Tag: fitness tips

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

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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

 

 

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Working Out Week 49 of 2014

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Well, another week has flown by.  After being out of town last week I felt like half of this week was spent doing laundry, grocery shopping and cooking for our family.   My workouts this week were:

  • Sunday – off
  • Monday – Cathe X-10, Hi Lo & Fat Burning premix – 42 min.
  • Tuesday – off
  • Wednesday – Cathe Lean Legs and Abs timesaver 1 – 37 min.
  • Thursday – off
  • Friday – Cathe – Party Rocking Step disc 1, timesaver 2 –  31 min.
  • Saturday – Cathe X-10, Low Impact – 25 min.

I am still getting used to this 4 day a week schedule.  I am so used to working out at least 5 or 6 days per week that on Tuesday and Thursday mornings I feel like something is off or missing since I am not working out.  I have been doing a little light stretching or yoga on those mornings but not a full workout.  I thought that cutting back on workouts would help me get more done during this holiday time but so far it is not helping – so I may go back to 5 or 6 days a week.  I think I have made exercise such a part of my daily routine that it is hard for me to stop – I guess there are worse things to be addicted to.

Cat and weights

The above photo is of the cat on Monday morning – waiting for me to workout by my weights.  I guess he really missed me last week since I wasn’t at home to workout with him all week.   I can almost always count on him to keep me company for at least half of my workouts.

Cathe X10 workoutThe above photos are of the X-10 workout on Monday morning.  This is a great cardio and weight dvd.  There are lots of premixes on this dvd and you can do shorter or longer versions of the various workouts.  This is one of my favorite Cathe dvd’s.

Cathe Lean Legs Abs Workout

Lean Legs and Abs is another great workout.  As you can see it is also cat approved – he was on me like glue that whole morning.   The ab work on this dvd is a combination of traditional ab exercises mixed in with some using an 8 pound dumbbell.

I tried a new recipe this past week for dinner one night.  I got looking through my pinterest boards and decided to make this Firecracker Chicken.  The recipe is from another blog called Kitchen Meets Girl and if you click on the highlighted recipe title it will take you to it.  I reduced the brown sugar to half a cup instead of one cup and it was just fine.  I just thought that was too much sugar for my taste and my diet.  My whole family loved the recipe – I will be making it again and it was really very easy – another bonus.

Weekly Fitness Tip:  Take Time for Yourself and Time to De-Stress During the Holidays

– Take time to do a few things for yourself each week – even if it is just something little like taking a relaxing bath

– Take a break from social media – sometimes looking at what everyone is doing or has done makes you feel overwhelmed and like you are not keeping up – if that is the case avoid going on those social sites that drag you down.  It will be there the next day or week for you to look at when you want to

– Remember to get enough rest

– Drink lots of water – staying hydrated helps you avoid fatigue and headaches

I hope everyone had a great week.  Today I am going to help my husband get our outdoor Christmas decor up, thankfully it is a nice day for it.

– Kimberlee

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Working Out Week 47 of 2014

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.

Cathe Low Impact Circuit workout

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?

Cathe Cross Fire

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

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Working Out Week 42 of 2014

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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

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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

 

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Working Out Week 38 of 2014

It is September 20th already.  I don’t know where the time goes but it seems to be flying by this month.  My workouts this past week were:

  • Monday – T-25 Total Body Circuit + 2 Ab Moves on Ball – 28 min.
  • Tuesday – off/ Rode bike to store for groceries
  • Wednesday – Cathe CrossFire dvd – fitness blast & firewalker premix + 2 Ab Moves – 29 min.
  • Thursday – Shiva Rea Daily Energy – Solar Meditation & Chakra Namaskar sequence + 2 Ab Moves – 27 min.
  • Friday – T-25 Ab Intervals + Yoga Breathe For Joy Sequence from Yoga Journal magazine + 2 Ab Moves – 45 min.
  • Saturday – Shiva Rea Daily Energy – Heart-Air sequence + Core + 2 Ab Moves – 28 min.

For the next twelve weeks I will be taking Tuesday’s off or just doing a bike ride or light yoga in the evening that day.  The reason being is that I am doing a group Bible Study at our church and it meets on Tuesday mornings – I don’t think I want to show up at that all sweaty and in workout clothes.  I also don’t want to get up any earlier than I already do, 6:00 am, so I have decided that I am okay with taking that day off and just working out 5 days a week for the next few months.

T 25 Total Body Circuit

Monday I did T-25 Total Body Circuit.  I remember this one as being a tough workout and it still is for me.  Lots of cardio and lots of planks and push ups in this workout.  Tons of sweat at the end.

Workout Cat

Look who was waiting to workout among the workout bands on Wednesday – my faithful workout friend.  He sat there on and off during the workout.

Cathe CrossFire workout

The above photos are part of the Cathe CrossFire workout.  I was able to catch some of the jump turn squat sequence in my photos.  This is where you start out facing forward and then have to jump and turn 180 degrees to face the back into a squat and then repeat – many times.  I really like the CrossFire workout.  It is a total body workout.  On this particular day I got up about 10 minutes later than normal so I only did one of the premixes that is about 27 minutes long instead of the whole entire workout that I think is over 50 minutes long.  That is one thing I love about her dvd’s – lots of premixes so you don’t feel like you have to do a whole hour long if you don’t have the time.

Shiva Rea Daily Energy yoga dvd

The yoga dvd I used this week on Thursday and Saturday was the same one – Daily Energy from Shiva Rea.  This dvd is set up with many different 20 minute yoga sequences that you can pick to do and also some core work, forward bend and some meditation segments to add on to one of the 20 minute ones.  I really like this dvd and I love yoga days!

Weekly Ab Moves

I am trying to continue with my weekly two ab moves after each of my daily workouts.  This week I decided to use my exercise ball and do the two exercises with that – the cat approved.

documentary dvd from library

I also watched this documentary dvd that I checked out from the library.  I had seen the guy, Joe Cross, who made the movie on Dr. Oz a while back and I also had heard of the dvd.  It was a really good and interesting documentary on his journey with following a strict juice cleanse to help himself lose weight and to get his health back as he had a debilitating condition that was causing him to have to be on quite a few medications.  After watching this dvd I learned the following day that a sequel to this one was just released this week so there is now a Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead part 2.

The documentary really impressed me as to how juicing can really help you become and be a lot healthier.  I had been thinking of getting a juicer a while back but decided not to since I had my Ninja blender.  Well, after learning more about the benefits of juicing I decided to buy a juicer.   I got a Breville one like the one in the dvd, I think.  I had a 20% off coupon from Bed, Bath and Beyond so I used it to buy one.  I am impressed with how well it juices fruits and vegetables and how easy it is to clean.  There are kind of a lot of pieces but they clean up pretty fast.

So far I have made three different kinds of juices since Friday evening.  I am amazed already at how I am feeling and how the juices seem to really fill you up, give you energy and make you less hungry.  I was not having any hunger or snack attacks at the normal times I usually do – like around 4 pm.  I am not sure I will do a full Juice only cleanse like many people do for a certain amount of time but I am considering doing a partial diet of juices for a few days – like for breakfast, snacks and lunch and then eat a sensible dinner with my family.

Be Not Afraid

 Weekly Fitness Tip:  Don’t compare yourself to others

– Focus on your goals and realistic exercise programs and time frames not on what others are doing

– Fitness is a journey, not a race.  It is okay to start out or go slowly, just do something and don’t give up

I hope everyone had a great week and you are getting a chance to workout and cook some healthy meals.

-Kimberlee

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Working Out Week 36 of 2014

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This week was kind of short since there was the Labor Day holiday.  I kept thinking Tuesday was Monday and Wednesday was Tuesday.  Therefore when Friday got here I was wondering how the week went by so fast.

For week 36 I decided to pull out my T-25 workouts and alternate those with yoga.  So my schedule was one day cardio and the next day yoga.  This was similar to last weeks schedule but I used different workouts.  I really liked my schedule this week and the workouts I chose.

  • Monday – T-25 Alpha Cardio + 2 Ab Moves – 28 min.
  • Tuesday – Shiva Rea Yoga – AM Energy dvd – bonus segment Heart Salutation from Radiant Heart + 2 Ab Moves – 22 min.
  • Wednesday – T-25 Ab Intervals + 2 Ab Moves – 28 min.
  • Thursday – Shiva Rea Yoga – AM Energy dvd Shakti Flow + 2 Ab Moves – 22 min.
  • Friday – T-25 Lower Focus + Find Instant Calm Yoga workout + 2 Ab Moves – 50 min.
  • Saturday – Ride Bike + yoga + 2 Ab Moves – 35 min.

T 25 Alpha Cardio workout

The cat and I have missed Shaun T and his T-25 workout.  I forgot how much you can sweat in just 25 minutes!  I did the entire workout last year from August to October – the whole 10 week schedule with my facebook fitness group.  Most of it is written about in my past blog posts.  I also attended Shauntervention here in Dallas last year around this time.  It was an awesome all day event where I got to meet Shaun T and learn more about him and his positive motivation.

Shiva Rea AM Energy Yoga

Tuesday we (the cat and I) did the Shiva Rea AM Energy dvd that I own.  This one contains three different 20 minute segments plus one bonus 20 minute segment from the Radiant Heart dvd.  We did the bonus Heart Salutation and it felt awesome after the fast paced cardio the day before.  I love the Shiva Rea style yoga and have many of her dvd’s.  I guess the cat missed doing her yoga too as he was around on and off my mat for most of the workout.

T 25 Ab Intervals workout

Ab Intervals was the second T 25 workout of the week.  This one is a combination of floor abdominal work and then some cardio in between.  A great session for the abs and the back to strengthen the whole core.

Shiva Rea yoga AM Energy dvd

The photos above are from my second session of Shiva Rea’s AM Energy dvd.  This time I did the Shakti Flow session.  This one has a free flow yoga dance at the beginning and then goes into the yoga poses.  Another great workout the day after T 25 and my lower abs were really feeling it after Ab Intervals the day before and the core work in this yoga workout.

T 25 Lower Focus

Friday I did T 25 Lower Focus, a combination of leg cardio and toning moves.  Another sweaty workout session.  After this I did a 20 minute yoga workout from a Yoga Journal magazine called Find Instant Calm.  This was a good way to stretch out and “calm” down after the cardio.

Abdominal MovesThe entire week I also included these two abdominal moves at the end of my workouts.  You can see the cat liked those as well.  I found these two moves from a popsugar video last week and decided to make it a goal to do 20 reps of each every day this past week.  I almost forgot to do them yesterday but got them in – even though it was a couple hours after my finished workout.Baking Sourdough Bread

Last Saturday I made some really good sourdough bread using some starter I made earlier in the week.  My oldest son has discovered he likes sourdough bread for sandwiches so I decided to make the dough in my bread machine and then bake the oval shaped loaves in the oven.  It made two loaves so I was able to freeze one.  Everyone has decided (all 5 of us) that the bread is really good.  I will be making it again in the near future.

Baking Sourdough Bread

 

Endurance Discipline Determination

Weekly Fitness Tip:  Endurance, Discipline, Determination – Keys to Daily Success

  • Starting an exercise program and then sticking with it are one of the keys to becoming more fit and healthy – Endurance
  • Getting your workout in regularly is not always easy or enjoyable but the end results are worth it – Discipline yourself to Just Do It and you will be glad you did
  • Remember that exercise daily repeated over time will get you results – Determination

-I think that once you begin a regular exercise regime and stick with it that it becomes part of who you are and what you do.  There are days I wake up and feel tired (didn’t sleep well) or just not very motivated to do my scheduled workout – but I choose to get up, get going, and get it done – which makes me feel so much better afterwards.

I hope everyone had a great week.  The weather here is still hot so I am not sure about getting ready for fall yet but it looks like I need to start thinking about it.  I have started stocking up on cans of pumpkin to try some of the new recipes I recently found on pinterest.  I also need to make a new fall wreath so I will probably work on that later this coming week.

Take care,

Kimberlee

Categories: Baking Exercise Food Health

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Working Out Week 34 of 2014

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This week I had a really great workout schedule with doing weights again and riding my bike and jumping rope on the non weight days.  I also tried out some new recipes for dinner that were good and made my own almond butter.  It was a very busy week with fitness, cooking, errands, knitting, sewing, daily house upkeep and laundry, and getting my kids things together for back to school this coming Monday.

My workouts this week were:

  • Monday – Jari Love Extremely Ripped Body Rock, Weights & Abs – 35 min.
  • Tuesday – Ride Bike + Jump Rope + Yoga – 35 min.
  • Wednesday – Body Bar + Exercise Ball books + ride my bike to the dentist – 38 min.
  • Thursday – Ride Bike + Jump Rope + Yoga – 33 min.
  • Friday – Jari Love Extremely Ripped 1000 Weights only – 40 min.
  • Saturday – Ride Bike + Jump Rope + Stretch – 30 min

Jari Love Body Rock Workout

My Monday workout was a good mix of heavy, high rep weights and some ab work.  This particular dvd is not one of my favorite ones from Jari Love but I decided to use it as I hadn’t done it in quite a while.  Overall it is a good weight workout.

Ball, Bar, Disc Workout

The middle of the week I did my own mix of the Body Bar and Exercise Ball book workouts and also used my slide discs with some of the bar moves – creating my own exercises with the two together.  I also had a dental appointment that morning and rode my bike the 1 mile my dental office.

Jari Love Ripped 1000 Workout

The Friday workout was back to weights with Jari Love Extremely Ripped 1000.  I really like this workout and how all of the moves are compound moves meaning you work your arms as well as your legs at the same time.  This is a very effective workout.  She also reminds you during the workout how doing compound moves really increases your metabolism and makes your body burn fat even while at rest.

I have continued to ride my bike every other day and do my jumping rope after the bike ride.  I do notice I am able to jump rope a little longer this week than last week – building up my stamina, I guess.  Except for on Thursday – I could only do a couple of minutes of jumping rope as I woke up with a mild sinus headache and let me tell you that you do not want to be jumping rope with a sinus, or any kind, of headache.  It seemed to make it worse!

As I rode my bike this morning I realized that Monday the kids start school.  I knew this of course but it was hitting me at that moment as I rode that I may not be able to keep up with as many bike rides when school starts.  The main factor being that I need to be at home to make sure everyone has gotten up and gets some breakfast, as well as making lunches for the 3 boys.  Also, the biking route I like to take is right near the elementary school in our neighborhood and traffic will be heavy there with carpool drop off.  I might try and ride one day during the week and then just on Saturday’s and see how it goes.

Cookbooks from the library

A week or two ago I checked out a couple of good cookbooks from the library.  I used them in the past week to try out some new recipes and was pleased with the results.  The one above on the left is various different baking mixes, sauce mixes, rice and pasta mixes and other things as well.   The other book on the right is a really nice cookbook with lots of recipes for using fresh ingredients and cooking in minimal time – good for those who are busy or work a long day or just when it is hot out and you don’t want to slave in the kitchen for an hour or two.

I made up several mixes from the baking mix section of the Healthy Mix book.  I had good results with some and just okay with others.  The ones that were okay I had to tweak some to make them better.  Like the brownie mix said to make them with milk – well I have never heard of doing this but tried it anyhow and they were kind of different.  Not terrible but just not like real brownies, either.  I tried it again with oil and a little water like you would normally do and they were much better – the kids loved them and ate them up very fast – I did get to enjoy one which is all I needed anyhow.  Also, the quick bread mix in this book was a little odd as the mix seemed very dry when I blended it.  It only called for an egg or two and no milk or anything to moisten the ingredients.  I took it upon myself to add some milk and it turned out much better and looked like a quick bread mix should look.  My oldest son said maybe the book just assumed you knew to add the milk – I don’t know about that but in my opinion it is missing something.  I tried another mix in there though and that one is fine.  It is hit or miss with this one.  I guess you need to have some cooking experience to figure it out.

Pan Seared Salmon with fresh garlic and rosemary

The Cooking Light Fresh Food Superfast is a great book.  The book has lots of color photos of many of the recipes and everything is pretty quick and easy to make, too.  Just as it implies.  I like the fact that it uses fresh ingredients too and not anything canned or boxed in the recipes, for the most part.  I tried this salmon one night  – photo above – it was pan seared with a small amount of olive oil with fresh sliced garlic and fresh rosemary from my garden.  My kids really like this recipe – that is always a plus.  Another one I tried from the book was the italian sausage calzones.  Those were a hit with the family, too.  I was even able to make my own crust for the calzones using the Healthy Mix book and the healthy baking mix in there.  That made it take a little extra time instead of using a premade pizza dough but it was worth it.

Making Almond Butter with a food processor
Making Homemade Almond Butter

Another thing I made this week was something I have wanted to try for a while – my own almond butter.  I saw a recipe last week on pinterest and decided to try it out.  I followed some of it but had to tweak this one as well to get it how I liked it, or thought it should be.  Of course I did this on a whim with not a ton of time so I improvised and heated the almonds in the microwave for about 2 minutes instead of 15 minutes in the oven and then I processed them for about 2 minutes, scraped the sides down, processed them for about 2 more minutes, decided it looked like almond meal so I added about 1 tsp. of coconut oil and processed again for 1 to 2 minutes.  This was the best almond butter I ever had – really.  I will never be buying it again.  I made this in about 10 minutes or less.  It stores nicely in the refrigerator, too.  If you want the original recipe click on the highlighted link to take you to the blog with the recipe – Flour On My Face.    

Weekly Fitness Tip – Variety

– Try different workouts to avoid boredom.  Doing the same activity (like walking or running) can get boring and stale.  Alternate your activity with some other types of workouts like weights or yoga – this also keeps you interested in continuing to workout, in my opinion, and the change does your body good.

– Give new exercises or workouts a chance, don’t try something once and decide it is too hard and you just can’t do it.  Sometimes you have to do things a few times to get a feel for them.  Example:  Five or six years ago I started doing some step aerobic workout dvd’s.  I was terrible with them at first and thought I would never be able to keep up with the people on the dvd.  After watching it a time or two and then trying it slowly I got the hang of it – I also tripped or fell off the step a few times but I was determined to keep on – it got easier each time.  I still occasionally step wrong and stumble but not like the early days.  This makes you feel a sense of accomplishment.  

I hope everyone had a great week and you are getting in some exercise.

Kimberlee

 

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Working Out Week 33 of 2014

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The weeks are flying by lately.  I feel like this one went super fast!  It seems like the first part of our summer was kind of slow and the second half is gone in the blink of an eye!  Does anyone else feel that way?

This week I was busy with getting my kids back to school supplies together, the dreaded shopping for those – although this year it is not so bad.  The older they get the less they seem to need.

Also, band continues for my high school age son.  A pretty rigorous schedule this week with long days and some nights.  This morning we had to be up by 5:15 am as he had to be there for group photos at 6 am.  So, I was up extra early today – before it was even light out.  I did my routine a little different today.  Since I couldn’t see to go out and ride my bike that early I did my morning devotional reading first and had a cup of coffee – then by 6:45am I was out for my Saturday morning bike ride.  Not too many people out that early on a Saturday morning.  It was nice to see the sun coming up and breathe in the fresh morning air.

Workout Schedule for week 33 of 2014:

  • Monday – 101 Ways to Workout on the Ball book – 30 min.
  • Tuesday – Ride Bike + Yoga – 35 min.
  • Wednesday – 101 Ways to Workout on the Ball book + Body Bar Book – 35 min.
  • Thursday – Ride Bike + Body Bar book & foam roller stretches – 42 min.
  • Friday – 101 Ways to Workout on the Ball book + Body Bar Book + jump rope – 38 min.
  • Saturday – Ride Bike + Jump Rope + Yoga – 34 min.

Ball Workout book

The above book is the book I used several times this past week.  It is an older book published back in 2004, ten years ago, that I got on sale in 2006 or 2007.   It is still a really great book though and has lots of great ball exercises, some with weights and some without.  The book is all color photos and has step by step photos of the moves which I like.  Also, the back of the book has various routines for arms, abs, core, legs, total body, etc that you can do.

Sample of workout routine in back of Ball Workout book

The above is a sample of what the routines in the back of the book look like.  It refers you to the page number where the exercises are so you can get the full explanation on how to do them.  I like books that are set up this way.

101 Ways to Workout on Ball Book

The above photos are from my Monday session using the ball book which were the 15 minute Morning Wake Up and the 15 minute Arm Toner routines.

Ball and Bar Workout on Wednesday

On Tuesday I went to the library – a place I visit often and always find new books to read or listen to on audio.  I have an ereader, a nook, but haven’t used it in over six months.  I am a “book” person and I enjoy going to the library.  I was checking out the fitness books and found an interesting Body Bar workout book.  The book again is an older book, published in 2006, but it has some good workouts in it.

I have this body bar from some Firm workouts I used to own many years ago.  I do not have the dvd’s anymore but kept the bar.  I think it is an 8 or 10 pound bar, I can’t remember.  Anyhow – I used the Bar book along with the Ball book on Wednesday.  The above bar move is called the kayak and you can feel it in your core for sure.

Body Bar Workout book from library

Ball and Bar Workout

On Friday I used the Ball and Bar books again and I also decided to combine some of the moves using both together – having some creative fun with my workout this day.

New 6 pound dumbbells and jump rope

The above is a photo of my new 6 pound dumbbells that I found at Academy the other day when shopping for new backpacks and lunch boxes for the kids.  They had some odd increments of dumbbells in this brand that you don’t normally see – like 4, 6 and 7 pounds.  I thought the 6 would be nice for when 5 is too easy and my 8 is too hard.  I used them some for the tricep work in my workout on Friday.

Also, in the above photo is my new jump rope.  I had one but had not used it in a while and when I went to go look for it I couldn’t find it.  I think the kids used it for something and forgot to hang it back up in the garage, but no one admits to that.  I read this article in our newspaper about a month ago about this guy in Dallas who jumps rope about five times a week as his form of staying in shape – I think he is like in his 50’s (I don’t remember his exact age).  I decided I am going to try and jump rope for a few minutes when I get home from my biking.  Let me tell you I thought I could do 10 minutes but I am lucky to get in 5 minutes.  Jumping rope is a real intense workout!  You will sweat and get your heart rate up in a very short amount of time.

Shoes laced differently

I discovered this new way to lace my shoes last Sunday on pinterest.  The info said it was from a podiatrist.  This is the way to lace your shoes if the ball of your foot is wider than your heel – as mine is.  It really helps give your toes room to spread.  I have now re-laced all of my fitness shoes this way.

Weekly Fitness Tip:  Be Patient – Change Takes Time

-Working out for just a week or two is not going to get you dramatic results – as the saying goes “Slow and Steady Wins the Race”

–Stick with a schedule – realize that doing even just 15 minutes a day of exercise 5 days per week is better than none at all.  Not everyone is able to workout for 30 to 60 minutes per day.  Do what works for your schedule and don’t compare it to others.

–Fitness is about a way of life, a lifestyle change, not a quick fix so you can reach a goal and go back to old habits that are not healthy.

-Not everyone is ready for extreme hard core workouts at the beginning.  Start off with something simple like walking or running or jumping rope (which is an excellent workout I am finding, in a short amount of time).  You can then alternate that with lifting light weights or some yoga or stretching.  If you start something that is too hard it will just frustrate you and you are more likely to give up.

-Make sure you schedule in “rest” days each week so you don’t burn out.  I usually only schedule a rest day for Sunday but I like to workout 6 days per week.  Maybe you only want to do a 4 or 5 day a week workout routine to begin and then add more days later on.

I hope everyone had a great week.  See you next week!

Kimberlee

 

 

 

 

Categories: Books Exercise Health

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