A Fit Faithful Friend

Even though Sarah Foster couldn´t join us for this challenge, (she was involved in the other two) I want you all to know her. She is a wonderful example of discipline and dedication. She was a huge encouragement to us. Head on over to her blog and see what she has been up to. She won our last challenge, by the way. ;)

 We miss you, Sarah.

( I joined and won her Gettin´Fine in ´09 challenge back in 2009)

Hope you are staying motivated. We are almost done with week 2. Ladies, It´s for Life! You can do it. God is our strength. You will feel so much better and be able to do so much more for your family.

Sweatin´it with ya,
Dani Joy

Final Springy Journal - Sarah F.

Well I can say that throughout this whole challenge that my weight pretty much stayed the same. The lowest it got was 122 lbs - which was when I first started doing my twice daily workouts for training. I increased my calories and I'm holding strong at 124-125 lbs.

I have lost a few inches - mainly from the waist, hips, butt, and thighs. But nothing to write home about.

The 2 pictures below are of me back in November

These 2 pictures were taken of me today... in the exact same workout attire so that you could see.

To me there is not much of a change... if any, but then again my goal was not to lose any weight but just to stay healthy and train for my next race.

I hope you all enjoyed this challenge as much as I did. Until next time....

P90X Yoga

Insane is all I can say about this one. I do not have time to do 90 minutes of straight yoga. I find it hilarious when he says "clear your mind" on the DVD.. HA... Clear my mind when I have a 4 and 2 year old doing circles around me!

I feel like you do downard facing dog no less than 300 times. Granted it's a great stretching and strength (your own body strength), but I honestly get BORED!

This is why I choose to skip the yoga and use this as my running day instead. Now for those of you who like this kind of thing, then by all means. But to me... It's NOT worth the money!

TIP:

Go out and get a cheaper yoga or pilates video... It is nice to stretch and relax.

P90X Plyometrics and Kenpo

Plyometrics:

Out of all the DVD’s this one is my favorite! It’s a great workout all around. It works every muscle group in the legs, your core muscles to land with agility, and it a great cardio boost. I showed some of the “Easier” moves in my video last week, but there is SO much more on this DVD. This is the one workout that I feel would be worth buying because it’s not like anything I have ever done before.

Kenpo:

Kenpo is essentially kick boxing. I know a lot of people don’t like this one, but I do. Way back in my college days I actually taught kick boxing – so I feel it’s a great workout. I tend to play my own music to it though… it fuels me a bit. With this being said, I don’t feel like it’s worth the money. There are so many other “kick-boxing” DVD’s out there that are much cheaper and are just as good. Like the Tai Bo DVD’s… they’re great! So just add in a 30 minute – 1 hour of kick boxing and you basically have done P90X Kenpo… it’s a simple as that!


TIPS:

With plyo the key is landing softly so that your knees, hips and ankles don’t take a painful hit. If you haven’t watched my video, do – just listen to the sound of my knees and hips popping. This is why it’s important to land nice and easy!

Kenpo (Kick Boxing) – Don’t ever lock your joints when doing this exercise. You should make very quick and fluid movements – not jerky or snapping movements. This is to also spare your joints from being over worked. I also recommend playing music with a great beat. I punch and kick to the beat. I LOVE my punching bag that I have – it’s a great stress reliever.

I will be posting a video of some kick boxing techniques!

P90X Chest & Back; and Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

P90X has been great for me, but I understand that it’s not for everyone. Some of you have asked about it, so each day this week I will talk about some of the DVD’s.

Chest & Back DVD:

Chest and back is a great workout, but this is also a workout that is very feasible to do one your own rather than paying for it. You do a TON of push-ups: Military, diamond, wide grip, standard – etc. You do this alternating with Back exercises, which are usually pull-ups. You can get the same effect that you do with pull ups using a resistance band. I have used both. The pull up bar is a lot harder, but you can make the resistance band pretty tough too just by using the proper resistance.

Similar DVD – Chest, Shoulders & Triceps:

This DVD is very similar, but you do even more push-ups (this is the very reason my breast size has drastically decreased to the smallest I’ve ever been since Junior High School). You do all the push-ups you did before and then some… Like slow-motion push-ups, diamonds, and one-armed push-ups. This is added with shoulder exercises like shoulder presses and flies. Triceps are also added into the mix with triceps dips, over-head tricep presses, and kick-backs. Where it gets you is that when doing a push-up you are using your triceps as well, so they feel exhausted by the end.


TIPS:

I personally feel that you can easily do both of these DVD’s without even having the actual DVD and paying the money. So needless to say... would I have paid money for this myself - No, I wouldn't have. It was given to me by a friend, which is why I tried it in the first place. I was already doing a lot of the exercises from Jillian Michaels’ Making the Cut and 30 Day Shred – so again, it’s very doable on your own. All I recommend is combining 2 to 3 different muscle groups like the DVD’s do and alternate working those muscles with one exercise at a time per muscle group: For example: 20 standard push-ups, 20 shoulder presses, 20 tricep dips.

My Workout Explanation!

Before I explain some things about myself, I will tell you about my week.

Even though I was out of town the majority of the time, I still worked out every day that I was there. The eating could have been better, but I didn’t over do it. I came home with 1 extra pound, and I know that it could have been worse!

My measurements have not changed at all, and the scale goes between 123 lbs and 125 lbs. My body is beginning to take things pretty harshly and I’m glad I only have one week of p90x left so that I can focus on my running.



So now to the explaining:


I have been getting criticism for the amount of exercise that I am doing. So, I want to explain why I’m doing exactly what I’m doing. On a normal day I work out anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour. But when I train for something – about 3 months before hand I drill my body pretty hard, then a few weeks before the race I slow it back down and only focus on running. That is what I have been doing throughout this challenge. My first time through p90x I ran on the less intense days – for example, on the yoga day I ran instead – but I rarely did doubles like I have been doing unless I just felt like I didn’t push myself hard enough.

I only push myself this hard for a short period of time. My body doesn’t handle it very well – kind of like it is now… aching knees and hips, requiring me to sit in the hot bath! And as you can tell my body starts holding onto things (like fat). As many calories that I burn you would think I would lose a drastic amount of weight… and since doing this my weight has only fluctuated a couple pounds! I do increase the calories that I eat because of the deficit that I create and it fuels my body or else I would feel completely sluggish – and there is nothing worse than feeling completely drained! (As you can tell by this picture!)

And then being woken up by my 2 little monkeys!

I wanted you all to know this so that you wouldn’t think you had to “keep-up” or do what I do. I am by NO means promoting that someone workout 2 hours a day – it goes to show that too much of a good thing can be bad!

Everyone’s body is different and can tolerate different things – so it’s not necessary to compare to someone else!


Being that this is the last week. Each day I will post a review on the different workout from p90x so you can all see what each one of them is about!

Hope you all are having great weeks.

Plyometrics

Here are just a few moves of what I do with the P90X plyometrics. It's a great leg and cardio workout!

Lately my knees and hips have been killing me from all the running that I've been doing outside. If you turn up the volume you can actually hear just how much my knees and hips pop. This is why it's so important to try and land gently when jumping. My joints have never hurt me after plyo... Just running!

Springy Journal - Sarah F.

This week I am out of town... again. This time I'm visiting family in Dallas, and so far I've been able to workout every day that I've been here (even twice a day)! Today I even went to the gym with my brother!

I'm still holding strong at 123 -124 lbs. I haven't been able to take my measurements, but I plan on doing so when I get home.

My plan is to run the week as much as I can, and continue doing P90X whenever possible. I'm hoping to try to keep the eating under control, but my family doesn't know what eating healthy is really about. I made one trip to the store and got some essentials, but I'm not sure it will be enough! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

This week one of my bloggy friends posted a great post.... She Sandy from God Speak's Today, and we also call her Fitness Friday Girl! I highly recommend reading her post from last Friday! Click HERE to hop on over to it!

Here's another travel tip: Pack light snacks in your suit case. For example: I packed packed nuts, Fiber bars, and protein bars - these have helped me get over some cravings while I'm in a house LOADED with junk food!

Hope you are all having great weeks.

Sarah F.

Springy Journal - Sarah F.

This week was hard for me. I've been a bit stressed, and it's just that "time" of the month... which doesn't help things. I normally work about 20 hours a week from home. But as you know I've traveled twice in the past month, and then since I've been home I've been working 40 + hours a week - on top of being a mom & wife, I'm also singing & teaching at church, hosting our fellowship group at our house, singing for weddings, and still working out. I think it's all beginning to catch up to me, because I'm tired and it takes every ounce of my energy to make myself workout!

At least the weather has been great! So great that I think I over did it in the "running" department. From Sunday - Wednesday I had ran over 22 miles. Lets just say that my legs are killing me!

I've still been doing my P90X workout as well, and my body's holding steady between 122lbs - 124 lbs. On my heavy lifting days I sometimes see 125, but it goes back down. I want you ladies to know that most woman fluctuate around 3 lbs on a regular basis. We are woman... woman with hormones - and we tend to hold onto water weight more easily. So don't fret!

I'm trying to enjoy my family with this gorgeous weather... I'm actually getting ready to take them to the park up the street. But in the meantime. Here is a picture of me in my favorite chair in the house. This is where I sit, drink my coffee, and read a good book (I'm an avid reader, and it tends to help with my stress level!)

Hope you ladies are having great weeks!

Another P90X Review

One of my Bloggy World friends, Sandy, at God Speaks Today, has done P90X as well. She is also known as "Fitness Friday Girl". She is an amazing woman who has overcome SO much in her life. When I read her blog I'm either laughing out loud, or I'm crying!

She and I have done a lot of the same types of workout programs from Body for Life, Jillian Michaels', to P90X. Click HERE to read her review on P90X... and keep in mind that I think she's hilarious!

I still plan on writing my own review to share. It's been a lot easier for me to take thing in my second time through! So stay tuned!

Sarah F.

Spring Journal - Sarah F.

The past three weeks have been pretty crazy for me. I have traveled twice (3 1/2 days at a time each trip) in the last 3 weeks. I was worried about how my body would react to traveling, however... I did get my workouts in, and researched every place I ate (the airport being the exception).

This was the first week that I felt "normal" again. I came home to see the scale 3 lbs heavier. After talking to my brother and father who are both airline pilots they filled me in about what the elevation does to your body and water weight. Sure enough... 3 days later that weight was gone. I weighed in this morning at my regular 123 lbs.

I am now back into my normal workout routine of P90X and I have to say that it feels great kicking my own butt!

Speaking of P90X there are some of you who have asked me about this program. It just happens that I complete my second time through it the same week we complete this challenge. I will be sharing my sights on P90X with you all.

As for now, I was to share my new indulgence!!! First of all, I was allergic to milk as a child, as I got older I was able to tolerate it more, but I just never acquired the taste for it. I put skim milk in my cereal, and of course I love it with chocolate cake and cookies - but I am NOT one to just pour a glass of milk and drink it. I truely dislike the taste of it. Being that I turned 30 a couple weeks ago, I noticed that my joints are really beginning to ache. My knees and hips hurt so bad sometimes that it keeps me up at night. I started thinking that I haven't been getting enough calcium... so, someone told me about soymilk. Everything I read said that soymilk stated that it only has 25% of the calcium of regular milk. So at the store I came across Silk Soymilk that has just as much calcuim as dairy milk. I thought "WHY NOT!" Bought it, brought it home... fell in LOVE with it. It is now something that I crave, and I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I would crave a glass of soymilk! My husband just laughs at me because the other night instead of having a cup of coffee, I sat on the couch sipping a glass of soymilk instead - that's HUGE for me being the coffee lover that I am! It is a bit on the expensive side, but I figured since it's only me drinking it in my house and that I'm not drinking the regular milk... why not!

Keep on ladies... we are almost there! Stick with it, we are all here for you!

Sarah F.

Nix the Fix

Yesterday I did really well... just didn't post about it. I like to take Sunday's off from the computer - it doesn't always work!

I felt all rev'd up today to start another new week of P90x after a recovery week and traveling out of town. It felt good to push my body hard! I know... I'm crazy!

Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast: Kashi & raisin bran cereal, soy milk, protein powder and fruit - 2 pts
Snack: 1/2 protein bar- 1 pt
Lunch: 2 egg whites, with FF Cheese, Turkey sausage & whole wheat bagel with FF cream cheese, 2 cups of coffee - 2 pts
Snack: Almonds & 1/2 C soymilk - 2 pts
Dinner: Whole Wheat English Muffin pizza made with turkey sausage & FF cheese - 1 pt
Snack: Haven't had it yet, but I will be having a salad after volleyball - 1 pt

I also did 40 minutes of the treadmill, along with 1 hour of p90x. Hince, my large lunch!

Now I'm off to go plan an hour long volleyball game!

Sarah

Saturday Nix the Fix

Saturday's are normally my "free" days, but being that I traveled this week I tried to be as good as possible yesterday.

I got in 30 minutes of Kenpo (Kick Boxing).

Breakfast: Kashi cereal with rain bran, protein powder, and skim milk (1 pt)
Snack: Almonds (1 pt)
Lunch: Grilled chicken salad, oranges, almonds, light dressing (I only used 45 calories worth of dressing. (2 pts)
Snack: 1/2 protein bar and coffee (1 pt)
Dinner: Light roast beef sandwich on Whole Wheat bun with honey mustard... I also had a few french fries (I'm not giving myself any points for this because I also had 1/2 a brownie!)
Snack: 1 packet 100 calories rice cakes and 1/2 protein bar (1 pt)

Hoping Sunday will be a bit better!

Another Day... Nix the Fix

Today I woke up in my own bed... it felt SO good! I started the day with a 50 minute run, but I felt like that was as good as my day got... it took everything out of me.

I also got in a second 50 minute workout, but again... I had to really push myself.

It was just one of those days that I was dragging, felt bloated & blah, and just had ZERO energy.

Hoping that after some more rest that I will feel better. Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast: 2 multigrain waffles with natural peanut butter and sugar free syrup. (1 pt)
Snack: A protein bar (1 pt)
Lunch: 3 Egg white omelette with fat free cheese & pepper, 1/2 of multigrain bagel with fat free cream cheese. (2 pts)
Snack: 2 cups of coffee with skim milk, Pear & light string cheese (2 pts)
Dinner: Taco Soup made with extra lead ground beef & I had a bite of brownie with a glass of skim milk (1 pt)
Snack: Salad with lime juice and pepper (1 pt)

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Sarah F's Thursday Nix the Fix

I wasn't able to post this yesterday due to the traveling that I did, but I still wanted to post it today.

Yesterday morning I woke up at 5:30 and did a morning run. It's beautiful in Phoenix in the morning (the weather I mean... I'm not a fan of the all around look of Phoenix).

Breakfast: Protein Bar and Banana (2 Pts)
Snack: Nuts and Dried fruit & Coffee with skim milk (2 pts)
Lunch: Turkey Sanwich on whole grain bread with lettuce, tomatoe, and spicy mustard. Side salad with ligth ranch dressing (1/2 packet 30 calories) (2 pts)
Snack: 1/2 protein bar and diet soda (1 pt)
Dinner: Light ham sandwich on whole grain baggett with spicy dijon mustard... it came with cheese, but I took it off. Apple (2 pts)
I had a late flight, so on the plane I ate the other half of the protein bar and had a coffee with light creamer (an extra shot of espresso though!) (1 pt)


Tip: When traveling it's sometimes hard to find things that are healthy. I ran into this problem when I tried myself dinner at the airport! There were salad that had 750 calories in them. So, don't think that just because it's a "Salad" that it's healthy for you. Instead, I chose a sandwich that had cheese & bacon, and I just pulled it off. It still tasted great!

Springy Journal - Sarah F.

I am currently out of town right now. I head back home tomorrow evening, so I can't weigh in until Friday morning. But I have still been able to get in my workouts.

Thursday: 45 minute morning run; 45 minute evening run
Friday: P90X Legs, back, and ab ripper; 40 minute run
Saturday: 40 minute run
Sunday: Off Day
Monday: P90X Core Synergistics; 25 minute run
Tuesday: 40 minute morning run; 25 minute evening run
Wednesday: 35 minute run


Wednesday Food Journal:

Breakfast: EAS Carb Control Bar and 24 oz Cup of Coffee
Snack: Almonds and Dried Fruit
Lunch: Subway (Buffalo Chicken) on wheat (6 gm of fat), 1/2 bag baked chips, diet soda
Snack: 1/2 of Protein Bar and 24 oz Cup of Coffee & 2 Bites of a Brownie :(
Dinner: Other 1/2 of baked chips & Taco Soup made with extra lean ground beef
Snack: 1/2 of Protein Bar


Tip: Eat every few hours so your body never gets a chance to get hungry... this way, you don't tend to overeat!

Springy Journal

This week I tried to get back into my normal routine after being out of town. I jumped right back in! And now, I will be leaving again next week - at least it's my recovery week from p90x!

Here is what I did this week:

Thursday: 45 minute run; p90x biceps, back, ab ripper
Friday: 40 minute run; p90x plyometrics
Saturday: 30 minute run; p90x kenpo
Sunday: Off Day
Monday: 45 minute run; p90x chest, shoulders, triceps, and ab ripper. 2 full games of Volleyball (2 1/2 hours)
Tuesday: 40 minute run; p90x plyometrics
Wednesday: 45 minute run... and I'm still planning on doing p90x biceps, back and ab ripper.


My weight and measurements stayed exactly the same as last week. So, no change for me!

Below is a picture of what my knees looked like after I got home from volleyball. I should have taken the pic the next day when they were black and blue... and swollen. Lets just say, I'm competitive!

Springy Journal # 4... Better Late than Never

I got back into town late last night, and I will be headed down to Dallas late this evening! Crazy I know!

Here is what I did this past week:

Thursday: 40 minute run; Back, Biceps and Ab Ripper P 90x ( 1 hour)
Friday: 45 minute run in am; 40 minute run in PM
Saturday: 40 minute return; Legs, back, and Ab Ripper p90x (1 hour)
Sunday: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Ab Ripper p90x ( 1 hour); 30 minute run once I arrived in Phoenix
Monday: 40 minute run in am; 20 minute speed walking (while in healed boots) with co-workers
Tuesday: 40 minute run with sprints
Wednesday: 40 minute run, 20 minutes bicep and abs workout.


My work paid for all my meals, so that was a big incentive for me. (I wouldn't have paid $12 for fruit, 2 hard boiled eggs, and a water at the airport if they weren't paying for it!).

Here is my weight and measurements: for the last 3 weeks:

Week 1:

Weight: 125 lbs
Bust 32 ¾
Chest 32 ¼
L Arm 10 ¼
Right Arm 10 ½
Waist 30 1/4
Hips 36 ½
R Thigh 22 ¼
L Thigh 22 ¼
Butt 38 ½

Week 2:

Weight: 123 lbs
Bust: 32 3/4
Chest: 32 1/4
L Arm: 10 1/4
Right Arm: 10 1/2
Waist: 30
Hips: 36 1/2
R Thigh: 22 1/4
L Thigh: 22 1/4
Butt: 38

Week 3:

Weight: 122 lbs
Bust: 32 3/4
Chest: 32 (Above breast), below breast 29
L Arm: 10 1/4
Right Arm: 10 1/4
Waist: 29 3/4
Hips: 36
R Thigh: 22
L Thigh: 22
Butt: 37 3/4

Total this week: 1 lb loss, 2 inches lost

* Lets just hope I can maintain when I go see my parents in Dallas. They don't have many healthy options in their house! I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Oh Where Oh Where Can She Be...

I went MIA yesterday. I found out last minute that my job has required me to be in Phoenix for 3 days. This poses a couple of different "stressers" to me.

First of all... I have never been away from my 4 year old son for more than 24 hours - the day his baby sister was born, and I have never been away from my 2 year old daughter for more than 12 hours. So, needless to say, I'm holding up pretty well after being away from them for 24 hours.

Secondly, I was worried about not being able to workout & what I would be eating! So I got up this morning and ran at 6:30, and tomorrow I plan on running and lifting. I'm trying my hardest to keep up, but girls this is your TIME to catch up!!!

Here are some out of town TIPS:

Choose places to eat that you know has healthy options. Like Subway! If you have to got out to eat at a restaurant then research their menu online. Most places provide nutritional information, so you know what you can eat before even stepping foot in the door!

Those short breaks that you get at work (today I had 2) and I walked really fast (even in my nice boots) around the block. If you work in a buiding with a lot of stairs, take the stairs. It will get your heart pumping for SURE!!!

Fitness and Diet Tip

Keep Things Simple:

Break a big goal into a series of smaller goals. Want to lose 50 pounds? Shoot for losing 5 percent of your body weight first, or set five 10-pound incremental weight-loss goals.


Snacking is a Good Thing:

I recommend having 2-3 snack a day. I choose to have mine in between the "main" meals of the day and one around 8:00 at night. It's the type of snack that you choose that makes the difference. Here are a few of the things I love: Fruit - I escpecially like an apple with a peice of light string cheese, veggies - I like to cut up a red and green pepper to have them on hand, nuts - LOVE almonds, and sometimes I like a rice cake topped with natural peanut butter!