Tag: exercise

Beachbody Exercise & Nutrition Programs

~ K ~ Leave a comment
www.beachbodyondemand.com

As I talk about my Beachbody on Demand (BOD) kick, I’m currently going through an exercise program called LIIFT4. It’s weight lifting combined with high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Other than 80-Day Obsession, I don’t know that I’ve been this consistent with an exercise program.

I took my progress photos, took my measurements, and recorded my starting weight. I’m slightly discouraged because I’ve only lost 9 lb since January 2022, and wish I could make better progress. I’m beginning to dial in my nutrition and focus on eating more vegetables in my diet. I’ve tried the 2 nutrition plans they have, Portion Fix and 2B Mindset, but I’ve only had real success with Portion Fix. 2B is an easier plan to follow. There’s a plan but the main rule is to drink 16 oz of water before a meal and have mostly veggies. I’m a carbavore so I’d rather take a few carbs in my Portion Fix container than find a meal that has nothing but veggies and a little bit of protein. That’s just my preference.

The other problem is that I eat out a lot. I do not meal prep. I don’t like cooking and my husband doesn’t like cleaning up the dishes after I cook. I need to learn how to grill chicken so I buy salads and throw them on top.

(Oh, and btw, I like vegetables and fruit with pesticides, thankyouverymuch. I’m not against organic stuff but they’re more likely to have bugs in them.) And really, what does organic mean anyway?

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Developing My Exercise Habits

~ K ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been a member of Beachbody on Demand (BOD) since August 2, 2017. At first I didn’t really use it and then somehow got into exercising at 3 am and did programs like 21-Day Fix and 80-Day Obsession. I actually stopped 80-Day Obsession in 2018 because of pregnancy but ruined my habit of regularly exercising by not doing the prenatal workouts.

After I had my daughter in 2019, it was really hard to get back into the habit of exercising again. Even after the newborn stage. I considered canceling my BOD membership because I was so inconsistent and “undedicated.”

Fast forward to May 2, 2021. Somehow I decided, right then and there, that I’d make a commitment to exercising. We went on vacation, and I still tried to exercise in the morning while the kids were asleep. I tried to exercise as much as I could in our new home that we moved into in late 2019. BOD dubs 21-Day Fix as a “beginner” program, but it’s actually quite difficult. (I’d label it as Intermediate, if you ask me.) It started out as 7 workouts to repeat over the course of 3 weeks, but now they’ve re-recorded it for “real time” as if you’re doing a different workout for each of the 21 days. (So 21 new episodes that provide variety instead of watching the same 7 workouts on repeat.)

But I started out with 21-Day Fix (not real time) and completed the program. What was next? I think I did T25 for a bit but didn’t really commit to that program. Then came Morning Meltdown 100. 100 different workouts. Could I commit?

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Newtown, Connecticut and Body Image Issues

~ K ~ Leave a comment

Last week, there was a horrible shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. This should be the requisite post about how we need more gun control. Here are twelve facts on guns and mass shootings in the United States provided by the Washington Post. But I don’t have any ideas on how to get stricter gun control laws. According to the eleven facts from the WaPo, the killers obtained their guns legally. How do you restrict that? According the second amendment, people have the right to bear arms in the United States. How does one tighten the laws on guns? Do we have potential gun buyers jump through mental evaluation hoops to ensure the safety of other citizens? As a person who has struggled with mental illness, I should not be allowed to own a gun. Knowing my father who had struggled with mental illness, I would not have wanted him to own a gun.

There is no easy answer to gun control concerns. I would not want to take away the rights of citizens to own guns, but something needs to be done to ensure the rights of others are protected.

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I’ve been thinking about my own body and my struggle with weight and lack of exercise. It’s clear that I need to exercise to stay healthy. I am a size 14. I’m not quite plus size but I don’t want to get much bigger.

Then I thought about the body image issues sprung upon me by my family and society. I grew up being one of the skinny kids, only having dealt with body image issues within the past 10 years. And I wonder if I let too many other people define me. I’m a little overweight with some pudge around the middle, but why should that define my self-worth or the way I see myself? Attempting to get skinny is a fleeting goal, one that I do not have the discipline to attain.

Top 10 Favorite High-Energy Workout Tunes

~ K ~ 5 Comments

(Clockwise L-R) Freezepop, Kanye West, September, Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Timbaland, La Roux, Beenie Man, Lynyrd Skynyrd

I’m trying to get back into the habit of exercising regularly at the gym. There are a few tunes that are the perfect tempo to get me warmed up, keep me at an energetic level, and help me to cool down. These are my tried and true (so far) that I keep going back to every time I fall away from the gym and come back… again.

  1. Freezepop: “Less Talk More Rokk“*
  2. Kanye West: “The New Workout Plan” [explicit]
  3. September: “Cry For You” (radio mix)
  4. Christina Aguilera: “Bionic“
  5. Lady Gaga: “Just Dance“
  6. La Roux: “Bulletproof“
  7. Madonna: “Spanish Lesson“
  8. Timbaland: “Oh Timbaland“
  9. Beenie Man: “King of the Dancehall” [explicit]
  10. Lynyrd Skynyrd: “Free Bird“*

*Power songs: Songs that either infuse high energy through a workout or last a long time, ie, “Free Bird” is a 10-minute song.

Feel free to let me know which song might be your fave for a workout session or suggest another one in the comments below!