Ferocity
New member
Meghan - huh, cool. I'll really have to look into that. Zombie moves are so great. (Total aside, but did you know there's an adult XXX zombie movie? I'm completely serious. I've only seen previews, but it's like O.O )
Lisa - I really hope the Dozois video works for you. You could start without weights if you wanted to, and because the DVD has three very diverse levels represented, it's something you can use for a long time.
I just got Dozois's "Total Body Breakthrough Circuit Training" DVD and it's way too advanced for me. I was kind of bummed, because she's a good teacher and pretty great at cueing. I'm waiting on her 10 Minute Solutions Cardio Dance DVD. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up!
Phoenyx - I try to be open minded - I'm willing to listen to anyone's theory - but I have to admit that I struggle for patience when it comes to things that contradict science. I spent a lot of years having my religious friends shit all over me because I grew up in an agnostic household. Every issue I ever had was immediately ascribed to me not having Jesus. Free thought and science-based skepticism changed my life, giving me a weapon to fight back. I spent a lot of time, on and off, trying to force myself to believe. I've looked into everything from Hinduism to Wicca to LaVeyan Satanism to Gnosticism to Judaism (almost converted!) to the Ascension Paradigm to Spiritualism . . . it goes on and on. I also tried to make myself believe in chakras and homeopathy and a bunch of other metaphysical/new age beliefs. Every time, it when I went deeply enough into the subject, I pulled the rug out from under myself. It took forever, but I finally had to realize that nothing to me is ever going to seem as "magical" as a sunset or a nebula or deep sea fish (some of the deep water slugs are so gorgeous . . .) Part of the reason why I love these things is because they're mysterious, but they're mysteries that we can understand. I love science because it's dynamic. It's not sanctified because it's some belief that people have held for thousands of years. A good scientist expects to be challenged, to have his theories and methodology questioned. Way too many "woo" people lack this flexibility, in my opinion. They refuse to consider other points of view. Their "winning" comment is usually, "Well, you can't prove that it's not true." That argument makes my brain melt, LOL. No, I can't prove that invisible pink unicorns don't exist, but that certainly doesn't mean that they do, you know?
I'm always interested in hearing what other people believe and how they've constructed their world view. I only have a problem with what other people believe when a) they try to force it on me or b) it hurts children or c) when it's scientifically ignorant to the point where the person believing it could be hurt. (Going to Tijuana for miracle cancer cures springs to mind, as does treating diabetes with homeopathy instead of insulin.)
Anyway, I know I'm very much in the minority in the US. Being an atheist and a skeptic and childfree is actually pretty rare. I'm so lucky with my fiancé in that he's agnostic (so we can discuss religion without anyone getting offended), working on critical thinking skills (I just tripped him up with the DHMO thing last night! Dihydrogen monoxide scare for the win!), and he's more ferociously childfree than me.
I like kids, though. That's another one of those stereotypes, that CF people hate children. Some do, but a large number of them are teachers or work in day care centers. I actually like teenagers. They're in a really cool mental place and watching how hard they work on constructing their identity is always interesting. It's the infant-baby-toddler-preschooler stuff that's a total turn off for me. (Plus I'm an only child, so the idea of living with a small person who wants to touch my things and needs constant attention kind of freaks me out.)
Okay, so this was a whole post with not one mention of fitness so far!
I kind of did this and that today. I did my three Blasts, and I'm pleased that I'm a lot less scared of the stability ball than I used to be. (Last time I rolled around on one, I was a little bit drunk on martinis. Needless to say, gravity won, and only a friendly coffee table kept me from becoming one with the wall.)
I also got my Tamilee Tight on Time DVDs. WHOO! They're ten minute routines, but OMG! OW! I did the step workout last night, which is a good one: no fancy steps, but basic hard work and some squats and lunges for "fun." Today I did her "Get on the Ball" routine, and for about the first 8 minutes I was pretty sure she wanted me dead. I felt like a circus seal, lifting and lowering that ball with my legs. Crunches on the ball S-U-C-K worse than anything; my tummy was screaming, "What did I ever do to you?!" I said, "Demanded too much cake!" and kept on crunching.
I also did her "Total Body Tubing" workout. It's the first time I ever used the resistance bands I've had forever, and I had NO idea they hurt so mu- I mean, worked so well. My hips burned, burned like a California wildfire. There was a lot of breathing through gritted teeth.
I also got in about 10 minutes of belly dancing before my thighs begged for relief. I always forget just how much work the thighs do in belly dancing. So Michelle Joyce got hip bumps and figure 8s/omis/undulations (performed very badly) out of me. I drew the line at twists. My body hasn't quite figured them out yet, and I feel like I'm twisting in oatmeal.
So I went and hooped for 18 minutes instead. I like hooping because it's an excuse to get into the music and just move. I don't have to follow instructions and I sweat like a wild hog. I have a playlist of songs I like to listen to while I hoop, and I listened to four of them today before I was wiped out.
1. Little Bird - Annie Lennox (Chris Cox Mix)
2. Haunted - Poe
3. Ginger Snaps End Theme - Michael Shields (this piece of music starts slow but ends up sounding like Collide!)
4. Transylvanian Concubine - Rasputina (Yes Sir, Mr. Sir Remix)
I also did Madeleine Lewis's A.M. Stretch routine, and it was . . . painful. It had MORE downward-facing dog nonsense. It's like, with my boobs, my tight shoulders, and my tight, chunky thighs, this yoga pose was invented specifically to torment me. Why does everyone use it?! Hopefully my Yoga for Wimps DVD will have some pointers. I want to get into it because I'm mad at it now. Same with holding plank position and doing real push-up. My upper body strength is merde.
I have a bit of weightlifting to do still, and I may mess with the P.M. Stretch routine.
I've also got a wild idea about roller skates . . . I have a decently sized patio and grass to hurl myself towards if I wipe out. It could be fun to skate around the neighborhood once I look less like a hippo.
Food was meh (boring) today except for the teriyaki chicken bowl I made for dinner. Brown rice, skinless chicken thigh (I'm having trouble consuming enough fats, believe it or not, or else I would have used breast) and broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and red onion. I roasted the vegetables in the oven alongside the chicken. (I had the chicken on a grilling rack with the vegetables in a "pan" made from tinfoil beside it.)
These vegetable are good and kind of different and very adaptable. I put a few spritzes of olive oil spray in the pan, throw in the vegetables, spritz with a little more olive oil, then sprinkle with garlic powder and black pepper. Then I put on the broiler (set at 415 tonight) and cook them until the broccoli has crispy-looking parts and the cauliflower is browning around the edges. You can throw them into a rice bowl, squeeze lemon or lime juice over them, toss them with whole wheat pasta, etc. You can roast most vegetable with no problem. I also like cherry tomatoes done this way as well as bell peppers (and asparagus! Yum!) If you use something like sweet potatoes, squash, or regular potatoes, you need to parboil them first so that everything is done at the same time.
This is also a great step to take when making vegetable soup. It tastes much richer if the vegetable are roasted beforehand. Then you just need broth and some beans, noodles, meat . . .anything you can think of.
I'm a huge garlic fan, and I also love roasting garlic until it's soft and buttery. It gets very mild and it seems very decadent. You can use it in a million places, like thinly spread on bread for a sandwich (very thinly!) or whisked into broth to make it a better base for soup. (You could probably also do a white bean and roasted garlic dip for vegetables that would be way healthier than some low fat ranch dip. Huh . . . I may have to play with this idea. Sage? Rosemary?)
Off to lift some weights now . . . and to think about roasted garlic and white bean dip.
Lisa - I really hope the Dozois video works for you. You could start without weights if you wanted to, and because the DVD has three very diverse levels represented, it's something you can use for a long time.
I just got Dozois's "Total Body Breakthrough Circuit Training" DVD and it's way too advanced for me. I was kind of bummed, because she's a good teacher and pretty great at cueing. I'm waiting on her 10 Minute Solutions Cardio Dance DVD. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up!
Phoenyx - I try to be open minded - I'm willing to listen to anyone's theory - but I have to admit that I struggle for patience when it comes to things that contradict science. I spent a lot of years having my religious friends shit all over me because I grew up in an agnostic household. Every issue I ever had was immediately ascribed to me not having Jesus. Free thought and science-based skepticism changed my life, giving me a weapon to fight back. I spent a lot of time, on and off, trying to force myself to believe. I've looked into everything from Hinduism to Wicca to LaVeyan Satanism to Gnosticism to Judaism (almost converted!) to the Ascension Paradigm to Spiritualism . . . it goes on and on. I also tried to make myself believe in chakras and homeopathy and a bunch of other metaphysical/new age beliefs. Every time, it when I went deeply enough into the subject, I pulled the rug out from under myself. It took forever, but I finally had to realize that nothing to me is ever going to seem as "magical" as a sunset or a nebula or deep sea fish (some of the deep water slugs are so gorgeous . . .) Part of the reason why I love these things is because they're mysterious, but they're mysteries that we can understand. I love science because it's dynamic. It's not sanctified because it's some belief that people have held for thousands of years. A good scientist expects to be challenged, to have his theories and methodology questioned. Way too many "woo" people lack this flexibility, in my opinion. They refuse to consider other points of view. Their "winning" comment is usually, "Well, you can't prove that it's not true." That argument makes my brain melt, LOL. No, I can't prove that invisible pink unicorns don't exist, but that certainly doesn't mean that they do, you know?
I'm always interested in hearing what other people believe and how they've constructed their world view. I only have a problem with what other people believe when a) they try to force it on me or b) it hurts children or c) when it's scientifically ignorant to the point where the person believing it could be hurt. (Going to Tijuana for miracle cancer cures springs to mind, as does treating diabetes with homeopathy instead of insulin.)
Anyway, I know I'm very much in the minority in the US. Being an atheist and a skeptic and childfree is actually pretty rare. I'm so lucky with my fiancé in that he's agnostic (so we can discuss religion without anyone getting offended), working on critical thinking skills (I just tripped him up with the DHMO thing last night! Dihydrogen monoxide scare for the win!), and he's more ferociously childfree than me.
I like kids, though. That's another one of those stereotypes, that CF people hate children. Some do, but a large number of them are teachers or work in day care centers. I actually like teenagers. They're in a really cool mental place and watching how hard they work on constructing their identity is always interesting. It's the infant-baby-toddler-preschooler stuff that's a total turn off for me. (Plus I'm an only child, so the idea of living with a small person who wants to touch my things and needs constant attention kind of freaks me out.)
Okay, so this was a whole post with not one mention of fitness so far!
I kind of did this and that today. I did my three Blasts, and I'm pleased that I'm a lot less scared of the stability ball than I used to be. (Last time I rolled around on one, I was a little bit drunk on martinis. Needless to say, gravity won, and only a friendly coffee table kept me from becoming one with the wall.)
I also got my Tamilee Tight on Time DVDs. WHOO! They're ten minute routines, but OMG! OW! I did the step workout last night, which is a good one: no fancy steps, but basic hard work and some squats and lunges for "fun." Today I did her "Get on the Ball" routine, and for about the first 8 minutes I was pretty sure she wanted me dead. I felt like a circus seal, lifting and lowering that ball with my legs. Crunches on the ball S-U-C-K worse than anything; my tummy was screaming, "What did I ever do to you?!" I said, "Demanded too much cake!" and kept on crunching.
I also did her "Total Body Tubing" workout. It's the first time I ever used the resistance bands I've had forever, and I had NO idea they hurt so mu- I mean, worked so well. My hips burned, burned like a California wildfire. There was a lot of breathing through gritted teeth.
I also got in about 10 minutes of belly dancing before my thighs begged for relief. I always forget just how much work the thighs do in belly dancing. So Michelle Joyce got hip bumps and figure 8s/omis/undulations (performed very badly) out of me. I drew the line at twists. My body hasn't quite figured them out yet, and I feel like I'm twisting in oatmeal.
So I went and hooped for 18 minutes instead. I like hooping because it's an excuse to get into the music and just move. I don't have to follow instructions and I sweat like a wild hog. I have a playlist of songs I like to listen to while I hoop, and I listened to four of them today before I was wiped out.
1. Little Bird - Annie Lennox (Chris Cox Mix)
2. Haunted - Poe
3. Ginger Snaps End Theme - Michael Shields (this piece of music starts slow but ends up sounding like Collide!)
4. Transylvanian Concubine - Rasputina (Yes Sir, Mr. Sir Remix)
I also did Madeleine Lewis's A.M. Stretch routine, and it was . . . painful. It had MORE downward-facing dog nonsense. It's like, with my boobs, my tight shoulders, and my tight, chunky thighs, this yoga pose was invented specifically to torment me. Why does everyone use it?! Hopefully my Yoga for Wimps DVD will have some pointers. I want to get into it because I'm mad at it now. Same with holding plank position and doing real push-up. My upper body strength is merde.
I have a bit of weightlifting to do still, and I may mess with the P.M. Stretch routine.
I've also got a wild idea about roller skates . . . I have a decently sized patio and grass to hurl myself towards if I wipe out. It could be fun to skate around the neighborhood once I look less like a hippo.
Food was meh (boring) today except for the teriyaki chicken bowl I made for dinner. Brown rice, skinless chicken thigh (I'm having trouble consuming enough fats, believe it or not, or else I would have used breast) and broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and red onion. I roasted the vegetables in the oven alongside the chicken. (I had the chicken on a grilling rack with the vegetables in a "pan" made from tinfoil beside it.)
These vegetable are good and kind of different and very adaptable. I put a few spritzes of olive oil spray in the pan, throw in the vegetables, spritz with a little more olive oil, then sprinkle with garlic powder and black pepper. Then I put on the broiler (set at 415 tonight) and cook them until the broccoli has crispy-looking parts and the cauliflower is browning around the edges. You can throw them into a rice bowl, squeeze lemon or lime juice over them, toss them with whole wheat pasta, etc. You can roast most vegetable with no problem. I also like cherry tomatoes done this way as well as bell peppers (and asparagus! Yum!) If you use something like sweet potatoes, squash, or regular potatoes, you need to parboil them first so that everything is done at the same time.
This is also a great step to take when making vegetable soup. It tastes much richer if the vegetable are roasted beforehand. Then you just need broth and some beans, noodles, meat . . .anything you can think of.
I'm a huge garlic fan, and I also love roasting garlic until it's soft and buttery. It gets very mild and it seems very decadent. You can use it in a million places, like thinly spread on bread for a sandwich (very thinly!) or whisked into broth to make it a better base for soup. (You could probably also do a white bean and roasted garlic dip for vegetables that would be way healthier than some low fat ranch dip. Huh . . . I may have to play with this idea. Sage? Rosemary?)
Off to lift some weights now . . . and to think about roasted garlic and white bean dip.
