Cathe Fans Part 5

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! Hope you all had a good weekend! We had a busy but nice weekend. Saturday was my rest day from working out, but I spent the day clearing out more stuff from the house! I have been doing something nearly every day for about six weeks now, and I finally feel like I am making some progress. Of course, my poor DH keeps looking around and wondering where things are disappearing to! :blushing: :ohwell: But I haven't touched his clothes, so he is fine! :laugh:

Anyhow, yesterday was back to working out. I did STS Chest/Back and XT Tabatacise. Today was Plyo Legs followed by the Scrambled Eggs premix from Body Max 2 (just to hit those legs a bit more) and the core section from the same workout. All of my workouts lately are just feeling really good which makes me happy!

Michelle, I am so sorry to hear about the leak in your TX home!!! So frustrating. Good thing you figured out that you have been under eating! That must have been eye opening. I would suggest adding the calories back slowly......like 100 calories per week or every other week....just so you don't shock your body too much!

Tami, I am glad you enjoyed Supercuts! I love that workout and have been itching to do it for several weeks now. I kind of figured I would wait until after STS, but we'll see. I am sorry to hear your instructor is still having some problems with her knee. That must be frustrating for her especially since they can't identify the cause. I really admire her for staying so dedicated to her fitness through all of this.

Thelma, the floor work in that GS Legs workout always makes me sore! My hamstrings talk to me for days and days after that one! I have worn both a HRM and a GoWearFit (like a Body Bug) in the past, but I have found it best for me not to make a routine of it. I have a tendency to get a bit obsessive when it comes to numbers. :blushing: And, as a result, I find after a point that they cause me a bit of stress. So since I have the baseline of what I burn (from wearing them) and what I can eat to maintain my weight, I find it best to ignore numbers and just 'go with it'. I wish I could change that obsessiveness because I know there is so much that can be learned from wearing those devices.

Talk to you all tomorrow!

Laurel

2BLean

Happy Monday Ladies ~ I had a nice weekend of workouts! Saturday was Spinning (which by the way ended up being someone who usually teaches that class instead of Katy :ohwell: after all my excitement . . . but she was good) with my friend in the a.m. and then we went to her house to see her little girl. She’s 2 months now and very darling! Yesterday was back to STS and I did STS #34 Chest/Back followed by X54 (X10 premix) then it was a quick shower, eats and off to volleyball! :bigsmile: We didn’t win very many but all games were pretty close, so that was fun with a lot of good rally’s! Today is my usual lately which is a little :yawn: in the a.m. and BootCamp after work.

Thelma: What a great feeling on your assessment to hear about the numbers changing! I’m happy to hear your PT was happy. You will continue to see and feel the results, I KNOW it! Definitely be patient with the process. Great job on the GS Legs workout! Sounds like the workout did it’s job. Hopefully you aren’t too sore though. There’s always that fine line of “yep, I’m feelin it” and YOUCH, I’m feeling pain no matter how I move my body. :laugh:
Thanks for the reminder on the recipe; that’s the one you sent me. I’m going to have to give it a try. Yes, the Insane Abs class is exactly that. It’s based off of the Insanity workouts with Shaun T but she has put her own “Katy” twist into it each week. Let’s just say I usually burn more calories in that class than the 45 min Spin class on Friday’s.

Laurel: Sounds like a very productive weekend! :drinker: I have one of those “projects” coming up which involves cleaning out a hall closet (luckily it’s small) and cleaning out a make-shift pantry we have in the laundry room. Saving it for one of those days I feel I can tackle it, but it will feel amazing when it’s done. Fabulous job on the workouts yesterday and again today!:bigsmile: Nice work. Glad to hear they are feeling so great. Yes, Supercuts is such a good one. I kind forgot how much I enjoy it.

Hi Michelle

Talk to you ladies tomorrow ~ Tami

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies, I was in training at work all day long so I didn't have a full hour to workout tonight but I did the premix 41 from the X10 DVD. I have to share this proud moment with you. Today is going to go down in history as the first time EVER Thelma passes on peanut butter cookies. Those are my favorite cookies in the world! My boss ordered so much food for today's class. I want you to know that I was only tempted for about 2 seconds on the cookies. I never even bothered to get near the food table. I had my own breakfast, lunch and snacks. I tried to talk myself into eating a cookie. I even looked them up in MFP to see how "expensive" they would be. Then I decided that if I ate one I would want another one and that was the end of that. I did grab two cookies for DH. I think I tried to talk myself into eating a cooking out of habit but I know I really didn't want one. This is a first for me!

I realized last night that I somehow screwed up my Week 4 rotation. I did some stuff from week 3 and some from week 4 but still a good workout week.
Saturday I did GS chest and Triceps and my boobs are sore! Today when I was jumping around doing the X10 workout they hurt! :laugh: Sunday I did a little spinning on my own while I watched the Winter Olympics. Tomorrow PT

Laurel - You are so good about doing clearing out stuff from the house every day. Great workouts yesterday and today! How do you like the XT Tabacize workout?
The GS Legs workout is a killer and thankfully I'm not staying sore too long. I felt it Friday night but I massaged my legs on the foam roller and that helps me. The one that I hadn't done in a long time was the GS Chest and Triceps which I did Saturday and I think I hit the pecs pretty well given that I'm still sore!

I can totally understand the obsessive behavior when it comes to numbers. I would say that I'm the obsessive phase right now between planning meals, having to journal everything I eat, calories consumed but most importantly calories burned.

Tami - you had another weekend long workout! I just don't know you and Laurel do it. I'm just in awe of the amount of workouts you ladies do. Too bad Katy wasn't the Spinning instructor on Saturday. At least the instructor was good but I'm sure not as tough as Katy right? Sounds like Volleyball was exciting with those close games even if your team didn't win many games.
The assessment has motivated me even more. I really am feeling results already. I like the fact that my legs are not staying as sore as they used to. I seem to recover sooner than I did before. I can't believe I did the entire 107 minutes of the GS Legs workout. I don't think I had even done the entire DVD which was a major accomplishment. I felt it alright! :laugh:
Your gym must be close to your job since you can do the Insane Abs class during lunch.

Good night!
Thelma

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! Today was STS Shoulders, Biceps and Triceps which is always good. For cardio, I did the 73 minute premix from Party Rockin' Step 2. Too much fun!

Tami, I am sorry about Saturday's instructor, but I am glad it was still a good class. I can't believe your friend's baby is already two months old!!!! It seems like yesterday we were talking about her 'nesting'. I am sure she appreciates having a workout partner in you. Yeah, I always have to psych myself up for tackling things like closets! :noway: Doing a little bit every day, though, has really helped the 'dread' factor. I figure investing 15 minutes is no big deal and, slowly, I am really making a lot of progress. Like you said, it feels great to see some improvements!!

Thelma, I LOVE your cookie story. I almost stood up and cheered reading your sentence 'I think I tried to talk myself into eating a cookie out of habit but I know I really didn't want one'. :drinker: :drinker: I think, for me, that realization that I didn't actually want some of the stuff I used to eat was a HUGE turning point. So congratulations!!!!! Like I said a couple of weeks ago, there is so much difference mentally between saying 'I can't have' and 'I don't want'. So excited for you! And great job with the workouts. That GS Chest/Tricep workouts ranks as one of Cathe's hardest upper body workouts. She lifts so heavy and there are so many exercises!! I am not surprised you are feeling. But just so you know, if you can do that workout, you can do STS.

Enjoy the day!

Laurel

2BLean

Hi Ladies ~ BootCamp was a brand new format. I liked it, the change is always good. She decided to go all HiiT, mostly 30/20 and a few 20/10 combos thrown in, but for an entire hour! It was a great workout. We didn’t go from station to station, just in one spot on our mats and then at the end we did abs. This a.m. was STS Plyo Legs and tonight will be Insane-X.

Thelma: That is so great that you passed up the PB cookies!!! :drinker: New Thelma is setting the old Thelma straight! Nice job saving a couple for DH and still not caving in. Your hard work is paying off in so many ways. What a bonus to want to treat your body right as one of them! Not that an occasional cookie or piece of cake is a bad thing Great job making the workout fit into the time frame you had. That’s the beauty of those X10 workouts as well, so many options for time frames. Fantastic job on the GS workouts!:bigsmile: Laurel is exactly right, if you can do those, you can do STS. Thanks for the kudos on the workouts. Yes, the instructor was good but not as tough as Katy. The gym I go to is just right up the hill from my work, not even a mile; I could walk there if I needed too. So it’s very convenient and the only way I can do a lunch hour class.

Laurel: Great combo today! :bigsmile: Again I am reminded of your fun factor with those new Party Rockin Step workouts. So great I can’t believe she is 2-months old already either! I keep forgetting to ask her if all her prep for never leaving the house was helpful! :laugh: She tells me that she cherishes moments that she can leave the house and run an errand but it has truly taken on a whole new time frame. I haven’t looked yet on Cathe’s site for a good mixture/rotation. I’m thinking with only 1 more week with our STS rotation that I need to decide on something. A good mix of circuits and total body will be perfect for that following week, maybe two and then into XT. Obviously still not sure but that’s what my mind is thinking on right now.
How’s your snowfall doing? We were dumped on yesterday with 4+ inches by noon and then it stopped. Today is a very mild/warmer day and the snow is melting. It’s going to be a mess soon.

Hope you ladies have a great evening! Talk to you tomorrow.:flowerforyou:

Tami

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies! PT plus 23 minutes on the elliptical today. It was a hard workout. We did chest, abs, one legged squats. The abs were on a bosu which I had never done before. Those were challenging. The one legged squats were challenging too I was holding on to these straps they have on the wall and I was squatting pretty close to the ground. Those were hard. Then she had me continue with the one legged squats that had me sit on 3 steps stacked up. That was hard and need to master that. I'm usually good doing one legged things but this much lower step was hard. We also did chest. I didn't think I was going to be able to workout at 100% because I didn't sleep well last night and felt really exhausted. Thankfully my adrenaline kicked in.

I was tempted with food during training today and since I was exhausted the temptation was really bad. Specially the freshly baked muffins this morning. I resisted though. Tomorrow there will be one more food temptation!

Laurel - 73 minute Party Rockin' Step premix! Wow that is a long one! Is this one like X10 where you can have small chapters as well as premixes? I've been thinking about the Party Rockin' Step I workout because it looks like a slower pace type of workout.
Thank you so much for cheering me on about the cookie. You are so right about this having been a big turning point. Of course my birthday is coming and I'm so looking forward to having a piece of cake. Although I'm not sure there will be cake for me since HD has never gotten me a cake. I always get cakes for him though. So maybe the cake part will just e a dream! LOL
Back to the cookie though - It was amazing to know for sure that I didn't want it. It was also great to recognize today that the only reason why I wanted the muffin is because I was tired.
I had no idea that the GS Chest and Triceps workouts ranks as one of the hardest! The GS Legs has got to be way up there too! I remember doing the GS Chest and Triceps a long time ago and using much heavier weights than I'm doing now. I can't wait to be able to lift heavier weights.
I'm so excited about the STS workouts! I have been thinking about doing one of them just to see. I'm not sure that I'll worry about the RM's for now given that I get fatigued using 6 - 8 lb weights now. Maybe I'll try one or two this weekend!

Tami - you worked out really hard today! You had a huge burn from the BC workout so I imagine it was a tough one.
I have been in front of so much temptation this week. It's unbelievable. Tonight after my workout I went to a store to buy a birthday card and when I got to the register I found myself standing in front of Lindt chocolates and these caramels I buy every time I see them but I also resisted.
That X10 workout is really convenient when a shorter workout is needed. I am really excited that both you and Laurel think I can do the STS workouts if I can do the GS ones! I am definitely going to try at least one this weekend!
You are so lucky to have a gym so close to your job. I work through lunch most of the time. There just simply isn't time for breaks at my job. At least not if I don't want to stay there till 5. I get there at 7, work through lunch and try to leave between 3:30 and 4. If I don't do this I get stuck in traffic and I would never have time to workout.
MA is going to get hit with more snow on Thursday and Friday. DH told me that the area we live in will get 6-10 inches! It was -1 F this morning when I got up!

Have a good night!
Thelma

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! I did my last Squat Rack Legs workout today! :drinker: I can't believe I stuck to my plan of doing one every other week! but I did. I followed it with a fave (as a reward!)--Cross Fire Extreme.

Tami, that BC class sounds fantastic!! I would enjoy that one for sure. No snow here. In fact, we are supposed to be in the 60s for the weekend. So hard to believe when I hear the news from back east. We are certainly getting off easy this winter compared to the rest of the country!! I am with you in not quite knowing what is next post-STS. I am trying to convince myself to do only cardio and circuits for a week or two--and maybe only one workout per day. :noway: I have a few routine predictable and manageable 'injuries' I should probably rest a bit (forearm tendonitis, Achilles tendonitis, etc)--stuff I always get in Meso 3. We'll see how scaling back goes since I am still feeling good in my workouts! :blushing: But that is the tentative plan....for now.

Thelma, I am with you on the lack of sleep. This past week has been bad. :yawn: So good job pushing through it and avoiding the comfort food! Your PT session sounds tough. One legged squats sitting on a low step? :noway: I have a tendency to fall over doing stuff like that. :blushing: :laugh: Party Rockin' Step is fun, but it is a challenge choreographically. I would recommend PRS 2 over 1, only because the choreography is easier. And I would highly recommend watching the workout a couple of times before doing and even trying to master the moves on the floor during the previews. That being said, these workouts are fun, and so I highly recommend them. I forgot to answer your question about Tabatacise. It is one of my favorites from the XTrain set. No choreography to speak of, challenging, and a good time (45 minutes). It is tough, but like the X10 workouts, you can choose how many tabatas you want to do for your workout. The Party Rockin' Step workouts aren't like that. She has included premixes (like the one I did yesterday) that combine sections from both PRS workouts though. Stay safe with the cold and snow!!!

Laurel

2BLean

Hi Ladies ~ Another tough Insane X class last night and it was full :huh: :bigsmile: She included some jump rope series at the beginning and end of each round. This a.m. was STS Shoulders/Bis & Tris and headed to Spin after work.

Thelma: Your PT workout sounds fabulous! :bigsmile: Bosu balls are tricky aren’t they!??! We sometimes use those in BootCamp. Often squatting with a barbell or burbees holding the Bosu. Sounds like she had you doing some unique moves, great job tackling them even through the toughness! Don’t you love it when that second wind or adrenaline kicks in. Just gets you through. Good job not being tempted again today, even through being tired. Sometimes that can be a more “vulnerable” temptation & easier to cave. What kind of work do you do? Sounds very hectic and long days forsure :ohwell: Good on ya for making it work however you need to so you can squeeze in your workouts though. Two nights in a row have been some crazy calorie burns for me, you’re right. Feels great though. Be careful with all that snow coming.
Our weather changed drastically from freezing to a snow storm on Monday and today it is like Spring outside :noway: Crazy! Now we worry about flooding some of the areas because the ground underneath is still frozen.

Laurel: Nice work on following through with the plan for SR Legs.:bigsmile: I’ve only done SR once through Meso 3 and tomorrow would be my second “if” I decide on that one :blushing: CrossFire would definitely have been a nice reward after that one. Yes, the BC class was really good. I enjoyed that format. Yikes on the injuries you have going on friend :frown: I didn’t realize you usually get either/or during Meso 3. I think I told you last summer that I had some achilles tendonitis going on; based in my heel (right where the heel and achilles join) from all the RUNNING on the pavement :grumble: But after a search on the internet how to tape it myself with KT tape:drinker: – after several weeks and then we stopped running it has completely gone away. So I understand that pain. Sounds like you might need a little one-a-day for a while. I think you have mentioned the forearm tendonitis before, that it comes on off & on right? Has your sleep been bad due to these injuries or stress? Sorry to hear that. I think the circuits & cardio for a couple weeks sounds like a plan for me too. I hate to get away from a full body workout as well on weights so I’ll implement that as well. When I get it penciled out I will let you know.

Talk to you ladies tomorrow ~ :flowerforyou:
Tami

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies! CycleMax tonight. I could tell how much I've improved because it almost felt easy at my usual resistance so I kept cranking it up! :bigsmile:
I cancelled my PT session for tomorrow because we're going to be in the middle of the storm at that time so I think tomorrow will be the day to try one of the STS workouts. I'll probably do chest, shoulders and biceps (I think that was the name) and I'll do the STS leg workout on Friday. I might do another spinning DVD on Saturday.

Laurel you and your killer workouts! AWESOME!
Are you stretching your calves after you workout? I've had Achilles tendon issues off and on and it's usually because my calves are tight. when my Achilles acts up I have to sleep with a boot which is a pain in the neck. The key to prevent this for me at least is to stretch my legs every day. I do it faithfully after a workout and right before I get up in the AM because that is when the tightness can be bad.
This is the strap I use for my stretches:
http://www.amazon.com/Stretch-Out-Strap-Instructional-Booklet-Pack/dp/B00CI8RO6A/ref=pd_sim_hpc_6

I actually have two straps. One I keep in the basement and the one from the link I keep under my pillow and when I travel it travels with me. Tendonitis requires rest, massage, heat then ice. I've had plenty of those! Take care of yourself because you don't want to end up with a chronic injury. Those are not fun. I've gotten hurt so many times that is why I immediately back off when an injured body part "talks" to me.
I hope you're able to get some rest. I was able to sleep last night but this afternoon there was a boring quarterly meeting at work and I fell asleep and I'm sure everybody saw me! :laugh: but those meetings put me to sleep.

I really like the one legged squats. I was trying to sit on a stack of 3 steps and that was hard and really could not do it without putting the other foot down. I did like the ones where I had to hold on to the strap. My PT is challenging me more and more which is great. Now she's keeping up with Cathe! LOL
I'll have to add the Tabacise and the PRS2 DVD's to my wish list. Interesting though that the PRS2 has easier choreography than the PRS1 DVD!

Tami - Your Insane X class really sounds insane with the burn you do!!! Nice going with your two workouts.
PT is getting better because I'm being challenged more. The Bosu ball was really tricky but I liked the challenge. That second wind is awesome. I knew that once at the gym I'd get a second wind.
Being tired sure makes you more vulnerable to temptation and normally I would cave in but not this time!
I do software verification of software embedded in laboratory instruments. So lots of FDA regulations. I was forced into a team lead role of a problem group because my boss thinks I am the right person for the job. Lots of meetings, people to babysit and make sure they are working because I have one problem child! Lots of documents to read, email. Today I was in meetings from 11 till 3:30 and that is only because I rescheduled a 9-11 for Friday. I've also been leading another project.
This is why I go to work early, work through lunch and get out no later than 4.
I'll be working from home tomorrow.

Good night!
Thelma

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! I had a short workout today because of some last minute changes in my plans. But I got in my Hard Strikes/Rockout Knockout cardio combo, so that makes me happy. I was going to do a second workout this afternoon, but my hair appt took about an hour longer than planned :noway: and it is glorious outside, so I think I might just go for a walk.

Tami, sounds like another good class! Yes, I remember you had issues with Achilles tendonitis last summer. Both these 'injuries' are recurring. I've had Achilles tendonitis for probably 15 years. The forearm tendonitis for about five. So, no, they aren't causing me to lose sleep as they only hurt when I am working out. The lack of sleep is due to DH being more restless than usual. Anyhow, I know with the onset of the Achilles tendonitis just this week that my body is asking for a bit of a break. I just have to convince my mind to give it one. :laugh: I always have forearm pain during Meso 3 because of the heavy weights. The Achilles thing I think got aggravated by the one-legged hops in Plyo this week and the amount of step I have been doing. I usually get it from my step workouts. :blushing: I know a couple of days rest will help both, so I am struggling between taking a solid 3-4 days off or just doing lighter activity for a longer period of time. I think the former would be best for me, but the latter appeals to me more. :ohwell:

Thelma, I hope you are safe with the snow! I am so happy to hear you are seeing significant improvements in your workouts now. Isn't that energizing?? I know I love that feeling. Thanks for the information on the stretching straps. After I had the plantar fasciitis five years ago, I have been very careful to stretch my calves. Like I said to Tami, I have had Achilles tendonitis for years. I usually get it when I don't step off my bench properly during step workouts (when I step back on my toes instead of onto a more flat foot). I think that is what did it again, though I could feel it after doing one-legged hops on Monday. Usually it flailrs up and is really painful for a day or two, which forces me to concentrate on what I am doing. And then it disappears as quickly as it came. So today is day 2 of it, and it is feeling better already!! Just......strange. But, sadly, is a chronic condition, and one that probably requires more rest than I give it. :blushing: My forearm is chronic as well as it is a result of losing the use of that shoulder six years ago. To do anything with my left arms required improper form (since I couldn't raise my arm up, I used my wrist to life things instead), which put stress on the forearm. It actually caused a case of bicep tendonitis which I don't suffer from anymore. But the side effect is tendonitis in my forearm when I do heavy lifting with my biceps. Of all of my chronic injuries, the one is the most annoying as it is never 100% even at the best of times. It is at its worst during Meso 3 because these are the heaviest weights I use in any of my workouts. Anyhow, glad to hear your PT is catching up to Cathe!!! That's fun!!

I will try to check in tomorrow but we have an event that may prevent me. So if I don't, have a great weekend!! It is a long weekend for DH and I, so I won't see you until Tuesday if I don't catch you all tomorrow!!

Laurel

2BLean

Happy Thursday! Last night’s Spin class was a 45-min session. I forgot they were dong 2 back-to-back classes as a fundraiser. There is a little boy who is local and he has a disease (sorry I can’t remember the name of it) but his family is struggling with bills as you can only imagine. So we donated $$$ to do the class. It was great to be Spinning for a good cause and the parent’s + little boy came into the class to thank us. He is cute as can be and the gym made up t-shirts that had a Super “T” for Tyler on them as well. :bigsmile: This a.m. I opted for Lower Body Blast for my leg workout and then did Insane Abs at lunch ~ the abs class was 15 min shorter and nearly the same calorie burn, if not more. Again, it says a lot about the class. No workouts tonight.

Thelma: Nice work on CyclMax! :drinker: So good to gauge the difference when you haven’t done a workout in a while. That’s excellent it felt easy. I think it is so awesome that you have the flexibility to work from home, especially during these storms you are getting …. Yikes! Much better to be safe at home. Your job sounds like it is FULL ON and challenging. :noway: WOW. I think the fact that your PT is increasing the intensity on your moves/workouts is truly a compliment to the hard work you are putting in and she can see it! :bigsmile: That is so awesome. I agree with Laurel on Tabatacise being such a great workout. The variety in it is so great, again similar to X10 in the pre-mixes being just about whatever time frame you would like to do. I really like Tabata workouts. Let us know what you think of the STS workouts you pick!

Laurel: Nice combo again with that Rockout Knockout/Hard Strikes! :bigsmile: :drinker: A walk in “glorious” weather sounds amazing. Our snow is melting about as fast as it came in and the sky is blue today with partial sun. It’s refreshing forsure. Hope you enjoyed your walk.
I do remember now in your mention of the achillies tendonitis before and forsure the plantar fasciitis:ohwell: I did that exact thing when I thought I had that a few years ago. I came off the step “just right” and my foot was on fi-YA!! After I started wearing better arch support shoes that completely went away, thank goodness. I’m glad you are already feeling that it’s better but I know exactly what you mean about needing a REST vs. wanting to REST:blushing: :huh: It is a mind battle! I’m with ya on that one friend.:flowerforyou: I hope you and DH have a great long weekend together? Any fun plans? Hopefully with a little extra time off he can get some better sleep & you too! I can SO relate to that, except as you know – mine is a toss & turn along with the blow your windows down snoring :grumble: when he is feeling “restless”. I don’t have a long weekend but for Valentines tomorrow DH is going to make me dinner, which will be very nice! We usually opt for that vs the thousands of people out to dinner. He told me it's not a problem if I feel like going to Spinning before I come home. We'll see, I feel a little guilty just skating in after a shower just in time for my special dinner. :blushing: Although it is tempting, Katy told me today in the abs class she is FORSURE teaching tomorrow since last Fri was changed.

Until tomorrow ladies! :bigsmile: Tami

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies! I ordered the Cross Fire DVD just because the description said it included a couple of Tabata sections and wanted to try it before the full on Tabatacise. It was HARD and I FINISHED IT! :happy:
I modified the pushups on the slides. Did them on my knees. I have a long way before I can do that sort of push up in a proper form. Need to gain serious core strength. I burned the same amount of calories yesterday and today! 630 on both workouts!
My legs were pretty fatigued at the end and could feel the usual muscle imbalance I sometimes feel after a workout on my left thigh. I started to feel it yesterday so I think it started with one legged squats. I did use the foam roller yesterday and clearly not long enough. Tonight I totally kneaded the tightness out of my legs and glutes. I also could tell I was tight from the waist down and knew the hip flexors were tight so they got serious attention during my 15 minutes of stretching post workout. I feel good and actually I think energized! Can you believe this?

I also lost 1.8 labs since last Thursday. In 6 weeks I've lost 8.5 lbs this means that losing 10lbs by my birthday in about 1 1/2 weeks is quite doable. Too bad MFP broke the ticker code! Notice how the place for my ticker shows numbers now. It is the image number. They introduced new ticker code from what I can see and clearly didn't test their code well! This is the sort of thing I do at work. I look for bugs in the software! I was so looking forward to seeing my ticker advance past the half way mark! :mad:

Laurel - YOu did both the Hard Strikes/Rockout Knockout? That is awesome! I love those workouts! Glad you had nice weather there. I hope you enjoyed your walk. We got about 10 inches and it was bad around here. I stayed safe at home but DH went to work. I was so relieved when he finally got home at about 1PM. He said there were cars stuck along the roads and some couldn't go up hill so they got stuck! Thank God we have all wheel drive cars! the snow switched over to freezing rain and I just read it will turn over to snow. Tomorrow morning is going to be slippery I'm sure.

You're lucky your achillis doesn't bother you while you sleep. I have to use my boot or it hurts. Definitely listen to your body!!! Specially when you've had these tendonitis on and off. You really have been working out extremely hard since I joined. Of course that's probably your normal way or working out!
Do you think your step is too high? I know that if do any step workouts and the DVDs I have have short step sections. If the step is too high I feel it on my knees.
I can't believe you lost the use of your shoulder!
I hope your hubby gets a good night sleep so you can rest and your body can heal faster! Thank God you recovered! :flowerforyou:

Tami - I'm so glad your spinning class was good and what a great cause to spin for! Those Insane classes are serious calorie burners! I think you deserve a break tonight after what you did in the AM and lunch time! :flowerforyou:

It's really amazing to be able to gauge the difference from where I was at the end of last year and where I am now.
We really are lucky at work with the flexibility they give us to work from home. That is why they got laptops for all of us. My boss is really good about it too. He just tells us take work home just in case.
My job has become quite stressful. I have a HUGE responsibility on my shoulders for several reasons: 1) I'm the person expected to make this dysfunctional team work well together, 2) I have to learn the product 3) I have to deliver a quality product 4) doing 1, 2 and 3 will help me earn the respect I don't have from the project manager who didn't want me in the project because I don't know the product. I have my boss' and his boss' full support right now and they can see that #1 deliverable above is way ahead of schedule. It's a scary thing! :ohwell: I had to go into this new role kicking and screaming but the big guys didn't take no for an answer. I countered with a bunch of demands for support and so far the big boss has delivered.

I am really happy with the PT increasing the intensity of my workouts. She clearly can tell I'm working out really hard. She got excited when I was able to do the one legged squats holding on to the straps on the wall. I'll do STS workouts tomorrow and Saturday. I'll definitely do upper body tomorrow I can tell you that much because my legs are TIRED! I've worked them hard this week!

I hope you enjoy your Valentine's day dinner! We no longer go out to eat for Valentine's anymore. It's crazy! Tomorrow will be all about healthy foods for us.
I actually sent DH chocolate covered (sugar free) strawberries to work. I had them delivered today because I was afraid they wouldn't deliver on time due to the weather we've been having. I actually had one and it was delish. Being sugar free the chocolate part wasn't that sweet which I was happy about because my sweet taste buds didn't go crazy for more. I made sure I planned my food in order to be able to have a berry. I must admit that it was weird not to have that "OH SO GOOD" feeling when I ate it. I knew after I ate it that I was going to be OK not having anymore. This is huge progress for me!
DH sent me a beautiful floral arrangement which I have to lock up in the bathroom because one of my cats wants to eat the flowers! :laugh:

Happy Valentine's day ladies!!!
Thelma

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! I got up early so I have time to check in today. I had a great workout today! My ankle/foot is 100% again. So strange! But the walk I took yesterday afternoon seemed to loosen it up, and now it is all better.....until next time. :ohwell: So I started off my workout with Cathe's Muscle Endurance. I don't know why, but this is still, for me, Cathe's toughest endurance-based strength workout. But I got through it just fine. And I didn't even yell at Cathe once! :laugh: I followed it with my HiiT cardio combo, combining the Shock Cardio HiiT workouts into one workout. Terrific stuff!!

Tami, what a great thing for your gym to do! I hope the boy is able to get the help he needs. That Insane Abs course sounds fantastic, especially burning that many calories. Enjoy your dinner with DH!! We have no special plans for the weekend, though DH may go skiing with my brother-in-law on Monday. If he does, I will focus on clearing out more from the house!

Thelma, congrats on the weight loss!!!!:drinker: That is amazing!! And double congrats on Cross Fire!! That is not an easy workout by a very wide margin and to make it through first time is incredible. That has become one of my favorite workouts, no doubt. Yep, you nailed the cause of my Achilles tendonitis.....step height. Long story, but when we moved from DC to Colorado 2 years ago, I took my step height from 8" to 6" because of the altitude. And I have left it there. :blushing: Lately, I have been taking it back up to 8", and if I don't really concentrate when I do that, I end up with this problem. :ohwell: Enjoy your Valentine's Day with your DH and stay safe with that snow!!!

Tonight DH and I are going to the Air Force Birthday Ball, which is held at the nicest hotel in town. The AF's birthday is actually in September but, for whatever reason, the military community here in Colorado Springs decided years ago to hold a joint celebration....in February. It should be a huge event (nearly 1000 people). And it will be our last with my DH on active duty. So off I go to pick up my dress and get ready for tonight!!

Enjoy the weekend!

Laurel

bajangrl29

Quick check in:flowerforyou:


Yesterday was Jari Love Get Ripped and then 50 minutes of Zumba. It was a nice way to make up for missing class this week. This morning I had great plans for a killer routine but woke up feeling weird due to low calories and low water intake. Then hubby suprised me by taking the day off to spend with me which was a great way to enjoy some quality time and then a late breakfast.:bigsmile: He said today is all about us so back to my snuggle spot on the couch.:blushing: tomorrow I'm hoping to get a fun run in and then a hair appt. If the weather is great then walking the neighborhood for Girl Scout cookie sales with the little one.:bigsmile:



Happy Valentine's Day ladies!


Michelle

2BLean

Hi Ladies ~ Happy Day! Last night was great to be home a little earlier than normal. DH and I went through some recipes that he might make for tonight but the menu so far is Ahi Tuna & Shrimp with a garden salad and ???? :bigsmile: This a.m. was STS Total Body and DH is still set on me going to Spinning because he actually likes me to not be home when he is cooking….. So he may not have to give me any more nudges on that! I am however leaving work early to take my little sweets “Emma” to her vet appt. Shots and a check-up on a few little fatty cysts she has going on her head that she keeps scratching by accident, then they bleed, etc. So sad for me to see anything that might cause her discomfort :frown: I would think he will say we need to remove them but I don’t know. So from there I will drop her off at home and get changed for spinning.

Thelma: When I saw that you did CrossFire I was so excited! :drinker: That is truly a great workout and not a walk in the park. Fantastic job:bigsmile: Plus that calorie scorcher….. Yowsa! You’ll be just fine with Tabatacise. Sounds like you are really good about stretching and using your foam roller, that is so great and I am sure your body thanks you for it. Not only that accomplishment in the workout but the weight loss too! You are on “FI-YA” nice work!! :drinker: :flowerforyou: Hilarious about your flowers being hidden in the bathroom so the “kids” don’t use them as their toy! What a thoughtful thing you did with the strawberries for your hubby. Very nice.

Laurel: You never cease to amaze me! :happy: :noway: Seriously that is such an amazing combo you did today! Your ankle must have passed the 100% mark. You’re back to bionic status! :bigsmile: I bet it did feel fantastic. I’m sure the event tonight will be a little bit bitter sweet for both of you, knowing it’s the last one with him being on active duty. Enjoy your time and I bet you will look amazing in your dress. :flowerforyou:

Michelle: What a great Valentine’s Day surprise! That is so sweet of your hubby. Hope you are enjoying your day. Nice job yesterday with the workouts. I saw that calorie burn yesterday . . . quite a session you were able to get in. Nice work. Hopefully you felt better today after waking up to not so good.

Happy Valentine’s Day MFP Ladies ~ Have a great weekend! :flowerforyou:

Tami

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies, Happy Valentine's Day!!! :flowerforyou: TGIF!!!:drinker:

Tonight I did STS Meso 1 Chest, Shoulders and Triceps as well as the stretch routine on that DVD. I did push myself to fatigue but I have to tell you that this was not a fun workout for me. I found it extremely frustrating to have to change the setup after every exercise because I don't have a lot of space available. Hopefully I'll get used to this but it was a big turn off for me.

The most frustrating part was the step bench. I had to keep pushing it out of the way to use the chair or the ball. Every time I did the risers got out of alignment because I was pushing them on carpet. I'm not giving up on this though. It was a slow go but even needed extra time between sets to get my setup ready. Now I understand why Laurel does other things during the rest periods!
There were way too many push ups and my hands simply can't handle all that pressure. I was doing them on my knees and in a couple of sets I did seated flies or tricep kickbacks to give my hands a break.

The ticker is back!!! :happy: I wish they wouldn't round up though.

Laurel - I'm so happy about your speedy recovery! I'm glad the walked was the remedy you needed! Sounds like you did another killer combo! Way to go! I hope you and DH have a wonderful time at the Birthday Ball! What a great thing to do on Valentine's day!
Where will you move to once your husband is off active duty?

Cross Fire - Wow! It really kicked my behind! I'm feeling it today my knees felt the high impact and so did my hips. I'm achy from the waist down. I can tell my hip flexors are tight and my lower back too. I've been stretching but not having much luck at relaxing those areas. It really is a hard workout. I like it a lot.

I had a feeling the step height was the root cause of your tendonitis because I noticed that I was doing exactly what you said you did about landing on your toes. I'm short so there is no way I'll ever be able to do a really high step for cardio.
There was a lot of melting today because it was sunny and the temps were in the 30's. Next week: Heat wave! We'll be in the 40's! :happy:

Tami - I hope you and DH are having a wonderful Valentine's Day dinner! Ahi Tuna & Shrimp sounds delish!
Nothing special for us except our usual Friday routine. Glad you got your Spinning class in tonight. I'm sure that STS Total Body workout was hard! Great job!
What did the vet say about Emma's fatty cysts? I hope you asked a lot of questions on the cons/pros of removing/not removing the cysts

Thanks on the Cross Fire. I still can't believe I did it. I have to believe it though because I'm feeling it! :laugh: My knees don't have any cartilage left so plyo stuff is always hard on my knees. I'm concerned that the Tabacize DVD will contain too much high impact for me. I could jump on the trampoline I suppose.
It's a good thing I stretched and massaged my thighs with the foam roller or I would be in seriously bad shape today!
I was feeling pretty fatigued tonight so that my have added to my frustration with the STS workout. I was also having a hard time putting the step on a good incline position. Don't know why because I got it right before but I think I need to get those wedge risers Cathe uses.
You won't believe this after locking my flowers in the bathroom since Wednesday night today when I went to work I forgot to close the door. I was afraid to go in the bathroom for fear that the cats would've broken the vase. Thankfully they hadn't been there!

Hi Michelle! So good to hear from you. What a wonderful surprise from your husband! I like that Get Ripped DVD!
Don't forget to eat/drink enough!

Have a great weekend!
Thelma

bajangrl29

Morning Ladies,


We enjoyed a nice weekend with the girls and watched some new rentals, Enders Game and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2. On Sunday it was time to work on a Resume with the tween for her Career class and then shampoo, condition and trims for the girls. I cooked a nice Pork stew with Sweet potatoes and a Lasagna for hubby and the little one. Overall the weather was great and perfect for sitting on the front porch with the dog while watching the youngest zoom her scooter down the walkway and around the side of the house up and down the driveway. Too soon it was time for bed and prepping for Monday. This morning I did Your Best Body followed by 1 round of Patrick Goudeau Kickbox Burn. This dvd has been kicking my butt so I may try it the next time without circuit training first.:blushing: I was able to get 3 rounds in last week and it is a great KB workout which I love but she layers each move so it may start with a jab, punch, then she adds fast feet, then burpees and so on for an intense routine. I have been watching the dvd for a bit so I can't complain but it is definitely kicking my butt and giving me a nice Hiit burn.:laugh: So work today and poor hubby is sick on his long weekend, not sure if it is his allergies or a sinus infection but he is definitely sick.


Thelma- In 30 days you have some amazing things and accomplished great results. I'm so proud of you.:drinker:


Tami- Any news on those cysts? Capone's sister has skin tags which look like potential ticks but are actually a type of wart. The vet did not remove them and stated they were common for some breeds, we just need to observe for potential changes.


Laurel- How was your Ball? what color was the dress? do tell! I'm sure you looked fabulous but I want to hear about your last function before retirement.


Ok back to work for me.


Michelle

sjdavis15

Hi Ladies,

I'm new to MFP, but am a super Cathe fan. I'm currently doing the January rotation for the second time. I think I made some real strength gains with it. I'd love it if I can join your group.

2BLean

Hi Ladies ~ First and foremost let me give you an update on Emma’s appointment … Relief is my first comment! So the fatty cysts are basically like a skin tag for a human. They don’t hurt anything but if scratched (like she has been doing by accident) then you need to put a topical medicine on them so they don’t get infected & in turn re-irritated. He didn’t suggest removing them at all, he said they can be removed very easily but most likely they will come back and as long as they are clean and not bothering her they are just more uncomfortable for the owner to see. :laugh:
Her limping that has been ongoing he did some more pushing and pulling on her arm/shoulder and then read the x-rays from August. Well he is 99% sure that the pain is coming from her neck. :huh: How a human would have a degenerative disc and that kind of pain, same thing and it shoots down her shoulder/arm so she limps. So new medicine for that (much cheaper than the last stuff that didn’t work) and already since Friday she is doing better.:drinker: He said to walk her with a harness from now on instead of a leash; pulling from her neck of course irritates the pain. So there we have it! I am glad that nothing is life threatening and with the help of this medicine she should feel better. You guys can imagine my relief to get good news. I worry myself over her so much and I know I shouldn’t. So after that I went to Spinning as planned with my favorite instructor and it was a great class. :bigsmile: Home, showered while DH finished up his gourmet dinner of Thai Lemon Shrimp and Sesame Blackened Ahi! YUM. It was so good. Seriously my mouth was watering while I was eating each bite. :laugh: I made a Cilantro Lime Dressing for our tossed salad and he did buy some Rice Noodles to have … they were a little sticky out of the pot but tasted just fine with the sauce of the shrimp. Sat I took as a REST day and did housework and a few errands. Then relaxed …. watched some of the Olympics. Yesterday was back at it with the beginning of our last week with STS – Chest/Back and then headed to our Volleyball tourn. which started at 8:30 a.m. We played 8 games back-to-back and finished up in 3rd. It was a lot of fun and good matches. Today’s workout will be BootCamp ~ Katy is teaching it!:bigsmile:


Thelma: I’m sorry to hear that your first STS experience was not as “fun” as you had hoped for. :frown: I know at times I have used my step bench as my bench and chair throughout exercises just so I’m not needing “more” equipment. You get used to the equipment changes the more you do the workouts. As far as the push-ups, Meso 1 has the most push-ups of the 3 phases. Modifying is just fine I’m so glad you liked Crossfire despite feeling some soreness afterwards. Hopefully throughout the weekend it eased up. I definitely asked a lot of questions. I sometimes feel like I’m keeping him from other patients but at the same time, it’s my chance to ask and it’s not a FREE appt by any means for me. :laugh: He’s super patient and I believe always suggests what is best for the dog, so I feel good about it.
I did invest in the wedge risers after my first few workouts with STS. I decided I wanted to make sure it was steady at an incline. They aren’t too expensive if I remember correctly and much cheaper than an incline bench. Plus, don’t want to store one more piece of equipment; sounds like you can relate to that. As far as Tabatacise goes …. I would say doing the workout with modifications would definitely work, do what you can do on higher impact moves. The entire workout isn’t all high impact. p.s. I meant to tell you and thought of it over the weekend. Eventhough you went into your new position at work kicking & screaming it must be a huge compliment to you and your skills that they refused to not have you in that position. So although it’s full on and a bit much at times, it sounds like you are the person for the job. :flowerforyou:

Michelle: Sounds like a great weekend and wonderful “eats” at your house! :bigsmile: I have that KB Burn workout too. I really like it; the gal that leads it is good I think and love the variety in it. The vet did tell me that those cysts are very common and more common in some breeds than others. I read about them more online and that particular blog said they are common in female dogs more than males. But yes, just watching them to make sure they don’t change drastically or get infected is key. The one on her cheek was really ugly a while back and now it is just flattened out a bit and not irritated. So fingers crossed neither of them continue to grow or at least much bigger.

Hi Laurel ~ Hope you have had some quality time with DH. Can’t wait to hear about the Birthday Ball.

SJDavis: Of course!!!! :flowerforyou: Welcome and please join us here! We talk a lot about Cathe, our workouts, pets, or whatever! :laugh: But seriously, here to motivate and help one another and it just so happens a few of us are full on Cathe fans:drinker: That rotation looks like a good one! Since it is your second round in it you must be enjoying it?!?! :bigsmile:

Talk to you ladies tomorrow ~ Tami

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies, glad you had a good weekend. I did have a good one specially because by Saturday my body was back to normal after the CrossFire butt kick I got on Thursday! What a relief!!!
I think I did hurt my shoulder with the Meso 1 chest, biceps and shoulders workout on Friday though. It was the shoulder move on the ball. I felt something and I'm still feeling it. My left arm has felt pretty heavy and has been throbbing. I also could tell that my left shoulder blade was pretty tight so tonight I too my little Yoga TuneUp massage balls and went really good for those tight areas. I hope that this tightness helps my arm. I have the feeling that my frustration with the equipment change distracted me from the task of focusing on doing the exercises correctly.
I have to tell you that I did the Meso 1 legs on Saturday and I LOVED IT! That was an awesome workout and Cathe uses the small step which takes up a lot less space.
Tonight I did Slide 'n Glide. I had a challenging day at work and my arm not feeling right has me worried so I had to force myself to workout and didn't give it my all. The energy just wasn't there and the calories burned reflected it. :sad:

We're getting hit with more snow tomorrow :mad: so I had to cancel my PT session because the snow will affect the evening commute. So I think I'm going to try Meso 1 Back and Triceps.

Hi Michelle! sounds like you and the family had a great weekend! Sorry DH is not feeling well though. I hope you have a humidifier for those sinus issues and the dry winter months.
You've been working out which tells me you've been feeling well! YAAY!:flowerforyou:
I have that Patrick Goudeau Kickbox Burn DVD but I've not tried it yet since I started doing Cathe's workouts. Sounds like a hard one! BURPEES? :devil: One of these days I'm going to learn how to do those things!

AWWW! Thanks for being proud of me! I've come a long way. I have this motivation that I lost about 12 years ago and I never thought I'd get back!

Hi Tami - I'm so glad Emma is OK! What a relief is right! I know how what it means to have a pet be your child. DH is daddy and I'm mommy to the cats! :laugh: Sometimes when one of the cats gets in trouble DH will say: "your daughter did...." :happy:
Maybe you should find a chiropractor for Emma's neck or someone who does acupuncture. We used to take our elderly cat for acupuncture to help her with her arthritis pain and it helped her a lot. A good vet should allow to ask as many questions as you want without making you feel rushed. I go there with a list of written questions. If DH take the cats in to the vet I sent him with the written list with space for him to write the answers down after each question. :bigsmile:

Sounds like you Valentine's dinner was delicious! Please send me that cilantro like dressing recipe when you have a chance!
Didn't I tell you the Mediterranean Quinoa salad was really good? I love it!
You had a killer burn on Sunday with all that exercise you did! You're a fat burning machine! :drinker:
I'm sure Katy kicked your butt tonight and you loved every second of it! :laugh:

I wish I had something to help me slide the step/risers on the carpet easily because when I push them I have realign them again. I'll have to ask HD if he can think of something. I did order the wedges for the step because I think that is the part that started my frustration. My workout area is getting tight so I can hardly afford to buy any more equipment due to the space issue. I didn't watch the DVD before I did it because I never watch any of my DVD before hand. I just go for it! I will be better now that I know what to expect.

I think I may order these furniture glider things to help me with the step: http://amzn.com/B004FS1VHO

What a relief to know that the Meso 1 chest, shoulders, biceps is the one with the most push ups! OMG! Way too many!
Thank God I recovered from Crossfire. It had me worried because I didn't want it to take me out of commission.
I also ordered the Tabatacise DVD. I'm looking forward to trying it.

Thank you on your comments about my job. I ofter have to remind myself that it is a huge compliment to have been selected for this role but sometimes the fact that there is so much weight over my shoulders makes forget that fact!

Hi SJDavis! Welcome to our little group! Glad to have another Cathe fan on board! Isn't it wonderful when you go through a rotation a second time around and you realize that you've gotten stronger?

Will talk you ladies tomorrow!
Thelma