Clean Eating and Other Stuff

Recently, I bought a copy of Tosca Reno's Clean Eating Recharged. Tomorrow, I plan to start putting those principles into practice. I may not be able to get some of the stuff that she recommends because I can't really afford it but I do plan to clean up my eating. I know that we have a holiday coming up and I am going to a barbecue/birthday party that day. I am going to try and basically stick with it that day. I haven't read the whole thing but this week, I'll also post more of what she says in my blogs.
Also, this last week, I floundered on my home Beachbody Party and my fitness group. Three people showed up for the party and just Cat and I worked out last Thursday. Oh and to top it off, I lost my place to do these workouts. If this would have happened last year, I would give up but Chris and I put our heads together and figured out how I can do this from my own home until it gets bigger. I plan on starting that back up after the fourth. I'm also looking to expand in Ellsinore, my hometown.
I am going to start the eating clean tomorrow. I plan on starting slow, first of all I plan on cutting out sodas. That is my hardest habit to break. Then along with the soda habit, I plan on drinking tons of water. I know the benefits of water, I just don't drink as much as I should. I will keep you all posted on how that's going. So it's late and I'm going to bed. Goodnight all. :)

Setting A Good Example!

My family likes to sit around and watch TV. Unfortunately, I am one of the biggest ones. But recently, since I started to exercise and change my eating habits (it's an ongoing process), I've noticed that Will likes to do that sort of stuff with me. Although, I do get a little worried that he's going to get hurt, especially with weights, or when I am doing Kenpo. I do tend to worry that I'm going to kick him. But it's so worth it to see him do it. Sometimes, I just put on music at my house and he and I just dance. He loves music and he loves to dance.

He's four and his attention span isn't that long, but the little bursts of time that he wants to workout with me is truly awesome. It makes me feel as though I am doing something good by him. Our eating habits leave some, ok. a lot of room for improvements. I try to eat healthier and have changed alot but I sometimes give in to chocolate and other bad things. Shakeology helps out alot though. Anyway, my son recently made me so happy and proud when he tried broccoli and loved it. He is trying new things and I'm so excited. It won't be long before the chicken nuggets and french fries phase will be over and I can't wait. Chris and I are incorporating more vegetables into our meals. I love vegetables. They make wonderful sides for chicken, fish, and even turkey burger. And I love that my baby is following along with us. He told us he wants to try carrots and insisted that we buy carrots. I am one happy Momma. Anyway, the whole point of this story is to point out that I have been wondering and questioning myself as to whether I'm a good mother. I still do sometimes. These things that he's doing is giving me somewhat of a reassurance that I'm at least doing somethings right. :) Goodnight all. :)

Why I Exercise?

I know that exercise is not the whole deal. I know I need to eat better as well. Nutrition is an ongoing battle for me, though, one that I'm determined to win. Sorry, I've been away a couple of days. I spent time with my sister and swam both days. I was exhausted when I got home.
Why should I or anyone exercise? Today, I happen to come across one of my old Shape Magazines. Shape does have good articles, although, they do promote diet drugs a little too much for my taste. But I came across this article about why should we exercise. The title is "Lace Up for a Better Life" and it's by Selena Yeager. She talks about not only the visible results but the inner results of exercising. The hot body can only go so far, I'd rather have the results from the inside out. So here are the reasons why exercise can better yours and my life.
1. More Exercise means fewer sick days at work: If you work out at least 30 minutes a day, you tend to catch fewer colds. Exercise prompts more white blood cells to circulate in your body and kills the disease carrying invaders according to a study in the American Journal of Medicine. I am actually getting fewer colds since I exercise more. Exercise also lowers estrogen levels which helps lower the risk of breast cancer.
2. Exercise helps you get better and more sleep: This, I am a firm believer in. Before I started doing any exercise, I would have a hard time sleeping at night and be very tired during the day. I was getting to where I had to have a nap along with my four year old son (he was two and three at the time). I like to exercise during the evening so I can blow off steam and it helps me relax and unwind.
3. You'll be a social butterfly: Although, I don't get to do this very much anymore, but I do love taking group fitness classes along with my P90X. My favorite is zumba. I plan on starting an exercise group to workout to P90X and other fitness programs.
4. Pick up the weights and you'll love your thighs: I, myself, love doing weight workouts. It helps me feel stronger. I can now see biceps in my arms and legs are smaller. Weight works. I need a structured program with weights though, I can't just go and lift weights. I find that P90X works with that. I know what is next and how many reps. to do. I love it.
5. Exercise helps improve your memory: I do find that I am able to remember stuff better when I exercise. I do get forgetful, though, when I'm tired and stressed. Exercise helps me deal with the stress, therefore, I'm able to focus more.
6. Exercise will make you happier: Before I started exercising regularly, I was not a very happy person. Partially, it was because I wasn't happy with myself and the way I looked. I now find that if I skip a workout, I become very cranky. I recently, have skipped a couple of days and had a meltdown on my husband over something really, really stupid. I find that if I don't exercise, I get really depressed.
7. Stress Won't Mess With You: I still have a lot of work to do on dealing with stress, but I do find that since I exercise more regularly, I deal with stress better. It doesn't get to me as much. That is because I have something to focus on and there for a little while, I can leave that stressful situation behind me. I wish my husband would do that. He bottles up everything inside. I'm worried that he's doing more harm to himself by doing that sort of thing. He doesn't have a release. ( I hope he reads this)
8. Kicking Bad Habits Will Be Easy: This one still requires work. I have found that exercise does reduce the cravings for a soda (which is my number one bad habit). I find that I really don't want to undo my hard work. I just don't want it. I actually crave water after an exercise session. I still cave in sometimes but I have cut way back on it. I'm more focused on my body and what it wants instead of what my head wants.
There are more reasons but that is all I'm going to focus on. I really love this article and I find that I'm getting a lot of the benefits this article says. This article was taken from Shape Magazine the October 2009 edition. I am finding that my old magazines are very useful. I used to get them for the success stories. One of these days I am going to be a success story. Well, I'm tired, so I'm gonna say goodnight all. :)

What Motivate Me and You?

Today, I was watching the Biggest Loser. I can watch episodes on hulu. I love that. I'm very interested in this season because of Brett Hobel. He is the creator of Rev Abs and part of the Beachbody community. I got to listen to him speak on a call. It was totally cool! Anyway, I digress. I was watching the Biggest Loser today. Those people are inspirational. They are determined to lose that weight every week. They have the same struggle (if not more, in some instances) as I do. Yet, they are achieving wonderful results. It got me thinking. These people are putting their heart and soul into making themselves healthier. What am I doing? I'm doing my workouts but I find that maybe, I'm not putting the 100% in the nutrition portion. I know that nutrition is 80% of healthy lifestyle and weight loss. I kinda lost my motivation. Watching the Biggest Loser has inspired and motivated me to give my 100% to my eating and exercise. I'm basically going hard or going home from this day forth. Who wants to join me? NO EXCUSES! Also, watching this show has also sparked an interest and passion to be a personal trainer. And for me it's not about the money, it's about being there and helping someone in there transformation, watching the light come into their eyes when they get the results that they have worked so hard for. Beachbody and the Biggest Loser has sparked something in me that has gone out. I also put on a shirt today that is big on me. It has always fit comfortably on me but I looked like I was pregnant in it. It is now a little big on me. :) This is what a difference a year has made. :) Well, I'm going to say goodnight all. :)

Developing Good Habits

Today, although, is my rest day, is the start of my recovery week. I know I haven't blogged in a while but there are certain thing I want to achieve starting tonight. I know most people (me including) would say I will start tomorrow, but why do so. I think you should start working for your goals the minute you set them. Sometimes, you may stumble and lose track, but you should jump right back into it, the minute you realize you have gotten off track. (Now this is a pep talk to myself here.) For instance, last week I have four days of clean eating and three days of not so clean eating. Unfortunately today, was one of the non clean eating days. ( I had a family reunion to go to,but I did swim with my boy for almost two hours though.) I have decided to start right back on tonight by banishing late night eating and drinking water. I also know that I don't get enough sleep. Tonight that is going to change, my goal for this week is to get seven to eight hours of sleep at night, also to eat clean for the next six days. My husband and I have challenge that we are doing for ourselves. We have decided to not eat out for the month of June. That is very bad and expensive habit that I acquired and I want to break it. After that month, I do hope to be able to have special date nights with my husband. It seems that going out to eat has lost its treat value. I feel that if I let the world know my goals then I am accountable to make them happen. Anyway, I'm stopping here because of the tiring weekend I've had, right now I can barely keep my eyes open and I'm not making any sense. So goodnight all. :)

If You Knew You Couldn't Fail, How Big Would You Dream?

This title is a quote that I heard on a team call tonight. It reasonated through me. I know that fear of failure and sometimes negativety can get in the way of what I want to do. This past year, Chris and I have been through some tough times. We are still going through those tough times. I have decided to make some mini-goals and put a deadline on them to start with. My first and foremost is to start my once a week exercise group and for it to eventually become a fit club. I feel as though, I need to start out small, and then progress from there. My tentative date for the exercise group is the middle of June. My smaller goals then that is to focus 80% on my nutrition. I am trying to work on eating small meals every 3 hours.
But I digress, how big can anyone dream if they knew they couldn't fail? I for, one, would be successful at what I love. I have found, through Beachbody, that I love fitness. It has become my passion. I feel the positive effects of my progress. I would like those that I love to feel the same way. My biggest challenge is my personality, in a way. I am a very shy person. I find it harder for me to walk up even to someone I know, and start a conversation with them. This is something I have to work on. I do want to help others. My goal is to start a conversation with at least a couple of people by the end of the week. I'm not talking about by text or by facebook, I'm talking face to face communication.
Today, I started out really good on my eating.
Breakfast
Shakeology
Snack:
A hard boiled egg
Lunch:
Pork Steaks
mac and Cheese
Tea
Dinner:
Beans
Cornbread
Chicken
Snack:
Homemade Granola
I know it's not the best. I start out doing good and blow it by the end of the day. On a happy note, this is my second day without soda. I'm taking that one day at a time as well. Tomorrow, I am really going to focus on my goals, and start reading the Purpose Driven Life. I have been questioning my purpose in this world, lately. As always Goodnight all:) Sorry for the rambling.

The Evolution from Extreme Annoyance to Love

I have fallen in love, it kinda took me by surprise. I am spending an average of 6 or 7 hours a week with another man. I started out really not liking this man at all but the more I spend time with him, the more I like and starting to love him. I am starting to be a totally different person if I don't get to spend time with him, I actually am cranky if I don't get to spend that hour with him. Now before you start freaking out and thinking there are problems between Chris and I, I'm talking about Tony Horton and P90X. When I first started P90X, I have to admit, there were times I wanted to reach into the T.V. and slap him. He is funny but the jokes aren't that funny when you feel like you are going to die. But as I progressed and got stronger, I realized I can't live without him or P90X. I can feel a difference when I skip a workout, which still happens occasionally, unfortunately. I like the fact that he pushes me to "Bring It." I started to notice the change from extreme annoyance to "love" when I started to repeating things that he said on my blog and facebook posts. So, yes, he will annoy the heck out of you at the beginning but as you start doing the workouts, you will find some of the stuff he says funny. My next love is going to be Chalene Johnson and then Brett Hoble ( I can't spell his name, but he is one of the trainers of the Biggest Loser and creator of Rev Abs). I think I have fallen in love with Beachbody in general. :)
Tomorrow, I am going to begin, again, a more of a clean eating program, it may be the Glycemic Index eating plan for a little while longer. But if anyone in Poplar Bluff is interested, I found Tosca Reno's Clean Eating Recharged book at Hastings for $19.95. I can't wait until I can get my hands on it, but until then I am going to cut out sodas, I'm finding that cutting sodas completely out is the only way I can get healthier, unfortunately, for me, one soda turns into three or four. It sucks. So I am laying everything out here so I can be accountable. This blog will be on my blog page, which is http://www.blogspot.com/coachsarahbeth2011. Check it out. I will try to post a blog everyday. So let's get healthy together and as always goodnight all. :)

From Sept. 2010 to Now

Today my husband and I went through old photos of our vacation last September. We went and visited a friend in Tennessee. At first looking at those pictures, I was extremely embarrassed. See, back in August, I started and stopped P90X and did zumba. Chris and I renewed our vows on September 18th for our ten year anniversary (Our anniversary is actually September 16th). We left that evening for our little vacation. Will stayed with my mother-in-law. Anyway, I digress. At first I was extremely embarrassed about some of those pictures, especially the ones of me in a swimsuit. I look like I was eight to nine months pregnant. But as I was looking at them again, I realized how far I came from then till now. I am smaller now then I was then and I feel stronger. But not only my body but my outlook has changed throughout those months. Actually the outlook thing is a change from June 2010 to now. I am now a generally happier person. I'm excited about things. I admit that my eating still needs work but it is different. I love vegetables now and tilipia is my absolute favorite meat. Don't get me wrong, I still like a steak every now and then but I am now more aware of what I put into my body. Here is my food diary from today.
Breakfast:
Malt-o-Meal
Skim milk
A dab of whipped cream

Lunch:
A 6 inch oven roasted chicken sub
A small bag of Sun Chips
A medium drink

Snack:
A small bowl of Bran Flakes
A cup of skim milk

Dinner:
A 6 inch oven roasted chicken sub (left over)
Homemade oven baked fries
A glass of tea

I did P90X Shoulders and Arms and had a big glass of water. I know it's not good but I got up later then I wanted to and it threw me off. I'm trying to eat clean every three hours. So far since that time in September, I've lost 15 pounds. I had and still have some bumps in the road but I'm doing better. So I'm going to say goodnight all. :)

Day 1 of Clean Eating

I eventually want to get the Tosca Reno Clean Eating book, but until then I am looking and exploring the The GI Diet. What I am finding is that it is similar but so here is my food day.
 Breakfast:
Oatmeal-Old Fashioned Oats
Blueberries
A dab of Low Fat Redi-Whip
A dash of cinnamon
A handful of almonds
A cup of skim milk

Snack:
Shakeology -Chocolate and Peanut Butter-was almost like having a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

Lunch:
Home Made Burger
Baked Beans
Tomato
Mustard
Diet Cola
A miniature dark chocolate Milky Way

Snack:
A small bowl of Bran Flakes and skim milk

Dinner:
Oven baked  bread crumbed Chicken
Sweet potato mash
Whole grain rice
A small Sprite
Water

I know it's not that great and I have a few things to work on. I hope tomorrow is better. Also, I am doing my workouts in the morning because the longer I put it off, the harder it is to do it. So I get my workouts done early and have the rest of the day to hang out with my family. Also, starting in June, I'm starting a small exercise group. I'll announce more when I get the details ironed out. So I'll be posting my food diary everyday and other tidbits of information every day. Follow along with me. :) Well goodnight all. :)

Clean Eating and Motivation

My diet has been crap in the last few weeks so this week, I'm trying to do a better job. So for the next few weeks, I will be posting my food diary. I've done it before with a friend and with my mother and have fallen off the wagon so to speak. So here goes, I am having trouble laying off the sodas and the candy bars, but I am making a valiant effort and will continue to do so. Also by announcement, next month, I will be starting small at first a fit club. I am going to name it 573pbfitclub. I will be starting it off at either my house or someone else's if I may.  I will be adding Ellsinore to it as well. Anyway, I digress, here is my food diary for today.

Breakfast
Frosted flakes and skim milk-I woke up really late this morning.

Lunch
whole wheat penne pasta
and leafy green salad with a little bit of feta cheese and Greek Vinaigrette.

Snack
Peppermint brownies-From the Thin Kitchen cookbook

Dinner
Popcorn and a Diet Dr. Pepper.  This is where my badness comes out. At night.

I am going to invest in a clean eating book, it is Tosca Reno Clean Eating Revisited or something like that. I think I can get it at Wal-Mart or Hastings. I'm going to look into it. I need something to help me. Anyway, I got my workout in which it's hard to get back after being off so many days, but I'm plugging away. I found out recently that I get extremely cranky and depressed if I get off on my workouts. And I take it out on Chris, which sucks for us both. So for both of our sanity, I am going back to my workouts. Well, I gotta go. Goodnight all. :)

Goals

I know I've been away for a while but I have a hard time figuring out what to say everyday. But I am trying to transfer what I posted on my facebook page to here. So one of the biggest thing I've needed to re post are my goals for 2011. I've kinda lost my motivation lately, and I've been down in the dumps, so here's at least my top ten goals for 2011.

1. I want to ride the Superman ride at Six Flags. Last summer, I was humiliated when I couldn't get on that ride after telling the operator that I couldn't. He thought I was being scared. When he tried to strap me down, he knew that I was telling the truth. That was very humiliating.
2. I want to go to the 2012 Beachbody Summit. I didn't get to go this year. I'm preparing myself to go next year.
3. My husband and I are planning a trip to Florida to visit my cousin and fellow Beachbody coaches when I lose 70 pounds. That gives us time to save for said trip.
4. My family and I are going on a Disney cruise when I reach my goal weight of 145 pounds. The reason a Disney cruise instead of a romantic cruise is because I want Will to share this with us. He's been little workout buddy. I think he needs to go with us and celebrate.
5. I want to eventually be a personal trainer or a wellness consultant. I would like to work in the health field at some point in my life.
6. I would like for my hubby and I to reach an agreement on which church to go to as a family. It is very hard when I can tell he just goes along with what I want. I want for him to get something out of church as well.
7. I want to set an example for my son. He is my world basically. Right now, he won't eat anything but chicken nuggets and french fries. My goal is for him to eventually love veggies. This is a hard fought goal. Any suggestions anyone?
8. I would like to be a success story in Shape magazine. I love those stories. They inspire me. Also my fellow coaches inspire me too.:) I want to be an inspiration to other people.
9. I have a 30 day mini vacation as a goal. Somewhere like St. Louis or Springfield. This is if I lose 10 to 20 pounds in 30 days.
10. I am going to start up and run a successful fit club. I even have a name for it. 573PB Fit Club. Which I will include Ellsinore in there as well. I can't forget my hometown. Love y'all. Even though I haven't lived there in 10+ years. I always talk about the town as mine.
So there it is... My goals for 2011 and 2012. I'm ready to re-dedicate myself to my faith, family and health. I will try to post everyday but I am going to post more often. As soon as I'm able I will make this blog more professional and more interesting. So please follow me if you want. Love y'all and hope you have a wonderful night. Goodnight all. :)

A Challenge Within A Challenge

Although, Chris and I are still doing the Summer Slim Down Challenge, I have sorta lost my motivation. Things are happening that is distracting me from my goal. I've lost focus. Well, Chris and I have come up with a way to bring the focus back. Recently, a friend of ours (Cat) had gotten an extra Blackberry Torch, since my Samsung has decided to be stupid and work sometime, we are buying that phone from Cat. Our challenge is, whoever loses the most, gets the phone. Now, I know that Chris is bigger and will probably lose the most scale weight. We are starting at different weights as well. We are looking for the fairest way to judge and any advice will be helpful. I am still doing P90X and he has decided to do something different, more of a walking and perfect push ups combo. Also, I have an overall goal weight. This is the ultimate weight that I want to be. It is 145 pounds, it is the weight I was when I was in high school, and was active. When I get to that weight, Chris, (maybe Will), and I will be going on a cruise. We are thinking long the lines of a Disney cruise so we can take Will. One more thing to add, when I get under 200 pounds we are thinking of taking a vacation to Florida. We can visit my cousin out there. Keep in mind that I am 60 to 65 pounds over 200, so both goals will take awhile but that gives us time to plan and save. I am excited about this. I think this is the kick in the pants I need. Our plan is to eat as clean as possible, that has been a challenge in itself. I've let things creep back that I should have never let in, like sodas. Sodas, unfortunately is the bane of my healthy lifestyle existence. So, follow along if you want to. Keep in mind, I may not post everyday. I will try to post as much as I can. Goodnight all. :)

A Healthier Body and Spirit

Yesterday I did Cardio X and today I did Ab Ripper X and Shoulders and Arms.  That was a tough workout. But I'm not only transforming my body, I want to transform my spirit. Alot of people, me included, tends to forget about the inner person when we go on a fitness quest. But one of the things I found out about myself, I like tea parties. Yesterday, I went to a Mother-Daughter Tea Party at the First Assembly of God Church. It was elegant and very lady-like. I admit, I can be a tomboy. I live in a house surrounded by boys, it's nice to be around girls every once in a while, and plus, I got to reconnect with one of my long lost best friends. In fact, she and I plan to get together after her finals are over. I'm pretty excited about that. Anyway, the point is, every woman needs girl time. I have good friends that are guys, but let's face it, guys don't have a clue what us women go through, it's nice to be around those that would completely understand us.  I am planning on going to more of church functions. I believe that women also need to be encouraging of each other. I now that we women can be our own worst enemies and enemies to each other. We need each other though. I am blessed to know many wonderful women the main ones are my mom and mother-in-law. My mom is a strong woman, although she doesn't know it, she is the glue sometimes that holds all of us together. My mother-in-law is an extremely strong woman, that woman can keep her cool during a crisis. I hope to one day be like that. I strive to be like both of them. I know that is more of  a girl blog then anything, but I believe that being around girl friends can be just as healthy as exercising. You are less stressed because you have someone to vent to. You have role models to take after (my mom and mother-in-law), you have that encouragement, and you have someone to laugh with. Sorry my blog doesn't make sense but I am just writing what's on my mind and on my heart. So please bear with me. Thank you. And as always, goodnight all. :)

My Story

As I said on the About Me page, I am a wife and a mother. I have a wonderful 4 year old little boy who is my whole world and then some, if possible. I am a work in progress when it comes to fitness. Growing up, I was a skinny kid, my mom cooked and we rarely went out to eat. When we did it was treat. Plus, I grew up in a small town of 346 people, our nearest fast food establishment was 30 to 45 minutes away. I tried to play sports but was never really good at it. I was a cheerleader for three years and that kept my weight down. In high school I was 145 pounds. That was because of the cheering. I loved the sodas and candybars way too much. I met my husband, Chris, my senior year in high school. Our dates consisted of eating out and going to the movies, sure sometimes we played tennis with friends, but we spent most of our time at this one particular restaurant that was affectionately called the "Coffee Shop". At this lovely place, I ate alot of deep fried cheese sticks and other high fat goodies. My weight steadily went up. After graduating from high school, I went to college at the next town over and suddenly I was surrounded by all the fast food places, vending machines, etc. My friends and I had lunch every day at one of these places and they didn't really serve healthy foods. When I got married in 2000, my weight was 175 pounds. I had to wear a corset under my dress so it would fit. The dress itself was a size 12. It was my sister's and it was gorgeous. I fell in love with it when I first saw it. Well, I made it through that and gained more weight as time went by. I did try to lose it with various exercise tapes and diet pills. I even tried Atkins. I hated Atkins. I did lose a little but gained it right back. I didn't know how to eat healthy at all and I couldn't cook. When I found out I was preganant with my son, I weighed 250 pounds. I gained 30 pounds throughout my pregnancy and wound up weighing 280 pounds at the end. After having my son, my weight bounced back and forth. Last summer, I hit rock bottom with my weight and my self-worth. My husband and I became more like roommates then husband and wife. We almost ended our marriage. A co-worker of his had P90X, and let us borrow it. I heard about it but didn't think it would work. Why would it? Nothing else had. So I put it up on the shelf until I saw a informercial that had a person of my size trying and succeeding at it. He modified the movements until he was stronger. It helped me realize that I could do it. So on November 28, 2010, I started round 1 of the Lean Program and completed it on Feb. 28,2011. I did lose 10 pounds but I didn't eat as healthy as I should have. I am now working on round 2, I had a few bumps in the road and have lost a total of 15 pounds. In December I signed up to be a Beachbody Coach and am loving it. Right now Chris, Cathrine, and I are doing the Summer Slim Down Challenge. It started May 1st and will last to July 29th. I also blog on facebook, but I will be moving my blog here when I figure out how. Right now Chris and I are doing the Lean Program on P90X. I tell you, I love the fact that he is doing it with me. And I'll get done in time to do my annual Six Flags trip with one of my best friends. I can't wait. So follow along if you want. I am paraphrasing this and I don't remember who said this but here it goes, 'It's not about the destination, it's about the journey.' I'm all for that. Goodnight everyone.