Monday Weigh In

Monday is when I weigh in and measure on a Christian board I'm on. All the times I have done this in the past I never keep my records. So hopefully here they will not be lost.

Starting Weight: 214.4
Week 2: 210.8
2 Week Total Loss: 3.3 lbs

Measurements
Starting: 403
Week 2: 396.75
2 Week Total Loss: -5.75"

Am I the only one who every time I measure can't help but wonder if I'm measuring the wrong places every time? I never trust my results. Up, down, I always end up attributing it to measuring not in the exact same spot. So here I am down almost everywhere and my mind can't give it up that I might have actually lost something. But I lost weight and inches so it must be real right? Ever amazed at just how long term dieting has totally messed up your thinking?! Here I am down some pounds, down some inches and I literally can't believe it. I didn't expect to be down this far weight wise so my first thought? I must not have eaten enough yesterday so I must have less in my "gut". Stupid. Same with my inches. I FULLY expect to next week measure in a slightly different place and be right back up again. What is it about ME or dieting or something that makes it feel impossible to embrace ANY success? Do I want myself to fail? I definitely expect myself to fail. And to be honest, despite all this "change your thinking" talk by ladies I respect, I am yet to get HOW to do that. Just telling myself to stop thinking the worst of myself doesn't change the thoughts when they come. I'll need to pray about that some. I've gotten the advice to try and see myself how God sees me. And that's always a struggle. Because on one hand, I've been washed in the blood, but on the other hand I feel like a big ole giant sinner all the time. So what IS how God sees me? Definitely an area to meditate on.

And lest I forget - The workouts from the last week:
Tuesday 11 - MORE + BROOM
Wednesday 12 - PBS, TTT, HD
Thursday 13 - MORE
Friday 14 - PBS, TTT, HD
Saturday 15 - Off
Sunday 16 - MORE + BROOM

Fabulous Oil Wells Form Tips at t-tapp forum

If you're anything like me there are some moves in MORE and Basic Workout Plus that you don't feel like you're getting 100% out of. Reach Scoop is one, and Oil Wells is one. Now I love Oil Wells and love the stretching I get reach through my legs but I KNOW I'm not getting everything out of Oil Wells that I should. Teresa has SO many things going on in every little move that when I read another insanely fabulous post by Kiona at the t-tapp forums about Oil Wells I was stoked! That Kiona is amazing in how she breaks down the pieces of moves and shows exactly how to implement the tweaks.
Kiona's Oil Wells post is a wealth of information. Here's a taste - When looking to do this move, what you want to remember to do is lift your ribs as you are doing the move itself. Very much like you would do while standing in typical T-Tapp stance.
What? My ribs should be lifted while doing OIL WELLS of all moves? What does that even mean?! Well go read Kiona's post. She's amazing and I'm excited to do Oil Wells tomorrow!!!
Click here to go to Kiona's post on the t-tapp forum

Bowling, painting and the wonders of MORE

So Saturday was a scary day. And it would be scary for anyone with back problems. *insert menacing music here* Bowling, shopping and painting!

Saturday was when we celebrated our newly 7yo and newly 11yo sons birthdays. We went bowling. Yes, bowling. Because well... you know... I'm a glutton for punishment. As someone with chronic back pain bowling isn't top of the list of wise things to do. But my sons were so excited so I bowled. I stopped in frame 8 but should have stopped after frame 6. My back just got too tired. So the moms and I went shopping at Goodwill next door. So bowling, then standing and walking for over an hour, the back to bowling and walking around the arcade.

Then we return home and I.... paint until 2 AM. Two coats on one wall, a coat of primer and a coat of paint on the front door. Around 1 AM when waiting for everything to dry for second coats, I decided that my only chance at walking in the morning was doing T-tapp MORE. So I did it. And went back to painting fully expecting to wake up with one of those bad back morning.

Instead I woke up to the sound of angels singing and a great back. Insert awe inspiring music here:
I felt great. No different than any other day. In fact I kind of felt better than any other day. I truly believe that t-tapp is my savior with these back problems. Adding to that, my bad knee. Almost 2 years ago I slipped and fell and hurt my knee. With my weight, and running on the treadmill, etc. etc. it never healed. It was always hurting in the morning and when doing stairs, hiking on rough terrain, things like that. Well MORE has a few lunges and lots of plies. But with the t-tapp technique of knees out, tucking, leaning away from the lunges, not only do my knees not hurt from t-tapp they are feeling better all the time. Truly amazing stuff.

Lest I forget: (oh and assume that I pretty much do PBS at least once a day in the morning)
Workouts:
Wed Jan. 5th - MORE Instructional
Thurs Jan 6th - MORE Instructional
Sat Jan 8th - MORE
Mon Jan 10th - MORE
Tues Jan 11th - MORE and Broom

Instructional 1, Back Pain and MORE

Okay so as a precursor to Charlotte's coaching I gave Instructional 1 a try again after 2 months or so on Saturday. A. it was hard. I was sweating and exhausted after. I forgot LOL. But unfortunately there is a B.

B. I woke up Sunday unable to walk. Now granted, Saturday also had some things going for it like I cooked a whole turkey dinner and was on my feet with a guest here. But still, I woke up with the worst back pain I've had since my great stair rail falling incident. It took many hours to even be able to walk. But I HAD to since my husband was asked to give the sermon at church since our pastor was out of town.

So needless to say I now have Instructional 1 phobia. And since Charlotte's workouts have you go through the Instructionals some, I was upset. Monday, yesterday, when I was supposed to start, I just didn't. I started the course but didn't workout at all.

Enter the Moms and her MORE.

My mom got MORE for Christmas and isn't um... that excited to start. So within minutes of getting her home from the airport I snagged it. Yes, it is now home with me. I just spent the last couple hours while everyone watched tv watching MORE on the computer with headphones. WHAT A TREASURE it is! I am honestly blown away by the sheer VOLUME of what's on it. I don't think people realize everything that is on it.

Besides a full Instructional, it has videos on how to get out of a chair, how to walk properly, how to get off the floor and how to step up stairs. BUT then it has a full MORE workout (20 minutes), a special newer at home with T MORE that's 27 minutes, an upper body workout with a broom, a 10 minute SATI type workout, and a sitting workout. Dude. Everyone should own this!!!!! The idea of being able to crank out a 9 minute workout when I need to or do a modified TWO (which is what the MORE is) for 27 minutes.

Okay rave over. I just had no idea it was going to be quite so great DESPITE Trish saying a million times how amazing it is.

SO I did the MORE Instructional tonight. It was great. Had lots of breaks. But had so many tweaks and form reminders that BWO+ doesn't. Aside from modifications on PBS and T-tapp Twist, it has a small set of lunges (which was just enough to feel a burn but NOT hurt my knees and hopefully back) and a tiny Balance Sequence as well. I think it's going to be a great workout for me for a while.

The ONLY thing is......... how will my back feel tomorrow? Tune in tomorrow and find out. I'd LOVE to be able to do a MORE Instructional Bootcamp without hurting my back. Love.

Charlotte's Virtual Coaching

*note* this was supposed to be posted yesterday and wasn't for some reason!

Today I start Charlotte's Virtual Coaching program with a few other ladies on a private Christian message board. One by one we all signed up. It was on sale last month and I decided last minute to do it. Today's the day! And I guess anyone who reads here (and you know who the two of you are) will get a review! I won't be sharing details of course in respect to Charlotte but it should still be fun. And anyone who's up in the air about it should get an idea of what it's like as I blog. But if you've read at all you know that I find Charlotte incredibly inspiring as I can't see myself NOT like it. But time will tell.......
It's funny in some ways for me to post that I'm starting this after my New Year's post. But they don't conflict. Exercise, healthy eating, etc. are all good things. And I believe they please the Lord. It's when you make rules that dictate how you feel about yourself, laws for yourself about what you eat, what you do, outside of leaning on the Lord that are missing the mark. I do believe the Lord wants me to get healthy again. And after prayer feel that this is a great start.

So how does the Virtual Coaching program work? You get:

· An e-book, Renew You Virtual Coaching Personal Workout Inspiration and Schedule, with workout schedules, instructions and convenient forms

· 30 daily emails full of inspiration, T-Tapp tips and valuable insights

· Every 3rd day, a link to a coaching video of Charlotte sharing her insights and tips for you

· Bonus links and articles

Renew You Virtual Coaching gives you access to expert advice:

• How to jumpstart yourself when enthusiasm lags. Day 11.
• Tips for setting up your space for success with your workouts. Video Day 3.
• What is your brain wired to do (it can't help it!) and how can you take advantage of that? Video Day 24.
• How to stay consistent with T-Tapp. Day 28
• A secret that helped motivate me on the way to my goals. Video Day 15.
• Why it's not selfish to care for yourself—first—from a busy mom of 12. Day 8

New Year's Resolution?

First things first.... Happy New Year!!!

But as I head into the New Year I am SO grateful that the Lord has been working with me the last couple weeks and preparing my heart for this New Year. By working through my issues with food and exercise and generally stripping away any pretenses leaving nothing but truth, this year I have a different perspective on the New Year than any other year to date. Like everyone else I am So temped to want to say I'm starting a new diet, making this change or that.
WHAT? No new diet for you? No PLAN? I mean everyone HAS to have a plan going into the New Year right?! I do but it's not the plan you think. Late last night the Lord stripped away any plan I thought I was going to have. He stripped it down to one single solitary plan. He did this by showing me this verse. I didn't go to bed until 1 AM and yet still I opened my Bible. I was SO tired but the Lord wouldn't let it go. He had greater work to do than letting me sleep. This is what he showed me. And when He did I couldn't believe it. I got tears. He is perfect. And his plans to prosper me are perfect. And His Word is perfect.

[20] If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— [21] “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” [22] (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? [23] These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
[3:1] If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. [3] For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
(Colossians 2:20-3:3 ESV)

Any rule I could come up with, any diet, any resolution, would be of NO value in stopping the indulgence of my flesh! The ONLY answer is to set my mind on the Lord, on the things above, NOT on the things on the earth. In one fail swoop the Lord destroyed my towers of Babel that thought that I could be like God, doing it on my own.

There is only one resolution to be made this year, and every year from this point on. To set my eyes on the Lord. And all the things that I would love to make resolutions about will fall in place. With the Lord ALL things are possible.

ONE RESOLUTION to rule them all.

Workouts

Before I forget lol.

Tuesday: PBS, t-tapp twist, lawnmowers and Hoedowns

Wednesday: PBS, TTT, OIP/HF full version, Hoedowns - *note* when I went to bed it was the first time I have gone to bed where when I relaxed my back I didn't have ANY pain. Those stretches from OIP/HF were amazing.

Thursday: PBS, the stretching from OIP/HF - *note* was hoping to wake with no back pain but both the baby and Garrison were up most of the night in bed with me and I hardly got any sleep. I was a tad sore but not horrible. Who knows how I would have been should I NOT have done the OIP/HF

Friday so far: OIP/HF stretching, PBS - Woke feeling pretty good! Was a tad sore but NO weakness in the back! So did the OIP/stretching and some arm movements before getting out of bed and was actually ABLE to do PBS after that. I NEVER can do PBS in the morning. Will be doing the full OIP/HF tonight I think. Wait it's New Year's. We'll see.