UBM Post 15 - Bootcamp update

So this Pooh ain't getting unfatter :(.....

The month long bootcamp that I signed up for will be over this week, and I've been able to go to it only 5 times so far.....am terribly bummed about it :(

So what happened?

Well, the first two weeks were great. I was able to go twice each week. Then, we had a week of rain, and the camp happens at the park at odd hours, so had to stay indoors and skip it. It was also the long weekend week, and we had our trip to the Eastern Sierras planned. We did a lot of walking, hiking during our trip, and it was equivalent to 2 bootcamp sessions by itself. So I can count week 3 as success.

Week 4 was last week, and I was just not feeling good. The daughter started preschool and now that one week has passed by, I'm realizing that I was very stressed about it. I was also very tired from the travel and had to simply let my body rest.

One thing I have to always remember for myself is that my primary goal in life right now is to feed the baby. To produce close to a liter of milk each day is no mean task. If I get dehydrated or don't eat enough, the milk supply tanks. The baby gets irritated, and now that he is teething, the biting begins....OUCH, it hurts so bad! Working full time, two very young and demanding children, parents, a home to take care of - it IS very overwhelming, and the last thing I need is to fall sick or injure myself by being careless. So, I skipped week 4.

Now one more week is left....and I think I should be able to sneak in a couple of sessions, if not more.

Why bootcamp? I just needed some program to get me back into the exercise routine. And this seemed appealing and appeared at the right time. The gyms are full of sweaty people who pound away on those machines which repel me. I've gone to the gym for 15 years now but have never done many machines. I do these same kind of bootcamp exercises there too, then why not do it outdoors in a green, peaceful setting where you have the company of birds chirping, children playing, dogs playing fetch, the clouds passing by, and a gentle breeze whisking away your sweat :).

I think of exercise as spending time with myself, and my body. After two pregnancies, I have even more respect for our amazing bodies. Just think about our heart - it starts beating from Day 22 of fertilization of embryo and keeps beating continuously till we breathe our last. The least we can do is to keep our body well nourished and conditioned. Deep breaths are so so good for you....not overrated at all. Yoga (not Bikram or the other new fads but basic moves) is also very good for you. Anytime you slow down and pause your thoughts enough to notice your breathing pattern, it's good for you.

And what you do in bootcamp? You start with a run/jog around the park to warm up your muscles and bring up your heart rate, followed by some stretching. You then jump into the exercises one after the other, using your own body weight for most of them, and you do them in a circuit with minimum time interval between each set.

The exercises are:

:: lots of squats - regular, knee highs, jumping jacks, etc.
:: lunges - reverse lunges are tough
:: burpees (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burpee_(exercise)
:: mountain climbers (I hate these)
:: Pushups
:: Situps
:: Planks and crunches for abs (bicycle crunch is a surprise - it looks so easy but is brutal)
:: Jump rope (I can do 500 as of now; with stops, not continuous)

And a few more that I don't remember the names of.

It's an intense energy-boosting 45 minute workout and is guaranteed to make you feel sore. Stretching is a must post-workout and throughout the day. I've only lost 3 lbs so far, and that's because I am not dieting at all. If I could reduce my daily calorie intake and increase my workouts to 4 per week, I would see major weight/inch loss. But as I mentioned earlier, this is not the time I can do such things. So I have to be patient and wait.

Bootcamps typically cost a lot. It's a small group setting with a personal trainer (and I lucked out with a really good one) but I had bought one of those groupon deals for $25, and it was a steal.

Do try it out if you get a chance....and go at your own pace, I'm sure you will enjoy it!

Mind over matter....

I did two sessions of the craptastic brutiful bootcamp this week....and this is how I felt during both sessions :):

My whole body aches. Some of the muscles that I thought had cease to exist have come roaring back to life. I feel the need to keep stretching them all day long. Those warm showers post workout have never felt this good.

Its a painful realization of being soooooooooo out of shape due to the two pregnancies. This bootcamp is kicking my metabolism in high gear :)!

Let's see how I survive the rest of the month - the goal is to do a minimum of three bootcamps a week, combined with a couple of gym sessions. The goal is also to get fit and be able to start hiking, biking, swimming, playing tennis and not focus on the lbs lost.

I can't even say TGIF....you see, we have a daughter who never fails to remind us several times a day why they call them the terrible two's!

But, you guys have a terrific weekend!