I do not even want to admit out loud how long it has been since I last worked out.  Well, actually, it was when I visited my parents in Florida.  That is not as bad as I originally thought.  Here I was thinking it was March, right before I travelled to D.C. with Miss Amanda.  But, I did workout using my parents WII Fit.  Let me tell you, that can be one intense workout, and FUN!  Too bad I am way too cheap to buy one for myself.  Maybe I will win one.  

So, today I decided I would start easy.  I really need to resume my p90x workout.  This time with a full 90 day follow through.  But, for today it was Winsor Pilates (with the ring).  I cannot tell you enough how much I LOVE this workout!  20 minutes of toning, working out abs, thighs, butt, and arms.  And that 20 minutes flies by so quickly.  My new plan is to do Winsor Pilates any day I cannot do another workout.  This way if, for some reason, I cannot workout to the p90x plan I still will workout to something to stay in a routine.  Boy, it is good to be back!

Pilates, How I Have Missed You is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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Today I added a new workout video to my repertoire.  Needing a good aerobics component I opted to purchase Hip Hop Abs from Amazon.com.  Choosing Amazon.com allowed me to use my stockpile of gift cards.  See, I participated in two focus groups, paying $75 each in gift cards and won two $5 gift cards from pchsearch.com (Publisher’s Clearing House Search & Win).

The reviews were mixed on this, but I so enjoyed the Dance Aerobics class I used to take at my former employer.  One of the better perks of working at a health/family-oriented non-profit.  Too bad my taking advantage of this was limited to the last year of my five years there.  Definitely miss all the exercise classes.  This was a pretty good video as long as you do not get frustrated in the beginning.  As with anything it takes time to get the hang of the movements and speed.  Some of the moves were more fun than others and the 30 minutes passed quickly enough.

There is a countdown element to each section, so if you do not like a particular move you can see how much time you have until the next section.  Shawn T. is a bit flamboyant to me.  He is nice enough, but I could see where this might not be for everyone.  I do like how at the end of the 30 minutes each of the participants is introduced and you are given a little background.  Did not care for the blatant advertising after the intros, but that is what the stop button is for, right?  All in all, I would recommend this for fun, music, and a great ab workout (I am feeling it).

Next, I popped in my Winsor Pilates video for the 20 minute additional workout.  What can I say, I love pilates.  And I have been a bit neglectful in my exercise routine.  Then I ate an orange.  I have been eating a ton of navel oranges these days.  They are just so good.  Now I am thinking a nice salad sounds appetizing.

What is your favorite workout?

Hip Hop Abs & Pilates is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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I am not happy with myself.  Bad self.  Bad, BAD self!  I have been working out, but I have been bad about sneaking food.  Snacking on things I should not and not practicing self discipline.  I put on a pair of pants that this time last year were loose on me.  They fit just right!  That is NOT right.  That means I have gone up another size.  Well, enough is enough.  

Today I dialed up the stepper and did 30 minutes with 3 lb dumbbells.  Then I used my wonderful circle from my circle pilates workout and used it much like the thighmaster of the 80′s.  Yes, if you are in your mid to late 30′s or older then you know exactly what I am talking about.  I have to do something.  My tummy could be flatter, but it is not the big issue.  The big issue is my legs.  Oh, I am sure my butt is an issue too, but the legs are what my pants are not going over to my satisfaction.  Maybe if my pants made it up to my butt then I could gripe about that.  

No more junk food.  No more soda!  No more coffee.  Did you know coffee is like alcohol when it comes to belly fat?  It is harder to lose belly fat when you drink coffee or alcohol.  I like tea and it does not have the same effect.  I will miss my coffee, but I will not miss my belly.  Or my chubby legs and jiggly butt.  Oh, and the jiggly arms.  Goodness, I am nothing but a big jiggle!  Well, I am done with that.  

Like my resolve?  I am so serious this time.  Spring is just around the corner and I want to wear shorts and my bathing suit.  I want to wear a tank top if I get the urge.  I should not complain with so many other issues in the world.  But I am going to anyway.  This is my big issue.  I could focus on my lack of employment, but I have more control over my body (weight is not the issue, the way my clothes fit is).

If you made it this far, thanks for listening to my rant.  Now back to more pleasant goings on.

Confessions of a Fitness Slacker is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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In 1994 I bought this book by Joyce Vedral on getting in shape.  I do not typically purchase how-to or self improvement type books, but I was in school pursuing my A.S. in Accounting and my second child had just turned one.  Twelve months of carrying the extra baby weight was quite enough.  

One course I enrolled in was Physical Fitness.  I no longer needed physical education courses for my degree, but wanted to learn how to get in better shape.  I had this class two days per week, but all others were three.  I would workout my required time and put in extra time on Friday, when I had a free period.  But I wanted more.  In comes the book.  Bottoms Up! still is a book I would recommend.  I read this book cover to cover and still have my copy.  Joyce Vedral talks about losing inches without bulking up.  Lose fat while building muscle and you could look better at 50 than you did at 25.

I am a firm believer in measuring success in inches and how my clothes feel rather than watching the scale.  I do not own a scale and care very little in knowing my actual weight.  If it is 140 and I feel good, then I am okay with that.  Generally I tend to gravitate towards 125, but am not married to that number.  It is just a number, after all.

Fast forward to a two, maybe three, years ago.  I found my copy of Bottoms Up! and thought it would be far more helpful if there was a DVD or something showing me these exercises.  I really did not want to do this incorrectly.  I found the DVD’s, purchased them, and put them away.  Yes, that is right, I bought exercise videos and did not use them.  Until now.  Do not get too excited.  Joyce’s videos are sort of boring.  She knows it and does not care.  It is about getting in shape and staying that way.  

So, now I am trying to get my slant board into the garage and out of the basement.  The basement is too dark for me to enjoy exercising to someone who will get me into shape but does not care how exciting the getting there is.  But, she does use light dumbbells and a slant board and the garage would work out quite nicely for me in this regard.

Today I did my Winsor Circle Pilates.  This is 20 minutes and it went by almost too quickly.  I love pilates.  I plan to incorporate this into every workout.  The weather is getting nicer already and I want to break out my jump rope for another cardio option.  It is almost time to start the garden and that will be part of my routine as well.  Oh, and I was able to pull up my jeans today.  They are still tight, but I can get them on.  It is a start.  By April I will have them on and comfortable once again (hopefully sooner).

Bottoms Up! Time to Shape Up is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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Before I begin I must take a moment to thank Heather at Freebies4Mom and Amy at MomAdvice for alerting me to this great freebie last Friday.  I just did my workout courtesy of Workouts on Demand for FREE.  This gets better.  Since downloading my free workout I have received two shorter express workouts by email.  Now on to the fitness bliss!

Today I did the pilates workout.  Many swear by it for toning and strengthening.  Personally, this is one of my favorite forms of exercise.  I always feel more in shape afterwards.  My goal is to slim down and tone up.  In other words, get rid of the jiggly.  Boy do I need to do that!  This workout lasted about 25 minutes.  

Next I checked out the express yoga workout sent to me.  This was about 7 minutes long and consisted of moving through the warrior poses.  The warrior poses always leave me feeling like I can take on anything. It is important to stretch your muscles after any workout and yoga is perfect for this.  I cannot wait for warmer weather, then I can move my workouts outdoors instead of my cramped living room.  (I found this video on YouTube of the warrior poses.)

That was my workout thus far for today.  Are you trying to find your workout stride?  I would love to hear about it.  If you are blogging about it, then be sure to include a link to your post so others can follow along with you, too.

Pilates & Yoga – Yes, There is a Difference is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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Okay, so many of us could say the exact same thing.  Here I want to revisit a post I had written earlier this month on how people purchase hundreds of dollars in groceries and spend a few dollars (I Just Do Not Get It).  Here I discussed the time taken to save that much and certainly this is only accomplished sporadically.  I read a blog today that makes me want to rethink my earlier thoughts.  Okay, it still does not answer the time question, but it does show this is can be accomplished with most every shopping trip if some planning is done beforehand.  It would seem that Toni-Lynn at the Grocery Price Blog is proof of this.  In her post The Coupon Cupboard Virtual Food Drive and Mom It Forward she not only shows a recent receipt where she paid $3 for over $500 worth of groceries, she states she saves up to 98% on her trips every time.  This was not an overnight phenomenon, but it is possible.  I encourage everyone to read her post.

So, I am going to work more at this type of savings.  I have had a small measure of success which shows in my monthly credit card statement.  Oh, I pay for everything I can with my credit card to earn money towards college.  If I do not have the money I do not buy it.  My credit card is paid off each month as paying interest would defeat any savings.  But, the ability to clearly track at see my spending is an added bonus to paying in this manner.  Therefore, along with my workout updates, I will include my progress in saving through coupons and rebates and invite you to check out some of my favorite blogs on the subject.  I keep a list of all of these great sites on my Best Frugal Living Sites Squidoo page.  Or you can click on one of my OnSavingMoney buttons in the far right sidebar.

Brief workout update: 10 minute power pilates workout this afternoon.  I was going to Yoga today, but received an unexpected phone call from a former co-worker.  Two hours later I squeezed in the power pilates.  Something is definitely better than nothing.

I Have A LOT to Learn is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

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