Book Review: Hot Body Year Round by Casey Ho

If you're like I used to be, you think that Pilates is a pretty easy workout with a lot of stretches.  And, just like I used to be, you're wrong!  I've done Pilates a few times, and it's very difficult, but very effective.  Cassey Ho is a fitness instructor and the author of the blog blogilates.com.  Hot Body Year Round is her first book.  She presents the reader with twenty different workout routines separated according to season.  Each workout is intended to target a different part of the body.  Each section also includes lists of healthy, natural foods that are available in that season.  The photography in this book is beautiful!  Cassey gives a great description of each move, indicating which part of the body is being targeted and includes at least one photo to show you what to do.  I haven't gotten a chance to try all of the workouts yet, but from my past Pilates experience I believe they would be effective if I did them faithfully.

As I'm nearing my weight-loss goal, I have been on the lookout for a good program that I can stick to, that will help my maintain my goal.  I think I will give Cassey's Pop Pilates a try.  I know it won't be easy--but nothing that gives good results is.  She makes even the most difficult moves look doable, and even fun.  I'm not a fan of following someone else's meal plans, but she has some great ideas here and I might try some. This is a great book to switch up your workout and keep it fresh all year long.  Lots of good things can be found in these pages!

Happy Reading...and sweating!

Lyndsie

I received this book through the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. 

Book Review: The No More Excuses Diet by Maria Kang

I generally hate diet books, so I rarely read them.  They all seem to be a variation of the same thing.  Eat this, don't eat that, and you'll lose X amount of weight in X amount of days.  Then they give you the meal plan and recipes.  So what happens when lunch on Day 2 of said meal plan includes something that you don't like, or your family won't eat?  How can you justify spending double the grocery money on food that only one person will eat?  Or more likely won't eat because (if you're like me) you'll get tired of planning meals from someone else's list, and give it up altogether.  Then there are the diet plans that teach you how to make substitutes to your favorite foods so that they taste almost the same!  That's just not for me either.

When I read the Maria Kang's No More Excuses Diet offers "3 days to bust any excuse, 3 weeks to easy new eating habits and 3 months to total transformation,"  I was intrigued, but skeptical.  I was inspired by the fact that Maria has three young children, but somehow is thin, trim and healthy, so I decided to give it a try.  This book and diet plan are amazing!  So doable for anyone, even busy moms!  The 3 Days/3 Weeks/3 Months plan that is touted on the front, isn't just rhetoric.  It's a solid plan to help you overcome the excuses that are holding you back from getting the body that you want.  Maria's own story is so inspiring.  She doesn't come from a family who are all skinny, and she's struggled with weight-gain and yo-yo dieting herself.  It's so encouraging to read a true story of someone who's been there and had some of the same struggles as me.  I especially love that she's a mom, and was always told that she'd never be skinny after having children.  She's proved that you really can, if you're willing to do the work. 

This program doesn't promise fast, easy results, but if you follow the plan, you will see results!  The best part for me is that Maria doesn't tell you what you should eat.  She tells you how to figure up the amount of calories your body needs every day, and gives you the basis for a plan she calls 30/30/30/10.  The choice of what foods you eat is totally up to you.  Maria does push exercise, but not certain workout routine.  You can choose whatever workout plan you want, as long as it's 30-40 minutes, 3-4 times a week or more, and as long as you mix cardio, strength and flexibility training.  If you don't have a plan already in mind, she gives example plans, and lots of pictures and instructions to help you on the way.

I can't say enough good things about this book.  I feel like it contains the keys that I've been looking for.  It's more than just a diet.  It's a plan to make lifestyle changes for the long haul.  It's methods to help you shed bad habits, start new, better ones, and keep them for good.  There are timelines, rewards and even splurge meals included in this plan, all which make maintaining your weight loss and healthy lifestyle easier.  Some of these principles are ones I'm already using, but Maria has put a name to them, and put them together in a workable plan.  Anyone who is dedicated can lose weight if they follow this plan.  Also, this is the first diet book I've read that tells you how to del with failure.  Let's face it, none of us can be perfect all the time.  Maria gives you the tools to deal with mistakes and bad days, dust yourself off and start again tomorrow with no shame and guilt.  I think that's pretty great!

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Happy Reading (and dieting!)

Lyndsie        

I received a copy of this book to review through the Blogging for Books program.  All opinions are my own, and a favorable review was not required.  The No More Excuses Diet is on sale now.                                     

Transformation Tuesday-Easter Edition







Today I'm taking a minute to look back and recognize the progress I've made since this time last year.  At the beginning of this year I posted this quote to my Instagram page, "Your desire to change must be greater than your desire to stay the same."  While that may seem to be pretty obvious, it's actually easier said than done.  But it's the truth.  I have been on a journey to lose the 60 lbs I gained while pregnant, and a few more on top of it.  But I grew complacent along the way, and by the holidays was pretty much on a plateau, gaining and losing the same few pounds over and over again.  One of my New Year's goals was to lose weight, and I started out by making some important changes.  I've started working out 5-7 times a week, drinking only water, counting calories and eating less processed foods.  Since the beginning of the year I've lost 12 lbs!  The great part is, that I've done this without really depriving myself of the foods that I love.  I really like to eat, and I like food, so cutting things out just hasn't worked for me in the past.  But by really watching portion sizes, exercising and not drinking my calories every day, I'm seeing results without depriving myself of the things I love.

Easter 2014

This is me last Easter.  Even though I had lost all of my baby weight, I still was overweight, and truly not happy with myself.  Looking back at this picture now is an embarrassment to me, but it's also a great testimony of how far I've come! 

Easter 2015

I'm down 13 lbs from last Easter, and while I still have a few more to go to reach my goal weight, I'm really happy with my progress so far.  I feel like a new person!  I don't feel self-conscious any more when I'm in a crowd of people.  I don't feel the need to pull and tug at my clothes hoping to disguise the lumps underneath.  I'm even starting to see some ab definition!

Before I lost this weight, I didn't take pictures like this!  I was more comfortable in a crowd than by myself.  But now, looking at this just makes me happy!  It gives the encouragement to keep working and fighting.  I've changed a lot, but my desire to change is still here.  I don't want to be the same--I WON'T be the same!  I have proven to myself what I'm capable of, and I refuse to give up.  The journey isn't easy, but it's worth it.  And it's about so much more than being skinny.  It's also about being strong and healthy.  It's about feeling good, and feeling good about myself.   

Now I'm staring out on a new journey to lose the rest of my weight to reach my goal.  I read a great book called The No More Excuses Diet by Maria Kang and it's given my a great plan to get where I want to be.  I've got a review of it coming later this week.  You don't want to miss it!  I'm also starting a new workout program.  My husband and I bought Focus T25 from BeachBody.  I'm loving it so far. 

So here's to spring, new beginnings and changes!  I can't wait to see how far I can go!

21 Day Fix: What I Learned and How I Did

Well I officially finished up my 21-Day Fix on Saturday.  Unfortunately for me (or at least for my diet plan!) Saturday was also my fifth wedding anniversary, so it included some celebrating and eating out.  Can you legally eat out on your anniversary and not have a little dessert?  I think not.  However, I learned some really great things during my 21 Days, and I ate very sensibly on my anniversary date.

First, here's what I learned:

1. Eating tons of fruit and veggies really makes me feel good!

Who knew that eating three cups of vegetables and two cups of fruit every day could make you feel so much better?   I certainly didn't, but now that I know, I try to have a salad or a stir fry for a meal every day.  Luckily for me there's nary a vegetable I don't like to eat in one form or another.  Vegetables contain so much fiber, and eating them helps me reach my goal of 25 grams a day much faster.  One great bonus has been how much smoother my whole digestive process is.  (TMI, I know, but it needed to be said.)

2.  Exercise really does make a difference.

I have never exercised for seven days in a row in my whole entire life--until now.  I have now officially worked out every day for the last 26 days in a row!  That's big for me, people!  Other exercise programs I have been on have always encouraged 1-2 days of rest every week.  But for me, missing one day just throws me off my game, and makes it easier to skip the next day, and the next and the next and the next, until I realize I haven't done so much as a jumping jack in a month. It's also helpful that this program has a different workout for every day.  Not only does that add variety (the spice of life, you know), but it also keeps me from wanting to throw off my schedule.  For instance, I know that Monday is for upper body, Tuesday is for legs, Wednesday is pilates, Sunday and Thursday are cardio,  Friday is a total body workout and Saturday is my active recovery day--also known as yoga.  If I miss just one day, I've thrown myself off for a week.  It helps that each workout is only thirty minutes long, so I'm not committing a huge amount of time to it each day.  I still don't love working out, but I respect it and the changes it has made in my body. 

3. Processed food is out--mostly.

My main reason for doing this program was to learn to eat healthy, less processed food.  I have cut out most processed foods now, and I really feel better.  That doesn't mean that I will never eat another potato chip or candy bar, but it means I have realized they really aren't that important to me.  Since going on this plan, eating chocolate, or even taking a drink of soda just doesn't satisfy me.  My body just doesn't need those things any more.  It has been a little tougher to let go of my favorite pasta dishes, though.  Let's just face it; a piece of grilled chicken with Dijon mustard sauce will never be as tasty as a starchy pasta in a spicy cream sauce.  But when I've worked so hard to get where I am now, that big bowl of pasta just isn't worth it to me.  I'm totally amazed that is the truth of my life.  Other than a few small sips of sweet tea and milk, I have only drank water for the last three weeks.  Now it's truly the only thing that satisfies my thirst.  While I have cut out most processed foods and fatty meats, I do still eat brown rice, whole grain pasta and bread, and quinoa.  I don't have these things every day, and when I do, I try to limit myself to less than a cup.

If you had told me before I did this plan that I would make all these changes and be totally happy with them, I probably wouldn't have believed you.  But it's true.  I have seen great results, and I'm committed to keeping these changes in my life.  I did not follow Autumn Calabrese's food plan to the letter.  I'm sure I would have seen even better results if I had.  While I liked the basic principles, I found it to be a bit more restricting than I liked.  So, I've decided to use the things I learned during these 21 Days, and apply them to my life, while continuing to count calories.  Counting calories really works for me.  I like being able to keep track of everything I eat in my "My Fitness Pal" app that syncs with my Jawbone Up band.  I don't regret using this program, because it really helped me to make habit changes like I'd wanted for a long time.  I plan to stick with the workouts for the foreseeable future, although there are several other Beachbody programs that I'm dying to try!  I'm also still drinking my Shakeology every day, and still love it.

So, HOW DID I DO ON MY 21-DAY FIX?

I lost 4.5 pounds and 7.25 inches during these three weeks!  That brings my total weight loss for the month of January to 8 pounds!  I did it without starving myself or really feeling deprived at all.  My clothes fit better, my skin looks better, and I feel generally better about myself.  I'm so motivated to keep going!  I weigh about the same as I did when I got married five years ago!  It's a wonderful feeling and I can't wait to see how far I can go!

Lyndsie  

Weekly Wrap: January 18-24

This has been a great week for me.  I learned something very important that I hope will stick with me forever.  Sometimes the fear of doing something and failing is worse than actually doing it.  I have wanted to sell my handmade stuff for a long time, but was so afraid of failure, or the criticism of others that I held back.  Since I decided to make 2015 a year when I do things that scare me, the first thing I did was to open my Etsy shop "Little Blue Machine" this week.  Not only have my family and friends been very supportive, I made my first sale!  It's an incredible feeling to actually be paid for doing something that I love.  I wish I had done this a long time ago.  I may never replace my previous income by sewing and selling, but if I can make enough to fund my fabric addiction, I'll be happy!

I'm also about to complete my second week of the Beachbody 21-Day Fix, and so far I am thrilled with the results!  I lost 3 pounds in my first week, and I can see definite changes in my eating habits and my body.  I can push through more exercises now in ways that I couldn't do the first week.  I still don't like to exercise, but I tell myself every day that I can spend thirty minutes to improve my health and my self-image.  I love the variety of the exercises included with this program.  I have seven different workouts, so I do each one once a week.  They don't get boring or repetitive that way.  Week three has an option to do two workouts a day for maximum results, and I'm actually considering it.  You wouldn't have heard me say that last week!  I started cutting back and watching calories even before I started the Fix, and I am so happy to say that I've lost 6.5 pounds altogether, and that I now weigh less than I did when I got pregnant, and about the same as when I got married!  I haven't felt this good about myself in a long time.  Even when I veer a little bit off of my Fix plan, I'm making healthier choices overall.  Not only are the pounds and inches coming off, but my digestive health is better than I can remember it being for years!  No tummy aches when I stick to this plan!  Shakeology is amazing!  I drink it every day, usually for breakfast, and add some fruit and peanut butter.  It really makes me feel like I'm cheating because it's so good!

This week has been awesome, and I'm ready to take on the next one.  I know it's going to be a little more difficult because Billy is working on a new schedule, which throws my schedule off.  I'm always inclined to overeat when I'm off my schedule, but I'm really going to fight the impulse this week.  I'm also determined to drink more water.  Even though I drink very little else now, I'm still not drinking enough.  I've never really liked the taste, although I have found that adding some lemon juice or frozen strawberries really perks it up!  I'm also hoping to list a few more items in my shop this week, too.  Some Easter goodies are coming soon as well!

I've made so many positive changes this year, and it's only January.  I'm determined not to lose momentum, but to stay healthy and happy and productive for the whole year!  How was your week this week?  Do you have goals for next week?  Leave me a comment and let me know!

Lyndsie

My Fitness Steps for Success

You may know that I've set some new fitness goals for 2015.  I guess I set them most years.  But this year I've done a few things differently.  I have set a goal to lose at least twenty pounds, but I want to go beyond that, and learn to lead a healthier lifestyle.  So I've taken some definite steps for success.

Step One: Team Beachbody

I signed up as a coach with Beachbody, and I also have my own coach.  She's really great and offers a lot of encouragement along the way.  So far I haven't asked her a question or gone to her with a problem she hasn't helped me with.  There is also a lot of inspiration to be found when you search "Beachbody" or "Team Beachbody" on Pinterest or Instagram.  I search often and always feel more motivated when I'm done.  I'm still trying to learn all about the coaching part myself, so if you're interested in Beachbody, ask me and I'd love to help! 

Step Two: The 21 Day Fix

The 21 Day Fix is a diet and exercise program that I got through Beachbody.  I've only been doing it for a few days so far, but I feel amazing.  I have seven containers that I fill and eat out of every day.  Most of them I can fill multiple times.  The green on for veggies I get to fill three times, and the purple for fruit I fill twice.  I also get four reds for protein every day.  The containers look so small, but I am amazed at the amount of food that I get to eat.  My only sugar comes from fruit, and I get only a few carbs every day, but I've found that I don't miss that bad stuff much at all.  That's partly due to my third step for success.  I also do a thirty minute workout every day.  Don't let the fact that they're only thirty minutes long fool you!  There is some serious calorie burning going on in my living room!  

Step Three: Shakeology

If you have ever done a Beachbody program before, you have probably heard about their meal replacement shake.  It's different than any other meal replacement I've ever tried.  It comes in several flavors, but I ordered the chocolate this time.  There are so many different recipes and stuff to mix in, that I never have to have the same thing twice.  It helps me feel full and not crave sugar in the afternoon.  Also, good, fresh fruit is hard to come by right now, so I love that I can mix in a cup of frozen berries and get one of my fruit servings for the day.

Step Four: Jawbone Up

I never thought I would be a person who wore a wristband, but now I am.  All I can say is, don't knock it 'til you've tried it!  I sync it with my phone and it gives me great health and fitness tips during the day that keep me motivated.  It counts my steps, and lets me know when I need to work a little harder or sleep a little more.  I find myself making smarter decisions during the day just so that it will tell me I've done a good job when I sync before I go to bed!  

Step Five: Sharing

The thought of sitting down here and writing on this blog that I've failed to meet this goal is great motivation to keep me going at it every day.  I want to be able to show you what great progress I've made and really inspire you to want to make healthier choices too!  That's one of the reason's I chose Beachbody.  I like having other people to encourage me along the way.  It's great to see someone else's progress and know that with hard work and dedication I can see results too.  I'd love to tell you how you can join Team Beachbody.  Just email me through my "contact" link above. 

I'm hoping that by the time 2016 rolls around I will be a much healthier (and skinnier) person.  But more than that I want to have a healthier lifestyle for many more years to come.

Do you have any tips for fitness success?  Leave me a comment and let me know what they are!  

Lyndsie

A Look Back

Well, it's that time again when we all decide to wake up tomorrow morning and be totally different people than we were today.  Many people already have their resolutions in mind.  I haven't actually made mine yet, but I've been giving them a lot of thought.  I thought that before I made any new ones, I'd take a quick look back at some that I made last year, and see how well I kept them!

As a lover of lists and planning, as well as cute paper and pens, I decided to keep a running list of my plans and goals all year long.  I bought a super cute little notebook that I used as a little journal, place to jot ideas, keep track of weight loss, books I'd read, things I needed to organize and so forth.  I made a master list at the beginning of the year, and a smaller one each month.  This method really seemed to work for me.  Some of my goals are really broad, but I did that on purpose so that I could break them down monthly.  Here's a list of some of my 2014 Resolutions and how I did.

1. Read through the Bible.

This is probably the goal I'm the most proud of reaching.  My husband and I did it together, which has been a goal of ours for several years.  It's not always easy to find the time, but I'm so glad we did!  It had definitely been a blessing to us.  We plan to start again tomorrow and do it next year, too!

2. Lose 50 pounds. 

Sigh.  It pains me to admit that I did not lose all of the weight that I wanted to this year.  But, I am proud of the fact that I lost all of my pregnancy weight!  I gained about 60 pounds while pregnant with Jaxon, and even after the water weight was gone, I still needed to lose about 35 pounds.  Through Weight Watchers and exercise I did manage to lose that weight, but my goal was to weigh less than I did pre-pregnancy.  Even though I didn't reach this goal, I'm very proud of myself for losing 35 pounds this year! 

3. Sew more.

I definitely reached this goal this year!  I have found a true love for sewing and creating, and I have big plans to turn this hobby into something more in 2015!

4. Read 100 books.

I've always known that I read a lot, but I didn't really know how much I read.  So I set a goal this year on Goodreads to read 100 books this year.  I actually accomplished that goal in October!  I've continued to read since then, of course, and my final total for the year is 110 books read!

5. Learn to make a budget and keep it.

I always decide to make a budget, but it rarely seems to work out for me.  My lofty budget goals last year were thwarted when Billy's hours got cut at work, and he was threatened with a layoff.  We spent most of the year putting every spare dime into our savings account to cover us just in case.  Thank the Lord for stepping in at the last minute and saving not only Billy's job, but the jobs of at least 300 other men a the mines!  I'll have to try this one again next year!

6. Eat healthier and exercise.

These were two separate goals of mine last year, but I never really accomplished either one.  I did start out the year exercising 4-5 times a week, and I felt really great, but I ended up giving it up.  Even though I lost weight this year, I didn't really learn much about eating healthy--but that's going to change this year, too!

These are just a few of my 2014 Resolutions.  Looking back I can see that I did accomplish some of the things I wanted, and others I need to work on again this year.  But that's the excitement of a new year.  It's a new beginning and a time to make big changes.  I'm excited to write down my goal for 2015 and then do everything I can to accomplish them!  Over the next week or so I'll make my list, and I'll share it here, along with some ideas for making your own master list, as well as monthly ones.  I also have some exciting news to share about some new adventures I'm setting out on.  I can't wait to start!!

Do you make New Years' Resolutions?  I'd love to hear what they are, and if you have any tips for keeping them!

Looking forward to a great 2015,

Lyndsie

The Walk of Shame

On Sunday mornings I stumble out of bed and across the hall to the bathroom.  The scale looms in the corner and calls me to step on.  Sometimes I jump on with excitement, and sometimes I step on with a little self-doubt.  The number I see there has the power to make or break my whole week.  I'm already dreading the walk tomorrow. 

This has not been a good week for me.  Valentine's Day on Friday included a breakfast homemade by wonderful husband, lunch at a Mexican restaurant, and a rushed dinner at Qdoba.  I also went to see Disney on Ice, where I almost single-handedly consumed a bag of cotton candy.  Today Billy and I decided to buy ourselves a box of half-price Valentine's candy, "just because."  I had jury duty on Monday, Billy had a stomach bug on Tuesday, we had a foot of snow on Thursday, and of course Friday was Valentine's.  Because of all this, I had one trip to the gym.  I'm pretty sure that  30 minutes on a stationary bike isn't going to be enough to counteract a whole week of bad choices. 

I know that the number on the scale tomorrow will be disappointing, so I'm trying to prepare for it.  The way I see it, I have two choices.  I can let it get me down and go through this week feeling depressed about it.  I can decide that it's just not worth the trouble and the work.  I can decide that I've lost enough weight and just give up.  I have, after all, lost the fifty pounds that I gained while pregnant.  The other choice that is before me is to look at my food journal for this week, see where I messed up, and make the appropriate changes.  I can eat more veggies and less sweets and I can go to the gym more.  I can exercise at home on days when I can't go to the gym.  I can persevere and go on trying to achieve my goal of being skinny and healthy. 

I choose the second option.  I'm deciding right now, before I ever step on the scale, before I ever see the number, that I'm not going to let it get me down.  I will make the changes necessary to get where I want to be.  I refuse to give up.