Happy 3 Months To Collin

Collin turned 3 months old yesterday! He is getting so big, doesn't help that my arms are always sore from PiYo! He really is developing into a social little bug. He loves to coo and talk and just be super cute. He really likes to lay on the charm with his cubby little smile too!

He is such a great little baby! He did regress a little in the sleep dept. this past month. With the 3 month growth spurt he was waking up at 2am to feed. That only lasted for about a week and we are now back up to sleeping straight from about 9:30/10pm until 4am. Then he eats for about 30 min and is back out until 8am. He loves his afternoon nap and will pitch a fit at about 12:30 to go to sleep and is out until about 3:15. Then I have to feed him to get his belly full before my 2 hour block of teaching so he is a happy quiet baby while I am busy.

Mason really started to show jealousy towards Collin this month. He doesn't like being told to wait to do something or for me to do something for him until I am done feeding Collin. He will come up and growl at me and get angry. But then will just sit down and do something else but he is letting me know he isn't happy. He accidentally kneed Collin in the face this month too as he was climbing around, playing around on the bed when I had Collin laying down. It was an accident and he started crying when he understood her really hurt Collin, since Collin was screaming like a banshee! His hurt cry is so sad and scary sounding. So we are really working hard to give Mason his undivided individual time but also trying to teach him patience. It is something that he needs to learn. He often asks for water while I am nursing and I know he can do it himself he just wants me to do it. But I stick to my guns and ask him to either wait or do it himself. (he ends up doing it himself he just wants attention.) Dividing my attention between the two is being more and more difficult. So we are all learning right now!

PiYo Week 4

This was a great week, a hard week but GREAT! I really am loving the PiYo workouts. I feel so strong but not too sore by the end of them or even the days after. Yes I am sore, but not as sore as I have been after other types of workouts. I really think that the flexibility training along with the strength training helps to keep the muscles stretched without getting tight.

I had 3 brand new to me workouts this week, Hardcore on the floor, Drench and Strength Intervals. Hardcore on the floor, it is the FREE BONUS WORKOUT DVD when you order PiYo through a coach like me. It was hard! Very hard. I think I prefer Core more because I pushed myself and had a hard time doing all the exercise. Drench lives up to its name. I will try to get a pix of me after drench, but this last week it was pretty bad and I had to go and shower pretty quick cause we had things to do. Strength Intervals made me feel like the biggest wuss in the world. I had to pull out of moves so quickly because it was just one right after another and my arms were still sore from the previous days. It was just one of those days I just didn't have it. But I still did it and pushed myself. Plus I think that I over did it in Hardcore on the Floor and my chest muscles have really been biting back at me! But here is the thing, I have room for improvement. And I will improve and I look forward to the day when I can finally do the routines and look back and see how far I have come!

Am I getting more flexible? Somedays I think yes, and somedays not sure. I know that I feel like I am and I feel like I am holding myself better in my core in general. I know that my back doesn't hurt as much and I sit up better when I am nursing Collin so I know that this is definitely helping me.

I will say this that I felt so strong this past Saturday when I did do some running. I felt so stable. My legs felt like they could carry me longer and better and I asked a lot out of them especially with the sprinting I did. My core was engaged and my chest was up and my breathing was on point! I am excited to see what I can really do at the race. Even though I haven't trained for the race as much as I would have liked to have I still know that I can do the race and finish it in a pretty decent time. I am aiming for about the same time I had last year. We shall see.

Would I recommend PiYo? Um, yeah! If you are looking for a low impact but serious strength training and stretching exercise then this is it for you. It really targets areas that I personally want to be stronger, ahem my butt and core oh legs and arms and shoulders. I really does it all. I think it is a gradual change though and I know it will lean out muscles. So if you are interested fill out the form below and LET ME KNOW! Even if you can't be in this PiYo test group I know that I will offer others. Let me your email so I can keep in contact with you!

But if you want to be in this group, let me know now! There are only a few spaces left!

August Week 2 Workout Recap

This was the last week before school starts. Most moms are going to be celebrating this week as their kids go back to school. At least I would be when my kids finally start to go. I guess it is bittersweet but still us mommas need a break sometimes don't we! Anyhew I made sure to really kicked my butt into gear this week. Which I am happy to announce that I DID! 

I stuck to the workouts even though they kicked my butt and I couldn't do everything but I sure worked myself. I have needs improvement on my 2 newest workouts that were added this week: Drench and Strength intervals. I am so excited to gauge my strength changes over the next couple of weeks! 

Life as a mom is keeping me pretty busy. I still haven't added running back into the mix, except for on Saturdays and I am still trying to work out a schedule with my hubs on when I can go to his gym during the week. Or hopefully soon I will be able to go back to my gym and it will be easier to do running! 

Currently I am looking into 1/2 marathon training. I am planning on, I guess kinda sorta, looking at doing a 1/2 next spring and will start my 1/2 training in November. I am going to start training for my 10k here in a few weeks so I am excited about that. Race season, here I come! I do know that I will continue to incorporate leg strengthening exercises/weight training during my training because last time I did that (in 2010) I was able to run longer without my body tiring out. So I will be in full training mode so soon! 

Oh and another thing. I was without Shakeology until Wednesday. I could definitely feel a difference in my body, energy and craving levels when I am not drinking it. I was exhausted, and all I wanted to do was stuff my face of sweets and pastries. Workouts were hard and not and I had to really push to get through the workout. Started drinking shakeology on Wednesday and it really takes about 3 days to get it back in your system and to get that energy kick. IT REALLY IS GREAT STUFF! Note to myself, don't run out again! 

Workout Recap: 

Sunday: Rest

Monday: PiYo Sweat

Tuesday: PiYo Hardcore on the floor

Wednesday: PiYo BUNS

Thursday: PiYo Drench

Friday: PiYo Strength Intervals (only able to do about 1/2 so sore and tired from Drench and Buns)

Life of a Busy Mommy!

This past week was CRAZY in the Allen household! It was my first full week back at teaching, last week it was only a partial teaching week. And to top it off Matt was gone for 4 DAYS! I was by myself with the 2 boys for 4 DAYS! Needless to say it got a little stressful and crazy! Both boys were missing Daddy like crazy and Mace was tired of dealing with just me. I didn't pull any hair out, the house survived and we are all in one piece but man I am so thankful that I have my hubs here to help me with the boys regularly because I need that break in the afternoon to just decompress!

It was so cute when Matt got home. Mason just wanted to hold him and hug him and didn't want to go to bed but we promised lots of playing the next day (which he did) just with daddy! Collin was cooing up a storm just to Matt when he saw him. (Matt got home around 9 pm by the way!) Collin was talking to Matt, like trying to have a conversation with him, telling him everything that he missed while he was gone,  and it was so cute!

So back to normal life now, yay! Coming up this week we have my weekly PiYo recap, Collin 3 month post (I know, already), and Running Tips and Tricks! See ya tomorrow!

Also there is still some room left in the PiYo test group! If you are interested let me know!!! Make sure you JOIN my team here!

PiYo Week 3 RE-DO

Now that I have officially redone week 3 I can talk about it! OH MY OH MY How much do I love BUNS! It was awesome! I was sore from the bowlers move for 4 days. 4 DAYS PEOPLE! I haven't been that sore from working out in forever and that is going back to my first week with my personal trainer where he literally kicked my butt and pushed me to my max to see where we start from! But yeah, I felt it like crazy in my thighs for 4 days. Then core the next day, oh boy! IT WORKED ME HARD AND GOOD!

The only workout last week I didn't do is the strength interval on Saturday. My legs were toast after still be sore from BUNS and also from my run with the training program that morning and trying to keep up with MJ! Now she is an inspiring woman who makes me want to push harder every single day! 80+ lbs down and still rocking it in the weight loss dept! LOVE HER and so glad I met her!

Anyhew I am also noticing that I am more flexible. During some after workout stretching I was able to reach further and my legs spread more apart without killing my hamstrings. I totally need my hamstrings looser! I love it when Chalene tells us to lift our tail bone or pop a hip out here or there. I feel the stretching so much more deeply.

Also this was my first week that I kept plank up during the whole routine. I only dropped onto my knees when going to Chaturanga because I am still working on getting my tricep pushup. OUCH! 

I am going into the final week of the first half of PiYo this week and super excited. I got to start it off with SWEAT last night, had to wait for the kiddos to be in bed. But after this week, it gets more difficult I assume because Define upper and lower is gone and it goes into DRENCH and SWEAT a ton! 

---Beginning August 25 I will be hosting a Exclusive PiYo test group on Facebook! Let me know if you are interested in joining my team and group!!! Leave a comment, msg me, email me or click here and click JOIN TEAM! 

RIP Robin Williams

Such sad news on the passing of a great comedian! Robin Williams. He was in so many movies that I really enjoyed watching over and over again! Robin Williams, may you find peach and happiness since you brought so much happiness to so many. You will be missed.

~Mrs. Doubtfire~

~ Aladin as The Genie~

 ~Hook~

 ~Jumanji~

 ~Night at the Museum~

PiYo Test Group

Ok, you have all seen me post about PiYo over the last few weeks! What do you think? Would you want to try it out too??? Guess what!?! You can! I'm going to be hosting an exclusive (meaning like 5 people only) PiYo test group in 2 weeks through Facebook!!!

~What is PiYo? It is a fusion between Pilates and Yoga while being a cardio work out. You are always moving so you are burning calories all the time!

~What benefit will I get from PiYo? A sweating cardio workout, every time! flexibility, flexibility and more flexibility!

~Can it really help me? Sure can. Are you a runner like me? Well it will help to loosen up your almost always tight hamstrings. It will strengthen your core  and it will give you the strength workout using your own body weight that we need to make us stronger.

~I have bad knees or wrists can I still do this? YES! Every move has a modification to it. You wrists will get stronger every week, I had weak wrists before and they are doing great!

~Can I actually lose weight? YES YOU CAN! Because it is a cardio workout you are burning a ton of calories. AND When you pair it with Shakeology you will lose even more, plus combat those cravings and get all the vitamins you need in a day!

~I don't have time to work out. YES YOU DO! Most of the workouts are 25 min or less! You don't need hours worth of exercise because of the power moves you are doing and you are constantly moving (you can drop to a rest position at any time to recover thought) so you are burning a ton of calories!

SERIOUSLY PEOPLE! PiYO is AMAZING! I love it. It is a ton of fun and as a nursing mother I have had no back pain since about a week into the program because my core is tightening up. I have been more flexible and my hamstrings are not as tight as they were. My muscles have been sore though because I am working them but seriously this is a great workout. I am on my 4th week this week and will have pictures posted next week, but I am losing more and more inches every week! I feel better in my clothing! Please think about this, let me know if you have any questions because this program is truly awesome! Click here for more info on PiYo and send me an email with more questions or to reserve your spot! connectthedotsginger@gmail.com

August Week 1 Weekly Recap

Another week down and it was even my first week back to teaching! So it was a busy, big week for me. I teach private music lesson out of my home and during my lessons on Tuesday, Collin slept the whole time in his swing and part of the time in the swing during my Friday lessons. He did pretty well, but I only had 3 lessons this past week and this coming week is a full schedule, and Matt is out of town, OY! so we will see how it goes with having a babysitter and all.

This weeks workout went really well. I did a re-do of my weekly workout for PiYo since I missed so many the previous week and I did very well this week! My legs were sore from the Buns workout for 4 days! CRAZY! Just finding the time is the hard part. My goal this past week was to wake up early to exercise and I couldn't. Collin starting waking up in the middle of the night to feed and I have been an exhausted zombie mommy all week so waking up at 5 am when Mace and Collin were sleeping in till 7:30 didn't work. Thankfully they both go down for Mommy quiet time at the same time so early afternoons are working.

Workout Recap: 
Sunday: Rest
Monday: PiYo: Lower
Tuesday PiYo BUNS
Wednesday: PiYo Core
Thursday: PiYo Upper
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 3ish mile run (ran with the training program today sans Collin so I really got to get out there! Wasn't consistent running as I was stopping to help cheer ladies on their runs but I joined some ladies and ran with them, double backed and joined other ladies and so forth. It was pretty cool and I was was pretty worn out. Ran back in with M and she KILLED ME! I was running at a faster pace than I am used to which is good and we were working on hills!

Friday's 5: What NOT To Do For A Race!

Hey, hey everyone! Today is my first time doing a Friday 5. So here are 5 things on what NOT to do for a race! SERIOUSLY Learn from me. Now this post is for everyone. If you have never run in a race, READ IT and if you have run in a race before, go ahead and laugh at what I learned because chances are you have experienced these before! Just saying'!

1. DO NOT forget to apply BODY GLIDE to anywhere that rubs. That means under clothing seams at the waist, under the sports bra, between your thighs and your feet. Rubbing causes friction. Which will cause blisters or chaffing. It is not fun trying to finish a race with a massive blister on the verge of bursting, or has already burst or major chafing going on. IT HURTS!

2. DO NOT shave your inner thighs or higher, you know what I am talking about, the night before a race or the morning of the race! I REPEAT! DO NOT SHAVE! Just don't even shave. Make it a plan that you will shave  a couple of days before. Here is why. FRICTION plus razor burn! Worse than just chaffing. The morning of my 1/2 marathon I made this mistake. I shaved my upper thighs, not that they needed it but I thought it would be more "slippery" when I applied my body glide and be better. IT WAS WORSE And it hurt and I dealt with the chaffing for days afterwards.

3. DO NOT forget to use the bathroom just before you enter your corral for the start line. If you have a long wait ahead of you, ahem Disney races, then wait as long as you can to go before you have to go in the corral. Other wise you will be like a lady in the Disney Race that has to go within the first 80 ft and uses her friends as a shield so she can go in the bushes off the side of the road. Or like my friend K who had to use the bathroom by the 1st mile. Stay hydrated but make sure you empty your bladder as close the the beginning of the race as possible.

4. DO NOT attempt to run in a race in something you have never run in before. You do all this training before a race and you learn what clothing works and how your shoes fit and you are comfortable. Don't mess with that mojo on race day and run in a tutu for the first time without ever trying it out before or a costume you have never worn around the house, or in BRAND NEW SHOES. You already know what works so stick with it, don't change the gameplay at the last minute because you could end up with chaffing, or blisters or a broken ankle. Stick with what you know works!

5. DO NOT forget to have fun. Soak in all the sights, sounds, and excitement that the beginning of a race and the feeling of running a race can give you. It is ok to get teary eyed when you cross the finish line of your first race, first 1/2 marathon or even if it is your 20th race. YOU ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING that many people think is the impossible! It isn't and you showed that if you could do it, they can! We need to work together to end this obesity epidemic. It is out of control in our country. YOU KNOW IT IS and that is why you took this first step to sign up for a race, train for it and FINISH IT! You are amazing and so awesome! ENJOY YOUR RACE!

Avengers Assemble! RunDisney 1/2 Marathon

RunDisney released the medal images of the Disneyland Avengers 1/2 marathon! Spinner ALERT! Disney is sure having fun with the spinners lately! They are cool! What do you think? Are you going to be part of the Avengers this year in the inaugural race?

Collin's Baby Pictures

We just received the proofs for Collin's baby pictures. He was 10 days old when these were taken. He is not this small anymore and I miss it but I sure do love the little guy he is becoming! He loves to smile and giggle and coo like crazy. Also loves to stand. He fusses unless he is standing. But enjoy these cute pix of some of my favs!

PiYo Week 3

This week got away from me. Life got in the way. And that is okay! Life happens. Crappy things in life happen and we all have to deal with it. But the thing is not to give up. It is to keep going. So for me, I am going to re-do Week 3 in PiYo because I missed 2 brand new workouts. I did my normal ones, the Define upper and Lower that I have done every week but I didn't get a chance to do Buns, Core or Strength Intervals. So WEEK 3 Re-Do will be up next week.

The big thing though, I AM NOT GIVING UP! I AM STILL DOING THIS! So If you are interested in reading about the week 3 workout for PiYo, come back next week!

Interested in trying out PiYo? Click here!

Running Tips and Tricks: Music

I love music! I wouldn't teach it if I didn't love it. There is always a constant hum of sound around us and sound is classified as music. There is even a piece of music where a pianist just sits on the bench and allows the sound all around him to be the music. The people coughing out of discomfort waiting for him to pay, the hum of the air conditioning the outside noise that seeps in. Even our body has it's own beat and pattern with our heartbeat. Anyhew, music history lesson over. 

With that being said about music all around us. Music when working out and exercising can be a driving force to challenge us and push us to that next level. If there is a slower song playing than our run will gradually meet the beat that is playing and slow down, and just is the same as the opposite. Fast singer = faster pace. My friend recently wrote that she went to a spin class and was disappointed in the instructor because there was a great song on but didn't use the song to the best of its ability in keeping the beat or pushing the group to go harder and faster at the peak of the song. I am sure you know what I mean. Have been there. When a great song comes on and you just push yourself a little harder because that song pumps you up!

On your iPod or MP3 player, do you have your own workout playlist? I do. I already mentioned my 5 top running songs here. Jog.fm has actual pace per mile songs that you can pace your run to. HOW COOL IS THAT! Just put in the pace you want to run (12 min mile in my case) and BAM there were enough songs listed for 9 hours and 33 minutes! You can even listen to the song and it tells you where you can get it, i.e. iTunes or Amazon. Pretty neat.

Jog.fm says, "Studies have shown that listening to music during exercise works wonders on the mind and body. Not only can it improve results by acting as a motivational tool AND as a distraction from fatigue, but it can help improve lung function and it might even make you smarter." 

Time to organize my playlist on my iPod to 13 min mile and 12 min mile pace songs. New project, YEA! 

July Week 5 Workout Recap

This past week really took a tole on me and my workouts! I am actually thinking about "redoing" this week workout wise. Setting myself backwards one week because it just didn't happen. ARGH! The thing is though, it didn't happen because of life. My life got in the way. Which is ok. We all deal with unexpected changes in our life and we just keep moving. The good thing though is that I was still active. I spent Tuesday evening filling hundred of nail holes in the house we are trying to sell and Wednesday (10 hours) painting said house. Friday I was so sore I took a break because I pushed through the soreness of my legs on Thursday and did Define lower. Friday I hit a wall and my whole body was toast. And I was supposed to do a double workout to make up for the Tuesday and Wednesday I missed. And yesterday I just didn't get a moments rest to do my workout. So like I said, life got in the way and we are in a new week which means a week to improve. So here is for a REDO week and kill it!

Workout Recap- 
Sunday: Rest
Monday: PiYo Define: Upper
Tuesday: rest from working out but spent 4 hours filling nail holes
Wednesday: rest from working out but spent 10 hours paining
Thursday: PiYo Define: Lower (felt good after bug ouch later)
Friday: rest
Saturday: rest

Goal for the week: To work out early in the morning to get it done before life catches up with me!

Happy 2 Months to Collin

Sorry this is so late, 2 weeks to be exact! But here is my little guy at 2 months old! CRAZY that it is already over 2 months. Time really does go by so quickly and because he is such a great baby I wish that time would just slow down! 

 So Collin is an amazingly great baby! He is so easy. He doesn't really cry, but when he does it is either a little whimper or it is his "SUPER PISSED OFF" cry! He loves to smile now and is starting to belly laugh.

 He gives his Momma and Daddy 8+ hours a night straight. He starts crying for food at 8pm and is out cold by 9 and won't make a sound until about 5 or 6. He loves to watch his big brother whenever he is around. And loves to make coos and all super cute sounds. Even his farts are cute at this point!

 He really does look so much like Mason it is scary sometimes but he is definitely a different demeanor. Such a laid back baby! I sure do love this kid so much. I am so thankful that I am his mommy! Such a miracle and such a blessing!

RunDisney Pixie Dust Challenge

RunDisney just announced TODAY a new 10k challenge to add to the POPULAR Tinker Bell 1/2 Marathon called the Pixie Dust Challenge! I am planning someday to run this race. I can't wait to see what the medals look like, which I will be posting here when they are announced!

Mark your calendars because registration opens and will probably close on AUG 12!



Speaking of MEDALS! RunDisney also announced the 2014 Wine and Dine 5th Anniversary SPINNER MEDAL you can get this year! Super awesome! 2015 W&D Here I COME!

Vega Sport's Electrolyte Hydrator Review

A Couple of weeks ago I was give the opportunity through Sweat Pink to try out Vega Sport's Electrolyte Hydrator as part of their #fuelyourbetter campaign. I was super excited to try this out because I have never tried Vega products before and am always up to try new things that help keep me hydrated and are ok to use while nursing! 

Since I am not familiar with the Vega brand, I checked out their website and all of their products are plant based, gluten free and non GMO. They have many products for sport and also for everyday use. They have smoothie mixes, energy bars, things to use to help prep for exercise, to use during and after exercise to help with recovery, and many, many more products. All their products are good for you and for the environment so I be sure to check them out!

As a nursing mom it is so important for me to remain hydrated so that I can feed my son efficiently. I am drinking a TON of water every day. Drinking plain old water can get boring. The Vega Sport Electrolyte Hydrators are individually wrapped so no measuring needed to get the right amount and it is easy to pour into a 16 oz water bottle, shake it up and I'm ready to go. Love how convenient it is and easy for this busy momma of 2! And zero calories, so it is great that it won't add to my calorie count when I am trying to stay as fit as possible and try to lose this baby weight safely! 

Per Vega's website:

A natural, alkaline-forming drink mix, free from sugar and artificial sweeteners, Vega Sport Electrolyte Hydrator is formulated with all the essential electrolytes your body needs to stay hydrated during workouts.  

With zero calories per serving, Electrolyte Hydrator tastes great, so you can sip it not just during your workout, but throughout the day to: 

Replenish electrolytes and minerals
Enhance metabolism and alkalinity
Provide antioxidant protection

It's Available in Lemon Lime and Berry flavors.

I received the Berry flavor and it mixes well with the recommend 16 ounces of water. I choose to sip all day long, since I need the contestant hydration. I enjoyed the taste, it is a little more sweet than I was expecting and tastes similar to other water flavoring options available however this has the added benefit of electrolyte balancing. This would be great to have in one of my running drinks to help sustain my longer runs! I think it's great! 

QOTD: How do you fuel your better? Tag #fuelyourbetter, #vegasport, @SunKissedBecky on Instagram! 

Disclaimer: Although this product was given to me, all opinions are my own.

PiYo Week 2

I just finished my second full week of PiYo Monday! YEA for working out 7 days last week. 6 days were PiYo! I am sure feeling it though this past week. This is the week where my body was screaming at me to stop because it was working so hard. I pushed myself a little harder and tried to stick the positions longer. My arms were shaking, my legs were shaking and I have gotten better with some of the exercises. I have learned to modify them to fit my body while still getting a great workout.

My shoulders though are super weak! I had to drop my arms quite a bit this week to let them rest for just a second. But when I felt that need to drop them I held it 2 seconds longer just to strengthen them and show my body who is boss! So my goal for this week is to keep my arms up longer, to strengthen my shoulders more. Also to spend more time in a regular plank. I tried each day to try holding a plank position at least 1 time. Time to increase it to 2. (Maybe this is the real reason why my shoulders are so SORE!)

Core was AMAZING! BY THE WAY! I really enjoyed the core workout. And I felt it the next day in my obliques, just below my ribs. It was amazing but OUCH! So I really look forward to doing core 2 TIMES this coming week, plus we throw in BUNS!

Adding a new section this week with showing how much weight I have lost and inches lost. I will do this ever 2 weeks.

Weight Lost: 0
Inches Lost: 6.25

BTW!!! Today, JULY 31 is the LAST day to get the PiYo Challenge Pack at a discounted sales price plus you will get a free EXTRA CD! CLICK HERE TO GET IT TODAY!

July Week 3 Workout Recap

~So in love with these two!~

One more week done in July and only one more week left to go. Sad to see this month ends, as I am in the final days of maternity leave. I begin teaching again soon. I love teaching, but I also love staring at my babies all day long and playing. I am super excited to see how much my students have changed in the last 3 months and excited for them to meet Collin as most haven't met him yet.

This past week has been a great one for me workout wise. I am still going strong with PiYo, and it is still kicking my butt! I will give my week 2 recap of PiYo later this week!

I also did a great speed walk with Collin on me on Saturday. My legs were screaming at me yesterday for it though. I am going to try to incorporate a daily walk into my routine. I should be able to walk, and that way I am still getting my mileage in. I have yet to start running because other things have come up but my plan is to start running in August on a regular basis. (Which was my plan all along, funny how things happen that way)

Workout Recap: 
Sunday: Double Duty Routine. PiYo: Define Upper and Lower
Monday: PiYo: Sweat
Tuesday: PiYo: Define Lower
Wednesday: PiYo: Core- spent 4 hours cleaning rental house to sell
Thursday: PiYo: Define Upper
Friday: PiYo: Sweat
Saturday: 2.5 mile speed walk

Total Mileage: 2.5 miles
9 weeks postpartum

Shakeology, I LOVE YOU!

 

So I am convinced, truly convinced, that this stuff is MAGIC! It's been 2 weeks that I have been on Shakeology and I LOVE IT! Here's why:

I have lost 2.5 lbs in 2 weeks. I am not starving at all! I FEEL GREAT! I don't have to take a nap anymore during the day because I have energy to get me through the day. I don't crave candy, sugar, sweets, or salty foods. I have had an increase in my milk production (not that you are going to start producing milk if you drank it, but I am getting the things my body needs to make more beneficial milk for my little guy!) And I feel like I am cheating on my "diet" because I get to have a yummy chocolate shake!

So I hadn't lost any weight since 3 weeks postpartum. I actually gained weight because my milk came in and stabilized, so I was stuck at 3 lbs above my pre-pregnancy weight for this pregnancy for 5 weeks. I know that doesn't seem so bad, but I have some weight to lose and I want to do it in a healthy way so that I can still provide the food that my son needs. It is really hard to find that line of eating too little and eating too much. But I have finally found it and it is with drinking a meal replacement shake! I don't know about you but have you ever done Slim-fast? I have. I have done it with tons of exercise, without exercise, and just to help maintain. Well with Slim-fast I was always starving. I felt hungry because I wasn't getting everything that my body needed. And about 1 time every 2 weeks I would binge on sugars and things that my body needed to replenish itself. No joke, but I have not had the urge to go binge eating in the last 2 weeks. I don't crave sugar or sweets or salty things anymore. (THAT IS HUGE FOR ME!) I crave clean food. Simple food. Chicken, eggs, fruit, butternut squash soup with amazing spices in it that I don't know what they are cause we get them from our favorite Afghan restaurant but it is clean food! I still can't eat salads, they make me gag, but I can eat other veggies and I plan on adding kale to my shakes this week to get more of the yummy goodness in my body.

~LOVE This commercial with Tony Horton!~

Matt, my husband, has been on Shakeology for the past week and he is enjoying it too. He has lost 5 lbs! SAY WHAT!?! I am so jealous! This is a guy who has been complaining for over a year because he couldn't lose weight and was too close a number he didn't ever want to be near and has now lost 5 lbs in 2 full weeks! SO UNFAIR! But, here's why. He is eating clean food. He is exercising hard everyday or almost everyday, doing an hour of cardio or weight training or cardio and weight training. He is eating the right portions too. but he also is eating pizza, and popcorn on a regular basis. He doesn't crave it he just likes to eat it and he is still losing weight! SO UNFAIR, I say again! So combining Shakeology with some serious exercise is a must!

That's 2 of us drinking Shakeology a day. We are not eating out as much and saving money and that is how we can afford to do this. Our purse strings are pretty tight right now because we are trying to sell our other house and that means we are paying 2 mortgages. My families health is so important that to me that we are making this work. If you really want to commit to yourself and lose the weight you find a way to make it happen. That's all it comes down to. Anyone can do this you just have to commit to it.

The stuff is awesome, I love it and am so glad that my friend Janet told me about it. If you have any questions about it, leave a comment, send me an email, just contact me because it really is that amazing and I can help you get it!

QOTD: Have you ever tried another kind of meal replacement? Have you heard of Shakeology before? 

Exercise, Eat, Ignore, You

I saw this on Facebook this past week and fell in love with it! Seriously this just defines me right now in my life.

EXERCISE: I will never, ever be skinny. My BFF she will, and my BFF from high school was and still is skinny. I was never skinny in High school and I will never be skinny now. But I can be fit. That is what I want, to be fit and healthy.

EAT: I have been learning and trying to eat to nourish my body. I still can't get greens down for the life of me. Seriously, I gag on anything green unless it is hidden in something else. A salad, nope can't even get them down. I think I had 5 bites and I almost threw it back up, but I am making smart choices in what I do eat, trying to follow the nutrition plan that was made for me by my nutritionist a couple years ago. A nursing plan that allows me to eat enough calories but still produce milk for Collin. Plus with Shakeology, I know that it is super healthy for me! It has super foods and minerals and vitamins in it that I don't normally get. It tastes great and has everything that I need to fuel my body, and I don't have to think about that meal for the day. It is done!

IGNORE: Ignore those naysayers. The ones that say, nope you can lose the weight. I personally don't have any naysayers because I have done it before but the one voice I do need to ignore is my own sometimes. Yep, I doubt myself and my ability to actually lose the weight again. I want to lay on the couch with Collin and watch Fringe re-runs and be lazy, but I also want to be here for them for as long as possible. I want to run after them, ride bikes with them, and most of all play with my grandchildren. I want to be healthy for them. All my children and their children, and if I live long enough their children. So I am constantly working on my own mind that I have lost the weight before I can totally do it again!

YOU: I am worth a lot more that I realize and I am learning that. I have 2 children who rely on my me. Love me and I have a lot to teach them, lead them, help develop them into great young men who respect their bodies, and want to be healthy. And someday when I have a little girl, for her not to ever hate her body or size and appreciate how beautiful she is. And to have enough respect to take care of it and protect it. I am a mother! I have such an amazing job of raising the next generation and I will honor my "job" by being the best example for my kids as possible and that means to be healthy and stick around as long as possible!

QOTD: What was the first thing you thought about when you read the quote above? 

Who's Supporting Who?

I seriously love this! Being a military wife I am so impressed with the actions of all involved with this act of kindness. The race benefits the Pat Tillman Foundation which provides scholarships to military veterans and their spouses. So the runners were supporting military families and a vet was supporting the runners! Win, win in my opinion! Way to go runners, you did good!