Help! I'm lost in a world of CLUTTER!

One of the three daily vital behaviors of being a Beachbody coach is reading personal development books.  I'm a book worm, so if the book is interesting to me, this isn't a problem.  We're supposed to read 10 minutes a day, but I read closer to an hour a day.  

Right now I am reading "You Can You Will" by Joel Osteen.  Whether you agree with his religious stance or not, he is a great motivational speaker.  I don't always agree with his religious views, but a lot of what he says does make sense.  This book is really changing my perspective on my own attitude about myself and my surroundings.  (I'm not officially endorsing this book, but rather just sharing my own personal opinion of it.)

Now I must admit, I am a totally messy person.  It bothers me sometimes, but most of the time, I just overlook it.  I am usually dressed nice and have my hair and makeup done, but my house and my car are just a cluttered mess.  Quite frankly, we just have way too much stuff for our small house, and I find it very difficult to organize.  I don't even really try.  I have noticed, though, that this affects other areas of my life.  I really find it hard to concentrate when I sit down at the computer to work or do homework when the house is a mess.  

In one part of the book, Osteen says that to be abundantly blessed, you need to take care of what you have.  This means your material possessions, your surroundings, your environment, and YOURSELF.  I have the taking care of myself part down pat.  I eat well, exercise daily, and keep my appearance nice.  My surroundings-not so much.  This is something I need to really work on.  It is an area of weakness for me.  So, this weekend, I am going to tackle first my bathroom since it's always a mess, and then I'm moving on to the kitchen.  One room at a time, I will get myself organized.  If you drive by this weekend and see me pitching stuff out the windows, don't be alarmed.  I'm just cleaning.  :)

Ultimate Reset-DAY 21!!!!

I DID IT! I completed the Beachbody Ultimate Reset!!!!  YAY!!!!  I am SO excited that I stuck it through to the end and actually completed it. It wasn't without some bumps in the road, some hiccups along the way, but it is DONE.  I didn't quit.  

I lost a total of 10 pounds and TWELVE INCHES!!!  I was STUNNED to see that I lost that many inches!  I'm sleeping better, my skin is SO clear, and my energy is finally starting to pick up.  I am ready for my next journey!  

What's next, you ask?  Well that would be 21 Day Fix Extreme!!  I'm kicking it off tomorrow with Plyo Extreme.  Beachbody CEO, Carl Daikeler, posted this message on his Facebook page on Friday: 

"This Monday the Beachbody Challenge Du Jour can do a lot of good for a lot of people!

Complete “Plyo Fix Extreme” from 21 Day Fix Extreme as your workout on the Beachbody On Demand platform Monday 3/23/15 between 12:01 AM PT to 11:59PM PT – and I’m donating $100 to IjmInternational Justice Mission to help end slavery, up to $100,000!

Last Monday 500 people did Plyo Fix Extreme. So the question is; can we double it this Monday?

I’ll be doing my workout at 5:30AMPT if you care to join me – but that’s beside the point. If you’re a member of Team Beachbody club and complete the Plyo Fix Extreme on Monday – your workout counts and $100 goes to truly make a difference. I hope you share this, and I hope we can count on your workout!"

If you would like to join me and the rest of my team, you can do so by contacting me here or email me and I will help you get started!!!

Watch for updates on my 21 Day Fix Extreme journey as well as my thoughts on the program.  I'm even planning on sharing a few of my favorite Fix Extreme-approved meals!!  

Ultimate Reset Day 20

I missed a few days of posting.  Sometimes, life is just hectic, and mine has been the last few days!! Being a coach, mom, and full-time student leaves my plate full most of the time.  I can promise you I have kept on my journey even if I haven't been posting because my health is on the top of my list of priorities.  I can't offer my best to others if I'm not giving it to myself!

The last few days of Reset have been mentally tough.  I am just ready to be done.  I miss meat. I miss cheese.  I missed working out REALLY bad, so I did get back into that yesterday.  I didn't push myself too hard.  It felt SO good to move and work my body, though!!  

At this point, I haven't weighed myself.  I can tell you that I feel pretty good.  My skin is SO soft and more clear than it's ever been.  I really do feel like I'm glowing for the first time ever.  I have been sleeping great. I fall asleep right away at night, and I stay asleep all night.  I've never been a good sleeper, so this is something that I am greatly pleased about.  I have also noticed that my teeth seem to be a lot more white, and I'm sure that's from not drinking any pop or coffee, and I've also heard that certain foods like strawberries help whiten your teeth, and I've been eating a lot of those!  

I did discover a food that I have become completely OBSESSED with.  Actually, a couple of foods.  I found this stuff at our grocery store called broccoli cole slaw.  It's shredded broccoli, carrots, and cabbage, and it is SO GOOD added to salads with baby greens and spinach.  Another thing I really love on my salads is sprouted pumpkin seeds.  These are a little more expensive, but the bag lasts forever.  They are also super good as a snack if you toast them in the oven at 450 for around 5 minutes with a little bit of olive oil and Himalayan salt.  

The broccoli slaw I found at our small grocery store in town, and the pumpkin seeds I got at the health food store.  I keep the pumpkin seeds in the fridge to help them last longer.  I've had this bag for 3 weeks, eat them almost every day, and you can see there is still quite a bit left in there.  

Tomorrow is my LAST DAY.  I feel like I have learned a lot about myself doing this cleanse.  I already knew I was an emotional eater and one to eat when I was bored, but I have found alternative methods to dealing with my feelings other than eating.  I also learned that I am terrible at remembering to take pills.  They aren't my thing.  I've missed the supplements a few times on this journey.  Whoops.

I am looking forward to completing 21 Day Fix Extreme over the next 3 weeks, and I know it will be easier to stick to the meal plan after completing Ultimate Reset as most of my cravings are gone, and the meal plan for Extreme isn't nearly as restrictive.  I am going to miss the detailed meal plan, though.  I think that was my favorite part of Ultimate Reset!  It took all the guess work out of every meal of the day. 

Ultimate Reset-Day 16

Today shall forever be known as the day I had a major panic attack in the bathroom.  

So last night, I had beets and asparagus for supper.  I LOVE beets, so I ate my fair share.  I warned my children that if their pee was orange or pink today, it was from the beets and there was no need to panic.  I should've taken my own advice...

Breakfast today was Chocolate Vegan Shakeology with coconut oil and a side of fresh raspberries and strawberries.  YUM!!  

Lunch was cabbage salad.  It was DISGUSTING.  I barely ate.  

I spent all day with a HORRIBLE headache and stiff neck.  I was pretty sure I was coming down with something.  I even came home and took a nap after work because I felt SO rotten.

Supper was a baked sweet potato and steamed veggies. It was ok.  I didn't eat much because I still wasn't feeling that great.  

Ok, the rest of this is TMI, so if you have a problem with poop, stop reading here.  If not, read on.  So after supper, I had a major stomach ache. Kind of a crampy in my guts, yucky feeling. I went to the bathroom, and had a pretty decent movement.  When I wiped, I just about had a heart attack.  The toilet paper was all RED.  For a good 20 seconds (which feels like an eternity when you think you're dying), I was convinced that I had a GI bleed or something.  Then I remembered....the BEETS.  I had a pretty good laugh at myself after I got done panicking.  Strangely enough, after I went to the bathroom, my neck quit hurting and my headache got a lot better.  I must have been holding on to a bunch of toxins.  

I am down to just SIX DAYS, and I am SO looking forward to being done!!  

Ultimate Reset-Day 15!!!

Do you see that?  It's the END!  It's in sight!!!  And I can't WAIT to be done!

I decided to do one extra day of week 2 since I was sick on Friday night and all day Saturday and missed pretty much a whole day of supplements.  So since there is no meal plan for day 15 in week 2, I decided to do Shakeology for breakfast (since I refuse to skip a day anymore and we had church today), the super yummy cucumber tomato quinoa salad for lunch, and then steamed broccoli and asparagus for supper.  There have been a lot of recipes that I will never eat again (like the pinto beans and rice), but some of them will DEFINITELY be incorporated into my regular meal planning.  That cucumber tomato quinoa salad is my favorite by far in this plan.  The southwest veggie tacos from week one were super yummy, too.  One good thing about this plan is there are a lot of recipes in it that I would've probably never tried if I wouldn't have had to, and some of them were super good.  

Tomorrow I will start week three.  It's going to be possibly the most challenging week yet as there is NO grains at all.  It is just fruits and veggies.  The good part is there is no beans.  Haha.  I am getting really excited to finish and see my results.  

Ultimate Reset-Day 13 & 14

Day 13 started out great.  I ate my fruit for breakfast, had a microgreen salad for lunch, remembered to take all my supplements on time, got my water in, and felt really good.  Then mid-day, I started to not feel so good.  As the day progressed, I felt worse and worse.  By evening, I had a full-blown case of the stomach flu.  Great.  

I started drinking Shakeology in July of 2014 and have not missed a single day since until I started doing Ultimate Reset.  I really truly believe that Shakeology keeps my immune system operating at peak performance because my whole entire family had influenza this winter, and I didn't get it.  My daughters both had strep throat which I am highly susceptible to, and I didn't get that either!  The worst thing I had all winter was a small case of the sniffles for a couple of days, and I'm normally sick several times in the winter.  There is a reason why they call it "The healthiest meal of the day."  I truly believe that all of the nutrients in it have helped improve my health so much.  

The point of the Ultimate Reset is to teach you to eat and eat the proper foods for your body to operate properly.  Therefore, Shakeology is allowed, but is not worked into the daily meal plan.  It is okay to sub it for breakfast or snack a few times a week, but it is encouraged to EAT your meals.  So while I have had it a few times for a snack or breakfast, I haven't been doing it every day like I normally do.  Never again will I miss a day.  I don't care what the reasoning is.  I have spent the last 18 hours running to the bathroom.  I am not enjoying this.  

I am not taking the detox supplement today as I believe it is just aggravating my poor system. I am also trying to still make smart decisions for food, but I am avoiding greens and other things high in fiber because I just don't need them today.   Tomorrow, I will resume on plan on day 15 assuming I am feeling better.  

Ultimate Reset-Days 11 & 12

I didn't post for the last two days.  In the program guide for the Ultimate Reset, is says that there will come a point in the cleanse where you start to have an emotional cleansing, too.  Apparently days 11 & 12 were my days for that.  I pretty much cried continuously from the evening of the 11th day through most of the day yesterday.  I even cried at work which I never do!   By the end of the evening last night, I felt much better.  I felt like a weight had been lifted off of me, and I slept great last night.  I woke up feeling at peace and well rested.

I am really looking forward to the end of this journey.  I am ready to move on to the next phase.  I know I've been saying this a lot, especially if you follow me on Facebook, but I miss working out.  I am eager to get back to my morning routine!

Ultimate Reset-Day 10

Yes, I know I'm a little bit late with my post.  I'm sorry.  I was on a really awesome team call for our Beachbody coaching team last night, and was all inspired to get to work afterward and I just plain forgot to post!  

Yesterday, I FINALLY got over my headache.  I was seriously starting to think it was never going to go away.  I was also quite excited to get dressed yesterday and discover that the dress pants that I couldn't even GET ON a few months ago were loose!  Yay!!

I am officially on the downhill slide of this program.  I am feeling pretty good.  I am a little bit nervous about completing it because it's been really nice having all three meals a day laid out for me.  I AM super excited to be done, though, so that I can work out again. I am itching like crazy to get moving, sweat, and start carving out some muscle on this mom body!  Summer is COMING and I'm going to be READY.  I may even buy shorts for the first time since I was about 10.  :D

Ultimate Reset-Day 9!

I did much, much better today staying on plan.  I didn't make the sweet potato and roasted red pepper bisque because I was fighting a horrible headache all day, so I had leftover rice and beans and steamed broccoli for supper.  

The weather was so beautiful here today, and I really wanted to go for a walk, but my youngest wasn't feeling it, so I decided to fire up the new Beachbody On Demand and pick out a new yoga workout.  Since there are a total of 11 of Beachbody's most popular full programs on there, narrowing one down wasn't easy, but I decided to go with P90X3 Yoga, and I am SO glad I did!  It was just what I needed.  

I noticed that I am a lot more flexible than I was before I started doing the Reset, which is nice.  I used to be super flexible, but I've lost it somewhere over the years.  One of my goals is to get back into yoga and get flexible again.  

I am feeling really good except for this darn headache.  I can't figure out what it is from.  I'm not a heavy caffeine user, so I know it isn't from caffeine withdrawal, especially this far into the game.  Apparently I'm just really toxic.  I'll take the headache as a good sign because it means everything is getting worked out of my system.   

Ultimate Reset-Day 8!

Day 8.  I made it through one whole week.  And today I bombed.  Big time.  I did okay for breakfast (a sliced apple and Shakeology because we were running late for church.)  I had a salad for lunch before the church council meeting.  I drank lots of water all day.  And then supper came, and my husband suggested we go out for supper because the two big kids were with Grandma for the night, and we just had the littlest one.  I had every intention of getting a caesar salad with no meat, dressing, or croutons.  Then we got there and I caved.  I ordered pizza.  And it was delicious.  I only ate one piece, and stopped. And I DIDN'T have any pop.  I was good there and drank two big glasses of water.  But I felt SO guilty afterward.  

Tomorrow is Monday.  Tomorrow I am getting my head back in the game and staying on track.  

Honestly, I am finding this detox to be a lot more of a mental challenge than anything.  I find it really hard to explain to people why I can't eat the cookie they're offering me.  I find myself wanting to lie and say I'm diabetic or something so that they'll leave me alone.  I can't even clearly explain what I'm thinking.  Physically, I don't really feel the cravings anymore.  My mouth doesn't water when I smell pizza or cookies or whatever.  It's all mental.  I never realized what an emotional eater I was until I started this.  I guess that's all part of the process.  

I must confess that I am really looking forward to being done and working out again.  Today was a beautiful day outside (over 30 degrees which is a heatwave in Minnesota right now), and I wanted SO BADLY to go for a run.  Just 15 more days.  I can do this.  I WILL do this!  And tomorrow, I will gag down beans.  :P

Days 6 & 7-Ultimate Reset

I realized last night when I finally crawled into bed at 11:30 that I forgot to post, so you're going to get a summary of yesterday and today in one post.  :)

Yesterday, I woke up and was absolutely AMAZED at how much my stomach had started shrinking.  I wasn't planning on sharing any progress pictures until the end of the process, but I had to share because I was so blown away!

I still have a lot of progress to make, but I was quite pleased with these results after just six days!  I booked our family vacation to Wisconsin Dells today, so that's even more motivation to stick to this and hit my workouts hard after I finish.  

Today I am now going to refer to as the day I decided to become a vegetarian.  I never ever dreamed I would say this, but I am starting to LOVE fruits and veggies so much.  I had a huge plate of fresh fruit for breakfast this morning, and each bite was a flavor explosion in my mouth.  It was so delicious.  My husband made burgers on the grill tonight for him and the kids, and when he brought them in the house, I almost threw up.  They smelled so bad.  I am a HUGE burger fan, but it smelled awful to me!  I haven't been this repulsed by the smell of meat since I had morning sickness with my first pregnancy.  

Tomorrow is the start of phase two.  I'm a little bit nervous about the detox supplement.  I'm really hoping it doesn't upset my stomach because I have a rather sensitive stomach.  All the reviews I have read have said that it is gentle on the system, so I'm probably just being paranoid for no reason.  :)  

Ultimate Reset-Day 5

Today's blog post is brought to you by the letters S and F for SHORT FUSE.(I bet you thought I was going to say something naughty!)  Oh my goodness.  I have ZERO patience today, and everything is making me want to scream and/or cry.  I just keep telling myself that it's a sign that the cleanse is working.

My day started out with me oversleeping which I never do.  I must've been tired!  Then I had steel cut oats with apple chunks and walnuts.  It was SO GOOD!! 

 For lunch, I had a quinoa salad with cucumbers and cherry tomatoes.  I seriously think that is THE BEST thing I have had yet!  

I seemed extra accident-prone today, too.  I whacked my head on a shelf at work, ran into a post at the gas station with my car, and fell down the stairs at home.  I don't think this has anything to do with the detox, but it sure didn't help my mood.  It is a full moon tonight, so maybe that has something to do with it. 

The good news is I am starting to get over my cravings, and my body seems to be adjusting to 3 meals a day.  I didn't even have a snack today!  I never thought I would enjoy a meal plan that omitted meat and dairy, but I am really starting to develop a love for vegetables.  I have always liked a fair amount of them, but now I am learning new ways to cook them, and it makes them even better!

It is also quite pleasant to not need caffeine to get through my day, especially since I enjoyed mine in the form of diet soda a,k.a poison in a 20 oz bottle.  I feel like I am sleeping so much better since I'm not drinking caffeine during the day, too.  And my belly is starting to shrink!  I am SO excited about that!!  

Now, I am off to take my tired, grumpy accident-prone butt to bed.  :O)

Ultimate Reset-Day 4

Today I learned that I hate lentils.  Really, really, hate them.  I literally had to force myself to not throw up.  I have a major thing with textures.  I am really struggling to eat all these beans, but I'm getting them down.  I just couldn't do the lentils.  I think my face speaks for itself.

I woke up this morning at 5:30 with no alarm.  I watched TONS of videos on reviews of the Ultimate Reset before I decided to do it, and when the people said they would literally jump out of bed in the morning, I thought they were lying.  While I didn't quite jump, I didn't have to drag myself kicking and screaming like I normally do!  I felt pretty fabulous until about 3 pm.

As you go through the Reset, you become more in tune with your habits regarding everything, not just eating.  I am learning a lot about myself.  I am really struggling to get through some of my bad habits like gorging on crap every afternoon between 3 & 4 pm.  I've been doing it for as long as I can possibly remember, and it's such an AWFUL habit.  I'm about to get a little sappy here, so just bear with me for a minute (another part of Reset-dealing with your emotions).

The lady pictured below is my grandma.  The baby is me.  From the time I was born until she passed away when I was 27, she was a daily part of my life.  I didn't go to daycare as a child.  My grandma took care of my brother and me when my parents were at work.  My grandma was a food pusher.  My dad jokes that if she would've pushed drugs the way she pushed food, she would have been a millionaire.

My grandma spoiled me rotten.  I won't deny it.  Whatever I wanted for food, I got.  She never tried to make me eat anything healthy, either.  When I was in elementary school, I rode the bus to her house every day after school, and every day, she would either have a Totinos pizza, pizza rolls, chicken strips, or those little square southern style hashbrowns and Dr. Pepper waiting for me.  Whatever I wanted, I got.  This continued on through high school.  I basically ate 4 meals a day.  Normally, this is fine, but none of the meals I was eating were overly healthy.  Everything was processed, pretty much.  Back in the 1980s and 90s, we didn't know that was so bad.  

I never realized it until today but I have continued to keep that habit of eating crap in the late afternoon.  I'm not even hungry most of the time, it's just a habit.  Maybe it's an emotional thing because I miss my grandma so much.  I don't know.  What I do know is I'm going to take full advantage of this Reset and kick that habit once and for all.  

Ultimate Reset-Day 3

Today was rough.  It was one of those days where nothing goes right, and I just did not feel stable enough to handle it all today.  When the internet went down and work and didn't come back on for 3 hours, I took that as a sign and I went home.

The guide for the Ultimate Reset says it is normal to feel emotional at different points throughout the program, and I sure did today.  I felt like biting people's heads off at the drop of a hat.  I went home and took my frustrations out on my kitchen and cleaned it from top to bottom, even cleaning the microwave!

(Side note-if your microwave is SUPER gross like mine was, put a microwave safe bowl full of water with some apple cider vinegar into the microwave and turn on for 5 minutes. Let sit another 5 minutes after it goes off.  Everything inside will just wipe right out!)

Today was once again a day of HUGE portions.  There is definitely no starving on this plan!  Breakfast was by far my favorite meal.  I didn't eat all of my lunch.  I honestly didn't care for the creamy garlic salad dressing.  All I could taste was the apple cider vinegar, and I am NOT a vinegar fan.  I will be eating my salads naked for the rest of the program.

On the positive side, my headaches have gone away, and I'm not finding myself running to the bathroom every 15 minutes, so my body must be adjusting to all of this water.

I started reading the book Superlife by Darin Olien last night, and I'm only on the first chapter and have decided that I will be sticking to this type of eating after I finish the Reset as it is what is best for our bodies.  I may need to find an alternative to the tempeh and salmon though.  ;)

Ultimate Reset-Day 2!

Wow.  The first half of today was kind of rough.  I fell asleep at 8:30 last night, but I didn't sleep super well.  I got up at 6 like normal, and I did have a super yummy breakfast.  Really, who can eat all this food?!  It's so much!

I also discovered that plain organic yogurt tastes exactly like sour milk.  Yum!  Haha.  You are allowed to add a tiny bit of pure maple syrup to it, but I decided that if I'm cutting sweets, I'm cutting all sweets.  Yes, I'm kind of stubborn.

Most of the day, I had a BAD headache, and I just felt like a slug.  I also felt kind of sad for no apparent reason, but I read that that was normal in the program guide, so I wasn't too concerned.  And oh my gosh, did I ever ITCH everywhere!  From doing cleanses in the past, I know this is a good sign, though, as it means your body is starting to release toxins.

After I picked my kids up from school/daycare, we went to my grandma's house.  She had a PIZZA waiting for the kids, but not just any pizza-my FAVORITE overly processed, chemical laden frozen pizza.  I didn't eat any, though!!  I was quite proud of myself!  That is a HUGE step for me!

Around late afternoon, I suddenly had this burst of energy and this mental clarity.  I don't know where it came from, but I was able to sit down and knock out a two page paper for school in 15 minutes that I've been trying to write for 4 days with no luck!

I am still having some cravings, but I am also learning the difference already between actual cravings and wanting to eat out of habit/boredom.  I have been wearing my bracelet that came with my kit, and every time I get the urge to cheat, I look down, see it, and resist the urge.

So far, so good!

Beachbody Ultimate Reset-Day 1!

Day 1 of the Beachbody Ultimate Reset is DONE!!!

What is the Ultimate Reset, you ask? It is a cleanse/detox, but unlike most cleanses on the market now days, it doesn't make you starve, and it doesn't have any harsh laxative effects.

In three gentle phases over the course of 21 days, the Ultimate Reset takes you through the natural steps needed to help your body Reclaim and rebalance itself, Release harmful toxic compounds that may be stored within, and Restore your system to its maximum health.

 I started this Reset because I seem to have developed bad cravings for junk food again, and I'm struggling to kick them on my own.  I also have some very stubborn midsection fat that I cannot seem to get rid of no matter how much I work out.  I decided it was time to take the bull by the horns and just reset my whole system.

I am not too proud of my "before" picture, but I KNOW that I will not look like this in 21 days.  (Please ignore the messy bathroom. I have a 6 year old son. Haha.)

The supplements that come with this system are pretty tolerable, and the meal plan is AWESOME.  Not once today did I feel deprived or hungry at all.  Plus it comes with a nifty DVD that shows you how to make the recipes in the book.  I am very excited about having my meals laid out for me for the next 3 weeks because while I love to cook, I HATE to meal plan!

The only thing I wa really skeptical about was the Alkalinize.  Green liquids don't appeal to me.

 Luckily, it is only 4 oz, so I just slammed it.  It tastes like canned spinach.  It isn't delicious, but it's definitely tolerable!

As I am winding down day one, I am definitely feeling more tired than I usually do at 8 pm.  I'm sure it's from not having any caffeine today.  Other than that, I feel pretty normal.  I am so excited to see how I feel in 21 days!

Stay tuned for my daily summary of this awesome plan!