A personal inventory: what has been going well v. what needs improvement

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Okay, let me start by patting myself on the back for what I've been doing well!

I have been strength training twice per week for the last several months!



Since January I have returned to working out more days per week than not!



I have been paying back my various debts (so close to paying off one of my two student loans!) responsibly and Hal and I have developed a savings plan to pay for our wedding without going into more debt!



I have been eating 3-5 + fruits and veggies per day for months and months and months!



I have been cooking well-balanced meals for Hal and myself most days per week!



I have been doing a good job with housecleaning (aiming for 10 to 15 minutes per day), such that it never gets overwhelming!



I have lost just under 7 pounds since recommitting to exercise and not overeating.



And lastly, I love my body no matter what size it is for all that it does for me.



Now, room for improvement...

While I have committed to not overeating, I still have a lot of difficulty controlling cravings and I have days when I do binge eat.



I have gotten better about bringing lunch/snacks to work but there are still days that I under prepare, which results in me eating out or overeating when I get home for dinner.



At times I buy foods that I know I will abuse. I need to leave them out of the cart if I can't eat them responsibly!



I need to be better about eating breakfast. I usually eat something on the run, but multigrain cereal with nonfat milk would be more filling and get my day off to a better start.



When Hal asks about ordering out for dinner, I need to be better about saying "no" and not taking the easy way out.



I want to try to be a bit more social - I am a homebody and I spend a lot of time with clients during the day, so it is easy for me to put off spending time with friends and acquaintances (even though I really enjoy their company) because I use up so much energy being present and emotionally available to people during the day.



Okay, methinks this is a good list!

Take care everyone,



Patti

P.S. CAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTSSSSSS!

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My thoughts on SparkPeople's new exercise DVD - Total Body Sculpting with Coach Nicole!

Monday, February 18, 2013

Hi everyone!

Let me start by saying that I have been using SparkPeople's 28 Day Boot Camp with Coach Nicole as my go to exercise DVD over the last month or two, so I was super excited to be given the opportunity to review this new DVD that SparkPeople and Coach Nicole created.

After having to take a few days off from exercise due to a lingering headache followed by a cold, I was ready for a challenge, so I did all three workouts this AM. So let's talk about it! (Spoiler: I feel great!).

If you have tried or own SP's 28 Day Boot Camp, you'll see many of the same elements in Total Body Sculpting. Coach Nicole! (Need I say more? She is great, easy to follow, easy to relate to). The same two women are demonstrating the moves with her (I was actually kind of excited to see their familiar faces - it was refreshing)! The background elements and music are very similar (I found these elements continue to be good because they don't distract me from the workout). The countdown clock in the corner is still there. I know not everyone likes this feature, but when I feel particularly challenged I can use that clock to help me get out the last few reps.

Let's get to the workouts themselves. There are three separate workouts that incorporate cardio and different types of strength training: Barre Body, Body-weight Burn, and Sizzle Sculpt (with dumbbells). Plus an effective brief warm-up and slowing cool down options.

Similar to the 28 Day Boot Camp, what I really appreciate about ALL of these workouts is the balance between cardio and strength training (sometimes literally, as Coach Nicole incorporates more difficult balance elements for viewers needing a challenge). Usually when I plan my own workouts I find myself keeping cardio and strength separate, so these workouts really feel fresh and different for me even with some familiar moves.

Another thing that makes these workouts feel fresh is that, while there are some new moves to challenge my body, there are also combination moves that feature good ol' standards like squats and lunges paired with classic upper body strength moves.

My heart rate was up by the end of the warm-up, and I was sweating a few minutes in to the first workout, Barre Body. The sweating continued, lol, and my legs were burning by this end of this segment. It was also fun to do some ballet inspired movements. I tended to do the easier modifications for most exercises, but the other great thing about this DVD is that there are several intensity options as you go along (demonstrated by Coach Nicole and her two helpers) so this is a DVD that could grow with you as you get stronger and develop more stamina. I think on a normal strength day (I aim for two a week) I would probably only do one or two of these workouts. But I had fun doing the three in a row, and if someone was looking for a challenging hour of combined strength and cardio I think this would be great. I think this DVD could meet the needs of a wide range of people at different fitness levels who are looking to incorporate strength training in fun ways.

...Not that I don't like just banging out 10 strength training exercises while I watch something on Hulu, but these workouts are about 10 steps up from that! Challenging but not intimidating, I definitely feel like I got a good and effective workout. I am going to add it into my rotation as I work on my fitness for my wedding!

If you are interested in purchasing this DVD it is now available at www.sparkpeople.com/tbsdvd . You can also pick it up at Target stores (if you are lucky enough to live near a Target, unlike me... pout!) through the end of this month. And bonus, if you buy the DVD before the end of the February you can earn 250 SparkPoints!

Thank you to everyone for checking out my blog. I am always amazed at how kind and supportive people can be in this community.



Patti

Please note: I received this DVD for free from SparkPeople but did not receive any form of payment for my review.

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Photo updates! Lots of condo, lots of cats, and a little bit of this and that. :)

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Here is my beautiful engagement ring. It belonged to Hal's grandmother, who was married in 1937, so it is very special and I couldn't imagine anything more perfect.



My engagement Narwhal, lol:



Bizzy's very special Christmas present:



Rupert's very healthy Christmas present:



Photos of our condo (that we bought in June 2012). We LOVE our home!:













Poor Rupert had ear surgery right after we moved in...







Hal and I at my twin sister's wedding in September of 2012:



I was one of her maids of honor, it was beautiful.







Patti

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I'm getting married! Also, hi. :)

Saturday, February 02, 2013

Goodness me, I know it has been a while since I posted a blog… but here I am! I haven’t been very active in the SP community for many, many months, but I have been tracking my food and exercise which I think will always be key for me (when I don’t, I stop paying attention to food, and that doesn’t work out well for my weight or how I feel).

Anyway, I have lovely news – my boyfriend Hal and I got engaged on January 22nd!

And we plan to marry in June 2014. There was a small possibility that we would have tried to get hitched this coming summer (to squeeze it in before his younger brother gets married on August 3rd) but I made the decision to wait and I don’t regret it. I don’t want to rush! And I don’t want to go into debt, so this will be a year of saving.

What I do want to do is get in shape! I am not going to lie, I have put on more than 30 pounds since my dad passed away. I don’t know if I can say it is directly because of going through that (and it isn’t what I wanted to happen, or what my dad would have wanted to see happen). But whatever the reasons, I gained weight and I want to get back to my fitter self.

I did have a great experience that makes me feel more relaxed about weight loss. My twin sister came to visit me on our 30th birthday (1/29) and we went to David’s Bridal to try on a few dresses. I was nervous that it would be awkward and that I wouldn’t find anything that flattered my current body. But I was so, so pleasantly surprised. I tried on maybe 6 dresses and there were two that were beautiful, and one that was absolutely breathtaking. If I was getting married in 4 months I totally would have bought it, but I don’t want to buy a dress more than a year in advance. I trust that I will find something equally gorgeous (no matter my size!!!!) when I am ready to make a purchase!

Anyway, I am going to try to do a better job of checking in now that I have a more specific motivator.

I hope that everyone is well and take care!!



Patti

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Two goals for the coming week (and incentives!)

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Hi all!

I hope that everyone is well. I continue to work through my grief at my father's passing, but I am hanging in there. Getting some counseling, trying to use my support system, trying to be active and take good care of myself. I have been taking a lot of baths (we moved into our new - and first - home in mid-June and it is wonderful!!!) and reading a lot and going on weekend hikes with friends. I have also refocused on cooking healthy and balanced meals during the week, which really does center me and give me a warm feeling of accomplishment.

As usual I have been around, tracking, but not as active on the social side of the site. But I am hanging in there. Not losing weight, but not gaining either, so that is what it is! I continue to stay active and I am now working on getting my eating into a good place. I am eating lots of good stuff - veggies and fruits and whole grains - but then I have days where I also eat a lot (and sometimes a lot of junk). I am a work in progress! And it is okay!



I have two goals for the coming week, so I thought I would share them for accountability.

Goal #1: Pack lunch for work everyday. This will save me money AND calories.

Goal #2: Go to the gym for at least 30 minutes every evening. I can't watch the Olympics at home (no television) but I can watch at the gym and work on my health at the same time. You can't beat that!

If I accomplish goal #1 I am going to buy myself a new headband. If I accomplish goal #2 I am going to buy myself... hmmm... I am not sure yet! Something small. Maybe a workout accessory of some sort. I'll think about it and write it into my calendar.

I hope that everyone is well. Enjoy the Olympics and keep taking good care of yourselves!



Patti

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