I have videos queued up waiting to be edited from both P90X2 and Les Mills Pump! But while those videos are on my to-do list, my workouts are being crossed off everyday and I just LOVE this program!

When I first heard about it in late October I kinda felt like it came out of nowhere.  It seemed interesting as I love resistance training but I’ve never been that interested in barbells.. like.. never ever.  But as I heard more about Les Mills’ international success in gyms I became intrigued, and as more media was coming out I was even more interested!  And then I had a conflict because I really wanted to take on P90X2 but I also wanted to do Les Mills Pump!

I decided to go for it and I don’t regret it. This first month of Les Mills Pump has fit PERFECTLY into my current schedule.  The Pump Challenge workout you repeat often in the first two weeks is only 20 minutes (and opens with Lady Gaga!), the main workout for the first month is Pump & Burn.  I was worried Pump and Burn would — uuhhh — “burn” me out, but there’s something about the momentum in the workout and the MUSIC that I really look forward to it.  Especially during the Squats and the Legs & Back tracks, all I can think about is getting those songs out of my head by doing the workout again!  In between the workouts you walk for 45 minutes or may do “Hardcore Abs” or their yoga/stretch workout “Flow”.  I’ve been using the Ultimate Deluxe (happy crazy time) DVDs like Step, Sports Attack and Combat for my cardio on those non-pump days).

I honestly haven’t been this excited about a workout since TurboFire came out!  And what is even better — it incorporates weights which I *love* and is a big reason why I love ChaLEAN Extreme.

Below is my weight tracking guide.. satisfied with my progress.  I have to keep reminding myself the philosophy in this workout is the opposite of CE and P90X — low weights high repetition.. more like a cardio weight training workout (aka Rep Effect).  I tried pushing extra hard with 15 lbs. on the chest exercises today.. worked most of the way but just before the break at 1:00 left on the chest track before I had to swap back to 10# to finish…. whew!  My arms and chest were shaking for a good 2 hours afterwards!

Supplements: Breakfast: Shakeology; Pre-Workout: Energy & Endurance Formula; Post-Workout: Results & Recovery Formula

Weights below are the plate weight level, for total weight multiply by 2 plus 5 lbs. (bar):

Order P90X2

I have more vlogs/blogs coming, so enjoy this unboxing!

Order P90X2

This is my product review and tasting for a low calorie pasta alternative. (Text/photo version of this review coming soon)

Order the World Cuisine 48297-99 Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer (vegetable spiralizer)

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Here’s the thing.. the scale is one of many tools to use during your weight loss journey, but it is by no means the final verdict on whether or not your hard work is paying off.  I’ve heard this said before, “Give your scale to someone you don’t like, it will haunt them.”

If you have a lot of weight to lose (30+ pounds) you’re going to see more results from the scale, but even those that fall into this category will start to see the movement “down” start leveling off.  There are many factors at play here!

First of all, the number on the scale doesn’t tell the whole story.  It is all inclusive, as in, it is fat, muscle, WATER, organs, bowel, etc.  Now, your organs are going to be consistent, but the other items are always changing.  When I weigh myself I do it first thing in the morning because this is the most consistent time after a 7-8 hour fast (aka sleep).  After an hour or so I’ve had my breakfast, some water, and so on and now the number can easily fluctuate.

As mentioned, there’s the muscle bit… of course, in the first week or so you aren’t going to suddenly gain a pound of muscle, but by the end of the first month you’re going to start gaining weight in tight lean muscle while you’re shedding the fluffy squishy fat.

Water retention can be caused by a number of things… from how much sodium you had the previous day, the time of the month if you’re female, and especially at the very beginning when you’re body is in shock by the sudden tear down of the muscle fibers!  Chalene Johnson has a great blog article, “You sometimes gain weight when starting a new exercise program?”  I like to reference this post often.

Second, most workout programs are 90 days.  Whether you’re doing something like P90X, Chalean Extreme or TurboFire, or even a 60 day program like Insanity, it is still the 90 day point that your body will experience the most significant turn around.  I like to remind people that chances are they didn’t get where they’re uncomfortable today overnight, so it is going to take a little bit of time (not always the same amount it took to get there!) and consistency to reach their goal.  I like to relate this to the Paper Towel Effect.  When you take a fresh roll of paper towels and start pulling off a sheet or two  you really don’t see a difference.  Even when you get to halfway the sheets are coming off slowly… but as you get to 2/3 through the roll you start seeing a significant difference on each sheet.  Imagine each of those sheets representing a day in your fitness journey.

In my own experience, after each birth of my sons and later when I found Chalean Extreme and Beachbody, you’re going to start feeling better the first month and maybe feel things getting slightly looser… but it isn’t until the second month you start wanting to move more, eat more, and then in month 3 you REALLY feel the boost in everything, and feel the change in the way your clothes fit.

Ultimately, the best way to view your progress are these two things:  1.Inches 2. Pictures.  Inches more than anything, because that is the solid representation of how much you are losing.  Even when the scale doesn’t move, your loss of 4″ in the waist is a demonstration of the difference between a pound of lean muscle and a pound of fat.

Pictures are important too!  People really hate taking their before picture but it is SO important.  I cannot emphasize enough how important it is!  When I finished my 90-days of ChaLEAN Extreme I wasn’t expecting much difference, as I didn’t think there was a big difference in my 30 day and 60 day… but when I put my Day 1 next to my Day 90 I about fell over, the difference was apparent and represented the 21″ I lost all over, versus the half pound I gained!

To be continued…

Burn more fat during your workouts.

by Whitney Provost

You’re ready to get in shape. You’ve committed to an exercise program and stocked your kitchen with healthy food. Now it’s time to see results. Other than working out consistently and sticking to your nutrition plan, what else can you do to increase your chances of success?

While there’s no magic fat-loss fairy who’ll grant your wishes overnight, there are a few proven techniques you can use to boost your results and lose weight faster. Check ‘em out.

1. 
   Crank up the intensity early. A study from the College of New Jersey found that people who work out harder during the first half of their workouts and ease up a bit in the second half burn up to 23 percent more fat than people who start out slowly. What does this mean for you? After you warm up (never neglect this or you may end up injured), bump up your workout intensity and give it your all. You don’t have to pace yourself so you can make it all the way through; take breaks as necessary later in your workout.
2. HIIT it hard. By now, you’ve probably heard that the one of the most effective ways to burn fat is with High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This involves short intervals of maximum intensity cardio, followed by intervals of low intensity cardio or rest. Researchers at Laval University in Quebec have discovered that people who do HIIT can lose 3 times as much fat as those who do steady-state moderate cardio. Try TurboFire^® for fun, high-energy HIIT workouts that’ll have you dripping with sweat and burning major calories.
3. Lift heavier weights for fewer reps. Boost your metabolism long after your workout by training with heavy weights. As researchers at the Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education have learned, the heavier you lift, the greater the rise in your metabolic rate and the longer the boost will last. The result? Increased fat loss. For amazing body-reshaping results, try ChaLEAN Extreme^®, P90X^®, or RevAbs^®.Special note for women: Don’t be afraid to increase the size of your dumbbells! You don’t have enough testosterone to bulk up like the Incredible Hulk, and a lean, strong body will help you burn calories around the clock. Plus toned and shapely muscles look beautiful and give your body symmetry. Still not convinced? Read my related Beachbody^® newsletter article, “10 Reasons Women Need to Lift Weights.”
4. Lift lighter weights for more reps. Wait . . . what? Didn’t I just tell you that you have to lift heavier to burn more fat? It’s true that training with heavy weights for fewer reps will burn more calories post-workout and give your physique a much more dramatic transformation. But there’s also a benefit to using lighter weights at higher reps. For one, you burn a lot of calories during your workout. And if you’re very out of shape or haven’t lifted weights in a while, going lighter will help you condition your muscles and joints and help you prevent injuries. Start with programs like Slim in 6^®, Power 90^®, or Brazil Butt Lift^® until you’re ready to progress to heavier weights.
5. Stay in shape. Once you become physically fit, keep it up. The more active you are, the better your body is at burning fat. According to researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, you can avoid regaining belly fat by exercising as few as 80 minutes per week. Keep stoking your fat-burning furnace with regular exercise and good nutrition, and you’ll be lean for life.Let your kitchen help you burn fat.
6. Get your omega-3s. Fish and fish-oil supplements are helpful fat-burners because of their high levels of omega-3 fats. Two recent studies in Iceland and Australia demonstrated that people who consume fish oil burn more fat than people who don’t. Additionally, the Australian study showed that when fish oil is combined with exercise, the results were even better. To promote fat loss, take one or two Core Omega-3™ capsules with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
7. Don’t cut calories too quickly. You know that in order to lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories. But dropping them too quickly can cause your metabolism to slow down, because your body thinks it’s starving and desperately holds onto fat. A dramatic reduction in calories can also lead to what author Martha Beck calls “famine brain,” a condition in which your poor starved brain starts to freak out and all you can think about is food until you go nuts and eat everything in sight. The stress makes you much more likely to binge and end up fatter than ever. So what’s the easiest way to cut calories gradually and keep your sanity?Start by swapping your usual breakfast for Shakeology^®. It’s only 140 to 150 calories and tastes great, and you can add healthy ingredients like milk or a dab of peanut butter and still keep the total calorie count low. Next, try cutting your total calorie intake by 250 calories per day. Give it a couple of weeks and see if you like the results. If you’re losing weight, stick with it, and if not, cut out another 250 calories and reevaluate a couple of weeks later. If you’re already doing everything else I’ve mentioned in this article, you shouldn’t have to starve yourself to lose weight.
8. Drink green tea. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that the catechins—antioxidant flavonoid compounds—found in green tea may stimulate the body’s fat-burning activity. You’ll get the most benefits from about 4 cups of green tea per day, but if you don’t want to drink that much, green tea extract supplements appear to have similar benefits. It’s kind of cool to think that you might be able to relax with a cup of green tea and burn fat at the same time!

Give these tips a try, and let us know how they work for you.

One of my intentions with the new website format is VIDEO VIDEO and VIDEO! Integrating more vlog style posts that will give a more “living” presentation for my followers! A lot of you found me through YouTube so it only seems appropriate.. not to mention it’s the 21st Century so we need  to get with the times!

Another plan of mine is to return to the world of good ol’ fashioned blogging. A few of you have followed me for 10+ years of sharing my silly little life online. I cannot imagine I’ll tell you the most trivial details of my day (that’s what Facebook is for) but it’s still a glimpse into my life to satisfy human curiosity most of us exhibit! :)

In the past my website was mostly informational. Now I want to really emphasize my role  supporting you through your own health and/or fitness journey! So depending on what degree of support you want.. there will be options like weekly check-ins, daily check-ins, phone support, texts… what we need to do to keep you accountable and on track! :D

So I hope you enjoy your stay, and I look forward to our upcoming adventures — together! :B

Whoa… it just keeps going…and going…