Day 5 and 6 - stepping up the anty!

Day 5 - instead of yogaZone I felt the need for intensity. After my sore muscles were fighting me on day 4, I found that as motivation in that sore muscles show that I pushed myself.

Day 6 - the gym was calling me and it sure delivered!
15 minutes on treadmill at 5.4
15 minutes on elliptical with an incline of 6 and resistance of 9.
Weights for 15 minutes.
20 minutes on the stairs. This machine killlls me! I mixed in leg moves and side stepping alternations. It was tough!
While stretching, "where have you been" came on over my head phones and I was still pretty pumped. I finished stretching and jumped in the treadmill for 8 more minutes at 5.6! Felt so empowering to go beyond what I had already accomplished.

Being so sore today helped me stay away from those fresh cinnamon rolls out of the oven. Talk about will power!

Today the husband is going to join me on some Kenpo X. Pretty stoked.

Day 4 - 30 days to a healthier me! Bondiband!

Today was particularly difficult. Why? Well, Imagine day 4... aching sore muscles, pleading for rest. NOPE.
Not happening. I can almost compare my muscles to the voices that try to mesemrize those who carry the ring in "The Lord of the Rings"...
Something like this...
"Ashleeyyy.. you completed a total of 4 workouts in 3 days... call it even and restttt for ussss... Just stop for today."
Me- "shut your pie hole! Should have done that prior to today and the 58 bazillion cupcakes I have eaten in the last 2 years!"


I told me!
Anyways... 
I am wrapping up two of my classes this evening and I needed a boost anyways to get these loose ends tied nicely. Jillian Michaels helped with that. Oh! And did I mention my mom was selling bondibands for Team in Training (Leukemia and Lymphoma society)? Well she is, if you would like one let me know and I can arrange for the trade off. One for 10 or Two for 15. WMG, aka Julie Costello, was kind enough for us to have them out for a day or two... They are pretty dang cute and some pretty comical.

I wore this one tonight!

You can always visit her support site @ http://pages.teamintraining.org/az/nikesf12/ehemerka

Browse their website and Ill let you know if she has it in stock! Bondibands.com
(when you go asking yourself... why is she selling them for 2 bucks more? Think of shipping cost and the money that goes straight to the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. THANKS!)

Day 2 and 3!

Day 2... came and went like a flash! I took the whole day today to research, hypothesis, brainstorm and dish out my 8 page paper on the FLDS sect and it was all too draining... BUT I have great news about my 30 days to a healthier me!

Lets start Day 2. Jillian Michaels. Man that girl can certainly pack a punch into a 25 minute workout. To all those who think they don't have time to workout, I HIGHLY recommend purchasing her 30 Day Shred ... It does wonders in the strength training department. I only use my 5 lb weights and it just rips your shoulders and your biceps. Strong is what I need my scrawny arms to be.

Day 3. Since I was home writing my paper all day, I needed an energy boost before I got started. I knew that if I didn't get my workout in before I began, I could have easily axed it all together. I am forever grateful for the mastermind behind taking out Tony Horton's commentary and just leaving his voice for changing sequences. I blasted my run playlist and it made my workout ah-mazing. Not that P90X's Cardio X needs help with that, but not hearing about the two that met in the test group and are engaged to be married for the 1500th time, it made me smile.

Playlist: Don't knock it until you have it playing during your workout! You'll see why I add the disclaimer.

Not in any particular order.
Eminem - Cinderella Man
Usher - Yeah!
Linkin Park - Papercut
Fort Minor - Remember the Name
Fort Minor - In Stereo
Paramore - Crushcrushcrush
Paramore - Pressure
Jay-Z - Renegade
Rihanna - Where have you been
Britney Spears - Womanizer
Justin Bieber (Feat. Ludacris)- All Around The World
Justin Bieber - Boyfriend
Katy Perry - Firework
Katy Perry (feat Kanye West) - E.T.
Justin Timberlake - (oh no) What you got.

It was a blast working out to my own playlist. I rocked it, happy to say. About four o clock rolls around and a little birdie (Anndrea!) asked me to join her for some hot yoga.... considered declining because I had already worked out pretty dang good and Sterling insisted that I go. He knows me all too well, I have a small love affair with Yoga. I went. I do not regret it for one second. It was hot. But it was fruitful.
Onto tomorrow... what to do what to do... I know I am going to be sore... but I need to get my 30 minutes in. Maybe some YogaZone Stretching... :)

Until then!

Day 1 - Healthier Me.

Today... Started off slow. Did some yoga before work because my hair was clean and I despise nothing more than ruining perfectly cleaned hair. Moms with long hair, you understand!!


I fell back on some videos I found on Hulu a while back when we didn't have cable or a gym membership. They may be super cheesy but they get the job done. They have all sorts of variations choose from.. yoga for strengthening your legs (which I did) arms and back. Yoga for a stronger core... fat burning yoga... meditation. You name it. 


Yoga Strength Part 1.


I also did Part 2 for 10 minutes because Part 1 is only 22 mins. Baby steps... I can't conquer the world. Sometimes I need to be brought down from my clouds to remember I am, in fact, human. 


Another aspect for my health I am changing is my face care regimen. I have NEVER had clear skin. Its something that I know I have to live with. I tried proactive when I was a teenager and it dried me out some fierce. After having two kids and no longer needing birth control (snip snip!) I have decided that my skin is a mess!! Sterling uses proactive and we have an abundance in stock under our sink. Day 1 for this face care regimen was yesterday. If it improves, I will share the picture I took of my face.. without makeup... on Day 1. I enjoy NOT wearing make up every now and then, I hope I can get to the point where I wont depend on foundation to cover up my pimples... zits and everything else that makes me look like a middle schooler who eats wayyy to much pizza!


Tomorrow... is a new day! 

30 days to a healthier me!

Looking back... I stretched myself too thin for a goal that has no necessary deadline. I put a time stamp on when it could be done, could is an exaggeration. Working full time, while maintaining a happy and healthy family was causing me to be less healthy! I am scaling back my school work and putting my graduation date at a more responsible spring.
Why 30 days? I heard somewhere that of you do something 30 days in a row than you psychologically make it habitual. I want a healthy habit. I am committing to 30 days of exercise with a photo to prove. 30 minutes minimum. Instead of pigeon holing myself to one particular regimen, I am going to leave this part flexible. A little yoga one day, some p90x another, Jillian Michael's the next, a good run another. The sky is the limit and I will fill my 30 min with something! Follow my progress and make sure I am sticking to this healthy change! See you in the morning!

Is your love a farse?

For my Personal Growth in Intimate Relationship course I am asked to write a blog to help out other college students or friends with love. I am going to use the information that was provided for me in this post. I believe that most of the information that with come hereafter most of us know, but we deny because of the innocent veil we were when we are "in love". We often hear from the generation that came before us, "your young, what do you know about love?" They only prod us with this question because there veil is no more. Its in their past and they see these young kids making some mistakes that they made. If you interested, follow me into triangular world of love that has to do with commitment, intimacy and passion. 


Consider these words... different types of love. 
Non love
liking
infatuation
empty love
romantic love
companionate love
fatuous love 
consummate love


The three in bold I feel I should discuss. 
Romantic love, I believe, is one of the largest factors of why the divorce rate is the way it is. People go into a relationship desiring the movies, Gone with the Wind and The Notebook type of love. There is nothing wrong with having a fantasy, but it will hurt you when you allow it to blind your heart from the reality of a intimate relationship. Statistically, one who is in a type of romantic love, loses this passion that drove them into the deep end. Romance begins with a strong arousal to one another and veils the negative, and sometimes damaging, aspects of the other. You think "I love him, he is so good to me, I get butterflies every time we hold hands" and your friends see "he is controlling, we never see you and whenever we try to do something with you, there is always an excuse." This is the honeymoon stage. If this continues and you damage all of the healthy relationships... there may be something to reevaluate. You need to love yourself before you can love anyone else. By saying this, you need to be able to operate without the other to be a whole person. The person you love cannot truly be the thing that makes you "whole". You should strive to be "whole" before you seek a relationship and when it comes time to mesh with the other, you can bring all of your positive aspects to the table and become a great secure couple. If you are both insecure than you will see that your passion will decrease after marriage and will fizzle to nothing... you will have no identity because your identity was this relationship that is now... nothing. 


Fatuous love is the type of love that may most likely lead you into a relationship that leads to controlling issues. This love is very dangerous because of the amount of passion associated between the two involved. This love has passion and commitment but little intimacy. If you feel you are in a relationship with little intimacy and strong commitment and passion, you may feel that you have a strong relationship and be misguided because of the amount of commitment. Consider that you are committed to the relationship and that passion that may be involved, but the lack of intimacy really takes a shot at you self esteem. You may consider talking to a counselor and determine whether your relationship is the cause for you low self esteem and self loving. 


Thirdly, Consummate love. I hear the word consummate and automatically thing of the wedding night. The night you "consummate" your marriage, as most people assume. This may be all so true because when you are in a consummate love, you are high in intimacy, passion and commitment. All of these are present and so strong that this is the type of love that can withstand the test of time. This love has a healthy dose of all and when lacking in one, the others may provide the help needed to bring back what is low. Most believe that marriage is a 50/50. In reality, this is far from the truth. When you say, "in sickness and in health", you mean in sickness you will take on more to be sure that your significant other is comfortable and taken care of. This goes the same for when your sick or incapable, your spouse will be sure to pull more than 50% of the weight to make sure you are taken care of. It does not work 50/50 all the time. People go into marriages thinking it supposed to be 50/50 and when they see that is not, they throw in the towel because they have "given too much" and in reality they didn't realize the commitment they made included times when you give more of yourself than expected. When a woman is pregnant, the man cannot provide the 50/50 because the woman is the one who is pregnant. Often times when the baby is born, the mother breastfeeds, and the father feels out of the loop. He wants to provide for his new baby and mom is still the source of most providing. This is just how it happens and in time you will find a way to see a balance. In times of unbalance, ride it out... before you consider the next step into marriage, ask yourself if you are prepared to be committed to this person for the rest of your life, in sickness and in health? Is it just romance? Do you desire something that is just not there? Is this person willing to give more in times of need? Are you blinded by the idea of romance and fantasy? Love isn't a game and we shouldn't treat it as such, there are no winners if you treat it this way.

Shake it off!

Lets begin... with an ending!
School is done for this semester, with the exception of an online math test and final. Those are none to worry. Just so glad to be done with that stress and ready to be done with the stress of moving (aren't we always moving ?? ) Hopefully once the air is clear I can breathe a sigh of relief and my face will clear! These zits are only adding to my stress!!

The boys are getting ever so big. I just wish I could ball up our little moments and savor them. Since I don't think we will be able to head to Oregon for the family vacation, I'm hoping to be able to spring up to San Diego to get some good family time. If anyone has any ideas for cheap tickets to Sea World or San Diego Zoo let me know!

P90X is pretty exhausting and exhilarating all at the same time. Doing it in increments (not the 90 day straight craziness) but still seeing results :)

I think we are due for some family pictures...