Going Down

THURSDAY I was worn out with Jillian Michaels Body Revolution Workout 8.

FRIDAY I got into a new-to-me pose in Yoga with Adriene.

SATURDAY I did Workout 9.  I was lightheaded so some moves felt like I was flying!  I ran into one of the ladies from Weight Watchers at the Chinese restaurant.  We both said "see you Tuesday" so I kinda felt obligated to go to the meeting next week.

MONDAY I did some more Yoga with Adriene.  I shared a set of transformation pictures on Instagram, showing how different I looked from when I first started exercising to now.

A photo posted by Cassandra Schmigotzki (@longandwindingroadtowellness) on Apr 4, 2016 at 6:38am PDT

After work I drove down to the southside YMCA to register for the Heartsaver CPR/AED certification class on the 21st.  That place is packed so I'll have to leave work extra early to be able to find a parking spot!

YESTERDAY it was tough during Workout 10.  About 10 minutes in I had to pause the DVD to catch my breath!

I went to the Weight Watchers meeting and was down 1 lb!  I still had to pay the meeting fee since I wasn't down further.  I'd seen their campaign about sharing your Glowment but didn't hear about these cute Glowboxes.  I immediately bought one!  The selfie button paired with my phone but wouldn't take a picture (just like selfie sticks).

A photo posted by Cassandra Schmigotzki (@longandwindingroadtowellness) on Apr 5, 2016 at 3:15pm PDT

TODAY was HOLY COW with Cardio 3!  Way too much plyo for me so I tried to modify a lot of the exercises.

Linking up with

Jill for Fitness Health & Happiness

MississippiPiddlin & HoHo Runs

#MotivateMe Monday with Fitness Cheerleader, Running Rachel, & Run Mommy Run

Sunday Fitness & Food Linkup with Marathons & Motivation & IlkasBlog

I Passed!

I'd been so nervous about taking the Group Exercise Instructor exam that I could've psyched myself out.  This was my first exam since 2005 so I hadn't a clue how to study or anything.  I think that's funny because I never had a problem before!

I arrived at the IvyTech campus on the south side of the beautiful Fort Harrison yesterday afternoon.  I hadn't been up there in years so I'd forgotten how peaceful it was.  The room numbers were a little weird walking down the hall (with completely empty/stripped rooms on the way).  I found the testing room and got all checked in.  They have you do a practice test to accommodate yourself with the program.  Man, those questions were hard since they were on completely random topics and I knew nothing about several of them!

You're allotted 2 hours to take the exam from the time you click the button to start.  The timer ticked away in the top left of the screen; that was a bit distracting to me.  You could mark the questions you weren't sure about and go back at any time.  I completed all 120 questions in just under an hour.  When I got back out to the car I shared a picture of the exam passed letter across social media.

I was strongest in domains 3 & 4 which I think is very appropriate for Wellness Coaching since I'm not planning on actually teaching any fitness classes.  Coaches need to be strong in engagement and leadership of their clients and be savvy in all the administrative and legal stuff.  Next up is getting my CPR certification before they'll send me the actual GEX certificate.  The Red Cross offers the classes with exam several times a month so I can schedule that any time.

Have you ever surprised yourself on an exam?

THURSDAY I did Jillian Michael's Body Revolution Phase 2 Workout 5.

FRIDAY I did Yoga with Adriane Yoga Camp Day 4 - I Awaken.

SATURDAY I did Phase 2 Workout 6.

MONDAY I did Yoga Camp Day 5 - I Am Alive.  I was alive with anticipation for the GEX exam.

YESTERDAY I did Phase 2 Workout 7.

When I went to Weight Watchers last night I had to pay for the first time EVER.  I was the same weight as the beginning of the month but over the system goal weight of 150 lbs.  I see no way that I'm going to lose 4.6 lbs over the next week to prevent me from having to pay another $15 next week so I might not be returning for a while.  I was on a high from passing the exam that I didn't tell anyone this at the meeting.

TODAY I did Cardio 2.

Linking up with

Jill for Fitness Health & Happiness

MississippiPiddlin & HoHo Runs

#MotivateMe Monday with Fitness Cheerleader, Running Rachel, & Run Mommy Run

Sunday Fitness & Food Linkup with Marathons & Motivation & IlkasBlog

Cat Scratches and a Broken Shower

THURSDAY I did Jillian Michaels Body Revolution Phase 1 Workout 2.  I'd gone to bed forgetting to set the alarm.  Benny woke me up at 6:30A and I still got it done!  On top of that I was scratched up by the cat.  She was asleep next to me on the couch Wednesday and I moved to get up.  She must've been sound asleep and my movement scared the crap out of her.  She clawed my finger, arm, and bottom lip.  Where the scratch was on my finger made it difficult to grip things.

FRIDAY I had one of my sinus pressure/headache combos so I didn't workout.  These times don't go well with Jillian.

SATURDAY I did Phase 1 Workout 3.  This day marks the beginning of the 3rd year of my journey.

On March 19, 2013, I went to my first @WeightWatchers meeting. Since then I have lost 110 lbs, started eating more fruits & veggies, manage my portions, started exercising, and discovered my passion & purpose. #healthyliving #healthyeating #portioncontrol #exercise #wellnesscoach #WeightWatchers #weightlossjourney #LAWRTW #LongAndWindingRoad #LongAndWindingRoadToWellness #IndyCoach

A photo posted by Cassandra Schmigotzki (@longandwindingroadtowellness) on Mar 19, 2016 at 1:51pm PDT

MONDAY I was still sleepy so I did some Yoga with Adriene.

I tried to take a shower but the water pressure wasn't there.  Benny checked the sink in our bathroom and the shower and sink in the other bathroom, all were normal.  So we determined it's the diverter (the thing that mixes the hot & cold).  I called the home warranty company so we could get our plumber in to fix it.  The plumber said it'd be $300 to make the repairs ($50 deductible & $250 for the work).

YESTERDAY was a big leg day with Phase 1 Workout 4.  I remember when I first did surrenders; I was sore for days afterwards.  This morning my legs were still feeling the surrenders but they weren't sore!

Benny had to move everything away from the wall in the living room so the plumbers would have access to the shower.

TODAY I did Cardio 2.  I feel so much slower than what Jillian does (besides not doing much plyo) but it works for me.

The plumber arrived around noon and were finished in two hours.  They left to take care of another client and will return later today to patch the drywall.  Friday they'll be back to sand and paint.

Tuesday is the big day - the Group Exercise Certification Exam.  I'm getting nervous!

Linking up with

Jill for Fitness Health & Happiness

MississippiPiddlin & HoHo Runs

#MotivateMe Monday with Fitness Cheerleader, Running Rachel, & Run Mommy Run

Sunday Fitness & Food Linkup with Marathons & Motivation & IlkasBlog

Brand New ME Upper Body Workout

THURSDAY I did Yoga with Adriene's Yoga Tone - Yoga for Weight Loss session.

FRIDAY was Kelly Coffey-Meyer's Lift in Full Throttle Olympic Lifting.  Austin was dropped off as normal; it was like the ex's blow up (in front of him) never happened.  Will see what the future holds.

SATURDAY I mixed it up trying to do my own thing.  I picked some exercises from this upper body workout I created for one of the ladies in my fitness community.  It took me about an hour to get through only 8 because I had to change the weight plates on my adjustable dumbbells.  Instead of the groups as listed I jumbled them up and picked the 8 and did them as a drop set.

I've been playing with the Personal Trainer Plan App to play with creating strength training workouts.  It's in Beta testing so there's a lot of kinks to be worked out.  I couldn't get the sets to work or the print out to come out right so I put it all in Canva to make the image.  How does my first workout look?  Please try it out and let me know what you think!

SUNDAY I started studying for the GEX exam.  OMG I don't remember how to study!  I have no clue how to review this material to be able to remember it all.  Any pointers?

The ex picked up Austin like the annoying boyfriend, sitting in the driveway honking.  That'll get old fast so I may have to say something about it.

MONDAY I did Jillian Michaels' Body Revolution Cardio 1 workout.

The two Momentum Jewelry wraps arrived for me to give away to two people who're needing that little boost of inspiration.  I haven't decided how I'll give them away yet but I'm ready to help #ShareTheSpark!  If you'd like to pick up your own wrap visit their website and enter the code FFspark15 to save 15% off your order through the end of May.

YESTERDAY I did Body Revolution Phase 1 Workout 1.

TODAY I woke up tired and Benny could see it so I went with Yoga Day Camp Day 3 - I Embrace.

Linking up with

Jill for Fitness Health & Happiness

MississippiPiddlin & HoHo Runs

#MotivateMe Monday with Fitness Cheerleader, Running Rachel, & Run Mommy Run

Sunday Fitness & Food Linkup with Marathons & Motivation & IlkasBlog

Cincinnati, Custody Issues, and Certification, OH MY!

THURSDAY I did Jillian Michaels' Killer Body Lower Body workout.  That afternoon I finally decided on fitness goals for the year.

A photo posted by Cassandra Schmigotzki (@longandwindingroadtowellness) on Mar 2, 2016 at 1:49pm PST

FRIDAY I did Killer Buns & Thighs Level 1 again.  With 2 leg days in a row I thought it would be a problem but it wasn't!

SATURDAY we picked up a Volvo from Enterprise and drove to the West Chester, OH (AKA Cincinnati), IKEA store to check out some shelving for the front room (where I workout).  We went with the intention to get one line but Benny decided on another line.  It looks like this but one of the doors is wood not glass.  Ordering the setup online is actually cheaper for shipping than having the store ship.  So Benny has to finalize how many we need and get them ordered.  I wanted to stop by Jungle Jim's afterwards but we were exhausted so we headed home.

SUNDAY I did Amy Bento-Ross' Drop Set Strength workout, the chest, back, and shoulder portions.

When my ex picked up Austin, Benny was trying to find out why he wasn't signing the IEP.  My ex got pissed off and stormed out saying that he might not be letting Austin come back to my house again.  Does anyone have any experience with custody modification involving a teenager?  Please email me and let me know your story as we may have to go this route.

MONDAY I woke up sore in my shoulders and upper back so I did one of the Yoga with Adriane videos.  This one happened to go with the #ChooseSelfLove concept.

My ex texted me on his lunch break saying he was leaving it up to Austin whether or not he's coming over and that Benny has no right telling my ex what to do in regards to Austin, especially since he's not working.  My coworker said to not respond to that so my response is only where he won't see them (i.e. private online groups and this blog).  I have a feeling that Austin may say he doesn't want to come over because we don't have the gaming systems to play with.

I have scheduled my Group Exercise Certification Exam for March 29th at 1:30 pm!

YESTERDAY I did the biceps, triceps, and core portion of Amy's DVD.

TODAY I did the legs portion.

Linking up with

Jill for Fitness Health & Happiness

MississippiPiddlin & HoHo Runs

#MotivateMe Monday with Fitness Cheerleader, Running Rachel, & Run Mommy Run
Sunday Fitness & Food Linkup with Marathons & Motivation & IlkasBlog

Weighing in with Some Muffins

I remember posting this picture when the muffin pan arrived at the beginning of February with a note wondering what I'd make for Valentine's Day.  I have scoured my Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook posts but just can't find that post anywhere!  Has it been lost in cyberspace or have I lost my mind?  I received the Premium 12-Cup Silicone Muffin & Cupcake Baking Pan for free in exchange for my honest review.  The set comes with the pan, liners, spatula, and brush.

Because Austin hung out at his friend's house Valentine's weekend I didn't bake anything.  The following weekend I made German Chocolate cupcakes (no icing because Benny didn't want it) using applesauce instead of vegetable oil.  The cake mix box didn't have any instructions as to how long to bake the cupcakes for using silicon, only glass or metal.  So I had to guess.  Two batches were made since the box says 24 cupcakes, with Dove dark chocolate hearts in the second batch.

Funny Looking German Chocolate Cupcakes

The cupcakes were super moist but I still don't know if I baked them enough.  They passed the toothpick test so I assumed they were done.  They remained super moist, enough so the bottoms molded through the bottom of the liner paper onto the cupcakes.  We had to throw the rest away last weekend.  That was different since Austin's birthday cake lasts for weeks.

What I liked about using a silicone pan is that the cupcakes didn't burn!  In the metal pans when I'd use a liner whatever I'd make would be over baked, slightly burning all along the paper.  So I had to switch to using the flour baking spray whenever I made anything.  I'd love to continue with silicone so I can use those cute liners again and to see if everything comes out moist once I figure out the bake time difference.

Should you want to experience the joys of baking with the Premium 12-Cup Silicone Muffin & Cupcake Baking Pan you can pick one up on Amazon.

THURSDAY I did Kelly Coffey-Meyer's Split Sessions Lower Body Workout.  I started reading through the GEX practical skills booklet.

FRIDAY I completed the final P90X3 makeup session with Dynamix.  I read more of the practical skills.

SATURDAY I did Split Sessions Full Body Timesaver.

MONDAY I started a Killer week to March in like a lion with Jillian Michaels Killer Buns & Thighs Level 1.  I answered the test questions from the practical skills booklet.

YESTERDAY I did Killer Body Upper Body, sticking with the 8 lb dumbbells.  Benny asked to see the GEX materials but I don't think he looked at anything after I went to bed as they were still sitting where I left them on the table when I left this morning.

I weighed in last night up 7.2 lbs, back up to 156.6 lbs.  I don't think this is all muscle so I'm going to have to go back to tracking my food again to see what's going on.  Besides all the gassiness (which only seems to happen at home so I don't know what's up with that either) my pants are tighter at my hips and thighs.

TODAY I did Killer Body Core.  The core-focused workouts I've done before were 15 minutes max.  This was different working my core for 30 minutes.  Right now I'm not feeling it but my arms are aching a bit from yesterday.  What's your longest core-focused workout?

Linking up with

Jill for Fitness Health & Happiness

Jebbica for Food & Fitness Friday

MississippiPiddlin & HoHo Runs

#MotivateMe Monday with Fitness Cheerleader, Running Rachel, & Run Mommy Run

Mastering My Goals and Dreams

I weighed in last night up another pound.  Last week was more because of TOM but I believe this week's gain is because I'm not burning as many calories doing NROLFW as I've done with previous workouts.  So, even though I had another 5 lifting workouts on the schedule I've opted to discontinue NROLFW, at least until I can get heavier dumbbells.

Boy, did we freeze on Halloween!  It kept alternating between rain, freezing rain, and snow.  We walked about 1.5 hours in that mess and my feet were frozen long before we got home.  Austin got a pretty good haul of candy despite the weather.

Posing after Yoga Saturday Morning

Week of Workouts

Friday and Monday were NROLFW Stage 1 Workout A.  Both days I did 75 squats, pushups, & rows, 60 reverse crunches, and 48 lunges

Saturday I did BeFit's Yoga Transformation Strength and Energy workout.

Tuesday I completed David Carradine's Shaolin Cardio Kickboxing workout.  It wasn't as intense as I'm used to with kickboxing but it was still therapeutic!

This morning instead of NROLFW I did Kelly Coffey-Meyer's 30 Minutes to Fitness Lift in Full Throttle Workout One - Olympic Lifting.  OMG I don't know how many squats I did but had to squat with just about every move!  This was definitely more my style than NROLFW.  In the shower I thought for sure my legs would be jello!

Staying on Track for the Holidays

This was the topic at the Weight Watchers meeting last night.  We had to come up with the What (our goal to accomplish by the end of the year), as well as the Where, When, How, and Who can help us achieve this goal.

Last year between November 5th and January 2nd I lost over 9 lbs.  The win I want to have this holiday season is to reach my goal weight (whatever actual number that ends up being) by the end of the year (January 6th weigh in).  If I can lose about the same this year as I did last year I will be in that goal window (130s)!

The places that will be the most important to me this season are the Weight Watchers meetings, this blog, online resources, my own home, and my family's homes we'll be visiting.  Since I won't know when we'll be heading to Ohio until after Thanksgiving I don't know how many days could be considered risky.  As of now we have no plans to attend any other holiday parties.

To help me achieve my holiday win I must make a decision on what program I will be doing.  This may be what I end up going with...

Building an Exceptional Life

I'm glad I held off on posting the second part of the first step of building an exceptional life since it sort of ties in to the Weight Watchers meeting topic - fine-tuning your goals.  A general direction (i.e. helping others to improve their overall health and wellness) isn't the end game.  The vision is there but I need to break it down into smaller goals with clearly defined milestones to measure my progress and keep me on track.  This is where I often struggle.

My Goals & Dreams

I had just written out my goals in September during Mindy Wender's 21 Days to Thrive.  If there were no limitations I would....

• Travel the world.
• Pay off all my bills, having just a little debut to maintain good credit.
• Buy a new blue Ford Fusion.
• Build my dream home and live there.
• Be financially fit.
• Finance Austin's education.
• Have restorative sleep.
• Be healthy fit (not buff, skinny, etc.)
• Host a monthly get-together with friends.
• Volunteer regularly.
• Hold monthly fit clubs.
• Have a social life.
• Have something special we do as a family every month.
• Find a church again and attend weekly.
• Obtain group personal training and wellness coaching certifications.
• Bring Benny's mother here and have her and my mom nearby so we can keep an eye on them.

The Devil's in the Details

What does success look like? How will things change moment to moment?  What emotions would I be feeling living my dreams?  What do I smell, see, hear, feel, & taste?  These are all the things I must think about with these goals.  I need to also make a new vision board with these detailed goals.  For those who already have vision boards do you prefer a physical or online one?

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Discovering Cassi

I've started reading Jillian Michaels' Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life as a part of my personal development.  There are series of questions to answer and reflect upon with each chapter - "Working it Out".  You can download a PDF copy of the questions if you prefer or record your answers electronically like I do with this blog.

The first set of questions are designed to discover who you are.  You're supposed to use your heart, not your head, to answer the questions.  Be honest with yourself; don't just write what should be.  So who am I?

Professionally I prefer a more casual work environment.  The politics of a small business can be bad but it can be horrendous in a corporate environment.  As an example, when I was a contractor at HP our role as Inside Sales Associates was a joke.  We were treated like stepchildren in the attic.  Our hands were constantly being tied, preventing us from truly supporting our sales teams.

A start-up could only be adventurous as a side job for me, nothing that I would be in 100%.  I have to have the stability of something more established.  My main job must be something that can support my family from day one.

Image Courtesy of David Castillo Dominici | FreeDigitalPhotos.net

In the past I have enjoyed giving back to the community in various ways - being a Child Advocate, volunteering at various events in Indianapolis, participating in various outreaches through church, etc.  My most recent was volunteering at Austin's elementary school, serving on the Parent Teacher Connection (their equivalent of PTO/PTA).  Since Austin moved on to middle school I haven't done any volunteering.  In some ways I miss it but other ways I don't.  I would like to start doing something again but I don't know what.  Benny still doesn't understand the concept of volunteering.

Over the years I've had many hobbies and interests that I'm no longer doing, mostly with arts and crafts.  I have paint that's dried up or separated sitting in a drawer.  My scrapbooking supplies are sitting in a backpack in the front room (along with a ton of other things for which we don't have a place).  I just haven't felt consistently creative or artistic in several years.

On an ideal day I'd wake up after the sunrise so the sunlight bathes me while exercising.  I'd eat a nice breakfast or brunch before taking on the day.  Everything that needed to be accomplished would be taken care of.  We'd have a family outing or something enjoyable together and come home for dinner and movie (unless that was part of the outing).  My sleep would be restorative.  Stress would be kept at a minimum.

Image Courtesy of David Castillo Dominici | FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sometimes I prefer the independence of working alone and other times I prefer working as a part of a team.  It would depend on the project as well as the people.  I've been burned too many times in the past where team members failed to do their part so I ended up having to scramble and do everything last minute alone or maybe with one other person.  Event planning is definitely something better suited for a team environment.  I never had problems with the core team we built for planning the winter carnival at Austin's elementary school.  I think that was the best team experience I ever had.

I've been wondering aimlessly for so long that I wasn't really passionate about anything specific.  I had always known I was meant to help people but nothing beyond that.  My volunteer work was widespread, never focused on any one type of event, organization, or anything.  Until I started eating healthier and exercising I really had nothing to work with.  This new-found passion to help those 40+ to improve their overall health and wellness has been a great wake up call for me. 

I have NEVER wanted to try skydiving, hang gliding, or something else crazy.  Hills in the car bother me.  I can't do the teacup ride at the fair either.  Both make me nauseous with a headache!  I must stay grounded.

All my schooling has been business or language oriented.  So, to go along with this new-found passion, I would like to get my group exercise and wellness coaching certification from NETAfit as recommended by Sheila at The Frugal Exerciser.

Now that this first chapter is done it's time to move on to chapter two and working on what it means to master the dream.

Would you like to join me in building an exceptional life?  Pick up a copy of Unlimited at your library or on Amazon (available as paperback or hardcover as well as for the Kindle).

I Can See 90 lbs

Image Courtesy of Idea go | Freedigitalphotos.net

Weighed in last night down another .8 lbs....puts a 90 lb total loss just over the horizon!

I've still been sticking to Jillian Michaels workouts.  This morning I did the 30 Day Shred Level 1 workout.  I could still feel it in my shoulders when I left for my walk!  I've tried others at the library but just can't get into them like I can with Jillian.  Have you tried any new workouts?

You've probably heard that Beachbody released a new program last week from Chalene Johnson - PiYo.  I wanted to get it right away but with our medical expenses up in the air Benny said it wasn't a good time.  Maybe with my birthday money or Christmas at the latest I'll be able to pick up one for myself.  In the mean time I'm running a challenge group starting next month...on Facebook or G+ depending on participants' preferences.  Here's the link for the event page on G+ https://plus.google.com/events/c4iel1889j03r2h8c26685lrmg4.  If you're on Facebook look for the event "PiYo Challenge" with this cover image

It's been too crazy at work so I haven't had a chance to schedule an appointment to see the doctor about the exercise induced neurocardiogenic syncope.  Kind of want Benny to come with me in case there are warning signs to look out for (and I might not necessarily notice) so he can hear it straight from the doctor.

We received the EOB from Benny's salivary endoscopy already....well at least some of them.  Our responsibility of the doctor's portion is $928, the surgery center's portion is $1182, and the pathology lab's portion is $23.  Not sure if we'll have a separate bill from the anesthesiologist or if that was included in the surgery center's costs.  Either way it didn't cost us nearly as much as we thought; we didn't max out his deductible.  The next challenge will be figuring out how we'll pay for it all.

As of Saturday my garden still looks critter free.  With this changing weather I haven't had to water much.  Looking out the window every day it appears the tomatoes are growing more but I can't tell much else from that distance.  How is your garden doing?

Last week I only walked to the farmer's market.  I picked up more broccoli and some Kickapoo cheese (inspired by the German Butterkäse Benny likes) from the Ludwig Farmstead Creamery.  Benny hasn't tried it though so I'm unsure if he likes this one.  On the way back I stopped at the tea shop that's closing and picked up a strainer to go with the loose leaf teas I purchased last time.  This afternoon I picked up some bell peppers and two different varieties of lettuce.

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