LNSC CHAMPIONS!!!!!

Sooooo, this weekend was a power packed, victorious one!!!  Joi played in her final soccer tournament of the year and boy was it a thriller!  Her team had to play 4 soccer games in 2 days to see who would come out on top.  We trampled the first team, 9-0.... we came back 2 hours later and continued to dominate with a 7-2 victory.  Sunday, we played the semifinal game and won, 5-1 annnnnnd we came back 3 1/2 hours later and sealed the deal with a 4-1 VICTORY to become the 2012 LNSC CHAMPIONS!!!!  WOO HOO!!!!  Joi scored 5 goals and had 8 assists.  She had some unbelieveable passes, defensive plays, blocked shots and etc.... They didn't come easy though.  She had 2 injuries, one to the head and the other to the knee and was escorted off the field in tears.  She never gave up and came back playing even harder.  There were plenty of smiles, hi-fives and cheers to go around.  What a way to end a season, huh??  Hubby had to miss it all due to an overseas business trip but he followed the scores online and I gave him a recap after each game.  He sent his congrats to his little girl and cheered her on from afar. 

Now, we have several weeks off from soccer and the girls are asking to play basketball BUT this mama is TIRED!!!!!  Soccer resumes in January and we have our first tournament of 2013 the last weekend in January.  Let the VICTORIES CONTINUE....

Here are a few pics of Joi and her team...

 

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving and a little motivation :-)

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving at the beach with my family. There was sooooooooooo much food (over 33 items) on the menu but I stood my ground and had a plate of veggies and a side salad. Then I ate about 4oz of baked turkey and I indulged a little by having a dinner roll and some dessert. I got in tons of exercise from moving, climbing, cooking, standing, walking and etc... and burned well over 900 cals Thanksgiving Day. I hit the beach for a nice stroll with the family the next day and just relaxed. I received soooo many compliments about my weight loss  and was greeted with congrats, hugs, questions about my journey and stories of how i've inspired them.

Sunday night after we all went back to our destinations, my mom called me and told me how proud she was of me. She said that she couldn't get the image of me out of her mind. Now, for those who don't know, my mom has survived 3 or 4 strokes and 2 mild heart attacks. She’s also a diabetic and she has hypertension and high cholesterol. She has slight paralysis on her left side and spends most of her time in her wheel chair. She is one of the reasons why my health is a priority!!! She told me that her wheel chair was malfunctioning so instead getting it fixed or staying at home she decided that she would get up and walk with her walker. She hasn’t used it in a few years because she was completely comfortable with relying on her wheel chair. She said that seeing my drive, will power and determination along with my fitness journey success is what replayed in her mind. She said “Hope, if you can do it so can I!!!” She said she walked everywhere she needed to go. Up the stairs, down the stairs, to church and etc…. with her walker. She said “I moved at a slow pace BUT I moved!!!” My heart was FULL!!! After we got off the phone I just wanted to go and run an extra mile for her.

 

This journey is for REAL! There are so many people who need to see that it is possible and that it can be done. Though you may have setbacks, times of frustration, lack of progress, injuries and etc… don’t ever give up!! Get back in there and pick up where you left off. Your journey is never JUST for you! You are an inspiration to someone else whether you know it or not. Get out there and find a way to make it happen!!!

My Doctor's Visit Today...

YESSSSSS I made it through my obgyn appointment!!!! I sat there as a nervous wreak while waiting on my doc to make her entrance. I got the works.... urine test, breat exam, pelvic and pap test topped off with a books worth of personal questions. It was all worth it when my doc hugged me and wiped away a few tears after seeing how much weight I've lost. The scale showed that I'm down 31 lbs since Feb and I was fully clothed with my shoes and jacket on.... body bugg on 1 arm and hrm on the other... phone and keys in each pocket.... and I wore JEANS!!! She told all of the nurses about my success and I had to give a motivational speech to them as they asked how I did it, what I eat, what exercises I do and etc... My doc is also training to run her first 1/2 marathon in December so we bonded over our training stories :-) Whew!!! Glad it's OVER!!!! My BP was elevated from the stress/agony/anxiety I put myself through in anticipation of this appointment. I only slept for 2 hours last night and I was so worked up. After my 20 minute appt they took my pressure again and it had gone down by 30 points!!! I was given a clean bill of health and she told me I could try to conceive if I wanted.... LOL!!!!!!! No thanks! I don't like how worked up I get at such a rapid pace soooooo, i'm gonna make an appt with my primary care doc to see what he could recommend about dealing with that. Other than that, i'm good. My doc told me i'm in the best shape of my life!!!

Here we go AGAIN...

 

I feel like I should just cry and do my own thing!!! Soooo here I am, fresh off of a laid back workout week (last week). I ONLY did insanity week 7.... NO treadmill, NO jogging or powerwalking.... NO strengthtraining or weights. I literally had withdrawals and teary eyes as I Walked past my treadmill and rubbed it :-(. So you know, this week i'm totally amped up and ready for a good workout and these were the messages left on my polarFT60 heart rate monitor this morning!!! I am so unhappy about this week's suggestion of yet another recovery week... This will be the 3rd week i'm supposedly in need of a "recovery". I limited my workouts to 5 days a week and did not wear my watch all weekend during my regular hustlin' around with the kids (my bodybugg showed that I burned 2300-2500 cals per day Saturday & Sunday). Some things just can't be cut out of my schedule. Now I don't know what to do. I'm so anxious to get back to my treadmill, strength training and insanity but my watch is fussing at me. I have my annual physical with my OBGYN tomorrow so i'm gonna ask my doc for suggestions. I guess i'm going to stick with today's workout plan and and see what she says tomorrow.

Scaling it back for yet another week....

*sigh*.... so I woke up this morning all ready for my grueling workout only to find this message awaiting me on my Polar Heart Rate Monitor/Watch...

Last week was my INSANITY recovery week and I scaled back on my running and strength training. Now my polarFT60 is telling me that I need a recovery week this week???? It wants me to stay out of my max heart rate zone and only spend minimal time in zones 1 & 2. It also suggests that I cut back on the amount of hours I workout with a significant reduction in the calories I burn. I just can't do it. My metabolism is at an all time high and i'm burning a ton of calories constantly with little to no effort at all. This weekend I didn't do any planned workouts. I just did tons of walking that comes with hustlin' around with my kids' sports all weekend and I still managed to burn well over 2000 calories each day (Fri/Sat/Sun). I'm amped up for some intense workouts this week with insanity but I will stay off of my treadmill and stay away from my weights this week. I hate having to switch things up but i'll see if this watch knows what it's talking about. I'm not a happy camper...

Soooo today's "light" workout included INSANITY FitTest #3 and Max Interval Circuit..... Day 1/month 2/round 2 is officially in the books. Here are my results: switch kicks 141; power jacks 114; power knees 127; power jumps 22; globe jumps 15; suicide jumps 26; pushup jacks 21; low plank oblique 71. My goal for this final month is to lean out. I'm starting to get that Serena Williams look and it's GREAT for body building but not so much for running (which is what i'm training for in the coming months). So lighter weights (more reps), more cardio and healthier food choices are going to get me there :-)

Rest week on the fitness front... well, kinda :-)

 

So, this week is my "Take a step back week"... I have read that every three to four weeks you should give your body a chance to rest. You should drop your mileage by 10 percent to help your body recover and keep you from hitting a plateau. This is sometimes tough for me... I know that my body needs a rest week by just cutting back on my normal routine. This week is my "take a step back week" with INSANITY. I have Core Cardio & Balance all week (sort of like a rest week from the intense jumps and cardio) and i'm going to make myself slow down and cut my mileage back... I'm also going to go a little easier on the weights. This will do my body and my mind some good :-)

 

On the hair front.... The month of October is my 5 yr Natural Hair Anniversary!!!  Woo hoo!!!  I've been so super duper busy that I just didn't have the time to do antyhing elaborate in celebration.  However, I was able to make some time to put together a little slide show showcasing my hair journey thus far.  Take a look at it and feel free to ask questions or leave a comment.

 

 

I'll be back soon to share more details about the kiddos as their soccer and football seasons are coming to an end.  My sons team won their playoff game this weekend in a CLOSE overtime battle.  This weekend is sure to be another intense game as they take on their rival team.  My eldest daughter's soccer team has 3 scheduled tournaments (2 in November an 1 in December).  Each tournament is 4 games (2 on Sat and 2 on Sun) so she will need all of her energy in order to compete at a high level.  Baby girl's last soccer game is this Saturday so we'll enjoy that and try to convince her to take a break for the winter... i'll keep you posted!

 

 

 

Lot's to share... School Pics, Lunch Date, Fitness and Food!!!

Hi All!  I've been super busy as usual but life is good and I am totally blessed!  The kids are still in full swing with soccer and football throughout this month.  November will be a tournament month and a close to another season for them.  Next up.... basketball for all 3 kiddos!  Should be REALLY good!  Stay tuned for that.  Sooooo, my super wonderful kiddos had their school pics taken a few weeks ago and I recently received their proofs!  I was immediately surprised when I clicked on the link and viewed their pics.  I fell in loooooove with them!  All I could do was oooooooh and ahhhhhhh when I saw their smiling faces.  They are growing up before my eyes.  We may actually order some pics this year.  Normally we skip that process due to being unsatisfied with the quality but this year it's a different story :-).  Take a look...

 

(Left to Right... Baby girl~Kindergarten, My eldest daughter~3rd Grade, My Son~5th Grade)

 

Sooooo, on a fitness level i'm continuing with Insanity!!! I'm currently on day 9 and i'm breezing my way through it!  This time around it's much easier and not much of a challenge.  I have to make sure that I just stick with it and push myself as much as possible in order to get a quality calorie burn with good results. I am making sure I get in some extra cardio both on my treadmill and outdoors with a variety of activities. I am also maintaining my current strength building regimen.  I lift weights at least 2x's a week (upper body and lower body) and I try to do a walk/jog combo at least 3x's a week.  So far, so good!

 

 

Hubby has been fortunate to be home/in the country for the past several weeks.  We've been making the most of it by finding time to spend quality time together whenever possible.  We do quite a few lunch dates (while the kids are in school) and find that it's the best way to fulfill our need to get out and about and have adult time :-).  Yesterday, we were able to see a movie (Taken 2) and indulge in a delicious lunch with dessert to top it off.  Take a look at our yummy dessert....

 

 

Hot fudge, molten lava sundae with vanilla ice cream, caramel, nuts and whipped cream!!  I only ate a few spoonfuls but it was simply DELICIOUS!!!!

 

Ok, lastly i'd like to share a pic of my delicious crockpot spicy 3 bean turkey chili!!!  I served it over white rice with a side of my homemade cheesy mexican cornbread.  The chili simmered in my crockpot for 5 hours and it was here waiting on us as soon as we got back home from a chilly soccr practice.  The kids had turkey chili dogs and thanked me over and over for making this chili.  It's always a hit and we always have left overs to enjoy the next day. 

 

 

I don't have an exact recipe or measurements for my chili or cornbread BUT here's what's in it...  its lengthy but simple. I basically browned my turkey in a separate pan and threw it in the crockpot with crushed and whole tomatoes, sauce, chili powder (you can also use a chili package by McCormick and add whatever else you'd like), onions, garlic, cayenne pepper, green chili's, a little sugar (to take away some heat) and whatever else I had in my spice cabinet.... added a little water, stirred it .... added in corn (frozen), washed and cooked black beans, pinto beans, chili beans (u can use kidney beans too)... canned beans work just fine if your pressed for time or frozen beans. I put a lid on it and left it alone. Made my rice and homemade cornbread (1 egg, cornmeal (about 1 1/2 cups), diced green chili's, tomatoes and onions, a pinch of salt and sugar, oil and 2% milk (1 cup), a handful of shredded low fat cheese both in the mixture and on top).. baked at 425 for 15-20 minutes and that was it. I may have left out something but u get what I'm saying. Have fun with it and make it your own :-)

 

 

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Well, today is the day God placed me on this earth for his divine purpose and i'm overwhelmed with happiness!  I've been celebrating all weekend with family and friends (shopping, eating and spending quality time together) and I feel soooo spoiled, yet BLESSED!  Hubby outdid himself once again!  He did whatever it took to keep a smile on my face and for that I am grateful. I got my day started off right by holding true to my promise of another round of INSANITY!!!

Woo hoo!!! I did a nice warm up and then completed the fit test.  It felt REALLY good!  I'm hoping to crush all of my precious numbers and go extra hard this go 'round.  As you can see from the above pic, i've started to pack on a little more muscle due to my increased weight lifting in my little homemade garage gym.  I'm feeling soooo much stronger so hopefully the added muscle will give me a little more endurance over these next 59 days of INSANITY!

 

 

This afternoon, hubby and I enjoyed a wonderful lunch date to one of our favorite restaurants where we dined on crabcakes and tilapia!!!  I also indulged and some carrot cake :-).  Later, we spent the evening taking the kids to soccer practice... then we picked up my birthday cake and headed home to have a nice meal with dessert to follow.   I've enjoyed my day to the fullest!!!!

I cannot wait to get back into the swing of things with Insanity Day 2 (Plyometric Cardio Circuit) to see how quickly my body will adjust.  Ohhhhhhhhh, I finished the month of September with 116.3 miles for the 100 mile challenge.  I far exceeded my goal and I am beyond thrilled!  I've decided to put my half marathon training on hold until December.  I found another race that i'd like to run for my first half marathon (The Diva Run) and race day is in April.  This is a race for ladies only and it will be held in Myrtle Beach along the coast.  I'm sooooo excited about running it!  I'm going to continue to focus on building more strength, losing a few more pounds and gaining more muscle.... while increasing my speed and endurance.  I CAN DO IT!!!!

Morning Workout...

This morning I completed my 6.11 miles in my neighborhood and embraced the beauty that surrounded me. Hubby played on the neighborhood golf course in a tournament to raise money for multiple sclerosis. We were both enjoying this fresh, crisp air at the same time in a different way. Life is good and we're more than blessed.

 

 

Just a few more miles to go until I hit 100 for the month of September!!!! Stay tuned!

 

Quick Update

Just stopping by to share aquick update of my latest workout challenge and a recent hair video.
I started a new fitness challenge for the month of September and so far so good.  The goal is just to get in 100 mile throughout the month.  You can walk, run or bike your way to the end.  I am on day 10 and I have logged in 46.34 miles with 53.66 miles to go!!!  I've been doing a combo of running, jogging and power walking.  I'm off to an excellent start so I want to keep it going. 

On the homefront, the kids are thriving nicely at school. We're on week 4 now and they absolutely love it!  The girls are doing a phenomenal job with soccer and my son is doing an outstanding job at football.  Hubby is currently traveling with work (Europe) so i'm going solo this week with running the kids to and from school and practices.  We'll get through it :-)

I recently found the time and motivation to make another hair video for my youtube subscribers.  Take a look and see if there are some tips throughout the video you may find helpful.

 

That's all for now but I promise to come back soon and post more...  Follow me on instagram (@theblessedmomof3) for daily pics showing some of my interests throughout the day :-)

 

 

The Kids Went Back To SCHOOL!!!!

This is just a quick post to celebrate the awesome 1st day my 5th grader, 3rd grader and Kindergartener had today!  I was soooo proud of the 3 of them.  They can't wait to go back tomorrow and i'm hoping this feeling never ends.  Here are a few pics to share with you.

AND THE WINNER IS....

Hear ye, HEAR YE.... For those of you who don't know, I was a participant in a 3 month weight loss challenge that basically required me to work harder than hard, make an endless amount of sacrifices and seek GOD more than I ever have my entire LIFE!!!! SERIOUSLY!!! Well, I have just been informed that I WON THE WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE!!!!!!!!

This may not sound like a big deal to you but 100 people participated in this challenge and with the help of GOD I came out on top. I won $550 and a brand new Polar FT60 Heart Rate Monitor sponsored by Polar USA.  I'm still in total shock.... I just had to share. No matter where you are in your journey, DON'T EVER GIVE UP!!!! My biggest reward is not the money or the prize but the gift of a healthy life that money and prizes will never be able to buy :-)

Just took a quick weekend getaway...

8/10/2012...

The kids and I decided to tag along with hubby down to FLORIDA for the weekend.  He has final exams for school (he's in the MBA program at The Univ of FL). So after a lengthy road trip, unwinding with the kids by the pool and taking them out for pizza I decided to drag my tired self down to the hotel fitness ctr and get in JUST 1 mile. So after completing the mile I was seconds away from pressing the "stop" button when this chick and her friends entered the room! She looked me up and down, jumped on the treadmill next to me and started galloping like a horse!! She glared at me in the mirror and I took that as a "bring it on" challenge. The next thing I know, I was finishing up mile 2. I noticed how she began to struggle and that's when I transformed into Carmelita Jeter!!! LOL!!! I cranked up the speed and the incline and sprinted through mile 3! She gave up and went to the elliptical as I coasted in with a total of 3.12 miles. I was a sweaty mess but I got it in!!! Both of my girls were with me and they said "wow mom, I didn't know you could run like that!!!" LOL!!! I said "watch and learn girls... watch and learn..." I can't wait to get it in tomorrow :-)

UPDATE today 8/11/2012

I saw that chick and her crew again at breakfast this morning. I gave her a head nod with a scowled face and a twisted lip. She gave me one back. Later, I blocked her from getting an extra plate and plastic ware... she had to say "excuse me" so that she could get around me. I laughed and said "you're excused!!!" We smiled and watched each other from a distance. As I left, I gave her another head nod... she nodded back. Guess that means "we'll finish what we started later tonight in the fitness ctr".... To be continued!

I COMPLETED INSANITY!!!!!!

Woooooooo hooooooo!!!  I've conquered INSANITY and........  I'm completely EXHAUSTED!  Never before have I pushed myself beyond what I thought was possible as I have with INSANITY!  After completing Day one (June 4, 2012) I thought I was gonna die!  Seriously, I really did.  I had no idea what was instore BUT I knew that quitting wasn't an option for me AT ALL!  I was determined to continue to push until I couldn't push anymore. There wasn't a week that went by when I didn't question what I had gotten myself into.  There were many tear shed, a few doubtful moments, lot's of screaming, begging and moments when I thought I would literally drown in my own sweat and tears.  Yet, I continued to push!  Not only did I do INSANITY but I jogged/power walked after every workout (total of 147.55 miles of jogging/powerwalking), did strength training and family sports (soccer and tennis).  I chose not to follow the INSANITY nutrition plan because it just didn't fit my schedule and what I was currently eating worked great for me.  I stuck with eating lot's of protein and little to no red meat or pork, plenty of fruits/veggies/water and my daily multi vitamin.  I logged my food into MyFitnessPal daily and wore my bodybugg every day to track my daily calorie burn.  All of these things are what kept me on track toward reaching my goals.

Now that INSANITY is complete, I plan on focusing on building my strength, endurance and speed.  I will get in my daily runs (both indoors and outdoors), power walks and strength training at least 5 days a week.  I have an official half marathon that I will be running in February 2013.  Every month (starting in October) I will run a half marathon (the last day of each month) to see if I can 1. Complete it and 2. Shave seconds and minutes off of my time. I've pondered the idea of joining CrossFit or Bootcamp but for now, I will stick to what works best for me.  This month will be quite hectic with the kids' sports (soccer and football) and the start of a new school year.  I hope to come up with a concrete schedule by September that will intensify my training and help take me to the next level of fitness.  Here are several pictures of my progress from the weight loss competition as well well as my overall progress over the last 9 months.  I will have updated pics in November, as that will make my 1 year fitness anniversary :-)

This pic shows my weight loss throughout the 3 month competition:

The following pics show my progress from INSANITY Day 1- Day 63:

The next pic shows my "Fitness" at the present.... I'm still working on several areas :-)

The final pic shows my progress from before, after and present... 9 months of vigorous exercise/healthy eating:

Homemade Pineapple Raisin Bread Pudding

So, the family wanted something sweet to eat and I felt like using what we had at home. I preheated the oven... walked over to the pantry and grabbed some bread, golden raisins and sugar... grabbed some 2% milk, eggs, light butter and freshly cubed pineapple from the fridge... some cinnamon, vanilla, salt (and some extra secrets) from my spice cabinet and made a pineapple & raisin bread pudding! Why spend the extra money? Just be creative and watch your portions :-)

When I get in this type of creative mood, I seldom measure anything.  I just go with what looks good and it always turns out perfect!!!  Here's a made up recipe from the top of my head that should give you similar results :-)... ENJOY!!!

~Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

INGREDIENTS:
~2% milk (2 1/2 -3 cups depending on the thickness of your bread... use 3 cups for thicker bread)
~3-4 tblspoons of Butter (I use light butter or margarine)
~Golden Raisins (about 1/2 cup)
~1/2 cup of Pineapple (I cut up my own fresh pineapple, cube it and dice it up)
~3-4 tblspoons of sugar (you don't need much because the fruit will make it sweet enough)
~1 tsp of Vanilla
~1 tblspoon of Cinnamon (i like cinnamon so I may have used a little more)
~3-6 cups of bread (depending on how large your pan is)
~2 eggs

Directions:
~Melt your butter in a mixing bowl
~In a separate baking dish, slice/cube/tear your bread into the size you desire (toss it into the bottom).  It should come up a little higher than your dish.
~add your eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, sugar, milk into the mixing bowl with the melted butter... whisk them together
~stir in your pineapples and raisins
~pour the wet mixture over the bread and push it down until every piece is saturated
~let it sit for about 15 minutes
~sprinkle more cinnamon over the top (about 1 tsp) OR you can sprinkle on some brown sugar
~place a lid or foil over the top and let it bake for about 45 minutes
~remove the lid or foil and let it bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until it's golden brown
*it should be light and fluffy and spring back if you touch it with a spatula/spoon or whatever :-)*
~Let it cool for about 20 minutes before scooping out a serving

While it's cooling you can make a vanilla glaze/icing to put on top of each serving (i like to put it on top of each serving so that I can monitor the quantity).

Vanilla Glaze:
~Confectioner's sugar (about 3/4 cup)
~2% Milk OR Heavy Whipping Cream (liquid)... about 2 tblspoons
~a splash of Vanilla
~a little cinnamon
*Use a whisk to blend it together and make sure there are no lumps.  Feel free to add more milk or Confectioner's Sugar until you get it to the consistency that you'd like.

-You can add nuts (walnuts/pecans) and/or the fruit of your choice (Pineapple, Peaches, Strawberries, Raspberries, Cranberries, Blueberries, Bananas and etc...)

Let me know how it turns out!

My motivation for today's workout...

It's soooooo hot outside that it's enough to take you out!! After dropping the girls off at their coaches house to go swimming, I decided to get in an outdoor workout before INSNAITY. Well, 2 miles in I thought "what in the world did I get myself into??" OMGOSH!!! I wanted to cry, quit, or roll into the lake with the ducks! I pushed for 1 hour and then went straight home and completed INSANITY and nearly died. I burned 987 calories doing 115 minutes of INSANITY Day 51 (Max Interval Plyo) & 4.25 miles (jogged 2, powerwalked 2.25). No weight lifting today because I can barely lift my legs. I.AM.DONE!!!!!  Keeping this quote in mind while grinding it out REALLY helped to push me until the end :-)

MOTIVATION!!!!

Just one of my motivations for burning 1096 calories doing 110 minutes of INSANITY Day 49 (Cardio Core & Balance), 2.35 mile sprints and 40 minutes of strength training today! Ahhhhh.... I promise you i'm on my way to this! Just watch :-)

Truth Is...

Stumbled across this today on Pinterest and it couldn't be more true!!  Love this!

Showing the girl's some TLC...

I finally had a moment to show the girls' hair some TLC!!!  Life has been soooo hectic and on the go that I just couldn't find the time to just sit and play in my daughters' hair.  I really enjoy playing around with it and they enjoy it as well.  After my intense workout today (INSANITY, Strength Training and 2.25 miles on my treadmill) I decided to shampoo, condition, detangle and style their hair.  I kept the style simple and I plan to do a more intricate style in the days to come.  Here are a few quick pics of their hair...

Quick Update on the weightloss challenge... Well, i'm hanging tough and still seeing GREAT results. I always do insanity plus 2 or 3 additional workouts. I've been doing insanity for 43 days now and i've lost maybe 12-14 pounds... this is a result of burning 2300-2900 cals per day and eating 1250-1600 cals... I lost 2.5-3.5 pounds per week. Everyday i'm learning how diet and exercise go hand in hand.  You have to work hard at maintaining each one in order to be successful.  This challenge ends at the end of the month and I look forward to not weighing in again for a while.  Hardcore half marathon training begins in October.  I will continue to focus on my endurance and strength and learn how to use them wisely during my runs.  I'll continue to update as the time goes by~ 

Month #2 Pics for the Weight Loss Challenge...

I just wanted to share my month #2 pics for the current weight loss challenge i'm in. I still have quite a few areas to work on but the weight and the inches are coming off and I feel great! I will post comparison pics at the end of the challenge. I have one more month to go and i'm going for broke!!! Pray hard 'cause a sista is working HARD!!!

~Excuse the workout hair.... i'm not trying to look cute when i'm going hard in my workouts.

As many of you know, I went on a family vacation but my health/fitness did not!! How did I lose almost 3 lbs prior to vacation and almost 2 1/2 lbs the week of vacation?? Well, I worked my butt off for the allotted time I gave myself to work out. I stuck to my plan of getting in INASANITY EVERY DAY, I walked for hours at amusement parks and around the resort, I cooked breakfast & lunch in my room EVERY DAY (dinner out was my splurge), I drank tons of water (I splurged with a cherry coke zero every now and then) and I had an average daily calorie burn of 2600... I ate between 1360-1600 cals/day and I documented every single thing that went into my body. There is no quick fix! Weight loss/fitness/health is a life long journey! Hard work & dedication must be implemented and your mindset has to be on point! You cannot allow yourself to deter away from your plans. Surround yourself with those who want to help make you better and just GO HARD!!!! If I can do this, ANYONE can. If you want it, GO GET IT!!!!!

This type of mindset will not happen over night.  It took me years of yo-yo'ing, trying different workouts, changing my diet (off and on), talking myself in and out of things, waivering back and forth and etc... before I finally told myself I was gonna do this and go all the way. It was in November 2011 when I finally decided I was going to make a change.  I started with walking on my treadmill and then I added in "30 Day Shred" by Jillian Michaels.  I then moved on to "Ripped In 30" by Jillian Michaels, P90X and now INSANITY!  I've also competed in two 5k races and I have plans to start to seriously train (in October) for a 1/2 marathon in February. I never would've thought i'd be 50+ pounds lighter this soon in my journey.  Here I am on Day 31 of INSANITY and i'm feeling stronger and stronger with each workout.  I still remember the first INSANITY workout when I was huffing, puffing, sweating and begging for mercy.  I still have those moments but I handle them differently.... I push harder!  

Hopefully by this time next month I will be 10 lbs lighter and posting about how I conquered INSANITY and won the weight loss challenge!  I promise to keep updating about my progress with hopes of encouraging someone to take that step toward a  being a better YOU!!!  

~blessings to you, always!  

Back from vacation.... quick update

I'm finally back from vacation and i'm soooooo NOT happy about that.  We had a fabulous time and none of us wanted to come back.  My kids begged us to sell our house so that we can live at our resort.  LOL!!  Anyway, here we are back at home.  Hubby flies out to Europe later this evening so you know I have my work cut out for me this week.  Let's see.... i've been working my butt off during vacation.  I stuck to my plan (everything accept for the jogs around the resort).  I am proud to say that I completed week 4 of INSANITY and I had an average daily calorie burn of 2600!!!!! I documented everything that went into my body via MFP and stayed on track. I can't even begin to tell you how many miles/hours I walked but I got it in!!!  Hubby was so proud of me.  On the ride back home, I danced in the car for hours and when we stopped to gas up and eat I walked and did jumping jacks.  I burned close to 500 cals on the ride home doing that!  I plan to kick it up a notch in the following weeks while I press on and complete Insanity and increase my strength and endurance.  I'm going to work on toning my arms and mid section as well.  I can do this!  I'll keep you posted with my progress.

~Vacation pics are on the way.... stay tuned! 

"Bodybugg"...My New Best Friend!!!

 

Look what hubby had delivered last night!!! A bodybugg!!! I wore it today while I mowed the lawn completed INSANITY Cardio & Resistance, did 2 miles on my treadmill and then completed INSANITY Cardio Recovery. I burned 1491 calories (2240 if you include my resting and miscellaneous activities). I  also love that you can see your results in real-time with your smartphone*(Android™ and iPhone). You wear it all day and can even sleep with it and it tells you your cal burn through the night. AWESOME TOOL with over 90% accuracy!

 

~ A small synopsis of what the bodybugg is...

 

The Bodybugg is a contemporary gadget geared toward women and men who are trying to shed excess body weight. The purpose of this tool is to reveal how long the user has exercised, how much food they’ve consumed that day, if they’ve reached their daily target, and how many calories have been burned. The Bodybugg has been featured in publications like Women’s Health, CNET, News.com, PC World’s Digital Duo, Self, and BusinessWeek Online. Although the Bodybugg device does not directly aid in the weight loss process, it is intended to be utilized as one piece of a comprehensive weight loss routine.

 

You can find some additional benefits of having your very own Bodybugg by going to this link: http://www.bodybugg.com/science_behind_bodybugg.php

 

I believe it will take me to the next level of physical fitness and health... more reviews coming as the weeks go by.

Keep Pushing!!!

Ohhhhhh my goodness, this is what I kept telling myself.... I just completed INSANITY Day 8 and 1.41 miles on my treadmill. I was so sweaty that I heard a squishy sound whenever I walked... LOL!!! I can't count how many squats, power jacks, push ups and power jumps I did. Every part of my body is tired. When I smile my knees hurt and when I scratch my head my elbows tingle. My body is in shock :-) I am actually contemplating doing a mile cool down during soccer practice tonight. Shawn T is making me INSANE!!!
~ No matter what you're doing to achieve a healthier you DON'T STOP!!! Yes it hurts, yes it's difficult, yes you WILL have to say NO but don't give up! Make it count! Feel the burn! Dig deeper! Enjoy the benefits!!! I'm right there with you telling you that " YOU CAN " every step of the way! Go get it!!!!~

Finished Week 1 of Insanity~

Just dropping in for a quick update!  Let's see... my past week consisted of inlaw visits, last day of school parties, field trips, soccer games and practices, football practices, major house cleaning, church activities, squeezing in some QT with my hubby, shopping for vacay and oooooh... INSANITY!  I'm soooo proud of myself for sticking with those workouts and pushing myself til the end.  When they say that those workouts are insane, it's an understatement.  I've succeessfully followed through with every intense workout and have been left covered in pure sweat from head to toe. I actually ran/power walked after every insanity workout this week (17.55 miles for the week)!!!  Woo hoo!!!!  Now that's what you call pushing yourself!!!  Here's a pic of my starting weight which also happens to be month 1 weigh in pics for the weight loss challenge i'm currently in.

In addition to pushing myself to the limit, I am also proud to say that I tried on a dress that I hadn't worn in 12 years (2000) and it fit!!!!  Oh my!!!  I was completely overjoyed, as was hubby.  Sunday, I decided to wear a *gasp* SKIRT!!!!!!  Yes, I know.... you're probably thinking that it's not such a big deal.  Well, actually it is!  I hadn't worn a skirt in at least 3-4 years! Now, granted this skirt is rather long and flowy.... with that maxi dress feel BUT it is such a huge change for me.  A friend of mine has been trying to get me to wear form fitted clothing (particularly short skirts and heels) and i'm no where near being comfortable with that... at the moment :-).  Maybe when I draw nearer to my goal weight???  We'll see.  Anyway, here's a pic of me in a skirt (on the left) and my 12 year old dress (on the right). 

Soooooo many huge success!!! Today starts week 2 of insanity.  Today's workout, Cardio Power & Resistance promises to push me to the limit.  I will conquer it and much more!!!  I'm so determined! 

Here are a few more pics of my girls and I.... enjoy!