Excited About Exercise

Susanna at My Family My Forever has started a McLinky to join in on her quest to renew her relationship with exercise.  I, too, have recently become reacquainted with my old friend fitness, in my quest to lose some weight.  I began seriously counting calories and logging in workouts in August and have lost 11 pounds.  Go me.  So sure, I am more than happy to join in and get continue to be “Excited About Exercise!”

First off, I love exercising at home.  I have a pretty good collection of dvds and tapes…that’s right, exercise tapes lol.  Some of them are pretty cheesy but I have the routines down pat and I like them.  So there.  ;)  Yesterday I did one of my favorite workouts to an old The Firm dvd.

This one hits all the muscle groups and throws in some aerobics for good measure.  The music is fun, the routines blend together well and the instructor is not annoying.  A great all around workout.  Thanks to Susanna for hosting this and good luck to all who join in on the challenge.

So many posts, so little time...

I've fallen a little behind in posting due to that virtual homeschool conference and starting school this week so I'm going to combine some thoughts into one post...hey, it's called multi-tasking!  No, really, it is.

I did manage to exercise last week!  Three days if I remember correctly.  Sitting at my computer for those conference talks actually hurt my back so much that I hopped up during the middle of one and walked right into the living room, popped in a Leslie Sansone dvd and did a workout right there, out of the blue.  Barefoot, no exercise clothes, just jumped right in and walked 3 miles.  And I felt better for it. :)  Join Becca at Mission of Motherhood for more exercise challenge participants.  And darn it, some of those ladies are actually losing weight.  What are they doing that I'm not?  (Besides sticking with the whole eating-less-and-exercising-more thing lol.)

This week I want to review my new purse...the Buxton Over-The-Shoulder bag.  Yes, the one you see on t.v.  Only I got mine at Wal-Greens of all places.

My 7yo son actually got this for me.  He saw the commercial, of course, and just figured I needed it.  I haven't actually carried a purse for years...my boys are spaced 5 years apart and every time it became clear that I no longer needed to carry a diaper bag, I had another baby lol.  However, with baby #4 I actually used a small backpack...much roomier but easier to carry.  Well, ds4 is now potty trained and they all carry their own backpacks now with snacks or drinks or changes of clothes when we go out, so once again I am a purse carrying woman!

I do like this bag for many reasons, the #1 reason being the little compartment for the phone.  Truly it is very easy to access your phone with this bag.  I also like that there is a zipped pocket on the front where you can keep things you access all the time, i.e. wallet, checkbook, a pen...so that you don't have to actually open the bag as often.  I also like that it is designed to be worn over the shoulder and my arms are free for toting a toddler. :)

There are a few drawbacks, as with any product.  The zippers are kinda cheap, and fall off easily...you have to be gentle.  Also, this bag is not big.  The ads say it fits all this stuff, but only because it has these mesh sides with zippers so the bag can expand.  Let's just say it can be a tight fit. ;)  But I'm okay with that, as now that I'm not packing clothes, wipes, snacks, legos, matchbox cars, etc. I travel much lighter.  Plenty of room for the essentials, which is pretty much all I carry.  For more product reviews, check out Angela's Review Tuesdays.

Yes, we did start school again this week.  Monday was a great day for ds2, my 8th grader, and a horrible day for ds3, my 2nd grader.  'Nuff said.  No, please, don't make me relive it.  Today was much better!  Maybe the child just does better on odd numbered days, who knows.  I am doing math, reading and writing individually with the boys, but science and history/geography I am covering with all three at once, just on different levels.   Our themes for this month are the human body and the Olympics. 

Here is a really cool book we found at the library, and some of the little books and worksheets that the boys have already completed.  Today they also practiced writing their names in Chinese and we discussed some of the history of the Olympics.  They seem to enjoy working together for these subjects.

Yes, I agree, this post was just way to long!  Even I don't want to read it all lol.  Hopefully as we get back into the swing of things I will get back into a better routine for blogging.  Have a wonderful week!

Exercise Challenge

Yeah, may as well just change the title to "Exercise is a challenge" lol.  Sigh.  I have been deep in the throes of planning our next school year and have let everything else go by the wayside.  Yep, everything, including exercise.  I think I should say especially exercise, seeing as how I did actually manage to throw a load of laundry in and run a few dishes under some water every now and again.  But did I ever take 30 minutes and slip in a Leslie dvd?  No.  Sigh.

So answer me this.  Why do you lose physical stamina so quickly?  I mean it's been two weeks since I exercised.  I popped in a dvd yesterday morning and did a measly 1 mile walk.  And it was a workout!  I mean my arms hurt after only lifting them by themselves, no weights or anything.  What's up with that?  I got mad that I only slacked off for a few weeks and seem to have lost any and all stamina or fitness I acquired in the past months of working out.  Phooey.  (Oh come on spell checker!  You redline dvd but not phooey?!?  And redline is an acceptable word?  I guess my grasp of vocabulary is better than I thought.)

Anywho, we have one week before we start school again.  I am spending this week getting everyone, including me, back on a schedule.  Do you know how hard that is when it doesn't get dark here until, like, 9pm?  So it's back to getting up earlier than the kids (although this summer 9am has been getting up earlier than the kids lol,) exercising, and starting my day off the right way.  Why doesn't the right way feel as good as the sleep-in-and-read-books-all-day way?

Exercise Challenge

Becca at Mission of Motherhood hosts this weekly exercise challenge to help keep us accountable for our fitness goals.  I have not been able to exercise much the past two weeks...ds4 has been ill, and anyone with a 3yo knows just how demanding they are when they are well, let alone when they are not.  Add to that the fact that he willingly shared said illness with me, and you see why it has truly been an "exercise challenge" for me.  We are both on the mend, however, and I was able to fit in 3 days of workouts.

I earned an amazon gift certificate for a survey I completed or something, and I spent it on new exercise videos/dvds.  I am excited that I was finally able to try them lol. 

I really liked this Leslie Sansone dvd, Walk Strong.  It alternates walking with weight lifting.  It was very challenging and after taking two weeks off, my muscles definitely noticed lol!  The only things I had concerns with, were that there was an emphasis on lower body and less on upper body, and that she didn't cover all of the lower body.  She worked the thighs plenty, but not the hamstrings or glutes, and worked the inner but not the outer thighs.  I compensated by doing some on my own.

This video is older but actually quite challenging and fun.  It's a three mile walk, set in Leslie's living room.  Leslie leads mile one with her typical marching, kicks, knee lifts and side steps.  But for mile two, another instructor takes over and really livens things up!  She adds more moves and ups the pace and really keeps things interesting.  I wasn't even going to do all three miles, but it went by pretty quick.  The third mile Leslie is back in charge, and the group dons this belt and works upper body some, but you can certainly do the workout without the belt thing.  Whew, it was a challenge!

I have also started exercising in the evenings as opposed to first thing in the morning.  I am able to do the longer workouts since my dh is home with the kids (although they all constantly interrupt me lol!)  I think I'll keep this up at least until we start school again.  Hope everyone had a fit week!

Exercise Challenge

I did so-so last week with exercise. I had to make myself get up and do it, lol, but I did manage to get up and do aerobics for 3 days and lift weights for one of those days. My new challenge is to figure out a temporary schedule for the next two weeks...the kids all started their swimming lessons and they are a bit earlier than I had originally planned. So I have to get myself up earlier to exercise...soooooo hard when I look at the clock and my brain knows I don't have to get up lol. It knows there is no school, and no pressing responsibilities and shuts down for another hour or so. Why does it feel so good to "sleep in?" And now that it doesn't even get dark until well after 8pm, the whole family stays up later. Maybe I should have joined up for swimming lessons with the kiddos lol. I'm keeping with it, though, and thanks to Becca for hosting this challenge and offering support!

Exercise Challenge

Well, I only exercised one day last week. A combination of things, really. My oldest graduated high school, it was "that time of the month", and I'll admit to being lazy. It's transition time around my home, what with the kids finishing school and us having some time off with no activities planned until next week...when I get up in the morning I kinda don't know what to do lol. I know we will settle into a summer routine soon, and I want to make sure my exercise routine stays the same. I did do a "gentle" one mile walk dvd this morning to get back into the swing of things, and I don't foresee having problems meeting my exercise goals this week. I hope everyone enjoys their week!

Exercise Challenge 5/19-5/25

Rebecca at Mission of Motherhood hosts this challenge, a true help to me in my quest to make exercise and fitness a part of my daily life again. It's been wonderful to have a place to post my progress each week, to keep me accountable, and to find support and encouragement. Thanks Rebecca!

So last week I did okay. I got in my 5 days of aerobics and 2 days of weight lifting, keeping with the 5lbs. I am happy to report that I kept up even though there were a few obstacles of early appointments and poor sleep (I exercise right when I get up in the morning.) Normally I try to keep the mornings somewhat free so I can get my workout in, but the kitty had to be at the vet by 7a.m., no excuses lol. So I had to exercise when I got back, and that of course put the rest of the day behind, as well as meant I had an audience of my normally sleeping children. Well, that just proved to me why I workout before they rise lol!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Exercise Challenge

Well, I had a good week of exercise. Not a great week, but okay. I feel a little like the "honeymoon" is over in a way, and that the "challenge" part of this has kicked in lol. I don't wake up itching to exercise anymore and some days I skip it. I'm not sure what to do, maybe the new dvd's I ordered will help mix things up a bit and get me excited about it all again. I did upgrade to the 5lb weights for my T and Th weightlifting, and did just fine with them. I dread the summer and the heat...even though I get up early and exercise right away, here it can be in the 80's at sunrise during the summer, so there is just no escaping the heat. I sure sound like a whiner this morning lol. I'll blame it on Monday. To join in on the exercise challenge, or to just see what others are up to with their fitness, see Mission of Motherhood. Hope everyone has a good week!

Exercise Challenge

I had a so-so week with exercise. I kept on track from M through W, but just couldn't get out of bed and do anything Th, which led to skipping F too. It was "that time" for me last week and I have at least one day of just being exhausted, so I was kinda expecting not to be able to do anything one day. I should have tried to "catch up" last weekend, but no excuses I just didn't. I'm back on track for this week so far...got up and did a 2-mile walk this morning, including using weights. I'm thinking of upping my weights from 3lbs to 5lbs for my T and Th weightlifting routines. Wish me luck!

Exercise Challenge

Rebecca at Mission of Motherhood hosts this wonderful challenge, giving us a place to come every week and share about our experiences exercising...the good, the bad and the ugly lol. It's been a wonderful incentive for me to keep up my exercising goals.
This week I experienced a little of good and bad. I kept up with my exercising schedule and even added in a little extra. Aerobics all days M thru Sat, and weights T and Th. I've still been experiencing a lovely increase in energy...last weekend I did yard work with my dh, this weekend the kids and I washed my car! But I got a bit of a wakeup call about my fitness, too. I hopped on my ds's bike and did fine going down the hill but struggled BIG TIME coming back up. I had to stop three times and actually walked the bike back up the rest of the way home! I'm not as fit as I thought. I am challenging myself to get on that bike every night (too hot during the day here) and hit that hill until I can make it all the way back up.
On another good note, I found two Leslie Sansone walking exercise tapes at the library book sale this weekend! Only $1 each, too. I love having a variety of workout tapes/dvds to choose from. Hope everyone has a great week!

Exercise Challenge

Another good week of exercise. I did aerobics (mostly walking) 5 days and lifted weights on T and Th. I used The Firm Cardio Sculpt for the Th weight lifting...that is one good workout. I love that it incorporates aerobics and strength training, yet the aerobics is nice and gentle (but very effective...you will get your heart rate up.)

I found a 6 week walking program from Leslie Sansone at the library and I am starting it this week. I read the book in one evening...it's great. (See pic on my bookshelf on the sidebar.) She emphasises exercise over diet. She doesn't say to just eat recklessly, but her program is about getting into shape. You walk more miles, and add more intensity over the weeks (with hand weights, ab belts, etc.) And every week she has you do one simple thing to improve your health, such as drinking water or taking a vitamin. I like that it is a gentle push into getting into shape, not a do-it-all-at-once kind of program. And Leslie has so many different dvd's that you have tons of options for working out. I also like Leslie's "style"...she is a bit more real than some of these instructors and also is open about her faith. So here we go, six weeks and counting! Hope everyone had a good week of workouts!

Workout Challenge: Week 6 or 7 or something

I guess I've put in enough weeks of this to actually stop trying to keep count lol. I think this is either week 6 or 7 for me working out every day. That's enough to call it a new habit, right? Last week I did aerobics all 5 days and lifted weights on T and Th. I got to try out my new Denise Austin dvd's.


I like them, although I have to say this about Denise...she just doesn't understand what low-impact means lol. Even on her "easy walk" of just a mile for beginners she is jumping all over the place! Nonetheless, I like the dvd, especially since it has 3 different routines.


The other dvd I tried is called her Personal Trainer series, and on this one you get to pick from beginner, intermediate and advanced for both the aerobics and the weight lifting. You can really customize the workout. Oh, and she has warm-up and stretch on there as well. She doesn't have that on the walking dvd.

Well, I have to begrudgingly admit that all this exercise has given me more energy...this weekend dh and I spent both days doing yard work. This is big for me, as I'm all about spending a weekend afternoon watching a marathon of America's Next Top Model and reading a good book during commercials lol! But I got out there and dug weeds, cleared out the raised garden bed, and raked and scooped up the clippings while dh trimmed our hedges. I have the little red neck to prove it, too lol. So yea for exercise! Hope everyone had a good week of workouts.

Exercise Challenge: Week 5!

Rebecca, at Mission of Motherhood, is hosting an exercise challenge. While I have only been reporting on my results for a couple of weeks, this past week marked 5 weeks straight of exercise for me!! I can't believe it myself lol. I actually went to bed Sunday night looking forward to getting up this morning and exercising. Go figure (and how geeky!) I am equally excited about all the days this week, as the new Denise Austin exercise dvds I ordered for my bday present came in the mail! Also, I borrowed a Kathy Smith tape from the library...that's the one I did this morning, and it was quite fun! Now I just need to do something about the whole diet part of this and maybe I'll start seeing the scale respond in kind. This week I will stick with my schedule of aerobics M, W, and F and weight training on T and Th (3lbs again this week.) Thanks to Rebecca for hosting this challenge. Good luck to all the participants and please feel free to join in!

Exercise Challenge

Another week down! That makes 4 in a row for me. I only had one day when I had gotten little sleep the night before and didn't really want to work out, but I made myself do it. I stuck to my schedule of doing aerobics on M, W, and F and weight training on T and Th. I got a little something in my bday card from my parents and ordered myself some new exercise videos. I can't wait! They are both from Denise Austin. One is her indoor walking dvd and the other is called Personal Trainer, where she offers aerobic and weight training options. I like that both have multiple levels and routines in them...more for the money lol. So once again, Yea for me! The littles are so cute, they actually each pretended to put on an exercise show for me...the 7yo did real well, copying moves he'd seen me do with my tapes. The 3yo had me twisting and turning in ways I have yet to recover from lol! But it is great that they want to join in. Hope everyone had a good workout last week, and good luck to all this week.

Exercise Challenge

I'm late joining in with this challenge...well, not the exercise part, just the blogging about it part lol. I intended on joining in when this challenge started in February, but I had blog problems and wound up switching here to blogger and blah blah blah. Anyway, this is actually the start of week 4 of exercise for me...Yea Me!! So far I haven't encountered any major obstacles. You know the ones, sickness, appointments, life in general, etc. But I am supposed to be reporting about my progress last week, right? Okay, I use tapes and dvds to exercise with. I did aeorbics on M, W and F and weight lifting with 2lb weights on T and Th. The weight lifting days I used dvds that incorporate some aeorbics as well, so it's a good workout. I am graduating to 3lbs this week. I feel like I am able to complete more of the dvds with less effort. I have not hit the scales yet, just getting into the fitness thing first.

In Like A Lion

It has been quite windy the past few days. The temps have been moderate, though, even a little hot...the a.c. runs every once in a while. I have exercised every day this week...Monday a walking dvd, Tuesday the weight lifting part of Denise Austin, and today another walking dvd. Last night we had tator tot casserole and broccoli. I made some chocolate chip cookie bars...very good recipe from Allrecipes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon water
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs, vanilla and water; beat until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into 13x9 baking pan and bake at 375 for 20 to 30 minutes.