21 Day Fix - Day 12

It wasn't a good day.  It was raining, I was miserable, I had to make chocolate chip cookies for my kids and I had previously volunteered to make some for another event.  I didn't even lick my fingers.  I did find a recipe in the back of the 21 Day Fix Bible Eating Plan.  Yes to me it is the Bible of all books right now when it comes to following this diet.  The recipe called for oatmeal...got it!! Turns out I didn't have oatmeal.  Insert miserable angry mama here.  To my surprise I found one packet of plain instant oatmeal.  I measured it out, it was a quarter of a cup (which I thought it was), then I divided the recipe in quarters and baked away.  You know what it was DELICIOUS and I felt like I cheated!  Turns out later in the day I did.  I ate too many yellow containers before I realized I did and once I did I thought screw it.  I'm miserable anyway, what's the difference.  Clearly I had a poor attitude.  I didn't work out either.  GAHHHH.....oh and my morning started out bad because I gained a pound.  Yesterday was a pity me day....so wasn't today, but I think now that I got a nap today, I'm ok and ready for tomorrow.  Here's the cookie below and it was amazing!  I know my picture doesn't do it justice but at least I remembered to take a picture of something.

21 Day Fix - Day 11

Morning ritual is waking up and weighing myself....Down 7 pounds yesterday!  AMAZING!  This is crazy.  I feel good.  When I'm hungry I eat.  I do miss my fatty cakes though and a lot more carbs.  It's so motivating when I can fit into smaller clothing and seeing I'm down 7 pounds.

Pilates Fix was last night.  Good stuff I loved it.  My friend called me during it and we were talking about our trip to the island.  I told her I hope there is a DVD player, as I'm in a plank and can hardly breathe.  If there is I told her she was certainly doing this workout with me.  I also told her she was not allowed to hang up on me during this workout, it made it go by so much faster.  It really was good timing.

I've been trying to get my husband to do the 21 Day Fix with me but it's not working.  He had buffalo wings two days ago and ice-cream last night.  It all sounds so good to me right now.

After the work out, by the way the "C Series" in pilates is my favorite, I decided to make a shakeology.  I do this in the man kid cave.  Chris is on kid guard, making sure the kids don't run around upstairs when they are supposed to be sleeping and I put all the ingredients in the blender then take the blender to the man kid cave and blend away, that way I don't wake the baby.  I found the recipe on pinterest but changed it up a bit and I broke away from my "security blanket" and did not include a banana.  Here's what I made...

Tropical Strawberry Shakeology
Fresh Pineapple
Frozen Strawberries (my add)
Coconut Almond Milk (my add)
Watermelon

Blend and enjoy.  I think it was my favorite.  It kind of tasted like eating skittles to me.  YUM!

21 Day Fix - Day 10

It was the lower fix.  I have to say I feel stronger.  My weight maintained and the workout was great.  I had of course done the workout previously but I was surprised that I didn't feel like throwing the weights this time.  I decided not to use the bands at all, from the experiences I had the day before and I fit into jeans that are a size smaller, and not sucking in and begging them to be zipped, they fit comfortably.  I can't complain one bit.

I'm planning on going on a vacation next week so that makes me worried.  It was an unexpected vacation but I'll bring my fix stuff with me.  I'll be offline the entire time and I'm not even sure there will be a dvd player for the workout videos.  I could just write down what I'm supposed to do and pray it gets done.  There will be no scale there either.  Oh boy.

I did make a shakeology yesterday after the workout.  I used chocolate shakeology, frozen strawberries, almond milk and a banana.  It was pretty good.  I drank it faster then I thought I would.

21 Day Fix - Day 9

Day 9 came and left me.  It was a little crazy yesterday....as I'm realizing EVERY day is becoming with three kids, five and under.  I'm pretty sure my almost 6 month old is cutting her first teeth.  Awesome.  So proud of her but not enjoying the fussiness.  At least she's on a bit of a schedule.  Typically when she sleeps I try to workout but when she refuses to sleep it makes it hard, then it's catching up on everything else.

After dinner last night we rushed out for a t-ball game, came home, finished eating dinner and then did bedtime routine with the kids.  My husband was well aware I needed a break.  A lot of days I feel like I'm at my breaking point lately.  I think I'm not adjusted to lack of me time and with the third baby my second child is literally attached to me.  Some breathing room would be nice sometimes.  Regardless my husband saw it and when I was in the middle of adding all my things to make a shakeology last night, I decided no I needed to workout first.  I ran upstairs, changed then ran back downstairs to get my Upper Body Fix.  I cannot tell you how happy I was to do it.

This time around I used my weights for all of round one and then the band for round two to just get a feel for it.  To me the band is much easier.  I also am not very coordinated so I felt a little behind with the band and I didn't like it rubbing against my arms, it was weird.  Next time I'll stick to the weights, but now I know if I convince one of my friends to do it with me, I can give them the option of what they want and from my own experience know bands aren't for me but weights are.

My all time favorite exercise is something I don't remember what it's called, but you lay on your back with your heavy weights above your chest and slowly push them back behind your head.  The first time I did this exercise last week my five year old told me it looked dangerous.  I thought the same thing as I pictured my clumsiness dropping them.

Oh and one of the BEST parts of yesterday....when I weighed myself in the morning I was down 6.2 pounds from my start weight!  Holy crap!  It literally IS melting off.  I recommend this program so far.  I'll let you know at the end of my 21 days but so far it's amazing!  Maybe then if I'm brave I'll post before and after pictures.

Yesterday I also looked into getting my free fix coach but honestly I'm not so sure about that myself.  I'm sure it's great for some people but for me, I'm not so sure.  Plus I'm blogging about it, so if I decide in the end I don't like it I think it violates their terms and conditions but so far I LOVE it.

I'm starting to think of the next beach body workout series I want to try.

Shakeology Take 2!

Or take 3...really it's take 3 since the first time I didn't like it, then I found out I LOVED it and it really does help with cravings.

Last night I almost didn't get a workout in and started to put together a shakeology recipe but changed my mind, stuck the blender in the fridge and headed to workout.  Of course after the workout, which was late at night I had my shakeology and this is what I did....

Chocolate Vegan Shakeology (I'm not vegan by ANY means, it's just what my husband ordered for Mother's Day)
1 c (about, it was a little less) frozen strawberries
1 banana
1 c almond coconut milk

Blend it and enjoy!  It was great!  I finished it before I realized.

One day I will be brave and not use a banana in my shakes....honestly I'm afraid to though.  Maybe today I won't use one.

21 Day Fix - Day 8

Yesterday was Day 8 and I weighed myself in the morning....guess what down a total of 4.8 pounds!  This is nuts!  It was a total body fix and although I wasn't too enthused about "starting over" after taking an unplanned two day break, I was happy when I did.

My favorite workout was the surrender.  You hold your heavier weights at your shoulders, legs are shoulder width apart and then go down on your knees, one at a time. You go down on your right knee, then put your left knee down, stand up using your right foot first and then your left.  After doing this several times you switch sides.  It's hard but by far my favorite workout.

Yesterday my son was getting recognized for having good attendance at school.  I went upstairs and decided to try on a skirt I haven't been able to fit in since WAY before getting pregnant (mind you my youngest is just shy of being six months so six months plus nine....at LEAST fifteen months) and of course since I'm writing this....it fit!

At the recognition yesterday, which was 5-7, I thought since the timing is during dinner time, it was a meal or something.  Nope.  Just ice-cream.  We were starving and my kids and hubby ate ice-cream and I just held the extra cup of chocolate ice-cream with rainbow sprinkles.  Normally I'm not too much of an ice-cream fan and actually for a long time I didn't like it but it looked amazing.  I didn't have one bite.  Then my husband promised pizza on the way home.  I ate some and took it off my chart, only problem is that I've been worrying about is I thought I had those color containers free and it turns out I didn't, so I'm worried I messed up.  Ughhhh...last thing I want to do is put on weight when it is SERIOUSLY melting off.

I have heard the weight melts off and I'm thinking, yeah ok.  Seriously the weight has been melting off!  I know it will take a couple of weeks for my body to "show" how it's melted off, but that's ok.  I really need to post pictures of just stuff because blogs are more successful if a picture is included.  Today my goal (and it was yesterday too) is to post pictures of something.

21 Day Fix - Day 7

Yesterday started off great....I weighed myself in the morning and I lost just over 4 pounds!  It totally started my day off great.  Yesterday was a Yoga Fix day but with church, company, then a somewhat unexpected stop over, I didn't do it.  Guilt once again.  I did stick with the diet though and was VERY proud of myself since at church there were two different sets of people passing out cupcakes.  Some were vanilla and others chocolate.  Didn't I mention before cupcakes were a weakness.  It still is and I wanted so bad to eat one (or all of them).

Yesterday I also just wanted to give up on it all.  Not that it wasn't good or I wasn't getting results, because the scale clearly showed me results, but what I am tired of is eating healthy.  Seriously.  Give me some fatty cakes that include chocolate and make my butt skinnier.

My three year old had a fever so I took her to the store and we got ice-cream (which I passed on) and she wasn't eating well all day but really wanted "chickie nuggets" so I did pick her up some, and my husband wanted a soda (another thing I love, but gave up since nursing, although now I think I'm giving up nursing because of medication I'm on for a certain kidney stone, I have to dump all my milk I'm pumping).  Anyway I didn't even take a sip of his soda or one french fry.  Seriously throw me a bone.  I already decided on the 28th, when I'm five or six days out of finishing this and will be at a wedding, the cake is my reward.  This wedding cake better be good.  I also decided I'm still going to eat healthy all that week of the wedding because I am changing my eating habits in general and I don't want to gain back what I am losing plus more.

I didn't do shakeology yesterday, I need to find a new recipe because I'm getting bored with mine.  So I had extra protein and last night I made steak and eggs.  I just used leftover steak, cut it up into bite size pieces, cooked that up a bit with some onions and then added eggs and some deli ham (I had a lot of protein left over yesterday).  I can feel the weight loss in my face and arms.

During the day I attempted to do my belly measurements but they didn't change and I got bummed so I guess I'll wait until this is over to see if inches came off.  4.2 pounds of weight loss was good motivation and as I woke up this morning I'm glad I didn't give into the temptations of food.  Ohhhh how I LOVE food.

21 Day Fix - Day 6

So it's "The Dirty 30" Day.....I'll have to admit I was excited to "find out" what this one was...turns out I honestly was running non stop from the moment I woke up.  I didn't get to do it and I feel guilty for not working out!  That's always a good sign right?

As soon as we woke up, I hit the shower, did breakfast, soccer game for my son, right from soccer to a birthday party from there home for his first big boy sleep over (he had his friend stay the night).  As I walked in the door I did someone's hair for prom, headed to the store to get a movie for the boys, we ate dinner, went to the park, put in the movie for the kids, I had shakeology, then bedtime for then. When I got back downstairs my husband was watching his show and we only have one TV and a disc stuck in our only computer.  I felt guilty.

At the party I did skip cake (which is a HUGE deal for me) and I did eat pizza, just deducted the containers I needed to.  It's great, I can have a slice of pizza on this diet!

Oh and my shakeology recipe was

Banana
Chocolate Shakeology
6 icecubes
1 cup coconut almond milk
1 T peanut butter

YUM!  I was so full I couldn't finish it all.

21 Day Fix - Day 5

It was a Cardio Fix Day.  I was doing my worst enemies....burpees....lunches.....it was awful.  Thank goodness my 3 year old interrupted me several times.  Although I did complete the workout I feel like I could have pushed myself further.

Food was good.  I haven't been eating as well as I should have, meaning yes I'm following the guidelines but should eat more green containers.  I guess I'm not in love with veggies.  Hopefully after the fix my view will be different.

21 Day Fix - Day 4

Yesterday was my day four and it was the Pilates Fix Day.  LOVE IT!  I was scared of pilates and it IS difficult but I love it.

The eating portion of the day was ok.  I had a shakeology for breakfast and packed some of a light lunch because we were going on a field trip with my daughters class.  Shakeology held me over and I had a yogurt for lunch and then when I got home I made oatmeal.  For dinner we had shrimp, broccoli, wild rice and corn on the cob.  We were running late to t-ball so I skipped the corn on the cob with intent of eating it later, but when we got home I settled for some whole grain crackers and peanut butter and a soak in the hot tub.

My goal is to be one hot mama and I'm well on my way to that.  I find working out helps me to want to "get put together more" and add the makeup and do the hair.

Yesterday I did not take in enough calories and that's not good I don't want to starve my body of the nutrients it needs.  I do know my body well enough to KNOW when I feel the weight coming/melting off.  I felt it in my face yesterday.  Sounds weird I know but I try to know my body because that's really the best way.

21 Day Fix - Day 3

Day three I did in the morning.  It's a leg day, specifically called Lower Body Fix.  I knew there would be squats.  Squats and I have a love/hate relationship.  I hated them yesterday and loved them too.  I know I was pushing myself when I was shaking and wanted to throw the weights, but thought my husband probably wouldn't enjoy me throwing them in the man kid cave.  I kept it up and it hurt walking up and down stairs numerous times yesterday.

By the end of my day I was very frustrated with how things were going in my house and the thought came to mind, if I just workout again I'll be fine.  After being on "kid guard" where we make sure the kids are running around upstairs and actually sleeping, I went downstairs and decided I should work out.  My husband was cutting his hair and I decided I would do the 10 Minute Fix for Abs.  It was great.  Right after that my husband and I hit the hot tub.  He's doing the diet portion of the fix with me and said maybe he should try the exercise portion.  I think he should.  They really are great workouts.

Yesterday I was a little nervous because we were going to a friend's house for burritos, they were homemade of course.  Ahead of time (like earlier in the day), I looked over what I ate, etc. and since Shakeology filled me up majority of the day, I had a lot of extra containers to use.  I looked up what I needed to in the Eating Plan Guide that came with the package and viola.  Dinner was delicious!  I didn't feel like I needed dessert.  It was great.

A friend of mine mentioned how she and one of her other friends do the 21 Day Fix and how they have a headache for the first week.  On my first day I ended up with a crazy headache and thought, maybe she's right.  Turns out it was allergies for me and a slight cold.  Things are fine and I have no headache.  I'm not a coffee drinker and although I love soda, I don't really drink that like I used to so maybe they were having caffeine or sugar withdrawals.  Regardless I had a great day yesterday and I couldn't wait to do start my next workout.

Shakeology

I have never been big into protein shakes and in fact I have been against them.  I have used Special K pre-made shakes and I have also used Slim Fast and felt those were OK for a quick, need something on the go type of thing.

When my husband bought me the 21 Day Fix for Mother's Day (which was the ONLY thing I wanted), he decided to go above and beyond and get me a 30 day supply of Shakeology.  It was Vegan Chocolate and Vegan Tropical Strawberry.  Since I was already doing another type of weight loss program at the time, I decided to wait on it.  To be honest, I wasn't even thrilled he got it but decided in my mind that I would use it since he spent the money on it.

He tried the chocolate one day and said it was disgusting.  Great.  He would know he does protein shakes, etc.  I decided I would try it with a couple of friends over.  We read the back and it said you can add water.  Sounds great to me.  We added water, shook it up (it was the tropical strawberry flavored), I poured it in several glasses, since the kids were super excited we decided to allow them to try it too.  It didn't smell too bad to me....I took a sip and started to dry heave.  It was the most disgusting, vile thing I have tasted.  I couldn't handle it anymore, but knowing how expensive it was I drank it all.  I felt as if I was going to throw up for the remainder of the afternoon and into the night.  I even questioned if I had the stomach bug, that is how awful I felt (part of how I felt could have been because the next day I was in the hospital with a kidney stone, but that night I had no clue that's what was going on).

The picture above is the picture used on the Shakeology website.  I ended up complaining to a couple of my friends who swear by it.  With bravery and encouragement they suggested to NOT add water but almond milk and some peanut butter in the chocolate one and a banana in both.  One friend even sent me a Pinterest recipe for the tropical strawberry one.  I had given them samples of the Shakeology I had.  One friend tried the Pinterest recipe, I think it was strawberry daiquiri recipe using lime juice, lemon juice, fresh and frozen strawberries.  She said it was her favorite one.  

On Tuesday (my day 2), I decided to try that recipe between lunch and dinner (my most difficult time for snacking).  Oh my heavens!  The tables have turned people!  I LOVE Shakeology.  It tasted so different and MUCH better!  You just have to learn how to make it to suite your taste.  I couldn't get enough of it.  I ended up texting both my friends who encouraged me to try again, texted my husband and my best friend who I originally tried it with.  I said I was so wrong and Shakeology was amazing! 

My best friend asked me if it curbed my appetite that day and I said no, it made me more hungry (but remember I came off eating a lot of sugary foods like cupcakes and lots of chocolate and refined sugars).  

The next day (my day 3) I had used the chocolate vegan and hesitantly added a banana, almond milk and peanut butter, plus a few ice cubes.  It is by far my favorite!  Sooooo good!  I had it right after I did my workout (so around 9am) and then I wasn't hungry, didn't feel hungry, didn't even want to snack until after lunchtime.  In fact I was so full from it, I didn't eat lunch until late, around two and normally I eat lunch around eleven or twelve.    The chocolate recipe was so dang good I had it again today for breakfast.  

To anyone who didn't like it the first time, try again.  This time find a recipe that works.  I did and I am so grateful I did.  My husband accidentally ordered a supply that keeps refilling after 30 days and I am very grateful for that.  I cannot wait until tomorrow.  Doing Shakeology on the 21 Day Fix works well too, whenever I have it, even unexpectedly I change up my meals a little and honestly I don't mind at all.  I love it.  My three year old tried a small sip yesterday and loved it too.  If she loves it then things are good.  Don't give up on it, it IS worth it.  I LOVE SHAKEOLOGY!

In fact you can order it here....

http://www.shakeology.com/shake-flavors?SHAKEOLOGY_CART_ID=0

21 Day Fix - Day Two

After day one I was still hungry.  I know it was because going into the fix, I knew I had x amount of days before it began so I "splurged" and ate a lot of crap.  In the beginning of May I was eating healthy, working out, motivating others and trying hard.  Then guess what happened....stress.  I was facing challenges in my personal life I wasn't anticipating and I dealt with it like a lot of people do so I ate my way through it.  I knew exactly what I was doing but didn't care.  From the beginning of the month to the end of the month my weight ended up remaining the same.  It's a good thing I worked hard at the beginning because if not I'm sure I would have gained a lot more weight.  I knew the first few days would be hard but knew I had WAY too many refined sugars.  Cupcakes had tasted heavenly.  The second day I had my whits about me much more and had a plan.  I knew how to curb my eating better and I was bound and determined to do it.  I stuck with the plan and I had shakeology, a post about that later.

The Day Two workout is Upper Body Fix.  Shoulders, arms and back.  I waited until my five year old was home from school.  He grabbed the smaller weights, my three year old the resistance band and I had the heavier weights (10 pounds).  It was a workout.  A few years ago I was in a car accident that messed up my shoulder and back a bit, but I pushed myself through it and kept going.  I did switch the lighter weights when my bad back/arm/shoulder started hurting.  I felt great afterward.  I love the workouts are different every day.  I also love my kids decided to do it with me, for about ten minutes until they started arguing over the resistance band.  At least I'm setting a good example for them.

21 Day Fix - Day 1

Recently I decided to do the 21 Day Fix by Beach Body.  As I'm writing this I'm actually on day 4 but wanted to back track and let everyone know what my thought was from the beginning.  I did do measurements, weight and take pictures but there's no way I'm posting those.  EEEEEK.

The first workout in the series is the Total Cardio Body Fix.  It is no joke.  I worked out before this but wasn't in shape enough.  I had a baby five months ago and when I was pregnant ate EVERYTHING fast-food, at least that's how I felt.  I had lost a lot of the weight but still have more to go.  After your third baby it's hard to lose it, for me at least.  Regardless I did the Total Cardio Body Fix and like I said, it's no joke.  The workout is only a half hour and by the end I was glad it was over, my body was shaking and during it, I thought I would have muscle failure.  It was a great feeling, more so when I was done then during it.  I'm glad I stuck through it.

Everyday for seven days it's a different workout.  It's exciting that way, not the same boring thing over and over.