How to exercise on crutches (Part 2)

So, who knew?  I googled my above title, and actually came up with some exercise tips for those who use crutches.  So...here you go!

Crutches #1

Crutches #2

How to lose weight on crutches


So, I guess I have my next mild exercises ready to go!  Stay tuned!

How to exercise on crutches....

Anyone know?  :)

My doctor informed me today that my ankle may need to be re-xrayed next week to ensure there isn't a break.  :(  She further informed me that I will probably need my crutches for about 3 weeks and that my ankle wouldn't be back to normal for about 6 months.  WHAT???  Crap.

Sooooo....I am looking at my calories and trying to really pay attention.

Have you guys seen the Hungry Girl website?  I have heard people murmur about it, but hadn't checked it out.  It is a totally cute webpage, but I will say, a little confusing to navigate.  I haven't had  a bunch of time to actually sit down and look through it (I am busy, even with my feet up!), but it does look like it has a lot of nice recipes.  You can see the Hungry Girl page here.  You can sign up for free daily emails.  I did.  Hopefully, they will pass on some great diet wisdom that I have yet to find.  :)

In addition,  have you checked out (or even heard of) Sparkpeople.com?  My MIL (mother-in-law) suggested it to me.  You have to join to read the information (membership is FREE), but I will say that the information is very user friendly and a quick read.  I especially LOVE the motivation page.  I need constant motivation!  They also have quizzes you can take, recipes and diet plans, etc.  I am looking forward to spending much more time on their page.  You can find their page and sign up here.

Ok.  Back to work.

What is YOUR excuse for not working out today?

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

OK.  That is over.  I realize that we all, especially busy moms, have to vent a little and have a little stress reduction.  We also have to take time for ourselves (hence the purpose of this blog).  After my little guy was so sick last week, I was nervous about leaving him at home with his dad and brother as I went to a national conference and visited my grandparents.  Well, he is fine (thank goodness!).  And, my visit with my grandparents before conference started was WONDERFUL.  

I am so blessed to have ALL FOUR of my grandparents still in my life.  Three of them will turn 85 this year (if I am doing my math correctly).  I was so fortunate to be able to see them this week.  I had the opportunity to help them out a bit, which is so important to me because I live so far away.  So, it was in the attempt to be helpful that I was so worried about my grandmother (all 4'9" 93 pounds of her) falling, that I followed her all around the basement ready to "catch" her if she fell.  Turns out...I needed someone to catch me!  Yep!  I FELL DOWN HER STAIRS.  How completely embarrassing, and not at all graceful.

Results of my fall.

My sweet almost 85-year old grandfather took me to the ER in their small little town.  No breaks, but LOTS of swelling!  So, I am officially laid up (and in desperate need of a pedicure).  Not a real lucky start to this blog thing, but things can only go up from here, right?  I am glad I have some core workouts for the floor!

In more fun news, I joined a team and am participating in the Columbia Slimdown Challenge.  I am very excited.  I think working on a team will be GREAT motivation for dropping some "L-bees".  (lbs)  You can read more information regarding the challenge here.

When I can walk again, (hopefully soon) I will again log my walks on an app I downloaded on my phone, map my walk.  You can use their website or download an app.  I LOVE this app.  I hope to purchase some of the accessories so I can get more precise measurements.  When I do, I will let you know!  To find out more information on the app, click here.

My goal before my next post:  Complete another set/round of ab exercises from previous post.

I will work my core even with a swollen and sore ankle!  What is YOUR excuse?  :)

I am still here!  I am NOT giving up already!  I have just had a TERRIBLY sick kiddo and am dealing with finals week on top of it.  I will post my workout soon!

Remember how I posted that I am REALLY good at coming up with excuses to NOT exercise?  (Or at least I intended to write about that).  Well...I outdid myself today.  Not only did I have an excuse to not exercise, I used food as a comfort.  Sigh.  What a journey, eh?

My youngest started getting sick last night with a bad flu.  He narrowly escaped hospitalization for dehydration this afternoon.  So between cleaning up messes, administering meds, and rushing to the doctor, I decided I was just too worn out to work out.  Truth be told, I could have probably still worked out...especially with the short ab routine.

BUT...I agreed to let my husband bring home fast food for dinner because I did NOT want to cook.  So, I don't think an ab workout will go well with the hamburger and curly fries.  I have cleaned up enough puke today...

So, there it is...three days in and full of excuses and emotional eating.  Tomorrow is a new day.  :)

So, what is YOUR excuse?

Top position for the Crunchy Frog.

OK....I did it!...Well, at least partially.  

I tried the ab routine that I printed from the internet. 

See the laundry in the background?  Yep!  I am a REAL mom with real chores and things to do, yet am trying to carve out time for ME.

Top position for In and Outs.  My feet are off the floor, though it is difficult to tell.  Lots of laundry waiting!!!

So, what about the workout?  I decided the best way to do this was to answer the same questions for each workout I try.  These are the questions I am going to start with, but I am open to suggestions!

1) Did I do it?

2) Could I finish it?

3) Was it hard?

4) Did I sweat?

5) How long did it take?

6) Did it require extra equipment or a lot of space?

So here is my review:

1)  Yes.  I partially did it.  I completed 7/9 exercises.  My reasons (excuses) for not finishing:  my doggie Waffle (see below), and it hurt!  I got dizzy quickly.  (Can we say sad?) And I have some chest tightness (tight pecs...not heart) that I had to work through.  But I did most of them!

2) Nope.  not yet.  But I will work on it this week.  I plan to do this routine 4/7 days this week.

3)  Hell yeah.

4) Yep.

5) Less than 30 minutes.  Definitely do-able in a busy schedule.  I might try it first thing in the morning when I am not quite awake and don't realize the torture.

6) No extra equipment (with the exception of my kiddo taking pictures).  Very little space (ex: next to the laundry waiting to be put away...my next exciting event for this day).

All in all, not a bad little workout.  Of course, not comprehensive by any means.  But, a little something is better than nothing!  My favorite was the Hip Butt Ups.  Really awkward at first (and quite an obscene picture--don't want to attract THAT crowd), but I found it worked my core the most.  You can check out the work out at the link from my post on April 14.

Waffle, my little rescued dog, LOVES when I am on the floor. He can't help himself.  So, although the laundry is mentally distracting, Waffle is VERY distracting.  Oh well.  Doggie kisses make me happy.  :)

Till my next report!

Waffle is just WORN OUT watching me work my core.

Wait...mom?  You are on the floor????  Yes!  Time for some Waffle lovings!

My spoiled sweet boy (one of them, anyway).

Ok...So here is the deal. 

I am a working mother and wife.  I am constantly amazed and in awe of other women who work just as much as me, have more children, and are incredibly fit or are in better shape than they were in high school.  That is SO NOT me.

In reviewing pictures of a recent family vacation (see pic with Daisy Duck), I realized that I am not in many pictures.  And there is a reason:

1) I won't let go of the camera (I am a scrapbooker, people!)
2) When it comes down to it, I don't want any pictures of myself.

Hmmmmm...  Wake up call!  I am slowly accepting the fact that I don't want to be in pictures because I don't want to see myself!  How sad.  This is exactly the type of body image that I did NOT want to pass on to my children (which you can see by the picture do NOT take after me...they are stick thin).  See?  Wow.  I so automatically put myself down.

So this is how I got to a blog.  Thanks to a friend since 7th grade, Jessica, who pointed me in this direction, though I think she suggested something about a new recipe blog.  Oh well.  Sorry, Jess! :) 

Although I may comment on new recipes I try from time to time, I realize that the only way I am going to drop some poundage (and bra sizes) and get more fit is by a combination of the following:

1) move more.  This may include increasing my 3x/week walks even though my shin splints make my legs explode (excuse #1)
2) stop sneaking the Easter candy out of my boys' Easter basket (or Halloween bucket, or Christmas stocking...you get the idea).
3) Actually try to eat fresh fruits and (gasp) vegetables.  I grow a garden for goodness sakes.  I should start eating some of my produce instead of only making it for the kids and my husband!

I am sure there are MANY others, but this is at least a start for me.

So, here it is...my goal for this blog...  IF I get any followers, I am going to take fitness "challenges" or recipe "challenges" (be nice people!).  I will try the fitness plans for at least one week and comment on how easy it was to fit it into my daily routine, how I felt, etc.  I get bored easily, hence the one week schedule.  I know fitness is a greater commitment than one week, so that is why I hope to get suggestions of other fitness plans from followers.  I will be honest regarding the fitness plans (meaning how much they sucked or made me feel better...or both)...a working mom and wife's perspective!  I also hope to try new recipes that are more healthy.  I plan to feed them to my family, so the reviews will be thorough!

I promise to get over my aversion to pictures, and post pictures of me engaging in said fitness routines.  My husband doesn't know it yet, but he will act as the photographer.  What a bonding time!  :)

For my first fitness attempt, I am going to engage an ab and core workout I found on Pinterest of all places.  Here is the blog/website:  ab workout--Fitness Challenge #1

Here we go!  Well...I am starting tomorrow.  :)