Check in and future plans

Wow, I can't believe it's been a month since my last post. I don't know where the month went, it's already the middle of July. Well, my friends.. I have been on a mental journey this last month. I graduated with my BA from the University of Oklahoma. I have been going to school, off and on since having both of my kids. I feel like it took a decade to finish my degree and at times didn't ever think I would finish. I never gave up, the past year has been a rough one. Working full time and managing a home, then add on top of that 45 credit hours, yes, I completed 45 credit hours in one year. That's a lot of weekends spent doing homework. It feels good to be done and know I have accomplished what I initially set out to do.
With that, I decided to take a small break from the gym. My DH has been working almost non-stop the last 3 months, which leaves me taking care of it all, well everything except for myself. I felt like I had come a long way and there wasn't any reason I couldn't afford to take some time off from the gym. It felt good, and I didn't feel pressured or guilty not working out. I didn't even weight myself in the 2 weeks I tooks off! YAY! I did however, weigh in on the day I decided to get back in the gym and back on schedule. Much to my surprise, I didn't gain 1 pound! Winning!! I guess that is the result of having a good metabolism. Don't get me wrong, I worked for this good metabolism! :)

Aside from the gym and workouts, work pretty much sucks. I have grown to a great disliking of my position within the organization I work for. I have employed with the company 2 years this month. I am extremely disappointed that I have had almost no support from upper management to assist in advancing, there are little to no opportunities for accounting. I was promised a bonus, of which I held up my end of the bargain and at much to my disappointment, the other end (management) failed to hold up their end. I am not sure when the "last straw" was pulled, but this has got to be it. I feel like I am at my wits end with this job. I work so hard, yet, no reward is offered, it just makes no sense to me what so ever. I don't get it.. shouldn't the hard workers be rewarded?

I have come to the conclusion that I have to make a change, a big change. I have applied to the University of Texas @ Tyler, for their adult MBA program. I sincerely hope I get accepted!
Oh, and I have been on a couple different interviews for new jobs, I really want to work part time so I can be home more and have time to do the things that I want to do, for my career and for my kids and husband. I won't divulge too much about the interviews, but I sure hope I get a call back.. but for now, I am riding on the hope that I get to give my notice soon! ;)

Stay fit my friends and thanks for listening

Finding the right whey

Let's face it, I don't know a whole heck of a lot about protein powders, well, I actually learned a lot this week about different proteins and what's good for my body type and goals. As I am still learning, I am having a good time trying different flavors and different brands. Today I didn't have anything to do on my lunch break at work, so I drove over to The Vitamin Shoppe and browsed through their sports nutrition department (BTW, this was my first time in The Vitamin Shoppe, I'm usually a GNC gal, but noticed on their website they are a little more $ friendly) from the moment I walked in, I loved this store. As a person basically obsessed with fitness and nutrition, I could come here everyday just to be in the environment. I love people watching, seeing the different levels of fitness come and go. So I browsed around, stayed on the sports nutrition side. The Vitamin Shoppe is so organized and each section is set up for different goals: Pre-Workout, Post-Workout, Whey Protein, Organic Protein.. it goes on and on how they have it all organized, I was in heaven. I also liked that there were several other shoppers, so the sales clerk (unlike @ GNC) wasn't at my side the whole time. I mean, what's worse than a sales person who won't leave you to some piece? After all, this was my lunch break and I was just there to do some research. He did eventually make his way over to me and I began to question him on protein powders..he gave me some do's, some do not's and left me on my own to decide. One of the proteins he recommended was Syntrax: Nectar Sweets, he said a lot of women typically purchase that product because of the taste and the face that it's a Whey Protein Isolate.

* From reseach on Whey Protein Isolate is the highest yield of protein currently available, and it comes from milk. Because of it's chemical properties, whey protein is easiest to absorb into your muscles. *

With that said and done and still unsure of which protein powder to commit to, I mean, most come in 2-5lb containers and let's face it, I get bored.. fast. I don't want just 1 flavor, ideally, I'd like to try a few different flavors to find my favorite and also have a couple different ones on hand when I need to change things up a bit. So lucky me.. I was able to find these small little single packets, which were under $2 a piece, perfecto! I picked one of the Chocolate Truffle and Vanilla Bean Torte.

1 packet equals 100 calories, 23g of protein, 0g of sugar & 0g of carbs (awesome, no carbs and no sugar!!)

Once back at my office, I was watching the clock until my 2:30 snack time rolled around to break one of these bad girls open. I mixed, as directed on the packet, (I used the Chocolate Truffle flavor) with 8oz of milk (you can use milk, juice or water) and shake with my blender bottle and viola.. snack is served! I was a little nervous at first, but it smelled good and the texture was really soft, it mixed really well and upon my first drink.. was pleasantly surprised by the taste. Of course, it is NOT full fat chocolate milk, nor did I expect it to be, but was pretty good for being "healthy"! I will definately be trying again. I also picked up a single packet of Vanilla Bean Torte, can't wait to try that one out! :)

So until next time..

Stay Fit & Fab!

Patience + Consistency = Progress

LiveFit Trainer: Week 3 so far..

First of all I think this is really a good program! I wish I was a little more disciplined with my eating.. I was doing so good at first but then the options are so limited, I found myself giving in to temptation a few times too many. This week has been going pretty good, I have gotten creative with my recipes and changed some things up, so lunches; snacks, etc. have been exciting again!

I can’t believe I am already on week 3 and finally (so far) this week, no sick kids, no sick mom, work has slowed down.. so I have had energy for my usual morning workouts. I am finally back into the mode of getting up super duper early and hitting the gym. I love working out in the mornings, the getting up part sucks, but once I have finished.. it feels so good to not have to worry about it the rest of the day.

I have 2 more workouts scheduled this week, Week 3 she throws in the 5^th day. Today was Chest & Triceps, my biceps are soooore from yesterday’s session and of course, my legs are STILL sore!! *SMH* and tomorrow is yet, another legs day. Week 3 and 4 actually have 2 legs day, which I am excited about because that is my weak area and the area in which needs the most work (at least as far as I am concerned).

Now as far as weight goes, I am actually up a couple of lbs, I weighed in at 130 the last couple of days, but since measuring shows I am losing, I am not too concerned with the extra weight on the scale. My clothes fit great, my body feels great and I can feel myself getting stronger and leaner and even noticing slight difference in the definition in my abs.



Stay Fit & Fab!

Legs Day & Jamie Eason's Cinnamon Swirl Protein Bread

I got up this morning and completed Legs/Calves day from Week 2 of LiveFit Trainer. My legs just got over being sore from a week ago and there I go and kill them again! For me, legs are the hardest part to train and by the end of Set 2 of 3, I was a big pile of sweat and hitting muscle failure.. but I pushed right through the workouts. I decided today I would add on 3 sets of 1 minute wall squats, why not right?! So I felt pretty accomplished after the workout, but hungry hungry hungry! I headed to the kitchen and whipped up my usual Chocolate Shakeology w/water and then took my vitamins for the day. I always feel "complete" once I get my shake and vitamins down! Then hit the showers.

By time I got out of the shower, dressed and makeup/hair done, it was about lunch time. I was feeling hungry again.. most times after legs day I get famished and have the need to eat, eat, eat! Instead of stuffing my face with junk (like I really wanted to do) HA.. I popped in one of my prepared ahead turkey chili into the microwave, then sprinkled it with a little cheese and snacked on it as I prepped my kitchen to start on the newest recipe I printed from bodybuilding.com, Cinnamon Swirl Protein Bread.

 For the recipe:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-recipes-cinnamon-swirl-protein-bread.html

I have made almost of all the protein bar flavors from Jamie Eason's recipes. By far, my favorites are 1. Chocolate, 2. Carrot Cake, 3. Cinnamon Swirl. That was pretty much my Saturday in a nutshell. My weekends aren't too exciting these days with my DH's new job, he has to work most weekends, so I use this time to make my recipes and hang out with the kids. Today we went to the park and I let them run some energy off and I was able to take a little stroll, which was nice also to get some sun :)

Stay Fit & Fab my friends!

LiveFit Trainer: Week 1 in Review

Well, I managed to survive Week 1 of Jamie Eason's LiveFit Trainer! On Sunday, I decided to add on an extra workout, just for the fun of it. And also because I am a little bit crazy! HA But seriously, I was just so excited to be feeling better and it helped (a little.. hehe) that my DH re-arranged my home gym, ahhh, I love when things get a small change! So I couldn't wait to get in there and workout!

First week went pretty well, I hit a couple bumps in the road, but managed to stay on course for the entire week. I modified a couple of the "Rest" days. My intention was to begin on Monday and have Friday-Sunday off, but I got a sinus infection and decided to take Thursday & Friday off. I went full force back into the program on Saturday and then threw in my extra workout on Sunday. ;)

At the end of the week, I lost 1 pound! Not too shabby!

Now as for the workouts, I was sore by the end of the day after each workout!! I was most sore from the legs day, which was Wednesday, my legs are still sore today, Tuesday of Week 2! Of course, I am insane and I Love being sore from workouts!

So week 1 is complete, 11 weeks to go. I made it through 1 week and ZERO cardio and I have to admit, I am not missing it too much! I found that if I lift heavy enough during my workouts, I am sweating just as much, if not more than I do when I do cardio workouts! Awesome!

I know I promised "Before" pics, but I didn't get them downloaded from my digital camera, and now I can't find it. So I took a "end of Week 1" photo :)

My DH made fun of my picture taking abilities, but remember I took this pix, post workout, I was sweaty, tired and shaky from heavy lifting!

Well, that is Week 1, Week 2 is in progress and I am still feeling good and feeling motivated!

Stay Fit & Fab!

Don't quit so soon!

Of course, a few shorts days after I start this really awesome fitness/nutrition program I am going to come down with a sinus infection. All week, through making the meals and snacks and the workouts, I have been super motivated and pumped about where this 90 day journey is going to take me. I have, in just a few days, already learned so much about nutrition and feeding my body, I am so excited where I will be at the end. So instead of being a big baby (okay, I admit, I was a little bit of a baby, but who isn't when they aren't feeling 100%?) and instead of throwing in the towel; which would have been the easiest thing to do.. I decided, to just take 2 days off to get better, lay around and focus on getting my body better. The first 2 weeks allows for 3 "rest" days, which are scheduled on my calendar as Friday-Sunday, so instead I will do Thursday's workout on Saturday. Although I didn't workout, I DID manage to stick pretty strictly to the diet. Last night, while the rest of the family was enjoying beef & potato burritos, I had Jamie Eason's 3 Bean Chile, and I add 1/3 cup of brown rice in it.. It was SO good and SO filling! I wasn't at all jealous of the burritos!

As you can see, I packed up 4 other containers and put them in the freezer for dinners another night! Too easy!

To end the evening out, I made Jamie Eason's Turkey Muffins, which is essentially just mini meatloaf. The prep and baking was so easy, and once out of the oven, I couldn't resist but giving them a small taste test... they are so good! The only alternative that I added that was not on the recipe was red bell pepper, I had some left over that needed to be used from the weekend, so I threw that in there, I love red bell pepper!!

So I will leave on this note, we are human, we get sick, life gets in the way. The easy thing to do is quit, but remember, we are not where we are today because we gave up. Keep going, make a few moderations along the way and soon enough, you will have come farther than you ever thought possible!

Stay Fit & Fab!

Living Fit with Jamie Eason

Earlier in the year I started and completed Beachbody's newest home fitness program, Les Mills PUMP. I was throughouly impressed with the results I got from doing that program. I lost several inches in my thighs, arms and waist. Additionally, I didn't drop much weight, 1-2 lbs, give or take how the day's eating went. I ended on the program at 126lbs. Today, post vacation, I am 129lbs and 21.01% body fat. To give you an idea of where I stand body fat wise, The average body fat percentage for U.S. females is around 32%, with the ideal at 22%. Athletic females should be around 15-20%. Currently, I am labeled as "ideal".. not good enough for me! ;) So what does it take to get into the Athletic range of body fat percentage? Jamie Eason seems to have it all planned out in her 12-week LiveFit Trainer on http://www.bodybuilding.com/. As of Monday, I have been embarking on this "mission: lose body fat" journey. So far I have to say it hasn't been the most difficult, sticking to her meal plans has been hard only in the sense is that I am not used to eating so much throughout the day. Her theory behind her method of eating is that you are training your body to no longer store fat because you are eating every 3 hours, and with each meal, you are eating a high percentage of protein, which is going to help in building and retaining lean muscle mass.
So that is my explanation on what I will be doing in the gym the next few months and my purpose. Keep following for more updates as I attempt to create the body I am always wanted!

* Stay fit & fab!

Shaking it up with Shakeology

For being a nut about fitness and watching what foods I put into my body, it may come as a surprise that I am not a fan of vegetables. Sure, there are the usuals that I like and eat on a regular basis; green beans, corn, cucumber.. but the list is much shorter than it should be. Vegetables are such an important part of a healthy diet and achieving maximum fitness results. Recently I have gotten on the Shakeology bandwagon. My favorite is of course Chocolate, but Greenberry and Tropical Strawberry are also really good! Even though Shakeology has been in my vocabulary for some time, it wasn't until recently that I have begun to consume it on an almost daily basis. When I first started my fitness journey, I was pretty naive when it came to eating the right foods. Let's face it, when we were young we could pretty much eat and drink anything we wanted without much effect on our health or bodies, but as we age and our metabolism begins to slow down and things change, we can't expect to lose weight, maintain good weight or stay healthy without incorporating a healthy regime, both fitness & nutrition and this includes eating our vegetables like our moms taught us!

There are so many health products on the market that promise weight loss, I wasn't interested in just the weight loss aspects, what I was most interested in was finding a replacement for nutierients my body needs, but which my eating habits lacked. I was astounded when I did more research on Shakeology and it's benefits. Not only were people losing weight with this product, it was full of vitamins and good stuff our bodies need for fuel! Well then why not just comsume a multi-vitamin every day? Unlike multi-vitamins, Shakeology provides a protein source (17g) and all of the same benefits of a multi-vitamin.  Plus, it can be used as a meal replacement.  This means that it can promote faster weight loss and faster muscle gains.  Shakeology is a premium meal replacement shake that combines  many health-boosting ingredients, including real food sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, protein and phytonutrients.  These ingredients help to rebuild muscle, maximize cellular health, eliminate toxins, kick start metabolism, and lower cholesterol in as few as 30 days.  It can also keep you blood sugar from spiking. 

In short, protein shake + multi-vitamins falls short in many ways. There's no probiotics, digestic enzymes, etc., so my choice was pretty clear, why not Shakeology! I have one in the morning for breakfast and boom, my veggie intake and vitamins for the day are consumed!

Healthiest meal of the day!

See what doctors have to say about Shakeology!

Stay fit & fab my friends!

Good things are coming!

Well, I am just about 4 weeks into Les Mills PUMP. Where has time gone? If you know anything about me, you know I get bored, very easily.. to say the least! HA I can't believe it's already been 4 weeks into PUMP and I am craving more! I guess the greatest thing about this workout has been that, since day 1, I have continued to see results which is so motivating! I have noticed some major changes in the way my clothes are fitting.. or I should say, how they are NOT fitting ;) (that's a GOOD thing!) Since starting the program, I have actually gained 2lbs, but it's been the good kind of lbs!! I have lost  1/2 inch in each arm and a whopping 1 inch in each thigh and am fitting into a size 2 pants.. SIZE 2, yup you read that correctly. I am still in shock, it's so hard to believe that after all these years of trying and hoping that I would get there.. I am finally here and let me tell you.. IT FEELS GREAT!!!

Just goes to show.. persisant and dedication truly pays off! All the dreaded morning wake-ups and dreaded walks to the gym, oh so early in the morning have all been WORTH it!!

Remember: Good things come to those that get up and make things happen! So keep going, keep pushing forward, good things are coming! :)

Week One PUMP... it feels good!

Week One of my 10 week attempt to get ripped and shredded is complete! This week hasn't been easy, however it also hasn't been too difficult either. What I like the most so far about Les Mills PUMP is the trainers, they are all so upbeat, each workout is exciting and fresh and the certainly keep me motivated. The girls look amazing and when I feel like stopping for a break, one look at how awesome those girls look in the video keeps me motivated to keep going in a hope that once completed with the PUMP program I will look something like that! :) A girl can hope, right! 

So to break down this weeks workouts, the first 2 days I stuck with my usual cardio via TurboFire, can't go wrong with TurboFire. Tuesday night, my PUMP was delivered and I got it all set up and ready to go for Wednesday's workout. Pump & Burn is a 30 minute full body workout using the PUMP bar, surprisingly my legs didn't get sore, although they burned through the whole workout, it was my triceps that hurt the next day.. and continued into the next day as well! I have taken a liking to being sore, not only does it tell me I pushed myself, I tend to have a GOOD nights sleep when I am sore!! :) Thursday, however I missed my workout because my alarm failed to go off (note, my husband is my alarm and he didn't wake me up!) hmmm.. I had planned on hitting the gym after work, but if you know me by now, I really have a hard time working out at night.. I prefer mornings. So, I missed Thursday completely. However, I went full force into Friday, which was again Pump & Burn. This time I pushed a little harder through the workouts since I already went through this video. However, one thing I don't like about weight training is the lack of dripping sweat. Don't get me wrong, I love to lift just like the next, but have a hard time "feeling" like I worked out w/o being drenched in sweat. But my muscles told me otherwise, so I got through the session and felt good about my short 30 minute PUMP workout. Saturday, well I reserve Saturdays for my "anything goes" days so I invited a friend to Les Mills RPM class at my YMCA. It was my first RPM class and my 3rd spin class ever.. I surprised myself and even some of the usual RPM goers with my awesome ability to keep up in class!! Don't get me wrong, I worked my tail and at one point, thought I was going to throw up or die, not sure which one, but I sure had to push through to get to my second wind. A long 45 minutes later, I was drenched, with legs made of jello and face full of sweat.. I felt GOOD! Job Well done, mission complete! Then, as a treat to myself and of course to make up for my missed Thursday workout, I opened my new Les Mills Step and went for it.. I LOVE STEP! Every new Les Mills workout I have tried so far, gets better and better. I am already sore from 30 minutes of Step at 10am this morning.. 8.5 hours later and the burn sets in.. wonder how I will feel tomorrow for Pump & Shred and I start Week 2 of PUMP. All I can say is, I am ready for it!

Les Mills PUMP arrived!

When I arrived home last night, there was a 41lb box in my living room, a bit overwhelming at first, but like a kid at Christmas, I tore that sucker open! Assmbley was pretty simple and in no time I had 5ln weights on each side and was able to read through the booklets the system came with. I am pretty impressed with the nutrition brochure, it lays out and give you a selection of items to chose from for each meal and it goes through 3 different phases; Phase 1: Te Wero (The Challenge), Phase 2: Panoni (The Change) and Phase 3: Kia Kaha: Be Strong.
So far I love the whole concept of these workouts and it was fun reading through the materials. :)

 

Today I begin my 2 month journey doing Les Mills PUMP. I was super stoked when Beachbody came out with this new product, I used to be a member of Gold's Gym and always saw this class going on during my runs, but was also so intimidated to try it out. Then I bought P90x and in trade of purchasing that, I cancelled my membership to the gym. I no longer have the desire to be a paid member of a gym now that I have a pretty great home gym set up, so I was pumped when this came out on video!
So my schedule will go as follows:
Mon/Wed/Fri will be PUMP sessions and T/Thu will be TurboFire or Insanity for cardio. I have Saturday set aside for fun day workouts, so it's anything goes and of course Sunday is rest day! I am so excited to see what sort of results come from this product. I hit my goal weight recently doing the TurboFire's 5-day Inferno, so my next goal is to get TONED!!! Before pix to come!

CHEERS to a new beginning!