PiYo Journey: Day 6...Yes, I'm still here

Hello friends! I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday weekend.  I know I did, a little too good actually, but it was fun and I am not going to beat myself over it.  I kept up with my workouts, though yesterday I did take a recovery day, I just haven't had a chance to sit down to write.  Today I picked back up with Sweat and I can feel myself getting stronger, but I ain't gonna lie, that workout is TOUGH.  It is amazing how much of an intense workout you can get by using your own body weight.  Last week I saw great results and hopefully they'll return this week so I can keep going.  I tried to stay on track with my eating over the weekend, but that pretty much went out the door when the alcohol started kicking in.  You know, a few years ago when I was so strict on myself, I would have either avoided the situation by not going (that's no fun) or I would have gone, indulged and then berate myself for enjoying those things (again, no fun).  Now that I have been on this journey and from following so many other members of the Beachbody family, I can see that it's okay to have fun like that every now and then.  I certainly can't get like that every week, but every once in a while is not going to be the end of the world and that was something I really had to learn when I started this weight loss journey a year ago.  So I am back on track with my eating this week and doing my workouts and I still feel great.  I am excited that this week another PiYo workout gets added into the mix with Core so stay tuned for that.  In the end, I hope everyone had a really happy holiday weekend and that you made some great memories with friends and family.  Luckily for me, there are no other big blowout weekends planned so that should help me stay on track.  I am also anxiously awaiting the arrival of my 3-Day Refresh, Beachbody's new cleanse.  It is perfect for getting back into healthy habits after weekends like the one I just had and you can still eat and exercise.  How awesome is that?! No starving yourself over here.  This is the healthy way to do it.  I can't wait to share my results from that as well.  I have a trip coming up and I plan to be good up until then! So stay with me.  I'll need your support! See y'all tomorrow!

Meals for the Day:

Pre-workout: 6 almonds

Breakfast: Strawberry Shakeology with coconut water and a little almond milk plus ice

Mid-morning Snack: Whole wheat tortilla with all natural peanut butter and banana

Lunch: Turkey and veggie wrap on whole wheat tortilla with a drizzle of mustard.



Afternoon Snack: fresh fruit salad and string cheese

Dinner: Chopped chicken salad with lettuce, tomato, chopped green onions, avocado, a little blue cheese and homemade dressing.  I am in love with the chopped salad at Corner Bakery and found a clone of the dressing online.  It is delicious!

My yummy mid-morning snack.  I could eat this all day.

PiYo Journey: Day 3

This morning I allowed myself to sleep in and I feel great for getting that extra hour in before starting my day.  I knew that we were getting off early for the holiday weekend so I made the plan to do today's workout when I got home.  Of course, after getting a relaxing manicure and pedicure and it being the weekend, I tried to deter my journey and head to the store for some wine, but I talked myself out of it and did the workout.  

Today's workout was called "Sweat" and yes, by the end of the nearly 40 minute workout, I was nothing but a puddle of sweat.  This is one of the few longer workouts in the series, but man oh man, what a great workout.  I remember getting to do this workout at the Super Saturday in April before it was released to the public.  It is definitely a booty kicker and 5 minutes into it, I was dripping sweat.  Side note, probably not the best idea to do PiYo after a pedi when your feet are still a little lotion-y.

This workout works your entire body from arms to core to legs.  There are lunges and warrior poses, crouching push ups, PiYo push ups, triceps push ups, squats galore and everyone's favorite, burpees.  And just when you think you're finally going to die from this sweaty workout, it is over.  I burned nearly 400 calories and I think that is pretty impressive.  I wasn't hard on my joints and I didn't have to do a lot of jumping or lift a bunch of weight.  I am using my own body and that is awesome!

 

I don't usually weigh myself on a daily basis, but this morning after I had eaten breakfast and had a big glass of water, something told me I should.  I was shocked to see that I was down 2 pounds from where I started this week! I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about how good my results would be at first even though I knew others had such great success from this program.  I feel amazing.  I carry so much stress in my upper back and shoulders and I feel more loose and relaxed up there.  I am seeing more definition in my arms and know my abs and legs will be following suit.  I am so happy that this program came into my life! It is a game changer for sure.  Tomorrow is a rest day and with it being a holiday, it will be a great test of my willpower to not overindulge on sweets and treats.  The good thing is that after that workout, I've already talked myself out of indulging tonight.  Because I am already seeing such great results, I really don't want to disrupt the changes that are happening.  

Meals for the Day:

Breakfast: Slice of gluten free cinnamon raisin bread with a little all natural peanut butter, 2 egg whites scrambled

Morning snack: Strawberry Shakeology with PB2, 1/2 cup of almond milk and water

Lunch: Jason's Deli Nutty Mixed Up Salad, lighter portion (natural grilled chicken breast, organic field greens, grapes, feta, nuts, dried cranberries, raisins, pumpkin seeds, organic apples and balsamic vinaigrette).  I decided to get out of the office and enjoy the day.  You can still eat out and enjoy foods, you just have to choose wisely.  Jason's Deli is an excellent choice because they make everything in house and their ingredients are always top notch for a great price.  

Dinner: Pesto whole wheat penne salad with tuna, spinach, cherry tomatoes with a little red wine vinaigrette (trying to finish this up)

Jason's Deli Nutty Mixed Up Salad

 I plan to sit down this weekend and really figure out my meals better for next week.  I have done well this week, but know I'm missing out on something every day and I don't want that to catch up with me.  The good thing is it seems my body is adjusting to the calories and I wasn't very hungry last night or most of today.  It really is true that what you eat has a big impact on how you feel and how you lose the weight.  

PiYo Journey: Day 2

This morning was ROUGH.  I just did not want to get out of bed and then I realized it was only Wednesday and all I wanted to do was hide under the covers.  I tried very hard to talk myself out of getting up, but then I started to think about how I needed to stay on track and just knock out that workout first thing in the morning so that excuses wouldn't try to worm their way into my brain later today. 

Today's "Define: Upper Body" workout was only 18 minutes.  Chalene actually says at the end of the previous workout that you can just continue if you'd like, but I decided to wait and do it this morning.  The workout includes some core work, focusing on the abs and strengthening your back.  It also includes push ups, mostly triceps push ups which she teaches you an easier way to learn how to develop proper form and over time you'll be able to do them standard form.  You learn The Beast move and my favorite were the crouching triceps push-ups we did at the end.  Oh and I had an accomplishment moment today! I have never been able to do side planks without using my knees,but today, I was able to do it full form and hold it! Then, to top it off, I was able to go into the pike position and complete the whole move.  I know those couple of weeks back on P90X helped me build up those muscles.  If you can't do something, just keep practicing because over time you will get there! It was a quick workout, but I was pretty hot and sweaty afterwards and I know my arms were tired in the end as well.  Tomorrow's workout is called "Sweat" and I know it will deliver. 

I am really loving these workouts so far.  It is teaching me a whole new way to exercise and help my body.  I feel a little leaner from the meal plan and the workouts and I am down a little more than half a pound in just three days which I think is great.  I can't wait to continue to push myself and see where I go.  The great thing about the length of these workouts is that you really have no excuse to not be able to find the time to do them.  You just have to want it!  

Meals for the Day:

Breakfast: Strawberry Shakeology with frozen cherries, 1/2 cup of almond milk and water, crushed ice

Morning snack: Nectarine and all natural organic string cheese

Lunch: Pesto whole wheat penne salad with tuna, spinach, cherry tomatoes with a little goddess dressing, banana and all natural peanut butter

Dinner: Egg salad made with mustard and just a tiny amount of low fat mayo seasoned with crushed red pepper and paprika served on top of a slice of gluten free rice/millet bread, sliced tomato and avocado

I'm still working on this meal plan to suit my needs.  It's not hard, I just didn't prepare myself properly and like I always say, planning is key to being successful.  

PiYo Journey: Day 1

This morning as the alarm went off at 4am, I was actually excited because today I was starting PiYo.  I was excited because I knew I was going to get a butt kicking workout in a short amount of time.  And I was excited because there would be no jumping!
 

Today's workout was called "Define: Lower Body" and that's just what it does.  Or will do as time goes on.  Made up of multiple lunge poses such as warrior pose and runner's lunge along with great strengthening and lengthening poses such as triangle pose and downward dog, this 25 minute workout really works those thighs and that booty! As always, Michelle is there as the modifier so don't stress if you can't do everything the first few times.  I have done yoga and pilates and still had my body worked over.  I am already feeling it and I love it.  Now, ask me again tomorrow if I feel the same way and I may have a different answer.  

One thing I forgot to talk about in my previous post was the calendar for this program.  I knew that you did PiYo workouts 6 days a week, but I was very happy to see that every week was not the same.  I am a girl that likes variety and I think having the program set up this way will really help me stay successful.  Tomorrow I do "Define: Upper Body."  Bring it.  

Meals for the Day: 

Breakfast: Strawberry Shakeology with almond milk and water, crushed ice

Morning snack: Nectarine and all natural organic string cheese

Lunch: Pesto whole wheat penne salad with tuna, spinach, cherry tomatoes with a little red wine vinaigrette, banana

Afternoon Snack: sliced tomato

Dinner: Egg salad made with mustard and just a tiny amount of low fat mayo seasoned with crushed red pepper and paprika served on top of a slice of gluten free rice/millet bread, spinach salad with avocado, cherry tomatoes and red wine vinaigrette.  

It is going to take me a day or so to adjust to this meal plan because it's slightly different than what I'm used to with the allowed servings I can have of some things like healthy fats and protein. 

The Rebellion Continues

It's been a while since I have posted on this blog.  For the past few months I have been working on building up my Facebook page, but lately I have really missed writing and it came at a perfect time because this week I started on a new fitness journey. 

 

As you all know, back in January I took a big step towards my health and decided to give P90X a try.  I loved it, and still do, but I hit a wall about 4 weeks in and decided to go another route with 21 Day Fix.  I enjoyed 21 Day Fix and the meal plan was definitely helpful in my weight loss goals, but I still ached for Tony Horton and doing more weight training so a few weeks ago, I went back to P90X with the passion in my heart to give it its fully deserved attention.  Two weeks into it and the same thing happened.  It wasn't that I couldn't finish the workouts, it was more that my body just needed rest.  For so many years, I have been hard on this body.  I ice skated for years as a little girl, then got into karate, then dance.  I've been in a few car accidents along the way with the last one leaving me with a broken foot and dislocated rib, both of which still cause me problems periodically to this day.  Not to mention all the weight I had gained and lost and gained over the years, all took its toll on my joints.  When I finally started exercising in my late 20's, I went straight to weight lifting and running on the treadmill and high impact step classes.  And whenever I have worked out, I always worked it to the max.  Then, I found Beachbody and a wonderful woman came into my life through that company named Chalene Johnson.  I have never done one of Chalene's workouts but she was working on a program that was going to change fitness and how we work out at home.  PiYo, a fast paced, low impact combination of pilates and yoga, had been in gyms for years, but I had never heard of it.  It's been dubbed yoga for rebels, perfect for a rebel fit girl such as myself.  Now, Beachbody was coming out with a home version so I quickly started following Chalene online and learning more about this new program because I knew it would be a game changer.  PiYo is perfect for just about anyone regardless of age, weight and fitness expertise.  Even if you've been plagued by injuries, PiYo could be the answer for you.  By using your own body weight, you're able to sculpt every inch of your body and since there is no jumping, it is very easy on the joints.  And you're still burning calories like crazy in workouts that are only 20-45 minutes long.  How amazeballs is that?

 

PiYo launched last week and is quickly flying off the shelves so I made sure to snag a copy so I could start my own PiYo journey.  Yesterday, it finally arrived and I quickly sat down and got to work.  I took my measurements and my "before" pictures to submit when my journey is complete.  Did you know that when you submit your before and after pictures to Beachbody after you complete a program you get a t-shirt and can be entered for a chance to win $500? If that's not motivation, I don't know what is, but I digress.  After getting my pictures finished, I completed the first "workout" which is more of a preview of the moves and terminology you'll see throughout the program.  If you have done yoga before, you'll know most of them, but Chalene may call poses by a different name and it is great to see how many of these poses are supposed to look when you are not rushed in the middle of a workout and worried about alignment and posture.  That introduction called "Align: The Fundamentals" was about forty minutes long and it definitely prepares you for the program so don't skip out on watching it. 

 

   

 

The program also comes with a meal plan as do all Beachbody fitness programs.  It breaks down what you should be eating for your calorie range.  So, for me, my range is 1,560 and I fall into Plan B.  It breaks it down even further by telling me how many vegetables, carbs/grains, fruits, protein and healthy fats I should have each day.  No calorie counting! Then it breaks it down even further and tells you the serving size for each item so it really takes the guesswork (and excuses) out of being able to eat healthy while on this program.  If you have the containers from 21 Day Fix, then you're on your way to making this even easier.  That is the key to being successful.  You have to follow the plan!



Everything that is included in the PiYo Workout base kit.

 

 

So, that is PiYo in a nutshell.  I started the program today and will post that in a separate post later today.  This is truly an amazing program that is going to help so many people that probably thought they could never get the body they dreamed of without beating it up first.  I became friends with one of the coaches from the test group and she had fabulous results in the 8 weeks she did PiYo.  Her biggest accomplishment was losing that stubborn belly roll that she had after having three kids so ladies there are alternatives to going under the knife.  If you're interested in learning more about PiYo, I would love to chat with you and help you take that first step towards joining me in the rebellion.  

 

 



When The Going Gets Tough, It's Time For A Fix

Last week I lamented about how I was losing some of my motivation to stay on track with P90X and how I was really hoping to get that fire back in my belly.  Well, once again this morning I just couldn't get inspired to do another hour and fifteen minute workout.  As much as I love Tony Horton and P90X, I decided to shake things up a bit and try something different.

 

I had gone back and forth with whether or not I wanted to go ahead and take a break from P90X and start my 21 Day Fix.  This morning the decision was made and I have officially started the three week program! Plus, I have a few customers that purchased their 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack and I wanted to get a jumpstart on the program so that I could be a great source of inspiration, knowledge and motivation.  

 

This program is highly based on portion control.  I am not going to lie.  Those food containers and the meal plan can seem a little daunting and intimidating, but I know I will get this figured out in no time.  I had everything on hand to fill my containers so it is just a matter of when to eat what.  It is certainly eye opening to see what portions I *should* be eating versus what I have been eating thinking it was okay.  Now this week will actually be a true test because I have a concert with friends on Wednesday night and then Friday I am heading out of town for the weekend for more music and fun and the temptation to want to indulge will certainly be there.  I am human after all so if I do slip

up, I will not beat myself up about it. 

 

To get started in the program, you calculate what your daily caloric intake should be and then your meal plan is based on that number.  This is an example of my daily meal plan below for my range.  Each color coded box represents your "food group." For example, green is veggies, red is protein, purple is fruits, yellow is your carb, etc.  The numbers at the top list how many of each container I get per day.  Seems simple enough, right? This is an excellent program to train your mind and way of thinking when it comes to planning your meals.  And from what I have seen so far with results from others that have completed their Fix, I am in for a treat.  I just have to stick with it!

 

 

 

I am enjoying my chocolate Shakeology now, seriously such a sinfully delicious treat and that will take away one of my red boxes for the day and half of a yellow one because I used a little bit of almond milk.  For lunch, I have spinach, strawberries, baked chicken, half of a baked sweet potato and a little bit of balsamic vinegar for the dressing and some pumpkin pie spice for the potato.  For my snack later, I have almonds and grapes and then I am still trying to decide what to have for dinner tonight.  I do not think I will experience any hunger pangs, but just in case, I brought a protein bar for backup.  This will take some adjustment, but it seems like most people do not feel hungry.  I will keep everyone posted on my progress!

Bargaining for Disaster

I have been in hiding for a little while, not really writing or keeping up with my workouts like I should be. It is like a switch went off and suddenly I lost some of my mojo.  I am slowly getting back on track and at least during this time I have "tried" to be good with my eating.  Do you ever find yourself bargaining with yourself or making a deal with yourself that you'll do something later if you can have a little fun now? That is exactly what I have been doing and let me tell you it is turning into a recipe for disaster.

 

Getting up every morning during the week at 4am can be tiresome and mundane so a few days I decided to sleep in which would cause me to have to make up my workout later in the day or week.  That can be a little difficult with P90X because those workouts are not short and are certainly not lacking in intensity so to get behind the way I have has been rough.  Last week I was still battling with a neck issue and was in some pain so I decided to take the rest of the week off and just jump right back on it this week, but I am finding that I am still bargaining with myself and that is not good.  I am going back and forth between continuing P90X as I have been or switching things up and going ahead and doing my 21 Day Fix and then get back to it with my friend Tony Horton.  Maybe a change of pace will be good and a lot of people are seeing amazing results with their 21 Day Fix workouts.  All I know is that things have to change.  I miss that fire and that intensity.  It is still there, but the flame needs some assistance.

 

It is very easy to let life get in the way of our goals and just keep putting things off until tomorrow, but that is where even bigger roadblocks come into play.  Time to get back at it and be the best I can be! Make today and every day a great one.  Thanks for following.