4 Days Left!

So there is only 4 days left of the 31 day challenge. How did everyone do. I know that I could have done better but I am not going to get down on myself for it. It is time to keep the challenge going on. After all it isn't just 31 days we are wanting to better ourselves. It is our entire life. So, with that said the new June Challenge! What is yours? Is it the same as last time? Heather and I have a goal of running 6 miles per week. I am planning on sticking to that. Anyone else want to join us?

10 Tips to Avoid Bingeing

By Chalene Johnson

1. Brush your teeth right after dinner to remind you: no more food.
   
2. Put a sign on the kitchen and refrigerator doors: "Closed after dinner."
   
3. Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The large majority of people who struggle with night eating are those who skip meals or don't eat balanced meals during the day. This is a major setup for overeating at night.
   
4. Eat your evening meal in the kitchen or dining room, sitting down at the table.
   
5. Drink cold no-calorie beverages such as water or Crystal Light at night. They taste great and keep your mouth busy.
   
6. Change your nighttime schedule. It will take effort, but it will pay off. You need something that will occupy your mind and hands. Try knitting, lifting free weights in the living room, stretching while watching TV, or putting together your photo albums.
   
7. If you're eating at night to unwind, calm emotions, or soothe yourself, focus on getting in touch with what's going on emotionally when you head for the fridge. Develop non-food methods of coping with stress.
   
8. Eat without engaging in any other simultaneous activity, i.e., no reading, TV, or sitting at the computer.
   
9. Eating late at night won't cause weight gain. It's how many calories you eat—not when you eat them—that counts. However, by setting a cutoff point, many lose weight by simply eliminating calories they were consuming out of habit as opposed to hunger.
   
10. If you're up late burning the midnight oil, fill up on "free" foods. These are foods that, though they have minimal health benefits, are super-low-fat, low-calorie snacks and are virtually harmless. These include sugar-free Jell-O (10 calories) and sugar-free chocolate pudding (60 calories). Want something crunchy and salty? Try trans-fat-free microwave popcorn, which can have as little as 60 calories per 2 cups popped.

I am She-Ra!

Last night during BodyPump class I was either crazy or She-Ra took over my body because I was lifting some crazy amounts of weight. Hmmm, maybe it is Chalean! Day 3 here I come.
I must say that I am so lucky to have a core group of friends that loves exercise as much as I do and pushes me beyond my limitations. (actually that may have had something to do with the 5 hour energy I took before class as well) But seriously, thanks gals for keeping my accountable.

My exercise for Yesterday

~Chalean Extreme Burn Circuit 2

~Body Pump

~1 mile Run in 8 min and 49 seconds! WooHoo!

Taking it to the EXTREME~

When I first started Chalean Extreme I programed in my blackberry calender to let me know when to log in my 30, 60 and 90 day results. When my alert went off yesterday to program in my 60 day results I realized I haven't been taking Chalean to the Extreme, I have only been mediocre! I was so mad that I could be at my 60 day results right now but instead I am no further ahead than I was when I started.

With that said, I have decided that in order to get the full effect of the program I am starting my 90 days over as of yesterday. I plan to at least log what I did on the site to make sure that I am held very accountable.

Yesterday's Exercise

• Ran 1.5 miles with my hubby. :)
• Chalean Burn Circuit 1

Today's Exercise

• Chalean Burn Circuit 2
• Teach Body Pump at 5:30pm

Good luck to all of you out there with your exercise and diet routines! Day 11 of the 31 day challenge! How are all of you doing?

Pot Luck? More like You're gonna need some Luck!

Whoever started calling it a Pot Luck really meant good luck on trying no to sabotage your good eating efforts. It never fails, the minute you find yourself in these monstrous buffet situations you are faced with one of America's greatest eating challenges. How do you not offend Aunt Edna by not trying her potato salad even though Cousin Eddy brought a potato salad as well? Well, in the eyes of American's you just take a little bit of everything which makes you end up with a plate full of many different types of the same food. And then...oh no...it's time for dessert!? You are so stuffed but here you go again! Heading back to the buffet with your now unbuttoned pants for more yummy goodness. What are you left with when all is said and done? Guilt? 5 pounds? Saddlebags? Thunder Thighs? A cottage cheese butt? These all don't sound very tasty now do they. Well, then why do we do this to ourselves.
I have been trying to take a step back from my eating habits and figure out why I eat when I do and why I eat what I do. Food can be just as much as an addition as alcohol or drugs and the problem is that those of us that are addicted to food are put into situations day in and day out with overcoming obstacles. Whether it be lunch with a co-worker at a restaurant that offers whenever they want, we are faced daily with the temptations. It is like holding an AA meeting at a nothing healthy, the holiday pot luck, or a dear friend that can eat whatever they want bar! Although hopefully no one would ever do that, we can go to work and find Donuts, chocolate jars and again with the Pot Lucks!?
So, what to do? There IS help! God CAN and WILL provide HIS power, if we seek Him with all our heart, praying only for knowledge of His will for us! This means we would also be willing to take that first step of reaching out for help and surrounding ourselves with the necessary support of others who are WINNING over food or chemical dependency. When was the last time you took a step away from the buffet and prayed for help. You just may get exactly what you are asking for, a friend that understands and is there to help, instead of the badonkadonk cottage cheese butt left behind after the buffet battlefield is over.

My Mini Marathon Buddy

What a way to start the 31 day challenge! I ran/walked 13.1 miles in the mini marathon with my brother to help raise money for Youth for Christ. As my brother so importantly stated, do not underestimate the .1 in 13.1. Believe me, every step by that point was a tough one. I had so much fun doing this with my brother on Saturday. It goes by so fast when you have a buddy.

Speaking of buddies. I am checking in on each of you that are in the 31 day challenge. Do you have your buddy? Are you being a good buddy to them. Don't forget that as important as it is to be motivated it is just as important for you to continue to motivate your buddy as well. You both need each other to get through these 31 days.

I honestly know that I could not have ran the first 10K of the mini marathon without my brother pushing me along the way and last year I am sure that he wouldn't have ran as much as he did had I not have pushed him. This is an important reminder that there are times when we are strong and can help others and there are times when we are weak and need the help from others to make it through. This is what your buddy is for.

Keep up the good work everyone. 26 days to go!!!

The 31 Day Challenge

We all have goals. They may not be for weight loss. The top 10 new years resolutions set by people every year are:

1. Lose Weight and Get in Better Physical Shape
2. Stick to a Budget
3. Debt Reduction
4. Enjoy More Quality Time with Family & Friends
5. Find My Soul Mate
6. Quit Smoking
7. Find a Better Job
8. Learn Something New
9. Volunteer and Help Others
10. Get Organized

Maybe your goal is one of these or maybe it is something different. No matter what you goal is, and yes each one of you has one, I am asking each of you to take a challenge in May. The 31 Day Challenge to be exact. From May 1st - May 31st I am asking each one of you to figure out what you want your goal to be and achieve it over the next 31 days. Now obviously it has to be realistic. Not something like loose 50 pounds in 31 days because then you will be setting yourself up for failure. Think about it and decide exactly what you want your goal to be. Once you have decided that goal I am asking each one of you to find someone that you trust to help you stick to it. We all need a buddy system. Now in order for this to really work your buddy needs to set a goal for themselves as well.

Once all this is decided I would love for each one of you to let your buddy know about my blog and I will post weekly updates to my goals and if you would like to send me weekly updates to how you are doing I will post those as well on my blog. The more support we have in each other the more successful we will be with what we are trying to achieve.

You know have 3 days to decide what you goal is and who your buddy is. Who's in for the challenge?

The Most Successful Way to Get Fit and Loose Weight Yet! The #1 Plan!

It is here! The #1 most successful workout, the #1 most successful diet plan, the #1 way to get fit fast!!! Are you ready for it? Take a deep breath cause this will change your life!

The #1 step by step program

(1) meal at a time

(1) workout at a time

(1) pound at a time

(1) day at a time

So many of us fall off the band wagon after having one bad day or even one bad meal! So, you had pizza this weekend, it's ok, make the next meal a healthier choice. (1 meal at a time). So you missed your planned workout? Get right back on track tomorrow. Your body probably needed the rest. (1 workout at a time). So, you only lost a pound this week and were hoping for 2 or you didn't loose any at all. No worries. Stay on track and you just may loose an extra pound next week for your hard work. If you fall off track due to being upset about it you may end up gaining it instead. (1 pound at a time).

Most importantly, every day is a new day! Say to yourself every morning that you are worth it and are going to treat your body like that of an athlete. Your body is a temple, it says so in the bible. Treat it with the respect it deserves. Eat well, workout, and be healthy. However, even if you decide to smear chocolate or glazed donuts all over the walls of the temple on one day, we are blessed to have a new day to wash all those walls clean and start fresh again.

Don't let the mistakes of yesterday ruin your successes of tomorrow.

1 DAY AT A TIME!

Just Plain Mad!

OK, so I was trying my best not to get really angry but let's just say that there was just no control over it. My emotions took over and I literally think that I saw steam coming out of my ears.
On Easter Sunday, my husband, the human garbage disposal, ate enough food to feed a small army! Let me just give you the timeline.

• 9:00am Breakfast
• 11:30am We were going to lunch with my parent to Quizno's but while waiting for them to arrive we had to go through the drive through so that he could get 2 Rally's cheesburgers! He ate one of them.
• 11:45am Ate at Quizno's with my parents and Shawn had a small sub as well.
• 1:30pm Got back in the car and Shawn ate the other cheeseburger from Rally's
• 3:00pm Easter Dinner at Shawn's family. I didn't eat and he ate a huge plate full of food.
• 3:30 to 6:00pm At least 4 plates full of dessert
• 7:00pm Somewhere around 4 slices of Bunny cake.

Now, you may think that I am joking and wonder why I know the times so well. Well, let's just say that with every trip to the kitchen for more I was texting my mom in shear anger. I couldn't believe that he could eat all that and not worry about it. He woke up the next day and didn't gain a pound. You would have had to role me out of bed and to my car where I would have most likely had to put my seat back to fit my huge belly behind the stearing wheel!

What is my point to all this. I let myself get very discouraged. I focused on the fact that he could eat and eat and eat and not see the effects. Shawn doesn't eat like this often but if he did can you imagine what eating like this would due to your health on the inside? So, what my focus needs to be from now on is not getting angry when people eat more than I can and not see the effects but just to think about eating healthy. Eating in a way that no matter what my metabolism is, fast or slow, I am healthy.

I found myself this past weekend being so angry and emotional about that food that it almost took over my personality completely! I was irritable, angry and just plain mean about it at times. Food should never have this much control over someone! It is time to take back the control and show food what this body can be made of! Pure power, pure muscle, and pure healthy!

What is Les Mills and why do I want to be more a part of it?

Well, I have had a couple people ask me what this whole journey is for. What is Les Mills? Well, let me just shed a little light on the subject.

Les Mills is changing the way the world thinks about fitness.
They have eight group fitness formulas that are delivering the results people want and changing the lives of fitness club all over the world. Who wouldn't want to be a part of that? :)
To learn more about Les Mills and find out where you can take a class visit.

http://www.lesmills.com/midwest/en/members/about-les-mills/about-les-mills.aspx

Shakeology Recipies from Chalean Johnson...the creator of TurboKick and Chalean Extreme!

OK, so if you haven't bought Shakeology yet...what are you waiting for! It tastes amazing and it is so unbelievably healthy for you! Although I love to drink mine with just water and ice or milk and ice here are some recipes to jazz it up even more for a even bigger treat!

Orange Julius1 scoop GreenBerry

• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 packet Crystal light Sugar free "Classic Orange" or "Sunrise" Ice (I put in like 2 cups of ice)

CARL DAIKELER SPECIAL

• 1.5 scoop Chocolate Shakeology powder
• 1 banana
• 1 Tbsp almond or peanut butter (or to taste)ice to taste8oz water

SUNRISE - Antioxidant Special

• ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• 1 scoop Berry Shakeology powder
• 3/4 cup water
• Ice to taste

Mocha Madness

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 almond milk
• 1 cup of water with
• 1 tbsp instant coffee dissolved - pour over ice after it dissolves!
• Add 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology powder
• Ice to taste
• Sweeten if desired :)

STRAWBERRY PEACH SURPRISE

• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• ½ cup frozen peaches
• 1 scoop Berry Shakeology powder
• 3/4 cup water
• Ice to taste

Chocolate covered bananas

• 1/2 banana1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology powder
• 1/2 cup water
• ¼ cup non-fat soy, rice or almond milk
• Ice to taste

Yogo Berry Blast

• 8- oz water
• 1- scoop of greenberry shakeology
• 1- cup of frozen mixed berries
• 1- 4 oz container of Dannon Light & Fit yogurt vanilla

Reese's PB Cup

• 1 Tbsp natural almond or peanut butter
• 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology powder
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup Almond Milk
• Ice to taste

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES

• 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology powder
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 almond milk
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• Ice to taste

BLUES BUSTER

• ½ cup combined frozen blueberries and blackberries
• 1 tsp fresh orange juice
• 1 Tbsp non-fat blueberry yogurt
• 1 scoop Berry Shakeology powder
• 3/4 cup of water
• Ice

Cap'n Crunch O' GreenBerry

• 1 scoop Greenberry
• 2 cups of Cap' n' Crunch Cereal
• 1/2 heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup Vanilla Haagen Dazs Ice cream
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup strawberry cornsyrup
• ice to taste

CREAMY BERRY FUSION

• ¼ cup sliced strawberries
• ¼ cup GreenBerry Shakeology powder
• ¼ cup non-fat soy, rice or almond milk
• ½ cup water
• Ice to taste

Tropical Banana Berry

• 1 Scoop Greenberry
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 banana
• 2oz of 100% Pineapple juice
• ice

Strawberry, Choco PB Banana

• 1 Scoop of Chocolate
• 8 oz water
• 1/2 banana
• 1 tbsp of peanut butter
• ice
• Frozen strawberries

Recipe for Fitness Success

Ingredients: IBprofen, heating pads, ice packs, drive, passion, faith, sweat, determination, pain, willpower, reward, commitment, success, tears, energy, strength, pride, sticktoitivness, attitude, guts and glory.

Directions: Take first three ingredients and place in a cabinet for future use. Take all remaining ingredients and continue to add to recipe non-stop for the entire month! If you run out of any of these ingredients go to the cabinet to reenergize and continue. Recipes results may vary based on how much of the ingredients you are really willing to put into it.

I Need a Haircut

My husband and I decided that we were tired of paying $35 to $40 everytime we had to get our puppies hair cut and it was really starting show considering I almost mistaked her for a mop instead of my dog. I made the trip the other day to Target to get doggy hair cutters, came home and cut Sissy's hair at Pretty Pups...aka my laundry room. She looks like she just lost 10 pounds! I wish it were that easy! If it were I would go get a buz cut! So if I decide to get crazy and take desperate measures to see more results, when you see my buzz cut instead of asking what happened to my hair just say "Wow girl! You look 10 pounds thinner!" Hmmm...Maybe that's why Britney Spears did it. :)

Junk Food Junkie

Do any of you remember the commercial back when we were younger where the guy was running down the street panting and you thought that he was just out for his morning exercise only to find out that he was running from a cop and the little boy's voice in the background said.."When I grow up, I want to be a Junkie". We used to have so many of those drug commercials like the, "This is you brain...this is your brain on drugs...Any questions?" Whatever happened to all those commercials? Shawn and I actually called the cops the other day to report 2 teenage boys driving around on 116th street smoking a joint in their car. LOL! They must have never seen the commercials. I hope they get the butts busted.
Well, to my point, I never said growing up I want to be a Junkie but somehow I ended up doing so. Although it isn't drugs it is sometimes a drug to me. I caught myself the other day saying I NEEDED something to comfort me during my time of the month and guess what I wanted. Chocolate!!! (Need is such a strong word.)Well, instead of chocolate I got a Cappachino loaded with at least 500 calories in it. OK, let me just be honest. I wanted the whole 24 ounce cup of Cappachino but I didn't want to look like a pig so I actually bought two 16 ounce cups as if I were going to give someone the other one. (Total 32 ounces...would have just been better to get the 24) Who would that be, the little man in my junkie brain telling me I needed it. After the incident of giving into the "drugs" I knew that I needed to work my butt off to burn off those extra calories. Why is it we always realize this after we already do what we shouldn't have. If I had just not drank the cappachino I wouldn't have had to spend the next 45 min running on a treadmill to work it off. (which my shins are still hurting from today!)
With that said, I am giving up the drugs. I am coming clean and I need each of you to keep me accountable for it. I don't want to be a Junk Food Junkie anymore. I need ideas 0f things to do when my brain is telling me I "need" something sweet. I always tell Shawn I have a sweet tooth and if it doesn't quit acting up I am going to have to just pull the darn thing out. So, at the risk of me actually looking like I belong living in the country missing teeth...HELP!!! What are some ideas that each of you do to keep yourself away from the temptations?

Don't you wish Apple Pie could be your fruit for the day?

Well, another day of temptation has passed and I made it through. Today, while wanting to just stay home and get my workout in I ended up going with my hubby to his parents house and had to sit and watch him eat apple pie topped with ice cream. Yum! I started to find myself doing what I do so often which is feel sorry for myself. I wish that I could be one of those people that got to eat whatever they wanted and not think about it, but I am not. I am starting to try to think more positive when these situations come up now. I focus on that every day that goes by I am that much closer to having the body of my dreams and to becoming a Les Mills presenter. I have to realize that even though those people don't gain weight they might not be that healthy on the inside. There are things other than weight that matter when it comes to your health. I am not only eating right for my weight but I am eating right so that I am healthy for a very long time to come...inside and out.
Now, onto my workout tonight. I am in the process of doing ChaLEAN Extreme by BeachBody and let me just say after finishing the Burn Circuit I did her Extreme Abs and they are nothing short of being Extreme! 16 min of nonstop ab action. I feel like I may just have a 6 pack tomorrow. Well, maybe not tomorrow but definitely by my deadline of June 9th. Sexy bikini by the pool here I come!!! This WILL be the first summer that I will drop the towel and walk to the pool instead of keeping it wrapped around me until the last possible moment. YIPPY!

Check out my Weight Loss Ticker!!!

My weight loss ticker finally moved!!! Run little weight loss ticker women...run like you have never run before!!!

Keep on Keepin on

Everyone needs that day that they eat something that they really shouldn't. Last night was my day. There is this little ice cream place down the street from us and Shawn and I decided that we would go and get some last night. His parents and him went there on Sunday as well but I turned it down that night...but not last night. For some reason I feel like if I eat something bad while watching The Biggest Looser the calories don't count. Well, that is obviously not true because even though I didn't gain any weight from it I felt like the big cow that made the milk to make the ice cream this morning.
With that said today was a new day and I totally rocked it out. I just got my Chalean DVD's and workout weights yesterday so I have officially started on the 90 day melt down to my new fit to be a Les Mills trainer self. My diet was so good today as well. All healthy foods that help boost my metabolism and just under 1300 calories total. Yay!
Here is the run down for when I will hopefully see some major changes:

• March 18th: Beginning of program pics
• April 10th: 30 day progress pics
• May 10th: 60 day progress pics
• June 9th: 90 day I am going swimming in my brand new bikini!!!!

When you put goals such as these down into writing it doesn't seem as hard to achieve and it doesn't seem that far away that you are going to achieve it. By this summer I will finally be able to drop the towel at the pool and walk to the water with confidence. There are so many things that come with being fit and confidence in yourself is just one of the reasons to work hard for this. Chalean said something in my workout DVD that really hit home. Work as though it is your job to be fit! You know what...it IS my job to be fit!!!! I am going to give this 110% all they way!!!

The Scale Sucks!

So, I woke up this morning and I was so excited because last night after a late night drive through at Taco Bell for Shawn I didn't get anything. I came home and made myself an egg white sandwich. I woke up this morning and weighed myself and guess what. I was up a pound. I would like to think that it is because of my massive muscles that I have from teaching Body Pump and maybe some of it is due to that but I still so often focus on the scale and tend to get frustrated. This time though I am not going to let it get to me. Here are just a few things to focus on when you are doing good and the scale is telling you otherwise:

• Do you clothes fit any looser?
• Do you have any more energy than when you first started?
• Are your eating habits better?
• Is your mood in general more upbeat and brighter?
• Can you exercise longer without puffing as hard?
• Are people commenting on your looks, attitude etc., being better?
• Before you stepped on the scale did you feel pretty darn good about yourself?

If you can answer yes to many of these then you are on the right track whether the scale says so or not! Here are my plans. I plan to take my before picture today and as I notice changes in my body I am going to take progressive pictures. I am also going to take my measurements because even if the scale doesn't move I am 100% that my measurements will change. I am also going to focus on my Fat% because if I am loosing fat and gaining muscle then I am happy to accept the weight not changing. Most importantly. Set goals! If you continue to exercise and eat healthy without setting goals for yourselves it is like playing a game of football and never getting a touchdown.

Finding Motivation

So last night I taught 3 classes in a row. Turbokick, BodyPump and then Pilate's and I feel amazing. Yesterday was one of those days that I wish I could bottle up and drink like I do with 5 hour energy drinks on days when I am just not feeling up for the challenge. (I am sure it would be a lot more healthy) The members at the club are great! Telling me things like, "I love your classes", "you really motivate me to do more" and "you are so much harder than that other instructor and I get so much more of a workout with you." That is one of my favorites...thanks James! :)

With all of those good things being said I have to sit back and think, even though I may not be at my goal I am still inspiring others to achieve theirs. What a good feeling! Just think what I can do when I do reach my goal! I am so excited about this journey and I am so thankful to have all of you on my side every step of the way.

On a side note. Did you know that for every negative comment you make to yourself or someone else makes to you it takes 7 compliments to erase it? With that said, ladies of my blog:

1. You are Beautiful
2. You make me laugh
3. You Rock
4. You are such great friends to me and all those around you
5. You are an inspiration to others
6. All of you have great hair. :)
7. I love you and am so lucky to have you as a friend.

Frenemies

So, I am sure that some of you have had this happen while you went down your journey to whatever goal it was that you wanted to achieve. Frenemies are those people that you call your friends but for some reason when you start to work towards a goal and start doing good at it they start trying to sabotage you! A few ways to spot a Frenemy during your weight loss journey:

1. They say things like, "One cookie won't hurt you" or "You are starting to look too thin, as they hand you a brownie.
2. They make a big deal whenever you choose to not eat something almost to the point of embarrassing you in front of others.
3. They are the people that say they support you but tempt you to cheat "just this once."

Sometimes these can be people that you truly love that just don't even realized the effect that they can have on you. By spotting these people you can truly change the effect of your weight loss efforts for the good. The scariest Frenemy of them all is yourself though because you can't get away from you. Your mindset on loosing weight can be a huge roadblock in your weight loss success. Negative thinking can ruin you and your goals. Today my goal is to focus on one or two things that I really like about myself to keep myself positive during this plateau of weight loss and to be a friend...not a frenemy to all of you and most of all to myself. Muah!!!

The Beginning

So, Saturday was our Les Mills Quarterly. For those of you that are unfamiliar with what that is. We have a whole day spent taking classes from some of the BEST Les Mills instructors out there. We took 8 hours of classes to be exact. It was and always is the most amazing experience.
As I stood in the crowd taking the class from the presenters it became more and more clear to me that I just couldn't do it anymore. I had to become a Les Mills presenter. I have always wanted to but something that day really sparked me to become even more passionate about the dream. That something was watching the participants take the class. We were all getting our butts kicked and every single one of us had a smile on our face. I watched as people didn't think they could push themselves anymore and somehow they managed to do so because of the encouragement they were getting from the instructors. It truly brought tears to my eyes. Fitness Magic at it's best!!!
Sometimes, as a group fitness instructor, you forget the impact that you can have on individuals in your classes. We change lives one class at at time. What an amazing job to have!!! I am going on this journey to better myself so that I can become an even better instructor then ever before. I am sprucing up on my coaching, going through more trainings, practicing as much as possible and changing my eating habits to better my overall fitness exterior as well. All of this in hopes of acheiving my dream of being up on that stage presenting during one of the quarterlies.
Les Mills delivers such amazing group fitness classes and I am so glad to be a part of it. For more information about the classes offered through Les Mills Visit www.lesmills.com