We're In This Together (April 2013)

Jen
I'm so happy you and the kitties made it safe and sound! They are males cats and will usually adjust fairly quickly.

Sarah
Please don't get discouraged about the lbs! I know that might be easy for me to say, but you are doing awesome regardless. Being healthy and fit is more than just a # on the scale. You are worth MORE than that! By exercising, eating well, not over-indulging, you have shown how powerful you are and how much control you have. Don't give up! I'm confident all your hard work will pay off! There's my soap-box for the day :p:D. Please read this article: http://www.niashanks.com/2013/02/the-weight-on-the-barbell-is-important-not-the-scale/. I hope it makes you feel a bit better :).

Colleen
Glad the conference went well this time :).
YES break-in your #30's in :eek:.
Oh my, Body Beast is pretty friggin' amazing if I do say so myself :eek:. You are required to lift heavy/challenging weights, but it has more of a hypertrophy "feel" than STS M3 "feel". I have never felt such incredible DOMS in my life :eek:. My chest & tri's are hurtin' badly today, and I rarely feel DOMS in those area's! Love it, love it, love it. Worth every penny IMO. BTW, I know people complained about the warm-up/cool-down, so I just played it 3X. This made for a much more thorough warm-up.
Yes, I watched S3 E1 of Game Of Thrones. I'm hoping this season has more action! I felt last season had too much "foreplay" before the war began.


Have a great day everyone :cool:
 
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Hello Friends.

Hope to be back for personals later. Much overdo.

Update:
Cats are not mad at me although not totally settled either. I'm not. Madrid startled last night hearing a plane overhead. Seville doesn't leave my side. Filed unemployment today. Sequester & State of MI is messing things up. My referral for Southwest Airlines contacted me yesterday &told me to apply. Sent my resume to him so he can give to decision makers on my behalf.
Going to use smaller bedroom to sleep in and much bigger one as office & workout space.
Had some wrong boxes shipped. Oh well. No microwave or toaster.

JT
 
I appreciate the soap box. I know scales suck. Afterall, I lived my life without one until 3 months ago. I do let it affect my mood, and I know thats bad. I have been reading the Nia Shanks stuff for an hour now. Perhaps I should reread this everyday until I really throw out the scale. Perhaps I should take the $100 and buy her books so I can get off this rollercoaster and counting calories.

Sarah
 
Afternoon!

Today I did my Hiit/lower body mish mosh. First I did Crossfire premix fitness blast + firewalker tabata (minus c/d) and then STS Meso 2 week 2 (I forget the disc #). I love my 30's! The only problem, like you mentioned Natty, is my forearms give out before my legs do. I'm seriously considering getting a heavier weighted vest. I'm coveting this one right now: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=APNQSD0RN5NUJ I want it so bad!

I have to wait on the weighted vest, though. In addition to the 30 lb dumbells guess what else I impulsively purchased yesterday? A FitBit one! :eek: I've been agonizing and debating on whether to get this little gadget...hemming and hawing and waiting. Then yesterday I just gave in to an impulsive urge and got it on Amazon. :eek: I am a big time numbers nerd so I know this will make me get up more on my work days to get steps in. I sit too much at work! I'm also interested in the sleep function of this one. It somehow tracks your sleep cycle if you keep it by you on the bedstand and you can upload your info online. A new toy for me! :p

Natty- I love that article by Nia Shanks. She is just awesome. I also read this today and found it inspiring: Fit and Feminist | Because it takes strong women to smash the patriarchy. I especially loved what she wrote here:
I feel like I say this all the time, but clearly it needs to be said even more: what your body looks like is not as important as what it can do. Your body-fat percentage is not the most important number in determining your physical fitness, not when there are so many other numbers that actually indicate what your body is capable of doing.

Once more, with feeling: what your body looks like is not as important as what it can do.
Click to expand...

Of course, we all love to get aesthetic results from our workouts, but I am trying to keep things like this and what Nia Shanks says at the front of my mind, too. I'm trying to keep my performance a priority and the aesthetics secondary. It's not easy to remember, but we can support each other in that quest! :D

Seriously, after doing Meso 2 legs today I can't get the Body Beast leg workout you described out of my head! I am easily enabled here. LOL

Jen- I'm so glad everybody got there safe and sound. Bummer about the microwave and toaster getting lost. Hopefully they'll show up soon. What's the weather like down there right now? Have you gotten a chance to explore your new neighborhood yet? A job with Southwest Airlines would be so cool! Reduced or free airfare? YES! :p

Sarah- My vote would be for Ultimate Yogi if you had to choose. :D Insanity sounds great but also quite similar to Cathe stuff, I think. UY is a total departure which I think is great for cross-training. If you are still interested in the HoCo's let me know which ones you want and I could throw a copy of UY CrossTraining workout for you to try, too. I bought the individual one before I got the set. They are quite similar so I don't use it now. The one he released individually was re-filmed so there are some slight differences but overall the workout is about the same as what I have in the set. PM me if you want to set up something. :)

Hi Marie! I hope everything is going great!

TTFN! (ta ta for now...my new made up abbreviation :p)
 
Hello wonderful gals :)

Yesterday's w/o was supposed to be BB Build Legs, but I am still so friggin' sore! I chose to do cardio instead: CTX Step Intervals (30min).

Today's w/o will be BB Build Back & Bi's :eek:. Oh good lordy help me! I was previewing it and oh boy! I'm in for a goodie :eek:. I have been PM'ing fit44 back and forth about Body Beast, and she says that BB leg w/o's are the same intensity as Cathe's! I would have to agree (enable, enable, Colleen;)). She describes the entire program very similar STS M2. Another thing I love about this program is that like M2, you don't alternate muscle groups. When you work chest, you do all your chest exercises, and then move on to the next muscle group. Personally, I am not a fan of alternating, so I am very pleased the program is designed this way.

I have been eating as clean as possible these past few days (ie-egg white omelet with veggies, protein w/veggies, greek yogurt w/fruit, homemade protein muffins). I can see a definite change in my stomach -- a lot less bloated. I also feel less water retention, overall. I'm eating a lot of food with this program, but I don't feel stuffed, just very satisfied. With heavy weight training, you DO get hungrier, but you are required to fuel your body with the right choices of food for optimal muscle growth. I am thinking of getting a particular type of protein powder called Casein. Have you guys ever heard of it? It is a slow digesting protein (whey is fast digesting) that is to be taken before bed. I was reading a lot about it on Body Building.com. I don't take that much protein powder anyway, but I would like to see if it helps with muscle growth/recovery at night, since that is the most crucial time.

Sarah
I truly apologize if I made you feel bad -- that was not my intention :(. I have not weighed myself since summer of last year because, honestly, I'm somewhat afraid of the number. But you know what? Why cares! I feel fit, strong, confident. I won't let a stupid # bring me down! I was feeling very guilty these past few months with my choice to ditch the scale, and Nia's article made me feel SO good and just validated that I did the right thing for ME. This certainly won't work for everyone, and that's ok too. Whatever you want/need to do, we are all here to support you :).

Colleen
I loved that Fit & Feminist article! I will openly admit, that I can/have always been, somewhat vain :eek:. No one is perfect. If I said that I didn't want to look good in a bathing suit in addition to feeling strong and healthy, I would be flat out lying. However, I am trying to focus more on my internal well-being. What is my ultimate goal? To have a six pack? Ya, I'd like that :rolleyes: but I would much rather be able to knock out a handful of pull-ups, do 30 push-ups in a row, use 25lbs for arm curls. I want to see what I am capable of! But first and foremost, I want to be a good motivator and influence for my daughter :).
Congrats on the FitBit btw! What a wonderful purchase! Steps and sleep are super important. You made the right choice, my dear :).

Have a great day ladies!
 
Hello Friends.

Natty. great job on the workouts and also eating clean. Hard thing to do. Yogurt fills me up fast.

Sarah. Scales and counting calories aren't fun ever. Not a way to live life sometimes. Continual pressure to improve oneself always. Counting calories has worked for me but depressing to go over and deal with the guilt.

Colleen. 30 minute workouts are the best. Don't know Nia Shanks. I agree with performance over asthetics too.

Marie. How is B?

Update:
Furniture to arrive from ChicagoLand hopefully in one week. Picked up then sent to a warehouse there. Grateful to be saving money on rental, mover, rent, etc. Thank God.
Fearful of not getting a job so I ask/have asked for prayer. I knew I had to hit the ground running on this.
Despite that, I believe this is where I'm supposed to be. Comfortable and have peace here.
Going to a network meeting tonight. Been in touch with friend from Southwest, recruiter from my sister's company plus applying for jobs. State of MI screwed me on my payment. Waiting to hear why. Will be hapy when I go back to work. Lots on my mind.
Seville and Madrid are adjusting although Madrid told me how he felt this morning for about one hour.
Have a blessed day.

JT
 
Nat - Don't Apoligize Nat : ) Honestly it is a problem if a number on the scale dictates my moods. I also tell my kids to focus on the positive and not the negative. I myself don't focus on the fact that I can curl 15lb. and I can do chin-ups. So I am not practicing what I preach. I was down to 120lb which was within a couple of pounds of goal. But I guess that number is unrealistic if I can't go out with my husband have a restaurant meal (mushroom soup, steelhead with salad, and a small dessert, and 2 drinks NOT BIG PROPORTIONS) and put on 5 lbs without even trying.
I know I'm not ever going to look like Jai or Lorraine because I am not Jai or Lorraine. I just wanted to be the best version of me. I don't sit and pick myself apart, I say all the time I like my arms and legs. It's my belly that I can live without. Whether I'm at 125 or 115 doesn't matter I just want the belly to be better, not perfect. That I thought was a realistic goal. I think it still would be however, not at the price for me which is I can't go have a nice restaurant meal w/o moving up a size in my jeans. I love exercising, probably too much and will still be on the look-out for the Sarah program. What I find to be more ridiculious is that I ate like crap for 2 months straight and weighed 127lb. I just don't get it. I really do like the Nia Shanks state of mind. I had her stuff in my cart, and then I got cold feet. I always looking for the answer. I do like her nutrition guidlines. They are simple and make sense.

Yesterdays WO was X-train Bi-Tri and I did some Bodyrock Hiit and then a walk. I was really a sweaty mess after the bodyrock. Today is suppose to be hiit 40/20 plus core. I have been cooking and doing dishes all morning.

Jen - Glad to hear the cats are adjusting. I really can't imagine what you are feeling but as I've said before I thnk you made the right choices because you had exhausted the resources in your old city. It was very brave indeed to move to Texas.

Colleen- Im glad you are digging your 30lbs. weights. I have some that are 30lbs made with plates and I don't like them. The plates are too big and get in the way big time, so they really don't make it out of the closet too much. They were my father in laws, so no guilt here. Your leg WO sounds awesome. I added in your firewalker Tabata the other day too just to get that sweat going. It seemed harder on it's own that doing it with the whole DVD. Next week of the rotation is suppose to be Tabatasize I have not mastered that one so I'm pretty sure it will be U-G-L-Y.

Sarah
 
Hey everyone!

Sorry I haven't been checking in as much lately. I've been trying to stay off the internet when B is awake. I just feel too guilty logging in when he is sitting next to me awake and playing. Feel like I'm ignoring him :(

He is doing so good. He is holding his bottle like a big boy now.... so cute. I can't believe he'll be 6 months next Wednesday.

Interview tomorrow. I actually got a call today and have another interview scheduled for Friday. Its a medical unit. I feel like I'll get more experience doing float though. I guess I'll see what I get offered and then pick and choose then :)

Keep up the good work on the workouts. You ladies rock!
 
OMG what a phenomenal back & bi's workout yesterday! I'm DOMS'ing HARD today! This series had exceeded my expectation and some. I love how Sagi works the muscles! No fancy weight-work here -- basic, old school exercises -- but man are they super effective! All those drop-sets, super-sets, giant-sets, fatigue the muscles like you would not believe :eek:. This program is THE BOMB!

Marie
I totally understand about feeling guilty when B is awake and wanting to spend time with him. For the first 2 yrs of Bella's life I was rarely on the computer.
Good luck on the interview! I know you are gonna smoke it ;).

Sarah
I know exactly what you are saying :). We all need to ultimately find out what works for us. I think it will always be a work in progress -- we learn and grow as the years go by. I'm also focusing on being the best ME I can be. That is a wonderful mind-set to have :).
Those Body Rock w/o look tough!

Jen
I hope the rest of your furniture arrivals go smoothly! I'm sorry they screwed up on some of the boxes shipped :mad:.
So how is the weather over there? How are the stores? Are they different than in MI?
My boy cat always adjusted very well to moving. It was my girl cat that took forever to get back to normal! Your kitties are going to be just fine, don't worry :).

Have a good day ladies!
 
Today's WO was Crossfire and I must say I kicked it's a**. I always fink out on the 2nd set of push-ups on the slide and glide during the fitness blasts. I slow down and shave off a few reps but not today. I pushed myself out of the comfort zone for sure. Thats not the way I will necessarily do it the next time but today, I kicked it!

Marie - Don't worry about not checkin in if you don't get to it. You are enjoying motherhood sooooo much, I wish everybody got that feeling from being a mom. This world would be a better place. If you have time when your at work to pop in great, if not its all good. Out of 2 interviews you are probably bound to get one, so good luck. Sometimes its nice to have a change.

Nat - You are kicking butt. I jealous of your DOMS. I am so excited for you, its always nice to find something a little different just to change things up and give you that New feeling. Did your gloves ever come? I did have them yesterday after I had done X-Train Burn Sets Bi-tris. I used 15lbs for the biceps on everything. Oh Boy that makes a big difference.
I bought some new protein powder, because the desingner whey was causing problems ; ) It is a brown rice protein from Rainbow Light (I think), IT IS AWFUL. I hate that its so expensive and you usually buy a lot so if you hate it your stuck with it : ( From here on out its egg whites for added protein in anything I make. We have 15 chickens (15 eggs a day), so the eggs are free and we have them running out our ears and I don't feel guilty throwing some of the yolks out.

Colleen - You are totally right about UY being the one that is different from anything I have. I am enjoying Yoga Relax and have been doing it 2 times a week. I feel so good afterwards. It is a boring/relaxing. I was finishing up when the kids came home from school yesterday and it was so nice just to talk with them about their day while I was stretching, so I could really focus. Unfortunately, when I normally ask about their day I am either cooking or cleaning. Plus I had my daughters hold my feet for the straddle stretch because they always slide out further : )

Yesterdays WO was Hiit 40/20, abs from KPC, and a walk.

By the way, I made a Miso glaze for the fish we had and it was really good. Super easy too.

Sarah
 
Hello Friends.

Is it Friday yet? It has been a long, busy week.

Marie. Yes, I agree. Spend time with B cause they grow up too fast. Best wishes on your interview tomorrow. You can do it!! Let us know if you get the job.

Colleen. Hope you're having a great day!

Sarah. Congrats on CrossFire. Pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone, I can relate.

Natty. Basic old school is the best. Congrats on your workout!

Update:
Job fair tomorrow with Amazon in Ft. Worth at the Dallas Cowboys club. Seriously. Weird but cool. Stated 500 jobs but word out might be more. Another job fair on Tuesday with 100 companies at this massive baptist church a few towns over-this pending on the arrival of my stuff. No word yet from Southwest Airlines. Fidelity is messing with me a tad. My sister and I should've worked around HR, my fault.
Last night, I went to a network event in a cool town called Grapevine. I was at this restaurant back in Feb and got totally wasted on margaritas. Oh well. Found my way with my smartphone maps app/GPS.
About the stores. Many of the same from MI. But, there are franchises here from CA and the south. No Tim Horton's. My internet/Uverse looked at me funny when I told them about it. Canada too far away. There are giant shopping centers here and giant malls. Some newstation reported a new mall downtown Dallas was going to install an indoor ski resort like Ski Dubai, but it has faded. Weather has warmed up. Rain yesterday and 40s.
Word is that economy is picking up here fast. No State income tax, govt of Texas not participating in the health exchange for ObamaCare. Cost of living lower than Grand Rapids. Food comes from Mexico, Oklahoma, and Iowa plus beef from here.
Concern with money and job. Test of Faith for sure.
Google NRH2O. Letter O not zero.
Seville and Madrid are doing better.
Yes, I messed up with the boxes the movers took. Hope to have delivery Sunday.
In my heart, I cannot see me moving back to MI. I have peace and joy in my heart being in a place I haven't felt for a longtime. Will visit the folks and siblings though. Parents talking about visiting.
 
X-Train Legs for me today. My legs felt tired, I did the standing portion with 20lb vest on. I am regretting that already. I will take a nice leisurely stroll this evening to ward off any DOMS, hopefully.


Jen - I keep my fingers crossed for your stuff to be delivered on Sunday. This whole experience for you has been a huge test of strength, I cannot imagine. I will keep you in my thoughts and keep sending positive vibes.

Sarah
 
Quick check in for me. Tony is off today. B is sleeping in the car so I stayed with him. Tony ran into Target real quick.

Workout today was Bootcamp. Yesterday I did Low Impact Challenge.

Great news! I got the job! Super excited! I love my job now but I'm ready for a change. I'm glad I'll be able to still float to the units I work now. I do love my coworkers.

Hope to be back later for personals.
 
Hello gals :)

Yesterday was supposed to be my rest day, but I ended up taking a Leslie 4 mile walk/jog. I would have went outside for my walk BUT IT WAS SNOWING & COLD :confused::mad:.

Today's w/o was a Leslie 2 mile walk + BB Shoulder's. Another winner by Sagi :eek:. Man, this guy knows how to train HARD in such a short amount of time. Love these w/o's more and more each time :D.

Marie
CONGRATS ON THE JOB!!! I AM SOOO HAPPY FOR YA!!!
Don't worry about the personals! We all know how busy you are :).

Sarah
WTG on kicking-butt with CF :eek:. I hate those %$#@&*% plank-jack push-ups with every breath in my body :mad:. Kuddos to you for getting out of that comfort zone.
UGH pea and hemp protein is GROSS :confused:. I'm now stuck with my own tub and forcing myself to drink it. I don't know how much longer I can do it.
Have you ever mentioned before that you have chickens? OMG that is super, super cool! Do chickens have any personality? I always wondered that.

Jen
How cool that you have a job fair with Amazon! I hope it goes well! Toes and fingers crossed :).
Yesterday, out of curiosity, I looked on Google maps to see the exact location of TX. Holy cow, you are right beside Mexico :eek:. You could literally drive over the border in no time and take a nice vacation ;). TX looks like a really cool place to live. I definitely think you made the right decision :).
 
Natty- Thanks so much! So happy :) And thanks for understanding! I love keeping in touch with you all and am hoping to do personals when I can. He is snoozing now. DH is watching SOA. Not into that show so it's forum time for me :) Snowing and cold in MN too. Ugh! I just want to walk outside. Loved the pic of Bella! She is too cute :)

Sarah- Thanks so much for understanding! Being a mom is the most amazing thing I've ever done! love it so so much! WTG on XTrain legs! And with a 20 lb vest! Dang girl! You rocked it!

Jen- Thanks so much for agreeing that time with B is most important. They do grow up too fast! Glad you are enjoying TX :) Good luck with the job fair. Indoor ski resort?! Never heard of such a thing but sounds cool! Had to google image Ski Dubai. Looks awesome! That and the waterpark! Fun!

Colleen- So glad you got your Fitbit. My friend loves hers and I'm sure you will too :) I'm with ya on being a numbers nerd. I went through Calculus 2 for fun in college. Nerd alert ;)
 
So B has still been getting up at night, usually around 1 and 5. He still sleeps on the pack-n-play next to our bed. We have decided to try the Ferber method. Put him to bed while he is still awake. Let him cry it out for 5 minutes and then go check on him, rub him and tell him it's time for bed. Then let him cry it out for 10 minutes and check in again. Increasing crying it out time for 5 minutes each time. I cracked at 2 out of 15 minutes last night. Call me weak! I just felt way too bad. I'm determined though. I really have to get him sleeping through the night especially since I'll be working nights soon. Tonight we put him to bed and he didn't cry. Happy mama! And we put him in his crib. Success! We will be using the monitor of course but I'm still so nervous that I won't hear him. Ugh! Hoping it goes well. If any of you mamas have any tricks for having them sleep through the night let me know :)
 
I didn't mention but today the interview went well too. She said she's making a decision next week. Nice to have options if I do get offered the job however I do think I am going to follow my heart and go with the Unity float pool position. I really think it will give me more experience and it will help me get to my goal of post partum more quickly.
 
Afternoon girls!

Quickie post before my next patient comes...

Today was my rest day. Yesterday I had the day off, although I didn't do my usual marathon session like I often do when I have that bi-monthly weekday off. I was feeling a little down yesterday. Partly it was because of my swingin' hormones (damn peri-menopause shark seems to be circling :(...my hormones are less predictable than in the past), but also because I woke up to SNOW on the ground! :mad: ARRRGGGHHH! The never ending winter is actually getting to me this year. Usually I'm not the one to be affected like Mark is. I feel a little better today, though. Positive thoughts, positive thoughts...;)

So, my workout yesterday ended up being Lauren Brooks Volume 1 (40 minutes) and then I did 18 of the 30 snatch intervals in the last RKS workout (about 15 minutes). The one time I did the RKS kettlebell system I actually never did this last disc. It's intervals of 30 sec snatches, 30 seconds rest alternating sides for 28 minutes. I alternated between my 15, 20 and 25 lb bells for the snatches. Obviously, I got fewer in with the 25 lb bell ;). At first it was fun since I love to do snatches, but 28 minutes is way to long to do them! :eek:

Marie- Good luck with the job! I hope you get it! Super cute pic of B! :D Just check in whenever you can, even if it's just to report a workout or ask a question or whatever. We love to hear from you even if it's just short and sweet! :)

Natty- I just put up a trade list and put Body Beast on it! :eek: Even if someone just wanted to part with the leg workouts I'd be over the moon.

Oh crap, just got the file. Gotta cut this short...Waving HI to Sarah and Jen! Have a great weekend ladies!
 
Hello awesome ones :)

Today's w/o was BB Cardio + BB Abs. Total time 40min. OMG what can I say? The cardio totally kicked my a**. Most of it was plank work, and you guys know how I feel about that :rolleyes:. I definitely had to push out of my comfort zone for this -- I guess that's a good thing. Since I have committed myself to doing this rotation, I won't cheat and pick another w/o. I will stay committed and focused, putting 100% of my heart and soul into this program. I wanna see the hardcore beast come out of me :eek:. In the words of Sagi "time to BEAST UP!".

Colleen
I hope you get a Body Beast trade! Since you loved M2, I think you would seriously love this program too. As for Sagi ;) what can I say about him? I'm totally smitten by this dude :eek:. Most of the time when I see droplets of water on the floor, I'm not sure if it's sweat or drool :eek::p:D. BTW, there is nothing fancy about the weight-work. It's just basic, hard, old-school exercises. I've had DOMS that I have not felt in a long time, so obviously it's effective and my muscles are responding well.

Marie
I also have that Ferber book. A quite fascinating read, with a lot of helpful information and tips. I love how it explains the science behind sleep! I was shocked by some of the info! The book really helped me turn Bella's cat-naps into longer naps. I was also able to successfully change her sleep schedule with the time changes (a hard feat for babies and small children). As for the cry-it-out method, I tried it but then decided it just was not for me :(. There is never a one-size-fits-all approach to babies and children. Follow your instincts and do what's in your heart. There is no right/wrong way IMO. And most importantly, don't get down on on yourself if your "approach" is not working. This parenting stuff ain't easy I can tell you that much!


Gotta scoot! Have a great evening!
 
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