Hybrid Day 1

My typical Monday workout:

3 sets, 10-12 reps each:

Dumbbell squat
Incline bench press (barbell)
Cardio Sprint (25 seconds)

3 sets, 10-12 reps each:

Leg press
Standing straight bar military press
Cardio sprint (25 seconds)

3 sets, 12-15 reps each:

Plates raise
Close-grip lat pulldown

*I also do Abs on Monday which was 3 sets of 30 seconds each:

Hover on all fours
Plank
Side plank (both sides)

I try to work past 30 seconds for each rep and in some places (side plank) I can get up to 45 seconds.
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This week I've been really inspired by some of my fitness friends and their success at the competition level last weekend. While I don't want to compete myself, I'm so proud of their progress, hard work and confidence. So they are really motivating me to be strong and on track!

Monday I added weight to every set, went the full 12 or 15 reps on each exercise and really pushed myself. For cardio sprints I did jumping jacks, high-knees and jump rope.

Monday also began my "normal" schedule, aka not traveling so I'm able to pack my own food again. I started with Isagenix Ionix supreme in the morning, which really sets the tone for my day and speeds my metabolism up. I have SUPER slow metabolism so every little bit helps. I had my Isalean chocolate shake and started in on water, which I'm trying to get back up to speed with.

I had an apple for a snack and 12 raw unsalted almonds. For lunch I had a cup of homemade chicken noodle soup. I love soup weather! I also had a "spinach brownie" which isn't a brownie at all of course. I'll post the recipe tomorrow. Let's be clear that this is more of a treat than a clean meal, because of the butter and milk, but it's a good way to get more spinach in my diet and it also tastes delicious. This is when I realized I didn't have enough food, because I needed post-workout fuel.

I was definitely starving when I got home and realized I needed a bit more food throughout the day. Small meals for me speed up my metabolism so I essentially eat all day. I got home and ate a handful of everything in sight, which was not in my plan but I felt SO hungry! I remember a Reese cup, handful of Gardetto snacks, 7-10 skittles and a spinach brownie while I was cooking. Oops. For dinner I had 6 oz of grilled salmon, 1/3 cup saffron rice and green beans, as well as a small spinach salad.

I opted for a second, short workout Monday night that was part of my usual Friday workout. It's simple, quick and I can do it at home.

3 sets, 8-10 reps

Dumbbell side lateral raise
Dumbbell front raise
Dumbell Bent -over raises
Dumbbell shoulder press

3 sets, 8-10 reps

Dumbbell zottman curl
Dumbbell bicep curl
Dumbbell hammer curls

I only have 8 lb weights at home but it was a good way to end the day. Here's to being back on track!

Sarah, this is exactly how I worked out and exactly what I ate :-)

30 days past due

Some days you don't have time. You make time. Today I only had 30 minutes. So I used every second. Every rep, every pound, every movement was intentional and intense.

It's for me. Not him not them not pictures or scales or tape measures or checking boxes. It's for me. and today I gave it all I had for 30 minutes. 

30 day challenge wrap up

So the last week of the challenge was an absolute blur. I know I drank shakes, went to the gym, drank water and continued to have no caffeine, sugar or alcohol. I think I started to realize by the last week that it wasn't about the 30 days, it was about after!

The challenge ended quietly with no fan fare or finish line or prizes or trophy. Just a month of learning about myself and my body and moving FORWARD. 

Day 31 came and it was no different than day 30. I had some shakes left over (the only perk to a 30-day supply and having four cleanse days!) so I kept up with shakes for breakfast and lunch to finish out the week. I had also set up some products on auto-ship and they arrived just as the challenge ended. Now I'm prepared for breakfast for at least a few weeks. I've really learned to love and appreciate the nutrition and convenience of them for breakfast and when I have an on-the-go lunch. 

I'm still going to the gym and drinking water and paying attention to the eating habits I developed during the challenge. More fruits, veggies and lean protein. 

I plan to keep doing the workout plan from my challenge for about the next month. Then I'll consult my coaches and see if I'm ready for something new. I already have a great at-home workout plan for when life gets crazy and I don't have access to the gym. Next blog I'll talk about the things I accomplished and the things that were unintended results of the challenge. 

But I completed the challenge! I didn't do every workout, I skipped a cleanse day, had one coffee the last week and even a slice of pizza. The real kind. But the challenge wasn't a points system of checking boxes and making red X's where I fell short. It was about creating healthy habits, making time for myself and changing the way I think about food. 

Day 30

It's here! The last day of the challenge! Sort of. 

This is the last day of the program I paid for. The last day of prescheduled workouts, measured protein, snacks in portions. The app that measures my progress. The coaching calls. The 30 day routine. 

Tomorrow starts a new challenge. Moving forward on my own. Planning meals and scheduling workouts with no one to check in on me. No reminders. Just what my gut tells me and what I've learned. 

Tomorrow I'll talk about the things I've learned, tonight I celebrate my success with Netflix all to myself! 

Finishing strong!

Day 22

Last full week of the challenge! Man it has flown by.

You would think after logging and blogging for 21 days I would have these workouts down in my head. Nope! It's kind of a surprise every day when I log into Trainerize and see what my workout is today. Even though they haven't changed throughout the challenge.

Today for some reason I just didn't feel as strong in the gym. I'm not sure why, but I didn't. I was also SUPER frustrated when I went to the gym so I think I pushed harder but I still didn't feel successful. A few hours later my sore muscles reminded me that I did push myself (maybe a little too much?) and my hungry belly reminded me that my metabolism has sped up in the past few weeks. I think I may have the actual world's slowest metabolism but I can feel it working better since I've started this challenge. These are things the scale can't show me.

I talked to a few friends about my program today, after I shared the pics of my trainer that she posted online. She looks amazing, post-baby and is a super supportive helpful woman. I realized a long time ago that surrounding yourself with supportive, positive people can make all the difference in the world. I think that changed a big part of my life's outlook when I removed so many negative people from my world. We don't all have to agree, we certainly don't have to have the same goals, but positivity is not only healthy...it's contagious! I'm glad I've figured that out and reinforced that over the past few weeks.

I'm excited to do meal prep next week when half of the week is back to "real life" and not shakes for breakfast and lunch. There's some meals I love but that my family doesn't so I can prepare those for my lunches for the whole week! Truth: I kind of miss chewing my lunch. Breakfast isn't so bad, but this girl loves to eat and drinking two meals a day has been a challenge for me. I did set up my order for shakes to still mail to me once a month so I can have them at the ready for breakfast on the go or lunch on a busy day. I'm kind of pumped for this week and my workouts and finishing strong!

Days 17-21: A lot of the same, with something new thrown in!

Gym. Shakes. Water. Repeat.

Although I did have real live, regular pizza this weekend. In the words of my favorite author and her new book, I REGRET NOTHING. This challenge, to me, is all about learning how to balance the better choices with being part of a family that still likes to do fun stuff. Can I make pizza that's better for us than what we can buy? Absolutely. Am I going to do that every time someone wants it? Absolutely not. I have this great recipe for these mini pizzas that I cannot wait to try. Pineapple, chicken, bbq sauce and veggies on a sandwich thin? Sign me up! But some days, your family wants pizza on the way home from the water park and you just say "Yes". It's about real life and enjoying my life, not feeling like I'm limited to what's on a meal plan or recipe book. It's enjoying life in moderation. I regret nothing.

Also.

On Sunday we went to the water park again and for the first time since 2007 I wore a real live two piece bikini. Not because I'm so fit that everyone needs to be impressed, but because I am finally becoming comfortable with my body in a way that I haven't been since before I got pregnant with Hayden. I have stretch marks, I am carrying around more weight than I'm happy about and I'm nowhere near the goal of health and fitness I have in my head. But I'm working on it, and I don't care. If your biggest problem with the water park is me in a bikini, let me introduce you to the sub-par lifeguards working in the kiddie pool. My point is that I wanted to wear one, I could actually WEAR one from 2007 and my stomach needed some sun. I feel like my post-challenge reward to myself will be a bikini I actually feel good in, not that I can just fit in. BUT STILL. Big fear conquered. To my knowledge, no one reported an out-of-shape woman in a bikini at the kiddie pool. But for the record, Lila (queen of the tankini) was SHOCKED that I was leaving the house wearing something that shows my belly. In our house that kind of thing isn't frowned upon, but she's chosen her own bathing suits and none of them show her belly. I want to set an example for my daughter that she needs to be comfortable in her own skin, wearing what she wants (that mom and dad deem appropriate, you're still under my roof young lady) and feeling good about herself. If I had Lila's tan alone I'd feel pretty good about my body, no matter what it looked like.

Day 16: Halfway there, what?

I somehow did not even realize I was halfway through the challenge. Time flies when you're having fun, right?

It sounds silly, but it is fun to do something for me. To make these little changes and have them add up over the course of two weeks. I'm learning more about myself and the process and again, that terrible relationship I have with food.

My solution to my "being a day off/cleanse" issue ended up being: skip the cleanse day this week! So I'm working out Tuesday-Friday, taking my rest day at Saturday (we always have a ton to do so I'm moving it from Sunday to Saturday) and then carrying on with my regular schedule. I'll add in my cleanse day to the final week which isn't really a full week. It's my least favorite thing about this program, so it will be a challenge that I'm determined to complete!

The workouts are getting easier, I'm more comfortable and using more weight. Focusing on reps vs. weight is always a battle, but I'm doing enough weight to make sure the last couple of reps in each set are hard. Some days I feel like the Hulk, other days I'm SO glad no one else can see the puny weights I'm using via my app that records all this stuff. Again, it's all about keeping in competition with MYSELF. She who is the toughest critic is enough to be in a fight with, I don't need other people weighing in.