Category: Exercise

Working Out Week 48 of 2014

December 1, 2014 kimberlee

This post is a couple of days later than usual. The reason being I was on the road all day Saturday – my normal post day – driving from Georgia back to Texas. Normally we stay home for the Thanksgiving holiday but decided to go visit family this year.

I still managed to get in some yoga workouts during my week in Georgia. I took some Shiva Rea dvd’s with me and some yoga sequences from Yoga Journal magazine that I have saved. One problem I ran into though was we got halfway there and I remembered I that I didn’t pack my yoga mat – so a trip to Walmart once we got close to our destination and got a new yoga mat. I kind of needed one anyhow as the one I have is a couple of years old and the other mat I use for workouts with shoes is VERY old.

Workouts the week of Thanksgiving were:

Monday – yoga in evening – 10 min
Tuesday – Shiva Rea AM Energy Vira Flow – 23 min.
Wednesday – Shiva Rea Daily Energy Chakra Namaskar + Core – 29 min.
Thursday – Yoga Shine On sequence from Yoga Journal magazine – 15 min.
Friday – Yoga Light Up sequence from Yoga Journal magazine – 15 min.
Saturday – off – travel day

Since I was not at home and did not have my tripod I didn’t take any workout photos.

It was very enjoyable to do yoga the entire week and I might alternate doing that every other week for the month of December. I notice the yoga really helps calm you and deal with stress better – of course I know this since I have done yoga for over ten years but actually practicing it for an entire week where you were traveling and dealing with different surroundings and family members I could tell it helped me mentally.

One thing I did take photos of was our trip to Senoia, Georgia to see the little town where they film the TV series The Walking Dead. The town is a really cute little country town that has this small downtown area where there is a Walking Dead store that sells Walking Dead merchandise. In the basement of the store there are actual set props from various scenes of the show. So, I will be sharing those photos below of our visit to the town with my family.

signs hanging throughout the town streets

Daryl's motorcycle in the Walking Dead store in Senoia, GA — Daryl’s motorcycle in the Walking Dead store in Senoia, GA

Me and my husband in front of Daryl's motorcycle at the Walking Dead store — Me and my husband in front of Daryl’s motorcycle at the Walking Dead store

Me in front of Daryl's motorcycle at the Walking Dead store in Senoia, GA — Me in front of Daryl’s motorcycle at the Walking Dead store in Senoia, GA

2 of my 3 sons in front of the Zombie head tank and Penny's cage — 2 of my 3 sons in front of the Zombie head tank and Penny’s cage

My oldest son in one of the two prison cells at the Walking Dead store

Senoia Coffee & Cafe on the corner in Senoia, GA - really great Zombie Dark Blend coffee — Senoia Coffee & Cafe on the corner in Senoia, GA – really great Zombie Dark Blend coffee

Yarn bombed bike in front of a bike shop in Senoia, GA

Weekly Fitness Tip: Pack healthy snacks and foods when traveling for the holidays

– If going on a long road trip pack at least one meal – like lunch – so you know it is healthy. For example a salad in a portable salad container. I did this for our long drive to Georgia from Texas and used one of the reusable Take Out containers I bought at Aldi over a month ago. It even has a salad dressing holder and the containers did not leak.

Containers from Aldi - perfect for traveling and packing a salad — Containers from Aldi – perfect for traveling and packing a salad

– Pack healthy snacks like trail mix or nuts and dried fruit

– Bring some fruit like apples or bananas or even cut up pineapple (I have done that before and did it this time as well)

– When stopping to eat choose a grilled sandwich with NO fries or a grilled chicken salad

– Have lots of water packed in a cooler and avoid soft drinks or sugary drinks. Store water in the trunk or under a seat that will not fit in the cooler and add it when the cooler gets low.

With some planning and using some self control you can travel and still stick to a somewhat healthy diet.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the photos of the Walking Dead store that we visited. If you are ever in that area of Georgia I would say it is worth stopping by the little town – especially if you are a Walking Dead fan.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving last week and is having a great start to the first week of December.

– Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise Vacation

Tags: exercise, Senoia Georgia visit, working out, yoga

Working Out Week 47 of 2014

November 22, 2014 kimberlee

This past week I decided to cut back to four workout days per week instead of five like I have been doing. This time of year is so busy with the holidays I decided that I need try out a different schedule and see if I can accomplish some extra things on non workout days.

Also, this past week my computer died – the mother board and processor totally quit and I had to get a new laptop and I am still learning it and reloading my programs on it. What a week it has been! I was upset for a couple of days about my computer dying but thankfully my husband is a computer expert and helped me get a new one and get all my data off of the old one – at least it wasn’t totally lost or I would have been even more upset.

Workouts this past week:

Monday- Cathe – Low Impact Circuit Total Body Sculpt premix – 47 min.
Tuesday – off
Wednesday – Cathe – To the Max – Less Impact premix – 39 min.
Thursday – off
Friday – Cathe – Cross Fire – Circuit Blast premix- 36 min.
Saturday – Shiva Rea Surf Yoga Soul – 25 min.

The Low Impact Circuit workout is a combination of cardio and weights but I did the premix that was just the weights and total body workout. There are lots of great exercises to really challenge your muscles on this dvd. As you can see the cat was around – see his ears and little head in the bottom of the one photo?

The Cathe Cross Fire workout I did on Friday was a fun circuit workout that has cardio and weights. Lots of sweat after this 36 minute session. As you can see the cat sat in the same spot for most of the workout watching me.

The yoga workout I did today, Saturday, was the Shiva Rea Surf Yoga Soul dvd – the first dvd I ever bought of hers years ago. I did three segments of this workout – the Mandala Namaskar, Flexibility Flow and Shavasana. I love doing yoga on Saturday mornings- I think I have mentioned that before. It is a great way to begin the weekend.

Weekly Fitness Tip – Use portion control when eating holiday meals

– Use a smaller plate so you are less likely to overeat

– Remember to eat more vegetables and fruits – especially green vegetables and go easy on the potatoes, stuffing and breads

– Eat foods without gravy or heavy sauces or have a very small portion of them

– If cooking the meal yourself try using lower fat options in some recipes to cut back on the fat and calories – for example use 1 or 2 percent milk instead of whole milk

– Do not go back for second helpings

– Don’t skip dessert but make sure it is only 1 piece of pie and not 2 or 3 – also, skip the whipped cream or use a small amount

I hope everyone had a great week and that you will have a wonderful Thanksgiving next week. Also, don’t forget to get some workouts in – especially the day after Thanksgiving day – even if it is just a good long walk – keep moving and you will stay fit.

Have a great weekend!

– Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise Health

Tags: fit tips, fitness, fitness tips, weekly workout, working out

Working Out Week 46 of 2014

November 15, 2014 kimberlee

The workouts I chose to do this week focused on weights and then yoga on non weight days. Workouts were as follows:

Monday – Cathe High Reps Upper Body Premix – 39 min.
Tuesday – off
Wednesday – Cathe – Drill Max Total Body Mix – 52 min.
Thursday – Shiva Rea AM Daily Energy – 28 min.
Friday – Cathe – High Reps Lower Body Premix – 35 min.
Saturday – Shiva Rea AM Daily Energy – 28 min.

The Cathe High Reps workout dvd is a total body workout with weights and you do a lot of reps of the same exercise but with some count variations or holding. The workout has several premixes and I did the upper body premix on Monday and the lower body premix on Friday, so I used this dvd twice this week. You definitely feel this workout the following day – excellent for muscle conditioning.

Drill Max is an older Cathe dvd and is another total body conditioning workout. It actually has cardio mixed with various drills of weights but there is a premix that is called Total Body that I used which is just the weights and no cardio. You can see my personal trainer – the cat – cheering me on while sitting on my workout step in the one photo above.

I used the same yoga dvd twice this past week – the Shiva Rea AM Daily Energy. I did different sequences on the dvd – on Thursday I did the Core Awakening and Body Mandala and had both of my cats join me for that one – they were both waiting for me on either end of the mat before I started. On Saturday I did the Vira and Shavasana sequences. I love starting my Saturday morning with a little yoga early in the morning.

I have been buying fresh cranberries in large quantities lately from Aldi since they are so inexpensive there. Anyhow. I made some cranberry sauce the other day and have enjoyed it a couple of times this past week in my morning oatmeal with a little honey. It is a great way to start the day and the oatmeal keeps me full for hours. Also, it has been quite chilly here in Texas this past week and having something warm for breakfast is important on chilly days, in my opinion.

CranApple Juice with cider spice and honey — Fresh Cranberry Apple Juice with 1/2 tsp cider spice mix and 1 tsp manuka honey

I have been using my juicer but not quite as much this week – probably due to the colder weather. I did decide to heat up a juice I made with fresh cranberries and apples and then add some cider spices and a teaspoon of manuka honey – it was a delicious warm drink on a cold day. Also, the whole combination made me feel very healthy.

As the holiday are quickly approaching I am going to try my best to workout at least four or five days per week. I am thinking of cutting back to four for the days between Thanksgiving and Christmas just because there is so much going on between family, church, friends, baking, cooking and shopping. I have decided that I can’t do it all, all of the time. Therefore I may even skip a week of my weekly workout post if I am just too busy – I am sure everyone can relate.

Weekly Fitness Tip: Change your schedule or routine as needed

– This is a busy time of year – don’t completely quit working out but adjust your schedule to fit in at least a few workouts per week or maybe two 10 minute workouts per day – one in the morning and one in the evening

– Do circuit training or Hiit – high intensity interval training – to get the most out of your workouts in a short amount of time

– Working out will help you deal with the stress of the holidays better and keep you focused on being healthy during this time of year

– Remember to include some yoga or stretching workouts to de-stress and balance you

I hope everyone had a great week and is staying warm – winter seems to have come early in most parts of the United States this past week. Let me know what your workout plans are for the next week or for the Thanksgiving holiday week coming up.

– Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise Food Health

Tags: cranapple juice, exercise, fitness, oatmeal, weekly workouts, working out, workout with weights, yoga

Working Out Week 45 of 2014

November 8, 2014 kimberlee

The first full week of November has gone by – hard to believe it will be Thanksgiving soon. My workouts this week were cardio and yoga workouts. The workouts I did are listed below:

Monday – Cathe Friedrich Party Rockin Step 2 – Step Mix – 46 min.
Tuesday – off
Wednesday – Cathe Intensity Timesaver #6 Step + Hiit Lo – 47 min.
Thursday – Shiva Rea Yogini – Backbend sequence – 30 min.
Friday – Cathe Party Rockin Step 2 Timesaver 1 – 33 min.
Saturday – Shiva Rea Yogini – 19 min.

Intensity is a Cathe workout that I have had for several years but had not used in a while. I really like this dvd and there are lots of premix options so you don’t have to do the entire dvd. The workouts are fast paced and fun and as you can see even my cat likes to watch them – he sat there right on the TV stand and watched the video for at least 5 minutes. After I was done using the step and doing the stretch at the end he decided to jump on and off and try to go under the step – which was too low. I guess that was his version of the step workout.

The yoga dvd I used this week was the same for both days but different sequences. The dvd was Shiva Rea Yogini. This was another dvd I had not used in a while and was so glad I pulled it out this week. It is more of a female yoga routine and I love all the backbending sequences – I really felt this in my core on Friday.

The Party Rockin Step 2 dvd is a little over a year old and I have used in the past. I chose to do this one twice this week. This is another dvd that offers a lot of variety and different premixes so both of the mixes I did were different. Lots of sweating with this step dvd. As you can see the cat is once again photo bombing in the one picture.

I created a new oatmeal recipe for breakfast and ate it a couple of mornings this past week. The weather is cooler now – especially in the morning – and it is nice to eat a warm bowl of oatmeal. I found this Jif Whips Pumpkin Pie Spice at the store the other day and decided it would be good stirred into a bowl of plain oatmeal and I also added a teaspoon of Manuka honey for added health benefits. This was really good and I will be making more in the weeks to follow.

I am still using my juicer but not as much in the past week. I guess with the weather cooling down I am looking for warmer things to eat and drink in the morning. I have found a few juice recipes though that taste good warmed. One of my favorite recipes lately is cranberry orange juice which is pictured above. I drink this one cold, not warm. Now that cranberries are in season I have been buying them frequently and using them in my juice recipes. Cranberries are so good for you.

Weekly Fitness Tip: Eat More Fiber

– Fiber makes you feel full longer and helps you maintain a healthy weight

– Fiber is good for your digestive system and keeps you regular

– Fiber is very healthy and good for lowering your cholesterol

– Fiber controls your blood sugar levels

I hope everyone had a great week.

– Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise Food Health

Working Out Week 44 of 2014

November 1, 2014 kimberlee 1 Comment

The first day of November has arrived along with much cooler temperatures here in Texas. I am glad though – I am ready for a seasonal change. It seems like the weather was cooler for a few days here and there in October but for the most part it still seemed like summer.

Workouts this week were all from my Cathe Friedrich X-train dvd set. They were as follows:

Monday – Cathe – Hard Strikes – 46 min.
Tuesday – off
Wednesday – Cathe Supercuts premix 10 – 39 min.
Thursday – Cathe – Legs – Barre, Ball and Chair and Floorwork – 48 min.
Friday – Cathe – Tabatacise – premix 2 – 37 min.
Saturday – Cathe – Bi’s and Tri’s – premix 6 – 32 min.

I once again changed my pace of workouts from the past week. The X-train dvd’s are all great and provide a challenging workout for your body. I also like how these dvd’s have so many premixes on them so you can do a longer or a shorter workout.

Hard Strikes is a super fun kickboxing workout that uses weighted gloves or actual boxing gloves. I don’t have any boxing gloves so I just use the weighted gloves. As you can see the cat likes this workout and is making sure I get it done.

The Supercuts workout is a total body workout using weights and the slide and glide discs. Another cat approved workout.

The Cathe Legs workout was one I had not used in a while. I chose to do the Barre (uses a chair), Chair and Ball and Floor portions of this dvd. This was certainly an excellent workout for all parts of the legs and rear. I was feeling it well into the next day. The cat loves the chair and has to sit on it whenever I have it out.

I usually do yoga on Saturdays but decided to stick with the X-train workout dvd’s and chose a heavy weight workout called Bi’s and Tri’s. As the name implies it is a bicep and tricep workout. You alternate and do a bicep exercise and then a tricep. There were a couple that used the band with the handles and also a 5 pound weight with the band – those were pretty tough. Once again my faithful workout cat is there to cheer me on.

I am so glad fresh cranberries are in the stores again. I use the above combination of apples, cranberries and a lemon to create a really tasty juice in my juicer this past week. I juiced 2 apples, one granny and one gala, 1 lemon, and about a cup of cranberries. I also tried this recipe heated and it was really good for a warm and healthy drink on a chilly morning. To make it even more healthy I stirred in a teaspoon of manuka honey that I recently bought at Trader Joes. The manuka honey has lots of health benefits and is also suppose to strengthen your immune system.

Weekly Fitness Tip: Don’t Weigh Yourself So Frequently

– Quit obsessing over how much you weigh – everyone fluctuates a little for various reasons

– Consider getting rid of the scale -mine broke years ago in moving and I never replaced it, one less things to have in the bathroom

– Measure your progress in how you feel, how your clothes fit and in measuring inches lost not a number on a scale

I hope everyone had a great final week of October and you were able to find some time to workout and create some healthy meals. Remember it is important to plan meals and stay on track especially during the holiday season – which is now here since all the stores are stocked with Christmas decorations!

Take care,

– Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise Food Health

Tags: exercise, fit tips, fitness, juice, juicing, working out, workouts

Working Out Week 43 of 2014

October 25, 2014 kimberlee 3 Comments

This week I switched up my workouts and chose to do my Exhale Core Fusion dvd’s and some Shiva Rea yoga. This was also a really busy week with a lot going on so I feel like the workouts I chose to do worked well with my schedule.

Monday – Exhale Core Fusion – Abs & Arms – 40 min,
Tuesday – yoga in evening – 15 min.
Wednesday – Exhale Core Fusion – Lean and Toned – 20 min.
Thursday – Shiva Rea Surf Yoga Soul – 30 min.
Friday – Exhale Core Fusion – Body Sculpt – 40 min.
Saturday – Shiva Rea Surf Yoga Soul – 20 min.

Here is the cat – all ready to workout on Wednesday morning. He was scared to get on the new rug I bought in the past but he seems to be okay with it now.

I had not done the Lean and Toned dvd in a while. I really like this workout. I only had a few minutes to workout that morning but 20 minutes of this dvd was awesome! The core pretzel part that I did really worked deep into some core and glute muscles that had me feeling it well into the next day.

The yoga dvd I used this week was Shiva Rea’s Surf Yoga Soul. I think this was actually one of the first of her yoga dvd’s I ever bought. I have not used it in a while and forgot what great yoga sequences are on this program. As you can see my cat really likes her dvd, too. He didn’t even want to move off the mat at the beginning as seen in the one photo of me bending over him.

I also created a new smoothie this week. It is a “green” smoothie and I thought it had a really good flavor to it. I also felt quite energized after drinking it. Below is the smoothie and the recipe:

I am also continuing to make juices in my juicer and try to drink one or two per day. I have found that the juices or the green smoothies are a perfect mid afternoon snack that give me energy. One of my knitting friends has also now pulled out her old juicer and bought the same juicing book I bought and mentioned in my post last week – Juicing. You can read more about that book and a few of the recipes I have made from it in my Week 42 workout post.

This week I am not going to do my Fitness Tips. To be honest with you I have not prepared anything for that part of my post that I have been doing lately and I am too tired to think of something right now. We spent half the day over in Fort Worth at the Alliance Air show that my husband wanted to attend. It was nice and we saw some neat planes and planes flying and doing tricks. Today was very hot here though for October and the heat made the whole event less pleasant – and there was not a cloud in the sky today (which is good for an air show) or a speck of shade to stand in at the air field. I am glad we got to go though and spend time together as a family.

Have a great weekend!

– Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise Health Recipes

Tags: core fusion, exercise, fitness, green smoothie, green smoothie recipe, smoothie, working out, workout cat, workouts, yoga

Working Out Week 42 of 2014

October 18, 2014 kimberlee 9 Comments

Well, another week has flown by. I can’t believe we are more than halfway through the month of October. This week my workouts were:

Monday – Cathe Friedrich – Rockout Knockout – 38 min.
Tuesday – off
Wednesday – Cathe – Greatest Hits Step bonus circuit workout – 45 min.
Thursday – Cathe – Lean Legs & Abs – 37 min.
Friday – Cathe – Great Glutes – premix 4 – 46 min.
Saturday – Shiva Rea Yoga – AM Energy Vira Flow + Shavasana – 26 min.

All of the workouts this past week were with my Cathe Friedrich dvd’s that were part of a series I bought last fall. The exception was my Saturday workout which was a yoga workout using one of my Shiva Rea dvd’s. I love doing yoga on Saturday mornings.

The Greatest Hits Step workout is a combination of several different Cathe step workouts and compiled together on the one dvd. The premix I did on Wednesday also used some weights mixed in with step cardio – the cat joined me for most of the workout. He was either on or next to the step.

Lean Legs and Abs dvd is one of my favorites. Even though most of the emphasis is working out the legs and core you still work the upper body a little with having to use the 8 pound dumbbells and doing a lot of compound moves.

The day after Lean Legs and Abs I did the Great Glutes workout. This really works your back side and the hamstrings. I was definitely feeling it by the end of Friday and into Saturday morning (and into the day Saturday). The workout uses minimal equipment and is a combination of light cardio and toning moves that use the 8 pound dumbbells. The cat of course was around to supervise my form. I think he is scared of the new rug I bought for the room though as he won’t walk on it.

I bought this new Juicing book a couple of weeks ago at Barnes and Noble in the sale section. I think it was $10.00. There are lots of great recipes in this book and I have made at least a dozen of them in the past week. I like how the book is set up – it is alphabetized by the name of the fruit or vegetable and gives at least two recipes per one fruit or vegetable. There are also color photos – not of every recipe but at least one or two per page. I have been trying to make up about three or four recipes every other day and store them in mason jars in the refrigerator so I only have to get the juicer out once a day or once every other day. This is a real time saver. It is also helpful to label the juices and put the name and page number of the recipe so you can remember what it was and note if you like it or not.

The above recipe was from the book and called Peach Spice Pie. It was just a peach and 3 carrots juiced and then you sprinkle a little cinnamon on the top. I LOVE this recipe. It is very good! I always feel so healthy and energized after drinking a juice each morning, too.

The other recipe I just made this morning from the Juicing book was called Orange Beet. It is made with the ingredients of the title – 2 oranges and 1 beet. In the one I made my beets were sort of small so I used 2 oranges, 2 small red beets and 1 small golden beet. I love how you can add or take away something from the recipes to create something a little different. This juice here had an earthy flavor to it because of the beets in it. I also felt so great after drinking this juice. Fresh juices are really the way to better health, I think.

I also finally tried a juice with some red cabbage in it. The verdict is still out on that one. It is okay but not one of my favorites. I think I will have to try it again in a different combination of ingredients to determine if I like the red cabbage. The juice was a really pretty color though.

I have fallen of the green smoothie challenge I was doing. I think I had a few at the beginning of the week but I am really into juicing lately and not so much the smoothies. I did try to drink at least one “green” juice a day for an afternoon snack to make up for not having the green smoothie – so I am thinking I didn’t completely drop out of the challenge. I am just having a green juice instead of a smoothie.

Fit Tip of the Week – Eat Well for Better Health

– try out some new healthy recipes

– go to the library for some healthy cookbooks or magazines – or look up some recipes on pinterest

– make it a goal to eat only whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein and limit sugar, caffeine and avoid alcohol for at least 5 days and notice how much better you feel

– try out juicing to see all the health benefits

– try out green smoothies to increase your daily intake of greens and fruits

I hope everyone is enjoying the nice fall weather in their area. It is finally cooling down here and the past few days have been beautiful.

Have a great weekend!

-Kimberlee

Categories: Books Exercise Health

Tags: exercise, exercising, fit tip, fitness, fitness tips, juice recipe, juicing, juicing book, step workout, weekly fitness tips, working out, workout with weights, workouts

Working Out Week 41 of 2014

October 11, 2014 kimberlee 6 Comments

This past week I got back on track with my workouts. They were all Cathe Friedrich workouts I own and some yoga at the end of the week.

Sunday – rode bike to store for a few groceries
Monday – Cathe – Hiit – Double Wave Pyramid – 30 min.
Tuesday – off
Wednesday – Cathe Hiit – 30/30 – 30 min.
Thursday – Cathe Ab Circuits – Stability Ball Abs – 20 min.
Friday – Cathe Low Impact Circuit – Premix Upper Body Sculpt – 31 min.
Saturday – Yoga – Find Instant Calm routine from Yoga Journal Magazine – 20 min.

The cat and I were so glad to be able to do our regular workouts again now that the wood floor is done. I like working out on it for the cardio. I chose to do my Hiit dvd- high intensity interval training – for the purpose of testing out how cardio would be on the new floor. It is a little hard on your back for the ab workouts, even with a mat. I am thinking I will have to invest in a thicker mat for ab workouts or yoga.

Here the cat is above waiting to get going with the Hiit workout on Wednesday. He was all over and around the step when I wasn’t using it as seen in the below photos. I had to do a lot of those continuous kicks – at least 24 in a row per side and avoid kicking him at the same time – an extra workout challenge.

I love doing the abdominal workouts that use the stability ball. There are at least 5 or more different workouts on the Ab Circuits dvd and the stability ball one is a favorite for me.

I am continuing to use my juicer almost every day. I have checked out some other juicing books from the library with some good recipes and I also bought one on sale at Barnes and Noble a couple of days ago. I am really noticing a difference in my stomach becoming flatter and in less cravings for sweet foods since I have been trying to drink at least one or two juices per day. I also notice increased energy. One of my sons is also getting interested in trying some of the juices – mainly the fruit ones, no green ones for him yet.

I am also just finishing the second week of the green smoothie challenge that I mentioned in last weeks fitness post for week 40. I have created a recipe of my own that I am really enjoying and drank a couple of times this past week. There was one day that I forgot to drink my green smoothie and that was on Wednesday. I did have a juice that day though. The recipe I made up is below – I am calling it Peachy Green as it has spinach and peaches in it and is a really pretty green color. I think it tastes good and I can not tell there is spinach in it except for the fact that it is green!

Weekly Fitness Tip: Be Patient, Be Persistent, Have Perseverance

– Change takes time – you can not expect miracle weight loss overnight

– Keep at it – don’t let a set back or two get you off track and going back to your old bad habits. Look at how far you have come and how much better you feel.

– Realize that there will be ups and downs but stay committed to better health and you will succeed

In our weekly newspaper, The Dallas Morning News, there was and article on health and fitness on Wednesday. It was very inspiring about a lady who weighed almost 400 pounds when she was around 29 or 30 years old. She got some bad health news from here doctor a few years ago and decided to do something to take charge of her life – the article said she began walking as that is all she could do at the time. Within three or four years she lost over 200 pounds and has gone on to become a personal trainer who is now helping others. I thought that was such a great story about someone who succeeded in taking charge of their life and making a positive change.

Well, I hope everyone had a good week and you are enjoying your weekend!

-Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise Health Recipes

Working Out Week 40 of 2014

October 4, 2014 kimberlee

This week was not exactly a working out week for me. I did manage to fit in a few workouts and a bike ride but we were in the process of redoing the floors in my dining room and living room so the whole week was spent living in a construction zone. The below photo shows what the room looked like when we ripped out the carpet last weekend.

You can see in the left in the background of the photo the boxes of wood floor that were waiting to be installed. Of course that didn’t go exactly as planned since our house is over 30 years old the floors were not completely level – they had to add some more concrete day 1 of install and then let it dry.

The above photo is day 2 of the install – things did not go well as the floor was not locking in place correctly – so we decide to get rid of the underlayment (that black and red stuff) and go with a glue down. Of course this requires more time, supplies and money so it will now be a couple of more days, they say, before they can finish.

cat ready to workout on new floor — Cat is ready to workout on the new floor

View of dining room into living room of new bamboo floor

The above photos show our new, almost, finished floor. They still need to come back tomorrow and nail in the trim – they didn’t have the right kind of nail gun with them today for that part. I am so glad it is finally finished and in a couple more hours I can get all of this extra furniture out of my sewing-computer room. It has been very crowded in here for most of the week!

So, in dealing with all of this the past week I was able to get in a few workouts but not the normal amount.

Monday – workout with exercise bands with door attachment – 25 min.
Tuesday – ride bike to store for groceries
Wednesday – off
Thursday – yoga in evening before bed – 15 min.
Friday – yoga in morning – 20 min.
Saturday – off

I was very stressed out this week on Thursday when things were really falling apart with the floor installation. The yoga really helped calm me down that evening – so glad I decided to do a short routine before bed. I think it also helped me to sleep better.

I did keep up with my juicing this past week. I tried several new juicing recipes. There are a couple of them below but I made so many different ones this week I can’t remember what these were called. I know the orange one had carrots in it. My kids are even starting to like the ones with carrots in it – especially if there is pineapple in the juice. The pineapple makes the juices really sweet.

One of the other juices I made was this green one above. I have found that if you get out the juicer and make a few of the juices ahead of time and store them in 12 oz. mason jars they keep well for at least a couple of days. I like the juice cold better, anyhow. You just need to shake it up good in the jar before you go to drink it. Also, it saves me from having to haul the machine out more than once a day.

I also started the 30 day green smoothie challenge this past week on Wednesday. The challenge is through a website (click on the highlighted green text to go to site) and if you sign up they give you free recipes to try. So far they are just okay with me. I think I have gotten used to juicing and prefer the juice over the smoothie but I am trying to do this to increase my fruit and greens intake. So, I am having a green smoothie a day and at least one juice, usually with breakfast or as a snack. The one I made yesterday, on the right in the photo below – was strawberry lime and it was pretty good and refreshing – a great afternoon snack. I am not sure if it is the type of spinach or kale I have or the fact that I am using some frozen fruits in the smoothies but mine are not turning out very “green” – more of a brown to me.

Fitness Tip for the week: Fit exercise in where you can

We all have days or weeks when regular scheduled workouts are not possible. On those days or weeks try and get workouts in during your day. Here are some ideas:

– Go for 20 or 30 minute walk after lunch or dinner

– Ride your bike to the store for a few groceries

– Walk your kids to and from school if possible – this is also a great time to talk to your kids about their day

– Do a short yoga routine or stretching before bed – you will also sleep better

– Do some ab exercises while watching TV

– Do some stretches while waiting for your morning coffee to brew

Also, if it isn’t possible to squeeze in any type of physical activity don’t stress about it – just start up again the next day or week to get back on track.

I hope everyone is having a great week! I am so glad my floor is mostly complete. I am also looking forward to working out in there on Monday!

– Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise Health

Tags: exercise, fit tips, fitness, fitness tips, green smoothie challenge, juicing, new wood floor, smoothies, wood floor installed, workouts

Working Out Week 39 of 2014

September 27, 2014 kimberlee 4 Comments

This past week I decided to do lower impact workouts along with yoga. My workouts this week were:

Monday – Yoga – Light Up Practice from YJ magazine + 2 yoga ab moves – 20 min.
Tuesday – off – rode bike to store for groceries
Wednesday – Cathe – LIS – Turbo Barre + 2 yoga ab moves – 32 min.
Thursday – Cathe-LIS- Slide n Glide Muscle Conditioning premix + 2 yoga ab moves – 32 min.
Friday – Yoga with weights routine + 2 yoga ab moves – 20 min.
Saturday – Yoga – Shine On Practice from YJ magazine – 20 min.

Turbo Barre is one of my favorites on the Low Impact Series dvd’s. For a while I was trying to do this one once a week. My cat loves this one as he gets to sit on that chair and jump around trying to get his tail when he is not watching me.

Slide n Glide is another great lower impact workout on this dvd collection from Cathe Friedrich. I chose to do the floor work – or muscle conditioning – portion of the dvd on this day. Those slide discs give you an awesome workout. This is another cat approved workout.

The other three days I worked out this week I did yoga. I used some of my Yoga Journal magazine practices that I have clipped out from the magazines and I keep them in a three ring binder.

One of the reasons for the lighter schedule this week is because I decided to do a juicing diet of sorts this past week. I didn’t do an entire cleanse or detox as I did eat something light for breakfast and lunch along with my juice I made. I also ate dinner with my family as I usually cook every night anyhow and it is typically a healthy meal so I didn’t give up eating dinner for juicing.

The photo above is of the new juicer I bought last week. I am really liking my new appliance. I am having fun trying different juices and enjoying the health benefits of the juice, too. I really like juices that have carrots in them and they are so good for you. I am amazed too at how full you feel after drinking one of these juices. I guess you figure that it contains quite a bit of fruits and vegetables and you are getting all the good micro nutrients from them. I also notice that I have a lot of energy and I am sleeping really well, although I don’t usually have sleep issues – I seem to be sleeping more deeply.

After watching the Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead dvd I checked out from the library last week I got much more interested in juicing and the benefits of it. I know for many, like Joe in the documentary, it is to lose weight and get healthy. I consider myself pretty healthy but I figured juicing might improve my health even more and give my body better nutrition. Some days it is just really hard to eat five or six servings of fruits and vegetables each day. When I look at all the things I have juiced this past week there is no way I would have been able to eat all of that.

Also, even though I was eating along with juicing I did notice some change in my waist and hips as in losing an inch or half an inch here and there. I was impressed since I was not striving toward losing anything – just goes to show you this process works if you try it. But, as Joe mentions in the dvd there seems to be a lot of people not even willing to try it for a few days. I will say if you do decide to try it around the second day you may want to be close to home and near a restroom. My body was for sure detoxing some things that day after having a juice in the morning and another for lunch – this was my second day doing that. I didn’t feel terrible just a little fatigued for a couple of hours and was glad I was at home since it was a Sunday afternoon.

The juice in the above picture was one I made a couple of days ago and it was so good. It had a sweet potato and carrots in it along with a couple of other things. The recipe was from a book I checked out from the library last weekend called Joyful Juicing. There are lots of great recipes in this book. I tried another one today – a green variety and it was kind of tart with a whole lemon in it along with spinach and cucumber but I liked it. It also makes you feel so healthy after drinking it and you have natural energy for hours.

One thing I have noticed about the juices is that I like them better cold so I put ice in them when I drink them. I also have refrigerated them for a few hours before drinking them and then I don’t need any ice. I know all the info I have read says to drink it immediately for the most benefits but I find that refrigerating them for several hours or even a day makes them tastes better to me. I have even gotten my three sons to try some of them and they said they were okay – not all of them but a few. Since I have been buying so much produce the kids seem to be eating more apples and oranges too, so that is good.

The other book I have checked out from the library on juicing is from Joe Cross, the creator and person behind the Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead documentary. This book is excellent for explaining what a reboot is and how to do one step by step. It also gives you recipes and shopping lists for what you need to be successful. I mentioned before I am not interested in doing a complete reboot as I don’t feel the need to lose weight but I am reading the book and learning so much about the juicing process and all it has to offer. There are also plans in the book for people like me who don’t want a full juice diet and will be eating along with juicing. So far the recipes I have tried from his book are excellent.

When you juice your produce the juicer produces pulp from you fruits and vegetables. The book the juicer came with and the Reboot with Joe book give you some recipes for using the pulp. I decided to use my $2.50 book I got from Tuesday Morning a couple of weeks ago and make my own Whole Grain Carrot Bread using the carrot pulp. This bread is so good. The pulp from the juicer is so fine you can hardly tell it is in the bread. This recipe from the book had lots of whole grains in it like whole wheat flour and flaxseed meal and only one tablespoon of honey for the sugar. It is a yeast bread so I made the dough in my bread machine on the dough cycle and then baked it in the oven after letting it rise in the bread pan. So far everyone likes it and it is great toasted. I feel so healthy when I eat something like this that is made by me with whole grains and natural ingredients.

Weekly Fit Tip: Eat right to see results “You are what you eat”

Working out is important to overall health and so is eating correctly. You can not expect good results from exercise if you are still eating and drinking things that are not healthy.

– Strive for at least 5 to 7 fruits and vegetable per day – get a juicer to help you achieve this or make green smoothies in a blender

– Eat whole grains

– Cut back on meat – especially red meat; eat fish at least once per week and more chicken – try for at least one day per week of no meat – I try and do a meatless Monday (I just don’t tell my family)

– Cut back on caffeine and sugary coffee drinks and soda

– Cut back or eliminate all alcohol – you will feel much better and think more clearly

– Keep sugary foods to a minimum – I will eat dessert but only a couple of times a week and usually a smaller portion and something homemade so I know the ingredients in it

– Drink LOTS of water every day!

– Plan meals and fix and freeze things ahead of time when you can

– Keep processed or pre-packaged foods out of your house – if you have kids this is hard but I try and keep them to a minimum and buy things that are at least partially healthy (if that is at all possible with pre-packaged items I am not sure but I do read labels and look for fiber content and sugar amounts, etc)

– Read food labels and think before you buy

I hope everyone had a great first week of Fall. I am glad it is starting to cool down here a little – although I hear it might be back to 90 in a few days.

-Kimberlee

Categories: Books Exercise Food