How I get ready for a workout!

I was graciously inspired by the Team at ETB FIT to write a post on how I get ready and fuel for a workout! They are a legit company that provides fitness supplements for atheletes! When I was asked to write the post I was super excited because the topic of getting ready for a workout is right up my alley!

I am asked often how I get ready to workout especially when I don't really want to and how I stay so motivated to continue to workout. My answer may sound a little vain but after living for 10 years in a body I didn't like and being so comfortable in my skin now, I would not have it any other way. I am pretty accustomed to working out now, that it is simply, just a part of my day now.

To get started with my workout days on the weekend, I usually have a grain free and dairy free protein shake and if I am working out in the morning I wait an hour and then I do whatever workout I have planned for the day. During the week I have my protein shake and eat my breakfast around 9:30 at my desk and wait until my lunch break at 11:30 to workout. Now that I am training for a marathon I am running at 5 in the morning and doing some cross training 4 times a week. I am doing the 21 Day Fix Extreme and yoga on the weekends.

My typical breakfast

During my workouts if I am running I am a big fan of podcasts unless I am over listening to people talk, then I'll listen to dance and techno music on my iPod I usually find that keeping to a beat keeps me in cadence and I zone out on the music and focus on my form and steps which assists me in not being so tired. Music and podcasts keep my mind focused on other things rather than simply running. I know there will be times where I am on a long run especially at the beginning of my run where my mind likes to go to negative places and asks me why I am running so far ha ha ha.

 I am a firm believer in cross training. I don't think anyone should one trick pony anything. It keeps everything fresh and new which is why I incorporated strength training and yoga to my daily routine. I have been doing that for about a month now and I am still eager to get out and run just as much as I am to strength train and I am finding that I am recovering if at all from my longs runs by the next day, so there is something seriously to be said about that.

After my workouts I usually wait about half an hour and then go on about eating for my day. I don't take any recovery supplements at the moment. If it is during the week I will just grab my lunch and eat that after my workout and if it is during the weekend I tend to have a small snack or eat my next meal depending on how hungry I am.

Getting my eating in check.

Summer time is here and I am slowly falling off the healthy wagon. It happens every summer doesn't it? I am ready to get back on the train though so that I can feel better about myself. Of course I am going to make the best choices that I can but IT IS the 4th of July holiday weekend and that calls for a few drinks! I have been working like crazy 2 overnight days this week which is really stressing me out because my son is here on vacation and has been since Sunday but I feel almost as if I have not been home at all. Not to mention he plays with his brother all the time so it makes it a bit like we are never in the same place at the same time. I am READY to be home.

We have plans to go to the beach and to watch fireworks here in town (traffic permitting) I can so anxious to be able to get out of work and to actually spend some quality time with my family as I feel like I have been working non stop. I think I have seriously been at work more than I have been home this week.

So needless to say I have a little bit of time on my hands so I have made a meal plan for myself for the next two weeks. Keep in mind that I don't mind eating the same thing every day and I am probably going to change things around in the dinner department because my mother is home and she cooks dinner so I will be more than happy to accept the break and REALLY jump on the train when she leaves.

Without further ado here is my meal plan.

I plan on attempting to take pictures of what all I am eating so that you can see but I am not that great at remembering stuff like that ha ha. I just am so hungry and ready to eat that well........I just eat it.

Soon I will be updating you all on what workouts I am doing. I am really excited to share and to be doing something different even though it makes me rather nervous to do something out of my comfort zone that I know works.

Where do you find the time?

It's a question that I am asked often when it comes to fitting in my workouts. My answer, I do it when I can but make sure I get it done that day.

I used to have a set time to workout but I have not yet found my groove at my current duty station so things switch around. I love waking up in the morning and getting my workout knocked out and I would LOVE to do that but at this time my pregnant behind would have to wake up at 4:30 just to get the workout it and that would mean sacrificing family time by going to bed at 7. So, I now either workout during my lunch break (my job gives me 90 min) or right after work. Since I am doing Chalean Extreme the 30 minutes of quiet time after work to get my workout in really works for me and on the weekends I do my workout 1 hour after eating breakfast whenever it is that I wake up and actually get to it so it's anywhere between 9-11 in the mornings.

I have a few tips that may help you find your groove to finding time to get your workout in.

Write out your schedule - List everything that you do so that you can see what your day looks like.

Look for an open spot - Look for an open spot in your schedule if it is something like TV time or quiet time maybe try adding your workout in there giving up 30-60 minutes of your TV time to change your life is totally worth it.

Schedule your workout - Fit the time in for your workout and make it non-negotiable NO IF AND OR BUTS it is your workout time unless something comes up like a vacation, a sick child, you are sick, or something else that can deter you. It becomes your job your workout is something that you HAVE to do because you HAVE to take care of your body and health.

Have a back-up plan - Things happen we all know this life waits for no one so always have a plan B in mind. If I know that I can't workout at 5 PM than I make the time during lunch to workout or I will get up in the morning to get it done or switch my rest day if neither works out with my daily things to do that day or I just cancel on my girls night out but that would probably be when trying to lose this baby weight ha ha!

If you want to succeed than you will do what you have to do to make things work. You would take another shift at work just to get some extra cash to make ends meet or for some Christmas money think of your workout in that way. It is something that you have to do and is a component of a healthy lifestyle.

How bad do you want it and how far are you willing to go to go get it? Maybe you should revisit your goals and why you started this healthy lifestyle and relight your fire to get there.

Snack Ideas for on the go

This is probably the easiest but most challenging meal of my day.......snacks. I mean there are so many things that you can eat but at the same time holy crap what the heck do I eat? SO I am dedicating this blog post to snacks! The tips on what to eat when you are stumped or on to go! I am also going to provide a recipe or 2 :)

Fruit - I mean it's pretty obvious, you just either cut it up or throw a piece of fruit in your bag and you are ready to go out the door and on your way I usually buy a bag of grapes take them off the stem and bag them individually. I don't count them I just throw enough in the bag to carry me over to my next meal. Typically though I eat a banana or an apple because they are so portable.

Nuts- These are great to have you can put them in the car already portioned out in a bag or you can buy the 100 calorie packs (they are never enough) I don't usually do nuts though because I tend to over eat them and then hate myself afterward so I usually don't do this but hey, it may work for you.

Yogurt - This is pretty portable too but you need to keep it cool so if you are in a rush this may not be the best option

Vegetables with hummus - This was one of my go to snacks for a long time. I would bring my cut up vegetables and my spicy hummus and would just eat it up at my desk. I REALLY enjoyed having these around and didn't feel guilty at all. Carrots, peppers, broccoli, snap peas. I mean you could also bring veggies only with you and those are a great filling snack without the hassle!

Shakeology - I usually use this as a snack replacement not a meal replacement so it is quick all I have to do is add water shake it up and drink it. It can't get much easier than that can it?

Energy bites - These are great and they are super easy to make and very portable. To make them all you will need is

1/2 c nut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 honey
1 scoop of chocolate shakeology or chocolate protein
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 c flaxseed
1 c oatmeal
3/4 water

Mix all together roll into a ball and refrigerate. 

1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter) 1 tsp vanilla 1/3 cup honey 1 scoop chocolate Shakeology 1 cup coconut flakes 1/2 cup ground flaxseed 1 cup oatmeal 3/4 cup water - See more at: http://iva-young.healthcoach.integrativenutrition.com/shakeologyno-bake-energy-bites#sthash.SDSlFaqF.dpuf

1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter) 1 tsp vanilla 1/3 cup honey 1 scoop chocolate Shakeology 1 cup coconut flakes 1/2 cup ground flaxseed 1 cup oatmeal 3/4 cup water - See more at: http://iva-young.healthcoach.integrativenutrition.com/shakeologyno-bake-energy-bites#sthash.SDSlFaqF.dpuf

Hopefully these options will make things a little bit easier for you to make some healthier choices this year :)

My meal plan and workouts for the week

Starting today I thought that I would start posting a weekly meal plan and my workout plan for the week to 1 let you all know what it is that I do in my life and 2 to be accountable to myself.

I usually meal plan because it helps me save money when I grocery shop as I always buy garbage that I don't need or think that I want to eat and then never do...speaking of which I kind of need to clean out my pantry. That darn thing is so small I can never truly see what's in it but I digress. It saves me money, I buy only the things that I need and I have a HEALTHY plan of what I am going to eat rather than eating pancakes for dinner like I shamelessly did last week! Yes! 2 times to be exact.

So here is my meal plan for the next week :) Of course thanksgiving is in there and we will have not healthy foods on Thanksgiving but I have already added that in as my cheat meal.

Workouts :

Monday      Tuesday        Wednesday      Thursday      Friday        Saturday        Sunday

Fire 45         Fire 30               Rest        Fire 30         Fire 55 EZ      Fire 45         Core 20
                    Sculpt 30                           Tone 30                                                   Stretch 40

Meal plan will be :)

So there it is. I am on week 2 of Turbofire and I am really enjoying it. I obviously don't see any changes but I am having fun with it and I am feeling the burn of doing the workouts.

I am running a challenge group for 5 days on the day after Thanksgiving, if you are interested please email me at jeannettealverio(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Good times!

I feel that since my "epic" 21 day reset I don't really have much to talk about but I guess maybe I will just be random.

I have been doing Body Beast, I am on week 5 I am taking my time with it if I skip a day I just do the workout the next day. I have never missed more than 1 workout per week so I am a few days behind but I am okay with that. I am working with my body not the calendar.

I haven't measured or taken any pictures. I am not in it for a transformation so to speak but I do have my after Reset pictures that I will use as my Day 1 since I started it then and will just take after pictures so I can get my sweet T-Shirt in the mail for completing the challenge :) I am all about those free t-shirts!

My diet has been havoc since completing the Reset, I have drank more than I would like to admit, I have eaten like a pregnant woman, and I am slowly getting back into the swing of how things used to be. I felt like that kid that moved out of their parents super strict house and was set FREE! LOL It was clearly too strict of a regimen for me.

I have also picked up running a few days a week which I enjoy. Body Beast is awesome but I am all about keeping my heart healthy too, so I put in a few miles mostly on the weekends and that seriously brings my stress levels WAY down! I also started this Squataggeddon Challenge in my office where we started with 50 squats and will end up doing 300 by the end of the month which is pretty cool. I only do Body Beast and the Squats every day when I am feeling like I have a lot of energy to burn I run and sometimes I do this work out called Buti!

Buti is SO fun and if you are wanting to feel feminine than this is the workout that you need! I know that I am a Beachbody Coach but this is one workout that Beachbody needs in their library lol. I like to do other things than Beachbody stuff and I want to show that here. I am not a robot for them or anything, I really enjoy their workouts and helping people achieve the best them possible but sometimes I need to walk away from the workouts to experience other things in addition to missing them. Anyway back to Buti!

It was created by this awesome chicky Bizzie Gold! She used to be a fitness competitor and did Crossfit and was a Yoga lover. After she had her daughter she decided to put her own spin on a workout and Buti was born. It is a pretty greta mix of dancing, plyometric circuits, and some yoga stretches in between. The workout is tough will lean you out and make you sweat! There are free downloads on Vimeo and you can stream it off of YouTube, There are three on there that you can use so that's 5 total that you can bust a move too. I love it and here is a sample......


That's pretty much what's going on in my life fitness wise. Tomorrow I will post some pictures of our trip to the zoo.

Balance, I think I got this!

I am an over achiever at heart. I want to do everything and anything ALL the time. 

It is who I am now but I have not been that way all the time. 

I got tired of people telling me that I couldn't or that I wasn't going to make anything of myself and one day I changed. It started out with just a decision to be better because I was pregnant and needed to change my life for the better. It felt like my second chance and it felt like I was going to be able to SHOW all those people that thought that I wouldn't make it that I FINALLY did it. 

Well being the Jeannette that I am I over achieved and started getting involved and wanting to be great at everything. Mom, Wife, Coastie, Business woman, photographer, crafter, fitness junkie, you name it I was ALL about it. Lately I have realized that I need to focus on the things that are important to me. The things that are REALLY important to me. Slowly but surely I have been letting things go that don't fall into my priorities. 

As in the quote above I was not well in my mind, body, and spirit. My mind was racing all the time, I felt like I did not have time for anything at all and started pushing things to the side that were important to me and that have always been just to get to the stuff that wasn't that important. 

It took me awhile and I have done some serious soul searching and where I am with my career in the Coast Guard, being a family woman, a woman of faith and doing an occasional blog about the things I love like fitness and photography in order to help people out there that want some direction or like reading about my life and time for the other things I love like being with my friends, hiking, exercising to what I want to do and when I want to do it. 

I have decided to let my ideas of running a business to the side, running challenge groups, and pursuing photography for anything other than a business to the side. It has made me so much happier because I can focus on one thing at a time and not a million things all at once. 

I feel so free and so happy now that my blogging and my life isn't all about doing things that I feel that I "have" to do. I am ready for this more settled and balanced life! I can sleep better and I am not sooo distant from my family while pursuing this business thing. I am a firm believer that if a business was meant to be in my future than it would not have been so difficult for me and maybe I didn't really want it as bad as I thought lol. 

 

So I guess I will be blogging more about my daily activities and what interest me overall and I am so glad.

Balance is one of the things that I have always wanted and I feel that I am getting closer to achieving that goal for myself and I couldn't be happier now that I can focus on my God, family, friends, and reading a darn good book :) 

Until Next time!!!!

Day 8 & 9 Ultimate Reset

Well I can say that I believe that the reset is MAGIC and I love almost everything about it. Today was a really hard day for me, I really wanted to eat normal food and I felt like a bit of an outcast today and I literally have had ENOUGH with the salads already and wish they would re-vamp their lunch menu.

While I do understand that it is easier and more convenient to make it is really really LAME. I am all about being brutally honest and even though I am a coach and I love Beachbody products overall I really have to stay real on this blog. I will continue to as well. I really miss eating like a "normal person" and no-bake energy balls are my current NEED right now. ha ha Who would have thought that overall. It's all good I am glad that healthy is what I am craving.

Before I go through all my stats of the first week. I wanted to take a minute to explain this week. I am in what is called the Release phase of the Reset now. I take a Detox supplement and now my diet has NO meat in it at all and the grains are VERY limited. Yesterday it made my lower tummy feel funny but I guess it was because I introduced something new but it's cool it passed after a little bit and it wasn't pain it just felt weird. That's all I can really explain. The detox phase does not have you running to the bathroom and I have not noticed a real big difference in the bathroom if you know what I mean. :) I keep forgetting to take pictures of my food but really I am eating the same breakfast and lunch every day a bowl of fruit and then a salad for lunch. I will try to be more mindful of taking pictures of my food for you all to see.

On to the stats......... I forgot my measurements at work in my other notebook but I lost 6 inches overall and here we go!

6.4 pounds lost!

 

More definition for sure!

I can truly say that I am happy with the results and even though I am SICK and TIRED of the microgreen salad and I will not eat a salad for lunch for awhile in the future I am glad that I am going through this journey and I am SO happy that I made the investment in this product because it is changing me from the inside out! My mood is so much better, I am sleeping better, and I am a more patient person, I am more focused on the things that I need to do and I am less stressed.

It has been nice to take a break from the workouts but I can feel that I am still strong and will be just fine once I am all done with the Reset.

If you want to see more of what the Ultimate Reset is about check out this video!

If you are interested in purchasing the reset you can order it here.

Until next time!!!!

Jeannette

Ultimate Reset Day 2

Ultimate Reset! I can say that I LOVE this program so far! I have NO complaints with it what so ever.

Last night I was exhausted. I cooked my dinner of salmon, asparagus, and boiled red potatoes. I made my lunch and I cooked my husbands lunch and dinner meals as well. I was a busy woman in the kitchen! I then did the cleaning that I had to do around the house and relaxed a bit. I ended up going to bed around 9:15 I just fell asleep! I recieved a text from my cousin who is on this journey with me and she told me that she went to bed at 9:00 and was up before the alarm! I was too!

This morning I woke up probably around 5:00-5:15 but stayed in bed because we all know we only get up when that alarm goes off right?!?!? Sleep/Bed time is precious time! LOL I got up and took my Soothe pills with my distilled water and started getting ready for my day.

For breakfast I had my Coconut Quinoa if you are interested in the recipe I will post it below. I made it to work and I feel great! I still feel a bit groggy but my mood is GREAT! All I want to do is be outside and taking a long walk, but I am stuck in an office but I can tell you what I will be doing after work! Going outside for some fresh air!

I can honestly say that the biggest struggle for me is not working out. I see my girlfriends who I workout with daily going off to the gym and I feel a little left out.......for obvious reasons! I want to move too! LOL I will get over it eventually I think the beginning of this whole thing is adapting to new habits and a new way of life even for a little while......I'll get over it and it is only three weeks and maybe I need a break for a bit who knows.......

Well my meals have been delicious today I loved every single meal that I had today I still feel like I need a snack in between breakfast and lunch but I will see how I survive in the first week with that before I go making crazy changes, I already had an extra taco shell which maybe I shouldn't have had but hey mistakes happen and with the way that I have been craving GUM, CANDY, GUM, CHIPS, CANDY all in that order repeatedly all day I will say that an extra taco shell is the least of my worries. 

Tonight I had a Southwest taco and holy mother of Jesus was it a flavor explosion in my face! ha ha! I love the mixture of cumin and all those spices and YUMMMMM it was amazing! I had it with a side of kale and guac it was delicious!

So the bad points of today......CRAVINGS for sure I smelled everything more and I wanted BBQ, Chips, Candy, Gum, Sour Patch Kids but I fought all of the temptations because my cousin sees me as an inspiration and we are doing this together and I can't let her down :) I know that I should be thinking about the foods that I can have but I am consciously thinking about what I can't have......I guess I am human LOL Well that was the worst of it for today. Tomorrow is the last day of eggs and meat so off to the vegetarian lifestyle tomorrow! EEEEK LOL

ohhh look at those sexy black socks! ha ha ha

Reset Day 1 and pictures

I have to admit Day 1 of the Ultimate Reset was scary to me because so many people are having weird symptoms like huge headaches and things like that. Alkanize had gotten a bad wrap and I wasn't to eager to try that out either but hey it was part of the deal. I knew I would be able to deal with it. Anyway I have to say that I am only feeling REALLY exhausted.  I drank almost a gallon of water today which is really new for me but I still have some time to get the whole gallon down....I can totally see myself waking up A LOT tonight ha ha.

I weighed myself this morning.........123.8 I emailed myself the picture but it didn't get here at the writing of this blog post so I will post it tomorrow for you all to see :)

I fixed my breakfast and prepared my lunch last night which was a super smart thing to do because making breakfast took a little bit longer than usual. Good thing tomorrow is oatmeal, I can make that super fast. So let's talk about the good.....


1.) the food was delicious
2.) Everything is already written out for you.
3.) I felt full for most of the day.
4.) I didn't feel deprived.

Don't get me wrong I was tempted to eat everything that wasn't on the meal plan. To be honest todays meals would have been something I would have eaten on a normal day but since it was the only thing that I could have and it was already predetermined for me I struggled with the control part of my life.The bad part of it all.....I feel super tired and I was flighty today at work today and didn't make my lists like I normally do. I think that was a HUGE thing for me because typically I would pick up a 5 hour energy or a Red Bull or to perk up. Now I feel like I KNOW that I can stay awake but how important sleep is. It's only been a day and I am not claiming to know everything about myself but I have a feeling that I know what REAL tired is now that I have actually felt it and not forced some type of every product in my face. I think we as a society are really dependent on them and we really shouldn't be, it's not a good thing but I am not judging of course I only had an energy drink....yesterday lol

Anyway my day went pretty well, I am still a bit scared of what days 2-3 has in store for me and I can say that I am still nervous but I know that it is all for good reason! My health.

Couch to 5K!

I am really excited that running season is back on! I love ALL things fitness and can appreciate all kinds of fitness! Running is probably my 2nd love next to lifting weights!!! So....I want to hose a couch to 5K virtual challenge! 

I am really excited about starting this because I LOVE to run and I want to pass that passion onto others! I also want to make it easy for people to begin running to keep up with it! 

If you are a beginner and want to get started with running please send me and email and I will tell you more about the challenge :) 


jeannettealverio(at)yahoo(DOT)com


Have a great week! 

Why it has to come to an end

Being at my challenge group training this weekend really opened my eyes to a lot of things. Since I have started training for a competition a number of things have happened.

I started training in December and it was really on a whim, I am a girl that totally does these things. Act now deal with the consequences later, yup that would be me. Ever since I have started in December the Money Monster has come and bit me in the rear end. With competiting I knew that there was money involved I just didn't realize how much! Long story short I have been dead broke and giving my money away to competition. My grocery bill also went up to about double because I have been eating out my fridge every week which is a good thing but one thing at a time you know?

I have been praying for God to give me direction on where I wanted to go with my life. I wanted to know if Beachbody, Photography, or just the Guard was my answer I was ready and willing to take whatever he gave me. So in the past thirty days my business has been booming and I can't be any happier. I am a true beliver that God will work in a way that he sends you signs and you just have to be willing to see them. My sign was this YOUARE BROKE AND YOUR BUSINESS IS STARTING TO TAKE OFF. I made it to Pittsburg in the midst of a blizzard and made it back home in time for work. It dawned on me the morning after I got to Pittsburg. The reason I am there is the way that I need to go. Some of you may think it's crazy but here's the thing I believe it and that is all that matters.

In December I also made a vision board and as you can see a fitness competition was NOT even on my vision board.....it's not something that I REALLY wanted to do. I wanted to take this year to travel with my husband and to see family and to save the money to do that.

So where am I going with this? Well, I am going to quit the competition because it doesn't align with my goals or my wallet. Competing has a heft price tag that I am not willing to give away. I have other things that I want to do with my time and money. In addition to that while the CSF meal plan is AMAZING I found myself getting overly obsessive about the food I ate and felt bad if I ate some popcorn in the evening and was always left with guilt. It was not something that was worth me worrying over. I am truly happy with my size and my weight and love being in "maintenence" mode. NOW wanna hear something crazy and which is another SIGN that was shown to me;

While I was at Kati's house this weekend she told me that Body Beast (a Beachbody workout) was hosting a fitness competition in Las Vegas and it is 1.) Free and 2.) I don't have to buy an expensive $200 bathing suit to participate. All I have to do is pay for airfare and a hotel room for the evening. If that isn't a sign.......wait a minute Jesus you are telling me that I can prosper in my business, use own of my products that cost me $68 for three months versus $79/ month plus $1500-$2000 to compete and do it for about $400 total......I think I am going to think about this. In the mean time I am going to order Body Beast and keep competition on the side burner and see what happens, if I don't compete at least I can look like a competition girl for less money and on my terms.......

The BEST chili ever!

This is usually my go to recipe when I am feeling lazy and don't want to do anyting in regards to my kitchen. I can cook this on the pot and seriously I don't have to do anything but stir! Open up the cans and what not and pour and go! Can we say FAST FOOD! Seriously!!! I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I am thankful to Chalene Johnson's husband for making it! Ha ha!

Quick tip: Freeze whatever you have left over and eat later or use your Tupperware and eat for lunch the next day!

Serves 4




Turbo Fire Chili Recipe1 lb lean ground turkey
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
8oz whole kernel corn, canned
1/2 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
8oz black beans, canned
8oz pinto, chili, or kidney beans, canned
1tbsp tomato paste
1 pkg Lawrey's Chili seasoning
4 oz low-fat shredded cheddar cheese (optional)


Brown turkey. Drain and discard any fat. Place all ingredients except cheese into a slow cooker. Cook for 4 hours on low, or 2 hours on high. Top with 1 oz. cheese, if desired. 

You can also cook on the stove top for 30-45 minutes when all flavors have come together.

Week 3 DOWN! Progress Pics!

I am done with week 3 training and I can say that WOW am I feeling a change in my body and mind! Things are slowly coming into perspective as I inch by closer and closer to my competition date. While it is still far away, I am feeling more confident about the whole thing.

This was the FIRST week that I am not in pain so I am getting "used" to the workouts! Don't get me wrong I am still pushing and sweating I am just mobile when it comes to moving. The Sunday workout got me REAL good I was hurting until Wednesday!!!!! Way to go Cathy! LOL. I did some yoga to stretch my muscles and MAN was that amazing! I totally enjoyed the peace and serenity that came with the yoga poses and what not.

I have finally found my rhythm as well FINALLY!!!!!! I have filled up my plate with so much that I had to figure out a way to get all of my commitments honored in a balanced way! Right now I have

College classes
Full Time job
Mommy
Wife
Bible study
Competition workouts
Competition meal planning.
Running online challenge groups

This is all that I have to balance in my 24 hour day! So I thought that I would write down a few tips that I have learned along the way to help you out!

I have a planner. A paper and pen planner! I write down everything that I want to accomplish that day in my planner. Which means that I take my weekly HW assignments or my things to do and break them down in to smaller assignments or tasks. For example, I have 5 assignments due this week on top of reading for my class. So I put one chapter and one assignment down for each day and knock it out when the day comes. If I see it planned it relieves so much stress for me! I also write in my workout and cardio separate on my calendar so that I can individually check them off. On days like Wednesday when I have a ton to do and Bible Study takes up most of my evening I try to lessen the load on myself :) it's all about balance and what works for YOU! My way may not be the best way but it works for ME.

Try and find something that works for you and start achieving it to create balance in your life. It takes work and discipline in the beginning but the payoff is unreal!

3 weeks doing workouts 1 month with CSF

Recipe: Cookie Dough Hummus

There isn't too much outside of clean that I can eat while I am on this competition diet which is totally okay with me because it opened my eyes to exactly HOW much process unhealthy foods I was eating. Time for a reality check right?

SO I went digging and I found this recipe and I LOVE IT! I can eat everything in it and I would use it on a cheat day because of the sugar and the chocolate chips and graham crackers that you can eat with this and that my dears makes it all that much better! 

Don't be afraid to try it just because chickpeas are in there. It's really good and good for you! I DARE you to bring this to a party and not tell anyone that this is a healthy option and see how it is received!!!!

Since I have been on a healthy kick and I am trying to eat as mean and clean as possible, I have to adjust some of the things that I like to eat. There are certain times that I crave sweets like it is nobody’s business and this is one of my go-to recipes and I wanted to share with you guys this awesome recipe. Now trust me when you see the ingredients you are going to probably say seriously?!?!? Ha ha trust me it’s yummy and you will probably become obsessed.

• 1 1/2 cups chickpeas or white beans (1 can, drained) (250g after draining)
• heaping 1/8 tsp salt
• tiny bit over 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup nut butter of choice (You can get away with using only 3 tbsp. If you use peanut butter, some people say it has a slight “pb cookie dough” taste, so you can sub oil if you don’t want that.)
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

2 tbsp oats (You can omit if desired.)

• milk of choice as needed (depending on the consistency you want. I used a few tbsp.)

Add all ingredients, except chocolate chips, to a food processor (for best results, not a blender) and blend until VERY smooth.

I hope that you all enjoy this yummy snack!!!!

Week 2

Well week 2 is almost done on my training plan and I can tell you that I am just as sore and I am just as hungry as I was last week. It's funny because it hits at certain times of the day. I also think about quitting once a day and binging on some fried yummy goodness. I think about foods I wouldn't normally eat ALL the time ha ha ha.

I am not sure if this whole thing is for me, there is a huge learning curve and it is very demanding of my time so that doesn't make it any better but for now I am going to move forward because I know how proud I am going to be once it is all said and done.

I took my two week pictures and they look the same as the first ones that I sent in........I am also BLOATED from eating all day so I think that I am going to re-take them tomorrow morning to see if there is any change....... probably not but we shall see what happens in the morning and either way I have to submit the pictures......ha ha ha I hope my coach doesn't FREAK LOL

Other than that my life has been pretty much me being hungry in the evenings and working out and being sore ha ha. Tomorrow I will post my progress pictures so that you all can follow me on my littl fitness journey!

Les Mills Week 4 DOWN

Well today was the last day of week for Day 28 but next week would have been thirty but I went strong for 4 weeks.

I ate like POOP in the month of October. I mean I ate well a lot but most of the time I fell off the wagon with candy, Chinese food, candy, fish and chips, beer, soda......you get the picture. I always picked up right where I left off before I ate the bad foods that I did but I felt like I went haywire if you know what I mean. October was the month of indulgence for me. I will leave it at that, but maintaining my weight loss will always keep me on my toes and I will always evaluate what I have done for the day, week, and month and make adjustments. I think that when I started running my metabolism spiked and I went for what was quick and easy most of the time like having a microwave meal because I was too lazy to make my lunch in the morning. This month will be all about changing the bad habits and getting back on track.

So here are my Les Mill Pump 30 day results.

I am up 2.4 pounds. I had wine last night my weight was hovering at 121 for a few weeks so I am convinced that I gained a pound but it's ok. I lost three inches total, the only place I did not lose inches was in my waist and hips they stayed the same so it is better than gaining anything right? I don't fell that I look any different though. I wrote everything down so that you all could see it.

I am ready to get onto the next phase. Pump challenge is a good workout but doing only that three times a week gets pretty boring......in the same respect I think it is because Beachbody is KNOWN for having 13 discs and having you change your disc every day for the 5-6 days that it has you work out so essentially you aren't really doing the same workout all the time........but I pushed through and knew that it was temporary so I am happy with my results :) I wasn't delusional in thinking that I was going to look better I was actually surprised at the 3 inches lost!

Oh one more thing. I did go up in weight. I started with 10-15 pounds and now I am hanging out at 20-25 pounds and the 25 is going to the squat and back section :) I am really happy with that so I am def getting stronger and that is pretty amazing!!!!!

Until next time! :)

Running!!!!

I ran yesterday, it was a no Les Mills Pump Day. There are a few rest days through out the program and you literally are not doing PUMP every day. They have the FLOW and Hard Core Abs workout included in there too. SO all in all you have three days of real pump and then three days of either walking ab work or flow. It is pretty balanced. Since the girls at work like running and I needed some form of cardio and was not in the mood to add some Insanity I opted for running as well.

My love for running started pretty much when I got in the Army where running and I had a WTF relationship. WTF am I doing up at 6:30 AM to run 6 flippin miles kind of relationship! Ha ha! It was not FUN. Over time I made it into a competition and I LOVE me some competition I love to win and if I can beat one person and be faster than them than I won! SO that's how it all started by some friendly EFF this crap competition! Then I let that go because I got out of the Army and then I fell back into it when I had B and then when my marriage failed. Running was always there for me when I needed it. The last time I ran I was inspired by a Chief that worked with us. She ran and ran and ran and she got really tiny. I wanted to so the same thing minus the tiny part. What caught me with her is that she ran races. I had never run a 5K or a 10K before and I wanted to try it. So that is exactly what I did. I ran my first 5K in Kodiak in 27 minutes and then I ran a 10K and finished in 56 or 57 minutes?? and then another for the 4th of July and I did that one in 56 minutes. I didn't really TRAIN for them I just threw myself out there and ran! Well......I didn't know anything about shoes and what not and I got really bad shin splints and couldn't run for months and then winter came and didn't end until May, so here I am with an opportunity to run and I am taking it!

Now that I am into fitness I sincerely love all things fitness and my programs were starting to bore me and with everything that I had in me from being in AK all I wanted to do was run. I had read about races that I wanted to do and I even made a scrapbook goal page to go with the runs that I wanted to do. I wanted to run the Diva Half Marathon and the Disney Half Marathon. SOOOOO I am going to run both of them next year! I also found a running store that I am going to join up and do pub runs with I think it would be super fun and I would meet some friends that have the same interest as myself so I think that would be cool too!

Here are the runs that I was able to track on my runkeeper! That way I can be accountable to what I do :) and you can see what I am doing as well!

5 miles and Les Mills

Yesterday I went out for a 5 mile run. I don't know what got into me but I wanted to see if I could do it. Well in my neighborhood I have a 2.6 mile road that leads out of the neighborhood so I did that. It was pretty chilly so I waited until it was 10 so that way it would be warmer. I got out there decided to ditch my jacket in my car and go. That was boo boo #1!!!! WOW it was FREEZING OUT THERE! I had a head wind and whew I sure did know it! My hands were red and everything was just COLD.

The next boo boo was when I turned on my runkeeper and tried to adjust my music and my stupid iPhone just TURNED off with more than half the battery.............WTF! Gosh! I was HEATED so needless to say I wanted to turn the heck around get my jacket get in the car and run over the dang phone! HA HA. I don't have anger issues or anything. About a mile into the run I saw another runner and was entertained with trying to reach her but my crazy head didn't realize that the route I gave myself had hills upon hills upon hills! WITH A HEADWIND and if you are a runner you KNOW that kind of sucks ha ha ha! All I could think about was the fact that I am a Bad Ass Barbie for doing it LMAO! SO I got out there and pack and noted the time that I left and came back and I ran the 5.2 miles in 48 minutes which left me at a 9.13 pace which I thought was AMAZING because of the hills and the headwinds not to mention the cold! I was super excited about that!!!!!

While I was at the running store on Friday, the guy mentioned workout gear that wicks the moisture away from you and I had bought some socks and I was interested in getting some clothes because if I am going to run in the cold than I may as well get some good gear that wouldn't drown me in sweat so I went on eBay and let me tell you even on there it isn't cheap! I did end up winning 2 pairs of pants for about 30 bucks for both and I was LOOKING for them and then I went to Target picked up their Champion jacket and a pair of pants and a shirt and that cost me 68 bucks for all three pieces needless to say I am DONE! UGH! ha ha ha! If I do things I like to do them right and if it was summertime I probably wouldn't have invested in them I am just deathly afraid of being cold LOL. WHY do I live up North again?!?!?! Oh yeah because of the USCG but whatever ha ha!

Les Mills Day 5 was today and it was Pump Challenge again......20 minutes and that's it. Flow was fun I did that yesterday too and I will probably do it again tomorrow just for some extra stretching I have Hardcore Abs tomorrow I hear that is a tough one.....I am intimidated I hate AB work by the way. just because I am fit doesn't mean I have to like everything right? Tomorrow I am going to run another 5 miles and then do the hard core abs with the flow. I am going to watch Joss Stone tomorrow with a friend so I know that means I am going to eat out and what not so I may as well get the calories in LMAO!

Hope you had a great weekend!!!

If the shoe fits!

When I started running in Alaska I was doing pretty well until I ran a Fourth of July 10K. I never really trained on hills and I was the kind of person that just jumps first and never gives too much thought into the things that I want to do if I really want to do them. Well there were hills on this 10K and I seriously hadn't run anymore than 4 miles on the treadmill and I was big headed and thought that it was JUST a run! How harmless could that be? What a fail! 

I ended up going down hill for about a quarter mile and totally didn't pace myself and KILLED my shins! I was out of commission for about 2 weeks. I went to medical and they gave me an appointment with a foot person who gave me show inserts and the works. I saw a physical therapist but she didn't really help me much but she did fit me for my inserts. I started looking online and noticed that my feet overpronate and I needed to get fitted for shoes.....well Kodiak is a small island look below.....

 So I told myself that if I ever got into running again (In AK I had big dreams for running a half marathon and local races) that I would go to a running shoe store. Well I found one in Plymouth and I went there yesterday for a shoe fitting. I ran on the treadmill and that went well......weird. My feet over pronate like I thought they did. That means that my ankle takes a lot of the impact and it goes inward to receive all of the energy. My feet then SWING out when I run ha ha ha it looks so funny because my stride is right one and then WHOOP my leg flies to the outside. It is the most hysterical thing that I have ever seen and something that I am going to try to work on but for now I am glad that I got some good shoes. 

So the guy was awesome he came by with 5 pairs of sneakers. He told me that I would have to size up! OMG I THOUGHT I was a size 6.5 well NO I am a 7 and I got sized up to an 8!!!! WHAT? He said that I would have to wear bigger shoes because they will help reuce the blisters on the top of my toes and that they would keep toe nails from coming off. Well then I was sold and I am ok with having GARGANTUAN feet for running only......weird! ha ha ha! So $110.00 later.....I got a pair of shoes! I am really happy and I am going to try them on this morning. I also have Les Mills Pump Flow to do and from what I understand it is a Yoga stretch DVD so I will do that after my 5 miles to try these shoes out! Kinda excited but it's cold out there ha ha ha! My first time running in the cold! Ahhhhh! 

I have more things to look forward too! I am going to Trader Joes for the first time AND I am doing Scott Kelby's World Wide Photowalk! Pictures of Provincetown coming soon! 

Have a wonderful day/weekend!