Motivation Monday

Good morning folks!!  Happy Monday!

The past 2 weeks have been the hardest, most challenging that I've had in quite some time. I'm hoping that this week might go a little more smoothly! I hope that you all had a good weekend!!

Saturday, I got up and did a chest and triceps workout. Then hubs and I did the weekly grocery shopping. We went to Ross and I got a pair of workout capri pants and a new pair of Nike Pegasus, too. We went out to a friend's birthday party later that night. Yesterday, hubs went to our place at the lake to do some work on our trailer and I stayed home to do the chores and weekly food prep. This week, I prepped steaks, yellow squash/zucchini, ground turkey meat, spaghetti squash, brown rice, baked sweet potatoes, hb eggs, and broccoli.

One thing that I really enjoy about blogging is the networking aspect. Recently, I "met" Danielle Prestejohn and I had an opportunity to work with her for the past 21 days. She is a Beachbody coach and gave several of us a chance to try the new 21 Day Fix workout program from Beachbody. I've tried other Beachbody programs in the past and really liked them, so I was excited about this opportunity.

This particular program includes an eating plan based on portion control. I believe that is where most people struggle on their weight loss journey. It is a very simple plan to follow. There are color coded containers that represent different food groups: protein, vegetables, fruits, starches, fats, nuts and seeds. You calculate that amount of calories that you need for the day and then you follow the guide that shows you how many color coded containers to eat for the day. For instance, the 1200-1499 plan includes 3 greens, 2 purples, 3 reds, 2 yellows, 1 blue and 1 orange. Super easy!!

As you know, I am already a meal planner/prepper. I weigh and measure all my portions. In all honesty, I didn't feel like I was eating enough. I felt hungry when I followed the plan. I noticed that I was loosing weight and that isn't my goal. I want to maintain and could actually afford to put on a few pounds of lean muscle. It was easy for me to adjust my intake by simply stepping up to the next meal plan. I think it was helpful for my husband to get a visual of correct portion sizes and how much food he should be eating as well as what types of food and when to eat them.

My favorite part of this program are the workouts. There are 7 different workouts. Each one is 30 minutes in length and are easily modifiable for beginners or if one is injured, etc. Although the workouts are short, they are effective. Scientifically, short bursts of exercise with short rest periods (HIIT) are highly effective for weight loss and fat burning. I love these workouts and will continue to incorporate them into my fitness regimen.

I'm pleased with my progress, so far.I'm seeing subtle little changes everyday.

Here's my workout schedule for the week:

Monday--Upper body strength training, back/shoulders/biceps
Tuesday--Total Body Cardio Fix
Wednesday--Upper fix
Thursday--Double day Lower fix and Pilates fix
Friday--Chest and triceps
Saturday--Dirty 30 (or 3 mile run if we are at the lake)
Sunday--yoga fix

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving. And whatever you do today, be awesome at it!

Your friend,

Theresa

What are your workout plans this week?
Have you tried the 21 Day Fix?

I was insane

Good morning folks!!

As most of you know, I recently did the Insanity workout. I've seen the infomercials on TV for years and have been curious about it.  2 of the doctors I work with completed the program and challenged me to try it.  So I did. 

I started at the end of May. I really enjoyed the first month. It was challenging but I didn't feel like it was too difficult. The workouts were about 40 minutes in length. They started with about a 10 minute warm-up and a 5 minute stretch. The actual workout part was about 25-30 minutes. The exercises consisted of plyometrics, cardio, and body weighted exercises with focus on core strengthening. The recovery stretches were very good and focused on balance.

After month 1, there is a recovery week which focuses on core strength and balance.

Month 2 was an entirely different story. The workouts were all about an hour in length. After the warm-up and stretch, there were about 45 minutes left for the workout. I'm not sure why, but that seemed like an eternity to me. The exercises were markedly more difficult. I felt very discouraged and definitely did not look forward to doing the workouts. They just seemed more inconvenient and tedious. So, consequently, I did not actually complete the workout. I completed about 6 weeks of the workout but that was really all I could muster.

I didn't see any outward results in my weight or body either. I think there are multiple reasons for this, primarily my diet. I didn't follow the meal plan. Secondly, I'm at a point where I want body sculpting. I want to build muscle and have definition. I'm at a point where I need to focus more on weight lifting vs cardio.

However, I did have results. My endurance and stamina has definitely increased. I feel like my core strength, flexibility and balance are all very much improved!

The bottom line here is I enjoyed it and I would do it again.

I have moved on to the newest Beachbody workout program, Focus T25. I'm enjoying it so far. The workouts are all 25 minutes in length. They are a mix of cardio and body weighted exercises. I find that it is much easier to find 25 minutes to workout each day. And I'll have time to incorporate more weight training so that I can build more muscle.

Have you done Insanity or any other Beachbody workouts??

What workouts are you currently doing??