Time is running out!!!

News Flash: Today is September 30th. That means that if you start today, you can be finished with any of Beachbody's 90 day programs by the end of 2009! Or, if you've been thinking about ordering Insanity (a 60 day program) , NOW is the time to do it so that you can be finished by the end of the year. 2010 is right around the corner! You might as well start the NEW YEAR out with a NEW BODY!
Also, keep in mind that the products that Beachbody sells make EXCELLENT Christmas gifts. Pricey maybe...but just think...you'll be giving someone the gift of HEALTH and a longer life! That is PRICELESS. I am very seriously considering ordering my mom Slim in 6 for Christmas and my brother Power 90. Neither of them exercises currently but both of them want to get started. These are more like "beginner" programs than some of the more extreme ones like P90X and Insanity (although they will DEFINITELY still get the job done!)

Anyway, I am realizing VERY QUICKLY that the cooler temperatures are on their way and sadly, my jeans aren't fitting quite the way I want them to. It's time to turn up the heat a little. My "problem" is eating right. I LOVE to exercise (most days) ...so that's not an issue for me...but food (DESSERT!) is just the thorn in my flesh. I crave something sweet after EVERY meal (including breakfast and snacks!) If I actually indulge myself...I end up eating sweets 5-6 times a day! NOT GOOD.
Anyway, join me in a quest to look HOT in our jeans this winter. There is no good reason (and no dessert yummy enough) to be miserable the whole fall/winter season with pants that are uncomfortable and tight! Just think about how that feels for a second and that should be all the motivation you need!
Who's in?

Facebook Sucks

Sucks my time away, that is!
Anyway...I just wanted to give a little explanation to a Facebook rule I have, for any of you who might wonder about this.

I don't accept friend request from guys.
It's just a simple way I show respect to my husband. He's not a computer kind of guy and it's not fair to him that I might be chit-chatting with other dudes by way of Facebook without his knowing. Even harmless chatting is not in the best interest of my marriage

Of course there are exceptions to every rule.
The exception for this rule is: Men who are 1/2 of a married couple that we are both good friends with or people in my family. That's all. So...if you send me a friend request and I don't accept...please understand that I have nothing against you...but I just want to always honor my marriage first.
If you're a guy and you want to say something to me, you can always feel free to post on my blog, where my husband and I both love reading all the comments.

Thanks for being cool about this! Y'all are such an awesome group of people!

wondering if this stuff really works?

So, if you're one of those....who wonders if this whole P90X thing works....well....decide for yourself:

My hubby Matt before P90X:

My hubby Matt after P90X:This is ALL from P90X. He hasn't set a foot in the gym in years. AND---he is still a work in progress! Just check back in a few months when we're done doing a mish-mash of P90X and Insanity!

Crick

That is a funny sounding word if you say it over and over, like I have recently to describe why I can't turn my head more than a few degrees to either side. And I actually wondered if it is even a "real" word. Here is what I found:
crick: \ˈkrik\: a painful spasmodic condition of muscles (as of the neck or back)

On Friday morning I woke up feeling fine, had my prayer and Bible study time and then decided to take a short little 15 minute nap on the couch before I had to make breakfast. Sometime during that 15 minutes, I majorly messed up my back and neck. I woke up and it was like next to impossible to turn my head from side to side or look up or down. OUCH!

I mean...I've had plenty of "cricks in my neck" before and they usually wear off with time.
But I am going on the 4th day here of this. On Saturday morning, after having tried Tylenol, Ibuprofen and Aleve with no success, I decided what I needed was a good, hard core work out to knock the stiffness out of me. So I went to kickboxing, zumba and abs at the gym (a full 2 hours) and while I didn't notice that the "crick" held me back any from my workouts....I did recognize that the pain hadn't lessened ANY when I was done.

So, I'm wondering if any of you have any suggestions? It seems like the only time this isn't bothering me at all is when I lay down on my back with my head in a perfectly straight position. Very irritating.....

Glamourous

So...ya'll remember back to last August when I got some "special" pics done? Well....I finally figured out how to crop them to where they are modest. Can you believe all that eye makeup the MAC girl put on me? It looks pretty in the pics...but I could NEVER wear that much glop on my face on a normal day.

The Healthy Choice

Lunch today:
hot dog and chips? (mmm...that sounds DELICIOUS!)
sauteed zuchhini and onions (hmmm...that sounds..........healthy.)

In the end, turkey dog sliced up into sauteed zucchini and onions.
Took an extra 2 minutes to prepare, but soooo good and for once (in the past couple of weeks) I can say I made THE HEALTHY CHOICE!

How about you? How's the eating going? You know it's time to make your game plan because fall is here and that means warm apple pie and all kinds of pumpkiny goodness. Hot cocoa with loads of marshmallows and creamy, alfredo-y soups.

Fall = Comfort food. Comfort food = pounds. Pounds = you too chunky to fit into your favorite jeans. You too chunky = discouraged, unhealthy person. And we know NO ONE wants that!

Just a FYI: There are LESS than a hundred days till Christmas! This is the PERFECT time to start a program like P90X or Insanity! Click HERE to order and get your life in ORDER!

Spacin' Out

Hey guys! It seems like I've been sort of "spacin' out" on y'all lately. I just can't seem to find the time to blog, read blogs and keep up with the rest of my life too. (I know you can all relate-as we all go through this at times).
Anyway, I just wanted to leave a quick note to let you know a few things:

*I think about you guys all the time--especially my close peeps and my Beachbody team! Keep pushing play y'all!!

*I do have things to blog about and pictures to post when I EVER get "spare" time. Ha ha...spare time. What is that?

*I am still working out daily. Going into my 3rd week of Insanity. Not losing any weight yet but that is because I'm on some kind of eating-like-a-hippo binge. Seriously, it's serious. I'm not sure what this funk is that I am in...but I am certainly in an I-don't-give-a-rip mode right now while I'm eating. Of course, when I get ready to put my jeans on and I can BARELY slide them over my thighs---I beat myself up mentally until the next binge begins! Augh! It's a vicious cycle!

*THANK YOU to all of you who left me such encouraging comments on my last post. I am not going to let this issue fall by the wayside. I am going to spend a little time this weekend thinking through and writing down some practical ways I can begin to turn the tables. You are such great friends--so thoughtful and encouraging!

*Beginning in October, I will be "officially" instructing at my gym. Every Monday and Thursday from 4:30-5:30 I will teach an interval/pump class and then from 5:30 till 6, I will teach Boot Camp. I can't wait to bring on the INSANITY to these people! They aren't gonna know WHAT hit them! (that is....if I can figure out how to work out AND talk...that is so much harder than it looks!)

*Just warning you now, as my calendar fills up for the remaining months of this year, it looks as though things aren't going to slow down much. On top of my instructing at the gym, I am also homeroom mom for Grant's class (and possibly Brooklyn's) at school. Matt and I have also begun volunteering in our church in 2 new areas (in addition to my teaching in the Children's Ministry).
I don't know how much time I am going to have to devote to blogging...but as it goes...that is not top priority right now. If you don't hear from me on your blog or my blog, you can ALWAYS feel free to drop me a line via e-mail @ jennimatt10@hotmail.com

P90XOXOXO!!
Jen

It's a thin line

As I washed dishes the other day, my 8 year old daughter came into the kitchen, wrapped her little arms around my waist, buried her head in my chest and began to sob. When I pulled her head back and gazed into her sad eyes, I asked, "honey, what's wrong?"
She looked hopelessly at me and said "mom, I've tried on 7 different shirts. Nothing looks good on me. I'm too fat."
[INSERT BREAKING HEART RIGHT HERE]
Ahhh....the words I never wanted to hear her say. The issue I never wanted her to have to deal with. The feelings I never wanted her to have.
Sadly, she inherited my figure instead of her daddy's. Not that I have an awful figure, but it's just not that lean, lanky look that her daddy's side of the family has. On my side of the family, we tend to be "solid". No matter how much weight I lose, I'll never have that teensy tiny petite look (that we girls LOVE) because I just have bigger bones and thicker skin, it seems. I know it sounds like I'm whining but I honestly think that people with genes like mine have to work twice as hard to have defined muscles and a lean look. It just doesn't come natural at ALL. Matt's side of the family on the other hand, its like their bodies were just born with great muscle fiber and a more "thin" skin that lets all the right curves and bumps show. (Grant got that body).
Anyway, I read an article the other day in a magazine about the fine line between modesty and shamefulness.
It's one thing to want to "cover up" because we want to respect God and our husbands with how we dress. But it's another thing entirely when we wear big moo-moo shirts because we are ashamed of our bodies.
As a mother, I definitely want to instill a sense of modesty in my daughter. It's important so that as she grows into a teen, I don't have to fight her about short skirts and low-cut shirts and belly-button rings. If I teach her now what the Bible says about modesty and how just the slightest bit of "too-much-skin" can affect boys, then she will desire it (modesty) for herself.
On the other hand, I definitely don't want her to feel shameful or embarrased about her body.
So how do you develop confidence and self-esteem without vanity and pride? How do you teach modesty but avoid shame?
Ugh! Parenting is so much more complicated than it looks!

On top of all of this, the sad thing is that she was right. None of her clothes do look very good. They make these clothes for these little girls to fit snug against the skin. That is not flattering unless you are a twig (and especially un-flattering if you are already starting to turn into a young lady up top).

So what do I do? Do I put her on a "diet"? Do I make her start exercising? Do I go out and buy her new clothes?
We already eat very healthy in our house and I have eliminated having junk food in the house at all. Obviously Matt and I exercise daily. The kids don't "exercise" but they run around outside and play, ride their bikes and do gymnastics so they're getting some activity.

Do I tell her "honey, you're not fat. You look beautiful." Or do I say (more honestly) "yes, you need to start watching what you eat and getting more exercise."
Even right now as I type this, I am watching her try on every shirt in her closet and come out with a hugh sigh every time because she hates the way she looks. This just shouldn't be something she has to deal with at age EIGHT!

I feel like I'm standing on a fence, walking a thin line and if I fall off to either side I'm going to totally mess her up. Anyone have any advise?

Most Embarrasing Picture EVER

I can't believe I'm doing this....but....in the hopes that it inspires someone out there...I am posting this MOST EMBARRASING picture. My mom found this picture of me right before I made the decision to get in shape. It is from my 26th birthday party (July 2004). I was up around 190 pounds then and MIS-ER-UH-BULL!!! My marriage was falling apart, my self-confidence was ZERO and I had to take diet pills to even make myself get out of bed in the mornings. It was really bad. I would go to a store to try to find clothes and just cry because nothing fit or looked good except "old people" clothes. I pretty much hated myself.

This is really my REAL "Before" picture because this was taken right before I COMPLETELY changed.

Not only did I start working out, I started tanning, getting my hair and nails done and as soon as I lost some weight, I bought a whole new wardrobe. Subsequently, my self-confidence started building, my marriage became passionate again and my energy was soaring!

Most of you know "the rest of the story" as far as how I got from THIS to where I am now...but I'm happy to share it with anyone who doesn't know. You can also go to my Beachbody coach site to read my testimony.

So...there you have it--a picture of me at the worst I'll ever look/feel/be in my entire life. I am so glad I made the decision to get fit and change my life forever!

one for fun

I threw on Matt's AE hat and snapped a pic. Man--my hair is like a wild mane!

"before" side pic for Insanity

Here is the side view. My tummy is not quite as toned as it was a few months ago when I finished my Round 2 of P90X. Thankfully Insanity is already in progress!!

"Before" pic for Insanity-Back

Here is the before pic-Back view. Here you can see the 4 butts I was talking about in my post. Lovely...

"Before" pic for Insanity

So..here is the "front view" before picture for Insanity.

Yes! This IS Insanity!

Can you see the sweat POURING into my eyes?

Insanity Pictures

So...I have like 3 minutes to do this post....so there won't be a lot of chit-chat. I took these pics of me during the 1st Insanity work out I ever did. It was nuts. I was pouring sweat. WHY I thought ya'll needed to see...I don't know...but if any of you are wondering if it's true what they say about "working out in a pool of your own sweat"--well....it is.

As for my "before" pics....I am going to post them but I am not going to post Matt's because I'm not sure if he'd want me to or not. (He's so much more modest than I am.) Anyway, I'll tell you the specific areas I am hoping to transform during this Insanity Journey. I'm hoping that by being so open and honest with you all---that this will hold me accountable!

First of all...there is that lower-tummy area--the part that stretches SO badly when you're pregnant--well, I'm sick of the blubber! I want to be able to wear a sports bra and shorts to work out and not have that flopping up and down. (sadly may need tummy tuck to really take care of it though---ie..may have to 'deal' with it.)

Secondly, the thigh issue. Ick. I don't want the "friction" when I walk-ESPECIALLY when I'm in my swimsuit.

Lastly there is the extra set of "butts" that I've got goin' on there. Uhh..no thanks! 2'll do.

So...there you have it. I'm not horribly dissatisfied with my body just the way it is right now...but if I'm going to go through this 60 days of PURE INSANITY, then I want to have some clearly defined goals for myself.
In terms of the scale-I am starting out at 134 and hoping to end up somewhere between 120-125.

Ps. Thanks to Rene for the cute suit! She gave it to me for my birthday!

***Okay-I've been trying to post this for DAYS and it won't let me upload pictures! I will try to post the pictures via a different host. Wish me luck!

Not exactly what I was hoping for!

Hmmm....this is weird.
I am eating only mostly the foods that the Insanity Nutrition Guide says to. I am doing my workouts faithfully (plus adding in a few P90X workouts too)...and yet when I got on the scale yesterday, it said I had GAINED 2 pounds.
That is SO. NOT. COOL.
I'm banking on the theory from my "debits/credits" post I did a while back--and that the deposits I am making right now just haven't caught up with me yet. Yes...that must be it.
Surely I am not sweating gallons every night during these Insanity workouts only to be GAINING weight!!??!!!
The true "proof" will be when I weigh on Friday. I will have been doing the program for a full week and a half then and SURELY by that point, I will have had some success with the scale.
By the way, just FYI, my starting weight for this Insanity Journey was 134. Yah...I had gotten down to 129, so that means I gained 5 pounds over the summer, since I finished my last round of P90X. Bummer.
Anyway, my goal is to finally get down to the elusive 125. I haven't seen that number on my scale since high school, so it's about time.
I wish I could NOT be so hung up on the number that the scale says...but forgettaboutit. I care. It's like the only solid proof that what I'm doing is paying off. Yes...my jeans get looser and that could be an indicator---but not necessarily. Sometimes my jeans feel looser/tighter depending on the time of the month and whether I'm feeling thin or heavy that day.

I've learned a couple of things about doing Insanity I thought I would pass along to those of you who are about to start:
1. Don't wear any kind of jewlery--unless you enjoy having it slam against your skin repeatedly. I am an earring girl and I never, ever, ever take my earrings out (small hoops) but I had to break my rule and remove them because with constant forceful jumping, even those little hoops hurt.
2. Don't drink water. Yah, sounds weird...but I'm learning that it's much better to just wet the inside of your mouth and throat with DROP of water than to take a swig. Even though you're SO THIRSTY, if you take a big swallow, you WILL pay for it during the rest of the workout. The more liquid sloshing around in my stomach, the more likely I am going to be to barf.
3. Don't eat for 2 1/2 hours prior. Previously I had said to be sure and give yourself 1 1/2 hours between your meal and your workout--but--that isn't working for me. When I work out this intensly (to the point of almost ralphing) I burp a lot. A tasteless burp is much better than one that tastes like lunch.
4. Clear the room. During these Insanity workouts, you are doing some SERIOUS jumping, moving forward and back, side to side and you really don't have ANY time to check for objects in the floor underneath you. If you have dogs, kids or toys that are prone to getting under your feet---you really need to fix that for the time that you are working out. We have a 8 pound yorkie and she loves to come get under our feet while we're working out---and in P90X---we just step over her---but with these Insanity workouts that won't work. There is NO time between moves and if she's under there--there is a good chance we are going to stomp her guts out. Sounds awful-but I 'm just sayin'...
5. Use the bathroom first! Even if you don't think you need to---TRY! I know I sound like your dad before a roadtrip-but believe me when I say-you don't want to have anything sitting in your bladder when you start doing these jumps! (same goes for #2 too!)

Okay, that's it for now. I will keep passing along tips as I go.
One thing I can say FOR SURE....is that I LOVE the length of these workouts! Yesterday's (Pure Cardio) was 32 minutes long. We warmed up for about 6-8 minutes, worked out at MAXIMUM intensity for about 18 minutes, and then had a nice stretch/cool down for another 6 or so minutes. I know it sounds "too short for a good workout" but I promise you--it's not.

Today is classes at the gym, mowing all afternoon and then Insanity tonight--it's gonna be an EXHAUSTING day! Wish me luck (and loads of energy!)