Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Nine Months Later....

Wow!  It's been NINE MONTHS since I started my Beachbody Journey.  I have always equated "Nine Months" with weight gain thanks to four pregnancies.  I think this might be my favorite nine months though.  ;)



Overall I have lost 34 pounds and 21.75 inches in the last nine months!  Most of my pre-pregnancy clothes aren't even fitting anymore!

Decide. Commit. Succeed! Choose your Beachbody Challenge Pack today!

Les Mills Pump - 60 Days

So here are my post-60 day Les Mills Pump photos:





During this past month, I have lost 2 pounds and 3.8 inches!  After 60 days of Les Mills Pump I have lost a grand total of 7 pounds and 5.6 inches!  It looks like my tummy is toning up some too and my stubborn thighs are getting slimmer!

Decide. Commit. Succeed! Choose your Beachbody Challenge Pack today!

Monday, July 30, 2012

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Monday, July 23, 2012

Les Mills Pump: Pump Extreme (My first time!)

I made this video the other day for my Challenge Group participants.  It was my first time doing Les Mills Pump: Pump & Shred.  I tried to keep the parts where I struggled to show my Challenge Group that I push myself, I know my limits, and I keep going no matter how much I want to stop. It never gets easier, you just get stronger!  





Choose your Beachbody Challenge Pack today!

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Friday, July 20, 2012

Les Mills Pump Week 8 Day 1





Today I did Les Mills Pump Pump Extreme for the first time today.  WHOA!  I did miss Mr. Dirty Chest (Joel) but the return of Ben from Singapore made up for it!  

As always, I love motivational words from the late Mr. Bruce Lee.  <3


Decide. Commit. Succeed! Choose your Beachbody Challenge Pack today!

Monday, July 16, 2012

Pants on the Ground Thanks to Beachbody!

With my first pregnancy in 1997/98 I gained close to 100 lbs.  I never lost it all (surprise!) and so I was already overweight when I became pregnant 2 years later.  When I finally lost some weight and went shopping, I bought myself this pair of capri jeans.  Then I remarried and had two more kids and over the last few years, I couldn't even squeeze myself in to those "pre-baby" jeans any longer. 

Fast forward to today - July 16, 2012.  It's kind of hot so I put on this pair of capri jeans I bought back when I had "lost all the baby weight" after child number 2.


They are falling off of me!

Decide.  Commit.  Succeed!  Choose your Beachbody Challenge Pack today!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Friday, July 13, 2012

Thursday, July 12, 2012

P90X: Before and After





From June 25th through July 31st through a Beachbody Coach ONLY, you can get a FREE 30 day trial of a P90X Challenge Pack All you pay is $14.95 shipping and handling and then you get to try P90X as well as Shakeology absolutely FREE for 30 days.  If you don’t completely LOVE it and see amazing results, send it back and you pay nothing, but Fall in LOVE with the results and lifestyle changes it brings you and you will be billed the challenge pack amount!

Contact me for more information!







Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Legal Jibberjabber

I just realized the bottom of my blog isn't legible for some reason.  So here is what is says:

All content on this site is copyrighted by the author. The views, opinions, and ideas expressed on this site are solely those of the author unless otherwise stated. No part of this site may be reproduced in any form without the consent of the author. All rights reserved.

Disclosure: I am a Beachbody coach and the links that you click will take you to my Beachbody Coach store where you can purchase products and memberships from Beachbody. I do receive a percentage of the sale. I do not receive free products to review and I am not paid for my reviews. I used my own money to purchase the programs I mention in this blog. Please note that I cannot guarantee your success with whatever program you choose to use. I do know that my results and the results of those I know are the product of hard work and dedication to the programs we choose. Letting the programs sit and collect dust will NOT guarantee success.

Another benefit of being a Beachbody coach is the 25% discount I receive on their products. Anyone can be a Beachbody coach!  Click here to sign up as a Beachbody coach and get 25% off Beachbody products. If you are Active Duty Military or the spouse of an Active Duty Military member, ask me how you can have that monthly coach fee WAIVED!


Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread (or Cake as the case may be)

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread
(adapted from Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook)

2.5 cups all purpose flour
1.5 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (I have also used semi-sweet in the past)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1.5 cups sugar
1 cup sunflower oil (you can use canola but I don't know why you would want to.)
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini (about 3/4 pound)
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat two 9x5 loaf pans (or one 9x13 pan) with cooking spray.

2. Combine flour, chocolate chips, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.

3. Stir together sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract in another bowl.  Add flour mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.  Add the zucchini and yogurt in alternating batches, stirring well after each addition.  The batter will be very thick - sometimes I have to add a little bit more yogurt.

4. Divide between two loaf pans (or dump it all in the 9x13 pan) and bake for 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on rack for 10 minutes then turn the loaves onto the rack to cool completely.  If you're using a 9x13 pan you can just leave it in there.

You can also use mini loaf pans which I generally prefer BUT one of my kids (or maybe it was me) misplaced all of my mini loaf pans.  I usually keep one mini loaf out and freeze the rest.  This recipe freezes very well.  I wrap the loaves in plastic wrap then wrap with aluminum foil and put them in the freezer.

The original recipe (two loaves) will serve 16 - 8 slices per loaf.  The original nutritional information is as follows:

Nutrition per serving
354 calories
4 g protein
44 g carbohydrates
20 g fat
4 g saturated fat
25 mg cholesterol
240 mg sodium
2 g fiber

I substitute sunflower oil for canola and I don't use fat free Greek yogurt - just plain Greek Yogurt.  Maybe it is fat free?  I'm not sure.  I tend to avoid anything that is labeled Fat Free. 

Here it is all nice and warm! 
Some of my loaves from last year. 

Bruce Lee I think I love you!






Today is Day 38 of Les Mills Pump!  Have I mentioned yet how much I love this program?  I think it is definitely my Soul Mate workout!  I even think I am beginning to see the beginning of some muscles in my arms...  I'll have to take a photo later on.  Until then here are some more Words of Wisdom from Mr. Bruce Lee.

Enjoy your day!

Saturday, July 7, 2012

A goal is not always meant to be reached. It often serves simply as something to aim at.

90 days of Turbofire + 90 days of Brazil Butt Lift + 30 day hybrid + 30 days of Les Mills Pump + Shakeology =




Wowzers!

Starting Weight: 160lbs + Current weight: 128lbs

Starting Waist: 33 inches Current: 28 inches

Starting Hips: 39 inches Current: 35.5 inches

Starting Chest: 37 inches Current: 33.5 inches

Starting Right Arm: 11 inches Current: 10.25 inches

Starting Left Arm: 11 inches Current: 10 inches

Starting Right Thigh: 24.5inches Current: 22.25 inches

Starting Left Thigh: 24 inches Current: 22 inches



I made my first meme to celebrate!  Bruce Lee has some amazing, motivating quotes!

Friday, July 6, 2012

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Creating Health and Fitness Goals Year Round

I came across this list on a few fitness blogs.  I am not sure where it originated but it is definitely worth passing on!

************************************

You don't have to wait until New Year's Day to implement resolutions to improve your health and fitness. Regardless of the month or day, you can take action now to achieve your health and fitness goals. Here are some tips to get you started:

* Select one area to work on: Many people make the mistake of trying to make himself or herself into a new person overnight. It's unreasonable to expect yourself to, at the snap of a finger, change habits that you have spent years cultivating. Instead, select one health and fitness area to work on.

* Select a specific goal: Saying that you "want to lose weight" or "get in shape" is too vague. You need to come up with a concrete goal in order to measure your progress and celebrate your success.

* Select a realistic goal: If you've been a sugar junkie for 20 years, you can't expect to go cold turkey overnight. You may be able to cut sugar out for a few days or even a few weeks, but you won't be able to keep it up for the rest of your life.

* Opt for incremental change: In the sugar scenario, outline a series of steps you can take over time to achieve your goal. The first step might be to switch from regular soda to sugar-free soda. After successfully doing that for a month, tackle the next step - maybe a switch from regular to sugar-free ice cream, or restricting desserts to weekends only. Incorporating small changes over time dramatically increases the chance that you'll make it a permanent lifestyle change.

* Get some support: In a society that supersizes everything, it's never easy to stick with your health and fitness goals. Enlist the help of a friend, family member, or co-worker - someone who will help you stay with the program. If your goal is to go to the gym three times a week, for example, knowing that your friend is waiting there for you might be just the incentive you need to make sure you follow through. For extra motivation, put a dollar in a jar every time you go to the gym, then treat yourself to something special at the end of each month.

* Celebrate your success: We're quick to beat ourselves up when we don't reach our health and fitness goals, but we rarely celebrate our successes. When you've achieved one of your goals, give yourself a pat on the back. Treat yourself to a massage, a new pair of shoes, or a night out with your friends. 


Sunday, July 1, 2012

The Dress That Started It All.

Last May, I won a dress in an estate auction.  A vintage dress.  A 1950's Anne Fogarty Margot Inc. dress.  I L-O-V-E vintage clothing.  I am convinced I was born in the wrong era. 

Enter Sadness.  The dress didn't fit.  If I sucked in enough, I could zip it up to my waist but as the zipper inched closer to my bra line, it was a lost cause.  I tried to figure out how much it would cost for me to alter it.  And in my closet it has hung.  For over a year.

Until tonight.

Today I had myself measured at the lingerie department of a store.  The last time I had myself measured was last Fall before I started my Turbofire journey.  After a year of not nursing or being pregnant, none of my pre-pregnancy bras fit.  My measurements were a 36/38C.  As of this afternoon - a little over 240 days later - and I am measuring as a 30/32C!  The sizes weren't carried so the salesgirl told me to try a 34B.  It fit.  It fit PERFECT!  I posted my announcement on Facebook and my uncle asked if I was complaining or bragging.  "BRAGGING!", I posted proudly.  Then I mentioned that I had this certain vintage dress that refused to fit me properly.

And I wondered...

So I dug it out of my closet.  I tried it on and I could ZIP IT UP! 

Pardon the mess in the background!

Now I just need me a crinoline petticoat and a string of pearls. 

Super Saturday Recap

Yesterday I attended my first Super Saturday event.  It was hosted by Tarah Carr and Roger Mesina. I was able to sample the new Vegan Chocolate Shakeology:



It was actually pretty good.  Not nearly as chalky as the Tropical Shakeology.

I was able to watch a preview for the newest addition to the Beachbody family: Body Beast!



It doesn't look like a workout that appeals to me but I can see a lot of guys really rocking it.  :)

There was a bit of information about the new Les Mills Pump videos due later this year:  Les Mills Combat!  I am SUPER PSYCHED for these.  I am absolutely LOVING Les Mills Pump and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the new set is released as I'm finishing up my 90 days.  :)