Dancing to Lose Weight?!



Everyone.. if you have a Kinect and you want to burn some extra calories in a fun way.. you HAVE to get "Dance Central"!

 

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My FH bought it for me (along with a Kinect) as an early Christmas gift and I just played it today.. omg, you work up a sweat and it is SOOO fun! I was getting bored with doing the treadmill at home all the time and I get burned out on exercise dvd's, but.. I love to shake my booty, so I'm totally adding this in my exercise regime.

It even has a workout mode and you can put in your weight and it'll tell you how many calories you burn and in how much time when you "perform"! LOVE IT!

Just be aware that when it says to "freestyle" in the middle of the song, it records you and plays it back really quickly before the next part of the song comes on. I totally wasn't expecting that and I was caught picking my wedgie! LOL! Thank goodness I'm home alone right now!

 

 

When Boredom Strikes- DIY Edition #5

I realized I have failed on posting some diy projects. To be honest, I went hardcore with the planning and diying when we first got engaged that when we hit the one year mark last month I was like "we STILL have a YEAR?!" and I backed off planning. Not to mention.. it's all planned, it's just putting it together now.

Anyways, I got some 50% off coupons in my e-mail the other day from Michaels and thought that would be a good time to go and get some white feather boas and use those coupons so I can make my pew decor.

I was so excited to actually make these because I love feathers! But, when we got to Michael's, imagine my devastation when they had every color in the entire world but yet the white ones were out of stock.

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So, I did what any normal human being would do.. I kicked those fluffy non white colored boas and walked away. But.. as I was walking around the store trying to find something else to use my 50% off coupon on (I mean.. I HAD to use it, I was there and it was 50% off) I glanced back at an aisle and it was like the heaven's above opened up and shone done on this crate on the top of a shelf that was being used for a display.

You want to know what I seen peaking out of that crate?! A WHITE FEATHER BOA!! I was so excited, I made my fiance reach up there (and he barely could reach, it was THAT high) and pull the boa out of the crate! IT. WAS. MINE.

So, I bought that and some armour etch cream to etch our toasting glasses (that's another day). Yeah.. I may need 10 white feather boas, but I'll take the one for now. I mean.. why else would Jesus part the sky and shine his light down on that crate all the while with his angels singing a heavenly tune?

So.. I went home (after the gym) and decided to at least put the one together.

Here's my supplies:

I had bought those wooden circle things at JoAnn Fabrics and I painted them white. (It was cheaper than buying a white styrofoam wreath)

Here's the finished white feather wreath! I hot glued some white ribbon on it so I can tie it around the pew at the church.

Close up! It really is so much prettier in person!

Now.. I just have to get my hand on 9 more boas!

Weight Loss- One Month Update!

Today is the 4 week mark for when I started my new diet and exercise lifestyle..

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I've been keeping you all updated along the way, but I just wanted to check in and tell you all that I've lost 13 lbs in these 4 weeks.

Yes.. THIRTEEN pounds!! I'm so very happy with that number, especially because my goal for myself was 8-10lbs a month!! I've been doing a lot of weight training, too, and I can notice muscle building so I probably have lost more fat than those 13lbs, but since I'm building muscle, that's not going to show on the scale.

Not only that, but I've also finished my first week of my c25k (Couch to 5K) program today. I'll be moving on to week 2 on Thursday and am slightly dreading it (since I have to run longer), but also am very excited to be going on week 2.

 

And.. just to show you all how crazy I am, I'm going to share with you my workout schedule. (I'll include the weight size I'm doing as of now, but I'm always trying to up that number over time).

Monday- Home- C25k program on the treadmill.
                       Gym- Bench press- 70lbs, 3 sets of 15 reps.
          Dumbell row- 105lbs, 3 sets of 15 reps.
                Tricep pulldowns- 40lbs, 3 sets of 15 reps.
                Lat pulldowns- 75lbs, 3 sets of 15 reps.
              Front flys- 45lbs, 3 sets of 15 reps.
           Back flys- 45lbs, 3 sets of 15 reps.
             Shoulder raises- 40lbs, 3 sets of 15 reps.
          Side bends- 40lbs per arm, 3 sets of 15 reps per arm.
Biceps- 15lbs per arm, 3 sets of 15 reps per arm.

Tuesday- Gym- Leg extensions- 135lbs, 3 sets of 15 reps.
Leg curls- 105lbs, 3 sets of 15 reps.
Seated squats- 255lbs, 3 sets of 15 reps.
Calf exercises- 255lbs, 3 sets of 15 reps.
Abs- I lay one my back on the ground and hold onto my fiances ankles and slowly raise my legs and butt into the air towards him and he pushes my legs when they reach him and I have to control them and slowly lower them to the floor. We do 3 sets of 15 reps.
Cardio- Elliptical for 20 mins (soon to be 30)

Wednesday- Home- Boxing for 20 mins.

Thursday- Repeat what was done the whole day on Monday.

Friday- Repeat what was done the whole day on Tuesday.

Saturday- Home- c25k program on the treadmill.

Sunday- RELAXATION.

And THAT is my whole week in exercising...

 

 

Couch to 5K- Day 1

I meant to start my first day earlier this week, but I got about 6 mins into it and couldn't finish. I've been battling a bad sinus infection and I just couldn't breathe at all. So, I attempted to start again today since I'm feeling a LITTLE bit better.

It was rough and my calves were on fire... but, I finished it!! No pain, no gain, right?!

Yesterday, Derrick and I went out on a hunt for some new running shoes (well, running shoes for me, work shoes for him) since the running shoes I have now are like 4-5 years old (LOL! oops!). Shoe Carnival was having a buy 1 get one 1/2 off sale AND I had a $5 off coupon..so that's where we headed.

About a little over an hour later (HA! I'm severly indecisive!) and texting about 6 or 7 people (I needed their opinions) and drivng my fiance absolutely nutty looking at all the different shoes and going back and forth between two pair.. I walked out with these babies:

They are even more beautiful in person and they make my feet smile!

C25K & Weight Loss

For those who may not know, C2k5 means "couch to 5k". It's a program that pretty much trains you to go from being a couch potato, to being able to run a 5K.

I recently decided that I am going to sign up for a 5k this coming May and I'm going to use this program to help get me there. It's a nine week program that starts out with you running one minute intervals and works you all the way up to being able to run 30 mins straight.

Day 1 of this program will start tomorrow for me.. which, should be pretty interesting considering I'm battling a pretty nasty sinus infection at the moment. I'm not going to let that hold me back, I've downloaded some podcasts for some other people that used really great music (in my opinion) with little signals as to when you should walk and when you should run.

This program has also really helped people lose weight and I'm hoping I can see results with that as well.

So.. come May, I'm going to be participating in a 5k (and then eventually move up to a 10k and so forth)..

I may end up looking like this at the end....

...but dangit, I'm going to do it!

Also.. I forgot to do my "Lose Big Monday" update. I'm proud to say that during the Thanksgiving holiday I was able to stick with my diet and exercise (although, I had to miss 1 day at the gym because I was just too sick to function). And... this week I've lost 3 more pounds!!

So, my three week total brings me up to a total of 10 lbs lost! Heck yes!

I probably should have taken some before and after pictures.. but, I didn't. Oops.

Dress Help!

I keep going back and forth on a dress piece and I could really use the opinions.

As many of you know, I'm getting my wedding dress custom made that is inspired by a Maggie Sottero dress. (I think I've decided to scratch the big bow on the shoulder and just do the crystals.)

Anyways.. this is the dress that inspired it (for a reminder).

All photos courtesy of Maggie Sottero.

Now, my new debate (since I settle the bow or no bow debate.. I think).. is the bottom of the dress. It's not going to have that little train on it and the corset back is going to be high, but I'm not 100% sure if I want to leave the bottom the way it is in the picture of if I want some added pizazz.

My new bottom inspiration (photos courtesy of Maggie Sottero and.. google images, lol).

Please just pay attention to the bottom of the dresses (I know, there are 5 of them, but I wanted to get the full feel of them.) And here is a picture I pasted together of the top of the dress and bottom (plus excuse the hack job of cutting and pasting, lol.. it was a lot harder than I thought!)

So... to ruffle or not to ruffle.. that is the question...

The Could Have Been...

When I originally booked my photographer, I had really wanted to have engagement pictures taken this month. Why do you ask?

Because of a picture like this that is taken back towards my hometown:

See those twinkle lights and the building all lit up? Yeah, that's what I wanted (but maybe with like.. a black pea coat and a little bit of snow falling (LOL!)) You can't tell me that wouldn't make an EXCELLENT Christmas card!

Buttt.. my photographer is preggers with twinsies and has been on bedrest for over a month now and is due to have her two little boys anyday. Which means, I don't get to have my engagement pictures done until April.

And this picture will always be the "could have been" picture in my life. *sigh*