Not Too Shabby!

We were so blessed to have the company of my grandparents and two cousins from Denver this week; we had a great time each evening and treasure every moment with them! Spending time with the family took priority over my exercise routine this week and I'm disappointed to say that I only got two workouts in all week (worth the time with the grandparents though:) I am encouraged to say that after all that yummy food and little exercise I was still able to lose 1 pound this week. I am going to repeat my intended workout schedule next week to ensure I get the most out of this exercise program. I am also going to add protein shakes to my diet next week; I've never been able to get shakes down before but I have found a tasty one from Vollara (contact me if you're interested:) that I AM going to use! As we go in to this holiday weekend, remember you don't have to deprive yourself but moderation is your best friend!

May the Lord richly bless you as you celebrate the life and Resurrection of His Son!

MORE Calories??

When you’re trying to lose weight your focus is on cutting food out, right? Well if you’re like me and you make an intense workout part of your daily routine and you’re not losing weight- you may need MORE calories! This was a foreign idea to me but when my Beachbody fitness coach suggested I up my calories from 1200 to at least 1600 a day I did not hesitate to eat more food! So, the change I made last week was to eat a healthy snack every 2 ½ - 3 hours (fat free yogurt, low fat string cheese, high protein Kashi bars) and kept my daily total to around 1600 calories; I surprisingly lost a whole 2 pounds last week, something I have had a hard time accomplishing the last few weeks! So, my suggestion to you is track every calorie you consume, make sure it’s good fuel for your body, and enough fuel for your body. (Sorry about the late post, this week’s post is just a few days away!)

Keep On Keeping On!

At what point do you want to give up? What keeps you motivated not to? For me, I used to want to give up if I hadn't lost my goal weight for ONE week, but I've learned (what everyone has been telling me!) it does take time! My goal is still to be at my ideal weight by the end of June, but my priority is to be the healthiest me I can be and that means not losing the weight as aggressively as I would probably like. I only lost 1/2 a pound this week and I'm surprisingly not discouraged! I am loving the Push phase of ChaLEAN Extreme and can't wait to see how far I've come at the end of the four weeks. I have lost 46 pounds to date and have 30 more to go to my "ideal" weight; but just 16 pounds to reach my pre-pregnancy weight (same with both pregnancies).

Last week I was feeling inspired (or maybe inspiring) and I created a Facebook group "Fit For Life" to encourage everyone I love to be fit for themselves! Take the time for YOU! This is your year to get healthy!!

Burn, Baby, Burn!

The past month has had its ups and downs but it sure ended on a high note! I managed to lose 2 1/2 pounds this week, the hard work paid off!! I did not update you the last couple weeks but rest assured I was working hard... the last four weeks I have completed the Burn phase of ChaLEAN Extreme which enabled me to lose a total of 4 inches and 4 pounds in 4 weeks (yes, all those 4s are a coincidence!)

Before ChaLEAN After Burn Phase

Big Effort Little Reward

Watch them Grow!

Thane turned 6 weeks old yesterday and as always, we're amazed at how much he's changed and grown! His little life has been such a blessing to us and we're grateful for each day we have with our little family. Everyone has their own opinion of who he looks like but we think he just looks like THANE :-) His name means Warrior and we pray that we are able to raise him to be a Warrior of Christ.

Shae is Mommy's little helper and has become very attached to her own baby :)

Ups and Downs...

We all have our ups and downs in life and if you've ever tried to lose weight this is something you may know too well! About mid week, I made the mistake of being over confidant in my weight loss and allowed myself too many "cheat treats", reversing my progress a little bit; oh when will I learn??! I am proud to say that I did reach my goal of losing 2 pounds this week but that additional pound I gained back still haunts me, motivating me to make next week a better week! I was able to start ChaLEAN Extreme this week, a 3 month DVD program of cardio and strength training that I will do 6 days a week. It shouldn't be long before I start seeing results and what better motivation?