Beachbody Challenge Finished!

I finished my first Beachbody Challenge in December! It was such a huge success. I had intended on blogging through the entire thing, but life just got away from me. Being a mommy of four is hard - add anything more to that and you are just asking for trouble.

I was able to finish my Challenge, though and I am so glad that I did. I have had the best experience with PiYo and Beachbody. I am still loving those PiYo workouts - even after 60 days. I have noticed such a change in my strength and flexibility. These DVD's have been worth every penny that I paid for them and more. I have gotten so much out of my investment!

That is the reason I will be taking on the 21 Day Fix next. The thing that appeals to me about the 21 Day Fix is the Portion Control program that comes with the workout set. I don't have a problem with my food choices but I do often feel unsure of how much

I am supposed to eat. Am I getting enough protein? Carbs? What kind of carbs should be I be focusing on? Am I focusing too much? Am I getting enough or too many healthy fats?

Because we live a first world kind of life, our idea of what a portion looks like is all out of whack. My idea of what a portion should be isn't any better, and I know it. When I was younger I went on a diet and restricted my calories pretty severely. For breakfast, I was having a 90 calorie Special K bar. 90 calories was all I allowed myself until lunch. I was under the impression that by restricting myself that much I would have to lose weight. I was starving myself. I was doing that because I had no clue what good nutrition looked like - I only knew I had been eating too much and wanted to eat less.

I know now that I made a huge mistake and actually prevented weight loss by restricting myself that much. But I know that I still don't have a good understanding of what a reasonable or necessary portion size looks like. I want to know what to eat, how much of it to eat and how to maintain the weight loss I've achieved without yo-yoing up and down any more. I want to eat to maintain, eat to perform and eat to keep up with all of these kids. And then I want it to become habit so I don't have to think about it any more!

If that is you - and you want to get some mind-blowing 30 minute workouts while you're at it - I'd love for you to join me on my 21 Day Fix journey! We all know the Beachbody programs work. These programs are worth the investment. Your health and your well-being are also worth the investment.

While you are here, you can check out my results pictures from PiYo! I'm looking to keep the momentum with my body going - so look for even better results after I finish the 21 Day Fix!!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Tricia

60 Beachbody Challenge: Day 16

It's Tuesday! Today is such a busy day for me. It is a ministry day, which means I have to be out the door at an hour I am not normally out the door. This means I have to get all of the getting ready finished much earlier - and because I am out of the house for most of the day, I have to have breakfast and lunch ready for me and Baby Girl before we can go.

Tuesdays remind me of when I was employed at a real job and I had to get my kiddos ready every morning, pack my lunch and get everyone out the door. I am so glad those days are over. I empathize with you moms who are working and taking care of your families. I honestly have no clue how everything got accomplished when I was working. Having your responsibilities divided is so tough. Tuesdays remind me how lucky I am to have a husband who loves Jesus and loves me.

I had a good workout this morning before the craziness started. I made sure to get up and get to it in plenty of time. Another good, sweaty workout to start my day. My shoulders were feeling it this afternoon in that good kind of way. I was aware I had worked them today. All of those planks and down dogs are having a nice effect on my arms.

I had a good day nutritionally, as well. It's a shakeology kind of day - it really came in handy with all that I had going on. Here is what was on my plate today:

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with zucchini and the last of my butternut squash. Topped with tomato and avocado.

Lunch: Shakeology with 1 cup of almond milk and a Larabar.

Dinner: The family had steak subs. I made mine in a Pure Wrap and served it with a side of kale chips instead of potato chips.

Are you noticing the results of your hard work? I'd love to hear how things are going for you!

Tricia

Beachbody 60 Day Challenge: Day 15

We are entering into week 3 of our Challenge! How does it feel to be changing your habits in such a huge way? I am feeling great overall. Mondays are tough - getting up and getting my workouts in are never easy on Monday. Getting the kids out of bed is never easy on Monday - but we all push through and do what we know we should.

I had a good workout this morning. A good, sweaty workout. I really do love the way PiYo makes my body feel. Because of all of the stretching, even the soreness isn't "sore" in the sense that I am used to. I can move through it - I can still walk up stairs and get off of the couch. But I feel my muscles in a new way. I love that I am doing next to no impact and am losing weight. My joints feel better. My muscles feel better. I feel better about myself. It is great!

Middle 1 and Middle 2 started tennis lessons today. My husband has always loved tennis and he is starting the boys in lessons so we can be a tennis family. I love watching my kids have fun playing outside and being active. Something that I feel like was expected of me as a child - to go outside and play - has become almost a luxury to our kids. I enjoy watching them enjoy themselves, too!

Today was a good day nutritionally - it is getting easier and easier for me to make good food choices and to stick with my diet plan.

Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with squash and spinach. Out of bacon AND turkey sausage. Something will need to be done to remedy this.

Lunch: Chicken sausage with kale. I was in a hurry today - getting dinner ready so I could pop it in the oven on my way out the door to tennis so it would be ready when the Hubs got home even though I wasn't home. Lunch was quick, but filling. I ate LOTS of kale.

Dinner: Zucchini noodles with pasta sauce and Italian sausage. I love zucchini noodles. You can eat so much more of those than you can regular pasta - making it a filling and super delicious meal.

Here we go, week 3! Looking forward to seeing my results at the end of this week!

Tricia

Beachbody 60 Day Challenge: Day 14

Today is Sunday, and this week it is my rest day.

I am so thankful for rest days! My body is happy to just eat nutritious foods and sleep in. I use the term "sleep in" very loosely since I have so many other people running around my home demanding food and such. But 5:30 is later than 4:45, so it's sleeping in to me!

We went to church this morning and I got to hear from my Savior. Jesus is always speaking; I am not always listening. But today He spoke and I heard and I am terribly excited about it. We worship a God who cares so deeply for His creation. We do Him a terrible justice in showing His love to the hurting and the lost. I want to be better at loving the way Jesus loved.

I had a good day nutritionally as well and even though I wasn't trying to lose weight, the weight seems to be just falling off. I am also gaining tone in my arms and abdominal area. I'm not seeing the same kind of gains in my legs, but that is where I carry the majority of my fat - so it's probably happening and I'm just not noticing the results as quickly.

Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with butternut squash, spinach and turkey sausage topped with some avocado. I needed a big breakfast this morning to help me make it through to lunch.

Lunch: Chicken sausage with green pepper and steamed broccoli. For dessert after lunch I had a banana with almond butter wrapped in a Pure Wrap. It was like having a little crepe dessert. Very good :-)

Dinner: We had shepherd's pie made with lamb. I took the mashed potatoes off of the top of mine and just ate the filling, which was plenty. It was full of carrots and peas and other good veggies that had been cooked in the sauce - very tasty.

Happy rest day to all of you!

Tricia

Beachbody 60 Day Challenge: Day 12 and 13

Good Morning, Challengers!

I wasn't able to post yesterday - it was just a super busy day around here. So I'll be combining yesterday and today.

Overall, yesterday was a great day. The business of yesterday just highlighted for me how important it is that I wake up early to get my workouts in. If I hadn't gotten up yesterday and gotten in knocked out, it wouldn't have been done. Getting up before everyone else when I am tired and really just want to stay in bed isn't the most fun. But it is worth the sacrifice! I'm really loving these PiYo workouts and the effect they are having on my body. I have been exercising consistently now for 10 years at least 3 days a week. I can honestly say that using these DVD's is the first time that I have seen the kind of results that I am seeing in my body. I have tried every kind if diet and exercise and I promise you, this is the most toned and defined I have ever been. And I'm only 2 weeks in! It makes me so excited to see how these next 6 weeks transform my body.

After my workout, I spent the day running errands and taking care of the kiddos. It was a fun day of picking out Halloween costumes and getting our grocery shopping knocked out. I still managed to stay within my meal plan even with all of the chaos. I'm so glad that I did.

Here's what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs, one egg white, 2 turkey sausage patties and sauteed zucchini. I had my cup of coffee with some coconut cream from Trader Joe's. So. Yummy.

Lunch: Sauteed chicken sausage with the last of my roasted butternut squash and sweet potatoes and lots and lots of sauteed spinach. I cooked the spinach with the sausage and added the roasted squash and potatoes just to warm them up at the very end. I topped it all with a few sliced of tomato and avocado.

Dinner: I had an apple with a giant salad. The base of the salad was a mix of kale and spinach. I topped it with two hard boiled eggs, pickled beets, green and black olives, craisins and balsamic vinaigrette. Sounds weird. I know. I had to make the salad quick at a salad bar while holding Baby Girl. I could only reach what I could reach :-) Still yummy.

Today has been a bit slower, thank goodness. I was able to get up and get my workout in, but didn't have to get up nearly as early. I made myself breakfast and had my coffee before any one else rolled out of bed - which was super nice. Very relaxing and quiet! When everyone woke up, I made them breakfast and then was able to get myself ready for the rest of our day. I cleaned up the house a bit and soon we will be on our way to Oldest's martial arts practice. This afternoon will be a play date with Middle 1 and Middle 2 - we are heading over to a good friend's house to play and have snacks. So fun!

Tonight for dinner we are having beef stew. I love beef stew. I love Fall and being able to cook beef stew! It's on the stove already - cooking and getting all thick and delicious. I loaded it with veggies and spices and now we just have to wait until dinner.

Here's the official plate today:

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs, one turkey sausage, butternut squash and yellow squash. Topped with tomato. More coconut cream in my coffee.

Lunch: chicken sausage and veggies in a pure wrap with avocado. I bought these Pure Wraps made of coconut meat that I have been wanting to try. I'll let you know how it goes!

Dinner: BEEF STEW - with potatoes, carrots, and onion and beef and lots of seasoning. Cooked in beef broth. Did I mention I love beef stew?

I had my husband take a picture this morning of my new abs - they are brand new! I've never had this kind of definition in my stomach and had given up hope that I would - especially after having 4 babies! I can't wait to see the difference in 6 more weeks!

13 Day Results!

See you all tomorrow!

Tricia

60 Day Beachbody Challenge: Day 11

Hello, Fellow Challengers! We are finished with Day 11!

I was up bright and early again today to get my PiYo workout in. My legs just don't know what to think about these workouts. I had a very long meeting today - very long - where I was sitting for a very long portion of the day, which is unusual for me. After sitting for several hours, I stood up to walk away and had to sit back down and stretch my calves. I'm not even kidding - I stood up and both those suckers seized up on me! I had to hobble away... my legs. are. sore.

I had a great healthy eating day. I feel very satisfied and very pleased with my food choices. I really enjoy eating this way. I am always full. I always have energy. I am always feeling focused and on top of my game. As you can tell, I'm feeling very positively about the challenge!

That's not to say that I had a "perfect" day. After spending the majority of my day in a ministry meeting, I came home to get my grocery list ready and had to do some of my grocery shopping this afternoon. Grocery shopping with three children is a task... my attention is always being pulled in one direction or the next and I never feel like I am remembering everything. I feel lucky to get out of there with all of my kids - I never get out of there with everything on the list :-)

Then I had to get home and cook dinner. I love cooking delicious food for my family; however, tonight I didn't do much of it! I got through it and got dinner on the table as quickly as possible. After bathing people and being sure to spend some time with everyone, it was off to bed and time for me and the Hubs to sit together and relax.

It was a good day. I feel great. It was just very busy and I am glad it is done!

Here is what was on my plate today:

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with zucchini and yellow squash. Topped with a tomato.

Lunch: Chicken sausage with roasted sweet potato, roasted butternut squash and steamed broccoli.

Snack: Fruit and a Larabar

Dinner: 2 turkey sausage patties with one egg white and one whole egg with sauteed zucchini.

I'll be headed to the Farmer's market tomorrow to restock on veggies and fruits. I need some more variety on my plate! I'm looking forward to being able to switch it up a bit.

How are you all feeling now that this second week is almost over?

See you here tomorrow!

Tricia

Day 10! Beachbody 60 Day Challenge

We are 1/6th of the way through our Challenge! 10 days in - only 50 more to go!

But seriously - you should not take lightly the work you have finished to this point. Staying committed to anything is difficult - especially a diet and workout plan. Be proud of what you have accomplished up to now and resolve to keep it up for five more sixths! We can do this!!

Today, the Hubs and I took an impromptu drive up to Chattanooga. I want to be getting back to college in the near future - again - to finish up that degree I never finished - 10 years ago. I requested my transcripts from my high school and never heard anything from them. Luckily for us, Chattanooga is close and we like driving up there, so we made the trip and picked up the transcripts ourselves. While we were in the car, we were taking a sharp turn so I reached up to the little passenger handle to hang on for my life. My husband looked over at me and said, "Hey, Biceps! Don't break the handle off!" I looked over at my arm and, what do you know - I had a nice defined bicep and shoulder muscle looking back at me! There are a couple of things that are nice about this: 1. I have been at this for 10 days and already there is a noticeable difference in my body. 2. My HUSBAND noticed!

If other people are noticing differences in me because of this workout and diet program just 10 days in - I am very hopeful for what the next 50 days hold! I'm so glad I started this!

We also had the chance to stop by one of our favorite restaurants in Chattanooga while we were there - Big River Grille. They have the best EVERYTHING there. However, because I am eating healthy right now, I stuck with my favorite salad. Luckily, it is super delicious and has all of my favorite things in it - so I didn't feel like I was being deprived.

I had already woken up early and gotten in my PiYo workout this morning. Overall, a good challenge day! Here is what is on my plate today:

Breakfast: I ran out of eggs! Catastrophe! I had to improvise. I remembered I had purchased some frozen egg white things while they were on sale a few weeks ago and stuck them in the freezer for emergencies such as this. So I thawed 3 of those suckers and served them up with a chicken sausage and some sauteed zucchini and yellow squash. Not my normal yummy egg breakfast, but still a good, hearty meal. It served me well on the car trip!

Lunch: Chicken Cashew Salad - balsamic vinaigrette on the side. The salad had sliced grilled chicken, artichoke hearts and cashews served over mixed greens. I had them leave off the feta today (even though that really is the best part).

Snack: Dried fruit and almonds on the road home. Not the best option, but road tripping gives me the munchies.

Dinner: As of yet, this is rather undecided. The Hubs is off to the doctor to have them evaluate his cough. Not sure what he will want for dinner - this could mean I could be eating some version of what the family has or a chicken sausage with sauteed veggies. Either way, it will be a protein with vegetables!

Have you noticed any changes in your body yet as a result of the new workout? Better yet, has any one else noticed?

See you tomorrow!

Tricia