Ultimate Reset, Reflections on Day 2

Day 2 went really well!  I haven't cheated one bit, and I have been 100% committed to the process. Last night was tricky because I made the kids French toast for dinner.  R didn't finish much of hers, and when I went to clear her plate, the powdered sugar was calling to me.  Yet, I didn't cave.  I said to myself, "Don't eat that. It will not get you to your goals."  I succeeded!!  I feel such a sense of accomplishment: it's snacking on the kids' stuff is what got me where I am.  Not eating their food needs to become a long term habit.

I am not someone who does something halfway, and this applies to eating.  I wanted to learn to run long distances, so I trained and rain a marathon (3 actually).  I wanted to learn more about French and language acquisition, so I got a Ph.D. in it.  I enjoyed working with Beachbody products so much, so I became a coach.  "Halfway" is not in my personal dictionary.  For all of the above things, going full tilt is GREAT.  When it comes to eating poorly, this can be a very bad thing.  When I'm in my funks, I tend to say to myself about the kids' food, "Oh this one bite won't hurt."  Trouble is, that single bite leads to a full meal of snacking.  I go from their food, to the cabinets, to the fridge, and repeat the cycle.

After completing this Reset the first time, I developed post-Reset rules for myself, namely "No drinking alcohol at home." And, I almost NEVER drink alcohol at home anymore.  I work well with rules, which is why the Reset works so well for me.  Tell me to do something, or not to do it, and I'll do it (or not do it).  So, I believe that my next rule needs to be, "Do not eat the kids leftovers."  If I do, it opens up a Pandora's box of crud.  I can ruin an entire day of being attentive to my nutrition in just a few bites.  So, it appears that this rule needs to be added to my list.  I have every reason to believe that I will stick to it, because that's how I roll.  ;-)

I love that I am learning so much about myself and my behaviors & habits this time through.  I love that I am reflecting on not just WHAT I am eating but WHY I am eating it.  It is time to kick these habits to the curb!

Onward and upward to Day 3!

Ultimate Reset, Reflections on Day 1

I triumphed over Day 1.  It was a great day.  I had to remind myself several times not to eat animal crackers or the kids' leftovers.  I did it, though.  I managed to begin the transformation process: redefining my relationship with food, recommitting to clean eating, reconnecting to the joy in life.

I realized this morning, the beginning of Day 2, that I already feel so much better.  For the past few months, I have not been feeling right. I've been on edge and certainly not enjoying my days, and I haven't been sleeping well at all. This morning I woke up feeling ready to tackle the day.  The kids woke up REALLY early and instead of being annoyed at their incessant bickering and clamoring for my attention, I smiled and thought, "Wow. I am so grateful."  I remember mornings years ago when it was just Shannon and me.  All we wanted was to add to our family.  When it was clear that it wasn't going to happen the way we thought, I felt so sad, so lonely, and just longed for the busy mornings that I remember from my childhood at my house.

These are the memories I find again.  When I am not busy obsessing over my food, my weight, or my unfortunate food choices these past few months, the happy memories come flooding back to me.  I focus on the positive. Instead of being upset that my kids woke up too early, I see them for the beauty that they are--these amazing little creatures who came in to our lives and truly made our lives whole. If this is what 21 days of clean eating and detoxing will give me, I will gladly take it, and I will DEFINITELY continue the process.

Part of the reason I am keeping this blog is to remember the process, to remember the feelings of triumph, of doing the right and healthy thing for my family and for me.  I want to enjoy these days with my kids and my husband, and it appears that the way to do that is through nutrition.  Who woulda thunk it?

Ultimate Reset, Day 1: The scale

Today is Day 1 of the Ultimate Reset for me.  I am REALLY excited to get going on this amazing 21 day clean eating & detox program.  I have done it a number of times in the past year, and I love the results.

Part of the program is to weigh yourself, take your measurements, and before pictures on Day 1.  I weighed myself this morning, and OMG! I'm REALLY annoyed at myself.  Since I did the program last (July 2014), I've gained 10 pounds.  There, I said it.  It always amazes me how LONG it takes to lose weight and how quickly it goes back on.  Holy cow.

Even before I weighed myself, I knew that I had gained weight.  All of my clothes are tight.  After doing the program the first time in April 2013, I lost 14 pounds and 9.5 inches.  In an effort to tell and show myself that I would NEVER gain that weight back, I donated all of my "fat" clothes.  Now, I REFUSE to buy new ones at a larger size, because I KNOW that I can take it off and get back to a healthy place.

Where I find myself now is SO FRUSTRATING.  To move forward, though, I will have to let go of the frustration. I will have to start clean (no pun intended) TODAY, acknowledge that I've gained weight, think about how it happened, and then vow to take every day as it comes. I find myself already panicked about Day 22, the day after the program comes to an end.  Should I continue to follow the program beyond the 21 days? Probably not.  The experts at BB suggest 21 days for a reason, and I should listen to them.  Should I slowly enter back in to the "real" world of eating? That seems like a better solution.  Should I get back to the 21 Day Fix and its workouts? Yes!  Definitely.

This time around, my focus is going to be on the mind-body-nutrition connection.  This seems like it's the last piece of the puzzle for me.  I am SUPER successful on this program.  Then, I get back to my old ways, and I don't know why.  I feel SO GREAT on this plan.  I have tons of energy; I am happy that I am focusing on my health and wellness, and I find myself REALLY happy.  Always REALLY happy.

And, who doesn't like going in to their closet without wondering what will fit?!  Time for that to stop. Please continue reading and feel free to make a comment.

Breakfast, Day 1: 2 scrambled eggs, 1 1/2 cups steamed spinach, and whole wheat toast.  See? I'm NOT kidding: good food, WHOLE food.  I CAN do this.

Day 17: It's been a week???

I can't believe it's been a week since my last post.  WOW! Time flies.

This past week has been filled with a lot of ups and downs.  The ups have come in the form of less bloating, reconnections with my favorite Ultimate Reset foods (sweet potato, anyone?), clothes that are no longer tight, and a generally brighter attitude about where I am on my health and wellness journey. The downs have come in the form of caving to some sweets (s'mores, anyone?), snacking once or twice off of the kids plates, and an occasional bad attitude about the aforementioned infractions.  I let go of the s'more infraction right away.  It was good and yummy and gooey.  Three of my favorite adjectives. However, that small taste of s'more seemed to have opened the floodgates to a few more infractions.  In my normal life, these would not be infractions. I don't eat or live that way.  I track my food, do my workouts, drink tons of water, and I indulge on a regular basis for life is meant to be enjoyed. However, these 21 days are VERY strict and are about reconnecting with old habits or beginning new habits.  So, for these 21 days, there really is no wiggle room.   I wiggled.  A lot.  What to do, what to do?

My options were:
1)  I could bag the whole thing and quit.  For those of you who know me, you know that "quit" is not in my vocabulary, so this option was clearly not actually an option.
2) I could just get back on the program and not beat myself up.
3) I could just get back on the program AFTER beating myself up.
4) I could whine and moan about how this program is so hard.

There are other options, I'm sure, but these were the first ones to come to me.  I am happy to say that I chose #2 with about 3 minutes option #3 mixed in (the beating up passed very quickly).  Once the moments were done, I moved on.

My results may not end up being as wonderful as I had wanted them to be, but that is ok.  The point is that I have reconnected with my healthy habits and foods, and I am feeling really good.  So far, during week 3, all is well.  I have just 4 more days to go.  I am looking forward to them.

Onward and upward.

Day 10: Living the dream

As I sat yesterday with my hunger pangs, I began to think about all of the people in the world who have NOTHING to eat or drink.  The other day I watched the kids at the local pool play with the water and the shower near the sandbox.  They take the endless water for granted.  They press the button, the water comes out, and they walk away while the water is still running. I don't think that they realize that water is a precious commodity around the world, something that is in short supply in many areas of the world.  More often than not if there is water, it is contaminated.

It's the same with food.  We are blessed to have an abundant supply.  While watching the kids at the pool I noticed that they (seemed) to take it for granted: go to the snack counter, ask for something, put down your money, and voilà, there's your food.  Let me say: There is NOTHING wrong with this way of being.  I do not expect 10 year olds to wonder about the rest of the world as they go to buy an ice cream cone.  It would be great if they did, but I would never expect that from a kid.  My only point is that these observations gave way to thoughts about my own relationship with food.

As I worked through my pangs of hunger, I realized that the pangs would disappear as soon as I had my snack of blueberries and an apple.  If kids around the world can live for days without food (they can, but that's not to say that they SHOULD), I can go a few hours without snacking.  Yesterday's afternoon reflections gave me great pause and an amazing sense of, "Hey, this is NO BIG DEAL."  I sit here now, and I am grateful for the food in my cupboards and my refrigerator and, though the hunger pangs have begun again, I'm fine.  I am not worried, and I am definitely not stressed about where my snack will come from.  Today, my perspective has changed.  I am not hungry.  I am blessed.

Onward and upward!

Day 8: 1/3 done

Doing the Reset this time around has been really challenging.  I have been feeling VERY hungry which is unusual with this program.  I have not been snacking and have been following the program almost to a T (I confess that I had a nibble of a chocolate chip cookie yesterday).  Normally when I do this program, by day 8 (today), I am completely fine, in to the program, and not fighting to stay away from the pantry.  Days 1-today have been rough.  Not snacking, not nibbling the kids' food (which is my BIGGEST food challenge)... it's all been very tough to battle.  Part of the reason for the battle, I think, is that I am home for the summer.  I usually do the UR during the school year when I am busy and running from pillar to post.  Now that it's summer, I am home ALL THE TIME.  Sometimes I feel like the pantry is calling my name.  And, frankly, other than a bag of chocolate chips for baking (sure, that's what I tell myself), there is really nothing unhealthy in there.  The problem is none of it is on the 21 day program.

For this second week, I will focus on keeping all of us busy, staying outside when possible, doing more yoga and more walking, and reminding myself why I'm doing this.  I will also focus on what I DID accomplish during week 1:

1) Going to a MLB tailgate and NOT drinking anything but water & eating my pre-prepped salad and fruit;
2) Not quitting all together;
3) Drawing strength from the last time I did the UR in February when our dog died very suddenly. I keep telling myself if I can do it during that time of my life, I can keeping doing it now.
4) Keeping this blog to stay accountable;
5) Following the program as it is written;
6) Not complaining about it.  When people say, "Oh this must be SO HARD!" I reply, "No, it's all good. It's only 21 days, and I have BIG goals."  I am staying positive.

#40 is 14 days away!  Holy crap.  Where did the first 40 go? The idea of this birthday brings tears to my eyes, not because I am going to be 40, but because I seriously cannot believe this much time has passed in my life.  I look back and feel like my 13th birthday was just the other day.  Crazy.  Scary.

Onward and upward!

Day 3 is the hardest, so they say...

I am on Day 3 of the Ultimate Reset (UR).  This clean eating and detox journey is ALWAYS extremely productive for me.  Though I have to take a break from intense exercise, I find ways to move, get outside, and feel like I am really cleaning out my body.  The past two days have been very challenging as I get in to the habit of not eating between meals, not eating the kids' leftovers, not eating their snacks, and avoiding decaf coffee.  You may be asking, "what is this reset thing and how does it work?"  It's pretty simple.

The general rules:
1) Sleep as much as you can
2) Avoid alcohol and caffeine
3) Drink AT LEAST half your body weight in ounces of water
4) Strictly follow the program guidelines
5) Moderate exercise like walking and yoga are allowed; intense exercise like P90X3, T25, and TurboFire are not allowed (it's too much work for the body to eliminate toxins AND try to help muscles break down and then recover).
6) Caffeine free herbal tea is allowed.  I actually drink a lot of that IN ADDITION TO my required amount of water.

How do the 3 weeks break down?

Week 1: No alcohol or caffeine but TONS of water.  Fruits, veggies, grains (legumes), dairy, and other animal proteins are allowed (chicken and salmon to name just two). + the supplements.

Week 2: No alcohol or caffeine but TONS of water.  Animal proteins and dairy are removed.  Fruits, veggies, and grains remain + the supplements.

Week 3: No alcohol or caffeine but TONS of water.  Animal proteins, dairy, and grains are removed. Fruits and veggies remain + the supplements.

If you're like me and you LOVE your Shakeology, you are allowed ONLY vegan kinds.  Right now, I am out of my vegan chocolate, so I am totally off of Shakeology (sniff, sniff).

Below is an example of one of my lunches for week 1.  Grilled chicken, broccoli, peppers, & cauliflower.  See!?? Eating clean DOES NOT mean STARVING yourself.  This detox/reset is truly about resetting your body in a natural way.  I'm already feeling SO MUCH BETTER: less bloated, less fatigued, and in a way better mood because I know that I am eating well and healthfully.

If 21 days is too much for you, let me know. I have other, shorter solutions for you.  Comment below or message me on FB.

Onward and upward.

There will be a brief, 21 day pause on P90X3

My 40th birthday is 22 days away.  I have decided to take a brief pause from P90X3 in order to do the Beachbody Ultimate Reset (UR), the 21 day cleaning eating program that I have done several times and LOVE.  I have been feeling like I need to reconnect with my nutrition, and the UR is the way that I am able to do that.

I first did the UR in March 2013 before I became a coach and lost 14 pounds and 9.5 inches.  I learned about healthy, clean eating.  I learned about the amount of water I need to drink, and I learned that, no matter how tired I am, I LOVE to cook.  Cutting veggies is actually therapy for me: the kids color or watch TV, I listen to music and cut veggies.  I think this lesson is the biggest one I learned through doing the UR.  I actually LOVE to cut veggies.  And, thank goodness, because there are LOTS of veggies to cut in 21 days!  After March 2013, I put about 5 pounds back on and felt kind of gross, so I did the UR again in September of 2013 and was able to take those 5 pounds back off.  The late fall and early winter were REALLY rough on me, and I started to feel unwell again and decided to do the UR in February 2014.  Despite the fact that our dog died very suddenly 3 days in to the UR, my husband and I managed to stay on track, and we both had TONS of success.  As the winter rolled on, though, and the sudden loss of our dog set in, I became less consistent with my eating and the weight began to creep on again.  Now, my journey not always about weight.  It's more often about how I feel, how my clothes fit (I don't weigh myself much anymore), and how I am doing moment-to-moment, from choice to choice.  Between March and now, even though I have been consistent with my workouts, my eating has slacked which pretty much nullifies any progress from fitness.  I want to see HUGE results from P90X3, so I need to detox, get clean again, and reconnect with my nutrition.

So, it's time for another round of the UR.  I am hoping that by keeping this blog I will remain consistent AFTER the UR is done.  I am always rock solid when doing this program. I love it, I feel great, I love the energy.  Keeping at it DURING the 21 days is not the problem.  Keeping consistent and putting in to play what I learn during the UR AFTER the UR is over is the trick.  Here's to KNOWING (not hoping) that the printed word and my log of these 21 days as well as your support will keep me solid AFTER the 21 days are over.

It will be challenging to do the UR during the summer: I have a Brewer's game and tailgate on Sunday and July 4 BBQs to get through. I just have to keep my eyes on the prize: Feeling AMAZING and PROUD on my 40th birthday, July 15 (or Day 22).

Onward and upward!

Almost two weeks in...

To those of you who are reading this blog, I THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.  I really appreciate the time you take to read and to comment either here in the comments section or on FB.

Going forward, I would like to know what you, my audience, would like to read more of on here.  Is there anything in particular you want to know or learn? I'm not a fitness professional, but I have been fitness focused for a few years now, so I have learned some stuff.  I have struggled over the years to get myself consistent, but I'm FINALLY there and the point of this blog is to share my ups and downs.

I would LOVE to hear from you!

Day 12 P90X3: CVX

After I finished my previous post about my other two workouts, I got up, headed to the basement, and got my SUPER intense cardio on.  I thought that my shoes would force me to stop, but they managed to hang in there (and, just after I finished, my new shoes showed up, of course).

CVX (cardio vascular X) is AWESOME.  As I've mentioned before, when I used to run marathons, I only ever ran to train.  I never combined any other type of fitness training.  With CVX, I can tell that, were I to go back to running marathons (still not sure about that), P90X3 will be a GREAT companion training system.

I know that I've described CVX before*, so I will just mention how I have improved over the course of the week (the last time I did this particular session):

1) I was able to keep my 5 pound weight the WHOLE time instead of switching to a basketball.
2) I was able to dip a little deeper with each exercise.  There is one exercise which is like swinging a golf club with a 5 pound weight in your hands.  The idea is to bend across your body as low as you can (say, below your knee) and high as you can (to the ceiling).  I was able to dip below my knee, but not quite to the floor, so there is room for me to get stronger.
3) I only had to hit "pause" once as opposed to twice last week ;-)

I was a bit lazy over the weekend and didn't get my Warrior workout in on Sunday, so I will be doing that one today along with Total Synergistics. Doing a double will be challenging, but I'll get it done!  My kids are kind of nuts right now, so this double may have to wait until tonight.  Neither is napping as they should.

Onward and upward!


*It's high intensity cardio combined with VERY light weights.

Days 10 & 11 P90X3: X3 Yoga and the Challenge

In between Agility X and X3 yoga, I took a day off.  I pushed REALLY hard during Agility X and needed a day of rest.  My body was wiped out.  I walked and ran after my kids but decided that X3 Yoga would have to wait.

The additional reason for the day off after Agility X is that I need new shoes.  It is important to replace shoes every 6 months, even if you haven't worn them a ton.  The shoe itself changes composition over time, so even if you are not wearing it a lot, you still need to get new shoes.  As the pain radiated up my ankles to my knees and hips a few hours after Agility X, I realized, "Hmmm, that feels like a shoe problem." Because I've run a few marathons, I can tell the difference between pain from muscle soreness (i.e., using a muscle I haven't used in a while) and shoe pain.  This was definitely shoe pain. Shoe pain is the pain that requires Ibuprofen (which I don't take anymore, but that's a different story) not just stretching.  It feels like heat in your muscles, kind of like growing pains if you remember those. After a few hours of that type of pain, I hopped online and got another pair of the shoes I currently wear.  My current shoes are cross trainers, and they are the best cross trainers I have ever worn.  Even better than how they fit and wear is that they are ON SALE for $40!!  Anyone who knows me knows how frugal I am, so $40 is a HUGE score.  The shoes should be here Monday. Until then, I just have to deal with the shoes I have.  Yoga was no problem since I go barefoot.  The Challenge yesterday was not a problem since it consists of pushups and pull ups and no jumping and leaping.  Today is CVX for me which is a total cardio workout.  This will be a challenge in my shoes, but I am going to push through. If I start to feel pain, I will stop, of course.  Never keep going when you feel pain.  NEVER. Especially if you feel it in your joints.  Stop immediately. Fix your form if that is where the pain is stemming from and keep going.  If you feel joint pain again, STOP.

Yoga went REALLY well this week. I did more and better than last week.  I am already feeling more flexible than the past few weeks.

The Challenge was a HUGE triumph for me.  For the FIRST time IN MY LIFE, I did 20 pushups on my TOES!  After the first set, I then had to alternate between knees and toes but was able to continue the alternation and not go totally to my knees.  This is HUGE for me.  Never in my life have I done 20 on my TOES!

My pull up bar arrived yesterday and now comes the task of putting it together ;-)  I need the pull up bar.  Using the resistance bands just isn't enough of  a challenge for me.  My numbers for yesterday were 20-20 (20 pull ups with the resistance bands and 20 pushups), and I accomplished both! YEAH!!

I will post again later after completing CVX.

Onward and upward.

Days 7, 8, & 9 P90X3: Dynamix, Total Synergistics, and Agility X

It's been a few days since my last entry.  Things have been very busy but good.

On Sunday, I had the option to do either the "Dynamix" workout or Rest.  I didn't want to rest, because I didn't want to lose momentum.  So, I opted for an hour long walk with my husband and kids.  From there, it was playing with the kids until they went to bed.  It was definitely not rest, but I didn't do anything as intense as a P90X3 workout.

Yesterday was Total Synergistics, and, though it was difficult and challenging, it went better than last week.  I was able to do more reps and more weight than last week.  Additionally, I was able to do 6 "boat and plow" moves.  It was SO HARD, but I stuck with it, and I felt so proud.

Today was Agility X, and it is quickly shaping up to be my favorite workout.  I LOVE the moves, I find Tony Horton to be extra funny and incredibly motivating.  There are moments when I can't keep track of which direction I'm supposed to be running, or grapevining, or high knee-ing, but I just do what I can and know that ANY movement is better than NO movement.  I could do WAY MORE this week than last week.  That is not hyperbole. I honestly could.  I pushed myself harder than I normally do because I want to see how far I can go with each of the individual exercises.  I wound up in a puddle of sweat, and it felt absolutely WONDERFUL.

I wish that I had done cross training when I was training for marathons, but I didn't. I thought that the only thing I needed to do was run.  And run more.  However, since starting with Beachbody and learning more about fitness and nutrition, I realize that only running while training for a marathon was a HUGE mistake.

So, what does cross training give you that only running (or only walking or "only" any other activity? It works muscles that won't get worked if you "only" run.  It gets your blood pumping faster than simply running at a steady pace.  It helps you lose weight if that's a goal.  There should be core work involved in any cross training, because a strong core means a strong back which means that a person can run for miles and miles without a sore back, sore knees, ankles.  Now, I'm not a personal trainer, but I know what I feel.  My back and core are stronger, my knees and ankles hurt less, and I can run farther and faster than ever before.

Today's workout was punctuated by my kids and their toys (below).  The tape delineates my workout space, as well as my agility targets.

Onward and upward

Day 6 P90X3: Warrior

This workout can be summed up by what I said to myself when it was over: "That is some crazy s&^t!" This session was insanely intense but feels GREAT.  The Warrior workout is based on military drills. Each round has a focus on upper body, lower body, cardio, and core.  Upper body is mostly pushups, lower body is a lot of squats and lunges, cardio is jump squats, skaters (like speed skaters), and some football drills, and core is all kinds of sit ups.

I actually did this workout back in January at a coach meeting in Orlando.  I remember thinking, "How the hell would I get through the entire 90 days of this?"  Here I am on Day 6, and I am really looking forward to the next few months.

What I learned about myself today:

1) I am stronger physically and mentally than I give myself credit for.

2) I am ALWAYS in a better mood when and after I workout.  I am more balanced, happier, more goal-driven, and I ALWAYS focus on healthy eating.  Why would I want to negate all this work with crap food?

3) I can jump higher than I had thought I could.

4) I can squat more than I thought I could.

5) The past 18 months with Beachbody programs have gotten me VERY strong.  I may fall off the wagon from time to time, but I ALWAYS stay strong (the longest I have ever gone without working out in the past 18 months is 3 weeks which usually happens when I am doing the Ultimate Reset and am not *allowed* to do high intensity work).

6) My goals are closer than I thought.

7) Even though I woke up VERY sore today from yesterday's workout (and lingering soreness from The Challenge), I still got my fitness on. I could have bagged it, but I have learned about active recovery (exercise when you are sore to help your muscles recover) and decided that I need to get my workout done. I have also come to trust immensely the trainers at Beachbody.  They know what they are doing.  They know how they are arranging and scheduling the workouts. I know that Tony Horton has a plan with the sequencing of X3, and I will do it faithfully.  I warm up, I do my work, and I cool down and stretch. Every. Single. Day.

I am VERY excited to be doing this program. I LOVE it, and I am grateful to be connected with it and with Beachbody.

Onward and upward! Have a great Saturday.  Below: Me, post Warrior.

Days 4 & 5 P90X3: The Challenge and CVX

To say that the Challenge was a, well, challenge is an understatement. I learned something about myself and about this particular routine.  I completed it yesterday, according to my workout calendar, and today I can barely lift my arms.

What is The Challenge? It is a workout of different kinds of pull ups (yes, there are different kinds which I did not know) and pushups (I did indeed know that there were different kinds of pushups).  At the beginning of the workout, Tony Horton asks everyone to "pick their numbers," which means "how many pushups and pull ups will you do during this workout?"  He warns everyone to "pick carefully," so I did.  My numbers were 10 & 10.

1) I am A LOT stronger than I thought.  I need a pull up bar.  I know where to buy one. I just have to find the time to 'er done.  Using the resistance bands like the modifier does does not work for during this workout.

2) Said pull up bar is on sale, so I need to get ordering like right now.

3) Tony Horton has a few really motivational lines to keep people going.
--"X3 (and X and X2) is not about doing this perfectly."
--"There is no need to be pretty."

I'm neither perfect nor pretty when I workout, so I appreciate what he had to say.  It made me feel a lot better about the workout itself. It also allowed me to let go of the annoyance I was feeling about myself for not having the pull up bar and having fallen off the wagon.  In that moment, when he said the first line, I let it all go, and I had a good time.

What I accomplished during The Challenge:

1) See #1 above.

2) I did MORE pushups during every cycle of the workout than I had thought I could.  I averaged 15 on my toes for the first 3/4 of the workout.  With about 7 minutes remaining, I had to shift to my knees to finish.  However, I got to 15 every time.

3) I was intimidated by this workout at first, but I soon realized that, by being realistic, I could do and COMPLETE the workout with gusto and with a great attitude.

4) It's not my favorite workout, but it will be a great gauge for my progress.  Those are really *basic* exercises, and I will be able to count my progress.

5) I finished with a GREAT attitude and went on to have a FABULOUS day.

Day 5: CVX (cardiovascular X)

I LOVE THIS WORKOUT.  I've never been a workout junkie, but at my fittest I did LOTS of cardio. I LOVE cardio, but I have learned that weight training is just as important, if not more.  This workout combines both cardio and light weights.  I used 5 pounds, and that choice proved to be perfect for me.

There are 3 exercises in each round and 5 rounds (I think; I didn't count).  Every exercise combines cardio and weights.  If you can't do weights, you can do nothing OR you can choose a ball of some sort.  As I progressed in the workout, my arms got REALLY tired, so I switched to my son's 4 square ball!  It worked REALLY well.  I did what I could and, because I didn't want to sacrifice form, I simply dropped the weight and used the ball.  I finished strong and sweaty, and I LOVE THIS WORKOUT.

Day 3 (repeat) P90X3: X3 Yoga

I have always been a HUGE fan of yoga and pilates.  About 10 years ago, I took a class at our Y that was called 'Body Flow.' It was a combination of yoga, pilates, and tai chi.  I LOVED it.  I remember bringing my husband with me one time.  He thought it would be a piece of cake.  Within 1 or 2 minutes, he was dripping sweat and panting heavily.  I will never forget the look on his face.

Yoga looks easy, but, rest assured, it is not.  Today's workout was X3 Yoga, and it delivered.  I have become less flexible over time, but I can sense already that X3 Yoga will help me tremendously.  As I said yesterday in my post, the goal now is to age well, and I know how important flexibility is to aging.
In each of his workouts, Tony Horton has 3 'helpers,' if you will ,in addition to himself.  One is the modifier, one is the mid-range person, and the third person (usually at the back) is the REALLY advanced person.  I had to do every move according to the modifier, Stephanie, who is a dancer. Tony Horton had to remind her: "You're the modifier, you may want to back off on this move a bit."  I LOVED that comment because I was like, "Seriously, Stephanie? I CANNOT stretch that far."  As soon as TH told her to dial it back, I felt better, as though he understands what some of us are capable of (which is not much at this point).

What I enjoyed most about this workout, other than the calming music and dialogue, is watching the advanced people.  Ted is THE dude when it comes to yoga. That guy is FUN to watch.  I would LOVE to be where he is in 90 days, but my goal is to get to where Traci, the middle person, is.  She is a mother of 6 (yes, SIX) kids and can clearly do some yoga.  Her yoga level is my goal. I'm putting out there in to the universe, and I will make it happen in 90 days!

Finally, I took my brother-in-law's advice (from a previous comment) and taped my workout schedule to our refrigerator.  Not only does it remind me to DO my workout, it makes me THINK about what I EAT.  There will be ZERO results without proper nutrition.  THAT is key.

Onward and upward!

Day 2 (repeat) P90X3: Agility X

OMG! How much do I LOVE P90X3 and Agility X!!!???  Though I feel like a totally uncoordinated dork, I can already tell that this workout is going to do wonders for my overall health and fitness.  This may sound crazy since I'm not even 40 yet, but I do really worry about being unprepared for aging. No, I'm not worried about wrinkles and that sort of thing.  I want to make sure that I age well and that I am strong and healthy enough to avoid doing long term damage to myself.  Again, what I am about to say may sound NUTS, but I remember when my grandma broke her hip when she was about 82.  That was the end of her good health.  From then on, EVERYTHING she did was a challenge.  She had to start using a walker, then a wheelchair, and the rest is history. She lived until she was 88, but I dare say that those last 6 or so years were not fun for her.  Her body and her bones just couldn't take the stress anymore.

Of course, I'm not 82, but as I was doing Agility X this morning I began to realize that P90X3 is preparing me to AGE WELL.  Sure, I would love to wear a bikini and strut my stuff around a beach, but that is a secondary goal.  My main goal (and it has changed in just a few short weeks) is to age well and be strong going forward.  Maybe these reflections and thoughts are part of the midlife crisis thing that people always talk about (though if wanting to age well and be super fit for the second half of my life is a midlife crisis, I'll take it, and I'm fairly certain my husband will too).  I don't want to be weak or be unable to do things with my kids. If they want to go rock climbing some day, I want to go.  If they want to run a marathon some day, I want to do it with them (they can run ahead of me, of course).  I don't want to be limited by my fitness level and my health.  I want to be able to do whatever I want whenever I want, especially if it involves my family. If I get sick at some point, I want the doctor to be able to look at me and say, "You know what? You're in GREAT shape. You can totally tackle this (whatever it might be)."

So, how to get there? P90X3 is one GREAT way, and Agility X is shaping up to be one of my favorite parts of it.

Agility X, if you haven't done it, is all about balance, short bursts of speed, and jumping while also being very precise.  You are supposed to hit your marks.  To do this, you put masking tape on your floor (imagine the two vertical lines of the letter H) and at both ends and in the middle you have black marks (Sharpie markers are perfect for this).  You then have Tony Horton calling out different moves and different directions as you run, jump, and high kick (if you can; if you're like me you do more of a low-medium kick) your way through the 30 minutes.  It changes constantly, and I am NEVER bored. Within about 2 minutes, I was dripping sweat (as in the carpet below me was drenched).

I feel really invigorated. I love working out in the morning. It makes my day MUCH better as well as my mood.

I am going to take my brother-in-law's advice (see the comments from yesterday's post) and put my workout schedule on the refrigerator.  Currently, it's in the basement near the TV.  I am going to move it.  Great tip, Jer! Thank you.

Onward and upward!

Day 1 (repeat) P90X3: Total Synergistics

My plan to get back to P90X3 last week was foiled by my lingering back and neck issues.  As soon as I started to feel better, I did last week's Total Synergistics workout, and my back and neck got tweaked again.  I laid low for the rest of the week, spent my time walking and doing some gardening (not great for the back, FYI), stretching, and sleeping in.  As of yesterday, everything felt really good, so I just got done with my first workout.  I now have Total Synergistics memorized and am getting better at the moves.  I will post a video to my FB page about doing the boat and plow move, which still blows my mind (and my abs), and which Ford has no problem doing as shown in the video.

I am VERY happy to be back at it. Barring any other physical ailments, I am committed to P90X3 and to Tony Horton whom I adore.  He is SO FUNNY!  Rumor has it that he used to be a stand up comic. I totally see it, and I connect well to his humor.  In fact, during my senior year of college when I had no post-college plan, I had considered trying out stand up comedy with my best friend.  We thought better of it (we tried writing a routine, and it was awful!), so here I am: coach, teacher, mother, wife, etc. ;-)  All that to say, I get Tony Horton's humor, and it makes me want to get to my workouts more and more.  I appreciate that he is so real and that P90X3 was created for EVERYONE. I know that lots of people have heard of P90X and are intimidated by it.  This is NOT P90X.  This system is great and totally do-able.

Onward and upward!

Kat

P90X3: Redo starts tomorrow

My back and neck are finally back to normal, we are home for our 1 week vacation, and I feel sluggish and gross.  It's definitely time to get to P90X3.  I had planned on picking up where I left off 10 days ago, but I have thought better of that and will start over, brand new, TOMORROW.  It's more of a mental thing than a physical thing: I need a clean slate going in to summer.  Since tomorrow is the official first day of summer (and my son's 5th birthday!), it's a perfect time to get to it again.  I feel very enthused about this next chapter.

How do I feel when I workout?
Accomplished
Motivated
Energetic
Enthused
Like I can do anything
Fit
Balanced
Happy
Steady
Ready to take on the world

How do I feel when I DON'T workout?
Sluggish
Gross
Tired
Annoyed
Irritated
On edge
"Blobby"
Icky
As if I'm not living up to my fullest potential

What better gift to give to my son tomorrow on his birthday than a happy, healthy, energetic mom who is EXCITED about life, about summer, about everything.  That is how exercise makes me feel.  I will need to remember this at 5AM tomorrow!

I NEED your support as I get back to this endeavor.  I feel annoyed that I let my vacation get in the way, but I know I need to let it go.  I have about 25 days until I go to Vegas with other Beachbody coaches for our annual summit.  I can accomplish a lot in those 25 days, but I NEED your support. Comment below or on my FB page, share this blog link with others who are interested in health and wellness and/or need to start (or to continue) their own journeys.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks!

P90X3: Traveling, hotels, and pains in the neck and back

I haven't disappeared from the universe.  Traveling with the kids has been a lot of fun but rather challenging.  In addition to my technology difficulties with P90X3, I tweaked my back and neck somehow (my guess is the really soft bed in the hotel) last Saturday morning.  So, even though we got our technology issues back on track, my back was, until yesterday, a total wreck.  Thankfully, a dear friend in Asheville recommended a great massage therapist, her boyfriend.  He worked my upper body for about 35 minutes and that has done wonders.  He is also a personal trainer and recommended that I not workout until this back pain passes.  I was glad that I had listened to my gut and stopped working out right when the pain came on.  He affirmed my decision.  Already today things are a lot better.  I can actually turn around, turn my head from left to right without major amounts of pain.  I can also get up from a lying down position without incredible pain in my back and neck.  I've been stretching and swimming and taking hot showers, all of which has helped a lot. I do think that the massage was the most help of all.

When we get back home, my plan is to start P90X3 again.  I had only done 3 days, so it shouldn't be a huge deal to start over again.  I have been rather down on myself lately because I was just getting in to a groove and then I fell out of it.  I have decided, though, to let it go and put a new plan in place for my return home. Instead of beating myself up about where I am and what has happened, it's time to pick myself up, move on, and get going again on Saturday.  I'm REALLY excited about my new plan.

P90X3 while traveling

We are on a road trip for the next week, and I foolishly forgot my external disk drive for my computer.  Our portable DVD player works only when the car is on, and the hotel doesn't have a DVD player for me to borrow.  SO, today we will head to a Best Busy to buy a cheap DVD player, and I will have to do TWO P90X3 workouts this evening.  NO EXCUSES!  Stay tuned for tonight's report.  I PROMISE that I will get both workouts done (and I'm sure I'll be sucking serious wind) and report in.  Stay tuned!

P90X3 Day 3, X Yoga

Yet again today I was wooed in to thinking that yoga would be an easy 30 minutes.  When will I learn my lesson?  That was THE HARDEST yoga workout I have ever done.  I used to take yoga at my old gym many years ago.  Why was it so hard this time?

1) It's Tony Horton-style yoga.  I should know that anytime he has ANYTHING to do with a workout, it will get kicked up a notch no matter how ancient the workout tradition is (yoga is like 5,000 years old or something).

2) Aging is indeed for idiots, as Tony says.  I am glad he says this because....

3)  Not only am I NOT flexible anymore, I am not very good at balancing either.  I used to be VERY flexible and VERY good at balancing.  I was able to flex, stretch, yoga, etc, when I was 25 pounds heavier.  Clearly, these things are not necessarily related to weight but to overall health and fitness and AGE.  Time to get flexible, fit, and balanced.

4) I now understand why the Fit Test has a toe touching exercise.  You try and touch your toes to see if you can get past your toes, and, if so, how far.  I can see that yoga will help me stretch more.  I'm already excited to see how my flexibility improves over these 90 days.

5) I am very much looking forward to getting more flexible and more balanced with this high intensity yoga program. 

I feel REALLY good after this workout.  I confess, though, that I had to stop with 5 minutes to go because life was calling me.  I will make up for it during next week's yoga workout. 

I am so incredibly happy with P90X3. I was terribly nervous to start because I had heard how hard Tony Horton's P90X programs are.  I would call them challenging, and it was a challenge that I was looking for.  I am continuing on with the 21 day fix eating plan (I will do that for the rest of my life since there is a maintenance plan once I reach my goal weight).  I feel good.  REALLY good in fact.

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are doing P90X3 as well, and they are one day ahead of me on the calendar, and based on my BIL's comments about his workout this morning (which will be mine tomorrow), I'm a little nervous.  However, I know that I can handle it.  I will do my best and forget the rest!

Happy exercising!

P90X3, Day 2, Agility X

So, who thought that Agility X would be easy???? This girl!  Who was wronger (I know that's not a real word) than EVER? This girl! Who thought, "Oh, that's so cute. I get to put tape on the floor and mark Xs on it, just like my kids do when they play?"  This girl!  Who thought that a little jumping and lunging would be a piece of cake? Yes, all together now... "THIS GIRL."  Who could not have been more WRONG!? Holy moly!  What a workout.  I was dripping sweat within about 1 minute (I started sweating during the WARM UP!!).

The highlights from today's workout:
1) I LOVE this workout.

2) I am rather uncoordinated.  For someone who managed to play high school sports and be half decent (let's not pretend I was high caliber; I was a bench warmer, but I was good at that), I'm surprisingly uncoordinated.  HOWEVER, that did not matter for this workout.  Once I got myself going and got in to a rhythm of the moves, I was good to go.

3) Tony Horton consistently reminds his audience about how powerful and FABULOUSLY effective this workout is by saying, "You could have spent the last 30 minutes on the elliptical and burned almost NOTHING." "Who says you can't get in a tough workout in 30 minutes?"  As he says these things, I'm thinking, "I wasted all of those years walking on a treadmill and doing the elliptical with NO other form of training. No wonder I never really felt fit."  This is also one BIG reason, I have finally come to understand, that I often GAINED weight while training for and running marathons.  Against the best practices, I almost never did speed drills or interval training.  Not smart, but I was more focused on just getting through the run.  Yes, I realize how lame that sounds.  If I had actually DONE the speed and interval work, I wouldn't have just 'gotten through' the run, I would have gone faster and better.  Ah, well, live and learn.

4) I LOVE TONY HORTON.  There are some folks out there, I have heard, who think he is SUPER annoying.  I think he is AWESOME. I love his humor, I love his love for fitness and his passion for helping his audience.  He REALLY does seem like he cares about ME (just me).  I think that this is why he (and others like him like Shaun T and Chalene Johnson) are so incredibly successful.  I begin to feel connected to them, as if they are really truly in my basement cheering me on, as if they really truly want me to be fit, healthy, and well.  I was always someone who liked group exercise.  I never thought I would or could workout alone.  Turns out, I AM NOT really ALONE.  They are there with me, and I feel their passion.  It's an incredible feeling (and as I write this I realize that I sound weird and kind of like a stalker).  It keeps me wanting to push play.

Some advice if you decide that P90X3 is for you (and it should be; it's meant for EVERYONE):
1) Don't use your son's wood train tracks as the agility markers.  Tony suggests masking tape.  Now I know why.  Wooden train tracks move and slip, and I slip on them.   Not good.

2) BRING IT ALL to this workout.  You will not die.  Yes, you will feel a bit uncoordinated, but you will survive and feel great.

3) Give every move a try.  Even if you have to modify eventually, just try each move.  They are actually kind of fun.  Running in circles is a lot of fun.  Even though I do this all day long with my kids, it's a LOT more fun with Tony Horton cheering me on.

4) No matter what you've heard about how "hard" P90X, P90X2, and P90X3 are, they are hard but they are a lot of fun, and it is fun that makes me get up and get it done.

5) ALWAYS have your water close.  There isn't a ton of time to drink it, but you will need it.

Tomorrow is a new day, and I am excited for what's on tap? Are you ready to try P90X3? Come on! You KNOW you want to!

P90X3, Day 1, Synergistics

I did really well this morning with my VERY FIRST P90X3 workout.  I stuck with it for the entire 30 minutes and found myself wanting more (I know, totally crazy stuff).

Where I am challenged when I start a workout program is when I don't 'get' every move like the folks on the TV.  I tend to get very discouraged, wondering if I should even keep going.  No matter how many mantras I have or how many inspirational quotes I have hanging near the TV, I still get frustrated. This morning, though, was VERY different: When I couldn't quite get a move (think "Boat and Plow,"or whatever it's called), I was okay with it.  I think it's because I have heard so much about Tony Horton and know that one of his famous encouraging lines is, "Do your best and forget the rest."  So, I did.  I actually LISTENED to that mantra, and it made sense to me.  It got me through the workout.  As I looked at the 90 day calendar, I said to myself, "There is time for improvement."  This thought brought me to the question, "So, Kath, what exactly ARE your goals for this program?"  I find that it's best to put my goals in print (hence, this blog) or say them out loud to someone.  Here goes:

What are my goals for these 90 days (and beyond)?
1) Get up EVERY morning at 5AM to get the daily workout done.  Why 5AM, you ask? Because my kids get up around 5:30AM, and this is the ONLY time of day that I have alone.  This morning, for example, I was 11 minutes in to my workout, and I heard the pitter patter of little feet above me. I knew that my almost 5 year old was up and ready to start his day.  I paused the DVD, plodded (I was already TIRED) up the stairs, opened the door to the basement and there he was smiling.  Hard to be mad at his super cute face, but I thought, "Ok, that was 11 minutes to myself."  Better than nothing.

2) Build muscle and definition in my body.  I have lost a fair bit of weight, but the goal is no longer about that.  Plus, I'm REALLY TIRED of focusing on the scale.  YES, the scale is a decent marker of what is going on with my body, but now the focus is muscle.  Most of us know that muscle weighs more than fat, so it's time to rely on my measurements and my before & after pictures.

3) Make the second half of my life more fit than the first half: I turn 40 on July 15.  I want to be the fittest person I can possibly be for the second half of my life.  I've spent MANY years focused on my weight.  I will let go of that obsession and focus on things that are more important like health, overall wellness, and aging well.  I said to a friend yesterday that I want to get fit and healthy for my family and for myself so that when I do get sick, my body is in peak condition to handle any illness.  My mom got pneumonia about 2 years ago.  She is in really good shape and is very active.  The doctor told her that she would not have handled the illness as well if she hadn't have been in such good shape.  That was a HUGE wake up call for me.  Just 2 months later, I got involved with Beachbody.

4) Take it easy on myself when a workout or a particular move does not go well.  I need to ease up on myself in those moments of self-doubt.  That doubt will get me nowhere other than a couch wondering if I should eat the ice cream now or later.  Nope. Not going to happen.  I'm DONE with going backwards.  Forward (the state motto of Wisconsin) is what I'm all about now.

5) Get my husband doing P90X3.  This goal is WAY out of my control zone, but I'll try and set a good example, show him some results, and take it from there.

I am REALLY excited for this phase of my journey.  There will be challenging moments and days, but I'm looking forward to it.  Thanks for reading.

P90X3, Day 1: Fit Test

This morning, I begin my journey with P90X3, the newest fitness program from Tony Horton.  I am VERY excited to get going with this program.  

Why am I blogging? I'm blogging because I need more accountability than coaching and Facebook.  Facebook is great for posting pictures and quick status updates, but I don't generally use my FB page for long posts about WHY I'm doing this or that.  I occasionally write posts like that, but I've decided that my blog will be more about my emotions, challenges, and ups and downs as I move through this 90 day journey with X3.

For those of you who don't know me but have found your way to my blog, here's a very short bio: I'm a wife and mother of two lovely kids, ages 4 (almost 5) and 2.  I work part time as French professor at local university, AND I am a coach for Beachbody, the company that works with Tony Horton (among other trainers) and distributes P90X3.  I love coaching!  I used to run marathons until our second child came along.  Now, it's a question of time for training: I'm not willing to take away time from my family to train for a marathon, so I have had to find other, shorter ways of keeping fit, losing weight, and getting time for myself.  

Fortunately, a very close friend showed me the way to Beachbody.  I started in an online fitness group with her as my coach in December 2012 and become a coach just a few months later.  Since December 2012, I have done TurboFire, the Ultimate Reset, ChaLEAN Extreme, Focus T25, the 21 Day Fix, and now P90X3.

I am VERY excited to start this next chapter.

Update: I did the Fit Test and thought, "Whoa! This is JUST the Fit Test?!!"  Though it was challenging, I know that the Fit Test will be a great way to gauge my progress over the next 90 days.  Tonight, Shannon will take my 'before' pictures, which are also a GREAT way (though not always fun) to watch progress.

Tomorrow, I will be at 5AM to get the first workout done.  Stay tuned. 

2014: New goals, new drive, new vision

For years, I have been wanting to get back to a blog about my health and fitness journey.  Each year, though, adds more responsibilities and more things to 'get done.' I didn't want to add more stuff to my to-do list, but I have decided that the world in 2014 needs another blog.  So, here I am.

The fall was VERY hard on my health and fitness. I was working a ton and had little time to focus on eating well (yes, excuses, excuses).  I enjoyed what I was doing, but I am glad that the semester is over and that I am getting back to my normal school routine.  I need to lose these last 20 pounds and get to a point where I know I can and should be.

Friends ask how I get it all done: teach at the university, coach for Beachbody, run a household, manage two small kids + a dog + a husband, volunteer with my dog, and still make time to do things for myself.  Well, it's not easy, but I love EVERY thing I do.  Each aspect of my life fills my cup in very different ways.  Helping (volunteering, teaching, coaching) others helps me help myself (that sounds terribly selfish, but I hope readers understand).  It gives me time to step outside myself and focus on what I can do for others which, in turn, gives me a better understanding of how I can help myself be a better mother, wife, coach, teacher, and person.

I'm dedicating 2014 to sharing more about my health and wellness journey in the hopes that sharing this will help others feel less alone on and less frustrated with their own journeys and that it will keep me accountable.