Friday Faves and Raves

It’s been an odd week.  We have been doing lots of walking and hiking and some yoga, and there is a 4 mile run slated for later this morning.  But overall it has been quite quiet on the fitness front. We have been discussing our workout goals and intentions and where we want to spend our time and effort over the next several weeks.  Tennis and golf take up so much time!

I am enjoying the yoga immensely, and as much as I have come to appreciate Rodney Yee, this DVD is just not for me. It is for someone who has practised the poses and some different flows and knows what comes next. It is a beautiful production, but all too fast-paced for beginners like me and especially The Captain.

If you can recommend a good DVD for beginners, I would be so grateful. 

We had a copy of Yoga For Dummies from the library a while ago, but I didn’t really care for it.  It does teach the poses, but there is no flow.  Perhaps I am being too fussy.  I shall keep searching.

On the food front, I am taking part in a 10-Day Spring Detox hosted by Amber Williford, through Awakened Nutrition and Training. I am struggling a bit to keep to some of the restrictions, but, hey, you can put up with almost anything for a short time right?  Oh yeah, other than caffeine withdrawal headaches… nope, not me. I am drinking my coffee and tea when I need it.

Here are some books I have been reading.

• Chris Powell’s Choose to Lose is about carb cycling on a 7 day basis.  I am going to give it a try soon.  
• Haylie Pomroy’s Fast Metabolism Diet and the accompanying cookbook are very popular right now.  Her 7 day cycle of low protein, low carb, high fat days keeps the body guessing and is supposed to rev up a sluggish metabolism. I followed it for 7 days.  It is not easy but I think it is effective.  
• Janet Evanovich’s latest Stephanie Plum romp is called Takedown Twenty.  A fun read. The only reading I have done for pure pleasure in some time. This is the 20th installment in a series that chronicles the misadventures of a female bond enforcement officer. So fun and I often laugh out loud while I am reading these books.

I also read some great blog fitness and health related blog posts this week.  Here are some highlights:

• Three steps to success: Commitment, Confidence, Compassion  at  Live Travel Eat Run
• 5 Ways to Move Forward When You Feel Stuck at Love Life Surf
• 5 Reasons to Periodize Your Workouts at Fitknitchick
• 3 Reasons to Cut Back Cardio for Fat Loss Goals & 3 Things to Do Instead  at Your Trainer Paige
•  From Knees to Toes | Tips For Progressing Your Pushups at Fitknitchick

And here is one that just might give you pause for thought:

• The Importance of Mattering at Carla Birnberg

And finally, a video that is quite compelling:

• 6 Reasons You Need More Fat in Your Diet at Live Lean TV

Did you find anything great out there this week that I might have missed?

What do you read for pleasure?