Ending Phase 1, new toys, big plans, and missing the plyo

Today was the last day of phase 1 of this round of JMBR. It's about to get real, y'all.  Workouts 5 & 7 are crazy intense, and it's gonna be a challenge mentally as well as physically to push through and overcome. This round, though, has already been full of victories, and in stark contrast to previous ones. I remember during my first round, when Lexi was 7 mos old, giving up In tears halfway through workout 3. Yesterday, my last time through that one, I used heavier weights than everyone in the DVDs on every exercise and did more reps than them on almost everything. 

I'm not sure what my measurement/size results will be this Monday, but I do know progress is happening, and at some point soon, the results will have to show. I kinda feel like they already are, though. I might be holding some water, but if I can shed that, (and hopefully have a period!) I think I'll really see changes. I feel like my face is still pudgier than it should be, but we'll see. 

Something I have noticed about the way I've written about this journey is that as I go along, I learn more and more about what's important to include as reference for the future. I've never really talked about how I adjust my calorie intake, and that's gonna change! Because yesterday I spent way too long playing sleuth and figuring it out. So, just like in fall 2013, I've started at 1600 net calories. I've  bought a new scale, and with every 5 lb decrease, (assuming I started at 180)  I'll reduce calorie intake by 50 calories, until I get to the last ten lbs, at which point I will incrementally increase calories until I'm at a level that should have me losing 1 lb a week instead of 2. When I hit 150 I'll slowly start increasing calories until I'm at a maintenance level. I've never been there before! Maintenance for 150 is like 2000 calories. That's bonkers on days I cycle...which brings me to...

Scott got me a spin bike! With our plans to put a power rack and bench in the garage, as well as the gym being less convenient right now, getting this and cancelling our gym membership seemed like the best choice. We got a great deal in it, and since it's kinda old, I'll be doing some research to choose its replacement when it's time. I'm super excited to be able to get a ride in anytime now, and that a long ride will only take up an hour of my time instead of two, with all the time getting to and from class. I'll miss my amfam family, but I imagine we will be back, at a different season. My plan is to work up to two hardcore hour long rides per week, and two 30 minute freestyle cardio rides. 

I've got my workouts planned out through pretty much the next year. I've got some long term goals - ABS!- and I've put a lot of thought into what it's gonna take to reach them. So, I'm gonna finish JMBR, then do the Killer Series, then Killer Body, and right at the end of September, start Body Shred again! I'll follow up with the BS master trainer series, then another round of both those, then killer series, then BS round 3, followed up by master trainers. That will bring me right up to my 35th birthday, at which point I gosh darn better have amazing abs for the first time ever, if not before. 

One thing I'm still kinda chewing over is plyo. BR has lots of it, BS has even more. I'm hoping that my foot heals enough that by September when I start bodyshred I'll be able to not modify. Until I am consistently waking up pain free, though, I have to play it safe, take my supplements, wear my compression, and be patient. 

Guess that's it for now! I'll be posting a goal check in on Monday with pictures, measurements, and thoughts going forward! 

Not all Mondays

So, it's Tuesday morning, round 6:30, and as I drink my coffee, I feel  like I need to write about yesterday. Because Monday's generally suck.cthey do.cthere is never enough weekend, never enough rest, especially since we moved and have been trying to do allll the things we've dreamed of for so long living in an apartment. Garage organization, gardening, groceries, home decor, you name it, it's been busy. This past weekend was no exception. Scott was up early working on building shelves that will take the garage from storage mess to functional usable space, and when I convinced him to take a break from that it was almost midday, and we had kids to bathe and a grocery trip, and then naps to take, and cooking to do,call so we could get out the door to a birthday party to celebrate my wonderful Father in Law's 60th birthday. We got home from that late, and extrovert Mae wasn't falling asleep very fast. Then Sunday, Scott was up early again workin on his shelves, and we quickly realized we couldn't leave half the garage in the backyard and go to church, so it was full steam ahead for him. Then my sister in law, her best friend, my Father in law, and Max all came over for a cookout. Super fun, and my first time really getting to hostess here! Then Scott and Max worked till 9:30 to finish the shelves, and I was sent to bed a little after ten, in an attempt to get me enough sleep to wake up and work out on time. 

I was up at 5 to feed Declan, and I just knew there was no way at all that I was getting up at 6 with how I felt, so when my alarm went off, I just silenced it and rolled over. I hadn't missed a workout in this house, and I didn't intend to, but that was a problem to solve later. Declan decided we would wake up around 8, so we nursed and cuddled, and came down for breakfast, and I decided I'd work out with him in the pack n play before we got Lexi up. So many things tried to get in my way: Declan felt clingy, my knee was bothering me, it was getting late (9:30), the computer that my workouts are loaded on wasn't talking to the tv... But I overcame and cranked out a great workout. Declan whimpered anytime I slowed down, but as long as I kept moving he was excited and dancing and laughing as he watched. Then we went and got Lexi up, and she woke up happy and blessedly with a diaper that was only wet! ("Just wet, Mama, your favorite!") She did great during school, and then we set up our little kiddie pool out back and had a great time until nap time- and after nap, more pool fun and a cookout with Daddy! 

Best of all, the anxious and depressed cloud I've been wrestling extra hard with the past few weeks seems to have moved on for a bit. 

Yesterday was a fantastic day, and I share this possibly inane story to illustrate that just because a day or a situation has been bad in the past doesn't mean it always will be. Yesterday was one of the best days I've had in awhile, and it was a freakin Monday!

Seventeen years

Today is the most special day on my calendar that's not one of my kids' birthdays. Seventeen years ago today, a sixteen year old boy told a sixteen year old girl who believed herself unlovable and never good enough that she was, in fact, lovable, and that he loved her, just as she was, and he would continue loving her even as he sought to encourage her to become the woman God made her to be. 

Fifteen years ago he asked her to be his wife, so he could be beside her forever. 

Through others' rejections of her and their relationship, through dismissal of their commitment because they were young, through starting marriage as teenagers, through loss of their first child and the ways it affected them, through rebuilding a stronger marriage, through finding their church family, closing the door on secret struggles by bringing them into the light,  through meeting their beautiful daughter, secondary infertility, another loss, another beautiful baby, paralyzingly postpartum depression that won't end, and finally saying goodbye to apartment life and hello to so many beautiful things, he's always been beside her, and she by him. 

I love this boy become man, and I always will. 

You and me forever, Scott. 

My Other Workout

So, I've hesitated posting about this, because it seemed like it might be a little gimmicky, but after a solid week of experience, I'm ready to share my thoughts. 

I've bought a Simply Fit Board. (www.simplyfitboard.com) It looked like something that would let me get some light cardio in without messing with my foot while it's healing, and also a decent option for when weather prevents us from going for walks. Right now, I am not walking because my foot is bad, and Monday of this week proved to me I do need to take a break from that. So. 

Here's how I'm using it: I found some targeted challenges/workouts designed by the inventors of the product, and I'm adding them to my routine. Abs on my push days (Monday and Thursday) and boots on pull days (Tuesday and Friday). I'm also trying to fit in 2-3 more 10-15 minute sessions just twisting on the board 4-6x a week. I call these dance parties, and the kids love dancing while I twist to music. 

Do I think this is going to magically transform my body overnight? Would I let this be my only workout? No. But it is a fun accessible way to get my heart rate up and challenge my core, and that's what I want from it. 

Wrapping up workout 1(&2)

Today was my last time through workout 1 for this round, and I'm definitely stronger. The only thing I struggle with at this point is the push-ups and doing a plank immediately after them. That has not gotten much easier. Might be in part due to the fact that my push ups are on my toes instead of knees, but I dunno. 

Push ups are definitely something I'm working on outside my workouts too. I'm working, starting with sets of ten, to crank out three sets of 25 in addition to whatever nonsense Jillian has on tap on Mondays and Thursdays. 

Workout 2 is much more managable for me, so there I'm basically just using as heavy weights as I can, and keeping intensity up. 

All that said, I'm both looking forward to and dreading the level up on Monday. I have done this program enough times to know the real challenge starts at week 5, but I also remember my first time through week 3 when I quit in the middle of circuit 2 in tears. I hate feeling weak. Probably why those push ups are bothering me so much! 

My foot is acting up too. I'm really trying to baby it, wearing my compression sock at night, eating anti inflammatory foods, taking all my vitamins, using ice, and not going for any walks for the rest of this week at least, but man that's discouraging! And I love our walks, so I really want to get back to them ASAP. 

Also, I'm really ready to know if this is paying off, but I've got another 2.5 weeks! 

That awkward phase...

Where you've been working out for almost 2 weeks, and you're getting stronger, and that's so cool, but you're also OH so tired. And sore. And your plantar fasciitis is acting up, probably cuz you're not doing all the care things, AND you're walking 3.5 miles a day pushing almost 100lbs of stroller and kids. And you're all swollen cuz that's how your body reacts to exercise. 

But you're not gonna quit, because on the other side of this is energy, and strength, and feeling good mentally and physically, and clothes that fit and look good, and really tough spin classes and advanced yoga. Some of these things sooner than others, but they are all coming with hard work and dedication. 

One day at a time. One workout at a time. One meal at a time. You're becoming your best for yourself and your family. You are worth it. 

Fitness stuff.

I just finished my first full week of JMBR for this round (my 5th!!) and I'm feeling good! We've been going for long walks too, and I'm definitely gaining strength and improving conditioning that way too. My foot does bug me a bit first thing in the morning though, and I think I need to start babying it again a bit. I'm not stopping my workouts though. No can do. 

With D still in our bed, (blogs about the transition will be many) it's a bit tricky to find time to work out, but it's got me starting my workout between 6:30-6:45 in the morning, and that's pretty awesome. I'm also introducing a new type of low impact cardio to my life, and I'll share more about that later. 

I really love and miss yoga, and am hoping to work at least a short yoga session back into most days, and have a whole yoga "recovery" period planned after JMBR is done. 

I just wanna be ripped, y'all. Shredded. Like really bad. Ropes n Guns n Abs. I saw a picture of myself two years ago this week, and it lit a fire under me. The tricky thing is I'm nursing D a ton still, and I won't be weaning him, so once again, I've gotta make this happen while nursing. 

We are back on track with eating real food, for the most part, anyway. Pirate's booty has its claws in me. Blargh. Need to work back into daily green smoothies to keep my belly full so I don't get super hungry at 4 pm. 

We threw out the scale, which is a wonderful thing. It will allow me to focus more on what my body can do, and let the measure of progress be performance and how my clothes fit. 

Goals: 

Long term: I want to buy size 4 jeans in September. I think it's doable. I went down 4 sizes between when Lexi was 14 mos and 18 mos, and I'm trying to do 3 sizes between 13 and 18 mos (or even close to 19-just by the end of September!) this time.

 

Slightly shorter: I want to wear my size 4 capris (or even my shorts!) on vacation in August. We leave 19 weeks from

tomorrow. 

Size 8 jeans: 5/2

Size 8 skinnies: 5/16

Size 6 jeans: 6/27

Size 4 capris or shorts: 8/15

Six weeks per size seems very doable to me if I can stay consistent. Honestly, once I find my groove, it should be smooth sailing. The key is to just keep swimming! 

I see so many people doing detoxes, cleanses, taking supplements, and shakes, looking for a quick fix, and I just wish for them that they could find the peace and patience to do it the right way, with moving their bodies and plenty of real food. You have to do what works for you, obviously, but I've tried all those things and the results don't last, and you just end up less healthy and more unhappy.  It took me years to find my inner badass and fall in love with fitness and real food, but I'm here now and I want to bring my friends!

Soooo about the past few months...

It's been foreeeever, both since I blogged and since I've been in a workout routine. See, we started house hunting, and the anxiety was out of control, then we found a house, and the anxiety spiked even more because of all the work ahead and the desperation to get the heck out of there, and then came the work and the move and the stress and the fast food and more work and literal all nighters unpacking....

But we are home now, and creating a new normal, and it's going great! 

The move went as smoothly as it could-God really worked things out perfectly, and Scott was amazing at spearheading the stuff that wasn't for me to worry over. (As well as just driving up to ikea and then assembling our new bed and dresser when we discovered black mold on the ones we had on moving day!)  I did the packing and unpacking and decorating and kid wrangling, and we made a fantastic team.  

Here's our new home: 

We are so in love with this house and all the new freedoms and blessings that come with it! 

As far as fitness, my plan is still evolving a little bit. I restarted JMBR yesterday, starting my workout by 645 in order to be done before Scott leaves for work, and we are walking every day weather allows, but, due to not being a mile from the gym anymore, my cycle schedule is unknown. I'll figure it out though. ☺️ I'm so happy and excited to start pouring a bit back into myself. It's long overdue.