One more day!!!!!!! I'm having packing anxiety. I always think I'm going to forget something even though whatever I've forgotten, I'm pretty sure Vegas will have it. But I get this way about any trip. It's so much easier to pack for beach vacations, my list consists of bathing suits, flip flops & sunscreen. Easy. This trip is more difficult. We did luck out considering the high each day is 75! It's supposed to drop down to the high 50's in the evenings. I mean I don't even remember what that feels like.
This is my base list & it gets me off to a good start:
Vitamins
Sonic toothbrush
iPod
iPhone & iPod charger
Camera & charger
Nikes
Workout clothes
Hair dryer
My mother always told me to start any packing list with your vitamins & you're less likely to stress or forget something important. If you don't take vitamins...well how do you survive without them?!
I sure wish Ferg could come with us, I'm gonna miss her something fierce. But she's staying with our friends next door & probably won't miss me at all. She's pretty in love with them & their 3 cats, it's like I don't exist when we go over to their house so I'm not worried one bit.
Feel free to follow me on Instagram, I'll try to keep up with fabulous picture postings. My user name is jaeaton1981. I'm off! Enjoying the Vegas life for the next 4 days!!!!!!
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Weekend Recap
Wow I had a busy weekend!
Husband & I both wanted to get up early in the a.m. so we stayed in & hit the sack early Friday. I woke up Saturday morning to the best weather in a long time...it was 65 degrees! I was in shock! I fed Ferg & we headed out on our morning walk & basked in every wonderful minute of it. Around 9 a.m. I planned on doing a leg/treadmill workout but opted for a run outside. This is the first time I've run outside since late Spring before it turned unbearable out & I was afraid I'd only be able to do maybe 2 miles. I did that & then 3 more, I had the best 5 mile run! My last mile & 1/2 was a bit rough but I pushed through & felt so strong. I could run outside in weather like that every day & never get tired of it. When I got back I took Ferg on a nice 1/2 miler. We haven't done that in forever, probably since the last time I ran outside. She loved it. She got to eat lots of worms & roll in a bunch of yards. She was a happy puppy.
Later in the day we headed to go visit Husband's grandma for her birthday. We had a nice visit with family & then headed to the grocery store. Yep, it's our idea of fun.
It was great to come home & relax. It felt like we had been on the go all day & Fergie was getting tired of us not being there to give her love. We watched a Netflix movie, Premium Rush & it was pretty good. It starred Joseph Gordon Levitt & he's so cute. He's a bike messenger & ends up getting a special package to deliver that has trouble following him through the whole movie. It was full of action & very fast paced, we enjoyed it.
Sunday I woke up with some crazy stiff legs, it hurt to walk. I knew yoga would be the best cure. I did my Bob Harper yoga & followed it with the 15 minute ab routine. Even though my legs were beyond sore I did pretty good. My balance was much better than last week.
After I showered & got dressed, I headed to meet my mom for lunch & a movie. We ate at Wich Wich, loved it! Then we proceeded to see one hell of a movie, Prisoners! It's about the 2 little girls that get kidnapped on Thanksgiving day. Hugh Jackman...Jake Gyllenhall. Yeah you know it. I heard great things about this movie & how it was very suspensful & would have you guessing the whole time. That all proved to be true. There were 2 scenes I would have preferred not to experience (animal scenes) but I just closed my eyes. Other than those, it was really good. I think I suspected every character in that movie & was wrong about all of them. What an ending! I won't go into detail in case any readers haven't seen it, but wow. It was a 2 1/2 hour movie but didn't feel like it, that's how great it was!
Monday morning workout - Kenpo X! It's a P90X workout & it's an awesome calorie burning kickboxing/karate type routine. This is one of my favs. I'm always sore in my back/shoulders & side abs from this. It was hard to even get through the stretching though because my calves were so tight & sore from my Saturday run. Felt great after I finished though.
This is my off week so just lots of yoga & cardio workouts. Oh my mom came up with a great workout option while we're on vacation...running stairs in the hotel. I used to love going to football fields & running the bleachers when I was younger. Much better than the stairmaster & it kicks my butt. Thanks Mother!
Husband & I both wanted to get up early in the a.m. so we stayed in & hit the sack early Friday. I woke up Saturday morning to the best weather in a long time...it was 65 degrees! I was in shock! I fed Ferg & we headed out on our morning walk & basked in every wonderful minute of it. Around 9 a.m. I planned on doing a leg/treadmill workout but opted for a run outside. This is the first time I've run outside since late Spring before it turned unbearable out & I was afraid I'd only be able to do maybe 2 miles. I did that & then 3 more, I had the best 5 mile run! My last mile & 1/2 was a bit rough but I pushed through & felt so strong. I could run outside in weather like that every day & never get tired of it. When I got back I took Ferg on a nice 1/2 miler. We haven't done that in forever, probably since the last time I ran outside. She loved it. She got to eat lots of worms & roll in a bunch of yards. She was a happy puppy.
Later in the day we headed to go visit Husband's grandma for her birthday. We had a nice visit with family & then headed to the grocery store. Yep, it's our idea of fun.
It was great to come home & relax. It felt like we had been on the go all day & Fergie was getting tired of us not being there to give her love. We watched a Netflix movie, Premium Rush & it was pretty good. It starred Joseph Gordon Levitt & he's so cute. He's a bike messenger & ends up getting a special package to deliver that has trouble following him through the whole movie. It was full of action & very fast paced, we enjoyed it.
Sunday I woke up with some crazy stiff legs, it hurt to walk. I knew yoga would be the best cure. I did my Bob Harper yoga & followed it with the 15 minute ab routine. Even though my legs were beyond sore I did pretty good. My balance was much better than last week.
After I showered & got dressed, I headed to meet my mom for lunch & a movie. We ate at Wich Wich, loved it! Then we proceeded to see one hell of a movie, Prisoners! It's about the 2 little girls that get kidnapped on Thanksgiving day. Hugh Jackman...Jake Gyllenhall. Yeah you know it. I heard great things about this movie & how it was very suspensful & would have you guessing the whole time. That all proved to be true. There were 2 scenes I would have preferred not to experience (animal scenes) but I just closed my eyes. Other than those, it was really good. I think I suspected every character in that movie & was wrong about all of them. What an ending! I won't go into detail in case any readers haven't seen it, but wow. It was a 2 1/2 hour movie but didn't feel like it, that's how great it was!
Monday morning workout - Kenpo X! It's a P90X workout & it's an awesome calorie burning kickboxing/karate type routine. This is one of my favs. I'm always sore in my back/shoulders & side abs from this. It was hard to even get through the stretching though because my calves were so tight & sore from my Saturday run. Felt great after I finished though.
This is my off week so just lots of yoga & cardio workouts. Oh my mom came up with a great workout option while we're on vacation...running stairs in the hotel. I used to love going to football fields & running the bleachers when I was younger. Much better than the stairmaster & it kicks my butt. Thanks Mother!
Friday, September 20, 2013
Friday Funday
Happy Friday!
This week has been easy breezy since the majority of my office peeps were gone. It's usually like that Tuesday through Thursday but not on Fridays. We have a big store grand opening in Denver & that's where everyone is. I don't mind a busy office, it makes the days go by fast. But when I have things I want to get done without interruptions, it's nice to have a quiet office to accomplish that in.
My workout yesterday was lovely yoga. It felt extra fabulous since I ran the night before & my hamstrings were tight. My balance is so much better on the left side of my body compared to my right which is strange since I'm right handed. Any poses that are favoring my right hand & leg I'm so wobbly. I suppose that will improve over time. It could also be the fact that at 4am, my body is still asleep.
As I've mentioned before I'm going to Vegas next week!!!!! One thing I've never had to worry about when it comes to vacations I plan is getting my fitness on. I always plan for my "off week" to be during vacation times.
Side note: By off week I mean no strength training, mainly cardio, whether it's running or getting on another type of cardio machine.
While doing hotel research, I found that most hotels in Vegas have resort fees. I decided this ridiculous since it doesn't include anything. Luckily, the way I booked our hotel & flight package, I managed to skip out on the resort fee because I'm saavy like that. But I must not be saavy enough because I'm pretty sure there will still be a fee to use the fitness center. A 2 day pass is $36 for one person! That's $72 for Husband & I! I'm too cheap for that. And Husband said it won't be safe for me to go running outisde anywhere. So I'm creating a circuit workout to perform in the privacy of our own room that requires no equipment. So far I've gathered 8 moves from other fellow bloggers & my own workouts. If you're a fitness fanatic like me & have any good traveling workout suggestions, please send them my way.
As always, have a great weekend!
This week has been easy breezy since the majority of my office peeps were gone. It's usually like that Tuesday through Thursday but not on Fridays. We have a big store grand opening in Denver & that's where everyone is. I don't mind a busy office, it makes the days go by fast. But when I have things I want to get done without interruptions, it's nice to have a quiet office to accomplish that in.
My workout yesterday was lovely yoga. It felt extra fabulous since I ran the night before & my hamstrings were tight. My balance is so much better on the left side of my body compared to my right which is strange since I'm right handed. Any poses that are favoring my right hand & leg I'm so wobbly. I suppose that will improve over time. It could also be the fact that at 4am, my body is still asleep.
As I've mentioned before I'm going to Vegas next week!!!!! One thing I've never had to worry about when it comes to vacations I plan is getting my fitness on. I always plan for my "off week" to be during vacation times.
Side note: By off week I mean no strength training, mainly cardio, whether it's running or getting on another type of cardio machine.
While doing hotel research, I found that most hotels in Vegas have resort fees. I decided this ridiculous since it doesn't include anything. Luckily, the way I booked our hotel & flight package, I managed to skip out on the resort fee because I'm saavy like that. But I must not be saavy enough because I'm pretty sure there will still be a fee to use the fitness center. A 2 day pass is $36 for one person! That's $72 for Husband & I! I'm too cheap for that. And Husband said it won't be safe for me to go running outisde anywhere. So I'm creating a circuit workout to perform in the privacy of our own room that requires no equipment. So far I've gathered 8 moves from other fellow bloggers & my own workouts. If you're a fitness fanatic like me & have any good traveling workout suggestions, please send them my way.
As always, have a great weekend!
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Workouts & Goodies
Only 7 more days until Vegas!!!
Quick workout recap of the week so far:
1 min walk, 1 min sprint - 6.0 speed, 1% incline, 2% incline, 3% incline
1 min walk, 1 min sprint - 6.2 speed, 1% incline, 2% incline, 3% incline
1 min walk, 1 min sprint - 6.3 speed, 1% incline, 2% incline, 3% incline
1 min walk, 1 min sprint - 6.5 speed, 1% incline, 2% incline, 3% incline
I ran each speed listed above at the different inclines. My distance was a little over 2 miles & I felt great afterwards.
If you haven't been blessed with seeing the pictures Fergie & Josh shared of Axl Jack, here you go!!!! I'm not a fan of babies of the human kind but he is one gorgeous baby! He'll be breaking hearts soon. I would totally babysit for this kid.
Last week I received my Birchbox! Here's what it included for September:
So far I've tried the polish. It's not my first pick for a nail color so I used it on my feet instead. I wouldn't say I love it but it's a fun choice.
I also tried the shampoo & conditioner combo (red & white bottles). I didn't care for the shampoo. It didn't provide much lather or sudsing action which made me feel like it didn't clean my hair as well. Both smell wonderful with a coconut aroma that I loved & it reminds of suntan lotion which then reminds me of the beach, sigh. I could tell the next day I didn't get the best hair washing experience so I've just been wearing it in a cute pony so far this week. I'm not about to waste my time washing it again! I'll use the conditioner in the future, possibly mix it with some olive oil for a good hair mask treatment.
The big white pouch is a sample of an all over face primer, moisturizer, eye cream & night cream. The 3 samples on the right side are cream blushes & they can be used as lip stain! I'm excited to try these.
Quick workout recap of the week so far:
- Monday - Chest, Shoulders & Tri's
- Tuesday - Core
- Wednesday - Back & Biceps - I had to skip the bonus round. Apparently I focused too much on the stretching portion & didn't have time for the extra round.
1 min walk, 1 min sprint - 6.0 speed, 1% incline, 2% incline, 3% incline
1 min walk, 1 min sprint - 6.2 speed, 1% incline, 2% incline, 3% incline
1 min walk, 1 min sprint - 6.3 speed, 1% incline, 2% incline, 3% incline
1 min walk, 1 min sprint - 6.5 speed, 1% incline, 2% incline, 3% incline
I ran each speed listed above at the different inclines. My distance was a little over 2 miles & I felt great afterwards.
If you haven't been blessed with seeing the pictures Fergie & Josh shared of Axl Jack, here you go!!!! I'm not a fan of babies of the human kind but he is one gorgeous baby! He'll be breaking hearts soon. I would totally babysit for this kid.
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Last week I received my Birchbox! Here's what it included for September:
So far I've tried the polish. It's not my first pick for a nail color so I used it on my feet instead. I wouldn't say I love it but it's a fun choice.
I also tried the shampoo & conditioner combo (red & white bottles). I didn't care for the shampoo. It didn't provide much lather or sudsing action which made me feel like it didn't clean my hair as well. Both smell wonderful with a coconut aroma that I loved & it reminds of suntan lotion which then reminds me of the beach, sigh. I could tell the next day I didn't get the best hair washing experience so I've just been wearing it in a cute pony so far this week. I'm not about to waste my time washing it again! I'll use the conditioner in the future, possibly mix it with some olive oil for a good hair mask treatment.
The big white pouch is a sample of an all over face primer, moisturizer, eye cream & night cream. The 3 samples on the right side are cream blushes & they can be used as lip stain! I'm excited to try these.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Weekend Review
Jury Duty is not fun! I was in a room with over 300 people even though the maximum # allowed was 290. And to make matters worse, the AC wasn't working correctly! It was stuffy & people were coughing & sneezing...I think I left with everyone's germs covering my body. But it's over!
I had a fun weekend full of numerous Game of Thrones episodes. Husband & I began watching this a few weekends ago with our friends that live next door. This is like the 5th time they're watching all the seasons over again so they have all the answers to our never ending questions. The goal is to be caught up by the time the new season starts (I think it's next year maybe). It's very good & addicting. I just have to make sure I close my eyes & plug my ears during some graphic animal scenes. So that was our fun for Friday & Saturday night. Of course Ferg got to tag along. The kitties love to play with her & she feels so special to come with us.
I mentioned in my previous post that I was going to continue with my P90X leg & back workout but I lied. I didn't lie intentionally though. I found a circuit leg workout on Pinterest that you can do at home & thought I'd spice things up & give it a try. It originally was 3 different exercises so I added one into it.
I woke up Sunday with the stiffest leg muscles I've had in a long time. And the worst part was my quads which are really hard for me to get to burn for some reason. Dead lifts alone always give me the burn in my hamstrings but my quads are more difficult to target. And then the smile crept across my face because I'm weird & love this feeling. It means I worked hard & the change of workout was a success.
Last week I had a plethora of goodies arrive that I'll eventually get into. But one I'll reveal to you is my new yoga DVD!!!!
I was so excited to try this & what a better time when my legs are on fire. The workout is an hour long with an extra 15 minute yoga ab routine at the end. From the very beginning, Bob had me sweating. After 15 minutes I was drenched & then he had the nerve to call that the warm up! Warm up my ass! Bob didn't do a whole lot but the other 3 yogies did & they were sweating as much as me. They all demonstrated different variations so that helped. I still consider myself a beginner yogie but I was able to do most of the tough moves. The workout included non-stop warrior moves, chaturangas, cobras, downward dogs, these crazy upside down shoulder press moves...I mean the list just goes on. It was truly a full body workout. During the last 10 minutes, there was a mini ab routine. Initially I thought this was the ab portion & got excited because I was about to pass out. No. It wasn't. 15 minutes of hell followed. The ab routine was one of the hardest routines I've done. Seriously. My abs were on fire but I guess that's not a bad thing because it took the emphasis off my legs for the 15 minutes. Today is the first day I can move from side to side without wincing. I give the video endless stars & this will be a weekly thing for me.
I had a fun weekend full of numerous Game of Thrones episodes. Husband & I began watching this a few weekends ago with our friends that live next door. This is like the 5th time they're watching all the seasons over again so they have all the answers to our never ending questions. The goal is to be caught up by the time the new season starts (I think it's next year maybe). It's very good & addicting. I just have to make sure I close my eyes & plug my ears during some graphic animal scenes. So that was our fun for Friday & Saturday night. Of course Ferg got to tag along. The kitties love to play with her & she feels so special to come with us.
I mentioned in my previous post that I was going to continue with my P90X leg & back workout but I lied. I didn't lie intentionally though. I found a circuit leg workout on Pinterest that you can do at home & thought I'd spice things up & give it a try. It originally was 3 different exercises so I added one into it.
- 20 Squats
- 20 Dead lifts
- 20 Calf Raises
- 20 Lunges (each Leg)
- Pull Up/Chin Up (max)
- 30 Jumping Jacks
I woke up Sunday with the stiffest leg muscles I've had in a long time. And the worst part was my quads which are really hard for me to get to burn for some reason. Dead lifts alone always give me the burn in my hamstrings but my quads are more difficult to target. And then the smile crept across my face because I'm weird & love this feeling. It means I worked hard & the change of workout was a success.
Last week I had a plethora of goodies arrive that I'll eventually get into. But one I'll reveal to you is my new yoga DVD!!!!
I was so excited to try this & what a better time when my legs are on fire. The workout is an hour long with an extra 15 minute yoga ab routine at the end. From the very beginning, Bob had me sweating. After 15 minutes I was drenched & then he had the nerve to call that the warm up! Warm up my ass! Bob didn't do a whole lot but the other 3 yogies did & they were sweating as much as me. They all demonstrated different variations so that helped. I still consider myself a beginner yogie but I was able to do most of the tough moves. The workout included non-stop warrior moves, chaturangas, cobras, downward dogs, these crazy upside down shoulder press moves...I mean the list just goes on. It was truly a full body workout. During the last 10 minutes, there was a mini ab routine. Initially I thought this was the ab portion & got excited because I was about to pass out. No. It wasn't. 15 minutes of hell followed. The ab routine was one of the hardest routines I've done. Seriously. My abs were on fire but I guess that's not a bad thing because it took the emphasis off my legs for the 15 minutes. Today is the first day I can move from side to side without wincing. I give the video endless stars & this will be a weekly thing for me.
Few Things Forgotten
I get my posts ready the day before & sometimes I forget to include events or topics if it happens after my post is ready.
Here are some things I forgot from last week:
Wednesday night after I drove my lazy ass home from work, I did the usual. The usual in case you don't know is walk in the door & Fergie & I have our "Momma's Home!" time for about 5 minutes (it includes lots of love), change clothes, feed her & then we go on our after dinner walk. Remember how I posted that I really need to start running more & planned to run one night during the work week? I was so not in the mood when I got home but forced myself to do it. And I did! I ran a little over 2 miles & did HIIT. High Intensity Interval Training. I've been doing this sort of workout on the treadmill for a few months now since summer hit. I get really bored running straight through so this makes the time go by much faster. I do 1 min. sprints followed by 1 min. walking. I try to change up the incline % during the run & keep increasing my sprint speeds once I'm warmed up. Normally I do 45 minutes but since I hadn't run in 2 weeks, I took it easy. But it must have worked because my hamstrings & calves were killing me. Yay me!
Thursday night Husband & I met up at Chuy's in Denton to celebrate a special person's birthday. She's still under the age of 30 & it always makes me a little depressed since I haven't been under the age of 30 in a while but I was still excited. I guess I was overly excited since I hate 5 baskets of chips & salsa & then proceeded to order a meal. WTF! I got veggie enchiladas minus the cheese (since I'm a vegan and all) & they were delish. What sucked was how enlarged my stomach became & how uncomfortable I was for the rest of the evening. It didn't help that I drank 5 big cups of water at dinner to keep from having a beer. All in all it was a fun night & all our beautiful friends showed up. That birthday girl is one special someone!
Tomorrow's post will feature a new leg workout I did on Saturday & my new Yoga DVD I did on Sunday! I'm still sore from both!
And I DID NOT get picked for a trial at jury duty!
Here are some things I forgot from last week:
Wednesday night after I drove my lazy ass home from work, I did the usual. The usual in case you don't know is walk in the door & Fergie & I have our "Momma's Home!" time for about 5 minutes (it includes lots of love), change clothes, feed her & then we go on our after dinner walk. Remember how I posted that I really need to start running more & planned to run one night during the work week? I was so not in the mood when I got home but forced myself to do it. And I did! I ran a little over 2 miles & did HIIT. High Intensity Interval Training. I've been doing this sort of workout on the treadmill for a few months now since summer hit. I get really bored running straight through so this makes the time go by much faster. I do 1 min. sprints followed by 1 min. walking. I try to change up the incline % during the run & keep increasing my sprint speeds once I'm warmed up. Normally I do 45 minutes but since I hadn't run in 2 weeks, I took it easy. But it must have worked because my hamstrings & calves were killing me. Yay me!
Thursday night Husband & I met up at Chuy's in Denton to celebrate a special person's birthday. She's still under the age of 30 & it always makes me a little depressed since I haven't been under the age of 30 in a while but I was still excited. I guess I was overly excited since I hate 5 baskets of chips & salsa & then proceeded to order a meal. WTF! I got veggie enchiladas minus the cheese (since I'm a vegan and all) & they were delish. What sucked was how enlarged my stomach became & how uncomfortable I was for the rest of the evening. It didn't help that I drank 5 big cups of water at dinner to keep from having a beer. All in all it was a fun night & all our beautiful friends showed up. That birthday girl is one special someone!
Tomorrow's post will feature a new leg workout I did on Saturday & my new Yoga DVD I did on Sunday! I'm still sore from both!
And I DID NOT get picked for a trial at jury duty!
Friday, September 13, 2013
Friday Has Arrived!
It's FRIDAY!
Yoga yesterday morning was heaven. Well maybe not heaven because it was hard considering every muscle in my body felt like it had been beaten to shreds. So it was heaven after I finished. There, that's better. I always get nervous when I stray from the exact P90X plan & worry I might not have gotten the best workout. I feel much different than that. I am actually sore everywhere & that's a good feeling.
I know everyone is wondering how my vegan venture is going. Thanks for asking! It's going well. This week, the only non-vegan thing I'm putting in my body is my creamer for coffee. I'm happy with the progress & surprised it hasn't been harder for me to adjust. I never made it to the Cupboard this past weekend...I was under the weather. So I haven't found the perfect non-dairy yogurt yet. I'll go this weekend because I'm missing my nightly dessert. I've just been eating a handful of blueberries which isn't bad but I want something more rich.
I did have this amazing burrito for lunch yesterday. It's an Amy's Kitchen frozen burrito.
Amy's has great options for vegans & vegetarians. It's an organic dairy free bean burrito. I know you're thinking gross but it was the opposite. It was stuffed with beans, rice & tons of veggies. I didn't miss the cheese or sour cream at all. The tortilla itself was yummy too but I will say it didn't look that picture friendly after I cooked it. But how often does a frozen item actually look great after you cook it in the micro. I'll be getting more of those for next week. I love my salads at lunch but it's nice to mix it up & have a few other options. I think a piece of fruit with it would have hit the spot. It was 320 calories and 10 grams of protein and very filling.
Yoga yesterday morning was heaven. Well maybe not heaven because it was hard considering every muscle in my body felt like it had been beaten to shreds. So it was heaven after I finished. There, that's better. I always get nervous when I stray from the exact P90X plan & worry I might not have gotten the best workout. I feel much different than that. I am actually sore everywhere & that's a good feeling.
I know everyone is wondering how my vegan venture is going. Thanks for asking! It's going well. This week, the only non-vegan thing I'm putting in my body is my creamer for coffee. I'm happy with the progress & surprised it hasn't been harder for me to adjust. I never made it to the Cupboard this past weekend...I was under the weather. So I haven't found the perfect non-dairy yogurt yet. I'll go this weekend because I'm missing my nightly dessert. I've just been eating a handful of blueberries which isn't bad but I want something more rich.
I did have this amazing burrito for lunch yesterday. It's an Amy's Kitchen frozen burrito.
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I have the dreaded jury duty gig on Monday & will be MIA. Don't freak out when there isn't a Monday post, I know it'll be so hard to make it through the day. Unless I get picked for a case, I'll be back on Tuesday. Have a fantastic weekend!
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Back & Biceps with a Side of Migraine
I was still in "OMG I can't move my body without crying" pain from my workouts this week but I put my big girl panties on & powered through Biceps & Back Wednesday morning. Let me start off by saying I've had a massive migraine since Tuesday morning. It goes away & then comes back. It showed it's nasty face for my workout. And yeah, I'm the girl who will workout even if her head feels like it might actually expolde. In result, I feel like I barely made it through this.
I have pull ups & chin ups listed but I'm not actually doing them. I use a resistance band & a door aparatus that allows me to put the bands in the door & use them in the pull up/chin up form. I hope that makes sense. I'm down on one knee, leaning forward & pull the bands so I'm squeezing my back muscles together. I suppose this is the girly version, I'm proud enough to admit I can't do a real pull up or chin up. So this is a varition in the closest form possible to the actual move.
Static Curl - Curl 1 arm 1/2 way up & hold. Do curls with opposite arm & then switch. I do 8 on each arm, 16 total.
One Arm Rows - In deep lunge position, rest left arm on left quad, row with the right arm pulling elbow up, switch.
Twisting Curls - They're called corkscrew curls, maybe that helps. Start by holding weights with palms facing away from you & twist your arm as you curl up. Only do one arm at a time & watch, you can see your bicep pop out. Not literally! But you can see it flex & that's how you know you've gone far enough. Twist back down & switch arms.
Bent Over Rows - I do these in a lunge position but not a deep lunge. Lunge just enough so that the weights don't touch the floor & pull up into a row & squeeze back muscles.
1-Arm Concentration Curl - Deep lunge position. Rest left arm on left quad & hold your forearm out towards your right. Gently hang right arm over left wrist but don't rest it. Your right elbow should just barely touch your left wrist. Then curl & switch.
In & Out Hammer Curl - Do a regular hammer curl, then flip your hands so your palms are facing the wall you're looking at, hammer out to the side. It feels awkward at first.
Tomorrow is yoga & I am so happy that I could cry. It will be the perfect conclusion for the week (at least until Saturday). I just hope I don't get stuck in downward dog.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Hello Core Land
I was originally going to make some funny comment about today being hump day & haha. And then I thought, it's 9/11. I'm not going to get into anything depressing because this day makes me sad enough. Husband & I were talking last night about how crazy it is that there are actually kids now who didn't experience that horrific day and may not realize what it means. I can't believe it's been 12 years but I know for me, I will always remember so I hope you do to. And if your kids weren't born yet, make sure they understand what it means & how that day changed the world.
Ok, on to the workout...
Let me tell you how freaking sore my upper body was after my Monday workout! Holy crap! I was shocked. All I did was add 1 new exercise & mix all the other ones up but geeze I was hurting. I wanted to crawl into fetal position at my desk & suck my thumb. But, I'm a lady so I sucked it up like a big girl.
Tuesday morning's routine kicked my bum. I was already whining from the Monday routine & then I chose to do core synergistic. WTF! I hate core because it makes me feel so good afterwards. It's just not a normal feeling. It's hard and as much as I've done it, it never gets any easier.
What the heck is Core Synergistic?! It's a full body workout with main focus for every move being your mid section. Since I do this in the middle of my other workouts, I use 3-5 lb weights when needed (Not all moves use weights). I started doing this once a week about 4 months ago & it's made a big difference in my core strength & the appearance of my stomach region. I think it's been helping with yoga moves also. Your mid section holds your body together so if it's strong, then your other body parts will benefit more in the workouts.
Here's the workout below. It's split into 3 rounds.
I know the titles make the moves hard to understand. You can check out the website & watch some demos here. And I'm sure you can look some up on You Tube. I prefer to follow a DVD rather than go off a workout sheet (for cardio based routines) so I can make sure to have correct form & since most of the moves are timed, I'd rather have someone else bother with that mess.
I replace a few moves that don't feel right with a variety of plank moves. I love planks. You don't have to move much but wow they do the trick. Here are 3 plank variations that I do throughout the workout (all of these are on my elbows):
Instead of Crescent Lunges, Regular Plank - 45 second hold, rest 15 sec, 45 second hold
Instead of Walking Push Ups, Plank with Leg Lift - total time is 1 min. In plank position, raise leg slightly, squeezing your butt for 10 counts on each side, do it 2 times
Instead of Towel Hoppers, Plank with Hip Touch - total time is 1 min. In plank position, roll each hip to outer side & tap the floor. Focus on flexing your tummy & keep your arms steady. Your hip should be doing the movement, not your upper body.
I'll also do 75 jumping jacks instead of the 1 minute long Halfback exercise (it's like a football move & it feels awkward on my knees & I'm guessing the popping noise in my knee is not normal).
I know not everyone has P90X. Any type of a Core workout would be great to add into your routine. This one works for me because I workout at home, it requires little equipment & it really works every muscle in your body. The P90X routine only requires core once a month but I love doing it every week. I am always on the lookout for new DVDs that are challenging so if you've found any, please share!
Ok, on to the workout...
Let me tell you how freaking sore my upper body was after my Monday workout! Holy crap! I was shocked. All I did was add 1 new exercise & mix all the other ones up but geeze I was hurting. I wanted to crawl into fetal position at my desk & suck my thumb. But, I'm a lady so I sucked it up like a big girl.
Tuesday morning's routine kicked my bum. I was already whining from the Monday routine & then I chose to do core synergistic. WTF! I hate core because it makes me feel so good afterwards. It's just not a normal feeling. It's hard and as much as I've done it, it never gets any easier.
What the heck is Core Synergistic?! It's a full body workout with main focus for every move being your mid section. Since I do this in the middle of my other workouts, I use 3-5 lb weights when needed (Not all moves use weights). I started doing this once a week about 4 months ago & it's made a big difference in my core strength & the appearance of my stomach region. I think it's been helping with yoga moves also. Your mid section holds your body together so if it's strong, then your other body parts will benefit more in the workouts.
Here's the workout below. It's split into 3 rounds.
I replace a few moves that don't feel right with a variety of plank moves. I love planks. You don't have to move much but wow they do the trick. Here are 3 plank variations that I do throughout the workout (all of these are on my elbows):
Instead of Crescent Lunges, Regular Plank - 45 second hold, rest 15 sec, 45 second hold
Instead of Walking Push Ups, Plank with Leg Lift - total time is 1 min. In plank position, raise leg slightly, squeezing your butt for 10 counts on each side, do it 2 times
Instead of Towel Hoppers, Plank with Hip Touch - total time is 1 min. In plank position, roll each hip to outer side & tap the floor. Focus on flexing your tummy & keep your arms steady. Your hip should be doing the movement, not your upper body.
I'll also do 75 jumping jacks instead of the 1 minute long Halfback exercise (it's like a football move & it feels awkward on my knees & I'm guessing the popping noise in my knee is not normal).
I know not everyone has P90X. Any type of a Core workout would be great to add into your routine. This one works for me because I workout at home, it requires little equipment & it really works every muscle in your body. The P90X routine only requires core once a month but I love doing it every week. I am always on the lookout for new DVDs that are challenging so if you've found any, please share!
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Time For a Change
I don't go to the gym. Well, I used to & I still have a membership but it's been frozen for a while. I've been working out to P90X for years now. I love it. Never thought I'd be that person who worked out at home but P90X changed my perspective on exercising. I was the snotty girl who didn't believe you could get a calorie burning workout in the privacy of your own home. Now I can't even tell you the last time my butt was in the gym. Since discovering how much better it is for me to workout in the a.m., the gym wouldn't be compatible with my schedule. I have taken a few breaks from P90X in the past & changed it up a bit but I always end up going back to the workout plan. And though I haven't followed the diet plan since finishing my first 2 cycles, I will never stop measuring & weighing my food and being adamant about portion sizing.
But everyone needs some change in their life. All the different exercises that P90X offers are so beneficial, but I find tons of new ones in fitness magazines, blogs & Pinterest that I always think about adding in. So I'm going to start creating my own workout plans that is basically a mixture of everything from P90X & my findings from other resources. I started off kind of basic Monday morning & below is what I did:
So if you're interested, check back each day & I'll give a mini description of my workout plans.
But everyone needs some change in their life. All the different exercises that P90X offers are so beneficial, but I find tons of new ones in fitness magazines, blogs & Pinterest that I always think about adding in. So I'm going to start creating my own workout plans that is basically a mixture of everything from P90X & my findings from other resources. I started off kind of basic Monday morning & below is what I did:
I kept moving from one set to the next however I didn't rush through any of the moves. I made sure to keep correct posture & focus on form but with little to no resting in between. The jumping jacks were a great way to raise my heart rate quickly. I did the whole workout (stretch, workout & stretch at the end) in about 50 minutes. I threw in the extra set at the end to challenge me. I'm not gonna lie, my upper body was jello after this! Actually I was pooped after the first set! My arms were on fire & still sore from the yoga I did all weekend.
I'm working on putting together a back & bicep plan for Wednesday. I more than likely will stick with the P90X leg & back workout (I do that workout on Saturdays)& the cardio workouts. After years of doing the same leg workout, I still can barely walk for 2 to 3 days after. I don't know what it is about the moves, but it kills my lower body in a super good way. There are a few moves using weights but mainly it's using your own body weight & balance. It's freaking hard. I might add in a few extra moves after I check out Pinterest. And doing yoga later in the day after the workout added intensity. I was feeling the burn in my quads later that night when normally it takes until the next day for the fire to set in.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Hello Monday
I don't like you Monday. The weekend flew by & I'm happy it was fairly relaxing. Friday night was uneventful. I did a double workout on Saturday. Legs & back in the morning & then later in the afternoon I did yoga & abs. Husband spent the day & evening at a friend's house watching football so that meant I had the house to myself! After settling in for the evening, I did this...
Sunday started off slow. I must have had one too many beers & was a little under the weather. But I eventually got up & did all my food prep for the week, laundry & then yoga. By now, my legs were hurting so bad I can barely move. I should've gotten my butt on the treadmill for a run but I didn't. This is now 2 weeks that I haven't been running & I really need to get back into it. I can't wait until the temps drop so I can start running outside. I tend to get burnt out of treadmill running towards the end of summer. So my goal is to run 2 times a week which means I'll probably have to pick an evening after I get home from work to hop on the treadmill. Laziness takes over my body once 4:30 hits & have no desire to exercise once I get home. That's why I like to get it over with in the mornings. But what's one evening of running. Seriously, I need to motivate myself & get prepared for my 5k in October. It's creeping up on me & I can't make a fool of myself.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Friday, September 6, 2013
Las Vegas Countdown Begins
Vegas Baby!!!!!!
September is finally here and the countdown to our Vegas trip at the end of the month has begun. Husband & I are going for 4 days & I'm getting pumped. I booked the trip months ago & I feel like it's taken so long to get here. We're going mainly for this:
Oh yeah! It was Husband's idea & I don't think he thought I'd actually want to go. He mentioned it in conversation & the next day I came home with a list of hotel & flight options. Imagine the shock on his face!
We plan to go to the show on Friday & Saturday & I just purchased our weekend tickets. Surprisingly, the tickets get us into a ton of the competitions that I initially thought were for VIP ticket holders only. Plus, during the breaks, the competitors will be in the main area where vendors are located for pictures & mingling with fans. I've heard you come home with tons of free stuff from all the vendors too so I'm pretty excited about that part. Protein powders, energy bars, drinks & souvenirs...can't wait! Husband & I will be packing light so we have plenty of room for it all! We both are avid fitness magazine readers & it's pretty cool we're going to see these people in person. I hope I don't get starstruck & embarrass myself. It's a possibility.
We're not staying at the fanciest hotel but I wanted to be close to the Convention Center where the show is being held so we can just walk over. There's also a monorail system right by the hotel that stops at different areas on the strip.
I LOVE Vegas & can't wait to walk through all the hotels & shops. I'm keeping my fingers crossed the weather will get a little cooler so we can enjoy being outside & walking around all the sites & people watching. We're not big gamblers but I have no problem playing slots in order to get my free booze so we'll be moving from casino to casino for sure. We plan to make a trip to Fremont Street also. This is my favorite. It's old Vegas & so cool. I had a blast last time walking up & down & seeing crazy people & being in the old casinos. It was so laid back & different from the strip. We can't wait to go back!
Happy Friday & have a great weekend!
September is finally here and the countdown to our Vegas trip at the end of the month has begun. Husband & I are going for 4 days & I'm getting pumped. I booked the trip months ago & I feel like it's taken so long to get here. We're going mainly for this:
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We plan to go to the show on Friday & Saturday & I just purchased our weekend tickets. Surprisingly, the tickets get us into a ton of the competitions that I initially thought were for VIP ticket holders only. Plus, during the breaks, the competitors will be in the main area where vendors are located for pictures & mingling with fans. I've heard you come home with tons of free stuff from all the vendors too so I'm pretty excited about that part. Protein powders, energy bars, drinks & souvenirs...can't wait! Husband & I will be packing light so we have plenty of room for it all! We both are avid fitness magazine readers & it's pretty cool we're going to see these people in person. I hope I don't get starstruck & embarrass myself. It's a possibility.
We're not staying at the fanciest hotel but I wanted to be close to the Convention Center where the show is being held so we can just walk over. There's also a monorail system right by the hotel that stops at different areas on the strip.
I LOVE Vegas & can't wait to walk through all the hotels & shops. I'm keeping my fingers crossed the weather will get a little cooler so we can enjoy being outside & walking around all the sites & people watching. We're not big gamblers but I have no problem playing slots in order to get my free booze so we'll be moving from casino to casino for sure. We plan to make a trip to Fremont Street also. This is my favorite. It's old Vegas & so cool. I had a blast last time walking up & down & seeing crazy people & being in the old casinos. It was so laid back & different from the strip. We can't wait to go back!
Thursday, September 5, 2013
New Bling & Food
Husband got the mail Tuesday night & a pretty package from Baublebar awaited me! I'd almost forgotten I ordered the bracelet. It was a buried bauble & when I saw it online I knew she had to be mine. It's a lot of bling & I love it! The other bracelet (#2) is a Bauble purchase as well. I love the rose gold. I think I need a new rose gold watch to match!
This is Week 2 of vegan food makeover. On Monday I traveled to Sprouts while at my parents house since there isn't one in Denton but unfortunately the store didn't have much of a vegan department like I remembered. I have to say it was easier last week getting rid of my eggs & snack cheese. This week is proving to be a bit more challenging. I eliminated delicious & flavorful feta cheese I top my lunch & dinner salads with. I picked out Go Veggie shredded mozzarella cheese to try. It's not bad, but nothing to get excited about. I love feta because it's fairly strong so a little goes a long way & it's low in calories & fat. It added the right amount of kick to my salads. But this new stuff was just something to try. There are many other "fake" cheese versions out there, hopefully.
My next switcharoo was yogurt. This was a big fat fail. Womp Womp. I've been eating Yoplait Greek at night with a mixture of strawberries & blueberries topped with chia & flax seeds. It's a perfectly light & sweet dessert to end the night with. I'm not a fan of greek yogurt usually, but the Yoplait Greek is so freaking yummy. BUT IT'S NOT VEGAN! So buh bye. I only found 2 vegan yogurts at Sprouts. One was coconut milk based that I think I would enjoy but it had 0 grams of protein. I didn't even know that was possible. I opted for Almond Breeze yogurt. Gross. I don't know how to describe the flavor but husband compared it to cardboard. Interesting. I like Almond Milk so surely I'd like the yogurt. No. I tried a few more bites after my initial reaction but couldn't handle it.
There's a store in Denton I've been to once called the Cupboard so I'll give that a try this weekend & report my findings. I'm hoping there's a bigger variety of vegan food. Certainly I'm not the only one in Denton!
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My next switcharoo was yogurt. This was a big fat fail. Womp Womp. I've been eating Yoplait Greek at night with a mixture of strawberries & blueberries topped with chia & flax seeds. It's a perfectly light & sweet dessert to end the night with. I'm not a fan of greek yogurt usually, but the Yoplait Greek is so freaking yummy. BUT IT'S NOT VEGAN! So buh bye. I only found 2 vegan yogurts at Sprouts. One was coconut milk based that I think I would enjoy but it had 0 grams of protein. I didn't even know that was possible. I opted for Almond Breeze yogurt. Gross. I don't know how to describe the flavor but husband compared it to cardboard. Interesting. I like Almond Milk so surely I'd like the yogurt. No. I tried a few more bites after my initial reaction but couldn't handle it.
There's a store in Denton I've been to once called the Cupboard so I'll give that a try this weekend & report my findings. I'm hoping there's a bigger variety of vegan food. Certainly I'm not the only one in Denton!
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
50 Shades of Charlie Hunnam!
FINALLY the wait is over! I was thrilled when it was announced that 50 Shades of Grey would be made into a movie. The fans have been tortured enough with all the options of who will be cast to play the characters. And yesterday was an end to everyone's misery. (Drumroll...) The actor who will play the seductive Christian Grey is........................
Charlie Hunnam!
Some people may not recognize the name or know who this gorgeous man is, but I freaking do! He plays badass Jax Teller on a show called Sons of Anarchy that's set to air it's 6th season next Tuesday. I can't say he'd be my first obvious pick to play Christian but I am sooooo not disappointed by E.L. James's choice. Here's a few reasons why:
Seriously, this man oozes sex appeal & he makes me want to see the movie even more. Good luck Charlie!
Charlie Hunnam!
Some people may not recognize the name or know who this gorgeous man is, but I freaking do! He plays badass Jax Teller on a show called Sons of Anarchy that's set to air it's 6th season next Tuesday. I can't say he'd be my first obvious pick to play Christian but I am sooooo not disappointed by E.L. James's choice. Here's a few reasons why:
Seriously, this man oozes sex appeal & he makes me want to see the movie even more. Good luck Charlie!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Weekend Wrap Up
Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone had a great 3 day weekend.
Friday started out great since I got to drive Husband's mustang. However I walked out to the car at the end of the day to find a flat tire! Just my luck this would happen when I drive the car. Good thing I work for a tire company & have 2 awesome bosses who changed it for me in 105 degree heat. I finally made it home after driving like a grandma on a spare tire & headed out with Husband for our date night at Kroger!
Saturday started with an awesome workout. I did an hour of yoga, kickboxing, plyo & core work. Then I was off to my hair appointment for some color & a fresh cut. We had plans with our group of friends to go out to Denton for the night. We ended up at Oak Street Draft House for drinks. It's an old house that was turned into a bar with a huge variety of beers. They have a gigantic patio outside & that's where we all ended up. It's close to a pizza place called Mellow Mushroom so we ordered a bunch of pizzas from there. It was really hot but we did all have a great time. Good food, good beer & good friends!
Husband had to work on Sunday so we didn't stay out late Saturday. It was a good thing because I had so many chores to do around the house. I got started around 9. I cleaned the house, did laundry, got all my food ready for the week & cleaned out my closets. I thought I was going to have a huge amount of winter clothes to get rid of but I must have done that earlier this year & forgotten. I only had a few things to toss but it made me find some clothes I forgot I had! Love when that happens. Later in the day I did my 40 minute yoga routine & planned to get on the treadmill for a run afterwards but I opted to do the P90X yoga instead. It's a 90 minute workout & I thought I'd give it a try and get in a least 1/2 of it but ended up doing the whole thing! So after over 2 hours of yoga, my body was dead & turned into jello.
I was supposed to hang out at the pool on Monday with my parents but the rain changed my plans. My mom & I ended up going to Sprouts to grab some lunch & then we watched Sex in the City. We have watched this movie over & over & still love it as much as the first time. I didn't stay long & still had a few things to do at home & I wanted to get back to Fergie. The storms freaked her out that morning so she was beyond excited to see me.
The weekend went by way too fast & it's back to work! At least it's only a 4 day week.
Friday started out great since I got to drive Husband's mustang. However I walked out to the car at the end of the day to find a flat tire! Just my luck this would happen when I drive the car. Good thing I work for a tire company & have 2 awesome bosses who changed it for me in 105 degree heat. I finally made it home after driving like a grandma on a spare tire & headed out with Husband for our date night at Kroger!
Saturday started with an awesome workout. I did an hour of yoga, kickboxing, plyo & core work. Then I was off to my hair appointment for some color & a fresh cut. We had plans with our group of friends to go out to Denton for the night. We ended up at Oak Street Draft House for drinks. It's an old house that was turned into a bar with a huge variety of beers. They have a gigantic patio outside & that's where we all ended up. It's close to a pizza place called Mellow Mushroom so we ordered a bunch of pizzas from there. It was really hot but we did all have a great time. Good food, good beer & good friends!
Husband had to work on Sunday so we didn't stay out late Saturday. It was a good thing because I had so many chores to do around the house. I got started around 9. I cleaned the house, did laundry, got all my food ready for the week & cleaned out my closets. I thought I was going to have a huge amount of winter clothes to get rid of but I must have done that earlier this year & forgotten. I only had a few things to toss but it made me find some clothes I forgot I had! Love when that happens. Later in the day I did my 40 minute yoga routine & planned to get on the treadmill for a run afterwards but I opted to do the P90X yoga instead. It's a 90 minute workout & I thought I'd give it a try and get in a least 1/2 of it but ended up doing the whole thing! So after over 2 hours of yoga, my body was dead & turned into jello.
I was supposed to hang out at the pool on Monday with my parents but the rain changed my plans. My mom & I ended up going to Sprouts to grab some lunch & then we watched Sex in the City. We have watched this movie over & over & still love it as much as the first time. I didn't stay long & still had a few things to do at home & I wanted to get back to Fergie. The storms freaked her out that morning so she was beyond excited to see me.
The weekend went by way too fast & it's back to work! At least it's only a 4 day week.
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