Week 4 Recap and Results from Country Heat Deluxe

Hello all!  I did it!  I stuck with Country Heat and completed the Deluxe Calendar, everyday suggested!  I am so proud of myself! Before I jump right to the results.  I thought I would recap last week's mini goals, discuss my struggles and achievements, and give a brief review on Country Heat.

image source: https://jeanieandjoan.com/country-heat-dance-workout/

Goal #1 - Ease Into Meal Planning and Balancing My Diet

I did stick to this at the beginning of the week.  I used the portion fix containers, in addition to counting calories, in an attempt to balance my diet better.  I have a tendency not to eat enough fruit or eat too much fatty foods.  The portion fix containers have given me a method to balancing out my diet.  It is supposed to replace calorie counting, but I've been counting calories for so long I can't seem to break the habit.  At the end of the week I was out of town on a mini vacation with the kids, so I wasn't as strict as I would have been at home.  I didn't even count calories or track my water consumption.

Goal #2 - Fit and Healthy Away from Home

I thought this would be a big challenge, but it ended up being a bit easier than I thought.  Even though I wasn't strict about what I ate I was cautious about my portion sizes.  I also made an effort to pick healthier food options when they were available, not that I didn't cheat a little and have things like home fries with my breakfast.

I was very concerned about working out away from home, but I just pushed through and did my workout as scheduled.  My friend has an accessible basement so I just set up my iPad and got to work.  Having access to workout programs online, makes it so that you really can't find an excuse for not working out.

Goal #3 - Stretching Everyday

Again, I did well with this but not as well as I had hoped to.  Early in the week I did extra stretching routinely after working out.  However, I didn't do this during my stay away from home.  This is something that I really need to continue to focus on.

Just like any major life change, trying to squash bad habit and hit the healthy road comes with many challenges.  My biggest challenges typically lie in the nutrition department.  I can hit play and workout almost any day, but pick healthy food options and consuming enough water are tough for me.  I am really proud of myself for trying hard to stay within my caloric intake the majority of the time and I'm glad that I allowed myself the occasional cheat too.  I did far better than I had anticipated.

Water consumption is also something I've struggled with, since the start and for my entire life really.  However, I am finally getting that under control.  Drinking enough hasn't become a true habit yet, but using my alarm assist to remind me is helping me get what I need.

As far as working out, I have always loved it!  I had forgotten how good it feels to exhaust some muscles and sweat.  That's right!  I love getting sweaty, it means I'm working hard and burning calories.  It makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something.  I am just starting to get to the point were I physically crave a workout.

I still have a long way to go, but I feel like I have accomplished so much already.  Which only has me amped up for the next program and to continue on this journey.

   

For my first program, I decided to go with Country Heat.  I choose this because of all its rave reviews, and because it is low impact.  I was a little concerned at first that I wouldn't enjoy it, but after a couple of workouts I was hooked!  I don't typically enjoy country music so I thought it was going to be a major hindrance, but it wasn't as country as it could have been and I actually recognized some of the songs.  Since, I had been working out prior to this program I decided to follow the Deluxe Calendar.  There are currently two calendars to choose from, I would suggest starting with the original calendar if you haven't been working out and need to ease into it.

I like that this program offered a break down video of almost all the workouts.  This allowed me to learn and do the moves before I started a new workout.  There is nothing more frustrating than tripping over your own feet trying to figure out a step pattern.  It was also easy to follow along during the workouts because each move was done for an eight count, every two moves are put together.  Each move is reviewed during the workout before you do it, so its really hard to mess it up (though I did with some of the more complicated steps).  Additionally, there is a modification for almost all the steps so that if you need a lower impact option, there is one available.

I loved this program because it was so much fun I didn't feel like I was working out, yet I worked up a sweat with every workout.  I discovered that if I exaggerated the movements (without stressing myself physically) I would really feel my muscles burn.  In fact, I felt really silly when I first started this program, especially when my daughter would giggle or tell me I looked goofy.  By the end of the program I was trying hard to look goofy and get giggles, Briar even joined in occasionally which made it even more fun.  I would highly recommend this program for someone starting out, or someone who is looking to break up a routine with something more fun and entertaining.  There is a good chance I'll revisit this program again in the future.

  

The moment you've all been waiting for (okay maybe not), the moment I've been working hard to accomplish...the results.

Starting Point February 12, 2017

So I started at 150 lbs on February 12th.  These were my starting measurements:

Left Arm - 11 5/8"

Right Arm - 10 3/4"

Chest - 35 3/4"

Waist - 38"

Hips - 43 1/4"

Left Thigh - 24 3/4"

Right Thigh - 24 3/4"

Total Measurements  - 188 7/8"

The Results as of March 14, 2017

As you can see I lost a fair amount from my midsection, and a little from my hips and thighs.  I'm happy to announce that I saw a steady decrease in my weight.  Though I had a couple spikes and plateaus in my weight loss.  If I had been extremely diligent I would have probably seen an even greater weight loss.  However, this is about making lasting changes and not just creating another fade for me.  Overall I lost almost 10 lbs, I weighed in this morning at 140.8 lbs.

But measurements speak louder than words (or something like that)... here are my final measurements:

Left Arm - 11"

Right Arm - 10 1/2"

Chest - 35 1/4"

Waist - 34 1/4"

Hips - 41 7/8"

Left Thigh - 23 3/4"

Right Thigh - 23 1/2"

Total Measurements  - 180 1/8"

I lost a total of 8 3/4" inches overall, 3 3/4" of that is from my waist, and 1 3/8" is from my hips.  I have been cursed with wide hips since I hit puberty, and having two kids hasn't helped me much in that department.

These results are not huge, but they are significant.  I am working hard and it's starting to show.  I feel so much better, not just because I look better but because I have more energy.  I get better sleep at night, I feel less depressed, and I can focus better.  If that's not what it means to be healthier, I'm not sure what does.  Again, I still have a long way to go, but I'm getting there, one workout at a time, one meal at a time, one day at a time.

Just because I'm done with Country Heat doesn't mean the journey is over.  I plan on finishing out the week with Country Heat, even though I have finished the workouts per the calendar.  There are a couple Elite workouts and others that are not used on the Deluxe Calendar, so I will be trying those ones out.

Next week, I will be starting 21 Day Fix.  This is another highly praised Beachbody program.  I've chosen this for my next program because I would like to start down the road of strength training.  I'm hoping to trade some fat for some muscle.  So, I don't anticipate loosing much weight, but I'm hoping to start trimming down and toning.  The program is three week's long (hence, 21 Day Fix), using the same workout each day of the week (i.e. every Monday - Total Body Cardio) with an option to do a double up workout during the last week.  I am not committing to do the double up yet, but I'm hoping too.

I'll check in with all of you on Monday with a new start weight and measurements, as well as my top three goals for the week.  Thank you so much for supporting me and joining me on this journey.  If you would like to share your weekly goals, accomplishments, and/or transformations with me, please do!  You can share on my Facebook page, a judgement free zone.  I can't wait to start the new program!

Just Me,

Week 3 Recap and Self Evaluation

Hello all! I don't know what happened, but I blinked and the week was over, just like that!  Nothing out of the ordinary happened, it just went super quick.  I did all my workouts as per suggested by the Country Heat Deluxe workout calendar, and for the most part I ate relatively healthy throughout the week.  I did allow myself one day of indulgence, when my hubby took me out for dinner.  I know I shouldn't have and I consumed way too many calories that day.  But I'm not stressing about it because, I'm all about making lasting changes and not temporary ones.  If I don't allow myself to be careless with my diet once in awhile, I'm not really going to enjoy life.  Based on past experiences, when I did not allow myself these periodic indulgences, I would "fall off the wagon" and take years to get back on.  I'm working to break that cycle all together.

Goal #1 - Hydration

I have been struggling with this all my life.  I am an "out of sight, out of mind" type of person.  If it is not a top priority item, and its not directly in front of my face, I just don't think about it.  I needed a way to remind myself to grab my water bottle and drink.

Originally, I was planning to buying a Ulla.  This neat little device helps you to remember to drink.  You simply strap it to your water bottle and when you haven't picked it up to drink in awhile, it has a light that blinks to alert you that you need to drink.  Pretty cool right?!  I almost made the purchase but than I stopped to think for a minute.  The only way this device would be practical for me is if my water bottle is right in front of my face.  Which in that case, the device would be pretty useless because if my bottle is in front of my face, I don't really forget to drink.

I am constantly moving around, even when I'm just relaxing at home.  My house is very divided, and between kids, housekeeping, and the other random activities I partake in throughout the day, I'm hardly ever in the same room.  My water bottle is constantly being left where I am not.  Most of the time my water bottle gets left behind because my hands are usually pretty full (literally).  I needed to figure out a way to remind myself without taking on extra burden, something incorporated into what I have and use already.

Since, growing a third arm isn't really an option, I decided to use a different but just as useful method of reminding myself.  Alarms!  Early in the week I decided to put alarms on my phone to remind myself to drink.  I set it for about every 30 minutes.  At first this seemed to be working pretty good, but than it wasn't.  Though I have my phone on me more often than my water bottle, I didn't always have it on me.  After two poor hydration days in a row, I came up with a similar but better way to remind myself.

Alarm                                                             Alert                                                                    Drink                               

My FitBit!  I have the original FitBit Charge HR, it has an internal silent alarm.  The Charge can be set to vibrate on your wrist, its meant to ease you awake in the morning.  I had to set it to one hour increments because it will only allow up to eight alarms, so I had to spread them out a bit. This only gives me enough alarms for the first half of my day but that's the time day when I need the most help remembering.  Now that I have implemented this reminder system, I have been hitting my target water intake everyday!

Goal #2 - Stay Active Throughout the Day

In all honesty, I didn't focus on this as much as I intended to.  However, I did make an effort to have music on and do some dancing with the kids everyday.  This is a great way to spend family time, and get up and move.  I like to do this because it helps to encourage the kids to be active.  Unfortunately, the weather here in NY turned chilly once again so we did not spend anytime doing outdoor activities.  Sadly, it doesn't appear that it is going to get any warmer anytime soon, so I'll need to find indoor activities to do instead (besides working out and doing chores).

Goal #3 - Stretch More

I feel I didn't focus on this the way I should have either.  I love Country Heat, but there are several moves that involve twisting the hips and doing moves that can be a little uncomfortable on the hip joints.  Even though I have modified the moves (doing the moves with less exaggeration or minimal twisting) and I have done the end of workout stretching, I need a to do a little more.  I only incorporated extra stretching on the days my hips actually were experience discomfort.  Until, I'm in-shape and my hips are physically stronger, I need to focus on stretching everyday so that I don't injure myself.  I am debating about talking to my physical therapist to find out what other stretches and strengthening exercise I should incorporate.

Because this week went by so fast, I feel that I never truly got in front of it.  I basically, spent the week just keeping up.  I did take a look at my measurements in the middle of the week to share with a Facebook support group that I am part of, however, I'm not going to share those with you yet.  I'm going to make you wait till I've finished the entire Country Heat program.  I did see some fluctuation in my weight throughout the week, but this is typical for every person, so again I'm not sweating it.

I'm slightly disappointed with this week because I feel like I didn't make the most of it.  I set goals and I didn't really focus on them the way that I wanted to.  I'm okay with that because I know that there will be good weeks and bad weeks, and weeks that are mediocre like this one.  I like setting these mini goals because they give me something to push for and focus on.  I know that I'll have to revisit some of my goals multiple times.  Overall, I am pleased with what I've done, and how I am approaching my goals and fitness development so far.  I am feeling great all around, and that is what it's really about for me.

These are the things that I would like to focus on this week.

Goal #1 - Ease Into Meal Planning and Balancing My Diet

Though I have been monitoring my caloric intake, and being careful (most of the time) to not under or over eat, I am not really making sure that I am eating a balanced diet.  I try to incorporate some fruits and vegetables everyday, but I feel its not enough.  I also don't plan very far in advance and often find myself settling for something that is easy to make last minute, instead of what is the healthiest option.

This week I want to plan ahead, and work on balancing out my diet in advance.  Though I probably won't prep all my meals, I'll at least prep stuff that is practical to prep.  I feel like this will really allow myself to focus on eating properly.  Plus it will make for a less stressful meal prepping and dining experience on a daily basis.  There are Portion Fix Containers that you can purchase through Beachbody, I was lucky enough to get some from my sister because she had an extra set.  I will be using them to help me with portion control while still calorie counting.  I know that the containers are meant to replace calorie counting, but I've been calorie counting on and off my whole life so it is what I am most comfortable with at this point.

Goal #2 - Fit and Healthy Away from Home

This weekend I'll be going out of town to spend time with a friend.  I am really looking forward to spending time with my friend, but I'm not looking forward to trying to work out away from the comfort of my own home.  I am still debating whether I am going to double my workout in advance of going out of town, or reserve it and double it up when I come back, or a little of both, or to try to do it while I'm out of town.  Because Beachbody on Demand is available wherever I have internet access, my possibilities are endless.

Eating healthy and balanced will also be a challenge, because I will not me preparing my own meals.  This will making it more difficult to monitor my intake, so I'll have to be extra diligent with my portion control and staying away from "bad" foods.

Goal #3 - Stretching Everyday

I feel I really need to focus on this because I am starting to feel more and more discomfort in my hips as I am progressing further into the program.  I really don't want to injure myself for obvious reasons, but I really don't want to start over again. I'm tired of repeating that cycle.

I am so excited that I am moving into week four of Country Heat and a little sad too.  I'm having so much fun and I really don't feel like I am working out.  Being that Country Heat is a 30 day program I will not be posting next Monday.  Instead, I will be posting all my results on Transformation Tuesday.  I can't wait to share my progress with you, my thoughts on Country Heat, what I've learned and what my next program will be (which is currently undecided).  I am so excited to be on this journey!!! Thank you all for sharing this journey with me, whether you are just cheering me on, or sweating right along side of me, I really appreciate your support.  See you next week.

Just Me,

International Women's Day Mani Swap Circle

Hello Lovelies!  Today, I bring you my contribution to a very special Mani Swap Circle nail art.  This Mani Swap Circle color scheme is dark purple and white, in recognition of International Women's Day.  International Women's Day will be March 8th and, "is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.  The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity." (www.internationalwomensday.com)  I love this collage and what it represents!

For this Mani Swap Circle I had the wonderful opportunity to recreate one of @uptown.nails lovely nail art designs.  She has so many incredibly beautiful nail art designs, so please check her out on Instagram.  I chose this design because I liked it's feminine quality.  I also wanted to do something freehand because I needed the practice, and free-handing makes me feel empowered.

I started with Nabi Lacquer "Velvet 1" and Salon Perfect "Sugar Cube."  Then using a green nail art stripper I painted on some vines.  I then used a flat brush and my purple polish to create the flowers on the vines.  I used the brush much like a dotting tool.

I finished up the design with a clean up and a quick drying topcoat, like usual.

My short nub nails don't do @uptown.nails original design true justice, but I love them for what they represents.  If you are curious about International Women's Day, head over to www.internationalwomensday.com to find out more.  Don't forget to checkout @uptown.nails on Instagram, you can follow me there too, @me_crystal_b.  You can also follow me on Facebook and Pinterest too.  Thank you so much for stopping by, see you soon.

Just Me,