A Food Dilemma: Poison or Pleasure?

I've been struggling lately.  I feel like a lot of people have.  I can feel it in the air.  I don't know if it the changing of the seasons or the start of school, but it seems like everyone around me is fighting their own personal battles.

I would've never been able to resist at Hogwarts

Mine, is food.

Last year, I got a real handle on my eating.  I wasn't heavy by any means, but I lost a good amount of fat that I was carrying around my middle and in my thighs.  I was eating more, eating cleaner, and lifting heavy.  I was drinking very little alcohol because I was exhausted every night from renovating my new home.  I felt strong both mentally and physically.

This year is proving to be a different story.  I have started training for my first marathon, a HUGE bucket list item that I never thought would be possible after my knee surgery.  And I know that one of the main struggles for runners can be eating TOO much... especially too much carbs.

So, I've been watching what I eat... at least, I think I have.  And I've been working out, hard, every day.  And yet, the pounds, and the fat, have been creeping back.

This makes me angry and frustrated!  Meanwhile, my good friend Bethany over at Living Between Labels is struggling with her own autoimmune issues.  She has been forced to cut out MAJOR foods, like tomatoes and wheat, because they cause her body to, essentially, attack itself.  The two of us, along with many of our other friends in the health and fitness world, talk daily about what we should be eating, what we shouldn't be eating, how much to eat, when to eat it.  And then we have to help our challengers navigate these same questions and struggles.  And that just goes for people with no food allergies or health issues!

It's exhausting.  And the struggle to constantly make the right choices is real for a lot of people.  My friend and coach Kristin can't eat gluten or dairy, and for her, she says it's simple:  these foods are poison.  If you think about it like you're eating poison, it's very easy to say no.

But then, food is an addiction for many.  Just like cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana and cocaine are all poisons, people still put them in their bodies every day.  And while many people die from them, many don't.

Food gives me joy.  Pizza and chocolate and ice cream and pasta and chips and grapes and cheese and wine.  I feel good when I drink my Shakeology and eat my salad for lunch and my lightly sweetened greek yogurt and my cauliflower and my turkey meatballs for dinner.  But those are not what I want.  But even when I do eat those consistently, sometimes it's not enough.  I want a treat.  Those are healthy in moderation.  But what is moderation?  One small portion a day?  One large portion a week?  You only live once, you know... what's wrong with having a glass of wine at dinner.

So here I sit, fighting with myself and my desires.  Do I want wine or do I want rock hard abs?  Do I want the guilt of eating a piece of chocolate or the agony of turning it down?  What is REALLY going to make me happy?  Food or 5% body fat?

You know what?  I'm not sure yet.  Whenever I think I know, I change my mind.

I want to live a long, happy, healthy life.  What's the recipe for that?

When Should You Rest?

In terms of health and fitness, the fitness part has always come easy for me.  I have always been easily motivated to workout.  In college, I used to wake up at 6 am (the time when most kids were just going to bed) and walk in the dark, through the city to the other dorm gym where it was only ever me and the one other person insane enough to wake up "that early".  I loved it.

Now that it's summer and I'm working less, I try to squeeze in two-a-days.  Because, why not.  I love it and it makes me happy.

On the other end of the spectrum are people who HATE working out.  They can't get motivated and they can't find an activity that they enjoy.  Maybe, they're (gasp!) lazy.

Whichever is the case for you, everyone needs rest days.  The struggle for me is reminding myself why they are important and not feeling guilty about taking them.  The struggle for the other half is not making up excuses to rest and being able to differentiate between a rest day and excuses.

HOW DO YOU KNOW if it's time for a rest day?

1.  Be able to identify pain vs. soreness.  You may be feeling muscle soreness... but is it painful in a way that you know is not right?   PiYo is actually a fantastic workout to do when your sore because of the stretching (even though the strengthening also makes you sore!).  The more you work out, the more you will know when the pain is not right.

2. Is your resting heart rate high? Do you wake up in the morning and feel like your body is rushing and you're not well-rested?  An elevated resting heart rate is a sign of stress.  While working out can be an emotional stress reliever, it is not a physical stress reliever.  If your body and heart are feeling stress, it's time to take a day to rest (ha that sort of rhymed).

3. Are you having multiple nights with bad sleep? Many things can cause a poor night's sleep, but when you have a few in a row, your body isn't repairing your muscles the way that it should, so a break is probably needed.  Obviously, stress can cause a bad night's sleep but so can overtraining.  Normally, working out and eating healthy should actually improve your sleep because your body is finally functioning as it should.  Your insides aren't working overtime to try to digest substances (processed foods) that shouldn't be in your body. However, when you're overtraining, the opposite happens.

4. Be able to tell the difference between being run down and being lazy (or just wanting to snuggle back in bed!). Being run down is an exhaustion that you can feel in your entire body. You're too tired to focus or breathe.  This is another time you really have to rely on knowing yourself.  If you haven't done anything strenuous in a while (physically, mentally or emotionally), you probably aren't run down.  

5. You're sick. I have heard that if you have a head cold, carry on with your workout, but if it's a chest cold, you need to let it ride. AGAIN, listen to your body. Usually when I'm just stuffy in the head, a workout really clears me out.  Actually, even when I'm not stuffy, I use a butt-ton of tissues when I work out.  But sometimes, a headache can be so bad, you just need to lie alone in the dark.  Sometimes, when you're coughing so much, you can breathe and everything is strained.

It may be worth it to try to start your workout and see how it goes.  Even on my worst days, a few minutes into my workout I feel great.  But there have been times when I've started and then stopped because I know I needed to.

WHY SHOULD YOU REST?

1. Rest prevents injury by preventing overuse.  

2. Your muscles need rest days to repair.  When you use your muscles, the tiny fibers actually start to tear.  As those little fibers repair, they actually become stronger than they were before.  If you don't give them time to repair (work the same muscles every day or don't take rest days), they will continue to tear and you won't see much improvement.

3. Your immune system needs a break!  Part of what helps those little fibers repair themselves is your immune system.  If it is working in overdrive to repair the muscles you're working, it's not able to fully do it's job to make sure you don't get sick! Overtraining can actually weaken your immune system and make you sick!

4. You don't want to retain water.  If you are just starting to work out or starting a new program, the shock to your body could actually cause you to retain water (this is why you shouldn't weigh yourself in the first few days of a new workout regimen).  A rest day will allow you to release some of that water you've been unnecessarily holding on to.  Retention of water in your joints can also inhibit them from moving and working properly.  The fluid build up can cause unnecessary stress on your joints and cause injury.

5. This is your life. If you're not doing things you enjoy, what is it all for? Take a day off and spend it with your kids, your cat, or take a nap! We'll all understand and make sure you're back at it tomorrow!

PiYo Infomercial Part 3: Hurry Up and Wait

The best way to describe my day was "Hurry Up and Wait."  We hurried up to get our outfits checked, and then we waited.  We hurried up to get our hair and makeup checked, and then we waited.  We hurried up to get our lunch, and then we waited.  All in all, we hurried up and waited for FIVE HOURS until they finally started taping us at 4 pm!  What a trip.

BUT during those 5 hours, I got to meet some of the biggest names in PiYo like Michele Park and I got to meet some really amazing women for whom PiYo changed their lives.  They were Beachbody coaches, PiYo instructors, moms, young women, older women, and so many different shapes and with so many different stories.  It was so hard to not scream from the rooftops (and the Facebook) all about what I was doing, and who I was meeting.  I can't wait to go back and tag all the pictures that were taken!

^^Why am I making that face with Michele Park?!  Am I kissing? Smiling? Sassy? Ugh!

I was also sneaky and got to watch some of the PiYo Master Trainers practice for their Lesson 41 shoot the next day.  Not going to lie... I kind of want to be a Master Trainer on the Talent Team now.

At some point, we were waiting so long for ANYTHING to happen, that Chalene came in (she was not hanging out with us, unfortunately) and said thank you and took pictures with us.  Obviously I video taped it.  She kept looking at me like I was a creeper, but WHATEVER!  It was Chalene!

Finally FINALLY at 3:45, the director took half of us into the group exercise room where there were tons of cameras and lights and people.  We weren't supposed to bring our phones in, but I'm a rebel and a badass now, so I did...

The way the taping worked was that Michele Park actually led the class while Chalene was being interviewed by Maria Menounos.  There were a lot of different cameras:  some on stands, some flying through the air, some being walked around by camera men.  Michele led us through a number of different sections of Drench, which is the workout on the DVDs most like a PiYo Live class.  Michele is an amazing instructor.  Every time they had to stop taping, I wanted to keep taking her class!  It was so much fun to be doing PiYo with so many people who were so good at it!

Eventually we switched out with another group.  Chalene and Maria Menounos were both in workout clothes, but I'm not sure if Chalene showed Maria any moves, since we were in another room.

I ended up having to scoot out a little before filming was over, because I had to get back to LA to catch my 10:30 pm flight home!  I slept like a baby between my layover in Vegas, landed in Philly at 8:20 the next morning.  Not before filming this video in the LA airport:

How do I even close out a story like this one, except to repeat how I began it:  by emphasizing not only the honor and AMAZEMENT at being chosen for something at which I worked so hard and about which I am so completely passionate, but by recognizing how the act of applying for the opportunity and then actually DOING IT, despite the risk and anxiety it presented totally and completely changed my life.

I have never felt more alive, more fulfilled, more passionate, more rewarded, more like a BADASS than ever before in my life.  I want and NEED to help others feel the same, now that I have been through this experience.

I am offering two amazing opportunities to celebrate my one year anniversary with Beachbody, and my new Badass status.

The first is an exclusive PiYo Challenge Group led by me, beginning on MY PiYo one-year anniversary-- Monday, July 6.  This is not your average 21 day Challenge Group.  This will be a full-out 8 week group that will follow the entire PiYo program.  In addition to the group support setting, you will receive one-on-one coaching support with meal plans, modifications and accountability.  There will also be an opportunity to learn some of the most current PiYo combinations from the PiYo Live lessons, since I am a PiYo Instructor!  For this group, I am looking for 15 people who are committed to give this program their all, who will be enthusiastic participants in our challenge group, and are open to trying new things, physically, emotionally, and nutritionally!

The second opportunity is to apply for a spot on my coaching team, Team Fit by Example.  Becoming a coach was the very first REAL risk that I took, and I haven't looked back.  In the last year I have become a better version of myself, both physically and emotionally, made amazing friends, gained confidence in leaps and bounds, found a purpose in my life both by helping others do what I've done. The thousands of dollars I've made doesn't hurt either.  I am looking for people who are looking to claim or RE-claim their Badass status.  I'm looking for 5 people who are passionate, fun, honest, CONFIDENT and ready and willing to try new things and make big things happen for themselves.  If you want more, then I want you to be an example with me!

To apply, fill out the short questionnaire below and I will contact you with more information!  I cannot wait to bring my love of PiYo and my ever-growing confidence to everyone!

PiYo Infomercial Part 2: My Adventure Begins

The week before the infomercial was a whirlwind of finalizing plans, secretly (from my husband) buying new workout clothes (they were on sale at Old Navy!) and traveling to my cousin's bachelorette party!  I think in five days I spent one night in my own bed.

The day came and I packed as light as I could:  one outfit for both plane rides, a couple workout options, and pjs.  Oh, and a yoga mat.  There would be no checking bags, no computer, no frills.  My original plan was to board a plane in Philly at 6:30 pm, change planes in Houston during a 40 minute layover, and land in LA at 11 pm PST.  Imagine how my stress level rose when, on my way to the airport, I got an alert that my plane to Houston was delayed 30 minutes.  No worries, I thought, if they know I'm coming, they should hold the plane.

Then the plane was delayed an hour.

Then an hour and a half

Then 2 hours.

I decided it was probably time to figure out another way to LA.  But first, let me take a selfie.

In 2 minutes, the helpful airport desk lady had me on a nonstop flight to LA that left at 8:30 pm and landed in LA at the exact same time.  Crisis averted!  Everybody resume normal activity!

So of course, as I'm waiting to board, I brought my inspiration, You Are a Badass, and happened to read the following quote:

So many times during this trip, I couldn't believe what I was doing.  I would have moments of anxiety and as I was trying to talk myself out of the crippling fear of during something so out of my comfort zone, I would come to the realization of how AWESOME it all was.  Seriously.

Fast forward a lot of hours through one very cold plane ride, an unexplainably long rental car line, and a scenic midnight drive over the hills of San Pedro, and I ended up at a fellow coach's house!  We had never met, and actually were not even friends on Facebook, yet here she was opening her home to me and providing an extremely comfortable bed on which for me to get in my beauty sleep.

I didn't have to be in Irvine until 11 am the next day, so I spent the morning having our own little team building session and by 9:30 am I was on my way.

I got to the gym around 10:30 and recorded this little message:

How did it go?  Do you want to read Part 3 before everyone else?  Sign up to have ME as your free coach, and you'll get a sneak peak at the final blog post before everyone else!

PiYo Infomercial Part 1: You are the Chosen One

It's hard to know where to begin with this one.  I know you've all come to hear my big announcement.  And I am SO excited to tell you.  I have been holding it in for weeks and so OF COURSE I am excited to tell you.  But the more I sit on this secret of mine, the more it spins in my brain and the more I reflect on it, the more I realize that it wasn't the OPPORTUNITY that was amazing necessarily (although don't get me wrong, the opportunity was friggin awesome), it was the fact that I actually did it.  I put myself out there, more than ever before.  I took a financial risk that many thought unwise.  I fought through the anxiety of the WHAT IF I AM MAKING THE WRONG DECISION? and just. fucking. did. it.  And you know what happened?  I realized that I am a badass.

Seriously.

I found something that I enjoy, I pursued it, amazing things happened, and then I didn't make excuses. I went out and I lived my life.  I did something crazy.  Something that just a YEAR ago would have sent my nerves into a tailspin.

You know what sucks?  Regret.  I have always held true to the mantra:  Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.  And that has really worked for me.  Because my life has been filled with overanalyzing and pros and cons lists and endless conversations consulting everyone for their advice.  I have never put myself in a situation that could allow for regret.  And I am ok with that.  And I will probably continue to live most of my life that way.  I like safety and security.  I like that my savings account has money and that I brush my teeth twice a day and that I don't jump out of airplanes.  BUT for the first time in my life, I took a chance in which the outcome was unforeseen.  In which my decision was cautioned by my parents.  In which I had to spend a lot of money.  Forget regret, right?  I knew.  I knew that if I didn't take this chance, THAT regret would be worse than the regret of not doing every damn thing I needed to do to get there.  So that's what I did.

I applied, was chosen, and attended the invitation-only taping of the brand new infomercial for Chalene Johnson's and Beachbody's workout program PiYo.

You remember PiYo?  My soul workout.  The workout that saved my life.  The workout that rehabilitated my knee, my body, and my mindset.  The workout that taught me that I didn't have to run to stay in shape and be worth something, but that helped me get back into running anyway.  The only Beachbody workout that I've complete twice.  The workout that I got certified to instruct.

It all started when Beachbody posted on Facebook that they were looking for people to submit their pictures and their stories for a chance to be selected to be in the PiYo infomercial.  You had to be available to be in Irvine, California on the day of the taping.  Many people commented, "Oh man, I would love to do this, but I live far away!"  "PiYo changed my life, but I just can't spend the money to get there!"  "There is nothing I would rather do, but I just can't get out of work!"  There were a lot of "buts" in those comments.  So when one friend tagged me in the comments, and then another, and then another, I thought, "Well, why the hell not?"  I already had my story.  I already had my transformation photos.  All I needed was a video of myself doing some of the moves.  So, at 10:30 pm after a long, gluttonous Memorial Day Weekend at the beach, my husband taped some of my most impressive PiYo moves.

Everything was due to be emailed by noon on Tuesday, May 26.  I wasn't entirely sure if that meant noon PST or not, so I did it in the morning just to be safe and went about my day...

...looking up red-eyes to and from Los Angeles.  I don't even know why.  Something told me that I should be prepared. Now, I'm not going to tell you I was walking around saying, "I've got this in the bag, no problem," but I wasn't walking around saying, "This was stupid there's no way they're going to pick me," either.

The ad to apply for the infomercial stated that the people chosen would be informed on Friday, May 29.  So imagine my paralyzing shock when this happened:

I never pick up numbers I don't know.  If it's important, they can leave a message.  But you can bet your ass I picked this up.

Yup.  It was Beachbody.

They wanted to know where I was from.  My area code must not have rung a bell as being local.  When I told them NJ, they asked, should I be chosen, would I be willing and able to be in Irvine, California on the day of the shoot.  I believe what I told them was, "I would WALK to California if you picked me to be in this shoot."

"Great, we'll let you know on Friday."

Cue me texting everyone I knew.  I mean, they wouldn't call me if they weren't seriously considering me, right?  How was I going to wait until Friday to find out?

Apparently, I didn't have to.  Less than 24 hours later, this happened:

I was officially invited to the PiYo infomercial shoot.  It would be an all-day affair in Irvine, California.  Of course, Chalene herself would be there.  More specific information about location and dress code would follow.

WTF.  Cue frantic screaming phone calls.  I was going to meet Chalene.

I was, as you would expect, ecstatic.  And then, terrified.  I must be crazy.  I was going to go to LA and back, for less than 48 hours total, rent a car, find somewhere to stay, put myself in a situation where I didn't know anyone, all by myself and on my dime?!  Many people I talked to felt the same way.

"Wait, you have to pay for this yourself?  Is that a wise financial decision?  Didn't you just buy a house? Why would you do that?"

"Yes.  Probably not.  Yes.  Well..."

Because.  Because WHO applies to be in an infomercial for a product they TRULY believe in, let alone gets CHOSEN to be in it?  Because this "Beachbody workout hobby" of mine has changed my life, and this is a chance to show the world.  Because life is only life if you live a little.  Because it would make me HAPPY.

That's why.


Do you want to read Part 2 before everyone else?  Sign up to have ME as your free coach, and you'll get a sneak peak at the next blog post before everyone else!

Me Hyphen Baby

A good friend once compared her engagement to her now-husband as a type of "hyphen" between being single and being married.  It's a dynamic time period in one's life where the boundaries between yours, mine, and ours are fuzzy, especially to people outside of your relationship.  People will say, "Just wait til you're married," as if your relationship now as an engaged couple (or before as a couple dating) isn't as serious as it will be when you are married, simply because you haven't yet been able to file a joint tax return.  I have been married now for a little over a year and a half and I have discovered a different type of hyphen in life-- the time between getting married, and having children.

Just like the hyphen of engagement, people on the outside of your relationship are focused only on the next thing.  If they haven't come up to you and blatantly asked, "So, when are you having kids?" it's definitely on their minds.

This topic has been weighing heavily on my mind for some time now.  First it was because of my job.    90% of the people I work with are women.  85% of the people I work with (including the men) have children.  While I very rarely get asked if or when I will start popping 'em out, I get these gems instead:

"You're so lucky you can do whatever you want."

and

"You'll understand when you have kids of your own."

Last summer, I was faced with another hurdle between myself and Those-Who-Have-Kids... Beachbody.  To me, the most obvious people out there who want to lose weight and get healthy are moms.  And rightly so.  In an effort to give all they have to their kids (as my mom has and does for me and my brother), they put themselves and their health on the back burner.  They've maybe put on weight, or never lost the weight they gained when they were pregnant.  They don't have the time to spend working out because they are providing for their families.  They may not believe they deserve to set aside time.

But this is not me.

I am very busy.  I work a full-time job as a teacher and a part-time job as the Business Manager for the local high school theater.  I take care of all the household responsibilities:  cook dinner, go grocery shopping, clean, do laundry, pay the bills, run general errands.  I love working out, and I make it part of my day, like brushing my teeth and washing the dishes.  I need to make sure I make time for my husband, my family and my friends.  I very rarely, if ever, have extra time.

Yet, I took a leap of faith, joined Beachbody, and suddenly found more time that I didn't know I had to work that business too.  Some of it was easy, because I was already working out, cooking dinner, packing my own lunches.  But some of it was harder to fit into my day-- weekly nighttime conference calls, posting more to social media, doing personal development, creating a blog.  What I realized was that, if you love something, if it's of value in your life, if it's WORTH it, you will make the time. Does anyone REALLY have the time to have kids?  Does anyone sit around pre-baby, and think, jeez, I'm so bored, a baby would really fill up my day?  NO.  People have kids because they want to love something, to nurture something, something that is a representation of the love that they share with their partner.  If anything, people probably think, "I don't have time for a baby!"  Yet millions of people have them and millions of people find the time.

So here I am, in my hyphen world with my Beachbody baby.  And I am having a hard time, a REALLY hard time, connecting to people like me.  People in this hyphened state of life.  People pre-baby.  I'm having a hard time showing people what a fantastic baby Beachbody can be.  How it can fill your life with so many good things, that you find the time for it that you didn't think you had. Parents will say to me, "You'll understand when you have kids of your own..."  Maybe that's true.  That I can't truly understand what it's like to love until I have a child of my own.  That I don't know what I'm missing.  BUT I also know that I had no idea what I was missing with Beachbody until I became a coach.

So this is where I sit.  Unsure where to go next.  Do I take a leap and reach out to more people "like me"?  Do I sort of just glide along until I have kids and finally "understand"?  How do I show people like me that they can find the time to do something like this and it will be worth it?

South Jersey Super Saturday!

So far, one of the most amazing things I have done with my Beachbody family was attend the first Super Saturday of the year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  In attendance there was the CEO Carl Deikler, 21 Day Fix/Extreme trainer Autumn Calabrese, and the 2014 Top Coach, Melanie Mitro.  It was so exciting to see everyone come together for the common goal of bettering ourselves as coaches and bettering the lives of others through our products.





Super Saturday happens four times a year and can literally happen anywhere.  All you need is to register your town with Beachbody.  They will send you a corporate video to show.  Other than that, it's up to you!  You can have one person there or thousands.  You can hold it in your garage, a local school or church, or even a hotel or NFL stadium!

Inspired by our experiences in Pittsburgh in January, my coach decided to co-host the next Super Saturday event locally, which was this past Saturday, April 24.  I have to tell you, I was excited (I'm always excited to spend time with my team), but I didn't think there would be that many people there!    And people we didn't know who weren't on our team!

It was a really awesome morning.  My coach Leigh and another local Star Diamond coach Sabrina welcomed everyone and did some recognitions.  We then heard from one of Leigh's challengers, Kelly, about her transformation:  over 40 pounds since last July doing T25 and Insanity Max: 30!

Next we watched the video from corporate.  Two new product announcements were made:  Cize!, a new dance workout by Shaun T and Beachbody Performance, a line of supplements that range from pre-workout energy to nighttime repair formulas!  I'm kind of excited about this, although I read that you can't mix any of it with Shakeology, which is what I've been doing with the Beachbody protein that was just discontinued.  Once the products come out in July, I'll give everyone a full run-down.  If you're interested in being notified when these products are available, click the products^!

The video also featured quick advice from some top coaches and some very inspirational stories from some successful challengers.  These videos are quite motivational for veteran and new coaches alike, as well as visiting friends and challengers in attendance who are not coaches.

After the video, there were some trivia and prizes and then finally, the live workout portion!  Leigh started it off with a half hour of Insanity!  The bad AND good news was that Leigh had to modify some of the moves because there wasn't enough room with all the people who showed up.  It was really awesome.

Next was PiYo live and my FIRST class!  You remember when Rachel and I got certified two months ago?  I have been practicing and preparing for this very moment!  It was a very interesting experience.  Even without a mirror in front of me or the confidence/experience to do the moves facing my "class", I still think it went really well!  Quite a few people commented to me that it was way different, and better, than the video program (I, of course, disagree) and now they want to get certified too!  Awesome!

I have to end by pointing out my sweaty band.  Why am I wearing it like that?  Do I always wear it like that?  As one of my teammates so eloquently put it:

I guess if I have to be compared to anyone, Rambo is not a bad choice.  Right?

3 Day Refresh Planning and Prep!

I'm taking the plunge.  It took me about 7 months, but I finally feel brave enough to attempt the 3 Day Refresh.  (What is the 3 Day Refresh?  Scroll down and I'll tell you!)

On my journey to this decision, I passed through all five stages of grief:

Denial-- I don't need to do some crazy cleanse!  I'm thin!  I don't eat crap!

Anger-- Why do I hate veggies?!  If I didn't hate veggies, maybe I would try it.  Stupid veggies.

Bargaining--  I promise I'll only eat one more brownie.  One more brownie can't hurt.

Depression--  I'm so bloated and I ate so much boo hoo me.

Acceptance--  OK I'LL DO IT!

So here we are.  Rachel (obviously) graciously volunteered to "do it" with me.  She completed the 3DR once before in the fall and lost a few pounds.  I have no idea what to expect in terms of weight/inch loss.  What I am most excited about is feeling and LOOKING less bloated.  After the holidays, and the Super Bowl and Valentine's Day, I'm ready for a little restart.

Rachel and I started off our President's Day with a little trip to Whole Foods.  Rachel has very high standards for her fruit and veggies.  I like cheap.  In case you didn't realize this, Whole Foods is not cheap.  But like they say, "You are what you eat, so don't be fast and cheap," heh heh.

Here's Rachel's beautiful meal prep:

And mine!  All done!

I'm also ready to be totally transparent about this little journey.  Here are my pictures and weight from this morning, my first morning.  I'll be back on Friday morning with updates on my pictures and weight (hopefully) loss.

Just so everyone knows, the 3 Day Refresh is a three day cleanse filled with fruits, veggies and healthy fats, along with protein and fiber shakes.  It is low caloric, but you still eat five times a day, with plenty of tea and water in between.  It's a great way to recover after a particular gluttonous weekend, prepare for an upcoming event or vacation, break through a plateau, or just jumpstart a new healthy lifestyle.

I was doing pretty well with my health and nutrition  through the holidays, and then for some reason, it caught up with me in January.  By that point, I knew I was going to be doing the refresh after Valentine's Day, so I really let myself go these last few weeks.  I am excited to get back on track and ready for a few spring runs I have planned and looking great for the summer!

Why am I not losing weight? Don't blame the fat fairy.

I want to take a moment to be real with you, and also encourage you (it is Motivational Monday, after all)

The other coaches on my team and I often talk about how to encourage our Challengers and people in general who feel discouraged during the first few weeks of their programs. When the numbers on the scale don't drop rapidly, they figure their new healthy lifestyles weren't working. We're all so busy, so if something is not working, why make the time for it?

There are a few things I want you to consider if you feel like this is you. 

1.  First and foremost, think about this: it probably took a while, maybe even years, for you to get to this point, the point where you feel like you need to lose a few pounds. This happened because life happened. This is normal! However, the exercise and nutrition changes you started making a few weeks ago need to become lifestyle changes. I promise it’s not going to take the same amount of time to lose the weight as it did to gain the weight, but to do it in a healthy, permanent way, it’s going to take some time.

2.  Second, you are putting your body through a new rigorous routine and believe it or not, there's going to be some swelling and water retention until your body regulates.  Why does this happen?  When your body starts a brand new exercise program, you use your muscles in new ways.  Microscopic tears in your muscles during these exercises cause the muscle soreness you experience.  In order to "protect and defect" your body from future muscle tears (essentially making your muscles stronger so you can continue to improve with that exercise), your muscles become swollen and inflamed and therefore retain water.  Once your muscles and your body become used to your new exercise routine, the muscle inflammation will decrease and so will your weight.

3.  Another big difference especially for those who have never worked out like this before OR were not eating what they should have (let’s face it, in college I might have been 10 pounds lighter but I was eating a soft pretzel and chocolate pudding every day for lunch), your body didn’t have the muscle that you are currently building. So when we are focused on the number on the scale, we might not realize that there is actually less flab around our bodies to pinch. THIS is the goal!

This is your EXTRA CHALLENGE for this week: no matter what program you are doing or what week you are on, if you are feeling discouraged, take your measurements and your pictures again, but do not get on the scale. Finally, take a good, hard look at what you are eating. Are you eating things you shouldn’t? Calorie counting is a great idea, but it’s not going to work if those calories include Cheetos and Gatorade and bagels. It was a tough slap in the face for me too, but the results have been undeniable.