Friday, October 22, 2010

Day 22

I've been "limiting" myself as I said I wouldn't. This is due to several job obligations. I've started a new business of selling auctioned items from storage units. Its very exciting but a lot of hard work. I still have time to pick up my hoop at night time and hoop for at least 15 minutes. I'll always make time for that!

Day 22 has arrived quickly! I like that my hoop scene where I shoot my videos is getting seasonified. I wanted the area to have the appearance of time elapsing. It looks cold today which would be a nice scene except for the fact that its also getting dark very early. I can feel the "Fall back" approaching. I don't like that going to work at 4 in the morning means I will be in the dark unloading boxes and searching through junk (I will be starting to sell junk at flea markets after this week for some extra dough).

After reviewing my video and watching a video by Brecken77 on Youtube here, I realized I need to be more flexible and bendy... which is why I've started to stretch more before and after my workout. Not only then, but I have been stretching more throughout my day. I would like to one day accomplish the splits or at least a very very high kick which would accompany my kick-outs when I hoop on one leg.

Goals: Become more flexible in my hooping. I noticed that my inner thighs are touching a lot when I reviewed my hooping video. I want to be more open in my stance, to take up more presence. To achieve this I will widen my stance, as if I am on a horse. I think this will help me to use more of my core for hooping instead of my legs. Also, I will do more pelvic tilts while hooping to decrease the rigidity I feel I present when I hoopdance.

Accomplishments: Hooping in silence was like walking in silence. There wasn't much special to it. However if I was practicing sustained spinning while hooping, my body was focusing on keeping proper posture and not falling. This along with my eyes being led by the spiral, creating an endless circle of shapes around my body, was extremely meditative. It turned off my higher ape and mammal mind and allowed me to feel a quiet peace. I recommend sustained spinning for all hoopers.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Day 15

There's nothing better in the world than to have this back pain diminish. Its been constant since Zora was born. It would ache so annoyingly as soon as I would lay down, like my spine was having to realign itself. I'm happy to report that I have not felt this dull boring pain in the past few days!

Hooping has started to become a habit. I love when it feels like that. My body reminds me to hoop, its not my mind anymore. Having a slightly more dense body is giving me an overall energy boost too. My stronger body is also welcoming stronger willpower. I've been avoiding certain temptations which used to be a necessity: blueberry scones. I don't even like scones, I don't know how I got suckered into them in the first place. Nevertheless, they are dead to me now. Now its fresh squeezed carrot juice! (Which takes about 10 carrots to produce).

I don't want to botch the true results too much by making it a diet-based weight loss. I want the hooping to really be the star. But honestly, the hooping really beckons this type of healthy-living behavior. When I decide to just hoop without music I am there with my thoughts. These thoughts lead to a character change, and through my actions, they become reality.

At sunset the birds chirp in the trees around my house. I grab my hoop and start hooping around my waist. When I hear a new bird call I do either a trick or I change direction. It feels good to tune into the rhythms of the world. I'll make that the goal this time around.

Goals:Hoop in silence. I want to pay attention to where my mind's conversation leads. Does it discuss hooping? Stress of my day? Affirmations? I will write a post about what the act of hooping did to affect my thought progression.

Accomplishments: I made the hoop videos! I downloaded a new program to get my hoop videos up! Now I need to learn it - but finding a decent program with linux has really  been half the battle. Oh, and did I mention I lost 3 pounds so far? *pulls fist down through the air saying "Yess!"*

I took some photos of my hoop loveliness and my hoop lovelies- the new and improved hula hoop with streamers! They're quite foofoo and I love them. I'll get them out to others as soon as I have more time to make them. I expect this winter I'll be more prone to dispersing them.



Sunday, October 10, 2010

Day 10

     I barely squeezed in 15 minutes of hooptime last night before I went to sleep. I noticed that this tends to keep me awake for longer into the night. I suppose it does make sense. When you workout your metabolism gets higher. It doesn't seem like a good idea to workout a little before you go to sleep because that only energizes your body. Adversely, it does help to fall asleep if you work yourself out until your dog tired. So next time if I'm stuck hooping before bed, I'll make sure I keep hooping til I'm starting to feel worn out and have a nice sweat going.
     After working on my accuracy with the Trilogy Hooping technique I am now focusing on my speed. I attempted to hoop as fast as I could while not dropping the hoop. It was a bit hazardous, but tons of fun. I noticed that my 1/2" light hoop doesn't hold up under the pressure of my chest breaks. So I am going to upgrade to a 3/4" tube with higher resistance to bending. Eventually I'll have to make an order for HDPE tubing. Not only because I want to make myself a pair of LED mini's, but also because that type of tubing is very resilient and has a decent bend radius.
     I am going to get some mirrors together so that I can have an area to hoop where I can see myself. I don't have a studio nearby so I'll have to make one at home. A mirror is important because it helps you identify your accuracy. I've been hooping at sunset and watching my reflection for guidelines on my planes and accuracy, but it won't be as effective as a mirror. I just wish my two large pitbulls weren't so crazed. I'm afraid they'll stomp my "studio." I will start looking for a place to rent. I will need it soon anyways for when I get my class scheduled.

Goals: Make another hoop video today of myself practicing Trilogy Hooping. "Work" the camera and make the video be like a performance, as if there were an audience there. (If I upload it, there WILL be an audience!)

Accomplishments: I smiled a lot, but I didn't smile non-stop. My face started to hurt. I sped up my routine and it helped to dazzle my performance. I smoothed out my arm movements and I tried marching (like I used to do in marching bad a billion years ago). It helped to keep my steps and body as still as possible while maintaining hoop circulation. I danced light on my feet as well. I would hop around on my tip toes, taking minimal hard steps, while I hooped. I was inspired by a native american video about dancing light on the earth as a way to thank her for taking on our burdens.

Happy World Hoop Day

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Day 7

     I've been having a busy week prepping the house for a new load of boxes from our old house. It would feel like Christmas, you know... opening all those boxes stowed away for months. However the home we moved into is much smaller without any large storage containers (our old home had two). Its not so bad purging myself of the past by tossing or selling my old favorites. Though for every 4 pieces of clothing or shoes I give away, I get enough money back to buy 1 new. Its good to downsize. And speaking of such- onto my results thus far!
     My answer for desserts is that if I want to enjoy anything processed and sugary, I must do it in the morning and I will maintain portion control. As for my "evening dessert/snack" it can only be cold, delicious, ripe fruit. I'll have to stash up on some organic strawberries before they get out of season. And I won't deny myself the occasional smoothie with berries, milk, and banana; yum!
     I don't like publishing stats on my body, but here it is in hopes that my honesty will force me to face reality. I started all this craziness at 174 pounds and 5'5" tall. Ouch... now I kind of feel better for saying it though. This is the type of profile I had in junior highschool (which happens to coincide with the period of my lowest confidence). Right now I am at 171 and I've lost 2.5" on my hips and waist. The thinnest I've ever been in my life is 140 pounds (At the age of 22). And I dream of one day being 125. I'm not doing an overall body mod but I suppose I could start so that I can keep track of the total results. (The scientist in me loves data!)
Goals:
     I want to complete a Trilogy Hooping routine while smiling non-stop. I believe the smiling will affect my mood, making me actually feel happier and more confident in my hooping. My long term goal with this is to always be smiling when I am hooping (unless I'm trying to appear animalistic or some other mood where smiling may seem inappropriate).
Accomplishments:
     I succeeded in hooping each of my sets without dropping the hoop. I found the standard hoop while hoopdancing to be the most difficult because I would often fail to execute a move and would find myself tossing the hoop, which I expected. I had to practice a very simple set of tricks. My aim with this was to practice my performance abilities. Experts don't drop the hoop. Therefore if I want to be an expert, I better not drop the hoop! I'll continue to work on not dropping the hoop.
     I also succeeded in performing Caroleeena's behind the back toss. I executed it in my first try! That feels so great when it works out the way you want it to. I need to tart working on editing my videos now. I wish there was something I could use on this Linux system. If I can get it to work then that'll be another accomplishment by itself.

Caroleena's behind the back toss is presented here:



  

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Day 5

     Its been rather easy so far to keep track of what day I'm on. Day 5! I don't even feel like I'm on a work-out regimen and that's wonderful considering that I am. I've lost an inch around my hips already. Its such a great feeling to be successful in something. I'm not one who reads self-help books, though this book Today is YOUR Day to Win has really been putting me in the mood of achieving goals; not just setting them.
     In my 5th day of hooping I've learned that watching a TV show and hooping around my waist for a half hour is a great way to work up a light sweat. I've done that two of my nights so far because I haven't had the time during the day to get outside to hoop all three types of hoops. The heavy hoop is great for exercise when the weather is bad outside, I just need to remember to stretch and move my joints to increase my range of motion.
     After the 3rd day I had a bit of a pain in the right side of my lower  back. It went away with a good night's rest, but I am very aware of back pain after my 36 hour labor with Zora. I never used to have it, and now it seems to plague me whenever I rely too heavily on my back for supporting my body. One of my other goals for hooping is to strengthen my lower back after my 9 months of hauling.
     I believe my back labor would have been much more painful had I not hula hooped throughout my pregnancy. It really wasn't that bad of pain. Actually, hooping helped me with a lot of the pain management as I had a natural birth. I imagined my body moving in circles along a vertical spiral as the pain swelled up and out my body. Hooping strengthens the lower back a great deal. I know that this pain I felt a few days ago was due to muscle being born, just as my  young girl made me feel pain through her birth. So despite the nuisance, its good news! I hope to feel little aches all over as my body tightens and becomes stronger.    
     I need to make up 100 calorie desserts for myself to enjoy. I don't deprive myself of dessert when I want it. I've tried several diets to lose weight after my baby was born. However, unlike some people who would opt for the low calorie foods or utilize portion control, I have been breastfeeding the past few months and I know it is essential that I NOT diet. Hmm, so how does one accomplish weightloss when they are simultaneously not supposed to deprive their body of nutrients?
     My answer was to follow a No Flour, No Sugar diet. I did follow it, quite strictly, for almost 3 months... but it only isolated me in a home with a vigorous bread lover, my fiancee, Harold. I would still bake him delicious treats, but not being able to enjoy them myself was difficult. I just pretended he wanted to eat all of it, so that I shouldn't sum up the desire to want any. However the No Flour, No Sugar diet was great at keeping my nutritional foods at a maximum. Sugar and Flour really are very nutrient-poor choices. I'm glad I did it for my young one.
    My new goals for hooping are to hoop for an entire song without dropping the hoop, either my twins, heavy, or standard. I'll start with a slow song because I usually throw my hoop off into the distance when I'm moving quickly and the hoop is flying all over the place. A slow, rhythmic song will make it easier to maintain hold. I can achieve this with the heavy hoop but the other two types are not as easy.
    I'll post my goals at the end of my posts a bit more obvious; like this:

Goals:hoop for an entire song without dropping the hoop, either my twins, heavy, or standard

Accomplishments:I discovered two new moves that I made up through flowing with my standard hoop. After doing a "jack rabbit" move, which is where you jump through the hoop as it moves from right to left then repeats, you jump completely out of the hoop, spin it along your vertical plane, then spin it towards you, but across your body and jump into it from the other side of your body....


I realize how confusing that sounds. Its so difficult to dictate a movement! Just try it yourself then don't be upset if I sound completely baffling. I'll have to embed a video of it so you can understand! Which is what I mean to do in the next week anyhow. Happy hoopin'
   
   

Friday, October 1, 2010

Day 1

     I've begun my exciting journey of hooping at least 15 minutes for 100 days. I chose 100 days because: it wasn't a year, a month seemed too short, and it didn't seem too long to get the results I want. I am aiming to become more strong and toned in this workout regimen. I know that watching the scale everyday and counting calories puts me in a serious mood. I don't want to be serious about this, I want to have good, clean, responsible fun!
     I am a new mother and I gained about 30 pounds after having my bundle of joy. I didn't drop it in 6 weeks like some women can do. It stuck around, much to my enjoyment, and now I want to say goodbye before my daughter turns 1 year old. Her birthday is January 11th, which is another reason why 100 days fits so nicely! 
     I love hooping and hoopdancing and I wanted to create something for the world to learn from. What's remarkable about this type of exercise is that it really does feel like you're playing and having fun. I have hooped for 3 years and it is still not a practice that I find redundant. I want to prove that hooping can be just as effective as jogging or cycling when set in the proper regimen. I will do this by utilizing my Trilogy Hooping concept.
    Trilogy Hooping is the use of three types of hoops for one workout. Because it focuses on specific parts of your body, it works out your entire body through focusing on each area, not just your tummy. I go out to a large open space, anywhere I desire, and with an mp3 player pumping inspiring tunes to some speakers or some headphones, I pick up a new hoop for each song that plays. With this, I am able to have variety and it keeps my workout new and exciting. I believe that running or cycling do not present this and that they can become tiring psychologically. A tired attitude lends itself to a tired body very quickly.
     For my upper body, I use a set of mini or twin hoops. This makes my upper body strong and increases my flexibility with each workout. I love looking up new moves on YouTube that influence my style and give me something to work on. I prefer twins because I am still hoping to one day be able to use them on my body at the same time. Mini's are also wonderful; I think they tone  your forearms/wrists more than Twins because they move so quickly. The weight of twins helps me to isolate my shoulders and biceps. I feel like a warrior woman after I use my twins!
    For my core I use my heavy 1-inch-tubing hoop. It tends to move itself because of how heavy it is, but it takes a mighty strong push from my abdominals to get it going. That is why its great for slimming your waistline. I want to build stronger muscles under my baby residual blubber so that I can increase how many calories my body demands. I know it is important to create muscles to burn off surplus weight. As much as I love being cuddly for my baby, I wouldn't mind a more rigid physique, as I'm sure many would agree. That's why I use my heavy hoop after my twins.
     Lastly, I use a standard, lightweight hoop to become the goddess that I am. I love to honor my body with dance; hoopdancing with my standard hoop is how I achieve that. Because it is thin and lightweight, it moves up and down my body with a flow that puts water to shame! (Not that I wish to shame water, that's my element!) Without putting my foot in my mouth anymore, I'll just say that hoopdancing really is best with a thin/light hoop. It has quicker revolutions as well, so it looks like you're hooping mad fast- which also feels pretty good to accomplish on top of looking awesome. I do all my tricks: throws, hops, jumps, groundwork, and anything else... with my thin hoop. Heavy hoops do not feel good when they accidentally hit you in the face or back of the neck after a move is not properly executed. So keep your trixy hoops lightweight!
    So that is what I'll be doing for the next 100 days. I'll be putting my Hoop for 100 days challenge to test by practicing my Trilogy Hooping concept. In the meantime I'll be setting up my webpage and making more YouTube videos so that I can give back to all those people who helped me learn their tricks through online videos. If anyone else is out there, I urge you to try the Hoop for 100 days challenge as well. I bet it'll change your perspective about how effective hooping really is as a total body workout!