Not Quite Cross Fit

I had hoped to begin Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred but having to transport two kiddos to various places back and forth all week put a damper on those plans.  Now I've just begun doing something different and a lot harder.  I'm doing something that's a lot like Cross Fit.  A local guy is training my friend and I and we started today.  I am SO sore already and the pain is just beginning.  I can barely raise my arms to talk on the phone or drink my water...seriously!  The workout (including warm-up and cool down) was about 30 minutes total!  It totally kicked my butt!  I'm also tracking all my meals and snacks via Weight Watchers.  My goal is to lose 5 lbs by the time I leave for Santa Barbara.  Only time will tell if I meet the goal but if I look better in my bathing suit, that's good enough for me!

I'm Inspired!

I've decided to begin the 30 Day Shred (Jillian Michaels).  I'm going to begin on Monday and stick with 'shredding' for the next 30 days.  If I can (that is if our camping trip does not change) I may begin as soon as tomorrow though - although my neck has a kink in it so it might be best to wait a day or two.  I am trying to be realistic and do what I can stick with.  I will also re-begin Weight Watchers since we still pay a monthly fee.  It is easier to start on a Sunday so I plan to do that as well.

What happens if I get too bored with this workout.....?  This is a REAL possibility, unfortunately.  If I substitute something else in, it should be an equivalent workout calorie-wise.  I have plenty of Jillian workouts on other DVDs so I think I can manage this.  I also hope to only take 1 day off per week but will allow myself 2 days off maximum.  These DVD workouts are less than 30 minutes in length so there is NO reason not to be able to make time to get this done.

Wish me luck!  I hope to post recipes and progress notes as I go along, including my (gulp) weight changes.

Coming Back

I am always trying to get healthier - but reading these posts gives me a resolve.  I'm going to do it, by God!  I have SO many things I am interested in so I'm going to attempt to post my goals and all other things in my Lynas Family blog.  Keeping it simple.  I will come back here from time to time.  I love the Flexitarian reminder!  I plan to dig out my book and look at what yummy foods I can make with what I have on hand.  Here's to good health!

A Physical Today

I had a physical today - just an employment physical to make sure I won't keel over if I work in the district. I seemed to pass with flying colors with low blood pressure, able to lift and carry 50 lbs., I'm sure the drug urine test was passed, etc. I felt pretty confident in that I've been working out and eating pretty well for the past couple of months and I think that keeps my pulse rate low and my health good.

Eating flexitarian is kind of fun! I've made these delicious avocado/black bean wraps for lunch three times now and they are the perfect meal for me. Tonight we'll have some zucchini bean fritters! Last night it was grilled eggplant sandwiches with fresh tomatoes and arugula. Some of my favorite flavors in that one! A couple of days ago I made some lovely Vegetarian Rueben sandwiches with sauteed mushrooms and spinach - yummy! These lighter meals are hearty enough to satisfy me and I'm pretty certain they are bringing down my cholesterol levels...something I should re-check now that I'm more active and eating less flesh. Back to taking my fish oil to help in that regard! When we eat out, I do choose meat fare but at home we've been going veggie....it's a good balance for me.

Did a weight lifting class on Monday - WOW. I am beyond sore but it feels good to be working my muscles! I plan to do the class on a weekly basis. Also did kickboxing today and had a good workout. I checked out my vision board today and I'm pretty proud to have accomplished many of the items already - there is certainly no mistake in that. I need to do more yoga though - and I need to begin working to make a little extra cash in which to do the yoga, I think. Always more to do!

Svaroopa Yoga

Yesterday afternoon I enrolled in my very first Svaroopa Yoga class. Wow! It is unlike other disciplines of yoga that I have experienced. It's difficult to explain but it is not difficult to do, is very relaxing and gave benefits that are lasting today! The opening of the lower spine and sacrum area was wonderful and since I've had issues there before, I found it felt great! At the end we were entirely relaxed, in a blissful state. Anybody could do Svaroopa - even an inflexible person like me felt so rejuvenated. No talent or experience is required. This class was low cost and there will be no more because this instructor is leaving :(. Bummer! I do know of another instructor in town who is supposed to be good, attends our church and is only a few dollars more expensive so I may need to give myself the gift of this once a week or so. The stress relief benefit is worth it!

I also went to spin class today. A good instructor but not as tough as I have become accustomed. Was with friends so that was motivating and fun to have that camaraderie. Then came home and tried the vegetarian Rueben sandwiches that I've been meaning to try for a couple of weeks now and it was pretty darned tasty! Tonight I'm going to see the movie Eat Pray Love so that should help encourage me in the quest to begin meditation. It is so hard to do but would be entirely beneficial to my health.

We're Going Flexitarian

In an effort to save some money and eat healthier, I've decided to put us on a "flexitarian" diet indefinitely. You might not have heard of this term before but it basically means we'll be eating meat infrequently. It is healthier, easy to maintain (because meat is not forbidden - just not eaten every single day). So far I can attest that beans, mushrooms and eggs all help a great deal to provide hearty fare that tastes delicious and is satisfying. This seems the best option for me - I can eat bacon (rarely) and still maintain decent cholesterol levels! A win win! Since my cholesterol levels are above where I want them to be, I am going to continue to focus on eating this way and continue regular exercise.

And how about that egg recall? I am so relieved that this is not even remotely on my radar since we have our own egg source, 50 feet from our front door! Our 5 hens provide all the eggs we need and then some. I wish I could provide them with a 100% organic diet but they do get lots of organic trimmings from our veggies and fruits which helps. The corn feed I give them may not be the greatest and is probably GMO derived but the cost comparison is double to feed the chickens the "right" way. I would love to supplement them with some flax to give the eggs and Omega-3 boost as well but I'd say we're still light years ahead of the typical supermarket egg in terms of flavor, value and safety.

Exercise at the gym this week may be sporadic because I don't have an operational vehicle right now. Yesterday I got to my favorite spin class and that was fantastic! Not too sore today either which means I'm starting to get in better shape. I hope to get to kickboxing tomorrow and a new class called BodyPump on Thursday. I am loving the organized classes as they keep me motivated and interested. It's nice to go with friends too and I have a couple gals that want to come check out my gym....working out with buddies is the best!

Getting Healthier

I've decided to chronicle the health of my family. That's right - our health! Physical, spiritual and mental health, all documented for the world to see. We have much to work on but have already accomplished many things. Such as:

#1 We get a local farm box each week to prepare our meals from

Sometimes some items go to waste and we want to being to utilize EVERYTHING! If something is not used within a week I need to either feed to the chickens or donated to the local food bank or a friend.

#2 We have recently begun attending church services in our local community

We all can progress in our spiritual growth! Thus far I love the church, my kids are okay with it and my husband is halfway on board. It's a unique kind of place, unlike most. So far, so good!

#3 We eat pretty well

However, items do get wasted and money is tight right now. I need to plan meals and make sure we are within our budget. Utilizing our produce, I hope to transform our menus into a more "flexitarian" type of eating. I am currently toying with the idea of eating a meat-centered meal once or twice a week. I do have half a freezer with a local 1/2 pig and 1/4 steer that we are still consuming plus I think one day of fish per week is essential and my kids love it.

#4 I have been trying to stick to a workout regimen

Unfortunately, this is tough for me. My husband runs regularly and gets to the gym too. I have discovered two classes at the gym that I love though! Spin and Turbo Kick which is dancing kickboxing. I love yoga and wish I would do it more often. It helps to center me and the flexibility benefits would be lovely for my declining ability to bend and touch the old toes!

More to come....this is only the beginning!