Christmas is close!...

Well, it's  been a long long time since I logged in last and posted an update. Almost two months. Wow. Time flies.

I had a lot of things going on and now wanted to post about many different and perhaps not very related things. Because I am leaving tomorrow and most probably won't have access to Internet for nearly three weeks. Three more weeks is not so much compared to the 7 I have been absent from the blogosphere, but still. :)

TA. Well, I am still holding in. But barely. And it is not about the lack of motivation really. Simply my PhD is taking my life in its own hands and I really can't find enough time. But I did finish level 4 and 5. Now that I am away, I will try to keep active, but I'm afraid I won't be able to work out well and often. When I get back in mid-January, I will start on level 6 of Continuity. Slowly but right ahead.

I had a very sad November. My grandpa died and I couldn't go to the funeral. But at least I managed to say bye to him and see him in October. It took me a little back on my PhD and workouts as well. But I am happy to be travelling to see my family very soon.

I bought a new camera and enjoyed taking it everywhere with me. I took some nice pictures which are more like learning for me. I started out with learning photography from Photography Concentrate. Their "Extremely Essential Camera Skills" is really good and easy for the very beginners! It just gets you going from scratch!

These are some photos I took at my University (Jacobs University Bremen) when it was beautifully snowy for the first time this winter!

Now I read a lot of tips and advice, and really hope I can apply them in practice now on my trip.... We are heading out in a couple - yes - minutes!!!! Have to order a taxi and go! I will be crossing the equator for the first time in my life and will spend a wonderful week with my sweetheart in Seychelles! Can't wait! Christmas with the sand, palms, fruits, sea and lots and lots of sun!

To whoever celebrates what: 

Merry Christmas everyone! Happy New Year! Happy Hanukkah!

Continuity 1.1 Level 4... Oh Boy...

Level C1.1.4

Day 4

So folks, I started level 4! I was really tired and bored with level 3, as again I had to redo it at certain point. Sigh... Now that's done, and I was SOOOO happy to move on to level 4. I still get really excited about MS changes - they are new and unexpected. I know a lot of people like to preview the new levels, but I don't. I actually like to turn it on an be surprised. :) It means of course that MS does not take 30 minutes, but well over 40 at first - as I pause and rewind and do the exercise again. But it is so great - the anticipation of something new and you don't know what to expect!

My verdict so far: I loved level 4! It is weird and strange, but I still loved it! But beware: it is different!!! It is surprising and strange.

First, I think there is a little weird thing going on with reps (I am not sure if it was supposed to be that way or not...). Basically all exercises are repeated - and it looks like it is simply repeated by copy-pasting the video... 

Second, there are no arms with weights or standing abs. That was a shocker. So basically you do the sequence of moves for the arms without weights, and then they are repeated a second time. Weird. And then a shocker: after arms, you go directly to the mat for abs. And to be honest, I liked this little change - whether it was indeed planned or not... You would think that arm exercises without weights would be easy-peasy... Nope! I still can't even contemplate doing them with wrist weights: my arms are falling off as it is. The abs - well I have to be honest, all the exercises are doable and don't seem hard at all, but by the end your abs really hurt. For me this change is somehow "Back to simplicity"... It is great!

Third, the leg moves are doable! Wow! I actually can repeat most of the reps from the start and after day 5 will be putting ankle weights. And I like them - they are truly enjoyable. Lots of moves, during which you feel stretching all along your body. There are many of the exercises - about 8, and some of them I feel very very very well on my inner-thigh! Goody!!!! 

WARNING: Level 4 definitely has some video-making problems. So left leg lifts miss 3 exercises!!! Not one, not just a different angle, but whole 3 exercises! And nice ones too - from the very beginning. Hence, the video seems to be really short (total of 27 min), but if you do all the leg moves on the right and left, it becomes about 30 min workout. What I do - I simply rewind the video back to the start of right leg moves and mirror then for my left leg. By now I am almost able to do them on my own.

So, that is level 4. I have in generally not been eating extremely healthy. Me and my bf really want to go on diet - together to lose some of those kilos (I didn't really gain anything...), but I definitely lost some of my tight and cool abs (as I can't really workout more often than 4-5 times a week these days...)

But I think I'm still keeping it up reasonably well....

I also found a cool way to sparkle the DC a little and make it a little more fun: little skirts for dancing and tennis! They are so cute - I love them!!!! :)

Kimberly Snyder's diet...

OK folks. I wanted to share with you a diet I found and will try. It is the "Beauty Detox Solution" by Kimberly Snyder (KS). I bumpted into it by accident and thought to give it a try. I don't have the above book, but KS has a pretty neat blog, so I will try to follow the main principles of this diet and then see if I would want to buy the book for more info.

All in all, it is actually very similar to TA diet, but KS tries to explain it a little bit more. There are some surprising guidelines, which I have never heard before. So, the main principles:

1. Eat light to heavy - meaning start the day with light food and go heavier towards the evening. Animal protein and starches should be left to the evening... This is actually funny, as there is a common belief that it is useful to have a big breakfast and light dinner - so the other way around... Crazy. But I'm gonna try it.
2. Don't mix animal protein and starches, animal protein should be mixed only with veggies.
3. Eat fruits separately from anything else and at least 30 min before or after other foods.
4. Exclude wheat and diary
5. No liquids during the meal (that I don't really understand and don't really agree with....)
6. Start ANY meal with greens - some light veggies or salad. It is like include a small starter for any meal...
7. Start the day with the "Glowing Green Smoothie". This is actually very similar to the Power Juice by TA, but it adds the fiber of fruits and veg. I already tried it today and I have to say - I liked it! It was not disgusting or anything like that, in fact it is really light, fresh and yummy! Great start of the day! The recipe is in the link. It contains water, spinach, lettuce, celery, apples, pears, bananas, lemon juice. Other than that parsley and cilantro could be added, but I liked it as it was. Fruits add a little sweetness, and the lettuce and spinach add the freshness - really good! From the recipe I actually got TONS of smoothie, and had 2 full glasses. Yum! And it really IS green!!!! :)

I love IHerb!

So guys, in this post I am NOT going to talk about workout. Not at all. And I am sorry for this. But this is not an add, really. I just wanna share something I discovered, and i LOVED it!

I have been trying hard to get a grip of my life, and to slow down the pace of it - most of which I actually love. But it has been hard. So to keep the story short, I decided to go more green. I'm not vegetarian, and there is really little chance I would ever become one: I love meat too much. But I can add a little bit to the planet by recycling (which I do almost religiously in Germany here) and perhaps sticking to mostly BIO products. I know. It is different, some might say it is silly - and that "natural cosmetics" is still not natural. But I like the concept of bio stuff - all from nature and protecting it. And no, I am sorry I don't feel as strongly protecting cows and chickens... Go figure.

So, in the past few weeks I got pretty much addicted to iHerb.com. It sells lots and lots and lots of bio, organic and natural cosmetics (be careful there with checking the contents as it is not only bio!!!), as well as stuff for babies, pets, vitamins, food, etc. Wonderful wonderful wonderful!!!!

So far I got some vitamins for myself and my bf, shampoos, conditioners, cream, facewashes, oils, books, chocolate, cosmetic brushes, aloe vera, soap, blush and foundation... well you get the picture! LOTS of stuff! 

Benefits:

• First, choice and quality! So far I LOVED it! The service is fast and efficient. Products are good, and I have found soooo many great replacements for the market equivalents. I love their shampoos, hair care, vitamins, oils and natural soaps... I mean seriously - amazing. :) Again, there are a lot of perks in more natural cosmetics, and I am only starting to discover this, but it is great!
• Second, price. What is amazing for me - it is reasonably cheap. Somewhat natural cosmetics cost LOTS here in Germany - even products by Weleda, which are made in Germany and it is a German brand, are cheaper on iHerb!!! Generally you can find various brands, various components, etc.
• Third, delivery. In the US it delivers really fast, worldwide you do have to wait a little bit - but it is worth the wait (around 2 weeks for European countries). Great thing about it is that it is also - CHEAP! Worldwide you pay 4-6 Euros depending on how much you paid for your order.
• And of course, unused items you can always return... Not that I want to return ANYTHING! :)

Caution:

• First, it is really important to be careful and check the contents. Do research on your own. Don't simply follow reviews and advice of others: it is your health, your skin, so make your decisions wisely!
• Second, there is a limit of 4 pounds and certain money-limit on each package. With international shipping, there is a bit of flexibility, but check your cart regularly.

Finally, one of the perks is that you get a code and you can use it to give to other people for mutual benefit. It is a bit of marketing tool - which I think is really smart and effective. So, if you use a code on your first purchase, you get 5-10 dollars off your first order, and I would get a little reward. And after that there is a chain of users - pretty handy! You can get more info on how it works here. 

So, folks, if you will want to order, use my code - I would be happy ;) Beware though - it is addictive :))))) Good luck! I started a new blog primarily on iHerb - check it out!

Long long time...

Level: C 1.1.3

Day: 7

Hellooo everyone!!!

Its been a long long time. I kind of fell off the wagon of blogging for several reasons I guess. First, lots and lots of things happened in my life - good and bad. Second, I lost some motivation to blog and tell people things. Sort of felt like going deep inside of my little shell and never emerging out of it. I guess, this happens to people from time to time especially when stress is what life is about... Damn, that sounds bad. :)

So about the things that happened so far. First, I did get my driving license. From the first attempt. Hurray!!! But with it also "buying a car" business came. So yes, I bought a car - a nice cute little Ford Ka from 2001. I purposefully wanted mechanic transmission so that I can learn to drive properly. And to be honest, it is not so bad! But all in all, I LOVE my car!!! Getting a car, however, means I move LESS - this is a bit of concern for me, but I will try to workout even more.

Second, my PhD is not finished yet, which means the stress of it continues to dawn on me. Every day, every evening. I stress out and I don't like that. But there isn't much I can do about it. I have to work on it, I have to write it and I have to get going. On the bright side: the conference I went to in the end of August (yes, after the last post) brought me a best paper prize for the article I was working on day and night in August. That is pretty cool, but I still have about 2 papers to finish up. End of October is my deadline for that... Oopsy - only 3 weeks left... :(((

Third, I am coordinating a BA course in my University and this is not easy. It takes waaaay too much time and I don't like it to be honest. I just want to finish my PhD and get the hell out. :)

Fourth, I am actually now in Russia. Far far away, and the stress is only building up right now as I haven't been able to work for a long time now... My grandpa was diagnosed with 4th stage cancer with only months left and I decided to head to my hometown to spend some time before he goes. I love him dearly, and he loves me, so he was really happy to see me. He still talks and moves a little, but most of the simple everyday things are difficult and almost impossible for him to do. He barely eats, is really picky and grumpy. But nonetheless, we talk, he tells me his life story and I know he appreciates that. So even though it is sad, depressing and a bit unnerving to see death closer and closer, I try to just give him some good days on this Earth before he goes, and try to support my parents as much as I can. So my days have been full with reading and talking, bringing food (and yes running back and forth because it is not warm enough), finding just the right water (which is not bitter - I don't know how it can actually be bitter): I literally had to carry out a water-tasting. And I love doing that, even though this doesn't give me as much time for work (which means almost none at all). I also got to spend some good time with my mum and dad, hug them tons and simply be around them. On that note I have to say that when it is not cold, autumn in the Urals is beautiful! I go for runs almost every day (I just can do much at home) and that is so worth it!

And so now finally I get to the workout part... Most of my blog IS about workouts, but right now I needed to tell some other things before I say: " I have not been really good with workouts". Well I still DO workout. I still do TA. I am now on level 3, and finishing it pretty soon. I missed a lot of time and had to start over and practically redo level 2. It is going slowly and never as I want it to go. But I try to move - go for runs or do a little bit of exersises, even when I don't have a chance to do the MS. So the progress is not as AMAZING as the one in the beginning of Continuity: in the beginning I lost additional 2 kilos and was so skinny and I loved it! Now I have to say I don't have the courage to get back on scale. I know it is not going to be as much as I was a year ago, but the perspective is nonetheless frightening... I will get back with more updates - hopefully - very soon!!!!

Crazy scientist in action......

Level: C1.1.2

Day: 6

Every morning I get up and try to put the pieces of my life together. I try to find a balance. And sometimes I succeed. But very often I don't succeed. I procrastinate a lot and get little done. Or then when I reach the times of lots of deadlines, I get lots and lots done, but get completely exhausted. I sleep 6 hours a day, I stay in the office till 10-11 in the evening. Even on Sunday. And this is sad. Very sad. A person who does that has no personal life. Or at least in my case - personal life which is now on the other side of the globe... And I have not worked out in the past two days.

Today though I woke up and decided - the hell with work, with all the presentations, students, papers waiting for me... with all the emails hanging there in my mailbox to be answered... I decided to work out - even if at least for half an hour. And I did. I did 15 minutes of DC and full MS. Day 6 of level 2 today. It was good, and I feel like I am back on track. 

Tomorrow I have a meeting and a workshop (which I am giving, not taking), I still have to finish preparation for it, so will get up early, but will try to squeeze the workout in - even if only MS and in the evening.

But couple of updates about some of my goals.

1. I have not had any alcohol at all for the past 3 weeks. And to be honest, I was not even tempted. Strangely enough - considering how much I love wine and beer. But my sweetheart is coming back soon, so we will have a nice glass of wine somewhere nice. Mmmmm can't wait!

2. I GOT MY DRIVING LICENSE!!!! I know it is a bit late to do it in my age - but better late than never. It took me 5 long months, 30 hours of theory in German, 60 hours of driving and 2000 Euros... Not the fastest, nor cheapest way, but at least I am with a driving license now - so the goal reached. I still need to have a drink for it ;)

3. I have had no problem eating no red meat recently. But the thing is that I rarely have time to eat at all. That's not good. I survive on salads I get on the way to the office... I buy some tuna steaks, salmon or chicken and at lunch time simply cook them in the microwave (it takes like 2 minutes!) and through together with the salad. No time for cooking, and I have not been eating extremely healthy. But I buy lots of fruit and veg, and eat them all every day. :) I lost a kilo more since I started Continuity, and am now at my lowest low... Last time I was this light I was 16 or something. But really, as soon as my bf will come back and there will be someone to take care of me - the crazy scientist - I will get that kilo back :) So I'm not worried. :)

This is how small I am these days.... Freaky actually :)

That's it for now. Nearly midnight on my side of the globe... I'm exhausted and there is a long day ahead of me tomorrow. In the end of the week I am traveling to Hanover for a conference, so will disappear again for a while. But I am alive, folks :))) Just waaaay too busy.

Ups and dooowns...

Today was a hard day. It still is. First, it's hot. It is 35C (which is about 95F) and you might laugh at me, but I come from the place it rarely goes over 25... At 30 my head starts spinning, at 35 I have to restart the system, 40 can cause a permanent damage... Hey but honestly - jokes aside - it is hard for me! This is one of the BIG reasons I love Bremen so much: it rarely is above 20 in the summer and almost never below -10 in winter... Perfect 30 degrees range I (and my skin) can tolerate (and I don't give a damn about rains). And even still, I will have to shock some people, but sometimes I might prefer -30C to +30C. Of course when I am in a swimming pool or sea, +30C is kinda better... But anyway, 35C today - with little or no breeze, no air-conditioning, no sea, in basically a city... I find that mind-blowing. 

I woke up pretty early in the morning when it was still sort of fresh, but by 11 I had a pounding headache... I did DC, but every jump caused violent attacks on my brain, so I stopped after 15 minutes - and being completely exhausted (mind you I was doing it in nearly sauna!) I did MS, and that went better, but still hard. My thighs and butt were screaming to stop - they were on fire really. But I made it through AND I made a little discovery for myself today. I finally noticed that Omni is actually Omni, i.e. working on everything! Previously I never noticed how much other parts of the body work during leg lifts. Today - I was pretty surprised! I felt them in my legs, butt, abs, arms, back... Perfect!

I actually feel drained, exhausted and sticky the whole day. I do need some rest, hence I am happy just from the thought I will have my rest day tomorrow. I think my headaches are only getting worse from all the work on the computer, but what can I do?! I did work for at least 4 hours today in my favourite place so far - the old fire-station, very spacey and airy, love it!  

And I will have to do 2 more now, but at least I am at home, and not in the heat of the day. And I will go to bed early today - need some sleep. Talking of sleep, I found this great iPhone app - Azumio Sleep Time. It apparently trakcs your movement while you sleep to determine when your sleep is light, deep or REM. You can set it up to wake you in a half hour range in the best time, i.e. when you are in a light phase of sleep - this will help you wake up easier, be more full of energy and not abuse your snooze!!! I tried it today - and you know what, it worked! I even forgot to turn on the sound, so it woke me up just with the vibration - and you have to know I am a very deep sleeper, I rarely hear a very loud alarm. I was surprised! Gonna try it again tonight, and will try to get at least 8-9 hours of sleep. Everyone, very recommended app! (I guess though it is only for those who sleep alone LOL, cos otherwise it would track both people's movements... >_< One positive thing about sleeping alone!)

C1.1.2 killer? or just a new level?

It's official: I started level 2 of Continuity 1.1. And well, I heard lots and lots about this level - that it is tough and really really challenging. Well, to be honest, it is hard, but I didn't find it harder than some of the levels in Meta. It had lots of exercises, it is almost 5 minutes longer than level 1, and yes - the moves are tough. But some similar moves we did in Meta, and I would say they are doable... But that said, I do think I will have some sore muscles tomorrow! During MS I felt like my ass was on fire, and after that I was a bit exhausted. Needed (and still do actually) a nap. 

In two weeks I'm moving to a different office, and there I will have a big fat couch... and you can laugh at me, but I will start taking naps in the middle of the day. And I am afraid I will start living in my office at some point. :)))) Ooops.

OK, so great weekend to you all! I'm going back to work and thinking of a holiday in December. Sigh.

Tracy Anderson C1.1.1 results in numbers

Hey you guys! As I have not uploaded my results in numbers from Meta (yet), I thought to upload the results at least now after level 1 of Continuity... I don't think things changed much since Meta, but overall, I am happy about what I have achieved so far. I don't think from now on there will be much change in the cm/inches or kilos, but more in the way I look, but I am still expecting a little bit of change in things and bikini area. I have to say - this is my problematic zone somewhat, but hey - I am working on it! :) 

So here we are.

Boobs: -3 cm (that is NOT good!)

Under boobs: -5 cm

Waist: -8 cm

Hips: -6 cm

Thighs: -3 cm

Left bikini: -7 cm

Right bikini: -7 cm

Arm: -2 cm

Wight: -5.1 kg

These are the results since the time I started Metamorphosis in February 2012. It is almost exactly 6 months now into the Tracy Anderson method and I am still loving it! Most important things for me - there are no push-ups and exercises like that, and it works for me. What else do you need? If you found something that works for you - don't waste it!!!!

I am happy and satisfied. Today is the first day of level 2. I'm excited! Going to preview it now, then workout, and a long working day for me today. Sigh. I know it's Saturday, but I had a pretty unproductive working week, so busy Saturday for me today.

Cheers y'all! Have nice weekends! Not like me :)

Day 100: it is never easy...

These are the sunny, hot days of the end of the summer...

... and it is so so so hard to workout or work for that matter. I'm trying to concentrate, but it's hard. I work out in the very early morning and then late evening. I simply can not come to working out during the day... At the university we don't have conditioner, so I'm sitting in my office in shorts and T-shirt and sweating like crazy. It's not necessarily bad, but not very pleasant either to be honest...

Level: C1.1.1

Day: 10

So, day 100 today. Yes. Just thought about it. If Meta had 90 days, and I'm finishing the first level of Continuity, then I'm on day 100 now. Reason for a small celebration I think! (Well, to my mind, there is always a reason for a celebration - or at least as often as possible!) The first level was not difficult really. You get used to the balancing moves after 2-3 days, and I have done the MS starting with day 7 with ankle- and wrist-weights. 

I am quite honestly dreading level 2 though... I have not previewed it yet, but will do in the evening. But I heard the first level lets you get used to the new DC and take a breather after level 9, and then the challenges start again. We'll see though won't we?

I still like the DC. More than the Meta one, but then again - it might be because I did Meta DC for much longer. 

As regards to the rest of the things. Hmmm. I am sticking to my anti-alcohol diet. It is actually easy. Sometimes I have a non-alcoholic beer, but that's all. My work is sometimes something like this: 

Laptop, non-alcoholic beer, coffee and sunshine... What else do you need?!

It takes a lot of time, but I am trying hard. Had a few downs in the past couple of weeks in terms of work, but I am not giving up. I know I CAN do it! I am still working on Chapters 5 and 6, but I might be able to finish 5 soon.

I have also been pretty OK with waking up early, but I still procrastinate a lot. I have no idea how to get rid of that. Any ideas? I simply spend hours online, googling things, reading articles - something completely NON-essential for my PhD... But I LOVE the workouts - they give me energy and I feel much better after them.

So level 2 of Continuity tomorrow!

PS Sorry for may be not being as cheerful as I normally am... I am pretty upset today. It was the day when Pussy Riot - if you haven't heard about it check out some info here (btw, I am impressed how fast this was updated by Wiki - the sentence was there already half an hour after its announcement!!! efficient) - were sentenced to two years each for singing in the church punk-protest... I mean, it might have been crossing the border a little bit, but did NOT deserve 2 years in jail for goodness sake!!! May be 2 months public service or a fine... But 2 years??!! in jail??!!

Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis GRAND results: before and after pictures

It is nearly 6 months since I started TAM now. I started in February with a little bit of DC and mat DVD. Then I started Meta on 20th of February. I finished it on July 28th. Yes, it took me waaaay longer than 3 months. 5 to be precise. So Meta took me longer to finish. But I did in the end. I am now on to Continuity, but that is all a different story.

Today I wanted to share with you some of my Meta results. Long promised. Long awaited. As I mentioned before, I was a bit reluctant to post anything, as - well truth be told - I was not eating my best in the past 2 months of Meta. Don't get me wrong, it was mostly healthy (with very very very rare food binges), but it was not really a diet - i.e. it was quite a lot of food in the end. But then, I am addicted to good food. I love it. I cherish it. I can't live without it. So being in Switzerland for a month, I just could NOT not eat cheese cheese and cheese. All the raclettes, fondues, cheese platters... Plus my bf was taking care of me - which he did absolutely amazing, anyone can envy me - but it meant we ate a little more than i normally eat. And he also spoils me like crazy - so I had M&M's and Raffaellos almost every day. Sigh. 

So... well. Bottom line - diet was NOT the best last 2 months. But then it all showed me how much the Meta workouts can do for me to keep up with what I achieved. So obviously I did not lose any weight in the past 2 months (which is fine with me - I already reached the upper boundary of my goal weight). I also think I became less skiny. But then, I also feel I became more shapely in the right places, muscley - also in the right places, but not bulky at all. You can't really see the muscle, but I - I can feel it! Yeay! :) 

All in all, great good Meta did to me. I did not stress too much about missing days at times, and repeating levels when necessary. Meta made me more organised, and hell - now I know I can do it. The first 2 weeks kilos were running away from me - honestly! The energy, the strength, the confidence that I feel now are so great, that even if I did not lose any kilos, I would have still loved it. :) But I did, and I am happy. I also lost at least 1 size in clothes - I'm wearing confident 34 now, and very tight 32. Before it was 36-38. People notice that I lost weight, and tell me so, even though I didn't really need to lose so much. And I think the biggest change happened somewhere mid-way (even though I was already off diet), because even the least observant people noticed the change in me - the main reason for that was that finally my face caught up with the weight loss, and became a bit less round. :)

I love the way i look in a bikini. I bought TONS of new clothes - and what a pleasure it is to buy closes smaller and see them fit you well and nice! I love the new dresses I bought - and coming soon the dirndl! Will show you the pretty little thing I bought for the Oktoberfest I am going to in September. 

So pictures are bellow. :) I am so proud of myself, I can't stop beaming. And today the workout was great, I added wrist and ankle weights for MS, what a pleasure!

The love handles became so much smaller, and now they are kinda cute... Not hanging, but sexy. :) My butt has never looked like that - it is round and out there. I never had a round butt! I'm honest. I thought I would live my life with a flat butt. And here you go: a cute round butt!

All in all I lost around 9 cm in the waist and hips (each), 2 - in arms, around 10 in bikini area, and 8 in thighs. It might not be so visible, but I did have to buy new jeans - all the old ones were hanging on me! I love that I am toned, but not over-muscley. The only thing that I still want to work on is the thigh area,esp inner-thighs. :) Omni Continuity it is :)

Good luck to everyone who are only starting or in the middle and not getting results - you will! I love how TAM works, and am going for now to continue doing it. :)

Bonus arms

Level: C1.1.1

Day: 2

I know, I know... Three posts in one day is kinda crazy, but hey - its Sunday! :) And I forgot to mention something yesterday... 

Bonus arms. Yes, Continuity comes with a bonus - an extra 5 minutes of arms exercises without weights (but with wrist weights as an option). They also change every ten workouts, but actually they repeat in levels 1, 3, and 9 of Continuity I think. Nevertheless, the extra little bits for arms are great! They are designed to get that wonderful lean look in your arms. Mmmmm.

It is also done against the clean white background, and in a position on your knees on the mat. Tracy is sexy as usual, and the pace is relaxed, but the moves are quite fast. Delightful! 

I tried it yesterday without wrist weights, and today - with them on. And I feel quite the difference! I have also tried several different wrist weights, and I found these ones the most convenient: they have a loop for the big finger, so they don't move on your wrist. This is particularly handy for someone like me: I have very small wrists, and narrow hands. So it was really difficult to secure other weights in place. But these ones work great. And I am using only 0.5 kilo weights - I don't want any bulk in my arms, and they seem to get sort of bulky easily. :)

I can't wait for some awesome results!!!

Meta SALE! - SOLD

Hi guys, I am selling my Metamorphosis Omnicentric discs. Need to move on, and I think I am ready to sell the discs now.

They are ALL working - every single one of them. The dick with Introduction and Cardio has a little scratch, but works fine, so just saying - there is one scratch. I ordered them directly from TAM website, so it is in original packaging (as it was sent to Europe, it is NOT in huge box, but in a small envelope).

I am located in Germany, so anywhere around Europe would be faster and easier to send to, but I can also send worldwide. For Europe I will pay for delivery, you just pay for the disks. Outside of Europe, you will have to pay extra for shipment.

Included:

• 4 discs: Intro/Cardio, Transform 1 (levels 1-3), Transform 2 (levels 4-6), Transform 3 (levels 7-9)
• Let's get started guide
• Dynamic Eating Plan
• I want to hear from you pamphlet and a welcome note from Tracy
• Workout Tracker (completely unused - I used the print-outs from the website)
• Tracy's measuring tape

Note: There is NO community log in, hence I reduce the price a little bit.

Price: 70 Euro (I bought the set initially with shipment for 110 Euro) or send your offers to me in a message! Payment via PayPal or bank transfer.

(Pictures below)

Metamorphosis - the BIG summary

Meta is over. I say it with a thrill, but at the same time with a sad smile touching my lips. I am so grateful to it, and all the same so sad it is over. I am not saying bye to you, my readers, as my journey indeed continues. Literally: Continuity is there for me. There will be more yummy foods, more reports… There still will be progressing from one level to another…

But it is sad to say bye to something that changed your life so much. Transformed me and the way I think, the way I do things, the way I think about myrself, about exercise, about healthy lifestyle… For me this was not simply the way towards a small waist – alas, you are witnesses, I never wanted (or needed either) to lose more than 7-10 cm in my waist. It was also not the way towards healthy weight – I was in the range of what is considered healthy for my age and height when I started (well at the edge of it). So, I am fully aware, you might think it all has been easier for me than for many of the older and bigger girls out there. But here comes the truth: it is hard for every single one of us, equally. Because we are not just fighting our weight, getting better looks, we are fighting the lazy and the giving-up side of ourselves – please forgive my rough language – but the looser side of us. Because losing comes from giving up. Losing comes from not bringing something to the end. From not finishing what you start. From cheating – not someone else – but yourself. The hardest job for any of us who are embarking onto this journey for self-improvement – regardless of what method you use and how you exercise – is to say a big fat “NO” to our laziness, set a goal and fight every single day.

Meta didn’t just give me the lean body I love (I have a ‘boy-ish’ complexion, so to be honest, Meta was great for me). Meta didn’t just help me lose the weight I gained leading a sedentary life and overeating… It gave me a habit of working out, of enjoying it, of knowing you are doing it for yourself. It gave me the chance to feel good – physically and psychologically. But still – the most important – it gave me strength. I know – NOW I know! – I do have the backbone. When I do set my mind onto something – I WILL do it. Now I know it.

Even though I had much less inches and weight to lose, don’t underestimate the effort it took and still takes me to exercise!!! Even though I never was overweight, I was not healthy and I am essentially a very lazy person. I had to fight my laziness every day. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. And laziness is a funny thing: it finds “reasonable” arguments for you NOT to go on. Like “I don’t have time” or “I am not feeling well” (when you only started feeling unwell when you thought so) or “Nothing would happen if I don’t work out in the morning” (and you end up never finding time to work out later in the day) or “It is a whole hour! I can’t spare so much time!” – whereas the correct thinking would be “This is only half an hour and another half an hour – so little!”

I had a tough time learning how to trick the lazy side of me – or make a deal with it. I would give myself little gifts: a little chocolate, or a new nail polish, or little earrings if I had a good workout. I learnt how to count reps to trick myself – instead of counting from 1 to 40, I would count from 1 to 10 four times, or even better – I would count “1-1-1-1, 2-2-2-2 … 10-10-10-10” (something my best friend taught me) – so in the end it is almost like doing only 10 reps… well 10 reps 4 times each :))))) I argued with myself so many times during DC: my laziness would say “You don’t have time, you have a lot to do”, and my rational and critical self would reply “Ha-ha, right! You will procrastinate anyways for an hour, you might as well work out – it is at least useful!” Oh, so many-many countless days during DC the lazy-me would think

– OK, only 15 minutes, I am not feeling that well.

But with time the backbone-me learnt to counter this thinking when it is 15 minutes into DC.

– C’mon, if you did 15 minutes, you might as well do 20.

– OK, - the laziness would say. – 20 minutes it is.

And after some time:

– Hey, we did 20 minutes!

But the backbone-me would go:

–What is 20 minutes?! You did SO much already, you might as well do 5 more minutes – it’s nothing compared to 20!!!

Around the time the “homestretch” (around minute 24) of DC backbone makes the final strike:

–C’mon! You reached the homestretch, as Tracy calls it. You can’t give up NOW!!!!

At the end – when Tracy says “You made it to the end, I am so proud of you!”, my little lazy ass starts crying like a little girl saying “I was so so so wrong! Of course we could do it!” And the backbone just taps the little lazy girl on her shoulder and says “There, there!” :)

This kind of drama went on in my head almost every other day. Honestly. And if you think it is easy, you are wrong.

So, all in all, it has been a difficult journey. And it still continues. I hope you all will find strength to start a journey for self improvement! And it doesn’t have to be TAM :) This is not what I mean. Find something you always wanted to do, but had problems doing. And DO it. :) Get the strength for it, succeed in it! Overcoming your own weaknesses and imperfections – this is what makes one strong.

I CAN do it! Any bets? :)

Believe in yourself, people, challenge yourself and just go for it! Let yourself be proud of what you accomplish!

Day 91 or a new beginning!

Level: C 1.1.1

Day: 1

Today I started Continuity - finally! 

It took me a week to get back, sort out some administrative issues back in Bremen - like visas, work, meetings, and I finally did the driving theory exam! Passed it right away from first attempt, and now am really really afraid of the practical part - but everything comes in time, so I won't worry about it now.

Continuity. Ah, where do I start?!

1. I LOVE the new DC! There are many good and a few still negative things. Starting with the positives, first, it has a warm-up. The Meta DC was criticized sometimes because in it you just start jumping - off, there you go! Now the DC has a short stretching and warming up and starts with a lower-intensity jumps and moves on to higher intensity, and slows down by the end again.  Second, it has much more interesting moves and actually something similar to simple choreography. So I can now say jump-dancing, not just jumping :) But really, DC in Meta had little to do with dance - it was more of jumping with some movements. Lots of jumping jacks and so on. Now it actually has some hip movement and dancy moves - so important for a woman's body! 

See what I mean? Lots of dancing :) 

Third, I found that at least for me Tracy gave encouragement in exactly the right moments... When I needed it - here she comes and says something along the lines "Just jam with it, girl!" It feels really encouraging. Fourth, it simply is more exciting and I guess - new. By the time you get to Continuity, you are so tired of Meta DC you want to vomit :) Now I am happy about some change. That said, the DC still doesn't have the cool-down in the end (though moving slowly into MS after that provides a little bit of a sort of cool-down). Besides, I found the video montage in places badly done - the movement changes and your screen is focusing on feet and not arms, so you don't know what you are SUPPOSED to do with arms. I mostly improvised and did something, but I think this should not happen in a DC - you have to be able to see all moves. 

I mean there is a lot of legs in this one!!!!

But nonetheless, I love the DC! Wohoo!

2. I love the plain white background in Continuity (like above). I mean the design with day-light and sofa and large windows in Meta was cool. But then the moves are so much more visible on the simple white background. And it doesn't distract your mind - you concentrate on Tracy and her moves. Perfection in simplicity!

3. The MS is challenging, and I love getting back into it. It does feel a little bit easier that level 9 of Meta, though the balancing exercises are a killer!!! I am falling mostly while doing those instead of doing them actually :) But I think it will come. Also because of all the balancing you have to do, you feel that all your muscles are engaged. Amazing!

I mean how on earth are you supposed to balance on a weight... with one hand??!!

All in all, I loved my first day of Continuity. It feels good to be back on the train. :) My body was hungry for exercise, and felt so good to start moving again - finally! 

As I mentioned before, I decided to change the schedule of workouts to 3+1 instead of 6+1. This means I will workout for three days in a row and rest one day. This would mean that I will still work out 5-6 times a week at least, but I won't have one specific day for a rest day - it will rotate around the week. It will also be psychologically easier (one of the tricks for the laziness inside us - I will write more about the tricks soon), as you don't have to go on for 5 days in a row, but just 3. Easy-peasy! For this purpose I also created a new tracking calendar (follow the link to a pdf file) - which is convenient, because it starts with first workout day of the 3, and finishes with the rest day, so you can start with the next sheet with no days' skipping and so on, it will just logically flow from one to another. This was something that annoyed me in the tracker on TAM website: it has 5 workout days in the end of the page and then you have to start again with the 6... You know what I mean? Now I don't have such problem (yes, I know I am a bit of a nerd...):

You can use this if you would also like to do 3+1 schedule! Just download and use :)

As to the rest of the goals I set earlier... I am still drinking from time to time - meeting a friend today for instance for a beer. But will quit as promised on the 6th of August. I am still procrastinating... Damn it. But I am one step closer to the driving license - I passed the theory test yesterday. I didn't have any soda, I woke up at 7 several days in the row except for today - after all it is Saturday and I simply can't not rest just a little bit... I haven't gotten too far with my work, but I will tomorrow! Yey! :) I love the energy that the exercise gives me!

Challenge number two

(Results are coming, but still a little later...)

Being done with Meta means that I DID IT! I managed to win my laziness and succeed in the challenge I set for myself. But I am essentially challenging person. This is how I work and succeed: I set challenges for myself, and I do everything I can to succeed, and even if I don’t, I know I did everything I could to achieve the goal. Mostly I do succeed though. :)

These past 5 months I have had one of the most difficult challenge I have ever had. It was tough, and sometimes I did feel horrible, but never did I want to give up. But my goal of healthy lifestyle is not achieved yet. It is a much longer process. So it is time to set some new intermediate goals towards the bigger goal.

Right now I’m travelling, so there isn’t much I can do. But I am back in Bremen on the 1^st of August. This is when my new challenge starts. And I need to set several challenges, and not only for work out. So this is the list of little things that I will try to do for a month (exactly 31 day):

1. Get up every day no later than 7, be in office no later than 9 (or start working at home at 8:30).
2. Go dry: quit drinking ANY alcohol for a month (start date: August 6).
3. Quit red meat – only lean and white meat and fish.
4. Quit any soda (this is going to be quite easy I think).
5. Start Continuity (23 workouts at least: 3+1 schedule).
6. Finish Chapter 5 and 6 – fully.
7. Get the driving license.
8. Record all procrastination, don’t do more than an hour a day.

So. The list is long. I know. And it will be hard, but this is my new challenge for one more month. I will report on all these things. Right now what is important for me is my PhD – so I have to work, I have to concentrate, and the workout should help me on my way, not distract me.

Time for a New Life and New Beginnings! :)

Historical moment: Meta finished!!!!

Wohooooooo!!!!!!!


Today I triumphantly finished the Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis! I LOVED IT!!! The workout went great, I had a great mood, and I am so so so happy! I will start Continuity shortly, but right now I just want to celebrate! YUPPIIII!!!!! Today I am celebrating!!!!!

Our last day in Switzerland. The last day of Meta too. I'm ecstatic and deserved a little celebration!

I DID it!!!! Yey!!!! Honestly - never thought I would be here. But I am. It is a real reason to be proud of yourself.

Just look at those muscles!!!!............ 

Results will be a little later. As we are travelling tomorrow (and packing today), I don't really have time. But soon folks! :)

PS All my little funny photo session in a video :):

Summer snacks

You know, I love summer. I really love it. I don't like when its hot. and actually prefer summer with cool-ish weather, and sometimes don't even mind rain. But. What I DO like in summer are the veggies and fruits. They taste so good, and maaaaan - so much better than the tasteless things of winter. I am now addicted to strawberries and blueberries, and tomatoes, and apricots... Boy.

My wonderful summer snacks...

We played tennis today for two hours. Then swam for half an hour... Then I did abs a little. But really I was too dead to do Meta... I mean c'mon - nearly three hours of sporty activities!!!! So I took a bath and started working :)

Day 89 and a half....

Quick update: I am still not done with day 90. I don't know if it is psychology or really just destiny that it takes longer than I thought it would... Well I did make it to aquagym today (which is good) - it was rather pleasant... I can't say it was extremely hard, but some of the moves were a little challenging. It was nice to be in the water and move around. Was pretty funny as my bf decided to join as well and he ended up being the only guy in the class. Haha! It was pretty endearing. My brave man in the clutches of 15 or so women :) 

Well after that we had brunch, and I have to be honest - I either ate something bad, or I ate too much strawberries and blueberries as snacks later, or drank too much tea (which has never been the case for me!) or... well I don't know actually. But I'm feeling like shit. My stomach hurts, and I have a headache. Boy. I even took a bath to try to relax a bit, calm down the tummy and ease the headache, and while it relaxed me, it didn't help much. 

Talking about bath - got this new bath oil today. I try to take baths with moisturising stuff in them, so that skin takes the water better. And up to now I tried lots of stuff - using creams and milks, and oils after shower, and taking bathsalts... Buying gels for sensitive skin. And I found two best and easiest ways to keep skin moistured: scrubs and gels with natural oils, and oils for baths. So, one of the best scrubs and gels and all sorts of bath and shower cosmetics I discovered so far for myself is Bomb Cosmetics - a UK based company of handmade and natural bath and shower goodness. I have this wonderful scrub - which smells like candy (and they have lots and lots of stuff for bath which looks like cakes and candy - love it!).

And here in Switzerland I discovered the Kneipp company. It was formed originally in the 19th century in Germany (how didn't I know about it before??!!!) by Sebastian Kneipp. They also have tons of goodness for body and soul and all natural mmmm! Today I tried an almond-flower oil for dry and sensitive skin - which you just put a little in the bath and enjoy. You don't even need a moisturiser after that!!!! Great feeling! And they have really lots of stuff! I'm tempted to order half the store. :)

Anyway, going back... I gave up on working out more today. Simply can't. Tomorrow is tennis at 8 in the morning... Tomorrow is also my last working day in Switzerland. :( We are leaving on Sunday to travel back to Prague and then Germany. Sigh. I don't wanna leave. Going back means going back to the office as well. Working not in the relaxed atmosphere of the Alps with your man looking after you... It means sitting till 10pm in the office, eating whatever you would get on the way, having tons of people bothering you and interrupting work, having lots of meetings, missing my bf... 

Ah. Sigh.

Off to bed early today - long day tomorrow, and then packing and driving a lot again. Have a good day people!

Day 89!!! Almost there!

You know when you have this feeling of separation duties in a relationship...? Well, I definitely now know who is the cook in our little family. Seriously. And it is NOT me. I mean I can cook. I know how to do dishes - and pretty well, I can follow a recipe, I can even make something pretty... But I never enjoy it as much as my bf does, and I never get the food to be SO yummy. During this one month stay in Switzerland my bf was spoiling me by cooking good and yummy. I can't say it was always super healthy, but I tried to keep the unhealthy part to the minimum, and my bf tried to comply with it. But some of his dishes were absolutely amazing!!!!

Spanish tortilla. Absolutely delicious!!! And probably the least healthy dish...

Steak with red-wine-mushroom sauce, salad and raclette - another traditional Swiss specialty.

Another variation of steak and raclette...

And yet another variation... With mushrooms, tomatoes and the Swiss potato pancake. 

Workout. Well, I did day 89 yesterday, and was supposed to do day 90 today. But... I simply didn't want to finish. Don't get me wrong. I would love to finish Meta, but I like it so much, I feel like I don't want to say bye to it. And besides, I have been keeping really busy by working - I started writing up my thesis intensively, so I don't have much time. (Though again - to be honest - we procrastinate longer I think than we work out... so it is not an excuse - I know it!) Anyway, day 90 tomorrow. I'm going to do aquagym tomorrow morning, and then head home to do MS and DC. So I will have a nice and refreshing start of the day! Wohoo! Results soon soon soon!

My UNhealthy addictions

I know I am trying to encourage healthy eating, and working out, and generally leading healthy life style. Well.... I am not judging when you don't lead a healthy life style... So I expect not to be judged by anyone as well. I am only human, and of course I am far from perfect. The fact that I WANT and ASPIRE to lead a healthy life does NOT mean that I always DO lead it. 

So, today I wanted to make a little confession. I wanted to talk about my little addictions which I have... Everyone has weak sides, I know it. And I have to be honest: I am not precisely trying to fight them too hard. I am simply trying to slowly reduce them, but I do NOT even WANT to live without them. So here we go...

1. M&M's. I know it is silly. I know. But when I have a pack of those yummy chocolated peanuts with probably artificial colouring, I just go peanuts! I ask my bf to buy them ONLY in small packs, because I end up finishing the whole pack anyway - regardless of the size. 

This is a pretty big pack.... And I still ate it in like 2 days...

So as you can guess, lots of my calories almost every day come from the M&M's. Sigh. But I am planning to go a little bit down on them.

2. Raffaello's. Yes, I love the coconut filling and cream... And I know, it is again lots of sweet calories, but I can't resist when I have an open pack of them in front of me. Though it is easier than M&M's.

Finally and the worst...

3. Wine. I LOVE red wine. I didn't use to, but I love it now. We sometimes have wine with dinner almost every day. And I know it is not healthy at all, it is not a bit too much chocolate, but when the good bottle of wine is open and on the table, boy I need one more glass of it. It tastes sooo good. So we decided not to drink anything alcoholic during the working week, and go out on the weekends, it works most of the time. And starting in August I am quitting drinking and going dry for 30 days. Need to clean my body. :) So that's a good step forward, I think!

A bit of French cuisine

As we are in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, we experience a lot of French culture as well. Particularly French type of cuisine... Yeah, it is famous all over the world, and as an absolute fan of food, I like it here too. The portions are small, but oh so pretty. :)

A little starter with salmon:

Mozzarella and tomatoes starter:

Salmon and aubergine starter:

The very real foie gras:

Main course: pork with mashed potatoes and mushrooms (sounds very simple, but the taste was exquisite!)

Main course: cod with mashed sweet potatoes and zucchini

Main course: calf meat prepared "basse temperature" (cooked for about 4-5 hours at only 18 degrees) with cream risotto, bacon (which I didn't eat) and cheese

Main course: beef steak with potato pancakes and veggies

Dessert: chocolate cake (I have no idea what the golden things were made of, but it looks beautiful)

Dessert: apricot cheese cake

Dessert: pineapple tortellini

Dessert: apricot sorbet with apricot liqueur

If you are not getting hungry just looking at all this, you are a very strong person! :)

Just to make sure there are no misunderstandings: I have NOT eaten all of these by myself, and not in one go :) It would be waaaay too much food. This is simply a summary of some of the food we had so far. Yum. I love Italian cuisine, but French is not so bad either!!! :)