Turn Down Day, or Week

I was going to go back and try to figure out when and where my workouts came this week but they were few, far between and all yoga. I have been really sick. I know I worked on Monday and that I am a day behind on the Slimdown Calendar than on the 360 calendar but that's all kind of irrelevant. On Tuesday I turned on the tv to work out even though I felt horrible and discovered ExerciseTV was no longer running the 360 series which was my favorite. I like Holly Perkins partly because she seems genuinely enthused with working out and I looked her up. She's more of a stunt woman than an actress and I can respect that too. The Slimdown workouts are actually more difficult and the woman who does them isn't so bad. I hate her phony smile which she sometimes forgets but then puts back on, but I like her phony encouragement. Well maybe it's not that phony because although she can't see me it seems to come right when I need it. At some point she had to have done this in front of people and known when they are about to give out. 

Anyway, I know the 360 Yoga routine by heart and I did that on Tuesday. So, come Wednesday and I still feel crappy, but turn on the tv, determined to do something, and we have no cable. None for another 24 or more hours. I gave up for that day totally, meant to do the yoga, but just walking around was difficult. I went grocery shopping, knowing I was in for a bad couple days, which I was.

Yesterday I was ready for yoga, but not the Slimdown yoga which is more yogaerobics. I rediscovered my "Morning Stretch/Evening Stretch" videos, or at least the first. It's not very hard core yoga, which is probably why it sat there, but after three days of no workout, I found myself groaning with pleasure at the small stretches. I will probably do it again today as soon as I finish writing this. I'm going to look through my box of workout videos too and see what else I have. Tomorrow I will start again with Slimdown workout and add in my own videos to fill out my hour per day. I need to start doing more kickboxing if I'm going to get back into martial arts sooner or later.

Slow yoga day

Weight	Mood	Vigor	Rise Time	Sleep	Latest Ate
158.8	Poor	Poor	6:30	Fitful	8ish, candy bar

Physical Activity

Activity	Yoga 360	Yoga Slimdown
Time	10 min	20 min

Personal Log

Low energy again. I only did the required and should have picked one from what I need to do tomorrow since it'll be another 70 minute day. I really wanted to do another yoga actually and never got around to that either. Tomorrow is Saturday, and it's hard to get enthusiasm up for that either but I have to because I'm taking Bill to a swim meet Sunday morning and won't be able to work out then. I suppose two days off wouldn't kill me but I have to do SOMETHING tomorrow even if I don't finish everything. I can always catcch up, but not if I get too far behind.

Four, four, four workouts in one!

Weight	Mood	Vigor	Rise Time	Sleep	Latest Ate
	Okay	Fair	6:30	Fair	nothing after dinner

Physical Activity

Activity	Yoga 360	Total Tone 360	Lower Body Slimdown	Core Slimdown
Time	10 min	20 min	20 min	20 min

Personal Log

This is the first time I've tried four in one day. I have to admit to almost quitting during the last one. The Slimdown workouts are harder too. I am getting a bit better at some of the exercises but still far from "there."

Hump day

Weight	Mood	Vigor	Rise Time	Sleep	Latest Ate
	Fair	Fair	6:30	Fair

Physical Activity

Activity	Yoga 360	Cardio 360	Total Body Blast Slimdown
Time	10 min	20 min	20 min

Personal Log

This seems to be a good combination of workouts. I didn't poop out but I worked hard and sweated alot.

No Mountain Climbing for me today!

Weight	Mood	Vigor	Rise Time	Sleep	Latest Ate
159	Okay	Low	6:30	fidgety	10ish, and a candy bar at that. Sigh...

Physical Activity

Activity	Yoga 360	Upper Body Slimdown	Core Slimdown
Time	10 min	20 min	20 min

Personal Log

Well I made myself do the workout early today but I was still low on energy and wimped out on half of the core slimdown. That is one of the tougher workouts. I should do that one first when it comes up because doing it third and I really am out of energy particularly on low energy days like today, and yesterday for that matter.

Runnin' on Empty

Weight	Mood	Vigor	Rise Time	Sleep	Latest Ate
159.4	Okay	Low	5:30	Poor	Don't remember, but after dinner. Sigh...

Physical Activity

Activity	Yoga 360	Total Tone 360	Lower Body Slimdown
Time	10 min	20 min	20 min

Personal Log

I took yesterday off, Sunday, after all, but I really thought I would get around to doing something, at least the 10 min Yoga 360 workout, but no, nada. And then today I ended up not starting my workout until 11ish. I promised myself to do them early from here on and I didn't. I didn't have a lot of energy in my workout today either but pushed through. Suck it up and all that.

I wasn't happy to see 159.4 on my weekly scale reading either. That's +2 from last week. So much for -2 lbs per week. I haven't been great about eating but not bad either. I guess I do fluxuate. I'm hoping that's all it is. One of the workout talks about muscle weighing more than fat, and I suppose that's true, but I still need less fat!

I'm Gonna Live Forever!

Weight	Mood	Vigor	Rise Time	Sleep	Latest Ate
	Good	Good	5 a.m.	Fair	Didn't eat after dinner!

Physical Activity

Activity	Yoga 360	Cardio 360	Pilates Core Sculpt	Fame Jazz Dance
Time	10 min	20 min	10 min	20 min (maybe 10 min of workout)

Personal Log

Tried out the Pilates Core Sculpt and this one used exercises I remember from when I took Pilates a long time ago, last century actually. LOL. I'll do it again. Same with Fame Jazz Dance. I found it a bit hard to follow but having learned forms for 25 years I'm betting that if I do this often enough I can learn it. Makes me tempted to try some of the other dance ones but I don't think I'd like the "dance aerobics" things. I liked this because it WAS progressive and therefore a bit confusing because it kept adding on. I didn't breathe hard but I did sweat, and it I wasn't learning, was doing it full force, I think I would have worked even harder. I'll keep this one in mind when I need an extra workout and don't really feel like working.  Since Bill's off at a swim meet all day today, I guess it's time to soak in the tub and read. I earned it.

The Weight

Weight	Mood	Vigor	Rise Time	Sleep	Latest Ate
156.8	Good	Fair	5:30, out of bath at 6:30	Fair	nothing after dinner!

Physical Activity

Activity	Yoga 360	Total Body Blast Slimdown	Yoga Slimdown
Time	10 min	20 min	20 min

Personal Log

I was happy to see the 156 number even if it was .8.  I have to stop pretending weight doesn't matter. It does. At least until I hit 140. Breaking the 150 mark would be nice. Caught up with the workouts again. The Slimdown gives two days off so I'll get to browse the ExerciseTV menu and find one or two 10 minute workouts that look fun tomorrow.

Still Behind

Weight	Mood	Vigor	Rise Time	Sleep	Latest Ate
	Good	Good	5:30, out of bath at 6:30	Good, only 1 pee awakening

Physical Activity

Activity	Yoga 360	Total Tone 360	Core Slimdown
Time	10 min	20 min	20 min

Personal Log

Tried to catch up with the missed workouts today but it would have meant another 20 minute workout and I just didn't have it in me. I think until I'm easily doing 50-60 min I'm not going to try to go above that. Of course if I end up subbing all day I doubt I'll have that much energy. It's one reason I'm pushing it so hard to be sure I get disciplined in the tv workout. I KNOW I wouldn't go to the Y. I think that's the best thing to come out of those snow days, getting used to working out in the living room.

PMS - Pissy, Mean and Stupid, even after Menopause

Weight	Mood	Vigor	Rise Time	Sleep	Latest Ate
157.4	Piss poor	Poor	7:15 a.m.	Restless and disturbed	10ish

Physical Activity

Activity	Cardio 360	Upper Body Slimdown
Time	20 min	20 min

Personal Log

I had zero energy today and still pushed it through two of the three workouts. I just totally blew off the other. I did clean the bathroom including scrubbing the tub, and needed to pick up Bill so I kinda ran out of time, but I could have found it if I had put my mind to it. I was just in a crappy mood and let myself talk myself out of it. I do see that I still have cycles even though I don't have periods anymore. Better than dealing with blood but still annoying. A few days every month or so when I cry over stupid commercials and songs and get mad about stupid things. Weird.

Sunrise, Sunset

Weight	Mood	Vigor	Rise Time	Sleep	Latest Ate
	Good	Good+	6:30	Okay, can't remember	6:30!!! Made it once anyway

Physical Activity

Activity	Yoga 360	Total Body Blast Slimdown	Lower Body Slimdown
Time	10 min	20 min	20 min

Personal Log

I'm still pushing it but my energy level doesn't seem to high today. The best thing I did was to not eat after dinner, but I've been thinking about that. The program wants me to eat within a half hour of rising. I just can't do that. Don't happen. But unless I'm going out, I tend to soak in the tub and read for the first hour I'm up. I'll eat after that. Maybe that hour in the tub really doesn't count because I'm still lying down. If that's the case, I have an extra hour to eat at night and not eat in the morning, at least when I'm not working. I've signed up to sub and hope to have a few days a week when I'm working within the next few weeks after my clearance is done.

Two Pounds a Week

Weight	Mood	Vigor	Rise Time	Sleep	Latest Ate
157.4	Good	Good	5:30	Fair. Lots of bathroom	9:30 and I KNEW I shouldn't, hadn't eaten since 7:30 before. Just a package of peanuts but still.

Physical Activity

Activity	Cardio 360	Yoga Slimdown	Total Body Blast Slimdown
Time	20 min	20  min	20 min

Personal Log

Net loss of 2.2 lbs for the week. Not bad. If I can do 2 lbs a week for 15 weeks, I'll be at my prime weight of 130. I'd be happy with 140 or even 145. We'll see.

I'm catching up on the workouts rather than doing anything different when there's only 40 mins in one day. After tomorrow I'll be back on the "Wednesday" for both programs.

Weekend in Knoxville

Personal Log

The weekend was a bust. I did do the Yoga 360 twice on Saturday but not at all on Sunday. Hey, out of town, at least I kept my junk food to a minimum. Some days are like that.

Excuses

Weight	Mood	Vigor	Rise Time	Sleep	Latest Ate
159.2

Physical Activity

Activity	Yoga 360
Time	10 min

Personal Log

I was travelling today and didn't manage to make time to exercise. I put it that way because if I'd put my mind to it I'm sure I could have. Once I got into the hotel room I did the Yoga 360 routine which I rather have memorized by now. I'm here until Sunday so I suppose that's all I'm going to do for the weekend other than some stretching on my own. I guess it won't hurt to let my muscles rest a few days.

I was happy to see my weight drop down below 160 again. Now, let's hit that 150 mark.

Act As If

Weight	Mood	Vigor	Rise Time	Sleep	Latest Ate
160	Good	Good	6:30	Fair

Physical Activity

Activity	Yoga 360	Upper Body Slimdown	Core Slimdown
Time	10 min	20 min	20 min (did 15 min or so)

Personal Log

I made a point of being "enthusiastic" today. I find I'm not as energetic at home as I am when I go to the Y, which is STILL not doing classes because school is still out on snow days. I go to the Core again. It's a tough workout. I pushed it but still had to stop from time to time. Sooner or later I'll get through it. In a way it makes me feel better because I TRIED this time and still couldn't get through it, where before I thought Iwas just being lazy.

Another Snow Day

Weight	Mood	Vigor	Rise Time	Sleep	Ate
161	Fair to Good	Good	6:30	Fair - 2 times up for bathroom

Physical Activity

Activity	Total Body Blast	Yoga 360	Total Tone 360
Time	20 min	10 min	20 min

Personal Log

I made myself get be enthusiastic about the exercise today. That is, actually perform them rather than drudge my way through them. There's something about a class that always gets me pumped but I'm grateful to have these videos since the Y is not running classes yet again today, or any day the city schools have a snow day. Like today, and yesterday and the day before that and last Friday.  I sure hope they have school tomorrow.

I had planned to write about how, to me, weight wasn't as important as fitness, but then the scale tipped over that 160 mark and I realized that to some extent weight IS important to me, just not as important as it was when I was younger.  I would like to lose about 20 lbs. Maybe over the course of the next year. We shall see.  If I do start working I'm going to have to be more diligent about my workouts.

Running Down and Out of Energy

Weight	Mood	Vigor	Rise Time	Sleep	Latest Ate
	Okay	Fair to Good	6:30	Fair, up twice for bathroom	10 p.m. forgot I wasn't supposed to. Oh well.

Physical Activity

Activity	Cardio 360	Lower Body Slim Down	Core Slim Down
Time	20 min	20 min	20 min (but took a lot of rest, probably 10 minutes)

Personal Log

I had a really hard time getting through the 3rd workout today. Partly I think it was that these were all hard core, no yoga. I'll have to adjust to be sure one is yoga every day. Partly because I did the 3rd one in the middle of the afternoon where I did the others in the morning. Well, adjustments need to be made. The schools are off yet again tomorrow so no classes at the Y. I'll have to continue this. If I manage to get a job subbing I won't be able to get to the day classes anymore. I guess this is good to show that I CAN do it this way if I set my mind to it.

Food

Weight	Mood	Vigor	Rise Time	Sleep	Latest Ate
159.6	Fair - Good	Good	7:30	Fair to Good	8:30 so far. I'm going to try to be good now.

Physical Activity

Activity	Yoga 360	Upper Body Slimdown	Tae Bo 8 minute workout
Time	10 min	20 min	20ish minutes

Tried the Billy Blanks Tae Bo workout. I'll do it again but it ain't no 8 minutes, more like 20. I'll time it next time but I can only assume it does not include the warmup and cooldown in the 8 minute time.
Also played Wii Frisbee Golf and Bowling with the family tonight. Not constant activity but activity nonetheless

Personal Log

Finally did my post-Christmas weighing. The bad news is I gained four pounds. The good news is that I usually gain five and that five would have put me over the dreaded 160 mark again. Considering I was verging on the 170 mark when we moved to TN, that's not to bad. But it's not good either.

I only list my mood as fair but maybe low-key is more accurate. I had energy, I did things, including the workout, even got some poetry out in the mail to children's magazines. Had Jim and Pat over for dinner and Wii. But there's something and I'm not sure what. I didn't feel "happy." Not that feeling "happy" is necessary to feel "good" so maybe I should put good. I'm going to edit it to "fair to good."

Food Log

Okay, okay, I'll try this. Maybe it'll make me more conscious of what I put into my body and maybe it'll drive me to eat more. I dunno. But I happen to be starting this blog entry in the morning, and know that all I have eaten so far is a bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats with 2% milk about 11 a.m. and said, well, at least I can write that down.

1 piece of rye toast with about a tsp of butter (noonish)
a handful of cashews (1 p.m.)
Chips and queso
A clementine
An apple
Garlic Shrimp and Pasta
Chocolate Cherry cake

Once again, did better with the exercise than the eating, but that's always been the case. I enjoy exercise, but I enjoy eating too.

Short Attention Span Workouts

Weight
Mood:	Good
Vigor:	Excellent
Sleep	Fair

Physical Activity

Activity	Time
Yoga Energizer 360	10 min
Piloxing	20 min
Total Tone 360	20 min

Personal Log

Good day for workout not so good for food. I still snack too much. One piece of advice the web page gives is to eat within a half hour getting up and to not eat after dinner. And basically to allow 12 hours from last time eating at night and the first time eating in the morning. I'm still not anal enough to remember to list all my food (though I KINDA tried yesterday), I'm going to start listing those two times. The last time I eat at night, the first time I eat in the morning. I guess I need to list getting up time too to make it complete, but okay, I think I can do that.

And I think I finally found a way to get myself to work out at home.

I finally visited exercisetv.tv and downloaded the suggested workouts for two of their programs, Fitness 360 and 10 lb Slimdown. I am determined to do these on the days I don't go to the gym, like tomorrow. Both city and county schools are already closed, which means the Y will not be having classes. Now technically, I should be replacing two 50 minute classes that I take, but before I could never do it.

When I tried the short workouts that come with these programs I could incorporate them into my day better. Okay, clean the kitchen, swap the laundry, do the 10 minute Yoga Energizer, answer emails, work on my poems, do the 20 minute Slimdown Upper Body. And so on. I needed both programs to get what I consider enough minutes in the day of a work out, and even that is minimal at this point.

I offset the programs by a day, so I started the 360 one with the Total Tone. But I need to the Yoga Energizer first every day no matter what I'm doing. And I decided that on days when each program only has one program, I'll pick something that looks interesting. Today I tried Piloxing. Didn't like it much. It was an okay workout, but I guess I'm a die hard martial artist and not a dancer. This had too many dance moves and not enough Pil(ates) or (B)oxing for my taste. I dug out my 8 minute Billy Blanks tape do when I have a gap too. We'll see.

Yoga at Home

Weight
Mood:	Good
Vigor:	Good
Sleep	Fair

Physical Activity

Activity	Time
Yoga	24 minutes

Personal Log

Well, the day isn't over yet, but I really meant to do another workout video before the boys arose from their dungeon. I did not and now they are wanting the tv for xBox, and I'll be giving up the living room soon. At least  I actually did something today!

Introduction

I'm one week late starting this journal, and it wasn't a good week, or didn't start that way. I'd gotten so out of the habit of getting out to the Y for aerobics and yoga that I just couldn't motivate myself. The Y does not have classes when the schools call a snow day and given a major storm system in TN, and there were seven snow days in the last two weeks before Bill was out for Christmas vacation. Really, my diet, exercise, everything all kind of went to hell in December. So, it is time to start again.

It's the end of the first week, and I'm coming back up to speed. I made it to the Y three times, though not full force. Monday I made it to CSI (Cardio Strength Interval), I worked out on my own doing forms on Wednesday while Bill was at swim team practice, and Yoga on Friday. I did a bit with the tv on Tuesday, a 10 minute Yoga workout and today I did most of a 24 minute yoga workout.  So, I'm going to try to come up with a list of things I want to track rather than exactly what the book says to track.

Monday - record my weight

The book suggests Mood - Vigor - Sleep. I can live with that.

The nutrition log seems a bit beyond me at this point. I can't imagine trying to keep track of exactly what I eat. If I can keep up the rest of this, maybe I'll add that next month.

Physical activity. Yeah, I can track that and it might be encourging. It wants to track "strength training" separately. I do some weights in CSI but kind of gave up regular weight training. I may start trying to do it again on Tue/Thu while Bill's in swim practcie, but that ain't on the horizon right now either.

Number of steps. Well, I think that's just a bit obsessive. It suggests a pedometer but that would mean wearing it all the time. Again, a bit obsessive.

Okay, time to set up a template with all that info and if I can make this work, I will post every evening.