Brazil Butt Lift - Week 1 Complete!

I noticed I was getting a lot of questions about the new Brazil Butt Lift workout I just started. So I figured a special post about it would help you to better understand the workout... in case you were looking for a new routine! As the Beachbody website states:

"Shape, lift, and firm your behind with Leandro Carvalho's Brazil Butt Lift Workout. The world's top supermodels work out with Leandro, the "Brazilian Butt Master," and you can too with his in-home DVD fitness program."

Photo Credit

Leandro has worked with world renowned supermodels. So yes, I absolutely trust him to get me into shape. When I received my package via FedEx (I was SUPER excited), I noticed it came with a tape measure with instructions to measure myself before I started so I can measure after four weeks to see the inches I've lost --- and I can't wait! I read through the booklet about the workout and the first thing that really made me smile: The Pencil Test. Basically, when you start, it is assumed that your butt is not "lifted" so you should be able to essentially hold a pencil between your butt and glutes. But by the end of four weeks, your butt should be lifted so unable to hold a pencil. I was able to hold with the left cheek but not the right... Guess only my right cheek is in shape. :) There's also a resistance band to help with additional toning for one of the workouts (it's not suggested you start using it until after the first week so I haven't used it yet --- I got a great workout with it though). 

There are a few different calendars that are suggested to follow, depending on the shape of your butt. The options: Lift & Shape (the flat solution for flat butts); Slim & Shape (the pear solution for those pear shaped); Slim & Lift (the too big solution for the butt that is too big); and if you don't fit into any of these categories specifically, there's the Combination (the classic solution). I am following the Combination calendar since I want to tone my butt and thighs and waist. Hoping it will help with cellulite too. :)

Week 1 Schedule 

Monday: Bum Bum and Tummy Tuck --- about 50 minutes total (30 cardio and 20 of pure abs --- ouch!!)

Tuesday: Cardio Axe and High & Tight (no equipment) --- about 70 minutes total (30 cardio and 40 toning... Serious toning)

Wednesday: Scupt (with weights) --- about 50 minutes of serious toning all over 

Thursday: Cardio Axe and High & Tight (no equipment)

Friday: Bum Bum and Tummy Tuck

Saturday: Cardio Axe and High & Tight (no equipment)
Sunday: Rest (though I will work in some sort of workout anyway)

The calendar each week moves the workouts around so it's not the same routine every week which will help keep me from getting bored too quickly.

Let me preface my thoughts so far by saying that I have been working out nearly every single day since January 1. I'm not as sore as I expected to be given how intense the Beachbody workouts are known to be (after all, they sell Insanity and P90X). If I started this workout in January, I have no doubt I would have trouble walking after most of these workouts, laughing after Tummy Tuck, and lifting my 25lb daughter after Sculpt. Brazil Butt Lift definitely means business. Don't get me wrong, I feel the burn. One second, I will say to myself, "this isn't so bad", and then less than a minute later, I feel like I have been pushed well beyond my limits, but not to the point that I can't go about my day. So yes, I think this is a fantastic workout!

If you are worried about learning the moves, there's a 15 minute basics workout you can go through to learn the basics in advance, and this will help you get a feel for the workouts ahead of you. I found that the moves helped me prepare for some of the more challenging moves in the Bum Bum workout but that was about it. I also received a bonus DVD called "Leandro's Secret Weapon Workout" --- the case states that it's a "precision 20-minute toning routine" that "takes aim at your trouble zones and helps you transform them". I will let you know how this is when I give it a try as I haven't worked that into my routine just yet.

Overall, I am loving this workout so far. It's not primarily cardio based like some of the other workouts so I'm not burning as many calories as I would hope to be, but I have no doubt I am going to see results by the end of my first four weeks on this program. 

If you have questions about the workout, I would be more than happy to answer what I can for you! I will keep everyone up to date on how everything is going as time progresses. 

Friday Food Frenzy 9

It felt good to get back on the cooking bandwagon this week. I don't know about you but I tend to go through phases where I just don't feel like cooking an all-out dinner. I prefer taking the easier way out sometimes --- marinading some chicken breasts and popping  them in the oven, a side of rice of some sort (more so for my husband --- I personally don't love rice) and veggies.

First recipe of the week: Skinny Baked Burritos, compliments of Skinny Mom. I did slightly modify this recipe. I'm not a mushroom fan, and this recipe calls for fat free cream of mushroom soup. I used Amy's Organic Low Fat Cream of Tomato in its place, and also subbed Sargento Reduced Fat Mexican 4 Cheese in place of the Monterey Jack Cheese the recipe called for. And I used the La Tortilla Factory High Fiber/Low Carb tortillas. When I plugged this recipe into My Fitness Pal, it actually calculated as 249 calories per burrito (40 calories less than the original recipe notes). Even better! I decided while making these up that I wanted to make 6 burritos instead of 8 --- when I made Skinny Enchiladas awhile back, they seemed a little skimpy on the meat and I ended up eating 2. It made more sense to just put more meat into the tortillas so I ended up not eating more than I should have (which worked out well because there wouldn't have been enough room in the dish for 8 of them). If you go this route and follow the recipe with the products I used, it would be 332 calories per burrito. These were super yummy --- next time, I might add some salsa into the burrito before I roll them up for a little extra kick. Here's my final product!

Second recipe of the week: Skinny Chicken Pesto Bake, compliments of Skinnytaste. This recipe is actually two parts as first you need to make the Skinny Basil Pesto. I was able to prepare this in advance and can use the leftovers (wasn't too much) for maybe a sandwich (I don't do mayo so this will be perfect!) I will definitely be preparing this pesto in larger quantities ahead of time next time to have some on hand. This was a very fresh tasting dinner. The pesto with the fresh tomato and mozzarella made it feel like summer, kind of like a caprese salad. Yum!

As part of the Beachbody fitness programs, they encourage you to drink their protein shakes, Shakeology. I've never been into any kind of shakes to be honest. I've tried a few through the years. Special K has protein shakes... They are too artificial tasting for me. I know Slim Fast doesn't count as a protein shake but I went through phases where I would drink one of their cappuccino flavored shakes for breakfast at work since it was just easier than sitting down to eat in the morning. I felt like those were a little more filling, but that was the only flavor I ever liked that they made. Shakeology costs a little more than I'd like to spend on a shake as a stay at home mom, but I did receive a sample from, a Beachbody coach that I'm going to try, so I w,l keep you posted on that...

I was poking around in the health aisle at my grocery store and came across Evolve. It's a new "naturally flavored" protein shake made by Muscle Milk. There wasn't a lot on the Evolve website but here's a perfect quote from PR Newswire to explain what Evolve is and why it's good for you:

"Evolve™ is a naturally flavored, 110-calorie protein beverage that can serve as a complement to any woman's evolution toward a healthy lifestyle.  The delicious and nutritious shake contains 12 grams of high-quality protein, 20 vitamins and minerals and is an excellent source of fiber. Evolve is sweetened with stevia, monk fruit and cane sugar and includes Tonalin® CLA, which helps reduce body fat and enhances lean muscle.  Evolve is lactose and gluten free. The beverage complements a smart nutrition plan that, when combined with a balanced exercise program, may contribute to weight management and recovery from exercise. Evolve is shaped by Muscle Milk and is available in five flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla Crème, Strawberry, Mixed Berry and Café Latte.  CytoSport™, the maker of Muscle Milk and Evolve, is one of the largest sport nutrition companies in the U.S. and offers a complete line of protein-enhanced products including powders, shakes and bars."

The only flavors I saw in my grocery store were the chocolate and vanilla creme so I bought a pack of both. 4 shakes per pack at $5.99. Not too shabby. To be honest, I didn't have high hopes for these, but they were both delicious, though I think I prefer the chocolate. The vanilla was reminiscent of a Vanilla Fribble from Friendly's (just not as thick), but the chocolate tasted more natural for some reason to me. I can't quite put my finger on why that is yet. There wasn't any funny aftertaste and neither tasted artificial, which is a huge feat for the chocolate flavor in particular.

I hope you've enjoyed this week's Food Frenzy Friday. Stay tuned to see what next week has in store for me... and have a wonderful holiday weekend!

~ Aly

Food Frenzy Friday 8

TGIF! Shame on me... No new recipes this week. I feel like the weeks this month are just flying by since we've been away every weekend so far. When we're not home, I have trouble sitting down to really focus on picking out new recipes to try during the week. I realize my daughter takes 2 naps a day but that's when I workout, shower, unwind, and try to get caught up on things around the house. Fortunately, we aren't going anywhere this weekend so expect a new recipe next week!

But I do have a couple grocery store finds this week:

Arnold Sandwich Thins - I've seen these numerous times in the store and stumbled across a coupon for them a decided to give them a try. They are only 100 calories --- helps you to save some of those calories from the standard 90-100 calories per slice of most breads. They are actually pretty good! And they taste like bread, just thinner. I tried the whole wheat - these are a lot easier to handle than the previous Pocket Thins I had blogged about since they can't tear when you make the sandwich. These are my new sandwich "go-to's".  These Sandwich Things come in 6 different varieties. Check them out!

Photo Credit: Arnold

Dole Fruit Squish'ems (Apple Mixed Berry) - I had a coupon for these too. I probably wouldn't have known about these otherwise. I think my daughter is going to love these in another month or two. It's essentially just applesauce in a pouch. It's even suggested that you can freeze them and eat them as a slushy (which I definitely want to try --- right now they are just refrigerated). A great snack to take on the go. No added sugars or high fructose corn syrup. They come in Apple, Apple Mixed Berry, and Apple Strawberry. I noticed while I was picking these up that Mott's has their own pouches too so there are plenty of options and varieties to try if you have an applesauce preference. Of course, going straight for the fruit itself is the healthiest option but these are easy to take on the go. 

Photo Credit: Dole

Stay tuned for my new post on Tuesday --- and a new recipe next Friday!! Have a wonderful weekend!!

~ Aly

Food Frenzy Friday 7

Welcome back to Food Frenzy Friday!

I'll be perfectly honest --- with my week getting off to a late start, it was a very lazy week in the kitchen, so no fun recipes this week. But I did have a few good grocery store finds to share.

Photo Credit: Chobani

Calling Greek Yogurt lovers: Introducing Chobani Flip. Yogurt with a side you can dip or mix. I went for the Raspberry Choco Mix (vanilla chocolate chip yogurt with a side of raspberries). I loved the flavor, but the texture of the chocolate chips felt funny --- like they were crunchier than I had expected them to be. There are several other options you can try --- I think the Key Lime Crumble is next on my list. A great alternative when you have a bit of a sweet tooth but don't want to throw your workout out the window.

Photo Credit: Healthy Choice

As I was roaming the grocery store, I wandered into the frozen food section. I try to keep my lunches at home simple, so I like to keep some Weight Watchers Smart Ones in the freezer as backup. Directly next to the Smart Ones in the freezer was Healthy Choice. I can't remember the last time I'd tried Healthy Choice (primarily because I remember looking at the nutritional information close to 10 years ago when I was doing the old LA Weight Loss Program and seeing a higher count of sodium in Healthy Choice. But I saw their new "Top Chef" line and was inclined to give them a try. I found it interesting that they now list the Weight Watchers PointsPlus values on the back of their boxes. Smart of them! Anyway, I grabbed the Grilled Chicken Marinara with Parmesan and saw how these Top Chef meals are noted to be "steamers". I didn't know what to expect but there was actually a mini steaming basket with the food in it on top of the bowl which had the sauce in the bottom of it. Genius idea! The one thing I always hated about frozen meals is how soggy it tastes after it's microwaved. This was not the case with Healthy Choice Top Chef! It was actually super yummy. There is even a coupon on their website if you want to give these a try. You can find your $1.00 off any (3) Top Chef Cafe Steamers coupon here. I definitely plan to try several others in their Top Chef line --- Chicken Fresca with Chardonnay and Crustless Chicken Pot Pie are on the top of my list to try next!

Photo Credit: Naked Juice

Well, I also tried something that is not a new product but something I finally gave in and tried. Naked Juice's famous "Green Machine". I'm a very visual person. If I don't like the way something looks (or smells), I won't try it. But as I keep trying to push myself to try new things, I decided to at least read the information on the bottle before I jumped to judge. This says it best, directly from their website:  

“Looks weird.” Sip. “Tastes amazing.” Sip. “Like apples. And kiwi.” Sip. “Hey, 10 green turbo nutrients?” Sip. “Still looks weird.” But there’s nothing weird about this flavorful blend of apple and kiwi, so delicious that you won’t even notice the 10 green turbo boosts.

I loved it! You can't taste the veggies in this juice, I promise! It's loaded with nutrients (though I did noticed there isn't any fiber in this juice). Please note though that their most common size bottles are 15.2oz and one serving is only 8oz, so the 140 calories they note per serving is for about half the bottle. I love that there are no added sugars in this juice. I'd be interested in buying one of the large bottles (32oz) to keep in my fridge to drink a glass of this after my workouts. I also want to try the two juices they have with coconut water --- Peach Guava with Coconut Water and Pineapple Mango with Coconut Water. Sounds yummy to be!

Photo Credit: FruitWater

Finally, I've been trying to give up my Caffeine Free Diet Coke/Pepsi. I like having a can in the afternoon since it tricks my body into thinking I'm having a regular soda with caffeine to keep my energy up. Silly? Absolutely! Well, right at the end of one of the aisles in the grocery store, there was a display for FruitWater --- a new "naturally flavored sparkling water beverage" by Glaceau (makers of VitaminWater). I decided it was worth a try for zero calories to replace my soda fixation. Love this product! There are only 5 flavors so far, and of the 5, I tried the Orange Mango, Black Raspberry, and Watermelon Punch. The Orange Mango is by far my favorite. Might be a good mixer at a picnic as the weather gets warmer. 

I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day Weekend! I'll be back next week (hopefully) with a new recipe! :)

~Aly

Fitness Resources

Happy Tuesday! I'm just returning home from spending the weekend in Connecticut with my family as we celebrated our (Orthodox) Easter. Skinny food was not on the menu on Sunday (plus Easter candy was put in front of me --- if you've missed my last posts, I have a mega sweet tooth)... I did workout each day though! Regardless, I did not lose weight. In fact, the scale shows me up one pound just from one rough day. I'm not going to let that get me down though (especially since that's my first big splurge of the year). I didn't even do that for my own Birthday!

Major news this week. I now have a Facebook Page! If you haven't liked me yet, please do! And invite your friends!! I made it to 50 likes in the first two days --- would love to see that hit triple digits this week!!

I'm excited to be starting a new workout routine this week! One of my oldest friends, Danielle, has sent me Beach Body's Insanity. Am I insane for accepting this offer? Most likely. But I know where the scale is right now is where I typically plateau, so I need to kick it up a notch. I am fully prepared for a total butt kicking and realize I probably won't be able to do a lot of the exercises on the DVDs, but the saying goes: "Train insane or stay the same." You won't want to miss this!!

3 weeks left in Slim by the Summer. This week's topic: fitness resources. Where do I turn when it comes to my fitness routine and advice to stay on track? I love the Internet. Anything you could imagine is on the web. Of course, you know this already! I love Pinterest. I have an entire board dedicated to fitness routines and exercises. Another board dedicated to healthy recipes. I love these boards and make sure they keep growing. Feel free to follow my boards as they grow --- each board currently has over 250 pins!

I receive frequent emails from Women's Health Magazine (and Men's Health sometimes too). They share exercise tips and healthy food suggestions. I haven't been shy in sharing my love for Jillian Michaels. I admire her and think she's absolutely amazing. She is living proof that you can struggle with your weight growing up and still live a healthy lifestyle and stay fit as an adult. She was in Philly on Friday night but sadly I was getting everything packed up for the weekend away so I couldn't go see her on her Maximize Your Life Tour (and of course her Connecticut appearance was the day before so I missed that too). But I think she is a total rock star and strive to be more like her. I hope I can meet her someday!

But I also turn to friends and family for their thoughts too. What has worked for them? They are wonderful sounding boards. I love asking for tips on My Fitness Pal and Facebook. When Danielle (who I mentioned above) read my Tending to my Trouble Spots post, she shared all her tips of how she got these trouble spots to be lean and toned. She has faith that I can do this... Nearly 25 years of friendship, I think it's safe to say she knows when I give something everything I've got, that I can do it... And I WILL!! I just may need to be carried afterward. :)

So what are your fitness resources?

~ Aly

Favorite Fitness Quotes

My apologies for my Monday post being on Tuesday. I normally prep myself over the weekend but something came up. So here I am - Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a great weekend.

Just an update on where I'm at right now. This week's weigh-in has me down 1.4 lbs. Not as much as I had hoped for with the extra workouts I put in this past week, but it's ok because I now weigh 0.7 lbs less than I did on my wedding day and am 1.3 lbs away from my first goal!! When I hit that number, I will share my starting and current pics as I post my new goal! :)

Slim by the Summer is almost over. This week's theme: favorite fitness quotes. I love quotes. All quotes. I have a whole board on Pinterest devoted to quotes. I actually follow Fitness and Faithfulness: Committed to Both on Facebook and her blog via Bloglovin'. Janet Dick (Blogger extraordinaire turned Beach Body Coach) posts several quotes daily that keep me on my toes and motivated to keep on moving as I inch closer to my fitness goals. I find her to be such an inspiration and look forward to her posts every day.

There are far too many I love as I went through her page. But here are a couple I love. I encourage you to check out her Facebook page and/or follow her on Pinterest if you like these because she posts daily! I would post hundreds of these but you're better off checking it out yourself. :) All of the below images are credited to Janet's Facebook Page.

One more note: Next week's post will likely be on Tuesday as well as I will be traveling on Monday so won't have a chance to weigh in. See you all for Food Frenzy Friday!!

~ Aly

Raising Imperfection Sunday Link Party

I'm excited and honored to be co-hosting this Sunday's Raising Imperfection Link Party! Come back to link up your blog and check out the awesome bloggers who will be linking up as well.

It’s Sunday! ~ Welcome to Week #24 of Raising Imperfection!

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It's your favorite post link party! Link your funny stories, best recipes, parenting successes, parenting fails, DIY projects and tips, photo bomb posts and more! Please DO NOT link giveaways, other link parties or sponsored posts. This is all about a favorite post YOU have written! Then…come back for Feature Fridays! Leslie and I choose our favorite links from the link up and feature them!

If you missed last week's features, you can see them HERE

Please grab our button and help this link up grow!

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Co-Hosts for this week:

Stephanie ~ Life's Little Adventures

Aly ~ Fit Mom

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