Product Placements!

This post will primarily consist of all the neat little toys and gadgets I have acquired in the past month to motivate myself to work harder. It'd be a waste of money otherwise! However, first I would like to do a quick recap of the plyo... poli... pylo... oh whatever it was I just did for the last 40 minutes.

It. Was. Intense.

I mean, like, holy bejeezus.

I probably completed about 40% of the workout. The other percentages break down as follows:
10% trying to figure out how to even do the move he was describing/demonstrating (Oh yeah, he, refers to the devil incarnate)
15% sucking air that wouldn't come
15% trying to keep the sweat out of my eyes, and my ponytail to stop falling out (note to self: buy a sweat band and better hair accessories)
and 20% contemplating just quitting and going to Wendy's for a burger

But I stuck in there and finished it to the best of my meager abilities, and I have to say I feel great! I really hope I can keep with it, because it seems even more hardcore than the suicide runs and conditioning training we did in volleyball and lacrosse. I was sweating more than I thought was possible. I know--super sexy.

The picture doesn't do the sweat justice, but it was literally dripping off of me everywhere. It does, however, feature my brand new heart rate monitor! UPS delivered it just in time for today's workout. I researched them for a couple of hours Sunday night on Amazon, and the wonderful gnomes that run the place were able to get it to me by today. Love that site. I ended up going with this one--the Sportline Cardio 630 Women's Monitor. It was one of the more affordable, had pretty good reviews, and seemed to be the most customizable (in terms of gender, height, weight, etc. for the calories burned counter), not to mention it's small/stylish enough to wear as an everyday watch. So far so good after the first use. Set up was a breeze, and it tracked me the entire time. Speaking of, I was at about 85% of my max heart rate during this workout, which is ridiculous, but I burned about 400+ calories. I am going to have to work on my breathing.

UPS also delivered this delightful little gem. It's a book filled with cocktail recipes that are lower calorie. I realize that most fitness and health programs board the "no alcohol" train, but let's face it--I'm a 24-year-old bartender. I'm going to drink. Better I'm prepared to make smarter choices about it (although I love craft beers) than quit cold turkey. Tried that once... it made me a very grumpy Gus.

In terms of calorie choices, I've began keeping track of what and when I eat with a book I found at Target next to the yoga DVD's. It's called a fitbook, and seems well worth the $20 I paid for it. It is a 12-week log of fitness and nutrition.

 The above are a sample of the daily tracker. It also has a long-term goal section, weekly goal section, and a place to fill in and keep track of all your stats (weight, body fat %, etc.). Very cool little book which I would highly recommend. I actually bought one for my sister (whom I'm going to have to convince to do this Insanity thing with me).

Lately, I find myself spending more money on gym clothes, nutritious food, vitamins, and little things like those mentioned than regular clothes, bar tabs, fast food, and decorations for the house. What a nice change!