60 day Turbofire challenge complete!!

Today I finished 60 days of TurboFire and Shakeology. The last two months have really flown by and I'm just blown away by how far I've come. Not just physically but mentally as well. I no longer hate what I see in the mirror, instead I try to find the positives and the places where I could work a little harder. 

When I started this in February I didn't think I'd get too much out of it. Maybe a few pounds gone and something to have every morning for breakfast but what I got was a whole new way of looking at things. Its really easy now for me to pass on treats or junk food. I don't feel tempted at all. I'll drink a ton of water because soda now just makes me feel ill. I've also decided to cut out bread from my diet because, again, makes me feel ill. I'll have it for special occasions but it'll be few and far between. Making healthy food choices are so much easier than before and I imagine it'll just get easier as time goes on. 

So without further ado.. Here is the progress photo:

The picture on the left was taken on 2/2 and I weighed in at 157 lbs. Waist was 30.5", hips were 40", thighs were 23" and both biceps were 12".  The picture on the right was taken today, 3/31. I weighed 152.2 lbs. Waist is 28", hips are 36 1/4", thighs 19.5" and biceps are the same. Overall I lost 5 lbs and a total of 9 3/4" all over. I definitely could have worked a little harder but I'm not unhappy with my results. I lost fat and gained muscle. My goal at the beginning of this of 15 lbs was just crazy! I'm ready for a new challenge and to set a new goal.



With that said, I start Insanity a week from Monday. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be laying on the floor convinced I'm going die the first two weeks at least. I need to talk with Mayra and try to figure out what I should set my goal for this time and make sure its a realistic one. I'm pretty proud of myself. Not only for the accomplishments I've made but because I also won the group challenge for March! After Insanity I'm going to give another 60 days to Les Mills Combat! Has anyone else done this? 

I'm proof positive that ANYONE can do this. Whether you are following a beachbody program, you are just doing one of your own or following one of the bajillion programs out there on the internet. YOU CAN DO IT! I promise you. I was probably one of the laziest people I knew and I got off my ass and look at what I accomplished. 

If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them. I'll make sure I'll do blogs once I've started Insanity. Til next time kids!!

Update and cleanse results!!

I'm a day late getting this up but what can I do? Kid had a game last night so that was priority! (They won!! 13-5) So here is the promised 3 day cleanse results and a little progress update. First, cleanse results!!

I'll be honest and say that the first day was the hardest for me. I have decided that I am NOT a fan of Shakeology made with water. It just is missing something for me. I managed though. So here is how my meals for the three days went: Shakeology for breakfast which I drank on my way to work at 7:30 am or so, green tea at around 9:30 am, snack at 11 am, another shake at 1 for lunch, snack and green tea at 3:30 pm then home, spinach salad with some roast chicken, workout around 7:30 p.m and then my final shake for the day right after. I also drank lots of water! I have never pee'd so much! (TMI I know but really the second day and the first part of the third was just ridiculous). Lunch time at work was the hardest!! Not gonna lie.. it sucked! All the good smells from people's lunch floating around the office made my stomach rumble. I made it through and honestly could totally have done another 2 days without complaint. Definitely something I'll do again. 

On the first day I weighed in at 156.7, waist was 29.5 inches and hips were 38 inches. On Thursday morning my weight was 153.6, waist was 29 inches and hips were 37.5 inches. I'm pretty pleased with the results I got. I wasn't light headed not did I experience low energy. Overall good experience. 

OK! Now onto an update on my progress from the last two months.  I'm just gonna let the photo speak for itself cause really it says it all.

pic on the left taken 1/17 and on the right 3/14

 I will say this, apart from some unfortunate insomnia the last few weeks I really have noticed that I feel better. I have less cravings for junk food and for those who know me knows that I LOVE my treats, especially cupcakes. Its been easy to turn down foods I wouldn't have just a few weeks ago. I really can't believe how far I've come. I took this so I would have a reference and at first all I could do was pick at the places I needed improvement on and then I showed the kid. He pointed out that I had really slimmed down. I wasn't originally going to share this picture at all but the oldest monster convinced me to. He said I should be proud of how far I've come and that he was happy I've made the strides I have and that he was proud of how far I've come. It meant a lot coming from him. I still have a long way to go but this is proof it can be done. I'm excited to see how much farther along I will be by the end of May. 

Let me just say this. I know that there may be some of you who read this and think "there's no way I can do this". I'm telling you that you CAN. If I can do hell anyone can. Its a choice.. and the important thing for me was finding my routine and making it into a habit. I literally come home from work, change clothes, get the kids settled into doing homework and workout. If I don't do it right when I get home I find it harder to later on. Find what works best for you. I had to really push myself to do workout when I was supposed to the first 30 days. Now if I don't I feel bad because I know there was something I could put off doing and worked out instead. 

 If you need help or encouragement, motivation, whatever, feel free to reach out to me. I really want the chance to pay it forward and do for others what has been done for me. If the way I'm doing things doesn't work for you then I want to help you find another way. 

I think I've rambled on long enough! lol Till next time! 

3 Day Shakeology Cleanse

Tomorrow along with my darling friend Marissa and a couple of other girls from my Shakeology group I will be starting a 3 day Shakeology cleanse.. I'm nervous and excited about it. I've hit a bit of a wall and hoping that this will help me bust through it a bit. My group leader has done it and it really helped her. 

Here are my fears.. I'm going to eff it up somehow and eat something I'm not supposed to because I'm not paying attention. For 3 days we have nothing but shakeology, fruit, water, green tea and salad for dinner with either chicken or fish. No juice, no extra sweeteners, no dairy!! So sad about the dairy cause I love some cheese in my salad. I'm going to do my best and set reminders in my phone to help me stay on track. 

I'll still do my workouts but I'll make sure to pay attention to my energy levels and what my body is telling me so I don't overdo it. I think the key is to make sure and not give in to my cravings. I'm guilty of it just like everyone else. I've included the description of the cleanse and what a day will look like for anyone curious. 

I'll check back in on Thursday and let you know how I did. I'll post my measurements and weight before and after so you can get an idea of what to expect if any of you decide to try it out. If you have any questions leave them in the comments below and I'll get back to you. 

A big THANK YOU  to Marissa for doing this with me! I feel a little more confident going into this with a friend close by going through it too. I'll catch up with you kids on Thursday! 

Till next time!

30 day challenge Complete!

I did it! I actually completed something I said I was going to. I'm pretty damn proud of myself and the accomplishments I made along the way. And I'm excited to do it again. I've signed myself up for another 30 days to see how much farther I can go. 

February was a rough month emotionally. It marked 6 years since my dad died, I turned 35 and an important relationship in my life for the last year changed. I don't do change well and this one has been unbelievably difficult for me to wrap my head around and accept. I'm sure I'll get there eventually but for now its just a process. 

I discovered a lot about myself the last month. It takes me 30 days to develop a habit that I can stick to. My will power and self control is stronger than I thought and I realized that when I need a push I just have to ask for it and I'm not going to be mocked or ridiculed for having a weak moment. I cut out a lot of things from my "diet". I haven't had a soda in weeks, I drink mainly water. I'll still have a treat every now and then (I had a few cupcakes and other goodies the weekend of my birthday) and I don't beat myself up for it cause one little treat isn't going to unravel all the work I've done nor am I going to binge. I even learned to control that part of me that would go on a giant food binge when I was upset or depressed. Instead I channeled it into my work out. I'll admit there have been quite a few workouts in the last few weeks where I was just sobbing by the end from emotional release. 

Below is the before and after. I started out on 2/2/13 at 157 lbs even. 30.5" in the waist, 40" in the hips and 23" in both thighs. Today I weighed in at 154 lbs even, 29.5 in the waist, 37.5 in the hips and 21" in both thighs. 

I'm just amazed at how far I've come and I'm ready to tackle the next 30 days  with less emotional drama and more determination. I'll continue to do Shakeology and TurboFire (Really I love that program no matter how left footed it leaves me feeling sometimes) and will add in some P90X at least 2 days a week and on days where I have shorter TurboFire workouts I'll add in The Butt Bible workout as well. (Go check them out on Youtube! Pauline Nordin is hilarious!) 

I want to say a big thank you to Mayra, Sarah, Caragh, Lisa, Jacqui, Dani, Mandy, Mel, and all the other Fitsquad members who gave me encouragement and an ass kicking when I needed it. I wouldn't have made it nearly as far as I did without their support. And the Monsters also! I can't even begin to tell you how much I love those two boys and how much harder I would push myself through my workout when they were with me and I knew they were watching. 

I'll continue to update my progress here and will most likely blog about my P90X experience also. Let me know what you think! I promise to upload a blog soon about all the goodies I've gotten from Sephora over the last couple of months as well as some of my current favorite products soon. 

Till next time!