Nothing

Today, no workout.

However, we had a medical appointment out of town the results of which were a HUGE weight off my shoulders. This should decrease my stress greatly, and I feel good knowing hubs is healthy and in good shape.  Whew.

We had a good drive to this appointment, and on the way into the town, I spied a thrift store.  On our way out, hubs got some lunch at Taco John's, I did not eat because ew, carbs and processed food, and when he was done, I hit the thrift store. What a mood lifter, it was the cleanest thrift store I'd ever been in, well organized, and staff was friendly.  I bought a new leather purse for $4, an enamel tray for $3 that matches all my kitchen goodies, a cute photo frame, a new-with-tags whisk for $1 which I'd been meaning to buy at Walmart but keep forgetting, and a religious decoration.

I left feeling so much better emotionally. The stress of my husband's health was huge for me, and that was liberating, and then getting some new goodies (even though I'm halfway through doing a Swedish Death Cleaning project and getting rid of stuff) was delightful.

I'm feeling more grounded, more motivated, and ready to tackle things.  I still had a headache today, but it was not nearly as bad. I also had a bad skin outbreak that is painful, which is annoying but won't preclude me from working out tomorrow, or getting on with things.

So in short, today was excellent because the biggest stressor is gone.  I still don't like December, still have stress every year this month, but it's minor in comparison.

So tomorrow, I shall crush it. Hopefully from here on out, as the stress leaves my body, it will be easier to establish that habit I'm seeking and to start consistently working toward my goals.

Crush it!   

Ick

Horrid headache again today, traveled into my eyes. I've had these before, when super stressed. Never been officially dx'd with migraine but the ER (several times) has told me they most likely were.

Today's workout was not what I had planned. Instead, I did a 35-minute yin yoga. I also did progressive muscle relaxation for about 20 minutes, which helps decrease stress.  Then I did a yoga nidra, which is a body scan.  All helped, but the headache is still here.

So just ick. No links to the videos, feeling too icky to take the time.

When Christmas is over, I'll be back to normal. December is always a super sad, super stressful month for me. This is nothing new. It happens every year and has since 2008 when dad died.

That's a wrap for today. Going to soak in the tub with epsom salts and lavender oil, then go to bed.

Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Booklist

Technically, in the medical field, it would be called remission, but in the community, it's called reversing Type 2 Diabetes. 

Diabetes is a result insulin resistance/metabolic disorder.  Sugar, in the form of all carbohydrates, can worsen insulin resistance. The following books will do a great job of explaining the process far better than I can.

In short, you want to eat fewer than 30g of total carbs per day (not net carbs!), 70% fat, and the rest protein.  I'm coming up on the start of my third year doing this. It is sustainable. There are people that have been doing this over 10 years with wonderful results.  I use Cronometer Gold to track my macros. (It tracks calories, too.) 

My lipid panel is better than it ever has been in my entire adult life. I had a drastic reduction in my triglycerides, which is extremely beneficial.

Everyone needs to do what works for them.  Make it your own.  This is how I reversed my Type 2 Diabetes.  Easy peasy. 

One caveat: many medical practitioners and nutritionists are grossly misinformed about low carbohydrate diets. Some, such as my former practitioner, did not even know that the American Diabetes Association endorsed the low carbohydrate diet  in 2018 and has continued to do so because it is highly effective in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes. Trust the science. There are a plethora of evidence-based journal articles supporting the safety, health benefits, and efficacy of low carbohydrate diets.  Hit up Google Scholar and see for yourself, or read the books in the following booklist.  

I am not giving medical advice, not telling anyone how to eat, or what to do. I am not an expert, I am just sharing the books I've read in my research, and the path that I have chosen to take which is working for me. I have read too many peer-reviewed, evidence-based journal articles to share here.

Booklist

My favorite:

The first book I bought and based my dietary intake on was Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution: The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars Hardcover – Illustrated, November 1, 2011 by Richard K. Bernstein MD.  This is my "bible."

My next favorite: 

Why We Get Sick: The Hidden Epidemic at the Root of Most Chronic Disease--and How to Fight It by Benjamin Bikman (a must read!)

Other books I have read or have purchased to read:

The Case Against Sugar – Gary Taubes (ANY book by Gary Taubes is a sure bet!) 

 The Case for Keto by Gary Taubes

Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It Paperback by Gary Taubes 

The Carnivore Diet — Sean Baker

The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet by Nina Teicholz

End Your Carb Confusion by Dr. Eric Westman and Amy Berger 

The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung

The Diabetes Code by Dr. Jason Fung

Stay Off My Operating Table: A Heart Surgeon’s Metabolic Health Guide to Lose Weight, Prevent Disease, and Feel Your Best Every Day by Dr. Philip Ovadia

Fitness Confidential by Vinnie Tortorich (Vinnie has a very unique sense of humor that not everyone may appreciate)

Ketogenic Diet Therapies for Epilepsy and Other Conditions, Seventh Edition Paperback – December 16, 2020 by Eric Kossoff MD, Zahava Turner RD CSP LDN, Mackenzie C. Cervenka MD, Bobbie J. Barron RD LDN. This is the medical book for ketogenic diets, and it includes weight loss and diabetes information. Only a few pages are dedicated to these two topics. 

Eat Fat and Grow Slim by Dr. Richard Mackarness 

The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance by Jeff S. Volek and Stephen D. Phinney 

The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living: An Expert Guide to Making the Life-Saving Benefits of Carbohydrate Restriction Sustainable and Enjoyable by Stephen D. Phinney and Jeff S. Volek 

Fork in the Road: A Hopeful Guide to Food Freedom by Jen Unwin (Dr. Unwin is a psychologist and specializes in food addiction and low carbohydrate diets. Her husband is Dr. David Unwin, a medical doctor who focuses on low carbohydrate diets for health.) (This was free on Kindle Unlimited when I read it.)

Fatty Liver Protocol: Regain your youthful energy, improve your sleep, and lose stubborn fat while fixing your Fatty Liver with diet and exercise by Dr. J. Matthew Durham (This was free on Kindle Unlimited when I read it)

New Atkins for a New You: The Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight and Feeling Great. Paperback – March 2, 2010 by Dr. Eric C. Westman, Stephen D. Phinney,  and Jeff S. Volek 

Honorable Mention

Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health--and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and Moreby Dr. Christopher Palmer     

Dr. Palmer is a psychiatrist at a Harvard hospital, and while not much in the book refers to the ketogenic diet, if you search his name on YouTube for podcasts, he explains that he has had patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia go into remission by using a ketogenic diet. Much research is being done now on the benefits of this diet approach in the field of mental health. 

Motivation Hack

Lacking motivation for fitness?  Struggling to get your exercise in? Do you want to exercise but can't seem to get it done?  Try this.

1. Buy (amazon has these) or make (I'm cheap) your own one-year calendar.  

2. Set your goal. For me, it's exercise every damn day. My "rest day" is yin yoga and possibly light cardio, such as a walk.  

3. Place this poster in a highly visible place, near where you workout, or in your bedroom, or in your hall, on your fridge, or somewhere you'll see it with high frequency. This is the trick, it has to be highly visible where you'll see it often.  

4. Fill it in as you exercise.

Why does this work? Because when you fill in a square, the brain releases dopamine, the feel-good neurotransmitter. When you see one square filled in, it motivates you to fill in the next, and so on. You'll feel accomplished, and proud as you should be!  You'll want to continue that feeling good, and fill it all with no gaps.  Life happens, but you'll want more ink than white space for sure!

Exercise releases dopamine and endorphins, which make you feel good, helps your blood pressure, attention, and stress response.  It also releases serotonin, which helps with mood. So combining this highly visible tracking method with your exercise, it's a powerful punch!

Exercise is the best thing you can do for your overall health.  Tracking it, seeing your progress, filling those squares is super motivating. 

You can use this method for other things such as reading every day, or chores, decluttering, or anything you want to improve.

If you don't have room for a poster, you can print a year-on-a-page calendar and hang it on your fridge to cross off your workouts. It will still release the neurotransmitters and make you feel good seeing your hard work recorded.

This is the poster I made.  I used my Silhouette Portrait 3 to make stickers.  Since I plan on doing Joyce Vedral workouts for the next year, she got top billing. 

I used www.pdfcalendar.com for the blank calendars. I used their calendars through grad school to keep me on task, and the website works well.

If you don't have room for a poster, you can also print a one-page calendar and cross off the days.  This would fit in the fridge--what a great, highly visible place. 

This is from www.print-a-calendar.com.  

If you choose to try this, just make sure it's in a place you'll see it multiple times a day.  

This calendar is available right now for $6.99 on Amazon.  

The most important thing is to do what works for you. Being true to yourself is a big win.

Crush it! 

Day 1

Day 1 of 365 Days of Consistent Exercise✅

Starting Anew

Update:

I've been sickly for awhile, and also highly stressed.  Not good, but today, I'm back at it. Starting from Day 1 again.

Weights:

Joyce Vedral Fat Burning Upper Body

Love this because it's supersetting within body parts, so I'm able to use the appropriate weights for me through each superset.  When she does it between body parts, she uses the same weights for biceps as shoulders.  I go much heavier for biceps than shoulders.  So I think I'll do her "within" workouts for awhile.

I also paused the video a few times so I wasn't rushed.

I did not play this at .8 on my DVD player, but next time I will.  I also did not like the exercise where you lie face down on the bench for back work. She said in the video if you're large busted, you won't like this.  True.  Next time I'll substitute another.  The first time I did this workout, I did the short version. I didn't realize there were two different versions! So this time I did the longer, and that's what I'll do from here on out. 

Cardio/Yin Yoga:

Nothing yet, but I have a short Keoni walk planned for tonight, then some Yin Yoga.

update: No cardio (besides shopping at Walmart!), but I did this lovely yin yoga session. Very relaxing.  I like Devi a lot, but I do prefer music in the practice.  It was a win.

Thoughts:

Feeling very frustrated that I was sickly. At first it was a virus, then it turned into a nasty headache for days. Just when I thought it broke, it came back a few hours later.  I've been doing yoga nidra to relax, which really helped with the headache.  There's no shame in stopping and resting your body when you need to, though. Self care is very important.  Just start up again, consistently.

Crush it!

It's Not Covid

Took a covid test today, negative. Hubs and I have same symptoms, which are in line with current variant symptoms.  Must be a cold, flu, whatever.

So doing 365 workouts in 365 days is dependent on not getting sick.  Nothing today, just resting.  Will see about tomorrow. Want to be close to 100% when I start up again.  Anxious to start, too. 

Headache bad again tonight, bloody nose, lots of other virus-type symptoms.  Yuck.

This too shall pass.

Tomorrow I'll make it a jammies day, drink my decaf coffee, and snuggle up with a good book. 

Sick Day Times 2

The last post I made I whined about headache, not working out, not feeling good. Well, I didn't realize but I was sick. I had a fever all day yesterday and into today. Everything hurt. I spent most the day in bed yesterday.  Today I was mobile, with a good nap thrown in, but not full speed.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

I'm going to start my 365 count again. And in the future if I have a sick day, so be it. I don't normally get sick, though.

While lying in bed I came to an epiphany: in 2024, I'm not going to buy any more new books and just read from my shelf or Kindle.  Of course I promptly ordered 4 more books, but that will be the end of it.  I look forward to my choices for next year.  I'm also going to start my read the bible in a year bible.   We started together last year and my partner didn't want to anymore, and I just quit.  This year I'll do it on my own.

Trying to figure out the best time of the day to workout.  I have more energy in the evenings. But it would be nice to get it done and out of the way first thing, and I can do cardio later in the day if I so choose.  Trying to figure out what will be best for me.

Still committed, still excited about this, still loving Joyce workouts.  Just resting the body.  I have a feeling tomorrow will be the new day 1.

Oops

 

Well, shucks. (Not the word I'd use in real life.)  I screwed up.  I did not work out today.  I had a nasty headache all day, was achy, the wind was blowing and I hate wind, and it was a Sunday and weekends just aren't my thing, so no.

Fail.

But why? Because the minimum I could have done today would have been a yin yoga. That would have helped the aches and pains in my body, my mood, and definitely my headache. Yin would have counted as a workout!

What gives.  Why did I not?

Crickets...

I need to make a game plan for when I'm in a mood. I'm usually in a mood on weekends, for some strange reason. 

Health is too important and there are no do-overs, I simply must exercise daily. There's no choice.  (That's cognitive behavioral therapy for ya, said the therapist. I am a therapist.  Or was. Am. Not working, except on myself right now.)

I must figure this out.  In my mind I call it behavioral inertia.  I have tried every intervention in the book for days (years?), to no avail.  And with Joyce, I feel the great desire to workout, and I was!  But I let life get in the way, mood get in the way.  That's just stupid.  (Not what a therapist normally says, but here it's about me and I'm calling it as I see it.) 

Tomorrow is another day to get things right.  And I will.

Commit.  I felt so good about myself all week.  I felt good physically, too. 

This is a roadblock, a piece of the puzzle that must be solved.  Because seriously, there is no choice.  I am 1 year away from the age of my mother's death. My sister who was 5 years older than me died years ago.  This isn't a game (to use Joyce's words!)  It's real, it's my health, and it's important.

The reality is, it's a trauma response. And I need to work through it. The answer is radical acceptance, feel the pain I'm in, accept it, know that it is past hurt that my body remembers triggered by something currently, breathe, be in the moment, acknowledge, and that is how to get through it. The funny thing is, yoga done for 12 weeks can greatly decrease trauma symptoms.

So it's okay that I messed up today. It's okay I was in a bad mood, that IS life. And I will put myself first (so hard to do) because my health matters. I matter. 

Day 6 of 365

 Day 6 of 365 Workouts

Only Workout:

Collage Video's YouTube page has a bunch of free OLDER Leslie Sansone videos up.  They are new to their streaming service, and that's how they advertise the service.  I'm sharing the Collage Video love here.

I'm not a big fan of Leslie, but I have many of her DVDs.  With Keoni's YouTube page, I use that instead because he doesn't talk and has good music.

That said, the older Leslie workouts I find less--abrasive. While the music isn't good, it's better than the most recent of her workouts (before she retired.)  I also found those black sets depressing, and most of them were just so dark.  And she was so chatty, hearing the same chatter over and over was irritating.

I do think she's a lovely human being and has helped many people.  

I really enjoyed this walk. She has different "moves" than in the "more recent" workouts.  I love the background of this set, and I liked the cast in the video.

So it was fun to have a touch of nostalgia today.

Rest Day

This is my official rest day.  I had planned on this to happen tomorrow, but I want to do Joyce Vedral's Fast Forward which I believe to be a 3-day program, so I wanted to start it Sunday so I'd be able to end next Saturday having done equal upper and body workouts. (I haven't previewed it, but we shall see!)

Thoughts:

My abs are on fire.  Wow, can I feel yesterday's work.  And it doesn't hurt, it's actually a great feeling.  I hate ab work, but just knowing I worked them hard and can feel it, gives me great hope that I can have strong abs someday.

Crush it! 

Day 5 of 365

 Day 5 of 365 Consistent Daily Workouts 

✅

Mood:

It was okay.  I slept better but still had to sleep some more after driving the husband to work. That's normal for me, and it's not healthy sleep. If I don't, I'm groggy, and can be a crab. The wind picked up this afternoon, and I hate wind so didn't go with the fam on their walk. I'm okay with that. 🤣

Cardio:

None.

Yin Yoga:

None. I did, however, do a very long stretch after my weights workout. Copy, paste, because same old as yesterday.

Weights:

Joyce Vedral Speedy Non-Stop Fat Meltdown.  After warming up, I started at 7:24 p.m. and I was done at 7:46 and then did a stretch. 22 minutes of pure hell, I tell you.  Seriously, I loved the workout; I loved the format. Giant sets, 12 reps of each exercise, then 10 reps of each exercise, then to the floor for the pure hell part. Giant sets, multiple exercises, 15 reps each, all abs.  OMG, it was so hard!  I made it through the first round. The second round I made it through about 3/4, but I did them all just fewer reps.  The third round I did a few and stopped because my abs were absolutely BURNING. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥Then back to upper body to finish with the lightest weight at 8 reps each.

Whew.  I sweat a lot in that short time, it was good work!

Thoughts:

The burning abs stoked a fire in my soul--I want to be able to do ab work with grace. I'm not aiming for a six-pack, but I'm aiming for grace, strength, and to be able to do the suckers.  So as much as I hate ab work, and gosh I truly do, I'm going to stick to it.  It feels empowering.

This was my first time with this workout, took the shrink wrap off and put it in. I didn't preview, just did. The lifting was a perfect pace for me, but there was no rest, you just went from exercise to exercise. That is why it was so fast.  My upper body feels it.  I liked it and it's wonderful to have a "short" workout that's still a decent workout that will get me where I'm going. 

Joyce is very good at designing workouts.  I feel just as worked out tonight as I did doing upper body work with The FIRM old school.  The simplicity of it all makes it a wonderful change. 

Tomorrow is day 6, and I will do my weights and meet my goal. I will definitely do a long Yin YOGA on Sunday and a cardio workout for sure to attain my day 7 of 365, as it's a rest day from weights, but I'm really feeling boosted, more confident that I will make this a lifetime habit.

That was my hope.  Always have hope.

I've had many people tell me I can't.  I've told myself that, too, but I don't anymore. 

Watch me crush it!

Day 4 of 365

 Day 4 of 365 Consistent Daily Workouts 

✅

Mood:

I woke up with an elevated mood.  I had a lot to do today so had to postpone my workout until evening, but I felt a bit perkier today.  It was also 50 degrees out and very sunny.  I am attributing it to exercise, but it could be the sunlight and warmth.  Who knows, glad it was a better day!

Cardio:

None.

Yin Yoga:

None. I did, however, do a very long stretch after my weights workout.

Weights:

Joyce Vedral Fat Burning Workout lower body.  I substituted leg extensions for lunges, and I wore ankle weights. I substituted twisted crunches for the situps. I forgot to put my hands under my butt for the ab work.  

Thoughts:

Okay, ab work:  It's a bear.  I decided I was at home, and to let it rip. I moaned. I did all the reps, but I moaned & groaned, because it was damned hard. But I did it. Not graceful, not anywhere close to perfect, but I did it.  Praising myself for that.  Having my hands under my butt would have helped.  

I came upstairs and asked the husband if he could hear me moaning and he said yes. 🤣 I said it was the abs, apparently I have none.

I'm feeling very positive about this. I could feel my shoulders tingle last night. Not DOMS but tingling, like I used to back in the day when I worked out. It's an awesome feeling.  

This really is boosting my mood.  Sense of accomplishment, getting the kinks out, moving my body, thinking how consistency will show drastic results over time.  Yeah, feeling good.

Fat Burning will be a much-used workout--I love it! I liked it far better than Weight Training Made Easier. I love Joyce still, she makes me laugh, she's positive and supportive.  

In honor of growing up in Denver during the Orange Crush era....CRUSH IT!

Joyce Vedral Fat Burning Lower Body Breakdown

Joyce Vedral Fat Burning Lower Body DVD Breakdown

Time: About 37 minutes

Set 1:

Legs

*Squats

*Lunges

Sissy Squat

Leg Curls

~~~

Set 2:

Glutes

Back Leg Extension (On your knees, using bench for balance, kick legs back)

Bridges

Feather Kick Up (I always thought this was a donkey kick) Your leg is in an L shape and you kick up

Prone Butt Lift

Scissor (sitting on bench leaning back, spread your legs and back in.)

Set 3:

Abs

Sit-ups (can sub with lying on back with knees up, doing twisting crunch. Go to each side with crunch to count as 1 rep.) 

Leg Raises

Leg-ins

Crunch

Serratus Pull

Set 4:

Calves

Seated Calf Raises

Toes pointing out calf raises

Toes pointing in calf raises

Standing Calf Raises

Can substitute Seated Leg Extensions for squats or lunges (or both). 

 

Day 3 of 365

  Day 3 of 365 Consistent Daily Workouts 

✅

Mood:  

Blah. Tired, didn't sleep well again last night, and I got sad news about a friend. 

After workout: Felt TONS better.  Turned from a blah to good day after exercise.

 Cardio:

It was late afternoon, 45 degrees out, so we took the dogs for a good walk.

Weights:

Joyce Vedral Fat Burning Workout upper body. Starts around the 53 minute mark.

Yin Yoga: 

Devi Daly again. I do this practice a lot because it feels so good on my low back and hips.  It puts me in a great place mentally as well. 

Thoughts:

I loved this Joyce workout!  It's vintage 80s in set and outfits, but that doesn't matter. Hey, I lived through the 80s and it's just happy memories.

This was a pyramid, giant sets within body parts. We started with biceps, then progressed. This will probably be a frequent flyer for me. I loved it because I used heavier weights for biceps than shoulders. In fact, I used heavier weights for everything except shoulders.  I also played it at .8 speed on my DVD player. That makes a huge difference, I feel I have more control lifting, but less stress getting the next set of weights.

Joyce is delightful, she's funny, she's energetic, and she's just so real. 

I wasn't feeling it, but I'm committed and so I did it anyway.

Crush it!

Day 2 of 365

 Day 2 of 365 Consistent Daily Workouts 

✅

Mood:

I woke up this morning eager to do a workout. That said, I got little sleep, and when I got home from driving hubby to work, I went back to bed. Sleep's important. I hate having to live to his schedule, but then again, that's what partners do--they do for each other.  I'm a night owl, so it's a struggle for me getting up super early, regardless of when I go to bed.

I started my workout close to 2 p.m.  So much for being eager. I was eager, I just had a horrible headache that Tylenol didn't take away, it was gloomy for the second day in a row,, and I had 50-something body aches.  Excuses. Reasons. Whatever, I committed and so I did my Joyce workout. 

Thoughts:

I watched the free Fat Burning workout (with the 80s flair) I previously linked to and wanted to do that instead of WTME.  The grass is always greener, right?  This is where I get overwhelmed having too much to choose from.  I did complete WTME, as planned.  Follow through.  

 Cardio:

None.  I only have about 5000 steps, which isn't great. No guilt, no shame, it just is. I still got that weight workout done, and the weight work is my primary goal. 

Weights:

Joyce Vedral Weight Training Made Easy lower body. I loved Joyce's lower body workout.  I liked it much better than the upper body in the same series. I have no idea why. There was a lot of getting up and down off the ground, which counts as a workout in and of itself. 🤣 Again, it moves fast, but it was doable.  The last set was calf raises.  Wow, my calves were burning.  I did a long, deep stretch after. I broke a good sweat doing this, and really enjoyed it. 

Yin Yoga:

Nothing today.  I did stretch well after my workout, but it's not the same. 

I guess sometimes you don't feel well, so you do the best you can. That was today. Tomorrow will be different. 

We can always find good if we look for it! 

My good today: I did the workout even though I felt like garbage. 

Crush it!

Free from Collage Video: Joyce Vedral Fat Burning and Bathing Suit Workouts

 Collage Video has some Joyce Vedral's DVD workouts available for free right now on YouTube.

The Complete Fat Burning Workout Series, Plus the Bathing Suit Workout.

Complete Bottoms Up

They also have a streaming service for $9.99 a month and you can get all of Joyce's workouts, plus many others.  I chose to buy the DVDs from Collage, but I just thought I'd share.

Joyce is now 80 years old and still super fit...google her!  She continues to do her workouts. These are older, obviously, but don't let the past styles stop you from enjoying her excellent workouts. 

I'm sure this is for a limited time, so take advantage! 

Crush it!

Empowered, Hopeful, Excited

Ladies, we can do anything!

Sing it, Helen! In fact, if I could rename myself, a good name would be Helen, Helen Back...I've been to Hell and Back. 🤣 Haven't we all! (Men, too!)

I love the lyrics of this song, as they're strong, empowering, and hopeful.  

I am Woman

Helen Reddy

I am woman, hear me roar

In numbers too big to ignore

And I know too much to go back an' pretend

'Cause I've heard it all before

And I've been down there on the floor

No one's ever gonna keep me down again

Oh yes, I am wise

But it's wisdom born of pain

Yes, I've paid the price

But look how much I gained

If I have to, I can do anything

I am strong (strong)

I am invincible (invincible)

I am woman

You can bend but never break me

'Cause it only serves to make me

More determined to achieve my final goal

And I come back even stronger

Not a novice any longer

'Cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul

Oh yes, I am wise

But it's wisdom born of pain

Yes, I've paid the price

But look how much I gained

If I have to, I can do anything

I am strong (strong)

I am invincible (invincible)

I am woman

I am woman, watch me grow

See me standing toe to toe

As I spread my lovin' arms across the land

But I'm still an embryo

With a long, long way to go

Until I make my brother understand

Oh yes, I am wise

But it's wisdom born of pain

Yes, I've paid the price

But look how much I gained

If I have to, I can face anything

I am strong (strong)

I am invincible (invincible)

I am woman ah

I am woman (I am woman)

I am invincible

I am strong

I am woman (I am woman)

I am invincible

I am strong

I am woman

 

Day 1 of 365

Day 1 of 365 Consistent Daily Workouts 

✅

Mood:

Starting: Meh. Planned on doing my workout at 11, ended up starting at 1:42.  But hey, it got done. Cardio I did early this morning. It was light and easy and helped wake me up.  

After: I felt good.  I know I can do this and look forward to meeting my "365 days" goal.  It strengthened my resolve and commitment taking the first step.  

Thoughts:

I posted a three-week rotation yesterday, and I did not do that.  The first workout on that rotation is a dynamic tension workout, and I decided I'd rather do the pyramids for awhile.  I will definitely use the dynamic tension workout, but later on. 

 Cardio:

Reps to the Rhythm YouTube KC & the Sunshine Band, and then a Queen walk.  I like the music and the fact he does not talk. I ended up subscribing to his Patreon because I wanted to do the full half hour KC workout; only half of it is free in the clip below. It's $5 a month, so it's not going to break the bank too much even though I have to be careful with what I spend. $5 here and there adds up! 

Does my age show with these music selections? 🤣

Did some mild stretching on my own after. 

Weights:

Joyce Vedral Weight Training Made Easy upper body and it had ab and hips/thighs work, too.

I love this pyramid workout, but it does go super fast.  I forgot to slow my DVD player down to .75. That will help. The fast is moving from one set to another, not so much the lift speed. I did have everything set up so it's just a matter of remembering what comes next.  In the course of a year, that will definitely happen. 

I did not like using the same weights for shoulders and biceps. I can lift much, much heavier with biceps than shoulders.  So I'm thinking I'll just let this play, and do my own thing, swapping weights between body parts.  Then I can pause when she's done on the DVD, and finish what I'm doing.  When I'm done, I'll start the DVD again. That's the only part I will need to do that. 

The ab work was hit or miss. Some I can't do because of hip/low back pain. So I improvised, did crunches and bridges which I can do.  The hip, butt, thigh work was all exercises I can do.

I need to sit down and watch this last section and select ab sets that I can do.  I'm not taking a chance on hurting my back further; the goal is to heal, gain strength, and then expand. Not there yet!

I really like Joyce. I like her personality, I like her energy, and her vibe.  She's the perfect workout partner.  I'm looking forward to the next 364 days and having a one-way friend as a mentor.

Yin Yoga

I love Devi Daly's workouts.  Her voice is calming, and her workouts make me feel so good. Restorative yin yoga is the best for downregulating the nervous system, which helps persons with anxiety, trauma, stress, etc.  Yin yoga is also a great practice for the physical body (obviously!)--it's a win-win. I feel so much better physically when I do her videos, and it really helps alleviate the pain in my lower back and hips.

This was today's practice.  I like using the bolster, as it seems to help my lower body. The first time I did one of her videos, I couldn't do the Golden Gate.  It was so uncomfortable. I just kept at it, first using blanket instead of a bolster, and now I can use the bolster. It's so freeing, I just feel so opened and stretched.  It does not take long to improve! 

Starting out easy, with the goal of building up cardio along the way, increasing weights along the way, just being smart and not overdoing now even though I do have the desire for more. Slow and steady wins the race.

If I can do this, so can you. Let's do it together and crush it!

First Three-Week Rotation

Weights

These workouts are all Joyce Vedral DVDs.  WTME stands for Weight Training Made Easy.  These are all short workouts, pyramid system except I don't believe Dynamic Tension is pyramids.  These are light-weight workouts, which is fine for me starting back up.

Because these are short and light, I will workout six days a week, alternating upper and lower body giving me a 48-hour rest in between workouts. Some of her ab work I cannot do due to lower back & hip problems, so I'll do my physical therapy exercises, kettlebell swings, and planks, instead.  I might squeeze in The FIRM Lower Body Sculpting which is great for my physical therapy: lots of bridge work, leg lifts, floor work and only 30 minutes.

Cardio

My goal is to work up to 12,500 steps per day consistently, with room to grow on that. There was a time I averaged 40,000 steps per day--but that's not my goal now, nor my desire. 12,500 is the long-term goal.  So Zone 2 Cardio is in the works daily as well. 

I have lots of cardio options to choose from.  Rower, punching bag, and Bas Rutten which is a punching bag workout would have to be done on upper-body days. Joyce cautions not to do the rower frequently because it can thwart upper-body gains.  I know it's a very good workout for me as it's easy on the feet, feels good on the back and hips, and really works my abs.

Kettlebell swings are very good for my hips, great cardio, and something I really enjoy.  I don't need a video, but do have the RKS system DVDs I could use if I wanted.  Sometimes my favorite music just works better.

When I sit and read, which is often, it's very important to get up and move. I can walk the bedroom hallway and get a good step count, blast my music, and take short little real walks. I can also do YouTube videos. 

Cardio gives me a little more leeway to do "what I feel like" that day, although a minimum of Zone 2 cardio per day is the goal.

Yin Yoga

Yin Yoga is something I can do daily, and that's the goal. The poses are held longer, sometimes up to three minutes.  I like it for that reason, I feel very stretched out. The other reason it's important is that it is good for persons who have experienced trauma. It's grounding, it brings you into your body and makes you aware. It's calming.  It's amazing.  I can't describe how much better I feel if I've been anxious, upset, emotional, etc., and then complete a yin yoga workout. This is evidence based, and proven to work.  It's said that after 12 weeks of restorative yoga, trauma responses/symptoms can decrease remarkably.  Well, that's a goal for me for sure.

Right now I'm loving Devi Daly Yoga on YouTube. She's very good, and everything feels better physically and mentally when I've finished a practice.  She has a calming voice, and is definitely trauma-informed as evidenced by her wording. My favorites are her videos with bolsters. I love bolster work, as for some reason it really helps my hips more, but also doing child's pose hugging a bolster feels like you're getting a hug.  It's strange, but it's amazing.

Time to CRUSH IT! 

Gulp.

This first week, the goal is to start increasing the step count, say to 9000 (I average around 7000 now), do those weight workouts six days a week, and yin daily.

 

Nice Day for a Walk

 A balmy 35 degrees out, no snow on the ground, only one skiff of ice on the roadway that was in the shade...so we took our two dogs out for a good, long walk.

Dopamine and endorphins boosted, and feeling a bit perkier. Excellent source of mood elevation, which is needed during this daylight savings decreased-sun-hell period of time. 

It was a lovely walk, felt good to be in the sun and the fresh air. Mostly, it was fun because our dogs love to go on walks and they're such a joy to watch. 

Not much of a workout, but pleasant mild cardio.  I don't know if I'll hit my home gym or not. Dad always said the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  I have the intentions, but I've yet to embrace that consistent follow through.  I used to, it's a core part of who I am (was) AM. Using present tense as a positive reinforcer.  It will happen. Just gotta get things squared away in my brain and get that habit formed.

Stages of Change

Ready, set, go.  Am I ready?  Are you?  I've always been the type to just do, but I've experienced a lot of trauma in the past several years and that has dulled my get-after-it attitude. I'm building myself up, getting my confidence up, talking myself into this.  My health is important, and this is a must.

So, am I ready? 

Stages of Change (The Transtheoretical Model)

In the field of human behavior, there is a therapeutic model called The Transtheoretical Model, or the stages of change behavioral model.  It focuses on addiction (but applies to other behaviors as well), and lists the stages we the people go through.  Search Prochaska & DiClemente for some good reading on the subject.

Stages:

Precontemplation (Not Ready)

Contemplation (Getting Ready)

Preparation (Ready)

Action

Maintenance

Termination

With health and fitness, the termination would be death!  My goal is to consistently exercise.  

Contemplation is that someone has made the decision to do something; preparation is that they're going to start within 30 days.  I'm in the preparation stage. I have done a couple Joyce workouts, but I'm aiming for consistency.  I'm just about there. 

Preparing for Joyce Vedral Rotation

I bought all the things. 

I previously owned some of the Joyce Vedral DVDs, but I went to Collage Video and ordered the rest of them.  All of them except for the walking DVD, which I would not do. Why? Because I'm going to commit to a year of Joyce workouts. This will decrease my sense of overwhelm. I own several of her books, which her DVDs are based on, and next week I'll have all her weights DVDs. All of them. 💖 Everything I need, done. 

Setting myself up for success or overwhelm?

Thanks to the Wayback Machine, I was able to go to Joyce's old website and find her rotations.  That will alleviate any perceived overwhelm I may have.  I own several hundred fitness DVDs, and because I get overwhelmed easily, narrowing down to only Joyce workouts & having those rotations is a great resource to decrease overwhelm.

Where to Buy/Stream

Collage Video has been around since the 80s, and it was sold years back and now is based in New Jersey.  You get free shipping when you purchase $25 or more, but their shipping is slow to the midwest.  Regardless, you still get the videos just a few days later than, say, Amazon Prime.  I like supporting small businesses, so it's not a big deal.  Collage Video also has an online streaming service, and you can get all Joyce Vedral workouts there. It's $9.99 a month.  You join here: Collage Video TV.  Collage Video is where Joyce sells all her workouts now.

Amazon Prime Video has The Cougar Workout, Complete Bottoms Up, and Speedy NonStop streaming workouts available to rent or purchase. They also have her walking DVD.  

I prefer to own the DVDs because it's cheaper in the long haul. I can also run my DVD player at a slower speed in case any of her workouts are too fast. That means in the future, I can heavy up some.

Some of her DVDs have more than one workout, and most have upper body and lower body days, some include a separate abs day.  

Joyce Vedral DVDs

Cougar Workout

Just Bra Roll/Just Butt (2 workouts on 1 DVD)

Just Things/Just Arms (2 workouts on 1 DVD)

The Complete Bone Building/Body Shaping Workout plus Joyce Explains it All Workout System 

The Complete Bottoms Up Gold Plus (Upper Body, Lower Body, & Abs)

The Complete Definition Workout Series (Upper Body, Lower Body, Middle Body)

The Complete Fast Forward: First workout: Reshape your body after pregnancy, weight gain, sticking points, & neglect Workout Cycles I, II, Bonus Abs; second workout: Gut, Love Handle, Pooch Busters.

The Complete Fat Burning Workout Series: Fat Burning has 2 workouts, but they're the same (I believe) except one has a few extra sets.  The second workout is The Bathing Suit Workout.

The Complete Joyce Vedral Interval Aerobics. This also has Easy Does It, Joyce's stretch workout.

The Complete Weight Training Series: Upper and Lower. This also has Workout 101.

The Complete Non-Stop and Dynamic Tension. 2 separate workouts.

On the Ball Workout

Quick Quartet 

Slow Duet

Speedy Non-Stop, plus Stomach Zapping Abs

Now or Never Top Shape--it says this is 2 workouts but I think it's just upper and lower body. I'll know more once it arrives. This uses a barbell, if you want to, and is supposedly a slower pace.

Vertical Abs, Slow and Steady 1, 2, 3, 4 Total Body Workout, and Fat-Zapping Workout.

Commit.  Consistency. Persistence.