scouter99 transformed

I found a great blog that I feel can offer lots of inspiration to those of us looking for some in our quest for a healthy, fit body.  Find it here:

http://www.healthytippingpoint.com/

I love how she puts pictures of her meals up!!  Man there is nothing that inspires me more than a great visual!  Maybe that’s why I keep pictures of fit women all the the place in my house.  I have one on my fridge, one on my bathroom mirror, one on my cupboard, tons in my basement workout room, some in my Franklin Covey Planner (which I don’t use much anymore because of my awesome BlackBerry), lots on my computer……

I got my first tat when I ws 22.  I have wanted another one ever since but my ex-husband hated the one I had and kept telling me that someday he would convince me to get rid of it.  Obviously getting another tat would have caused a HUGE war between us and so for the 13 years we were together it wasn’t worth it.

Now, however, I am free to do what I want.  Well, obviously I was always free to do what I want, but the consequences for doing what I want are no longer a deterrent.  Exactly one week ago today I got my 2nd of at least 5 total tattoos.  And let me tell you, it hurt like a mo-fo!!!  Seriously folks.  After getting this tat I learned two things.  One, if it doesn’t have some meaning to me, it isn’t worth the pain.  And two, if I can’t get it in a place that I can choose to show or hide it, it isn’t worth the pain.  Ouch.  Since I work in a profession where visible tattoos would seriously inhibit my job prospects (corporate HR), I am quite limited in the 2nd area.  This one, though, works perfectly.  It is high enough on my back that if I wear a tank top or a lower cut dress or something then you can see it.  If I wear a regular shirt of any kind, it is hidden.  Perfect.

Now, before I post the picture, let me explain what it means.  First of all, it started with a Celtic Knot.  To us that means the joining of our mind, body and soul (Chad and I got the exact same tattoo in the exact same place on our backs… some of you can just stop rolling your eyes.  We bled and shared extreme pain together so BAM!).  Then- we formed it in the shape of a Triquetra Cross- which to us (and if you search for meanings you will see I am taking some creative license on much of this, which works just fine for us) means that we are joining those things for all eternity and all seasons (4 seasons, 4 knots in a cross).  We surrounded that by an Iron Cross which to us means not only the strength of that bond but that is protected from everything that could ever try to destroy it.   AWWWWW- I know!!!

A good friend of mind posted about this on a Mommies site I belong to.  I LOVE IT!!!  It is called Operation Beautiful and you can find out more about it here:

My good friend Anissa3 challenged me to send her a bikini pic so she could let me know what reality is.  OMG I’m shaking in my boots.  I have never ever had a picture taken with me in a bikini.  NEVER.  Chad took some before pics of me early in the year in workout shorts and a bra top- but that’s the closest I’ve ever come.

So I bought a bikini on clearance at Target this weekend.  The first one I’ve ever bought!!  I tried it on for the man and he went NUTS!  But he thinks I look good no matter what.  Since he and I don’t see eye to eye on that I can’t go with his opinion (sorry baby).  

So I’m working up the guts to get the pic taken so I can send it to her.  

Bravery friends.  That’s what I need.  Balls and bravery.

Ok- I admit it.  I have not made the progress I would have liked to make this summer.  Instead, I decided to have one and do what I want… and gained a few lbs in the process.  My workouts NEVER stopped- as a matter of fact I have been doing lots of 2 a days almost all summer… just think how many MORE lbs I would have gained had I not done that?!?!?!

But now that some of my pants are getting a little bit snug the fun is over.  No more 2 beer, 3 mixed drink nights out.  Oh well- it was fun while it lasted!!

So I created a new workout for myself to help kick that fat right outta here!!  I have been lifting heavy all summer long… but now I need to focus more on fat burner and less on muscle building.  I am going to keep my leg day heavy but all the other days I am going to do some sort of circuit workout that keeps my heart rate up the entire time, while still doing some type of weight work.  Here is what I did last night (and man did it kick my butt!!).  I searched high and low for some really non-traditional moves that involved weights in a fashion that acted more like cardio- so you may not have heard of some of these.  Feel free to ask for more of a description if you want to incorporate any of them into your workout:

Each circuit involves cardio based strength moves for time (30 seconds each move) and then 3-5 minutes of cardio depending on intensity.  The goal is to keep your heart rate up for the entire workout without much rest in between.  Make sure to warm up for at least 5 minutes before starting.

Cardio Options:
• Jump Rope
• Squat Box jumps (jump up on the step with both feed and land in a squat and then immediately jump down and land in a squat, and continue until time is up)
• Suicides (run the lines up and back in the gym)
• Burpees/Mountain Climbers
• Tuck jump hops (hop three times with both feet and then tuck jump and slap your knees, then do it again for the time limit or reps)
• Run on Treadmill for 5 minutes
• Any other repetitive plyo move that gets your heart rate up and can be repeated for a period of time.

Circuit 1
Chin Ups
Dips
Wide Grip Pull Ups
Dumbbell Push Ups with Rows
CARDIO

Circuit 2 (all these dumbbell moves are usually done with kettlebells, but I didn’t have any and wanted to do them anyway so I modified)
Dumbbell Front Squats (resting end up on shoulders)
Dumbbell Front Swing Oblique Chop
Dumbbell Swings (wide stance, between the legs, stop in a front raise position)
Dumbbell Squat Pick ups/ Hop ups (feet forward or plie)
repeat once
CARDIO

Circuit 3
Cable Wood Chops- chopping from low to high
1 arm Cable Crossovers
Repeat twice
CARDIO

Circuit 4
Zercher walking lunges with barbell in crook of arm
Sumo Deadlift High Pull
repeat (I actually repeated these 2 exercises 3 times because they hurt so good)
CARDIO

ABS- 3 sets of 10-15 reps for each exercise
Hanging Leg Raises
Sit Up into a Russian Twist on decline
DB Turkish ½ Bent Knee Get Ups w/ side plank