Tuesday, January 31, 2012

How to share files up to 2 gigs

If you go to
www.filemail.com
you will see this screen



You just enter the screen address for whomever you want to receive the filemail link for the file to download then upload your file(s) up to 2 gigs in size. The file(s)will be available for 3 days. Individual files can be downloaded up to 10 times as well as a zip file if multiple files are uploaded.

Freemake Video Converter Directions

After downloading Freemake Video Converter from www.Freemake.com
This is what you will see when you open the program



You can then
Click on *Video* to add a video file found on your puter
and/or Click on *DVD* to add a video file directly off a dvd
and/or Click on *Paste URL* to download from youtube and whatever URL you last copied will be listed.
(to copy a url, right click the url to highlight the url then choose copy.

You can list as many video files as you want to convert/save or burn from any of these sources. However, You cannot edit an internet video file till after it is downloaded onto your pc or other storage device (dvdr, flash drive, external hard drive, etc.).
Before converting or burning the video files from your pc or a dvd, you can edit the name of any file, play the file, trim the file while playing it (remember to press *OK* to save the trimmed clip), choose the file's audio option, etc.
I, recently discovered that if I chose the second audio option when ripping a dvd with a music louder option that I could then get that option.

When you are done editing, you can save and convert any of the above files to any format you want on the bottom of the screen (tip: make yourself a new folder for the converted files on your desktop or wherever you like to store your video files) or burn the file(s) directly onto a dvdr.
(One other tip if you are planning to play the burned dvdr on a Play Station2 instead of a dvd player, choose MP2 as your target audio.)
For more information, check the *How To* clips under Freemake's Help menu.
It is so much simpler and faster than any other software I have tried and unlike most, totally free, not just a free trial.

Knee likes to Bend when bouncing

I started this morning with the online Advanced Bellicon workout led by the Cardiolates twin sisters and my knee didn't like their straight knee bouncing style at all. So after applying some Arnica gel, I did the 7 minute bonus from Strong Knees and some ball massaging. Then I was able to do some Barefoot Dancer without wincing.

I am trying to fidget more throughout the day and have a bunch of Oldies saved on Freemake's Music Box which keeps me chairdancing while at the pc.

Casino Win/Loss Statements

Well the 2011 Win/Loss statements are available from The Borgata and the AC Total Rewards CET casinos (Harrahs, Showboat, Ballys, Caesars) and the differences from previous years is extraordinary. Our losses have been cut by 66%! Yup, we are losing only 1/3 of what we used to lose and still earning another year of Black Label status at The Borgata! Much of the difference comes from the generous bonus slot dollars at The Borgata plus much looser slots.

For almost the same amount of losses at both CET and The Borgata, DH achieved Black Label at The Borgata and Platinum at CET. Since switching most of our play from CET to The Borgata, we have saved thousands of dollars. CET's decision to charge for their Diamond Lounges just about paid for our new car. When considering what we are saving on food and nightly room taxes/fees, the switch covers our gas and tolls as well. Thank you CET for your worse business decision which turned into our best Total Rewards benefit.
OK I do play DH's card at The Borgata but I used to play his CET card too. I play the slot machines while DH prefers RaceTrack simultcast betting.
For my play on my cards which showed almost identical losses at CET and The Borgata, I get no offers at CET but am still offered weekly bonus downloads and comped rooms at The Borgata. Cannot compare how much better we have been eating at The Borgata. Plus we have always been offered comped summer rooms at The Borgata even when not Black Label while CET always greatly limited summer comped rooms, even when we were both Diamond??
So it doesn't matter whether one is
CET Platinum and Borgata Red Label like me
or CET Diamond and Borgata Black Label like DH,
when comparing food quality, expenses, losses, and comps
The Borgata does it much better.
Any regular recreational AC gambler really needs to stop drinking the CET kool aid and wake up and smell the coffee at The Borgata. It tastes much better and costs way less.

OK I do have to hear the crappy music being played in the casino at The Borgata but there is always hope that one day somebody with some authority will actually listen and hear what their patrons' ears have to tolerate.

ETA: Still cannot believe how our gambling dollars last 5 times longer at The Borgata! Anyone who plays penny slots regularly at Harrahs instead of The Borgata really needs a reality check.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Gliding Disks at the desk

This morning I did most of the Bellicon Beginner Part2 workout that the Cardiolates twins had online on the bungee till I developed a wierd pain or two which Arnica resolved. This routine definitely worked my body, especially the legs and feet differently with a heel raised form of mostly healthbouncing.

Then I did another Barefoot Dancer and really liked the warmup and even some of the floor stretch which is totally out of character for me.

Then I started to revisit Gin Miller's Power Abs using a 3 lb kettlebell instead of a medball and really liked it even more than I had remembered. Most movements are slow and controlled yet there are cardio intervals tossed in as well.


Last evening, DS was looking for a way to keep moving when at the pc so I suggested trying my gliding disks because I had tried an online senior workout which used paper plates while sitting and was rather surprised at the effect. It worked!!! We found a nice way to keep the knees lubricated while using the core at the desk :)

Here's the link to that online workout which starts off using a ball nicely. Since it lacked music, I just used my own. I may have already shared this link in a previous post, not sure LOL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4vzM_6c1DA
Paper plates start midway around the 15 minute mark.

ETA: Last evening I tried Aldi's 3 Bean Chili for the first time but didn't have tomato paste so added a small can of tomato sauce and alittle less water but it still came out on the thin side so I added some Chia which thickened it and made it even more nutritious. Chia expands as it absorbs liquid. It was quite delicious. Tasted different than most chili with less Southwest flavoring but had a very beefy flavor without beef since beef broth is in its ingredients. We also tossed in the crumbs from the bottom of a bag of (Aldi's) Sweet Potato chips till they were gone. That also thickened the sauce plus softened the very crisp crumbs.

The Review Subjective Factor

Yesterday, as soon as I discovered that Kacy Duke had a dvd released in 2009 still available through her website, I immediately caved and ordered it because I loved all of her vhs, especially Sculpt&Groove.
http://kacydukefitness.com/about_video.php

Workouts by lesser known instructors really can get lost in the shuffle. All it takes is just one VFer who sometimes on a personal level does not like a workout or instructor to say something negative and bam, way less vhs or dvds are sold and way less people ever try the workout to discover their own impressions. Worse yet, let the instructor make a bad business decision and it can end the venture. Misty Tripoli had this problem a couple of times. So did my beloved Kukuwa. Even more recently Michelle Dozois because her PeakFit challenge series arrived in a cardboard case that scratched the dvds.

If I remember right, I was one of the very few who loved Misty's first series when it was first released and otherwise, she didn't fare well on VF. Some didn't like her demeanor. Some didn't like the setting. Some tried to order the free dvd and it never arrived. Now that her first series was re-released at a very low price, many more caved and are finding they really liked it more than expected!
Sometimes it seems, I am always going against the mainstream flow when it comes to choosing workout favorites. Other people's trash often becomes my treasure. Sometimes it seems, if I like a workout, a few will immediately hate it without giving it a fair try.
I, myself, never really know if I am going to like a workout till I try it. Clips and even previews can be deceiving to me, let alone somebody else's impression who has a completely different workout preference than my own. I love the full body feel good workouts but hated Petra's Breathe series because of its TIFTTing. Otherwise, BREATHE was a huge hit on VF because of its well known instructor. Tantric Toning is similar without the TIFTTing but because one VFer didn't like the instructor's lips, she slammed the workout, stopping many others from trying it.

After all of these years since her vhs workouts, I am really hoping Kacy Duke's new dvd offers something fresh and enjoyable but then again she has recently said she loves pushups and I hate them!
(Rather my shoulders, elbows, and wrists hate them)
I always loved her cardio but this dvd may be more focused on strength so not sure if it will click for me. If it doesn't click, I cannot review it because it wouldn't be fair. I do know from a clip that the background is all white and Kacy and another exerciser are in black and really stand out visually. There was a vhs workout done by someone else years ago that got slammed for a similar all white background. Hoping music is still a huge factor for her as it was in Sculpt&Groove. Music would be the dealbreaker/dealmaker for me. I am finding I need MUsic to MUve.

I love to post clips on my blog and will ask Kacy's permission to do so if I think it will help her venture rather than write a formal review because I cannot be objective. Unlike other blogs, I am not receiving the dvd as a gift to advertise or giveaway. Since I paid full price, I can be more honest about it. However, I do have an emotional investment as well as financial one which may affect my impressions since I have liked Kacy Duke so much in previous workouts.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Muving and Eating

This morning I did some Barefoot Dancer then the rest of the Exercell Beginner's workout on the bungee and finished with some Tantric Toning. Same negative impressions of the Exercell, one-sided and too many reps. Also no chaptering.

Now let's talk food :)
We had alot of potatoes so I decided to try a Potato Carrot soup.
I sauteed 2 chopped onions, 1/2 a knob of minced garlic and a couple of stalks of chopped celery in alittle canola oil till tender and browning a bit. Then added a box of Aldis chicken broth and 2 boxes of water, 3 cups chopped carrots and 3 cups chopped peeled potatoes. Seasoned with any and all spices that caught my eye: basil, tarragon, thyme, parsley, oregano, dillweed, chives, bay leaf, ground black pepper, alittle sea salt, alittle cumin, alittle anise, alittle tumeric then simmered uncovered till potatoes and carrots were tender.
Then I pureed half of it (removing the bay leaf first) and left the other half as is.
We all tasted both ways and liked them both almost equally.
Both tasted very different from one another!
DH preferred puree. DS preferred not pureed.
I preferred whichever I was eating.

Then for dessert I baked the already prepared Steel Cut Oats mixed with cinnamon and orange juice as a crust covered with defrosted peaches and strawberries, sprinkled with cinnamon but this time we had vanilla ice cream with it :)

ETA: If dipping bread into the soup, the pureed version is the winner!
We just shared and dipped a huge pita in both versions.

Muving Just Right

Muving Just Right to me is Moving to Music to Energize and Feel Good.
It is actually an old concept since Nia started in the 1980's.
The movements are usually using the whole body for a dance and martial arts fusion without fancy choreography or TIFTTing. I want to muve just right with a huge variety of movements to explore, not memorize a routine and do the same movement over and over again. I want the music to muve me and have a spontaneous feel where no two workouts are ever quite identical. Never really clicked with *Soul Sweat* because too much choreo involving footwork. Unfortunately, I never liked the TIFTTing in Petra's Breathe series so do not have much hope of liking Petra's new release *Liquid Grooves*.

Currently, many exercisers are discovering this type of movement thanks to Misty Tripoli's 3rd series which was recently released as Delicious Dance and her recent sale on her first Groove series. Somehow lost in the shuffle was her middle *Alive* series which was my favorite of the three.

Most recently, I am revisiting the Barefoot Dancer who only had 3 Yoga Dance dvds (Fire, Earth and Water) released out of 65 TV episodes which were taped in just 15 days!! At least, those dvds are still available through online vendors but the TV shows never were broadcasted in my area. Maybe if those dvds had sold better, there would have been more dvds released. Hopefully, one day Sarina will do what Misty has done and either offer downloads and/or a whole series of dvds at a reasonable price. These kind of workouts really are ageless and it is a shame that people new to exercise or this type of exercise never experienced them.
Just started revisiting Tantric Toning too which is still available through online vendors even though Dollar Tree was selling the dvd a few years ago. Silly me, I had done the vhs alot so never even revisited the dvd till recently!
Best of all, the dvd has a louder music option

Some decent stuff appears now and then on youtube like Vividance.
The only other newer released dvd of this type of workout besides Misty's Delicious Dance has been Kendra Howard's Planet Motion World Dance. Nia's Unplugged is still at the top of my list with it. Probably Nia's Opal is right up there too. I try not to burn out on my favorites so *hide* them till they feel new again.
There's some nice cardio on a few Pilates dvds.
Kathy Smith has a nice routine on a dvd which appeared online recently
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM26zpP8MHg&feature=youtu.be
Piloxing was a nice try too.

Before revisiting The Barefoot Dancer, I was getting most of my current feel good stuff for free at www.muve.com which also sells two nice dvds and am hoping Maggie will produce more but without the crazy distracting graphics. Best part of muving just right to MUVE is that it is very bungee friendly so I can combine my favorite two ways of muving just right.

ETA:
I really need to mention two other new series which do inspire me to Muve Just Right:
Kukuwa's new Adult and Youth dvds.
(I actually prefer the Youth one!)
and
Donna Richardson's Beachbody Body Gospel
(thanks to the music louder option).
Will probably find others old and new not currently in my head to mention in coming months and will *ETA* them as well as well as share some clips of them, etc.
ooops just thought of another few LOL
Chiballs! Caribbean Workout and Monica's older stuff
Classical Stretch
Fitstix, especially Fusion
and for the rebounder, Michele Wilburn's Starbound
For weights, Anita Barbero's Strength and Spirit
vhs only and OOP Kacy Duke's Sculpt & Groove*
Smartbell workouts
some kettlebell workouts like Kathy Smith's, the Firm's and Kettlenetics
medball workouts like Mitch Gaylord's Progressive Strength and Gin's Power Abs
I use a smartbell, light kettlebell or medball interchangeably for AWT
also like some band workouts with a cardio element like The Firm Sculptilates and Attitude Tu.

*After hearing Kacy had a new dvd released in 2009, I had to order it!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Peach Oatmeal Cobbler

I had made a batch of Steel Cut Oats from Aldis this morning, planning to reheat the leftovers since they take much longer to cook than rolled oats. Really liked the flavor without anything on them! Then while using some frozen fruit from Aldis in a green tea smoothie, I saw we had alot of frozen peaches.

I mixed some of the chilled cooked oats with alittle orange juice and cinnamon then spread it on a non sticking sprayed pie pan. Defrosted some peaches and a couple of strawberries in the microwave, sliced the strawberries and placed a layer of fruit over the oatmeal, sprinkled with more cinnamon and baked till the edges of the oatmeal started browning.
No fat added yet tasted decadent.
Even DH loved it! and he hates *healthy* food.

Tantric Toning

Tantric Toning.actually gets better and better and quite intense.


ETA:
also as a spark, I just did this nice ball and paper plates on a chair routine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNzhAq-S5eQ
while playing my own music using Freemake Music Box available at www.freemake.com
Music Box enables you to find music all over the internet and create playlists with whatever clips you like to save in any of your playlists.

Chronic Injuries

It seems as though my problematic knee suddenly healed as mysteriously as it acted up out of the blue a couple of months ago.
All swelling and weird twinging are gone.
A few years ago my elbows were problematic after going too heavy with biceps curls and snow shoveling but now they seem completely healed.

I am finding if I am patient, most chronic injuries can heal and our bodies are truly remarkable. Often after a rest day, my joints are even more stiff and achy so I try not to let an injury prevent me from moving while it heals by finding other ways to keep Muving. Many people use an injury as an excuse not to move which will slow down circulation and healing plus weaken other body parts, making them more prone to injury. Sometimes avoiding movement of an injured body part can cause the pain to radiate to other neighboring body parts or put a strain on another body part which is overcompensating.
Remember, almost any exercise can be done sitting on a chair or stability ball.
If something twinges, immediately make an adjustment.
Have Arnica gel nearby and apply immediately to any injury.
Check the internet for wonderful rehabilitation videos.
Listen to your body and learn what movements to avoid that can trigger a chronic problem.
If feeling a real pain, stay ahead of the pain, taking whatever pain medication can keep the pain from becoming an obstacle to moving and/or sleeping.


ETA: Just did some 2011 Exercell Beginner's workout on the bungee and think she does too many reps on one side of the same move and less on the other. IMHO, this dvd is too expensive for what it offers. Its clips looked and sounded so much better to me. Most of the moves do not even need a rebounder.
Then I did the warmup and first block of PeakFit Challenge Anywhere workout which produced a sweat. Had to do the jumping jacks on the UR because switched to my basement so did them slower and carefully.
Finished with some Tantric Toning which was so much better than what I remembered. It is like a fusion of Ellen, Classical Stretch, and Karen Andes Temple Dance. Made me feel really good after not really being able to get into the workout groove this morning. I swear the really old stuff is better than the new stuff. Too bad most current exercisers will be missing out on Tantric Toning and Barefoot Dancer.
May post a clip or two later.
I did note the dvd and vhs are available through Amazon. Also on Netflix Instant Watch. Cannot believe I found the dvd at Dollar Tree a few years ago!

Friday, January 27, 2012

BAK

Yesterday, we had lunch at Harrahs Buffet because we had a free buffet coupon. We were charged $30 for the second buffet! Have to say this buffet has greatly deteoriated in its offerings and is now overpriced, especially for weekday lunch. Much rather have breakfast, lunch, and dinner at The Borgata for $10 comp each.

OK The Borgata isn't perfect. They are still playing the same very annoying music soundtrack for months now. I swear I almost left the casino this morning because of the music and would have if I wasn't playing a bonus download which I didn't want to abandon. Also last night, we made the mistake of having a room in the Water Club just under the spa. All night the walls were creaking. At first, I thought it was my husband snoring and he thought it was me snoring but the sound was coming from the walls, not us. The manager gave us a food comp to use anytime in the next 90 days because of our inconvenience. There have been similar complaints by guests on this floor under the spa. Looking forward to trying a renovated Classic room next time.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Filemail links

Note that some of the Barefoot Dancer filemail links a couple of posts back are still active! Grab them while you can.

I woke up feeling sooo much better this morning that I am on my way to workingout already at 6am, right after I post this filemail alert. If there had been more interest in these links, I would have offered more of them but guess not.

ETA: I did the rest of the Exercell Beginners rebounding workout then some online Smartbell routines that were pretty darn good! These routines could have been done with a light kettlebell or medball since not too many people bought a Smartbell. Finished with some Buff Bones, liking the standing impact stuff alot.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Rest Day?

Woke up today not feeling well.
Think I have a bug so not really working out.
Anywho, still did some of the Exercell Transform your Life with Rebounding Beginners 1 Routine on the bungee and alittle Tantric Toning. Hopefully will do a Barefoot Dancer if feeling better later.

At least I solved the PS2 sound problem when burning a dvdr with Freemake Video Converter. Was totally my fault for not realizing I could choose MP2stereo sound on the target dvdr.

I am amazed at the bonus chapters on dvds that I have previously missed! The Smartbell dvds had a mini workout led by their creator and Tantric Toning had a music only option. I loved Tantric Toning many years ago on vhs and picked up the dvd at Dollar Tree a couple of years ago and never really did it! Shame on me.

ETA: I did do a Barefoot Dancer episode this afternoon :)

Monday, January 23, 2012

Freemake Shout-out and one day left for Filemail links

Even if you are too late for any of the chiball, Smartbell and earlier Barefoot Dancer filemail downloads, do read my comments about Freemake Video Converter. Freemake Video Converter is all you need to play, edit, convert or burn any media file. It's truly groundbreaking free software with the latest version released just this past December. Freemake Video Converter is free and available at www.freemake.com
You can customize the download to avoid getting their toolbar if preferred.

Meal tip

We enjoy expanding a frozen meal by adding healthy accompaniments. Besides tasting good, being convenient, and being economical, we know exactly what we are eating unlike Take-out or at a Chinese buffet. For example, Trader Joes has a frozen Teriyaki chicken and a Mandarin Orange chicken, both of which come with 2 generous packets of sauce. Aldis also has a similar frozen Orange Chicken. The Teriyaki chicken can be heated in the microwave and the two Asian orange chickens are baked in the oven. Today with Aldis version, I boiled 1/2 box of orzo in water and steamed broccoli in the microwave while baking the chicken. Kept the Orzo in its pot and poured out most of the water, added some sauce from the packet, stirred, added the broccoli, stirred, added the baked chicken on top with some more sauce drizzled over it and served. We actually had a packet of sauce left that I'll use in my next baked oatmeal chicken.

more Barefoot Dancer and some Buff Bones

This morning I did a Barefoot Dancer episode then some of Buff Bones which is mostly Pilates but done in a way to help and not harm the bones then finished with another episode of the Barefoot Dancer.
It is so unfair that none of our PBS stations broadcasted Barefoot Dancer!! Too bad, Sarina didn't release more on dvd. According to what I read online, Sarina did 65 episodes in 15 days! It was so innovative, much like Nia but even better IMHO. Almost everyone flipped over the new Misty Tripoli series but Barefoot Dancer is more creative and has fantastic music. I caught a date of 2002 at the end of an episode. I was only 2 years into workingout then and only with vhs. Why oh why can't these be broadcasted again today if not released on dvd? It would have a whole new generation of fans.

Oh well, at least my timing was perfect for the TaeBo Lives and TaeBo Pay Per Views.

The two Barefoot Dancer routines I did today had some similar themes and moves but here are clips from both


Bruschetta Florentine pasta

I took a Bruschetta sauce recipe we liked and added some spinach, making it Bruschetta Florentine :)
It's a simple quick sauce but looks and tastes much fancier.
Put up pot of water to boil for pasta
saute half knob of chopped garlic in Canola oil till starting to brown
season garlic with whatever you like (basil, oregano, thyme, black pepper, crushed red pepper)
lower flame and add a generous plash of Balsamic vineagar
add 1/2 can spinach (Spinach came from .... you guessed, Aldis)
add a can of diced tomatoes and a half can of water
(these were Hunts fire roasted but Aldsis plain diced tomatoes are fine too)
let sauce heat, stirring occasionally till pasta (of your choice) is cooked
we use various brands of whole wheat pastas with extra fiber and protein but plain is fine too
last night's was a thin spaghetti by Barilla but think we have preferred angel hair
Aldis sells a good whole wheat pasta for 99cents

I served a salad with it and used the sauce left in the pan as a salad dressing!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Barefoot Dancer TV Show

As far as I know, Sarina Condello's Barefoot Dancer TV show was never available in my area. I did, however, buy the retail released triple dvd Yoga Dance set which I loved. Recently, another exercise fan who knew my workout preferences offered to share some of the old TV episodes she had recorded. I searched online and couldn't find any way to see these 65 episodes either online or on tv or purchased. If anyone finds a way, please let me know.

Well, I did the first two episodes this morning and was blown away by them. The music is incredible and the moves absolutely wonderful. These two episodes had it all warmup, strength, cardio, cooldown/stretch, even a hand massage. Some was similar to Classical Stretch, some similar to Nia, some similar to Misty Tripoli but all had intoxicating music and a huge variety of feel good moves.
I am in the process of uploading the cardio from the first episode and will also try to upload the cardio from the second episode as well. The cardio in the second episode was althletic cardio done barefooted! Most moves worked fine on the bungee with minimal tweaking but worked well without a rebounder as well as long as the bounce was kept light or just rising onto the toes without a bounce at all. Inbetween the 2 episodes, I did the last 3 blocks from PeakFit10 Cardio Strength. I may have sweated more doing Barefoot Dancer!

Here is the cardio from the first episode:


Here is the cardio from the second episode:

Saturday, January 21, 2012

What's for dinner?

Tonight for dinner I made a pork roast, Aldis Homestyle baked beans (heated in the oven) and baked oven fries. I make pork roast exactly the same each time cuz if it ain't broke, why fix it? I tenderize the roast with meat tenderizer for 15 minutes and sprinkle it with McCormick's Chicken Stir Fry seasoning before popping it into a 325-350 degree oven for about 80 minutes till medium well in the center and well done on the ends. Sounds strange but that stir fry seasoning just tastes great on pork roast. Never did use it for chicken stir fry LOL

For the oven fries:
Wash 3 or 4 large potatoes real well then slice them into thin crescents with the skins on. I usually slice them in half first then slice the crescents on each half. Put the taters into iced water for 20 minutes or so (or while you are tenderizing the roast). Line cookie sheets or a large pizza pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with Pam. Drain the potatoes then toss them with some canola oil and place them in a single layer on the foil and pop the tray onto the bottom oven rack. Potatoes will be golden brown when done. Sprinkle them with whatever you prefer. Tonight I used cumin, turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper, and paprika. Of course, you can add sea salt but I preferred not to since there was plenty of salt in the other items I had cooked.

Advanced Modifier

This morning I did the rest of Peakfit10 More Cardio Interval Burn, mostly on the bungee then the first 2 blocks from PeakFit10 Cardio Strength (AKA: PeakFit Challenge Cardio Strength 1), using the UR for cardio and homemade XCOs for dumb bells. Finished with a Classical Stretch.

These PeakFit10 and PeakFit Challenge workouts by Michelle Dozois have gotten some criticism for being dangerous. Any workout can be dangerous if one didn't learn to listen to their body and adjust what doesn't feel right. I consider myself an Advanced exerciser because I can modify Advance workouts downwards in intensity just as I can modify simpler workouts upwards. Muving Right involves being conscious of what feels right and will affect your mind and body during and after the movement to lessen pain and increase joint lubrication and muscle strength while energizing your body and lifting your mood. Muving Right is as much a mental exercise as physical one. Nobody is watching you and judging you if a workout you acquired isn't done exactly like the instructor and background exercisers. As far as weightloss results, the movement you do not dread and can do enjoyably will become the movement you will do consistently. If a workout has interesting moves and decent music, I will make it work for me. My energy and ability shifts from day to day or workout to workout so being able to modify whatever I choose to do pretty much makes any choice work.

That being said, I really like the Peakfit10 and Peakfeat Challenge cardio workouts I have done. They have a huge variety of athletic cardio and kickboxing moves. The moves are repeated often enough to give me time to modify but not often enough to get boring. Many moves work well on the rebounders with alittle tweaking. The 10 minute block design makes the blocks work well for any desired duration whether for short sparks or workouts of any length.

Healthy cooking and shopping tips

Recently I had made something similar to packaged Spanish rice but substituted boiled and drained orzo for the rice. There was alot more of it for the money and alot more nutrition including more fiber and less salt. For the sauce while the water is heating for the orzo, I sauteed different kinds/colors of bell peppers, onion, and garlic then added in diced tomatoes (from Aldis of course LOL) and our preferred seasonings (cumin, tumeric, crushed red pepper, etc.).
Our son though thin can consume enormous amounts of food and loves good tasting food he can consume without worrying about his LDL. When I cook, I never add salt because there is enough salt in the canned foods that I use, use minimal cannola or olive oil, and always am looking for ways to add fiber like oatmeal, pastas (preferably whole grain), brown rice, veggies, etc. We have become label readers when shopping, especially as far as fat contents and avoid all foods with any trans fats or too much saturated fats. Fiber is a huge bonus when shopping as well. Those new light Thomas English muffins make a great crust for mini pizzas.

ETA: I should mention that my own weight and cholesterol profile are much lower since shopping and cooking to keep son's LDL lower. We are even slowly getting DH to try and like these healthier foods. Since most of our ingredients are bought on sale (or at Aldis), we are finding that eating healthier can be done economically. Also we are eating out and bringing in takeout less which not only saves money but gives us more control over what we are eating. Most of my cooking is very simple and doesn't need much special ingredients.

ETA: Why cumin and turmeric?
Both taste great to us and have multiple health benefits.
Our son and I fall into the *hate* cilantro camp.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Mango Oatmeal Chicken

OK another experiment that was a huge success.
I mixed mango salad dressing with ground cumin, turmeric and alittle olive oil then dipped boneless chicken breasts into the mixture then coated the chicken with oatmeal and baked 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

While it was baking, I sauteed garlic then added fresh spinach till tender and served the chicken over the garlic spinach. Best part was the oatmeal left in the pan which could have been a stand alone side dish!

We cannot decide which baked oatmeal chicken is our favorite, loving them all. May give the edge to the one with the sesame ginger dressing because it tasted so much like TGIF's sesame chicken nuggets. These *OLDE Cape Cod* dressings/marinades (Mango and Toasted Sesame Ginger) are on sale this week at the A&P. I used oatmeal from Aldis ($1.99 for a huge canister).

I think Aldis should pay me for advertising LOL

ETA: as an extra bonus, our son has visited me three times to give me a hug for a great dinner.

Not a Good Start Today

Well after a nocturnal visit to the bathroom, the toilet which was fixed less than 3 months ago, failed to shut off its running water so I couldn't fall back to sleep after being jolted to consciousness. Way too early to be up for the day and the puffiness under my eyes confirm the condition. Not looking forward to a whole day of sleep deprivation.

Will probably stick to gentle bouncing and Classical Stretch so the rest of Peakfit *More Cardio Interval Burn* will have to wait.

ETA: Though I had only previewed Susan Chung's RapidFire Results, I decided to try some this morning before trading it. Unfortunately my preview was kind by comparison and I will have no trader's remorse. I really hate being critical since this instructor awarded me a nice coreball in a sweepstakes.
First of all, Susan either has some sort of deformity and/or she has overdeveloped some muscles causing a muscle imbalance making her neck and head protrude. Secondly, kickboxing Rounds 1 through 4 all seem one sided with too many reps which would have been better with half of the reps being done with the other foot forward, changing it back and forth from South paw. At least the drills did workout both sides equally and the modifier had some good modifications. The weighted round 5 was ok but some of the moves were too fast if using heavier weights and would have been safer and more effective done halftime.

The warmup was ok and tweaked easily to work on the bungee but onesided as well.
Standing abs were ok but too fast so worked the arms more than the core.
Going to do a Classical Stretch so Miranda can keep my upper back, shoulders, and neck in alignment. Overall, sorry but Susan should have worked both sides more equally and used heavier weights more carefully since this was not her first workout dvd. Also needs to emphasize what a flat back looks like demonstrated by somebody who can extend their neck and keep their shoulders, down and back properly. The guy on the right was able to keep proper alignment most of the time.
Bottomline, my rapidfire results if following this workout would be alot of neck pain. Hope Susan doesn't suffer any neck pain because her neck is painful to watch.

ETA: We were the plumber's first call of the day and the problem was solved with another part replacement so now our main toilet should be problem free for years since all major guts have been replaced recently.

ETA: First spark today were rounds 5&6 from PF10 More Cardio Interval Burn.
Second spark was some freestyling on the bungee followed by some online Essentrics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFYVfGJtT1A

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Baked Beans Indian Style

This morning we did an Aldis run and by mistake, I got their *Original* Baked Beans instead of our favorite *Homestyle* so I decided to play with them for lunch. Just the other day we had tried a nearby Indian restaurant and liked most of what we had so I added honey mustard, cumin and lots of turmeric to the baked beans and
WOW
they were better than anything we had from the restaurant!

Also a big thumbs up to a freezer special at Aldis this week:
Chicken Fritters (baked till chicken is cooked and crust crisp)
Their Sweet Potato chips went great with the beans and chicken.
alittle more pepper in the chicken crust than we prefer but as good and better than most deep fried chicken take-out.

Time really flies

I was looking at some older posts and couldn't believe how long ago I actually did workouts that felt like current favorites! I first did The Biggest Loser Power Walk last January and liked it alot yet only have done it a couple of times in a whole year?? Of course, almost half of the weeks were spent in AC.
Maybe time will slow down now that we aren't going to AC as often since we only intend to play at The Borgata and I will be able to revisit *new* stuff before they are actually old.

This morning I did the warmup and first 4 blocks of PeakFit *More Cardio Interval Burn* which I won from a Collage Video Sweepstakes. I liked it alot more than I expected to from its clips. I was able to tweak the moves to work nicely on the bungee. I felt really tired afterwards so did some D'abell off the internet and finished with a Classical Stretch.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Happy Consumer

We had delayed many large purchases for as long as possible and the good news is, that all such purchases have been quite successful.

A couple of months ago, I finally got a new pair of glasses and have been loving them. Not only do I see much better throughout the day, I look younger because the frames hide the bags under my eyes :)

We gave away one car and traded in the other for a 2011 Nissan Sentra last Spring and are really enjoying the car. It has saved us on gas and has made our AC trips much more comfortable.

Also last Spring, I finally caved and got a new Acer laptop with a dvd burning drive at Walmart and the darn thing has been wonderful. My blog has benefited with some nice video clips (hopefully, our politicians will make the right decisions as far as the internet).

Last but not least, we had a new oil burner installed by our oil company last Spring. The pricing was stressful because the sales rep was very misleading. The owner of the company did resolve most of our issues. Well, we just got our first oil delivery and were pleasantly surprised to see we used less than 1/3 of the oil our ancient furnace used to consume. The darn thing may pay for itself in a few years!

Between making very good purchases and switching our gambling to The Borgata, we were doing really well ...
till DH's partial bridge broke and the new one is costing a small fortune.

USPS Rant

This morning I warmed up on the bungee with MUVE then did Body Gospel's Power&Praise with the bands, tweaking the overhead stuff and finished with Stretch in the Spirit.
I really like loud Gospel music and not having to hear Donna LOL


Now my USPS Rant (and Rave)LOL
I have seen lots of changes in mail deliveries in the last month or so.
It seems as if packages with Delivery Confirmations take longer to deliver than those without a DC. One package mailed 1/13 has been scanned 4 times in the same town since 1/15?? and still hasn't delivered. We never know if our mail will come as early as 10:30am or as late as 5:30 PM. Also a post office near us has closed and another doesn't open till 10 am as well as several local mailboxes being removed. Guess I should be glad our Blockbuster store closed and that Netflix split their services.

BUT have to also give the RAVE for eventually delivering just about every package I have expected or sent except for a couple being damaged and one SASE never arriving. Not a bad record since sending and receiving packages for over 12 years.


ETA: The Rant or Rave worked because the package delivered this morning LOL

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Video and AC labels

I went back to when I started posting videos on the blog after getting my new laptop and tried to label all of the posts with video clips as *video* so easier to locate them all.

Also tried to give all AC posts an *AC* label.
Just hope I remember to keep labeling in the future LOL

4 tests for early Stroke detection

Ask the person to Smile
Ask the person to say a short sentence coherently
Ask the person to raise both arms
Ask the person to stick out their tongue, noting if it seems crooked to one side

If a stroke victim gets medical care within a couple of hours, all symptoms may be reversible.

Something Old, Something New

This morning I revisited HeavyHands Walk Plus on the bungee with palm sand weights. It is still a great workout but I am still burnout from it. Then I revisited Sculpt Tonic Image with Zumba sticks which I still enjoyed but not quite as much as the first time. Then I did some D'abell stuff off the internet (lots of reps with light weights) with Fitstix and finished with a CS.

Plateau gone again?

Well I held off weighing and measuring for a few days and was pleasantly surprised to see everything has gone downwards another notch to the lowest numbers I have had since starting this journey 12 years ago. Since a terrible bout of depression after turning 50, I have learned to care about myself more. Exercise has been a huge part of that care but there are many other factors involved.
I have been taking the 10 Commandments of Health very seriously and more consciously lately and have been eating, sleeping and moving well as well as avoiding emotional stress as much as possible.
Eating wise, I have been making mostly simple but delicious meals using alot of oatmeal. Sleeping wise I have been going to bed as soon as I feel sleepy. Been doing alot more moving throughout the day, going up and down the stairs alot as well as adding in a formal spark or two, sometimes right in front of the puter using an online clip. My hip and knee seem to be getting along better this morning than in a very long time with this more consistent movement. Stress wise, I have learned to avoid confrontational people, especially online, as much as possible and to let go of stuff I cannot change. Also I have been doing more paying it forward gestures giving away workouts to people who want them rather than let them collect dust and add to clutter. Karma has its rewards as well as its punishments and I rather spread the positive kind. For people who lean towards spreading the negative kind .... that is their problem, not mine.


ETA: this is just too cool...
Just read about a study where some women were told to write about a value important to them for 15 minutes a day while others were to write about a value less important to them which may be more important to others....
The group that wrote about what was important to them lost 3 pounds while the other group gained 3 pounds! How cool is that?
Love blogging especially if it helps me to lose weight and feel better.
Here's a possible explanation:
"How we feel about ourselves can have a big effect," "We think it sort of kicks off a recursive process. Maybe when one of the women who wrote about an important value went home that night, she felt good about herself and didn't eat to make herself feel better. Over a few months, that could make a real difference in her life."
Now I got to wonder if the confrontational people I avoid are gaining weight LOL

Monday, January 16, 2012

Body Gospel

Ironically, on a day when the interference of religious beliefs on civil rights compelled me to post a new page about marriage equality,
I decided to start revisiting BeachBody's Donna Richardson Body Gospel.
I love the Gospel music and am grateful these came with the option to make the music louder so I hear less preaching or else,
I never would have enjoyed them. They were pricey too.
So this morning I did some with regular audio then some with music louder and the music LOUDER made quite a difference in my energy level. Why oh why can't all workout dvds offer a music louder or only option????

Happy Martin Luther King Day

Today being Martin Luther King Day, I am reminded of the inequalities in our government. Democracy though controlled by the majority is supposed to protect the civil rights of all minorities. It is also supposed to keep religion and civil rights separate. The Bible has not recognized men and women as equals and has justified slavery. It mentions same gender relationships in the same breath as eating lobster and shrimp. Gluttony is a definite sin in the Bible moreso than homosexuality. There was a time in our history when women couldn't vote. There was a time in our history where slavery was legal as well as in the Bible. There was a time in our history when Afro-Americans couldn't vote. During my lifetime, there were still states that did not recognize integrated marriages. Now there are only a handful of states that recognize same gender marriage.
Ironically, Homosexuals are the only minority that can be found among all races and religions. Even more ironic is that the Afro-America vote in CA for President Obama also caused a setback in marriage equality because of the ministers who set their flock against it. Recently in NY, the strongest opponent of marriage equality which passed thanks to the strong support from a Catholic governor was a Hispanic Catholic who was a Democrat. Now we have a Catholic governor in NJ who may veto gay marriage, even though obviously a glutton. People pick hypocritically whichever bible interpretations they prefer to believe in yet it is more a conscious choice of which church you go to and what food you eat than whom you love. It was even during my lifetime the US had its first Catholic President elected. As a woman, a Jew and the mother of a gay son, I have learned that minorities need to stick together to protect all of their rights from closed minded people affected by pulpit preachings. This is America and all tax payers should have the same right to the pursuit of happiness. How is it that so many other countries have advanced ahead of us when we are supposed to be the pinnacle of Democracy? I am still hoping that federal marriage equality will happen during my lifetime. Wouldn't mind seeing a woman President as well as long as she is capable.

ETA: this is the second post I have made on this subject.
Previously I posted this page
http://neverendingplateau.blogspot.com/p/gay-marriage.html

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Muving carefully

It is very cold outside and I woke up in alot of joint pain in spite of a warm house and plenty of sleep. Some of it is old injuries. Some of it is DOMS. Some of it is moving improperly to avoid the DOMS effect. So I took it easy this morning warming up with MUVE on the bungee then doing some Delicious Dance and finishing with Classical Stretch. I did take a Tylenol before CS because moving was not relieving the pain all over. Really should have taken a Tylenol as soon as I got up.

Feeling much better now but missed the energizing effect of a body more receptive to moving. We were going to try an Indian restaurant near us that we haven't been to in years but it is just too darn cold to go anywhere. Luckily, I made a huge oatmeal and veggie meatloaf yesterday for leftovers and also have a baked oatmeal pork parmigiana in my head to prepare for lunch or dinner.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Self Massage

http://www.youtube.com/user/RichPoley/featured
features some wonderful self massage techniques for different parts of the body.


The video for the knee was especially good.
(Scroll down to the load 10 more videos)

THE GRAND SAM

This is hysterical. On Facebook, Harrahs is raving about a great breakfast special at Sammy D's which is opening tomorrow, replacing their Reflections coffee shop.



THE GRAND SAM: EVERYTHING ON A PLATE $17.95

Sadly, Reflections had great breakfasts for much less. Even Harrahs breakfast buffet which is quite good has been just $15 lately. Guess that price will now jump back up to $20 but there is still The Borgata buffet for $15 ($10comp for Black Label).

Plus Reflections had a wonderful charbroiled hamburger including 2 toppings and fries for $10. Bill's Burgers charges $10 for a hamburger without toppings or fries and not nearly as good. I am missing those double stuffed chili dogs at Reflections and their special eggs Benedict served over friend chicken fingers. OK Harrahs did my health a favor closing Reflections. No worries The Grand Sam is too rich for my blood in both fat and dollars.

ETA: not a typo up there! Harrahs as well as all of CET in AC need to have their policy makers replaced if they want to have any hotel guests off season.
Another guest couple had 2 eggs, homefries, bacon, toast & coffee x 2 plus 1 OJ.... $45.00 with tip. Imagine just a short week ago, they could have had the breakfast buffet option for $30 plus tip with that 2nd OJ, omelets/eggs made to order, smoked salmon, eggs Benedict, etc. Sad and disappointing but then again, all I expect anymore from any AC CET resort are more and more disappointments. One bad decision after another. Oh well, Harrahs guests, especially Diamonds upgraded to Black Label, can pop on over to The Borgata for a nice breakfast (or lunch) buffet at less than half the price of Sammy D's. Only place for us to eat lunch at Harrahs has become McCormicks so being low on comp there has its rewards. Great burger and fries for $10 cash. Better burger than Bill's which is $10 without the fries.

Shadowboxer workout

I was checking out youtube and found one of the Shadowboxer workouts!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhlReQeymEA&feature=related

PF Challenge Cardio Strength2

This morning I did 30 minutes of PeakFit Challenge Cardio Strength2 (rounds 8 through 3)which has become my favorite circuit workout for the bungee, much better than the three Jumpsport produced. I just do standing versions of the mountain climbers like high knee runs. Then I did some of Ellen's Grace & Gusto and finished with a CS that was all mat. Not sure if my hip and knee liked the CS or not but will decide later in the day. I did some ball rolling throughout the workouts this morning whenever my knee and hip got twingey though they were much better last night.

I am slowly retrying palms up biceps curls for the first time in years since injuring my elbows and so far my elbows haven't complained.
Warning:
If you ever feel a twinge in your elbow doing a biceps curl, shoveling snow or anything else, STOP! Golfer's (inner) elbow takes forever to heal.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Peak Fit Challenge and Peak Fit 10

If you are interested in getting the Peak Fit Challenge set, go immediately to their Facebook page because their website is no longer selling them since the warehouse stock is gone. Some sets are in reserve and still available through their Facebook page and there are no plans for a re-release in the immediate future.
However, the Peak 10 dvds are still sold retail which include 2 PF Challenge dvds:
Cardio Strength 1 and Cardio Interval Burn 1.
There are 2 other Peak 10 dvds recently released retail:
More Peak Fit Cardion Interval Burn and More Peak Fit Cardio Strength.

I won the *More Peak Fit Cardio Interval* from Collagevideo.

Finally my package with PFC Cardio Strength 2 just arrived which is the only Cardio Strength only available with the whole set.

ETA: Just did the first routine as a spark and am pretty sure I am trading this morning's Crave Results because PFC Cardio Strength2 had better music and moves.

ETA: The reserve copies are now exhausted as well.

Muve, Crave Results, ball rolling

I had to cut my workout alittle short today expecting the electrician to arrive to finish the labeling for the new circuit panel which was installed early December. Also my right knee and hip are still sending weird misalignment signals so didn't get into muving quite as much as usual.

I warmed up on the bungee to MUVE then did most of Angie Miller's Crave Results.
I like some of the moves done with a single weight but the music is really bland so no fun factor for me. Band moves are ok too. Will wait and see how I feel tomorrow as far as DOMS and decide whether it is a keeper or not. At least my shoulder and elbows behaved.
Finished with ball rolling which seemed to help my knee/hip connection and will do more for them later after the electrician does his thing.

Still waiting for a first class with delivery confirmation package sent 1/6. It is finally in my hometown post office this morning but may not make it onto the truck. It visited Boston and NY longer than most tourists. Maybe a couple of postal workers thought it was media mail but even media mail would have delivered sooner. Or maybe a postal worker or two wanted to try the workout.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

MUVE, Dynamic Stretch, band stretch, CS, Oatmeal

This morning I warmed up with MUVE on the bungee then did the MUVE pre-mix on their Family dvd which uses scarves and chairs. Next I revisited some of the Peak Fit Challenge Dynamic Stretch then some of a Madeline Lewis band stretch on her Walk Fit dvd. Finished with Classical Stretch.

I decided to try doing just the warmups of Classical Stretch as sparks throughout the day to keep muving. Doing a morning workout then being stagnant the rest of the day makes the morning workout less beneficial. My joints are happier when lubricated throughout the day. The advantage of a Classical Stretch warmup is that it lubricates all of the joints so is probably better than just walking for me, even though most doctors claim all anyone needs is walking.

Here's a tasty and healthy breakfast tip:
add some prepared oatmeal to your pancake batter!
We especially like adding a maple flavored oatmeal and even sliced bananas and walnuts. Can easily skip the syrup and the leftovers are even good warmed in the microwave as a cake substitute.

It is so ironic...
I have been waiting for PF Cardio Sculpt 2 to delivery (got a feeling it may not arrive intact because of the delivery delay) and just found out I won PF More Cardio Interval Burn from collagevideo!


10 Commandments of Health


I saw this in the AARP magazine and had to share it!
Notice it says to *Exercise Rationally*

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

more MUVE, Zen Box, Knee Rehab and CS

This morning I warmed up on the bungee with MUVE then did most of the rest of ZBox. The only chapter I would totally skip is Dance 2 and the 10 minute Toning chapters which didn't click for me. Both the cooldown standing Zen and the Bonus warmup were very nice. May add clips from these later. Really wish the one gal wouldn't screech so often on the soundtrack! When she screeches *Smile*, I want to scream *Shutup* instead.

Last night my right leg got really weird. I had a shooting pain on the outer calf and a weakness in the knee. Seemed to improve greatly with Arnica gel then this morning it restarted while working out so I hit it with Arnica Gel then did some of the ball massage from Knee Rehab PreHab and it went away again. Finished with some Classical Stretch.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Borgata the only casino up in 2011

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gOm1apAg1g3_AR7gPqTTLKRcbinw?docId=92171576a23a4fe29accb4c533c7a790


I know we were not the only couple to abandon CET and switch our major gambling to The Borgata after CET literally screwed their Diamond members. So the results were The Borgata up 1% taking in $651.8 million to Harrahs down 3%, taking in $439.8 million. They are in the same Marina district and Harrahs has the sharing of patrons from 3 other CET AC casinos plus many other CET casinos across the country yet The Borgata kicked Harrah's ass for casino revenue. And the CET Diamond fiasco really only affected 1/2 of the year! Shoot I even blew some $$ at CET casinos in January and February, aiming for Diamond status till I realized I much preferred The Borgata and came to my senses. Yup The Borgata was brilliant offering an upgrade to Black Label for all CET and Trump higher tiered players, knowing their offers would lure these higher tiered players away from their original haunts.

Folding Jumpsport Discount

New folding Jumpsport with a discount!
Get 25% OFF the First Folding JumpSport Fitness Trampoline!
Model 350F
Regular Price $359
discount code good till 1/31

At checkout use coupon code:
i25Fold

http://www.jumpsport.com/pr-Fitness-Trampoline.htm

I think this winds up as a really good deal at ~$270 for a folding model bungee for those who needed a folding model

MUVE, ZBox , Knee Rehab and CS

This morning I warmed up on the bungee to 6 songs then did some of ZBox.
ZBox was a winner for me!
WarmUp was decent
Phase 1 Boxing OK
Phase 1 Dance pretty good
Phase 2 Boxing LURVED it!
(actually it was more athletic cardio than boxing)

look forward to trying the rest another day.
Really love the music
love the number of reps
love how easy to follow with no TIFTTing
and best of alll,
works great with Fitstix!
Overall, the workout was much better than the online clips indicated.

Then I did Knee Rehab 1 because my knee started acting up while away.
Finished with some Classical Stretch

I swear when I take a few days off from workingout and settle for just walking, I have much more joint pain so it felt good to be muving again.



Monday, January 9, 2012

Home Sweet Home

Had a nice trip. Even though Harrahs was a disappointment Saturday night, The Borgata as usual delivered the rest of the trip. Harrahs Diamond Lounge seems to get worse instead of better each trip. Expected it to be much better on a Saturday night than it was. Sunday's lunch at the Showboat Diamond Lounge was much better so will be using all future Diamond Lounge vouchers at Showboat till the end of March when our years of being Diamond finally comes to an end. It is unbelievable when I compare what we used to lose at CET properties to what we have been losing at The Borgata while retaining Black Label status. Never will ever go back to CET Diamond ever again and would have skipped this past year if we had known that they were going to start charging for the Diamond Lounges.
Also the tv remote in the Harrahs room wasn't working and the shower wasn't draining so why are we charged a bogus *room assessment* charge? After having a loud party next door from 2:30am till 3:330am, DH finally caved and called security. Got much quieter after security knocked on their door around 3:45am.

Next day at the Borgata Water Club was heavenly by comparison. OMG the food at the buffet Sunday night was amazing. Had the best cut of Prime Ribs and they had a scallop dish that beats any lobster. Their veggies taste better than most desserts. Even though I keep saying we may not try for Black Label next year, how can we not when each $10 of comp gets us a delicious buffet? Since their comp dollars accrue at least twice as fast as CET's their buffets and Amphora Lounge admissions are a bargain at the equivalent of $5 CET comp.

Anywho, it was another winning trip. We did have quite a scare when DH misplaced his wallet which I later found under my car seat. Thank you Borgata for doing what you do so well but I do have one complaint. The Borgata plays some awful music if you can even call it music and not just irritating noise. Of course, they switched to Queen after I went up to the room for the night. How about Queen during the day!?!

Friday, January 6, 2012

Jumpsport Fitness Trampoline Cardio

(This post has been updated on 11/9/2013 after getting my 550F Jumpsport Fitness Trampoline which came with another extended DVD from Jumpsport)

Since not all Jumpsport Fitness Trampoline models come with their extended Cardio dvd with Kathy Jo Burgett, I figured to share a sample of it with anyone who was curious to see what it is like:



Kathy Jo has just about every athletic cardio move that is great on rebounders plus tweaks them with some sycopations.  You can find the workout details in text at
http://neverendingplateau.blogspot.com/2011/05/rebounder-cardio-breakdown.html

and here is a sample of me trying to film myself doing some of this dvd after trying to find a spot for the 550 to record using my laptop webcam

Since Kathy Jo offers a great routine, I may do my thang with it and add MUsic now that I can do so much more of the athletic cardio thanks to the 550F Jumpsport Fitness Trampoline.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Slept 9 hours last night and woke up with no eye discharge or redness/pinkness. Knee didn't bother me at all either.

This morning I used 2 short MUVE routines (6 songs) to warmup on the bungee. I was so into it after one short routine, I figured I may as well do another. The chair sitting moves in two of the songs I did while sitting on the bungee. Reminder: MUVE dvds have different routines in their short combinations which are not listed individually.

Then I did the second Sculpt Tonic workout, not expecting much. WOW! The moves flowed so much better in this one that I didn't even mind the TIFTTing! Music may have been alittle better in the first but the second made the dvd a keeper for me. Finished with Classical Stretch. Got to say I was dripping with sweat and feeling energized afterwards.




Thursday, January 5, 2012

JB, Greg, Anna and Sculpt Tonic

This morning I did some of JB's The Perfect Martial Arts Workout which is a weird workout but I happen to like some of it. Then did some of Greg Sims' Lean Muscle then Anna's Biggest Loser Calorie Knockout chapter with music only and really enjoyed that! Finished with the first workout on Sculpt Tonic which was also a bit weird but with good enough music to revisit. Will try to work the other side next time because the routine was very one-sided.

I am trying to revisit workouts before listing them on my tradelist to be sure I want to trade them
May do a MUVE on the bungee and CS combo later cuz skipped both.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Muving, KB, ExTv, CS

My eye still had just alittle discharge this morning but no itching and seemed less irritated. For the first time in a very long time, my knee didn't bother me at all last night!

This morning I warmed up on the bungee to a really fun combination of MUVE clips on the Family MUVE dvd, starting with That Hypnotizing Man and ending with Zombie Me. I just love all of the MUVE clips on the bungee. I do skip twirling around but Maggie offers more moves in a 3 minute clip than most 30 minute rebounder workouts! Here's the link to That Hypnotizing Man
http://www.muve.com/blog/that-hypnotizing-man.html

Next I did some of the lower body (buns and thighs) from the 10 Minute Solution Kettlebell workout but didn't care for it because endless squats. Then I did Amy Dixon's Exercise TV Beginner Bootcamp which I luckily downloaded before the demise of Exercise TV. It worked well with homemade XCOs. Finished with Classical Stretch.

ETA: I made that Oatmeal Baked Chicken again tonight but used a sesame ginger salad dressing instead of honey mustard and it came out amazing. Tasted like TGIF Sesame Chicken but no fat added!!!
Also hooked up our new Cannon printer bought through Amazon Prime without any glitches. Printer was cheaper than buying new ink for our old printer that was never any good till its last few pages that I printed today. Suddenly the darn thing printed clearly for the first time in 10 years LOL

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Still Muving

This morning I warmed up on the bungee with Muve clips then did some XCO clips from you tube while holding Fitstix then did the Fatburning chapter from the 10 minute solution Kettlebell workout and finished with some Classical Stretch.

My eye got itchy again yesterday and had some discharge this morning so not out of the woods yet. It may be viral and if so, will take another week to resolve.

Monday, January 2, 2012

More Muving Just Right

This morning I warmed up with MUVE clips on the bungee then did Bob Harper's chapter on Biggest Loser Calorie Knockout even though I already had butt DOMS and there were many similar moves to those in Anna's and Dolvett's routines. Then I did the upper body from the 10 minute Solution Kettlebell dvd and finished with Classical Stretch and alittle ball rolling.

DH went to AC today without me on a bus trip to collect offers from all over and I didn't feel like running all over to various CET casinos with him. I'm pretty much just a Borgata gal now.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy New Year!!! BL Calorie Knockout

I woke up this morning feeling much better than I have been feeling. Eye is improving rapidly with prescribed drops and energy level soaring. So I warmed up on the bungee in my favorite way to MUVE clips then did Dolvett's Tabata workout on the Biggest Loser Calorie Knockout dvd, not muting Dolvett's wonderful voice with the music only option. Then I did the warmup which was also led by dreamy Dolvett. Then I tolerated Anna's voice in her routine which started with decent standing abs. Sometimes, I used a light kettlebell as a single weight, sometimes homemade XCOs as dumb bells, sometimes the UR for higher impact or whichever piece(s) of equipment seemed to work best for the particular moves being done. Finished with some Classical Stretch after 50 minutes of cardio at varying intensities.

Yesterday after our fasting blood tests, we ate breakfast at our favorite diner whose home fries/hash browns were absolutely delicious and tasted greaseless so I attempted to make these potatoes at home this morning and succeeded! First I soaked some dehydrated minced onions in water till hydrated while preheating the oven to 450. Sprayed a baking pan with a vegetable spray (like PAM) to prevent sticking. Dumped a bag of frozen hash brown potatoes into the pan which were basically just grated potatoes (ours came from Aldis). Mixed in the rehydrated minced onions plus the extra water not absorbed, sea salt, ground black pepper, onion powder and paprika. Covered the pan tightly with aluminum foil and put it on the bottom oven shelf till bottom browned (about 20 minutes) then flipped the potatoes and replaced them in the oven covered (can even shut the oven off at this point while cooking your eggs, etc.). They also reheat wonderfully.

ETA: Just made a fabulous dinner!
Oven baked chicken breasts with the chicken dipped in a honey mustard salad dressing then coated with seasoned oatmeal (I used to make this chicken dish with bread crumbs but it is sooo much better with oatmeal!)
a casserole of canned black beans, frozen corn, red and green bell peppers, celery, carrots, and red onion seasoned with cumin and turmeric (softened the raw chopped veggies in the microwave before combining everything)
and a packaged Knorr BBQ flavored rice.
All these crazy dishes really worked surprisingly well together.
Some leftover chicken and bean casserole will top a spring mix salad tomorrow for lunch. Why pay over $7 for a Chipotle chicken salad at Manhattan Bagel?