Body Gospel Week 1

I weighed in down 4.2 lbs this week.  Now if only I can get this loss more often I'd reach goal in no time!

I received my Slim in 6 shirt this week.  This time it specifically said it was a Women's XL.  However these are made it's definitely a tighter fit than a standard XL.  I think I'll have to wait a little bit before I can wear it in public.

I'd also ordered the new Shakeology sampler pack and received that this week.  It's two chocolate packets, one vanilla, and one greenberry.  I tried the greenberry but wasn't too thrilled with the flavor; it just left my mouth feeling a little dry.  Austin tried the chocolate and said it tasted different from other shakes but wasn't sure if it was a good or bad difference.  When I took a sip I thought it tasted like sugar free cocoa powder.  He didn't drink it all so I had him put it in the freezer.  I tried it the next morning and it was much better frozen.

61 Hoosiers became citizens on Thursday.  There was standing room only for the family and friends to watch it all unfold.  I was kind of squished in the front left corner for the whole ceremony.  The first hour or so was checking everyone in.  There was a 10 minute break before the ceremony, which lasted about 40 minutes.

Click here to see the pictures full size.

I'm liking Body Gospel so far.  It's not the same thing every day.  The schedule has you mixing up which workout you're doing each day.  I did Body Revival, Core Revelation, and Stretch in the Spirit this week.  Core (~20 minutes) and Stretch (~10 minutes) on their own aren't long enough for me so I put them together to keep myself going at least 30 minutes.  With the Shakeology sampler I ordered the bands too since I couldn't figure out how to effectively do a modified version with the weights.

I've received several inquiries from people responding to my request for guest posters.  Some are spot on the subject matter and others are nowhere in this realm.  Those of you that have had guest posters on your blogs, how do you sort through the madness?

Conquering Glossophobia

Photo Credit: Håkan Dahlström via Compfight cc

Glossophobia - the fear of public speaking.  Now I finally know the term for it I can conquer it!

The Shyness Solution gives steps to solving shyness and some practical examples - going to a party and meeting new people, asking someone on a date, asserting yourself in the workplace, asking for what you need from friends, asking for what you need from family members, asking for what you need from a coworker, and speaking in public.  Each step is shown for all examples, including your reaction and what you should do.  I really need to work on the glossophobia example.

Photo Credit: Dhammika Heenpella / Images of Sri Lanka via Compfight cc

1. The Situation:  What situation makes you feel fearful, uncomfortable, and timid?
2. Notice the Thoughts:  What negative self-talk arises from the thought of being in the situation?  Take note of the irrational and worst-case scenario thoughts.
3. Do I need to engage in this situation?:  Give yourself the reason WHY and then actually say "SILENCE!" to the fearful thoughts.  Replace these thoughts with an I Choose statement.
4. Talk Back:  Respond to your negative thoughts with the reasons why these irrational thoughts aren't in your best interest and replace them with the positive aspects.
5. Visualize:  Relax for 20-30 minutes before approaching the situation.  Clear your thoughts and let your worries float away.  Picture yourself in your safe, peaceful, happy place.  SEE yourself heading to the situation, full of confidence.  SEE yourself successfully working through that situation.

My Situation

I need to present the Beachbody business to others in order to gain customers and coaches on my team.

My Thoughts

• There's no way that I can do this.  I'm terrified of speaking in public.  I'll make a fool of myself and look bad.
• If I talk to people I won't remember what I have to say and they'll be staring at me seeing my incompetence.
• I believe helping others on their journey to better health and wellness is my passion and purpose for life.  If I fail to present everything properly everyone will be disappointed in me.  I'll lose my new found sense of purpose.

Engagement

I don't want to just have an online business.  I must SILENCE this fear of public speaking.  I choose to have a local presence in my community.  Once I get this business going I choose to host a local fit club, whether it's just a handful of people or a crowd.

Response

• I want to help people achieve better health and wellness.  If I make a fool of myself, it'll be OK.  That'll just make my presentation more real, not scripted.
• I'm not even close to being incompetent.  Sure, I might not know it all but I have resources to access to find the missing links.  When I forget what I'm saying that can leave an opportunity open for questions to be asked.  I can recover!  And again, it'll make it all real.
• I am a living example that this works.  Me, who doesn't like many fruits or veggies.  Me, who used to turn her nose up at any exercise and always questioned the purpose of gym class.  If I can do it anyone can!

Visualization

My safe, peaceful, happy place would be the beach.  To help picture myself there I could pull up a copy of Suzy Liebermann's ISLAND DREAMS Motivational Photography Book on my phone or computer.  I could stare at the beautiful beach pictures to try and relax my mind.  I'd concentrate on just the main points and fill in the rest ad lib.

How do you work on your fear of public speaking...your glossophobia?

Done Walking and What's Next

I weighed in this week down only another .4 lbs.  So now it doesn't appear that I'm going to reach my second goal by the end of the month.  It just seems as though everything's slowed down a little for me.

I did stop by Goodwill and purchased three long sleeve shirts and slacks after Tuesday's weigh in.  My size 18s are getting too big but most of the 16s there were too small.  Benny didn't like one of the shirts (a sweater) because it didn't show off my curves enough.  He said it looked like I was wearing a sack.  As for the slacks Benny said they were too wide at the bottom...something no longer in style.  So those were returned yesterday.  I didn't see anything new at that Goodwill location so we'll have to check another.

Thursday's a big day for us as Benny takes his citizenship oath.  I'm taking Austin out of school to experience the whole thing.  I hope to take a lot of pictures while we're there.  I imagine it'll be chilly in the federal courthouse so I plan to wear one of the new to me outfits.

The exhaustion continued this week and not just during the workout.  Normally this level that I'm feeling is associated with PMS but it's the wrong time for that.  So I'm wondering if I'm getting sick; although when I get sick it doesn't usually take weeks to manifest the full symptoms.

After walking a week I'm ready for something different.  I kind of liked the little break in between programs so I may go buy some of Leslie's DVDs to use whenever I feel I need it.  Yesterday I picked up three programs at the library to see which I can do that should all fit in my small space.  But then the challenge became whether or not could I physically do any of them.

With Les Mills Combat you take the most dynamic moves from some mixed martial arts disciplines (Karate/Kung Fu, Capoeira, Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai/Kickboxing, Tai Kwon Do, & Boxing) and combine them into increasingly intense sequences.  I read this and said to myself "Uh, I don't think so."  Never even put the DVD in to watch it.

Brazil Butt Lift appeared to be more reasonable so Austin and I watched the first workout, Bum Bum (pronounced "Boom Boom").  There's this one move where you're walking/dancing/bouncing back and forth on the balls of your feet as if you're wearing high heels.  I can't even wear 1" heels because of the extreme laxity in both ankles.  Technically I'm supposed to wear ankle braces but then I'm really restricted on what shoes I can wear.  Unless someone knows of a modification for this move I don't know that I'm going to ever be able to do this program.

Body Gospel was the one I ended up going with.  There were several moves similar to others I'd done before.  Wow, never have I felt so uncoordinated before!  My arms didn't want to work together with my legs.  When I tried to do my arms either I couldn't keep up or it slowed my legs down.  This program is only 30 days so we'll see where it goes.

Image courtesy of [nuchylee] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I've decided to open up this blog and have guest posts on various health and wellness related topics.  The details of what I'm looking for is posted on my lens.  About which topics in particular would you like to read?

Overcoming Shyness

I'm a big introvert am scared of speaking in public, have stage fright, am shy, etc.  I prefer typing an email, text, blog post, etc. than talk to people, even on the phone.  This is something I've struggled with for years and just seems to be overwhelming me.  I want to get out there and meet new people, go to or have parties...just have actual friends I talk to on a regular basis.

Part of this journey I'm on I've started reading personal development books.  Sure, I'd rather get lost in fiction but this is something that I need to do.  Reading a non-fiction book takes me a lot longer to complete.  Today I started reading The Shyness Solution by Catherine Gillet.  Right off the bat in the first chapter there's a questionnaire to rate your shyness level.  I'm including the questions here (reformatted to fit not displaying all the options) with my answers and results.  So many of the questions involve the reader being single not married so I think the results may be a little skewed.

A little entertainment before the questionnaire

Let's Play 30 Questions

1. Do you feel nervous in situations where you will be meeting new people?  b) Yes, I sometimes do.
2. Do you find yourself wishing you had more friends?  c) Yes, I'm always wishing for more friends.
3. You're walking down the street and you see a friend walking toward you with someone you don't know. What would you do?  a & b) It all depends on what we're all doing.  If either of us look to be in a hurry I just wave as I walk by.  Otherwise I'll greet both and converse for a few minutes before moving on.
4. Where do you feel most comfortable?  a & b) I'd feel comfortable with one good friend or a few people I'm close to.
5. Which scenario sounds most inviting to you - intimate dinner with a few people at your place, going out to eat with a few friends, or staying home alone and watching an old movie?  a) I really want to be able to invite a few people over for dinner parties.
6. When you go to a party how soon do you leave?  a) I'm usually the last one to leave because Benny doesn't want to go.
7. You're on a long flight and the person next to you seems to obviously want to talk.  Do you?  a & b) I'll engage in the conversation.  If it's interesting I'll continue otherwise I'd take out a book.
8. You're sitting at an outdoor café with a couple of friends.  They get into a heated argument.  What do you do?   b & c) Depending on what they're arguing about I may attempt to change the subject or excuse myself and leave.  I don't think I ever could remain waiting for them to resolve it.
9. How do you tend to meet new people?  c) At work/church/school or wherever I'm already going to be.  I don't tend to meet people on my own or through friends.
10. How many friends and acquaintances do you have?  c) I have a few acquaintances and not many friends.
11. Your best friend knows you'll be alone on Thanksgiving, so she invites you to spend the day with her extended family.  Do you accept?  a) Yes, I'd accept the invitation.
12. You meet someone you feel very comfortable around and you would like to be closer friends with her.  She invites you to her beach house for the weekend along with several other people you've never met.  Would you go?  c) I think I'd say I'm sorry but have other plans.
13. What do you do when someone is angry with you for something you feel is unjustified?  b) I'd probably wait a while until she's had time to think about what happened then call and talk on the phone or stop by.
14. A person you're attracted to asks you on a date for the upcoming weekend.  Do you accept?  b) I'd probably tell him I was busy and ask to postpone until the next weekend.
15. At a party, where do you feel most comfortable?  b) I'd be in the kitchen helping the hostess with food and drinks.
16. At the beginning of the semester, the instructor tells your class that an oral presentation will be required for completion of the course.  What would you do?  b) I'd talk to the teacher about my fear of public speaking and ask if I can write an extra paper to satisfy the grade requirement.
17. It's your best friend's birthday and she's having a small dinner party comprised of people you've heard of but never met.  What would you do?  a) I'd go to the party and try to have fun for her sake.
18. You're walking on the treadmill at the gym and an attractive guy on the treadmill next to you tries to strike up a conversation.  What would you do?  a) I'd smile politely, letting him know I was interested, talk for a few moments, and then excuse myself.
19. In what kind of group do you feel more at ease?  b) A small group for sure.
20. You've been shipwrecked on a deserted island.  You can bring only one thing with you.  What would it be?  a) I've always hated this question! LOL I'd rather bring a person than a pet or books.
21. You're out for dinner with a few friends or acquaintances.  The person next to you talks to you and during the course of the conversation he senses you're shy.  Do you agree with him?  c) I'd agree with him then feel self-conscious.
22. What's your idea of a perfect evening with an intimate partner?  b or c) I'd like to spend a quiet evening with friends at our house or theirs. Otherwise we'd order takeout, rent a movie, and stay home with each other.
23. It's a beautiful, crisp Sunday in fall.  What would you prefer to do?  c) I'd probably go for a walk in the park by myself and carry something to listen to music.
24. You were told by your boss that you'd be getting a raise in the new year.  It's now January and the paycheck in question arrives yet you don't receive your raise but your coworkers have.  What are you more likely to do?  a) I'd talk to the boss or his wife (since she's the one that does payroll) and ask what happened.
25. A friend has done or said something that hurts your feelings.  Do you say anything?  b & c) I'd stop talking to them without giving any reason but eventually forget about it and start talking to them again.
26. You're upset with a partner or family member over something he/she has done that you feel was wrong.  Do you say anything?  b) I'd probably say nothing was wrong if he/she asks if I'm upset.
27. A new love interest calls to cancel your date for that evening, saying that he has to work late, and asks to reschedule. What are you more likely to do?  a) Provided this is the first time he's rescheduled I'd say that I understand and ask what day he has in mind.
28. There's an exhibition of your favorite artist at a large museum and you'd really like to share the experience with another person.  What would you do?  a) If I got an email about the show I'd forward it to her and ask if she'd want to come with me.
29. How would you rather communicate with friends?  a & c) I'd rather talk in person when possible otherwise via IM or email.
30. A close friend, who you haven't spoken to or seen for a while since he moved to another part of the country, calls you. You hear his voice on the answering machine as you screen your calls.  What would you do?   a) I'd probably pick up the phone and talk to him.

Scoring

Grand Totals

A's - 14

B's - 13

C's - 10

Wow, I'm not sure how to score this with everything about the same!  Mostly A's is 20 or more, mostly B's is 15 or more, and mostly C's is 20 or more.  I didn't reach ANY of those numbers, even with some having two answers!  So here are the points I agree with about me:

• I'm committed to working hard to change the stigma of being labeled "shy" into a strength which will work in my best interest in order to achieve what I want most in life.  A
• I recognize that the self-defeating behavior of negative thinking is holding me back and I'm trying to change and grow. B
• I feel uncomfortable in unfamiliar situations and I also tend to avoid confrontation, but I'm moving forward to face my fears, whatever they may be. B
• I know I have my work cut out for me, but I'm definitely up for the challenge and success is in my near future.  B

Mostly C's involve someone who's been deeply hurt in the past and only feel safe and secure when they're alone.  So it looks like I'm not as shy as I thought!

Has anyone else read this book or taken a similar questionnaire?  What were your results?

How Slim Did I Go?

I lost another 2 lbs.  There's officially more than 40 lbs of me gone forever!

Image courtesy of [hinnamsaisuy] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

There isn't anything different for me to report on the second week of Burn It Up!  It was just as confusing the second time around LOL.  Something weird I did notice though.  When we got to the resistance band portion (in my case the 3 lb weights) I'd feel an overwhelming exhaustion, like I could just fall asleep right then and there.  I neither experienced this with Tai Cheng nor the other Slim in 6 DVDs.

Since we still don't have curtains for the front room I still have only my ~6x6 ft area to work out in.  So this small space limits what I can do.  I was told that I should still be able to do Rockin' Body in this space....we'll see.  I've requested several programs from the library to see which I can actually do in this area but they didn't come in yet.  So I grabbed everything they had at the library just to find something.

The first one I looked at was the Core Rhythms Dance Exercise Program: Starter Package.  Austin and I watched most of the Quick Workout and both said "I don't think so" for me.  Way too intense/advanced for me at this point.

The second one I watched was Hemalayaa: Bollywood Dance Blast.  Austin had gone back to his room so he didn't get to comment on this one.  I didn't watch too much of it.  There was just too much crazy looking shaking going on.  Not real sure how you're supposed to follow this one.

The third one I checked out was Leslie Sansone's Walk at Home. 3 Mile Slim & Sleek Walk.  This one I didn't understand at first.  After all, if you're going out to walk how can you watch a DVD right?  I watched about half of it before I decided I could do this one.  The walking was in place or forwards and backwards.  Several moves tossed in with the walking were similar to what I was just doing with Slim in 6.  So it looks like I'm walking for a week or so.....back to my original idea for exercising LOL.

We did the measurements and after photos late Sunday night so I waited to finish up the post so I can include this information.  Benny thinks he measured my waist wrong last month since there's a 1 inch gain and everywhere else was a loss.  Here are the results:

 .5 inches off my hips

.5 in off my bust

1 inch off my right arm

1.5 inches off my left arm

2.5 inches off my right thigh

2 inches off my left thigh

 

What changes have you had this past week?

 

 



Four Contestants Sought for the Biggest Loser Contest (US/CAN)

Join our Biggest Loser Contest for a chance to get fit and healthy and win CASH PRIZES doing it! This contest starts September 30th and lasts 30 days.

A live informational webinar will be held Thursday, September 12th, at 9:30 pm EST / 8:30 pm CST / 7:30 pm MST / 6:30 pm PST.  Another live session will be held Wednesday, September 18th, at the same time.  If you aren't able to attend either live webinar there will be a recording later.  I'll update this post with the links as they become available.

Register here for Thursday's webinar.
Click here to watch Thursday's webinar.
Register here for Wednesday's webinar.

Once you've watched the webinar and decide you want to participate, please like this post on Facebook.  I'll send you a friend request and add you to the group.  Please keep in mind that I have only 4 spots open for this contest.

Maintaining the Status Quo

Just from driving across town to the Hilton on Saturday afternoon Benny and I were drenched in sweat.  We hung out in the hotel room to cool off and he fell asleep.  Before he woke up the rain had started, shutting down WARMfest for the rest of the day.  So we were bored Saturday night with nothing to do and nowhere to go.

View from our room on the 13th floor

During a pause in the showers we went across the street to Dick's Bodacious Bar-B-Q for dinner.  I had the Smoked Salmon Plate with green beans, applesauce, and a sweet corn muffin.  Boy, was that muffin sweet.  It was like eating a cupcake!  The rain stayed away while we ate so we walked around the Circle until it started again.

Sunday morning I woke up and headed down to the fitness center in the lower level.  It took me some minutes to figure out how to program the resistance bike so I could get a workout in before breakfast.  My heart rate averaged in the low 130s and maxed in the low 140s.

Fitness Center at the Hilton

There really weren't many good food options on the continental breakfast.  I ate bacon, biscuit and gravy, yogurt, pineapple, and some oatmeal (which was disgusting).  We walked the Circle again after breakfast before packing up and checking out.  We stopped in this little shop called TeaPots n Treasures that sells a huge variety of loose leaf teas...so many kinds I've never heard of!  I may be headed there to do some Christmas shopping this year.

There were a lot of cool things people had brought in to sell in the marketplace.  I wish I would've taken pictures! Many things we liked but couldn't afford.  Many other things we liked but had no way to transport them home.  Then there were these people on stilts.  Can you imagine walking around for three days in this getup with the heat we've had?

Now you know at these kinds of events there are never any good food choices.  Sunday I ate a gyro from Greiner's Subshop.  Monday I ate a Das Fritz sandwich from Der Pretzel Wagen.  Benny had the same sandwich Sunday and now wants to find Avocado Ranch to use at home.  All weekend I drank only water.

There was a large variety of music throughout the weekend.  Some we stopped to listen to the show and others we headed to the other side of the park so we wouldn't have to hear it.  The only one we sat through the entire performance was Jennie DeVoe.  Benny had this little (dragonfly?) pay a visit while we were listening.

How did I do after a weekend of unhealthy food choices?  Benny thought I gained 5 lbs but I knew that there was no way I had that much of a gain.  There was NO GAIN!  I maintained my weight through it all because of the water and walking.

Remember that belt I bought after my weigh in the first week of Slim in 6?

I know I'm doing something right seeing how much I've had to adjust that belt!  Hopefully Benny will be able to take my measurements in time for the next post so we'll know the actual numbers.

Burn It Up! is a lot harder and more confusing than Start It Up! or Ramp It Up! with all the new moves.  I felt that I spent more time scratching my head trying to figure out how to do what they were doing than actually working out. Have you ever used a punching bag to know how low you need to go to punch the bottom?  Rather than punching a punching bag I think it looks more like an attempt at doing The Twist at a faster speed.

The Water & Walking Challenge went well.  The team's decided to continually offer this 2 week challenge to jump start or reboot weight loss.  The next one starts tomorrow.  If you're interested in joining this challenge now or in the near future, please leave a note on the Facebook page.  I'll send you a friend request so that I can add you to the group.