pull-ups + No More Trouble Zones

I'm solidly back to being able to do two pull-ups in a row. Still there, for a couple weeks now, which makes me think I've really got it now. That's where I was at in the spring when I got sick. And now I feel like I honestly might be able to make it to three-in-a-row by Christmas. 

That sounds so sad - TWO reps of an exercise being a big deal! But when I realize that it's raising just under 140 lbs. of weight from a dead hang - well, then it sounds more impressive. Still! Guys are able to do a ton of these. I'm never going to be able to do a ton, but I have this dream of someday being able to do 10. Maybe by the time I'm 35, eh? That's a good goal. By age 35, I want to be published in novel form, and be able to do 10 pull-ups. :D

Oh yeah: No More Trouble Zones too. I thought about doing Jackie, but I just finished reading/skimming her book, and the realization that she's a crazypants sort of put me off of the idea. (Knows her weights, but is a crazypants.) Maybe I'll be ready to face her again by Thurs.

-Jess

pull-ups and jumping bean workout

I did pull-ups today.

And then I made up a workout, because I didn't have enough time to do the workout I wanted to do. I made a playlist of fast-paced songs that was 20 minutes long, and made a list of plyometric exercises, and just went through them till the music was over. 

Although, it ended up being a bit longer than 20 minutes, because I found as I went on that I wanted to try to get through the list twice. Anyway, here's the list:

-jumping jacks

-jump rope (sans rope, as I was inside)

-squat jumps (down into a full squat, then jump up)

-skaters

-high knees

-mountain climbers (not jumping, really, but . . .)

-butt kicks

-side-to-side jumps

-skiers (sort of a Norditrak motion)

-rock star jumps

I let myself do butt kicks or skaters in between the really hard ones, in order to get my breath back a bit.

Anyway. I don't think I've felt like that since high school track. Or the first time I did the 30 Day Shred. :)  I'm not sure I want to do it again. I almost fell over the first time I tried to get up after I stretched, because my calves hurt so much.  But . . . good workout.

-Jess

pull-ups + No More Trouble Zones

Felt great to do this!

AND . . . as of this week, I'm back to being able to do two pull-ups in a row! that's what I was able to do in the spring, before I got sick. And I'm back to it! I'm so psyched! Three-in-a-row, here I come!

-Jess

Personal Training with Jackie + pull-ups

Yesterday. Looks like it might be just one workout this week for me - yipes! All I can say is our heat wave just did a number on me. I felt awful all week: eyes dry, headaches, ick. I don't do heat well.

But I ate well this week, so that's good. I feel like I'm still learning what "normal" eating is like for my non-pregnant, non-nursing self. I didn't know much about nutrition until I got pregnant and started researching it, and now (this month? next?) it's been a year since I stopped nursing. So, six years of learning about nutrition while nursing and/or pregnant, and now a year of learning how to feed just me. I'm getting there. But I'm still amazed at how different what my body needs is from what my mind (and mouth) want. It's said over and over again, but our culture (particularly advertisements) lead me to expect that I should be eating so much more than I really should. As I try to put the principles I've learned into practice, I'm finding it odd and hard, and I'm surprised that I'm surprised at that.  I guess what I'm really getting at is that this is the first time I've really taken this knowledge ("calories in < or =" calories">It's just really weird, realizing that everything they say about our eating culture is true. (And, when you think about how our culture simultaneously idolizes skinniness, it begins to look downright S&M. Unhealthy on both extremes at the same time.)

Hope this is okay to share. It's just been on my mind a lot as I've been working on learning how to feed myself when no one else is literally sucking calories out of me! (Now, figuratively sucking energy - that we can talk about!) 

Peace of Christ to you,

Jessica Snell

Week 11 Summary for Jess

Sunday: Dance with Julianne: Cardio Ballroom

Monday: Personal Training with Jackie + pull-ups

Tuesday: nothing

Wednesday: nothing

Thursday: nothing

Friday: Jillian Michaels' Yoga Meltdown, Levels 1 & 2

Saturday: No More Trouble Zones + pull-ups

No More Trouble Zones + pull-ups

Yesterday. Not today. Today I went to church, came home and had lunch and journaled and started devouring Dr Who: The Writer's Tale, also devoured some Ben and Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch (the best ice cream in the entire world and ENTIRELY worth the calorie count - once in awhile), thought I was going to write some of my "fun story" (that's what I call it in my head; it's your basic space opera), but instead found that I was in exactly the right place to finish a scene in the "real novel" (also a nickname from the world of my head, for the WIP I'm supposed to be finishing), did that and now am looking forward to reading yet MORE Writer's Tale. Will resume proper health practices tomorrow. Today was for my head and my heart.\

-Jessica

Personal Training with Jackie + pull-ups

I got up early this morning and had my devotions and worked out. I always want to do this, but don't always actually do it. But I'm really glad I did this today, because after I did, my son came to the top of the stairs and said, "I need to throw up." And he did. So . . . it's probably going to be a long day, and I'm very grateful I've already done my stuff, because I'm going to need to concentrate on my poor sicko the rest of today, I think.

-Jess

p.s. Yesterday, I went swimming for the first time since I had Lasik. Wow! I could swim on my back, looking up at the sky, and actually see the leaves on the eucalyptus trees and the gorgeous daytime moon floating in the sky and everything. It was beautiful!

No More Trouble Zones + pull-ups

Yep. And nothing yesterday, 'cause we were potty-training, and I was stressed out. But the potty-training is going well . . . well . . . well-enough-to-be-going-on-with.  So. Onward.

-Jess

Personal Training with Jackie + pull-ups today.

-Jess

Personal Training with Jackie

This, plus pull-ups. Nice to be able to do that again!

-Jessica

No More Trouble Zones + pull-ups

What the title says. And boy, working out in this heat is just a punishment. Ick. I think I drank almost 32 oz. of water in the course of the workout, just to try to stay hydrated.

-Jessica

Personal Training with Jackie

I got to finish it this time!

And yesterday I worked on pull-ups.

-Jess