Every once in awhile I have a day where I just need to use a lighter weight. Either I'm sore or I'm not feeling 100%. And you know what it is okay to choose a lighter weight. You need to listen to your body. Now I'm not saying you shouldn't push yourself on the days you are feeling good but what I am saying is that there are days where you need to recognize that you just not feeling 100%. Those are the days that I work out with either no weights or lighter weights. Those are the days that I don't push myself as hard. Sometime's I'm just a little fatigued and once I start working out I actually start feeling really good, on those days I'll reach for the heavier weight. But there are definitely times I start the workout and I can just tell me body is not up for a super hard workout. This normally happens to me after I eat something that causes inflammation in my gut. This really slows me down and my body is trying to heal itself. I still want to get a good workout in because I'm not sick but I don't want to overtire myself either. So, on a day with a lot of inflammation I just start slower and listen to what my body is telling me. If you are reading this learn what your body needs. Learn how your body feels. Is it just a little sore from yesterdays workout? Are you coming down with something? Do you actually need to just take a rest day? Or is it just a mental block and you really need to get up and rock out that work out. The more you listen to what your body is telling you the better you will be able to do what is best for it.
Yes, you see it that is one of my big failures on Friday night but unfortunately it is not the only one.
Friday morning starts off like most. I get up and I get ready for work. I packed some workout gear because I had a large gap in the middle of my day of no clients so I was hoping to get a workout in during that time. I head off to work and have a great drive in with no traffic, I love when it is a nice easy drive in with no added stress. After a few hours I have the 3 hour break so my workout gear comes out and take a stroll down to the waterfront. It was a little cool and breezy but I knew once I actually got moving I would warm up just fine.
There is this new App on my iphone by Beachbody, BOD, where I can stream my workouts through my phone on the app. Awesome! I pull out my phone and get started on Resistance 3. I didn't have any weights with me but that's okay I still got in a good workout.
After a nice cool down I head back to work and finish my day. That's when I realize that my hubby will be out and won't be cooking dinner for me... boooo. I think to myself that's okay you can just eat something light and healthy when you get home. UH OH. Nope, I probably should have grabbed something in Georgetown and staved off the hunger that was about to hit and dominant the rest of my evening.
I get in the car and start my drive home. About 30 minutes into the drive I am hungry, I suddenly need food like now. So, I do the smartest thing I can think off and pull over and get myself some delicious Taco Bell... AHHHH! After 2 weeks of eating good and having no sugar I completely ruin everything. LOL and to top it off I'm not even done yet. I eat my crunchwrap in the parking lot then continue my drive home. About 10 minutes later I find myself in front of a dunkin donuts. Ummm how did I get here. Three sprinkled donuts later and now I feel ill.
Yep that's it. When I stumble I totally crash and fall. But the good thing is I dusted myself off and I am right back on track. I will not let one bad evening define my weekend. I will not let one bad evening set the tone for the upcoming week. I will not let one bad evening derail me from all the hard work that I've put in. I will put it behind me and make healthier smarter choices. I will not beat myself up for said evening. (side note.. my body will though for a few days...lol stomach was not to happy about the choices). Onwards and upwards!
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.
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 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!
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!
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.
It was great today doing my workout with my hubby. After playing with his new toy which is the "little secret" that I will be sharing with you in a post very soon, we got home and I still needed to push play and get my Cardio 2 done for my 22 Minute Hard Corp program.
Now I almost didn't do this workout tonight because I will say I was just plain ole tuckered out. I had already ridden Bella and been to personal training and been outside with Dane playing with his new toy. So when we got home it was late and I didn't feel like doing it but I told myself that if Dane said he would work out with me then I would do it. So I went upstairs and asked him and he said yes and away we went. It was actually a ton of fun working out with him and will say that I probably work out a little harder when he is with me which is really good for me. But boy am I done now. It is time for a shower and some tv and relaxation time. I think I earned it!
This morning I posted about my over indulgence yesterday from Easter causing some sluggishness. And I wasn't sure if I was going to just lay in bed and enjoy a slow start to the day or get up and get it done. If the photo above is any indication then you know that I got up and got moving. I decided this morning that I need to do the cold start warm up for the 22 Minute Hard Corp before I really got into the workout. This was a nice choice. My body slow started waking up and by the time I started Cardio 1 I was ready. So, I completed cold start, cardio 1 and core 1. I will say that I felt much better after I got my workout done and it set the tone for the rest of my day.
I then went down to the barn and had another great and I mean great lesson on Bella. There were a few funny moments in the lesson such as the time Judy told me to keep my hands down by Bella's withers. I can't do that, my arms are to short and my torso is to long. I tried to follow her instructions but then I had to stop and tell her I physically can't do what she was asking. We had a good laugh because Judy has the opposite problem her arms are long and her torso is short, she would have found that very easy. After we made a few adjustments for my body type things just got better and better. So proud of my Bella girl for giving me her all again today.
After my great ride I ran to the store and bought a few things to meal prep for the week. As you know from previous post I have really been on a salad kick. Still on it. And these salads are delicious. I also decided to make cauliflower pizza. I haven't made it in such a long time but it is pretty yummy. So meal prep got done and I made the very yummy pizza (recipe in the recipe section of this blog). Now I'm ready to sit down and relax with my hubby before we have a super early morning skypeing with his sister in Germany because tomorrow she gets married!! So excited for her! Wishing her the best here in the US!
Sometimes you have to make a decision that doesn't follow your workout program but is good for your over all life. I got home from work today and Dane and I needed to get the dogs exercised (we are dog sitting my brother's dog Anna). I changed into my workout gear and off we went to run the dogs around. We tuckered them out and got back to the house. I was then going to workout. Today I believe I have Cardio 2 and Core 1 from the 22 Minute Hard Corp program and it would have taken me 33 minutes to complete. But just as I was about to go down and workout Dane tells me that he would like to eat dinner now and hang out. So this is when I need to make a decision. And today my decision was to hang out with my hubby instead of taking the time to workout. I know it would have only been 33 minutes but then I would have had to take a shower and by the time I'm done doing everything at least an hour would have passed and I would probably be tired.
So, what I'm trying to say is sometimes its okay to make the decision to not work out. Sometimes its okay to not push play.
And as a side note I learned pretty quickly why he wanted to hang out with so much tonight. He kept saying such sweet things and cooked me an amazing dinner of flank steak and crab legs. He kept saying how much he loved me. LOL it's not that he doesn't say these things or cook great dinners regularly but tonight there was a little light in his eye which told me he had a secret. I'll tell you about the secret soon.. it's pretty cool.
On Saturday's I have a hard time getting up early to work out. It's my earliest day of the week for work. My first client is booked at 8:30 so I need to leave the house pretty early. Today the alarm went off and I just couldn't bring myself to get up. I hit snooze and slept for a little longer. It was bliss. Then I started the day right with my daily dose of dense nutrition, Shakeology. I love starting my day with my shake. It taste delicious and I feel like I'm getting a treat.
Work was super busy, pretty much booked back to back with clients. I had a quick lunch which was a great salad I had prepared earlier in the week and a snack of yogurt with granola. Then I finished my day and started walking to my car. Well, on the way to my car I have to pass a few cafe/pastry shops. Today I didn't make it past The Dogtag Barkery. UH OH. I walked in and ordered a delicious slice of raspberry cheesecake and can I say that it was totally worth it. It was one of the best slices of cheesecake. Now this is what I will say. Do not walk past a bakery when you are hungry!
Now I shouldn't have had the cheesecake because I am part of a "test" group that is doing the complete program of 22 Minute Hard Corp. But I had it and I wasn't going to let it derail me. So I got home totally exhausted and pushed play. Yep, you read it right I pushed Play. I did the prescribed workout for today which is Resistance 1. I did have to modify things because I was tired but I still did it because I promised myself that I would. I promised myself that I would do the best of my ability to stick with this program.
So there you have it. The day started off on the right foot with my Shakeology then veered off with the yummy cheesecake and got back on track with a good workout. This is to say don't let a bad choice ruin your day. See the whole picture there is so much more to it then one bad choice.
One of the great things about being a Beachbody Coach is getting to give away prizes to challengers who have really committed themselves to eating healthy and working out. My team and I run a monthly Challenge Group that last for 21 days. We have our Challengers post about their workouts and healthy eating and make sure that they share a photo of their daily dose of dense nutrition, Shakeology! In doing these things they help eachother throughout the day. It can be very inspiring to have your facebook feed show other people trying to accomplish their fitness goals. Well, at the end of the 21 days we count up all the photos and post and see who has the most points and we have a winner. Our point system isn't based on weightloss or loss of inches or loss of anything because everyone is at a different point in their journey and may not need to lose weight but just might want to be healthy and in the best shape of their lives. We just recently finished a challenge group called Love Your Belly and the prize was the entire P90x2 program. Yep, you read that right. We gave away an entire program! Because here's the thing the winner is dedicated to being fit and healthy and we want to help them as much as we can. Next months Challenge Group, Race to Gold, has a great prize too. The winner will receive a full size Energize from the Beachbody Performance Line and a $15.00 Gift Certificate. So yes, I love this job! I love giving away prizes to people who are committed to getting healthy. If you or anyone you know is interested in joining a future challenge group please fill out the form below and I will get back to you soon!
It's the kind of day that keeps giving and going. Woke up headed to the Dermatologist for a quick fix. I get IPL for acne about every 4 weeks, between these and my at home skin care regimen, and my glycolic peels at work I'm able to keep my acne under control (but that's a post for another day). Then I ran to the post office to send off a great prize for our last Challenge Winner. I will share about that in a post tomorrow. Needless to say it is always exciting to send prizes off! Swung back to the house to pick up Zoskia to go to the barn with me. Had a lovely ride on Miss Bella, who was a little tired today and needed some extra motivation to keep a nice jump in the canter. Then had lunch with Judy, and she can make a mean salad! Then Judy and I both run to the gym for our personal training. It is about this point that I'm just not feeling great. I started a new birth control pill a few days ago and I think my system is getting use to it. So now I'm doing my personal training and I'm sluggish and tired and just want to take a nice nap. But I did push through and ended up having a decent workout. TGU's can do that for you. After that I needed to go get an oil change so I go and do that, they need to replace a tail light but don't have it in stock so I run to the Auto Zone near by and buy the light bulb to bring it back to them so they can replace it. Whew I mean do you see how this day keeps going and its not done yet. Then I get home and really want to stick with my new program so I turn on 22 Minute Hard Corp and push play and do Cardio 1 and Core 1. And that is when I took this photo. I'm tired my hair is out of control but it's the kind of day where you will sleep good at night. So here's to having a good nights rest!
At the bottom of this post you can see my video of my jiggling fat! But first you have to read my post. Today is day 2 of my 8 week journey and I am really excited. As I've said this program is my kind of program. Fast paced moving constantly and done in a very short time. If this sounds like something you would like you should check out 22 Minute Hard Corp. (you can buy it by clicking on the photo on the right side that says Shop Beachbody Products) Anyway, I was watching my video before I posted it to YouTube and to this blog and thought wow there is definitely some jiggle going on. I mean it's not really that bad but still I noticed it right away. So I cannot wait to see how long it takes to make that stop. It will stop I have no doubt because I am determined to follow this program very closely in both the exercise and eating department. And so far (day 2) things are going great. Eating healthy and exercising lets see if on day 22 I'm still going as strong. I really hope I am. I really hope that I'm not just going strong but kicking butt. So I guess we will all see when I get there what the outcome will be. Now feel free to watch!
Today started my test groups 22 Minute Hard Corp 8 week program. I'm psyched. This is my kind of workout program. I started with the Fit Test Assessment.
Push ups 1 Min. = 25
Squat Thrust 1 Min.= 26 w/10lbs
Pull ups- 5 without stopping
Jumping Jacks 1 Min. = 75
Plank Hold= 1:33
I would like all of those numbers to get higher. Next fit test in 4 weeks so I'll let you know if there is any improvement.
We are also keeping a food diary and sharing it with the group at the end of the day. I decided to do this because for me food is the most difficult part of losing or maintaining my weight. This will really keep me accountable. I'm using a small calendar book to keep track through out the day and then I'll just type it in to the group at the end of the day.
I also took my measurements last night. Coach Stacie (my best friend, sister-in-law and fellow Team Rise & Shine Leader) took my measurements and I took hers. I think we were both a little bloated and for me personally I'm definitely a bit bigger right now. But this is such a good place to start because there is room for some improvement. We will take measurements every 2 weeks and see how we are progressing.
If you are interested in trying this awesome program please check out my Fitness Programs section and fill out the form. Or click on my link to shop products and buy the product right away. I will be beach ready this summer, want to join me?
So, I have permission to share this success story but the person will remain anonymous as requested. One of my challengers started her journey with me on July 20, 2015. She was inspired by the results I had with the 21 Day Fix. Trust me it was the leanest she or anyone else has ever seen me. So she moved forward and bought the 21 Day Fix. Now what I love is that her husband has been extremely supportive. He does a lot of the cooking and knew that in order for her to succeed he would need to follow the rules. And he has! Everyday he packs her a lunch according to the color coded containers and for dinner he makes sure that it is what she needs to eat to fuel her body properly. Now everyone will tell you that eating is half the battle but I would even say its more then half the battle! Eating clean and maintaining a healthy diet goes a long way in losing and keeping the weight off. But lets get back to my challenger. When she started the program she worked out at least 5-7 days a week doing the prescribed workouts with the 21 Day Fix program. She is not one to brag so she just continued eating healthy and doing the workouts through the summer and into the winter and through the holidays. Now fast forward to today. This week she tried on all her spring clothes and guess what? THEY DIDN'T FIT! They were to big. She couldn't believe it and neither could her husband (cause now she has to go shopping). With time and consistency all of her hard work has paid off. And the good news is that since this has been a full lifestyle change the pounds will stay off. This wasn't some quick fix diet. This was a life change and a change for the better. I am so proud of her and so proud of all of my challengers who have stayed the course!
Saturday, March 12, 2016
I'm always so excited to share when a new challenge group is about to get started. In a little over a week the Race To Gold Challenge Group starts and I can't wait for it. Spring weather has been showing its lovely face and that means summer will be close on its heels. Summer means less clothes just because of the darn heat and humidity in the greater Washington DC area.
So if you put a few of those pesky pounds on over the winter or you really need to start a fitness regime now for the first time in your life, lets do it. This group comes in all shapes and sizes, all different age groups. Moms, Dads, Grandmoms, furbaby moms, students, full time and part time workers everyone and anyone can join as long as they are ready to exercise and eat right. We do this together. We support one another. So having said all that I just get really really excited because I know that I'm helping people get started down the right path. And I want to help you! If you are at all interested in learning more and talking to me please take the time to fill out the form below. Grasp change with both hands and commit yourself to a healthier, fitter you now!
Today was my active recovery day. What does that mean? It's technically my rest day but instead of not doing anything at all I chose to do a 30 minute light yoga session. That was my "active" recovery. I did the 21 Day Fix Yoga Fix. And I really needed it. My body was very tight and each move felt like it was needed and thankfully by the end I started to feel my body really loosening up.
So sometimes instead of not doing anything at all you should choose to have an "active" recovery day. It doesn't have to be yoga. It could be taking a walk and enjoying the weather. It could be you doing your own series of stretches. You could even just take the time to use the foam roller and work those knots out. Just remember to still drink plenty of water and refresh your body.
Since I'm not starting the 22 Minute Hard Corp program till the 14th I thought I'd mix some things up this week. So today I wanted a bit of Autumn Calabrese in my life. One of my favorite workouts in the 21 Day Fix is Dirty 30. I know some people struggle with this one but for some odd reason I just absolutely love it. I get a really good sweat going and I feel my body burning calories what more could you ask for in a great workout?!
Three great moves give them a try with some light to medium weights!
