Great Work out and new swimsuit!

Did my final 'free' personal training session today. I used my LTBucks to join a T.E.A.M. class that was doing a treadmill routine that focuses on keeping you in heartrate zones 2&3 (fat burning zones). It was a really good workout! I was sweating a ton and the ladies in the class were all very nice and welcoming even though I was joining their 'group' for only one class. We could choose our own speed (in order to keep us in zones 2 and 3, but the trainer told us when to change our incline from 4-15 and also told us when to do weights or bands with our arms as we were walking. It was a really good workout and I wanted to do it so I could copy it at home on my own treadmill :) After class I did some of the machines that Treasa had showed me how to use. It was a little weird NOT doing a group fitness class while I was there, but that's ok. That's what I am trying to do, broaden my workouts and workout more effectively not just more exhaustedly. I am really hoping this pays off, because as I've said, I really don't want to be jumping around for the next 20 years, I would love to learn some new lower impact things that keep me in shape and keep me motivated and working out.  It was a good day.
Then it became even better when my package arrived from Land's End with a new swimsuit in it. I have been looking for the past year for suits that aren't matronly, but aren't showing cleavage. I don't even have big boobs, and even with my small cleavage I feel when I am around men other than my husband that there is too much showing (only stuff my hubby should see). I don't care if other mom's see it, I just don't like other men to see it. And I admit, I wear triangle top string bikinis when I am home at our own pool with no male guests almost all the time, because it allows me to get a fuller coverage tan and then when I wear a more concealing suit there are no untanned areas peaking out.  I also like bottoms that cover my cheekers! Which is impossible if you buy a suit intended for a 'junior', they all seem to be cut with the intention of letting cheeks peek out. ugh. Anyway, I have a booty, and I'm a mom, and I just don't like cheeks hanging out on anyone(I don't care how old u are! and on that topic I can't stand the new fad of wearing suits so small that not only your cheeks hang out , but your butt crack is intentionally showing too! gross! Kim Kardashian, this is NOT attractive!!!!)  Anyway, so I am always looking for good bottoms that cover and fit the hips of a WOMAN , not a 17 yr old who hasn't had kids yet! A few years ago I fell in love with Tommy Hilfiger suits because their bottoms did this (tops still show a bit too much cleavage for me, but I have several anyway). Well, this year when I went to buy some new ones I realized they must have changed the styling on the bottoms because they weren't as full coverage as before :(   I don't like spending a lot of money on swimsuits, in fact I usually buy at the outlet mall out of season and get each piece for between $5 and $10. But I was having such difficulting finding the coverage I wanted, that I ventured into online swimsuit shopping (scary! since u can't try it on!!!)   Land's End has a good return policy that u can return to a local Sears store and not have to pay return shipping. They were recently running a special of $20 off plus free shipping, so I ordered some stuff to give it a try, knowing if it doesn't work out I can return it for free (love Zappos this way, but they don't carry Land's End  and usually don't have much in the line of sales, although I did order about 20 pieces of swimwear recently from them and returned all of them, blah!)
So I see this suit in Land's End that is on sale and it has full coverage bottom AND a top that has a few inches of fabric between the band on the top and the cups. I've realized that if most tops just connected the fabric at this middle point it would cut out the cleavage I am trying to conceal. I was excited to see the style and I liked the pattern, plus it has some little nautical ties that make it cute.  I LOVE IT! Here is a picture, because even though I don't look perfect in it, I am super happy with it and the fit! It achieves my goal so I am willing to share my picture(even though I'm working on losing 10 pounds still) I am even posting the not super flattering rear shot (really HOW flattering can a behind picture be when you've got junk in the trunk like me? ;) ha ha, but I'm ok with showing you, because I think this suit is great and good enough to wear in front of  men besides my hubby and not feel weird.  Plus I think the top is secure enough to do water sports and not run the risk of readjusting or slipping out.  Great suit! Loved it so much I went back on line tonight to try to buy it in more colors, but sadly they are out. Hopefully they will carry this same cut, in new prints/colors next year :) fingers crossed!

Personal Training opening my eyes to other avenues

Today I did my second personal training session at Lifetime Fitness. It was the first workout I did where absolutely NO group fitness classes were involved. I used to think it was crazy when my husband or other people I know would say "whoa I had a big workout today!" and I knew they were just lifting weights or doing machines. I really only thought you could get a big intense sweaty workout when you were jumping around, such as in a group fitness class or running. Well, I was wrong. Today I felt what they felt when they said it was 'hard'. I did the machines with my trainer showing me how to use them (the main reason I have never used them in the past, because I was intimidated and didn't know how to work most of them). Well, there were points on certain machines where I had sweat dripping in my eyes and I kept grabbing my towel to mop up...so obviously you CAN get a good workout without having to take a fitness class that causes you to do burpees or jump from the floor to the ceiling!   This is great news. As I've gotten older (I am 41 now) I have been realizing that I don't want to be 'jumping around' till I'm 60, yet, I still want good workouts to stay in shape. Learning to work within my target heartrate zone (fat burning), as I spoke about before, and learning to do workouts that involve more weights and machines instead of bootcamp and high intensity stuff, as well as trying to incorporate more fat burning activities into my life , MAY be the ticket that allows me to keep in shape as I age, but not 'overwork' out and thus see no results, AND maybe lessen the effect of gravity with all that jumping and running. Let's face it, when u look at a serious runner who is older, its not a pretty sight. Their skin is sagging all over the place from all that jarring motion. That same jarring motion u get from a lot of fitness classes. Say NO to the SAG! ha ha.  Anyway, hope it doesn't sound lazy, but its just not possible or important for me to be jumping around 20 years from now. I've heard lots of people talk about the benefits they see from pilates and yoga and that they are becoming more toned than when they did all that jumpy stuff.  I admit its hard for me to really enjoy that yoga stuff (still to slow for me), but I am trying to keep giving it a shot as I  think it probably really does have good benefits. Well, that's my thoughts for today. Oh by the way, I saw yesterday on one of my emails from the fitness manager here at Lifetime that there are now 116 (!) classes each week! Wow, its amazing. Obviously, I will still do classes, but it is so great to have so many options. Just like I was saying if I want to do a group class but don't want to do the jumpy kind, there are SO MANY other ones to choose from including weights, hot yoga, core, etc. Awesome choices! If you have a Lifetime fitness near you and are looking for a gym I highly recommend u check them out. They are awesome! 
Learning today to use more of the machines also gives me the option of doing that after my first class during these summer months when the kids are with me (there isn't enough childcare hours allowed to do 2 full classes unless one of them is 30min, or I leave early). So I can do one class and then do machines till my time runs out in the childcare area. We have used the pool with the girls a couple times, but still haven't been there when the slides or outdoor cafe are open. We will be there Fri, so weather permitting we will hopefully be able to enjoy that amenity as well. Especially since that was one of the main reasons I even considered joining Lifetime (something fun for the kids to make up for bringing them to the gym day care)...of course that's not why I'm staying,....everything else has totally hooked me, but that was one of the original reasons I contemplated changing gyms. Well, I am sitting out by our pool watching my girls swim and play Mermaids as I am typing this, gotta love wi-fi  :P

5 pounds down, 4 days in

I have tried something new that my friend is using and selling. It's called Plexus Slim. Its not a cleanse, a meal replacement shake, or a diet per se. Its a supplement you take once a day before a meal. It tastes great (u mix it with water), and it is made of all natural ingredients. It gives u more energy (although I don't really notice that) and it curbs your appetite and cravings (I DO notice that!)  In fact, I started it Sunday morning, and its only Wed night and I am already down 5 pounds! My husband is taking it too and only down 2 or 3 , so he is complaining that my weight is yo-yo 'ish. Hey, if its going down, and quickly(!) I'm not complaining! I feel good and no bad side effects, so its interesting. If you want some let me know and I'll give u the website and my friend's code to put in when u order it. Its about $100 for a 30day supply. I am looking forward to seeing how well and how long this works.
Although on a similar note (weight), I will always admit that I was never comfortable wearing those black stretchy workout pants that so many people wear, until about a year ago when I decided that 'you know what, almost no one looks perfect in those things so I can quit being so hard on myself and just wear them anyway even though I don't thing I look perfect in them, no one else does either!'  So today, when I put them on I was reminded again by the mirror that my thighs touch in the middle and I don't like that....well, while at the gym today I noticed  every lady I looked at who was wearing them (even trainers) had the same issue (thighs get wider right there in the middle of your legs). So maybe its not really a huge issue. Maybe its just being a woman (not a 19 year old teenager, because let's face it, lots of them don't have that issue).  Oh well, I will take what I can get and be happy with it no matter what. It sort of stinks that the aging process is beginning to show more sagging and cellulite, but what can you really do? you can't get younger!!!!!


I guess I sort of rabbit-trailed there for a minute, I will keep u posted on the Plexus Slim.