Who knew hard work could be so much fun?!?!

I've been feeling a bit underwhelmed by my workouts lately and I've been looking for a change.  I love the jogging and the weight lifting but at some point a girl needs a little more variety in her life. My problem is that I have multiple limitations at the moment, the most pressing is that I don't have a lot of extra fundage with the wedding just around the corner.  I thought about taking a fitness class at work but not only are they expensive, most of them only meet once a week which really isn't enough for me.  I could see myself learning my new exercise of choice and then forgetting everything in the 6 day reprieve before the next class. Joining a gym is currently out of the question because of my money situation so I decided I'd buy some new workout DVDs.

I'm always a bit hesitant to buy DVDs because there is a 50/50 chance that they'll actually be any good. I really want to work on fat burning and muscle toning so I thought I might try a Tae Bo type workout. I was reading reviews online and came across some really good reviews for a handful of kickboxing DVDs.  The problem that they all seemed to have in common was that they weren't good for beginners, which I clearly am.  I was about to abandon the idea of kickboxing when I had an idea. Why not see what's available on Netflix.  Worst case scenario I try a workout and it's either terrible and I don't do it again; it's good but too hard for a beginner or it's good and at a level that I can manage.

I hopped online and pulled up the instant view section of Netflix and while there isn't a huge selection available for streaming there is a fairly decent variety of exercises.  I opted to try 10 Minute Solution: Kickboxing Boot Camp. I like the way the program is set up.  In each of the 10 Minute Solution DVDs there are 5, 10 minute workouts.  In the kickboxing DVD each 10 minute section focuses on one area of the body. It's nice because you can either do smaller chunks of the DVD or all of it for a total body kickboxing experience.

The intensity level was fantastic.  I haven't worked that hard in a very long time.  I'm sorry if this is gross but I was literally dripping sweat.  I didn't even sweat that much when I was jogging this summer in the crazy ridiculous heat. The instructor started at a quick pace yet she managed to break down the moves in such a way that even I, someone who is clumsy and uncoordinated, could follow along with relative ease.  I found I spent a great deal of time laughing at myself last night while I was doing the lower body section because I was having a hard time following along but when I did it again today I was able to do most of the moves.  Last night I tried the first three sections and just watched the fourth.  Today I did the first four and watched the fifth. The fourth section was definitely the most physically intense of the bunch, at least of the ones that I've done.  I watched the abs section and that is going to have to wait a while.  I am simply not at the appropriate level of fitness to do those exercises without risking injury to my lower back.

I think the best part of the whole experience is how much fun I had doing it.  I couldn't believe how quickly I got the the cool-down section of each routine. I knew I was working hard and I was definitely ready for a little break but the time just flew by.  In fact, I think that I was having so much fun today that I over did it.  I probably should have stuck with the first three sections and skipped the fourth.  My deltoids are screaming at me.  However, as one John Mellencamp said, 'it hurts so good.' I haven't been sore from a workout in a long time and it's actually nice to know that I did something that really challenged my body. I hope to be able to test some of the other 10 Minute Solutions over the next few weeks.  It'll be nice to add some variety without having to spend any additional money.

OK, I need to make lunch and head to bed so I can get up and hit the treadmill tomorrow.  Have a fantastic week!

This 'Healthy Lady' is kind of a sad lady today...

If you could only see me you probably wouldn't be able to stop laughing. I'm sitting here typing in a halter topped, glittery dress with my washed yesterday hair in a messy knot on the top of my head and my as of yet unwashed face showing the remnants of make-up from yesterday that my quick wash last night didn't get rid of. Why, you might ask, am I sitting here looking like Carrie after the prom minus the blood? There is a good explanation. It's kind of a hum glum day in Michigan.  We're lacking sunshine and the weather peeps said it was supposed to rain on and off all day (although they haven't delivered on that yet) so I figured it would be a good day to work in the closet again.  I was in there in May and got 3 full garbage bags of clothes out and it just felt like time to do it again.  Many of my summer clothes were too big the last half of the season so they had to go and I left some winter stuff last spring that I wasn't sure if it would fit or not.  Well, most of the questionable stuff doesn't fit which doesn't surprise me.  A lot can happen in just over 30 pounds which is what I lost this summer.  My problem is not that my clothes don't fit but that I'm finding it hard to get rid of a lot of the stuff that's still in my closet. Enter the pretty sparkly dress that I'm wearing right now.

Don't get me wrong. I love, love, love the fact that I'm losing weight and becoming healthier but it's so sad getting rid of some of my favorite older, too large pieces of clothing. I can justify keeping old sweatshirts and flannel pants around, at least for now, because who cares if my lounging in the cold clothes are too big.  Isn't that what makes them so comfy? What I can't justify is keeping items like this dress and other fancier garb in my closet.  It's nice that I've been able to give a lot of my old clothes to Diane (Tasha's mom/Bob's lady friend) and I've held onto a few exceptionally nice items for Karla, should she ever get down to my former sizes, so a lot of it is at least staying in the family but it's still hard to say good-bye. 

I think my attachment to this dress is that my mom loved it.  I've found over the last 14 months that I have a harder time getting rid of things that remind me of her.  Hell I broke a pair of scissors that she got me and I didn't throw them for almost two weeks.  I finally got tired of the handle breaking off every time I tried to cut something so I threw them out but I still felt guilty about it.I know that's silly but there it is.

I think the bottom line is, if I'm being honest, that I'm just getting more sentimental and mushy as I get older.  I suddenly understand how people become hoarders.  Not that I'll ever let it get that bad but I get the mentality behind it.  Oh well, I guess I'm taking a step in the right direction by cleaning out my closet now.  I certainly don't want to be one of those ladies who keeps a closet full of clothes that don't fit. With my tendency to cling it's probably only a short leap to keeping gum wrapers, paper clips, old phone books and stuffed cats. 

OK, I should get back to work so I can get the rest of my house work done today.

Recipe: pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon-cream cheese frosting

I find it funny that I have become the baker of my department.  I was always a fair cook but I was a disaster when it came to baking, hopeless.  I don't know how and when it changed but now I have the reputation of a sweet tooth savant and get requests from my colleagues.  Julie's birthday was over the weekend and weeks ago she found a recipe and requested that I make it.  I looked at it, saw pumpkin and cinnamon-cream cheese and I was hooked.  I was just telling Jenny that I hadn't posted a recipe in a while so I figured what better way to start off my new blog than by posting an sinfully delicious recipe that is in no way going to make me or anybody more healthy, especially when you eat three of them in one day...yep, three.  I felt pretty miserable Sunday night but it was so worth it :-) 

You will need:

1 spice cake mix
1 c. sour cream (I used reduced fat)
1, 15 oz. can of pumpkin
1/4 c. oil
3 eggs

8 oz. cream cheese (I used reduced fat)
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
16 oz. powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake tins (24 cupcakes) with cupcake papers.

Combine cake mix, sour cream, pumpkin, oil and eggs. Divide evenly between cupcake liners.  Bake for 20-25 minutes and let cool completely.

In a bowl combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla and cinnamon until well blended.  Gradually blend in powdered sugar. Frost cooled cupcakes.

I brought these to work today and they were gone in record time and everybody loved them.  They're really easy to make but you could also just make a cake if you were in a time crunch. However you serve this recipe it will be delicious and people will want the recipe...go kraft.com!!