The 21 Day Fix EXTREME Week 2 Results

Days #8 through #14

My nutrition was SO MUCH better at this point! Was it perfect? Heck no. But it was way better!! I'm hoping to buckle down even MORE on the last 7 days. It's so hard to get back on this lifestyle when I took a short hiatus..and now I'm paying for it. I plan on doing this program MULTIPLE TIMES! This week was much easier than the last in SO MANY WAYS. My eating was better, working out became easier (and a necessity as a stress reliever and a calmer). My nutrition definitely wasn't what it should be, it needs to be exact for this program to truly work it's magic and the scale is showing that. However, I'm seeing crazy awesome differences in my body and that's good too! I plan on restarting this again once it's over and trying to complete it successfully while I'm at summer camp. This just really proves that food and the kitchen ARE 80% of health and fitness, losing weight, and maintaining weight. I can workout all day long and not see results because of the foods I'm eating. This week, I'm hoping to really focus in on my eating habits. It's been hard - between the grad parties and picnics, the busy schedule, etc. I feel ya! But I'm making excuses and that's not okay. I shouldn't be, this isn't hard to do - it's easily doable on a busy schedule and I just am focused on satisfying my taste buds for 5 minutes before thinking of my lasting and permanent results. 


Here are my results from Week 2:
Inches lost: 2.5 inches lost!I lost a whole inch on my waist!
Pounds lost: 1.2 pounds 
Photos: 
I was really disappointed when I saw these photos. I'll be honest, the only place I see is a difference is in my arms (which I don't really care about right now) and in the top of my waist. But these pictures don't do it justice..But take a look at the pics below! 

Here are my total results from the beginning to Day 14:
TOTAL Inches lost: 5.75 INCHES TOTAL! 
TOTAL Pounds lost: 2.8 total...because of my nutrition....:(
Photos: THESE PHOTOS MADE ME FEEL SO MUCH BETTER! YOU CAN SEE THE HUGE DIFFERENCE! My favorite is the second forward facing photo. It's legit...and you can see it. 

The 21 day Fix EXTREME Week 1 Results

Day #1
Today was fine until after lunch. I thought I was going to freak out if I didn't have a piece of chocolate and if I have to eat fish one more time, I might throw up. But seriously, I ate fish and I downed my broccoli and now I'm sitting here, sleepy, exhausted, and refreshed from my workout. WHOWEE, that's a toughy. I can tell this program is going to kick my bootayyyy...and I'm more than ready for the results! Basically, I'm pretty much just gassy. But I'm down two pounds from this morning! (I know...why are you weighing yourself Alyssa?! - but I was curious) Here's Day 1's video blog...I think I'm too funny.

Day #2 & Day #3 & Day #4
These few days were really weird. My tummy was super rumbly and Jared always thought I was farting but in reality my tummy was just upset. I'm sleeping SO WELL. The best sleep I've had in a long, long, long, time. They say this comes from feeding your body the correct nutrients. Hah! who knew?! I also have been tired, but I have a crazy energy to keep going..weird. These days always tend to be the make or break days. I'm feeling torn between wanting to continue and wanting to stop this whole bologna and eat whatever I want. but I have goals! I allowed myself a few cheats (it's Memorial Day people!!!) but I made sure to stick to the 80/20 rule. I'm down 3.8 pounds as of today - and the progress encourages me to go further. THE WORKOUTS ARE SO HARD! AHH. Hoping to really get into the flow of them as the weeks progress. And I'm hoping to see more and more progress. 

Day #5 & Day #6 & Day #7
Let's be real. Totally didn't stick to the meal plan...at all. Another reminder that I'm human. and that sometimes we slip up.. The biggest and most bestest thing about this situation? I'm ready to jump back on the clean eating bandwagon tomorrow. Like legit. and seriously. Because I know these last 14 days are going to fly by, and I WANT RESULTS. The workouts aren't necessarily getting harder - but, I LOVE that I'm sweating more. I feel I can complete MORE of the workout without stumbling around. The first few workouts were kinda complicated! I know next week will be different though, since it won't be the first time around. 

ALOT of people are wondering what my meal plan looks like!

If you are following the VERY STRICT Countdown to Competition plan (a supplement of the 21 day fix extreme...my meal plan is found here at the, Countdown to Competition Meal Plan.

Here are my results from Week 1:
Inches lost: 3.25 inches ALL AROUND! (This speaks volumes..take a look at my pics!)
Pounds lost: 1.6 pounds (this would've been WAY more if I had stuck to my meal plan. I'm coming for ya week 2!)
Photos:

The 21 Day Fix: Round 2: Week 2 Results

Okay, real talk: My birthday made me go crazy and insane and my nutrition has been off for Friday and Saturday. I brought it back on track on Sunday and I feel better and have lost the weight I gained over my birthday celebration times, but it definitely messed up my results from the 21 day fix, week 2.

I want to be real with you guys, I want to be honest with ya'll. Because I am human, we do "mess up" and we do have cheat days and celebrations! Which means that this weeks results aren't what I wanted them to be because I took two days to celebrate and eat whatever I wanted.

However - I am back on track and excited to continue to lose weight! Despite what the scale is saying - I'm not gaining, but I'm not losing a lot either - my clothes are freaking huge! And loose! and kinda baggy! and it's evident that I'm losing weight - even when the scale doesn't move.

I was cleaning out my closet earlier this weekend and I found 3 pairs of shorts with tags on. Long story short, I bought these shorts last summer without trying them on, I got them a size bigger than I normally wore (last summer), and I just bought them and left. When I got home, I couldn't even get them above my thighs...it was devastating. These were bigger than normal (this just shows you how much weight I had gained and how bloated I was!)

Anyway, fast forward to my closet clean-out a few days ago. I pulled them on, they went over my butt, and fit around my waist. But I can't button them. I've still got some more to lose to get those suckers buttoned, but gosh darn it, I'm seeing progress and that keeps me pushing forward! Rather than put those shorts in my donation clothing pile, I folded them back up and put them in my closet, knowing they will be right there for me when I reach my goal. I AM SO EXCITED for this coming week, for the future ahead, and the extra time I'll have this summer to buckle down and whip myself into shape.

I can't wait for sunny days filled with clean eating ideas, meal prepping, grocery shopping, exercise, being outside with Daisy, and simply taking care of me! Right now, things are crazy - aren't they always? But I'm still making time for exercise!

Some people think it's selfish to take time to better yourself out of the day. But if you can't be the best version of yourself, how are you able to help anyone else?? (thoughts to think about :) )

The 21 Day Fix: Round 2: Week 1 Results

GUYS GUYS GUYS. I'm starting Round 2 of the 21 day fix! We have maintained our weight from the first round, and now we have more goals set and we are ready to meet them! Last time I blogged about our 21 day fix experience, I divided it up into sections for each day...instead..
I thought I'd just post one huge blog about my experience throughout the week and my total results!

This week was ROUGH. Not only was it a holiday week but I didn't realize how much I had let myself have small cheats here or there on a normal week, so sticking to the routine this week was hard. I even had a roadtrip to VA for a job interview but I packed my stuff!

I always enjoy clean eating & making it creative so my food-loving husband enjoys them too  :) and then he doesn't feel like he is "chewing water" or so he says. Anyways, if you are ever, ever, EVER, in need of ideas, please check out my Pinterest page, It's So Yum board. :) MOST recipes are clean eating, except for the ones near the bottom of the page...that was when I wasn't cooking healthy. Everything that is clean eating should say clean eating.

Easter happened through this week and for the first holiday in a LONG time, I'm not stuffed, I'm not sleepy, I'm not tired or bloated or disgusting. I don't need to break out my sweatpants. I ate a plate full and that was it. AND I WASN'T HUNGRY! I will consider this an extremely huge success Day 7/21. :) And going strong!

HAPPY EASTER! Daisy says "Hi!" too!

Tomorrow morning I will weigh in to get my most accurate weight results for all of y'all. It's going to be a great next two weeks. My birthday is this coming Friday and my goal is to be 10 pounds down from my starting weight of this Round. So far, (not counting the weigh in for tomorrow) I'm down around 4 pounds. I'm hoping to reach 10 pounds by Friday for my birthday!!! HERE WE GO.

Tomorrow morning - I'm also starting a 3 day refresh program! Beachbody sells these and gives you everything you need. It's three days, cleans out your system, and gets you pumped! 3 pounds of weightloss a month - do this for a year and you'll be down 36 pounds! :) I'm doing one a month from here on out! I'll make a blog about that too!

I'm starting to see numbers on the scale that I've never seen before...and that, in and of itself, is amazing.


Monday AM Weigh In:
So...yesterday, the scale said amazing things...but today...this said that I had actually only lost like 1 pound. I'm going to go with...I didn't poop yet. and that scales are stupid. However, my clothes are saying otherwise. It looks like I might need all new pants really soon. I heard back from one of my challenge group participants and she's down 5 pounds already, another lady was down 6 pounds on Friday! :) WHAT AN AMAZING PROGRAM.

Food, Glorious Food.

I LOVE FOOD. and I'm pretty sure most people do. My focus used to be on exercise. I would let myself eat whatever I wanted and then say, "well...I just run for 5 more minutes." or "I'll do 10 more crunches" trying to cancel out those calories that I didn't need in the first place!

Ever since the 21 day fix - which let's be real, you have all followed my journey with Jared on that one! My eating has been forever changed. NO LIE. That sounds like such an exaggeration but it's not, it's seriously been changed for the better (even Jared too!) and we couldn't be happier. We haven't gained a single ounce even though we've been off the 21 day fix for a month now! We are training our bodies and that's the most important thing.

Anyways, like I said, exercise used to be my focus. I was so concerned on fitting it in during those 25 minutes a day. But now - I've totally got that down pat and I wasn't seeing the results I wanted, so I'm dialing in on my nutrition. There's this crazy thing that losing weight/toning up/being healthy is 80% food and 20% exercise, they also say that you need to eat healthy 80% of the time and then allow yourself to indulge 20% of the time. We call this the 80/20 rule :) I think it's a pretty great rule! And this is essentially what Jared and I have been doing for the past month - since we completed the 21 day fix.

BUT NOW - I'm hosting my first ever "7 day Clean Eating Challenge". I've made a calendar, invited people, and have set up a meal plan for eating 6 small meals for 7 days. This is a great introduction into clean eating and how it works - and how full you can be on 6 small meals. Why are six small meals important? Because it keeps your metabolism working! It honestly helps it to speed up, you are never hungry, and then you never overload your metabolism when you have a big meal...because you don't have a big meal! I can feel a difference - no lie. (Also, I'm learning about this stuff as I go. I have no idea about anything and I'm no expert, believe me...8 months ago I had no clue! - but I like to pass on things when I learn them to all of you.)

Back to the challenge...I have over 60 women in my group who are changing their lives today, because today is day 1! I'm so excited to hear about their results when the time comes on Day 7! They are slowly realizing how simple and easy clean eating is, and how different it is from their normal eating. Today is only day 1 but we have had so much dedication, so many questions, and so much support for one another along this journey.

Until I post our amazing blog on Day 7, I wanted to share this photo with you.

The left picture is from my wedding day on July 12, 2014. I felt like the most beautiful princess in the world (like a Bride is supposed too.. :) ) The right picture was literally taken right now! In both of these pictures I weigh the exact same. To a T. Only difference? (minus the spray tan of course...hahahahaha) is that I'm now a clean eater! Look - the puffiness is gone out of my face completely! My skin has cleared up A TON (which is hard to see in the pictures) and I (meaning my body) look completely different. You would never guess I weigh the same amount.

So, this goes to say...that clean eating does amazing things for your body and the scale is clearly just a number! Have questions about clean eating??? Message me! I'll help you out and get you started :)

Collegiate Level: How to Stay Healthy, Have Fun, and Remain Sane in College without Breaking the Bank

So! Most people (definitely speaking for myself here) gain weight in college. My freshman year of college, my roommates and I were really dedicated to working out and I actually maintained my weight -which is great!

BUT. Later on I gained weight, especially as my work load got heavier and my life got busier.

So, I thought..."Why not help people (especially my friends and readers who are in college) learn how to prevent that inevitable weight gain??"

There are multiple reasons you gain weight in college. It's a new environment, stress, you have a more flexible schedule and more down time to eat extra snacks, you stay up WAY later than normal and obviously are hungry far past supper, the caf food might not be the greatest thing nutrition wise for ya, being social means eating, etc....

I'm here with some great tips that I came up with to help you stay healthy, still have fun, and remain sane while in college!

1. DRINK WATER. Invest in a water bottle and take it with you everywhere. Yes, you will pee more. But it keeps you fuller longer. And if you can, replace your sodas with water. Try to keep those sugary and calorie filled drinks out of your system. (You will need coffee ;) )
2. 6 SMALL MEALS - I wish I would've known this in college. Instead of gorging myself on those three meals of endless buffets in the cafeteria, I would snack (healthy!) and small throughout the day and keep my metabolism working! Almonds, fruit, veggies - these things are affordable for college students and easy to store in back packs! Limit yourself to one plate at breakfast, lunch, and supper, knowing you have snacks in between. This will help with the dreaded buffet...
3. PLAN - College can be overwhelming, but amazing. It's like high school with a work load times 10. If you keep organized, plan well, and get your work done in a timely manner, you'll be less likely to stress and less likely to stress eat. However, we all have those late night papers that we wait on and procrastinate on! But do your best!
4. LATE NIGHT SNACKING - this was probably my biggest problem! I would eat dinner around 5:30, but stay up until midnight! 6 hours later and I'm obviously hungry! DUH! you are going to be and you are allowed to be...HOWEVER, instead of picking up popcorn or chocolate and a soda, I should've been grabbing an apple or an orange. Keep your snacks healthy and I promise you will remain the same!
5. WORKING OUT/EXERCISE - this was hard for me. SUPER HARD. Freshman year, I worked out every day! Sophomore year, I worked out some, Junior/Senior year - kinda, but not really until I got engaged and it kinda fizzled out anyways. But I can't stress enough how important 25 minutes of even just walking around the track changed my mood. I'd jump on an elliptical for 25 minutes, do some reading for class, or even watch Netflix like I would've done in my room anyways. Take advantage of that free membership! My grades were up when I'd exercise more because I was able to think clearer and get rid of that stress! It's so important and so healthy for you! You are going to veg out when you come back from class anyway, just do some mindless exercise to keep your body working great.
6. SOCIAL TIMES - often, social times are accompanied with food...of the greasy variety. Pizza, McDonalds, wings, etc. The list goes on..and college towns literally make their living from college students gaining weight and going all out on food! THIS IS WHAT I RECOMMEND!! Sometimes, you won't be able to avoid the social times with food, but other times, you can help yourself! 1. Eat before you go so you aren't hungry 2. Plan social events that don't require food...nail painting party, arts and crafts, mattress wrestling, anything you want to do! - make that the time to be social :)


College takes such a toll on you on all levels - physical, mental, emotional, social. This is such a pivotal time in your life and it's so important to remain healthy and still care about your body! I'm still dealing with all of these today as I encountered my first year of teaching and my first year of marriage in one! Same things...stress, different routine, social time, late night snacking and movies...it's tough stuff! Follow these tips and I'm sure you'll do great! :)

Fitness Fiesta

So...my team and I are trying a whole new thing! You know how people have Jamberry parties, jewelry parties, Mary Kay parties, all on facebook?? We are doing the same thing! We have fitness launch parties, fitness fiestas, or simply just an event that we hold on facebook where the host or hostess can earn free stuff! It's honestly the coolest thing ever.

I wanted to write a blog to let you know how it works. Hey, who knows, maybe you'll want to host a party too?? After all, what do you have to lose?!

So, here's what goes down, I do all the work and you (as the host/hostess) only have 1 job.

I'll create the event and you pick the time that works for you. Each event only lasts 2 days, 1 hour each day. During that hour, we'll play games with different questions and different scavenger hunts. Each participant has the opportunity to earn points simply by liking posts, commenting, sharing, posting on the event page themselves, and so much more! Obviously, participants will also get points for playing the games too! The person with the most points at the end of the two days wins the prize!

If you are a host/hostess...the more money your party makes the more free stuff you get from Beachbody!
Here's a sample of your rewards :)

$175 in purchases from party - $25 in apparel purchases from Team Beachbody

$225 in purchases from party - $35 dollar apparel purchase

$275 in purchases from party - $45 dollar apparel purchase

$325 in purchases from party - $55 dollar apparel purchase

$375 in purchases from party -$65 dollar apparel purchase or 21 day fix or 21 day fix extreme or PIYO program

Pretty sweet, huh? They are amazing...and I'm jealous because I probably would've hosted like 12 parties if I would've known this! haha!

The games are a blast, it's fun to just sit in a couch with your jams on, eating some popcorn, and then sit back and chat with girlfriends. It's also a great way to dip your toes into the pool of Beachbody. It's a great way to get your questions answered, to find out a little more, and to see what program works for you!

I'm really excited for what this means..for people everywhere! FITNESS PARTIES ACROSS THE NATION (I dream kinda big....but seriously!) This is a way to make people aware, people aware of their health and their fitness. which is my biggest goal and EXACTLY why I became a Beachbody coach.

Tonight was my first ever Fitness Fiesta and I had such a blast posting testimonials, showing my progress, talking about the programs that I LOVE with my whole heart! It was great...if you want to host a party, please don't hesitate to ask!

The 21 Day Fix Review

 On this post, Jared and I are going to share our opinions on the 21 day fix..consider it an insider review of how it really goes down, what it's really like, and how you'll really feel!

Jared and I blogged EACH day of our entire 21 day fix journey. So, if you'd like a day to day breakdown, you can definitely check out my previous blogs in February for an exclusive look at what it's like. I tagged those posts down below for you to click on later. However, this post will be largely an overall view of the Fix and what it can do for you. I'll also be posting my before and after pics so you can see how much it changes your body!

FIRST: Our results
 --> Jared lost 16. 2 pounds and 23 inches
--> Me - I lost 12.2 pounds and 11 inches

Obviously, we saw amazing results in 21 days!  It took a lot of getting used too but once Week 1 was down it became a normal routine. That would be my first piece of advice - consistency, dedication, and planning are the 3 things you need to do in order to make this successful. Jared and I think this quite possibly the most amazing program out their on the market. (oh, they made an extreme one too by the way..like extreme.) It will COMPLETELY CHANGE the way you eat, it will COMPLETELY CHANGE the way you look at food, the way you prepare food, and the decisions you make before you insert food in your mouths. I think the thing we love the most is that we can still follow our plan (making tweaks here and there if we want to go out) and we can pair this with whatever workout we want to do! This ensures that we are clean eating AND working out. To help you: below I've answered a lot of questions (mostly ones that I had before I started the program)

How much does it cost?
      The 21 Day Fix program itself costs $60.00 and comes with the nutrition containers and the workout DVDs. You can get the Challenge Pack (with Shakeology - normally $130 alone) for $140. Honestly, worth it for the life changing effects it'll bring for you. If you need to know more about Shakeology (which I recommend TO ANYONE!) you can check out my page here.

What were the results?
  Obviously you saw our inches and pounds lost below. But check out my pics! (Jared refused pics but I wish he wouldn't have, because he looks awesome..and super hott, but I'm biased.)

It's day to say but in those before pictures on the left, I looked almost pregnant. I felt extremely bloated all of the time! My after pictures show WAY less bloat. Am I where I want to be? Heck no! I've got a ways to go! BUT...seeing visual progress is always helpful, also having my pants continuously fall down because I've lost so much weight is EXTREMELY annoying and inspiring at the same time.

How does it work?
  You'll get a book with easy to follow instructions. I will be making a YouTube video that describes exactly how it works and how to set it up. Breakdown...1) do a math equation to figure out your calorie needs 2) correspond that to the chart to find out how many of each colored container you get 3)look at the lists of food that go into each container 4)decide what you like and make a plan on how you'll spread out your containers throughout the day 5)make a meal plan calendar (you can see mine on my blog posts tagged below) 6)Your meal plan calendar acts as your grocery list!
See my video on YouTube in a few days for extra help!

Was it easy?
  Honestly? No! I mean, would changing the entire way you eat be easy? Heck no! But it got easier each day and by week 3 it was a breeze. The first 3 days were the hardest days that I ever had to deal with food and nutrition wise, but after that it became more of a habit. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit and that's why this program is 21 days. Habits are hard to form and hard to break! So it wasn't easy, but it got better!

What was preparation like/where do I even begin?
  This was kinda answered in the "How does it work"/YouTube video area. However, the best place to begin is in the math equation! It's in the directions book, this helps determine what you need and how much. The Saturday before I started the 21 Day Fix (I started on a Monday) I sat down and calculated our containers. This took me double the time because I was doing it for me AND Jared. I spent about an hour calculating, looking at containers, trying to find foods that Jared liked, planning it all out. Once you spend the time and plan this hour, the rest of your planning will take 5 minutes! No lie! It's always that first ice breaker that takes the longest and then you'll be a pro.


How did you go shopping and make food?
  I just took our meal plan calendar! I did NOT buy anything else than what was on our meal plan. Even if I thought I needed it! Our first week, we kinda went overboard and spent WAY TOO MUCH money on fruits and veggies. But after our first week, we figured it out and we were able to determine how much and what we liked to eat most. After the first week, I researched a bunch of meals on pinterest so instead of making individual things, I was able to make whole meals that would last us two suppers. That saved us money too!

How much time did this take?
  So, on average, I planned every Saturday morning for 5 to 10 minutes. I went grocery shopping each week and that took a 1/2 hour. Each morning, I'd pack my lunch and snacks which took maybe 15 minutes, probably less. Then suppers never took more than 40 minutes, which is normal for me! There was a 30 minutes workout too for each day I mean...that's what...9.5 hours a week. and 1 hour and 30 minutes a day. not even. :) It's easy! You probably spend more time (and money) eating the way you do now!

If you'd like to see details, go here for Week 1
or to this post for Week 2
and finally to this post for Week 3!! and our final results :)

I am not a morning person...

I used to brag about how much I love the morning. There is so much that can be done before 9 am that leaves a day full of possibilities (and typically my possibilities meant crafts, home improvement projects, painting, or other random ideas that popped in my head).

I was a decent morning person, full of energy - ready to kickstart the day - the whole 9 yards. This past summer, without an alarm, I'd get up at 5:30 AM, get a workout in, clean the house, do some laundry, and have an amazing day filled with accomplishments and lists that had been checked and crossed. I felt phenomenal. I was getting 8 to 10 hours of sleep and kicking butt, for lack of a better term.

Then, I got married. Then my responsibilities doubled.  Now I had to get up (later than I normally did, 6:30 to 6:45 AM), pack my lunch, try to look pretty, prepare supper for the evening, maybe get a load of laundry in (unlikely), trip over cat toys...etc, etc. I'd come home and be exhausted because this was my first big girl job after all! I'd get dinner ready and then you could probably call me worthless because that's how tired I was. And my oh-so-truthful husband shattered what I thought had been truth to be proven to lies.

I. Am. Not. A. Morning. Person.

or..at least most of the time I'm not.

Jared likes to put it this way...I'm a morning person if I get to wake myself up, but if the alarm goes off I am not a morning person. You can ask him and he'll tell you embellished tales of him trying to wake me up on school mornings. He'll say that he had to hit me with pillows, drag of the covers, drag me out of bed. He had to lay on top of me, whistle in my ear, tickle me because I couldn't defend myself from my lack of strength in the morning. He'll tell you all of those...truths. None of those are lies, all truths.

I guess it all boils down to responsibility and what I HAVE to do. Because I HAVE to be up and ready for school, I hate it. But this summer, when I didn't HAVE to but I WANTED to, I was up before it was light out and running as the sun rose. Oh what a life...

I'm sure you all can relate. And if you are a morning person, maybe evening's feel like death sometimes and you are ready to crawl into your comfy cozy bed by 7:30 PM. I get it - because that's what I did last night! :) However, there's something about kickstarting your day that changes the whole course of your day!

When people workout in the morning - they are more likely to finish a workout, they feel more energized for the day, they feel ready! Does it take time from sleep? yes! but that means we have to go to bed earlier. Honestly, Jared and I are still working out in the evenings, but that's because our schedules for working are cray cray to the max. I promise you though, as soon as our schedules get back on track, we will be morning people for sure!

I am in NO WAY trying to make you switch up your routine, if morning workouts just don't work for you - but evening ones do, rock it! You Do You! I'm just saying all the good things that can happen out of exercising in the morning. Exercise produces endorphins and endorphins make you happy! Why not work out in the morning (and get it out of the way!) and then be happy all day?! :)

So, let's raise a cup of coffee to those morning workout warriors and hope that someday (very soon) we will all be among the ranks! (I have a dream, that one day work will start in mid morning and everyone will workout before the day begins.)

The 21 Day Fix Week 3 - The Final Results!

We are rounding third base and almost at home plate! WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR OUR RESULTS! We have more energy, I have no bloat, and we have both seen scale and non-scale victories so it's time to really see our final results and compare it to the beginning. After all, it's only 21 days - anyone can do this! And it truly does take 21 days to form a habit, 21 days to make something consistent, I think Jared and I have it down. I also made a whole plan for the rest of the year too as far as fitness goes :)
Here is a sample of my new plan for Week 3. I've been changing things up, especially suppers to help us feel fuller and keep our bodies guessing.

Meal	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Breakfast	Eggs Mushrooms Onions 10 Olives	Eggs Turkey Bacon Mushrooms Onions 10 Olives	Eggs Turkey Bacon Mushrooms Onions 10 Olives
Snack	Shakeology Fruit	Shakeology Fruit	Shakeology Fruit
Lunch	1 Tortilla Lettuce Tomatoes Meat ½ Cheese Fruit	1 Tortilla Lettuce Tomatoes Meat ½ Cheese Fruit	1 Tortilla Lettuce Tomatoes Meat Fruit ½  Blue
Snack	Fruit Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Chips	Fruit Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Chips	Fruit Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Chips
Dinner	STUFFED PEPPERS (1 each) 2 green 1 red ½ yellow ½ blue	BURGERS 1 Red 1 Yellow 1 Green 1 Blue	STUFFED PEPPERS (1 each) 2 green 1 red ½ yellow ½ blue
Snack	Oatmeal	Fruit Oatmeal	Fruit Vegetable Oatmeal

Day 15:
Feelings: Not hungry, but we definitely feel kinda off. Jared felt a little bit sick in his tummy earlier this morning and I just felt off after lunch. I REALLY hope we aren't getting sick, because honestly, I want to finish the strongest that we possibly can.
Body Update: I didn't see any changes on the scale today, but no weight gain is perfectly fine with me! Jared was the exact same too. We think it's because Sunday's workout of Yoga isn't super intense so we aren't working off as much! Who's to say?! All I know is that tonight, Total Body Cardio killed us and we have fingers crossed for results tomorrow!
Jared Quote: "Frog crunches make me look like a woman giving birth."

Day 16:
Feelings: I was super tired last night, but today I feel more energized. I'm hoping, truly hoping, to lose 15 pounds out of this deal! Only 4ish more to go. Jared is hoping to lose 20 and he has about 4 more to go as well! And we happen to have 5 days left. I think if anything, we are feeling more determined to lose weight than ever!
Body Update: I'm down some more weight again - *happy dance*, Jared gained a few tenths of a pound but he think it might be some muscle building since his weights are heavier! We feel like this is more normal, our new normal.  I like it. However, Jared insists that as soon as he can eat normal food he's going to have a burger with two donuts for buns.... hahaha oh dear! He is a challenge for sure!
Jared Quote: "I lied to you, I did eat a brownie today. But I can't lie to Autumn."

Day 17:
Feelings: I've been kinda irritable lately, but I'm a girl so you can't really pin that on any certain thing. LOLZ. Jared seems to be his normal self...avoiding veggies as much as possible. :) Also, today is my Mama's birthday so I always like to get in the birthday spirit. This weekend is Valentine's day and there's so much love in the air - especially as we pick up our new puppy!  <3 AHH. I'm just happy, happy, happy.
Body Update: I'm pooping more again - who's really to say why! Jared and I are both feeling fine. We feel "normal" now which I'm assuming wouldn't be normal if you asked us 17 days ago. It's getting harder to describe to you how our bodies are because now it doesn't feel different. Eating less but more times a day just seems to make sense!
Jared Quote: "Gio's antics aren't as entertaining the third time."

Day 18:
Feelings: We went out to eat tonight. That's right! You can go out and eat healthy and remain on the 21 day fix. True story! It was fabulous and if you are trying to eat healthy, I recommend Applebee's or other chain restaurants that have low calorie menus. What we ordered was 21 day fix approved! AND DELICIOUS!
Body Update: Jared and I skipped our workout today. WHATT. Because we are only human, we were exhausted, and we had to do our taxes and lots of shopping. BUT, we will double up tomorrow! We promise! It's important to listen to your body, to let it rest, to take breaks. But you can't just never get back into it! Rest days are simply 1 day or 2 or 3, but no more...With only three days left of our 21 day fix, we are going to go out strong!
Jared Quote: There isn't one. After a solid 17 days of quotes, Jared is burnt out...or not funny anymore..Who's to say? ;) We'll see what he has to say tomorrow! `

Day 19:
Feelings: At this point, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel! Tomorrow and Sunday are pretty busy days and we are only hoping things can go smoothly! Especially with a church meal on Sunday..eep! We almost skipped our workout tonight (see what skipping last night did to us?!) because it's so cold outside (and in ) and we just wanted to go to bed. But we did it! And we are completing more and more of what we couldn't before and that feeling can be only be described in one word: progress.
Body Update: Jared and I stepped on the scale this morning! I'm done .6 of a pound and he was about the same. Instead of seeing drastic drops in weight like we had earlier, we are now seeing slower progress.  I'm assuming it's because our bodies are still trying to figure out this system. Hah! Little do our bodies know, this meal plan is permanent! I'm also seeing crazy definition in my arms, shoulders, and calves. Like awesome muscles I didn't even know I was working! I'm excited!
Jared Quote: (about the "music on" version of the workout) "I feel like I'm in a strip tease." *proceeds to shake his butt while doing windmills.


Day 20:
Feelings: We can see the end in sight and that's making it so much harder to stick to our diet plan! Especially with such fun stuff today - a college visit, valentine's day, all of the above!
Body Update: I'm fitting into pants I haven't been able to wear for a while and the pants I currently wear are so huge I don't need to button or unbutton them in order to take them on or off! I FEEL AWESOME! And I also have amazing definition like we talked about yesterday. :)
Jared Quote: After realizing tomorrow is our last day..."On Monday, I'm going to eat a burger with two donuts for buns." Nice try, buddy, nice try.

Day 21:
Feelings: We nailed our workout. I think our biggest feeling is confidence at this point, because we able to complete the whole workout and complete it strongly! Also, we got a puppy today and it's amazing so we are kinda just blissfully happy.

Body Update: We are feeling good! I'm down 1.8 pounds even after cheating a little bit yesterday. This is simply because I drink Shakeology! I KNOW IT!!! I can't wait to weigh in tomorrow and measure our results. You guys don't understand the anticipation I have, mainly because I know you all will be BLOWN AWAY and want to do this too and you should! Our bodies have never felt this "clean" before.
Jared Quote: "Free at last, we are free at last".

I hope this blog really really helps you see the changes in us and in our bodies as we made it through the 3 weeks! It's kinda cool to go back and see the progression of our thoughts too...First to only about food and now I hardly think about food, except for how awesome the meals are when I'm eating them!

WEEK 3 RESULTS:
Jared: lost 1.2 pounds and 4 inches
Alyssa: lost 2.8 pounds and 3.75 inches


THE FINAL RESULTS: It seems like Jared and I have been waiting for this day for weeks (3 weeks to be exact!) The final results are here and I am so excited to share them with you. We waited until the morning of Day #22 because then our results would be the most accurate after completing the full 21 days.

Jared: In total, Jared lost 16.2 pounds and 23 inches in just 21 days!
Alyssa: In total, Alyssa lost 12.2 pounds and 11.25 inches in just 21 days!

Jared's goal was to lose 20 pounds and he came so close! My goal was to lose 10 and then once I surpassed that goal, my goal was 15. WE FEEL AWESOME! Before and after pics of me to come :) Jared didn't want pics!

So now the question remains...what's our plan for after this?!
OUR GAME PLAN FOR AFTER:

We are going to keep following the diet plan (for the most part) and then if we want to eat out on the weekends, we'll be able to adjust our diet and caloric intake! Our next plan is to begin T-25 (well, atleast that's my plan...I'm not quite sure about Jared ;) ) Here's to another workout, a clean eating diet, and more health and wellness!

Make time to Make You!

AHHH...This is probably the #1 excuse out there that I get all the time (right up there with the money issue) and it's..."But I don't have time..."


STOP. NO. DON'T SAY THAT. Because that's a terrible rut to get yourself in and then try to get yourself out of. It's so important to make time for yourself and taking care of your body. Saying you don't have time is like saying you don't have time to shower, you don't have time to brush your teeth, fix your hair, or you don't have time to go to the bathroom.

It's not true! Maybe deep down you know that it's not true, or maybe you really just think it's true. You've got busy kids, you've got a husband, a demanding job, you truly don't feel as if you could add it into your life! I promise you - you can. I did it! I was planning a wedding, babysitting, fixing a house, moving to a new town, and trying to find a new job and I did it!

Well, in this post I'm going to list the things I did to *add* time to my life - rather, what I changed to make things go smoother and work better! I promise you that you have time to make yourself healthy. You have time to cook healthier meals. You have time to spend 25 -30 minutes a day sweating it out to give yourself exercise.

WHAT I DID:
1. I got up a little earlier - was this hard? At first, yes! But then I realized it wasn't so bad and it became such a habit. I got up at 5:30, worked out, showered, and I was ready for the day!
2. I prioritized my TV time - I realized that I was saying I didn't have time when in reality I was spending 3 or 4 hours in the evening after supper watching TV. Instead, after dinner, I'd clean up my food and dishes right away, prep the meals for the next day, and make a to-do list for the next day as well. This way, I still had 2.5 hours of TV time left. And if I missed my morning workout - I could do it now! Take a look at the little minutes of time that get wasted by doing absolutely nothing productive. Organize all that time - you'll have a lot left over :)
3. I made lists! - I made lists of everything, what I was going to eat, what I needed to do that day (in priority order of course), what needed done for the week, and what I was looking at from a monthly schedule point. With lists, I wasn't wasting any 5 minutes of time! I could get everything done, workout, and STILL HAVE TIME to relax. Especially now as a teacher - when a lot of my day is taken up!

4. Multitask!! - Who knew that you could drink your Shakeology and get ready at the same time?! I always blow dry and style my hair while eating my breakfast! It saves me ten minutes! I often check my emails/social media while I start the shower so my water can warm up instead of just standing there for 5 minutes waiting. I make my lunches and all my snacks at the same time. When I'm watching TV, I workout! That way I don't feel bad about missing my favorite Friends  reruns but I'm also getting a workout in. Ladies, let's be real, sometimes our husbands just get in the way! When Jared pops in for a shower or if he's watching one of his manly sports shows, this is the time where I am able to plan for the next day, prep for the next days meals. Food prep took me 45 minutes an evening our first week of clean eating, I can now do it in 5 minutes! You will get used to this, it will take some time, but it will become easy for you - I swear!
5. Make it a priority - I told myself my workout and clean eating was something I had too, just as much as showering, peeing, brushing my teeth. When you make things something taht has to happen it'll make it easier for it to happen. I'm not a morning person, so if I don't make it up in the morning, then I make it a priority to happen at night!
6. I gave myself  a time limit! - Laundry needed done? I'd pop a load in and immediately start my workout. The load lasted 30 minutes in the washer, just like my workout time! I knew my workout was over once the timer went off. I'd pop it in the dryer and then food prep for 30 minutes until the clothes were dry. YOU CAN DO THIS!
7. I included my husband  -  First, it's so much easier to workout and eat clean when everyone you live with is doing it with you. Second, having him participating gave him the right to help me out. Not only did we PLAN our workout time together, but he helps to prepare food and get things ready if I'm busy doing other housework or teacher stuff. I know not everyone is married, but most of us don't live alone! Have your roommate cut up veggies while you do the laundry, have your husband entertain the kids for 25 minutes while you squeeze a workout in! Get people involved, remain accountable, and you will have time!


All of these things sound hard. And annoying. Believe me, I know. And when I gave my coach excuses, she dished all of this right back at me. She is insane and gets up at 4:30 AM!!! AHHH! However, I promise, if you spend a Sunday afternoon revaluating your time, you'll do it! I still get 8 to 9 hours of sleep a night, I workout, I plan and prepare food each day, I have a full time job as a teacher, and I run my own Beachbody business. YOU CAN DO THIS!

It all comes down to how bad do you want?! Are you ready to go through another summer angry at what you didn't do during the winter in order to wear a swimsuit and feel comfortable? Are you ready to continue to feel bloated? If you want it badly enough, you will make time. All I can do is help you along the way! This lady has a great blog about how she made exercise a habit, you can find it right here called How I Made Exercise a Habit

          

My Why

Often, as soon as you make a goal or a decision, you have a reason for doing so...

In the Beachbody world we call this your "Why". What is your why? Why are you doing this? Why are you choosing to spend time every evening/all day/in the morning dedicating yourself to wellness, health, and fitness, and changing people's lives? Once you sign up as a coach, you'll be asked your why. (sidenote: I think this is a practice we should do FOR EVERYTHING.)

In the beginning, my "why" was a standard one. I wanted to be healthy and fit. But recently, I was asked again about what my "why" was and I thought about it, I dug deeper, and I got to the heart of the matter.

My WHY was rooted with the fact that I'd be helping people change their lives and I knew that in helping people, I would be challenged to do the same thing for myself. I would be challenged to eat healthy, to workout every day, to look for new ways to take care of myself, to remain positive, to be an example. When I became a leader, a coach, it meant that I had to walk this same journey with you all and it meant there was no backing down.

 Rereading that paragraph, it looks a bit selfish - but it's truthful! My why is personal, it's my reasoning, and it makes sense to me.

 

It meant that on those days that I didn't want to work out, on those days that I didn't want to eat healthy - I was going to! I was going to do it for you guys because maybe those days you felt the same and you needed an example.

This brings me back to my coach, Jessica. Jessica and I met when I was a practicum teaching student in her classroom. We clicked instantly. After pulling a few strings, we were able to get paired up and she was my cooperating teacher while I taught in her Kindergarten classroom. SHE IS AN AMAZING TEACHER, someone I aspire to be daily. I loved every minute with her and her class and we both cried on my last day at the end of February. I remember her saying, " I feel like I'm breaking up with someone.." hahahaha! I can't believe it's been a year that I've been in that wonderful room and been with Jessica!

Anyways, Jessica became someone I came to with teaching questions, life advice, and someone I trusted. I remember talking to her about how crazy similar our lives were - both the oldest of three girls, OCD and organization to the max, etc. I trusted her completely (and still do!) After I left her classroom, I started seeing some of her posts on Facebook around April. Apparently she had started a workout program in March and was seeing amazing results. In fact, I got to celebrate with her a couple of months ago when she reached 30 pounds lost! I must've commented on one of her things about getting ready for my upcoming wedding. Immediately she messaged me! She was starting a challenge group and she wanted me in. She answered all of my crazy questions and I joined.

BEST TEN WEEKS EVER! I lost 13 inches on my body, gained amazing friendships from my fellow challenge group ladies, and I felt empowered. I felt strong, I felt able. I had a new energy and a new positive outlook. She asked if I wanted to coach...what?! me?! One more thing to had to my newly married, just graduated, don't have a job yet, plate?

I said yes. :) (After some conversation with Jared of course) I remember telling Jared..."If I am encouraging people to workout, it'll make me workout too!" I guess that must've worked, or maybe it was my incessant whining, but he let me join!

So, recap: Shout out to Jessica - the best woman out there. We are in contact every day! And without her, I wouldn't have established my why.

Recently, I've been even more empowered. As some of you are seeing my successes and my progress, you've been messaging me, commenting, asking me questions -and this is what spurs me on! That fact that my life is making a difference in others, challenging others, making you think, making you question...making you change :) My WHY is because I'm changed by leading you all just as much as you are changed by being led.

The 21 Day Fix - Week 1

I wrote a small snippet for each day of this week to describe how Jared and I were feeling. Please take into account that this was a DRASTIC change from our typical lifestyle food and that we are feeling the affects pretty greatly. Normally, we have a starch and meat heavy dinner. Now, we don't - and this has left us cranky. But here's a day to day breakdown of  the week!

Day 1
Feelings: WE ARE SO HUNGRY - we want to eat anything we can get our hands. But this is great - because we are doing it together so we are keeping each other accountable. Jared and I both agree that we are starving and we don't feel full. However, we are trying to remember that we need to drink water and that we don't need to be full all of the time - which is how society makes us feel. The workout today (we accidentally did Day 2's) was Upper Fix. Not too bad...but we do need to get higher weights than 3 pounds. (heehee.)
Body Update: We've been pooping ALOT. I'm assuming it's cause we are getting rid of all our junk and cleaning our bodies out. We both have headaches and feel tired. It's like a withdrawal from sugar and processed foods.
Jared Quote: "If there was a cow nearby, I would just start biting it."


Day 2

Feelings: We are definitely less hungry, but it's still hard getting used too not being full. I have WAY more energy today, I got up 20 minutes before my alarm! WHAT. and I "feel" healthy and not bloated. If that makes sense? Jared hates veggies because he feels like he's chewing water. Our veggie and fruit intake is SO HIGH because we have to eat more of organic foods in place of the processed foods we used to eat. Today we did what was supposed to be yesterday's workout - Total Body Fix. HOLY HANNAH THAT WAS DEATH! I haven't sweated like that in a long time and my body is so very very tired. We are thankful for our nighttime snack.
Body Update: Less poop! Jared says our body can use the nutrients. And he wants to keep working out far past this 21 day thing. Which makes me happy :)
Jared Quote: "Just think, maybe in 21 days we'll be able to stand really close without touching each other." #skinnythoughts

Day 3
Feelings: We snuck a weigh in on the scale to see if there was any progress at all after going through what feels like starvation. WE ARE BOTH DOWN FOUR POUNDS as of this morning! YAY YAY YAY! It's less hard, I feel more full, and the less I think about it the better. My days are busy so it's easy for me to move through my day not being hungry. Jared just keeps drinking water because he's so hungry that he pees like 4 times a night. It's hilarious.  By now, our eating is getting easier and Jared is getting more experimental. Although, he has been to the grocery store 3 times this week. We need to figure out a better plan that costs less and is less the same thing every day.
Body Update: We. Can't. Move. Our bodies are so sore. Jared and I were snuggled in bed and he said, "Even cuddling hurts." We did Lower Fix today as our workout - focusing all on legs, which we couldn't move anyways...so it's been torture. We are both so sore, but hoping for amazing results!
Jared Quote: "My Body is Fire!"

Day 4

Feelings: (I weighed myself again, heehee, and I saw .8 of a pound gone! I bet with more and more water I can keep flushing out my system!) I am so excited for the final results I kinda want day 21 to be here. I also keep researching and pinning awesome dinner ideas that I'm excited to try for next week.
Body Update: I can move better today! I feel looser and ready to take on the world! Today was Pilates Day and although Jared and I weren't as flexible and we were having a hard time doing the moves, this stretched us out today and it FELT AWESOME. and also Jared is a ham and Zeus did what he always does..
Jared Quote: "I'd rather have a mocha latte than a PAHlatte."  Pilates day.

Day 5
Feelings: This whole "diet" thing doesn't even feel like a diet anymore. We eat ALL the time, six small meals a day. And while at first it was torture, because we were only eating veggies. Now, I kinda like working out. It relieves stress. Although, I've been dealing with headaches each day (these started before the 21 day fix) it still however makes eating right difficult. This weekend is the SuperBowl and a huge fellowship meal at church so Jared and I have to bring our A-Game! I'm planning, planning, planning and prepping our meals so we don't have to think about it at all. It's going to be hard but I think it will make us stronger.
Body Update: We aren't sore at all! We are a little fatigued and tired but I'm sure we'll perk up soon and our body will start being awesome! We don't poop that much at all anymore (which is good cause that means our body is using all these nutrients. Today, I researched recipes even more and found some delicious ones that I'll post on next weeks blog about week 2 :)
Jared Quote: "My butt be like ooohhh, ahhhhhh, ooohhhhh...."

Day 6
Feelings: I'm not hungry anymore and we both get completely full. The only thing we don't like is we just want to snack..and Jared would preferably like to eat cow. (which he can, just not alot). And we'd both like to go out - and this kind of restricts us...
Body Update: Now, we feel like we are building up our bodies! We can feel ourselves getting stronger. and like Jared said, instead of feeling like we were killing ourselves during the first workouts, we now feel like we can complete the workouts! YAY! Today was Dirty 30 - which was definitely dirty.
Jared Quote: "When I heard Dirty 30, I got excited. But I was sorely mistaken...."

Day 7
Feelings: TODAY is going to be so hard. We have an amazing church fundraiser called the "SouperBowl" with so much delicious soup that we can't eat, we have a birthday party, we have a Super Bowl party at our house. TALK ABOUT TEMPTATION! But Jared and I have a game plan - and I'm not really craving those things anymore, so we are going to crush it!
Body Update: I'm feeling strong and not hungry. Jared says he's feeling "okay". He's really descriptive :) But - we are still losing weight! And ITS FREAKIN' AWESOME!
Jared Quote (about Yoga): This sucks.

Stats: Jared lost 6.8 lbs and 7.5
Alyssa lost 5.4 pounds and 3.75 inches!! IN WEEK 1!