Insanity vs P90X - My review

The other day, a member of mine asked my opinion on Insanity vs. P90X. Last year P90X won hands down, but this year my mind may have changed a little. Click here to get all the details.

My journey to the Asylum

I just wanted to write a quick post and update you on what I’ve been doing. I just about completed Insanity, got all the way to last week of month 2. I had Asylum sitting here waiting for me since April and I had mixed feelings about starting this workout. I mean after all, with a name like Asylum, it sounded very intimidating. Insanity was tough, but I managed to make my way through it and enjoy it. But I just wasn’t so sure about this new workout.

My husband took the dvds to work because a friend and Insanity person, wanted to see what the workouts looked like. Well, when my husband called me that afternoon, he said, “it looks way too hard!” Okay, that made me think. Click here to read more.

Insanity Month 2 Fit Test & my observations

Hey everyone! I just started month 2 of Insanity last week.  Click here to read more about my resutls and my thoughts (and my husband's) so far on Insanity.

Making my way to the Asylum. Week 5 Insanity almost done

Yes, I should already be in an asylum, but I am talking about Insanity: The Asylum, the workout that's supposed to make Insanity look like its for wimps. I just need to make it through month 2 of Insanity and I'll be ready to be committed to the Asylum.

This week I'm solo in week 5, the recovery week.  My husband has been working like crazy. Plus he pulled his hamstring a few weeks ago and this is probably a good week for him to let it heal.  Right now the recovery week consists of the same workout, Core Cardio and Balance, each day for 6 days. Its not meant to be as grueling as the other weeks, but its still a good workout.

I was surprised at how sore my abs have been without doing a single crunch.  In the Core Cardio and Balance workout, you do moving planks, side knee raises and push ups, which work the abs nicely.  The hip flexor burners and shoulder burners are also a good way to work the abs, since you keep the abs engaged while doing them.

I'm a little nervous about next week. I know people who say month 2 of Insanity is killer. I will have to dig deep and really bring it.  I will update you on my next Fit Test and keep you posted on my progress in month 2.

Insanity: Bigger thighs?? Well its a good thing

I'm almost done with week 4 of Insanity.  I never thought I'd say it, but I really love it now. Last summer, I missed Tony Horton so much while Shaun T. put me though so much torture. But I think Shaun has won my heart, although I will always have a spot open for Tony too.

With Insanity, I am jumping higher, moving faster, overall have better cardio performance. Maybe one day I can put all of this to some use, but for now it helps me with chasing the kids around the playground.

However, I was a little shocked when I noticed my pants were fitting a little tighter in the thigh area.  Not a lot tighter, but just enough to notice a difference.  All the jump squats and power jacks have caused my quads to grow, and my calves look more sculpted. And I think my booty is a wee bit bigger too. At first, like most women I was very alarmed by this.  I eat clean, I really try to watch my portions. I don't drink alcohol on a regular basis, and I drink water only.

After comparing notes with my friend, Diandra, I realized I wasn't the only one out there who got these results.  And after thinking about it, I decided that I am okay with this.  As long as its not fat I'm gaining and my thighs (and booty) look good, I'm cool with that.

I'd rather have muscular (and I must say still lean looking) thighs than skinny, flabby ones.

I remember last year I pointed out to a friend that I wouldn't mind if my body looked like Dreya Weber's, of P90X fame. She remarked, "I don't know she's kind of big." But I don't think so. I think she looks strong, and healthy, rather than skinny and waif-like.  I grew up skinny and waif-like and its not fun. Especially when everyone else had nice curves.

I'll keep doing my Insanity workouts, and I will keep eating the way I do. I'm not going to get upset if my thighs (or butt) get bigger, as long as they get bigger the right way and not the wrong way.

Quinoa Salad from Insanity:The Asylum

I never tried quinoa before, I heard a lot of good things about it and decided to pick up a bag last week.  I made a quinoa pilaf and it was pretty tasty.  Quinoa is a whole grain, its high and protein and fiber. The recipe for quinoa salad would be great for the summer. This recipe serves 1, but you could double it for 2.

Here's one of Shaun T's favorites from his brand-new workout program, INSANITY: THE ASYLUM. Healthy and filling, this salad can help get you through your most extreme workouts. Did you know that quinoa contains all the amino acids needed to make a complete protein? It's pretty rare to see that kind of nutrient profile in a single plant-based food.


1/2 cup quinoa

2 cups water or broth (chicken or vegetable)

1 tsp. turmeric

1 pinch salt

1 lemon wedge

1 lime wedge

1/4 cup sliced cucumber

1 Tbsp. diced onion

1 tsp. grated raw ginger

1 Tbsp. julienned mint

1 Tbsp. chopped pistachio nuts

1/2 cup chopped romaine lettuce

Combine quinoa, water or broth, salt, and turmeric in a medium saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat until about half the liquid is absorbed and quinoa begins to soften, about 15 minutes. Strain quinoa in a mesh strainer, then place in a bowl. Squeeze lemon and lime over quinoa and place in refrigerator to cool. When cool, toss with remaining ingredients. Makes 1 serving.

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Nutritional Information (per serving, prepared with water)

Calories 383
Protein 14 grams
Fiber 7 grams
Carbs 64 grams
Fat 9 grams
Total Saturated Fat 1 gram

Insanity Fit Test 2 Results

This morning marked Day 15 of Insanity for my husband and me. Day 15 means another Fit Test! I was really excited to see if I had made any improvements from the first Fit Test.

So down to the basement we went at an early morning hour.  I'll tell you, early morning workouts aren't everyone's cup of tea, but it sure is nice to have your workout done! And did you know that if you workout first thing in the morning (before breakfast) helps you burn more fat during cardio based workouts. And some studies suggest that you continue to burn even more calories through out the day compared to those who workout after breakfast.

Well, back to the Fit Test. When you do the Fit Test, you get a pretty good workout.  But today I decided to add in the first round of P90X Shoulders & Arms, as well as some Ab Ripper X.

Here are my results from Fit Test 1:

Switch Kicks 100 (or 50 each leg)

Power Jacks 58
Power Knees 100
Power Jumps 44
Globe Jumps 8
Suicide Jumps 14
Push-up Jacks 29
Low Plank Oblique 40

And here are results from Fit Test 2 (today):

Switch Kicks 124 (or 62 each leg)

Power Jacks 55 (what happened here?? 3 less than last week)
Power Knees 116
Power Jumps 42 (hey! 2 less than last week!!)
Globe Jumps 13
Suicide Jumps 15
Push-up Jacks 29
Low Plank Oblique 46 (or 92 each knee)

So I improved in some, stayed the same in one and for some reason dropped in 2.  I may have been focusing on better form this time around (I hope so...)

Well on to the official start of Week 3 of Insanity! Will post Fit Test 3 in a couple of weeks.



 

Insanity Week 2 Done! Getting a little closer to the Asylum!

My husband and I just finished week 2 of Insanity! Yay! We start our next Fit Test on Monday and I can't wait to see if there are improvements. I can already see improvements with my husband's form, flexibility and coordination.

We're making our way to the Asylum!! Its recommended that you complete Insanity before moving into the Asylum, so we will be there in the late spring or early summer.

This is what we have to look forward to:



My area of concern is push ups. I was always pretty good at them with P90X, but the fast pace of Insanity's push ups has me feeling weak with these.  I know this will improve, but right now its a little annoying. So I just modify where I have to and go a little slower.

I'm really excited that my husband is doing this with me. He was always a gym guy who wasn't really into change. I spent an entire year gently hinting at the benefits of a home workout routine. But now he's hooked and I guess an Insanic with me.

I will post my Fit Test Results on Monday. Have a great Saturday!!

Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know how you're doing on your fitness journey.

Insanity: The Asylum - I'm a little nervous...

During the month of February, Beachbody had a contest for their coaches to win an autographed copy of Shaun T's new workout, Insanity: The Asylum.  Well guess what! I won it! Woo hoo! So after over a month of waiting, its due to arrive at my door either today or tomorrow.  And now I'm a little nervous.

I just started loving Insanity. I wasn't a big fan of it last year, but I don;t know what happened this year to make me a true Insanity believer.  Maybe its the fact I needed a challenge, or my husband is doing it with me this time, I'm not sure, could be a combo of things. But before I get too ga-ga over it, I still have to get through a few more weeks of month 1 and then its on to the grueling month 2.  I've heard that's tough!

So, as I wait for the mail person to deliver my Asylum, I am just a little nervous at the thought of starting it. I know I'm being a big baby, but it sounds intense. It is only 30 days, so 4 weeks can't be so bad, can it?

Here's a glimpse of what its looks like:



If you;d like more info on Insanity: The Asylum, send me an email to fitwithjessica@live.com or visit my website http://fitwithjessica.com/. Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know how you think it will be!

How "honey" gets you through your Insanity workouts

You're probably wondering which honey to use to get you through those Insanity workouts. Organic, local, imported... No, not that type of honey! I'm talking about your "honey." Whether its your spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, best friend, or your kids, having someone close to you with the same goals can really help you get through your Insanity workouts or any other workouts for that matter. I have to admit, I got the idea for this blog post from my friend Rich Dafter, after a Facebook comment he made. I thought it was cute and thought I'd write about it.

I got really used to working out solo for a long time.  Don't get me wrong, I love my solo workouts. Its my "me" time.  But there is something different about having a workout partner to hold you accountable. I felt like I pushed myself a little harder than I do when working out solo.  Not saying I go easy on myself, but there was a little bit of the "show off" factor going on when my husband got involved.  I don't want him to think I'm a slouching during Insanity, LOL.

One of the cool things about working out with my husband is that we are comfortable not making small talk. Well with Insanity, there really isn't any opportunity for that.  One thing that bugs the both of us is people who talk your ear off at the gym. We can both workout, sweat, push each other, but not get on each other's nerves. Perfect!!

If you'd like to share your story about working out with "honey," please leave your comments below.

Insanity Fit Test - Day 1

Well today was the official start of Day 1 of Insanity with my husband.  The Insanity Fit Test marked our first day.  We haven't worked out together in years, so its fun to start something new with him.

I did Insanity last year and I'll be honest, I wasn't that crazy about it.  I don't know if it was because it was mid-summer and hot as hell, or if I just wasn't mentally ready for it. So I did 4 weeks and quickly went running back to Tony Horton's P90X.

Then I tried again in the fall, this time I thought I'd do a yoga/Insanity hybrid.  Well about 2 weeks into it I hurt my shoulder.  Too many chaturangas with my power yoga and too many push-ups with Insanity. But it did open up the door to trying Brazil Butt Lift, which was perfect around the holidays followed by more P90X.

Well at about week 8 of round 3, I started getting the itch to try Insanity again.  I surely thought I was crazy because why on earth would I want to try that again? But the thought kept needling its way in and sure enough I substituted one of the P90X cardio workouts for an Insanity workout.  Guess what! I made it through and actually felt great afterwards. So I tried it again on the next cardio day, and I was totally hooked.  So I asked my husband if he'd do a round of Insanity with me.  I was shocked when a week later he told me yes. Just to see if he was really on board, I tried a workout with him on Saturday and he loved it. So much so that he wanted to do another on Sunday. So its official, we started Day 1 today. We trudged down to the basement at 5 am to start our insane journey.

The Fit Test is a workout in itself.  30 minutes of power exercises, combined with plyometrics, push ups and core exercises that make Pilates look like its for girlie's.

And for the record, I like the Insanity Elite Nutrition Guide a lot better than the P90X Nutrition Guide (which I still like a lot).

Here are my results for today's Fit Test:

Switch Kicks 100 (or 50 each leg)
Power Jacks 58
Power Knees 100
Power Jumps 44
Globe Jumps 8 (I know I sucked at this one, but I had also worked out 12 days straight)
Suicide Jumps 14
Push-up Jacks 29
Low Plank Oblique 40 (not as easy as it sounds)

So the next Fit Test is on Day 15.  Let's see if I can dig deeper and rock this!

If you;d like more info on Insanity, P90X or any of the other amazing Beachbody workouts, visit my website at http://fitwithjessica.com/ or eamil me at fitwithjessica@live.com

Whole wheat pancakes for the fitness minded

Pancakes have always been a big hit with my kids since they were old enough to eat them.  But the traditional type can be a no-no for the fitness minded. So on my quest for a healthier pancake, I found a recipe for whole wheat ones.  I make a big batch, freeze them and then microwave for 30 seconds per pancake for quick weekday breakfasts.

So here is my current recipe for whole wheat pancakes:

Jessica's Whole Wheat Pancakes for the Fitness Minded

2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tbs of baking powder
1 tsp of salt
2 tbs brown sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup of oil
1-3/4 cup of milk

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Next add your eggs, oil and milk. Stir until blended, but make sure you leave some lumps.

Coat a pan with cooking spray and heat pan on medium heat.  Add 1/4-1/3 cup of pancake batter for medium sized pancakes.  I can usually fit 3 pancakes in my pan.

Wait until, pancakes get little bubbles and carefully turn.  I place the cooked pancakes on a cookie sheet and then freeze.  Once frozen I place in a freezer bag.

Hot pancakes taste great with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup or topped with berries.

These pancakes can be used when following the P90X Nutrition Guide or the Insanity Elite Nutrition Guide.

My recipe makes about 15-18 pancakes.

Fire up that Metabolism

Having a higher metabolism will help your body burn more fat and calories.  Did you know that eating 6 small meals per day will help fire it up?  You burn an extra 237 calories per day doing this!  Read the article below to find out more ways to fire it up!

Ways to Fire Up Your Metabolism



By Monica Ciociola

It can be discouraging when your results don't seem to match the efforts you're putting into getting in shape. But instead of giving up on your fitness program, or worse, diving into the Twinkies® (trust me, you'll regret it!), try making just a few easy changes to your diet and your lifestyle. Sometimes the smallest things—like getting more protein in the morning or enough rest at night—can lead to the biggest weight loss surprises.

1.Don't skip breakfast. Eating lean protein in the morning will help get your metabolism revved up for the day ahead. Protein from egg whites, for instance, will help stabilize your blood sugar, make you feel fuller, and keep you from overeating later in the day.

2.Resistance training. Working out with some form of resistance—resistance bands, weights, or a stability ball—helps build your muscles. And because one pound of muscle burns way more calories than a pound of fat does, the more muscle you have on your body, the higher your metabolic rate will be.

3.Interval training. Short 10-minute explosive cardio sessions followed by less intense cardio for the same amount of time will rev up your metabolism. For some of the best interval training workouts, check out INSANITY® or TurboFire®.

4.Get your beauty rest. Human growth hormone works directly on cells to increase your metabolic rate by 15 to 20 percent and can only be produced during the hours of deep sleep. So make sure you get a good night's sleep!

5.The magic mix. At mealtime, try consuming lean proteins from chicken and white fish along with complex carbohydrates from fruits and veggies. This magical combination will speed up your metabolic rate as food is transformed into usable nutrients, and you'll build muscle and burn fat during the digestive process.

6.¡Ay, caliente! Studies show that hot peppers, spices, green teas, and caffeine can give your metabolism a sudden surge by stimulating the release of stress hormones. If jalapeño and cayenne make you wince, turn to our all-natural Slimming Formula supplement, which contains green tea, for the same metabolism-boosting effect.

I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment below.  If you need help with your fitness and nutrition, email me at fitwithjessica@live.com or visit http://fitwithjessica.com/

I don't feel my age

Today is my birthday! I woke up at 5:00 a.m, did my P90X workout, had my oatmeal and a whey protein smoothie. Then I had my Shakeology for lunch (after a healthy snack of course). Woo hoo! Way to party like a rock star on your birthday, right? Trust me, I wouldn;t have had it any other way!

Even though I'm another year older, I really don't feel it. Mentally, I know I'm slightly immature (lol), but I'm talking physically.  My body feels as though I'm in my 20s. I actually feel better than when I was in my 20s.  In my 20s I was super skinny. I weighed in at 102-105 pounds, which at 5'4.5" is very thin.  I'm 20 lbs more than that now, but with exercise and eating right, its all in the right places.

I'm also more flexible than what I was in my 20s. I do a lot more flexibility exercies than what I did back then. I'm stronger and feel more balanced.

I used to smoke, drink more (alcohol) and would stay up until 3:00 a.m. most nights, and wake up around 9:00 a.m..  I ate what I wanted, but only ate about 2 meals per day and maybe a snack. So while I was super skinny, I wasn't super healthy.  I remember always having headaches and not sleeping great.  It was a "fun" life, but not a very healthy one.

Flash forward to present day - while I don't fit in a size 0 jeans anymore, or I'm not partying like a rock star, I feel so much healthier than I ever did.  I feel like I should be in my 20s again!

My drinks of choice are now water, green tea and Shakeology.  I eat 5-6 small meals per day, I exercise everyday with programs like P90X, Insanity and Brazil Butt Lift.  I make sure I get 7-8 hours of sleep everynight (although sometimes interrupted by a small child). So I instead of leading the rock star life style I once led, I'm leading the healthy lifestyle. And I'm much happier for it!

If you're ready to lead a healthier life, now's the time to do it. Its never too late or too early.  As a Team Beachbody Coach, I can help you set up healthy goals.  Now is the right time.

I'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment below or email me at fitwithjessica@live.com

Ed Z. - What a difference a year makes...

Back in December, I featured Ed Z. in my blog. He amazed his doctor, himself and me on how he took the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and turned it all around.  Today is his one year anniversary of being diagnosed.  Ed was gracious enough to send me this email.  He's so sweet that he thanked me, but Ed has done all of this on his own. As Ed's Team Beachbody Coach, I offered him support and answered a few questions for him every now and then.  But Ed did all the work, no doubt about it. Read Ed's email below:

"Just thought I would share with you that today is my 1 year anniversary of being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I was originally put on 3 different medications, and things did not look good for me at the time.


I mourned my situation, and gave it it's due. Then, I set about getting my mind right, setting a goal, and formulating my plan. Today, I stand before you a new man. I went from a 4X to medium, size 50 pants to size 33s, 140 pounds lighter, and no medication whatsoever!!! What a difference a year makes!!!

With faith, hard work, and dedication, we can achieve anything we set our minds to!!!

I'm a week away from finishing my second round of P90X. Now, I'm a two time graduate of the program!!!

I'm going take it up a notch and I'm ordering INSANITY!!! According to the reviews they say it makes P90X look easy!!!

I'm so fired up for the challenge, you just don't know!!!!

I know I've said it, before, but thank you again for all your help and advice.

Words will never be able to express how much I appreciate all you have done for me. : )

Ed"

What an awesome email to get! This totally made my day! Again, Ed did all the hard work.  He's an amazing example of how we can take charge of our health and change our life.

Please feel free to leave a comment below, or if you have a private question, email me at fitwithjessica@live.com  If you'd like to have me as your free Team Beachbody Coach, click here.

Exercise for your mental health

I know most of us who do exercise regularly do it for the physical benefits. A healthy heart, lowered blood pressure and cholesterol, slimmer waistline, these are some of the reasons we get our bodies moving and grooving.  However exercise is also an awesome way to improve your mental health too.

Exercise can be viewed as a preventative activity that may actually help prevent physical and emotional conditions. Even short bursts of activity help individuals feel better, which means that you don't have to spend hours at the gym to gain real mental health benefits.


One reason for the feelings of well-being that are generated during and after exercise: the body's natural release of endorphins. These chemicals released by the brain are the body's natural painkillers and can lead to an increase in feelings of happiness. Exercise leads to an increase in energy and to better sleeping patterns, which may also explain why it is so helpful to people with depression. Low energy and poor sleep are common symptoms of depression.

The side effects of exercise happen to be much better than some of the negative side effects of prescription medications as well.  When you exercise you will also start feeling more confident in yourself.  You will start to look better and feel better.  You may lose the excess weight you've been carrying around instead of putting on pounds associated with certain medications. And most people who exercise regularly report that their libido picks up too (drop in libido has long been associated with certain medications).

Now, there will still be people who do need medication.  This post isn't meant to say that everyone can stop taking their medicine.  It just mean to point out some positives to staying active.

You;re never too old to start exercise either.  As long as your doctor gives you the okay, you can start exercising at any age.  I've seen people start in their 70s and they feel wonderful.  You just need to start slow if you've never exercised before.

Okay, I know some of you may get intimidated when I talk about a program like P90X or Insanity.  You don't need to start off at that level.  Just make a decision to do something like walking for 10 minutes, or taking the stairs whenever possible.  Gradually increase the amount of time you exercise and the intensity as you get better at it.

Here are a few suggestion I have for people just starting out and want to try a Beachbody program, but not ready for the intesity of P90X:

Rockin Body by Shaun T.
Slim in 6 by Debbie Siebers
Turbo Jam by Chalene Johnson
10-Minute Trainer by Tony Horton
Power 90 by Tony Horton
Yoga Booty Ballet Ab & Butt Makeover by Gillian and Teigh 

The workouts I listed above are just suggestions for getting started.  And they still provide a challenge too.  They're not too easy, you need to do some work.  And walking, running, bike riding and swimming are all excellent activities as well.  Mix them up and have fun!  Don't worry about getting it perfect, just do it!

I'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to comment below.

One of the best decisions I've made - becoming a Team Beachbody Coach

February 17, 2011, marks my 1 year anniversary as a Team Beachbody Coach! I'm happy to say its one of the best choices I've made.

Okay, when I first thought about becoming a coach, I really wasn't so sure it was a good choice.  It took me about 4 weeks before I made a decision and even then, I was hesitant.  Why did I sign up? Well, things started out great with my fitness career.  I lived in a neighborhood where word of mouth was really easy.  I taught Pilates, was a personal trainer and also taught pole dancing classes.  Things were going great!  But then we moved to another town and that "social network" I was in slowly dwindled.  The town I live in now is pretty big, and most people keep to themselves.  So it was hard to make friends and to promote my classes. 

We also had our 4th child, and that made it difficult to go out and teach or train people. I also started exercising less since I wasn't teaching more than 2 times per week.  I was also getting stressed out trying to find a sitter to watch my kids when my husband worked late, or trying to get dinner ready, lunches for the next day made and out the door on time to teach.  All this stress for $60 per week.  I needed to do something different.

Team Beachbody really came at a perfect time for me.  I'm not going to say its easy, or a get rich quick thing, but so far things have really turned out great.  I'm proud to be part of a company that offers so many great fitness and nutrition products, like P90X, Shakeology, Insanity and many more.  Becoming a Coach with Team Beachbody has enabled me to do what I'm passionate about and be home for my kids.

Listen, we all should be exercising and eating right.  Some of us need a coach, like me to help get them started and keep them on the right path.  Let me know if I can help you by sending me an email to fitwithjessica@live.com or leaving a comment below.

If you're interested in becoming a coach and helping transform people's lives through health and fitness let me know.  I can help you get started and keep you on the right path with that as well.

A day in the life of my eating plan

Everyday someone wants me to make up a meal plan for them.  I used to do this for my personal clients for free. But honestly I stopped because it was time consuming and I wasn't getting paid for it. 

Don't get me wrong, I do love to offer free help and advice, but sometimes you have to put limits on what you do for free and what is a service that should be paid for.  Since I'm not a registered nutritionist, I feel funny charging people for meal plans that I do create. So that's why I stopped.  When I became a Team Beachbody Coach I found a great alternative and problem solver is the Team Beachbody Custom Meal Plan Wizard that comes with the upgraded Club membership.

What I've also found to be a great tool for planning my meals is the nutrition guide books that come with almost every Beachbody workout program.  P90X, Insanity and Brazil Butt Lift are the 3 programs in my library. Each one of those came with a nutrition plan that's easy to follow and if you like to cook, you can totally modify the recipes to suit your taste buds.

So here is a sample day for me from yesterday.  I'm in Phase 1 of the P90X Nutrition Plan.  Phase 1 is a lower carb phase, meaning 50% protein, 30% carbs and 30% fat.  I'm taking in about 1800-2000 calories per day, eating 5-6 small meals.  These meals are inspired by or taken from the P90X Nutrition Guide.

Post workout snack

small recovery drink and a cup of non-fat yogurt

Breakfast

Spinach & mushroom omelet with 8 oz milk, 1/2 a grapefruit and a cup of green tea

Snack

P90X Peak Performance Bar (wildberry yogurt)

Lunch

Grilled chicken over baby spinach with tomatoes, celery, baby carrots, avocado and balsamic/rice vinegar. And 1 TBS of vanilla whey protein powder mixed with water.

Snack

Chocolate Shakeolgy mixed with 4 oz chilled coffee, 4 oz milk and 4 oz water, and a dash of cinnamon

Dinner

Roasted chicken breast with oven roasted veggies, spinach salad and one slice of whole wheat bread.

If you're really serious about changing your ways in order to lose weight, burn fat and gain muscle, or just feel better, you need to get serious about your eating habits too.  But getting serious doesn't mean it doesn't taste good or your starving yourself.  As you can see I had a lot of food yesterday.  My big treat was my Shakeology:)

For those of you who think its too expensive to buy a workout system like P90X or do the Custom Meal Plan Wizard, I say divide the cost by number of days in a month.  For instance the Meal Plan Wizard comes out to about 50 cents per day.  Considering what kind of junk we buy through out the day that costs more than that, I think the Custom Meal Plan Wizard is a bargain.

I'd love to hear from you.  Please feel free to leave a comment below or email me at fitwithjessica@live.com

A girl can change her mind, right?

Okay, I know my original plan was to do 4 more weeks of Brazil Butt Lift, trust me I loved the results (click here to read about them and see pictures).  But I had this overwhelming desire to do another round of P90X (this is round 3 for me).  It was like this nagging voice in my head kept saying "go back to Tony..."

I guess we sometimes return to our first love.  And I do love P90X! I loved Brazil Butt Lift too, and I liked (not loved) Insanity, but there's just something that really draws me to P90X. 

Maybe its the fact that I can eat around 1800-2000 calories while doing P90X.  I do love to eat!!!  And that's one of the reasons I exercise as much as I do.  I'm not a kid anymore where I can eat all I want and not gain weight like I used to.  Now it has consequences.

So this morning I popped in my Chest & Back dvd and did my push ups and pull ups (I'm going to be sore as heck tomorrow) and then I did my Ab Ripper X. And it was like being with old friends :-)

Well, I'll keep you posted on this journey too. I hope it inspires you to get up and get moving. 

I'd love to hear from you, feel free to leave a comment below.  Or you can send me an email to fitwithjessica@live.com

As a Team Beachbody Coach, I can help you achieve your health and fitness goals.  Why not sign up for a free account by clicking here.

And my new work out will be...

I'm super excited!! I'm ordering Brazil Butt Lift today! After completing two rounds of P90X, trying Insanity on two different occasions, I decided to go a different route and try something different.

P90X and Insanity are very intense training programs.  I'm not saying BBL will not be effective, but I want to try something fun that will keep my whole body toned, but also work a little more on the lower body. 

Here's my secret. I've always been pretty happy with my legs and booty. But I want to make sure it all stays the way I like it.  As we age, and if we don't work at it, gravity will take its toll on the booty, and muscle will decrease.  This results in a flat, droopy appearance.  I don't want that! Neither does my husband!!!

So in about a week's time, I'll be able to share my excitement about another cool Beachbody workout!

I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to comment below or email me at fitwithjessica@live.com