Chalean Extreme progress

So I started Chalean Extreme about 2 months ago (or maybe slightly longer), I am going to do one more week of the "push" month (month 2). I cannot believe how toned and defined my body is getting! I never thought this would ever be possible! no, I've never had to lose weight, but to have sculpted muscle definition on my scrawny body? I never thought that I would ever see it! Especially from working out at home and not going to the gym where public misconception leads us to think that this is the only place where fitness is achieved.

Eating clean, 90% of the time (I have a slight addiction to flavoured coffee creamers, soooo bad for you I know) and working out regularly has really made an impact on my life in so many ways. I feel happier, and my self confidence is more now than it's ever been.

The September pic above is during my first round of P90X. The November pic is after my first month of Chalean Extreme. I don't know about you, but I can definitely see a difference. I will post a progress shot of my second month of the program after this week, just for comparison's sake!

I was always a "rather sit on the couch with a bag of chips" type. But since eating clean and working out regularly and seeing REAL results, I don't even care for those guilty pleasures anymore. I LOVE to see the changes in my body and the progress that I'm making!

If you need nutrition and fitness tips, motivation, support, meal plans, etc. feel free to message me.

Stayed tuned....

New Year, New You

So, with Christmas over and a new year upon us, everyone is thinking, resolutions. I'm making a resolution this year to not make any more resolutions. It seems that the majority of people don't seem to stick with their resolutions. I vowed last July to better myself by making a lifestyle "resolution" if you will. Eating clean and working out regularly. Since then, that's definitely been something that I'm able to stick to and getting huge results to boot! Inches lost and toned, sculpted arms! All by working out at home, who needs the gym?!

We wait for the new year to decide that we need to lose that last 10 or 20 lbs, spend more time with our family, or quit smoking. Why must we wait for January 1 to do it?

According to www.statisticbrain.com, the top 5 resolutions for 2014 are:
1. Lose weight
2. Get organized
3. Spend less, save more
4. Enjoy life to the fullest
5. Staying fit and healthy

8% of Americans are actually successful in achieving their resolution. Not a lot when you consider that 45% of Americans are actually making resolutions. So what are we doing wrong? Why is there no follow through? Time, I know, is often a factor, or an excuse in some cases. If these things are important enough that we want to change, why don't we just find a way to make it happen?

Here are some tips to be the best that you can be in achieving your resolution:

-Write down your goal.  People who write their goals down are 42% more likely to achieve them than the ones who didn't. Telling a friend increases this percentage to 78%.

-Make it something that you really want. Meaning, don't make it something that you "should" do, but something that you "want" to happen.

-Make your goals specific. Don't just say, "I'm going to exercise more. Instead, say, "I'm going to exercise Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6pm. You wouldn't miss an appointment elsewhere would you? Treat this the same way.

-Make a plan. How do you want to set out to achieve your goal? Write it out step by step. The less likely you will be to find excuses.

-You make need to change some of your daily habits to achieve your goal. Be prepared to adjust to some minor changes to get you to your ultimate goal!

Strive to be the very best that you can be! You can do it! Make 2014 YOUR year!

For any of you who have resolutions of health and fitness, apply to be in my New Year, New You Challenge Group to receive online support, motivation, and accountability through the help of a coach! Just comment below!

Clean Christmas

So, Christmas is quickly approaching! Temptations are definitely going to be at an all time high! The party's and get togethers bring with them appetizers, cocktails and heavy meals. Which, in turn, brings saddle bags and muffin tops! Boy! Couldn't we all use some tips to help keep us on track this holiday season.

Tip 1: Don't neglect your workout
    Holiday time doesn't have to mean that every day is a rest day. Continue to do as you're doing, yes, it's the holidays, your schedule is going to look differently that any other time of year. So, plan for it,, schedule your workout for a different time of the day. Get up a little earlier if you must, you'll be happy that you did!

Tip 2:  Look for healthy alternatives
    While you're having a great time at those holiday party's, you don't have to give in to the rich, fatty foods. Scope of the produce. Load up on salads or fruit and veggies. Skip the high fat dressings though and opt for a combo of balsamic vinegar and lemon. Another great idea is to bring a dish to the party of a healthy option that you can eat lots of yourself in case there are no options that you're comfortable with.

Tip 3:  Portion control
    The holidays are no excuse to eat double or more what you would normally eat. Protein should be no more than the palm of your hand, starches should be no more than a cupped handful as quick references. Then fill your plate with veggies.

Tip 4:  Don't skip meals
    Don't skip meals during the day in preparation for the event and the possibility of going off track. This only leads to overeating and making poor food choices. You could even drink your shakeology before your event to help to keep you on course.

Tip 5:  Remember that nobody's perfect
    Try your best to stick with your meal plan, but all in all, don't grow to hate clean eating because you somehow feel a sense of deprivation during holiday time. Keep at least to 90% of your meal plan if you feel the need to stray. But be very careful not to overindulge.

 

What can it do for me??? Benefits of Clean Eating

We live in a world of convenience...fast food, drive thru windows, microwave dinners. It seems as though we are too busy to actually take the time to even think about what we are putting into our body, let alone to make a home cooked, healthy meal.

Healthy eating isn't something that's part of our routine or lifestyle, it just isn't a priority. We would much prefer to eat what we want, pack on the pounds, then go on a fad diet and join a gym to try to obtain the health and weight loss goals that we strive want so badly.  Some people aren't realizing that weight loss is 70% diet, 30% exercise. Whatever you eat in private, you wear it in public! Clean eating and working out regularly has certainly helped me to achieve the results that I was looking for post-baby.

What ARE the benefits of clean eating?

Lose weight and maintain a healthy weight

- Ideal weights are achieved, not by rigorous hours at the gym, but through a diet high in vegetables, fruits, lean meats, and whole grains. You can lose as much as 20 lbs after several weeks of following a healthy diet.

Feel better

-Bottom line....you just FEEL BETTER! Your energy levels will skyrocket, your skin, hair and nails will look and behave so much better, and you will think more clearly.

Sleep better

-Eating healthy foods will also calm your nervous system and trigger a sleep-inducing hormonal response which helps you rest better at night. Getting between 7-9 hours of sleep gives your body time to establish muscle memory from a workout or project, build and repair muscle, sharpens your focus, reduces reaction time, and greatly increases energy levels upon waking.

Clean Eating Meal Planning

I've always been the type to make out a grocery list before heading off to the grocery store. My husband and I would even actually make out a list, Monday-Friday x 2 weeks, of the dinners that we were planning on having during the 2 weeks. We pretty much only planned our dinner meals as we were rarely home together for lunch, and we would never have breakfast together.
  
 Now, I plan everything down to how much water I should be drinking in a day (sounds obsessed to most people, I call it dedicated). I make out a meal plan in which I write down everything from breakfast to the snacks that I have in a day. I helps to keep me on track of my healthy clean eating habits and helps to make life more organized and easier. I may sway from time to time, but it's only in regards to maybe I'll have Monday's dinner on Wednesday, etc.

    Eating clean, in theory, is quite easy to do. You pair a lean protein with a complex carb and voila! a meal/snack, nothing processed, everything from it's natural state. I find it to be very easy in practice as well strangely.

    I have always had a great love for food, but planning meals for lunches at work was always such a nuisance. Plus, I have been for the most part, a serial procrastinator when I came to preparing lunches for the next day. Falling asleep on the couch before I got to bed was a common occurrence. The thoughts of getting up to go to bed seemed a bit out of the question, never mind to get up to make a salad! I spent a good portion of my pay cheques in the past going through the drive through on my lunch break.

    I don't even go to the drive through anymore unless it's for coffee. Planning my meals ahead of time has helped me tremendously in staying on track with my healthy eating goals!

Here is a sample of a week of meal planning:

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Meal Plan for: Sept 23-29
Workout	P90X Cardio X	P90X Ab ripper X	P90X Chest and Back	P90X Plyometrics	P90X X Shoulders and Arms	P90X Yoga X	P90X Legs and Back
Breakfast	Whole grain flax wrap with almond butter and banana	Steel cut oatmeal with raspberries and blueberries	Whole grain flax wrap with almond butter and banana	Steel cut oatmeal with blueberries	Whole grain flax wrap with almond butter and banana	Steel cut  oatmeal with strawberries	Whole grain flax wrap with almond butter and banana
Snack	Apple and light baby bel cheese	Apple and taste of nature organic snack bar	Apple and light baby bel cheese	Apple and taste of nature organic  snack bar	Apple and light baby bel cheese	Apple and taste of nature organic snack bar	Apple and light baby bel cheese
Lunch	Grilled chicken and peppers on a whole grain flax wrap	Salad with chicken, lettuce, tomato, peppers, balsamic vinaigrette	Organic veggie burger with lettuce and tomato (no bun)	Sandwich made with Ezekiel bread, chicken, lettuce, tomato, peppers and mustard	Chicken salad with lettuce, tomato, peppers, balsamic vinaigrette	Organic veggie burger with lettuce and tomato (no bun)	Chicken wrap with spinach, tomato and mustard
Snack	Shakeology	Shakeology	Shakeology	Shakeology	Shakeology	Shakeology	Shakeology
Dinner	Rotisserie chicken, brown rice, green beans	Fish tacos with corn sprouted tortilla, with peppers, lettuce, tomato	Grilled salmon, steamed broccoli, brown rice	Chicken chili	Chicken stirfry	Chicken fajitas with sprouted corn tortillas, lettuce, tomato, peppers, and side salad	Cauliflower crust pizza with side salad
Snack	Protein bar (post workout)	Protein bar (post workout)	Protein bar (post workout)	Protein bar (post workout)	Protein bar (post workout)	Protein bar (post workout)	Protein bar (post workout)

Clean Eating 101

So, I'm randomly searching the 'net for new clean eating recipes to plan my meals for the week. I find it funny how many "clean eaters" seem to be using non-clean items in their meals and snacks. ie:  squares of chocolate bars on the top of cookies. Hmmm, seems the opposite of clean to me, dirty if you will. Others are using white flour and making "clean tuna sandwiches" on white bread. Jeeze, here I am, trying to avoid chocolate, and fellow "clean" eaters are baking cookies and putting chocolate bars on top! To avoid any clean eating confusion, here's the basics of clean eating....

Basically, clean eating is eating food in it's most natural state, or at least as close as you can get. A girl that I work with was trying to explain it to a fellow co-worker and told her to eat "whatever has a mother" haha. Au contraire! Beef does not fall under the category of clean meats, and I'm sure that people would love to get away with saying that bacon is!

 It's not some fad diet in which you'll lose a bunch of weight and then you're ok to go back to eating the crap that you were eating before, it's a lifestyle change and you have to be committed.

You eat 5-6 meals a day. yes, you read that right, you eat that many meals. A clean eating meal plan consists of 3 meals and 2-3 snacks a day. Each "meal" consists of a lean protein and complex carbohydrate, ie: fruits and/or veggies. This combination balances your glycemic index, avoiding a blood sugar spike and crash.

Make sure you drink plenty of water. Two liters a day is recommended to stay hydrated and to flush out toxins.

Avoid processed, refined, fried, as well as foods high in sugar, and trans and saturated fats. Opt for complex carbs and whole grains instead.

Buy organic where you can. Some things are super unnecessary to buy organic. Like bananas, the peel is too dense for the pesticides to actually make it to the banana itself.

Try to have essential fatty acids daily. These can come from flax seed, chia seed, and avocado to name a few.

Stay within a healthy portion size.

It may sound like a lot to conform to, but once you get into a groove and plan your meals, which in my opinion is essential for clean eating, it'll get easier!

Healthy values

I love to eat healthy...always have...Or at least, I've always loved the concept of eating healthy. I used to eat clean years ago, but for some reason, a reason that I CANNOT remember, I just stopped....Not even sure if there was a reason! I am beginning the second week in my Beachbody challenge and at times, I figure, "meh, this is easy, I enjoy clean foods." But then, I walk into the kitchen and see a bag of chips that my  Husband has just sitting on the counter, calling my name. No, can't do it, and didn't do it. But, you come to learn very quickly that when you used to anything, it is so hard to resist temptations when you are trying to change your eating habits.

So how do we do it? How do we beat those temptations, when all we want is a small bag of chips? One bag won't hurt right? Why spend all of that time kicking a** and taking names during the week, just to succumb to "junk food." Is it really worth it?

One thing that I've decided since having my child 19 months ago, is that I want to set a good, healthy example for her. Especially when obesity runs on her Daddy's side of the family. I want her to see healthy eating and fitness as an everyday thing in our world. She deserves to have healthy habits laid out for her. She's my number one reason for doing this. I need to be healthy for her, she counts on me to look after her needs. How can I do that appropriately when I can't look after myself?

I am more committed than ever to be fit and healthy for my family. So, entering my second week of the Beachbody challenge group, I plan on continuing to do my best, "and forget the rest!"

Bring It!!! My decision to be a Team Beachbody Coach

So after years and years of attempting to take better care of myself and trying to be healthy, I decided that now's the time that I'm really, I mean REALLY going to commit! Why now? I have come to realize that, being a Mommy to a wonderful little girl, that I need to not only do everything in my power to take care of her, I need to take care of myself so I can be the best Mommy, and wife to my husband, that I can be.

I found out that I have a mitral valve prolapse in my heart. It is basically a regurgitation of blood from the ventricle back up into the atrium....not want you want to happen, but it kind of helped to open my eyes that we are not, by any means, immortal and that I have to do what I can to be there for my family.

This is it!! I'm going to do this! I borrowed my sister's P90X DVD's. a gym membership is completely out of the question as my husband works away for 3 weeks at a time, so where would I get the time to go to the gym? Anyway, P90X....

I started the dvd's thinking that I was crazy and that it was too intense for me. I kept pushing play and kept trying  my best. After 2 weeks I could see muscle definition in my arms. I was so intrigued to see others results with P90X, so I youtubed the crap out of it! Lo and behold, during this transformation "research," I found my coach, Melanie, who told me about Beachbody challenge groups and coaching. I was super apprehensive about "coaching" initially. who would come to me about ANYTHING health and fitness?  But, they provide with the tools and training that you need to actually help people. so, I signed up to be a coach, I have huge dreams of starting my own business and having the ability to help people with their, health, fitness, or weight loss journey.