YoYo Scale...Day 15, 16

No pain No LOSE. I have no problem with pain, especially when it's pain to drop that extra weight that's been hanging on for way too long. The sequence of Days 11-19 is freaking killing me. I hate it. No really. I HATE IT. I also hate that Miss Tracy is smiling through it, mocking me for my weakness and lack of grace. Just kidding T. Not kidding about still hating this damn sequence. And I thought 1-10 was taking a long time!!!!

My foot feels better-- I have continued daily with muscular structure work, but have been taking it easy on cardio ever since my foot started aching on Friday. I did 20 minutes of cardio Friday, 40 minutes Saturday, break Sunday and break Monday. (I did finish the mat work for those days though....)

So, today, going to attempt another 40 minute cardio dance sprint-- and knock out the mat work too. I'm heading outside to do it in the heat, hoping that will not only sweat off these pounds, but I'll be done with all working out before JP gets home.

I have to find the Weight Watcher's scale...my old as hell manual scale reads 160 still, but as soon as I shifted my heels just a bit, it went down to 150. What joy if my weight really was 150!!!

Late Night Finish L1 Day 14

Aside from walking the dogs, no cardio at all today to rest my aching foot. I did get through Day 14-- and at midnight! Atleast I finished. I am exhausted.

4 day hiatus and now pain...

4 days of nothing. No cardio. No mat. No META. No Omni. Nothing but wine, cheese, and lots of food, chocolate and crap. I gained back 3 of the 5 pounds I had lost. Back to 163. Now, as I crawl, heave and claw my way back onto the wagon, my foot starts aching...and I mean, aching. After 2 incidents in the last 2 years of breaking the metatarsals in my left foot, it caught my attention, big time. PLEASE, God of all things Teeny Tiny, PLEASE do not let this be happening again! I cannot afford to be immobile-- from cardio to cooking!!!!

I'm going to take a bath, some Advil, and hope that it's only the rain that is making my damn foot hurt. I really, really, will freakin' kill someone if I have to sport another cast for months on end.

Diet was good today-- some coffee, a cup of berries (raspberries/blueberries) and a chicken breast. A nibble of rice when I cooked JP's dinner...probably will make another chicken breast for later. Craving protein for some reason.

Cramps, Cardio and Capping it off with Cabernet...Omni Day 12

The dreaded Aunt Flow has been especially horrible since I stopped taking the pill....My cramps have been debilitating the last 24 hours, so I was very impressed (GO ME!) with my ability to get through an hour of cardio and the entire Omni series. I discovered a very cool Asian site with a bunch of never before seen Tracy clips-- some of which have been deleted, unfortunately. I assume the "TAM police" monitor the internet and take down video postings because they don't want people to get away with not buying the actual DVD's. This is totally understandable, but a bummer nevertheless for those of us who have to tighten our belts financially, so to speak-- and have tighter belts, indicating even more of a need for TAM material!!

I took a hot bath after what felt like an eternity working out-- I went straight through Day 12 Omni, 20 minutes of Bootcamp Cardio, then took a break and finished with 40 minutes of the rogue cardio video...(I must find a way to import into imovie before it's removed!!)

Diet was good until dinner-- I had 2 boiled eggs, a tortilla with avocado, homemade salsa and tomato, and then breaded shrimp-- which is a delish recipe I have- with rice and caeser salad. The calories added up with the 2 margaritas and 3 glasses of red wine. Damn dinner and cocktails always get me! Hopefully with my girlfriend Kelley leaving tomorrow, I will be cutting down on the vino and ramping up the cardio. I'm not sure whether it was the length of my workout (done in the heat outside, by the way), the fact that I'd eaten more minimally during the day, or just my body chemistry (Aunt Flo), but I got DRUUUUUUUUNKY McDrunkerson! So much so, that I literally had to put down my glass and go right to bed! I woke up this morning way later than usual (9:30am as opposed to 6-7am) and will have to fit my workout in this afternoon.

The good news is that I think I've been consistent enough this go round that I will be sticking with the Meta Series till the end. Days 11-20 are a freaking killer. I had to stop 3 times through the last exercise-- the half triangle thingy. UGGGGH. Tracy looks simply glowing as she does it, smiling throughout. I wanted to kill her.

Actually, I just want her to kill these pesky 18 pounds!!!! Have not gotten on a scale in 3 days-- I'll step on it tomorrow morning. Still trying to find the damn Weight Watcher's scale! I did take measurements the other day, and will do so again at then end of this 10 day series.

Fairy Dust, bring it on!

Day 11....Finally.

Over the last few months, I have stopped and started and stopped and re-started AGAIN, the first 10 days of Metamorphosis Omni. Finally, blissfully, I made it through (not exactly STRAIGHT through-- as in, not 10 days in a row....but when I skipped a day, I made up for it. Basically, I did actually do the routine 10 times-- it just took me closer to 20 days!!)

OK, so onto Day 11...and more committed than ever. Weight still locked in at 160, but a 5 pound loss in the first tier of the program still makes me happy. Getting more consistent with the diet will be the trickier part. Ending the day yesterday with a baguette drenched in butter and parmesan cheese is not exactly on the TA menu! I'm also hoping to knock out the workout early today--- it's officially 9:30am. MUST POWER THROUGH! I will update later.

Miss Excuse of the Method, Level 1 days 9, 10....scratch that. Do over.

Excuses, excuses...I feel the disapproving glance of Tracy every time I come up with an excuse to skip a workout. Which I did, not once, not twice, but THREE times in the last 4 days. Stress. Work deadlines. Friends in town. Tired. UM, not gonna see results, Mistress of the Method. I am re-naming myself MISS EXCUSE OF THE METHOD.

Back on track today-- I guess it qualifies as Day 9 of Level One, and 40 minutes of cardio. I'm going to make every effort to bump it up to an hour of cardio a day--- as many days a week as possible. I'm curious whether maximum results come from 2 full hours a day-- and would it be best to double up on Omni or combine with Perfect Design or the original Mat DVD? I'm going to ask my fave BFF and TA follower....

THIGHSPACE and THIGHVICTION Level 1 Days 8 & 9

love this random thigh pic!
Thighspiration: Gwyneth

Weight has stayed steady at 160--- in light of the not so moderate portions and the, um, ample servings of wine at dinner, I'm just glad the number hasn't creeped back up to 165!

I've found that working out in front of a mirror (even when the dreaded cottage cheese is visible) is extremely effective in terms of connecting with your body and "performing," as Tracy herself would say. I went to Marshall's and picked up some very cute workout gear (booty shorts/spandex undies) and some sports bras on sale. The problem is, as much as I like the gear, there is no hiding the thighs--- specifically, there is no hiding the thighs that are RUBBING TOGETHER during dance cardio. I'm referring to what is also known as THIGHSPACE. I consulted the Urban Dictionary, and this is the exact definition, albeit a bit crass:

THIGHSPACE

This is the really hot little space between a slender, well shaped young woman's upper thighs. It's the gap under her vagina between her legs. At the beginning of James Bond movies, where you see sexy chick's silhouettes, this is where guys are focused if not on the tits ass, or legs. If a girl isn't skinny, her thighs will probably touch when she stands or walks. This is not as desirable.

joe: yo dude, check out jane!

john: yeah, man, that chick is a salad eater...

joe: how can you tell, dude?

jack: can't you tell, bro, it's her thighspace!

john: exactly...

joe: man, i gotta tell jill to lay off the chocolates...

So, to put it bluntly, my Thighspace needs more gap, less touching! I would like to note, though, that needing some more Thighspace is definitely more appealing than THIGHRICTION (the sound generated when thighs rub together) or, even worse, THIGHSCRAPER (describing the large size of a person's thighs, the close proximity of which causes them to scrape together as they walk).

I am officially coming up with a new word to add to the Urban Thigh Anthology:

THIGHVICTION

The commitment to slenderizing thighs with the Tracy Anderson Method, done with conviction.

joe: yo dude, check out parker's thighs! They look so much more slender and shapely!

john: yeah, man, that chick turned on some serious thighviction to get those results!

My thighspiration (Yes, I made that one up too-- what can I say, I'm a wordsmith!!) is the lovely Gwyneth, my favorite TAM poster girl.

No Cottage Cheese Please! Omni (Day 7 Level 1)

A good TAM friend of mine was just telling me that her results were taken to a new level when she started doing her workouts in a heated room. She jacks her thermostat up to 87 degrees and after regular workouts in a sweltering apartment, all of the sudden she noticed that the cottage cheese on her thighs was disappearing. Brilliant. I don't think my man would appreciate higher electric bills than we already have, so I opted for an alternative. I have the benefit of a huge backyard with a pool and patio that is completely private, so I can take advantage of the (still 90 degree) early September heat. Mid-day at the height of the humid, sticky heat, I hauled my laptop and DVD's, 3 pound weights, yoga mat, and full length mirror to the concrete area next to the pool and started Day 6 of my Level 1 Omni workout. Everything was going swimmingly (no pun intended) until I looked up at the mirror to check my form. What the....I looked closer. There was no denying it. There was more cottage cheese revealed in the harsh light of day than the entire dairy section of Publix. I forced myself to watch my cottage cheesey dimpled skin as I contorted myself into the various mat exercises. I was actually relieved when it started to rain and I was forced to move my workout inside-- and into the more forgiving light of my basement. I managed to get through the whole 30 minutes of MS, then powered through all of Dance Cardio '08. That is still my favorite cardio video!

Food started out well--- I've been cooking up a storm for company this week, so when I made a Mexican egg casserole with Chorizo and Cheddar cheese yesterday morning, I only had a small portion which I didn't even finish. Snacked on watermelon after my workout. Dinner was not as disciplined. I made my Bourbon BBQ chicken wings with onion rings, Man salad (a hot dressing made with sour cream, blue cheese, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and bacon!) and blackened shrimp on corn bread. I didn't have the salad (probably the unhealthiest element of the dinner!) but did indulge in the wings (3) (although they are baked) and the shrimp/cornbread. Only a couple onion rings. Then, added insult to injury by topping it off with a big bowl of low fat Reeses Peanut Butter cup ice cream with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. OH, and lest we forget, the, uh, bottle of red that I polished off during the feast. In the midst of food/wine/ice cream stuffed guilt, I hoped that atleast the workout might have neutralized the damage done!

This morning, feeling a bit groggy from a food coma and the 1 mg xanex, provided by my favorite houseguest, I stepped on the scale, hoping that it didn't budge past 165!!!! Relief when the scale read 160. Maybe these last 2 days of workouts have made more of a difference than I thought they would!

Also, took pics (after my workout, before the gourmet gorge-- and note: not in the hideous cottage cheese revealing daylight!) In general, I do feel slightly firmer everywhere, even if I'm still 20 pounds heavier than my goal weight. I am really ready to get through these first 10 days. I've started and stopped this level atleast 4 times, so it will be a triumph to officially move on the days 11-20!

Danger Zone: Scale Tips 165 (Day 6, Level 1)

I know numbers aren't supposed to dictate your life, your confidence, your sense of self or what your breakfast is going to be.....but this is a call to action, big time. I, currently, Mistress of Muffin Tops and Mucho Nachos, must come face to face with Tink, herself....Tracy Anderson, I am committing my 25 pounds of excess to your method. It starts TODAY. I've been doing Metamorphosis Omni on and off-- but I am back on the wagon. Despite having a friend in town for the next few days, I will be committing to an hour of cardio and an hour of MS work, eating as clean as possible with a house guest. Serving her carrot-parsnip puree is sort of out of the question!! Time to feel the burn....My family is coming to visit at the end of October and culinary school starts the following week (November 7!) MUST be back in fighting trim form by then. I'm really ready.