Boot Camp - Day 5

Another great class. I am completely certain that I will feel this morning's workout in my legs and my core. She did the workout circuit style again. We warmed up by doing exercises across the room - walking lunges, run backwards, run forward, walking lunges, grapevines, grapevines, high knee skip, walking lunges, stationary jumping jacks, walking lunges. (I think that was the extent) Then, we moved into the circuits - 1 minute for each exercise. First, we used balance balls and did push ups and then rolled the ball in with our legs (abs). Second was power lunges - we would get down in a runner's lunge and then jump up raising our back leg as a high knee and then back down - second minute was the other leg. Next, we did kettle bells. In round one we did gunslinger and did each arm for one minute. The second round we did boxing and did each arm for one minute. Then, we did cross jack squats and push up jacks. The next station was the step - we did power steps forward and then across. The last station was abs. We took turns, each doing a minute, of lying on the floor and the other person throwing our legs forward, right, forward, left and so on. We did the circuit twice and then moved on to push ups and planks. We did 15 push ups, followed by 30 s per side, leg lift side plank. Next we did plank and then did this side plank push up thing (that I completely failed at). Then we did a back plank for one minute. As you can see, it was awesome! Next week there is no class due to spring break for our teacher. So, maybe I will try to do some of these exercises at home with my equipment.

I am still trying to recover on the scale from this weekend. It is kind of crazy to think how much impact one night of snacking and wine can make on your weight and how it doesn't just 'drop' the next day. You would think that a return to normal routine would bring you back quickly...but at least for me, it doesn't. I finally have most of the snacks out of the house, so at least they won't tempt me any more.

I am not a diet or fitness expert. I am a mom, just trying to be healthy and fit. All opinions expressed are my own.

Boot Camp - Day 3

I must admit - I am absolutely loving my Boot Camp class. It probably is a good thing that is only once a week - it took me until Saturday to recover last week. Today's class was no exception.

We started with a 1/2 mile warm-up run. It became clear to me from the beginning, I am not in good running shape compared to my classmates. The 1/2 mile is 4 laps at the track and although we started in a group, most of them finished about 1/4 lap ahead of me. Not awful, but not great. Then we headed back to the workout room for our workout. We did lengths of the room in assorted fashion - walking lunges with a back kick, duck walk, frog hop, hopping on one foot, shuttle run, and I'm sure something else was mixed in there. In between lengths, while the other half did the same thing, we alternated between squats, lunges of assorted styles, cross over jacks, resting and some regular jacks. We did this circuit of fun twice. Then, we went to wall squats - both regular and one leg. After that we grabbed mats and bands to work on the rest of the body. We did some back exercises, some shoulder exercises, biceps, and triceps. We took to the mats and did superman, v-sits and bicycles. Then we stretched. I can already feel it. In fact, when I arrived at work this morning I could feel the 'tired' in my leg muscles. Now, the soreness is creeping in. I can only imagine what tomorrow morning will be like. I might have to take the elevator to get to spinning class!

Eating has been really good. I think that my husband watching what he is eating is making it easier. I am trying to make sure that we have meals that he enjoys, so that he realizes that eating healthy doesn't mean not eating what you enjoy. I think I might be convincing him that it is about choices. The 'healthy' pasta is 40 calories less per serving than the standard pasta. Having french bread pizzas is lower in calories than a regular pizza (and both are better than take out - in calories and taste too if you ask me!). We have had more salads in the recent weeks than we have in a long time. I have been buying cucumbers, cauliflower and the like to chop up for the salads. The kids are really enjoying it and frequently have a second serving of salad.

I'm certain the scale will respond any day!

I am not a diet or fitness expert. I am a mom, just trying to be healthy and fit. All opinions expressed are my own.

Boot Camp Day 2 - the next day

Tuesday morning marked boot camp. It was another great workout. I think above all else, I am amazed at how quickly the time goes and how greatly I feel the workout when I am done. Yesterday's class was a circuit class. She set up 5 stations and fit in some walking push ups and side planks in between the circuits. We were paired up for the circuit. The first station for me was with weighted balls - we did 1 minute each of slam down squats and torso twists (who knows their real name, that is just what I call them). I think I used an 8# ball. The second station was kettle bells - we did 1 minute of kettle bell swing squats and 1 minute of step back lunge kettle bell figure eights (again, I don't know the real name!). The third station was sit ups - you switched off with your partner, each doing 1 minute of sit ups. The fourth station was step - we did 1 minute of a quick step and then 1 minute of a cross over step. The fourth station was plank - the first minute was plank, the second minute was reverse (backwards?) plank. Then the walking push-ups and side plank. We did the circuit two full times and the third one was for 30 seconds each, in the interest of time. I certainly felt the squats and lunges in my legs and glutes and honestly, still am! I was expecting with the sit-ups, planks and push-ups to feel more in my core - generally, I do - but for some reason I did not. Maybe my form was off because the planks were at the end of the cycle for me.

This morning's spinning class was a challenge. I felt stiff starting out and around 20 minutes was thinking to myself, now that I am going, I am doing well. Then, we went to position 3 for a song and did a climb...guess what! my glutes and hamstrings were not in favor of that one and I realized that it was really hard to climb when I was feeling yesterday's workout.

Then, at Zumba tonight our warm up song includes kick-backs...it took a while to loosen enough to really have a spring in my step while I did the workout. She did a few songs with squats and lunges, so I am sure that the legs will continue to recover. She also did a bunch with side bends, circles and other core working activities.

Eating has been reasonable, but a few work lunches make things harder and leaving me not fully tracking - which is a bit of a detriment come evening and not really knowing where I finished my day. I plan to refocus on that. My husband is trying to more cognizant of what he is eating, so that makes eating at home a little easier. It has helped me make sure that vegetables are more a part of our dinner - be it salad or hot vegetables, or could it be, both.

Now, if only the scale could catchup, it would make me feel better. Reenforce my efforts and all.

I am not a diet or fitness expert. I am a mom, just trying to be healthy and fit. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Day After Boot Camp

It's been a day since I took the boot camp class and the good news is that I am feeling it! The boot camp workout was amazing and today I have the tenderness to prove it. It is not quite the P90X Plyometric feeling in my legs, but as an added bonus, I can feel it in my back and shoulders and a little in my chest too. This morning at spinning, I could definitely feel yesterday in my legs. It was just that much harder to push myself and get the RPMs at each gear. I forgot my heart rate monitor today, but based on the sweat factor - I would say I was in the zone most of the workout and it was a good one. The cool down walk was a definite necessity today.

Eating was good yesterday. I finally was headache free all day, which further supports my theory on the source and I will be exploring that in a week or two when I see the doctor. Having no headache left me feeling snacky last night. I had some white cheddar cheese and some Triscuit Thins, which was fine until I had a second serving. Oh well! You will have that from time to time and it is okay. Before my snack, dinner was tasty and reasonably healthy too - Cajun Jambalaya Pasta. Full of peppers, onions and tomatoes, with some chicken breast too (we skipped the shrimp last night) - it is high in veggies, lean protein and flavor. I made sure to stick with a single serve of the pasta, but allowed a little extra of the toppings.

Tonight, I plan to fit in a Zumba class. I miss Zumba, now that it is not available at a convenient time for me at the Y.

I am not a diet or fitness expert. I am a mom, just trying to be healthy and fit. All opinions expressed are my own.

Boot Camp - Day 1

Wow! That really is the only way to sum it up. Today, I participated in my first boot camp class. It is taught by my spinning instructor and I know most of my classmates. The warm up was very reminiscent of P90X and other like programs. Some cardio followed by stretching. Then, we did a mix of what I would call plyometrics style exercises. None were too long, but all were intense. You were getting cardio, but with the associated squats, lunges, push ups and the like, it was clear that you were working the muscles too. Then, we grabbed a weight bar and a step and proceeded to do some squats, chest presses, upright rows, and more. Of course, we wrapped up with some stretches. The workout was great! I was feeling it by the end - love that feeling! I followed up the boot camp with a 1 mile quick walk at the track (around a 12 minute mile).

I am confident that by tomorrow, stairs will be a challenge. I sure hope that I can make it through Spinning with the soreness I anticipate. Now, if we can talk her into doing the class twice a week instead of just once.

Yesterday was a good day. I started the day with Spinning and a 1/4 mile cool down walk. It was a more intense spinning class, based on my heart rate monitor. I had to take some longer breaks to fully recover.

Eating was good too. I started with my typical protein (MRS) shake and a banana. Lunch was a steakhouse wedge (dressing on the side) with a wonderful horseradish cheddar cheese and apple slices. Dinner was Lasagne. I fit in a snack of a cinnamon roll, made for my manager's birthday (they are just too irresistible - so soft and so easy to make too!).

The best part, the scale responded in a positive fashion. Not much, but I was down from my previous low. That felt good.