Show Me Your Core

This week's Holiday Sweat Challenge focuses on working your core.  I don't really have any favorite core moves.  I believe core work has been a part of every program I've done, whether they specifically call it out or not.  My core has never been a strong area.  I often struggle with core work as some exercises irritate my lower back or neck.  With crunches I use one of the 3 lb dumbbells under my chin to keep my head in the right place but it still bothers the back of my neck from time to time.

MONDAY:  What's your core strength goal this week?  I'm making the focus of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday's workouts centered on my core.

TUESDAY:  Show us your plank!  How long can you hold it?  I haven't timed them but I've finally been able to hold a forearm plank on my toes for 30 seconds!

WEDNESDAY:  Show us your most creative core move.  Well, I don't think I'm very creative with exercise....

THURSDAY:  Show a watch photo of sweaty fun for the day.  I don't wear a watch since I'm not tracking my heart rate.

FREE FRIDAY:  What are you up to today...sweating, eating, cooking, etc.?

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Since Winter and I took over WIW the linkups seem to have died off.  We don't know if we should change it (to something other than Weigh In Wednesday) or if we should end the linkup.  Please leave a comment with your thoughts of how we should proceed.

THURSDAY I went back to Kelly Coffey-Meyer's Split Sessions, Full Body Time Saver Premix.

FRIDAY I did Brazil Butt Lift Bum Bum.  Neither of these workouts felt right to me with my uncoordinated self so I returned the DVDs to the library.

SATURDAY I did the upper body workout from Split Sessions.

MONDAY I woke up with a sinus headache.  Since this week's theme is your core I popped in the 21 Day Fix 10-Minute Fix for Abs.  I'd never tried this one before.  There was quite a variety of crunches to do in this workout.

TUESDAY I did the lower body workout from Split Sessions.

TODAY I did P90X2 Ab Ripper.  For some reason this seemed super easy compared to the Fix one I did Monday.  I won't be able to do this program as the rest of the workouts are too long for the time I have weekday mornings.

Linking up with

Thank You Veterans

Veteran's Day

Happy Veteran's Day and thank you for your service!

I haven't been feeling myself lately (hence why I haven't been doing much in the way of workouts outside of Super Heroine Fitness.  I think it's something to do with TOM.  I started spotting on 10/29 and it never filled up a panty liner.  Besides that I just feel off with fogginess, exhaustion, forgetfulness, and I don't know what else.  I asked the GYN about it Monday and he said either wait it out or take a pregnancy test.  He said that if it was negative I should take birth control for a month to sync up my uterus.  Then of course Tuesday morning I was hit hard with full on TOM (YUCK!).  So here we go again...

I'm participating in Sweat Pink's Holiday Sweat Challenge to wrap up 2015.  Here are my responses to this week's prompts (less Friday's).

MONDAY:  What's your minutes goal this week?  How will you get there? - I don't keep minute goals; I go by type of workout since I have limited time.

TUESDAY:  What's your favorite workout outfit or gear? - I don't have a favorite workout outfit and really the only gear I regularly use are my weights.

Additional Weight Plates to be Added

 

My Dumbbells

WEDNESDAY:  How do you take your workout outside when it's cold? - I don't...except for shoveling snow like I did this past winter.

THURSDAY:  What's your favorite strengthening move (i.e squats, planks, pushups, etc.)? - Hmm...that's a tough one.  Maybe squats.

 

FREE FRIDAY:  What are you up to today...sweating, eating, cooking, etc.?

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THURSDAY I did Super Heroine Fitness Episode 3 Adventure 3.

FRIDAY I did some Yoga with Adriene.

SATURDAY I debated whether or not to do Adventure 4 Circuit A & B but opted just to do A.

TODAY I tried Brazil Butt Lift High & Tight.  Was like 37 minutes of Pilates with jelly legs and all!  I'm just not coordinated enough to do some of the "dancing" part of the workout; I got so lost LOL

I'm trying to decide if I'm going to bother with Circuit B tomorrow or just do one of Kelly Coffey-Meyer's lifting DVDs I picked up from the library on Saturday.  Will see how I feel in the morning.

Linking up with

Final Week of Super Heroine Fitness

Welcome to The Long and Winding Road to Wellness all ye visitors from the Grow Your Blog Hop!

Not long after I published last week's post I received notification that I'm a Sweat Pink Ambassador!  I'm excited to see where this takes me.  I already ordered and received 40 #sweatpinklaces to give out for various special achievements over the holidays. 

This also adds to the Fitfluential Ambassadorship.

5 Random Things About Me

Since there are new folks visiting as a part of the Hop I thought I'd try another 5 random things about me.  It's been a while since I've done one of these so bear with me.

1. It's only since starting on this journey that I discovered it's my dream job to be a Wellness Coach and run a Wellness Center.  Finding the money to pay for the certification through NETA and getting my foot in the door somewhere without any formal experience and education is proving to be a mighty challenge.
2. Growing up I used to be scared of the grates in the sidewalk downtown.  I would do everything I could to avoid walking across them.  For some reason I had this fear that I'd fall through.  Some days it still bothers me but for the most part on my walks I go over them with no problems now.
3. I used to regularly dye my hair an auburn color but wouldn't go full red.  Can you imagine me as a redhead?
4. I took ballet & tap in preschool.  My uncoordinated self would be the one you'd often see going the opposite direction from everyone else.  Grandma (mom's mom) still has a picture somewhere from a show where this actually happened.
5. I've never been drunk.  Buzzed but never fully loaded.  Every time I tell people this there's always someone that says that they're going to get me drunk but never invite me anywhere to even try.

What are 5 things you'd like me to know about you?

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming...


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THURSDAY I got in more reps during Super Heroine Fitness Episode 3 Adventure 4 Circuit B than the last time despite being sweaty and lightheaded with my nose dripping.

SATURDAY I began the final week with Adventure 1.  The first song that popped up on my Pandora was a perfect title for Halloween - Ghosts 'n' Stuff by Deadmou5.  After eating lunch Austin and I headed to the library.  Austin wore his costume (less the knife).  Because it was Irvington's Halloween Festival we had to park about 3/4 mile away and walk in.  After picking up our items we checked out the non-food booths but didn't see anything we wanted to buy.  It was windy and sprinkled on us a couple of times while trick-or-treating that night.  (I had to wear my jacket draped over my shoulders but Austin was hot.)

SUNDAY night I went to bed with the chest and back pain similar to what I've been experiencing during the early phase of a gallbladder attack.  I took 4 acetaminophen and went to bed.  The pain didn't increase but held steady throughout the night.  I think I just dozed and never really slept.  I was so sleepy I couldn't bring myself to even do some yoga Monday like I'd planned.

TUESDAY I did Adventure 2 sans sprints.  This was for two reasons - I didn't feel like doing sprints of any kind and I took Benny to his first election.  Sure, it was only the municipal but he needs to know how it works without the crowds.

How was your week?

Next Tuesday will be the last Super Heroine Fitness workout.  I don't yet know what I'll be doing next.  I'm considering designing my own program as I had to make many substitutions due to the lack of equipment or ability/comfort in doing some exercises.  If you have a program that you recommend or something like a template to help me come up with something please be sure to leave a link in the comments.

I was excited to find out that our team is FINALLY offering a weight maintenance contest!  If you're not already involved with Beachbody check out this little press release I wrote up about the contest.  I'd love it if you'd join so we can maintain together.

Linking up with

#MotivateMe Monday Linkup with Fitness Cheerleader & Running Rachel

Happy Halloween

I'd asked Austin a few months ago whether he still wanted to Trick-or-Treat or give out candy (with him being 14 in a month).  At that point he wasn't sure what he wanted to do.  Then suddenly he started talking about a couple of costume ideas from anime and online cartoony things.  He finally settled on Eyeless Jack from Creepypasta.(don't ask because I don't know and don't get it LOL).

One of this weekend's projects...Austin's #eyelessjack mask for his #halloween #costume

A photo posted by Cassandra Schmigotzki (@longandwindingroadtowellness) on Oct 12, 2015 at 4:07am PDT

I finally got everything for my Wonder Woman costume (except a lasso).  Not sure if I'm going to play with makeup or anything special with my hair (like hairspray).  It's been so cold the past several years I hope I can stay warm this time!

Halloween 2012-2015

Do you still dress up to give out candy, take your kids trick-or-treating, or a party?

I'm in this week's Weight Watchers Weekly!

I knew this was coming but not when.  Ever since they asked for my picture I'd immediately look for my comment in the Weekly.

Next week I'll be one of the featured bloggers on Kristy of the Runaway Bridal Planner's Grow Your Blog Hop.  That means possibly 38 new faces will be checking out this blog (and I need to have my post up by Midnight LOL).  It's also my monthly weigh in so that'll be in the post.  Is there anything that you'd like to know about me or you'd like to see/read?  I'll put everything I can in the post.



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THURSDAY I did Episode 3 Adventure 2.  For whatever reason my mid/lower back kept spazzing during the front squats.

SATURDAY I did Adventure 3 using the 10 lb dumbbells for Circuit A and 15 lb dumbbells for Circuit B.

MONDAY nights Benny and I have been having Torc sessions on our abs.  You're supposed to do these in conjunction with proper diet and exercise (neither of which Benny does).  I attempted to get a shot of the procedure but it's difficult to hold my phone still while being squeezed.

A photo posted by Cassandra Schmigotzki (@longandwindingroadtowellness) on Oct 26, 2015 at 4:26pm PDT

TUESDAY I did Adventure 4 Circuit A with the 15 lb dumbbells.  On the 3rd set of right leg deadlifts I apparently forgot to press start on the timer so it skewed my stats. LOL

Today it's too rainy to walk for the last farmer's market of the season.

Linking up with

#MotivateMe Monday Linkup with Fitness Cheerleader & Running Rachel

Happy Back to the Future Day

Image Courtesy of Naypong | FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Yesterday's post-op was short and pointless...could've been done over the phone or the EMR.  As expected nothing cancerous from the polyps.  They did do the dilation and curettage even though it wasn't noted on the discharge paperwork.  So now only time will tell if it was money well spent....Apparently I'm now on the 5 year PAP schedule so I won't need that test until 2019/2020.  So he said we can move my annual

I think I have finally discovered the reason why my nose is always stuffy.  Benny's ENT had said it at one of the follow up appointments after his salivary stone removal but I'd forgotten what it was almost immediately.  It's been driving me crazy for months!  From what I can tell it appears that I have enlarged turbinates and may need functional rhinoplasty (aka a nose job).  The referral is in process so we'll see when I'll get an official diagnosis and treatment plan in place.



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THURSDAY I did Super Heroine Fitness Episode 3 Adventure 4 Circuit B.

I swapped Saturday and Sunday because I went to a spa party at someone's house.  We enjoyed facials, foot treatments, and mini massages.

SUNDAY I skipped Circuit C since I haven't found what I wanted to sub for 2 of the exercises.  I did Adventure 1.

MONDAY I did PiYo Core.

TUESDAY I didn't do SHF since I knew Adventure 2 would make me late for my follow up appointment.  Instead I did PiYo Strength Intervals...more cardio than I expected LOL

Today I walked 2.85 miles around downtown.  I picked up some bell peppers at the farmer's market.

Linking up with

#MotivateMe Monday Linkup with Fitness Cheerleader & Running Rachel

Super Heroine Fitness Week 8

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• Comfortably Flexes with your body

This is my first TOM post surgery.  So far it's behaving as it has been; I didn't expect any changes this month anyway.  I figured it'll be 2-3 months before I can expect to begin to #BringComfyBack to TOM.  Definitely continuing to rely on the U by Kotex Lightdays® Liners during the spotting at the beginning and end of my cycle.  Tuesday is my follow up appointment with the GYN so we'll see what he has to say.

Be sure to visit bringcomfyback(dot)com where you can upload an uncomfy pic for a $1 off coupon to try either liner out for yourself and enter to win this month's prize package.


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THURSDAY I was finally able to begin Super Heroine Fitness Episode 3 with Adventure 1.  Turned out to be very much a leg day for me!  I had trouble sitting, standing up, and walking until Saturday's workout....Definitely have to lower the weight the next round of this one.

SATURDAY I was still somewhat sore from Thursday but somehow when I started in on Adventure 2 it all went away.  This is the workout where you're supposed to wrap it up with 8 minutes of 50 yard sprints.  Yeah, me running on uneven ground with my weak ankles...not a good idea.  So I jumped on my stationary bike and attempted bicycle sprints - 20 seconds hard pedaling, 10 seconds light pedaling.  I lasted about 6 minutes doing this.

TUESDAY I did Adventure 3, which seemed super easy to me.  So, unlike Thursday, I'll need to go with a heavier weight on the next round.

Today I walked 3.03 miles, picking up another butternut squash at the farmer's market.

Linking up with

#MotivateMe Monday Linkup with Fitness Cheerleader & Running Rachel

Be Your Best Self

"Be Your Best Self" is this week's Weight Watchers meeting topic. What words to you use to describe yourself now (I.e. introverted, a parent, a spouse, a brunette, vertically challenged, etc.)?  What things about you would you continue to be in the future?

How would you describe your future self (I.e. once you've reached your ultimate goal)?  Use he Best-Self Portrait below, filling in the items in the {} brackets (remember Mad Libs) to get started.

I wish they'd given an example because I struggled with completing my Best-Self Portrait....Not sure if this is really what they were looking for but here goes nothing!

Cassi's Best-Self Portrait

My best self is happy and stress-free.  My best self likes to travel regularly with my family and guide others on their journeys to improve their overall health and wellness.  When faced with a challenge, my best self thinks how I can work through/around this and researches options.  On a typical day, my best self chooses to eat apples and spinach.  In a typical week, my best self gets in a few workouts including weightlifting and yoga.  My best self takes time out for relaxing, restoring breaks such as reading.  Overall my best self feels at peace about life.  If someone starting on their journey asked for my definition of success, my best self would say, "Success is a state of mind.  If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success." (Dr. Joyce Brothers)

 

Which element that you filled in can you work on this week to start making your best-self a reality?  What specific actions will you take?


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Sorry for not having a post last week.  With only walking and yoga I really had nothing to share with you.  The doctor has said it's OK to start Super Heroine Fitness Episode 3 so I'll begin tomorrow.  I'm excited because it was getting boring to me!

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