1 Week Down, 9 To Go!

Week 1 is finished. On to week 2!

Thank goodness that first week is finished. It was killer after taking just over 2 weeks off in-between challenges. My advice: NEVER EVER take that much time off in between workouts and think you will be fine…you wont be. It felt like those workouts were the hardest workouts that I had ever done, and I had done pretty much all of them before in my last challenge.

Thankfully, I got through 4 of the 5 days of workouts. Yes that does mean that I skipped 2 of the 6 work outs that were required but you know what? That is OK. I am easing back into it. I definitely could not have completed all of the workouts. I had one day that I actually fell asleep before my 7-year-old while we were watching TV. I was in bed by 8 that night lol. I also had a very busy weekend. Life gets in the way, and that is OK.

This week I hope to be able to complete all of the workouts. I’m not making any promises, but for now I plan to do them all.

I am also still on track with my meals. Meal prep is the only way for me to be able to eat healthy and really watch what my calorie and carb intake. For now, my lunches consist of 1 salmon filet cooked on the barbecue in a foil packet, 8 asparagus spears, and about 3/4 cup of wild rice blend. I have 3 lunches made so that I can just throw it into my lunch pail the night before and its ready to go in the morning. For breakfasts I am still having greek yogurt and berries. If i’m really hungry I have a hard-boiled egg in there and 1/2 a cucumber cut up. I find that if I don’t pack my lunch or my snacks, I am starving and I go out to eat. Fridays I don’t usually bring a lunch though. That is my day to eat out. 😀

I will post some more of the workouts that I’ve been doing and how difficult or easy I am finding them as I go.

Thanks for reading 🙂

It’s A New Dawn, It’s A New Day, It’s A New Life…and I’m Feeling Good!

I cannot believe how great I feel today. I have energy and motivation to get my work done. I feel like I could go for a run right now and it is only 9 in the morning. This is unheard of for me, ESPECIALLY on a Monday morning.

This weekend was busy and full of running around to get ready for the baby showers and parties that are coming up in the next few weeks. I still managed to get some workouts done, eat healthy, and stay within, or even under, my calorie goals. SWEET! I still allow myself to eat regularly (yes I had leftover Pizza for breakfast one day and I had sausages for dinner one day) I just make sure to be completely honest with myself when putting these foods into my calorie counter. Its working pretty well so far 🙂

On Saturday I made a stupid move. I ate right before my workout. This was a HUGE mistake. We decided to do T25 Ab Intervals that night as well. I only got about 10 minutes into it and had to stop. My stomach was killing me, I felt weak, shaky, and very nauseous. Those supermans were my undoing; laying on my stomach, on the floor, lifting my arms and legs up. Well, needless to say, I threw up about 20 minutes later. 😦 Blech. Lesson learned? Never again will I eat right before a workout.

Sunday’s Sweaty Selfie ❤

Tonight (Sunday) we did Cardio. I DID NOT eat for about two hours before and I was good to go. I made it through the entire workout and felt amazing afterwards. I still have trouble doing all of those squats though. My legs just want to give out! One of my new goals is to make it through an entire T25 Cardio or Speed workout without having to take any amount of breaks while doing squats! I think at the rate I am going that this will be a very manageable goal.

Our 30 day Beach Body Challenge is just about up. My next challenge will begin soon; T25 Focus 10 week program! I am so glad that I started this journey. Starting really is the hardest part! Now I need it. I am craving it! Its crazy really, but I know that this is still just the beginning to the rest of my life.

It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life, and I’m FEELING GOOD!

Never Giving Up

Wow. The last few days have been brutal. I have had no energy, no will power, no motivation at all.

Being silly and sweaty after T25 Cardio on Thursday night

Stacey being silly and sweaty after T 25 Cardio on Thursday night.

We worked out really hard Thursday and Friday. We decided to do T25 Speed 1.0 and Cardio. They are still really difficult for us, but we have definitely noticed improvements. We are able to work harder during the workouts and sweat a lot more. We still plan to work through the rest of the T25 Alpha videos but we will be focusing on the Speed and Cardio videos. We like these two videos the most.

My goal for focusing on Speed and Cardio is to make it through the entire video without taking a break. Currently I am huffing and puffing 5 minutes in. I usually make it about 10 minutes before I have to grab a sip of water or stand for a minute and take some deep breaths. So I want to eventually make it the entire video without MAXING OUT as they call it in Shaun T land :). Stacey’s goal is to make it the entire video without having to modify. I think that is an amazing goal! I wont get there myself with my arthritis (jumping hurts like a B*TCH) but she will definitely be able to accomplish this goal.

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SWEATY SEFLIE! Gave 110% during T25 Speed 1.0 Friday night.

Sweaty Selfie! Literally dripping sweat from working it hard on T25 Speed 1.0 Friday night.

This past weekend I hadn’t felt myself and it was really starting to put a damper on things. I had a bad migraine (possibly due to no caffeine or the fact that my period may want to rear its ugly head) and a horrible stomach ache. So I had no motivation. The motivation that I did have, was spent on housework and meal prep for the week. I really didn’t feel like working out Sunday but I knew that I needed to. I suppose doing a half assed workout is better than sitting on said ass doing nothing right?

We did end up doing Speed 1.0 Sunday night after all. I know that I didn’t put my all into it like I have been but I think that’s OK. I still pushed play right? I worked out anyways. Sometimes that is all we can ask of ourselves.

T25 Speed 1.0. Worked on our speed and stability Sunday night.

Putting on the Pounds

When I first began my fitness journey I told myself that I would be completely honest with myself and this blog. I told you that I was going to be completely honest as well. So I am here to tell you that I have gained 5 pounds back of my 11 pound weight loss.

This weight gain made me a little bit upset at first. How could I have gained 5 pounds in 1 week? Ive worked so hard, pushed myself during my work outs, even doing some workouts by myself. But, in all reality, it is my own fault. It was my birthday weekend. I let myself sit around and do nothing, eat junk, over indulge in drinks, cake, food in general, so I am paying the price.

Do I feel discouraged about gaining 5 pounds? Sure. Some of the weight is from over indulging, but some is from building muscle (or at least that’s what Im telling myself lol). Do I feel guilty that I had a lazy and crazy weekend? Absolutely not. I had so much fun with my family and my girlfriends last weekend that those 5 pounds were worth it. I need to be able to live my life and have fun doing it.

Cant breathe after our T25 Cardio workout.

That being said, I am going to work my ass off this week!

We started back to our workouts full force last night, beginning with T25 Cardio. I dont know why but this cardio video is my absolute favourite of all the videos so far (and let me tell you, I hate cardio).

Still managed to get a smile on our faces after working it hard.

We were on the ball last night. We worked it hard. We were breathing heavy (panthing even) to the point where we could barely speak, sweat was dripping, and our hearts were pounding. There were times that our muscles pretty much gave up (those damn squats Im tellin ya!) and Im not going to lie it was hard as hell, but there was not one moment where either of us stopped moving. I had determination to get this workout done and to work as hard as I could through the entire thing and I did.  I am so proud of how hard we worked, how hard I worked.

Beat after T25 Cardio and lifting.

I was so determined yesterday that I was going to work out hard, that after the 25 minute Cardio I got out my weights and started lifting. I did a bunch of different excersizes to work out my arms as I have barely any muscle in that area. This wasnt necissarily an excersize for weight loss, but I also want to build muscle on this fitness journey and I feel that so far the videos have not helped me in the area of my upper body. Now I will tell you, I CANNOT lift very much. I had two weights weighing 3lbs each (yes only 3lbs each) and I could barely get through 3 reps of 10. Who am I kidding I could barely get through 1 rep of 10! But I lifted for another 25 minutes. I completed 3 reps of 10 for EACH muscle group in my arms/back/shoulders, which I thought was pretty good for the first time lifting :).

I cant wait to do this all again tonight. Maybe some Ab Intervals? Maybe some full body? We will see!

I AM IN

I AM IN.

Those are the three words that have started the ball rolling in the game that will save my life.

Confused? I bet you are. But for me this is the first time I am seeing with clarity.

I am fat. Actually I believe the technical term is ‘Obese’ or even ‘Morbidly Obese’. I am 5′ 7″ and weigh 230 lbs. I have approximately 70 pounds to loose to be at the top of what a doctor considers a ‘healthy weight’ for me.

I am a confidant beautiful woman, do not get me wrong. I am happy with my life. I have an amazing family, great group of friends, and a crazy little girl who has stolen my heart. But I want more. I feel like I deserve more in this life than I am letting myself experience. That I am ABLE to experience because of how heavy I am.

I AM IN.

I AM IN is what I had to say to get in on a 30 day beach body challenge that my coach was offering, for free, to a select few.  The challenge starts Monday and I am terrified.

I am terrified but I am ready! I am ready to take back control of my life. I am ready to work my ass off (or my stomach to be more exact) and get healthy. I know that there is a long road of blood, sweat, and tears ahead of me. I know that it is going to be unbearably difficult and at times I am going to want to give up. But I am done with this life. I am done with saying no to playing with my daughter because I am to tired. Done with getting winded running up a few flights of stairs. Done making excuses.

This is me and….

I AM IN!