21-Day Fix Extreme: Days 6 & 7

DAY 6: DIRTY 30 EXTREME

Now this is what I'm talking about!!! Compound moves, working different muscle groups at once...not that this doesn't happen every other day.  This workout is everything that I was hoping it would be and more.  Fast paced, 7 compound moves, and more lunges and squats to make sure your legs realize it's not a rest day yet!  It was nice to finally have a day that didn't involve jumping around, however it certainly doesn't give up on your butt and legs, nor should it.  You will feel every single part of your body after this workout, and if you don't, then you did something wrong.

I've used many of these compound moves in my personal training sessions, primarily because I love working with lighter weights, but total body movement.  Autumn guides you through each move at her quick pace, but the combination tightens and tones every single part of your body.  My favorite move from this workout was definitely the Half Moon Curtsy because you can feel the burn in your shoulders and all around your legs, and you're only holding a light weight.

My nutrition this day was on my Extreme Eating Plan which allowed for increased carbs and fruits, which was totally necessary given I was working the bar at night.  I ate some of my left over Oat n' Cashew Cakes, and also had some of my Egg Muffins.  I did end up having two servings of Shakeology on this day, as I'm not able to eat behind the bar.  Next time this happens though, I am going to start my morning with something other than my shake (say egg whites and oatmeal), so that I'm only drinking one shake a day.  There is always a relief on these Extreme Eating Plan days, as I'm not so focused on proteins, and I am able to have extra sugars and carbs in my diet.

At this time, my weight had decreased to 143.7 lbs, my Body Fat % had decreased to 28% and my muscle mass had increase to 31.3%.  All great numbers as far as I'm concerned, especially since I didn't feel like I had a lot of weight to lose, and I am really focused on my muscle gain.  It's very exciting to think that in 6 days, you can have these kind of results if you stay dedicated to your nutrition and exercise.

DAY 7: YOGA FIX EXTREME

I love yoga...love, love, love, love.  I feel that every workout routine, including my one-on-one's with clients should include a yoga day.  This workout moves quickly, but touches on everything from moving vinyasas, isometric holds, and balance postures.  Autumn touches on every part of yoga that you possibly could do with only thirty minutes.  I also have to say, that for once, I felt a little further along than her.  Although I couldn't do the really advanced postures, I was stronger throughout, more balanced, and felt more confident than she did.  I'm not sure if she typically teaches yoga, but it was nice to not feel like I was falling short on every aspect of my fitness routines.

I knew that I was going to be using my legs and butt, obviously, so I was prepared to feel an extreme burn again.  However, the amount of stretching and holding that she has you do, really does help the recovery of your lower body muscles.  This isn't to say that I didn't feel any burn, but it was a bearable burn that was also stretching and strengthening my muscle groups.  This workout is entirely warranted after the week of slaughter on your body, and IT IS NOT THE WORKOUT TO SKIP!!!  This seems very important to state, as this is the only day that you're really going to feel some recovery if you've been staying on schedule and attacking your workouts.

My favorite move from this workout is definitely Wheel, mostly because when I started Yoga three years ago, I never thought I'd be able to do it, especially with a leg lift.  Although Autumn doesn't do the leg lift that I show here in the video, I did add it into my workout to make the move a little more difficult.  If it's too difficult for you, then just keep both of your feet on the ground!

Nutritionally, I had to focus on what I'd be eating all day, and eat at certain times as I was working behind the bar again.  This meant stacking proteins at the beginning of my day because I wouldn't be able to eat behind the bar past 4 o'clock.  I planned accordingly, ate eggs, egg muffins, haddock, veggies, and all my fats, outside of the 1/4 avocado I put in my Shakeology for 'dinner'.  

I also took this day to prep for my travel on Monday.  I was leaving for Florida the next day, and having quite a panic attack on what I was going to eat while I was traveling, as I was also going to be dependent upon what was offered at the resort.  I'll fill you in on how I did with this on the following days blogs.  At the end of the first week (7 days), my Weight had dropped from 148.4 lbs. to 143.5, my Body Fat had dropped from 29.1% to 27.8%, and my Muscle Mass had increased from 30.8% to 31.4%.  All of these numbers are so huge to me, as they are indications of all the hard work and focus.  If they had only moved a little, I would have still been happy, but seeing this much progress w

as totally motivational.  As I was working this whole weekend, and traveled the following days, I wasn't able to do progress photos, but will provide some from week 2 for sure!

Remember, if you want to try ANY Beachbody program, including this 21-Day Fix Extreme, you can order it through me right HERE!  For ordering through me you will also receive an additional FREE DVD,  Don't miss out!

21-Day Fix Extreme: Days 4 & 5

DAY 4: LOWER FIX EXTREME

OK, so when day 4 rolled around, there's absolutely no way I could have anticipated how much my legs and butt were going to hurt.  As a trainer, I have gotten pretty used to the fact that my body is going to hurt almost all of the time, however this was a whole new type of burn.  Although you do have an upper body day, it's hardly enough to feel like you've recovered once you get though Pilates Extreme, and then you wake up to Lower Fix Extreme on Day 4.  In my head, I had convinced myself that Day 4 was going to be a combination of lower body moves, all slow and controlled, with no jumping.  If this is also your wish, throw it right out the window!

Autumn takes this opportunity to give you almost all lower body movements with weight, and each exercise is 1 full minute, 30 seconds with your feet grounded, 30 seconds with plyometric jumping.  So when you wake up on day 4 thinking, "I might be able to walk normal after this workout", please reconsider what you'll actually feel like.  Plyometric jumping, which utilizes different muscle groups and fibers than grounded leg work, is on Day 1, but you'll see it again here.  What also makes this a real leg burner, is the 1-minute exercises.  Anyone who's done jumping for 30-seconds will tell you that their butt is on fire, so add weighted stationary squats followed directly by squat jumps, and you're probably going to be reaching for the grandma bar in the ladies room every time you try to pee.

My favorite butt-burning move of the day was definitely the Lat Band Step!  With all the squats, lundges, and jumps I've done before, I'm not sure my side-butt (as my client Whitney likes to refer to it) has ever been burning more.  As this is one of the last moves in the routine, I'm not sure if it's just the combination of all the slaughtering that makes this feel fantastic, or just that it's an awesome move, but it'll definitely tighten and tone your butt and thighs!

Day 4 nutrition brought me back to Countdown to Competition Meal Plan with my proteins, veggies, healthy fats, and limited carbs .  In an effort to expand my white flaky fish intake, I attempted Tilapia...it will NEVER happen again.  Something about the taste and texture made me squirmish every single time I took a bite.  It was terrible...TERRIBLE!  Now this is obviously preference, so I'm not saying avoid this fish, but remember that when you're trying out a new nutritional plan, this may also happen to you.  You are going to come across foods that you haven't eaten before, that you hope you really like, and then find out that they make your stomach turn with one bite.  I ate it for two days, but only because I HATE to waste food.

There's also very little that's exciting and new to tell you about in regards to food and recipes, because once you really focus on this C2C Meal Plan, you're really eating the same things almost all the time.  If you're someone who needs a variety of choices, and can't eat the same thing all of the time, then I would suggest you choose the less rigid Extreme Eating Plan, as you'll have far more proteins, veggies, fruits, and carbs to choose from.  For myself, my focus is on changing my body as quickly as possible, with the best results as possible, even if that means throwing food in a blender and drinking it, (I joke, but I've also considered it throughout the week.) I'm also getting used to this whole drinking Coconut Oil thing.  Although they allow you to intake the oil through cooking, Autumn typically melts hers and drinks it.  So, as I wanted to stick as closely as possible to her nutritional plan, I have been doing the same.  It used to be tequila in a shot glass, and now I find myself in front of my microwave waiting to take Coconut Oil shooters.  Ahhh, how life changes.  The taste and texture don't bother me at all, but it's certainly something to become accustomed to!

When I woke up on Day 4, my then current weight was 145.7 lbs. compared to my starting weight of 148.4 lbs. The previous 2 days, however, I had weighed myself in the afternoon after drinking and eating, which really isn't a good idea when you want to trend something with numbers.  For that reason I started making sure I always weigh myself first thing in the morning with no clothes on.  I want to see the numbers based on weighing myself at the same time every day.  Even still, this is the lightest weight I have been since I was probably 12 or 13 years old.  I felt accomplished and happy, and it was a great motivator to stay focused on my nutrition, even if I could barely walk up and down the stairs!

It's also important to mention, as I am someone who truly believes that weight alone is not enough to track our successes in our fitness journey, that my Body Fat % had decreased from 29.1% to 28.5% and my Muscle Mass had increase from 30.8% to 31.1%!  These are the number that matter most to me.  I could care less if I ever get into the 130's, but I would love to be 18% Body Fat.  Weight is a number, Body Fat and Muscle Mass determine how your body looks.  Always remember that when you're tracking your weight loss journey!

DAY 5: CARDIO FIX EXTREME

Oh Autumn...up until now I really liked this lady.  She reminds me a lot of one of my best girlfriends Tanya, so every time I workout I smirk at some of her mannerisms and facial expressions because it makes me think of one of my besties.  Today, however, I swore at my TV around a dozen times, and had some seriously negative thoughts about the reality of this whole thing.  I'm not sure if it was the carb depletion, or that my legs just haven't had a day to recover, but this woman is just NON-STOP jumping!!!  I'm all about lower-body work, and cardiovascular work, but why-oh-why am I always f**king jumping around???  This day was the day that made me realize that this workout routine, if you're someone who pushes until you feel like you're going to collapse, is absolutely no joke, and not for the feint of heart.  Mentally, you must be fully prepared to break through that voice that says I can't, and learn to modify when your body won't let you.  I push, and I push REALLY hard...and this day was a real mental challenge.  That being said, I did it, I finished it, and I also have been walking funny since.   I'm not trying to discourage anyone, but I want to be a realist.  If you saw the infomercial for this product, and you've never worked out before, the chances that you will succeed are slim. This takes some real mental and physical toughness.  If you've never completed a program before, this absolutely is not where you want to start!

All that hate talk aside, that's not to say that I didn't find the workout rewarding, and didn't have a favorite move.  I love Weighted Skaters, as they work every muscle group, force rotation in the abdominals, and also work your butt.

As I was still on the Countdown to Competition Meal Plan, my food varied very little. Protein and green veggies, coconut oil, and one carb. I don't think it's necessary to tell you what I ate every day, but just to address that being this tight on my diet has certainly effected my energy levels on days that I train, or work behind the bar because I just don't have the energy sources that my body is used to. However, it is almost like I can feel my body burning fat, so I suppose it's working regardless. That being said, I will touch upon trying to eat 8 times a day. For the first few C2C days I was trying to eat a protein at every “meal”, quickly finding that it was near impossible to fit all the proteins into one day. Don't ask me why I didn't double up on my lunches or dinners, but for whatever reason it didn't occur to me until around this day. If you find yourself attacking the C2C Meal Plan while doing 21-Day Fix Extreme, take this into consideration. Eat two red containers for lunch and/or for dinner, depending on what your caloric intake is supposed to be, and what time you finish your last meal.

This morning I also saw a weight loss going from my previous 145.7 lbs. to 145.3 lbs., which is certainly something.  To have continued weight loss over every day is amazing.  Some days the loss is bigger than others, but even if I lost .4 lbs. every day, I'd have lost almost 10 lbs. overall with the program in 21-days.  That's just awesome weight math! I also saw a decrease in Body Fat % from 28.5% to 28.3%, and an increased Muscle Mass from 31.1% to 31.2%.  Although these seem like very small changes, you have to realize that they are HUGE in terms of one-day losses and gains!

Remember, if you want to try ANY Beachbody program, including this 21-Day Fix Extreme, you can order it through me right HERE!  For ordering through me you will also receive an additional FREE DVD,  Don't miss out!

21-Day Fix Extreme: Days 2 and 3

DAY 2

I can honestly say that day two of 21-Day Fix Extreme was extremely hard on me nutritionally.  I'm here to be honest, and that is what I'm going to be.  Although I am a relatively clean eater, the elimination of fruit, dairy, and most carbohydrates on the Countdown to Competition Meal Plan, sent me into a bit of sugar withdrawal.  Fruit is one of my main substitutes for processed sugars, obviously, so having none at all was a bit of a shock to the system by day 2.  Also, getting only one serving of carbs on those days creates a complete depletion of insulin spikes, so my body was burning red hot from the workouts, and really just burning off of the fats on my body.  This is the idea, clearly, but when you're going through it, it just doesn't feel so pleasant. Protein and veggies, protein and veggies...that's about it.

OK, now that I'm done whining, the things that I have learned thus far.  Planning, planning, planning.  When my body was burning like a furnace, I really only had about a two hour window before I was starving again.  So, if I didn't have food prepped already, it was an additional 15-20 minutes that I had to wait to eat, and that just made me hangry.  Fish, eggs whites, turkey, and lean red meat.  Buy it, prep it, and cook a ton of it.  Have it sitting in the fridge for when your stomach starts to speak.  Otherwise, you'll find yourself standing with your refrigerator doors open, hating that you ever made the decision to start down this path.  Same thing for veggies; broccoli, asparagus, peppers, cucumbers, green beans. Buy them, clean them, steam them, portion them.  It's survival in order to make it through the C2C Meal Plan days.  I also tend bar on Tuesday nights, and hadn't accounted for the extra calories that I would burn from running around the bar area, so I learned my lesson there.  Bring more food, eat more often.  Overall though, I loved the Upper Fix Extreme workout, as I LOVE to push weight, and the 10 min. Hardcore video that you can add on is quickly becoming one of my favorite add-ons to the program.

DAY 3

Ahhh, 2 extra carbs, and 3 servings of fruit?!?  I didn't know I could be so excited about this, but it was seriously like a mini celebration when I woke up.  My favorite Chocolate Shakeology recipe has Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, banana, and peanut butter, and I can't have that on my C2C meal plan days, so when I woke up at 5:30 am (yeah, I couldn't freaking sleep, and my stomach was GROWLING), and knew I could have my favorite breakfast. there was a sigh of relief.  It's the small things people...otherwise, you'll end up shoving a donut in your face.  This was a bit of a relief in my day, knowing that I wouldn't be feeling like I was having a totally restrictive food day.  

Poached eggs over steamed asparagus, Cashew n' Oats Pancakes, Turkey Meatloaf with sweet potato and steamed broccoli; all this made my day a little bit better.  Even my boyfriend was surprised by how good the meatloaf was, and it will most certainly make it only my food blog.  

When it came to approaching Pilates Fix Extreme, I went at that workout with the wrong mindset.  I have done Pilates in workout programs before, and thought, "I totally have this, NBD!"  Yeah, add a resistance band to anything, and it'll make you realize you were barely doing any work before.  Autumn Calabrese brings Pilates to a whole different level, so if you think your arms and legs are safe, they are not!  I don't think I've ever been so exhausted from floor work in my entire fitness career.  My favorite move of the day, had to be the Circle Teaser.  The abdominal work, and the leg work are insane, and the burn is AWESOME!

It never ceases to amaze me how a new move in your routine can change how you look at the previous work that you have done.  I've done this move plenty of times before without resistance bands, but add that little bit of resistance, and you entirely change what muscle groups that you engage.  Give it a try, and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about.  

STATS

So on day three, what had changed?  Well, I had gone from 148.4 lbs. on Day 1 to 146.6 lbs. on Day 3.  That's almost 2 lbs. in three days.  This is a huge loss, as most people would find difficulty in losing a pound a day, and it certainly can't be maintained for a lengthy period of time.  But, this is the point of 21-Day Fix Extreme and the Countdown to Competition Meal Plan.  Extreme results in less than 30 days, as long as you stay committed to your nutrition and exercise; it's not impossible, it's just hard.  As they say, it's supposed to be hard, if it wasn't everyone one would do it.  My Day 3 photos:

I am excited to see this change over 21 days.  This is the first time that I have taken photos this often, as most programs have you do it once a month, as you progress through different stages of the program. If you folks have any questions or comments, throw them my way.  I would love to hear suggestions and concerns that other people have also faced.  So far, I FREAKING LOVE THIS PROGRAM!!! 

Remember, if you want to try ANY Beachbody program, including this 21-Day Fix Extreme, you can order it through me right HERE!  For ordering through me you will also receive an additional FREE DVD,  Don't miss out!

DECIDE. COMMIT. SUCCEED.

Maria

Easy Guidelines for Choosing your Macro Nutrients

Although I am neither a dietitian nor a nutritionist, I have done some serious reading when it comes to Clean Eating and Superfoods.  I often find myself confused as to why people have such a difficult time simply choosing healthy foods over fatty, unhealthy foods and I have to remind myself of two things.

One, most people are not going to take the time to do the research themselves. The amount of time it took me to read the 12 books that educated me on the whys and hows of eating clean, is not the amount of time that the average person working 40-60 hour weeks is going to have to educate themselves about their food choices.

Two, as a Beachbody Coach I have had the opportunity to thoroughly read through multiple program Nutritional Guides, which has armed me with the knowledge of portion sizes, and appropriate healthy food choices.  Order any program, and Beachbody provides you with an arsenal of information on which foods land at the top of Michi's Ladder, and which ones fall short on providing the most nutritional value to your daily diet.

*circle = carb, triangle = fat, square = protein

That being said, one program that breaks down good macro nutrient food choices particularly well is Hip Hop Abs Nutritional Guide.  Although I know I am stealing this information from the book, I think it's important to share here, so that others can benefit from how easy it can be to make the right food choices. So, here are some guidelines when choosing your macro nutrients.

PROTEINS:

• Choose lean meats (turkey, chicken, pork) over fatty red meats.
• The portion of meat in a meal should be no larger than the palm of your hand (around 3-4 oz.)
• Broil, grill or bake--never fry!
• Avoid cream sauces and gravies.
• If you don't eat meat, substitute tempeh, tofu, low-fat dairy products, and legumes.

VEGETABLES:

• A large salad is great, but try to limit the amount of dressing to one or two tablespoons; using too much can blow the whole reason for eating salad in the first place.  Clear dressings like vinaigrette tend to be less fatty than creamier, cheesier ones.  Also, try dipping your fork tines in dressing to get flavor without pouring on too many calories.
• Steamed or raw veggies have so few calories, you can pretty much eat them until you're no longer hungry.  A plateful of raw veggies has about 100 calories. Indulge!
• Avoid butter or cream-based sauces. Lemon juice, soy sauce, and mustard are good options for adding flavor to your veggies without adding fat calories.

BREADS, PASTAS, RICE, AND FRUITS:

• Be sure to eat whole grains and brown rice instead of refined grains and white rice.  Remember, fiber slows down sugar absorption, helping your body to better process those sugars instead of just storing them as fat. 
• Always eat whole fruits over fruit juices.
• Foods in this category are calorie-dense, so limit your intake to three small servings per day.

FATS:

• Avoid saturated and trans fats in red meats, full-fat dairy, and processed foods.
• Avocados, raw nuts, flaxseeds, and olive oil are great sources of essential fatty acids--just keep the portions very small, since fat is extremely dense and has more than twice the calories per gram as protein and carbs.

Using a food tracker like MyFitnessPal will help you track your caloric intake, and also provide you with a chart on the ratios of your macro nutrients.  I cannot express how important it is to utilize free sites like this one when learning to control your caloric intake, and balance your macro nutrients.  

When I saw Jillian Michaels live at Lowell Auditorium she kept reiterating the importance of tracking your food when making a lifestyle change to eating healthy and clean.  The importance of doing so for at least 30-days helps one to identify their food habits, and make modifications in those habits, while at the same time creating a new habit: food awareness. As she states, most people eat the same 50 things over and over again.  We are creatures of habit. Tracking your food for a 30-day period allows you to see what those foods are, and creates a general outline of what foods will be in your diet on a daily basis.  After 30-days. you should have a pretty good idea of what foods you like and dislike, as well as the caloric base of each meal should you chose it to be in your diet on any given day. 

If you have never tracked your foods, I highly suggest starting here.  It will be startling to see how much you're over eating, and where your lacking not only in your macro nutrients, but also your vitamins and minerals.  Always be honest with yourself when it comes to portions sizes.  Lying to your food diary does not hurt anyone but yourself.  Don't cheat yourself!

One last suggestion I'll give here is to find yourself a good meal replacement shake.  Something that provides you with all the superfoods that you would NEVER be able to get in your daily diet, even if you ate all day long.  If you haven't checked out Shakeology, you absolutely MUST.  There is no other product on the shelf that does what this does, not as a whole anyway.  Putting your health and fitness first should be a life priority, and you're worth the investment, so why not make sure you're doing everything you can to ensure the most well-rounded healthy lifestyle that you can? 

As always, I would love to hear any questions, comments, or concerns, so feel free to contact me at any time!

Be super...like your food!  Hehehehe!

<3 Maria