Since running works just about every muscle in your body, I spent days feeling the repercussions of last week’s run. In an effort to repair itself, my body demanded more sleep. It was tough to stay up late to get more accomplished in my day because I was just so tired. Another result of running was that my appetite increased by a significant amount. I was hungry all throughout the day!
Luckily, Dillons had peaches on sale. I grabbed a bag full of those, and every time I wanted a snack, I ate one. They were perfectly juicy and delicious, and I love the feeling of being able to eat and not feel guilty about it. My husband, Curtis, also made me a fruit salad with peaches, apple slices, cantaloupe, and strawberries. That was so good that I think I’ll ask him for another one this week! My week started off great, with me choosing workouts on Netflix. Here is what I did:
Day 1 – Yoga
I could not bear putting my hurting body through a workout without providing it with some much needed therapy. I selected Crunch – Candlelight Yoga
in the hopes that it would help sooth and restore my aching muscles. I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful this was! It was so relaxing, and with each pose I did, my body stretched into a replenishing state of bliss. It is as if though the poses and stretches were exactly what my body needed to start feeling better. The poses flowed so well together that it felt more like I was giving my body a massage. The ambiance created by the scenery was spa-like. Thanks to this healing routine, I was ready to dive back into some fat-blasting workouts.
Day 2 – Cardio / Strength Training
It did not take me long to pick a workout after my running plight. The cover of Self – Slim and Sleek Fast
was enticing enough, because just about every woman wishes she looked like that! I am no exception. So I did this and was pleased to see that Ellen Barrett starred in it, since I have done several of her Pilates workouts already.
The first half of this workout was cardio; the second half was strength training. The cardio half had a lot of ballet-inspired moves, which I thought were okay, but I did not really feel that I was burning as many calories as I would have liked. Since my body had already recovered thanks to the yoga I did, I was hoping for a workout that had an “Let’s attack that flab!!!” type of an attitude. The strength training half was much better, as those moves had me working and pushing my body to get through all of the repetitions with dumbbells.
Day 3 – Strength Training
I was looking for something I could do that would push my muscles to speed up my efforts to get toned. The Situation Workout
looked like it could possibly do that for me, so I picked it. We do not have cable at my house (we cannot justify the outrageous cost when we have something cool like Netflix!), so I am not familiar with all of the shows on TV. I had never heard of the MTV series, Jersey Shore, so I had no clue what was in store for this workout.
Mike Sorrentino is a cast member of Jersey Shore, and “The Situation” is a nickname he apparently gave to himself. He stars in this workout, much of it laced with sexual innuendos. The girls prance around in provocative workout outfits, while lewd expressions infiltrate your ears before you can take one full breath. Once I realized this was an MTV production, I knew not to expect much in the way of decency. And evidently, a broad vocabulary is too high of an expectation as well, because Mike says the word “situation” every five seconds.
Perhaps that is the reason why he failed to give instructions on proper form for each exercise. If you do not know what you’re doing, you could easily hurt yourself, because this actually is a great workout. It also contained a first for me. I had never done sit-ups while holding dumbbells before. I liked it! This workout contained five 15-minute segments, and when combined, you will definitely find yourself in a muscle-pumping situation. (Sorry, I just had to throw that word in there…).
After The Situation Workout, I was feeling even more excited about continuing on my exercise schedule. But my week had other plans for me. I was on call for my job, and I ended up having to work. I worked many more hours than I would have planned for, so at the end of the day, I was beat. I could not possibly workout without collapsing.
Once I was done working, it was nearing the 4th of July, so I spent what free time I had cleaning the house. I spent hours organizing, detailing, wiping, and scrubbing things that before I knew it, my day had escaped me. That led to a downcast feeling inside me, because when I tried on my bathing suit, the reflection in the mirror loudly proclaimed the areas of my body that need work. Which, honestly, is the entire thing. But I tried to make myself feel better by reminding myself that this is all part of the process, and so far I am treading in the right direction.
Don’t miss out on this series! You can read all of the posts in Losing the Baby Weight right here.
Recommended Reading:
How the Wii Kicked My Butt – If every video game were like this one, couch potatoes would cease to exist.
Run With Heidi Klum – This just may be the motivational push you need to get in shape. Join Heidi as she spends her summer running, and track your own progress on her website.
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