Project FitPixie progresses to Stage 2

Now that I've met one goal, it's time to set new ones.

Trying to see if I can break the new weight goal of 150. That's the limit though, any smaller than that would be *too* skinny for me. I'm meant to have all of the curves of a switchback mountain trail.. and I'm not planning on losing them.

I DO want to focus more on muscle tone now that the weight isn't as much of an issue. Overall toning is coming along nicely.. I noticed tonight at kung fu that I can see slight definition across my shoulders now where I couldn't before... and I've started to see more definition across my waistline as well. (meaning that I actually HAVE one now..)

Speaking of Kung Fu. Ninja-training is going well. I'm still working on learning Little Red Fist.. it's going to take me a while, I think. I've got the movement through the stances set to do at the moment.. It's part of the form.. but it's just moving from one stance to the next, to the next.. I have to do it 100 times.. (98 more to go..) before I can proceed. Repetition is the best teacher apparently, and I have to agree. The more I do, the better I get at it.

My flexibility has improved a LOT as well. All of the stretching has become much easier to do, and I'm wanting to push further in that as well. I can *almost* do a full split again..

I've also started the Art of the Catwalk classes back again. I'm trying something this week... we'll see how it goes.. I was originally planning to alternate weeks between the Kung fu and the Catwalk classes.. but I just don't have the time on my Lottery weeks.

So I've got the Pole Basics class on Tuesday and Thursday (the opposite days from Kung Fu) this week. We'll see if I survive.

And we'll see if I can meet and beat my new set of goals..

So it's been a few weeks...

..and I'm still going strong. I continue to surprise myself by gaining more flexibility, capability, and stamina.

and yet.

I still have a LONG way to go.

I've got the three stances down to a level of competence that I can now concentrate on form rather than technique. On top of those three, I've learned two more that promise to stretch my muscles and my endurance to the limits.

When all is said and done, I'm going to have some killer legs. I'm just sayin'.

I learned a good way to practice these (and everything else). While standing on a pillar of some kind. Karate Kid had the right idea. Balance is first and foremost in everything kung-fu does, and if you think you have balance, try standing on a pillar (it doesn't have to be very tall, but it does have to be 8 inches diameter at most) and do those same things.

Yep. LOTS more practice.

I've also started learning punches.. Or.. in my case UNLEARNING punches. My martial arts background was from a much more rigid style, and so I'm having to learn to relax a lot more.

Sifu says "think of a hammer at the end of the whip. That's the kind of motion you want to have."

Of course, HE makes it look easy.

the sit ups and crunches and pushups have become part of an every-other day routine for me. I have solid definition in my ab muscles now, as well as the beginnings of some solid definition in my arms as well. I'm sitting at a solid 168, which is a good bit of weight lost since the beginning. My waist is three inches smaller than it was, and I'm starting to notice that my new jeans are getting baggy.

Now, if only I could get rid of that awful wobble in my tricep. Sifu showed me a few extra stretches and movements that will help tone those muscles as well. We'll see how it works.

I'm proud of what I've accomplished so far though, and look forward to pushing myself further and farther as I progress.

Dying.

Yep.

Dying. Kung fu is gonna kill me.

Unfortunately, I've had to cut the pole dancing classes, as I don't have the money or the time to do both anymore. -_-

But kung fu is still going strong at three times a week on my non-Lottery weeks.

To recap, I've been doing kung fu for nearly two months now. (I know.. it doesn't seem like that long at all.) In that two months, I've dropped 20 pounds, a pants size and a half, and gained tone, endurance, flexibility, and pride.

Of course, it's a pride tempered constantly by the thought of "I don't know sh*#."

Yet.

Today I started the process of learning my first actual form in kung fu. Called 'Little Red Fist', it has over 300 different moves.

I've learned the first three. Basic stances really..

1. Long stance..















This one is fairly simple.. GREAT stretch for the legs, very strong, grounded stance.. Also very LOW.. weight is distributed evenly between your feet.

2. Square stance..













This one is also not so hard.. Difficult to HOLD for long periods though. FANTASTIC for toning legs and ass, and also good at building endurance.

and 3. T stance..









THIS ONE is going to KILL me. It's low, all your weight is on your back leg. You have to be able to pick up your front foot without effort. THIS one is hard.

At least for now.. I have to be able to do all three of these well before I can proceed.

We'll see how long it takes.

For now though? I'm going to go soak my poor, tired muscles in a bath and pray for a quick death.

Project FitPixie continues..

So I've been at this for... wow.. for a month and a half now.

Six weeks doesn't seem like a lot. Not over all. Since then, however, I've dropped 10 pounds and a pants size. I've gained muscle tone and flexibility.. I've also gained endurance and strength.

I still can't do ALL of those godforsaken pushups.. but I've definitely gotten better at them.

I've shown enough improvement and enough knowledge of the movements in kung fu so far, that the teacher is beginning to teach me the base forms for nanshen. There are 5 "base" forms, and then I can choose a specific animal style if I wish.

The first form that I'm learning is called "Little Red Fist". Maybe once I've gotten the hang of it, I'll see about posting a video.

It's really amazed me.. the progress I've made so far. The difference six weeks has made is astouding. I can't wait to see what the next six weeks brings.

Blessed blessed Tiger Balm

Tiger Balm

Oh how I love thee.. let me count the ways..

*sighs* Taking out stock in this stuff, I swear I am. The Tiger Balm white, Tiger Balm red, and the joint stuff are THE best.

Because between the kung fu and the pole dancing...

yeah. I'm using it a lot.

BUT... I'm starting to actually SEE improvement. *does a little dance*

No significant weightloss yet though. The weigh-in on Sunday was disappointing to say the least.

-_-

I'm wondering where the #$$O% "they" come up with those BMI charts. Because according to those, I'm overweight by a good bit.

Mrr.

I learned the second stick form in kung fu last night. To say that it's complicated would be understating it by leaps and bounds. I was taught some tricks and stretches to making it easier, and was told not to worry.. that this second form is the hardest one to learn.

That makes me feel a little better. Everything from my oblique muscles in my sides and abs to my wrists feels this workout though.. it's good.. because those are areas especially that I'm wanting to tone..

but still. Ow. Too bad I can't afford to have a massage therapist on permanent retainer.

In the mean time..

Tiger Balm.. sweet tiger balm..

oh how I love thee. Let me count the ways...

Holy crap, I have ABS!

No, seriously..

Two weeks into Project FitPixie.. and I'm beginning to see results.

Kung fu three times a week on my non-lottery weeks.
Art of the Catwalk classes two or three times a week on my lottery weeks.

Haven't really changed the way I eat, with the exception of removing soda from my diet almost completely. I have added a Vitamin E, Calcium, and Iron supplement though, and have noticed a marked improvement in my skin tone.

Now I need to find something to help with the sore muscles.

Because let me tell you.. between the pole dancing and the kung fu, my muscles are almost constantly sore. It's a good sore.. but still. I think it's because they are two TOTALLY different workouts. I use all of my muscles in each one, but I use them in different ways.

The hardest part about the pole dancing is that I have to wear high heels. It actually is easier with them on.

I still have a long way to go before I'm where I want to be.. but actually SEEING improvement is a nice plus.

My first weight check is this Sunday. Hopefully that will show improvement too.

Mother of god..

I. HURT..

Poledancing? LOTS of fun.. also LOTS of hard.

Good GOD the muscle control you need to do this is unREAL.

I can't wait to get better at it.

Looks like I'll be able to do the pole-dancing class twice a week on my Lottery weeks, between early and late draws.

Between the pole dancing and the kung fu?

I'm gonna be an ass-kickin', pole-dancin' sexy FIEND.

That's what I hope anyways. >_>

My first "weight-check" is planned for the end of next week. I'm skeptical, but hopeful..

That goal number seems really really far away right now.

Especially considering that DragonCon is freaking 75 days away. *spaz*

Those push ups are gonna kill me...

Seriously.

I did 5 more than last week, bringing my total up to an astounding 10.

No, I'm not kidding. I'm proud of the fact that I did 10 (which was 5 more than I could do last week.)

These aren't just basic push ups by the way.

For those of you familiar with Yoga, you start in the Downward Dog position. From there, move to what is basically the Cobra Pose and from THERE, using only your arms.. you go backwards reversing the position until you are back in Downward Dog.

It works EVERY muscle in your arms, shoulders, and back.

and according to the warm-up routine I've been putting myself through, I should be able to do 30 of them.

*dies*

The rest of the warm up consists of:
* 100 sit ups (I can do all of those! woot!)
* 50 leg lifts ( I can do all of those too! double woot!)
* 30 Dragon trunk twists (a limbering stretching routine)
* 30 Buddah pours the wine (low horse-stance; arms straight up in the air like you were holding a giant bowl, slowly tilt side to side, keeping arms up as if you were "pouring wine" out of the bowl.) GREAT oblique muscle workout.
* 20 Snake arms (20 each arm, each way... hold arm out from your side, palm parallel to the floor. Move hand and arm in a circular motion, keeping palm facing flat to the floor the whole time. The do it in the opposite direction)
* 30 leaps (I can't do these well yet..jump straight up in the air, pick your knees up as high as you can to your chest, and land on the balls of your feet as lightly as possible.)
* 30 of those #$%* pushups
* 100 squats. Sort of the reverse of the leap. From standing, keep feet shoulder width apart, drop down to a crouch, and then back up to standing again. (harder than it sounds, trust me)

There are other things involved too. Lots of limbering up, stretching.. or in my case RELEARNING how to stretch.. I remember a lot of the stretches from before, but am having to reteach my body how to do them properly.

Also relearning how to BREATHE properly through a workout. Also not as easy as it sounds.

I'm hoping that I stop feeling clumsy sooner rather than later.

On working out and losing weight.

Firstly, for those that don't know...

Sex is good for you.

Duh. Right?

No seriously.

Sex also definitely trumps coffee for ways to wake up in the morning. Every time.

Fun fact:
"...Have you ever heard of the cliché, "Touch heals"? The chemical composition of your body actually changes when you are being touched. Caressing, cuddling, stroking, and hugging have the ability to change the chain of reaction of chemicals in your body. The results are awesome: strengthened emotional bonds and improvement of overall health and mood.

Does sex play a significant role in weight loss and lowering cholesterol levels? Yes it does. The average amount of calories burned for 30 minutes session of sex is 150. That's right.. 150 calories in 30 minutes. Not only does sex burn energy, it also helps improve circulation. The deep breathing and increased heart rate that happens during a 30-minutes session helps increase the flow of blood to your entire body. It then supplies fresh oxygen, hormones, and nutrients to the brain and other organs.. Lastly, you get better sleep after a 30-minutes session of lovemaking. You would sleep more and restfully because of the relaxing afterglow.."

See? sex is GOOD for you. ;)

Of course, you don't have to convince ME of that..


Thing the second.. I'm looking at various ways to continue my workouts during my lottery weeks. Unfortunately, I don't have the time between draws to do the kung fu classes. So the kung fu practice will be my off-week workouts, and I'm planning on doing three days a week Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

During my lottery weeks, I can take up jogging in the free time I have between draws.. or I'm also considering taking classes from The Art of the Catwalk. There's a pole-dancing class offered there that has caught my eye, AND it's offered Mondays and Tuesdays between draws.

I mean seriously.. have you SEEN the moves they can do? MUSCLE. CONTROL. End of story.

And now for a progress report:
When I made this blog and started posting a week ago (really? only a week? geez where does time go?) I weighed in at *cough185cough*

I've lost 5 lbs.

I've got a lot more to go to reach my realistic-but-seemingly-impossible-goal of 150 (because of my body-style.. any less than that would be stupidly unhealthy-skinny), but I'm considering this a good omen.

I've also almost completely cut soda out of my diet. I still have the occasional Dr. Pepper as a treat.. but it's VERY rare now.

I'm working on revamping my eating habits too. I don't eat BADLY by any stretch of the imagination. But there are things I could do to improve the way I *do* eat. Breakfast for example, has been reintroduced. Often I don't have time to eat a big breakfast, but I've been eating yogurt, or cereal with real fruit with a glass of milk (or juice) in the mornings.

A consequence of this is that I have to keep fruit or nuts with me all the time, because eating breakfast means that I'm STARVING by noon, and ready to kill people if I don't get something to eat by 1.

I'm also looking at trying to make more healthy dinners. This is going to be the hardest part though, because on my Lottery weeks, I do NOT have the time to cook.. and Greg doesn't cook at all. So I'm looking for fast but still healthy options for evening meals.

Also, nothing to eat after 11 pm. No more eating when I get home from lottery. It's too late at night to be eating anyways.


So that's where I stand so far. My next kung-fu class is Monday evening, so look for an update around then.

I know Kung fu.... Well.. sort of.

OMG, I had forgotten how much FUN martial arts can be.

I haven't taken martial arts of any kind in a couple of years, so I was expecting nothing. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my muscle memory for some of these movements is still functioning.

Also pleased with myself in that I did WAY more than I thought I would be able to do.

I've decided, after looking over the different styles of kung fu available, and after discussing it at length with the teacher of "Sifu" (pronounced SHEE-foo) that I am going to go after the Nan Shen style. It's the basis for all of the cat-based styles (Tiger, Leopard) and THOSE are the basis for the Dragon style.

Guess why I chose that style. No, no.. not just for that.. I actually had it recommended to me for my body-style, and for my goals.

NanShen is technically considered a "masculine" style, but it's the one that's best overall for smaller, more powerfully built people (like me); and also the best for quickly getting my ass back into shape. Kung-fu, overall I've noticed, is a very graceful style. I'm hoping eventually to be able to call some of that grace my own.

I started tonight with the basic warm-up.. and I'll be sticking with just the basics for a good while, I'm betting.

First there was the stretching and warming up the joints. This is important to do for ANY work out really.. with the added bonus of the fact that stretching will help me to greatly improve my flexibility.

Then it was on to squats, leaps, and basic movements for arms and feet. One of the things that this style in particular will do for me is to make me incredibly light on my feet. Of course, right now I feel like a clumsy child trying to dance in mom's high heels..

Yeah.. not so pretty at the moment.

Add to those things:
100 sit ups
100 push ups (of which I did a whopping 50 ..woot! Hey, considering I didn't even think I could do 15, this is a huge deal.)
100 leg lifts (revese crunches... the ones where you lay on your back and use your lower abs to lift your hips off of the floor, and lift your legs straight up)

and then the first of many stick-forms. (Stick forms are movements you do while holding a short "stick".. will help with toning arms and shoulders, increasing flexibility, and fluidity.)


So I'm home now after my very first class. Tired, sore, accomplished.. and wanting more.

Project FitPixie has begun!

Getting back into shape has been among the most important of things on my lists and lists of things to do.

I keep finding excuses NOT to do it. I don't have time, not enough money...

No more.

My goals are to get back into shape, tone up, lose weight...

This blog will be my chronicle of the process. Successes and failure, steps forward as well as setbacks.

I'm hoping to drop approximately 20 lbs before September. I know I'll never be one of the "skinny" girls.. I'm too curvy for that, but I want a better body. I want the body that I had when I took martial arts before.

To further my goals, I've decided to start learning KungFu. Ok, ok.. let the Matrix jokes begin.

My first class is tomorrow night, and I'm really psyched about it. I haven't done martial arts in a couple of years, and I've been trying and trying to get back into it. This looks like a good opportunity to do so.

I'm also looking into a set of dance classes done by the Art of the Catwalk. Those won't start for another two weeks though. I'm hoping that the Kung Fu will provide overall fitness, endurance and strength.. while the dance classes will provide flexibility and agility.

I'm also hoping that both will provide me with more self confidence. I'm tired of hating what I see in the mirror.


Every journey begins with a single step....this is mine.