Tuesday, February 24, 2015

February Sales!!!

Last week to get these fabulous programs FREE with the purchase of Shakeology--the nutrient dense meal replacement shake I drink daily! Ask me now for details!
I have done ALL THREE programs, and I drink Shakeology daily. I can tell you, from my own experience, these programs work!!! Want to know more? Message me 



21 Day Fix

21 Day Fix Extreme

3 Day Refresh

Friday, February 20, 2015

Surviving the week

I promise I haven't forgotten about my blog!!  I homeschool my kids through a public virtual charter school.  That means they are required to participate in the standardized state tests, even though we homeschool.  This week has been a test week with a CRAZY schedule!!  Still, I'm fitting in my workout daily and mostly staying on track with my eating.  I had some huge struggles on Wednesday when my schedule got flipped upside down at 10am.  I just wasn't prepared enough with my food prep to keep up with the schedule changes.  Lesson learned.  I am definitely making food prep a priority from now on.  

I can't believe I'm almost done with my 2nd week of 21 Day Fix Extreme.  I am definitely feeling stronger with my workouts.  Last week, I wasn't so sure I had picked the right program...it seemed a little more challenging that I anticipated.  This week, I am still struggling with a few exercise move (usually the ones that involve jumping), but I really feel like my ability to handle the 'extremeness' of the workout is 10x better.  It is crazy how one wee can make such a HUGE difference!  I am able to give my workout EVERYTHING I'VE GOT, and A LITTLE BIT MORE!


Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Week 2 Extreme Fix




I am so happy to report that after 1 full week of 21 Day Fix Extreme, I am down 3 inches in my waist and 2.5 inches in my hips!!!  I am super excited about that progress!!  No scale updates yet because I won't be stepping on it until the end (my New Year's resolution to only step on scale once a month).  Over all, I feel more energetic, my muscles feel stronger, and I look and feel leaner.  I have been doing really well sticking with the Extreme eating plan.  I had an event on Saturday evening, and had already planned to indulge a bit.  I didn't go overboard on the buffet dinner.  I definitely loaded up on the veggies, avoided the pasta and bread, and chose the fish over the roast beef (although it was doused in some sort of creamy sauce, which I tried to avoid).  I skipped all of the cakes that were available for dessert,  but I may have discovered the Esther Price caramel turtles, and had like 6 of them.  Esther Price is a famous local candy company here in the Dayton, OH area....you just don't pass up the opportunity to give it a try :).  I will be honest.  After really healthy and sticking religiously to my 21 Day Fix eating plan for a whole week, my tummy did not appreciate the fattier food or the sugar that I allowed myself to have.  To sort of make up for indulging, I stuck with the Countdown to Competition plan for the Fix Extreme on Sunday.  I tell you what, that plan is INTENSE!!!  It is a carb depletion plan, and is NOT recommended to do for more than 21 days at a time.  Many folks that are doing the fix have chosen to do a rotation of 2 days on the regular extreme eating plan and then a day of the competition plan, and are having good success.  OK, so what is the difference?  In the Countdown to Competition plan, you only get your greens, reds, 1 yellow and your tsp.  What that translates to for those that are not currently using the Fix programs - veggies, proteins, 1 carb, and healthy oils.  On the upside, my proteins increased from 4 to 7 in one day - I actually had trouble fitting them all in, and the proteins are my favorite!  It was really tough not to reach for a blue or orange container (no salad dressing).  I don't normally miss the fruits, but I couldn't just grab a quick apple as a snack either.  I would really struggle if I had to follow that plan for the full 21 days. 

So now I am in week 2.  I am hoping for another successful week. 

As promised, here is a summary of the remainder of the Fix Extreme workouts for the week:

Cardio Fix Extreme - reminded me of a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) style workout.  4 rounds with 2 exercises in each round and a cardio interval in between each exercise.  This was a great workout, and the exercises really focuses on those muscles you use when you squat.  Great workout for the heart and the glutes!!  I was never a fan of the cardio fix workout in the original 21 Day Fix program, but I really liked this one.

Dirty 30 Extreme -   Definitely a challenging workout, but again I prefer this one over the original Dirty Thirty.  3 rounds.  2 exercises each round.  I do have to tell you, I had to modify a few of the moves because even with the modifier, I just couldn't do it.  The best part of this workout is that it is total body and you work all of the muscle groups. 

Yoga Fix Extreme - What can I say?  It was a yoga workout.  Not overly challenging, and a good stretch.  Honestly though, I really did not like this yoga workout.  The whole thing felt awkward and uncomfortable.  I didn't feel like the moves flowed very well, which did not make the workout at relaxing (for mind or body).  Next week, I will probably pop in one of my Piyo workouts, or follow the original 21 Day Fix yoga workout. 


In addition to the regular workouts, I also purchased the Ultimate Extreme workouts.  Yesterday, I replaced Plyo Fix Extreme with Power Strength Extreme.  I LOVED it!!!  This workout reminded me a lot of my Piyo program. No weights - body weight only.  The downside - I don't feel as though I got as much out of the intensity of this workout over the Plyo Fix Extreme.  Although I dislike the jumping in Plyo, I did feel like I really got in a good workout.  Next week, I am going to try to combine parts of both workouts together to find a good mix for me.
 

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Fix Extreme update


I am 4 days into the 21 Day Fix Extreme, and all I can say is HOLY WOW!!!  This program is incredible!!  The workouts are for sure a challenge.  In fact, I am still sore from Monday's Plyo Fix Extreme (stairs have NOT been my friend this week).  Today was Lower Fix Extreme, and I thought I was going to die...I was in tears by the end of the workout.  I think it is mostly because my quads were still on fire from Monday.  I have decided that my ankle is not very appreciative of jumping either, so I have to modify the Plyo moves so that I am not jumping much...I am still getting some serious burn in my quads!  Here's a quick rundown of the Extreme workout schedule so far:

Plyo Fix Extreme - lots of jumping in different positions.  30 minutes of REALLY working those leg muscles.  Oh, and we were using weights too - yeah, that makes it a tad more difficult. I was sweaty, out of breath the whole time , and my legs were on fire.

Upper Fix Extreme - I LOVE this workout!!!!  I am a huge fan of arm and shoulder workouts, and this is the BOMB!  What is interesting about this workout is that almost every move starts with 30 seconds of reps with a heavy weight, and then you switch out to a lighter weight for the second 30 seconds.  I believe this is called a drop set. 

Pilates Fix Extreme - Core workouts are also near the top of my favorites list, and Pilates is one of my favorite styles.  Pilates Fix Extreme utilized a resistance band for the WHOLE workout!!  I had to put my shoes on for this workout (I prefer to do my workouts in bare feet) because of the way the band wraps around my feet.  Aside from getting tangled a bit is maneuvering around with a resistance band, I thought the band actually made the Pilates workout a bit easier...well, for certain moves anyway.  I am looking forward to doing this one again!!

Lower Fix Extreme - OK, so this is the workout that had me in tears.  My quads were still REALLY sore from Monday, and Autumn made us do some Plyo moves.  I think it is fair to say that I am not a fan of Plyo.  The good news is that most of the moves were not Plyo moves.  Of course, you do use your weights.  On the plus side, because I was working the legs again, my legs are now LESS sore than they have been all week.  The exercises definitely helped.

I will share an update of the remainder of the workout on Sunday or Monday.

The food plan is going well too.  I honestly am having trouble eating all of the food I am required to for this program.  Believe it or not, I am staying within a 1500-1800 calorie range, but it is all clean eating.   A good mix of fruits, veggies, lean proteins, healthy fats, complex carbs, and nuts/seeds and healthy oils.  I spread my food out through the day, but generally I have Breakfast, mid morning snack, lunch, early snack (usually Shakeology, post workout), late snack, dinner, and evening snack.  I am drinking lots of water throughout the day, and I also enjoy my morning coffee, and nice herbal tea before bed (neither are required, but they are allowed).  Just to give you an idea of some of my meals, here are just a few things that I have been eating this week. 
Salad with romaine lettuce, spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, steak and balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Salad with romaine lettuce, spinach, blueberries, sliced hard boiled eggs, and balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Taco salad - romaine lettuce, ground turkey with taco seasonings, onion, tomato, salsa, shredded cheese, and a small sprinkling of crushed up tortilla chips.  Fat free refried beans with cheese ans salsa.

Cream of rice cereal with 1 tsp coconut oil and cinnamon, blueberries, strawberries and a hard boiled egg


Baked sweet potato topped with coconut oil and sweet and spicy tuna.  Asparagus and mushrooms, sauteed in coconut oil

Toasted pumpkin seeds

Baked chicken with my own homemade spicy mustard dipping sauce, brown rice with a little cayenne pepper and oregano for flavor, baked butternut squash, onion and apples, and sliced strawberries.  


If you want to know more about the 21 Day Fix Extreme (or the original program), fill out the contact me form on the right, and I will follow up with more info!

Monday, February 9, 2015

And so it begins....

Today was day 1 of my 21 Day Fix Extreme program.  The meal plan was a piece of cake.  It is nearly the same as the original 21 Day Fix program, only with fewer choices in some of the food groups.  Needless to say, it was easy to jump right in and follow.  Let me tell you, this program is NOT a diet.  There is just too much food allotted each day to keep you from getting hungry.  Here is a pic of my lunch today (2 greens, 1 red, 1/2 purple and 1 orange).

YUM!!!!

So what really makes this program EXTREME?  Well, 2 things.  The first, is there is a countdown to competition eating plan.  It is VERY rigorous, with way fewer food options.  Still a lot of food, just fewer options.  The second thing that makes this program EXTREME, is the intensity of the workouts.  If today was ANY indication, I am in for some serious sweating and hard core results from the workouts over the next 3 weeks!!  Today was Plyo Fix Extreme, and it was TOUGH!!  I modified 90% of the program - mostly because Plyo involves a lot of jumping, and my ankles don't tolerate that so well.  Still, I was working hard.  In fact, I REALLY, REALLY, wanted to stop and rest, but I kept pushing through.  My legs felt like jello afterwards, and going up and down stairs has been a challenge all day.  lol!



Saturday, February 7, 2015

Get ready for Extreme!!!

I am beyond excited to be jumping into the 21 Day Fix Extreme program on Monday!!!  I received my kit in the mail yesterday!  I took some time today to read through the Extreme eating plan, and the Countdown to Competition eating plan.  While I would really like to tackle the Countdown to Competition Plan, I think it is too much for me.  The Extreme plan is definitely doable...it seems very similar to the original 21 Day Fix plan, with a few slight adjustments.  I am most excited about the new workouts.  I think I have been struggling to find my motivation lately because I just needed something new.  I will do my best to post updates and thoughts on the Extreme eating plan AND workouts over the next few weeks.

http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/BCP21E160?referringRepId=263743

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Jeff's Insanity Max:30 results

I know this blog is about my journey, but I just HAD to share my husband's results from month 1 of Insanity Max:30.

http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/BCPIM205?referringRepId=263743


Truth be told, Jeff has a love/hate relationship with this program. He gives it his all in the workouts, and he doesn't use the modifier. This last week he finally made it all 30 minutes without Maxing out!!

Jeff is down about 6 pounds, and he is definitely leaner, and the muscle definition is definitely more prominent! We are excited to see what month 2 brings!!

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Last Day of Cleanse

Today is the last day of my herbal cleanse.  The cleanse has done a great job of refocusing my eating habits (which is what I really needed), but in all honesty, I did not have any real weight/inches lost to share with you.  I do look slimmer.  My clothes feel better.  I followed the plan at about 80 % for the 10 days - some days I was totally ON and 100%, but other days (like Super Bowl Sunday), I was off because of food choices available.    In all seriousness, I found that even my "cheats" were indeed healthier ones.  I feel much better.  I am having fewer digestive issues.  I just feel more focused on my eating choices.  For the next few days, I am going to focus on healthier choices, and getting in quality workouts.  I am also doing a 30 day push-up challenge for February.  

Here are my progress pics from January to February. 
 

February fitness plans include starting the new 21 Day Fix Extreme program, and my push-up challenge.

Monday, February 2, 2015

21 Day Fix Extreme

I am super excited about the release of the 21 Day Fix Extreme today!!!  I ordered mine already.  I am starting with the program on February 9th.  If you are interested in joining me, I have a challenge/support group of Facebook for the 21 Day Fix or 21 Day Fix Extreme programs, starting on January 9th.  It is a great way to get extra support and motivation to help you achieve your fitness goals!!

 http://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/BCP21E160?referringRepId=263743
Not on Facebook?  That's OK!  I can offer support and motivation via email or text too!  Message me for more details.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Official Weigh in.....

I stepped on the scale for the first time in a month, and I am officially down 7 pounds.  I suspect I am actually retaining a little water weight right now from mother nature's friendly little friend.  She has impeccable timing.  I will still be taking my progress pics tomorrow, but I am going to give myself permission to step on the scale on Friday to get a more accurate weigh in for the month. 

Super bowl party tonight at a friends house, and I am nervous about the food options.  I am not much for self control in party situations.  I am totally a grazer, and I JUST can't seem to stop.  I am not sure how I survived last year when I was doing the Ultimate Reset DURING the Super Bowl.  I didn't eat ANYTHING at the party that night.  I am not nearly as motivated today.  I have already had my Shakeology, and fit in my 10 Minute Ab Attack, so I definitely have my nutrition and workout for the day in :).



I hope you are having a super day today!!