Inverse Logic

[invrslgc-blog]

30 Minute Bootcamp Calorie Burn || Kendell Hogan with Exercise TV

This is my favorite exercise video and one I come back to over and over again. It helped me a lot the first time I set out to lose weight. The moves are certainly doable and you can choose an intensity level. So when I began using the workout, I could make it manageable. As I progressed, I could make it more difficult.

The trainer is full of energy and (even though sometimes they look a little corny) everyone looks like they’re having fun! I like to pick a playlist and mute the video while I workout, since I basically have the routine memorized.

Exercise TV has some other great videos, but I haven’t looked at very many of them to be honest.

[invrslgc-blog]

Danielle Peazer || Hip Hop Ab Toning

I decided to branch out from my online trainer favorites and try this video. I’m glad I did. She was very clear and the moves were easy to follow. If you can’t tell from the video above her hair is wonderful and her makeup is great. That’s why I knew I’d be able to do the workout. 

If you can manage to look like a model the entirety of a workout video, then i can probably manage to finish the whole routine.

In any case, I might be looking at more of her videos for future workouts.

[invrslgc-blog]

The Fitness Marshall || Don’t Tell ‘Em - Cardio Hip Hop

This is certainly one of the more cardio-heavy workouts offered by The Fitness Marshall. I was tired and wondered how four minutes could push me to the brink of exhaustion.

That probably has more to do with that bag of Barbecue Lay’s and regret from this morning. Either way I felt better after having completed it.

[invrslgc-blog]

Anaconda - The Fitness Marshall - Cardio Hip-Hop

This as a lot of fun and actually got my heart rate up. There are several other videos offered through this account and if you do six of them in a row (like I did), you can get in a pretty good workout.

This man is not playin. I mean just look at how low he gets. You can tell he's having fun, but he's most definitely going in. His enthusiasm and energy really keep you thinking more about dancing than working out.

I saw it featured through The Body Department, whom I'd never heard of until about two days ago. They have some really great videos. I haven't checked out their site in full yet, but I may check in from time to time in search of a fun workout.

[invrslgc-blog]

If I could only have one sugary substance for the rest of my life, I'm pretty sure it'd be either orange juice or grape juice.

But right now, orange juice is winning.

I mean just look at it. I'm slowly reducing my intake of other sugars, but orange juice is going to be a hard one to tackle. As a matter of fact, if I hadn't just finished the carton, I'd be drinking a glass right now.

I should try eating an orange instead to at least get some fiber. Until I hit the store though, neither will be an option.

[invrslgc-blog]

Straight Natural Hair and Working Out 2

So I pulled my hair into two pigtails then put on a sweatband and scarf to hold my hair down. After letting it dry completely, it was fine.

Like my hair had all of its pintuck curls. The roots in the front and at my edges were still flat and smooth. The back got a little puffy, but I went through it with a blow dryer, on medium heat, and low/medium output for like 15 seconds, tops 30. 

Put my hair into more pintuck curls, went to bed and my hair looked just as good as day one.

I was and am thoroughly surprised. I worked out everyday from Monday to Friday using this and my hair still looked good. By about Wednesday, I stopped using the blow dryer, so my roots were getting thick, but it was more than passable.

TL;DR: Put hair up. Tie down edges or use a sweatband. Workout. Let hair dry. Optional: blow dry puffy spots. Prep for bed or for going out, to class, or to work. Done.

[invrslgc-blog]

If you've ever wanted to know what your floor tastes like, try this workout right here.

You'll collapse right onto your stomach, tongue out, and panting.

Unless that only applies to me.

[invrslgc-blog]

Straight Natural Hair and Working Out

I like getting my hair straightened, but I'm a bit disenchanted with it due to the absurd amount of maintenance it requires.

Basically straightened natural hair cannot see, hear, or touch water for fear of the hair getting frizzy and destroying all the effort and time put into styling it. This means showers cannot be too long or too hot, because of the steam buildup. Anytime it rains, you're in for a terrible time. And working out is basically illegal.

But I honestly refuse not to work out to keep my hair straight.

And luckily so do a lot of other women in the same situation. They have given tips and styles that help maintain straight natural hair.

So here I am.

Sitting in the middle of my dorm.

Post workout.

Tumblin.

Waiting for my hair to dry and hoping it's still straight enough to wear down.

I'll let you know how it goes.

[invrslgc-blog]

So I was on the internet watching Vines and decided to finally do some strength training today. I wanted to work my arms, but I don't have weighs and wanted to find something that didn't require me to walk to the gym. Which by the way is maybe three minutes away.

Anyway, I found this video by fitness blender, who by the way, has wonderful workouts for anyone trying to exercise.

Even though this video requires absolutely no weights, do not be fooled. This workout is not a joke.

My arms are definitely sore. But it was really fun and I liked the diversity in moves.

[invrslgc-blog]

I did this video first. I like Keaira Lashae. She's fun and keeps you motivated.

I also like that she has a myriad of 10 min workouts. It's just the intensity I need.

For now.

[invrslgc-blog]

Did this workout with a pretty long break in the middle.

Apparently I was working a bit harder than I thought,  because I was doing lunges and my back leg was shaking quite terribly.

Like this is basically all the stability I had.

But I finished.

Props to the host of the XHIT Daily video, Kelsey, who killed it. She had wonderful form and incredible stamina and endurance.

The trainer though creeped me out with the her "good girl" motivating statements. It made me feel like a dog. So I muted her and played some music.

[invrslgc-blog]

I'm still not 130 lbs.

It's been two years.

I started trying to lose weigh freshman year of college. As may be no surprise, I had gotten accustomed to the large volume of campus food and how often I could get it. I ended my first semester of freshman year at more than 200 pounds. I don't have an exact number, because I didn't want to weigh myself.

It was weird. I was used to my weight sort of adjusting itself. I kind of assumed it would just go away.

It didn't of course. I realized that about February of that next semester.

Spring 2012

So I started going to one of the campus gyms, attempting to run for 10 min, before heading either to the dining hall or back to my room. I made a few changes in how I ate. I drank more water, stopped eating all those Snicker's I had stocked up on from the dining hall, and had joined an online weight loss community called SparkPeople(I highly recommend them).

It was working. I lost a little weight, but finals week and tech week came along and working out just didn't seem as important as finishing my assignments, studying for Chemistry, or making it to rehearsal.

Summer 2012

More than likely I was online shopping. I saw something I wanted, but couldn't buy. They either didn't have my size or didn't make it. So I logged back onto the weight loss website and started taking a serious look at how it was these weight loss success stories had come to be.

The articles on the site weren't enough to satiate my curiosity. I wanted to see and hear these people, so I went to YouTube. I searched "weight loss stories", "before and after pictures", "weight loss blog", "fat loss journey" and likely any other combination you can think of. As I watched more and more people share their pictures, videos, thoughts, and tips, I seriously began to wonder why it wasn't possible for me.

I believe the phrase that had me nearly running down to the elliptical in our basement was: "You have to think of exercise as a part of your life as much as school or work. You have to take it seriously and you have to do it every day."

That's a lot of paraphrasing, but what really encouraged me was realizing and accepting that losing weight and becoming healthy meant an upheaval of every unhealthy habit I had. It meant completely changing what I do, how I do it, and why I do it. Seeing that someone else had accepted these same truths and been successful made it so much more attainable. They understood what it's like to be where I was, because they had been were I was. It all seemed so close and so attainable.

So I worked really hard that summer, but it was fun. I woke up and worked out about 4 times a week. I don't remember noticing a change in appearance until after everyone else had, but I do remember noticing a change in how I felt.

I felt good.

I hadn't felt that good in a long time. My confidence was becoming unshakable. I loved that more than I loved the way I was beginning to look.

At first.

I'll save that for another post.

Since then my weight has gotten down to as low as 171 lbs and is currently at 186.5 lbs..

I want to see 160 by Summer 2015, though my long term goal is to make it down to 130 lbs.

I'm going slow and steady, because it's not a race. I want to be healthy for the rest of my life.

[invrslgc-blog]

I made it to the 7:57 mark.

Which really means I stopped at about 6:30, paced for a little while, and paused the video.

Restarting is difficult.