shadowbaby4 Member

It's exhausting when they're little. I wish I had some advice, but sometimes I still feel like I'm in survival mode. I work, try to keep the house clean, cook meals, go to band concerts and school plays and then crash into bed so I can do it all again the next day. My twice-a-week judo class is the only thing in my life I…

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Pizza with a salad. There are so many ways to change up a pizza with different crusts, toppings, and sauces, I don't think I'd ever get bored, and salad is pretty versatile, too. Plus I'd get a nice balance of macros and nutrients. Yes. Pizza. Nom.

It's really tough to find the time! I wish I could be one of those people who wake up early to go running or hit the gym, but it just never seems to happen. I end up working out right before bed most nights. It helps me shut off my brain so I can sleep, though, so I can't complain.

I just bought a pair of jeans that will fit once I hit my goal. I can't wait to wear them!

Class was cancelled due to a storm, so it looks like I'll be training at home today! I found some home fitness equipment at 5 Below and I was thinking of picking up some free weights and a medicine ball.

Awesome! It sounds like you had fun!

My friend's dojo came up to crash our class again this week, so I got in a couple matches with someone my size. It's amazing how much harder I have to work against an adult opponent. As talented as my usual partner is, when it comes down to it, she's a tiny little 12-year-old. It doesn't matter that she trains with former…

I'm working on building upper body and core strength, but I haven't been terribly consistent with it. I can do eight push-ups now, though, which is awesome because a few months ago I couldn't even manage one! I keep thinking vaguely that I'll install a pull-up bar somewhere in my house and pick up some heavier kettlebells,…

I don't have a video, but there's some gorgeous ones on YouTube if you're interested!

The judo community in my area is miniscule, but tonight another group drove over an hour to join our class! We had an amazing time. The kids got to switch up partners, and I paired with a dear friend who wiped the mats with me! It was the best class I've had in awhile. I so rarely get to go 100% in randori.

Between storms, holidays, my Sensei having surgery, and my partner breaking her foot, I haven't had a solid judo class in weeks, but last night I got in a bit of a workout and hopefully things will settle back to normal so I can squeeze in some more training before my competition in February!

Its been ages since I got a decent workout in judo, but hopefully tonight will be better! I taught the class while Sensei was out in early December, which really only worked out my voice. My throat was so sore afterward from calling out the moves! We've cancelled class several times lately due to storms, and now that…

I'm just recently reaching the skill level in judo where I'm realizing how incredibly many things I need to improve, but I don't know where to start and it doesn't seem like there are enough years in my life to ever master these things. I thought I wanted to focus on getting my left-side techniques up to par with my right,…

Here's my take as a parent: how many of those kids are there because they truly love the art, and how many are there because their parents make them? As an instructor, you have to consider their goals. They're not there to improve their technique or become world-class masters. If the class isn't fun, they'll quit. When I…

Judo class tonight ended with an injury--one of the kids sprained his knee. I know injuries are part of this sport, and I've had plenty of bruises, mat burns, head knocks, and sprains myself, but this one shook me up a little. It's worse when it happens to someone else. I was really afraid for him. He was fine in a few…

You guys, I was the ONLY one who showed up to jiu jitsu today, so it was just me and two instructors for the hour. I learned SO MUCH. It was amazing. In judo, I'm feeling really proud of my progress. My Sensei is pretty stingy with praise, but I got several "goods" out of him tonight! And you know why? Because I'm using…

Cool! I'm going to my first one next month! I'm pretty excited!

Good luck to you! I'm testing, too--the USJA just changed the requirements for time in grade, so I'm eligible to test for my next belt much sooner than I thought! I actually think the demonstration portion will go okay; they just want to see a few basic techniques, but the written test will be tough. I've got pages and…

Jiu jitsu was pretty good today--it's officially my second month of classes, and I'm feeling a little less overwhelmed by all the new material. Judo flew by, as always. I'm seeing a lot of improvement in my technique! I mean, I still haven't managed to throw a higher belt who's defending, but I don't get dumped on my back…

Pro: your family members get intrigued and want to try a class!

I skipped Sunday BJJ class because we agreed Sunday would be our "family day." Then he decided he needed to go hang out with his friends. Oh well. I spent some good time with the kids and went to bed early, so I'm all rested for my Monday! I'm preparing for my next judo belt test, and I have a lot of questions about the…

I'll add to the sports bra rant! I barely fill out a 34B and in tops I usually wear a small, so I thought I might wear a medium sports bra at the largest. Tried a couple on at Target--nope. Nope nope nope nope. I ended up buying larges, and probably could have gone with an extra large! I also wear XL underwear, but I've…

My husband used to have this job where he had to do a systems check at the top of every hour and answer the occasional phone call, but the majority of his day, he was basically doing nothing. His boss told him to bring in a hobby, so he built a dollhouse for our daughter right at his desk. We used to text all day long! I'm…

Pro: your instructor will be surprised by how much you've improved since last class

Hi everyone, my October goal is to lose 5 lbs and tone up a little, maybe get to the point where I'm not DYING after five minutes of cardio. I'm currently doing 3 hours of judo and 2 of jiu jitsu per week, and I'd like to push myself to add one more class each week OR work out at home if I can't squeeze in another class.…

I like this idea! I'm currently at about 20 hours (3 hours of judo and 2 of jiu jitsu per week), and I'd like to push myself to do just a little bit more!

I used a body fat calculator that based its results on waist and hip measurements, and I'm very skeptical about its accuracy. My hips got significantly wider after three babies, even once I'd lost all the baby weight and then some, so I know it's a pelvic structure thing and not fat. Plus I have friends who are visibly…

When I go over my calorie goals, I sit down and think about what happened. I plan solutions for next weekend. Then I shrug and move on. No point beating yourself up about something that already happened. It's not a failure if you learn from it. I know some people who cut back on calories during the week to allow for more…