Where have I been?

So I kind of let this blog go, for a bit.  I was going through some big life events, trying to workout and eat right, raise my kids, and hold it all together.

I did decide to let Team BeachBody go, because it just wasn't a good fit for me.  I love a lot of their products, and will continue to use the systems I have, but when Les Mills broke off to create his own company, I decided it was time for me to quit.  I fell in love with Les Mills' Body Pump.  I purchased it on one of the big sales that TBB offered.

I have been re-evaluating where I want to go in life.  I am still running, but not nearly as much as I was before.  I have found my way back to the gym and am slowly reintroducing myself to lifting.

Also, on my journey, I am focusing on a more whole body, natural approach to health.  I started really using essential oils about a year or so ago.  I started because my allergy medicine just wasn't cutting it any more.  Since I started using oils, I have noticed that my kids are feeling better.  Allergies, although they do affect us still, aren't as bad.  My kids have been staying healthier and sleeping better.

Anyway, I am not here to sell oils.  I do use them and love sharing about them, but this is going to be more about my journey to getting back in shape, being healthy and getting fit.  I will try to update you as I figure out this crazy journey to a better well-being and moving forward in my life!

Journey with no end In sight

So, I have been training for a 10k & will bump it up really soon to half marathon training.  I plan to run a half in 2017.  Yes, it seems far away, but I also have been incorporating more lifting.  I am trying to still figure out how to get enough workouts in during the week.  

Anyway, today was supposed to be a longer run.  But I only made it 2.8 very painful miles.  Why am I telling you all of this?  Because this is a journey. Every run or workout may not be great, but I am out there improving myself.  

I also slacked off this week, big time.  I didn't do any Hammer and Chisel workouts.  So what am I going to do?  Past me would have scraped the whole program.  Because I wasn't perfect.  Didn't do all the workouts.  Current me is going to pick up where I left off.  Keep trying, keep improving.  

This is a journey, with no real end.  I will always continue to work on myself. What about you?

It's on!!!!!

I am so excited!  I know I know, I've said that before.  But hey, it's the little things that get me excited.

My really good friend, who I ran the Disney Princess Glass Slipper Challenge with last year, and I are going to start the program the Masters Hammer and Chisel.  We start Monday.

This program follows the 21 Day Fix eating plan.  So I am going back to it.  I am excited by this, because for the past 2-ish months, I have been following a program that is NOT sustainable.  I knew this when I started, but it hasn't been easy in the least.  I have lost about 20 lbs, however.  So it has done what I wanted it to do... It just started my weight loss.  I still have another 30-40 that I would like to loose.

I know Autumn put out a video answering some questions that everyone seems to have, and one of them is can we add extra cardio or substitute cardio.  Unfortunately she says no.  But I have signed up for a few races coming up this spring.  My first is a 5k on April 2.  So I will be figuring out how to mash up running with this program.

I also have committed to my friend that I will run another Disney race in 2017.  But I need to decide do I go for Princess Half weekend, which I will want to do the Glass Slipper Challenge again (19.3 miles over 2 days) or the Wine & Dine Half Marathon which is during the Epcot food and wine festival.

Anyway, I will post my results.  I know I have seen a ton when I lift, and this program (The Masters Hammer and Chisel) is a cardio lifting program.

What kind of exercise do you enjoy the most?

Fixate cookbook is here

Autumn has outdone herself again.  She has come out with a cookbook of 101 recipes, which include drinks, desserts, and all sorts of things, including paleo recipes.

Click here to purchase or learn more about this cook book, www.teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/fixatecookbook?referringrepid=372462

There is an option to purchase it with the containers, if you aren't ready to jump full into the 21Day Fix program with workouts.

I am planing on ordering it, as I am going back to the 21 Day Fix meal plan.  I will continue to use Thrive, because I love how it makes me feel.  And I'll be adding Les Mills Pump, in a month or so.  And will continue to run.  I am back to following the Zen Labs Couch to 10k program.

I am signing up soon for a 10k in Oct.  Today was registration day for the Disney Princess Half Marathon weekend.  I am a little sad to it be doing it this year.  I did have a chance, but I just had not planned on it.  I have my sights set on the Epcot Wine & Dine half marathon in 2016.  

I'd also love to run the Tinkerbell half marathon at Disneyland, but I need to see how much that will cost me.  

What is your plan?

I have been MIA

Or on vacation, take your pick.  After the Disney Princess Half Marathon weekend, I just lost my motivation to run.  I can't tell you why, I just did.

I was doing Les Mills Pump for a while, but had to put that on the back burner, because I wasn't going to drive up to Michigan with my weights in my trunk.  We already had too much else to bring with us this year.  But I will be back to it when I get back.  And I may even try a class at my gym!

I decided before I drove up here that my exercises of choice this summer were going to be running and PiYo.  Neither need a lot, if any equipment, and are extremely portable.  

I got up here, and allergies set in.  I expected them to happen, as they always do when I get to a new place, but usually they even out within a day or two.  But not this year and not up here.  Oh boy, the cottonwood is horrible this year.  I cannot figure out the correct allergy medicine that help, and essential oils I bought for my allergies just isn't helping yet.  But I will be trying to diffuse them, once I get a diffuser.

Anyway, I hadn't started either programs yet... Until this morning!  I did it.  I made myself get out of bed and out the door for my first run of the summer... And really first run since the Disney Princess Half Marathon weekend.  

I only did 2 miles, and they were super slow, but we all have to start, or restart, somewhere, right?  It felt good, short, but good.  

I can remember when running a mile felt like it would take forever.  And a 5k was even longer!  There was a time when I couldn't imagine going for more than 2-3 miles.  But wow, has that changed.  And it feel good. 

Maybe I will become a distance runner after all.  My goal is to get my mile time to around 10 minutes.  I told a friend of mine that I would run a 10k with her in October.  And she runs about a 10 minute mile.

But of course, I am also wanting to thin out and lose weight, gain muscle, and be healthy.  I haven't changed much in my eating.  I am still eating in three's, for the most part, and eating several meals a day.  I feel great, in part to eating right, but also because of Thrive by Le-Vel.  I can't even tell you how much it has impacted my life. 

I have more energy, feel better, don't get the 2 o'clock slump, and have the energy to play with my kids, do the laundry, run, exercise and just live a happier, healthier life.  

What plan are you following?  Do you use supplements or vitamins to help you feel better?

Easy as 1-2-3

So, I don't think I have made this a secret, but I am a Beachbody Coach, although I do not promote Beachbody as much as I do my other business.

Anyway, I do love my TBB programs, and even one that is no longer offered by Team Beachbody (TBB).  I think they are fantastic programs that help a lot of people get into shape, define their physique, and much more.

But something was missing, for me.  I was always tired, felt worn down... Just felt bloated. All.the.time!

So a few weeks ago, I read a book, "Why kids Make You Fat and How to Get Your Body Back" (or something like that).  I jumped in with both feet to the detox phase.  WOW!  I was amazed.  I didn't have the same, ahem, bathroom issues as my friend did, but I definitely felt less bloated.  I ended up loosing 4 lbs (I think that's what it was) but 4.5" all over.  Just in one week.  I know a lot of that was water weight.

I haven't been as good with ignite phase, and in my defense, I was traveling for all of last week.  I did pack a cooler, but it didn't have enough food for dinners, or main protein parts of my lunches.

The book makes it easy.  You eat in 3's...  protein, carbs (fruits/veggies) and good fats, and you eat every 3 hours.  In the ignite phase, you add back grains, but continue to eat in 3's.  So, I have added back grains.  But I haven't been great about the good fats.

Anyway, about the same time as when I started the detox phase, a childhood friend of mine sent me a trial pack of this stuff called Thrive.  WOW!  Not only did I feel pretty good on the detox phase, well less bloated at least, but this stuff... AMAZING!

I have energy to last me throughout the day, without needing coffee or caffeine, my brain fog/forgetfulness is getting so much better, I don't get as frustrated as quickly, and I just feel better, overall.  It has helped another childhood friend of mine with her raw fruit & veggie allergy.  She had a raw peach for the first time the other day.

This product fixes you from the outside in.  Click here to learn more about it.

Weight Loss, Fitness & Self Esteem

I feel like I am continually on the quest for better health, to lose weight and feel good about myself.

I know outward appearances don't matter too much, but I also know that when we feel good about our outward appearance, especially if it coincides with our inner self, we are more confident, which just makes life better.  It makes me happier, not sure about you.

Anyway, so I am always talking about how I eat cleanly, well, most of the time.  No one is perfect, let's be real here.  And I did for a long time.  But my nutrition had gone overboard in the last few months, between cheese, wine, and sugar, I just felt gross.  So I decided to take it into my own hands and change it.

A good friend, if not best friend, found this book and this system.  So I read the book.  It made sense.

The book, "Why Kids Make You Fat and How to Get Your Body Back" by Mark Macdonald, made sense.  I liked what he was saying and I liked what I read about the program.  They, to me, took a real life approach to nutrition.  I do feel like our society is going down a slippery slope.  And I had an unhealthy relationship with food, and wine.  And by the wine part, I mean if I had a trying day, or long day, or the kids acted up, or whatever, I would have a glass or two of wine a night.  I decided I needed to "dry" out.  Don't get me wrong, once I feel better and feel like I am on my way to better health, I will indulge in my favorites, like wine and chocolate.  Sugar was also a big thing for me.  I was eating way too much of it.  So I cut them out... for a week.

So far, it has been a LONG week.  But I have felt better.  My week is up on Sat.

Back to this program.  It is all about eating in 3's... protein, carbs (but good carbs like fruits and veggies) and healthy fats.  Whole foods, good foods, not processed.  So it seemed to fit into what I wanted my nutrition to look like.

One thing I have found, for myself, that I'm not sure it is enough food.  The book says to throw what we all know about calories out the window.  So we aren't counting calories, or macros, but instead eating portion sizes.  This part fits with the 21 Day Fix (affiliate link) that I love so much!  Similarities are that it is recommended to eat every 3 hours, and to eat smaller meals.  Where it differs is that at each meal you are to eat your 3's, but the portion sizes are considerably smaller.

21 Day Fix focuses on eating enough fruits and veggies.  This program says one lean protein (chicken breast, turkey breast, ground chicken breast, ground turkey breast, etc.), one carb (fruit or veggie) and one good fat (nuts, seeds, avocado, etc.).  There are some "free" foods on this program, but they are mostly herbs, and lettuce, spinach, pretty much anything you'd make a salad with.  That's it.  Easy, because meal planning has been easy.  But difficult, because I'm not sure I am getting enough.  Oh and I almost forgot, no caffeine... well if you can do it.  Some people do "detox" off the caffeine.  I personally do not.  But I do miss my morning coffee and all it's horribly delicious chemical goodness.

There are supplements that you are supposed to take.  But you need to read the book to get those and the dosages.

The first two days, I hit the afternoon slump BIG time!  As in falling asleep in my chair, hit the slump.  I am feeling better.

I do not know if I have lost weight, but I definitely feel less bloated, and day by day, I am having less cravings for bad things.

I went out for lunch with my mom yesterday, and had a hard time finding something I would enjoy eating and was on plan.  WOW!  I never really thought about that before.  So I cheated, a bit.  I had whole grain bread.  Oh yeah, did I forget to mention no breads, carbs - like rice, etc, salt or cheese.  All of which I love.

But don't fret, you do slowly add these back in, in the later phases of this nutrition plan.  It is supposed to be an 8 week run for health, which leads you to making a lifestyle change.

So my friend who introduced me to it, lost 12 or 13 lbs in her first week.  Yes, the book acknowledges that this is mostly water weight.  After the first week, you move into the fat burning phase.  You get to add back in other foods, and even a cheat meal, or off plan meal.  And finally the third phase is supposed to be your forever phase, with life happening when it happens.

So she has continued to lose another 2-3 lbs in the last week or two.  She has been on this plan for about 3-4 weeks.  I think it is fantastic that she isn't starving on this plan.  I am... which is why I don't know if it is the exact program for me.  Does this mean I am stopping completely?  No...  I am just modifying it.  And once this first week is over, which is what the book suggests, I will be adding back in exercise.  I have a few races I want to run and am thinking about pursuing a certification for a particular exercise program that I have fallen in love with.

So tell me, what kind of program do you follow?  Do you meal plan?