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!

PiYo Week 1

So I have been doing PiYo for a whole week now. What do I think of it? IT IS GREAT! Granted I have only done a few of the DVD's and I suspect the "easier" ones to get used to it first but so far really so good. There are only a few moves that I really can't do very well due to flexibility and balance and some because my belly is still too big but I have learned to modify them enough to still get a good workout.

-->I have already LOST ONE POUND In 1 Week! And this was the "easy" week of getting to know PiYo! (I have not lost any weight since 3 weeks postpartum)<--

Here are a few observations so far:

~Sweating- I am sweating after every single workout! It feels great to really sweat and know that I am doing work! They are fast moving enough that I am getting a good workout in without dying though and I can really feel the stretch before we move on to the next stretch.

~Stretching- I am feeling the stretch! I am following the cues that Chalene is giving about lifting my tail bone in a certain move or squaring off my hips and I feel the stretch so much more deeply.

~Flexibility- I feel a little more flexible but no splits for me yet! Can't lift my leg very high in the downward dog split.

~Strength- I have felt the most soreness in my arms and shoulders. It is a lot of planks and downward dogs and I have always felt them more in my weakest muscle, my shoulders. But I also have noticed, on Sunday, that they are getting stronger. I was able to go up into a plank instead of a modified plank for 5 whole seconds without my core and arms shaking like a mad person!

I have had less lower back pain this past week and I think that is because my back is finally getting stretched. My chiropractor, who I am seeing every 2 weeks right now, was pleased with my back and hip alignment this past week. Since I had Collin my body wasn't holding the adjustments but this past appointment on Thursday he said that it is doing really well. Hoping to get cleared for every 4 weeks by the next adjustment this week. (I have a massage on Wednesday and will get an adjustment just before.)

So my 1st week review of PiYo is I really like it. It is entertaining. The music is fun. Chalene is great and funny and I can feel a difference in my arms strength wise. I will have another review at 30 days in.

If you are interested in joining me in my journey or in a PiYo challenge group in the next few weeks let me know here! or EMAIL me!!!

July Week 2 Workout Recap

Already over halfway through with July! CRAZY! This week has been crazy. We have my first week on PiYo and Shakeology by Beachbody. Mason turned 3 years old. Collin is 8 weeks old and I am 8 weeks postpartum.

So keeping this purely about my weekly workout recap here I go. The others will be found here later this week. I am so happy to be able to exercise again. Things are going great. Breaking a nice sweat and really feeling my legs, arms and shoulders get nice and sore. Not too sore but a good sore. PiYo has been great. Took it easy to learn all the moves and watch more of the DVD so this week will be a different story. By the end of the week I was feeling stronger in my core and legs and definitely in my arms.

Goals for this week: 

1) Get my food more in control. Follow my nutritionist diet plan that I have and make sure I am eating enough calories! (yes, I need to actually eat more. I am falling under and if it wasn't for Shakeology I think my milk supply would diminish a little but it has been pretty good!)

2) Push harder during my PiYo exercises. Really feel the burn more this week.

3) Work with the hubs to schedule 2 running days during the week. Need to start getting this in if I am going to be running. And to do running this Saturday with the training program. Going to be leaving Collin with Matt so I can do my run!

Workout Recap: 

Sunday: rest
Monday: PiyYo: Alignment
Tuesday: PiYo: Define Lower
Wednesday: PiYo: Define Upper
Thursday: Sweat
Friday: Rest (made a cake and could barely eat it, too sugary!)
Saturday: 1/2 mile walk plus walking around Washington DC, which is actually a lot of walking. Est. about 2 miles.

Total mileage: about 2.5 miles
8 weeks postpartum

Mason IS 3!!!

Out of the terrible 2's to the troublesome 3's, here we come! (actually I think he arrived here a while ago.) So happy to have Mason in our lives! He is our little miracle baby and life is so much fun watching you learn and grow.

This year you have learned to really talk! Now you are counting and using full sentences. It impresses us every single day how much you are learning and growing. Thank you for blessing our lives with your awesomeness! You also became a big brother this year and you are an amazing big brother! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH BUDDY!

This morning was spent opening gifts and playing with the balloons in his room that he woke up to and watching his year in review slideshows. It's so impressive how much he has changed in the last year. Today we have a jammed packed day of going to Bounce-n-Play, playing in the kiddo pool out back and eating an EPIC birthday cake that I am making for him today! Just you wait, it is going to be AWESOME!

Running Tips and Tricks: Clothing

Remember that good ol' saying, "Running doesn't cost anything, just open the front door and go!" Well, that statement is true to a point. It depends on how much you want to pursue running but eventually continuing running will cost something. It is best to be well prepared and as safe as possible and when running often what you are wearing can help you or hurt you.

Shoes: Are a must investment. I am all about pinching pennies and all but when it goes to keeping my body healthy and fewer discomforts when I am exercising than I will spend what needs to be spent. And shoes are the first thing I invest in when running. I can't really say that my running shoes are my most expensive shoe in my closet but they are the most expensive shoe that I wear on a regular basis. (I have gotten my money worth!) Go to an actual running store. Every medium to large city has one. The kind where they actually watch you when you are running or jogging in the shoes that you are trying on. You need the shoe that fits your stride. It makes a difference. It can help you be faster, reduce shin splints, or other aliments that you can get from incorrect shoes support.

Apparel:  This is the next area where I really try to get the right stuff.

Running tops: Make sure that you get the right running tops. I started out exercising in my cotton tanks. I got them from a running store though and wasn't educated on what was the proper top to wear. I bought them originally when I was doing all indoor exercising in an air conditioned facility with a fan blowing on me. I didn't sweat all that much and when I did it was on the way home and time to go. Last summer when I joined the 4 miler training program I wore those tops. (I even raced in them you can see them in my first couple of races the green and yellow tanks.) At the training program they educated us on what not to wear and what to wear. They were right, because of my cotton tank they got saturated in sweat and it was just so hot to wear them. I noticed a HUGE difference when I started to wear teach shirts. Tech shirts wick moisture away from your body and it evaporates so much more easily keeping you cool and dry. They are awesome. One draw back though, they can smell really bad after awhile. When washing follow the label on how to wash. DON'T use fabric softener.

They are more pricy though, check with the local running stores to see if they have any discounted shirts. Sometimes races have extra and might sell them for cheap, cheap just to unload them. So ask around! They are worth the investment though.

~Running Skirts~

Bottoms: Make sure again that you have running bottoms. Shorts that have the fit dry capability that keep you dry and cool are great. There are also super sassy and cute running skirts. The skirts have either a brief or shorts under them or you provide your own shorts. One thing that is a must when running especially in briefs is anti-chaffing cream for your inner thighs or anything that rubs a lot when running. Body Glide is my personal favorite.

Socks: Socks are the next investment. Again you don't want moisture building up where it shouldn't because you are prone to get more blisters due to the moisture and friction rubbing. I used the Thorolo Experia Ultra lightweight socks for my 1/2 marathon and the couple of long runs prior to try them out.

Accessories: A hat for super sunny days is also good to have. Make sure that the hat has perforations in it thought so that your head doesn't overheat. Or a visor (as 80's as it is) is a great thing to try out too. It keeps the sun out of your eyes and some of your face. I also like to wear a headband to keep all stray hairs out of my face! I HATE IT when I have a hair on my face that is dripping sweat and it won't go away. I have tried 3 different non-slip varieties and found that BAMRbands are my fav! I guess I have a funky head shape because all the bands slipped off my head except for the BAMRbands! And Katie, the owner and mastermind, has super cute designs! I am building quite the collection!

Also tutu's are fun to have BUT you must do a run prior to your first race wearing them. Tutu's can be fun but if it is the wrong length it can become annoying because the tulle will get caught between your legs and rub. Janet my fellow pink lady ended up running a race with her tutu pulled up super high because she kept having to pull it from between her legs. Also try not to get the tutu's with glitter on it because they use glue to adhere that glitter on it and it can run and you will get covered in glitter. But they are fun when you get the right length and get used to them. I feel like I am flying sometimes in mine because it bounces so much! RaceJunkie is where I purchased in the past.

Hopefully these tips and tricks help you with your running! 

QOTD: What are your must haves for running? Fav brands? Let me know in the comments!

Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon Sign Up TODAY!

Who's signing up for the 1/2 marathon today??? Not I, said this ginger! Not this coming year at least. I will run it again, at some point but not this coming year. Why you ask? Well, I would love to run in the Disney Wine and Dine 1/2 in November of 2015 and Disney races are a little pricey and require me to save up some money. But for those of you who are going to be signing up today, here is some advice I would love to share with you!

1. Sign up early. IT WILL SELL OUT QUICKLY! This race is becoming more and more popular every year. The more people are doing it the more want to do it. So registration opens at 12 eastern. SET YOU ALARM! And sign up.

2. Pre-decide if you want to run the glass slipper challenge so that you are not sitting and waiting and deciding to do that or not. It is difficult! I was on the fence and decided as I was signing up that it would have been too much for me as it was my first 1/2 marathon. Glad that I didn't sign up for it since I was 29 weeks pregnant!

3. Once you sign up, start saving your money! The race itself is expensive but so is going to WDW! Hotel, the expo, and of course going to the park wearing your medal after you run the race. It adds up and take my advice, don't start saving for the trip in December. Start saving some money now!

4. Do not train for the 15 min/mile that they suggest if you plan on peeing during the race. Or taking pictures with characters. Just don't! Or hold it for the entire 3 hours and 30 minutes it will take to finish. If you are training at the 15 min/mile exactly know that there are natural choke points and you will have to slow down or walk to get through. (Like down main street or going through the castle.) Corrals A-C don't have to deal with this but if you are in Corrals L-O you better believe that yes you will have to slow down! It is just what it is. There are so many people and the bathroom lines and picture lines get so long that you are going to be strapped for time and watching you back for the sweepers. I was running a consistent 14:30 up until mile 10. I had 4 potty breaks. No pictures with characters. I had to walk the last 3 miles because my body was done. I came in over the time limit and everyone behind me was saying, "The sweepers were coming" When we hit the on ramp loop on the way to Epcot. That was the big fear, the sweepers! So decide now what pace you are going to train at and try to train at it and maybe just a hair faster! That's my 2 cents!

5. Have fun! This is a fun race. As hard as it was for me and as frustrated I was knowing that I was going to come in over the recommended time at just 3 miles in because the bathroom lines were so long, I still had an amazing time! It truly was magical. I will never forget the relief that I felt crossing that finish line with my best friend and knowing that I was done and I did it. Still kicking myself for not getting a decent pic of me wearing my finishers medal just after the race. Oh well, something for next time!

But seriously, DO THIS RACE! At least once. IT is amazing to be surrounded by so many strong, and beautiful women (and some men too) running. Looking at our society with how many people are overweight, how many children are overweight and we had 24,000 women running in the race. And they weren't the same 24,000 from the previous year or the other years. Most of the women running are mothers, being a great example to their children of showing their dedication, effort and determination to run in a race that is physically and mentally challenging! Their children appreciate what their mother is doing, and along the way the child will learn that exercise can actually be fun and uplifting but hard work. It is getting our children to be more active when they see their parents being active. Live by example people! That is what we need to do!

Hope you sign up! WELL WORTH IT! Well done RunDisney for providing such an amazing experience! CLICK HERE to go to the registration page!