STRETCHING...seriously, now Jillian is reading my mind..getting freaky :)

As with all things, we get the information that we need, when we are ready to hear it.

I was just thinking to myself about the "stretching for dummies book" I had been reading. I know so many things have changed over the years, so was this information still the correct way to do things? Were there more effective stretches? was it better to stretch before working out? If so, are there better stretches to do before vs after the work out?

I had just finished Jillian's 30 day shred DVD, and she talked about dynamic stretching vs static stretching. WHAT????!!!! okay, either I have totally been out of the loop, or missed it in her book, or something, but this was new information, that I guess my body was ready to hear. I finished the workout, did a couple of things, and then went to check email. When I opened my email on Monday night, I saw an email from Jillian(daily email from her website). It looks like it came Sunday night, but I hadn't looked at email on Monday. I opened it, and it was all about warming up and cooling down!! Here is the information that I got that I thought I would pass on to you. Also, if you aren't subscribing to Jillian's website, I totally recommend that you do, it has so much amazing information!!! This is just a snipit from the email:

How to Warm Up and Cool Down

Q: What do you suggest for warm-up and cool-down exercises?
A: The best kind of warm up before a tough workout is a few minutes of cardio (such as jumping rope or jumping jacks) followed by dynamic stretching. We were taught years ago to sit or stand and stretch one muscle group at a time. Contrary to popular belief, this kind of static stretching — which helps prevent muscle soreness and improves flexibility — is best performed AFTER a workout, when your muscles are very warm and loose.
In the past several years, fitness experts have discovered that there is a much more effective and healthy way to stretch BEFORE a workout: the dynamic stretch. Dynamic stretching is basically stretching with motion, so your body gets a chance to warm up the muscles slowly and in a functional way. It's a 1-2-3 punch: You warm up your body, get your heart rate up, and stretch all at the same time!

Below are some examples of dynamic stretches. Do them on a level surface for a total of about five minutes before you begin your workout. You will notice that with time the exercises will become easier and they will help improve your coordination, flexibility, and balance. Start by performing the exercises over a distance of about 30 yards; increase to 50 yards as you get more comfortable.

If you want to see the examples, you'll have to get on her web site :)
As for my Tuesday, just AM yoga and a very busy day. Today, Wednesday, I finish work at 1, and will be doing a few things, including picking up hand weights and then, C25K AND 30 day shred. Wish me luck, my quads still are sore from Monday's 30 day shred!!!

Learning and growing into a healthier me!!
~Cindy Lou

Yoga, 30 day shred with Jillian and food I GET IT moment

Okay, Monday was just fantastic! This week of challenges with Krista is pushing me to do things that I wouldn't have done, and my body is so happy about it!!

The day was a bit of a struggle with being hungry all day and then having a headache later in the afternoon. It was so frustrating, but when you read below, you'll find out what I learned from that!

YOGA
Let's start with yoga, because that is how I am starting my day each day. I feel great all day. Standing poses today, and I am finding that my reach is farther and my hamstrings are a bit less tight. Mymind was not very focused though, and I think it was just because I was tired from only 6.5 hours of sleep. That is an area to really get back in line with the 7-8 hours a night. I am feeling it for sure!!

I worked my 7.5 hours and then went to a softball game that a little girl I used to nanny was playing in. So, I got my time with her and her older sister which filled my heart so much!!!

30 DAY SHRED

All day I was worried about this, but determined to do the DVD. It has beginner level, so I didn't need to stress, and as Megan pointed out, duh...I could pause the DVD if I was dying while I did it!! I started the DVD..I needed hand weights, and didn't have any..I just used my weighted gloves and that was light, but better than nothing. I will pick some up tonight. The other thing that I didn't realize is that it is 20 minutes long. That's it!! She started in, and it was Jillian, the Jillian that I met on the cruise, the one that you think she is, caring and supportive. She wants you to work and not stand still at all, but she even says if you need it, you can take 5 seconds at one point in the CD. She wants this workout to count so you don't have to spend hours and hours at the gym and not make any progress. I was able to do everything on the DVD! For those of you thinking, "yeah, but I have never done a fitness DVD" well, that's okay!! Really, I'm not just saying that. She has 2 people doing the exercises while she does them and teaches them. One is doing the regular version, and the other is doing the adapted version of the exercise for the people that just can't do the regular one! It was a great way to start! In addition, it was fast moving as far as doing things. It wasn't repetetive for hours, she worked you, but I didn't keep thinking to myself, "when will this end?" I recommend this DVD to anyone, and I really hope to get it into my daily routine as soon as I can figure out how with the other things that I have to do.

MY FOOD I GET IT MOMENT

I think after a few days of just not getting why I was hungry and trying to just really analyze what foods I need at what times of the day, yesterday, it totally clicked! I NEED MORE CARBS FOR BREAKFAST!!! If I increase my veggies or protien or anything, I am still feeling like I am playing catch up all day and I am hungry and yesterday even had a headache by around 4pm!! So, when I got home, I made a baked potato and an artichoke, and yes, I did put butter and sunflower seeds on the potato. I actually didn't go much over my calories, don't know the exact amount, but it was close. I will be making sure that the morning meal is dense with good carbs to start my day, that will make for a more successful day with food for sure!

I had a discussion with my friend today, and she was talking about craving red meat sometimes, but she really doesn't like to eat a ton of it. Well, I told her about this I GET IT moment and about the calcium that I talked about last week. I said that in the past when I craved me(and now I'm coming up on 14 years of not eating it) it meant my iron was low. She was so quiet and said, "wow, I am amazed! I need to think about that too, thanks!"

So happy that I was able to help someone a litte bit! That's what it's all about to me, and getting your input helps me too!! Thanks!

Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou

I think that Jillian Michaels is bugging my apartment

Obviously, I know she's not, but I got your attention, right?

Remember how I mentioned the long talk with Megan that I had on Saturday night? Okay, well we were talking about challenges and reaching our goals and why is it that we get to our goal, we don't hold on to it. But in the beginning we were talking about why do we struggle and not do the things that we do every day that we need to do. I said that if your dream/goal isn't big enough and you don't keep it in front of you, it is more of a challenge to reach the goal and keep it.

So, the next day I look at my facebook "smart tip" from Jilian and guess what she said...
Most people sabotage themselves because they aren't mindful in the moment. Let your daily actions be governed by your goals & dreams. Whenever you are making an important decision first ask if it gets you closer to your goals or farther away. If the answer is closer, pull the trigger. If it's farther away make a different choice. Conscious choice making is a critical step in making your dreams a reality.


I'm not saying I'm that smart, I'm just saying that I learned so much information from the TEAM system that Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady created, that it is in my head, and apparently, Jillian thinks it's good info too...even if she did bug my apartment to get it. LOL

learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou

week 3 challenges with Krista and feeding my heart and the jm cruise peeps

Well, Krista beat me in this week's challenge. I did have my little visitor, so my time was not fully my own, but I am not going to use that as an excuse. She beat me fair and square and now I owe her $5 towards a future trip to CA.

This week's challenge with Krista was supposed to be set last night, but it got too late and we couldn't do it. So, this is what we came up with:

The Challenge this week I have to do 6 days of working out, which includes 4 days of c25K(redo week 3, day 3 AND do all of week 4) and 2 days of 30 day shred, and I have to finsih that before Krista completes chapter 7, take's her quiz and does 30 pgs in ch 8 by saturday night.

I will beat her this week, I have to!!!

Today was a very low key day and yet I accomplished quite a bit. It started out with no yoga because of the early hour that we had to leave to get Evan to his ride home. I also made this my rest day for working out since I had 3 days of running and really active days. Plus, when you read what I did, you will wonder when I would have time for it!!

After dropping off Evan I visited with a friend for a couple of hours and headed home. I ate a yummy CHERRY CHOCOLATE BLISS 22days bar and a sumo tangerine..double yum! I had a great day talking with friends and that fed my heart and soul, I can't tell you how much!! In talking with them, iI stay more on track with my goals. It's not even what they are saying about fitness and foods, and what to do, it's more about just talking with them that brings me back to the cruise and the feelings that I had and the healthy state I was in while I was there the energy of it all, it was amazing!!


The ride home was about 90 minutes. So, I got to talk with Allison and my mom. Later, I also exchanged texts with Hoss who, as usual, had a fabulous blog today, check it out!! I did lots of texting and IMing with Krista a couple texts with Megan(but after our long talk last night, I felt her energy for sure!!) Then tonight, I got to talk to Sabra for over 3 hours, which is when my apartment got cleaned and errands got run, I realized that I could have done some cooking in that time too, but that's okay. Last, a great conversation with Evan's mom, Ellen. She's not from the cruise, but it was fantastic to talk about Evan and his development, along with her daughter's amazing gifts...and that fed my heart too!!

So, why the big blog about all of my communications with the people in my life? Here's what I am figuring out...I NEED to have those things going on to feed my heart. When I was having all of these talks with people, I felt good about me. I wasn't killing myself to work out or worrying about what I was going to eat, I was just hearing about other people's lives and they were hearing about mine and we were helping each other by giving information and sharing our stories about our lives. I LOVE hearing other people's stories, I love to help when I can, I love getting the support and hopefully giving support when they need it. When I was talking to Sabra, I almost went and bought something to eat that I didn't need to buy at the store, it would have been fine as far as calories for the day, but not the right choice at all. She didn't stop me because I said something and she said something insightful to get me to not eat it, she was just being Sabra, and amazing wonderful and supportive person and I was reminded of the life that I want to lead. She has a standard, but her style is so warm and caring, but at the same time, calls you on your stuff. I have missed talking to Sabra, she makes me want to work harder. Every person that I mentioned above makes me stay focused on things, I just know that because of Sabra, the first 5K that I did on the cruise in the Bahamas will remain one of the most unforgettable days of my entire life, because of her support that day.

So, to all of you who went on the cruise with me, I thank you for verything! All of your posts on Twitter and Facebook and even our little chats remind me of the event that changed my life. These connetions bring me to a place of strength and the promise of a future that I desire if I stay the course and do all that I can.

learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou

Lots of walking, c25K, talk with Megan and challenge with Krista-results

I knew today was going to be busy and lots of walking and I knew I still had to get in my c25k before Krista finished her reading in her chapters. I also knew that it was going to be so difficult because I was taking Evan to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and it was going to be a ton of driving.

Well, the weather was awful, the rain was coming down and it was a lot of time on focusing on the road. We got there and he was so excited! We did so much walking and picture taking! It was fun to be with him and see the expression on his face. I mention this because I think that I often lose sight of what is happening in the moment. I often think of the next thing and the planning. The yoga is helping with that for sure, changing my thinking is a good thing :)

Throughout the day I would get texts from Krista on her progress on her reading. I was having fun with Evan, but that was killing me!! It made me think, "why didn't I get up early and run then" . I was tired and needed sleep, true,but I could have done it before we left, it would have prolonged the time until we left, because I'd have to get cleaned up afterwards too, and this was Evan's time. That was my thinking. The competitor in me was thinking about how she was probably going to beat me, but I was so happy for her accomplishment and proud of her amazing effort! So, Krista won, and I now have $5 waiting for her when she books her trip to CA when her course is finshed. This is not over, and I will win this coming week. THat challenge will be posted tomorrow.

After the aquarium, the rain cleared and we played at the park for an hour or so, I walked mainly, but is was great to be outside and enjoy the sun for a little bit!

At home, I did my C25K week 3, day 3 and it was much easier! The last 3 minute run was still pretty challenging, but mainly with my breathing. I am hoping to get to the chiropractor on Monday so he can do an adjustment to open up my lungs.

Then, a great, amazing talk with Megan! Megan and I are alike in so many ways, it's pretty crazy. She is from the cruise, I think I have mentioned, and the more we talk the more I feel a great connection with her. Since she is single, it is just one more thing to connect us, ya know? Well, we talked for a couple of hours as she was driving back from seeing Jillian and a bunch of speakers at the GET RADICAL CONFERENCE. It ws neat to hear all about it and the wonderful people that she met!

Looking forward to the next challenge with Krista! She is so gonna lose this week! I have my other challenges that I am working on too, and the reading is slow going! I plan to get more in my Yoga book tonight!!

Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy LOu

Yoga, trampolines and C25K(friday)

Yep, you read it right, yoga, trampolines and C25K!!

I started my day out with my AM yoga, as usual, a great start to the day!! We headed out to pick up Evan's friend and took her to lunch at Fresh choice. IT is an "all you can eat place" but they have an amazing salad bar, that's the focus of the place and they have a few other "stations" where you can get pizza, soups, bread and muffins and fruit, and a frozen yogurt station too. It's great because they label everything "vegetarian", "gluten free" and something else too, can't remember. It is a great option for a once in awhile treat---oh, and NO, I didn't go back for seconds :)

From there, we went to this place called SKY HIGH SPORTS. It is amazing. They have trampolines on the walls too! if you want to see pictures, you can friend me on facebook and check them out there (cindy lou herriges or the alternate name: jillian inspired journey). Okay, it was so fun to see the kids jumping and laughing, doing flips, jumping off the walls. I had decided that whatever it took, I was going to jump off one of those walls, and land on my feet. I kept hesitating the jump to the wall. I couldn't get enough air..well, I kept thinking that was the issue. I would jump and then when I made the decision to jump onto the trampoline on the wall, it was great! I did it...oop..oh no...ARG, landed on my back. That happened numerous times. Then the kids left and went to play dodge ball in another trampoline area, I followed and watched them and talked to an employee there and asked for advice on what I was doing wrong. So, Evan was hanging out after he had jumped and I gave him the camera and he took two pictures of me, one just jumping and one going on the wall..I look like a complete idiot, but the cool thing is, I landed on my feet afterwards. Then, I did it again, and didn't look even half as dorky. I was so proud of myself!!! I know, some of you probably are thinking, cool, i would love that, no fear...right? It is so strange to me, I have jumped on trampolines for years, even used to do flips and everything. But, when you reach a certain weight, you feel uncomfortable doing those things. It's not the "oh, what will people think about me" I really don't care what they think. It is more like, "I don't want to get injured", "what if I can't do it, no matter how hard I try"and it's the disappointment of not really feeling good that I had so much trouble doing something that used to be effortless for me. The day turned out great with the kids!!

At home, while Evan was in the bath, I made use of the treadmill in my apartment and did C25K, week 3, day 2. It was better than yesterday, but I was still working through the breathing and talking to myself about it. that is frustrating too, but just helps me remember that even if I have an injury, I need to be active. I just have to find activities that won't aggrevate the injury and keep moving!!

Great talks with Krista throughout. It always is, she is energy and drive and is motivation for me to do what I need to do also. If I didn't have this little challenge with her, I know I wouldn't have run tonight. So, thank you, Krista, I gotta beat you this week, but no idea how with Evan here..I will not give up!!

Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou

C25K, and having a wonderful visitor

Hi all!! I would love to go into a ton of details, but I am beat, and Friday will be another busy day!

Well, Evan arrived and we got back really late on Wednesday night. Since he's ony 7..almost 8, getting back at 12am, was even more awful) It was such a long day and so much driving, only burned about 2800 calories..ugg! But, I ended up getting about 6.5 hours of sleep, and then couldn't go back to sleep! no clue why.

With Evan visiting, we are trying to get a lot of things crammed into a just a few days. I want to make it just so much fun, but I also want to make sure that he doesn't get so tired that he can't function, ya know? I also want to make sure that I get my exercise in. So, being at home with the treadmill and bike available are beneficial for sure!

So, we got up, had some breakfast, then did AM yoga, which started the day out just amazingly! Evan really wanted to get a wallet, so we headed to the mall. (lots of walking, yeah!!) wallet done, and he sees Jamba Juice. he says, "OH, can we get JAMBA JUICE???!!!" So, Jamba Juice for lunch :) Headed off to work with Evan. As usual at this job, I am very busy and thus, very active, whoo hoo!! (Evan kept active walking on his hands and playing with the cats, a ton!!) Off to a gluten free dinner at Amici's pizza place! Then, Chuck E Cheese so that Evan could play a ton of games, (walking, walking another whoo hoo!!) Then, dessert at Wild Berry for frozen yogurt. Yes, I did have some, but not too much, it was a fun treat...one more stop to get a couple movies for Friday and Saturday night and home at 9:35pm..another long day for Evan! He was pretty wiped out, but took a little time to wind down. I changed clothes and it was time for C25K, week 3, day 1.

C25K:
This week is warm up for 5 minutes, run for 90 seconds, walk for 90 seconds, run for 3 minutes, walk for 3 minutes, and repeat it one time, then 5 minute cool down. I can tell that I have not been working out like I need to be. I started the run at speed of 5.0, but it was too much, so lowered to 4.5. I finished the first 90 seconds, and was breathing so heavy, I couldn't believe it!!! Ugg, I was frustrated, how could I go from finishing a 5K, to having trouble with 90 second run?? So, time to run 3 minutes. I got to about 100 seconds, and it was getting harder to breathe, but I just said to myself,"you just ran 90 seconds, this is just double that. You have run a 5K! If jillian was here, would you even consider stopping? If you stop now, you're just going to have to start it over tomorrow!..keep running!!!" Then a few seconds later, I heard that wonderful "ding" signalling that it was time to walk for 3 minutes! the breathing was just shocking to me, I am frustrated with myself for not stiking to my good habits, for falling out of that habit. Well, I got to the next run for 90 seconds, and I ran without looking at the timer, and it was easier!! Okay, then the next 3 minute run, OMG, still tough... getting better..oh, breathing harder...I can't take a deep breath..UGGG..why did I back off of the training so much, I was only hurting myself and deaying my dream...ony 1 minute left(my eyes start to look at the bindings of the books on the bookshelf across the room. I see my books about health and nutritional healing and my pictures of all of the people in my life(my neice, Elizabeth, was for some reason staring me down..thanks, Elizabeth!!)...I'm not gonna quit, my health and life are too important..I'm not gonna quit...DING!!...cool down...VICTORY!!

I did it, I am so proud of myself, and feel just amazing, though tired and ready for bed! At 10:25 I had already burned about 3500 calories for the day. How cool is that?!?!? Headed to bed and predict only 6-7 hours of sleep. Tomorrow and Saturday will be early nights for sure, but Evan is ooking forward to yoga in the morning and I will be doing C25K in the eveing for sure!

Thanks for reading, and when you think that you can't do something, just dig a little deeper, think about the people in your life that you made promises to, think about how far you have come, think about the commitments that you have made for yourself and remember that You are worthy of winning, you're worthy of the best, and YOU ARE REMARKABLE AND WORTH IT!!

i forgot to tell ya, now I have to do 2 more days of C25K, Krista is part way through chapter 5,she has to finish it an do chapter 6 to beat me..I feel a win coming on!!
Learning and growing into a heathier me!
Cindy LOu

mom, Jillian's smart tip, cravings, challenge from Krista and, you guessed it..YOGA!!

YOGA

I promise, one day I will stop talking about yoga and mention other things! This book is just really making me think so much more about me and yoga and all aspects of my journey!!!

If you follow me on facebook (cindy lou herriges) or on twitter (jillianinspired) you may have read these, if not, I got them both from the "Complete Idiot's guide to Yoga":

"moderation is the wisest, most peace-inspiring course. Nothing should be so important that it must be had in excess, and nothing should be so important that it must be utterly denied."-

"Bodies are an opportunity and a tool through which the inner soul can be discovered"-

I just thought these were great things to think about so I thought I would share with you. What do you think about these quotes? would love to hear your comments!

**yoga for me this morning didn't happen. Since I will be up late, picking up Evan, my almost 8 year old visitor, I chose sleep. However, at work, I did some breathing and a couple of poses to help me center. It has worked great today! but I plan to yoga while he is here for sure!

JILLIAN'S Smart Tip - "Taking the stairs" is NOT enough to get you fit. It's a healthier way of life, but no substitute for an exercise regimen. Also, three 10 min workouts over the course of a day isn't as good as doing 1 solid 30 min workout. This is because you release more metabolism boosting hormones over the duration of longer exercise. BUT 10 minute bouts are better than nothing.

MY MOM

My mom has been working hard each day, adding minutes to her routine, walking around Costco for an hour, walking a ton at the gardening store, and even adding climbs up the stairs to her routine! I am very proud of my mom and had to share her accomplishments with you! She isn't able to do vigorous activities-doctor's orders--but she can do these things and walks. She may get up to 30 minutes at a time and she may not, but she is moving, and THAT is the important part!

How about you? have you added anything to your routine to increase your activity?

CRAVINGS

Okay, not sure if there is anything to this, but i have been craving dairy for over a week. I have actually been eating dairy, but the dairy that I eat always has sugar, which I don't like to have at all!! So, I asked myself..craving dairy..what is your body lacking? Since I take vitamin D already, i realized that I am not taking enough calcium. So, went to Whole foods and found a vegetarian and gluten free calcium supplement. After taking it for 2 days, the dairy cravings are basically gone. I think that my mom is right, again...whatever your body is craving, there is a reason. Listen to your body.--thanks mom!!! xoxo

I have been pretty on track with the yoga, food and my reading. Well, I have a new friend from the cruise, that I never met until online, recently, her name is Krista Harris. She rocks. She is 20 years younger than me, and I have decided to adopt her as a daughter, because she is that amazing to me! ..oh, mom, you're gonna be a grandma again, I guess. :) So, she is studying to be a personal trainer. Well, I am way behind on my C25K and she needs to get cracking on her studying. So, we have a challenge. She needs to finish chapters 4,5 and 6(4 is almost done) before I finish all 3 days of c25k week 3 on Sunday!! I will keep you posted on the winner. This is going to be good!!! I'm gonna take her on this one I'm sure of it!! It's on, Krista!!!


Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou

Jillian's yoga info, finding it within myself

It has been a week since I posted anything, and for those of you that keep checking back, thanks for your support! For those of you that are first time readers, thanks for checking it out too!!

I have spent this week, feeling anxious, nervouse, worried and a bit overwhelmed. the same things as before, my apartment is disorganized, or my routine is off, or didn't plan...sometimes all the same day, sometimes, just one of them. I find myself wondering why it was going so wonderfully and then doubting how I am going to stay on track even after I am finally able to get to a healthy weight. I am talking to new people, but missing the people that have been such a support that I didn't even realized how much, even though I thought I got it...does that make sense? Allison and Meghan were not around for various reasons, and not chatting with them has been odd. I need to find it within myself to get things done and stay focused on my goals. The weather was AWFUL and though I don't have that seasonal disorder, not being able to be outside and be in my "cave" of an apartment does play a role in my mood I am realizing. I also haven't been doing yoga in the morning due to not getting enough sleep. I have felt like the old me, before this journey, and it just kinda stinks! OKAY, it REALLY STINKS!! SO, I did look within and started thinking about what it is that I really want in my life. the firt thing is something I have talkd about, BALANCE. I don't have that, and just when I think I do, it goes away. In retrospect, I think that it is me sabotaging myself though, not some crazy outside force. If i blame it on those, I really am just making up excuses, because my inner strength is bigger than those excuses. I know it is!

So, though I was tired Monday morning, I got up after 7.5 hours of sleep and I did yoga and...(cue harp)"aaaahhhh" BALANCE, centeredness, calm, peace... I've said it before, and I KNOW that I will say it again, but yoga is it for me. Unfortunately, it can't be all for me. Jillian's comments about yoga are below. if you haven't signed up to get Jillian's newsletters, go to jillianmichaels.com, and get them, they are worth the read!

Yesterday I walked 1.37 miles, many hills, with a 5 year old, so pretty slow. The plan was to do c25K...why didn't I do it?? have absolutely no idea except I was tired, and had a headache. I opted for more sleep, and got up and did yoga this morning. Again, feeling amazing! My schedule will change a bit tomorrow since my friend's son, Evan, will be coming to visit until sunday morning. I can't wait!! He is very active, loves playing outside, doing wii, and I think he will enjoy doing yoga with me in the morning. Oh, he is an early riser too, so we are going to have an awesome time being together!!! I am still looking for more inner strength and belief in myself, like I had before I gained back a little of the weight. I know I will find it, and have started fresh this week. I hope to maintain my focus and belief..Like I said in my last post, I will never quit, but there are going to be some hurdles along the way..those will only make me stronger!!

JILLIAN'S YOGA THOUGHTS:

By all means, be sure to incorporate any exercise you enjoy. I would have an issue if you ONLY wanted to do a typical yoga routine for your exercise regimen, for two reasons: First, you need variety in your routine, and if you do the same thing repeatedly, your body will not get the best results; second, most forms of yoga do not burn as many calories as cardio or traditional resistance training. However, I do have a solution if you want to do yoga AND burn a lot of calories. My DVD, Yoga Meltdown, combines hard-core yoga power poses with dynamic-training techniques to deliver a true calorie-burning workout. It's not the yoga you might currently practice, but you can get the positive feelings you talked about while melting away the pounds.
That said all types of yoga do have all the benefits you mention and would be an excellent addition to your fitness regimen!

Learning and growing into a heathier me!
~Cindy Lou

Quitting...yeah, not really an option for me

off to bed in a few minutes, but had to let you know that i was able to start out the day with yoga, and it was great! I was a bit off on food, but got in my water and my mile walk, along with my 200 crunches. I will be back at home and on my regular schedule tomorrow, and will do c25K, even if my shin hurts still.

I am noticing that in the morning, I am realy stiff and doing more than just a 20 minute yoga thing would be a good. Now, to figure out how to get the sleep that I need to be able to do that!!

feeling a bit dissapointed that I need to stay late at work because I probably won't make kickboxing at my apartment complex. I am looking at different gyms to see if there are any classes that I can try and take tomorrow night.

today while Julia played softball, I was able to get 1 mile of walking in, so I'm so glad that I made use of that time!!

In reflecting on the past weekend, I remember a quote that I heard at my TEAM seminar, here it is: FAILURE IS A REQUIREMENT OF SUCCESS

wow, it's so true, and it is such a good reminder!! I also remember that THE OPPOSITE OF SUCCESS ISN'T FAILURE, IT'S QUITTING. Quitting is something that I will never do. I might have some stalls, derailings, huge pot holes to get through, but quitting will not happen. I'm in this until I reach my goal, and I'm sorry if it seems to be taking such a crazy path. I hope that all of you reading this see that for some of us, it's not as simple as doing the work, there are often other issues to work through, and honestly, I think that we all have issues, but some work through them faster than others. That's why I am blogging! I hope that something I say helps someone realize that it's not just them having a certain struggle, and that struggles are okay, they are necessary to success, just like failures. A FAILURE IS JUST AN EVENT IN YOUR LIFE!!

so, one more day to to figure out the Goliath that I need to face to move forward and pull more of this together for myself!

Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou

screen time

Here is another great article from Sheila French, 3rd grade teacher. The link to her other article about no homework, is posted on a previous post of mine.

http://santacruz.patch.com/articles/move-away-from-that-computer-screeen


As a nanny, I see issues with screen time all the time!! It is very rare that I have kids watching TV while I am around. If they do, it's usually educational, and I sit with them. Very rare that we do video games, unless it's Wii, and we are doing an active game. computers are generally for homework when i'm around.

I know it is hard for so many of you, especially single parents. But when I am with kids, I include them in the meal preparations, even if they are just 2! If they need to read to me, I have them read to me while preparing dinner or doing another kitchen task. Have them help you make their lunches, have them sort the laundry, sweep the kitchen..whatever it is that will get them involved in being responsible in a family AND feel included AND it will cut down on screen time. I know that at the end of a long day, you are tired, so are they, but all kids really want is to spend time with their parents..why not teach them some life skills and spend the time time talking with your kids instead of sitting them in front of a screen. After dinner, instead of going your separate ways, why not take a walk before bath and bed, huh? and if the child needs to do homework, a 20 minute walk will help refocus the child too.

let's take Sheila's advice and cut out some screen time, gang!!

Learning and growing into a heathier me!
~Cindy Lou

challenges update, lack of balance, yoga, the single parent

So, I know it's been a few days since I blogged. Not going to bore you with day to day details, just an overall update. Since I was doing the "single mom" thing for a couple of days, my shedule was way off! This child goes to bed at 10:30pm. I had to go to bed later than that to finish up thigns around the house. Yes, I could sleep in, but my body is too used to getting up early, so that didn't work well. SO funny!! I prefer to be up late at night, but clearly, my body clock has changed a bit!! I still got in crunches and walking and yoga. A day or two i had to make up crunches or make up a mile walk, but I certainly got them all in...until Saturday. BEcause of circumstances with the child I was watching, I didn't do yoga. I was so dissappointed! I felt tired all day, felt completely out of sorts. I did get up on sunday, do my AM yoga, and went for a 4 mile walk with Beth, taht was great, but the rest of the day was down hill from there!! VEry dissapointed that I didn't get yoga in! I didn't continue the habit and it messed me up. Whoo hoo, I have learned something that I can totally put to use!!!

The time change has thrown my body off for sure! I need more sleep!! I was so fatigued yesterday, I ate horribly, didn't do any C25K as planned, but that was in big part from what I think are shin splints. It's only one leg. The hot bath with epsom salt, the massage and rest has helped, but plan to ice it later today too.

My water was not up to where it normally was, i forgot my Mona Vie, iron and vitamin D supplements...I think I get why I was totally out of it and off balance for the majority of the week, but especially the weekend. I planned, I packed, but then, forgot to take these things..why??? I can only come to the conclusion that being out of my routine just messed me up and put me off balance.


Do you have any suggestions on mainting your routine and keeping balanced when you travel? feedback please!!!

Last a tribute to the single parent...I do these week long overnight jobs all the time, but this one was different. The mom scheduled so many other people and activities, it made it much more difficult to me. I get what it is like to be a single parent for the most part, since I have done it sooooo many times(I just don't have the financial obligation of it) I also have so many friends that are single parents too. this time, I was focused on my fitness, and trying to get a workout in and my sleep was incredibly challenging. So, how do all of you single parents do it? I couldn't include the child with me on walks, because i don't know the neighborhood very well, and it was later at night. It was a challenge for sure, and I am feeling the effects of it! It will be a better week, and am even goign to try 2 classes tonight, providing I get home in time!!

Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou

Yoga, tired Tuesday, but a great day!!

Okay, Monday's stats...too strange, can't find my food list anywhere that I needed to input on bodybugg, but calories burned were 3003.

Tuesday is my really busy day, so I use it as my "rest" day. However, that just means I won't do a major workout. I still do a mile walk(Jillian's challenge), AM yoga(my challenge and best way to start my day) and 200 crunches(Jeanette's challenge).

So, the day started out great with AM yoga. What is really cool is that usually I end up looking at the clock about 10 minutes into the practice. My mind often wanders and I have to refocus my thoughts. Today, I looked at the clock 1 minute before the end of the workout. My mind stayed focused, my body felt relaxed and stretched, I felt ready for the day. I was running late, and in the past, I would have been stressing out, running around, frantic, but I wasn't, I was perfectly calm, it was wonderful!!

I know that I keep talking about yoga and less about my weight, going to the gym, lifting weights, running, but right now, I am really seeing the benefits!! I will still be doing those other things, but creating the habit of yoga in the morning is a great one, and I hope that in the future, it expands to a longer workout each day!

I worked 8-1 and then to my afternoon job 1:15-6, and did lots of things around the 2 story house, so I did get some activity there, which makes it nice since even though it is a no workout day, I generally get 3000+ calorie burn for the day. I also have a meeting at 8pm on Tuesdays. That 2 hour break between work and the meeting is such a strange time. I have to eat and I don't have time to go to the gym and shower. So, I took a 2 mile walk while I talked to a friend. Then off to my meeting, a quick shower and to bed. Okay, the funny thing is that as I got into the shower I remembered I needed to do my crunches, but forgot about them after I had gotten all relaxed. --I did them Wednesday morning at my job while the litle girl slept.

So, what else can I tell you about today? It's strange, I think of all of these things during the day, can't type them out, or write them down, and now, I am sort of blank.

Tuesday's stats:
7 hours of sleep
calories burned: 3001
caloires consumed: 1779
calorie deficit: 1222

tomorrow, c25k!!

Learning and growing into a heathier me!
~Cindy Lou

My amazing mom, putting me first and of course, yoga

So, on Sunday I went to see my mom. She lives just a couple of miles from me, and we talk close to every day. She is one of the most amazing people that I have ever met, and I love her more than words can say. People that do not like spending time with their mom and say they always fight and their mom picks on them, or is always disappointed in them, it makes me sad to hear. My mom is none of those things and the most non judgemental, supportive people I know. Here's a good example: I always here about or see movies about moms that ask their daughters, "are you dating anyone?", "you need to get married", "I want grandchildren". Never once in my life has my mom uttered any of those phrases to me. When I tell my mom that have always appreciated that, her response is always something like, "well it's not my life, I wouldn't be married to the person you choose, I wouldn't have to raise the child/children". Of course this just makes me want to get married and have kids more so that I can share my amazing mom with more people. Now, about Sunday...My mom has had many heart health challenges, but is actually a very fit, healthy person in general. Moderation is her motto, something that I am still always trying to get better at! She has been mentioning that she has slowed down on her walking(she used to walk 10 minutes of every hour). The doctor reminded her to start slow so she doesn't overdue. So, when I saw her on Sunday we talked about it. It was around 5pm, I think, and we set a plan: 3 walks a day at 10 minutes each, I said she could probably do 4 walks..you know me, gotta push the challenge a little further. We set times that she would do 2 more walks that night. She called me after each one and reported in, it was so cool to hear the sense of accomplishment in her voice, I was so proud of her!! Then, yesterday, Monday, she called me in the evening and reported in about her 4 walks at 7 minutes each!! Again, so proud of her!!!

For many of us, lung capacity is a big thing, which is why starting out the running slowly with c25k program is a great idea I know that some of you are struggling with the challenges that I put out there just over a week ago. If you haven't read them, go back and check them out. Start slow, it's totally fine! Just change one thing today, just making one change and creating a habit out of it can make an amazing difference in your life!

Successful people embrace change because they know that improvement is impossible without it


Keep it up, mom, I am so proud of you! For all of you out there putting just one little thing into practice, keep moving forward every day, I can't wait to hear your story about all the wonderful changes in your life!

YOGA
I am soooo loving doing these short yoga "workouts" each morning! In the beginning of the AM yoga DVD, Rodney Yee says something like "before you start your morning and dive into that ominous list of things to do, get up just 30 minutes early to balance your body" the main thing that sticks in my head every morning is "ominous list of things to do." In reading more in the book, "complete idiot's guide to Yoga", it talks so much about the body mind connection and how that is even more important than just doing the excercise. In the morning when I started the yoga practice, I would do my best to stay focused and not let my mind wander, but last week, by about 10 minutes I was looking at the clock. Usually I had somewhere to go, so that was on my mind. Today I noticed that I was more focused on what I was doing, not focusing on that never ending to do list, and I didn't look at the clock until 19 minutes, on our last pose before relaxation pose! I also had limited time to get ready for work after that, and I wasn't frantic or stressing about it. I left later than normal and was only about 4 minutes late for work, and I wasn't freaking out about it in the car. It was really hard for me to get up this morning because I went to bed later than planned, but I got up anyway, and it has made my day much better so far!!

Yesterday, Yoga in the morning, just a 5 hour work day, then met my friend at her house. She had errands to run, and we both wanted to take a walk, so we combined the two! We walked to all of the errands, including the grocery store, and even though it wasn't a hard workout when going in, out, and between the stores, we walked 2.87 miles! On the way home we each had 2 cloth bags of groceries and it was great!! Oh, total walking time(not time in stores) was about 46 minutes according to imapmyrunapp. after that, I was on the phone with a friend for over 4 hours. That never happens, and I am so glad that I had the time to do it! During our talk, I kept thinking about how blessed I am to be going on this journey, and though these changes and challenges are often hard, I have the ability to choose how I handle these challenges. My blessings outweigh my challenges, easily, and even though I have so much going on in my life sometimes, I still have the ability to "put me first".

PUTTING ME FIRST
Seems like a selfish thing to say, huh? If you're thinking that, then I bet that you are someone who cares so much and puts other people first in your life, right? I think I have talked about this subject before in my blog, but the past 3 days, I learned something more about putting me first. When I choose to put me first, and something happens that makes me think, "oh no, if I wouldn't have put me first, I would have been there for my friend when she got that awful news", I can't take on guilt! This past weekend, I had not one obligation. I had a plan to walk with Beth, which due to weather, we didn't get a chance to do, but that wouldn't have been an obligation, that would have been great fun and exercise too! I had some business things that I really wanted to do, and I felt like I needed to be there, with my team. In addition, my closest friend since we were about 10 years old had a father that was very ill, and I wanted to be there for her. I had to make a few choices. My choice, as you can read in my blogs for Saturday and Sunday were to put me first. I felt started to feel guilt when my friend's dad passed away Saturday. I had planned on going to her son's baseball game, but chose me first, so I wasn't there when she got the news. I stopped myself within seconds, because she has other people, I am not the only person in her life. Her husband and kids were with her. There is no guilt to be places. On Sunday, she asked me to go help her for an hour, I did, and it turned into 4 hours. guess what, I didn't do it because I felt guilty, I did it because I wanted to and she needed help. I stayed more than one hour, because of the joy that the feeling of helping her and the task were giving me. I put me first and the rewards were priceless! I was even able to do my yoga first, burn calories while helping her, and then a workout in the evening! When I talked with my friend yesterday for 4+ hours, I didn't get my workout in. I chose to talk with my friend, which was putting me first by creating some balance in my life, by not just working out in every spare minute I have. By listening and learning about what is going on in her life, I was able to see my blessings that I have. I

I know that I talk about challenges, getting it done, pushing myself, change, but balance is important, and it is a hard one for most of us, right?

By putting myself first, for example: doing my workouts Saturday so I would be able to help my friend if she needed it this weekend, doing yoga before going to her house on Saturday to help her, and getting my walk in with her on Monday so I was free to talk with my other friend for 4 hours yesterday, I feel better about me and what I was able to do for myself and the people in my life! A year ago, I would have sat by the phone waiting for a call from my friend, or gone to every possible activity with kids that I know(baseball games, soccer games, etc.) been frazzled, and then stressed out because I didn't get things done that I wanted to get done. Today, I have a very long work day ahead of me, and it is my "no workout" day, and I have a big stack of things papers to go through and a list of things to do. Ya know what's cool, until I wrote those words down, I hadn't even thought about them.

my mom, putting me first and yoga sure are helping me a lot on this journey!

didn't sync bodybugg, so, stats tomorrow..got 7 hours of sleep

Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou

Thanks, Queen Sheila and get your kids outside

Just a quick, out of the ordinary post because I had to share this article that was written by a teacher that taught a girl that I used to nanny. She was one of the most thoughtful, caring and full of knowledge teachers that I have even met. Sheila is well known to all of her students and their parents and the school as "Queen Sheila" a title well deserved. She recently wrote an article and it got published and I wanted to share it with you. I completely agree with all that she is saying! I thought it would be great to share here too since she is really talking about getting our kids outside, to have a healthy, more well rounded life!! Please take a minute and read the article it is really worth it, especially if you have children in your life.

Of course, I'm going to throw out a challenge to you: If you have children, get out and walk with them ever night after dinner..or whenever it is the most convenient for your family.

here's the article about homework, kids and getting outside...

http://santacruz.patch.com/articles/no-more-homework-says-this-third-grade-teacher#comments


Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou

C25K, and update on challenges

I woke up on my own after 8 wonderful hours of sleep. I have been waking up after 6 hours, but going back to sleep right away. Then, got up and did Am yoga "twists" today. I was so incredibly stiff, but the twists helped. I didn't have time to do another one, but I would have if there was time. Then, I headed to my friend's house to help her with some household things. I was there about 4 hours and burned plenty of calories there! I had prepared food, but left it on the counter at home, so I ended up eating an orange at my friend's house and then stopping at jamba juice on my way home.

I got home and did a few things, then went to the gym and did C25K: week 2, day 3! It was great!! My knee had a few twinges, and I felt something similar to a cramp in my calf. I got worried that I would have to stop, but I finished the run part. However, when I lowered my speed to walk, I stretched my calf and it felt fine. I drank a ton of water after to avoid any issue with getting a charlie horse later!! My running was at 5.0, and during the cool down I did a 30 second sprint at 7.5!! Week 3 is a little more challenging, and I am a little nervous about it. Seems strange to me since I have done it before and I have run an entire 5K, but I haven't done either of those things at this speed. I don't want to lower my speed at all, so I am just a little nervous. After, I did some weights, it felt great!

I got home and was very hungry, but needed to wait a bit to eat so that I could "refuel your muscles after cardio with your bodyfat or with a meal it's your choice"--Jeanette Jenkins

I did a mini dinner since I don't want a ton of calories before bed, but knew that I needed something to eat. My 200 crunches are done and I am feeling sooo good!!

It is Sunday and it is time check my progress on the challenges I posted and a couple that I gave myself from March 1 through today.

1 mile walk/run every day:done
remove consumeable toxic products in kitchen:done
7-8 hours of sleep: the first few days, no, but 4th, 5th I did, and will tonight
200 crunches per day:done
drink appropriate amount of water daily:done
try new exercise class or DVD:done-various yoga ones
Log everything that I ate:done, but can't find Wednesdays to put on bodybugg program
book progress:have been reading in "YOGA FOR DUMMIES" book
download Jillian's podcasts: done, but can't find my mini ipod to add it to, will do that this week and will listen to them.
marco's challenge:done!!!
3days of C25K program:done
How about you? How are your challenges that you set for yourself going?

stats:
calories burned(as of 9:30pm, this number will be a little higher): 2849
calories consumed:1633
calorie deficit:1216

Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou

Super Saturday with Yoga, walking and C25K

I got about 7.5 hours of sleep, it was wonderful! I thought that I would sleep longer, but I guess my nap made up for my lack of sleep the other night.

I got straight to yoga and did 2 AM workouts, I was feeling stiff, but after the second one, really felt loosened up and was feeling all the rewards of what yoga does for me, I felt great!! I made a great breakfast and then did some things online and around the house, incuding some cooking for the day. One thing I did was finally put the chart with challenges and tracking things for the month. I had been writing them down, but transferred it and put it on the wall. It is will be a great reminder every morning when I get up!

fast forward a couple of hours....
I put on my headphones, plugged into my Droid and played the Pandora app so I could just have random music along with the map my run app and I went outside to the park and walked. It was sooo beautiful outside it had to be around 65 or warmer. Well, I started out a bit slow, but ended up walking 3.05 miles in about 46minuts. I headed home, tons of water, did some reading, and then I fell asleep and took a nap for 2 hours!! I got up and basically did some reading,and busy work on the computer and chatted with some wonderful friends!! I had dinner, but really wasn't filling, so I ended up eating a bit more.

So, it was about 10:30, I still needed to do C25K, and really wanted to do it at 5.0 speed on the running part and wanted to do some weights too. Well, I got up, and headed to the gym here at my apartment complex. I was the only one there, and I was so in the zone! I did c25K week2, day2 (this level is run for 90 seconds, run for 2 minutes, alternating for 20 mintues)I did the running @ 5.0. I even did a 30 second 7.0 sprint during the cool down!! AFterwards, I did weights, for about 25 minutes, at a very fast pace and felt like I got a great arm workout!!

Been catching up on blogging for the week, hope you go back and read them if you haven't yet, now off for a bath and 8 hours of sleep!!

stats:
calories burned: 2627
calories consumed:1875
calorie deficit:752

Even though I did a ton of activity today, I did have the nap and ate too much. I think that I didn't feel satisfied with my dinner. I need to rethink that meal in the future...good learning experience!

Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou

Fabulous Friday and more YOGA info

Yes, it's early Sunday morning and I am posting. I know that I don't have to blog every day, but I do write things out to transfer to here. I also think that maybe I will say something that will help someone else move on, but more than anything, I hope that I will hear something from you about how your journey might be going!

How are you doing on the challenges that I listed? Have you taken any of them on and if so, how are you doing on it?

So, do you ever set your alarm, even set a back up alarm, only to oversleep because you forgot to turn the alarm switch to "on"? I got up close to when I wanted to, on my own, but it didn't allow me to do any yoga, so that kinda stunk! Luckily I had prepared food the night before, and so I was able to get those veggies started right away.

My morning job is never very active, which is a challenge for me, and there isn't really any way to change that at all, so I have to make sure that I get some activity in other ways. Since I had some time this morning at my job, I did start on one of the other challenges that I posted and that is to read a book in the fitness area. I began to read "Yoga for Dummies" and I will finish it before the month is up for sure. Hopefully before that, though, so I can start another one. I read some great things in the book! Here are a few things:

"If you are overweight or have problem with overeating, yoga is the perfect exercise for you because it's gentle on the out-of-shape body, stiff joints, and heart. You'll feel better about your body as you begin to lose weight and you can achieve an inner peace and confidence that will help you avoid compulive overeating."

Yoga aids in circulation, digestion, respiration, reproduction. Yoga also tones your organs, improves your posture, frees your reathing, is cleansing

so, you're intrigued, but still not convinced that yoga and/or meditation is for you? Just look at some of the 10 great reasons to practice yoga:

will tone your muscles and trim excess weight.

Anyone can do yoga. It's a matter of starting at the appropriate level and rememberig that you aren't competing with anyone.

Yoga doesn't hurt. You go at your own pace, do what feels good, and stop before you feel pain.

It gives you the gift of boundless energy.

You can do as much or little as you would like.

Yoga is definitely not about guilt! You benefit the most from regular yoga practice, but practicing the postures whenever you ahve time is still beneficial and cerntainly better than no yoga at all

Yoga will help ease your aches, pains, and stiffness.

To me, those seem like some great reasons to me!! So, have you tried it yet? I'm really curious! If you have tried it, leave me a post or click on of the boxes either interesting or cool at the bottom of the blog for me, let me know how it's going, okay??

Well, in between my AM and PM job, I parked my car by the school where I had to pick up some kids, and I took a 2 mile walk.. about 34 minutes. Not great speed, but got some activity in the middle of the day. I made great use of my time at the second job by doing a ton of calf raises throughout the evening when the kids were busy watching the movie their mom said they could watch. These things were good because when I got home I was so beat, I sat down to gather my energy, and fell asleep! When I woke up, I ended up taking a bath and then heading to bed...I was so relaxed, it was wonderful! Oh, I did my 200 crunches when I woke up too!

I am feeling good about this week so far, can't wait to keep it going in a positive direction!

my stats
calories burned:2785
calories consumed:1726
calorie deficit:1059

Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou

C25K for me and Megan Krotz

Early sunday morning and I am just writing about Thursday, but lots of good stuff to let you know about!

No yoga this morning, which is disappointing! I had a big day ahead of me with a job from 8-1 and one from 1:15-8:30. I did such a great job with food today, even with some temptations. The 22 DAYS bars are amazing, just love them, and they are sustaining me so well, I love it. I need to order more for sure, I need more flavors! At the second job, there is always so much running around, I love it!! So, headed home and remembering that I had to to the C25K, it had been so long! Allison and Megan's words were in my head, I had to get it done for sure!!

So, a big shout out to Megan Krotz! I have never met her, but she went on Jillian's cruise with me, and we have connected through facebook since the cruise. She is such a positive influence and is very supportive too! Well, she started the C25K program today, I'm so proud of her! the even more amazing part, she is doing the run part at 6.0 and said it was easy!!! She is going to be running a ton so soon!!! Congrats, Megan! Keep up the great work!!

So, here's what I did with C25K: week 1, day 3..redone, on accident, I ran/walked 1.76 miles in 28.30 minutes. ran at 5.0 each time...improvement for me! Of course I did my 200 crunches too!

I cut up all my veggies for Friday. They are even all set up in the pot so all I need to do is put it on to steam in the morning!!

not many other things to report. I really hope to do yoga in the morning, but it is late, and want to get my sleep in for sure!

Stats:
Calories burned: 3243
calories consumed: 1672
calorie deficit: 1571

Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou

Wasted Wednesday?

it's been a busy couple of days and so once again, it's saturday morning and I am blogging about past days that I wrote in a notebook, but haven't yet posted..thanks for still reading!!

I had gone to bed later and since I knew that I would be completely short on sleep anyway, I made sure that I got up and did yoga. I was realy stiff, but did it anyway and I felt great that I made time for and accomplished it! The rest of teh day I felt more balanced adn relaxed too, it was great!! I know that I won't be abe to do it everyday, but I'm hoping to get into a pattern where I CAN do it everyday!

I finished my morning djob at 1, and though I wanted to walk and blog, I didn't. You know what it's like when you just have to make a ton of phone calls, and actually talk to a person so you have to call during business hours? Well, that's what I did. Then, I headed to Costco to get a couple of things, and then I rememered how much organic and non organic produce that they have. So, I got some asparagus, green beans, spinach, pineapple and fuji apples. all organic except spinach and pineapple. It is going to be a yummy week!! Then to an interview with a new family for ocassional work. Then to my evening job that only goes for a few hours. While I was there, I did my 200 crunches. Allison keeps reminding me to squeeze things in whenever you can. Headed home...

Then, my time just goes somewhere! It's almost like I blackedout and lost a chunk of time! I go into a Target to get a couple of things and look for Marco Borges' book(I know, why didn't I just buy it online, right? ..um, because I am a dork) So, then I see they have a ton of fitness dvd's on sale and I spend time looking through those, I even found Jeanette Jenkins bootcamp workout that she did with Jane Fonda or Jane sponsored..it's in the Jane fonda workout line..crazy!! I even found old Jillian stuff too! I leave with a ton of stuff that I needed and a bunch of workout DVD's too. I leave and it is 1.5 hours after I left work..the store is about 25 min from job...arg, I really need to not stop anywhere on the way home!! Focusing on the urgent and importand things that will lead me closer to my goals are now where I have been focusing!! So, I plan to order things online more, just easier anyway.

I did end the evening coming home and....now I honestly can't remember what I did...another reason why I need to blog at night before bed, I think that I just was so tired I went to sleep.

stats:
food not entered, so all I can say is 200 crunches and
calories burned: 2829

Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou

Brenda Wherry, 22 DAYS bars and March challenges

Special congratulations to Brenda Wherry for taking on the C25K challenge and making it through the entire 9 week program. I knew you could do it, Brenda, way to go!! Can’t wait to hear about the first 5k you run!! Let me know when you plan to do it, maybe I’ll meet you and we can run together!

Let’s see, due to the late Monday night, I did not have time for yoga in the morning. I look forward to focusing on sleep, yoga, C25K training, and what foods make me feel good and healthy and fill me up and fuel my body for the day ahead of me!!!

Today my eating was great! Two of my meals consisted of one of Marcos’ 22 DAYS bars and a piece of fruit. Can I just say that I can not believe how full they make me feel and how long they sustain me! The worst part of the day was that I needed to eat around 6:30, but was picking up that meal on my way home from work, and my stomach started to growl really loud! I didn’t like the hunger feeling, but I survived. My biggest problem of feeling that way is that if I get too hungry, then I often get a headache. Luckily, tonight I got my dinner and felt just fine!

I did 200 crunches and no other activity and since Tuesday is set as my “no workout day”, I am feeling okay with that.

Hoss has put out a challenge for the month of March, and I told him that I would post it here so that if you wanted to take on his challenge, you could. In Addition, I am throwing out some challenges to all of you and would LOVE to get some daily feedback on if you are taking on the challenge and how you are doing with it!! Some of you will probably read these challenges and think, “wow, I have already done all of that!” others will say, “you have got to be kidding me, how on earth could I ever do that?!?!” Where ever you are on your journey, it is possible to take on one of these challenges and just take one little step at a time.

If you decide to take on all of these challenges, fabulous!!! However, if it all just seems too overwhelming, then consider one of them!! I will be starting the challenges a day late, but that’s okay, better late than not at all!!

Hoss’ challenge:

On Jillian Michaels’ Facebook page, she issued a challenge:
Ready for a challenge? Starting tomorrow remove all the toxic products in your kitchen that contain Trans Fat (hydrogenated oils), HFC or “corn sugar”, artificial sweeteners (sucralose, aspartame, saccharin). Up for it? If so, get started tonight so you are ready to start you week healthier. And, every day Monday through Friday I want you to complete a 1 mile run/walk.


My challenges to you:

Get 7-8 hours of sleep every night
--200 crunches per day
--Each week try one new exercise DVD, class at the gym, or Wii exercise game
--Drink the appropriate amount of water that you need every day (remember, 1 ounce of water for every 2 pounds of your weight. For example: if you weigh 180 pounds, then you need to drink 90 ounces of water)
--Keep a log of every single thing that you consume. I’m not telling you to count the calories, though you can add that in as a challenge if you would like, just put a notebook in the kitchen and write it all down. For a little added benefit, write in you moods, how you feel when you are eating certain foods, and how long the food sustains you.
--Read one book about your journey, obviously, a great one to start with is Master your metabolism by Jillian, but you can pick others like The Hollywood Trainer Weight-Loss Plan: 21 Days to Make Healthy Living a Lifetime Habit by Jeanette Jenkins or Power Moves: The Four Motions to Transform Your Body For Life by Marcos Borges ***if you choose to do this challenge, let us know some tips that you found to be really interesting or helpful to you, then we can all learn more!!
--Download Jillian’s FREE podcasts from itunes and listen to them.

I almost forgot!!! My challenge this week from Marcos Borges:
Eliminate soda, alcohol, and adding sugar or sweeteners to foods. eliminate all animal products. ***if you are not interested in becoming a vegetarian, maybe you could do one day with no meat, if you already do that, then maybe two, ya know?

So, what are you going to do to help your body to get healthier? If you respond here on the blog, then other people can see and hear about what you are doing, and you could be their inspiration for the change that they need in their life! Let’s build up this supportive community and help other people learn and grow into a healthier person!! I will be checking in with all of you on this too!

My stats for today:
Calories consumed: 1529
Calories burned: 2974
Calorie deficit: 1445

Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou

Weigh in and WHAT do I do?????

It is Tuesday night, and I did not get any time today to write about yesterday!

It's about time, and well, I have made a decision, after weighing in and being up almost 2 pounds, I am frustrated. I know that everything goes up and down and could be muscle that I gained, but it's just bumming me out everytime I weigh in. I did a big amount of Yoga, less cardio, I felt good about how I was feeling, which is the most important thing, right? I remember when Hoss talked about hitting his plateau, and deciding not to weigh himself for awhile. I think that I need to just focus on doing the right things, the things that are working for me, and not focus so much on the numbers. Today I started out with a sleep deficit, a not so chipper attitude because of the weigh in and then the day spiraled down hill. There was no additional physical activity, and my eating was way messed up. I got many computer things done, but stayed up way too late obsesing about various things in my life and what I think that I need to do, that I forgot about doing and the things that I really want to do but feel like I don't know how to get it all in.

So, do you ever feel like that? Well, it got me thinking last night as I was trying to fall asleep. I had powered off the computer, so I grabbed some paper and a pen and started to write. I had trouble keeping up the writing because my thoughts just kept flying out of my head. Well, when I woke up this morning, here's what I had:

"Just do what??

8 minute abs
200 crunches
3 mile run
30 min cardio
eat protien at every meal
eat green veggies at every meal
don't drink your calories
Have a smoothie at breakfast
eat before you workout
don't eat for an hour, 2 hours...whatever, after you workout
make sure you avoid carbs after you work out and before bed

We always read books, blogs, magazine and newspaper articles, you have it and they tell us things like what I listed above. So how do we make sense of it all? Great question!!!!! I personaly go to sources that have proven results with the background and research to back them up. But what if they have conficting points of view? then what?? Well, then you dig deeper and get more information about WHY they believe what they believe and do. But even then, there is no ONE right answer!! One thing that they all agree on is that CALORIES IN/CALORIES OUT is the bottom line of reachign your desired weight. How you go about fine tuning that or choosing the foods to make the healthiest choices is up to you. What is your motivation for moving to a healthier weight? Is it a Look or a lifestyle?

You use the expert's guidlines adn maybe you combine diferent ideas, but the bottom line is that it all goes back to what Allison said, "you need to do what works best for you"

To add a little more...I have said this before, that I need to figure what works for me, but it does take time to really figure that out!

So, my final note about this, the thing that I have figured out is that I need to avoid looking at the scale for awhile. I will not be looking at the scale until March 28. I am going to focus on ALL of the information that I have been taking in and I will be really just focus on the day to day things and entering my calories, syncing my bodybugg and seeign my deficits, setting daily goals and managing my time and my workouts better. The apartment complex where I live is opening a new club type area. They are going to be offering a ton of classes every week. I am hoping to do some of the classes, meet some new people and then maybe I can have a workout buddy or more than one!!

So, with a smile on my face, I have put the scale in the closet, I am looking ahead to the upcoming choices I have and the decisions that I get to make about my life and I look forward to the adventure of really listening to my body and heping it feel better and heathier in the coming month!

Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou Herriges

sleepless Sunday, marco's website

6am....cute dogs waking me up. Let the dogs out, feed the dogs, let the dogs out and back in, feed the bird, wipe up the giant puddle of water from when I stepped on the dog's water bowl, change socks, back to bed...maybe...please let me get back to sleep. Toss, turn, block the light with the pillow..why won't my body let me sleep?...beep, beep...incoming text...reach for glasses...COOL, A TEXT FROM BETH!! She wanted to know if we were going to walk at 9am!!! i figured that she wouldn't be interested because she and her family have been sick all week, so thought she wouldn't be interested in doing it. whoo hoo!!!!

So, I packed up my things at the pet sitting job, did my AM yoga, which was much easier today than yesterday! Then, I met Beth at 9:45 and we walked 3.82 miles! It was the best start to my day!!

I am noticing that the yoga is really helping my hip. It is still a little stiff after sleeping and sitting for awhile, but overall, there is no discomfort!!

The rest of my day was downhill. I was so tired and just did things around the house, went and played with the pets. I also dropped off all of my clothes that no longer fit me, so that felt very good to get rid of them!!

I had grand plans to do C25K and yoga and everything, but that lack of sleep and stuff just messed me up. That usually doesn't happen with pet jobs, must have had stuff on my mind. I don't feel great about the choices that I made and plan to get up and do Am yoga on monday..weigh in day tomorrow!!!

Oh, I realized that I never gave Marco's website so you could get the 22days bars! http://www.22daysnutrition.com/nutrition-bars.php
So, now I have tried cherry chocolate bliss, nut butter buddah crunch, Goji Mate Firecracker, I will be trying enightened pumpkinseed and fruit nut karma tomorrow! So far, i think cherry chocolate bliss is my favorite, but really liked them all a lot!!

Learning and growing into a healthier me!
~Cindy Lou