Happy Monday, y’all!

Has the year been good to you so far? No? Me either. It’s been a bit rough. And I realized this morning that I really need to make some MAJOR changes. I know that it’s been awhile since I’ve updated here, and for that, I’m sorry. In my puny defense, I did create a mommy blog…but I’ve realized over the past months that I am so much more than a mommy. And I’m bummed. I missed it here. So I’m back.

Skulking back, renewed, reenergized, and seriously ready for change. Let’s get one thing straight, shall we? I HATE resolutions. They suck. BIG TIME.

I hate the feeling guilty, the dwindling motivation, the guilt. So I decided this year to just make some positive life changes. I need to get FIT. (sad, since that’s what this blog is all about, right?!)

How am I getting fit? For starters, I’m taking more ‘me’ time. Sure, I love being a mommy to the most awesome son a girl could ask for, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not a better mommy when I have some time to myself.

Skip this next sentence if you want to avoid a seriously embarrassing mommy-moment. ↓

He’s great, isn’t he?!

Time to myself. I am a much happier, more balanced, centered…okay, okay. I’m less of a bitch. There, I said it. I totally suck when I don’t get some time just for me. BUT, when I do, I am amazeballs. Seriously.

In order to actually get that time, I’ve been getting up at the asscrack of dawn to workout. What workout? I’ve been working on some barre-fusion centering on Tracy Anderson’s Metamorphosis. I’m really enjoying the length and OMIGODBURNINGPAIN that comes with the muscular structure workouts. I also am loving doing the dance cardio on my rebounder.

BOING!

↑ that’s the sound of my rebounder. It’s FUN. LOTS of fun. Seriously. You should try it.

AND…I’m transitioning to a raw diet. I am SO excited. Last week, I ate entirely raw for two days, and I felt…well, amazeballs. I felt clear, uncluttered…AWESOME. More on that to come.

I’ve been torn about what to do about my weight loss. I’ve been doing my barre workouts, but I don’t always have time for a video. When I improvise, it’s usually late at night (okay 8:00…but I’m SO tired by the end of the day! Being a mommy is hard work!) and I’m too tired to count reps, let alone get creative with movement. I lost about 10 pounds, then it just STOPPED. Yesterday, Tracy Anderson’s 30-Day Method arrived in the mail. I’ve heard just about every type of review for this book (and I’m not normally one to enjoy or even follow a fitness program out of a book. I prefer a ‘live’ (read: DVD) demonstration so that I can be sure to get the movement correct. That being said, The book seems to have addressed all of my worries. It comes with a DVD that not only demonstrates ALL of the exercises that she has included in the book, but also outlines the two dance cardio segments (which I have not tried yet…I’m waiting until Tater takes his morning nap). Some reviewers felt that the inclusion of a DVD meant that Tracy would be running each 10-day workout sequence through completion. She doesn’t do that. I don’t really mind, though. For a mom who has limited time on her hands, it was nice to have the DVD as a reference point, and the book for my actual workout (which I split into 3 segments today because of Tater’s nap schedule).

Because my day is never predictable, Tracy’s suggestion to schedule in her workouts for 45 to 90 minutes was just plain unrealistic for me. I realize that by splitting them up I’m not going to sweat as much, but WOW am I sore from just the musculostructure work! I do like that the book provides a new challenge every 10 days-that will keep me entertained and hopefully speed up my progress toward a svelte new me! I haven’t tried the meal plan yet-partially because I need more calories that it provides so that Tater can eat, too, and also because I’m not in a position to run to the grocery right now…. The meal plan does have a vegetarian option, but is NOT vegan. Bummer. I’ll just do what I normally do and modify. The recipes look simple, fresh (YAY!) and mostly raw (DOUBLE YAY!). I do plan on trying a few of them that I happen to have ingredients for, though.

Overall, I’m impressed with the thought that Tracy put into explaining her Method, the composition of the book (it’s a super-easy 2 hour read at the most), and her engaging style. Where this book loses points is the unrealistic (at least for me) expectation that I can just schedule 90 minutes a day uninterrupted. I have a 5 month old. Interruptions are the story of my life (and I love every minute of them). The fact that Tracy was thoughtful enough to include a vegetarian option on her menu was great, too-although I am worried about the EXTREMELY low caloric intake. Her workouts are taxing, and my body needs to recover. I will definitely be modifying them.

Overall, my first impression is a good one. If you have the time (and an extra $25), this book is a nice compliment to other Tracy Anderson DVD workouts (I have all but the dance cardio…this will be my first attempt since I’m not able to run right now). The strength work had me grimacing, which I expected, and I enjoyed the fact that there were only 16 individual movements for this first 10 days. Looking ahead, the movements definitely get FAR more complicated, and I’m sure that my 20 minute per side workout will definitely become longer as the month goes on. I’m excited to see the changes, though!

I was lucky enough to get the late shift at work, which means that I have plenty of time to workout this morning. Translation: NO EXCUSES. As I mentioned in my last post, this month is a rotation of Physique 57 and The Tracy Anderson Method Presents Mat Workout DVD. Since I did P57 yesterday, Tracy was on deck this morning. I must say that this workout always kicks my booty. It is a little bit intimidating, especially since the moves don’t seem like they would make you curse the day you bought the workout. I’ll admit that there is a definite lack of direction, and Tracy looks bored half the time…unless it’s during the ribcage isolations…then she just looks like she’s having a good old time in the club. Okay, back to my aching shoulders. The unweighted arm work in the Mat workout is FABULOUS, as long as you can get past the feeling that your shoulders are going to fall out of their sockets. I also noticed that my pinky fingers were going numb…. Not sure how to feel about that. I’m also rather impressed with the amount of burning that my hips and thighs experienced. The moves aren’t rocket science…and I wouldn’t necessarily call her workout low-impact, but it’s effective. You feel the burn in all the right places for those changes that you’re looking for. Unfortunately, this workout could have REALLY used better instruction and some indication of the transitions. I do like that Tracy explains WHY you’re killing yourself. I think I’ve said all of this before, but this is the first time that I’ve done her workout in quite awhile. I will be doing it 3 times per week, along with P57…and I’m hoping that I get some AWESOME results!! Now I just need to build up the courage to do ANOTHER arm workout…Essentrics, here I come!! I’m off to do the arms segment! (from Essentrics Workout: Arms, Abs&Waist Toner / Legs, Butt&Thigh Thinner intermidiate-advanced level)

One of my friends has been absolutely RAVING about the BRAND NEW workout from Physique 57…so when I (finally) got my copy of the full body workout, I could not wait to try it…of course, it sat next to the DVD player and taunted me…until this morning. I finally got up the guts to try this workout, and I must say that I’m officially addicted. I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to stick with a rotation for the month…and next month I can change it up. This month’s morning rotation is P57 and The Tracy Anderson Method Presents Mat Workout DVD. After work, I’ll be doing Essentrics Workout: Arms, Abs&Waist Toner / Legs, Butt&Thigh Thinner intermidiate-advanced level, alternating between the two workouts. I am SO excited! I posted a list of things that I wanted to accomplish this year, and I’m already well on my way! Okay…back to my fantastic workout this morning. I have done just about every barre workout there is, and I have to say that I really love the style of P57. Tanya Becker, the creator of P57, was a Lotte Berk instructor for 10 years, and it SHOWS. The “warm up” includes a full sequence of upper-body strength sequence, which targets your biceps, shoulders and back with weights, and then moves to push-ups and tricep dips. I really appreciated that even during the warm up, there was an “advanced” example, as well as a modifyer. After you warm up, and stretch your upper body, it’s on to thighs. One word: OUCH. Tanya has you doing pulses, squeezes and elevators (you actually drop your rear down to your heels and get back up…sounds easy enough, but try doing this when your thighs won’t stop shaking) that make you want to throw the playground ball that the workout uses at the screen. I had to remind myself that I would have to replace the TV…not something i want to do right this moment. The thigh work is broken into two segments, which allows you a short break and then you get right back to that burn. And believe me, this workout will make your muscles SCREAM. But that’s a good thing…it’s what causes those changes that we’re all looking for. I will admit that I had to take a quick break during the second thigh sequence…but I did 99% of it! After thighs, you get to put your rear in gear. This workout has a great standing seat sequence, followed by (my favorite!) pretzel. I like Tanya’s take on pretzel, and my glutes were on FIRE when I was done. The abs segment in the full body workout actually made my abs…SORE. Yup. You read that right. I was SORE. BUT, I think that it was worth it! Most of the abs work is nothing new, but she did utlize a cusion for a large majority of it, which was rather innovative, and definitely takes any pressure off the lower back. After abs, there is a lower back sequence, which is often ignored in other barre workouts. Did I mention the thigh and back dancing? Talk about TOTAL BODY BURN!! The workout does need equipment: you need 2 sets of weights (light and medium), a playground ball (not really optional, but you can find them pretty cheap), a mat (unless you have carpet) and a cushion or thick towel…OH! AND you’ll need a barre or high-backed chair. I know that it sounds like alot, but it is SO very worth it. Currently, you can only purchase the workout directly from the Physique 57 webpage. It’s definitely worth it. I haven’t had this much fun being in pain in awhile!

Want a preview?

In Tanya’s words: “Physique 57 isthe ultimate transformative physical fitness experience. It’s the only exercise program I’ve seen that changes bodies so efficiently. It targets all the major muscle groups so clients see rapid, obvious results. Plus it’s fun, invigorating, and incredibly intense. It makes people feel good.” I defintely agree.

One more thing…over the weekend I posted a contest for the Pershing Square 2 DVD…and had some wonderful entries. I decided to let an outside party pick the winner (Ish), and he picked Patty, who gave a great explaination as to why she wants the workout. See her winning entry here.

I think that I might actually be (at least) a whole inch taller! I started working on the list that I posted yesterday by doing an Essentrics workout after I got home from work. I must say that I really enjoyed it. I did work up a sweat, which surprised me, especially since all the hype around the workout is that it helps you get longer and leaner through stretching. That shouldn’t be hard, right? I did the arms, abs & waist toner (30 minutes), and WOW did I feel it. I didn’t know that I had some of the muscles that I worked, but I really enjoyed it. The actual arm work (not the stretching part) was very Tracy Anderson-esque. My shoulders were BURNING!! I could feel my muscles releasing tension, which is great. Now I just need to get to the point where my arms don’t feel like they’re going to fall out of their sockets…. I definitely think that this is going to help with my posture and get rid of that funny arm jiggle…you know what I’m talking about. I think that if I rotate between the upper and lower body series I could actually do this workout everyday after I get home. I honestly feel like a MILLION BUCKS!! I’ll be interested to see if their claims of losing inches in a short amount of time is true…of course, because I’m also running and doing barre workouts, it might be hard to tell which workout specifically is causing the changes…but I do think that I will notice significant changes…it’s just a matter of when and what. I am most excited about increasing my flexibility…any lost inches are just a bonus. Okay, back to my review…the stretching feels so good, and I don’t think there was a arm, ab or waist muscle that didn’t get stretched. Did I mention that the abs section was great? Pretty basic…and a variation on v-ups that was SUPER hard, but definitely worth it. I think that if you’re looking to increase range of motion and build long muscles, this will do it for you. But you have to be consistant, especially when you’re dealing with flexibility. Okay…enough about my AMAZING workout…I’m off to make some soba noodle stir fry! YUM!

If you want to get your own copy of the workout, you can find it here.

The plan was to run this morning…and when that didn’t happen (darned snooze button!), I decided to do a barre workout. The only problem was that I only had about 30 minutes…. None of my barre workouts are 30 minutes long (at least, none of them get your whole body in 30 minutes)…at least that’s what I was thinking as I rolled out of bed. Then I remembered that Squeeze: The Complete Workout with Tracy Effinger has a “Power Squeeze” option. YES! So, I pulled out my fluidity bar and got to work. I must say that I was pretty impressed. Tracy manages to hit your entire body with isometric exercises (and some push-ups) in just under 30 minutes. That’s including a long stretch at the end. The Power workout starts with a “quick” warm up (40 leg lifts!) and then moves on to push-ups and tricep dips. No weights needed…that may make this a new on the road favorite…. After you work your upper body, there’s a nice hamstring and leg stretch, and then it’s on to thigh work. You WILL need a playground ball. And IT BURNS!! I was disappointed to discover that there was a serious lack of thigh stretching in the workout. Read this as NONE. AT ALL. Thankfully, I’m resourceful and reached for the pause button. After I finished stretching my thighs, it’s on to the pretzel (yay!) and then some abs work. She does get a quick glute and ab stretch in…but I prefer the longer sequences (YAY for pause!). And then it’s on to more seat work. She has your feet up on a wall (if you don’t have one (I didn’t), you could do this just fine with your feet on the floor), squeezing the playground ball between your knees. In fact, she uses that ball more in this workout than in the full 60 minute Squeeze: The Complete Workout with Tracy Effinger! That being said, it’s a good workout, and I am so thankful that there is a shorter barre workout out there. Tomorrow I’ll have to do something longer…maybe The Tracy Anderson Method Presents Mat Workout DVD…. I guess we’ll just have to see!

Let’s face facts: we all have cellulite. It’s a sad fact, but true. And no matter what the lotion-potion companies tell you, there’s no way to make it disappear…I thought. Now I’m not saying that I’ve found a miracle cure that just makes cellulite go away…BUT, with lots of hard work you CAN reduce the appearance of it. REALLY. It is happening to me. If you’ve been following my blog, you knwo that I am addicted to barre workouts. They focus on isometric exercises that target deep in the muscle. If you’ve read about the Tracy Anderson Method lately, you know that she touts ‘waking up your accessory muscles’…which is basically what isometrics do. They make everything smaller and tighter. EVEN YOUR TOOSH. Yup. I said it. YOUR TOOSH. So…my realization came this morning as I was getting out of the shower. I noticed that my backside is nearly deviod of those hideous dimples. WHAT?! So I moved closer to the mirror for a better look. My skin has gotten smoother, and my legs/toosh have gotten smaller, and where there used to be a virtual plethora of dimples, now there’s 1. That’s right: 1. I was overjoyed and felt the need to share. So I’m sharing. It takes TONS of hard work, doing your barre workouts regularly, and incorporating cardio. I am sure that diet has something to do with it…and a vegan diet is very low in fat compared to SAD (Standard American Diet)…so the combination works! TRULY! Try it. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it when you can shake your cellulite-free tooshie at the beach this summer!

I was planning a run this morning, but a day of laying by the pool put that idea seriously out of my head. With a painfully sunburned chest, shoulders and back, I couldn’t bear the though of putting on a compression sports bra, let alone having my shirt seams rub my poor shoulders. So, rather than running and THEN doing a barre workout, I just went straight to my second workout: The Bar Method Body – Fat Free. I cannot emphasize enough how amazing the barre workouts are. I am watching my body change every day. My seat is more lifted, my arms are getting slimmer, my hips are slowly disappearing…. I honestly credit this last change with my hips to the Bar Method Tuck. It’s a position that most of the barre workouts, including Squeeze, Exhale, Cardio Barre, Fluidity and Pure Barre use. The only barre workout that does not emphasize the tuck the The Tracy Anderson Method…I couldn’t tell you why…but now I’ve got myself wondering. I’ll have to see what I can find out…but that’s another blog for another day.

Back to Burr’s Method. The Bar Method Tuck is SO very effective, and activates your glutes, thighs and hamstrings in your legs, as well as your ab muscles, so that you’re fully engaged in the exercise. The Tuck involves dropping your tailbone toward the floor, pulling your hips up and in, and shifting your ribcage forward. It takes awhile to get the Tuck right, but once you do, WOW, does it intensify the workout!! I had my legs shaking after only 1 set this morning. And IT FELT SO GOOD!! I did like the fact that The Bar Method Body – Fat Free included some knee dancing, in addition to Burr’s normal back dancing. I like the fact that knee dancing incorporated the tuck, as well as engaging ever other muscle in your torso. I can feel my muscles getting stronger and more sculpted by the day!!

So the set and clothes are a little bit dated…but if you can get past that, this is a good choice for days when you don’t want to kill yourself doing Bar Method or Tracy Anderson. Kari Anderson (the instructor) was trained at the Joeffry Ballet, holds a national level gold medal in synchronized swimming, and has her own studio in Seattle. This workout is a great blend of pilates, ballet and yoga. Some of the moves remind me of the Tracy Anderson Method Mat Workout…but for the most part, I felt like i was in ballet class. She progresses through total-body stretching and strength moves. I was actually very pleased with the layout of the video. There are options for shorter workouts, but she recommends doing the full 55 minute workout to get the maximum benefit. I can definitely understand why. She moves seamlessly from one motion to the next, and it really makes you feel graceful. I also liked that each movement incorporated total-body work, from planks to kneeling attitude to plies. I would have liked to see more beginner modifications, as all the participants were doing the same moves as Kari. This is the same complaint that I had about Tracy Anderson’s Mat Workout…but Tracy does a good job of telling you when you could modify…Kari doesn’t do this. I did enjoy the workout, but it was a little low-intensity for me…but, it will be good for days that I don’t want to have shaking legs for the entire workout. I think that maybe this one will get shelved until I’m closer to my goal weight. I know that I worked my muscles well, but I would rather feel it, I think. This was VERY gentle.

I didn’t feel like pulling my barre out today, so I decided that I would do a DVD that doesn’t often get used. Now I remember why: it’s tough. Tough, but doable. Exhale Spa (www.exhalespa.com) came out with a workout that fuses pilates and isometrics. I love isometrics. I’m not terribly flexible, so pilates is slightly difficult for me. That said, I enjoyed this workout. There are some things that bother me…like the voice-over instruction. But I can get beyond that. I really like the fact that this workout is segmented: it has 5 individual 10 minute segments. Each segment has its own warm up and cool down, so they could be stand-alone workouts if you’re crunched for time. The first segment focuses on upper body, with planks, push ups and tricep dips. The next segment has a lower body emphasis. They do some knee dancing-type moves that really worked my quads. After those segments, it’s all about abs!! First, they do seated ab work, and move to flat-back work. You will need to be sure that you have an available wall for this segment. And it’s tough. It not only works your abs, but your hip flexors, quads, inner thighs and forearms. After the seated ab work, the next section includes lots of isometric exercises, very similar to Bar Method or Squeeze. The last segment is a dynamic stretching segment, ending with their “signature” stretch. Try it. I double dare you. I think the multiple warm ups are a bit much. You do the same basic warm up (with variations) in each segment. I would have liked to see a “play all” option with one warm up. I don’t really see the need for 5 warm ups, since each segment keeps your entire body very warm. I also would have liked to have the instructors speaking to me, rather than a voice-over. I felt that their glances at each other were a little much as well…they appeared to be laughing at their own voice overs. On a positive note, they are both in tremendous shape, and they do a great job of showing modifications for every move. I appreciate this. I’m still not strong enough to get all the isometric ab work without holding my thighs. This is a nice, calm workout that left me ready to relax, rather than ramped up. I will do this one again, although it won’t be a go-to workout, as I seem to lean more toward Squeeze, Tracy Anderson and Bar Method lately.