T-25 Update : Week One

What do you know about getting in a good workout for twenty-five minutes five days a week while working up an extremely good sweat? Have you ever done something like this in the comfort of your own home? Or do you just think I am crazy and there is no way this is possible?

Well believe it or not fellas & ladies it is true and it is from the man himself Shaun T. Ever hear of Insanity? He has now created a program just like Insanity (half the time, insane results). I know I didn't want to believe it either, but if your telling me 25 minutes vs 60 minutes and I can still get the same kind of results. COUNT ME IN! I never actually tried Insanity because truth be told I was deathly afraid of it. I heard it was intense and I just talked myself out of it. So when this program came along I was already so excited about it that I couldn't wait to try it.


                       

        

  So I picked my program and now it's time to pick the start date. I like to start working out on a Monday just because it is a routine and you start fresh on the week. So I decided September 2nd was my start date. I even like to set a reminder for myself not that I forget when I am going to start, but I make sure I put a funny/motivating quote just to get me more pumped up. 

This program came out at the end of June so I was already behind starting like everyone else. I didn't give myself any expectations. I knew what every one's thoughts on it where but they were all different and it will be different me for as well. I went in the program with a clear mind and just expecting to give it my all. Plus for twenty-five minutes I didn't have to set my alarm for 4am to make sure I had enough time to workout, shower, and get ready for work!

So here we go! Week One's Schedule. I have to say it was pretty nice to be following a schedule again, unlike what I was doing for two weeks just throwing in any workout I felt like.

Monday- Cardio

Tuesday- Speed 1.0

Wednesday- Total Body Circuit

Thursday- Ab Intervals

Friday(Double Day)- Lower Focus & Cardio

Saturday- Record Stats

Sunday- Stretch

T25, Focus, Intense, Cardio Time

Since these workouts are only twenty-five minutes long I am really focusing on giving my all 100%. Go strong from the start and ending the same way I started. In the past couple of weeks I have to be honest I was losing myself, not really giving it my all. I found myself thinking when will I be  done so I can go get ready for work. Or I was thinking of everything that needed to get done to be honest. Which really makes you lose focus and concentration and hurts your efforts in working out. So I was ready for a fresh start and to not let anything distract me this time.

                                      Be stronger than you were yesterday

We all have struggles. Believe me it is not easy and no one is perfect. I have to say before starting T25 I was having really bad issues with hitting the snooze and not wanting to get up when my alarm went off. And that is so NOT me. I am always up and at 'em when it goes off. So I told myself I would not hit the snooze. I mean this workout is short, so why not get up and get it done instead of making excuses. It is designed for those who do not have a lot of time and are busy with a million things to do. So be better than you were yesterday. Do not compare yourself to anyone else.

My food a couple weeks ago as well was struggling. I was going through some things. And when it comes stress and feeling overwhelmed food is my biggest comfort zone. Not that I would eat bad in any sort of way I would just over eat or eat just to eat, which is just as bad- seeing as I was going over my calorie intake for the day. So another goal of mine was to start tracking food and really being aware of what I was eating.

                                                        Tosca Reno- Eat Clean







I knew I had to start tracking my food to really get myself back on track. And MFP (my fitness pal) was just not my friend. I tried and tried again, but when my food was not in there it was difficult to make sure you got it in there. I wanted something that was simple and easy. I could go in type what I had and save it. Well, I found just  that. Fooducate is now my best friend. I have an app on my phone where it actually you to just scan the barcode of whatever you want to add to your tracker and it will give you a letter grade and explain why it is that grade. Simple and easy a win-win for me is how I see it. I have also been reading this book Tosca Reno here which has been a lifesaver. It really puts things in perspective on what you are putting into your body.

Week One is complete already which is just insane for me because I didn't think it would go so fast. I really love this program. I just love it all, from the twenty-five minutes- five days a week, to sweating from the time you start-getting insane results with no breaks & a burnout phase. Shaun T really knows how to make you work in those minutes from start to finish working all parts of your body if you just FOCUS.  I am not going to lie I was huffing & puffing after this first week, because I am not use to pushing myself this hard. The burnout phase consists of picking up the pace and going faster, stronger, and harder than before for2-5 minutes. It pushes you harder and really makes you focus on the muscle groups. And to be honest you are never looking at the count down clock to be finished. I can say week one was a complete success and I am so excited that I am getting back into my routine and feeling great. I feel so much energy after finishing a workout with Shaun T.

            

                               

If you are looking for more information on accountability support groups or would like to join with a Beachbody Fitness Program please feel free to message me and I will get back to you as soon as I see your e-mail. Fitness groups start once a month. And I would love for you to join in on the fun!

             Tracking your food-

         really keep yourself on track

Clean Eating

I have a lot of people asking how many calories they should be eating a day will keeping up with a healthy lifestyle. Truth is: we are all different and every ones calorie intake is different. So, let's start by figuring out exactly just how many calories you should be consuming. There is no straight forward number that everyone has to be following. Do not compare yourself to anyone but you.Take your personal info into account. This is a good site to  calculate your calories here . It takes your BMR, Physical Activity & goals into account.

Once you get the number of calories you should be eating remember it. You have to eat this number every single day to lose weight. After you want to make it a priority to track your food every single day. Some people ask why they really need to do that and honestly it will keep you on track. If you don't track your daily food intake how are you going to know how many calories you have left, without going over?

I used to disagree with tracking your daily food. I always thought as long as I worked out and sort of watched what I ate I would be fine. But we know how this goes, you start to fall off track & slip up. I then started to hit a plateau where I wasn't losing weight, I was getting frustrated, upset, and I just couldn't understand why. Once I did I realized I either wasn't eating enough or eating too much. 

There are a couple ways you can track your food, you just have to find which one works best for you. 

1. Write it down in a notebook: grab your paper and pencil and write it all down old school. I started doing this at first but the hard part was you really need to make sure you wrote the calories right then and there or you'd forget. Another downside to this was it doesn't calculate your sugars, sodium (etc.) unless you write them down, so it is not as simple. 

2. My fitness pal (MFP): you can sign up online or download the app from your smart phone. You put in your information and then you search for your food. It really helps and already calculates everything. The only thing I do not like about this app is sometimes it doesn't find your food so you have to enter all the ingredients and things like that, so it takes a little longer than usual. 

3. Fooducate: this is the newest app I am using thanks to a friend. I was getting very frustrated with MFP that I needed something new because I had to keep track of my food. This is also very helpful because instead of writing in what you are having you can scan the bar code, it brings the food up and actually grades it from a scale from A-F. How cool is that?? It then tells you pros & cons of eating this. If there are any artificial sweeteners, highly processed food, etc. It then counts down your calories every time you add food/drink and takes into account your exercise you do for the day. Simple and quick! Highly recommend using this app to track your food!

You may be like me and totally disagree with tracking food but this is honestly the best way to do it. If you have eat a plateau or are feeling sluggish chances are you are not eating enough. You are waiting too long to eat. And this really helps you focus. Find what works for you and stick with it. This will really open your eyes up to how you are eating and if they are the right types of food. 

                                                    Fooducate