When they say 2024 was a karmic year, they were not lying. Last year started out promising, and it seems the hit kept coming. I had suffered from the side effects of semaglutide, being triggered by parallel experiences at my job and feeling like I was under a love spell. My Aunt died unexpectedly this past summer. My grief comes and goes in waves. To top it off, I suffered from writer’s block in the latter part of the year. I had all of these ideas for the blog and my book, but when it’s time to put my fingers on the keyboard, that’s another story; everything I have been thinking about is gone.
Then, out of nowhere, I started feeling creative again. My notes for my workout calendar really suck. I tried to figure it out, but I couldn’t. I decided to start where I was in December, so I am starting over for the hundredth time.
Week 1 & 2: Start where You Are At
Although I went through hell in 2024, I never stopped working out, but I’m not going to lie. I did fall into a bad habit: overdoing. The good part is I didn’t fall off, but I didn’t fall off with my workout.
I haven’t missed a step in the six days I have been working. I start December with Fiton Low Impact Cardio HIIT with Jeanette Jenkins. Jeanette Jenkins’s workout initiated the hell out of me at one time. But now that I have come so far in my workout journey, she doesn’t imitate me as much. Her Low-Impact Cardio HIIT workout was a lot of fun. The workout is a little over twenty minutes, and you will get the heart rate going. I will give this workout a ten out of ten. If you are interested in this workout, please try the Fiton app.
Earlier this year, there were a lot of changes at work, so I had to change my workout to fit my new schedule. Thank God that at my job, there is a lot of walking, and you will get your exercise. The following workout I did was a 5 5-minute yoga because of all the walking I do at work. I stay sore, and stretching is the only way to survive this new schedule. This 5-Minute Morning Yoga is one of my favorites. It’s so relaxing and my new go-to, although I have been doing this practice for a while. This practice is a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/nw-TAMUWP3g?si=F99885SaIxz3i6ys
Due to my new work schedule, I have added different walking workouts to my watch later playlist. The following workout is a new trainer called IngridFit. It is called 5000 steps in 30 minutes. This is the first time I have done an IngridFit workout, and I enjoy it. The moves were fun, and the workout went quickly, even when I was tired. The workout is a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/IxitBLKS8_4?si=AexwxMGo64fn0Dlx
As I said, I am adjusting my fitness schedule due to the change in my workout schedule. I decided to add more stretching to my workout. The workout is 4 minutes by LWR. I love her workouts, including her stretches. This stretch is a lot of fun, and it goes quickly. The workout is a 10 out of 10.
https://youtu.be/zvZx0b2tKHg?si=saTS5Xej17LR8XOT
The following workouts are LWR. The first two are some of my favorites, and they stay in rotation. The third is an indoor walking workout.
The following is one of my favorite LWR workouts. It is called Full Body Sculpt. It is nineteen minutes long and consists of three parts. It is one of my favorites because it is strategic and involves looking good in the perfect dress. The workout focuses on muscle training, which is important for losing weight and, more importantly, looking good in that dress you love. This workout is a 10 out of 10.
https://youtu.be/ji4E4EHbpOM?si=4tizdkJFY4W8ffSx
Another favorite workout is a Seven-Minute Workout called Drop A Dress Size. I look at this workout as the sister workout to Full Body Sculpt. Like Full Body Sculpt, it focuses on getting your body together to look good in your dress and drop a dress size. The workout is twelve minutes long, including the stretch workout afterward. It is also a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/p-i-WIJM4CI?si=OARhQgZQntbH1D5n
The following workout is an indoor walking workout. This walking workout is called 4000 Steps Indoor Walking Workout. This walking workout is one of my favorites. The funny part is that I always forget about it until it’s time to rotate the indoor walking workout. Although the workout doesn’t say it, the workout is fast-walking. The moves are strategic, with toning different body parts. The workout is a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/lH7dU-gnNvc?si=Fn_xkEoqhJ1o52xH
The following stretch routine is LWR’s 10-minute stretch. I like this routine because the stretch is fun and goes by pretty fast. I give the routine a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/BvehzJdnB1c?si=WzLcoXEnUtBiAjZp
The following Fiton workout is another. It’s Jeanette Jenkins’s Beautiful Back, Arms, and Abs workout. As I have blogged before, Jeanette Jenkins’s workouts are challenging, and this one was no different. However, I like this workout because it works on all my trouble areas. But in full transparency, I could not do some of the moves. This workout was a ten out of ten. You can find this workout on the Fiton App.
One of the workouts I have always wanted to try was tennis training. So, I took my curiosity to YouTube and found a few workouts. The first one is a 20 Minute Footwork Workout. When I first did this workout, I didn’t know what I expected, and when I saw the workout, I was like, I don’t think this is for me. However, I decided to do the workout, and I am glad that I did the workout. The training was a lot of fun working on your legs, arms, & abs.
https://youtu.be/s_pMqxGwh8k?si=aPGGnQtfcADtAZYK
I have always wanted to try the following workout but was too scared to because I am rhythm-challenged: Zumba. For those who don’t know, Zumba is a fitness program that combines Latin-inspired dance moves with cardio exercise. I decided to get out of my comfort zone and try it. So far, I have not been disappointed. While I struggle with some of the moves, I enjoy the workout. The workout is a ten out of ten. I suggest you try it, especially if you are ready to leave your comfort zone.
https://youtu.be/mZeFvX3ALKY?si=L1vgP-IRqe6CS7RK
The next workout is one of my favorite trainers on YouTube: burpeegirl. The workout is Pilates Cardio 35 Minutes All Standing. I enjoy this workout. You do a little marching and then pilates-style moves with light dumbbells. Although the moves are challenging, I like the workout. It’s a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/mZeFvX3ALKY?si=L1vgP-IRqe6CS7RK
Stretching has been so important, and I love LWR’s 4-minute Cool-down Stretch. I love this stretch because I can get a good stretch quickly. It’s a definite ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/zvZx0b2tKHg?si=jAE2NCIeA0hDLAoJ
I start week 2 with Cathand e Friedrich STS 2 Body Part Shoulders. Since I have broad shoulders, working on them is always essential. I only did half of the workout so I could get some cardio in, although I hadn’t figured out just yet that all of the walking I do at work is cardio. Overall, this workout is ten out of ten. You can find this workout on the Cathe app.
On Sunday, I decided to do Stretch Max. I have one in the morning and one in the evening. I was sore, and these routines helped, especially with my legs, which I badly needed that day. The first one is a stability ball for me to focus more on my arms, and I need it. The second one works with a resistance band, and this workout focuses on the legs. I love it. These routines are a ten out of ten. The routine is found on the Cathe app.
The final workout for that Sunday is finishing BurpeeGirl 35-Minute Full Body Pilates HIIT. I love this workout. You walk for thirty seconds and do pilates, like a move, for forty seconds. I have always been interested in getting back into Pilates. BurpeeGirl’s workout is a lot of fun, and I enjoy it a lot. The time goes pretty quickly when doing any of these workouts. The workout is a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/ZcsQqBdHzHg?si=3e3wioR4AqS_VXoE
The following workouts were LWRs. The first one is from her Fitglam series. The workout is called calorie burning, arm toning, and bust lift. This workout is one of my favorites because you can burn calories and do some toning. Before I did any bust lift workout, I didn’t believe that those kinds of workouts could work, especially on busty women like myself. But they do. I went down a cup size. So, I highly recommend a bust lift workout to all women, regardless of their size. This workout is a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/jNZJGGtHPiU?si=upMbCqJ_4lu5-FVH
The following workout is essential to not only your body but your mind. This workout is a memory game workout. The workout begins with them showing six different workouts. The workouts are all numbered after showing all the different workouts. They show you the other numbers; you must remember the various workouts. The workouts are essential for memory. Because in this day and age, we don’t have to remember anything. We have phones and all types of technology, so we don’t have to remember anything. This workout is a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/jPBkVJLYhcw?si=GvlvK324OijISwm0
The following routine is a four-minute stretch. It’s the LWR stretch routine, and I love it because, in four minutes, you get a good stretch of your joints. I give this stretch a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/zvZx0b2tKHg?si=W6jtSfRbzfj0jeyY
The following workout is working on one of my problem areas: shoulders. I have broad shoulders because well broad shoulders make you look larger than you are. So, it is a plus anytime I get to work on my shoulders. Cathe Friedrich has a workout called STS 2 Body Parts Sholders. It’s a forty-two-minute workout. I only completed half of the workout because I wanted to do some cardio. Duh, my job gives a lot of cardio with all of my walking, but that’s neither here nor there. I enjoy this workout because you are focusing on your shoulders. I have never done an STS workout before. It’s a workout that I will eventually try. This workout is a ten out of ten.
I did the Stretch Max workout routine twice that day because, well, I was sore. This stretch routine is one of my favorites because it uses the resistance band. You can’t get any better. This routine is a ten out of ten, especially with stretching, and you are tight.
We are in the second round of LWR workouts, a workout from the #fitglam series. This workout is a ten out of ten. I am tackling two problem areas: arms and bust areas. These moves really work on everything, including my shoulders. The workout is under fifteen minutes, which is a plus if you are short on time. I highly recommend mixing cardio with muscle training.
https://youtu.be/jNZJGGtHPiU?si=apTYsDEKrRQIhhaX
The following workout is an LWR memory game. I find it helpful for your memory because, let’s face it, we don’t have to remember anything because our phones do it for us. This workout is a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/jPBkVJLYhcw?si=l0uM5bTk6UJJQ0rK
Last but never least, the four-minute stretch, which is also from LWR, is one of my favorites. I love this workout especially when you are crunched for time. Of course thsi routine is a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/zvZx0b2tKHg?si=Uhz4-y-KoOwLm6C2
The following workout is to finish the STS 2 Body Parts Shoulder. I love the end of the workout as much as I love the first part. I enjoy working on my shoulders. This workout is a ten out of ten.
Since I work on my shoulder, I decided to do StretchMax Routine 2. I feel this stretch workou focus on the upper body more than routine 3. This routine was okay. It’s a little longer than routine 3, in which you use a stability ball instead of a resistance band. I will give this routine a ten out of ten. You will find this routine and all of Cathe’s workouts on her app, Cathe.com
With me working on my shoulders, I want to get in some cardio. Once again, with all of the walking I do at work, I get plenty of walking done at work. The workout comes from one of my favorite online trainers: BurpeeGirl. It is called 5000 steps 450 calories. Of course, I didn’t do the whole workout, but as usual, BurpeeGirl did not disappoint. The workout is a ten out of ten. The moves are not hard, and there is a water break between the sections.
https://youtu.be/IxitBLKS8_4?si=bGWpXqcgb8NtuDpt
I got back on one of my favorite workouts from earlier this year: Mini steppers. I don’t know why I stopped doing the mini-steppers. I have enough workouts to do. But the mini steppers are back in the rotation. The workout I did was called the 30-Minute Steppers Workout with Pilate Arms by instructor Adri. She is one of my favorites on YouTube because you work on the mini stepper as cardio. Then, on to whatever section you are in and, in this case, pilates arms. Then, a small break. The workout is a ten out of ten, and if you are trying to get back into mini steppers, this is one of the workouts I recommend.
https://youtu.be/zxzyZCIdgLo?si=m0VUXy87Liz4WzqC
I end week 2 with another favorite online trainer: LWR. The first workout is 10 minutes of Ab Cardio. Since I hit thirty, I haven’t liked working on abs the traditional way. Fortunately, I have found a better way to work on my abs. LWR’s 10-Minute Cardio Abs is one of the ways to do it. Now, it’s not one of my favorites, but to know me is to know working on my abs is never my favorite. This workout is a ten out of ten because she mixed cardio with the regular ab work. A must need to flatten your stomach.
https://youtu.be/RJ2G6pTMgHs?si=HfZAfnxHN_eOTLdv
The next workout is one of my favorites. It’s the LWR Indoor 20-Minute Walking Workout. The workout takes place in France at one of her friends’ homes. I love this walking workout because every move is very strategic, and she tells you what the moves do for toning the body. This workout goes by really quickly. I give it a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/0KPpICARPGQ?si=iLa–KaSBQ01NQGb
With so much arm work done during this workout, I decided to do stretch max routine number 2. As I said before, if you do a lot of arm work, I highly recommend this routine. The moves will force you to relax, and if you are like me, you need to work on relaxing. Of course, a ten out of ten.
Week 3 &4: The weeks keep on weeking
Weeks 3 and 4 were hard due to all of the work that I have been putting in at my regular job. But I tried to make a way in. I also have to remind myself that all of the cardio is a workout. But that guilt of not working out still lingers in the back of my mind.
I start the week with LWR again. I end week 2 and start with week 3 with LWR, which I don’t mind because her workouts are my favorites. The first workout is in my routine. It’s from her 7-Minute Workout series. The workout is 7 Minute Workout To Lose Belly Fat. This workout is my first LWR, and it stays in rotation. It’s one of my favorites. What I love the most is that you have helpful tips and easy moves. The workout is a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/0KPpICARPGQ?si=iLa–KaSBQ01NQGb
The following workout is another one that stays in rotation. It is also from her 7-minute Workout series. The workout is to lose back fat, which is one of my trouble areas. The moves are not hard to do either. I give this workout a ten out of ten because it’s a great short workout if you are pressed for time, and like her other workouts, it is very strategic in working on certain body parts.
https://youtu.be/0URMMT4ZZBs?si=yORhan9-zbMQl4Vj
The workout is one of my newer workouts, and it’s a 30-minute walking Intense Fat Burn Workout. The Trainer is Eleni Fit. I love her walking workout because, once again, the moves are easy to do, and time flies. The workout is a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/RSdxfFUoa1U?si=1IkbzI6qHLmhX0fN
As you can read, StretchMax routines have stayed part of my rotations. This routine helped with relaxation.
The following workout concludes Sunday’s workout, Eleni Fit’s workout. It is gold from beginning to end. The workout is alot fun and the time flew. I give this walking workout a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/RSdxfFUoa1U?si=1IkbzI6qHLmhX0fN
I begin week four with a Fiton workout. The trainer is Debbie Siebers, and the workout is Upper Body Basics and Step & Sweat. I enjoy both of these workouts. I don’t remember doing the trainer’s workout, but I am a fan of her training now. I give both workout a ten out of ten. Both workouts are feature on the Fiton app.
I end my workout with LWR’s 4-minute Stretch. This routine is a ten out of ten. It is great for a quick stretch if you are crunch for time and need a good stretch.
https://youtu.be/zvZx0b2tKHg?si=VxKgMaPd1xaM0Dhn
The following are mini-stepper workouts. As I said, I don’t remember why I stopped working on my mini-stepper, but I was ready to start again.
The first workout is a 10-minute Mini-Stepper workout. I love the 10-minute mini-stepper Tabata workout because it focuses on just working on the steps, and for only ten minutes, you will feel it afterwards. I give this workout a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/UOxrHn77vpU?si=V-vYFTbvNHGwbNTO
The second workout is a 20-minute Mini Steppers Boxing Workout. This workout combines my love for boxing with using mini steppers, which is a plus. This workout is somewhat killer but worth it for the results. This workout is a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/-BiG8DiVzks?si=aSPSTSswnNc36Fip
I end the day with LWR’s Reduce Anxiety and Stress routine. Although it does not involve much stretching, it does relax you and help you sleep better. If you just want to unwind, this routine is a definite winner—a ten out of ten.
https://youtu.be/Tubvr0-4_WI?si=y6tbBVt8Yp48I8Pf
I close the month out with Fit and Strong from the FitOn app. The trainer is Caroline Pearce. I enjoy her training, and the twenty-minute workout is perfect for me. Since I was still a little sore from the night before, this is all I have to give workout-wise. The workout is a ten out of ten. I don’t have any pictures, but you can find this workout on the FitOn app.
December was a hectic month for me. I’m pretty proud of myself for how far I have come with working out and my weight loss battle. It will only get better, and I will meet my goal.
Love,
DSM