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"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing...kissing a lot. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls."
Audrey Hepburn


Thursday, June 16, 2011

Trimming Up


Gheesh. Where did Spring go? Summer has hit us with a full frontal assault, here in Tennessee. The heat has been bad but with the humidity, 90 degrees feels like an easy 120. All I wanna do is hit the pool but after having delivered my 4th baby in January and after 5 months of almost NO regular exercise, hiding seems to be the easier option.

Since my teens, I've always been very regimented with my workout routine. I had a membership to the local gym just before I got married and after I married, I started working out at home. I invested in a good quality aerobic 'step' (the popular thing in the 1990's) and some free weights. I also participated in group Kickboxing, Jazzercise, and Water Aerobics. When we moved to the country, a local gym wasn't an option so I went back to my tv workout, using Fit Tv as my motivator. I also purchased more equipment, including a stability ball and pilates mat.

Now we live in town again but the budget (for a family of six) simply doesn't allow for a gym membership. In addition, Fit Tv is no longer an option with our current cable service. So I fell off my routine and noticed that the weight I dropped so quickly after giving birth, was creeping back. After much reworking of the budget, I realized that the most cost effective way for me to get back in shape (considering the fact that the kids would be difficult to tote along on a daily strolls around the neighborhood) would be to invest in a few good exercise videos. I did well following the routines of Cathe Frederich on Fit Tv. Her programs are extremely challenging but can also be tailored to your individual fitness level. The music is upbeat, the environment is basic, and her personality does not annoy me. This is an important point since I will likely be watching her often.

I checked her website and discovered there were many videos I had never seen, in spite of the fact that others had aired repeatedly on Fit Tv. So I chose one that included a weight training segment and an intermediate step routine. Though 'Step' is somewhat 'dated' now, I find that my thin legs benefit from this type of exercise. After a month, I plan to purchase another video and incorporate it into my week as well. Not an ideal situation, but I'll certainly keep you posted on my progress.

Drinking water and cutting out refined and pre-packaged foods has always been the most full-proof way for me to slim down, in the past, so I also plan to do that. Feel free to dish about what YOU do for fitness, in the comments. I'd love to hear it...

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The time has also come for another kind of 'trimming up'. The hair must come off. The heat is getting to me and I'm tired of resorting to various buns and ponytails in order to keep it off of my neck. Last night, I wore a complex looking chignon with a sweater twin set, pencil skirt, and horn rimmed glasses. My husband said I looked like Ginger Grant from Gilligan's Island, when she was pretending to be a librarian.

Anyway, I'm anxious to try out some styles I have had requested and to finally get some good finger waving practice in. I am taking two photos to the salon with me, of styles I'd like to try wit the cut, and hopefully I'll also be able to film the process. My hair is to my bra strap right now...so this will be pretty drastic.


Change is good!

xxoo,
Ashley

22 comments:

Spinneretta said...

Can't wait to see it :)
As to fitness- Oxygen magazine! Their website has lots of videos and there is always a good workout in there :)
Added to that is clean eating and you are good to go :)

Julia said...

Can't wait to see the new do!!! I have an asymmetrical bob that is slightly shorter in the back.. and I've been looking high and low for some vintage hair tutorials that I can work with my short cut. Thank Goodness for you Miss Ashley!!!♥♥♥

Candace Lynn Grubbs said...

i started working out last yr and i just workout at home. ive lost 24 pounds so far. use the wii sports active 2 about 4 times a week. i also do jillian michaels workouts i tried the 1st day of 30 day shred yesterday my arms are so sore today! i got 8 pound weights also. oh and i have a fitbit that tracks your steps,cals burned and your sleeping patterns. i also count my cals on myfitnesspal.com. i have used a lot of cal count sites i like this one.

Lonnie said...

i'm curious, because i live in NY city where the humidity is also brutal (seven year itch was 100% spot on) what are the best products to protect my do from the humidity and sweating out my set?

Unknown said...

Amen, sista! We're in southern AL and this heat is no joke. Taking a walk with the kids is almost impossible because of the oppressive humidity. What I've tried is Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. She uses strength and cardio and she gets results! She's mildly irritating but I feel its justified considering you can lose up to 20lbs in 30 days. Plus the entire workout is 26mins long. I am not good at starting an exercise routine so that has been the only drawback for me. Good luck with your beach body!

Anonymous said...

Wow, I love that first haircut picture. Lovely. It'll be a big change but sometimes changes like that are perfect :)

Stephanie Lynn said...

I've been bike riding lately. And I found that there's actually a really extensive set of bike trails near where I live so I've been hitting those. I also have a couple of free weights at home to do weight lifting (mostly arms). Hope your trims go well. ;)

amz said...

I love Netflix for workout DVDs because you can try them out before you buy them. Also, the site, CollageVideo.com has great user reviews of different workout DVDs and lists how long each segment of the workouts last.

PinkJasmines said...

I love Cathe! She's amazing. I could burn some dvds for you if you'd like. Right now I'm obsessed with Physique 57. Its a total body workout without any jumping or high impact cardio which is great for me since I live on the 3rd floor.

I seriously need to get back on the workout wagon, thanks for the reminder :)

Spiffy Tomato said...

I play roller derby at the local skate arena (Mid-Michigan Derby Girls). It keeps me in good shape, and the women there are pretty awesome, so that keeps me going. Plus, it gets me out of the house, and it's cheaper than a gym (not including the initial equipment purchase). Now that's it's summer, I'm taking my skating outdoors. That's free, and fun to do with the husband and kids too.

Amanda Awesome said...

I'm in Texas, I feel your pain. I usually work out at home as well. I don't know what cable service you have, but I know that Comcast/Xfinity offers free workout programs on their OnDemand service. It's a really great way to find new routines and mix up your workouts so that you don't get bored.

Vera Von Vixen said...

I love to run, but in Kansas the humidity is just like Tennessee, unbearable. I use Pilates DVDs, I have free weights and I do circut reps, to keep the heart racing while doing weights. My mom is a fitness specialist, so having her helps too :)

I cut my hair off last summer and am growing it back now. I wish I could've seen all the boss styles you're going to create last year!

Funky Punky said...

I think your new hair looks fantastic! Looking forward to seeing the fingerwaving (possibly the most glamorous hairstyle yet!!)

By the way girls, I'm selling some clothes and shoes for a great deal since I'm moving soon:

http://pinkycanela.blogspot.com/

MOVE ITEMS TO BE ADDED!

Melissa said...

I am a total work out at home girl. Besides Zumba (if you can get to a class they are so fun and have videos too), I LOVE TurboFire, Chalean Extreme and Cathe too. The IMAX Cathe videos are really good and challenging. Chalean Extreme is a great one for weights.

Also agree with Oxygen magazine---it's one of my all time faves and has good recipes even my hubby will eat.

Roanna said...

i'm loving the 10 minute rapid results pilates DVD I got from Amazon...Lara Hudson is great! It's really hot where I live too (Milan, Italy)...but it doesn't compare to Philly where I grew up...just here we don't have air conditioning! Love your blog!
Roanna

Solea said...

it may sound funny, but I workout at home to "T-Tapp", which has a basic 15 min workout and a very challenging 50 min workout. It's not dancing or tapping, but a mix of cardio/strength that you do at the same time. Check out the T tapp website. Very good for inch loss!

Hello Jodi said...

I recently lost about 15 pounds or so by watching what I eat, but I found this woman in the process:
http://www.leighpeele.com/
and LOVE her. I'm not a member of her site but I can highly recommend her podcasts. Very no-nonsense and against absolutes: nothing works for everyone, it's all about finding what works for you. Until I listened to her it hadn't occurred to me that exercise just makes me hungrier. So I skipped the exercise (outside of some walks here and there) and concentrated on my diet and voila! The weight came off much faster. Now that I'm at the weight I want to be, I'm adding back in activity to get a better shape. But, once again, that doesn't work for everyone. She is just really good at throwing ideas around and looking for solutions.
Best of luck!

Lilly said...

Jillian Michaels DVDs - she's tough, but it's a quick workout. She only requires two 3lb dumbbells and a lot of energy!

vintage_kitten said...

We are having the same heat here in south carolina.We have had no rain as well so we are starting to get forest fires.Terrible here.Your new haircut looks great.I don't work out much.I used to in my 20's always found those dorky abs and legs of steel really worked.Now I use the Wii work out ones.It's amazing that just a game makes you use muscles you forgot you had.lol.

Bonnie Von Voyage said...

I do acrobatic pole dance, and have for the past nearly three years. It's so amazing for upper body and core strength, plus I have so much fun at it that it doesn't feel like a workout. I've determined to share the love with as many people as possible. Between that and eating better, I've lost the 20+ pounds I put on after getting married, and I still bake a ton of sweets.

MzVamp said...

I workout at home as well and actually I prefer it to the gym. So much cheaper! I usually buy my videos at collagevideo.com where you can preview clips of the videos before purchasing them and I think it's great! A lot of their videos are only $10 or so, depending on what you purchase of course, but are very affordable. :)

ketz said...

I have an irregular bob that is a little bit smaller in the returning.. and I've been looking great and low for some classic locks guides that I can perform with my brief cut.

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