Review!

Last week I did many desk exercises! Including ones like climbing under desks,moving things under desks, and in general weird things under furniture! But, it was good!

I also used Greek yogurt in my popsicles. I used Greek yogurt and fresh mango and boom! Yummy!

We're almost done!

It's crazy to me how fast these three months always seem to go by.

I'm trying to finish strong! Bring it!

This past week I did the desk exercises, which was great! When I make jewelry I spend a lot of time sitting, so it felt nice to do some "workouts." I didn't do it every time I sat down, but when I was going to be sitting for 10+ minutes I did stuff. It varied, and I don't remember all I did. I just kind of made it up as I went and I didn't stick to a routine

The Greek yogurt, I love that stuff! I want to mix it with some frozen fruit I have and make popsicles, but I haven't done that yet.

I did however eat some last week! It's pretty much the best. Michael and I got some all natural granola from the store, it has not added sugars, flavors or anything, and we mixed that with the Greek yogurt and added a little bit of Vanilla. It was great! And totally healthy. 

We had that a few times with breakfast or for an evening snack. Sometimes we added a little bit of agave, which was great!, but I thought it still tasted good even without it.

Let's finish strong guys! 

We can do it!!!

Almost Done!

Last week had some ups and downs, Friday rolled around and I realized I hadn't worked out once... Oops! But I did the 'desk workouts' that we were supposed to do for our challenge, so at least I did that! I purchased Greek Yogurt on Monday, so I could eat some for our nutritional challenge but I completely forgot about it. This last week was really busy and things just slipped, which kind of stinks because we only have a week left in this season... Oh well, I will just have to work hard this week to finish strong! I hope you all had a happy Easter!

Week 12 Last Challenge!!!

New Here?

Each week we get 2 new challenges. Always a physical and then either an emotional or nutritional one. Challenges are posted and started Sunday. They go through Saturday. Next time you blog, tell us how you did! Be honest! Do good? Do bad? How do you feel?

Summer fitness plans:

Summer is the perfect time to get out in the outdoors and move that body! Think of 3 summer exercise goals that you are going to implement in the upcoming months.

Fitness Challenge:

This is the last week finish strong!

Everyone has 15 min in the day where they can do some form of exercise. It does not have to be a 45 min workout video or a 2 hour trip to the gym. It can be walking for 15 min, or do a short video. Whatever it is, exercise for at least 15 min for the full week! Write down what you do so you can share it next week!

How I did on this weeks challenge

My internet has been completely stupid up til now, and I didn't get to publish my post sooner because of that. Luckily my awesome husband was able to fix it :-)

This week we got to pick our own challenges, which was fun but difficult at the same time.

For my physical challenge I decided I would have to do tummy crunches for at least one minute every day, and I also gave myself the challenge to practice tai chi at least 3 days last week

And for my nutritional challenge I wanted to do better with not eating processed foods, and so I wanted to cut back and not have any processed foods for at least two days last week

I did pretty good! I missed one day of crunches, I practices tai chi regularly, and I aced my nutritional challenge!

It was a pretty rad week... minus the stress of my last paper :-P

Annie and I also did an awesome dance workout on Monday, it was pretty great! I think I was sweating more after that than I have after a workout in a long time...

It's so hard to believe that we only have 9ish days left! Crazy!

Week 10 review

This week was pick your own challenge!

I did two things: Try something new, and work out with someone you have not worked out with before!

1st: New thing. Just dance for the Wii. Chantel and I did this on Monday and boy were we sweating! It was crazy and also crazy fun!!! I am so getting disk 2!

I also worked out Saturday night with someone I have never worked out with before. It was my friend Megan and we had a blast doing just dance again!! Super sweaty! I am excited to try it when Helelna comes out here!

I'M BACK!

The Golden Gate Bridge

Okay so I didn't post last week but that was because I was out of town for my 4 year wedding anniversary, my awesome husband and I went to San Fransisco for a week! The only thing I did on the internet was check my email and I only did that because it is set up on my phone and it would notify me every time I got an email, so no blogging for me. Last week's challenge was perfect, because we got to decide our own challenges! Since I was going to have an unconventional week (eating all our meals out and staying in a hotel away for all my workout stuff) I'm glad I could pick challenges that would fit with my vacation. Nutritionally my goal was to just try and eat as well as I could, I wanted to still be able to have/eat all the fun stuff going on vacation offers but I didn't want to go overboard. I was able to do pretty well, I didn't over eat and I tried to make healthier choices, in the end I think I did a good job of it and I never felt crappy after eating (which can been a challenge in its self when you are eating a bunch of processed foods!). Physically my goal was to workout at least once 'officially' and make sure I did a good amount of walking so that I stayed active! I met those goals too, I brought my Yoga meltdown DVD and did that one day, and we did a ton of walking!

Week 11 Challege!

New Here?

Each week we get 2 new challenges. Always a physical and then either an emotional or nutritional one. Challenges are posted and started Sunday. They go through Saturday. Next time you blog, tell us how you did! Be honest! Do good? Do bad? How do you feel?

Fitness challenge:Exercise at your desk! There are many things you can do to burn calories while sitting at a desk. Weather you are at work or just browsing the web, do some sitting desk exercises like:

Sitting tall in your chair, stretch both arms over your head and reach for the sky. After 10 seconds, extend the right hand higher, then the left.

Push your chair away from your desk and put your right heel up on the desk. Sit up straight, and bend forward just until you feel a gentle stretch in the back of your leg. Flex your foot for a few seconds, and then point it. Repeat on the other side.

Kegels tightening and holding, then loosening, the pelvic floor muscles

Butt clenches. Tighten your buttocks, hold, hold, hold, and then relax. Repeat 15 times. The same goes for ab squeezes -- just tighten your tummy muscles instead.

Nutrition exercise:

Greek Yogurt! HAve you tried it?

Use a recipe that calls for Greek yogurt. It is full of protein, probiotics,and calcium. Blog about what you made!

Challenge week 9 review

Chantel, In response to your last post you are right. We need to finish strong! I am so guilty! I seem to blog every week, but never on the right day! Fail. I love to read the responses to how everyone felt and did at the challenges, I think it helps us to see how much we have changed and grow. We are winding down ladies! Finish strong! Thanks for the pep talk Tellie!

Stretching. I love stretching. I love to do it in bed in the am when you 1st get up. It makes me feel taller, and stretchier. I also like to stand on my tip toes and stretch my feet. Weird, I know.

I did not write down my gratitudes, but I did think if them daily. I am grateful fo so much! It is good to recognize it every one in a while so you don't forget all your blessing.

How I did on week # 9

I worry we're beginning to lack motivation with blogging, any suggestions on how to kick it up a notch? 

Maybe we can decide on a certain amount of times we can miss blogging before we get disqualified? Or maybe there can be another prize for those that keep blogging... I don't know what would be best, but I would be terribly sad if this turns into something that we no longer keep up with. I love reading how you guys are doing, and I'm so proud of all of you for all you've accomplished. It helps me to stay motivated when I get to read updates from you all.

Let me know any ideas you have and what you think!

Anyway, last week I did great!

The challenges were to stretch everyday and to write down 5 things we're are grateful for each day.

The stretching was very easy, I have stretches from my chiropractor that I do every-other day anyway, and so I just did it everyday last week. It feels so good to stretch. It's great for my back and shoulders and I definitely feel a difference between when I do stretch and when I don't.

If any of you want some stretching exercises I can give you copies of the handout Doctor Hayes gave me -they are quick, easy and effective. At least for me :-)

The gratitude journal. It was a great practice to do, it helps me to feel fulfilled with my day.

I've kept gratitude journals in the past, and so I had a place to write each day, but I've never really kept it up for longer than a few months. It was refreshing to do it again.

Some days it was harder to think of things, of course!, but it was a good exercise and it helps me to focus and and appreciate the little things throughout the day so I can remember them when it comes time to write them down.

I did it everyday last week! I probably won't continue to everyday, but I definitely plan on doing it more often than I had been.

I'm looking forward to hearing how you all did too!

I love you guys, and I am really enjoying doing this blog and working out together.

Challenge week 10!

New Here?

Each week we get 2 new challenges. Always a physical and then either an emotional or nutritional one. Challenges are posted and started Sunday. They go through Saturday. Next time you blog, tell us how you did! Be honest! Do good? Do bad? How do you feel?

We are switching it up a little this week! It is creativity week! You pick your challenge! Think of what you are working on and what you want to do better at or try his week. Everyone's challenges will be different this week so we will have a lot of fun things to blog and good ideas about. Pick 2 challenges. One Physical and one nutritional. Good luck!

Review of last week

I did well last week, but by no means perfect.

I did have more than 3 servings of leafy greens, so I totally aced that one! 

It is always delicious either blended or juiced. 

As weird as it sounds, I love drinking blended and/or juiced veggies!

As for the stairs... yeah, I didn't do so good.

I live on the bottom level in my apartment thing, and although I thought about going up and down the stairs here anyway, I decided against it because it always makes the pictures on my wall shake. I've already had three fall, and I didn't want to be the cause of more casualties.

Also, my work is on ground level. Those are the two places I spend most of my time.

I did however go up and down stairs at my in-laws a few times, and I also found a few random staircases that I went up and down.

But I didn't do it each time until I got tired.

So, I didn't ace that one.

But I tried to make up for it by having a "crumpled paper war" with our niece Maria, and nephew Kai. Michael and I played with them, boys against girls, I haven't sweat that much in a long time. And that includes Monday workouts. Yeah. It was intense, and awesome. 

Maybe that can be our workout next week? What do you think? ;-)

Week 8 review

My life is stairs. I live on the 4th floor. (plus a parking garage makes 5) I work in a two story building. Walking up is harder than down. I would ride the elevator to the 2nd floor, then go up the other two flights of stairs. Each morning, I would walk down all 5 flights. At work, I would only take the elevator if I was with a resident which I was mostly not.

Nutritional challenge. I thought this would be hard but it was so easy! I made the best yummy treat! I used this recipe and they turned out amazing!!!! You NEED to make these! The most important step is making sure they are all the way dry. I let mine sit on paper towels for hours. I also had a spinach salad one day so I got 4 servings of greens in!

A Week Late!

Once again I didn't blog last week but I have a very good reason ( I use the term 'good' loosely). I was busy reading, obsessively mind you, the hunger games... I spent all my free time curled up with the books in the hunger games series. I know.. I'm so behind in the times, most people have read these books already but I held out. Everyone kept saying how good they were but they were 'sooo violent', I don't like violent books, I am pretty picky about what I like to read and something like that just didn't appeal to me. Finally I caved when pretty much everyone I knew had read them and raved about them and also, I didn't have anything to read... I was pleasantly surprised, sure they had some violence but when I heard 'violence' I was thinking 'gore' and I don't like gore, but they weren't like that at all! I had a good time reading the series last week and even though I definitely slacked off on my blogging and workouts, it was worth it (but having the occasional indulgent week is healthy... right?). So now I am back, I did do some of the challenges last week, I tired myself out going up and down the stairs all but one day. Not too shabby, right? But I didn't ever go out to get all the leafy greens I needed (again because of the hunger game books...) but I am excited to try Annie's way to eat Kale (never thought I would say that!). Now that I am done with the series, I think this week is going to go well! I have a few new workout DVD's i'm excited to try, so hopefully I will be very productive this week with my workouts :)

Challenge week 9!

New Here?

Each week we get 2 new challenges. Always a physical and then either an emotional or nutritional one. Challenges are posted and started Sunday. They go through Saturday. Next time you blog, tell us how you did! Be honest! Do good? Do bad? How do you feel?

Physical Challenge:

Range of Motion. Each day, even if you don't exercise, stretch. Stretching will help you increase muscle control, and be more flexible. It does not have to be long, Even 5 minutes is good. You will feel so good when you are done! Here are some stretches to try!

Emotional Challenge:

Gratitude!
A key part of finding happiness is being grateful for what you have. Every evening this week, write down 5 things that happened that day that you are grateful for. Not getting stuck in traffic, dinner turning out better then you thought, getting to call someone you have been meaning to call, all of those could be things you are grateful for. The key is finding a way to be grateful and happy with the small things in life.