Hibernation is Good

Monday, December 12, 2011

Hibernation. I go through it every winter. Sometimes I fight it and make myself miserable, but not this year! This year I am embracing my inner Grizzly! If I want to stay home all weekend and sleep in – that’s what I do! If I’m not feeling particularly social – I don’t! No more making myself miserable. So this Grizzly got home on Friday and didn’t step foot outside of her house until this morning for work. I slept in both Sat and Sun, I read a lot, watched a little tv and ate smart. It was lovely!! Now if I could just get a little more sleep during the week everything would be even better. I stay up too late, knowing darn well that I’m going to pay for it the next day. Gotta stop that. But - no more guilt over hibernation.
Another good week for my weigh in – I seem to be on a bit of a roll! Since I joined Spark, this is the first time that I might make a goal I set. It’s very exciting and gives me great enthusiasm for what next year will bring!

Start: 280.4
week 1: 278.4
week 2: 278.6
week 3: 279.8
Week 4: 277.2
Week 5: 275.8
Week 6: 280.8
Week 7: 273.8
Week 8: 274.0
Week 9: 275.2
Week 10. 270.2
Week 11: 267.6
Week 12: 263.2 (3.2 more to go to make that end of year goal!)

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Dvd Review and Weekly Weigh in

Monday, December 05, 2011

I did one of my new workout Dvd’s this weekend: "Cardio & Strength Interval Circuit Workout with Angie Gorr". So, I thought I’d give a short review for anyone interested. Here's a summary with Pro’s and Con’s, starting with the Con’s:

Summary: It’s a weight/cardio circuit dvd broken into 3 twenty minute sections.

Con’s:
1. Each 20 minute section has it’s own ab routine, but it’s in the middle of the workout. This was actually my biggest con about the video, you just start getting your heart going and you break to get down for abs.
2. Overly simple cardio. For those of you who are choreography challenged, this may be a pro, but I found it to be a bit repetitive and a little boring.
3. Not enough use of weights. I thought she could've been a lot more agressive with the weights and getting your cardio going.

Pro’s:
1. There were three assistants. Each assistant showed a different intensity level for every single exercise, and it wasn’t confusing because there were big exercise balls with numbers on them to remind you who was who. And plus number 2 for the assistants...they all looked like average women. Not your typical video super-chick.
2. Angie herself is not annoying. No over-cheering, not over-perky
3. You didn’t have to worry about cuing. She just did an exercise for a certain length of time stopping at a buzzer, plus there was a count-down timer on the screen.

So all in all I’d have to give the video an average grade. If the ab workout hadn’t been plopped in the middle of the cardio it would have gotten a better grade.

On to this weeks weigh in…end of year is getting close! And then I’ll have to pick a new goal! Eek!

Start: 280.4
week 1: 278.4
week 2: 278.6
week 3: 279.8
Week 4: 277.2
Week 5: 275.8
Week 6: 280.8
Week 7: 273.8
Week 8: 274.0
Week 9: 275.2
Week 10. 270.2
Week 11: 267.6

Yeah I finally broke the 40lb barrier! (from where I started originally, not this particular goal) I’ve been trying to do that for weeks! So I’m happy about that and going to try my darndest not to go back over 270 ever again!!

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Nice Long Weekend & Weigh in

Monday, November 28, 2011

I very much enjoyed my long weekend. Didn’t do too much, in fact, two of the four days I didn’t step foot outside the house. It was nice and relaxing though. I got to read to my hearts content and I was good with my food. Even on Thanksgiving with the fam. Not quite so great with the exercise…but I’m okay with that. I needed a nice slow weekend. No Friday holiday shopping for me! I don’t think I’ve ever gone shopping after Thanksgiving. Fighting through shopping crowds is one of my least favorite things. So while I envy those of you who got your shopping all done, I don’t envy you enough to actually step foot inside a store that weekend!
So weigh in this week is interesting, another big bounce. I am cautiously happy. Because I seem to be all over the place lately. However, it is my lowest bounce lately, so I’m still happy.

Start: 280.4
week 1: 278.4
week 2: 278.6
week 3: 279.8
Week 4: 277.2
Week 5: 275.8
Week 6: 280.8
Week 7: 273.8
Week 8: 274.0
Week 9: 275.2
Week 10. 270.2

I just noticed that every week ends in an even number…what are the odds of that?!

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Jingle Bell Run (with pics) and weekly weigh-in

Monday, November 21, 2011

Here’s kind of an example of how things have been lately…..I’m driving along in my car, listening to sports talk radio, which is usually what I listen to in the car, when they start talking about a certain NFL quarterback. I have no special affinity for this player, he doesn’t play for my team, I like him, but I’m not a huge fan or anything like that. And the announcer starts to talk about him saying how he is such a good guy, a team player, works hard, doesn't listen to the naysayers and never ever gives up….and I start crying. Yes, I got emotional over ESPN radio.

And then, when I realized what I was doing, I started laughing. So I’m laughing and crying and trying to drive in the snow and acting like a complete loon! Lol! Did I mention that TOM now shows up whenever he darn well pleases? Awww pre-menopause…isn’t it fun?! Oh yeah - and I had a dream last night that my mom liked to ride in the dryer while it was going and would get out all smiley and pick socks out of her hair. (that makes me giggle while I'm typing this!)
So I am just rolling with life right now and trying to hang in there til the madness passes...or maybe just eases. Here’s this week’s weigh in:

Start: 280.4
week 1: 278.4
week 2: 278.6
week 3: 279.8
Week 4: 277.2
Week 5: 275.8
Week 6: 280.8
Week 7: 273.8
Week 8: 274.0
Week 9: 275.2

Saturday was the Jingle Bell Run. It is a 5k run/walk for the Arthritis foundation. Everybody dresses up in silly Christmas costumes and just has fun. The course was super slippery, so my mom and I mostly just walked along trying not to fall. Which I did anyway about a mile into the course (my cousin who was running it, also fell). Better me than Mom though. Walking at a brisk pace wasn’t really an option, so we finished in a little over an hour. Here are a couple of pictures.

This first one we are at the starting line. The runners have already left and now the walkers are getting ready to go.



These are some people I didn't really know, but my Mom knew one of the Christmas presents. Aren't they adorable?





Here are my mom and I after the race with our silly antlers and Eliot with his bow. My antlers are kind of hard to see but they are little reindeer heads.





I'm hanging in there! It's all good! It's a holiday week and I can't wait for my 4-day weekend!!

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No Schlubbing!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

I have a plan! Actually this is plan B. Last weekend I told myself I was going to go hiking. I got up, looked outside and saw the nasty weather and decided “hmmmm. Maybe not!” And then felt like a schlub because I sat around for the rest of the day.

So plan B is to have a backup for when I don’t feel like going out hiking or snowshoing.
Today I ordered a Gymboss, which is a small timer device that times intervals for you, beeping or vibrating at the interval points you set. I would like to start incorporating some Tabata style workouts into my weekly routine. For those of you who don’t know exactly what Tabata is (think high intensity intervals, short overall workout) there are lots of videos on youtube. It’s pretty cool.
I also purchased two dvd workout videos that will hopefully replace my Saturday morning Zumba.

"Cardio and Strength Interval Circuit Workout DVD with Angie Gorr"

And

"Bob Harper: Kettlebell Cardio Shred"

In the Spark blogs there was a review of a kettlebell video by Paul Katami that also sounds good. If I enjoy Kettlebells, I’m sure I will get it too. But I decided to start with my buddy from Biggest Loser, Bob. So! No schlubbishness on the weekends!! Can't wait to try them - I will be sure to give my reviews on both videos in the weeks to come!

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