P90X Day 10, 11 & 12

YES! We are still going strong! :)
I will admit, Saturday proved to be too much of a challenge and we were unable to get out workout in. By the time we got home from the awards ceremony, (7:45pm) we were "starving" and I knew by the time we ate dinner and waited for our food to settle, there would be no way we could get Plyometrics done before bed. So...we vowed to get up extra early before church and knock it out. And we did! :)
(That's dedication there folks...to get up at 6:30am on Sunday morning and do jump tucks, etc. for an hour!)
Sunday-Day 10 (after the Plyo dvd and church) we did our "arms" workout. Matt REALLY wanted to substitute Body Beast: Bulk Arms rather than do the P90X Shoulders & Arms video, so I agreed and we knocked that out. Felt like my biceps were going to pop. It was pretty rad. :) That night at church, we had a Missions Banquet to go to...and being that the missionaries were from China...they served a HUGE Chinese buffet.  Oh boy...there's nothing healthy about that. I tried to eat sensibly but not obsess over the fact that I wasn't getting my P90X food.
Monday-Day 11. Should be Yoga, but there was no way I was getting Matt to even try yoga again. He told me, "You can do whatever you want, but I'm going to work shoulders and abs."  Since we sort of missed out on the shoulder work the day before...I decided to join him for Body Beast: Build Shoulders and Body Beast Abs. I DO love those Body Beast workouts for 2 main reasons. 1) The warm up is only about 2 minutes long (rather than upwards of 8 minutes in P90X) AND...they dvd's are only about 35 minutes long instead of a whole hour...and that is super encouraging. Plus, another bonus: You do strip sets of each exercise, increasing weight as you go. So for instance, when we do shoulder press, we start with 15 reps and I use 8# weights. Then we go to 12 reps and I use 10# weights. Then  we do 8 sets and I use 15# weights and then a last set of 8 and I go back to 10# weights. That's FORTY THREE shoulder presses without any break! The pump you get from this workout series is insane. I love it. However, in the long run, I actually think the P90X workouts will probably produce (FOR ME) the results I'm after (long, lean muscles). I really think the way Body Beast is set up...is to help you BULK UP in a hurry. It feels good to go so hard so quick...but I'm trying to build endurance and produce a toned (NOT bulky) look...so I probably should stick with the P90X workouts for the most part.  Its a bummer really, because Matt really wants to switch over to Body Beast exclusively now, and I don't...but we both recognize the importance of working out together. Blahhh!?!?!? Maybe we'll will just have to compromise half and half. :)
I know I haven't been sharing our diet with you over the past several days. That is mainly because I haven't been taking the time to write it down (booo on that!!) It's also partly because we haven't been being super good either with our choices. (double boo on that!!)
One lesson I know I need to learn is not to just throw in the towel and "quit" when I make a few mistakes...and so for that reason, I am going to start writing everything down again today and post it here for you. Today's workout will be Legs & Back and Ab Ripper. I will write again later to say how it went and what we ate. :)

Ps. We made the P90X Lemon Garlic Chicken for dinner last night and to our disappointment, it was reallllly bland. Crazy because I marinated it for about 2 hours in the fresh squeezed lemon juice, molasses, fresh minced garlic and Worcestershire sauce. You would think it would have been amazing...but it was really blah.

P90X Day 9-Sat, Mar 2

Hey guys! Sorry I skipped a few days but let me fill you in real quick!
Wednesday was our "Rest Day" because it's impossible to get in a workout between 5pm when Matt gets home from work and 6:30pm when we leave for church, because we have to eat and shower in that time too, so...No workout Wednesday. We did eat good though.
Thursday was a special day because I got the opportunity to go with my friend Rene to her gym (LifeTime Fitness) and take three new (to me) classes! We started out with an hour of spin, then 30 minutes of Core Conditioning and then about 30 minutes of Yoga-Pilates Fusion. It was great and afterwards we had a healthy lunch in their cafe. Rene and I both got the hummus/veggie wrap. It was SO FUN working out with a friend, taking classes again! It's been a loooong time since I've done that! After that we ran to the  mall to get our shopping fix! ha ha Found some great bargains so that was the icing on the cake!!
Friday was DAY 8 as well as our first WEIGH IN DAY! I'm pretty certain in saying this is the MOST WEIGHT I have ever lost in one week. Last Friday (2/22/13) I weighed in at 149.6  (eeek!) ...but yesterday (3/1/13) I weighed  in at 142.2!!!! That means I lost 7.4 pounds!!! Wow! All I can say is the difference is EATING RIGHT! I always get in good workouts several times a week...but I haven't eaten this clean in a very long time (obviously!)
Our workout for Day 8 was Chest & Back and Ab Ripper again and I felt a little stronger this time. I've challenged myself to do at LEAST 8 pull ups every time we have them. I think we do 8 sets during this dvd...so that's 64 pull ups in an hour! Not to mention a TON of push ups too! Ab Ripper wasn't my greatest effort ever. My abs were really sore from all that I did the day before and honestly, I was so hungry for dinner and just kind of mad that we were STILL working out. I wanted to be done ALREADY! :) ha ha
Today is Saturday, March 2 and DAY 9-Plyometrics. I'm typing this in the morning while I'm having my coffee (haven't eaten a thing yet) so there's not a whole lot to say. Its going to be VERY difficult for us to get our workout in today because Matt gets off work at 5pm and we have an Awards Ceremony to go to at 6pm. I guess we will have to come home from the ceremony and do it afterwards. :(  That really stinks for me. I know...excuses, excuses...but I HATE to get all showered, do my hair and make up and be all fresh and clean and cute...and then waste it all with a workout. Ugh! However, that's just the way it is...so I do it. :)
I admit, I'm a bit "afraid" of what my weigh-in will be like next Friday...because I know its unlikely for me to have a good number on the scale again. My mom has already warned me not to get too disappointed if it stays the same or even goes up a pound. Ugh...that will totally stink. I can't WAIT to see the 130's again! Even if it's 139.9. ha ha

P90X Day 5 - 2/26/13

Day 5-Legs & Back with Ab Ripper. I just could NOT get my balance today...kept falling over sideways during lunges. Maybe I used it all up yesterday during yoga! ha Or maybe because I was already STARVING by the time we worked out.
I have a confession: I am SICK of being hungry. I've been hungry for 5 straight days now, it seems. When I'm hungry, I'm grouchy and when I'm grouchy, I'm no fun.  When I'm no fun, I don't like to work out. Needless to say, this hasn't been the chipper-ist week I've ever had. I've been thinking about WHY I'm so unsatisfied food-wise and I believe it has to do with the major difference in my carb/fiber consumption. We eat plenty of meals with plenty of food. It's just that the food we are eating is not lasting.  That's great because it means our body is using it (not storing it) but what happens is that I am hungry again only 1 hour after eating a meal and then by the time the next snack or meal comes around, I'm feeling ravished (and very irritated). I wonder sometimes if I don't have some sort of blood sugar issue because I get so shakey, dizzy and even disoriented feeling if I don't get something in me quickly. I know that within the next few days, my body will adjust to this new way of eating and I will be fine. I remember going through this before...I just hope I actually LOSE some pounds this week so all this sacrifice and depriving are worth it! We will be weighing in on Friday!
Anyway, here is what we ate today:
Breakfast: Kashi Go Lean cereal and skim milk, coffee = 300
Snack: Banana & 5 almonds = 150
Lunch: P90X Chicken Salad and 9 pita crackers = 350
Dinner: Block Party Stew (lean beef and tons of veggies) w/ 5 crackers= 420
Dessert: 1/2 banana nut low-sugar muffin= 200
Total Calories for Day= 1430

P90X Day 4- 2/25/13

Ahhh, the infamous Day 4...YOGA.  When we first did P90X back in 2008, we did our first yoga class on day 4 and discovered that we both HATE yoga. Fast forward 5 years and as far as we know, nothing has changed, however, we decided to give it another try. 5 years ago when we tried it, we had a 6 and 3 year old as well as a brand new puppy. Life was quite a bit more chaotic than it is today.  So....today it was rainy all day and quiet in our house. We dimmed the lights and decided to try yoga again. This time instead of doing the original P90X Yoga video, we opted to try the P90X2 Yoga dvd. After about 10 minutes, Matt gave it up and put in a Body Beast video on the other side of our home gym. However, I actually did the entire 70 minutes of yoga and I think (??) I might have sort of enjoyed it!?!?! :) Honestly, I'm not sure. It is a VERY weird workout for me since I didn't sweat much and there was no hyper jump tucking or anything of the sort. It was a bit distracting to have the Body Beast going on in the same room (total opposite of yoga! ha ha) but in all, I completed it AND decided to do TurboFire Greatest HIIT's as well so I could work up a good sweat before my shower. (don't want to waste a shower! ha ha)
Eating was a bit goofy today. It should have been good, but I failed to read the directions to my recipe ahead of time and didn't realize dinner had to be marinated for a couple of hours...so I had to change things last minute and we ended up having a few extra snacks to hold us over till I could get dinner cooked.)
This is what we ate on Day 4:
Breakfast: English muffin, turkey sausage, egg whites, coffee = 270
Snack: 1/2 subway sandwich, 5 crackers = 300
Snack: Yogurt fresh fruit parfait, 5 almonds = 200
Snack: 22 wafer chip thingys = 120
Dinner: 1 chicken breast, fresh boiled green beans, mashed potato/cauliflower = 500
Dessert: 2 Shakeology balls = 70
Total Calories for Day:= 1460

P90X Day 3 - 2/24/13

Today was Shoulders & Arms and Ab Ripper. One of our favorites from last time! We rocked it and Matt couldn't quit admiring the "pump" in his arms! :) (they did look pretty amazing!) Here is what we ate today:
Breakfast: 2 Berry Waffles & SF syrup, coffee = 240
Lunch: Subway Turkey 6" sub and P90X coleslaw, 1 Shakeology ball= 425
Snack: Greek Yogurt = 100
Dinner: Island Pork Tenderloin over salad (spinach, oranges, red bell pepper, golden raisins, walnuts and light balsalmic vinagrette) = 550
Dessert: 2 Shakeology balls = 70
Total Calories for Day = 1385

P90X Day 2- 2/23/13

Oh me, oh my! Today was Plyometrics and boy did I forget how difficult that workout is!! It starts out nice and slow, fairly easy, but by 20 minutes in, we were grabbing our knees and dripping sweat! It was extremely tough (mentally too) but we got it completed and immediately felt euphoric! ha ha :) Sometimes I think the biggest accomplishment is winning the battle in my mind!
Today was Saturday and both of the kids still had their friends over. After Grant's basketball game this morning, everyone was hungry and ready to eat, so I picked up pizza for the gang. I decided I would allow myself ONE slice of thin crust pepperoni pizza and eat a bunch of salad & veggies with it. I'm sure that was NOT the best choice, but I do know it is a giant improvement over how I've been eating and I'm hoping that I will get stronger as I go and quit making these mistakes, even if they are small. I want to do this right and have at LEAST as good results as we did last time. I am already sore from today's workout, so I can just imagine how I'm going to feel tomorrow!
Today we ate:
Breakfast: Coffee, 2 whole grain berry waffles, sugar free syrup, 1 turkey bacon= 275
Snack: 1/4 beef patty (left over) = 150
Lunch: 1 slice thin crust pepperoni pizza, salad, coleslaw= 350
Snack: Banana and 8 almonds= 125
Dinner: P90X Beef & Broccoli stir fry on brown rice (instead of noodles)= 500 
Dessert: 1 Shakeology Ball = 35
Total Calories for Day: 1435

P90X Preparation Day & Day 1

So, since hubby and I couldn't do the workout together yesterday, I decided to make that my "Preparation Day". I made out our recipes for the next 2 weeks and I went and bought all the groceries. I thoroughly cleaned out/up our home gym area and organized all our DVD's and weights, pull up bar and bands, etc.
For eating yesterday, we had:
Breakfast: 3T. egg beaters, 1/2 english muffin, 100% fruit strawberry jam, 1 turkey bacon, coffee with 2T coffee mate creamer.  Breakfast Calorie Total = 235
Snack: 3 stalks celery 1T. natural peanut butter = 100
Lunch: P90X Chef Salad (romaine, spinach, green pepper, red pepper, tomato, avacado, 5 croutons, ham, turkey, 2T. light ranch dressing) = 250
Snack: Banana = 70
Dinner: McAllister's Grilled Chicken Sandwich & 1c. potato salad = 700
Calorie total for day: 1355

P90X Day 1-2/22/13
So, today was Day 1 again and man, it felt like the original Day 1. I forgot how many push ups and pull ups are in this routine! I would guesstimate I did about 150 push ups tonight and about 50 pull ups. I have no doubt that I am going to be HURRRRTINGGG tomorrow! I wish I had ordered some P90X Recovery Drink prior to us starting this, but I never even thought of it until today. Ab Ripper was WAY HARDER than I expected. It's been so long since I've done it...but I've been doing TurboKick Abs and Insanity Abs for several years so I really thought Ab Ripper would be a piece of cake.  Um ....No. Not even close. I struggled to get through the whole thing!! Even though I'm proud of our accomplishments today, I am disappointed to say I did suffer a moment of weakness and I scarfed down a chocolate chip cookie before dinner. I probably shouldn't have baked cookies on our FIRST day of a new program anyway, but both of my kids were having friends sleep over tonight and it just seemed like a "good mom" kind of thing to do..bake them homemade chocolate chip cookies. So..I did. I thought I could be strong and not eat any, but I kept nibbling tiny little bites off this one cookie until I had nibbled 3/4 of it away and then I said "oh forget it!!" and put the rest in my mouth. DANG it was good too! I guess I should be proud because I only ate one and the old me (the yesterday me) would have eaten at least 4-5 EASY.
Oh...and...we took before pictures tonight. Oh Wow. There is NOTHING more humbling than seeing yourself in a bikini under harsh overhead lighting in the dead middle of winter (no tan whatsoever) to make you say "THANK GOODNESS we are starting P90X today!!!"  That was painful for both me and Matt. We both have specific goals to accomplish during this 90 days. He wants to drop about 10 pounds and regain the muscle gains he had put on during Body Beast last year (and our first round of P90X in 2008).  I want to lose 15-20 pounds and sculpt.  What I don't want to do is add muscle.  I've always been a lift-heavy kind of girl, but I am going to try something different this round and instead of trying to push myself to grab the 20, 25 and 30 pounders every time, I'm going to attempt to use 10's and 15's more and just do double the reps the guys are doing at their heavy weights.  I really want lean, long muscles. Not short, bulky ones. I know that the majority (if not ALL) of this is determined by body type, genes and body composition much more than how I lift...but I just want to experiment and see since I've never tried anything but going as heavy as I possibly can.
In addition to P90X, I hope to add in some extra workouts like a little running, of course an occasional burst of Insanity and when I get a chance, some Turbo with the girls! Next Thursday I am going to check out Lifetime Fitness with my buddy Rene and actually TAKE some new types of fitness classes. I'm very excited about that and actually hope I don't love it TOO much because I can NOT afford to join that gym and I don't want to drive that far every day! ha ha
Anyway, before I go, here is what we ate today:
Breakfast: Coffee, 1 WW toast, 1 turkey sausage, egg whites and 1/2 slice cheese. Total Cal = 245
Snack: Banana, prune, 1/8 c. whole natural almonds. Total Cal = 175
Lunch: Charbgrilled Chick-Fil-A Chicken salad with 1/2 packet Light Berry Balsalmic= 250
Snack: Chocolate chip cookie = 150
Dinner: Jennio Turkey Burger, WW bun, 1 c. P90X Coleslaw, 5 tater tots, steamed veggies. Total Cal = 500
Dessert: 2 Shakeology Balls. YUM! Total Cal= 70
Total Calories for the day: 1390

*I'm trying to keep my calories at or below 1,400/day in order for me to lose weight every week.

Doing it Again....P90X

Well, well, well....life has changed. Like it or not, some decisions have been made for me and life as I've known it for the past several years will now be different. The lady I've been renting space from at the martial arts studio randomly asked me to leave. She gave no explanation other than "sometimes you have to do what is right over what is profitable" and told me she was keeping the Zumba instructor (who has about 4 students in her class) and letting me go (I have anywhere from 20-40 students).  In other words, even though I was "profitable" for her...keeping the Zumba lady and letting me go is "right".  It doesn't make an OUNCE of sense. We have always had a GREAT working relationship and even exchanged Christmas gifts just days before she sent me this odd email. I pay her per person who attends class...so she was making upwards of $600/mo. from me for using her facility for 4 hours per week!
But...being honest, I didn't freak out too much when I read her words...because the truth is, I've been wondering if God might be wanting to move me on.  Her words felt like confirmation of just that. So, I quietly accepted them and kept silent about it while I finished out my final session with integrity and character and with as much passion as I had within me. It was an amazing session too...the biggest I've ever had. One of my new girls who came to the very first class this session and didn't miss but one the entire 6 weeks, lost 30 pounds over the course of the session! Awesome! How rewarding!
Anyway, now it's all over and I'm feeling a bit like an ex-girlfriend who's boyfriend has already moved on to bigger and better things. I see FB status of my girls from class joining new gyms, trying new classes and working out with new friends. ouch. Even though that is SO STUPID because I am THRILLED for them--that they are still working out and moving on (not giving up). I guess I struggle with pride more than I realized. I love to be needed. (eeek, hate admiting that) In my heart, I really want what's best for everyone and that means staying healthy and active. And...I know many, many of the girls still wish I had classes and would come back if I started them up again, so I just need to quit my whining.
So anyway, the purpose of this post today was to say that Matt and I have decided to start P90X again. He's been wanting to for about a month now but I've been begging him to wait on me so we can do it together. Now that I'm not working out with the girls anymore...now is the time.
I weighed tonight and it about sent me into a fit of depression, but I will not let it control me. I will regain control of my life...and of my eating.
I really wanted tomorrow to be Day 1 for us...but we got a little snow/ice storm today and hubby has to work to get people's power back on...so it's not looking good.  I may just do it without him...but hate to start that way. Anyway, no matter what, Day 1 is coming VERY soon! :)

Howdy! :)

Well, hello there! :) Today is December 28, 2012 and I'm enjoying a lazy, relaxing day at home in my pajamas doing Bible Study and drinking coffee and catching up on old blogs. Something I haven't done in months/years. I am remembering again why I loved blogging so much. I'm thinking I will take it up again..even if just for a while.  I've always been somewhat of a 'writer'...loving to put my thoughts down on paper and I've missed doing it. I still journal to my kids and lately I've begun a prayer journal, but there is something about sitting down at my keyboard and just letting my fingers peck away...that is liberating! :)
Since this is my "fitness" blog, I will update you on my current situation: I am still coaching for Beachbody but literally putting zero work into it. I'm sure this is NOT how the business was intended...but since I don't want to quit and I'm still making a decent income from them on a weekly basis, I just let it be and enjoy the checks every Thursday. Maybe someday I will pick it up seriously again...but not for now. Of course, I am always here should anyone need to ask me anything or want some advise or encouragement, but I am not acting as "salesman" currently. :)
I am also still instructing fitness classes at my own business Cross Training Fitness inside of a local martial arts studio. I have cut back to 4 classes per week and I think that is going to suit my life much more comfortably than the 5-6 I was doing previously. This continues to be a source of joy and good income for me, so I can't seem to just walk away from it. (even though I constantly struggle with being too busy and consider letting it go...)
If you remember me saying a while back that I was going to be "let go" from my job with the doctors office...well, I just talked to my boss last week and he informed me that their plans of switching to a new system are CANCELLED and that I will infinitely have my job! :) --or at least until he retires in 15 years. Hallelujah! That is WONDERFUL news! :)
Oh ya...I was talking about fitness.  So...if you must know...my weight is up.  Not horribly, but definitely not at my comfortable 130.  I actually haven't weighed in about a month...but the last time I stepped on the scale it was 140.2.  It would be great to get this 10 pounds off and I'm not giving up on it...but if I don't, its not the end of the world.  Now when bikini season gets here...I may say differently! ha ha 
I found some fabulous new jeans at Maurices that are only $29.99 and fit me like a very soft, comfty, stretchy glove and that is enabling me to be much more okay with my 140 frame. :)  Hey...whatever works.
I will not allow myself to grow any bigger however. This is the limit!
For the month of December I have taken "off" from my classes and have been doing at-home workouts of all sorts. Matt has a new program called Body Beast that we enjoy doing together.  Last night I learned a new TurboKick round for my upcoming session and then I did TurboFire Upper20 and Abs10.  It was a great workout and it's nice not having to think so much (as compared to when I'm teaching.)
I'm certainly less disciplined and less dedicated than I have been in the past to my health and fitness, yet I am still within a reasonable weight, still have my guns and still get my heart pumping. I'm still working out anywhere from 2-5 times a week and eating sensibly...so it's all good.  Of course...Jan 1st is right around the corner and with that comes some (inside my head) promises to do a little bit better and to get back to some of the more healthy habits I've let slip. :)

Okay friends, I don't want to overload you on my first day back! Talk to you (or myself!?) again soon!

Meal Plan for week of Oct 22-28

Meal Plan                                              Week of Oct 22-Oct 28

Monday-     Workout: Body Beast with Matt; Total Body Class

Breakfast-        (me) Guiltless Egg Sandwich

                        (them) Biscuits with scrambled eggs, cheese, bacon bits

Early Lunch-     Grilled Chicken & Baked sweet potato, salad

Snack-             Fresh Veggies & 1 T. Ranch (me and kids)

Dinner- (me after class) Shakeology and PB Rice Cake

                        (them before class) Grilled chicken, baby carrots, sneaky mashed potatoes

Tuesday-     Workout: TurboKick

Breakfast-        Oatmeal w/ fresh berries and walnuts

Snack-             Banana & 8 whole natural almonds

Lunch-             Shakeology

Snack-             Apple & String Cheese (me and kids)

Dinner- Eat Out (date night)

Wednesday-Workout with Matt-Body Beast, Insanity for Cardio

Breakfast-        Veggie omlet w/ lt. WW toast

Snack-             Shakeology

Lunch-             Baked fish and steamed broccoli

Snack-             (Kids) Pizza from Kum-N-Go, (Me) Turkey Lettuce Wrap

Dinner- Chicken Quesadillas

Dessert-           Greek Yogurt

Thursday-  Workout: TurboKick and Total Body Class

Breakfast-        Oatmeal w/ fresh berries and walnuts

Snack-             PB Celery Boats

Lunch-             Grilled Pork Chops and Baked Sweet Potato Fries, salad

Dinner- Grilled Pork Chops and mixed veggies, pasta

Dessert-           Shakeology (after class)

Friday-      Workout with Matt: Body Beast

Breakfast-        Breakfast Sandwich

Snack-             Shakeology

Lunch-             Banana and protein bar (during hair appointment)

Early Dinner-    Crock Pot Chicken, mixed veggies

                        (going to Rhema for Harvest Carnival)

Saturday-   Workout: Hallo-Turbo-Glow-Ween Party!

Breakfast-        Banana & PB toast

Snack-             Fresh Veggies w/ Ranch

Lunch-             Tuna and salad greens, broccoli soup

Snack-             Shakeology

Dinner- Snacks at Party (??)

Sunday-      Rest Day or Yoga

                        Turkey Veggie Lasagna, salad, garlic bread, corn on cob, banana pudding

Get-Fit Meal Plan-Week 1

Hey friends! Woah..I'm posting on my blog! CrAzY! ha ha (it's been a while)
Anyway, here are the meals I will be eating this week (Aug. 20-24) straight from the Get-Fit Meal Plan. I also plan to get in a one-hour workout at least 5-6 days this week and expect to see a 2 lb. weight loss by next Monday! :) Feel free to copy me!

Monday:
B: Cheese & Veggie Scramble with 1 slice light WW toast
S: PB & Rice Cake
L: Tuna Salad
S: Apple and Light String Cheese
D: Stuffed Green Peppers and Wild Rice

Tuesday:
B: Kashi cereal, skim milk & berries
S: Chocolate Shakeology
L: Mandarin Spinach Salad
S: Cheese Nachos
D: Bruschetta Chicken & Roasted Veggie Pasta

Wednesday:
B: Guiltless Egg Sandwich
S: Celery Boats
L: Chocolate Shakeology
S: Apple and string cheese
D: Left over Bruschetta Chicken

Thursday:
B: Oatmeal and berries
S: PB & Rice Cake
L: Turkey Avocado Lettuce Wrap
S: Cucumber & Carrots with 1 T. light ranch
D: Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken & Sweet Potato Fries

Friday:
B: Turkey Bacon Breakfast Sandwich
S: Banana Walnut Snack
L: Reeses PB Shakeology
S: Cheese Nachos
D: Left over Crispy Chicken (or eat out)

Dessert for the week: Fruit & Yogurt Parfaits
I will mix up 5 one-half cup servings of yogurt with berries and allow myself one per evening.

This meal plan is 1,500 calories per day. Of course, at dinner, you have to know what size your portions are supposed to be. I have listed that in the meal plan for you next to the nutritional information. :)

So, I'm sitting in a hospital room where I've been for about 7 hours now...and the lack-of-busyness is getting to me. My father in law had a bad accident at work yesterday and we came to visit him. I've done everything I can think of to keep me and the kids busy and I've run out of ideas. Thankfully Brooklyn had brought the laptop, so here I am, writing to you all!! (by the way, although my FIL is banged up pretty bad, he is going to be okay!)
So, in 2 days Brooklyn and I will board a plane and head to Panama for 15 days on a mission trip! I can hardly believe it's actually happening....it's FOR REAL! I'm excited but spazzing out just a little because I don't feel completely prepared.  I'm hoping to get all packed tomorrow so that we can enjoy our last day at home relaxing with Matt & Grant and then we'll be off!
One of the girls that is on my mission team asked me if I would run with her while we are in Panama. I told her I'm not much of a runner (which is a gross understatement-ha ha) but that I would try.  She said maybe I can teach her some strength moves too! :) I think (HOPE!) we are going to have access to a gym while we are there, but if not, I know plenty of body-weight moves to keep us busy and burning calories. :)

More than the exercise, I'm wondering what in the WORLD we will be eating while we are there. I know we will be eating PB&J every day for lunch (we have to bring it with us!) but not sure about the rest.  It would be super awesome if I accidentally lost a few pounds during the trip! :) Not that I'm admitting that I've gained some....;-)

Obviously, more than ANYTHING, I'm excited to see what God is going to do in and through us during this time of ministry! I'm super stoked to meet one of my favorite authors and inspirations, Dannah Gresh (the Secret Keeper Girl lady).  If you're reading this anytime before July 16th, I'd love to have a prayer from you!

As for what's new with us in the workout world...we just got the newest Beachbody program called Body Beast! I'm excited to see how "bulked up" Matt can get when he has a specific program to follow and food to eat, supplements to take! Hopefully I can get him to let me take some before/after pix and I'll try to chronicle his journey on here for everyone! He'd like to add about 20 pounds of muscle and I think he can do it. He's got the right body type for it, that's for sure!

As for me, when I get back from the trip, I will be teaching TurboKick 3x a week for the rest of the month and then I will begin a new fall schedule with my classes...which I haven't figure out yet. I've been working on a new program myself called Brazil Butt Lift which I am LOVING (and hurting majorly from!) I took some before pix...but we'll see if I ever show them to anyone! I guess it depends on the results! ha ha

Okay, the kids are about to be bouncing off the WALLS and going bezerk..so I am going to close this for now and go take them to walk around or something! I would love to get a comment from someone....anyone! :) ha ha
Love you all!
Jen

Too Much of a Good Thing...?

My good friend, Kate, mentioned the other day that she's trying to get to the healthiest version of herself and she's doing it NOW. To do that, she did a "makeover" of her kitchen and got rid of any "bad list" foods...of which she didn't have much to toss. Yay! So...why is she not dropping the unwanted last few pounds? Her answer...I eat too much...even if it is all good stuff.

Hmm....that got me to thinking...could it be that we can actually over eat and not be able to lose weight when ALL we eat is fresh produce, lean protein, good carbs and the right types of fiber, fat, etc. ???
I think she's onto something here...something I am probably struggling with myself. Compared to most Americans, I eat an extremely healthy diet. However, I have this subconscious desire to feel "full" before I leave the table. Even though one of my favorite motto's is "Eat before you're hungry and quit before you're full"...I'm often a hypocrite and don't even heed my own very wise advise. :(
There's just something about eating 4 helpings of steamed veggies that doesn't give me near the guilt that eating 4 helpings of french fries would. And rightly so. Still...veggies or fries...they both contain calories. And we all know, too many calories equal weight gain.

Now coming from a girl who used to try desperately to stay "skinny" by eating Twizzlers and a diet Coke for lunch...I can't say enough about how important I think WHERE your calories come from makes a HUGE difference in your health...because believe me..the calories from the veggies are INSANELY different than the ones from the fries....but still...too many is too many. And too many = no weight loss.

Well...that's something to chew on! I'm in the process of cutting back on some other "good things" in my life right now (like Beachbody coaching and Facebook to name a couple)...why not cut back a bit on the (good) foods that I'm eating, leave the table a little less-than full, and see if those pesky 10 pounds find their way OFF my body! :)

Now...if only I'll actually do it....ugh.

Checking in!

Well..........first of all, let me get the most important business out of the way.......HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! One of my favorite "holiday's" because I love LOVE. :) I love God's love the most....and wow, how very thankful I am that HE first loved me!! Plus, I have so many wonderful people in my life that I super-dooper love!! I show that love and appreciation every day...but today is my chance to do something even more special! (which I love!) :)

I'll be starting out the day making heart-shaped chocolate chip pancakes for the kids and hubby!
Next it's off to my TurboKick class where we are doing a THROWBACK TO THE 80's today! I can't believe I'm really doing this...but yes, I am wearing a full body leotard to class!!! OMG! I had envisioned looking funky and adorable...instead it looks REEE DICK YOU LUSS! oh well....it will make people smile and laugh..and I'm ALL about that...so bring it on! :)

The rest of the afternoon will be spent running back and forth between my children's schools trying to pull off Valentine Party's in 2 places at one time! Both of the parties are from 2-3 and I'm homeroom mom for them both...so, I'm going to do my best to split myself evenly. Yikes!

After that...hubby is in charge! I'm hoping he's got some sort of date up his sleeve...but if not, I will probably just cook dinner and watch Biggest Loser...which isn't all that bad considering that is one of my favorite things to do! :) I hope you have a GREAT day and feel lots of LOVE! It drives me nuts at how many people protest against Valentines Day claiming "I don't need a special day to tell me to love on my family, I can do it any and every day."
Well SURE YOU CAN...but do you? No love haters better cross ME today! I will smear kisses all over them, smother them with hugs and DROWN them in my love! ha ha ha

Okay but for real...about P90X2....(because the only reason I thought to post today is because of your question sweetpea!)....we are not doing it "as planned" but we are still doing it. Since I teach weight-lifting 2-3 times a week, we are doing the workouts a little different but still doing them and loving them! The latest one PAP Upper left me extremely sore and now I'm using a lot of the moves in my classes so I can spread the fun amongst all my students. :) bwah ha ha ha! (insert evil laugh)

Recipes are still great...cooking several a week. Matt did tell me to take a break for a week because he was tired of trying something new EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT...so last week I made all the (fattening) comfort foods he loves like lasagna and chocolate cake and chicken pot pie. I felt like a blimp by Saturday. Could NOT WAIT to get back to my P90X2 nutrition guide!!! I've also been using some of the recipes from Chalene's PUSH book and LOVING them as well!

So...that's what's new with me! How about you? :)

Where are we now? P90X2

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

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

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

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

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...

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...

.....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

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:

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

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!!

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

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

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

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...:(

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!

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!