Skinny Sushi

First, I’d like to announce that the winner of last week’s ExerciseTV giveaway is Jen in Real Life!!!  ExerciseTV will be sending her a workout video this week!  If you didn’t win, there will be another giveaway every Friday in September, so keep coming back!

Now on to another Fitness Friday!

Today I want to talk about lunges, which are the opener to the Bootylicious Buns 1 workout, but first let’s review my workouts for this week.

Saturday: 4mi walk at a wine festival

Sunday: 1.2mi neighborhood walk, Week 2 exhaustion challenge for Hundred Pushups & 200 Situps

Monday: Week 3 Day 1 of Hundred Pushups and 200 Situps, Incredible Abs 2 & Bootylicious Buns 2

Tuesday: Incredible Abs 3 & Bootylicious Buns 1

Wednesday: Week 3 Day 2 of Hundred Pushups/200 Situps, Bootylicious Buns 2 & Incredible Abs 3

Thursday: rest day

I have to say, I am loving the BODYlicious workouts.  I definitely feel a difference in my abs.  Some of the buns workouts are tough for me and I worry I’m not doing them properly, so expect a video next week asking for your thoughts.

For this week’s video, I just did a quick video of the lunges at the beginning of the Buns 1 workout.  I talked about my issue with lunges in my hamstring post, and it made me wonder if I’m doing them wrong?  So here’s me doing lunges.  I’d love your thoughts on my form…

Now on to this week’s giveaway!  To enter to win your very own prize from ExerciseTV:

1. Check out the BODYlicious meal plan and leave a comment telling me what you think about the recipes.
2. Earn an extra entry for blogging about the giveaway and linking back in the comments.
3. Earn an extra DAILY entry for tweeting about the giveaway and leaving a comment to let me know you did!
4. Earn another DAILY entry for Facebook posts about the giveaway, again leaving comments to let me know you did.

The winner will be chosen next Friday morning!

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More to read:

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Wine country weekend

Fashion personality: Carolina Herrera

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source: womenshealthmag.com

In my monthly effort to shake things up, this month is my BODYlicious workout month.  It’s no accident that I chose an ab and butt centered workout, although looking back I wish I’d chosen it for July and/or August instead.

Really, what pushed me to do it this month was the fear of appearing in public in a bathing suit… which will happen sometime next week and will, it follows, be totally unaffected by my efforts.  All the same, I’m excited to see the difference at the end of the month.  I didn’t take before pics, but I did take measurements so I’m hoping to see a difference there.  In fact, I’ve declared it Stomach Shredder September in my iChange 1 Month Challenge group!

I’m also doing the 100 pushups and 200 situps challenges (links on the sidebar) and enjoying the progress I’m seeing there.  Although I do have days where it’s really tough for me (yesterday, the pushups felt impossible) I can definitely see progress already, and I’m thinking of doing the squats challenge along with the second round of the pushups challenge when I’m done.  Since the current pushups are of the knees-down variety, I’ll be repeating things with (hopefully) no modifications.

Today is a whirlwind of cleaning and packing and working, so I’m off to cross more things off of my to-do/to-pack/to-clean/to-remember lists.

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Things to check out today:

Thanks to my children for being my starlight

English sparkler beats champagne

City style: Prague

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source: fitsugar.com

I have leg issues.  My hamstrings (at least I think that’s where the issue is…) are tight constantly.

I stretch them all the time.  I stretch when I get up in the morning.  I stretch before and after exercise.  I stretch before bed.  And yet… super tight hamstrings.  It’s especially weird because if I sit up and bend over my leg, I can reach down to my toes without a problem and stretch that way comfortably… but if I lay on my back (like in the picture) I can’t get my leg to more than maybe 45 degrees off of the floor before I feel super tension in my hamstring and my knee bends to relieve the pressure.  If someone pushes it for me, I can get farther… maybe to 80 degrees or so, but then I start to feel pain wrapping along the outside edge of my lower calf.  It’s not horrible but it’s not comfortable at all.  It doesn’t seem to be affected (better or worse) by stretching or exercise.

Some online friends have suggested a foam roller and potentially diagnosed the issue as fascia.  I’d love your thoughts, experiences, suggestions… and to know whether you think it’s worth it for me to see a doctor.  After all, I’m not in pain really… just holding a lot of tension.

And speaking of weird leg issues, and wondering if it might be a related issue, I have serious difficulties with lunges.  Despite being much healthier than I once was, despite working out quite often and doing a good mix of cardio and strength training, I cannot do lunges properly.  I can’t get more than a third of the way down, and after less than ten my legs (mostly my quads) feel like they are going to EXPLODE.  It’s an intense burning pain that makes it nearly impossible for me to continue.  I’ve tried doing more lunges, less lunges, directionally variable lunges… and no change.

Please help?  I need to know if I’m doing something wrong.  In my Fitness Friday post, I’ll be sure to include lunges in my video.  Maybe that will help someone isolate the problem.

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More to read:

Juggling schedules
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source: toothpastefordinner.com

I’m conducting a little experiment this week.  I generally follow Weight Watchers and, obviously, it’s working for me… but this week I’ve just been hungry all the time and with everything I’ve got going between work, toddler chasing, upcoming school, and packing for our vacation… I’ve sort of stopped counting points.

I know I’m not eating a ton because I am still eating basically what I eat every day… but I also know I’m getting in a few more calories every day than I would be if I were counting points.  I’m not done with Weight Watchers or points, but for this week I’m leaving it all up to tracking my own hunger and making the healthiest food decisions I can manage.  If I gain this week… whatever.  I’ll just work a little harder next week to get back on track.

This week is all about staying sane and successfully prepping for our vacation so that while we’re gone I can actually relax.

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source: masterkeycoaching.com

I’ve been working hard.  We leave for vacation this coming Saturday, and I’ve been trying to make good choices and keep exercising.  It turns out the work is paying off!

This week I’m down to 183.8, a little less than a pound lost since last week, and down 41.2 pounds total.  My BMI is down to 30.6 (I started at 37.4) amd I’m a little less than four pounds away from officially being in the “overweight” category instead of being considered “obese.”

To me, though all of those things are great, the bigger success is that I’ve managed a much healthier way of looking at food.  I’m making huge strides in terms of no longer thinking of food as a “splurge” or a “binge” or something to be messed up.  Instead, I work hard to make healthy choices most of the time, allow myself to enjoy foods that might not be considered healthy on a regular basis in small portions, and I continue to exercise whenever I can.  This is really helping me to feel less panicky when I have a weekend of sweets, eat some fried food, or choose fast food out of necessity or craving.

The truth, for me at least, is that I will always have fast food here and there.  I will always enjoy baking treats, and I will always take part in eating them.  I enjoy good food, and I’m happy that I no longer spend my time worrying about what’s in the food, because I know that my (mostly) healthy food choices and my regular exercise are enough to get me to where I need to be.

It’s not perfect, and I’m sure I’ll still have a crisis over food sometimes, freak out about gaining weight, or have food guilt.  But I’m getting there, and it makes me feel great!

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Posts you might like:

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Welcome to another Fitness Friday!  This week has been a good one, if a little lighter than usual, in terms of working out, and I’m excited to say that I was also contacted by ExerciseTV after posting about their awesome Back 2 Bollywood Bhangra workout.  So now my Fitness Friday posts will be a series of posts and videos about ExerciseTV workouts.  I was super comfortable doing this, since 90% of my workouts already come from ExerciseTV.  This month (through September) I’ll be focusing on their Bodylicious workouts, which are all about buns and abs.  Most (maybe all?) of the workouts are free through ExerciseTV On Demand, but they were kind enough to send me the workout DVDs.  The program also includes a meal plan and though I won’t be following it, I may try out some of the recipes just to see how they are.

Before I get into the videos, here’s what my week in fitness looked like:

Saturday: rest day.

Sunday: Week 2, Day 1 of HundredPushups and TwoHundredSitups.  I did 20 pushups in my last set and 30 situps.

Monday: Bodylicious Day 1 -- Bootylicious Buns 1 (10 min) and Incredible Abs 2 (20 min)

Tuesday: Week 2, Day 2 of HundredPushups and TwoHundredSitups.  I did 20 pushups in my last set and 32 situps (extra points for toddler on belly); Jays Bootcamp Cardio (15 min)

Wednesday: Bodylicious Day 2 -- Bootylicious Buns 1 (10 min) and Incredible Abs 2 (20 min)

Thursday: Week 2, Day 3 of HundredPushups and TwoHundredSitups.  I did 21 pushups in my last set and 38 situps (extra points for toddler on belly); Back 2 Bollywood Bhangra Masala dance workout (20 min); Bodylicious Day 3 -- Bootylicious Buns 1 (10 min) and Incredible Abs 2 (20 min).

Today I have plans to do some yoga or Pilates, and maybe the Bodylicious again.  I can definitely feel it working.  Saturday I’ll do my exhaustion test for the pushups/situps challenges, and then hopefully I’ll get some good cardio in on Saturday or Sunday.

Now for the videos… I recorded myself doing the Incredible Abs 2 workout.  The first video is just a quick clip of the sky kicks at the beginning of the ab shred portion, and the second video is a look at the whole shred cycle.  I’m sweaty and gross in them since this was the last bit of an hour long workout, but my daughter makes a really adorable cameo in the first video.

I can’t believe I’m about to show the internet a video in which I’m wearing a sports bra but no shirt… try not to cry at my pale belly.

Overall, I really like the Bodylicious workouts.  The abs one is KILLER and I was too sore after the first day to do it again right away, but now I think I can follow the schedule well enough.  There are a couple of moves in the Bootylicious Buns workout that feel a little awkward to do, but I can definitely feel them working so I think I’m on the right track.  I’m looking forward to posting measurements after I finish the whole workout series.

Now for the good part!  ExerciseTV has graciously offered to provide one of my readers with an awesome mystery prize!  Just for answering a quick trivia question, one commenter will get a free workout DVD from ExerciseTV!

How to enter:

1. Answer this question in the comments: Who are the two trainers in the Bodylicious program? (required)
2. Blog about the giveaway and leave a link in the comments. (optional)
3. Tweet about the giveaway and leave a link in the comments. (optional, once per day)

I’ll choose a winner at random during next Friday’s fitness post!  Good luck, and enjoy your weekend!

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Of possible interest:

Win an iTunes gift card!
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source: thorntonfriends.org

This morning’s Loser for Life post got me thinking a lot about my thoughts about food.

With an upcoming vacation to visit my parents in Florida for a week, I’ve been feeling a growing restlessness about food.  I find myself worrying about eating the “wrong” things while we’re gone and not getting in “enough” exercise.

That, my friends, is not the way to live life.  Thanks to Loser for Life, I’ll be looking at things a little differently.  I’ve already managed to find some peace in my daily life when it comes to food.  For instance, last night my husband worked super late, so I ordered pizza.  I ate it, I enjoyed it, I moved on.  No guilt, no regret.  That’s the way it ought to be.

So while we’re in Florida, I’ll be enjoying life.  I’ll be savoring the all-too-precious time with my parents and sister.  I’ll be enjoying the date night(s) that my husband and I get to sneak in while the Toddlerette spends time with her grandparents.  I’ll be relaxing by the pool, enjoying good food and wine, and basking in the glow of being surrounded by people I love.  I’ll work out when I can, try to make food choices that make me feel good both in the moment and in the long term, and I’ll do a lot of laughing.

A good, healthy relationship with food and my body is about living.  So I’m going to LIVE my vacation and worry about the rest later.

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Of possible interest:
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source: angryshirts.com

I’ve been having a really hard time getting in my usual hour of workout every day this week.  Between cranky baby, weird sleep patterns, and just a general feeling of meh, I’ve been managing between 30 and 45 minutes every day.

This morning it occurred to me that this is HUGE progress.  There was a time, not so long ago, when working out for fifteen minutes, 3-4 days a week was a big deal, a huge victory!  So now that I’m “just” doing 30-45 minutes 5-6 days per week I think I’m in a great place.

I don’t know when I adopted the mindset that I had to work out for an hour every day to be successful, but I’m letting that go right now.  Life with jobs and grad school and the Toddlerette is complicated enough during the day.  The last thing I need is to turn exercise, which I am currently enjoying, into some scheduled, required thing that I have to check off of my to-do list.

So I’m giving myself permission to be a “slacker” this week and just do what I can manage.  I’ll be happy with a half hour and at least 3 days this week.

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Of possible interest:

Win an iTunes gift card!
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source: cakewrecks.com

Lately my hunger patterns have been all out of whack.  Last week I wasn’t hungry much at all.  This week I’m starving all the time.  I’m not really doing any more in terms of activity though… in fact, this week might be a less active week than last week.  So why am I always hungry, and why do I frequently want sweet stuff?  I thought today’s picture of the Weight Watchers hungry monster was particularly appropriate since he’s not only persistent (but cute!) but also peddling donuts, which is right up my alley lately.  I haven’t really been giving in much, but I WANT SUGAR.

I’ve also been feeling really unsatisfied with food lately.  I get hungry, I go to make some food, and nothing seems appealing.  Whatever I end up eating doesn’t seem very good, and afterward I am left feeling unsatisfied even though I am no longer hungry.

I suppose it’s not something that really matters, but it’s weird.  Any thoughts on what’s going on?  Has this happened to any of you?

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Today’s interesting posts:

iTunes Gift Card Giveaway
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source: blogs.nyu.edu

I’ve been taking part in several contests, challenges, and competitions lately… and I’ve realized something.

They’re kind of making me feel crappy.

Weird, right?  It’s definitely a change for me, since I used to find that sort of thing a great source of motivation to get up and get moving and put down the cookies, etc…

Lately though, I’m working really hard.  I am doing the best I can.  I am working out as often as I am willing/able to do so, and I’m making food choices that make me, my body, and my scale happy.  So when I log on to see contest results to discover that I’m always near the bottom of the list, always behind almost everyone… it makes me feel like my best isn’t good enough.

But it IS good enough.  For where I am now, this particular place in my journey, these competitions are just encouraging me to compare my success with others, and that’s not doing me any good.  I don’t want to look at my totally successful weight loss as not good enough because it was 1lb per week instead of 3, 4, 6… so for now I’m calling it quits on the contests and competitions that deal with weight loss.

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Today’s interesting links:

Win an iTunes gift card
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