21 DFX Week 2 Review

I'm still loving the 21 Day Fix Extreme workout program and eating plan!  The workouts continue to be tough- but are getting a little easier!  My favorite workouts are Upper Extreme Fix and Dirty 30 Extreme.  I have had a couple of cheats, but for the most part I have stuck with the plan!  Pinterest has been a lifesaver when it comes to trying new things to eat.  So many great 21 Day Fix Recipes.  You can't get bored!  I'm still drinking Shakeology everyday and loving it!  I really feel like it is helping me with my appetite control.  I'm not craving the unhealthy, fatty or really sweet foods.  (Okay, only every once in a while- but not often!)

I'm waiting to share my final results until the end, but I am down a couple more pounds.  More importantly, I  am feeling great!  Feeling like I am getting stronger, no bloat and no digestion issues.  I eat until I'm satisfied and do not over eat, which I tended to do, when it was something I really liked!

My twin sister, Stephanie is doing the 21 Day Fix Program.  I wanted to share her most recent post about how it is going for her: (with her permission, of course!)
     "2 weeks done on the 21 day fix! Down 8 pounds and about 11 inches total! (Including waist, hips, bust, chest, stomach, arm, calf and thigh )Honestly the workouts are still hard because I'm pushing myself a little bit more each time and I am still craving carbs! But I'm so excited to see some results! It's so motivating! My clothes are fitting better and I don't feel as uncomfortable! And I am actually starting to get excited to do my workouts!"
Steph is doing awesome and working so hard!  Proud of you sis!

**I will be doing a post in a few days about an upcoming challenge group I'm starting.  Steph and I are wanting to do another round of 21 Day Fix and would love to have more people do it with us.  The group will start in a couple of weeks- just in time to get us fit and healthy for Halloween (or at least a great start into the upcoming holiday season.)  Think about if you may be interested or have any family or friends who would want to try the 21 Day Fix too!

If you are curious about anything I have shared, please don't hesitate to email me at kstrodemier@yahoo.com or message me on Facebook.

If you want to explore the 21 Day Fix or Shakeology on your own- you can find more information, by going to www.teambeachbody.com/fitnesslovinmama.

Looking forward to hearing about Steph's results and seeing my own results at the end of the week! 

Have a great week! 

21 Day Fix Extreme Week 1 Review

Yesterday was the end of Week 1 for 21 Day Fix Extreme!  Here is my review of the program so far...

Workouts:  The workouts are all 30 minutes!  I have been getting up at 5 am...okay maybe 5:10, to get the workouts done.  I have always hated morning workouts because 1. I'd rather lay in bed a little bit longer and 2. I never feel like I can workout out very hard because of lack of energy.  I have to say I'm starting to enjoy the morning workouts!  It is still tough to get out of bed, but once I'm up and started, I feel pretty good.  It is so nice to be done with my workouts first thing in the morning, because if I wait until late afternoon or evening, it seems like things always come up or I'm busy with the girls, or I feel tired!  Plus, I think these morning workouts are giving me a boost of energy in the morning.  I no longer feel like I am going to fall asleep on my way to work! :-)

Here is a small recap of my week's workouts!

Monday-Plyo Extreme: Ugh....lots of jumps with weights!  Not my favorite- but I know it is going to help tone my legs!

Tuesday-Upper Fix Extreme:  This workout uses weights and a resistance bands.  Every move was 1 minute.  You use heavy weights for the first 30 seconds and lighter weights for the last 30 seconds.  My arms felt like jello after!

Wednesday-Pilates Extreme:  I've done Pilates with PiYo and P90X3, but man is it a lot tougher with a resistance band! 

Thursday-Lower Fix Extreme: Lunges, Squats and More!!!   Again you use weights for most moves and each move was 30 seconds.  Again, my legs were on fire!!!!

Friday- Cardio Extreme-This one involves 4 sets of 3 moves that you do twice.  They are 1 min long and you use light weights.  Again, tough workout! 

Saturday- Dirty 30 Extreme- This is a whole body workout using a set of heavy and light weights.  There are 3 rounds with 2 exercises that you repeat twice.  Each move lasts a minute.  The 10 second break in between goes way too fast! ;-)

Sunday- Yoga Extreme- This was very relaxing and I loved stretching after the weeks workouts.  There were some tough moves, but it was pretty similar to P90X3 Yoga so I was familiar with all the moves.

On Sunday, I also did 10 Min Hardcore, which was a workout for the core using weights!

Meal Plan~Container System

The number of portions I am allotted per container are as follows:

3 Green (veggies)

2 Purple (fruit)

4 Red (protein)

2 Yellow (carbs)

1 Blue (healthy fats)

1 Orange (Seeds & Dressings)

2 tsp. of oil and nut butters.

Before I started this program, I thought I would ALWAYS be hungry!  After a week on, I have found that I'm not!  There have been a couple days where I added an extra green if I was eating lettuce (lettuce and spinach have such few calories, I figured it wouldn't matter).  The containers have definitely helped me with portion sizes too!  It is definitely hard to only eat 1 blue container of food.  This is for things like cheese, almonds, avocado- and it's not a very big container!  If you follow my Instagram @fitnesslovinmama you can see many different meals that I have had following this program. :-)

Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles- recipe found at http://www.justataste.com/skinny-shrimp-scampi-zucchini-noodles-recipe/   I did make a couple of modifications (less olive oil and chicken broth instead of white wine)

Chicken Fajitas on corn tortillas

With the challenge pack I ordered, I also got Shakeology.  Shakeology is a protein shake that has all sorts of vitamins and nutrients!  I make a shake each morning for breakfast.  There are many different recipes you can make.  My favorite with the vanilla Shakeology is Snickerdoodle or Cake Batter!  Shakeology is said to help you lose weight, curb cravings, increase energy, and provide you with protein, antioxidants, phytonutrients, prebiotics, enzymes and many rare superfoods.  I have found that it definitely helps curb my cravings, especially my sweet tooth!  I also feel it has helped with energy somewhat, because I am no longer drinking my iced lattes and I feel great even without the caffeine.  I stay pretty full until my mid morning snack which is almonds and a cup of fruit.  I also have had no stomach issues or stomach aches and no bloat!!!  I'm sure eating healthy helps those things too!

I do have to go on the record and admit I cheated a little at the wedding we went to this weekend!

So far I have lost 3 lbs and feel great!  I'm excited to see what the next two weeks hold!  I will be starting a specific 21 Day Fix or 21 Day Fix Extreme Challenge Group in October or November if I have a few people interested in the program.  :-)  It is a private group where we will motivate each other through the 21 days and share recipes.  It definitely makes it easier to stick to a program when you have accountability!  Please email me if you may be interested or know someone who might be or if you have some questions about the program! kstrodemeir@yahoo.com  I strongly believe that this is a great program to kickstart healthy eating and exercise habits!!!  I love it!

You can also find out more about the program here:
21 Day Fix Essential Package:
http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/21dayfix?821744
21 Day Fix with Shakeology:
http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/BCP21D160?821744
 

My Why

Photo Credit: Barn Owl Photography

 

S and P- These two are my driving force!  After having my first daughter, I didn't make working out a priority.  I was a new mom and found myself overwhelmed with taking care of a baby and working full time when she was 5 months old.  I quit working out and made poor food choices.  I lacked self-esteem and energy, and did not feel healthy. 

The decision to make my health a priority changed my life.  I have gained more confidence, more energy, and I just feel good.  I also feel comfortable in my clothes- which was a huge deal to me.  I love that I am showing my sweet girls how to take care of their own health.  Even though they sometimes get in my way or try to lay on me while I am doing planks or push-ups, I LOVE that my girls join me when I am exercising or as P calls it "Mousekersizing!"

30 Minute Workouts are Enough!

When I realized that I didn't need to spend hours at a gym or lots of time on the treadmill, it seemed doable.  I started with 30 min Jillian Michael's workouts (which I loved) and then moved on to Beachbody workouts like T25, Piyo, and P90X3.  These are all about 30 minutes and I can easily (well not always easily) but usually, fit one into my day!  (FYI: PiYo does have a few workouts that are longer than 30 minutes) To be honest, there are still days where I don't feel like working out, but I can usually talk myself into doing the workout, knowing that it is only 30 minutes.

Next up...21 Day Fix Extreme and a Motivational/Challenge Group

Next, I will be starting 21 Day Fix Extreme.  I am anxious to get my eating back on track after the summer and am excited to start a new workout program!  My twin sister and mom will also be joining me with the 21 Day Fix.  I am going to start a private group on Facebook called Fall Into Fitness Challenge Group, where we can motivate each other, share struggles and triumphs, share recipes and support each other. Let me know if you would like to be a part of the group!  You can send me a message via
Email: kstrodemier@yahoo.com
Facebook or
Instagram @fitnesslovinmama
or leave a comment below!
   
You do not have to do the 21 Day Fix to join!  But if you are interested in the 21 Day Fix program or any of the others that I have mentioned (Focus T25, PiYo, P90X3) send me a message and I will send you some more information so you can learn more about it and see if it's right for you.  I can add you to the group if you already have the program too!  I never want to come across sales-y or pushy-  I just love these programs and want to share because they have really helped me!  You can be a part of this group-even if you have no interest in these programs, but just want to be a part of a fitness group.

Happy first week of school to many of my friends who are teachers and those of you with kiddos!

My Story

I remember first getting interested in fitness when I was in 7th grade.  I played basketball, volleyball and ran track.  I also remember getting my first workout video when I was in middle school that was geared towards teens and I started jogging around my neighborhood for exercise.  Staying fit through high school and college was easy, because I played basketball and volleyball and I took advantage of the awesome fitness facility at WWU.  After college, I got my first teaching job and stayed active by using workout videos and going to the gym a few days a week.  Even though I was busy and stressed with my first year of teaching, I had an upcoming wedding to keep me motivated! 

And then comes marriage...and babies! 

After getting married in 2008 my weight started to slowly go up.  I got busy with teaching and Chad and I ate out quite a bit.  I also would go long periods of time without working out.  I remember not feeling great about myself and felt sluggish...and then I became pregnant with Presley.  I enjoyed my pregnancy and pretty much ate what I wanted and didn't work out.  I gained about 35 lbs with Presley.  My sweet girl was born July 2010.  6 weeks after having Presley I tried getting back into working out.  I did Jillian Michael's 30 day Shred a few times a week.  That lasted a couple of months and I lost a few pounds.  January 2011, I went back to work full time and had no motivation or energy to workout after getting home from work.  (Little did I know that working out would give me the energy that I needed!) Instead of losing my pregnancy weight- I gained more.

The Turning Point

Fast forward to October 2011.  I was the heaviest I had ever been (outside of pregnancy).  I was about 35 pounds overweight.  I was feeling so uncomfortable in my clothes, self conscious about my body, and didn't have much energy.  I also had gone to the doctor a few times because my stomach kept hurting.  I decided then that I needed to take care of myself!  I wanted to feel good and be a good example for my girl.  I joined Weight Watchers online and started working out again using Jillian Michael's DVDs in November 2011.  I liked JM workouts because they were only about 30 minutes, but intense enough to get a good sweat on!  Weight Watchers helped me with portion control and got me eating healthier-I used the program for a few months and then switched to My Fitness Pal, which was free.  I started all of that in November 2011 and then by July 2012 I had lost 22 lbs (slow and steady :-).  I was feeling healthy and more comfortable with myself.  I had hit a plateau and still had a little more weight I wanted to lose and wanted to tone up, but then two months later I found out I was expecting little Miss Sydney!  Again, I ate pretty much whatever I wanted and didn't work out much.  I gained about 35 pounds, but this time I was determined to begin working out as soon as my body felt ready and keep it up.  After 6 weeks postpartum (July 2013), I started doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred and Extreme Shred and then purchased her Body Revolution program.  This consisted of 30 minute workouts, 5 days a week.  It took me about 5 months to lose 24 lbs...and then I hit another plateau.  

The Game Changer....

In January 2014, I was introduced to T25 from Beachbody by a friend.  I was excited for a change and thrilled about 25 minute workouts!  I knew I wouldn't be able to make excuses about not being able to have time to workout.  I love this workout program and still use it a few times a week!   By Sydney's first birthday (June 2014), I had lost 32 pounds from 6 weeks postpartum.  Since then, I have purchased and completed Piyo and P90x3 from Beachbody.  I love these workout programs because most are around 30 minutes, come with multiple workout DVDs and are fun, but make you work hard!  For me, these were perfect because I didn't have the time to go to a gym and I didn't want to have to be away from my girls!  {I will go into detail in another post about each program, because they are all so different!}  These programs have helped me to break through plateaus, tone and build some muscle.

Following my Passion

After having my first child, I did not make my health a priority.  I gained weight, felt blah about myself, and lacked energy.  I couldn't be the mom or wife I wanted to be when I felt that way.  Deciding to make working out a priority has changed my life for the better.  I recently signed up to be a Beachbody Coach, so I can share my journey and help inspire others to put their health first so they can live healthy, happy lives!  I also want to hold myself accountable.  I went from being an overweight, tired mom who felt self-conscious about her body, to a mom of two who feels great and has the energy to be the best mom and wife that I can be!  This happened by just making sure I workout for 30 minutes 4-6 days a week!  Still working on making healthy food choices more consistently!  I will be starting 21 Day Fix Extreme in the next couple weeks, so that should help! 

UPDATE:  I have completed 2 rounds of 21 Day Fix Extreme and am in the middle of my third round.  Since September, when I started my first round of 21 DFX, I'm down a total of 14 pounds and 17 inches!  I am feeling leaner and fitter than ever.  You can read more about each round here:
Round 1
Round 2   


Here are some comparison pictures to show my progress the last 7 years:

(Beachbody Workout Programs completed: T25, PiYo and P90x3)

For anyone who is struggling with weight, wanting to get back into working out, or just wanting a change, I hope this blog will be an inspiration to you that it is possible to achieve your fitness and health goals!  Also, you can follow me on Instagram @fitnesslovinmama.  Thanks for reading!