Push Play

With Beachbody, one of the mantras is "Push Play." Of course, in a company who makes workout videos designed to be done at home, the meaning is pretty obvious. Push play on the videos (and do them) and you will see results.

I've thought about that saying applied in other areas of my life. In the past few years, I've noticed that I have a tendency to live more in ideas and planning, and less in actually executing those ideas and plans. In many areas, I've never been one to show a lot of initiative, to be proactive. So, I've thought about pushing play as a good mantra for me, to just DO it, set forth and get that idea implemented.

I also have realized how much I am responsible for, too. I am a big believer in God's sovereignty. I believe that He has total control of things. So, I don't know if my tendency to show little initiative, has been related to that belief, and just sort of waiting for God to bring something about in my life. I'm just realizing more that it has to be both. God is still in control, but I have to push play and DO things as well. I mean, if I keep making bad decisions, I still am going to have consequences from those decisions. Likewise, if I make good decisions, I will have consequences for those. So I really can benefit from taking more initiative and just do it.

What areas in your life are you still sitting in the ideas and planning stages, just waiting for something to happen? Decide now that you're just going to PUSH PLAY.

Weight Loss Update (Week 15)

We are into THAT time of year. People always joke that it is hard to lose weight between Halloween and New Year's with all of the candy, parties, and family gatherings. Well, I've read recently that the average person gains 7 to 12 pounds during this time of year. Wow. I definitely don't want to do that. I'm going to ENJOY the season, but I will not go crazy. And I will be sticking to my exercise routine and eating plan overall. Remember, it's a journey, a lifestyle thing. Not a fad. So I will enjoy, but I will maintain the discipline that I've been working for the last 3 months. Stay diligent, and don't consider the holidays as a food free-for-all.

I have had some candy for Halloween. But definitely not what I typically would have had. I certainly did more of the free-for-all thing before I started this journey to be healthier. But a lot of it is about planning. Jason and I definitely plan all of our meals for the week. I will stop right here to say that HE is the cook in the house, and not me. So he is more of the planner, but I plan too. And that is more than half of what our success is attributed to. We even brought our own homemade meal to Legoland the other day when we took our daughter for the day. Chicken and broccoli quesadillas. They were pretty tasty. And it was a whole lot healthier than the typical meal you get at a theme park. And we spent less money. Which, by the way, we have been finding our grocery bill to be reduced a lot, despite the common thought that eating healthy costs more.

Another thing that I wanted to explain, in case anybody didn't catch it, is I am only exercising once a day, for about 30 minutes. The cleaner eating really HAS been key in my weight loss. Another thing that Jason and I started doing for the last few weeks is eating at lunch what we typically would have eaten at dinner. That means I'm now eating my salad that I would have had at lunch for my dinner now. This way, we're eating the lighter meal last, before our body's metabolism starts to slow down for the night. Jason posted this picture on his fitness page a couple of weeks ago, and I think it's pretty striking. In fact, check out his page on Facebook, here.

I started the second block of P90X3 this week, and you guys, it is tougher, I think! But, I know I'm getting stronger and soon it will be nothing to me. I love feeling more athletic and healthier. But I also want to see others come on this journey with me. There are so many unhealthy people who just don't FEEL good. It's really difficult to fulfill the purpose in your life if you don't even feel like getting up off the couch to do anything. So, while I'm using this blog to share my journey, I also want some people to come along with me.

I lost another pound this week. One pound closer to my goal. Of course, I know the number on the scale isn't everything. And in fact, I saw some pictures from a couple of years ago when I was at a similar weight, and I think I look a little heavier than I do now. Back then I wasn't building muscle like I am now, and we all know that muscle weighs more than fat. So keep your eye out on me during the holiday season, and anyone that wants to join me, let me know!

P90X3 Block 1

I'm still excited about P90X3. It is a 90-day program that is set up in 3 blocks. The first block is 4 weeks long, with the first 3 weeks being the same, and the 4th week being more of a transition week. There is a mix of routines that focus on your cardio, strength, and flexibility. All of the workouts are 30 minutes. As of today, I have finished the first block.

Block 1 Exercises (3 weeks):

Day 1 (usually Monday) is called Total Synergistics. It focuses on the whole body. You're doing squats and lunges while holding weights, you're doing pull-ups and chin-ups (I use a resistance band), and you're doing things to focus on your core.

Day 2 is called Agility X. It is more aerobic/cardio-based. There are a lot of lunges again, but it's a little faster-paced. It also is designed to improve precision, flexibility, balance, and strength. There is more jumping and quick-stepping around. I wouldn't say that it is my favorite.

Day 3 is Yoga X. I really like this one. But I usually like yoga exercises anyway. It's tough, but it isn't cardio, haha! There are several poses that weren't in PiYo. Of course, yoga is great for flexibility. And you get it all done in 30 minutes.

Day 4 is called The Challenge. This is completely upper-body, alternating between pull-ups and push-ups. You do lots of different variations, like staggered push-ups, where you have one arm forward and one arm closer while you do your push-ups. There is also a pull-up where one hand is forward and the other is reversed.

Day 5 is CVX, which is another cardio-based whole body workout. Pretty much everything you do with a light weight in your hands. It's another tough one, but I like it slightly better than Agility X.

Day 6 is The Warrior. This is another one with lots of push-ups. It also focuses on legs and core. It is more focused on increasing strength.

Day 7 is Dynamix, or you can choose to rest. I usually take the rest day.

Block 1 Recovery Week (1 week):

Day 1 is Isometrix. This involves holding a lot of the yoga poses for about 45 seconds. It's pretty tough, but I liked it.

Day 2 is Dynamix. This also involves a lot of stretching to help increase range of motion, flexibility, and stability. I think it's a little tough, too, but I have only done it the one time. Maybe when I get accustomed to it, it will be easier.

Day 3 is Accelerator. Whew, I thought it was tough! It's back to cardio, somewhat similar to Agility X.

Day 4 is Pilates. This is mostly focused on core. I have to say, I didn't like it as much as I thought that I would, but again, it could just be because it's not familiar yet. I'll have to see when I do it again.

Day 5 is CVX and Day 6 is Yoga X, both of which I've already described.

I'm ready to see what Block 2 will bring.

Posting my current progress picture. July 26, 2014, before PiYo. October 26, 2014: After PiYo, and P90X3 Block 1, plus clean eating and drinking Shakeology.

As for my current progress, I lost 2 more pounds this week! I am now at 21 pounds lost, and the lowest weight that I've been at in 2-and-a-half years. I've lost another inch or so in my waist. I definitely see more of a difference in my shoulder and arms than I do anywhere else. But, it'll get there, right?

Now, what about you? Anyone who wants to do this, can, if they're ready to be consistent and give some effort. If you want to join me, let me know! I will be there to offer accountability, encouragement, and motivation.

Family, Photos, and Fitness

I am wanting to post a little more often to this blog, making it more about my other areas of interest, too. I am a wife and a mom, so my family is important to me. And there is definitely a lot to share about what I learn as a mommy to my 3-year-old daughter. I'm also really into photos and memory keeping. The way I most like to do that is through digital scrapbooking and making photo books. So I may share a few photos or scrapbooking tips that I pick up along the way. Or just some of the things that I create. In addition to becoming physically fit, I am working on being emotionally and spiritually fit, too. You have to focus on all of those areas, not just one, in order to be balanced. And I will still post my weekly weight loss update as I continue on my journey.

I mentioned this in another post, but one thing that I was noticing about myself before I started all this, was that I was really easily irritated. With my husband, my daughter, my work, myself. And it could get really ugly, especially in the mornings when I was running late to work. This was something that didn't make me feel that great, but that was me, easily irritated. I didn't want it to be me, though. I've started realizing how much the seemingly little decisions that I make everyday can make a huge impact in my life. It didn't seem like a big deal to eat some peanut M&M's, but over every night that I did it, it certainly added up. It also didn't seem to be that big of a deal to make a negative comment here or there when I was frustrated, but doing that everyday, my husband started to see me as a negative person. Or my daughter started to imitate what she had seen me do when she became frustrated. Hmm. THAT is not a fun realization, to see that your child is mimicking your negative traits.

Not only have I seen more how much those "little" choices matter, but I've also seen MY responsibility in those choices. I don't know if I was just going through life thinking that things were happening to me, but I think that I was living like that. Now granted, things happen to us, but we have choices in those things as well. We've heard all of the adages...when life gives you lemons, make lemonade (or squirt lemon juice in someone's face, as I've recently seen); no one can determine how you feel or act in circumstances, and that sort of thing. But I'm seeing that those things really are true. I can be proactive or reactive. I can take responsibility for my actions or I can blame others and my circumstances. So I've started to practice that. And it is making a difference.

So what decisions do you need to start making? What can you do today to start being more proactive and less reactive?

Week 13 [Oct 12-18] Benefits and Weight Loss Update

I would say that committing to this fitness journey has been hands-down one of the best decisions that I've ever made. There have been so much more than physical changes in me, although those have been great. Aside from the weight loss, I am seeing myself get stronger, my clothes are looking and fitting better, and my legs and arms are becoming more defined.

Like I said, though, this journey is making more than just physical changes. It also has made some emotional changes in me. My confidence has increased, my self-esteem is better, and I get irritated less easily.

Yep, I can tend to get irritated pretty easily. I guess you could say that I was frumpy and grumpy. And I didn't like being that way. But really, when you aren't making healthy choices, you're not going to feel that great, you're going to make other not-great choices, and then you feel pretty lousy about that, and the consequences of those choices. Which makes it more likely that you're going to make another bad choice. And it pretty much is just a downward spiral.

I know that there are a lot of factors that have changed, all of which probably contribute to my decreased irritation. One, I'm exercising, which creates endorphins, so I feel better. Two, I'm seeing some good physical changes in my body, which makes me feel better about myself and how I look, so my base level of irritation is lower. Three, I'm drinking a very healthy meal replacement shake that has helped me in a lot of ways. I'm sleeping better, I crave and eat less sweets, my digestion has improved, and my energy levels are improved. And, I see that I don't get irritated as easily as I used to. (I asked Jason if he sees that, too, and to my delight--and relief--he said he does.) And just like the downward spiral, I'm sure the opposite effect is going on. I feel better, I make better choices, and the consequences of those choices continues to make me feel good, thus increasing the probability that I will continue to make good choices.

No matter the exact reason, it's another reason that I want to continue on this journey. I'm realizing that being "fit" is more than just a physical thing. I didn't realize it when I started, but MY OWN journey to be "Fit After Forty", is more than just my becoming physically fit. It's about being emotionally and spiritually healthy, too.

 Now for this week's update: I lost 2 more pounds! I know that the scale is not the BEST indicator of success, because of normal fluctuations from water retention and things like that. But, weighing once a week helps to even that kind of thing out. Initially, I had chosen Mondays to be my official weigh-in days, but I decided since we often ease up some on the weekends, Friday or Saturday mornings would be a better official weigh-in day. But anyway, I am now officially more than halfway to my goal weight. 

Can't wait to see where I go next!

Week 12 Weight Loss Update

Wow, I can't believe that I've been on this journey for 12 weeks now. It doesn't seem that it has been that long. But the majority of the changes seem like part of my life now. Getting up first thing and working out is pretty much like second nature to me. Food prepping on the weekends, as time-consuming as that can be, is the best method for me and our family.

I'm getting stronger, too. I am doing more push-ups on my feet, not on my knees. I still may not be going down as far as I should, but I'm trying. And I will get it before this first round of P90X3 is over. I also think my cardio is getting better. And I love seeing a little more definition in my legs and arms.

I am now at a weight that I haven't been at in a year and a half, according to the My Fitness Pal app. Yet I think I look a tad smaller than I did, just because of building muscle and getting leaner. I guess the next set of pictures will tell.

But I did lose another pound this week. After not really losing last week, I'm glad to see that I'm back! I'm pretty much halfway to my goal!

It's a Marathon, Week 11 [Sept 29-Oct 6] and P90X3

Click here to read from the beginning of my journey.

For a lot of things lately, I've been hearing the phrase, "It's a marathon, not a sprint." That can be said about getting out of debt, it can be said about personal development, and it certainly can be said about losing weight. To be truly successful, it has to be something that you can stick with for life...a lifestyle change, not just a temporary diet. I've been thinking about that a lot this week, as I found it to be a not-so-successful week in sticking with healthy eating.

This was more than my previous special occasion cheats that I've written about before. It started with craving some pumpkin muffins. They aren't very high calorie, you just mix a can of pumpkin with a package of spice cake mix. So I had bought the ingredients a couple of weeks ago, but Jason wisely advised me to wait until after we took our after pictures, so I did. I took the pictures last week, and I made the muffins that night. He only ate them that night, but not me. I had a couple more Monday, and another one on Tuesday. But I also had two mini-cinnamon rolls at our staff meeting on Wednesday this week. Not that terrible either. Then Thursday was Jason's birthday, and he wanted to go to Kobe's. We LOVE Kobe's. I had to make it worth it, and I did get two meals out of it, but that was two more days of cheat-eating. Then Saturday, we had points for a free pizza, which we got, along with some chocolate chip cookie pie. I've been guilty of this before, where once you blow it, you just keep blowing it, but I know better.

Not that I'm beating myself up, because I'm not. I know this type of thing will happen sometimes. It's life. I just am reminded that ALL of my weeks can't be like this, and that's where it had been getting. I'm writing this before my official "weigh-in," but I'm pretty sure that I will not lose this week, and may have even gone back up from last week. But I'm not that worried about it, because I'm still staying on this journey. I just got a little sidetracked.

So now, my first week with P90X3.

I actually really liked it! I wasn't sure what I would think about it, or even if I would be able to stick with it, but I was ready to kick it up a notch. It was definitely tough, and I went to the modified moves a few times, I even took a few breaks sometimes, but I got right back in it. And I finished the first week. I'm pretty pumped about that. My muscles were sorer than they got with PiYo. The first block, which is weeks 1-4, has a good combination of cardio/plyometrics, using weights, and yoga.

So when I officially weighed, I'm glad to say that I didn't gain, but I didn't lose any this week, either. But I just keep plugging away. Next week I will.