Healthy Living

Since I see myself on a daily basis I don't realize the progress I've made. The first photo was taken in 2010 and I was probably about 155 lbs. The 2nd photo was taken a couple weeks ago and that morning I was at 131. The last photo of my back was taken yesterday at 132 lbs. Even when I'm trying on clothes I'm still surprised by the sizes I'm fitting into. I've been on this Beachbody journey for over 80 days. I think after the first couple of months I realized I craved the healthy life style. I enjoy the meals I eat and I feel like I'm truly fueling my body with what it needs. I love my morning workouts. I'm still putting my workout clothes out the night before so when I wake up it's the first thing I see. I'm not sure when I changed and really became addicted to healthy foods and exercise. Not in an obsessive way but I love the way I feel. I'm not tired, I have energy, I feel great, and I love how I fit in my new smaller clothes. Beach body now has an app called the Body Board app for people who are also doing these workouts and drinking shakeology. I truly enjoy it because I can post my daily workout selfies and I get to see other people doing the same. It is so encouraging to see so many people striving to live this heathy lifestyle as well.
Last weekend we went out of town and I enjoyed some beer, wine, pizza, pretzels, and desserts. However I also worked out and continued to drink my water. I thought for sure when I got home I'd be 5 lbs heavier, well I was actually 1 lb lighter!!! I was very pleasantly surprised. I started a new program that focuses more on lifting weights and she always says muscles burns fat as well as speeds up my metabolism. I think I finally found my balance. If I really want an ice cream, I have one but I'm conscious of the calories and try not to go crazy. I've noticed when I do indulge I feel really sick afterwards. I'm guessing thats a good and bad thing. It makes me indulge less and less for sure.
Thats my update for now!! Happy and healthy mama signing out :-)

Missing the Moment

So the lady being pointed out is the one individual without a cell phone who is enjoying the moment rather than recording it. I felt a little bit like this when we went to our first Luau in Maui. I just wanted to enjoy the show. However as I looked around 95% of the audience had their selfie sticks, iPads, and cameras out. A person at our table had an iPad and didn't bother to turn the flash off, so every time they took a photo the entire table lit up! Are we ruining our own entertainment? Don't get me wrong I like to take pictures too but this seemed a bit too much. And lets be real are you really going to print these photos from this show? I noticed one of the many photos people were taking were terrible, dark & fuzzy. Another guy took a bad photo then spent 5 minutes trying to fix it by editing. Hey guy you just missed the last incredible dance the performers did, but hope you fix that crappy photo you can look at next week!
We had an amazing vacation and I decided to try something new. I didn't post on Facebook the whole week, because I know how I am. I'll want to see what people said and how many people liked my photo. So instead I decided to do a shared photo album. At the end of the week I posted the album so everyone could see all the photos I had taken. It really helped me enjoy the moments I was in. I snorkeled with my son and pilot and didn't take any photos. We held hands while swimming around, my heart was so full being together with my family and doing something incredible together. We zip lined and I didn't take any photos. I left my phone in the car. Our guides were hilarious and my stomach definitely hurt by the end because I was laughing almost the whole time. The smiles on my family's face was something I didn't want to miss. The best part is the zip lining company took photos for us and I was able to purchase them before we left on a CD. Spending a week together and being disconnected was wonderful. My son is 9 and I'm not sure how much longer we are going to be the cool parents. So now is the time to enjoy each smile, each hug, each moment he tells us we are the best.
Next time you pick up the phone to record or take a picture, is it something you'd enjoy more without that photo or recording?

Quick Results

I'd say I'm like most Americans and when I start something I want to have results right away. After my first 3 weeks I was ready to give up because I didn't see the results I was looking for, but what I failed to realize is it takes time to get the body you want. I read online that it takes 4 weeks to see change, 8 weeks for your friends and family to notice, and 12 weeks for the world to see. It may seem like a long time but honestly I just take it one day at a time. This morning I weighed in at 132 and I've lost 2 inches off my hips. 7 pound weight loss may not seem like a lot but when I started I was wearing a size 8. All of my jeans and shorts are falling off of me. I had to buy size 4 shorts the other day. I'm in between a 4 & 6 right now!! Which honestly just seems crazy to me. Especially since I'm only doing 30 minute workouts a day and I don't feel like I'm depriving myself when it comes to food. This is the smallest I've been in over 10 years.

My cousin came to visit last weekend, we mostly ate meals at the house but we did go out for one lunch. I had wine, beer, and some treats over the weekend. It didn't derail my plan and we worked out together while she was here. Did I mention I feel amazing?!
My Facebook group really inspires me to be a role model but to also be honest with my daily food intake. I'm starting to see results in my group as well. People are working out and being mindful of what they are eating. I have to say I hate dieting because I really do. This isn't about a diet, this is about being healthy and sustaining a healthy lifestyle. I know I'm not going to give up wine for the rest of my life but I can have it in moderation. I LOVE food and the foods I'm eating now are clean. The treats my cousin made were from scratch with real ingredients and they are AMAZING!! But I am pacing myself and I use one of my daily carbs for my treat.

Some of the tricks I do to help me stay on track with exercise include, laying out my workout clothes at night so when I wake up its the first thing I see. I exercise in the morning before my mind & body realize what I'm doing. I take daily selfies which help me see the progress I've made.

Their are so many websites online that have 21 day fix meals as well as the tools to help you get started. I'm all about sharing the information for free because their are just too many tools out there that are available to you. Including free workouts on youtube. Here is a great link I found last week that has all the information in one place.
http://formerchubbyguy.com/21-day-fix-the-ultimate-meal-guide

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me, I'm happy to share!!!

Week 1 (Again)

I took this picture yesterday. The big smile on my face is because I realized that my muscles are actually getting shredded. Not sure when that happened but I was pretty happy about it. That morning I weighed myself and I was at 133.8. I checked my phone and on March 2nd I weighed 139, so in exactly one month I had lost 5.2 lbs. Just when I was thinking that dialing in my nutrition and working out wasn't really doing much, I figured out that it was. I feel amazing, eating healthy and exercising makes me happy and why would I stop something that makes me happy? I also couldn't work out for a week because of my back and having a cold so I just concentrated on my nutrition. I've worked out the last 3 days and I was so glad to be able to get back on track. Another decision I made today was to start my own private group on Facebook. If I could get motivated by mostly strangers on a daily basis, wouldn't it be even more fun to do this with people I knew? This past week I continued to write down a daily food log, not for anyone in particular, just for myself. I used the 21 day fix app on my phone to record my daily food intake. I did have a planned splurge meal last night, pizza, wine, & salad. I only had one medium slice and a big salad. Where I kind of lost it was with the garlic knots, I can't remember how many I had and I only had 2 glasses of wine.  But I knew that would be my one splurge meal for the week. This morning I was back on track with my 30 minute workout and planned nutrition for the day.

I invited several of my friends and family to join my private Facebook. I'm excited to inspire others on this plan. Using the information I've learned and free tools online. I believe the Vega One all-in- one nutritional shake works just as good as the Shakeology did for me. I mix it with a banana, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, PB2, and ice. I've also made it with mixed strawberries & blueberries. I haven't had any sugar cravings so I'm attributing that to the daily shake I drink. I wouldn't categorize it as a meal replacement, I have it after a workout or for a snack.

We leave for Maui in 15 days, I'm excited this week to do a little clothes shopping, and maybe even buy a new bikini. What I love is that because I feel so good about myself it makes me a better mom and wife. I share my healthy lifestyle with my family every day. The pilot loves the meals I've been making and no more dreaded "What's for dinner?" conversations. I'm sure you guys know what i'm talking about. I'll continue to keep you posted on this journey of mine and if you're interested in joining my free group, just let me know. Keep in mind though I do ask you to dedicate 30 minutes a day to exercise 5 days a week and healthy eating. But if your ready to do that, then I'm ready to help!

What's Next

On Easter Sunday I had a great meal. After a while though, I felt like I was getting a little bit out of control, lots of candy, apple pie, ice cream and a little bit of cake. This isn't a bad thing but I felt like I was eating just to eat. I realized I do like the discipline of keeping track of what I eat. The 21 day fix plan has veggies, fruits, carbs, protein, fat, dressings, and nut butters. So Monday morning I decided to go back on the plan. I had several packs of Shakeology left and once those are done I'll use my Vega One. Although I haven't been able to exercise in a week because now I have a cold, it feels good to at least plan my meals. Of course a new incentive for me is our vacation to Maui in 3 weeks, which just happens to be 21 days. I'm fortunate that my family enjoys healthy eating and I don't have to make separate meals for each of us. We can all sit down together as a family to a healthy, delicious meal. I do have some planned splurges but during the week its easy for me to follow this plan. I think that is where I'll find the balance I need. 

I wanted to share some tools I've used during this process. If you own an apple device the 21 day fix plan app is free. My calorie target is 1200 - 1499 which gives me a certain amount of containers. If you look at the app, that is 3 green (veggies), 2 purple (fruit), 4 red (protein), 2 yellow (carbs) 1 blue (healthy fat), 1 orange (seeds & dressings), 2 teaspoons for Oils & Nut Butters. Amazon sells these containers for $24.80 or you can research on Pinterest or Google what the equivalent size is for each color. During the day I have breakfast, snack, lunch, snack #2, & dinner. I usually have the shake for breakfast or my first snack after a workout. In my shake I'll use one of my fruits and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I've only tried one Vega One shake so I can't truly say if I like it better or if it works as well as Shakeology. Its pretty easy to get online though and do some research on shakes that compare to Shakeology. You can try Beach body on demand for free for at least a week I think. If you want to try some free 30 minute workouts, the BeFit channel on Youtube is great. The BeFit workouts with Scott Herman are my favorite. Another great place to find 21 day fix meals is on Pinterest and their are lots of bloggers out there with their weekly meal plans.

Their are so many free tools online and I know sometimes it can be overwhelming. You don't have to wait till Monday to start a diet. I don't really believe in dieting, you truly need to find a way to eat healthy that works for you. Maybe that just means focusing on your calories 5 to 6 days a week and take one day off. Baby steps, cut out chips this week, and maybe soda the next. 

Truly the best part of when you buy a starter pack with Beachbody is you have a coach and a group of women who are also trying to eat healthy and exercise. And you have a group that inspires you to stick with this daily. If you are interested in trying that out, I'm happy to share my coach with you. Here is the link if you are curious http://www.beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/riw818

Week 3 - Life Happens

Last Saturday while I was doing a 30 minute workout I sprained my SI joint. I've done this before and I knew immediately when it happened. During a one legged dead lift with an upright row. Of course the pilot asked me if I stopped when I felt it. Lets just say I finished the workout. Not sure why he asked when he knew the answer to the question. Anyway after that I realized I wouldn't be able to exercise the last week of this challenge. I enjoy exercising and I usually workout out 5 to 6 days a week so not being able to is kind of hard for me. 

We went to the mountains for a couple days and I brought healthy food with us to our condo. However, the very first night we went out to eat, I had 3 fish tacos, green chili fries, and a margarita. Now I could say my back really hurt so I had the margarita to help but the truth is I just really like fish tacos & margaritas. The next day I stuck with the plan and only had one treat, a small serving of gelato. By Wednesday I was able to do yoga and put some time in on the elliptical when we got home.  I stayed with the diet and I've made it to day 20 out of 21. I weighed in at 135 this morning, so it seems my splurges didn't necessarily hurt me. Again I'll point out the good and the not so good.

Good: I have to say this month I've saved a lot of money not going out to eat. I also decided I didn't need to purchase any more workout clothes. This is a big decision for me since that is truly my wardrobe right now but I have enough. Having healthy food in the fridge and several options for dinner to make at home has been great. The convenience of the beach body on demand is wonderful, I can work out at home and its only 30 minutes a day. That has probably been my favorite part. The shakes are tasty and truly curve my cravings. I've enjoyed getting to know new people in the Facebook challenge group. They have helped me stay accountable on this journey.

Not so good: I only lost 3 lbs and that happened the first couple days of the challenge. I haven't taken measurements but it doesn't seem like much has changed. Feeling guilty for one splurge meal. I guess in the past I wouldn't have thought twice about that but being part of a group made it worse. The price of the shakes. Feeling bad because I couldn't work out, I know I shouldn't but it felt like I was quitting. 

Going forward I've decided to continue the subscription to Beachbody on demand, it's only $12 a month. Totally affordable and a lot less than any gym membership I've ever had. I love that I have access to workouts from my phone and my iPad. I cancelled my next order of shakeology, the bargain shopper part of me just can't justify the price. I've done some research and found Vega One has almost all the same ingredients at a fraction of the price. I ordered some on Amazon to try it out and see if it can curve my cravings. 

About 4 years ago I would've loved to find a group that was doing this challenge because I know I would've lost the excess weight that was bothering me. I haven't always been happy with my weight but at this point in my life I feel like I'm at a maintenance phase. As long as I eat healthy 90% of the time I can afford those splurges or treats 10% of the time. I love the new tools I have but going forward I feel like I can do this on my own. Shakeology is a great product and the people I've meet who are part of this are great. However, its just not for me. I'm searching for a balance in my life, I want to be healthy but my plan is to not give up the foods I enjoy for the rest of my life. I'm talking about you Mr. Avocado and Mr. Cheese!!! Feel free to ask me any questions about my experience, I'm happy to share.

Week 2

I feel fit and smaller but the scale doesn't reflect that, I'm still a solid 135. I'm not unhappy with that number however after cutting out alcohol, most of my carbs, & fat I thought that number would've changed this week. I thought I had lost an inch off of each thigh, turns out I just didn't measure them in the right place. My mind is still clear and I have so much energy. The pilot even told me he was a little jealous of my energy and wanted to steal one of my shake packets! Just like last week I'll start with the good and then the not so good.

Good: I'm consistently working out and eating healthy. Before I use to struggle with what to make for dinner and now I have a plan. Makes my life a lot easier. I always have healthy options available for me and the family. The pilot eats healthy as well so I don't have to worry about making separate meals for each of us. I believe writing down what I eat daily is probably the best way to keep me accountable. I average at least 80 to 100 oz of water a day. I have 3 flavors of the shakeology, chocolate, vanilla, & cafe latte. I've got lots of recipes and variations I can make with these 3 flavors. A couple of my favorites are vanilla berry (vanilla shake, frozen berries & almond milk), vanilla latte (vanilla shake, almond milk, coffee, & ice), chocolate with PB2, banana, almond milk & ice. Cafe latte was good with a banana, almond milk, ice, & dash of cinnamon. I usually have a shake after a workout or for breakfast.

Not so good: I miss cheese. You have to understand my full on love for cheese. When we took a trip to Seattle we went to a cheese shop that make 4000 lbs of cheese a day, I was in heaven!! I think I spent about $50 on cheese. I would choose cheese over dessert any day. My options each day are a small amount of cheese for my fat or avocado. WHAT??? And the avocado portion is only 1/4 of an avocado. Normally I would eat one whole avocado a day, every day of the week. So I have a daily battle, do I choose cheese or avocado. Next I miss carbs, I can have 2 servings a day. Just a small list I can choose from for carbs: beans, bread, cereal, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, pasta, sweet potato, 2 corn tortillas, 1 waffle. So my dilemma is if I have oatmeal for breakfast and 1/2 a sandwich for lunch, that leaves no carbs for dinner. I'm struggling a bit to balance what I want to eat more.

Here is a sample of what I ate yesterday: Breakfast - scrambled eggs w/mushrooms, Snack - Vanilla berry shake, Lunch - Turkey wrap & baby carrots, Snack - Apple & peanut butter, Dinner - Taco Bowl.

I think I've become addicted to peanut butter since its the one indulgence I feel I get on a daily basis. I buy the honey roasted grounded peanut butter at Whole Foods, it is AMAZING!! Freshly ground and I look forward to that little piece of heaven daily. And I lost the creamer battle, I decided for about 20 calories a day I could afford one teaspoon of my sweet cream. And my pilot thanks me for that because one day I thought I was going to bite several heads off if I didn't get my creamer.

Next week is spring break and we are headed out of town. I plan on doing my workouts and staying on track with my food. I have a plan. I'm on day 14 of 21 days. I can do this!!!

Week 1

I have to say I was a bit skeptical using shakeology and following this plan. I tried this some time last year and I didn't really 100% commit. I was only making shakes with 1/2 the packet of powder and I hadn't given up on my creamer. So now that I'm all in, let's talk about the good and the not so good.

Good: I weigh 135, believe me I was shocked to see that number after only a couple days. I got on and off the scale 4 times to make sure it was right.  I feel amazing! My mind is clear, I have lots of energy after my workouts, and my sugar cravings in the evening are gone. I won't bore you with all the ingredients but if you'd like to see what is in these shakes visit this website, she breaks down each ingredient http://sweetlifefitness.net/shakeology/shakeology-ingredients/
I'm part of a Facebook group where I post a sweaty selfie daily as well as what I've eaten for the day. Trust me this group keeps me accountable. Its difficult to cheat when I know I'm going to share what I've eaten. This also keeps me motivated to workout. I enjoy the workouts that came with the program, they are very efficient and only take 30 mins. I am going to Orange Theory once a week and I use that to replace my cardio day. I also go to Core Power once a week which replaces my Pilates day. I mindfully choose my meals and don't eat randomly. I believe the added fruits and veggies in my diet are also contributing to how I feel.

Not so good: The coffee situation, the don't list includes: cream, half & half, sugar, honey, other sweeteners, non-dairy creamer, artificial sweeteners, flavored syrups, & chocolate syrup. The do list: lemon, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, 1 tbsp low or nonfat milk, stevia. I've been trying several different ways to prepare my coffee that doesn't include my creamer and so far nothing has worked yet. I'm going though creamer withdrawal. Today I tried cold coffee with my vanilla shakeology, it was actually pretty good but not the same as my creamer. My right butt check has been sore for 3 days, ever since I did the lower fix extreme workout. I guess it means its working but I sat on our hot tub jets last night and I've been stretching like crazy to work it out. Okay, not the worst problem to have but its uncomfortable.

I haven't updated any of my measurements but I think I'll save that for day 21.  Only 2 more weeks to go, I'll keep you posted......

Beachbody starts today

I have to start this by saying I am not unhappy with my body or my weight. This morning when I got on the scale the number was 138.1, my ultimate goal was 135 but honestly 138 is just fine. Lately I've been feeling lazy and unmotivated. I feel like each day I'm just doing the same things over and over, I don't really have a plan or goal that I'm working towards. My girlfriend started this about a month ago and I decided this was something I could do. I want to challenge myself and see if I dial everything in, my workouts and my nutrition what could happen. I signed up for Orange Theory in December but after a couple months I just wasn't getting out of it what I thought I would. I go once a week because that is what I'm willing to pay for, their rates are pricey. I was hoping I'd get new ideas for my sculpt classes I teach but I only maybe get one exercise I can use. Plus its not something I really look forward to and that is when I know its time to change. If you can't find an exercise you enjoy or feel you have accomplished something its gets harder and harder to get into. I received my package last night. Although I have been watching my diet this last week today was truly my first day. I've done a couple of the workouts already and what I loved is they are only 30 minutes and really target each muscle group. As a bonus, lots of great ideas for me to use in my classes.

Day 1 I started the day with the Yoga Extreme workout, not sure I'd call it extreme but it wasn't terrible. It's hard to do this workout when I've been practicing and teaching at core power yoga but I have to say 30 minutes was perfect. Its 3:30 pm and I'm not starving so the food so far has been good. Their are containers involved and after a simple equation to figure out my caloric intake I know how many of each I get. Today I've had a shakeology for breakfast, hard boiled egg & 1/2 banana, tuna & avocado salad, peanut butter & berries oatmeal, and tonight I'll make a broccoli slaw with ground beef. My caloric intake is roughly 1500 calories a day. This is totally doable for me and I hope by the end of the week I'll notice some changes. The commitment is only 21 days, I can do that.
Today I'm washing fruit, cleaning lettuce, boiling eggs, prepping for the week. This is something I never do so already its making a difference.
I'll keep you posted and hopefully I'll see some inches off and some weight lost!