Favourite Breakfast Recipe: Healthy Instant Oatmeal Packets

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.  

One of my go-to breakfasts, that I can keep in my desk at my Clark Kent Day job is Oatmeal. 

Blech - Oatmeal!? - you ask?  Yes.  

I wasn't too sure about it at first, but needed an energy spike first thing in the morning, and I'm rather OCD about my food.  I enjoy preparing it, and lots of it.  

It means I save time in the long run, and can concentrate on other things. Like biking. Or reading. Or gardening. Or this blog.

I got this recipe from The Yummy Life, and have been making oatmeal packs for about 3 months now.

Ingredients

• BASIC RECIPE FOR A SINGLE SERVING PACKET:
• 1/3 cup rolled oats (instant or quick); old fashioned oats may be used for microwave and refrigerator oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds or ground flaxseed (optional)
• 2 teaspoons oat bran (or wheat germ/bran)
• 2 teaspoons powdered milk (omit for non-dairy, vegan)
• 1 to 3 teaspoons brown sugar, sucanat, pure maple sugar, coconut sugar, or other preferred sweetener
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 
  
• TO MIX A PACKET & MAKE OATMEAL:
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup water (amount of water may vary depending on dryness of ingredients)
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (for refrigerator oats only)

Directions

Combine basic recipe ingredients in individual snack sized zip top bags. Add additional flavor ingredients, if desired--see suggestions below.

To prepare 1 serving of hot oatmeal:
BOILING WATER METHOD (not recommended for old fashioned oats): Add 1 oatmeal packet to mug or bowl. Pour in 2/3 cups boiling water and stir. Let instant oats stand for 3-4 minutes to soften and thicken; stir, and they are ready to eat. Quick oats may need to soften an additional minute or two.

MICROWAVE METHOD: Add 1 oatmeal packet and 3/4 cup cold water to microwave safe mug or bowl. (The container needs to be large enough to allow for mixture to expand while it cooks. It can bubble up and double in size in the microwave.) For instant oats, cook uncovered on high for 1 minute; stir, and it's ready to eat. For quick oats, cook on high for 2 minutes, let stand 2 minutes, stir, and it's ready to heat. NOTE: Microwave power and cooking times can vary; adjust cooking time if necessary.

To prepare 1 serving of refrigerator oatmeal:
Add one oatmeal packet to a pint or half-pint jar (or other covered container). Pour in 1/2 cup cold water, add 1/4 cup yogurt, cover tightly, and shake vigorously until well mixed. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, overnight, or up to 3 days.

12 FLAVOR VARIATIONS (use the basic recipe ingredients, plus these additions):
1. Plain -- Use basic recipe ingredients.
2. Apple Cinnamon Maple -- 2 tablespoons dried or 1/4 cup freeze-dried chopped apples; additional 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; use maple sugar for sweetener
3. Blueberry --  2 tablespoons dried or 1/4 cup  freeze-dried blueberries.
4. Cherry Almond -- 2 tablespoons dried or 1/4 tablespoons freeze-dried cherries; 1 tablespoon sliced or slivered almonds.
5. Apricot Ginger -- 2 tablespoons chopped dried apricots; 1 teaspoon minced crystallized ginger.
6. Cranberry Orange Pecan -- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries, 1 teaspoon dried orange peel bits, 1 tablespoon chopped pecans.
7. Pineapple Coconut -- 2 tablespoons dried or 1/4 cup  freeze-dried chopped dried pineapple, 1 tablespoon freeze-dried coconut
8. Raspberry Vanilla Bean-- 2 tablespoons dried or 1/4 cup freeze-dried raspberries, 1/4 teaspoon ground vanilla powder
9. Peach (or Mango)  Macademia Nut -- 2 tablespoons chopped dried peaches (or mangos), 1 tablespoon chopped macadamia nuts
10. Cocoa Banana -- 1/4 cup chopped freeze-dried bananas (dried banana chips not recommended), 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
11. Peanut Butter Banana -- 1/4 cup chopped freeze-dried bananas (dried banana chips not recommended), 1 tablespoon PB2 peanut butter powder
12. Mocha -- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder


Make-ahead convenience. These bags may be made, tightly sealed, and stored for several months, depending on the shelf life of the ingredients used. May be stored in freezer to extend their life further.

To make oatmeal packets gluten-free, use gluten-free oats and oat bran.

Nutritional data for the basic oatmeal packets  (without fruit or nuts). There is 1-1/2 teaspoons of brown sugar for the sweetener in these calculations. For one plain oatmeal packet: 160 calories, 2.8g fat, 53mg sodium, 28.6g carbs, 3.9g fiber, 7.6g sugars, 6.5g protein. Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 4.

So, I use the Cherry Almond recipe, but use Cranberries instead of Cherries.  I add the boiling hot tea water from the coffee maker at work until it JUST covers the oats, cover the bowl with a paper towel for 5 minutes, stir, and voila!  Instant breakfast!

I tried the Apple Cinnamon Maple version, but the apple pieces were awful, so I took them all out.

I'm not ready to venture to other flavours yet, as I'm boring like that and stick with what's good.  I'm sure I'll eventually switch things up, but for now I'm happy with Cranberry Almond!  

I make 3-4 weeks worth of packages, and it takes me about half an hour.  

Enjoy!  

The Naturopathic Doctor Visit

I know there is a LOT of controversy between seeing an Medical Practitioner vs a Naturopathic Doctor.  

I spent 10 years going from Mainstream Doctor to Mainstream Doctor.

I was told to:

- Drink Milk

- Read a boring book

- Get more sleep

- It's all in your head

- Here's some anti-depressants 

- Take another sleep test

- There's nothing wrong with you

...and so on.

I've been to 4 Sleep Clinics (one in the day), the Cardiopulmonary Specialist, Walk In Clincs, General Practitioners, Respiratory Therapists and more. 

I never felt comfortable enough or could remember enough of my symptoms in the 5 minutes mainstream doctors seem to have for a patient before they just stop listening.

I was on "keep me awake" pills for about 6 months. Then they stopped working, and I started falling asleep everywhere all over again.  What did the doctor do? Prescribed me the EXACT SAME PILL after it had been rejected by my body as a solution after 4 months! 

I met my first Homeopathic Healer then (she wasn't an ND - Naturopathic Doctor who requires the same extensive education as an MD), and saw my first glimpse of not feeling like crap. Then I moved back to Ottawa, and just floated by until I hit rock bottom again.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - your worst flu symptoms x 10.  

Where you fall asleep on your friend's couches on a regular basis in the middle of the day and can't remember your words halfway through a sentence (so embarrassing).  Heck  - I fell asleep last weekend on a friend's couch at about 8pm. I just couldn't keep my eyes open.  I woke up 2 hours later, drove home, and went right back to bed. 

I was sleeping because I couldn't stay awake...Husband had enough booze.

There's lots of pictures like the one above. Systic sleeping.

Me when I used the nickname Systic. Sweet 16.

Anyhow. I met my current ND about 2.5 years ago.  She specializes in treating Lyme disease and Mould induced illnesses (aka me).  Husband and I call her my Voo Doo Hoo Doo Doctor.  She's awesome, but whatever she does is weird. And it is slowly working (I tried to go cold turkey last summer, and ended up getting sick and regressed rapidly).

I have gone from walking Zombie to almost normal. Well, as normal as I can be (if you know me, you know I'll never be normal - ha ha).

Today I saw her for the first time in 4 months, as she felt I could go that long between visits.  It was every 1 or 2 months prior to that, so progress is being made!

The appointment starts with discussing how I'm feeling, what symptoms are quite evident, and my diet - food plays a big factor in that whole staying healthy thing.

I need more Protein (chicken, ground beef, etc.) at lunch time to avoid that lunch time slump I have between 1-3 pm. 

I lay on the examination table, put my left arm above my head on the pillow there, and she checks my heart rate and other things.  

I close my eyes, as it's too weird to keep them opened.

She has these plastic letters with different metal abbreviations on them and lightly throws them at my side - weird, right? I've never asked her why...it's JUST what she does.  Apparently where they land tells her what is stuck or elevated in my system, so she can formulate the proper supplements.

Then she pops a few homeopathic ball thingies in my mouth, and uses this laser thing on my ear.  This is to cleanse the crap out of my lymph nodes.  I LOVE this.  It feels like an Ear Orgasm running through my head.  That's the only way I can describe it. 

Then she sticks an acupuncture needle in my ear, as the laser isn't working well enough.  This just sends tingles throughout my body.  I don't know if I'd prefer this over massages, as I LOVE me my massage time!  It just feels awesome. 

She usually uses this cleansing time to grab whatever supplements she feels will help me.

I leave with a more effective Probiotic Powder, and a bottle of drops to help with my Cognitive Function as I'm having a lot of troubles remembering my words and keeping focused.  

Yeah. You know what you get covered by your Benefits for Medical Prescriptions?  Have you ever looked at how much you're saving?  For these two bottles of Supplements, I'm paying your prescription fees out of pocket, as Medical Benefits don't see Naturopathic Medicine as something that should be covered other than the visit itself (which I have to Claim for). 

It's NOT cheap to go this route, and it really sucks that my visits are clumped under the same benefits group as Chiropractor and Masseuse.  I gave up my Chiropractor this year so I can get massages, but probably won't get another massage until August because we just paid out-of-pocket for two supplements.

And she knows I'm on a budget, and would prescribe more, but it's not possible, and she's cool with that. 

I do still use a General Practitioner for one of my prescriptions (she checks my lymph nodes every time), and I totally believe in Vaccinating your kids (we shouldn't have outbreaks of diseases that were eradicated decades ago), and when I get Cancer (it runs on both sides of the family) I'll go mainstream and pray that I won't be ignored yet again.

It still terrifies me that I've had to fight to make no headway in 10 years, but have made so much progress in the last 2. Will Mainstream medicine be there for me and listen when it's something more life threatening?

Bicycling Goals - To Infinity, and Beyond!

So after every bike ride, Husband and I decide what our next goal will be.  Where do we want to go next?

We're in it for the distance, and speed is coming along with it - I still feel slow, until we start passing people.  People in full on bicycling gear and speed bikes fancier than ours, people on cross country bikes, and the typical slow family bicyclists.

Yes, we do get passed by the occasional hard core biker - and that's okay - it keeps us reaching further.

I'm slower than Husband, and some days I think he holds back, other days he waits ahead after a good sprint.  He wants to beat his Strava goals.

The vortex of Strava.  It's a nice little App we put on our phones which tracks our rides - kms, calories, average speed, where we went, and personal records for sections we ride.

Our goal is to get this loop bigger and bigger each time.

We do want to begin biking to other towns, stay overnight, then bike back home - explore new paths and regions!

This is a bit scary, as Husband doesn't like to not know where we are.  Maybe this will help take away a bit of that anxiety and worry.

I, on the other hand, drove past Chicago 3 years ago, certainly having no idea where I was going.  That's the beauty of a GPS - generally they won't lead you into the middle of an Isle beside the Atlantic Ocean telling you that the banana ice cream shop is to your right (happened in Delaware).

***************************

Last weekend, our goals of reaching Parliament Hill on Saturday & the Aylmer Marina on Sunday were kyboshed by bike issues, forcing us to turn around at the 20km mark each day.

All we wanted to do was to exceed the 45km "longest ride ever" from the previous weekend.

I was kind of creeped out early on when we reached Andrew Haydon Park.  Some guy had stopped behind Husband at the lights, and I just waited in line vs going up beside Husband.  I am still getting used to proper biking etiquette.  Husband went off, and I was a bit slower...then the guy started drafting Husband REALLY close.  Husband just kept going faster & faster - I couldn't keep up (keep in mind, I'm about a foot shorter than him).  Creepy guy kept drafting Husband and I had no idea if he knew it wasn't me behind him.  Eventually Husband stopped to wait for me at a Stop Sign, and the guy veered off to the left.

You can draft someone (a stranger), usually in a bike pack situation, IF you ask permission.  It was really creepy that he didn't ask Husband first.  So don't do what this guy did - it's just creepy.

I blame it on the fact that Husband wore just his biking shorts vs biking shorts with shorts over top.  His butt looked pretty amazing.

So. We biked past Island Park, behind Parliament Hill, and up that damn hill.  They put SPEED BUMPS in the middle of the path right when we were able to get a bit of momentum.  Stupid safety and speed measures!  Do people not realize how much energy it takes to get up that hill??

So much energy, that we deserved Street Meat.  We found a vendor quickly - so surprising, as Ottawa in the past has been horrible for Street Eats - they're apparently improving this.

Nom Nom Nom.

In front of the Chateau Laurier

We decided to go alongside the Canal.  It was nice to see a few eateries alongside our journey - good pit stops for next time.

We were aiming for the path along the Canal past Dow's Lake, but the path kind of stopped, and we were forced onto the scary road.  At least there was a bike lane.  I'm ok as long as there's a bike lane, but even that doesn't guarantee a car isn't going to smash into us. I'm so thankful for the Trans Canada Pathway system so we can have a safer bike ride!

We went on this fancy new road (aka newly paved) in the Experimental Farm, went through a random mountain biking easy trail in the forest, and ended up on Husband's normal path he takes from work.

He found a neat area that we'd love a house in (houses built in the 60's - bungalows!! - right off the green belt) during his adventures home - he was so excited to show me his discovery :)

Then we eventually ended back up on the path we normally take alongside the Ottawa River home.

So our goal was 50km - we exceeded said goal by 12 kms.  We exceeded our previous Longest Ride Ever by 17km.

On our Mountain Bikes (previously used for road/path riding too), 17km WAS a long ride for us.  They are heavier, and even with smaller tires on...just don't have the same feeling as our Road Bikes.

I'm in love with mine - she's helped make biking fun and adventurous again!

I think next weekend we will investigate the Quebec side of the river more and see what excitement that unchartered territory holds.  Or bike to Ashton on a mission with a pit stop at the Ashton Station Pub where we will drink Diet Coke instead of Ashton's Amber Ale because we'd have 20km to bike back home afterwards...

Keep on challenging yourself - you'd be surprised at what you can achieve!

Friday Night Date Night with Shaun T: Month 2 Friday Night Fight Round 2

Holy Crap!  The Beachbody site tells me I'm 221 days into my life change of making fitness priority again!  I LOVE being about to challenge myself again, and have time for other life things too - like Husband and the Zoo.  Oh, and Girly things like painting and crafting.

Anyone who knows me from my CBT days, knows I was pretty much AWOL and stuck in the Dungeon all the time slaving away. It seems like a lifetime ago!

Having a life = Priceless

***************************

Shaun T likes to push me to my Max.  Like where I am just so exhausted or in so much pain that I flop to the ground.

This is a good thing though, as I seem to be Maxing out later every day. I can't see anything negative from having longer endurance.

Right?

Right??

So Friday Fight: Round 2 the apparently the hardest workout he has put together.  Because his other workouts were a walk in the park?

Every move lasts 1 minute, unless it's a Right side only then Left side only move (those are 45 seconds per side).

Here we go!

Iron Legs - Alternate Back lunge with a Squat, stand up and squeeze your behind. Repeat.

Floor Hops - Downward dog position, alternative legs to the side

Scissor "X" - Speed knees alternated with "x" arms while moving legs to alternate side (jacks)

Plank Jack Front Raise - On knees, alternately raise arms in front of your.

Plyo Hook Lunge - From chair position, alternate rear lunges with alternate arm hook at the front  - this was a fun move!  I like hooking.

Hit the Floor Tuck Jump - Side lunge and touch the ground, raise arms at the centre and repeat the lunge touch the ground on the alternate side.

Free Runner - Left side then right side (45 seconds each side) - Front lunge and life arms in power move to raise yourself from the lunge

Power Jump Dive  - Legs apart, fall forward, take two hand steps backwards, and tap alternate knees before falling forward again.  It's a lot more controlled then I explain it :)

Ski Down Abs - Sit on your behind, and row arms from side to side, like you are rowing a canoe or kayak.

Lat Push Up Alt - With arms close to your body, alternate diagonal push ups - this works the lats (aka upper arms)

Low High Switch Kicks - Low front kicks when Shaun T yells, High Front Knee kicks when Shaun T yells.

Slap Back Jump - Front squat with hands in front, stand up and squeeze behind with arms straight and slightly behind you.

Plank Jack Tap - in plank position, tap alternate shoulder with alternate hand - my shoulders feel awesome and hard core when I do this move!

Jab Speed Bag - Back lunge and move arms in a quick speed bag move (like you're hitting a boxing bag), then twist to the side and hop up & down like you're dunking a basketball

Plank to Squat - Hardcore.

Lunge Punch Kick - 45 seconds for each side - back lunge and come up jabbing with an oblique twist

Genie Tuck Jump - Keep core centred and fold arms like a genie - lift up alternating knees to centre of body

Wide Burpee Jump - Wide burpee and raise arms at the top for power

"X" Abs - On your back, move your arms and legs like a "x" - they must be off the ground!

Tricep Push Up Jack - Arms close to your side, do quick push ups to work the triceps

10 and 2 Punch - Move your body in the 10 and 2 position, punching alternate arms.

Oh hey, Shaun T took his shirt off - I was too busy sweating to notice when this happened.  Thank you, Shaun T!

8 Jab 2 Diamond - 8 jabs in a squat position, stand up and clench behind.

Burpee Punch Alt - Do a Burpee and punch with alternative arms on the way down.  I hate you Burpees.

High Knee Jab - High Knees while jabbing.  Simple, right?

Total Calories burned - 449

Awesome Level - Super!

Fynn even helped me work out.  No...he just made a mess of toys on the carpet, then flopped over when he Maxed Out.  At least he didn't try to join me - I generally lose my balance that way.

Some days I give up and don't bother sweeping. Silly messy, hairy, loveable beasts.

Now to decide...in 3 weeks, do I want to do Hip Hop Abs? Rockin' Body? Go back to P90X3?  Too early to stress about the next challenge!

*sigh*

Insanity Max 30 Month 2: Max Out Strength

This routine is similar to Month One's Tabata Strength.

But the moves are 45 seconds long with a 15 minute stretch "break" in-between.

Don't be fooled by "break" in the world of Shaun T - he doesn't really mean it.

Oh, but I'm sort of kind of starting to see some Rambo muscles going on. So his whip it attitude is doing something for me besides sweating gallons and cursing his very presence in my living room.

See...that little dent in the shoulder...it looks much better in person!

Back to hating on Shaun T (I love him, but I don't).

5 Minute Warm up - again, don't be fooled - you can Max Out in his warm ups!

None of the moves are repeated.

Split Plyo Lunge - Chair pose to alternating rear lunges - arms are up in the air the entire time

Plunge Plyo Squat - Chair to moving alternative side squats - arms go in and out with the move

2 Hop Squats - 2 Lunges - 2 Pulsing Squats, turn to side for 2 pulsing lunges - Alternate moves & sides

Hop Squat Lunge - Same as above, but only single pulses (no doubles)

Squat Thrust Lunge - Alternate single side lunge to centre, then squat with a thrust (aka tighten your behind) at the top - alternate lunge sides.

Squat Thrust - Squat with hands crossed at the front, stand up with a thrust and arms to the behind (kind of kinky!)

Push Up Jack Tap - Push up and tap alternate shoulder with hand at the top

Push Up Jack - In the modified version (aka me) - it's just a modified push up.

Plank Jack Push Up - Plank and side jacks - alternating legs

Plank Walk Push Ups - Push up and move alternating arm to side - similar to alternating push ups

Knee Push UP - Self explanatory, but a wider push up than the previous push up moves

8 Count Knee Push Up - Shaun T is a Jerk!  This move is self explanatory

Floor Switch Kicks - Lifting body like the top of triceps pushes, lift your butt off the ground - lift and kick alternating legs.  Similar to a standing swtich kick, just at a 90 degree angle.

Tricep Reach Kick - On your behind with legs bent, touch alternating foot with alternate hand.

Tricep Knee Taps - Tricep hold butt off ground, legs bent, and bring alternate knees to chest.

Tuck Extension - Start by laying on your back, come up and bring alternate knee to hand (meeting at the waist)

Floor Tuck Jumps - On your behind, hands on floor beside butt, knees bent and feet off the ground - these are like crunches, but pulsing very quickly.

Speed Knee and Ab - Head up and legs straight, bring hands to alternate knee in an oblique crunch

Tricep Push Up Jack - Plank and jack out alternating legs

Dive Push Up - On knees with hands close together, push up and hold at the top for a few seconds.

Lat Push Ups Alt - Body stays centred, but the hands move so you alternate push ups on either side

Knee Push Up Pulse - Low pulsing push ups - THE BURNING!

8 Count Knee Push Up - Slow knee push ups. Curse you, Shaun T!

Low Plank Hold - just that - knees off the ground, but low to ground.  SO difficult, but I did it!

Calorie Burn = Approximately 424 in 30 minutes.

One more work out in month 2 before they start repeating - I ought to be finished in 3-4 weeks or so, as sometimes biking gets in the way, or my CFS acts up, and I literally can't move and need a day off.

On a side note, as we're really making a conscious effort not to really drink alcohol, I find beer pint glasses make AWESOME water glasses for my workouts - they hold SO much more water than normal glasses!

Fake beer (aka Water)

And....CRASH

Too much after an exhausting week?

I think so.

I was nodding off driving TO work this morning.

And throughout the day.

I asked Husband to drive home as I didn't think I could make it home.

I napped 40 minutes on the way home.

Then crawled up to bed for another hour and a half.

I woke up, Husband ordered pizza (I'm way too tired to cook), and now I'm ready for bed again.

Now the fight to stay awake for at least 2 more hours.

I guarantee I'll wake up around 2 or 3 in the morning, it's a chain reaction - like not matching up the coloured candies in Candy Crush in time.

No working out or biking tonight.

This will be me tomorrow...because of my naps today, right?

I will have to stay positive that tomorrow will be a more awake day.

...what pills DID Jessie Spano take to keep her so excited? Hmmmm....

The Bike Goal ALMOST Met and Insanity Max 30 - Max Out Sweat - Review

It was a bit nipply out on Sunday - biking gear included long bike pants, long sleeved bike shirt, windbreaker, and wishing we'd brought ear warmers.

It wasn't quite as windy as Saturday, but it took a good 15-20 minutes for my ears to freeze off a bit.

It was also my first day biking with my clip on pedals and shoes.  I haven't used these in about a decade, so it was a bit of a learning curve.  After about 5 minutes, I finally had my first foot clipped in.  Then my second foot followed suit.

Then we decided to ride on the Parkway as it closes Sunday mornings to cars and is open for fitness gurus.  I realized I would have to unclip to go over the high curb (and didn't have the time or experience) and ended up calling for Husband to help before I fell, and ended up falling sideways with him barely catching me before I ended up on the ground.

Fall number two in the last few weeks - a few weeks ago I fell mountain biking passing Husband - it was awesome - my whole left thigh was black and purple all week long and is barely noticeable now.

War wounds and experience.

Our goal - to make it to the Aylmer Marina.  We almost made it too.  20 kms after our ride started, I heard a clang, and my bike's resistance starting becoming rather difficult.  We stopped a minute later, and it appeared that one of my spokes broke.  My wheel also wouldn't turn.

Crap.  We were stuck in Quebec 20 kms from our truck.  Less than 1km from the Marina.

Husband swiftly broke the spoke off and realized the rear brake was causing the now warped rim to rub against it.  Off came the brakes, and I rode the slightly wonky Speed bike back to the Truck.

We still made decent time - 21 kmh - we averaged 23 over the last week, so considering the rear wheel was not perfectly straight, I'd say that's a victory.

Wheel is now fixed, and we'll be ready to roll again tomorrow!  Nothing can stop me!

Because biking 40km is never enough, I needed to get in my Max 30 fix as well.

Insanity Max 30 - Max Out Sweat Review

This workout consists of 3 sets of 3 different exercises and 30 second water breaks after these sets have been completed.

- Power Move 1 - Speed In & Out Abs - Mountain climbers for modifier me!

- Plyo Hook Lunge - Backwards Lunge with alternating arm hook

- Wide In & Out Knee Tap -  A plank with knee and arm meeting in the middle on the same side

- Switch Kick Punch - a Switch kick with alternating arm punches

- Power Move 2 - Hit the Floor Tuck Jump - Alternating side lunges while touching the floor

- Ab Attack - Squat with standing oblique crunches at the side

- Burpee Punch - A burpee with a punch out at the bottom - alternating sides

- Knee Switch Kick - Lift knee up to belly like a switch kick, and alternate kicking at the top

- Power Move 3 - 4 Jab 4 Knee Punch - 4 punches followed by 2 alternating punches with high knees

- Wide Fly In & Out Abs - On hands and feet, bent over (this sounds kinky) with your butt in the air - alternate same hand and foot in the air

- Free Runner - Alternating Leg lunges up and down quickly

-- Moving Push Ups - My favourite type of push up!

- Power Move 4 - 360 Hop Squats - 1 minute of frog squats (pulsing squat with hands hitting the ground on the bottom)

- Slalom - It's like skiing in the living room!

- Plank Jack Tap - Plank alternating arms to shoulders

- Scissor "X" - Alternating forward-backward and up-side scissor moves with arms and legs

- Power Jump Dive - Legs wide and fall forward, moving hands two steps back, then stand up for a side oblique crunch - repeat

- Floor Sprints - Slow sprint low to the ground.

I was kind of disappointed at the end - Shaun T kept his shirt on the entire workout!

C'est la vie - can't see Shaun T all the time!

An alternate to Shaun T - he understands me...

Until next time :)  Live for today as we can't change the past.