Consistency is Key

You want to know a secret? I struggle BIG TIME with consistency. That's right, I'm a fitness coach who managed to lose almost 150 pounds and keep the majority of it off. We'll call that my "claim to fame." But let's be real, that was a journey I started in 2013 and by the end of 2014, I'd hit my goal and you want to know the scariest part of the story. By the spring of 2015, I had slipped back into dangerous habits.

I was no longer working out regularly, somehow I no longer had time. Funny, since I'm pretty sure I had been operating with the same 24 hours all along. I was no longer eating like food was fuel, I went right back to emotional eating and enjoying way too many treats. I mean, let's get real, it's only a treat if it's an occasional thing. That's what makes it a TREAT! If we're enjoying a cookie every single night before bed, that's routine...not a special treat.

By the end of 2015, guess what? Those jeans I had been so excited to fit back into didn't fit. They wouldn't even button. By 2016, I was working out again, but sporadically. I'd dive full force into a workout program and go full force for a week or two, but then I was right back to zero motivation and compiling my list of epic excuses. And the pants still didn't fit.

In July of 2016, I decided becoming a Beachbody coach was the perfect solution. Encouraging other people to get healthy would be the perfect motivator for me. And initially it was. But here's the thing, motivation is fleeting and it always will be. You're never going to find one thing that motivates you from now until the end of time. I know I've said that in a million other blog posts, but even I struggle to truly accept that. I'm constantly letting lack of motivation rule my life.

So 2016 continued with moderate success.By January of 2017, I knocked 12 pounds off the scale, but after that the dang thing wouldn't move another ounce!! I would fluctuate within a pound or so and nothing more. One day it had gone down, the next day back up, and on and on.

This could have been the perfect "motivator" to launch me full force into a workout program that I already know is effective. I know it works, because I've seen it work. Do you think that's what I did? Of course not!! Common sense went out the window and self-destructive thoughts and eating habits crept right back in. How does this happen to someone in the position to help other people set and crush their own health and fitness goals?

This would generally be the part of the story where I would tell you some magical solution and eagerly share that I've lost every pound I wanted to lose...this is not that story. Instead, this story is my attempt to be as authentic and open with you as I've ever been. My hope is that authenticity will help you do some soul searching too and not be afraid to step out in the direction of your goals, no matter how scary and no matter how many times you've tried to reach them before.

So, if I'm not going to tell you a success story, what the heck am I writing for?! Well, I started 2017 by reading Chalene Johnson's book "Push." My hope was that it would be the "motivator" that I needed. You can't see me, just know that every time you see that dang word, it's complete with an over-exaggerated eye roll. Let's be clear, the book is awesome. And what should have taken me 30 days to read took closer to 75.

I still had 2 days left to finish in the book when I finally realized I was just spinning my wheels. I was reading all the awesome things she had to say, but I wasn't fully putting them into action. Knowledge without application is completely wasted!! So, in an effort to say that I wasn't a quitter, I quickly read through the last 2 days and moved my bookmark back to day 1.

This week has probably been one of my most productive all year. I've done some major soul searching to figure out why I'm struggling, what things are working and what's not, and how to change it. So, I reevaluated my 10 goals for 2017, decided which ones needed to be altered, not because they're easier to achieve (because they're definitely not), but which ones were more on target with my priorities. And then I needed to evaluate my progress so far this year...it wasn't good.

Essentially, I've been wasting my time for most of 2017 up until this week. That's a pretty crappy feeling, but an excellent wake up call. It's clear as can be now that motivation isn't my problem. My problem is consistency. I make this excellent plan to help me reach my goal and I kill it for up to 7 days and then it all falls apart. So here I am, starting a new plan...again. Have I mastered the whole consistency thing? Not yet, but I'm sharing this with you for my own accountability. In the next few posts, I'll be sharing 5 of my goals with you, my plan to reach them before the end of the year, and my progress.

I hope that my vulnerability will help you realize that you're not alone. You're not the only one struggling to drop those extra pounds but finding your hand back in the cookie jar over and over. You're not the only one wanting so badly to complete a workout program only to find yourself plopped on the couch or going for coffee with your girlfriends instead. Whatever it is, YOU'RE NOT ALONE!!

2017 Goals:

1. Lose 40 pounds

2. Be COMPLETELY debt free

3. Read 24 books (I upped it from 12!)

4. Study 4 books of the Bible

5. Complete 90 days of TurboFire

The plan for today is to set goals for the next 30 days and to focus on them one day at a time. So these goals have been set, a plan has been made, smaller weekly goals have been set to reach within those 30 days to get me closer to these BIG goals, and those weekly goals have been broken down farther into daily goals.

Will this wake up call be as successful as the one I got in 2013? Who knows, but today is a new day and I'm focusing on the 24 hours in front of me and making sure that every step is a little bit closer to crushing every single one of these goals. Here goes nothing!! I'm diving in, how about you?

TurboFire Challenge

Last month, I gave TurboFire a try and y'all, it has quickly become my favorite workout. I love the high intensity workouts that I can fit in no matter how little time I have! And now, I'm ready to dive in to the full TurboFire progam, but it's no fun to do it alone!

So, I'm looking for 3-5 women to join me for the next 90 days. Making a commitment to one another to stick with the program for the entire 90 days. Maybe you're not sure exactly what TurboFire really is. You can read a more in depth description HERE, but the short version...it's HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) that includes cardio, dance, kickboxing, and more! And the best part, there are workouts as short as 20 MINUTES!! I mean seriously, who doesn't have 20 minutes?!

What do you need to join? All you need is the TurboFire program! And if this is your first challenge, you can get your first 30 days of the program FREE!!! Sign up below and I'll tell you how to get it FREE!!

So, how can you join? It's simple, just click the sign up button below and you're in! Once you're signed up, I'll email to get you set up with the program and get you added to the Facebook group.

TurboFire {Review}

During my 3 Day Dance & Diet Challenge, I tried and reviewed TurboFire so this time around I wanted to try more than workout, something different than what I tried last time, but also wanted to take it easy because my muscles are still on fire from POUND Fitness!! So, 3 workouts later, here's my review of TurboFire!

WHAT IS TURBOFIRE?

{Photo Cred: Beachbody}

The workouts are a combination of kickboxing, dance, HIIT drills, and plyometrics. The music is fun and mixed so that it corresponds perfect to the choreography. 

WHAT IS THE FLOW OF A TYPICAL CLASS?

The TurboFire Low HIIT workouts alternate between low and high intensity. During the low intensity, you learn the choreography and "mark" the routine. The the alarm rings and you're looking at 30-40 seconds of running through the routine with increasingly high intensity. This is repeated in several cycles, which makes the drills easier to follow. 

WHAT MAKES TURBOFIRE UNIQUE?

{Photo Cred: Beachbody}

MY BREAKDOWN...

Low HIIT 20 - Calories burned: 128 - This was my favorite of the three workouts. It was constant movement but the drills were easier to follow. I seemed to pick this one up right away.

Low HIIT 25 - Calories burned: 144 - This was much more intense than Low HIIT 20. It involved a lot more range of motion and plyometrics galore!

Stretch 10 - Calories burned: 47 - This was probably the most thorough stretching workout I've ever done. Talk about serious relief!!!

I can honestly say that I have never felt so good after a workout. I had so much energy and it was easy to jump in and try more than one workout. While the workouts were certainly challenging, I felt amazing afterwards!!

{Photo Cred: Beachbody}

WOULD I DO TURBOFIRE AGAIN?

This was no easy workout! You are constantly moving and while the low intensity parts are a great time to catch your breath, you're still working hard. I loved all three of the workouts that I tried and will definitely be doing them again. I think Low HIIT 20 was my favorite, but I also loved Stretch 10. My muscles have been tight since I did POUND Fitness and that workout felt amazing!

While I will definitely do these workouts again, I would warn you that the choreography is not that easy to pick up. Luckily, they're repeated several times, but by the time I really got it down it was time to move on. I imagine it would take a couple of times to really get it down pat, but I think it's worth the effort. Not to mention, once you get the moves, it's so much fun!

{Photo Cred: Beachbody}

WHAT SHOULD YOU WEAR? WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU NEED?

You can wear anything. You'll most likely be at home when you're doing this workout, so just get comfy. You'll be moving a lot and need full range of motion, so be sure the clothes you choose are not restricting.

You don't need any special equipment, but consider comfortable shoes with good grip. You're lifting your knees a lot and doing some serious jumping. You want to make sure you're not going to slip. 

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Research shows that you can actually achieve more results in a mere 15 minutes of interval training (3 times/week) than the girl jogging on the treadmill for an hour! Not to mention the after-effects!! All that intense exertion kicks your body's repair cycle into hyperdrive. You're burning more fat and calories in the 24 hours after a HIIT workout than you do after, say, a steady-pace run! These are only two of the awesome benefits, but there are so many more!!

{Photo Cred: Beachbody}

Hip Hop Abs, TurboFire, & Results

Yesterday, I kind of jumped ship on my 3-Day Dance & Diet Challenge Group post, so today I'm working double-time to tell you what I thought about Hip Hop Abs & TurboFire. Before we dive into that though, I really want to go back to my first post, "Do You Know My Story?" for a second. 

Y'all when I first found Beachbody, I fell in love with P90X!! I will forever be grateful to Beachbody and Tony Horton for creating a product that challenged me, that I enjoyed, and that was actually effective. With that said, I have learned this week, that P90X has set a precedence for me. Loving it, finishing it, and repeating it several times upped the ante for me. I like intense workouts!! I'm just being real. At the end of my workout, I want to be dripping in sweat and I don't mind if I have to struggle through it. I want to work for it and for me that's what makes it fun. I'm competitive and I love competing with myself every day to see if I can beat the girl I was yesterday. 

That's just me, and I'm well aware that's not the norm. I just want to put that out there, let you in my brain for a second, because understanding where I'm coming from really shapes my opinion of the last 2 days. Did you catch that? It's just my opinion!!

Alright, so Tuesday was Hip Hop Abs. My day Tuesday was crazy!! I worked all day and ended up not being able to work out until about 8p. As much as I'm not a morning person, I love my morning workouts!! They set the tone for my whole day, so Tuesday I was already off. 

So, what can I tell you about Hip Hop Abs? Well, first off, you won't see any pictures from this one. My husband was home and icing a hurt ankle, my daughter was dancing all over the living room, and I was having to dodge the dog. It was chaos here, and turning the camera on totally slipped my mind. (Don't worry, you'll have some photos when we get to TurboFire in a minute.)

The second thing I can tell you is, Hip Hop Abs just wasn't for me. I think I may just not be coordinated enough. My husband was dying laughing watching me try to follow what Shaun T was doing. Y'all it just wasn't my cup of tea.

There were definitely some positives though and I do think that this program could be awesome for other people!! One of the girls in our group absolutely loved it!! By the end of the workout, I was sweating, probably from all the flailing around I was doing trying to keep up, but regardless, there was sweat. You never stop moving, so you're definitely getting your cardio in. And the biggest plus of all, this was the first time I haven't found myself hating Shaun T! I know he wouldn't care if I did, as long as my core was tight!! If you haven't done Insanity, I know you're confused right now, but that's totally ok!

Wednesday, was TurboFire and this was probably my favorite day of the challenge. Chalene was still a little hard to follow, but I think doing this workout more often and learning the moves, would make this workout awesome. With Hip Hop Abs, I told you that you never stop moving, but with TurboFire you really NEVER stop moving!!! NEVER, NOT ONCE!! 

Then at the end of each set, you have a 1-minute power workout, or maybe it's called a turbo workout. That sounds more likely, but I can't remember. You're moving so quickly and incorporating so many moves at once that I don't think my brain really could comprehend what anything was called! It was awesome!! By the end of the workout, I was covered in sweat and full of energy. I could have easily done this one again and I'll definitely be mixing it into my regular workout schedule.

So the big question is, did I see results? Y'all know I like to keep it real and I'm not going to sugarcoat it for you. No, I didn't. The scale didn't go down for me and the tape measure didn't get any smaller. Did I stick to the workout schedule? Yes. Did I stick to the meal plan? Yes. Still no results. 

But guess what?! THAT'S OKAY! 3 days is a short period of time. My results may not have shown up when I got on the scale yesterday, but that's ok. I may see results tomorrow, who knows. Not seeing numbers on the scale go down, not seeing the tape measure get smaller, none of that is going to derail me!! That just tells me that I need to keep working.

Will I try all of the workouts again? Probably not all of them. I think it's best that Hip Hop Abs and I break up with each other. Country Heat? Maybe. I've got to get those moves down though. TurboFire? ABSOLUTELY!!!

So, what can you take away from this experience? Well, there are a couple of things:

1. Try the products/workouts yourself. Everyone is different and everyone is going to find success with something different. Don't let my experience with Hip Hop Abs make up your mind about it. Try it yourself! Worst case scenario, you'll look like a tangled up flamingo and if you do, please snap a picture so we can laugh together!!! I promise you won't be alone!

2. Sign up for a challenge group. Even if you walk away without a change in the numbers on the scale, you will walk away with knowledge that you'll treasure forever. You'll learn to change your eating habits, get on a regular workout schedule, and meet so many wonderful people who will cheer you on and encourage you to reach your goals.

3. Your biggest takeaway should be this. Don't get caught up in results. I promise you if you're eating right and working out, the results will come. It takes time. You didn't become unhappy with yourself overnight. I didn't gain 150 lbs overnight. It took time. And it took time to get them off. Everyone will have setbacks. I did. But you get back up and keep moving. You won't be alone. I'm right there with you and together we can both do this! Don't forget that!

Interested in joining a challenge group? I have a new one starting August 1st and I would love for you to join us. You can learn more on yesterday's blog post, on my Facebook page, or email me for more details.