Weight Update: My Journey to Circuit Training

May 31, 2018

 
It's been a while since I last had a weight update -- you can find them here -- and a lot has changed since then. The last time I shared my weight with you, I was 126lbs. I never fluctuated much from there. The lowest I reached was 125lbs, and, up until the summer of last year, I had really started to plateau in terms of what exercise was doing for my body and I was starting to get bored. 

In August 2017 I started to really step up how many reps I was doing after being inspired by some really toned people, and in November of the same year, my sister-in-law invited me to her Cross Fit class as part of an open house. I was fortunate to already have some of the muscles necessary in order to keep up, but that class had me beat by the end and I was moved in a different direction of working out.

My workouts always consisted of working on each muscle group, and keeping my body strong -- especially my legs and core -- so that my running wouldn't mess up my knees, but I did high reps and no sets. The Cross Fit class inspired me to start doing lower reps with multiple sets, and so I started doing research on different exercises that I could do at home to work my muscles without getting bored by doing the same thing over and over while saving some money by doing it all at home.

My workout always consists of arms (10 push ups, 15 tricep dips, 10 dumbbell swings), legs (20 lunges, 10 sumo squats, 20 single leg dead lifts), core (15 boat pose sit ups, 15 sit ups, 10 leg lifts) or all three (10 burpies, 10 inchworm push ups, 12 renegade rows), and I push myself to do my circuit as many times as I can within a 10-15 minute time span -- which is usually between 6-10 times. That means I'm doing 60-100 pushups within a short amount of time, and there are so many different things I can do in multiple combinations that my workouts are never boring, plus it only takes 10 minutes out of my day. Sometimes I also like to throw in some sprints on the treadmill as another way of mixing it up.

It didn't take me long to notice the results in my body, and, although I have gained about 5lbs, my clothes fit looser than before I started gaining. I am proud of the progress that I have made, and the strength that has come with it. I have come a long way from the person that I was 6 years ago, and I am ready to enter the realm of 35 with a body that is more powerful than it has ever been and can help me keep up with my family.



*Remember, I am not an expert on nutrition, nor am I a trainer, but this workout has helped me lose fat and gain muscle. If you are looking to lose weight, do your research and get some ideas from the experts. It's not going to happen unless you try.


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The Drama Behind Planting Fruits and Vegetables

May 29, 2018


I have a small garden that I plant every year, and, because of the size of my garden, I like to do something called companion planting where I strategically plant my fruits and vegetables based on which plants help them grow, and which ones hinder their growth.

While looking through the list of fruits and vegetables on the chart in the link I shared above, I noticed I was writing things like "strawberries don't like potatoes or tomatoes" and "carrots like tomatoes", and it made me think that these sentences would make a funny little book about the drama between fruits and vegetables. 

So, I decided to draw them up, and here are the results. I hope you had as much fun looking through them as I had drawing them and photographing them.

Do you have a garden this year? Have you ever done companion planting?



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Now He Is 7

May 17, 2018


We celebrated his birthday two weekends in a row this year. The first was Easter weekend with family, and the second was with his friends from school, the day home he goes to, and from the neighbourhood. 

It's exciting to see how his relationships are evolving and what he does to keep engaging with people. He recently started going off on his own to neighbors' homes and biking to the park with friends. It's a strange feeling that accompanies sending him off on his own. I can't believe we are already at this part of life. Sometimes I want my little boy back, and I wish I held onto those earlier years more -- which most of us wish, I'm sure.

This year has seen a lot of changes besides going off on his own. He has learned how to read, and we are really excited when we look back at how far he has come. From struggling with sight words to reading books sent home from school that have much more text than they used to. He also had his first introduction to research when his class set up a zoo and taught other classes that came to visit all about the animals that they studied. He taught me things I never knew about crabs -- which was everything because I really knew nothing about crabs.

What makes me the most proud, as I watch him grow, is how kind and considerate he is towards other people. He will stop to help anyone, and shows genuine concern for people that get hurt. He is a thoughtful boy, and it makes me excited to see what kind of person he will become.




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What We Love: Spring 2018

May 09, 2018


This bomber jacket has been a staple in our wardrobe since we've been allowed to ditch the winter coat -- you can find similar ones here. It's warm when we need it to be, but not so warm that we can't wear it on a hotter day in the shade. Love it!



This song is our new jam. Since hearing it the other day on the Barefoot Beach Chill station on Google Play, it has been on repeat. We even had a dance session with the dog in our kitchen. He was not as thrilled as we hoped he would be. This song starts out so beautiful and chill and then heads into some really cool beats that give amazing vibes.



This little slingshot from the shop desEnfantillages is perfect to help get everyone in the mood to get back outside now that the snow is gone for good -- fingers crossed. It would also be good to have on a rainy day where you're stuck inside and looking to have a slingshot battle.



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