Halfway to Slim

Believe you can and you're halfway there. -- Theodore Roosevelt

I searched for a collection of quotes about something being halfway completed but really didn't find anything good. Most of what I saw had to do with AA and being sober. I just couldn't figure out how to tie these things into fitness.  If you have a favorite quote on this topic, please post it in the comments.

This week I weighed in with a 3 lb loss so I made up for last week's 2.2 lb gain!  I hope that means my body is figuring how how to adjust to Slim in 6.  I sure don't want to start seeing yo-yo gains and losses and not reach my goal to be under 200 lbs by the end of September.

Ramp It Up! is definitely a kick in the rear compared to Start It Up!  For one it's about 20 minutes longer. Then there's just a lot more of EVERYTHING!  You're really working your core with this DVD.  I'm kind of scared what I'll have to do when I get to Burn It Up! So glad I start on Sundays so I could call in Monday if I overdo it!

There are standing opposite oblique crunches where you kind of look like Shaun T.  Who knew there was such a vast array of crunch styles period?! Squats are Debbie's absolute favorite thing to do.  With a few of the squats you're doing some sort of kick when you stand up. One of these kicks makes you look like Billy Blanks (Tae Bo).  I actually tried to demonstrate this to a coworker and there was a loud POP from my hip and a sharp, sudden pain. That hadn't happened before or since.  Needless to say I've had to do a modified version of just about everything this week.

With the last portion of Ramp It Up! (stretching/cool down) you're doing a little yoga.  Exalted warrior, proud warrior, up dog, down dog...a few others whose name I can't remember.  I'm sorry yoga fans but I just don't get it.  I thought you feel something when doing yoga....something being stretched.  Me, I feel nothing....it's like I'm standing there looking silly.

What I struggled with this week was keeping my temperature down.  You know the feeling when it's so hot outside you just can't get anything done?  Well, I'm experiencing that every day of Ramp It Up!  I've tried using a wet towel instead of a dry one.  I've wet my shirt and even taken it off, only wearing my exercise bra and shorts.  I've even poured some of my ice water on myself.  All these have been done standing under my ceiling fan trying to catch a breeze.  Nothing is helping to keep me cool.  Some days I can feel it slowing my workout down.

How do you keep from overheating during your workout?

In case anyone is interested, we're having a water and walking challenge starting now.  No soda or other sugary drinks or coffee.  No fast food or junk food.

Tai Cheng Week 11 Completed

Photo Credit: Mason Masteka via Compfight cc

Another pound gone.  I'm .8 lbs away from the big 3-0!  This week I've read many posts where others have reached this milestone and plateaued for weeks.  I'm hoping to not be just another statistic stuck at the 30 lb loss.  I must reach the peak of this mountain and move on to the next one.

Photo Credit: Patrick Gensel via Compfight cc

Still trying to stretch out doing the splits during the reboot.  Nothing changed there.

In the same format as last week the Tai Chi portion repeated the second and third sequences (weeks 6 & 9). This piecemeal business is for the birds!  I'm thinking about skipping out on the last two weeks for the sequence portion.  Just do the Neural Reboot 4 and pop in the master scroll to do the whole sequence in one fluid motion.

After Tai Cheng this morning I took a look at "Hip Hop Abs: Hips, Buns, & Thighs" and "Rockin' Body".  I was thinking that his voice sounded familiar.  Suddenly it dawned on me.  Shaun T is a buffed up Will Smith! Is it just me or does anyone else see this too?

Will Smith Photo Credit: Alan Light via Compfight cc.  Shaun T Photo taken by me of the Hip Hop Abs cover.

I might be able to do the "Rockin' Body" workout if we can get a TV and DVD player set up in the front room.  Where we have everything set up for TV viewing just isn't big enough with the furniture.  We're currently just using the front room for storage.  I might want to put something to cover up the window though so everyone driving by won't see me working out LOL.

Weight Watchers & Tai Cheng Journey - Phase 3 Complete

I've made it to the 16 week mark with Weight Watchers! Another charm to add to my ring.  When everything is all said and done I'm not sure what I'm going to do with these charms.  Fellow Weight Watchers meetings members, what are you doing with your charms?

WW 16 Weeks Charm

I was up .4 lbs this week and mostly attribute that to the weather.  This daily rain keeps me from my gardening so I'm not getting in that extra little bit of exercise.  I did try riding the exercise bike but only lasted about 5 minutes; my heart pounded so much when I was exerting so little.

Finally convinced Benny to buy the romaine lettuce.  It's SO much better than iceberg!  No aftertaste whatsoever so I'm not burping up romaine all day like I did with iceberg.  Benny can keep the iceberg for himself; I'm sticking with romaine.

Workout Weeks 7-9

Every time a phase is complete I wonder what challenges await me on the next Neural Reboot.  Each time Dr. Cheng introduces a new area of foam rolling.  Since the last time we started the rotator cuff I'm assuming it'll be another upper body location.  I still barely feel any pressure on my shoulder blade.  I have had issues when I twist a certain way but those pains have been at the top not the back.

DVDs 7-9

One side of me isn't as balanced as the other.  I noticed during Sequence 3 I'd wobble a little during the rolling kick.  The wobble seemed to alternate legs each day so I couldn't say which truly had this problem.  I'll have to monitor this more closely when doing this sequence again in week 11.

This next phase is different than the previous ones.  First of all there are 4 weeks instead of 3.  Secondly, no more static moves; I'll strictly be working on the sequences.  I'm so ready for these sequences to be together so everything will be one fluid motion.

This next phase also marks decision time.  What program should I try next?  It's crunch time and I must make a decision over the next month.  If you have any recommendations please leave a comment; I'll see if the library has the program and will check it out.

I watched the first DVD from Slim in 6 and it doesn't look too bad.  Since I don't have all the extras checking the DVDs out from the library I'm just not sure what the schedule is supposed to be between the three speeds - Start, Ramp, & Burn.  I looked at the auto-schedule on the Team Beachbody's Supergym but it didn't really make sense to me.  "Start It Up!" is only used for Day 1.  The rest of the first two weeks is "Ramp It Up!".  The last four weeks is "Burn It Up!".  No where does the schedule mention the other two portions on each DVD - "Slim & 6-Pack" and "Slim & Limber".  I thought it would be 2 weeks of each speed with the other two tossed in.  I'm thinking that with this schedule I'll get bored.

I've also checked out a couple of Shaun T's DVDs from the library - "Hip Hop Abs: Hips, Buns, & Thighs" and "Rockin' Body".  I'm still way down on the list to get "Hip Hop Abs: Fat Burning Cardio; Ab Sculpt; Total Body Burn; Secrets to Flat Abs".  Just watching clips of Shaun T's various programs exhausts me so I'm sort of afraid of these workouts.