60 Day results

I can not believe I haven’t shared these yet! You saw the before pictures but they are also here with the afters.  The pants are the same but in a smaller size.

I see some decent results and also had bunches of fun working out. I did mostly TurboFire by the schedule, adding some Turbo Kick round practice and walks and then couch to 5K in the last week or so. Plus Shakeology, which I completely think gave me the energy to workout and be a new mom, along with being a healthy meal replacement. I feel so much more physically like myself, even if I’m still above my pre-pregnancy weight. Exercise makes me happy!

So now I am doing Les Mills Pump, which has mostly Pump workouts but also has walking on the schedule. So I have been walking, running and Turbo Kicking. I can’t wait to see my next round of results. I love the Pump workouts I have done so far and working out with a barbell at home is giving me a great workout without needing to go to the gym. Excellent stuff.

I am going to stop listing my workouts here. I started it for my accountability when I was struggling, and I have been able to be fairly consistent lately. If you miss it, speak up!

All clear!

A of Friday, I’m cleared to exercise. They said to ease into it, and I don’t feel completely comfortable with some of the more ab-focused moves so that’s been okay. But I can now get a good sweat on, and good sweat I did! I have a picture to prove it. This is after Friday’s workout.

So I will start back with each day’s workouts to end my posts. I have two challenge groups that I will be running and participating in (sign up here for details on my challenges) and I’m so glad to have some friends joining me. It will make it much harder to decide to skip a workout because of a tough day learning with my baby. Accountability!

It seems that I will need to become a late evening exerciser though. This baby is not a napper so I will need to wait for bed most days. Even today with my husband home, I have had to ditch my workout twice. Only once was for the baby. So far, I’ve done 10 minutes of kickboxing and burned 140 calories, so better than nothing!

Workout Friday – Turbo Kick round 45
Workout Saturday – TurboFire Sculpt30

Best Workout Ever!

I was talking to someone last night about fitness who thought his workout was the best ever. He’s not the first person I’ve spoken to that felt this way, and I’m sure he won’t be the last so no need for detail on his workouts.

There are a lot of workout plans out there. And a lot of methods to work your body. Everyone thinks that their way is the best way. Sure, it is the best way…for them.

The best workout for you is the one you will do! I love my Turbo…Jam, Fire, Kick because I find it fun and it is also an excellent workout. I would love it if everyone I knew tried it because I enjoy sharing it. But I realize that not everyone will love it as much as I do. That’s why other workouts exist.

This is part of the reason I became a coach. It makes me happy when I can help someone find a workout that they enjoy as much as I enjoy mine. I don’t only do Turbo type workouts. I also like to lift weights (yes, I actually like it), yoga, sometimes I find running enjoyable and many more. I also like trying new things to see if something surprises me.

I feel similarly about a lot of fitness related topics. The best time to work out is the time you will do it. The best time to drink Shakeology is the time it helps you the most. The best eating plan is the one you can stick with for the long haul.

So there’s my take on it all. To lighten it up and prove that I don’t always wear lounging pants and tank tops here is a belly picture from yesterday…36 weeks and 1 day. Happy Friday!

Workout yesterday – Elliptical, lifting

Busy Busy Busy

When I have all the time in the world to post, I have nothing to say…when I do a bunch, I have little time! Isn’t that how it goes?

I was given a baby shower on Saturday and it was so nice. I got to see a lot of people and got to meet my friend’s new baby (who is my baby’s new friend!). That night was spent organizing and putting some things together…and falling asleep on the couch. It was a very long day and I probably should have napped after the shower. But I got better sleep knowing that things were organized! I think we stressed out the pug though. He looked so overwhelmed, but it looks good on him.

Sunday was set to be football and dinner but turned into shopping, football, stopping by to see two sets of family and dinner.  I tried to stay off the computer to be more productive and was able to get some more things put away and we managed to make it to the food store.  Grocery shopping is probably my least favorite thing to do and they are renovating our store.  Things are moved around, checkout aisles are slim and each one seems to have a caveat – no credit, no cash, no receipts.  There was also very little produce and the freezer looked to be broken.  Not the most fun errand, but it was appreciated when I woke up Monday and had some food!

Monday we started three weeks of childbirth classes.  There was a guided meditation at the end and if we were graded, we would have failed.  My husband started laughing, causing me to laugh, causing him to laugh more.  If you haven’t heard of The Giggle Loop, I don’t recommend you find out.  Because then you’re in a giggle loop, thinking about the giggle loop, and that’s a double giggle loop.  I apologized to the couple next to us and the instructor.  We were that bad.  But we learned a bit, laughed a bunch, and hopefully next week we can keep it together (though I doubt it).

Also this weekend I hit 365 days of logging in to My Fitness Pal.  I have known I was pregnant for over half that, so I’m super proud of myself for keeping a streak!  I also logged in through two vacations and the holidays.  I hope to keep it going and I love that they keep track!

Workout Sunday – none
Workout yesterday – 20 minutes elliptical, lifting
Workout today – Turbo Kick round 52

Ready for some football…sort of!

Tonight starts football season.  So I’ll be spending time with my computer and the Giants.  I doubt I’ll make it through the game as I’ve been tired all day, but I will do my best!  Night games are always tough for me.  Typically, I would try my best to stay up and workout after work the next day so I could sleep in a few hours.  That isn’t an option as I have plans tomorrow night (busy bee!) and have a difficult time exercising after work now anyway.  Up at 5am it is.

I have decided to do less practicing of Turbo Kick rounds and do more of it just as a workout.  I have reached a point where I am modifying so much that it is tough to remember the higher impact moves.  I find it is easy for me to learn with the high impact and know how to modify than the other way around.  I’m looking forward to still using Turbo Kick and Turbo Fire workouts during the remainder of my pregnancy, even with modifications. Lifting a little of the stress from wanting to commit the moves to memory as I workout should lead to me choosing them even more than before.  Still my favorite cardio!

I love that the Turbo Fire videos always show a modifier so that it is truly a workout suitable for many levels.  So many workout dvds I have seen show a modification for a moment and then the instructor is back to the higher impact option.  Turbo Fire (along with Turbo Jam) always has someone showing a lower impact, but still intense, option.

Workout today – Turbo Kick round 50

My story

At least part of it, and my story hasn’t ended yet.  I am a work in progress, and hope to never reach an end!

I was overweight/obese for a good portion of my life.  My highest weight was before I had a scale, but no matter the number I was also unhappy with just about everything.  I started to workout consistently in December of 2000, joining a gym near my work.  I started going in the mornings when it was slow and would workout on some cardio equipment and hit the same weight machines (the ones I could figure out how to use on my own)  a few times a week.  It was alright, but not exciting or a very good plan.

Before:

Soon, I started taking classes.  Kickboxing, yoga, sculpting…I’d try almost anything.  I started seeing results, made some friends, and was having a blast!  Kickboxing and yoga were my favorites then.  I’d start lifting more weights in a few years.  I gained confidence through my workouts and was able to make some other changes to increase my happiness!

Eventually in 2004, the gym and I had to go our separate ways.  I was studying for actuarial exams and it was tough to go to the gym near work.  Bring on the Beachbody!  A friend of mine had been doing Turbo Jam and loved it.  I bought it quickly and was also hooked!  I soon had both the base package and the Fat Burning Elite package.  It was around this time that I also started eating healthier.  What a difference!  I had lost about 30lbs in a bit over 3 years but was now losing around 5 lbs a month until I got to a much healthier weight, but about 15 lbs above goal.  I was also around the same weight when I found out I was pregnant…work in progress always!

I was my lowest weight in 2008 for our wedding.  By then I was lifting weights several times a week, having seen a personal trainer and using New Rules of Lifting for Women.  Weights are great!!  I maintained about 5lbs above that until we moved into our house in 2009.  We had a few weeks without a place to live, which meant without a place to prepare food and without a schedule.  When we moved in, it was still tough to prepare food as our kitchen was in shambles.  Within about 3 months, I put on about 20 lbs!  Back to getting it off again!  I went back to Beachbody, working on TurboFire and then ChaLEAN Extreme (love those weights).  I also started doing hot yoga more often, another love. Now, in 2012, I start a new weight chapter!

October, 2011, a few months pre-pregnancy:

In case you think I’m Chalene Johnson obsessed (well, I may be), I’ve also tried Hip Hop Abs, Yoga Booty Ballet and P90X but I haven’t done those programs fully.  I’m looking forward to new challenges and adding to my story!  Here’s to what comes next!