9 Year Old Completes 341 Mile Bike Ride to Honor Fallen Officer David Moore

It really makes me happy when I read stories like the one I posted below. Although, I wish children, or even adults for that matter, didn't have to even do this. Cops are people, they have families, they aren't robots, and they are not out there to make everyone's lives miserable, but I digress.

What I particularly liked was that this young man of 9 years set a personal goal and accomplished it! He is a tenacious young man in that regard. Most children his age just wanna play video games and tend to themselves, forget about anything fitness related. This young man not only created a goal and attained it, but he did it to support those he loves and whom they love. For a child so young to be so aware and want to help those affected by this lose is truly amazing! (and I hope Spencer goes next year too Avi!)

Talk about paying it forward!

Boy rides to D.C. on bike to honor fallen officer: wishtv.com

Link to the story: http://nleomf.blogspot.com/2011/07/nine-year-old-avi-completes-341-mile.html

Last week, Sgt. Doug Forrest and his nine-year old son, Avi, completed a 341 mile bike ride from McKeesport, PA to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC. Avi made the journey to honor fallen Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officer David Moore, killed on January 26, 2011 and to raise funds for the David S. Moore Foundation, established by Officer Moore's parents after his death.

As Avi, Sgt. Forrest and Susan Schneider peddled into the Memorial, they were greeted by Officer Moore's uncle, Juan Moore. Officer Moore had previously visited the Memorial with his father, an active law enforcement officer also with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

According to a story by WISH TV, Sgt. Forrest stated that, "For me, the Memorial is always an emotional experience. I always break down and cry when I think of them because I miss them when I see their names on there. Avi just knows it's really emotional for his dad, and he pats me on the back and tells me, 'It's OK.'" 

Congratulations, Avi on your incredible journey, and thank you for honoring the memory and service of Officer David Moore.

Des Moines Iowa Police Officers' Selfless Fiery Rescue

DES MOINES POLICE OFFICERS RISK THEIR LIVES TO SAVE THOSE OF OTHERS FROM CAR FIRE: (raw dash-cam vid) On August 28 at approx, 0300 hrs., a vehicle driven by Michael Lomax, 21, blew through a traffic light and collided with another vehicle driven by Jennifer Garcia,17. The impact caused the teen's vehicle to roll. Sadly, Miss Garcia was killed instantly. She had three passengers, Alexandra Cordova, 18, Irania Cordova, 14, and Alejandro Garcia, 20, in her SUV. One was ejected and the SUV burst into flames, trapping the remaining two survivors.

Des Moines (Iowa) Police Officers responded and without no hesitation nor reservation nor concern for their own safety, jumped right into action. DMPD Officers Aaron Cawthorne, Colin Boone, Jeremy Sprague, Robin Swank along with Reserve Police Officer John Carter, worked feverishly together to save the trapped and injured vehicle occupants. 

While some were trying to pry the door open, others climbed right on top of the burning vehicle, while others attempted to douse the flames. While they were doing this, Des Moines Police Sergeant Michael Taggart was behind the vehicle trying to get to one of the girls who was trapped. 

As you will see in this raw dash-cam video, while the intense flames, heat and smoke were engulfing these Heroes, they were so determined to save these lives even knowing all the while this car could explode at any moment. The Fire Department Heroes arrived and were able to help with the rescue. These Super Heroes, Red, White and Blue, were able to get the job done and three injured passengers, along with Lomax and his passenger, Feliciano White, 22, were transported to the hospital ... ALIVE. Though Jennifer's passengers have a long painful road to recovery, it is due to the selflessness of these Warriors that they even have a chance. Our thoughts are with Garcia family in their time of grief along with the victims and their families.

All of you were amazing and truly represented what Law Enforcement is about ... Saving, Serving and Protecting the People. We thank you all. JOB WELL DONE EVERYONE!!

~written by Nessie for Law Enforcement Today~
http://www.facebook.com/law.enforcement.today

Police Cruiser dash cam video of rescue:

courtesy of Des Moines (Iowa) Police Department:
http://www.dmgov.org/departments/police/Pages/default.aspx

Michael Lomax has been charged with vehicular homicide w/ recklessness.

Super Soup

recipe courtesy of HFPN

Rather than taking a pill, how about a bowl of soup that delivers A, C, folic acid, calcium, iron, and vitamin K in addition to phytochemicals that are thought to play a role in cancer prevention? Plus, it tastes better than a pill! The staple for this easy soup is kale, which is a cold weather vegetable, but is available year round in most parts of the country.

Ingredients: 

¼ cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water
¼ cup dried kidney beans, soaked overnight in water
4 ½ cups fat-free chicken (or vegetable) stock
1 cup chopped green kale
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
½ onion, diced (½ - 1 cup)
1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
½ large potato, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 

Directions:

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and beans. In a large pot combine them with the chicken (or vegetable) stock and bring to a boil over high heat. 

Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 40 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the beans are cooked through and tender, about 20 minutes.

Serves: 6 Servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Calories       108 
Fat (g)     1
Saturated Fat (g)     0
Cholesterol (mg)     -
Sodium (mg)     -
Carbohydrate (g)     16
Fiber (g)     5
Protein (g)     9
Calcium (mg)     -

Presidential Active Lifestyle Award - PALA

I got mine! 30 minutes of activity each day, 5 days per week for 6 weeks. Mostly, I was logging every day, because everyday i was active. Either outside doing yardwork, inside doing housework, and simply exercising. I had two outlets to use to achieve the PALA award. 1 through teambeachbody and 1 through Sharecare.com.

I chose Sharecare.com & Dr. Oz because they actually made you accountable, not just by purchasing a product or nutritional supplement, but you actually had to log your activity for 6 weeks. That is how you see true results!

Spartan Race Photos

Sorry it took so long to post the pics, I was waiting to gather as many as i could.. which isn't much since the Spartans kicked my Dad off of the mountain lol.. So here a few pics he was able to capture until they hauled him off to the lions.

 It was crazy insane fun, and it really tested my resolve. In the months leading up to my event, in Tuxedo NY, I spent a lot of time on their website trying to get a feel for what to expect. Well I EXPECTED a lot of water, carrying buckets of water, mud... MUD they definitely delivered in the form of an uphill mudcrawl as you can see from the picture above. What i did NOT expect was to do most of my journey UP a ski slope and climbing up and over and down boulders for 3 miles. The only water i saw was in the shower pit at the end.

All-in-all it was good dirty fun for a great cause: Homes for our Troops

The Tough Mudder Tri-State in November is for the Wounded Warrior Project. After this, not sure if I want to do that.. being as it's 12 miles in cold weather and THAT has a lot of water and mud.. Who am i trying to impress?! lol We'll see how that goes.

This Spartan came home WITH her shield!

(and a lot of mud!)

The purpose of the blog was to mark the journey with Panic & Anxiety to the Spartan and Tough Mudder events. 1 challenge is complete; I competed in and completed the Spartan Race in Tuxedo NY.

I did have pre-race jitters... hard core... it was the waiting that was killing me. Once I was at the starting line I was honed in on the objective of going up an extremely steep hill for an extremely long distance not knowing what was to come after that.

I had to climb, crawl, and strategically maneuver my way through rocks and boulders on the side of a ski resort; I saw spiders i never knew existed! OH and I'm sure poison ivy is just a short way away  from showing it's ugly wrath as well.

I had to crawl through a make-shift mine which had brush, bugs, reptiles, cramped space, and barbed wire just above my head for about 100 feet... with no way out.. You had no choice but to go forward. I got stuck on barbed wire 1/4 of the way through, hind-sight my heart flutters, but at the time i was determined to get through that obstacle, and I did and made friends with a frog too!

I had to climb through and over boulders with a car tire, climb a 20 foot high net and come back down, climb walls, crawl under walls, pull cinder-blocks attached to a rope the height of a 2-story house, cross monkey bars ( I fell 2 bars from the end because my shoulder gave out, and they wanted me to do 30 burpees but I told them to go scratch and went back to the bars and did 4 more for good measure).

I had to carry an orange Home Depot bucket 3/4 full of gravel up a hill for .25 a mile, then back down dump my gravel on TOP of the pile and bring back my bucket. At this point I was exhausted, I was in near tears because I was so mad because I wanted to be done! So I chucked the bucket on top of the gravel pile, flipped it over and off (yes, I gave an inanimate object the double bird) and tossed it to the pile of other buckets and flipped it off again. THEN I had to pull a boulder on skis up-hill and around a small course which ended on hot coals, then back uphill and hike over and through boulders AGAIN. This was where I was on E. I started to get light-headed, and had to stop for a break. 

Back down the hill to a soap soaked wall that I had to climb over. I was smart and used my upper body and pulled myself up with the ropes... Flipping off the bottle of soap as I was going to the next obstacle... totally owned that one!

I fell 1/2 way across the Spiderman wall and had to do 30 burpees... thank goodness that I do those a lot in bootcamp! I totally failed on the spear throw and had to do another 30 burpees. I won't be doing burpees for a while needless-to-say!

I had to crawl through cold mud on my belly under barbed wire going uphill for the length of a football field. Admittedly, the mud crawl was the best part of the event. Though gross as heck seeing worms, grubs, ants, spiders, the blood of other Spartans, and getting cut up by rocks and other sharp objects, the camaraderie with the other Spartans through this obstacle was beyond reproach. My hair and shirt got stuck on barbs on the last string; everyone stopped so as not to tug further or spring it back to the Spartans coming up the rear while 2 other Spartans untangled me from the mess. Then for a long boulder hike before a steep downhill trek full of loose rock and dirt.

That ended us up at the ice crawl; yes, the name implies the same as the mud crawl, but it was downhill for about 50 feet under barbed wire and over ice cubes... TONS of ice cubes... it was cold... very cold... but at the bottom of the hill from that we had to jump through a much appreciated firewall! It ended with the gladiators at the end that I, and my awesome sense of humor, made them and the spectators laugh! lol

When I arrived at my first gladiator (that wanted to pummel me with these huge padded paddles) I stopped short, looked him in the eye and said like a mouse "really? Do i have to? Can i just get into the fetal position?" lol so we bumped to make it look good. The next guy was busy with someone else, but the very last guy wanted to kick my butt so as I ran really fast passed him shouting "please, please, please don't hit me!" everyone erupted in laughter!

Then i got my banana, water, free beer and shower lol...

I'm sure I missed an obstacle here or there, but those are the ones that I remember.

Minus the scraped up elbows and knees, twisted ankle, bruises, and that it took me 3 hours to go 3 miles... it was a blast!!!

I have a new found appreciation and utmost respect for the men and women of our armed forces. While i had 3+ miles of torture, they do this in foreign countries carrying tons of gear in not-so-forgiving clothing and conditions. I was able to carry a camelbak (backpack filled with water) and wear anti-skid socks so i didn't get blisters, and wear gloves to protect my little hands from blisters, in order to get me through this. I was able to quit if i wanted and go home. They get to have some of those things, but I was able to shower after my event, they usually have to stay all yucky for days on end, and they can't just say "F this" and go home whenever they want.  They have to do it on the side of a mountain, in a desert or jungle with heavy equipment, sometimes being shot at, and even worse- not knowing where the enemy is. Not to mention the spiders!

If they are lucky though, they will find a frog to hang with.

I hope to post pictures or video in the future so stay tuned!

When the Ebb ends the Flow begins

Riding the Ebb ended 3 days ago. Back on riding the Flow.

It started Friday night into Saturday with Night Sweats (that I'm still suffering from) and yesterday the panic train made a stop.

I have now come to the realization that this is completely hormonal. I don't have generalized anxiety disorder like i once thought and was diagnosed with. These attacks come in certain situations but are completely revolving around my menstrual cycle. They typically make a presence 1/2 way through my cycle and get progressively worse when my period arrives. My period arrived Monday and since then it's been panic city! At home, the car, in public, it doesn't matter.. it's there and it's all fired up!

The night sweats started 3 days before my period came. Waking up soaking wet in the middle of the night. I don't mean a little sweat. I mean A LOT, as though I took a shower. Being an Elite-Trainer on the Sharecare.com network, I decided to put my resources to work for me and looked to my colleagues for answers, and I found this great clip from Dr. Oz http://bit.ly/droznightsweats.

I have felt this way about this condition since 2005 when I had my first full-blown attack that put me in the emergency room. I looked up Pre-menstrual Dysphoric Disorder and the symptoms fit to the T. None of the anti-depressants the doctors put me on helped. I wasn't depressed - at least not consistently it would just be for a week or two before my period!

After reading books, articles, and everything in between they all suggested a hormone panel be done to pin point any and all ebbs and flows with marked data against how I was feeling. My regular doctor referred me to my Gyno/OBGYN and every doctor at the OBGYN office (there were 9 of them) said I'm too young to have a hormone panel, that it's anxiety disorder. No one would listen because I wasn't in the proper age category to be pre-menstrual or peri-menopausal, BUT all my symptoms revolved around my menstrual cycle. How is it that other women get these panels done, but I can't??

I have to switch to a new OBGYN because I now live way to far away from my current OBGYN. I'm hoping that this new doctor will listen to me this time. I'm tired of feeling this way, and it is clearly affecting my work, my lifestyle and everything else I have to deal with on a day to day basis.

Sometimes you need to be your own doctor; if anything to make sure you are getting the full picture of what's going on. 

I found this great article regarding PMDD, if you think you might suffer from this please consult with your doctor(s). I know I will be as everything I put in BOLD is what I suffer from. I also put an APP on my phone called iperiod; it allows you to mark EVERYTHING. This APP will come in very handy when I see the doctor.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
PMDD; Severe PMS

Last reviewed: December 22, 2010.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a condition in which a woman has severe depression symptoms, irritability, and tension before menstruation. The symptoms of PMDD are more severe than those seen with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

PMS refers to a wide range of physical or emotional symptoms that typically occur about 5 to 11 days before a woman starts her monthly menstrual cycle. The symptoms usually stop when or shortly after her period begins.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors

The causes of PMS and PMDD have not been found.

Hormone changes that occur during a woman's menstrual cycle appear to play a role.
PMDD affects between 3% and 8% of women during the years when they are having menstrual periods.

Many women with this condition have:
    Anxiety
    Major depression
    Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

Other factors that may play a role include:
    Alcohol abuse
    Being overweight
    Drinking large amounts of caffeine
    Having a mother with a history of the disorder
    Lack of exercise

Symptoms

The symptoms of PMDD are similar to those of PMS. However, they are generally more severe and debilitating and include a least one mood-related symptom. Symptoms occur during the week just before menstrual bleeding and usually improve within a few days after the period starts.

Five or more of the following symptoms must be present to diagnose PMDD, including one mood-related symptom:
    Disinterest in daily activities and relationships
    Fatigue or low energy
    Feeling of sadness or hopelessness, possible suicidal thoughts
    Feelings of tension or anxiety
    Feeling out of control
    Food cravings or binge eating
    Mood swings marked by periods of teariness
    Panic attacks
    Persistent irritability or anger that affects other people
    Physical symptoms, such as bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, and joint or  muscle pain
    Problems sleeping
    Trouble concentrating

Signs and tests

No physical examination or lab tests can diagnose PMDD. A complete history, physical examination (including a pelvic exam), and psychiatric evaluation should be done to rule out other conditions.

Keeping a calendar or diary of symptoms can help women identify the most troublesome symptoms and the times when they are likely to occur. This information may help the health care provider diagnose PMDD and determine the best treatment.
Treatment

A healthy lifestyle is the first step to managing PMDD.
    Eat a balanced diet (with more whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and little or no salt, sugar, alcohol, and caffeine)
    Get regular aerobic exercise throughout the month to redue the severity of PMS symptoms
    Try changing your sleep habits before taking drugs for insomnia (See also: Sleeping difficulty)

Keep a diary or calendar to record:
    The type of symptoms you are having
    How severe they are
    How long they last

Antidepressants may be helpful.

The first option is usually an antidepressant known as a selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). You can take SSRIs in the second part of your cycle up until your period starts, or for the whole month. Ask your doctor.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may be used either with or instead of antidepressants. During CBT, you have about 10 visits with a mental health professional over several weeks.

Other treatments that may help include:

    Birth control pills may decrease or increase PMS symptoms, including depression
    Diuretics may be useful for women who gain a lot of weight from fluid retention
    Nutritional supplements -- such as vitamin B6, calcium, and magnesium -- may be recommended
    Other medicines (such as Depo-Lupron) suppress the ovaries and ovulation
    Pain relievers such as aspirin or ibuprofen may be prescribed for headache, backache, menstrual cramping and breast tenderness

Expectations (prognosis)

After proper diagnosis and treatment, most women with PMDD find that their symptoms go away or drop to tolerable levels.

Complications

PMDD symptoms may be severe enough to interfere with a woman's daily life. Women with depression may have worse symptoms during the second half of their cycle and may need changes in their medication.

As many as 10% of women who report PMS symptoms, especially those with PMDD, have had suicidal thoughts. Suicide in women with depression is much more likely to occur during the second half of the menstrual cycle.

PMDD may be associated with eating disorders and smoking.
Calling your health care provider
Call 911 or a local crisis line immediately if you are having suicidal thoughts.

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if:
    Symptoms do not improve with self-treatment
    Symptoms interfere with your daily life

References

    Vigod SN. Understanding and treating premenstrual dysphoric disorder: an update for the women's health practitioner. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2009;36:907-924, xii. [PubMed]
    Lentz GM. Primary and secondary dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder: etiology, diagnosis, management. In: Katz VL, Lentz GM, Lobo RA, Gershenson DM, eds. Comprehensive Gynecology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2007:chap 36.

    Review Date: 12/22/2010.

    Reviewed by: Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Chief, Eastside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Bellevue, Washington; Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

On an Ebb

Thankfully, I was beginning to wonder if i was ever going to see it again.

Since my last update, i have since stopped taking Sam-e. It really wasn't doing anything for the anxiety, and since I'm not depressed, i really didn't see the sense in taking it. I'll keep it in the nutritional section of my pantry for now.

I have managed to only have 1 mild flutter of anxiety this week prior to going to my client. I managed to get through the brief annoyance. The 2nd mild flutter was with the younger client on a walk on the first extremely hot day this week. We did 2 miles, 3/4 of which where up-hill at mostly a 45º incline. It was a scorcher, and I wasn't prepared for a walk that day, but she wanted to walk as opposed to doing her training so walk we did.. I'm going to have to start charging more for that stuff lol. I don't mind though, good training for my Spartan Sprint on June 4th!  Less than 2 weeks away!!

So anyway, we were about .75 of a mile from her home when i just started feeling weird.. i let it go, then i actually had a heart palp, and then i got nervous, trying to shut down an anxiety ridden mind is like trying to shut off a fire hydrant with a toothbrush. My greatest fear was her being in a situation where i fell ill and she needed to go for help or something.. i know, i know.. stupid, but that is what people with anxiety like mine worry about. However, i kept on trucking up those damn hills lol, and started REALLY dumb conversations just to keep my mind off of it. Oh and i also found a nail at the end of someone's driveway and picked it up and disposed of it properly, would want them to get a flat tire lol. See! it's stupid stuff like that! 

Between the bootcamps and the hill training I'm getting here i think I'll be good in a week-and-a-half! At least i hope so anyway!

The reason for this post.. silly me.. i noticed now that I'm exercising extensively with the 0530 bootcamps and some client workouts at the end of some days, I'm too tired to have anxiety. I mean I'm exhausted. I was sitting in traffic on my way home from my "up-hill" client the other day and i literally wanted to close my eyes and sleep. NORMALLY i would be a frantic mess trying to find the path of least resistance home. I'm just too tired to care anymore, even though the brain is subconsciously controlling those attacks, my conscious self is like "Would you cut the crap already, I'm tired.. my body weary"...

Hopefully, now that the system is calmed down from the last major attack, that this will be more the norm.. I like riding on the Ebb

It's 2-Fold

Sorry I've been nearly non-existent lately. I have just been busy with clients and bootcamps, and haven't had time to blog.

The good news is.. I'm completely off of my medications. I'm not going to say it's been easy because it hasn't been. The first 2 days completely off were atrocious: headaches almost as bad as migraines, a few hard-core panic attacks..

Let's talk about that there panic attack for a moment, shall we? It was day 2, and i was REALLY OFF that day. VERY tired, cranky, headaches.. it was just awful! I was on my way to a client and 1/2 way there it hit me like a wrecking ball to the head... Sheer and utter panic. I get to my client's house.. no one is there.. i really needed to use the bathroom.. I know gross, but if you suffer from panic or anxiety disorders you most likely experience the same thing i do. Then MORE panic set in because i HAD to go and i didn't want to defecate myself. I called my husband to at least provide a distraction, and it worked for a few moments, then the wave came even harder. The client comes home and i explain to him what is going on and that i will have to call my husband to pick me up because I'm just sick.. He understood completely, thankfully, and eventually hubby arrived to come get me.. i left my car there and went home and went to bed.

Since then i have had 3 other attacks. One was the following week, on a Saturday then again the next Monday. I've had increased anxiety since then when going to this client. I speculate that it is just my brain associating that client and house with panic. Every day that i go there it's been getting better and better. I've found that chewing gum and singing my favorite Duran Duran tunes helps because I'm breathing a certain way. OH yeah.. forgot to mention. I noticed that when my anxiety starts i immediately check my breathing and sure enough I'm either holding my breath or shallow breathing. So that may even be the trigger to most of my attacks.. that I'm on auto-pilot when it comes to my breathing. it's just very strange.

It's been 3 full days now and i haven't had a single episode of either!

What i have been doing in addition to being consciously aware:
1. Doc put me on Sam-e, now i am not in any way/shape/form suggesting you take this holistic approach because it's not for everyone. This supplement acts like serotonin and stabilizes mood. Normally it's suggested for depression, but because the Lexapro is considered an anti-depressant it should have the same effect. The dangers associated with Sam-e are why i recommend talking to your doctor about it first, as it CAN make things worse as noted on it's side-effect/warnings all over the Internet. It takes 7-10 days to take too.. so it's not like popping vitamin-C and you feel better, it needs to build up in the system.

I'm not sure if it's the Sam-e that has been helping, or me trying to be aware and unafraid of my illness, but either way it's working.

2. EXERCISING! I am a personal trainer, and I own my own fitness business, and i host bootcamps M-F in my area. If you take a gander on the Internet and watch videos of some of the bootcamps out there you will notice instructors just shouting and motivating and counting time/reps. Not THIS instructor!! I WORK OUT WITH MY CAMPERS!
My theory is 3 sided:
1. If I have to wake up at 5am, I'm going to make the most out of it!
2. I'm a constant mirror of form, they can look at me and see how my body is positioned and if i notice them with bad form i can correct them and they can visually see me doing the workout properly.
3. How can i tell how effective the workouts are if i don't do them myself?!

It's been 3 weeks and not only do i feel the difference in my posture, strength, and physical appearance, I'm noticing great improvement in my cardiovascular endurance, and tolerance.. I think i might be ready for Insanity again! lol (I'll do it between cycles 1 & 2, when i have a week off). The Spartan Sprint Race is 2 weeks from tomorrow.. I feel pretty confident that I'm ready, or at least i will be ready... oh my heart just fluttered lol.. pre-race jitters lol

I find that getting that 0530 workout in gives me SO much more time and energy to get everything else done too. My campers mentioned the same thing going into week 2 "they have more energy throughout the day".

I HIGHLY recommend working out as a means to deal with anxiety disorder. I had another blog on wordpress last year and had tons of articles regarding that topic, but for some lame reason they suspended my account.. whatever.. looking to the future now and I've always been happier at Blogger anyway.

Out of Juice

TurboFire Fire 45EZ.

Did I mention the last time i did this that it's not EZ? OMG!

I started to pitter out at about the 25-30 minute mark. So i had to pause it, take a 1 minute breather with a few swigs of my recovery drink and hop back on the horse. I literally couldn't jump anymore lol.

The last sequence of moves i wish i had a video camera taping me lol! I was so off! I couldn't get coordinated to save my life. so i just started hopping around the room like a rabbit laughing with the visual of what i must have looked like. I know i will eventually "get it" but that's twice that i just had no coordination at all with that sequence. Not sure if it's just too confusing or that I'm just too spent by then! lol

It's all good though.

Since it is a nice day for once, I will be doing yard work and then C25K later on.

How to Get Rid of Back Fat

Monkey on your back? Or is it the dreaded back/bra fat?

A lot of women (and men) store their unused energy (fat) in their back. Some hide it well using baggier shirts or even a slimming device designed to keep it all together.

Whatever the case, it's embarrassing to those that have it. The good news is, there is a way to get rid of it!

Exercise and diet! How dare I day the D word! The fact of the matter is, somewhere along the lines of your food intake, you are consuming a lot more carbs than you are expending. The end result is what you see above. 

Some people store it in their hips, butt, lower abdomen, and some store it where it will find a spot to cozy up to!

In order to take control of this situation you will want to add more cardio to your routine. You need to burn the unused calories. Another way to do this is by lifting weights. I'm not talking lifting like Arnold either. The popular fitness myth is that working a certain area of your body, also called "spot reduction", will solve the problem. That couldn't be farther from the truth.

The most important concept to understand for anyone looking to lose fat anywhere on their body or for weight loss is caloric balance.

Simply put, when you consume as many calories as you expend you will not lose back fat weight.
When you consume more calories than you expend, you will gain body fat and weight. Conversely, if you expend more calories than you burn you will lose back fat and weight.

It is important to consider that this caloric deficit must consistently occur over a period of time to make a noticeable difference. Consider each pound of body fat equals 3500 calories (that math doesn't change) and you can easily figure out that you must successfully maintain a 500 calorie caloric deficit daily for a month in order to lose 4 pounds of body fat.

Where do I start?

Cardiovascular exercise should be the base of your exercise routine if getting rid of back fat is the primary goal. Cardiovascular exercise, specifically high intensity interval cardio (HiiT) burns a large amount of calories which is important because it will significantly contribute to attaining a negative caloric balance.

Regardless of whether you have little or a lot of back fat you would like to lose, cardiovascular exercise is an absolute necessity. If you happen to have only a small amount of stubborn back fat, challenging yourself with high intensity exercise is most important.

Weight Training

Full body weight training is another great way to boost your metabolism by maintaining the muscle you have during a fat loss program. It is important to concentrate on full body weight training for a number of reasons. First, concentrating on the "problem muscles" is not going to burn fat which is covering them, but build the muscles below the body fat and possible making the area appear to be even fatter.

A full body weight training program trains the major muscle groups of the body equally so it will efficiently burn the most amount of calories possible. A balanced, full-body weight training program will train all muscle groups effectively but not over-train them. Over-training a muscle group when on a low calorie, fat loss diet can lead to excessive muscle breakdown or as mentioned before could build the isolated muscles under the body fat instead of burning it.

Below are some examples of back exercises that you can add to your over-all weight training.

Pull ups:

3 sets of 10-12 reps if you can do it. Women, I know this is a difficult exercise because we are naturally weaker in that area, but you can use a chair underneath as a tool to help push yourself up. (or you can do a reverse, or negative, pull up.)

Seated Rows:

3 sets of 8-12 reps.

This exercise can be done with a machine found at the gym or with a band at home. If using a band, wrap it around a doorknob, table leg, your feet or other sturdy object. Hold the handles. Lift your elbows up to just about shoulder height with your palms facing the floor. Keep the shoulders down and away from the ears. Squeeze the shoulder blades together and draw your elbows straight back. Keep your hands and forearms parallel to the ground; do not bend the wrists or lift the hands. Then slowly bring the elbows back forward. 

Bent Over Rows

3 Sets of 8-12 res on each side.

The bent over row is an effective exercise to target the upper back, where back fat usually is found. Place your left knee up on a bench or chair to support the back. Hold a weight in your right hand. Tighten your abdominal muscles and squeeze the shoulder blades together as you lift the weight up. Lift your right hand about waist high. Do not twist the body as you lift. Then slowly lower the weight.

Back Hyper-extension

3 sets of 8-12 reps

 The back hyper extension exercise will tone your overall back. It can be done on a special bench in a gym or while on a ball. If using a ball, place it on the floor. Place your hip bones against the ball. (A common mistake is to lie on your stomach; this does not target the muscles correctly.) Clasp your hands behind your head. Tighten the muscles of the back and buttocks and lift up off the ball so you are arching your back. Then lower back down onto the ball.

*If you have back pain, just arch as much as you can without hurting your back. As the muscles strengthen, you will be able to lift up higher. Do three sets of eight to twelve repetitions.

Checklist:

Proper Diet (balancing your carbs and eating the proper amount of calories)

Cardio Exercise

Weight Training Exercise

Playing Catch-up

I'm soooo sorry! I haven't blogged my progress since day 1, I am horrible! Rest assured, I have been very busy with training and business stuff.

Here's the update:

4.12.11

Rest Day on the TurboFire Schedule, was going to do a C25K run, but the temps were in the 40's. Too cold.

4.13.11

TurboFire Tone 30 Class.. OMG.. bands are no joke. No run today due to rain, and lots of it.

4.14.11

TurboFire Fire 45EZ (nothing EZ about that!!!!) & Stretch 10

Great workout, i was drenched. There were a couple of times when my body just pittered out, but I pushed through it. Stretch 10 is like the cherry on top.. sweet!

4.15.11

TurboFire Core 20 and C25K run. 

Core 20 = no joke. Different from the usual floor abs exercises and you will feel it the next day for sure!

C25K run was great. ran 1.11 miles in 14:23. not bad! I definitely like the Nike+ GPS app for my iPhone. It's fun and affective! and if you sync it to Facebook, when you start your run it posts to your profile and every time a person likes your post or comments on it you get your own cheering squad cheering you on! I was laughing so hard at one point! lol because i didn't know why that was happening! Made the run fun though, that's for sure!

4.16.11

TurboFire Stretch 40

No C25K run due to cold temps and rain

Couch to 5K - Day 1

Had a great day 2!

Yesterday was Day 1 of the Couch to 5k. I downloaded the Nike+GPS app for my iPhone prior to my run so i can map out a course in my neighborhood. That APP ROCKS!!! It made my run that much more enjoyable!

I was amazed at my running ability too. I am not a runner, at all, but i tackled it and i felt great afterward! Then cooled down to TurboFire Stretch 40 (Day 2 on the TF schedule). Perfect end-of-run stretch as I'm not at all sore today. I feel great!

The C25K training is 3 days per week. It's going to rain today and tomorrow, but looks like it is going to be nice from Thursday on. 

Day is a rest day on the TurboFire schedule so i am going to be starting my 5x5 method weight training. I will be putting my plan together today.

Finally, on my way

My game plan changed. I'm now doing the TurboFire prep schedule instead of the Chalean/TurboFire hybrid.

After reviewing the program, it was simply to easy, and it focused more on Chalean than TurboFire. I need TurboFire to increase my cardio endurance since the Spartan is now less than 2 months away.

Last night i started TurboFire, the day 1 schedule is Fire 30 and stretch 10. It wasn't easy, but i didn't feel light-headed and want to pass out either. There were a couple of times that i had to bring my intensity down just a tad, but it was short-lived and i hopped right back on the train with them.

I am kind of disappointed that the day 2 schedule is just stretch 40. I might sub it for another fire 30 and use stretch 40 as my rest-day workout (tomorrow)

I will also be starting my C25K training today. My plan, once I finish with my business work, is to drive around the neighborhood to mark out 1 mile. 

I am also going to incorporate weight training 3 days per week, with the hubby, using the 5x5 method. Being that the spartan is less than 2 months away, i need a proven system to build strength, and the 5x5 will do that for me in the minimal amount of time i have to work with.

Diet is going to be a crucial part of the equation. With all of the cardio/running and weight training I'm going to need a large amount of calories. The biggest obstacle i have, personally with the diets, is variety. I get tired of eating the same things over and over, chicken is great, but i can only handle so much of it!! I can eat endless salads forever, but they do not provide enough calories and protein to sustain me to my next snack or meal.

Reassessment

I want to preface before i get into the thick of it by saying that weaning from an anti-depressant is serious business, and you really have to take care of yourself and listen to your body.

I say this because yesterday was a particularly hard day (day #3 of the wean). Bad headaches, tired is barely a word to describe the lethargic feeling, no appetite, and that is to mention just a few.

I had to skip the workout yesterday, and had planned on working out today, but I'm keeping it at a yard-work only work-out, as my anxiety levels are a bit high, and my symptoms today are worse than yesterday.

I AM afraid of a repeat of Monday, I will not deny it. IT was scary. I am however, grateful for the experience because if one of my boot campers experiences light headed-ness i know what to do while waiting for an ambulance to come. I always say "everything happens for a reason", and whether that is the reason, or it's something that has to do with my physical state, it happened and it happened for a reason. I don't look at it as a set-back, I look at it as a learning experience.

While i was scheduling out my to-do list last night i decided that i am going to forgo the full Insanity jump in and continue with my Chalean weight training and after a week i will switch to the Chalean/TurboFire hybrid. That will allow me to have the weight training i need (and want) as well as bring up my cardio levels.

When I started P90X, i didn't just buy the program and jump in. I knew my body was not physically able to do it. What i did do, is purchased 10 minute trainer then worked up to turbo jam, then Chalean Extreme, THEN i did P90X. And because of that gradual increase, i was able to kick major doopah with P90X! I never felt like a failure or discouraged, and i didn't have any physical side effects, other than soreness, which is what i love because it tells me I'm getting somewhere.

Thinking ahead to the Spartan coming up in June, my decision to register was to give my own brother a push, and to also use this to gauge my own physical capabilities for the Tough Mudder in November. That being the case, I'm clearly not ready for Insanity. I need to take the same "marathon vs. sprint" approach and work my way up.

Game Plan: Chalean/TurboFire Hybrid and Couch to 5k training. Couch to 5k training is a 30 day plan, so even if i start in May i will be OK. In the meantime I'm going to do the hybrid to get started.

The Making of a plan

Last night I did some thinking about what had happened yesterday.

Yes, it's been eating at me, I'm human and a problem solver so it's naturally going to be a mind burden until i resolve it.

My one main weakness (besides cardio endurance) is hip flexor strength. I've been fighting this battle for a few years now. I noticed yesterday, while doing the fit test, that when I have to jump up to slap my knees or any similar movement, it's very difficult and my body finds the need to lift up one leg up at a time.

My goal this morning is to put a training schedule together to increase the strength in that area and in my core as well as Insanity. I'm not giving up on this program, I'm just going to have to take it slower than i would other programs. Typically, like with Chalean Extreme, TurboFire and P90X i would follow the trainer or the advanced person in the back. I found out the hard way yesterday, that with Insanity i will have to follow the modifier (if any) or take it really easy and work my way up through the course of the 60 days. 

My other weakness is nutrition. I eat healthy, don't get me wrong, but it's eating enough to power through weight training and intense cardio training that is going to be a test for me.

I've already come to the conclusion that cardio training will have to be done later in the day, so I will do my weight training in the morning. I will keep you updated on what happens!

Insanity

Today marked day 1 of Insanity (not the mental condition silly, the workout program with Shaun T!).

Day 1 is the Fit Test. There are 8 moves that you do and count and log on your fit test sheet.

Out of 8 I made it to #4 (Power Jumps) for a total of 17, and that is as far as I made it before I literally passed out.

Now I'm not saying this to scare you or to have a pity party. I'm just sharing with you my experience with the program.

There were/are many factors that i am considering as the culprit, and being a trainer i should know better. However, I am human, and humans make mistakes too especially when gauging their own physical capabilities.

#1 The fact that I ate too close to workout. Though, it wasn't solid food, it was a smoothie, i still think the blood was directed to digestion, because my brain wasn't getting it.

#2. The change in workout time. I'm a night person. i love working out at night more-so in the AM because I have more energy and I'm more motivated, my body was still half asleep when i started.

#3. I started another meds ween 2 days ago, and that in-and-of-itself taxes the brain and body like you wouldn't believe... not to mention the headaches!

Those are the main 3 that keep coming to mind. I was making extra sure i was breathing properly, and not OVER exerting myself. After-all it is just a fit test meant to gauge progress, not performance. This is training for my Spartan and Tough Mudder races, I'm not trying to win the Miss America Pageant.

While my hubby was trying to help me come back from the blackness (thankfully, he was home AND EMT certified), I couldn't help but be thrusted back to 2 incidents in my life where this same thing happened, and the result.

The first time was at the gym. I used to frequent Gold's Gym in my mid 20's for morning workouts on my way to work. Loved that place so much, loved the environment, the feeling, the energy. Then one morning i was doing lunges with weights.. Now you have to remember, in my mid 20's i was in peak shape, my body fat was nearly non-existent, and i was shredded and ripped, working out was my drug of choice and i worked it hard, and it showed. That fateful morning, while doing lunges, i passed out. Went down like an over-loaded barbell. I was brought to, checked by medics and i refused to be sent to the hospital, cleaned up and headed to work.

I never went back.

I was so embarrassed at what had happened that i couldn't show my face in that gym ever again. In fact, that pretty much ended my gym time all-together for quite a while.

The second incident didn't even involve the gym, or training. I was accompanying my boyfriend at the time on a business trip to South Carolina. We were on day 2, had eaten breakfast together and he went off to his meeting and I to the pool. It was a hot day, but nothing i wasn't used to, nice breeze, kids playing and splashing around, i had a great book what could be better? 

That's what i thought too.. then i didn't feel to good.. I started feeling 'funny', so i calmly packed up my stuff and headed to my room on the 7th floor at the end of the hallway. Before i was even able to hit the elevator button in the lobby the blackness started. 'Stay calm' i kept saying to myself. I made it to the 7th floor, and just like a horror movie when the hallway seems to lengthen for miles, i started making that trek to my room. Cleaning ladies where staring at me as i was nearly crawling to my room (i know, i know.. why not help me right?). Once inside, i got sick, I'll spare you the details, and passed out on the bed.

When he came back from his meeting, (6 hours later), I was still passed out on the bed. He woke me up. Scary to think that i could have died, and my last visual was the cleaning lady staring at me while i was trying to get to safety lol.

When events like these happen, they change your life, well they changed mine anyway.
I never felt comfortable in a gym environment ever again; i was always afraid that it would happen again. People staring at me when i work out also makes me feel very uncomfortable because it brings me back to what i saw when i opened my eyes when the medics brought me to. I know the saying 'When you get smacked down, just jump back on the horse', but for me that horse just kept bucking me off. So i found working out at home to be a better substitute, even though i didn't have the equipment that the gym had. 

Then, in my mid 30's Beachbody and P90X came into my life and the rest is history. I don't need a gym now! Though, it does not help the blacking out situation. So I'm going to have to monitor that and keep you abreast of what happens.

Just Like the Wind

Daylight savings had me getting out of bed at 0945 this morning! Today felt like a swift wind, can't see it and blows by real fast!

It was Hubby's work day tonight, so dinner was earlier than normal. That kind of screws up my system a little bit, but they say variety is the spice of life! I'll play along.

No panic attacks today, I felt just a tad edgy for a brief moment around 2pm ET, the majority of the day i felt a bit depressed, not unmotivated depressed.. ok maybe depressed isn't the correct word. I felt helpless... ok that will fit a bit better... Although i had some great phone calls with advertising companies and the local Chamber of Commerce and a great friend out in the Vegas area, I still felt helpless. Like i'm going nowhere, even though i'm doing all i can do at the moment to get this business up and running. Enough about that though let's get to the training..


Tonight's workout was ChaLean Push Circuit 1 and Extreme Abs. Oh goodness lol. Push is a lot different than Burn. Instead of working the upper and lower body at the same time like Burn, you only work one part at a time, with heavy weight for 8 reps max. If your arms don't feel like jello, you aren't lifting heavy enough! Never-the-less it was a great workout! Extreme Abs is EXTREME, it's not for the faint at heart, it burns immediately and you hold that for about 15 minutes! Feels GREAT though!

I have decided that Tuesday's and Thursdays are going to be my TRX Training days; keep it simple and remember it with the letter 'T'!

The weather was a bit chilly, so i opted not to start the C25K. I'm keeping my eye on the weather this week to see when i can fit that in. It looks like Friday might be the day for that! Temps will be in the lower 60's.

Oh yeah, the food journal.. I consumed about 1300 calories today. I'm up to 1085 right now and still have to add in a part of dinner, but i have to do research because it's boneless pork chops.

Speed Bump

Hit a minor speed bump.
On day 3 of panic attacks, so i haven't been training. The weather has been cooperating and I had every intention of starting C25K this weekend, but my body had it's own idea, and i am a bit troubled by it.

I haven't had an attack in quite a while, I've had uneasy feelings in certain situations, but not a full-on panic attack.

It started Friday mid-afternoon. Our new carpet was being installed, hubby was in the dining room playing on his computer and I was cleaning the kitchen and chatting with him when i started to feel 'edgy'.

I went outside on the back deck to catch my breathe and cool down (with the edginess comes hot flashes and the feeling of not being able to breathe), once i caught the chill i went back in the house and had some cold water to drink. I felt OK after about 5 minutes.

Saturday, hubby and I were out and about running errands. We decided to go to a local tex-mex place, but on the way there we were detoured because of flooding. I got a little edgy a couple of times, but nothing too severe. We got to the restaurant, and there were a ton of little kids there, i mean LITTLE, like the ones that scream and cry for no reason at all but to hear themselves? yeah, those. I spotted a booth in the far corner of the quieter side of the main room and asked the host if we could sit there, he told us he had to have it cleared, but we could wait if we wanted. Well, that waiting period did me in, we never got seated in that booth because no one ever cleared it, so he put us in the main dining room seated behind a party of 6, and surrounded by little babies. Look, I love little babies, but not that many in one place in a crowded bustling dining room when I'm already 'edgy'.

It took the waitress forever and a day to get to us, and by that time I was already in 'flight' mode. So we left and got stuck in traffic on the way to the U-turn on the highway (because of the flooding). That's when the big one started, tunnel vision, stomach drops, shaking, light-headed, chest heavy, hot flashes..... to name a few. I saw the exit ramp, I saw the other side of the highway (which was moving at a fast pace), there was no reason to have an attack that severe. I vocally tried to calm myself down, nothing was working... next step was to jump out of the truck and run, or cry, but hubby pulled into the adjacent parking lot and cut through and took the back roads to familiar roads with no traffic. He's a God send.  

Today, day 3,  I haven't had any 'attacks', but i have felt off-the-mark. Not sure if it's the fear of having another attack, or the fact that I'm just frustrated at it all. I'm weaning off of my meds so we can start a family, and I've been doing AWESOME with the weaning, minus a couple of very minor events that had to do with the wean itself. Now this.. 3 days of hell.

Last week i started a food journal, and i only logged 2 days. Looking back, it's clear that I'm barely reaching the 1200 minimum mark. So i decided today to make sure i did. Hubby went grocery shopping for us, since that is usually a place that triggers an attack because of the loud music in the store (why!?) and the crowds and the lines.

I entered the nutrition label information, weighing my foods, making sure the portion sizes I'm consuming are correct; I'm up to about 1500 calories today. The majority of those calories came after 1pm, and since then i haven't been feeling 'edgy'. Either the lack of calories is triggering the attacks, OR it's just a coincidence that they are subsiding.

I'm going to have to monitor and maybe play around to see if maybe lack of calories isn't creating the problem.

Feel The Burn

TD12

I had a lot of energy yesterday, and I felt I needed to step up my workout just a notch, so I decided on ChaLean Burn 1 AND Burn 2 back to back.

That was a pleasant torture!

I was able to do it because ChaLean isn't a FAST PACED program; you perform slow controlled reps. Don't be mistaken, it's WORK, but it doesn't tax your cardio levels so you can reserve energy. I was shaking like a leaf my muscles were so taxed, and because she does upper and lower body at the same time, my entire body was shaking. I was drowning in recovery drink when I was complete! and a hot shower to relax my muscles.

There were a few times I wanted to call it quits, but I didn't. I kept on bringing it until I was done. I had to keep reminding myself that the want to quit was all in my head, my body still had more to give, and give it did! Until the very last routine. I had to do tricep push-ups. I eeeeeeked out 1. I tried for 2 but my arms could not lift up my body, at all. That was a weird feeling; my brain was like "you can do this!!!" my arms FELT like they had the will, but my body stayed on the floor. 

Then I rolled over, the dogs thought I was playing and starting licking my face, and that's when I realized that the black dog, that is a LAB, needs to be trained to fetch my recovery drink. Maybe I'll put a barrel around his neck like a Saint Bernard! lol

Today, I can feel every single muscle in my body, and I LOVE THAT.

TRX With Video!!

Today is a scheduled rest day on the ChaLean schedule, but I'm not having any of that.

I wanted to start the C25K (Couch to 5K) today, but i ran out of time. So i tortured myself with TRX Core Strength Volume One. Just kidding, it wasn't really torture.. or was it?


Now, here's the deal. The workout wasn't long. There was Workout A and Workout B, and they were tough. Core work is no joke, but it is a necessity. You cannot build a strong house if the frame work is shotty right? Same thing with the core. When the core is strong, the rest of the body is strong, and this inspector found her weakspots! 

Hopefully, I can fit in a C25K run tomorrow. I know it's going to rain this week, so i have to plan it out, being as i only have to run 3 days per week.

That reminds me, i have to add that to my to-do list, mark out a mile with the car. I'll do that in the AM.

TD10

Woke up with the sun and had a lot of energy, so after I created my to-do list, had a few sips of my morning java, I decided to have a cardio party.

 

DH was at a law enforcement event so I had to go it alone. I decided on Turbo Jam Cardio Party! I love that routine! It's been quite a long time since I popped that workout in, and I'm glad I did! Chalene always makes it fun, and it never feels like work until the next day! My upper body, and abs are definitely feeling it today!

I had every intention on doing strength training at night, but a bad headache and nausea set in. Not sure what that was all about, but this stomach thing has been plaguing me for most of the week, and I haven't been able to workout the way I wanted or scheduled.

Stepping up my A Game

TD9

Staying in-line with ChaLean's schedule it was Burn 3 today. I took a few rest days in a row, headaches and other obligations, no excuses - i know.

I had the chance to have a conversation today with a friend of mine that ran in the Super Spartan over the weekend in SoCal. I received a lot of good information in regards to training, even though I'm only running the 5k version.

His advice was to train with running. Running, as you know, is already my weakness, so i have to step up my game now.

One of the goals on my dream board is to do couch to 5k, and that is what i am going to use to train, initially.

After DH left for work i pulled my new toy out of my proverbial toy box. The TRX Suspension Training System. I spent part of my day watching the set-up video; the video also includes basic moves and a basic workout.


There was nothing "basic" about it. I broke a sweat during the first move! I will say that I am IN LOVE with the suspended crunches! This is definitely going to be the equipment that will finally allow me to do pull-ups! and climb over walls lol.

Here is a running list of what i need to improve on:
Running
Endurance
Cardio Endurance
Strength
Strength Endurance.

That's pretty much everything associated with fitness! If i had a pool, swimming would also be on the list!

My TRX is HERE!

TD8W2

Great workout last night! I was especially proud of DH for keeping up with the insanity of ChaLean's Burn Intervals & Ab Burner. He only had to flip Chalene off 2ce this time hee hee, but he did it.

I noticed some strength endurance changes in myself last night during the workout. I kept the weight the same as the week prior, but I was able to get to the end of each workout. I'm not going to deny i teared up a few times, but i did it and i am so proud of myself for pushing myself to the end of each move. I'm sore today, but it feels delicious!

Yesterday was a particularly odd day of sorts. I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed, but within about 1.5 hours this exhaustive feeling came over me. I was blogging, and catching up with my clients on Sharecare and i literally could not go on a minute longer. I had to put my feet up on the couch and just lay there for a little while. I wasn't mentally tired, meaning i didn't fall asleep, it was my physical self that was dead, like my batteries literally ran out of juice or there was a power outage! Where's that bunny when you need him?! lol

I remained on the couch for about 20 minutes, then as quickly as I stopped I started back up again! Then it was ON! Mt. Laundry was being tackled, I vacuumed the entire house, including the stairs, dusted everything, cleaned the kitchen and bathroom.. it was an all out assault on the house!

Later on that night was when DH and I crushed our workouts, then we were both in bed by 11:30! Unheard of, especially for him!  

My TRX Suspension Kit arrived that afternoon too! I cannot WAIT to get going with that! Check it out: