I'm back from a very relaxing vacation...and excited to, once again, dig deeper into some of Cathe's workouts in a different way.
A few weeks ago, I ran across an incredibly good article that made me re-think the way I work out. By looking through Cathe's live workouts, I found some great options and put together a great workout calendar with some guidance from 2 Lazy for the Gym's rotation. Mine runs 11 weeks and those last three weeks will be reserved for really changing things up by trying some of Cathe's new workouts and throwing in some Michelle Dozois.
Vacation was great and I didn't exercise at all, except to walk. I was super proud of getting over 10,000 steps every single day. But I needed to rest. My body needed it. Now, I feel rested and ready to get back to it!
Monday: Cathe's Mixed Impact HIIT with Bonus Abs + YWA
My only concession on the first day back was to do a shorter workout. The cardio portion of this workout only lasts for 30 minutes and I didn't add on any more. Really, that much HIIT should be perfect....I just tend to try to do more. In the future, I should just stop when Cathe stops. I did do the bonus abs and they were nice and challenging. At the end of the day, a short but great YWA to open up and flow.
Tuesday: Cathe's Smokin' Upper Body Blast + walk + YWA
I'm really liking the idea of all these new workouts! But then this one started with snowboarders and I realized how my bum hurt from yesterday's workout - yes, a cardio workout from Cathe made my bum hurt. This woman knows how to work the lower body at all times. Smokin' Upper Body alternates a cardio blast move and an upper body sequence. My arms were definitely tired by the end. I walked at lunch and then this YWA was great for my poor lower back.
Wednesday: Cathe's Trisets Legs Live + walk
Time for legs this morning. I did this workout last year and knew it would be painful - but effective. And it was - both. I tried to really support my back since it hasn't been happy, which meant lifting less for dead lifts. And I'm fine with that! At lunch, I walked at the rec and then really stretched out my legs. That felt marvelous! After work, I had every intention of doing yoga, but after a horrible commute, I just couldn't do anything else.
Thursday: YWA + YWA
Rest day! And I needed it today: my muscles are in shock with all these workouts after vacation! This YWA was new-to-me and very good. Adriene really knows how to make you concentrate on one area of the body; this was all about the spine. After work, I did the other yoga, though I wasn't self-doubting; I was decompressing after a very long day. And it was good!
Friday: Cathe's Totally Pumped Total Body Live
My shoulders were killing me this morning. I don't know from what - maybe yesterday's early morning yoga. Either way, weights did not sound fun but weights it was this morning. This was a good, fast-moving weight training video. I enjoyed it - as much as was possible when I hurt so much. I didn't use a step because my legs were still sore from Wednesday.
Saturday: Cathe's ICE: Low Impact Sweat
This was my second workout from Cathe's intermediate series, ICE (well, except for the ab workouts). The other one I'd done, Rock'm Sock'm is great so I had high hopes for Low Impact Sweat...and it did not disappoint. This is a serious workout and a very well seasoned intermediate workout. There were tons of new moves which I loved! And Cathe's concession to intermediate seemed to only be the lighter weights (3s and 5s) she used. I used 6 lbs throughout and got a great workout. I also did the Blizzard Blast, which was fun. After that 50 minutes, I had a good, long stretch.
Sunday: Cathe's Sweat Blast + XTrain: Core 1 + YWA
Another great metabolic workout today. This one alternated one cardio move and a weighted compound exercise. My heart rate stayed amazingly high! And I had fun! The compound moves added some nice variety! After that 40 minutes, I did the 10-minute Core 1 from XTrain. Ouch! Then, a stretch and a YWA. I really like this one!
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1200
Tuesday - 1220
Wednesday - 1209
Thursday - 1871
Friday - 1451
Saturday - 1307
Sunday - bad
I'm annoyed with having so many bad calorie counts this week. When I weighed on Thursday morning - before the bad eating, I was up 2.5 pounds from before vacation. Not bad. When I weighed after a crazy workout on Saturday morning, that had dropped to being only 1.6 pounds over my pre-cruise weight. But I'm sure Sunday ruined that. Sigh.
Monday, March 12, 2018
Thursday, March 8, 2018
The Alice Network
Over vacation, I read a wonderful novel entitled The Alice Network, by Kate Quinn.
My Goodreads review:
I get a bit tired of WWII novels but when I learned that one of my favorite authors, Kate Quinn, was writing a book that took place in WWI and the aftermath of WWII, I couldn't resist. Quinn writes wonderful novels about ancient Rome and now she's successfully transitioned to writing about the 20th century.
The Alice Network is about female spies in WWI. While I was hesitant to like the two main characters, they quickly gained my interest and, quickly, my respect as strong, independent women. Their stories and those of the ones they loved, are fascinating. Quinn does excellent research to blend fiction and real heroines of WWI. I learned quite a bit from this novel - and thoroughly enjoyed the process.
My Goodreads review:
I get a bit tired of WWII novels but when I learned that one of my favorite authors, Kate Quinn, was writing a book that took place in WWI and the aftermath of WWII, I couldn't resist. Quinn writes wonderful novels about ancient Rome and now she's successfully transitioned to writing about the 20th century.
The Alice Network is about female spies in WWI. While I was hesitant to like the two main characters, they quickly gained my interest and, quickly, my respect as strong, independent women. Their stories and those of the ones they loved, are fascinating. Quinn does excellent research to blend fiction and real heroines of WWI. I learned quite a bit from this novel - and thoroughly enjoyed the process.
Monday, March 5, 2018
Results and Conclusions: Butt and Plateau Buster Months
It's been a transformative two months. I've found out what - I think - works for my body and I have Cathe to thank for a lot of it.
These past two months consisted of two rotations that Cathe devised - one for busting through plateaus and one for Rock Bottoms.
Motivation
My motivation was great - really, it hardly ever wavers - especially once I started seeing results. It had been so long since I'd seen any change in my body that I was ecstatic to see something.
That being said, my motivation to the the BBW (Bonus Butt Workout) and 300 walking lunges was not that great. Sticking those on to already intense weekend workouts was not easy. I may have to readjust when I do these if I do the Rock Bottoms rotation again.
Results
I lost 4.4 pounds. And I have no idea how much muscle I gained but I think it was quite a bit. Why? I increased my protein, aiming to get 100g a day, which - in theory - should have meant I developed more muscle while burning fat. And it seems to have worked. The minute I upped my protein, the pounds came off. Sure, they were slow to budge but they did, in the end!
By the end, I lost 1.75" off my waist, 1.25" off my hips, .25" off my thighs and arms. Not huge, but, a lot for me!
Going Forward
After vacation, I will embark on a metabolic rotation - filled with Cathe workouts. I'll be doing more of her live workouts, which are always fun.
Because of how much change I saw in my legs - and maybe my bum, I don't know - I'll probably do another Rock Bottoms rotation in the fall.
These past two months consisted of two rotations that Cathe devised - one for busting through plateaus and one for Rock Bottoms.
Motivation
My motivation was great - really, it hardly ever wavers - especially once I started seeing results. It had been so long since I'd seen any change in my body that I was ecstatic to see something.
That being said, my motivation to the the BBW (Bonus Butt Workout) and 300 walking lunges was not that great. Sticking those on to already intense weekend workouts was not easy. I may have to readjust when I do these if I do the Rock Bottoms rotation again.
Results
I lost 4.4 pounds. And I have no idea how much muscle I gained but I think it was quite a bit. Why? I increased my protein, aiming to get 100g a day, which - in theory - should have meant I developed more muscle while burning fat. And it seems to have worked. The minute I upped my protein, the pounds came off. Sure, they were slow to budge but they did, in the end!
By the end, I lost 1.75" off my waist, 1.25" off my hips, .25" off my thighs and arms. Not huge, but, a lot for me!
Going Forward
After vacation, I will embark on a metabolic rotation - filled with Cathe workouts. I'll be doing more of her live workouts, which are always fun.
Because of how much change I saw in my legs - and maybe my bum, I don't know - I'll probably do another Rock Bottoms rotation in the fall.
Thursday, March 1, 2018
Visitor
For the past few months, we've had an outside visitor.
After vacation, we'll work on finding him a home. It'll break our hearts to see him go but he needs a safe place and a loving family.
It took Mr. Higgins weeks and weeks before this little guy would let him touch him. He was very scared; clearly he's not been around people before. Finally, now, Mr. Higgins can touch him and even pick him up.
After vacation, we'll work on finding him a home. It'll break our hearts to see him go but he needs a safe place and a loving family.
Monday, February 26, 2018
Butt and Plateau Buster Months: Week 8
My last week of workouts before our cruise!!
I'm ecstatic about my progress. Who knew how much of a difference five pounds could make, especially while you're gaining muscle!?! Amazing!
Pray I can keep eating healthy this week, since I'm so ready for vacation!
Monday: Cathe's Flex Train + walk + YWA
After a lot of cardio on Sunday, I was ready for something less...jumpy today. Flex Train is a great metabolic workout. Though my FitBit didn't agree, my heart felt like it was going to burst from my chest, it was pounding so hard. Whew! And I even had trouble lifting 8 pounds in these exercises since it's all about endurance. That's one good workout! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and then did some planks. After work, this YWA was perfect because I really, really needed to stretch.
Tuesday: Cathe's Kick Max + YWA
Another night of very little sleep meant this workout was very, very difficult. I like the combinations but the cardio blast is brutal when you're exhausted. I made it through by modifying a few moves and by marching while in recovery mode instead of running or jacking. It's truly awful sleeping this horribly. Yucky weather kept me from going to the rec and meant a horrible drive home. This short YWA was all I could manage.
Wednesday: Cathe's Butts and Guts + walk + YWA
I was so dreading this workout. And it came after another night of bad sleep. But I did it! This is such a torturous weighted routine - I guess because of the reps. You do everything two times through so even though you finish it once, you know it'll come again. At lunch, I walked at the rec center, getting out in the cold and wet to trek over there. And after work, I did Adriene's newest practice, which was really good.
Thursday: Cathe's Intensity + YWA
With more sleep, I felt a bit more energized this morning. Intensity isn't my favorite but it was one of my first Cathe workouts so at least I know it. After all these years, it's still not the easiest workout but It's more enjoyable than some of hers. After work, I did this YWA to stretch out my legs. I really wish I could get more flexible - this aspect of my wellness has stagnated. I'll keep working on it!
Friday: Cathe's Metabolic Mashup + RWH Abs 2
I didn't remember having done this workout before. It was good - all compound weighted exercises to get that metabolic benefit. It wasn't easy but I got through it, mainly with 8 pound weights. My workouts after the cruise will be mostly metabolic so I'd better get used to this format! After work, I got in a good ab workout with Cathe's Ripped with HIIT Abs 2. Dang, this one is tough - but good!
Saturday: Cathe's RWH Lift It HIIT It Legs + arms + RWH Abs 1
My last workout before the cruise - and it's leg work, of course! This is similar to XTrain Cardio Legs - you alternate a cardio move and a weighted move. The difference is that with RWH, you lift heavier. I did 17lb with a lot of the moves and that really spiked my heart rate. It was a great workout. After that, I did about 18 minutes of arms - because I hadn't focused on them too much this week. And finally, the other RWH Abs workout. This one was a tiny bit easier than the other one - but still challenging. And finally, I stretched.
Sunday: VACATION!
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1194
Tuesday - 1193
Wednesday - 1200
Thursday - 1410
Friday - bad
Saturday - 1266
I didn't lose any additional weight but I'm fine with that. Wearing my pants this week - that have sat, unused for moths - was wonderful.
I'm ecstatic about my progress. Who knew how much of a difference five pounds could make, especially while you're gaining muscle!?! Amazing!
Pray I can keep eating healthy this week, since I'm so ready for vacation!
Monday: Cathe's Flex Train + walk + YWA
After a lot of cardio on Sunday, I was ready for something less...jumpy today. Flex Train is a great metabolic workout. Though my FitBit didn't agree, my heart felt like it was going to burst from my chest, it was pounding so hard. Whew! And I even had trouble lifting 8 pounds in these exercises since it's all about endurance. That's one good workout! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and then did some planks. After work, this YWA was perfect because I really, really needed to stretch.
Tuesday: Cathe's Kick Max + YWA
Another night of very little sleep meant this workout was very, very difficult. I like the combinations but the cardio blast is brutal when you're exhausted. I made it through by modifying a few moves and by marching while in recovery mode instead of running or jacking. It's truly awful sleeping this horribly. Yucky weather kept me from going to the rec and meant a horrible drive home. This short YWA was all I could manage.
Wednesday: Cathe's Butts and Guts + walk + YWA
I was so dreading this workout. And it came after another night of bad sleep. But I did it! This is such a torturous weighted routine - I guess because of the reps. You do everything two times through so even though you finish it once, you know it'll come again. At lunch, I walked at the rec center, getting out in the cold and wet to trek over there. And after work, I did Adriene's newest practice, which was really good.
Thursday: Cathe's Intensity + YWA
With more sleep, I felt a bit more energized this morning. Intensity isn't my favorite but it was one of my first Cathe workouts so at least I know it. After all these years, it's still not the easiest workout but It's more enjoyable than some of hers. After work, I did this YWA to stretch out my legs. I really wish I could get more flexible - this aspect of my wellness has stagnated. I'll keep working on it!
Friday: Cathe's Metabolic Mashup + RWH Abs 2
I didn't remember having done this workout before. It was good - all compound weighted exercises to get that metabolic benefit. It wasn't easy but I got through it, mainly with 8 pound weights. My workouts after the cruise will be mostly metabolic so I'd better get used to this format! After work, I got in a good ab workout with Cathe's Ripped with HIIT Abs 2. Dang, this one is tough - but good!
Saturday: Cathe's RWH Lift It HIIT It Legs + arms + RWH Abs 1
My last workout before the cruise - and it's leg work, of course! This is similar to XTrain Cardio Legs - you alternate a cardio move and a weighted move. The difference is that with RWH, you lift heavier. I did 17lb with a lot of the moves and that really spiked my heart rate. It was a great workout. After that, I did about 18 minutes of arms - because I hadn't focused on them too much this week. And finally, the other RWH Abs workout. This one was a tiny bit easier than the other one - but still challenging. And finally, I stretched.
Sunday: VACATION!
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1194
Tuesday - 1193
Wednesday - 1200
Thursday - 1410
Friday - bad
Saturday - 1266
I didn't lose any additional weight but I'm fine with that. Wearing my pants this week - that have sat, unused for moths - was wonderful.
Friday, February 23, 2018
A Few More Days....
...until I'm here....
I can't wait to get back to St. John and see how the island is doing after the hurricanes. It's one of our favorite places and it'll be great to have a day there on our cruise.
Monday, February 19, 2018
Butt and Plateau Buster Months: Week 7
Still buoyed from my four pound weight loss, I'm glad to finally see changes in my body, even if I'm a bit hungry. Only two more weeks and I can eat!
....and hopefully lose weight afterward now that I've found the secret of protein. Ha!
Monday: Cathe's XTrain Legs + BBW + walk + YWA
Another night of no sleep meant this workout was torturous. And my legs were already hurting.... By the end of this workout, I was in serious pain. The BBW did not help. Then the floor work was excruciating. Sigh. But I think these leg workouts are paying off. At lunch, I walked outside - very briskly - for 20 minutes. I just couldn't get to the rec center. After work, this YWA was not what I remembered and didn't really help my legs. I think it made me more sore. Ugh!
Tuesday: Cathe's MMA Boxing + YWA
I finally slept! And it felt....wonderful! So I was actually energized this morning for boxing! This workout is fun but has some challenging cardio bits. It definitely works the arms like crazy....and mine were surprisingly sore from Sunday. WTH?! But it felt lovely to move and feel good! After work, I did this YWA because my hamstrings have been so tight and painful since yesterday's leg workout. It really seemed to help!
Wednesday: Cathe's Pyramid Upper Body + walk
When I first did this arm workout, a few weeks ago, I was a bit traumatized at how soon my arms gave out. So this time, I lowered my weights on a few exercises, just a bit, in order to be able to get through the entirety of the pyramid sets. I was able, however, to increase my weight for a few exercises, which was nice! But this workout is the real deal. My arms were shaking for hours afterward. At lunch, I walked at the rec center to get steps - and then I stretched.
Thursday: YWA + walk
Rest days are the best days! This yoga was really good - not too crazy but challenging enough for 5:30 am. Adriene does a great job getting you to eagle pose - something I do very rarely. At lunch, I walked, despite my rest day status. I ate just a few too many treats for Valentine's Day yesterday (ugh!) so I felt the need to burn some calories, few though they may be.
Friday: Cathe's To the Max
I can never seem to remember To the Max but then, after I start it, I realize how tough it's going to be. You start out with a step routine and then move into tabatas....and then HIIT. It's non-stop! I didn't make it any further than this. I did some more of my own cardio to fill my time and then to cool off. Whew! This one is intense! There was supposed be a YWA today but work was really, really bad and I had no energy for anything afterward.
Saturday: Cathe's 4 Day Split - Kickbox + BBW + YWA
On the rotation for today was a workout from Cathe's 4 Day Split series, which I did for four weeks after STS last fall. It contains kickboxing and weighted leg work. The kickboxing is fun and high impact, which meant my heart rate was up there. I then did my BBW for the week before the weighted leg work started. And I didn't remember so many reps in these leg exercises! Dang! Squats, lunges, deadlifts, presses....many more with many reps! After that I even did the core work that is on the video. Ouch! I then stretched and did a short YWA to finish off the morning. Whew!
Sunday: Cathe's X10 + 300 lunges + Icy Core 2
I can't say I look forward to X10 because it is so intense....but I like that it works me and my legs so hard. Today I did these sections: low impact, cardio blast, and fat-burning. Wow. In between them, I did my 300 lunges. My heart was pounding like nothing else! X10 is insane. But it was amazing, doing my last round of BBW and 300 lunges this weekend. Yes!!! Afterward, I did Icy Core 2, which lasted a little over 11 minutes. And then I was finally able to stretch. Ahh....
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1189
Tuesday - 1183
Wednesday - bad!
Thursday - 1141
Friday - 1413
Saturday - 1445
Sunday - 1334
I'm down 4.4 pounds. And.....my pants fit! All my pants that didn't fit before all this now fit!! And I measured: my hips and thighs are now smaller than they were when I weighed 10 pounds less. My arms are even skinnier! I think this protein + weights thing is working! Hallelujah!
Seriously, I'm happy. If I can maintain this, I'm 100% ecstatic!
....and hopefully lose weight afterward now that I've found the secret of protein. Ha!
Monday: Cathe's XTrain Legs + BBW + walk + YWA
Another night of no sleep meant this workout was torturous. And my legs were already hurting.... By the end of this workout, I was in serious pain. The BBW did not help. Then the floor work was excruciating. Sigh. But I think these leg workouts are paying off. At lunch, I walked outside - very briskly - for 20 minutes. I just couldn't get to the rec center. After work, this YWA was not what I remembered and didn't really help my legs. I think it made me more sore. Ugh!
Tuesday: Cathe's MMA Boxing + YWA
I finally slept! And it felt....wonderful! So I was actually energized this morning for boxing! This workout is fun but has some challenging cardio bits. It definitely works the arms like crazy....and mine were surprisingly sore from Sunday. WTH?! But it felt lovely to move and feel good! After work, I did this YWA because my hamstrings have been so tight and painful since yesterday's leg workout. It really seemed to help!
Wednesday: Cathe's Pyramid Upper Body + walk
When I first did this arm workout, a few weeks ago, I was a bit traumatized at how soon my arms gave out. So this time, I lowered my weights on a few exercises, just a bit, in order to be able to get through the entirety of the pyramid sets. I was able, however, to increase my weight for a few exercises, which was nice! But this workout is the real deal. My arms were shaking for hours afterward. At lunch, I walked at the rec center to get steps - and then I stretched.
Thursday: YWA + walk
Rest days are the best days! This yoga was really good - not too crazy but challenging enough for 5:30 am. Adriene does a great job getting you to eagle pose - something I do very rarely. At lunch, I walked, despite my rest day status. I ate just a few too many treats for Valentine's Day yesterday (ugh!) so I felt the need to burn some calories, few though they may be.
Friday: Cathe's To the Max
I can never seem to remember To the Max but then, after I start it, I realize how tough it's going to be. You start out with a step routine and then move into tabatas....and then HIIT. It's non-stop! I didn't make it any further than this. I did some more of my own cardio to fill my time and then to cool off. Whew! This one is intense! There was supposed be a YWA today but work was really, really bad and I had no energy for anything afterward.
Saturday: Cathe's 4 Day Split - Kickbox + BBW + YWA
On the rotation for today was a workout from Cathe's 4 Day Split series, which I did for four weeks after STS last fall. It contains kickboxing and weighted leg work. The kickboxing is fun and high impact, which meant my heart rate was up there. I then did my BBW for the week before the weighted leg work started. And I didn't remember so many reps in these leg exercises! Dang! Squats, lunges, deadlifts, presses....many more with many reps! After that I even did the core work that is on the video. Ouch! I then stretched and did a short YWA to finish off the morning. Whew!
Sunday: Cathe's X10 + 300 lunges + Icy Core 2
I can't say I look forward to X10 because it is so intense....but I like that it works me and my legs so hard. Today I did these sections: low impact, cardio blast, and fat-burning. Wow. In between them, I did my 300 lunges. My heart was pounding like nothing else! X10 is insane. But it was amazing, doing my last round of BBW and 300 lunges this weekend. Yes!!! Afterward, I did Icy Core 2, which lasted a little over 11 minutes. And then I was finally able to stretch. Ahh....
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1189
Tuesday - 1183
Wednesday - bad!
Thursday - 1141
Friday - 1413
Saturday - 1445
Sunday - 1334
I'm down 4.4 pounds. And.....my pants fit! All my pants that didn't fit before all this now fit!! And I measured: my hips and thighs are now smaller than they were when I weighed 10 pounds less. My arms are even skinnier! I think this protein + weights thing is working! Hallelujah!
Seriously, I'm happy. If I can maintain this, I'm 100% ecstatic!
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Me Too, You Too?
It seems that every single day, when I read the news, there are new sexual assault/abuse allegations against someone. This week: Michael Fassbender and Shaun White. The more I read, the more appalled I become - and I know I'm not the only one.
Have you been the victim of a sexual assault? I have not. But I have been sexually discriminated against. Honestly: what woman has not? And even more honestly, I've heard almost every male in my life say things that are so inherently anti-female that I'm aghast. I personally know people - not at my workplace - who will not hire women of child-bearing age for fear that, once they have a child (which they apparently all do, except me!), they will quit.
In graduate school, in my male-dominated field, I sat through classes where professors made misogynistic remarks and told me to "cover my ears" when talking about the perversions of Roman emperors. My male classmates, I hope, did not agree, but none confronted the professor; one merely made a sarcastic remark in response. I was passed over for departmental jobs and other perks because I wasn't "one of the guys" in the so-called "boys club" of the department. When I complained about this to the department chair (a man), his only response was the I really needed to change my pronouns from boys/girls to men/women.
These are tiny, tiny things in relation to all the horrible crimes we're seeing in the news. But my point is that there is an underlying problem in all of society that is anti-female. Women are catty. Women are shallow. Women always cheat. Women are just paranoid. They worry too much. Women only care about money and clothes. And on and on. Do I hear women talking this way about men? No. I hear things like, "men are fixers" or "men need to feel needed." I hear discussions about how to better get along with men. I do not hear the opposite.
I could also be very, very sheltered. Maybe this dialogue in not as one-sided as I've witnessed. Either way... Maybe if this dialogue didn't happen and if children didn't hear it, they would have more respect for women.
That's my two cents.
Have you been the victim of a sexual assault? I have not. But I have been sexually discriminated against. Honestly: what woman has not? And even more honestly, I've heard almost every male in my life say things that are so inherently anti-female that I'm aghast. I personally know people - not at my workplace - who will not hire women of child-bearing age for fear that, once they have a child (which they apparently all do, except me!), they will quit.
In graduate school, in my male-dominated field, I sat through classes where professors made misogynistic remarks and told me to "cover my ears" when talking about the perversions of Roman emperors. My male classmates, I hope, did not agree, but none confronted the professor; one merely made a sarcastic remark in response. I was passed over for departmental jobs and other perks because I wasn't "one of the guys" in the so-called "boys club" of the department. When I complained about this to the department chair (a man), his only response was the I really needed to change my pronouns from boys/girls to men/women.
These are tiny, tiny things in relation to all the horrible crimes we're seeing in the news. But my point is that there is an underlying problem in all of society that is anti-female. Women are catty. Women are shallow. Women always cheat. Women are just paranoid. They worry too much. Women only care about money and clothes. And on and on. Do I hear women talking this way about men? No. I hear things like, "men are fixers" or "men need to feel needed." I hear discussions about how to better get along with men. I do not hear the opposite.
I could also be very, very sheltered. Maybe this dialogue in not as one-sided as I've witnessed. Either way... Maybe if this dialogue didn't happen and if children didn't hear it, they would have more respect for women.
That's my two cents.
Monday, February 12, 2018
Butt and Plateau Buster Months: Week 6
After last week's weight loss (!), I'm super-duper motivated to keep up the good work. I had a short bad spell last weekend, due to a family birthday and the Super Bowl, but I'm back on track this week!
With only three more weeks until the cruise, I need to make steady progress!
Monday: Cathe's Rock'm Sock'm + Icy Core 1
This workout happened at the end of the day, since I didn't feel well in the morning. And I'm glad I waited because I did 55 minutes of fun kickboxing! This is such a good workout and, after it was done, I added on the Blizzard Blast to get those extra minutes. It was difficult but fun! When that finished, I did the full 11 minutes of Icy Core 1. Whew! Intermediate ab work is still super difficult! My stretch was awesome after all this!
Tuesday: Cathe's Lower Body Blast + walk + YWA
Yet another new-to-me Cathe workout. This one is tough! Lower Body Blast is all strength, with a few cardio bursts interspersed throughout to give your legs a "break." I was really feeling all the weighted work. Dang! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and then stretched really well, hoping my legs wouldn't be too sore. My shoulders were sore from Monday's workout - really, really weird. This YWA was perfect today - because it was rainy!
Wednesday: Cathe's XTrain Low Impact HIIT + YWA
It had been a while since I'd done this HIIT....and it was a nice change. Low impact is always appreciated and today it was perfect. My heart rate stayed up, which always amazes me. Moving fast - not jumping - is enough to burn major calories. Awesome! After work, this YWA from the Revolution series was just great.
Thursday: YWA + abs
My new rest day may be Thursdays. And after not sleeping last night, it was perfect for today. This YWA wasn't my first choice but it was good in that it was easy. I needed that - ha! After it ended, I did about 10 minutes of Cathe's abs....never easy. And my abs still hurt from Monday!
Friday: Cathe's Great Glutes + walk + YWA
These leg workouts come around so, so often! Ha! But that's the point, right? This one is especially painful but I got through it. Somehow. I did the floor work instead of the optional standing chair work and it buuuurned. Ouch! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and then did some good leg stretches...since my legs were already hurting from the morning. This YWA was good - and not easy!
Saturday: Cathe's XTrain Tabatacise + 300 lunges + legs
Serious cardio today. Tabatacise is intense. It's crazy! It's Cathe's most difficult cardio workout, in my opinion. And, to make it even more fun, I did my 300 lunges throughout, in 100 increments. I was exhausted after this. My legs hurt, because Cathe's cardio is so leg intense (jumping squats, lunges). Instead of doing the BBW, I did floor work from both Lower Leg Blast and XTrain Legs. So, 55 minutes of cardio and lunges, then 20 minutes of leg work. And, finally, a well-deserved stretch. I'll do the BBW on Monday- oy.
Sunday: Cathe's XTrain SuperCuts + arms + YWA
Metabolic conditioning today! This is a great workout and is quickly becoming one of my favorites. It's a great mix of weighted and non-weighted moves so your heart rate stays elevated - with no impact! It's tough and never slows done but that's the point. After it finished - about 40 minutes - I did 15 minutes of arm work. Then, a stretch and a short YWA. Whew!
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1159
Tuesday - 1183
Wednesday - 1315
Thursday - 1248
Friday - 1353
Saturday - 1314
Sunday - 1357
When I weighed on Thursday, I was still down 4 pounds from my original weight. That's great. Not perfect, but great. I just need to keep up the good work. Two more weeks.
With only three more weeks until the cruise, I need to make steady progress!
Monday: Cathe's Rock'm Sock'm + Icy Core 1
This workout happened at the end of the day, since I didn't feel well in the morning. And I'm glad I waited because I did 55 minutes of fun kickboxing! This is such a good workout and, after it was done, I added on the Blizzard Blast to get those extra minutes. It was difficult but fun! When that finished, I did the full 11 minutes of Icy Core 1. Whew! Intermediate ab work is still super difficult! My stretch was awesome after all this!
Tuesday: Cathe's Lower Body Blast + walk + YWA
Yet another new-to-me Cathe workout. This one is tough! Lower Body Blast is all strength, with a few cardio bursts interspersed throughout to give your legs a "break." I was really feeling all the weighted work. Dang! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and then stretched really well, hoping my legs wouldn't be too sore. My shoulders were sore from Monday's workout - really, really weird. This YWA was perfect today - because it was rainy!
Wednesday: Cathe's XTrain Low Impact HIIT + YWA
It had been a while since I'd done this HIIT....and it was a nice change. Low impact is always appreciated and today it was perfect. My heart rate stayed up, which always amazes me. Moving fast - not jumping - is enough to burn major calories. Awesome! After work, this YWA from the Revolution series was just great.
Thursday: YWA + abs
My new rest day may be Thursdays. And after not sleeping last night, it was perfect for today. This YWA wasn't my first choice but it was good in that it was easy. I needed that - ha! After it ended, I did about 10 minutes of Cathe's abs....never easy. And my abs still hurt from Monday!
Friday: Cathe's Great Glutes + walk + YWA
These leg workouts come around so, so often! Ha! But that's the point, right? This one is especially painful but I got through it. Somehow. I did the floor work instead of the optional standing chair work and it buuuurned. Ouch! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and then did some good leg stretches...since my legs were already hurting from the morning. This YWA was good - and not easy!
Saturday: Cathe's XTrain Tabatacise + 300 lunges + legs
Serious cardio today. Tabatacise is intense. It's crazy! It's Cathe's most difficult cardio workout, in my opinion. And, to make it even more fun, I did my 300 lunges throughout, in 100 increments. I was exhausted after this. My legs hurt, because Cathe's cardio is so leg intense (jumping squats, lunges). Instead of doing the BBW, I did floor work from both Lower Leg Blast and XTrain Legs. So, 55 minutes of cardio and lunges, then 20 minutes of leg work. And, finally, a well-deserved stretch. I'll do the BBW on Monday- oy.
Sunday: Cathe's XTrain SuperCuts + arms + YWA
Metabolic conditioning today! This is a great workout and is quickly becoming one of my favorites. It's a great mix of weighted and non-weighted moves so your heart rate stays elevated - with no impact! It's tough and never slows done but that's the point. After it finished - about 40 minutes - I did 15 minutes of arm work. Then, a stretch and a short YWA. Whew!
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1159
Tuesday - 1183
Wednesday - 1315
Thursday - 1248
Friday - 1353
Saturday - 1314
Sunday - 1357
When I weighed on Thursday, I was still down 4 pounds from my original weight. That's great. Not perfect, but great. I just need to keep up the good work. Two more weeks.
Friday, February 9, 2018
Cathe Friedrich: Great Glutes (Review)
I'm digging deeper into Cathe's huge repertoire of workouts. The latest I'm liking is Great Glutes.
As it says, Great Glutes is all about legs. It is not, however, a heavy lifting program. Cathe relies on body weight, lighter weights, bands, and repetition to work your legs to exhaustion. Your heart rate definitely goes up in the beginning with the intent of burning fat. And your heart rate will stay up - because you're in agony!
After a 7 minute warm-up, Cathe leads you through 16 minutes of compound exercises. These are a lot of squats and lunges, with and without weights. Interspersed throughout are hammer down lunges to keep your heart rate up. These also use the legs like crazy and you quickly get tired of them! You then do work with sliding disks - side lunges, back lunges, and curtsy lunges. Ouch!
Next up: work with the stability ball to really work your bum and inner thighs. I don't have a ball so I always find a way to improvise. You then move to floor work where you will experience horrible pain doing leg raises of several variations. Oooouuuch. If you're not completely incapacitated after all that, there's a bonus section, using a chair, doing legs lifts. There is then a 7 minute stretch.
This workout is 55 minutes in length. It works every portion of your lower body. Cathe uses 8-pound weights but I use 12s regularly to get more out of it. Lift as heavy as you can to get more from these exercises. Equipment needed: dumbbells, sliding disks, stability ball, chair, firewalker band (loop), and a mat.
Bottom Line: This is not Cathe's most advanced lower body workout but it's a great intermediate video.
As it says, Great Glutes is all about legs. It is not, however, a heavy lifting program. Cathe relies on body weight, lighter weights, bands, and repetition to work your legs to exhaustion. Your heart rate definitely goes up in the beginning with the intent of burning fat. And your heart rate will stay up - because you're in agony!
After a 7 minute warm-up, Cathe leads you through 16 minutes of compound exercises. These are a lot of squats and lunges, with and without weights. Interspersed throughout are hammer down lunges to keep your heart rate up. These also use the legs like crazy and you quickly get tired of them! You then do work with sliding disks - side lunges, back lunges, and curtsy lunges. Ouch!
Next up: work with the stability ball to really work your bum and inner thighs. I don't have a ball so I always find a way to improvise. You then move to floor work where you will experience horrible pain doing leg raises of several variations. Oooouuuch. If you're not completely incapacitated after all that, there's a bonus section, using a chair, doing legs lifts. There is then a 7 minute stretch.
This workout is 55 minutes in length. It works every portion of your lower body. Cathe uses 8-pound weights but I use 12s regularly to get more out of it. Lift as heavy as you can to get more from these exercises. Equipment needed: dumbbells, sliding disks, stability ball, chair, firewalker band (loop), and a mat.
Bottom Line: This is not Cathe's most advanced lower body workout but it's a great intermediate video.
Monday, February 5, 2018
Butt and Plateau Buster Months: Week 5
Four more weeks until the cruise!
Regarding my goals last week... I definitely ate more protein, thanks to the protein powder. I was able to eat between 70 and 85 grams a day - much more than usual! As to steps.... I still had one day too many without 10,000 steps. The problem is doing weights on the weekend, when I just don't walk as much. Sigh.
This week is going to be loooong because my rest day must be Sunday. It'll also be sad - the end of YWA: True. I've loved this series and will be sad to see it end. But at least I have it downloaded!
Monday: Cathe's Jabs and Kicks + YWA
Kickboxing is my favorite Monday morning workout. There's no dread factor and Cathe usually makes them so much fun. This one was amazing. Cathe went 30 minutes without regurgitating moves from her other kickboxing routines. It was incredible and different! And fun! What a nice surprise! After work, it was time for True, day 28. Dang! This one got me sweating a bit! It was a nice, challenging surprise!
Tuesday: Cathe's STS Total Body (upper + core) + walk
So glad today was arms because I didn't sleep well. But. This workout is no joke. It's trisets, which you repeat twice: 16 reps, then 12 reps. If you lift heavy, 16 reps is difficult. Going back and doing another 12 reps feels impossible. I did the full upper body workout and then the core - 9 minutes of torture. Ha! At lunch, I walked at the rec center. Due to my evening book group, I missed YWA. So sad. I did 27 consecutive days of yoga up until today.
Wednesday: Cathe's For the Love of Cardio Live + YWA
Cardio today! Thankfully I was a bit more rested today. I'd forgotten it....but I love this workout! Cathe gives you such a good mix of steady cardio and then cardio blasts - or HIIT. It's a great workout. It wore me out! And just look at Cathe's legs - she so rarely wears shorts. I want legs like that! After work, finally, day 29 of YWA: True! It was another good one!
Thursday: Cathe's Lean Legs and Abs + walk
I'm learning that I like Lean Legs much more than Great Glutes....probably because it's a bit easier. Ha! I did only the legs this morning and they were burning by the end of it! Dang! Finishing off with the barre was especially painful....er, effective. At lunch, I walked at the rec center and did some ab work along with some good leg stretches. I had to postpone, again, the last day of YWA: True because of family stuff.
Friday: Cathe's Afterburn + YWA
I miss my Friday rest days. But at least today was low impact! Afterburn, however, is not easy. It's low-impact but high intensity. The squats really got to me today; after yesterday's workout they were tired! But this is a great workout and one I should keep in the rotation. After work, I finally finished YWA: True! Only two days late.... It was great, a culmination of the past 30 days.
Saturday: Cathe's STS Plyo Legs + BBW
Cathe's rotation calls for one Plyo Legs workout and I was so happy to do it, after so many run-throughs with XTrain Cardio Leg Blast. Different is always good! This workout is no laughing matter, however. My heart was pounding throughout. I did my 300 walking lunges - barely. They hurt! After all that (almost 60 minutes of work), it was time for the Bonus Butt Workout. All I can say is....ouch. It was a relief to stretch, finally.
Sunday: REST
I was out of town on Sunday, hence my rest day getting pushed to Sunday.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1167
Tuesday -1284
Wednesday - 1271
Thursday - 1188
Friday - 1187
Saturday - 1889
Sunday - BAD
Before my bad weekend, I weighed. I'm now down an additional 3 pounds.....4 total since New Year's. I can't tell you how ecstatic I am. All I can think is the extra protein is actually working. Earlier in the week, I was so depressed....this made my week...my month.
Regarding my goals last week... I definitely ate more protein, thanks to the protein powder. I was able to eat between 70 and 85 grams a day - much more than usual! As to steps.... I still had one day too many without 10,000 steps. The problem is doing weights on the weekend, when I just don't walk as much. Sigh.
This week is going to be loooong because my rest day must be Sunday. It'll also be sad - the end of YWA: True. I've loved this series and will be sad to see it end. But at least I have it downloaded!
Monday: Cathe's Jabs and Kicks + YWA
Kickboxing is my favorite Monday morning workout. There's no dread factor and Cathe usually makes them so much fun. This one was amazing. Cathe went 30 minutes without regurgitating moves from her other kickboxing routines. It was incredible and different! And fun! What a nice surprise! After work, it was time for True, day 28. Dang! This one got me sweating a bit! It was a nice, challenging surprise!
Tuesday: Cathe's STS Total Body (upper + core) + walk
So glad today was arms because I didn't sleep well. But. This workout is no joke. It's trisets, which you repeat twice: 16 reps, then 12 reps. If you lift heavy, 16 reps is difficult. Going back and doing another 12 reps feels impossible. I did the full upper body workout and then the core - 9 minutes of torture. Ha! At lunch, I walked at the rec center. Due to my evening book group, I missed YWA. So sad. I did 27 consecutive days of yoga up until today.
Wednesday: Cathe's For the Love of Cardio Live + YWA
Cardio today! Thankfully I was a bit more rested today. I'd forgotten it....but I love this workout! Cathe gives you such a good mix of steady cardio and then cardio blasts - or HIIT. It's a great workout. It wore me out! And just look at Cathe's legs - she so rarely wears shorts. I want legs like that! After work, finally, day 29 of YWA: True! It was another good one!
Thursday: Cathe's Lean Legs and Abs + walk
I'm learning that I like Lean Legs much more than Great Glutes....probably because it's a bit easier. Ha! I did only the legs this morning and they were burning by the end of it! Dang! Finishing off with the barre was especially painful....er, effective. At lunch, I walked at the rec center and did some ab work along with some good leg stretches. I had to postpone, again, the last day of YWA: True because of family stuff.
Friday: Cathe's Afterburn + YWA
I miss my Friday rest days. But at least today was low impact! Afterburn, however, is not easy. It's low-impact but high intensity. The squats really got to me today; after yesterday's workout they were tired! But this is a great workout and one I should keep in the rotation. After work, I finally finished YWA: True! Only two days late.... It was great, a culmination of the past 30 days.
Saturday: Cathe's STS Plyo Legs + BBW
Cathe's rotation calls for one Plyo Legs workout and I was so happy to do it, after so many run-throughs with XTrain Cardio Leg Blast. Different is always good! This workout is no laughing matter, however. My heart was pounding throughout. I did my 300 walking lunges - barely. They hurt! After all that (almost 60 minutes of work), it was time for the Bonus Butt Workout. All I can say is....ouch. It was a relief to stretch, finally.
Sunday: REST
I was out of town on Sunday, hence my rest day getting pushed to Sunday.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1167
Tuesday -1284
Wednesday - 1271
Thursday - 1188
Friday - 1187
Saturday - 1889
Sunday - BAD
Before my bad weekend, I weighed. I'm now down an additional 3 pounds.....4 total since New Year's. I can't tell you how ecstatic I am. All I can think is the extra protein is actually working. Earlier in the week, I was so depressed....this made my week...my month.
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Fingerless Gloves
After 6.5 years of marriage, I've finally knitted something for Mr. Higgins! It was his Christmas present, though I was a bit late and finished them in January - Fingerless Gloves! Mr. Higgins is always cold in the house so I wanted something that would keep him warm without hindering his mobility (for computer-ing and gaming). These are perfect!
Pattern: Happily Ever After Mitts by Susan B. Anderson
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Multi - Calumet (purple/brown/grey)
Needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm)
Made for: Mr. H
Time to completion: 3 weeks, though I started, frogged, and restarted several times in October and November
I made a few adjustments to the pattern.... For one thing, the arms are shorter than the pattern's 14 (!) or so inches. I added on some stitches - total of 58 - since his hands are a bit wider. And I also made the thumb hole a bit bigger (16 row). The end edging is a bit wider so he could tell which end was the bottom or top more easily.
About 6 years ago, Mr. H picked out this yarn for socks at one my favorite yarn stores of all time. But he has his favorite super-warm socks that never seem to die and I know I couldn't compete with those. So this was the perfect way to use the yarn he liked. I'm so happy with these and the pattern was so easy....I'll have to make more!
Monday, January 29, 2018
Butt and Plateau Buster Months: Week 4
Oh my! Only five weeks until the cruise! Eek!
Mini goal for the week: more steps! Somehow, I had four days (!) under 10,000 steps last week! I usually only have one - my rest day. This week has to be better! At least it's warmer; that'll help get me outside at work.
Second mini goal for the week: more protein! Mid-week I'll start a protein powder because I just can't get up to Cathe's recommended 100g of protein a day to save my life.
Monday: Cathe's Pyramid Upper Body + walk + YWA
Wow. So, this workout comes from Cathe's old Intensity Series. And it kicked my butt - er, arms. The theme is high reps - you start light, go heavier, and then come back down to lighter....like a pyramid. But this burns your muscles out quickly. I struggled at the end of each pyramid....and I only got through 45 minutes of the workout! At lunch, I walked at the rec center. Yay, steps! After a very long day, this YWA: True practice was just so, so lovely. Adriene has outdone herself with this series.
Tuesday: Cathe's Jabs and Abs + YWA
I love kickboxing days! This was a fairly new live workout and I really enjoyed it! I'm amazed when my heart rate can stay up with punches alone. Wow! Cathe really did a good job with this workout. My 40 minutes ran up before the abs (and then I had to stretch) but maybe I can go back and do that portion this weekend. After work, YWA! It was a good one today - again!
Wednesday: Cathe's Butts and Gutts + walk + YWA
Another new Cathe workout for me! I only got through the "butt" portion of Butts and Gutts but that was my intent. And boy, it was a painful 40 minutes! I sure hope it was effective - all those squats and lunges have to do something! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and then stretched. After work, I did a YWA: True..... These will be out of order for the next few days due to time constraints. This one was short, which was what I needed!
Thursday: YWA + abs
My rest day! And I needed it - my body was tired! This was a great YWA to do today (out of order still). It got my juices flowing at this early hour and stretched me out a bit. I did some additional stretching afterward and added in some ab work to finish off my morning. Nice!
Friday: Cathe's Ripped with HIIT: Low Impact HIIT One + Two + YWA
Cardio....and I wasn't dreading it this morning! I actually really like these two HIIT workouts. They're both about 25 minutes so I did all of One and most of Two to fill up my 40 minutes of time. It gave me a great workout. Interestingly, my heart rate was higher in the second one - that uses a weight for most of the moves. After work, I backtracked in YWA: True. My balance was amazingly good this day - wonders never cease.
Saturday: Cathe's XTrain 06: Cardio Leg Blast + BBW + YWA
I love the concept of this workout. Cardio, strength, cardio, strength. It's a great metabolic workout. And this one worked me hard today - but it felt great. The next four weeks will roughly follow this rotation with the Bonus Butt Workout (BBW). Because I'll miss the last weekend of the month, I had to do a BBW early - this weekend. You'll also notice that Cathe's suggests 300 walking lunges. I did those today, interspersed throughout my workout. Then, I did the BBW after it all. And, man, I could barely move afterward. YWA was awesome today because it stretched the legs really well. It felt great!
Sunday: Cathe's Flex Train + abs + YWA
Amazingly, I could walk today! Yay! This Flex Train was a welcome change after yesterday. But dang, it really worked my arms! And all the leg work was.....excruciating. It lasted for 55 minutes and I did the abs....which I think I also did last week somehow. They're tough. Finally, I stretched and tuned into today's YWA: True. It was very flow-y but also gave me a good leg stretch.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1183
Tuesday - 1239
Wednesday - 1200
Thursday - 1160
Friday - 1344
Saturday - 1383
Sunday - 1266
More calories this week...but I'm hoping they were good, lean muscle building calories! I didn't weigh because I just couldn't face the scale this week. Sigh. A few of my pants/skirts were a bit looser so that gives me hope.
Mini goal for the week: more steps! Somehow, I had four days (!) under 10,000 steps last week! I usually only have one - my rest day. This week has to be better! At least it's warmer; that'll help get me outside at work.
Second mini goal for the week: more protein! Mid-week I'll start a protein powder because I just can't get up to Cathe's recommended 100g of protein a day to save my life.
Monday: Cathe's Pyramid Upper Body + walk + YWA
Wow. So, this workout comes from Cathe's old Intensity Series. And it kicked my butt - er, arms. The theme is high reps - you start light, go heavier, and then come back down to lighter....like a pyramid. But this burns your muscles out quickly. I struggled at the end of each pyramid....and I only got through 45 minutes of the workout! At lunch, I walked at the rec center. Yay, steps! After a very long day, this YWA: True practice was just so, so lovely. Adriene has outdone herself with this series.
Tuesday: Cathe's Jabs and Abs + YWA
I love kickboxing days! This was a fairly new live workout and I really enjoyed it! I'm amazed when my heart rate can stay up with punches alone. Wow! Cathe really did a good job with this workout. My 40 minutes ran up before the abs (and then I had to stretch) but maybe I can go back and do that portion this weekend. After work, YWA! It was a good one today - again!
Wednesday: Cathe's Butts and Gutts + walk + YWA
Another new Cathe workout for me! I only got through the "butt" portion of Butts and Gutts but that was my intent. And boy, it was a painful 40 minutes! I sure hope it was effective - all those squats and lunges have to do something! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and then stretched. After work, I did a YWA: True..... These will be out of order for the next few days due to time constraints. This one was short, which was what I needed!
Thursday: YWA + abs
My rest day! And I needed it - my body was tired! This was a great YWA to do today (out of order still). It got my juices flowing at this early hour and stretched me out a bit. I did some additional stretching afterward and added in some ab work to finish off my morning. Nice!
Friday: Cathe's Ripped with HIIT: Low Impact HIIT One + Two + YWA
Cardio....and I wasn't dreading it this morning! I actually really like these two HIIT workouts. They're both about 25 minutes so I did all of One and most of Two to fill up my 40 minutes of time. It gave me a great workout. Interestingly, my heart rate was higher in the second one - that uses a weight for most of the moves. After work, I backtracked in YWA: True. My balance was amazingly good this day - wonders never cease.
Saturday: Cathe's XTrain 06: Cardio Leg Blast + BBW + YWA
I love the concept of this workout. Cardio, strength, cardio, strength. It's a great metabolic workout. And this one worked me hard today - but it felt great. The next four weeks will roughly follow this rotation with the Bonus Butt Workout (BBW). Because I'll miss the last weekend of the month, I had to do a BBW early - this weekend. You'll also notice that Cathe's suggests 300 walking lunges. I did those today, interspersed throughout my workout. Then, I did the BBW after it all. And, man, I could barely move afterward. YWA was awesome today because it stretched the legs really well. It felt great!
Sunday: Cathe's Flex Train + abs + YWA
Amazingly, I could walk today! Yay! This Flex Train was a welcome change after yesterday. But dang, it really worked my arms! And all the leg work was.....excruciating. It lasted for 55 minutes and I did the abs....which I think I also did last week somehow. They're tough. Finally, I stretched and tuned into today's YWA: True. It was very flow-y but also gave me a good leg stretch.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1183
Tuesday - 1239
Wednesday - 1200
Thursday - 1160
Friday - 1344
Saturday - 1383
Sunday - 1266
More calories this week...but I'm hoping they were good, lean muscle building calories! I didn't weigh because I just couldn't face the scale this week. Sigh. A few of my pants/skirts were a bit looser so that gives me hope.
Friday, January 26, 2018
Some Favorite Things
The Archies are always fun to do at the end of the year. It reminds me of all that has happened, all that I've explored, and all that I've seen.
This year is already off to a good start. And I've already found some new things to love!
-May Designs. I'm finally using the wonderful notebooks I ordered last year (hence their inclusion on The Archies 2017) and I love them! I'm using them for running gift ideas, workout weight charts, and work to-do lists. They're lovely and I get tons of compliments on them.
-FitnessRX for Women is a great website that I found out about through a Cathe forum. If you're serious about making changes to your body, this is a great resource for you. I've learned a lot, just perusing the articles.
-I don't have firsthand experience with Hedgerow Yarns but I want it! Since I started following them on Instagram, I've fallen in love with their colors and dyeing techniques. I can't wait to try a skein - or four!
-And for something random, I just watched HAPPY DEATH DAY. It's a movie that combines GROUNDHOG DAY and EDGE OF TOMORROW. The heroine is stuck in a time loop where she keeps repeating the same day and she gets killed at the end of it - every time. It's definitely a surprising find.
This year is already off to a good start. And I've already found some new things to love!
-May Designs. I'm finally using the wonderful notebooks I ordered last year (hence their inclusion on The Archies 2017) and I love them! I'm using them for running gift ideas, workout weight charts, and work to-do lists. They're lovely and I get tons of compliments on them.
-FitnessRX for Women is a great website that I found out about through a Cathe forum. If you're serious about making changes to your body, this is a great resource for you. I've learned a lot, just perusing the articles.
-I don't have firsthand experience with Hedgerow Yarns but I want it! Since I started following them on Instagram, I've fallen in love with their colors and dyeing techniques. I can't wait to try a skein - or four!
-And for something random, I just watched HAPPY DEATH DAY. It's a movie that combines GROUNDHOG DAY and EDGE OF TOMORROW. The heroine is stuck in a time loop where she keeps repeating the same day and she gets killed at the end of it - every time. It's definitely a surprising find.
Monday, January 22, 2018
Butt and Plateau Buster Months: Week 3
I've now lost a pound since New Year's. That's not great....but I'll take it. Beggars can't be choosers and all that. Ha!
The workouts - getting more and more leg intensive - are challenging. Cathe is no joke. But I like it! And I'm loving Yoga with Adriene's True.
So, onward....
Monday: Cathe's Hard Strikes Low Impact Boxing Live + YWA
Yes, Monday was supposed to be my new rest day.... But I had the day off for MLK so I decided to save my rest day for tomorrow. This was my third time doing this live workout and it's fun. It proves that you can raise your heart rate - and keep it up - without jumping around. And there's so much boxing that my arms ached. Wow. Later in the day, I tuned into today's YWA: True. It was very calming.
Tuesday: YWA + abs + YWA
Ah, rest days. So lovely! I woke up this morning and did today's YWA: True. It was really good - and challenging, as usual. It's a bit early but I think True is better than last year's Revolution. After that, I did 15 minutes of abs from an old Cathe video. I honestly can't remember which video. And, after work, I did tomorrow's YWA...since I'll miss one on Thursday. It was 41 minutes long! I must admit that I skipped some of it; my evenings are just too full some days.
Wednesday: Cathe's Great Glutes + walk + YWA
I was ready for a painful morning....and Cathe delivered. This workout is intense, though not quite as intense as some of Cathe's early leg workouts. At least it's not dumbbell-centric. You get some un-weighted moves that really give you a break....and some that really hurt! At lunch, I walked at the rec center, braving the below-freezing temps. And after work, day 17 of YWA: True. It was a good way to end the day!
Thursday: Cathe's HIIT 30/30 + upper body + walk
Cardio time! It had been a while since I did this HIIT and it was a nice - tough - change. I don't think I'll ever like tuck jumps....but I admire Cathe for doing them and making me do them. Ha! After that 25 minutes, I did 15 minutes of upper body work from an old Cathe video...and I have no idea which one it was. It was just alright. At work, I walked the track at the rec center on my lunch hour - always happy to move and then stretch. It was sad not doing yoga today....but I'll continue it tomorrow!
Friday: Cathe's XTrain 04: SuperCuts + YWA
Holy cow! So it's been a while since I've done a metabolic weight training workout. These are supposedly a great way to get rid of fat and, considering how this one wiped me out, I'm about to believe it. Cathe works you hard with compound exercises, tons of reps, and lighter weights. She throws in a few low-impact weightless moves to keep your heart rate up but this workout is non-stop! After work, I tuned into YWA: True, Day18. Nice!
Saturday: Cathe's X10 + abs + YWA
Wowza. I've done several sections of X10 but it continuously surprises me with it's high intensity. Today, I did the Fat-Burning, Hi-Lo, and Step sections. Each one had high impact cardio and high intensity metabolic weight training. My heart was pumping! And it was great! After that 50 minutes, I did about 10 minutes of abs and then stretched. YWA: True for today, Day 19, was really good. It got me into poses I rarely attempt, which is always fun!
Sunday: Cathe's Lean Legs and Abs + YWA
Another leg day - they come so often! This was a new-to-me video and it was good, though not my favorite. It consisted of cardio/strength compound exercises and then standing and lying work with weights and the loop. I took a break in the midst of it to do my 250 lunges for the day. Ouch! That was 40 minutes of work - and then I did 10 minutes of the abs. After a nice stretch, I did today's YWA. It was nice and soft - just what I needed after all that leg work.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1187
Tuesday - 1157
Wednesday - 1157
Thursday - 1288
Friday - 1240
Saturday - 1580
Sunday - 1311
There were more social things this week which meant eating out more. I weighed later in the week and was the same - down only a pound from my original weight. Then I weighed after working out and that took off another 0.6 pounds, which made me feel a bit better. Ugh!
The workouts - getting more and more leg intensive - are challenging. Cathe is no joke. But I like it! And I'm loving Yoga with Adriene's True.
So, onward....
Monday: Cathe's Hard Strikes Low Impact Boxing Live + YWA
Yes, Monday was supposed to be my new rest day.... But I had the day off for MLK so I decided to save my rest day for tomorrow. This was my third time doing this live workout and it's fun. It proves that you can raise your heart rate - and keep it up - without jumping around. And there's so much boxing that my arms ached. Wow. Later in the day, I tuned into today's YWA: True. It was very calming.
Tuesday: YWA + abs + YWA
Ah, rest days. So lovely! I woke up this morning and did today's YWA: True. It was really good - and challenging, as usual. It's a bit early but I think True is better than last year's Revolution. After that, I did 15 minutes of abs from an old Cathe video. I honestly can't remember which video. And, after work, I did tomorrow's YWA...since I'll miss one on Thursday. It was 41 minutes long! I must admit that I skipped some of it; my evenings are just too full some days.
Wednesday: Cathe's Great Glutes + walk + YWA
I was ready for a painful morning....and Cathe delivered. This workout is intense, though not quite as intense as some of Cathe's early leg workouts. At least it's not dumbbell-centric. You get some un-weighted moves that really give you a break....and some that really hurt! At lunch, I walked at the rec center, braving the below-freezing temps. And after work, day 17 of YWA: True. It was a good way to end the day!
Thursday: Cathe's HIIT 30/30 + upper body + walk
Cardio time! It had been a while since I did this HIIT and it was a nice - tough - change. I don't think I'll ever like tuck jumps....but I admire Cathe for doing them and making me do them. Ha! After that 25 minutes, I did 15 minutes of upper body work from an old Cathe video...and I have no idea which one it was. It was just alright. At work, I walked the track at the rec center on my lunch hour - always happy to move and then stretch. It was sad not doing yoga today....but I'll continue it tomorrow!
Friday: Cathe's XTrain 04: SuperCuts + YWA
Holy cow! So it's been a while since I've done a metabolic weight training workout. These are supposedly a great way to get rid of fat and, considering how this one wiped me out, I'm about to believe it. Cathe works you hard with compound exercises, tons of reps, and lighter weights. She throws in a few low-impact weightless moves to keep your heart rate up but this workout is non-stop! After work, I tuned into YWA: True, Day18. Nice!
Saturday: Cathe's X10 + abs + YWA
Wowza. I've done several sections of X10 but it continuously surprises me with it's high intensity. Today, I did the Fat-Burning, Hi-Lo, and Step sections. Each one had high impact cardio and high intensity metabolic weight training. My heart was pumping! And it was great! After that 50 minutes, I did about 10 minutes of abs and then stretched. YWA: True for today, Day 19, was really good. It got me into poses I rarely attempt, which is always fun!
Sunday: Cathe's Lean Legs and Abs + YWA
Another leg day - they come so often! This was a new-to-me video and it was good, though not my favorite. It consisted of cardio/strength compound exercises and then standing and lying work with weights and the loop. I took a break in the midst of it to do my 250 lunges for the day. Ouch! That was 40 minutes of work - and then I did 10 minutes of the abs. After a nice stretch, I did today's YWA. It was nice and soft - just what I needed after all that leg work.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1187
Tuesday - 1157
Wednesday - 1157
Thursday - 1288
Friday - 1240
Saturday - 1580
Sunday - 1311
There were more social things this week which meant eating out more. I weighed later in the week and was the same - down only a pound from my original weight. Then I weighed after working out and that took off another 0.6 pounds, which made me feel a bit better. Ugh!
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Good Omens
My book group chose to read Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, for January. It was my second time to read this hilarious novel about Armageddon.
Here's my Goodreads review:
This was my second time through Good Omens. This book definitely makes an impact - hilariously and seriously. The concept is so original but the delivery falls apart halfway through. Pratchett and Gaiman lost my interest with the four horseman and it was downhill to armageddon. And I was angry at them for making four uninteresting characters when there's so much potential there! Those four either needed more development or none whatsoever.
The greatest part of this book is the relationship between Aziraphale and Crowley. I wish the entire thing could have focused on them and Adam. That would be a great read.
Here's my Goodreads review:
This was my second time through Good Omens. This book definitely makes an impact - hilariously and seriously. The concept is so original but the delivery falls apart halfway through. Pratchett and Gaiman lost my interest with the four horseman and it was downhill to armageddon. And I was angry at them for making four uninteresting characters when there's so much potential there! Those four either needed more development or none whatsoever.
The greatest part of this book is the relationship between Aziraphale and Crowley. I wish the entire thing could have focused on them and Adam. That would be a great read.
Monday, January 15, 2018
Butt and Plateau Buster Months: Week 2
To start the week off, I weighed. And I was done 0.6 pounds! I know this doesn't seem like much....but I'm ecstatic! That's 0.6 pounds below the number that hasn't budged in months. Amazing!! And to think that a week ago, on New Year's Day, I was eating horribly.....wow! There's hope...
So now I'm even more motivated than usual!
One minor change.... My rest days are screwed up since I took last Monday off for the holiday. So, for now, rest days will come at the beginning of the week.
Monday: YWA + Cathe's Fit Split Core + YWA
Rest day! My legs were still killing me this morning so a rest day sounded lovely! And then Adriene got my blood pumping with TRUE Day 7. Wow. Up and down, up and down... That's one way to get going in the morning! After that 25 minute practice, I tuned into Cathe's new Fit Split program's core routine. OUCH! I couldn't get through this one, it was so painful! I did about 3/4 of it. And, at the end of the day, I did TRUE Day 8, which I'd downloaded - because I'm going to miss yoga on Thursday. So, I'll be ahead of the game until then!
Tuesday: Cathe's Low Impact Cardio HIIT Live + YWA
Oh my gosh! I didn't know what I was getting into this morning! This low impact workout worked me harder than any other Cathe low impact workout. It was crazy intense! And short! I did about 10 minutes of my cardio to fill a full 40 minutes. It felt good but dang! After work, this YWA Day 9 had some lovely stretches. Very nice!
Wednesday: Cathe's Leaner Legs + walk + YWA
Considering my legs were still hurting from Saturday, I was not looking forward to another leg day. Cathe doesn't warm you up quite as much as usual in this older workout so you're thrown into some intense exercises pretty quickly. The good news was that my heart rate skyrocketed and only came down briefly during the deadlifts. So this was a crazy workout! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and after work, YWA! Day 10! Lots of twists in this Detox session - but it was all good.
Thursday: Cathe's Upper Body with Ball Live + walk + YWA
Time for arms this morning! This was a good workout for this week, after more intense arm work last week. It was shorter and then Cathe moved into ab work. I got through one of the ab circuits and then stopped - a bit early today to have a few more minutes to get ready. At lunch, I walked at the rec center again. My evening plans got moved to next week so I could do my yoga! YWA True was really good - soft. I'm all about soft yoga at this time in the week!
Friday: Cathe's To the Max + YWA
I couldn't remember this workout, though I'd done it before. And it was a lot harder than I anticipated! I did these segments: step, tabata, and HIIT. Whew! It was definitely a great workout...just not what I expected. I did about 5 minutes of my own cardio at the end to cool off and take it down a notch. Day 12 of YWA True was really good - and challenging. Adriene always manages to surprise me!
Saturday: Cathe's Strong and Sweaty: Ramped Up Upper Body + XTrain Core 2 + YWA
Back to the upper body today. I was still a tiny bit sore from Thursday but not too bad. This workout definitely tested my strength, though. It's fast moving and high rep. My arms burned out quickly using heavier weights. I generally had to decrease my weight on the second rep. After that 45 minutes, I did 10 minutes of XTrain Core 2 - which was challenging. I had to skip one move altogether. And since I was a day ahead of YWA, I got stuck today when they didn't post the next day's True on the download site. Oy. So, I did this YWA on rabbit pose, hoping it would stretch my arms - and it did!
Sunday: Cathe's X10 + XTrain Legs + YWA
Whew. So I started the morning with X10 - a brutal cardio workout. I did the Cardio Blast and Low Impact sections. This is a killer workout. In between sections, I did walking lunges for a total of 200. All that lasted 35 minutes. I then tuned into XTrain Legs. Ironically, the standing work of this workout is nothing compared to what you do on the floor. I was in agony on the floor. That went on for 30 minutes. I then treated myself to a good stretch - my legs were so tired. Then, YWA was all about strength today, which only further tested my poor legs. Ouch! I was glad to be done. YWA works much better when it stands alone - for me, anyway.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1198
Tuesday - 1159
Wednesday - 1123
Thursday - 1123
Friday - 1176
Saturday - 1205
Sunday - 1220
Success! A week of healthy eating!
So now I'm even more motivated than usual!
One minor change.... My rest days are screwed up since I took last Monday off for the holiday. So, for now, rest days will come at the beginning of the week.
Monday: YWA + Cathe's Fit Split Core + YWA
Rest day! My legs were still killing me this morning so a rest day sounded lovely! And then Adriene got my blood pumping with TRUE Day 7. Wow. Up and down, up and down... That's one way to get going in the morning! After that 25 minute practice, I tuned into Cathe's new Fit Split program's core routine. OUCH! I couldn't get through this one, it was so painful! I did about 3/4 of it. And, at the end of the day, I did TRUE Day 8, which I'd downloaded - because I'm going to miss yoga on Thursday. So, I'll be ahead of the game until then!
Tuesday: Cathe's Low Impact Cardio HIIT Live + YWA
Oh my gosh! I didn't know what I was getting into this morning! This low impact workout worked me harder than any other Cathe low impact workout. It was crazy intense! And short! I did about 10 minutes of my cardio to fill a full 40 minutes. It felt good but dang! After work, this YWA Day 9 had some lovely stretches. Very nice!
Wednesday: Cathe's Leaner Legs + walk + YWA
Considering my legs were still hurting from Saturday, I was not looking forward to another leg day. Cathe doesn't warm you up quite as much as usual in this older workout so you're thrown into some intense exercises pretty quickly. The good news was that my heart rate skyrocketed and only came down briefly during the deadlifts. So this was a crazy workout! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and after work, YWA! Day 10! Lots of twists in this Detox session - but it was all good.
Thursday: Cathe's Upper Body with Ball Live + walk + YWA
Time for arms this morning! This was a good workout for this week, after more intense arm work last week. It was shorter and then Cathe moved into ab work. I got through one of the ab circuits and then stopped - a bit early today to have a few more minutes to get ready. At lunch, I walked at the rec center again. My evening plans got moved to next week so I could do my yoga! YWA True was really good - soft. I'm all about soft yoga at this time in the week!
Friday: Cathe's To the Max + YWA
I couldn't remember this workout, though I'd done it before. And it was a lot harder than I anticipated! I did these segments: step, tabata, and HIIT. Whew! It was definitely a great workout...just not what I expected. I did about 5 minutes of my own cardio at the end to cool off and take it down a notch. Day 12 of YWA True was really good - and challenging. Adriene always manages to surprise me!
Saturday: Cathe's Strong and Sweaty: Ramped Up Upper Body + XTrain Core 2 + YWA
Back to the upper body today. I was still a tiny bit sore from Thursday but not too bad. This workout definitely tested my strength, though. It's fast moving and high rep. My arms burned out quickly using heavier weights. I generally had to decrease my weight on the second rep. After that 45 minutes, I did 10 minutes of XTrain Core 2 - which was challenging. I had to skip one move altogether. And since I was a day ahead of YWA, I got stuck today when they didn't post the next day's True on the download site. Oy. So, I did this YWA on rabbit pose, hoping it would stretch my arms - and it did!
Sunday: Cathe's X10 + XTrain Legs + YWA
Whew. So I started the morning with X10 - a brutal cardio workout. I did the Cardio Blast and Low Impact sections. This is a killer workout. In between sections, I did walking lunges for a total of 200. All that lasted 35 minutes. I then tuned into XTrain Legs. Ironically, the standing work of this workout is nothing compared to what you do on the floor. I was in agony on the floor. That went on for 30 minutes. I then treated myself to a good stretch - my legs were so tired. Then, YWA was all about strength today, which only further tested my poor legs. Ouch! I was glad to be done. YWA works much better when it stands alone - for me, anyway.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1198
Tuesday - 1159
Wednesday - 1123
Thursday - 1123
Friday - 1176
Saturday - 1205
Sunday - 1220
Success! A week of healthy eating!
Friday, January 12, 2018
Winter Weathering
In the fall, the Farmer's Almanac came out with our winter weather prediction: a colder, wetter winter. Then, the "news authorities" conjured up their own forecasts: a warmer, drier La Nina-induced winter. Those authorities laughed at the Farmer's Almanac.
What has our winter been like, thus far? Colder - much colder - and wetter. We've had ice or snow three times already, though with no great amounts. The entire week between Christmas and New Year's was cold, grey, and drizzly. Our gas bill quadrupled in the span of a week.
The prediction for the coming week is still cold. Oh, and there's another chance for freezing rain. I love it! I just want to stay home and knit, so can we have some honest-to-goodness snow days, already?! What's the point of all this cold if we can't have some snow days?!
What has our winter been like, thus far? Colder - much colder - and wetter. We've had ice or snow three times already, though with no great amounts. The entire week between Christmas and New Year's was cold, grey, and drizzly. Our gas bill quadrupled in the span of a week.
The prediction for the coming week is still cold. Oh, and there's another chance for freezing rain. I love it! I just want to stay home and knit, so can we have some honest-to-goodness snow days, already?! What's the point of all this cold if we can't have some snow days?!
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