Shay - Day uno - Yikes

So today was kind of a bust...  I woke up and got ready for work, as per usual.  Ran out of the house without eating breakfast (strike number one!) and made it there 5 minutes late.  Oh well, figured I'd make up for it during the day.  Made some tea (no sugar, no milk - luckily I like it that way to begin with) and ate my yogurt and got to work.  11:30 rolls around, I'm starving.  Made some more tea to tide me over.  Thank Buddha, lunch time arrives!  Pull out last night's leftovers, tomato/cheese ravioli with rose sauce, prawns and broccoli, and dig in... possibly with a little too much gusto because 15 minutes later I got the mother of all stomach aches that lasted for over an hour (strike two!).

3 o'clock rolls around and my boss asks me to go for a drink.  There's been a lot of change in my life in the past month:  the end of a long term relationship, moving, giving notice at my job to move to Calgary, etc.  So, we meet at a neighbourhood chain restaurant and I order my usual, a whiskey ginger.  My fourth one in, still with no food, I realize tonight be a bit of a write off (strike three!).

So here I am now, writing this in the kitchen, waiting for my dinner to cook.  Lucky for me, around Christmas time, my Mom and I made a bunch of mini tourtieres.  Maybe it's not health food, but it'll fill me up, and it's homemade to boot, so that has to count for something... right?  It's not perfect, but it'll do, is my frame of mind right now.  Plus, while rooting around in the ole deep freeze, I came across some wicked split pea, red lentil and ham soup I made a while back - lunch anyone?

As to why I'm doing this, my goals for this month are difficult to put into words.  I've never really been a long-term-goal, looking-into-the-future kind of person, but here goes nothing!  An easy goal is that I would like to develop better posture. So today, I taped a sign to my monitor saying, "SIT UP STRAIGHT"  Hopefully that reminds me to quit my damn slouching.  A harder goal is that I would like to feel comfortable and proud in my own body again.  I feel like it's been years since I've felt able to wear the clothes I like or feel good about myself naked.  So that definitely involves some weight loss.  But, it also involves some self restraint.  Less chips.  Less hanging out, having a toke and vegging while eating whatever is in reach.  Less self indulgence.  More long walks with my dog.  Having recently sprained ankle might throw a wrench in that, but I'll figure it out.  Should be healed up here soon and then I'd like to get running and biking again.

This first post might seem a little bit rambling and introspective, but isn't that the whole idea of blogging?  It's like one giant, honest conversation with yourself.  Which hopefully ends with me being a hot bitch in a month!

Steph - Day 1 - Lacking self control

Well, here we are....blogging again...and guess what? SICK. Day 1 and I'm sick. Was sick all Christmas, actually for 4 1/2 weeks - bronchitis...and now again. I don't even have words for the frustration that I'm feeling. I decided that tonight, I wasn't going to train...just rest...in hopes that I'll wake up tomorrow all better! Fingers crossed!

My goal for this challenge this time...is to excercise every day. Even if it's my walk at lunch....I challenge myself to do a minimum of 3o minutes of exercise every day. Nothing is going to stand in my way. If I have to go later at night...so be it.

I have been struggling with my food choices more than I ever have lately. And quite honestly, I'm angry with myself. Where the hell did my self control go?

I have managed to get off of my antidepressant, Effexor...which was quite a struggle. It hasn't quite been a full month and I'm hoping that my out of control appetite is a side effect of that. But again, typing that feels like just another excuse. I feel so much better since stopping it and I'm hoping that things will settle out and I'll be back to my old self - FULL of self control!

I hope that this blog is as helpful to others as it is to me. Good luck to everyone!

Hugs and Love

Cher - Day 1 - Oh my this is gonna be painful

Hello Bloggers & Followers!

This is Cher's Day 1 -

I have made some changes to my life/career - I am still doing personal training, just on a smaller scale.  I am also working for a construction company doing admin style work.  Now I can have some more time to focus on ME!  Starting next week I have my mornings free (6am-7:30am) so this is when I am going to train.  Monday - Friday - no excuses.  Even through that schedule starts next week, I had this morning free, so wanted to see where I was at.  Oh My!  This is gonna be painful. 

I have been sick for 2 weeks.  No lie.  I couldn't breathe through my nose, sneezing all the time, it sucked.  Now I am still stuffy, but feel so much better.  I did a quick 20 minute workout - pushups, burpees, rows, curl ups, plank.  Things were SO much harder than they were 2 weeks ago.  I know I have a lot of work to do.  My body feels fatter.  Ewwww.... this needs to stop right here.

So now I will focus on the positive - work, family, and health.  I have all 3, and so workouts will be the icing on the cake.  What am I cutting out for these next 30 days?  Fried foods.  I have a husband who loves to order fried foods, cook fried foods, and eat fried foods.  I have to remember that no matter what - this type of food goes STRAIGHT to my ass, and doesn't fuel me in any way (except to sit on the couch). 

So as you can see, I am in the same boat as a lot of you - this is gonna be painful, but SO worth it!

Hugs!

Cher

30 Day Challenge! Tune in to their progress!

Hello Followers!

We are so excited for ROUND 2 of the blogging challenge!  We hope everyone enjoys reading the posts and following the ups and downs of this awesome group.

As usual I will be posting as well, as I too am starting a 30 day challenge!  Here you will read about their food woes, workouts, soreness, highs and lows of changing their lifestyles.

Support our team by posting comments, suggestions, and advice - we welcome your words of wisdom - we all have some!

Enjoy the next 30 days, take and give some inspiration!

Namaste,

Cher
gingerandcrew.com

Get back at it! Recovering from Illness!

We have all been there.You have sinus pressure, a runny nose, body aches, fever..... and you are not training.  How will you get back into it?  Well it's easy - just do it.  I have been off for the past 4 days with the sickness that is going around.  To pick something up off the ground causes my head to pound, how could I train?  I couldn't.  I could go for walks - that is about it.

So when you are ready to get back at it, do you go hard?  Depends on who you are and what you were doing before the illness.  I suggest starting slower, and working your way back to where you were over the course of a week or so.  At least you are back at it.

What if you wait even longer after your illness to get back into it (bad people!).  Well unfortunately it doesn't make it any easier to get back in the saddle the more time off you take.  You are going to have more soreness (usually) and feel it more during your workout if you try to go too hard.  Again, the key here is to get back at it.

In the spirit of fresh new workouts and starting back up after illness/breaks - I would like to direct you to Zuzana Light's ZWOD (Zuzana's Workout of the Day) -

Now please note - she is VERY advanced.  But she has recently taken some time off and is just getting back into it herself (not that you can tell!).  Always remember that there are modifications for everything!!

Modifications Include:
Dive bomber pushups = Push ups or Push ups from the knees
Burpees = step instead of hop
Side Plank with dips = drop to your elbow and do not add dip if it's too much
Single Leg Squat = normal squats!

So there you have it - we have all been in the position of getting back into it - so no excuses!

Remember!  30 Fitness Blog starts next week!!!
For more info Click Here

Have a healthy weekend everyone!

Cher
gingerandcrew.com

Quickie Workout! Pass it Along!

Hello followers!

So I had 20 minutes today to do my quickie workout - This past week has been crazy so I needed something good, quick, and with limited equipment to get my morning going - Here it is:

Intervals: 20 Sec Work, 10 Seconds Rest (Tabata Style)
Equipment: Jump Rope, Mat, Gymboss Timer
Time: As many rounds as you have time for!

Station #1: Skipping (Normal)
Station #2: Push Ups
Station #3: Skipping (High Knees!)
Station #4: Quick Lunges
Station #5: Skipping (High Knees!)
Station #6: Rows
Station #7: Skipping (High Knees!)
Station #8: Squat Jumps
Repeat until you are outta time!

I left 3-5 minutes at the end to do some Plank, Side Plank, and Abs

I am doing a hard weights workout tomorrow, so I wanted a quickie workout with cardio, a bit of strength and sweat!

Don't Forget!  The next Blogging challenge starts in 2 WEEKS!  We have at least 5 people on board so far - get ready to read about their progress and help them in their fitness journey!

Have a great day!

Cher
gingerandcrew.com

Next 30 Day Blogging Challenge starts soon!

Hello Everyone!

I am very excited to get started on the next blogging challenge -

Are you in?

If you are unsure, think of it this way -

1.  You can blog from anywhere that you have your smart phone or computer, easy!
2.  It's free, so there is no financial commitment - awesome!
3.  You can provide inspiration and motivation to the readers and bloggers - rewarding!
4.  You will see trends in your activities and leard things about yourself  - educational!
5.  You will see changes in your body - Priceless!

Add a comment if you are interested, or send me an EMAIL and I will get you ready to go - the next blogging challenge starts on

FEBRUARY 1ST, 2012!

All you need is the desire to succeed and some space in your living room, outdoor area, and/or a gym pass. 

Don't forget that if it has been awhile since you trained, you should see your doctor before beginning intense physical activity - take care of yourself!

Are you ready to embark on this challenge?  See some pants you want to fit into?  Then let me know and I will get you going!

Cheers,

Cher
gingerandcrew.com
cher@gingerandcrew.com

PS.  You do not need to be in Kelowna or the Okanagan to participate - you can be anywhere in the world!