Moving On

I've finished 6 weeks of Slim In 6 and I have to say I am not thrilled with my results.  I lost some inches, but not nearly as much as I was hoping for and I only lost three pounds.  I exercised everyday but rather than follow the recommended food plan, I stayed on Weight Watchers.  I'm not saying that kept me from losing weight, after all Weight Watchers is a proven weight loss method.  But I really thought watching what I ate (in accordance with the WW plan), and working out, fairly intensely, six days a week, should have had better results.

But on to more exciting news.  I JUST ordered Power 90, another Beachbody workout plan.  It's the predecessor to P90X (did you know the "P" actually stands for Power) and was developed by Tony Horton.  Needless to say, it's 90 days long.  From what I've read, you rotate days between Cardio, Resistance and Ab workouts.  

It will take about a week to get here, but when it does, maybe I'll start a new Blog.  I'll keep you posted.  In the meantime, I'll continue to do Burn It Up and Slim In 6-Pack, which is where I'm heading now.

Day 42 - Re-Inspired to Burn It Up

It's almost midnight and I just finished Slim & 6 Pack.  I've been debating what to do once my 6 weeks of Slim In 6 are done.  Why do I have to do something different?  Why can't I just continue with Slim In 6?  Granted, I haven't lost any weight (I was hoping to lose 13 lbs. in 6 weeks), but I have lost inches.  My clothes fit a lot better and I think I look better.  Of course there's still room for improvement, but why does it have to be with a different routine?

I have to admit that since starting Burn It Up, I haven't been fully invested.  I don't particularly like Amber & Jonathan (the people working out on the video).  Debbie doesn't seem quite as encouraging as she's been on the other DVD's.  It also bothers me that it takes more than an hour.  And it's difficult!  Because of all this, I'm not jumping up in the morning and immediately starting to work out like I was in the beginning.  Once, I think it was near midnight before I forced myself to exercise.  Another day, I did Cardio Express rather than Burn It Up.  And this morning I went back to Ramp It Up.  I talked to my sister about it and asked what difference it makes if I just continue with Ramp It Up?  It's still a really good workout and no one is keeping score.  She agreed, although I don't think she was really paying attention.  Then I asked my husband (looking for more confirmation that it didn't matter if I took the easy way out).  Surprisingly, he totally disagreed!  He said it was like quitting before I was done and that I wouldn't be completing "Slim In 6".  So, today, I spent quite a while on the internet reading peoples' stories about their transformations and I got re-inspired.  So, I am going to continue with Burn It Up for at least another 14 workout days before I think about moving on.  Next week I will be away for 4 days and I won't be able to exercise or blog.  But I will complete all my workouts when I get back.

I've also decided that Power 90 is going to be my next step.  There were so many positive transformation stories about Power 90 and many of the people had started with Slim In 6 and moved on.  So, when I'm ready, I'll move on to Power 90.  But for now I'm dedicating myself back to Burn It Up.

Day 41 - Could Power 90 Be Next?

It's almost 10:00 PM and I haven't started my workout yet.  I plan to begin in 10 minutes, right after America's Got Talent.  I've been researching my next workout routine and I think I'm leaning toward Tony Horton's Power 90.  I read a detailed review from Lori Harden at Extremely-Fit.com and it sounds like it might be a great next step.  I think it's a little more varied than Slim In 6, you do cardio one day, strength training the next, back to cardio, add an Ab routine, etc.  Also, the workouts are only 30 - 40 minutes long.    And the Ab routine is 6 minutes.  Slim In 6, as you know, is the same routine every day and it's over an hour long with an additional 15 minute Ab work out.  As I'm winding down on my six weeks, I decided to start looking for something new.  I still don't think I'm ready for P90X but Power 90 (it's predecessor) might do the trick.

That's it for tonight.  I've got to go exercise!

Day 40 - Cardio Core Express

So, the thing about today was, there just wasn't enough time to do my whole Burn It Up routine.  But, on the Start It Up video, there is a 30 minute routine called Cardio Core Express, so I figured what the heck, I'd give that a try.  It was only 30 minutes long, about 2 - 3 minutes devoted to warm up and another 2 or 3 for stretching at the end.  But the 24+ minutes in the middle were a pretty good workout.  Now, don't get me wrong, it was no Burn It Up, but it was quick and it was thorough.  It got my heart pumping right off the bat and kept it up almost the entire time.  It focuses on the core (midsection).  I really need more work on my thighs, but my waist can still use the help.  I had to use hand weights (5 lbs.) for parts of the routine, I really like the resistance bands, but, they weren't an option.  I have a feeling it is one of the DVD's that are included with the Slim Series Express package, so I think I'll give it another try (as I have been thinking that might be my next step).

I also did the Slim & 6 Pack tonight.  It seems like it's been a while since the last time I did that one.  It really is a great routine.  The perfect workout for me would be a complete workout in 30 minutes followed by the Slim & 6 Pack and then the Slim & Limber.  Maybe I can find something to fill the bill.  I'll let you know.

Day 39 - Down To The Wire

I know, it's been days and days since my last blog.  I don't want you think I haven't been thinking about you, I have been.  My wireless router died in a thunder storm last week and it took me a few days to replace it.  But don't worry, I have been doing my Slim In 6 workouts.  I'm down to the wire now.  Today was Day 1 of Week 6, the last week of my program.  I haven't lost the weight I was hoping to lose, but I have changed how my body looks and feels.  My clothes are much looser and I've been able to get into things I haven't worn in a long time.  I'm also much stronger than I was 6 weeks ago -- I can perform real push-ups, not the modified kind.  I can do squats forever, and there are some abdominal exercises that I never would have believed I'd be able to do.  But I'm doing them!
 
I've noticed since starting Burn It Up, I've been having a more difficult time staying motivated.  I think it might be the length of time the video takes, just over an hour.  Then another 15 minutes later in the day for either stretching or the Ab. workout.  When I'm doing the workout, I'm into it, but getting started in the morning is taking me forever.  I can find a million other things I'd rather be doing other than exercise.  To cut down on the total amount of time, I've been replacing the final few minutes of stretching & yoga with the 15 minute Slim & Limber video.  Basically killing two birds with one stone.  And my resolve has really been out when it comes to the Ab. routine.  I think I only did  it twice last week, not three times like I'm supposed to.  This week I'm going to try to do it every night.

I don't know what I'm going to do once I finish Slim In 6.  On the Start It Up video there's a routine called Cardio Express.  I think I'll give it a try and maybe look into buying the Slim Series Express work outs.  From what I understand, they're only 30 minutes long so that may be more to my liking although I don't know how effective the workouts will be.  I should finish with Burn It Up on Saturday and then maybe alternate between Burn It Up and Cardio Express.  At least until I make up my mind as to what I'm going to pursue next.  Who knows, maybe I'll attempt P90X.  I'll keep you posted on what I decide.  

Day 32 - Getting Ready To Do My Workout

It's almost 7:30 PM and I'm only now getting ready to work out.  We're still having trouble with my computer so this blog is going to be short & sweet.  I just want to say that I feel like I'm doing really well with the Burn It Up DVD.  It's considerably harder (and longer) than the others, but I think I'm considerably stronger than I was.  After the first day, I had a bit of a muscle ache in my calves, but that only lasted a few hours.  Also, I've managed to complete 15 REAL push-ups!  Not the modified version I've been doing.  Tonight I'm going to go for 30.  That's about it.  I'm logging off to go work out and I'll let you know about the push-ups tomorrow.

Day 31 - Burn It Up!

Okay, I can see what all the hoopla is about.  I did my first Burn It Up today, and did it ever!  The video is just over an hour long.  It starts with a warm up and then a very long squat sequence (it felt like a thousand).  Or maybe it was lunges.  I can't remember.  I think by the time I was finished I was delirious.  Then it moves onto the waist and core then onto lunges (or squats) whichever one was left.  Of course there was a resistance band section (longer and with more variety than in the past) then down to the mat for floor exercises to continue to work my legs and butt because they weren't completely exhausted, yet!  Then on to the Abs.  Oh, and let's not forget the push-ups.  I'm up to 30 now.  Not bad considering only 4 weeks ago I was at 8.  Debbie suggests trying the regular style push-up.  All along I've been doing the modified.  I think I'll wait a few days until I feel more comfortable with the workout before I attempt them.  There were a couple of spots where I couldn't keep up with the pace and one exercise where I felt absolutely out of sync.  But, I didn't have to pause the DVD to catch up and I didn't have to keep my hands on my hips.  So I think that's progress.  There were a few times (mostly during the lunges) when my knees hurt, so I lightly held onto the arm of the sofa for balance.  My shoulder bothered me a bit, as well, but I pushed through.  Immediately following the workout, I did the stretching video.  I thought that might help to ease any aching muscles and so far, so good.

I'll let you know how I feel in the morning.

Day 30 - Sunday - the God's Must Be Angry

So today was the last day of my Ramp It Up.  All along, I think I've been calling the next video "Step It Up', when in fact, it's BURN IT UP!  But, back to today.  I waited until the afternoon to do my workout.  It just felt really good to sleep late.  Did I mention I live in Florida?  Anyway, I started the workout, I'm not two minutes into the warm up when we get a thunderstorm and it knocks out the power. Okay, it's easy enough to start over (after everything reboots).  Then, I'm about fifteen minutes in when, boom, the power goes out again.  Again, I restart. Only this time, I fast forward to where I left off.  Then, I'm in the middle of the yoga portion when my husband answers the phone and it's for me.  It would have been really easy for him to say I'd call back, but instead, he says "Hold on, she's right here".  So I pause the video and answer the call.  I resumed where I left off and finally completed the workout.  It was the longest 54 minute workout - ever!

Then tonight, I sat down to write my Blog and, of course, our internet is still out from the storm.  The cable guy won't be here until tomorrow afternoon so I'm typing a word document and I'll blog it tomorrow.  Hopefully, I'll be back in business then.

Day 29 - One More Day

Sorry I didn't write yesterday, I took the day off from my workout.  When I got up in the morning, my back felt a little funny.  In the past, I've suffered with Sciatica and I was afraid that my back was going to go out.  Instead I did the stretching routine in the morning and that seemed to help immensely.  I didn't write because I just didn't have anything to really say.  Even now, I don't have a whole lot going on.  I'm still having trouble with my diet.  I just can't seem to get a handle on it.  The funny thing is I stay within my WW Points, but it doesn't seem to be helping.  My weight isn't budging.  I just can't figure out where I'm going wrong.

Recently, my Dr. took me off my thyroid meds.  She didn't think I really needed them anymore.  Although, she didn't perform any tests to come to this conclusion.  I wonder if this might be the culprit.  Maybe I do suffer from Hypothyroidism and I should be on the Rx.  Maybe my metabolism really is slow.  Anyway, I have some left over pills and decided to start up again on my own to see if that kick starts the weight loss.  If I suddenly begin losing again, I'll know that was the problem.

Tomorrow is my last day of Ramp It Up and then it's on to STEP IT UP.  Everything I've read on the internet says that's when the real changes occur.  I sure hope so because I only have two weeks left in this journey and so far, there's no real transformation, and I have been doing these workouts religiously.  I'm tempted to measure myself again, but I think I'll wait until the end like they suggest.

That's about it for now, I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Day 27 - No Will Power

You know how recently I've been struggling with getting a better handle on my food choices.  Well, I realized today that my biggest problem is that I have no will power.  I've been comparing notes with my sister, the one who's doing P90X.  She is very supportive and always has positive feedback and words of encouragement.  She's my biggest supporter.  I've been restricting my carb intake and trying to avoid refined sugars.  In addition, at her suggestion, I've started eating smaller, more frequent meals.  She is basically doing the same thing.

She sent me a text message tonight around 7:00 PM stating that she was having a GREAT day, and was very focused.  Less than three hours later I got a text stating that the day had completely fallen apart and she had to go to bed in order to stop eating!  I don't know what changed, but I can certainly relate.

This morning, trying to stay focused, I had a scrambled egg around 8:00, at 10:30 I had blueberries & non-fat yogurt, at 1:00 I had scallops on top of a salad with dressing on the side.  So far, so good.  Then I stopped in a gift shop with a girlfriend and they had free samples of salt water taffy.  So, needless to say, I had one.  After all they were free!  I have absolutely no resolve.  I wasn't hungry, it wasn't the BEST candy I've ever had, it wasn't even that I especially wanted it.  It was just that it was there, so I had to eat it.  The simple fact of the matter is -- I have NO WILL POWER!

Now, I wonder how I work on that?  I think I'll call my sister......

Day 26 - Noisy Bones

It's 11:30 and I just finished my Slim & 6 Pack work out.  I finished the entire workout, although I did have a sharp pain in my left shoulder blade.  The other thing I noticed is that my hip bones and lower spine were really "clicky".  There wasn't any pain but they sure were noisy.  They felt like they were locking and unlocking.

I have to say that today's Slim In 6 workout was the best one yet.  I'm supposed to rate each workout on a scale of 1 to 5 and I would give today's a 4 1/2.  I really pushed myself  and had good momentum.  I even managed to raise my legs in those side leg lifts really high.  Usually I do the workout first thing in the morning.  But today I didn't do it until 4:00 PM.  I wonder if that had anything to do with it?

I went to Weight Watchers yesterday and as I suspected, I wasn't especially happy.  And remember, it's all about the scale.  I was actually up 4/10 of a pound, right at my goal weight.  I did wear a different dress so that could have been the difference.  Although, I haven't been as precise with my diet as I could be.  What seems to happen, and I've mentioned this before, is that I'm good for a number of days and then I slip.  I'm going to really focus on the diet this week and see if it makes a difference.  I looked back in my food diary (yes, I keep a food diary) to the week when I lost 2.2 lbs.  That week, I ate most of my dinners at home.  That has not been the case lately.  I've more than mastered eating lunch out (salad with some type of lean protein, dressing on the side & dipping only the tines of my fork into the dressing).  But dinner is another story, usually there's some type of sauce or maybe a "macadamia crust" on the fish, and usually a glass of wine.  But, the 2.2 week I had a number of lunches out and most of my dinners at home.  So that's what I going to try to do this week.

I only have three more days of Ramp It Up and then I move on to Step It Up.  I have to admit, I'm a little apprehensive.  But I figure, practice makes perfect and I'll just have to try a little harder.  I wonder how many push ups I'll be doing next week?

Between focusing on eating at home and "Stepping It Up", hopefully, this will be a good week.

Day 24 - My Skinny Jeans

Today is Day 1 of Week 3 on my Slim In 6 journey.  Only 6 days left until I can measure myself again.  Now, if you remember, I jumped the gun and measured myself after only two weeks.  I was supposed to wait until the completion of Week 4, but curiosity got the best of me.  After two weeks, I had lost a total of 6 1/2 inches.  Yea!  I keep worrying that I'm not losing weight, but maybe it's that I'm replacing the fat with muscle -- firming up and slimming down, and muscle weighs more than fat, right?

But, how can I find out?  Then it hit me -- my skinny jeans.  The last time I tried to get into my skinny jeans, there was a three to four inch gap between the button and the buttonhole.  I even tried lying on the bed and sucking in my stomach as much as possible, but there was no way I was getting that button hooked or that zipper up!  So I packed them away at the bottom of my closet.  Out of sight, out of mind.  Until today.  Then this afternoon, I pulled them out, slipped them on and voila' zipped them up.  And all while I was STANDING UP!

So, I don't know if I'm actually losing weight.  We'll know tomorrow when I go to Weight Watchers.  But I do know I'm getting smaller, my body is actually transforming and that's my ultimate goal.  By the way, I started this journey as a size 10 - 12, the jeans are a size 8.  Hooray!

Day 23 - Eating To Lose

The past 24 hours have been my one day a week off.  I took last night off from blogging and today off from my workout.  Today is the final day of week three.  I feel like the workouts are falling into place.  I know I'm getting stronger and performing the individual exercises better than in the beginning.  My arms are a lot stronger, I can do 24 push-ups versus only 8 when I first started and I no longer have to lower my arms to keep up with the program.  The problem is, I'm struggling a little with the P.M. workouts.  Mostly the Ab routine, I really like the stretching.  But don't get me wrong, I'm not having any trouble doing the Ab routine, I'm just not lovin' it.  But I'll persevere.

My disappointment lies in my weight loss.  The scale is not budging and I don't know why.  Actually it's going down but very, very slowly.  I am staying within my WW points range and I am not taking my additional exercise points.  So why isn't the scale going down?  I talked to my sister about it, and she suggested I change it up a bit and instead of 3 meals a day, switch to 6 snack size meals.  I'll give it a try, but I don't know how well it will work into my life style.  The other thing I may try is having protein at EVERY meal.  I start my day with fruit, yogurt and oatmeal.  I think I'll replace the oatmeal with an egg.  At lunch, I'll have half my protein serving and save the other half for a mid-afternoon snack along with a piece of fruit.  She says she's doing more of a "Body For Life" style diet -- every time she has a fruit or veggie, she has a protein.  And every time she has a protein, she adds a fruit or veggie.  They always say you need to eat to lose, so I guess I'll give it a try.

Day 21 - Dear Diary

First, let me start by saying the Oreos are in the trash.  I couldn't run the risk that they would call me again.  Once I knew they were there, they'd haunt me.  Better it should be, out of sight, out of mind.  Now onto bigger and better things.

I think my workout routines are really coming along.  I'm keeping up with the pace and moving my arms through the entire routine.  I still take sips of water during the "march it out" portions, but I don't think that's a bad thing.  A good thing is that today I had on a pair of shorts and I'd estimate that the waste was about four inches too big.  I still have another week to go before I measure myself again, but I am very optimistic.  I may be forced to go shopping in another three weeks for all new clothes in a new smaller size.

I realized today that writing a Blog is like keeping a diary, only open to the public.  Another thing I realized when I looked back on my "Diary" is that I've fallen off the wagon for one day during each of the past two weeks.  What do you think that's about?  Am I taking "Slim In 6" too literally?  I stay on track for six days and then fall off.  Do I suffer from a weekly bout of ADD?  The workouts allow for a day off.  But I don't think the diet does.  My sister, Jill, mentioned a couple of weeks ago that she's maintaining her weight by watching what she eats all week long and then on Saturday she eats whatever she wants.  She justifies it by all the exercise she's doing during P90X.  Subconsciously, could I be doing the same thing?  I'll have to think this through a little more thoroughly.  But, right now, I have to stretch.

Speaking of stretching, the Start It Up workout had a really nice stretching routine at the end.  The Ramp It Up workout ends with a Yoga routine, rather than stretching.  And I've noticed I'm a bit more achy this week than last week.  I have a feeling daily stretching is really important, especially for these old muscles & bones.  

Day 20 - (Yesterday) Whining About Wine

Yesterday was my husband's Happy Birthday and of course we went out to dinner to celebrate.  I made some good food choices -- salad with dressing on the side, fish and a double order of steamed veggies.  And then a poor choice -- wine.  My problem with wine is I LIKE IT!  So, of course, I had two glasses.  Then what happens is, I have bread to go with the wine, then I have butter to go with the bread.  Then, I go in for the kill -- dessert!  I didn't have dessert at the restaurant, thank goodness.  I waited until I got home.  Then I opted for 1/2 cup CarbSmart ice cream, with 1 Tbs. chocolate syrup and 1/4 cup Lite Cool Whip.  That little sundae was only 3 WW Points.  But then, and here is where I really went awry, I hit the Oreos!!!  I had put them in the freezer so I wouldn't be tempted, but of course, when I went in for the ice cream, there they were.  And the question is, "How long can you sit on the sofa watching TV thinking about Oreos before they win?  The answer is "Only about an hour".  And I'm not talking about one Oreo, I'm talking about four!  210 Calories, 9 Grams of Fat and 5 wasted WW Points.  All because of two glasses of wine.

Day 19 - Coach Michelle

Today I got an email from someone named Coach Michelle.  She's affiliated with Beachbody.com, the people who produced Slim In 6.  Although I have a great support person in my sister, Jill, I'll be curious to see what Coach Michelle has to offer.  I replied to her and told her all about my experiences to date, and also about this Blog.  I also asked her for a little help with a couple of exercises I'm having trouble with.  (1) Reverse Crunches -- I don't think I'm using my Ab muscles (although that's what crunches are supposed to work).  I think I'm mostly using my legs.  (2) My other problem area is side leg lifts.  On the new Ramp It Up DVD, I do tons of them.  Both standing, similar to a Tae-kwon-do kick and also down on all fours where I raise my leg to the side then straighten it, bend it again, and lower it.  That's one of the tougher moves in the routine and I just can't get my leg high enough.  I'm sure with time, it will happen.  But I thought maybe Coach Michelle might have some suggestions.

I discovered something the other day which I forgot to mention.  The first day I tried Ramp It Up, I turned off the music so I could listen to how to perform the exercises.  It turns out, I liked doing the routines MUCH better without music.  I think I found the music a little too grating.  Anyway, without it, the time seems to go by more quickly.  I also moved my position in relation to the TV.  Now, I can't see the little timer in the lower right hand corner of the screen.  Maybe that's why the time seems to be going by more quickly.  Or, maybe it's just like they say "Time flies when you're having fun".  On that happy note, I'm off to do my stretching.

Day 18 - Imagine The Possibilities!

Today was my Weight Watchers meeting.  At Weight Watchers, every food is given a "Point" value.  And every day, I am allowed a certain number of Points, 20 to be exact.  I could take additional Points for the exercise I do, but I chose not to.  In addition to my 20 daily Points, I also get 35 Points to be used over the course of the week.  I don't think there has ever been a week when I didn't use my 35 extra Points.  My WW week begins on Wednesday, last Thursday (Day 2) when I went out with the girls, I used 34 of my 35 weekly Points.  I used them all in one day, no spreading them over the course of the week for me!  Somehow, I managed to stay within my 20 Points every other day and when I stepped on the scale today, I was down .8 lb.  In spite of all those cocktails on Thursday.  I am thrilled to report that I am 4/10 of a lb. below my WW goal weight.  I haven't been this low since August 2009.  Hooray!

My second bit of really good news is that I managed to complete my second attempt at Ramp it Up without having to stop the DVD and sit down to catch my breath.  A couple of times this morning, like yesterday, I had to put my arms down because I thought they were going to fall off, but other than that, I held my own.  And I have to tell you, doing these exercises gives me such a feeling of empowerment.  I get up and work out first thing and the rest of the day I am on a high.  This is a really difficult work out routine, especially for someone like me who never really exercised before.  When I complete it I tell myself that if I can do this, I can do just about anything the day throws at me.  It's a wonderful feeling.  That, combined with a loss on the scale, made this a really good day.

And one last bit of good news is that when I look in the mirror, I can actually SEE that my waist is smaller and more defined.  And I'm not even halfway through Slim In 6.  Imagine the possibilities!

Day 17 - Week Three, Day One -- OMG!

Today was the first day of the second level of Slim In 6 - Ramp It Up.  And let me tell you, it does!  Even though I'd previewed the video, I was not prepared for the actual workout.  At one point I literally had to stop the video, sit down & put my head between my knees because I was so lightheaded and breathing so heavily.  A number of times during the workout, where I was working both my upper and lower body at a cardio pace, I had to lower my hands to my hips in order to keep up.  The entire video is 55 minutes long, it begins with a warm up, works through plie's, squats, lunges and standing crunches all the while working the waist.  Then onto the mat for leg work (I thought my legs were on fire) and Abs.  Finishing with stretching and yoga moves.  Many of the moves throughout are the same as on the Start It Up video, but they've been expanded upon and additional moves have been added in.

I am anxious to work out again tomorrow to see if I can improve on today.  I don't think I can get any worse.  And speaking of today, I had an excellent WW day.  At breakfast, I'm still loving my strawberry/blueberry, FF yogurt & uncooked oatmeal mixture.  I attended a Memorial Day Party at which I knew there would be nothing good for me to eat, so I brought my own food -- grilled chicken & potato salad.  Over the weekend, I grilled six chicken breasts and I've been using them in salads.  Having them pre-grilled is making it very easy to stay on track.

Oh, by the way, I'm up to 2 sets of 12 push-ups each.  Last week 10, this week 24.  I'll be knocking these babies out in no time!

Day - 15 Good News & Bad News

Today was Day 15 of my Slim in 6 program.  I did the Start It Up video for what I think is going to be the last time.  Before starting the workout, I weighed myself (no change) and I measured myself (I lost 6.5 inches in two weeks!).  Two of those inches were from my waist and one and three quarter inches off my hips -- HOORAY!  Needless to say, that was my "Good News".

My "Bad News" is that I previewed the Ramp It Up video and OMG!  First off, it's 21 minutes longer than Start It Up, a total of 55 minutes.  It still begins with a warm up and ends with a stretching routine.  But in between those two sets they work 9 different areas of the body at a pace that can surely qualify as an aerobic work out.  I didn't even know I had 9 different areas of my body. This new video, just like in Start It Up, features Debbie Siebers and two students.  I don't think they were 10 minutes into the video before one of the students, coincidently named Holly, has to wipe off the sweat that's dripping down her face.  Then about ten minutes later, Debbie had to use her towel to dry off.  All through the video you can hear  all three of them really huffing, puffing & groaning.

The booklet says to work into everything slowly.  I have a feeling it's going to take me the next two weeks just to be able to keep up with the pace, let alone master the routine.  Tomorrow is my free day (we're going kayaking) and then Monday morning, bright and early, I'll take my fist shot at Ramp It Up.  On the up side, I believe a 55 minute total body workout at an aerobic pace will surely help me shed pounds.  See, Every cloud has a silver lining.  See you Monday.    

Day - 14 Two Weeks Down, Four To Go

Today is Day 14, I have completed two weeks of Slim in 6.  I just finished my Ab routine and I have to tell you, I'm still finding it pretty tough to do.  On each video, there is a Slim & Limber and also a Slim & Six Pack.  On the Start It Up video, both routines are 15 minutes long.  I don't feel like I've mastered the Slim & Six Pack on the first video, I sure hope they don't "ramp that up" as well on the second one.

As I've spent two weeks with Start It Up, tomorrow, I could move on to Ramp It Up.  But I think I'll wait.  I'll do Start It Up one last time tomorrow, take Sunday off and begin Ramp It Up on Monday.  New week, new routine.

My sister, the one who's doing P90X is having great results.  She's on week six.  Her weight is dropping like a rock and she is really getting into shape.  She said she started noticing real results after week three.  Her weight stayed the same, but she was getting more toned.  But this past week, she made some changes in her diet (eliminating refined sugars) and her weight really started to plummet.  Keep up the GREAT work Sis.

I haven't noticed any real weight loss for myself and it's a bit discouraging.  But I will stick with it, I'm only coming up on Week 3.  Maybe I'll re-read the diet guidelines to get a better handle on it.  If I come up with any ideas, I'll let you know.  Till next time....    

Day - 13 (Yesterday) I've Fallen, But I Can Get Up

First let me say I'm sorry I didn't write last night.  I spent the afternoon & evening with girlfriends.  We went to see the opening of Sex & The City and had a few two many Cosmos.  Which then led to making the wrong food choices.  It happens to me all the time.  I'll have a couple of weeks where I'm really in the groove, exercising & watching what I eat and then something happens, and BOOM, I fall off the wagon.

I knew before yesterday started that it was going to happen.  I'd been planning the day for a long time.  In my defense, I did do my Slim in 6 when I first woke up yesterday.  But I didn't do the Ab workout when I got home.  Then, to make matters worse, I couldn't do Slim in 6 first thing this morning.  So, I went about my day, just finished lunch and am waiting an hour before starting to exercise.  I'll do the Slim in 6 work out and the Ab routine today and then I'll be back on track.  And when I wake up in the morning, I'll do Slim in 6 before I do anything else and I'll be back in the groove.  One slip up does not have to throw a wrench into my whole program.  Like the song says -- "I'll pick myself up, dust myself off and start all over again".  Talk to you later.

Day 12 - Anytime Is The Right Time To Exercise

It's almost midnight, and I just finished doing both my Slim in 6 work out and my stretching routine.  My intention, as always, was to get up this morning and get right into it.  But, some mornings I just can't get  get out of bed.  Then, I had to go to my Weight Watcher's meeting because I missed it yesterday.  From the time the meeting ended at 9:00 AM until about 10:30 PM I've been busy running from one thing to the next.

I rationalized that I could skip the work out.  After all, I do get one free day a week.  But my last skip day was only a few days ago, and, what would I write about?  So at 10:45, I put on my sneakers, moved the coffee table aside and turned on the video.  And I have to admit, I am very happy & very proud of myself that I did it.  It would have been so easy to skip it.  But isn't that how a downward spiral starts?  First I skip a work out, then tomorrow I'm going out with the girls (Sex & The City 2 opens), so I already know it won't be a great food day (too many Cosmos), then it would be so easy to skip working out again the following morning.  And there you have it -- the makings of a disaster.  But instead, I'm flying high and will get up at 7:00 AM to work out tomorrow.  One more great day under my belt.

By the way, I lost 4/10 pound this week at WW.  I know I said I was hoping to lose at least a pound, but it's still a loss.  And after the gain I had a couple of days ago, I was happy to be below last week's weigh in.  The meeting was all about exercise, so I got more positive reinforcement for my journey.  I'm going to send the link to my Blog to my WW leader which will give me more incentive to keep motivated and moving  forward.  I am definitely on a roll!

Day 11 - So That's How You Do a Crunch

I had a GREAT exercise day today.  I got up and did my Slim in 6 work out, first thing.  Then I went kayaking for two hours.  Then, late in the afternoon, I went biking for about 45 minutes.  Normally on Tuesday, I would have gone to Weight Watchers.  But today, because of the kayaking, I couldn't go.  So I'm going tomorrow.  Maybe with all of today's exercise, my visit to the scale will be a good one.

Now that I'm really thinking about it, I was a little sluggish during my Slim in 6 work out.  I seemed to be one beat behind Debbie.  I also discovered that I was performing my alternating oblique crunches incorrectly.  It's tough to keep an eye on the TV while you're lying on the floor.  I was lifting both shoulders off the floor while twisting when I should only be lifting one.  But once I realized my mistake, it made a big difference in the crunch.

When you read all the reviews of SI6, the only real complaint seems to be that people get bored with the videos,  I only have four days of work outs left using Start It Up, and I'm not bored at all.   Then I move on to Ramp It Up for 2 weeks.  If I'm having trouble keeping up now, what do you think is going to happen when I "Ramp it up"?  I guess I'll find out on Monday.

Tomorrow I go to Weight Watchers.  I'm hoping to be down from last week, but after yesterday's weigh in on my scale, I'm not so sure.  I'll let you know tomorrow.

Day 10 - Maybe My Scale Is Broken

Here's what I don't understand about exercising & dieting.  Correction, here's one of the many things I don't understand about exercising and dieting.  I have been doing everything right.  Exercising 9 out of the last 10 days (twice a day, even), watching what I eat, drinking lots of water, staying within my daily Weight Watcher points, and yet, today when I stepped on the scale, I was up! Up! UP! almost a pound.  How do you explain that?  What evil force is at work trying to throw me a curve ball?  I'd like to say that perhaps it's my newly formed muscles.  You know how they say muscle weighs more than fat.  But I just don't think that's the case after only 10 days.  Now, I did use a new delicious barbeque rub a couple of days ago and maybe it tasted so good because it was loaded with salt.  Lots of salt, of course, would make me retain extra water weight.  That sounds logical, but who knows?

Maybe my scale is broken.  I used to have a scale that if I stood with most of my weight on my right heel, I weighed about 2 pounds less than if I stood with my weight evenly distributed.  But, up until now, my new scale hasn't been like that.  Maybe, I should change the batteries.  

Maybe, I should wait until tomorrow morning and see what I weigh.  Maybe, I just shouldn't weigh myself every day.  Maybe, I should stop worrying about it and log off and go do my Ab work out.      

Day 9 - Gotta Have A System

Today is the first day of my second week on Slim in Six and I can't think of one negative thing to say.  As crazy as it sounds, I enjoy doing the workouts.  I try to workout as soon as I get up and when I'm finished, I have such a feeling of accomplishment that it just makes my whole day seem better.  The double bonus about it is that since I've started my day on such a high note, I don't want to ruin it by eating poorly.  I'm finding that each day gets easier than the one before to stay focused.  I also find myself telling anyone who'll listen about my journey and Slim in 6.

The other day I mentioned that Sunday was going to be my "day off."  Well, I changed my mind.  Yesterday, I had a really busy day planned, so I chose Saturday as my day off.  I don't think it matters which day is my day off as long as I work out 6 days a week.  And by day off, I mean I didn't exercise or blog, but I stayed true to my diet and counted all my WW points.  It seems really easy to practice Weight Watchers within the confines of the Michi Ladder from Slim in 6.  I've been starting my day with a parfait of fresh berries mixed with Fiber One Yogurt and sprinkled with uncooked Rolled Oats -- it's delicious.  I've also been eating lots of salads both when I'm out to lunch and at home.  My home salad is lots of baby spinach with grilled chicken, red onion, an ounce of goat cheese, 1/4 cup of craisins and a tablespoon of fat free Vidalia Onion dressing -- Yum-O.  Dinners are mostly steamed veggies with a portion of meat (chicken, pork or beef), and either a baked sweet or white potato.  For dessert, I've been having frozen bananas which taste just like banana ice cream -- they're wonderful!

I feel very in control.  And as each new day passes, and I stay on track, the feel grows stronger and the journey gets easier.  Which reminds me, I've decided to do the AB workout three times a week (every other day -- M, W, F) and the stretching video on the alternate days (S, T, Th).  I'll do both of them in the evening just before going to sleep and my Slim in 6 when I wake up.  I think I've got a system going now.  I'll talk to you tomorrow, I'm going to go stretch.      

Day 7 - Patience Is A Virtue

It's Day 7, it's 11:42 PM and I just finished my Slim in 6 Pack Ab workout.  I did today's Start It Up video first thing this morning.  My first week of Slim in 6 is complete.  I'm 1/6 of the way there, 16 2/3% done -- Hooray.  I keep looking at myself in the mirror wondering when I'm going to start seeing signs of my miraculous transformation.  My Mother always used to say "Patience is a virtue", but I'd like to see some results and I'd like to see them now!  I have definitely done more exercise this week than I have ever done in one week in my life.  So when do I see the payoff?

Last week, before starting this journey, I took my measurements and pictures of myself.  My booklet says to do it again in one month.  Maybe that's how long it takes before I see the results.  Because I'm one of those people for whom the above statement was written, I guess I'm just going to have to bide my time and continue to work out every day.  I have to say that today at lunch, I did feel a muscle in my upper arm that I never noticed before.  Maybe that's the beginning of my newly defined arms.  Now if I could only see some sign of my newly defined Six Pack Abs, I'd really be thrilled.

I still have one week to go using the first of my three videos, Start It Up.  It's a fairly intense full body workout and I can't imagine what Ramp It Up and Burn It Up are going to be like.  Time will tell -- Patience, My Friend, Patience.  

Day 6 - Size Really Does Matter

Today is Day 6 of my Slim in 6 workout plan.  The booklet says I only have to work out 6 days a week, so, I could play hooky tomorrow.  But I think I’ll exercise both Friday & Saturday and use Sunday as my “Free Day”.  I’ll make Sunday all about me -- sleep late (later than usual), no exercise (except maybe stretching, it feels so good), no housework, etc. you get the idea.  I was a little stiff this morning doing the workout.  I have a feeling it’s because I did the Abs & stretching so late last night -- I could barely keep my eyes open.  I've got to start earlier.

I was thinking today, we've all heard the saying "Size doesn't matter", well when your watching your weight, the opposite is true.  Size really does matter.  We all know what we're supposed to eat in order to lose weight.  For example, I'm concentrating on eating clean -- mostly fruits, veggies and lean protein.  But what's the right portion size?  How much is too much?  Can too much of a good thing be bad?

A portion of lean protein is only about 3 - 4 oz., the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand.

A small piece of fruit is about the size of a tennis ball.

A large baked potato is similar in size to a lightbulb.

A one cup serving of brown rice is about the size of my fist.

But most veggies are limitless.  Very few people have ever gotten heavy from eating too much broccoli.

Most people fill their plates by putting the protein on first, then the carbs, then the veggies.  I've switched it up a little and I think it's helping.  I fill half the plate with veggies then add a portion of protein.  If I'm also having potatoes or rice, I'll add them last.  With all those veggies, the plate looks really full and I feel really satisfied and I haven't over indulged.  Lets' hope it pays off on the scale. 

Day 5 - Still Going & Growing Strong

It's Day 5 of my Slim in Six and so far, I'm doing really well with the program.  When I say "really well", what I really mean is that I'm still doing the program.  I tend to be an excellent starter and a not so great finisher.  Even though I hate getting out of bed in the morning, once I'm up, I don't even hesitate to put on my video.  I have to tell you though, yesterday, when I did the routine in the evening, I did it barefoot (I was simply too lazy to switch from flip flops to sneakers).  DON'T exercise barefoot!  My balance was way off and I kept getting cramps in my toes.  In the morning, when I get up and do SI6 first thing, I leave on my PJ's, but I think that's okay to do.  Just remember to take off your slippers and put on your sneakers.

Last night I stretched right before I went to bed and it was wonderful.  It's very relaxing and makes those tired muscles feel really good.  Tonight, I have to do 15 minutes of Ab work followed by 15 minutes of stretching.  The plan was to do the Ab work this afternoon, but life got in the way.  I tend to be a night owl anyway, so I'll just do it all after I log off.

Speaking of my tired muscles, the SI6 booklet recommended taking things slowly, which I've been doing.  I perform all the exercises and in most cases, I'm keeping up with the pace.  When I started Slim In 6 five days ago, I could only do 8 push-ups, but now I'm up to 10.  So I know I'm getting stronger.  My arms, especially, are exhausted during the routine, and I can't wait to lower them.  But the funny thing is, I don't ache afterwards, and I think it's because of the stretching.

It's 12:30 AM, so I'm turning off my computer and turning on my video so I can get to bed by 1:00.  Good Night.

Day 4 - It's All About The Scale

I know they say when you're on a weight loss journey, you shouldn't focus only on the scale.  Maybe there's a pair of jeans that you haven't been able to wear and now they fit like a glove.  Maybe everyone you know keeps telling you how good you look.  Or, maybe you've got more energy or your blood pressure is lower than it has been in years.  Those are all really important results.  But I'm sorry, all those things might be 100% true, but when you step on that scale, if it hasn't budged, not even one little 10th of a pound, or, Heaven forbid, it moves up, your day is ruined.  It's all about the scale!

My bathroom scale is exactly 6/10 of a lb. higher than the scale at my Weight Watcher meeting.  So this morning, I knew I was in pretty good shape when I headed out the door.  I entered the meeting room, put down my coffee & breakfast (oatmeal, yogurt & fruit), chatted for a few minutes with some of the other members, visited the ladies room one last time (every little bit helps, right?), and then got into the queue of women waiting to be weighed.  I stepped onto the scale and held my breath as the receptionist wrote my new weight in my booklet.  Minus 2.2 lbs.  Hooray!  Needless to say, I was thrilled.  I didn't have to pay for the meeting and it put me only 8/10 of a lb. away from my Weight Watcher goal.  Now, of course, my personal goal is to lose an additional 10.8 lbs. by the time I've completed Slim in 6.  So, if I can manage to lose 2 lbs. a week over the next 6 weeks, it should be  "A piece of cake".  Or should I say "A walk in the park".  Have you ever noticed how many sayings there are about food:

It's as easy as apple pie.
Bringing home the bacon.
Cool as a cucumber.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
That's a fine kettle of fish.
Selling like hot cakes.
Bought a lemon.
Don't cry over spilt milk.
Nutty as a fruitcake.
Like two peas in a pod.
Easy as pie.
A couch potato,
She's one hot tamale.

I'm hoping that between WW & Slim in 6, I can go from couch potato to hot tamale in six short weeks.  LOL  That's a little diet/exercise humor.

As far as SI6 goes, remember how yesterday I had so much energy.  Did the workout, walked with a friend, did an extra Ab routine and then a half hour stretch.  Today was the exact opposite.  I set my alarm for 6:55 AM, got up at 7:45 AM walked with Mal, went to my WW meeting, did some much needed catching up on paperwork, went house hunting with our friends, Rod & Penny, then out to dinner, played a couple of games of Farkle and FINALLY did my workout at 7:25 PM  I still plan to do 30 minutes of stretching before I go to sleep.  So, with that in mind, I'll leave you till tomorrow.  Sweet dreams.  See, there's another one!

Day 3 - In The Groove

My youngest sister always uses the term "I'm in the groove" when she is doing really well with her diet and/or exercise plans.  She's the one who got me involved with Slim in 6 because she's doing P90X (a seriously more intense workout routine).  I was researching  P90X when I came across SI6.  They're both put out by BeachBody.  After reading all the reviews, I just felt SI6 was a better fit for me.  After only 3 days of workouts, I'm certain I made the right choice.

Today, I was "In the Groove", as my sister would say.  I woke up at 7:00 and got right into my workout.  I finished by 7:53, washed my face, brushed my teeth and was out the door by 8:00 to go walking with a girlfriend.  We walked a little over 2 1/2 miles in just under 40 minutes.  Then this afternoon, I did an additional 15 minute really strenuous Ab routine called Slim & 6 Pack.  Debbie Siebers (she's the developer of SI6) recommends doing the Ab routine 3 - 4 times a week.  This was my first attempt, and I can only hope it's going to get easier.  It was really tough.  I also did the 15 minute Slim & Limber, which was a really nice stretching video.  I'm going to try to do the Slim & Limber every night and the Slim & 6 Pack 3 times a week, like they recommend.

I'm also doing pretty well with the food plan.  I'm eating a lot more fruit (blueberries for breakfast, an apple for a midday snack & a banana as an evening dessert) instead of the usual processed sweets.  And drinking lots more water.  My beverage of choice has always been Diet Coke, but I've decided to only drink it when I'm out to lunch.  When at home, I'm going to stick with water.  I've also stopped eating at least three hours before I go to sleep.

This whole change of attitude came to me after 10 days of Island hopping in the Abacos.  We had a fabulous time, but a lot of it revolved around rum drinks and fried food.  I don't think I've ever had so many Mud Slides and Sweet Potato Fries in my life!  I was 3 lbs. over my WW goal when I went on vacation on April 27.  When I came home on May 6, I was 8.6 lbs. higher -- 11.6 lbs. over Goal, YIKES!

So on May 7, I started keeping track of my eating and I ordered SI6.  The following week I returned to WW and was back down to only 3 lbs. over goal.  SI6 arrived on May 14 and I started the next day.

Tomorrow is my weigh in.  I'm hoping to have lost at least a pound so I'll be within 2 lbs. of Goal.  Then I won't have to pay $12 for the meeting.  It's a perk of being a WW Lifetime Member.  I wear the lightest clothes I have.  I've actually weighed everything I own on a food scale so I know which ones are lightest.  I hit the ladies room one last time, take off my shoes, remove my watch and then step on the scale.  I always hold my breath, but I think that's just a nervous habit.  Just to be on the safe side, I'll also shave my legs and not wear any moisturizer or make-up tomorrow.  You know how heavy leg hair and lotions can be.  And I need all the help I can get.

I'll let you know how I do, tomorrow.

   

Day 2 - Infatuation

I've completed Day 2 of Slim in 6 and I feel great! My new mantra is "Eat Clean To Get Lean". I focused on the program's food lists today. Something called the Michi Ladder. Hundreds of foods are broken down into tiers. Tiers 1 & 2 are supposed to be where 92% of all my food choices come from. Tier 1 - 70% (The Pious Tier) and Tier 2 - 22% (The Happy Tier) are mostly made up of vegetables, fruits, fish and skinless white meat chicken. Tier 3 - 5% (The Swiss Tier) seems to be a lot of healthy whole grains. Tier 4 - 2% (The Dodgy Tier) includes nuts, whole milk, and a lot of processed foods. And lastly, Tier 5 - 1% (The Newburg Tier) is fried food, cookies, cake & candy, pizza & ice cream. Of course, there are many, many more items on the lists, but you get the idea. Who is Michi, anyway?

A few years ago, Weight Watchers had a program called the Core Plan which wasn't too dissimilar. You focused mostly on fruits, veggies and lean protein, allowing yourself healthy grains & starches once a day. It also allowed for the occasional indulgence.

The bottom line for every diet, except maybe Atkins which my DH is on (and doing really well, I might add), seems to be calories in MUST be less than calories out. It sounds so simple, I don't understand why we can't master it.

This morning I didn't do my exercise until around 10:00. I slept until 9:30 when the phone rang and woke me up. It was my sister telling me she posted to my new Blog. I poured myself a cup of coffee while we were chatting and then realized I'm supposed to do the exercises on an empty stomach. I wonder, does black coffee count? Anyway, I put the cup away and waited until after I was finished.

I'm enjoying doing the exercises. And actually looking forward to the morning. I feel like a new routine and blogging about it has given me a new lease on life. It's a lot like the infatuation you feel when you first meet that special someone. You're so filled with hope that this could be the one. I've been dieting my entire adult life. It started with Dr. Stillman's Water Diet in the late 60's, since then I've tried The Cabbage Soup, Scarsdale, Hollywood, Grapefruit, South Beach, Volumetrics, and Sonoma Diets along with Atkins. The only one I've ever really had success with is Weight Watchers. But I've never actually exercised every day. Oh, sure, I walk with the girls, but our husbands always say our mouths get more exercise than our legs. It's mostly an hour set aside for catching up with a little walking thrown in so we feel like we're accomplishing something.

Yesterday, I did all the things SI6 recommends -- I weighed myself (more about that after my WW meeting on Tuesday), took my pictures (front, side & rear views) and measured myself. When did my thighs get to be the size my waist was when I was a teenager? SI6 recommends measuring again in 30 days so I can check my progress and then again at the end of my 6 weeks. They also recommend getting 8 hours sleep. Since I have to get up by 7:00 so I can complete SI6 before I walk with my friend, Mal, at 8:00, I think I'll say "Good Night".

By the way, the clock on this Blog is wacky, it's actually 11:50 PM.

Day 1 - Slim In Six

Today was the first day I tried Slim In Six. For anyone who doesn't know, it's a series of exercise videos to "completely reshape your body in just 6 weeks". I did the workout first thing this morning (first thing for me, anyway) around 7:45 AM. The whole workout lasted about 35 minutes. It combines cardio, strength training using exercise bands, floor exercises for my abs and stretching. I'm 60 years old and aside from walking and occasional bike rides, I do NOT exercise. Most of the time I was able to keep up with the pace, although I could only do 8 of the push-ups (bent knee) and I don't think my lunges were as low as the should be. I was huffing & puffing through the cardio portion and whenever I was able to march in place, I took an extra sip of water (and turned the ceiling fan on).

I've been going to Weight Watchers for the past 2 and a half years. I lost 30+ lbs. and kept it off for a year and a half, but in the past six months, I gained back 10. The Slim In Six diet seems to be lower in carbs (which should work out well because my DH [darling husband] is on Atkins).

I am making the commitment to do the Slim In Six workout 6 days a week. Each night I'll blog about the journey and hopefully, 6 weeks from now, I'll be more than 10 lbs. lighter and completely reshaped. Wish me Luck!