'Ya Gotta Get Some Inspiration!

'Kay, so I took my rump down to the Best Buy, slapped down my $50 gift card, shelled out the last $49.97 for this one, and guess what????? I didn't work out for 2 days because of work and stuff, but FINALLY, threw this sucker into the Wii, and doggone it, if it was not the BOMB!!! Now, mind you, I had worked out with the Biggest Loser Challenge for about a half-an-hour first, but this thing rocks. If only Best Buy had a BOGO sale, I would have saved a bit of cash.

Anyway, this thing is really great. I do suffer from a moderate level of lower back pain, but the warm-up exercise really loosens it up. By the time my sweat level was WAAAAAYYYYY up, I was really motivated to keep it up.


So, now we move on to the Biggest Loser Challenge Wii, which is also really groovy. Here's me and Bob rockin' the Tap Punches with Knee Lifts. . . Anyway, as usual, I my "short attention span" needs more than one workout, so I bounce back and forth between these two Wii workouts. I do, however, throw in the occasional Biggest Loser DVD workout, or head out of my front door for a 40 minute Nordic Walking stint.

Anyways, that's it for now. . . Head to Best Buy, Amazon.com, or my house for a Wii workout (or a nice Wild Blueberry Coffee - no cream or sugar), at your leisure.

- fleesh

Seven Pounds - A Little Bragging Here

Two weeks ago... I weighed 207.

This morning... I weigh 199.5. I've lost 7 1/2 pounds so far thanks to the 5k walk last week, my strict diet, and working out every day.

I just need to lose 20 more pounds before our cruise in January!

Bill

Ya Gotta Get Yer Rear in Gear!

So yeah, it's been a while, but here we are with just 90 days to go until the cruise, and Christine is talking trash, and I really need to get on the proverbial stick.

Now let's talk about yesterday, my experience with the Biggest Loser Wii, and my soreness today, shall we?

Yesterday, I dusted off the Wii Balance Board and the controller, and signed up for the Biggest Loser 4 Week Fitness Program. Since I have already, pretty much mastered the Beginner cycle, I decided to take on the Intermediate Program. . . Now, why did they decide to make your first workout of the program a CHALLENGER, workout????? (I ask 'ya??). Well, me being me, I had to keep up, rocking the mountain climbers, the high knee jump rope, the high knee jump rope double time, not to mention the hard core jumping jacks and push-ups!!! Soooo, that brings me to today.


Needless to say, I am as sore as I can be! I did manage to rock 30 minutes on the spin bike, but I am still in pain. Well, enough complaining, because tomorrow, I have another Biggest Loser Workout scheduled.

Anyway, I do feel really good for getting my massive rear in gear these past couple of days, but get back to me on Tuesday, and we'll talk.



- djfleesh

What's the secret? Close your mouth and move your body.

Ya Gotta Walk!

Sooooo, after my trip out to the park the other day, and my wicked sneeze attack, I realized that there is something in that park that I am violently allergic to, so I won't be repeating that any time soon. I did, however, still want to get some outside exercise, so I remembered my Nordic Walking Sticks (they had been patiently waiting for me hanging up by the back door). I also remembered the fact that my own neighborhood can be a real challenge and some great fun to walk. Fairfax has lots of long sidewalks, pretty steep hills, nice flat bits, and the best part, it's right outside of my door.

So, once again, I cranked up the tunes, and Bill and I took to the sidewalks. Well, lemmie tell ya, after about 40 minutes, I had really worked up a sweat, the endorphins had kicked in major, and best of all, I BURNED OVER 700 CALORIES!!!!! Woo hoo, y'all.

I have a goal of making that trek every other day for the rest of the week, we'll see how it goes.


Here's a little playlist to help mootiv8 you:

1. Stereo Love - Edward Maya & Alicia
2. I Feel Like - Kaskade
3. Five Fathoms - Everything but the Girl
4. Blame It (New Devices Remix) - Jamie Foxx
5. Hard (Jump Smokers Remix) - Rihanna
6. Closer - Ne-Yo
7. 3AM Eternal - The KLF
8. I Remember - Kaskade & Deadmou5

It's a great mix with great tempos to keep you moving up (and down) those hills!


Enjoy
djfleesh

Ya Gotta Get Outside!

Today is the first day of my late Summer vacation, and Bill and I took a ride over to a local park, and took to the track. Now, mind you, I usually walk/jog on my treadmill for about 2-1/2 miles, watching some movie with the subtitles on, but this was way "funner!" Once I cranked up the tunes, I was jogging more than usual, even with a few running sprints in there.

I kept playing little games like "keep running until you reach that tree way up the path," or "you have to keep jogging until Fergie starts singing in Boom Boom Pow." Bill even had a bit of fun, power walking and running past me every now and then.

I think that one of the main reasons I enjoyed this so much is my new sneakers! I finally got a new pair of kicks, and they are real running shoes! It's really amazing how when you actually wind up with something that works. For once at the end of the workout I didn't feel like I needed to soak my feet in Gramma Eunice's foot bath, and then put them up for an hour.

The only downside to getting outside, is ALLERGIES. Once we got back in the car to head back home, I started sneezing my head off (I won't talk about how I only have 2 more Puffs Plus with Lotion tissues left in my box), and rubbing my eyes out. That said, the runner's high I got was well worth all of the schnurfing and Naseblasen. Well, no matter, tomorrow I'll be sure to take my allergy meds before I head out.

In closing, thanks to Lobada for all of your tales of walking out in the fields in Germany, and enjoying the outdoors, clearing your head, and burning calories; I finally get what you were talking about!

Now. . . Get Out!
djfleesh

Sewing and Fitness

What do these two things really have in common? For me, sewing affords me a measure of mental fitness. It allows me to do something with my brain and to decompress. Another reason why sewing is good for my mental health is that it allows me to put my unique body shape into proper perspective.

Visiting the PX, I bought a shirt for Tega in a size Small. When I stepped back and got a good look at it, it was really equivalent to a German Medium. The sizes run very small here. Why is this relevant? I may go out shopping with a positive attitude here at the mall and come home close to tears because of not finding anything to fit me.

Sewing my size just makes me feel better about the way I'm made. I fit things to my dimensions and thus making me proud of my accomplishment. I can pass this craft down to Tega as well. She already seems to have the natural knack for it. As I create (mostly with the aid of Simplicity), I can hear Tim Gunn in the distance encouraging me to "Make it Work", and I think it does. What do you think?

Ya Gotta Drink Your Water!

Hydration! Hydration! Hydration! (and repeat). . . Well, it's been a hot summer, and last night I woke up out of a dead sleep and my throat felt like cottony sand paper, and when I swallowed, it felt like tacks going down. Why, you ask? Well, I have not been drinking my H2O as diligently as in earlier weeks.

Sooooo, I hopped online and found some interesting facts about this wonderful libation:

1) Did'ja know that not drinking enough water can affect your liver? Yeah, the liver wants to be busy doing its job metabolizing fat, right? Well, when you don't drink enough water, the liver has to help the kidneys do their thing, so it stops breaking down the fat, just to help out! Maybe that's why I just can't seem to get that scale moving back down!

2) Water is a wonderful beauty treatment! Forget that Botox garbage, "86" that micro peel, and for heaven's sake stop spending so much money on department store promises. Drink more agua, and you'll be flushing out all kinds of icky-ness, toxins, cans, bottles, rocks, stray marbles, etc. As we get older, our skin wants to sag, and keeping hydrated will plump things up without unnatural injections.


3) Drinking water also helps with muscle tone. If you are not drinking enough water, you can work out all you want, but may not be seeing a difference. Why? Your muscles work better when they are hydrated! Read: you'll get much more bang out of your workout if you drink up!


4) And finally, experts lean toward drinking cold water, indicating that the chill aids in fat burning. Personally, I like it cool, just out of the cooler at work (and since they keep it so hot in there, my water bottle sweats up a storm almost as much as I do!)

So that's my little contribution for this go-round. Let's shoot for the requisite 8 glasses a day, and remember to stop drinking about 3 hours before bed (otherwise it'll be a looooooong night!)

-djfleesh

Ya Gotta Rock the Wii!

Has it really been over a week? Anyways, I finally got back in control, mootiv8-ed my rumpus to a proper work out, and rocked my EA Sports active! I was a little concerned, because I'm not in the same shape I was a few months ago when I was working out almost every day. Well, let me tell you, muscle memory is an incredible thing. Not only could I hold my squat for the full 40 seconds, but by the end of the workout, I did NOT die!



So that brings me to this post's mootiv8tion; rock what you got! Biggest Loser Workout, EA Sports Active, or the very effective, Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010. We all have a Wii, so I strongly encourage all of you to get it out, dust it off, replace the remote batteries, and get to workin'! I personally am shooting for 3 workouts this week (30 minutes each), which I will bump up to 45 next week, and then add a day from there.




We have a scant 5 months to go before the cruise of 2011, so it is time to get serious. If you have a spin bike, rock it! If you have a Fluidity, rock it! If you have an elliptical, rock that too! (sorry but I just finished watching the season finale of Losing it With Jillian Michaels, so I'm feeling a little aggressive).

Ciao for niao,

djfleesh

P.S.: Don't forget to hydrate - lots of water y'all!

Ya Gotta Have Magazine Articles!

So, I was on Amazon, shopping for whatevvah, and needed a few more bucks to make up the $25 minimum for free shipping, and decided to subscribe to Weight Watchers mag (again). The May/June issue arrived in my box, and I finally got around to reading it at work, and doggone it! if there wasn't a bunch of great stuff in there:



Slow-Cooked Salsa Chicken - toss raw chicken and salsa into the crockpot, let it work for 7 and a half hours, then toss in a packet of taco seasoning, and let it go another half hour. Serve it with tortillas, black beans, or quinoa, and a nice dallop of sour cream. . . yum!




I've been having some real issues with nibbling at night, and happened upon this little gem: Snack less at tonight: Japanese sumo wrestlers maintain their bulk with late-night eating sessions. Got the image in your head? Enough said.





And finally, in Jennifer Hudson's own words, "Stay committed. Stay consistant. Be patient. It works." - A great way of thinking!

-djfleesh

Ya Gotta Have Music!

I find that when I am lacking mootiv8tion, music is usually the thing that gets me out of the rut. I have a couple of suggestions for playlists that will help you if you're in that the-last-thing-that-i-want-to-do-is-work-out-today frame of mind:

Spin Mix (although it will work just as well for elliptical and treadmill workouts)
1. Kaskade - I Feel Like
2. KLF - 3am Eternal
3. Tracey Thorn - It's All True (Kris
Menace Remix)
4. Britney Spears (I know, no comments, please) - Break the Ice (Kaskade
Radio Edit)
5. David Guetta - The Sound of Letting Go
6. C+C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat
7. Kaskade - Its You Its Me (Marques Wyatt Mix)

This is a 35 minute mix, and will really get you movin!

My Favorite Mix Right Now:
1. Yazoo - Don't Go
2. Paul Oakenfold - Get Out of My Live Now
3. Artful Dodger & Craig David - Woman Trouble
4. Christina Aguilera - Beautiful (Peter Rauhofer Remix)
5. David Guetta - One Love
6. Everything but the Girl - Five Fathoms
7. Mary J. Blige - Just Fine
8. Tracey Thorn - Grand Canyon
9. Syntax - Destiny

This is a 48 minute mix that I usually tune in to on my spin bike!

Enjoy,

djfleesh

A Visit With An Old Friend

10cm thick was the dust that we blew off the eliptical. Not really. But Paul and I made a 10 minute eliptical, and 10 minute treadmill visit. All Schweinehund aside, we did it! Noteworthy was it that he and I made an appointment to workout and mootiv8ed each other not to beg off. There is also a lot to be said for muscle memory! Our muscles remember. Thanks to Felicia for the Runner's Magazine. It was interesting and helped the time to pass quickly. It seems our old friends didn't let us down.

Der Innere Schweinehund

It might have something to do with this heat, but I can't seem to get over my "innere Schweinehund". What is this? You know what it means when directly translated... but it has a direct connection with exercise and fitness. They say here that "mann muss die innere Schweinehund ueberwinden" in order to get off the couch and exercise. My
Schweinehund has taken over my life! That is why I am right where I need to be here at Mootiv8. I miss my jogging. The treadmill and eliptical are in the basement, the coolest place in the house. So what's the deal? Pilates on the living room floor under the ceiling fan? Or WiiFit in the living room? I'm open for mootiv8-shun, ladies. Help!!

Ya Gotta Work Out!

Howdy all:

Some time ago I developed a real romance with a piece of exercise equipment. I was visiting Tracey on Long Island, and she had this "spin bike thing" (I had only seen one in a fitness magazine). I gave it a try, and truly fell in L-O-V-E, so of course, I went home to Della-where, and hounded my husband until he let me get one, (see the picture to the right).

Fast forward about 4 months, and I have not gotten a proper work out in at least 4 weeks. Last night, Bill decided to do a half hour work out, and he jumps on the treadmill, while I try to find my "happy place" on the spin bike. About 4 minutes in, the music is pumping, Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan on the tube, and my legs crying out for mercy and cursing the day I brought this thing home. I knew that if I stopped my workout, Bill would think I was a complete boob, so I kept on a-peddling. Fast forward about 15 minutes, and on the Zune comes the 10 minute Peter Rauhofer Remix of Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful." I told myself, "if you can just finish this song, you will prove that you are not a boob, so keep at it!"

Long story short, 1) I finished the workout (30 minute burn, which was 10 minutes more than I thought I could do), 2) I felt really good about myself, and 3) I think I may have even impressed Bill. The upshot is that I will repeat my magnificence again tonight!

How's that for mootiv8ation?

It's Hot! Ya Need a Drink!

So, I belong to Bally Total Fitness but you all know that I never go. I'll get there....I really will.

Anyway, since I have a membership, I get emails every now and then. Which, of course, I never read. But I decided to open one up today. One of the short feature articles is about beer. They list out the calorie counts of most beers in order of least to most. Here it is:

Amstel Light®: 95
Michelob Ultra®: 95
Natural Light®: 95
Miller Lite®: 96
Heineken Light®: 99
Coors Light®: 102
Corona Light®: 109
Bud Light®: 110
Sam Adams Light®: 119
Michelob Light®: 123
Stella Artois®: 135
Miller High Life®: 143
Budweiser®: 145
Corona Extra®: 148
Heineken®: 166
Samuel Adams Boston Lager®: 170
Blue Moon®: 171
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale®: 175

I find it odd that they didn't mention Beck's Light - which is our favorite these days. In fact, I think we've got some. But I don't think anyone put them in the fridge. Drat!

Ya Need Inspiration!

Mootiv8tion comes in many forms, like this picture of the spin bike area of the Oasis of the Seas. The Allure of the Seas will be slightly different, but when I saw this picture, I imagined being with my girls, lights flashing, music a-pumpin', and me sweating up a river! We are 6 months away, so let's get to it!

Ya Need a Buddy

So...for the last three days my walking buddy has been Meesa, the family dog. She gets all excited when I say, "wanna go ousside?" Then she patiently stands still so I can put on her leash.

Yeah, to get and stay mootiv8ed, I definitely need a buddy. Someone to get and keep me going...who doesn't take breaks. Well..okay...Meesa takes short breaks here and there to sniff some litter, pee, poop (good girl, Meesa...outside...not in the house!) and pose with fire hydrants.

So as we walk the neighborhood, in her silent dog language, she says, "let's go this way!" "what's down that road?" Then between trots, she'll look back and up at me as it to say, "keep up, Trace!" I think she may actually be a bit disappointed when we round the corner and head back to the homestead. For her, it's an adventurous jaunt through the neighborhood. For me, it's my road to achieving goals and losing a bit of weight in the process.

But she's done her job and done it well. She's spurred me on yet one more day to get out there and move - despite the heat and the is-it-going-to-rain-today? weather.

She's a good dog. She's a great mootiv8tor.

Our First Recipe!

Djfleesh here, Tracey's partner in Mootiv8-tion. I'll be posting little tidbits here and there to help in the fight. Here's a little something that might be good for summer, I came across it on the Cooking Light website.

Grilled Shrimp Spinich Salad

Dressing:
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1-1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper

Shrimp:
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cooking spray

Salad:
8 cups fresh baby spinich (about 8 ounces)
2 cups of thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 4 ounces), or sliced
button mushrooms
3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

Preparation:

Prepare the grill. Starting with the dressing, combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl stirring well with a whisk. Set aside. Prepare the shrimp by combining 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and the next 6 ingredients (through to the shrimp), in a large bowl, tossing well. Thread about 5 shrimp onto each of 6 (8-inch) skewers. Place the skewers on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes or until done.

To prepare the salad, add the spinich, mushrooms, and onion to the vinegar mixture, tossing gently to coat. Serve with the shrimp skewers.

Calories: 181 (29% from fat)
Fat: 5.9g
Protien: 24.8g
Carbohydrate: 6.9g
Fiber 1.3g
Cholesterol: 172mg
Iron: 3/9mg
Sodium 478mg
Calcium: 96mg

If you don't like mushrooms, you might try an English cucumber (that will change the calorie info a bit, but I think it will still taste great).

So this is just a start, if you have any requests (like maybe a good quick breakfast suggestion, a take along lunch, or snackie) just let me know, and I'll get on it.

Mootiv8-tion Loves Company!

What better way to get mootiv8-ted than to have some buddies along for the ride?

So, I've invited a few along (hopefully they'll respond).

Felicia, Christine, and Laurie....let's see what they do and to stay Mootiv8-ted!!

Start with small, reasonable goals

That's my key phrase for the day.

1. Drink water. I won't aim for the recommended 102-whatever ounces a day. I just plan on "drinking water" What do you think? Reasonable?

2. Get 10 minutes of movement - today - I'm not worrying about tomorrow. Just today. Movement? Well, yesterday I walked the dog. I'll shoot for that today or some other thing. We'll see how it goes tomorrow.

First Day of Summer

We have a beautiful first day of summer here on Long Island.

Just what I needed...sun...breeze...vitamin D.

I'm feeling like I'd like to play some tennis.

This is a plus - I'm **wanting** to exercise!

What's "mootiv8"

Well...it's "motivate"...with a bit of an accent. So...I have very little motivation, and plenty of accent....no..not really. I just have no motivation - to eat right, exercise, drink water, sleep...you know...all of the things we're suppose to do to remain above ground.

A couple of weeks ago, my cousin Christine said the same thing. So I said, "hey - I'm gonna build a website that's all about motivation...for us, by us. I'll load it up with videos, recipes, exercise tips...and we'll all be thin in no time!

Well...that was a couple of days ago. I'm glad to say that it's in the works. I'll let you all know when it's ready to roll. In the meantime, please give me something to get excited about. Words of wisdom, success stories, tips...I'm open.

I'm Tracey, by the way. Tracey from New York. I love to exercise, just have no - well...you know...