Ultimate Reset: Day 3, 4, and 5 Review

The Ultimate Reset has been more than just a strict diet, it has been an adventure through many various avenues of my life that seem to have been closed off for some time, as well as a huge learning experience when it comes to food. Before you read this entry I want you to know, that despite all of this I would STILL recommend this 21 day journey to anyone.

Days 3 & 4 were largely uneventful, if I'm going to be honest. Beside a small swing in moods on Day 3 early in the morning, nothing out of the ordinary occured. Day 4 I felt very light, very happy, and found myself still anxious to explore certain feelings or thoughts that I was having. It wasn't until the night of Day 4 that things took a turn for the worst.

Bought some "relaxation techniques"

I was tired, very tired, so I laid my head down hoping that I would get a good night's sleep as I FINALLY had the night before. When I laid down, fear crept into me surrounding my business. What if I failed? What if I screw up? What does that mean for me and my family? Now, usually I can push these thoughts aside and use them to fuel my fire for greatness; however, this night they were NOT letting up and getting the best of me. The Ultimate Reset book that you receive with your package says that this is normal, and it is best to just explore these thoughts and work through them. Often times, thoughts and feelings that we have supressed find a way to show themselves during the 21 days. As our body detoxes, so does our mind and often times it is these thoughts that we push aside, but they end up building up. The book said to just experience them so I started texting my husband. Naturally, his loving words made me feel much better and I did eventually go to sleep.

Yeah..that's not good.

That was until the morning hit. I was exhausted. The dogs were keeping me up at this point so I asked my husband to let them out. He did and he never came back to bed. When I went downstairs I found him playing a video game and became enraged. Yes. Enraged. I yelled and screamed and ended up kicking one of my dog's ceramic dishes across the floor. It crashed into a railing in my kitchen, smashed into a million pieces and landing all over my door (who did nothing wrong). I stopped and it was as if I woke up from a trance and I ran to my husband, sat on him, and hysterically began to cry. It was that moment that I thought, "That's it. This Reset is OVER!"

Him being the saint that he is carried me upstairs and talked to me about what was really going on. I started talking about things that have bothered me for a while, but I just haven't admitted (like the video game playing more frequently than I would like - It made me feel like I wasn't a priority over the game), or issues about the dogs, etc. etc. It was a TERRIBLE day. I HATED.....HAAAATED myself and the only way for me to escape was to just sleep. I wanted nothing to do with myself or the day at all.

Dinner was DELICIOUS!

When I woke up I decided to do some P90X3 Pilates (which were great, by the way) and that helped me to feel a bit better. I cleared my mind as I prepared a delicious meal from the Reset and began prepping for the next day. Later that night, while guiding my dog out the backdoor so she could use the restroom (she's old and has trouble) she fell, rolled down the steps, and just laid on the patio looking up on me. Again, hysterics. I felt like the worst pet mom ever, and still sort of do today. Then the feelings of "She's not going to be with us much longer" crept in, which caused more issues. All in all....TERRIBLE EMOTIONAL DAY. But I am hoping that the release of these emotions will help me to move on from them.

Writing this it is now Day 6, and I can tell you that I did sleep last night, I did wake up refreshed, and while I do not feel 100% happy still, I am worlds better than I was yesterday. I am hoping when I check in tomorrow it is a better day to report.

Focus T25: Cardio

Today was my first day tackling Beachbody's newest program, Focus T25. This program was created by Insanity originator, Shaun T and has been said to be "the next big thing".  But is it?

I just finished Insanity last week. I went through the entire program, so coming into a new program that promises results in only 25 minutes a day, 5 days a week, I was skeptical. I mean, there's no way, right?  Well, that's to be determined but I can tell you that Day 1 was no joke.

The program starts off just like Insanity does with a gradual increase in your heart rate. Unlike Insanity where Shaun T really pushes you to move, Focus T25 is up to you. It's like the program where you put on your big girl (or boy) pants and decide: Do I want it?

If you do, you PUSH. You don't go as fast as they go on the television, you go faster. You don't take a breather when you get tired, you push through! And you keep telling yourself, "Just 25 minutes, just 25 minutes". All in all: You Focus.  You focus on your end results that you want. You focus on whatever exercise you are doing during that 30-45 second block, and you focus ONLY on that exercise and cranking it out the best that you possibly can.

The great thing about this program is it makes the muscles BURN. Woo! Did I feel the burn! But because Shaun T is wonderful, he knows just when to switch it up and focus on a new muscle group. He always knows the perfect time!

Similar to TurboFire's "Firedrills", T25 Cardio has speed sets as well where you really push yourself for about a minute and a half.  During that time period, you suck it up, and you push forward with more intensity than you have the entire workout. Checking my heart monitor, I was up around 165-178 for the majority of the workout. It said  I had burned about 247 calories, which I think is great first thing in the morning!

Now, some of you might be saying, "That's not enough calorie burn", okay, so add in something else. It's not like you don't have the time now! Personally, I am going to be pairing my Focus T25 with Les Mills PUMP 3 days a week (Tues, Thurs, Sat) to get some weight training in there and burn a bit additional.

So have you tried T25 yet? What do you think? Interested in trying? Give me a shout on my e-mail and let's see if it will work for you! www.nik4213@gmail.com

Why Am I Gaining Weight with Insanity?

One of the most common questions that I get from my friends who are doing Insanity is, "Why am I gaining weight??"

It's a common question, and before you go to thinking that the program isn't working for you, read on!

Weight gain is extremely common in the first month of Insanity, regardless of your current fitness level.  New workout programs almost always cause an immediate (yet temporary) increase on the scale. But WHY is this? I mean we just finally decided to take on this beast, and it's not going to work? Ain't nobody got time for that!

But hold up, wait a minute, let me put an answer in it: When you workout your muscles breakdown and repair themselves. This is how they build up strength and you get stronger.  This is commonly felt by a bit of soreness after a workout, but some people do not experience the soreness at all. As your muscles are reparing themselves they become swollen and retain fluid as the body strives to protect the tissues. This retention of fluid and swelling can cause about a 4 pound weight gain in an average person. This is part of your body going into shock because of the change in activitiy - IT'S OK!

This phase ends up working itself out as your body gets used to its current new routine, and then little by little the weight will begin to diminish. If you are expecting your excess weight to just drop off like it's no one's business then you are about to get your reality check in 3...2...1...

                                                           *WARNING*SMACKDOWN*WARNING*SMACKDOWN*

Listen to me: whether you are 100 pounds overweight, or 5 pounds overweight, you did that. You. McDonalds didn't make you gain the weight, you made you gain the weight. You made the decisions that have led you to your current situation.  Remember when you were a kid and you were bad and some consequence usually followed that you didn't like? Well this might be that consequence. You need to work hard. You need to take an honest look at your diet and ask yourself, "Am I eating healthy?" Insanity doesn't make you bulk up. You can tell yourself that excuse as much as you want, but you are "bulking" because of your diet. Point.Blank.Period. And if your diet really does suck, you don't have to shout it out on Facebook, you don't have to admit it to anyone, just make it right.


LOOK at the nutrition guide that came with your purchase, it was included for a reason! FOLLOW the caloric recommendations (and please don't look and say those are too many calories, because they aren't), TRY the recipes because they really are awesome and do not taste like health food.

Besides, what does the scale matter anyway? More than the scale you need to take a good hard look at what you have accomplished so far with Insanity. Do you remember your first fit test? How do you compare now, to then? What about the first time you tried doing Level 1 or Level 2 drills? Look at how far you have come! Please take a moment step away from that stupid scale, look in the mirror, and realize the GOOD that you have done for your body just by sticking with it: weight loss or no weight loss.

 The decision that you made to start the program may have possibly been one out of your comfort zone; great job!! There is more to this workout then the shedding of pounds. It changes you both mentally, and physically...on the outside and on the inside. You are doing a wonderful thing here, so before you decide to toss your shoes back in the closet and kick back on the couch with a bag of Lay's, stop and congratulate yourself for a second on what you have accomplished and go push play again. If you quit now, you will never know what you could have accomplished had you of stuck with it. Think about that.

 And I'm not gonna lie...when someone hears of you doing Insanity and sticking with it, they are amazed, and hearing, "Whoa you are doing Insanity!"makes you feel pretty.damn.awesome. Think of the people who already know you are doing it. How is it going to feel when they ask, "So how's Insanity" and you say, "Oh, I quit."  Lame.  Keep up the good work so when they ask you can say, "Kickin' ass and takin' names every day!"
Need help with Insanity and getting your diet in check? I can do that for you! Contact me or sign up to have me as your free coach here! I'd love to hear from you!

Vanilla Shakeoloy is Here!

And it's delicious! Typically I am not a vanilla shake kind of girl.  I did the vanilla protein shakes and I don't know, just was never my thing; however, I really do enjoy the taste of these shakes. I was skeptical at first and wondered if they WOULD taste like my old protein shakes and very "artificial" but these taste AMAZING! Not too over-powering, not too sweet, not like you are drinking something fake. It hits the nail on the head when it comes to taste perfection!

Check out 30 days worth of AH-MAZING recipes!

If you want it all milkshakey goodness in your mouth, my advice would be to do a handful of ice, 8 oz almond milk, 4 oz cold water, 1 packet vanilla Shakeology and half a banana...BOOM! Amazeballs for sure! And yes! I have samples :) nik4213@gmail.com

"Secrets" of Fit People: Part 1

Have you ever found yourself in a rut where whatever you are trying, isn't working out? Maybe you were on a roll and then all of a sudden, you sputtered and eventually came to a screeching halt. This happens to all of us, and sometimes the only thing we find ourselves doing is standing their asking, "WTH?!?!?"

Truth is, fit people have fit habits. For many of us, the habits are so regular that we do not even realize we are doing them. It's like brushing our teeth!  Now, as you can see it sounds like I am referring to myself as a fit person with fit habits...and I have quite a few, but there are some I could improve upon which would probably make my life easier.

Taken from one of my favorites, Chalene Johnson, here are 5 of my favorite habits of fit people. Check back next week to see the other 5! How many of these are missing from your routine?

1. Look at exercise as a pleasure: What you think something is, is what it is going to be. Our mind does what we tell it to, so if we are constantly saying we hate working out guess what? You will NEVER like it! Look at the positives of working out prior to lacing up your sneakers: weight loss, stamina, energy, and most importantly getting healthier for yourself and your family. Also, find a workout that you will LOVE. Every person has a different workout personality, so it is important that we do what we will actually enjoy. Want to figure that out? Contact me!

2. Focus on short term fitness goals: It's not about losing 20 pounds your first week. It's about short term goals, and I MEAN short term goals. One of them could be "Do today's workout" and then, "Do tomorrow's workout". Maybe by the end of the week your goal is to do 5 push ups, or just get in 5 workouts. Focus on those short goals and once they are attained, then set your sights higher. When we make our goals smaller, they are more manageable and easier to achieve, thus giving us some gratification which is the fuel to move on to tackle our bigger goals.

3. Always upping the In10sity (shameless plug!): Or intensity..however you prefer to spell it. Leandro says it best in Brazil Butt Lift, "Don't settle for less!"  Your body is a machine. If you are properly fueling it, you can make it do AMAZING things, so always be looking to progress! Always challenge yourself with your workouts: do one more rep, go a bit harder than you did last week, throw in an extra workout if you are feeling froggy. Always set your bar for yourself higher than it was the week before, and therefor you will always be getting better and better. Soon it will become addicting!

4. Enjoy a weekly "unhealthy" treat: THIS IS MY FAVORITE RULE! Okay, so if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram (facebook.com/Nik4213 and @Nik4213) you KNOW that I am not someone who preaches about eating healthy 24/7, etc. I love pizza, I love cookies, I love cake, etc. and I am not afraid to shout it from the mountain tops! However, if I ate that stuff every day I'd be as big as my house not to mention doing some MAJOR damage to my body that could cause risk to the longevity of my life.  As a treat, I do one "unhealthy" meal a week, and eat balanced the rest of the time. Lots of veggies, lean proteins, no dairy (I use almond milk), very little bread if any at all, fruits, and of course, Shakeology. When you are eating good 90% of the time, that bacon cheddar burger isn't going to kill you (Disclaimer: It MIGHT give you a stomach ache)

5. Move beyond weight loss: Weight loss should not be your only goal when working out. There are so many more benefits out there than just the weight. Dropping your body fat percentage (to a health level) allows your organs to function more effectively and efficiently. Losing weight can help you to breathe better, sleep better, and have more energy..not to mention be more mobile in general. It's not about the number on the scale, it's about how you feel, too! Aren't you proud of your progress? Hasn't that upped your self esteem? Doesn't it make you feel good to know that you can do something today that you previously hadn't? Look beyond weight loss as your only reason for working out and it will become much more enjoyable for you.

Insanity Max Cardio Circuit Modifiers and Review

Today was my first day heading into Month 2 of Insanity. I woke up this morning at 5:30, thinking that would leave me plenty of time to get my workout in, shower, pack my lunch, make my breakfast and get to work on time.  I COMPLETELY forgot that I had my Fit Test today also, so naturally my plans did not work out.

I'm not sure if it was because I completed the Fit Test right before the workout, but it was difficult! All of the moves were combined in new and interesting ways, so as always you never got bored. Shaun T is just as motivating as ever during this workout, but the one thing I did hate was the length: 58 minutes. And that's just me not wanting to have to get out of bed earlier in the morning, haha. I don't mind actually working out for 58 minutes (today was more like an hour and a half with the Fit Test included).

One of the biggest questions I get asked about Insanity is how to modify the exercises when you are too tired to complete a full circuit. Anytime I feel that I cannot keep going, I jog it out. It is important that you keep your heart rate up during Insanity. A quick drop in your heart rate (which happens when you just stop doing anything phsyical with no cool down) is terrible for your heart and can leave you very dizzy/blacking out. Even if you feel like your legs are going to fall off, a little jog in place should do the trick. Then, once you are feeling up to it, jump back in an finish strong.

Moving push-ups: I typically do not have a problem with moving push-ups, but when I do I just stay stationary. I'll continue to do the same set, but with stationary push-ups. Now, maybe stationary push-ups are even above your level sometimes (which is fine). Drop to your knees, focus on a flat back, and do modified push-ups.  If modified push-ups are too much, hold the plank...just don't stop. Keeping the core engaged one way or the other will push you towards your goals and allow you to continue to progress and get something out of the workout.

Ski Abs: Ski abs are just awkward, especially when you add in the speed, so just go at your own pace. Even if it's very slow, going at a pace where you keep your form is better than going too fast with poor form and risking injury. Eventually, muscle memory will kick in, the move will be less awkward, and you will be able to pick it up. Never be afraid to take it at your pace. There is no cookie-cutter pace for Insanity. Just keep your heart rate up, keep trying your hardest, and you will get there. If you are too tired for ski abs, I would again hold a plank so that you can continue to work your core (or even a side plank to work the obliques). These same modifications can be use for in-and-out abs.

I think the most important thing to remember is that breaks are ALWAYS okay, and encouraged! Insanity is a no-joke workout! Most of us are not professional athletes taking these DVDs on, so our endurance and cardio might not be up to par just yet. It's great to take a breather, just make sure you keep moving and continue on with the set. Don't do 10 seconds of something and take a breather for the remainder of the set...take a few seconds and hop back in. Even if when you hop in you only get 5 more reps in, you've got to keep pushing. Knock down the mental barriers you are setting for yourself, because more often than not it is our mind, not our body, telling us to stop.

Best of luck and DIG DEEPER!

Quick Vacation Slim Down

I get asked by a lot of people, "I'm going on vacation in 2 weeks and have totally neglected my workouts. Is there anything I can do?"

Great question (and a common one at that). The first thing I'd tell you is start working out. Don't go killing yourself, or working out five times a day..that's stupid and you are just going to end up injuring or exhausting yourself. If you exhaust your body you are more prone to sickness, and no one wants to be sick on vacation. Instead, start working out like you would if you didn't have a deadline. Do you have a Beachbody video? Start popping them in every day and get on a routine (and those can come with you on vaca!)  Maybe go for a jog every morning, or start taking walks.  I would also recommend 2 sets of 10 push ups, 2 sets of 10 dips, and some ab work..but again, nothing extreme.  This will give you some muscle tone in your arms, and begin to firm up your abs. Now, you are not going to have Cameron Diaz arms or some crazy six pack BUT you will have more than what you started with.

The second thing I would tell you is to watch what you eat. DO NOT CRASH DIET. Don't go eating an apple, or skipping lunch, or eating a Saltine cracker for dinner. Again..that's being stupid AND slowing down your metabolism. Just make some quick switches:

No more carbonated beverages. None. This makes your stomach look "puffy"

No more salt...also makes ya bloat and retain water so go for low sodium options

Drink your Shakeology

Limit gassy foods: Mexican, beans, broccoli, etc.

DRINK MORE WATER

No beer, no alcohol

Goodbye, dairy!

Nothing white (sugar, bread, etc)

Eat more fiber

Slow down your eating

Go tropical with your fruit (pineapple, mango, papaya)

Making these few simple changes can help you to look a lot less bloated while you are in your bikini or trunks. I'm not promising you are going to lose weight (if you wanted to do that you probably should have started earlier than a week or two before your vacation), but this will help you out.

Happy vacationing, everyone!

Insanity: Recovery Week

Woo! I made it! I have been staring at this week on my Insanity wall calendar as if it were a finish line...but really all it is, is the starting line for the next month.

The first month of Insanity was, by far, more mental for me than physical. The workouts always left me breathless feeling like I got in an AMAZING workout, but the mental aspect of the whole thing was the most difficult. Around week 4 I just got really tired. I'm not sure if that was my body CRAVING the recovery week at that point or what, but I was BEAT. I did not want to get out of bed, I did not want to do my workouts, but I still did them. As always, after the the first round of the warm up I was pumped and ready to go, but man getting to that point was rough.

Recovery week is a nice break, for sure. You are still working out 6 days in a row, but the workouts are at a much lower intensity. The first workout I did, I felt very tired afterward (which is exactly how you AREN'T supposed to feel), so I toned it down the next two times I did it and lowered the intensity a bit. I feel much better now. I feel as though I still got a great workout in, but that I didn't kill myself like I do with a typical Insanity workout.

The Cardio Core and Balance DVD focuses on minute intervals for the majority of the exercises, which are nothing that you haven't really done, but you focus more on posture, core, and control than speed and reps. Control is a big part of all the movements.  The first half is cardio-based, so you are doing your suicides, your hit the floors, vertical jumps, switch kicks, etc; however, sometimes these exercises are paired with an 8:8 ratio (Example: 8 switch kicks, 8 power jacks...something like that).

At the end its about balance as you work on your obliques and hip flexers. I can feel my core engaged this entire workout.  Your core is supposed to be engaged during a regular workout, but sometimes everything is going so fast you are lucky if you remember to breathe. With Cardio Core and Balance, you can really feel the focus on the core.

So there you have it! If you have made it this far, congratulations! We are half way there! If you haven't yet, then there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Keep pushing on, stay strong, and dig deeper!

TurboFire Review (thus far!)

It really didn't surprise me the moment I hit Play on my DVD player and started to grin ear-to-ear. Something about a new workout DVD gets me super excited (I know, so lame!)  Now, I was starting my third workout program in Chalene Johnsons's workout series, TurboFire.

I started my little workout journey with her first series, TurboJam and quickly fell in love. TurboJam was like a workout class that I always imagined in my head. If I could take all of my favorite things and mix them into one workout, at that time it would have been TurboJam. It had everything: Great music, up beat/motivating instructor (sometimes I feel like she is speaking right to me!), and a mix of kick boxing and dancing as if you were the only one home and your favorite jam came on the radio. I was hooked.

After TurboJam I dabbled in a few other workout series and found myself back with Chalene in July of this year for ChaLEAN Extreme (see the tab marked Chalene Extreme for more info on that one). Yet again, loved it! Everything I could hope for and more!

Now it's TurboFire. I feel like TurboFire is the big sister to TurboJam. TurboJam is great for beginners because it starts off at a reasonable pace, and offers many modifications to up the intensity. TurboFire starts of high intensity and keeps getting more challenging, but with the same kickboxing, motivation, instructor, and dance-like-your-favorite-jam-came-on kind of feel.  TurboFire fuels my need for increased intensity and challenge as now various aspects of plyometrics are added into the mix to give you one hell of a full body cardio workout. You will be left breathless for sure!!!!

I would recommend this workout to people looking to lose weight FAST. This is a 90 day program, but with Chalene's motivation and the included workout calendar showing you which workout to do on which days, you are SURE to drop the weight that you are looking for. See the tab marked "Transformations" for some awesome TurboFire transformations. This product has been used by many moms looking to lose the baby weight and has been a huge success!

Interested in learning more? Head on over to my site to see the various purchase options and get started today! Pair it with Shakeology for an added boost and even better results! www.beachbodycoach.com/nik4213

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRGTuvoEgdA  <---CHECK OUT A PREVIEW HERE!