exercise

Live Tweeting: 30 Day Shred – Level 1

/ foodsweatandbeers / 30 Comments

Oh my goodness.

I’m 80% sure I’m about to die.

After 10 days of the 30 Day Shred – Level 1, I was feeling pretty badass.  Then…. Level 2. I’m floored with the difference between the two.  As I mentioned, I’m shredding for the wedding (of my cousin)  so it’s a pretty big deal.

Deep breaths. (click for source)

I’ve been waiting to write this post since Day 1, Level 1.  Every day that I meet with my girls, Jillian, Anita, and Natalie, I have a little conversation. Sure, it’s mostly one sided. But I wanted to share it with you all. Since the fun times at the Healthy Living Summit, when I realized the joy of live tweeting from a conference, I’ve thought about how I could share that fun with each person that reads my blog.  Here’s my chance.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present:

Live Tweeting: 30 Day Shred – Level 1

The cast?

Jillian: Mistress of Shedding

Twitter Handle: Jshred

“Take It Easy” Anita

Twitter handle: EasyA

“Billy Badass” Natalie

Twitter handle: NatDawg

Jordan “Can these be my handweights?” Price

Twitter handle: foodsweatnbeers

Let us begin:

foodsweatnbeers: oh, neat, ok, we’re just strolling in here, all relaxed. This shouldn’t be too bad.

foodsweatnbeers: Hey Jillian, thanks for introducing yourself….

foodsweatnbeers: I hate that she calls these women “my two best girls.” I’m already sick of her voice.

Jshred: Well, they are my best girls.  AREN’T YOU, LADIES?

Natdawg: Yeah, J. We’re your best girls.

EasyA: #terrrified

foodsweatnbeers: I’m probably tough enough to follow @Natdawg. I got this. Warmup time!

Jshred: Big Movement. Don’t be static.

EasyA: I’d like to take this time to let everyone know that I will spend the next 20 mins flexing my abs.

Flexing is FUN! (click for source)

foodsweatnbeers: Great. Thanks, Anita.

EasyA: I’ll also be more flexible than you, Jillian, and Natalie. K?

foodsweatnbeers: w/e. I’m trying to windmill over here.

Jshred: I just don’t want anyone to get injured. That’s why we’ll be doing infinite jumping jacks.

foodsweatnbeers: sure. that makes sense. you’re approximately a doctor.  Hip circles always remind me of spongebob.

Bring it arounnnnnd town. (click for source)

Jshred: SHUT UP AND JUMP JACKS WITH ME!

foodsweatnbeers: oh no. Pushups. Just try to do at least 8 with Natalie.

EasyA: What’s that supposed to mean?

NatDawg: Get on my level.

foodsweatnbeers: I’m pretty sure I could squat forever. Those pushups were tough but I think I feel good about this.

NatDawg: Well, if you’re so tough: Get. On. My. Level. Literally.

foodsweatnbeers: Can’t squat that low. Bad knees. #sorryimnotsorry

Jshred: pushup time, b*tches.

foodsweatnbeers: (after 2 toe pushups) I HAVE NO ARMS! THEY’RE FALLING OFF RIGHT NOW!

JShred: Just don’t phone this in, Jordan.

foodsweatnbeers: Wait. Was that an option? Is there a number I can call?

EasyA: Squats are fun when you don’t do them!

foodsweatnbeers: 2 minutes of cardio? I do BodyAttack on the regular. What is this, a joke?

(after 30 more jumping jacks and half a minute of jump rope)

foodsweatnbeers: What was I thinking?! I HAVE NO FITNESS! Hey, @NatDawg, have you ever really jumproped in your life?

NatDawg: Nope. I just assume that it requires you to swing your arms around uncontrollably, right?

Is this jumproping?

foodsweatnbeers: #panting

Jshred: (Some sort of inspiration BS. At this point, I’ve stopped listening.)

foodsweatnbeers: Ab time. Basic crunches. Woo!

EasyA: HEY! Everyone! Come see how good I look!! Do you like my ribs?

foodsweatnbeers: (under my breath) Definitely not.

NatDawg: Some of us are focusing on exercise, not belly baring shirts, Anita.

EasyA: Wait. So you don’t like my ribs?

JShred: Circuit 2! Grab those weights!

foodsweatnbeers: Oooh neat, a row. so glad this isn’t a pushup.

JShred: What I really like is that no one is phoning this in.

foodsweatnbeers: You’re saying it again. #nonsensicalphrases

Jshred: I’d like everyone to look at how tough Natalie is. She goes deep and lunges hard. AIM TO BE @NATDAWG!

foodsweatnbeers: Hey! @NatDawg! I SAW THAT!! BUSTED!

****REAL TALK: Everyone, in circuit two, after Jillian just spends a minute bragging about her prodigy, Natalie, they pan over to Anita. Natalie takes this time to NOT LUNGE! When I saw this, I had a rage blackout. 

I WILL SWORD YOU RIGHT IN THE BODY!

NatDawg, you’re just as weak as the rest of us.****

foodsweatnbeers: @EasyA, are you flexing right now?

EasyA: (through gritted teeth) No….. er… my abs always look like this.

foodsweatnbeers: oh. Must be nice.

NatDawg: When I grin like this, do I look like a possessed lunatic?

Demon or workout inspiration? Now you don’t have to choose.

All: No… definitely not. It’s…. cute. #sarcasm

foodsweatnbeers: (mentally) I wonder what kinds of faces Jillian makes when she’s having sex. If they’re anything like this…. #poorsexpartners

You like that? (click for source)

Jshred: Are you thinking and not doing butt kicks?!

foodsweatnbeers: No, ma’am. (Kicks butt, NatDawg style). Oooh, punching! This is kind of like BodyCombat!

JShred: No, no, this is a completely original exercise I made up.

EasyA: Hey! All! It’s Ab-time! Check out these ribs!!

NatDawg: I’m so glad I wore a shirt.

EasyA: I accidentally forgot mine.

foodsweatnbeers: Yeah, right. #accidentally?

JShred: Circuit 3 time! FOCUS!

foodsweatnbeers: I love Chest Flies so much.

JShred: Little do you know what I’ve got in store for you.

foodsweatnbeers: OH MY GOD! Anterior raises will be the end of me…. Tell my mother I love her, I’m pretty sure I’m dying.

It’s been real, Mom.

NatDawg: Sometimes, when I’m taking a nap, I wake up and I’m sleep-side lunging with anterior raises.

foodsweatnbeers: Ok, Natalie, we get it. You’re in shape.

NatDawg: What? Oh, sorry, I was looking at my delts in the mirror.

Yeah.

foodsweatnbeers: NM.

JShred: You guys like jumping jacks, right?

foodsweatnbeers: Oooh! yeah! My calves are craving some further abuse!

EasyA: When I get in a fight, I’ll know how to punch from this video!

NatDawg: If that poor girl ever got in a fight, she’d snap like a twig.

EasyA: Jump ropes are fun!

foodsweatnbeers: #eyeroll

JShred: Bicycle crunches are named that by their inventor, William James Bicycle Esq.

foodsweatnbeers: Do you have a citation for that fact?

JShred: er…. quick! Look at @EasyA’s ribs!

Looking good, Anita! (click for source)

foodsweatnbeers: Ugh, whatever.

At this point, I normally push through those damn bicycle crunches, stretch on my own, and curse Anita for being a silly looking ninny.

Hope you enjoyed joining me for a quality workout.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an exorcism to attend.

I will eat your heart.

foodsweatnbeers:

Salutation Nation 2011: Durham, NC

/ foodsweatandbeers / 8 Comments

Happy Sunday, Yogi Bears!!

As I tweeted bright and early, yesterday morning:

I was lucky enough to spend the day before 9/11 in a most peaceful setting, and that setting was at the infamous Durham Bull’s Athletic Park during Salutation Nation, a never ending ommmmmm!

Bright and early, I drove into downtown Durham, NC to park and head over to join my fellow Yogis for some Salutation Nation.

Described by Lululemon, Salutation Nation is:

· An annual, international day of yoga
· Complimentary
· Open to all levels
· Led by local yoga ambassadors
· In the Triangle, led by Jill Sockman (Raleigh), Christine Wall (Durham), Tina Ventrella (Cary), and Lori Burgwyn (Chapel Hill).

Invited by my friend Patty, we were pretty sure that the yoga was going to be a class perfect for a newbie like myself. I think that I’ve been to about 5-7 yoga classes before this but hey, outdoor yoga, why the heck not?!

I wasn’t sure if I was definitely going to the right place. Then, I saw this in front of me.

Oh, wait, definitely in the right direction.

I parked and headed over to my first true visit to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Only I never thought I’d be going to do yoga….

Take me out to the ballpark!

A little early for beer, even for me.

The event started at 9 am, so I wanted to make sure I was there to get a good spot.

All set up, and ready for action!

Good spots were at a premium, as some folks came with giant crews of fellow yogis!

BYOC(rew)

I’ll admit, I may have talked a little smack re: my past experiences with yoga not being very enjoyable or, very hardcore, and the fellow next to me was getting a little sassy. I mentioned that it was very rare that I ever had broken a sweat in a yoga class.

“Clearly, she hasn’t been to any of my yoga classes.”

Clearly.

The Lulus, as I’ll affectionately call them, were the lululemon gals and instructors who were in the front of the crowd with loudspeakers blaring. They got us all organized and ready to pose.

Little Lu-whos!

The first instructor had a pretty wordy intro during which we were supposed to find a partner. Well, I guess the karma gods of yoga got back at me by making sure that I was one of the only single gals in the crowd.

Awkward.

Luckily, a dear woman, Martha, scampered over and was my yogi-buddy, joining me on my mat to share an experience pairing our breath together as we were all told the point of Salutation Nation was for all of us to realize we’re brothers and sisters on this planet. It was a nice way to start the practice.

I was thankful for my Toe Sox initially, as the morning dew left me a little slippery.

Slipping is a no-no for this balanceless yogi.

I’ll admit, while I loved doing yoga outdoors, maybe more than I have in any other environment, the North Carolina early autumn quickly heated up.  Definitely got rid of those sox a little early in the game.

The poses were challenging, and although several women and men confessed to having never been to a yoga class in their lives, the instructors went through them very fast and, most of the time, without explanation.

Thankfully, Mr. Sassy Yoga Instructor was right next to me, and he knew everything from Warrior Two to Happy Baby.’

He looked exactly like this. (Click for Source)

I definitely broke a sweat in this 1.5 hour practice, and REALLY stretched out. I held poses longer than I have in the past, my triceps are super sore today, and the sun beat down on me reminding me that, yes, I was out in the elements, being one with nature.

It was pretty fantastic to wear sunglasses during yoga, it was great to hear “Oms” vibrating through the ballpark, and the attitude of everyone was great. We even enjoyed a moment of careful thought about those affected by 9/11, which meant a lot to me, to just relax and think and be both alone and together in my thoughts.

It’s events like these that remind me why I love being part of a community like the Triangle, and Durham more specifically. Afterwards, we headed over to the Durham Farmer’s Market for pizza from Pie Pushers and muffins from Scratch Bakery. It was the perfect way to start my weekend, and the best way to be part of an amazing community event.

Oh, and I got to tree pose with Wool E. Bull.

So flexible, that Bull.

Did you participate in Salutation Nation anywhere near you? 

Have you ever done yoga outdoors?

 

 

Shiny Happy Person

/ foodsweatandbeers / 5 Comments

Good evening, y’all!

Today was just one of those days.

You know the ones...

The kind of day where it seemed like everyone was a little bit on edge. Where my mind felt like it was going a mile a minute (and none of those miles were in the right direction). The kind of day where a little bit of annoyance goes a long way.  I’d been waiting anxiously for this darned cable to come in via Best Buy delivery (as I’d ordered it on sale, and just wanted my darn TV to do something.)

When I ventured after work, I was sort of in grouchy spirits already, but when the guy couldn’t find my cable, I went from irritated to straight rage.

No, not stage, rage. GET IN THE GAME, JORDAN!

After pacing back and forth in the tiny roped off waiting area, the fellow comes out with a refurbished cable, which I really didn’t think was what I ordered. But it was very cheap, it looked good, and I have heard success stories with friends who purchased refurbished goods from BB. So whatever, I sucked it up. I left Best Buy with my grouchy pants on (which is a sacrilege in and of itself, as it’s no pants Wednesday!)

I got home, wolfed about an half a (Family Size) box of reduced fat Wheat Thins (what’s your anti-drug?) and set up the TV. Man, if this bad boy didn’t work, the day would have gone to hell.

But wait.

Hope?

Not the best picture, but wanted to brag about what I was watching, clearly.

I felt pretty great about the fact that I’d hooked up my TV totally on my own (well…. really, I just matched two HDMI cables where they needed to go) but couldn’t help but feel a lot like Billy Madison when he rocked that spelling bee by spelling C-O-U-C-H.

I'M THE SMARTEST (WO)MAN ALIVE!!

After that, I was feeling in the zone. I had another adversary to face. Jillian Michaels and the 7th of her 30 Days of Shredding. PS thanks so much for all your support re: my shedding and Weight Watchers plan!! I feel even more steeled in my resolve to rock out this plan and look like a super glam rockstar at my cousin’s wedding.

Girls don't sweat, we glisten. Ok, that's a lie. I sweat a LOT!

Afterwards, I felt like I was on cloud nine. I instantly became one of those shiny happy people that you HATE seeing in the gym. Only, lucky for me, I was in my apartment, so I hoarded all that shininess to myself. Oh, and the internet.

I rewarded myself with a delicious dinner, featuring the last of that Mellow Mushroom free pizza!

'za, quinoa, all FREE!

I’m still riding that birthday freebie train, only these freebies were courtesy of swag and random Facebook signups. The best food, IMHO, is ALWAYS the free kind. It just tastes that much better.

Well, I’m off to ride this shiny happy wave into the rest of the night, hitting the sack early for the sake of an early day at work. And, hopefully, a much shinier day.

What can turn your mood right around?

Shredding for the Wedding

/ foodsweatandbeers / 21 Comments

Hey there friends!  Today’s a glorious Wednesday and you know how much I love Wednesdays! The Changing of the Sales was celebrated in full force this morning and, of course, my favorite: No-Pants Wednesday is currently being celebrated!

Wednesday, pantsless Wednesday!

I should also explain the other reason that I love to come home for lunches.

Oh, hey Vitamin D! (that's the one you get from the Sun, right?)

I just love to come home and open the sliding glass door and enjoy the sun, even briefly, during the day. While I love my job, I’m unfortunate enough to be the proud owner of one of the only windowless offices in the building. Drats.

Oh well, I also got my fair share of other tasty vitamins in the form of this tasty Mexican salad.

Spinach, black beans, tomato, green peppers, cheese, salsa, and chia seeds!

With a dessert of half a slice of the small cheese pizza from Mellow Mushroom last night (there’s still time, if you live near a MM, to get a coupon for a free small cheese pizza with purchase of a drink. Trying to spread that freebie love, even if it’s not your birthday!)

But now, tasty treats aside, time for some focus.

Shredding for the Wedding

I’ll lead into this section by saying that, if you aren’t aware, since March 2010 I’ve lost approximately 40 lbs. I’m incredibly proud of my progress and, for the most part, very happy with my body. That being said, the past few months have been full of lots of travel, lots of  fun and, going hand in hand with those two, lots of food. Visits home, birthday freebies, weddings, holidays,and all that jazz, quickly resulted in a little bit more cushion on my body than I’m fond of. Enter: Jillian.

Shred-master

After reading past folks reviews of the program (such as Meghann from Meals and Miles) and having started it (briefly) at the beginning of the year, I think I need something to whip my booty back into fighting shape. For the past 8 days, I’ve shredded 6 of them (one day was an “off” day and another I did Zumba for an hour). Though I haven’t noticed much of a change physically, I think it’s mostly because what I’ve been doing in my living room hasn’t been supported by what I do in the kitchen (or restaurant…. or at the tailgate). Here’s where the big change comes in.

My cousin’s wedding is the first full weekend of October (read: Columbus Day weekend. Mark your calendars, that’s a holiday, folks!)

I credit the first 20 lbs of my weight loss entirely to Weight Watchers.  When I got to a point I felt good at, I laid off and just rested on my laurels and the knowledge I had about what was good for me and what was not good for me. But with this whole “craft beer” thing becoming a super fun part of my life, and wanting to enjoy myself and wear the clothes I want to wear at my cousin’s big weekend, I’d like to kick the last 10 lbs that have been weighing me down (literally).

Starting tomorrow, I’ll start following the Weight Watchers plan again. I won’t be quite as strict as I was in the past, but I wanna rid my home of all the junk food that’s been lingering around and focus on what got me to where I am in the first place.

Know it, live it, love it.

I’m stoked to be shredding with some of my favorite fellow bloggers (like Jessica, Carly, Sadie, and Holly)  , and I’ll be tweeting along the way. The Weight Watchers thing, well, I’m hoping that’ll come back to me like riding a bike.

But on that note, it’s back to work.  No more slices of pizza as a lunch dessert (it was tiny, though, I promise) and it’s time to get back to my roots. Goodbye sunshine, see you later comfy pantsless time, and ta ta to y’all. At least until later tonight.

Have you ever followed a 30 day (or 60 or 90) day program? What’d you think?

How about Weight Watchers or some other type of diet?

OR for folks who haven’t ever tried either of them, what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever had for a dessert? 

No Rest for the Wicked (and sweaty and tired!)

/ foodsweatandbeers / 10 Comments

Hello friends!!

It’s Hump Day, I know, but it feels like it’s at least Thursday.  And tomorrow (the REAL Thursday) will be jammed to the brim with work, the gym (hopefully), glass night at Rockfish (and a SWEET beer all the way from Belgium’s own Palm Breweries, and then North Carolina Girls’ Pint Out invading Busy Bee Cafe in Raleigh (I plan on drinking the heck out of a Dogfish Head Namaste!)

So tonight, as I was eating my snack:

Mottled Avocado and Wheat Thins

I put together a quick little to-do list.

I don't think I've ever had "cook crack" on a to-do list before....

As you can see, much to do tonight!!

I squeezed in a quick ab class and 20 minutes on the elliptical, the last 5 at a SUPER high resistance.  It felt like I was running through mud.

Work it, girl.

Now, I’m focusing on more important things….

Decisions, Decisions...

Any favorite dresses?  Still trying to choose for the HLS Cocktail Party….

Back to running around in an apron, packing, cleaning, and wishing for more time in the day (just not in the workday!)

Demand and Dinner

/ foodsweatandbeers / 7 Comments

Good evening folks, I hope none of you are still as sweaty and gross as I am.  But if you are…. I salute you.

After my lunchtime post where I showed you my advanced icing techniques, my ankle actually started to feel a little better. I spent the day in a long meeting, taking care of business, and then tidied up my desk to show off for the new employee tomorrow.

This might be the most normal it has ever looked.

If you take a closer look, you’ll notice a McCormick’s Italian Herb blend, a toy dog wearing a fruit hat, and my iPhone got a text! A rare opportunity to look at my life, behind the scenes. Cherish it, y’all.

After work, with my ankle feeling up to snuff, I hit up Zumba (considering my favorite instructor was there, I had to do it.)  I’m glad I did, as I rocked it out.

Woo, baby.

I specifically remember the track where my HR reached 180 because, in the midst of panting, I glanced over at the watch and was like WHOAH! My ankle’s feeling a little sore now, but during the class I actually felt pretty decent.  It was a packed class, lots of total newbies, but everyone handled their business and rocked it out.  The energy was awesome, the music was perfect, and we even did an all-arm track to Carry Out by Justin Timberlake.  I’m sore, but in the best way possible.

Following the gym, I received word from the beau that he was going to be late for dinner, so I made the executive decision to go shopping.

In case you didn’t get the message, my 24th Birthday is Next Wednesday, August 24. That’s right, one week and one day away.  Feel free to shower me with sexy presents like beer and sports bras and Norts (Nike shorts, for the folks who aren’t familiar) and all the like.  Or packages, or tweets, or email love.  Or just buy me a cocktail and compliment the tiara I’ll be wearing on my big day and, more than likely, the night of the HLS cocktail party.  I’m needy like that.

Now that we all are on the same page for what I was shopping for, you might understand that Nordstrom Rack was at the top of my list.  Since my feet are huge (size 12-13), any store that carries my size is somewhere I frequent.  And today, I finally got lucky.

Sam Edelman, you've done good.

I’ve been looking for a pair of sandals with this single long strap.  Though these weren’t the silver I hoped for, the gems and spikes on the back…. I felt like Lady Gaga when I put them on.  And then I found my birthday dress.  Which just so happened to have little white streaks in it. The price was a little steep, and there was a gem missing, so I asked the man at the front if there was another one, or if I could get a discount.  I couldn’t get a discount, and he almost wouldn’t sell them to me….  and then he told me they were the only size 12 Sam Edelman sandals of this style AT ANY NORDSTROM RACK IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY!!!!!

I left, one pair of shoes richer (and a few more bucks than I wanted to be poorer…. but they were shaved about halfway from their original pricetag…. I’ll chalk it up as a win.)

With my birthday outfit success warming my heart, and my zumba class rumbling my tummy…. I headed home for dinner with the beau.

It was clean, it was fast, and it. was. tasty.

Grilled chicken covered in Frank's Red Hot and Laughing Cow Blue Cheese, steamed veggies, and a Diet Cherry Pepsi

Sweet Moments Caramel Delights

Now, it’s time to finish The Adjustment Bureau, shower, and sleep, sweetly and hopefully for a long time.  So. So. tired.

Do you get yourself birthday presents?  How about special birthday outfits?

I pretty much always do.  And rest assured, I’ll be rocking a tiara that day…. hard.

Surprise Date Night!

/ foodsweatandbeers / 8 Comments

Hello out there in TV Land! (or internet land. All the lands.)

So I finished the day at the office, and realized that the minor pain that I had in the front of my ankle was turning into a more major pain.  My pipe dreams of doing AbSculpt followed by BodyPump turned quickly into just an AbSculpt (not too much action on the ankle there, right?)

AbSculpt was hardcore today.

For 26 minutes (only really about 22 minutes of working it), that’s NTS (Not Too Shabby – Cedar Rapids). Then, after work, the beau and I decided to pick him up a little apron for a grilling gig he has this weekend (for his company picnic, he’ll be the guy flipping burgers for families and friends!)  Lucky for me (and hopefully him, too!) it turned into an impromptu date… My favorite kind!

After we scampered in and out of Wal-Mart, one apron richer, we were inches away from a Jason’s Deli, a spot I’ve never been in my whole life. Ry was pretty surprised, I guess it’s a fairly common place known for it’s muffalettas, a New Orleans delicacy.  But tonight, I wasn’t feeling the fluffy bready treat, I was feeling a little lighter fare.  They just so happened to have a whole section of the menu dedicated to just that!

Savvy Chicken Salad, sign me up!

Chicken Salad with some corn chips

I enjoyed the Savvy Chicken Salad Wrap: Organic wheat wrap with lower sodium chicken salad made with almonds and pineapple, roma tomatoes, red onions, and leafy lettuce. 

It was a little sweeter than I normally like my chicken salad, but I threw some of those corn chips in the wrap and a little bit of the salsa, added some salt and pepper, and perked it right up.  Ry went for a different option:

Hot Corned Beef and Pastrami

I’m pretty sure his sandwich ate my sandwich earlier in the day. He enjoyed it though, and I enjoyed a nibble or two.

Seeing as we were in the neighborhood…. I couldn’t help myself.  Tutti Frutti!!

A little more crowded than yesterday.

And if you’re wondering, yes I got froyo two days in a row.

Sorry I'm not sorry. Not even sorry for my crazy face.

And now…. we’re enjoying Cedar Rapids, thanks to the people at Neflix.  And maybe… I’ll even enjoy this beer to my left.

The Wrong Side of the Bed

/ foodsweatandbeers / 15 Comments

Good evening friends! You made it through Tuesday, congratulations!  I made it too, but barely!

See, the thing is…. this morning I woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

This was my bed setup my Junior year of college.... Neon room? Heck yes. Half consumed bottle of Riesling on the desk? Duh.

See, I didn’t get to sleep until late last night, my own fault, I know. But when I woke up extra early this morning…. I was really off my game.  The result? A grouchy girl.

RAWR!!

Every single thing seemed to annoy me.

Forgot cheese for my salad? Anger.

My emails at work coming in slow? Fury.

This driver’s park job?

WHO DOES THAT?!

Rage blackout.

I knew it was a problem when not even my perfect salad from lunchtime was making me feel better.  So I took matters into my own hands, and spent the rest of the day trying to do all my favorite things that make me happy.

I dropped some packages off at the post office which, coincidentally, was right next to my favorite frozen yogurt spot, Tutti Frutti.  I mean, no harm in stopping by, seeing how long the line was, right?

Completely. Totally. Empty.

Well, at that point, what option did I have, really?

My little day-changer!

Yup.  A mini-cup (about $2.30 worth of froyo) did the trick.  And then, after work, my favorite zumba class and instructor!  It was killer, sweat pouring all over.

And an ab track thrown in at the end! Well-rounded, she definitely is.

And then, for dinner, my favorite method of cooking fish:

Blackened Cod, complete with Cajun Seasoning!

I used a buttload of the McCormick Perfect Pinch Cajun Seasoning which I’ve been putting on everything lately. It has cayenne, thyme, garlic, salt, and paprika in it all in one dash! I paired my piece with half a bag of steamed broccoli and cauliflower and Ry and I split a few fancy beers he got in a birthday pack.  None really worth noting, though, but I’m sure I’ll find one soon to write about in a review.

Basically, after watching an episode of Alphas (my newest favorite Sy Fy show) and splitting some Haribo gummy bears for dessert, I’m feeling a lot better.  In fact, I might even hit the hay early tonight…. but I’ll make sure I get to sleep on the right side (which, for me, happens to be the left side of the bed.)

What do you do when you’re having a lousy day to get your spirits back up?

How do you sleep in bed? On your side? On your stomach? On which side of the bed?

Garmin FR60: The Perfect HRM for an Everything Exerciser

/ foodsweatandbeers / 6 Comments

Good morning y’all!!

After confessing to my Secret Snack Hoarding yesterday, I felt as though a weight had been lifted off my chest.  To combat that newfound lightness, it only made sense to talk about something else that goes on my chest! (well, at least partially).

The Garmin FR60: The Little HRM That Changed Everything

I actually was lucky enough to win this bad boy last September from a blog…. that I don’t even remember, because last September I spent most of my time on my Tumblr blog CaseInPoints, and didn’t understand these crazy “wordpress” blogs… Oh, how naive and young I was (says the word-presser of like, 66 days).

Anyway, I had been jonesing and lusting after these so-called “HRMs” for a while before I was lucky enough to win one, and thought they were only for hardcore runners.  I saw the giant 310XTs  of Triathletes and the 305‘s of racers, and thought “I don’t run… I don’t bike…. But I wanna know.”

I wanted to know:

  • The length of my exercise
  • My average heart rate during different classes like BodyPump (or Pilates…. where I think my heart actually just stopped beating and  took a nap.)
  • How many calories I truly was burning

I noticed a lot of variety when I used machines like ellipticals, and had no clue what I was burning in a group fitness room.  It was very important to me, when I was deeply engrossed in my weight loss journey, to know exact numbers, and I hated not knowing.  But that all changed.

BEHOLD! My first tracked workout!! (from September of last year, wow!)

What you see is what I normally post regarding my workout.  That is a graph track of my HR throughout the near-hour of class, featuring the average HR on the left as well as the Max HR.  You can also change what type of workout you did on the top left, but I didn’t really utilize that option.  I did all this on Garmin Connect which I set up when I first received the FR60.

The Whole Kitten Caboodle

These are the three pieces that I use to track and upload my exercise.  These are the only three pieces of my package that I received (other than the online program) that matter to me, FR60 wise.

The Wiggity Watch (and my attractive left wrist.)

This is the piece I look at the most, the watch.  I was lucky enough to win a cute purple one, which is great because purple’s my second favorite color (after green.)  I heard this HRM is water resistant, but have never tested it.  One thing to note is the FR60 is NOT GPS-enabled. If you’re looking for a HRM that is, you may have to look into spending a few more doll-hairs. On the Garmin Website, you can buy the FR60 package for about $200 and that includes a foot pod (which is an accelerometer, better suited for runners I think.)  But my package just came with the three pieces (no pod.)  Just to get what I got, though, it runs about $129.  The watch is smaller than the big’uns I’ve seen others wear and honestly, I’ve worn it as a watch before (not with anything nice, but out and about definitely.)  It’s also very comfortable to wear and doesn’t slip, even at my sweatiest.

I'm with the Band!

The band that goes around my chest has only ever bothered me a few times, once I realized that you can NOT have it set too loose on your body (or else you’ll be adjusting it more than a strapless bra at your cousin’s wedding.)  Every now and then, when I’m doing ab work on my back, I’ll have to shift so that the adjustable part doesn’t sit on my spine.  Other than that, it’s great.  You can wash it with soap and water (and even throw the removable strap into the wash) and it fits so nicely that most of the time, I forget it’s there.

Sneaky little bugger

It’s the ANT stick, though, that puts it all together. Your link to Garmin Connect, and the only way you can pull your data from your device!  Once, I lost this.  It’s very small, the size of any jump drive, and I absentmindedly didn’t put it in it’s little trunk next to my bed…. never saw it again.

I caved and bought a new one on ebay for about 15 bucks (they normally sell, separately, for $50!!), because I just couldn’t deal with not knowing.

And now…. you know!!

Also, I have a feeling that, if I wanted, I could use even more functions on this bad boy but honestly…. it gets all the jobs done that I need.  As a gym rat, but not much of a runner, this is great for me AND if I wanted to become a runner, I get a foot pod and VOILA it’s set for that!

Do you have any questions about the FR60? Thinking about getting a HRM?  I’m an open book!!

Do you have a HRM that you love?  Which one? (I always like to stay hip on the HRM knowledge)

Pilates: A Play by Play Breakdown

/ foodsweatandbeers / 16 Comments

Hey all, and happiest of Mondays!

I’m not a huge fan of Mondays, especially after an excellent weekend (Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ on Friday, so much fun and celebrations on Saturday and Sunday).  If it has to be Monday, though, at least it can be a Monday featuring a delicious Fajita Salad!

Leftovers: A delicacy

I took the leftovers of my On the Border fajita meal and made a salad with all these goodies:

  • Spinach base
  • cheese
  • salsa
  • reheated Fajita fixins (onions, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and chicken)
  • Tomato

It was fantastic. I chased it with a chocolate Vita Top with a bit of marshmallow fluff (trying to recreate a s’more flavor… decent).

But honestly…. that’s not the point of this post.  This post is about Pilates. Before, I did a Play by Play of a Body Pump class. And I continue to do Body Pump because honestly, it’s a good time and I like it lots.  I figure it’d be nice to give a play-by-play of a class that I truly and absolutely have no interest in taking again.

Pilates: A Play by Play Breakdown

I was super-pumped to try Pilates with some of my coworkers this past Saturday.  I think, even more than the class, I was pumped to wear some of the clothes that look like what I saw all the Pilates kids doing at my gym.  I did the best I could to model my outfit after all those Pi-ladies.

Long tank top, bright sports bra, form fitting leggings

I was rocking the Under Armour ‘Shatter’ Capris that I got at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, and they were SO comfortable.  The picture doesn’t do them justice, I think, as it was placed on my table and self-timed…. but they rock.

Anyway, I got to the studio and it looked…. exactly like what I thought it would look like.

Soothing colors, random balls, carpet... the whole nine yards.

Before I knew it, the class was getting started.  I chose a funky little tye-dye yoga mat, and was ready for whatever the instructor was bringing to the table.

LET'S DO IT!

I knew that it was going to be tough, though, when she mentioned that the free class was because she was trying out her first time teaching an advanced class.

Uh oh.

First, she talked about breathing. And then, demonstrated it.  It truly sounds a lot like the breathing you’d hear in a Lamaze class (you know… hee hee hee, hoo hoo hoo, in and out).  I tried my hardest to focus on this all class.  You’ll see how that got me into trouble soon enough.

I’d done a few pilates-esque exercise classes in the past with AbSculpt, but this was different.

THIS was an "easy" move

I've seen swans in my life.... this is not what they look like.

We also did this one.... a bunch of times.

Lest we forget this little jewel.

Throughout it all, we were supposed to be thinking about our breathing, thinking about our abs, and considering other thoughts like where the sun was and pulling our bellybutton to our spine.

It was just too much for me to think about trying to get a workout.  And honestly, I really don’t think I even got one.

My FR60 actually stopped working due to lack of sweat and too much moving around.

A few times, I felt light-headed because I was so busy focusing on my abs, I forgot my breathing, or vice versa.

Clearly, what this class proved was:

a) Pilates is not for me and

b) Be ready to multitask when taking this class!!

I am not bashing pilates by any means, and I think that some folks are totally meant for it…. Those long, lean, flexible folks get my respect.  And maybe even a bit of my envy.

Go on with your bad self, Gwyneth!

In the meantime, though, I’ll keep my workouts fast paced with blaring music and the possibility of being kicked in the face or dropping a weight on my toe (Danger is my middle name.)

Except when it comes to these Pilates Torture Devices.... Then my middle name is "No Thank You."

NOTE: To check out the sweet source of my pilates pose images, or sexy Gwyneth, just click on the image… it’ll take you there!

Have you ever done pilates?

How about a workout that you thought you’d like and ended up not being fond of?