T25 Day 20

I'm check in on my progress with T25. It's not time for progress pics, measurements, etc but each day is a day for me to check myself. I have 10 days until I do my progress pics, and I am eager to see how far I've come. T25 has 2 rounds. The first round is called "alpha" and the second round is called "beta." Alpha round helps provide you the foundation and beta takes it up a notch (or several!). Even though I'm on day 20, I can still tell that alpha is PUSHING me. I think the "Lower Focus" workout is my favorite. I LOVE working my legs. I have a love/hate relationship with Total Body Circuit. It kicks my butt, yet I feel like a total bad-a when I am done! I've been much more intentional with providing my body with the correct nutrition. It always amazes me when you can FEEL your muscles are stronger. I can be walking and tell that my legs and/or core are so much stronger. Isn't it just amazing how are bodies can become so much stronger and accomplish so much more??!! I love that feeling!

I am also pretty pumped, because I finally ordered the 21 Day Fix. My goal is to be in my best shape by summer time. I know some people say it's only  February, but we all know that summer bodies are made in the winter! :) I may go ahead and order a new swimsuit for motivation OR maybe just new sneakers. :)

T25 Day 2

Today entailed my usual morning routine. I laid in bed for about 30 minutes - checking emails, texting my boyfriend (in Arkansas), and scrolling through Facebook. After a bit of that, then I got up and had some coffee. I actually ended up sleeping in my workout clothes last night to help keep from dragging too much in the morning. Once I was ready, it was time to press play! Today's workout was T25 Speed 1.0. I forgot what this workout was like. In the first part of the workout there is a lot of alternating quick cardio with stretching and stability moves. I loved the little "breaks" where we do strength and stability. And then the last 10 minutes of the program hit me. HARD CORE CARDIO! I powered through it and felt amazing! I'm still amazed at how strong your core can get from a just a little bit of focus.

I did great on sticking to my nutrition plan today. My macros are all in check. I'm a huge proponent of logging my food. My favorite app is My Fitness Pal. I also have used Lose It, which is another great tool! :)

Happy Tuesday!!

Back at it... umm sorta

Today I started back on the T25 program and clean eating. The holidays certainly derailed me - think wine, gluten free pizza, goodies that I can't get in bush Alaska, wine, gluten free cookie dough cookies, and so on and so on. While I tried my best to maintain my healthy eating when I went home for the holidays, I couldn't help but indulge in the holiday goodies AND in foods that I am not able to get where I live. I've been slowly getting back on track, but there is just SOMETHING about setting a date. Once you have a definitive date in mind, it seems to go in to our routine.

My boyfriend mentioned that he had got off track, so he was wanting to start the 21 Day Fix on January 19th. I thought, "what better time than for us to start back on track TOGETHER!" I have a passion for health and nutrition, and he is a Beach Body Coach; so we work hard to keep each other on track and motivated.

On Sunday night, we both shared our Monday meal plans. I ussually plan my day in advance, but I told myself I wouldn't leave room for any fudging (no pun intended) on my meal plan.  I knew I had teacher inservice today, so I would just pack my snacks and come home for lunch - as usual.

This morning came and I rocked out my first workout with T25. The first workout is a hard core, fast-paced cardio work out. I was drenched. I really had to push myself, but I finished. Finishing = feeling like a rock star, right?! After my workout, it was time for breakfast. I LOVE breakfast. Seriously, I really stinkin' love breakfast. I can eat it for any and every meal. Well, today was cottage cheese with crushed pineapple. It was wonderful, honestly. It's the easiest, tastiest, and most protein packed meal. I LOVE IT. Anyhow, I got a phone call mid meal. Another teacher was calling to let me know that our inservice was earlier than expected AND at a school across town. UH OH. This resulted in a mad dash to the shower, then of course hair, makeup, and getting dressed. I had just enough time to grab and apple, a back of raw almonds, and some left over steel cut oats from the fridge. Were any of these items on my thoughtfully planned menu for the day? Nope. Not one thing.

I'm glad I grabbed those items, because my table at the inservice had a plate filled with fun-size candies. Ugh. I wasn't able to grab a lunch at home, so another teacher and I went for lunch. I got a salad. It wasn't the cleanest salad, but it was cleaner than the other options available. I did end up grabbing a fun-size M&M pack. Beyond that, I did the best I could. I'm not going to fret about the candy. It wasn't ideal, of course, but I am just moving forward.

If you are interested in the 21-Day Fix or other Beach Body programs to help you get on track. Just click Here and you can get started with your own personal coach! You can even sign up for free.

Take away: I rocked out to my T25 cardio work out today.
Lesson learned: Life can and WILL throw you curves. Do your best and don't be hard on yourself.

Things I'm Loving Friday (+ a freebie Friday!)

I've branched out to some new products over the past few months and discovered quite a few things on my "love" list! I think it's only fair that I share my awesome finds and happiness - don't you think?!

1. Loreal's quick dry spray - It helps speed up the drying process, which helps cut down on the time it takes me to get ready in the morning. Also, it's a primer! Primers are awesome, because they help prime your hair for the producs and help them work better.

2. Rodan and Field's Self Tanner - A friend of mine introduced me to this little gem a few months back. I love the feeling when I am tan, but I've logged way too many hours in the tanning bed and under the sun. UV tans are NOT safe. On the other hand, it's also super tricky to find a self tanner that doesn't make you look orange, is easy to use, and doesn't make you smell like you haven't showered in days (sorry... just saying!). I HAVE to say that I LOVE this tanner from Rodan and Field's. It's a foam that goes on smoothly and easily. I get a pretty, even tan. And.... it doesn't stink. :) I may be in Alaska, but at least I can look like I've been on the beach. :)

3. The fact that it's FRIDAY! Enough said...

4. T25 - I've had this workout for about a year now. I love that Shaun T pushes me for 25 minutes to get it DONE! 25 minutes and my hair is soaking wet. I can feel it (especially in my core and legs) throughout the day. I started T25 again about a week ago and I can tell a huge difference with my strength.  Check it out for yourself!!

5. The fact that I'm wearing a hoodie today - it's Friday, game day, and it's for school spirit :). But, it's also relaxing! :)

6. Too Faced Natural Eyes Eyeshadow Palette - My sister introduced me to Too Faced shadows. They have such pretty palettes that stay put on your eyes throughout the day! Also, they come with hand little booklets to help create different looks.Quest Bars... need I say more?

7. Cheer coaching - our first game is tonight!! My girls are SO excited! :)

8.  Jamberry products - All of my life I have had awful nails. They peel, so it's hard to keep any polish on past 24 hours. A teacher I work with introduced me to Jamberry. I was a bit skeptical at first, because I hate the thought of putting money into my nails to only have them only last a day.  I tried it out and they were solid on my nails with no chipping and very little wear for over 2 weeks! I'm hooked

9. Snowy days in Alaska!

10. No class on Monday!



*********GIVEAWAY!*********
Who would like to win a free sunless tanner from Rodan and Fields? Here's what you need to do....
1. Go complete the questionnaire in the Solution Tool.
2. Comment below with the products that were suggested for you.
3. One winner will be chosen on January 26th!

A few of my favorite things: Fitness Programs

I often get asked about my favorite programs and Shakeology flavors from Beachbody. I've compiled my list below of my favorites. All of the programs are wonderful, but these are simply my personal favorites.

Fitness Programs

The list of my favorite programs is growing. They are great, because they work! Beachbody offers programs for people of all ages, sizes, and fitness levels. I encourage everyone to check out the Challenge Packs offered when you purchase a program. Challenge packs offer the program and a 30-day supply of Shakeology for a lesser price than if you bought them individually. You can also enter the Beachbody Challenge for your chance to win a cash prize. Lose weight, get in shape, AND  an have an opportunity to win money? I'll take it!

• All Beachbody Challenge Packs

• Turbo Fire

• Focus T25

• P90X3

• Slim in 6

• P90X

2014 Resolution: Increased Health and Fitness

I love the new year, as it often is a time for people to focus on their health.This is wonderful, but sometimes I wish people had the right mindset about it. I wish people would focus on their health as a WHOLE and their fitness as a WHOLE instead of looking at the numbers on the scale.  Of course weight can be affected by a person's fitness level, but it is not a telltale measurement of health. For me, it's easier to focus when I don't worry about the clothing sizes and numbers. When I remind myself that food is fuel and I think about my cells, muscles, lungs, bones and other aspects of me that are all affected by my health. When your journey to fitness is put into perspective; where you are looking at your physical, mental, and emotional health, then you are building the groundwork for long-term changes. 

As you start out, remember each body is made differently. Do not compare your physical attributes and capabilities to that of another person. Aside from the fact that this isn't healthy, it also isn't realistic. It is difficult at times not to compare yourself, especially if you are a competitive person. If you find yourself in the comparison junkyard, then turn your mindset around! Turn that comparison into an inspiration. Instead of beating yourself up because you can't do the same amount of push-ups as your friend, set a goal for yourself to be able to do X number of push-ups. Instead of looking at fitness models and feeling awful about yourself, use that as inspiration and a reminder as to why you are focusing on your own fitness goals. We all have to start somewhere, so don't be upset if you are first beginning this journey. Each person has a different level of fitness and your goal is to increase yours. Focus on you. You are who YOU are and that's what makes you special. Simply strive to be YOUR best.

If you are interested in starting your own journey and don't know were to start. Or maybe you simply want to change up your current routine - then I would love to be your personal fitness coach with Beach Body. I have several challenge groups beginning in 2014 - Turbo Fire, P90X3, and T25. Contact me or go ahead and pick your program and I'll be in contact with you!

Today is the last day for the P90X3 special - perfect timing for my challenge groups starting Jan 6th!

2014 is right around the corner...

so here is to a new year and a NEW YOU! At the end of each year, I find myself looking back at the events over the year and wondering what the upcoming one has in store for me. I'm sure many people do this, but it is still awe inspiring to look at our struggles and triumphs and how He has seen us through it all. Last year, I was in Dubai and reflecting over my mom's sickness through the years and the loss of her in 2012. This year I find myself looking at how strong my family has become and our faith has endured the storms, and also how drastically my life has changed in the past 12 months. I went from being a technical writing in corporate America to a school teacher in 2013. In 2013, I also found myself in the best shape of my life - literally. None of it has been easy, but all of the babysteps were a part of a long journey. I couldn't be happier than I am right now, my career, my family, etc are all where God wants us (right now). 

In 2014, I aim to focus quite a bit more on my overall health. Does that mean losing weight? Yes, but that's not my primary goal. I just want to be FIT and HEALTHY. I learned my son may have some more food intolerances, so that pushes me even further to be the best role model for him I can be. This focus is also not just for me, but for helping others. All of that being said, I am excited to have SEVERAL challenge groups starting January 2nd! I am SUPER excited one of these is P90X3 - which is released TODAY! I love P90X, but sometimes I don't have time for an hour-long workout. P90X3 is 30 minutes! I also will have a T25 and Turbo Fire group, too. You can JOIN my groups and workout from the comfort of your home. That's one thing I love about Beach Body progress, the recent winter weather did NOT deter my workouts. Gym, shym! :) 

Sign-up up for a FREE membership with me as your coach on my site, http://www.beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/pieceloveandpb. Send me a message, if you would like, or I will contact you about my upcoming groups! :)