Turbo Fire...The Remix!

So I've pretty much completed 12 weeks of Turbo Fire. The last few weeks were a little choppy, meaning I wasn't doing the workouts like I should have been. I've gone back and forth whether or not I should start a new program or do Turbo Fire again. There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing the program over as many times as you like. You didn't buy it just to do the program once and sit it on a shelf once you're done.

I made the decision to do Turbo Fire again because I am still not where I want to be to move on to Insanity. I would like to lose another 10lbs with Turbo Fire before I move on. Now I know you're probably wondering 'what's the difference, you can lose 10lbs with Insanity so why do Turbo Fire again?'. Well, I LOVE Turbo and I know I'm at the point where I can go HARD each workout. I've heard that Insanity is hard and I don't want to move on and feel defeated once I start Insanity. I don't know if that makes sense to anyone other than me lol. Basically, I know I can get rid of these 10lbs no problem with Turbo Fire. I am not 100% positive that I will be able to get rid of them so quickly and easily with Insanity if the workouts are as hard as I hear them to be. For the first two weeks I probably won't be able to go in on each workout and give it 110%. Right now, I can do that with Turbo Fire. 

So I'm going to do the program over again and when I drop 10 more pounds, I will be moving on to Insanity. This is a tough journey but the further I go, the stronger I get and that's mentally as well not just physically. Even though I haven't been able to stay consistent with my workouts, I'm still sticking with it and that's what matters most. I hope you guys continue to follow me on my journey. 

Until next time.... :)

Awesome Summer Spinach and Strawberry Chicken Salad

I have been obsessed with Wendy's Almond Berry Salad this summer but the salads are a bit pricey (can run about 7 bucks for the full salad and I was eating them damn near everyday). So I decided to start making my own. It's really easy, you can have a tasty salad all week long, save money, and it's healthy too! 
I use spinach instead of romaine and iceberg lettuce.
Here's how I make it.

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

• 8 cups fresh spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 1/4 pounds of Boneless chicken breast cut into cubes
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• 2 cups blueberries
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese or 3/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese crumbles

FAT FREE STRAWBERRY VINAIGRETTE INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package (16 ounces) frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed
• 6 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sugar (sugar substitute)
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon poppy seeds

DIRECTIONS FOR DRESSING:
Place the strawberries in a blender; cover and process until pureed. Add lemon juice and sugar; cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add vinegar and oil in a steady stream; process until thickened. Stir in poppy seeds. Transfer to a bowl or jar; cover and store in the refrigerator. 
Yield: 2-1/2 cups.

Nutrition Facts: 2 tablespoons (prepared with sugar substitute) equals 23 calories, 1 g fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 1 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, trace protein.


DIRECTIONS FOR SALAD:
In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, chicken, strawberries, blueberries, and almonds.
Toss them with the dressing and add feta cheese.

Yield: 8 Servings

30 Day Turbo Fire Progress

I just completed week 4 of Turbo Fire. I am so proud of myself. On day 1 I took my measurements and my week and then I began my journey. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't rocket science. I was committed to working every day that I was supposed to. I did hit some bumps and missed a few workouts but I stuck with it and the results I have seen in just 30 days is amazing.

Listed below are my measurements and weight for day 1 and day 30. I may include pictures at a later time if I'm not too embarrased lol :)

Day 1:                    Day 30:
Weight: 177lbs                        Weight: 171lbs
R Arm: 14 1/2                          R Arm: 14
L Arm: 14 1/2                          L Arm: 14
Chest: 41                               Chest: 39
Waist:  39                              Waist: 37
Hips: 44 1/2                            Hips: 42 1/2
R Thigh: 21 1/2                        R Thigh: 20 1/2
L Thigh: 22 1/2                        L Thigh: 21 1/2

Check out my week 1 progress video and week 4 progress video below to see the difference.

WEEK 1 PROGRESS:




WEEK 2 PROGRESS:

Fit Tip: Writing Down What You Eat!

When I first started working out last year, I was killing my workouts but I was not eating as healthy as I could have been. It was hard for me to remember what I ate throughout the day. I work 10 hours so when I was hungry I would just run to the kitchen or vending machine and grab something and go right back to my desk. I would always miss breakfast which is a big no-no. Doing this, I was not seeing results as quickly as I should have been for how active I was.

It was not until I received Turbo Fire last year that I started writing down everything I ate. Whether it was a piece of gum or a mint, I wrote it down. It was easy because I had a Turbo Tracker which is pretty much a journal for everything you eat. You write it down, calculate the calories if you want, write down the times you're eating at, and watch the pounds drop.

Even when I had to stop working out for a few months after I was in a car accident, I kept a food journal. I wrote down everything and I honestly believe that's why I did not gain back all the weight I had lost. I did gain back about 5-8lbs back but that was to be expected since I was not able to be as active. But, I still kept off the other 12-15 pounds.

The trick, you have to eat every 2-3 hours and eat within an hour or two of waking up. Eating this often will prevent you from getting to the point of starving. When you feel starved, you reach for the closest edible object and chow down, you really don't care what it is when those hunger pangs are hitting you. Eating every 2-3 hours should give you about 5-6 meals a day and that's including snacks and eating within an hour or two of waking up will rev up your metabolism.

Keeping a food journal will help you see what you should not be eating and what you should be eating. When I first started my journal, I noticed that I really needed to eat breakfast. By the time I got to lunch I was consuming WAY too much because I was so hungry. If you are not eating until lunch time, your metabolism is way out of whack like mine was. I then started to notice once I started eating breakfast then having a snack a couple of hours later, I wasn't as hungry by lunch time and I made smarter choices. My body literally craved healthier foods. Now keep in mind that I was also working out and I have a theory that when you are working out your body pretty much tells you to eat better lol. This could be false but for my body I believe it's true.

You can also see what you are missing from your diet by keeping a food journal, whether it's fruits and vegetables or protein and fiber. I highly recommend trying this for at least 2 or 3 weeks and seeing if you notice a difference. You should feel more energized and you will probably notice your clothes fitting a little looser.

Check out my video below for more info.

Until next time....

Failed workout program but continuing on like a BOSS!

So a little over a month ago I officially started doing the Turbo Fire program again. I knew it was going to be difficult because I work 10 hour days and I was worried about my shoulder from the car accident I was in back in October (yep, still having problems with that). Well I started off pretty good and then the second and third week I started falling off because I was exhausted. On top of that I was not getting enough sleep which is super important when you're working out.

My first thought, "I'm never going to be able to do this". I did NOT want to except that. Second thought "how can I make this work?" Which lead to my third thought "Stop whining, you CAN do this!". I decided to stop all the negative thinking and do what I need to do.

I started the program over from week 1 and have been doing AMAZING. I have been working out every night even though I'm super tired after work. It is day 5 and I'm looking forward to working out tonight. I missed this feeling so much. Before the accident I would get so hyped a few hours before it was time to workout. It got me pumped and I gave 110%. I know I am going to finish all 12 weeks and even do the advanced cds for the complete 20 week program.

As I write this I realize that it doesn't matter if you mess up on your fitness journey. What matters is that you make the choice to continue and do better than you did before. So I will continue to kick my workout's a$$ like a BOSS!

Until next time...

Turbo Fire day 1 COMPLETED!

I officially started Turbo Fire over again today. I was a bit worried that I wasn't going to make it through the workout because I did a few of the classes last week and could only make it through 10-15 minutes before my shoulder started to bother me but I did the entire class (Fire 30 class) tonight. I felt amazing. It helped that I had a crappy day at work today and needed to get some of my frustrations out in jabs and kicks so I was in intense mode. 

I took a day 1 picture which I'm honestly not ready to show until I take my day 30 picture lol. I lost 20lbs over the summer doing round 1 of Turbo Fire and I didn't gain that much back when I wasn't working out due to the car accident but looking at my day 1 picture from today.... I was not happy at all. I think that kinda fueled me to push through the workout tonight too. So whenever I feel like I'm too tired to workout or just being lazy, I am going to look at that picture and think about what I'm striving for, think about how amazing it is going to feel to snap another picture every 30 days and see my hard work, and think about how much my story just might help someone else to push through and complete their workout goals. On that note, I'll finish with my favorite quote: "Change happens when the pain of change is greater than the pleasure of staying the same."

These 12 Weeks Ahead....

So the past week has been pretty decent. I've worked out a total of 5 times this week. I've only been able to do about 20 minutes before my shoulder (from car injury) starts to bother me. Next week I am officially starting Turbo Fire over AGAIN. Can I do it this time? Oh YEAH! I've been keeping a to-do list for about a month and a half now and its made me crazy productive. I getting things done like never before. I also have a little motivation because at the end of July I will be attending my 10 year High School reunion. I want to look... Naw.. change that, I WILL look good. so I have these next 12 weeks. I will be posting weekly updates here and videos on YouTube.
Lets so what happens :)

Until next time.....

Bad luck, allergic reactions, why am I crying so damn much?!

I promise, this year has been so crazy. Sometimes I think I have the worst luck. But I have to tell myself not to think crazy negative thoughts like that. I think the end of last year was just all wrong. First with the car accident in October, which I'm still recovering from then in December I had began to have the most demonic toothache ever. I tried to get into the dentist but the office under my insurance had crazy days of operation. I had to switch to someone new. Luckily I was able to pick out another dentist who had awesome hours but then after everything was taken care of, I find out that she is out of the country until the last week of January. I didn't want to change dentist again because it takes a month to go through so I figured I could wait it out till she got back. Well the toothache went from demonic to bat shit crazy. Once I got in to see the dentist she said it had to be pulled and prescribed me an antibiotic. I didn't really care about the tooth being taken, its just a wisdom but I wanted all the pain to stop. I'm going to go on record right now and say TOOTHACHES ARE THE WORST PAIN IN THE WORLD! Yep, and trust me, I've been in some serious pain in my life. I actually cried myself to sleep one night because it was hurting so bad and no one or nothing makes me cry my own tears especially some rude tooth that I have housed since I was 11 years old and treated very nicely I might add.

But I digress, I thought everything was going to be fine, I would take the antibiotics and after a day or two the pain would stop then I could have that sucker pulled. Well, on day two of the antibiotics I woke up with this weird rash on my right hand. I was so out of it that I actually thought maybe I slept on it wrong or something. As I started to wake up a little more I noticed it was on my arm too and I wasn't feeling too good. My mom, who has had allergic reactions before told me to stop taking the medicine and call the dentist. The dentist told me to take Benadryl for two days and I would be fine and to stop taking the antibiotic. Well two days later I was actually worse. The rash/hives had spread EVERYWHERE on my body, my hands and legs were so swollen and super red. It hurt to walk, talk, move, and I felt like my entire body was on fire. I didn't know what to do so I got up and went to the ER. I was scared. I actually looked like some type of reptile alien. They checked me out in the ER and gave me a huge dose of this steroid called Prednisone. Now if you have ever heard of this drug then you know it is a serious drug. I was hesitant about taking it at first because when I was younger I was very sick and had to take it. Not only did it make me crazy depressed but it destroyed the muscle in both my legs and I could not walk, I blew up like a balloon, and I suffered from a major adrenal crisis which landing me in ICU for some weeks. The doctor said I only had to take it for 10 days. Right after the first dose I felt better, not 100% but way better than I had been feeling.

The next day is when I started to feel like I had all those years ago taking this medicine. I'm now depressed and crying... A lot.... Remember what I said about someone or something making me cry my own tears, not cool.  The medicine is a miracle worker but very dangerous. I'm on day 5 so only 5 more to go. I also have to take a new antibiotic which I'm not allergic to. So all in all, this has been a terrible horrible no good very bad week. I am feeling better. I can finally type without it hurting so much. It is amazing how much we use our finger tips to do stuff. Mine have been feeling like someone is constantly smashing them with a hammer whenever I grab or hold something. Its good to feel better, now I just have to get back into my old routine which I think is going to be a little difficult. Being in that much pain really takes a toll on your body. I am so tired. I feel like I need another week just to catch up on rest and let my body finish healing but its back to my grind tomorrow. Then I will be getting back into working out and killing off these last several pounds. I'm ready, so let's go!

Oh and I did finally get that pesky tooth pulled. I showed it to my other teeth just in case they were thinking about acting up in the future ;)

Getting Back To The Old Me.....

So its been about four months since I last worked out, intensely worked out. Being in a car accident is very stressful. Not only on your mind but your body too. I have been healing physically and mentally and it has been a rough and painful road. It is going to take some time to get back to where I was (working out 6 days a week hardcore) but it is not a race. I did gain some weight back and let me tell you, it was very depressing. I actually started thinking that I wouldn't ever be able to reach my goal and I NEVER wanted to think that way again. I made myself realize quick that all the negative thoughts would never get me to where I wanted to be or even close to where I was. I talked to my chiropractor and he said it was ok for me to start working out but very slowly and very easy. I then talked to my coach Kristy who I LOVE! She is awesome. I always feel better after talking to her. She introduced me to Chalene Johnson's 30 Day Challenge. This challenge helps you to organize your life and achieve any goal you can dream of. It is AMAZING! I'm on day 13 and already my life is a little less stressful. I have always been one to think that I could get so much more done if I had more hours in the day. Well... I actually didn't need more hours, I just need a system for getting everything I wanted done.... well done lol. And this is exactly what this 30 day challenge is about. I would recommend it to ANYONE. I'm actually going to try to get my mom to do it. I will be helping her lose weight while I'm on my journey as well and this challenge would help her a lot with reaching her fitness goals.

It may take a month, maybe 6 months but I will get there. All negative thoughts, I'm turning them into positive affirmations. We are our own worst enemies and until we take charge of our lives and not choose failure when success is an option... we will stay unhappy, sad, and depressed. Who wants to live the rest of their life feeling that way? I know I don't.