Slim in 6

Friday, October 22, 2010

It hurts so good

This week I began a new workout routine by going back to my old friend P90X. Only this time, I am doing a Hybrid routine of the muscle confusion workouts of P90X with Insanity Workouts on my cardio days. I was immediately brought back to how I felt the first time I did P90X. I felt phenomenal that night, and was even able to make it all the way through AB Ripper X (including the Mason Twists). I don't remember ever blasting through that entire routine with the bonus twists at the end, so I have to thank Shaun T's amazing program for getting me into the best shape of my life! In any case, here is the part that brought me back to my introduction to Week 1 of P90X.  THE PAIN! OMG, my chest, shoulders and whatever the muscles under my armpit are called were ON FIRE!!! After completing the Day 1 workout of Chest & Back, I was rubbing sore areas on my body 2 1/2 days...then it was time to do Shoulders and Arms. In all honesty, doing that workout actually made me feel a little better. However, the muscles under my armpits hurt like hell when I was doing the warm up to Insanity's Max Cardio Conditioning, but all my soreness was gone once my body was properly warmed up. I know all this sounds scary, and you probably are thinking, "what kind of idiot would go through pain on purpose?" Well, this kind of idiot. As Tony would say about the pain I feel, "It's in a good way, a good way...I mean that in a good way." And he's right. Because the satisfaction I feel after a workout, the sense of accomplishment I experience, it makes all the pain meaningless when I look at myself in the mirror and see how far I have come and the example I have set for my children.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Insanity Complete!

Today I officially completed the entire Insanity Workout Program. When I started this journey, I thought that I was in the best shape of my life, and at the time I probably was. But now I'm at an entirely different level. I feel fantastic. When I began Insanity, I had just come off of another round of P90X after recovering from a back problem that saw me gain most of the weight back that I lost the first time. I thought I had great results, going from 196 lbs down to 182, and losing 10% body fat. But after going through Insanity, I am down to 172 lbs, 11% body fat and I can see my abs! To be honest, the workouts were really tough. But once I got into them, time seemed to fly by. I cannot believe I went through 8 weeks, with a recovery week in between. It feels like I just started. Now I just want to keep going, pushing myself to stay in the best shape I possibly can. The only problem I have now is that none of my clothes fit. I cannot wear my dress shirts to work because it looks like I'm wearing a trash bag. I had to poke extra holes in my belt just to keep my pants on. Oh well, I guess it's a good problem to have. Since starting P90X last year, I went from over 200 lbs and 27% body fat to the trim and ripped 172 and 11% body fat that I am today! Take a look at my pics to see how Insanity and Beachbody have transformed my life.
Before P90X

Day 1 of Insanity
Day 1 of Insanity
After Week 2

After Week 2

After Fit Test 1
After Fit Test 1

After 1 Month


After Fit Test 3
After Fit Test 3





Insanity Complete!

After Insanity!


Shakeology, the healthiest meal of the day

Chicken Nuggets

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Chicken Nuggets: Made From Pink Goo

Have you ever seen one of those dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets and wondered, how do they do that? I personally imagined some kind of cookie-cutter shaped blade on a big machine.
Wrong. Apparently, this is what chicken nuggets look like before they’re cooked. The chicken is mechanically separated and de-boned, then the remaining meat is ground-down into this unappetizing paste. According toMichael Kindt, the goop is then disinfected, re-flavored and bleached back to the whitish color we all associate with cooked chicken breast. And of course, shaped along the way.
While I’m not sure what background Kindt has in food science, the image alone is compelling enough.
According to McDonald’s, a four-piece serving of McNuggets contains 190 calories, 100 of which come from trans fat. They also contain 400 milligrams of sodium, and along with modified food starch, dextrose and citric acid. However, there’s no reason to target McDonald’s, this image could be from any of a number of nugget producers. Jamie Oliver once whipped up a batch of nugget-goo for a class of elementary school children on his show. He was quite dismayed that the American children were willing to eat the nuggets even after seeing how they were made, whereas British children in the same situation were sufficiently disgusted to decline a taste-test.
We hope this image will give you another reason to skip the fast-food drive-through and prepare some healthier fare at home.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

The Shakeology Cleanse

Shakeology Cleanse!

 
 If you really want to kick start your workout and nutrition program, break through a stubborn plateau, or just clean house, I totally recommend doing the Shakeology Cleanse! This is a nutrient dense 3-day Shakeology and food plan that was designed by a highly experienced nutritionist. It's on the low side of caloric intake but not so low that it will jeopardize all the lean muscle you've worked so hard to build!! Here's how it works:
What does it do?
  • it rids your body of harmful toxins
  • it provides your body with nutrient dense calories
  • it decreases water retention and bloating
  • it helps with nutrient absorbtion and efficiency
  • it rehydrates your body
  • it helps you lose weight
  • it gives your metabolism a boost
  • it renews your energy
  • it gets your body regular
Here's the plan you'll follow for 3 days:
Start: 1 cup green or detox tea
Breakfast: Shakeology mixed with water and/or ice only (you may add a 1/2 cup fruit)
Snack: One piece of fruit
Lunch: Shakeology mixed with water and/or ice only followed by another cup of green or detox tea
Snack: Shakeology mixed with water and/or ice only - if you choose, you can drink this after dinner instead
Dinner: Salad with greens, 3 servings of veggies, and 4 oz. of grilled white meat or fish (or tofu or beans if you're vegetarian) and 2 tbsp. lowfat dressing
NOTES:
  • you can eat your salad for lunch instead of dinner, if you prefer
  • drink 2-4 liters of water each day
  • no dairy products at all (not even soy/almond/rice milk)
  • if you're used to doing intense physical activity, take it down to light/moderate activity
  • NO ALCOHOL!
  • do not add any extra salt or sugar to this diet
Possible side effects:
  • headaches (especially if you're used to drinking lots of coffee or pop)
  • lack of energy
  • hunger
  • no weight loss (it's more important that you take note of your measurements and how you feel)
The Shakeology Cleanse is a safe and healthy way to cleanse your body! There are so many different cleanses out there that are unsafe, unhealthy, damaging, risky, and eat away at the lean muscle you work so hard to build! Here's a great comparison between the Shakeology Cleanse and another popular cleanse:
So what do I do after the Shakeology Cleanse?
After you're finished with your 3-day Shakeology cleanse just continue using Shakeology like you would normally do with 1 serving every day and use any of the delicious recipes we have, along with eating clean and doing your favorite Beachbody/exercise program!
If you don't have your Shakeology yet and you're interested in trying the cleanse, you can get your hands on some by going to either Matt's Beachbody Website or Leslie's Beachbody Website by clicking on the links  listed under our profile (note: there's always a 30-day "bottom-of-the-bag" money back guarantee). There you'll also find recipes, the science on Shakeology, as well as a clean eating plan/recipes for an everyday Shakeology lifestyle and results! And if you have any questions email me at tntfitfam@yahoo.com ...I'd be happy to assist you!
Let's start SHAKIN' it off!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Fitness Ministry

Last night was another great workout with the group, doing the group favorite, "CardioX" from P90X. We had another new addition to the class with Heidi's Husband Bryan joining in on our workouts. I love seeing the group continue to grow. In fact, I think that our group is big enough now that when everyone attends we have to move into the Church Sanctuary, which is exciting. It is so encouraging to see the enthusiasm on everyone's face and energy as they do their absolute best. I love being able to help others get on the path to healthy eating habits and exercise. I know that only meeting with them once or twice a week isn't enough, but I am hopeful that this opens their eyes to what is possible for them and their future health and fitness. Last night, one of our members even announced that she has lost 10 lbs. I am so proud of her and know that this is only the beginning. Way to go! See you at the next workout everyone.

God Bless

FITNESS MINISTRY
NEW SONG CHURCH
945 W. COVINA BLVD
SAN DIMAS, CA

WORKOUTS:

TUESDAYS @ 7pm
SATURDAYS @ 8:30am

Friday, October 1, 2010

Insanity, Day 5 of Week 7

I am as tired as I have ever been after a workout. It feels like a hit a wall this week and I am trying to pinpoint why. I am having difficulty making it through the entire workouts without increasing my breaks toward the end, finding myself completely exhausted and gasping to fill my lungs with air. It could be for various reasons, but I don't want to make any excuses. I know I did not all of a sudden become out of shape, especially when I wasn't feeling like this last week during the same workouts. This are my explanations so far. The truth lies somewhere mixed in, most likely residing in a combination of many rather than one specific thing:
  • I am actually pushing myself harder and doing the moves better this week than last during the first half of the workout, therefore I am fatigued with much of the workout remaining. I am OK with this possibility.
  • I have not upped my calorie intake to match the amount that I am burning in phase 2 of Insanity.
  • I am dehydrated, therefore become a little bit dizzy because I cannot hydrate enough during workout.
  • The weather...it has been abnormally hot this week. At one point it reached 116*, so working out in a room without a/c really hampers my ability to work at full capacity while maintaining my focus. The last two days have been incredibly humid, just sucking the hydration right out of me.
  • After 2 1/2 weeks of phase 2, my body is simply tired.
  • I haven't been sleeping as soundly this week, so my batteries aren't fully recharged every day.
I just hope anyone reading this can see that these workouts are tough. I have done P90X multiple times, and have nearly completed Insanity, but I still have my struggles. AND IT'S OK! I just dig as deep as I can and give it my best. Sure it felt like today when I dug deep, I wanted to climb in the hole I dug and hide, but I kept going. It isn't always going to be easy, or even fun. But what it is, is WORTH IT. I am tired, I am downright exhausted, and I feel absolutely great! Tomorrow I plan to get up, dust myself off, host my fit club to a KenpoX workout and then putting myself though the last workout of week 7 for Insanity. I am so looking forward to week 8.