OHMYGOODNESS!!! THAT was NO beginner's workout!!! Or....maybe it was. Maybe we just experienced the first 45 minutes of what contestants on The Biggest Loser get when they walk on The Ranch! Maybe we're lucky because we get to breathe and rest and lie under a fan on high until we can stand and not faint. But they would workout for another who knows how many hours! (I'd love to see a behind the camera show! What really goes on, you know?!)
When watching TBL there's always a part of me that thinks, "Can it really be that hard?! Quit your whining and get going!" I now understand how Bob works! He lures you in saying it's a "beginners" workout but as soon as warm up is over, we're doing Burpees!! Seriously?! (Don't know what a Burpees is? Stand tall, put your hands on either side of your feet, pop back into plank position and then pop back up to standing tall.) Oh don't be jealous! We did about 15 of those. OK, Jason did about 15 of those! I did a modified version, but trust me, it was still a workout!!
Unlike all the other days when I would lose my balance and fall over, today I moaned and complained and yelled at Bob and shed a few tears too! I do not <3 Bob today!!
OK that's a lie. I still do. I'm thankful he's pushing me to do more than I think I can. There's no doubt in my mind that we got an excellent workout today!! Geez, yoga's going to feel like a dream compared to this! :)
Jason and I took "before" pictures today: front, sides, and back. These will NOT be posted here until I have decent "after" progress for you. That day will come. I have no doubt. We went from basically not working out at all to 5-6 days a week straight! Good job us!
How are YOU doing on your weight loss journey!? What's working for you? What's been your greatest triumph? Please leave a comment and let me know.
Showing posts with label The Biggest Loser. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Biggest Loser. Show all posts
Friday, March 23, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
We Are Warriors
Last night, Jason and I celebrated our second year anniversary! All along, we've been celebrating the day we met, every 19th of the month. We've been counting the months up to 24. I told him last night we need to start with 2.0 now. Ha. So next month will be 2.1. I know it might seem silly to some but we are so thankful God ordained our meeting two years ago!
For some reason we both had it in our heads that our anniversary was today (Tuesday) so we were surprised to find out it was yesterday. We met after work and went to P.F.Chang's for a yummy dinner! I even brought home leftovers so I get to relive the experience again tonight!
I wanted to challenge us a little for today's workout. We did Bob Harper's Inside Out Method Warrior Yoga Workout. If you'll remember, we did the 15 minute abs the other day and nearly died. So there was some apprehension coming into this workout. I knew we could do it though.
It starts out fairly normal, breathing through your nose as you rotate through the poses: downward dog, baby cobra, plank, warrior 1 & 2, triangle, chair, etc. I noticed early on that we were sweating a lot more than when we do TBL workout. We were also doing moves we've done before and therefore I believe we gained confidence in our strength. The title "Warrior" can be a tad intimidating but with Bob as our guide, he teaches you that you're far more capable than you give yourself credit for!
Its actually a 60-min routine but we only have 30-min. We made eve minute count. I know I pushed myself in ways I haven't been able to before. There's a pose where our thighs are on fire but we have to sink a little lower and reach for our ankles. Mr. Bendy never has to even think about this move but I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it after a bit of warmup. I was able to actually reach my ankle! Score one for Mer!
We had a great workout! I was actually sad that our 30-min was up. But in order to get 60 in, I'd have to get up at 4:30am. I'm not quite ready for that type of commitment. :) I'm doing good to get up at 5. I need to do better about getting to bed earlier though.
I'm sitting here blogging, as Jason comes in to tell me goodbye (about to leave for work.) He leans in for a hug goodbye and say, "Whew! You stink!" I take that as a compliment. It means I worked hard and sweated! He said, "I bet I'm going to read about this later, aren't I?" I said, "Yep, you gotta be careful about what you say around a blogger. You never know what I'll use!"
I think we're going to the second half of the DVD tomorrow. From what I saw, it looked like ab work. Whew, we're gonna be hurting... In a good way!
Happy Trails!
For some reason we both had it in our heads that our anniversary was today (Tuesday) so we were surprised to find out it was yesterday. We met after work and went to P.F.Chang's for a yummy dinner! I even brought home leftovers so I get to relive the experience again tonight!
I wanted to challenge us a little for today's workout. We did Bob Harper's Inside Out Method Warrior Yoga Workout. If you'll remember, we did the 15 minute abs the other day and nearly died. So there was some apprehension coming into this workout. I knew we could do it though.
It starts out fairly normal, breathing through your nose as you rotate through the poses: downward dog, baby cobra, plank, warrior 1 & 2, triangle, chair, etc. I noticed early on that we were sweating a lot more than when we do TBL workout. We were also doing moves we've done before and therefore I believe we gained confidence in our strength. The title "Warrior" can be a tad intimidating but with Bob as our guide, he teaches you that you're far more capable than you give yourself credit for!
Its actually a 60-min routine but we only have 30-min. We made eve minute count. I know I pushed myself in ways I haven't been able to before. There's a pose where our thighs are on fire but we have to sink a little lower and reach for our ankles. Mr. Bendy never has to even think about this move but I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it after a bit of warmup. I was able to actually reach my ankle! Score one for Mer!
We had a great workout! I was actually sad that our 30-min was up. But in order to get 60 in, I'd have to get up at 4:30am. I'm not quite ready for that type of commitment. :) I'm doing good to get up at 5. I need to do better about getting to bed earlier though.
I'm sitting here blogging, as Jason comes in to tell me goodbye (about to leave for work.) He leans in for a hug goodbye and say, "Whew! You stink!" I take that as a compliment. It means I worked hard and sweated! He said, "I bet I'm going to read about this later, aren't I?" I said, "Yep, you gotta be careful about what you say around a blogger. You never know what I'll use!"
I think we're going to the second half of the DVD tomorrow. From what I saw, it looked like ab work. Whew, we're gonna be hurting... In a good way!
Happy Trails!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Week 2 Day 1
I had an interesting weekend. They're never as long as they need to be to recover from the week, but I'm thankful for having weekends off. At different times in my life, I wasn't so blessed. Friday night, Jason and I went to one of our favorite hang out places in Montevallo called Eclipse Coffee. They have a great menu and so we tend to overeat. But this time, we only ordered one thing at a time and shared while playing games. We found that we really didn't need so much food (Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Tuna Fish sandwich and pretzels). Good for us. They also serve the most amazing peanut butter chocolate milkshake! I'd been thinking about it all night. Wrestling with whether I should get one or not. I had been so good all week and hadn't had any sweets. Oh, it was calling my name! I finally decided it was OK.... and.... they were out of ice cream! Noooooooo! So my craving went unfulfilled but my waste line didn't increase.
Saturday, I headed to Sybil's Stoneycreek Farm with some close girlfriends to have a farewell luncheon for our good friend CPH. Her husband is in the Navy and they are being transferred to Virginia. Sybil was a fabulous host as always; excellent food, great company. It was fun to hang out with one another, chasing after little ones, taking pictures and just generally enjoying the day. All the while, remembering that at the end, I'll have to say goodbye to my friend. We've been friends for 10+ years. Hard to believe. I still remember the day we met.... Thanks D$ for introducing a life long friendship.
After our tearful goodbye, I raced home as I needed to make a dessert for the game night my friend was hosting. I had the idea to make it a special St. Patrick's Day dessert, in that I used hidden green things. I wasn't sure people would go for it, but everyone loved the creativity. After dinner, we played Telestrations, which is the visual equivalent of the classic school-yard game "telephone." It's a fun-filled sketching game in which everyone's attempts at "art" can turn hilarious. The game starts with a secret word that is passed from player to player. As the word is sketched, interpreted, and then sketched again, it undergoes a visual transformation that will surprise and delight everyone. We laughed and laughed and laughed. Love that game.
Saturday, I headed to Sybil's Stoneycreek Farm with some close girlfriends to have a farewell luncheon for our good friend CPH. Her husband is in the Navy and they are being transferred to Virginia. Sybil was a fabulous host as always; excellent food, great company. It was fun to hang out with one another, chasing after little ones, taking pictures and just generally enjoying the day. All the while, remembering that at the end, I'll have to say goodbye to my friend. We've been friends for 10+ years. Hard to believe. I still remember the day we met.... Thanks D$ for introducing a life long friendship.
After our tearful goodbye, I raced home as I needed to make a dessert for the game night my friend was hosting. I had the idea to make it a special St. Patrick's Day dessert, in that I used hidden green things. I wasn't sure people would go for it, but everyone loved the creativity. After dinner, we played Telestrations, which is the visual equivalent of the classic school-yard game "telephone." It's a fun-filled sketching game in which everyone's attempts at "art" can turn hilarious. The game starts with a secret word that is passed from player to player. As the word is sketched, interpreted, and then sketched again, it undergoes a visual transformation that will surprise and delight everyone. We laughed and laughed and laughed. Love that game.
Sunday, I met Jason at church. Wow, what an incredible service! I could write a whole blog about the lesson and maybe should. It was powerful and touched many. After church, we were supposed to go to McWayne's, but I had a massive allergy attack! I couldn't quit sneezing and my head was killing me and I felt so sick. It came on so sudden and unfortunately will last until there's a good rainstorm to wash all the pollen away. I have a tolerate/hate relationship with spring. I hate that it got in the way of our fun day. Oh well, we both had a nap instead and watched a movie.
Which leads me to Week 2 Day 1 of waking up early to workout. Nothing exciting to report, really. We did Dance Praise, which my knees and hips will be screaming at me later, if they aren't already. We laugh the whole time though, so that's a lot of fun. We need more cardio in our workout though. We either need to make time to go back to the gym for a little bit or get out and walk or something. Personally, I'm going to avoid going outside at all costs during this season.
I ordered Bob Harper's (from The Biggest Loser) Inside Out Method DVDs the other day for only $20!! I know Bob and he's going to kick our tail, but that's exactly what we need. I can't wait for those to arrive to kick start our workout routine. We've also talked about doing Turbo Fire too. I think it looks like a lot of fun but hard work too. My friend has done it and seen amazing results. We'll see...
OK, I feel like I'm just rambling, so I'm going to go get ready for work. Have a great day all!
Friday, March 16, 2012
45-10-10
The Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga routine is NOT for the fain of heart. I always dread that particular workout with Bob, as I know it'll hurt during, after and for days to come. :) Hurt is good though, right? At least that's what everyone says. This is the second time we've done this workout this week. Mr. Bendy is amazing at it! Oh, to be able to move and stretch and hold posses like he does! Someday! I'm learning, albeit begrudgingly, that I often have to do the modified version. As long as I'm still pushing myself, I'm getting the same results.
There was a time (about 3-4 years ago) when I was working out consistently at the Y. Every Tuesday night they offered a class called Body Flow. It's a triad workout: Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates which built flexibility and strength. When I first started, I was clumsy, unbalanced and struggled with many of the holds (like now), but I eventually got it. My body started to change, adapt and soon I was rotating through the posses without any problems. I need to remember that. I always want to hit the ground running at peak level, but forget I have to work up to that.
This week hasn't been easy, but I've been shocked and slightly amazed that I've actually been able to wake up early all week. After the workout is finished and Mr. Bendy goes off to work, I'm left here to write for about an hour or so. I love the quiet of the morning to think and pray and write. It gets my creative juices flowing. Even if I'm only writing about my workout, everything else will come. Being the Active Ingredient last year was a lot of fun, but my passion for writing and taking pictures got put on the back burner. Which is fine, but I've missed that aspect of what makes me me. I'm excited to see what opportunities God brings in this new year as I learn what it means to Create Something Beautiful.
Oh, which reminds me, I've been wanting to share with you something I read recently while waiting for Jason at his work. It was actually in a fire sprinkler magazine, but the source is irrelevant. The facts are pretty amazing and might change you or someone you know. It's the 45-10-10 Principle:
45 - $0.45 is the current cost for a stamp
10 - 10 Minutes of time
10 - 10 Days of commitment
The articles theory is that you never know how one hand written note might change someones world. In this day and age of modern conveniences such as email, we've lost the personal connection with others. We shoot of constant texts and emails to one another, who ever takes the time to actually WRITE out a letter or note to someone they love? I want to challenge you to make this commitment for 10 days, for 10 minutes for the cost of $0.45 to connect with a friend you've been meaning to say hello to. I'll do it as well. I have two pen pals whom I know would love to hear from me. If you do take on this challenge, I'd love to hear about it. Feel free to leave me a comment about your experience.
There was a time (about 3-4 years ago) when I was working out consistently at the Y. Every Tuesday night they offered a class called Body Flow. It's a triad workout: Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates which built flexibility and strength. When I first started, I was clumsy, unbalanced and struggled with many of the holds (like now), but I eventually got it. My body started to change, adapt and soon I was rotating through the posses without any problems. I need to remember that. I always want to hit the ground running at peak level, but forget I have to work up to that.
This week hasn't been easy, but I've been shocked and slightly amazed that I've actually been able to wake up early all week. After the workout is finished and Mr. Bendy goes off to work, I'm left here to write for about an hour or so. I love the quiet of the morning to think and pray and write. It gets my creative juices flowing. Even if I'm only writing about my workout, everything else will come. Being the Active Ingredient last year was a lot of fun, but my passion for writing and taking pictures got put on the back burner. Which is fine, but I've missed that aspect of what makes me me. I'm excited to see what opportunities God brings in this new year as I learn what it means to Create Something Beautiful.
Oh, which reminds me, I've been wanting to share with you something I read recently while waiting for Jason at his work. It was actually in a fire sprinkler magazine, but the source is irrelevant. The facts are pretty amazing and might change you or someone you know. It's the 45-10-10 Principle:
45 - $0.45 is the current cost for a stamp
10 - 10 Minutes of time
10 - 10 Days of commitment
The articles theory is that you never know how one hand written note might change someones world. In this day and age of modern conveniences such as email, we've lost the personal connection with others. We shoot of constant texts and emails to one another, who ever takes the time to actually WRITE out a letter or note to someone they love? I want to challenge you to make this commitment for 10 days, for 10 minutes for the cost of $0.45 to connect with a friend you've been meaning to say hello to. I'll do it as well. I have two pen pals whom I know would love to hear from me. If you do take on this challenge, I'd love to hear about it. Feel free to leave me a comment about your experience.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Best Laid Plans
This morning didn't exactly go as planned. Though, to my credit, I went to bed at 9:38p and woke up at 4:58a!! But that's where my accomplishments stop. After getting dressed, I climbed back in bed and snuggled under the still warm covers. I was/am so sleepy and worn out. Although I got nearly 8 hours of sleep, I feel like a couple more wouldn't be a bad thing. Which is why I'm writing this post in my bed, under the covers, on my iPhone, so that when I'm done, maybe I can catch a quick nap.
Although I'm semi disappointed in myself, I'm proud that I woke up at 5a every morning this week!! That in and of itself is a huge accomplishment. I'm very very out of shape so maybe my body needed a day off? So tomorrow's workout will be hard and great?! That's the plan anyway.
Although I'm semi disappointed in myself, I'm proud that I woke up at 5a every morning this week!! That in and of itself is a huge accomplishment. I'm very very out of shape so maybe my body needed a day off? So tomorrow's workout will be hard and great?! That's the plan anyway.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Live Generously
5:45AM fairly sweaty and FUN workout completed! Do y'all remember that craze from a few years ago Dance, Dance Revolution? Well, my sister and I saved up some money and bought the Christian version: Dance Praise some years ago. We did it some but she lives an hour away, so it wasn't used enough. Then my friend JW who lives near me, used to come over and dance with me but life got busy so it was put back on shelf for years. Now enter Jason. I've been telling him about Dance Praise for years (as of Monday the 19th), but we just never got around to it. So last night when I'm preparing for this mornings workout, I remember DP and pull it off the shelf! It's a surprisingly good workout. I mean, the bottoms of my feet hurt, my muscles were burning, we were sweating and our heart rate was up for at least 30 minutes. Yay us!
"October Baby" with CPH last night was really good. You should run to your local theater when it comes out. Be prepared, you will cry, but what an amazing story of adoption/abortion/forgiveness/letting go. I doubt there was a dry eye in the theater. It was created completely in AL by the Erwin brothers. One of the central themes in the movie was forgiving someone of doing something that just seems unforgivable. (I don't want to give anything away by telling you what was going on. You'll have to find out for yourself.)
On the way home, I was listening to WDJC and the DJ did a quick preaching on Matthew 5:35-48. I was only half listening until Jesus poked me, "Hey, are you listening?" Me, "Kinda, why?" Jesus, "Please pay attention, there's a key truth I want you to learn."
V42-44: "No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously. You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer..."
Oooh, ouch, did you catch that? "...love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst." I don't know about you, but this is VERY hard. It's our human instinct to protect ourselves, which usually means acting in a way that's not only contrary to our normal every day behavior but not very Christ-like. This is not how I react. I often allow people and situations to dictate how I feel and slump into a bad mood. How amazing would it be to say that when faced with trying people, I'm at my best. Whew. What a goal to strive for.
The chapter goes on to say: "....for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best - the sun to warm and the rain to nourish - to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. "In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." (Matthew 5: 44b-48)
What would happen if Christians all started living generously? What if we lived out our God-created identity? What if we responded to trials the way Jesus did? It's corny to say, but seriously, What Would Jesus Do?
I'm Proud of Myself Because... Even though I got to bed late, I still woke up at 5am.
Today's Accomplishment: no Subway cookies and extra lettuce and spinach on sandwich (this hasn't happened yet, but it will later. I know I've said this every day, but trust me, it's an accomplishment.)
Tomorrow's Goals: Complete The Biggest Loser workout with few complaints
"October Baby" with CPH last night was really good. You should run to your local theater when it comes out. Be prepared, you will cry, but what an amazing story of adoption/abortion/forgiveness/letting go. I doubt there was a dry eye in the theater. It was created completely in AL by the Erwin brothers. One of the central themes in the movie was forgiving someone of doing something that just seems unforgivable. (I don't want to give anything away by telling you what was going on. You'll have to find out for yourself.)
On the way home, I was listening to WDJC and the DJ did a quick preaching on Matthew 5:35-48. I was only half listening until Jesus poked me, "Hey, are you listening?" Me, "Kinda, why?" Jesus, "Please pay attention, there's a key truth I want you to learn."
V42-44: "No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously. You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer..."
Oooh, ouch, did you catch that? "...love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst." I don't know about you, but this is VERY hard. It's our human instinct to protect ourselves, which usually means acting in a way that's not only contrary to our normal every day behavior but not very Christ-like. This is not how I react. I often allow people and situations to dictate how I feel and slump into a bad mood. How amazing would it be to say that when faced with trying people, I'm at my best. Whew. What a goal to strive for.
The chapter goes on to say: "....for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best - the sun to warm and the rain to nourish - to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. "In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." (Matthew 5: 44b-48)
What would happen if Christians all started living generously? What if we lived out our God-created identity? What if we responded to trials the way Jesus did? It's corny to say, but seriously, What Would Jesus Do?
I'm Proud of Myself Because... Even though I got to bed late, I still woke up at 5am.
Today's Accomplishment: no Subway cookies and extra lettuce and spinach on sandwich (this hasn't happened yet, but it will later. I know I've said this every day, but trust me, it's an accomplishment.)
Tomorrow's Goals: Complete The Biggest Loser workout with few complaints
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