Demi does P90X

Check this link out to see what actress, Demi Moore, looks like at 47 after using P90X. (HA! You thought I was talking about OUR Demi, huh? Gotcha!) By the way..just for the record..OUR Demi looks EVEN hotter than Demi Moore...but since DM is famous and all, I thought you might wanna see this! :o)http://www.beachbodycoach.com/uploads/fckeditor/mdbody/File/downloads/peoplemag_demi_P90x.pdf

The thorn in my flesh

Some of you may be familiar with Paul's writings in Corinthians where he discusses the "thorn in the flesh." Well, I'm SURE he was speaking of things spiritual and much more "deep" than this...but I just couldn't help but use his words to title this post.

For the Operation Fat Blaster Special Mission #1, we are supposed to post about the one thing that keeps getting in the way of us achieving our weight-loss/fitness goals. Well, I almost took a picture of myself, because in all reality and truthfulness, it's me and my stinkin' stubborn head that gets me in trouble about 99% of the time...BUT...I opted for a more practical take on the subject--which is why I am showing you a picture of my pantry and fridge. Literally...in the same corner of my house stand the 2 biggest speedbumps in my weight-loss journey. What can I say? I LOVE FOOD!!! Not just eating it...but cooking it and experimenting with it and even decorating with it. Ironically, through my P90X Journey and over the past year of extreme eating-habit changes, I've come to love it even more because I've been forced to try things I never would have touched before. There's hardly an item in the produce section at the grocery store that I don't at LEAST know the name of...and very few that I haven't tried. It's like I'm a kid who likes to color and I just went from the 8 basic primary colors of crayons to the jumbo box of 64 crayons with the built-in sharpener! What could be more exciting?? and tempting!!??

So there you have it...my thorn in the flesh. Very tasty, succulent, scrumptious--yet nevertheless---STILL a thorn---and we all know you can't mess with a thorn without getting STUCK!

Even this morning, as I sat eating my breakfast, I browsed through a new cooking magazine my mom gave me the other day and I came upon recipe after recipe that I couldn't WAIT to try. That was UNTIL the hammer of reality smacked me in the head and reminded me that NONE of these recipes is in any way healthy. Oh ya. I forgot that Pork Baby Back Ribs smothered in BBQ sauce and brown sugar aren't in the P90X nutrition guide. Dagnabbit! {{big sigh}}

Such is my life, I suppose. Those meals aren't meant to be the norm---they are meant to be the exception.

I love what I heard Tony Horton say one time. He eats healthy and carefully 90% of the time...but the other 10% of the time he throws caution to the wind and eats what his tastebuds tell him to.

I think many of us do that exact thing--but in reverse. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! (I put that on there for when I read this post back to myself! :o)

No more 90% junk and 10% healthy. Let's get that thing switched around!

Okay, so that wraps up my post for special mission #1. If you just read this and are going "what in the world is she talking about?" just click on the words Operation Fat Blaster and see for yourself.

Baby got BACK

So today as I chillaxed out in the yard on my lounge chair I browsed through Matt's Mens Fitness magazine. I came across an interesting article talking about the importance of back strength and how a lot of people neglect to really work out their back. We tend to focus on the muscles we can SEE more than the ones behind us..if you know what I mean. Anyway, my back is one of the areas of my body where I have really seen a drastic change after doing P90X. I had really never worked out my back specificially before. Well, wanting to see how I "measured up" to the pictures in the magaznes, I went in and set my camera on auto-pilot and took a pic of my back. Not too shabby. Not perfect, but waayyy better than a year ago when I was packing as much flab on my back as I was on my belly!

(bummer that I didn't clean my bathroon BEFORE i took this pic! Augh! Ignore the MESS! Tomorrow is cleaning day!)

Bring the Heat

One of my fit-buds, Michelle, started a little thingy called Operation Fat Blaster. While I don't really have time to add "another thing" to my list of to-do items, I couldn't resist joining up with her on this. Our first mission is to introduce ourselves. Well, I just can't see writing up a whole post about me when it's already here for all to see and read. If you wanna know more about me--just read my blog and if you still can't get enough (HA HA) you can check out my other blog. Either way, check out this site to join Operation Fat Blaster or to see what we're up to.

Have I not commanded you?

The scripture of the day is Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Did you know that the command given by God more than ANY other command in the Bible is "Fear not" ??? God clearly knew that this would be something we would struggle with and He also knew that we would need to be reminded over and over and over to Fear Not!

This morning I am about to teach my first full group fitness class ALL BY MYSELF. 2 classes actually. First will be an hour of Core (strength training with the stability ball) and next will be a 30 minute Boot Camp class (all high-intensity cardio). Ever since I 'got the call' last Tuesday that I would be teaching today, just the mere thought of it made me nauseated and my heart would go into ridiculous spasms pumping so hard I honestly had to check and see if my chest was throbbing. I've been doing spiritual battle all week long and have discovered some awesome truths about who I am in Christ and Who it is inside of me that enables me to stand up in front of a group of 30-40 people, speak into a microphone and "teach" them something I am not even certified in yet.
I have had SO MANY PEOPLE come up to me lately and say "I could NEVER do what you are doing." (meaning get up in front of a class and teach).
You know what my answer is to them?? NEITHER COULD I!!
It is a marvelous thing when God uses the LEAST LIKELY person to do something completely uncharacteristic. It proves that it is TRUE LY God at work!
Of all the "qualified" people out there to instruct others, I am NOT one of them....however PRAISE THE LORD that God doesn't call the qualified...he QUALIFIES THE CALLED!
Can I get a WOOT-WOOT!!!

Peace OUT

Hey guys!
Don't want you to think I'm neglecting you all or this blog...but I'm gonna be outta here for the next week. No phones, no computer and no facebook. Guess what? No going to the gym either! Augh!! I will certainly miss my classes and all my buddies (at the gym and on here) but Matt and I and the kids need this time together, without all the influences and interuptions of the world. I have lots of pictures to post when I get back...but for now...I gots 2 B going!
Have a great week and workout some for me!
XOXO-Jen

Can you handle it?

See post below for more info!

Can you handle it?

in-sane: adj.;-absurd, extreme.
in-san-i-ty: noun.;-extreme folly or unreasonableness; something utterly foolish

I just think it is so fitting that Beachbody's newest workout program is called Insanity--and that the definition of insanity is "unreasonableness". From what I've seen...that's right on.
Everything about this program is "unreasonable" to the AVERAGE human. But for those of you reading this blog, you are NOT average. You, my friends, are reading this blog because you're not satisfied with mediocre health or mediocre fitness. You're extreme work-out-aholics who get a sort of "high" from seeing how far, how hard and how intensly you can push yourself. Can I get an Amen??

Well--Good News! Now we have another opportunity to get drenched in sweat, toss our cookies and look better than EVER! Check the above video out!

Go to my website for more info or to order! (that is---if you're tough enough to handle it!) Just click on "Get Fit" and then on "Fitness Programs".

Put the fork DOWN!!!

Have you ever noticed how in a hurry we are to eat sometimes? Watch people (or even yourself) at a restaurant sometime. See how many people load up their fork for the next bite while they're still chewing on the last one. Watch them hold their fork, piled ever-so-high with the next bite of their dinner, letting it hover mere inches from their mouth while they wait for the swallow so they can shovel it in and hurriedly prepare the next bite.
It's actually very entertaining....
I caught myself doing this last night. I was eating a bowl of fruit and watching a DVR'd episode of "Superstars" when I looked down and saw myself holding my loaded spoon right about chin-level. Even though I wasn't in any kind of a hurry, I was doing this subconsciously...probably because my body/mind are so used to be in "hurry" mode that they don't know how to S-L-O-W down!
The problem with this is that we practically inhale our food before our bodies/brains even have a chance to register what it's taking it. Imagine a checker at Wal-Mart scanning your purchase so fast that the computer(register) can't even keep up. No waiting for the "Beep!" that confirms that it read the bar code--the guy is just going as fast as his hands can move taking one item after another from the conveyor belt, across the scanner and into the bags like he's in a competition. When we eat like this, our stomachs often get full WAY before our brain catches up to the idea. By the time the "I'm full" thought makes it from our belly to our brain, we're STUFFED.
Sound familiar?
So...maybe you won't be able to remember this every day for the rest of your life...but for today...try putting your fork down between each bite. You could even go so far as to put it down, take your hand off of it, get a drink of water/wipe your mouth, etc. before picking it up again. You'll find yourself eating much more slowly and intentionally and it will give your esophagus a chance to see what it's swallowing before it's already down the hatch.

Convincing Enough???

This morning during my prayer time, I asked God to give me some ideas for how I could promote my Beachbody coaching business. It's no secret that things have gone slowly for me, but I am not giving up. I know that "whatever I put my hand to will prosper" seeing as how I am one with Christ, made rightous through Him.
That being said (and prayed)..I went about my normal morning business when this thought occured to me: Make up a flyer to hand out to everyone in gym class today! So, I did. The words came like lightning and I didn't hesitate or (take a breath-so to speak) until the last word. I have to believe it was the Holy Spirit working through my fingers typing this. The next prayer was "God help me have boldness to be able to actually hand these out to people!!" I am just NOT assertive like that (naturally). Before I knew it, class was over and I knew it was now or never so I ran to the back of the room and started handing them out as people walked out. To my complete SURPRISE people were lining up behind me to GET ONE!! No WAY!! I just quickly explained that it was a little something I had typed up telling 'my story' and how I had gotten to where I am. Everyone seemed interested! (YOU GO GOD!!)
Anyway, I know it's sorta long and not anything most of you haven't already heard...but I wanted to post it on here anyway in case anyone is interested!
So...here ya go! (I had a cool P90X logo and Beachbody logo on there too, but I can't figure out how to get them to show up on here. oh well)

Are you ready to take your fitness to the next level?
Are you ready to burn off that layer of fat covering those muscles you have been working so hard for? I have the solution for you! No—no pill. No--no crazy diet. Just time-proven exercise and foods that work!

For 4 years I had been a member of the gym, faithfully attending classes and working out. Though I had gotten much healthier and lost a lot of weight, I was still dissatisfied with my amount of muscle tone and I just didn’t have that “cut” or “ripped” look that I wanted.
I heard about an at-home extreme fitness program that guaranteed to get you in “the best shape possible” in only 90 days! I was skeptical. But as I watched the video I realized that their approach was completely different than anything I had done or seen. Every day for 90 days you work out a specific muscle group. Focusing entirely on that one muscle group for nearly an hour (instead of the 5 minutes you might spend in a class) took my muscle tone to the next level. I began to see changes by the 30 day mark and by 90 days, the changes were undeniable! People everywhere I went wanted to know what in the world I had been doing! In all, I lost 17 pounds and went from a flabby size 10 to a muscular size 6.

It’s been a year now since that first day and even though I finished my “90 days”, I still incorporate these workouts into my life and I expect I will forever. They work. Plain and simple.

Of course, there is another part to the equation I haven’t mentioned yet. Food. During these 90 days, I learned how to eat for fuel instead of for entertainment. Surprisingly, it wasn’t nearly as hard as I had expected. Because the program provides you with a Nutrition Guide that not only tells you what foods to eat but also gives you the recipes to prepare them, it was amazingly simple. Sure, there were times that I looked at a particular recipe and though “Ick!” but I was always amazed that it really wasn’t bad and apparently these people know what they’re talking about! For the first time in my life I had NATURAL energy. No pills, no energy drinks. I was waking up in the morning feeling awake and energized and vibrant just from the foods I was eating and the amount of exercise I was getting! Imagine that!

I’m just a regular stay-at-home mom with a million and one things to do, so if I could do this and change my life, I know you can too! As a huge bonus, my entire family has gotten WAY healthier as a result of my doing this program and now we are all getting regular exercise and eating healthfully. My children, ages 5 and 8, are growing up thinking that this is how it’s done. They won’t enter into adulthood obese and lazy because as far as they know, this is how life works. What a blessing! What a gift that is! No toy or game I could buy them could ever compare to that.

I’m not a salesman nor do I like to ask people to buy things, but this is something I believe in so whole-heartedly that I feel it’s selfish to NOT spread the word. Since I have completed the program and had such success, I have become an Independent Coach for Beachbody. That means that if you decide to pursue this program, I will be available to you (for free) anytime you need anything—to answer your questions—to hold you accountable—to cheer you on! Just visit my website for more information or to order this amazing program for yourself. www.teambeachbody.com/onetoughgirl
Jen

TwisterX

Last night was game night at our house. Our kids got several new games for Christmas that (gulp! I'm ashamed to say) we hadn't even OPENED yet!! Eeeek!

Anyway, we got 'em out last night and got all set to play away. First on the list was Twister. Oh, what fun! I had forgotten what Twister was like! After the first 3 moves were called out, I was stuck in an X position. Legs in an X and arms in an X. You should try standing in that position for a few minutes. In order to have your hands touching the floor (and your feet) you have to bend your knees a little. Well, you know what that means right? You're holding yourself up entirely with your quads. After about 30 seconds of that position my legs were trembling! I couldn't help but think--GEE WHIZ--this is a Work Out!!! ha ha ha Seriously though, all of us had SO much fun with that game! And believe me, you'll work up a sweat and get your muscles burnin'! I haven't heard that much giggling in my house in a while!

Chest & Back/Ab Ripper

Today I decided to revert back to Day 1 of the program and do Chest & Back as well as Ab Ripper. It's been a while since I've done this video and I admit, my push ups are not what they used to be. It seemed I was stronger with some and weaker with others. Regardless, I got my sweat on, that's for sure! I had a special treat today: My 8-year-old daughter, Brooklyn, decided to join me!! She has popped in a few times before for a push up here or a kenpo kick there...but this was her first full work out. I was totally amazed at how she hung in there! She did everything but the dive-bomber push ups! (yes, even chin ups using the chair!!) She also did about 75% of Ab Ripper with me! I don't know how much she enjoyed it...but I was pumped to have her in there with me!!
I know I mentioned a couple of weeks ago about just taking it easy during the summer where P90X is concerned and just fitting in workouts whenever it was convenient...but I just can't get past feeling like a slacker. (plus, I don't want to see my hard-earned muscles deteriorate either!) So....I'm not setting anything in stone, but I am really going to try to fit in some strength-training workouts on the days that I don't go to the gym. I figure if I will just get my butt in gear early in the mornings, it really won't interfere with our (mine and the kids) rest-of-the-day.
So...that being said, I would like to encourage YOU, my fellow fitness fanatics, to consider doing P90X with me!! I know, many of you are already "x'ers" so that's cool...but I also know there are plenty of other readers out there who aren't. I really don't know any way a person can get in tip-top shape without pills, without a trainer THIS fast besides this program. I love my cardio at the gym...so I will probably skip out on the cardio segments of P90X for now...but there is nothing like taking an entire hour to focus on just one or two muscle groups to give it the workout it really needs to make major changes. In just a month of doing this stuff, my back and arms look completely different. You only actually work legs (besides cardio of course) once a week...yet I have muscles and definition in my legs (quads especially) that I've never seen before. The moves are all basic, so anyone can do it! If you're interested and want me to be your coach, to see you through every step of the way, click here to get more info and see how you can order P90X for yourself!