Then and Now - Week 3 Review

This week has been chaotic with the hubby coming home from being gone all last week, and now all of us are trying to get back to a different schedule. But I was so excited when we had the chance to go shopping and I tried on some clothes! No I have not stepped on the scale and magically lost more weight, but what I have done is much more exciting to me! Two months ago I went out shopping for new clothes, because I honestly had nothing that worked in this Hawaiian weather and I was still wearing a few of my pregnancy garments. (It was a hard habit to break!)

It was very hard for me to want to buy clothes after having my daughter, because once upon a time I had sworn to myself that I would never get above a size 7 in Juniors again. Obviously I told myself that YEARS ago and was being completely unrealistic. And in my mind, post-pregnancy size doesn't really count unless you do not make the effort to lose the baby weight. I had so many doubtful and depressing people tell me that being fat after having a baby was just how it was going to be and that just doesn't sit well with me. I was and still am determined to show everyone that you can gain WAY too much weight during pregnancy and then shed that weight back off! Yes it's going to take a ton more effort to do than if you had managed to only gain the 25-35 pounds the doctor recommended, but it IS POSSIBLE.

Anyway! I had noticed this week that my shorts were kind of loose and not staying where they should on my hips when I walked, so I figured 'what the heck, let's try something on while we're here'. I grabbed a few different brands of shorts (because we all know each brand fits differently) and all in the next size down, where I thought I was at. Lowe and behold the size 9's were to big!! I was beyond excited to run out of the fitting rooms and go searching for a size 7! My super duper ridiculously absolutely enthralling news! In the past two months, I have dropped 2 pant sizes!!!

From a size 11 in November to a size 7 in January!

And honestly, being able to buy a smaller size in clothing is WAY more exciting than seeing the number on the scale decline. So THIS is my huge accomplishment! It took two months of hard work and clean eating, but it is all worth it. I was walking and trying to eat well before I started this 90 day challenge I am on, and it is wonderful to know that my own version of hard work had been paying off too, I just hadn't noticed it! You can also see the difference in my pictures of how I look too.

Picture taken the middle of December.

Picture taken January 22nd.

So these pictures are closer to only a month apart, but if I can see the difference it MUST be there. We are all our own worst critics so I know I'm making progress when I can see it with my own eyes and be proud of myself!

This week I also did manage to lose 1 pound! Woohoo! I just reminded myself that one pound of fat is a HUGE slab off my body. I am PROUD for every pound I lose because I know that is one less pound to worry about, it is GONE and in the past and I am never looking back. :)

NOPE! I am super happy to have lost this much off my body!!

I have already packed all of my snacks and emergency healthy foods for on-the-go days next week. We are on the last stretch until our 30-day weigh-in and measurement time!! I am so ready for this next week to come because I am going to kick its butt each day at a time. My 30-day goal was a big one, and I am going to kick my own butt to strive to get there! But I will also be happy to get even close to that goal, and I know that I will be proud of myself and my measurements will help boost my confidence and I will be ready to tackle the next two sets of 30 days too! 90 days seems like a long time to kick your butt into overdrive, but it is going to be WORTH IT!

Week #2 = Accomplished...barely...

Week #2 is supposed to be the harder one to push through. Getting past week two separates the tough from the weak, or at least the weak from the weak-but-determined-to-get-stronger. A lot of people have setbacks and things that get in their way when it comes to their exercises and healthy eating, but for me and week two, all we had was setbacks. My hubby was gone to Cali and Mexico on a half business/half hunting trip the whole week, so I was left to be "Super Mom". Being a full-time single mom...I just can't imagine having to do that with no end in sight. I give PROPS to all the mommies out there who survive it.
At the end of the first week I was a wee bit discouraged that the scale didn't show me that I had made any improvements, but at the end of this week I FINALLY broke out of the 140's! I dropped 3-4 pounds to 138! I could've kissed the scale this morning when it told me the good news, except of course that would've been gross - People's bare feet have been on that thing!

Broke through my plateau weight!

Setback #1: I have been doing P90X, and the videos are an hour long on average - longer if it's an Ab Ripper X day. An hour to a baby is FOREVER and they get so bored! And when my girl gets bored, she lets me know, LOUD. I run back and forth, pressing the pause button, turning her over, giving her different toys, scooting her away from the foot of the table that she will most likely roll into and hurt herself...It's like double time mommy duty!
My Solution: I am seriously considering switching my exercise program from P90X to Turbo Fire. I read a bunch of reviews comparing the two Beachbody programs and from what I can tell, Turbo Fire workouts are short and are "high impact", so I'm hoping it will kick my butt in a much shorter amount of time. As much as I have loved P90X these past few years, it is more for "muscle-ing up" and my goal for the moment is to lose this baby weight! So I am opting for a new workout to get more cardio!

Not giving up on the challenge, just changing the game!

Setback #2: My normally sleeping-through-the-night baby decided to transform into a scoot-around-in-her-crib-and-wake-up-every-hour baby this week! SO NOT IDEAL. I felt groggy all week! Even though I always made time for my workouts, I just never felt like I was keeping up or doing my best. Sleep is so important for the body to work correctly!
My Solution: Tough it out until my hubby comes home! Because that was really my only option. I took naps when she would sleep during the day, but the chores piled up while I was sleeping and I gave up on napping so that I could have clean clothes and uncluttered floors to exercise on.

Setback #3: While the men are away, the women will...shop. My mother-in-law wanted us to be on the go all week while the boys were on the mainland, so I had a very hard time keeping up with my eating schedule. (It's not easy to pack for a trip with a baby AND pack snacks for yourself all on someone else's timeline.) Also when you are out shopping and trying to eat healthier, sometimes you have no options for lunch other than things that are miles away from your "approved foods"!
My Solution: I have got to learn to stand up for myself! As important as shopping is to my mother-in-law, I really should have handed her the baby and told her to wait while I made sure that I had my snacks and waters in the car. Too many times this week I ended up feeling the grumpiness creeping up inside my stomach when it was time to eat and wasn't able to do anything about it. This challenge is important to me and I need to make it (and myself) a higher priority!

Toting the baby around while out on the town!

This week I needed some pick-me-ups, so I browsed around and found motivating sayings, funny quotes and just plain random pictures to keep my spirits high while my poor body was lagging behind.

Yup. Motivational enough for me!

When I happened to be on schedule with my eating I was a very happy camper. I am a SALAD LOVER, so it is easy to eat my greens everyday and not feel like I have cut anything out of my diet. The trouble with people who don't love salad is that THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO! Salad does not have to be plain and boring! My momma taught me to liven up my salads. :) I add meat, other veggies, nuts or seeds (for crunch), dried cranberries (No Sugar Added!), and much more. I also only use homemade salad dressing so I am never in the dark about what is going into my body! If you are choosing to eat healthier, there are ways to spice it up! ;)

One of my less extravagant salads from this week.

A little off the regular health and exercise mumbo-jumbo for a minute here. In my research for ways to get a healthier, thinner, more fit, happier-in-my-own-skin version of me, I have discovered a new passion. If I remember to lather up everyday, I feel like I have accomplished so much by doing so little! I always do my exercises and I work hard at eating correctly and often, and now I am giving myself something else to make me feel like I am making progress in other departments. LOTION! I may still be young, but everyone's skin needs some help. My skin has been through the ringer this past year while I've gone from a size 2 to a 12 and now moving back down again. So I am going to be working on giving my poor skin some help on its way to healing and tightening back up. I am a mom, and lotion is my friend.

I am also using a c-section scar cream for obvious reasons, and at the end of this 12 weeks challenge I guess we'll see the results!

This week felt like it was never going to end, and I know that it probably felt that way for a few of the other ladies in my challenge group too. All week I had to keep reminding myself WHY I am doing this and how IT IS ALL GOING TO BE WORTH IT. When you find things you want to work toward, write them down or take a picture of it! Those reminders will help you to keep going when the days or weeks seem to get the better of you. I know it WILL all be worth it and I am going to keep finding new ways to motivate myself and push through this 12 week challenge to the end!

'Nuff said.

Week #1 Summary

On the first day of the challenge I woke up SO ENERGIZED and ready to take on the world! As the week went on I had to work hard to remind myself that this is NINETY DAYS, and then for the rest of my life. "It is a marathon, not a sprint," as they always say. I was to grateful that my Shakeology arrived in time; the SATURDAY before! Boy oh boy was I anxious waiting for it to come!

Me waiting "patiently" to try out my first shake. :)

 I am so lucky to have the wonderful man that I do, because he decided to do this challenge with me. Of course he's not drinking Shakeology, but he is drinking a protein shake that I make for him in the mornings!

My man's Muscle Milk Shake - So he can feel included. :)

 He is also doing the P90X workouts each day after I get done with mine! He is making this journey so much more bearable for me! I hope that everyone else in this challenge, and in their own fitness challenges, has someone to encourage them to keep moving forward! It is hard on you MENTALLY and everyone needs an extra voice in the background telling them NOT TO GIVE UP. :)
By day #2 I could barely move my arms (day one being shoulders and arms + ab ripper). That was an interesting day, hardly being able to lug around my nearly 16 pound bundle of joy. Next time, I will remember how IMPORTANT STRETCHING is.
Day #3 for some reason my lovely little darling baby decided to wake up two hours early, and same with day #4. Those days I was GROGGY. I of course did my workouts and drank my Shakeology, but I was NOT enthusiastic about it. AND THEN my order of PB2 came in the mail, and that was a good game changer for my amateur Shakeology mixing skills.

NOW WE'RE TALKIN'!

Day #4 was also the Yoga day, and that reminded me how much I HATE YOGA. It has never been a person preference of mine. I've always disliked it, but I wanted to keep to the workout schedule that P90X comes with, so I tried my best to get "into it". It didn't go very well. I tried and tried for a good half hour of the 1.5 hour video, and then I gave up. But I was not going to skip my exercise for the day, so I popped in the Cardio X dvd and did that instead. By the end of the day I was icing my back from all the yoga moves my body disagreed with. Those two days, because the baby was off schedule, my eating was off schedule too, so that added to my icky, tired feeling.

Baby girl enjoyed yoga though!

Day #5 proved my point that yoga and I DO NOT get along. I had severely strained my lower back and was hardly capable of walking. So no Friday workout for me. Which was very upsetting, but I had people to remind me that healing my back was more important than over-working my body just to say I hadn't missed a day of exercise. With day 4, 5 and 6 came lots of ice packs and resting and stretching when my back could tolerate it.
Later on in day #6 I was able to complete my Kenpo Karate workout. I KNOW I shouldn't have tried it, but I am not good with sitting around and healing. My back handled it well and I can't wait to be back at my workouts on Monday. That Saturday we also went into town for some "family fun", (which just meant getting out of the house to keep our sanity) and I kept to my healthy eating and packed some good-for-you snacks!

(Not the low-fat cheese sticks, but that's what happens when you send your man grocery shopping!)

 Day #7 is the REST/STRETCH day! My man is leaving for a 9 day business (and hunting) trip this afternoon! So this morning we strapped the baby in "the daddy carrier" and went for a family stroll. :)

A good finale to my first week!

 This next week is going to be a trying one because my incredible support system is going to be an ocean away! Without someone to watch my little munchkin while I get my daily workout (and shower) in, it's going to be a STRUGGLE. But I refuse to give up! I was excited for some of my challenge-mates who lost weight already this first week, but sadly my weight has remained the same. I will be going over this weeks' habits in my head and CORRECTING where I went wrong, so that I can DO BETTER! Week Two, Here I Come!

Push Through the Pain!

When I woke up this morning I could NOT move my arms! My brain told my arms to reach for the water on my nightstand and my arms said 'Ehh, I don't think so'. Day One was P90X's Chest & Back + Ab Ripper X, and the ab part I am used to, but I never use my arms for anything more than toting around my little bundle of joy. Right after my workout yesterday, I went straight to mommy duty to take care of a fussy fit, and I FORGOT TO STRETCH my arms out!! WORST thing I could have possibly done to myself and I did it! UGH!
I am spending today stretching at every chance I get. I want to fix my mistake and get my arms useable again as soon as possible. Gotta be ready for the next workout that uses my arm muscles!
I have learned my lesson and will ALWAYS make time for the "Cool Down" and stretching part that comes after my workouts. The makers of P90X must have planned for this to happen to many a person, because (THANKFULLY) today's workout hardly had anything to do with arms. The few moves that did require arm muscles, I PUSHED THROUGH them and feel so accomplished for doing so!
Today was Day Two of my 90 day challenge and I am still feeling so energized that I have finally begun to change myself and my life! Plyometrics is the name of the workout I completed, with great difficulty, today. Tony Horton (the MAN of P90X) states from the beginning of the workout that Plyometrics is the "X" of P90X, it is the hardest one out of the 12 dvds, and I DID IT!
I am so grateful that every video has at least one person showing how to perform the beginner version of nearly every move. This being my first time trying out the new workout, I used to beginner's pose/stance for quite a few moves. Make sure that you NEVER feel bad for having to take breaks from the workouts! DRINK your WATER! If you have to stop for a bathroom break, DO IT! If you have wimpy wrists (like me), go easy on them! If you need to wear a brace, don't hesitate to pause your workout and put it on! Because I'm an asthmatic, I pause my workout dvds often to use my inhaler. If you can only do half the reps that the workout instructs you to do, do not feel ashamed! You will get better as time goes on! Never try to do a move in your workout that feels like it could hurt you in any way. Always check to make sure that you have the correct posture and are using the right muscles for each move that you do!
I feel so amped up, but I know that this is JUST the beginning. The days will press on and the excitement may fade, but I know that I WILL PUSH THROUGH IT. I want to come out on top this time. I want to look back at my Before Photos in 88 days and be AMAZED by how far I will have come. :)

To all the haters and nay-sayers!

I just needed to share a few thoughts tonight.

It's Saturday night. My 90 day Beach Body challenge starts Monday. I have been absolutely ecstatic about starting, and completing this challenge and coming out a better me than ever before. I have a few pretty fantastic fellow-challengers in my group and one spectacular coach who is the epitome of "above and beyond the call of duty". My mom is so supportive, and my hubby is even going to do the exercise part with me! I am so grateful for the people that know how much this means to me, and in turn it means a lot to them to be supportive and be by my side while I reach my goals. But there are however a few people, that I look up to and respect, who have NOT been so supportive.

In the last week as I have been preparing for this upcoming challenge, I have had icky faces made at the healthy food I was making. I have heard "oh is THAT part of what you're supposed to be doing?" (referring to me being hungry) and "oh well you have fun with that" (about eating smaller portions) and my favorite " NINETY DAYS? That sounds more like a prison sentence!". Honestly, some people must not THINK before they speak.

I believe I'm correct in assuming that there will be many people along the way who are going to 'poo-poo' this change I am trying to make in my life, and even more people who will scoff and roll their eyes at the efforts I put in. But I also believe I will be correct in assuming that those negative people will only be sour toward me because they wish they had the strength to change their lives the way that I am going to change mine. The way that all of the ladies in my challenge group are going to.

To everyone who is trying to get fit, skinny, buff or healthy-DO NOT LET ANYONE PUT YOU DOWN. The smallest things can hurt, and the fewest words can sting, but you can wash away those feelings with some Pain and Sweat in your next workout routine. :) If someone in your life seems to have something to say about every healthy food choice you make, learn to tune them out. If there is someone who eats snacks in front of you everyday, chomp down on that celery stick like it was your (old) favorite candy bar. Don't let anyone get in the way of you reaching your goals. Don't let anyone get in your head. If someone asks how much weight you've lost so far, tell them that it's not "weigh-in" day and that you'll get back to them. You don't have to share your results with other people before you're ready, and you definitely don't have to prove anything to anyone but yourself.

This challenge is going to help CHANGE MY LIFE into something I actually WANT it to be. And nothing ANYONE says can change the fact that I am going to see this through, and then live a fit and healthy life even after I complete these next 90 days. Keep your head in the game! Keep telling yourself how PROUD you will be of yourself when all of this is over. Tell yourself that you won't even recognize yourself in three months. Tell yourself to put away some money for the new SMALLER clothes you will soon have to buy for yourself! Tell yourself YOU'RE DOING THIS FOR YOU. :) And no one can stop you.

In Preparation:
Up 'til now I have been busting my butt to make sure that I have everything ready for this coming Monday (the start date for my 90 day challenge). I have purchased a scale (BLAH!) so that I can be held accountable to weigh in every 30 days as I'm required to. I hate owning a scale, and even when I have owned one, I try to store it somewhere where it is VERY inconvenient to get to and that way I'm far less tempted to depress myself by stepping on it. Now my scale is probably as high tech as my cell phone; Rockin' the Bowflex.

I have chosen P90X to be my self-inflicted pain. I have only ever been interested in working on tightening up my big thighs and making my abs even better than they already were. Now I am faced with this challenge and I have to dedicate myself to doing THE ENTIRE PROGRAM, including the nutrition guide. Goodness me, this is going to be a wild and BUMPY ride. Beachbody is amazing though, and P90X is my favorite at-home workout ever. Believe you me, I have seen an unsettling amount of at home workout videos (my mom, LOVE HER, had an entire SHELF of workout VHS tapes when I was growing up) but nothing ever kept my attention the way the P90X videos do. Whatever you choose for your daily workout just be sure to LOVE IT or at least love the results it will produce!

One other thing that has always helped keep me interested in my workouts is THE CLOTHES. I'm a girl, I love clothes in general, but being able to wear NEON ORANGE shorts, a HOT PINK tank top, and RAINBOW colored athletic socks, AND have it be completely acceptable?! Now that's what I'm talking about! Admitting your actual size in clothing is worth it to go out and buy just a couple cute pieces of athletic wear! Do it! It will brighten your smile on the days when exercising is the LAST THING you feel like doing.

LAST but not least, I accomplished doing one of the "requirements" of preparing for the upcoming 90 day challenge; I put up a motivational picture where I will see it ALL THE TIME! Constantly being reminded of my goals and WHY I'm putting myself through all of this is definitely going to keep me on my toes. Our requirement was to put a picture up on our refrigerator of either a skinnier us or something/someone that motivates us to get FIT & HEALTHY, but since I currently live in the guest house and the fridge is in the main house, I decided that a half naked picture of me would not be appreciated by my in-laws. So it's up on my bathroom mirror! I chose a fairly "showy" (*cough* *slutty* *cough*) picture of myself that I took two months or so before I found out I was pregnant. Just because I'm ME and 'crafty', I also made a "thin-spiration" board to go along with my goal photo. :) I added pictures of my old skinny self to keep it realistic. :) If you need or want more inspiration to help you through each day, MAKE a collage from magazine clippings and whatnot for yourself!! Then place it where it will bug the crap out of you each day until you finally give in and go exercise!

The Starting Line

It is a NEW YEAR, and I intend to make the absolute best of it. For all the people who think that everyone always says that in the new year their lives will be different, well I'm SERIOUS. In a week I will be starting my new life along with my 90 day Beach Body fitness and health challenge, and I couldn't be more excited! I have chosen to dedicate myself to getting fit and healthy by following the exercise routine and meal plan of P90X accompanied by Shakeology, which will replace one of my meals each day. If you don't know what either of those are, LOOK THEM UP. They will change your life. With the help and support of my wonderful coach Marlena and the rest of my fitness challenge group, I know that I will reach my New Year's goals sooner and in a healthier way than I ever imagined I could!

Currently my Shakeology is being shipped from somewhere on the mainland of the USA. I've also ordered a new Magic Bullet with all its gadgets and gizmos. The extreme at home fitness program P90X has been one of my favorite Beach Body workouts for a few years now, although during the upcoming challenge I will be doing the entire program, which is something I haven't done yet. I've always just done the abs and legs, and never really cared to touch any of the other videos. But then again, back when I first started P90X, I never had a need to lose weight or change my eating habits. Now I need to 'shape up' and I know that's the truth.

These are my before pictures! I may not be so excited to show them off now, but in 30, 60, and 90 days from now I will be PROUD of how far I've come. When my challenge is over, I hope that these photos, along with my progress and after photos, will INSPIRE other mommies like me to change themselves into the person they want to be!

I may not have tons and tons of weight to lose compared to some, but for how small I have always been, I now have a LONG way to go. Follow me on my journey to thin and fit, healthy and happy, and I make the promise to MYSELF to show REAL RESULTS.