Boot Camp Bust

Despite waking up at the crack of dawn this morning, boot camp was a bust! The weather consisted of a bit of rain and some very distinctive lightening...and, as anyone who has ever participated in an organized sport knows, lightening = CANCELLATION! I cannot say that I minded though. :)

Not wanting my early morning wake-up to be for naught, I put the leash on Teddy, and we did a one-hour long walk along Lenox and Peachtree Roads. No umbrella or doggy raincoat were needed, since the rain had, more or less, subsided after a few minutes. The long walk was not only a treat for Teddy (since he is used to the boring 30-minute neighborhood walk), it was for me as well! I really enjoyed the change of pace and being able to tour Atlanta under the lights, before the workday traffic reared its ugly head.

Of course, if you choose to take an early morning walk, be sure to dress in bright colors and to walk in well-lit, public areas.

Until tomorrow!

Glass: Half Empty

As you can guess from the title of this post, I am feeling a bit worn out from boot camp. Each morning, I awake at 5:15 a.m. (yikes!), to the sounds of Kelly Clarkson coming from my CD alarm clock (double yikes!). But for boot camp, I would be blessed with the opportunity to sleep for another two whole hours...I cannot help but feel a twinge of jealousy for the extra zzzz's my dog, Teddy, gets to enjoy. The other slight annoyance comes in knowing that once I get home from work, I have but 3 hours before I need to turn in for the night. Nothing makes the boot camp experience less fun than a less-than-full night of sleep.

However, before I deter you from embarking upon this ambitious, adventursome fitness regimen, which has been known to involve crawling through sand, running up hills, climbing stairs, etc., I want to give you 3 HUGE reasons why boot camp is DEFINITELY worth the pain (and, I am doing this for me as much as I am you):

(1) Boot camp is versatile! I am literally never bored with the workouts that Body Firm puts together for us campers. Today, we turned the beachy, sandy volleyball court into a track, as we sprinted back and forth until I was seeing spots. As for tomorrow, we were told to "get ready to crawl in the grass." Crab walk, anyone?

(2) Boot camp is intense! That means my workout is bigger, badder, and better than the workout I would have planned (or not planned) for myself. By the end of each morning workout, I am drenched in sweat, and my body feels like it was pushed to the max (in a good way).

(3) Boot camp is over before the sun comes up! That's right...my workout is OVER before YOU have a chance to press SNOOZE! In other words, instead of spending my day worrying whether or not I will have the energy or desire to make it to the gym after work (and then feeling guitly because I inevitably did not), boot camp allows me the peace of mind of knowing that I already worked it out!

Better jet. Only 6 more hours until bedtime. :) Best wishes with your workout!

School Begins Tomorrow!

I've had a lovely weekend on my own while Stephen was away coaching his first soccer tournament of the season in Atlanta. His boys made it to the finals :-). This gave me a chance to really concentrate and get things ready for the first week.















Today was the start of phase 2 of P90X. This is the beginning of week 1 of 4. I did Tony's Ab Ripper X and I'll tell you, this always kicks my but. It's the best 15 minutes of abs exercises I have ever experienced. Then it was on to Triceps, Arms, and Biceps. Amazing how tough bands can be during a workout. It was also the first time with this DVD and it was not easy. I just hope to keep it up as school gets under way tomorrow. Meetings after school are going to be crazy this week.

After having a nice workout, I kept it up and took Charlie out while on the roller blades. He loves this and can never get enough! I try to race him sometimes. It's hilarious when he looks over and seems challenged and tried to run even faster. I don't have a chance after that!

I made Stephen some nachos for dinner after he rolled in from his long weekend, then searched the blog for MacKenzie's yummy fruit salad! We had such a wonderful visit in Chicago a few weekends ago and had a chance to sample this salad for ourselves. So yummy. Stephen reacted so well to it, that I thought I'd try to make it. Turned out great and again is very yummy. Thanks Kenz and Ryan!

I have so much more to post about my vacation to Michigan and Chicago! I saw so many old friends and family, two fun concerts, and exercised on my Mom's deck almost every day over looking the lake. Here's hoping I am not away from the blog as much as I have been! Steph, so glad to see you have joined!!

1 week down, 4 to go

Despite the fact that today is the very chilling "Friday, the 13th", and Atlanta is (quite appropriately) enduring some ear-popping thunderstorms, as we speak, I have actually had a great day! Not only is today my sister's birthday (Happy 33rd Birthday, Kenzie!), but it marks the end of Round 1 of boot camp. Woo hoo! Only 3 more weeks to go!

In case you want to add some "boot camp" to your current work out, here is a bit of what I experienced this past week:

Tuesday: We focused primarily on legs and butt. We ran throughout Piedmont Park (very hilly) for a total of 40 minutes. Intermittently, our instructors had has do various legs and/or butt exercises for approximately two minutes each, including, but certainly not limited to, running up and down stairs, running up and down hills (killer!), leg kicks, high knees, mountain climbers, etc.

Wednesday: Our focus was on our arms, shoulders, and backs. We did a bit less running than the day before. But, we did every variation of the "push-up" one could possibly imagine. Next week, I fully expect that we will work on the one-handed push-up. :) We also worked out with the exercise band (i.e. planting both feet in the middle of the band, and lifting the band with both arms...in every direction). Reps were typically for 20, and the sets were 3 in length.

Thursday: Abs! (I did row-boats, bicycles, crunches with my legs in the air, mason twists, mason twists combined with row-boats, etc.). Ehow.com has great how-to vids of these very-effective exercises. Again, reps were typically for 20, but with only two sets.

Friday: Friday's workout was advertised as "stretching", although we spent the first twenty minutes doing butt kicks, high knees, and sprints, and in between those exercises, we did the dreaded "burpees". Check out Wikipedia's instructions for the perfect burpee. Anyway, it was nice to end the week with a thorough stretch of our very sore muscles.

Needless to say, boot camp is very versatile; it keeps you guessing; and, it takes you out of your 30-minutes-on-the-treadmill-per-day comfort zone. I definitely feel accomplished after my first week!

Step 2, 3, 4

"ATTENTION" (says the drill sergeant): In the early morning hours of Monday, August 9th (5:45 a.m., to be exact), I reluctantly began a month-long fitness boot camp AKA bikini boot camp, led by The Body Firm Atlanta. The Body Firm Atlanta is founded on the "adapt and change" technique, which means I will participate in a variety of workouts (including distance running, plyometrics, core training, abs, resistance bands, weight lifting, aerobics, and kickboxing), all of which have varying degrees of intensity. Just when my body gets acclimated to a certain style of fitness, there will be an abrupt change in the workout, so as to maximize my fitness level. In other words, through boot camp, I full expect to transform myself from a couch potato to a fit chick.

I do not have any short-term goals for this session of boot camp, other than to have 100% attendance for the 20 sessions that are set to take place over the course of the next month (I'm 2 for 2 right now, and while my muscles are begging for a break, I will be there bright and early tomorrow). Speaking for the long-term, though, I would like to make physical fitness a priority in my life, and I think that boot camp will do the trick to get me into enough shape to begin a workout regimen on my own.

After Day 1, here's where I stand:
- My mile time is an abhorrent 10 minutes and 59 seconds;
- I did 60 sit-ups in two minutes;
- I did 50 push-ups in two minutes (approximately 30 of those were "girl" push-ups).

After Day 2, here's where I stand: In GREAT Pain!

Happy health!

BTW--For those of you who don't know me, my name is Stephanie, and I am MacKenzie's younger sister. I have spent the past 7 years of my life in the very hospitable, Atlanta, Georgia, where strangers say "hi" (or "hey y'all"), and the the sun shines the majority the year. Almost 1 year ago, I adopted my beloved beagle/pointer-mix, Teddy, who just turned 2 and enjoys chewing the "squeak" out of his toys and playing with his neighborhood dog friends, including (but not limited to): Lisa, Tripper, Atlas, Zoe, Buster, and Scooter. Having recently turned the dreaded 30, myself, I decided that I am not going to spend my thirties wishing I was a size 6 (like I did in my twenties). I'm going to make it happen!

P90X Week 4 begins!

I’ve had some really great workouts over the past three (week 3) weeks, but I am ready to commit to my real week 4 of P90X. I have been successful in walking with Charlie for two miles every day for the past week in addition to some other form of exercise. This makes me happy.

Here's my walking buddy Charlie:

My blog buddy, MacKenzie, has inspired me to take photos of all my meals. What a much easier way to keep track of your food and really thinking about what is going in your mouth if you have to take a picture of it?! Love it. Dr. Oz said today that those who keep a food diary tend to keep their lost weight off longer than those who do not. I am not good with keeping up with my food journals, although I have started them many times.

I have discovered I really love of Special K cereal, especially the fruit and yogurt line. I never get tired of eating this brand! A hot cup of fresh brewed 8 o’clock coffee rounds that out for me. I ate a big red apple for a snack later in the morning because I didn’t have any bananas, except my rotting ones waiting to be baked into a yummy banana nut bread recipe I need to get from sis. This is not low fat by any means, so I will share it when I make it tomorrow. If my sister will give permission, I will share the recipe with all of you. It’s sooooo good!















Today was my day off from teaching summer school, but it didn’t keep me from having to do work for school. So that is already keeping me busy this summer and now fall planning work has begun. Today was busy with lots of housework and laundry because I am going on a trip to Michigan and Chicago to see MacKenzie! Yeah! Lunch was my favorite, and probably not the healthiest choice, but I really wanted it: Campbell's Tomato Soup made with fat free lactose free milk (best find of my dietary life!) and a grilled cheese sandwich made with Publics awesome Chicago deli bread and Colby Jack Cheese. I truly enjoyed eating this while reading some of my current novel on my iPod Touch.














Dinner was better because I was not just making it for myself. I like cooking for others, so this makes me want to put more thought into the preparation. Stephen and I had pork chops seasoned with a nice salt rub, Lipton chicken and broccoli rice, and broiled cherry tomatoes with a dash of sea salt, fresh garlic, and olive oil. Mmm. I had a small glass of wine too …well I saved most of it for later. I still needed to work out.















Yoga X! Phew, I love the stretching. It feels so good.

The Booger is Back!

I have not blogged since leaving for the cruise! But I have been exercising. It was such an exciting time to spend with my Mom, family, and friends. It was the honeymoon Stephen and I never took and a fun celebration of my wonderful Mommy. The Graytrax gang all picked up where we left off as teenagers; what a blast; they were all there in addition to some great family company!

Motivation to stay on P90X started strong on the cruise, with additional trips to the ship’s gym. Kerri and Aunt Marcia were great motivators and workout buddies. The elliptical quickly replaced P90X all together though for the rest of the week. I ate well during the day, but certainly enjoyed my dinner and had a yummy desert every night! No low fat for sure and I enjoyed every bite. This was an expensive trip…so what the heck.

Coming home was a bit sad and anti-climactic. We had been planning this trip in secret for 1 ½ years, and it’s now all over. Exercise was hit or miss for the next two weeks, with some P90X DVDs, running, and walking. I did discover the pool again, my first love! I can knock out 2,000 yards (just over a mile) with no problem. And it has been great in this ungodly hot weather.

So, with all the exercise and what I deem as eating well, I was so very discouraged to finally check the scale only to discover a slight weight gain! How freaking depressing. Now, my exercising does include a lot of use with bands, push up and pull ups, and swimming. I know I am getting stronger because I can tell in how much more energy I have in the pool. Two-thousand yards wasn’t so easy and a bit intimidating early in the summer. I know muscle weighs more, but still, I want to be losing, not gaining.

I have also added a daily two-mile walk with the dog to get in some extra cardio. Is this weight ever going to drop off?

Food: I generally have been eating Special K for breakfast, along with a cup of coffee, and a banana. I have cereal for lunch sometimes because I love it so much and it’s only 250 calories, fills me up, and is satisfying. I have been cooking very well for dinner most nights with such dishes like baked chicken and tomatoes and onions for vegetables. If I snack, it is Special K bars at 90 calories or a Weight Watchers ice cream cup. I am hypoglycemic, so a Special K bar or an apple keeps me going between meals. Surprisingly, I am not bored with this at all and the fiber helps.

Summer school started up with about 30 students soon after the cruise, but that hasn’t kept me from working out. I am now keeping a personal written diary of my meals and re-measured all of my body for comparison later on. Sometimes it’s nice just to rant when needed. I have also calculated my BMI; hard to admit this, but it was 29.7 a few months ago and it's now 29.2. My next goal is to at least get it down to 25, but ultimately I’d like to see it at 20/21. I was feeling strong at the beginning of the week, but not so much today. Writing this is making me want to exercise right now ...so that’s what I am about to do.

** UPDATE: Ok! Just finished Ab Ripper X and Shoulders and Arms from my P90X DVDs! Day 4/4 for good exercise this week ...almost didn't do it today. It's 11:13pm, so does that still count?! I know it is bad to work out at night, but I am not a morning person, unless I have a job at a gym like in the past and am already there.