PiYo Update

I will keep this post short and sweet.

I wrapped month one of PiYo last weekend and began the second month. I feel REALLY good. It has been a long time since I saw a program through beginning to end. I think the last time I went the full round of a program was back when I did Insanity Max:30.

One area I am really focusing on during this second month is nutrition. Here is the thing about Beachbody's programs: they WORK! They work really well. They are simple to follow. One of the reasons I was drawn to Beachbody was because it had everything; great workouts, nutritional support through Shakeology and nutrition guides to follow for the specific program, plus accountability from your coach.

When I did my first program, I was religious about it. I followed the program. All of it! Nutrition included. I ate what I was supposed to and did the workouts on the right days and never skipped or, if I did, I made it up with a double or on my rest day.

I was DEDICATED. I didn't want to have wasted my money or my time and it not work out because I wasn't giving it my all.

Month one went well. I never missed a workout. Some days I had a double workout if I was teaching Cize Live. And my nutrition was pretty good but I allowed some cheats, more than I should have and many that weren't necessary.

When I took my 30 day measurements and photos, I was pleased, but I wasn't thrilled. I saw changes. I am down inches. I am tightening up in my legs. And my arms look toned and strong. But that darn midsection, it shows every cheat. It is my trouble area that is stubborn and is only changed when I really become dedicated. Although I am down inches, the visible change is what I desire and I know that I have to become dedicated again to make that happen.

So, month two will be a NO CHEAT month. That means: no Halloween candy, cake at a friend's wedding, pumpkin treats, caramel apples, or any other fall goodie that sneaks up on me. I CAN choose to say no. I can choose to be dedicated to myself and my goals.

Anyone else have a struggle they find hard to overcome? How do you combat it?

Let's Get Crockin'!

Hey y'all!

Happy {almost} fall! The weather around here has been absolutely gorgeous. Blue skies, mild temps, sunshine. My boys and I have walked almost every day. I like to save our walks for after dinner when Dad is home and we can do it all together.

I love summer but when the temperatures start to drop just a little, I am completely falling for fall! And when that happens, I want to cook for fall! Do you know what I'm saying???

Stews, soups, warm, hearty, filling, delicious, comfort food foods! The only problem is that sometimes all that comfort food undoes all of my effort from eating well or my workouts. And then those winter pounds slip back on.

Not anymore! I have learned that you can eat yummy, filling, healthy foods you love. You can even make life simpler by using your crock pot.

I am hosting, alongside some of my teammates, a FREE 5 Day Clean Eating Crock Pot group! It all begins Monday, September 28th and we would love for you to be part of it too!

You will get a grocery list, meal plans and recipes for all five days that will give you 3 meals and two snacks, all dinners done in your crock pot! PLUS you will have tons of positive support from multiple coaches! It doesn't matter where you live because it is all through Facebook!

Interested? I know--it's hard not to be. The only thing that could make it better is if someone would do the grocery shopping for you! ;)

If you want to join this group, comment below! I will get in touch!

The War Within

I will be posting Weigh-in Wednesday info soon but this is just too good, too important. 

I am working with some wonderful ladies right now in our fitness and health journeys.  We are into our second week.  Each woman is different.  Some of us want to tone up; some want to lose; some are starting; some are starting over.  We committed to being all in with our workouts and nutrition, to being honest, and to holding each other accountable for 30 days. 

It has been amazing.  I have been pushed and encouraged. I look forward to seeing how each of us is doing every day, the progress and #NSV being made. 

Today, one of the participants posted a really vulnerable post. She told us that tonight she has an event  with her son that will have her not only away at dinner, but that pizza will be available.  Instead of just writing it off as inconvenient but her only option, she woke up, made a game plan to stay on track and prepped it so she would know that a healthy meal would be waiting for her after!

Now, that may seem small to you.  That may seem insignificant. But let me just say that it is NOT! Not only is this woman overcoming a temptation, but she is saying, "Food, you are not in control. I AM!!" 

For people who struggle with food, finding the ability to have power of your choices is HUGE!

That is exactly why I am so thankful to be a coach.  It is that story that is so much part of  my mission. This wonderful friend is a fellow mom of young kids.  In what seems like a small act, she is taking power over her life in this area. And as mothers, when we learn that food is fuel; when we stop emotional eating, looking at food as temptations, evil, etc--when we stop giving food power, we are teaching our kids NOT to give food power in their lives. We are teaching our kids that food is meant to make us healthy; to make our bodies work at their best! 

Think about that! I love working with moms.  I love seeing those AHA moments.  I love it when they get it.  Because when a mom gets it and is on board, the whole family is too. For most households, it is the mom who does the meal planning and grocery shopping, the food preparation.  If a mom understands how to fuel her body, how to have power over food, how to win the war, so do the kids.  

Childhood obesity, diabetes, so many issues--eliminated for that household. 

I cheered this mama on and her response was, "I've spent so many years in food prison. Hallelujah, I've been set free!" 

Isn't that so awesome??? 

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Last week went really well.  I stuck to my no carb/low carb, no sugar plan.  It was tough.  We had several things over the weekend that were tempting but I definitely could tell I was feeling good and didn't to break that cycle. 

I have gotten in all of my workouts.  Saturday I went for a run and reached 4.5 miles.  I was really happy with that.  I plan to increase my long run to six hopefully by the beginning of April.  I definitely have to go slower on my long runs but I know a quicker pace will come in time on those runs too. 

Height: 5'5"

Last Weight: 141.4

Current Weight: 140

Change: -1.0

Total Loss: 26 pounds

Breaking My Addiction

I  have been doing Les Mills Pump for 2.5 weeks now.  My body is definitely responding but not as good as I wanted it too.  And I know the cause.  I've known the cause forever.  If there is ever a stronghold in my life, it's this one. 

I am a sugar addict. 

I love it.  I love sweets.  I love breads and pastas.  I love those things and not in moderation.  And as much as I'd like to say that I can have a little bit and get right back on track, my addiction is strong.  I get derailed easily.  

One bite turns into a whole serving turns into the whole pan of brownies (cookies, cake, you fill it in). 

I had considerably began to limit the carbohydrates from grains when I started Max:30. But February got the best of me and my nutrition just has suffered.  

On top of that, caring for three kids under 4 {one being just 6 months old and still waking during the night bless him} I hated waking up groggy and not in control of what I was putting in my body. 

I decided to change some things.  I don't believe that in order to be healthy you have to deprive your body of anything.  I preach moderation to my team and my clients.  But I also preach knowing your weaknesses and learning how to have control over food, not the other way around.  How to eat to live, not live to eat. 

On Monday, I began my 30 day no sugar commitment.  Of course I am still getting sugar where it naturally occurs, but I am cutting out added sugars.  I also decided to limit my carbs.  I am still eating grains but not eating wheat.  

I don't necessarily care about the number on the scale.  The scale doesn't define me.  But I do care about how I feel when I put on my clothes.  I do care how I feel when I want to be intimate with my husband and I just don't "feel" sexy. I do care about having control over what goes into my body. 

I am halfway through day three.  I haven't indulged in PB&Js with my kiddos.  I haven't popped goldfish mindlessly.  The biggest #NSV: I haven't touched the box of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies sitting in our freezer. {Yes, that is how my family enjoys them} 

I am down weight from last week.  I do feel more energized (getting out of bed is still hard. I'm looking at you Gabe- I-Want-To-Eat-Every-4-Hours). 

I'm excited to continue these next 30 days.  It will be a battle.  It is my siblings', SIL's, husband's and I's birthday in a few weeks (you read that right; it's a lot). Easter is approaching aka Easter candy. But I have support and accountability from my team.  And I have goals.  

Height: 5'5"

Last Weight: 142.2 (Monday 3/9)

Current Weight: 141.4

Change: -0.8

Total Loss (since 8/21/14): 25 lbs

Hello, sunshine!

March certainly came in like a lion around here.  Snow upon snow; enough for church to cancel.  A pre-school day cancelled due to ice! I am all for spending time at home with my kiddos but we were all more than ready for spring to arrive.

And, just like the weather of the Midwest is, spring arrived.

I am on my third week of Les Mills Pump.  I had been substituting the walk sessions with cardio workouts indoors since the weather was not cooperating.  Max:30 and Turbo Fire (more on that, later) kept my heart pumping.

But, this past Saturday and Sunday, this girl got to RUN!! I really learned to love running when I trained for a half marathon a couple of years ago.  That being said, I hadn't really ran in quite a few months. I had tried it once in early October after being released post-partum and feeling up to it.  I maybe got in a mile.  And it was a tough one.

When I set out Saturday, I was starting to doubt all the hard work I had done with Insanity Max:30. I was feeling pretty winded.  I concentrated on my breathing {I'm all about a breath in every two steps, breath out every two steps}.  My body loosened up and I found a pace.  Y'all--I did 2.65 miles in 25 minutes.  I was really excited! That pace wasn't too far off from my best paces when training. And Sunday was the same thing.

Those runs definitely left me sore. But I know that LMP, running and my no sugar commitment are going to get me the results I need!

How are you doing with your goals??

About Turbo Fire
This is a program I have wanted to try for awhile.  Every time I went to purchase it, there was always a new program I wanted to try first.  It just kept getting put on the back burner.  Last week, Beachbody launched something called Beachbody on Demand. It is a way to digitally stream some of Beachbody's most favorite programs to any device that is wifi enabled.  

I got to use Turbo Fire in my home straight on my laptop.  No waiting for shipping. I also have access to the complete nutrition guide and workout schedule.  Another perk--Beachbody on Demand gives you access to 10 {!!!!} complete programs! 

If you want to know more about On Demand, I would love to share more about it with you. 

What I learned in 3 days

When I posted my Max:30 results, I mentioned that I tagged on the 3-Day Refresh to the final days of the program. 

What is the refresh? 
It is a program designed to give you a break from poor eating habits while kick starting some healthy ones.  With Shakeology, two high protein refresh shakes, a fiber sweep, snacks and delicious vegetable dinner options, your body and mind have a chance to clear themselves from some vices. 

I chose to do this for a couple of reason.  One, I knew that doing this could help me shed a few pounds.  But more than that, I was not seeing the same results month 2 of Max:30 as I did month 1 and I KNEW the culprit--my nutrition.  We had my son's birthday, a weekend out of town, my son's party/mom's birthday and Valentine's Day all in month 2.  I ate great during the week, but those weekends were definitely more off track than I wanted.  And when you really think about it, weekends are a large chunk of a month. It accounts for almost 30% of February! So if you give yourself "a break" on weekends to eat whatever, you really aren't going to progress forward.  And I sure gave myself one to many breaks during some of those events. 

What I didn't realize before the refresh, were some ugly, bad habits creeping back into my lifestyle. 

On the refresh, there is no eating except what is outlined.  There is also no dairy, meat or starches. (Of course, the allowed fruit and vegetables on the program are carbs and the high protein shakes help satiate hunger).

Because of that, I caught myself--quite often, actually--in the midst of popping something into my mouth.  You know what I am talking about moms: a nibble of your kids snack as you prepare it, or their lunch.  Or maybe you finish off their lunch as you are scrambling to clean the mess up and get them ready for naps.  A snack out of boredom, or a sip of this or that.  

That mindless eating was catching up to me.  It was stalling my results just as much as an occasional treat would if not MORE! 

I had also really, REALLY become a slave to sugar again. You saw the list above.  Those are some sweet confection opportunities all bundled up together.  Because of that, I was craving sugar--ALL the time! And caving.

Doing the refresh, I had to have discipline.  I said I was going to follow the program.  That meant when I was making my kids mini pizzas one day for lunch, I couldn't just pop a pepperoni.  It meant not nibbling an M&M from the treat container.  It meant not snacking when watching HTGAWM (sidenote: PLEASE tell me you are obsessed with this show too??) 

What happened mentally was amazing.  I was breaking through some habits and barriers that I know can have a pretty strong grip on me.  My body started craving GOOD things.  I was texting my accountability partner through the refresh about eggs.  I wanted chicken and eggs.  She wanted a Greek yogurt.  Talk about a difference, right?? 

Did I get results? For sure, an inch of my waist and 4 pounds gone!!! But more than that, I gained control over my eating again.  I saw the roadblocks I had allowed to creep back into my life and consciously overcame them and now am so much more aware of them.  I reset my system, ridding it of the need for sugar.  IN JUST 3 DAYS!! How huge is that! 

This program is amazing and I am so grateful for what it taught me! 

Aha moments and results

This  may turn into a long post so consider yourself warned.  

On December 29th, I began Shaun T.'s new program, Insanity Max:30.  If you know me at all, I am not a fan of an all cardio workout.  This program was that exactly but to the umpteenth degree.  

I enlisted the support of some fellow coaches on my team and we began the program together.  I knew I needed accountability.  I was not planning on doing this program {probably ever} but I had gotten really complacent.  I wasn't following a program consistently, I was allowing to many cheats, and the holidays did not help my trim my post pregnancy body. 

In truth, I needed a swift, firm kick in the butt!

The premise of the program is to push yourself and max out every workout.  And each workout thereafter, to push yourself a little farther, increase that max out time. I was really amazed at how quickly my body began responding to the workouts.  My max time was steadily increasing. I could feel my body getting stronger.  I was finding a rhythm again.  

This program taught me so much. Before every workout, during the opening credits, Shaun T. gives a little pep talk.  During those minutes before I began, I had to really get my mind right.  The first month I was juggling my three kiddos, a nursing newborn, and a traveling husband.  To say there were days I didn't want to do it, days I didn't want to push to my max out- would be an understatement. 

Our mental statement is such an indicator of our success.  Not only in fitness but in EVERYTHING.  Negative self talk is destructive.  If I told myself, I could take a break.  If I told myself I could eat this cheat. If I told  myself that my actions weren't paying off; if I focused on the parts of my body I {thought} weren't changing, I would have given up.  If I didn't have the SUPPORT from my fellow coaches, I would have given up. 

Here is what this program helped me accomplish in just 30 days. 

That lesson of mental strength was an important one.  The program is 60 days. (56 to be exact, less than that if you opt out of the optional Saturday workout.) The second month, all workouts are taken up a notch (or two). I had to have the mental strength to push myself.  

Month two had a whole new set of obstacles.  Two birthdays, my son's birthday party, Valentine's Day. I didn't miss a workout but my nutrition began to slip. I wanted the best results possible and I also wanted to break some habits I started to see creeping up.

To end Max:30 I paired it with the 3-Day Refresh.  Tomorrow I will share those results as well as what I learned during those three days.  

I definitely achieved progress with Max:30.  I saw results.  I pushed myself harder than I ever have in a workout.  I saw myself gain strength and muscle.  I increased endurance and stamina.  My legs and arms have tone like they maybe never have.  All without a weight.  

Here are my results from Day 1---> Day 30 ---> Day 60

This program changed my mindset.  It changed my body. It changed my view of myself and what I was capable of.  I know that anyone can find success with this program.  It isn't easy.  But it is MORE THAN worth it!

Quick Update

Hey all!

I have neglected this space terribly.  To be honest, I have had ZERO time for blogging at either space.  My husband has been traveling 4-5 days a week for the past 2.5 months {thankfully he was home for the holidays}.  His absence has just added to my work load at home and my boys are needing lots of my attention.  And, family comes first!

BUT-- I just have to share with you about a new program that I am in love with!

Let me just preface--I am not a cardio girl.  I don't enjoy cardio activities or movements.  I was not going to purchase this program.  I actually wasn't entertaining the idea of ever doing it. But then, a good friend and fellow coach, who was part of the test group, shared her results.  And I was blown away! 

So I got it.  I recruited some coaches on my team to do it with me.  I knew I needed accountability and support. 

Last Saturday was the end of our second week.  I felt like my body was changing.  I was curious.  Was it all in my head or were there actual changes?  I stepped on the scale, took some photos and measurements and compared.

My JAW HIT THE FLOOR! I couldn't believe how my  body had changed in two weeks!

I still have lots of work to do but I am so proud of how far I have come.  Back into jeans that I was only squeezing into around Christmas time, inches gone, more energy.  Me against me every day.  

If you have any questions about this program, I would love to answer them for you! If you are interested and need support, my online accountability group is kicking off February 2nd.

Happy Wednesday, friends!