{Wordless Wednesday} My Week In Fitness So Far

{Fitness Friday} Let's Talk Apps

This week I have been focused on getting back into my fitness routines. Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy brought the hubs and I to a halt last week, when she slammed into the East Coast leaving us without power or heat for almost a week.

Monday I restarted the third week of Phase 3 for P90X. I use the official P90X app to track my progress (I forgot to take a screen capture of it and to be honest, I'm being lazy and don't feel like doing it now to insert in this blog. Yeah, I know, I'm a slacker...get over it!)

I also decided that I wanted to give running a shot again, so I downloaded a Couch to 5K type of app, laced up my running shoes and hit the pavement. I have always struggled with pacing myself and endurance, so following an app seemed like the most logical step for me, and I really like it.

 

5K Runner: 0 to 5K run training. I love that I can use it with RunKeeper and it prompts you over whatever music you're listening to as to when to run/walk. Well worth the $2.99[/caption]I addition to the this app, I use RunKeeper which I LOVE. I enjoy being able to set goals (which I honestly end up forgetting about and not hitting, but I'm work on that, ok people! Don't judge me.) I like that I can post my runs to social media, look back at all of the ones I've completed and link up with people I know on my "street team".

RunKeeper - If you walk/run/bike, etc, I highly recommend this app! It also has a coaching feature which I haven't tried.[/caption]Another app I started using this week is Daily Yoga. I heard about it yesterday from the lovely Jac. She started using it and just happened to tweet about how much she liked it, just as I was logging on to ask for yoga DVD recommendations. Talk about timing, right?!

 

Daily Yoga - I have to be honest, the accent of the person instructing you makes me giggle. I have only done one routine so far, but I like this app. There also seems to be a routine difference between the iPhone and Android platforms. Droid users seem to have more FREE routines. Sigh.[/caption]Last but not least comes MyFitnessPal. I have blogged about my using this app before, but consistent, I am not. (Human I am, which is why I am not consistent.) I started using this again today, because of the success I have had in the past. Also, thanks to Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy and the lack of power, eating healthy became a slight issue and I am trying to correct the small cravings I have since developed thanks to Pop-Tarts entering my house again. (Hey, there are just so many non-perishable food items to choose from, especially when people are attacking the shelves like the world is going to end. Which it clearly wasn't, the Mayan's said we until late December for that...duh!)

MyFitnessPal: Because if you dont track what you eat, your ass will![/caption]So there you have it. A glimpse into the apps I use, to try and keep my fitness-ADD-having-self on track and motivated! I'd love to hear of any apps you use to stay on track and record your progress. Be sure to let me know if I'm missing out on something by commenting!

Do It Daily Workout

This morning I decided to take my own advice from yesterdays post "Progress and Change". I haven't had to leave for work as early the past few shifts and I was either reading in the morning or wasting time on Pinterest. (Neither is an awful thing, but I have recently set some fitness goals for myself and neither was really helping me reach that goal, know what I mean?).

While on Pinterest, I tend to look for healthy recipes and new workouts to try, so it's not a total waste of time, but I could be doing the workouts I already pinned and haven't tried before looking for new ones, right?

This morning I tried this one:

It's a perfect before-you-take-your-morning-shower-workout. I felt a great burn in my core from it, and since I had extra time, I held the plank till I couldn't anymore, which resulted in 5 minutes 10 seconds of plank. (Not too shabby)

I'm in my rest week for P90X right now, so I'll be doing Core Synergystics later tonight. Phase 3 starts on Monday....I can't believe how fast this round is going by!

{Fitness Friday}

It's Fitness Friday again! I know I missed last week and kinda dropped off the grid for awhile (I do that...I know. I try not to but life just kinda happens..sorry) but I'm still doing P90X and as a matter of fact, just completed the 3rd week of Phase 2, which means next week is my rest week!

The hubs and my schedule got a little wonky this week, so we ended up doing Back and Biceps last night instead of Wednesday. As a result, I can't do Legs and Back tonight because my back needs the day of rest. The hubs birthday is tomorrow so pushing Legs and Back back a day won't work either. To remedy this, I decided to do a lower body workout I found on the web to see how I liked it.

Here is the workout I followed:

Move 1:  Squats (15 - 25 reps depending on fitness level. Add weights if you would like for extra resistance)

Stand with feet hip-width apart, feet facing forward, arms by your sides. Sit back and lower down slowly, as if you were sitting into a chair. Keep your back straight and lower yourself as far as you can. Keep your eyes looking ahead. Immediately rise out of the squat and return to standing.

Move 2:  Forward Lunges (10 - 20 reps on each side, depending on fitness level. Add weights if you would like for extra resistance)

Stand with feet hip-width apart. Step a wide step forward with your right foot, and bend both knees as far as you can without losing your balance until your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your left thigh is straight up and down. Your back foot will be flexed. Press off your front foot and step back into starting position. If you can’t go all the way to parallel, start by going partway down. If you need to, stabilize yourself with your hands on your hips, or a stable object.

Move 3:  Plie Jumps (15 - 25 reps, depending on fitness level)

Stand with feet wide apart, with your feet turned out, and hands on hips. Stand tall with abs in. As you squat, press knees wide over your feet. You should feel a stretch along your inner thighs. In one explosive movement, push from your feet to straighten your legs and hop into the jump off the floor. As your feet come back to the floor, try to land softly, absorbing the landing from toes through heels.

Move 4: Fire Hydrants (10 - 20 reps on each side, depending on fitness level)

Start on all fours, knees directly under your hips, and hands directly below your shoulders. Keep your back and neck straight and look forward. Keeping your knee bent, raise your right leg out to the side, until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Keep your pelvis stable. Slowly lower your leg back to starting position. (You'll feel this in your shoulders and core, too.)

Move 5: Quadruped (10 - 20 reps on each side, depending on fitness level)

Start on all fours, knees directly under your hips, and hands directly below your shoulders. Keeping your right knee bent to 90 degrees, lift right leg until thigh is parallel to floor. Your foot should be flexed. Pump the sole of your foot toward ceiling in a small movement. (You'll feel this in your shoulders and core, too.)

Move 6: Bridge Lift (10 - 20 reps, depending on fitness level)

Lie on your back on a mat, knees bent, feet flat on the floor near your buttocks. Place your arms along your sides with palms flat on floor. Contract your abdominal muscles and slowly lift your hips off floor so that your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders. Squeeze your glutes tight, as you press your hips toward the ceiling. Hold for a second, then lower slowly back down to the floor.

Move 7: Clams(10 -20 reps on each side, depending on fitness level)

Lie on your side on mat with your hips and shoulders in a straight line, head lying on your outstretched arm. Bend your knees so that your thighs are at a 90-degree angle to your body. Stack your hips, shoulders, and knees directly on top of each other. Use your core muscles to hold this alignment as you do the exercise.

Keeping your big toes touching, open your top leg up like a clam shell opening. Press your knee open only as far as it can go without disturbing the alignment of your hips. Slowly return your knee back down. Repeat. You should begin to feel a burn in your upper hip muscle

I repeated the circuit 3 times and was very happy with the muscle burn I felt. I achieved a nice jello feeling in my legs from this and I will definitely keep this in the rotation. As many of you know, I become bored quickly with workouts and often look for the quickest, yet effective ones to do.

Nutrition has been going pretty well for me too. I had a few slip ups here and there but that's life and I no longer beat myself up over stuff like that the way I used to. I have a few recipes that I tried and plan on sharing soon!

What have you been doing to get fit and healthy? Do you have any workouts or recipes to share? I'd love to hear about them if you do.

{ Fitness Friday }

Yeah, yeah, yeah....I know. It's Saturday. This week has been a hectic one for me so this post is a day late. Sue me.

This week I conquered the new Phase 2 workouts, CST (Chest, Shoulders & Triceps) as well as, Back & Biceps. My arms have felt sore as hell all week from them, especially my triceps since Tony neglects to stretch the triceps BEFORE you begin the workout! I forgot all about that since it's been a while since I've done P90X, but a mental note has been made and I'll be sure to stretch them before I start the workout on Monday. Back & Biceps had me feeling a little weak. I don't know if it is because my arms were already fatigued from work on Wednesday, if my biceps really are not as strong as I thought they were or a combination of both, but I felt defeated at the end when I couldn't finish the last move, which I believe were called Strip-Set Curls.

Overall, this week felt pretty good and I know I have to really "bring it" this month so I can see more results. This week was just kinda shaky as I started it off not feeling well due to a slight cold and I was mentally not stoked to workout each night. Thankfully I have been doing this round with the hubs so we keep each other going.

Those of you who follow me on Twitter & Instagram might have noticed I haven't been doing my plank challenge, and I didn't reach my goal. Well, I started to feel like I tweaked my left shoulder and the scar from my surgery (which is still healing) started turning a very angry purple color, so I decided to back off and give my body a break. The P90X workouts I'm doing are hard enough on my still healing body, especially since my rest week workouts focused on my core. I've been doing shorter planks in the workouts, just not pushing to the point of injury!

As for nutrition, I messed up yesterday and forgot to eat lunch because I was busy trying to finish things at work. I should know better than to do this, but it happens. I ended up with an awful headache (which sucked) but I managed to live and get my workout done with it. The rest of the week was pretty good and I did have a "cheat day" last weekend. We went out for dinner and drinks with some friends. I had a burger, fries and a few beers and I enjoyed every bite of it! NomNomNom!

This weeks goals are to plan our dinners and prep them all in advanced to make my life easier. I planned everything out two weeks ago and had all of the ingredients on hand and it really helped. I want to take it a step further and have everything prepped and in bags, already measured out and labeled. I always do better when I'm organized and I'm at the point where nutrition trumps workouts, so this could really benefit me and help me reach my goals quicker.

I'd also like to find the time to run. I haven't ran since the Walk With Joe 5K, two weeks ago. The weather has been perfect for running, but between me not being a morning workout person, work and it getting darker earlier, I've failed to do it. I know, that is a lot of excuses, but it's all true.

As always, I welcome those of you who take the time to read my posts to share your week in fitness and your upcoming goals with me. I'd really love to hear what you have going on too!

Lucky vs Strong

I consider myself healthy, not skinny, and the road to getting healthy definitely made me strong!

Speaking of strong, today starts Phase 2 of P90X for me. As I expected, I didn't see a change in my waist, hip or thigh measurements and I'm happy with where I'm at with those, so it didn't bother me. I did however see a half inch increase in both of my biceps, and I can see nice shoulder definition which really makes me happy!

Results take strength and determination, not luck. Put your mind to it and the results will come.

{ Fitness Friday }

Wow...another week has come and gone! Is it just me or has this year just flown by?

Last week not a single one of you shared or linked your fitness triumphs, goals or successes with me....which means you all SUCK! It's ok...I'll just continue to post for my own benefit, after all, who doesn't like screaming out of an open window hoping that someone hears them?! ....sigh....

Sunday will be the official finale of P90X - Phase1 for myself and the hubs. This week has been a rest week, although I wouldn't really say there is anything relaxing about YogaX and Core Synergistics.  Between the prior three weeks, two 5K's and the Plank Challenge I've been taking part in, my body feels like it was hit by a truck and yesterday's Xstretch workout, was pure bliss. Speaking of the Plank Challenge, I am almost to my goal of 5 minutes!! It's getting REALLY hard to hold the position with proper form, but I'm fighting for it. I'm not sure if I will be doing today, as I am sore as hell AND I have Core Syn on deck tonight.

It's been quite some time since I've completed Phase 2 of P90X. I'm honestly looking forward to it and can't wait to lift heavier weights and continue working on my form. I can see a change in my body from just the first 30 days (I'll be doing my measurements and what not on Monday) and I now the magic really starts to happen in month 2! So in the words on Tony Horton, I say BRING IT!

I've been pretty good on the nutrition front as well. After Saturday's 5K, the hubs and I did go to a sports bar for lunch and I did splurge on some fried pickles. I never had them before and they had half-price apps, so who was I to say NO, right? The weirdest thing for me was not having a beer while watching football on Sunday, but I wasn't even craving one, so I skipped it! *SHRUG*

My slow cooker and I are still trying to learn to get a long with each other. I think I need a newer one with the programmable features so I can set a shut off time and just keep it warm until ready to serve. It seems some recipes call for much shorter cook times than others, however my work schedule does not. The result is meat that sometimes dries out and I don't like that. At. All.

Now it's your turn! Share with me what you have done on the fitness front this week....or what you plan on doing this weekend! Let's keep each other motivated!

{Fitness Friday}

Hello everyone! I decided to try and start a little something new with a weekly, Fitness Friday check-in. I'll tell you what I've done to make myself healthier during the week, and you can tell me what you have done either in the comments, or if you blog, do your own Fitness Friday post and leave me a link below. (I'm not sure how these link-up things work so please feel free to school me if you have experience with them.)

Let's see....

I'm just finishing up week 3 of P90X, which means that next week is my rest week. Phase 1 seems to have flown by and I'm looking forward to the change in workouts that Phase 2 brings.

In addition to P90X, I've also been doing the Plank Challenge. If you don't know what that is, CLICK HERE. I've been doing the challenge for almost 2 weeks now, and I've added 1:38 to my time! I can feel the strength in my shoulders and core improving each day!

 

This was today's plank time. I found that if I do it as soon as I wake up, my mind doesn't realize what I'm asking of my body to do. Also, coffee is a great reward![/caption]Tomorrow, the hubs and I will doing the Walk With Joe, which is another 5k. This one is in memory of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 on Flight 93, including Joe Driscoll who the walk in named after. I've done this walk almost every year and while it is quite somber in the beginning, the views in the park where it is held are gorgeous and we end up having a good time as we walk and run through the hills and woods there.

As for nutrition, I am proud to say that I have been REALLY good here. I've been testing new recipes and trying to utilize my slow cooker more. The more organized I am, the lower the chance of me being tired and just saying "fuck it" and ordering a pizza. (Oh, how I love my pizza! Nom Nom Nom!) I normally cheat here and there at work with all of the chocolate temptation that is everywhere I turn, but I have not since starting this round of P90X. Don't get me wrong, I've had a few tastes of the yogurt flavors we carry, but nothing crazy...I promise!

Now it's YOUR turn! I want to know what you've been doing to improve your health and get into shape! Leave me a comment below, write a Fitness Blog and link back here or leave me a link in the comments, tweet at me....whatever! Speak up...enjoy a little time in the spot light and let's cheer each other on!

P90X: Day 7 Round 3.5

A little out of order to finish up the week, but it was truly worth it. Normally I'm not a fan of switching up the routine, but last night, Mike and I had a wonderful date night that I wouldn't trade for the world. I usually enjoy Xstretch to start my Sunday morning off but our dinner at a Hawaiian burrito joint followed by a walk on the beach, fireworks and some delicious frozen yogurt at Red Mango was well worth the change up.

Jab, Cross, Hook, Uppercut!

That was the theme to today's workout!  There is something about kicking and punching for an hour that helps your stress levels to go down. (Not that I was stressed at all today but in the past it has really helped.)

To be honest, I was tired during this routine. My booty and hip flexors are still really sore from Friday nights Legs & Back and my balance wasn't as good as it normally is. I was also in bum mode since I had just spent 4 hours on the couch watching my Broncos lose a preseason game to the 49'ers. Sigh. Needless to say, I got up, we pushed play and 58 minutes later, we were done, I felt accomplished and I could officially close the book on week 1! I was also done just in time to plop myself back down and watch the season finale of True Blood.

While doing my workout, I received a text from a friend who asked if I would be interested in doing a Color Run 5k next weekend. After checking out the website and exchanging a few texts, team "Color Us Awesome" was born! I'm excited to do this colorful 5k on September 1st. It looks like a lot of fun and it's an excuse to be healthy and have fun with some friends.

I'm not sure if I will keep up the daily P90X blog entries or do a weekly recap...I guess my schedule and mood will dictate that. I will at the very least have some fit-spiration posts and a recap of my Color Run!

P90X: Day 6 Round 3.5

I had to switch things up a little here today. The scheduled workout for today is KenpoX but since Mike and I are spending an evening out together, I decided to do Xstretch today (he's not a fan of it and prefers a full rest day) and move KenpoX to tomorrow so we can remain workout buddies.

I love Xstretch. To me, it's a relaxing hour that rewards my body for all of the hard work it's done during the prior 6 days (5 days in this case). The stretching helps to ease all of the soreness of the week and it's something that helps me to clear my head.

The only move I didn't feel comfortable doing was Shoulder Stand to Plough. It's a move I've always been leery of and I certainly am not taking any chances since I am still recovering.

Overall it was a wonderful hour of stretching. My booty, hip-flexors and especially my hamstrings are all very happy that I opted to do this today and not just make it a rest day.

Tomorrow will now be KenpoX which means I'll finally be jab, cross, hook, upper-cutting my way to happiness and hopefully the ab definition I've always dreamed of.

P90X: Day 5 Round 3.5

Wall squats, sneaky lunges and skaters....oh my!

Three reasons why I curse on Fridays and walk funny while going up and down the stairs on Saturday.

Tonight was a tough one. I don't know if I didn't give myself enough time after eating one of the Gluten-free Brownies I blogged about earlier, if I was just tired or if I was just pushing my body to it's max, but I was exhausted and wanted to puke when this routine was done.

Now that I'm showered and in bed, I feel great and I'm happy I pushed myself to do the workout. It's so easy to get tired, feel unmotivated and not want to push yourself to press play. Chalene Johnson had some great advice in ChaLEAN Extreme. She said even on the days you don't feel like working out, just press play and give it five minutes. If you still don't feel into it, stop, but she guarantees you'll end up feeling better about yourself and you'll complete your workout for the day. So far, she's been spot on. There have been many days that I haven't felt like doing my workout, but I get up, get into my gym clothes and press play. An hour later, I'm done, sweaty and feel like a million bucks and that is something to be proud of.

Anyway, Legs and Back is a lower body killer. I bitch about wall squats often, but as a female, the one legged ones have come in handy many times while using public restrooms. You ladies know what I'm talking about. We hover to pee as it is when using these restrooms and there is nothing worse than ending up in a stall with a broken lock... enter the one legged wall squat and give a huge thank you to Tony Horton for being the prick of all pricks by making you do them every week for 90 Days, cause now you can squat to pee AND hold that door shut with one leg!

Tomorrow is my FAVORITE workout in the P90X program, KenpoX! There is something about jab, cross, hook, uppercutting, that makes me very happy!

P90X: Day 4 Round 3.5

Well, as I said in yesterdays post, there was no way I would be doing YogaX today. To be quite honest, I think YogaX gives yoga a bad name and I'd rather spend my time stretching, breathing and centering myself with a DVD from GAIAM.

I chose one of my favorites, AM/PM Yoga with Rodney Yee. The AM portion of the DVD is hands down my favorite and yes, I have done it at night many times. There is something about the sound of the ocean, Rodney Yee's calm voice and the relaxation techniques that he uses, that makes my entire day just melt into the ground along with all of my stress.

Another plus is that it is about 15-20 mins long so I can squeeze it in no matter how hectic my day gets.

Tonight, I was feeling very relaxed after Mike and I finished AM yoga (see...told you I do it at night too) so I decided to do PM yoga as well. It felt good to get some additional stretching in since I am very sore from the first 3 days of P90X. I am still partial to the AM segment and felt much more relaxed after it, but that could also be because I know the routine by heart and don't have to open my eyes to see what he is doing at all during it.

I am currently feeling very relaxed and centered and that is a feeling I don't mind in the least.

Tomorrow is Legs and Back, which means there will be cursing as I am forced to do wall squats! Fun times I tell you, fun times.

Until then, Namaste.

P90X: Day 3 Round 3.5

 

My favorite line this workout.

I entered Day 3 with a sore upper body and core, which I absolutely love! Nothing beats that post workout soreness. To me, it lets me know I am doing something right and that means I'll start to see some progress before I know it.

Today we worked the glamour muscles with a little Shoulders & Arms.

This is one of my favorite P90X workouts because when I'm done with it, I feel strong and I tend to see quick results in my shoulders.

The workout is broken into 3 rounds plus a bonus round for those of us who really want to Bring It! Each round works the shoulders, biceps and triceps (in that order) and repeats itself before giving you a 30 second water/ballistic stretch break.

Since I've done this program a few times, I tend to keep us laughing by reciting many of the Tony-isms that are in each DVD. From "like a Pterodactyl coming for a landing....kaaaaaa!" to his fawning over the "fabulous Dreya Weber", we toss the lines back and forth to keep the workout fun and help pass the hour.

Tomorrow is supposed to be YogaX but I'm not gonna lie....I'm not doing it. I know Tony LOVES yoga and I know how important it is, but I know my core is not ready for 90 intense minutes of it. I will most likely do a shorter yoga DVD and hopefully go for a walk/run. I guess you'll have to come back tomorrow to find out what I actually end up doing.

P90X: Day 2 Round 3.5

Today I opted to do CardioX instead of Plyo. Since I am easing my way back into a routine, I didn't want to overload my core, plus I figured CardioX offers a nice sampling of all of the P90X workouts.

My upper arms, chest and back were pretty sore from last nights workout, so despite my dislike of yoga, the first segment of CardioX actually felt good. After a few sun salutations and the Warrior sequences, I was ready for my favorite of all the P90X workouts....Kenpo! There is just something about jab, cross, hook, uppercutting that makes me feel happy.

After Kenpo came a little Plyo, which I find fun (only in CardioX since it is only a few moves). After jumping around like a bunny doing wacky jacks, I entered Superman-Banana-land ...aka Core Synergistics. I did all of the moves in this workout until this segment, I didn't feel ready to attempt the Drea Roll yet. Truth be told, I have always been leery of it.

Overall, it was a great workout! I was proud of myself for completing all of the Superman/Banana's and I managed to work up a good sweat. Tomorrow is my favorite lifting workout in the program, Shoulders and Arms, so I guess I should finish this recovery drink and get some rest.

P90X: Day 1, Round 3.5

Yep...after a bunch of debating and procrastinating, I decided to give P90X another go.

I've been skeptical about what I should do for a workout routine since I am technically not cleared by my surgeon to do ab work yet. At first, I was going to hold off until my next appointment in a few weeks and then start Insanity if he gave me the all clear, but then I was talking with Mike and he mentioned that he wanted to start P90X again since he fell off the wagon after getting sick during Phase 2.

After lots of thought, I decided to start P90X again. I've already been lifting using ChaLean Extreme and I've been doing lower body and some running here and there, so I figured why not?! I will just skip Ab Ripper X and listen to my body during the workouts.

Tonight was Day 1, which meant Chest and Back and I was very nervous going in. For those of you not familiar with the program, Chest and Back requires a lot of push-ups, and push-ups require core strength. I definitely paced myself for Round 1 and I made sure to really "Bring It" during the pull-up segments (I did pull downs and hubs used the pull-up bar). I felt some pulling and tightness in my core as I began to max out during push-ups, so I made sure to spend a little time in child's pose at the end of each move.

Overall, I felt really great doing the workout. Push-ups are still a weakness of mine (unless they are of the wide variety) and my numbers were much lower than my last round, but I'm working things the best I can, and that means I'm doing laps around everyone one who is just sitting on the couch.

Tomorrow is PlyoX but I think I will be subbing with CardioX so I can see how my body feels about my starting P90X again.

One Week At A Time

All too often, people get caught up and overwhelmed by how far they have to go to reach their fitness goals. I fell victim to this mind set many times over the years and it is very frustrating. One of the most important changes I made this time around was to NOT focus on the ultimate goal. Instead, I set mini goals that would help me to achieve that ultimate one over a period of time, and I ONLY focused on each one of those.

By breaking my goals down into mini ones, I was able to keep a positive tone to my fitness/weight loss journey. I began to build a confidence in myself by reaching each of my mini goals and before I knew it, I was reaching larger goals without even realizing it.

Even now that I have reached my ultimate goal, I still set mini ones for myself in order to maintain the progress I have made.

Here are some of mine for this week:

• 1. Drink plenty of water - This might seem like a no brainer but it's easy to forget or not intake the proper amount.


• 2. Lift weights three days - Again, something I should be used to, but with the hustle and bustle of life, it's easy to skip or say I'll do it tomorrow.


• 3. Eat clean - Hands down one of the toughest, especially during the hectic week I have before me.


• 4. Do the fitness trail - One of my favorite forms of exercise but also one of the easiest to keep putting off.


• 5. Yoga or Stretch - This is one I have never been a fan of. I have always been the first to admit I skipped YogaX many times while doing P90X. I know it's important though and I have plenty of room for improvement here. Plus it helps to clear the mind and honestly, who can't benefit from that?!

As you can see, they are all things that you would expect I do on a normal basis, but it's easy to put all of these things off for another day. I need to stay focused on the simple things and with that, new results will come and old one will be maintained.

Your goals for the week don't need to be extreme...even the simple ones can get you a step closer to the results you want.

What are some of your goals for the week? What would you like to achieve? Want to keep each other accountable?

Today's Workout: Stretch, Cardio & Booty!

Today I woke up and my lower body was still very sore from the lower body workout I posted the other day. I decided a dose of X-Stretch from P90X would do my body good, so that is how I started today's workout. I had to skip the sun salutations, camel and back hero since I still can't stretch my core too much, but I still felt great after completing the workout.

My plan was to hit the pavement this morning since I needed to go to the post office and it conveniently falls along my walking/running path. Unfortunately, mother nature had different plans and it started to thunderstorm as I was getting ready to go. Thankfully I have a stationary bike so I hopped on there instead and got a solid 30-min cardio workout in before giving this workout I found on Pinterest a try:

I did three rounds of this, Insanity style, and felt a solid burn kick in halfway through the second round.

As you can tell, I've been putting focus on lower body workouts, and that's because I've decided to join my husband and some of his buddies in August, as they attempt the Rock Solid Mud Run. I'm a little nervous about this since I recently had the surgery, but my plan is to pace myself, do what I can and just have fun.

If you try any of the workouts I'm posting, please let me know what you think or if you add anything! Also, if you have any that you love, please pass them my way. I'd love to try it out and feature it here along with your fitness story.

Fitness Mindset

Three years ago, I had a similar conversation with myself, and I haven't looked back. Anyone can do what I have done. You just have to change the way you think!

We All Have Secrets

...and I'm about to share one of mine:

"I have loose skin around my abdomen."

There! I said it. (As embarrassing as it is to do so.)

Despite 2.5 rounds of P90X, 2 rounds of Insanity, ChaLean Extreme, running, other workouts and eating healthy, I am left with a reminder of what my body once was, in the form of sagging skin. I can't say that I am surprised by this at all. I neglected my body for years, packed on the pounds and I also gave birth to two beautiful children. I knew my body would never be "perfect" but I did have hopes that my skin would bounce back more than it did.

A year ago when I reached that 100lb+ weight-loss milestone, I began to research tummy tucks and started to really contemplate having one done. Of course the thought of going under the knife scares the shit out of me and I don't exactly have thousands of dollars sitting around collecting dust, so I tossed the thought into the "maybe someday" file in my brain. However, I knew if it was something I was ever going to do, I would have to prove to myself that this truly did become a lifestyle and that my old habits wouldn't creep back up on me.

As you have read here, over the past year I have had struggles with nutrition as well as my workouts, but thankfully never at the same time. Despite these struggles, I have never gained more than 8lbs and I have always dropped it as soon as I felt I gained it. (Yes, I can totally feel when my weight shifts now...it's weird, but I can call the number on the scale before I even step on it). My measurements have even stayed consistent over the past year which really made me happy and brought the thought of a tummy tuck back to the front of my mind again.

A few weeks ago I had a discussion with my husband about how upset this extra skin made me. How frustrating it was to look in the mirror and not be able to see past it despite all of the hard work I have done over these 3 years. I broke down into tears, which is something I hate to do, but this is something that I'm really embarrassed about. (You have no idea how hard it is to even type this blog right now). For the first time, he saw the pain I felt and we discussed going for consultations to see how much it would be to have the tummy tuck done and to find out if I was even a candidate for it.

Yesterday, I went for a consultation with a plastic surgeon who came highly recommended by the doctor I used to work for. I studied photos of his work and looked at patient reviews  on-line for the 2 weeks leading up to this appointment. The anxiety I had going into that office was unreal but I womaned-up, put on the pink paper gown they left for me and stood before the surgeon to have all of my imperfections examined. After the exam, we sat in a conference room and discussed the procedure in detail. He answered all of my questions, gave me all of the information I would need to make a decision and he then walked me down to the hall to another office where the financial portion of the consultation would be handled. I sat there nervously as I prepared myself for number anxiety. This portion of the consultation should really come with a shot of Patron or Jack Daniels...a person needs something to take the edge off when a tiny piece of paper with a large number is about to be presented to them. The woman entered the room with said piece of paper and there was an extra digit before the coma that I wasn't quite prepared for. At this point some smelling salts would have also been nice to revive me and bring me back to present time so I could have heard her going over "payment policies".  I managed to smile even though I was discouraged by the price and I left the office when she was done, with some information on financing in case I needed that as an option...uh yeah! Last time I checked the money tree in my backyard hadn't sprouted yet.

I called my husband after the appointment and almost immediately lost it. I felt all of my hope for ridding myself of the "old me" slipping away after seeing the price tag on the procedure and he quickly calmed me down. He talked me off the ledge and said all of the things I needed to hear. Another phone call to my mother and I was feeling better again. There were a few more wishy washy moments that evening but after the three of us sat down over dinner, went through all of my options and scenarios, it was decided that I earned this procedure.

Yes, you heard me correctly. I decided to go ahead with the tummy tuck and this morning, I called the office and made the appointment to say farewell to the last remaining reminder of the "old me". In three short weeks, it will be nothing more than a very painful incision on my abdomen....Dammit! I wasn't supposed to think about that now.

I know this is not going to be an easy road, but they say anything in life worth having, isn't easy. Heck, the past 3 years of my life weren't easy either, but with hard work and dedication, I proved that I wanted it bad enough to get it.

So there you have it...the big secret I've been hiding is out on the web for everyone to read...and I feel a slight sense of relief now that I've shared it.



Have you had a tummy tuck? If so, please share your recovery tips with me.

Looking At The Big Picture

I know I have spent a lot of time on here calling myself a slacker...and honestly, sometimes I truly feel like one. However, when I look back at how far I have come and how despite not really working out for the past few months I have maintained my weight, I'm actually very successful.

When I started doing P90X and Insanity, I knew it wasn't a level of working out that I wanted to maintain forever. I don't think my body would like me very much if I did that everyday with no true breaks. I knew I wanted to reach a point where I could workout 2-3 days a week and just eat healthy to maintain a normal, healthy weight for my height and age. I knew I'd eventually hit the point of needing balance...between workouts, nutrition, life and work...cause let's face it, there are just not enough hours in the day for all of these things on a regular basis.

I am proud, that as the 3 year mark approaches, I am still on my journey. I have reached my goal, lost over 100lbs, maintained my progress and I'm planning new and exciting ways to improve myself. I am proud that I have been able to inspire others to improve themselves and change the bad habits that they hated for so long. I'm proud of my hard work and determination to see this through and finally achieve something that I thought was just a dream.

Every now and then we should all stop to reflect on the great things that we have achieved. It's so easy to dwell on the negative or get hung up on the slip ups we made along the way. I know first hand how hard it is to stay positive sometimes, but keep your focus not on how many times you trip and fall, but on how many times you get back up, dust yourself off, and keeping moving on.