Thursday, April 29, 2010

Almost done with Round One of P90X

I'm almost done with my first round of P90X. I've impressed myself that I've come this far with it. So many times I've wanted to give up and say "I just can't do this" (because it is REALLY hard...LOL). Well, guess what? I didn't and I AM going to do it. I'm not able to do ALL the workouts 100% without modifying some of them but I've come a long way. I can now do "a few" decline push ups....which I never in my life thought I would ever be able to do....not even ONE. Heck, when I started I couldn't even do ONE regular push up...not even on my knees. I have gained great strength inside and out thanks to Beachbody and Tony Horton.

Being an Independent Beachbody Coach I have had the most amazing support group that has helped me get through the hard times. They didn't even know how much they were helping me to get through this. Without the help and encouragement of John Bryant, my partner and team member I would never have gotten through the first week. He's been my biggest supporter and he encourages me to keep going every day. Thank you so very much John!

I will continue to keep working on my health and get more fit every day. It's now a passion that I never thought I would have. I have changed so many things in my life in the last two and a half months. I drink my Shakeology every morning for breakfast, which has many healthy benefits(www.shakeology.com/bodychangefitness), I exercise every day, in addition, I try to walk at least two miles or more a day and I TRY to eat healthier. This has been the hardest part for me. I am getting better but have realized that your daily type and amount of food intake is 75% of winning the battle with weight control. I always thought, and everyone always told me, I didn't lose weight because I didn't exercise. Well, I started exercising an hour to an hour and a half a day and I was still gaining weight. I have, however, lost inches but that's not enough for me. So now that I do have the exercise habit and actually want to do it, it's time for me to start working on my diet, not just go on a diet but to actually eat what is good for me and in the portions that are acceptable. I know I can do this. If I can smoke cigarettes for 40 years and quit cold turkey then I can definitely do this (it's been 2 years since I quit).

So in conclusion, I'll finish this round of P90X. Take a small break. Start another Beachbody exercise program and get my diet under control and then go back for Round Two of P90X. As a Coach I'll continue to help others get healthy and fit, both physically and financially. I can't tell you how satisfying it is to know you have helped others reach their goals. I have finally found something I'm truly passionate about and it's the greatest feeling to have.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Changes in 30 days with P90X

Ok, I've done my first 30 days with P90X. I've taken my 30 day pictures to document any changes. And to honestly say.....I didn't see any difference physically. Saying I was completely disappointed is a major understatement. Heck, by now I expected to see nothing short of a miracle. You know a complete body transformation. Yes, I know that was an unrealistic expectation but one can always hope, right?

After the initial shock I told myself AGAIN....."You didn't get in this bad of shape in 30 days so it's going to take more time and effort". Then I asked myself "What changes do you FEEL?" Now that was the question and the answer made me feel so very motivated. This is what has changed in the first 30 days.....

I "feel" thinner. I feel stronger. I feel challenged to do better workouts every day. I have more endurance. I have more motivation to workout. I look forward to having a Shakeology drink every day (http://myshakeology.com/outofexcuses), which gives me the nutritional elements I need from vegetables that I don't like to eat. Overall, I guess I just feel a whole lot better about myself. All those "feelings" are a great thing to achieve in 30 days so I am excited and motivate to move on to my next 30 days.

Oh and just for an added bonus.....I did lose 8" overall. It's hard to believe since the scale doesn't reflect the loss but hey I'll take what the tape measure says.

Being an Independent Team Beachbody Coach during these 30 days has also made me see how important it is to get fit and healthy and to help others do the same. In this day and age, fast food is the way to go for families on the run. However, it is not the best for keeping a family healthy. I'm excited to share the opportunity to help people get fit both physically and financially (http://www.bodychangefitness.com/).

So in conclusion, visually I didn't change much in my first 30 days. Mentally, I changed by leaps and bounds. This is a good thing. Thank you Beachbody for allowing me this opportunity to develop ME.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Working out becomes a habit!

Ok, I don't know how many times I've heard people say that working out is "just a healthy habit". Somehow I could just never believe that that could happen to me. ME? A person who totally hates to sweat so any exertion that would cause this body fluid to appear was avoided at all costs....LOL Even though everyone told me that sweating was a good thing that my body needed to do.....I didn't care...it wasn't for me.

Well, today I realized working out is becoming a habit. Yes, it's been almost one month that I've been working out and at first if I started to sweat I'd have to slow down. Ridiculous, I know, but I had to work through my revulsion. I had to rationalize to myself that when I was sweating I was working my body to a point that I was burning calories and building muscle. With that thought in mind I tend to work out a little harder.

Ok, back to the point of workout's becoming a habit. Today I had to do half of the one I had scheduled because I had to go out. Of course, I chose the easiest half to do. All through my workout I realized that I had picked the wrong half. I should have picked the part that I liked the least because "THAT" was the part that was going to make me work harder. Thus, accomplishing much more than taking the easy way. So today I came to the conclusion that not only must I workout everyday (and I do workout 7 days a week....for now) and really push it until I get into "the burn". Quitting the exercise when you start to feel the burn defeats the purpose of the exercise. You have to push and push hard to get results. I'm going to complete this P90X work out on May 10, 2010. Yes, I'm so looking forward to this day with great anticipation. I may not be totally where I want to be (this workout is for those who've already been working out) so it may take another round to get where I want to be and that's ok.

There is another option....One on One with Tony Horton, which by the way you can get for just a penny while the deal lasts—this March only. You can watch a short video of One on One clips at  www.bodychangefitness.com/?bctid=10115605001 . After you close the window you can just follow the Tony One on One banner on the right to get more details. This may be the path I take when I finish my 90 days. The workouts will be fresh every month so boredom won't set in as it does when you tend to workout to the same one all the time.

The whole point is that working out may not always be fun but after awhile you do develop a need to do it....in effect that it has now become a habit. What makes me happy is that with Beachbody I have so many programs to choose from. That will keep me going for years to come.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

When you just don't feel like it.

There are times when you just don't feel like working out. You think you have better things to do, you're tired, you're not motivated or just plain old "life has got you down" syndrome. This happens to everyone and I know that normally I use any one of these "bad" excuses as a reason to stop me from reaching my goals. Well, not this time. I've got more motivation today than I have wishes to not do my workout today.

It makes it tough to get started when I'm in this type of mood but this is one of the main reasons I pre-scheduled my workouts. I'm like that though....even with doctor appointments. It's hard for me to make them but once I do I feel very guilty if I don't keep them. So by having my workouts scheduled I feel like I have to do them, whether I want to or not. It also helps to have someone to workout with you on a regular basis. You feel obligated to keep to your schedule in order to keep them from allowing the "bad" excuses to get them down. Funny thing is....once I have completed my workout I am so glad I did it and I look forward to the next day's workout.

Things always get better and you are glad you PUSHED your way through the tough times. On the good days you just enjoy the daily workouts and plan for your interval photos so you can see if there are any changes. I know I'm not really seeing any changes right now but the proof is in the pictures. Which BTW is in five days....oh no! LOL

I'm prepared whether the photos are good or bad. It took me many years to get in this shape and to expect miracles in thirty days well......it'd be great but.....if there are no miracles well, then I aim to push on until I reach my miracle.....which in this case, is my healthy body goal.

So if you are having one of those rough days just PUSH through it....better days are ahead. You'll feel much better in the end if you TRY to reach your goals and you don't make it than if you GIVE UP on your goals and never know if you could have done it or not. It's always worth the effort.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

I'm Too Busy....

I've always used the excuse that I'm "too busy" to exercise. In reality that was all it was AN EXCUSE. I had time and if time really was tight I could have made time to exercise. In truth, I just didn't like to exercise. I didn't enjoy doing them and even though I knew that sweating was good for me it just grossed me out.

I hated going to the gym, and I did purchase many gym memberships with good intentions of going. When I went there I'd see all these hard bodies that were already in shape and I felt very out of place. I was embarrassed and very self conscious of my own "out of shape" body. The gym staff was very encouraging when I was signing up but after I signed the contract it was hard to get anyone's attention to help me learn what to do and how long to do it. Now this may not apply to all gyms but it certainly did at all the ones I belonged to.

I have now learned that exercise does not begin and end in the gym. There are many ways to get your exercise in for the day. Walking in the park, chasing your dog, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and working out at home. Again, I've tried many workout programs and could not stay with them. They just got boring! Not until I found the Beachbody workouts did I realize that workout videos could be motivating. I don't know what it is about them but they motivate me and make me want to come back and do them again. In the P90X workout program you know those people are actually working with you. They are sweating, out of breath and tired....just like you. It always helps to have someone to workout with. It inspires you to do more and to get better at it.

Making exercise a habit takes some time. It all depends on the person and their mindset on working out. From what I've researched the 21 day rule does not apply to everything, especially exercise. It can take anywhere from 18 days to 254 to form this type of habit. The high end of the spectrum applies to people like myself who generally don't like exercise. Although, I don't think it will take me that long. I'm already enjoying the benefits of working out and how it makes me feel when I complete each and every day's workout. So maybe I'll fall in the 60 day range. I'll keep working at it until it becomes habit. This is my goal!!!

www.beachbodycoach.com/outofexcuses

Monday, March 1, 2010

Missing Scheduled Workouts

Well, I didn't workout this past weekend because I had a friend from Florida visiting. We were very busy the whole weekend and I THOUGHT I didn't have time to fit in my workouts. I felt bad because I didn't do them but still was convinced I didn't have time. Now that it's Monday I really feel guilty about not doing them and after I completed my scheduled workout for today, and felt great, I vowed to not miss any more workouts. They come before the rest of the day begins.

I was one who could never understand how people could say they looked forward to working out, and honestly I can't say I'm to the point that I look forward to working out but I do look forward to the feeling of accomplishment by completing my workouts. They do get the endorphins going and I know I've done something good for my body.

So as get ready to start week four of my 90 day workout I'm back on track and feel good about learning this lesson about priorities. I'll do my workouts when I'm supposed to and this will make me feel better. A good combination if I say so myself.

www.beachbodycoach.com/outofexcuses

Friday, February 26, 2010

Staying Motivated

You know sometimes you just don't feel like going through all the trouble to workout. You know...getting dressed and ready to go to the gym, carrying all you gear (clothes, id, keys, towel, sanitizers, water bottle, etc.), driving to the gym, having to wait for equipment, cleaning it after you finally get access to it, having all the perfect bodies look at you like "what are YOU doing here".....you know the routine, right?

There is another way to get fit and stay motivated to continue with your health and fitness plan........

With approximately 1,553,386 active members to it's credit Team Beachbody has a very large virtual gym where you can workout with hundreds at one time. You can workout with specific members, members who are working out to the same program you are, members in your local area, or with no one in particular but don't want to work out alone. At this very moment the virtual gym, WOWY (Work Out With You) SuperGym as it's called, has 105 people working out. A total of 982 workouts performed today aready with the peak having 202 working out at the same time.

If you need to get motivated to work out on any certain day you can log into WOWY and see all the stats for the day. You see the number of workout that have been done and that are being done as you watch. THEN you say to yourself "if they can do it so can I". You log in your work out, I've got mine prescheduled until I finish my P90X program in May, and get to it. When you've completed your workout you feel like you have just added another week onto your life expectancy and are so glad you didn't blow today off. You can even chat in the Cool Down Chatroom when you are done. The conversations are all about fitness, workouts, diets, getting and giving advice. You can learn a lot and meet a lot of great people that you might want to workout with on another day.

Another wonderful thing about logging your workouts in the WOWY SuperGym is that you can actually win money and prizes for working out that day. Team Beachbody has a random drawing once a day for members who have logged their workout the previous day. Once you have logged your workout and completed it you are eligible for the drawing the next day. The cash isn't just a few dollars either. It's $300 most days and then on a random day during the week they draw for $1,000. Usually once a week they draw for an iPod Touch, camcorder and I think once they drew for a laptop. So not only can working out be beneficial to your body but it can possibly be profitable too. You can also enter the Million Dollar Body Game!

As one who used to couldn't even say the "E" word (you know....exercise), I find Team Beachbody and the WOWY SuperGym highly motivational. You can see the success photos and read their stories (yes, they are real and not air brushed). I personally know one of the success stories and she won $50,000 in a Grand Prize Giveaway.

So get motivated and let's workout.

http://beachbodycoach.com/outofexcuses