Week 1 Wrap-Up | Jamie Eason's Live Fit Program

Last week I completed Week 1 of Jamie Eason's Live Fit Program.

This week I start Week 2 of the Live Fit Program via BodyBuilding.com.

And so far, it's been great!

Gym Selfie Week #1

Now, I'm not normally the type to get excited about working out, but returning to the gym and lifting weights has been really therapeutic in many ways. 

I like that there is no cardio this first month so that I focus on just lifting heavy things. 

I also like that I can take an hour out of my day, pop in my earbuds and just concentrate 100% on myself. We all need this, you know? 

I'm also excited at the results. In one week, I lost 3 lbs! I saw a number that I haven't seen in YEARS. I've been stuck at the same weight (which is the weight I was when I got married five years ago and before I gained 30+ lbs), for a couple of months, so I'm excited that this made it budge.

The eating more often thing has definitely been an adjustment. I've become so accustomed to do periods of eating and fasting (sometimes to the point of totally putting lunch off for hours) that getting to eat more often has had its own learning curve.

And to be totally honest, I haven't stuck 100% to the recommended eating plan, but I would say that it's been a good 80% and making good/best available choices for the other 20%. This has helped keep me sane.

Our dinners for the past few months have consisted of protein + vegetable, so there's no big changes there. It's just sometimes, things get monotonous and you need something to spice it up. I tried Jamie's recipe for a 3 Bean Turkey Chili and it was tasty. I think it's a great choice for having leftovers and a filling lunch option. 

I'm totally digging the Chocolate Protein Bars that Jamie has a recipe for. While they are not brownies in any sense, when you have that chocolate craving, they definitely do the trick. 

This next week includes 4 days at the gym with the weekend to recover. I'm ready for it!

24 Day Challenge

Today, I started the 24-Day Challenge on Advocare.

I had been considering it for a long time, but it wasn't until I had a chat with my brother-in-law's wife (does that make her my sister-in-law?), that I finally felt the push to give it a go. What did I have to lose? At least a few pounds right?

I've been kind of stagnant in weight loss lately.

Although, from my highest weight ever which was in 2011, I've officially lost 25lbs! Yay! I never want to see that weight again. I just want the scale to keep going down.

This year has blown by so quickly that I just don't know where it has gone.

Over the summer, after we returned from a trip to Europe, I tried my hand at Pure Barre. It was great. The first couple of classes (and the soreness that followed) were kind of torturous, but after that I felt great. I liked it so much because while you're burning calories and toning all the major problem areas for women, you're not exerting crazy effort. Instead, it's all about the isometric holds and tucking.

A whole lot of tucking.

Right when I started going to Pure Barre classes, the studio had started a 30-day challenge. Attending at least 20 classes in 30 days. While that didn't sound too daunting before signing up, after looking at my schedule, I was really going to have to commit myself to it. Luckily, since it was summer, and no photo shoots lined up because it's freakishly hot outside, I was able to do it.

The gold stars didn't hurt either.

It's so weird and silly that a little thing like a gold star could help me along in the challenge. But I was determined to get those stars, dang it. And I did. I was thrilled to have completed the challenge and did not give up half way through or something.

I continued Pure Barre through August and issued myself another 30 Day Challenge.

But let's be honest, Pure Barre is not the cheapest workout on the block.

Come September, I decided to opt out of Pure Barre, since it's an expensive (though worth it if you can afford it) workout choice. I turned to my trusty Turbo Fire to get back into kickboxing and burning some major calories!

I've been doing a mix of Turbo Fire and P90X (but honestly, I've only done one P90X class since I've been super busy with photo shoots and ordering appointments).

So when my husband and I went back to Georgia a few weeks ago to hang out with his family, I talked to them about it. His brother and wife are Advocare distributors, and she is training for a bodybuilding competition (she has big biceps and is proud of it), so she talked me through the 24-Day Challenge which is the best introduction to Advocare products. She told me about her results and how her hormonal levels reset, and considering that we are built similarly, I thought that I could give it a try.

So I started it today. I plan on staying on track. Even with Thanksgiving next week.

It doesn't hurt that the little booklet had checkmarks.

Whatever works, right?