P90X, Insanity and now TurboFire....Bring It!

3x5 Folded Card

2012-01-18T13:18:00.003-06:00

Brightly Thankful Thank You Card

Thank you and personalized Valentine's Day cards by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

3x5 Folded Card

2012-01-18T13:18:00.001-06:00

Brightly Thankful Thank You Card

Turn your photos into thank you cards at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Where are we now? P90X2

2012-01-15T21:34:00.003-06:00

Hey there! Thinking posting everyday is a bit much.......thought maybe a post or two at the beginning of each new phase will suffice. :)
We are about to start Phase 2 in the next week...the STRENGTH phase! Looking forward to checking out the new workouts!
The food has still been going great! The only recipe we didn't love was the Easy Jerk Chicken and that's only because it was HOTTTTTTTT!!!!! Oh my! 2 TBS. of Red Ground Cayenne Pepper was TOO much! Next time, I'll use about 1 tsp. instead!

I'm excited to be adding a new fitness class to my schedule this week. Starting on Tuesday, I will begin instructing a Low-Impact Circuit class right after my TurboKick class. It will be a great class for beginner's, older adults or for anyone who is nursing a knee, foot or ankle injury. I am very excited about this! I think this may be the missing link to the success I've been hoping for in our town. There needed to be an in-between class to get people conditioned for the high-impact cardio classes I do. :)

My Push Book reading is going AMAZING! I had to put it on hold for about a week while I took the time to purchase and set up a new phone. My Blackberry just wasn't going to cut it ...and coincidently, I set it down on the counter where I was thawing some shrimp and it got wet and quit working. So...Android is the new thing for me. :) I'm using Taskos to set up my To-Do lists and loving it. Today I did Day 16 and WOW! It was SO eye opening! I had no IDEA.....(you'll just have to get the book to see what I'm talking about! :)

If you hadn't heard, my daughter and I are going on a 2 week long mission trip to Panama this summer. We have been busy doing any kind of fundraiser we can think of to raise the money for our trip. It is quite expensive as we will be there for 15 days and will require a flight to Miami as well as international flights! God has been providing the money as we need it...and we are nearly half way to the $6,000 that we need to raise. Yay! If any of you want to contribute, we would be SO GRATEFUL!

Okay, that's it for now! Love you all! Hope you're off to a great start to achieving and living out your goals!

P90X2-Day 4-8

2012-01-03T07:01:00.002-06:00

Hey guys! Sorry it's been a couple of days without a post...but we were out of town bringing in the new year and celebrating Christmas with Matt's family so I didn't have access to a computer.
Never fear though...we have still been BRINGING IT with our workouts! :)
Thursday was Total Body and WOW!!! I have NEVER in my LIFE been so sore from any workout EVER! As a matter of fact, I am typing this on Tuesday morning and I am still not fully recovered! In the Total Body workout (which definitely lives up to its name), you do 4-direction pull ups. One "direction" is wide grip. Well, apparently I've never really pushed myself there before because I was sore in a place and way that I've never experienced. I couldn't even bear to sleep on my side for 2 nights because I hurt so bad! I was forced to take some anti-inflammatory just to be able to function! Seriously! No matter....I can't wait to do it again! Ha ha (the sign of a true workout addict!)
Friday was YOGA! I was determined that I WAS going to do it despite my complete dislike of the original P90X yoga. As promised, the workout is nearly 30 minutes shorter than the original...but STILL....looong! However, I powered through it in the floor of our hotel room! Hooray!
Saturday was supposed to be Balance & Power but we had family gatherings and parties all day long and could not get to it.
Sunday was rest and recovery, and again, we opted for "rest" since we were out of town and had lots of lunches and family celebrations to go to.
In order to get back on schedule , we decided we will skip our "rest" day this Wednesday...so yesterday we did the Balance & Power workout. It didn't seem "that hard"....but later on in the evening, we were feeling it.
The food continues to be delicious and interesting. It's a little bit "fearful" to me to make all these new things that I'm not sure how to cook and what they are going to turn out like, but so far, nothing has been yucky. I've decided to try every recipe in the book and make notes next to it how we liked it. :)

We are waiting one more week (until day 14) to weigh in.....just to give our bodies a chance to catch up and really register the changes we've been making. I'm optimistic! :)

Today will be my first day back to teaching fitness classes (and doing P90X2). I hope I can teach a killer TurboKick workout this morning AND be able to have energy left over for P90X2 Core tonight!

P90X2-Day 3

2011-12-28T09:26:00.000-06:00

Ahhhh....Rest or Recovery Day! Already? It seems too soon to be having a day "off"....but I did take full advantage. I honestly did want to do the Recovery DVD....BUT....instead I showered and went to the mall with my mom to make all of our Christmas returns/exchanges and then I hurried home to cook dinner for a family who just had a new baby and THEN cooked our healthy P90X2 dinner.
Dinner was a HIT again! Tonight we had a Mandarin Spinach Salad with Lemon-Basil Broiled Salmon. YUM! Best salmon I've ever cooked at home....and that salad was amazing!
We each ate TWO CUPS of fresh baby spinach leaves topped with mandarin oranges, walnuts, avocado slices, red onion and a homemade mandarin vinaigrette dressing (recipe in the nutrition guide).
Matt couldn't take the "no weight lifting"...and did the P90X Shoulders & Arms DVD while I was cooking dinner. :) Since his primary goal is to NOT LOSE WEIGHT and BULK UP (opposite of my goal!! ha ha) He wants to add in some additional weight-lifting.

Tomorrows workout is called Total Body along with the new Ab Ripper. I can't wait. I have NO IDEA what "Total Body" means, but I'm sure it'll be good! :)

By the way, I am LOVING this new book PUSH by Chalene Johnson! I can't believe how much clearer and more focused I feel after just 3 days now that I know exactly what my goals and priorities are and I've written out my "Top Priority Statement". Since I love it so much, I'll share it with you. This is very personal to me...and was the result of lots of brainstorming and question-answering in the first chapters of this book.

"My number one priority is to build myself up with Bible and prayer so that I can be the best wife possible for Matt and so that I can do my best to teach my children how to have a passionate personal relationship with Christ and to be grateful and respectful people. I will weigh all pursuits against this goal and decline any activity that doesn't lead me to it. I desire that God, my husband and my children know that they are more important to me than any personal pursuit."

P90X2-Day 2

2011-12-27T10:16:00.001-06:00

PLYOCIDE!!!!!!
That is the name of today's workout! Just the name of it sounds like we were gonna die! :) Actually, it wasn't tooooo horrible. It was tough...maybe comparable to an Insanity workout sort of. Anyway, no matter...we DID IT! Shaky and sweaty and starving....we finished up that grueling 55 minutes and then went downstairs to cook our super amazingly delicious dinner! It was Bruschetta Chicken with Roasted Veggie Pasta. WOW! I've never cooked with so many fresh herbs! That bruschetta was omg! And the roasted veggies...wow! Even Brooklyn (our picky eater 10 year old) had seconds! That may be one of the best home-made meals we've ever had!! The bad news is that it took nearly an hour to cook due to all the chopping of veggies and herbs.

Anyway, all is well so far! Tomorrow is "Rest or Recovery" day...

One thing about this version of P90X that is a LOT different than the original...there is NO weight lifting in Phase 1 (first month). I know Matt is NOT going to like that ONE BIT. :( We may have to make a few slight adjustments. :)
Phase 1 is called "foundation"
Phase 2 is called "Strength"
Phase 3 is called "Performance"

Is anyone else out there doing it? I'd love to hear what others think of it compared to the original P90X. :)

P90X2-Day 1

2011-12-26T20:53:00.000-06:00

Well hello there! Long time no see, eh? Yah, I know. See my previous post for an explanation! :)

Aaaaanywayyyyy.....as you can tell from the title ....we are doing P90X-2!!!!! So excited and ready to BRING IT again in these intense workouts with my hubby! I won't lie, it's a bit intimidating committing to this for 90 days knowing that I also am teaching fitness classes every day IN ADDITION to my P90X2 workouts, but....I'm reminded that I've done it before (back in 2008) and I can do it again. :) Basically I'm doing the "doubles" version right!?!

I don't like to do things "normal"....as a matter of fact, being normal, average and like everyone else is really YUCKY to me....so rather than start on January 1st, like most normal people would....we decided we would start Dec. 26th. An odd date to pick for sure....but for us, it is the perfect date, because 90 days from Dec. 26th is March 28th, which is our 14th wedding anniversary!! :) What better gift can we give to one another?? Cool right?

Today's workout was "Core" and wowee! I had no idea there were so many exercises you could do with the stability ball that I had never heard of or seen before! 55 minutes of core-tightening, ab sculpting craziness! Even the warm up and cooldown/stretch used the ball. One thing we don't have that they use is a foam roller. I'm not sure if I want to bother investing in them or not. I've heard people say wonderful things about them....but...ahhh more money! Blah! I don't even know how much they cost actually. Anyone ever bought one or used one?

The eating plan is going to be interesting. It's been a long time since I've shopped for some of these crazy ingredients. I guess it's not really all that "wild"...its just a lot different than what we are used to. I bet 80% of my shopping list were items in the produce section! TONS of veggies, greenage and herbs! Last night after our first workout, I made a big green salad and baked a 4 oz. salmon filet for us to put on it. I had mine with light strawberry vinegarette dressing (YUM!) Later in the evening, we were both REALLY hungry again, so I had 3 stalks of celery with 1 T. of natural Peanut Butter and a small greek yogurt cup.

Have any of you ever tried PB2? Supposedly it's this powdered peanut butter that you can order online and it's supposed to be way less calories and really yummy in recipes. I think I may try to order some today....!?!

In addition to starting P90X2, I have also begun reading Chalene Johnson's new book called "Push" and I'm very excited to start getting my life and goals more organized! I've only done Day 1 so far and I am feeling very optimistic. I will keep you updated on how it goes!

Well, that's it for today folks! Leave me a comment if you're reading. If I don't get any comments on this, then I'll know not to bother with blogging anymore. :)

Hope you all had a great Christmas and are looking forward to a blessed and healthy 2012!
Love, Jen

Sometimes Life gets in the Way...

2011-09-29T06:28:00.002-05:00

I'm writing this today because it seems to be a big issue with many people. Life. It just gets in the way of our exercise program sometimes, doesn't it?? I know it has in my own experience. MOST of the time when we don't get a workout in...we are just making excuses. But there have been times in my life when I wanted to work out more than anything...but just could NOT fit it into my day (or even week).
So as much as I promote and encourage DAILY physical exercise and following a program to help hold you accountable, I promise, I do understand that it sometimes just isn't possible.

When that happens are you doomed to stop progress and start gaining back weight?
NO. You. Are. Not!

This is where "what you're made of" starts to become really obvious. If you really want it bad enough (being healthy and fit) then you WILL find a way to not let your eating get out of control during these periods of life when we are so busy. Even when you're too busy to do your P90X, Insanity, TurboFire or whatever workout, you almost POSITIVELY aren't too busy to take the stairs instead of the elevator, park at the back of the parking lot, get in the floor and do 30 push ups or go for a brisk 15 minute walk. You also don't have to start eating all sloppy and lazy either. As a matter of fact, when your workouts decrease, that is when you should be even more diligent to stick to healthy, nourishing foods. It doesn't take any longer to chop up some fresh veggies and fruits and eat them than it does to run through the drive-thru at McDonalds. It just takes a little preparation and planning. But it is do-able.

One of the worst mistakes I've made (and struggle with) is the whole "falling off the boat" mentality. You know how it goes...you mess up...maybe miss your workout and eat a cupcake and then you find yourself saying "well, I've already screwed this day up, I might as well go ahead and just have this pizza and pop for dinner and a big brownie fudge sundae for dessert and watch TV tonight and I'll just get "back on the boat" on Monday.
You ever been there?

DETERMINE that won't be you ever again. I mean...really when you think about it and look at it (while you're not in the middle of it) doesn't it sound totally STUPID. Making MORE MISTAKES because you made a little mistake does NOT equal smart. It equals STUPID. (talking to myself just as much as anyone).

So, in conclusion, what I'm trying to say is this, I get it when life gets in the way and it comes at you with the force of a semi-truck and knocks you off of your planned program. But don't just throw your hands up in the air and say, "oh well..I'm off the course by an inch, I might as well just move over a whole mile and get back on that old (fat and lazy) road I'm so comfortable with and used to. NO! Just fit in some activity when and where you can, choose healthy foods, get your sleep and get back to THE PLAN the very minute that life lets up a bit.

I'm rooting for you! I'm here to help you! :)

Nah, you don't have to eat the right stuff...

2011-08-29T10:25:00.003-05:00

.....UNLESS YOU LIKE THE IDEA OF LOSING WEIGHT and being supremely healthy!
Weighed in on Saturday...2 more pounds GONE! I know I shouldn't be THIS SUPRISED, but I really am. I can NOT believe eating the right things really makes THIS big of a difference. I mean..I KNEW it mattered....but this much??? wow!

I haven't been "dieting". I haven't been starving myself and going around hungry all the time. All I've been doing is eating DIFFERENT things. I'm still eating all. the. time. and still going out to eat and even having a few little splurges...but I'm losing weight at the rate of 2 pounds per week, all because of the different decisions on food I've been making.

We did Olive Garden again yesterday...and again, I had salad with NO dressing, no breadsticks and I ordered a light entree (670 calories total) and halfed it with Matt. I figure I consumed about 500 calories total while I was there including the 2 Andes mints I ate at the end. I felt great (while everyone else was heavy and stuffed) and I didn't have any guilt. SUPER COOL.

I hope you will just try it...see what happens!

15 days of Eating Clean

2011-08-26T09:45:00.002-05:00

So...I've made it to Day 15 of this 20 day challenge! I am still feeling the best I've EVER felt! Not one single time in the last 2 weeks have I been full, bloated or lethargic! WOW!

I did flub up last night though. (hanging head...) Here is my excuse: 2 ladies at my church had babies this past week. I offered to take them both dinner but since my schedule is SO INSANELY BUSY right now, I decided to buy pizza for their families and just bake them fresh, homemade chocolate chip oatmeal raisin cookies. Long story short, I bought the same for my family and left a few cookies at home for us...and I ended up eating 2 slices of pizza and a cookie last night. Even though I know that isn't THAT HUGE of a deal...because quite frankly that is about HALF of my normal 4 pieces and 2 (or more) cookies....STILL that is NOT what I wanted to do during this challenge and I'm bummed that I gave in. However, even after that, I wasn't stuffed or heavy feeling and I at least stopped before I let myself get too carried away, so I am not going to count that as a loss, but more like a little stumble. :)

Since I started this on a Saturday and I weighed in last Saturday...I will weigh in again tomorrow and see where I am. I am excited about finishing out this thing (next Thur. Sept 1) and I'll let you know the final results!! There is no doubt that I have learned an important lesson through this!! If you were doing it with me, I hope you have too! :)

Menu for this week:

2011-08-22T12:42:00.002-05:00

A few people have asked me to post my menu for the week and while I know it is boring reading...if it helps even one person...then it's worth posting! :) I know I have a sort of weird schedule and eating habits...but this is what I do and what I will consume this week.

Monday:
Breakfast: 1 small biscuit, 1 egg white, 1 turkey sausage link, coffee
Snack: Shakeology with 1/2 banana and 1 T. Peanut Butter (at 11:00)
Lunch: Green salad with 6 oz. of albacore tuna and 1 T. strawberry vinagerette (at 2:00)
Snack: 10 mini rice cakes with hummus and 1/2 an apple (at 4:30)
Dinner: Shakeology again (on Mondays I have Shakeology for dinner because I have a fitness class from 6:30-7:30 and I can't eat anything heavy before or after. Shakeology is perfect.)

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Non-instant whole grain oatmeal with blueberries, walnuts and Truvia, coffee.
Snack: Apple and string cheese.
Lunch: Shakeology.
Snack: Banana and 1 rice cake with PB.
Dinner: Baked flounder with Orzo, grilled asparagus and salad
Dessert: Fruit

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Veggie omelet, 1 turkey sausage link, 1 whole wheat toast w/ spray butter, coffee
Snack: mini rice cakes with hummus
Lunch: Shakeology with PB.
Snack: Apple and 10 almonds
Dinner: Grilled shrimp, baked sweet potato, green beans, salad
Dessert: 1/2 c. plain non-fat greek yogurt with blueberries

Thursday:
Breakfast: Open faced egg white sandwich. (egg white, 1/2 slice low-fat cheddar, turkey bacon on 1 slice whole wheat toast.
Snack: Apple and low-fat string cheese
Lunch: Shakeology
Snack: Green salad with strawberry vinagerette and left over grilled shrimp.
Dinner: Grilled pork chops, seasoned brown rice, broccoli and salad.
Dessert: 1/2 c. plain non-fat greek yogurt with blueberries

Friday:
Breakfast: Non-instant whole grain oatmeal with blueberries, walnuts and Truvia, coffee.
Snack: Granola bar and apple.
Lunch: Shakeology
Snack: Raw veggies and hummus
Dinner: Going to a Gala Ball...and will eat and drink whatever is served! :)

I will also do the following workouts this week:
Monday: Intense Interval Class, 1 hour
Tuesday: Bootcamp Insanity, TurboKick practice, 2 hours
Wednesday: Weightlifting class, TurboKick practice, 2 hours
Thursday: Bootcamp Insanity, TurboKick practice, 2 hours
Friday: TurboFire, 1 hour
Saturday: Intense Interval, 1 hour

The 100% Guaranteed way to lose weight

2011-08-20T14:19:00.003-05:00

That is a bold title, yes? Yes! I am confident though.

This is why: For the past 7 days (today is Day 8) I have been eating nothing but lean meats, fresh veggies and good carbs. I've cut WAY back on any fats (very little to no dressings, sauces, etc.) and I've also cut my carb consumption in about half. The biggest change, by far, for me has been not having dessert.

My "normal" is to have dessert at LEAST once a day. :( I know...it's naughty. But it's probably one of my favorite things in the whole world and as hard as I work, I "feel like I should have a treat." {side note: that is the stupidest, most ironic thing I say and I hear people say ALL THE TIME. When you work so hard to eat right and exercise daily...don't TREAT yourself by eating crap. DUMB DUMB DUMB. A small little indulgence occasionally is fine...but don't look at it like a reward. Reward yourself with a smaller size item of clothing or a pedicure or an hour to yourself to read a good book or something. Anyway..okay back to where I was...} The problem is I don't have dessert once in a while..I have a treat once or twice a DAY. I've always known this is what is most likely holding me back and keeping me from losing the weight. Guess I was right. The good news is I have discovered that this new amazing way I feel tastes better than cupcakes and pies and cookies.

ANYWAY...I said of all of that to say...that in just ONE WEEK of completely changing the way I eat...I've dropped 2.6 pounds! I knew I felt lighter...but I really was surprised to see that big of a drop. What a shame that I've been tormented for so long trying to get rid of this weight when all along ...this is all it would have taken! And ohmyheavens...I feel AMAZING!

So...do you want to know what prompted this whole eating clean thing and why I've been able to stay SO MOTIVATED??? This may or may not be a great reason and it may not help you at all, I don't know...but one day about 2 weeks ago, I put on a cute outfit and even though it looked fine from the front, when I turned around there were 2 big floppy love handles hanging over the sides of my britches. It was so disgusting that I took a picture of it and texted it to my coach Demi. I asked her WHAT could I do to get rid of it? Her answer? "EAT CLEAN 100% OF THE TIME!" So simple, yet...something I hadn't done since my first round of P90X (when I lost 17 pounds and got muscular for the first time in my life). I decided right then and there that I KNEW she was 100% right...and that until I was ready to commit to that....I would never have a lean body like hers. So...every time this week when I was tempted to flub up, I saw that image of that text from her to me with those words and I considered what I was about to do. I was about to sacrifice 100% for 90%...and I already know what results that gives. So...I stuck to my guns (with the exception of Tuesday night and the stupid fried pickles. :-(

More of the story:
For years I've been struggling to lose these last 10-15 pounds. Because I'm not overweight or unhealthy, it seems extra difficult because honestly I'm not THAT unhappy with myself. Still, my personality is one that wants to achieve and back in 2004 when I first started this journey, I made the goal of getting to 125 pounds, thus for the first time since my 16th birthday, making my drivers license honest again. :)
Even though this whole thing started because I wanted to LOOK better...the way that I am feeling now is like a drug. I'm addicted. I never want to feel bloated, heavy and stuffed again.

Looking good is just the "icing on the top" now. Feeling this way is my motivation. :)

For an example of what I've been eating:
Breakfast : 1/2 of a whole wheat english muffin with egg white, 1/2 slice low-fat cheddar and 1 slice turkey bacon. (eaten like an open faced sandwich)
Snack: Apple and 10 almonds
Lunch: Shakeology and small salad (no dressing-just a little salt and pepper)
Snack: Celery with natural peanut butter
Dinner: Lean Roast with steamed cauliflower, salad and 1/2 ear of corn.
"Dessert": 1/2 c. greek plain yogurt with strawberries.

The Shakeology is a MUST! It is keeping my digestion working like clock-work. :)

Eating Clean: 6 days and counting!!

2011-08-18T12:58:00.004-05:00

I am so happy to say that I am STILL eating clean and lovin' every minute of it! :) I do have one confession to make: On Tuesday night I had dinner at Texas Roadhouse with some family and THEY ordered fried pickles and I had a few. :( I shouldn't have, but no one was eating them (no one else liked them!!) and I couldn't STAND to see them all just get thrown away! I didn't go overboard at all. I probably ate 10...being honest. There were probably 50 in the basket...so I definitely exhibited restraint. :) BUT...I didn't have the warm rolls they bring out and I ordered Sirloin Steak and Veggie Kabobs. I had them switch out the rice that comes with it for fresh veggies and a baked sweet potato with NO toppings of any kind. I drank water. It was DELICIOUS and a great time and I'm so impressed and encouraged that I can still eat out with my friends and family and not have to leave feeling like I need to be wheeled out in a wheelchair! Even after I eat a large meal like that, I still feel great because I didn't overload on fried, greasy food (no fries!!) and no heavy carbs. It's GREAT! One thing I can DEFINITELY COMPLAIN about though is how much healthy entrees COST! Oh my goodness!!! The grilled salmon (which is what I really wanted) was $5 more than the sirloin kabobs!! :( When we went to the Olive Garden last week, my baked fish was $15. I usually spend around $7/ plate when we go out...so this is a bit hard to swallow...but oh well, I guess that's just the way it is. Can't really do anything about that. :(

I have to admit, if it wasn't for my daily Shakeology (which I've been mixing with 1 TBSP of peanut butter and it is AMAZING!) I don't know if I would be handeling the "no sweets" part so well. But that shake made with the PB is so creamy and big and sweet and delicious that it is completely satisfying my sweet tooth! -Or maybe the sweet tooth is going away already!?!? I don't know but I'm loving this way of eating and I just can't believe I don't do it all the time. (or haven't as of yet). Chips and crackers and cookies and french fries and nachos are NOT THAT GOOD. They taste good for a few seconds while they're on your tongue but the misery that accompanies them for hours and days later is so not worth it. For almost a week now, I've been feeling energetic, light, thin, fresh and healthy and just really vibrant. I pray I will NEVER go back to those old ways. For those of you who said you were going to do this with me...how's it going? Are you feeling great too?

"Before" 20 Day Challenge-Front

2011-08-15T14:40:00.000-05:00

Don't know why these pics are so small!?! Maybe becuase I took them with my phone. Anyway, this is my "Front" before picture. Let's see what happens in 20 days!

"before" 20 day challenge pic

2011-08-15T14:39:00.000-05:00

I don't know why this picture is so small...but this is my "before" side view picture for the 20 day challenge. Taken on Sat. Aug 13, 2011.

20 Day Clean Eating Challenge

2011-08-15T12:32:00.003-05:00

If you are my friend on FB, you probably saw my post about this on Saturday. Since my hubby and I have a special 13th anniversary vacation coming up soon to Cancun, Mexico, we have decided to do a 20-day "challenge" to see if we can get the "ripped" bodies we really want to have while we are there. For me, that means being able to put on a bathing suit and feel totally confident in it (not just while standing....but while sitting and bending over too! ha ha) You ladies know what I'm talking about!!
For Matt, that means taking his shirt off and and feeling good about the way his chest, back, arms and abs look. No more love handles!!
I am SO excited about this because for once, I am attempting something that I believe is do-able and realistic. Trying to cut out sweets entirely or lose 20 pounds is just too "big" for me...but deciding to "eat clean" for 20 days is something I can handle.
And so far...it's been going AWESOME!
I took before pictures and my before weight Saturday morning and if I can figure out how to get them off my phone, I will post them. My starting weight is 136. I don't have a goal...I just want to see whats the best I can do in these 20 days.

What "Eating Clean" means to me:
1. No junk food (chips, cookies, soda, fried foods, etc.)
2. No fast food (burgers and fries, etc.)
3. No Sweets (cakes, pies, ice cream, brownies, cookies)
**EXCLUSION: is yogurt and fruit. I definitely have a serious sweet tooth and I am not banning yogurt or fruit from the "sweets" category. :)

In addition to this, I am committing to working out 6 days a week. (which isn't hard because I do that already). Sunday's are my rest day and sometimes I end up doing Turbo on Sunday just because I love it so much I can't stand to not do it! ha ha

So, I'm thrilled that so many have decided to join me! Keep checking back for regular updates and please leave a comment on how you are doing!!

Pictures...:(

2011-08-04T08:02:00.002-05:00

Okay so it's been a realllly long time since I've posted any new pictures to my blog. And it is NOT because I don't want to! I do, I do! I just have the worlds WEIRDEST computer. It works perfectly fine about 98% of the time...but for some reason, for the past couple of years, it won't let me click on certain things. I mean...I can click on it..but it doesn't "take" or work. One of those things is the "add image" button on my blog. I can click it 100 times and nothing happens. But if I scoot over just one icon to the "add video" icon...it works fine. (I just don't know how to make a video).
And ALL of my pictures are downloaded to this computer (and not my laptop).......but.........if I can email myself my pictures and upload them to my laptop THEN I could probably post some new ones on here. But see how much work that would be?? and seriously, I don't know when I'll ever find time for that. BLAH! Okay, that was 2 whole paragraphs of boring reading and me whining. What I really wanted to say was I'm going to try to post some new pictures soon! Goodness knows I've got at least a years worth I want to share with you!

I heart Diamond!

2011-08-03T15:40:00.002-05:00

Many of you know I am a coach for Beachbody...but what you probably DON'T know...is that it is one of the most rewarding things I've ever done and YOU can be a part of it! Whether you allow me to be YOUR free coach or you join me as a COACH YOURSELF on my team ....I want you to be a part of my amazing journey...all the way up to DIAMOND. I know you have no idea what I'm talking about right? Well...speaking in terms of do$$ar signs...Diamond is where the big bucks start rolling in...but that has never been my top priority (although I ain't gonna lie...it certainly makes my love for shopping less guilt-filled!)
BUT...Speaking in terms of HELPING PEOPLE which is where my heart is and why I'm so passionate about this...it means that I will have accumulated a fantastic team of coaches to work with me AND have a large amount of people that have signed up to let me help them!
The reason I am talking about this today is because I WANT YOU! If you've been reading my blog for very long, you obviously have a passion for health and fitness, you probably workout regularly, try to eat healthy and I've never met a person who doesn't want more money. You've either done a Beachbody workout program or you're thinking about doing one. Unless you aren't into helping others succeed, YOU are a perfect candidate for becoming a coach!
And if you've EVER thought about it, even for just a second, I'll tell you why RIGHT NOW is the time to do it. Because I just started my engine and my foot is on the gas. I have an AMAZING leader right in front of me that is leading the way and all I have to do is follow. You don't want to be left behind. If you get in this caravan with us, we will clear the path for you and guaranteed success is right down the road that we're traveling. PLEASE come for the ride!

Cheat with a BANG!

2011-06-09T17:45:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I feel ashamed just POSTING this recipe on this blog because this is SO FAR from Michi's Ladder or P90X food....it's gotta be a sin.........BUT...........we all know we have cheat days every now and again and IF you're gonna cheat, you want it to be something that is VERY WORTH IT right?
Well...here you go.
That is the ONLY reason I share this recipe. For a special cheat day. Do not...I repeat DO NOT make this recipe more than once every 4 months. Understood? :) oh and don't hog it...share some with your family! :)

Bang Bang Shrimp from Bonefish Grill manager

1 bag of Baby Greens or Spring Mix

16-18 Medium Shrimp, cleaned & put aside

Spicy Sauce:

1/2 C mayo

4 tsp Chili Garlic Sauce (Sambal)

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp rice vinegar

Mix well & set aside

1 beaten egg

1 C milk

Mix well & put in shallow bowl

3/4 C flour

1/2 C Panko crumbs

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 ground sage

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp dried basil

Mix well & put in a shallow bowl

Dip Shrimp in breading mix, then in egg/milk mix & back in breading mix....

Put on a tray & refrigerate for 20 min.....

Heat 6-10 Cup's of Oil...Fry shrimp a few at a time until golden.....Drain on paper towels.When all shrimp are fried, put them in a large bowl.....Spoon 1/4 to 1/3 of the sauce on shrimp & toss to coat....

Stack on baby greens.....I put the extra sauce on the side...

______________________________________________________________________

Okay.......that's the recipe. Now, let me tell you some changes I made. First of all, I couldn't find that exact chili garlic sauce...so I just bought a brand called 'Roland' which was next to the oriental foods in the grocery store. (Walmart didn't carry ANY kind of it..so I had to go to Reasors)

Also, I didn't have the ground sage and I didn't want to pay $3.19 to buy some just to use 1/2 of a tsp so I just didn't use any. I also didn't have onion powder...but I did have onion flakes....so I substituted that.

The shrimp I bought were raw, peeled, tail off and came 50 to a bag. I was able to bread ALL 50 of them with the mixtures from above!!! And...I only used that one bowl of sauce mix for all 50 (which means they were VERY lightly coated in sauce).

Other than that, I stuck to the recipe. It was a little time consuming--dipping each individual shrimp into the flour mixture, then the egg, then the flour....but it really was THAT GOOD that I will do it again sometime (probably if we are having company or something).

Time Out/Bootcamp Insanity

2011-05-23T21:38:00.003-05:00

Hey guys! :) It's 9:39 pm and I'm up at my computer late because I am trying to get some work done for the doctors office. Of course, after about 15 minutes of typing, my mind started drifting and I was thinking about how I'd like to blog right now. So..here I am. Since I don't have a lot of time, I'm going to just let my thoughts spill out onto my keyboard and what you're reading is the result. :)
So, last week was tough. I had some crazy moments where I was trying to do stuff like drink my soup through a straw so I can type while I "eat", tie my shoes while driving down the road, etc. I realized that I am doing TOO MUCH all. the. time. If I wasn't doing at LEAST 2 things at once, I felt like I was being unproductive. All these classes and coaching and typing and ballgames and cooking and cleaning and emails..it was all just more than I could take. Finally after surveying everyone in my life, I turned to GOD about it (again!) He clearly spoke the same message to me through about 6 different sources...and I knew what I needed to do.
#1: Put top priority on spending QUALITY time with God every day. I realized that I spend time with God about like how I spend time with my kids. They're always there. I can hear them in the back ground. I see evidence of what they've done/where they've been..but RARELY do I actually stop what I'm doing and give them undivided attention. Rarely do I actually LISTEN to them, LOOK at them or BE WITH them. It's the same with God. He's always there and I'm aware of His presence. I listen to praise and worship all day long and put on Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer or Andrew Wommack every time I wash dishes, fold laundry, put on my make up, etc. I am constantly in contact with my Father...throwing up quick prayers left and right all throughout the day. And while that is all VERY GOOD...there still HAS to be a chunk of time where I stop everything else and give HIM my undivided attention. This is the first thing I'm setting out to change!
#2: Lessening the Load. I've decided to cancel my Friday night fitness class. It was a hard decision because I LOVE those girls and they are SO DEDICATED....but I realized that by teaching a class on Friday evening and then again first thing Saturday morning was really making any kind of weekend plans very difficult as well as not giving my body ample time to rest between extreme workouts. Even though that is only 1 class a week less, I really anticipate this taking some pressure off my week.
Also under the same thought....I am also putting my Beachbody coaching career in a "time out". I am still coaching and am fully available to my customers present and future...BUT...I am not going to put forth as much effort in recruiting new customers or coaches for a while. It's such a great opportunity, but I'm not much of a salesman and I don't want to be either. If people see my success, read my testimony and want to coach under me or buy a program that I've done--AWESOME! I would LOVE to be their coach. But as for going out and practically begging people to try Shakeology or order TurboFire....I'm just not gonna do it. I'm here for ya when you need me.

I'm excited about my upcoming 14 week Bootcamp that starts Tues. May 31st. Not only do I have an AMAZING set of routines already lined up...BUT...I am excited about what great shape I and all the other ladies are going to be in when this summer is over!! Also, I am taking a nice long break at the end of it and hopefully going on a vacation!! WOOHOO!

Insanity is in the books for my summer workouts and I'm stoked! I've been working out 6 days a week since February 8th and I think my body is in tip-top shape and TOTALLY ready to take on Insanity again. Then if I survive, maybe I'll look into the Asylum this fall....eeek!

We took the cover off the pool today! The water was really clear and after taking a sample into the pool place, it looks like we'll be ready to swim by this (Memorial Day) weekend!

Friday night Brooklyn and I are hosting a big sleepover for 6 of her girlfriends! We are doing a Secret Keeper Girl date about Friendship and there are going to be some FUN games and crafts going on! Yippee! I love being the mom I always dreamt I would be! :)

This weekend we noticed that my new Navigator was looking QUITE lopsided. It turns out that the air suspension sensor went out and apparently the left side of the car was WAY jacked up (like 14 inches) higher than the right side!!! What a funny looking ride that was!! Thankfully we got it fixed today and were only (HA!) out $180. It would have been $492 but we have a warranty and that covered a lot of it.

Well....that is about all I had going on in my head right now and I really need to get back to work so that I can get done and then get to bed. Thanks for reading my rambling! Love y'all and happy sweating! :)

I'm happy and I know it! (((clapping hands)))

2011-05-12T14:26:00.000-05:00

THANK YOU for affirming the fact that I am NOT a depressed person! I knew that...but I just wanted to be sure "my face surely shows it" too, ya know!?!
Anyway, I sincerely appreciate all your kind words and I am going to be more aware of how much I complain because honestly, I LOVE my life and if I'm complaining, I shouldn't be. I am blessed beyond measure. God has given me over and above all that I could think or ask and I know He's not done!!! THAT is something worth smiling about! :)

I know that people think they should THANK ME for encouragement and coaching...but I am honestly so grateful and thankful for each one of you! Without people to come to my classes, it wouldn't matter how terrific an instructor I am. Without people to coach, I couldn't BE a coach. Each one of you enriches my life and I never want to take you for granted!

Do you feel the love? :) You should!!! :)
And just for extra measure: :) :-) :0) :P :o) :~)

Gotta get it off my chest and FB isn't the place...

2011-05-11T12:22:00.000-05:00

Okay...this is BUGGING the CRUD out of me and while I run the risk of sounding like I'm whining again...I've decided to do it anyway. I mean..this IS my blog where I can say whatever I want, right? :)
So...today someone made a comment about me that is realllllly bothering me. I mean....MAJORLY. I know she didn't mean it in a bad way (or at least I don't think she did) and I'm sure she has no idea what a big deal to me it was. Here's the deal:

At class today I mentioned that I came in feeling a bit discouraged and exhausted...BUT...now, AFTER the great workout we just did...that I felt totally encouraged and great and energetic!!!
But.......before I got the "BUT" part out...she said "Jennifer, you are ALWAYS down and discouraged."

It took me by such surprise that I hesitated in the middle of my sentence and then said the rest to try to prove my point in WHY I even said it in the first place (which is that exercise is such a great way to turn lethargy into energy).

Of course, as the devil would have us to do...and as our brains like to do...I have (seemingly) forgotten all the thousands of wonderful comments and great things people have said about me and I'm magnifying this one comment way more than I should be. I just keep thinking, "REALLY????? Seriously? OMG! Do I come across that way??-as a down and discouraged, sad and depressed person?"
SURELY not! How could that be possible when I am really SO SO SO SO HAPPY!?
I mean, sure...I'm human, I have my days of feeling a bit whah-whah every month. What woman doesn't?
(bunny trail here)
I remember when Matt and I first got engaged. We went to marriage counseling and we had to fill out a questionairre. One of the questions was "What is one personality trait that you despise?" Without a second thought, I wrote down "laziness".
If I were to take that quiz again today I would add the word "defeat".
Everybody gets discouraged sometimes.......but I HATE to see people walk around with their heads hung in defeat. Unless you're not a Christian. If you're not a believer.....then I completely understand why you'd feel that way. BUT ...if you know Jesus as your savior..then you NEVER EVER have an excuse to feel defeated. JESUS defeated the devil. He won the battle for you and while He didn't promise us a perfect life (in fact, He specifically said IN THIS WORLD YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLES) ......BUT...the next part of that verse says BUT TAKE HEART!!! FOR I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD!!!

Okay so back to what I was talking about....I hate the idea that ANYONE would ever see me that way. How disappointing!
I'm trying to figure out if it's just that one person and the vast majority of everyone else who knows me would disagree...or if I live in a unrealistic bubble and I don't see myself clearly. Maybe I shouldn't be so open and honest about when I'm having a tough day.?!!?.
Argh...I just need to get away from people and electronics and spend some QUALITY time with God. Just me and God and quiet. Yes...that would be HEAVENLY! :)

Inferno Plan--give myself a C-

2011-05-06T10:12:00.003-05:00

Wow....so we started the 5-day Inferno Plan (through the TurboFire program) on Monday. We went out Sunday and bought all the groceries and were TOTALLY prepared. I even read through my TurboTracker and was all ready to write down every thing that entered my mouth.
We started out "on fire" Monday...did great. Enjoyed the food, wrote it all down, resisted temptation. Hooray!

Tuesday-Enjoyed the recipes VERY much and was following the plan perfectly until we had to be at the baseball/softball fields all evening (5-9 pm) and I caved and ate a pickle or 2 and a tootsie-roll pop. (not that awful right!?!?)

Wednesday-Still loving the food on the plan...but feeling very unsatisfied. Starting to feel the fire we had on Monday start to fizzle. :( Even though we're eating everything on the plan, I'm popping jelly beans from the Easter candy bowl every time I pass by. :( I stopped writing in my TurboTracker. It's too depressing to write down all those jelly beans.

Thursday-Man! The food on this thing is delicious and lots of things we've never tried...but I'm really feeling weak with my resolve to finish this thing. I not only ate all my scheduled food but I also had RiceWorks chips with my lunch (instead of salad) and a small bowl of Blue-Bell Cookies-N-Cream icecream at lunch. Then, after dinner I ate a bowl of brown beans and rice (1/2 c. with 4 tortilla chips) and then an apple with PB. Ugh. I went to bed feeling stuffed. DARN!

Friday-It's a new day...and the last one THANK GOODNESS! :) So far I've stuck to "the plan" and I really hope to finish this thing out on a good note so I'm putting a dishtowel over the jelly beans. :) Out of sight-out of mind I hope.
I'm bummed out that I didn't do it more closely as it was outlined......BUT........I'm still TOTALLY acknowledging the fact that I ate MUCH healthier and more conscientious this week than I have been. I also have managed to keep my 6 pounds from the cleanse off...even though I haven't lost anymore. So overall, I'm happy! I think I will try to do this once a month. The food is SO GOOD! If I get some time, I'll post the recipes for you all!

I spoke (whined) too soon! :)

2011-05-03T11:48:00.003-05:00

Well...I'm eating my whiny words! PRAISE THE LORD!
Last night's class was great (had 4 people plus me and Matt) and this morning I had 6 besides myself! AWESOME!
Tomorrow's class is forcasted to be really good too! (I know of at least 6 people who said they'd be there!) YAY!
I'm really sorry for that cry-baby post I did yesterday. Sometimes even us "toughgirls" have a weak moment! :)
A HUGE THANK YOU to my dear friend Kirsty who sent me the most wonderful comment to that post this morning. I asked her permission to post it here because she had SUCH wisdom that I just couldn't keep it all to myself! Here it is:

Jen,
That comment someone made is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. They must have some serious body image issues to say something so rude and ignorant. We all have different bodies and God made us all the way HE wanted us. We need to take care of the Temple (body) :) he gave us and feed it the right stuff and exercise it to keep it strong for His service but that's it, man! He doesn't call us to be ripped and have a 0% body fat. We know when we are healthy and living in God's will in that area or we are letting foods and vanity issues have control over us. It's all about having balance and the state of your heart in the matter, girl.

I have learned over the last 2 years that God has given me a passion for working out. I love it when I do it and I need it to keep me happy and sane. I do myself and my God a disservice when I make working out a means to an end. Like, for me personally (and it may or may not be this way for you) I know feel convicted when I make my workout about looking good. I try every time I workout to make it about making my body stronger and leaner to be healthier and more comfortable in my skin, because then I can be more useful as a believer.

Things really started to make sense to me when I figured this out.

About the people not coming to your class, don't stress. Just do your thing, be your sweet, bubbly self and let your passion for what you do be the honey that attracts people. Also, maybe start offering some packages, like 3 classes a week for $10 or something. Having a once a week or month $$ transaction would lessen the focus on the cost. Or you could have packages with certain amounts of classes and the more you buy, the cheaper it gets per class. You're still making good $$ that way in my opinion.

We most definitely struggle with a lot of the same insecurities and I know how you feel! You cannot let the enemy steal your joy over stuff like this. Keep conquering temptation over sweets and unhealthy foods and keep working out but remember to keep in mind what you have now. You are one gorgeous (thin!!) girl with curves and a super cute smile! Some people are super tiny with rock hard stomachs and have other body issues that they can't control or even think about changing. You have a naturally beautiful body and a gorgeous soul so rock it out and be thankful! :)

We all need a little encouragement every now and then but that doesn't mean it's easy to hear or easy to put into practice. You're awesome and you have lead me to places (and pant sizes) I never thought I'd go. I hope this helps you even a fraction of how you've helped me!! :)

♥

Kirsty

***Also thank you to Kate and Rene who are so loyal to always comment on my posts and who always have great advice too! I love you girls! :)

Shakeology Cleanse: Final Results and Inferno Plan begins!

2011-05-02T13:14:00.003-05:00

Well, I got up Saturday morning and before I dove head-first into that strawberry cake sitting in my fridge (ha ha), I got on the scale one last time to see what my final results were from doing the Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse. In all, I lost 6 pounds. I felt as light as air-popped popcorn and actually had a good amount of energy for having not eaten a real meal since Tuesday.
For those of you wanting to know the dirty details: I only pooped TWICE in the whole 3 days. That is a bit crazy to me. I mean...if I was getting "cleansed"...where did all the build-up go? How did it leave my body? I have to be honest, I am one of the few weird people who actually hoped I'd be stuck on the pot all day long. I mean..then I would have PROOF. Anyway...nevertheless, I'm Very happy with my results; Very happy I did the cleanse and I Very recommend it to anyone who needs a jump-start on weight loss or needs to de-clutter your intestines. :)

Now onto the "next great thing"....Today Matt and I started the 5-day Inferno Plan from the TurboFire nutrition guide. Basically it's a 5 day eating plan that is supposed to help you lose weight before you start the regular nutrition guide. We went grocery shopping yesterday for TWO FULL HOURS just to get the foods for this week M-F and ended up leaving without quinoa or alfalfa sprouts since I couldn't locate them ANYWHERE. I guess I'll just substitute brown rice for the quinoa and lettuce for the sprouts...!!??!!
I'm really not worried about doing everything 100% PERFECTLY. As long as we stick to it about 95%...I'm happy. :)

Currently my weight is at 134 and as you all know...my goal is 125. But...I like a comment someone left me on FB this past week that said "forget the #'s on the scale...pick a pair of pants you want to fit into and then aim for that".........and so I did. :) I have a really cute pair of Nike camo capris that I LOVE. They are a size small (4-6) and they've NEVER fit me comfortably. I actually wore them Saturday night and I was miserable. I had to unbutton them in order to breathe while sitting down. :( So...besides getting to 125, that is what I'm shooting for--to be able to wear these pants AND SIT IN THEM! :) I'll let you know when (not if) it happens!

In other news...can I vent a little bit?
If you don't want to hear me whine like a big baby...you can stop reading now.
okay, you've been warned!
WHAT is the DEAL with people? Everywhere I look there are overweight and obese people and yet, I'm LUCKY if I can get 5 people to show up to a fitness class these days. I know there are many factors that play into how many people come: such as time of the year, time of the class, day of the week, sport schedules, financial restraints, time constraints, etc. BUT REALLY? In my WHOLE TOWN......only 3-5 people?
I'm asking myself..."am I charging too much?" "am I a lousy instructor?" "are the classes to hard/easy?" "is everyone bored with it already?" "did I pick bad times of the day?" "do people want different types of classes?" "have I offended someone with my choice of music?"
I know with any new business, everything isn't always perfect. But this is confusing. I mean...people who started out coming strong and were super-motivated have just drifted away and actually seem to AVOID me now. Look, I am NOT JUST "Cross Training Fitness"...I am also Jennifer Jones, friend. :(
When I first started numbers were in the 3-5 people per class range...then they jumped up to 7-10 on average and things were going GREAT. Then suddenly without warning...back down to 3-5 IF I'M LUCKY. ?????????? I'm not giving up or quitting...but I just wish I knew what people wanted.
Many of the people who've stopped coming are the very ones who've poured their heart out to me about how BADLY they want to lose weight. So why have they stopped coming?

Then you've got me...falling back into the bad habit of comparing myself to fitness models thinking I will never look like that but feeling like I need to. A comment someone made about me one time that has really bothered me (for about a year now) was: "When I saw you were the instructor, I thought this class can't be very hard."
That particular day I was subbing a class for another instructor who looks like she belongs on the cover of Fitness Magazine. She's physically perfect and when people see her they worry about how CRAZY HARD the workout is going to be. So ....when people see me...I guess they think it's gonna be fairly easy because I am at least 20 pounds heavier than that girl and not NEARLY as ripped. :(
Blahhhhh..I am having a big whine fest, huh? See...a while back I created a separate blog JUST for this reason. A blog that NO ONE had access to so I could pour my heart out (no matter how goofed up it was) and no one would judge me. But then I decided that was dumb because then I was posting all the "negative stuff" on that blog and only the "positive stuff" on this blog...so I deleted it and now you guys are stuck hearing all this garbage. Sorry!

Anyway, tomorrow is a new day! :) I'm pretty sure the majority of this post didn't make much sense and probably didn't flow at all...but I just typed as the thoughts entered my head and now I am going to say "publish post" because I've gotta get up from here and get back to my housework!
Thank you so much to all my loyal readers! I really do love you all!

Hot Nacho

2011-04-29T07:42:00.004-05:00

It's the morning of the 3rd day. I'm hungry. I want substance. However, this is the longest I've ever made it doing something like a fast or cleanse and I can't quit now! The end is SO NEAR! :)
I actually ran out of Shakeology with my last shake yesterday and was sort of fretting about what to do..and then I remembered that my mom has some samples that I gave her that she never did use, so I'm stealing them back from her and finishing out this thing. Which is why I'm SO HUNGRY right now. I'm not going over to her house to get the goods until after I take the kids to school, which means I have another hour to wait. I need to go make my green tea so I can at least have SOMETHING in my tummy.
I got on the scale this morning and it's down another 2 pounds! (5 total so far!) That's pretty amazing. If I lose even just ONE more pound, I will be down to the lowest weight I've seen in the past year. What's even more exciting is knowing that when I get done with this thing, I'm not going back to eating like Miss Piggy...but that I have a PLAN already. I am doing the TurboFire 5 day Inferno plan and planning out all our meals from the P90X, Insanity and TurboFire Nutrition Guides. Not only will that ensure that I don't gain...but I should be able to continue to lose and finally reach that elusive goal weight that I've been aiming at for nearly 7 years now.
But, to address the title of this post, I should admit that last night, after my 3rd shake-which I drank AT the ball field, I bought Brooklyn some cheese nachos. She asked me to hold them for her while she went to the bathroom. In a moment of impulse, I grabbed up the cheesiest chip and shoved it into my mouth. Blah. It wasn't NEARLY as yummy as it looked. Hooray! I'm actually kind of glad I did it...because if I hadn't, I would have been sitting there-mouth watering as I watched her eat them thinking about how I was missing out. Instead, I tasted and saw that they weren't even CLOSE to good enough for me to blow this for, and I was totally fine the rest of the time.
Of course...if it HAD been reallllly good...who knows what might have happened!?!?! :-/
Anyhow, I have to leave you with a cute story that also pertains to the title of this post.
When Grant was about 2, my uncle bought him a truck that had several buttons on it. If you pushed the red one right on the top, it played "Cotton Eyed Joe". We had that truck and listened to that song for probably a YEAR before I over-heard him singing "where did you come from, where did you go? Where did you come from HOT NACHO". HA HA HA He wasn't being funny either..he seriously thought those were the lyrics. Now anytime we hear that song, we all sing it that way. It's much more fun than cotton eyed joe anyway. :) Try it.

Still cleansing....

2011-04-28T17:46:00.002-05:00

Man, it seems like it's been days since I typed that last post! It's been a long day I guess...and it's not even close to over. Grant has his 1st baseball game tonight starting at 7:45 and ending at 9:15 and it's in another town about 25 minutes from here! That is RIDICULOUS to have 1st graders out playing ball that late! He'll have to have a bath when he gets home, jammies, teeth brushed, story, prayer...by the time he gets to sleep it'll be 2 full hours past his bedtime. :(
Anyway, I feel victorious to say that I'm still hanging in there with the cleanse. I got scarily close to ditching it about an hour ago. The kids were snacking, I heated up dinner for Matt, caught a glimpse of the huge strawberry birthday cake sitting in the fridge. I took one tiny bite (a crumb really) of Brooklyn's pizza and then figuratively smacked myself in the head and said WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?! :)
So, I made up my dinner salad which consisted of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, cilantro, sliced almonds and light raspberry vinagarette dressing and practically inhaled it. I haven't had my 3rd shake of the day because I'm trying to wait until around 7:30 to drink it. Since I know we'll be out late and I always get the munchies-especially if we're at the ball field-I thought I better hold off. I'm pretty relieved that I still have a "meal" coming to me. I did eat my whole banana earlier (1/2 in my shake and 1/2 plain) and I had an apple mid-morning with a few almonds. I'm eating a little more than I probably should...BUT...I'm also working out much harder and more than I should too...so I think it'll even out.
I'll tell ya...one thing they don't tell you about this cleanse is that you'll be in the bathroom ALL THE TIME. Not to poop...no, I haven't even pooped once yet...but to PEE! Seriously, between 3 shakes, 2 cups of green tea and 2 LITERS of water..I pee at least every 30 minutes!! I feel like I have a straw in my mouth about 80% of the time!
Anyway, in all, I'm really glad I'm doing this. I feel lighter and flatter already. I also feel a sense of accomplishment. The fact that I am ignoring that cake in the fridge is nearly a miracle. If you know me...I capital L. O. V. E. dessert and especially cold, moist, iced cake. OMG! But...I haven't even as much as TOUCHED it. Woot Woot!
Tomorrow will be a challenge, I expect because I will be home all day long (more tempting for me to eat) and then I have a fitness class to teach at 4:30 pm. Nevertheless, I know I can do it and I WILL do it. Beginning Saturday, it's back to P90X food/eating. No more cheesy enchiladas with chips and queso, lasagna with garlic bread and puff pastry strawberry crap. :) I'm ready to feel better by eating better. If you watch that video that I posted, you'll see what I mean...but something I just recently learned is that our bodies crave proper nutrition. When they don't get it, we eat and eat and eat trying to satisfy that need. When we eat the correct foods (or Shakeology) that persistent urge to eat all the time leaves. Our body gets what it's longing for and it's content. That makes perfect sense to me. I am excited about putting the constant struggle of wanting but restraining behind me. If I don't crave all that junk, I won't have to refrain from it all the time. Sure, I'll still have cheats every now and again...but not every day like I've gotten (back) into the habit of doing. I'm excited about the future........ are you? :)

Staring at the wall...

2011-04-28T07:22:00.002-05:00

Do you ever have the kind of day where you are really quiet and reflective and could just sit and stare at a blank wall for hours?
I've been feeling like this for about 24 hours now. Its kind of nice because for once I'm not moving around like the energizer bunny at all times...however, it's NOT good when you have lots of things that NEED to be done. I feel like I am being rebellious against my own self right now. For the past 30 minutes I've been sitting in my office, drinking my hot green tea and staring at the little dots of sunlight that are popping through the blinds on my window. I've had facebook on the screen of my computer but have only been about 1/2way into it.
I really need to get up and get moving. I have to get the kids to school in 30 minutes, I have a fitness class to teach right after that and the house is a WRECK...and I'm still sitting here in my nightgown and slippers.
Bahh...wish I could just ditch it all for one day. I love my life...but a day off sounds magical.
Anyway, back to reality...so I wanted to mention on here that I am doing a 3 day Shakeology Cleanse. Today is Day 2. I was supposed to have 3 shakes yesterday, but somehow, I only managed to get 2 down. VERY CRAZY because I was really freaking out that 3 shakes wasn't going to be NEARLY enough to satisfy me all day, BUT, I had such a crazy busy day yesterday that I actually didn't have time to make my middle of the day one....so I ended up just skipping it. I did have an apple mid-day and a few almonds mid-morning. I also had my evening salad with 4 oz. of tuna on top. I love it that this cleanse allows you to still eat with it. You get 2 pieces of fruit a day (optional) and a salad with 4 oz. of protien and very light or no dressing each evening...in addition to the 3 Shakeology shakes a day (and 2 cups of green tea).
Anyway, the scale shows I am down 3 full pounds since yesterday morning. I'm sure some of that is just water weight. I did do a pretty intense workout yesterday morning though so hopefully some of it is real weight. Tomorrow will really tell me and then the final result will be when I weigh on Saturday morning. Of course, I'm not doing this just to lose weight. Sure..dropping some pounds will be great...but I'm trying to get my body jump-started back to clean eating as well as clean pipes. :) I also ordered myself a TurboTracker so that I can start journaling my food intake/exercise output for a little while. I need to hold myself accountable. This is what worked for me back in the beginning and I know it will work for me now too, especially since I spent $15 on this notebook!!
Anyway, I'm sure you guys probably aren't interested in all that and I should seriously get up and get going. I will hopefully be back here again very soon! :) Happy Thursday Peeps!

You need to watch this!

2011-04-27T12:37:00.001-05:00

If you wonder what's the big deal about this Shakeology stuff...just watch this. It won't take long.

Facebook Withdrawls?!?!

2011-04-24T19:30:00.002-05:00

Happy Easter!
If you're a friend of mine on FB, you might have seen my post this past week that said I am committing to staying OFF of facebook on Sunday's from here on out. I figure one day a week I can give my family and God my FULL undivided attention and it's very doubtful that I am going to miss out on anything. Heck, I went a whole month without getting on facebook just a couple of months ago, so surely I can abstain one day a week, right?
But surprisingly (to me)...I'm itching to get on and check it. GRANTED...there are a few reasons why. For instance...I posted something on there for sale yesterday and I'd love to know if anyone is responding to that. Also, we had family pictures taken last week and I posted a couple of them yesterday and I'd like to see if anyone has commented on them. Besides the fact that it is Easter and people are probably posting wonderful happy statuses and pictures of their little ones in their Easter dresses and suits.
BUT...I refuse to go back on my word. So...here I am, in blog land instead, and I'm plenty happy. However, if I were going to post a status or two, they would've read something like this:

How is it that we hid 155 plastic eggs for the kids INSIDE our house and can only find 152 of them? We've looked for hours...and apparently 3 have gone AWOL.

I can't believe I will be married to a THIRTY FIVE YEAR OLD in 2 days. WOW! We aren't teenagers anymore, I guess. Happy Birthday on Tuesday Matthew Paul Jones! I love you!

Instead of giving the kids Easter baskets this year, we bought them each a gift. Brooklyn got the game Clue and Grant got a Pogo-stick. Best presents we've bought them in a long time. :)

I looked through the Power 90 nutrition guide this morning. Later: Went to my mom and dad's for Easter lunch and ate like it was The Last Supper. :(

My 15 year HS reunion is in exactly 2 months and 1 week. In those 9 weeks, I DEEPLY DESIRE to lose 12 pounds and FINALLY reach my goal weight, thus making my drivers license true again! :)

Participation in my fitness classes has dropped scarily low over the past 2 weeks. I'm not sure if people are losing interest or they've all achieved their goals already (yah right.) What is going on?

Okay...that's all the status updates I would post if I was on FB. I feel better getting them off my chest! ha ha Wow, now would anyone really have benefited from reading all that? NO. I am so goofy. I'm getting off here. Time to go play some Clue with my girlie-o!

It's Friday...that's my excuse

2011-04-15T08:59:00.004-05:00

So, it's Friday morning, 9 am. I'm sitting here in my VS gray T-shirt with silver stars all over the front and the words I LOVE PINK across my back. I have on my black comfty PJ capris and slipper boots that come up to my knees with big pom-pom balls at the top. I have a hot mocha in my cute "fill-drink-wash-repeat" cup and I should be working. But you know what? I don't care. Nope, I don't. Because it's Friday. That's my excuse, valid or not and I've decided to be naughty for an hour or so.
So, while half of me really wants to go curl up on the couch with a big fuzzy blanket and drift in and out of consciousness while I watch re-runs of House Hunters, the other half of me is yearning to ramble on and on with a bunch of nonsense on this blog like I used to. Maybe I'll split my time up between the two and get my nap when I'm done talking to you. Yep, that sounds perfect.
So, I wonder...what've you been up to? The only person who reads this blog and that I actually keep up with regularly (that I know of) is Rene. The rest of you are becoming like fond memories in the recesses of my mind and heart. And that........is NOT cool. I miss you guys. I miss your feed back and your encouragement. Some of you have been my BEST and DEAREST friends for several years now (KATE!) or even for over a decade (KANDY!) and now it seems like we never talk. :-(
I know, I know....it's 99% my fault. I've gone AWOL from blog land for nearly a year now and while it's been necessary...it isn't how I imagined my life going...or how I've wanted it to be. Sometimes life has a way of making these choices for you, ya know!?!
Nevertheless, today, my attention is here. I wish this were a real conversation with all of you so that it wouldn't seem like me doing all the talking. It feels awfully self-centered right now.
But...I guess there is no way around that. So I will talk...and you can choose to read or not. :)

So...I realized just now that I really like to start every paragraph with "So". I wonder if that is what I do when I'm actually talking too???....hmmm.....

Anyway, (ha ha)...Since it's been so long since I've really taken more than 3 minutes to write, I feel like I have a MILLION things I want to say. Let me just give you a few major high-lights.

1) March 4th...one of the best days I've had in a while. Most of you know that on January 1st, 2009, I lost my 1.25 carat princess cut engagement ring along with the .5 carat wedding band that went with it. My heart was shattered and for over 2 years now, I've been without a diamond on my finger (although I did wear a plain gold band to signify my married status). All of my closest friends have heard me beg, plead and whine about wanting a new ring pretty much non-stop. Because I knew we were saving up for it, I knew the time was coming. Since March 28th is our anniversary (13 years!), I sort of expected that MAYBE that would be the day I would finally have a rock on my hand again. But...on a regular Friday morning (March 4th), I got up, threw on an old sweatshirt, baseball cap, jeans and raggedy tennis shoes and hopped in the car to go run some errands before my fitness class later on. To my surprise, Matt took off work and decided to go with me. That was unexpected...but NOTHING like when he pulled into the parking lot of Israel Diamond and said, "well babe, I got a bonus check at work and here is $X,XXX in cash and you can go pick out whatever ring you want right now!" O to the M to the G! I was in shock. Seriously, I didn't even know how to react. Long story short, I left with a beautiful round, vintage diamond and a gigantic smile! :)

2) March 28th...the actual anniversary date. Every year we try to take some kind of a trip on our anniversary-just the 2 of us-to reconnect as a couple. And when I say reconnect...I mean a LOT of serious CONNECT-ing. :) It's a special time for us that we look forward to every year because let's face it...with 2 kids, work, sports, church, family, etc....there just isn't a lot of time for THAT kind of intimacy at home. On these trips we spend ALL DAY LONG giving each other our undivided attention. We wake up when we feel like it, then we drink our coffee usually outside while we enjoy the sound of nature, read our Bibles and enjoy the uninterrupted presence of God and each other. We'll eat breakfast and then maybe take a nap. Spend the afternoon outdoors usually--walking leisurely through small boutiques or maybe down a trail to the lake while we throw a few lines in at the fish. We talk and dream and LISTEN. There are no distractions and after an early lunch/dinner, we settle in by the fireplace in our jammies and let the wonderful day we've just had culminate into a beautiful celebration of love that lasts hours longer than the average 7 minutes we spend on it at home.
As you can see...it is the reinforcing thread that hold our marriage together and preserves our sanity for the next year. To not have it...would be....dangerous. Sometimes this trip is big and exciting (like the year we took the 7 day Carribean cruise or the year we went to Big Cedar Lodge with the honeymoon package ) and some years it is extremely small (like the year we got a motel room in our OWN TOWN and pretended we were somewhere far away).
This year.....was a DUD. I won't go into detail because who really wants to hear negative stuff anyway right? But I will just say that what might have turned out to be a decent trip ended in cold, rainy days that couldn't be enjoyed outdoors, a gross hotel room that was moldy and didn't even have the fireplace we were promised online...and we were accompanied (unexpectedly-last minute change) by our 2 wonderful children who were bored out of their minds to be stuck in a hotel room with nothing to do. Pooooopy! That's all I can say about that. I am looking for some way, some how to save up enough cash to take a replacement trip sometime soon so we can have this time that we desperately need. Still...on March 28th, amidst whiny children, rain and mold, we celebrated our 13th anniversary and I couldn't be more in love with Matt Jones than if he were a buffet of my favorite foods. :) (that's saying a lot!)

3) On Friday, April 8th, I reached a personal goal of having over 30 people attend my fitness classes in a week. It's not anything I've talked publicly about really, but just a small goal I had, a stepping stone of proof that my business is growing. I actually had 36 people total...but some of them aren't paying customers (for example: my mom, Matt, Brooklyn and the owner of the building) so I don't count them in my #'s. Speaking of.....yes! Brooklyn has been attending my classes! I am so proud of her! She is doing GREAT!

4) I just finished reading "What Are You Waiting For? : The One Thing No One Ever Tells You About Sex" by author Dannah Gresh. It is for young women who aren't married yet. It was a page-turner though and answered a question I've had from the day I got married (13 years now). It's crazy that all this time I've thought my body was dysfunctional only to find out the problem was a result of something I did as a teenager! I highly recommend this book to all women. Even if you've been married for years....it will certainly shed a whole new light on what it really means to "lie with" your spouse!

Well, I think that is about it. I'd love to take a whole paragraph and tell you about how Brooklyn hit a homerun in her softball game the other night, but I understand that is not really THAT AWESOME unless you are her parent or her grandparent...so I won't go into it. I'll just say that it was an enormous deal for us. Brooklyn has never had a home run and quite frankly, I don't think she ever, in her wildest dreams, expected to. I shed tears of joy at watching her plow through those bases with such abandon and force. I knew it was going to be one of the best days of her childhood! A memory she would carry long into her adult years! :)

I guess before I end, I will touch on the subject of my health and fitness, since I AM doing this post on my P90X blog. I admit though, I'm leery of "going there" today. You know how it is...some days you just aren't "feeling it" and today....BLAH.
At the beginning of my fitness classes (Feb. 8th) I was at 140 pounds. Not great seeing as how just the month before I had won a weight loss challenge and lost down to 135. BUT...I did take a few weeks off (between when I got fired from the gym and when I started my classes) and I basically soothed the pain with junk food. (the oldest mistake in the book!)
After about 2-3 weeks of classes and I hadn't dropped any weight, I decided to start drinking Shakeology seriously. I figured if I am selling this stuff and telling people how great it is, I should really give it a try. So I did...and within about 3-4 weeks, I lost that 5 pounds. I've been sitting comfortably at 135 again now for a while...until I got on the scale yesterday and it said 137. {{BIG SIGH.....}} I'm so sick of chasing a number. My goal has been 125 for almost SEVEN years now. Do you know how exhausting it is to reach for something that is SO close for 7 years but never attain it?
Again, I'm split...half of me wants to say WTHECK...WHATEVER...WHO CARES! and the other half of me says NO! I CAN DO THIS! I WILL DO THIS! It is a war within and honestly the winning side switches about as often as the wind changes direction. :-/
I do know this much, I need to get to around 133, at least, if I want to be able to wear my summer shorts/capris without gasping for breath every time I sit down. I tried them on last week (when our temps reached 90!!) and it was not good. You know your pants are too tight when you take them off and there is a red line where every seam, button and thread was! :(
Thankfully, I have the tools and support I need to make these changes and get the results I want. :)

So....that's it. That's me today. I'd love to hear how you are. Leave me a big old long comment. It's cool. It would probably make my heart skip a beat to know that some of you haven't given up on me and my blog! :)
Have a great Friday and weekend! :)

2011-04-05T07:25:00.002-05:00

I am seriously missing this blog. I have got to make some time to do it. I sure wish there was a way I could do it while I sit at softball practice for 1 1/2 hours twice a week....but no wifi. :(
Anyway, just wanted to say, I miss you all!

The Good Life :)

2011-03-15T07:19:00.003-05:00

Well, it’s about TIME for an update, wouldn’t ya say?!? Yikes! I’m sure it goes without saying that I’ve been busy! But wow! WHAT FUN this has been!
First things first: My Cross Training Fitness classes at Impact are going great! I’ve had about 25 different people come, most of which have all become “regulars”. AWESOME! I still miss my girls from the gym a lot and it’s bittersweet when I realize that by teaching so many classes myself now, I probably will NEVER get to go back to my old classes….but I know I’m where I’m supposed to be. Hopefully they can come visit ME sometime!

Also, more exciting news is that with all the success the classes have had, we’ve decided to add MORE! My good friend, Jaime, started teaching a 6 am boot camp class this week on Monday’s and Wednesday’s and will eventually add Friday’s too! Today was her first class and she had 4 people! That is fantastic!! It’s going to be fun working with her and I’m excited to see where God is going to take Cross Training Fitness in the future!
Another thing I’m excited about, which leads me to my next topic, is….

I am finally breaking the plateau I’ve seemed to be stuck at for quite a while now! Between using Shakeology (almost) daily and doing hour-long workouts 6 days a week, my body is starting to respond and that is pretty exciting! And even MORE than that, is the success that people in my classes are having! It is so rewarding to hear people saying that they are losing weight, having more energy, feeling better about themselves and getting stronger!!! What a blessing!
As you can imagine, my workouts with TurboFire have been put on hold. As much as I love it and I really DO WANT to do it, I just can’t push my body any harder than I already am. I have taken a lot of what I learned in the first month of doing though and put those moves into my workouts. It’s so fun to have the variety, intensity and coreography from P90X, Insanity and TurboFire to use to make up my unique routines!

Another thing that is going great is Beachbody Coaching. At the beginning of this year I was at a “turning point” with that whole thing…and was pretty much like-I’m going to give this one last shot and if it doesn’t work out, I’m done. Well, it turns out that all it took was me to get serious about it and actually TRY at it a little and things started moving right along. Every week I experience more success and now my coach, Carla, is well on the road to catching up to me. We've started offering a 3-day Shakeology Cleanse for $45, which is a great chance to try Shakeology without spending a lot and people are LOVING this option. You get 9 individual packets and can either drink 3 per day for 3 days (as a cleanse) or you can drink 1 per day for 9 days and just see how Shakeology works on a daily basis.

I know some people probably think of this part of my life (coaching) just as something I do to make extra money and something that might be a nuisance (if you get tired of hearing about it)…but if you only understood how great it is to be able to help people (through coaching) from all over the US. Many times it also works into a ministry opportunity too, which is the ultimate blessing!

Anyway, that’s about it for me right now! I’m sorry I’ve been away from blogging for so long. Even though I don’t get a chance to write very often, I still thoroughly enjoy it and intend to keep blogging just as much as I can. Please let me know if there are ever any questions I can answer for you!
Love, Jen

The Whole Scoop

2011-02-19T11:51:00.003-06:00

Okay, if you are one of my wonderful, regular readers that don't live in my town...this post will probably bore you.
BUT...if you are here because you are checking out "The Whole Scoop" on my Cross Training Fitness classes...then READ ON! :)

Here's the dealio:

Class Schedule:
Mondays 6:30-7:30 pm Intense Interval
Tuesdays 9:00-10:00 am Bikini Bootcamp
Wednesdays 9:00-10:00 am Hardbody Weightlifting
Thursdays 9:00-10:00 am Bikini Bootcamp
Fridays 4:30-5:30 pm Bootcamp/Hardbody Mix (**beginning 3/4)
Saturdays 9:00-10:00 Intense Interval
Sundays: REST! :)

Class Description:

Intense Interval: Rotate between lifting weights and cardio intervals. We will spend about 5 minutes on one muscle group (lifting) and then do a 1-2 minute cardio drill and then move onto the next muscle group (lifting) and so on.

Bikini Bootcamp: No bikini required! :) This is a full hour of cardio. Everything from squats, jumps, lunges, kicks, punches, planks, etc. Come and watch the fat MELT away!

Hardbody Weightlifting: No fast-paced cardio, we will focus on sculpting the major muscle groups of the body. (Chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, quads, hamstrings and core). Adding muscle speeds up the metabolism and gives your body SHAPE!

Bootcamp/Hardbody Mix: This class will use the first 30 minutes to get your body sweating with crazy cardio. Then the last 30 minutes we will max out each major muscle group in the body with weights. Plan to use heavier than normal weights here...we won't do many reps. (12-16 on average)

Important Information for all classes:
*SHOES: We are blessed to be using this wonderful facility that has amazing shock-absorbing mats on the floor. In order to maintain good care of the mats, we need to carefully check our shoes before we begin, making sure to clean out any dirt, gum, rocks, stickers, etc. The best thing would be to have special shoes you ONLY use for working out that you can just bring with you and change into.
ALSO---If you are using old, worn out tennis shoes to work out in, I HIGHLY suggest you invest in some good, supportive shoes. We do a lot of jumping and your feet and legs NEED proper support and shock-absorption. The brand of shoe isn't important, just make sure the fit is good.

*PRICE: All classes are $5.00. Everytime you attend a class, you get a punch in your punchcard and the 10th class is FREE. Also, bring a friend to class for the first time and you get DOUBLE PUNCHED! Also...

*COMING SOON: Pay-by-the-month option! Some people have asked about paying by the month and I think that is a fabulous idea. Beginning March 1st, I will offer a flat rate of $55/month. That is HALF-PRICE (a savings of $55) if you paid for each class individually.

*FOR SALE: I currently have P90X Recovery Drink single-serving packets as well as P90X Protein bars for sale. They will eventually be priced at $2 each, but right now they are only $1 each. This is a great price and a wonderful way for you to sample the products before you buy.

*HANDWEIGHTS: I am slowly buying more and more sets of handweights to keep up at the studio for you all to use. However, in the meantime, you will need to bring your own handweights to all classes except Bikini Bootcamp. Ideally everyone would have a "light" and "heavy" set of weights. "Light" is usually 3-5 pounds for girls and 5-10 pounds for guys. "Heavy" is usually 8-12 pounds for girls and 12-20 pounds for guys. Of course, everyone is at different levels, so listen to YOUR body! If any of you have a set of weights you don't want anymore, let me know, I want them! :)

*SPREAD THE WORD!: As of right now, I am relying solely on word-of-mouth getting the news about these classes out. I am working on a banner, flyers, etc. to post around town but anything you can do to help me get the word out, is highly appreciated! :)

*CHILDCARE: There is not supervised childcare. However, there is a small play area for kids in the back corner. On Saturdays and during evening classes, my daughter comes to help play with and entertain the kids. She is not disciplining or babysitting, but I do pay her a small amount to help keep the kids happy and busy.

*FEEDBACK: It is wonderful to hear your comments and suggestions regarding these classes. I am here for YOU. I want to serve you and do whatever I can to help you get in great shape and live a happy, healthy life. Please feel free to say anything to me that you think would make this program better!

*FITNESS LEVEL: It doesn't matter if you are very overweight, completely out of shape, extremely fit, a professional athlete, young or old, these classes ARE FOR YOU. I will always show multiple levels of intensity so that EVERYONE can workout at their own level. Please, please, PLEASE don't think that you can't do it. You CAN! Don't let the start stop you!

*Wanna do this AT HOME?: Everything we do in our classes comes from one of Beachbody's AMAZING fitness programs. P90X, Insanity and TurboFire are the main programs I use and have had phenomenal results with. (Just ask me to see mine and Matt's before pictures if you want to see the proof!!) I am a coach for Beachbody and I sell these programs. I love working out together in a group, that is why I am doing these classes, but for anytime you can't make it to the gym for class, don't want to, etc....you NEED one of these programs at home. Check out my Beachbody website for info on the products and how to order! www.beachbodycoach.com/onetoughgirl (you can also see my before and after pics there and read my testimony!)

*WHAT ABOUT NUTRITION?: I am not a nutritionist or a doctor. However, I DO know how to lose weight and eat healthy and I would LOVE to help you! I know what works because it has worked for me and my family and tons of my friends. I can help you with recipes and snack ideas as well as important supplements for boosting your health. Number one thing I will suggest for everyone is an AMAZING super-food shake called SHAKEOLOGY. I drink it every day and it makes me feel terrific. There are a million things I could say about it, but just ask me for more info or go to my SHAKEOLOGY website! One thing I will NOT do is ever make you feel pressured to buy anything! I am only here to help you find what you are looking for. I am not a salesman and hope I never come across that way.

*CANCELED CLASS?: If Coweta Public Schools are closed for inclement weather, class will be canceled. If you are ever unsure, you can always check my facebook page for the latest information. In the event that I am sick or unable to instruct, I do have a couple of wonderful substitute instructors to fill in. Again...that will be posted on facebook.

*CONTACT INFO: There are numerous ways for you to get in touch with me.
Impact Martial Arts Studio website is www.impacttkd.com
Friend me on Facebook: Jennifer Jones
My Beachbody Coach website: www.beachbodycoach.com/onetoughgirl
My fitness blog: www.p90xourjourney.blogspot.com
My email: jennimatt10@hotmail.com
My phone #: 918-697-6086
Impact Martial Arts phone #: 918-384-8393

Fitness Classes!!!

2011-01-31T17:01:00.003-06:00

Hey Guys! Well....I am SO EXCITED to announce that I will be instructing fitness classes in my town beginning on Feb. 8th!
Here is the schedule:
Tue 9-10 am: Bootcamp
Wed 9-10 am: Pump
Thur 9-10 am: Bootcamp
Sat 9-10 am: Interval
This place has wonderful facility with mirrors, bathrooms, awesome flooring AND a play area for children with toys and a TV/DVD.
The owner said "You just wouldn't believe what perfect timing this is!" and I thought...OH YES I WOULD! God's timing is PERFECT!

If I have good reception with these classes, I also have the ability to add a Monday evening and Friday evening class. (6:30-7:30).

Anyone who attends the pump or interval class will need to bring their own set of hand weights. For girls I suggest 5, 8 or 10 pounds and for guys 12, 15 or 20 pounds. There is a weight-area where we can leave our weights if we want.

Classes are $5 each. I will be providing each person with a punchcard. After 10 punches, you get a free class.

Let me know if any of you have any questions or suggestions and also let me know if you plan on coming!! AND PLEASE PASS THE WORD AROUND TO ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!!

I am beyond excited at how God is working all of this out!

One last thing...I am trying to think of a creative name for my business...something that involves fitness and also lets people know I'm a Christian. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears!
Love you all,
Jen

Bootcamp: Cardio class. (jumping, squats, push ups, lunges, jacks, punches, kicks)
Pump: Weightlifting. Will focus on all major muscle groups (chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, quads, hamstrings and core/abs)
Interval: Alternating between weights and cardio. 5 minutes cardio/3 minutes weights.

Ps. If any of you are local and want to know where it's at...just message me! :) Husbands are welcome too! :)

Beachbody Bargains!

2011-01-28T12:10:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to be sure I let all of you know about the sale that is going on at Beachbody right now! For a limited time you can order the P90X Results and Recovery Drink and the Peak Protien Bars for a great discounted price. I'm not sure of the exact (to the penny) cost...but I think the Recovery Drink is around $25 right now (instead of $50) and the Protien bars are around $15 instead of $23. So, if you've been thinking about ordering some or want to try it...this is the time! Be sure to order using this link : http://beachbodycoach.com/onetoughgirl (fyi: if you don't order using that above link, I will NOT get credit for your purchase, unless I am already currently your Beachbody coach. If I'm not your coach....I would love to be!)

Ps. fyi: The Recovery Drink is a orange-y tasting drink that you use after a workout to help relieve soreness and restore energy for the next workout.

Don't stop eating when you feel full...

2011-01-24T10:44:00.003-06:00

STOP SOONER!

We all grew up thinking (or at least I did) that as long as we stop eating when we feel full, then we've done good. But something our elders failed to teach us, is that it takes a good 15-20 minutes for what you've eaten to register with your body....So by the time you start to think "Man, I feel full" you probably should've stopped 15 minutes ago! Yikes! (okay maybe not exactly...but you get what I'm saying!?!)
Surely I'm not the only one who, while sitting at a restaurant with friends, suddenly feels the need to be wheeled out in a wheelchair because I feel like I'm gonna be sick if I move. How many millions of times have I said to myself "WHY did you let yourself eat so much?" "I should've quit a LONG time ago!!" "Being a little bit hungry is a zillion times better than being over-full!" Ugh!

Well, now that I'm back to eating food for fuel rather than pleasure, and monitoring my portion sizes, I'm remembering what it's like to stop eating BEFORE I'm full. And its actually rather enjoyable. With this TurboFire nutrition plan, I never get that "FULL" feeling. Instead, I may actually leave the table still feeling like I want more. But that is your mind playing tricks on you!! Don't fall for it! Wait 15-20 minutes (or probably even as few as five minutes) and see how you feel. I almost ALWAYS feel satisfied. And THAT my friends, is what you're after!
And furthermore...are we really going to sit back and allow ourselves to be RULED by our feelings? EVEN IF I don't feel full OR satisfied, if I've just eaten an apple and 1 tbsp. of almond butter then I know I've had a very ample and nutritious snack and that is that. My feelings aren't going to dictate to me that I need more...and neither are my tastebuds. I'm the boss!! :)

Let's brainstorm some ideas of ways we can stop this over-eating phenomenon! Here are my top 10:

1) At home, ACTUALLY MEASURE your portion sizes. I know...you're dirtying up measuring cups that you'll have to wash. Boo! I agree. BUT...after a few times of doing this, you'll be able to eye-ball it and stay within recommended portion sizes. FYI: Your plate should be divided up into 3 parts. 1/2 is for veggies. 1/4 is for lean protien. 1/4 is for good carbs. If you're filling up your plate and thinking "this is never gonna be enough" that's okay. Just tell yourself that you'll eat this much to start with...then wait 5-10 minutes. If you're still hungry, you can refill the veggies half of your plate! :)

2) At a restaurant, split your entree with someone!

3) At a restaurant, ask the waiter to bring you a to-go box when he brings out your food and immediately put half in a container. Not only will you be getting 2 meals for the price of one, you will keep yourself from eating enough food for 2 people at one setting!

4) At home, eat off a smaller plate. It has been proven that we automatically FILL our plates. So it's pretty simple math that if you have a 10" diameter plate you'll fill it with less food than you would a 14" plate. I eat off the same plates my kids use a lot of the time.

5) Before any meal, drink a glass of water...and possibly even eat a snack. Especially when I know we are going out and I am probably going to be eating something not super-healthy, I will eat a banana before we leave or drink a large glass of ice water. You are taking up space with something healthy and therefore...you instantly have less room for chips and queso (or bread
and olive oil) or whatever your favorite appetizer food is!

6) At a restaurant: Seat yourself AWAY from the freebies. Or, move the freebies out of your reach. It is much less convenient to eat the free chips and salsa if you have to reach across the table everytime. When it's right in front of your nose, you will eat them mindlessly without ever noticing. You'd be AMAZED at how many tortilla chips ONE PERSON can put away when basket after basket are set down in front of you!!

7) Chew and chew and chew. Ideally, you will chew 20 times per bite. I've counted and tried this...and that is about 13 more chews than I normally do. Slow the heck down! Eat intentionally...and make sure your mind realizes what you're doing. I've actually been so busy some days that I had to mentally think and try to remember if I ate lunch or not!!!

8) Put your fork down! The majority of people load their fork for the next bite while they're still chewing the one they JUST put in their mouth. Watch around at restaurants. People everywhere will be chewing while they hold their fork a mere inch away from their mouth...just hovering there while they wait for the swallow and re-load. :) Put that fork down, drink your water, again...slow down. :)
.
9) At a restaurant: Sabatoge your dinner. I don't personally recommend or use this technique because I don't believe in wasting...but if you just have to....ruin your food. When you've eaten an adequate amount, dump salt or sugar or salsa or whatever is handy on your plate on the remainder of your food. It's childish, yes...but hey, sometimes we gotta do what we gotta do! At least you will guarantee yourself that you won't just keep sitting there and picking at it!

10) Don't order your favorite entree. I know that sounds crazy, but if you order something that is healthy but isn't your favorite...the chances of you going over-board stuffing yourself are MUCH LESS. Matt always says when I'm cooking super-healthy "well, at least we'll be guaranteed to lose weight. Not only is the food healthy...but it's not very tasty so we aren't tempted to over-eat!" I know that is NOT a compliment :)...but he's right. It's a lot easier to leave steamed broccoli on my plate than it is crispy french fries!

So, do you have any other suggestions we can add to the list? I'd love to hear them!

TurboFire EATING

2011-01-23T15:40:00.004-06:00

Posted by me on Facebook last week: I hate it when people say "I tried P90X and it didn't really work". And then I ask them if they followed the nutrition plan and they say "no, but I did the workouts." If you ONLY did the nutrition part but didn't do the workouts, would you say you "did it" ? NO, of course not...so don't say you "did it" if you neglected the nutrition aspect of it. It takes BOTH.

So, in an attempt to NOT be a hypocrite :), I am going to actually start following the nutrition plan that came with my TurboFire workout.
You'll notice, that I am substituting Shakeology for my lunch everyday. I won't do this on the weekend because I want to be able to eat with my family. I am hoping that by adhering to this meal plan very strictly during the week and trying to stay "in control" but not overly strict on the weekends will still allow me to lose around a pound a week.
I thought I'd post my meal plan on here, because in the past, a lot of you have mentioned that you enjoy following these with me.

Monday:
B: Guiltless Egg Sandwich*
S: Apple with 1 tbsp. almond butter
L: Shakeology
S: Banana and 10 raw whole almonds
D: Herb-Roasted Chicken, mashed cauliflower*

Tuesday:
B: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal*
S: Celery with 1 tbsp. peanut butter
L: Shakeology
S: Banana and 10 raw whole almonds
D: Grilled Lemon Salmon, candied carrots*

Wednesday:
B: Fruit & Nut Muffin*
S: Apple with 1 tbsp. almond butter
L: Shakeology
S: Banana and 10 raw whole almonds
D: Panko-crusted Chicken, simple spinach salad*

Thursday:
B: Oatmeal w/ banana
S: Celery with 1 tbsp. peanut butter
L: Shakeology
S: String cheese, apple
D: Sneaky Turkey Spaghetti, green salad*

Friday:
B: Guiltless Egg Sandwich
S: Apple with 1 tbsp. almond butter
L: Shakeology
S: Banana and 10 raw whole almonds
D: Island Pork Tenderloin & steamed asparagus

Recipes:
Guitless Egg Sandwich
1 whole wheat english muffin
2 egg whites
2 turkey sausage links (approx. 60 cal/each)
1 slice low-fat cheddar cheese

Herb-roasted Chicken
1 whole chicken, approx. 3 lbs.
2 tbsp. dried herbs
1/2 lemon, juice
butter-flavored non-stick cooking spray
salt & pepper
~Roast chicken in oven with herbs, lemon juice and spray on it.

Candied Carrots
8 c. shredded carrots
4 tbsp. honey
~Steam carrots, add honey and stir until coated.

Fruit & Nut Muffin
1 whole wheat english muffin
1 tbsp. nut butter
1 tbsp. fruit preserves

Panko-crusted Chicken
8 5-0z skinless boneless chicken breasts
3/4 c. Panko (Japanese style bread crumbs)
1/4 c. dijon mustard
1/2 c. non-fat plain yogurt
2 tbsp. sesame oil
3 garlic cloves
1 1/2 tbsp. dried parsley
~Wash chicken breasts, pat dry with a paper towel and set aside. In a large bowl, wisk together mustard, crushed garlic, yogurt and sesame oil. In a sperate bowl, mix parsley with panko. Dip chicken into mustard mixture and then roll it into bread crumbs. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray and bake it at 475 degrees for 20 minutes or until coating is golden brown and chicken is no longer pink. Then use a meat thermometer to test chicken or pierce the thicker portion to make sure juices run clear. Serve with Dijon sauce.

Dijon Sauce
1/4 dijon mustard
1/4 c. non-fat yogurt
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
~Combine all ingredients. To serve, place a dollop of sauce over each chicken breast.

Simple Spinach Salad
4 c. spinach
1/2 tbsp. balsalmic vinegar
1/2. tbsp. olive oil
medium tomato
medium cucumber, sliced
~Combine all ingredients, toss

Sneaky Turkey Spaghetti
Whole wheat spaghetti noodles
Lean ground turkey
Sugar-free organic spaghetti sauce
diced zuchiini
shredded carrots
~Brown meat and season with italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper. Add sauce, and veggies and cook until veggies are tender. Serve over cooked noodles

To find recipe for Island Pork Tenderloin, just type it in under "search this blog" and you'll find it! :) YUMMY!

Make a profit as a Beachbody Coach

2011-01-19T16:01:00.005-06:00

I had a request to explain how to make a profit as a Beachbody Coach..and I'm glad you asked (Kelly) because that is a great question that I've failed to really explain on here.

The moment that you sign up to become a coach, you can start earning money. With every sale you make, you earn 25% of that sale. So for instance, let's say you sign up and then your friend wants to purchase P90X. You would earn $30 and get a check that week in the mail. So...that is one way to earn money...by finding the people who are looking for help with getting fit and healthy (just about EVERYONE these days) and setting them up with a fitness program (which comes with a nutrition guide) as well as suggesting Shakelogy to them for their nutrition. Once they make a purchase, you get a check!

Secondly, (and the possibilities here just NEVER end!) you are also on the lookout for other people who would like to benefit financially through this opportunity. Once you get 2 coaches to sign up beneath you, you become an EMERALD coach and the awesome thing about that is then Beachbody starts GIVING you customers! Yes, at that point, anytime someone calls in from the infomercial or goes onto the website and purchases any program or supplement, they get assigned a coach and BOOM! You start getting customers left and right that you didn't even have to "work" for! (this is the level I am currently at!) Everytime these people buy anything, you make 25% of the sale!!!

As you continue to add coaches beneath you, and they add coaches beneath them, the financial possibilities increase at rapid rates! You advance from Emerald to Ruby to Diamond (and so on).

Something that I didn't realize until my coaches helped me, is that there are ways to get yourself to Emerald very quickly (I did it in a week!) and then you can start getting those "free" customers right off the bat and start earning money that you didn't work for. Of course, in order to maintain those customers and be a helpful coach that will excel...you will want to maintain contact with your customers and encourage them as well as help answer their questions. This is what the "work" is. (Not too shabby! :)

Another thing that I've been clueless about, but am getting started with, is having Beachbody home parties and hosting a Fit Club event. A home party is basically like any home party you've been to. You have samples available (Recovery Drink, Shakeology, protien bars) and even have a sampling of the DVD's playing so they can see what the workouts look like. You can explain a bit about the company, the programs, the nutritional supplements and the coaching opportunity.
For the Fit Club event, you want to find a church gym or hotel meeting room, etc. where you can host an actual work out using one of the cardio-based DVD's (Insanity, TurboFire, P90X Plyometrics, etc.) You don't charge the people for this, but you do give them the opportunity to try out a workout and see how awesome they are (or a sample of Shakeology or Recovery Drink) and you can hand them a business card and show them how they can go to your website to order the program for themselves.

So as you can see, there are numerous ways to make money by being a coach! (and I've only listed out a few). If you want more info, just let me know!

**SUPER IMPORTANT DETAIL: If you just took the time to read all of this and have decided to become a coach, PLEASE respect me and the information I've given you by becoming a coach on MY TEAM! :) Besides the fact that I would love you have you join me...you will be joining Team Wildfire, which is a large group of very succesful, enthusiastic coaches who will tutor and train you every single step of the way and remain in constant contact with you so that you can be succesful! (not to mention we are headed up by a husband and wife team who know Tony Horton personally and have been in magazines and infomercials!) In order for you to join our team, I first have to be your coach. Then you can click "Be a Coach" and you will get to join my team!
**FYI: If you've ever purchased anything from Beachbody before, then you have been assigned a coach, but a quick call to Beachbody Customer Relations can get you switched over so that I am your coach (onetoughgirl). Just holler if you have any questions!

devastated, but not defeated

2011-01-15T13:59:00.002-06:00

I don't even know what to call this post...because nothing seems to fit. Let me just tell it like it is...yesterday I got fired from the gym that I instruct at.

It all started on Thursday morning when I invited some girlfriends over to do a workout with me. That morning while I was waiting on them to arrive, my over-active brain started working on an idea...an idea of how COOL it would be if I could rent a space or borrow a church or school gymnasium and teach a fitness class in the small town I live in. I live about 25 minutes away from the town that the gym is located in-and in our little town-there isn't ANY kind of place that offers group fitness classes....so....I thought this would be great! I could teach a class in town on a day that I don't teach at the gym. It would also be beneficial for my Beachbody business because since this wouldn't be associated with the gym, I could use my P90X, Insanity and TurboFire workouts for these classes...sort of a "Fit Club". It sounded pretty exciting and cool, so I posted on Facebook to see if any of my hometown buddies would be interested....and lots of them were. Cool beans I thought! This is gonna be so fun!

Then Friday got here...
First of all I got a "reality check" email from a sweet friend who was helping me see the un-profitable-ness of my idea. If I only charged $3 per class, it would never be enough to pay the rent somewhere. She was right. I was discouraged....BUT....I'm a dreamer and I'm quite impulsive sometimes. This particular time my thoughts got away from me and I guess before I'd really thought it through, I let my excitement get the best of me and I posted on FB to see if there'd be a response. But after reading her e-mail and seeing her put the "pencil to the paper" and show me the figures...I could see her point. At that rate, I was going to be LOSING money. Poo!

It was oh....a few minutes later when I got an email from another friend, letting me know that she was going to cancel her "coach" status under me. Another disappointment. I understand her reasons completely, but...still that was something I've been hoping for and working towards and it finally happened and then it was being taken away.

So...then I start to see a major shift in my mood...suddenly I'm not in a chipper cheerful mood anymore. I'm feeling like I've just been slapped.....NO! I say to myself....I am God's chosen daughter, whom He deeply loves and has empowered and nothing can touch me! I post that on FB....and I'm trying---really trying to not let these little disappointments ruin my day.

I can NOT let them ruin my day because today is Brooklyn's BIG 10th birthday slumber party at a hotel and I've got to be "ON" for 3 very excited and expecting little girls for the next 24 hours.

Fast forward a couple of hours...I step out of the shower in time to get a call from my boss at the gym. She starts out by saying "I love my job but I hate this part of it"....and I get that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that KNOWS something bad is coming.
She then proceeds to tell me that I'm fired. I can't teach at the gym anymore effective immediately...and all because I posted on FB that I "was thinking about teaching a class in my town somewhere"......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT??????????
I was in shock...I mean......really???? It was just an IDEA...a THOUGHT...something I hadn't even begun to carry out. How can that be a reason to FIRE ME? Do they think I'm a malicious evil person who sets out to do wrong things and then post it on the world wide web for everyone to see? I've done nothing but bend over backwards for that place. I give them 110% every. single. time. I've taught when I'm sick, I've canceled plans to sub for someone else, I've covered for people with only 10 minutes notice. I've taught 3 fitness classes in a ROW before because the teacher after me didn't show up for her class so I stayed and taught YOGA even though I was 100% unprepared...because THAT is the kind of person I am. When I work for someone, I give them ALL of me. I work for them as if I were working for the Lord. I believe that is the right way to be and some people call me a brown-noser or a butt-kisser but I don't care because that is who I am and that is the kind of person I would want working for me. I have a pure heart that never seeks to do wrong or harm anyone and the last thing I would ever intentionally do is hurt the company that pays my bills. I felt like my person, my integrity and my intentions were being attacked...and so...then came the tears. Buckets and buckets of them. Sobs. All my friends from class. All my relationships that I've made there. All the hard work I've put in and money I've spent! MONEY!!!!!!!! It dawns on me that I JUST SPENT $300 to get AFAA certified and now I'll never have the opportunity to make that money back. Not even to mention the wireless mic, countless CD's and workout gear!....more tears....

Then...chalk it up to irony or coincidence or salt in the wound, but as I leave the house for this slumber party, I quickly grab the mail and LOW AND BEHOLD what is in there? My "Congratulations you are now AFAA Certified" papers! Yes...when I normally would have been celebrating and breathing a GIGANTIC sigh of relief and gratefulness that I passed my test (and with an 89%!) ...instead it just feels like someone is poking a needle around in an open wound. At that moment, I don't even WANT to be AFAA certified...I just want this whole nightmare to END!

Nevertheless...I know I HAVE to put this out of my mind for the evening and focus on making this party special for my daughter....and so I did.

But now it's Saturday and reality slapped me in the face the moment I woke up...and it's eating at me from the inside and I feel like I'm wasting away. I'm shutting down. I want away from people and facebook and organizations and businesses and corporations and groups. The devil is having his way with my mind...telling me what an idiot I am and that I can't EVER keep my mouth shut. That every time I talk I mess something up and I should just SHUT THE HECK UP for good.
But sadly for him...I know what a liar he is and I recognize his evil voice when it speaks to me. Thankfully, I'm wise enough to know that I need to run hard and fast into the arms of God....and so I read my Bible (actually, it was Gideon's :) this morning and although I turned to Psalm 91 for some encouragement...after I read it...I happened upon Psalm 94.,,,"The Lord my defender!" Wow...that is EXACTLY what I need right now....more than anything in the world...I need the Lord to be my defender. I didn't do anything wrong at all...and anyone who knows me KNOWS that I live to 1) please the Lord and 2) please people and if "Corporate" at the gym felt that I was a threat to their business more than an asset, then it will have to be God Himself who defends me.

Lastly, I have to say a HUGE thanks to 1) Shelley...who taught me everything I know. Who has been a million times more than "just" an instructor to me. Shell you are a precious friend and I will forever be a different and better woman because of you!
2) Matt, my better half, my best friend. You left work early, brought me roses home and had tears in your eyes for me as you handed them to me. Nothing on earth has ever meant more to me than those tears did. That said "I LOVE YOU" more than anything ever has in my whole life!
3) Rene, my dear friend, who listened to me cry and then without a second thought went straight from regular conversation into an amazing spontaneous prayer for me. That touched me so deeply. Thank you for being with me for the last 24 hours and keeping me from doing anything stupid or crazy that I would have surely regretted!
4) All of my other friends, classmates and loved ones that have supported me and will support me as soon as you read this and know what's going on. I love you...and my cup overflows!

Please pray for the man who fired me. He needs the Lord-obviously. And while you're at it, throw a prayer up for me too...cuz this "tough girl" doesn't feel tough at ALL anymore. (sniff-sniff)

Insanity meets Zumba=TurboFire

2011-01-14T12:48:00.004-06:00

So...many of you have been asking...what is TurboFire! Well......let me tell you!!!! :)

It is SO FUN! It is not quite as challenging as Insanity and not quite as dancy as Zumba...but the perfect combination of both! So far, I've only come across one person who didn't LOVE it (and I won't mention who THAT was!!! ;)

Things I LOVE about it:
1) It really does feel like you're in a group fitness class! So many people tell me that they wish they could do an at-home workout program but that they just can't stay motivated at home and that they do so much better in a group setting. And you know what??????? I totally get that! I completely agree!! Why do you think that even though I am a Beachbody coach and have all these awesome home-programs...that I STILL go to the gym 2-3 times a week?? Because I LOOOOOVE people and I LOVE the group setting. I love the energy you get from your neighbor and how watching them push hard and kick high makes me go even harder and challenge myself even more. I love the fun, modern music and hearing the instructor yell at us to SQUAT LOWER or GO FASTER or KICK HIGHER!! That completely floats my boat. And for the first time ever, I get that same feeling at home...with these workouts! But now I don't HAVE to go to the gym and workout at a specific time slot to get that...I can do it whenever I want!

2) It works you HARD...but not so hard that you puke and feel like you have to crawl for the rest of the day. Basically the workouts (that I've done so far) are set up to be a steady-rate cardio class...until you hear the sound of the "Fire Drill"...when the "Fire alarm" goes off...you do a 1-minute all-out (highest level of intensity humanly possible) drill. Basically during these fire drills, you should push yourself as if you were being chased by someone with a chainsaw threatening to cut your head off! But...that's only for ONE MINUTE and then you get a whole one minute recovery period to get your heart rate back under control and get going again.

3) You don't have to spend an hour+ exercising every day! Nope, it's like the best of both worlds...the workouts are shorter, but with the way they're set up (interval training) you get 9x more out of them than a regular steady-state cardio class!

4) They're instructed by a woman! If you haven't "met" Chalean yet...omg! Be prepared to fall in love! ha ha...that sounds weird, but besides being SO toned and beautiful...she is SO down to earth. She is the REAL DEAL--a mother of 2 and not some young tiny thing in her 20's. She's such an inspiration and she has an addicting personality! Love her bits of sarcasm, toughness and sweetness all at the same time. She's tells it like it is...but she's so cute and sweet when she says it that you can't help but love her while you're hating what she's saying! I was ready for a break from all the testosterone--sorry Tony H. and Shaun T. :)

5) You don't need all kinds of equipment. No hand weights or pull up bar to purchase here. Nope, everything you could need comes with it! 2 kinds of resistance bands as well as a great nutrition guide (like all the programs) and a 5-day Inferno plan to help you lose weight quick right when you start.

6) The music is HAPPENIN'!! Sorry P90X ...but your music sucked. I LOVE this music!

Okay, those are my TOP 6 reasons, and I could probably go on and on...but I have other things I need to do before the kids get home from school! As always, if you're interested in learning more..check it out at www.beachbodycoach.com/onetoughgirl. Just click "Shop" and scroll down to TurboFire!

Redecorating...

2011-01-10T13:17:00.002-06:00

Don't you just get the "itch" sometimes to redecorate? I sure do and honestly, it's been a couple of years since I've felt it...but over the past week, it's been creeping up again. It started with wanting to re-do Brooklyn's "little girl" room into a "pre-teen room" since she is turning 10 tomorrow. I got nowhere with that though because furniture costs TOO DANG MUCH! Yikes! All I realllly have to have is a large desk/shelving unit and I can work with everything else we already own...but gee whiz...the ones I've been looking at (which match or at least coordinate with her bed and dresser {white}) are anywhere from $699.00-$1899.00!!! I'm starting to think the piles in her bedroom floor of hats, scarves, belts, headbands, leggings, purses, etc. aren't THAT horribly bad afterall! ha ha
Anyway, this got me started wanting to get new living room furniture---since we now have, I think, 4 holes in our couch---anywhere from the size of a baseball to the size of a basketball! Thankfully, it is an italian leather sofa and the holes are in fairly discreet places, so it's not as awful as it sounds...but still, we only have one couch in our house that seats 3 people...and there are 4 of us, so it would be REALLY NICE to have a couch AND loveseat or sectional or something so we can ALL sit comfortably together.
But again...no one gives that stuff away for free... and debt? --No can do!

So.....here I am!!...redecorating my blog and guess what!?! It didn't cost a CENT! ha ha :)

Lastly, I HAVE to add...that I am BY NO MEANS IN ANY WAY complaining in this post. I am so unbelievably grateful for all that we have and I would never trade all the new furniture in the world for being out of debt...so I am actually VERY THRILLED that we have what we have! ...and I know that in "due season" when we've saved up for it, we WILL get new furniture. Until then...I'll look at the bright side: It doesn't even matter if the kids spill their WHOLE hot chocolate on the couch...because 1) it's leather and 2) virtually nothing can harm that thing any worse than it already is! ha ha

I think this post should have went on my "personal" blog instead of this workout blog...seeing as how it had NOTHING to do with healthy eating or fitness...but...it was THIS blog I "redecorated" so...here it is. :)

I'm so ashamed...

2011-01-09T20:36:00.002-06:00

So I just visited the blog of one of my real-life friends and fellow fitness instructors...and I'm SO ASHAMED at how much HEALTHIER she eats than I do! :)
Really...all this time I think I've just been eating "faux" healthy! I don't even know what a lot of the stuff she cooks IS CALLED let alone..what it is or what to do with it or where you buy it!
Anyway...I'm feeling VERY inspired and ready to try out some of her amazing-sounding (and looking) recipes! I love it that she takes pics of the ingredients AND the finished product (and tells us the review from the whole family-kids included). Go check her out at www.mrsbyn.blogspot.com and see how to eat healthy for 365 days in a row! :)

"The" Jeans

2011-01-08T20:08:00.005-06:00

So..here is a pic of one of the pairs of jeans I was telling you about...the ones I don't want to shrink out of. :) ha ha

But I agree with all of your comments...I'd rather keep shrinking and have them taken in than to carry around an extra 10 pounds JUST so I can keep wearing them. :)

Blame it on the JEANS

2011-01-07T11:25:00.003-06:00

I think I am sabotaging my weight loss because I don't want to NOT fit into my new jeans. Isn't that sad?

I love it when my jeans fit right...and I just bought 2 new pair of UHMAZING jeans that fit me like a glove.
Yay!
I've also been dropping weight fairly regularly (a pound a week) lately. SUPER YAY!

But now I can already feel myself cheating a bit on my eating and thinking in the back of my head that if I lose very much more weight...my new jeans won't fit right anymore.
On the other hand, I've been trying to lose this last 10 pounds for about 4 years and it's FINALLY starting to come off.
Aughhhhhhhhhh! this is crazy!
What's worse? Carrying around an extra 10 pounds? or not being able to wear the fabulous jeans I just spent 2 weeks of my income on?

Welcome to the Family (and duh-sometimes I'm a ditz)

2011-01-07T11:07:00.002-06:00

First of all, I want to welcome Stacey Krull to the Team Beachbody family of coaches! I am SO EXCITED to have her join my team along with Carla Kohler! Three spiritually and physically FIT Women of God...all joined together! Wooohoooo...the world betta WATCH OUT! :) (still waiting on you Lori and Kirsty :)

Also, I am a ditz because I just told Stacey about my blog as though she'd never heard of it...and she's been following for over a year! ugh. Sorry Stacey! I have too much going on in my head at the moment and obviously wasn't thinking clearly!

Lastly, just as a small update...Hubby and I started P90X on Jan 1st and are still doing it every day (with the exception of my gym days--but that is how we planned it). I'm loving it and especially loving watching HIM workout with me! (such a hottie when he's pumping iron!)

I am very excited about the arrival of my new workout program TurboFire which should be here any day -AS WELL AS-the arrival of SHAKEOLOGY, Beachbody's meal replacement shake which has EVERYTHING your body needs, only has 140 calories and tastes amazing! THANK YOU to my hubby for giving me the "ok" to order these new products!

I can see/feel/sense that this is going to be a year of exciting change and growth! To GOD be ALL the GLORY! It is only by His Grace that I am anything good!

Keepin' it Fresh with TurboFire

2011-01-03T10:25:00.003-06:00

So, I've done Tony Horton and Shaun T....time for some Chalean!!! Yep, I just ordered TurboFire (along with a new tub of Recovery Drink) from Beachbody! I'm SO excited! It's so easy to justify buying new programs and supplements when I get 25% off and buy them with the money I'm making from being a coach! :)

Sometimes having a new workout regimen is all the boost I need to keep the passion fresh and alive and I feel like I have butterflies in my stomach right now just thinking about doing TurboFire! I've heard awesome things about it and I'm looking forward to being instructed by a woman this time! I'll let you all know what I think once it comes in and I try it!!

Check it out for yourself at http://teambeachbody.com/workout-routines/turbofire-workout

More of Him, Less of Me

2011-01-01T21:31:00.004-06:00

The theme for 2011 in my house "More of Him, Less of Me"
I am taking the verse "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God" literally and have begun (yet again) having my morning devotional time with the Lord FIRST thing in the morning. Before anything else.....I need to be reminded whose I am...and what I've been given...and what my purpose is.....THEN....I can do my day.
I've recently learned something that has been in front of my face all my life, but until now, I've never understood it like this. There is a lot of detail I could explain, but to make it short and sweet...I've come to realize how CRUCIAL Holy Communion is to our lives. We all know that it is the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross that forgives our sins, but it is the body that was broken that heals our bodies. Jesus told us to "Do this in rememberance of Me" as we take it...but usually I've always been directed to "examine myself" at which time I usually conclude that I am SO UNWORTHY of the sacrifice that was made for me (Jesus' life).
Anyway, that is not what this is talking about....Jesus doesn't want us thinking about all of our sins or "issues" as we eat His "body" and drink His "blood", He wants us to remember what He took on His perfect self so that dirty, sinful, unworthy US could be forgiven, healed and saved. He took our sins and gave us forgivness and rightousness...but He also took our sickness, weakness and pain so that we could have HIS perfect health. (full of energy, vibrance and wellness!) WOW! Now as we eat the cracker/drink the juice---I imagine (and have the kids do this too) seeing all the "dirty, yucky stuff" just rolling right off of us as we consume the precious body and blood of Jesus and then we visualize ourselves "fresh, clean and pure white"-like Jesus.
He encourages us to "do this often"....so, we, in our family, have chosen to spend a few moments each day remembering what Jesus did for us and believing in faith that we have been made blameless and sinless, healthy and whole just as Christ was (and is) when He went to the cross. What am amazing blessing that is going to bring into our lives as we look not at ourselves to determine our value, worth or success, but upon the ONE who gives us all good gifts! I'm very excited about this, if you couldn't tell! :)
Btw...if you want to know more about what I'm talking about, you can go to www.destined2reign.com and search for "Health and Wholeness through the Holy Communion". I HIGHLY recommend it.

I don't normally write out New Year's Resolutions...but this year I decided to make a few.
1. Daily time/communion with God.
2. Spend more time visiting with family.
3. Daily devotions with the kids at night.
4. Health-ful eating and regular exercise, of course! :)

One of my favorite quotes (regarding parenting) (but I don't know who said it) is "Every day that you feed them, you're teaching them how to eat."
For years, I had that posted on my fridge...and would still now except that the paper became so tattered and torn that I finally took it down. It's such a wonderful thing to remember when you have small children in the house!

Today, Matt and I started Day 1 of P90X again. Ha Ha Ha! Who knows WHAT that means...beyond that we worked out today. :)
I have a LOT of subbing at the gym already on my calendar for this month, so that makes sticking to a 90 day program at home very confusing and hard. I refuse to let exercise take over my life :)

Anyhow, that's what's up with me today---on January 1st, 2011. I hope you had a great Christmas and enjoyed a safe New Years Eve/Day!

I finally went out and spent my $100 from the challenge and got myself a ROCKIN' new pair of Big Star jeans that are stinking ADORABLE! I had wanted a pair of Miss Me with a sparkly cross on the back pockets, but I guess they don't make them like that anymore. :( It's okay though because LOOOOVE the ones I found! I'll take a pic when I wear them and show you! :)

Become a Coach NOW!

2010-12-20T14:06:00.002-06:00

Okay, so if you've EVER even considered becoming a Beachbody Coach (or even if you haven't).....NOW is the time to MOVE on it!

Beachbody is doing a crazy-awesome promotion until Dec. 31st that waives the $39.99 Coach Starter Kit fee!! That means that you can go to www.beachbodycoach.com/onetoughgirl and click on "Be A Coach" and wha-lah! You will be able to start earning money through Beachbody--and it won't cost you a cent! PLUS, there are all kinds of advantages of becoming a coach--like getting 25% off all your Beachbody purchases for one!

It has been a blessing for me for the past year to earn a paycheck every Friday for VERY little (to almost NO) work. It basically sells itself if you've had success with P90X, Insanity or any Beachbody program because people WANT whatever it is that you have/did.

I'm sure you might be saying...okay, what's the catch?
Well, if there is ANY "catch" to it...it is this: After your first 30 days of being a coach, the regular fee of $14.95/month will start being charged. It isn't really a catch though. I pay that $14.95 every month just as every coach does. The difference is that we all had to pay $39.99 for our Starter Kit and you won't have to do that. Basically, you could cancel before your 30 days is up and not have ever paid a cent...but of course, you won't want to do that because being a coach is awesome and you will easily recover that $14.95 each month.

Anyway, holler at me if you wanna know more or are ready to sign up! I would LOVE to have you on my team!!

Victory is Sweet!

2010-12-20T14:01:00.002-06:00

Well, I just got the final update on our challenge and...................I WON! BY A HAIR though! Kate almost had me! We both lost 6 pounds...but my percentage was a teensy bit higher than hers because of our starting weights.
I'm excited to have won...and have the $100 in my pocket (soon to be traded in for a pair of Miss Me Sparkly Cross jeans!)
BUT...
It is bitter sweet to have won...because that means my friend's DIDN'T win! Booooo! I want EVERYBODY to win. Blah! I might have to sneak a little sumpin-sumpin in the mail to my fiercest competator Kate! :)
Love you girls!

Love funky shirts with sayings on them!

2010-12-20T12:24:00.005-06:00

I found this shirt at VS the other day and couldn't pass it up! (especially since I had a $10 off coupon!)

And in other news...the Lose Your Holiday Trimming's Challenge is FINALLY over and guess what? Over the past 5 weeks, I've lost 6 pounds! Yay! I started at 142 and was at 136 today! We are all so much better off than we would have been! I think all 10 of us either lost weight or maintained and that is a total VICTORY during the Holiday Season! YAY US!!

Stubborn body!

2010-12-12T15:00:00.003-06:00

My body is so stubborn sometimes! I've been fighting like a pro this week in order to keep my first place rank in the Holiday Challenge. I've done an intense cardio workout every single day and 3 days I did 2+ hours!!! Wednesday I racked up 1010 calories on my HRM. Tuesday was like 811 and Friday I think it was 898. The only day I didn't get a SERIOUS workout was Saturday and that is because I was at my AFAA Group Fitness Certification workshop from 8:30 that morning until 5:30 pm. WHEW!--am I glad THAT is OVER!!! :)
I had an AWESOME instructor and only 2 other classmates and we all 4 hit it off wonderfully, so it was actually a really fun day and even though it was sporadic, I did get in a good 30-45 minutes of workout during the workshop. At the end I took my practical exam and written exam and I felt O.K. about it. I have to make at least an 80% to pass....and it takes 4-6 weeks to get our results...so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!! :)
Anyway, I've also been eating GREAT again....and it feels wonderful! Even though I'm eating plenty, I've been filling up on gobs of fresh fruits and veggies, lean protien and LOTS of water. I've been trying to eat my whole grain carbs in the morning so I have fuel for my crazy workouts and then staying away from carbs the rest of the day.
So after all this...you would think the scale would be my best friend this week right? Not quite.
But...I'm still not going to sweat it because I KNOW I've been making my "deposits" this week and the credit HAS to come sooner or later! Just as long as it posts before the 20th, I'm cool. :)

This next week is the final week and I intend to just keep up with what I've been doing. I got upt this morning before church and did Insanity Max Cardio Conditioning as well as Insanity Cardio Abs. Tomorrow getting in a good workout will be tough because I have a fully-booked day...but I'm still gonna aim for one first thing in the morning before I start my errands.

The only thing I can improve upon will be my eating (NO MORE DESSERTS!) and in the end, if I don't win, at least I know I gave it my best shot and at the very minimum, I'll be down a good 5-7 pounds from where I was 5 weeks ago!

I hope you guys are all doing well and enjoying the Holiday season! I know some of you don't "agree" with me on some things right now(especially how seriously I'm taking this challenge) and that's okay. We're in different places right now...and there's nothing wrong with that. I've enjoyed doing the challenge and I'm better off for it, but I will be glad when it is over too. Everything in balance, as my mom always reminds me. :)

The Challenge-The COUNTDOWN!

2010-12-06T07:27:00.002-06:00

So, it's December 6th and I am excited about the next two weeks! We are beginning the last 14 days of our Lose Your Holiday Trimming's Challenge and at this point I've only lost 3 pounds (in 3 weeks). So....I'm putting my boxing gloves on this morning and I'm ready to fight. (figuratively, of course! ha ha) My goal was to lose 10 pounds over this 5 week period and obviously I'm slacking. But in my defence, we DID celebrate Thanksgiving one of those weeks and I managed to actually lose a pound that week, so I'm not beating myself up over it. However, enough is enough and if I'm going to have ANY chance at winning this $100, I'm gonna have to focus and quit wussing out every time I'm faced with a temptation. I can't reveal my top-secret plan to get this accomplished though because some of my competitors are reading this blog :)
But if said-competitors are reading this blog....be scared girls! VERY scared! ha ha ha ha I've already spent that money (in my head) and now that I know what the prize will be, I'm extra motivated. :)

Now, in other non-challenge related news....Most of you know, but some might not, that I am taking my Group Fitness Certification Exam on Saturday. I will be there all day (9 am - 6 pm) for a workshop and then at the end will have to complete a 100 question multiple choice test as well as a practical exam (where I actually demonstrate my ability to effectively teach a group fitness class). There is a lot to remember and know (for example what muscles to stretch, naming the muscles we are working, showing different intensity levels, proper breathing, taking HR, etc.) Although I have a lot of studying to get finished this week before the Big Day, I am feeling very confident that I will do well.
Some of you have asked what getting this certification will mean for me. Well, not a whole lot actually. I will still be teaching the same classes I already am at the gym, the only difference will be that I will be making $10 more per class. Basically the gym pays a little more for certified instructors versus non-certified instructors. Since it costs me $300 from my pocket to get this certificate, I was hesitant to do it, but now that I am teaching 2 regular classes a week plus subbing for other classes nearly every week, it won't take me very long at all to recover that $300 and be making a profit from it. Plus, I am a big advocate of learning and understanding all about something I am doing...and I can already see lots of added benefits from learning all this supportive info concerning breathing, muscles groups, proper stretching, effective instructing and so forth.

So, I hope you're all doing well and still staying active despite our busy holiday schedules!?! If there is something I can do to help motivate, inspire or encourage you, please please PLEASE let me know! :)

Lastly, just a quick note in case any of you don't know this, I have deactivated my facebook account for the time being. There are many reasons so if you want to understand why or more about it, you can check out my www.keepinupwiththejoneses.blogspot.com blog later on today. I plan to do a whole post about it over there. :)

Love you guys! You are my core support and I'm so blessed to have you in my lives!
Jen

2010-11-22T06:32:00.000-06:00

AFTER-middle of my shirt! This program will kick your booty!

2010-11-22T06:31:00.000-06:00

AFTER workout. Soaked in sweat but SO HAPPY to be done!

2010-11-22T06:30:00.001-06:00

The middle of my shirt---BEFORE.

2010-11-22T06:30:00.000-06:00

Before Insanity Max Cardio Condioning Workout

Challenge-Week 1

2010-11-21T14:57:00.002-06:00

So it's been 1 week since we began the Lose Your Holiday Trimming's Challenge and I am down from 142.6 to 140.4 today. That's a 2.2 lb. loss. Yay!
I think, in order to have any chance at winning the cash though, I'm going to have to get more serious and aim for 3 pounds a week. So...out come the Insanity DVD's. Time to wipe the dust off and get crazy-wit-it. :) I'll keep you posted on how it goes...unless I die trying to do these workouts! :)

Endurance...

2010-11-18T06:48:00.003-06:00

On the subject of endurance.....it seems like some days I've just got it, and some days, I just DON'T. Really strange. When I first started exercising I could only last for about 30 minutes tops-and that was usually WALKING on the treadmill. Over the course of the past 5 years, my endurance and intensity have increased gradually-as I would have expected it would. Last year when I did the Beachbody program INSANITY, I can say I was very proud of how far I've come. It was a gigantic step up the ladder to be able to complete one of THOSE workouts...and I was doing it!
BUT...
Over the last year something has changed. There is no gradual climb anymore...it's more like the hiccups now. Most days I feel mentally "ready" but sometimes my body just doesn't agree. And not just to the point where I have to "get out of my head about it" and just push through...I'm talking I. Cannot. Get. My. Body. To. Move. What is up with THAT?
MANY times in the past month or two I've been in a group fitness class where the teacher was instructing us to do a particular thing and in my mind, I was doing it-or going to do it...but when I looked up in the mirror I was moving in slow motion...or obviously struggling (and with a quick glance around the room)-struggling more than most of the people in there. On Tuesday we were sitting on the big ball doing triceps. You know where you hold hand weights up above your head and then lower your arms back (bending at the elbow). Some people were using 2 weights, I was using one 9-lb weight and after just a few, I couldn't do it. Like, I'm not being a sissy...I really couldn't get my arms back up once I lowered them down to the back of my neck.
And then yesterday in my Interval class I had them (us) doing Frog Squats for 45 seconds. By about 30 seconds my legs were shaking so bad, I was so out of breath and dizzy that I had to stop. I felt like the ultimate hypocrite! Here I am telling THEM to do something I can't even do!?!?! But I knew if I didn't stop, I was going to trip because I was already losing my balance and getting crooked with my jumps.
Anyway, this whole phenomenon is just WEIRD. Why am I LOSING my stamina? I haven't let up on my intensity. I should be getting better and stronger every day...but I feel like I'm going backwards. Things I could easily do last year, I can not do now.
Anyone else ever go through this? It's really pretty frustrating.
Okay well...that's my "rant" for today! :) Hope you are all doing well and keeping up with your workouts through this holiday season! Love you!!

You found me!

2010-11-16T18:26:00.003-06:00

Hey there! If you're reading this, that means you've been added as a "permitted reader" on my blog. Most of you requested to be added...but a few of you, I just added because you're either family, old friends or devout readers that just didn't get the "memo" this morning that I'm going private!
Anywho, I'm glad you're here..and that I'm here and that I don't have to be concerned about freaky weirdos leaving me scary comments anymore!

As for day 2 of the challenge, doing good so far. No sweets yet today, other than my apple! That my friends is a big VICTORY! :) especially with all the left-over Halloween candy calling my name from the pantry!

Lose Your Holiday Trimmings

2010-11-15T17:31:00.002-06:00

Today a friend of mine and I decided to host a weight loss challenge for ourselves and some of our friends. For the next 5 weeks, from Nov. 15-Dec 20, we will compete to see who can lose the largest percentage of weight. Each of us puts $10 into the pot and at the end, one person will take home the cash!
(If you're reading this on Monday, Nov. 15th, you can actually still enter! Just leave me a comment and I'll get you the official rules and info.)

As for me, I've done relatively well today. I ate good all day until just now when I ate 2 big bowls of cereal for dinner. It's all I'm having, so I still don't think that was toooo awfully bad, although there were no veggies or fruits or protein (other than the milk) in it. Woops!
Did P90 Sweat dvd yesterday morning before church so I took the day off today (as far as workouts go) today. Tomorrow will be classes at the gym, Wed. class at the gym and Thursday I'll hopefully get a P90X or Insanity workout done at home. Friday I think I'll be hitting the gym again and probably Saturday too.

Anyway, wish me luck! Even better than winning the money (which would be AWESOME), I will be SO EXCITED to drop this extra weight and fit back into my clothes!!
My starting weight today was 142.
Goal weight for the end of the challenge: 130.

A new beginning....P90

2010-11-02T06:22:00.003-05:00

Matt and I have decided to try something new. After nearly 3 years of being P90X'ers...we are going to try out the P90 program.
I realize that is backwards to the way it is "supposed" to be done, but I just acquired a complete brand new set of P90 (from one of my customers who bought it and then never even opened it!!!)....so....we decided to give it a shot.
Last night was our first workout. For the first 15 minutes we were laughing about how EASY it was...but by the middle of it, we were sweating and feeling our muscles BURN! Of course, you determine the level of intensity and difficulty by picking the weight of your dumbbells...so it should never get "too easy". It was a LOT different from P90x in that you workout all your muscles (from shoulders to calves) in one workout rather than breaking the muscle groups up into specific days.
Today will be cardio and abs....so we'll see how that goes. I have a hard time thinking it's gonna give me much of a workout when I'm used to doing INSANITY...but we'll see.
We may not do the whole 90 days of this--because more than likely I think we are going to want something a little more extreme before too long--but I'm glad we're trying it out right now. Since it's been a few weeks since I've really followed any program...this will be a nice way to ease back in. I could tell last night when we were stretching that I am TIGHT and not nearly as flexible as I used to be. (boo!)
So, have any of you done P90? Had any success with it? I'm looking forward to making some of the new recipes in the nutrition guide. If I find some that are really good, I'll post on here for you all.
Hope you're doing well and keeping healthy and fit. It's been a long time since I've talked to you guys....:-(
Hopefully I'll be here more as of now...:-)

Alternative to P90X Eating/Exercise Plan

2010-10-13T09:18:00.004-05:00

So, I just wrote out this plan for a friend of mine who is hoping to drop 20 pounds in the next 50 days. I thought it might be something someone else might be able to use, so I posted it here. Obviously, feel free to change it up as you see necessary!

You can go to http://www.printablecalendar.ca/ and make up your own workout schedule/calendar. I've used this many times when I was doing P90X...to keep me on track.
You can fill in (using Microsoft Word) each day what you plan to do and then just print it out.

My suggestion is to try to do weights every other day-alternating with intense cardio sessions. For instance, M-W-F you might do an interval session where you do 10 minutes of weights alternated by 5 minutes of some kind of hard-core cardio (jumping rope, running, high-level elliptical) and then back to the weights. In my experience, alternating between these 2 is THE BEST way to drop calories. (but you can’t do it every day because your muscles need a chance to recover). So for instance, let's say that on M-W-F you did this:
5 minutes of mild-moderate walking on treadmill for warm up
10 minutes of weights focusing on chest and back work
5 minutes of running at a pace of 6 on the treadmill
10 minutes of weights focusing on biceps and triceps
5 minutes of jumping rope (HARD to do!)
10 minutes of weights focusing on shoulders and legs
5 minutes of elliptical machine (high level, high intensity)
5 minutes of stretching for cool down
That is a total of 55 minutes

On Tue/Thur/Sat you could do this:
5 minutes of walking/jogging for warm up
Begin circuit training: Go hard for 1 minute, then rest for 30 seconds (rest meaning walking or jogging in place)
Cardio Circuits:
Jumping Jacks
Squats
Mountain Climbers
High Knees
Plank
High Front Kicks
Towel Hop
Tricep Dips
Lunges
Push Ups
Squat Jacks

Let's say you went through that circuit 2 times, doing each one for 1 minute and resting in between for 30 seconds. Then you could finish up with about 10 minutes of abs.
Abs
25 Scissors
25 Bicycles
25 crunches
25 Side-to-Side crunches
25 Twist (punch across)
That should come up to around an hour as well.

Sunday could be your rest/stretch day...meaning no work out, but do take a few minutes to REALLY stretch out your muscles (think yoga or pilates poses)

Also, to help you with your eating, I suggest following a plan something like this:
Breakfast: 1 cup non-instant oatmeal w/ banana
Snack: Apple or orange
Lunch: 4 oz. chicken breast or baked fish with 1 c. squash and 1/2 c. brown rice
Snack: 2 c. celery with 1 TBSP. natural peanut butter
Dinner: 4 oz. chicken or fish, 1 c. asparagus, 1 c. zucchini, 3 cups salad greens
Snack/Dessert: 1 cup fresh fruit

Another alternative:
Breakfast: 3 egg whites, 1 whole wheat toast, 1 turkey bacon
Snack: 1 c. bell pepper with 1 TBSP. light dressing
Lunch: 4 oz. chicken or fish, 1/2 baked potato, squash
Snack: 10 almonds, apple or celery
Dinner: 4 oz. fish or chicken, veggies, salad
Snack: 1 c. fruit

Basically, this plan gives you all your carbs early in the day and fills you up on water-filled nutritent-filled veggies in the afternoon/evening. It is very low calorie (around 1200) and you may need to add in some extra healthy snacks (such as almonds, fruit, low-fat yogurt) etc.
I have always had GREAT success following this eating plan. I don't do it perfectly, but if I at least TRY to stick t o it semi-closely, I will always drop weight.
To make it easy and less tempting to cheat, I usually make several chicken breasts on Sunday or Monday and sautee up all my squash, asparagus and zucchini. I cut it all up into bite sized chunks and measure it out and put it into containers in the fridge. I also pre-cook my brown rice. I chop up all my salad, celery, etc. The only thing you can't cook ahead is the oatmeal. It is totally gross warmed up the next day! :) (and I cut my apple up each day)

These are just some suggestions, but I know that if you get a plan and print it out and start marking it off...it will really help to keep you on track! You will NO DOUBT lose 20 pounds by your vacation this way!

Let me know if you need any explanations on the exercises I suggested. ---or if you have any questions!!
XOXO!
Jen

**Here are some suggestions for the weight days:
Chest & Back: Lying down chest press, push ups, Bent over rows, Back Flys

Biceps & Triceps: Bicep curls front, Bicep curls out (arms to sides not in front), Tricep kick backs, Tricep dips.

Shoulders & Legs: Squat with shoulder press, Leaning forward lunge with shoulder press, Calf raises, In & Out Shoulder Fly.

Day 31--as unto the Lord

2010-10-11T19:12:00.003-05:00

So, I'm still learning and figuring this whole thing out, but one thing I know is that the whole weightloss/eating issue is clouding my mind WAY too much. I want my total focus to be on God and I want Him to use me anywhere/anytime/anyhow. In short...I wanna be ALL IN.
But, I've realized that I can't be completely available to Him when I have a hundred thoughts running through my mind all the time about "too fat" "burn calories" "can't fit into that" "need to work out" "shouldn't eat that" "ate too much" "exercise more"....blah, blah, blah. It's all-consuming a lot of the time and it's spilling over onto my daughter. When she had her tonsils out, she was unable to eat solids for about a week...and she was SO excited (like way too excited) to see that she'd lost several pounds. Because there is a scale in the house, she weighs herself very often and complains about "looking fat" in certain clothes. I never ever ever wanted that to happen with her...and yet, how stupid for me to think that it wouldn't. Children imitate what they see...and even though I THOUGHT I was hiding this "dark side" of me from her....it was impossible to keep completely hidden. She's only 9. :(
Plus, there were parts I DIDN'T want to hide...like the times when I eat very healthy and exercise regularly. Those are things I wanted her to see and imitate.
Anyway, it's still a bit of a jumbled up mess in my mind and I'm not 100% sure of how I'm going to "fix this" but I do know that I have GOT to start viewing my eating and working out as things I do "as unto the Lord." I MUST renew my mind daily with the Word. I eat healthy because God gave me this body, He dwells within me and He desires for me to take good care of it. I honor Him and bring glory to him by feeding it food that is wholesome, healthy and fuel for it to use. Likewise, when I exercise, I need to be focused on a goal of being fit and healthy and a valuable resourse to Him......rather than how "ripped" I can look to all the other people working out in the gym. If my focus is on getting compliments from other people and wanting to be "more sculpted than that girl", then my focus is not on God and bringing Him glory.
Having my focus on God will also keep me from slacking...AS WELL AS...from going over-board. God's way is perfect. It is balanced. It is not too much and it is not too little. God's way is going to be my way.
Proverbs 16 says (and I'm paraphrasing) "A man plans his way...but God makes the final decision". So, I will still "plan my way" but now God will be the final authority. I will compare my progress against his Word...not against the unrealistic women in my fitness magazines or the gym instructors that look better/tiny-ier/more muscled up than me. No, I only have one standard with which to compare myself...and that is what God outlines in his Word. A healthy strong body that is fully and completely submitted to Him.
So...all that being said...I did P90X Day 31 today. (took a week off due to being sick and getting some of this stuff figured out) but I'm back in the swing of it and intend to finish this round of P90X.
It was Chest, Shoulders & Triceps today and Ab Ripper. It was TOUGH, but thinking about God and honoring him with my effort was a total energy boost. I certainly haven't "achieved" or figured this all out (by ANY MEANS) but I do know that I am on the right track. And it feels good. Very good!

A Sneak Peek...

2010-10-08T10:33:00.005-05:00

God is working on me...and the end result is going to be beautiful. It already is...but He's perfecting some flaws right now...

Anyway...the lyrics of this song are a perfect "Sneak Peek" into what is happening...(gives me goosebumps every time).

Also, if you have time, I encourage you to click HERE to watch the video/listen to it!

Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine
Says she wants to look that way
But her hair isn’t straight her body isn’t fake
And she’s always felt overweight

Well little girl fourteen I wish that you could see
That beauty is within your heart
And you were made with such care your skin your body and your hair
Are perfect just the way they are

There could never be a more beautiful you
dont buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

Little girl twenty-one the things that you’ve already done
Anything to get ahead
And you say you’ve got a man but he’s got another plan
Only wants what you will do instead

Well little girl twenty-one you never thought that this would come
You starve yourself to play the part
But I can promise you there’s a man whose love is true
And he’ll treat you like the jewel you are

There could never be a more beautiful you
dont buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

So turn around you’re not too far
To back away be who you are
To change your path go another way
It’s not too late you can be saved
If you feel depressed with past regrets
The shameful nights hope to forget
Can disappear they can all be washed away
By the one who’s strong can right your wrongs
Can rid your fears dry all your tears
And change the way you look at this big world
He will take your dark distorted view
And with His light He will show you truth
And again you’ll see through the eyes of a little girl

There could never be a more beautiful you
dont buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you
There could never be, a more beautiful you.

Now that your heart is all warm and fuzzy...let me give you something to compare that with...and break your heart:
Click HERE to watch an opposite video...of a very popular song right now, even one that I thought I LOVED until I watched this and read the lyrics. Now I feel sick.
If you have a young girl...please...before it's too late...Train her how to love and take care of her body GOD'S WAY! Read "6 Ways to Keep the Little in Your Girl" now!

CHANGING

2010-10-04T12:02:00.002-05:00

I hereby interrupt this blog to give an announcement. This blog (and it's author) are undergoing some serious changes in the area of weight/exercise/nutrition.
All former thought patterns, eating patterns and workout habits are being exchanged for new ones that God Himself has been delivering to me in the past 24 hours. As He continues this work, I am putting this blog on "hold" for the time being. I assure you...if you have EVER found this blog helpful in the past...you are about to find it WAY more helpful in the future!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Is it EVER enough????

2010-09-29T09:37:00.003-05:00

Okay, I'm frustrated. I really don't have a lot of time but I need to "vent" this out. So...I finally got a new battery for my ~~stupid~~ scale. Therefore, you can imagine why I'm mad.

Anyway, what I really want to scream is "Is it EVER enough?"

First, I tried to start working out more. I started P90X again and pretty much began DAILY (except for Sunday's) workouts again. Hard, intense, serious workouts.

Secondly, I started making up my weekly meal plans and sticking to them TO A TEE. Monday-Friday--no dessert, whole grains, raw veggies, fresh fruits, lean meats, only water to drink.

The last and final thing I have YET to do is give up my "weekend eating habits" which involve a lot of unhealthy eating out (at least 2-3 times). If I'm at home, I still eat good. If we go out though, I'm likely to indulge in a few chips and queso, a fried something and/ or possibly a sugary drink. BUT JIMMINY CHRISTMAS--a girl's gotta LIVE A LITTLE!!!

Apparently my body is not going to let go of another stinking pound unless I commit to this 100% of the time though. Which really sucks. Because I'm not sure I want it THAT bad. I want it. Oh yes..I want it SO SO MUCH. But...do I want it enough to decline going to On the Border and using my "free chips and queso" coupon on Sunday after church? No, I don't think I do.

And do I want it so bad that I would choose a boring dressing-less salad at Fish Bones rather than having the heavenly Bang-Bang shrimp that I have a FREE COUPON FOR? Nope...I doubt it.

Ugh. This is really making me mad.
I mean..are you telling me that these girls who have insanely lean bodies (for instance...almost all the other fitness instructors at the gym) NEVER EVER have a slice of pizza? Or a brownie fudge sundae? Or a margarita? Or an order of french fries?
REALLY?
Is it even possible to LIVE a happy life without any of that stuff?
I'm doubtful....

It's WORKING!!!!!!!

2010-09-22T09:47:00.004-05:00

Okay...so, it's no surprise that eating right and daily exercise will get the job done-we all KNOW that...so I don't know why I am SO STINKING EXCITED that in the past 10 days of eating right and 24 days of doing P90X daily...that I've lost FOUR POUNDS! That is HUGE to me! I am nearly 1/3 of the way to my goal! (and ironically...almost exactly 1/3 of the way done with P90X too!)
My starting weight was 144. Yesterday's new weight was 140 and the goal is to end up somewhere around 127-130. I have no doubt that I will accomplish what I've set out to do now that I am on the right road. Today (Day 24) is Stretch X and I am really looking forward to giving my muscles (which are in tight balls) and good, relaxing, releasing stretch!

If you're sitting there thinking "man, I wish I could lose 4+ pounds" then JOIN ME! I'm posting my food intake and workouts...so there is no reason you can't copy! :o)

dead scale

2010-09-20T13:13:00.002-05:00

So, like I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, the battery in my scale died. I thought it was a 9V so I went out and bought a new one...and when I went to put it in...I found out it's one of those CR23 watch batteries instead...so I STILL don't have a working scale.
I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing.
One thing is for sure, it is FORCING me to rely on how my clothes are fitting and how I'm FEELING to tell if I am getting any results.
So far, my clothes aren't fitting much differently but I do feel a bit lighter and definitely more optimistic about the future. Matt told me last night that he is REALLY proud and surprised at my willpower lately. Yay! That means a TON to me. If he can see a difference (in what I'm choosing to eat) then I must be doing something right...better...good!
Anyway, I probably will try to get a battery for the scale sometime soon so I can get an actual number (because I need that proof-as silly as it is).
Even though I've been doing P90X again for 3 whole weeks...I've really only been eating right for 1 week...so I don't expect a huge loss yet...however, I DO expect a significant loss by the end (as long as I keep this good eating up--and I AM GOING TO!) :o)
The first time I did P90X, I lost 17 pounds total. I'm thinking that sounds like a great number again. Let's see...starting weight was 144.4...minus 17 pounds...would put me at 127.4...which sounds perfect! Cheer me on peeps...I need to stay motivated somehow!

Days 17-22 and Meal Plan

2010-09-20T12:58:00.003-05:00

Day 17-Wednesday-Shoulders & Arms and Ab Ripper, ate good
Day 18-Thursday-Cardio X, ate good
Day 19-Friday-Went to gym. Did step class, pump class and Zumba class, ate good
Day 20-Saturday-Did nothing for exercise, ate awful
Day 21-Sunday, Did nothing, ate okay
Day 22-Monday (Today), I am starting my 4th week, recovery week. Since I know I have a crazy schedule this week I am altering the plan a bit. Today I will do Core Synergistics. Tomorrow I have the gym. Wednesday I will do X-Stretch. Thursday I'm teaching 2 classes at the gym, Friday I will do Core Synergistics again. Saturday I'll either do CardioX or go to the gym.

Here is the MEAL PLAN for this next week:

Monday:
B: Turkey sausage scramble (with egg whites), and toast for Matt (not me)
S: Light string cheese and apple
L: Open faced (1 bread for me, 2 for matt) tuna sandwich, yogurt
S: Protein bar
D: Grilled turkey burgers, baked beans, baked sweet potato fries

Tuesday:
B: Kashi oatmeal (and toast for Matt-not me)
S: Almonds and banana
L:Deli wrap (deli turkey, provolone, lettuce with greek yogurt as "dressing", raw veggies
S: Apple
D: Turkey sloppy joes (I'll eat mine open-faced), I don't know what sides yet

Wednesday:
B: Veggie omelet, turkey bacon, toast for Matt
S: Peanut Butter, almond, banana roll up (with whole wheat tortilla)
L: Turkey sandwich, pepper strips, yogurt
S: Apple
D: Turkey spaghetti, veggie, salad

Thursday:
B: French toast (from egg whites and light whole wheat bread), turkey bacon, SF syrup
S: String cheese, apple
L: Chicken salad, Kashi 7-grain crackers, Mousse Sensations chocolate pudding
S: Protein bar
D: Baked fish, baked potato, steamed veggies, salad

Friday:
B: Veggie omelet, turkey bacon, toast for matt
S: apple, almonds
L: Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich, chips? (I'm trying to get some of those Pop chips)
S: Banana, protein bar
D: probably eat out

rant

2010-09-16T09:49:00.002-05:00

okay so I'm going off on a rant right now...indulge me.
I just realized something about myself. It's no big "ah ha" moment ...but this morning I posted a picture of myself on face book. It wasn't a good picture. It was a "right now" picture...meaning it was straight from bed. All I'd done is brushed my teeth and peed. No make up, no hair brush and still in my nightgown. Blah. I was showing everyone the "real" me. Instead of people laughing or poking fun at me...everyone was saying things like "gorgeous" and "beautiful" and "pretty"...to which my mouth just hung open.
If I could use some words to describe that picture, I would have said "messy, frumpy, undone". No, I didn't think it was a horrible picture, but I certainly didn't think "gorgeous".
So I started thinking about it...and something dawned on me...and as stupid as this is...I seriously think it.
When people say I'm pretty, I think to myself "if that were true, why didn't anyone ask me to senior prom?" "Why didn't but one guy in my entire high school ever ask me out?" "why did I always feel sorry for the guys I dated, because I always knew they could do so much better"
How RIDICULOUS is that?
Why am I like this? Weird.
I guess I'd rather have a skewed view of myself this way than to think I'm "all that and a bag of chips". :o) Being cocky is definitely NOT attractive.
I guess the thing that maybe makes me so different now than when I was in high school is a huge change in my confidence. Back then I was like a wounded, scared-to-death little puppy dog following everyone else and afraid to EVER have ANY attention on me.
Now I'm comfortable with who I am, how I look and what I have to offer people. I know that THROUGH CHRIST, I can do anything and I refuse to let fear, pride, embarrassment or shame rob me of any of life's pleasures or experiences.

okay...don't really know where all that came from or why in the world I posted it....:o) Maybe some of you needed to read it...!?!?

Day 15 & 16

2010-09-14T14:32:00.002-05:00

Yesterday (Monday) was Day 15 and the first day of my meal plan (in previous post). Everything went great! I did Chest & Back right before I had to pick the kids up from school so I kept the TV (in the workout room) paused on Ab Ripper so I could complete it when I got home. uhhh...yah...I really meant to. The problem is that we workout upstairs....and I never went back up stairs yesterday so I HONESTLY completely forgot all about Ab Ripper. Bummer! I wanted to do it to!
Anyway, I ate all the food on my "plan" yesterday and not a bite more or less. I actually ended up having my afternoon snack after dinner because we ate dinner very early yesterday and then I was hungry at around 7:30 and I hadn't had my 2nd snack, so I had it then (which it was a banana and 10 almonds).
We even went to Braums last night for ice cream and I had NOTHING. :o) yay!

Today (Tuesday) is Day 16 and I went to a pump/ball class at the gym and then taught my boot camp class. Tried something a little new today and I think it worked. We split up into 2 groups and while one group was doing a circuit on the floor, the other group did a circuit using the step and then we switched. (40 minute intervals followed by 20 seconds recovery). I thought it was a lot of fun and nice to do something different for a change--plus a GREAT workout!
Anyway, that's my workout for today. I just finished my lunch (oops! eating late! it's 2:37 right now) and it was SOOO good! Wow, I forgot how much I liked tuna! I mean...it never sounds good when I think of it...but I don't think I've ever put it in my mouth and NOT enjoyed it. Today I mixed it up with just a teensy bit of light mayo, a drop of dijon mustard and a glob of dill relish and sprinkled with pepper. Then I toasted a slice of light whole wheat bread and put the tuna on top and then topped that with shredded romaine and ate it with a fork. YUM! I also ate my sliced apple with it (instead of chips) and that was the perfect sweet crunch alternating between my sour/salty tuna bites. YUMMO!
I'm excited that tonight I get to relax in my clean house (cleaned Friday and again today) while the yard is beautifully mowed (mowed yesterday) and eat the dinner that I've already prepared (this afternoon-taco soup) and watch a movie I've been waiting to see for like SIX MONTHS! It's "Letters to Juliet" and I've heard wonderful things about it. I can't wait to see it--and to RELAX!

Days 10-14 and MEAL PLAN

2010-09-13T08:57:00.005-05:00

Blah..I haven't been doing good at keeping this blog updated. Here is a quick rundown of the last 5 days:
Wednesday: Did Shoulders & Arms and Ab Ripper.
Thursday: Taught boot camp/weights class at the gym in lieu of YogaX.
Friday: Was supposed to be Back & Legs. Since I had just worked legs really heavy on Thursday (and abs) I decided to just do some back exercises on my own and a few leg things rather than doing the actual dvd. I also cleaned house for about 6 hours straight.
Saturday: Had a meeting at church at 9 am so I went to that and then afterwards hit the gym for an hour long Zumba class.
Sunday: Did nothing in the way of exercise...but did have a serious talk with Matt about my weight/eating habits. Decided to sit down and write out a meal plan for this week (like I used to in the good old days) and then went to Sam's Club and Wal-Mart and purchased $150 worth of produce, whole grains, protein bars, lean turkey, fish, greek yogurt, almonds, etc.
Since it will help hold me accountable AND some of you have expressed that you like me to post my meal plans, I am going to type it all out on here. Sorry it's sort of long and boring...but if you're struggling with eating healthy...you might benefit from copying this plan and trying it. For my portions, I typically eat 4 oz. of meat and 1/2-1 c. servings of veggies. For Matt, since he is not wanting to lose any more weight, I give him about twice as much meat, the same veggies and I sometimes add in an extra carb. (for instance, he has toast with his breakfast and I don't).
I'm trying to stick to around 1, 500 calories a day. Normally I would aim for more like 1,200 when I'm trying to lose weight...but I know that I am doing a lot of exercising right now and I need more than that to keep my energy/protein/fiber levels up. :o)
Matt's diet is around 3,000 calories a day.

Monday:
Breakfast:
Me: Veggie omelet (peppers, onions, tomatoes, egg whites), 1 slice turkey bacon.
Matt: Veggie omelet (peppers, onions, tomatoes, eggs, cheese), 2 turkey bacon, 1 WW toast.
Snack: String cheese; small apple
Lunch:
Me: Chef Salad (romaine, spring mix, spinach, turkey, cheese, tomatoes, bell pepper), light dressing, 1/2 c. yogurt mixed with fresh blueberries and strawberries.
Matt: Chef Salad as above but with croutons, more turkey and cheese and 8 Ritz crackers, 1/2 c. yogurt (no berries).
Snack: 10 whole natural almonds, small banana
Dinner: Marinated grilled chicken breast, brown rice, asparagus, salad

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Kashi oatmeal (Matt will have toast with his).
Snack: WW tortilla with 1/2 banana, slivered almonds and natural peanut butter all rolled up.
Lunch:
Me: Open faced (1 bread) Tuna sandwich, bell pepper strips, apple.
Matt: Tuna sandwich (2 bread and more tuna than me) , bell pepper strips, apple.
Snack: Protein bar
Dinner: Taco Soup (I can post recipe if anyone wants. It is very healthy as long as you eat it withOUT tortilla chips, gobs of shredded cheese and sour cream.) Matt will probably have the chips, cheese and sc....I won't.

Wednesday:
Breakfast:
Me: Spinach scramble (egg whites mixed w/ fresh spinach leaves & FF mozerella), turkey bacon
Matt: Spinach scramble (whole eggs mixed w/ fresh spinach leaves & FF mozerella), 2 turkey bacon, 1 WW toast
Snack: String cheese, small apple
Lunch: Turkey sandwich (me: 1 bread), pepper strips, 1/2 c. yogurt w/ berries.
Snack: 10 Almonds, small banana (Matt takes about 20 almonds)
Dinner: Turkey meatloaf, baked potato, green beans, salad

Thursday:
Breakfast: Veggie & spinach omelet, turkey bacon (Matt will have 2 bacon, toast and cheese)
Snack: Peanut Butter, almond, 1/2 banana roll up (in whole wheat tortilla)
Lunch:
Me: Left over meatloaf, green beans, salad
Matt: Turkey sandwich, chips (?)
Snack: Protein bar, small apple
Dinner: Baked flounder, broccoli soup, baked sweet potato, salad

Friday:
Breakfast: Triple Berry Pancakes, turkey sausage (Matt will have regular syrup, I will have Sugar Free. He'll have 3 sausage links, I'll have 1 or 2)
Snack: Apple, almonds
Lunch: Chicken Ranch Roll up, pepper strips, 1/2 c. yogurt w/ berries.
Snack: Protein bar
Dinner: Grilled turkey burgers, P90X coleslaw, vegetarian beans.

By the way: No soda to drink. Tea or water. We will have 1 cup of coffee in the mornings. Also, in the evenings if we get hungry, we may share a protein shake around 7 or 8 pm. (We eat dinner pretty early--usually around 5:30).

As for workouts:
Monday: (today) Chest & Back and Ab Ripper.
Tuesday: Classes at the gym (weights and boot camp)
Wednesday: Shoulders & Arms and Ab Ripper
Thursday: Either Yoga X or Cardio X or Plyo X...not sure??
Friday: Legs & Back and Ab Ripper
Saturday: Either go to gym for kickboxing and zumba or I'll do Plyo X.

Day 9

2010-09-07T12:56:00.002-05:00

Today is Day 9. Since it's Tuesday, I went to the gym for a weights class and then taught my Boot Camp class (Insanity style today). I was wearing a light heather gray tank top and by the time I left the gym, it was DARK charcoal gray---meaning I was SOAKED. Yay--good workout!!

The bummer is that with this schedule, I'm not ever getting to do the P90X Plyometrics workout because it falls on Tuesday--which is my heavy gym day. Not that I miss it..that thing is killer! BUT...I do recognize the benefits I get from doing it...so I really want to figure out a way to add it back in. I'm thinking maybe I'll replace Thursday's Yoga video with it. But then that's a lot of leg work..and Legs & Back is the next day...so that's not really good. Hmm....maybe I could do it on Saturday in place of Kenpo (which I do NOT like). I don't know...I'm gonna have to figure it out though.

Anyway, now I've gotta really get focused on getting the eating back in line. I was doing great..then had the whole typical "Labor Day Weekend" food and messed up a bit. I am ready to get back to my P90X Nutrition Guide STRICTLY.

I tried to weigh myself today to see if I've made any progress with my weight. OF COURSE...of all the times...when I stepped on the scale all it said was "low batt". Blah! Now I'll have to wait until I can get to the store and buy a new 9V battery. I guess I can look on the bright side...now I have a few more days to drop more weight! :o)

can I admit

2010-09-06T14:11:00.002-05:00

out loud to everyone that I am totally TICKED OFF about having to do a workout today? First of all...I'm just irritated today anyway. It's Labor Day and it should be a day OFF from the norm, right? But it hasn't been. It's been a boring, lazy, blah day and all I've done is cook, wash dishes, do laundry, do my work, clean up, pay bills, etc. BLAH! Then on top of it, I feel zapped of any energy. I'm pretty sure that is mostly due to a lack of having something to do. Sitting around trying to figure out what we might want to do ALL DAY LONG but not actually doing anything is one of my LEAST favorite things in the WORLD. It's like I wake up thinking "woohoo! we have a whole day to do anything we want" and instead of actually doing anything, we WASTE the entire day trying to think of something and before we know it, the day is over and we're going to bed having done nothing. Yep, that's how this day is playing out.
And I know I'm being a whiny baby...but I am really SICK of doing workouts at home all by myself (Matt's just not into it right now) and the kids act like they're irritated that I'm doing it. "mom...do you HAVE to do that? ugh!"
Furthermore...whether I work out or not, I am not losing any weight! That makes me want to scream and punch something! I know it's the dad-gum food intake that's killing me but I'm also SICK and tired of trying to cook something healthy that everyone in the house won't complain about. I can already tell from doing P90X for one week that my muscle tone is looking better (awesome)...but I don't think I've lost a pound. (which shouldn't be a big surprise seeing as how I've had like 3 cheat days in the past 7 days!).
Okay, I am seriously having a big pity party and I know it. I need to get up from here and get some endorphins pumping.
C-ya!

Days 5, 6 , 7 and 8

2010-09-06T13:46:00.003-05:00

Okay, let's see...Friday was Day 5. I did Legs & Back and Ab Ripper X. Did good on eating. Told my daughter that I think I've eaten a salad every day for about 2 weeks now! HA!

Saturday was Day 6. Made pancakes for breakfast since that is one of the very few things my daughter can actually eat (after having her tonsils out). I ate 1 1/2 with sugar free syrup. Then I did CardioX before heading to my parents house for a Labor Day cookout where I ate 1 hotdog (no bun), potato salad, coleslaw, beans, dessert. Didn't do good on eating at ALL. :-(

Sunday we stayed home from church because Brooklyn was still not feeling well and decided to walk over to our neighbor's pond and do a little fishing. I was the first one to catch a fish-yay! After that we came home and I did all the push-mowing while Matt did weed-eating and the riding mower. I ended up getting SUNBURNED and didn't do StretchX even though I really wanted to because my body REALLY needs it...but we took a shower, ate left overs for dinner and watched The Man From Snowy River and then went to bed.

Today, Monday (Labor Day) is Day 8. It's P90X Chest & Back and Ab Ripper X again. I guess I'll do that right now before I take a shower and then head to Walmart for groceries for this upcoming week. Blah. I'm bummed out that we aren't doing anything fun today...but Matt is on call and can't really leave the house, plus Brooklyn is still post-surgery and is having to take pain meds every 3-4 hours, so she's not really up to going anywhere either. I'm really in a funk so I'm sure I'll feel MUCH better after doing my workout!

Day 4

2010-09-02T22:12:00.000-05:00

Wow..this was a BUSY day! I got up early this morning to take my 9 yr old daughter to the hospital to have her tonsils and adenoids removed. Because of all the ruckus of the morning, I didn't have time to eat breakfast. I drank my coffee on the way to the hospital. After we got her into surgery, the nurse offered me and Matt a snack and a drink. It was mostly all muffins and danishes but there were a few TLC Kashi granola bars (140 cal) so I took one of those with a Diet Mt. Dew. By the time I finished a LARGE coffee and that Diet Mt. Dew I was shaking bad (plus all the freakiness of seeing your child in a hospital bed didn't help). Anyway, after we left the hospital, we stopped at Arby's to get her a shake and I knew I needed to eat something so I ordered the Chicken Club Market Fresh sandwhich. I'm sure it wasn't "great" but all it had on it was deli-style chicken breast, lettuce, tomato and cheese on toasted sandwhich bread (and a small dollop of ranch dressing). It was yummy. On the way home, the gym called and asked if I could teach 2 fitness classes that evening. At first I was gonna say "no" since I needed to be home taking care of Brooklyn, but then I remembered Matt AND my mom were there so she'd be fine. I said yes and went to the gym and taught a 30 minute ball-abs class and a 45 minute pump (weights) class.

When I got home I had 2 bowls of salad at my moms house (lettuce, grilled chicken, hard-boiled egg white, tomato, croutons and light ranch dressing).

After a shower,(I was EXHAUSTED) we watched the movie Marmaduke and I slowly nibbled on a single white chocolate chip cookie. I didn't mean to eat the whole thing, but I kept picking off tiny piece after tiny piece until it was all gone. Oh well...I think I did fine anyway.

I had FULLY intended on doing the YogaX video today, but since I taught 2 classes at the gym and was go-go-going all day, I just couldn't do an hour and a half yoga video TOO. Oh well. :o)

One thing about it...I just gotta go with the flow and do the best that I can.

Tomorrow is P90X Legs & Back with Ab Ripper and I'm totally looking forward to it!

Day 3

2010-09-01T23:43:00.003-05:00

Today was Shoulders & Arms......and I just wanna say that I LOVE THAT WORKOUT! It has to be one of my very favorites. No push ups! No jumping! No pull ups! Woohoo! Plus, I LOVE the intense burn I get in my entire upper body from that routine! Mmmm-hmmmm!! Good Stuff!

I'll admit, I didn't get Ab Ripper done and my excuse is lame. Basically I waited until too late in the day and ran out of time. By the time I was about to do it, I knew that if I did...there was NO WAY I was going to be able to get showered and ready and make it to our dinner reservations at 6 pm...so I just had to say "oh well" this time. If it counts any...I did a lot of abs yesterday and my body probably needed a break anyway. :-)

Tonight we took our daughter on a very fancy date to a super nice restaurant. I tried to order smart, but who really knows!?! I got the Lite Filet Mignon. It was 4 or 6 oz. I believe. TINY. Haha Matt got the Ribeye and it looked gigantic next to my little chunck of meat! We shared some pototoes and asparagus as our sides. We had planned on getting a dessert to share (the 3 of us) since this was a special occasion for Brooklyn...but we ended up being too full and didn't get one afterall, so that was good.

Later on though at home, I had a 100% fruit grape popsicle.

The rest of the day eating was good. I had a 1 slice of wheat toast with 1 turkey sausage for breakfast with my coffee.

For lunch I made an AMAZING salad. It had romaine lettuce, sliced grapes, walnuts, grilled chicken, diced avacado, croutons and light sweet spicy French dressing. It was the BOMB! ha ha

I didn't do GREAT on eating today, but I know for a FACT that I did a lot better than I would "normally"...I mean FORMERLY do!

Tomorrow I can get back to strict P90X eating again and I'm actually looking forward to it because, crazy as it is, I feel like I'm already starting to shape up again and that is SO encouraging!

I hope you're doing well with your fitness/health journey! How about you jot me a note and let me know you are reading!?!? Thanks!

Here are a few pix from tonight I thought I'd share with you, even though they have nothing to do with fitness: This first one is of me and my daughter, Brooklyn after our fancy-schmancy dinner date!

This one is of me and Matt trying on some masks at Pier 1. Fun!

Day 2

2010-08-31T22:41:00.000-05:00

I got a call this morning to see if I could teach the class before mine at the gym...so that meant that I taught a 45 minute pump (weights) class and then a 45 minute (cardio) boot camp class. I had full intentions of coming home and doing P90X Plyometrics afterwards...but to be honest, I was so physically spent and exhausted after those 2 classes PLUS sore as HECK from Chest & Back/Ab Ripper from the day before, that I decided to let myself off the hook. Honestly, trying to do 3 workouts in one day is a bit much anyway...so the classes I taught at the gym yesterday will serve as my Day 2 workout.
Eating wasn't great today ...but I knew that would be--even before the day got here. I had already made plans to have Rene over for her birthday for lunch and an afternoon cookie-baking-session. We had grilled chicken salad for lunch (YUM! and very good) but then I made a whole batch of White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut cookies and she made a whole batch of Walnut Chocolate Chip cookies. We each ate one of each. Now cookies are not on my "P90X Nutrition Plan" BUT....only having 2 is quite a victory, so I'm not gonna get all freaked out about it.
I made a very healthy dinner of grilled turkey tenderloin, baked sweet potato fries, salad and broccoli soup.
In all, I guesstimate that I had about 1300 calories today.

Day 1

2010-08-30T19:19:00.002-05:00

So...here I am...P90X Day 1 (again).
Yes, I am starting a new 90 day run of P90X. I could give a zillion reason why I'm doing this and a zillion reason why I'm scared to death that I won't succeed at it...but I'm not gonna.
Today is Day 1, tomorrow will be Day 2 and so on. One day at a time is what I have to do right now. :o)
So...for anyone who's interested...here's how my day went:
7 am: Coffee
11 am: 1 Whole Wheat Tortilla (130 cal), egg whites, a few bacon bits, sprinkle of cheese
1 pm: P90X Chest & Back and Ab Ripper X. Did the WHOLE thing--which consisted of about a million push ups and pull ups. Owwwch!
3 pm: 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder (105 cal) , 1 small banana (70 cal) , 1 c. skim milk (90 cal)
6 pm: 6 oz. baked flounder, small red potato, 1 c. broccoli puree soup

In my guesstimation, I consumed approximately 1115 calories today. Actually less than I intended...but that's because I skipped breakfast (unintentionally).
Weight today was 144.4 (ohh mahhh gawwd!!!)

Workout Buddies

2010-08-27T21:17:00.004-05:00

Here are a couple pix I snapped of me and Brooklyn after doing Insanity last week. We were both SOAKED! I love the one of the back of her hair....it's dripping wet!

Before (again) Pix

2010-08-27T21:13:00.004-05:00

Ugh...This is accountablity. I really don't want to post these, but I know that if I'm ever going to hold myself responsible for the poor eating choices I've been making, that I'm gonna have to admit to myself (and everyone else) that I'm not the lean-mean-exercising machine that I was at this time last year. Oh well....life goes on. And besides, now that the kids are in school, I'm back to working at it. Here I am....at about 142. The goal isn't as much to reach any certain number on the scale...as it is to fit back into my jeans by winter! I'll let you know how it goes!

This last one is of me before Matt and I went out one night. I can't believe how much different my clothes are fitting because of this 10 pounds I put on. Everything is hugging my curves and gathering up in places it didn't use to. BLAH!

You don't really need to know....

2010-08-23T16:00:00.002-05:00

So....
What happened on Friday, Saturday and Sunday...you don't really need to know. :o)

Let's talk about today...Monday...a new day. A fresh start RIGHT? :o)

Today I've eaten a whole grain English muffin with egg white, turkey bacon and shredded cheese on it (for breakfast).
A big salad with tomatoes, light sweet spicy French dressing and 1/2 c. taco meat on top and a small apple with 1 TBSP. natural peanut butter. (for lunch)
A small banana with 8 almonds and a Sunsweet Prune. (for snack)

When Matt gets home, we're all FOUR doing a P90X workout together before we have a healthy dinner of baked fish, brown rice and veggies-squash, onion, pepper, zuzzhini (for dinner).

Needless to say, I didn't weigh in on Friday like I had planned. This weekend was a DOOZY for me. PMS and cravings pretty much controlled my body and at one point I actually covered my own ears and screamed at the top of my lungs for as long as I could! Yes...it was bad.

TGIM...Thank God it's Monday! :o)

If only...

2010-08-19T12:56:00.003-05:00

As always....I find myself wishing that workouts were enough. If only I could just workout enough to compensate for my poor eating...but alas...I know the truth and unfortunately, this is not possible for me.
So this is the dealio: Last night when Matt got home from work I had set out a pound of ground beef. I know he's been less-than-thrilled with my cooking lately because I have been making quick, healthy food (ie. pre-made turkey burger patties, chicken breast, veggies-all on the George Foreman grill). Basically, it's quick and its healthy...but it's not tasty.
So last night, after a bit of a rough day, I wanted to make him something he'd enjoy. So I went through my recipes with him and he picked out "Hamburger Steak". This is a recipe card I was given by his grandmother at my wedding shower and I've never made. To me, it sounded gross. You take 1 lb. of hamburger meat, mixed with 4 Tbsp. of mayo, 1/4 c. flour and an egg. Mix all together and form into patties and fry in oil on a skillet. Gross. But...in the name of love...I did it. I also made some homemade fries with onions (from red potatoes) and Kraft Mac-n-cheese for the kids. Nothing healthy about this meal at all. He loved it. The kids like it. I endured it. Blah! I don't know why anyone would want to ruin a perfectly good pound of lean ground beef like that. Anyway, I was really happy to have totally satisfied him with that meal...but on the other hand I was really disappointed that I ate THAT. After all this good eating and working out I've been doing...blah! So what did I do? I made me a bowl of that delicious Edy's 1/2 cal. French Silk ice-cream and wallowed in guilt! ha ha (I only had a measured out 1/2 cup serving though)
Thankfully I went to the gym with Rene yesterday and we logged a few miles on the treadmills, a few miles on the stationary bikes and a good half hour of weights/abs.
Anyway, today I went to the gym again and took Shelley's class (bootcamp with weights) and then came home and just ate what I think was a fairly healthy lunch. (a lettuce wrap and then a bowl of raisin bran). Now I am stuffed. :o) Wish I'd have stopped a bit sooner, but oh well.
So that's where I am. Tomorrow I will weight and I'll see if the scale has budged any. I honestly don't expect it to be good. Even though I've upped my workouts CONSIDERABLY and been eating better, I've also done "not-good" several times and I'm thinking I probably won't see a loss this week. Blah! Oh well....better luck next time. :o)

progress report

2010-08-18T09:45:00.003-05:00

So, Monday I ate good, lots of salad. I taught 2 fitness classes that night at the gym. 45 minutes of interval step/weights and 45 minutes of hardcore boot camp. It was EXTRA warm in there so everyone left completely SOAKED in sweat! :o)

Tuesday I got up and headed for the gym again to go to Shelley's ball/weights class and then I taught boot camp. I threw in some Insanity moves to up the intensity a bit and it was a great workout. I ate good all day Tuesday because I knew we were going out to Zio's Italian for dinner. I also knew that I had a coupon for a free appetizer and that we would order the Italian Nachos (my FAVORITE). Thankfully, since we were having dinner with some friends, I behaved myself and only ate a "normal" amount of the appetizer instead of hogging it and licking the plate before I let the waiter take it away! ha ha Matt and I shared a thin crust combo (supreme) pizza and I had 2 small slices. Not good by ANY means...but better than I would have done previously. It was my "cheat" day so no biggie.

The proof will be today...a very busy day for me...that I get in a work out AND continue back on my healthy eating. I've already had an inkling to just "throw caution to the wind" and eat something unhealthy...but I resisted the urge. I MUST not let a single cheat day completely change the direction of my path. It's like a speed bump and instead of going over it...I just turn and go down a different road (the road to eating junk again). Ugh! Live and learn, right? :o)

I will (plan to) weigh on Friday and see if the scale shows any progress. Even if it doesn't, I know I've made some VERY good choices over the past week and I'm proud of that. :o)

She's my girl!!!

2010-08-16T09:26:00.002-05:00

So, I started out my Sunday by getting up and doing Insanity Cardio Abs before church. Since I didn't have time for a "real" breakfast, I just grabbed a banana and a Lara bar on my way out the door.
After church, we ate Oscar Meyer Turkey Smoked Sausage hot off the grill with a big salad and green beans. I "treated" myself and had 1/2 cup of Edy's 1/2 cal 1/2 fat French Silk ice cream (110 cal). YUM!
We spent the afternoon playing Mario Kart on the Wii (I beat everyone's socks off!) and then we began a new game of Monopoly (which will probably take 2 weeks to finish!) :o)

After that we went to the annual Ice Cream Social at our church where they were giving out free sloppy joe's and all the ice cream you can eat! I ended up eating 1 1/2 sloppy joe sandwiches but not a drop of ice cream! I put some gum in my mouth and refused all the wonderful flavors of creamy, sugary frozen treats!

When we got home from church (at 7:30 pm) the weather had suddenly turned BEAUTIFUL. Rather than hot, it was about 78 and breezy so we loaded up all 4 of our bikes and went riding for about an hour. It felt great to have my quads burning like that while going up the hills and then ahhh....feeling the wind through my hair as we coasted back down. When we got home, I actually felt revved up and ready to go....so...I decided to do something I've never done before :
Insanity Max Cardio Conditioning.
It was almost 9 pm so I told the kids they needed to get in their jammies and ready for bed--which they begged to not have to do. So I made a deal with them (secretly knowing they'd never last) I told them they could stay up for as long as they did this workout with me. HA HA HA I thought...they don't know what they're in for!
Well.....the joke was on ME!
Grant was in and out throughout the workout but BROOKLYN DID ALL FORTY SEVEN MINUTES WITH ME!
Yes...my 9 year old daughter hung in there and COMPLETED A MAX INSANITY WORKOUT. I'm still in awe.
Nothing against her...but seriously, I know very few adults that could even do that...let alone a child who hardly ever gets any exercise. By the time we were done, we were both DRENCHED in sweat (as Insanity promises you will be!)
Before we took a shower, I snapped a few sweaty pics of us together...which are so cute and I would LOVE to post them on here but DUMB BLOGGER won't let me! Grrr!
I guess I'll save them all up and eventually some day when my PC is working correctly again, I'll post them along with my "before" pictures I took.
Anyway, I'm proud of what I'm doing...and if I could reach, I'd pat myself on the back and give myself a MUCH NEEDED deep tissue massage because quite frankly I feel like my back is tied up in about a hundred knots. I'm OBVIOUSLY not accustomed to THIS much working out anymore! :o)
Today is Monday and I'm scheduled to instruct 2 classes at the gym tonight. I haven't checked yet, but I think one is step aerobics with some weight training and the 2nd one is boot camp (45 minutes of hardcore cardio). That'll be my workout for today. I am excited to get another day under my belt of healthy eating and maybe by Friday, I'll be back in the 130's with my weight! Woohoo!

Weight & Measurements

2010-08-14T12:44:00.003-05:00

So, like I said, I was going to weigh and take my "before" measurements and post them. Blah! I did it..and I'm not happy...but this is OBVIOUSLY why I'm getting back to eating right and working out again, so at LEAST I'm not just sitting here being depressed, but doing something about it!

So...my weight was 141.6. AUGH! Last year at this time, I was at around 134...so that means I've put on about 7 pounds. (no WONDER why none of my pants fit!)
Here are my measurements (which I know is very boring reading...but it helps me to have a posted list of them so I can check my progress)
Waist (at bellybutton): 32
Chest (around largest part of boobs):35
Right and left thigh (around largest part of leg-about 1 inch from crotch): 23
Right bicep (not flexed): 11
Right bicep (flexed): 12
Left bicep (not flexed): 11 1/2
Left bicep (flexed: 12

I took "before" pictures for you...but I canNOT get blogger to let me upload any images!?! When I click on the "image" button...nothing happens. Anyone have any suggestions?

So far I've been doing good. Worked out at the gym on Thursday, did P90X Chest, Shoulders & Triceps yesterday. We went out for dinner and I ordered grilled Salmon and steamed veggies! Yay! Did have some low-fat frozen yogurt after the movie last night, but not too much, so no guilt. Today I got up and went to kickboxing, Zumba and abs at the gym so I feel like I'm off to a great start!

The overall goal is to workout daily, eat healthy and fit back into my jeans by winter! :o)
I'll try using Picasa to post the pix.

Chutes & Ladders

2010-08-13T06:52:00.003-05:00

That's what my weight has been like lately. Up and down, mostly up :-(
But there has been an end in sight...and it was August 12th. The day that my kids go back to school and the day that I committed once again to getting "serious" about being MORE healthy and fit.
So as you know...that was yesterday and in normal fashion, stumbling blocks were in my way even before the day began. First of all was a birthday lunch for my cousin that I was invited to-at a Mexican restaurant. Ugh! Of all the places that I have a HORRIBLE time resisting...it's there. Chips and salsa/queso. Mmmmm! So I knew I needed a game plan before I even left the house. I looked up their menu online to hopefully get some nutritional info before I left, but sadly, they don't have it posted online (wonder why!!!) So, I determined not to even TOUCH a tortilla chip and to order something healthy-ish as I could. I ended up doing well, I think. I had a bowl of tortilla soup for my meal and didn't have a single chip. I drank water and forfieted my sopapilla. Yay! That's check mark 1.

My buddy Rene picked me up before lunch and we ran into town real quick for a bootcamp class at the gym which entirely kicked my butt...but in a good way. I told Shelley, the instructor, afterwards that "that was a miserably good workout"! ha..but really...it was about like doing Insanity for the first time and you start thinking WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO!!!!?? So check mark 2---I got my workout done!

Anyway, for dinner, since it was the first day of school, I let the kids pick out anything they wanted for dinner. I totally expected to hear "Pizza!!" but instead they requested my homemade fried chicken and mashed potatoes. I haven't made that since 2008 BEFORE we started P90X. It was difficult for me to "bread" my skinless boneless chicken breasts and then FRY them in oil...but I did it. I figured once every 2 years isn't going to kill anyone. Plus, I only made one piece for each of us, so we couldn't go overboard. I also made mashed potatoes and carrots with a big salad. It was a delicious meal and again, I think I did well. I had half a chicken breast, about 1/2 c. of mashed potatoes and lots of carrots and salad.
After dinner when everyone had chocolate chip cookies and ice cream, I ate my Sunsweet Prune for the day with 4 whole almonds and called it good. Check mark 3. Hooray!

My goal is to eat healthy (no more sweets, chips, breads, JUNK) and workout EVERY day. I'm going to try to post either daily or every other day so I can use this to hold me accountable. You guys feel free to "kick me in the butt" too if you see me slacking!
Tonight I will take my measurements, weight and such....so I can see where I'm beginning from. Eeeeeeeeek! (I'm SCARED!)

Sometimes motivation comes from the craziest thing:

2010-07-24T08:05:00.003-05:00

Yesterday when I went to Zumba, I saw someone I hadn't seen in a few months. My mouth dropped open because 1. She looked AMAZING!!! and 2. I didn't even know she was trying to lose weight!!!
After class I said, WOW! You look fantastic!!! I can see a enormous difference in your body!
and she said, "Thanks!, I've lost 23 pounds in the last couple of months."
omg...
23 pounds for a person who is already really fit and not overweight is a LOT. I wouldn't have thought she had 23 pounds to lose! It was SUCH AN INSPIRATION to me because it reminded me of how "okay" I looked before doing P90X and getting more serious about eating right versus how MUCH BETTER I looked after wards!
Now that I've seen her, I have this "oh no she's not gonna look this much better than me" attitude! ha ha (again...who knew I was so competitive???)

I'm finally starting to anticipate school being back in session just for the fact that I know I will do so much better with eating and exercise when I'm not entertaining and feeding the kids all day. Excuses, excuses...whatever...it's the truth. I hope I can start doing posts very soon about my own weight loss! Nothing drastic, but it would be nice to dissolve the layer of blubber that is covering over my hard-earned muscles!
Today, I'm teaching kickboxing and I plan to envision that Wave Master bag as a gigantic hamburger since I ate out TWICE yesterday and had a burger both times! ugh!
"Forgetting those things which are behind and pressing on towards the things which are ahead..."

Picking up the pace...

2010-07-23T14:50:00.004-05:00

Well, I've been working out more lately and I'm so glad. Even though I'm not doing NEARLY as much as I once was, working out only once a week was not a good thing either. No exercise = grumpy Jen. Blah!
So, yesterday I did CardioX from P90X and today I got up and went to an hour-long Zumba class at the gym. On Monday night, Matt and I lifted weights together for about half an hour. It felt great and DUDE! He's looking GREAT! Here are some pix I snapped of him that he'd probably kill me for putting on here if he knew (Mr. Modesty)...but since he VERY rarely looks at my blog, I can probably get away with it! :o)It's really very ~~UNJUST~~ cool how easy he stays in tip-top shape. I mean...not to say he doesn't work at it ...but...he DEFINITELY doesn't stress about everything he eats and if he goes 2 or 3 weeks between workouts, it's NO big deal. I have to remind myself that he has a very active job though and I'm sure that helps a lot.
Anyway, I'm not losing any weight...staying at around 140...but that's alright. I'm upping my workouts and being a LITTLE more conscience of what I'm eating, so I'm cool wit it. :o)

How about you? How're you guys doing? Anybody thinking about trying TurboFire?

Read it--U need it!

2010-07-16T11:10:00.002-05:00

It's not everyday that I read a post that I am excited about that I IMMEDIATELY hop over to my blog and link to it so all my readers can see it...but today IS one of those times...this is an EXCELLENT post from one of my dear friends! If you aren't sure you're interested...just listen to the name of her blog: "My Body is a Temple....with ample parking in the rear." How hilarious is that?!?!

http://bodyisatemple1.blogspot.com/2010/07/my-bone-to-pick.html

Positive Peer Pressure

2010-07-15T08:33:00.004-05:00

You can read that as: Positive = good, helpful, beneficial
or you can read that as: Positive = definite, absolute

Either way...I POSITIVELY peer pressured my hubby into a workout last night and it worked! :o)
It started out with a little "c'mon, let's drop down and do 30!"
I could see the "i-don't-really-feel-like-it" in his eyes. So, without further delay, I got down and started bustin'em out. Well, of course, he couldn't sit there and watch his girl pumpin' out the push ups and not join...so down he went.
Next thing I know he's up to ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY push ups with perfect form!
He got up and together we admired the deep cut down the center of his pecks and the sharp diamond shape of his cut triceps! wow!
I mean, c'mon girls...what's sexier than seeing your guy all pumped, with the veins in his biceps bulging? ahhh...dreamy!!

Afterwards { :-) } he thanked me for "pushing him" to do that and said he never would have done any of it if I hadn't said it and then done it.

I got to thinking about my friend Rene and how disgusted we both are with our recent weight gain. As much as I HAAAAAAATE to admit it, we are probably a bit of a distraction for each other because we both LOVE to eat and lately between the two of us, we always have coupons for yummy restaurants. So we justify eating out together a LOT because it's "cheap". But as she mentioned to me yesterday...what is a bargain for our wallet is sometimes a HUGE DEBT for our body! (we've both also come to the realization (again!) that even though we also workout together a LOT, it still doesn't make up for the food we've been eating.)
So, I resolve to not be fat buddies with her anymore. :o) We can surely find ways to eat together that will be easy on the wallet AND good for our bodies. Like the time I went to her house and the kids ate greasy, meat-laden pizza while she made us cucumber and tomato sandwiches! Normally I NEVER would have turned down pizza for a VEGGIE sandwich, but it was that Positive Peer Pressure that did it for me. I couldn't be "the only one" who ate the bad stuff while I watched her eat the good stuff. (plus, we were wearing bikini's at the moment too and that'll really make ya think twice about what you're stuffing your face with! :o)

So my challenge to you is...try it! Positive peer pressure someone you love into doing something good for themselves today. Maybe it's challenging them to holding a plank for 3 minutes...or a wall squat for 5 minutes. Maybe it's talking them into fruit for dessert instead of that brownie. I don't know...but YOU can make a difference in someones life today! Let's do it!

Here I am...

2010-07-14T08:43:00.004-05:00

Wow, I can't believe it's been almost 2 weeks since I last posted! Crazy! Well, in the "meantime" I turned 32 (on Saturday) and celebrated all weekend long with friends and family! It was a great time (with lots of caution-less eating, sadly).

Also, apparently a big number of instructors at my gym decided to go to VEGAS on my birthday weekend which left me picking up the slack at the gym while they were gone. In the past 7 days, I have taught 8 fitness classes! (not that many for a lot of instructors, but I'm used to just doing one a week...so it was a big jump for me). The good thing about that is that I worked out WAYYYYYY more than I have been...AND...I got paid for every workout! Now that's a pretty SWEET deal!

Also a nice plus to all this instructing is that I convinced my hubby to come to all my classes and now he is BACK in weight-lifting mode! He's pumping iron pretty much every day now and chugging down his Cyto-gainer, Muscle Milk, Recovery Formula and Men's Strength & Muscle Formula.
Funny how all it takes is one good hard-core workout, getting drenched in sweat and it re-lights the fire again! I am exactly the same way. It's easy to let the flame dwindle and go out...but once you ignite it again, it's BLAZING. :o)

Since P90X is our first love and was the ANSWER...the KEY...to our success with our bodies, we can't help but want to get back into it again. So...here we go. No plans, no commitments, no schedule...just gonna start popping in a dvd whenever we can and see where that takes us.
Even though I know we would be more focused and succesful WITH a plan/schedule...it's just not the time to be that dedicated. We are living life right now first and foremost--investing in our kids lives while they are home for the summer and I just refuse to be "guilted" into an hour a day workout for this next month.
However...school starts in about 29 days...so THEN we (or at least I) can begin to put a little more dedication into my workouts.
For now, we're using Tony's motto "Do your best and forget the rest."
So how are you doing? Hanging in there?

Another quick thing: What about Beachbody coaching? Have you considered it? I am really realizing that this is a great opportunity for me. Now that the checks are coming in consistently every week, I'm very encouraged! There's something pretty cool about seeing money direct deposited into my account every Friday and knowing that all I did was send out a few emails encouraging fellow workout buddies! It really is a blessing to have a job like this and it's just as available to you as it is to me! Go to www.beachbodycoach.com/onetoughgirl to find out more...or just ask me!!

How refreshing!!!

2010-07-01T13:03:00.002-05:00

How refreshing it is to know that you amazing people are still by my side even though I gave you the dreaded "let down post." It was beyond encouraging to me to see that no one said "Jen, I'm so disappointed in you"...but instead you were all cheering me on! YAY!
You know, I don't regret being so "gung-ho" and a total fitness fanatic for the past year or two...it's been a huge tool that has shaped me into the woman I am now (literally! ha ha) but I am sooooooooo glad that it was just a "Season" of my life and that now I've moved into the next chapter, which is "hard core" when I need to bring it...but "laid back" all the rest of the time. Even the best things in life can be taken TOO seriously, TOO extreme, TOO obsessive. I was teetering on that line there for a bit.
I give props to the people who don't have kids or spouses who can devote their LIFE to having a body of perfection, working out insane hours a day, watching every morsel that enters their mouth. Those people who journal every bite, log every calorie burned and could fill a swimming pool with their sweat. Yah..that's amazing.
But as much as that sort of person is deep inside of me, that is not the life I have chosen. I am a momma and a wife and the need for a supermodel body is just not there.
I feel sort of sad and guilty...saying this on this P90X blog. I feel like "wow, what kind of motivation can I possibly be to you all now?"
I hope, I pray...that I will be an even better role model and inspiration to you all now actually.
My hope for my life...and for your is that you'll "Give it all you've got--all the time." During workouts, give 100%. Make the time count. Get the biggest "bang for your buck." Don't just half-hop and half-squat and throw your arms around like limp noodles. Tighten up, squeeze, go low, jump high, strong arms, tight abs-PUSH!PUSH!PUSH! And when you're done...you're DONE! Physically AND mentally. (no thinking about how many calories you can burn while you're doing XXX Rene! :-)
And the same goes for the other areas of your life. Be present. When you're playing with your kids...give them ALL of you. Don't let your mind wander, don't let the ring of your cell phone distract you. They deserve 100% and they will appreciate getting it. And you'll be pleasantly surprised at how fun doing kid-things can actually be when you quit trying to divide your attention into so many categories!
When your with your hubby...be his DREAM WIFE. Ask him "in a perfect world where your every need and desire is met, what would your wife be like?" Then go to any length needed to be that for him. He only gets one wife for all of his life...so why not make his dreams come true?

I could go on and on...but I won't...you can figure out how this applies to the other relationships and commitments in your life--but I will say this: Be the kind of friend you would like to have.

Think about what matters most in your life, what you'll look back on one day and be proud of --or gulp! regret...and then go after those important things with all you've got.

Even when you're relaxing...relax completely. Don't try to take a bubble bath while you read a magazine, listen to music, paint your toenails and scrape the soap scum off the side of the tub. One thing at a time, sweet girl. Turn off everything and let your mind wander in the dark silence. Besides, how are you EVER gonna hear the voice of God if He has to SCREAM in order for you to hear Him over all the chaos and chatter going on?

Give it your all--all the time!
xoxo-I love you guys!

Hips Don't Lie

2010-06-18T16:37:00.005-05:00

Besides the number on the scale, besides having to SqEEzE into my jeans, do you know how I KNOW I've gained weight??????
My hip bones disappear.
And yes, my friends, this IS a tragedy. I LOVE my hips. (hey that's not something you hear women say everyday! ha ha) Okay, really, I don't love my HIPS...but I love my hip bones. When my tummy is flat and I've been working out diligently and eating right, they are pronounced and quite shapely and lovely. They frame my hard-earned abs just perfectly.
But today as I stood in the dressing room at Old Navy trying on a ~~size larger~~ pair of white linen shorts, I realized that I CAN'T SEE THEM ANYMORE!
AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Their absence is honestly the "last straw" for me, I can't stand it! I refuse to let them be suffocated by layers of blubber. I've worked toooo hard to set them free to let this happen!
So what's my game plan? .....Beats me! I've had ENOUGH of making plans/goals/decisions and failing. I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do about this, but I know a few things:
1. Even my precious hip bones aren't more important than quality time with M, G and B.
2. A hour+ a day of exercise is too much to ask of myself (at least until school starts back up)...but maybe I could give half an hour!?!
3. Dessert is a necessity in my life and while I might be able to cut back, I've proven that I am incapable of cutting it OUT...and quite honestly, if I have to live life without eating a brownie fudge sundae every now and then, --then just go ahead and kill me now! :o)

So...there you have it peeps. The let down post. The one where all you people who think so highly of me just got your "bubble burst". I'm sorry. I've disappointed myself too. But along the way, I've also learned some priceless lessons about family/parenthood/God's calling on my life. While exercise and healthy eating will ALWAYS be a big part of my life and a priority for me, from here on out, they are taking a small baby step down the ladder.

My roots...

2010-06-09T08:45:00.000-05:00

This is a pic of my dad "blowing up" his bicep! He's been doing this since I can remember and if you asked any of his 19 grandkids what they think of when they think of Grandpa, I guarantee you this is what they'd say! hee hee hee...makes me giggle just thinking about it. Anyway, as you can see, this is were I get my preoccupation with bicep muscles. Isn't he handsome? No wonder I adore Kenny Rogers...:o)

Sweeet!

2010-06-08T16:56:00.006-05:00

My good friend Rene loves cookies. I mean she really, really, REALLY loves cookies! She is practically a professional cookie connoisseur! She can tell you what kind of sugar to use, what kind of flour, how many nuts (LOTS!) , what kind of pan.... to make the perfect cookie.
Thankfully for her, she's also a workout fanatic..which was proven true just this morning as she told me about watching a TV show while she was on her AMT machine and then treadmill BEFORE coming to a weights class and a bootcamp class at the gym! Regardless of how many cookies she consumes, she maintains unbelievably fabulous abs that I try very hard not to envy. How she carried and birthed 2 children and didn't get a single stretch mark is beyond me. If I didn't love her so much, I might secretly be mad at her for that! ha ha
Anyway, in addition to being my workout buddy and good friend, she is also the mother of one of Brooklyn's best friends! AND...she has a daughter almost the same age as Grant too-Double Bonus! So, this means that we get to hang out a lot and call it "playtime for the kids" even though it's also fun time for us too but shhhh...don't tell our husbands. We only get together because we are being good mothers FOR THE KIDS--that's our story and we're sticking to it. :o)
Aaaanyway, it was funny when the other day as I was taking THE KIDS over to play with HER KIDS that we both thought of each other in the form of sugar! I baked her this cookie cake and she made sno-cones for me (which is my indulgent guilty pleasure during summer)!Anyway, since I snapped a pic of the cookie cake before ~~Rene~~ WE ALL devoured it, I thought I'd do a little tribute post to her...my good, sweet, thoughtful, hardcore, thrifty, cookie-lovin' buddy!

funniest thing...

2010-06-07T08:36:00.002-05:00

So yesterday I was sitting in a crowded hotel lobby in Dallas, TX having my coffee and reading my Bible before I went to the hotel gym for a workout. I happened to be wearing my red and black Nike shorts and my black P90X tank top. I was reading 1 Corinthians, first chapter and was really into it...soaking up each word and really imagining Paul's thoughts and feelings as he wrote these words but for some crazy reason I glanced up from my Bible and looked at the large flat-screen TV on the wall in front of me. AND WHO DO YOU THINK I SAW??????????
Tony Horton himself--wearing the exact same shirt that I had on! HAHAHAHA! I let my eyes do a quick scan around the room to see if anyone in there watching had noticed my shirt. All eyes were on the TV. Ah...good. So I watched as TH showed the TV crew some exercises from P90X. He did plyo and clap push ups, reach high and under push ups and I REALLY REALLY wanted to get down on the floor and join him...but I refrained. :o)
After I finished my coffee and quiet time, I headed to the workout room where I ran for about 10 minutes, biked for about 10 minutes, did the stair climber and then worked through a few sets of this circuit
1) decline push ups 2) ab work 3) back flys 4) lawn mowers 5) bicep in and out curls 6) tricep skull crushers 7) chest presses
Ahhh....man did that feel GOOOD! By the time I went back to the room to shower, I was SOAKED. Who knew I could give myself such a great workout all alone with no guide, no video, no instructor, nothing. Just me and my muscles. :o)

Digging Deep...

2010-06-07T07:59:00.002-05:00

With that title, you might think I'm talking about Insanity since their motto is "Dig Deep" but what I'm actually talking about is the workout I got in last week (in lieu of Insanity). I was "digging deep" using a shovel this time!
Yes, impulsively, my hubby and I decided to put another water faucet in on our land, near the garden. It sounded simple and painless....until we realized the existing water line that we had to tie into was about 4 feet deep and that the place we wanted the faucet was about 55 feet away! Still, I thought..."I love getting in a good workout beneath the bright sunshine! I can get exercise, a tan AND do something productive!" So I said, "Babe, why don't you go to the store and get all the pipe and materials we need while I did the ditch?" And as any smart man would, he said, "okay!"
The work that ensued following that naive statement was GRUELING, to put it lightly.
WOW! I knew shoveling was good exercise...but I had no idea how much work we had just 'bitten off'. I shoveled for about 2 hours straight in 96 degree direct sunlight with sweat pouring into my eyes and running in little streams down my entire body. When Matt got back from the store, I had a good majority of it done, but thankfully he grabbed another shovel and together we finished the 55 foot long x 2-4' deep ditch. I should have taken a picture of it because honestly, unless you are either a guy or a woman with a real knack for distance, you won't understand HOW BIG AND LONG that is!
Anyway, we got it done and the new faucet is great and something we will enjoy and appreciate for many years.
However, the soreness that I felt the next 2 days is something I've rarely ever experienced. Mostly just in my chest and core...but so tender that even the lightest touch hurt.
(Oh, I forgot to mention that on that very same day, I had started out my morning by teaching an hour of Weights and Core at the gym and then a 30 minute boot camp class...so I'd already gotten in a great workout.)
Anyway, all in all, it was an excellent workout and I wish there was a way to get that kind of amazing exercise every day while at the same time doing something productive!
Today though, it's back to Insanity for me. I gotta get this thing finished! I believe I'm on day 38 still. I'm just crossing off each workout on the schedule as I do it.
I hope you're having a good summer and still "pushing play"?!?! This is the perfect time to start eating lots of crunchy, crispy, tender sweet veggies and fruits!!!

Does it count?

2010-05-26T11:53:00.002-05:00

I wonder, if you take a 56 minute workout and divide it in to 4 equal 14 minute parts separated by 5 minute breaks, does it still count the same?
For example, my workout today is Max Interval Plyo. I'm doing it right now because this is the ONLY time in my day that I can actually fit it in. However, because of that I am forced to do it while I'm hungry and I have a POUNDING headache. I can't eat because I'll puke during the workout. And I can't wait for the headache to go away because...well, I don't have the time. Basically this is due to poor planning on my part. I should have eaten something an hour or two ago so that my stomach wouldn't be empty. I also should have taken some Tylenol ahead of time to get rid of this headache. Lesson learned...but for right now, the only way I can seem to get through this workout is to do about 15 minutes and then take a BIG break. I have 31 minutes remaining (down from 56) and right now my eyeballs feel like they're gonna pop out of my head because of this pressure headache thing. I'm weak and exhausted and SORE from the previous 2 days workouts and pretty much being a major whiny wuss. (which I DESPISE!) I am actually blogging RIGHT in the middle of my Insanity workout because I needed to sit down for a moment and let my heartrate come back into the human range and I honestly wanted to VENT about this but there is no one here so it's going on the blog! ha ha
I know I've been doing a lot of cry-baby-ing lately and I don't like it and I'm gonna try to stop-or at least minimize it...but I also PROMISE to always keep it real...and right now...this is me being REAL.
Okay...I guess it's time to go finish this thing. Maybe I'll get the whole 31 minutes done at once...or maybe I'll be back in here to blog some more in about 14 minutes...!?!? :o)
Seriously though...does anyone know if it hurts anything to hit pause several times during the workout?

P90X, Insanity and now TurboFire....Bring It!

3x5 Folded Card

3x5 Folded Card

Where are we now? P90X2

P90X2-Day 4-8

P90X2-Day 3

P90X2-Day 2

P90X2-Day 1

Sometimes Life gets in the Way...

Nah, you don't have to eat the right stuff...

15 days of Eating Clean

Menu for this week:

The 100% Guaranteed way to lose weight

Eating Clean: 6 days and counting!!

"Before" 20 Day Challenge-Front

"before" 20 day challenge pic

20 Day Clean Eating Challenge

Pictures...:(

I heart Diamond!

Cheat with a BANG!

Time Out/Bootcamp Insanity

I'm happy and I know it! (((clapping hands)))

Gotta get it off my chest and FB isn't the place...

Inferno Plan--give myself a C-

I spoke (whined) too soon! :)

Shakeology Cleanse: Final Results and Inferno Plan begins!

Hot Nacho

Still cleansing....

Staring at the wall...

You need to watch this!

Facebook Withdrawls?!?!

It's Friday...that's my excuse

The Good Life :)

The Whole Scoop

Fitness Classes!!!

Beachbody Bargains!

Don't stop eating when you feel full...

TurboFire EATING

Make a profit as a Beachbody Coach

devastated, but not defeated

Insanity meets Zumba=TurboFire

Redecorating...

I'm so ashamed...

"The" Jeans

Blame it on the JEANS

Welcome to the Family (and duh-sometimes I'm a ditz)

Keepin' it Fresh with TurboFire

More of Him, Less of Me

Become a Coach NOW!

Victory is Sweet!

Love funky shirts with sayings on them!

Stubborn body!

The Challenge-The COUNTDOWN!

Challenge-Week 1

Endurance...

You found me!

Lose Your Holiday Trimmings

A new beginning....P90

Alternative to P90X Eating/Exercise Plan

Day 31--as unto the Lord

A Sneak Peek...

**CHANGING**

2 Corinthians 5:17

Is it EVER enough????

It's WORKING!!!!!!!

dead scale

Days 17-22 and Meal Plan

rant

Day 15 & 16

Days 10-14 and MEAL PLAN

Day 9

can I admit

Days 5, 6 , 7 and 8

Day 4

Day 3

Day 2

Day 1

Workout Buddies

Before (again) Pix

You don't really need to know....

CHANGING