You are currently browsing the monthly archive for October 2008.
Dan and I just before the Walker Trail Marathon Relay September, 2008
Getting in better physical shape was probably one of the most important things I have ever done in my life. Those who have known me for years, know the old me. The 2-packa day smoker who managed to down a 12 pack of Diet Coke in a day and who rose to 2 Exedrin just to quell the headache that had manifested during the night from a lack of caffeine.
Yes, I needed to get rid of the bad habits to make way for the good…It isn’t easy but it is well worth the effort!
Let me tell you for sure, if you haven’t ever found fitness, you can’t imagine how good you will feel when you do!
It isn’t that I am thrilled to work out. It is that I am thrilled with the feeling I have AFTER I work out. Finding the right activity is key. Living in the northern climate produces a bit of a challenge, especially since I am not much of a “cold weather girl”. That is where the BeachBody workouts came in extremely handy! Not only can you do them at home, but you get a huge variety to pick from! The first one I tried was Slim-in-6, purchased from an infomercial in the middle of the night. Once I tried that one, I was addicted! I ordered the new programs when they came out.
This is a good addiction, one that will not only make you healthier, but one that will make your friends and family do a double-take in a very short time! A couple of weeks with any of the BeachBody programs and people will notice!
Right now, I am hitting P90X pretty hard, and planning to order Chalean Extreme in November as soon as it comes out.
Outdoor activities are important as well…walking, running, biking….but when you need to get a good resistance workout, or the weather is bad, these programs can’t be beat.
If you have little kids, you can do a kici-butt workout while they nap. If you have a crazy work schedule, you can pop in a DVD at 6am or midnight, not having to worry about the gym being open, or being to busy.
Tony, Debbie and the folks in the DVD’s make it seem like you are doing a group class with a bunch of friends….they are awesome. YogaBootyBallet is great for the days when you need a little kick back day to just have fun….
SO, if you can’t tell, I am crazy for these workouts! I have been doing them since the old VHS days, and just replaced all of my old VHS copies with brand new DVD’s! You can get a massive set of them for less than $200 by ordering the Showcase pack. Then you get all of the accessories as well.
Let your true self shine through! Get fit, get energized, find true health!
have a great weekend…
yogajen
I am at home sick today. It started yesterday with a stomachache and a headache. I was up most of the night and still wasn’t feeling good when I got up this morning. I stayed home from work and spent most of the day cruising the internet and watching old sitcoms on TV. I hate being sick because I feel like I am getting NOTHING accomplished.
I have a hard time not doing stuff, so I did take this opportunity to get some stuff ready to take to the yoga studio to get the lounge ready. My car is packed up and ready to go. I will teach yoga and my community education class tonight because I have to! No one else is available to do it, and I think both of those things will be ok…I am hoping anyway!
I also eat cruddy when I don’t feel good. This afternoon, the only thing that sounded good to me was a grilled cheese sandwich with cheese slices. Not something that is normally on my menu, but at least I used whole wheat bread!!
I am hoping my tummy feels better tomorrow and I can get back to my regular routine again. I hate not feeling like myself, but it does make you appreciate the “feeling great” days that much more….
Namaste,
yogajen
My passion is helping people to find fitness and wellness in their lives. I was once quite overweight, I smoked 2 packs of cigarettes a day and woke up with a Diet Coke and 2 Excedrin. I felt like crap most days, struggling just to meet the basic demands of life. I couldn’t figure out what the problem was at that point. I would stop at Culver’s to have lunch, and I couldn’t quite understand why someone would go there and eat a salad. What the heck, a Butter Burger is much better, and don’t forget the fries! Since the pop refills are free, might as well have a couple of those also.
So when did my path change? It occured due to a very stressful time in my life in 2001. I had a business that was thriving, but a partner who figured it might be a good idea to take advantage of that. I was working 50+ hours per week, my kids were young, I was exhausted and stressed out. One day, I sat in my car in front of a client’s business, pretty sure I was having a nervous breakdown. Something had to give.
I got rid of the partner…let him go with whatever cash he wanted, and took over the business on my own. I quit the job I was working at the same time, moved into a smaller office space and began to develop my business on my terms. I decided to quit smoking about this time, and had lost some weight due to the stresses I had been under.
About the same time, I decided to purchase some yoga videos. The first time I did one, I almost passed out. I hadn’t done anything fitness related for years, so just stretching was strenuous. I pressed on….I started walking when I quit smoking as well. I had to trade a bad addiction for a good one, so decided to walk every time I wanted a cigarette. It worked really well, and I actually lost more weight during the quitting process.
I started to feel awesome!! I had energy, I fit into smaller jeans, I could walk up steps without having to stop to catch my breath! It was around this time that I found Beachbody videos and did Slim-in-6. Everything in life was looking up. I emailed my husband at work and said “I am going to run a marathon before I turn 40….wanna train with me???” And so goes the story. I completed my first marathon in 2003, and have been running, walking, doing yoga and eating well every since!
I have had my ups and downs weight-wise, which after years of yoyo dieting is to be expected. I just get back on the bandwagon, pick myself up and go on….
So, if you want to feel better, lose some weight, get fit and get your head around the whole deal, I would love to help you! You have to be ready to do it….you have to commit to it….but you will be glad in the long run…..
Send me an email at simplicityquest@gmail.com or call me at 608-797-1990….Visit www.yogafitnesswellness.com and pick out a yoga class…..start today…don’t wait…your life and your happiness depend on you making the decision to be healthy!! No one can do it for you…only you can do it!! Let me help you set up a plan, stay accountable, and find your way to health!!
yogajen….
I trained this summer for a marathon. I planned on it since May and got to the starting line of the Whistlestop Marathon yesterday feeling good and ready to run…..The first 1/2 went really well. I was at 2:35 at the half, which was right on pace. I was going for 12 minute miles, so all was well!
At about mile 14, my right knee started to hurt. I couldn’t even jog by mile 15 or so. I figured I would just walk the remaining 11 miles, as I would still finish under the 6 hour time limit, so no worries. By mile 16, walking was becoming painful. It seemed to take forever to get to mile 17…still, I figured I would work through the pain, and walk to the end…..at mile 18, I was crying from the shooting pain which at this point was radiating from the outside of my right knee, up the side of my leg into my sciatic nerve. I had to stop, I had no options at this point.
I cried all the way back to town, and when I saw Dan in the first aid tent it started all over again. People kept asking me if I was ok, and I kept saying “yes, I am just pissed”. I was so mad at myself for not finishing….I always finish….I never quit, and here I was quitting the biggest event of the summer.
Sometimes, we have to give in and say “I can’t do it.” For some of us this is very difficult. Yes, I am human…I can only do what I can do, and I need to keep that in mind….
Congratulations to Dan and Kathy for their great times in the marathon!!
yogajen
I was at the store today picking out some new clothes and some little things for the yoga studio. My awesome friends Amanda and Alanna spent the entire weekend with me painting and decorating! True friends they are and I thank them so much for getting me off my butt, and down there painting!!
Anyway, I digress…..I was able to buy a size smaller clothes after just a few weeks back with the BeachBody videos and good eating!! Size 10’s again!! I thought I would never see it….hoping for 8’s by January 1! Oops, digressing again…I overheard some ladies talking, who had been wandering around for a while in the store, that they had no time to do anything….nothing at all….ok, so how then do they have time to wander around the store for an hour?
The carts were full of Mountain Dew and Little Debbies….I can’t lose weight….it is too hard….I overhear. And of course there is no time at all to exercise….
We need to look at our schedules…we need to put “EXERCISE” into our planners and schedules, just like picking up the kids, brushing our teeth and eating dinner….
We need to put our goals in writing, tape them to our fridge or bathroom mirror and we need to read them everyday without fail.
We are eating ourselves into obesity…we are sendentary to the point of strokes and heart attacks….and we just don’t get it. What are we doing to ourselves and why? We know better, yet we do it. I see people everyday who have had a heart attack or stroke, and they STILL eat junk and sit around!!
What needs to happen for us to start working out on a regular basis and eating better? I would love for you to join me on the quest! Do you want to get fit, or do you know someone who does? Send them to BeachBody.com and pick out a program! If you are new to working out, I suggest Slim in 6 or P90…There is also a new program coming out in October called Type 2. I haven’t seen it yet, but it is for folks who are either diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes or are borderline. I think it will be a great program!
So, if you aren’t eating right, and if you aren’t exercising everyday, check out the site, buy a program and JUST PUSH PLAY!!
yogajen
