21 Day Fix Extreme: Disc 2 Review

Moving onto Disc 2 of the 21 Day Fix Extreme...

Cardio Fix Extreme: I need to start off by saying I definitely enjoyed this more than the original Cardio Fix. For each round, you will do 2 different moves for a minute each (usually with weights) before doing 30 seconds of a cardio move, then you repeat the round before moving on. I sweat like I haven't sweat in a long time! 

Photo Credit

Dirty 30 Extreme: I have always loved Dirty 30. Since my 21DFX program arrived on a Friday night, I decided to give it a try on Saturday morning, starting with Dirty 30 Extreme since that's the Saturday workout. I immediately noticed a difference: Instead of splitting the moves that you need to do on each side for one minute total (30 seconds each side, as done in the 21DF), you will do each move for a full minute on each side. WOAH!! This is an awesome shoulder burner in particular. I wanted to start with a lighter set of weights for my first week (3lb and 5lb instead of 5lb and 7lb), and after only the first round of moves in this workout, I was so glad I did, or I wouldn't be able to lift my daughter. This is going to really give you some amazing summer arms... YAY!

Yoga Fix Extreme: I'm always up front with you... so I'm just going to say it like it is. This is only my opinion and this really isn't a "review" on this particular workout and I am sure there are plenty of you out there who will hate me for saying this: I don't like Yoga. I tried to get into it with the original 21 Day Fix. I've tried various Yoga DVDs. I am a girl that likes to be on the move (hence why I love PiYo), so I just don't like this workout. It seems like a great recovery workout, but I have trouble staying still... so I will be subbing in Pilates in place of Yoga as I did with the original program. This one definitely seems a lot more challenging than the original from what I can remember. It's just not my cup of tea. My apologies guys, but I don't want to BS you and tell you I love it... I'm sure most of you will enjoy it. I just don't like Yoga. Ok, I'm done.

Photo Credit

10 Minute Hardcore: This is a little different from the 10 Minute Ab Fix from the original since you do each move for a minute rather that just doing 20 of each move and then repeating the round. I personally prefer the original ab workout better for this reason but this will still make your abs burn, I promise!! 

21 Day Fix Extreme: Disc 1 Review

I love Autumn Calabrese. Have I said that before? I was so excited for the 21 Day Fix Extreme to come out since I loved the original. I personally think I get the best results when I mix cardio with weights, so this program is perfect for me. I wanted to share a bit about each workout with you so you can get a better idea as to what you can expect if you're interested in this program.

Plyo Fix Extreme: I'm not going to lie... when I opened the DVD set when this program first arrived in the mail and I saw the title of this workout had replaced "Total Body Cardio Fix", I was freaking out and totally intimidated. The original 21DF came with a bonus workout called "Plyo Fix", and it was a total butt kicker. I only did it a handful of times because it left me so winded that I felt like I was going to die. (Ok, maybe that's a bit extreme, but it really whipped my butt). That being said, I don't want to discount this Plyo Fix Extreme because it is also a serious butt kicker, but I actually really enjoyed this one. Each move is only 30 seconds and then you get a 30 second break to recover, so it didn't leave me feeling quite as winded, though it definitely made my legs feel like jello. You will use 2 sets of weights for this one and it's primarily a leg workout (obviously, given the title "plyo")... lots of jumping! The modifications for most of the moves in this workout are mainly just jumping less (or not at all). There were plenty of times that I had to slow down because I didn't think my legs would make it, but I survived! :)

Photo Credit

Upper Fix Extreme: For this workout, you need your light and heavier set of weights, as well as your resistance band (*note that the program doesn't come with this resistance band so if you have one at home, you're good, otherwise, you will want to get one*). This is different from the original Upper Fix because for the first 30 seconds of each move where you're using weights, you will use your heavy weights, then you will switch out to the lighter weights for the remainder of the minute. Drop sets at their finest! Autumn makes sure that your legs get a good workout too... She loves legs!!

Pilates Fix Extreme: The original Pilates Fix was my favorite workout in the program. Pilates Fix Extreme is still focused on Pilates but unlike the original, this one uses a resistance band throughout the entire workout... 32 minutes of no-joke pilates. There were a few moves where I initially thought "oh my gosh, is she trying to break my band, or me?" She's not messing around!!

Lower Fix Extreme: This follows a similar concept as Upper Fix Extreme except instead of doing 30 seconds with the heavy weight then 30 with the light weight, it was 30 seconds heavy followed by 30 seconds without a weight doing a Plyo move. My legs felt like mush after just the first round!! I felt the burn which means it's definitely working already!

Photo Credit

Stay tuned for info about the second set of workouts, as well as the "ultimate" workouts and eating for the 21DFX.

~ Aly 

Insanity Max: 30 --- Continuing Month 1

Happy New Year!! Excuse my delay in sharing more with you about Insanity Max: 30. I took a short hiatus from working out after my first post about the first three workouts --- the holidays totally wore me down! I officially started this program this week with my challenge group on Facebook and am absolutely in LOVE with it. I'm a competitive person by nature so I enjoy trying to compete with myself. 

This will cover Sweat Intervals and Fright Fight: Round 1, as well as Pulse. Tabata Strength won't be covered for a couple more weeks since it isn't in the schedule until Week 3... why? Because there's NO REST! So we will have to be kept in suspense for a bit longer with that workout... but without further ado...

Photo Credit

Sweat Intervals. This workout rocks my world. It's the same general concept at Cardio Challenge, just with different moves (so you 4.5 minutes of cardio then get a 30 second break). What I love about this entire program is that you really do feel that sense of presence from Shaun T, almost as if he's right there with you. He senses when you need that extra encouragement and really helps to ensure you've got the right form and are pushing to your max so you can get the max results. He makes sure you know that he believes that you can do this, even if you need to modify at first. I don't know about you, but I need that encouragement because it does make me push harder... I don't want to let Shaun T down! :)

 

Photo Credit

 

I understand the title of this now. Shaun T (as usual) means business!!! Instead of going 5 minutes without a water break, this one pushes you for 15 minutes for a 30 second break. Then you go another 10 minutes before getting another break... Then it pushes you to your final max out. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be when I saw the timer bar at the bottom of the screen. He will alternate between some less and more strenuous moves so it's not like you're doing burpee lunges and power jumps for 15 minutes straight.

Photo Credit

Pulse will give you a different take on this program. It's a 20 minute low-impact workout to help you recover over the weekend. Shaun T takes you through a lot of the same moves that you've done in the other Max: 30 workouts, just at a lower intensity (no jumping). You do "pulse" a lot of moves in between stretching. You will still sweat with this workout, but it's a nice change of pace after 5 days of pushing as hard and fast as you possibly can.

Stay tuned for a wrap up on month 1 in the coming weeks! What questions do you have so far about Max: 30? Are you ready to #maxout?

~ Aly

Insanity Max: 30 --- Getting Started with Month 1

Though my test group for Insanity Max: 30 isn't starting until after the New Year, I thought it would be best to go through the workouts so I can share more about the program from personal experience with you! I'll break the first month up into two separate posts, but you'll have to wait for the second month until I'm actually going through it come February.

Photo Credit

Cardio Challenge. 30 minutes of serious cardio. Shaun T will lead you through several rounds of cardio where you push as hard as you can for 4.5 minutes and then get a 30 second break before going at it again. I followed the modifier for roughly half of the moves, but even then, I still burned 283 calories with this workout. No joke!! I was sweating big time but it felt great to push myself. I can't wait to start tracking my Max Out times when the challenge group kicks off because I can't wait to see my improvement with this workout in particular.

Photo Credit

Ab Attack: 10. I did this workout after I finished the Cardio Challenge workout. Not easy!!! I need to double check the calendar but I think my plan is to do this at least 3 days a week (I really want to get some definition in my abs). I burned 63 calories doing this right after Cardio Challenge.

Photo Credit

Tabata Power. 20 seconds of pushing your hardest before taking a 10 second break, then repeat. Each round focuses on a different area of your body, so while you start by working your legs, there's a round that involves variations of push-ups (don't worry, if your upper body is weaker than you would like it to be like mine, you can do them on your knees), a round that focuses on your core, and a round that will make those triceps BURN! The last 4 minutes, you push straight through and go as hard and fast as you can. I maxxed out around 6 minutes for this workout. I did modify nearly half of the moves as I did with Cardio Challenge after maxxing out. I burned 210 calories doing this workout.

I'm LOVING these workouts so far. As a former sales person in the hospitality industry, I thrived on "competing" with myself... reaching my goals and pushing further so I'd never settle. That will come in handy as I try to beat my own max out times each and every day. Ready to join me yet?

~ Aly

I'm Maxxing Out with Shaun T

Intimidated by the name of Beachbody's newest program, Insanity Max: 30? I was too when I first heard about this program. I had tried a few of the Insanity workouts in the past but found that with a baby at home that I couldn't commit to an hour of working out every day. The thought of this being arguably the most challenging workout that Beachbody has ever released can absolutely intimidate some people, but I look at it this way... it's going to push me places I've never gone before.

Have you ever reached a plateau while trying to lose weight? You keep pushing through your workouts and keep eating right, but seem to be stuck on the scale? And then, the unthinkable happens... you actually start to gain a little bit of weight back... sound familiar? From my personal experience (someone who has always struggled with weight), I am constantly losing and gaining the same 7lbs. Which is just enough so that my clothes don't fit me right.

Photo Credit

Enter Insanity Max: 30. These workouts are 30 minutes a day of pushing yourself as hard as you can. The reason people say it's the most challenging Beachbody workout to date is because it is only a half an hour but it's a half an hour with as little break time as possible so that you continue to push yourself and improve each and every day.

The program is broken down into 2 months. The first month's workouts are as follows:
- Cardio Challenge is 30 minutes of intervals (4.5 minutes of pushing your hardest, followed by a 30 second break)
- Tabata Power is 20 seconds of pushing followed by a 10 second break (each round focuses on a different area of your body to really hit everything)
- Sweat Intervals is another cardio intervals workout to make you sweat to your max
- Tabata Strength... there's no rest in this tabata workout!!
- Friday Fight: Round 1... a fight between your body and mind to push yourself as hard as you can!
* Ab Attack: 10 is a 10 minute add-on workout to focus on your core

Month 2 will build on the workouts from month 1... still only 30 minutes, but Shaun will push you even harder...
- Max Out Cardio
- Max Out Sweat
- Max Out Power
- Max Out Strength
- Fright Fight: Round 2
* Pulse is an add-on recovery workout that focuses on stretching with small pulses

Photo Credit

So why is this workout for YOU?
1. There's a modifier like in most Beachbody workouts, however, there's an option to play each workout with the modifier locked side by side with the main camera that follows Shaun T. This means you can modify each and every workout and watch her every move.
2. Each day, you mark your "max out" time on the calendar so you can see yourself progress and improve each and every day, week after week. It's kind of like it's own "fit test".
3. This is easily a workout that can go beyond the 60 day calendar. This will always be a challenging program, but as you get stronger, you're able to push harder so that you essentially should never plateau.
4. There's great eating tips for at home AND on the go when you dine out with this program, so you will also be working hard to eat right so you don't undo all your hard work maxing out.
5. No equipment is needed!!

My test group will start on January 5th... what better way to start the New Year? If you're interested in joining, visit my Facebook page to get more info. :) I will be blogging about each workout as I get through them to keep you in the know, so stay tuned...

~ Aly

P90: "A" Workouts

When I first heard that Tony Horton was coming out with a new workout called P90 (based off of his P90X series of workout programs, only without the "extreme" aspect), I really wasn't overly excited. As more details were divulged as the release date got closer, I actually got SUPER excited. Tony has talked about how this program is the "on" switch to fitness for those who maybe haven't been active in awhile. After just 3 days, I can see how this would definitely get someone less active into shape, but I also think that this is a fantastic workout for people who have been active but just aren't looking for an extreme workout. Want to work harder? Work harder! It's that simple...

The first month of P90, you will complete the "A" series workouts. Sweat A is more cardio focused, Sculpt A is to work on building your strength, and Ab Ripper A... well, it works on doing just that... ripping those abs.

Photo Credit

On my first day, I did Sweat A and Ab Ripper A. 35 minutes total altogether. I was honestly focusing more on trying to get the moves right than I was on really getting a good workout in, but after completing it a second time, I absolutely LOVE it. The moves are all simple and straight forward. If you're like me and you are generally pretty active, just push harder and faster for a more intense workout... I sweat so much more the second time around once I figured out the moves (and burned about 50 additional calories too!)

I absolutely LOVE Sculpt A too. You can use weights or a resistance band (the kit comes with the band if you prefer to use the band... I want to use weights so I can increase my weights in another week or two, but I started with 5lb weights this week). What I loved about this workout... unlike most workout programs I've done in the past, you have to repeat each round of exercises. This gets those 16 reps in of each exercise and then you move on. I felt that these 30 minutes FLEW because of this.

Month "A" rotates through these three workouts plus you would add the "Saturday Special" cardio workout (stay tuned next week for more about this!), then we move onto the "B" workouts in the second month. I cannot wait to see my results with this program. I'm not following the meal plan but I did see some recipes in the booklet that I plan to try. I've just been tracking my calories in MyFitnessPal and have been following the 80/20 rule of eating clean 80% of the time.

I'm starting a P90 Challenge Group in 2 weeks... if this sounds like this program might be right you, I am looking for 5 people who are ready to commit to living a healthier and more active lifestyle with me! Comment below or message me on my Facebook page... I would love for you to start with me on October 13! Let's hit it! ~ Aly

P90: Get ready to increase your strength, flexibility and balance

Have you heard about the P90X workouts but always been intimidated by the "X" for extreme in the name? I know I have! The workouts include pull-ups... something I would LOVE to be able to do at some point in my life but I'm just not there yet. I've heard Tony Horton's workouts are amazing and the people who complete his program get killer results. But I have never felt like I was ready to brave P90X.

If you're familiar with Beachbody's workouts, you may be aware that Tony Horton's first program was called Power 90. It included only 4 workouts, but people got great results from it, which led Tony into developing his "X" programs. 15 years have come and gone since Power 90 and Tony wanted to revamp the program and bring us a brand new less extreme fitness program that would be more accessible for all fitness levels.

Photo Credit

Enter P90. I wasn't overly enthusiastic when I heard about this program a few months ago. However, as I've been learning more and more about the program and the workouts included, I'm getting VERY excited!! I had a long summer. It tends to be the busiest time of year for my husband at work, plus he had a few ladies out on maternity leave. And of course you know I'm a SAHM to a very energetic toddler. I worked out most days but I felt exhausted and I definitely wasn't eating as healthy as I normally would. So I am SO ready to take on P90 and am looking for some people to join me. Are you a mom looking to shed some baby weight? Shedding for the wedding? Just trying to finally get moving to get yourself back in shape? I want to do it together!!!

Let me give you a quick rundown on what the base kit of P90 is going to consist of and how the program works. There are 10 workouts in the base kit. The program (if you stick with the base kit) runs for 90 days. This is a sectional progressional workout, which basically means each month, there's a new set of workouts you will do that build up on the month's prior workouts (and so each month, the workouts do get a little longer as well). Let me explain...

Days 1-30, we complete the "A" Workouts...

Sweat A: 8 simple and fun moves (25 minutes)
Sculpt A: Foundation for resistance training (28 minutes)
Ab Ripper A: 10 core moves (8 minutes)

Days 31-60, we complete the "B" Workouts...
Sweat B: Ramps up the intensity of the workouts (32 minutes)
Sculpt B: Improve muscular endurance and strength (31 minutes)

Ab Ripper B: Adds 5 new moves to sculpt your abs even more (14 minutes)

Days 61-90, we complete the "C" Workouts
Sweat C: This takes the intensity to a new level to sweat and have fun while working the entire body (36 minutes)

Sculpt C: Strength, flexibility and balance... all in one! (42 minutes)
Ab Ripper C: Get ready for a lot of different plank moves to really define those abs (15 minutes)

In addition, there's the "Saturday Special" workout which is 25 minutes of core cardio. Who loves cardio? I do!

The base kit will include a nutrition guide as always, which gives details on the "6 Day Shred" to jumpstart your weight loss with Tony's best clean eating tips. This kit comes with a resistance band for the workouts, but Tony has mentioned that you certainly could use weights if you prefer. He designed this program so that there are modifiers for those who may have more weight to lose than others, but also made it challenging enough that you could benefit from P90 even if you've done is "X" programs.

This amazing program is going to be available on Tuesday, September 23rd to Beachbody Customers for $79.90!! There of course will be a Challenge Pack available for purchase which is always a fantastic savings if you're interested in starting your journey with Shakeology as well.

For those of you fitness enthusiasts, there will also be a Deluxe Kit available for purchase. I don't have complete details about that kit yet or even what the price will be, however, I do know the workouts will be Speed Sweat, Speed Sculpt, Speed Ab Ripper, and Tony's Greatest Hits. I assume that these workouts will build upon the "C" series workouts.

Photo Credit

Why am I excited for P90? I get bored easily with my workouts, so knowing I will be doing each set of workouts for only a month before moving on to new workouts sounds like something I can definitely handle. I would love to complete this workout (including the "Speed" round) and feel strong enough to take on P90X3. Sure, I may not be able to do pull-ups still at that point but I definitely should feel strong enough to take that chance. I love how fun TurboFire is, I love how strong I feel when I workout with PiYo and the 21 Day Fix, but I'm ready to do something different. Want to join me? Leave your comments below!

~ Aly

The "Ultimate Workouts" - Plus a Dose of Reality

So the ultimate challenge pack for the 21 Day Fix includes two additional workouts: Flat Abs Fix and Barre Legs. It's suggested that you can swap out Pilates Fix for the Flat Abs Fix, and swap out the Lower Fix for Barre Legs. I'm actually surprised it took me this long to do these workouts --- and I think it was fate because if I started these when I first started the program, I probably would have hated it because they're both SO HARD!!!!

Ok. Let's get real here. I don't want to intimidate you and tell you these are quite THAT hard, but they certainly do make you feel the burn. I started with Flat Abs Fix. This workout hits more than just your abs. You do use a weight for some of the moves, which means it works your arms and shoulders quite a bit, plus since some of these moves are done standing or in plank, it works your legs too. And in true Autumn Calabrese fashion, just when you think you can't do any more, she throws in a bonus round at the end, which, if you've done the bonus round from 10-Minute Abs Fix, you will know what I mean here... same exercises, only you do them LONGER and you REPEAT! You could see almost everyone doing the workout struggle too (including the guys) so it made me feel better knowing these are just hard workouts!

Though the Flat Abs Fix left my body feeling a bit shaky and like jello, I was determined to get in a second workout. I was initially thinking of doing some TurboFire to incorporate more cardio but didn't think I could muster up the energy to dedicate myself to that. So I went for the kill: Barre Legs. I figured since the entire upper part of my body was mush, I may as well work the lower part. Oh my goodness! Just when I thought I couldn't get any more sore, Autumn gets you again! After the traditional warm-up, she introduces you to the pattern of which you will be doing for each of these moves. You do each move in full motion 20 times. Then, you pulse 20 times. And as if that's not painful enough, then there's a 30 second hold. I don't think there was a single move I was able to complete for this entire workout. I had to break the position more than once to regroup and then get back into the groove. This is no joke... which means that it's REALLY going to get my legs in awesome shape. So I will most definitely be incorporating Barre Legs into my weekly routine (perhaps I will do this instead of the Lower Fix for a few weeks --- and maybe throw it into another day too for some extra leg work). I can't wait to see the results I get with Barre Legs! Let's hope I'm able to walk tomorrow. :)

I want to leave you with a dose of reality, and proof that we are all human. I slipped off the eating plan this past week. I was doing so well sticking to it, and then my daughter and I both got sick this week. I kept up with the workouts but found myself snacking Cheerios, extra pasta I made for my daughter... I thought the carbs would make me feel better. CLEARLY not the case. So I restarted my Round 2 today and am sticking to those containers!! I picked myself back up and am ready to do this again... after all, summer is just around the corner!! I actually just finished my favorite lunch...



Eating on the eating plan doesn't have to be challenging and it doesn't starve you if you plan ahead. This salad is 2 green containers (my local supermarket sells a value size container of the Dole lettuce mix which is called 50/50 since it's half spring mix and half spinach), 1 red container (I stock up for a week or two at a time on the Purdue Short Cuts chicken to make my lunch super easy), and 1 orange container (I love the Dijon Vinaigrette dressing from the 21 Day Fix eating plan book --- note: this dressing also make a wonderful veggie dip if you don't want to make on of the creamier dressings). When you have the dressing prepped ahead of time, making this salad literally takes less than two minutes.

If you need more suggestions, feel free to refer to my (very basic) template I created when I started the Fix last month. I created this as a starting guide as I got use to what my daily intake should be, and I've tweaked it along the way depending on my mood. To see my template, view my previous post: Eating on the 21 Day Fix.

Let's lose some more inches and pounds with "The Fix"! :) Stay tuned for my results!! And I would LOVE to hear about yours too!

~ Aly

My 21 Day Fix - Round 1 Complete!

It seems like it was so long ago that I received my 21 Day Fix package from Beachbody. Though I started the workouts in early February, I started my first round of the 21 Day Fix Program (the workouts in conjunction with the eating plan) on Monday, February 24th. I was hopeful that this program would deliver, and let me tell you... it sure did!

If you've been following my posts, you know a little bit about the workouts and have seen the outline of my eating plan that I started with, along with some pictures of some of my meals so that you can tell that the portion sizes are actually quite substantial. The hardest part of this eating plan (at least for me since I fell into the category that consisted of the least amount of containers each day) is just making sure you're spacing out your meals properly so you eat all your food throughout the day... in other words, don't eat all your containers too early in the day!! I learned that I need one of my yellow (carb) containers in the afternoon so I make sure I have that saved... and maybe that was more mental than anything else. I'm a girl that loves my carbs (and wine!)

Photo Credit

I'm going to be 100% honest with you. There were days I "cheated" a little. I know... SHAME ON ME!!! I stuck to it so well the first week. And then the second week, I wanted to see what happened if I tried to play with the meals a little bit (instead of cooking my meat separately for dinner, I made a meatloaf one night, which of course did have some egg and bread in it, but I justified that it wasn't a substantial amount and had a little less rice to account for part of the carb and a little less of the meat to account for the egg in it too. It didn't seem to effect my progress, thankfully, however, I did have a celebratory dinner one Saturday night before my parents moved to Florida, as well as a baby shower to attend one day... I tried to stick to it the best I could. And despite veering a little off the eating plan a couple days, I still saw progress that I'm SUPER happy about.

21 Days Later...
* I'm down 5.3lbs
* Down 1.5" around my chest
* Down 0.75" around each bicep
* Down 1.25" around each thigh (YAY!)
* Down 1.75" around my waist (double YAY!)
* Down 1.0" around my hips (triple YAY, especially since I've had a baby... need I say more?!)

That's a total of 8.25 inches lost in 21 days just by cutting "crap" out of my diet and exercising 30 minutes a day. That's it!

Photo Credit: Janet Dick - I love her daily posts!

I also want to mention some non-scale victories too... because I think we often focus so much on the numbers we see on the scale, but that really isn't a sign of if someone is healthy.

* I've stopped using Splenda. No more chemicals. I started on Splenda several years ago (and I don't really remember how that started). Since I was tracking calories post-baby, I was loving a zero-calorie sweetener for my morning coffee. The 21 Day Fix suggests a packet of Raw Sugar or Stevia. I HATED this day one, but my taste buds actually adjusted to this pretty quickly and now I'm perfectly content with one Sugar in the Raw plus a little skim milk in my coffee (skim milk is suggested over a creamers or other milks).

* I stopped drinking diet soda. Do I miss it? Eh. I realized halfway through the 21 days that I could drink flavored sparkling water as long as it had zero calories. Dasani started selling new sparkling waters (in a can) so I picked up a case. Some days I drank it, some days I didn't. But I really don't miss it as much as I thought I would.

* I feel my body getting stronger with every single workout. I realize this sounds so cliché but I swear it's the truth. I'm not going to tell you that the workouts are easy because I would be lying (and let's be honest, who really thinks an EASY workout will give you results?!) The moves aren't challenging, and there are modifications to help you along if you need to make it a little easier to begin, so this workout is great for anyone at any workout level. What makes it hard? You're doing each move for a minute straight in most cases with the 21 Day Fix. What seems like it's not too hard initially can really become a challenge by the time the minute is up. As you start to get stronger, you can feel yourself pushing harder. Need more of a challenge? Up your weights! I will probably continue into Round 2 using my 5lb and 7lb weights, but will probably buy a set of 10lb weights soon for my heavy set and use the 7lb weights as my light set. Autumn says in one of the workouts, "If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you", and I remind myself of that daily. Moves I struggled with on Day 1, I found myself almost able to make it through this week. You've got to keep pushing... you can do this, and the harder you push, the better the results.

* I've been having a "breakage" problem with my hair for probably 4-5 years now. This one section just breaks more than the rest, and my hair stylist and I have come to the conclusion that it has to do with the way I've been sleeping since moving in with my husband (who moves a lot in his sleep... I have dodged flying arms from time to time). Drinking Shakeology for 6 weeks has actually reduced my breakage drastically!! I was so excited when I went in to see my stylist last week and she asked what I've done differently because it was looking great (and she asked if I'd lost weight... SCORE!) I told her about Shakeology and she said, "Keep doing whatever you're doing, because it's obviously helping you in more ways than one".

* I have been sleeping better at night. Especially since having my daughter over a year and a half ago, I have been waking up most nights 2-3 times. I don't know if it's the workouts, the Shakeology, or maybe I'm just more tired these days chasing a toddler around the house, but I've been sleeping through the night most nights the past 3 weeks. It's wonderful -- haven't done that without Advil since before I got pregnant in 2011!

The 21 Day Fix does have a great workout program overall, but Autumn stresses that you really need to following the eating plan to see results, and I can definitely understand that. She explains in the eating plan guide how to calculate how many containers to eat daily on the Fix, as well as how many you should eat if you're just looking to maintain your weight. I want to stress that this isn't a crash diet. It's a lifestyle change.



Photo Credit

My suggestions on being most successful on this plan...
* You need to be ready and willing to commit to the eating plan. It takes a little planning but I promise, it's worth it.
* Stick to the plan as closely as you can.
* Get the junk out of your house ahead of time so you're not tempted.
* Drink Shakeology. It can be a snack. It can be a meal. I drink mine after my workout. It counts as a red container (I get 4 red containers daily in my eating plan) and then depending on what you use to make it, you need to take those foods/containers into consideration too. But I truly believe this stuff helps tremendously. It has given me energy (note: there's no caffeine. There's no nuts. There are no common allergens in Shakeology, but definitely check before buying if you have any allergies). I love the chocolate flavor... blending a scoop of chocolate with a cup of cooled coffee, a half teaspoon of vanilla extract and ice is my favorite on the fix since the coffee is a "free" food. There are so many recipes for Shakeology, the possibilities are endless. I've pinned some on Pinterest if you want to get some ideas.
* Make sure you exercise EVERY DAY. It sounds like a lot but it's a half hour. I actually added the 10-minute abs workout three days a week so some days it might be 40 minutes... and if you choose to double up the third week like Autumn suggests (which is entirely up to you), it could be as much as an hour. Most days, I only did the one workout (or the one plus the abs) because I just don't always have time to workout for an hour.
* Join a challenge or accountability group on Facebook. Whether you are new to Beachbody and would want to work with me, or if you already have a coach you're working with, I cannot stress enough how helpful the challenge group I participated in was for me. These ladies kept it real. We posted pictures of our meals, pictures of our progress, sweaty post-workout pictures, questions we had, struggles we were faced with and supported one another. It's like having a whole group of friends to workout with. And no worries about anyone in the Facebook world seeing these pictures --- these challenge groups on Facebook are "secret" so only the members in the group can see them. (Like you want all your friends seeing a sweaty post-workout picture of you??) :)

I have before and after pictures from Day 1 and Day 21. I'm going to be honest - I'm still self-conscious about posting them for the world to see but if you're interested in seeing my progress to help encourage you to take the plunge, I would be more than happy to send them your way (you can message me here or on Facebook if you're following me there). Maybe I will be more confident after Round 2 to share them on here.

Questions? Concerns? Interested? I'm here to help however I can. Thanks for reading!
You can check out more on the 21 Day Fix at www.beachbodycoach.com/alyhirst

One week down... along with my scale and measurements!

Sorry this post is a day behind, my daughter ran the show yesterday. :)

It's been 7 whole days on the 21 Day Fix with the workouts and eating plan combined. If you've been following my blog, you will know I was a little intimidated by the containers. They look small when you're looking at them (at least they did to me)... until I filled them for the first time. Ummm in most cases, the food I was putting on my plate from the containers at meal time was actually MORE than I was usually putting on my plate!

I've lost 3.3lbs and 4 inches in the first 7 days on the eating plan with the workouts (I'm doing one workout a day plus adding the 10-minutes of abs at least three days a week).

Just a quick recap on how many containers I'm allowed daily for you to understand the examples I'm about to show you...
4 red containers (protein)
3 green containers (vegetables)
2 purple containers (fruit)
2 yellow containers (carbs)
1 blue container (healthy fats like cheeses, nuts and avocado)
1 orange container (dressings)
2 teaspoons (oils and nut/seed butters)

A few examples for you of breakfasts I've had this first week... note that the coffee has one packet of raw sugar and a small amount of skim milk, which is a freebie!!

Oatmeal with blueberries and raspberries (one yellow and one purple container);
I planned on having a Greek Yogurt too (one red container), but this left me full so I saved the yogurt for later

2 eggs scrambled (one red) with crumbled feta cheese (one blue container);
One slice of whole wheat toast (one yellow container ) with one teaspoon of natural peanut butter

These breakfasts have left me feeling full and satisfied (I've basically rotated through these, sometimes making my eggs over easy and saving the cheese for my salad for lunch). Having my coffee is key. I was so sad the first morning on this plan because I hated the way this coffee tasted. However, in a matter of 2 or 3 days, my taste buds adjusted to having my coffee this way.

Speaking of lunch, I've been a big fan of making a salad with protein (usually either chicken or hard boiled eggs). Filling two green containers with lettuce and mixed veggies makes a HUGE salad. Depending on if I save the cheese for the salad, I can add that, and usually use half of my salad dressing container for the salad too... here's my kale salad that I added broccoli slaw to (I have a toddler at home so I need quick and easy options to prep something sometimes), 2 eggs, feta cheese, and half an orange container.

I think dinner has surprised me the most. Look at all the food on this plate --- note, this is just ONE green, ONE red, and ONE yellow (plus half of an orange --- I used some salad dressing to give the chicken some flavoring).

 

 

I even survived a dinner out at Olive Garden (of all places!!) this past weekend. I knew where we would be going ahead of time so visited the website to see their Lighter Fare Menu to plan my day out so I was saving the proper containers (including a yellow for a glass of wine!!) Dining out doesn't mean you can usually follow the plan to a "T" but it felt like a success for me!

Being a part of a challenge group right now is really helping me stay on track. I think I would have splurged over the weekend with a second glass of wine and who knows what else if I didn't see everyone posting their meals and workouts, plus words of encouragement. If you wanted to join the next Challenge Group with this program starting on March 17 with my coach, Kristina @ Racing and Saving Mama, don't forget to pick up your 21 Day Fix Program! :)

I'm loving these workouts and feeling stronger every day. Autumn is right... it doesn't get easier, I'm just getting better. Thank you, Autumn! I can't wait to see how my results at the end of this with the successes I'm already having!

21 Day Fix: Yoga Fix

I would like to start by telling you I've never been a big Yoga fan. I've tried a couple of DVDs (one of which was several years ago when Yoga Booty Ballet first came out --- yes, this in fact is a Beachbody workout, long before I really knew what Beachbody was). I guess I just never felt that it did anything for me.

Given my past experience, I was skeptical when I finally gave the Yoga Fix workout from the 21 Day Fix  a try this morning. But then again, maybe I just never gave Yoga a good chance. I'm so use to being on the go and feeling that I constantly need to be doing something, that I don't like to slow down much. I was seriously contemplating turning the DVD off and doing the Pilates Fix in it's place, merely because I just didn't feel like doing Yoga. But I knew I needed to give it a try. About halfway through, I was feeling a really good (and much needed) stretch in my muscles... especially in my legs. In the last few minutes, I found myself thinking, "wow... this is a really good way to just unwind and take a bit of a time out from all the hard work I've done this week". And I actually started to wish there was an abbreviated version of this Yoga Fix to perhaps use as a stretch after each workout.

I'm no Yoga expert so I can't really give you a ton of feedback about how it compares to other Yoga workouts I've done. I recognized "Sun Salutation", "Downward Dog", the "Warrior" poses, and "Child's Pose". It overall was a really good workout and I look forward to starting to feel the burn again tomorrow!




Photo Credit

My Fitness Journey to Becoming a Beachbody Coach!

I don't think you can find someone who will tell you that being/staying fit is easy. Maybe some people are naturally slender (especially in their younger years), but once you have a baby, everything changes. Nothing is quite in the same place it was before. One of my sisters warned me that this would be the case, but I didn't believe her. At least in my case (as with many other friends and relatives who have had babies), this holds true.

I've always struggled with my weight. In my twenties, I can remember hitting the gym to spend up to an hour on the elliptical after work, but I never really was overly careful about what I ate. I used the excuse that I worked out to make it OK to splurge more. Not the case!! That will just completely undo your entire workout (and them some, in some cases). Of course, splurging from time to time is expecting and OK, within moderation. But overall, we need consistency in our diet and exercise. Before I got married in 2011, I went on a total workout kick, waking up early every day to bust my behind to my favorite workout DVDs in my living room. Naturally, that all went down the tubes on my honeymoon, I got pregnant a few months after that, and then this reality set in about living a healthy lifestyle for my family.

In February 2013, I started this blog to hold myself accountable and to share my journey with you. I know I'm not the only one that has struggled with eating right and staying active. I've never gotten my weight below 140lbs as an adult. At 5'3", I would ideally like to weigh around 130lbs but I know that it's not about the number on the scale but about how I feel. Inches lost mean more than pounds lost (seeing as muscle does weigh something too, right?)

I started getting into the Beachbody workouts through friends I made through a Facebook challenge group of bloggers. My first program was Brazil Butt Lift. I enjoyed it but it wasn't challenging enough for me at the time, so I stepped it up with some TurboFire: an amazing program that I quickly fell in love with. I felt guilty cheating on Jillian Michaels with Chalene Johnson but they both gave me such amazing workouts. As my daughter got a little older, her schedule became a little inconsistent (she's currently unable to decide if she wants to nap once or twice a day so I never know how much I can accomplish when she goes down for a nap), and working out for 45+ minutes on some days with TurboFire just wasn't feasible some does. Enter the new love of my life: the 21 Day Fix.

If you've been following my blog recently, you will see that I've been posting all about the 21 Day Fix workout program from Beachbody. I've been on the fence about becoming a Beachbody coach for nearly a year now and decided it was time to take the plunge... to fully commit to a healthy lifestyle and to inspire others to do the same. I've been so touched by those of you who follow my blog and Facebook page and have told me that I've inspired you --- so I'm hoping I can continue that trend and inspire others as well.

What I love about the 21 Day Fix so far is that it's a half an hour workout each day. It comes with an eating plan to follow to help guide you with portion control and to cut out the processed foods (at least for the 21 days).  I started the eating plan this week with the challenge group I'm participating in with my coach, Kristina @ Racing and Saving Mama. I will be completely honest: I was totally intimidated by the eating plan. It seemed like a lot of planning and the containers looked so small. When you actually figure out the eating plan, it's actually pretty simple. And once you fill those containers and empty them onto your plate... they are anything BUT small! If you plan your meals ahead of time and eat all your containers, you will not be hungry (I'm shocked I haven't been hungry). Three days on the eating plan and I've already lost nearly 3lbs. I assume the initial weight loss may be quicker than once I get further along. It's amazing what eating healthy foods, drinking water, and exercising only a half-hour a day can do for your body!

Back to the challenge group... it has helped to hold me accountable, offers plenty of advice from fellow participants on the same journey as I am, and continues to motivate and inspire me every day. This group is keeping me on track and I've never felt more motivated and excited. There's no excuse to not get in 30-minutes of exercise... it's just 30 minutes. This isn't a "dancey" workout. The instructor may be a female but this workout can really be for women AND men. There are always guys doing the Beachbody workouts I've tried but this workout is easily made more challenging for men but using heavier weights. It's all intervals. Guys, I dare you to try this workout!! :)

One more thing I do want to mention with Beachbody. When I purchased my 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack, it came with Shakeology. I've never believed in shakes... I just never found that they worked for me. They never curbed my appetite, made me feel more energetic... or anything that they claimed they would do. They had the vitamins and minerals that the bottle said, and that was about it. Well, after much contemplation, I decided I had nothing to lose in trying Shakeology... and I'm SO glad I did. I love these shakes already (and I'm still playing with the different flavors). These nutrient dense shakes DO fill me up and do help with my cravings for sweets (probably because my favorite combination is the chocolate Shakeology with dark chocolate almond milk and PB2). If you know me personally, you know I have a mega sweet tooth so the fact that something can actually help with this is amazing to me. I was so hesitant to try these shakes but they are worth every penny! I drink mine after my workout... yum! And (while I was not a happy-go-lucky pregnant woman in 2012), it's refreshing to know that whenever I do venture down that road again, I will absolutely be getting plenty of nutrients during my pregnancy that I probably didn't get when I was pregnant with my daughter due to my nausea (and constant cravings for pasta!)

Want to know more? Want to try some of these workouts or Shakeology? Feel free to ask any questions you may have (whether it's here on my blog, on my Facebook page, or by visiting my Beachbody website). I would love to help you along your journey to living a healthier lifestyle along with me. Interested in picking up your own 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack? The $140 sale (which includes a month of Shakeology --- valued itself at $130!!) ends tomorrow (2/28/14). Don't miss out! If you do purchase through me, make sure you send me a note so I can get you added to the next Challenge Group on Facebook!

Thank you for following my journey! :)

~ Aly

Eating for the 21 Day Fix

Alright guys... so the 21 Day Fix isn't all about working out, but it's about eating right too. This program comes with your workout DVDs as well as a booklet that explains the eating plan --- complete with your own personal portion controlled containers.

Autumn explains that this eating plan to follow for 21 days is about 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat, which will not only assist with weight loss but also fuel you for some energy. You can eat on this plan for the 21 days and then she explains how she recommends you proceed (there's a formula to calculate what you eat during the 21 days and then another formula to determine what you should eat at an increased calorie count afterward).

I know I've read the shortcuts as to how you "estimate" portion sizes using your hand. Let's be honest: how often do we really follow that, and how accurate is it? And using scales can be so tedious. These containers that come with the 21 Day Fix program take the guess work out of portion control and will help adjust your eyes to know what the proper portions of each food should be. They say abs are made in the kitchen... it's 80% food and 20% exercise. As someone who has never had defined abs, I want to test this out, FOR REAL! This program is designed to allow you some of those splurges you may need during the week... a glass of wine here or there, some chocolate... it's all about learning to re-train your brain to not expect those splurges daily (like an after dinner dessert). Moderation is key.

I'm going to be completely honest. When I first read through the eating plan, I was totally intimidated. There's a formula in the booklet that will help you determine your daily calorie target, which helps you to determine how many servings of each container you are allowed each day. I will give you a quick overview so you have an idea of what's going on here...

I'm in the 1,200-1,499 calorie range (which is the lowest range), therefore, I am allowed each of the following in one day...
3 Green Containers (veggies)
2 Purple Containers (fruits)
4 Red Containers (protein - note that a scoop/packet of Shakeology counts as 1 red container, and then you need to take whatever you add to it beyond water/ice into account)
2 Yellow Containers (starch/grain)
1 Blue Container (healthy fats --- includes things like avocado and a variety of nuts and cheeses)
1 Orange Container (seeds/21 Day Fix dressings)
2 Teaspoons (a variety of nut butters and oils --- note: a teaspoon is not included in the package)

There's a page in the eating plan booklet that explains all of the approved items that fall within each container, and they're listed from top (most recommended items) to bottom (approved but least recommended). So essentially to see the best results, Autumn suggests that you pick items that are higher on the list. There's a list of seasonings (which you can use in unlimited amounts) and dressings (which account as an orange container) that you can make with this program that are approved, as well as some recipe suggestions. Want to splurge one day? You can use a milk in your Shakeology up to 3 times a week if you want to swap out a yellow container each time you use it. The book explains how much milk you can use depending on the type of milk (or juice) you use. Same goes for wine --- 4oz of wine accounts for a yellow container. And there's a list of some cookies you can make to swap out too. So this eating plan really gives you a lot of options.

The more I thought about this, the more I was determined to give this a try. I'm going to be starting with my Coach's challenge group on Monday, February 24 (which means I have through this weekend to get all the junk out of the house that I don't want to tempt me!!) I have created a very basic schedule to start with for this eating plan... once I become more comfortable with it, I plan to venture outside the box a little more and get creative. After all, who wants to eat the same thing every day (or every other day, for that matter) for 3 weeks? Here's what my (very) basic plan to start looks like... I color coded it to correspond with containers (and where you see "PB" is for natural peanut butter). I am sure it won't take long to get adjusted to this, but I'm a very visual person and wanted to have something to "see" each day to make sure I get every container in... If this sounds like something you would also like to try, feel free to reach out to me here on the blog or via email on my website.

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
	Total Body plus Fix for Abs (10)	Upper Fix	Lower Fix plus Fix for Abs (10)	Pilates	Cardio plus Fix for Abs (10)	Dirty 30	Yoga
Breakfast: Can add cheese (Blue) to eggs if not eating almonds for PM snack	2 eggs; Wheat toast w/PB	Plain Greek Yogurt w/cinnamon; Oatmeal w/cinnamon; Fruit	2 eggs; Wheat toast w/PB	Plain Greek Yogurt w/cinnamon; Oatmeal w/cinnamon; Fruit	2 eggs;  Wheat toast w/PB	Plain Greek Yogurt w/cinnamon; Oatmeal w/cinnamon; Fruit	2 hard boiled eggs; Oatmeal w/cinnamon; Fruit
AM Snack	Very Berry Shakeology	Vanilla Mocha Shakeology	Very Berry Shakeology	Vanilla Mocha Shakeology	Very Berry Shakeology	Vanilla Mocha Shakeology	Vanilla Mocha Shakeology
Lunch (2 Green): Sub chicken for hard boiled eggs on non-egg days; swap veggies out daily	Kale or Spinach; Tomato or Carrots or Red Cabbage; Chicken; Dressing	Kale or Spinach; Tomato or Carrots or Red Cabbage; Chicken; Dressing	Kale or Spinach; Tomato or Carrots or Red Cabbage; Chicken; Dressing	Kale or Spinach; Tomato or Carrots or Red Cabbage; Chicken; Dressing	Kale or Spinach; Tomato or Carrots or Red Cabbage; Chicken; Dressing	Kale or Spinach; Tomato or Carrots or Red Cabbage; Chicken; Dressing	Kale or Spinach; Tomato or Carrots or Red Cabbage; Chicken; Dressing
PM Snack: One can be after dinner as "dessert"	Fruit and Almonds	Apple w/PB and Almonds	Fruit and Almonds	Apple w/PB and Almonds	Fruit and Almonds	Apple w/PB and Almonds	Apple w/PB and Almonds
Dinner: Cook protein in EVOO (1 tsp); can swap any protein, veg or starch as desired	Chicken with Seasoning; Green beans; Sweet Potato	Chicken with Seasoning; Green beans; brown rice	Chicken with Seasoning; Green beans; Sweet Potato	Chicken with Seasoning; Green beans; brown rice	Chicken with Seasoning; Green beans; Sweet Potato	Chicken with Seasoning; Green beans; brown rice	Chicken with Seasoning; Green beans; brown rice
	Green (Veg): 3	Purple (Fruit): 2	Red (Protein): 4	Yellow (Starch): 2	Blue (Nuts; Cheeses): 1	Orange (Seed; Dressing): 1	Tsp (Oils; Butters): 2
Free foods: water; lemon/lime juice; vinegars; mustard; herbs; spices (except salt); garlic; ginger; extracts; 21 Day Fix Seasonings