My New Obsession

I am a one-hobby-at-a-time kind of person.  I get really hooked on and obsessed about one thing for a little while and then move on to something else that I'll be equally as hooked on and obsessed about.  I'll usually come back around to the first obsession eventually, but when it comes to hobbies I'm incredibly ADD.  I just can't stick to one thing for long.

Over the summer during Michael's first deployment, my obsession was P90x.  I worked out six days a week, and really trained myself to *eat clean*.  But when Michael got home and my heart condition started giving me problems, I put it on the back burner. I tried really hard to stick to eating as healthy as possible--because after all, it's a lifestyle change, not a diet--but with the holidays, that took a big nose dive too. 

I kept meaning to get back to my workouts, but I just didn't feel motivated.  I've been down in the dumps a lot lately, dealing with circumstances that are out of my control, and that is what finally kicked me to get back into the fitness world.  Working out helped me get over the emotional pain of our miscarriage last year--it could help me again.  That, and the fact that my new *skinny* clothes were starting to feel a little tight.  Whoops.

This time around, I'm doing a different Beachbody fitness program:  Turbo Fire.  I am so in love.  I can't believe how much I enjoy working out every day.  When I was doing P90x, I enjoyed it because I liked how it made me feel, and the results I was seeing.  I didn't necessarily love the workouts themselves.  They did their job and weren't incredibly boring, but they were really just a means to an end.

But Turbo Fire?  Amazing!  I was actually pretty leery about doing the program because so many fitness programs that are aimed at women seem very wimpy to me, especially after completing P90x.  I don't want to waste my time with a twenty minute workout that doesn't leave me drenched in sweat.  Turbo Fire is often described as a mix of dance and kickboxing which also worried me.  It just seemed too...girly.

It may be girly, and we may work out to the lyrics of "Girl I got your boyfriend, I got your man" during one particular workout, but it isn't wimpy.  I am soaked in sweat after every workout.  After only two weeks of the program, I can already see small changes in my body.  That, ladies and gents, is golden.

Besides Turbo Fire, I'm trying to incorporate running into my fitness regime.  I've never been a runner.  I've always had issues with becoming easily fatigued and out of breath doing any kind of fitness for as long as I can remember (stupid heart!) so running has always been especially hard for me.  But since my endurance and stamina are so much better than they've ever been, I'm going to give running a try. 

So my old obsession has come back around, and I hope it keeps me hooked for a long while.  I'm ready to see what my body is capable of!

Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse

I'm back from a brief internet hiatus!  Had some computer problems last week that thankfully didn't take too long to fix.  I'm been such a good blogger lately that I'm sure ya'll can forgive me.  :)

Over the weekend I partook in a 3-day Shakeology cleanse.  Shakeology is a meal replacement product available through Beachbody that is awesome.  In my opinion, most meal replacement drinks are not tasty.  And they rarely contain the crazy amount of nutrients and anti-oxidants that Shakeology has.  Beachbody calls it the healthiest meal of the day, and I don't disagree.

I added Chocolate Shakeology to my diet about three weeks ago, and I love it.  I usually use it to replace lunch, and with added peanut butter it tastes a-freaking-mazing.  So yummy.  Since I actually look forward to lunch every day, I thought the cleanse would be an awesome way to boost my metabolism before the next phase of P90x, as well as a great way to help me shed a few pounds.

The clease was crazy hard.

Essentially, it's fasting.  You're eating a bare 1000-1200 calories each day which is the lowest you should ever go.  And not for more than a few days at a time.  You drink Shakeology mixed with water three times a day, as well as a salad with chicken or fish for dinner.  You can also add 1-2 pieces of fruit as well as 1-2 cups of green tea as snacks throughout the day if you need the additional boost. 

I was starving!  I eat closer to 1500 calories each day, and during the cleanse I ate roughly 1000 calories.  That's a big difference.  Plus drinking Shakeology three times a day with the added anti-oxidant boost of Green Tea overloaded my body with so many fantastic nutrients that my body was flushing everything out like crazy. 

For three days, I was pretty tired, a little dizzy, and suffered through a headache or two.  I was able to do Yoga while on the cleanse, but since I started it at the end of my Phase 2 Recovery week, I mostly got to relax.

All in all, I think it was worth it.  I've jump-started my metabolism, gotten rid of a lot of gunk and junk that was clogging up my body, and lost almost four pounds.

And I'm ready to kick off my first day of Phase 3 of P90x this morning!  After I eat a big bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.

Make sure to check back on Thursday for my 60 day P90x results!

Becoming a Coach

I started week six of P90x today.  I just can't get enough of this addicting program.  I'm still as pumped about working out as I was when I started the program.  I can't ask for more than that!

Over the weekend I took my love for P90x and Beachbody in general to the next level.  I became a Coach!  They started a new promotion a week ago that allows active duty members and their spouses to become Coaches without any of the overhead costs.  All fees are waived!  And what makes it incredibly amazing is that I now get a 25% discount on all their products.

That was pretty much what brought me on board.  I decided to start ordering Shakeology--a ridiculously yummy meal replacement drink that is super chocked full of vitamins and minerals.  It is a little slice of heaven.  Most protein drinks, bars, etc are nasty at worst, tolerable at best.  I refuse to eat food that doesn't taste good, even if it's good for me.  But Shakeology really is awesome.  So now that I'm a Coach, I get it for a good price.  Without paying for any of the normal Coach fees.  Pretty much couldn't pass that up.

I'm not sure what being a Coach will mean to me yet.  I may just be a Coach for the discount or I may make it into a profitable business.  I'm not really sure yet.  I'm not nor have I ever really been a salesperson.

I'm just happy that P90x has started me on a journey that I never would have imagined being on.  I've never loved working out, and now I look forward to it each and every day.  It's a part of who I am now.  You can't change your mindset like I have, and then fall back into your old habits.  Life doesn't work that way--at least not for me.