Tag: working out

EOM Fitness for January 2015

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This past month my fitness routine consisted of five or six workout days per week using my Cathe Ripped with Hiit workouts and yoga dvd’s or routines from Yoga Journal magazine that I have saved.  I have been alternating the two doing a Hiit workout one day and yoga the next.  I have really been enjoying this schedule.

Ripped with Hiit Upper Circuit with the cat
Me and the cat doing the RWH Upper Circuit workout
Ripped with Hiit Upper Circuit
Another upper body exercise from Cathe’s Ripped with Hiit Upper Circuit dvd
Yoga with the cat on the mat
Yoga with the cat on the mat

Scheduling your workouts is part of the key to getting them done, in my opinion.  If I make a schedule up on Sunday, that is usually a non workout day for me, then I am going to commit myself to getting them done.  “It’s not about having time, it’s about making time.”  I have seen these words before somewhere and they are very true – everyone is busy these days – even my retired parents and in-laws always seem busy – but you have to make the time and make the commitment to yourself to be more physically active.  I know that I always feel better and have more energy on days that I workout.

Fed Up documentary from library

Another thing I have been doing this past month is watching health documentaries – I know this sounds really boring but they are actually really informative about many things concerning the health of Americans and their diets and I find them interesting.   Some of them can be found on Netflix and some I checked out from the library.  The video in the photo above, Fed Up, is one I checked out from my local library.  A friend of mine recommended it to me.  This is a real eye opener about the food industry, how much sugar and artificial ingredients are really in those so called healthy foods you see at the store.  This documentary also goes into detail on the health of our children and how many are becoming diabetic at an early age due to poor eating and lifestyle habits.

back view of Fed Up dvd
back view of Fed Up dvd

The other two documentaries that I thought were really informative were Hungry for Change and Fat Sick and Nearly Dead 2.  Both of these are on Netflix.  If you are wanting to learn more about eating better, juicing, and changing your lifestyle habits to become healthy, lose weight and get off prescriptions, I would advise you to watch these two documentaries.  My overall health and eating is good but these documentaries oped my eyes to even more changes I need to make to how I eat and what I eat for it to make a positive impact in my daily life.

For the month of February am thinking of doing my P90X3 workout.  I am not going to do the whole three month program again like last year,  I am just going to use it mixed with some other workouts for the month of February.  I have been doing my Ripped with Hiit and yoga for over a month now so it is time for a change.  If I change things up then I don’t get bored – that is another key to making your workouts fun, challenging and keeping you interested in sticking with it.  Also, I believe it is a key to seeing results because your body needs a change.

So check back at the end of February for my end of month (EOM) fitness update – of course you can also check back sooner as I will be sharing other posts before the end of February on various things.

Have a great Superbowl weekend!

– Kimberlee

 

 

 

Categories: Exercise Health

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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

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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

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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

Categories: Exercise Health

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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

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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

Categories: Exercise Health

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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

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Working Out Week 44 of 2014

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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

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Working Out Week 43 of 2014

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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

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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

Categories: Books Exercise Health

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