Find your focus!

As I pick my sweaty, half comatose self off the floor after completing Asylum's Speed & Agility, I recall Shaun's comment about finding your focus.  I didn't think too much about it during the workout, as I was just trying to prevent my premature demise, but after the workout I thought what a perfect thought for the day!

Without focus, you really are lost.  To reach any goal you need FOCUS:  for your attention, thoughts, actions!  Just like the photographer trying to get "the picture", if it ain't in focus, well that picture IS NOT going to be in anyone's magazine, museum or home! 

So for today, let's focus on ourselves.  When we are in focus, all things look clearer!  ;)


Denise

Permission to breathe........

Ahh!  Day 5 of Asylum and it is Relief day.  As I stretch into the poses, I begin to realize I've been slacking on my stretching (okay, maybe alot....hanging my head in shame).  I love that Shaun says, as we are guided into the poses, that this isn't "releasing" it is "relief".  I like the analogy.  Yes, we can release things but oh, what a relief it is to do so!  What a breath of fresh air!

Just the act of releasing those things that are weighing you down will provide tremendous relief: tons of weight will be lifted off your shoulders (no more stress baggage, people--kick it to the curb).  Plus the upside of all the exercise is it is a cheap prescription for anxiety.  (gives you a boost of serotonin & endorphins, you know all that "feel good" stuff) 

Feeling better can start here, now....just give yourself permission to breathe! 



Denise

When you wish upon a star......(nothing happens! Come on people, that is for fairy tales)



Today is my birthday, time to reflect on what I really want and how I'm going to get it.  No amount of "wishing" is going to to make it happen!!  I'm in control of my destiny and I'm going to have to use some "3D":  Determination, Dedication & Desire (and a whole lot of Denise power so maybe it should be 4D, ha!) 

1st step:  I'm giving myself permission to eat.  Say what?  How is that going to help me lose weight?  Well let me tell you, being CONTROLLED my food is NOT the answer!  I want to eat and not worry about every little morsel that passes my lips thinking inwardly "is this going straight to my hips".  If 80% of the time I do well, then 20% isn't so bad.  My disorted view on food lately has gotten me stressed and we all know stress just keeps the weight on.  Food is just fuel, like gas (bad analogy, I know) is to the vehicles.

We all know we use food to celebrate events, ease our sorrows, and just to enjoy life.  This is just the way it is and even though I need to lose a few pounds, I still want to do these things and NOT feel guilty about it!  And you know what?  Today, on my 42nd birthday, I'm giving myself permission to lose weight & do all those things!  Woohoo, how freeing is that!  I mean just look at the first three letters of the word DIEt, enough said right?!

2nd step:  Make some goals.  Easy enough.  Conscious eating, no guilt-check.  Asylum exercise rotation started (and oh am I feeling it), check. 

3rd step:  Check in (so I don't check out!).  I need accountability.  I need to walk the walk to produce my desired results.  My thought on this is to take a picture of my weekly weight every Monday (after whatever the weekend brings, gulp) and post it.  Scary.....heck yes!  Should it keep me in line?  It had better, don't want too many weeks of pure disappointment! 



I'd like to aim for a nice, steady 2lb weight loss.  My anniversary is on 7/25 which is 13 weeks away.  In those 13 weeks I could be 26 lbs slimmer.....Hubby and I will be on vacation that week and he bought me "smokin' hot" sun dress that I want to wear (and I'm sure he'd like to check me out in, lol). 

Since it IS my birthday, enjoy a piece of cake.....and LOVE every minute of it! 



Bye, bye back fat! Back to Core to the rescue

Day 3 of Asylum and it looks like I've found a favorite:  Back to Core.  The warmup still has lots of jumping jacks (grr) and Shaun uses different arm movements to really get into the back area to increase blood flow for the main workout.  (plus your sucking wind to increase your oxygen, ha!)  After the warmup, the workout uses isometric and other solid exercises to develop strength in the core (which consists of the entire front/back area, think everything working together), hamstrings and glutes.

I still felt it, don't get me wrong...but it was easier ONLY because we didn't have all the cardio components.  Let me tell you when we had to hold a twisting lunge pose "forever" (think of Warrior for all you yogi's) and add pulses and all that, I was a quivering!!  (like one of those Taco Bell dogs and it wasn't pretty)

This workout will be a keeper in my collection and I can see me adding it to other exercise rotations because it really works the back body so well.  (which is often neglected) 

Have a Happy Easter everyone!  I know that I will because of my Lord, Jesus Christ! 


Have a super fit day,

Denise

Holy smokes Bat Man, I've been "saturated" (as in Asylum Strength will leave you drenched in sweat!)

Wow, Shaun T's Strength packs a "sweaty" punch!  I was wanting to grab the ole bucket again.  My gosh, I'm going to have to literally bring it in my exercise room and leave it there!!  Just how can a "strength" workout leave you so drenched?  (well at least I still have a smile on my face....really that was because it was OVER, ha!)  I look like a wet dog with my hair all matted to my head! 

Now that I'm all showered and freshened up, I do feel great!  The workout was awesome & unique, like Shaun knows best.  Nothing traditional here at all.  I did have an "audience" for a few minutes as hubby watched my performance so you know I had to "step it up a notch".  My bicep curl into squats into burpees into pushups, etc never looked so good (hee hee).  The back set seemed to go on & on & on.....I know I'll be feeling that! 

On another note, I wanted to give a shout out to my fitness bud, Jenny Ford.  I have done her Step by Step workout and can I say I LOVE IT!  I want to do it again and again (well you get the picture).  Jenny sent me an extra copy so I thought I'd share the love!  I'll do a random drawing from my followers.  If you are interested, please comment to this thread.  I'll randomly draw a person from those interested on 5/28 and send you the dvd so you can enjoy some Jenny awesomeness!  (I will make mention of this periodically so newer followers can participate as well....you only have to reply that you are interested once)

Have a great fit day!

Denise



Asylum....I'm committed! (or should I say "I should be committed", wink)

Today is day 1 of my official Insanity Asylum workout routine.  I did Speed and Agility and all I can say is "where is my puke bucket"?  This is one of THOSE kind of workouts!  (almost had to cry a few times) 

For anyone who is not sure what the heck I'm talking about, here is a link to these workouts:  http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/insanity-next-level-asylum-workout.do

I'm going to do the full 30 day rotation and see what transpires.  (hopefully not leaving me cowering in some corner, rocking myself gently, pleading for mercy) 

I did have to take a few breaks....okay a lot!  I'd give it my all on some exercises and then the last few (10-15) seconds I'd fester out.  Shaun just kept yelling "blah blah blah" and I definitely thought for a brief moment that I had been committed and this was some cruel torture exercise and in some ways IT WAS! 

But the workout itself (other than being tough stuff, which let me be honest, I do like to do, but I like to "complain" too, ha) was very sport oriented.  (more like his Max Sports Training from his Insanity set)  I have lots of room to grow and see improvement. 

30 days, hmm doesn't seem too long?  (or does it?!.....insert evil laugh)

Leading by example

Just the other day my almost 19 year old daughter, Tiffany, (shown above) decides to start walking/running several days a week.  She then approaches me and asks me for further guidance, wanting me to help her develop a program specific to her needs.  My oldest daughter has also done the same thing, asking for exercise advice. 

You see, my girls have ALWAYS seen their mother working out.  My exercise journey began many, many years ago....  I have fond memories of me being about 12 yrs old, subscribing to all the fitness type magazines I could read and doing all the exercises I could in the privacy of my bedroom.  I would grunt out those sit ups and leg lifts, not because I was fat (I graduated high school at 105 pounds people so that wasn't an issue for me) but because, okay you ready for it.....I ENJOYED IT!  I guess you could say this was the start of my "at home" vidioticy! 

When I graduated high school, my mom and I began working out at a gym (very short lived) but here is where I learned to love the weight training!  I would bring books by such greats as Rachel Mclish and follow their routines.  (people would actually approach me and ask me for advice!)  I didn't realize I was a "fat" skinny 105 because after I started lifting, I literally SHRANK in inches & I packed on 15 pounds of muscle!  I never looked better!  120 lbs of hotness!  Long live weight training!!!

After my short stint with the gym, I got married to my 1st husband (also a short stint, thank goodness), had my 2 beautiful girls but I continued with my daily workouts.  This is where I became a "vidiot"--doing my workouts to exercise videos.  The girls would watch momma do her "dancing" and I'd get my "me" time.  A win/win! 

Now, to the present day, I still get up in the morning and do my daily workouts.  I am glad I've always lead by example that fitness is something of who you are.  It is part of me, like breathing, sleeping, eating. 

So when my girls (or my husband, who God bless him, is wanting to begin to exercise again) or anyone else for that matter approaches me with questions, I gladly share my love of fitness. 

It all starts with one step

Time to step out of the "comfort zone"

I am starting this blog to kick myself in the "butt" and keep myself inline!  I used to be a fit/fit person but eventually life took over.....or should I say S T R E S S!  So I "grew" into a fit/fat person!  I say that because I was still fit (low cholesterol, very low blood pressure, etc), could do all my advanced workouts HOWEVER my pant size kept growing and growing until I was (dare I say this to whomever is reading) busting out of a size 16!  I was still working out, watching everything that went into my mouth, treated myself occasionally but I gained weight over the years until finally it all came to a screeching weigh in of.....175 pounds! (I'm only 5 foot 3 inches tall)  I really didn't want to post my weight but I figured what does it hurt?  Yes, I'm embarrassed but I was to the point where I thought something was wrong with me.  I kept a written daily log of everything that went into my mouth (I can post pics of the log books that went back for years) but I truly believe it was the daily stresses of my family life overtime that caused my gradual weight gain.  My husband is the biggest concern I've dealt with over the past few years--in and out of the hospital with a condition that mimics diabetes (he doesn't have diabetes but does have the same neuropathy that they have) until eventually last July, 2 days after his birthday, he lost his right lower leg.  This actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise because his recovery has been tremendous & he doesn't deal with the daily pains, etc so I was able to lose almost 40 lbs on my own, getting down to about 137.  I was having personal issues myself but chose to ignore them due to concentrating on hubby for so long and finally went to the doctor.  I had to have a partial hysterectomy last November which I then put a few lbs back on.  This leads me to where I am right now....hovering around 150 lbs.  Not bad, but not great. 

I want to get down to about 115.  I want to blog this "adventure" through words, pictures, exercise, clothes....anything I can think of that may help me succeed.  So it is time to "step up" and get busy!