update

Week 1 was a bit hard. It was all new moves, new videos, new eating habits. I felt like I worked half as hard as I should have because I was so busy trying to learn the new moves and actually do them correctly. After three days I decided this would be my "practice week", not a quit week or start over, but a practice. I did try to focus on proper movement and quality over quantity. It was great, and it encouraged me for the next week. I technically restarted but for a good cause. The restart was a lot better, went over faster and easier and I felt a lot more tired because I was doing the movements correctly. After 1 1/2 weeks, I can already see a BIG difference in my stomach. I really want to take pictures but I know I shouldn't, not until the 30 days are over! I think what is helping a lot is the consistent 15 minute ab video 3x's a week. It's really short but really hard. I never really worked on my stomach but it honestly is the area that needs the most work, along with my arms. I'm hoping to lose ALL of my back fat.

I know I've lost about 2 lbs but I'm a bit bloated because, TMI WARNING, it's that time of the month. Also, I've been sick for 2-3 days and feel a little weak. I've managed to still do my videos but my eating has slowed down so much, I'm hoping this doesn't stall me or set me back. I know that under-eating really can affect you because if you aren't eating enough then your body will hold on to your fat ;) What has helped a ton is drinking my shakes. I have 1 cup of 2% milk, 1 medium banana, and 1 scoop of Chocolate flavored "Designer Whey Protein". It's so much easier to gulp that down when you're sick instead of egg whites. Gross!

Okay, off to my 2nd day of my 2nd week!

no excuses

Today was day 3. It was Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X 

I really enjoyed today. I never work on my arms or shoulders, which made this workout unlike any other. Of the 3 days I've done this has been my favorite by far. It was difficult and I'm sure I will feel sore tomorrow. It made me realize that I may need to purchase one more set of dumbbells, because the workout does require a lighter set and a heavier set, which is no biggie in the long run. My no excuse for today is: finish your workout. Maybe you can't finish it when you started it, but try finishing it by the end of the day. My little one woke up early during her nap. I was able to finish my arms video but I only got 10 minutes into the Ab Ripper X. I wasn't upset, I just knew I could finish it tomorrow. Instead of waiting until tomorrow I did it today, and I re-started it. I know my biggest focus right now is my midsection, so no excuses. I worked on my belly for 26 minutes today instead of 16 and it feels great.

and these are my new workout pants. They were on sale at Aeropostale for $12. They're a little warm which will make them perfect for the gym!

meal replacements

For the last couple of days I've replaced one or two meals on the P90x Nutrition Guide. I don't always have the time to make the meals, don't have the ingredients, or simply don't like it. I either completely replace the meal or change a few things.

The first day the guide required this, below, for breakfast

1_Mushroom Omelet
1 cup_Fresh strawberries 
8 oz_Cottage cheese, 1% 

I didn't have strawberries, I ate an orange instead. I hate cottage cheese and I replaced it with a low fat mozzarella string cheese. 

These things are simple replacements and I know it's hard not to get overwhelmed with following the EXACT guidelines, but it's okay. Replacing a serving of fruit with another one will not hinder your progress. 

For dinner

6 oz_Salmon
2 tbsp_Lemon-Dill Sauce 
1/2 cup_Asparagus
1 cup_Wild rice
1 cup_Red Pepper Soup 
1 tbsp_Protein powder 

I didn't have the time or patience for this. I replaced all of it and had a can of tuna, tbsp of Mayo, small can of corn, 5 crackers, a serving or asparagus sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. 

For tonight, day 3, I replaced the entire dinner as well

6 oz_Halibut
2 tbsp_Pesto Sauce 
1 cup_Wild rice
1/2 cup_Zucchini

I had spicy catfish stew. I know it sounds kinda disgusting but I'm fairly sure it's a Mexican meal. It's like a chicken stew but it has chipotle and fish instead of chicken, you also add lime. It's really great and healthy. It has radishes, celery, carrots, and fish! I also added one cup of Mexican rice. It was a great replacement. 

This post is mostly to remind myself, and anyone else, that meal replacement is a-okay as long as you do it in a positive manner. Do not replace your dinner with McDonald's and you'll be fine!

exposed- the not so fab

I can't believe I'm doing this! I feel like these pictures are horrible but, it is what it is.
This is Day 1 of p90x.

The stats:

• 5'6''
• 145.8
• size 6 

These pants and this shirt are so tight it's overwhelmingly unflattering. I cringe when I see these pictures but it's the most accurate way I thought of getting a good before picture. As you will see, my arms, belly, shoulders, and back, need the most work. 

Day 1 p90x

Today I completed day 1 of p90x: Chest and Back. My initial reaction was: Wow this sure is different from Insanity. I wasn't sweating as much, my heart wasn't racing, and I didn't feel like I Was going to die :) I liked it, but then I didn't because I feel like if I don't want to quit then I'm not working hard enough. I wanted to stop the video because I was discouraged that I couldn't do most of the workouts. I'm very weak with my upper body, I can't even do a single proper push up. I just try my hardest and keep going. Everything was push ups, pull ups, and some weight exercises. I kept thinking to myself, "You're not doing this right, you're just wasting your time". I wanted to quit, but I didn't. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm a beginner. I won't do it 100% like they do, maybe I'm at 10% but in a few weeks I'll be at 25% and that is better than 10... right?

The biggest problem areas that I have with my body, are my upper body and my midsection. I have a good amount of flab on my belly, chubby arms, and back fat! I hope to have that disappear by the end of this journey.

Also, I'm really far behind on my eating for today! I've only had breakfast: the omelet and it was great. Right now I'm munching on the "soy nuts"- I bought them at Target and they're salted and roasted. A little weird but okay to eat.

p90x

I've started my new journey! Instead of doing Cross Fit I decided to go with p90x. Why? Because I'm cheap :) and it's cold in Chicago. I don't want to leave the house 2-3 times a day, I can do p90x in the comfort of my own home.

Let's start with the basics:
I am going to try really hard to follow the meal plan. I think it won't always workout for me but I will try and replace their meals with some healthy meals of my own. I went shopping this weekend for month 1, I missed maybe 10 items that I need to get back to. I spent $77, it seems steep but I had to buy things like wine, and oil. Those are the items that really jacked that bill up. I'd honestly never bought so many green things at once.

This morning I made the mushroom scramble ( i believe that's the name), and it was fast, easy, and delicious. I'm skipping their lunch and having my own protein shake.

This will take a lot of preparation, following the meal plan, but I think it will be worth it. MY biggest downfall when I workout is my eating habits. I do okay most of the week and then fail by the weekend. If a holiday comes up, I just eat junk all week. That's why my results are so slow and sometimes I even gain weight :( I'm hoping that with p90x this isn't the case! Wish me luck. I hope to have the patience to prepare all these meals, find good replacements for the times I can't cook, and be able to resist the temptation of fatty fast food around me everyday!

New Beginnings

I haven't always enjoyed fitness or eating healthy, but now it's a huge part of my life. I've lost weight in a healthy manner and have managed to keep it off for two years, with a pregnancy in between. This journey has been a complete lifestyle change and it hasn't been easy, but I love it. I've gone from a very loose size 13 to a loose size 5. It's made a big difference in everyday life.

I told myself I wanted to lose weight because finding what to wear everyday was such a struggle and it almost always ruined my day. I know this may seem vain but it was just so hard to be comfortable in my own skin. All I wanted was to wake up and not have to worry about how tight my pants were, whether my shirt needed to be very loose to offset my tight pants, or If I had a clean extra large sweater to hide under. I wanted to wake up and throw on whatever I wanted and just feel comfortable.

To be honest, I felt pretty as a size 13 but I wasn't comfortable. I felt like I needed to wear more makeup, have prettier hair, or nicer clothes to feel beautiful. I felt like I was "pretty" but getting ready for the day was still hard. I didn't like being 20 and 182 lbs, I just kept thinking to myself, how much more weight am I going to gain by the time I'm 21? I wasn't always a size 13, I was more like a 9 (or 10) all through high-school. I started gaining weight when I married my husband. I was in love and life was just pure bliss! We constantly ate out and snacked through the night, which made me start packing on the pounds. In just six short months I gained 20 pounds!!! I needed to change my eating habits AND start working out. Before then, I never worked out, I was very lazy. I was too intimidated to go to the gym, so I started working out in our leasing office "gym". They had one elliptical and one treadmill, I started off slow with 15-20 minutes on the elliptical. After a few months I'd do two hours on just those two machines, after losing some weight I joined a gym and never looked back! I had a very strict diet and it helped so much, but this is where my next journey begins. I've done insanity twice over and I'm getting ready to change my diet again and give crossfit a try. I hope to share my progress with you and encourage at least one person in a positive way.