Motivate Me Monday

It’s Motivate Me Monday and I have no clue how I am going to get any exercising in this week. Friday we are leaving for vacation and I have a million things I must do before we go. Hopefully I can ad a few work outs into my week but I am not going to hold my breath.

I would like to say I have been doing really well the past few weeks. I have been working out extra hard and I bought myself something new to work out with. I bought the EA Active Sports for the Wii. I really like this because it creates custom work outs (something new everyday) or you can go in and create your own workout. It counts the calories that you burn as you go and does a variety of different exercises from cardio, to sports, weight training. I like to put in a good hour work out each time so I do one of the work outs it creates and then I have put together a few of my own that are all cardio based. So I burn about 200 calories, work out for an hour and have a really nice sweat going before it is all said and done. Oh and I have lots of fun in the process.

The one thing I don’t like about it, it expects you to do certain weight training move exactly, with out moving or wiggling, etc. The trainer will stop, and make you repeat and sometimes I get mad because I repeat something over and over and it doesn’t recognize that I have done it again. I would like to say I am not wiggling because I don’t know how to do the exercises correctly or that I am not strong enough, I am wiggling because I have a toddler, going under my legs, tugging on my legs etc. It is impossible to hold still when he is working out with me.

So for the next two weeks I will drink lots of water. Work out a little this week, between packing, shopping and cleaning, next week I hope to get to go for a couple runs on the beach with my husband and enjoy our vacation.

So what motivates you this week? What are you doing for your health? Just remember support is everything and don’t ever give up. We are all stronger than we think.

Motivate Me Monday

Time again for another round of Motivate Me Monday. Play along; share your favorite exercise and/or diet tips and tricks. Tell us what gets you motivated and moving in your everyday life.

All of a sudden I am totally motivated. I have been working out like a mad woman this past week. For me I believe the motivation is the fact that in 3 weeks we are going on vacation and I am going to have to wear a swim-suit. I have never been one who likes to wear a swim suite. I am an extremely self conscious person. I don’t care about what my actual weight is, I have never been one to measure my body based on what a scale says. I look at my shape and what is happening with my body that way. Right now I am in horrible shape but I am working on it. For me right now I am hitting the weights hard, and doing a lot of core work. I hate crunches they feel like a waist of time so I am all about core work.

I have also made a major discovery…. Something I have heard, over and over again but never really listened to it. The recovery drink, I use to think this was just a gimmick to get people to buy stuff they don’t need. I am a person that hates supplements, and all the other crap that everyone thinks will work miracles for them. It just seems unhealthy to me to put stuff in our bodies that was man made and is not natural. However I have found that if I drink a glass of milk and add protein to my milk I recover much faster and my muscles are not a total mess for days. I love to push a work out really hard but then I suffer for days after words with really sore achy muscles. Because I end up so sore I don’t push myself as hard, but if I push it really hard and then have my protein I hurt but I am not in serious can’t move kind of pain.

So tell me what do you think of all the diet products and supplements on the market today? Are you a slave to the scale or do you ignore it and focus on a health appearance?

Play along, get motivated and enjoy a health life. As always support each other in our efforts.

Motivate Me Monday

So I haven’t exactly been playing Motivate me Monday’s. I have not been in much of an exercise mood these last two weeks. My heart is in the right place but my body doesn’t want to join in the fun. I was doing Jillian Michaels newest work outs through the cable TV’s On-Demand programming. It is pretty cool to have an exercise channel that you can pull up any type program at any given time. Almost like owning a DVD. I found I really like her work outs because she pushes you to use all of your body when working out and this kicks up the cardio a bit. Ok for me a lot as I am sweating to death during her workout. One of the moves that I found to be really challenging were as follows:

-Stand holding a pair of light weight dumbbells over your head.
-Just hold them up, now lung one foot back, drop your knee to the floor.
-Now drop the second knee to the floor so you are now on both knees.
-Now bring a leg back to the =front stand up and repeat.
-Oh and make sure you don’t ever put your arms down.
-Now try doing three sets of 10 or 15 of these in each set. It is a killer!

I really like her concept that you need to incorporate the entire body. I must say this really takes me outside of my comfort zone. That seems to be the ultimate goal in exercise is to step out of your comfort zone and push yourself to do things that are tough and when your mind is throwing up that caution sign you are pushing on knowing that you can do it. Even though you want to cry, quit or whatever when you have done it you feel so darn good. I love that!!!

What type of exercise moves take you out of your comfort zone?


Hey Wii fans, EA Sports Active is coming out with a new one for the Wii this month. I will be buying this when it comes out because it looks like lots of fun and would be a good work out at the same time. Check out the link!

Motivate Me Monday

Time again for Motivate Me Monday . Yeah, I know it has been a while and I have really been dragging my feet. I need to get back into Motivate Me Monday. If my mental work outs got me in shape wow, I would have a tight little body but instead I think more about working out than I actually do, so there is no tight little body. LOL....

So lets get down to business. I have major goals to work out every day this week. I am on vacation so I have no excuses. I want to really dig into weight training. Some of my favorite things to do is use my large exercise ball. It is a great "bench" so to speak for lifting and working my core at the same time. I have also really gotten into the Wii fit. It has this part on it where you go jogging and it seems silly but you put the remote in your pocket and go for a jog. You have to maintain a consistent speed or the game lets you know it. I have do the island jog that takes 12 minutes. I know, boring jogging around the living room for 12 minutes but it isn't to bad and it gets my heart rate up. I also unlocked the 10, 20 or 30 minute jogs. I don't know if I can jog in place for 30 minutes, that might be to much for me. The jogging gets my going so I can lift my weights and work other muscles.

I just need to figure out what time of day will work out best each day for my work out. I hate working out after I eat, I am not one who likes to work out in the morning and typically the afternoon works well for me. When we had a YMCA membership I would go on my lunch hour and work out all the time. We gave up our membership for now to save money so I have to make do with my home equipment. I am thinking it is going to be a mid afternoon work out each day for me. What time of day do you like working out the most?

I have a new goal to reach, we are going to South Carolina in June and I have got to get myself back into shape. I have 10 weeks and that isn't much time so I have got to get focused. Wish me luck! Oh and would somebody come over here and through out all this Easter candy we keep buy. Seriously it is my worst enemy.

Remember I am only playing every 1st and 3rd Monday of each month. Define your goals and get moving. Play along, support each other and never give up on yourself. Share your tips and tricks to help keep your self motivated and moving.

Motivate Me Monday

I have been extra busy the past couple weeks and I really haven't been doing much by way of exercising in the traditional sense. However I have been thinking a lot about the whole exercising thing. I nursed my son until he turned 14 months and I lost all the baby weight and then some. I weighed less at the end of his nursing than I had in years. Since I have stopped nursing I have added a little bit of weight back on. When our bodies are nursing we are burning more calories for baby but we do this all day long. This got me thinking maybe I am putting to much into lets work out for 1 hour and then we are done for the day. Instead I have been doing little bursts of physical activity all day long. I get my heart rate up for about 10 minutes and do it many times a day. I am going to take this approach just to see if I drop those couple extra pounds that I added after I stopped nursing. I still want to include some weight training to tone up but for the next two weeks I am really going to try to incorporate 5 or 6 10 minute mini work outs everyday. Lets just see what can happen in two weeks from doing this.

I have also been following my food journal very well and this really helps me keep my calories around 1500 a day. Plus if I get to the end of the day and am at my target I treat myself to a little bit of ice cream after the kids are in bed.

As always, wish me luck!!!

Motivate Me Monday's are posted every 1st and 3rd Monday of the month. Challenge yourself to something physical and join in the fun. It can be something simple like walking the block three times a week or you can be a little more crazy and really challenge yourself. Just have fun and get moving.

Motivate Me Monday

This week I did nothing except create a food jearnal so that I control my junk food intake a little better. If I right it down it works really well for me. Anyway... I have decided I am only going to post Motivate Me Monday's every 1st and 3rd Monday of the month. I have one good week and one bad week all the time so maybe I can spread this out and equal it out better if I only post about my efforts twice a month. I am not giving up just changing things up a bit. Plus it is getting harder to write new things all the time.

Motivate Me Monday

This week wasn’t a very good one for me. I worked out one time and that was it. I really wasn’t motivated and the day I did work out I did my legs and back. I did an hour of legs and back. I probably did a combination of 300 plus different types of squats and lungs. I hurt a lot for about three days and just couldn’t push myself to do anything else. I also spent a lot of time organizing and cleaning house this week so that got into my way. Yeah, I know it is just another excuse… LOL.
I did not do my Pilates like I wanted to. I know this is effective and why I don’t want to do it makes no sense to me.

I really want to kick it up a notch this week. My clothes are getting tighter and my eating habits are so bad right now. I need to really break myself of the bad eating habits. I bought a big bag of those Cadbury chocolate covered eggs and for two days I have eaten way to many of them. So last night I went to the grocery stocked up on healthy stuff and I have so much set in my mind to start doing.

First this weeks exercise goals:
1. More Pilates… I want that v-sit to be a little easier by the end of this week. (This was last weeks, but I am not taking it off)
2. I am going to do at least 20 minutes of abs every other day this week. I am sick of looking down at my baby belly. I am just over it.
3. I am also going to do 20 minute work outs each day. I keep think big work outs that take an hour or more and a little each day can also be a good thing.
4. I am also going to dig out my balance ball and try to use it a little more.

a. I will use it for ab routines.
b. I will also use it for chest exercises. It is a more difficult type of bench to work out on.

Food goals:
1. More water… I did better this week but I could still do more.
2. No more buying chocolate. Think healthy snacks.

I have a tip for today. A great book I read about Fiber called The Fiber 35 Diet by Brenda Watson, it is full of wonderful advice on how to get enough fiber into your daily diet and what all the benefits are from that fiber. Great book!! Have any of you read a great book that has inspired you either to exercise or eat differently?

AS ALWAYS PLEASE WISH ME LUCK!! ALSO PLEASE GO VISIT VICKI AND WISH HER LUCK ALSO. SHE IS THE ONLY ONE PLAYING ALONG WITH ME AND I AM THANKFUL TO KNOW WE HAVE EACH OTHERS SUPPORT.

Motivate Me Monday

This week was a really good week for me. I worked out really hard and had to really push myself through most of my work outs. I got to laugh both times I did cardio. While I was doing Plymetrics my son Thomas was working out with me. Nothing makes a work out easier than when you are laughing at the one year old trying to jump and squat when you are jumping and squatting.

I also did my Pilates this week. A little story about Pilates, after I had Luke I bought the Windsor Pilates series of DVD’s. At first I couldn’t even roll myself up. It was sad!!! Then I really got into it, and loved it. I got so good at it and I actually got a nice stomach from it (first time in my life). I got so good at it that I actually go really boarded from this work out and eventually quit. Since I have had Thomas I have said I need to do Pilates again. So this week I did and it was sad… really, really sad. I can’t do anything anymore. The stuff that I use to find boring I can’t do at all. If you are familiar with Pilates you understand the V-sit, I use to do this with ease… I can’t do it at all. What makes me more frustrated is I look down and see this lovely belly roll from the baby I had more than a year ago.

This weeks goals:
1. More Pilates… I want that v-sit to be a little easier by the end of this week.
2. I need to start adding some weight training into my routine. So I am going to do one day with a lot of lower body work with the weights, one day focusing on my back and one day focusing on my arms.
3. I am also going to dig out my balance ball and try to use it a little more.
4. Finally, I am not drinking my water the way I use to. This has to be added back in every day.
WISH ME LUCK!!

So what motivates you to exercise? Do you have a goal, something you want to do by a certain date, or you are just doing it for the fun of it (haha)? Play along this week, tell us your goals and let us help motivate you. It always seems easier when you know someone is watching and keep track of how you are doing.

Motivate Me Monday

It's a new week and I am excited. I did so well last week with working out. A year ago I bought my husband P90X for his birthday. I did a couple of those work outs this week. You talk about something that will kick your butt. Wow, my butt couldn't sit for two days. Of course I am a nut who loves to feel all that pain after a good workout. I know I have done a lot for myself when I feel like that. I didn't run my stairs like I said I would, well not in a work out sense anyway. I am sure I climbed them a thousand times with all the laundry I did this week but I didn't push myself the way I said.

Now for this week. I am going to run the stairs that I didn't do last week and I am going to keep up the P90X. It is a killer work! I would love some creative ideas from any of you. The weather here sucks so doing anything outside is out of the question. I just hate the cold to much.

Now if you want to join me in my challenge please do… if not just Wish Me Luck and give me crap when I make excuses to for not getting something done. So if you are joining in choose some form of physical activity to do and set a goal for this week. Let me know you are playing and I will be around to give you my support.

If you want to play along add it in the comments your blog and when I get Mr Linky up (sick kid today so blogging is not working out) I will add it and let you know. Thanks!!!

Wish Me Luck!!! I am going to need it.

Motivate Me Monday

I am doing a horrible job at getting into the whole exercising thing. I come up with every possible reason not to do it. Last week I promised I would do three things and I did one of my three things. I played the Wii sports and Wii fit several times during the week. I have to say if you have ever boxed on one of these… it is a heck of a work out. My arms and shoulders are still hurting and I was sweating up a storm. As for the other two… I failed. Yesterday I put on my work out cloths while the baby was asleep and was all set to work out. Luke was watching Sponge Bob and wouldn’t let me have the TV. I told him I was working out when it was over. I leave the room and come back and he and his dad are playing the Wii. Seriously they are not helping me. My husband promises to let me work out later and he will keep the baby off of me. It never happened….

So I feel like I really failed this week at my workouts. But I had it in my mind all week that I was being watched and needed to do this. So with that said I am not giving up and will try again this week.

Remember when I said I don’t belong to a gym anymore and need to be creative? Well I cleaned out a cabinet full of DVD’s and VHS tapes and found that I have a little problem… its called exercise videos. I own probably a hundred of them…. LOL. This is just another reason why I have no reason to make excuses.

So this week I am taking the Wii out of the equation (will probably do it but not including it here) and I am going to do one of my cardio video’s two days this week and a Pilate’s video at least two days this week. I am also going to run up and down my stairs 10 times every day this week. Trust me this is much harder than you think.

Now if you want to join me in my challenge please do… if not just Wish Me Luck and give me crap when I make excuses to for not getting something done. So if you are joining in choose some form of physical activity to do and set a goal for this week. Let me know you are playing and I will be around to give you my support.

What type of things do you like to do for a good workout?

Motivate Me Monday

Play along the 1st & 3rd Monday of each month.

How many of you make a promise to yourself that this week I am going to start exercising, exercise a little more or you need a new physical challenge but you just can’t seem to do it. I started the year off with the resolution to get myself back into shape. A month has gone by and I haven’t done a single thing. I want to motivate myself and make this a challenge.

Motivate Me Monday is all about helping each other with our fitness goals. I find it so much easier to work out when I know I am being held accountable. If I know that someone is checking in on me each week then I carry that around in the back of my mind all week long. Hence motivating me to get my work outs in. This is not all about me but about you also. I can’t do this alone, I need others to play along so that I have support from you and so that I can support you as well.

The objective here is to come up with a goal each week. The scale of your goals is what you want to make it. For instance you are doing something as small as walking around the block twice a week or………….head over to the other end of the scale and you are going to really kick up your work out and make it intense by working out 6 days a week with very specific goals for each of those six days. Next week come back tell us how you did and what your new goals are for the next week.

Tell us why you are working out. Everyone has a reason, unless you are one of those nuts that just love working out… lol. Are you planning a trip to the beach this summer and you are not ready to put on that bathing suit (I am never ready for that one)? Did you just have a baby and need to drop that extra weight? Did you gain a few extra ponds over the holidays? Are you doing it for your health? What is your reason?

I have two reasons, one my body is out of shape from having child number two. I just can’t seem to make the time to work out and I need to stop making excuses and tone up this body. My second reason is based on my family history. Heart disease is a big killer in my family. My grandmother had her first heart-attach in her 30’s, had a couple more before the last one took her life when she was 69 years old. I am in my 30’s and I think about this often. I know I am not my grandmother but there is so much history on both sides of the family and our life expectancy is much shorter because of it. I don’t want to be like everyone else in my family, I want to live to be that old… old lady. So for that reason I am motivating myself each week.

Join us each Monday, write a blog post and bust out those tennis shoes and get motivated.

Thanks!!! Nina