I'd Rather Be . . .

I'd rather be a Last Minute Mommy

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:05:00 +0000

So, I'm finally done!

Not that you knew I was even working on it. (And by "I," I mean her.)

But...I have a new blog!

It's like this site, only, more... um.... me.

Less posting for other people's gain. Less posting about stuff that doesn't matter to me.

More crass. More upfront. More frequent. More awesomeness.

Go now.

P.S...I'm not sure what's going to happen with this blog. I'm keeping it for now. I might keep posting, might not. Yep, that's about all I know.

I'd rather list 5 things, 7/16/10

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:15:00 +0000

Happy Friday!! I'm joining my lovely friend (and the birthday girl) Ms. Trayce at Yours...Truly Trayce for another Five Things. If you want to join in, simply tell us 5 things about you, and link up!

1. I love movie theater popcorn. I once went into a theater just to get the popcorn. It's bad, ya'll.

2. It took me weeks upon weeks to come up with a semi-decent bucket list. Why? Either I have no imagination or I'm just really content. I think it's a combo of both.

3. I love my girl friends, but none of them live within a half hour drive of me. :(

4. My fingernails are paper thin. I will never have long, hard, gorgeous nails. Sniff.

5. I find the words guacamole and avocado fun to say. I frequently use them for no reason but just to have the syllables roll off my tongue. Guacamollllleeee. Aaaavaaaacaaaadooooo. See? Fun.

I'd rather be mingling 7/12

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:59:00 +0000

Howdy Minglers and visitors of all types! It's been a crazy around here - summer strikes again. I can't really tick off a list of what all we have been up to, but nevertheless, it feels like I never have time to do much blogging. I'm barely even on twitter these days. But now I have a few weeks of reprieve as my girlies have a bunch of summer camps coming up. Lucky me! I'll probably still neglect my blog, in favor of my new obsession - prepping and reading about BlogHer 10! (If you are going, please mention it in the comments, I'd love to say hi in person!)

But, since I had some free time (after my lesiurly stroll around the grocery store - in which I had the time to actually think/remember my old Monday routine of vlogging) I figured I'd jump back in the loop.

Also, about the whole plastic surgery thing - to clarify: I do not - in no way, shape, or form - feel as though I am perfect. I'm not knocking it if you feel it's good for you. It's your body, do what makes you feel good. I just don't want to mess with genetics and come out looking like Heidi from the Hills or Michael Jackson.
Just Sayin'.

With out further rude comments on my behalf...

Thanks for stopping in. As always, feel free to click on the button above and join in on the mingling. It looks like Speedy is encouraging us to check in often, so it's never to late to add a vlog! Plus, it's super easy.

Just do it.

I'd rather eat carbs at LA Boxing

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:56:00 +0000

Here's a tip: LA Boxing is really freaking hard when you aren't eating carbohydrates.

I had a personal training session on Tuesday - which just happened to be the second day of my low-carb diet. I was doing fine, for the most part. I didn't feel too slow, didn't feel to overworked. Then, the suicides came. Those lovely drills where you run back and forth, going farther each time, touching the floor before you run back to the start to run again.

I hate suicides.

Seriously. More than my dislike for crunches, push-ups, and running all put together. They wear me out. They make me feel like, at best, a clumsy old turtle. I slowly run back and forth, just hoping that I won't fall down and roll over onto my imaginary shell, left with nothing but to sound like that old lady in those "I've fallen, and I can't get up" commercials. It's that bad.

So on Tuesday, Donte says, "Okay, we're gonna do suicides, and you'll do a punching combination at the end." I looked at him (like I do 75% of the time) with that "Whachoo talkin' bout Willis" face. He laughed, and said he was going easy on me. Instead of sprinting to every heavy bag, he was letting me sprint to every other bag and instead of doing a punching combo after each sprint, I was going to do a combo at the end of a set of sprints.

That made me feel a little bit better.

(No, I lie, it didn't. But, I told myself it should. And I knew that Donte doesn't give me stuff that I can't physically do. Pushes me, yes, but not so hard that I die. So there was that: I wasn't going to die.)

So, I sprint (very loose use of the word "sprint" here) the first leg, then back to the start. Everything is fine and slow dandy.

Then I sprint the second leg, feel really unsteady when I touch the ground, but still sprint back to start.

In the next leg, things get a little hazy. After this last sprint I was supposed to do the combo. I'm pretty sure I did. Pretty sure. Then I was supposed to run back to the start.

Yeah, that definitely did not happen.

I hit a wall. A big, brick, immovable wall. And I hit it hard.

When you are working hard, sometimes this happens. Frequently, because I am not the fittest boxer in the bunch, I have to take a breather for a few seconds before I start working again. During this session I'm sure I had to do this. We were doing a lot of weights and ab exercises. Sure I was pushing myself -- after all, my ab's still hurt, 4 days later, when ever I sneeze -- but it wasn't like I was running up and down the steps for the whole hour.

The problem? No carbs. I usually have to eat a full breakfast - whole wheat bread, fruit, and some protein - before I go to boxing. But with this diet, I couldn't do that.

Not. Smart.

I gave this low (no) carb thing one more try for my Friday boxing class, and the same thing happened. Worse, in fact. I barely had enough energy to finish the class, and I even came in late! No more. Lesson learned.

Boxing = hard work = need fuel = need good, healthy carbs.

I've never been so excited to eat a slice of toast in my whole life. Mmmm, toast.

I'd rather list 5 things I love about LA Boxing

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 21:51:00 +0000

Today you get a "Five Things" post and an LA Boxing post, all wrapped up in one. (Five Things is a meme created by Trayce, in which I simply tell you 5 things about me.)

Ohhh, LA Boxing, how I love you, let me count the ways...

1. You provide an hour of "me" time, at least three times a week. Yes, I count sweating buckets as "me" time these days - a girl takes what she can get.

2. I have gotten the first "Hey! You are looking thinner!" compliments (from anyone in my family other than my awesome Mother-In-Law) since possibly before I had my last kid.

3. I can lift my 8-year-old over the railing and into her loft bed while she is sleeping with out the fear of giving her a concussion on one of the posts.

4. Apparently I have arm muscles, and the tiniest hint of ab muscles - who knew!

5. You have showed me that I can keep going. I can hold that plank, I can keep hitting that bag, and I can do one more rep. That is worth more than I can say.

Happy Friday, ya'll! Now, either join us and blog your own "Five Things" or go hit the gym! I'll let you choose.

I'd rather get the job done.

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:20:00 +0000

I have a new confession.

I haven't been to the gym in a while. I've missed yoga. I've been unable to go to boxing. I was even too sick to make it to my personal training session last week.

There have been sick days, yes, but also busy days, stressful days, and previous-commitment days. Every kind of day. Every kind of excuse.

I wonder if I still could of gotten some kind of workout in? I probably could not have made it into the gym, but I could have a least done some kind of workout at home. I didn't have to go on a gym-free binge, that's for sure. (Thank goodness, at least, for the no-eatting-out rule. Because, if it weren't for that, I probably would have gained some ridiculous number.)

And where am I now?

Still the same weight I was two weeks ago. Probably not as strong, having less endurance. And most of all - I'm afraid. Afraid to go back.

Tomorrow I see my personal trainer, and I think I might literally go in cowering. I know he won't give me too much sympathy. And why should he? I've fallen down on the job.

Working out is my job. Eating well is my job. Being a heathy role model for my kids is my job. It is my responsibility, my duty, to do these things. No one else's. I can't blame anyone else when the job doesn't get done. And although I am the one that pays the majority of the consequences, it affects others as well. I'm more cranky to my husband, have less energy for my kids.

Tomorrow, I go back to work. I clock in, and pay the price for skimping out on my job. It will probably suck. And there will definitely be a lot of sweat - maybe some mild cursing.

But I'll be there, getting the job done.

I'd rather list 5 things, 6/11/10

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:24:00 +0000

I have a bloggy buddy, Miss Trayce, over at Yours... Truly Trayce. She has been running a little meme called "Five Things" every friday for a while now. Recently, my other buddy, Veronica (of All Things Veronica) has jumped in on the list making.

Not to be a follower - although, I'd follow those ladies just about anywhere - but I figured I'd join in this week.

With out further ado, here are five things you may not know about me:

1. I can't stand cilantro. Seriously, it makes me gag. It's nasty, nasty stuff that I avoid at all costs. I have tried to get past this issue, and it's impossible. It's not mental, my taste buds truly can't do it.

2. I have really big big-toe. Well, that's what I thought, until last year, when my podiatrist told me that it wasn't the big toe that was freakish, it was that the second toe was miniature. Either way, me = weird toes.

3. I love roller coasters.

4. I love logic puzzles.

5. Potty humor makes me laugh. A lot. Yes, I am juvenile like that.

So that's it. Five things you wish you never learned. Until next week!

I'd rather celebrate 10 years

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:05:00 +0000

Ten years ago, I never imagined this:

I was blessed to see a lot of this:

I knew I would eventually see this:

And he told me he'd support me, like this:

We dreamed about this:

He made me smile by doing this:

And the fun rubbed off on the girls, like this:

And that's why I am so happy to have this:

Happy 10 years, Boo.

I'd do it all again, in a heart beat.

I love this man.

I. Love. This. Man.

I'd rather get better and box

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:43:00 +0000

I'm sick. This stupid summer cold came on from out of no where at the end of the week and now here I am, Monday afternoon, still feeling like I was run over by a truck.

Let me tell you people, this isn't pretty. At all. I have yet to master the art of being "sick-cute" as opposed to "sick-gross." I'm a fabulous mix of the dwarfs: Gumpy, Sneezy, Sleepy, Dopey, and the yet to be found dwarf - Icky.

So I think I have the right to complain. The right to moan about my achy muscles, to blow my nose loudly, to sleep half the day. I have a lot to gripe about.

But do you know what one of the most annoying parts of this cold is? I missed boxing.

What? Did I write that correctly? Have the cold meds sent me into a NyQuil-induced drugged-up haze? Nope.

I miss boxing and I'm bummed.

I normally go in once during the weekend to LA Boxing to sweat out the stress of the week. Hit the heavy bag hard and walk away feeling like a weekend warrior. I get on a high horse - gloating in the face of my former "can't be bothered to get off the couch" weekend-self. I start Monday feeling strong, not bloated. Quicker, not exhausted. Ready.

Not this week. Monday is currently laughing at me, all balled up in the corner, and kicking my butt. (Well, to be honest, last week wasn't a gleaming example either. Apparently Memorial day weekend - and alcohol - make for a really, really bad personal training session on Tuesday. It was laughable. Literally. We laughed at my inability to do just about anything last week.) But this is even more reason why I was ready to have a great weekend so that I could return to training on Tuesday in top notch form.

Instead, I spent yesterday in bed, surrounded by tissues.

I miss boxing. I want to get well. I need to get well. So I can go back, put on the gloves, and get back into the groove. Kick some butt. Tell the heavy bag who's boss.

I'm going to drag my butt in there tomorrow if I have to. It may not be pretty, but I know I'll feel so much better for doing it.

Now, please pass the chicken noodle soup.

I'd rather confess, I'm an eat-out-aholic

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:22:00 +0000

I have a confession.

I eat out.

A lot.

Not just a lot - but frequently. I am too embarrassed to admit how many meals (and how much money) I spend eating out. I think the trend started a long time ago - way back in college, because who wanted to eat the crap they passed as food - and it just never let up.

It has its advantages. My kids have grown up going to restaurants, so they know how to behave well while there. It takes the stress out of planning for and making dinner. It tastes good - most of the time.

But the disadvantages are huge. The finances can't keep up with me. My kids may be growing up to think it's normal to eat crappy food all the time - and worse yet, that it is the most perfect reward for doing even the smallest task. And, of course, the weight gain.

Every week, from Monday til Thursday, I am pretty good at eating. I eat veggies, and fruit, no fried food, and hardly any sweetened beverages.

But, then then Friday rolls around. Who wants to cook Friday night?

And then Saturday arrives. It's the weekend, let's celebrate!

Then it's Sunday . . . might as well take advantage of the weekend while I can!

Before I knew it, I was too busy/stressed/tired to cook some weekend nights too.

Now, I could probably eat this:

But, I usually cave, and get this:

Sighhhhhhhhh.

My confession: I'm a eat-out-aholic.

What does an eat-out-aholic do to try to get it in check? Well, the setting day or number of visit limits didn't really work. And setting a budget didn't really work either. So now we are getting drastic:

No. Eating. Meals. Out. . . for a month.

(The only exception: my daughters birthday (when we are taking her out to an amusement park) and our anniversary.)

"That's not too bad" you may say, but for me, it's unheard of. To be honest, the thought of doing this makes my stress levels rise. It will be hard. Hard to plan, hard to follow through, hard to not wuss out on.

But, I have a problem, and something has to be done. I just have to do it.

Do you have any fantastic (yummy, but easy) recipes to share? Have you kicked the eat-out-aholic habit? Please, I beg of you, help a sister out with you input below!

I'd rather share some pointers

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Sun, 30 May 2010 05:22:00 +0000

Alright, if I haven't gotten this across to you yet - I really, really suggest you go try out LA Boxing. The first class is free to try, so you have nothing to loose. I'm not just saying this because I was lucky enough to fall into this sweet gig of putting LA Boxing "To The Test." I'm saying it because it's different, fun, effective. Heck, I am already conniving and planning so that I can continue attending classes once my three months are up.

It's that awesome.

Since I'm feeling less like a newbie there, I thought I'd share some pointers for you to use once you go to take your first class:

Be prepared to sweat. And not just that "hey, I just half-assed it on the treadmill" kind of sweat. More like, "I didn't know that body part even knew had to produce sweat" kind of sweat.

Come early. You're going to need to get gloves and get your hands wrapped. Plus, you'll want to either A) Find a heavy bag near where the instructor shows combinations or B) Find a heavy bag in a corner so that you can make a futile attempt to hide.

Bring water. I go through a whole bottle and a half during the class. Sweat makes you wish you were a camel.

Don't be scared. If I can do it, you can do it. Only, you won't look like you're about to die.

Take a friend. She'll hold you're hair while you are throwing up. You don't really need to do this (by any means) but, she'll tell you that your side kicks are money, even if you look like an idiot. See, here's my friend, Meghan, who tells me I'm doing awesome, even when I'm looking a little green.

Stash a snack in your car. I have a decently long car ride back home, and if I didn't bring a banana to calm the shakes, I think I would have already crashed the car into the neighboring pizza store.

It's okay to talk to your neighbor. Even if they can't tell you whether the combo is jab-jab-hook or jab-hook-jab, they can at least share that knowing "wow, this is the best/hardest workout ever" look with you.

Thank your instructor. It's a nice thing to do, so just do it. (Plus, maybe if you do, you won't get called out on skipping that last sit up. But don't count on it.)

Now, go take a class. Did I miss anything? Report back to me and let me know what you thought. Ask any questions you may have in the comments below - or let me know when you want to meet up, so that we can sweat together.

. . . Mandy

Disclosure: As a participant of #Fitbloggin' 10, I was offered (by LA Boxing) three months free membership, free personal training, and merchandise - all in exchange for blogging my *honest* opinions once a week.

I'd rather shrink for summer

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Fri, 28 May 2010 04:04:00 +0000

Well, I totally forgot to update you all on the 21 Days Challenge over at Shrinking Jeans. I'll do a quick recap for you...

Working out most days of the week. I did pretty well with this - I think it could have been better, though. I did my boxing and yoga, but I have slacked on the training walks.
Went vegetarian for 21 days. This was super successful! I wasn't expecting to make this a permanent change, but it definitely showed me I can cut back on the meat and feel great.
Vitamins didn't happen. Just couldn't find one that sat well with my tummy. Not giving up on the search though!
Water intake was slightly better than normal. I have made best friends with my water bottle, but I really have no idea how much I'm actually drinking.

Now, moving on ... the ladies are starting a new challenge - The Shrinking Days of Summer!

You know I'm all over it - like sand on a beach. (yeah, I'm corny...and what?) I hope that it brings more umpf and motivation and will power to my game. Cause I'm really at this annoying stage where I'm working my butt off and not seeing the results I want. I'm not sure if it is a result of self-sabotage or just plain impatience, but either way, I'm done with it. So, bring it on Sisters!

And if you really, really, need to know, I'm at 205.2 pounds presently. I'd really like to get back to "onderland" as soon as possible, as I have never loathed a two more in my life.

Want to join me? Come visit the challenge here!

I'd rather vlog, LA Boxing update

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Fri, 21 May 2010 18:56:00 +0000

I'm doing my update via vlog today. Check out Jen's blog that I mentioned: Jen in Real Life. I'd love to hear from you if you have any healthy living updates, tools, or gripes.

Disclosure: As a participant of #Fitbloggin' 10, I was offered (by LA Boxing) three months free membership, free personal training, and merchandise - all in exchange for blogging my *honest* opinions once a week.

I'd rather have a cool app

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Wed, 19 May 2010 19:08:00 +0000

A while back Mariana from Riding With No Hands introduced me to SparkPeople. It really is a fantastic site that helps people reach their healthy goals - for free. They have nutrition, health and fitness information in all forms and types, including articles, interactive tools (fitness trackers, meal planner) motivational tools, and a huge online community.

While it has so much to offer (so, so much) I had one problem with it - I was majorly overwhelmed. There was just too much for me to focus on, and I found myself losing track of time every time I got on. I quickly bailed on the whole thing, altogether. (Sorry for going MIA in your group, Mariana! No hard feelings?) It was a bummer to know I was wasting such an awesome tool kit, but sometimes you just have to have the right fit for it to work.

Since then, I have had the pleasure of becoming a smart phone owner. (I heart my Droid.) I've seen so many great apps to use for healthy purposes - and have used a hand full of them. But guess what I just stumbled onto? A SparkPeople app!

And it is a beautiful, beautiful thing. Here's why I'm using it:

It helps you determine your goals - weight loss, calories in, and calories out.
There is a food tracker that includes an optional menu plan, tailored to your calorie needs.
There is a fitness tracker as well, that calculates your calories burned based on the activity you did.
Multiple status bars and reports show you where you are in your goals - including a weight graph and a water tracker. (Which I was really happy to find - there is a severe lack of good apps for simple water intake.)
Links to just a few SparkPeople articles. (This is great for me, I can go look if I want, but I don't feel overwhelmed.)
Plus, you have the option to link to a SparkPeople online account, or just do the app by itself. If you link up, all of the info automatically shares between the app and site.

Of course, you can always go to the mobile site with any web-enabled cell phone, but (besides the Android) this app is also available on the Blackberry and iPhone. I also found another handy little SparkPeople app - SparkRecipes.

It's perfect for finding tons of healthy recipes. It includes a search by keyword or by category/course/cuisine/occasion or dietary needs. Each recipe also includes nutritional information, and the option to view it online to get comments and ratings.

These are my new tools to help me kick butt. Got any to share?

I'd rather get schooled, er, trained

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Mon, 17 May 2010 03:30:00 +0000

I have to admit, the first time I walked into LA Boxing for a personal training session I was nervous. Honestly, I was so scared my stomach was doing back flips.

I'd never really had a personal training session before, so I did my homework. I learned I was going to be partnered up with Donte Brown, so I looked him up on the local LA Boxing website. The site said he had been training for over a decade, had been a trained boxer for even longer, and that he was one of their best. And then, there was his photo that said, "mmm-hmm, I know you may think you're gonna live through this, but I'm gonna try my best to show you otherwise make you have a workout the likes of which you've never seen before."

What, you don't get that from the photo? Well, I guess it reads more "I'm bad ass" than "I'm gonna kill you," but I was already freaked, so I took it there. Oops.

Turns out, in real life, he is all smiles. Immediately my freak-out level went from a 9 to a low 5 when I met him. (If I were a sane, mildly healthy person, it would have been lower, but I'm not.) I promptly told him how scared I was and he said not to worry. I didn't believe him, but I figured the chances of me actually dying that day were slim, so I gave it a go.

First up, I ran up and down four flights of stairs for what seemed like eternity, but was probably only 4 or 5 minutes. I got a little light headed, but still felt like I'd live - at least for a few more rounds. Then, I went through a few more tests - jumping jacks, squats and lunges, and more running while punching with dumbbells. I have no idea how I made it through all that. (I get winded just climbing up my own steps with a load of laundry, people.) But I did, and he was there, cheering me on the whole time.

Not all of the sessions have been the same as that one, but one thing that is consistent is teaching. Donte is determined to turn the gym into a world-class boxing gym, so he not only makes you sweat, he teaches you something. I'm pretty sure I have an ugly boxing technique, but at least I'm learning. We do combo's and drills in the ring, on the heavy bag, at the speed bag and at the double end bag. Thankfully, he knows that when I'm getting too dumb to do know my jab's from crosses - or when I'm turning green - that I've pushed myself to the limit.

He has listened to me during class and knows what is going to motivate me. He knows I'm determined to not be one of the last walkers back to camp on my next Susan G. Komen 3-day for a Cure walk, unlike previous years. So he urges me to run a little longer. He knows I miss the buff shoulders I used to have in high school, so he makes me do punches a little higher. He knows I want to slim down, so he makes me work hard for the whole. entire. hour.

And even when I think I'm feeling sick, I still end up amazing myself that I can run laps around the gym while carrying a 16 pound sledge hammer. (I took a picture as proof - those are my feet at the top of the picture. I couldn't hold the hammer anymore or even take the picture myself because my muscles were shaking. Donte gets the credit!)

In summary: Personal Training + LA Boxing + Donte = GOOD.

Disclosure: As a participant of #Fitbloggin' 10, I was offered (by LA Boxing) three months free membership, free personal training, and merchandise - all in exchange for blogging my *honest* opinions once a week.

I'd rather be mingling 5/16

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Mon, 17 May 2010 01:45:00 +0000

Monday Mingle time again!

Now don't faint - I know it's crazy - I'm posting this on Sunday. I'm not last-minute for once.
No, you haven't stepped into an alternate universe. Don't fear, I'm sure I'll be late again next week. (And huge thanks to you those who still commented even though it was practically Tuesday when I posted. Smooches!)

Now, just a warning that I have my helpers with me again this week. (Shh, don't tell them, but I was secretly hoping to do it alone this time around. And I was hoping to do it earlier in the day, outside, when it was sunny and I was more alone.) Damn, turns out I was kind of last-minute anyway. Gah!

Ahh well, they add spunk when I might have put you to sleep. ;)

And here is the picture I was talking about - beware the ugly cry:

I was an utter mess. So was Riley. We just wanted our little buddy back! I might get a little sniffly this time around too. But, I think I'll bounce back much easier this time. Even quicker if I can find a couple of moms to have a few margarita's with!

Till next week, minglers...

I'd rather be mingling 5/10

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Mon, 10 May 2010 21:38:00 +0000

It's Monday Mingle time again! Please join us! (I'm late, as usual, but it doesn't stop me, so don't let it stop you either!) And next week are my questions, so you should totally join us for that!

Speedy is our host, click her button below to learn all about how to join in.

One more thing - I'm doing my first giveaway - a Thriv natural performance workout shirt - and I would love it if you entered! ;)

Now, enjoy my cooky mingle!

I'd rather take a kick butt workout class

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Mon, 10 May 2010 21:22:00 +0000

I was talking to my Dad this weekend, and he asked me what I did at LA Boxing. It made me realize most of you probably have no idea what goes on in there. So this week, I'm going to do one post outlining the classes, and one post outlining what my personal training session looks like.

First up - the classes. I've only personally taken the kickboxing and boxing classes but they also have abdominal work classes, martial arts classes, and MMA classes. I've got to admit that I'm kind of nervous to do the other classes, as the boxing and kickboxing are more than sufficient in kicking my butt.

If sufficient means: walk away shaking, having used every single muscle in your body, and drenched in sweat.

The classroom isn't your typical lay out. First, there is a big metal rig set up in the room, from which, 25 or so heavy bags hang. There is no "front" of the room, as the instructor walks around a lot. He may come back to one bag to show you the next combination, but trust me, there is no "hiding." (I know this because I "may" have been hoping to go unnoticed. I "may" have been hoping to wuss out a little and take it easy. I "may" have figured out that both those things would never happen.) The instructor also comes around with pads and practices one-on-one during the session as well.

If you are a first timer, you need to get to class early to get your hands wrapped and get gloved up. Then once class begins, the instructor pumps up the music, and you begin an hour-long super intense workout. (And yes, it is intense for me, but it is also intense for everyone else in the class. I've seen strapping young guys covered in sweat, panting, looking like they may pass out. It's not just me.)

You'll work your bag with different combinations, depending what class you take. But this isn't just an upper body workout. Be prepared to drop on the ground and do push-ups, sit-ups, and various other forms of torture exercises. You might end up shadow boxing, jumping rope, or even running laps through the bags. I have found that the instructors have some kind of sixth sense and know when a person is pushing themselves enough or not. If you are slacking, you'll hear about it. (In the most caring, "get your ass in gear," "don't waste your time," way possible.) And when it's all over, you'll get a chance to stretch and marvel in the fact that even though you are covered in sweat, you somehow did not melt into a puddle.

You will be tired.

You may be a little out of it.

But you will feel damn proud that you lived to tell the tale.

I live to tell the tale.

PS - I'm giving away an awesome Thrive natural performance shirt that would be perfect for any LA Boxing workout, as it is wicking, anti-odor, and really comfortable. Check it out here!

Disclosure: As a participant of #Fitbloggin' 10, I was offered (by LA Boxing) three months free membership, free personal training, and merchandise - all in exchange for blogging my *honest* opinions once a week.

I'd rather giveaway an awesome workout shirt

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Fri, 07 May 2010 18:45:00 +0000

******
UPDATE! Here's the winner:

Congrats Karla - but I have no way to contact you! Reply again or email me (the addy is in my about me section) and then we'll get the t-shirt to you. Thanks!

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A while back, you might have heard me mention Fitbloggin'. It was an incredible conference, held in Baltimore aimed at

"those that blog or want to blog about fitness, wellness, good food and a healthy lifestyle no matter where they are in the journey."

I had such a great time there. I met so many great bloggers, and got to speak with a lot of great companies as well. Everyone I met was so friendly and willing to share and connect.

One such company was Thriv. Thriv Natural Performance was one of the sponsors of Fitbloggin', so naturally they gave us all a look at their awesome line of active wear.

The clothing they make uses a patented technology that transforms bamboo and cotton into a material that provides SPF and anit-odor properties, wicks, is super breathable, and is beyond comfortable.

I know this all first hand, because they also gave each of the attendees a shirt to take home! Seriously, it is the softest workout shirt I have ever worn. The first time I put it on at Fitbloggin, I woke my husband up just so he could feel how soft the shirt was. And it has really stood up to the test of time. I wear it through some seriously hardcore workouts, and have washed it a dozen times, and it comes out perfect each and every time.

Are you wondering how to get one? Well, they have a (ever expanding) line at www.thrivnp.com that you could check out. And you could find out more by contacting them on Facebook or Twitter.

OR...

You could enter to win one right here! (Can I get a woot-woot for my first ever giveaway?!)

Thriv will be giving one of my readers one of these - you'll get the pink one below (for women) or the blue one (for men.)

To enter choose any one of the following methods and leave a comment at the bottom of this post. The more methods you do, the higher your odds of winning. Feel free to do as many methods as you like, but each method is only worth only one entry, with the exception of tweeting.

Comment below telling me your favorite workout or when you might use the shirt.
Subscribe to my RSS feed - it's the toast up there on the left.
Become a google follower of my blog.
Tweet "Enter to win a @thrivnp performance crew shirt care of @LastMinuteMandy at http://bit.ly/ahO1Te" (This one method can count as one entry every day of the giveaway.)
Sign up for the Thriv newsletter. (I really suggest you do this anyway, as they give away 50 shirts a month to the newsletter readers.)

I will choose a winner May 14th, using the random number generator.

Good luck!

I'd rather make a habit.

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Thu, 06 May 2010 00:13:00 +0000

Alrighty, time for a check in on the scale and on the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans 21 days challenge.

I'm down just a bit from last Wednesday (which I still think was a freak off-number day), but from last Monday I'm down by 2.8 pounds! I'm psyched about this - mostly because I know I've also gained muscle weight as well. How could I not, when my buddy Donte (from LA Boxing) has been making me run while punching free weights or while carrying a 16 pound sledgehammer?!! I really have to take my measurements and take a picture, though, because I think that will really tell the tale much better than the scale will. (Oh, and also? I fit into a pair of shorts I haven't worn in ages. Hells yeah!)

Now about the challenge:

Working out: check. I've been kicking arse. Seriously. I've been walking, yoga-ing, and boxing like a champ. Plus - at my personal training sessions I've had to run. This might be nothing of significance for most of you (it's just a minute or two of jogging at a time) but before this - I would only run from a fire. Maybe. So the fact that I'm able to run is not only incredible, it's down right shocking.

Eating vegetarian: check. It hasn't been very hard, either. I love seafood (that really helps) and I've tried out a few new recipes with soy protein crumbles. My kids are even digging on it!

Drinking water: check, mostly. I have been filling up my water bottle often, and chugging away. Problem is, I think (judging by this water calculator) that I should be drinking 85-105 ounces of water a day, and ... um ... I so don't. So I still have to keep adding more fill-ups.

Multivitamin: not so much. Well, I did manage to take it 3 times. The results were not favorable, to say the least. I think I may have to resort to Flinstone's chewables, because like a child, the big-girl vitamins made my twummy hwurt.

Seven days down, 14 more to go. I'm feeling good - how about you?

I'd rather be mingling 5/3

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Tue, 04 May 2010 03:20:00 +0000

Oh, how I've missed Mingling. I'm off to visit you all now. If you want to join us, click the button below and you'll head over to the directions and the link up.

And here is my vlog - not too exciting this week. I'll try to spice it up next time. (Someone want to teach me how to add in the music like you pro's do? Please? Bueller....Bueller?)

**Holy cow, vimeo took a good 6 hours to upload. Wow. This is just barely a Monday mingle. Hmpffff.**

I'd rather make a change

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 18:35:00 +0000

Today I'm linking up my first-ever Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans post! Woohoo!

I had the pleasure of meeting some of the Shrinking Jeans girls at Fitbloggin. I had lurked at the site before, and tweeted once or twice, so I knew they were my kind of people. But, I never really had the time to participate actively. After meeting them in person - and seeing how much they rocked - I decided I would make some time. Because these ladies (even with out having known them more than I know my mailman) are like that old friend you have. You know the one - she can move away and not talk to you for a year, then move back and pick right back up as if it hadn't been a day? Yeah, that's them. They take you any way you are - and when ever you have the time. Even if you're like me, and only do a drive-by comment every once in a blue moon.

That's because they are awesome-sauce.

And also? They aren't afraid to tell you to get your butt up off the couch and get your arse in gear. Except, they'll say it with a few more expletives and with the threat of hunting you down.

In the most loving way possible, that is.

ANYWAY....

All this is to say, I'm joining in on their current challenge. This 3-week challenge is to pick some habits and incorporate them into your daily routine in order to help you reach your healthy goals. Mine are:

Workout (almost) daily. See my last post, "I'd rather kick it up" to see the exact workout regiment I'm trying and to see my weigh-in. *cough*208*cough* (But, somehow I stepped on the scale and it said 205.4 this morning, so lets take that tiny shiny miracle and roll with it.)
Eat vegetarian. My husband challenged me to go veg, so we just started that on Monday. It is my first ever foray into abandoning beef (I freaked a little) but it's going well so far. No really, it is.
Drink water. This will probably be my hardest goal. Not that I have anything against good old H20, but I just never think to drink until I'm already thirsty, or worse. So, do me a favor and tweet me to chug, if you can. Please and thank you!
Take a multivitamin. I am a total medicine/vitamin slacker. The only vitamins I even have in the house expired in 2009. Guess I'll get some new ones soon. Promise.

That about sums it up for me - what healthy habits do you want to create?

I'd rather kick it up

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 19:34:00 +0000

It's time to fess up. I've been slacking off on this weight-loosing gig. More than slacking, really - more like going backward.

It mostly started when I found out my scale was lying to me, and it just kept going downhill from there. I guess there are a lot of excuses, but none of them are any good. I've been stuck in a "I couldn't care less" crazy spiral, and I want out.

Alarms started ringing the last time I stepped on my (new) scale. Due to the huge error in the old scale, and the total lack of all things healthy, I've crept back up over 200 pounds. In truth *gulp* I weighed in at 208 pounds. Ugh, that sucks to write, but it's the truth.

UGH.

Thankfully, when I was at Fitbloggin, I was given a great opportunity to team up with LA Boxing. These guys are letting me join their gym for 3 months and hooking me up with weekly personal training sessions as well. They even gave me a some goodies to get me going - including gloves and wraps.

The gloves have already seen action (aside from my family walloping up on each other) at the local LA Boxing gym, here in Rockville, Maryland. I had a personal training session Wednesday, and yesterday my friend was sweet enough to join me for a kickboxing class. Both visits helped me understand why they call it a 1000-calorie workout. It was intense - I really put my body to work, sweat like crazy, and woke up super sore.

Let me clarify --
By "sweat" I mean: I exuded rivers of perspiration from the top of my head all the way to the bottom of my feet.
By "sore" I mean: Each time I moved my limbs, I was reminded how hard I worked, mostly followed by an "owwwwww."
By "put my body to work" I mean: I found muscles I didn't know existed, pushed myself farther than I thought possible, and opened up my lungs more than I ever have before.

And this is just the beginning.

This is shaping up to be my weekly regiment, for the next 3 months:

Monday - possible rest day, but more likely a walking day
Tuesdays - Yoga (at my yoga studio)
Wednesdays - Personal Training at LA Boxing with Donte (more on him to come)
Thursdays - Boxing class at LA Boxing
Fridays - training walks for my third Susan G. Komen 3-day for the Cure.
Saturday - another (longer) training walk
Sunday - Kickboxing at LA Boxing

Do you think that this is do-able? Is it crazy? Will I be able to get back to the 180's by June - maybe even back into the legwarmers for BlogHer in August? Will I get strong enough to hold a downward dog for more than 10 seconds? Do you think I will survive?

What do you think?

Disclosure: As a participant of #Fitbloggin', I was offered (by LA Boxing) three months free membership, free personal training, and merchandise - all in exchange for blogging my *honest* opinions once a week.

I'd rather celebrate Earth Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:26:00 +0000

Happy Earth Day!

Did you know I have a mini eco-activist on my hand?

My daughter is on a mission - already, at the age of 5 - to save the world. Why? Because, as she puts it, she "lovesssss nature!!"

This girl not only talks the talk, she walks the walk. She will find, and pick up the nastiest pieces of trash while we are on walks. She will chastise you for leaving the water on for too long. She hugs trees. I'm not kidding. She's a full-on tree-hugger. I love it.

So to celebrate Earth Day, we are in nature-saving mode. And we have a few things to suggest to you, if care to join us.

First - go see Oceans. We are going to see it right after school - I think the kids will love it. Plus, if you see it during the opening week, Disneynature will make a donation in your honor to save our coral reefs.

Second - have some earth-friendly fun! We made a cereal box purse, a paper roll wallet, and a ribbon holder bracelet. They are oh-so chic and very simple. If you need directions, shoot me an email or comment below and I'd be glad to help you out.

And lastly, if you are a blog owner, you can make your blog carbon neutral. Why would you want to do that? Well, because the average blog (with 15,000 visits a month) has a yearly carbon dioxide emission of 8 lbs due to the immense energy usage of computers, servers, and the like. The good news, is that only one tree can neutralize that emission! The even better news is that you can join the "My Blog is Carbon Neutral" program and make your blog green with out even leaving your seat. You just make a quick post, grab the button, send an email, then - voila! - a tree will be planted just for your blog!

That, my friends, adds up to some pretty fantastic green-making.

Now no excuses - go do something green, then pat yourself on the back.

I'd rather save the country a billion dollars

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:55:00 +0000

I am completely living up to my twitter name (@LastMinuteMandy) and just sent back my census form. Yes, it "might" have been sitting with my bills for over a month. Yes, I "might" have thought (on more than one occasion) that I needed to do it. I kept meaning to "get to it" but I just didn't. Plus I figured, at worst, they would send someone to the door to get the answers. But, as I just learned, that logic is BAD.

Why?

Because it only costs the government 42 cents (for postage) when I send my form back, but it costs (on average) about $57 per household to send a census taker. That means that if every house in my neighborhood were as forgetful/lazy/time-less/etc as I almost was, it would result in well over $12,000 worth of government money waisted. That's just one neighborhood.
If national participation to mail in the form only increased one percent, taxpayers would be saved 85 million dollars!
And if every household mailed back its 2010 Census form, taxpayers could save 1.5 billion dollars!

So, go fish your form out from under that to-do pile and get it done, because the deadline to mail the form is tomorrow! I did mine with my daughter and it only took a few minutes. What, did you lose yours? The census says if you lost or misplaced your form, call them at the Telephone Questionnaire Assistance Center at 1-866-872-6868.

Remember, children count too! The census counts them to give funding to child-related programs such as headstart, teacher grants, foster care, and state children's health insurance. And If we don't get counted then our communities lose out on federal funding for local hospitals, senior centers, job training centers, and more.

They're gonna find you anyway, you might as well go do it now.... seriously, go now. I'm watching you. The clock is ticking!