T25 Day 90

I did it!! Wow!! I can't believe I COMPLETED the 90 day challenge group! Seriously I am so shocked, proud, motivated and inspired!! 

It was SO fun to be part of a challenge group all via Facebook. Everyone in the group was so honest and encouraging! Our coach was great too!! There were days I did not want to exercise! Or I would sleep in and not be able to exercise until after the kids went to bed. I would post "I will work out tonight!" And it would help me stay accountable. People would ask if I worked out! And then I would! 

Final workout! 

As a stay at home mom I do a lot of little tasks all day. Some get finished, some get started, some are sorta started or almost done. I wanted to complete T25 to be healthier, to maybe lose a few pounds or inches. I wanted to accomplish finishing something all the way through. 

Through the 90 days I realized I love to workout! It makes me much more productive, I'm a nicer person, and I sleep better!! I also realized I have a weakness: I love food!  I love the way food taste! And it is SO hard to not eat more of something that taste so good. I don't care if I'm full, if it tasted really good, I want just a few more bites. For me, portion control is very mental and a lesson in self control! So I learned I can workout everyday and eat mostly healthy, but my portions are off. 

Flexing really hard! Haha

I can tell my legs are more toned, my tummy is a flatter, my clothes are looser and fit better, I can do most of the workouts full out, and I am stronger. I definitely still room for improvements! But I am shocked and happy with the results from staying committed for 90 days to a challenge group. 

Left: Day 1, Right: Day 90

I've been measuring and taking pictures every 30 days to record my progress. Its true the scale isn't the best factor when getting in shape! While you may not be able to tell a big difference from above, I can definitely feel the difference! I'm not trying to get six-pack abs or huge ripped arms. I want to make healthy food choices and be in the best shape I can be for me and my family! 

Final results: I've dropped 3lbs and lost over 10 inches!! 

Thanks T25 (and Shaun T) you are an amazing program! I will continue to use your effective 25 min workouts! If you are looking for a challenge group or interested in T25 I would love to help you! Let me know! I have a T25 challenge group starting in May and would love to have you in it!

T25 for-eva! 

T25

I started the second phase of T25, beta, last week. Just like the first phase, beta is 5 weeks long with 25 minute workouts! 

It is a lot faster and challenging! I felt like I was finally getting down the moves and doing the workouts really good in Alpha and then it was time to change! Change is a good thing! It keeps your muscles guessing and confuses them to work better! 

I've had Bryson snap a fee pics of me the other night while I did "dynamic core"

"Hammer kicks"

"Sprint and balance" (I can't remember what Shaun T calls this one) 

I'm glad he took these bc I know in the balance pic I can stretch more to be more horizontal to the ground. 

So far beta is more about focusing on your core. You still are doing cardio and speed, but we use weights or resistance bands probably 2-3 times a week. I really like adding weights and can tell it gets my heartrate going! I do miss more of the cardio and hope to add in alpha cardio or Turbo jam/fire a few times a week. 

I did "core cardio" yesterday and my legs felt like jello! I had sweat dripping off my face! It was a GREAT workout! 

This is what I looked like after the workout:

A hot sweaty mess! 

I have about 3.5 weeks to go! Woohoo!! 

Yoga

Need a quick but powerful yoga class? Look no further:

This DVD is fantastic! I'm a huge fan of yoga and just love how it stretches my muscles, but also gives you an intense workout.  While it's not feasible to take a yoga class everyday like I'd wish I could, I instead do the Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown DVD.  It has two levels to choose from and its only 30 minutes long.  Try it, your body will thank you!

The Shred

Want a good sweaty workout?

Bryson bought me this DVD to help me jumpstart working out a few months ago. I love this workout because it's only 20 mins! It's short enough to trick you to workout and short enough for me to take a shower afterwards while V is still napping! (major plus!) There are 3 different levels of workouts and combines cardio, strength and abs. I use it maybe 2 or 3 times a week. I feel sore usually the next day, but when I do the workout the next time, it definitely feels easier! Living in Houston in the summer makes it hard to get outside to exercise because of the heat and humidity. But with a few workout DVDs, I guess I dont have any excuses...

The Gym

Bryson and I recently became members at 24hr fitness! We've never been part of a gym, except at our college. We've been thinking about joining since we moved to Austin and now that finances let us, we thought we'd give it a try. Going on walks around the neighborhood were fun, but we needed something more motivating to work out. So both of our goals is to try to go three or 4 times a week...and well if we are paying for it, we gotta use it.

I'm proud to say that I have gone to 3-4 times a week. They have really fun exercise classes. I've been going to the Step Aerobics class at the Yoga. Both leave me sweating like woah. Very refreshing! The weight machines are a little intimidating, but I"m learning to use them. I spend time on the elliptical and zone out on the TV screens and people watching. I find it relaxing to watch all these people working out. And with me zoning out, it keeps my mind from thinking "how much longer on this thing!" I often wonder why are they working out? What do the want out of it? Is it for health, weight, muscles? My main reason for working out is that health is important to me. God tells us to take care of our bodies, to make them pleasing to Him. I try to keep myself healthy with getting my heart rate up and with what I eat. But please, sometimes a girl gots to eat chocolate, ice cream, and cookies! :)