Beginner Rotation - starting Monday, August 15, 2011

Morning Ladies :)

What a great weekend I had, I hate to go back to the negativity of the Office. :( This week the pressure/stress should subside, I will have everything done for the 1st of Oct., within the next 2 - 3 days. :) Trying to keep a positive attitude amonst the haters at work!!!! :)

No workout for me this morning, I will be working out in the evening this week. When all the work is done on the job I will start working out in the AM again.

The new bed is grrrrrrrrrrrrrreat. :) I keep the plastic on the mattress so it was not as comfortable. I will get a fitted mattress cover and I am sure that will do the trick. ;)

BTY - I filled my 100oz water jug up 3 times on Staturday. This is because I was outside in the heat (90ish temp) walking which made me very thursty. I was shocked at all the people who thought I had Soda or Alcohol in the large container. You should have seen their faces when I said no this is my water jug....lol

Okay, I will check in after I complete Body Fusion this evening. Have a great day and a wonderful workout. :)

Deanna

PS: Yes Susan this is week 6th for us. :)
And thanks to all who have joined and supported us with our journey. :)
 
Good morning again !!

Deanna - I am thrilled that you had a great weekend and that your new bed is so comfy !!! You deserve it after the stresses at work and with your son recently. I am so proud of you for concentrating on taking care of yourself for a change.

well... I weighed myself this morning cause it's Monday and that's what I do on Monday mornings :p

I gained 1/2 a pound. But that's okay. I was really really good about eating healthy foods last week (except for one day), I just ate too many healthy foods. This week shall be better.

I did 3 miles on the treadmill at the gym this morning, so my workout is done for the day. Yea !!!

Here's the Susan Rotation for this week:

Monday - Cardio
Tuesday - Upper body and stretch
Wednesday - Lower body, abs and stretch
Thursday - Cardio and pushups
Friday - rest day
Saturday - Total Body, abs and stretch
Sunday - Cardio

So that's 3 days of cardio, 3 days of weight training, 3 days with pushups included, 2 days of abs, 3 days of stretching routine and one day of rest.

My goal for this week is to do all of my workouts as written !!!

We CAN do this... we ARE doing this !!
Progress, not perfection.

Go Team !!!!!!!!:D
 
Dilemma - buy Slow and Heavy this week before the 30% off sale ends? or be good and not spend any more money ?

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm............. :p
 
I understand you dilemma Susan. I am not going to be buying dvd's every month.

When I was doing House Cleaning Max Yesterday, I realized that I have a stack of Cathe dvd's and I am currently only using 1 sometimes 2 and I have 2 more that will be delivered this week probably today. Enough is enough, I have to use the ones I have before getting more.

SusanMcL said:
Dilemma - buy Slow and Heavy this week before the 30% off sale ends? or be good and not spend any more money ?

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm............. :p
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Deanna, good job on staying positive, even at work. I also work in a stressful, somewhat negative work atmosphere, it's tough! You and Susan have been at it for going on 6 weeks....Way To Go!!!

Susan, never thought I'd say this but...Save your money!! Not that I dont like the S&H dvd, but sometimes you've just gotta say no! Good job on the 3 miles...do you jog, walk, both??

I also did cardio today. I got right home from work and told my husband "if I dont go workout now, it wont happen" before I got too relaxed. I did Jillian's Banish Fat Boost Metabolism and I was working up a decent sweat! I actually have Upper body and abs on the schedule for tomorrow. Susan....maybe we could do the same Upper body workout, what did you have in mind??

Food today was decent...

B--low carb yogurt
S--3 crackers with cheese
L--tiny can of tuna with 2 tsp relish, 2 tsp light mayo and 5 wheat crackers, carrot sticks
D--hubby made stir fry with steak, broccoli, carrots and onions (he went very light on the stir fry sauce, it's only 20 cals per Tablespoon), 1/2 cup steamed rice

I didnt count calories or WW points or anything, just tried to include veggies and not each huge portions.

Progress not perfection!

FnV...how are you today?
 
Yes.. you're both right. I need to stop spending money. I have enough DVDs to keep me going for a long long time and I do have the new series on pre-order, so enough is enough !!! Thanks.

Stacy - I'm thinking about doing the Muscle Max Upper Body Premix tomorrow. It seems to be a good solid traditional weight workout. Good for my skill level.

Deanna - what fun to get your new DVDs in the mail today !!! I have so many now that I don't know which ones to try first... lol. I'm anxious to try Pure Strength. I may do that next week.

Stacy - great job on eating healthy today !! I had beef stir fry for dinner also. I had eggs and toast for breakfast and yogurt and a fresh peach for lunch and a couple of light snacks of almonds and something else which I can't remember. I'm at 1637 calories for the day... so the trick is to refrain from eating between now and bedtime. That's always my downfall... sigh.

Deanna - I've had 50 ounces of water today. Don't want you to think that I'm slacking on my water consumption :D Are you doing Body Fusion today or going to try one of your new DVDs?

Have a great evening everyone. See you in the morning !!!

We CAN do this. We ARE doing this !!! Yes we are....
and as FnV so aptly put it... WE ROCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Progress, not perfection... that's our mantra.......
 
Evening Ladies :)

Today is week 5 or 6 woo hoo, we are doing it. :)

I to came straight home and did Body Fusion. Wanted to get it out of the way before my bed frame was delivered. The frame should have been here at 5pm and it is now going on 6pm. :( Anyway, I was able to complete Body Fusion without any modifications, I was even able to do the jumps. My form is still not very good when it comes to the Lunges but I am getting there. :) I was also able to complete the uneven Lunges....At the end of Body Fusion there are 3 sets of push-up, I was able to complete one set on my knees with good form....Now that is progess. :)

I am going to drink some more water, take a shower and wait for my bed frame to be delivered.

Tuesday is Lower Body on the Beginner Rotation, will check-in after I complete Lowe Body not sure if I will be doing it in the morning or evening all depends on how I feel. But I will get it done. :)

Deanna
 
Yay Deanna!! Keep on rockin' the workouts!!

Susan...I think right now I'm leaning towards going the BodyMax2 Double Upper Body premix. It's a bit long but the time listed also includes abs, it contains pushups too, it's an all-around great upper body workout!
 
Morning Ladies, I am up early this morning making my lunch for work. I am baking myself 2 Italian Sweet Turkey Sausage, with onions and 3 different types of Bell Peppers (Green Yello and Red) and baking 1/2 of a sweet potoato at the same time. I wanted something different from what I have been having the past couple weeks.

Will not complete my workout until this evening, Lower body is on my Beginner Rotation schedule.

Going to relax one more hours before I have to start getting ready for work. I hope everyone haVE a great workout today and a Blessed day. I am claiming I will have a good day, my controlling supervisor is on vacation so that is a plus. :)

Deanna

WATER, WATER, WATER
 
Good morning! Deanna your lunch sounds great! I know what you mean about wanting something different, I pack everyday and it can get old! We sometimes have something similar for dinner, basically a Philly Cheesesteak "lite", ie. grilled onions, peppers and mushrooms, a small portion of a lean cut of beef or chicken, seasoned with black pepper and sometimes if I'm in the mood, a smidge of low fat cheese, and throw it in a bowl with no bun. Hmm....might have to have that for dinner this week!

It's almost 7:30am here and that's the time I have my workout "scheduled". So off to do BM2 Double Upper Body + abs Premix, then I have a day full of errands (not working today, yay!)

For dinner today, gonna try baking a tomato pie/tart, with a salad as the side. Saw the recipe on a magazine cover and it looked like a good way to get in some vitamin C rich tomatoes!

I'll check in later....oh, not that it's all about the number, BUT the scale was down not only the 0.8 I had gained back but another 0.6 for a grand total of 1.4 lbs! I like water weight fluctuations that go downstream, hehe!
 
Mission accomplished, workout complete! I forgot that "double upper body" almost meant double ABS! My core is feelin' it, but in a good way. I'm going to have to remember that ab section when I want something a little longer/tougher.

Off to eat my oatmeal and run errands...
 
Good morning ladies !!!

I'm running late this morning... overslept and have been lingering over my coffee. But I'm off to do my Muscle Max Upper Body - modified version (i.e. light weights and fewer reps) as soon as I finish typing this.

Way to go Deanna on getting Body Fusion done yesterday and on cooking such great food so early in the morning !!! Go Deanna !!! Did your bed frame finally arrive? I bought a new bed about 6 years ago and it was heaven !!!

It sounds like you have really mastered Body Fusion. I just don't like that one... not sure why... but that's why I've changed up my routine last week and this week. This is Day 2 of Week 6... so next week we change the rotation for weeks 7, 8 and 9. I'll go back to the Beginner Rotation for those because I like both Low Impact Step and Total Body Sculpting.

Stacy - great job on getting Body Max 2 Double Upper Body done. I've been "cataloging" my Cathe DVDs over the last couple of weeks and I just re-watched the Upper Body chapter of Body Max 2. I really love the look of that workout. Can't wait to try it !! Fantastic job on getting it done this morning.

FnV - where are you?????? We miss you :confused:

Stacy - yesterday the scale said I had gained 1/2 pound. This morning it says I've lost 1 1/2 pounds... lol... I agree... I much prefer the "heading down the scale" water fluctuations. Who knows how much I really weigh?? Only long term will tell for sure..

okay.. off to do my Muscle Max Upper Body..... back later...

We CAN do this... we ARE doing this !!!

Go Team !!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
P.S. I need to eat more veggies... sigh. I don't know why I find that so difficult to do. I like vegetables... not as much as some other foods... but I certainly don't dislike them.

I eat lean protein, healthy carbs and lots of fruits... the veggies get lost.

So.. in addition to Water, Water, Water, I need
Veggies, Veggies, Veggies :p

okay.. Muscle Max here I come....
 
Oh my, I can't beleive this is week 6. :) We are at the 1/2 way mark of the 12 week Beginner Rotation.....We really Are doing this. :):):):)

Weeks 7, 8 and 9 is as follows:

Mon: Low Impact Step
Tues: Total Body Sculpting
Wed: Low Impact Step
Thurs: Abdominal Add on from Basic Step DVD plus one stretch segment from Total Body Stretching
Fri: Body Fusion
Sat: OFF
Sun: Total Body Sculpting

At least we will have Saturdays Off during those weeks, which will be appreciated. Now I have to lean Low impact Step & Total Body Sculpting, just when I was feeling real comfortable with Body Fusion. Well, I will view them both this week so I can get an idea of what I am up against....lol

Everyone don't forget your WATER
Deanna
 
Deanna, that looks like a well-rounded workout schedule. Dont be too intimidated by Low Impact Step, it's not hard to learn. That's one of my go-to workouts when I'm tired and dont want to think, but still feel like I "should" workout. The other is the cardio-only premix from Cardio&Weights.

I noticed I had a typo in my earlier post...it meant to say that the premix ALSO includes double abs not "almost", I'm sure you figured it out ;)

Just got back, errands for the day are all done. Now we'll see how this new tomato pie recipe tastes later for dinner.

And yes, I do need to drink more water!! Thanks for the reminder ;)
 
Stacy, you are going to have to let us know how your Tomato Pie turns out and then provide us with the recipe. :)

Thanks for the words of encouragement :) Again, I am going to view the dvd this week after I watch THE HELP. My co-worker keeps brining me movies to watch and lately I have not had time. Between exercising, trying to eat health and my Job there is no more time left. My 45th Birthday is one week from today (10-4), I am really thinking about taking that day off! At 1st I was like I do not have anything to do so I will come to work, now I really do not care. If I just stay in the bed that will be fine with me :)

Any suggestions workout buddies? :)

Deanna

PS: Can't shop, did that last weekend when I went to the Flea Market/Swap Meet.

Stacy said:
Deanna, that looks like a well-rounded workout schedule. Dont be too intimidated by Low Impact Step, it's not hard to learn. That's one of my go-to workouts when I'm tired and dont want to think, but still feel like I "should" workout. The other is the cardio-only premix from Cardio&Weights.

I noticed I had a typo in my earlier post...it meant to say that the premix ALSO includes double abs not "almost", I'm sure you figured it out ;)

Just got back, errands for the day are all done. Now we'll see how this new tomato pie recipe tastes later for dinner.

And yes, I do need to drink more water!! Thanks for the reminder ;)
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Good afternoon ladies !!!

I did it !! I really did it !!! lol

I did all the reps of Muscle Max Upper Body Premix. Every single rep !!
Woo Hoo !!! Of course, I only used weights ranging from 3 to 5 lbs on the dumbbells and 10 lbs total (including the 5 lbs of the bar) on the barbell.... but still. I did it !!! :D

Loved, loved, loved Muscle Max. I know that will be one of my most favorites... It's a wonderful traditional weight training routine. Nothing fancy. Just barbell and dumbbells.

However, tomorrow I am going to do the Muscle Max Lower Body Premix and I watched it again while I was doing my 20 minute Susan stretching routine and I know it's going to kill me... yikes..... It's all lunges and squats... yikes !!! Oh well.. onward and upward we go.

Stacy - yes... we need the Tomato Pie recipe.... if it turns out okay.. lol. Sounds intriguing.

Deanna - you need to do something special for your birthday. Something that you might not ordinarily do for yourself. For me, it would be to walk on the beach along the ocean. However, there aren't any oceans near Vegas... so that's out !! What do you particularly like to do??? Of course, relaxing in your new bed sounds good just by itself :D You could watch movies and get some take out food and read and nap and take a long luxurious bath... just pamper yourself. You deserve a special day !!!!

I haven't seen The Help yet, but everyone I know who has seen it says it is a terrific movie. Enjoy !!

I got distracted after my workout this morning... took a shower, ate lunch, played with my cats... Time to go do some housework.

Have a wonderful afternoon !!!

We CAN do this.... we ARE doing this !!!

Happy Day 2 of Week 6.
 
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Hi Girls! I've been busy w/ work/school/family but wanted to catch up before I hit the books again (and get behind the wheel for my afternoon taxi/concierge service).

Susan-that is Great! about MM! Awesome that you loved it and that you made it thru the workout, WTG!

Re buying SH- I tend to agree w/ wait. I DO think you would like it but you have enough to keep you very busy and it will prob be on sale again, plus by then you might want to get enough of something to go with it to make free shipping. I have similar dilemma, my cart is still there w/ Body Blast Series and PS, but I have plenty of stuff to work with. Plus I just got Wen hair care so hopefully my hair will look so fab that no one will notice my lack of muscles!

Also, congrats on scale. You know, just keeping track of your food like you have been is a accomplishment. I think, "You Bite it You Write It" is a great discipline and tool.

Deanna, I admire your ability to plan and follow thru, keeping an eye on the big picture. I see that in your work planning, how you get stuff done around your house, etc. For BD, I like the movies in the new bed idea, but I'd probably be able to enjoy it more after a nice workout- and that would set the tone for healthy snacking. But maybe you'd like an afternoon out w/ friends or something? I'm abound people all day and evening long, so I tend to crave solitude.

Stacy, it sounds like you are getting your groove back? Meal planning would help both of us. Anyway, I agree, not about the numbers, but congrats on scale. I've pretty much maintained for a month. I can feel a difference when I get some good cardio in, tho.

So Sunday I did a 20 min Hiit style workout from Bodyrock, dance class and some 1 rep max testing for STS, Mon was Low Impact Circuit including abs and this morning I got in a 10 min Hiit and more 1RM testing. Might get a walk/jog thing in later, too.

I'm not a huge fan of circuits, it feels like Cardio Interuptus and Ineffective Wts. I usually do LIC as a cardio premix. I like that CW premix too.

OK, brain just checked out and is mush, just in time for chemistry prep. Need nap.
 
Hi FnV - We missed you !!!!

Sounds like you are super busy as always. I remember those days of carting the kids around after school... lol

"Cardio Interuptus".... LOL... love it. That's exactly how I think of the circuit DVDs. Give me straight cardio or straight weight training... don't confuse me and mix the two up together.

And I'm a traditionalist. I like to keep all things in life simple. Which is probably why I like Muscle Max so much and know that I'm going to love Pure Strength. Simple, traditional weight training.

FnV - it sounds like you've had some fantastic workouts lately. Way to go !!!

What a team. We are ALL doing soooooooo very well.

I am so proud of us. :)

Did I mention that I can already feel that I'm going to be very sore tomorrow? Just needed to warn you... lol Right now it's that good kind of sore, but I have a feeling that when I wake up tomorrow morning I'm going to really be feeling it.

Okay... a bit of good news. For a mid-afternoon snack, instead of opening the box of Wheat Thins in the pantry, I had a baked sweet potato instead !! Woo Hoo !!!! Wheat Thins are not a bad food, however... for me.. they are like potato chips. Once I start eating them I can't stop.
 
Susan....did you say chips?? Well I ate an ENTIRE bag of chips by myself yesterday for lunch. Not the vending machine size, but not the big bag, the medium sized one (not that that makes it any better!). I bought them in a TTOTM moment, ugh.

So, what a shocker that the scale is back UP 0.8 lbs. I'm really struggling with whether or not, or how often to weigh myself. I need a happy medium. I've tried not ever weighing myself and just eat healthy etc but that eventually backfires b/c I get the "out of sight, out of mind" mentality and "allow" myself more treats than necessary. However, weighing too often, though it keeps me in check, can be too discouraging and throw me into the "why am I even bothering" mode. I'll definitely be upping the water intake today. I really dont think I'll have time for a workout today b/c I"m working late and I've worked out 4 days in a row now and I think my body could use the rest.

On a different note, the tomato pie was awesome, my husband had thirds!! It tasted almost like a deep dish pizza minus the monstrous calories and the excessive cheese!

Here's the recipe, I followed it as is, however I added some shredded cheddar cheese on top before baking, gave it a nice zing. The recipe calls for 4 cups of sliced tomatoes...how you measure slices by the cup is beyond me, but another recipe I had called for 2 lbs of tomatoes, so I went with that and it worked well. Definitely need to get really good looking tomatoes for this one since it's the heart of the recipe. I also used low fat mayo.

Fresh Tomato Pie Recipe With Parmesan Cheese - Tomato Pie Recipe

Ok, running late, off to work!

Progress, not perfection!

Oops, forgot to mention my comment on circuit workouts. I did alot of circuits while I was getting back into shape and also when I had some knee issues. They were great then b/c I couldnt handle extended cardio, so the weight segments were a bit of break for the knee and where I could catch my breath a bit. I still do circuits alot actually but now I tend to view them as "enhanced cardio" b/c during the weight segments if you go heavy enough you're still working up a sweat and getting the added bonus of more muscle conditioning. I also use them when I dont have many days in the week to workout so I can get a little of everything in.

Ok, now I'm REALLY late....
 
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