If I Can Do It, So Can You!

Week 3 of P90X is coming to a close.  I have Friday and Saturday left before recovery week starts.  I wish I could say I have been eating well this week but, I have made a few questionable choices.  It is amazing how one bad meal, leads to another, and another, and another.  I am not happy with myself right now.  I want to say that I am not "beating  myself" up over it but, that is not true.  That not so small voice in my head is saying "why bother, you aren't going to lose any weight anyway".  Be quiet!!!  That voice is so annoying but, it does hold one point.  I am not going to lose weight if I don't combine my hard work exercising with eating right.  When I say eating right, I mean not going back for more birthday cake at 10 at night.  I am eating better but, I still struggle with going to food to "comfort" me.  I am still learning how to overcome the cravings that I do have.  BUT I CAN DO THIS, even if I don't feel like it can happen, it will, it has to. 

WE CAN ALL DO THIS.  Despite the voices that tell me I can't, I have continued to move forward.  Let me tell you, it is not easy, especially when you are doing Ab Ripper X and you have kids running around you or asking you questions.  It is very hard to answer questions and stay focused on trying to get through Ab Ripper!  The only time of day that I can work out is when all 5 kids are awake.  I know it sounds crazy to even attempt but, if I want to do it, this is when it needs to get done.  For the most part the kids will leave me alone but, when it starts to go downhill, it goes downhill fast! 

On the positive side, my kids are being exposed to Mark and I taking better care of ourselves. When I was a kid, I never had that exposure.  In fact, I was always the kids lagging behind in the back while we had to run around the football field in gym class.  Exercise and me where never friends.  The best part for me is when they exercise with us.  It makes all the other distractions worthwhile.

I tell you this because I want you to believe you can do it.  No matter what your schedule is like, how many kids you have, whatever other "excuse" you may have, if you want to get take better care of yourself, so you can enjoy your life more fully, you will find away to do it.  There are days when I just feel like I don't have the energy to get through it but, somehow I do.  Does get go smoothly all the time, no.  Sometimes it is so bumpy I am surprised I get anything out of it at all.  What I get out of it is the confidence and power to do it again tomorrow.  I show myself that I can work through obstacles to achieve my goals.  Am I to all my goals yet?  No.  That is ok.  Fitness, like anything in life is a journey.  Sometimes the journey is smooth and sometimes you hit big potholes!  We just need to climb out of those holes and keep going. 

So let's keep going together, shall we?  If you want to go on this journey with me, contact me at aclow75@gmail.com. 

I am putting together a nutrition challenge group on facebook that I would love to have you aboard for. 

In this group we will list daily how we are eating and what kind of exercise we are doing. 

I also ask that in this group that you drink Shakeology once a day.  If you are not familiar with it, it is an AMAZING drink made my Beachbody.  It is a meal replacement drink that tastes to good to be healthy!  Check out the link above and it will give you all info you need about it.  It will really help in curbing your cravings and help to lose weight.

I will be getting the group read on FB to start this challenge on July 29th.  The challenge will last for 6 weeks.  Let's see what you can accomplish!

As Tony Horton would say from P90X, "Do your best and forget the rest"!

Boy Mom Bloghop Welcome!

Hello Moms of Terrors...oh I mean, sweet boys :-)  I came across this on someones blog and this sounded like fun!  I am the mom of 1 girl and 4 boys.  My kids range in age from 9 yrs to almost 3 years old! 

Here is the rundown of the boys:

Daniel is my oldest son and he is 7 years old.  He is wild and crazy but he has the biggest heart.  He loves his momma :-)  He is also a very good big brother to his 3 little brothers!  He is always hugging someone, sometimes to rough but, love hurts sometimes ;-)

Up next are the twins, Michael and Matthew.  They are 4 1/2 years old.  They are amazing because they both have cerebral palsy and beat the odds everyday!  They were born at 32 weeks and spent 7 weeks in the NICU.  When they were 2 we found out that they had cerebral palsy.  Please check out my previous blogs about them. They are beautiful, wonderful and our families inspiration!

Last but not least, is Christopher.  He will turn 3 in September.  He is a ball of energy.  He is such a big help to his big brothers.  Sometimes I think I have triplets because Christopher, Michael and Matthew get into all kinds of mischief.  He is a very independent little boy but, will still sit with me and snuggle.  He is my baby!

The games these boys love to play is anything that has to do with Star Wars or Superheros. They are always dressing up as Batman, Robin, Spiderman, Superman...  They also love to look at books, do puzzles and color/draw. 

As for me, I work part-time out of the home and I am also an Independent Beachbody Coach.  Beachbody has changed my life in enabling me to exercise at home and make extra money from home.  I am committed to being healthy so I can be stronger mentally, emotionally and physically to take care of my family.  The kids love to exercise with me so I feel that I am teaching them good habits at an early age.  If you are interested in learning more about Beachbody (they are the makers of P90X), please contact me.  I know I could help you reach your fitness goals!  Right now my husband & I are doing P90X together and are having a great time getting fit together.

Thanks for visiting my blog, I hope you stay awhile!

 



Week 3 of P90X begins!

Today I start Week 3 of P90X.  I feel like I am starting to see some results.  My stomach looks flatter (all that Ab Ripper X) and my chest muscles feel tighter ( I can use all the lift I can get ;-) ) 

Unfortunately, I have been SO TIRED.  Ever since last mid-last week I have been dragging tail.  The only thing I can think of is I am not fueling my body enough.  The nutrition plan says I should be eating around 2400 calories.  What!?  I don't know how I could eat all those calories so, I haven't been.  I think I am starting to pay the price for that.  These workouts are SERIOUS. You are pushing your body hard and if you don't give your body what it needs, it starts to not work.  Carbs is what gives your body energy and if you are not eating enough of them (good carbs; like whole grains, brown rice, potatoes, etc) you will run out of steam.  This week I am going to add some more healthy carbs to my diet to see if that helps with my energy levels. 

Sleep is also important.  Never underestimate the power of sleep!  I have also been going to bed late between 10:30 pm and 12:00 am.  That is late for me.  My day starts around 6:30 am so, not going to bed till 11 or almost midnight is bad.  Sleep is when your body repairs itself  and I know my body needs repairing and a massage too but I digress...

I am also cutting out coffee this week and most especially the yummy creamers.  I am going to try green tea instead and see how that goes. To tell the truth, the caffeine in coffee doesn't seem to help me wake up, it just tastes good with the fancy creamers I put in there.

Here's to Week 3 of P90X!  Next week is Recovery Week!

Days 10 & 11 Down

I am on Day 11 of P90X and it is going well so far.  I have lost 2 lbs since I started.  I won't take measurements again to Day 30.  I have been eating pretty well for a change and not doing a lot of late night snacking (that always gets me

Last night was a little rough for me.  I was super tired and the only time I could exercise was after 7:30 pm and I was not interested.  I did Cardio X and I felt like it was the first time I had ever exercised.  I was all uncoordinated, stiff and sore.  It wasn't pretty but, I did it.  It doesn't have to be pretty, you just have to do it.  Toward the end my littlest son, Christopher was holding my hand :-)

On another note, I wanted to talk briefly about McDonalds (or any fast food place).  It used to be that if I used to eat a lot of fast food (at least 2-3 times a week).  I could never stop and get the kids food without getting something for myself.  That has been changing for me in the last few months.  I am finding I can stop now and not get anything for myself  or even "snack" off the kids food.  I know the fast food isn't the best for them but, we do get it from time to time for them.  I will get it for the twins after therapy as a treat for all their hard work.  They love cheeseburgers!  At first I thought I was "missing out" because I couldn't have any. Now, it is different.  I feel like I am doing something good for myself and I am not missing out on the 1000 calorie meals! 

Healthy living is a process and journey.  I used to think it was some destination I was going to reach.  I am seeing better now that healthy eating, like life,  is a process and you never reach a point and say, "ok I'm done, I can stay here."  You can't be stagnate in life, you are either moving forward or going backward.  Let's make the steps forward more than the steps back!

Sweaty, Stinky and Loving it!

I know, that is not what you expect a woman to say, "I am sweaty, stinky and loving it".  In this situation, it is true.  I am really enjoying the feeling of accomplishing a workout.  It may not look pretty, or smell pretty but the end result is. 

Today was Kenpo X and my husband and I brought it!  It really is a fun workout and the hour really flies by!  It felt great when I was done and I was able to get some stress out with all the punching and kicking :-)  I was also really happy because my chocolate Shakeology and Results & Recovery came in the mail today.  So, I fueled with Shakeology and had an awesome workout!  Even my older kids punched and kicked with us.  You know what they say, "the family that exercises together stays together". 



http://www.stargazers.org/



On a completely different note, we talk the kids to the planetarium this morning.  It was the first time we had ever taken them there.  They really enjoyed and so did Mark and I.   The kids are looking forward to tonight to go outside and see the "real" stars :-)  We even got to look through a telescope at the sun today and that was  WAY COOL ( I know, I am geek but, that is ok)! 

Here's to a day filled with sweat & stars!

Listen to Tony!

Well, so much for posting everyday.  It being the 4th yesterday, I enjoyed time with family and friends but did manage to get my workout in the morning. 

On Day 2 was Plyo X.  Plyo has a lot of jumping and is a great cardio workout.  I had done it before and for the most part, liked it.  I had to do it after 7:30 at night which is a hard time of night for me to be motivated to jump :-\  We put the DVD on and pressed play!  It was going fairly well but, I was getting very tired at the end and my heart rate was elevated.  When it was time to stretch, Tony specifically said that if your heart rate was still high, don't put your head down and stretch.  I looked at my pulse, it was at 135 bpm, it was high for being about to stretch but, I thought I would be fine. WRONG!  I started feeling really nauseous and after a few minutes I had to sit down.  I felt awful!  I knew then, that I had bonked, hit a wall, whatever you want to call it.  I felt like s#*!  My dear husband proceeded to go make some Results & Recovery for me but, we didn't have enough :-(  So he made a no sugar gatorade type drink that we got from a whole foods place in town.  That helped some but, I was still feeling bad so he got me an italian ice (only 100 calories) and the sugar I needed to start feel better.  I went to bed and woke up the next morning feeling fine.

The moral of the story is: Listen to Tony, he knows what he is talking about! 

Day 3 was much better.  It was Shoulders, Arms & Ab Ripper X.  Mark and I exercised before heading out for the day.  It was nice to get a workout in early.  Ab Ripper X is getting better.  I can last longer doing each of the sets (there are 25 in a set).  Are they pretty or perfect, no but I am doing it!

The diet has been not too bad.  I only had one small piece of cake yesterday at a Independence Day gathering.  I have been trying hard not to eat late at night.  That, I am convinced helps in losing weight.  I especially don't eat carbs late.

Thanks for sharing this journey with me!

Day 1 Down of P90X

Despite feeling very tired and sluggish yesterday, I did Day 1 of P90X which includes 2 workouts:  Chest & Back and Ab Ripper X.  Mark and worked out while the twins were in therapy.  The other 3 were about playing and did jump in a few times and did some push-ups.  Christopher also tried feeding me while I was lifting weights.  He is so cute and he did not want to take NO for an answer.  He finally relented and walked away :-) 

I felt good about what I did yesterday.  I ate well, had salmon and broccoli for dinner and no late snacking!  I was pretty tired and was ready for bed by 9pm.  All in all a good day.

Today will be more of a challenge.  It is a long day for us in my house so we won't be able to work out until after 7pm :-\  I am usually so tired by 7/8 pm but, it will help that Mark and I are doing it together!  Bring it!

Mark and I are Going to "Bring It" Together!

My husband, Mark decided a few weeks back to give P90X a try again.  We had both started it last year but, for various reasons (i.e. we quit) we stopped doing it.  I was in my 3rd week of Brazilian Butt Lift and Mark had asked me if I wanted to do P90X with him.  At first, I wasn't sure because after coming off of doing a very high cardio, fast moving program like Turbo Fire, P90X seemed like it would be "too slow".  After thinking about it I decided to do because it would be great for the two of us to do it together.  Last year when we did it, we stuck with the workouts but strayed often on the diet.  This time I want us to put diet and exercise together and see what happens!


I did start working out with him on Friday and did Legs and Back.  Even Christopher was getting in on it: 

So, starting today I am going to blog my experience of doing P90X with my husband and everything that goes along with that.  For instance, I am going to workout today with him when I get home from work and let me tell you, right now I want to just go home and sleep!  I am so tired today.  I have eaten well so far today except, for some cake I had with my co-workers BUT I am tracking my calories using www.fitnesspal.com and I will make sure I don't go over my 1800 calorie limit. 

I really want this to work this time.  My 37th birthday is at the end of August and I want to look at the scale and not see the same numbers I have been seeing for the last few years, I want them to be lower!  I believe I will have much more energy to if I weighed less. I need all th energy I can get to keep up with my family and life.  So keep me accountable!

Tropical Storm Debby Won't Stop Me!

For those of you who haven't heard, Florida has been being pounded by Tropical Storm Debby.  I live in Florida and we have been getting LOTS of rain.  What is ironic is I have a degree in meteorology and used to watch the weather all the time.  Since having kids, the only amount of weather watching I do, is looking out the window.  Needless to say, I did not see this coming!  We were on our way to church Sunday morning and I was wondering where all this wind, clouds, and warm rain were coming from.  I didn't have to look any further than my smart phone to see that we were being hit by rain from the tropical storm.  I digress...

Sunday was a rest day for me for exercise so I didn't mind so much that it was raining and dreary.  It was one of those days were you just want to curl up and read a book or play games with the kids.  Monday though, was a different story.  It was back at it on Monday with my Brazilian Butt Lift, Sculpt.  I don't know about you but, when it is raining and dark and dreary, the LAST thing I want to do is exercise.  The old me would have procrastinated until it was too late to do anything.  I was proud of myself, I didn't.  I got my workout in and felt good about it.  My eating choices weren't all that great for the day but at least got worked some of it off! 

My husband, started P90X yesterday.  I was proud of him too for getting it done when motivation was low.  It was so fun watching him exercise with all the kids trying to exercise with him.  The twins trying to do sit-ups and push-ups was precious.  Abigail was doing a great job with the mason twists (for those who have done P90X, you know what I am talking about)! 

Speaking of P90X and BBL, Beachbody, the company that produces these awesome at home workout videos is running an incredible deal right now.  If you have ever wanted to try at-home fitness this, is the time.  You can try P90X or BBL or TurboFire AND a bag of Shakeology for 1 month for only $14.95.  That is an awesome!  If you don't know what Shakeology is, please check out the link I have attached.  It really is the best meal of the day!  Please talk to me about this incredible deal and/or check-out the website:  https://extranet.securefreedom.com/MillionDollarBody/csShopping/ShoppingCart.asp?Cat=&ProductID=&InvCountry=USA and then click on Trial Offers.  Really, ask me anything about these programs, I would love to help!

Wow..I think I see some blue skies coming back...