Bittersweet Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving this year was bittersweet; our first and last Thanksgiving here. While we love our new home, we have decided to move again.

I am very much looking forward to having *my own fitness room* where I won't have to put away steps, rebounder, mats, balls, dumbells, DVDs, etc. As it is now I have some steps and equipment in a storage unit, in multiple closets, under the bed, in the living room, in the hallway, etc. It will be so nice to have everything in one spot and have more space to workout and I won't have to be conscious of others/be quiet.

 

I don't know what I would do without Qi Gong for Stress. Love the way it makes me feel. I used this daily when going through some pretty tough times in the past several years and always reach for it when under great stress. I pulled it out today and also did Raviana's Kundalini Yoga Meditation DVD - I did the full body, self bless, mantra, and complete meditations. I also did part of Dance Your Journey.

Dance Because You Can

“We are born into bodies that are fluid and free. Yet for most of us, this state of grace is sadly short lived. Judgement, emotional wounds, fear and loss become stored deep inside our muscles and bones, leaving us with shoulders that sag, hips that are locked, arms that can’t reach out, hearts that beat behind a stone wall. When we move our bodies we shake up firmly rooted systems of thought, old patterns of behavior and emotional responses that just don’t work anymore. Rhythm, breath, music and movement become tools for seeing, then freeing, the habits that hold us back. When we free the body, the heart begins to open. When the body and the heart taste freedom, the mind won’t be far behind. And when we put the psyche into motion, it will start to heal itself.“ ~Gabrielle Roth

RIP Gabrielle Roth

How very sad, I just read that Gabrielle Roth passed away. I have and greatly enjoy her Ecstatic Dance set.
I highly recommend this set if you enjoy freeform dance, are seeking a way to express yourself, or work through & heal pain or other issues.

You can view an interview with Gabrielle and see some of her work here.

"In many shamanic societies, if you came to a shaman or medicine person complaining of being disheartened, dispirited, or depressed, they would ask one of four questions. When did you stop dancing? When did you stop singing? When did you stop being enchanted by stories? When did you stop finding comfort in the sweet territory of silence? Where we have stopped dancing, singing, being enchanted by stories, or finding comfort in silence is where we have experience the loss of soul. Dancing, singing, storytelling, and silence are the four universal healing salves." --Gabrielle Roth

Om Namah Shivaya

Contest

Enter to win a $100 gift card from Etsy. Enter HERE.

WOTD

Workout(s) of the day...

 

 

Update

I know I haven't posted in awhile. I got away from healthy eating and other than walking or doing Summer activities (going to parks, festivals, lakefront), I haven't been working out. I've been having a problem lately with low blood sugar due to skipping meals, going too long without eating, a/o eating junky so I have decided to get back on the right track.

 

 I hadn't been weighing in regularly since when we moved we got rid of our scale - it was never accurate and we started using our Wii Fit to weigh ourselves. But since I didn't want to have to haul that out every day/week, I bought a new WW scale that tracks weight, BMI, bone density, and fat.

 

We have been eating more of a Vegan diet with lots of nuts, seeds, greens, and berries. We're looking into Dr. Fuhrman's diet plan, but I hate "diets" or plans that are very restrictive, so I'm not sure if we'll follow it to a T, but we think it sounds like a good place to get healthier. Today I ate the healthiest I think I ever have with yogurt, walnuts, a banana, green tea, water, strawberries, blueberries, black berries, and a huge salad with organic greens, kale, spinach, arugula, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper. Dinner will probably be brown rice with lentils, onions, mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, & Indian spices plus a salad.

As for activity, I'm going back to doing Qi Gong and/or Yoga daily, along with walking and strength training. Now is the perfect time, I am always successful with daily exercise in the Fall/Winter since I prefer cooler weather.

Deal Alert!

Wow, Just Dance 3 for the Wii is now only $9.99 at Amazon. This is a great price - I think I paid $40 when it first came out.

Shiva Sale!

Just wanted to share Acacia's sale on 3 of Shiva Rea's DVDs. Unfortunately they are not including her best (in my opinion); Yoga Shakti or Yoga Trance Dance. Shiva is one of the best, if not the best, in yoga; authentic, beautiful, graceful, and I just love her flows. I had Radiant Heart but got rid of it since I didn't do it often. I still have Fluid Power, which is stunningly gorgeous but a bit beyond my level in spots. I never tried Surf Yoga Soul since I don't surf and the preview just didn't appeal to me.

Anyway $5 for Shiva Rea DVDs is a great deal!

Hot, hot, hot!

I am so done with the heat & humidity. Can't wait for cooler temps!

My husband and I have been walking for a few miles (1 1/2 - 2.2 miles) weather permitting every morning before the sun & heat of the day. I am truly enjoying not only my husband's company, but the birds, gorgeous morning sky, and fresh air. Plus I like seeing the muskrats, ducks & geese and their babies swimming around the water retention pond we pass. We originally set a goal of walking to our favorite park by the end of Summer, but it is 3 miles one way with some large hills and a stretch of no sidewalks or place to really walk, so I'm not sure if it is really doable within the hour we walk in the morning. We'll see. I like getting up and out before the rest of the world does.

Achoo!

Every March or April my allergies kick in and I get a major sinus infection, or the start of one. This year since the weather has been so strange & mild, I did not get one and allergies have been minimal. That is until last Friday when I started feeling off and wound up sick the entire weekend and am still battling a sinus infection. My preferred method of treatment is natural medicine, so I am taking it easy with lots of sleep, qi gong, water, oregano pills, garlic pills, active 15+ manuka honey, green tea, neti pot, reiki, vitamins, and healthy foods. I've been doing Qi Gong for Stress daily and will continue to take it easy until all traces of infection vanish.

I tried another recipe I found on Pinterest;

Pasta with Broccoli & Chickpeas

I doubled the amount of pasta & EVOO, used a red onion & parmesan and added Penzey's Shallot Pepper. Turned out well and is good cold or hot.

TGIF!

Yesterday I did not get a workout in since my husband took the day off so we could have a date day. We spent the day shopping, went out to eat, and checked out a new (to us) park.

Today I started doing Tonique Sculpt Dynamics Arms, but decided to save it for another day, since I have fun weekend plans and whenever I do hardcore arm work that burns (and yes this seemed like killer arm work) it can not only give me DOMS the next day, but migraines and shoulder pain. I know I will be doing alot of walking & photography and want to be pain-free for the weekend.

So instead I did Barefoot Cardio.

*** A few deals I spotted in recent magazines...

*$10 off Zumba Exhilarate on US orders; use codeEXHI-LANL-ZYSU-BM60

*Get Jillian Michaels' cookbook Master Your Metabolism FREE, pay only $4.95 S&H...go to cookbook offer.

Also, I highly recommend Pinterest for recipes, workouts, and all kind of fun stuff! You can check out my boards and follow me HERE. I have three food boards; one for general Vegetarian foods, Veg Burgers, and naughty Sweets.

I recently tried several recipes I happened upon there. Click on the links to go to the original recipes/websites. The first was Taco Pasta.

I doubled the recipe and to make it Vegetarian, I used Fantastic Foods Taco Meat substitute for beef. It was yummy, though probably not all that healthy.

The next was Asian Noodle Salad.

This one I adapted by using only red cabbage and red peppers, and omitting the bean sprouts and sesame oil. I thought this one tasted amazing when just made. Leftover, I did not care for it since the noodles absorbed the oil and it just didn't taste fresh.

Next was the Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Salad Sandwich.

This one I simplified by using only smashed chickpeas and avocado on whole grain bread with baby spinach. I could not believe how much this tasted like tuna salad.

Abs on Fire

Today I did Gilad's Lord of the Abs - Abs on Fire DVD.

This was a 45 minute workout consisting of punching, twisting, knee lifts, and kicking on a gorgeous Hawaiian beach at sunset. I liked the techno music, however, it was not loud enough for me and I would have liked to see a music louder/no instruction option. First you start with the right side and add moves to build a sequence then do the same for the other side, then alternate on both sides. Since I pick up choreography so easily and like a mental challenge, this is not a workout I could do often without being bored; but I can see putting it in a rotation once in awhile. I would say this is a beginner to intermediate low impact workout. I think this workout should have been called Arms on Fire, since my arms are burning from all the punching! :)

You can view a preview of this workout here.

Back to it

Last week I started working out again. I have kept the weight off that I lost, but haven't lost anymore, so I am getting back to working out 5-6 days a week. With the warmer weather we've been more active and outdoors as much as possible - going to the gardens, park, zoo, lake, outdoor markets and such trying to get in lots of walking.

Mary from Total Fitness DVDs had an overstock sale a few weeks ago, so I picked up a few new workouts to help motivate me to get re-started at home.

I had my eye on Richard Simmon's Sweatin' to the Oldies 5, since I own and like the previous 4. Plus during the sale I snagged this for only $4 and change. I tried this one out right away. I know many find Richard to be over the top and cheesy - and he is - but I find his workouts more like dancing & so fun it doesn't feel like working out, and they tend to have good vocal music. The complete song list for this one is: 1. Soul Man 2. I Want You Back 3. Ain't Too Proud To Beg 4. Think 5. Downtown 6. Where The Boys Are 7. Hit The Road Jack 8. These Boots Are Made For Walking 9. Heard It Through The Grapevine 10. What The World Needs Now

It is chaptered by song, so you can skip to the song you want to do or do any of them over again by pressing next or back.

Another newbie I tried was Petra Kolber's Liquid Grooves.

This one is less of a workout and more as she says, a celebration of movement. She combines qi gong/tai chi, yoga, and dance moves to new age type music. This one is really my cup of tea since I love workouts that make me feel good/reduce stress, are low impact/can do barefoot, and I can do them in my PJs. I have her earlier workouts Breathe and Breathe 2 that are similar. This one is chaptered with segments being Awakening (warm up), Sequence 1, Sequence 2, and Moving Meditation. I loved that the moving meditation had no instruction what so ever.

This morning I did...

This was another newbie. I have most of The Firm's sets - I think all but The Wave, and many of their other workouts. While effective, most I do not like simply for the Stepford Wife instructors, generic music, and sterile backgrounds. (But I love the Transfirmer box, Fanny Lifter, and a few of their earlier workouts) I had hope for this one upon viewing the online preview - I really enjoy dance workouts. Unfortunately this one had me bored out of my mind by the end of the first Club Dance segment. I really disliked the generic music and the TIFTing (taking it from the top). This was not a dance workout really, more aerobics with marching, side lunges, knee lifts, etc. I can't see myself keeping this one. I took it out and instead put in Zumba Fitness Live to dance, sweat, and have fun.

I also tried another newbie, Crunch Bikini Body.

Well, I only did the abs section, which I liked. Part of it was standing cardio moves (knee lifts, punches & twists, etc) and then on to the floor for crunches, bicycles, leg lifts, etc. Quick and to the point.

*In case anyone is interested, Gilad's Lord of the Abs series is on sale with FREE S&H for only 3 more days. Enter code LOTA15 for an additional $15 off!! That is 5 new DVDs for a total of $54.75. I will be trying these titles and reviewing them soon. Several look really good.

Dropped another pant size!

Was thrilled to be able to fit into pants that are TWO sizes smaller on Easter! I'm still not back to my daily fitness routine, but have been doing alot of unpacking, organizing, cleaning, and eating much less & at home.
I purchased a new Wii dance game and tried it the other day. It was fun and a wee bit harder than any of the Just Dance ones.

Quick Check In

We are moved into the new place but still unpacking. How does one accumulate so much stuff over time?!
Friday we have new furniture being delivered and Saturday we are hoping to be fully finished with the old place; all belongings out and the place cleaned thoroughly.
I probably won't be back to my fitness/food routine for another week or so. I have however *lost a full pant size*! I'm sure all the movement, bending, working from 6am - 6pm daily, running up two flights of stairs, stress, and eating less has helped to lose weight. As I was going through my clothes I noticed things that were too tight or one size down now fit me loosely!

Dealing with changes

My dear father-in-law has passed and we are deeply saddened. I haven't been posting since my husband has been on bereavement and I just haven't felt like doing much. This is the 4th death of a loved one in about a year and a half and has been a very painful time.
We have decided to move rather suddenly (within a few weeks), so I'm not sure in the next month or so how often I'll be able to post. I may not have internet for awhile, since we are going to overlap places for a month and I will be busy packing, cleaning, unpacking, etc. Once we're through, I will be back on schedule with exercising and posting.

*Deal Alert!*

Just wanted to alert you to a great bargain. Misty Tripoli's Body Groove dance sets are available on Amazon for a low price. If you like freestyle, barefoot dance you should look into these. They have an African Dance vibe, low impact, done barefoot, and they feel good to do!

This morning I did Spirit Groove off of the 4 DVD original Body Groove set, now $7.99 (I believe both of these were originally $60)! I have yet to do the Latin Groove, Yoga Groove, Pilates Groove, or the bonus ab workout. Spirit Groove is a 36 minute dance workout. She tells you to do whatever you want, but guides you through isolating body parts and moving to the live drums. You will strike poses, march in place & around the room, do side leg lifts, shimmy, hip circles, squats, etc.
Her new set Body Groove Delicious Dance is available for $9.99 and contains dances/songs you can mix or match or stick with her pre-mixes. This one contains all types of music and styles of movements from African to kickboxing.

Checking in

Yesterday we went bowling. I hadn't been bowling for four years and of course I pulled something in my elbow. It started hurting right after the first game - in which I scored higher than my last 4 scores (totally sucked the 2nd game though)! By evening my wrist and shoulder started hurting and still upon waking this morning. At first I was going to take a rest day today, but then I feared I was making excuses so I decided to do Strong Knees

since my lower body wasn't hurting me. Then I decided to do my daily JV workout

and pay attention to how I felt and adjust accordingly. I did omit two exercises - rear lateral raises and overhead tricep extensions since both hurt to attempt.

I was feeling so good afterward I decided to do the aerobic cardio premix from Start Here.

So lesson learned - do what you can! I did what I could and feel great.

Week in Review

I had a wonderful week! I am feeling so much stronger and firmer. I have been avoiding the scale and tape measure. I know it can be quite motivational to see that you lost something, but last time I lost weight (more than 10 pounds) it took 4 months to see any difference on the scale and that was so discouraging, so I am just focusing on making long-term lifestyle changes.

This past week I did not count calories, but completed all 6 of my daily JV Total Body Workouts and...

Strong Knees (5 times!)

Zumba Exhilarate

Classical Stretch (Season 4, episode 1 - Deep Muscular Stretch)

Classical Stretch (Season 5, episode 501 - Full Body Slenderizing)

Classical Stretch (Season 6, episode 609 - Shoulder & Stress Relief)

Yoga Dance Earth

Regarding Yoga Dance Earth, upon preview I did not like it and thought I would be selling it, but after doing it, I really enjoyed it and have ordered the other two in the series, Fire and Water! It felt great, combined yoga, African dance, & tai chi movements and was fun. The disc contains three 20 minute workouts that are done barefoot (love that!) and are low impact.

This next week I will be counting calories, staying in my range, and eating more fruits & veggies daily. I may take my measurements, but am not planning on stepping on the scale anytime soon. I can see & feel a difference in my body and that makes me happy!

I will be doing more Classical Stretch workouts in the upcoming weeks since I am contemplating getting the other 2 seasons that I do not already own - 7 & 8. Since they are so pricey I want to make sure that I still enjoy Classical Stretch and they will be worth it to me. I still find that Season 5 is by far my favorite and feels the best. I feel fortunate to have bought one of the last remaining new copies - it is out of print and sells for hundreds of dollars on Ebay, Amazon, and other venues. I had two additional copies and sold one full set, but still have one Tone & Stretch DVD in case anyone is interested in purchasing it.

Meatless Monday Recipe

This recipe has been adapted from Whole Foods Market.

Minestrone Stir Fry

1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup carrot, chopped
1 can dark red kidney beans, rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
elbow pasta, cooked

Saute first 9 ingredients in EVOO for 5 minutes over high heat, adding broth as needed to prevent sticking. Add tomatoes & remaining broth, saute for 3 minutes more. Add remaining ingredients and saute 1 minute longer. Serve over elbow pasta.

Week in Review

This past week I did my daily JV workouts for 6 days and did Strong Knees for 3. I know I need to get cardio in, but I am so happy that I've been able to keep up with what I have been doing - I am noticing alot of firming going on!
Yesterday was my birthday and we ate out both Saturday & Sunday without counting calories.
One fitness related gift I received was Yoga Dance Earth and I am looking forward to trying it out this week.

I am looking forward to warmer weather so we can walk the 2.3 mile loop in our local park.
Last Sunday we did get out and walk a little at another park.

Meatless Monday Recipe

This recipe has been adapted from Veg Web.

Black Bean Tortilla Casserole

2 cups onion, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
1 14 1/2oz can tomatoes, chopped
3/4 cup green salsa
2 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 15oz cans black beans, rinsed & drained
12 6" corn tortillas
8oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 cups shredded lettuce
sliced green onions
sliced black olives
1/2 cup sour cream

In skillet, combine onion, pepper, undrained tomatoes, salsa, cumin, and garlic. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add beans and stir. Spread 1/3 of the mixture over bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Top with 6 tortillas, overlap as needed and 1 cup of cheese. Add another 1/3 of mixture, top with remaining tortillas and remaining mixture. Bake covered at 350F for 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Let stand 10 minutes. Top with chopped tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and olives and serve with sour cream.

Week in Review

We've received some very sad news this week and my mind, focus, and emotions have been all over the place as we prepare to say goodbye to yet another loved one.
I followed my daily workout only 4 days, have done Strong Knees only twice, and have been doing Raviana's Meditation DVD to try to find some peace of mind.

Honestly I haven't been working, sleeping, or doing much of anything really. I'm attempting to catch up on sleep this weekend and will be back on track with calories & exercise.

Meatless Monday Recipe

This recipe has been adapted from Great American Home Cooking 1998. Originally called Mom's Best Meatloaf, my husband and I like to call it Unmeatloaf, since I tweaked it to be meatless. Can also be made into Unmeatballs.

Unmeatloaf

2 tsp vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 boxes of Fantastic World Foods Taco Filling prepared (you could also use Fantastic World Foods Vegetarian Sloppy Joe w/o any sauce or a combo of the two)
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
Egg Beaters, equivalent of 2 eggs
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tsp eash salt & black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme

Glaze

1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk together glaze ingredients in small bowl and set aside. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 7 minutes stirring often. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Put mixture into large bowl and let cool. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Press mixture in pan evenly. Brush with 1/2 cup of glaze and bake 50 minutes. Brush with another 1/2 cup glaze and bake 10 more minutes. Slice and serve with remaining glaze.

Week in Review

Another successful week of working out 6 days! I am getting much stronger, firmer, and my husband said he can see I lost weight in my face & arms.
This past week I did daily JV workouts and...

Strong Knees (3 times)

Delicious Dance

Firm & Burn (first time doing; very easy/low impact, for seniors)

Cardio Praise (not my cup of tea, will be getting rid of)

and Zumba Exhilarate Mix (LOVE that this has no instruction/voice option so you can blast the music and dance your ass off, it is so much fun!)

Meatless Monday Recipe

Meatless Monday is an ongoing international campaign to encourage people to not eat meat (at least) one day of the week to improve their health and the health of the planet. As this initiative grows in popularity, so does the need for delicious recipes. As a long time Vegetarian, I thought I'd share the best recipes in my arsenal each Monday.
The following recipe has been adapted from a June 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. I've made it for several family members that are hardcore meat eaters and they all love it and I hope you do too. It is one of my all time favorite recipes. It looks like a burger and tastes like a sweet & spicy meatloaf. Feel free to share your thoughts if you try it. Enjoy! *You can find many other delicious recipes in my food board at http://pinterest.com/BlissWorks

Jamaican Patties

3 tbs vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbs jerk seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups grated carrots
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 1/2 cups plain breadcrumbs
Egg Beaters, equivalent of 3 lrg eggs
1/2 cup vanilla rice milk

Heat 1 tbs oil over med-high heat in non-stick skillet, add onion and stir often, cook 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, jerk seasoning, and salt. Cook 30-60 seconds. Stir in carrots, cover, and reduce to medium heat. Cook 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in peas and cook 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl and fold in breadcrumbs. Whisk together Egg Beaters and milk in separate bowl, then stir into mixture. Form into 12 3/4 inch thick patties using approx 1/3 cup for each. Heat 1 tbs oil over med heat in large non-stick skillet. Add patties and cook 5 minutes on each side until golden. Repeat, adding more oil if necessary.

Pineapple Salsa

2 cups diced pineapple
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
4 green onions, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded & minced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients & mix well.
Serve with patties.
1 serving = 2 patties and 1/2 cup salsa. Approx 230 calories per serving.

Week in Review

Getting stronger and feeling good! Another week down of doing JV workouts 6 days a week, plus others. Still counting calories and (mostly) keeping in my range; I had two days this week I went over when we ate out.
Next week I plan on upping my weights, walking or dancing 5 days, and doing Strong Knees on 3 days.