A Royal Workout: I love new firsts

Have you ever been to Zumba?
I hadn't. Until last night.
Sure, I have the DVDs and I've tried it in the safety of my living room.

Trust me. It's not the same.

via

Look how GOOD we are looking. That's me in the back. You know, the blonde.
Okay. You caught me. It's bottle blonde.

Okay. This time you really caught me. That's not me, or my class. But I am sure we looked just as good.

The Zumba class was held at a local school's multipurpose room and it cost only $5 per class (or $28 for six sessions, nice!). So worth it.

I. GOT. TO. DO. THE. ELECTRIC. SLIDE. PEOPLE.
boogie oogie oogie.

I am going to attempt to attend both Monday and Wednesday nights. It's close. It's an hour. It's fun. And my cousin is going with me. My much younger, skinner and prettier cousin. Damn her.

So far, I can see myself sticking with this longer than boot camp because it's crazy busy, but not so intense. We can move in place. We can take a breather.

I won't lie. It hurt. But it was so much fun, I dealt with the hurt.
I need to get better shoes and perfect my hips don't lie moves, but other than that, I am the bomb when it comes to Zumba.

(ha!)

Looking forward to class on Monday. I will let you know how I fair then!

P.S. How do you spell blonde? I spell it blonde, not blond. Darn spell check.

A Royal Workout: My Guard Dog Rocks

Last night I decided to take this girl out for her first real walk.

Of course, she's much bigger now. This was when she was 8 weeks old. She just celebrated her first birthday on the 28th.

I didn't walk far. I couldn't. She was either very afraid [of everything] or on attack-mode [against everything & everyone]. I walked her down to my cousin's house and she, Olive, was not very friendly. My cousin was as friendly as could be.

So, there and back, I walked a total of 1.2 miles. The weather was beautiful, the stars were out. And no one called Animal Control.

I call that a successful attempt at doing the right thing. =)

And having too much fun with PicMonkey.

:P

A Royal Workout: Made a Different Choice

I did it. And I am so glad I did. Did you hear me screaming from the rooftops this morning?
No? Might want to get your hearing checked. ;)

I told Marcos last night to WAKE ME UP when he got up this morning. At 5:30. GROAN!!! I normally soak up every last minute that I can in my bed... running out the door at 7:30 to get Nic to the bus stop. I have been trying so hard to change up my routine. And I was adamant that today was going to be the day.

I know...a mile isn't much. But I did it at 6am... while watching the news. I could have been sleeping still, but I wasn't.

After I finished my walk, I got Nic up and then headed downstairs to make myself a Chocolate Banana protein shake. Haven't had one of those in forever; it tasted delish. And was exactly what I needed to get this Monday (and week) off to a good start.

Baby steps...

A Royal Workout: Treadmill, Physicals & Joining a Gang

It's been a few weeks since I last mentioned a workout of any kind. But I am here to announce that the treadmill has landed.

And it landed a few days ago. I do not have a more recent picture, but I can assure you that it is now set up and waiting for your royal heavinesshighness to do some damage.

Well... not REAL damage.

Here's proof:

Okay, now that I read that again, I guess it doesn't *exactly* prove that it's up. But I assure you. Last Wednesday night, while I was laying in bed, in a semi-coma state (pain meds, remember?), perhaps eating a bowl of Cookies n' Cream, my husband was patient and focused and awesome. He got that bad boy up in record time. I lurve him so much.

So, he's tried it out. Isabel's tried it out twice. And I stepped on it for about five minutes Sunday. Impressed much?

I will say that I did go grocery shopping Sunday afternoon, grabbed a TON of veggies and prep stuff for some awesomely healthy meals this week. It may take a minute, but I am working my way to jumping back into a healthy lifestyle again. Hopefully, there isn't any crazy initiation I have to do. Like stab someone. Or rob a store.

Oh - I think I mentioned that the dude and I went to the doctor a few weeks back and had our yearly physicals done. Well, we got the results back via letter (yay, we aren't dying). Overall, despite the obvious, we are healthy. No diabetes, etc. But! (or BUTT?!) we do have lower levels of the good cholesterol (I wasn't aware there was such a thing?!) and we will need to both take vitamin B supplements to raise those levels. No medical intervention other than that. And we also have *slightly* elevated levels of the bad cholesterol. Again, no medical interventions, just follow-through on this health stuff.

So good news is, we will be around to annoy the heck out of our kids for years to come.

P.S. Check back... I am going to try and update this series at least one a week with something. :)

Lost my Mojo

Maybe you've noticed that my workout posts are non-existent. I can tell you that I spent the last part of the summer packing on the pounds.

Insert frowny face.

Remember my trainer?  I saw him on Monday night. He pulled up next to me. At Little Caesars.  He didn't see me, thankfully. I had to giggle at the situation, though. Of all places to see him, why Little Caesars?

He's tried getting me back to the gym over the last few months. At first it was scheduling conflicts. Then my back became an issue. Want me to go on?  I have a ton more excuses I could conjure up.

I guess the ball to my chain has been feeling the need to get into shape some. He went online and ordered a clotheshorse treadmill. It hasn't arrived yet, but when it does, we have the perfect spot for it. In our bedroom, in front of the television.

It's funny. When you tell people that you've just purchased a large piece of workout equipment, they take a gander at you and then give you THAT look. You know the one.

My own doctor gave us that look last week. Marcos and I went in for our yearly physicals on Thursday. I say yearly, but it's only the second time we've really done it. We were so cute together, in a doctor's office that caters mostly to the Senior Citizen crowd, sitting together, holding hands. And when we left, we had matching tape around our arms from where they drew blood. We were also both deflated. Because our own doctor gave us that look. And then went further and told us to NOT let the treadmill become a place to throw our shirts on.

Duh, Dr. Dude! We have the floor for that.

Anyway... back to the treadmill and physical and such. Besides my back, my kidneys have been hurting. Perhaps it's because the only H20 I was drinking involved the shower water as I kept my mouth agape, to lazy to move out of the way, or the sink water when I was brushing my teeth - you know, the accidental swallow?

I think I had a Dr. Pepper (or seven) glued to my hand every single day since June. Not good.
Well, they were good. Ah, you know what I mean.

My back can't take it. My kidney's can't take it. So, we are waiting for our treadmill delivery. And with the weather hopefully getting cooler, sooner rather than later, I have plans to get back outside on my bike. I love my bike.

I am proud to report that since Thursday, I've been drinking ice water as if it were going out of style. I find that a clear plastic cup and a straw help. I am materialistic that way, I guess.

While this isn't my great come-back post... please know that one will be forthcoming.  Soon.

Excited much?

A Royal Workout - Weeks 5 & 6

There are a few things one needs to successfully start and continue a lifestyle change. Wouldn't you agree?

I think I've covered a few of the above items in my last few posts related to this topic. The one I want to touch on today is support system. You all know about Asad, my fantastic personal trainer. But what I think I've failed to tell you about is the support system he has in place for his clients.

In this day and age, without leaving the house, I have access to thousands of people online. One of my favorite groups of people are the ones who belong to Asad's VIP group on Facebook [Look, ma! I'm a VIP!]. 

Now... bread and butter may not be the perfect example, but I think you get the idea. If I am feeling particularly down - I know I can reach out to my classmates at Fitness Revolution for a laugh, an atta girl! or just to commiserate. I know, I know - that last part sounds negative. But truly, if you end that session on a positive note, really, it can be motivating to keep going. Eventually, those negative sessions will become far and few between.

Let's get to my progress, shall we? After a wonderful week 4, week 5 proved to be extremely busy for me. It was the last week of school; there were banquets and my nephew's graduation. There was a lot of work (you know, the kind that pays the bills) and even a mini photo shoot thrown in there. I was not able to join the class on Tuesday or Thursday; however, I did walk and workout on my own time. I took quite a few of the exercises Asad has taught me and worked on them at home, in intervals. This helps the caloric burn last longer. (I think I am saying that right)  Going into week 6, I had ortho appointments for the kids across town (not my town, three towns away)... and my lower back started hurting. Something I am very sensitive about. I do NOT like hospital visits where I cannot move simply because my back is out (it's happened three time in the past 7 years). And when I feel it start to get sensitive (a little squeak there, a pinch here) - I know I am doing too much. So I had to sit Thursday night out, too.

No one is more disappointed than myself. I assure you. I HATE having to text Asad that I cannot be there (unless he would love to see a loopy me on muscle relaxers...). What's even worse?! I had a brand new, purple sports bra to wear. It is so pretty!!  =(

One of the things I've learned in this short journey thus far is I know when my body has had enough of sugar and fast food and junk - even though those days are far and few between - I start to feel lethargic. I don't change out of my pajamas (as I sit here at 2:30 in the afternoon, wearing my night gown). I don't put on make-up.

I don't like that me.

I love it when I get up early, put on full make-up and my workout gear - even if I am not going anywhere. When I miss the workout classes or when I don't reach out for support - I don't bother.

What kind of way is that to live?
I can tell you that my husband certainly doesn't appreciate it. Not that he'd ever say so. But he's happiest when I am feeling good and confident.

I know this post is kind of long winded, but I want to follow my own plan - finish with something positive.

I am UTTERLY impressed with my bicep muscles. Like fists raised, a kiss on each arm, kind of impressed. So impressed I am tempted to start selling tickets to my own gun show.

Badda bam. (or is it badda bing?)

I still have the jiggly wiggly UNDER my arms, but the top, the bicep... it's starting to look kinda cute. And firm. You should have seen me all last week. I showed the newly found muscles off to my husband and kids every.chance.i.got. Which was a lot. ;)

I am halfway done with this three month journey - but I know it doesn't end there. I know I haven't done enough, all of the time. But I am aware. And working at it. I won't settle by saying "that's good enough for me" because it's not.

I want more.

A Royal Workout - Week 4

Just wanted to put a quick note out there that I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth... and no, I have not given up on blogging (sorry, guys!)... My computer crashed. Long, horrifying story. For another time.

This post is about my week 4 update. As a reminder, click here to see previous entries...
I made it to week 4 people. After missing three workouts in a row, something clicked. I've been keeping up with my food journal, I attended both of this week's classes. There's no stopping me now.
Hehe.

What a lot of my lunches are looking like now.

Tuesday's workout was fabulous. It was exactly what I needed to get back into the swing of things. I didn't make dinner before hand (short on time), but I did grab Subway on the way home. The kids love Subway, so that's a plus.  I worked hard all week to stick to the plan. Marcos and I got a few late night walks in... I ate healthy. I lifted some weights. I was ready for yesterday's workout.

 
Or so I thought. It was HARD. And Coach Asad pointed out a few trouble-makers in class (yes, I was one of them. I am a talker, a joker; I can't help it.)  So I tried my hardest to concentrate and focus on each exercise. I have so many areas to work on, but my upper body strength is where I want to see some major improvements. And I can tell you, quite honestly, I already am. I am able to do planks and side planks much longer than I was able to do 4 weeks ago. I am starting to see some definition in my arms. I am pleased as punch.

Coach Asad sent me some great information from his company, Fitness Revolution, showing me where and how I could up my cardio, on the days I do not attend boot camp. In fact, Coach and I talked and he wanted to me to focus on the following:

1) Get enough sleep
2) Reduce stress
3) Stay away from breads, sugars, etc. (basically, focus on my diet)

So those are the things I am working on this week. If you take a gander at my food journal, you will see that I am doing an okay job. But I know I can always improve. I've actually been doing a little reading on eating more to lose more. Of course, the eating more must consist of healthy, natural foods. Nothing artificial.

I do have a non-scale victory to tell you about. My niece, who came to live with us last October has lost 60 pounds since she moved in. SIXTY!! Not a lot of extra exercise going on, but I really work hard to watch what the kids eat... to make sure they DO eat, etc. Meal planning helps with that. Especially since we are all so busy. But we HAVE to make the time for ourselves. 

After the workout last night, it was time to get weighed in and measured. If you remember, I was sick during part of week 2 and week 3. I ended up gaining 5 pounds.

I  am pleased to say that I took that 5 pounds right back off. That's a nice way of saying that I am exactly where I started, from when I was weighed in on April 17,

For measurements... I've lost an inch in my waist, half an inch in my hips, and gained half of an inch in my right arm. (MUSCLE... right?!).  I can't remember where I was with my thigh, so I will have to update you on that later.  While I won't be winning any awards or TV shows. I am pleased with my progress.

My BMI is pretty much the same. I am hoping to see a bigger adjustment come mid-June. =)

So, another week down and another week ahead to look forward to. Especially if I get to see these beauties again:

Aren't they brilliant?!

P.S. Isabel and I are starting a 10 day Zumba challenge on Monday. Pics to come, for sure! ;)

A Royal Workout - Week 3

I know what you're thinking.

This lady works for a bank?! No wonder the economy still hasn't quite recovered; she can't count!

 Well, I will have you know that I can count almost to a hundred. So there.

There was no Week 2. That's the bottom line. I hate that life and the sickies got the best of me last week. I missed three whole workouts with Coach Asad.

Feel free to click on the picture above to be taken to the rest of the posts in this series... 

So, after missing three boot camp workouts, I knew I had to go tonight. Plus, I was a teeny bit afraid of texting Coach to let him know that I still wasn't feeling it. My neck and upper back has been sore. Tight. Tension. Groooaaannn!

I put my big girl under-roos on and just went. But I didn't shave my legs, so there. ha. I told him, didn't I?

More than likely not.

Once I got to class, I met V, our newest boot camp buddy. She came prepared to foam roll!

Look at her gettin' her roll on.
Wait, she's fallen and she can't get up!!! 

This particular workout was TOUGH. 

We did intervals of 10 seconds on, 5 seconds rest. And really the 5 seconds rest was just long enough for me to haul my double-wide up off of the ground, to move on to the next exercise.  5 minutes for each leg of the exercise. 15 minutes or so, may not seem like a lot, but it was. Trust me.

At one point, just when I was about to say something... he walked up behind me and said, "No negative comments, please!"

Mind reader, that Britt. 

What I was going to say, and what I was eventually able to get out, was that at one point, my tatas were choking me. All that up/down, up/down, up/down. I had no idea what my death certificate would read:

Death by Coach Asad

or

Death by Booby Suffocation

But I knew I was going to die. I got dizzy. Felt nauseous. All that jumping up and down; I had to pee!

As per usual, the last few minutes, where we stretched, etc, were the best. We could joke and laugh again. I could stop crying. Eventually.

Coach and I talked for a few minutes after class tonight. He really wants me to focus on my eating and food journaling. He asked that I stay away from bread and refined sugar. Thank the mexican lordy that tortillas are still on the list. Right?!  Hmph.

I decided that I need to go ahead with his suggestions; he knows what he's doing after all.  So, I plan on cleaning up my act. For example, for dinner tonight - this is what I had:

I wasn't feeling so well, all that water on a worked-out gut... You know, right? But I knew I needed the fuel. So I had 3 oz (if that) of cheese, 1 cup of mushrooms and 2 cups of zucchini. And then 5 almonds. And iced tea. And that was plenty.

So, again - week 3, here is my before and after from today's workout.

Hey, at least I match!
And look at all my craziness below. I should have left the picture unaltered, so that you could see how red my face was. Oh well. Trust.

Off to add my dinner to today's food journal (which can be found here, btw).

Anyone else working on a get fit program?! Love to hear about it! Also if you are in the QC/STV area, I'd love for you to check out Fitness Revolution; I need all of the workout buddies I can get.

Especially if your name is Accountability.  =)

A Royal Workout - Week 1

If I had written this post on Tuesday night, say at about 7:30ish, you would be reading a ton of curse words and extremely negative comments, like "I quit!"

During most of Tuesday night's boot camp class, I, in my mind, tried out a few variations of how I was going to let Coach Asad know that I would not be returning on Thursday, or any of the subsequent weeks, for that matter.

I kept coming up with excuses. Even lies.

Let's start back at the beginning.

If you haven't read my introductory post - about why I am trying to kill myself, you can find that post here.
If you are already in the know, continue on.

Tuesday was a rather busy day for me. A full work day, which included back-to-back conference calls from 9:30am-3:30pm. No joke. After lying down for 30 minutes, I had to run to Target to pick up materials needed for class: a yoga mat and a foam roller. I took Alex along with me and we ended up having to go to both Target and the Sport Chalet.

At Target, I picked up a new workout shirt. Prior to leaving the house, I tried on several different outfits. I actually spent time trying to find something that wouldn't make me look hideous.

Alex and Abby had Poetry Night at the high school, so I was going to drop them off on the way to meet my new boot camp buddies. Isabel was on babysitting duty, with Nic as her charge. Here I am killing it:

Look at all of those colors going on. You'd think I was on my way to an 80s aerobics class.
When I got to the gym, I had a chance to meet my other classmates. There were 8 people total, all of whom were friendly and fun.

The fun ended when Coach Asad decided it was time to get to work. After a brief warm up which consisted of jumping jacks and pull-ups (so not what you think. We didn't do actual pull-ups, that was just me pulling up my workout pants. After each jumping jack, my pants would fall down around my belly. Next time, workout shorts. With a drawstring.), he had a circuit workout for us. 4 areas, 4 times around. I think. I could have lost count. My chest (not lungs) was hurting. My upper back was sore. I couldn't get enough water, I didn't want anymore water. I felt like I was going to throw up. All while Coach Asad walked around the room, correcting form, giving words of encouragement, telling us to keep going. He ventured over to me several times, with concern in his eyes, "Are you okay?" he asked. Maybe the concern was because he was afraid I was going to kick the bucket in his gym.

In retrospect, I am ashamed of my answers. I am sure I sounded ungrateful, defeated, even annoying. I told him it hurt. He told me to keep going. As I mentioned above, I spent quite a few minutes, especially during sprints, trying to figure out how I was going to bow out gracefully from this commitment. I came up with illnesses for the kids, added activities for me. Bad, I know. But I was desperate. Finally... I decided to pretend that a camera crew was following me around. That helped for a bit.

When I thought I was for sure going to die (which is why I am glad I wore my good under-roos, just in case I did actually die, as I explained to Alex and Abby on the ride over), it was over. We cooled down, did some stretches, got to lie down on that beautiful mat. And I forgot about the pain. I finally caught my breath. I felt almost human again. This isn't so bad. I told myself.

Last night's workout was a little easier, but still hard. I had another rough day, chalk full of meetings and tasks. Around 5, I climbed up the stairs and took a quick nap. And then I got in the shower... and headed out the door. I think I yelled at the kids to fend for themselves. I hope.

I tried to keep myself in check, to not say negative things last night. That's hard when you are hurting. We did another circuit, this time with cardio then strength training, using our body as the weight.

Again, the stretching was the most fab part. We all started chatting, we could relax... catch our breath.

After the workout, I came home and swooped up Marcos in my two-seater.
Okay, it's a five-seater, but you know what I mean.

We headed out, into town, to get some veggies!!!

$72 later, my fridge is PACKED with good, fresh stuff. I am happy about that. I love Sprouts; I just wish they were a little closer.

I start Week 2 on Sunday, and my goals for this coming week, and all future weeks, involve stepping up my workouts to at least 5 days a week, watching my nutrition a WHOLE lot more and documenting in my food journal. When I get weighed in and remeasured during week 4, I want there to be progress!!!

A Royal Workout - Week 0

Bloggers come in all shapes and sizes.

I've blogged about my weightloss trials before, but mostly on another blog, not tied to QOTC in anyway. Why? Because I felt that if I admitted I needed to lose weight, then I was admitting that I am not perfect. As random as my posts usually are (about everything under the sun), I've decided to add one more category. Perhaps it will allow me to have a sense of accountability... since I am putting it out there for the world to see.

Why now? Why at all? you ask....

Well, last week I met this fantastic couple... they are local, in my area.

This couple, Michelle and Asad, are invested in so many things: our community, healthy eating, total well-being, their five children and giving back, just to name a few. Michelle is a licensed Massage Therapist and Asad is a Certified Personal Trainer. Music to my ears.

I think I mentioned that I tried P90X starting back in January. It's a great program. But not for me, not yet. (Ever?!) You see, I hurt my back several years ago (bulging or slipped disk/disc). I get nervous about hurting it again, so I tend to tense up or modify workouts too much. Mr. Horton is dandy and all, but there's nothing like having a Certified Personal Trainer providing you with support and instant feedback on form, etc. 

To make a long story short, I decided to work with Coach Asad (pronounced Ass-Ad, not Ah-Sod, like I imagined) for the next 3 months (at least) to see what I can do about finally getting in shape. Now don't get me wrong, I am a shape. Just not the shape I want to be. ;)

Coach Asad is owner of Fitness Revolution Queen Creek.  Just from our initial conversation, I can tell that he is working hard to bring affordable fitness options to my local community. We live outside of Phoenix, on the very outskirts of the valley, and there are not a lot of options out here. Generally, if you want something, you have to drive. Having a fantastic trainer just down the dirt road is priceless.

I went to my assessment on Tuesday.

Meet Coach Asad.

He's from the UK; London, to be exact.

I have a weak mind. I find myself copying his accent.

Shameful.

Coach Asad sent me an introductory email with a nutrition guide, information about what I could expect and a medical type form to fill out. We were set to meet at 3pm on Tuesday. 

I arrived at 3:10. 

Shameful.

Because I knew I was going to blog about this experience, I decided to bring Alex along to help capture the pictures (what's a blog post without pictures?!).

I found this pic on my camera. I assume he wanted me to include it.

P.S. Look at that ORB!

Coach Asad and I went over my medical forms, we set goals, he asked questions about what my typical day is like. 21 hours later, we started to get to the meat of the assessment.  Okay, it wasn't 21 hours... but you know, as a parent or a spouse (woman?!), that when we are asked about ourselves, we talk. I gave him THE spiel. You know... I am busy. I work full time from home. I have 4 kids in my care. I have a husband to deal with love. I am working on a new venture (more about that later). Life is crazy.

It got just a bit crazier.

Look at that look on my face.

Get me out of here!!

Coach Asad took my measurements, as he will every four weeks. It's a great way to understand my starting point. The scale matters, but not as much as how I feel and what the tape measure says.

 After the measuring, Coach Asad took me through several different exercises to check out my form.

He said that my lunges were good.

I had no idea that correct lunges meant BENDING the back leg.
I always focused on the front one.
See, I learned something already.

 Some of the stuff wasn't easy (nor beautiful, as you can clearly see).

But Coach Asad was next to me the entire time, giving me feedback and suggestions. Correcting things immediately.

And for that, dear friends, I am paying DEARLY. After 5 push-ups, some planking, hip lifts, foam rolling - not even close to a real workout - I am STILL sore.  But I think the soreness is a great reminder for me to keep going. To take breaks throughout the day (I tend to sit at my desk for 8-10 hours without moving). 

Now, you know nutrition is a HUGE part of any workout/get in shape/change your life plan. Coach Asad is so knowledgeable on healthful eating. He gave me some great tips. He mentioned that they recently became ambassadors for Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. (another score! - love what Jamie does!).

Over the next 12 weeks, I will be posting a Royal Workout post each Friday about my adventures in getting into shape. I named the series "a Royal Workout" because it ties into my blog's name. But we all know I am not fond of calling myself a queen or acting all royal. But when I met Londoner Asad, I knew it would be cute. Get it?! Royal? You get it... right?

During the next 3 months, I will be joining two boot camp classes a week, Tuesday and Thursday evenings. It will not be easy. In fact, it's going to be down right difficult. Summer is just around the corner, so are final exams, doctors appoints, etc. But I am committed to making myself a priority and attending the classes. I am excited about meeting new people that live in my community; that is a huge plus for me.

If you are in the Queen Creek/San Tan Valley area, I highly recommend you looking Asad up. I believe they have a free-trial period. And come on, wouldn't I be a fun workout buddy?

P.S. I probably should have worn a more supportive bra.
Ah. there's always next time.