Messing Up Doesn't Mean Giving Up

It is Tuesday of my second week in the 21 Day Fix, and it is going so well, but I have learned that weekends are more challenging than weekdays. For me, anyway. Especially when a birthday and a wedding is involved. All was certainly not lost, though. I did my videos, I ran a little bit, and I stayed mostly on track with my diet. It was just harder and I didn't do as well with my eating as I was doing during the week.

Friday I got up and ran three miles...knowing what was in store for the morning. Jason was off, and we celebrated Eloise's 3rd birthday. I had my first cheat/processed food/sugar of the week on this occasion in the form of 6 donut holes. Heavenly. I had some scrambled eggs and some green tea with them so I wouldn't get all sugar crazy and then I moved on with my day.

Happy Birthday, sweet Eloise!

Around lunch time I went shopping with my mom to look for Eloise some flower girl shoes. She was going to be in my cousin's wedding the next day. This was not a problem, except I got hungry on my way to meet mom. I hate being hungry. Before we started shopping I got an order of grilled chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-a, and that was fine, but what I got to go with them was not. A sweet tea. Yep.  I have NO idea why I did that. I should have gotten the fruit and water. Oh well. I knew it wasn't a great decision, but I moved on.

The rest of the day I did well.  I didn't let messing up lead to giving up.  I did my video for that day and we all got ready for a busy Saturday of wedding fun.

Saturday I did well, despite how badly I wanted a piece of wedding cake.  I packed fruit, seeds, and nuts so I had plenty of healthy snacks and had another order of grilled chicken nuggets (no sweet tea this time) since lunch time found us on the road to the wedding. I decided I'd allow myself a piece of wedding cake (although why I decided I could have another cheat, I don't know), but when it came down to it, I decided against it. Instead, I thought we could stop at Starbucks on the way home and THAT would be my cheat.

Let me back up to say, I was up 4 hours in the middle of the night with my kids the night before... and then I had to hold my breath and wait in utter suspense to see if my three-year-old would, in fact, walk down the aisle in a wedding!  Oh. My. Word!  (She did. It was amazing and so very sweet, even if she did poke the bride in the bum at one point).  I was so exhausted on the way home and I still had a video to do. So Starbucks just made sense. But in an act of wonderful fate, we MISSED it, and I wasn't about to go looking for it with two sleeping babies in the car. We needed to make TIME!

My sweet flower girl and her cousin and bridesmaid, Caroline

I was getting frustrated.  I was so tired. I was hungry. I had to do my video. I didn't want to miss a day of working out and I didn't want to mess up anymore with my eating.  Then I remembered... I still had my Shakeology shake to look forward to!  YES!

We got home. Jason ran, and I had one piece of Ezekiel bread with avocado on it to fuel my workout. I made dinner (turkey taco salad) and then did my video (Dirty 30). Eloise and I enjoyed our delicious shake and my day was saved. Whew!

Sunday I headed to the store to stock up once again on all the good stuff. I packed my fridge full.  I enjoyed my Yoga Fix, and then Monday I started all over again.  After the total body cardio fix, I was not NEARLY as sore as the previous Monday.  And I'm still trucking along. Feeling good.  Enjoying good food, good workouts, and Shakeology. A few hiccups this weekend didn't derail me and for that I'm thankful. 

So what I'd say to anyone doing the 21 Day Fix or going after any health and fitness goal... Don't let messing up lead to giving up. Just get back on track and keep going!

4 Days In

I am 4 days in to the 21 day fix and my overall review is, so far so good! I know 4 days may seem a bit soon to be giving a report, but I am already seeing and feeling changes and it's pretty cool. I'm going to divide my reports up into three sections: Eating, Workouts, and How I Look/Feel.

Eating
I thought this part would be the hardest. I've been eating whatever I want for a LONG time, and I thought the cravings would be pretty strong. They haven't been!  It does take some thought, effort, and prep to make sure all the good stuff is on hand when I get hungry, but eating that instead of processed food and sweets has not felt hard at all. I've felt GREAT (but more on that later)!

It has been 4 days since I've had any processed sugar or coffee. Now, before you coffee lovers freak out, you CAN have coffee during this program. You just can't include all the stuff (cream and sugar) I want to put in mine. I have made the switch to green tea with honey, and I enjoy 2 cups a day with one (very generous) tablespoon of raw honey in each. Yesterday I was craving some coffee, so I put in my coconut creamer (which is not allowed, but coconut milk is*) and one packet of stevia. I almost spit out that first sip. I'm not a fan of any sugar substitute.  I thought I could do stevia, but I can't. It is in Shakeology, but the taste is not so strong and I really like my chocolate vegan shake each day. My coffee, however, was terrible. I immediately dumped it out and made myself a cup of green tea.

I have actually enjoyed this switch, however, I will not make this switch forever.  I just want to give this 21 Day Fix 100% to get optimal results. Then I will change things up in order to maintain. I may not have a cup every day, but eventually I will return to my sugar and half and half in my coffee, but I may not indulge every day.

Workouts
I'd say day 2 and 3 are the hardest regarding workouts. This is not so much because of the workouts themselves (although they are challenging), but because of the soreness I have felt going in to each one. Wow!  The first workout was fun and fast-paced and I was able to do it. I was pouring with sweat, but it was fun and over before I realized 30 minutes had gone by. By that afternoon, however, I was feeling it.  The run I tried to do with my class was VERY hard and I stopped after 2 miles.

The next two mornings were tough, but I knew it was important to push through that initial soreness. Once I got moving it wasn't so bad, and it loosened up all those sore muscles, which I think helped in the long run. Today, day 4, was the Pilates Fix, and I was sore, but not nearly as much as I have been. The workout was challenging, but it also felt really good. I think by tomorrow's Dirty 30 (yikes!) I'll be fresh and ready to ramp it up again.

How I Look/Feel
I feel really good. I was worried I'd feel tired and draggy, but I haven't.  In fact, I've been able to push through the afternoon slump with a cup of green tea. When I finally get my two anti-nappers to nap (a workout all its own) I have done chores and other tasks on my to-do list instead of wanting a nap myself.

I did make the decision to increase my calorie bracket so I could have a few more carbs because my two runs this week have felt REALLY hard and I think that is because I didn't have enough fuel. I'm not trying to go overboard, but I still want to run 3-4 times a week, even if it is only a few miles each time. One of my main reasons for doing this program is to benefit my running, so I don't want to hurt it in the process.

I also don't want to endanger my milk supply and I'm worried if I cut calories too much, I won't be able to continue feeding Matthew (who is hitting the 7 month mark soon!).  Since I'm not trying to lose weight, I think this adjustment is ok.  Especially since allowing myself more calories isn't giving myself permission to have junk, just allowing one more portion of the good stuff.

As far as how I look, my middle is already starting to tighten up.  That is a pleasant surprise for sure!  Only 4 days in and already seeing results?  I'll take it!

So far so good! I have no idea what the Dirty 30 workout has in store for me tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to it anyway!

*Coconut milk is a "cheat" of sort and replaces a portion of the yellow container (I think).

21 Day Fix

So I'm starting something new today and I'm excited about it.  It is the 21 Day Fix with Team Beachbody, and my sister, Jessi Pennington, is my coach. My goal is not really weight loss as it is to tone up areas (arms, abs, back) that aren't really targeted with running. I've dabbled in weights and pilates since getting pregnant with Matthew, but I can't seem to stick with it, and I really have no idea what I'm doing.  I've been doing workouts sporadically that I've found on Pinterest and while I've felt stronger, I haven't seen any results. My hope is that I will SEE some toned arms and abs, and I want to feel it as well. I'm hoping that strengthening these other areas will also benefit my running, making me stronger and eventually faster.

I've struggled a little with my desire to have a toned upper body, wondering if it really matters and if I'm just being vain. I'm healthy, I'm not overweight, I'm able to run and feel good chasing after my two little ones all day. It seems somewhat silly to want more, but I think if I keep it in its proper place priority-wise, it should be okay. And while I do want to look good, it is not my only motivation for doing the 21 Day Fix. I want to feel GREAT. I want to be healthy and STRONG. I want to cut out some of the sugar in my diet and replace it with better, more nutrient rich foods.

Since having Matthew in January, I've sort of given myself permission to eat whatever I want because I was nursing. I don't do too bad, but there is lots of room for improvement and that starts with the amount of sugar I allow myself each day. From what I pour into my coffee, to what is in my snacks, to what I indulge in at night, it is simply too much. I'm not a dieter, I prefer to simply eat in moderation, but with all I've read about sugar, it is a big, fat baddie when it comes to health.  I've even heard it referred to as "the white death."  A little dramatic, maybe, but I'd still like much less of it in my diet.

So I'm following the 21 Day Fix program to the letter. I purchased the chocolate vegan Shakeology (because of Matthew's dairy allergy), and I had my first shake this morning with half a banana in it.  Not bad!  I enjoyed my shake after my first 30 minute workout, the total body cardio fix. It was challenging for sure, but also fun and fast paced. I love the duration of the workouts because I know I can find 30 minutes each day to workout, and I know I'm a better, nicer, more patient person when I do.

I'm still planning to run 3-4 times a week. I can't give up my first love, that's for sure. But after seeing the results of my friends and family, I believe this program will get me the results I want if I stick to it. I am slightly concerned about the calories and if I start to drop weight or milk production, I may increase my portion allotment (how many of each colored container I can have) to make sure I can still nurse Matthew as much as I want.

And, in following the program to the letter, I have a "before" picture... even though I look like a dork. This is as much as I could show, so when I have rock solid abs, you'll just have to take my word for it.

If you'd like to join me, I can hook you up with my sister's info. She's amazing, and she already has a set of rock solid abs and totally toned arms. Since we are related, I figure I'm going to look exactly like her in 21 days. Just like this...

Photo credit to Adria Peaden (a fellow 21 Day Fixer!)