Am I a Tai Cheng Master Now?

In my final week of Tai Cheng I dropped another 1.4 lbs.  Counting down the last 17 pounds or so before I reach my next goal.  I'll be thrilled if I make goal in time for my birthday but I will be satisfied just with reaching the goal the same month.  It'd be like a belated birthday gift to myself.

Week 13 was entirely the same as week 12.  I knew I couldn't do the same thing again.  The first half of the week I would do the sequences once on each side and then go work on my smoothie, returning in time for the next sequence.  The end of the week I did all 18 moves once on each side during the first two sequences only and ate cereal during the third sequence.  I got all confused a few times doing all the moves without direction.  So do I qualify as a Tai Cheng Master now?

Photo Credit: beachbodyonline via Compfight cc

I'm ready to move on to Slim in 6 tomorrow.  My plan is to do 2 weeks of Start It Up! followed by 2 weeks of Ramp It Up! and finish with 2 weeks of Burn It Up!  I'm not sure how I'll work in the bonus videos, Slim & 6 Pack and Slim & Limber.  I'll just have to play it by ear with those two.

Be on the lookout over at Casually Cassi for my review of the whole Tai Cheng program.

Image courtesy of Sicha Pongjivanich / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sleeping through Tai Cheng Week 12

Image courtesy of renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I busted right on through the 30 lb weight loss barrier that holds so many back!  There's only about 19 lbs left until I reach my second goal of 50 lbs.  Will I manage to reach it by my birthday week or my birthday month?  Only time will tell!

I haven't thought of my goals between the 50 lbs and my target weight of 130 lbs.  What do you recommend for the next stages?

During this week's Weight Watchers meeting they were talking about building a better salad.  I was saying that I'd have a fruit salad because I don't like so many vegetables (yet), especially raw ones.  Because I'd hit another 5 lb loss target the leader asked me to say what my total loss was.  Everyone seemed to be in disbelief that someone could've lost 30+ lbs without eating much fruits or vegetables!  All I've done is eat smaller portions, stopped drinking soda and started drinking water (almost exclusively), started eating at least one fruit or veggie a day, and started exercising.  So again I say, if I can do this ANYONE can!

Tai Cheng has become completely boring not putting all 18 moves in sequence.  I just wasn't able to concentrate on any of it this week.  It feels so blah during the Neural Reboot.  I did each the sequences once on each side (faster than they were doing them on the DVD) then skipped to the next one.  When I was done with the third sequence I let the DVD play out while I finished making a fruit smoothie.  This 4 point smoothie tasted good but it wasn't filling so I need to figure out what I want to add to it to make it last.

One morning this week I peeked at day 1 of week 13 since it's on the same DVD.  It was EXACTLY the same as week 12!  Two weeks of boredom is going to make me pull out my hair!

Someone requested the Hip Hop Abs and Rockin' Body DVDs so I had to return them to the library.  That, in combination with not really having anything to cover up that big window in the front room, is leading me to do Slim in 6 next.

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.

I'm SPLIT Over Tai Cheng Week 10

Well, that lil gain of last week was blown out of the water with my 3.6 lb loss this week.  The sun was shining, I got to be outside, and all was good!

As Gray Cook says, "Extension equals reflex stabilization."  That's just a fancy word for saying posture gives you balance.

Dr. Cheng says this during Neural Reboot 4 while doing the ankle rolls (may not be 100% word for word).  I'd like to find Cook's original wording on this subject but I'm not familiar with him.  If anyone can pinpoint this reference please let me know.

Now on to the scary part of the Reboot.  I have NEVER EVER been able to do the splits.  Not as a preschooler in ballet and tap and definitely not now.  For it to be sneaked in on me like this is just cruel! LOL  Eventually you're supposed to look like this.

Photo Credit: CS87 via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: CS87 via Compfight cc

So I don't come ANYWHERE near either of those.  Here's what Dr. Cheng had to say about this week and the splits in particular.

The new foam rolling was for T-spine mobility.  No pain from it but I can feel the pressure around my shoulder blades.  I've labeled this picture to show the section that's rolled.

Photo Credit: Rob Swatski via Compfight cc

The sequence time was a big disappointment.  Here I was ready to put the first two sequences together.  Instead, it was repeating the sequence separately from weeks 3 & 6.  I really want to put it all in one fluid motion now not piecemeal anymore!

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.

Where Have All the Pounds Gone? - Tai Cheng Week 8 COMPLETE

(The music to Paula Cole's Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? playing in my head)

It's official!  I've met my first goal - 10% (25 lbs) of me is gone!  With my Tuesday evening weigh in at Weight Watchers I'd lost the exact amount needed to reach my 10% goal.  I put my running man (from the Live Life Active Challenge) and my 25 lb weight on the 10% ring, both of which I received at the meeting.



WW Charms

The next goal I've set for myself is to reach 20% (of my starting weight) by my birthday.  Seeing that it took 14 weeks to reach 10% I need to bump things up a bit to cut off 4 weeks.  Since I do the Tai Cheng in the mornings before work I'm thinking I'll ride the exercise bike in the evenings.  For how long should I ride each evening to help reach this goal?  Or, should I just stick to what I'm doing since it's working, reaching the 20% early October instead?  These are what I must think about.  Please leave any suggestions you may have.

I'm still not able to ninja my hands back while in the pike position.  Dr. Cheng is always saying that the pike/plank builds up your core.  My core may be fine but I don't have the upper body strength to do it.  I've never had upper body strength.  Back in high school I wasn't able to do the chin ups or pull ups so there's no way I could be doing that now.  Is weightlifting the best way to build upper body strength so I won't be so shaky?

The combos flowed well this week.  I'm so ready to put them all in sequence next week. I just don't feel the buzz in my fingers at the end of the last move.

Tai Cheng Week 7 Eased on By

This was exercise?  It's starting to not be so tough to do any moves.  Yes, I'm still shaky in some positions but I'm still doing them.

The funny thing Dr. Cheng says with Neural Reboot 3 is, "It's posture, posture, posture, not pasta, pasta, pasta."  Some days I think, "Now he's making me hungry with all this pasta talk!" LOL

I managed to do the pike/plank in the regular version every day but I couldn't ninja back and forth.  My arms shake too much holding me up.  It still surprises me that I can even hold myself up this little bit since I have no upper body strength.

There's a new rolling kick in the Neural Reboot 3.  When I first saw it I thought that it'd be difficult but actually found it rather simple.  When I was showing my coworker it was a little awkward with my shoes on.  Something about the added weight of the shoes.

Your base foot is placed at a 45° angle on the floor.  Then you lift your other leg and put it in front of your knee with your toes dorsiflexed.  You almost look like these African bushmen (but your foot doesn't actually touch your knee).
 

 

While standing on one leg you "roll" the elevated leg around to the other side, lowering it to the ground.  Your feet end up about shoulder width apart and somehow stay at the 45° angle (at least mine do).  You then shift your weight on the foot that was just lowered and repeat this whole process back and forth a few times.

 

Dr. Cheng introduced the third area of foam rolling - the rotator cuff.  You lay on the floor with the roller in your armpit and your arm stretched out.  First you rock back and forth to hit the base of these muscles on your shoulder blade.  Then, while leaning back a little you roll up and down a few inches.  I don't actually feel much of anything doing this but I'm sure someone with rotator issues would.

 

The last 6 Tai Cheng moves seem to be the most complicated of them all.  There's even a little bit of a rolling kick.  Despite the complexity it doesn't feel difficult.

 

Motions are becoming more fluid.  I'm nowhere near as flexible as I was in high school but I'm getting there.  I don't think I'll ever do a back flip or any gymnastics as that's not my goal.  I just want to be healthy not an athlete.

Weight Watchers & Tai Cheng Journey - Phase 2 Complete

Three months of Weight Watchers and six weeks down of Tai Cheng.  As of this week's weigh in I'm down 22 lbs since beginning this journey.  I've lost almost 10% of my previous self already!  It's the lightest I've been in more than 7 years.  No gain during my TOM this time around so I was happy.  This week's loss was the biggest so far - 4.2 lbs.  As far as inches lost, I've shrunk everywhere but my waist.

On Sunday Benny and I went to Goodwill to shop for bottoms (tops still have a way to go before I can get into a smaller size).  I had a whole cart full of pants, shorts, skorts, and capris to try on.  I was so hot from trying on all those bottoms!  Weight Watchers should have a points value for trying on clothes.  I've dropped from a size 22 to a size 18!  We bought everything that fit - 1 skort, 2 shorts, 1 tank, 1 pant, 2 capris, and 1 jean.

At Goodwill we even found an exercise bike for cheap.  I've played on the bike but no serious riding yet as I'm not sure what kind of routine to do with it.  All I know is that I don't have time to ride after Tai Cheng (before work) so it would have to be evenings or weekends only.  Please share any recommendations you have for routines on an exercise bike.

I've started incorporating more veggies into my diet.  Before I didn't even like the taste of bell peppers.  Now I have some with nearly every dinner.  I've started adding lettuce to my sandwiches.  Benny only likes iceberg; he says the others aren't white enough.  However, I taste the lettuce for hours after eating my sandwich.  Has anyone else experienced this?

Workout Weeks 4-6

Neural Reboot 2 is complete now.  With the pain it produced rolling my quads I'm kind of scared of what #3 entails.  Will I experience more pain or sweet relief?  The next three weeks I'll learn the final six moves and be on my way to becoming a Tai Cheng Master!  I kind of like that title.  I may add that to my profile when this is over.

DVDs 4-6

Doing Sequence 2 this week felt a little awkward to me.  Perhaps it's the residue from the painful foam rolling continuing to seep into the Tai Cheng moves.  Somehow I end up facing the TV every time while they're facing one side or another.  The moves flowed better by the end of the week so I stopped worrying about which way I was facing.  After all it's completing the moves not where you are that matters, right?

Tai Cheng Week 5 - COMPLETED

After last week's painful blur the Neural Reboot 2 this week was a lot easier.  Foam rolling didn't produce as intense pain as the first week.  The pain hits about mid-thigh working both sides.  I tried to sit a little with the roller at that spot since that's what the PT had done.

Dr. Cheng has funny comments periodically throughout the routines.  An example that I missed out on last week was in his instructions for the Bretzel stretch.  He says, "Make it like you're at a southern barbecue and grab some ribs."  Nearly everyday I had a little chuckle when he said this.

Because of the blur I struggled a little with the combos this week.  I didn't remember even doing some of them!  I'm hoping the week 6 sequence will flow better than the combos.

Tai Cheng Week 4 - Painfully COMPLETED

For years I had pain down my right leg which I thought to be sciatica but the doctors would never say that's what it was.  Once I reached the point of constant pain without relief my doctor sent me to physical therapy. The PT immediately knew what it was - my IT band and piriformis muscle were extremely tight and would rub my sciatic nerve.  She found the tight spots and worked them out; it was painful in that instant but afterwards sweet relief!  I was nearly pain free in my leg for the first time in years.  The PT gave me some stretches and instructions for what to do whenever the pain flared up.









Well, this week's Neural Reboot 2 introduced from rolling of the quads - the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis.  Laying on the roller was a challenge.  I felt like a beached whale trying to get on there!  Then came the actual rolling of my right leg.  OMG I thought I was going to die!  There was instant pain that felt like someone was stabbing my leg multiple times.  I was crying and screaming a little while trying to roll.  Then I started laughing...I don't know why experiencing this pain was so comical to me.  Then came the left leg.  Hello, pain!  Where did you come from?  I had no idea there were tight spots on my left leg too!

 

Benny was watching me the whole time.  While I was the beached whale screaming and crying I told him that we should've filmed this experience for America's Funniest Home Videos!

Well, all that pain made me nauseous and I had much difficulty performing the rest of the workout.  I shook for hours afterwards the first day.  It was around day 4 that the pain had subsided enough post foam rolling that I could complete the rest of the workout as my normal self.  Sure, the pain is still there when I roll the quads but it's nothing like those first few days.

There were several other new moves in Neural Reboot 2 but it was all a blur because of the pain.  I completed everything but it wasn't an enjoyable week.  This set of Tai Cheng moves was more complicated than the first ones so I think I missed out on the full experience since I was concentrating on making the pain go away.

Weight Watchers & Tai Cheng Journey - Phase 1 Complete

Two months of Weight Watchers and three weeks of Tai Cheng down.  Many more months of Weight Watchers and 10 weeks of Tai Cheng to go!

As of this week's weigh in I'm down 14.4 lbs since beginning this journey.  More than 5% of my weight is gone!  I started out losing over 2 lbs a week.  Both weeks involving the start of my TOM I had a .8 lb gain.  That first week I noticed that I ate a lot of pasta.  The second week I ate under my daily points every day.  Neither was intentional yet yielded the same results.  So I think I need to expect this gain every month.  There was a shockingly unexpected loss of 4 lbs the end of April.  No clue what made that week so special but wish I knew so I could repeat it! LOL

For someone who never really exercised, never dieted, and never thought she could be on diet (because I'm a picky eater) this is a big deal!  The Weight Watchers program works because it just makes sense!  If someone like me can get this to work for them then anyone should be able to do it.

Workout Weeks 1-3

Neural Reboot 1 is complete now.  Next week starts #2...I wonder what all is involved.  It says the next 3 weeks help increase your energy, burn calories, and builds greater stability, strength, and balance.  Boy, could I use that!  I'm hoping this will stimulate my weight loss to significantly increase as my losses have slowed down.

DVDs 1-3

I struggled with Sequence 1 in the beginning.  Since I'm facing the opposite direction I was trying to use the right side when they were on the right side and left side when they were on the left side.  Somehow I kept ending up on the wrong side.  So I switched to doing the sequence as a mirror image.  I thought I was still ending up on the wrong side but then I finally realized I would be on the opposite leg in the mirror!  So by the end of the week I was more confident with the flow of these six moves in sequence.  Since it took so long to figure things out I almost want to repeat this week but I know that could set me back.  Perhaps I'll pop in the DVD on Saturdays (the day I don't Tai Cheng) as a refresher.

Challenges are a great way to help during a weight loss journey.  See how close you can reach the group's goal or your own personal goal.  Support systems when you're struggling or need a push.  Get tips on what you could change to maximize your weight loss.  I could go on forever!  Below is information on one such challenge.  If you can't get in the June challenge stay tuned for future challenges.

Our Pure Results Challenge on June 3 is a challenge for people who are ready to see results with their health and fitness. It's a 30 day challenge to give you the tools you need to be successful.

You'll get:
- One-on-one support from a personal coach

- A support group

- A workout buddy

- A workout that you love

- Shakeology daily

- A free 30 day meal planner

- A team of coaches supporting you.

 

Most people lose between 3-11 pounds during this challenge.

 

Tai Cheng Week 2 - COMPLETE

I've survived 2 weeks and haven't felt like quitting even once!

The Neural Reboot is still giving me issues with the foam rolling.  At least the pain's decreasing.  The other move (plank & pike?) I think I've figured out but I'd need someone who's done it before to verify.

It definitely was a lot better with the Tai Chi moves in pairs.  The flow just seemed to click...no real trouble transitioning from one move to the next. Week 3 will be all 6 moves in sequence. I hope the flow continues!

Tai Cheng Week 1 - COMPLETE

Well, I survived a week of exercise!

The hardest part for me is the daily Neural Reboot.  My wrists and elbows cramp up during the foam roller portion.  Some days are better than others in terms of how many times I have to pause the DVD to shake them out.  I still can't seem to get myself in the right position for planking (I think that's what it's called).  I have to do the modified version (on my knees) but never feel that it's what the woman's doing.  Of course I'm still wobbly when I have to balance but I'm moving faster.

The Tai Chi portion I get confused sometimes with doing the static moves.  Trying to figure out which arm is up and which is down I get lost.  Otherwise it's not so bad.  Because I can't remember the moves from day to day Benny wants me to redo the week.  What do you expect only doing the move a few times for 15 minutes or so and not going back!  Week 2 says it's combining the moves so I don't think it's necessary to repeat.

And now for the scary part...my before pictures.  Double stomach and chin.  Flabby arms.  Back fat.  Big jiggly butt.  Thunder thighs.  (Not sure why Benny didn't get my legs in any picture.)  There's a lot to work on...literally.  I'm not expecting there to be much of a visible difference since Tai Cheng is low intensity but I may be surprised.

In the Beginning...was Tai Cheng

I checked out a couple of the Beachbody programs from the library that I thought were possiblities for me.  To start off I can't do anything high impact; I'd keel over for sure in the middle of doing the exercises.  Benny and I both agreed that I need something to make me more flexible and balanced before I can try anything else.  Tai Cheng appears to be the best route to take.

Since I got the DVDs from the library I don't have anything else that normally comes with the program.  We went and bought one of the foam rollers.  I already had a tape measure.

This morning I watched the whole Master Scroll DVD alone.  By the time this was done Austin was awake.  So I set up for the Function Test.  Here's how I scored:

• Squat:  0.  This hurt in many places.
• Single Leg Stand:  2.  I was too wobbly.
• Shoulder Mobility:  0.  No problem with my left hand but when I tried to reach the bottom of my shoulder blade with right hand...here came the pain.
• Chair Touch:  2.  As I sat back down I didn't completely lose the grip on the back fat but it slipped.
• In Line Lunge:  1.  Again, way too wobbly.
• Rotary Stability:  1.  Still too wobbly.
• Standing Toe Touch:  2.  I could almost reach my ankles.

So my overall score was 8/20.  There's much work to do in the next 90 days!

Benny had awakened before I was done with the test.  He was what I leaned on for some of the wobbles.

Afterwards Benny set up my calibration grid.  He didn't want the tape on the carpet or to have to retape it daily.  So he used a couple of grandma's rugs and duct tape instead.

I struggled a bit with some parts on the first workout but that's what makes it challenging and builds up your strength.

Join me on my journey.