Time for us Moms! Group

Hello everyone! Well last night the church ladies and I decided to walk. We did pretty good, pretty brisk pace for about 50 minutes. I think we're going to switch it up every week, that way we don't get tired of doing the same things. The plan is to walk and do DVD's at the church. I'm just glad to get started doing something, and I can see already it's paying off. I had gone up the last couple of days, but today I'm down all of that plus another pound! I'm so excited! Today I'll probably try to get some strength training in. Does anyone have any suggestions of excercises I could do at home for strength training? I don't belong to a gym, I don't have money to join a gym, and I live in the country so it's kind of hard to do alot of walking unless I go with the church ladies into town. I do have 3lb handweights at home, but I just don't know what kind of things to do. I really would like to work alot on my abs, hips and triceps, but I'm just not sure what all to do. Does anyone have any suggestions???

Well I hope all of you have a very productive and great day!!

Kim

Kim - The Slim in 6 DVD that I do at church with my ladies blasts my triceps, hips, and abs in the Ramp it Up DVD. She uses bands and 3 lb weights. Tricep extensions, squats, lunges (with tons of variety), push-ups (you use your tricep to push back up), and a lot of different ab exercises. You might be able to google exercises, but I find that I always do better with a trainer on TV telling me what I need to do. Nice job on the weight loss. I love the accountability of working out with other people. You have it exactly right. The fellowship with the other ladies at our church is nice too since I get to know them better than just seeing them once a week for a brief period of time.

Chas - You accommodated the dessert. Well done! How are you today?

Heather - {hugs} I know that you are worried and I hope that you have heard from Matt. I would be having a hard time if I were in your shoes. Thank you again for the sacrifice that you and your family make in keeping me and mine safe. I agree about the Wii Fit. I tried our neighbor's before I decided whether or not I wanted to buy it and I just wasn't on it that much. Sometimes when I am doing Yoga balance poses now, I'll think about trying to keep that dot in the center and not dancing all over the place. But, otherwise, it just wasn't worth it to me. My neighbors even traded it in for some different games (which is sad, since they NEED exercise and lifestyle changes). Oh, and sometimes our bodies surprise us when we have a little treat and lose some weight. Great job. It's only the 1st day of September - I hope that the next 29 days are much better!

Hi Mary and Lesley! Welcome! This is a great bunch of ladies. My advice would be to really take some time out of your day to get your exercise. Don't put it off. It's diet AND exercise that help with long-term weight loss.

Cori and Kaitlyn - how are you mamas?

I just sold my elliptical to some ex-neighbors. We don't use it anymore and really only used it about 25 times in the past 2 years since it squeaked when I rode it (so I couldn't use it during a nap) and when the baby was awake, I was always worried he would crush his fingers in it. We are certainly devoted to our DVD sets now. LOL The warm weather is making an appearance again for the rest of this week, so I think we will hop in the pool a bit later. On a non-fitness note, I am having such a hard time fitting in going to work this week to do billing and payroll, homeschooling since it started Monday, and exercising in the evening. I know I could go to work if I didn't exercise, but I can't do that. I'm leading the ladies. I can't go to work with the kids because, well, it just doesn't work. And, I can't go after working out because it is so late (7:30ish) and in a not so good area of town. Can I quit my job yet? LOL

K - find a non-food reward for doing so well! Just sayin'. Great job on your weight loss though.

JP - welcome! It's great to have you. That is late to start exercising. Is there anyway you can do it in the morning? I just find that if I have to wait until nighttime I can think of so many great excuses not to do it. Morning time though, while I am tired and still make some excuses, I still get my butt out of bed and do it because I know I will just be kicking myself all day if I don't.

Heather - hope you feel better soon. I think we have all been there. PBS is my friend for my 2 year old when I don't feel well - even in the morning when I need to listen to all of the boys arguing while hubby takes a shower and I am cooking. So glad you heard from Matt. How long until he gets home?

Kaitlyn - glad to know you are just lurking!

Mary - nice job! I have played in creeks, but never swam in one.

Megan - welcome. I am a big fan of the Beachbody DVDs; I think they work well and give you a complete system to follow, I don't have to drive to the gym, and some of them take no additional equipment to do (Insanity is one). If you can, I suggest working out in the morning. See my post to JP above for more.

Cori - I wish! My boss is #1 anal about his paperwork leaving the office and #2 still barely using a computer to do his business. We do use Quickbooks for billing, but I don't have it on my laptop so I have to do it there. Our payroll is all done by hand and we have a stack of worklogs by the drivers about 8 inches tall every year, because they hand write all of their jobs. I vented to my hubby last night, wrote an e-mail to my boss telling him that I have obligations keeping me busy until 7:30 pm each night for the next 3 weeks, and have come to the fact that it might be time for the job that I hate to finally be gone. We'll see. Is your head feeling any better today? 2000 crunches? 900 minutes of planks, that's 30 minutes each day! Wow! I love plank and I love how my core feels doing it, but my wrists are too weak to stay in plank for that long.

I realized last night just how much I have been stressing. I didn't eat all of my food yesterday that I had planned and sometimes I get so frustrated because I know I need to eat to lose this weight. I'm at almost 2000 calories a day though and at times it takes all I have to eat it. Yesterday was one of those days where it was just too hot in the house and I was not cooking at 8 pm. Shakeology with ice it is! LOL Today has been better.

I also decided that I am changing my ratio for the rest of this round of P90X. I have been eating 40/40/20 for 64 days now and I am working my butt off in my workouts, morning and night. So, according to the nutrition guide, I can change it to 60% carbs/20% protein/20% fat - but you have to earn that one! I am eager to see how it influences my workouts and of course my weight loss as well. I'm trying to keep away from bread and tortillas and pasta and eat whole grains. So, today I've had a big bowl of oatmeal, a bowl of puffed brown rice cereal (no sugar is in it), and tonight I will have some short grain brown rice. I think the hardest part for me is actually keeping my protein down since I am so used to having to supplement to get it up there. Helps that hubby drank the last of the protein powder so I can't have my protein shake anyway. LOL

Have a great day, ladies. Remember to do your best.