Week 6 More on PiYo and Unintended Consequences [Aug 25-Sept 1]

To start at the beginning of my journey, click here.

I finished my first Beachbody challenge group this week. For those who don't know, a challenge group is typically an online support group that is created on Facebook for a small period of time, like 4 weeks. There can be different types, but the one that I just finished was a general challenge group that allowed the participants to use whatever Beachbody workout they want. This was a 4-week challenge. In the group, everyday the coach running the group posts some type of prompt. For example, it may be to post a picture of yourself after working out, or post a picture of your favorite water bottle, or just to rate how hard you pushed yourself in your workout. Sometimes the prompts contain tips and bits of nutrition information. Outside of the workout, it takes a few minutes to read and comment. Of course, you also want to read the other comments, too, but that's not required (haha). I'm also happy to say that I have worked out every single day that was scheduled. (The workout I've been doing, PiYo, is 6 days a week.) 

I have mentioned before that the PiYo workout is a combination of yoga and Pilates moves. They are done in a way that is more fluid or dynamic than traditional yoga, where you hold the pose/stretch for several seconds. This is more going from one pose to another, making it low impact cardio. It also starts off simpler the first couple of weeks, so that you get familiar with the moves and have the right alignment. It targets your upper and lower body separately, then some of your core. By weeks 3 and 4, you're doing more to target your core, your buns, and just getting a good overall workout. And looking ahead, it's even more of that. The workouts range in time from 20 minutes to 45 minutes, which is long. But I always feel invigorated when I'm done. 

I am working out when I first wake up. For this workout, I don't need to eat anything before I work out. After I shower, I eat some eggs with vegetables for my breakfast. Then about an hour later, right before I leave for work, I make my meal replacement shake. I briefly mentioned before that it's very healthy. Here is a little bit about what it includes/does. It includes protein and amino acids to help build lean muscles, improve skin and hair, improve mood, and reduce cravings. The antioxidants and super-fruits help reduce damage from free radicals, promote heart health, and support joint health. The phytonutrients and super-greens help promote detoxification of the liver, kidneys, and blood. The herbs help protect the body from stress, support the immune system, and balance the endocrine system. There are prebiotics and probiotics that help improve digestion. And there are digestive enzymes that help the body break down foods and increase absorption of nutrients. So here is something that I didn't expect...I am not really into my coffee anymore. I'm finding that I don't need it. So I've recently stopped making it. I haven't had it in a few days. No headaches and I have plenty of energy. Not that I made my coffee all that strong anyway, but I know it's still probably better not to drink it than to drink it. Am I saying that I'll never drink coffee again? I doubt that. Just not everyday thing. (Plus, I was still using sugar, so I can benefit from that lack of calories.)

So here is my update for this week. One more pound lost. It's not all about the pounds, of course.  I also took my measurements for the progress since I finished the first challenge group. I lost about an inch in my waist and 2 in my hips! I saw this picture and thought that it was a great thing to remember. I've had a lot of these "non-scale victories."