3 Easy Football Exercises

As you know, it's football season! 

YAY!  GO BEARS!

TH and I are Chicago Bears fans (as if you couldn't tell yet), and I was thinking today that it'd be awesome if I could somehow incorporate some easy exercises based on how the games going.  I devised a simple, yet effective way to get some decent exercises in during each game.

Feel free to use these and a link back to me on your own blogs and/or pages would be appreciated!  :)


Football Game Exercises


Munchies: Carrots and Water  

- 10 Push-Ups when the other team scores a touchdown.

- 5 Push-Ups when they scores a field goal.
- 10 Squats when The Bears score a touchdown.
- 5 Squats when The Bears score a field goal.
- 5 Crunches for each flag flown - for either team.  It doesn't matter if the flag is later declined, flag goes out, you do the crunches.

Regarding Munchies
I started out with just carrots, but as I kept doing the exercises, I got more hungry.  I had some rosemary & feta chips, a small glass of Almond Coconut milk, and some yogurt.

I also missed my beer (football staple duh!), but I made a Sobe Lifewater (coconut) with a shot of Malibu.  It's not beer and beef, but it's more healthy.  :)

It's half-time now, and so far I've done:

- 20 Push-Ups
- 35 Squats
- 45 Crunches

And that was only the first half AND it's not a very high-flag-throwing game!  I have a feeling the season will get more interesting with these in mind.  My legs and stomach muscles are killing me.  :)

Happy Football!  Go Bears!

Tips To Replace Junk Food With Healthier Food

This is the first of what I hope to be many blog posts that have absolutely nothing to do with my Insanity workouts, but are actually kind of informative.  Today I'm going to talk about how to exchange that yummy, sometimes sugar-loaded junk food that we all love and our thighs and butts hate into something that's actually good for you.  This topic came up in the group that I'm part of on Facebook that is comprised of our Beachbody Team, and one of the women posted that she was really trying to get off the junk food - like cookies and milk - and have something healthy instead because getting into the "eating right" phase is difficult to do.

It's difficult for everyone!  If you can't get hooked on some form of "bad thing" then I really don't think you're human.  Seriously.

Anyways, Helga (that isn't her name, but you gotta love obscure names) said she's been bringing deviled eggs to work to snack on instead of cookies.  Go Helga!  She also asked what kind of others things she and her family could do to gradually phase out the junk and phase in the healthy.  Here are some tips from our wonderful team:

• Get Rid of The White.  

This means buy whole wheat bread instead of white bread.  Buy brown rice instead of white rice.  Use whole pasta instead of regular pasta.  You can even use Turbinado Sugar instead of white sugar.  Clicking this link will take you to Live Strong's website where they have a really good write up on how to use Turbinado sugar in place of white sugar.  The options are out there, you just need to find them and not be afraid to try something new. 

• Make A Meat Rub.  

One of the women suggested going through all your spices and make a meat rub that you can use for chicken, pork, beef, etc.  With a rub you can do all sorts of things with you meat - marinate it, use a bit extra to form a crust when you cook the meat, or even smoking the meat.  By using the rub as a "crust" you eliminate the need to use bread crumbs, which is always a bonus. 

• Replace Crunchy With Crunchy.  

Everyone has their favorite type of chips.  Mine happen to be Flamin' Hot Cheetos and Sun Chips.   I replaced my chips with baby carrots.  Every time I wanted something crunchy to munch on, I grabbed a handful of baby carrots instead of a handful (or a whole bag) of chips.  Same goes with eating celery or an apple. 

• Replace Soft With Soft.  

Same thing as above, but with soft foods.  I replaced cookies (and I do love cookies) with fruit - bananas, strawberries, pineapple. 

• Buy Sandwich Thins.  

I recently discovered these wonderful Sandwich Thins at Sam's Club (where they are much cheaper), but they also have them at grocery stores.  I buy the Whole Wheat and the Honey Wheat.  They are great for so many reasons.  First off, they are thin, so when you make a sandwich, you can actually TASTE the things you put between the slices instead of a mouthful of just bread.  Second, they make GREAT brat, hot dog, and Italian sausage buns.  Same principal as with the sandwich - you can taste the meat instead of just the bread.  And, they are lower on calories than regular wheat bread.  :) 

• 90 Calorie Granola Bars.  

I buy these because they are great snacks, treats/desserts, and breakfast foods.  I get the ones from Wal-Mart in chocolate chip.  It gives me a chocolatey treat without all the bad stuff.  I don't eat them every day, but they are nice to have on hand. 

• Drink Water.  

I know, it sounds silly.  But, when you get a craving for something, drink a glass (8 ounces) of water then ask yourself if you are really hungry for that food or just think you are. 

• Replace Your Milk.  

I know I've said this before, but Almond Milk is the way to go!  I love the Almond Milk / Coconut Milk blends (60 calories), and I have stopped buying regular milk completely.  TH even loves it.  I get him the Vanilla flavored Almond Milk (which is 90 calories).  I use it to cook with, to make my Shakeology, eat it with my cereal, and use it as my coffee creamer - on the off days when I actually want to drink coffee. 

• Change Your Cereal.  

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but I don't like to cook breakfast for myself.  So, I'm a big eater of cereal, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch is hand's down the best cereal on earth.  But, it's not healthy.  So I replaced the best cereal on earth with granola types.  Sam's Club/Wal-Mart has a Pumpkin Flax Seed Granola which is actually really freaking good - as cereal and mixed in yogurt.  Another good one is from Jewel's Wild Harvest brand.  It's a Cherry Vanilla Granola and a Blueberry Flax Seed Granola.  And they are all excellent with Almond / Coconut Milk.  :) 

• Experiment With Your Greens.  

Stop using just iceberg lettuce! Experiment a little and get yourself some baby spinach, romaine, arugula, kale, or just a spring mix from the store.  And before you go "Ewwww, spinach!", stop.  Spinach in a can isn't what REAL spinach tastes like.  It's much much better, because I thought the same thing.  I use different lettuce types for salads and sandwiches.  I also make the spinach into a dinner side dish by wilting it with some garlic and extra virgin olive oil.  It's delicious.  :) 

• Drink More Water Instead of Soda.  

I can't say it enough, drink water like it's going out of style.  I used to think this wasn't very important, and I was wrong.  Now, drinking 64 ounces of water a day is nothing.  The best way to do this (for me anyways) was to use a 32 ounce cup.  We have several Iron Man and Farmville cups from 7-11 Slurpees, and I know that I have to drink minimum two a day.  Because I was drinking so much water, I didn't even WANT a soda.  Though I will admit, kicking the soda habit was hard.  I started small by saying gradually reducing how much I drank it - like 1 can every other day.  Then I reduced it to Wednesdays only.  By the third week, I didn't even want it anymore and it tasted terrible.  

• Avoid Fast Food.  

I love french fries.  I especially love french fries from Wendy's.  And sometimes you really don't have a choice about eating at a fast food restaurant.  So if you have no choice, check out this very informative posting from the Dr. Gourmet website as it lists some "healthier" options as well as nutritional value for each.  He also has a handy printable version for most of the restaurant options as well.

So these are some of my tips and some of our Facebook groups tips.  I hope they help you make better food choices whenever possible.  If anyone has any others, post'em up!  I'd love to hear them!

Insanity - Week 6, Day 3 - Max Interval Plyo

I was trying to find a picture that could fully explain my feelings on how Max Interval Plyo kicked my butt yesterday, and this is what I found on some random website on the internet:

Because I thought I was going to die yesterday.  It was 81 degrees in the house to start.  And this was at 4:30 in the MORNING!!!  Second, I was sore beyond belief from Max Interval Circuit the day before.  Everything freaking hurt.  EVERYTHING.  Third, Daisy the Deaf Cat kept trying to lick the buckets of sweat rolling off my body from whatever body part she could reach.  (gross!)  I don't even remember the workout because I was dying.  I know I drank 32 ounces of water in an hour and was STILL thirsty.  But as for progress on any of the workouts?  Couldn't tell you. 


Somehow I made it through it.  And today I feel a bit stronger.  So that pic up there, randomly found on the internet, explains exactly how I feel right about now.  Minus the fact that even though the air conditioning is now on, it's 80 degrees in here and I'll need to do my workout in a few hours.  Hopefully it gets cooler in here by then, but I sincerely doubt it.  Our house gets hotter at night than it does during the day.


Today is Max Recovery!!!  I'm so happy and looking forward to it.  I need it.  :)

Insanity - Week 6, Day 1 - Max Cardio Conditioning

Mmmm ... chocolate.  Sorry, was having my moment in heaven.  Drinking my ice-cold chocolately shake after doing Max Cardio Conditioning is like drinking an ice cold beer after mowing a quarter acre lawn by hand - wonderful. 

Okay, I don't mow the lawn and it's not a quarter acre.  I did mow the lawn once though and it was so terrible that I absolutely refuse to do it again.  I have only done it once in the almost eight years that we've owned this house, and never again.  Our yard sucks.  It has been relegated to TH's domain of "Things You Have To Do That Your Wife Won't".  Also on that list is killing spiders and other crawling or flying things, entering the shed, and going in the basement. 

Insanity - Week 5, Day 6 - Complete!

Since I swapped my Saturday workout with my Sunday Rest Day, I did Max Interval Plyo today.  My arms feel like they are going to fall off my shoulders.  I had forgotten how much arm work is in this one. 

WTB New Buff Arms! PST!

This workout killed me.  Why?  Beer.  Yep, beer.  We went out to our campground this weekend and of course we drank.  Fire.  Beer.  It's like peanut butter and jelly.  They just go together.

Independent Team Beachbody Coach

So, now I can make it official.

I am an Independent Team Beachbody Coach now.  Yay!!!

This makes me happy for a couple reasons.  One, I finally will get my daily Chocolate Shakeology, which is amazing (if you haven't yet read my review, head on over here and check it out).  And I'll get it at a discount.  Number Two, hopefully someone will be inspired by my journey through Insanity, and be motivated to start their own journey towards a healthier lifestyle.

And yes, I'm sorry, but me having chocolate in a healthy way is very, very, very important for my well-being ... and TH's sanity.  That is why it's number one.  :P

I'm still waiting to get all my packages from Beachbody, because, this is a business after all.  They should arrive sometime in the next couple days.  I choose to go the route of doing a challenge pack when I signed up, as it was the same price as doing the Coaching plus Shakeology, except I get a workout program out of it.  I decided to go with Turbo Jam, which I will be starting a week or so after Insanity ends.

This is of course assuming I MAKE it through the rest of Insanity, because let me tell you something.  No no, I will write it up in another posting later after tonight's workout.  That way I can vent about both of them at once.  :)

So, yes, congratulations to me for taking the next into making my life more fit and healthy.  I promise, I will not start saying "OMG, let me be your coach!" or placing tons of ads on my blog.  I will place a select few here and there.  I will however drop a  few suggestions here and there, and at the end of this post I will link my Shakeology website and Team Beachbody website.  And I absolutely will not promote something I don't think works.  I'm still going to be giving it to you straight on which products I personally like and don't like.

So here are a few links.

My Coach Website
My Shakeology Website

You can also contact me on Facebook by clicking this link and sending me a message on how you want to transform your life.  Or, even if you're just thinking about it and not sure what program to go with.

Let's get fit people!  :)

Insanity - Recovery Week, Day 4

Hi everyone!  Lots of things going on today!

First and foremost, today, finally, I felt I was able to give 110% to my Insanity workouts again, even though it's Recovery Week.  I only broke down coughing three times!  And, to be brutally honest, I can totally tell that I haven't been exercising to my full potential for the last week and a half.

*glares at Half Squat, spawn of my brother*

Though, I do have to admit, I didn't sweat or shake as much on the exercises today, though I pushed myself harder (even with TH home).  I think it's because I was actually able to breathe.  Core Cardio & Balance isn't really that difficult-looking, but because this whole week is more about control and your abs, it's pretty tough.  Especially for the ab-less like me.  All of the movements are done "slowly" (compared to the rest of Insanity, yeah it's slow) and with more focus on controlling your breathing and keeping your core tight.  So, it's still a damn good workout.  :)

Insanity - Day 30 Results

So I have some pretty exciting news for you readers.  Yep, numbers!  I wasn't going to post these until the end, but I decided against it.  In fact, I wasn't going to post them at all, because they are kinda personal.  But, I wanted to show that hard work and eating right (okay, maybe not right, but smaller portions) DOES work.

I probably would have better results if I hadn't fallen off the wagon a few times ("Eat The Brownie!" Extravaganza ring a bell?), and if I had followed the Insanity meal planner.  However, I wanted to do this with the food that I'm used to eating and that we had in the house already.  Each grocery shopping excursion had more healthy food than non-healthy food, but I'll go into more detail after the numbers.

Insanity - Week 4, Day 5

Well, I did a half-assed job at Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs last night.

Why?

You guessed it - still sick.  I already felt miserable before I did it, then while I'm doing it I kept asking myself if new window coverings and a vacuum was worth dying over.

The answer was yes.

We've been living in this house for almost 7 years...and I've had to deal with glare on my computer screen for 7 long years.  Blinds just aren't cutting it anymore.  So, I pushed through.

Creamer Is Evil! But I Found A Solution!

The title says it all.

I love coffee.

I love French Vanilla Creamer in my coffee.

French Vanilla Creamer, according to My Fitness Pal, is NOT a lovable addition to my coffee.

So last week, I was grocery shopping at Jewel.  I had just spent a little while talking to Coach Brandy about milk and how it too is evil, and she suggested milk alternatives.  I hate soy milk.  It's just nasty.  So I'm looking through the cooler and I what do I see but an almond milk coconut milk blend by Blue Diamond Almonds called Almond Breeze.

Pan Cooked Sweet Potatoes

So, TH & I were making dinner the other night and were trying to find something interesting to go with the Guinness Beer Brats we bought at Sam's Club.  Yes, I know, Beer Brats are not part of the diet, but Guinness is one of my favorite drinks of all time, so I had to try them.  And I only had one, not 2 or 3 or four.

Anyways, we had also bought sweet potatoes, so I wanted to do something with those.  Here's what I came up with.

Insanity - Week 3, Day 6 - Complete

Week 3 is over.

I hurt.  Still.  I think if Sunday wasn't a rest day, I wouldn't have had the gumption to do any workout yesterday.

Of course, I hurt because I ended with the much hated Plyometric Cardio Circuit.  I rocked that sucker on Saturday.  I was even able to do a few In & Out Abs, which before was just a "you've got to be kidding me, right?!" as I laid on the floor trying to breathe.  Two is better than zero though, and there are a couple other exercises that I had previously been unable to do "correctly" (I modified them to my strength level) that I did as well.  Moving Push-ups is one of those.  Before, I'd just jam out as many push-ups as possible, which was like 4.  I actually did like three moving ones.

I was damn proud of myself.

Today begins Week 4 with Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs.  Yay?  This is also the last week of Month 1.  There is no Fit Test until Week 5 begins - which is technically Week 6 because there is a "Recovery Week" that starts next Monday.  But, I'm not going to argue.  :)

Hello Week 4.  Please be nice.  Week 3 was evil to me.

Nerf? Buff? What Are These Words?

Okay, so I realize that I probably fall into a small category of people who play video games as an adult.  That said, the "normal" person probably has no idea why I think the title of this blog is creative & genius.  So, I will explain.

The word "Nerf"

The word "nerf" in my world means many, many things: it can strike fear, it can cause anger, whining, crying, griefing, bitching, moaning, high-fives, cheers, and praise.  It can be negative or positive.  It is not to be confused with the children's toys, because I'm not throwing soft, squishy round objects out of a plastic gun at myself hoping my fat will go away.

Plyometric Cardio Circuit

Here's what I think about Plyometric Cardio Circuit.

DIAF!!!

For those of you non-gamers, that means "Die In A Fire".

Every single time I do it, it seems harder.  It's a great workout, don't get me wrong, but you'd think after a while I'd be able to get through the intervals.  Granted, this is only Week 3, but still.  I'm not a wimp, I'm kicking my own butt...still can't get through a complete interval without stopping to breathe.

/sigh

Is It Harder, Or Is It Me?

I woke up at 7 a.m. this morning, ate breakfast, drank a glass of water, felt sick to my stomach, and went to bed for 5 more hours.  I really, really hope I'm not getting sick.

Even though I feel like hell warmed over, I still popped in Cardio Power & Resistance to get my workout in before TH & I leave for the weekend.

I think they made it harder since the last time I did this one.  Seriously.

I could barely make it through ANY of the intervals!!!  I don't know if it's because I don't feel good, if it's because my legs are killing me (finally!), or if it's just a coincidence, but OH MY GOD.  Please make it stop.  I looked at Globe Jumps and I said "Oh no...not those".  I did 1 - 1 - 2.  It's better than nothing right?  I still can't do a moving push-up, though it's the push-up part I'm still having trouble with.  Stupid arms, get stronger!

I've never sworn so much at poor Shaun since I started Insanity.  I'm really happy he wasn't physically in the room, or he'd have heard an ear-full.  I'm also happy TH was sleeping so I could swear loudly at poor Shaun.

I need to alternate my workout schedule for this weekend and make Saturday my rest day instead of Sunday.  I know I need to keep it consistent, but as far as I know, it'll just be for this weekend.

Have a great weekend everyone!  See ya again on Sunday!

"Eat The Brownie!" Extravaganza

Copyright by Chili's Restaurants

 Yesterday, my stepmom & I had some errands to run, and since we're both on the unemployment bench, we decided to save gas and do them together.  This turned into lunch, which turned into the "EAT THE BROWNIE SUNDAE!" extravaganza.  We went to Chili's.  And Chili's has decent food, but their fire-grilled corn guacamole is awesome.  And so is the Molten Chocolate Cake & Brownie Sundae.

She was supposed to stop me from ordering the sundae.

She didn't.

I spent the next THREE HOURS in so much pain.  One, because I had managed to eat my entire main course (even though I promised myself before we went in I'd only eat half) and then, on top of that, stuffed the Brownie Sundae in.  I finished all but like 4 bites of that.  And it had ice cream on it too.  And hot fudge.

/sigh

Needless to say, after the hurting stopped long enough for me to do my Day 10 Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit, I really, really hated that lunch.  I felt sick, slow, and ... blah.  But, I did the workout.  I wanted to puke all over the floor, maybe curl into a ball and cry, but I did the workout.

What lesson did I learn?  Don't go errand running with your stepmom, and stuff yourself stupid at lunch.  Also, listen to the good gargoyle on your shoulder, not the evil one.

My Fitness Goals

I'm sitting here trying to figure out what to add to this blog to make it interesting, and figured I'd post up my fitness goals.  It took me HOURS to think of this list, because, duh, I want to lose weight.  Isn't that what working out is about?  Coach Brandy told me I should make a list for "Final Goals" and "Daily Goals".  I took it a step further and made a "Weekly Goals" list as well.  Why?  Because if I have a list to check off every day, I feel a bit more accomplished.  "Hey look what I did!".  It's because I procrastinate a lot, and they really do help.

If you're looking for a little help with your goals, try these:

Daily Goals

• Drink a glass (8 oz.) of water with every snack & meal
• Eat 5 times a Day - Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Snack, Dinner
• Log my Calorie Intake with My Fitness Pal
• Do the WORKOUT!
• Eat suggested serving sizes, not how much I really want.  

Weekly Goals

• Lose 1.5 pounds OR 1/2" inch on a body part; it doesn't matter which one
• Record bi-weekly measurements & weight, and ONLY bi-weekly.  No checking weight in between measuring days.
• Since I'm currently doing Shaun T's Insanity, I want 6/6 workouts done.  Sundays are rest days.
• Don't injure my knee or any other body part by pushing too hard when I'm not ready for it yet.

 Final Goals

• Final weight of 180 pounds
• A flat stomach so I can get the belly ring I've been coveting since I was 18
• Have more energy
• Complete lifestyle change by eating healthier foods & proper portion sizes without realizing it
• Be able to wear the "closet jeans" with no belly flab hanging over the top

Those are my goals.  Yours might be different, but maybe they'll help by giving you some ideas.

Insanity - Day 4

I loved today.  All stretches, nothing too hard with Cardio Recovery.  Feel great!  Feel loose!  Muscles are nice and stretched out.

The best part?  I'm not dripping sweat like crazy - just a nice 'sheen'.

It was only 82 in the house today though, so that could play into it a little bit.  :)

Two days until Saturday!  YAY FOR REST DAY!!!!!!!!!!!

*Words Go Here* (March 21, 2012)

I'm alive.  Barely.  My fingers hurt and it's hard to think, not to mention spell.

I haven't done this much physical crap since I was a sophomore in high school.  That was 1998, I think.  I might be wrong.

I didn't think it was possible to sweat this much.  It just won't stop.

Creepy Staring Cats have abandoned me for cool spots in the house...like the bath tub.  I'd love to be in the bath tub, but I'd have to clean it first and I really just can't.  It's 86 degrees in here, which is probably why I can't stop sweating.  Yesterday it was worse...88.

Really need to look into getting workout shoes.  My Sketchers are pinching & sliding around too much.

Must find cool spot & water.  Mucho water.

Warm-Up Day 2 (March 16, 2012)

The knee wasn't feeling good this morning after doing the Insanity Fit Test yesterday, so I decided to do the Hip Hop Abs Fasting Burning Cardio to give it a break.  I hate being uncoordinated; it makes me feel clumsy.  It didn't help that Creepy Staring Cats were laughing at me again, and laying in the middle of the living room floor while they did it.

It's a nice, somewhat simple workout.  It made me sweat and I wasn't doing nearly as much as Shaun was.  I don't feel worn out, kinda revved actually.  Like maybe I'll clean something before the husband gets home from work.  (Okay, we both know that is NOT going to happen, but thinking about it didn't give me a headache, just a "do I have too" feeling.)