Hoop Fever . . . It's Catching!

I have been waxing enthusiastic about hula hooping for fitness for almost a year now. Admittedly I can sound like a bit of a crack dealer at times. "Come on just try it, you'll like it! You won't believe how amazing you'll feel!" But here's the thing. . . I'm not the only one.
From the amazing health and fitness blogger, MizFit Online (I just love her kick ass style of fitness!)

Hula Hooping For Fitness - guest post by certifies Hoop Instructor, Jo Mondy

Happy Hooping!

With  my post yesterday, it occurred to me that I may have left some in the dark with my vague description of working out with a weighted hula hoop. I didn't want to leave anybody with the horrible mental picture of myself flinging myself around inside my hoop like some rabid five year old on a pixie stick high. I mean, I don't even like pixie sticks.
I could upload a video of some of my favorite hula hoop moves. . .But come on! Did you really expect that to happen? Telling you that I hula hoop in the relative safety of my living room and showing you videographic evidence of such. I thought I would leave that to the pros.

Fat Tuesday

It seems that in the spirit of my Biggest Loser themed weight loss re-boot, I have chosen Tuesdays to be my weigh-in/evaluation day. After week 1 I have a lot to report.

Since I believe in sharing bad news first I will willingly disclose that I have not lost any weight. Nope. Not one ounce. Why am I not suicidal, you ask? Well, for one, I didn't gain anything either. And after the sugar fest that was my Holiday Season no gain is a good thing. I can live with no weight loss for now because even though the scale is not going down, I am moving forward.
I have added a few new tools to my repertoire. If you've read for any amount of time you know that I'm all about my Curve's workout. I love the circuit training and the aerobic/strength training intervals. Plus, as evidenced by the p

icture over there, I'm a freak for my hula hoop. 5 pound hula hoop to be exact. I've done all kinds of exercises over the years and nothing, NOTHING!, has strengthened my core like the weighted hula hoop.
But even with all those amazing workout options I was stuck in a bit of a rut. What to do, what to do? Watching the season premier of Biggest Loser last week gave me my first inspiration. Kettle Bells! I liked the fact that they come in all different weights; and while I've used a variety of free weights for a while now, I like that they offer a bit more of a challenge. My kettle bell from Danskin came with a DVD (which is OK) and a sheet with a set of 6 moves (which I love) It also helped that this months issue of Shape magazine featured Jillian Michaels herself's favorite kettle bell moves. I really really like the k

ettle bell for my arms. The triceps have never looked better.
Next I added in yoga. I had done a bit of informal yoga off and on for years but nothing major. I wasn't what you'd call "into it". Consider me converted. My gym has added a twice a week yoga class and so far I'm loving it! Turns out I'm not as flexable as I thought I was, but I can already tell a difference. My back and my hamstrings have already loosened up and my downward facing dog is starting to look more like a utilitarian hunting do and less like a lumbering mastiff. I'm shooting for greyhound, but that may take a while.
So now I had taken care of the mind and the body, but my eating still wasn't quite what it needed to be. And you all know how I feel about diets. . . I just needed something to get me back on track and help to remind me to make better choices. It has never really been what I eat so much as it has been how I ate it. I tend to go off track on sweets and portion control. I needed something that would let me include all my favorites (including sweets) as long as I kept track and stayed within reason. I had done Weig

ht Watchers before and had some success - in fact I have kept off every pound I lost the first time I did Weight Watchers - so I thought, why not? I signed up for 3 months of Weight Watchers Online. I just started on Sunday and so far I have found it really easy to keep track of what I'm eating and where I'm having a bit of trouble. Hopefully I will have an even better report for you next week.
They are calling for snow for the rest of the week though, so I make now promises. I still manage to get in a decent workout between my WiiFit, Wii boxing, kettle bell, and at-home yoga. But no school means no gym time for Momma. I think that I really do better with the structured schedule of a gym. What about you? Are you disciplined enough to get a full workout at home or do yo need the external structure of the gym? What is your favorite at-home workout when you're stuck at home?

I Always Knew I was Cool But. . .

I think I may have started something. Or at least that's what I keep telling myself. When I got my weighted hula hoop no one in the world (outside of my trainer, of course) had heard of such a thing. "That's nothing but a toy," Hubby protested. "Not if you're doing it right," I countered. Besides I'd like to see his big butt get up and do it. Haaaaa!
But now I have unequivocal proof that the hula hoop is a bonafied piece of workout equipment. The super-great Gabby Reece has endorsed the hula hoop and has even come out with a workout routing that you can do with your hula hoop, weighted or otherwise. Check her out on her website http://www.gabbydaily.com/2010/06/hula-hooping-is-hard-core/ and on the Honey Line at http://www.thehoneyline.com/ for more information on the hooping workout and Gabby's just general awesomeness.
I can attest to the effectiveness of the hula hoop. Since using it I have lost inches around my middle and my balance and posture have definitely improved. And besides all of that, it's just flippin' fun. So Fat Girl Slim says to go out and get thy self a hula hoop.

Hoopin' Happy

The five pound weighted hula hoop has turned into a bit of an obsessive nightmare. We are in a love/hate relationship right now. I hate to love the hoop and it loves to hate me. Yes, I know that the hoop is an inanimate object, but I assure you the thing has a personality all its own.
When I first started out it was so very hard. I wanted to zig and the hoop wanted to zag. Then I became inspired to turn some music on and just as Shorty got her apple-bottom jeans and those boots with the fur I got my rhythm.
For the past week my hips have shaken more than a little Polynesian girl on crack. The hoop lays in the middle of my living room floor (try explaining that to your in-laws) and calls to me. In just this one week I can feel my core getting stronger. Evidently the hoop works muscles that I didn't know I had. Something else new on the scene is this great looking bruise I have developed over my right hip bone. It's very colorful and shaped like West Virginia. I've hooped through the pain and my fellow hoopers tell me that once this bruise is gone it is unlikely that i will get another unless I move up to a heavier hoop which is also unlikely.
All in all, I give the weighted hula hoop a very big thumbs up. It's low impact, portable (which means I can do it while I watch TV) and it's just a lot of freakin' fun.