Tracy Anderson Meta Y2 update

Right I am on 2.1 L5 Day 46. Tracy Anderson takes it to new heights in Year 2. There is the added challenge of the chair. It is used in a number of ways -- a blocker to ensure you are reaching the right angles, a balance bar and a support for planks.
Thus far on omni I have managed without having arms on my chair. I simply adjust my hold. I saw no reason to shell out more money for a chair with arms. The important things is that the chair needs to be sturdy enough to climb on and easy enough to move about.
You should be able to get under it but in the first level, I found I was getting claustrophobic and so Imagined the chair about me. It worked.
Tracy uses ankle and wrist weights -- both lighter (1.5 lbs). I have taken to stopping the dvd and transferring my wrist weights to my ankles. It works. You only want to add the weights AFTER you can do the exercises with perfect  form and for the required number of reps. The fact that she is wearing the weights is an invitation, not a commandment for every workout on that level.  I did check with the TAM team. It makes sense.
I have also learnt that precise form is essential. Not only do you want to hit the angles (the higher the leg, the tighter, the bum) but you also want to keep the tempo. Sometimes going too quickly can make the exercises easier. This is unfortunately true of the planks so I am trying to be mindful and slow down. The positioning of the knee is key in many leg lifts. A slight shift in the foot position during a lunge can make a difference to where you feel it.  And arm positioning can mean the difference between balancing or falling. I learnt this the hard way on this level when in the second to the last exercise I didn't have my support arm down at right angles to my body. I keep gently toppling and then I looked and saw. Adjusted and I could do the bloody exercise.

My No Sugar January is going well. I do feel a lot less bloated. My mid morning cravings have gone and I am often no hungry for an afternoon snack.  I went through a period last year of feeling like I was  starving all the time which was when I discovered nutrient rich starchy carbs. 
My daughter made some pretzels the other day which had honey as the fifth ingredient. they tasted wonderful but my body reacted badly. I was up half the night with stomach cramps from bloating. I am not sure if it was from the sweetener, the sesame seeds or the poppy seeds. I had wondered if I had an yeast overgrowth (because of the craving for sweet things) and hence part of the reason for the No Sugar Jan. The reaction could have been the yeast going into over drive. Anyway, I shall be terribly strict for awhile and then test. again. I really don't want a repeat...

I am currently writing a synopsis for my latest Viking partial and preparing to send it to my editor -- whenever she lets me know about the revised one. Fingers crossed.

Collie and Cat alarm clocks

Ever since his brother died, Heathcliff has been allowed free run of the house at night instead of being locked in the kitchen.
One consequence is that if I don't get up when my alarm goes, Heathcliff comes over and either meows very loudly or puts his cold nose on the inside of my wrist which shocks me into action. He doesn't sleep on the bed. We moved his basket up and he does sleep there. He also will sleep on my eldest's bed (if my eldest is away) or even my daughter's bed (again she has to be away).  But once the alarm goes off, he is there on my side of the bed. He totally ignores my sleeping husband and simply goes for the hand who will feed him.

Using this principle, I have been sending the collies upstairs to wake up the children if they are not down at suitable time. They have a habit of ignoring me. I often have to go and open their bedroom doors to allow the collies access... but once they have access, the collies know what to do. Tess is polite and merely noses the sleeping child. Hardy however gets into the swing of the game, leaps on the bed, normally landing on said child's stomach and then proceeds to wash the child's face.
This goes on until said child actually moves. Strangely enough, my eldest only had to have it happen once...my youngest though waits for it. Hardy is far more polite with my daughter and only noses her, rather than jumping on her bed.
The collies are not normally allowed upstairs and know this so they have to be invited. They are intelligent in that way...

My No Sugar campaign is going well. My writing less well but it is getting done. This VIking should be excellent when done.

No Sugar January

As part of my New Year resolutions, I am doing a no Sugar Janaury. It should help me detox. Refined sugar is one those things which is bad for you in large quantities. How large depends on your own metabolism and hormones. Anyway after feasting through out Christmas, I have decided to give my digestion a break and take a rest.
Funnily enough, it is currently easier than I thought it would be.
It feels good not to be eating the sweet stuff or drinking the alcohol. Alcohol has a lot of sugar. I am also avoiding processed food (which normally has sugar added) and not adding any sweetner (including honey).
After one day, I can feel the bloating dropping. One of the problems with lymph oedema is that I do swell up if I don't eat properly.

I have contined to do my TAM over the Christmas period.  Year 2 is challenging but good fun.

My writing has been slow because I have been concentrating on my family.