The First Few Weeks Are Tough!

Ever get excited to start working out then hit the wall a couple weeks or so into the workout? It's definitely something that happens to many of us. Having a partner helps to keep you motivated! Someone in your family, a friend or a Beachbody coach, like me! You can find out more at www.ExtremeHealth4Life.com or leave a comment too! I am here to help you in any way I can!

On a side note, be sure to check back here tomorrow (Wednesday, May 5th!). There is going to be a HUGE "Win it Wednesday" prize that you are definitely going to want to get in on!

Did you know?...... Working out, outside

Did you know that taking your workouts outside, like say a park area, can make you feel more relaxed and energized? Instead of the same, old boring routine at the gym, find a buddy to workout with while the kids play on the playground or join a boot camp (like Body Power Boot Camp here in Des Moines) and enjoy the great outdoors!

Aww, the elusive pull-up

Pull-ups seem to be the end all, be all of exercises, at least for many of us. I know of people who want the 6-pack abs, or want to run a certain distance without stopping or in a certain time, but it seems pull-ups are at the top of most people's lists of ultimate exercises. If you've been doing P90X, you've seen Tony Horton crank out a ton of pull-ups and you may have already conquered this quest too. But if you haven't yet, I've found the best blog article on everything you've ever wanted to know on how to be successful in doing your pull ups. You can read the whole article by clicking the link, but here are a few things the post explains:

Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Pull-Ups

• Don't go to failure
• Lose excess body fat
• Start in the proper position
• Maintain a slight elbow bend throughout the set
• Initiate with the lats
• Drive your elbows down
• Pull your chin to the bar
• Use a variety of grips
• Use a variety of rep ranges
• Strengthen your grip

I'd love to hear what you think about this post and how this changes your pull ups! Let me know!

No More Excuses!!!!

I hit a really big milestone recently. My oldest son turned 18 years old. I can hardly believe it myself, but my little boy is all grown up. The time has literally flown by. Just last week he was a sweet, happy, loving baby and now he is (technically) a man. Really make a person take a good, hard look at their life, I must say.

How does this relate to no more excuses? Well, let me tell you. We, as humans, are always making excuses as to why we can't do something. I know you all have done it from time to time. It is just human nature. We have this false sense of belief that we have all the time in the world to accomplish this or take care of that. Remember when you turned 18? Didn't it seem like it would be forever until you turned 30 or even 40, and how old that sounded? Looking back (no matter how old you are), doesn't it seem like just yesterday that you were 1, 5 or 10 years younger? The clock is ticking folks, and it's time to get rid of all the excuses why you aren't living the healthy, happy, fulfilling life you should be living. Hold on, we are going over some of the excuses that are really grating on my nerves, and it is likely going to be a bumpy ride!

1. I don't have the time to workout and eat healthy-

Really? Were you giving a day with less than 24 hours? A calendar with fewer than 365 days? I don't think so. We are all given the same 1,440 minutes in a day, 168 hours in a week.

The deal is, we don't all use our time in the best way. Tell me, what's the latest on "Grey's Anatomy"? Who got kicked of "The Biggest Loser" last night? Who did the Bachelor pick and will it actually work out for them? Seriously, if you have time to sit on your butt and what TV, you have time to spend 30 to 60 minutes exercising and making healthy, nutritious meals for you and your family. I'm totally not against enjoying your favorite TV show, but if you must watch, then get treadmill and get your butt on it (walking or running, not just sitting) while you watch the show. Or, DVR it so you can speed through the stupid commercials for stupid crap you don't need anyway. Then, you've freed yourself at least several minutes.

Another practically useless time sucker is the computer. How many times have you gotten on to "check email really quick" or "update my Facebook status" just to find that an hour has mysteriously disappeared? I've done it, so I know you have. You can try to deny it, but I know the truth. There again, not saying stay away from the computer (heck, you are reading this on the computer right now!) but set limits or better yet, do your workouts and reward yourself with some computer or TV time.

2. The kids/spouse/parents/whatever just keep me so busy-

I have kids and a spouse and parents and volunteer activities and a business and a couple hourly paid jobs and a dog and....... Get my point? We are ALL busy! Get rid of that lame excuse. Find the time (see #1 for a few ideas how, just in case you skipped over it!). If the kids keep you running taking them from this activity to that, then find a way to sneak in some exercise while they are at baseball/soccer/football/basketball (can you tell I have boys?) or whatever activity they are at. Instead of sitting in the bleachers shooting the crap about what happened on Grey's, get up and walk around the field or gym. Did you know that an hour's worth of walking can burn up to 400 calories, depending on how big you are and how fast you walk? So, instead of sitting around, grab one of your buddies and go for a walk while the kids are at their practice and lose this pathetic excuse. If you still want to shoot the crap, you can, but doing it moving instead of sitting still.

I know we all overextend ourselves with everything we have going on in our life, but if we don't start taking an hour a day to exercise, we will be dead 24 hours a day a lot sooner than we'd like. When we don't make our health a priority when we are healthy, we will have to make time for it when we aren't healthy. And the last I checked, the doctors offices have not gotten any more punctual, so you lose even more time every time you have to go pay them a visit. Get my drift?

3. It's too expensive to eat healthy and to exercise-

This is probably one of the weakest excuses there is. I know money is an issue for a large majority of people, yours truly included. But where there's a will, there's a way. So start with the will...

Take a look at what you are blowing your hard earned money on that could go towards eating healthy and exercising. When was the last time you bought a soda at the checkout at Target? Better yet, what kind of useless crap is even in that cart you could really live without? I find it totally amusing that someone would complain about spending $3 on a dozen free range, organic eggs but they have no problem buying 20 oz of brown, sugary liquid candy for $1.49 without batting an eye. And you know which one is going to end up on your butt, gut and legs and lead you down diabetes road? Give you a hint: it's not the eggs....

You really need to evaluate where your money goes. Don't tell me you have no money to buy Shakeology or organic produce when you have a cupboard full of chips, candy and soda. Don't tell me you have no money to buy P90X or Brazil Butt Lift or even just a set of dumbbells when you go out to the bar or to dinner every weekend. Don't tell me you can't hire a personal trainer or join the boot camp when you have every magazine there is out there. You get what I'm saying? I'm on to you and it's time to face facts; you do have the money, you are just not putting your exercise, nutrition and overall health on the top of the priority list.

So, give up Starbucks or your 20oz soda everyday, cut back on the magazine subscriptions, get rid of the junk food because the only thing that is doing is making you and your family fat and sick. Cut back on the going out and definitely get rid of the alcohol! That stuff will actually kill you and I really don't buy into the whole "red wine is healthy for you" BS because to me, that is just an excuse to drink. Get the same health benefits from red grapes, grape juice or acai berries.

Here are a few things to think about:

The corporations and the government are not looking out for your health or that of your family-

If you don't believe me, then check out movies such as "Food, Inc" and "Fast Food Nation", just to name a couple. The corporations also own Washington DC, so don't count on the government to make sure there isn't crap in the so-called food we are sold. And, just one more thing, that garbage in the boxes and packages they are selling you? It really isn't food, for the most part. They strip all the nutrients out of the real food, process it, put random chemicals, dyes, high fructose corn syrup and maybe add a few nutrients BACK in, then sell it to you with some crappy toy made in China and make the box all pretty and colorful so little Johnny will see in and start begging and throwing a temper tantrum just so he can get it.

So, you cave (we've all been there), buy the crappy cereal (in this example) and then head to the dairy aisle to get milk so little Johnny can pour it all over his bowl of dyes and chemicals. That milk, you know, the stuff from the "Got Milk?" ads? That stuff is full of antibiotics, because the momma cows get infections in their udders from being constantly hooked to the milking machines. You do know what infections are, right? Usually involves icky stuff like pus and blood, but milk is so good for you, so I don't what to freak you out. So, the next time you take Johnny to the doctor for yet another ear infection and you have to try another antibiotic because the regular ones just aren't working anymore, you can thank the dairy industry. Because of all the antibiotics the animals we use for food get pumped into them, we suffer the consequences too, by not having drugs that work when we really need them. Just another reason you need to be extremely aware about the stuff we are being sold under the category of "food".

Your lack of sleep is making you fat!
Back to "we're all busy" from earlier. What's the one main thing that we skimp on, other than our workouts, when we feel we are short on time? You guessed it, sleep. Well, I'll let you in on what that staying up too late an hour here and there is costing you.

• Lack of sleep is dangerous for your heart.
• Lack of sleep increases your chances of getting cancer.
• Lack of sleep makes us more stressed out.
• Lack of sleep increases inflammation.
• Lack of sleep make us less alert.
• Lack of sleep makes us forgetful.
• Lack of sleep contributes to weight gain.
• Lack of sleep makes us more prone to depression.

Now, I know that the amount of sleep a person needs varies from one to another, but a good rule is 7-8 hours of sleep. Less than that, you are doing harm to your body, but sleeping much more than that can also lead to a variety of problems too, like weight gain. So, if you are actually watching what you eat and aren't eating garbage food, for the most part, and are also exercising but still aren't losing weight, factor in your sleep. If you aren't getting enough, change that now! Stop making excuses for not taking care of yourself. If, yet again, you find you are spending time you should be sleeping doing things that waste time or can hold off until tomorrow, then stop it. Sleep is way to important to your health to put it low on the priority list.

The crap in your house or main living area is ruining your health.
For starters, if you have a clutter problem, odds are you have a shopping problem. Now that that's out of the way, here's some other bits of advice to chew on:

• If you have money to spend of junk you don't really need, then you have the money to spend on healthy food, workout DVD's and a gym membership.
• If your house is in disarray from too much crap, most likely that depresses you. When a person is depressed, they don't eat well and don't exercise.
• If you are in debt from buying too much junk you don't really need, you are more likely to be depressed, which tends to lead people to eat bad and not exercise.

So now is the time. Stop spending money on junk. No more bad food, no more bad purchases. Take some time and get a garbage bag. Go through your house and throw out things you don't need. If you need some guidance, check out FlyLady.net or get the great book "Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?" by Peter Walsh.

I know I've been a bit harsh and in your face in this article, but the thing is, people always make excuses. Your health is NOT something to play around with. One of these days, if you put it off long enough, you WILL be forced to face some frightening health news. Does it mean if you do everything right you will never have any problems? No, it doesn't. But it does significantly increase your chances.

If you have ever had a parent that has had a horrible health scare or even worse, died from the poor health choices they made in their lives, take a step back and imagine your kids and your loved ones facing the same thing with you. If that isn't enough to push you into making the best choices for your health, then I don't know what is.

I am here to help you in any way I can, but you are the one that needs to do the work. I am here to help you get on the the path, so please feel free to reach out to me. It is my mission to help as many people as possible get on the right path. Let me know what you think, what your excuses are or what you feel is holding you back!

Get Fit and Healthy With Your Very Own Health Coach!

Is a goal of yours in 2010 to get fit and healthy? Then increase your chances with a health coach. I am looking for people who are ready to make a change in their lives and want someone to hold them accountable. As your health coach, I will also be there to answer questions and give advice.

If this sounds like something you would like to learn more about, go here to sign up for only $38.87 for 3 months. Once signed up, you will get your very own personalized diet plan, access to a large amount of information on health, diet, exercise and more and 10% off all future purchases.

I look forward to working with you in the near future and helping you reach your health goals!

• Join Now or Upgrade

  
  Join Team Beachbody or upgrade your account now to experience all the benefits of membership. You'll reach your health and weight-loss goals even faster when you take advantage of Team Beachbody's total fitness solution.
  
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Try Shakeology for a Fraction of the Cost!

I have a great offer for you. I know lots of you are intrigued and interested in this "Shakeology" thing you've been hearing about. Well, instead of forking out money for a months supply, I am offering you a deal to get a few days worth to try out. $5/1 serving, $19/4 or $ 28/7. Also, for those of you that buy 7 or more, you will get a FREE Shakeology shaker cup. If you would like to purchase one, you may do so for $2.            

You can choose Greenberry, Chocolate or mix and match!                                                   

Check out my website MyShakeology.com then contact me for more info! 

 

People all over are losing weight, increasing their energy, lowering their cholesterol and more! One friend of mine has lost over 20 lbs and gives most the credit to her daily Shakeology shake.

US shipping will be $1 for one, $1.50 for 4 or $2 for 7. International orders are available too. Contact me for s/h charges. Click the "Contact Me" link on the website or email me at RebeccaIngham@BeachbodyCoach.com.

If that isn't all, Team Beachbody is giving away $1000 a week to one person who shares their Shakeology story and a picture of themselves with their Shakeology picture. And, one person a month will win $5000! Here is where you can get all the details on how to enter.

In order to enter the contest, you do need to be a free member of Team Beachbody. All you need to do is go here to sign up and be sure you have "Iowagirl69" will be your Beachbody coach on the form. Otherwise, you will get assigned a random free coach that may or may not be there to help you achieve you goals the way I will be there.

Be sure to get in touch with me so you can try out this incredible shake that is literally changing peoples lives! I look forward to talking to you soon.

 

CALLING ALL MOMS! I am looking for 100 moms to join my "100 Fit Moms Challenge"

Are you a mom?

Are you a young mom or a more mature mom?

Are you in shape or wanting to lose a few?

Are you a mom-to-be or are your kids all out of the house?

Regardless, if you are a mom at any stage, you are qualified for my special "100 Fit Moms Challenge"!

Here is how it goes:

It doesn't matter where you are on your health, fitness or diet. All that matters is a burning desire to be & stay HEALTHY!

There will be many different ways to earn points, & as your points accumulate, you will exchange them for prizes. Pretty cool, huh?

There are a few other things that I need for you to do in order to qualify, but they are all very simple.

1. Go to http://www.extremehealth4life.com/ & click on the "Join" tab (it is the one with the formally fat guy that is now rather attractive, I must say!)
2. Once you are there, you can either join for free, or you can choice to become a Club member. The Club costs only $2.99 a week (charged quarterly) & you get to test it out for 30 days! If at the end of the 30 days you decide it isn't for you, you get your money back by placing a simple phone call or sending a quick email. But, the Club members get 10% off anything you choose to buy, get free meal plans & recipes, access to tons of articles, videos, & chats that the free members don't get. Either way is fine though to be in the challenge.
3. Once you register with Team Beachbody, begin to set up your profile. This can be done in one sitting pretty easy, but is always something you can go back to & add on. Let me know if you need some help.
4. Take a "Before" picture. I know, most of us don't really want to see what we have done to ourselves. But, believe me, the reality is a good motivater. And, once you are moving closer  closer to your goal, you will appreciate your starting point & seeing how far you have come.
5.  Decide what your workout of choice is going to be. Beachbody has the most incredible at-home fitness products to choose from & I can help you decide what would be best for you, if you need some direction. But, if you already have a program you are using or enjoy working out at the gym or however you workout, that is great as well. Just remember to log on to WOWY to schedule your workouts & then log on everyday before your workouts to record it for that day.
6. Commit to a meal plan. The Club members have access to one of the best meal plans available, so be sure to check that out. But if you are a member of Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, or any other, that works also. Plus, there are great books available that can get you on the right track, such as The South Beach Diet Supercharged, Flat Belly Diet, & Joy's LIFE Diet: Four Steps to Thin Forever. 
7. Get started! There is no deadline or specific start date, but the more you do & the quicker you do it, the sooner you will start seeing your rewards add up. What are these rewards, you ask? 

100 Fit Moms Challenge Rewards

After you complete the above requirements, you will automatically get 100 points. Every time you reach 500 points, you will get $5 credit towards a product in the Beachbody store. If you want P90X or ChaLEAN Extreme, you can save up your credits. If you want something less expensive, you can let me know & exchange your credits sooner. Here is how you get credits:

• Workout for 60 minutes: 10 credits
• Have Shakeology once a day: 10 credits
• Blog or journal about exercise & food eaten daily: 10 credits
• Recruit another mom to join the challenge: 100 credits
• Choose a Beachbody workout: 250 credits
• Become a Club member: 500 credits
• Become a Coach: 2000 credits (or reimbursed for coach kit after 30 days)
  

As you can see, it is really easy to add up the credits to earn products. Let me know you are interested in doing this challenge & after you've completed your sign up & profile, I will email you a sheet to keep track of your credits.

I am really interested in finding other mom's that are interested in becoming coaches to help me reach more moms needing & wanting to get healthy. Being a mom is definitely the hardest job in the world & we need to look out for each other & help each other out as much as possible. If you are considering becoming a coach, watch this video then contact me on how to get started.

I look forward to taking this journey with you, getting to know you, & seeing your progression towards better health & ultimately a better life. We are probably all guilty of putting everyone else before us, & it is time for that to stop. If we aren't healthy, physically, mentally, spiritually & financially, then that results in not taking care of our families the way we really want to, deep down inside. So, lets get started & make 2010 our healthiest year ever!

Rebecca

So, Why Aren't You Losing Weight?

Weight not coming off nearly as fast as you would like, even though you are watching your calories & killing yourself during your workouts? There are surprising reasons why this may be!

1. ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS: People that use or overdo consuming foods with artificial sweeteners have a higher chance of gaining weight & developing metabolic syndrome, a condition that includes having excess belly fat, high cholesterol, high blood pressure & insulin resistance. One theory why is that your taste buds send signals to your body that calories are on the way, but when those calories don't arrive, you end up craving more food to compensate for the lack of calories in the artificially sweetened food. Instead of having artificial sweeteners, try drinking water instead of diet drinks & limit or eliminate products with artificial sweeteners.
2. EATING EVERYTHING ON OUR PLATE: Most of us were brought up being told to eat everything on our plate, that there are children starving in China & money doesn't grow on trees. So, we feel we are being wasteful if we don't clean our plate. Instead of eating larger amounts of food, try eating off of a "salad" plate or leaving a few bites on your plate. You can also try taking smaller portions & going back for seconds if you are still hungry.
3. THE MORE WEIGHT YOU LOSE, THE FEWER CALORIES YOU NEED: Something that people do when they start a weight loss program is figure about how many calories they can eat in a day. The thing is, the smaller you get, the fewer calories you need to maintain your smaller weight. It take 3500 calories to gain a pound of fat, so if you are eating 2000 calories a day but your BMR (basal metabolic rate) is only 1500, you will end up gaining weight. You can go HERE to sign up for a free program, then go to "Eat Smart">"Nutrition Tools">"Caloric Needs". Fill out the questionnaire to find out what your current BMR is.
   
4. EATING TOO MANY CARBS & NOT ENOUGH FAT: No, I'm not suggesting any sort of low carb diet. However, over the last couple decades, we have gone from one extreme to the other. We need both carbs AND fats, but they need to the right kind. White carbs, such as pastas, breads & rice spike your insulin, which leads to gaining weight. Instead, focus on complex carbs, like whole grains, fruits & vegetables, & monounsaturated fats, like olive oil, fish, nuts & avocados. Avoid as many saturated fats, like those in butter, meat & ice cream, as often as possible. And of course, trans fats are a complete no-no!
5. HAVING SYNDROME W: Syndrome W is basically elevated insulin levels that make it difficult to lose weight. Since blood glucose levels are typically normal, it is often missed in routine physicals. People with Syndrome W have typically been of normal weight all their lives, but as they age, begin to put on weight around the middle. If you suspect this is the case with you, ask your doctor to check your insulin levels. Check www.syndromew.com for more information.
6. EXERCISING FOR TREATS: So you workout hard, blast a few hundred calories, so decide you can reward yourself with a high calorie treat. Sound familiar? Chances are, we've all done this, at least once in awhile. Think of calories as money in the bank & you can't withdraw more than you put in, to maintain your current weight & you need to save them in order to lose weight.
7. DOING THE SAME WORKOUT, OVER & OVER AGAIN: If you continue to do the same workout over & over, you will end up burning fewer calories. This is because your body gets used to the workout & isn't "confused" anymore. Another thing is, if your workout isn't particularly challenging, you are also burning fewer calories. Once the workout begins to get easier, it's time to change it up so it is more difficult again. Check THIS out for different workouts to change up your routine.

These are a few ways to make changes so you can lose weight & feel great. If you need more ideas or help, feel free to ask.

Insanity- Day 11: Hanging In There!

I have so far stuck with the Insanity workouts, & it is really going well. I am still sore, but the good kind of sore. I seem to be able to keep up better with the DVD's, but there have been a couple of times that I skipped over a few minutes due to the time I had available.

I did Cardio Circuit yesterday, kind of twice. I taught a class in the morning & used many of the Insanity moves on them. Then, later on in the day I did it again on my own, but skipped a few minutes to leave to go to the YMCA with the hubby. Then, I ran/walked on the treadmill for 45 minutes. So, overall calorie burn for the day exceeded 2000 calories. I was hoping for 2500, being motivated by "The Biggest Loser", but didn't quite make it. 2000 calories is good though.

I've been hearing from those that are further on the Insanity journey that the second month gets really hard. I have to say I am up for the challenge, especially if it gets me ripped & fit!
I am determined to get those 6 pack abs by the end of the year!

My food intake has been pretty good, but we had a family reunion over the weekend, then went out to eat with the hubby later that night. Didn't really overdo it at the reunion, but the dinner was probably another story, even though I tried to do good. We went to eat at Ruby Tuesday's. I got the Ruby Mini's without cheese or mayo, because I was in the mood for burgers, but wanted the salad bar too (they have an incredible salad bar! Mmm...). Of course it came with fries, so I had some of those, but was rather pleased with myself for my choices. Then Sunday woke up feeling sick to my stomach & ended up eating toast & crackers & Sprite, which didn't help the weight loss much. Hoping for a better result after this weekend.

Today is Cardio Recovery that I am going to do a little later this afternoon. I also taught yoga this morning, so this is basically going to be an easy day. Tomorrow is a spinning class & Cardio Power & Resistance, so saving up some energy for that!

Until next time,
Rebecca

Dr. Oz's "10 Years Younger in 60 Days" Challenge Day 2

If you are following along, this is Day 2 of Dr. Oz's "10 Years Younger in 60 Days" Challenge. Even if you haven't started yet, really pay attention to what he is saying. I mean, who wouldn't want to be 10 years younger, at least health-wise? If you watch shows like "The Biggest Loser" or go to Real Age & take that survey, you know your body has it's biological age, as in how many years you've been on this earth, & your actual age, meaning how old your body thinks it is from what you've done or not done to it in the years you've been on this earth. Even if you can't start today or even next week, do start. Your life & body is a gift & should be treated with the utmost respect & care.

Day 2
SHOUT IT OUT!

• Do your Everyday Basics!
• Do the Age-Buster 20-Minute Workout.
• If you're a smoker, begin a Smoking Cessation program like this one.
• Make your goals known to your friends and family. By doing so, you'll provide a sense of pride in your accomplishments and it will put on the pressure needed to stick with the program for 8 weeks.

THE CALORIE RESTRICTED DIET

• Do your Everyday Basics!
• Begin a calorie-restricted diet like the Dr. Oz Diet Plan and continue for 3 days. You'll recalibrate your settings to become accustomed to eating better foods — and a more sensible amount of them.
• Eat about three-quarters of the amount of food you usually eat. Remember, only healthy foods! Drink lots of water or as much fresh-brewed green tea as you like — this will help curb hunger and prevent dehydration.

This does it for day 2. Remember, you can get more information about this at www.DoctorOz.com. I'd love to hear your questions, comments & experience with this challenge!

Insanity- Day 5 Pure Cardio

This Insanity workout really was pure cardio, but I really had fun doing it. I still am not able to totally keep up with everyone on the DVD, so I just go as hard as I can. I burned over 400 calories by the time I was done too!

One thing I am really liking able the Insanity workouts is the stretching. I have always been pretty tight in the hamstrings (even though I teach yoga) & Shaun T. focuses a lot on stretching. I could tell today that I am getting deeper into the stretches & I feel a lot less tight all over too.

I know that this is working (how could it not?). My face is thinner, my belly flatter, my arms are getting more defined & my energy level is up. I feel lighter too, but I'm not stepping on the scale until Monday.

Meal plans for the day:

• Meal 1- Double Chocolate Shakeology with 1 T. powdered peanut butter 350 calories
  
• Meal 2- Apple & 20 almonds 188 calories
• Meal 3- Chicken, Spinach & Ricotta Quesadillas 304 calories
• Meal 4- Mushroom & Barley Soup & Banana 280 calories
• Meal 5- Turkey Sandwich & Almond Granola Bar 380 calories Total: 1502 calories

Yesterday, I only burned around 1375 calories, by the time I took off the heart monitor. Not too good, but the workout yesterday wasn't a massive calorie burner overall.

Although a good portion of this posts in this blog are going to be about my fitness routines, I have lots of things gurgling around in my head that I want to write about too. So be on the look out for other types of posts too!

Insanity- Day 4 Cardio Recovery

Recovery is right! Although this Insanity workout wasn't nearly as hard as the others so far, it still had it's challenging moments. Shaun T. has us holding squats which really make the quads burn, doing a variety of plank exercises (my favorite!) & holding lunges too. It was basically a power type yoga class. Nice & refreshing & helped work some of the soreness out of the muscles!

My eating was spot on yesterday. Instead of keeping a food journal of what I have eaten, I am making out the menu the night before. That way, I have everything ready to go, calories counted & mind set on what to eat for the day. If I do slip up or skip eating something, I'm adding that in.

Here is the menu for today:

• Meal 1- Double Greenberry Shakeology 320 calories
• Meal 2- Oatmeal, banana, 20 almonds 388 calories
• Meal 3- Homemade veggie soup & turkey sandwich 400 calories
• Meal 4- Apple & almond granola bar 240 calories
• Meal 5- Chicken, Spinach & Ricotta Cheese Quesdillas 306 calories (I'm planning to have 2)

Total: 1624 calories

I took my blood pressure yesterday. It was 100/60, which I am proud to announce. I also burned 1925 calories, according to my heart rate monitor.

I have to say, I really am enjoying this, in a weird, twisted way. It is hard, no doubt about that. But, even after just 4 days, I can tell I have more energy, mental alertness, less pudgy & bloated. It is fun to be challenged in a way that I wouldn't necessarily do just on my own. Although I realize it is going to continue to be tough & challenging, I am looking forward to seeing the results I get from this.

Insanity- Day 3 Cardio Power & Resistance

Insanity, Day 3. What can I say? I'm more sore than I have been in recent memory. I do have more energy too though, afterwards. I ended up feeling a bit queasy in the tummy shortly after finishing this workout. It has pretty much passed now.

So, my favorite part of this one was the V pushups. This exercise you do by being in a downward dog sort of position & then do a pushup movement. Never done one quite like that before. Definitely felt it, that's for sure!

I did start wearing out towards the end again. Hoping as time goes on I can keep going hard, even at the end. I guess I will see the improvement when I do the fit test again.

Food wise, stuck pretty close to the plan. The oatmeal spilled over in the microwave, so only ate about half of that. I didn't end up eating the granola bar. I did eat 2 chocolate chip cookie bars after dinner & had a glass of severly watered down lemonade with dinner, so hopefully it pretty much balanced out. I did burn 2050 calories by the time I took the heart rate monitor off, so still had a calorie deficit by
my calculations.

The meal plan today is similar to yesterday's. This is the plan:

• Meal 1- double chocolate Shakeology 325 calories
• Meal 2- oatmeal with 20 almonds 288 calories
• Meal 3- homemade veggie soup & turkey sandwich 400 calories
• Meal 4- banana & almond granola bar 280 calories
• Meal 5- taco salad 420 calories
  Total: 1713 calories

I burned 250 calories with this mornings workout & am planning on doing some running this evening, so should be creating a pretty good calorie deficit today!

I did decide to order the Results & Recovery Formula that Shaun T. recommends. I really hope that it will work as it says, to help recover faster & see better results. Will keep you posted!

Insanity- Day 2 Plyo Cardio Circuit

Started Insanity Day 2 off being a bit sore from the fit test yesterday. Not too bad, but enough to confirm that I did in fact do some work yesterday. Good to know.

Hadn't watched the plyo cardio circuit dvd, so wasn't really sure what I was in for, but I did start off pretty strong, I think. Looked at the heart rate monitor a few times, & each time it was in the 160's, so I know I was working at a pretty good pace.

So, once I got towards the end, I did start to peter out a bit. There is a spot where Shaun T. tells you to look into his eyes & dig deeper, & that seemed to help for a few seconds anyway. Then there is the dramatic music towards the end, like in a movie when the hero is determined to finish what he (or she) is doing, to make it to the end. I found it a bit amusing, thinking like that.

Overall, I did push myself, I did burn 300 calories, according to the heart rate monitor, & I am feeling soreish but energetic. And, I didn't feel ill afterwards like yesterday. That may be due to the fact that I didn't eat before hand. Thought I would try that out to see how I felt, & I felt pretty good.

Next is cardio power & resistance. I think I am going to try to watch some of it today so I can have an idea of what I am in for.

Another aspect of Insanity is the eating plan. Didn't do the greatest yesterday, so last night I went through the Elite Nutrition book & wrote out what I was going to eat today. The plan is based on 5 meals & eating 40% protein, 40% carb & 20% fat. Each meal contains approximately 300 calories, & has instructions about how to scale it up to either 400 or 500 calories depending on your individual caloric needs. Therefore, these five meals a day will provide anywhere from 1500 calories to 2500 calories per day.

I used the Harris Bendedict Equation to determine my caloric needs. This formula determines your basal energy requirements, which is the energy required to maintain your current weight without exercise.

For women: 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years).
This number for me is 1289.1
Then you determine your activity level.

• If you are sedentary, your exercise factor is 1.2
• If you are lightly active, your exercise factor is 1.375
• If you are moderately active, your exercise factor is 1.55
• If you are very active, your exercise factor is 1.7
• If you are extremely active, your exercise factor is 1.9

So you take your total from the equation, & multiply it by your exercise factor. That gives me a number of 2191.47. That is how many calories I can consume a day, if I have exercised & been active, without gaining or losing weight. If I wanted to lose weight, I would knock off 500 to 750 calories from what I eat & if I want to gain weight, add about that much. Females can't go below 1200 calories without suffering & males can't go below 1500.

Here is my food plan for today:

• Meal 1- Double Greenberry Shakeology with unsweetened almond milk & 1/2 OJ= 370 calories
• Meal 2- Oatmeal & 20 almonds= 288 calories
• Meal 3- Homemade veggie soup & turkey sandwich= 390 calories
• Meal 4- Almond granola bar & apple= 280 calories
• Meal 5- Hamburger, corn, baked beans= 454 calories

This puts me at around 1782 calories for the day, 409 below my active metabolic rate.

I also didn't post a few starting measurements. Right now, I'm at 122 lbs & 13% body fat (15.9 lbs); 86.1% lean body mass (106.1 lbs); body water 35.9 L. Not too bad of a starting off point. I will get my "before" pics put up in the next few days too.

That's all I have for now!

My Journey to Insanity Begins Today!

I finally did it. I got "Insanity", the most recent Beachbody workout program. It is made by Shaun T. of Hip Hop Abs fame, and is touted as "the hardest workout program ever put on DVD". From what I've read & the video blogs I've seen, it really is & I am a bit nervous.

I've used plenty of the Beachbody programs, as well as other forms of exercise. The thing is, I seem to suffer from ADD, & end up wanting to try something new after a few weeks of doing pretty much the same program. I am determined to stick with the 60 days of "Insanity", which is one reason why I am going to blog about it. I hope by doing so, I not only keep myself accountable, but also help motivate others.

That being said, I am off to do my fit test. I will come back later to share the results of the intial test. And check out the "Before" pics. I definitely plan on making an improvement there!