An Introduction--Join Me!!

[KristyW]

I thought that it was time that I came out of “lurk” and introduced myself to the members of VF. My name is Kristy and I’ve been visiting VF for over a year. I have occasionally asked questions of members when I needed help. Thank you for being here!

I am a Stay-At-Home-Mom with 3 kids, 14 year old boy, 10 year old boy, and 8 year old girl. I will be 40 in July. Last summer I had surgery to replace a valve in my heart. VF has been instrumental in my recovery! I visit sometimes for the enthusiasm, sometimes for the fitness advice. My video library is rather limited right now, but I know that you all can help me spend money when I have it! LOL! I have mostly Kathy Smith tapes, but I’m branching out more and more all the time . I have added Donnamite, Keli’s Ultimate Step, YZ’s Conditioning & Stress Relief, and my latest additions are AM & PM Yoga. I Loooove AM Yoga! What a way to start the day! I also attend a fitness class M-W-F.

When the weather warms up, I hope to start a walk/run program, and do some bicycling. Who knows, maybe I’ll even take up rollerblading with my kids!!

Thanks WWWendy for giving us VF!!!

[LHMerritt]

I haven't done this in a while, unless you count the Arizona thread . My name is Loretta, I've been mostly lurking on VF for almost 4 years. I found VF initially when I was preparing to get married in 97 (trying to fit into that dress). I actaully became a member about 98.

I currently live in Arizona with my Hubby and 2 cats. One day I will get a picture of the two of them up, I guess.

Fitness related, I started with Firm and then discovered Cathe and I haven't looked back since. I actually need to find a new home for my tapes they are exploding over my TV stand. I also have a full weight rack 3 - 30 lbs (hubby used 25 and 30's). Recently purchased a treadmill and indulged in a body bar. After all of the threads now I have my eye on the Rebounder. This place is bad on the CC. I just don't think DH will understand, at least it's my own money.

This is probably my longest post ever and fills my quota for the year. Back to lurkdom.

Loretta

[LovingLife]

Thanks for this link Wendy! I'll have to print out all these introductions and read them to get acquainted with everyone.

My name is Renee and I've used the VF exchange for a few years, but just got on the VF Forum a few weeks ago. I've been on the FIRM e-trainer List for the past two years and enjoy those friendships and support. But I mostly checked out the Forum because Joan Boadway had spoken highly of this forum. And rightly so -- it's great over here. Thanks for the referral Joan!

I am 37 years old and am a stay at home mother to 5 wonderful children -- girls, almost 12 and 10, boys 8 and almost 6 (three birthdays are at the end of this month!), and a girl 2 1/2. The last few times I've had a baby, the nurses in the hospital have been amazed that all of our children belong to both me and my dh . We're a bit amazed ourselves!

I discovered that video exercise was the way for me to go after my 4th child was born. It was simply the most convenient and most fun way to get (and stay) fit.

My workout video library at the moment (always changing ) consists of 76 tapes -- many, many FIRMs, many of Cathe, Karen Voight, Breakthru, a few of Kathy Smith, Donna Richardson, & Denise Austin (who started me off in my early beginner-can-hardly-do-a-bit-of-cardio days ), all of Bryan Kest, some of Baron Baptiste, several Living Arts, one prized FitPrime and some new Hilary Burnett's, thanks to recommendations on the VF Forum. I'm sure there are a few strays too, but that's the bulk of it.

I wake up every morning at 5:30 to work out before my children get up (but if they do, they just come in and watch -- they don't really ever remember me NOT exercising in the morning -- yay kids! )

I got to be in last year's summer Collage catalog, so if you still have that one, you can see what I look like because I haven't figured out how to put a picture to my posts yet. Maybe someday! Until then, you get my new little signature I created -- I even tried the colors -- hope it works!

[Jillychilly]

I'm Jill. I am 35 and live in Washington State. However I am an east coast girl at heart (born and bred there). I got married 3 months ago in Las Vegas (my first marriage his second). I am the evil stepmonster to an 11 year old boy (DH has custody). And I am the mother to 2 feline furballs, Thelma and Louise. I hope we can start trying for a little rugrat next year.

I work in a psychiatric facility during the day and I waitress at night. I am hoping to get rid of the night job by year's end. I have been a VF member since 1999. My favorite videos are the FIRM. I want to get rid of some of the weight before I start to branch out to other videos.

[SeptemberGirl]

I'm 24 and live with my DH Mike and two Shih Tzus, named Kyaiu & Liloki, in Nothern VA. I have been a VF lurker for a couple of years, registered a long, long time ago, forgot what my username was, so I reregistered and now I promise I won't forget my VF info!

I have bachelor's degree in Sport Science with an Exercise Physiology concentration. My original plan was to become a fitness trainer, but I changed my mind and now I work for a non-profit organization doing marketing. The reason why I chose the fitness field to study was because of the FIRM. I first started FIRMing in 1993 and have loved it ever since. I took a year and a half off from exercise though and put on a lot of weight. Now I am trying to get it off and have used the Self Challenge log from last year to stay motivated. It helped and I am now at a size 10. This year, my goal is to again do the Self Challenge and move back down to a size 6 (my original size). I have also recently become a FitPrime fan, and have also used Bryan Kest's yoga videos. I use my afternoons after I get home from work as my exercise time -- only after I greet and hug my two cute Shih Tzu's!

My career goal is to have my own business, fitness-related of course, and I have taken great steps towards that goal. Hopefully soon it will take off.

Jen

[hch]

I'm 23, male, single. I live in the San Francisco area, and my family lives nearby; I was born around here and have never lived outside this region. I graduated from college just recently and am looking for work while applying to graduate school (good luck).

Although I've just registered, I've been lurking around ever since November. I found out about Videofitness earlier but for some reason never went to the list that was around at the time, and I was just reading reviews and the like. Then I came by one day and found this forum, and ever since I've been reading much of it, even though I'll probably not own all these videos and equipment. I hadn't registered until now, though, since I'm just getting into videos.

Although I don't use a lot of videos and at the moment actually own none (I do have library cards), that lack is due in large part to finances--just graduated from college, don't have much money--not lack of interest. or else I wouldn't be here at all. I still doubt I'll ever become a true vidiot, even with the money, since I have neither the temperament nor the spending habits . It also helps that my preferences are a little exacting (see below). But I'm still interested in doing is finding videos I know I'll like and do, and that's why I'm here.

I've been exercising fairly regularly already (illness permitting) but would like to add things to what I've been doing (standard strength in a gym, cardio in various settings, stretching). My goals are health (family history is unsettling) and fitness for everyday life and recreational activities.

With videos, I'm starting with yoga. What I'm seeking is something close to "mind-body awareness" (of course, physical benefits, like body awareness primarily, flexibility, and balance, are part of the package).

I've noticed (for some reason, not until recently) that my exercise is generally along the same lines: my strength training is precise, controlled, and concentrative (the way I do it, I don't think about other things), and my cardio, while not quite like that, is an opportunity for thought and for paying attention to my body (in other words, I don't like distracting myself by watching TV or listening to music, except insofar as these may enhance my focus, thinking, or creativity). Now that I'm aware of the fact, I think I'll be aware of my doing so more often, and my incorporating yoga may help even more.

Eventually I'm planning to look at other somewhat "meditative" workouts or those that involve body awareness. Pilates, tai chi, "movement," and NIA (hi, Barb!) are likelier possibilities. At the moment, I'm not really looking for standard cardio or strength videos (though I'll still read about them, of course!), in part because since I tend to like making such routines for myself. I like following internal cues and exercising "in my own world"; I dislike distractions.

Yoga assists the process, but standard video-style cardio workouts, if they're anything like TV workouts and how I imagine them based on reviews, are more distractive to me. Although I'm not 100% behind the advice (I forget where I've heard it) not to distract yourself during a workout by reading, watching TV, or listening to music, I can understand the rationale. I can still do those videos, of course, but necessity, curiosity, or variety are more likely reasons than preference or habit.

But I'll see what happens, and things can change. Happy exercising!