Going back to my roots

A little over a year ago I re-started my health and fitness journey after having Jack.  I desperately needed to lose 20 lbs so that I could fit back into my work clothes.  The scale didn’t seem to be moving and I felt LOST.  Luckily, I had a friend that was getting ready to start an online accountability group doing a program called PiYO.  PiYO is a wonderful blend of pilates and yoga.  Extremely low impact but high intensity.  You WILL be a sweaty mess after these workouts!  I knew that I needed to ease myself back into working out, especially after having a c-section 6 wks prior.  I signed up for her group and it was one of the BEST decisions I have ever made. 

With the support and accountability of the women in the group, I got my healthy eating habits and portion control back on track, I began drinking shakeology every morning for breakfast, and I got back into a workout routine (as much as you can with a newborn)!  Over those 8 weeks, I lost 13 lbs and 11 ins off of my body but GAINED so much confidence in myself and my ability to control how I LOOK and FEEL.  

After I did the full 8 week PiYO program, I also realized it would be an incredible supplement to my running program when I signed up for the Shamrock Half Marathon this past spring.  I came up with a great program of running 3 days a week and incorporating my favorite PiYO workouts on the other 3 days.  I ended up having a PR time on race day (sub 2 hrs) and no injuries or major soreness during my training!  Bottom line, if you are a runner and are looking for some workouts to supplement your running, PiYO should be in your arsenal.

If any of the above struck a chord with you, I invite you to fill out the short form below and join my for my upcoming PiYO Accountability group in August.  It’ll be an AMAZING 8 weeks of support and motivation from someone who has gotten GREAT results with the progam!!  

bit.ly/ShipShapeFitnessAccountabilityGroup

My first round of PiYO (June-July 2015)

1 year ago today, I joined my first Health and Fitness Accountability Group

Hard to believe that exactly 1 year ago, June 1, 2015, I made a commitment to myself to get healthy and fit.  I was 6 weeks postpartum and the last 20 lbs I needed to lose to fit back in my work clothes just wasn't budging.  I knew I needed help and that's when a friend's post on Facebook popped up in my feed about an upcoming accountability group that was starting on my birthday and exactly when I was 6 weeks postpartum so I could start working out again.  

Losing weight after I had my daughter, 2 yrs prior, was pretty easy! I was able to eat whatever I wanted because I was breastfeeding, workout and the weight came off easily.  That did NOT happen this time around with my son.  Those pesky 20 lbs that I probably shouldn't have gained during my pregnancy were being stubborn!!! I knew I needed someone to keep me accountable to my workouts and getting my eating back on track.  Even though I was breastfeeding, I knew i needed to get my eating under control and just plain eat healthier.  

I'm so glad I signed up for that accountability group a year ago.  I did an 8 week program called PiYO and lost 13 lbs and 11 ins across my body.  More importantly, I gained confidence, could fit back in my work clothes and just felt so much healthier and alive because I was eating healthy and working out regularly.  The ladies in that group kept me motivated on days I didn't feel like working out and gave me great tips on how to make healthy eating a lifestyle and NOT just a diet!  

A year later, I'm the smallest and healthiest I've been since high school.  I not only look great but I FEEL great and that is the most important thing!  Cheers to rockin my hot, new bod at the beach this summer!!! 

3 Day Refresh-Day 3

Today was MUCH better than yesterday.  I skipped my run this morning and opted to just do my 20 minutes of calisthenics with my co-workers at lunch.  I wasn't nearly as hungry today so that helped a lot.  I know this is going to be TMI but I was really gassy and bloated last night, so it was huge relief when I took a #2 this morning.  I felt soooooo much better afterwards!  I stuck to the same eating schedule as yesterday and drank about 70 ozs of water.  Again, I started getting gassy around 4pm again tonight.  I'm definitely excited to eat some really food tomorrow but I'm also excited to see what my results are in the morning!  I look forward to not only sharing my results but summing up the pros and cons of this program!

3 Day Refresh-Day 2

I thought today would be easier than yesterday because my body would be used to the eating change, but that wasn't the case!  I think there are two reasons for this, one I did a difficult T-25 workout this morning and I wasn't as busy at work.

In the instructions it tells you that you can do easy to moderate exercise while doing this program, NOT hard workouts. The main reason they tell you this is because you are operating at a caloric deficit and if you add hard workouts on top of that, you are really depriving yourself of the necessary calories it needs!

The other reason today was tough was that I wasn't nearly as busy at work as I was yesterday and that is when I always find myself wanting to snack!  I found myself hungry between breakfast and my fiber sweep and then about 1 1/2 hrs after the fiber sweep I got hungry again.  However, I did feel really full after dinner with the shake and salad.

Another fun side effect I've noticed is that I've gotten really gassy at about 4pm both days.  I'm hoping this means it's working!!!  I drank about 50 ozs of water today on top of the shakes.  Didn't cheat at all and stuck to the plan!!  One more day to go.....I got this!!

Here was my eating schedule today:

6:45 am: Chocolate shakeology with blueberries
9:30 am:  Fiber sweep
11:20 am: 6 carrots with hummus
12:15 pm: Vanilla shake with blueberries
2:45 pm:  6 carrots with hummus
5:00 pm: Vanilla shake with strawberries
5:15 pm:  Salad

**Transformation Tuesday** This Mama is taking it to the next level!

This mama has been CRUSHING it these past 3 months in my Accountability groups! She started out feeling icky, no energy and just not herself. Now she’s got TONS of energy and is in the BEST shape of her life (minus some serious inches and weight….pictures don’t lie)! How did she do this, cardio and strength training for no more than 30 mins a day, in her own home! That’s right, no bundling up and heading to the gym for an hour or more. She was able to wake up in the morning, throw on her workout clothes and get her workout in before her kids even woke up! Was this easy, no but with the right MINDSET and the DESIRE to change, you can also do this! Briana has had such AMAZING results she decided to pay if forward and start helping others do the same!! 

If you are stuck in a rut and you don’t know where to start when it comes to your health and fitness, fill out this short form!  My passion is helping people make a healthy change in their life so that they LOOK and FEEL better!

http://bit.ly/1Xswgfg

Transformation Tuesday-Hardworking Mama!

Today I wanted to share the journey of an incredibly hard working mama that just had her second child back in November. This woman (also a good friend) took it upon herself to find a program that would work for her after just having a child. She chose a high intensity, low impact, yoga/pilates inspired program that is allowing her to slowly transform back into her post-baby shape. I was so excited when she reached out to me and wanted to share her results. It’s not easy being in a body you don’t recognize (I know because I was there just 7 short months ago) and desperately wanting to see results. It’s hard to be patient but our bodies didn’t get this way over night and we must trust the process. Consistent, hard work, along with eating healthy will transform anyone’s body. 

As you can see by her results, she has been killing it!!! She’s halfway through an 8 week program that has her working out 6 days a week and eating healthy. I can’t wait to see what her final results look like. She is determined to get back into her pre-baby form where she was in incredible shape and I know she’ll get there!

21 Day Fix-3 Day Quick Fix Results

Driving back from NY after New Year’s, Vince and I decided we wanted to do the 3 Day Quick Fix.  He wanted to drop some of the holiday weight he had put on and I just wanted to shock my system back into eating healthy and get rid of the bloat.  I had actually only gained ½ lb over the holidays and I attribute that to watching my portions and working out pretty regularly.  One thing I didn’t always do was eat healthy and I definitely had way more alcohol than normal ☺  Come on it’s the holidays!!!  

It really is mind boggling how EASY the 3 Day Quick Fix is….yes I said EASY and it WORKS!!!! It’s easy because the program lays out exactly what you should be eating (all items you get at the grocery store) and when.  There’s no guessing at what you should be eating.  We prepped the majority of our meals on Sunday and could just grab them and go each day.  The first day is always rough as you shock your body into eating super healthy foods and at a caloric deficit but by day 2 and 3 you start feeling much better and I don’t get hungry in between meals.  I fully admit that by the end of Day 3 I’m ready for some different foods! 

Day 3 for us was yesterday and we did our final weigh ins this morning.  Vince lost 7 lbs and I lost 5!!!!  That was 5 lbs of BLOAT.  I feel soooo much BETTER and I’m back on track to eating healthy and drinking plenty of water.  The 3 Day Quick Fix is not something you’d want to do all the time or for more than 3 days but it’s such a GREAT tool to have in your back pocket when you come off a weekend of too much drinking/eating or you have a big event you want to look and feel great at!!  

If you still aren’t back “on track” after the holidays come join me for a round of 21 Day Fix starting ever month.  I’ll teach you about the 3 Day Quick Fix BUT more importantly I’ll show you how to make the 21 Day Fix eating plan a LIFESTYLE that you can follow forever (whether you want to lose or maintain your weight).  There’s also some great workouts for you to do!  Fill out the short form below if you want to join one of my upcoming Accountability groups.

http://bit.ly/1Xswgfg

21 Day Fix Extreme Results

I just finished up my 3 week 21 Day Fix Accountability group, which means results time!!!! I tried the Extreme version and LOVED it! I was nervous to try it at first because I thought it might be too tough for me but I'm so glad I did! I LOVED it and I think it was just what my body was needing (taking it to the next level).

The workouts were definitely challenging but as always, there was a modifier I could follow if I got tired. I continued to follow the eating plan as best I could while navigating the parties and business trips. The one thing I keep coming back to with this program is how it's taught me to eat the right amount of the right foods. Even if I'm eating out a lot, I know when I've eaten enough and what the right ratio of carbs/proteins/veggies/fruits/fats I should be eating.

So during a time when most people gain weight, I managed to LOSE 3 lbs and a couple inches! I'm so pumped and can't wait to start my next Accountability group, not to lose weight but to maintain the body I have now worked so hard to get! If you are looking to shed those pesky pounds you have put on, come join me in the New Year for my next round of 21 Day Fix! Simply fill out this quick form and I'll get you signed up!

http://bit.ly/1Xswgfg

T-25 Focus workout results.

My T-25 Results are in! 

So this is the follow up to my 30 day progress doing T-25 Focus with Shaun-T.  I’m super excited to share my final results with you because I was somewhat shocked by them.   Just a little background information on T-25 and then I’ll share my results.  

T-25 is a 10 week program consisting of 5 weeks doing the “alpha” cycle and 5 weeks doing the “beta” cycle.  The alpha cycle builds your base so that when you move to beta you are set up for success!  In alpha, you don’t use any weights, just your own body weight. Once you get to beta you start incorporating weights into a couple of the workouts (I use 10 lb weights).  Alpha and beta each have their own workouts so you are getting a whole new set of workouts when you transition to beta.  Then, if you are really feeling great at the end of beta, you can buy “gamma” separately and do that program and that takes everything to a whole new level!

Why I love T-25 so much:

·       It’s only 25 minutes long!

·       It’s 25 minutes of non-stop movement.  You aren’t going for a minute and then resting for 15 secs, you are constantly moving.

·       You get a whole new set of workouts when you move to beta cycle.

·       You are only working out 5 days a week.  I love having my weekends off.

·       No matter what workout you are doing, you are going to get 

      a great cardio and strength workout. 

·       I find Shaun-T really inspiring and easy to look at :). 

What you’ve all been waiting for………I lost 6 lbs and 3 inches doing T-25!!!!!! I can, without a doubt, say that my abs now look better than they did before I had my 2 kids!!!  In my 5 month journey thus far I have lost over 28 lbs and 16 inches.   If you are interested in trying out T-25, go to the top of my blog and select “Fitness Programs” and click on the T-25 picture.