Day 7: Yoga Fix

Ok people!  I am one week into this thing, and it is looking good!  Granted, I pretty much botched the first 5 days with the meal plan side of it, but I'm getting back on track :-)  I would have written this earlier, but you know, when the husband tells you to look at Zulily for Halloween decorations, that's whatcha do.  I mean, it would be RUDE not to listen to him, right?  I may have found some things that made the horrible, AWFUL ordeal of shopping worth it, though ;-)

Probably, I should have prefaced this with: Halloween is our FAVORITE holiday.  We might could make a car payment if we sold all of our decorations...maybe. :-)  WE LOVE IT.

Moving on!  Yoga...hmmm.  I wasn't sure how this was gonna go, because I haven't ever really DONE yoga before.  Also, I have this sprained wrist that is healing, and it doesn't do so hot in downward facing dog.  And lastly, I wasn't sure what level of yoga this would be, so, before I got started, I may have felt something akin to this:

BUT, I marched onward (metaphorically speaking) nonetheless.  I had my helper to guide me through the moves and calm my nerves.  In the end we made it through all right.  Autumn also did a great job with vocal cues and telling me when I should be breathing.  I feel like this would be a good yoga workout for a beginner, which I thought I was.  Turns out Shaun T had me doing lots of yoga during my stretches and I didn't even know it!  Idiot.  Me, not Shaun T.

Miss {C} in her ready pose...

...and in Warrior II.  Dude, she totally rocked it.

Annnnnnndddddddd this is the picture {E} took of me actually doing the workout.  Hey, notice the VERY different angles of my wrists there?  Yeah, that is what I'm working with.  So annoying.  

I did pretty good with my foodies today.  Can't start my day without my V8 energy, had some oatmeal, a protein bar, and of course, Shakeology was included.

However, after I got home from work, hunger hit me hard, and {E} had been begging for a hamburger for about half an hour, so I ran down to Wendy's.  I REALLY wanted a BIG, FAT, JUICY, CHEESY HAMBURGER...but I was good and got a grilled chicken go wrap.  It's been about an hour and a half since then, so I'll probably munch on an apple or banana, maybe throw a home grown tomato in there for fun :-)  Stayin strong!  Tomorrow: Total Body Cardio Fix, Round 2.

Day 6: Dirty 30

I've got lots of pictures today!  I know ya love em.  :-D  Today was the Dirty 30 workout, and while I still am not 100% sure why it's called that, once again, the day's workout was great.  It actually reminded me a lot of Jillian Michael's No More Trouble Zones work out.  Almost every exercise used weights, so that meant I moved slower than everybody else.  Oh well.

So here's the picture of me being awesome and actually doing one of the exercises.

Also, today I really, truly, committed to following the meal plan.  So, report:  I had my V8 energy drink (peach mango) which takes up one of my yellow containers (I think), my 100% whey protein drink for after the workout, my Shakeology for lunch (both of those are red containers), and then I had spinach, salmon, parmesan, and poppyseed dressing salad something

and when I got home from work I had a snack of baby carrots and an Asian pear.

And THIS is my food tracking device :-)  The bottom one is today, and that top part is how many of each container I should be consuming each day.

I still have some boxes left over, a starch, a protein, and some more fruits and veggies.  Maybe I'll have homemade street tacos.  Hmmm.  But now the post is over, because me and the hubby have to get caught up on the new season of Big Bang Theory.  Oh yes, this is happening.  Tomorrow: Yoga Fix.  Stay tuned!

Day 5: Cardio Fix

Boy is that the truth!  Ok, yes, I do remember that I said that Sunday would be my rest day.  And it is.  I was just super busy yesterday socializing (SUPRISE! Yes, I do have a life) that I was too exhausted to write an engaging post when I came home.

So, yesterday was Cardio Fix.  I am just loving each new workout!  I never feel EXHAUSTED by the end of it, but I am TOTALLY FEELING IT for the rest of the day.  How does she do that?!  Anyway, it was a great workout, and surprisingly, I think the thing I had the hardest time with was the lateral squat walk thingies.  You know the one where you squat down, and then take two steps to the side in that position, and then two steps back?  Yeah, that one.

So, that was such a great workout, and then...we had TWO soccer games yesterday.  And we were lucky that there were some people hanging out at the facility that wanted to sub, because we only had enough people to play on the field without forfeiting.

So, Brandon and I were both exhausted by the end of the day, and TODAY we are both moving around like people twice our ages, no offense to people those ages :-)

And that is how yesterday went.

Tomorrow: Dirty 30.  To be honest, I really don't know what to expect out of this workout.  :-/

Day 4: Pilates Fix/Losing Control.

Ok, let me know if this is the same for any of you out there on the other side of the interwebs:  I do SO GOOD at the beginning of the day with my eating.  I'm busy and hurrying to get things done when I need to, and I'm constantly being pulled this way and that by the chilluns, and I NEVER have a moment where I can sit down and eat a WHOLE meal without hearing the incessant yells of "Mom!  Mom! Mommy! Mom! Mommy! Mommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!"

Is that just me?  Oh, here's the rest of it.  So, I'm snacking whenever I can find the time, and I'll drink my water when I remember to fill up my 32 oz cup I got from the hospital when I birthed {C} 2 1/2 years ago, and now it's time to move the laundry to the dryer and turn the water on for {E}, because the faucet knob sticks, so she can wash her hands after going to the bathroom for the 20th time since she woke up 2 hours ago, and I need to dig through the dishwasher for a clean cup for {C} so she can drink SOMETHING with her pop-tart that is strewn all over the apartment.  Ah crap, it's already 11:00!?  Hurry!  Push play on my workout,"NO {C}! You can't sit on Mommy while she's in side plank, her sprained wrist will collapse and break, please go do YOUR side plank next to the rocking chair." Workout done: check.  Fix {E} her sandwich to eat before school, jump in the shower, *sniff sniff* nope, I'll wash my hair tomorrow...5 minutes later, ok 10 (that was the only time I've had to myself this morning) jump out of the shower, throw on clothes, spray dry shampoo on my hair, redo the bun I've had going all week, slip on my moccasins, tie {E}'s shoes, scream at everyone to get to the car, tuck {C} under my arm like a football and book it to the car, wait at two stoplights, open the door for {E}, try to kiss her somewhere as she dashes out of the car to go see her friends, look at {C}'s sad face that {E} is gone again for 3 hours, and then sit in the driver seat for 5 seconds and catch my breath.  It's 12:30.

Eventually we get home and I'm RAVENOUS.  And that's where it all loop-de-loops down the toilet.  Today was especially great, because I had a surprise notification on my calendar that we were feeding the missionaries in our stake.  I didn't remember signing up to do that, but I must have, otherwise, how did it get in my calendar?  Long story short, I made some calls, and it turns out I took my crazy pills whenever I put that appointment into the calendar, and we, in fact, were NOT feeding the missionaries tonight.  Too bad I already went shopping for the occasion.  Don't look at this too long, it will burn your retinas, like staring at the sun.  (And yes, the irony is not lost on me, with my Shakeology in the background, taunting me and calling me weak.)

This cake will be my ruin.  But if you're having company and you need a dessert, Smith's sells these lemon-pudding bundt cakes for $2.99!  And they are HEAVENLY!  Moist, lemony, with just the right amount of glaze...I could definitely eat the whole thing by myself.  At least, for now, that amount is still left, and I haven't devoured the whole thing.  Yet.

Oh, by the way, I did do the Pilates Fix; I mentioned that previously :-)  Lots of mat work, my glutes are very sore, and my back will probably be feeling it tomorrow as well.  I did enjoy the work out, even with the chorus of "Mom!!!!" in the background.

Back to my lack of control issues.  Brandon came home and said he needed to go to Costco, so of course we went for a family trip.  And when you get to Costco, with kids anyway, you need to be prepped with electronic devices to silence them for the first time that day, and also you need treats.  At least this time we did.

Guess who held that churro most of the time?  Nope, it wasn't little {C}.  I held it.  And nibbled on 75% of it as well.  *Boys, close your eyes*  I would really like to chalk up the lack of control I've had this week to being in the middle of my cycle *gasp!*  But I have just really gone crazy with the eating what I want as soon as Brandon gets home, because I finally am able to sit down for 1 minute without being pestered, and my brain thinks "Go!  Eat now!  Shove it all in your mouth before the demons/angels come back!"

Feeling a little discouraged right now.  Probably I should re-evaluate my time management sheet.  Because it will only get worse.  I was really thinking about going to the gym at 9:00 to run 5 miles and "punish" myself for my lack of control.  Just frustrated, discouraged, and annoyed that my children yell/scream/ignore 10x more than they listen to/obey me....

But little {C} has such cute, chubby cheeks.  That's a happy thought for me to end on.

Day 3: Lower Fix

Hey Friendlies!
Today was Lower Fix, which I was excited for, because my boot-tay can always do some good with lunges and squats.  On the other end of the spectrum, I was NOT excited for it because my right knee tends to get MORE stiff with exercise, instead of warming up and loosening...still trying to figure that one out.  Do tendons get inflamed?

Anyway, those were my thoughts going into the workout.  And can I tell you?  I am TOTALLY LOVING that these workouts are only 30 minutes.  Kinda makes me wonder why I spent a whole hour doing INSANITY.   No, I know the reason.  Cuz I got crazy awesome results.  That's why.  From what I've gathered, Insanity is more of a killer transformation program, and 21DF is a "get ready to ROCK IT at your friend's wedding next month" program.  Both have great value :-)

So, legs.  Once again, there were weights involved.  Still moving cautiously with my wrist, but still feeling it, nonetheless.  I'm even getting super cool and having "during the workout" pictures taken for this :-)  But please, keep in mind, they are taken by a 6 year old...so, yeah :-) "Mom!  Say 'Cheeeeeeeese!' "

Oh yeah, I know you like that farmer's tan.  That's what I get for being "healthy" and walking my little {E} home from school.

FOOD:  Did pretty good today.  Miss {C} and I went to visit Daddy for lunch, and he was kind enough to send me home with my own sandwich :-) *I do love me some JimmyJohn's!*  But I was good and split it into two meals.

Miss {C} didn't finish her chips, so I have been munching on those a lil bit.  All in all, feelin good! Tomorrow: Pilates Fix!  Till then!

Day 2: Upper Fix

As the title implies, today was my second day with 21DF, and I did the Upper Fix workout.  I was a little nervous about it, because my sprained wrist is still healing, and I was supposed to use weights with this workout.  I ended up using the weights, but moved slowly and cautiously.  To sum up: I'm still feeling it in my shoulders and abs.  Thumbs up!

Today I actually looked at the meal plan/nutrition guide and made myself more familiar with what each color portion container is for and how many of each portion I should be consuming each day.  That was fun and informative.  I started off so great with my protein shake after the workout, then my Tropical Strawberry Shakeology for lunch with other healthy "nummies."  See?

I'm eating a pear there, not a potato chip.  Potato chips are not part of the nutrition plan.  But after picking {E} up from school and walking the whole two blocks in the beating sun with her and {C}, trying to prevent them from walking in front of cars, I was hungry for some starch and sugar when we got home.  Unfortunately for me, the first thing I saw that met those qualifications was the danish pull apart we bought from Costco.  So...yeah.  That was also not part of the meal plan, but I consumed it anyways.  And yes, it was delicious.

I'm thinking since we had {E}'s birthday this weekend, I should just get rid of all of the leftover sugary treats.  And by "get rid of," I mean consume all of them in one sitting so I don't have to worry about them the next 19 days.  What do you think?

A New Journey

Another post for this evening: not as long :-)  Since I finished Insanity yesterday, I decided I needed to move into another program today.  After much deliberation over the last week or so, I settled onto 21 Day Fix.  I'm very excited about this for 2 reasons: A-30 minute workouts.  Not 47 minutes + another 16 occasionally.  30.  That's a cinch.  B-I've heard rumors that this workout "tightens and tones."  My post-partum belly is going to give this workout a run for its money.  Bring it on, Autumn Calabrese!  Now, to keep myself accountable, and drive my non-existent readership crazy, I will be documenting EVERY DAY of this 21 Day Fix journey.  Except for Sunday, which will be my self-proclaimed rest day.  So let it be written, so let it be done!

So, today was day one with Total Body Cardio Fix.  I started off thinking that this workout was definitely a step down in intensity from Insanity, which it is; but by the end of it, I was sweating plenty.  Excellent!  Here are some visual images, as opposed to non-visual images, proving that something happened this morning in the way of exercising.

Notice that my hair was up at the beginning of the workout, and was down by the end of it.  Exercise happened.  That is all.  Also, I had my helpers, {E} and {C}, who made it even more fun.  So yeah.  Twas a good first day.  Tomorrow: Upper Fix.  Stay tuned for my review ;-)

Transformation...the beginning.

So, I'm turning over a new leaf.  For those of you who know me, you may know that I did have a family blog at some point in the past.  Turns out I haven't updated that in...carry the one...yeah over two years.  BUT I've fallen into this awesome opportunity, which has presented lots of ways for me to improve myself, and part of that is documenting my life, which is not super interesting, but supposedly, theoretically, my descendants will one day want to read it.  I guess.

Moving on, though.  This blog was specifically created to document the fitness-ing part of my life.  I have always enjoyed being involved in sports and active "activites," but for a while there I got lost and confused in how to eat what I want and still look how I want to look.  But I found MY SOLUTION!  *note that this is MY SOLUTION.  This stuff might not be right for everybody, but, in my opinion, it's worth it to look into.*

And now, without further ado, my solution:  Beachbody.  I've had a back and forth relationship with Beachbody up until a couple of months ago, but I've always liked their products.  When I first heard of P90X, I was totally intimidated.  But my sister-in-law loaned me her copy of Insanity a while after that, and I finally worked myself up to doing the whole program in 60 days last year.  I had pretty good results.  I ate better than I usually did, but still had "cheats" and treats, and overall I lost between 12-15 lbs *this venture was not documented...at all.*  I felt stronger, and I had a positive self image.  Then I tried Insanity Asylum, and I made it through the first month before I slid into a "going to the gym and just kinda work whatever I feel like" slump.  Next we moved to a new area, and I got into visiting Sonic every night because it's two blocks away.  The 1/2 price shakes were my reward for being a semi-decent mother every day.  And suddenly, one month later, I was the heaviest I'd every been, not counting pregnancy. :-(

This made for a not happy Brooke.  But I was still working out vigorously everyday, burning between 450-700 calories/day according to my heart rate monitor.  Why did I weigh so much?  Shouldn't my working out negate all the shakes/hamburgers/pizza/cookies that I ate everyday?  Apparently not.

Then along came my cousin, Elisa, who approached me with an invitation: would you like to join my challenge group?  Um, yes.  I am a physically active woman of 26 who has always been competitive when it comes to sports.  Yes, yes I will participate in this challenge you speak of.  And I did!  30 days of Insanity, clean eating, and daily posting to the Facebook group.  Pshaw!  That was nothing!  I was introduced to the magic of Shakeology, I was introduced to new friends who continue to inspire and support me, and I learned so much more about fitness and nutrition!  The whole experience was magical and awesome, and SO BENEFICIAL to me!  When the 30 days were over, I thought, "I NEED to keep doing this!"  I'm not drinking Pepsi every night, I'm eating VEGETABLES, and I STILL get to eat my cake every once in a while.  I was getting results!  And I felt SO MUCH BETTER!  I felt better about myself, I felt healthier, I had a more positive outlook on my life and what I was doing with it, and I wasn't wasting hours in front of the TV/Netflix.  Such progress ;-)

With such a fire burning in my being, I decided to become a Beachbody coach, just like Elisa.  I was gonna help people and save the world!  I still am going to do that, but I have much more "bite-size" and practical goals for to doing it :-)


I rolled into the challenge group for the next month so I could finish out Insanity, and YESTERDAY was my FINAL DAY!  Wanna see the results?  Do ya?  Here they are!

Even though I didn't document my first run through of Insanity, I KNOW that these are better results than I had the first time.  I lost 20.4 lbs and 17.75" in two months.  Who DOESN'T want to do that?  Here's the kicker.  I now weigh less than I did before I had children, less than I did before I got MARRIED, AND less than I did in high school playing varsity volleyball.  That equals= the lowest I've weighed in ~10 years.  *This is the part where I say "WOOT!"*  

Now, lest you think I'm only here to toot my own horn, I'm not.  I have seen results like this from other people within my challenge group, and from my dear cousin.  This combination WORKS.  Fitness+Nutrition+Support=Success!  I am confident that this formula will work for SO MANY people!  But if you want to reach your health and fitness goals, you've gotta find a "why."  Not just an "I want to look awesome" kind of why.  One that will pull you out of bed early in the morning EVERY morning.  This is my "why."

Unfortunately for this man and his children, they depend on me to take care of the details of their lives.  And some how I have to make up for all the times I screw up with that responsibility.  I won't be of much use to them as a diabetic and morbidly obese mother and wife.  They deserve someone who CAN play with them, and WILL play with them and MAKE and share memories with them.  I have a genetic pre-disposition to being a couch potato, and while that's all good and fun, we don't make a whole lotta memories that way.  

I'm committing myself to a healthier lifestyle so that I can PARTICIPATE in the lives of these people I call my family.  Because they deserve a mother and wife who is PRESENT in their lives.  And because I deserve to enjoy life too.