Top 3 reasons I chose Insanity Max:30

It's here!! It's here!! I am so excited to get started with Insanity Max:30 in January, I am hoping it will get me in bikini condition for next summer!  It occurred to me that you may be interested in hearing why I chose this as my next workout program, so I thought I would give you my reasoning!

There are tons and tons and tons of workout programs out there and when it comes to choosing one, it can be a little overwhelming to say the least!! When I look for something new, it has to meet my top 3 requirements or I don't even look at it.  

 

1. 30 Minutes or Less

I am a busy full time working mom.  My number one priority is my family, so I want a workout program that does not interfere with them.  Insanity Max:30 is (if you couldn't guess from the title) 30 minutes long, which is perfect for me.  I don't workout until after my daughter goes at 8pm, so if I workout from 815-845 I still have time to spend with my husband and get the house in semi-clean condition before going to bed for the night. 

2. High Energy

I need a workout that will keep me engaged and will make the time fly by!  I tried Yoga in college and it just wasn't for me, I loved the idea of it but I need music blasting....instructors yelling.....sweat dripping workouts to keep my interest.  I started with Shaun T in T25, so even though I haven't tried Insanity Max:30 I have a pretty good idea of how the workouts will go.  I love getting so involved in the workouts that I don't watch the clock and before I know it the workout is over!

3. Modifiers

Although intoxicated dancing Jessica will tell a different story, I am not very coordinated/rhythmic.  When I first start a workout it takes me a while to pick up on the moves, even the simple ones (if you have done T25 jack uppercut, I am still not able to do it!).  So for me it is important to have a modifier to follow until i get comfortable that I am not going to sprain in ankle trying a move!!  The best part of Insanity Max:30 is they have a modifier track, which means you can choose to do the workout with the modifier on the screen the whole time so you can follow her the whole time!!!!!  About time a workout program catered to us uncoordinated folks!!

Verdict:

A lot of workout programs fit my top 3 requirements, so what put Insanity Max:30 over the edge was the fact that it is a competition with yourself.  Each time you do a workout you are asked to write down your "Max Out" time and then the next time you do it you try and beat your time.  I L-O-V-E competing even with myself so as soon as I heard that it was a no brainer for me to start this program. I also love the fact that you aren't trying to be the best ever at the workout, you are trying to the best ever YOU and each week you work to get better!

Who's ready to give this a try with me? Message me!

My story!

Okay, so I have put myself out there for everyone to see!  

To me, posting the last 4 blog entries was kind of like standing up in front a group of 500 of my closest friends naked!!!  But, I am glad I got that white elephant out of the way so now I can truly use this blog to help myself and hopefully some of you to grow and continue to strive every day to be the best we can be!!!

As you can see from my struggles with the 3 Day Refresh I have some work to do, but I am so proud of where I have come from!  In case you don't know my back story, here is a quick snapshot.  I was pretty healthy throughout life, I am terrible at dieting but I like to run so if I ever got off track I could start running and get back on track pretty quickly.  Then in August 2012, I found out I was pregnant!  I was over the moon excited to experience what pregnancy was all about, so throughout the 9 months I ended up gaining 60 pounds....yes that says 60 pounds, I think I literally ate for two adult humans instead of one adult and one baby!

Me Post Baby July 2013

I had my beautiful daughter, Lily, in April 2013.  After she was born, I was under the impression that I would be able to breastfeed her and the weight would just work its way off of me.  Then my milk supply never came in and I had to switch Lily to formula.  But that was okay because I was on maternity leave for 3 months so I would have plenty of time to get back into running when my husband got home from work.  Then I ended up having a c-section so I wasn't cleared to workout until 6 weeks after having Lily and by then, as any new mother will tell you, I had 0 energy or time to go on a run with a baby who was barely sleeping and regular life duties piling up!

The picture above is from one of the last weeks of my maternity leave.  I was still 20 pounds heavier than I wanted to be and I didn't really have much hope for a way to get rid of the extra pounds.  But I worked and worked and worked for a year to rid myself of about 10 pounds, I did some dieting (17 day diet, it did work but wasn't sustainable for me) and I fit in running when I could, thank goodness for living with my parent in laws while we had a our house built nice to have a live in babysitters! But by the time July 2014 came, I was just beyond frustrated, getting up at 530am to go running before my daughter got up and still wasn't seeing any real results on the scale or on the measuring tape!!

 So I gave in, one of my husbands friends from high school was always bragging on facebook about how great she was feeling and how much weight she had lost using BeachBody and Shakeology.  I decided to give it a try for myself, it took a while of going back and forth in my mind before I committed.  I am very much an instant gratification person, if I am putting in effort I want results immediately, so I told myself I would give this my full effort for the full 30 days (you have a 30 day money back guarantee) no matter what before I decided to quit. 

I started with Focus T25, one of the main reasons is because my husband wanted to support me and do the workouts with me and getting him to do PiYo or anything like that was definitely not going to happen.  From the first workout, I LOVED IT! Shaun T is very motivational, the workouts are only 25 minutes so the light at the end of the tunnel is always reachable, the pace makes the workout go by very fast and it is just fun to do the moves!  Another important component to the program is Shakeology, you are asked to replace one meal a day with it.  That was easy for me because I have always struggled to find a healthy breakfast option that is fast and i can eat on the way to work, Shakeology solves both those problems and a bonus it tastes amazing (and I mean it really does, it has been my breakfast for the last 5 months and I still love it!!!!)!!! 

August 2014

Fast forward a month, I was down 5 pounds and 9 inches!!!!  I was hooked, I couldn't believe in 1 month I could lose 5 pounds and 9 inches...I mean it took me a whole year to lose that many inches!! The significance of the above picture is those shorts are the shorts I wore on my honeymoon, before BeachBody I couldn't button them let alone wear them for a picture.

I decided in August 2014, I couldn't keep this secret to myself and I joined BeachBody as a coach.  I  get to continue to work on my own fitness journey and now I get to help others start theirs and feel as amazing as I do!  So I finished T25 Alpha and Beta cycles, down another 4 pounds and 2 more inches.  Continued onto T25 Gamma and PiYo, adding in a 3 Day Refresh, and I am now down a total of 11 pounds and 12 inches......in 5 months, more results in 5 months than a whole year on my own!!!

December 2014

Above was taken yesterday, not the best picture of myself.  BUT, the you see that shirt I am wearing...it's a small, I couldn't comfortably wear a small 5 months ago.  You see those pants I am wearing, they are size 6 and they are too big!

I started this journey so I could fit back into my pre-pregnancy clothes because I didn't want to have to spend money on new clothes.  I am now at the point where I might need to go and buy new clothes because my pre-pregnancy ones are getting too big....if only you could see the grin on my face right now its ear to ear, that is a sentence I never thought I would be able to say!!!!!

The best part, hands down, isn't the weight i have lost or that my pants are getting too big it's that I feel amazing from head to toe!  I have so much more energy, I crave healthy foods, I crave exercise....things that the old me wouldn't believe were possible.  To me, this feeling I wake up with every morning is priceless..I would pay 10 times what I did for T25 if I knew in 5 months it would make me set new goals because I have crushed every fitness goal I set for myself when I started it.

So new goals, I am so excited to get Insanity Max:30 started January 5 2015.  It should be arriving at my door any day now, but I am going to wait to start it because I want to finish this year with focusing on mastering some moves in T25 Gamma to prepare myself for it.  

July 2011

The picture above is me and one of my amazing friends at my bachelorette party.  My new goal is to have the ab definition I have in this picture by May 2015.  I don't want to set out a weight loss goal because for me I don't know if I want to lose any more weight, I am mainly interested in toning up.  I am not sure who said it but some told me once "you should be more worried about building muscle than losing weight, only you see the scale but the whole world sees you".

So, here's the real question, you wanna join me?  I would love to have some accountability partners on this journey!  You can start with Insanity Max:30, I will post later this week why i am choosing it.  Or you can be like me and start with Focus T25 or you really you can start with any fitness program, the important part is you have to start! I would love to hear from you if you are deciding you want to start and you want some support, message me!

 

3 Day Refresh: The Results and Overall Review

The Results

Okay so the big reveal.  I went into this with the goal of losing 3 pounds. A little back story on my journey, at the beginning of the summer before i got pregnant with Lily I weighed in at 140.4...so after having her i wanted to get back down to under 140.  Like I said at the beginning of this, I am dense the lightest I have ever been in my adult life was 137 when I got married and I was wearing a size 4 comfortably so I think I am like a tungsten ring deceivingly heavy :)

Anyways, I have been for the past month suck at 140.2, I just couldn't seem to get past it and it was so aggravating! So I enjoyed my Thanksgiving and then did this refresh to see if I could get past that silly plateau!

I DID!  My after pictures are below.

 Maybe it is my imagination but I can definitely see a reduction in my stomach!

Final Weigh In:

139.4lbs

I DID IT! I DID IT! I am past that silly plateau!  It so amazing to wake up knowing I am lighter than I was before I got pregnant and now I am aiming to be at the size I was when I got married!  The difference will be when I got married, I was very unhealthy...I was stupid and I got that light using My Weight Doctor and B12 shots and weight loss pills.  This time I am in the best shape of my life and I am eating and living the healthiest ever!  I can't wait to see where this journey takes me and my family!!!

The Review

Would I do the 3 Day Refresh again?

Absolutely, in fact I am already planing on doing it again in a few months.  I just totally reset me!  I had forgotten how yummy veggies on their own can be, I learned that I do like different types of Shakeology prepared different ways (remember i am a creature of habit, I usually have the same flavor made the same way every morning).

What was the hardest part?

For me the hardest part was drinking the Fiber Sweep and the lunchtime Vanilla Fresh.  Neither tasted bad but I just can't stand the texture of them.  Good news is you only have to do it 3 times and you are done, so the light at the end of the tunnel isn't very far off!

Would you recommend the 3 Day Refresh to a friend?

Most definitely!  It just gets you back in the right frame of mind.  We all fall off the wagon every once in a while and I am going to use this to reset, remember that a healthy diet really does make you feel so much better!  I am less bloated, I have more energy (I woke up at 5am this morning!) and I in general just feel refreshed (ha! get it?).

It's only 3 days, and if you can lose 3 pounds in 3 days, why not?  Mind you, I cheated twice and still lost 3 pounds, I know some other people who have better willpower and self-control than I do who lost 5-7 pounds!

What's next?

For the next month, I am going to do a hybrid of the T25 Beta and Gamma workouts BECAUSE come January 5 2015 INSANITY MAX:30 has my name written all over it!  I already bought it and it is on it's way to my house as we speak.  I am so excited to do it!  My next blog will be about why I chose it to do next!

3 Day Refresh: Day Three Review

Day Three- Morning

Woke up feeling pretty spectacular this morning, which was a welcome surprise!  I felt almost energized when I got out of bed, for a morning person that is pretty much a miracle. Mornings are always the hardest for me because I have a very close relationship with sleep and my bed and I don't like anything that gets in the way of that relationship :)

After drinking my morning water, I crossed my fingers, hoped I hadn't ruined my 3 Day Refresh with my Popchips splurge and jumped on the scale.  Down another .4lbs, that's a total of 3.2lbs!!!!  I hit my goal, wooohoooo! Now that is a great way to put a little pep in your step for the day!

I tried Strawberry Shakeology this morning, when I originally started with BeachBody I used Strawberry Shakeology and I think i had burned myself out on it.  But, after taking a month or so off of the Strawberry this mornings shake was pretty delicious.  I don't think I will ever go back to not having Shakeology in the morning, its so easy to make and it actually tastes good....two things that are pretty important to a mom who is always running behind in the mornings!!

Day Three- Mid-Morning Fiber Sweep

This just doesn't get any better, but it also doesn't get any worse.  I think you kind of have to just do it, you know it isn't going to be the best thing you've ever drank but it's for a greater purpose so you plug your nose and chug it down!

Still haven't seen any cramps or gas or uncomfortableness, so if that is your fear you don't have to worry about it with this refresh.  The only uncomfortableness I have felt is on the first day after drinking it for the first hour or so I felt really full, but I kept drinking water and that went away.

Day Three- Lunch (Vanilla Fresh)

Me and my love of routine, I had the same lunch all three days of this but you do have a lot of options if you like to mix it up (check out the program guide)!  I was really busy with work today so I was running around and just fit in the meals and shakes when I had a few minutes down time.  I think because I was busy it kept my mind off how hungry I was, so that was good!

Still, don't like having to drink the Vanilla Fresh without ice and some cinnamon but I sucked it up one more day.  I used like ice cold water this time and it made it a little better.

Side note, I was driving from Baltimore to VA (I had to go to both my offices today) and I did notice I could pinch less stomach :)

Day Three- Mid-Afternoon Snack

I got back to my VA office with about 30 minutes before my next meeting so I was able to cram in my snack while trying to get through some emails.  I felt pretty good going into the meeting....but we all know my willpower isn't the greatest :(

I cheated, we received our first Holiday gift from one of our vendors....a box of artisan chocolates.  Okay, I don't really like chocolate I can avoid that!  O wait there is a salted caramel one? And a 90% dark chocolate?!  WHHHHHHY! I ate them :( 

I am terrible at this, I just can't pass up food.  This is how I justified it, I have already met my target weight loss so if I have a little chocolate it won't ruin it! I need to work on my mindset!

Day Two- Dinner (Vanilla Fresh)

I tried a Veggie Stir Fry for dinner and it was good!  My Vanilla Fresh with cinnamon and pure organic vanilla extract was tasty as well!

Since I cheated in the afternoon I was good tonight, no more food.  I didn't work out, I am spending most of my time writing this blog :) I can't wait to see my end results tomorrow!

3 Day Refresh: Day Two Review

Day Two- Morning

So I went to bed with a terrible headache, which I am assuming is from cutting coffee cold turkey, and woke up with the same.  I got up and drank my water and it did help the headache go away, and after that I felt pretty normal and surprisingly I wasn't that hungry.  I decided to weigh myself because I was too curious to wait 3 days to see if this was going to work....I was very very pleased to see I was down 2.8lbs after only a day!!!!!!!  So any doubt I had when i woke up was immediately removed, this was worth it!

The first day I had done Vanilla Shakeology, which was okay but not great.  I decided to try Greenberry Shakeology this morning and it was really really good!  Just the perfect amount of citrus and sweet....if I take nothing else away from this, I now know that I like Greenberry best with just water and fresh fruit (I put strawberries, but I am going to try cranberries soon). 

Day Two- Mid-Morning Fiber Sweep

This is my least favorite part of the day. Although the Fiber Sweep is tolerable, tastes a little citrusy I would liken it to emergen-c if you have ever tried that, but it is really chalky and after reading the directions I just can't get the idea of it thickening out of my head.  I mixed it up and chugged it down, gagged a couple of times but followed it up with a little water and I was good to go.  I really thought the Fiber Sweep was supposed to make you....you know, do what fiber makes you do.....but so far 1.25 days in nothing out of the ordinary has happened in that department.  So it is pretty amazing that I have already lost almost 3 pounds without "cleaning out" my system.

So far, this whole thing seems to good to be true....I know the hard part is coming (and it does)!

Day Two- Lunch (Vanilla Fresh)

Same as yesterday's lunch, I got some fruit, some veggie's and the Vanilla Fresh shake....have I mentioned that if you are interested in knowing what veggies and fruits you can eat you can refer to the program guide?  Anyways, I must admit that the Vanilla Shake is my second least favorite drink in the world following the Fiber Sweep.  I am just really particular about my drink textures....like I can't drink OJ with pulp and I don't do smoothies that contain fruits with harder seeds (raspberries, blueberries)....I don't have a blender at work so I just use my blender bottle and I think that is why I am not that into it.  The flavor is good despite the texture so I tolerate it and drink up! 

By lunch today, I am pretty hungry.  I eat all the foods and drink the Vanilla Fresh and it does take the edge off the hunger but I am still not completely satisfied.  I drink some extra water to curb the hunger, hopeful it will get me through the day!

Day Two- Mid-Afternoon Snack

I am a creature of habit, I like routine, so I ate the same foods as yesterday for lunch and for this snack (refer to program guide for details).  I am not nearly as full today as I was yesterday, I just keep drinking water to help fool my body into thinking it is full.  

Day Two- Dinner (Vanilla Fresh)

So Lily was at her Nani's house for a little while this evening so I got to come home and get some necessary life things done.  I decided to pick a salad for dinner but it said to marinate for an hour, so i made it and took a couple bites (it was amazing) before putting it in the fridge to marinate for an hour.  I thought that delaying my dinner a little and preoccupy myself with cleaning it would help hunger to subside but not so much.  By the time I got to eating my salad I was so hungry, I think i downed it in 2.5 seconds and then I followed it with my Vanilla Fresh.  Side note, I want to retract my previous statement about Vanilla Fresh being so terrible, when i mix it up in the blender with ice and some cinnamon it really is pretty good...the ice helps to hide the texture of it. Back on track, I ate all the foods I was allowed to eat and still had hunger pains.

I cheated :( I just couldn't control myself around the food in my pantry and the fact that I had already lost almost 3 pounds and that was my whole goal for the 3 days anyways....okay I am going to stop here because I am just trying to justify my cheating, but really there is no justification, I need to work on my willpower!  So I ate a handful of BBQ Popchips, not the worst thing for you but still not good when you are on the 3 Day Refresh. 

After eating them I immediately regretted it, it is only 3 days and I can't do it :( but, I know it is my weakness and the first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one so now I know I need to work on it! 

Matt went to play "ball" with his "boys" so instead of a workout i vacuumed and mopped the floor.....hoping that helped to counteract my lapse..I also added an extra 8 ounce glass of water to make up for the Popchips, I guess we will see tomorrow morning how much it messed me up!

3 Day Refresh: Day One Review

Day One- Morning

You wake up and drink a cup of water.  I was a little annoyed because that meant I had to walk down stairs to get the water.  But I did it and I actually really liked the way it woke me up, I got a cup of cold filtered water and it perked me right up...not an easy task on a Monday after having the last 5 days off!

After my water, I decided there was no more delaying it I had to weigh myself and take some pictures.  I ask that you read and look at these but then delete them from your memory :) It has taken me a long time to come to terms with the number on the scale is just a number, it isn't what defines who I am! What's the right way to say this.......hmm I am dense, defined as closely compacted in substance (concentrated), while I am 5'4 and wear a size 6 I have always weighed more than most of my friends.  Okay enough jibber jabber, here are my pics from yesterday morning and my starting weight.

 I deleted my head so when I make it big (I think my singing career is just getting warmed up) no one can use these as black mail :) 

Starting Weight

142.6

You finish off your morning with a Shakeology shake.  I have been on this train for a while so nothing new for me, I love my Shakeology in the morning!

3 Reasons you should drink Shakeology!

So far this seems easy peasy!

Day One- Mid-Morning Fiber Sweep

I have never done a cleanse or anything, so this first fiber sweep was very scary for me going into it.  The packaging doesn't help either, it says "note: drink will thicken as the natural fiber binds water, so be sure to drink immediately after preparation". Okay so as a first timer I am imagining drinking this slimy solidifying shake and immediately afterwards I am going to have to poo.

Luckily, my imagination made it much worse than it really was phewww!  The drink wasn't actually that terrible, it is quite grainy but has good flavor and I drank it fast enough that I didn't notice and solidification (is that even a word?!)!

I also didn't feel like I had to crap my pants (sorry no other way around it) the whole day, it just filled me up and I didn't notice much difference besides being full.  Side note, I am pretty good at keeping up my fiber normally so for me adding this didn't have a big impact but if you don't regularly keep up with fiber you might be a bit uncomfortable for the first day.

I am still on board with this whole shindig!

Day One- Lunch (Vanilla Fresh)

Lunch is pretty simple, you get a small helping of veggies with a small helping of fruit and a vanilla shake you have to drink.  I won't go into details on the regular fruits and veggies, you can read all about what you are allowed to eat in the program guide.

The Vanilla Fresh shake isn't my favorite but it is drinkable. You mix it with 10 ounces of water and it does taste like Vanilla but I hated the texture of it.  I am going to try to add some ice and blend it for my dinner meal.

So far I havent had any issues with the refresh, still feeling good and full from the Fiber Sweep!

Day One- Mid-Afternoon Snack

You are allowed to eat a mid afternoon snack, it is very small but it does its job.  I felt fuller when I finished.  Again, if you want to know the details you can find all the juicy details about what you can eat in the program guide!

Day One- Dinner (Vanilla Fresh)

By dinner I was starting to feel the hunger pains so I was really looking forward to a satisfying meal.  Unfortunately, I did not get that meal.  You are allowed a small veggie meal (program guide has recipes you can choose from) and the Vanilla Fresh shake.

I added ice and some cinnamon to the Vanilla Fresh this time and it was much better, so there is hope! But after finishing my veggie meal and my shake I was still wanting a main course!  It took all my willpower to hold my drool in as I watched Matt and Lily devour probably the most delicious meal ever made and not take a bite myself!

Day One- Evening

Nothing, you aren't allowed any foods after dinner.  You are killing me man! I tried to halfheartedly do a PiYo Core workout then I daydreamed on the couch about a big juicy burger for an hour before I decided I needed to go to bed or my willpower was going to give out.  

I DID IT! I CAN'T BELIEVE I ACTUALLY SURVIVED THE FIRST DAY! 

Besides the end of the day hunger, this was a pretty easy day.  I hope the next 2 go as smoothly........to be continued...... 

3 Day Refresh: An Overview

Good morning!  I am pretty excited to get started with my 3 Day Refresh today.  I pretty much let myself eat whatever I wanted over the last 4 days so it will be nice to get a clean slate again!

The Goods!

I am 4 hours into the refresh so nothing amazing has occurred yet, which is perfect because I can give you all the details on the boring stuff before I get to the good stuff (results/reviews).

So 3 Day Refresh is a BeachBody program meant to give people a jump start to their weight loss or to be used as a 'reset' button when you feel like you have begun to fall off the wagon with your healthy lifestyle routine.

3 Day Refresh!

You will get the above box in the mail usually within a week of ordering, so don't plan to start the 3 day refresh the day after you order it :) When you open it, there are 3 compartments, one for each day, and a program guide

The box itself has a brief overview of program but you want to read the program guide to get all the juicy details of the foods you can eat and how much of them.  Each day you are given 2 vanilla fresh packets, 1 fiber sweep and if you choose to include Shakeology** 1 packet of Shakeology.

**I have an overflowing supply of Shakeology so I didn't order it with the program but I provided my own packets for picture purposes.

What is Shakeology?

So the general idea for each day is you start with Shakeology for breakfast, Fiber Sweep mid morning, Vanilla Fresh for lunch and Vanilla Fresh for dinner.  Of course you have to drink lots of water and you choose the foods you want to add in.  There is no meat allowed, which for me is okay since I think I consumed a whole turkey in the last 4 days!

Results will vary, but they say you can lose anywhere from 3-5 pounds if you follow the guidlines.  I will definitely let you know my results as this is my first experience doing any sort of cleanse/restart diet.

Well, that's all I have for you today.  Tomorrow I will post my before pics and weight and give an update on how the first day went!! As always if you have questions, concerns or comments, please feel free to message me!  Happy Cyber Monday (like I didn't just spend my lunch hour shopping online haha)!!!!!

Welcome to my world!

Hey everyone! I'm so glad you found my blog....and decided to read it!

I wanted to start blogging about the journey I am taking in my health and fitness. It all started last July when, after struggling for 14 months on my own, I decided to give Focus T25 a try.

Program I started with (focus T25 challenge pack)

For those of you who don't know, Focus T25 is a workout program from BeachBody and was created by Shaun T. I started with the alpha and beta cycles, both are 5 weeks and require 4 25 minute workouts Monday through Thursday and on Friday you do a double day 2 25 minute workouts.

So fast forward 10 weeks and I was down 6 pounds and 9 inches, I had made more progress in 10 weeks then I had made in 14 months on my own! I was very pleased!!!

Since October, I have moved on to PiYo and the gamma cycle of T25. I have lost another 4 pounds no 3 more inches from my body !!!!!

PiYo program
Focus T25 Gamma

I am over the moon with my results and want to share with the world some of the secrets that got me to the best shape of my life but no where near complete on this journey, so follow along and join me!!!

If you are interested in starting your own journey and want my help, I would love to be your accountability partner! Message me!


I'm going to start my blog with a review of the 3 day refresh. Link to it is below, I am starting it tomorrow 12/1/2014.....I'm hoping it's as amazing as everyone says it is!