Phase #2 Complete!

Hey again everyone,

Here's a little update for you all...I just completed the 2nd month of my P90X challenge and I couldn't be more excited for this next and last month of P90X!! In 30 or so days I will be posting my "after" pictures. I'm starting to feel more confident that there will be a noticeable difference between my "before" and "after" pictures." I'll admit that some days I do wonder if I'm making any difference, but the changes in myself both inside and out are becoming more and more evident and undeniable...In my strength, muscle tone, flexibility, endurance and in my energy, confidence, excitement for life and happiness!! I think back on 2 months ago and I wonder how I even lived that way. I wasn't terribly unhealthy or overweight, but from what I've learned over the last 2 months, there are certain habits that I never want to have again. Such as mediocre workouts and mediocre eating habits, including lots of sweets. And I never want to possess the mindset again that so many people have: one of, "Oh, this is what happens after babies. This is how my body is going to be." Not anymore! This journey is incredible because I have realized that our bodies are more amazing then we know at healing and restoring themselves through super healthy eating and challenging exercise. Someone who has been overweight their WHOLE entire lives can be finally become thin and healthy by following this plan. It's work, yes, but so worth it! And for me personally, P90X isn't just a 90 day challenge...but the start of a whole life challenge. I hope to work with Beachbody to help others, and to challenge myself mentally and physically for a long, long time.

So, I got a book in the mail the other day. Chalene Johnson (known for her workouts "TurboJam", "Chelean Extreme" and "Turbofire") just came out with this amazing life-changing book about restoring your life to health. She talks about how a journey to fitness isn't JUST about exercise and eating right, but how it needs to be a whole life makeover. I opened it up for the first time last night and started reading about her views on nutrition. She categorizes food into 3 color-coded tiers- Green, Yellow, and Red Zones. Like stop lights, green foods are always a go! Yellow foods should be used with caution, and Red foods should be avoided entirely or eaten rarely. Like I talked about it one of my last posts, I've been eating really well since I began P90X! And I have a very good understanding of nutrition and healthy eating already...but reading her book last night re-affirmed the fact that I still have a lot to learn and many modifications to make. And that's something she talks about: That we just do that best we can with what we currently know and feel...but we must make the effort to continually learn about healthy eating. You will find through your own research that a certain food, for example, isn't as healthy and necessary to your diet as you thought. I will post more details about Chalene's color system in a future post.

Find her book on Amazon.com

An Update & Staying Committed to Fitness During the Holidays

Hey Everyone!!

I've completely gotten out of the habit of blogging about my workouts for the last two weeks...and the more time that passes, the more daunting the task becomes (anyone else ever felt that way about blogging?) I also got a little side-tracked with my contest...and life... :) But, I'm back and I'm here to update you all on my P90X journey. Although I haven't been writing much about it, I've continued doing my P90X workouts every day possible (I've only missed a few days, including the last couple days since I got a cold) and continue to rock it! I just get more and more excited about this journey as time goes on. I absolutely love working with Beachbody, helping others get fit, as well as myself. I am always thrilled to hear how Shakeology and Beachbody work out programs are helping others.

So...since I have a lot of make-up, this blog entry will not go into a whole lot of detail for each day I've worked out, but at least I'll be back on track with documenting my progress. :)

So, in one of the last posts I wrote, I talked about some of my goals for taking this endeavor to the next level of commitment...specifically with getting my workouts done in the morning, increasing the intensity level in my workouts, and eating even healthier. I feel that I am not yet meeting these goals 100% but I am doing a lot better. I've gotten up to workout in the morning as much as possible. This might not be a real practical goal for me at the moment...but as some certain circumstances in my personal life change soon it should be more of a practical goal. Basically, sometimes the need for more sleep in the morning, to be able to function happily throughout the rest of the day is more important. Although I'd LOVE to be able to get my workouts done earlier in the day, sometimes my schedule has to be adjusted...as does anyone's.

However, if you can help it, I definitely recommend getting workouts done as early in the day possible. Having those extra endorphins to kick-start your day, not having to think about getting your workout in for the rest of the day, and having that time later in the day to get other things accomplished is a great thing. However, it is so incredibly important to get daily exercise, so it has to happen sometime...even if it's later in day or evening.

As for increasing the level of intensity in my workouts, I feel I am doing very well in that area. For instance, on Tuesday I did Plyometrics and I was so excited about how strong I felt and how hard I was able to push. It's days like this that really keep me motivated with my P90X journey. When I work so dang hard everyday to improve my fitness, it's so exciting to see progress. While doing Plyo I was squatting lower and performing the moves at a faster pace. I'm finally able to touch the ground during certain squatting moves where there is room for modification (such as touching your knee or leg instead of reaching all the way to the ground.)

I haven't written much on this blog about nutrition and healthy eating...And this fact really nags at me because this topic is 85% of the struggle that people face when working to live a healthier life or lose weight. I'm waiting for an opportunity where I can really focus on it (it will happen), to help myself and others understand even better JUST HOW MUCH we need to focus on healthy eating. I wouldn't say that I have neglected it completely, as I have written about Shakeology, (which is an incredible tool for getting your diet and health on track.) But I hope to soon focus more on nutrition in general on this blog. I can guarantee you that if you are only focusing on one aspect of healthy living, such as exercise, you might not see the best results. Healthy living has to be the whole package deal...getting good sleep, drinking water, healthy eating, exercise (both cardio and resistance), etc.. When we can commit to the whole package that's when the REAL results come. And that is the standard to hold up against any type of fitness/health program...Do they focus on the whole package? I know that Beachbody does, and that's why I stand by them.

(Doesn't this look amazing? I'm going to make it this week...Click here for the recipe)

But I am happy to report that my eating habits have been WONDERFUL the last several weeks. And this makes me so happy. There is still room for improvement, but I seriously haven't eaten this well in long time...or maybe even in my whole life:

For the most part, I've kept junk food out of my house entirely. I believe this to be the most important change I've made so far, as it helps both me and my family eat healthier. And not only have I done well to steer clear of stocking my cupboards with junk and sweets, I've also been more selective of the other foods that I eat: Eating more natural, whole, raw, unprocessed foods, and even some certified organic foods. I drink only water and I shoot for at least 75 oz. per day. And also with cutting out extra sugar by avoiding even certain "healthier" foods. I have done very little eating out (and only Subway when I have.) And of course, I drink Shakeology daily which has a low glycemic index level, encourages more fruit in my diet as I like to include food like strawberries & bananas in my shakes (plus Shakeology already contains antioxidant-rich fruits), helps to satisfy my cravings for sweets, and keeps me full. The more I research Shakeology and healthy eating in general, the more excited I am to share it with others.

As the Christmas/Holiday season approaches, I feel an even greater excitement and appreciation for the commitment I've made to healthier living. The holidays are notorious for encouraging inactivity and weight gain (the average is about 6 lbs, read this great article for tips on keeping the pounds off while celebrating the holidays.) But I've decided that the holiday festivities are not going to get the best of me this year, or any of the coming years...my health and body count on me for the other 11 months of the year. I am making exceptions for certain days like Christmas to enjoy a few holiday treats, but other than that my eating is/will be clean. I encourage all of you to think about how you spend your time during your holiday breaks and what you eat...Do you really need that extra piece of fudge or that cookie? Or are you eating it just because it's sitting there? It is possible to celebrate these wonderful holidays while keeping on track with your health and fitness goals. And it's even possible to START working on such goals during the holidays.

I wish you all Happy Holidays and a Healthier New Year!!

Positive Change

I'm an army wife, and a mother to 2 beautiful children. I love my life and I love my family. But I realized that lately I haven't been loving myself enough. And so I'm on a journey to find greater joy and satisfaction and in my personal life.

You can't help others until you've helped yourself.

This is a saying that continues to come to mind as I think of how I want to change my life.

What do I want to change (or do better with)?

• I want to be more excited about life and my goals, and find more joy and enjoyment in the daily details of my life
• I want to have more fun!
• I want to push unnecessary negative out of my life and to focus better on the positive
• I want to have more energy and strength in mind, body and spirit
• I want to be stronger physically, and to feel better about my body
• I want to be at a point in my life where I can better help others live up to their fullest potential

So in thinking of how I'm going to change my life in these ways, I've realized that some things will have to take priority: Including spiritual aspects of my life, and then focusing on my health. To do this I will mainly be focusing on a vigorous exercise routine (P90X) and eating in a way that will give me more energy throughout the day, as well as better nutrition.

I've also realized that how I feel about myself and how I feel physically from day to day, directly affects how I perceive the world around me and how I react to it. How I feel inside also affects how I treat others. Think of a day where you were feeling tired and sluggish, and maybe even a little depressed? Were your interactions with others the most positive they could be? Was your thinking the most positive it could be? We all have days like that, no matter what stage of life we're in...but I'm determined to make those kind of days a rare occurrence in my own life. For most people happiness is a matter of choice...and I choose to be happy!