Get your workout started and SAVE MONEY!

Pick a race for 2011 and start training now. Find a program to train at your own level, whether you run, walk, or do a combination of both.

I recommend the Flying Pig in Cinncinnati. Why? Because we plan to do it! It has races for everyone; kids races, 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon, or a shared relay! Here is a link to check it out: Flying Pig.

This is also a great time of year to take advantage of holiday savings to get your gear. So, what are you waiting for????

Back for the Attack

Just like Dokken, I am back for the attack.

This past week's battle of the bulge got brutal. It was like a big sundae of fitness derailment. Just start with a big dollop of Thanksgiving and a dollop of birthday celebration food temptations, top it off with an NFL football game, sprinkle on some routine-disrupting travel, and add a bad cold on top!

Can we survive the stadium concession stand?

I found myself faced with many challenges:

• Wednesday night I found myself sneezing, wheezing, and unable to sleep through the night


• We had intended to workout before we left for our Thanksgiving travel Thursday morning, but Jeff took pity on me and we moved our "off day" to Thursday


• I struggled with motivation and energy because of the cold


• Grabbing meals on the go made it very difficult to do the right thing.....I'll be honest, I did not always make the right choices


• We had to figure out how to fit the exercise in without our usual equipment and routine
• We also had to find time in our busy travel schedule

I was proud to have some shining moments throughout the weekend:

• I successfully used my Spark People Thanksgiving strategy of getting small portions of the Thanksgiving goodies and no seconds!!! This is my most calorie-reasonable Thanksgiving EVER!


• In fact, I had a positive calorie differential on Thanksgiving Day!!! Wow.


• Minimal liquid calories - a tough one on a social holiday weekend that was pretty cold. (Dear Peppermint Mocha, I'm so sorry. It's not you, it's me. We can still be friends, right?)

• I even went to Panera, AFTER the cold football game and resisted the Peppermint Mocha Latte.


• A new development of late - I find myself getting full sooner than expected. So, I successfully stopped noshing, even though I had plenty of tasty goodness left throughout the weekend. (My "clean your plate" Granny is probably turning in her grave right now!)


• We made our workouts a priority. Thanks to my sister and brother-in-law, April & Sam, for letting us use their house and weights. They even exercised along with us and found us a nice running location.


• We did EVERY scheduled workout this long holiday weekend, even getting up at 5am to fit in some Power 90 before heading to Cleveland for the football game on Sunday.

I have to admit, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment for our successes this past weekend. I am ready to dig deep and pull out all the stops.

We have one month left in the Power 90. I am in attack mode and mounting a full-out assault in this battle. Bulge beware - I'm gunning for you.

Movin' on up!

While I wish we were movin' on up to a deluxe apartment in the sky, unfortunately we are just moving up to Sweat Cardio level 3-4. We have decided that week 9 is time to take the cardio to the next level. Boy, are we crazy or what???


Here is the difference:

• Each routine goes from 2 sets to 3 sets (except for kicks, which thankfully remains at 2 sets!)
• Increase the pace to manic lunatic speed
• Double the target number for the abs routine

Here is the result - OUCH! It is a real butt kicker, no pun needed. My glutes are telling me all about it today and so are my abs!

Maybe this next level is what I need to help me burn some yummy Thanksgiving calories.

Speaking of Thanksgiving calories and overindulgence, SparkPeople has a GREAT article about reducing some calories: 8 Ways to Trim Calories & Fat from Thanksgiving Dinner

I plan to adopt some of these strategies to try to eat less calories this year. What are YOUR holiday survival strategies?

Decade of Decadence

Today, Jeff and I officially celebrate 10 years as a couple. To start the morning off with a bang, we began week 9 of the Power 90 with the Sculpt Circuit 3-4. Who says romance is dead???

Just for fun, here is an old school photo vs. one taken recently.

The early days vs. now-a-days

Oddly, we are so much more active now than we were back then, and yet sooooo much fluffier. But we are working on that, right?

So, now, how did Week 8 go?

Exercise

We stayed with level 1-2 Sweat Cardio, but continued with the Level 3-4 Sculpt Circuit. I have to say, the new pace and intensity of weight training is kicking my butt a bit.

My running was less consistent. I made it out on Monday, but missed my Wednesday run/walk. On Saturday, we pulled our carcasses out of bed early to do the local Turkey Trot. One thing is clear, I need to get back to some hill training!


Some turkeys ready to go trot

Diet

My calorie differential was on track all of last week. However, my calories were higher than I'd like them to be on Thursday, Friday, AND Saturday. Sigh.


Coming soon . . .

Well, I'm sure it will come as no surprise that this coming week will be a challenge. We have two BIG obstacles to face: travel and the grand-daddy of all calorie-fest holidays, Thanksgiving. I'll be thankful if I can keep from putting on EVERY pound that I've lost so far.

Will we find time in our busy travel schedule to keep up with our exercise regime? Will we be able to resist indulging in a total pig-out bonanza?

Stay tuned, my friends. In the meantime, have a Happy, Happy Turkey Day!

You CAN Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!

Coldstone Cake that is! Let me 'splain . . .

Hello. My name is Valerie. I am an ice-cream-aholic. I always have been, but since the moment I first met Coldstone, every day I crave the rich, creamy yumminess that they offer. Unfortunately, along with the amazing taste comes and amazing number of calories. Therefore, I try to ration my Coldstone indulgences.

For those of you don't follow Coldstone news (and I don't understand who would not), yesterday they introduced new 8-layer cakes and had a free tasting at all participating Coldstones across the country. FREE??? Coldstone? You KNOW I had to go!

Here is where the having & eating comes in. You all know I have my daily calorie budget and I struggle to stay within it. My strategy was to PLAN for my visit to Ice Cream Heaven. Luckily, Coldstone does publish its nutritional information. Birthday Cake Remix is typically my flavor of choice. So, I did my research and developed the following plan:


I know that it looks like a hot mess, but it is SOOO delicious!

1. Eat a sensibly for lunch and breakfast to ensure that I had the extra calories left to "spend" at Coldstone


2. I would consider my Coldstone calories as part of my dinner calories, and scale back on my "dinner" to compensate by eating a smaller portion meal after my visit to Coldstone


3. Request a taste sample of the "sinless" lower fat and calorie version of Cake Batter ice cream to see I could save calories that way (I did, and NOT the same)


4. Plan B: Ihad actually planned for full calorie, full flavor all along! Cake Batter is not the lowest calorie flavor, but I was willing to spend the extra 20 calories for it.


5. Remix the Birthday Cake remix: hold the chocolate syrup (really a bit much for me, anyway), hold the brownie (this WAS a compromise), at just 25 calories keep the rainbow sprinkles (which is my favorite mix-in anyway).


6. With my remixed Remix, a "Like it" size would be 355 calories

So, everything went according to plan until Step: 6. From there I took a detour. Not to worry, it was a good one!

My friends ordered their Coldstone in the kid-size. This inspired me to follow suit. The smaller portion (about half the "Like it" size), saved me even more calories and still satisfied my Coldstone Craving!!!

To be cautious, I recorded my calories for the Remixed Remix and the small cake sample as 1.5 "Like it" size of Birthday Cake Remix (which I know is more than I actually had). Even with those calories, I was still within my weight loss calorie budget. And, the scale showed it with a decrease of 0.04 lbs this morning!

So, when losing weight, you CAN have your cake (metaphorically speaking for a low calorie day), and eat one at Coldstone, too!

Ohhhhh, We're Halfway there . . .

No, we're not Livin' on a Prayer. But, we ARE halfway through the Power 90. Over halfway, to be precise. We have now completed 7 full weeks of the program. Only 6 more to go! (At least our first go-round.) I am proud to say we have not missed a single session!


As promised, we did an official weigh-in this week. Drum roll, please . . .


Jeff: 232 .......... + 3.8 lbs (since last weigh in) - 0.6 lbs (total)
Valerie: 200.4 .......... - 1.4 (since last weigh in) - 6 lbs (total)

For those of you who are Biggest Loser fans, you know this weigh in would have resulted in a large "GASP!" Someone is heading the wrong way! You would also be able to see who is the Biggest Loser in our house right now at approx. 3% total weight loss vs. .3%. Not that I'm gloating, or anything. (Teehee!)

As for the progress report:

Exercise

We had to shift our schedule again to accommodate a busy Saturday. It just was not feasible to get up at 4:30am to try to fit it in before I headed to LOC to do some training. So, we did our day off on Saturday, and shifted our final day of the week to Sunday. It just means that this week we will do 7 consecutive days of workouts.

Chatty Cathy - someone PLEASE clip her string!

We also switched from Sculpt Circuit 1-2 to Sculpt Circuit 3-4. Wow. I think the toughest part overall is the pace. It is much more aggressive, so I don't get much of a chance to recover between exercises. Which makes my stamina wane as the workout progresses. It is also a longer strength routine.

My kryptonite is that Tony (Horton, that is) wants the first set of push-ups to be regular rather than modified. My muscles are still not capable of being the load of my behind. I tried my best, but I am not sure that anything I did this week could actually count as a real push up. I am thinking that I was getting more out of the modified, so I may go back to them until I either: a) build more arm strength, b) shed some poundage to lighten my load, or c) both a and b.


For the cardio, we are still at the Level 1-2. Progress is consistent. Kind of at a plateau here, not really improving, but not getting worse.


On the running front, I never made it out this past week. I know that is lame. I did finally make it to Fleet Feet to get a much needed pair of new shoes. I went back the Saucony Progrid Omni. I really liked them before. I also registered to the do the Hickory YMCA Turkey Trot 5k this weekend. I am going to pre-burn some of those Thanksgiving calories!!!


Diet


My calorie differential ROCKED this past week! Well, except for Saturday...wah, wah, wah, wahhhhh. We won't talk about Saturday. Let's talk about 12 consecutive DAYS of having negative calorie differential (remember that means I burned more calories than I consumed). That is success that I can take to the scale! And the scale approves - see above weigh-in results.

Coming soon . . .

Will I see success at the Turkey Trot 5k this week? Will Jeff turn around his trend on the scale (let's face it, he doesn't have quite as far to go)? Will I EVER be able to do a real push up?


Stay tuned, my friends. And, thanks for being here to make sure I pull my butt out of bed in the mornings!

Fear and Loathing in Our Living Room

Fear that I might throw up and loathing for Tony Horton, that is. Today we shifted from Sculpt Circuit 1-2 to Sculpt Circuit 3-4. It is a a lot of the same, just faster and/or more of it, plus they add in more exercises. To top it off, I discovered that I was doing the "close" push ups wrong, so now I am basically starting almost from scratch on them, and they hurt even more the right way. Sigh. Oh, and Tony wants me to transition to REAL push ups, you know, not on my knees. (hence the loathing).

It did not help matters that I'm still a bit sore and worn out from yesterday's Marshall University Half Marathon relay. I posted my best pace EVER! Kind of crazy considering how much I've struggled with pace lately.


Team Deviled Legs

My relay team, the Deviled Legs, did awesome! It was a family affair. My teammates were my sister, April, and niece, Johanna. We all did great and beat the first marathoner to the finis!. Jeff beat his race time from last year - YAY, Jeff! My brother-in-law, Sam, finished his first half marathon with an impressive time, as well. It was a great race day!



Jeff sprints to a finish

On the diet front, my calorie differential (calories eaten vs. calories burned) has been in my favor for the past 8 consecutive days. You all know how I struggle to maintain this, so this is serious progress. SparkPeople.com has a great report that lets me track this daily, weekly, monthly....this site is a great resource (Disclaimer: this is not an add, this is just my favorite site).

Join the Web's Only Nutrition & Fitness Program Just For Teens! Diet


Now, I know that we owe you all a weigh in. Today we travelled all day, so a weigh in would have been distorted. Check back soon for the weigh in.

And the Holiday Season has hit

This past weekend officially marked the start of the holidays with Halloween.

If this weekend is an indication of my will-power to come, then I am in for trouble. Of course, I am not in charge of any large scale public event during the next two holidays, so that may help.

As co-chair of the Hickory Jaycees 13th Annual Halloween Masquerade Ball, I was presented with plenty of opportunity for extra physical activity and calorie burning. Not enough, however, to off-set my poor dietary choices.


Get it? 13th Annual, Friday the 13th??? Good times!

Since it was a rough weekend (and I forgot to do the weigh-in), we'll do another two week results post next week.

But, for now, here is a summary of last week:

Exercise:

I felt pretty good doing both the weight training and cardio last week. I think we are close to moving on to Phase 3 & 4 Sculpt Circuit. We kept to our schedule, even getting out of bed Saturday morning for Sweat Cardio before heading out for more Halloween set-up.

As for my run/walking, this also went very well. I saw a decent improvement in my pace, which excites me. I was really starting to get bummed. Hoping this means that my body has now adjusted to my new demands.

Bonus: In addition to the hauling, lifting, and lugging this around during Halloween set-up, I burnt plenty of dance dance calories on the dance floor.

Diet:

I started the week on track and stayed that way until I hit the weekend. I knew this weekend would be tough. It is always a high calorie weekend.

If I am honest with myself, it really was not as bad as I have been in year's past. I did make some adjustments to try to keep the train near the track. However, as you will see, that does not mean it was a good weekend . . .

The good: I ate my leftover vegetarian Pad Thai for lunch on Friday starting the day with a healthy meal to fuel up before the chaos began. I also skipped lunch on Saturday (not intentionally - I just ran out of time). This did help shave some potential calories off the day. Also, I developed a plan to limit my alcohol calories at the party; choosing flavored vodka and diet tonic, rather than super-yummy and super-caloric Killians beer. Then I chose to walk away from my drink and keep myself on the dance floor as much as possible.

The bad: My breakfast on Saturday was a sugar cookie. Then, hunger and dining out both Friday and Saturday eroded my will power. Come on, who can resist dessert at the Old German Schnitzel Haus???? Obviously, not me. Oh, and I may have had a couple jello shots.

The ugly: After a VERY long, hectic weekend full of hard work, my resistance was down on Sunday. We hit the drive through on our way to tear down Halloween. Yes, I COULD have ordered something reasonable. I SHOULD have. But, the cheeseburgers and fries were calling. Sigh. I followed that with some ice cream and pizza to round out the day. FAIL!

So, things were not as bad as they could have been, but also not as good as they should have been this past week. I picked up the pieces and jumped right back on that horse, and have been keeping my diet in check this week.

Coming soon . . .

This week is race week, so that will help keep our diet in check and add bonus exercise. Stay tuned for next week's weigh-in and update!

Five Weeks Down

That's 15 Sweat and 15 Sculpt circuits completed! Woohoo! It's really exciting to feel the progress with each day that passes.

This past week, I had a breakthrough on the Sweat Circuit. I've described before that the Sweat Circuit transitions from stretching, to Power Yoga, to Knee Lifts, then to what has been the toughest section for me, Jumping Jacks, Running, and Run Lunges. Each of the three exercises takes about 30 seconds and is repeated once making the total time about 3 minutes. Before this week, I had been trying to take it easy on the Jumping Jacks by doing them a little slower than normal; maybe even slower than is natural. By the time I got to the Run Lunges, I was tired. This week, I decided push through the Jumping Jacks, doing them with a normal speed and effort. It felt great! So, I did the same with the Run Lunges, it worked for that exercise too! So, I made it all the way through the Jumping Jacks, Running, and Run Lunges twice without slowing down or taking a break.

I tried the same thing on the next set of exercises and it worked again. Those exercises were the Lateral-X, Quick Feet, and Cross Hops. I made it through both sets of those without slowing. I feel really good about it.

I've been ready to move on to the next level of the Sculpt circuit for a week or two and am getting close to being ready to move on to the next level of the Sweat circuit too. I reviewed the next level of both circuits to see what we have ahead of us. Basically, it's more of the same with more sets and maybe a couple of new exercises.

On another note, the half marathon is next weekend. My intervals have been better than ever and I'm looking forward to the race. I usually run for 45 minutes twice during the middle of the week with a long training day on the weekend. I'm probably going to back it down to 30 minutes this week just to give myself a little extra "rest". My time for this race last year was 2:48 which averages out to about 12:49 per mile. I should be able to match that time if not beat it. I'm okay just finishing but I always like to give myself little goals along the way. My best half marathon was in April 2010 at the Run for Home Half Marathon in New Philadelphia, OH. I did that one in 2:40 and averaged about 12:05 per mile. I'm not ready to push for a better pace at the Marshall race. But, I am excited over the success I've been experiencing lately and will probably push at the next one.

I Got Your Chubby

Hopefully that is a statement I won't be able to say much longer. We are trucking along, keeping up the Power 90 routine and have completed 4 full weeks of the program. Only 9 more weeks to go!

I decided that it is long, tedious and boring to list ALL the stats. SNOOZE! So, going forward, I am just going reveal our weigh-ins and save the measurements until the end.

So, without further ado . . .


Jeff: 228.2 ........... - 4.2 lbs (this week) - 4.4 lbs (total)
Valerie: 201.8 .......... - 1.4 lbs (this week) -4.6 lbs (total)

We are definitely trending in the right direction!

And how did we fare on the program???


Exercise:

This past week was rough. My energy level was very low and it was tough going. But, I still pulled my sagging bottom out of bed and did the workouts. On a positive note, I am now able to do at least the minimum reps for each strength exercise. Still not doing so well with the Power Yoga, but I am making small improvements. The literature for the Power 90 did say that we would reach a point where we would consider giving up, but that it gets better once you push through. I hope this is that week!

On the run/walk front things have degraded. I think my body is still adjusting to my new demands. My pace has gotten slower. I did start bumping up my run interval to try to compensate. I had a better pace on Wednesday and Sunday, until I got dizzy on my long day. Nutrition maybe? Sigh, that battle was lost, but the war will be won!

Meanwhile, Jeff's running performance is really improving from the extra training. He had an incredible 12 mile day on Sunday. He really earned his cruise nickname "Salty" as you can see in the image below.

Lines on the mirror, lines on his face . . .

Oh, and I almost forgot . . . I did get bonus exercise on my "off day" by running around a huge corn maze on Saturday. I seemed to have a lot of energy doing this. Perhaps the crazed exercising is working????

Making our way through the Amazing Maize Maze (say that 10 times fast!)


Diet:

While I struggled with exercise, this past week I really focused on my diet. There was just one day that I was really over my calorie goal (oh, those cookies!). I even was successfully within calories on Saturday, even though I had Carrabba's for dinner! Staying away from the bread was REALLY hard for me, but I did some research, and it turns out that they have some menu items that are very reasonable on calories.

I still have some tweaking to do with my nutritional balance, but I think I am doing better overall.


Coming soon . . .

We are heading into a challenging week. I am co-chair of the Hickory Jaycees 13th Annual Halloween Masquerade Ball, which means a busy week. Saturday will be a late night dancing away at the party, which will make it tough to get moving on Sunday.

The next weekend, we have the Marshall University Half Marathon and Half Marathon relay on Sunday. So, we decided to adjust our workout schedule, shifting our routine to Monday - Saturday Power 90 workouts, and Sunday will be our Power 90 "off" day.

Happy Halloween, everyone. And, remember, when the Zombies take over, Rule #1: Cardio, so you can outrun the other guy!

Wedding Days and Road Trips

So, as Jeff has said, we had a very hectic travel weekend this past weekend, taking a road trip to southern Georgia to see my brother get married. I enjoyed celebrating with my little brother and my new sister-in-law and visiting with my family.

The happy couple.....awwww!

With the hectic schedule and late return on Sunday to do our Scupt Circuit, we missed our weigh in this week. I have meant to do it both Monday and Tuesday, however in my zombiefied state (Jeff is right about that), I have forgotten both mornings.

SO - we'll wait until next week. Maybe we'll see great results since it will be a 2-week result.

It wasn't just the weigh-in that got off track this week. Once again, we fell vicitm to bad diet trap. I see a pattern. I am doing great Monday - Thursday, and then I fall apart with the busy/social weekends. It was not even liquid calories this past weekend.

Too be fair to myself, I did get the healthy salad at Applebees for lunch on Saturday (gotta celebrate the small victories, right?) Too bad that I could not resist cake, cookies, and cheesecake squares at the reception. Sigh.

The good news, I am seeing some changes physically. I've never had any muscle definition in my arms. Let's face it, I've never had muscles in my arms. It is only 3.5 weeks in, and I can already see some definition beginning in my arms. I am SO excited!!!

I don't think it is an official "gun show" yet, but is more than I've ever had before. :)

Ok, since I don't have results for you this week, I thought I'd try some inspiration. There may be some of you out there thinking, "good for them, but I just don't have time for that." I know you are out there. I've been that person.

So, I thought I'd share a little about my schedule this past week, so you can see that it is not easy for us to fit it in either.

Let me give you the details of my week . . .

Sunday:
Sculpt Circuit
Oktoberfest celebration
Heavy dinner and late night with friends

Monday:
6:30am Sweat Cardio
Work
Lunch meeting for community service project
Back to work
5:30pm Run/walk
Home to cook dinner and do laundry

Tuesday:
6:30am Sculpt Circuit
Work
Home to cook dinner and more laundry
Prep next day's dinner
Study for exam on Thursday

Wednesday:
6:30am Sweat Cardio
Business Meeting
Work
5:30pm Run/walk
7pm Committee Meeting
Home to grab quick dinner
More laundry
Study for Thursday's exam

Thursday:
6:30am Sculpt Circuit
Work
Drive to Greensboro for certification exam (1.5 hour drive)
Drive back to office in Hickory
Cook dinner
Preparing for trip

Friday:
6:30am Sweat Cardio
Get ready for work & pakc for trip
Conference call for work
Drive to Charleston for demo (5 hours)
Drive to Valdosta (5.5 hours)
10:30pm arrive in Valdosta and check in

Saturday:
Get up for run/walk (4 miles)
Back to hotel for shower
Lunch
Quick shopping to get dress for my neice
Back to hotel for quick change for the wedding
Attend brother's wedding
Back to hotel and hang out with family
Midnight - to bed

Sunday:
Pack up and have breakfast
Hit the road for 8 hour drive
Get to Statesville for meeting
Have meeting over dinner
Head back to Hickory
9pm - Sculpt Circuit
Unpack


So, as you can see we lead busy lives. I won't say this is easy, but, we are committed. Knowing that I've thrown my chubby out on-line for all to see helps. When I feel like staying in bed and skipping that day's workout, I think of how lame that would be in our blog.

I've been suprised and delighted to see who has been reading. I appreciate all the feedback. Thanks to all of you for being part of our journey.

Run Lunges

Have I mentioned how much Run Lunges suck?  I believe I have mentally blocked Run Lunges which is why I haven't posted anything about them up to now.  In the cardio program, we first do the stretching, followed by yoga, and then the "real" cardio portion.  This phase includes 30 seconds of Jumping Jacks, 30 seconds of running in place, and 30 seconds of the Run Lunges.  I'm usually spent by the time I get to the Run Lunges which makes those little bastards even worse.  We go through that phase twice!

The next phase isn't easy either.  It includes the Lateral X work, then Quick Feet, and finally Cross Hops.  This phase is okay but doesn't come close to the way I feel about the Run Lunges.  I'll even take the Ab Ripper over the Run Lunges....and I hurt after the Ab Ripper!

On another note, Val and I travelled this past weekend to Valdosta, GA, to attend Val's stepbrother's wedding.  On Friday, we started from Hickory and drove to Charleston, SC, to visit a prospect befoerr proceeding on to Valdosta.  We arrived at around 10:30 PM on Friday and promptly went to bed.  On Saturday, we enjoyed a bit of breakfast with family then went for our normal Saturday run.  We followed that with lunch and the wedding.  We visited further with family until around midnight and drove back to NC on Sunday.  We stopped in Statesville for dinner before getting home around 8:30 PM where we made sure to do our scheduled Circuit training.  Of course, we still got up at 6:30 AM this morning to do our cardio.

We may be taking this exercise thing a bit too seriously.  Zombie Valerie is in her office mumbling something about eating brains.

Three Weeks Down

I'm happy and excited about having completed three weeks.  I'm close to moving on to the next level of the weight training but am still struggling with the cardio.  I'm still making progress but it's slow.

I'd have to say that the biggest problem with our overall progress has been diet.  We have undermined all of our efforts starting with day one.  On top of that, every weekend we have something going on; this weekend is a wedding where I'm sure we'll eat and drink plenty.  We actually take a weekend off on Oct. 23 from the high caloric intake but then we have the Halloween party on Oct. 30.  The following weekend should be good too, that's the Marshall University Half Marathon weekend.  I'm not sure what's going on after the Nov. 6-7 weekend.

I've been contemplating doing a full marathon.  The MU Half Marathon will be my 8th and I am considering the Charlotte Thunder Road Half Marathon in December.  After that, I don't have another scheduled but I know I'll get one scheduled soon.  Concerning the marathons that take place at the same time as the half marathons I've done, I'd have to say that Charlotte, Myrtle Beach, Marshall, and the NC Marathon at High Point are all well organized.  Myrtle Beach and Marshall are the flattest.  I've thought about the Chicago Marathon too.  I'm not ready to commit yet, I'm just thinking about it.

What do you think?

Cardio Sucks

We did the cardio routine again today; it was the the 8th time.  The cardio routine starts with Power Yoga which wears out my arms more that I ever thought it would.  It goes Plank, Upward Dog, Plank, Downward Dog, Runner's Pose, Crescent One, and Warrior.  It's not all at once but it's continuous.

After the Yoga, we do knee stuff.   Inner knee thrust, outer knee thrust, then cross thrust.  Repeat.  The whole time we do the knee stuff, we raise our arms up and down over and over again which wears out my arms even more.  After the knee routine, we go into the rough section.  Jumping Jacks, Running, Lateral X Work, and Cross Hops.  Repeat.  I haven't been able to properly complete this section.  I'm getting closer but I know if I can do it, I can successfully complete the cardio circuit.

The next phase is kicks.  Straight right & left, more knee thrusts left & right, and outer kicks left & right.  This isn't tough but I still continue sweating because of the movement.  Then, we go into punches.  Jabs, Cross & Upper Cut, and Laterals (I can't remember what that's called).

The final phase, AB Ripper.  This involves 10 crunces at 10 reps a piece.  I've always been able to complete this phase but hurt a lot toward the end.

Overall, I'm definitely making progress.  I keep getting further along each time and look forward to future progress.

Will the 3rd Week be a Charm?

VALERIE:

Sorry for the delay in posting our results. I was distracted by a pending certification exam. Now, on with the blog . . .

Here we are, having survived two full weeks of the Power 90. It was not without bumps along the way. After all, this past weekend was Oktoberfest.

To set the scene for you, as members of our local Jaycees chapter, we spend a long weekend working the beer gardens of Hickory Oktoberfest. Who can resist the smell of those sausages and the kettle corn???? I'll tell you who CAN'T . . . this chick (picture the thumbs pointing back in my direction)! And we won't even discuss the beer.

Ahh, Oktoberfest

The good news is that we dragged our exhausted, sleep deprived, and overindulged carcasses out of bed both Sunday and Monday mornings and got our week 3 exercise off to a good start.


So, let's see what the scale and the measuring tape had to say . . .



Week 2 Results:



I had a much better week this week. Jeff still had mixed results. But, overall, we are both seeing progress:

Jeff:
Weight: 232.4 .......... - 1.4 lbs (week) - 0.4 lbs (total)
Body Fat: 27.9 .......... + .6 (week) - 0.7 (total)
Chest: 45.25" .......... + 0.5 (week) + 1 (total)
Waist: 38.75" .......... + 0.75 (week) - 0.25 (total)
Hips: 42.5" .......... - 0.5 (week) -1.75 (total)
Right Mid Thigh: 25" .......... no change (week) - 0.25 (total)
Left Mid Thigh: 25" .......... no change (week) - 0.25 (total)
Right Upper Arm: 14.25" .......... - 0.75 (week) + 0.75 (total)
Left Upper Arm: 14.75" .......... - 0.25 (week) + 1.25 (total)

Val:
Weight: 203.2 ........ - 1.8 lbs (week) - 2.8 lbs (total)
Body Fat: 44.7 .......... -1.1 (week) - 1.1 (total)
Chest: 45.25" .......... - 4.25 (week) - 1.75 (total)
Waist: 42" ............ - 0.75 (week) no change (total)
Hips: 50.5" .......... - 0.5 (week) - 0.5 (total)
Right Mid Thigh: 22.5" ........... - 1 (week) - 1.75 (total)
Left Mid Thigh: 22.75" ........... - 1.75 (week) - 1.75 (total)
Right Upper Arm: 14" .......... - 0.5 (week) + 0.5 (total)
Left Upper Arm: 13.5" .......... - 0.25 (week) no change

Exercise Results:

Sculpt Circuit

Making great progress here. Last week we started of light; Jeff started with 10 lbs and I started at 5 lbs. This we we stepped it up; Jeff is using 15 lbs and I have moved up to 10 lbs (we don't have any 8 lb weights).

It hurts a little less the day after, but is still not easy. I am getting better at the push ups, but the dips are still my kryptonite. Jeff seems to be doing great at all of it.

Sweat Cardio

I would have thought this would have been easier for me, I've done various cardio programs for years, but never consistent weight training. HOWEVER, I struggle more with the cardio. That darn power yoga!!!! I don't think Tony understands that having no core stability, her Tubbiness cannot wield this mass into those positions quite yet. I promise, I will get there someday.

Run/Walking

I must say that the Power 90 program does seem to be hampering my run/walk efforts a bit. Typically, on a busy weekend, I shift my "long" day to Friday, which was my intent this week. However, after Friday's final Sweat Cardio for the week, the maximus pain in my gluteous held things back. In my mind, I planned to shift the "long" day back to Saturday. Silly Val, that is just not realistic after standing on my feet for hours during Friday's Oktoberfest. Sigh. Yes, again I am lame, and did no long day.

Diet:

I did much better on this front . . .

Monday through Thursday, I was perfectly within calorie range. However, once the weekend hit, my lack of will power was no match for the temptations of Oktoberfest. Having said that, this year, I was not as crazy as I have been in the past. In fact, if it were not for the liquid calories, I would have been pretty close to my nutritional calorie goals (except for Sunday, and we won't go there).

Supplements:

So, upon the advice of my Nurse Practitioner, I compared the nutritional ingredients in the suggested supplements to those of items on the shelves of local stores. While I did not find an exact match, it did resemble a certain shelf of products; the diet pills.

That's all I need, take some diet pills and then I got your crazy!!! So, I have decided that I will not do the supplements, but try my best to focus on the exercise and diet.

If you have a suggestion on an actual vitamin or nutritional supplement that can aid the journey (and is not a crazy diet pill), please share it as a comment below. Otherwise, I will no longer be including the supplement section going forward.

Week 3 seems to be going well so far, but that is another blog . . .

On to Week 3 . . .

VALERIE:

WEEK 2 UPDATE

Well, we have survived another week, and we are not yet dead.

To try to keep a consistent schedule, we have made the decision to get up at 6:30am to do our Power 90 in the morning before work. Not as big of a struggle for Jeff, but Valerie is NOT a morning person at all. Egad! Here we go!

Or, maybe not . . . forgetting to reset my alarm to 6:30am led to an oversleep on our very first am workout! DOH! The previous evening's Oktoberfest 5-course Meal and Beer Tasting did NOT help, either. Oh, it was a tough morning. But, we did get our carcasses moving to do the workout. Better late than never.


Day 2 was Sweat Cardio 1-2 and the Ab Ripper 100

And they aren't kidding about the sweat OR the rip! Still taking it slow, learning the moves, and trying not to die.


Exercise:

We were both a hot sweaty mess within the first several minutes of the Sweat Cardio routine. I think the Power Yoga is supposed to be a warm up. I had difficulty just getting my body into even a close approximation to the prescribed poses! I guess that means its working? Let's just say I have looooonnnng way to go. Jeff fared much better than I, but I was glad to see him struggle a time or two. (Don't hate, I just feel less of a TOTAL loser knowing I am not the onnly one to find it a challenge!)

As for the Ab Ripper, well, Ripper is a great name for it. I felt as if Jack, himself, were having a go at my mid-section. I still feel the burn.




Diet:

Ummm, yeah, not any better in the dietary department today. Had a really bad lunch (craving greasy food as a result of having enjoyed last night's beer tasting a little too much) and then for dinner, I have a date with some friends to celebrate the grand opening of the Mellow Mushroom. Sigh. I am going to have to make some changes if I am going to get this train on its track.


Supplements:

Still no decision here.


On the whole, we feel pretty good about our progress so far, even though it is only Day 2. Today was a really tough day, and we had so many good reasons to go punkarella. But, we stuck to our plan (mostly) and feel all the better for it.

2 down, 88 to go!

My First Post

Val has been doing a great job of updating you with our progress.  Thank you, honey.  I am happy that we started with the Power 90 versus the P90X, we weren't doing any kind of weight training or calisthenics prior to starting, the Power 90 program is giving us a good base.  I can feel the progress and am looking forward to future improvements.

Concerning the Sculpt program, I am very close to completing the full routine at the minimum reps.  The dumbbell exercises are not a problem, I can always adjust the weight to do the minimum if necessary.  The lunges and squats aren't a problem either.  I'm even up to doing the maximum number of reps on dips.  My biggest problem are the push-ups, especially the three part push-ups (wide, inner and standard at seven reps each).  I'm only a couple of reps shy of doing it all and figure I'll get there in the next week.  It helps that I've lost a couple of pounds too, I'm sure.  :)

The Sweat program is a bit tougher for me.  I thought that since I've been running for the past couple of years that the cardio would be easier.  It's not.  Part of the reason why it's tougher is because it's a continuous routine whereas when I run I do intervals.  The program starts with yoga which seems to keep me constantly using different parts of my body, balancing in all kinds of weird ways, going up and down and forward and backward.  It then goes through a series of jumping jacks, running, cross somethings, and two kinds of hops....twice!  I can keep up with the instructor for awhile but slack off somewhere in the hops.  I'm getting better though.

Still in the Sweat program after all the running and jumping around, it switches to kicks and punches.  These don't seem to be too strenuous for me and I have no problem getting through it.  Actually, I do have a little problem.  You have to be constantly reaching toward the ceiling, kind of like a little "bonus" exercise.  My arms get tired after a while.  Following the kicking (and screaming), we take a bit of a rest and stretch.  You think you're done but, no, it's Ab Ripper time!  The Ab Ripper is ten ab exercises at ten reps each.  I've completed it every time so far (five times as of today) but it's not ever been easy.

Val is doing great!  She has gotten up every day at 6:30 and happily makes her way downstairs to do the exercise.  And, does it without the aid of caffeine!  The dips in the Sculpt program is probably her hardest exercise.  The first couple of times we tried the dips, we used folding chairs which have seats that are just thin enough that it was awkward to grab with our hands.  We switched to using either end of the coffee table (don't worry, it's sturdy) and it made a big difference because it's wider than both our butts.

I'm really excited about our progress and am looking forward to finally conquering the two phases.  I'm hoping that I will have successfully completed the Sculpt program in the next week or so (which means all the push-ups) and will have a good foundation to consider moving on to the next level.  The Sweat program may take a little longer but I don't mind.  I feel like I make a little more progress everytime I do it and know that I'll move on to the next level eventually.

#049 - P90X Newsletter - Cutting Out and Rocking Out - Fitness, Nutrition, Diet, Weight Loss Official Web site#article1#article1

This is a great article about nutrition according to Tony Horton who does both the Power 90 and P90X program.

Thanks, April for the share!

#049 - P90X Newsletter - Cutting Out and Rocking Out - Fitness, Nutrition, Diet, Weight Loss Official Web site#article1#article1

Week 2 Begins . . . Check in Day!

VALERIE: We have successfully completed our first week of the Power 90 program. We rock! As of today, we have officially exercised for 9 days straight. Totally hot, right? Well, maybe soon, anyway.

This past weekend, we went camping with a group of friends. You read it right, camping. I reigned in my inner diva and spent the weekend in the great outdoors.

Indiana Jeff

It was fun, but not so great for the diet. Who can resist toasted marshmallows, s'mores, and mountain pies? At least I got in a nice 5 mile hike in on my "off" day. Jeff did his scheduled run/walk and wandered some caverns.

Taking time out to admire the view

It was also nice to get positive feedback on the blog. We appreciate the support! We'll need it.

And now for the moment of truth:

Week 1 Results:


Still Fluffy!

It was kind of weird, our weigh-in/measurements were a mixed bag of ups and downs. One thing that went up was laundry, for all our exercise gear.

As for the rest:

Jeff:
Weight: 233.8
Body Fat: 27.3
Chest: 44.75"
Waist: 38"
Hips: 43"
Right Mid Thigh: 25"
Left Mid Thigh: 25"
Right Upper Arm: 15"
Left Upper Arm: 15"

Val:
Weight: 205
Body Fat: 45.8
Chest: 49.5"
Waist: 42.75"
Hips: 51"
Right Mid Thigh: 23.5"
Left Mid Thigh: 24.5"
Right Upper Arm: 14.5"
Left Upper Arm: 13.75"

Exercise Results:

We both started light on the weight, Jeff at 10 lbs, Val at 5 lbs. We were work our way to max reps on all of the exercises (except the push-ups and dips for Val). This week we are both moving up 5 lbs each.

On the Cardio front, we are progressing toward being able to hang with all of it. Power Yoga still is tough for me, but Jeff seems to be getting the hang of it.

So, we are definitely seeing progress.

As for the run/walk program . . . Jeff kept up his schedule with no problem. I struggled with it, getting only one run/walk in last week. I guess technically I could sort of, maybe count the hike??? I know, LAME!

Diet:

I have to be honest, it would be generous to say that we were good 50% of the time. It is clear that good food is our kryptonite.

Sigh. Hoping to do better this week, but I don't need to be a swami to know that the looming Oktoberfest is likely to derail the diet once again. Who can resist the tempting aroma of sausage in the air??? Not us! Perhaps we can eat as healthy as we can through the week, to off-set calories of the coming weekend.

Supplements:

Jury still out.

We are making progress, and best of all, we are sticking to the exercise routine. One week down, only 12 more to go!

Day 6: One week down - Hurrah!

VALERIE: Yay, us!!! We have completed the whole first week of Power 90 workouts! Woot!

I am pretty tired today. I think it is a combination of things; adjusting to getting up at 6:30am this week, later bedtime last night, late dinner (I love me some turkey meatloaf, but even the mini-loafs seem to take forever to cook!), and of course, my body has experienced a consistent beating all week.

(How I felt this morning. How 'bout a nice breakfast of fresh brains? Nom nom nom.)

Even, being tired, I am feeling a sense of accomplishment. :)

We are heading out for some camping this weekend, so I wanted to be sure to update the final workout day of week #1 before we leave.

Day 6: Sweat Cardio 1-2

Exercise:

Today was tough. My body did not seem to want to cooperate. But, I plugged along through to the end. Still not digging the Power Yoga. Not sure yoga was made for round people.

Projections for the weekend: Saturday is our official "day off" for Power 90 week 1, however, we still have our run/walk "long day." My goal is 5 miles. I just hope I can find something close to flat. Beyond that, I expect some hiking and maybe some other light activities; bocce ball, corn hole, or tossing a football.

Diet:

Well, so far so good, but then, I've only eaten breakfast. I suspect we might find our diet to be challenging on the group camping trip. I mean, come one, there is no camping without S'mores. We'll just have to diligent to keep the badness to a minimum.

Supplements:

Decision still pending.

I want to wish you all a happy weekend. Tune in for Sunday's weigh-in and measurement day!

Day 5: Pushing Through

VALERIE: It's Day 5, and today was marked by exhaustion. It was very hard getting out of bed this morning, but I made myself get up and get moving.

Day 5: Back to Strength Training

Exercise:

So, while it was tough to start moving, once I got moving, I felt pretty good. My pushups are improving, thought not meeting the target quite yet. My dips are also getting better. We changed up to use the coffee table rather than chairs - the increased surface area helped.

Not as good on the run/walk front. A rough day at work led to a late homecoming and a missed training. Jeff got his run in, though.

Diet:

Another mixed bag today. Good news, I resisted a strong urge to eat a McFlurry. But, I exceeded my calorie threshold just slightly. My nutrition balance was fantastic!

I still need to get my calorie level lower, but it is much better than recent months, to be sure.

Supplements:

Jury still out.

Day 4: Almost Not Hurting is Almost as Good as Not Hurting

VALERIE: Today I was pleased to find that I was almost not sore! It was such a good feeling to be less sore. Weird, but I actually think I was more pleased about being less sore than on days when I have experienced no soreness at all. I know as I type that what I am saying makes no sense at all. I'm just not sure if its my Valerie-logic or if I've popped a neuron.

Anyone catch Biggest Loser last night? We love the show. It is one of the few to which we are dedicated. It is always sad that they have to vote someone off, but if the older gal asks to leave next week, she deserves a big, fat, BOO! (Think peasant woman to Princess Buttercup in Princess Bride). Especially since they sent someone else home in favor of keeping her. Can't wait to see it! (PS - I also love that when they play the theme song, I know what I've done today to make me feel proud!)


Anywho, Day 4: Sweat Cardio 1-2


Exercise:


We did a much better job of following the program today. However, there are still a few noticeable areas of struggle . . .


Let's talk first about jumping jacks and similar exercises. While Jeff really seemed to motor through these, I have issues. Let's just say, men and flat girls cannot comprehend the gravitational effect for which even a really good sports bra cannot compensate. Anyone out there have a suggestion for this?


But my biggest struggle of all - Power Yoga. Dude, I even if I could figure out how he is transitioning between these moves, I am really stumped at how to get my large mass from one position to another. Whew.


To give you a visual, this is how I feel trying to do the Power Yoga.


Anyone want to wager how many weeks it will take me to be able to do all of the poses in sequence? Post your vote below as a comment.

No run/walk today, since our schedule is off-kilter. Thank goodness! I love the Fall, but going out in cold rain is no fun at all.

Diet:

Today was a mixed bag. Good for breakfast, bad for lunch, mostly good for dinner.

I had scheduled a lunch date before we started at my favorite German restaurant (shout out to Old German Schnitzel Haus!). The food is fabulous, but unfortunately, not health food. I tried to compromise by having the seasonal salads as the side to compliment my bratwurst broetchen. Do I get credit for not getting dessert? (Really, if you knew their desserts . . .)

All in all, it was not a total loss. My calories were within my Spark People limits, barely! However, I was a bit high on my fat intake. Sigh. If we are going to get back to old sizes, we need to do better.

Supplements:

Still no decision. I have gone as far as to print the nutrition label for the suggested supplement to shop it around. We'll see.

Day 3: Getting the Train on the Track

VALERIE: We successfully made it out of bed at 6:30am this morning for our Day 3 workout, and I was feeling pretty sassy about it . . . until I went to my scheduled doctor's appointment. It is official, her scale SUCKS! I saw a number higher than I've ever seen in my documented history. UGH! Nothing like the ugly truth to get me motivated to get back on track.



Exercise:


Day 3 = Back to Scult Circuit 1-2


How is it that the workout felt harder, but I performed better? Crazy, I know (consider the source). I woke up still pretty sore, which I felt during the workouts, but today, I was able to do full reps for everything except the push-ups and the dips. Yes, I am going easy this first week, using just 5 pound weights, but believe me, I can feel it.


For the record, dips are my nemesis, and push-ups are the dips' evil sidekick. Just sayin'.




By the way, have I mentioned that Jeff and I are currently training for a race? Jeff will be doing the Marshall University Half Marathon, and I will do the Marshall Half Marathon relay, on November 7th? You can say it with my now . . . INSANE! But, that is what we are doing.







So, typically we train on Mondays, but yesterday we got sidetracked by the grand opening of the Mellow Mushroom. So, this evening, we waded through the swarms of gnats (what is UP with that this summer???) and did our little run/walk.


Now, my whole body is either sore or really tired and with every step, I really wanted to give up. I even considered just walking without my little run segments. But, this little voice inside my head kept telling myself that I can push through it. I'm a Power 90 girl. And while my pace was ridiculously slow, I stuck with the interval for the full 30 minute run/walk. Yay, me!!!


Diet:

Is this choo-choo on the track??? Well, today, I had a very successful diet day. My SparkPeople* nutritional balance was almost dead on. I was actually a little under calories today. Maybe that will off-set how totally bad I've been the past two days. :)

Supplements:

Had a good conversation with my Nurse Practioner during my appointment today, and I am doing some more research on the suggested supplements. Jury is still out on this. Anyone reading? If so, please share your thoughts on this topic with me.

I wrap up Day 3 feeling tired, and yet oddly energized. Looking forward to seeing how tomorrow's Cardio goes.

Peace out!


*Spark People is a website that I use to track my calories and fitness. This is not a paid advertisement, this is just a VERY good, goals-based FREE tool that I have discovered. It has a free diet plan, or you can create your own. Check it out . I am vahuffman, be sure to become my friend!

Day 2: Can You Feel It???

VALERIE: Yes, we can DEFINITELY feel it! Every time we move, we feel another muscle letting us know how displeased it is to find its resting state disturbed.


To try to keep a consistent schedule, we have made the decision to get up at 6:30am to do our Power 90 in the morning before work. Not as big of a struggle for Jeff, but Valerie is NOT a morning person at all. Egad! Here we go!


Or, maybe not . . . forgetting to reset my alarm to 6:30am led to an oversleep on our very first am workout! DOH! The previous evening's Oktoberfest 5-course Meal and Beer Tasting did NOT help, either. Oh, it was a tough morning. But, we did get our carcasses moving to do the workout. Better late than never.


Day 2 was Sweat Cardio 1-2 and the Ab Ripper 100


And they aren't kidding about the sweat OR the rip! Still taking it slow, learning the moves, and trying not to die.


Exercise:


We were both a hot sweaty mess within the first several minutes of the Sweat Cardio routine. I think the Power Yoga is supposed to be a warm up. I had difficulty just getting my body into even a close approximation to the prescribed poses! I guess that means its working? Let's just say I have looooonnnng way to go. Jeff fared much better than I, but I was glad to see him struggle a time or two. (Don't hate, I just feel less of a TOTAL loser knowing I am not the onnly one to find it a challenge!)



As for the Ab Ripper, well, Ripper is a great name for it. I felt as if Jack, himself, were having a go at my mid-section. I still feel the burn.






Diet:


Ummm, yeah, not any better in the dietary department today. Had a really bad lunch (craving greasy food as a result of having enjoyed last night's beer tasting a little too much) and then for dinner, I have a date with some friends to celebrate the grand opening of the Mellow Mushroom. Sigh. I am going to have to make some changes if I am going to get this train on its track.


Supplements:


Still no decision here.





On the whole, we feel pretty good about our progress so far, even though it is only Day 2. Today was a really tough day, and we had so many good reasons to go punkarella. But, we stuck to our plan (mostly) and feel all the better for it.



2 down, 88 to go!