Green Monster Movement . . .

I am sure you've read of the green monster movement and have partaken in a green monster or two.  If you haven't, the example above should give you an example.

This is a chocolate cherry green smoothie:

2 c. baby spinach

1 c. almond milk

1/2 frozen cherries

1 banana

1 tbsp chocolate powder

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp honey

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp of cinnamon

This is not a meal replacement.  I drink this and similar green monsters for my mid morning snack.  Since drinking the green monster about a week and a half ago, I've not craved or wanted to drink my sugary lattes and dessert.  I've been drinking one daily for about 12 days.  Well, today I forgot my pumpkin-green smoothie in the fridge and indulged in a latte and pumpkin loaf from Starbucks.  Sinful!  I will drink it this evening as a snack before dinner.  

Try one; you'll like it!  And if you do let me know.

So have you ever consumed a green monster?

I Rode a Bike . . .

It took me 35 years to get on a bike and learn to ride.  What comes easily for many children was something that I accomplished on my own as a grown woman. 

I'd decided that I'd had enough of not knowing how to ride a bike.  I had taught both kids to ride a bike without training wheels (stabilizers).  I wanted to see a bike in the garage that is mine.  I didn't want to purchase adult stabilizers.  Besides, they are expensive.  I didn't want my hubby to hold my seat and handles to steady me.  I studied forums and blog posts online before taking on the challenge.  I analyzed my kids while they learned to ride.  I didn't hold them to steady them.  They learned to push off and do it.  They were independent, and I wanted to do that too.

On Friday, April 23, 2010, I went to a local store and found a hybrid bike which is part mountain bike, part cruiser.  It has 7-speeds and brakes on the front and rear.  It is a cute hot pink.  On Saturday, after hubby tightened everything and put air in the tires, I took to the pavement.  My street has a pretty steep incline.  Steep enough to balance.  With the seat low, I went down the hill with my feet on the ground.  I should have taken the pedals off as not to cause contusions on my achilles.  After 30 minutes of going down and walking up the hill, I was beat.  I took a break until after lunch.  I went back to the down hill balancing act.  Then I wanted to try to balance and pedal.

I walked the bike up the hill and went to level pavement.  I tried to balance.  My neighbor offered to hold me up.  "No, thank you."  If I am not letting my hubby hold onto my seat with his forearm on my big rear, then I am not letting my neighbor dude hold me up.  I tried to balance and pedal, but to no avail.  Then I realized that I wasn't attempting to steer the front wheel with the bars to balance my body.  I'd been trying to keep it completely straight.  Once I started to twist and turn a bit to balance, I pedaled, and started moving forward.  It clicked.  I yelled out to my husband and pedaled down the block to the cul de sac.  I even turned around gingerly.  I made it back to the house.  Hubby was impressed.  I was proud.

I called the kids out and showed them that I had learned to bike in one day.  I wanted to show them that I never give up.  That if we are determined,  then we can succeed no matter our age.  It was a gratifying feeling.  I haven't biked since Saturdday because my hubby is traveling.  I am afraid that I would get hurt and not be competent to take care of my kids.  I didn't fall during this learning process, but you never know.  My next goal is to practice till I get to a point where I can bike as if I have been biking since I was a kid. 

Getting Ready . . .

 Last night, I set up my workout clothes to be ready for when the alarm rings at 4:50 a.m.  I was not going to allow myself to hit snooze or to change the time to wake me up at 5:50 a.m.  Nature took a different course and I woke up on my own at 4:25.  After a few minutes of figuring out that it made more sense just to get up than wait 25 minutes for the alarm to ring, I got up and dressed and hit downstairs to my spin bike, treadmill, and TV.  

EXERCISE:

I started with 20 minute session on the spin bike.  I did a really simple routine of spinning while sitting, increasing resistance and spinning while standing, and back to sitting (etc.) until completion.  I then went to the living room where I put on 30 Day Shred and did Level I with 5 lb weights for the 25 minutes with no cool down.  Let me just say that 2 weeks of inconsistent-to-no-workouts makes for a very uncomfortable session.  I finished it and went back to the sun-room and got on the treadmill for a 15 minute fast walk.  Done!  60 minutes of a cardio circuit with some weight training and ab work.  Yahoo!

My plan is to do this 5 days a week. It would be better if I could actually do the 30 Day Shred portion as recommended: 10 days Level I, 10 days Level II, and 10 days Level III; along with my spinning and walking or jogging.  I want to get ready for our winter vacation, which comes around Christmas.  Typically, we go to a Bowl game with our job.  We aren't sure if we will make it to a Bowl game, but I want to be swimsuit ready for if I do.  I am presently weighing in at 204 lbs.  I want to get down to 165 by December 25. The weight loss calculator states that will happen more effectively by January 20.  We'll see.

I hope to do the same tomorrow, Saturday at 5:00 a.m. because we are committed to soccer and karate.  No race for me, but I will get 'em next year.  Sunday will be the same, and so on, and so on, and on.  I plan on doing 20 minutes of jogging on treadmill; 25 minutes of 30DS; and 20 minutes of Spinning.

NUTRITION:

I've been drinking Green Monsters for the past week.  Today's green monster consists of 1 c. almond milk; 2 c. spinach; 2 carrots; 1 kiwi; 1 tbsp peanut butter for protein; and 1 tbsp of honey.  Do an internet search for green smoothies or green monsters and you will find a bevy of drinks.  I've made others and will share a pic and recipe from the blogosphere. 

Do you have a specific number of pounds to lose by a specific date?  What is your plan to achieve that?

Compliment . . .

This morning, while my kids were eating breakfast, I stood up and proceeded to do Star Blocks, Karate moves for my son to show him that it is okay to practice outside of the Karate studio.  He looked at me with amazement and a slight smile and said, "wow, Mama, you have big muscles."  I blushed and grinned and thanked him profusely.

While I haven't been doing my arm challenges as I'd hoped, I love the fact that he (a six-year-old) can see the progress, however slight.  I was so thrilled.  Ecstatic!  Now that I am 3--*ahem* . . . *gulp* . . . 6, you have to take those compliments whenever you can get them.  And when they come from a child who has no motive other than to say what he feels and observes, then that is all the more phenomenal.

I've also been thinking about taking Karate.  I've always had a fascination with it.  My father, who didn't raise me, invested his time and lots of money into studying martial arts.  He was a black belt by the time my Mother kicked him out for not taking care of us.  Those written words ooze with bitterness.  Why?  Because all the things he didn't provide for me, I am now doing for my children: bike riding, soccer, karate, etc. I missed out.  I feel like I could have been a very athletic and fit child . . . then adult, if he had been around.  I harbor a ton of animosity.  So I am starting to feel like I want to do those things now before it is too late.

I want to learn to ride a bike.  I want to join a soccer team (for Moms, even).  I want to take Karate and have that discipline.  I presently live vicariously through the kids, but I am hoping that slowly, but surely, I can do them too.

What is something that you've always wanted to do, may never have been given the chance or quit early, but may plan to do?  (sporty or non-sporty; let me read it).  Have you taken on a new challenge that you never thought you would do?

Circuit Training.

Sorry for the 10 day absence.  I've been dealing with a lot of stressful things at home, work, personal.  And they've finally culminated in a really bad cold that has me so exhausted.  However, I just received and put together my spin bike that I bought from Amazon.  It was recommended by another weightloss/fitness blogger.  I really loved my spinning class, but realize that I don't have the time and money to do "drop in" visits once or twice a week.  Investing in a bike and a couple of DVDs or just winging it works with my lifestyle.  I tried to find free videos online similar to Yoga Download, but I haven't succeeded.  If any of you know of something, please let me know.

The plan is to do a circuit training program 5 days a week: 20 minute run on the treadmill, 20 (25 actualy) minutes of 30 day shred, and 20 minutes on cycling.  On the other two days, I think I will walk or do a full 60 minute cycling routine.  Even hubby was happy to try to cycling bike.  He thinks it will be a great addition to the treadmill, however he is no longer exercising consistently.  And I mustn't forget Yoga.  I did the Shiva Rea Yoga flow for 20 minutes on Thursday, and the next day I felt like I swam the English Channel.  I will never again put off doing Yoga for more than 3 days.  Seriously.  However says that Yoga isn't enough for a training routine, never did a Shiva Rea Vinyasa flow.

Eating has been bad.  Really bad.  So bad, I am ashamed of recounting all of has happened.  I won't allow myself to go back to that bad place.  I won't allow myself to not take pictures of me in action.  I won't allow myself to not post about it all.  I was miserable not sharing things.  I felt like holding it all in was expressed in chocolate binges, latte overloads, and dismissal of vegetables.  Lots of fruit, of course.  I wanted the sugar. 

The Crazy Legs Classic isn't in the forseeable future.  I haven't trained properly.  If I do decide to do it, I will do it without training and just to do it.  I will keep you posted. 

Question:  If you've ever taken time off, what steps or plans did you make to get back?

Like Riding A Bike . . .

I have a confession . . . I can't ride a bike. I never had anyone to teach me as a kid.  One of the things I am bitter about is not having my father around to teach me.  He used to ride.  Before he exited my life, I used to ride on the back of his 10 speed on those little plastic seats.  I loved those rides.

I've tried to learn as an adult, but I can't do it.  I am too fearful.  I long to be outdoors riding a bike and wearing a goofy (yet, absolutely necessary) bike helmet.  My hubby is trying to teach the kids how to ride their bikes without wheels for fear that they will never learn.  I want to go bike riding as a family.  It is my dream.  

In the meantime, to get my cycling fix, I am waiting for a spinning bike.  I was hooked on the idea of cycling since taking my first class way back when.  When was that?  It has been so long because I don't have the time to go to a gym.  I don't have a membership, and don't plan to pay for one because it is so much more convenient to workout when all of the little ones are sleeping, or when at least one is napping.  I am excited to receive the bike and put it together.  I made a little workout corner for the bike and my treadmill. 

I will get a couple of video downloads online or buy one spinning DVD.  I just don't know which to get first.  I may just wing it while listening to my ipod. "Winging it" is what I do best.

I will be back up with my Friday Fitness Linkys.  I've been focusing on my speed training while running on the treadmill.  I've been trying to increase my speed and have been doing an increase program.  All made up.  I will then focus on building up my distance to 5 miles for the 8K race on April 24th.  Yikes!

The girls at work and I have started a Pedometer Program.  We strap on pedometers and start measuring our steps to get to 10000 steps a day. If we are out of the office, we've emailed each other throughout the day to see where we are at.  Today, I made 9,400+ steps by 9 a.m.  One day I did over 16000 steps before I took my shoes off when I walked in the door after work.  What say you?  Will you join my Pedometer Program?

Breaking bad . . .

carb habits.  I love carbs.  Rice is my comfort.  A staple in my life. So my hope is to eat my carbs during the earlier part of the day, and not the evening when it just sits there and ferments.  

I took a leftover pork roast (bone in) and reheated in the oven while the veggies roasted.  The trick will be to buy fresh veggies to roast or salad greens and accompaniment to make daily.  I think I can do it now that there is a "Fresh Madison Market" on my way from and to the parking lot.  I hop in there to buy fresh fruit, salads, etc.  Many times it has saved me when I want to buy a Rotisserie Chicken for dinner.  I am trying to make really good choices and work harder on this eating life.  But I am bitter and angry about all these holidays that require candy to be purchased and hidden around the house.