No naps= Extra walking

It would be a little silly for ma to write down what I did last week by day because I would just say the same thing over and over. Each day I walked 2-4 miles and also rode the bike nearly every day.

Luke (at 26 months) has decided that he no longer wants to take a nap. So, I put him in his room and he talks to himself and plays for about 45 minutes. Then, at about 4pm, we take a walk. He will fall asleep in the stroller nearly every time. While I miss the naps, I still get a little time to myself and I am almost guaranteed to get some good exercise in. :)

Walk Away the Pounds for Abs - 3 miles

I dunno about the abs part, but this was exactly the ticket for the slowly-recovering me today.

I don't think I've done this DVD since right after my first was born, but I was glad I kept it, because it was just what I needed to follow that article's advice about working out at about half your normal intensity when you're sick. This was about 40 minutes long, but it's basically just walking - with a few kicks and knee-lifts and such thrown in. There's a goofy-looking resistance belt that they use, but I don't have one, and so just moved my arms half-heartedly along with them . . . again, perfect for today.

Along with being good for sick days, this would be a great DVD for someone who wanted something low-impact, or who was just starting out, or just wanted to replace her usual neighborhood stroll on a day with nasty weather. It gets your heartrate up, but doesn't demand an all-out effort. I really think there's a niche (or three) in the workout world for this sort of DVD. It's not my normal thing, but I'm glad it was there when I needed it. It felt good to work out again after a week of blah.

-Jess

quick follow-up to the last post

Just after I posted about being sick, this article showed up as a link in my feed-reader. It's about exercising when getting over a cold. Timely!

Makes me think I might try my (one) Walk-Away-the-Pounds DVD today for a few minutes and see how it goes. It's very low-key, low-impact, and trying it out might be a good way to gently start getting back into my routine. The article says:

Also, according to a CNN medical expert, people with colds should begin working out at 50 percent intensity. If symptoms improve in the first five to ten minutes, you can gradually increase the length and effort up to about 80 percent of your normal workouts. On the other hand, if your symptoms do not improve, you should only engage in mild exercise such as walking. And remember, over-doing it with heavy and intense exercise may actually reduce your immune system function and prevent you from getting better!

So, I might go that route today. We'll see.

-Jess

ugh, sick

I just posted my week 20 summary, because I hadn't done it yet, and I'm realizing that Week 21 is going to look very, very sad.

The thing is, I've caught some horrible respiratory bug, and haven't worked out all week. I miss it so much! It's terrible. But when I'm sitting here all day feeling like I just inhaled a lungful of pool water, and being achy and exhausted even though I've done nothing but sit and nap all day . . . well, I don't think I ought to work out.

Anyway. Here's the weird thing: I've lost three or four pounds this week I've been sick. What's the diagnosis, ladies? Is it because I'm not working out and I've lost muscle mass? Isn't that too much muscle mass to lose in just a week of not working out? That sounds way too fast for me. I'd guess a pound of it is actually from eating less (food doesn't taste good right now - no sense of smell = no sense of taste), but not all of it - I have still been eating. Or maybe since I'm not working out, I don't have any muscle-repairing inflammation? <-- I bet that's part of it. I know the kind of workouts I like cause a bit of (good) damage daily, and I know you retain a bit of water when your body's repairing muscle.

Probably all three, plus getting past the time of the month. It's just weird though. It's not how I'd planned on losing weight, and I really don't know whether to be happy about it or not. It's just not terribly normal. I guess I'll be happy about it if I don't bounce back up the scale as soon as I get well! :D

-Jess

Week 20 summary for Jess

10/17 - Sunday - Bob Harper: Cardio Conditioning, 60 min. section
10/18 - Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism
10/19 - nothing 
10/20 - No More Trouble Zones
10/21 - ran 1.5 miles
10/22 - Bob Harper Super Strength - 60 min. section

10/23 - nothing

-Jess

Weight loss

Weight this morning: 149.7lbs. Which is, technically, less than 150. :) I had given up on the idea of ever seeing that number again, so I'm unreasonably happy about it.

Jess, you know how we've talked about weight loss sometimes leading to a desire to exercise? I'm finding that to be true. Still not sure exactly where I'll fit it in, but I'm thinking about pulling out Jillian's Shred again, a couple of times a week.

Bob Harper: Super Strength, 60 min. section

Okay, second time through, and I think I can give you a better idea of what to expect from this one.

Lots of moves that are done normally, and then intensified. Like doing push-ups, and then holding halfway down in push-up position for . . . awhile.  Or doing bent-over rows, and then lifting to halfway up, and doing the raises from the halfway point to the top over and over (so you have a small range of motion, and a more intense movement). Or doing shoulder raises three different ways, and then, after burning out the muscles that way, just holding the weights up in the fully-extended position for an isometric hold.  Or doing a bunch of lunges, and then, once your quads are feeling it, going into a static squat, so they really burn, and doing a sort of backwards fly to hit your dorsal muscles for good measure.

Someday, someday . . . there's a section where you do a push-up on your weights, then go into a T-position on one side (holding your weight on your feet and one hand, other hand high in the air with the weight, whole body tilted sideways), then back to a push-up, then T-position on the other side, and so forth . . . someday, I want to be able to do that section as fast as they do it, without stopping. I am so far from that right now!

But I'm loving having a DVD that really, really challenges me. At least for me - and I'm aware this isn't everyone's style - having something challenging is what makes it fun for me. Not so challenging that I'm just failing at everything, but challenging enough that I can't do it all and challenging enough that I feel really good about the stuff I can do. I think that's really part of what makes it fun for me.

Good self-knowledge, I think. Now I'm wondering if that applies elsewhere in my life. :)

-Jess

neat blog

I recently found this blog, Eat Like Me. It's a nutritionist who photographs and blogs her meals every day. From what I can tell, she's more about healthy food and healthy portion sizes than counting calories. And her food actually looks good! And she's a mom.

Anyway, I've enjoyed flipping through it. On the main page is only little excerpts from each post, but if you go to one of the posts itself, you can flip from post to post easily. 

Just linking because I thought some of you might enjoy it too. It's giving me lunch and breakfast ideas, for sure!

-Jess

ran today!

I'm so excited - I got to exercise outside! My brother came over, and we ran 1.5 miles together (basically, around the giant city block). It was so nice to be out before the sun was up, in that lovely cool air, and to watch the sky get gradually lighter. It was fun to hang out with my brother.

So, we both agreed that running wasn't something we want to do every day (we like our knees too much), but we're going to go again next week. Maybe a little farther, if we're up early enough.

Very fun. 

-Jess

No More Trouble Zones

Did this today.

-Jessica

Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism

Did this. Am sure I have sweated enough for the day. Spent last half of workout dreaming about the mango waiting for me in the kitchen. Mangotime!

-Jess

how not to do karate (alternate title: ouch!)

Yesterday at karate, we did a basic warm-up (about 15 minutes). I spent the next sixty minutes teaching a very small child the finer points of stance and turning. Well, they weren't all "finer points". We started with "please, A, bend your knees."

15 minutes before class was dismissed, the assistant sensei (who was leading the class) gave us two tricky series of kicks, and told us to practice. Ten minutes of strenuous kicking. And obviously, those of us who had been teaching small ones were no longer "warm".

Ouch.








(ouchouchouchouchouchouch!)

Week 19 Summary for Jess

10/10 - Sunday - nothing
10/11 - nothing
10/12 - Bob Harper Super Strength - 60 min. section
10/13 - Dance of the Inches: Hip-Hop Party - 2/3 sections
10/14 - Personal Training with Jackie DVD - just the legs sections (forgot to post this when I did it, but I did it!) 
10/15 - nothing 

10/16 - nothing

-Jess

Bob Harper: Cardio Conditioning

Second time doing this workout, and I still really like it.

Kelly, I'm not sure I'd call these pregnancy-friendly, though I don't remember any moves that have you on your back. But there's lots of plank-stuff, jumping stuff, and swinging weights (like kettlebells). It might work well if you were willing to do many of the moves sans weights.  It's certainly really, really strenuous. Harder than Jillian's, I'd say. As I recall, the strength-training one does have you on your back a bit, but not much. Amazon actually has a really detailed review (move by move) of the DVDs, near the top.

-Jess

Midweek, Gardening, Bye Nursing

Monday- 2 mile walk with Luke

Tuesday-3 miles walking, belly portion of BBT Prevention DVD

Wednesday- 45 minutes on the bike: about 10 miles and 350 calories burned.

Thursday- No official exercise, but I worked outside for quite some time. I planted three cuttings in my flower beds, weeded, and cut off a few branches from our gigantic oak tree so that wehn people park in front of our house, the tree doesn't brush their car. Also, I cleaned the shower with vigor!

I went to a MOPS meeting today that was all about gardening. The guest speaker writes for the Houston Chronicle and has been gardening in Houston for over 40 years! I really wanted to beg her to let me be an apprentice. :)

On a bright note too, I have had more than a week solid of good eating days, including my birthday party day where a very yummy cake and delicious ice cream were present. (I ate some, enjoyed it thoruoghly, but didn't gorge myself. Every time I eat something and it doesn't eat me back is a gift and I am trying to always be thankful.

Lastly, I stopped nursing Luke October 5th (my birthday). He just turned two and it was time. I was emotional about it and so was he, but we made it through. Since stopping nursing (which was only 2x a day), I have not felt the great urge to eat like I used to. Maybe my hormones are changing? Maybe it really did take a lot of extra calories to keep producing?

Oh, and Bob Harpers strength DVD arrives any minute by UPS. I am almost Giddy!

Dance of the Inches: Hip-Hop Party

Did 2/3 sections of this. 

-Jess

Bob Harper Super Strength - 60 minutes

Ow, ow, ow.  Picture this: you're in a plank on your weights, you do a push-up, then push up to a t-position (twisted over to one side, one hand (holding the weight) up over your head) then back to plank, do a push-up, then a T on your other side, back to plank and do a push-up . . . ay-yi-yi!

That's just one of the circuits. Oof. I hurt.

-Jess

Week 18 Summary for Jess

10/3 - Sunday - Dancing with the Stars - Dance Off the Pounds DVD
10/4 - Personal Training with Jackie DVD
10/5 - nothing
10/6 - Bob Harper Cardio Conditioning - 25 min. section
10/7 - Bob Harper Cardio Conditioning - 60 min. section
10/8 - alternating jump rope/jumping jacks/walking for 21 minutes
10/9 - Bob Harper Super Strength - 20 min. section

jumping workout

I did a 21 minute workout of jump rope (with an actual rope - whatdayaknow? it's harder with a real rope!), jumping jacks and walking to recover.

Kelly, I'm sorry you have nausea, and I hope you manage to keep up your activity like you want to until it fades. Is walking rather than running  an option?

Amie - you know you're welcome here in whatever form works for you. You're always inspiring (Miss P90X!), busy or not-so-busy.

-Jess

My hiatus

I really do enjoy reading your gals thoughts...but life has seasons and for me this season is kicking my butt :-)

I am hoping you won't kick me off the team when (if) life and routines seem to be easier I'll get back to posting but for now posting is something that is temporarily coming off my plate keep up the great work!

Amie

acceptance

My nausea picked up on Tuesday and I wasn't able to get in any exercise Tues or Wed. On Thursday, I was still uncomfortable, but forced myself to try to run 2 miles anyhow. It hurt. My muscles were fine, but the feeling in my stomach was so incredibly uncomfortable that after a mile and half of discomfort, I had to walk.

I am finding myself faced with a challenge. I know once the nausea stops that I will be able to exercise again. I would like to maintain my muscle so that I can continue at where I'm at when that time comes. I know I can do just 20 minutes 3 times a week and accomplish that from my experience when traveling this summer (and that included a whole week off). So, that is my new goal. To do 20 minutes of something 3 times week. Even if makes me want to upchuck.

Is that crazy?

But even though my stomach hurt, I felt emotionally and psychologically better after my run yesterday. And, my body as a whole felt looser. Which was good. However, the run was really uncomfortable, so I'm thinking it wiser not to plan on running as a dependable exercise these next weeks.

I suppose we'll just see how things go. I have decided though, to not be hard on myself. Even if I don't manage to exercise this first trimester, I know I'll be able to pick it up again. Hey, with Edmund, I didn't exercise until my nausea stopped at 14 weeks and I was able to start running a mile while pushing a double stroller (and that was when I was NOT in shape). So, I know that I will be able to pick things up pretty close to where they were left off. I just need to keep telling myself that over and over and over again.

So many women say they try to block out the memories of the pain of labor. For me, I think I blocked out my memory of the first trimester. I'd much rather give birth than suffer several weeks of nausea. Blah.

Bob Harper: Cardio Conditioning

I did the 60 minute workout today. Fun! Painful! Lots of squats, lots of jumping, burpees, kettlebell swings (done with dumbells). Lots of getting into a position (like a chair squat) and holding, and holding, and holding . . . he does a lot of stuff that's familiar, but has you do it longer than a Jillian DVD would. Not a beginner workout. And it's cardio, but it's cardio that incorporates weights and a lot of strength moves. 

In other words: this was right up my alley. I loved it. I had to stop at different points, and I'm excited to have a new challenge: some day, I want to get through this without stopping. 

Oh, and scorpion pushups! Oh my goodness! Have any of you ever done those? Wow!

The other really fun thing about this DVD was that his fitness models weren't perfect. They were having trouble with different stuff. And I think some of it was scripted, but some of it wasn't. That was fun to see.

-Jess

Bob Harper: Cardio Conditioning

This came last night, so this morning I did the 25 minute workout, which focuses on lower body and balance.

Owwwwww. Learn the power, not of moving fast, but of holding yourself in the same position for a very long time.  

I'm looking forward to tackling the 60 minute workout tomorrow, if my brother doesn't decide to go running with me. But I might tackle it in two sections. Yeah. 

Also, Bob just might be meaner than Jillian. 

-Jess

Personal Training with Jackie

Did this yesterday.

I'm not planning on working out today, and honestly, it's partly because my Bob Harper DVD shipped, and I want to be fresh when I try it out, because maybe then I won't die. Heh.

Kelly, I'm sorry the nausea's hitting. I hope it stays at this level and doesn't get worse.

-Jess

tired and nauseous

So, I did not exercise at all this weekend. Instead I slept. The nausea has kicked in. It isn't as bad as my last pregnancies. I don't know if it will get worse or if maybe that might be a result of taking better care of my body.

I just finished 30 minutes of pilates, free weights and stretching. Not an incredible workout, but I did do it and that is good. Mondays are always hard for me, and this weekend seemed especially tiring. But I am feeling a bit better now that I've done some exercise. It didn't really help that I haven't been able to stomach much food today and that just contributes to the general wiped out feeling. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a bit better.

Dancing with the Stars: Dance Off the Pounds

This is the first time I did this DVD all the way through. I'd done the first two sections, swing and jive, before, and now that I know them a bit, I'm really enjoying them. And the jive, especially, gets me very out of breath!  And I finally did the last section, the quickstep.

I'd thought before that I didn't have enough room in my living room to do this one, but it turns out that I do. This section ended up being a real challenge. The first half is kind of slow, because he's teaching you a basic quickstep. But then he starts jumping around and it gets really hard really fast. I'm going to have to do it several more times in order to be quick enough - no pun intended.

-Jess

Its Fall!!

Sunday: can't remember

Monday: Prevention DVD and walk with Luke

Tuesday: Self: Your Best Butt Fast

Wednesday: strength and abs for about 20 mins

Thursday: walk with Luke

Friday: walk with Luke and cleaning

Saturday: walk with Luke and cleaning

Can you tell that my workouts are shifting! I think I need to add a Jillian back in to the weekly routine though since my arms are not feeling as muscular.

No More Trouble Zones + Week 17 Summary for Jess

Sunday: Bhangra Jam & jumping jacks/jump rope

Monday: Self: Slick and Slim Fast & jumping jacks

Tuesday: Self: Your Best Butt Fast

Wednesday: Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism

Thursday: Personal Training with Jackie

Friday: nothing

Saturday: No More Trouble Zones

Plus there was hiking and swimming in there. I'm so excited: I managed to go on vacation and not gain weight! This might be a first.  V. cool to know it can be done.

How's everyone else doing? I know I was lucky to get to escape the heat last week. Did the rest of you make it through? And the rest of you, who aren't in SoCal, is the weather where you are making it tougher or easier to be healthy?

-Jess

for Emily - the secret of powerful kicks

Use your right leg. You know it's true.

-Jess

Self: Your Best Butt Fast, + Jillian and Jackie

Tues: Self - Your Best Butt Fast

    This was okay. There were a few moves that really hurt, but it was mostly just an easy day.

Wednesday I did Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism and yesterday I did Jackie's circuit training video.

Also, we were up in Big Bear this week, and may I just say that Jillian, at ALTITUDE, is very different than Jillian just above sea level?

There was also a bunch of hiking and such this week.

-Jess

Cheat Day

6 weeks on the NWSNWF plan. Today I'm eating chocolate silk pie from Marie Callender's. And oh my, I am enjoying it! I'll be back to my usual plan tomorrow, but I think the occasional cheat day is going to be important to my long term success.

By the way, I haven't been posting much about karate because I've been doing a lot of teaching. Which is interesting to me, but probably not particularly interesting to you. :)