Summary of Week 2

Here is a summary of Week 2 of Turbo Fire: (mostly a copy/paste from this week, until the very end- added new thoughts)

SAT:
Fire45, Stretch10: Sweat-dripping fun! I'm amazed each day too- that I don't realize how much time has passed and before I know it, I'm wrapping up yet another workout. It's AWESOME that I'm not dreading and suffering through every single minute of these workouts. They are actually FUN!
My core and abs are really sore today from doing Core20 yesterday. Yay for making my body smaller and tighter! Can't beat that!
Calories: 1730

SUN:
HIIT20, INSANITY Plyo Cardio (just the warm-up): Did HIIT20 and saw my HR go up from 80's before I started, to 130's, then up, up, up to the 160's near the end. But once it was over, I felt like it wasn't quite enough. I think it was partly because I was still learning the moves so much on the first round of each set that I wasn't able to really CRUSH it the way it was supposed to be. But I know next time... I WILL!! Now that I know what to expect. This first couple of weeks of the program is more like orientation. Once I start doing more of these classes for the second time or more- I will be able to hit them with maximum form and power. I'm looking forward to getting past this learning curve stage!

Anyway- even though the workout went super-fast and I felt like I was only just getting started, I was dripping sweat by the end!! So instead of wrapping it up and doing Stretch10... I put in Insanity Plyo Cardio just to do the warm-up. I was curious if I could still do it all the way through without stopping. Well... sad to say, I had to take little breaks here and there!!! Drats!! It's "only" 10 minutes- but WOW, it's the most killer 10 minutes of your life! LOL And that's just the warm-up!! There's a reason why Insanity is called INSANITY. It's still going to a step above TurboFire in toughness, in my book. My HR maintained a good solid 160 range all the way through... and that was the feeling I wanted. A longer period of high intensity. I love HIIT20 for how short it went- but it just didn't give me that "feeling"... at least not this time through.
Then I cooled down with the long stretch that comes after the Insanity warm-up, instead of Stretch10.
Calories: 2134 (too high- friends had a July 4th dessert party)

MON:
Core20: It was rest day, but I did Core20 anyway. I need more core and abs work... and Core20 is only scheduled once a week. Can't hurt to add it in and do it twice a week!
Calories: 1587 (much better numbers today)

TUES:
HIIT15, Sculpt30: HIIT15 is still "too short" to me, though it's not anything I'd call EASY by any means! It's easy only because the high intensity interval parts are short. 30-40 seconds or so. And then you rest for about a minute. Then you go again... so it's easy to push hard, knowing it's only for a short amount of time. Just as you start to feel like you're gonna collapse, the break comes. Ahhhh... It's really cool. :-)

Then today was Sculpt30 for the first time. I initially thought I would just use my dumbbells instead of the bands, as I'm a weights girl... but the moves require the bands. So I used the bands... and the moves are great! Some weren't that hard, and I know I could get more of a burn with weights- but others are REALLY tough with those bands! Those evil things, even though they look all innocent! I could feel my shoulders shaking once I was done with the 30 minutes. Again... it's so short! Who can't do a workout for half an hour???
Calories: 1522

WED:
Fire55 EZ: Got my HR up from the 80's up to the 130's after the warm-up... then maintained an upper 150's rate most of the time, with a couple of peaks into the low 160's. Excellent workout! So much fun- although I had a hard time keeping up/following near the end because I was mentally getting some of the steps mixed up. But like Chalene says all the time: "Even the mistakes burn calories!"- so yeah, I knew I was still doing okay. I'll get the moves down eventually.
Calories: 2165 (too high; ate mexican food at lunch)

THU:
Core20, Stretch40: Easy day! Core20 is abs, and those are not my favorite! Why?? Because I'm not good at them! Not my strongest area! Which is all the more reason to keep on doing them. So I can get stronger. Like how push-ups used to be... but now I can do them and I don't mind. Still not my favorite, but I don't dread them. So maybe later I won't feel this dread for ab workouts, too.
Core20 is really not that bad. Just 20 minutes... and the first 15 has some tough things here & there, but I don't really start to seek the end of that time clock until I close in on the last 5 minutes. Then I'm just hanging on to just plain FINISH. Ugh... but it's gotta be done!
I can't complain... or shouldn't complain. It's helped me to shrink my core and my waist. My torso is smaller... so I have to make sure I keep doing these workouts. You only get OUT of them, what you PUT INTO them! So keep those workouts going!

Then Stretch40... the yoga stuff that I used to "not get" but now I do. I know how it strengthens as well as stretches and relaxes. So it's all good. Not a workout to skip, either!! Flexibility, balance, stretching... all things that are required as well as the cardio and weight training!
Calories: 1816 (not bad for having a buffet dinner- stayed with mostly veggies)

FRI:
Fire45: I love Fire45!! It goes fast! It's fun! It's over just as I'm starting to think "I'm done" and want to stop! lol It's a really good length of time for me, as far as workouts go, and how my mind often drifts off to my other things-to-do list. Which is why it's hard for me to concentrate sometimes, on the workout programs that require an hour per workout (such as P90X)... I really like the workout, but once my mind starts to think that I'm spending too much time on this one thing (and not multi-tasking)... then the efforts go south.

Anyway- this one is a great one, and the sweatfest is real! It keeps on going all the way through, with short breaks only after the Fire Drills. Three of them... one near the 1/4 mark, and two back-to-back about 2/3 of the way through. My HR went from the 80's up to the 130's in the warm up, then up to the 150's and maintained there the rest of the time. With peaks into the low 160's from the Fire Drills. Perfect! Then to really cool down with Stretch10. Brings the HR back down to the low 110's for the immediate post-workout.
Calories: 1753

I need to learn to stop eating when I'm no longer hungry (this is tough for me to regulate, I tell ya) -and not go overboard into the realm of eating until full, or eating until I'm tired of eating. I know why America is overweight, and why the weight-loss struggle is such a struggle, as eating is more of a social event or activity that is enjoyed rather than just a short pit stop to refuel. I might be in a smaller body now (thank you Beachbody!)- but I still want to eat like a fat girl.

I'm no where near the end of my journey (where I actually have a handle on all aspects of fitness/health)... and I'm in no way perfect. But I know I've still come a LONG way from where I used to be... back before 2004/2005 when I started working on getting fit.

I remember the days when 2 cups of ice cream was a serving. I remember the days when I would eat a small pizza all by myself. I remember the days when I might make a sheet cake (13X9) with frosting... and eat the entire thing by myself in about 3 days. I remember the days when I would buy candy bars from Sam's (which mean buying a box of what- 36 at a time?). I remember the days when using a scoop of dressing at the salad bar was "healthy eating" just because I was having a salad. Today I don't even use dressing! I let the other things flavor my salad- such as pieces of egg, or tomato, cucumber, peppers, etc... and maybe some lemon pepper. So while I still have my "food mistakes" now & then... I've come a LONG way, too.

I just hope that the people who are following me as Beachbody coach... can see that. I'm not some fitness freak who is on this extreme upper level and can't understand the struggles. I still have the struggles. But I've figured out how to manage them enough so I don't weigh a ton and have to be on a million meds for preventable diseases/conditions... and I know they can too. AND still enjoy being a part of life- even though family might not all follow along.