Staturday Week 4 Aug 5-Aug 9

How is everyone's August going? I can't believe we are almost halfway through! This summer absolutely flew by and I didn't do a single thing, haha.

So I decided this week would be my last week of Alpha. I know you are supposed to do 5 weeks then 5 weeks of Beta, but I only have 9 weeks instead of 10 because of vacation. Also I just felt off this week. I can do 95% of every move and workout so I think I'm ready to move on and be challenged. I'm not saying the workouts are easy...I'm still sweating hardcore and exhausted at the end but I can do them all without breathers or modifying anything.

This week I just felt off. I ate clean all week. If anything, I had trouble getting 1200 cals in some days. You know I weigh myself daily so I knew something just wasn't happening. By Thursday I was only down one pound and I fluctuated all week 4-6 ounces. On Friday for doubles I decided to push myself and do the Core Speed workout in hopes it would give me a boost, but waking up this morning I knew the scale wasn't going to be a huge budge.

Monday- Cardio. Simple, easy, can do it all. Like I said, exhausted by the end, but no longer feeling like collapsing.

Tuesday- Total Body Circuit. Just like last week I liked it. Pike ups are insane but I feel like I'm working which is what I'm lacking with Cardio and Speed now.

Wednesday- Lower Focus. I LOVE this workout. During the deep lunge pulses my quads and calves are screaming at me and I am all kinds of wobbly after but it feels good.

Thursday- TBC again. Nailed it.

Friday- You were supposed to do Speed 1.0 and Ab Intervals. I ended up doing Core Speed which is a bonus dvd. Wow. This dvd was no joke. It's a circuit of about 16 moves. You do the first 8, 3x each shortening the length of each move as the rounds progress, and then the next 8 moves you learn in the same fashion. By the end you are doing all 16 moves in a 2 minute span with a jog recovery in between. I almost gave up at 15 minutes, then again at 7 because it was insanely hard but I pushed through and finished. I had to stand in front of the a/c and catch my breath for probably 3-4 minutes at the end. I told Ryan I liked it because it was crazy hard but I NEED that burn. I easily get bored and having mastered the moves in Cardio and Speed 1.0 I just need the challenge.

I did Ab Intervals after a breather and it definitely still kicks my ass. It's probably my least favorite workout right now. It's not a challenge in a good way.

I'm scared for Monday and looking ahead at the same time because I know I can get amazing results once I master the Beta moves. 

So for this week's results I lost 1.2 pounds. This means I've lost 12.2 pounds total in 4 weeks. This is pretty consistent with how I normally lose weight so I guess I can't really be disappointed but I know I am someone who needs to see the scale move. As far as inches lost I also measured this week and I've lost 8 inches total.

Saturday night we met Ash and John for dinner and then they came back here. I couldn't stop singing Blurred Lines. It was so much fun to hang out with my sister and BIL and I wish we saw them more often! The four of us always get along so well.

On Tuesday I got a surprising phone call from my old job calling me back to work. It's a middle school position and it sounds like a lot more administrative communication than teaching but I'm still happy to go back. I really liked my job before and this is working with someone new, so hopefully he and I can get along great and make this program successful.

Wednesday I went with my parents to visit my grandma. I am always happy to see her and it is bittersweet because the person she is now is still my grandma but not at the same time. I remember my grandma for the 20+ years I saw her almost daily. This woman now is fragile and cannot hold a conversation very long. She is still active, healthy, and most importantly, happy but she is a shell of who she used to be. My cousin and her family take amazing care of her. They are always taking her along everywhere they go and I think that helps that she is so active. We also were able to view my other cousin's new house. It is his other grandma's old house and he and his wife have completely remodeled it and added a beautiful addition. I could live in their kitchen! It was amazing to see someplace completely reformed and it makes me so excited for work on our house to begin next spring.

This week I started listening to The Civil War's new album and it is amazeballs. There are a couple songs I cannot stop listening to! Actually, there's 3 songs this week that are on repeat for me.

The Civil Wars Dust to Dust

Robin Thicke Blurred Lines (warning: NSFW)

The Civil Wars The One That Got Away


Here's this week's photo dump. I know...I was awful at documenting anything this week.

Seeing definition, Pumpkin cookies, and my new favorite thing- Chobani Coffee Yogurt.

STATurday! Week 3 Progress, July 29-Aug 2

Week 3 is already done! I cannot believe I've been doing this program for three weeks already. Yesterday I had some swimsuits arrive for our upcoming vacation and I am determined to rock them! Here is this week's updates:

Monday- Total Body Circuit. Killer. I almost feel like I need to do another workout with this because it's so hard. I had to force myself to do it.

Tuesday- Speed 1.0. For some reason I didn't enjoy doing Speed today! For a workout that I really like it was difficult to finish through it. I think partly I also had the a/c off in the house because of how nice it is outside and it was much warmer than usual inside. I definitely need to remember to keep the air on while working out!

Wednesday- Lower Focus. I am beginning to really like this. A LOT of squats and lunges but the break from cardio is appreciated.

Thursday- Cardio. Nailed it. 

Friday- Double Day! I did TBC first because I just know how I dread it and wanted it get it done. I'm almost embarrassed to say that I enjoyed it! I never ever like this workout and for some reason I really got into it. I still can't do the running lunges on the floor without my sciatic nerve screaming, but I moderate by sprinting during that part. Ab Intervals was the next workout and I was able to do about 90% of them. I actually had sweat drip onto the floor while doing oblique push-ups. I can't tell you the last time sweat dripped onto the floor from a workout...that's just not me! Proof that I was nailing it!

And this week's results~ I'm unsure about inches lost because I'm only measuring every two weeks, but this week I lost 2.6 pounds meaning I've lost 11 pounds total in 3 weeks! Insane, insane. Thank you, Shaun T! 

Nothing very exciting happened this week. Monday we met Ryan's brother Julian before he went back to Juniata for his new grown-up job. We went to Harry's Pizza and normally I can eat 4-5 slices and I could barely finish two. Eh. Tuesday Ryan was gone all day for the Pirates double header and Wednesday Ryan and I went to the Pirates game ourselves. I spent almost all day Thursday online job searching and Friday night we went to our friend Ramsey's house. We haven't seen Ramsey in almost two years!! It was really nice to see his family again and I forgot how sweet his entire family is. 

So that's about all! The weather is fantastic, not a single day over 80 degrees for the next 10 days still (which would bring us to halfway through August!) Honestly, I can deal with 75 every day in the summer :o) Have a good week everyone!

~R

 

Funny picture of Nittany!, Chalkboard I found at TJ Maxx, Chicken and Avocado Sandwich, Ryan and I at the Pirates game, Diesel!, Cinnamon and Sugar Chocolate Pretzels, and the new living room

Staturday! Week 2 progress, July 22-July 26

What a fantastic week :) The hot streak that we had finally broke and I am 1000x happier. One day this week I even wore a long sleeved shirt! Love it!

So week 2 of FocusT25 brought some different challenges. I did think overall the workouts were easier but I haven't been able to check "Nailed it!" for Total Body Circuit yet. I'm scared because this coming week you do TBC twice and then 3 times next week!!

Monday- Cardio. Easier. WAY easier than the Friday before even. I gave myself a "Nailed it".

Tuesday- Total Body Circuit. Oh how I hate Spiderman Push-ups. Barely made it.

Wednesday- Speed 1.0. Again, I love doing this workout.

Thursday- Cardio. I thought Cardio was harder today than Monday for some reason.

Friday- Lower Focus and Ab Intervals. Lower Focus I can do about 95% of. Ab Intervals...how do they do some of those moves?!

Now for the results of course. From last week to this week I lost 3.6 pounds which gives me a loss of 8.4 pounds in two weeks. WHAT?!! That's crazy. So I'm 25% into my goal weight loss and only 20% into the program. Here is hoping I can keep it up because.....

Ryan and I FINALLY booked our honeymoon! Yes, we have waited almost 4 years to take our honeymoon. After much consideration we decided to go to Riviera Maya and Playa de Carmen. I am so excited and can hardly wait. And because I have so much faith in this workout program, I even ordered a few new bikinis. Woo!

Possibly even more shocking is the fact that I have an interview tomorrow evening with a family. Yes, a family. I know I said I could never ever nanny again after having my heart shattered but at the same time it can be such a rewarding career. There has yet to be a position I've enjoyed more than raising babies :) Here's hoping that they are a wonderful family and we can each see a future together.

In sad news this week, our dear friends have ended their relationship. They were together for 7 years, lived together for 3, and were engaged for 6 months. They are our closest couple of friends. It was very hard for me to digest the news and Ryan couldn't understand why I was so upset about it. I know they had 7 fantastic years together and we've had 7 fantastic years with them. The break-up is amicable but it doesn't make it any easier.

Finally, our other dear friends announced they are having a baby. This news hit me like a ton of bricks! We love this couple dearly and know they will be wonderful parents. I can hardly wait to have a little baby to spoil and be a baby hog with :)

Here is this week's photo dump:

Where we will be staying!, homemade pretzels, Ryan and Nittany napping on the new furniture, sunflower that bloomed in the garden and Coala giving me a kiss after surviving TBC!!!

Staturday!!! 1st wk, July 20th

I survived! I did the entire first week of Focus T25 Alpha Week One. I feel ah-mazing. I am a bit sore but I will sum up everything!!!

The sorest I was was on Tuesday. I think that's just because I was getting back into the swing of things. By Thursday I wasn't sore at all anymore. Friday I got up and did the Cardio first. You have the option of doing two workouts on Fridays, or saving one for Saturday too. Fridays workouts were Lower Focus and Cardio and I did Cardio to get it out of the way. Still hard, but I was able to do more moves than Monday's Cardio. In the evening I decided to do Lower Focus. I loved doing this workout. A lot of squats and lunges but it felt really good to stretch out my lower body. The 25 minutes flew by and I was still sweating insanely like I had run a marathon!!

Today I did the Stretch workout. Although it is only stretching, I was still sweating in the beginning. Shaun T was right and it felt amazing by the end and I'm so glad I did it. I think I may even do it tomorrow as well.

So here is what you are waiting for- the results. From Monday morning until this morning I lost 4.8 lbs. Not a huge difference but almost 5 pounds in six workouts is fantastic I think! Most importantly, I enjoy doing the workouts. They are hard and they make me sweat and grunt like a pig but getting results is the motivation I need to keep going.

Here's this week's photo dump!

From the top left: Nittany being a porker with two dingos, my shakeology, 50 Sucks! lollipop bouquet I made, Ryan and I enjoying my last beer for 10 weeks!, Luna has allergies and her face swelled up, a beautiful sunset out the road, and how I found all three dogs huddling during the storm.

~R

Total Body Circuit and Ab Intervals

Today is my 4th day of Focus T25. That only means that tomorrow is the double workout day. Augh! Yesterday I completed Total Body Circuit and it just about killed me. I had to follow almost ALL of the modified moves and even then it was probably not full strength because I just couldn't get them. Planking is extremely hard for me so when you are planking and have to do some oblique crunches...well, I might as well just die. I did do it though and that's another day done!

Today I did Ab Intervals and it was difficult but not terrible. My ab strength isn't fabulous so I was a big shaky but still, better than nothing! I thought today's workout FLEW by. I glanced at the time and it was under 8 minutes and I could hardly believe it.

Today I also weighed myself because I did the 3 day Shakeology cleanse. I was down 4 pounds since Monday morning. I'm not extremely happy with those results because 1) I saw people losing like 8-10 lbs, and 2) I was literally STARVING when I went to bed. Yesterday evening I almost ripped Ryan's head off waiting for him to grill chicken for dinner. Would I do it again? Probably not. I don't think the results were worth it for me to be so hungry and miserable for 3 days. On the other hand, I didn't leave the house because I was worried of the "side-effects" I read about. I didn't have any side effects and I think if I was out running around like normal I would've dropped another pound or so. I was pretty sedentary besides working out in the mornings and my 2 mile jog each evening.

I'm very excited for tomorrow and doing both workouts. I can hardly wait to wake up Saturday morning and weigh-in for the first Staterday!

~R

Cardio and Speed 1.0 Focus T25

Yesterday I did Focus T25 workout Cardio for Day 1. Wow, let me tell you that it was unbelievably hard! You can check either Nailed It or Barely Made It on the calendar provided, and I definitely had to check Barely Made It! I had to follow Tanya for a lot of the modified moves but I give myself a high-five because I did it. I completed it. I did have to take a couple 2-3 second breathers but got right back into it. And for that, I'm proud of myself.

Today I did Speed 1.0. This workout was extremely different that yesterday's and I was encouraged because I saw someone post in our group on Facebook that Shaun T gives a little break a.k.a. stretches. Those stretches were a tease! You were still working while doing them. I'm typing this about an hour after I finished the workout and I am STILL hot. I sweat more doing this workout than I remember sweating in a long, long time. I did like Speed 1.0 way better than Cardio though. There were some tough moves (slow cross jacks anyone?) and clearly I am not the most coordinated and graceful athlete. I was dripping by the end of the 25 minutes but I enjoyed it, I did it, and I'm past it and looking forward to tomorrow's Total Body Circuit.

Yesterday I began the 3 Day Shakeology Cleanse. I had a shake for breakfast, took a green iced tea grocery shopping with me, had an apple when I came home . I had another shake pre-dinner and had a salad and shake for dinner. I already had a shake this morning. According to my scale I'm down 2.4lbs this morning from yesterday. Here's hoping I get some amazing results this first week!

-R

Stat-urday! 7-13-13

Last weekend I was invited to join a group of ladies on Facebook who are doing the 10 week Beachbody Focus T 25 . What an honor! Some of these women are coaches for Beachbody or have their own coaching systems to help people lose weight and become healthier. Knowing someone wanted me to participate totally made my weekend.

Almost two years ago now was when I began my healthier lifestyle journey. I'll admit, it's never easy and I am such a foodie! I love food so much and it's really hard to maintain a healthy weight. I am beyond excited to start this program on Monday. Every Saturday is going to be "Stat"urday and I'll be posting updated weight loss for the week. I know so many people say it's not about the number on the scale, but for me it really is. I lost 18 pounds in six weeks doing the Slim in 6 program so I have full faith in this 10 week program. My goal weight to lose is 25 pounds.

Of course I'll have before and after photos and stats, but you will just have to be patient and wait until the end to know! Now, time for some deets on the program!

Shaun T who is the creator of Insanity is the mastermind behind T25. Shaun T designed the program so those who hate spending an hour a day working out will no longer have to but still will receive incredible results. Yes, the program is only 25 minutes a day. Praise the Lord! I actually do have the time to work out longer, but I am so easily distracted and bored. There are two parts to T25. The first 5 weeks are the ALPHA weeks. Cardio, Speed 1.0, Total Body Circuit, Ab Intervals, and Lower Focus. For 5 weeks you rotate through these workouts according to the provided calendar. After those 5 weeks you are on to the BETA stage. Same idea, different and harder workouts.

So the next 10 weeks should be hella fun! I can hardly wait to begin on Monday. Check back next Saturday for an update on how I survived my first week. Ryan has the honors of taking my before pictures tomorrow night, hehe.



In other news I was laid off from my educational specialist position at the end of June. Because of the sequestration, no grants were renewed for Afterschool education. This has been very difficult to accept because I honestly and truly loved my position. It was a lot of work but I cared about those kids so darn much! It also really stinks because I believe the work I did make an actual difference in those kids' lives. Not necessarily always their grades, but in their personal lives. Some of the questions they asked and some of the stories they told made me realize how truly blessed and fortunate I was growing up. Two parents, a home we owned, two cars, a cooked meal every night, clean and new clothes, a safe yard to play in, Christmases, Easters and birthdays to celebrate...and a dog or two. When I told one of my students "Happy Birthday" she looked at me confused. She didn't know it was her own birthday and you better believe there wasn't a cake or ice cream or candles or a present when she got home from school either. Yes, let's cancel a program and get rid of educators where we are the only ones wishing a child a happy birthday.

As I began my search for another career path I filed for unemployment. I believe unemployment is there to help people who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. The benefits received help cover the cost of bills and groceries until the person finds another position. I was informed that I am unable to collect unemployment because I didn't make enough in the base year. Sure felt like a lot was being collected from my pay though. I did appeal the claim and am waiting to hear what the decision will be. In the meantime, I am fortunate enough to have found a few positions to apply for, and have friends and family also sending me possible opportunities.

Lastly, every Staterday I'll probably have a "photo-dump". This is simply a collage of some of the interesting (at least to me) pictures I've taken in the past week. You have been warned: I'm sure the overdose of dog cuteness will  be at an all-time high.

Have a great week everyone!

-R

 As the storm came, first attempt at 4 strand braiding, dyeing mason jars, Ryan and I taking pics after the storm, and the T25 workout schedule hanging on the fridge :)