So since my last post, doing INSANITY I was doing great, and was beginning to see the kinds of results I wanted and it hadn't even been a full 4 weeks. And then, Thanksgiving crept around the corner, and I had all the good intentions to workout while I was in Vermont visiting family, but that didn't end up happening, and then it just felt like I was out of whack with my schedule. Not to mention my boyfriend had just had surgery, so the want to be there for him, and lack of motivation because he wouldn't be coming with me to the gym early in the morning has turned into 4 weeks of doing absolutely nothing! And now of course, Christmas is about a week away, which means more over indulging due to family get-togethers. So needless to say, I feel like I let myself down a bit.
So, like thousands of other people, with the new year approaching, I plan on starting back on the INSANITY track to start the new year off by getting back into a better shape, and getting myself into the shape I want to be. Along with INSANITY I plan on, again, accompanying it with Shakeology which I have found to be a really quick, convenient way to make myself breakfast before dashing out the door to get to work, and will keep me full enough until lunch time, though it's been kind of nice to have a little healthy snack nearby (I like Crasins). And if anyone feels they need a kickstart, ask me about the Shakeology cleanse.
If anyone would like to join me (you don't have to come and do INSANITY with me or anything) in getting the year started off right by getting fit and healthy, give me a shout, and we can keep each other on track to reaching our goals!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
INSANITY!
So, since becoming a Beachbody coach, I thought it would be best to try some of the products so I could make my own story more impactful when talking to others about my experience with it. I decided to get myself Shakeology as a nutritional to go along with my program, which I chose to be INSANITY.
I had orignally been turned onto INSANITY by someone that was a member at the Xerox gym, where I worked, and I thought it looked pretty interesting, because it wasn't really something that my body was used to, so it would be a good workout because I could tell it would definitely be challenging. For those of you who may not know me, I grew up starting with doing ballet at the age of 4 and continued until I was about 22, picking up different dance styles along the way. While I was at college I decided to get into physical education, in which I learned so much, and it's because of my largely active life I grew up with that I got into physical education and now being a coach for Beachbody, because I want to encourage health and fitness to others, because I believe it's really important to living a full/long and happy life.
Anyway, when I first got my program, I started off strong at the beginning of October, but towards the middle, I kind of faltered becuase of multiple reasons. But starting November 1, 2010, my wonderful boyfriend decided that he was going to help me see this thing through and actually get the full experience. So for the past 2 weeks (now going on our 3rd) we've been waking up around 4:45 to get ourselves to the gym and then go to work after. And yes, I do this program at my gym... I bring my laptop with me.
The way INSANITY is programed, is it is a 60 day program in which you do not need any other equipment other than your body, a good pair of sneakers and the CD. It's very cardio-centric and sports drill based, so not really for someone that is just decided they were going to start getting in shape (not that it's impossible, it just means modification and lots of rests will be needed). Day 1 you'll perform a fit test, a 25min butt busting combination of 8 exercises that will frequently be seen thoughout the disks of the program. And once you've done it, you perform it every 2 weeks to track your progress. This being my 3rd week into the program, it was time for my 2nd fit test. And going into it, even though I wasn't trying to be a downer on myself, I didn't really feel like I was going to see any major difference in my numbers from the first week, because I'm not really used to training cardiovascularly, I take a lot of breaks. But I do push myself through the workouts. I will leave the gym dripping sweat after I'm done. And I have to say, I was actually pleasantly surprised on most of the exercises. For the majority of them, I almost doubled the amount from the first week, which really makes me feel kinda good about myself, and makes me want to keep pushing myself and keeping with the program, because my body is actually changing. And I can actually visually see it as well.
I have not really changed too much of my diet, which is probably why I am not seeing greater reductions in body fat percentage, but I'm trying to make healthier choices. And I substitute my breakfast with my Shakeology, which I'll start drinking about 8:30 and I'll stay pretty satiated until about 12, which really is quite great. It'll perk me up once I get to work, because I'm still kind of grogy from working out and just wanting to go back to bed in general. I've also been taking it for the past 2 months, and it's definitely helped me with keeping myself more regular. I definitely feel an overall difference in the way my mind and sometimes my body feels after the weekend, since I choose to eat cereal/oatmeal or eggs then.
Anyway, I just figured I would give a little update incase any one was curious :) Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!
I had orignally been turned onto INSANITY by someone that was a member at the Xerox gym, where I worked, and I thought it looked pretty interesting, because it wasn't really something that my body was used to, so it would be a good workout because I could tell it would definitely be challenging. For those of you who may not know me, I grew up starting with doing ballet at the age of 4 and continued until I was about 22, picking up different dance styles along the way. While I was at college I decided to get into physical education, in which I learned so much, and it's because of my largely active life I grew up with that I got into physical education and now being a coach for Beachbody, because I want to encourage health and fitness to others, because I believe it's really important to living a full/long and happy life.
Anyway, when I first got my program, I started off strong at the beginning of October, but towards the middle, I kind of faltered becuase of multiple reasons. But starting November 1, 2010, my wonderful boyfriend decided that he was going to help me see this thing through and actually get the full experience. So for the past 2 weeks (now going on our 3rd) we've been waking up around 4:45 to get ourselves to the gym and then go to work after. And yes, I do this program at my gym... I bring my laptop with me.
The way INSANITY is programed, is it is a 60 day program in which you do not need any other equipment other than your body, a good pair of sneakers and the CD. It's very cardio-centric and sports drill based, so not really for someone that is just decided they were going to start getting in shape (not that it's impossible, it just means modification and lots of rests will be needed). Day 1 you'll perform a fit test, a 25min butt busting combination of 8 exercises that will frequently be seen thoughout the disks of the program. And once you've done it, you perform it every 2 weeks to track your progress. This being my 3rd week into the program, it was time for my 2nd fit test. And going into it, even though I wasn't trying to be a downer on myself, I didn't really feel like I was going to see any major difference in my numbers from the first week, because I'm not really used to training cardiovascularly, I take a lot of breaks. But I do push myself through the workouts. I will leave the gym dripping sweat after I'm done. And I have to say, I was actually pleasantly surprised on most of the exercises. For the majority of them, I almost doubled the amount from the first week, which really makes me feel kinda good about myself, and makes me want to keep pushing myself and keeping with the program, because my body is actually changing. And I can actually visually see it as well.
I have not really changed too much of my diet, which is probably why I am not seeing greater reductions in body fat percentage, but I'm trying to make healthier choices. And I substitute my breakfast with my Shakeology, which I'll start drinking about 8:30 and I'll stay pretty satiated until about 12, which really is quite great. It'll perk me up once I get to work, because I'm still kind of grogy from working out and just wanting to go back to bed in general. I've also been taking it for the past 2 months, and it's definitely helped me with keeping myself more regular. I definitely feel an overall difference in the way my mind and sometimes my body feels after the weekend, since I choose to eat cereal/oatmeal or eggs then.
Anyway, I just figured I would give a little update incase any one was curious :) Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Rochester Fit Club Week 4
So, though technically it's the 4th week of the Rochester Fit Club, it's only my 3rd time going. Tonight's agenda was Plyo X from P90X, a program I've never done before. Obviously I've heard of it, and have done a bit of the abs disk with someone, but this... wow, it was tough. It was a good thing it was very modifiable, so that I could take the time to calm my heart rate down, but while still being able to go through the motions and get a good sweat on.
Obviously though, everyone needs to pay attention to their bodies (because no one knows your body better than yourself). If I needed to stop, I would. Because even though as much as you want to see results, and see them as soon as possible, it is a process, not a magic pill that will transform you over night.
I think I probably wouldn't have felt so exhausted trying to do this disk tonight if I hadn't cheated on my diet all weekend and then went back into a less calorie packed diet, since my body was expecting more than what I was giving it. Though, having a new week, at least I'll have the chance to get my body back on track with things :)
Obviously though, everyone needs to pay attention to their bodies (because no one knows your body better than yourself). If I needed to stop, I would. Because even though as much as you want to see results, and see them as soon as possible, it is a process, not a magic pill that will transform you over night.
I think I probably wouldn't have felt so exhausted trying to do this disk tonight if I hadn't cheated on my diet all weekend and then went back into a less calorie packed diet, since my body was expecting more than what I was giving it. Though, having a new week, at least I'll have the chance to get my body back on track with things :)
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Sitting here, pondering...
So, after a day full of interviews (even though I only had 2, it seemed to occupy all my day), I finally got home to check emails, and do a couple of things before starting dinner. Now all that's left is try and start figuring out different ways to start marketing my business, by trying to implement what my coach showed me last night (after by break down and the party). But aside from that, thinking about last night, my coach asked me what motivated me to get into fitness. What I came up with, is that partially it's because I've just always been active, and have always enjoyed movement. The other part is, as conceited and narcissistic as it sounds is because I never want to be fat.
This made me think back to when I was younger, and past observations, and having told my coach these observations, he made a remark just before I left, which made me think some more. Whether we like to admit it or not, but our country continuously gets heavier and heavier. It almost seems like a disease that is contagious. Not in the normal sense of how you would catch a cold or anything, but more in a social fashion. You eat what other people are eating around you... you take on some of their behaviors, like maybe staying in more rather than going out for a walk after dinner, etc. And I'm not saying that some people aren't heavy because of genetics, but that doesn't mean there isn't something you can do to go against it, or even try to set an example for your kids. Children look to their parents to learn, and by getting them into good habits will help them keep with those habits throughout life.
More and more children have started to become type II diabetic, something that used to be seen only in adults, and it's because of poor eating habits being imposed on them. This teaches them that it's normal to have McDonalds every night for dinner, or fried chicken and french fries. And not to say those things aren't tasty, but things like that shouldn't appear in your diet everyday, multiple times a day. And restaurants only cater to this behavior. I remember when I first started dating my boyfriend, we had decided to go to IHOP for breakfast (I love breakfast foods), and when looking through the menu trying to decide what I was going to order, I would've ordered pancakes cause I hadn't had them in a long time, but the smallest amount I could find was (from my recollection) 5 pancakes... no way I'd ever be able to finish all that. And upon further observation of the menu, there were meals that included an entire steak with other sides, 3 pancakes with at least 2 other sides, and I just don't know how other people can eat this much food! I ended up getting an omelet, and I could only get through half of it.
And I'm not claiming to have been raised eating the healthiest foods, nor am I saying that I eat extremely clean now. But I've also never put myself on a diet, because I believe they don't work. All diets do is tell you what you can't do. And what's the first thing people do when they come up against an obstacle like that? They are tempted to go against it, and sometimes will. I believe you shouldn't deny yourself the things you want, but do it in moderation. Because it's more likely for you to stay happy with yourself because you're not telling yourself "no." We get that from everywhere else in our lives, we shouldn't be doing it to ourselves.
Anyway, to get back, in most cases of overweight people, I believe that there is something that can be done to keep it from getting worse and even reverse it. But what people have to realize is that it is NOT going to be easy, and it IS going to take dedication and TIME. And it's a commitment you have to make to yourself and a "program" that will help you make that change, because it is a matter of changing your life and your patterns. And by one person changing their patterns, by taking positive action in terms of their fitness and nutrition (overall health) it begins to affect others around them (whether they take action themselves or not), and eventually will cause a ripple effect. And part of the reason I decided to become a coach for Beachbody is because I believe that the exercise programs work, when you commit to them and take advice from the nutritional programs that usually come with them, and because I want to be there for people who might need the positive motivation to help them make that change and provide information. Knowledge is power, and changing yourself is not easy.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
This made me think back to when I was younger, and past observations, and having told my coach these observations, he made a remark just before I left, which made me think some more. Whether we like to admit it or not, but our country continuously gets heavier and heavier. It almost seems like a disease that is contagious. Not in the normal sense of how you would catch a cold or anything, but more in a social fashion. You eat what other people are eating around you... you take on some of their behaviors, like maybe staying in more rather than going out for a walk after dinner, etc. And I'm not saying that some people aren't heavy because of genetics, but that doesn't mean there isn't something you can do to go against it, or even try to set an example for your kids. Children look to their parents to learn, and by getting them into good habits will help them keep with those habits throughout life.
More and more children have started to become type II diabetic, something that used to be seen only in adults, and it's because of poor eating habits being imposed on them. This teaches them that it's normal to have McDonalds every night for dinner, or fried chicken and french fries. And not to say those things aren't tasty, but things like that shouldn't appear in your diet everyday, multiple times a day. And restaurants only cater to this behavior. I remember when I first started dating my boyfriend, we had decided to go to IHOP for breakfast (I love breakfast foods), and when looking through the menu trying to decide what I was going to order, I would've ordered pancakes cause I hadn't had them in a long time, but the smallest amount I could find was (from my recollection) 5 pancakes... no way I'd ever be able to finish all that. And upon further observation of the menu, there were meals that included an entire steak with other sides, 3 pancakes with at least 2 other sides, and I just don't know how other people can eat this much food! I ended up getting an omelet, and I could only get through half of it.
And I'm not claiming to have been raised eating the healthiest foods, nor am I saying that I eat extremely clean now. But I've also never put myself on a diet, because I believe they don't work. All diets do is tell you what you can't do. And what's the first thing people do when they come up against an obstacle like that? They are tempted to go against it, and sometimes will. I believe you shouldn't deny yourself the things you want, but do it in moderation. Because it's more likely for you to stay happy with yourself because you're not telling yourself "no." We get that from everywhere else in our lives, we shouldn't be doing it to ourselves.
Anyway, to get back, in most cases of overweight people, I believe that there is something that can be done to keep it from getting worse and even reverse it. But what people have to realize is that it is NOT going to be easy, and it IS going to take dedication and TIME. And it's a commitment you have to make to yourself and a "program" that will help you make that change, because it is a matter of changing your life and your patterns. And by one person changing their patterns, by taking positive action in terms of their fitness and nutrition (overall health) it begins to affect others around them (whether they take action themselves or not), and eventually will cause a ripple effect. And part of the reason I decided to become a coach for Beachbody is because I believe that the exercise programs work, when you commit to them and take advice from the nutritional programs that usually come with them, and because I want to be there for people who might need the positive motivation to help them make that change and provide information. Knowledge is power, and changing yourself is not easy.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Grand Opening Party
Okay, so tonight I had a house party to let my friends know that I was starting my own business by becoming a Beachbody coach, and for a week I tried to get people to RSVP to it, but of course none of my friends showed up, and more than half never even made any kind of acknowledgement of the invitaton; super frustrating.
As a beachbody coach, I have a coach above me that's there to help me learn the ropes, because even though I'm in business for myself, I'm not by myself. And he was nice enough to let me have the party at his place. I got there early incase he needed help in setting up and to just discuss more in how to help my business grow in general. But with all my frustrations of it seeming like none of my friends are responding or supporting me in this, and being unemployed and losing my money (faster than I would like), and getting very negative responses and feedback from people I thought were friends, I just broke down in front of him. And I hate to show that kind of weakness, but I just couldn't contain it. But a couple of people he invited started showing up, so that helped me force myself to regain some composure. And after that, the party went well. Still really sucked that no one I knew came.
I guess it's just something you gotta stay positive about though if you want to even try to succeed at it, because I believe that being healthy is important, and I want to help people educate themselves in it so that they lead better, longer lives. It's one of the reasons I decided to take this chance and do it. I believe in beachbody and their products. And I guess, just like working out, if you want to see results, you have to work at it and know that it takes time and effort, and know that eventually the time and the effort you put into it, will pay off.
As a beachbody coach, I have a coach above me that's there to help me learn the ropes, because even though I'm in business for myself, I'm not by myself. And he was nice enough to let me have the party at his place. I got there early incase he needed help in setting up and to just discuss more in how to help my business grow in general. But with all my frustrations of it seeming like none of my friends are responding or supporting me in this, and being unemployed and losing my money (faster than I would like), and getting very negative responses and feedback from people I thought were friends, I just broke down in front of him. And I hate to show that kind of weakness, but I just couldn't contain it. But a couple of people he invited started showing up, so that helped me force myself to regain some composure. And after that, the party went well. Still really sucked that no one I knew came.
I guess it's just something you gotta stay positive about though if you want to even try to succeed at it, because I believe that being healthy is important, and I want to help people educate themselves in it so that they lead better, longer lives. It's one of the reasons I decided to take this chance and do it. I believe in beachbody and their products. And I guess, just like working out, if you want to see results, you have to work at it and know that it takes time and effort, and know that eventually the time and the effort you put into it, will pay off.
My Very First Blog
So as odd as this may seem for being a young person like myself, but I have never blogged before, so this should be interesting! And I figure my first blog should be kind of an introduction.
I grew up in NYC and have now moved up to Rochester, NY. I came up here for school and just have never left. I was a dual major in college, studying dance and physical education and concentrating in exercise physiology. I had always been an active person, having started dancing at the age of 4, which is why I decided I wanted to study what I did in college. But now, having graduated, I have found it has been pretty difficult to find a job that fits the niche I want to be in (or what I thought I wanted to be in).
I have had numerous part time jobs since graduating, mainly in the fitness field. But jumping from job to job gets tiresome after a while and knew I needed to find a full time gig for myself. And when I did, I was there for all of 3 months when they could no long afford to keep me on and let me go.
It's been 4 months since that day, and for someone like me who has been used to constantly doing something, it's really not easy to sit around and not know what to do with yourself except for trying to find another job. And then money starts to weigh on you, and doesn't help the situation or your state of mind.
Upon my job search, I came across the opportunity to become an independent coach for Beachbody, a name some might know to be associated with the programs P90X, Turbo Jam, Insanity, Slim in 6 and other at home fitness programs. After some thought and assessment I decided to give it a go because I would love to have a job that incorporates the knowledge I learned in college into it (and since Rochester doesn't seem to be quite the ideal market for it) I figured this might be something I can do on the side to fulfill that want. But even getting that started has not easy, and seems to have almost put more stress on my mind.
I will have to continue this later... I have to get ready for my interview... first one in almost a month.
I grew up in NYC and have now moved up to Rochester, NY. I came up here for school and just have never left. I was a dual major in college, studying dance and physical education and concentrating in exercise physiology. I had always been an active person, having started dancing at the age of 4, which is why I decided I wanted to study what I did in college. But now, having graduated, I have found it has been pretty difficult to find a job that fits the niche I want to be in (or what I thought I wanted to be in).
I have had numerous part time jobs since graduating, mainly in the fitness field. But jumping from job to job gets tiresome after a while and knew I needed to find a full time gig for myself. And when I did, I was there for all of 3 months when they could no long afford to keep me on and let me go.
It's been 4 months since that day, and for someone like me who has been used to constantly doing something, it's really not easy to sit around and not know what to do with yourself except for trying to find another job. And then money starts to weigh on you, and doesn't help the situation or your state of mind.
Upon my job search, I came across the opportunity to become an independent coach for Beachbody, a name some might know to be associated with the programs P90X, Turbo Jam, Insanity, Slim in 6 and other at home fitness programs. After some thought and assessment I decided to give it a go because I would love to have a job that incorporates the knowledge I learned in college into it (and since Rochester doesn't seem to be quite the ideal market for it) I figured this might be something I can do on the side to fulfill that want. But even getting that started has not easy, and seems to have almost put more stress on my mind.
I will have to continue this later... I have to get ready for my interview... first one in almost a month.
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