Tag: exercise

EOM Fitness for February 2015

This past month my fitness routine was a combination of P90X3 and yoga.  I had completed the entire schedule of P90X3 last year and the whole thing takes about three months of working out six days a week.  I did not want to do the entire thing so I started out my first two weeks of February doing just P90X3 and making up my own schedule with the workouts.  Well, by the third week of February I decided to do P90X3 along with a yoga book I own, Slim Calm Sexy Yoga by Tara Stiles.  So, I alternated P90X3 then the yoga book every other day for the last two weeks of this month.

Total Synergistics P90X3

The above photos are of the Total Synergistics workout from P90X3.  I really like this workout and did it a couple of times this month.

cat waiting to workout

Here is the cat – my faithful workout buddy sitting by the weights waiting to workout.  He too seemed to like the Total Synergistics workout.

There are yoga and pilates workouts in the P90X3 series and I did some of those along with the cardio and weight training workouts.  I decided to use my yoga book though because I was getting tired of doing a dvd workout every day.  There are lots of great routines in the Slim Calm Sexy yoga book by Tara Stiles, too.  I had not used it in a while and I am glad I decided to incorporate some of those yoga routines into my schedule for February.   Check your library for the book – that is where I first learned about it a few years ago and I liked it so well that I bought it at Barnes and Noble.

I didn’t watch any health documentaries this past month like I did back in January but I did read an interesting book on health called Super Immunity by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.  He is a doctor and I first learned about him and his books by watching the health documentaries last month on Netfilx.  This book is filled with lots of great information for taking charge of your health and learning to eat better to feel and look better and not following some crazy fad diet that is the latest rage.  His concept is focused on more of a plant based diet.  The acronym for his eating plan is G-BOMBS which stands for greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries and seeds.  These are the foods that you should be focused on consuming daily.  I really learned a lot from this book and there are some interesting recipes at the end of the book that I will be trying out.

I also have another book checked out from the library by Dr. Fuhrman called Eat To Live.  I will be reading that next.

For March I think I will go back to my Cathe Friedrich workouts.  She has some of the best workouts on dvd in my opinion and I always look forward to using them.  I have not decided yet which series or sets I will use but I will probably mix in yoga every other day since yoga makes my body happy and I love doing yoga at least a few times a week.  I have also found that doing yoga the day after a hard cardio or weight workout really helps my body and my mental focus.

I hope everyone had a great month and you were able to find some time for fitness.  Remember even 15 minutes a day of doing something is better than nothing at all.

-Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise Health

Tags: , , , , , ,

Working Out Week 52 of 2014

This was the final week of 2014.  I cannot believe another year has gone by already!  Time seems to go faster and faster the older I get.  For this last week of the year my workouts were mainly my new Cathe Ripped With Hiit workouts and then yoga at the end of the week.

  • Sunday 12-21 – off
  • Monday 12-22 – RWH Circuit Upper Body premix 4 timesaver – 34 min.
  • Tuesday 12-23 – RWH Circuit Lower Body premix 2 scrambled express – 32 min.
  • Wednesday 12-24 – RWH Low Impact Hiit One + Abs Two – 41 min.
  • Thursday 12-25 Christmas Day – off
  • Friday 12-26 – RWH Circuit Upper Body – 46 min.
  • Saturday 12-27 – Yoga – Light Up sequence from Yoga Journal magazine – 20 min.

I think I have done all nine of the workout dvd’s on the Ripped With Hiit series now.  Some of them were the shorter premixes since this was a busy time of year and I just didn’t have the time to do a full 45 or 50 minute workout every day.  I will say I truly love this new series from Cathe Friedrich.  The workouts are fun and challenging and you will sweat a lot and feel like you got a great workout in – even if you only do a 30 minute premix version.  I like how some of the dvd’s are cardio based, some are cardio with weights and then there are a few that are just weight training.  All of the dvd’s offer the two ab workouts so you can always add that at the end of your workout.

Persian cat ready for workout
My persian cat waiting to do the Ripped With Hiit Lower Body Circuit

 

RWH Circuit Lower Body

The above photos are some of the Hiit Circuit Lower Body dvd.  This one is a combination of cardio and weights and uses the step for a lot of the exercises.   The cardio exercises are done in between weight exercises and your arms also get in a workout since some of them use heavier weights.    I really like this workout.

Cathe Low Impact Hiit One

The middle of the week I did Low Impact Hiit One plus Abs two.  This workout is all pretty much body weight exercises and uses some dixie cups for some lunges.   For part of the workout you use your mat as a workout prop to jump around, over or straddle for various exercises that are fun and get your heart rate up.  There was a ton of sweat after this workout.  As you can see my faithful workout cat was present for most of these exercises – sitting on the corner of the rug.  The rest of the workout he sat under the Christmas tree after finding his present under there – he sat right on the present.

Cat ready and waiting to workout
Cat ready and waiting to workout

Cathe Hiit Circuit Upper Body

The Ripped With Hiit Circuit Upper Body dvd is another fun and challenging total body workout.  I used this dvd twice this week – the first time I did a shorter premix version but I did the entire workout on Friday.  This workout focuses on upper body strength training with the weights but there are cardio exercises in between the weights and those are total body exercises.  This is another workout I really like and will be using a lot.

I chose to end this week with yoga.  I was planning to do the Lower Body Circuit again but decided some yoga would be better for my early Saturday morning.  I love (I think I have mentioned this before) doing yoga on Saturday mornings.

Weekly Fitness Tip:  Try doing some workouts at home before joining an expensive gym

– This is the time of year when people decide they are going to get fit and join a gym – personally I have never belonged to one and probably never will.  I choose to workout at home on my own time and with my own schedule – I have been doing this for about 10+ years now.  Once you develop a schedule (meaning write down your weekly workout plans and stick to them) it becomes a habit and you will soon make it part of your day.  Also, you won’t have to worry about driving anywhere and won’t have that excuse as the reason you can’t workout -no time to drive to the gym.

– For the amount of money you are going to spend on a gym membership contract for a year you can buy some weights and bands to use at home.  You could also invest in a good workout program and still have money left to buy the weights for what you would spend on a membership.  Beachbody offers great workout programs – a few of which I own and have completed in the past couple of years.  Also, Cathe Friedrich dvd’s are awesome – a lot of her older dvd’s (which are still good and I still use) are probably on sale right now, too.  They may seem expensive at first but when you calculate the cost of the gym, gas money and your time for going there they are a bargain.  The highlighted text are links to the site – I am not affiliated with either of them just wanted to share where to get the information I mentioned.

– Look into some of the fitness websites and YouTube channels like PopSugar Fitness that offer lots of free workout videos and some are only 15 to 20 minutes for those who are short on time.

– There are lots of ways to get in some exercise without joining a gym – check into some of them before signing that membership contract.

I mentioned last week in the fitness tips to think about some goals for the upcoming year.  Well, for one of my goals I have decided to focus on some other topics for my blog this coming year.  I will still be working out regularly but I will probably only do a monthly update and not a weekly one.  I will be trying to focus a little more on my crochet, knitting and sewing for the year 2015 – which are things I truly love to do – there will be projects and I will also share some free patterns and tutorials.

I hope everyone has had a great year.  Mine was filled with blogging, cleaning, cooking, crocheting, exercising, knitting, sewing; also keeping our home managed and raising our kids.  I am looking forward to a great year for 2015!

Take care and Happy New Year!

– Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise Health

Tags: , , , , , ,

Working Out Week 51 of 2014

The closer it gets to Christmas the faster each week seems to go by for me.  I completed my first week of Ripped With Hiit this past week – my new Cathe Friedrich series that I received last week.  Hiit stand for high intensity interval training and I LOVE it!

  • Sunday – off
  • Monday – Lift It Hiit It Legs premix 1 All Strength – 29 min.
  • Tuesday – Low Impact Hiit Two + Bonus Abs Two – 40 min.
  • Wednesday – Lift It Hiit It Back, Bis and Shoulders premix 5 – 29 min.
  • Thursday – off
  • Friday – Plyo Hiit One + Bonus Abs One – 37 min.
  • Saturday – Lift It Hiit It Chest, Tris and Shoulders – 28 min.

Cathe Low Impact Ripped With Hiit

The Low Impact Hiit workout was a good one to start with at the beginning of the week.  Even though it was low impact it was still challenging and I did a lot of sweating.  My faithful workout cat was there throughout most of this one.

Cathe RWH Back, Bis and Shoulders

The Hiit weight workouts in this series are definitely a challenge and within a week of doing a couple of these and increasing my weights a little I am seeing some positive changes.  There are a lot of different weights to use as well as a barbell for this heavy training.  The workouts I did this past week that were the Lift It part were actually shorter premixes.  There were a couple of days this past week I just couldn’t get myself to commit to the entire 45 or 50 minutes of the workout – that is what I love about most all Cathe workouts – there are lots of premixes and you can always do a shorter, or even a longer, version.

Cathe RWH Plyo and Abs

 

The Plyo Hiit workout was definitely a super high intensity cardio workout that had me sweating a ton.  Above are a couple of photos – one of the one handed burpees and the other is some of the abdominal exercises that are done standing and with an 8 pound dumbbell.  Can you see my other cat peeking through the one photo? – she doesn’t usually come around too much when I am working out but this day she decided to come by and lay on the rug for a bit and watch me.

My overall view of this new workout series is that I LOVE IT!  It is just what I need this time of year to keep me motivated to workout.  A lot of the exercises are new and innovative and that is one of the things I love about Cathe’s workouts – she is always finding new moves to incorporate into her routines so you don’t get bored.

Weekly Fitness Tip:  Decide on what your goals will be for the upcoming New Year 

– think about what you want to accomplish in the upcoming year with your health and fitness and write out some of those goals – having something written down that you can refer to helps keep you accountable

– make sure your goals are realistic and not too far out of reach – start small especially if you are new to exercising regularly, but start somewhere – the first step is getting a plan and sticking to it

– realize that results take time and dedication and that there will be times when you feel like nothing is happening fast enough – remember that positive changes will happen if you follow a healthy and active lifestyle everyday, not just for a month or two  –  and don’t get discouraged if you fall off the fitness plan for a day or two – just get back on it rather than totally quitting just because you missed a few days

I hope as we approach the final weeks of 2014 you will look back and see all you have accomplished.  I know that this year for me has been a great year for working out consistently and for taking other areas of my health into a more positive direction.

Have a great weekend!

-Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise Health

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Working Out Week 50 of 2014

This week was another hectic holiday week and it went by so fast!  I even thought that Thursday was Wednesday – my kids had to correct me.

This past week I went back to a full six day a week workout schedule.  I wasn’t liking the four day a week schedule as I mentioned last week.  I actually intended to only workout five days this past week but I got my new Cathe Friedrich Ripped With Hiit in the mail on Tuesday and had to do one of those to try out the new dvd’s so I threw an extra workout in.

Cathe Ripped With Hiit

  • Sunday – off
  • Monday – Shiva Rea AM Energy yoga – 25 min.
  • Tuesday – Exhale Core Fusion – Pilates Plus – 20 min.
  • Wednesday – off  Cathe Ripped With Hiit, Low Impact Hiit WO 1 – 28 min.
  • Thursday – Shiva Rea Daily Energy yoga – 20 min.
  • Friday – Exhale Core Fusion – Pilates Plus – 20 min.
  • Saturday – Shiva Rea More Daily Energy yoga – 25 min.

So, this past week was actually going to be my yoga-pilates week but I did squeeze in one cardio, low impact, workout in the middle.  I think the yoga and pilates are perfect for keeping me calm and more grounded during this busy holiday time.  Also, doing just the 20 to 25 minutes a day is very manageable for a busy schedule – as we all seem to be from Thanksgiving to New Years day.

ECF Pilates Plus

The above photos are me and my exercise cat doing the Exhale Core Fusion Pilates Plus – love these workout dvd’s.  They really tone your body and target specific areas.  The above photos are of some of the Upper Body Core segment that is 10 minutes long.  I then also added in the Flat Back-Round Back Core segment to make it 20 minutes total.

Shiva Rea Daily Energy

The yoga dvd’s I chose this week were all Shiva Rea, but different ones.  The above photos are from the Daily Energy dvd – I forgot to write down which sequence it was but it had a lot of backbends and side waist bends.  No cat around on this day – he was being lazy.

Weekly Fitness Tip:      Make a point to find at least 20 minutes a day five days a week to exercise

– doing some type of physical activity is better than none at all – even if it is only 15 to 20 minutes – (like a walk or some yoga)

– exercising will give your day a positive start if done first thing in the morning

– regular exercise helps you deal with stress better

– exercise is not a destination – it is a journey that needs to be part of a healthy lifestyle in order to see the benefits

I hope everyone is having a good month so far.  I know it is challenging to keep up with exercise as well as eat healthy but with some effort it is possible – I know if I make a plan with my eating and workouts I am more likely to stick to it.

Have a good week!

– Kimberlee

 

 

Categories: Exercise Health

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Working Out Week 48 of 2014

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
signs hanging throughout the town streets

 

Brick Sidewalk
Brick Sidewalk
Walking Dead Storefront
Walking Dead Storefront
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
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
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: , , ,

Working Out Week 46 of 2014

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.

Cathe High Reps Workout

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.

Cathe Drill Max

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.

ShivaRea AM Daily Energy Yoga

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.

Oatmeal with Cranberry Sauce and honey

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: , , , , , , ,

Working Out Week 44 of 2014

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.

Cathe Hard Strikes workouts

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.

Supercuts Workout

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

Cathe Legs 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.

Cathe Bis and Tris workout

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.

Fruits for Juicing

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: , , , , , ,

Working Out Week 43 of 2014

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.

Workout Cat

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.

ECF Lean Toned workout

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.

Shiva Rea Surf Yoga Soul

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:

Kiwi Lime Smoothie

 

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: , , , , , , , , ,

Working Out Week 42 of 2014

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.

Cathe Greatest Hits Step workout

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 workout

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.

Great Glutes workout

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.

Juicing book

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.

Peach Spice Pie Juice

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.

Orange Beet Juice

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: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Working Out Week 40 of 2014

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.

carpet removed from living room

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.

day 2 of wood floor install

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.

finished wood floor installed

 

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
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.  fresh juice made with a juicer

green juice made with juicer

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.

Green Smoothie Challenge wk 1

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: , , , , , , , , ,