Well... That didn't go as planned!

So last I checked in, it was Sept 2015. I shared that I'd just had a baby boy and was hoping to get back on track with my weight loss and would writing another post again soon. Yeah, that didn't happen. And now it's January of 2019, so about three and a half years later and a bit has changed. I managed to lose almost all of my baby weight ... and then got pregnant again. We welcomed our daughter in April of 2017. I gained all of the weight back... and then some. After I delivered her, I lost a good chunk, but I'm still about 100 pounds over where I want to maintain. I'm pretty close to where I started out when I first started this whole journey in 2008. 

Things have settled with the kids. Our son, Wyatt, is now three and a half and (mostly) potty trained. Our daughter, Penny, will be 2 in a few months and is learning about 20 new words every day and never stops talking, lol. It's been more of a struggle to transition from one kid to two kids than it was for me to go from no kids to one kid. Self-care has not been a main priority, but I'm ready for that to change. I am still dealing with some back pain from my second pregnancy. I've seen a chiropractor for about two years, but haven't made a whole lot of progress. I'm hoping if I can drop some weight and get back into working out, it will help strengthen my body and get my back in place too. 

My plan is to try to do what I did the first time. I'm going to start with counting calories and maybe even do Weight Watchers again. I also have a Beachbody On Demand account, so I have access to all of my favorite workouts and will be able to pick and choose depending on what will work best for my back. 

This time around will be more of a challenge because I now have to cook and plan for not only myself, but my husband and two little (semi-picky) eaters. They eat a decent variety, but when I lost the weight the first time, I stuck to a very simple rotation of foods and kept any tempting food out of the house. I still try to keep the tempting food out of the house, but it's hard when your kid comes up to you and says, "We should make cupcakes today!!!" I almost always have the ingredients needed for homemade sweets, lol. And my family is not as ok as I am to eat the same few meals over and over without getting tired of them. When I first start out, "less is more", so I find a few meals that work for me and stick to that. As I do better, I branch out. But it's harder when you're cooking for others. So that will be a new challenge for me. Also, as many moms will tell you, kids wear you out. A lot. So I don't have as much enthusiasm or time for standing in a kitchen for an hour making a delicious home-cooked meal  like I used to. I prefer something I can get out in fifteen minutes. The natives get a bit restless if I take too long, lol. And nowadays, cleaning is an all-day job. Over and over. Because 1 and 3 year olds make messes. It's basically their main job, lol. So the longer I cook, the bigger the mess they make. And after a day of working and playing and cleaning, I don't always feel up to making a big dinner.

So I've got a few more challenges, but I also have some things working in my favor. I have the kids now, which means that I am up and active more often. I can play with them and when it's nice out, we like to go to the park or go for walks or bike rides. I also have to be a better example for them. They learn from me and what they see me do. I want to give them a healthy lifestyle now so they can continue it when they get older. So that means I need to get my butt in gear. Our family is complete with the four of us. I won't be getting pregnant again. I am still nursing, but just once a day and that will probably be done soon too. I feel like I'm getting my body back. If I can get my back fixed, I should be good to go. 

I think 2019 is going to be my year to get back to feeling like "me"! I took a picture back in 2009 when I had lost all of the weight the first time. I want to try to recreate this photo in November as a 10-year comparison. So ... wish me luck! 

Oh, I forgot to mention. We also added a fur baby this year. Her name is Lucy, Lu for short, and she's about 7 months old. We don't know much about her background, but she is a bit nervous around the kids. When we first got her, right after Christmas, she was constantly between our feet, trying to hide under us. We've had her for a month now and she still gets a little nervous around the kids, but she also plays with them now. She's eating and drinking normally, she loves to play outside. She is the sweetest girl and she loves her squeaky toys. She's a bit of a bed-hog, but she also keeps my feet warm, so I'm ok with it. We are happy to have her be part of our family! 

BeachBody Favorites and Wish List

I have slowly been acquiring different workout programs and workout equipment over the last 5 years. I have loved most of what I've gotten, but others that were not so great. For example, I bought a home gym band system that attaches to your door. This was kind of cool except that you need a sturdy door for it to work, it sometimes wouldn't fit properly in the door, and there wasn't a wide range of resistance available with the one that I got. Most of the time it was too easy or I'd be clear across the room hoping it wouldn't snap in my face. And then you have to try to get the thing on a door near a TV so you can use it with the DVD that you're doing. It was just not a great option.

Credit: beachbody.com

Credit: teambeachbody.com

Instead, I use regular bands, like THESE, and you can use a door hook or door band to secure it. You still have to use a door (unless you attach a hook in your wall/ceiling, but you can adjust the resistance of the bands easily and you can even leave the door band in place if you want too. It doesn't take up much room and you can use the door perfectly fine with it attached. So I prefer that option better.

Credit: beachbody.com

If you aren't a band person, you can always use dumbbells and modify the moves. I do that sometimes too. And you can set up your dumbbells anywhere and change the resistance very quickly and easily if you need to. I have tried the kind that have one bar and you adjust the weight by taking off the weights or putting more on and screw them back into place. While that can be a space saver, it is really difficult to switch the weights during a set if you realize you are using too much or too little. So I got rid of those and got some like THIS when I got the chance. They do take up a bit more room, but it is much easier to set down the 5 pounders and pick up the 8s if I need a bit more. And if I go from biceps to triceps, I can grab the 3s without having to pause my DVD.

Credit: kellerfitclub.com

In addition to the bands and the dumbbells, there's also the option to get a Pull-Up Bar. One is recommended if you're doing the P90x series. As someone who has never had much arm strength, I started with P90x and the dumbbells with the pull-up bar. I wasn't able to do a full pull-up, but even modifying with a chair or jumping will help build your strength and, if you keep practicing, you'll get better and better over time until you finally are able to do that pull up! So even if you think you can't do pull-ups, I recommend giving it a try, giving your all, and seeing what you get out of it. I think you'll surprise yourself.

So those are my favorite workout equipment items. NOW, here is my wish list!

Credit: extremebodyworkout.com

I have seen these online and have wanted to try one, to help with those dreaded pull ups. I'm talking about P90x's Chin Up Max. It's an assist to your pull ups. It is designed to help you get more pull-ups in or, if you're like me, to help you by supporting some of your weight while you are on the road to building that strength. I think it would be a great middle ground for people who are able to do the pull ups easily with a chair, but aren't quite ready to do it without any support yet.

Credit: beachbody.com

Another item that I would love to have is a foam roller. I have heard these recommended by everyone from Jillian Michaels to BeachBody to friends and family that have them. If you don't know what they are, Men's Health describes it as "ironing out the wrinkles in your rumpled musculature". The article goes on to say that the benefits of foam rolling include smoothing and lengthening muscles, breaking up adhesions and scar tissue, relaxing muscles, and better blood circulation. It can be painful during the process, but it should help with muscle recovery after a hard workout, and most people say that it is absolutely worth it! So that is on my wish list because it would be nice sometimes to work out those sore muscles.

Credit: carldaikeler.com

The second item on my wish list is Shaun T's new DVD program, T25, which hasn't actually come out yet. I heard about it from a friend of mine who is a BeachBody coach.You can't buy it yet, but if you click on the link, you can enter your information so they will email you when it's available. The program looks like it is a 5 day/week schedule with workouts that are only 25 minutes long. That is amazing!! I'm sure most of you out there are busy, productive people who don't have a lot of time each day to set aside to get all sweaty, so this program would be a perfect package. You still get the intense workout that you would get with Insanity, but it's compacted into a shorter routine. Win-win if you ask me! And if any of you have worked out "with" Shaun T before, you know you are guaranteed to have a fun time! : )

Credit: jadefitness.com

And the final item on my wish list, for now, is the Brazil Butt Lift program. It looks like a fun program designed to get you the dream booty you've always wanted. I haven't tried any workout DVDs with Leandro Carvalho before, but it is a BeachBody product and they haven't let me down yet, so I am confident it will be a good program. But I feel this program would be a great way to make me feel more confident in my jeans and maybe not have to pull my shirt down over my rear end all the time to make sure it's covered, lol.

So there you have it, a few of my favorite workout equipment and some that I'd like to try, along with a few programs I'd like to give a go. My birthday and Christmas are only 2 weeks apart, unfortunately, so I may have to wait a bit, but who knows. I've got an anniversary coming up and maybe, just maybe, my wonderful hubby will be reading this and get a hint! ; )

If you have comments or reviews on the products I've listed here, I would love to hear about it! Just leave a comment and tell me all about them!

Product Review: Fitness Blender

I may have been a little MIA on the blog these last few weeks, but I haven't been slacking off! I have gotten a bunch of new workout DVDs (and websites) and have been trying them out. I am so excited to review this one because it has quickly become my favorite source for a good workout!

It's called Fitness Blender and you can find them at fitnessblender.com. Fitness Blender is made up of a married couple, Kelli and Daniel, who create workouts that you do in your own home with little to no equipment. They don't have a fancy studio or a production team or anything, but their videos are very professionally put together in their home studio (garage). Typically, Kelli does the workout and Daniel narrates, but I've seen some videos with Daniel being the model too. I thought I would prefer Kelli describing the workout as she does it (similar to Lisa Marie in BodyRock), but it's much more organized and thorough with Daniel doing it behind the scenes. He's supportive and encourages you to give your all, but doesn't make you feel rushed. He also offers tips on proper form as you go along.

Daniel and Kelli

I like the format more than even some of the BeachBody or Jillian Michaels workouts because it shows a preview of each move that is coming up, so you have time to prepare and can jump right in when the timer starts instead of trying to catch up as you learn the move. It also has a scale on the side of the screen that tracks an average calories burned, for those of you who don't have a heart rate monitor. (I have found that my calories burned rides on the lower end of the scale each time, but I also take more breaks than they do!). On the other side of the screen is an indicator scale from 1 to 5 where they rate the difficulty of the full workout. So that's a good tool to utilize if you're trying to decide which workout you want that day.

Another great aspect of this website is that it has a search tool. So you can refine your search based on exercise type (functional, strength, toning, balance, flexibility, cardiovascular, plyometric, isometric) or by muscle group (you name it, they got it). You also have the ability to type in a keyword to search for something in particular, like their famous "Epic 1,000 calorie burn workout at home".

Did I say 1,000 calorie burn workout? Yes, I believe I did. They have two of these actually. Both are about 85 minutes long and include warm up, cardio/HIIT, strength training, stretch, abs, and cool down. I have to say that my curiosity won out over intimidation and I gave this workout a try and LOVED it! It is challenging, for sure, but I was able to keep up or modify so I still got in a great burn. You can modify to make most moves easier or harder, depending on your fitness level. And at the end, if you followed along, I can guarantee that you will feel completely drained but also amazing at the same time!

Not all of the workouts are over an hour though; some of the videos are even just ten minutes long, like some of the ab videos. It depends on what you are looking for. I really feel like they have taken a creative approach to the workouts too, as they don't incorporate just the same old boring moves that you see in many of the workout DVDs nowadays. Many, if not most, of the moves that they have in their workouts are ones that I've never seen before. They're variations of the old stand-by's, sure, but the little variations make them fun.

Each workout also comes with a description of what equipment you'll need and which exercises will be performed and you can even print this out to take with you or to use another time to record reps or weight or whatever you like. 

In addition to the full workouts, the website also includes videos on how to perform individual exercises properly. Again, it has the search tool so you can find whichever exercise you want easily. Then there are tabs for different articles on exercise, nutrition, health, weight loss, and even recipes. If you're looking to buy equipment, the website has a store tab. You can also learn more about the Fitness Blender duo and support them by making a donation. They even say that they are willing to create custom workouts for donations of certain denominations.

To sum up:

Pros - 

• You choose how long your workout is
• Tons of workouts to choose from
• Search tool to find the workout you want
• Organized and professionally made videos
• Calorie burn bar
• Degree of difficulty scale for choosing workouts
• FREE
• Printable worksheets
• Chart to show what equipment is needed
• Tips on proper form and encouragement throughout videos

Cons - 

• I wish they had a timer to show how much time is left in the total workout 
• Have to play the video on a computer or device with Internet access

It's easy to see why I love Fitness Blender. Since I do all my workouts at home anyway, having to do them on my computer is not a problem for me. It actually might even be easier because of how we have our living room arranged currently.

So those are my thoughts. I highly recommend you go out and try them. I am sure you will find at least one or two workouts that you just can't help but love! And if you like them and want to share the love, go ahead and donate or spread the word about the site so they can keep giving us these awesome workouts! 

Find Fitness Blender:

      Facebook

   Twitter



 Website

     YouTube

Motivation: Tools to Use

I find that I perform the best when I am surrounded by helpful tools. These can be friends that help you stay on track, websites that motivate you to keep going, online calculators that help you see your progress, or even apps on your phone to remind you when to weigh in. Whatever it is that you need, there are a ton of options out there to help you lose weight and get healthy. I'm going to share some of my favorites with you!

Numbers: 

I like to keep several options open for keeping tracking of my weight loss. With many different numbers to keep track of, it's easier for me to stay on course than if I am only watching the scale. For example, I can keep track of my weight on Thintopia, a website designed to track weight loss, but not show the actual numbers. This is great for competitions because you can join with others, but they don't have to know how much you weigh; they only know the percentage of your total body weight that you have lost. In addition, I use a target weight loss date calculator so I know of a reasonable completion date and keep it as a goal to finish by that date. I also look at a body fat % calculator, which will tell me approximately how much of my weight is fat that can be lost. And finally, I keep track of my measurements, which you can do on your own or you can log on to a FREE Beach Body account. You get signed up for a coach who can help you stay on track and there are tons of free tools to keep track of your measurements and even your workouts too!

Aside from these tools, I use a calorie counting website to help me keep track of the food that I consume each day. Most of these types of websites allow you to also keep track of your activity calories burned, so you have a net amount of calories at the end of the day. I've tried several different options, but Calorie Count at about.com is my favorite. It seems to be very user-friendly.

1. Thingopia 
2. Target Weight Loss Date Calculator
3. Body Fat % Calculator
4. Beach Body Super Gym
5. Calorie Count
6. My Fitness Pal 
7. Spark People

Food:

Here is a list of some of my favorite websites to gather recipes. Some of them are Paleo, but some, like Skinny Taste or Chocolate Covered Katie, are not. They all have a wide range of recipes to choose from and I know you will not be disappointed with the recipes!

1. Skinny Taste
2. Chocolate Covered Katie
3. Fast Paleo
4. Chow Stalker
5. Dessert Stalker
6. Nutritional Weight and Wellness
7. On Diet and Health

Fitness:

I like FREE so I found a few different free websites to watch exercise videos. And believe me, they are challenging videos. But the nice thing is that the videos are very structured and most of them are run by professionals, so their workouts not only work, but they are safe too. 

1. BodyRock 
2. DailyHIIT
3. ZWow 
4. Hang Tight with MarC

Podcasts/Information:

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love podcasts. My husband got me into them! And I am hooked! I love to listen while I work, and some of my favorites are about nutrition and fitness. Here are the main ones that I listen to that have really helped me understand food and what it does to the body. I also have recently discovered the Get-Fit Guy, who has a great podcast on fitness. 

1. Primal Diet - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/beverly-meyer-san-antonio/id577470427
2. Dishing Up Nutrition - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/dishing-up-nutrition/id339853848
3. Get-Fit Guy - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/get-fit-guys-quick-dirty-tips/id371750376

Phone Apps

Phone apps are also a great way to stay connected and motivated when you don't have your computer with you. I try not to have too many, but it helps to have a calorie/activity tracker on my phone, which Calorie Count has, and then I have a fitness video app so I can workout even when I don't have anything else with me. And Pinterest is possibly one of the best apps because you can find anything on that site: recipes, workouts, motivation, friends, and tips for weight loss. 

1. Calorie Count 
2. Pinterest
3. Body Rock
4. Facebook

With all of the resources available, it's easier to stay motivated and there is always going to be something for everyone. If something doesn't work for you, then keep looking. I know you will find what you need! I hope my suggestions help, but go out and find some of your own. You never know what's out there until you look!

Insanity Review

After trying P90x for a bit, I decided to look into the Beachbody website for another workout program. I opted to give Insanity a go. I have to admit that I struggled with P90x, but Insanity was a step above even that; the two workout programs are designed very differently. While I enjoyed working out with Tony Horton and P90x, I really enjoyed the new style and energy that Shaun T brings with Insanity.

Insanity is categorized as a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). They call it Max Interval Training. The main idea behind this program is to push the body as hard as you can for 2 minutes and then take a short, 30 second, break before jumping back in. You repeat this cycle over and over until you've reached the end of the workout. The DVD involves great warm up and cool down instructions as well, although, the warm up workout is very much a workout in itself. It is ten minutes long and is nonstop!

The videos typically consist of several circuits. The circuits involve four different moves, each 30 seconds long, totaling 2 minutes. Then you get a 30 second break. Afterwards, you move on to a new circuit, with four new moves. Occasionally, there is a bonus move or two in between circuits.

There are a few videos that break this routine and instead consist of the warm up, followed by about 16 minutes of pure cardio moves, each 1 minute long, and then the cool down. These DVDs are a bit shorter at about 40 minutes long, but really pack a punch.

This DVD program comes with 10 DVDs:

1: Dig Deeper
& Fit Test
2: Plyometric Cardio Circuit
3: Cardio Power & Resistance
4: Cardio Recovery
5: Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs 
6: Core Cardio & Balance
7: Max Interval Circuit & Fit Test
8: Max Interval Plyo 
9: Max Cardio Conditioning & Cardio Abs
10: Max Recovery

Along with the 10 DVDs, you get:

• Elite Nutrition Plan

• Fitness Guide

• INSANITY Workout Calendar

• FREE Online Support Tools

 

Pros to Insanity:

Shaun T is a fun, high energy trainer
DVDs get to the point, no wasted time at all
Workout program lasts 60 days instead of 90
Workouts are shorter than P90x
Guaranteed to bring results

Cons to Insanity:

May be too extreme for many fitness levels
Some workouts are still a bit long
A little expensive at $120 but you can find it cheaper on other websites
Not recommended for people who have bad knees, as it involves a lot of jump training

This workout is definitely a great workout if you are already at a high level of fitness or athletic ability, but I wouldn't suggest it for a beginner. It's a very high intensity workout, so it may become easy to get burnt out. I always recommend trying everything once (within reason) though, so I would give it a shot. I typically use it now mixed in with a variety of other workout DVDs when I want a high calorie burn workout. So give it a shot!

P90x Review

When I first started losing weight, I focused on what I was eating first. I didn't actually start any kind of working out until after I had lost about 50 pounds. After that I started walking, then tried jogging briefly, and then I was introduced to P90x.

P90x is a 90 day fitness program sold by Beach Body, a large company that sells both nutritional products and workout programs. They've made quite a name for themselves and many, many people have lost weight using their products. I would say that P90x is not a program that I would recommend for a very beginner. I think I could have done well to start with something a bit less extreme, but I wasn't really all that aware of what was out there, so I jumped right in.

When you buy P90x, you pay $140 and you get 12 DVDs, a nutritional guide, a workout calendar, and access to an online community for support and guidance. The  DVDs include:

*Chest & Back                                          * X Stretch
* Plyometrics                                              * Core Synergistics
* Shoulders & Arms                                   * Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
* Yoga X                                                   * Back & Biceps
* Legs & Back                                           * Cardio X
* Kenpo X                                                 * Ab Ripper X

You can CLICK HERE for a sample view of each of the discs.

The program follows a concept of muscle confusion, meaning you won't be working the same muscle areas two days in a row. You work one area enough and then let it rest and move on to another area. In this theory, the body never gets accustomed to what is thrown at it, and therefore you won't plateau. It also gives your sore muscles a chance to recover before hitting them hard again. The program lasts a total of 13 weeks. I can definitely guarantee that you will get results if you follow this program. Of course, you need to follow the nutritional side of things too, but the workouts are enough to get major results.

With the discs, you have to watch to make sure that you perform the moves with good form though, or you may end up hurting yourself. The Plyometric DVD can also be hard on your knees if you have bad knees, as it involves jump training. I've never typically had bad knees, but did notice a bit of tenderness when doing the jumping and twisting motions, so you will want to watch that. I think that if I were to try it now, I would have better success though, since I'm at a lighter weight than when I first tried P90x. The jump training does not require any equipment, but many of the DVDs do. In most cases you can get away with most of them with a good set of workout bands. However, if you don't want to do the band version, the program calls for free weights and a pull-up bar.

A great thing about the program is that there is a lot of variety. You will be doing 12 discs over the course of 13 weeks, so it's much favorable to doing the same workout every day, back to back. I can also say that it is fun. I know you don't typically think of working out as fun, and it may not be quite the same as a dance workout or sports, but Tony Horton, the instructor in the DVDs keeps things lively and if you're not grunting from the workout, you'll be giggling. He's a hoot! He can get a bit chatty though, which leads me to another negative for the program. The workouts are typically an hour long, which can be a bit more than most people can fit into their daily schedules. I have found though, that once you get a handle on the workouts, you can fast forward a bit through the instructional part of the DVDs and chop off quite a bit of time. You should never rush a workout, and always should strive for good form, but there's nothing wrong with skipping the "how-to" part of a DVD when you've done it five times.

To sum it up:

Postives

• Full of variety
• Guaranteed to get you results
• You get a lot in the package
• The online community is a great resource
• Tony is an entertaining instructor
• Comes with a 90 Day - Money Back Guarantee

 Negatives

•  A bit expensive
• Workouts run a little long (one hour)
• You will need equipment (free weights or bands, pull up bar or bands)
• Tony can get a bit chatty
• It will make you hurt (but that's a good thing, so should probably be in my positives list!)

Beach Body offers a wide variety of workout programs for people of all fitness levels. In addition to P90x, there is also  P90X2 (more difficult), P90X Plus (more difficult), Power 90 (less difficult). If you're looking for something with dance, they've got Hip Hop Abs. If you want High Intensity Interval Training, they've got Insanity. If you want something to boost your booty, they've got Brazil Butt Lift. I can almost guarantee they have a product for you if you look. I think the programs are a bit expensive, but I've seen the results. They are going to get you where you want to go, if you follow the program. So I give them, and specifically P90x, a thumbs up!

I hope you enjoyed my first product review. I hope to share more as I get into writing more in the blog. Have a great week!