Day 5: optional workout

So day 5 has an optional workout and I decided I really wanted to do it. Day 5 also fell on a busy Friday so this was tricky. I packed a gym bag with shower supplies because I knew my workout would be midday with me returning to work, and that I was meeting my wine club right after work with no time to go home in between. 

I like to work out at 4 so I can go straight home. But Friday we had a retirement party for our beloved Admin Asst who was leaving after 12 years. So I wasn't missing that! I went to the gym at 2 and realized my shower plans were foiled because of exams in Bryant Hall (no access to showers) and because I forgot a towel! 

After my workout I was as usual a sweaty mess and my hair was atrocious. So I washed my hair in the bathroom sink with much difficulty but I did it! Lack of towel? Improvise. Used my gym shirt. I'm a genius. 

At the party I had delicious options including my favorite, carrot cake. Hard to resist but I did! I brought my own carrots and hummus and had a few strawberries. There will always be another carrot cake, right? 

I left work to meet my wine club at Friendly center. We went to Whole Foods for dinner where I tried a few things with veggies in them I don't normally eat. I'm trying! Eventually I settled on salmon and black bean quinoa salad. It was a little easier to walk by the "cookies by the pound" station. But they did smell delicious. As did all the tasting wine. 

We went to see Pitch Perfect 2 (it was aca-awesome) and popcorn is definitely my fave. But there will be more! Afterward we went to Wine Styles and I sipped my water while my friends enjoyed bubbly Prosecco. Next time I'm all in, guys! 

When I came home I didn't feel bloated and uncomfortable and was proud of my willpower. I'm interested to see how that compares when the challenge is over and I'm not able to use the same motivation to make better choices! 

Day 4 - Cleanse day

This was the day I was most nervous about! A whole day with no food seems kinda crazy. But it's a great reset for your body and part of my program so I'm committed! 

The day starts with 8 oz hot water and two scoops of the cleanse. It tastes like berries but more on the tart side than sweet! Most of the day is liquid with a few IsaSnacks and 1/4 Apple if needed to regulate blood sugar. Luckily I ended up driving most of my day so I was too busy to think about it. 

Dinner time was a challenge as it was pizza night in my house and that pepperoni and cheese smelled delicious in the oven. And we picked up the cookie dough fundraiser so I had to make room by baking the last of the other cookie fundraiser! I'm happy to report that I made it through cleanse day with no cheats! Super excited to eat again though, not gonna lie. 

No exercise on cleanse days since you're not fueling your body. Nice recovery day! 

Day 3

I'm finding myself waking up ready for those shakes! Today I finished in line to drop Hayden off (by 730) so I started on water. To my surprise I needed a fill up by Lila's school at 8 am! I was on a red nose hunt at Walgreens so I was drinking (water) and driving the first part of the morning. I was shocked to realize I was at 56 oz by 930 am!   

I could tell a difference in my morning snack by having both the apple and almonds. 

I had to run errands right at 12 so I had my shake early. Added plus of Isagenix shakes for lunch: I can drink them anywhere! I really appreciate the convenience on a busy day. I opted for just my carrots and hummus to go with my shake so I have mixed greens in the fridge waiting for Friday!

My workout was awesome and again I knew how to do all the exercises so I was feeling good about doing it. I am so glad I work and work out at a women's college. Maybe after this 30 days I'll be less intimidated by the gym and by men at the gym. But not yet! 

Dinner was chicken and the veggies I'd roasted Monday night which was perfect since the salmon I planned to cook was bad. Waited too long! 

My total water intake by day's end was 142 oz! 

Day 2

So I have a terrible relationship with food. I eat for no reason. Today I thought about giving up. Not because this is impossible (it's supposed to be hard, it's a challenge) but because I just want to eat. Not because I'm hungry; because I'm used to just eating. What a stupid reason to give up. On day two. 

That's WHY I'm not giving up. Because I don't have a good reason to quit, but a million to keep going. 

Tonight while checking over my screenshot of the program I discovered that my morning snack was Apple/pear/berries AND 12 unsalted almonds. I thought it was OR. So imagine my delight to find that I can have both! It's the little things. 

My legs are sore from Day 1, and today has squats. Yikes! I felt more confident in the gym today because I knew how to do all the exercises without watching the videos. And, because day 2 has no abs. 

Body Forward: Day 1

I promise not to post every day. And that they won't be as long.

I got up when my alarm went off and headed right downstairs. Before I went to bed Sunday I took a screenshot of my "shake days" plan so I have access to it all the time. I knew that my first step was an early morning "tea" with Isagenix Supreme. I measured out my water, heated it up and stirred in a scoop of Supreme. It doesn't have a whole lot of flavor but tastes like apples and vanilla so at least it's not offensive to the senses.

My third "aha" moment was the convenience factor of the shakes. Chocolate is in the canister with scoop; berry is in the packets. I do have my old formula shaker that Jay uses for his protein powder but in the interest of convenience and consistence, I decided that I would do chocolate in the mornings and berry for lunch.

I decided to keep notes in my phone to track my progress outside of the Trainerize app. This way I can track my water consumption, the times I eat, even my bowel movements. Sorry, TMI, but this plan is supposed to aid with digestion and girl can use all the help she can get! I mixed my shake, took my Natural Accelerator, filled up my water cup (Starbucks insulated cup with a straw is my best chance for getting in the water I need), tossed my dry roasted almonds in the bag along with my shake pack for lunch, IsaSnacks, plain mixed green salad and IsaLean bar. In my gym back I packed my clothes, my shoes, some deodorant and body spray (you're all welcome) and hoped I was getting out the door with everything I needed.

The challenge started with a call on Sunday night that I wasn't able to attend (see: Mother's Day laziness) so once I dropped both kids off I let that play while I was driving (thanks Bluetooth) (safety first). I finished my shake on the way to work and started in on my water. I'm concerned with making sure my dental health doesn't suffer so I drink water right after my shake to wash it down and get all the stuff off my teeth! By the time I got to work I was already 16 oz in of my water so I'm feeling pretty good about it. I'll spare you all the details in paragraph form but I'll show you what a day on the 30 Day Body Forward Challenge looks like!

Here's what the breakdown of my day looked like when it was all over:

630 6oz water + Supreme
730 8 oz water + IsaLean chocolate shake; Natural Accelerator capsule
830 16 oz water
1030 16 oz water
11 12 unsalted almonds
1130 16 oz water
1240 mixed greens salad with balsamic vinegar, 16 oz water
115 8 oz water + IsaLean berry shake
330 16 oz water, 1 Isa Snack
4 workout!
530 1/2 IsaLean bar
6 16 oz water
730 5oz grilled tuna steak, 1/2 cup brown rice, 1 cup green beans
915 16 oz water
10 1 IsaFlush capsule

Here's what I learned:
* 96 oz is a lot of water! And I didn't quite make my goal, but it's day 1. I'm learning.

* I am really surprised at how the shakes keep me full. I am a classic overeater, and I eat for no reason! I'm glad to have this to keep me under control.

* Heat feels different when you're hydrated! I sat in the sun yesterday just to get out of my office for a few minutes. 15 minutes in direct sunlight at 80 degrees and I loved it instead of hating it!

* By dinner time I was hungry but halfway through I felt myself getting full! It's also REALLY hard for me to eat a normal portion of brown rice because I LOVE it. So I measured it and only ate what was on my plate!

* I love having the workout videos right at my disposal so I can see the proper form, but I need to make time pre-workout to familiarize myself with the workout itself. That way I'm not wasting time at the gym watching the videos for the first time.

* I can do this!!

Body Forward Challenge : Prep work

So last week I decided to make a few changes even before I decided to do the Body Forward Challenge. Little things, like upping my water intake and working on portion control. I went to the gym during my lunch just to get in some light mileage on the elliptical and inch towards fitness. I got in a good sweat, got my heart rate up and was excited to start making these changes.

That's ultimately when I realized I needed The Plan. The all-encompassing to-do list that would put me on the track to success. So I bit the bullet, signed up for Body Forward and waited for my products to arrive, which they did on Friday!

This HUGE box arrived via UPS and I couldn't wait to dig into it. 30 days worth of stuff was a LOT. Two flavors of protein shakes, boxes of packets and containers of powder. A shaker with a bright green top for said shakes, which was currently packed with a sample of five different Isagenix add-ons.

Time out. Why Isagenix? I asked myself, I asked Val and did a little research. Could you do the 30 day challenge without Isagenix? The answer was no. In order to really track your diet and make sure your body was getting the exercise it needed along with nutrition, you needed the products. It's a CHALLENGE, meant to expose you to new ways of eating, thinking, planning and exercising. I was intimidated. I mean, what if I hated them? Don't you get tired of drinking your meals? Why can't I just eat a sensible breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks? I knew my answer to that one immediately...if I could do it on my own, I would have and would have already done it. Val answered all of my questions (plant-based nutrition, tastes great, perfect for on-the-go moms, high protein, soy and gluten free, some dairy free options).

Back to the box. It was also full of bottles of powders to mix with water (for cleansing, mental clarity), bottles of pills (natural accelerator), something called "Snacks" (which looked nothing like the snacks I know), a training manual and CDs and a measuring tape.

I got an email with instructions on how to set up my Trainerize app, PDFs of the calendar I need, the recipes, the plan itself (checklists! oh how I love a checklist!) and the workouts.

I had all the things I needed to get me started and to be successful, and for once, I was really excited about doing something hard, something different, something new.

On Saturday I decided I needed to test out one of the shakes to make sure I could even stomach it. I went with the Natural Berry (dairy free) one and mixed it up with 8 oz of cold water. I immediately realized that it would need to be colder. The taste wasn't bad, but I like stuff COLD. So my first plan: put my water in my shaker cup the night before and refrigerate. I read over the plan, looked at some of the recipes and had them in my head when we went grocery shopping.

Since the plan includes shakes for breakfast and lunch and only cooking dinner, I actually spent less at the grocery store than I usually do! I mentally purchased lean proteins, veggies and fruits with the stuff I normally buy; the only real addition was nonfat greek yogurt (plain) that I can mix with fruit and oatmeal and call "dessert".

My second "aha" moment was that I had chosen the beginner at-home workout, and that would allow me to make room for excuses once I got home. No no, you're doing this Jessica. So I asked Erica to switch me to the gym workout. When I reloaded the app, I noticed I had the Intermediate Gym workout. Hmm. I looked through it and was immediately intimidated. I couldn't do this stuff! And it was 5-day gym instead of 3-day like beginner. I thought. I thought some more. Maybe I should do the intermediate? Maybe I should REALLY challenge myself with this. Then I kept it real. I need to set myself up for SUCCESS and starting with a plan that I know I can't maintain is not the way to do it. I emailed Erica again (already getting my money's worth out of the Fitness Coach part of this challenge!) and asked her to correct the mistake. Once the beginner workout loaded, I skimmed it and knew THIS was my ticket to success.

I should have spent all day Sunday poring over the workout plan, the diet plan, and really digging into what I would be doing for 30 days. But I'll be honest: it was Mother's Day. I didn't want to. I read just enough to get me started on Monday and decided Day 1 is more important than Day Zero, and really just hoped I could get it together and not let myself down. By far, the worst thing ever was taking my "before" pics on Day Zero and seeing myself in a sports bra. And then I had to take them again, because they didn't upload to the app the first time. My second round of before pics were post-Mother's Day- lunch, which involved two glasses of wine, Caesar salad and lobster ravioli. Doh.

I went to sleep feeling discouraged, hating that I let myself get so unhealthy, terrified of the next 30 days.

30 Day Body Forward Challenge : Prequel

So I needed to make some big lifestyle changes and realized it all of a sudden. I'm always tired. My clothes don't fit. I eat too much. I don't exercise enough. There's a whole host of reasons. And none of them are new. But I never do anything one second before I want to do it, so I committed to doing this 30 Day Body Forward Challenge.

It's a lot. It's expensive. It's intimidating.

But I need a change, a big one. So I went to the pros, literally. My friend Val is a figure competitor and "Busy Mom Gets Fit" of FB, IG and international fame. She's also a really cool, down-to-earth mom that I used to drink wine and eat delicious German food with. She had a goal, she met it, she's positive and uplifting and she has over 350k followers. She's partners with Erica, of Sisters in Shape and National Bikini Competition fame. Who might know more about fitness for women than the two of them? No one I know personally, which is why I chose this program. I needed something I could TRUST, something that WORKS, something I had to PAY for. I've started all kinds of "free fitness" challenges and you know what? I wasn't invested in them, financially or mentally so definitely not physically.

I needed it ALL. Up until now, I've been piecing together nutrition advice, meal plans, workout plans (I use that loosely), the Gallon Challenge (truth: I always fail), portion control, and a myriad of other bits and pieces of advice and plans. This plan gives me a PLAN. For every day of 30 days. It gives me SUPPORT for every day of 30 days. It gives me shakes and supplements and snacks for every day of 30 days. It gives me a way to plan my meals...yes...for every day of 30 days. It gives me an app to track my progress, a workout plan for every day, videos of the exercises so I understand proper form and technique.

Most importantly, it gives me a plan for AFTER the 30 days. This is meant to be a CHALLENGE, a jumpstart to fitness, wellness, good choices and a new body. Because this one? Is old. It's worn out. It needs a recharge and deserves to be better maintained. My favorite part (without having started!) is the Body Forward Habits, aka, what I should takeaway from this challenge. Not a certain # of pounds or inches lost, not a target number on the scale, but habits I can form over 30 days to take with me when the shakes and supplements and workout plan are exhausted.

*I schedule workouts into my calendar - this is so important. I need to make a date with myself to be better.

* I drink 3-4 L of water a day - hydration is ridiculously important and I need to embrace it without artificial sugars and sweeteners

* I limit my intake of juice and soda- see above

* I always eat breakfast - this I am already good at!

* I have tools to help me stay consistent even when I'm busy or "life happens"- I'm hoping I like the shakes enough to keep them on hand for times like travel season when eating healthy is almost impossible

* I rarely eat out more than 1x a week - I definitely need improvement here!

* My cupboard has few "red zone: foods (cookies, chips, ice cream) - this is hard with a family that loves treats but I can do it!

* I have tools for inevitable cravings - plan!!

* I strength train at least 3x per week - this is my ultimate goal

* I have a friend, spouse or family member who is active with me and supports my lifestyle - my cup runneth over here. I have a SLEW of friends cheering me on from the sidelines, by my side and at my dinner table

When this 30 days is over, I will not be the size I want to be. I will not eliminate from my real life the things I'm eliminating from my life for 30 days (wine, cake, coffee, french fries) but I hope to add them back moderately and see the difference it makes to NOT have them so frequently. I hope to learn to love new vegetables that I have previously dismissed. I hope to inspire myself. One day I may hope to inspire myself. But today, and for the next 30 days...it's all about me.