A bust and a fresh chance

 I am so excited about the month of March!  I am literally chomping at the bit to get it rolling!   Or maybe I am just anxious to put February behind me.  Whichever the case may be, I'm ready to get moving.

 Project 50

In my last post I wrote about my plan to start my very own Project 50 challenge.   I adapted some of the guidelines to make it doable for me.  I wanted it to fit my goals and my life.  I also wanted it to be a challenge for myself but yet also attainable!    I feel like I struck a really good balance with that.  I am also super excited to start!  I have a spreadsheet already set up and printed out for myself to track my progress.  I am pumped and ready to rock!  Now just to wait until day one!  Luckily, it is the last day of the month while I am writing this and thus, I start tomorrow!  Tomorrow starts this challenge!  I am feeling quite confident and capable!  Who knows, maybe when this is over, I will do a 75 hard!   But that is me feeling powerful before I even begin.  Let's get this Project 50 underway!   Bring it on!

A rough Month on the scales

February was a rough month for me in terms of weight.  I have been up a little on the scale and then down a little. It's been a virtual seesaw in regard to what numbers I see on the scale.  It's incredibly frustrating!    I am at least relieved to see that I did lose weight in February.  I am down 1 pound.   Yeah, I know...yay you dropped weight and anything other than a gain is a good thing.  But seriously?  One. Stinking. Pound?   Are you kidding me?  That is frustrating!  It is heartbreaking.  It angers me!

So, I have to be brutally honest with myself.  I have sunk back into the routine of eating spot on my plan throughout the work week.  But the weekends it's a free for all.  Ok, maybe not a free for all, but I do indulge a bit more than I should.  Last weekend I said I was going to have my sweet treat on Friday night and then leave the rest for Jason.  I was so bound and determined!   I had this in the bag!   One sweet treat and then done!

Yeah, that didn't work out in my favor.  I totally caved and cracked under the pressure.  I ate cake each night.  Yes, really!   

So t is with sadness and anger at myself that I announce that this 1-pound loss is 100% my fault!  I can't blame it on my intense exercise or water or any extraneous reason.  It was all me!

Change in Routine

Jason went back to work on Friday.  He was off 4 months literally to the day.  How crazy is that?   Zoey did not handle her daddy being gone all that time well.  She was heartbroken in the morning when he left and nothing, I did could drive her from her panic and upset that he left her.  (We spent a lot of time sitting in the driveway where his car is normally parked as she waited.)  She actually did pretty well during my work hours....kinda got herself under control and settled down.  However, by the evening she started pacing and worrying and trying to get back to the driveway.... she knew her daddy had been gone long enough.  And when he walked in the door, oh my word it was bedlam!  SHe went nuts!   

Yesterday was slightly better.  But she still went ape crazy when he got home!  For the next hour she had a bad case of the zoomies and literally was galloping in circles around the house.  I at one time tried to stand in her way to slow her down.  She just bypassed and went under the dining room table at full speed!   She can fit NOW at 5 months of age, but in a few months, she probably won't fit!  :-)

We are trying different techniques and diversions to help her get through this adjustment.  

Zoey isn't the only one that has to adjust.  Jason and I are both adjusting to this new routine.   People kept saying "oh you will be happy to have him go back to work and get him out of your hair".   Boy were they wrong.  I didn't want him to go back!  I miss him like crazy!    SO that is one adjustment.  The other BIG one for me is exercise.  I used to have time to exercise because he took care of the morning routine for the house while I disappeared into our exercise room.   That isn't possible anymore.  So I am trying to squeeze in 35-45 minutes of exercise before he leaves.  I'm trying to walk as much as possible with the dog.  No standing outside and watching her.  Zoey and I are walking and moving.  I'm making it work for me...but it is a stretch to squeeze it in!  

Life continues

Life is continuing onward.  It's crazy. It's busy.  It's mine.  I just need to adjust and adapt to everything and keep my health first and foremost in my mind!   I want this weight gone which means I need to make the sacrifices (I'm talking to you Mr. Cake)!

75 Hard or Project 50?

I have been seriously toying with challenging myself.  Seriously challenging myself with something like the 75 Hard or the Project 50.  

  It has been quite some time since I first heard about the 75 hard.  I read about it on a blog that I have followed for years.  I remember reading about it and thinking, "What an amazing Challenge, I should do it".  But then reality sets in and I look at the 'rules' and realize that doing the 75 hard would be HARD.  I am somewhat ok with most of the items but the two blocks of exercise one required to be outside has honestly been the deal breaker in the past.  I could probably have been on board without that one rule.  Let me share the rules of the 75 Hard.  You must do the following 5 things for 75 days straight. If you fail, you have to start over at day one.

    1.  Follow a diet plan

    2. Exercise 2 times a day for 45 minutes each time.  One of those times MUST be outside.

    3.  Drink 4 liters of water

    4.  Read 10 pages of a book daily.

    5.  Take a Progress pictures each day

 I see some merit to the 75 Hard.  It would be hard.  For me the hardest part would be the two blocks of 45 minutes of exercise with one being outside.  It would be difficult.  Quite difficult.  Which of course is part of the name.  But that said, I want a challenge, but I don't want something that I will fail at within the first week.   I seriously struggle with getting in my 45 -60 minutes of exercise already due to time constraints!  For that reason alone, I have always passed on the 75 hard.  It came back under my radar again a few days back and I gave it another look as once again I was tempted.   I have decided once again to not attempt the 75 hard.   My reasons this time are once again centered around the exercise.  Yes, it would be difficult and part of me thinks it would be too difficult for me at this point in my life...but it would be hard and would be amazing to complete.  HOWEVER, my reason for NOT doing it is something different this time.   My reason is that I am not sure that 75 days straight of 1.5 hours of exercise would be wise for my body in its current state.  My body is sore.  My body is aching.  My rest days are a breath of fresh air and give my aching knees and joints the rest that I need so that I can hit it hard when the rest day is over.  For this reason the 75 Hard will still be an elusive thought for me.  Maybe someday!

In the last year I have been hearing a lot about people that are doing the Project 50.   This is something akin to the 75 hard.  But not quite as hard!    Let me share the rules of the Project 50.  These rules are followed for 50 days. 

    1.  Wake up by 8AM every day

    2.  Complete a 1 hour routine each morning with no distractions

    3.  Exercise 1 hour each day

    4.  Read 10 pages daily

    5.  Spent 1 hour each day to learn a new skill

    6.  Follow a Healthy Diet plan

    7.  Track your progress Daily in a journal

Ok, this is a bit more doable!   But I have still had misgivings.  Once again, the EVERY day exercise gives me a wee little pause.  But secondly, it's the hour each day to learn that new skill.  I think the new skill is important!  In fact I am teaching myself to knit! (Hopefully within a year or so I'll be teaching myself to Spin wool.....dog fur chiengora to be exact!).   But I have so many other things.  I wrote recently about my dreams and thoughts and my desire to finish some of these books that I have half finished.  That takes time.  If I devote 7 hours to knitting, when will I work on those books.  It was a quandary for sure!

So.  I am going to do my own version of the Project 50.

   1.  Wake up by 8AM every morning. I'm just leaving this there because why not.  But I am usually up by 5AM and consider myself LUCKY if I make it to 6AM.  

   2.  Complete the morning routine with no distractions.  Jason and I are creatures of habit.  Our morning routine is pretty set in stone and pretty unshakable!  So this one will be no issue and I am just leaving it there so that I kinda resemble the original Project 50!

  3.  Exercise total of 1 hour 5 days a week.   This is a modification.  The original Project 50 is for 1 hour every day.     In my modification, I am pushing for 1 hour TOTAL of exercise on 5 days.  If I do a 45-minute exercise video in the morning, well then, I better get my butt moving for another 15 minutes during the day.  That alone will be a challenge.  Some days that 45 minutes alone is difficult.  So, stretching that to an hour will be a challenge!  

  4.  Read 10 pages daily.   This one also poses no problems with me as I almost always have a book in progress and it is actually a rare day that I do NOT read.  

5.  Follow a Healthy Diet.  This one should be easy.   I already follow a decently healthy diet so this is continuation of that AND encouragement to stay the course and not slip up!

6.  Track my progress daily.   I track some of this stuff already, so it should be no stretch to track all of this.

7.  A New skill.   The original plan was to work on a new skill for 1 hour each day.   And as I said earlier, this is the one that has held me back from attempting the Project 50.   7 hours is a long time.  I havve no problem with learning a new skill and spending time, but I know me and I know that dedicating an hour a day would result in failure.   So I am adjusting this a bit.   I am aiming for 2 hours a week to dedicate to this new skill of knitting.  That is a much more doable number.  

Bonus activities that I have added for myself. 

1.  20 minutes of activity on my off days from exercise.  That could be a walk or hike.  It could be a long romp in the yard with the dog.  Or a spin on the exercise bike.  Something active!

2.  Since I have cut down the hours to work on the new skill, I am adding in a word count for writing. My goal for myself is 5000 words a week.  

3.  No days less than 5000 steps.  I struggle some days to get my steps in!   So this will be a challenge on some days!  (those lazy weekend days!!!!)

So there you have it.  My own personal revamped project 50!   I think it will be a stretch!    Some days and weeks  are going to be hard!   But I didn't want to coast through because then it wouldn't be a challenge!!!!

I plan to start this on March 1!   This will run through to April 19th!    At that time, maybe I will reevaluate the 75 hard!  (maybe I'll make it my own personal 75 hard   or rather 75 hard-ish!) 

Feel free to join me on this project!   

This just Sucks!

 This really sucks!   It sucks bad and I don't like it!  Yet I have no control over it!

What sucks?   Watching your parents get old and start to suffer major issues with their health.   It was only 5 years ago that I lost my father.  It was difficult to watch him go downhill and pass away.  I thought it was the hardest thing I would ever have to face.   I was wrong.   Losing my dad was horrible.  But my father was cognizant and clear minded the whole way to the end.   

In July my mom had a stroke.  It left her quite immobilized and not in good shape.  It also brought to the forefront the true issue and that is that my mom had been failing for a while.  We saw signs and we were worried but they were always easily explained away.  The stroke laid bare this fact.   Mom is struggling cognitively as well as physically and it is utterly heartbreaking!   

It is also very stressful.   Last week there were some days and visits that were absolutely horrible for me.  I'm talking cry the whole 40-minute drive home horrible.  I came home one day and I had pulled myself together...somewhat.   I also ate.   I never binged.  But I just ate more food and the wrong types of food.  I didn't make good healthy choices.  

What in the world is wrong with me?  I'm watching my mother fail and I know that my weight is going to put me in a similar or worse situation.  I know that losing this weight is so important.  But same days the stress and the worry and the heartache overwhelms me, and I forget my own personal goals.

So, with a heavy heart, I will announce that I gained a pound last week.  I"m super frustrated about that.  

I'm not giving up.  This journey is so hard but so important!  I am worth it!   So here we go again with another week of trying my best!

In the midst of the stressful week, I took a 'mental health day' from work.  Jason is still off work so we took the dog into the mountains and explored!  It was good to be outside and clear my mind!!!  Zoey loved it too!!!

Weekly Weigh In

​It’s weigh in time….again.  And once again I was feeling not so confident about what the scales were going to say. I honestly didn’t have a clue what the scales were going to say.  No clue at all.  It was a complete mystery to me what was going to happen!

Scale Mystery

I have for a long time been someone that weighs myself  each and every day.   Without fail.  I weigh in each and every day.   It works for me.  It keeps me on target and on point.   I recognize that there will be natural fluctuations based on foods that I eat.  For example, I know that a meal that is high in sodium will affect me the next day.  I know that, and I know that it’s a natural part of life so I’m ok with those fluctuations.  I can see my daily weight and pinpoint the reason.  If it’s a natural fluctuation then that’s fine. But if it’s not a natural one then I can dig deeper to see what the issue is.   What did I do?  What did I not do?  What needs to be tweaked and adjusted!    It works for me.  It might not work for others but it has worked for me for quite a while. 

So then why do I have a scale mystery?  I have stopped weighing in daily.  Why did I stop weighing daily?  I stopped for the simplest of reasons…it wasn’t as easy.  My scales are in the master bathroom….and I’ve been using the hall bathroom.   The hall bathroom is small and there isn’t a whole lot of room (none) for a scale.  So it really is just ‘lack of convenience’.  I either have to undress, weigh, redress, switch bathrooms, undress and then shower.  Or I have to undress, weigh, walk across the house naked, shower.   Ok, neither one is a major issue.  One is simply more steps and the other one just means I have to be self conscious for a few minutes. But it doesn’t get done a lot of days.   And honestly, I don’t like it!

I don’t like not knowing.  I don’t like being in the dark.  I don’t like the mystery.  So I am making the commitment to start weighing again daily!   I have a feeling it will help me be a bit more on target with my eating and staying in my food budget during the weekend (weekends are my Achilles heel!)

Even without that, knowing where I am and how I’m doing will take away a wee little bit of my stress…and heaven knows I need a reduction of stress in my life!!!

Weigh In

Even with my feet I stepped onto the scales.   I was pleasantly surprised!    Very surprised!  I actually lost 3 pounds! Three!!!   AMEN!!!

That means that for the year 2023 I am just shy of having lost 10 pounds!   Go me!   

Zoey Update

Our baby girl is doing well.  You can tell she is settling in and starting to realize that this is her forever home.  We are working diligently to knock bad behaviors out of her. Things like; walking on a leash without pulling so hard that it near takes.  our arms from the sockets;  not jumping up (not good even now as a puppy that ‘only’ weighs 40 some pounds but a danger when she is full sized at and estimated 130 pounds),  and other basic safety commands.   Oh and we have thrown in a few tricks also.  She loves to shake hands….well she loves the treats she gets for it!     We have been taking her out walking at parks so she can get used to the people and dogs in life…and learn that she doesn’t run to everyone!   Some days are a pain, but we can see her progressing!

And yes….when we first got her we were firmly declaring ‘no dog on the couch’.  It only took three weeks to let her up.  (Let’s be honest…she was going to be there when we leave her alone in the house uncrated anyway!)

Dream It - Do It

I have been having some quite deep thoughts lately.  I have been thinking about where I am in life and where I want to be.  It's only natural after the year that I've had with it's up and many downs.  There have been moments where those thoughts turn darker, and I wonder why me?    I try to be a good person and do what is right and yet life seems to hand me lots of lemons.  I see other people out there on social media and other places waltzing through life and it seems as if everything goes their way. 

I know, I know, Social media is not always a true representation of everything.  Most people are not exactly forthcoming with the truth and only post the good.  And furthermore, the truth is usually only a half truth.   But it's so very difficult to see someone write about taking up painting one week and talking about their first ever painting.  The very next week I was seeing them post about how they decided to sell their paintings and they are selling like hotcakes.  Really?  That's not how my life goes for me!   I see people talking about writing their first book.  Setting up their own business.  Paying off their house early due to their side hustle.  Your name it it's out there and other people are doing it.  But yet I sit here stagnant.  I'm not making money on a side hustle.  I'm not learning to paint one day and selling it the next.  Well then again, maybe I should attempt to learn painting.  Maybe....  Ok, maybe not.  But it does make me question why things seemingly fall into place for so many while I am left floundering. 

Even as I pondered these other people and their successful ventures and lives, I realized what was different.   They had the ability to dream!    As my thoughts about dreams poured through me I experienced the familiar pangs of self-pity.  I started to think about my life and what I typically do.   When I was younger, I had big dreams.  I wanted to teach school and have a family and change the world.  I grabbed the bull by the horns, and I followed my dream to teach school.  I have written about my experience with teaching.  It left me a royal mess emotionally.  You can read about it here if you are interested.   Teaching turned out to be a failed dream.  Motherhood was also an elusive dream.  My ex-husband knew about that desire and trampled all over it.  I guess it's no small wonder that my marriage to him failed.  (I'm 50 years old now.....too old to try for a baby!  hahaha)     My two biggest and all-encompassing dreams died and withered on the vine. 

For years I was afraid to let myself dream.  I honestly had no dreams of major goals in life.  You see, if I had them, I would just be opening myself up to pain and heartache.  That is what had historically happened, so why would anything else be different.  And the while the fear of failure was and is still looming within me, I can recognize that I need to face the fear of failure and allow myself to dream.  I need to allow myself to set goals.  I need to allow myself to try!   You see, I need to not only dream it.  I need to Do it!

I have tons of projects in my life that I need to finish.  I need to put myself forward and say "I am doing it and I'm going to follow through and do it to completion."  I have had fantastic ideas!  But I've always tamped them down out of fear.   (I still love that idea to create a company to have educators dress up in historical clothing and teach lessons to elementary kids.  Learning from an actual reenactor is so much better than learning from a book!)  Occasionally, something will slip by me, and I'll do something and put myself out there.  But I never push hard to make it a true success!  

I started  youtube channel.  Much like I this blog, the youtube channel is an accountability tool for my weight loss journey.  I have reached about 800 subscribers.  People that joined at the same time as me have 4-5 thousand subscribers.  (You can reach monitization at 1000 subscribers).   I'm not saying that those people are making a ton of money, but it would be nice to make something for my little side hobby.   (I'll keep doing that and this blog because it is good for ME regardless of money).  

I wrote a book.   I have it published on Amazon.com.   I am quite proud of the fact that I did that.  I put myself out there on a very small scale.  I sold a few copies here and there.  But I never pushed it or promoted it.  So, it really was just a dream that I started but I never really DID!  But what about all those things that I have thought about and never done.  Those things that are a glimmer of a dream, but I've been too afraid to finish. 

20 years ago, I wrote a children's book.  I did it as a joke but an elementary school teacher that I knew read it and begged me to publish it.  Yet the book sits in a folder in my file cabinet gathering dust.   When I was at the pinnacle of my first weight loss attempt and basking in the glory of my weight loss transformation, I started to write a book on losing weight.  Not the particulars about how to lose weight, but more on how to get your mindset right.  I've picked it up and written a bit more here and there.  I just recently glanced at my outline, and I am SO close to being done.  A few times over the last few years I have thought about finishing it.  But it continues to sit in its three-ring binder.   I also started a book that I refer to as my 'diet-ventures'.   It's all those funny and crazy things that have happened to me during this mission to lose weight and be healthy.  Yet, the idea and the writings that I have sit in a file on my computer.    What is wrong with me?   

I'm afraid to Dream It and I'm afraid to DO it!   

Last year though, something changed for me.   I saw something about a miniature competition.  I love my miniatures, and something prompted me to enter the competition.  I worked on and off all year long.  (Mostly off until fall when I realized that I was nearing the deadline).  I actually followed through.  I had a dream that I was going to do something worthy of submission and I followed through and did it.  I didn't back off. I submitted my entry!  I did it!   I am still waiting to see if I won...or even got any honorable mentions.  But that's ok.  I had a blast doing it.  I followed through.  I dreamed it. and I did it!  

It is time to not only dream, but it is also time to actually do!   What does this mean for me?  Well, I'll be continuing to write here.  I like writing here.  This is my accountability and my place to write out my feelings and thoughts.  It's cathartic for me.    But what else does it mean?

1.  The Children's book - It means finding an illustrator.  Or maybe actually trying to illustrate it myself?  (ha).    

2.  The Weight Loss book - Finish those areas that need written (it is probably 90% complete in its writing) and start to reread and fine tune and get it proofread.  Ultimately, get it published.

3.  The Diet-Ventures - Finish writing the ventures.  I am probably 1/2 way through writing it.  Edit/proofread and of course published.

4.  NOT drop the ball on promotion for these books when they do get to the publishing stage. And yes, most likely they will be self-published again which means I have to do more marketing myself. 

5.  That miniature contest that I entered for 2022, well I already have the base and made the commitment to submit an entry in 2023!

6.  Commit to building my YouTube channel.  Give it a serious go to see if I CAN build it and if could be something more than an outlet for my personal accountability.  Man, does that mean have to get brave and post it on my Facebook page and let the world see it also?  I have historically kept not only my YouTube channel private and separate from my friends and family (of course Jason knows....and some other members of my family also know, but as a general rule, not many people in my real life know! Likewise, I didn't make it public knowledge about my book that I published.  Fear of letting others see me fail!)

I think that's enough for now.  In fact, that's not too bad for a gal that has been afraid to dream for ages!  Or maybe I should say been afraid to dream and fail!  

it was only

​I had another week where I felt like I was mostly on plan with this healthy living thing.  I also just felt like I was not going to lose any weight.

My week

I was on point almost the whole week.  I had one weekend day where I was a bit higher and a bit over my food budgets but for the most part I was spot on.  I am following the WW plan and that gives A person some weekly points for this extras…and I like to think to ‘live’ so I was actually ok.  

My water consumption was a bit spotty.  I made my goal most days but missed it a few times.  

Exercise I blew it out of the water with a victory!  I did great!  I even upped the intensity with going from aerobics to step aerobics!  It is amazing how something as simple as adding a step up and down makes a difference.  I was doing Zumba and other cardio workouts and many of the steps are similar…except for the step up and step down that is incorporated.  It makes a huge difference in intensity level!!!   I’ve been having a blast!

So my week was mostly victorious in terms of the healthy habits that I have been working to incorporate into my life!  So I have no clue why I was so nervous about any weigh in!

Stress

When will the stress bus leave me alone?  It’s been one thing after another…some things linger…some come and go.   

*Mom’s stroke and her rehab and current t state of course lingers.  

* I had that situstion with my work that started last July with uncertainty about the stability of my job and if I would have a job after the beginning of October

* and of course let’s not forget Axe Boy and his run in with an axe….and of course his long time off of work (he is still off work…it will be at least 4 months off work before he goes back…if he goes back after his next doctors appointment.  

So I’m still struggling with the stress of mom and  still stressed about Jason’s injury and the ongoing single paycheck family status for us.  The work thing righted itself and my job remained secure.   Until Friday when they called us into another meeting.  My current team is now being disbanded…”they are trying to find positions for everyone…but no guarantee and in fact maybe you should look for a job.”  I’m stressed!   

Weigh In 

So I had my weigh in.  I only lost 0.6.  I lost a stinking half pound!   Only a half pound for all my hard work!  What is up with that!   It’s super frustrating!  I wanted to scream with frustration at the scales when I saw my piddly weight loss.  

Even as frustration poured through me, I kept telling myself ‘it wasn’t a gain’.   The only failure is a gain!  A maintain is a victory.  A loss of even an ounce is a a victory!   So being disappointed by a half pound loss is stupid.  But it’s human!

It’s Only

Even as the disappointment settled within me, I turned to closing out my January and calculating my total loss for the month.   I ended the month with a 6.6 pound loss.  Once again I felt disappointed because I wanted more.  And 6.6 seems so tiny.  But then I started to think about something. 

6.6 pounds in one month…if I lost that every month this year…where would I be???   Not good at mental math?  That disappointing monthly total multiples by 13 is 79.2 pounds!  What!!!!   It’s only 6.6 pounds and it would equal 79.2 pounds.  That would put me very close to goal weight….by Christmas!!!  All for a disappointing 6.6 pounds each month. 79.2 is not disappointing!

That made me think about that 0.6 pounds.   If I just say I lost a half pound….that is shameful right?   But in a year ‘only’ a half pound would equal 26 pounds!   That is not shameful at all!  I’ve gained 10-15 pounds in one to two weeks!!!   

So instead of saying ‘it’s only’ we need to look at the long term and see about how it adds up in the long run!!!

Stepping Up

​Where does time go?  I’m telling you!  I blink and the day is gone!  Life is gonna slow down at some point right?

I have been doing Zumba and some dance aerobic classes through some YouTube videos.  I’ve gotten some good workouts but seriously, I have upped the intensity of my workouts this week.  I did it inadvertently.  Late last week I was thinking about my trunk of fitness stuffZ. I dug in and found my old exercise workout dvds!  I also found a whole bunch of other stuff.  I will probably pull that out at a later date.  I was excited about my old friends, the dvds!

The first dvd I popped in was a step dvd by Cathe Freidrich.   I remembered that I really liked her style.  The way she leads is easy to follow.  Through her videos I never felt totally lost.s. Maybe one step behind on occasion but her calling of the steps is so spot on that it is rare to miss a step!     I was once again hooked on step aerobics!  Sadly enough, I got rid of all of my VHS exercise tapes…so I only have one of her videos!  Im kinda bummed out about that.  Eventually I will have to add more to my collection or just pay the monthly fee for her website.  I will most likely just buy the dvds as needed.   

I also did a straight aerobic dvd.  It wasn’t as high intensity, but it served its purpose…and it was so crazy to listen to the dvd after years of it being in storage. Im telling you…it was like visiting with old friends!

Needing something different I was trying to find a Cathe step class online (nope she doesn’t have much in the way of a complete workout posted on YouTube).  I somehow stumbled upon CDornerfitness on YouTube.  Here style of leading is spot on and she calls everything a step ahead just like Cathe so that she is easy to follow.  (At least the two workouts that I have done thus far!).   Best part about it?  She posts full workouts for free.  Like she has hundreds of workouts.  Lots of step…but lots of other styles of exercise classes also!  Yay!!   What a find!!!  https://youtube.com/@CDornerFitness

So Zumba…and these other videos I’ve done have been good.  But adding the step totally upped the intensity!  I am sweating harder from the exertion with the step aerobics.  I am more sore (muscle achy sore) after the workouts also!  Love it!