg 00-00 (00 minutes)
* Tomorrow's Workout: Hot attack workout by Bodyrock
* in bed by 12pm and lights out by 12:30pm
* repeated the daily affirmations throughout the day
* noted my workouts and meals in my journal
* eats were pretty on. 

animal attraction

workout
Week 3 Sunday
Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge  

I was up sometime around 7am but wasn’t really motivated, especially hearing the rain fall. It went non-stop for the next several hours as I stayed in bed until I decided to head downstairs  around 9 and made breakfast. Today I decided to have a full bagel with a cup of milk. Although after a few sips of the milk I decided to toss it. I’m not sure why it tasted bad, as it doesn't expire until 04/12 and I just opened it last weekend, but when I went to dump it down the sink their were chunks of soy milk, which makes me feel a lot better about tossing it. I had my typical bagel toppings; pb+chia seeds+ strawberries and had a tall glass of water instead. After I finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen I headed back upstairs with my laptop and book. I played Colbie Caillat in the background while I finished part 1 of my book Scale Down.

The phone rang several hours later, which woke up Pat. So I headed back downstairs to begin making her toast and coffee while she took Punkin (her dog) outside. Once she was ready to head back to her room I let her know I was going back upstairs to read and to let me know if she needed anything. It wasn’t long once I got up that Punkin began to whimper. I assumed it was because Pat was eating and she wanted some toast. She had stopped for a minute and I heard her paws on the wood floor and shortly after she began whimpering again. I decided to get up and see what she wanted. She was sitting at the bottom on the stairs looking up, waiting for me to come get her, so I picked her up and Pat said she was whimpering, because she wanted to come up with me. I took her up and put her on the bed with me and put the gate back up at the entrance of the stairs before getting back into bed to continue my reading. It wasn’t but a few minutes later I was startled by the gate crashing to the floor. At first I thought the wind had somehow blown it down, but then I knew it was KittySpot (the cat) who had pushed it down to get to me. She jumped up on the bed and came right to me wanting my attention. It was several hours that the 3 of us laid on the bed while I read and they slept on this very lazy rainy Sunday.

KITTYSPOT & PUNKIN  

I’m hoping in an hour or two I’ll have some energy to begin making dinner. I have planned to make homemade tomato soup, but I didn’t bring my fresh tomatoes and my mom had already given away the other bags she had so I ended up using canned tomatoes.

I think if I actually got up and began a workout I would be fine, but it’s getting that initial energy to begin that’s the problem.
I’m thinking a time challenge of
- Reptile on the run
- Super low hop squats
- Explosive star
- Abs crossover crunch up

View Daily Workout

MY YUMMY OATMEAL CREATION 

REST DAY
* Get outside, breathe some fresh air, play with friends and family, and enjoy your down time. Meditation would be a great choice today.

daily affirmation
I am rocking this fitness challenge!

eats:
View Daily Eats
not added

daily review:
* read Scale Down ch. 0 pg 00-00 (00 minutes)
* Tomorrow's Workout: Burpees are forever by Bodyrock
* in bed by 11pm
* repeated the daily affirmations throughout the day
* noted my workouts and meals in my journal
* eats were pretty on. 

scrambled headache

workout
Week 3 Saturday
Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge  

I was up at 9:20 and headed downstairs to begin a 25 min stretching routine from the Slim-6 series.  However, it proved to be rather difficult to fit stay focused with the follow distractions.
* the dog wanting to join me
* haivng to keep my eye on the dog
* finally getting a lead for the dog to connect him to the house
* the stray yellow cat sneaking in the backyard
* now needing to put the dog back in the house
* trying to finish my stretching outside, but the dog keeps whining.
* now heading inside
* redirecting my stretches in the living room
* trying to keep the dog away from my face so I can focus on my stretches.

Once everything settled I was able to finish and then started breakfast..

2 EGGS + SOY MILK SCRAMBLED, JEANIE-O LEAN TURKEY SAUSAGE, STRAWBERRIES  

After breakfast I began cleaning off a shelf that had a cluster of household cleaners and soda.  It was pretty dirty and in desperate need of sorting.  It took me almost an hour to clear everything out and remove any major chemicals that should be stored in the garage.  Next week my goal is to put together an inventory list to prevent people from buying more of the same product that already has 5 bottles on the shelf.   

I didn't realize until after I was done how much chemicals I had taken in from sorting everything and felt a little dizzy.  I removed myself from the room and opened the screen door to that room so some fresh air could circulate and then headed outside for a few minutes to help clear my head. 

Around 4pm I started dinner and then headed out to the store so I could pick up some nail polish remover and a new headlight for my car.  I needed the nail polisher remover so I could get the super glue off my fingers.  A ceramic girl-doll napkin holder had been broken, both the head came off and the girl from the base.  I managed to get the head on without getting any glue on my fingers, but added to much to the base and we didn't have any at the house.  While I was out I headed to the dollar store and picked up a few minor things and then  made a pit stop to Giant where I grabbed some Extra Firm Tofu and 2 movies (Arthur and Yogi Bear).  

When I got home I put in the movies and asked the lady from Huntingdon if she wanted to watch them with me, so we grabbed a seat on the couch and  allowed the TV to be our entertainment for the next few hours before heading off to bed.

* Sexy Fit Beast by Bodyrock
   Bodyrock Time Challenge

* View Daily Workout

daily affirmation
I only send loving thoughts to my body


eats:
View Daily Eats

daily review:
* read Scale Down ch. 0 pg 00-00 (00 minutes)
* Tomorrow's Workout: Rest Day. Go outside
* in bed by 10:30pm
* repeated the daily affirmations throughout the day
* noted my workouts and meals in my journal
* eats were good, except the nutter butter bits & the mike n ikes.

silly press

workout
Week 3 Friday
Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge  

By 5:20 this morning I was ready to begin the day with a natural awakening.  No alarm required today!  Though that doesn't mean I actually started my day then so for the next 15 minutes I laid in bed and enjoyed the peace.  After a few stretches I settled on a pair of pink shorts and a sports bra for my workout and headed out to the porch.

Yesterday evening I took some time to review Crazy Home Bootcamp and was frightened.  I'm sure it's a really awesome workout, but not one I'll be experiencing this morning.  The moves were pretty advanced and required more time to prep, which I just didn't have so I took advantage of the simple yet challenging Body like a Carry Out routine from Monday I missed.

This particular challenge was an interval workout set for 12 rounds of 10 second and 50 second intervals, but instead adjusted it to be a time challenge.   I wasn't sure the number of reps to perform so I reviewed the scores posted and decided 10 reps each would be a good number.  The first round seemed easy, but as I moved closer to the finish  I was also slowing down and glad that I was only doing 10.

I felt pretty silly trying to perform the Pike Press-Pike Jump-Jump Up, because my press and jump are still pretty wimpy so after 2 rounds I decided to accept that for now this  move will require modification.  So until I built up my strength I will be using the steps, which helped greatly in keeping my balance allowing me to focus on proper form and muscle use.

IMAGE SOURCE  

The forward/backward lunge was another toughie for me.  Man it really works those legs and it doesn't take long before you feel the burn so it was a definite push for me to finish strong.  In my number I counted one forward + one backward lunge as 1 rep, and Zuzana counts each lunge as 1 so technically I performed 40 each round.

* Crazy Home bootcamp by Bodyrock
   12 minute Bodyrock interval (sandbag optional)

* If you have time, you can also do a free 20 minute Yoga Download class.
  You could try this 20 minute Jivamukti class.

* Body like a Carry Out by Body Rock, time challenge
* Post walk/short sprint, to stretch out my legs.

View Daily Workout

daily affirmation

The universe/life/god is always supporting me & encouraging my growth.

eats:
View Daily Eats
not added

daily review:
* read Scale Down ch. 0 pg 00-00 (00 minutes)
* Tomorrow's Workout: Sexy Fit Beast by Bodyrock
* in bed by 10pm
* repeated the daily affirmations throughout the day
* noted my workouts and meals in my journal
* eats were good, except the box of kashi cookies I ate on my way out of town. 

a morning stretch

workout
Week 3 Thursday
Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge  

I can't tell you how glad I was this morning knowing that it was a rest day, especially because my muscles were so sooorrrre from the totally fantastic and so worth it workout I stayed in bed while performing a few stretches with my elastic bands only because I was so exhausted I didn't have the energy to get out of bed yet.  I thought having 8 hours of sleep I would wake up clearer, but  I also woke up twice during the night which I know didn't help the feeling of exhaustion this morning.  I've been working hard this week and was particularly hoping they would cancel the shift for tonight when the rainstorm came in this morning; however, it's cleared up to be a beautiful day.

I managed to make it through my evening job thanks to the ladies on either side of me.  They really helped the time to fly by.   Sometime before break I was able to put together my schedule for next week, which was pretty sparce considering the shifts they had available.  I felt a little bad, telling myself that I should work Monday night since I have other events set for Tuesday and Thursday, but then I remembered that I'll be in Huntington working job #3 and then I stopped feeling bad. 

After work I had decided to turn down hanging out with some friends who were gathering for a birthday celebration, but I was so exhausted from working this week that I really just needed to head  home so I could rest.  Plus, I still needed to pack for my job this weekend and clear out a few things from my car that I hadn't gotten to this week.  Luckily and a little shocked that it didn't take me long I was glad to crawl into bed and turn out the lights by 10pm. 

IMAGE SOURCE  

REST DAY:
* 15-min favorite stretches or yoga poses.
   Stretch deeply, holding each one for a full minute.
   Breathe deeply and allow your body to relax into each stretch.

* You can also take a gentle walk, bike ride, do some more yoga, dance to a few
   songs, or just be active in your daily activities like cleaning and gardening
   if you like, but keep it gentle.

daily affirmation
I am so grateful to have the ability to move my body each day. 
I am so lucky!

eats:
View Daily Eats


daily review:
* read Scale Down ch. 0 pg 00-00 (00 minutes)
* Tomorrow's Workout: Crazy Home Bootcamp by Bodyrock
* in bed by 9:45pm and lights out by 10pm
* repeated the daily affirmations throughout the day
* noted my workouts and meals in my journal
* eats were pretty on. did have a 2nd cup of coffee before 5pm

live.love.fitness

workout
Week 3 Wednesday
Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge  

This morning was a time challenge w the option to use a sandbag.  since I'm only beginning the bodyrock workouts I've not yet invested in any of the equipment, but I love that Zuzana gives you modification's so you still finish strong, yet it was definitely a challenge.

warm up: 5-min run
6:17 min (0.57mi) 70 cal

* Sexy Body Breakdown by Bodyrock.
   View Daily Workout

Rounds Suggested: 10
Rounds Completed: 8

Backward Lunge Knee 12-15 reps
Dynamic squat: 12 reps
Dynamic push-up (had to do modified): 8-12 reps

Total Time: 15:15:90

Cool Down Walk + stretching:
11:49 min (0.69mi) 62 cal

NOTES:
* After rep 8 on the Backward lunge knee as I had to regroup my balance.
* The dynamic pushups were more advanced, so I simply did modified pushups
* I was definitely pretty tired after the end of this routine
* The dynamic squats were my favorite exercise in this routine.

I love the way working out makes me feel!

IMAGE SOURCE         

READER QUESTIONS:
What's your favorite exercises or routine?  How does it make your feel when you've finished?


daily affirmation
I am a sexy, hot, radiant god/dess!

eats:
View Daily Eats

daily review:
* read Scale Down ch. 0 pg 00-00 (00 minutes)
* Tomorrow's Workout: REST DAY. 15-min of favorite poses
* in bed by 9:45pm and lights out by 10pm
* repeated the daily affirmations throughout the day
* noted my workouts and meals in my journal
* eats were pretty on.  Minus the extra coffee at Job #2

not so clear

workout
Week 3 Tuesday
Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge  

I didn't really want to get out one of my old workout dvds, so I just put together a 30-minute routine from my Biggest Loser 2 DVD workout this morning.  As much as I liked the Power Sculpt for Women 10-min workout, I'm not sure I'm a fan of the total workout.  Mainly, because they require you to have other equipment and don't offer any modifications if you don't have a medicine ball.  I'm sure I would have been fine if I would have thought about the modifications, but I wasn't ready to think about that so early in the morning.

* an old DVD Workout or an activity you enjoy for 30 to 60 minutes
* repeat your daily affirmation in the shower.

My workout consisted of:
1) 5-minute warm up
2) 15-min. boot camp
3) 10-min Power Sculpt for Women
4) 5-min cool down

You can do all the routines above without any equipment, except the boot camp, which requires hand weights, a medicine + exercise ball all of which I don't have.  I do have a resistance band and if I were more prepared this morning I could have subbed some of the routines, but I just wasn't that awake to think that clear.

IMAGE SOURCE  

daily affirmation
I am a sexy, hot, radiant god/dess!

eats:
View Daily Eats

daily review:
* read Scale Down ch. 0 pg 00-00 (00 minutes)
* Tomorrow's Workout: Sexy body breakdown by Bodyrock
* in bed by 9:45pm and lights out by 10:15pm
* repeated the daily affirmations throughout the day
* noted my workouts and meals in my journal
* eats were pretty on, except the extra coffee I had at job #2

beauty in strength

workout
Week 3 Monday
Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge  

After such a long and draining weekend I choose not to do my morning workout  in hopes that it would be better to rest up for the long week.  Plus, it meant that I was able to begin a load of laundry and put away what was left on my drying rack from last week.

There is so much going on this week, but I'm not going to let that deter me from my workout challenge.   I need to update my journal with this weeks routines and daily affirmations so I stay positive and focused.  I know I'm getting stronger and the proof is in the results and I don't want to stop now.

As far as work goes, I hope I have the strength of super woman, so I can manage though all the hours.  I do plan on only working 2 nights at my evening job instead of 3, so I can have a little more time to pack and re-energize after/before going down to Huntington for the weekends.  I want to earn money for my new home and this is the only way I can so I just have to keep picturing myself walking into my new home and knowing that it's only short term.

STRENGTH IN BEAUTY, BEAUTY IN STRENGTH
AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT YOU HAVE THE POWER TO SAY:
THIS IS NOT HOW THE STORY IS GOING TO END.   

IMAGE SOURCE  

* Body like a carry out: 12 minute Bodyrock interval workout
* 10 to 20 minutes of:
  - jogging/brisk walking intervals
  or
  - jumping intervals of full bouncing/relaxed bouncing on your mini trampoline.

* I was hoping to sneak in this workout in the evening, but after running all my errands and my chiropractor appointment it was time for bed.

daily affirmation
The power within me grows stronger every day

eats:
View Daily Eats


daily review:
* read Scale Down ch. 0 pg 00-00 (00 minutes)
* Tomorrow's Workout: body like a carry out by bodyrock
* in bed by 10:40pm and lights out by 11pm
* repeated the daily affirmations throughout the day
* noted my workouts and meals in my journal
* eats were very good today.

oh so enticing peppermint

workout
Week 2 Sunday
Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge  

Today I was good and kept to the Active Rest Day, which was about as much energy as I had for the day.  I was up early and took my dogie for a walk around the pond, then came in and made a start right smoothie for my mom and I before we tacked the kitchen.  It was pretty disorganized so I worked on dishes and clearing/wiping down the counter tops while my mom separated the veggies and vacuumed.   I slept pretty good for not sleeping in my own bed, but I'm sure it helps that it's peaceful up here in the mountains.  Though once we finished with the kitchen I was pretty tired, so I headed up stairs for a nap. 

After my nap I took my dogie, Bane, out for a walk.  He's been stuck in the kennel for the last two weeks so he was SO EXCITED to be outdoors this weekend.  I only took him to the next driveway and back, which was about 1.16miles.  I'm so proud of him, because he's a fat dogie mainly because he's been stuck in the kennel a lot due to my mom's work schedule.  However, this will change once I get my house and he wont need to be at the Kennel and I'll be able to walk him more often.  p.s. I call him my dogie, but he's really my moms.

PART OF THE WALK W/ MY DOGIE. HE MADE IT 1.16 MILES!  

MY DOGIE. I'M SO PROUD OF HIM!  

* Meditation unless you count my nap :)
or
* Rest Day: Get outside, breathe some fresh air, play with friends and family, and enjoy your down time
* Walk 1.16 miles

daily affirmation
I choose to see the gifts in my life.
They are everywhere in and around me

This affirmation rings so true for me, as I really am blessed with so many wonderful gifts/people in my life.

eats:
I had a yummy start right smoothie for breakfast + a banana and pb, but then snacked on 3 mini peppermint patties during the day and then had some cereal and meatloaf, steamed cauliflower and Italian bread from the bakery for dinner.  Plus, I consumed 2 purple Gatorade and a glass of oj.  I didn't really drink much water.

daily review:
* read Scale Down ch. 0 pg 00-00 (00 minutes)
* Tomorrow's Workout: body like a carry out by bodyrock
* in bed by 11pm and lights out by 11:30pm
* repeated the daily affirmations throughout the day
* noted my workouts and meals in my journal

a pebbled dilemma

workout
Week 2 Friday
Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge  

I chose today to skip my workout in order to say goodbye to  the beautiful patio set (pictured below) I bought at TJ MAXX.  I  picked it up the day after viewing the 2-bedroom apartment on Trindle, but at this point I don't know where I'm moving and there are just to many uncertainties.  It seemed easy return it and have my card balance be zero or keep it and take focus off saving for my down payment.  I went back and forth for a little over a week and finally sat down with my grandmother who helped me find the courage to return it.

I was pretty nervous, mainly because I really wanted the credit back on my card and since I'd never tried to return furniture before I wasn't sure their would be any snags and even though I still had 3 days before my 30 days were up.  It wasn't until they asked me for my card to credit my return and I signed the return slip that I felt such a sign of relief.  It was a success!  A victory Day!  and a learning experience. 

What did I learn?
Not  to purchase anything for my first home without first living in my new space.

LAST GOODBYE'S TO MY PATIO SET  

* Suicidal Sweat: a Bodyrock time challenge
* 10 to 20 minutes (or more) of your choice of cardio

READER QUESTION:
Do you have any decisions you've made lately that your glad for the outcome?

daily affirmation
I stand tall and move with grace

Proverbs

eats:
View Daily Eats
mashed potatoes; not the best idea of the day.

daily review:
* read Scale Down ch. 0 pg 00-00 (00 minutes)
* Tomorrow's Workout: Pilates Beginner Video by Blogilates
* in bed by 12pm and lights out by 12:30pm
* repeated the daily affirmations throughout the day
* noted my workouts and meals in my journal
* eats were pretty on. 

beautifully made

workout
Week 2 Thursday
Strong is Sexy Fitness Challenge  

It was an hour over my goal bed time last night when I finally turned out the lights, but I really needed to pep talk from my mom.  I've been stressing a bit the last few days, since I found the house I want to buy, but I'm a few bucks short of being able to make an offer and just feeling like I may not get there.  We talked for a while and came up with a game plan, so now I'll be working the next few weekends to help better my chances of attaining my goal of being a homeowner and I'm feeling very confident that it's going to happen very soon. 

I decided to make up my workout from Tuesday today and put on a pair of black capri's and a sports bra and headed out for a run.  I was only planning on being out for 30 minutes, but ended up being out just under 40.  I was able to go a little further and only took 2 walk breaks 1) to re.energize and 2) when I headed up the very large hill.  I still haven't been able to talk myself into running up this very steep grade.  During my run I was a little frustrated with my headband.  For a non-slip hold it didn't do very well since it fell off twice. 

My workout attire for this challenge has been very minimal as most off the workouts I've done either on the porch or in my room, so there really isn't a need to try to look cute, or wear a ton of layers, especially since you sweat like crazy with these workouts.  Today I debated for a second if I should put on a shirt , but opted for just the sports bra and surprisingly it wasn't to bad.  It's actually been a goal of mine to be so fit that I feel comfortable enough to just wear a pair of shorts and a sports bra, but I'm not 100% as  I'm not quite there with the shorts.

IMAGE SOURCE        

It's been invigorating completing these workout challenges and I've started seeing and feeling a difference in my body.   My abs and legs feel firmer and I'm feeling fantastic.  I can't wait to see how I feel and look once I complete this challenge. 

* Amp up your cardio today.
   Go to a fun dance class, jog, walk, bike, rebound, hike or whatever movement
   you love to do for 30 to 60 minutes. Whatever you do, make sure you are
   sweating. If you’re not, work a bit harder until the sweat starts running.

* 20 push ups (take as long as you need using correct form)
* 20 crunches
* 20 star jumps

View Daily Workout

daily affirmation
I live in awe and curiosity at the wonder of my bod

eats:
View Daily Eats
not added

daily review:
* read Scale Down ch. 0 pg 00-00 (00 minutes)
* Tomorrow's Workout: Suicidal Sweat by bodyrock
* in bed by 12pm and lights out by 12:30pm
* repeated the daily affirmations throughout the day
* noted my workouts and meals in my journal
* eats were pretty on.


Here are two links I came across yesterday that I want to check out:
* Cake Suite: Liked the logo and website design
* Body Beautiful: This is a conference to help women feel more confident.