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

Beachbody 60 Day Challenge: Day 9

Good Afternoon, Challengers! Today is a good day to be getting stronger and healthier!!

I will tell you why. Tuesday is a ministry day for me - I am a part of a Community Bible Study class that meets in my area. I handle a few small duties in the ministry - but it usually requires me to physically carry some heavy items up and down the stairs. I also do A LOT of running around on Tuesdays. Much. Lots. Many steps. It can really wear a girl out!

Today as I was leaving our meeting spot, I had to carry my 11 month old in her car seat, a suit case full of my lap top and all of my supplies, my bag, Baby Girl's bag - down the stairs - in high heels! I was able to carry it all out to my car without help and didn't want to die when I got there. It's never during my exercise that I feel the results of my workouts. It's always in moments out with my kids like today that I can see the difference exercise makes in my body.

I am having a good day menu-wise. I'm feeling much better than I was last week. I have so much more energy and am enjoying my food a lot more. I'm hungrier and find myself craving the veggies and fruits that I am buying - not just getting them down when I really want to eat something else. I'm also feeling more full at night - not so much like snacking.

I hate a GREAT PiYo workout this morning. My lower body is so sore. My core is also very sore. Like shoulders to hips sore. I LOVE how those workouts make my body feel. I really enjoy working muscles in a way I never have. I know I'm going to see changes in my body that I have never seen as a result of working those muscles that I didn't know I had!

Here's what is on my plate today:

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs, 1 scrambled egg white, 2 cups of zucchini and squash, topped with a campari tomato. I'm out of bacon. Boo.

Lunch: Shakeology with 1 cup of almond milk. Delish!

Snack: Coconut Cream Pie Larabar on my way to pick up Middle 2 from Pre-K. When I got home I was still hungry so I snacked on some broccoli, too.

Dinner: Baked chicken thigh, no skin with roasted sweet potato and roasted butternut squash with another side of broccoli.

How are you feeling in your second week? Are you feeling your results yet?

See you back here tomorrow!

Tricia

Order YOUR PiYo DVD's here! 

Beachbody 60 Day Challenge: Days 6, 7 and 8!

I didn't blog this weekend. I feel shame. That's a lie - I don't feel shame. I didn't even get a chance to remember I didn't write anything up until last night. And that just wasn't going to change until today :-) Between sporting events, church and my husband working all weekend, there just wasn't any time for blogging. I did get all my workouts in - which I was thankful for, though.

I was feeling refreshed on Saturday after having a great rest day on Friday. I woke up before the kiddos and got my PiYo workout in. Just as I was finishing up everyone woke up and I made some breakfast for the masses. Everyone likes something different around here - there was cereal for one, an omelet for another, toast and juice for one guy, and eggs and bacon for the Hubs. Then I jetted off with 2 of my 4 to watch my oldest at his Kung Fu and Sanda classes. Then home to cook dinner and have some whole family time.

Here's what I ate on Saturday:

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with spinach and zucchini and one slice of bacon. I love bacon.

Lunch: Subway - spinach salad with double meat chicken and all the veggies. All. The. Veggies.

Dinner: I had Sausage and Peppers again with some roasted veggies. I roasted up a whole mess of sweet potatoes and butternut squash for the week. Me and Baby Girl ate those with our dinner. The husband ordered pizza for dinner because college football = Papa John's. I stopped trying to understand his math a long time ago.

On Sunday, we had church at 9. I woke up early again and got my workout in, then had to have a quick shower and get myself ready so I could get everyone else ready. The Hubs had to work again on Sunday, so I was on my own getting everyone to church, which meant easy breakfasts all around. My kids aren't huge fans of eating a big meal as soon as they wake up, so I was able to get them some yogurt and toast and get them on their way. I still had my eggs - because I love eggs and I LOVE having a big breakfast! It was a rainy morning here in Atlanta, so I made everyone grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch. I had more roasted veggies and sausages. Then for dinner my husband - finally free from his never ending database testing - grilled us up some flank steak for dinner. It was DELICIOUS.

Here's everything all laid out nice and pretty:

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with zucchini and yellow squash. And bacon. MMMM... bacon.

Lunch: Sausage with roasted squash and sweet potato.

Dinner: Flank steak, grilled, with broccoli and carrots.

I woke up early this morning and knocked out my PiYo workout for the day. The power was out where I am when I normally get up, so my workout got off to a late start. It all turned out, though - the power kicked back on just in time for me to get my workout in before I had to get the kiddos up for school. After I got Middle 1 and Oldest off to school, Middle 2, Baby Girl and I hit the zoo. Middle 2 is learning about Safari animals at his preschool, so it was neat to take him to see the animals he has been learning all about. We walked for 3 hours around that place... it was a fun time!

Here's what is on my plate for today:

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with bacon, zucchini and yellow squash.

Lunch: Leftover flank steak with roasted squash and sweet potatoes.

Dinner: Homemade chili - with my own seasoning and stuff. I loosely follow this recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/09/frito-chili-pie/

I use grass-fed ground beef instead of ground chuck. The rest of the family does make frito pies with the chili - so I cook it up to adding the beans for myself, then ladle out a cup or two just for me. Then I add the beans and masa as the recipe calls for - I have enough for me without the things I'm eliminating from my diet right now and enough for everyone else. It works out really well!

Going into week 2, I am feeling much better than I was on Friday. I feel like I can see a change in my body already. I am noticing more tone and strength as I'm doing my PiYo workouts. I still can't do a good, full triceps push-up. I'm hoping that changes in the very near future!

I hope you all had a great weekend and are enjoying this challenge as much as I am! Here's to a new YOU in 7 more weeks!!

See you all tomorrow!

Tricia

Beachbody 60 Day Challenge: Day 5

REST DAY!

Yahoo! Today was the BEST day to be a rest day. I had no where to go, nothing to do and was happy to do just that! My three oldest went off to school today and I stayed home with my little Baby Girl and just enjoyed her today. It was looooovely.

Today was a great rest day for another reason: the carb flu has hit full force. Combine this with my allergies and I was feeling less than stellar today. I probably will take a walk this afternoon - but it has been good to focus on drinking lots of water and get all these nasties worked out of my system.

I was feeling particularly discouraged at lunch time today. Feeling rough is no fun. I was very tempted to just call it quits on the diet. I mean, I don't have to be so strict for the next 25 days to get to my goals. I could probably eat a little off-plan and  not do that much harm.

So I cracked open my all time favorite book on nutrition, It Starts With Food. Dallas and Melissa Hartwig do a great job explaining why our brains react the way they do to food. I went straight to the end, right to the part I knew I needed. An excerpt from the book reads as follows:

"Please don't tell us this program is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Birthing a baby is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard. you have no excuse not to complete the program as written. It's only thirty days, and its for the most important health cause on earth - the only physical body you will have in this lifetime."

I was reminded that I feel this poorly because my body is healing. I have damaged it with my poor food choices and now it is regrouping and relearning how to use the food I am providing it. I am only a few days away from feeling better than I have felt in a long time. I am only a few days away from falling asleep more quickly, enjoying a more restorative sleep, and having more energy throughout the day that doesn't have to be fueled by coffee and adrenaline! I also have a better body composition and looking better in my clothes to look forward to!

I'm back on track and - while still feeling pretty TIRED - I'm ready to keep going and hold on for the results!

Here's what's on my plate today:

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with one egg white, zucchini and green peppers. I added some bacon and tomato to the top of my egg scramble today. I was hungry :-)

Lunch: Butternut squash soup with grilled chicken. I finished off my soup today. I'm going to be busy this weekend cooking up some of my other veggies for some pre-made goodies to get me through next week.

Snack: Apple with 1 1/2 tsp almond butter.

Dinner: Probably sausage and peppers again with broccoli. It was yummy and I am too tired to get creative tonight :-)

Looking forward to another workout tomorrow and getting on the upside of this detox!

Beachbody 60 Day Challenge: Day 4

Hello, again from Beachbody Challenge Land! I am feeling a little worse for the wear today. It has been a busy week and a hard week to be getting toxins and sugar out of my system. My body has gotten used to a regular dose of sugar and it was DEMANDING it's fix today. I am a constant grazer - I love to munch on little handfuls of things throughout the day. Since I wasn't being very strict with myself these past months, those little handfuls of things had turned into handfuls of marshmallows or and chocolate chips. Or, when I was having a particularly stressful or tiring day, I would get a big  very big scoop of cookie butter straight from the jar and feel sorry for myself while I licked the spoon. Not good eating habits, my friends.

So as of day four, I am feeling it. I was wanting  a Cinnamon Soy Latte from Starbucks so bad today I could literally taste it. I went out to lunch with some of my very good friends and partners in ministry today - we went to Zoe's Kitchen. They have so many healthy options there. But what I really wanted was some pimento cheese and a brownie. A big, honkin' brownie. But I stuck with my side Greek salad with chicken and I feel proud of myself. But I want the brownie no less!

I am always conscious of what I put into my body during meals. It is a lot harder for me to keep track of all my snacking... I know it will be worth it in the end! I'm looking forward to being less bloated and having more consistent energy throughout the day. I'm also looking forward to achieving the muscle tone and post-baby body that I'm missing after my fourth pregnancy. I will make it for the next 56 days... and further!

Here's what's on my plate today:

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with butternut squash and yellow squash. I cut up a little comprari tomato and added it to the top today. I know it sounds weird, but this is so yummy. The squash takes on the consistency of a potato and it is just so good.

Lunch: Zoe's Kitchen - Side Greek Salad with grilled chicken and onions added. No feta. I fed my pita bread to my 10 month old and we split a side of fruit. Lemon Vinaigrette dressing on the salad. Very delish!

Snack: Apple with 1 1/2 tsp almond butter - I microwave the apple with cinnamon then melt the almond butter on top. This is soooo delicious.

Dinner: Sausage and Peppers with a big side of mixed veggies. I sautee the Adele's Sausage with some sliced bell pepper, then steam my veggies on the side. I'm thinking I'll have broccoli tonight.

I bought some leeks from the Farmer's Market yesterday... I'm trying to decide what I'm going to do with those bad boys. I love leek and potato soup... I'm going to have to figure out a way to make a healthier version. Yay for Google!

See you all tomorrow!

Beachbody 60 Day Challenge - Day 3

Whew! It has been a long day - and it's only 8:30! I'm going to be asleep with the Eunice's of the world today. That's what I call elderly ladies. Eunice. I digress. Blame it on sleep deprivation.

Back to the blog at hand. I had a great day. I got my workout in early, I ate well and much was accomplished. I am feeling even more sore today than yesterday, though. I can feel muscles that I didn't know I had and I'm going to be honest with you - I LOVE it! It is a good pain, but man - it is pain.

I can't wait to see what the results of these workouts and this diet are in 57 more days. I know it is going to be exactly what I was hoping!

Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with butternut squash and yellow squash. I was low on veggies this morning and used what I had. Normally, I wouldn't scramble eggs with butternut squash - but it was so yummy. I'm going to have it again tomorrow!

Lunch: Shakeology mixed with one cup of almond milk. It was another busy day. I sucked it down in the car on my way from one place to the next. This chocolate vegan Shakeology is really growing on me!

Snack: Coconut cream pie Larabar. This one is by far my favorite Larabar. I also snacked on some turkey and apple slices later in the afternoon. I was pretty hungry today.

Dinner: Butternut squash soup with baked chicken breast. I was still pretty hungry at dinner so I also had a salad (using my unlimited salad greens) with a homemade lemon garlic vinaigrette.

The family ordered Chinese food for dinner tonight. I'm going to level with you: I wanted an egg roll. Like I would never see another egg roll again and I NEEDED to eat one right then. But I didn't. This is why it always pays off to have something, anything, pre-prepared in the fridge and ready to eat. I was able to have my soup and chicken with my salad without having to spend time cooking while everyone was eating. It also didn't hurt that the food that I was eating was yummy!

I would love to hear how you all are feeling 3 days in. Did you plan appropriately for your diet? Are you feeling sore from your workouts? Are you enjoying the DVD's? Only 57 more days to go!

Beachbody Challenge Day 2

Happy Day 2 to YOU!

I woke up early this morning and knocked out my PiYo workout. Because I was feeling like doing a little more, I added on the bonus 20 minute Turbo Fire HIIT  workout that comes with the PiYo DVD set. Between the PiYo workout and that one, I am feeling my WHOLE body in a new way today. Tuesdays are busy days for me, I do a lot of walking and a lot of moving from sitting to standing. I really was feeling those workouts by lunch time today. Really. A lot. Ouch.

I'm reminded as I sit on my comfortable sofa how good it is to be sore, though. I know I worked my muscles today. I know they are doing something they are not used to and that is helping shape and strengthen my body. And that is a good thing!

Because Tuesdays are so busy, it was a no brainer to add the Shakeology to my diet today. I am, however, a HUGE proponent of eating a real breakfast. Just ask my kids! I absolutely believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It sets you up for success or failure with your diet for the rest of the day. It either gives you the energy you need and fills you up, or it is lacking and sets you off course. So I added the Shakeology at lunch, which makes more sense for my schedule anyway.

I'm going to be honest with you - I also am not a huge fan of not eating real food. However, the Shakeology came with my PiYo Challenge pack, so I committed to trying it for the duration of our Challenge. Before this, I would not have said that I would drink any of my meals. I just didn't believe that a protein shake would keep me full or provide me with all of the nutrients I need to get through to dinner.

As of 2 hours after drinking my shake for lunch, I will say that I am still pretty full. I haven't had any sudden dips in energy and I don't feel like I want to eat everything in my pantry - so I'm going to call my Shakeology lunch a success! We will look at what kind of results I have over all in the coming weeks.

Here's the rest of what is on my menu for today:

Breakfast: Squash and Asparagus Fritatta (I sauteed a cup of asparagus and squash in coconut oil, then poured two scrambled eggs over the top to cook. I flipped it once and BAM! Fritatta!)

Lunch: Shakeology - chocolate vegan - mixed with one cup of almond milk and a handful of icef

Snack: Pecan Pie Larabar (I count this as 2 fats and one fruit, for those of you following the PiYo Eating Guide)

Dinner: Copy Cat Panera Bread Autumn Squash Soup from Healthy Hungry Girl with one chicken breast chopped and added to the soup.

Overall, my energy is good again today. I did have a headache and was VERY thirsty this morning. Detoxing can be rough the first few days. I'm happy to be getting everything out of my system, though and looking forward to recording my results in 59 days!

See you all tomorrow!

Tricia

60 Day Beachbody Challenge: Day 1

Today is the first day of my Beachbody Get Fit Challenge. I am so ready for this and so glad that I am doing in through most of the holiday season. While I love a good mini candy bar and LOVE pecan pie at Thanksgiving, I am about 1 year post partum. The last thing I need are a million mini candy bars and pecan pie if I want to get back in shape. Round is a shape.... just not the shape I want to be!

So today I woke up bright and early to get my PiYo workout in. Middle 1 wakes up at 6:15 am to get on the school bus by 6:50 am, so I have to get up pretty early to get the workout done before it's time to start waking up the family. It wasn't too bad - I'm sure I will be ready for bed by 9 tonight, though!

I will tell you, I did not feel like the "Align" workout was much of a workout. It was a great explanation of all the moves that I know I'll be doing as the workouts progress - but not a workout. So I took Oldest to school and then headed to the gym with Middle 2. He had a good time playing with his gym friends while I took at HIIT/strength class with mine. It was a GREAT workout.

I'm feeling like this Challenge is getting off to a good start. I feel great physically, I feel fully committed mentally, I feel very positive about the next 59 days!

Here is what is on the menu for me today:

Breakfast: 2 eggs, over medium - cooked in 1 tsp of coconut oil with sauteed kale and yellow squash (about one cup total) with half a banana.

Post Workout Snack: 1/2 cup of egg whites mixed with 1/2 cup of pumpkin - microwaved for 2 minutes with cinnamon to make a little pumpkin pudding :-)

Lunch: One Chicken with pineapple and bacon sausage with about 3 cups of mixed veggies - broccoli, carrots, squash and mushrooms that I steamed and seasoned really well.

Dinner: Making some stuffed bell peppers tonight with lean/grass fed ground beef and no rice in mine. I will make the rest with rice for the family and will add some cheddar cheese to theirs as well.

I have an apple on reserve for the afternoon if my lunch doesn't hold me over.

I am not following the 1200 calorie meal plan because I am not trying to lose weight. I am using the maintenance plan for 1400 calories. I am also planning on avoiding dairy as much as possible, along with any added sweeteners - even the calorie free stuff. No gluten for this girl, either. I am going to keep this up for 30 days, then start to add back in some dairy and some gluten free grains for the final 30. I'm really hoping to jump start the fat loss for this first 30 days with lots of veggies, some fruits and lots of lean meats.

My total calorie break down for the day looks like this (per My Fitness Pal):

Total Fat: 40 grams
Carbs: 115 grams
Protein: 82 grams

I HAVE NOT been eating this clean in a while. Normally I'm cramming chocolate chips and various other things in my face while I'm cooking dinner or making lunch for the kids. I've been taking in more than my allotted amount of lattes lately, as well - not to mention the almost daily trips to Pinkberry. I'm going to be feeling this over the next few days. But I'm really looking forward to getting past this week and into the next week. I know I will have more energy and be feeling more able to take care of myself and my family.

Day one is half way finished! See you again tomorrow!

Tricia