It's primary voting day in Maryland and Dane and I both had time this morning to go in and get it done. But let's start from the beginning of the morning. After spending a wonderful evening with my in-laws (I have great in-laws, who I really enjoying hanging out with! I'm lucky I know) I went to bed and slept like a rock. I woke up this morning to my furbabies wanting to be fed. So, I got up and fed my babies and made coffee and did the dishes and posted on facebook for my current Challenge Group. Then it's time to actually get moving. I'm on week 7 of the 22 Minute Hard Corps program by Beachbody. Today it was Cardio 1 and Core 2. I busted through them (man there are a lot of burpees in cardio 1). As I was stretching at the end Dane said he had time to go vote. I thought well let's do it so we don't have to tonight when I get home for work. So I threw on my Shakeology shirt and out the door we went.
We got to our voting station and checked in and as I was being led to my voting booth the lady leading me starts talking about T25, one of the Beachbody workout programs. She mentions she has a tough time following through on doing the program and I said well you need support and I run challenge groups that offer support and accountability. And she was very interested so I told her after I was done voting I would give her my email address and she could contact me and we would go from there. So, thank you Shakeology top for opening up the conversation.
If you need support, accountability, friends doing the same thing you are doing, you should really consider joining one of my challenge groups. They run for 21 days and really help keep people on track with both their exercise and diet. And it great getting to connect with others with similar goals. Please fill out the form below if you are interested in learning more.
Someday's it is just a lot of fun to be the person behind the scenes. Yesterday my friend and dressage trainer Judy had her first show with her boy Solo. Judy purchased Solo a little over a year ago as a very immature 4 year old. Over the last year they have formed a beautiful relationship and I really think that Judy has found her partner. It was time to get him out to a schooling show and see how he does in the show environment.
So, my day started off with riding my girl Bella, She was just a superstar. I concentrated on bringing her shoulders up and letting her frame come up through the use of her shoulders not just pulling her neck frame higher. It was a fantastic ride and I went through the 3rd level movements and thought to myself I could show this today! But the day was not about Bella the day was about lil' Solo.
After my ride on Bella I pulled Solo out and started getting him ready. I love this part of my life. I think I was meant to be a groom. Grooming a horse is so relaxing to me and I think it is a great time to get to know the horse to form a relationship with them. I also love a braided main. Something so clean and smart about it. So, of course I had to braid Solo for his first outing. He was such a good boy stood there and let me fiddle about and didn't move around at all.
Then we were off to the show. Solo was a bit high and excited when we get there but after showing him around the grounds he settled down. We tacked him up and the rest of the show was perfect (at least from my perspective). From what I could see Judy had a good warm up, a few 5 year old bobbles but by the end Solo was nice and relaxed and ready to do his test. And what a lovely test they did it was relaxed and beautiful. It's the kind of test that you wish you were riding. Judy and Solo ended up receiving a 77% at Training Level test 2 and won the class. I couldn't be prouder or more excited for them. I think I might be a groom at one of the recognized shows next time!
Yesterday I got a little over ambitious with a new pair of flats that I knew needed to break in before wearing them for a long day at work. I saw these flats because my client had them on and they are just adorable. I asked her if they were comfy and she said that after the initial break in they are very comfortable but be prepared to break them in first. So I bought them and wore them for a few hours twice at work and thought that should do it they are broke in now. NOPE not at all. I wore them yesterday and had to walk about 3 1/2 blocks from where I parked my car and by the end of the walk I wanted to scream. I had several blisters on my feet. My poor toes felt like they were bleeding. I got into work and tried to put some band-aids on my poor feet but it felt awful. That's when one of my co-workers said I should just wear the slippers that we use for clients. Yes! I slide those puppies on and proceeded to wear them the rest of the day much to my embarrassment but sometimes being a little embarrassed is better then not being able to walk at all or think straight because of the pain you are in.
my not so pretty toes
So, that brings us to today. Even though my feet are blistered and sore I was not going to use that as an excuse to not workout. What did I do? I worked out barefoot today. Today was resistance 2 and there really isn't a lot of jumping so this was a good day to go barefoot. And I think it can be good to go without shoes because it will help you build up all the muscles in your feet that support you. No Excuses! You will do it if you put your mind to it. And I put my mind to it today!
I only have 2 1/2 weeks left of what I would consider my favorite program from Beachbody. 22 Minute Hard Corp is my kind of program- fast paced, active, short duration but fat blast burning. Running a very close 2nd is 21 Day Fix and who knows maybe when I do that program next time it'll be my favorite again! Here's a little run down of how I physically and mentally feel on week 6.
Physically I still feel like this program challenges me. I don't get as sore after doing the workout as I did on week 1 or even week 2 so I know that my body is somewhat getting use to it. Once I start the workout I really try to push myself because it is such a short workout and when I finish I always am glad that I did. The core workout that is combined with the cardio day is hard. I think I will always struggle with Core 2 because of the amount of reps that we do but I try my best and take breaks as needed. I would say what's hardest for my physically is that there isn't that much stretching and you need to do that on your own. I haven't been the best at doing it and have noticed that I am getting tighter. So having said that I will try to stretch more these last 2 1/2 weeks.
Mentally, I would say that because of the shorter workouts I can pretty much tell myself to get up and get them done. Sometimes I wish there were more variety but that is all in my head because once I push play I enjoy each workout and try my hardest. What has also been hard mentally is I haven't seen a big difference on the scale but that's why it is so important to take measurements. They don't lie. So at the 4 week mark when I retook measurements and had lost over 4 inches total that really put things into perspective for me. I also had to take a step back from food mentally. I had to give myself some really strict rules to follow so that I don't cheat. I did this a little over a week ago and have done really well. So no sugar for me!!
So, in conclusion. I really really like this program. It's physically demanding but short and mentally not super tough for me. I'm seeing results overall and I'm happy. I've only missed 4 workouts total and some of those have been on days that I've already ridden Bella and had personal training so I didn't feel the need to workout again.
If you are looking for a great workout please ask me about 22 Minute Hard Corps!
I love buying new workout gear. I adore fun workout prints and colors. But it can be soooo expensive. I know the quality is what is important but wow $80-$100 for a pair of workout pants. NO WAY! So that leads us to this outfit. I was scrolling through my Instagram feed at night. (yes I know that is bad) And suddenly I see the ad for Fabletics, and I click on it, and I fall in love with all the options. And they are doing this great deal for VIP members, so of course now I need to be a VIP member. But here's the thing. I love it. I bought this sports bra, workout pants and black shirt (that is ultra cool and I wore it to work yesterday) for just $25.00. Yep that was it! Now I know I have to buy something monthly or defer my purchase before the 5th of every month but I think with the quality I just received I just might buy something every month!!!! Okay maybe not every month but boy I do love to shop!
Whew! That's what I have to say today about my lesson on Bella with Judy Whyte. It was hard. It was hard mentally. It was hard physically. It was hot outside too!
I love that Judy has such high expectations for Bella and me. She pushes us to our limits and expects us to rise to all that she asks of us. And boy can it be hard sometimes. It was hard today. Started the warm up and I was pushing Bella off her pace a little bit. After the warm up Judy gets right down to business. Bend, bend, bend, sit, sit, sit, steady, steady steady, push, push, push, engage, engage, engage, soft, soft, soft, sharp, sharp, sharp... there it is! Haha after all that and doing all that at the same time we have some moments of loveliness. And that is pretty much how the lesson continued and it pushed me and it pushed Bella and it made us better. And if we continue to follow through with all of it then we will continue to improve and before I know it we just might be ready to show Third Level. Because that is the goal that I've set for myself with Bella. So watch out 'cause I'm geared up after today's lesson and I will work my butt off and help Bella to be the best she can be!
Do you ever doubt what you are doing? Do you feel like your working really hard at improving yourself and trying to get ahead but feel like you aren't getting anywhere? When those moments of self-doubt come creeping in you really need to take a step back. Take step back and look at everything that you've done and all that you've accomplished. Take a step back and look at the wheels that you have set in motion for success. Take a step back and ask yourself can I be doing more and what can I do to accomplish my goals. Set GOALS. Set achievable, believable goals that will get you to the huge milestones.
I'm normally a super positive upbeat person but even I have those moments of self-doubt. When they happen I try to stop the negative thoughts and ask myself where are these thoughts or feelings coming from. Are they legit? If so what can I do to improve things. If not what can I do to realize that these feelings are unfounded. Most of the time it's then that I'm proactive. I set more things in motion to achieve my goals and I feel good about it. Whether this is in my business or in my riding, or in my personal life I always try to move forward. Turn that frown upside down!
I get so excited when I get to share about what being a BeachBody Coach is all about. I mean how can you not love talking about helping others with their fitness and health and diet. I am on my own personal journey with all three of those and I need the accountability and support too. And I have found both. I have found it in the coaches on my team but surprisingly I have found it in my challengers. Challengers= people who have decided to take a big step and commit to a fitness program. Commit to a program and join my challenge group for support. And I feel like I do offer them support but in return I get so much back from them. Watching them achieve goals, lose weight, gain energy it really puts a giant smile on my face. So, if you want to learn more about these awesome exciting things happening in my life that could also be happening in your life you should join us for our sneak peek. Free information! Can't beat that. Fill out the form below if you are interested.
Everyone should have a day like I did today where it just gets better and better and you kind of enjoy every minute.
Let's start from the beginning. Last night after stopping by the bakery again and ordering something that my body can't even digest I decided that it was time to get my act in gear. I had heard a lot about Whole 30 and I knew I needed to do something like that. I need rules. I need guide lines. I need you to tell me exactly what to do and what not to do. So after doing a little online research I decided that Whole 30 totally works with 22 Minute Hard Corps. It's pretty similar just more restrictive. And since I only have 3 1/2 weeks left on the program I thought it would be best to really try to stay with the diet till the end for the best results. I know so far my results have been good but imagine if I had been eating correctly the last 4 weeks I think my results so far would have been amazing.
So back to this morning. I start with my daily cup of coffee and I normally have to have sweetened creamer in it but not this morning. I did a little almond milk and cinnamon. Definitely started the day on the right foot. Then I have a quick appointment at the Dr. for my face/acne and I'm straight to the grocery store after that. Because now I need some food for the week since I'm doing Whole 30. I bought plenty of greens and some green peppers, and tomatoes, and cucumbers, and avocados, and a cartoon of eggs to hard boil. Then I bought some fruit for the week. I think I'm ready to go.
I get home and make some salads for the week. Prep is so important. It's really hard to stay on track if you don't have anything on hand to grab that's good for you. After that its time for the barn. I love my life! I go to the barn and spend a large amount of time just grooming Bella, I love grooming her. I love using tons of different brushes and helping her hair shed out properly. I like clean horses! Then I pop on Bella and have very nice warm-up on her. Today Judy and I decided to switch horses half way through the ride and I was excited to sit on her boy Solo. It's really good to sit on other horses cause each one is different and it helps you build your tool kit up even more. Solo is quite different then my girl Bella. He's lankier, he's loftier, he's lighter, he's more squiggly (that's age he's still very young). But getting on him was so different. I was at a lost on what to do and I will say it took quite a while for me to figure out how to ride him but I think that by the end I was starting to get him a little and he was understanding me a little. Now during my ride on him I stopped and watched Judy on Bella. Wow! My horse is gorgeous. Judy rides her beautifully and the picture was quite lovely. Next time I'll try to get a video so you can see what I'm talking about.
After a great time at the barn it was time to head to personal training (had a quick salad in between) and I really like my current workout there. I enjoy my time with my personal trainer Dona, she is just a wonderful person. So, I have a good workout and head to Mom's Organic Market to pick up a gift certificate for the winner of my last challenge group and while there I find some very yummy delicious snacks that are gluten free, non- gmo, and just plain delicious.
You must try these they are just sooo good. Then I head home where I get a call from my hubby Dane that he is on his way home. I asked him if he wanted to work out with me and then go fly the drone. He says yes to both. Woohoo! This day just gets better and better.
So, Dane gets home and we do Resistance 3 from the 22 Minute Hard Corps program.
It's pretty tough and but we pushed through and had a great time working out together. Then we head out to the park to fly the drone and we take Zoskia. We had a great time flying and video taping Kia running around having a great time. I really enjoy seeing Dane happy and he really likes his drone so its great getting to go out with him and fly it.
What's also fantastic is Dane is a fantastic cook. He cooks dinner almost every night and I am so lucky. Here was our dinner tonight.
And that's about it. I think the day is done. It was a good good day and I hope everyone get to have days like this.
Wow I can't believe that we have already done 4 weeks of the 22 Minute Hard Corp program. Half way through and the results are starting to show. Super excited to share with you guys. First lets go over my PT results. Push-ups 1 minute Week 1 -25
Week 4- 41
I would say that there is improvement! Okay now on to the weight and measurements. Like I've said in some of my previous post my eating hasn't been 100% great, more like 60% good and 30% okay and 10% not so good. But even with not being completely on par with my eating I still saw some good results. Starting weight was 152 after 4 weeks 148. I'll take it. And I've lost a little over 4 inches over all. Yay! While I didn't feel like I was seeing a ton of results at first it really is starting to make a difference. Four more weeks to go to finish the program and I can't wait to see where I end up!
When Thursday afternoon rolls around I'm normally MIA from my blog and facebook. That's because I'm at work at the spa and I'm busy (which is great) but I don't have time to get online and get things done. I started to feel guilty about this last night. I really wanted to write a post for this blog but I was just plain ole exhausted. So I put my laptop down and went to bed. So here I am this morning ready to get things done!
I want to share how amazing it is to see other people on their own journey to be fitter and healthier. No names mentioned but just my own personal take away. Yesterday, I had a client who has joined my challenge groups and is doing the 21 Day Fix, she is in maintenance mode now so she is only working out 3 days a week and following the eating guide 5 days of the week. But Wow she looks amazing and she said she feels great both inside and out, both physically and mentally. She tried on a skirt the other day and purchased it in a size that she has never been in her adult life, she is the fittest and smallest she has ever been! That's AWESOME!
Then I have one of my challengers who inspires me everyday. She is in her 50's and she is killing it. She started off with the 21 Day Fix program and when she started in December she couldn't do one full push-up. She did 15 push-ups the other day. Say What?? That's AMAZING! She has lost 35lbs total and 12 inches overall. And now she is doing the 22 Minute Hard Corp with my test group. And she is powering through this tough program. I am beyond proud of her but also so inspired.
So yesterday after I got off of work I just wanted to sit on the couch and watch tv, but because of ladies like these two I got home changed into my workout gear and pushed play on my Cardio 1 and Core 1 for 22 Minute Hard Corp. And I felt great afterwards physically, then I was able to sit on the couch and watch tv with my hubby. It was a good night.
If you are looking for support and accountability please fill out the form below and we'll get you set on the right path for your own personal journey.
Yesterday I hand to make a tough decision not to do my workout which was Resistance 1 from the 22 Minute Hard Corp program. We are on week 4 of this program and I am loving it but sometimes you need to listen to your body.
Wednesday is one of my days off work and I normally pack it with all the things that I love. I get to ride Bella and have my personal training. Since, I started this program I have been doing the prescribed workout and riding Bella and doing my personal training. I will say that I'm tired at the end of the day but it hasn't been bad. Well, yesterday I woke up and needed to get some work done for Beachbody so I just didn't get my workout in before I needed to get ready to go to the barn. I head down to the barn and end up having a fantastic lesson on Bella. Then I go to my personal training and have a very good workout. I also have a massage planned later that day and boy did I need it. Since, I have been working out 6 days a week along with all my other activities my body has gotten very tight and has a lot of knots. My massage therapist spends the majority of our hour working on my back and it was great. Afterwards I have a decision to make, am I going to workout after this? I decided that after getting such good work done on my back that the pluses of not working out outweighed actually working out. So, I didn't do my prescribed workout yesterday and I didn't beat myself up about it.
Now on to today where I did get my workout in and it is a new workout. Cardio 3 is Killer. Here is a little taste of the craziness that I love so much.
If you don't ride horses you may not completely understand why I'm so proud of my girl, but I'm sure you will appreciate the sentiment. Bella has come so far with me. I bought her over 7 years ago and the road has been quite a long one. She has never been the easiest horse but I have come to love her and all her quirkiness.
Today I got on and started warming her up for my lesson. Bella sometimes think she is a charging war horse and that is how she came out today. Full of energy and activity just not channeling it properly yet. That's where I come in, I use to try to stifle that side of her thinking she was taking over the ride or just being naughty but over time I learned that Bella needs to have her little fun and say too. So I subtle ask her to start using her energy in a more constructive way and the end result can be quite lovely.
Judy had us working on a few things today. Haunches in, turn on the haunches and flying changes. Of course there were more elements in the ride but that's what our focus was today. At the very end we asked for more collection maybe the start of some half steps. Not sure if we are quite getting it right yet but I feel like we are headed in the right direction. So I'm bragging on my girl just a little today because she makes me a very proud owner and rider and sometimes I feel like I could do anything and everything with her and that's a great feeling.
Reaching our fitness, health, weight goals can be very daunting. And so many of us are looking for an easy way to reach said goals. But there is no Magic Pill. There is no quick fix. There is only committing yourself to a lifestyle of eating healthy and exercising regularly. That doesn't mean that you can't enjoy your life. Just the opposite in fact. When you start treating your body right and start feeding it healthy foods and exercising on a regular basis you will see that you feel better all around. It takes time to develop good habits and I have found that it really helps to have a support network. Have an accountability partner. The more you are transparent with others the more you will be honest with yourself. When others can see what you are doing they can help you through the rough patches, they can cheer you on, they can offer you support. And in return you will be doing all of those things for them too.
When I do my daily workouts I share them with my groups. They cheer me on, they tell me how amazing I'm doing. They help me see all the positives. They don't let me beat myself up if the scale isn't saying what I want it to. They remind me that the scale doesn't define me and set my moods. They tell me I am a beautiful, strong woman. I have found such positive strength with my challengers and I feel like I couldn't do this journey without their support. If you need to find something like this please let me know by filling out the form below. Find your group, get support and start down the path to being healthy and fit.
Started my 4th week on the 22 Minute Hard Corp program by Beachbody and got to try Resistance 3 for the first time. Can I say I loved it. So I have totally figured out what type of program I like. Fast paced, body weight or lighter weights. Doesn't take a long time to do the exercise but is pretty intense during the workout. 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme, and 22 Minute Hard Corp are my type of programs. I really wanted to love The Master's Hammer and Chisel but I had a very difficult time finding the motivation to do the workouts because of the type of structure. I may try it again this summer we'll see.
Some short videos of today's workout. Loved it.
If you are interested in learning more about this program or any of the Beachbody programs please fill out the form below and I'll get back with you.
Well, if you can't laugh then you don't have a sense of humor! Dane, called me down to the basement to check out what he was doing and this was the result. WHAT?? Too funny. He knows me so well, I had a very good laugh. And then I started craving some chocolate cake. LOL
Okay lets do a quick update on how I am doing with the workout program and eating. So far out of the entire 3 weeks I have missed only 1 workout (and that was yesterday). I feel strong overall and the workouts seem to be getting easier physically but a little harder mentally since I know what is coming up next. Once I push through the minor mental block I really enjoy getting the workout done. Again its only 22 or 33 minutes long so its not that bad.
Now on to the eating part. We are suppose to be doing clean eating with portion control and I would say that 65% of the time I'm doing good. I want to be able to say that for the rest of the program I will do better with 85-100% eating great! My food prep has been going well but somehow I find myself at one of the local bakery shops after work. Yummy for my tummy but not good if your trying to eat clean. Every once in a while its okay but I've been doing it more then once in awhile. Oops! Now back on track for the rest of the program.
If you interested in starting your own workout program please let me know by filling out the form below. Let's get you started in the right direction.
