Ultimate Reset: Day 2

I feel blessed that my Day 2 was not as horrible as I was prepping it to be. I have read a lot of blogs, and watched a lot of videos from other coaches where their Day 2 was very debilitating; however, mine wasn't too terrible.

I woke up EARLY, hopped right out of bed and felt very well rested, even though I couldn't fall asleep the night before and probably only had, at most, 5 hours of sleep. Seriously, I felt great...which if you know me in person you would know that mornings and I just do not work out well. I went to the grocery store before heading to work (weird) and picked up some more supplies that I could need, like distilled water.

The day was okay. I will admit, I was tired and it would have been a great day to spring for a cup of herbal tea, but I resisted. Any other day I would have gone straight to Starbucks for a Venti Gingerbread Latte, but today I just decided to ride the wave.

After lunch is when things sort of nose-dived just a little bit. I got a pretty bad headache that was just annoying, and starting around 3pm I got nauseated, to the point where I thought I might be sick. I took my Alkalinize (which is the nasty green stuff) and almost lost it in the sink..but I kept it down. I remember going back into my office and sitting in my chair with my eyes closed thinking, "I can't do this"...10 minutes later, I felt great. No headache. No nausea. Felt awesome and went and played with my dogs.

What I did notice during Day 2 was my cravings were OUT OF THIS WORLD. Stuff I never crave...like loaded nachos or pulled pork sandwiches were suddenly all I could think of. And this is no exaggeration..but my husband was making himself his lunch to take to work that night and he had Land o Lakes American cheese slices from the deli (which I love). I caught it out of the corner of my eye while I was preparing not-so-fun lentils for the next day..but he had a piece and broke another piece between the two dogs. I cried. I cried and in between tears said, "I'm the only one who didn't get a piece of cheese!!' You can probably imagine the look I got as I went and pouted in the other room.

So yeah..biggest thing from yesterday was the sickness mid day, and the cravings. Other than that pretty business as usual.

Oh! And in case you are interested, there are much more detailed reviews each day on my YouTube page. Check it out and show some love!

"Secrets" of Fit People: Part 2

Last week I went over 5 "secrets" of fit people, and promised you 5 more to give you 10 awesome secrets that you can start practicing today for a healthier and fitter life.

Continuing on:

6) Always carry a water bottle: Water is your go-to drink at any time. Carry a bottle with you, a cute tumbler, something that you can always refill when needed. Often times when we think we are hungry, we are really just thirsty. So sip away! 8 glasses a day should be your goal. At first you might pee all the time (true story), but soon your body will get used to it and those bathroom breaks will become less frequent

7) Live in the moment of the great feeling you get after finishing a workout: This feeling will keep you coming back for more, and if your workout is challenging enough it will be better than any high you have ever experienced. Seriously, there is no better feeling than an endorphin high. Remember ladies, in the words of our beloved Elle Woods, "Exercise creates endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don't just kill their husbands!" Stay sane ;)

8) Switch it up: Nothing is worse than when something that once brought you enjoyment starts to bore you. So that this does not happen, be sure that you are always switching up your workouts. Even some of Beachbody's programs can get to be a a little much once you are about 50 days in, so even then...take a day to pop in a different DVD, go for a walk in the woods, or a jog through the park. Not only does it benefit your body to keep it guessing, but it's good for the mind and keeps you entertained and coming back tomorrow for more.

9) Go SHOPPING! Yes, ladies, I give you permission. Fit people don't reward themselves with food (we are well aware that we aren't dogs), we reward ourselves with nerdy fitness gadgets, clothes, shoes and anything that helps us be even more swag-tastic as we get our sweat on. I am guilty of purchasing tanks that have sassy sayings on them, and if a shoe looks good, I buy it. Not only does this make me feel a bit obligated to workout (because I just spent however much on this stuff), but it's like getting dressed for your first day of school. Couldn't be more excited to show off your new digs.

10) Learn that a tired body doesn't mean you quit: So many people that I work with begin to feel fatigued, or realize their heart rate has increase, or hear themselves breathing and view that as a sign to scale back with their intensity. It is as if they are going to push themselves too far, but I assure you, you probably will not push yourself to death. Next time you get tired, do a big exhale so you can get some fresh oxygen into your lungs and instead of focusing on how tired you are, keep just saying, "I can, I can, I can" until you reach your goal with the workout. Maybe it's one more mile, or one more rep...whatever it is, just keep repeating "I can" and don't stop until you get there. It's at those points of a workout when you break through those mental barriers that you set up for yourself that you see results, grow stronger, and move into new realms of your workout. So don't quit! Consider it your starting point and hop to! Chop! Chop!

And those are my secrets! It's nothing you probably didn't already figure out. The question now is, are you going to use any of them? Have any of these worked for you? I want to know! Leave me a message!

Want my help? Then let me know about it! Make me your free coach here, and let's get this party started!

All About Insanity: Pure Cardio

Insanity Pure Cardio is one of the workouts within the first half of the program that I have a love/hate relationship with.  I love it, because it seems to go by much faster than the other workouts; I hate it because it kicks my ass every.damn.time! I always find myself breathless within the first few minutes of the workouts, but at the same time I always find myself fighting to push through - after all, that's the point, right?

Pure Cardio starts off the same way as the other Insanity workouts with a 10 minute cardio warm up. Now, for many people the warm up in itself could be considered a workout!  Jogging in place, Heismans, 1 2 3 Heismans, butt kicks, high knees, jumping jacks, power jacks....all of these are done within the first 10 minutes getting faster and more intense as you near the end of the time period. But the reward comes after: the stretch.

The stretch is a little slice of heaven for your muscles, lungs, etc. At this point, your muscles are nice and warm so you can really get deep into the lunges, making the whole first ten minutes totally worth it. It is during this time that Shaun T politely comments that he's actually afraid of the upcoming workout. Awesome. This should be good.

You start right off with suicides for about 60 seconds, and then head into switch kicks. The majority, if not all, of the exercises are done for 1 minute periods before you switch to the next challenge. The entire circuit lasts about 16 minutes with exercises taking you to the ground, in the air, and side-to-side. Insanity Pure Cardio is just that: PURE CARDIO.  Unlike the other Insanity workouts, water breaks are not provided during the pure cardio portion; however, Shaun T is always one to remind you to never sacrifice form, and to take a break when needed. You never stop moving and sometimes, once it is all over, I ask myself if I actually BREATHED during the workout, haha! As soon as you start, you blink your eyes and you are at the cool down (another amazing stretch). 

Every single time I find myself reflecting during the cool down saying, "That wasn't so bad...", yet every time I push play I still find myself saying "WTF Shaun T!" a few times during those 15 minutes haha. Insanity Pure Cardio definitely packs a punch and can make any athlete feel a little bit humble at the end, but it really is something that anyone can enjoy. From beginners to the advanced, Pure Cardio continues to offer challenges and rewards. Shaun T encourages taking breaks if your form is off, getting water when needed, listening to your body, and checking on your heart rate. For this reason, anyone can do this workout and feel comfortable going at their own pace.

Always a great reminder: Insanity is nothing but a challenge against yourself. No one else.

Interested in seeing if this program is right for you? Shoot me a message to the right, or simply email me at nik4213@gmail.com  After a proper assessment of your current activity level and interests, I can recommend something that will fit your schedule and needs perfectly.

Thanks for reading!