Becoming a Badass: Combat First Impressions

So with everything that has been going on with my life, my start was a little bumpyish. Not terrible, but not perfect either! We went out of town during my first week doing Les Mills Combat and it was basically like this: Friday drive all day, event, event, sleep. Saturday: run errands, eat, get ready, event, walk a few miles to get food because our travel companions were at a different hotel, event, sleep. Sunday: Drive all day, lay around exhaustedly, sleep. I offset it a little by working out four days in a row (the schedule has you doing three days, rest day, two days, rest day), but I still missed Monday because it was Memorial Day and you best BELIEVE I was hanging out with my family eating burgers and drinking some 'shine.

That said, I actually love this program...so I made up for it! Worked out four days in a row, took a rest, then had an unplanned crazy day, so I worked out twice today. I am now back on schedule without missing a beat. Well. Technically I missed a few beats, but I'm on track now. And I have to say I am amazed how it is already affecting me. I am sore in places I've never been sore and I'm thanking heaven there's Results and Recovery Formula to help ease it and keep me able to go on!

I have said it before and I'll say it again: It is VITAL that you find the type of workout that motivates you and makes you want to push yourself. Not everyone likes running, biking, hiking, yoga, lifting, planking, kicking, swimming, sports...Not everyone will enjoy P90X3 (although I know plenty that call it a favorite), not everyone is insane enough for Insanity, and not everyone wants a Brazil Butt Lift. The point is: you have to find your fitness. Not somebody else's.

At this point of my life and of my fitness journey, Les Mills Combat is my fitness! It has made me excited to work out again. It's fun. It makes me think of all of the times my guy friends used to tell me I should be a fighter (yeah, seriously...soulmate fitness plan right here) when I was a teenager. I'm looking better, I'm getting stronger, and I'm feeling like a total badass. I went from huffing and puffing and pressing pause several times my first day to almost completely keeping up by the end of my second week! I can feel my sense of balance changing. I can feel my back and shoulders getting more toned. I can feel my legs gaining muscle. And I can feel myself getting more confident and feeling like I have found just what I was looking for.

Look out, Gina Carano!

Tune in next time as I begin to give you an in-depth look to the individual workouts. First up--Combat 30: Kickstart!

Next Challenge: Les Mills Combat Warrior

The 21 Day Fix plan was the perfect way to start my fitness journey. It completely changed the way I think about eating. I'm not saying I eat perfectly all the time now (because I don't), but it's so much clearer how much of each food group I should have a day. Sometimes you think you're eating healthy and you're actually overindulging--too much fruit, for example, can halt your weight loss because of its carb and sugar content. I'm definitely taking in way more veggies than I did in the past.  In any case, it is time to be moving along. Beach Body has so many types of workouts, but I knew exactly which one I wanted to do...because it looked completely badass.

LES MILLS COMBAT is a 60-day program based on MMA (mixed martial arts for you squares out there). It combines moves from boxing, karate, tae kwon do, muy thai, capoeira, and jiu jitsu. It also uses Fast Twitch Integration Training; which means it works your fast-twitch muscle fibers—the ones with the greatest capacity for change—like crazy.

WHY I CHOSE THIS PROGRAM

You have to choose what inspires you and will keep you motivated. I have always loved learning fighting moves. It's part of my aspiration to become a vigilante. I've talked before about how cardio ruins my life because of my sinus/breathing issues. This program has so much cardio in it, but because of what you're doing, it doesn't really feel like your typical cardio. It's an awesome way to move from being moderately fit to being a complete WARRIOR! Speaking of, here's my schedule:

Mmhmm.

I did the Basics dvd last week in preparation and was already excited. It shows you some of the Basic moves. Today was Kickstart 30 and shew...I don't think they believe in water breaks. But I feel like I was killing it. And I've got my weighted gloves to intensify it. Pretty excited.

So it's vigilante training time. Next stop:

False Positives

I think in our society of memes and catchphrases, it's really easy to make excuses. It's really easy to hide behind motivational sayings and just live a stagnant life. It's also really easy to be more concerned with complaining than finding a solution to our problems.  The mindset that most quickly becomes a slippery slope (and believe me, I've been there) is the one that says: "My body is beautiful just the way it is." If it ended there, it would be wonderful. You've learned to love yourself and that is something we should all do. But it usually goes past that point into something unhealthy.

For some, it turns into bashing thinner people and basically treating their size like a disease. Not cool. If bigger women can be proud of their bodies, why can't smaller women? Don't be one of those. Maybe you're not insecure and jealous--but these kind of sayings make you look that way.

For others, it's using buzzwords like "curvy" or "thick." They start thinking, 'I don't need to lose weight. I'm curvy. Marilyn Monroe was curvy. [insert celebrity here] is curvy and she's hot." I'm not hating on curvy girls. I've always been one of them. But...

If you're eating healthy (and not over/undereating), exercising regularly, and your BMI is in check, but you're still hippy or chesty or have got some junk in the truck; more power to you! That's what I'm talking about. That's curvy. I was still that way when I was at a healthy weight. You know what's not curvy? When your doctor is telling you you're overweight, when you've got excess visceral fat (clinging to stomach), when you're eating like crap, when you're drinking like a fish, and when your version of exercise is walking from one bar to another. I'm getting back to curvy, but guess what I wasn't when I started this? Curvy. I was LUMPY. But it wasn't about looks. It was about the fact that I was always tired. I wasn't getting proper nutrition. I couldn't walk up stairs without huffing and puffing. And my BMI was in the overweight range.

It's all well and good to blow off society and their standards of beauty. The media is full of crap and what they want is unrealistic! But too many of us hide behind that and keep horrible habits. Your body needs exercise and proper nutrition. If you truly don't care about the looks aspect, that's fine! But if you keep doing what you're doing, one day the price will have to be paid. Maybe you'll age prematurely. Maybe you'll develop adult-onset diabetes. Maybe you'll have a heart attack. Maybe you'll dramatically increase your risk of cancer. Is it worth it? Will you still think it's worth it in 20 years?

I can't tell you how many women I see posting a status one day about starting a workout regime and how they're determined to lose weight...and then the next day posting something that's a cop-out like "Bones are for dogs" (again with the thin girl hate). All right, fellow chubster! I'll play your game. Meat and rolls belong on a dinner table, not a person, and muscles are for CHAMPIONS. It's unbelievably common to have falsely positive attitudes in public and then despise ourselves behind the scenes. It isn't healthy and using these cutesy little catchphrases isn't going to change the truth that you're not happy and your body isn't, either!

Staying on track is hard. Fitness for me is a back and forth thing. Kill it, kill it, kill it for three weeks and then I fall down for a week and barely muster a workout. I know it's so painful when you've got such a long way to go. But it's much worse knowing how far you are from healthy and not doing anything about it.

Value Versus Cost

SO many people who look at the cost of a challenge pack with me have said "That's so expensive." Some of those same people will go out and get gym memberships.  Even more get a latte every day at Starbucks.  Even more than that go on the Special K diet or make with the Slim Fast and get a lot more low-calorie filler food than actual nutrition.  So let me break it down.  I'll use the 21 Day Fix challenge pack as an example.  For simplicity's sake, let's cut the charge into two portions: the workouts and the Shakeology.  We'll call the Shakeology bottle, portion containers, and detailed eating plan gifts with purchase.

THE WORKOUTS

We'll say the workout portion accounts for $60.  You get 7 workouts (1 for each day of the week), a bonus Plyo workout, a 10 minute abs add-on, and then the 2 Shakeology workout dvds (one 30 minute, one 50 minute): so a total of 11 workouts.  Based on an average gym membership cost of about $25 a month, excluding fees and cost of gas driving back and forth, you're spending about $300 a year.  That $300 is for a membership that may or may not be used and most likely can't be used if you're traveling, if you can't find a babysitter, or if your car breaks down.

You may not even know how to effectively use your gym membership.  Maybe you're running on the treadmill and little else.  Maybe you are embarrassed to use a weight machine in front of Mr. Muscles over there.  Maybe you don't know the right combination of moves to get you off your plateau!  So those dvds are a concentrated, planned out, precise way for you to get in shape--$240 less than a year at the gym and you can use them over and over WHEREVER and WHENEVER you want!  **

**And you don't even have to wear pants!

The second part of the challenge pack is Shakeology.  We're gonna assume it accounts for $100 of the cost.  Broken down, that's less than $4 per shake.  If you regularly buy drinks at Starbucks, fast food breakfast, or go out to bars and get drinks; you spend right at or well over that amount on those things. And you would spend more trying to get on a no-nutrient low-cal prepackaged diet plan from the grocery store.

There are a lot of weight loss shakes out there. While Shakeology does help with weight loss, that is not it's sole purpose. It's more like a liquid multivitamin. It is almost impossible to eat the amount of food it takes for your body to get all of the nutrients it needs by eating.  You'd have to eat a LOT. When your body is missing nutrients, you crave things--things like candy, carbs, sugar, or if you're like me--Taco Bell. Those things aren't going to help your body. You'll binge and feel better for all of 2 seconds before the crash. Shakeology also doesn't use artificial sweeteners--chemicals that can cause digestive issues and even MORE cravings!

When I started Shakeology, I did lose weight. But more importantly, I felt better. I have energy. I don't get hungry at night. I used to get home from work at 10:30pm and consume massive amounts of food because I was just plain starving! My latest T25 challenger says since she started the shakes she's almost never hungry at night, so I'm not the only one experiencing this change.

The point is, put your money where your mouth is. If you care about your health, cut out one of those expenditures like going out to eat so often, getting a latte every day, buying drinks at a bar (which are usually marked up 150% or so). Put your money toward your health and change your life! I was scared at first. But guess what? Since I started the eating plan and Shakeology, I have spent LESS money on groceries. I'm spending about $100 monthly on shakes and still have more money than I had before! Why? Because I'm paying attention to what's going into my body and not going into graze mode. I'm not buying a bunch of diet pills and supplements. I'm just living healthy.

And that is the difference between value and cost.

Not Just a Pretty Face

There are tons of ways to measure your weight loss.  Using all of them is a REALLY good way to avoid obsessing about one of them--like that evil scale.

I forgot to mention I'm a master artist.

Shoot, a lot of people gain weight when they first start working out.  Muscle weighs more than fat and that ain't no urban legend.  I briefly want to talk about one of the ways that I've noticed myself losing weight on this glorious Beach Body journey.  I talk all the time about measuring yourself, but sometimes it's even easier than that.  Just look at the dadgum mirror.  Or a picture!  If you're like me, you'll see it in other ways...like your face!  Check this out:

I was looking at some pictures I took recently and started thinking "man, my eyes look so big! Have they always looked like that?" And nope, they haven't.  My face has slimmed down so much! Instead of tiny little slits, I have eyes! haha. I've got definition--on my face!  It's fantastic.

Find yourself a little victory like that.  It will propel you further even when you aren't necessarily seeing pounds come off or washboard abs yet.  For me, it's my face! It'll always be a little round, but at least it doesn't look like a big ball of dough now.  haha.  It's not just a pretty face.  It's a fit face.  BOOM BABY!

Message me for details on how to get your OWN results and stop wasting money on things that don't work.

Skinny Versus Fit

Every once in a while, because I am kind of pathetic, I glance back at my "skinny pictures."  When I was 19, I lost about twenty pounds.  It was not from being healthy and I lost it super fast.  I was constantly freaking out about what I ate and I would have a breakdown if I missed a day at the gym.  I would spend hours just running on a treadmill and only doing strength training on an occasional, haphazard basis.  Compared to being a super unhealthy chubster squeezing into her pants like a busted can of biscuits, I guess I looked better then.  But now I'm looking at them in a new light.

I had lost a lot of weight, true, but I was what I like to call fat-skinny.  You know what I'm talking about.  Just because a person is thin doesn't mean he or she is fit.  At the time, I was all flab.  Fewer pounds of flab, but flab nonetheless (not to mention I was tired all the time and harassed myself for not being thin enough).  I was squishy in all the wrong places and my body was fairly gawky and awkward.  And man, I just had no butt back then.  Exhibit A:

PS I was totally sucking in.

I was just thinking about the definition I'm starting to see now.  Even with how far I have to go, I'm showing more muscle and definition than I ever did back then.  I have never seen my abs.  It's tragic. Until NOW.  It's easy to not get the results you want even when you're killing yourself--because it's easy to be disorganized.  My eating and workout habits have been completely transformed through Shakeology and the 21 Day Fix.  I know I posted this picture last week, but seriously...

I have LINES IN MY BELLY! LINES OF GOODNESS!

I think the reason I feel so much more confident now than I did then is that I am losing weight the right way and my body is different.  It's not a smaller version of the same thing.  And I'm not starving all the time or running on the treadmill until I collapse.  Which is a plus.

Skinny, for people who aren't naturally so, doesn't last.  Eventually you'll lose that desperation or you'll make yourself sick with the obsession.  You just can't maintain that straight mentally ill approach to looking "better."  Eventually you will need to eat some food or you will have a life and not be able to commit yourself to 3 hours at the gym every day.  Or you won't be able to afford a gym anymore.  Or you'll exhaust yourself to the point where your fatigue takes over.  But when you get in a lifestyle of fitness, everything changes.  That's what I love about Beach Body.  It's about living a healthy lifestyle, not dieting, not punishing, not obsessing.  It seriously changes everything.

Restructuring and Realism

I originally set out to do three blogs a week, but life happens!  It just hasn't been possible the past two weeks.  I may cut back on them, but I'm thinking now that I'm restructuring a few things, I can make it work.  I was very gung-ho about working out in the morning on my last round, but toward the end I found myself flagging a bit.  During my rest week and continuing into the first week of Round 2 of the 21 Day Fix, I got in the habit of staying up later.  I work from 1-10, so it's kind of a natural rhythm.  The thing is, I realized that I push it WAY harder in the evening than I'm really capable of in the morning.  And (especially if I do two workouts every day like I've been shooting for this week) I sleep like a baby!

I understand that not everyone is the same.  I'm realizing more and more how very essential it is to be realistic about yourself: who you are, how you function, what makes you feel better.  For me, it's working out at night.  I love relaxing, reflecting, and snuggle time in the morning--makes the whole day a lot less stressful.  It's getting creative with what I'm eating.  That one is a big one.  After a few weeks of different salads for lunch, the thought of salad legitimately nauseated me.  This week I tore into some roasted eggplant, garden tomato sauce, and ground turkey and realized how stuck in a rut I had been!  Some people get up at 5am and work out for two hours before hightailing it to work.  Some people eat the same foods every day.  Maybe it works for them...but they're not me!  You can't build your success around someone else's needs...you've got to learn yours.

I'm so thrilled to see new coaches joining The Knockout Legacy every day!  Becoming a coach is the best choice I ever made.  Watching our challenge groups flourish seriously keeps me going.  When I see four people in a row posting about their workouts and nutrition and I'm slacking, it's a kick in the butt to get going again.  It's hard to be self-motivated all the time...but I can manage competitive.  haha.  Another thing that keeps pushing me?  My results.  I have never had abs in my life, but check it:

And I know the longer I work, the better I will get.  There's something sexy in working out so hard that you're dripping sweat.  It makes you feel like you can conquer the world.  And the sense of accomplishment pushes me harder and harder.  I missed one day this week but worked out twice every other day and felt amazing.

Also had a funny moment this week where I stepped on the scale and it said I weighed about 20 pounds more than I had the day before and I almost had a panic attack.  Had to measure myself just to calm down.  Nope, waist was down an inch--hadn't gained.  Safe to say my scale is broken.  haha.  That's what you get for buying a $7 scale from Wally World.