AIF: Tried & True to Beat These Rainy-Day Blues

It’s been a while since I’ve written an Adventures in Fitness (AIF) post, so it’s about time, don’t you think?

The weather outside is pouring rain and fairly chilly at around 50 degrees (I know that’s downright balmy to lots of you, but give me a break, I live in CA), which makes me somewhat unmotivated to do much more than snuggle on the couch and read a good book or watch some trashy t.v.

So, to counteract those instincts, I’m heading to the gym today after school.  In about 30 minutes, actually.  I packed my gym bag and I’m ready to go as soon as the parking lot clears out.

I’ve decided that today I’m going with the tried and true workout – a little elliptical time, followed by some ab work and then a small amount of weight training (arms).  As much as I love all the group exercise classes that I take at the gym (see the list below), sometimes nothing is better to get the blood flowing and the sweatyface going than a good, old-fashioned session on the elliptical.

I have next week off of work for Presidents’ Week, and as ScaleWarfare pointed out, I’m quite lucky, because most people only get Monday off.  Knowing that I’m going to have lots of free time on my hands with very little planned during the day (because most of my friends/family will be working), I decided it was the perfect opportunity to try out a bunch of group exercise classes at the gym that I haven’t ever taken/haven’t been to in a while.

My goal for next week is to get into the gym each day, M-F.  I know some days I’ll be exercising twice, because LC and I have a few evening yoga classes planned.  I’m going to make the most of this time off and treat it as a mini boot camp/preview of summer.  Plus, staying active in the gym means that I’m not going to spend my entire week shopping, so my wallet can stay “healthy” as well.

Here’s what I’m thinking:
Saturday: Zumba (natch!)
Sunday: off from the gym.  Maybe some Wii, if I’m feeling like it.
Monday: Bikram yoga in the evening with LC
Tuesday: Muscle Blast @ 9AM – Feel the burn in this class! Hand weights, barbells and your own body weight will be used to help you develop muscular strength for the upper and lower body.
Afro-Belly Boogie @ 6:30PM – This workout combines high-energy conditioning and rhythmic movements of African dance with the sensuous muscle isolations of Belly Dance to create a low impact, spirit boosting, high cardio workout. The workout features rhythms and sounds from Africa, Caribbean, Middle East and even current club beats. You’ll have fun while you burn calories, tone your core and strengthen your upper and lower body all while dancing to the beat.
Wednesday: Step Jam24* @ 9AM – Time to get ‘step crazy’! Step Jam24 is totally original and fun! New to step? Don’t worry. In this workout patterns are user-friendly. Suitable for all fitness levels.
Thursday: my first-ever spin class @ 9AM!
Friday: old-fashioned cardio + weight training & abs

Tuesday I’m doing double-days, with workouts in the morning and the evening, but I think I’ll be alright.  The morning workout is strength training and the afternoon is cardio.

*I know that my last attempt at a step class didn’t go well, but since this one says it’s perfect for beginners, I’m hoping that I’ll be able to keep up with it a bit better.  If not, I’ll just hit one of the cardio machines instead.

That’s my workout plan, what’s yours?

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#Reverb10, Day 13: Action

For the month of December, I’ll be participating in Reverb 10. Each day gives a new prompt, which is a chance to reflect on 2010 and manifest what’s next in 2011.

December 13 – Action
When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step? (Author: Scott Belsky)

This prompt is perfect for me because I am someone who is full of good  great phenomenal ideas but who sometimes lacks the follow through on said ideas, especially when it  comes to weight loss.

Since I always have lots of ideas brewing and bubbling, I’m just going to focus on the one that seems to give me the most trouble – working out.

2010’s mantra for weight loss was Take Action.  And I’ve made significant strides towards that aim, but if we’re talking strictly in terms of results, the mantra wasn’t very successful.  And one reason why is because I tend to have grandiose plans that I can’t realistically accomplish.

So in keeping with that, I’m going to try something new – keeping it simple.

24 Hour Fitness has streamlined lots of their procedures in order to make things simpler for their members, including check-in.  Now instead of having to remember my card (or remember where I last put my card), all I have to do is type in my phone number, and along with a scan of my fingerprint, I’m all checked in.  Easy peasy.

And getting to the gym really isn’t as difficult as I make it out to be in my head (why do I build it up to be this big deal?).  I have the gym bag packed with clothes, shoes, headphones –  even a towel – all I have to do is drive there and spend 45 minutes or so giving it my all.

In order to make this action – working out at the gym – more pleasurable and something that I’m inclined to look forward to I’m going to start trying out the classes they offer because they’re more fun than just hitting the elliptical machine for 35 minutes.  Although some days that’s a perfect workout, too.  But when I’m feeling more social, nothing beats a fun group exercise class.

So for this week, (which is all I want to commit to) here’s the plan: All of the days will include walking Lulu, but if I have no other organized exercise, I’ll walk her for 45 minutes.

Monday: core (deadbugs, crunches), elliptical
Tuesday: off day
Wednesday: Aqua Aerobics
Thursday: Bikram Yoga
Friday: off day
Saturday: Zumba
Sunday: SharQui – Belly Dancing

Now that the plan is in place, all that’s left is to turn it into action.

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Just Dance, I Say, DANCE!

Whew!  My heart is still beating fast after my 30-min session with Just Dance.  It was so much fun, although according to the game, I really don’t have much rhythm, which is so not true.

The way the game works is that you follow the “choreographer” that’s on the screen.  The tricky part (besides the actual dance moves themselves) is that it’s a mirror image, so while I was trying to keep up and do the same arm and leg movements they were, I would get lost because I was moving the wrong arm. I did “OK” on most moves, but the game did indicate that I “missed” quite a few as well.  On the plus side, I got some “greats” in there, too.  Most of the choreographed moves aren’t ones that I would have chosen for the particular songs that played, but then again, I’m no dance pro.  I really liked that it was challenging in terms of the moves, because that way it keeps it interesting.

I’m certainly glad I had the forethought to close the front door (I keep it open with screen locked so that I get a nice cross breeze throughout the house), so that no one outside could see me.  Because judging from the look on Lulu’s face, I looked like a complete fool while I was dancing.  LOL.  At one point she was trying to play with me by nipping at my feet, so it was “crate time” for her.  The whole time I was playing the game, she gave me the most quizzical look.  I was actually laughing at her as much as I was dancing, I think.  Poor little Lulu.

I don’t know exactly how many calories I burned because I’m having some technical issues with the BodyBugg (see the previous post), but I can tell you that I was out of breath and sweating the entire time.  I loved every minute of it.

Of the 30+ songs that are on the game, many of them are old favorites, like Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.  Others are pop hits like a cover of Womanizer.  And some are new, fun songs like Surfin’ Bird by the Trashmen which had a fun, 50’s retro vibe to it.  You can click here to see the full song list. I like that lots of the songs found on the game aren’t ones that I would normally play for myself, but they all have that upbeat vibe that I love.

For $28 on Amazon, I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has the Wii and likes to Dance.  It’s a great way to get your heart pumping, fit in some extra steps, and make your workout fun.  Plus, you just might learn some new dance moves along the way.

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I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news

Let’s start with the bad news…

Housing

Today (it’s almost 1am, so technically this is yesterday) I went to look at the duplex that was available and I was so disappointed in what I saw.  Yes, the layout was exactly the same as the one I had lived in years ago, but it was absolutely disgusting inside.  Apparently the previous tenants had been evicted, and it showed.  The carpet and floors were filthy, and the property manager said they “might need to be replaced.”  Uh, if you want to rent it to me, they NEED to be replaced.  Oh, and while you’re at it, why not update those ugly cabinets that look as if they haven’t been painted in years?  The entire place just looked so run down and awful, and the yard was completely overgrown with weeds.  So not worth the monthly rental fee.

The property manager was so unprofessional, and not only did she show up 10 minutes late for our appointment, but she just seemed like a total airhead.  When I looked the company up on Yelp, they had some really poor reviews from current tenants.  Not a good sign.  Which means that all 10 of the duplexes that are on that street are off the table, because the same man owns all of them, and the same property managers run them.  If she couldn’t even show up on time to show me the place, I can only imagine how unresponsive they are when things need to be repaired.

So it’s back to the drawing board.  I’m not giving up, but I may not move out as soon as I thought (or had hoped).  My quick searches on Craigslist hasn’t shown anything I’m interested in so far.  I definitely want to get a duplex or a little house.  Once you “graduate” from apartment living, you definitely don’t want to go back.  I have decided to sign a month-to-month lease at my current location so that I have the freedom to leave whenever I want to.  This buys me the time to find some place that I feel comfortable with.  Because as crazy as the neighbors on both sides of me are (and for as poor as the neighborhood is), my place itself is nice and I only want to move up.  I definitely don’t want to settle.

And now the good…

Lulu

I’m happy to report that Lulu is completely potty trained already!  It’s only been a month, so I think that shows exactly how smart she is.  She’s still a great puppy who adds so much to my life, but she has started moving into that “adolescent” stage of puppyhood.  She’s started barking quite a bit, and while I know that’s normal, I don’t like it when she barks at ME.  Most of the time she barks becasue she wants to play, which is fine, but the last two days she’s started barking whenever I’m not paying her enough attention – when I’m eating a meal (new weight loss tool?? ;), when I’m cleaning up, or when I’m watching t.v or on the computer.  I’m trying different techniques to curb her barking at me, including giving her timeouts in her crate.  I’m going to inquire at the puppy training to see if they have any other suggestions.

Speaking of the training, she’s doing really well with “sit” and “lay down.”  I’m looking forward to going this evening (Wednesday evening) and seeing what new tricks we learn.  The main thing I’m looking forward to learning with her is recall/name recognition and loose leash walking.

Which leads me to the fact that I think I need to start taking Lulu on longer walks to tire her out a bit more.  Right now we go around the block 5-6 times a day and usually 1 good (1/2 mile) walk, but I think now that she’s gotten older and seems to be able to control her bladder better, I can cut down the walks to 2-3 longer ones a day.  My neighborhood isn’t the best to walk in, so I think I’m going to start driving her to the better streets that are a 5-minute car ride away.  I know that seems silly, but I’d much rather do that than walk on the streets around here where who knows what she’ll find.  There’s a ton of garbage on the sidewalks near my house (I saw a Hennessey bottle strewn on the sidewalk just this morning), so I’m forced to be ridiculously vigilant in making sure she’s not getting into things.  Since the nicely maintained streets aren’t very far away, it makes sense to just drive her to them.  Of course I’ll still take her outside for the quick potty breaks a few times a day, but I think doing these new routes will be good for both of us.  (It might also help with barking).

New Stuff

I just bought Just Dance for the Wii, and I can’t wait to try it this morning (look for a review once I have).  I’ve heard great things about it from you guys and from the reviews on Amazon, so I think it will be a fun thing to add to my exercise routine.  I pre-ordered the Just Dance 2, as well, and I have a feeling I’ll like that one, too.  It has all new songs to groove to, so it will help keep things interesting.

Despite the reported reception/antenna problems with the iPhone 4, I’m going to order one today.  I have a iPhone 3G, which is 2 models behind, and I’m ready to upgrade.  I can’t wait for the double viewer camera, because it will make taking self-portraits so much easier.  I can’t tell you the number of times my sister (or friends) and I have wanted to snap a picture of ourselves, only to take a photo of our chins, or our foreheads, etc.  The other really cool feature is the video chatting Facetime that you can do with other iPhone 4 users.  There are lots of other cool things about the new iPhone.  Plus, I told my sister that I’d give her my old phone, and since she’s been going through some difficult and stressful personal (relationship) issues, I want to do whatever I can to make her life better.  She never gets anything for herself because money is tight and whatever extra she has goes to my nieces, so I’m more than happy to give her the old iPhone so that she can have a nicer phone.

Goals For the Week

I wanted to set a few exercise/activity goals for myself this week (Wed-Fri), and I’ll check in on Saturday to see how well I did:

1. Do the Just Dance each morning
2. Take Lulu on 2 long walks a day
3. Wear my Body Bugg each day and log my calories burned online
4. Go swimming 1 day
5. Go to the gym 1 day
6. Take a bike ride 1 day
7. Make an appointment to meet with a new personal trainer

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YouTube Intro, Part 2

If you’re a long-time reader, you already know most of the info contained within this video, but you might be interested in watching it because Lulu makes a cameo appearance.  🙂

BTW – The quality isn’t what I expected it to be, but I think that’s because I had to edit it in iMovie and then compress the file, so it didn’t come out as clearly as it otherwise would have. At least I hope that’s what it is, otherwise, I spent a lot of money for nothing.  (Although it is nice to have a video camera).

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HYC Update: Need to get out of the house (and moving!)

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

I’ve sort of gotten out of the habit of working out since the end of the school year when it was crazy-hectic.  I’ve done a few workouts since school got out, but nothing to write home about.  I had tons of errands to do last week, my first full week of summer.  Then Lulu arrived, and we haven’t left each other’s side for more than a few minutes. I’m feeling a bit cooped up right now, because I hate the way she whines and whimpers when I put her in her crate, even for a few minutes.  I know I need to get over it, because in 2 months, I’ll be back at school and I’ll need to leave her for 6+ hours a day.

I have taken her with me on a few car trips, and she does really, really well.  She seems to really enjoy the puppy seat I got her, which makes it much easier.  We’ve gone to my parents’, PetSmart, the vet, and the park.

Speaking of which, we took our first “real walk” yesterday at my favorite neighborhood spot, The Rose Garden.  It’s a gorgeous spot, and while dogs aren’t allowed on the inside of the park (for obvious reasons), there is a ton of grass and roses on the outside, too.  Plus there are some really beautiful older homes to gander at while you walk.  Lulu was in absolute heaven.  “Grass!  People!  Other dogs!  Lots of things to distract me!”  🙂  You should’ve seen her, poor puppy.  She didn’t know what to do.  She’d start off running at full clip and then she’d suddenly stop and lie down.  It was hilarious, but it did get a bit frustrating after a while.  We went about 1/2 a mile in 20 minutes.  LOL.  LOTS of stopping and starting.  I know that I just have to continue to be patient with her, and the more we walk, the better she’ll get at it.  I also plan to enroll us in puppy classes in July, and one of the main things they teach is leash control, which I need.  I’m doing my best, but her excitement is hard to contain.

Other than our walk, the only other exercise I did yesterday was the Wii Fit+ for 15 minutes.  So, it’s definitely an improvement on the previous 2-3 weeks, but it’s definitely not the Bella’s Boot Camp that I want to get to this summer.  I’m giving myself the summer off from food tracking, as well as the scale and going to focus my efforts on activity.  And I feel very strongly that by eating more intuitively (only when hungry) and making activity the priority, I’ll see success this summer.  But in order to really see the success I need to get moving.

I know that going for a good walk with Lulu (as well as taking her out front several times a day) will be a good, relaxing activity, but I also need to really move my body at the gym, on my bike, and in the pool.  I need to use the gym to the fullest and take all of those classes that I’ve been wanting to.  Starting this week, starting today, I am committing to getting in at least an hour and half of activity a day. This will be an hour of heavy exercise and at least half an hour of walking Lulu/Wii Fit+, etc.  I know I can do it, because I did it last summer.  Plus, since I’m off now and lots of my other friends are working, I have a lot of time on my hands.  Working out is a free way to enjoy my day and make sure I don’t feel so cooped up.

I think getting out of the house and working out will also help me with crating Lulu. It will be good for me to slowly get her used to being without me.  And we’re going to start today.  I have a nail/pedi appointment at 10:15, and I’ll be gone about 2 1/2 hours.  I worry about how she’ll react, but then I remind myself that we do 6 hours every night and she’s just fine.  At night I’m in the same room with her, though.  But, just like with anything in life, I have to take the first (puppy) step in order for us to be successful.  Wish me (and Lulu) luck.

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HYC Update – Great weekend, short week, and only 2 more weeks ’till summer!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Lots of fun stuff to discuss today.

I had a  great weekend!
My mom, sister, and I went up to San Francisco to go on our long-awaited birthday celebration for my mom.  (Her birthday was in February, but with the lousy weather this winter and then our busy schedules, this was the first weekend we could do it).  It was a perfect day!  We took BART to avoid the traffic and parking nightmare, and it was a really relaxing way to get up there.  Plus, my sister met us along the route, so we spent half the trip up there catching up and laughing.  A great way to start the day.  The weather in SF was absolutely gorgeous, which was amazing.  We’ve been having unseasonably cold and rainy weather here, and SF is usually even cooler, but on Saturday it was in the high 70s in the City, so it was a stellar day.  We went to the Ferry Building Farmers’ Market and shops and had so much fun.  I’d been to the shops at the Ferry Building before, but never to the farmers’ market, and my sister and mom had never been to either before, so it was a really fun experience.  It was packed, which is to be expected considering that it was Memorial Day Weekend, as well as a beautiful day in SF.  The farmers’ market was HUGE, but also really expensive.  I’m glad we went just to see the offerings, but we really didn’t buy that much.  I picked up a nice syrah from the French Mediterranean and some Rancho Gordo heirloom beans.  LC commented that I bought the beans more for the packaging than for anything else, and she is 100% right on that.  I mean, how could I not:

You guys know me, I love anything with that 50s retro feel, and these beans were absolutely beautiful (as much as beans can be 🙂  They’re a pretty brownish-purple and while color.  The vendor was trying to explain how to cook them, but I finally came clean and told him that I really just wanted to display them in my kitchen, and he laughed at me.  Other than that, though, the prices were too expensive.  For example, the cherries were selling for $7/lb, which is outrageous.  I went to my local grocery store and got some delicious cherries from central CA for $3.99/lb.  Farmers’ markets are great, but you do have to be careful about the prices sometimes.  Next time, I’d skip the farmers’ market and just hit the shops, which are a lot of fun to browse.  Plus, I have some really great, much more reasonable, farmers’ markets right in my own neighborhood, so why make the drive?

Sunday I caught up on housework, finished reading My Fair Lazy (which I highly recommend), did a Wii workout, and just lazed around a bit.  I was hoping to make it to the pool, but never got around to it.  Next weekend, for sure.

Today I woke up late, read the newspaper, did a bit of laundry and other household chores, got in another Wii workout,  and then went to my parents’ house for a bbq.  I’m so thankful that I have such a great family that I get along with so well, because they really make me feel so special.

All in all, it was a fantastic 3-day weekend.

Short Week

Because of the Memorial Day weekend, this work-week is going to be really short, which is wonderful.  These past two weeks at work have been really hectic and stressful, so I’m looking forward to having a somewhat lighter week ahead.  I have a few fun nights planned which also helps make the week more bearable: I’m taking my yearbook class out to dinner to celebrate a wonderful publication, I’m meeting a friend for a much-needed coffee catch-up, and then I’m going to see Sex & the City 2 with some girlfriends from work.  I also plan to continue on with the Scale Warfare’s EA Sports Active More Workouts Challenge, as well get back into some of my other workout DVDs.

I’m still avoiding the gym for my workouts for some reason.  I don’t really know why.  I like the gym, but if I have a choice, I much prefer taking my workout outside (walking, biking, or swimming) or doing the Wii or DVDs.  Once summer hits I want to make it a point to get to the gym more often, because I’ll be able to go during off hours when it will be less crowded.  Plus, I do need to use those personal training sessions that I bought.  I have enough to take me throughout the summer, so I might as well put them to good use.

2 More Weeks!

The countdown to summer vacation has officially begun.  That’s one of the great things about teaching – I get to have a long summer vacation, just like students do.  Although I’m not going on any big vacations, I still cannot wait for summer to get here.  I have lots of fun plans, including:

• Lulu!  My new puppy is set to arrive around June 18 and I am so excited for her to get here.  I’ve got all the goodies I’ll need for her (water and food bowls, food, treats, blanket for her crate, toys, etc).  I also found a vet that is literally 3 blocks from my house, as well as a great groomer that’s only 2 blocks away.  Now all I need is her!
• Going along with Lulu, I am going to enroll us in puppy training classes as soon as she arrives.  Well, I’ll give us a week to get to know each other first, but then it’s going to be twice a week training for both of us.  I think it will be a great way for us to bond, a good way for me to establish myself as the alpha of the house, and (I hope) a nice way to meet new people.
• Working out:  I cannot wait to get into Bella Bootcamp mode again.  Last summer I was able to spend hours working out in various ways, and I really liked it.  Swimming, biking, working out at the gym – I enjoyed moving my body and seeing my progression as I did.  Now I get to add two daily walks with Lulu into the mix, which is even better.
• Fresh fruits and veggies.  I love produce, and I really can’t wait to hit the farmers’ markets in my area on a weekly basis.  It’s going to be fun to keep my meal planning fluid so I can cook things that I find at the markets.  Improvisational cooking will be a fun experiment.
• Reading – the one item I’m asking for for my birthday (July 2) is a Kindle, and I cannot wait to get it and start reading books this way.  I’m sure you’d expect an English teacher to like the old-school paper books, which I do, but I’ve also realized in recent years that I have a limited amount of bookshelf space left.  I’ll still buy the books  that I really want to cherish, but for fun reads and books that I’m not so sure of, I’ll be able to download them much more inexpensively and bring them with me wherever I go.
• Netflix marathons – I love getting DVDs of tv shows from Netflix because it’s great being able to watch consecutive episodes without having to wait a week in between shows.  I know I’m going to watch West Wing (I somehow missed it when it was on), but I’d love to hear some suggestions of other shows you think are must-see.

There’s so much more I could write about what I plan to do this summer, but instead of dreaming about what I might do, I think I’m going to wait and see what I actually do and then write about that.

This week’s weight loss goals

I’ve been doing really well on my water and on the EA Sports Active Challenge, but what I’ve been slacking on is journaling my food.  I think that with the blood pressure scare I just needed to give myself a week or so off of it.  Not that I’ve been eating out of control, because I haven’t, but I haven’t been thinking as much about what I am going to eat.  I still plan my meals and eat a well-balanced diet, but I haven’t been counting points for a week or so.  I will get back to the journaling this week, for sure.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am going to go in for weekly blood pressure checks until my doctor returns from vacation.  I just want to make sure to record my blood pressure, to make sure that it’s not high.  I’m still getting those terrible headaches on an almost daily basis, and if they’re not caused by bp, I want to find out what the source is.

Another goal for this week is to catch up on my blog reading.  I’ve been really bad about it for the last couple of weeks because I haven’t had much spare time, but I’m going to try to make at least an hour a day so that I can offer as much support to all of you as you have been giving to me.  Plus, I always feel so much better after reading through your blogs.

Wow, this post ended up being a lot longer and I expected, but I hope it was worth reading.  Thanks for hanging in there through all 1600+ words, and I hope you have a great week.

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Quote of the Week – Break the Cycle

I’ve noticed that people tend to make the same mistakes over and over again when it comes to losing weight and staying healthy.”

~~ Bob Greene

You may be wondering what the image I chose has to do with Bob Greene’s quote.  There are quite a few unhealthy habits that I could write this post about, because I’d love to break free from all of them.  But, right now I’m in the middle of PMS – the zinger zit, the killer headaches, the chocolate cravings, the emotional responses to seemingly harmless remarks, etc.  And the thing is, I get this way every single month.  Since my periods are always regular, you would think that I’d keep track of my PMS weeks so that I could prepare myself for it.  But I don’t.  Don’t ask me why, I just never have. 

Until now.  Once I read that quote this morning, it really hit me.  I usually gain quite a bit of weight 2-5 lbs each month when I have my period, and I hate it.  But I’m not really doing anything to avoid it.  I tend to give in to my cravings, although I do eat the lower sugar/fat-free versions, which is a good consession.  I don’t really increase my exercise, though.  if anything, I exercise even less than normal, and this week is the time I should be exercising even more, to avoid that extra weight gain. 

So tonight after work, a nail appt., and the grocery store I’m going to make sure to exercise.  If it’s still light outside I’ll take a walk or ride my bike, but if it’s starting to get dark, I’ll do one of my DVDs and/or the Wii.  This week I have a lot going on each day after work, which usually makes it harder for me to exercise, but knowing that TOM is coming is motivating me to make sure to get those extra steps, pedals, and moves in so that  the scale won’t be as scary as it could be. 

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What weight gain/unhealthy lifestyle cycle do you continue to do repeatedly that you need to break yourself free from?

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Adventures in Fitness Friday – Spring Break Edition

(Yes, I know that it’s Saturday, making this post one day late, but since I’m on Spring Break, I figure I’m allowed a little leeway, right?)

J/K....No, this isn't how I spent my spring break. 😛

Saturday, April 10 – Off.  I wasn’t feeling very well today, so I spent most of the day resting.  I had a bad headache, and I think the stress of the previous week finally hit me.

Sunday, April 11 – light housecleaning.  Today I didn’t do too much other than laundry, a few pots & pans, and picking up the bathroom, but hey, I still earned 4 APs.

Monday, April 12
Today I was determined to get in some great activity.  Since it was pouring rain outside, I really didn’t want to even get in the car and go to the gym.  The rain seriously makes me want to stay in and read a book or watch a movie, but I told myself that I could do that later, after I got in some serious exercise.  This spring break week off is supposed to be all about working out, after all, so I wanted to get right to it.

I read BitchCakes’ blog all the time, and I am always impressed in the workouts she does.  She’s been talking about the Punk Rope classes that she takes all the time.  It looks like so much fun because it incorporates all the fun parts of recess, but for adults.  Plus, jumping rope is such good exercise.  I checked out the site to see if there were any classes offered in my area, but unfortunately, it hasn’t made it to the Bay Area yet. If it ever does, you better believe I’m going to join in on one of the classes.  So, I decided to buy the DVD and a jump rope for myself at home.  I hit the purchase button before I realized that they had a starter kit available that was cheaper and included everything, plus a cool CD of music. I figured it was my bad that I hadn’t been a bit more careful before hitting “purchase,” but then to my surprise, Tim Haft, president of Punk Rope, emailed me to tell me he was refunding me the difference and sending me a starter kit anyway!  How cool is that?  I hadn’t had time to try it out up to this point, but today I had nothing but time.  Ok, guys, I think I’m going to have a few scars on my legs from my uncoordinated attempts to jump rope.  LOL.  I kept whipping myself with the jump rope.  Finally I just decided to try the DVD without the rope, but still jumping and moving my arms as if I was.  (I’m sure I’ll get the jump rope thing down in time, but right now I’m just not there yet).  I could only last for about 10 minutes before I was just gasping for breath.  What a workout!  Still, I earned 2 APs for those 10 minutes, which is awesome.

Since the Punk Rope workout only lasted a few minutes, I decided to do some Wii FitPlus today, as well.  Today I did a more intense workout on the FitPlus.  I did the 3 minute short run, 3-4 times trying the obstacle course, a few balance games, and then I did 10 minutes of free step.  The free step is supposed to allow you to watch t.v. while you do the step for 10 minutes.  The FitPlus said the goal was to do 800 steps in 10 min., but knowing how competitive I am, you know I had to break that to smithereens, right?  Of course I did.  In 10 minutes, I did 1199 steps!  I was pissed that I didn’t get to 1200, but I’ll save that for another day.  Altogether I did 38 minutes on the FitPlus and earned 4 APs.

Monday’s total: 48 minutes and 6APs.

Tuesday, April 13 – Off.  The lazies got the better of me today.  I spent most of the day watching t.v., reading, and hanging around the house.  The weather wasn’t helping at all.  I get so uninspired when it’s raining.

Wednesday, April 14 – I was completely stunned and happy with my weight loss on the scale, and it definitely inspired me to hit the gym and do 33 minutes on the elliptical.  LOL.  I know that 33 minutes sounds ridiculous, but I do this weight loss program on the machine and it just so happens to be 33 minutes, including the cool down.  It’s a great interval training mode with 2 minutes of Level 4 at an incline of 1, 2 minutes of Level 7 at an incline of 10, repeated for 28 minutes.  My heart beats out of my chest the entire time (in a good way), and I really break a sweat.  I love it.  The cool down is always the best, because I drink a whole 32-oz of water while I’m listening to some mellow grooves.  5 APs earned.

Thursday, April 15 – Today I had plans to meet Ish for coffee at a Starbucks not far from my house, and since the weather was finally beautiful and sunny, I decided to ride my bike there, rather than driving.  It’s 1.1 miles from my house, according to my map App on the iPhone, and let me tell you, I was definitely out of breath by the time I got there in just about 10 minutes.  It felt good to take the beach cruiser out for a spin, and even better to have a destination.  I like aimlessly riding my bike, but that’s usually more fun with a friend, so when I’m by myself, I like to have a destination.  After our gab session, I rode for another 20 minutes, because I wanted to get in at least 30 minutes total.  It was awesome feeling my thighs work while I rode.  I earned 3 APs.

Friday, April 16 – I had a ton of fun planting gorgeous flowers in my windowbox, while earning 3 APs.

All in all, I had a fantastic week off.  I didn’t do too much in terms of sightseeing, but I sure did a lot in terms of stacking up those Activity Points!  I earned a total of 21 APs throughout the week, which is great.  The better thing is that I put a lot of variety into my workouts which made them that much more enjoyable.  I know many of you love the gym, and I do like going, but for me, I like being out and about and enjoying the scenery a lot more than I like being inside the gym walls.  Mixing it up helps me stay inspired to keep up with my workouts.

Stay tuned for next week, when I’m going to try a new class at the gym.

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Quote of the Week – Possibilities

Dwell in possibility.”  ~~Emily Dickinson

This quote is perfect for me this week, since I have the entire week off, and I feel like the possibilities are endless.  I have no set plans, and nothing on the agenda other than to get as active as I can.

“Dwelling in possibility” is such a positive outlook, because anything can happen.  There are no limitations, other than those imposed by your own mind. In general, I believe that I try to dwell in possibility most of the time.  I love imagining what CAN be possible.  And this week, I’m lucky because I don’t have anything else to concentrate on so I can imagine, and dream, and most of all, DO.

Since I don’t have any set plans other than working out and organizing the house a bit, I’d love to hear your suggestions for how I should spend my time.  What would you do with yourself if you had a day off? I’m asking how you would spend a day off, rather than a week, because I want to make each day it’s own unique experience.

Keep in mind that it’s currently raining here (April showers bring May flowers, I hope!), so that does put some limitations on activities, at least until we see the sun again.

I can’t wait to hear your suggestions, and I hope you have a wonderful Monday.

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