Planning My Workout For When I Can Workout Again

Hello everyone!


As I said before, I am going to ease back into exercise after being off for a week with a bad ankle.  I think I am going to revert back to the Method for Beginners.  This is because I still cannot put pressure on my knee on all fours.  It still sends me through the roof, I am even careful when I get in and out of bed because crawling into bed has the same effect.   Method for beginners has all standing moves, which is good for my knee.  My ankle is feeling better, faster than my knee for sure so I expect I can stand on it soon and maybe do light cardio.  I am taking everything slow to get used to moving again, to avoid reinjury.

Slow and steady but still determined.

I also got the results back from my doctor- I am diagnosed with Hypothyroidism and need to go to a specialist in August.   No wonder I can't seem to get this weight off.  Now I am doing research on how I can lose weight while having this issue.  My aunt has it as well and really stressed the importance of being gluten free.

So, that's my update for today, I hope to get some exercise in tomorrow.

Hello everyone!

I went to the doctor the other day to get my ankle and knee looked at and the good news is: Nothing broken!

I just have a really bad sprain in my ankle and my knee is less major, even though it's hurting more.  It never hurt to walk on it, just to touch it.   So, the main concern (so I can at least do my cardio) is that ankle.  Even when that feels better, I am not going to jump right into Dance Cardio.  I have weak ankles, I have injured them several times before.  I tried going back as hard as I was before and it had consequences. 

I actually miss my workouts and I am finding this whole ordeal frustrating.

I find it frustrating not because I am bored, but I don't want to undo all of my progress.  I feel my fatigue coming back, and speaking of that, I got some blood work done at the doctor while I was there.  I wanted to rule out diabetes, thyroid issues, anemia, etc.   I also was worried about why in the 3 weeks I was working out, that NO weight was lost.  My doctor is curious about this too, as a woman of my size should be melting at this point, eating what I am eating and working out like I am.

So, I have still been doing crunches and arm workouts, but it really feels lacking. 

Here's to me getting better and finding out what is going on with me. 

Injured, But Not Stopping

Hello everyone!

So I haven't posted in a few days, because I haven't worked out in a few days.  Long story short, I went over on my right ankle pretty bad. Also, to add insult to injury, I landed on my left knee to break my fall. 

So this not only means I'm out of luck for Dance Cardio, but I can't even go on all fours without pain in my knee.  Standing on the leg is okay but pressure actually touching the knee sends me through the roof. 

                                      

An artist's rendition of the aftermath.

I am not giving up, I just need to take a break from Meta. I still do the arm webisode, and some ab work laying down, and I am still watching my diet.  (The shirt that just began to fit me still fits- so that's a good thing!)

I have been looking into things to do while injured, because I really do not want to lose my progress. I am going to the doctor tomorrow to get x-rays to make sure I didn't break anything.  Better safe than sorry.

I hope everyone had a better week than me.

Metamorphosis 2014 Day 12/90

Hello everyone!


Today was Day 2 of Level 2, and I already feel a lot better about it.  The first day was very awkward, but today doing the moves was a bit better, especially the legs.  I got the hang of them, so I can now focus on doing more reps.  The arms are faster in this level, but I got the hang of those pretty quick too (the weights part really burns far more than Level 1- just a warning!)

The floor abs are still a bit awkward for me but I am getting better at it. There is more involvement of the legs while on the floor and that makes it more difficult.  I am already dripping in sweat by the time the floor abs are finished.  

As for Dance + Cardio- I did Combo 1 again and today I felt noticeably freer in my movements, I even jumped a little.  Not much, but I tried.  My goal is to first be able to do the dancing as she does it before adding on the second combination.  That means all of the jumping.  She doesn't do a whole lot, but it's still a bit beyond my current capabilities.

This does, however, mark a major milestone for me!

Two weeks of consistent exercise, skipping neither the MS work nor the cardio!  

Yes, it's a big deal for me.  

I am really excited and hopeful about my progress this time because I am actually DOING it.  Now, the next step is cleaning up my diet a bit more.  With all the great work I am doing on the mat and the dance floor, some extra junk food started creeping back in.  Now that I have the working out as a habit, I am going to try harder to keep to the eating plan (somewhat) that comes with Metamorphosis.

Have any of you done the eating plan, and did it change your results?


Have a great weekend!!  Tomorrow is a rest day for me. 

Metamorphosis 2014 Day 11/90

Hello everyone!!!


So, I have moved on to Abcentric Level 2, the first uniquely Abcentric level.  (All centrics have the same levels 1 and 9.  Each centric's even numbered levels are unique, the odds are as follows:  Ab/Glute, and Hip/Omni.   Ab and Glute sharing levels works fine for me, since my butt is my other major issue.  For my weight, my arms and legs aren't so bad.)

This is my first time doing Abcentric level 2.... And it was difficult.  Not in the sense that the moves themselves were hard, (although they were harder than level 1 for sure) but they were all new and very awkward; I need to get used to them, which usually happens by day 3.


My main confused moment was the floor abs, as it is a bit hard to crane my head up and look at what she is doing.  For the parts I could see and attempted to try, this was my reaction:

I didn't do all the reps on the floor abs, I couldn't.  I need to watch it more and get a feel of it.  Same goes for the legs.  I did at least 5-10 of the reps, but the first days of new levels I focus more on learning the move with good form rather than just trying to flail out as many poorly done reps as I can.


And also, I did my Dance + Cardio combination 1.  I am starting to feel a bit more free in the movements, and not so dead afterwards.  This means that soon, trying to do a whole hour will happen. Of course, not substituting the MS work.

Also tomorrow's workout will mark a HUGE milestone for me: 2 weeks of consistent workouts, without skipping cardio/half assing it.  Yep. All this time I had always been a cardio shirker, but no longer.  I can't skip, both parts of the method are equally important.


Diet wise, I am still easing into that.  I'm focusing on getting the workouts done in a habitual manner first.

Now I'm off to bed, but I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Metamorphosis 2014 Day 10/90

Hello everyone!!!!

I did it! I finished my first level of Metamorphosis! 

(I'm a video game person. And this is fitting!)

Now that Level 1 is over, it's measurement time!!!!

I lost 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) off of: My arm, my bust, my waist, and my thigh- EACH.  

I lost 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm)  off of my hips.  I remeasured five times to be sure my eyes weren't just fooling me.

In ten days, that's a LOT of inches.  I know people who are happy with 1/2 inch off anywhere after an entire month.   Hard work and persistence paying off for me!

I previewed Level 2- and I have to say that I am a bit intimidated and I will likely do poorly- but that's really to be expected, there's a lot of balancing in level 2, and of course being a new level, it's almost always awkward the first time.

So, here goes- Onward!  I really do feel like this is becoming an addiction, this will be 2 weeks that I have been consistent which is a really big victory for me.

Have a happy Friday everyone!! 

Metamorphosis 2014 Day 9/90

Hello everyone!


Day 9 didn't go as well as I planned and I decided to tweak one part of it.


The parts that went bad: The diet and the MS work.

I found myself to be way more hungry today than normal.   And I gave in a bit to that.  Do I feel guilty? A little.  Should I? No.

My MS work went horribly.  I felt much heavier from the food I ate, and I found myself getting very tired and burning after only a few reps- less than I did the previous couple of days.  I guess it wasn't too horrible since it DID get done.  That's the important part. Not breaking my habit. 

Now the Cardio... That is what I am tweaking.   Because I felt a bit nauseated, I thought maybe I should try to do Dance + Cardio instead of the Meta cardip, thinking "Oh, it's easier."

Well... Yes and no.  It really depends on your fitness level.

I was quickly reminded that Dance + Cardio is the video I should be doing.  Sure, there's less jumping, but that doesn't matter.  In Meta DC, Tracy says that you need to be good enough at it to get a good sweat, sweating is key, etc.

An absolute MUST HAVE.

Well, doing Dance + Cardio, I did sweat. A lot. Just as much as if I did Meta DC.    Another point- I have to improvise a lot during Meta cardio.  There is just way too much jumping for me and I often have to slow down or stop or just struggle to keep standing up.  That's no good.

Dance + Cardio, I could keep up with Tracy for the most part, while still feeling challenged and feeling like I am building strength- especially in my hips.  And I felt more graceful being able to actually DO the moves she was doing instead of wondering things like "How the hell am I going to make _____ a non-jumping move?"

There's still the kicks and such but they are done in such a way to build up strength.  If you are out of shape and have weak hips and jumping is not something you can do yet, buy Dance + Cardio.  It will make your life much easier and help you in the long run.  It will also help build confidence with the cardio, especially if you're clunky and klutzy like me. And the best part: There's 2 30 minute combos, so even people like me can work up to a whole hour of good sweaty cardio without worrying about destroying our joints and lungs.

So, my new little goal- Work up to a full hour of this DVD! You don't have to jump around like a bunny on crack to get the most out of your dance cardio.  After doing this first combo, as I sit here now, my hips and butt feel tighter and sore, in a good way- like I am building them up to be stronger instead of flailing around like a rag doll trying to keep up.  Sure, I sweated during Meta, no question, but I felt less "worked out" and "toned up" and more "Run over by a train". 

So, if you suck at cardio, and Meta DC intimidates you, there is hope for you! (And no excuses!) 

Also- Tomorrow is the last day of level 1~ And I will measure my body also!

Metamorphosis 2014 Day 8/90

Hello everyone!



I am really on a roll.  8 workouts. That's more exercise that I've done in the past week and a half than I have done in the past 4 months. 

Even more shocking- I have NEVER done TAM without skipping cardio by now, even the last time I did Metamorphosis.  I was always shirking my cardio but this time it all gets done.


Speaking of things getting done, Level 1 is almost done!  I have the workout almost memorized.  I am using these last couple of days of it to really go as hard as I can without hurting myself.  Two more days and I can move on ahead!  (I will start previewing it tomorrow!)





The diet is also going pretty well too, this is my second day following it. We'll see how I measure up in a couple of days! 

I hope all of you are having a great day! See you tomorrow~!

Metamorphosis 2014 Day 7/90

Hello everyone!


After a glorious rest day, I'm back! Finished my seventh day!  This means only 3 days left of level 1 (I won't miss you!) Then.... Measuring time on June 12~

I almost missed my workout today. Almost.  I took a nap after work (I didn't get the best night's sleep last night) and before I knew it, it was 9 o'clock at night and I hadn't got it done yet. So, I did what any reasonable person would do: I did it anyway!

The MS work is getting easier, which in the past usually happened about this point.   These next three days I am going to really bust ass and do as many reps as I can to almost failure to get the most out of these last days.  

The dance cardio is getting better too! Today, I actually jumped a little. I felt much lighter on my feet and even hopped around a bit and did the little burst of jumping jacks at the end of the workout.  No pain, no discomfort, I do not work out too far out of my comfort zone so that I CAN work out the next day.

Today I also started Tracy's diet (I am not doing those purees. I like to chew my food and I think they're a bit unnecessary)

Breakfast:

2 Hard boiled eggs and a green apple

Lunch:

Dark Chocolate Think Thin Bar

Dinner:

6 ounces of grilled steak and a salad.

I was not hungry at all today, it seems like very little food but I really didn't feel hungry or weak. 

Oh, and one more thing! A little Non-scale-victory!  I was able to put on and wear a shirt that had never fit me since I bought it a couple months ago, and I am seeing little things like a waist forming, fat leaving various places of my body, and feeling much less clumsy in general. 


So, things seem to be going well for me for once! Hope all of you are having good luck with your workouts too!

Metamorphosis 2014 Rest Day 1~

Hello everyone!

Well, it seems that I successfully completed all 6 days this week!  That means that today is my rest day!

So, today I did not do my Metamorphosis workout, but I did take my dog for a short walk in the woods, and cleaned up around my place; making it more of an active rest day.

And of course I slept in!

I also was still careful with what I put in my  mouth, I did have a little treat today- A Starbucks Berry Refresher. 

What do you guys do on your off days? 

Metamorphosis 2014 Day 6/90

Hello everyone!


It's official! I made it through a whole six days of workouts without skipping any.  This has never happened before, haha.  So, I am feeling pretty proud!

Feeling pretty proud... Small victory!

I am getting better and better at the DC, MS is still a struggle.  However, at my weight, Being able to do as much MS as I can is still pretty impressive- I'm lugging and lifting around a lot more weight than most.

I actually jumped some of the DC, right now I am trying to jump all of the jumping jacks.  I'm not quite there yet, but I at least can do the last little burst of jumping jacks she does at the end of the workout.  

I do need to clean  up my diet a bit more, this week I am getting used to the idea of working out every day, and now I think I can start making my diet more TAM-friendly.  I did weigh myself this week, it's not official, but I have actually GAINED 2 pounds. Not good.  I have 4 days more of level 1 to do, so I will blast through these days the best I can while following a better diet.  However (TMI alert) I am supposedly ovulating right now so that could also be the source of the weight- I AM feeling and looking a bit smaller, so I know it's not fat.

Tomorrow (Sunday!) is my first rest day, but I will try to make it an active one. I hope everyone is having a great weekend! 

Metamorphosis 2014 Day 5/90

Hello everyone!


Today was my fifth day and it didn't go perfectly at all.

I feel like I ate too much, as I had eaten more calories than I'd have liked to.  This led to a serious argument between my brain and I. 

My brain with its usual habits was trying to tell me that since I didn't eat perfectly, why bother working out? Just relax. Fuck it. You screwed up. It's all over now.   My conscience thought the opposite: So what if you ate a little more? That workout needs to be done. 

Devil: You don't have to work out today, you failure.
Angel: Get on that mat, missy.

Who won? Surprisingly, the angel.  I did my workout. I did it all.  But... It sucked horribly.  I felt like my skeleton was made of lead again and I could only do a few reps of the MS work before vomiting in my mouth a little. Literally.   But, I did my best anyway.  It wasn't great but it was my best today.

Tomorrow is Day 6- then the long awaited rest day!

Also as for the diet, I think I am going to start loosely following Tracy's Dynamic Eating Plan.  I don't trust myself yet and I want results.

No purees or any of that nonsense but the solid food weeks, I think those are generally doable and I already have the ingredients at home.

Dynamic Eating Plan
The body reset weeks are very doable, I already have all the stuff (for dinner I would have tofu and a salad instead of whatever, as I said LOOSELY following, and I do have Think Thins laying around.)


So, I'll start adhering more to her style of eating and see if it helps.  I do wish I could start drinking her shake but it's way too expensive at the moment. 120 dollars a month... That's a bit much for me yet.


Any of you experience nausea while working out with TAM?

Hope you have a great weekend, see you tomorrow!

Metamorphosis 2014 Day 4/90

Hello everyone!


Day 4 was a bit weird in the sense that this time, my workout got done VERY late.  I was so tired when I got home from work today that I took a nap.   But, it doesn't matter because it got done.  That's what we care about, right?

This time, my workout itself went pretty smoothly.  No pulled muscles, no weird pains.  I still don't count reps, but I know I was able to do more this time.  Some moves I still struggle with, the ones where I lift my legs out to the side to work the hips. I just did as many as I could before my form started to go bad.

The Dance Cardio... Was better today!  If you are feeling discouraged about it, believe me, it DOES get better.   Today I felt a lot more light and free than before. I even jumped a little.  Still a long way to go but what's most important to me is the time flew by.  I didn't keep staring at the counter on my DVD player hoping that it would speed up this time.  

Wise words, especially relevant today.

I normally am not one for cliche quotes, but this one resonated with me.  On Monday, I sucked, bad,  Tuesday and Wednesday too. And even a bit today. However... I suck less.  And so will you.   So, if you're starting Meta and wondering how the hell you are going to get through this, my answer is this: Bit by bit, keep showing up and you will get better. DO NOT SKIP ANY PARTS OF YOUR WORKOUT!  In the past I had always avoided cardio, and so on and it got me nowhere.


So... Looking forward for the next workout!  Have a great day!

Metamorphosis 2014 Day 3/90

Hello everyone!


Today was different than the other two.  I felt as if my workout... Totally sucked.  Warning: TMI post!

First off, I was really hungry today. And I mean HUNGRY.  However, I resisted the urge to snack, and had water instead.  That helped, likely meaning I was dehydrated. Phew.

What I wanted to do, really (but didn't).

Then, as unbelievable as it sounds, I pulled my left butt muscle.  That made MS a living hell.  I made it through the arms and abs (barely- Abs are a struggle still, sometimes I miss a rep here and there because I'm not quite strong there yet) and the right side of the leg movements.  Then came the left side. GROAN.  I did the best I could, I don't count reps but I am pretty sure for a couple of the moves I couldn't even do ten reps.  However, the reps I could do got done to the best of my ability. 

Then DC... I really, really, did NOT want to do it today, my butt was still in knots after MS and I delayed it as much as I could, until it hit me- It had to be done. No excuses this time. So... I begrudgingly changed the DVD and started to dance. After about ten minutes, I was able to somewhat dance like I had the past two days.  Not 100%, partly because of my sore butt and partly because I was just plain tired.  Also, my stomach was beginning to hurt for some reason.

Then finally, the aftermath. That stomachache... Turned into a very intense visit to the toilet.  I freaked out a bit, until I searched the symptoms.  Very common, actually, when one does a very intense workout.  The blood leaves the digestive system to go help your muscles, and that results in your digestives just... Literally... Dumping everything out.  Gross, I know. I warned you!

Well, even though it had its very unpretty pitfalls, day 3, you are so over.

Hope everyone got their workouts in today too!

Metamorphosis 2014 Day 2/90

Hello everyone!


Today was Day 2! 

Was it easier? Yes and no.  I didn't allow the muscular structure work to get easier.  I did more reps until I couldn't hold form anymore and stopped. How many reps did I do? No idea. I don't count. I focus on doing as many as I can in one shot. The result: A dripping wet mat and a dripping wet me.

Dance cardio... I almost backed out and reverted back to Dance + Cardio because it's easier.  Instead, I took a water break and a breather, and jammed out to Meta DC again.  I still felt a little leadlike, but less. I had to still slow down to a simple step touch now and then, but the end result is that it got done.

Do your Dance Cardio, even if you look ridiculous.

I have been also checking off my weight and workouts on the calendar, which I have an electronic copy of when I scanned it. 



I can't wait to measure on June 12- which is Day 10 and then I can move on to a new workout! *Yay*

I also can't wait until Sunday- My rest day!
So that's day 2. 88 days sounds much less daunting than 90, haha. I also can't wait until Sunday- My rest day!


Check back tomorrow for day 3!  Have a great night!

Metamorphosis 2014 Day 1/90

Hello everyone!


As promised, today was my first day of restarting the Abcentric Metamorphosis program.  And it got done!


I did the MS first, I have no idea how many reps of the legs and stuff I did, I am not counting it. I did it until I couldn't keep good form and stopped.  I don't want to rest between sets of reps of the same move. Seems counter productive.

The cardio killed me.  I did the cardio that came with the set, and I felt like my bones were made of lead.  I still managed to get through it resulting in me being a red sweaty mess.  But the point is it got done. It doesn't have to be pretty.


I am absolutely exhausted, and yet I am looking forward to tomorrow. On Day 10 I will give my starting and updated measurements.


I hope everyone had a great Monday!