P90x

What were we thinking?

Adam and I are trying to get in better shape (I just cant drop those last 10 lbs) and figured working out together would keep us accountable and motivate us to do our best. So we ordered P90x. My dad has done it. My sister and brother in law have done it. Friends and coworkers have done it. We started it. OMG it is intense.

Because of Adam's work schedule and Kate's feeding schedule, we agreed to workout at night after Kate went to bed. So that meant a 90 minute workout starting around 9pm. Neither of use realized just HOW out of shape we were. We only did half of day 1's push-up/ pull-up set, and struggled through the ab-ripper set. We completed Plyometrics but Adam's shoulders were too sore to do the arms and back, and we only did 30 minutes of yoga. It is important to know when to stop and not over do it (especially in week1) so we are comfortable stopping half-way.

And to keep it real- here are our before pictures (take on day 4)

yes Adam is mimicking holding a pregnant belly

We have a long way to go, and definitely need to build up our endurance and strength.

Have you done P90x?

Work It

I had my post-partum checkup last Wednesday and things were looking good. I lost 20 of the 30lbs I gained throughout the pregnancy and was cleared to resume working out.

I have been taking Kate for walks around the neighborhood, sometimes with another mom and baby (girl who is only 1 week younger than Kate) who live in the neighborhood. Breastfeeding burns calories and pushing a stroller uphill can get pretty intense sometimes, but I'm hoping to step up my 'workouts'. I don't know when that is going to happen, though, since whenever Kate is sleeping I am trying to get some sleep, clean up the house, or shower (or maybe update this little blog).

my walking buddy :)

I am also resuming tracking calories on MyFitnessPal and you can follow my progress on my ticker or become my friend on the website.

Work It!

I realized I haven't updated on my workout goals since the biggest loser competition ended back in May. Well I'm really trying to get back into working out daily. I used to do a quick 30 minute workout after school almost everyday (with 60 minute Zumba once a week) AND I was trying to get working out most mornings before school too. With no school I have all the time in the world to work out. I could spend all day working out if I wanted to. But I haven't; I don't. I am letting myself slip again. I'm not logging in my food on MFP.

I have decided to change that. It's my first day home from the beach, I logged in the food I will eat today, AND I have exercised. And not just the basic 45  minute workout, I added on the 40 minute cardio supplement. I WILL continue this through the rest of the summer. I mean, if I'm not working, what is my excuse? That's right- nothing. No excuses. I plan to work out weekday mornings, and rest on the weekends. I plan to do at least an hour each day. Things may come up, plans may change, but this is the plan for now.

On a positive not, I had found my measuring tape a little while back and realized I had not measured myself in a long time. I'm happy to report that I have lost 3 inches in my waist, 3.5 in my hips, and 1 from my thighs. So while my weight loss has slowed, at least I'm moving in the right direction. And remember the picture I showed you last August? I made a goal to NOT look like that when I went back after the summer. And Here I am (wearing the same shirt I believe) 10 lbs and 1 dress size down:

Not perfect, but who is? Think I'll keep up my goals and work out every day?

And if you happen to also be tracking your weight loss on MFP, friend me and check my food diary to make sure I'm keeping it up!: dianamgoss

The End

Biggest loser has finally come to an end, and while I knew I wouldn't win I was happy to see that I lost some more weight this week.

-2lbs

I'm down almost 10 lbs overall (from when I started counting) and down 12 from my heaviest weight. I just went shopping over spring break and my shirts are now a size smaller, and I can button the sleeves on the (now medium) shirt!  I can't remember the last time I was able to button the sleeves on any of my shirts (if ever).
My pants are, however, the same size. I guess Yoga Booty Ballet is building up the muscles in my booty after all.

YBB Review III

 The basic Yoga Booty Ballet program outline includes two days a week of the cardio dances- Cardio Cabaret and Hip Hop Abs. Neither of these videos is included in the package, and Beach Body does not sell them on their website! Somehow I thought to search for it on Amazon, and found copy for $8 (and free shipping!)

 
They are much more of what I thought YBB was going to be- a quick, 30 minute dance workout with a few minutes of ballet type toning and a brief yoga stretch/ cool-down. I can tell the basic and advanced programs have given me the basics to do some of the moves, and I do enjoy the workout. But I feel I get a much better workout from the basic and original segments.
So now I just need to get all the videos into a daily rotation. That, along with working out after school, should help me reach my weight loss goal.




BTW-Tomorrow is the final weigh in of the Biggest Loser Competition at work, I know I won't win (because I track all the weights every week) but I hope do be down a few more lbs- wish me luck!

YBB Review II

On Monday I tried the advanced portion of the Yoga Booty Ballet program. I was nervous when I saw it was nearly 70 minutes long! The regular portion is only about 45 minutes with about 10 minute segments for ballet, yoga, strength, and abs. I didn't know what to expect with the advanced program. Well there is no real 'strength' segment, no weights or ab work.

Here's the flow of the advanced program:

1. Warm up/ cardio dance- compared to the basic warmup, this was definitely more intense. There is a lot more moves at a quicker pace. I like it, and this is what I thought YBB was going to be when I ordered it
2. Ballet- the ballet skills build on the basic YBB ballet segment. You definitely need a strong core and good balance to complete all the leg lifts. I can tell I am getting stronger from the first time I tried the basic ballet lifts to the advanced (longer!) lifts
3. Hatha Yoga- Hatha Yoga is intense, deep, stretching. My body doesn't stretch this way yet so I had to take a break for a small portion of this segment and modify the rest.
4. Yoga/ cool down- This yoga is more simple than the basic yoga segment, very relaxing. It is actually the cool down so the poses are simple.

I like the advanced program better than the basic, but I will definitely sill use the basic so I can incorporate the strength and ab work into my workout. I will probably alternate days.

Want to get in on the workout? Check it out and order here.

YBB Review

I have been working out with Yoga Booty Ballet for about a week and it is not what I expected at all. Which is strange because it is exactly what the title suggests it will be: Yoga- check; working out the booty- check; ballet skills- check. I guess I just thought it was going to be more of a cardio dance workout with a little stretching thrown in. Well it starts with meditation, then stretching before moving into the workout segments. And there is middle eastern music playing in the background, each segment ends with 'Namaste', and Gillian and Tiegh seem a bit strange. So during the first workout I was just in a state of "what is going on?" but after doing it again, and now for a week, I am letting go and getting used to it.

Here's the outline of the basic program (I have not tried the advanced yet):

1. Warm up- Stretching
2. Ballet- The ballet portion really is a pain in the ass, but that's what it is supposed to do. I can definitely feel my booty muscles working.
3. Yoga- The yoga is not as hard as I thought it was going to be. I had taken a couple beginning yoga classes at the gym plus the yoga portion on my WiiFit. The stretches so far have been pretty simple but I still feel the burn.
4. Sculpt- The sculpting portion is not bad at all. However I haven't been using any weights. I picked up some small 2lb hand weights (that's what Tiegh uses) today and will try using them tomorrow.
5. Abs-Then comes the ab work. Man oh man does it kill my abs. You place the squishy ball between your legs which helps control and work out the lower abs. It is intense to say the least.
6. Cool down- yoga and stretching

 So I am going to keep using it in the mornings, and work my way up to the advanced workout soon. My goal is to do this every morning and add another workout in the afternoon, maybe something on demand?

If you're interested in this, or any other Beach Body program (P90x perhaps?) get in touch with my sister, she'll guide you along.

Here I Go Again

If you pay attention to this blog (which is doubtful that anyone really does, other than Lisa) You would have noticed my weigh-in for this week was missing. Yeah, that was on purpose. I'm up again (as of Tuesday's weight) and around my starting weight (as of this morning) and am not really seeing any change- despite working out 4 days a week and having a slimfast for breakfast each morning.
Feeling a little down about this caused me to get back onto MFP, which I had not logged into for a few months. I guess I really do need to track the food I am eating and see exactly what calories I am consuming vs what I expend.
But for the good news- Beach Body has sent me a replacement for the package FedEx lost last week. It is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday so I think I will try it out Wednesday. That with working out each afternoon should get me back on track.

Shake Your Booty

In yet another attempt to get my weight loss workouts under control I finally decided to order Yoga Booty Ballet.

I had seen the infomercial years ago, and thought it looked like fun. I never ordered it before because I didn't know if it would actually work, be fun, and manageable enough for me to use it.

Then my sister sent me an e-mail. She is now a Team Beach Body coach. She had lost all of the baby weight from Kaelyn (plus some) using the workout program Insanity. Her husband is seeing results with the program P90x. Since they had both seen results from these programs, sold by beach body, She decided to become a coach. So I asked her about the Yoga Booty Ballet, and she said she had heard good things about it. I ordered it.

Then Fed Ex lost it! After calling them, talking with different reps, and this driver himself, I had to call Beach Body and report it lost. They are thankfully sending me a new one, soon I hope.
Now I wait for it to arrive so I can start using it in the mornings (I am working out at school in the afternoons with my coworkers already). I hope this keeps me motivated so I actually use it more than once.

***

Laura did not ask me to post this for her, or promote her as a coach, but since I am documenting my own weight loss journey I am just sharing my resources. If you are looking for help or guidance in weight loss, toning, or building muscle definition, take a look at the programs offered through Beach Body, then contact Laura with any of your questions.

monoTONE

Adam needed new shoes for work. Since he was ordering from Zappos, he asked if I needed anything too. I needed new sneakers and decided to get some of the toning kind.


Skechers shape-ups are way too bulky and I don't think I would ever wear them.

The Reebok easy tone look better but still have that bulge on the bottom.

I went with New Balance WW850. They are super cute and supposedly work out all the same leg and butt muscles at the other bulkier shoes.

I was very happy when they arrived, and fit perfectly.

I have been wearing them for about two weeks and haven't felt much 'burn' in my legs or butt. I have also been wearing them to work out, which is a big no-no if you read the reviews on these shoes, but I still don't feel the burn. So I have no idea if they are actually toning anything. But they were a good price and I needed new sneakers anyway so I won't say they are a total loss. And who knows, maybe they are toning and I just don't feel it. I should go measure myself and see...

Biggest Loser

A few of us are having a Biggest Loser competition at work. We did this a few years ago and decided to bring it back. We will weigh in every Tuesday for three months. The winner will be determined by the most % of weight lost. This is a concept that confuses some people so I get to input everyone's weights into an excel spreadsheet and track it all. First weigh in was last week, and I had been on carb overload after being so sick. Plus I was weighing myself after breakfast while I was wearing clothes. Well I was a good 4+ lbs over what I was the last time I weighed myself at home. I really need to push myself to work out, especially when the trainer keeps canceling at school. Weigh in #2 is tomorrow, I'm interested in seeing the difference and hopefully it will get me motivated.

I'm using a picture from the beginning of the school year for comparison. I am still down about 7-8 lbs from the time that pic was taken, but I want to see the difference.

 

See that around the middle? And that big ol' arm? Yeah, those have got to go. Here's to a good day today and a good weigh in tomorrow!

Post-Christmas Weigh in

Well, it has been a while since stepping on the scale. I mean I had to be weighed at the Doctor's office, but I don't trust their scale. I just want to be consistent with the scale I use and where I put it and time of day etc...
So anyway, after Thanksgiving I gained about 2lbs, too much good food I tell ya, and since then I hadn't been working out- Our trainer canceled a couple times, then I was sick and couldn't make it. So I had no idea where I was weight-wise. I decided I would do my Monday morning weigh in again today.

And to my surprise I was down 3 lbs!  I am down 10 lbs overall!

Well I slept almost all day yesterday, I guess I was sick or something, so I didn't eat too much which might have helped. But I really have been trying to eat smaller portions and stay active.
I haven't made any plans for what I will do when I lose 10 lbs but I feel like I should buy some new jeans or something. Well 10 down, about 13 more to go. Here's hoping I can keep it up!

unscheduled weigh-in

I don't know if it's the On The Move program that's making me more conscious of my activity level, or the trainer that we have coming every Thursday afternoon, or if I am just eating better, but I am down another pound.
This morning I just thought 'why don't I check today' and got out the scale. I normally only weigh myself on Mondays but last week I was up 1 lb, and this week I lost it and was the exact same weight (to the tenth of a lb) as two weeks before. But three people asked me yesterday if I was losing weight. So I just thought that I would see if anything was different.
I was so excited to see that it was! I'm down 8 lbs overall, and am the lightest I have been since gaining the freshman 15..er.. 25..
I just have to keep it up- whatever it is I am doing..

So I have been eating horribly this past week/weekend and ended up gaining back a pound.

Not a good way to start the week.

But it gives me motivation to get back at it. Also today is the first day of our "On the Move" competition. It is through the school system, for all elementary schools, with prizes for the top performing team. So our team is getting into it. We are the "Curvaceous Crew". We are getting t-shirts and our 'coach' is on top of our performance. We will be getting a trainer to come to school once a week, and might be having yoga or dance work out days after school too.
What I don't like is the website. This is the first time I logged into the food journal, and it is a little different than MFP. I'll just have toget used to it.

Ok, gotta find my pedometer and get moving.

alright...

No school today (Yay for primary elections!) and I told myself I would go to the gym. Only problem is that starting last night I've been having some post-nasal drip which is making me feel kinda gross. But now I have been up since 6 (well 7 if you don't count the hour I spent on the couch listening to the radio, sort of drifting back to sleep) had my cup of coffee and some cheerios and feel like I really should go. If I don't do it on my day off, when am I ever going to go to the gym during the school year?
Ok... that's it... I'm up... here I go... really... I'm going now... I promise...


Oh and BTW, check out the ticker at the bottom of the page. Lost that 1lb I had gained. Gotta lose more... here I go...

Thintervention

Have you seen Thintervention on Bravo? I was intrigued...mainly because Jeana from The Real Housewives of Orange County is on it. I always like Jeana, and was sad when she left the show.


However, I was a little more upset to find out that Jeana weighs less than I do! Granted, she does have some big knockers, and maybe she has small bone structure, but her starting weight was 2 lbs lighter than my current weight. I really need to get back to the gym. It has been 3 weeks. I need to find the energy to go at least 2 days a week. I'm scared to weigh in on Monday morning.

Busy Bee

So some of my students officially started today, and it actually went well for a first day. Last week I went on home visits to meet the students and their parents. There are 20 students in my class, 1 is still in Guatemala and isn't coming back until the 20th, 1 had babysitter issues and we didn't even know if she would still be enrolled until Friday afternoon, and she missed the bus today, 1 has Deaf parents and is having a hard time following rules and directions (like 'sit down like everyone else'), 1 has spina bifida- he has braces on his legs and needs his catheter changed every 3 hrs, and 1 came today but is being transferred to another school. This year should be interesting.

Needles to say I have been busy these past 2 weeks. Which is why I haven't gone to the gym and have gained back 1 lb... sad...

But to make my busy schedule even busier- I have signed up to help in the children's ministry every other week, starting on Sunday, and my grad classes have started back up this week. BTW I have the same professor as last class and she used their instead of there today... should I send her a message or would that be wrong?

Any way, just a little update on my busy life. Oh how I miss Summer Vacation!

Exhausted!

I've been at school all week for our 'pre-service' week setting up the classroom, scheduling home visits, getting to know my student teacher, and sitting in a lot of meetings. Today I have a Head Start meeting in Rockville so I don't have to leave as early. I thought this would be a great time to go to the gym since I haven't gone all week. Didn't happen. I was so tired. I have been going to bed before 10PM because I fall asleep on the couch around 9 each night. I don't know why I am so exhausted this year. Oh well, Maybe, one day, I will go back to the gym.
On a positive note- I am down 3lbs! (I was down about 2.8 on Monday for my 'weigh-in') Check the ticker at the bottom of my page to follow my progress!

Dissappointed

I was so excited to have lost some weight. I wanted Adam to start weighing in and tracking food too, so I bought a scale since he doesn't use the WiiFit. I went to Bed Bath and Beyond and got the Biggest Loser scale.
It looked nice, higher quality than some, and it was only $40 ($32 with the coupon). I set it up this morning to find that it reads 3 lbs higher than the WiiFit! WTF! I tried moving it to a different spot (thinking maybe the floor wasn't level or something) but it was only .2lbs different. So one of them is wrong and unfortunately I think the Wii is wrong. I think the scale is probably more accurate and that makes me sad. So while I may have lost that 1.8lbs, I'm still higher than I thought I was in the beginning. So now I guess I need to go into MFP and change the weight... sad... I guess that just means more motivation to lose the weight!

Just Another Manic Monday

Lots of things going on.

Adam and I went shopping Saturday and picked up some pillows for our couches upstairs. We found great gold-is brown ones on clearance for $10 at Bed Bath & Beyond. Then at Target (where we could look at colors next to the slipcover) we picked up a few blue (gasp!) options.

After another great service at church yesterday, the youth pastor spoke and asked for volunteers for youth ministry (working with the children during the service) which is something I had been thinking about for a long time. So I filled out the information card and will hopefully get involved with the infants/toddlers/preschoolers.

I got up today at my normal (school year) time 5:45 with really no problems. I made my coffee, weighed myself on the WiiFit, had breakfast, and went to the gym. I left for the gym at 7 which is when I would normally leave for work, so I'm not sure I'll be able to go to the gym in the morning before work. I'd have to get up earlier, and only have time for 30 minutes instead of the 45-60 I've been doing for the past 2 weeks. So I'm going to see what it's like in the afternoon some day this week, and see if that is the option I go with.

It has been 1 week since joining MFP and tracking my food and exercise. I am happy to say that I have lost 1.8lbs! I have been slacking on drinking a lot of water, ate dinner out Fri, Sat, and Sun, and I'm sure about a half pound lost was due to cutting my hair. But all in all, pretty good progress.

I went into my classroom this morning. The hall and room had been waxed so I was free to start moving stuff around, but I wasn't really ready for what I walked into. The room was a disaster. The welcome/ sign in paper had been scribbled on (I don't know how that happened in 1 month of summer school when it lasted 10 months while I was teaching...) and the furniture was everywhere. I was there for an hour, and the only things I got done were setting up the computers, placing the housekeeping furniture in its new location, and unrolling the rug... out of which crawled out a HUGE cockroach! Ugh! It was gross. Cockroaches are always an issue in our school, but I didn't expect that.

I guess that's the update of my life. I'll put up pictures (which would have made this post easier to read) of the living room/ pillows and my classroom later.