Physical: PiYo

I have worked out three times this week. The first being with G, the second on Monday and today I tried out PiYo with Stacy. PiYo is pilates and Yoga put together. Every 6 months or so for the past few years I have gone to a Yoga class thinking it would be a good way to calm down and be healthy and yadda yadda. Until I remember, I'M THE LEAST FLEXIBLE person EVER. I always leave feeling so miserable. I have never absolutely sucked at something so bad right away. So another fat failure.

Physical: G

So G, is a turbo kickboxing instructor that normally works at the Potrero gym I used to go to. SHe didn't always explain everything, but it was the strongest workout ever! It really kicked my ass EVERY time. Yet, I looked at the Oakland schedule and she's there for Saturdays, so I had to go!

Granted I hadn't been to the gym in over a week, but she lived up to her former glory and really kicked my ass. I felt sooo good(and sore) afterwards!

Physical: Kickboxing

It's been a looooooooong time since I've worked out at the gym. I'd say nearly a month. I can feel it too. It's not good.

SO today, I was super low impact, but I did it, and minus a quick bathroom break I was there the whole time. I am considering going tomorrow for PiYo, a combination of pilates and yoga. THe instructor that I like from kickboxing is also leading that, so we'll see?

Physical: Zippo

Didn't do anything this week. Been feeling super lethargic and was super crampy on Monday, during my normal workout time! I've also been super jazzed about work and stayed til 6 three times this week which hampered my workout. However, I do need to get back into it!

Physical: Turbo Kick

I love it! The instructor is amazing!

I am hoping over break to do much more physical, but for now with my schedule, I am only at once a week! At least I eat fairly healthy!

Physical: Turbo Kick

Ohmygosh, I have feel sooo pumped after that workout! WHOOOOO

Physical: Kickboxing

So I had a rough time with it, with physical this week. I can't figure out exactly why it happened but I went to kickboxing with Marissa on Monday. My head was really hurting, and my feet were hurting because of wearing heels earlier in the day. Then, this guy I don't like walked in, and went in the corner where I couldn't even see him, but just his presence irritated me. Finally, this guy next to me sucked. And when someone sucks when you are kickboxing, you get kicked, or hit. NOT FUN! So I moved, but at this point the only open space was behiind a column, so I couldn't see the guy at all. After five more minutes of lack luster following along others, I nearly broke into tears out of irritation and left.

So I knew I had to go back and I went to kickboxing again tonight, but the instructor is lack luster and I am not a fan! At least I got my heart pumping! Oh and I rode my bike to work today too!

Physical: Zumba

I've seen this class advertised for years but have yet to take advantage of it. Until today. After not waking up early enough yesterday to go, I decided today, that I would go! I went to the Oakland High St. gym and attended the class! The teacher was great, super full of energy. I lagged in the middle, but overall did well! I think went to the sauna, steam room and hot tub.

However, usually when I'm feeling blaaa, exercising usually boosts me up. Plus, combine amazing weather with that, yet I'm still blaaa, I can't fix it and its getting me into trouble! What is going on??

Physical: Kickboxing again

I had a really bad weekend and so decided to commit to more working out and eating healthy in an effort to make my body feel better. So I bailed last week, I couldn't bail again! I was a few minutes late, but got the workout. I felt super lethargic though, and realized something my friend Todd has been telling me for years now; processed food is poison!! On Sunday I had made a mixture of Macaroni and Cheese, tuna fish and bean sprouts. I have made this in the past, except with spinach and found it very comforting. Yet, since I have inadvertanly cut out almost all processed foods until recently, I've been noticing my body feel badly! So after reading a few articles I've decided to try to only buy food on the perimeter of supermarkets, and try to stick to places like Berkeley Bowl. Therefore I can really get my workout on!

Physical: Hip Hop

Ok, so by the end of one class I was pretty much doing that. But take away the upside down thing, and the face and the nice clothes. Ok, well I wasn't exactly doing that, but I did actually not do too badly. I went with Stacy, who has been asking me for weeks to go with her! I'm so glad I did! We had soo much fun! It's not quite as aerobic as a kickboxing class, so going on the eliptical before hand was a good idea, but it was physical enough to get my endorphins flowing. And then of course, passing by Yogurtland, I had to get a whole bunch of chocolate yogurt and toppings, to ensure I wasn't tooo healthy!

Physical: Kickboxing

So I love it! I miss it so much when I don't do it! Yet with all the things I try and do, do during the week I am lucky to work out once a week! I am trying to eat better on a regular basis to balance out how little I am physical! The class is run by this TFA teacher, who has sooo much energy!! I love it!

Physical: Kickboxing

Unfortunately, its been quite a while since I have really truly worked out. I was doing that dance thing, and I missed last week, which puts me at nearly a month. In reality, its been soo much longer. So today, I committed myself to going to Kickboxing. Marissa, my coworker knew the instructor, and said he was better then the lady who did it last school year. She was right! I felt a big workout and I was probably not even in it for like 10 minutes(I got lost getting there, and had to pee in the middle). It felt good to workout again!

My big accomplishment was that I did one of those moves where you touch the floor. Normally when the group does that I just touch my knee as I'm super inflexible, but I did it this time! Whooo hoooo!!!

Physical: Dancing at Tao

Gots to get a little creative here to ensure I am doing all of my chart. Tao was a $20 nightclub that we got into for free! We immediately hit the dance floor and I immediately met this boy that I wound up spending until sunrise with, out on the strip hanging out in front of the "Trevi fountain". However, the moral of the story is the dancing, in HIGH HEELS! For nearly an hour!! That's totally physical right?

Physical: Dance Aerobics take 2

I tried it again. I was the only person who returned. The class started out with four people and ballooned up to 6. I enjoyed it alot more this time but still didn't get it. My body simply doesn't move that way. At least I didn't cry this time!!

Physical: Dance Aerobics

Ok, so for so long I have wanted to workout in a fun way. When I pass belly dancing/pole dancing/salsa dancing classes in a window or on a poster, I have an immediate inclination to try it but never do it. Instead I settle with kickboxing as I'm fairly apt at it, and it is a good workout. But I've been longing for something that will get me a little more in tune with my body.

I really wanted to work out tonight, if nothing else to prove to myself that i can work and workout all in the same day. I saw this class on the schedule and went to check it out.

The instructor is super stereotypical flamboyant choreographer, who screams out YES alot and wants us to "give us all we have". He was pretty good at breaking down the steps so that we got them and it did feel like a pretty good workout.

However, I couldn't do it. I couldn't do the confidence thing. I couldn't do the fierceness, the sexiness, the boldness. I tried, but I just looked pissed off. A few times, when he said "I know you have more in there, you aren't giving me all you got" I nearly burst into tears? I am so confused by this random untapped emotion.

Why could something I've wanted to do make me so emotional, and how can I be so bad at it? I definitely want to go back just to fix whatever this is. Also I want to be able to dance fierce :)

Physical: Yoga

At Harbin, I also partook in two Yoga classes with Manveer and Miquila. One was mixed levels and the other beginner. While it didn't feel like a super workout, it did stretch me out a ton!!

Physical:Biking!

So I've made it a goal to bike to work everyday(I even told the kids about it). I officially live 1.6 miles away from work. My fastest time from door to door, biking this week has been approximately 10 minutes! My usual route is to take this street called Hillegass most of the way(its an official bike route), and from Stuart until Claremont ave I can literally coast without peddling(unless I'm crossing a non stop signed street)! On the way back however, its a lot more work!!

This whole week I've been biking(although I did get a ride home from work today), and I really saw the difference. The first two days I was huffing and puffing the whole way, and by yesterday, I barely noticed the exertion! Which is why that after this week I really can't count it as being physical, because it really isn't bringing my heart rate up that much! For how out of shape I am though, it did do its job for this week!!

I also have to share that I am proud of myself because everyday but one I wore a dress/skirt and still biked! Yea, that's right!!

I really enjoy the bike ride in the morning! It puts me out into nature, it gets the wind in my hair, saves a little bit of my carbon footprint, and most importantly saves me from getting a parking ticket!! Awesome way to start off the day, and the school year!!

Physical: Eliptical

I walked 1.1 miles to the 24 hour fitness. Did 2.38 miles on the eliptical at the heart rate of approximate 143, and rpm of approximately 150. I burned 306.8 calories. I then walked 1.1 miles home. Am now going to make spaghetti!

Work hard, Play hard.

I started off the summer pretty rough. I heard some upsetting news, and I went through a lot of change, which is something I suck at.

Yet, I overcame, and for over a month I had an absolutely excellent summer. For the first time in my life I completely enjoyed free time.

But the school year is starting again, and I tend to get super wrapped up in it and super emotional so I am trying to give myself an outlet, actually 8 outlets.

I have created a chart for myself, and this blog to keep myself accountable. Each week, in addition to all the things I need to do in order to keep myself alive(laundry, sleep etc), and the money flowing(work), I am committing myself to complete activities in eight categories.

Drum roll please....

Dress up-I tend to ignore my body and my looks. An entire day can go by where I don't look in a mirror. While I am not intending to be superficial, I would like to spend at least one day each week getting ready and taking care of myself. It could be for work, for a date, or for an evening out on the town.

Reading-This one is pretty obvious, but I am actually an avid reader, who can sometimes go for weeks without reading, since I ignore my need to learn.

Nature-Being outside, and breathing in the air, centers me and calms me in a way that little else can. I am committing to do this at LEAST once a week. It can be as little as sitting in my backyard for an hour or more, or as much as, hiking, paddle boating etc.

Physical-Except for getting physical. I mean Elle said it perfectly when she said "Exersize produces endorphins, endorphins make you happy and happy people just don't shoot their husbands." I mean I need to protect my fictitious husband right?

Cooking-While I am not an awful cook, I tend to stay towards the stuff that I know how to cook, which sucks really, because I have all these great cookbooks, so I need to cook at least one new meal a week!

Movie-So my house, the apartment I live in, is HOOKED up! They have, or can have nearly every movie I could ever want just by a click of a mouse!! Since I tend to stick to VERY girly movies, I intend to watch one new movie each week. This does not necessarily mean a brand new movie, it just means a new movie to me, one that I have not seen. This can be anything from the Godfather, to Inception. Please suggest movies that you think I should see!!

Cultural-This one is a late arrival, and might be a little difficult to always complete, yet I want to do something each week that is touristy in some way. This can be going to a new restaurant, heading to a museum, or hitting up an outdoor market! Since I do intend to go away, I will also count sleeping at a house not at my own(but not like just crashing somewhere else), to give myself a little wiggle room here. This category was initially going to be social, but since I do that pretty naturally, I wanted to expand it a bit. It should include others!

Creative-It is this category however, that I want to bolster the most. It is also the one I am most worried about succeeding at. I am by nature a very crafty person and even have an artistic bone or two in my body. Yet, I have gotten so lazy, or forgetful of my talents, that I had to buy a book entitled "Get a Hobby", just to remind myself of my own interests. I have rested on my interests being education and travel for so long, that I feel as though I am one dimensional. I am depending on this category to add some more dimensions, and passions to myself!

So tune in every few days, as I reflect on the different categories. I am publishing this, so I keep myself honest, but the benefit to you is you could learn about a new book, a new/old movie, a new hiking spot, something cultural in the area, a new recipe, a new outdoor spot etc. So please hold me to this!

I need to be a well rounded individual, and not a traveling, teaching robot!