New Toy!

I have never been exactly comfortable on a bicycle…at least one that wasn’t stationary!  I can cycle indoors like a madwoman, but put my wheels on the ground, and I’m so scared. It’s fear, not lack of skills, along with lack of experience that holds me back.

Let’s paint a little 1980s picture…pink bicycle, white basket with plastic flowers, glittery streamers coming out of the handles.  And me.  Letting anyone else ride it because I don’t even have a desire to.  I learned to ride, but just didn’t want to do it much.  Eventually, I wanted to ride a bike and did…about 9 years later  It was someone else’s and I was doing great for a while, until falling into a ton of gravel.  I still have the scars.  And I didn’t ride again for about 15 years.

That brings us to a few years ago.  My husband and I bought mountain bikes.  I was uncomfortable on it.  I had SO MUCH fear, pretty much only because I couldn’t put my feet on the ground while on the seat.  Any time I needed to start or stop, I got scared and would often be so fearful, I’d mess up and fall.  It wasn’t enjoyable for me.

But I wanted to ride.  So a few weeks ago, we got this cutie…

which has what’s called flat feet technology so I can put my feet on the ground while my buns stay on the seat! (and it matches my bag, not pictured)

So.  I’ve been busy riding my bike with my family.  I have no pictures because I was riding the bike.  And now I’m buying a pretty white basket for the front.  And learning back routes through my new town so I can do things like run to the store (and put things in my basket to take home).

And all is well!

Which made me almost miss that it’s about September…which means it’s time for a new monthly challenge!  Comment with your email address (or email me!) to be added to the accountability group!

Happy Mother’s Day!!

Happy day to all of the mommas out there…you’re wonderful and amazing!

I was reflecting on something the other day, where I had received a particularly nasty comment…I know that with putting a lot of my life and journey out there, I open myself up to that, but it can still sting.  I wont bring back up what was said, but I’m going to take this chance to share what’s on my mind about moms and fitness.

Some moms lose weight easily after having a baby…especially with breastfeeding.  Some moms can’t lose at all after a baby…especially while breastfeeding.

Some moms choose to go all out and focus on getting their body back.  Some choose to go slower.

Some moms are struggling with extra weight for the first time.  Some have been on this journey for their entire lives.

They are all doing their best for them and their families.  Whichever way they do it.

Whichever mom you are, I hope that you try to keep healthy habits for yourself.  Because you are worth it.  And everyone benefits when mommy is healthy.

The Spring Has Sprung Lose That Baby Weight challenge!

Are you finally warming up??  My goodness, I’ve been waiting for the warmth since December and I’m so ready for this!  Fresh air!  Walks outside! Playing at the park!

And then we remember that all that cold meant layers! And fuzzy sweaters!  And maybe a lot of other comfy, baggy clothes that summer does NOT bring!  Eep!  There’s definitely something to be said for layers!

Have you pulled out last year’s clothes yet?  Or maybe the pre-baby summer stuff that you really miss wearing and wanted to be back into by now?  Because you really don’t have time to go shopping for new stuff (am i right??)!  When you try them on and they’re just not quite right or they don’t fit at all…when you try to zip up those jeans and focus on a muffin top and not how fabulous they look…when you put on a tank top and think “ugh, my arms”…you know it.  It’s time to make a change!

I don’t want to feel like that!  I want to feel amazing, confident, and to know I can fit into anything in my closet.  And I know that as a mom, it’s important that I feel that way not just for me, but for my family.  It’s important that I take the time to keep me healthy because the whole family benefits when you’re healthy!

So here comes my spring Lose That Baby Weight challenge! It doesn’t matter if your child is 6 weeks or 16 years, if you want to lose it, come and join us.  We’re getting started May 4th…we’ll work through our time constraints, the landmines of snacks and the mental block against taking some time for yourself (trust me…you’re worth it!) together.  So we combine fitness, nutrition and the magic ingredient of accountability for success.

Do you have something you want to look and feel amazing for this summer?  Moms deserve that too!  Maybe you are thinking about that dress that you wore and think you wont be able to fit in again.  You can!

My challenge groups help me to stay focused and on track, and this can do it for you too.  It’s hard to lose weight alone!  But you don’t have to do that.  This time will be different because you will be set up with accountability from the start.

So what is this thing? We’ll find a workout that suits you!  It can be as short as 10 minutes a day.  In the privacy of your home, so you don’t have to figure out who will watch the kiddos, worry about what to wear, or take the extra time to drive to and from a gym.  And a nutrition plan to get you focused on eating good, clean foods to fuel you (and not leave you hungry!).  Plus a super easy healthy meal with Shakeology! And, of course, the group accountability which is the secret sauce here.

I’ll share my meal plan, my tips, help you create your plan and solutions for those problem times, and be there for you every step of the way!

We all have been there.  It’s easy to decide to try something new and get off track…skip a workout, eat a bag of cookies…but what if you had people checking in on you, or to go to for a push?

Let’s do this. 30 days to a healthier you! Fill out this form for details!

PiYo versus Bikram Style Hot Yoga

It’s all in the title!  We’re talking about how PiYo compares to Bikram style hot yoga.  I’m going to tell you a little story about why this is on my mind though!

Before I was pregnant, I took 5-6 hot yoga classes a week, mostly Bikram style.  This was usually on top of whatever workouts I was doing at the time.  I prioritized those first, and then if I could make it to yoga, I went.  What can I say…I loved it, and I had time!  I started leading a student-run early morning class once a week as well.  My yoga instructor was the second to know i was pregnant after my husband.  Do you know how you’re not supposed to hot tub while pregnant?  Yoga in a room heated to 105 degrees isn’t recommended either!

After having a baby, the timing/scheduling made it difficult to fit in.  There’s no childcare at yoga!  I believe I made it to my 8th class in almost 23 months yesterday.  But I have done a lot of yoga in that time.  I take it at the gym sometimes, where there is childcare if I need it, but someone seems to really like to fall asleep when we’re supposed to go!

See that little girl asleep in the back? We were supposed to go to yoga!

I have also done a lot of PiYo – both from the dvd program and in the instructor videos as I’m certified to teach it.  So how does it compare?  That’s what popped into my head while at yoga yesterday.

First, for convenience, the PiYo dvds are awesome.  Flexibility in my living room?  Hiya!  And it moves quickly enough that it doesn’t make me think about turning it off 5000 times a second.  Next is sweat.  You will sweat doing both…likely a little more with the 105 degrees, but still dripping from PiYo.  For class feel, hot yoga at a studio definitely wins, but of course it does.

One of the things I love about the Bikram style is that the poses are athletic and there’s too much to think about to get into your own head and drift off.  You need to remain present in the poses.  With PiYo, it moves faster, with also very athletic poses.  This was the point that clicked with me yesterday.  The poses are different, but both have the athletic side which is something I love.

So while the two are immensely different, the feeling I have after the workout is extremely similar.  It took a long time to figure that out (I was certified in PiYo in January 2013, have had the home program since it was released in July 2014) but now that I have it’s like angels singing.  I won’t lie, it’s always been hard for me to press play on yoga at home…even if i like the workout.  But remembering that this feeling is waiting on the other side should be the key that has me doing it more often!

Post yoga glow!

If you have a love for the challenge of a hot yoga class but can’t make it like me, this might be something to check out for you!  What keeps you away from your practice?

Time for a Refresh!

If you haven’t heard yet, there’s a new 3 Day Refresh that came out.  It’s a 3 day cleanse with shakes and some whole foods.  I bought it, knowing that I would want to do it eventually and it came Friday!

I was trying to figure out when would be best to do the refresh, and Monday just kept talking to me.  I wrote out a grocery list and decided to start tomorrow!

So, I plan to share it all…ups and downs and all arounds.  I need to hit the food store for a few more things tomorrow, but I feel well prepped for this.  I’m excited to see how it goes.

A big thing in when I started this was that I was still nursing every so often.  Most people will say that breastfeeding and cleanses don’t mix.  But it’s been so sporadic (I’m talking days between sessions) that I decided to go for this.  I don’t know if anyone here will judge me for stopping (or for still nursing at almost 20 months) but that’s okay with me.  I’m okay with it.  Getting there took about a month of the sporadic nursing to accept that this time was ending.

And if you’re wondering, so far today was just a regular 21 Day Fix eating day.  I didn’t decide to overeat and go crazy pre-refresh!

Starting Out on the Next 90 Days!

I started my P90X3 journey on Monday! After the 10K Sunday, I was thinking that I might be crazy to jump in so quickly.  But so far, it has gone well with little additional pain.

One thing about the first week on a new program…it can take some getting used to!  I haven’t done a full program with Tony Horton (P90X3 isn’t a graduate program of the prior ones.  Anyone can do it) so I have to get used to his style of instruction.  The moves are all new and sometimes I have to pay more attention to the tv than I can to the move.  Next week will likely feel more intense than this week because I will have a week under my belt.

I started out with the Classic program – there are different schedules to choose from based on you and your goals, but classic is a great all around one so that’s what I chose!  I’m now on day 3, so I’ve done Total Synergistics and AgilityX and will do X3 Yoga today.  I will do write ups on the workouts as I get more comfortable with them.  So far, I’m not dreading doing them again, and I’m sore in odd places…using muscles that I hadn’t in a while I guess!

I decided not to start out with the X3 nutrition plan.  I’ve been doing well with the 21 Day Fix plan, so I’m sticking with it.  I worked out a formula to figure out losing weight with a more intense program (there are formulas for maintaining with 21 Day Fix and then more intense programs) so I’m trying that out.  The formula put me at the same calorie category for the X3 nutrition plan, so you could also take the calorie goal from X3 and use that bracket in the 21 Day Fix.  I’ll see how that works and switch if I think it will be best!

I didn’t do the fit test.  I plan to, maybe tonight.  I should have done it Saturday, but was so focused on the 10K that I didn’t think much past that!  I really want to.  When I did the Insanity fit test, it was a really good measuring tool!  I like measuring tools…especially ones that don’t involve the scale.

Time for X3 Yoga!  I’ll let you know how that goes.

What is your workout plan right now?

Next Up!

Did you ask yourself yesterday what I plan to do after the 10K on Monday?  I started answering this question when I started training.  I was actually looking for something to do on my running off days, but never pulled the trigger on anything.  I wanted a schedule, but I didn’t feel up to developing one on my own.  I tried to see if I could handle adding running to another complete schedule, doing the 21 Day Fix workouts all days as well.  I think that lasted 3 days!  I just couldn’t manage double workouts regularly.

So I decided to wait and use what I had.  I got Les Mills Pump back from a friend who was borrowing it but was done.  I used a lot of those, some T25 workouts and of course some 21 Day Fix workouts as well.  Plus a little Piyo (home version releases in June!) and TurboFire (on sale this month!). I had fun with it, going with what I felt I needed each day and running 4 times most weeks.

But, with summer around the corner and wanting to still lose those last 10 baby pounds, I landed on P90X3 (also on sale this month!).  It’s another with short workouts (30 minute) and will be challenging!  I’m excited and will definitely be updating my journey here.  I also got some friends to join me…always more fun that way!

I’m not the only one getting ready!

I plan to continue with the 21 Day Fix nutrition plan with P90X3.  I’ve got the tools and motivation!  I’m really excited to get started.  If you want to check it out, head over to the Challenge page and fill out the application.  I’ll get back to you and we can see what will work for YOU!

I mentioned them above, but here are your May challenge pack sales! TurboFire and P90X3!

 

Post Illness Surge

It’s Sunday night again!  I don’t mean to only post weekly.  I intend to post daily!  I also don’t always have much going on, and sometimes all that is going on is sickness and day to day life.  I don’t want to sit here and bore you!

I was sick all week, so I didn’t do too much.  I did think a lot about what I wanted to be doing with nutrition and exercise though.  It’s funny how when you can’t manage to eat (everything felt like sand in my throat) or workout (really needed the sleep more), you come out ready to go!  I have renewed motivation, a new plan, and I’m excited to get back.

I do now have a sinus headache (since Friday…yay!!) but I’ve been able to get some of my plan underway.  With adjustment!  I’m trying to do the 21 Day Fix workouts in addition to my training for a 10K with Moms In Training on May 4th.  That means double workouts some days, but I’m trying not to stress if I don’t make both.  This weekend, I’ve only done my runs…a combo of baby waking and head hurting.  So hopefully that will work better soon.  I also am back on the 21 Day Fix meal plan.  I saw great results with my first round and have been seeing my challenge group have great results as well.  So I know it works and can get me where I want to be.

What my group has been eating!

I’m trying the workouts in thoughts of getting P90X3 to work in with my 10K training.  I figure they are all 30 minute workouts, so I can see how many days a week I actually fit it in before ordering (though I think it’s postponing the inevitable as I’ll likely order it after!).  It seems like what I’m in the mood for right now.  And of course, I never mind more choices for my workouts!

I’ll also be finishing out March’s arm challenge and moving on to April’s ab challenge.  Are you up for the challenge?

April Abs Challenge

Oh, and before I forget…last days to take advantage of the March challenge pack sales!  Pump and Combat equipment is also on sale!  More weights for that barbell?  A barbell for a buddy?

Day 9…and no video!

But I do have something better…early 21 Day Fix results!

Pretend it says day 9 though…minor brain jump! It’s been a day. Food and workouts were good though, just have a slightly ill baby. Poor thing!

We ordered food in, but I was still able to stay with my plan – I just didn’t have to cook my own protein. We go to a nearby place that uses no oil in their cooking, which makes it easy to know what I’m eating.

So what was for dinner today?

21 Day Fix – Day 6

Another video!

Yesterday, I was trying to figure out a good way to log my 21 Day Fix containers on my phone and came up with this…using my to-do app for my food!

 

The app Awesome Note has folders to organize your lists.  So I made one for the 21 Day Fix and put my containers in there, set to repeat each day so I don’t need to put them in every day.  Then I just check them off as I eat them!  Easy 🙂

Today’s workout was Dirty 30, a mix of cardio and strength, mostly together in each move.  Tough, and a great workout.  It recommends two sets of weights, but I used 3.  They use light and heavy, but I used medium on one exercise.  Light would have still been a challenge though!  I’m excited for Yoga Fix tomorrow…you know I love my yoga!

In other news, we had a busy morning with baby Zumba, Gymboree and introducing the baby to some reptiles.  It was the first time for baby Zumba and it was a lot of fun!  I think we’ll go more often.  Gymboree is okay, but I just don’t feel like there’s much playing together.  At baby Zumba, they danced together and were more in a group.  Fun stuff!

Who’s off tomorrow?  I’m definitely glad to have the long weekend this week!