Welp, I made it. Under the first of a few mile markers I said I'd never get over again. Woohoo!
Down 36 this latest go-round and, with 3 weeks left til vacation, my goal of hitting 50 beforehand is looking less and less likely...but, because today is a "good day", I'm just happy to be losing at all...especially because the past few weeks have been inches but not pounds weeks, and those are effing maddening.
You know those songs you love so much that you play them over and over again until you hate them? Ya know, "Uprising" by Muse or "Peace Sells" by Megadeth? (Two of my on again/off again favorites.) Yeah, I have the same problem with workouts.
Today, I fell back in love with one that I'd put in the time-out chair for the better part of this past year. "Super Slimdown Pilates Yoga Blend" from Ellen Barrett and Crunch. I've mentioned it before a couple of dozen posts ago...and I've also typed at length of my respect for how Ellen runs her routines. First off, she's very easy to deal with - no drill sargeant crazy, no whiny or scream-y voice - just simple, straightforward, personable, etc. I don't need to be shamed into working out a la Jillian Michaels - my Catholic upbringing has infused my inner voice with more than enough of that. I just need easy to follow instructions, counting, less chit chat and music that sort of fades into the background instead of wearing on my nerves.
The thing I like most about this workout - and it's why I considered it my "easy" routine for a few years - is that it's more about form and isometrics than it is about reps and losing your breath. Don't get me wrong, your heart rate gets plenty worked up, but this routine is really about toning, stretching and elongating muscles.
If you're feeling stiff or just like a block of stone when you get up in the morning - I strongly suggest trying this DVD out. It heats and stretches muscles you work in your regular cardio routines and builds fantastic core strength over time as well.
It's just the workout I needed after a week full of heavy biking and skiing. My muscles feel loose and happy again.
On to the next 10 pounds!
Showing posts with label abs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label abs. Show all posts
Friday, March 21, 2014
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Suck It In!
So, I started doing the silliest thing last week (well, I thought it was silly at the time) and, um, it's totally working!
I have a to-do list on my work computer that's always displayed on the left hand side of my monitor. I wrote "suck it in" in big bold letters at the top of the list to serve as a visual reminder to sit up straight and pull in my abs.
Let's face it, not every day is going to involve ab toning exercises - either because of the "I don't wannas" or because there's no time.
Well, my posture has already improved and my waistline has already come in an inch! Sure, some of that can easily be attributed to weight loss and general exercise, but since most of my losses at the waist are about .5 inches per week...hmmmm.
I remember reading somewhere that for every ten seconds you "suck it in", you get the equivalent of 1 sit-up. It would appear there's something to this!
And, the more I am reminded to "suck it in" at work, I find I'm more compelled to do it while walking around the house and sitting in front of the tv. Being more conscious of my posture feels really good!
I have a to-do list on my work computer that's always displayed on the left hand side of my monitor. I wrote "suck it in" in big bold letters at the top of the list to serve as a visual reminder to sit up straight and pull in my abs.
Let's face it, not every day is going to involve ab toning exercises - either because of the "I don't wannas" or because there's no time.
Well, my posture has already improved and my waistline has already come in an inch! Sure, some of that can easily be attributed to weight loss and general exercise, but since most of my losses at the waist are about .5 inches per week...hmmmm.
I remember reading somewhere that for every ten seconds you "suck it in", you get the equivalent of 1 sit-up. It would appear there's something to this!
And, the more I am reminded to "suck it in" at work, I find I'm more compelled to do it while walking around the house and sitting in front of the tv. Being more conscious of my posture feels really good!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
103...Abs and Arms: You're On Notice!
It's still odd for me to conceptualize any number over 99. The 3 digits 1-0-0 were something I had always hoped I'd see in terms of weight loss, but, if I'm being totally honest with myself, I'm not entirely certain it's a milestone I completely and wholeheartedly believed I had the ability to achieve. Yet, here I sit at 103 pounds lost (as of last night). Now my goal of losing a full 180-185 doesn't seem nearly as impossible or far off. In fact, I think that I might just make it there by the time I get married in July.
Here's the latest round of pics.
Ooops! Now, how did THAT get in there?
The difference over the past few weeks has really been in my abdominal region and in my arms. I've gotten a lot more aggressive there.
On top of the bike, which I do at about 16-18 mph for 30-35 minutes 3-4x per week plus a ten minute hand weight routine, I'm also still doing my full body 40 minute pilates workout at least 2x per week.
Then, I've just added a customized stability ball and resistance band workout to the arm, arse and ab toning regimen. The ball/band routine is still a work in progress, but here are the highlights:
I've combined the Biggest Loser Stability Ball Workout (if you're interested, it came with this product: http://www.amazon.com/Biggest-Loser-Advantage-Stability-Orange/dp/B001JIV6A0)
...with a core routine courtesy of Real Simple (http://www.realsimple.com/health/fitness-exercise/workouts/stronger-abs-in-fifteen-minutes-00000000022852/index.html)
...plus another resistance band routine, also courtesy of Real Simple (http://www.realsimple.com/health/fitness-exercise/workouts/resistance-band-exercises-00100000067997/index.html)
I've cut the overlapping exercises, making it about a 25-30 minute strength training blast. It's a nice change from what I've been doing and a hell of a challenge. Did this on Friday and am still sore on Sunday. That "Monkey" exercise in the last RS workout is a hell of a killer.
Anyway, I think I've ramped things up in the exercise department just enough to hold me for at least another month. I've built in a good amount of variety and challenges to keep me interested as well. I really want to see my abs and arms take shape, so it feels good to start targeting them more directly. The rest of me is kind of falling (or raising) into place pretty naturally.
As for the diet, Medifast is shockingly easy for me to stick with. It's been weird to move back to being a carnivore...but I'm still steering pretty clear of red meat (minus the roast beef yesterday). That said, I feel a lot of energy, I see a lot of progress and, while it's friggin expensive as all hell, I also see it as a worthy investment in my future. I'm actually really glad that I started it when I did, since it does put me on a path to be pretty slim (if not at my goal weight) by mid-July. I had no idea we'd be getting hitched back when I hopped on the train in November, but things do often have a mysterious way of working out.
Onward and downward!
Here's the latest round of pics.
Ooops! Now, how did THAT get in there?
The difference over the past few weeks has really been in my abdominal region and in my arms. I've gotten a lot more aggressive there.
On top of the bike, which I do at about 16-18 mph for 30-35 minutes 3-4x per week plus a ten minute hand weight routine, I'm also still doing my full body 40 minute pilates workout at least 2x per week.
Then, I've just added a customized stability ball and resistance band workout to the arm, arse and ab toning regimen. The ball/band routine is still a work in progress, but here are the highlights:
I've combined the Biggest Loser Stability Ball Workout (if you're interested, it came with this product: http://www.amazon.com/Biggest-Loser-Advantage-Stability-Orange/dp/B001JIV6A0)
...with a core routine courtesy of Real Simple (http://www.realsimple.com/health/fitness-exercise/workouts/stronger-abs-in-fifteen-minutes-00000000022852/index.html)
...plus another resistance band routine, also courtesy of Real Simple (http://www.realsimple.com/health/fitness-exercise/workouts/resistance-band-exercises-00100000067997/index.html)
I've cut the overlapping exercises, making it about a 25-30 minute strength training blast. It's a nice change from what I've been doing and a hell of a challenge. Did this on Friday and am still sore on Sunday. That "Monkey" exercise in the last RS workout is a hell of a killer.
Anyway, I think I've ramped things up in the exercise department just enough to hold me for at least another month. I've built in a good amount of variety and challenges to keep me interested as well. I really want to see my abs and arms take shape, so it feels good to start targeting them more directly. The rest of me is kind of falling (or raising) into place pretty naturally.
As for the diet, Medifast is shockingly easy for me to stick with. It's been weird to move back to being a carnivore...but I'm still steering pretty clear of red meat (minus the roast beef yesterday). That said, I feel a lot of energy, I see a lot of progress and, while it's friggin expensive as all hell, I also see it as a worthy investment in my future. I'm actually really glad that I started it when I did, since it does put me on a path to be pretty slim (if not at my goal weight) by mid-July. I had no idea we'd be getting hitched back when I hopped on the train in November, but things do often have a mysterious way of working out.
Onward and downward!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Shrinking Waist Deep
It's odd to watch weight loss happen, sometimes. You can target an area for what seems like an eternity, only to watch other parts shrink. (Let's take the breasts, for example - I don't think I would have minded if I had kept at least one of the three extra cup sizes I had gained over the past few years.)
Then, out of the blue, and at just the point you're about to give up - the body part you have been targeting, nay, abusing - FINALLY gets its act together.
So, now, after months of crazy core work - pilates, yoga and straight up sit-ups, I'm finally seeing my abs take on a shape that doesn't look like I had an inner tube surgically implanted around my mid-section.
I still have a long way to go yet, but man, to not bulge over my pants is a great thing. AND, I wasn't even flowing over my waistband because they were too tight, either. My "abs" were just THAT flabby! Not anymore.
Check out the waist shrinkage!
Then, out of the blue, and at just the point you're about to give up - the body part you have been targeting, nay, abusing - FINALLY gets its act together.
So, now, after months of crazy core work - pilates, yoga and straight up sit-ups, I'm finally seeing my abs take on a shape that doesn't look like I had an inner tube surgically implanted around my mid-section.
I still have a long way to go yet, but man, to not bulge over my pants is a great thing. AND, I wasn't even flowing over my waistband because they were too tight, either. My "abs" were just THAT flabby! Not anymore.
Check out the waist shrinkage!
Oh, and I hit 88.5 pounds lost today. A pretty remarkable feat since I had fried green tomatoes last night at dinner...and a salad with a mound of BBQ pork on top. Thank goodness I put in 40 minutes on the bike to make room for that deliciousness! Back to reality today...though, I do predict a bit of sushi in my future.
Monday, December 5, 2011
99 Problems (but it sure beats 100)
Today, (well - yesterday, really - but I'm blogging about it today) I hit 86 pounds of weight loss.
For those of you keeping score, that means I only have 99 pounds left to lose. Now, I know the word "only" is pretty laughable -- but, for me, the fact that I no longer have over 100 pounds to go is as much a psychological achievement as it is a physical one.
The past few pounds have really started to show in my ab region -- and thank friggin' bejeebus, because I have been doing so much targeted core work, it's almost absurd. Between pilates 2-3x/week, my 2-3x/week on the bike (which also works the abs and lower back) and my general mat ab work that I try to do an additional 1x/week, it's about damn time that my spare tire shrink from SUV size to something you'd maybe find on a Smart Car.
Maybe you can see the change too -- here are the latest pics.
For those of you keeping score, that means I only have 99 pounds left to lose. Now, I know the word "only" is pretty laughable -- but, for me, the fact that I no longer have over 100 pounds to go is as much a psychological achievement as it is a physical one.
The past few pounds have really started to show in my ab region -- and thank friggin' bejeebus, because I have been doing so much targeted core work, it's almost absurd. Between pilates 2-3x/week, my 2-3x/week on the bike (which also works the abs and lower back) and my general mat ab work that I try to do an additional 1x/week, it's about damn time that my spare tire shrink from SUV size to something you'd maybe find on a Smart Car.
Maybe you can see the change too -- here are the latest pics.
Monday, September 19, 2011
So Long, Front Butt!
First off, sorry it's been over a month since my last post. For some reason, I just haven't been compelled to write about weight loss all that much. I'm motivated, feeling good, seeing results (at least in the mirror - not that much on the scale) and I guess when I'm either not seeing huge milestones come and go or when I'm not feeling extremely angry and frustrated...I have precious little to say.
Still, today featured a nice little moment for me. You see, I'm one of the bazillion fat chicks in American suffering from front butt. If you don't know what front butt is, you probably don't have one. According to the Urban Dictionary, front butt is defined as:
"(noun) An enormous, fatty enlargment of the abdomen, genital, and thigh region that morphs together to create the appearance of a bulbous ass on a persons front."
And that's the cleanest definition I could find.
Well, I'm happy to report that after 1,276,836 situps, crunches, ab twists and who the hell knows what else, my front butt is less Kardashian and more Li-Lo. It's not gone yet, but thanks to rigorous pilates style ab workouts, it's well on its way.
By the way, speaking of ab workouts - if you're a Time Warner Cable subscriber (and, this is about the only perk of the service), check out their free workouts on demand. Just go to sports on demand and select fitness...and there they are. My current self-abuse of choice is the Pilates Abs workout. 10 minutes of pure hell...but totally worth it! Here's a link to a preview - don't pay for them here - get them for free from your cable box!
