Piyo/T25 Week 3 Round Up

This week has been such an awesome one. I've had a great balance this week and I've also got some much needed sleep. We put the baby in her crib in her room for the first time this week. One night she slept for five hours ate for 30 minutes. Then slept for 5 hours. Another night she slept 4 hours and for 30 minutes. Then she slept for 4 hours. She ate for 30 minutes and then slept for another 3 hours. This was so awesome! Now if I could just get the toddlers to sleep through the night!

Monday was a great day. We were in Hershey, PA. I started the day out with my workout. I wanted to get it done before I got busy. The workout was T25 Core Cardio which is from Beta cycle. This workout was so challenging. I'm thinking that I may need to change up my schedule to include not Beta cycle workouts I'm just not strong enough and it discourages me.

We went to the pool this morning. It was so much fun swimming around and giving the girls rides. Then we went to Zoo America. It was so much fun but a lot of walking. It was 85 degrees and really warm. I made sure I kept drinking my water. Then we went back to Hershey Chocolate World one last time before we left as the girls wanted to ride the free ride one last time.

My eating was really good till dinner. We had pizza as we stopped at my mother in laws on the way home. I also got little sleep as we didn't get home until 10:30 pm.

Tuesday was time for Piyo Scuplt. It felt so good to workout at home. It felt so awesome to get moving. I love this workout as it is 30 minutes. One thing I've learned is that I love doing the 30 minute workouts and not any longer. If they are closer to 45 minutes I start to get bored. The four different series in this workout uses different muscles. My arms were sore by the end.

My nutrition was spot on today. I was so proud of myself.

Wednesday it was time for T25 Ab Intervals. I have a confession to make. I'm struggling. I don't want to do T25. I'm making excuses...IT is too hard! I am having a hard time as my knee is hurting from all the impact. I know it is because I'm 15 pounds heavier because of the pregnancy. I'm thinking that I may need to table my T25 Piyo hybrid schedule because of my knee until I lose some of this weight.

I loved Ab intervals and my abs were sore after I finished this workout. This one is easy as there isn't much jumping in it. But he rest have got me down as I have to modify so much of it to make it low impact and not hurt my knee. I know that this is just a stage and I will be able to do it soon! My nutrition was perfect again today. We even got to take a family walk this evening.

Thursday it was time for Piyo Buns. I love doing all the different types of squats in this workout. I love how it targets all my leg and butt muscles. My legs felt like jello at the end of this workout. My legs really hurt while walking down stairs! It was so awesome to fill my workout way after it was over.

My nutrition was spot on again today.

Friday it was time for T25 Total Body Cardio. I again made every excuse in the book to not do this workout. I hate myself for thinking that something is too hard. I think I am just going to go back and start Piyo by itself on Monday to get myself out of this funk. Being active is better than just sitting on my butt. I know I will get back to T25 once I lose some of this weight!

I didn't feel like cooking dinner so we ordered pizza. Not my best choice. But I am going to move one and forget about it.

Saturday was a beautiful day. We had a lot of Spring Cleaning to do. We put in a bathroom fan. Filled three bags of garbage. Made a huge pile of stuff for a garage sale. I have been doing laundry for three days. I'm up to 12 loads. I think I can finally see the end. It was a long but fun day. We even took a family walk as it was so beautiful out.

We did Piyo Strength Intervals in the midst of all our "work". I absolutely love the low impact nature of Piyo. Even the burpees being a little bouncy don't hurt my knee but help make me stronger. My nutrition was spot on today.

Sunday is my rest day. I love doing nothing on Sunday's but investing in us as a family and serving our Lord. It is a great way to start the week on the right foot. My nutrition should be spot on today again.

Here is my schedule for this next week:

I'm going to start with the week 2 Piyo schedule. I'm excited to see if I can get myself out of this funk and back to wanting to workout everyday. I want to look forward to my workout not loath it. Soemtimes we just need to be honest with ourselves and find something we like. That is why I love Beachbody and the variety of workouts they have.

I hope everyone has a great week.

Piyo/T25 hybrid Week 2 Round up

This week was a great week. I felt so successful and got all my workouts in. My eating was much better this week. I'm excited to see what week 3 will bring.

Monday was Piyo Sweat. We had some extra time so we decided to do this 37 minute workout today instead of Wednesday. Wednesday we will do Drench. I love the heat section in the workout. I love how many burpees are in it and that I can do them. I also love how many pushups there are and that I am getting stronger.

I was remembering when I first bought Piyo last year. I remember Brian asking me why I was wasting money on it. That we had tons of pilates and yoga programs. Why did we need another one? He thought it was going to be easy. This was him after yesterdays workout.

He actually said to me that he'd be interested in doing the full ten week program after we finish this eight weeks of hybrid Piyo and T25.

My nutrition was spot on today. I ate within my containers. I feel so good when I fuel my body correctly. I'm ready for a great week.

Tuesday was T25 Total Body Circuit. It was a challenge. I couldn't believe how much harder I could push myself than last year this time. I did have to modify some of the moves as I was just spent. I was pushing myself really hard and had to modify to keep going. It felt great.

Tuesday was one full year of clean eating and 30 minute workouts everyday. I love how much my body has changed and how much better I feel. IT has been an awesome year and I cannot wait to see what this year brings. I'm loving every moment of this journey.

My nutrition was prefect today. I didn't have any cheats and ate on my plan. I did drink a beer this evening as it was National Beer Day.

Wednesday was Piyo Drench. IT was hard for me to get in this 47 minute long workout. Brian was at work later for a meeting so I was trying to get dinner on, my workout in  and entertain the girls all while trying to keep the baby happy. I got it done but it wasn't pretty and I had to push pause a thousand times to keep everything running. It felt great when I was finished.

I didn't feel like working out today. I was just tired. We were up a lot with the baby last night. This morning we went shopping with a friend for stuff for MOPS. We went to four different stores and then I took BCD to the mall play ground to play for awhile with my MOPS table. I was just exhausted. I also had dishes piled in the sink and laundry to do. This was all excuses I was using to not workout but in the end I was glad I did.

My eating was spot on today. I love days where I stay on track.

I work up Thursday morning to my pants being to big so I decided to weigh myself. 10 weeks ago D was born and I saw a new middle number on the scale! This is so exciting. I'm 24 pounds lighter than the day I delivered! I cannot wait to see how much my body changes in the next six weeks of this hybrid program.

Thursday's workout was T25 Ab Intervals. I for some reason don't remember this workout as well as I remember a lot of the other T25 alpha round workouts. I actually had to modify more than I would have liked to as my abs aren't strong yet. I did the plank series, the side series and some of the other series in a non-modified position, but definitely had significant trouble with the v sit. I know my abs have a long way to go to get stronger but I know everyday they are getting better. I also loved the little burst of cardio in this workout.

My eating was awesome today. I aloud myself to substituted one of my yellow containers for a chocolate chip cookie at MOPS today. Other than that I stayed within my plan for the day. I was proud as sometimes on MOPS days I allow myself to have it as my cheat day and I didn't do that today.

Friday was Piyo Strength Intervals. I forgot how much I loved this workout. I love how it interlaces great cardio with strength exercises hence the name. I love the skater jumps in this work out as the arms make them so much easier than the 21 Day Fix. I also like the Beast section at the end of this workout.

We had pizza for dinner. I used my recipe that is 21 Day Fix approved but did have 1/2 a serving more as I was starving. It was so nice to actually have pizza while clean eating. The rest of my day my nutrition was spot on.

Saturday was Speed 1.0. I barely got this workout in as it was a crazy day. We moved B and C into their big girls beds. Then we tried to put up Danielle's crib. It was a busy but fun day. Then we drove to Brian's parents house for the evening. I got my workout in but just barely.

Then we went to Eat n Park for dinner. I always get the baked cod Floridian as I know it is within my eating plan and wont kill my week.

Sunday was a rest day but I did anything but rest. We drove to Hershey's Pa for a family day trip. We went to Chocolate World and I did eat a candy bar. We did so much walking and had a ton of fun. It was a long fun day exploring Hershey. I ended up falling asleep at 9:30 pm. Im happy I actually got some sleep last night!

Here is my schedule for this week:

 

I'm still working on cleaning the pantry, fridge and freezer so I won't be making a meal plan this week. I know our portions and will stay within them. We also won't be back to Erie until late tonight so I don't know what today will bring but I know I'll make smart choices.

 

I hope everyone has a great and blessed week.

Week1 Piyo and T25 hybrid

This week has been awesome. It didn't go quite as planned but I still made progress. I had more cheats than I wanted this week since we were on vacation but I know that I can just jump right back on to my clean eating plan this week and not feel guilty!

Monday was Piyo Sculpt. I loved getting back to Piyo. Those triceps pushups are a killer. I had to modify after a few sets as I was losing my form and I had to drop to my knees. I couldn't believe how flexible I was. My nutrition was perfect today. I absolutely loved how I felt after this workout. Muscles that I didn't even know I had were sore.

Tuesday was Focus T25 Speed 1.0. I forgot how fun this workout is. It has moments of fast paced footwork intermixed with stretch. It felt so good to get moving like this again. I loved every moment of this workout. I also loved how I could do almost all of it with any modification. I ended up having to modify a little bit because my hamstrings started to burn so bad.

My nutrition was perfect again. I feel so awesome. I pushed my body today and didn't want to take a nap. I ran the sweeper in the entire house, cleaned the first floor,  did laundry, cleaned both girls car seats, cleaned a portion of the basement, and much more. I felt like a million bucks. I felt like I could do anything!

Wednesday we traveled all day to Charleston, WV. The total drive time was five and a half hours. But of course we stopped a few times and it felt like we were in the car seven hours. All in all with four kids, one being nine weeks old, I think adding one and a half hours wasn't too bad.

When we got to the hotel I need my workout. We did Piyo Core. It was such an awesome workout. We did have to move some furniture around to make room but it was doable in hotel room. The side series in this workout is a killer but I managed to do it all without modifying. I love this workout and how it made me feel afterwards.

I had an awesome dinner. I had pizza but made sure to stay within my containers. It was awesome to be able to eat healthy and still enjoy something that I love. Then I had my cheat. We went and had homemade ice cream. I got a small waffle cone and I savored every moment.

On Thursday I walked most of the morning. We went to the Children's Museum. then we went to a place called capitol market and go healthy sandwiches and fresh vegetables. I did awesome on my nutrition today even getting a small steak with vegetable and salad for dinner. I was so proud of myself.

Carrying the baby on the front and the diaper bag on my back was a workout itself 

Today we did T25 Cardio and it was awesome. I felt so powerful after this workout. It felt good to get moving. I was also exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel. IT was 8:30 and I was ready for bed. My back hurt from carrying the baby in the carrier and the diaper bag on my back all day. This trip has been totally worth it.

Friday we woke up to rain. It was thunderstorming and there was lots of wind. We went to the capitol museum and the capitol building. Both were completely awesome. The museum was completely neat. It was cool to see how West Virginia was part of the south and then became the 35th state in the United States. It was cool to see how the state became the way it is today. the capitol buildings marble was absolutely beautiful. I was also surprised at how accessible everything is. We just walked right in.

Today we did Piyo Buns. This is one of my favorite Piyo workouts as I know my butt will look awesome in my bathing suit this summer because of it. I absolutely felt awesome when I finished it. I forgot to set my fitbit before the workout so I have no clue how many calories I burned :(

I did really great on my nutrition till dinner. We went to an Italian family restaurant. I ended up getting a Cannolli. I had salad without dressing. I skipped the bread. My cannoli had a little cheese and lots of lamb and spinach. IT wasn't quite the correct portions but it is one meal and I'm moving on. I won't feel guilty and will get back on it tomorrow.

Saturday brought a day of traveling. We wanted to get in some last minute fun in Charleston before we left. Instead of doing our scheduled we headed down to the hotel pool. It was fun to swim with the girls. D loved the water. I think she is going to be a fish like A. Then we packed up and drove around a while before heading home.

My nutrition was good in the car. I was proud I didn't cave into something too horrible and completely off my eating plan. I even picked up a vegetable snack on the way home.

 

We ended up in Pittsburgh at the perfect time so we went to Easter service at Orchard Hill Church. I missed my church family. It was great to see so many old friends. I'm always amazed at how welcome everyone feels as soon as they walk in. It was nice to be back home.

 

Sunday was a rest day. I needed it. We didn't get home until late and then by the time we got everyone asleep it was late! I enjoyed our trip but needed some time to at home before we start out another hectic week. It was also Easter. We decided to not doing anything for the girls this year. Since when has Easter become like Christmas? It was our decision that we'd get the girls something small that they wanted but not do the whole Easter Bunny thing. We want them to know the true meaning of Easter.

 

This week will be a fun week. We have lots of exciting things planned and the weather is supposed to be nicer here in Erie, PA. I'm hoping for a few evening family walks. I miss that time to talk to my husband and have the girls outside playing. Here is my schedule for the week:

I am not doing a meal plan this week. We have been at this for a year tomorrow (April 7th)! This week's plan is to use what we have instead of buying new things.  I usually try to do this pantry and freezer cleanout a few times a year. It ends up in some interesting combos but is always fun. I will be grocery shopping today but only buying the staples. We usually have the same things for breakfast, lunch and snacks.

 

I also wanted to make the comment that I wasn't perfect this week. I stuck to my meal plan as much as possible but did have more cheats this week than usual. I also didn't exercise one day this week. I had already scheduled a rest day and then didn't exercise on Saturday either. My swim was fun but it wasn't anything like my T25 workout. Even though I wasn't perfect this week I still managed to lose 0.4 pounds. I wanted to mention this as I wanted to say just get started. Just making small changes will help you start to see results and get you headed in the right direction.

  

 

I hope everyone has a blessed week.

April Specials

I am so excited to announce Beachbody's April Specials.One of my favorite programs is on special this month. I have a challenge group starting April 13th if you are interested in joining me.

The first one that is on sale is the Piyo challenge pack. is Piyo? Piyo has many Pilates and yoga inspired moves. It builds strength, endurance and flexibility. It is low impact. It uses no weights. This program uses your body weight to get you the results that you need. Piyo will improve your range of motion. It will allow your joints a break. Because you are improving your core it will be good in all areas of your life.  I did this program while pregnant. I stopped when I was 29 weeks pregnant as it was too much twisting for me. I managed to lose inches in my arms, legs, and butt while being pregnant. It was so awesome.


29 weeks pregnant

This program is only $10 with the purchase of Shakeology.

The second is the Piyo kick start challenge package. This includes the 3 Day refresh. What is the 3 Day Refresh? The 3 Day Refresh is a straightforward 3-Day program to lose weight, get a clean break from bad nutrition habits and feel immediately cleaner, lighter and healthier...without starving! Why am I so excited? This program is awesome for those looking to get back on track with their eating habits and be able to feel immediately healthier and become lighter. Those that have already completed the three day program have lost an average of 5 pounds and about 2.5 inches in the waist in the three days. It isn't your typically cleanse as you get to eat real food during the 3 day refresh. This would be an awesome program to choose to get a jump start before all those holiday parties. This is only $50 with Shakeology.

The third is P90x3 challenge pack. It is a great workout created by Tony Horton. The workouts are 30 minutes a day.  You get 16 workouts that build muscle, burn fat, improve your balance and flexibility and work your core. This will definitely help you see results. This package is only  $30 with the purchase of your Shakeology.

Also on sale this month is the Beachbody Ultimate Reset, Challenge Pack, and Refill Kit. The Ultimate Reset is a 21-day program that rids the body of all its toxins while maximizing energy production and nutrient retention. Ultimate Reset is a program designed to get the body in top shape internally, just as a fitness program gets the body in top shape externally. Users looking to restore energy, boost moods, and maximize health can rid the body of toxic compounds that could be making them ill-while dramatically improving the way they feel and function. 

If you are interested in any of these please contact me. I have a challenge group starting April 6th and any of these would be great choices. Have a blessed day.

Round 2 Week 3 Round Up 21 Day Fix

I cannot believe it has been six weeks since I started the 21 Day Fix after baby number four. This means that baby number four is nine weeks old. Where did the time go? I wish they wouldn't grow so quickly. It has been an okay week. Emotionally it has been a draining week.

On Monday I was back to Total Body Cardio. I was determined to up my weights this week. I did the entire workout with my 10 pound weights. I pushed myself harder than I ever have before. It was so great! I loved the way I felt afterwards. I love that I can do this workout with no modifications now.

This morning I had met a friend to discuss a bible study we are leading starting April 7th. The baby had puked all over me. I was soaked. Then I had two little ones who had a ton of energy. We came home and did Just Dance Disney for the Xbox 360. It was fun to get a second "workout" in for the day.

I stuck with my eating plan today. I didn't have any cheats and ate all my containers. I was really hungry today. I was proud of myself when I went to bed without a night time snack.

On Tuesday I did Upper Fix. I used my 8 and 10 pound weights. It was great to up my weights and know I'm getting stronger. I still have to modify pushups and do them on my knees. I can do more reps on my toes now. I did ten on my toes each round before dropping to my knees. I love that I am making progress.

I did okay on the nutrition today. It was a very emotional day for me. My one daughter was obsessed with her lack of hair today. She cried most of the day and we spent a lot of time loving on her. I really wanted to go for the chocolate or ice cream this evening but I was good. I ended up allowing myself to have a mini blizzard this evening. It is all about balance. I didn't kill my eating plan for the day by having this cheat. I don't feel guilty for eating it as I gave myself something I wanted but didn't have a ton of calories and completely blow my day.

On Wednesday was Lower Fix. I continued my week with the heavier weights. I used the 8 and 10 pound weights again. I didn't have to modify any of the exercises. The ten second holds are still challenging but getting easier.

Nutrition wise I did good. We got lunch on the go as we went to Pittsburgh for B's dermatology appointment. I got a salad instead of getting a burger and fries. I passed on the dressing. Then we had dinner out with my in laws as they took B for a princess weekend at their house. We went to Eat N Park. I had the Cod Floridian as it is baked cod in orange juice and then for my sides I had a salad and the steamed vegetable. I love that I can eat out and still maintain my diet.

On Thursday it was time for Pilates. I actually did some of the plank hip drops on my toes. My form started to go bad and my butt was up in the air so I dropped down to me knees. I'm excited with the progress I've made in six weeks.

My nutrition was okay today. We had MOPS this morning which I usually make my one cheat meal for the week. I ate a cookie. I also had a casserole that was made with eggs and definitely had a lot of added salt. I still ate within my containers just not things I'd normally eat.

On Friday it was time for Cardio Fix again. I pushed myself harder than I have the last few weeks. I was so sweaty by the end of the workout. I had to add pushups during the burpees to make them harder.

My nutrition was good until dinner. We went to my in laws and we had pizza. I will jump back on the eating plan tomorrow morning.

On Saturday it was time for Dirty 30.I use my 8 and 10 pound weights. I had to use the 15 pound weights for the ab exercise. I also did the side plank without being on my knee. I didn't have to modify any exercise. It was so exciting!

I did awesome on my nutrition on Saturday and Sunday. I did cheat and had a cinnamon roll at church on Sunday morning.

We did Piyo Align as on Monday we are starting something new. I'm excited to announce we will be doing a Piyo/Focus T25 hybrid workout. Here is our schedule for the week:

I'm excited as this week we will be taking a little family vacation Wednesday through Saturday. I don't know what restaurants will be available so I didn't put any meals into my meal plan. I will look on line for menus as we travel to make sure I stay within my containers. I'm also taking Shakeology and some snack foods including carrots and celery for us to have so that we don't make bad choices because we are hungry. Here is our meal plan for the week:
Meal Plan Week March 30th

After six weeks of the 21 Day Fix I'm excited to see my results later this morning. I will post as soon as I know. I hope everyone has a blessed week.

Week 5 Recap

This week was an awesome week. I didn't gain any weight but had to skip my first workout in 29 weeks. I did make it up on my rest day though. Here is my pictures for the week:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

29 weeks pregnant

 

Day 1: Sculpt: This morning we did all the grocery shopping. This meant we went to two different stores to stock up the house. IT was a snowy day but the snow was heavy and wet. I was tired when I got home and unloaded the car. I had lots of big items from SAMS Club like 25 pound bag of flour and 10 pound bag a brown rice. We also went to walk around the mall afterwards until it was time for A to be finished with preschool.

As you can imagine I was a little tired after my morning and made every excuse in the book as to why I shouldn't work out but I made myself push play. Sculpt is 27 minutes long. She says to wear shoes and use a mat but I didn't put on my shoes. Mainly I was too lazy to walk back upstairs to get a pair of socks after all the walking I did this morning. Finally at 28 weeks I feel like I'm pregnant and am starting to have to slow down a little. Also the baby is pushing upwards and I sometimes find it hard to catch my breath. You will also need a chair for this workout.  

Sculpt is broken into sections. There is a warm up, leg, full body, arm and the buns and cool down section. This is a great 27 minute full body workout for a day when you want to do something quick but effective. My legs were like jelly after the leg section. My triceps ached all evening after the arm section and then the cool down section that included some chair work. I felt great after this workout and was glad I did it.

Day 2: Sweat: This morning was bible study. It was so great to be back studying the book of revelations. IT was very icy out this morning. I almost feel on my butt in the church parking lot three times! I was lucky we all made it into the building.

Sweat was awesome this afternoon. I cannot believe how much stronger I am getting using this program. I'm in love with it and am so glad I decided to give it a try and do the entire eight weeks.

Day 3: Core: This morning was my only day at home this week so I had to make the most of it. I did laundry and baked. The girls and I did art projects and we read books.

So core was so difficult for me last week with my growing belly I decided to skip it today and substitute Dirty 30 from the 21 Day Fix. It felt so good to get some weights back in my hands. I only used 5lbs for the entire workout and felt great. I also did some of the modifiers. My one recommendation is slow and controlled. You don’t need to go as fast as them to get results. Slow down a little and get the move done correctly. Also watch your heart rate with a little one on board. You don't want it to get to high. What a great workout!

Day 4: Drench: This morning was my OB appointment. It was so snowy out that I had to drop Abby off at school early to get to my appointment on time. I am still measuring two weeks ahead. I didn’t gain any weight according to their scale this past two weeks. It was a great appointment.

Then B and C and I went to play at the mall. We had so much fun walking and running and playing. By the end though I  was having some Braxton Hicks Contractions so I decided to skip my workout today. This is the first workout I skipped in the almost 29 weeks of my pregnancy. Tomorrow is a rest day so I will make up the workout tomorrow. I'm hoping to take it easy and feel better. I need the baby to stay in.

Day 5: Rest: Today we had mommy connection. We ran around in the gym and had a ton of fun. I brought the kids riding toys and they were all over and having a blast.

Then I came home and did drench to make up for the missed workout yesterday.  This is a long workout. It is 45 minutes. It was a great workout but really hard. I actually had to stop the tape a few times and catch my breath. I don't think this is going to be a good option for me for the rest of my pregnancy.

Day 6: Buns: Today we went to fill our Operation Christmas Child boxes. I love watching the girl's joy in serving others. It was so much fun watching them pick items for their boxes. A was filling hers for a 4 yr old girl, B picked a 3 yr old girl and C wanted a 3 yr old boy.

Then I did buns this afternoon. I love this workout. It felt good to get moving and work my buns. I also love how well this works all the muscles groups of your buns.

Day 7: Strength Intervals: This morning we did church and then had a fun morning as a family.

When we came home I did strength intervals. I love this workout. IT is quick but effective. The beast position towards the end is the only one I have trouble with as all the turning can hurt. I need slow it down but can still do the modified version.

My plan for this week is to stop Piyo exclusively. There is too many moves I cannot do well with bring pregnant. Instead I am going to try a Piyo 21 Day Fix Hybrid Schedule in hopes that I can continue to work out but not have so many twisting moves that make me have Braxton Hicks Contractions.

Week 4 Recap

We had an awesome week 4 of Piyo. Since I am half way through the program I decided to take some measurements. I was surprised at my results. I gained 4 pounds which is right on target for my 1 pound a week as I am entering the third trimester of my pregnancy. What I was surprised at was that in four weeks I've lost 3.5 inches! I lost 2.5 inches from my chest and .5 inches from each thigh. This is incredible as this week I didn't really watch my diet all that well. I'm also surprised that my waist is still 2 inches smaller than when I started this fitness journey almost eight months ago. Here are this week's pictures:

28 weeks pregnant

Day 1: Sweat: Today was a crazy day. I had to do grocery shopping. I love grocery shopping as I know we fill our fridge with lots of healthy stuff and the girls will eat it.

Then I did Piyo Sweat. I can totally tell I am getting stronger and gaining more balance. I didn't wobble during the runner's lunge today. I also did the entire first series that has lots of one leg balance work without having to put my leg down once! It was such an accomplishment for me.

Afterwards I needed to the girls to run off some energy as Brian was at a late work meeting. We went for a 1.22 mile walk. It was a beautiful night and it felt good to be out.  It was more of a run though with me pulling the wagon with B in it as C and A wanted to run. 

Day 2: Core: Today we went out and enjoyed the beautiful weather by raking leaves. I did four bags full before my workout and then got the girls down for nap. I worked out and then helped Brian finish getting all the leaves picked up before the snow falls later tonight/tomorrow. It felt so good to still have the energy to do this even after working out and knowing I'm 27 weeks pregnant today!

Core is probably the hardest workout for me in that it has a lot of turning. I have to be really careful being pregnant not to over extended my Ab muscles. I want to see results but don't want to hurt myself.

Day 3: Buns: Today was a great day as we spent the day at home doing projects as B and C call them. It was a nice restful day. I love spending time with the girls like that while A is in school. It makes them feel special.

I did Buns once I got them down for nap. I love all the squats in this workout. There is enough variety that just as I feel like I need to quit because my legs cannot take one more rep she switches it out. I can also tell my pants are fitting different. I know that my butt is a different shape!

Day 4: Drench: Today was a MOPS day. This is the day I usually let myself cheat on my nutrition. I usually don't go overboard but do allow myself to hit the buffet and splurge a little.

Then we came home and played in the first snow of the season. It just kept falling. We made Olaf complete with hair. We ran around in the yard and had a snow ball fight.

After I got the girls down for a late nap it was time for Drench. Tis was a tough workout for me. I kept getting out of breath but made it through the entire 48 minutes workout. All you need is a mat for this workout. I'm a lot stronger than I think. There was a few times I wanted to quit but I pushed through and felt so much better afterwards.

The hardest move for me was the beast section. I have a hard time rotating like that without my baby bump getting in the way. I also struggled a little bit on a section that had lunges and a piyo flip. I did it but it wasn't pretty.

I'm feeling more and more limber every day. I especially love how I felt after today's workout. I felt like I could conquer anything.

Day 5: Rest: Today was a rest day and I needed it. We went to mommy connection this morning and I played chase with the girls for a long time. Then after lunch we went back out to play in the snow. I could not believe how much more had fell in the 24 hours since we were last outside to play. Poor B was getting lost in the snow as it was tall in some of the drifts.

 

Day 6: Strength Intervals: Today we went out and played in the snow all morning. We had a rough night last night. No one wanted to sleep. It was a night where you feel like a pinball in a pinball machine bouncing from one girl to the next.  Brian got up with them this morning so I could get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.

We made the biggest snowman and had a ton of fun playing chase. The dog was in her glory just running free. It was also so pretty to see all the snow with the fall leaves that have yet to fall. I am noticing that I get winded more easily. I guess that comes with entering the third trimester. That doesn’t mean I'm giving up my workouts. 

Strength intervals was challenging. I don't know if it was because we were running around in 15 inches of snow all morning or that I'm just slowing down at 28 weeks pregnant. I had to do about 1/4 of the modifiers. Not a bad thing at all.

Day 7: Sweat: This was a great workout and much needed today. I definitely sweated and loved every moment.

Here is my plan for this week:

Couples challenge start November 24th. Want to lose 10-15 pounds before Christmas? Then why don't you grab your partner and join us. Have a blessed week everyone.

Piyo Week 3 Recap

I'm excited to share what week 3 brought me. I had an awesome week. I gained another pound bringing my total up to 12 pounds in 27 weeks of pregnancy. My OB is still shocked at how great I look. I'm so excited at how well this pregnancy is going. I'm also excited of how great I feel. I still have so much energy.

Day 1: Define: Upper Body: I started with Define: Lower Body as I didn't leave the house all day. A was off from school. We did projects all day. It felt so good to stretch my legs. It also felt good to do the warriors series. Then I did Define: Upper Body. I love rolling like a ball. It is fun especially stopping in the V sit position. I'm getting stronger every day.

Day 2: Buns: Let me first say I started my day way off my game. I had my blood glucose screen for pregnancy this morning and I had to drink that orange drink. You know the one? This one:

I hadn't eaten anything in the previous 12 hours before drinking it. I was so hungry by the end of my appointment. AS I knew we had to do grocery shopping I was glad I had packed everything to make my Shakeology.

This may be my new go to non-bender recipe. I has 1 cup pumpkin puree, 15 ounces water, 7 ice cubes, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/2 tsp allspice and 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology. I put into my shaker cup and shook vigorously.  IT was so yummy and it definitively filled me up.

 

So onto Piyo Buns. This workout was hard. It is 28 minutes long. I wore shoes for this workout as you didn't use a mat. I could have used the mat towards the end as there was a section on all fours and my knee hurt even though I put my t-shirt underneath them. This workout was tough! It had a ton of squatting. There was also a section at the end where you were on all fours. It was killer especially the elbow plank leg lifts. My legs felt like jello by the end of the workout and the side of my butt hurt. I cannot wait to see how this workout defines my butt and helps my pants fit in that area.

Day 3: Core: I so wanted to get this workout in today. I even did it while the girls were awake. The had so much energy that I thought let's let them do it with me. They also didn't want to nap without mom. The reason I became a coach was to add a little extra income to our house to pay off all the medical bill debt and be able to spend time with my kids when they needed me so I went for it.

C is by far the best at the yoga poses. This surprises me as she I the one that had the toughest time learning to walk and run. She was also the one that had a small stroke while in the NICU. At one point we were told she may never walk and if she did it wouldn't be great.  As we know God is good and she walks, runs and plays and no one would have any clue. It was a long road with lots of physical therapy from our wonder therapist from the Achievement Center but now she is doing yoga with me and seems to be able to do every move.

Core kicked my butt today. I was so sore by the end I was glad to lay down with the girls. I pushed myself hard as I love these exercises. I love this workout as it isn't all on your back doing crunches. It has lots of variety. It is just perfect for this pregnant lady who doesn't want to be on her back for long. I'm so excited to see what the rest of this week brings.

Day 4 : Define: Lower Body: Today I lacked motivation to workout. I tried ever excuse in the book. I even procrastinated by spending time in my challenge group pages and answering emails. I knew I needed it because of the lackadaisical attitude.

Finally I just pushed myself through it and I was so glad I did. I even added Define: Upper Body. I really needed to get out of my funk and that was just what I needed. 40 minutes of uninterrupted Piyo. I felt so much better after my workout. I was also more focused and ready to face the rest of the day even when the girls woke up early from nap and were full of energy and Brian still wasn't home from work.

Day 5: Rest:   I love that Friday's are rest day. Usually by Fridays I am a little frazzled from the week. This week was especially crazy as Brian worked many later days and then my mother in law decided to come pick A up today for a princess weekend.  She picked A up at lunch time. I decided to take a snuggle nap with B and C to start off their princess weekend.

I truly took a rest today. It has been a long time since I took as rest day like this and my body felt so glorious after it. I definitely needed it. Friday night is pizza and movie night in our house. I make a healthy version of pizza with a whole wheat pizza crust. See my recipe Here

Day 6: Sweat: Since A was a meem and papa's and we had just B and C they got to choose where they wanted to go out to lunch. They choose Steak and Shake. I counted this as my cheat meal for the week. We had fun and I didn't go over board as it would have been easy to do.

I definitely needed the Sweat when I came home. It felt so good to work out. I love feeling the sweat. I also love how limber I feel afterwards.

Day 7: Strength Intervals: This workout is 22 minutes long. you don't need a may but they all wear shoes for it. I have very flat feet so I have my running shoes with a good arch that I used for this workout. It may seem like a short workout but it makes you sweat! i had to stop once during this workout as my heart rate was too high. I did the entire workout without any modifiers but stopped once. It has a good variety of stretch mixed in with high bouts of cardio. I think this may be my new favorite workout in the bunch.

Here is my schedule for week 4:

I'm going to use the same meal plan as last week. I'm not much of a variety person and I need easy this week as I have a busy week. I also need simple at this stage of the game of my pregnancy. I hope everyone has a blessed week.

Week 2 Piyo Recap

I cannot believe week two is in the books and I start week 3 this week! I love this program. I'm glad I decided to stick with it. I'm a believer after week 2. I thought it was going to be boring. I also didn't think just doing yoga and pilates could keep me in shape. Boy was I wrong. I already feel stronger and more limber. I'm excited to see what week 3 will bring.

Tomorrow I will be 26 weeks pregnant. I gained 0.4 pounds this week. My eating plan was abandoned one day this week as we went out to eat for out anniversary and went to olive garden. I had way to many yellows and not enough reds that day. I'm thankful to be still exercising and working out. I'm getting nervous as I gave birth to the girls 10 days from now. I'm hoping that this pregnancy will not results in a NICU baby.

 

Day 1: Sweat: Today I was already really warmed up when I started my workout. I've been promising A a nature walk at Asbury Woods before it snowed. Today we made that happen. We walked 2.5 miles and had a ton of fun. Then I came home got ABC down for nap and then moved on to my sweat workout.

I love this workout. It actually lived up to its name today and I sweated. I pushed myself really hard. At one point I thought I was going to have to pause the workout and catch my breath but I made it through. I have trouble with the runners balance. I can do it but it isn't pretty. MY ankle wobbles a lot. I will get it!

I love how healthy I feel and the fact that I can keep up with the girls no matter what they want to do. I'm no longer that mom that after dinner just wants to sit on the couch and do nothing as I'm too tired to do anything. Instead my body is properly fueled and I have the strength to do just about anything. 

Day 2: Define: Lower Body: I love how quick this workout is. It was a perfect workout for today as it was 77 and warm out and I wanted to get outside to play with the girls. I finished the workout and cannot believe how much more flexible I already feel. Then we went for a 3 mile walk before the rain started. I love how much energy I have! I also love how much stronger I feel even though I'm not using weights.

Day 3: Core: Today I started out by taking a 2 hour walk at the zoo with a good friend and her daughter. It was so nice to be outside even though it was a little chilly. Then this afternoon I pressed play on the Piyo core. This is one workout where they have shoes on their feet. She mentioned you didn’t want to slip and with being pregnant I took her caution and put on shoes.

This workout is 30 minutes long. It starts with a stretch and then goes into standing core work. Then it has some traditional core exercises where you lay on your back and crunch. There is also a nice plank section. Also there is a roll up side plank section that was challenging but fun. It ends with a nice stretch. I made it through the entire workout with no modifications. It seems like just as you feel you cannot do one more rep that she switches positions.

My upper abs are a little sore as well as my oblique's. MY arms feel like jelly. I did sweat just a tiny bit but I know by how my muscles feel that I worked hard.  I liked this workout and cannot wait to do it again to try and master some of the moves or at least improve!

Day 4: define: Upper Body: Today I was tired. I really didn't feel like working out but I pressed play anyways. I love the variety in this workout. I also loved how my arms felt like jelly by the end. I also knew my abs worked as they were sore.

Sometime over night the baby moved further up towards my ribs instead of down lower in my pelvis. This made some exercises more challenging but I still didn’t have to modify anything.

As an extra I did define: lower body too. I needed the extra boost today. I felt so good after I worked out. I actually had energy and could finish out my day. I even did four loads of laundry and got three put away. I love how my stress melts away and my mood changes when I exercise.

Day 5: Rest Day: today was anything but a rest day. First I had Mommy Connection and we played in the gym. I had a little Harvest Party for all our friends. We did pumpkin bowling, picture frames, some fishing, and played balloons. All the kids had fun and us moms got some time to sit and chat too.

Then tonight was trick or treating. We walked 2 miles linear, but crossed the street many times so we actually walked further than that. The girls has so much fun and I was proud of myself. I only ate 2 pieces of candy and then stopped.

 Day 6: Sweat: I wish I could do this work out every day.  I love how much stronger and flexible I feel after this workout. I'm in love with it especially the section that has burpees. I used to hate burpees. Now I adore them. I also like the stretch strength section with all the pushups. I was one of those people who thought they'd never be able to do pushups on their toes and now I can do the whole workouts worth on my toes. I was so sweaty today after this workout I had to hit the showers. I pushed myself so hard and it felt great.

Day 7: Core: I absolutely nailed this workout today. MY favorite portion is the punter exercise towards the end. I cannot believe I can see my foot behind my head and then extend my leg and kick! I am amazed at my flexibility after just 14 days of Piyo. I'm also loving the way my arms and legs look. They are getting more sculpted by doing this program. I'm excited to see what week 3 brings.

Here is my workout plan for week 3:

Here is my meal plan for week 3:

Meal Plan Nov 11_2

I'm love Piyo. I am a believer now. I cannot wait to see what the next 6 weeks brings! Hope everyone has a blessed day.