"I work out"

Working out has become part of my daily routine.  I saw this picture floating around on pinterest and it is so appropriate for this post.

Many people have asked me what I do for exercise and fitness.  Aside from running, spinning, swimming, and other fitness classes at the Y, I have done my share of at home workouts.  With two children, I need to be flexible and have other options for getting in my daily dose of fitness.  I compiled a list of dvds that I think are worth the time and money you invest in at home workouts.

Season 10 of the Biggest Loser had just started the same week that I decided it was now or never to make this change in my life.  I personally respond better to Bob Harper than I do having Jillian Michaels scream in my ear so I tend to look for BL videos with Bob.

Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga
I personally love this yoga video.  Yoga is really hard for me to do at home.  I like the whole yoga experience: go to a class with your mat, be lead by a yoga instructor, & have a meditation at the end.  However, there isn't always time for that in a given day.

This video is broken down into three segments not including the five minute warm up and cool down.  The first takes you through vinyasa style yoga. The second is more ab work with some pilates thrown in and the third works with yoga poses and weights.  I personally think this is a great mix in an at home dvd workout.  If you are crunched for time, you do not need to do all three segments.  That's the beauty of at home workouts, unless of course you pause it to go grab some chips, but I know that wouldn't ever happen.

Bob Harper's Yoga for the Warrior
The title says it all.  This is a power yoga workout and is great for an intermediate/advanced yogi.  Not a good pick if you are a beginner yogi, but definitely a good workout if you are a fan of Bob Harper.

Transform Your Body with Brooke Burke
Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from this workout.  But if I could look half as toned as Brooke does, sign me up. I will give it a chance

There are two different ones: Strengthen & Condition (S&C) and Tone & Tighten (T&T).
S&C is led by her trainer Greg Joujon-Roche.  Brooke and Greg do the exercises side by side and Greg stops to give tips along the way.  Brooke is very motivating throughout the workouts.  The video is a combo of strength training as well as small bursts of cardio to raise your heart rate.  I was sweating like a beast after both of these videos.  There are three segments in S&C: abs, lower body & upper body.  In T&T, Brooke leads three ladies throughout the workout which flows as one long workout and not broken up into areas of the body.  One of the ladies modifies the exercises for beginners.  Some of the exercises are repeated, but not many of them.  Each exercise is done for one minute at a time, which may sound long, but totally manageable.

I was pleasantly surprised with this set of dvds.  It was exactly what I was looking for at the time I purchased it from iTunes.  I still use it on occasion when I am crunched and can't get to the gym and need to workout at home.  

Blogilates
I found this website through Pinterest, my other internet obsession.  Cassey Ho is a pilates & group fitness instructor as well as the brains behind blogilates. She is a blogger, a fitness instructor, a fashionista, a pop music lover, a yoga bag creator, a clean eater, and just overall a woman that inspires.

Cassey has many different series of workouts: Pop Pilates, Bikini Blaster, HIIT (high- intensity interval training), Pop Challenges, and Pop Cardio.  These workouts are so incredibly effective.  I have done many of the challenges and my new favorite series is the VS Sexy Super Model which includes a stiletto workout.  Yes, a leg workout in your favorite stilettos.  The VS Sexy series also has arm, abs and butt workouts.

Her website also has a workout calendar as well meal plans & recipes for the total health and fitness package.  So go! Check it out.. NOW!


Couch to 5k
I used the C25k app on my iPod before I had an iPhone and two years ago, it didn't need gps capability which worked well for me.
I was never able to run a full, complete mile before training with the C25k program.  In HS, I would walk the mile; it just never interested me to run because I was never good at it.
This program made me feel challenged, but never felt like I was unable to complete the workouts.  And now, I run miles and miles without stopping.  Something I could have never done before C25k.

So there you have a few at home workouts that I have used along my journey.  In addition to these, I also have pinned a lot of workouts on my fitness pinterest board which many of the links are to Blogilates, Self Magazine, Women's Health & Shape.

The most important thing to working out is finding what you love to do.  Don't start a running program  and training for a marathon if you hate to run.

You did this why? You did this how?

I never was asked WHY I was doing this.  But I was asked how I did it.  I think the answers to "why" is pretty obvious.  I was overweight, unhealthy, unfit, and unhappy with my physical appearance.  Being a yo-yo dieter in the past, I knew this time was for good and the weight was never going to creep back on, or at least that's my lifetime goal and always a work in progress.

But I lost track of "So how did I do this?", "What was your plan?" and most especially, "Tell me your secret."
My answer is this... there is not secret.  I busted my ass to get to where I am.  No, seriously.  It's not a joke.  There is absolutely no pill, fad diet or special drink.  Eat healthy & exercise.  It's as simple as that.

Here are some tips that helped me along the 80 lb. journey.

Set a goal!
I set goals and made a plan of how I was going to achieve the goals.  I started in January 2011.  My first goal was to lost 40lbs by my 30th birthday.  The reason for 40lbs was that I would have been less than 200 lbs and the lowest weight since my adult life began.  So I had five full months to lose 40lbs.  With a combination of at home workouts, spinning, kickboxing and running, I was determined to hit this goal.  When I weighed in the week of my birthday, I lost 41 lbs.  That feeling and sense of accomplishment left me wanting to achieve more so I set out to lose another 20 lbs for our family vacation.

Goals are really important because it gives you something to work towards.  It gives you the motivation, a reason, a purpose to continue this healthy lifestyle and feel awesome about yourself.  Reevaluate your goals if needed.  Don't feel like a failure.  Life can be tough, but it's figuring out how to overcome those obstacles that can get in the way.    Some people do well with a large goal and feel quite motivated, while others need smaller increments.  The same goes with rewards for hitting those goals.  Some people don't need rewards and see the weight loss as a reward in itself, while others like to buy an item or pamper themselves with a pedicure.

Put a plan in place.
Whether it's meal planning or working out, it has to be planned.  I have been meal planning for just about the last two years.  It helps to keep focused in the food store and not buy junk food at the store.  I didn't go down the candy/cookie aisles for at least the first nine months.

Do what you love, but vary workouts
 If you don't like to dance, Zumba probably isn't for you.  If you do not like to run, you probably won't be doing Couch 2 5k or any races.  But there is a workout for everyone and you need to find what you enjoy.  Working out should be a stress reliever, not cause anxiety before you begin.  And your preferences for workouts may change over time especially as you grow stronger and things don't look as daunting.  It's important to vary your workouts especially during a plateau in weight loss.  This will help send your muscles into a frenzy and get them moving in new ways.

As I said above, I run, spin, kick box, and do at home workouts.
My favorite at home workouts are

• Brooke Burke's Transform Your Body: Tone & Tighten and Strengthen & Condition, 
• Biggest Loser Boot Camp 
• Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga, 
• Blogilates challenges
• Blogilates Bikini Series

Have a cheat day!
Once in awhile, it's okay.  You can have that juicy cheeseburger or ice cream sundae.  I believe that we don't need to give everything up in order to achieve great success, however, eating junk food all the time isn't going to achieve the same results.  Figuring out how to have the foods we love and still be successful is key.

Be Selfish.
I lost this weight for me.  I wanted to be happy in my appearance and accomplish goals that I set forth.   This lifestyle is yours. Take the time you need to plan meals, get a workout in, or just take a moment for yourself.  You will be a happier person in the end.

Remember this.  
This is your journey.  No two people will have the same journey with the same results.  Do this for yourself and no one else.

Tri-riffic

For the last 12 weeks of the summer, my Tuesday & Thursday nights were dedicated to my triathlon training.  And I can't believe it went so fast.  In 12 weeks, I see a difference in all three disciplines, but namely my swimming.  This past week was my first week not having training and although school started as did our new routine as a family, but I still felt that 1) I wasn't working out enough & 2) I was totally bored at night.  I gained back 3+ hours each Tuesday and Thursday.  But I wouldn't have traded this time for anything.  New friendships were made and I gained more confidence and strength not to mention overcoming obstacles, mainly my own inner voice.

Swim
I can't even tell you how proud of myself I am for seeing the growth in my freestyle in the few months I had to train.  Honestly, swimming used to scare me.  I am not afraid of the pool or any body of water, but having to swim freestyle in front of people made me anxious like no other.  But I had to overcome that. And I was determined to learn. And that I did.
In the last week, my coach told me I looked like a "professional".  Hah! Far from a pro swimmer, but definitely a compliment and kept me going.  I enjoy being in the pool and swimming.  Now if I could only figure out my pool headphones I would be set.

Bike 
Honestly I don't have much to say about biking.  I don't do it enough outdoors, but my group cycling classes have kept me in a great place for enduring the bike seat and prepping me for those hills.  I just need to get riding outdoors more, but if I am outdoors and get a workout in, I'd much rather be running!

Run
Running outdoors in the summer can be dangerous with the heat and humidity which sucks because I hate running on the treadmill.  To me it is the most boring workout I can do.  Watching the same thing over and over and over and OVER again is mind-numbily boring.  However, I learned an important lesson this summer and sometimes it just isn't worth the possibility of getting sick when it's so hot and humid out.  So the nights where it was still 90 degrees at 6:30pm, my coach had me working on interval workouts on the treadmill.  And I actually, wait for it, enjoyed it.  And I felt pretty accomplished afterwards too.

So now with all this extra free time I have on T/Th nights, I decided that I want to run a 10k and then a half marathon.  :) And continue to swim two to three times a week. Seems like all my free time just got filled up.

30 Day Ab Challenge

I am addicted to Pinterest.  There is no doubt about it and I will happily admit to it.  I have found so many crafts for my daughters, home decor ideas, healthy & delicious recipes, and a bazillion fitness routines to try.

This week I found a 30 day ab challenge that is similar to P90X's Ab Ripper.  Over the summer I was working on my abs 5-6x per week.  After having two daughters, my core was jiggly and on the complete opposite side of the spectrum as one would define "strong".

I have used ab exercises from the Brooke Burke's Transform Your Body, Blogilates, any fitness magazine that had "Flat Abs" in big, bold print on the cover, you name it, I've tried it.  So while the summer bikini season is just about over, getting my core to the perfect place is always a work in progress.

I will be documenting my results via photos.  Stay tuned!

Feel free to follow me on Pinterest.