Daily Check-in
Good morning! I am so glad it is the weekend.
I thoroughly enjoyed my rest day yesterday. I am really looking forward to Fridays now and loving the weekly break. It is actually more of a mental rest than a physical one. Getting to sleep in an hour later is great too.
My mentor wanted to go to Wendy’s for dinner last night, and I went with her. I just ate a plain baked potato and drank a bottle of water. I can eat fast food now and stay on track too! I am finally mastering the art of eating out without trashing out. She acquired a Core Secrets stability ball, and that thing is huge. There is no way I would want a 65 cm ball. She tried to do pikes and could not do one, so I do not feel bad about not being able to do one yet. She is very lean and fit with a strong upper body.
I am ready to do DanceWorks or Strength in Movement this morning. I only have time for one and need to pick one soon! I am up this early because I am planning to spend my Saturday morning at the zoo with a group of friends, and I am really looking forward to it. We have a beautiful natural-habitat zoo on 52 acres by the river complete with waterfalls, lakes, and ponds. It is a delight to visit. I have not been since the cougars and otters arrived, and I am very excited! :7 A new butterfly garden has been added too.
Summer has arrived. Yes, you read that right. Spring (our one week of it!) has come and gone, and it is getting hot in Texas. I cannot believe that some of you are talking about snow in April! If you need some warm air and sunshine, let me know. I will send some your way. I am sorry that you are still dealing with cold weather. As for me, I am melting like a snowman on the 4th of July. :7 Literally. The pants I finally fit into Sunday night are getting loose on me now. I can fit into my petite size 14 jeans straight out of the dryer. I dropped another pound this week for a total of 6 pounds in 3 weeks of my cardio and circuit training rotation. Pretty impressive for such a gentler approach! The numbers do not tell the whole story. I caught a glimpse of myself in a full-length mirror after my bubble bath last night and was blown away. I have curves again. I still have big hips, but I can see evidence of a waistline for the first time in a long time. There is still a lot of fat clinging to my body, but it is looking much better than the shapeless lump of clay that was staring back at me a few weeks ago. I always avoided mirrors and never imagined that I would be inspired by what I see (especially at this size and straight from my bubble bath!), but I think of my body as a work of art in process. I am clay in the Potter’s hand. It is exciting to watch the transformation! :7
Caitlin, I highly recommend the Terminator. The workouts on that DVD add a freshness to my favorite Intensity Series workouts. In fact, I am thinking about buying the whole series on DVD now that I have a taste for premixes and can finally see how mixing up the workouts makes them feel like something brand new. I am relatively new to Cathe’s workouts. I just started working out with her last year, and most of my collection came from the VHS sale because I just bought a DVD player last month. No need to apologize about short posts. You are free to write as much or as little as you desire. No pressure here. I have more time to respond on some days and less time to respond on others. I think most of us feel the same way.
Pamela, I am so sorry for your loss. :-( You and your husband will remain in my prayers as well as your friend’s family.
Lisa, I am an endomorph too. What works for me is circuit training 3 times a week and cardio 3 times a week (on alternating days) with a complete rest day once a week. I try to make one of those cardio workouts an interval workout. Endomorphs do not shed fat readily, but most of us are able to build muscle. A 3-day split with little cardio is the worst thing I can do right now. I tried a Slow and Heavy rotation with less cardio in December and ended up with more muscle under a thick layer of fat. I was impressed that I was able to lift heavier weights after just a few weeks. That ability to gain muscle will be an asset when my body fat is in a heathy range. When I get closer to my goal weight, I will start focusing on building muscle again. Right now, I just want to maintain the lean muscle mass I already have and burn the fat. For me that requires cardio, cardio, cardio. Cathe’s circuit workouts are great. Personally, a plant-based style of eating with little to no animal protein is what blesses my body the most. Clean eating, carbs, cardio, and circuit training are keys for me. And consistency!
Laurie, I look forward to reading your review of Endurance for Movement. I only have Strength in Movement so far and would like to add one more to my collection. I am not interested in Finding Your Core, so that leaves Tracie’s workouts. Let me know which one you like more and why. Which one has more cardio? Which one requires less core strength?
I hope everyone has a delightful weekend!
Blessings,
Heather B.
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV).
