On March 2, 2014, I started a fresh new workout schedule, which includes the continuation of a Runkeeper half marathon training plan, but in place of P90X, my friend and I began P90X3. The one thing I'd been SO looking forward to was 30 minute workouts as opposed to P90X's hour-plus workouts. And so far, I have NOT been disappointed. Quick, intense, get-the-job-done workouts in 30 minutes with Tony Horton. Yes please! I can already tell that, as long as I stick with it consistently and clean up my eating habits even more, this program is going to deliver some pretty amazing results. Today's Day 6, I have sore muscles (including abs!) and that makes me happy. Today's also day 97 in the December-1-through-now workout schedule streak. Sooooo close to 100!! Here's my before photo, and below are my beginning stats. I will likely keep progress updates on my #FitnessFriday blog posts once a month or so, rather than weekly, only because I have SO much info I want to share outside of my own personal progress. Maybe another round of Q&As as I get more questions from you, my lovely readers! P90X3 'BEFORE' STATS To go along with a new workout program (and now that my workout schedule is part of my daily routine), I've decided to take hold of my eating habits and begin making positive changes toward an even healthier "diet". I require something simple that I can stick to, nothing over-complicated, no need to count or keep track of anything at this stage in my journey. --------- If you're looking to learn portion control in a really easy way check out 21 Day Fix! --------- After some thorough research and references, I've decided that for me, to keep it as simple as possible with my crazy busy my life lately, I am going to ease myself in to a carb cycling routine. Two simple rules to follow, no crazy limitations, no counting calories. That's simple enough for me! Here's a great article that explains carb cycling in a really easy to follow way.
I'm incorporating Shakeology in to this plan, because of the dense nutrients all in one convenient place, and it's just so simple to whip up a tasty shake - adding in whatever tasty and healthy ingredients I have on hand to make it different every time! I'm looking forward so very much to see just how hard I can work, to continue to test and push my limits through what remains of winter and the spring that will *eventually* get here. I'm at the stage of my journey where I'm able to accept my body as it is (most days anyway!!), while also working toward improving it because it feels good to me to do so. This summer, I want to flaunt a bikini and NOT feel bad for it!! Not to feel "better than" anyone else, but just to feel -for real- really good about myself and what I will have achieved by then! As always, please do let me know if there's ANYTHING I can do to aid you in your own journey to better health, fitness and/or weight loss. I reached Emerald Coach rank with Team Beachbody and I'm SO excited to see where this venture leads -- for me, it's NOT about the money -- it's about doing my part to end the trend of obesity and poor health. To support, encourage and cheer you on. So, just know that even if you never purchase a Beachbody product through me, I'm here to support you in whatever way I'm able. Very best wishes, until next time, Chandra
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I love to shop local when I'm able. And when shopping local also supports a great cause (on top of supporting a local business), then all the better! So when I was asked to review some Windy Hill Vanilla products, I was very happy to say yes! Suz is a busy mom of four. She started Windy Hill Vanilla alongside her children after making natural homemade lip balm for their teachers as gifts. Not satisfied with the “pure” vanilla that had added colors, corn syrup or flavors, Suz sourced a more natural, less processed vanilla, and as she and the children acquired the ingredients to make more products, business expanded and grew. Not only does this business help sustain this loving family, but they also use part of the proceeds from their sales to provide food for a group of local youths who gather at their home for Bible study lessons. What a great example of giving back to their community!! As for the products themselves, Suz very kindly sent me several to try out and review. The product in the photo to the right is their Simply Vanilla Hand and Foot Balm, which comes in a 4oz jar for $5. This is a deep moisturizing balm for extra dry skin, perfect for the dry winter air of winter in Indiana! My older son and I both have to moisturize our skin extra thoroughly through the winter, or else we end up with red, dry, chapped, cracked skin (especially our hands!). His skin has been especially susceptible this year, and so this balm comes to us at a perfect time! I've had him use it on his hands and forearms every night after his shower and we've seen great improvement in his skin. No longer chapped, painful or itchy, this stuff works wonders!! I received an Apricot Freesia Shampoo Bar also. I've never used anything but liquid shampoo in the past, so this was all new to me. It lathers up great, smells wonderful and left my hair feeling really clean - definitely different from any commercial shampoos I've ever used. The instructions on the card suggest a light rinse of apple cider vinegar as a conditioner or even go without using conditioner. It is suggested to try this shampoo on its own for at least a full week for optimum results, then only using a traditional conditioner every couple of weeks, or as needed. These Hard Lotion Bars are amazing!! Another really great product for the dry air and dry skin of wintertime. These are Jamaica Me Crazy scent, which I LOVE. They are available in different shapes and, of course, many different scents. Best of all, the lotion and its scent lasts 10-12 hours before needing to be reapplied. And, once spring and summer eventually get here, it's good to know that these bars can also be made with zinc and used as a sunscreen! I have two young children, and would LOVE to use a more natural sunscreen on them during the summer months. Also available are hard lotion bar kits (and refills) to create your very own hard lotion bars, as a great craft for children, or to give as a gift to a crafty person you know! And last but not least, the product that started it all. Simply Vanilla lip balm. After trying out this lip product, it's easy to see how it got so popular and this business began. It goes on in a nice layer, protects lips from getting chapped and has a wonderful vanilla scent. I've tried commercial lip balms, so many of them, trying to find just the right one. This -all natural product- is one that I would most definitely buy in the future. Visit Windy Hill Vanilla's website for their full range of products and scents (including sugar scrub and laundry detergent), or connect on Facebook. Hello and welcome to this week's #FitnessFriday blog post! It's a free-for-all from here on out, and so I thought I'd go a somewhat different route this time around and answer a few of YOUR questions, dear readers. :) The obligatory DISCLAIMER: I am in no way a physician or other health professional with a degree or certification. I speak from my own personal experience, research and reviews, so take my words with a grain of your own research, second opinions, run them past your physician, and most importantly, listen to your OWN body, intuition and good sense. And so to start... 1. "ok, I want to know what is best to get rid of belly fat after two babies! I had two C-sections and its hard to get those muscles to work again!" I'm still working to get rid of belly fat after two babies, too! I have noticed a difference though when I do workouts that involve ab and core exercises. And I don't mean just crunches!! No, the more I work on my balance and stability (core), the more I notice a difference in my tummy area. Yoga, pilates and standing ab/core exercises are all great options. I found this online article from Shape Magazine that has some great ab/core exercise suggestions. This online article from Jen Reviews contains a comprehensive guide on how to build your own workout routine, with advice from a two-time Olympian. 2. "How did you get so fast? I've only been running a couple months, I'm 40, normal weight. I can't get under 10:50 or so pace. Too soon, too old?" First of all, congratulations on such a great pace for only having been running for a couple of months! I've been a runner for four years now, and for what seemed like the very longest time, a 10:00 pace was my big goal. Once I reached that goal, and more recently, having stuck consistently and unwaveringly to a Runkeeper training plan, my pace has improved vastly! Consistency is key. Stick with it, listen to your body, pay attention to your running form and with time and consistency your pace will improve. Keep up the great work! 3. "well, when you first started, did you have a schedule for running ie: mile a week etc. or did you just go with it until you built up endurance?" I first started out using an app for my iPod Touch, called Couch to 5k (C25K), which starts you out three days a week, and alternates walking and running, incrementally increasing the amount of running you do until you're running a full 5k! I believe it's a nine week program. Since then, I've followed various training plans. I like to follow a schedule or plan to help keep myself on track. It helps not to have to think about it on a day-by-day basis and just look at my pre-planned workout schedule and go. If YOU have a question you'd like for me to answer, feel free to leave a comment here on the blog or message me. I'm all for sharing my experience to help others achieve their goals! Co-hosted by:
I sit here listening to Rage Against the Machine, my original "rebel" music. I guess I'm in that kind of mood at the moment. A rebellious one. I even used to play a couple RATM songs on the bass guitar. I miss that. Um, so what exactly does that have to do with health and fitness? It is #FitnessFriday after all. Well, I've set one good habit (consistent workout schedule) in motion these past 83 days, and now, very soon, it's time to get another good habit started. See, I've allowed my self-saboteur to rule the roost where it concerns food, while I honed in my focus completely on establishing a regular workout routine without skipping, giving up or giving in to a crappy excuse. I've allowed myself to rebel against the positive changes with food... all the while still making forward progress and maintaining consistency where exercise is concerned. Too much change all at once and I shut down, I rebel, I revert. And so very slowly I'm adding in one new habit, holding it consistently over time, no excuses for letting it drop. If I happen to let it slide, I pick right back up again. And now that the workout habit is routine (not IF but WHEN!) I shall focus on changing eating habits, finding the root cause of my seeming addiction to richly sweet things (chocolate, frosting, cookies, brownies, and so on...), nourishing my body without over-stuffing myself, saying no to snacking just for the sake of snacking... I let these good behaviors and habits slide, and now it's time to have a balance of healthy eating (and only occasional indulging) and exercise. I aim to bring the two together and be done with rebelling against my highest good altogether. I'm weaning off the extra treats and surplus snacking over the next week... And then on March 2 begins P90X3 alongside our half marathon training plan... half hour workouts mean more time to focus on my eating habits and make sure I stick to healthier options and reasonable portions. If that means I need to begin recording and logging my food intake again temporarily to keep myself honest and in check, I will. You'll see me back over on MyFitnessPal again in that case! Also, Shakeology and I will be really good friends, I just know it. I'm really loving it so far!! I've tried chocolate and vanilla, and I get to try greenberry soon. Speaking of Shakeology, I've got a giveaway going on currently in honor of my four year running anniversary... check it out and enter here! After that, who knows, maybe I'll pick up that bass guitar again and begin to refresh myself on the 3 songs I learned back in the day... one good habit at a time. If I can help you along your health and fitness journey in any way, I'm here... just reach out. I love to help others succeed in aiming for and reaching their goals!! You have an open invitation to join my Fitness With Friends group on Facebook. Helping you stay accountable helps ME stay accountable too! All the best, until next time, Chandra Co-hosted by:
In honor of my FOUR YEAR running anniversary this month, I thought I'd host a giveaway here at my blog. What better way to celebrate my own fitness journey than to pass along something healthy, nutritious and useful to another on their fitness journey, right?! And so, I give you this... one lucky winner will receive a Shakeology shaker cup plus TWO packets of Shakeology - one chocolate and the other vanilla. Simply enter using the form below -- be sure to come back and tweet each day for extra entries! Any questions? Message me or comment below! Best wishes, Chandra A huge THANK YOU to #DisneySide @Home Celebrations for an awesome box of party supplies for our #DisneySide party! It just so happened to come at just the right time to celebrate our little boy's second birthday! We went with a Mickey Mouse theme and Auntie Rachel made the great cake you see to your left. It's such a cool cake and the birthday boy LOVED it, with exclamations of "Wow!!!" when he saw it. We invited family and friends and had quite the crowd to celebrate little Tom's birth two years ago (why does it seem like it was only a few weeks ago???). I decided to DIY some Mickey Mouse ears for guests to wear, so I looked up a few tutorials and then put my own spin on them. Packs of 4 black headbands for $1 each at Dollar Tree, a printable Mickey Mouse ear template from The Suburban Mom, a sheet of black poster board and a hot glue gun. I had assistance from my big kid and my mom in cutting out the ears. They were just so easy to make and everyone loved them! Party Food!! We went with a "Hot Dog Hot Dog Hot Diggity Dog" bar and a "Make-Your-Own-Trail-Mix" bar to go along with the cake. Our trail mix bar included mini marshmallows, Goldfish, pretzels, Cheese-Its, yogurt covered raisins, sour cream & onion crackers, chocolate covered peanuts, banana chips, M&Ms, ginger snap cookies, Craisins, raisins and ranch sunflower seeds. We used the baking cups as trail mix cups. We also had Grandma Cindy make some delicious sugar cookies with the Disney cookie cutters from our party pack, which our guests got to frost and decorate themselves! Activities included coloring, lots of snacking, playing with a sea of balloons and general running around, visiting and awesome fun. I even managed to get the Mickey Mouse hat on Tom's head for a few moments, just for this photo. Aunty Rachel's friend, Calea, made it for him, especially for his party! Tom wore the great t-shirt his Grandma Bev made for his special day, and he very much loved ripping open all his wonderful gifts, including a hand-made train from his Grandpa Bill!! We are so incredibly blessed to have this little man in our lives and had such a great time throwing this party for him. It is most definitely one for the memory books!! If you'd like to host your own #DisneySide @Home Celebration, visit http://www.disneysidecelebrations.com/ for ideas, themes, resources and more! If you do, be sure to share with the hashtag #DisneySide so we can all be a virtual part of your party, too! My husband printed this Mickey Mouse figure using our 3D printer. Isn't it awesome?! Soon, we will be offering our own designs for print and sale on our e-commerce site, Vintage Gifts and More. Stay tuned!! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. I hope you enjoyed this post, and hope maybe you'll stick around a little bit, read a few other posts, see what I'm about as a mother, an entrepreneur, business owner, homeschooler, virtual assistant, social media manager and fitness coach..... and leave me a comment here on this blog post telling me a little bit about YOU! I love making new friends and acquaintances and would welcome the conversation! All the best.. Chandra Welcome back! Last week, I shared my Top Five fitness tips. This week, it's all about sharing more tips, tricks and techniques. And so we begin........ Slow progress is STILL progress!! The time will pass anyway, and so why give up when you're seemingly not seeing any "major" results?? I'm currently reading The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, publisher of Success Magazine. Basically, the everyday decisions you and I make shape our lives, down to the minutest of details. The more small positive decisions you make, the more consistent you are with them, the bigger the "payoff" -- you may not notice your body changing, but it IS, with every small positive step you take. Soon enough, the compound effect takes hold and the difference you see in front of you will be BIG. Stick with it, even when you don't see a big result right away. In our world of immediacy -- needing results NOW -- it can be tough. But I can tell you from personal experience consistency is so so important!! (BTW, that workout streak stands at day 76 today!!) I highly recommend reading The Compound Effect. Comparison often leads to jealousy. Jealousy is poison. Don't compare YOUR fitness journey with anyone else. We each have our own path, our own unique individual bodies and our own preferences, goals, aims and pace. Of course we can bounce ideas back and forth, reach out for support, share tips, ideas and such. However, at the end of the day, we MUST listen to our own bodies and do what's best for the individual YOU, not what's popular or what all the cool kids are doing. So often we're taught comparison, competition and assimilation from a very early age, to listen to 'authority' over our own selves and intuition, that we forget, or don't even learn in the first place, to TRUST ourselves, to listen to our own bodies and to follow what is best for ourselves as individuals. In my own four-year journey, I've fallen prey to comparison, to jealousy...... and then realized we're not all meant to look the same. I realized I have my own goals that are not exactly like anyone else's. I realized how important it is to follow my OWN path. Let me know if I can help you realize YOURS! :) Find me at Motivation., Fitness with Friends, and Running is my Zen. This last bit is not so much a tip as it is an open invitation. My friend Angela of FitPersonified, and I are starting P90X3 on March 2, 2014. We're hosting a Challenge Group and have just a few spots left for those wanting to get in on the action! The workouts are only 30 minutes long, so we're looking VERY forward to shorter workout times coming up. Click the photo to the left or contact me for more information on this awesome workout program -- perfect for ANY fitness level! P.S. I'm excited to receive my first shipment of Shakeology any day now -- chocolate and vanilla. I've heard great things and I'm anxious to give it a try firsthand. I'll post a review afterward and will have samples available on request for a very small fee. Let me know if you'd like to give it a go! Leave a comment, let me know one or two of YOUR best health, wellness or fitness tips! :) Co-hosted by:
This week's #FitnessFriday blogging theme is Fitness and/or Nutrition Tips. This is such a broad theme that I've decided I would narrow it down to my own personal "top five" fitness tips. 1. Set goals. Without goals you're aimless. What is your top priority? Whether it's losing weight, getting fit, eating healthy, running a certain distance, learning a new physical activity, set realistic (S.M.A.R.T.) goals. Goals help you stay on track toward achieving your dreams. Goals give you a WHY, a reason to move forward, to challenge yourself. Just remember that unforeseen setbacks and obstacles DO occur and perseverance is key to finding ways around them! 2. Make sure you have a strong WHY -- your reason(s) for wanting to get healthy, to lose weight, to become a stronger, fitter, more vital you. Write down your reasons and remember them when you don't feel like working out, when you're tempted to binge on too many sweets and when that multitude of excuses barrage you each and every day of your journey. When your WHY is strong, so is your determination that NOTHING will stop you from achieving your goals and dreams. 3. Accountability!!! It is so important to find, build and maintain friendships and relationships that offer support toward you and your goals. If your immediate family doesn't support your goals, find a friend or a group online who will. Come on over to my Fitness With Friends group on Facebook. We're such a friendly bunch, always supportive, open and encouraging, never judgmental or competitive. It's all about individual support and collective advancement. 4. Stick up for yourself when it comes to the excuses that would unnecessarily hold you back. Also, go easy and gentle on yourself when you encounter a setback, an obstacle or when you let an excuse temporarily get the better of you. Be your own best friend, advocate and guide. Learn to trust yourself and your own body's signs and signals. Question the excuses that pop in to your head. You can easily talk yourself out of even the best of intentions, so really dig deep and you'll find that not a single one of your excuses really hold water when you're determined enough to break self-limiting habits and beliefs. 5. And last, read this article. I *highly* recommend it. One last thing, a slight bit of a promo, because I really like the premise of this new workout program. It's great for those just getting started on their health and fitness journey, for busy people and... well, for anyone really. Workouts are 30 minutes long and the program comes with color-coded containers that let you focus on portion control, NOT calorie counting and NOTHING is off limits -- not even chocolate or wine! Check out the details on Team Beachbody's 21 Day Fix here. Co-hosted by:
Click the links below to connect with me: This week's blogging topic for #FitnessFriday is "Inspiration." Who inspires you? Who is your fitness hero? Why? What have you learned from the person or people who inspire you? I have to say, when I first started my fitness journey in February 2010, I hadn't watched The Biggest Loser before. And so, when I first saw it at some point after my health journey start date, I was intrigued. Hooked. Loved Jillian Michaels in particular. The way she's portrayed to get to the bottom of the contestants' life issues -- no nonsense, no bullcrap, no excuses. She's sympathetic to a degree, but won't allow the contestants to wallow. She digs deep in to their truth and helps them rebuild their confidence, which in turn fuels their fire to take better care of themselves, to treat themselves better and to find the drive to really believe in themselves. She's been down the weight loss road. She's walked the walk. When I learned her story, I was inspired even further to dig deep through my issues, and though I haven't lost weight nearly as quickly as any of the Biggest Loser contestants, I much prefer the slow and steady, this-weight-will-stay-off route anyhow. But, I feel like I can identify with Jillian so much... I have that fiery passionate side that she shows so often. I have that within me as well and I'd love to help more and more people believe in themselves enough to achieve their goals. She is helping people in such a BIG way. I admire that. I'd love to emulate that, but with my own personal twist of course. :) Bob Harper too. I realized after sticking with Jillian's workouts for so long, I needed a change of pace (not to mention Bob Harper's workout DVDs were on a hugely discounted sale at the time!), so I bought up a bunch of his workouts. WOW! I found that I really love his instruction and workout style too! They have such differing styles, yet they complement one another so well, and so I get something different but great out of each of their workout DVDs. I recently updated my website's store to reflect some of my favorite products: specifically, workout DVDs (of course, heavy on the Jillian and Bob DVDs), equipment, books and foods. Check them out by clicking here! And so I shall keep this week's blog post short and sweet...... I know, quite the change from last week, right?! As always, if I can help you in any way... motivation, accountability, product recommendation, advice, tips... anything... just let me know! Leave me a comment to let me know you stopped by. Have a GREAT weekend! Co-hosted by:
Click the links below to connect with me: A while back I applied to be a Celebration Party host for #DisneySide and not long ago, I received an email notification that I had been chosen to host a party - just in time for our little guy's second birthday! I was notified that I’d also be receiving a party pack to host the party, but its contents were top secret. I finally got my package last week and decided to film an unboxing video with my husband's assistance. Enjoy! (Side note: I felt so silly trying to figure out all those darn zippers! Haha!) |
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February 2019
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