So You Want to Start Working Out? PART 1

Have you let go of your excuses yet? Are you ready to get your life in gear and start your journey to a healthier lifestyle?

So now what do you do?

YOU HAVE TO HAVE GOALS.

Now, I am a very type-A person. I wake up in the morning already mapping out my entire day. As a teacher, I am a natural-born planner. I currently know what my students and I will be doing every day for the next week and a half. Can normal people say that about their jobs?

That being said, before my clicking point, I was not very good at planning out how I wanted to reach my weightloss goals. My plans consisted of “I’ll eat some salad” or “I’ll go to the gym.” I lollygagged around with that attitude for years before I got it together, started doing a ton of research, and really thought about what I wanted to achieve. Before I thought about things, I’d try to replace my bad snacks with only slightly better snacks and think I was doing enough (but not seeing results and getting frustrated about it) or I’d go to the gym and just kind of randomly get on machines and use them for a minute or two and move on (also so no results).

Things didn’t really change until I started setting goals for myself. Here are some of the goals that I worked toward in my first year of my journey:

1. Record all food and keep calories at a certain amount.
2. Work on getting macros at the right amount each day.
3. Work out 4-5 times per week, doing cardio each time and alternating parts of the body for strength training.

For the most part, I did a good job (there were periods where I slacked, but I learned a lot about what leads to success and what does not). Recording all of my food and focusing on my macros really helped me to start to see food as more than just food, but a way to fuel my body (“my body is a temple blah blah”). I also went into each of my workouts knowing exactly what I was going to do and I left the gym each time feeling like I had really worked something!

1. A year into this process, I am at a different place. Some of my goals are the same and some of them have changed. For the most part, here they are: 
2. Record ALL food (including the random Hershey Kiss here and there) and keep calories at a certain amount. 
3. Stick to a pre-set meal plan each week in order to get macros at the right amount each day.
4. Drink at least 70-90 ounces per water a day.
5. Work out 6 times per week, focusing on modifying less and less each time I complete a workout.
6. Create less opportunity for injury.
7. Inspire others to work out and be healthy.

What I want you to do over the next few days is think about your own goals. Think about what you want to achieve (lose 20 pounds, drop 2 pants sizes, run a 5k in under 30 minutes, etc.) and then think about HOW you are going to achieve that. Once you have had a chance to do so, I will have a “part 2” of this post that will talk more about what to do once you have set those goals. J  

Piyo Review Week 5

Month 2 of Piyo is underway! The intensity is up, the results are coming in, and I am still loving it!

Week 5 Schedule:

Monday- Sculpt

Tuesday- Sweat

Wednesday- REST

Thursday- Core

Friday- Buns

Saturday- Drench

Sunday- SICK

This week introduced the last new workout, Sculpt. I really really like Sculpt! In fact, I wish it had been introduced sooner so I could do this workout more often during the 60 days! It is only about 30 minutes long and I was sore but didn’t feel like I was going to die like I did with Drench!

This week saw both successes and setbacks. I am definitely noticing a difference in my strength--moves that seemed almost impossible before are now just fine. I have noticed that my flexibility in certain moves is also improving. I can get a lot lower in my lunges and warrior poses than before beginning the program!

A setback this week is that I woke up very congested on Saturday. When I did Drench for the first time last week, I had to take a few breaks because it is a difficult workout and I got overheated. I was hoping I'd do a little better this week but not being able to breathe well posed a problem! (nerdy side note- in my class on Friday, we watched a Magic School Bus episode where Ms. Frizzle was competing in some kind of fitness competition. She started hiccuping and held her breath, but started to lose her race. Since her respiratory system wasn't getting air, her muscles couldn't work properly! I had a total Ms. Frizzle moment! haha) I had to stop for a lot of breaks and ended up having to use my inhaler (which I rarely use). It was not the best I've ever done...

Sunday I woke up even more congested and just overall cruddy feeling. I waited until later in the day to see if I felt good enough to work out, but I didn't get better. As much as I wanted to complete the whole 60 days of Piyo without skipping a workout, I needed to make sure my body had some healing time so that I didn't actually get worse.

I'm still sick today, so this week may be a modified week if I don’t get better soon. I did manage to get Strength Intervals done (which is what I was supposed to do yesterday) and it wasn’t too bad because it is only around 20 minutes! I got my new “Suck it Up Buttercup” tank in the mail today and saw it as a sign that I needed to get off my butt and keep up the work!!

Want to try Piyo? I am running a 60 day Challenge Group beginning March 1st. You'd get the perfect mix of inspiration, motivation, and accountability! If you're interested, please fill in the contact form at the bottom of the page! 

Excuses, Excuses

Before I started on my journey to a healthier lifestyle, I was all about excuses. As a teacher, I work about 50 hours or more each week, plus I am in grad school and that can take about 10 (if not more) hours a week on top of that. That means I have no time to work out. I also felt guilty about leaving my dog by herself even more when I would go to the gym (which is part of the reason I tried running with her, but that was a disaster). I’m way too tired after teaching all day to even think about working out. And those are just recent excuses…

My other excuses over the years have included:

I have to be ____________ later and I just don’t want to have to shower again before then.

People look at me weird in the gym.

My face gets too red when I work out.

I’m just too uncoordinated to try that class.

I’m not fit enough to work out. (oh, the irony)

You know what I wish someone would have given me all those years? A big glass of shut the hell up. That’s what.

Are you tired? Working out gives you more energy.

Are you depressed? Working out gives you endorphins.

Are you self-conscious about how you look in workout clothes? Working out makes you look better in those clothes.

Are you self-conscious about your level of fitness? Working out is the only way to increase that level.

Are you too uncoordinated to try that class? Everyone else looks just as ridiculous as you do.

Are you too busy because of your kids? Give that kid a book/iPad/whatever and tell them you’ll give them a piece of chocolate (or fruit if you’re really daring) if they’ll leave you alone for a while. Or heck, get really crazy and let them work out with you.

Are you too busy because of your work schedule? You can get a workout in 30 minutes. That’s 2% of your day. An hour is 4% of your day. You have time.

My number one advice for excuses? GET. OVER. IT.

Beginning a BeachBody program was one of the best things I ever did for myself and this journey. I don’t have to drive all the way to the gym to get a workout, I don’t have to mess around in the gym for over an hour to get any kind of workout, and I get a support network that helps keep me motivated!

In order to commit, YOU’VE got to want it for yourself. You have to understand that you are in charge of your health, you are in charge of how you feel, you are in charge of how you look, and you are in charge of what you can accomplish. No one is standing in your way but yourself!

If you’re ready to commit to yourself and would like support doing it, I am going to be running my very first (don’t want you to be in my first group?!) challenge group beginning March 1^st. It will be a 60-day group where YOU agree to commit to a fitness program and I give you the piece so many people are missing—support. I will be there EVERY day—keeping you motivated, cheering you on, and holding you accountability. If you’re in, fill in the contact form at the bottom of the page and I will contact you with more information!

Getting Back on Track

My name is Reagan and I am a binge eater.

It’s not about hunger at all. When I sit down to eat a meal, I have decent eating habits. I use pretty small portions to begin with, I eat slowly, and stop when I’m full. I don’t even like the feeling of being overly full.

Binge eating (like other eating disorders) is a mental problem. I am not going to binge on something healthy; I am going to binge on sweets because that’s my vice. Sometimes I don’t even realize I’m doing it. I’m not talking about absent-mindedly eating a whole bag of chips because I am distracted by the TV. I’m talking about standing in front of the pantry, shoving cookies in my mouth until I’m sick. I come out of it thinking “holy cow what did I just do?” I hide food in my desk and in my work bag. It is terrible.

When I am actively eating healthy foods all the time, I usually don’t binge. It’s one of those things that I can keep under control for a while, but once it starts, it’s very hard to stop. Case in point: I snacked during the Superbowl and it has been bad all week since then. I’ve been feeling guilty and down about it—I had started up some snacking last week but had planned to get it together this week and it just hasn’t gone over well.

As I have tried to create a healthier lifestyle for myself, I have tried to put certain things in place to make giving up binging more successful:

1. I allow myself one cheat meal a week. I really enjoy eating out, but it is one thing that I can do once in a while without it setting off a spiral.
   
2. I do not allow myself certain things that I have been “addicted to” in the past. For example, soda. If I have even one soda, I am going to start having one every day. I haven’t had a soda in over a month now and I’ve only missed it a couple of times. Food can be an addiction (a horrible addiction, as you can’t actually stop eating) and addictions that you give up cannot be returned in moderation. It’s just a flat out “no.”
   
3.  I have strived to find healthy foods that I really enjoy. I love bananas, strawberries, quinoa, shrimp, scrambled egg whites, Greek yogurt, and spinach, so I try to incorporate these things into my diet often. If I associate healthy food with an awful taste, it’s just not going to happen.
   
4. I drink a protein shake almost everyday. Right now I drink Shakeology because it is a BeachBody product (and it really helps to regulate me and give me more energy), but all protein products have had a good effect on my diet. If I can trick my body into thinking I’m drinking a chocolate milkshake or a fruity smoothie, all while getting protein, I am satisfying one of my sweet cravings but getting what my body needs!

What I need to START doing to help stop my current binge cycle and to help avoid future ones:

1. Drink more water. It is about 6:00 pm right now and I have had 15 ounces of water today. FIFTEEN OUNCES. Unacceptable.
   
2. When I am sneaking into my desk or pantry for snacks that I shouldn’t be eating, I need to distract myself by getting up and walking around or going to talk to someone.
   
3. Get rid of the snacks in the first place…
   
4. Get better about sticking to my meal plan.

These are all things that are going to be part of my long-term plan to stop binge eating. So what I am going to do RIGHT NOW?

I’m not normally a person who would advocate for any type of cleanse, but my body needs just that—to be cleansed of all the crap I’ve put in it over the past two weeks. Because of this, I have decided to try BeachBody’s 3-Day Refresh. The reason why I am going to do this (as opposed to a normal cleanse) is that it actually involves EATING. You do drink shakes (Shakeology once a day, Fiber Sweep once a day, and Vanilla Fresh-very high protein drink-twice a day), but you are also eating fruits, veggies, and some fats. You can also have green or herbal tea! 3-Day Refresh is designed to help you get rid of your bad habits so that you can jumpstart your weightloss and feel better.

What do I need from you during this 3-Day Refresh? SUPPORT! It’s going to be a tough three days but it’s just that—three days. I am going to be hosting a special 3-Day Refresh Challenge Group that will have A LOT of hands on coaching and motivation throughout the three days. If you are interested in jumpstarting your weightloss, getting rid of bad habits, or giving your body the reset that it needs, please contact me in the contact form below!

Piyo Review Week 4 & Month 1 Progress

I noticed that Piyo started to pick up the pace in week 3, but it was nothing compared to week 4. Here was my workout schedule for this week:

Monday- Sweat

Tuesday- Core

Wednesday- REST

Thursday- Buns

Friday- Drench

Saturday- Strength Intervals

Sunday- Sweat

The new workout that was introduced during this week was Drench. Most of the things that pop up when I google Piyo or see Piyo reviews on YouTube are talking about Drench. This is the most difficult Piyo workout so far (Strength Intervals is a close second)! It takes a lot of the difficult moves from the other workouts and combines them, then adds on some other moves as well (including that Piyo Flip you see pictured up there—which I can only do because I’ve done it in classes before). I was definitely sweating by the end of it! It’s also the longest Piyo workout, at a little over 40 minutes. It was a very difficult 40 minutes!

Now onto my progress! Piyo is an 8 week program and I wanted to check in on my progress at the end of week 4 to see if the program really works! I am posting a picture below of how I keep up with how I am doing. I am not going to lie, I was a little disappointed when I weighed myself this morning because I actually weighed more than last Sunday. But if I am being truly honest, this week was not the best for me nutrition-wise. One of my students brought me Girl Scout cookies, we had a little gathering for a coworker’s birthday one day, I had a couple Lean Cuisines instead of making healthy meals a few nights, and I just wasn’t being a smart snacker. I’m not perfect! I am going to do a much better job next week! J

So there you have it people! It’s not always about the weight! Before starting with BeachBody, I was seeing pounds come off almost as fast (during good months), but I NEVER saw this much of a difference in inches in that short amount of time! I feel great about my measurements—I am not starving myself and I am enjoying my workout program!

If you would like to read more about weeks 1-3 or the Piyo program in general, please see my review post on those weeks! If you are interested in learning more about Piyo or any other BeachBody programs, please contact me via the contact form below!