Results from 21 Day Fix

21 Day Fix

So I have officially completed my first round of 21 Day Fix.

I hate to sound like I am a selling the program but I am really thrilled with my results and would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting fast and easy results. Honestly, there is no secret to the program. It is basic fitness and nutrition. Apart from drinking Shakeology everyday, it is exactly what anyone trying to loose weight should be doing to get lasting and solid results.

Eat clean. Exercise daily.

Let me just say that as soon as I ordered the 21 Day Fix, I started eating clean. I did not have the portion sizes yet but I knew that I had to cut out sweets, fried foods, and heavy snacking. I lost 5 lbs that first week that I wasn't even on the Fix. If that does not stress the importance of diet, then nothing else will. I always read that diet was 80/20 to exercise and this really proved it. Yes, I am sure a lot of this was water weight, but the weight loss continued after I officially started the Fix.

While on the 21 Day Fix, I lost a total of 6 inches (which includes 2.5 inches from my waist) and 4.8 lbs. So combined with the 5 lbs from the first week I started purging my diet, I am down 9.8 lbs and finally over the 150 pound hump that I have been stuck on for months. And I honestly feel great. More energy, clothes fitting better, and even had a couple girls at work tell me that I looked thin! Is there anything greater then hearing that? I think not.

Don't get me wrong, I had every intention of eating apple pie for breakfast my first day off the Fix but was craving an english muffin with peanut butter and bananas... same thing I would eat on the Fix. Is it possible I am changing my ways!? Not entirely, (I do love my sweets) but I am definitely more aware with how many carbs and sweets I consume. The last thing I want to do is gain back everything that I just lost.

Apart from the number results, I also took before and after pictures. I have to admit that I am not going to post them. Trust me, it is for the best. Don't get me wrong, the results are very visible, but I still have some way to go. And putting my underwear clad picture up for the world to see is just not a top priority at this moment. It is the internet after all. 

I plan on doing another round after Easter and hopefully after that be down to pre-baby weight! 9 months to put it on and 9 months to take it off! Depending on how I feel, I might even do another round after that. Just to make sure I am nice and toned for vacation in July. 

So bottom line, if you are interested in a Beachbody program, I would definitely recommend the 21 Day Fix. I loved Autumn, the workouts, and even the meal plans. It was easy to follow and results are visible! It is hard to ask for more from a program. 

Week 2 of 21 Day Fix Complete!

This is actually a really late post considering Thursday is my last day of the 21 Day Fix but with work and becoming ill for a couple days, I have not exactly given the blog a lot of priority. 

I am feeling so much better though and the sun is even shining! Shining! I was starting to think we moved to Alaska in my sleep. Even my mood has improved at the sight of the sun. It is nice to actually want to be productive and get off the couch. 

Ok but back to the 21 Day Fix. Week 2 was 100% better then week 1. I can tell that I am getting better at the meal planning and it really helps. My meals are more balanced and actually look/taste delicious. For example, on Friday I had salmon, brown rice, and green beans for dinner. All portioned. Topped with lemon and a little hot sauce. 100% 21 Day Fix approved and it was fantastic! I was not hungry afterward and it really made me feel like I was making progress. It also helps that the hot sauce makes me extra thirsty which increases my water supply. Water was definitely key in week 2 also. I was drinking a TON. And it showed.

I lost more weight (and inches!) during week 2 and I honestly felt better. I don't know if it was necessarily thinner but  my clothes were a little more comfortable and I felt I looked more tone. I take my final pictures on Thursday and am really interested to see if I have really changed or its all in my head. 

I have plans to do another round after a short break and I am hoping this will put me at my pre-baby weight. How exciting is that! Probably not so much for you but I am thrilled. 

I did a handwritten meal plan this week but once I get it on Excel, I will post it. 

One more week!

Week One of 21 Day Fix Complete!

I have officially made it to the end of week number one on the 21 Day Fix and would like to share some of my experiences on the program so far.

1. You will not starve to death - I really thought at the beginning of this challenge that it was all about starvation. The less I eat, the less I will weigh. Even putting together my food plan was tough to stomach because I knew that I would be unsatisfied at the end of the day. I will admit that the first couple of days, I was hungry and a little low on energy. My body adjusted though and I realized that I was not drinking enough water which is also a filler. Now I am on day 7 and I honestly feel great. I even had a couple days which I did not eat all of my portioned food. Sticking with it is definitely going to be an accomplishment to be proud of.

2. Coffee is my downfall - At this point in the challenge, I have noticed my biggest downfall is coffee. I am a huge coffee (with cream and sugar) drinker and the cream and sugar is a no-no while on the Fix. I will be honest and say that I have snuck in a couple cups of coffee here and there but no where near the amount I was drinking before. I am a mother and I work midnights - I need a caffeine crutch every now and then.

3. Portion control - I have actually been doing great with the portion sizes and with trying my best to portion everything out in advance. The bottom drawer of the fridge is the 'me only drawer' and everyone in the house knows it. I portion out cucumbers, boiled eggs, cheese, celery, chicken, lettuce etc etc. so it is all there for me to grab and go. I have actually been pretty good with eyeing portion sizes and it is getting easier to know how much lettuce or chicken or oatmeal I can have. This will be important on Saturday when Nick and I go out to eat. I am not cool enough to bring my little containers along for measuring...

4. Working out with Autumn - Amazing. I absolutely love these DVD's. They are short, sweet, and to the point. The added weights make it a little harder and I definitely break a sweat during the half hour. Plus the DVD's are new everyday so I don't get bored throughout the week. I have been 100% with my workouts and plan to stay that way. No cheating here!

5. Weight loss - I will say that I have lost a little weight so far on the 21 Day Fix. Not as much as I had hoped but it could have just been a bad weigh-in. I lost inches too so I am going to stay positive and work extra hard this week. I am sticking with my goal of loosing 5 lbs but deep down I am hoping for more. One day at a time!

I completed my meal plan for week two since Marlee was a peach and took a nice long 2 hour nap.

It is not perfect but I think I am getting the hang of it.

Ok now to breakup all the fitness talk, I will leave you with the cutest darn picture I have seen all week.

Love these two!

21 Day Fix

I am embarrassed that I have even gotten to this point but after mentioning to my husband that I am ready to sell my soul to the devil in return for being thin, I needed to do something.

After much debating and another failed attempt at Insanity (damn you three day weekend!), I went and found myself a Beachbody coach. She convinced me to buy the 21 Day Fix which included a month of Shakeology.



Rippedclub.net

 

This is the bottom of the bottom for me and my weight-loss journey for a number of reasons. First, I wanted to do things the way I did it before my wedding. I worked out and ate right. Not all the time, but enough to work toward my goal of feeling beautiful in my wedding dress. It was a no brainer. Yes I did enough calorie counting to make any sane person rip their hair out but it was relatively simple - lower calories and more exercise = results.

But I digress.

After convincing my husband that this is exactly what I needed to jump start my weight loss again (yes dear, they are expensive containers and no, they do not come with food in them), he agreed to help with my goal and even said he would join in! As long as he could still eat chocolate cake and drink beer.

I have not received my order yet but I am just so full of nervous energy. The second reason this is do or die (not really) is that I am pretty firm in my beliefs that exercising is free and meal replacement shakes, pills, etc are not the answer so I am completely going back on everything that I have ever said. Eating my own words if you will but I am determined to make this work. Portion sizes are my biggest problem and I think this program will get me back on track.

 

The general idea behind the 21 Day Fix is that you workout using the DVD's for 21 days. Combined with the workouts are portion control containers which pretty much spell out exactly how much a person should be eating in a day. Add in the meal replacement Shakeology and you have yourself the 21 Day Fix. Oh and I should not forget my coach Janet and the awesome group of moms she put together for encouragement!

 

Onehealthynut.com

 

I am not expecting miracles here. I would like to loose 5-10 lbs. I am not expecting abs and to be back to my pre-baby size in one cycle. Actually, I do not want abs. Ever. Why would a mom need abs anyways? I am pretty sure a teenage Marlee would appreciate her mother keeping her stomach covered at all times and not showing the world her creepy mom abs.

Once again, I digress.

I would like to stay focused and actually complete this program. I want to show myself (and my doubting husband) that I am capable of staying strong for 21 days and getting results to be proud of. I am ready to get over this weight loss plateau!

 

So the reason I take the time out of my busy schedule to type this (ha!) is because one thing I read was to commit publicly. The article stated that no one wants to look bad in public which is so true! So here I am committing to 21 days. And I will give a weekly update of my progress.. which is a whole 3 posts so I won't overdue it!

 

Starts on Monday so wish me luck!

New Year Resolutions!

Happy New Year everyone! 

I hope everyone started the new year off on the right step and have made plans to make this the best year yet. I am not big on resolutions but I knew that I wanted to set some smaller goals to better myself. With some reflection, I decided I am overweight, underpaid, and my last five tweets were about being tired. So first up, job applications. Unfortunately, I didn't get the job I was really hoping for. They actually decided not to fill the position at all. I am not sure if I should be happy that I technically didn't get turned down or whether it's more of an insult that they rather not have the position at all instead of hiring me? Either way, I am going to apply for every nursing job out there. Even if it is not exactly in an area that I am interested in. A foot in the door is better then nothing at all. As much as I love my residents and coworkers, I can't stay there forever. Time to buckle down! 

The next thing on the list is weight. I am two pounds away from being down 40 lbs but I have been there for weeks. Weeks! The holidays have been amazing to me - but not my waist. Cookies. Cake. Chocolate. Candies. Bread. Bread. Bread. I have decided to go a different route with my goals. Instead of focusing on the poundage (which is still important - just not all of my attention) I am going to take my measurements. I also decided to set monthly goals/challenges. This month is no pop. No diet. No mixers. No carbonation. More water! I purchased some bottles of water to help while I am at work where is my biggest challenge. Diet Shasta - not good. I am feeling rejuvenated and ready to dominate this month! 

As far as being tired goes, I just need to get a hobby. Maybe I will start crocheting again. This is a work in progress. 

Another small goal Nick and I have set is to make the bed everyday. I am assuming most people do this anyways but we slack on this. Nick is actually better then I am and coming home from work and crawling into a nicely made bed is really enjoyable. So whoever is in bed last, is in charge of making the bed. It is something small but makes both of us happy. 

Happy = good. 

Anyone else have any goals or resolutions this new year?

Oh and a quick side note! I have hit 5000 views on my blog! 5004 to be exactly! Thanks to all my wonderful followers! I hope to continue this year with making more friends and writing about topics that I have been tossing around for quite some time. Happy blogging! 

December Madness

This is going to be a hodge podge of a post.

So much going on and so little time to blog!

I am actually supposed to be working. But who likes to work?

 

First off, I did my monthly weigh-in last week and I was not able to hit my goal to be down 10 lbs by Marlee's baptism. BUT I refused to be upset about the 8 lbs I did lose. Eight pounds gone and I am proud of myself. I still need to push myself to workout more and eat a better but I have been slowing down on the sweets which is my biggest weakness. My husband wants to know why Christmas cookies are not done yet... well it is because I eat them all!

Couple more pounds till the 140's and I think it might be the motivation I have been looking for.

 

Marlee will be 5 months on the 23rd and I think I have come to the end of my breastfeeding journey. I am not ready to give up feeding her but I am done with pumping. I didn't even bring my pump to work tonight and I feel like a huge weight has been lifted. It was becoming pure torture and since I went back to work so soon, I was never able to build up a supply so it was constant stress over whether or not I was going to have enough milk for her. Torture I tell you. Right up there with eye gouging and finger nail removal. Now starts the search for a decent formula which has actually been really stressful. There are a million choices and the ingredient lists are a mile long. I think I have it narrowed down to Gerber Good Start Gentle and Enfamil Gentlease. I am worried about her tummy being irritated with the change but it will only be for the nights that I am at work and when we are on the go. I am actually feeling pretty good about it after weeks of stress involved with making this decision. I wanted to make it to six months but I am not going to beat myself up about it.

 

Christmas is right around the corner and my tree is filled with presents already! We don't even have Isaac's and Marlee's gifts out yet! We finally have a stocking for Marlee and Isaac is big enough for a new stocking so our mantle was completed this week.

 

 

We decided to do Christmas morning at our house this year which is going to be pretty interesting with both the families together. Lots of people, little house. I am bummed that we do not have Isaac for Christmas morning (we switch holidays every year) but at least most of the family will be together and hopeful get some Christmas spirit going. Marlee is obviously not going to be able to open presents but I will enjoy watching Nick open them for her. I will just be getting off work so it is going to be coffee mania for this woman. Spiked Christmas coffee... mmmmm.

 

I also have some other news but I do not want to jinx myself by getting too excited just yet. Keep those fingers crossed and say a little prayer that my career path is going to be getting better soon!

Weigh-in Wednesday

Marlee is not the only impressing one in the household this week.

I have hit a huge point in my weight loss goals and am officially down 30 lbs since Marlee was born. 

Look at that line go down, down, down!

I am feeling great and even more motivated then ever before. Nicholas and I finally moved the treadmill in the house so I am amping up my workouts to reach my goals even faster. Of course this means walking a little everyday but even walking is better then nothing! And I am in no shape to run just yet - but I will get there. 

I have twenty more pound to go to be at a happy and healthy weight. Add an additional five to that and I will be right where I was before the Marlee conception! If I continue to lose 1 lb a week, my goal will be reached by the end of March which is right around the corner (kinda). 

Hoping this motivation stay around. 

Weigh-in Wednesday

After a very busy day and an insatiable desire to drink the root beer in my fridge, I am officially down TWO pounds! Yes, I said TWO! I am feeling pretty good and even did a half hour workout today. 

Yes, it was Wii hula hooping. 

But I was super sweaty when I was done! 

And Nick was able to get a good laugh at me. 

So it was win-win for the whole family. 

The MyFitnessPal app has been really helpful and even though I am over almost everyday, it is making me more accountable and aware of what I'm eating. Sugars - I eat toooo much. My sweet tooth is a combination of both of my parents and lets just say that my father single-handedly keeps the peanut M&Ms factory in business. 

Mmmm M&Ms. 

I am actually looking forward to using the Wii again tomorrow! I think this is a small but very positive victory toward a better (and thinner) me!