Live life without regrets – balance, dream interpretation and more

Morning,

I had the weirdest dream last night – it mushed together the people I know now with the people I know from the past, threw in a bit of Cloverfield movie, and made me think I was 43 without having completed college, gotten married, nor had 4 kids (but still had all the wisdom I currently have in real life today).

Now, I always believe that dreams reveal a bit of your inner self if you’re open enough to listen. When I had awakened, I had such a feeling of loss – I had spent 43 years of my life yet not achieved any of my goals that I had deemed valuable (in my dream, that is).

Obviously in real life, this isn’t true whatsoever. So what does my inner self think I’m missing?

Doing a self-check of my situation, I have a great husband, family, friends, etc. I am protective to those who are good to me, I am the avenging angel to those who hurt people in my world, I teach people who are open, I let go of people who are closed.

I think my dream shows me that if you want something, you have to make it happen. You cannot go thru life hemming and hawing, and thinking someone/something else will do the hard work for you…nor can you throw 110% into something and believe the rest of your life will not suffer from neglect.

You cannot live your life for others, only for yourself. You must wholeheartedly believe in what you do…and then proactively choose to take ownership of any actions you might implement.

You cannot control how others react to your words, to your actions….but you can take ownership of your feelings and reasons. When misunderstandings happen, you must take ownership (if you value the person) of the mistake…and make it right.

What’s clearer than a silver bell to you might be incomprehensible to another person who lacks the experience your life has taught you. Be responsible; everyone failed mind reading 101, take the time to make things right.

If I can teach the above to my kids, I’ll be supermom!

Here are some resources for official dream interpretation:

And so starts the day,

Barbara

PS – some more dream intrepretation resources

Mother knows everything, so don’t lie

Sigh.

You know, it’s quite an experience coming home from Martial Arts and having your child absolutely deny he broke something of his siblings, when 20 seconds prior, he readily admitted to it.

Sigh.

Very frustrating, indeed. I really dislike coming down on my kids, but realize…it just has to be done. Sigh. So I told him, Mom knows everything, it’s not wise to lie. I had him search thru the house to look for the missing piece of the broken thingee; it was very draining.

The good news is, he’s gaining more courage, and will stand straight when being disciplined and not cry/be weak/cower/etc. So I did have to praise him for that. The bad news is, he’s been banished from the computer until he finds it or until tomorrow, whatever comes first.

Being stern and holding the line when raising kids is very much NOT FUN! Necessary, yes, NOT FUN, definitely. But it’s what a mom has to do.

Time to rest,

Barbara

ps – Want some resources for raising kids?

But Mom, I’m tiiiiired!!!! Dealing with whiny children and exercise fitness

Kids. Gotta love ’em, else you’ll implode with grace and joy.

As you probably know if you read my blog, I’m a mom of 4 who lost 45+ pounds and currently is into staying healthy and fit. I do P90x, cardio, workouts, karate, etc.

Speaking of karate, I participate in that with all my kids. We recently received our blue belts (yay!) and generally go for an hour or two every other day or so.

Well, yesterday…one of my charming children whined to me, but Mom, I had gym, and I don’t feel like exercising, and I really want to play on my computer, and and and and and Mom, why are you laughing at me now?

You see, I’m a firm believer in walking the walk I talk to my kids. They have seen me push myself when my get-up-and-go-had-gotten-up-and-went, they saw me modify my workouts after recovering from surgery, etc.

In short, they know that “I’m tired from gym” doesn’t cut it with Mom – it makes her laugh instead.

Which brings me to the next point! Kids being kids, sometimes they’ll choose the easy way out. Why exercise if you can sit in front of the computer and play games?

This is where parents have to stand firm. True, if your child really is sick or really did over-do it etc., you can consider giving a break….but generally, you’ll find that once your child is at the activity, they’ll have a superfun time. I ended up taking all my kids with me to karate yesterday, and they all had a blast.

It was just the ‘getting them there’ that was a chore.

I’m certain, of course, that some year…they’ll internalize within themselves that taking care of their bodies is a Good Thing. Until then, however, it’s Mean Mommy Ling to the rescue! :)

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – here’s some kids fitness goodies:

Want to shake your booty? Crunch Go Go really helps! review

Afternoon all,

One of the things I’m discovering since really getting back into shape/stretching/etc. is that my legs and hips can actually, ahem, move. This was quite startling to me, as I never had taken advantage of that before in my 20s!

In my search for getting in tune with my body, I came across:

This is “Crunch Go Go by Gypsy” and let me tell you, it’s one rocking, fun workout! I added it to my cardio routine because it teaches you not only how to shake your hips/shoulders, but also how to walk/strut/etc. the same way. Interestingly enough, this seems to have helped a chronic ache I used to have with my hips and legs, so obviously…. I’m sold on it. :) The added benefit of being able to move with confidence is also most beneficial as well.

Here are other places you can find reviews:

I was able to get my own copy of Crunch Cardio Go Go Fitness at a discount over at Kmart – it was only $9.99.

In short, if you’re looking to learn how to move your body sexily but don’t want to practice in front of others, this is a great workout to have.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – here’s where you can get Crunch Go Go at a discount!

P90x Workout Review: Core Syn – Week 4, Day 5, Total Days – 25

Howdy all,

Well! Today was Core Syn and I am one happy camper – my physical condition has improved soooo much that I am now able to do movements that were simply impossible 30 days ago. And considering that 2 months ago, I had surgery on my femur, I can say I’m doing myself proud.

So! Let’s get on with it. The prisoner pushups have you going from a pushup to jumping your hands to your feet and jumping up. For the first time ever, I was able to do this with both feet (before, I’d walk my hands up). And I didn’t fall over! True, this is probably beyond simple for most folk, but for me, it was utterly impossible. And now I can do them!

The core work is brutal, plain and simply put. Wonderful stuff, mind you, but wow! Brutal. My favorite exercise from this DVD were the low lunges – I have to do those anyways in Kendo, and really helps build up my muscles (screaming muscles, no less). My left ankle still is giving me problems, so I’m simply modifying the workout when necessary.

And tomorrow is Yoga Death, otherwise know by other SuperMoms as Darth Yoga! I don’t even want to think about my condition tomorrow (I have adult self-defense tonight) but hey…tomorrow is another day. :-)

And that be Day 25,

Barbara

ps – Some nice Tony Horton goodies:

Magic Legs reviews and discounts – coupons for Leg Magic and more

Morning everyone,

Gotta love infomercials, yes indeed, one does. Sometimes it’s really difficult to keep in mind the official name of a particular product!

Take Leg Magic (otherwise known as Magic Legs). It looks like:

(and notice, some of the above have great discount savings!). Those I found for you on eBay. eBay, of course, is a super resource at which to buy Leg Magic, Magic Legs, heck, just about any kind of exercise product – the sad truth is, many of these items end up being glorified clothing hangers, and eventually, folks just decide to move them along.

I’ve also found Leg Magic at stores too! I’ve seen them at

Now! Here’s a nice secret – quite often, the above stores will offer coupons you can bring in for additional discounts. I used a 25% off coupon for my Perfect Pushups at Sports Authority once! And you can visit sites like Mr. Rebates and get additional money off.
What about the product itself? Does it really deliver? Here are some reviews you can check out:

Hope the above is useful!

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – some discount Leg Magic!

Free P90x or P90x+ resources – How to find P90x Plus and Classic for free

Morning,

First – the good news – you can always get discounted P90x at eBay like so:

That’s what I did, and I’m beyond thrilled with my purchase. I also got the P90x Chinup bar there as well.

Now the bad news. I confess, I tried for quite awhile to get P90x for free. I personally wasn’t able to, but hey, you might! And here’s how.

First, check out your local Freecycle. This is an organization that lets you post about “items wanted” and “items you want to give away” for your own local neighborhood. I was able to get Taebo this way, and also mini-trampolines…but alas, not P90x. But who knows, there might be someone in your neighborhood who was given P90x and no longer wants it…and will give it to you for free.

Next, go to Craigslist. Search for your area. Then search to see if anyone is selling P90 at a discount or giving P90x away for free.

Next, have you heard of Book swaps? You can also find exercise/DVD swaps too! Consider:

These two sites might offer some relief.

And did you know that Amazon.com sometimes gives great discounts, as do their merchants? Here’s a Review of P90x there – for example, at the time of this writing, 4 sets were available for $135 instead of the list price. True, not free….but also true, better than retail.

Where else can you look for P90x for free? How about your local gym? There’s probably lots of folks who workout there who have invested in this – see if there’s a community bulletin board where you can post a WANTED ad for free.

Hope this helps! Bargains and such ARE out there…you simply have to go around looking for them.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – some other P90x goodies:

The secret to round house kicks – balance and center of gravity

Howdy all,

If there’s one thing my surgery and subsequent recovery has taught me, it’s that even if things are quite difficult, you can always find a way around the problem and begin to master your goal.

Take round-house kicks. I’m somewhat decent with them on my right side, but my left side…because my left ankle is missing that 1/2″ of bone, balance is, well, kinda sorta non-existent. So I kept falling over when trying to round-house kick that way.

Needless to say, that just pissed me off. I refuse to accept the fact I’m lousy at it…so while my kids were taking nunchaku during the following hour, I spent that time simply practicing pivoting on my left ankle. And guess what I discovered!

  • If you don’t throw yourself outside your center of gravity, you don’t fall over. Wowsa!

Okay, true, this is kinda sorta common sense….but I never really realized that until today! I have to train myself to recognize when my body is in the optimal position during the technique, and not push it so far that I begin to fall.

Round house kick after round house kick, I did them again and again and again and let me tell you, my left ankle is currently whimpering at me this moment. But! I think (emphasis on the word THINK) I have the concept down…now all I need to do is practice.

Like everything else lately that’s been happening in my life, this experience reinforced the fact that while life happens, it doesn’t mean you have to accept the status quo! Just because the rest of the world might think you’re a tad insane for trying something that logic would decree is impossible for you…doesn’t mean you should listen.

I still can’t get over how much I am enjoying leg techniques and kicks now, even with a bum ankle (you can read about that relavation here) 3 months ago, you’d never have convinced me I’d have progressed to this point.

Dare yourself to break past your own preconceived boundaries! You might be surprised at what you can achieve.

Time to sleep,

Barbara

ps – some great karate kicking resources!

P90x Classic Routine – Description of program, days, etc.

Hi all,

I’ve been asked now several times for a complete description of the P90x routine rotation…so I decided to blog about it. Side note – I got my P90x at a discount from eBay, like so:

I’m currently doing P90x Classic – it focuses upon strength training while still giving you some good cardio times. It’s broken down into 3 Phases like so.

Before Phase 1: Take Day 1 pictures of your body – front view, back view, bicep view, side view, 3/4 view. You’ll be using these pictures as a benchmark for your future successes.

Phase 1:

This is for weeks 1-3:

  • Day 1 – Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X
  • Day 2 – Pylometrics (Jump Training)
  • Day 3 – Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper X
  • Day 4 – Yoga X
  • Day 5 – Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
  • Day 6 – Kenpo X Karate
  • Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

I personally always choose to do X Stretch – it’s such a treat to give to your thoroughly whimpering body.

The 4th week is considered a recovery and a focus week and looks like:

  • Day 1 – Yoga X
  • Day 2 – Core Synergistics
  • Day 3 – Kenpo K Karate
  • Day 4 – X Stretch
  • Day 5 – Core Synergistics
  • Day 6 – Yoga X
  • Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

Don’t let “recovery week” fool you – you’re still doing some major work on your body, but the weight lifting focus has halted for a week. Personally speaking, I find Yoga X (fondly known by me as Yoga Death) to be incredibly challenging – it really helps build your muscles in my opinion.

That’s Phase 1. Two days after you’re done with that, you take your Day 30 pictures to see what changes happened to your body, and then continue to Phase 2.

Phase 2 is dedicated to adding size to your muscles like so:

Weeks 5-7:

  • Day 1 – Chest, Shoulders and Triceps, Ab Ripper X
  • Day 2 – Pylometrics (Jump Training)
  • Day 3 – Back and Biceps, Ab Ripper X
  • Day 4 – Yoga X
  • Day 5 – Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
  • Day 6 – Kenpo X Karate
  • Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

Notice how there’s two new workouts there? You don’t do the same workout every week; during this particular phase, you do Chest/Shoulders/Triceps instead of Chest/Back, and Back/Biceps instead of Shoulders/Arms. It’s a smart move.

The 8th week is a ‘recovery and ab focus’ week again and looks just like Week 4:

  • Day 1 – Yoga X
  • Day 2 – Core Synergistics
  • Day 3 – Kenpo K Karate
  • Day 4 – X Stretch
  • Day 5 – Core Synergistics
  • Day 6 – Yoga X
  • Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

That takes care of Phase 2 – at the end here, you’ve completed 56 days and 4 days after that, you take your Day 60 pictures…and then go into:

Phase 3:

This phase uses all the DVDs and really puts your body to work! Here’s the schedule:

Week 9:

  • Day 1 – Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X
  • Day 2 – Pylometrics (Jump Training)
  • Day 3 – Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper X
  • Day 4 – Yoga X
  • Day 5 – Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
  • Day 6 – Kenpo X Karate
  • Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

Week 10:

  • Day 1 – Chest, Shoulders and Triceps, Ab Ripper X
  • Day 2 – Pylometrics (Jump Training)
  • Day 3 – Back and Biceps, Ab Ripper X
  • Day 4 – Yoga X
  • Day 5 – Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
  • Day 6 – Kenpo X Karate
  • Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

Week 11:

  • Day 1 – Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X
  • Day 2 – Pylometrics (Jump Training)
  • Day 3 – Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper X
  • Day 4 – Yoga X
  • Day 5 – Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
  • Day 6 – Kenpo X Karate
  • Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

Week 12:

  • Day 1 – Chest, Shoulders and Triceps, Ab Ripper X
  • Day 2 – Pylometrics (Jump Training)
  • Day 3 – Back and Biceps, Ab Ripper X
  • Day 4 – Yoga X
  • Day 5 – Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
  • Day 6 – Kenpo X Karate
  • Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

and finally on your last week, Week 13, you do the entire recovery week once again:

  • Day 1 – Yoga X
  • Day 2 – Core Synergistics
  • Day 3 – Kenpo K Karate
  • Day 4 – X Stretch
  • Day 5 – Core Synergistics
  • Day 6 – Yoga X
  • Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch

That will take you 91 days….and on the last day, you can finally take your Day 90 pictures. By this time, you should really notice one heck of a difference from Day 1, Day 30, Day 60 and Day 90.

And that’s the P90 Classic Routine!

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – some more P90x Goodies: