!Phase Two!

I have an announcement to make... I have made it to Phase TWO in P90X!!! This is a HUGE accomplishment for me. I have owned P90X since November and I have never made it past Phase One. This phase includes two new workouts (Chest, Shoulders & Triceps and Back & Biceps) that I have never done before. These new workouts are really testing my strength and pushing me beyond what I ever thought I could do. For example, on Monday I did one-arm push-ups and clap push-ups on my knees. It won't be long until I can do them on my feet. Here's to the next three weeks of Phase Two. Soon I will look like Dreya Weber in the pictures above!

This is what a Best Friend is for

Remember how I confessed that I was not bringing it in the Kitchen? How I was eating cookies and pizza and calzones and M&M's?

Do you want to know how I got back on track? I owe it all to my BFF, Ashley! Thursday night she chewed my ass. I am not kidding, she really laid into me. She reminded me of the commitments we made together, finish P90X, compete in a triathlon, eat clean in the kitchen and be in the best shape of our lives! We told each other that we can do this and we promised to be there for each other. Ashley came through for me at the right time. She somehow knew that I was struggling and slowly slipping out of the workout regimen and healthy eating habits. Her tough love really set me straight and reinforced that we are in this together. If one fails we both fail. So for those of you out there who have fallen off the wagon, it is not too late to pick yourself up and make a go at it again. I understand that life gets in the way, but do not let this be your crutch. The secret is to find someone who will keep you accountable for when life happens or when you get lazy and forget why you started this fitness journey. Lean on this person for guidance, support and motivation. Listen to what they have to say and then pick yourself up and start over.

Bags Packed & Ready to Go

Have I mentioned that I have been out of sync and a little lazy lately? Well let me give you an example. Last night I decided that I needed to go to the gym in the morning as I have been taking Recovery Week not as serious as I should be. To sweeten the deal I told myself I could swim instead of run on the treadmill. I love swimming and it is a workout I look forward to. So I packed my gym bag, which includes packing work cloths, hair stuff, make-up... a pretty big ordeal that takes awhile to gather. I then packed my breakfast, lunch and snacks for the next day. I set my alarm for 5:50am and went to bed. Augusta woke me up at 5:40am. I laid in bed from 5:40 to 6:07 contemplating if I should get up and go to the gym. I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty much awake at this point. But instead of getting up I went back to sleep! Let me tell you how frustrating this is, especially since I spent half of the evening packing all of my things and this morning unpacking the same things. Right now I am sitting here going through the same motions as I did last night, packing my bags to go to the gym in the morning. The difference is this time I am going to get out of bed!

Confessions

1. I haven't blogged in awhile because, I feel like I have gotten a bit off track 2. I cannot get my eating under control 3. I bought cookies tonight and ate them (even with Ashley at the grocery store telling me to put them back) 4. I have not kept up with my food journal 6. I have not been working out in the mornings Now for some positives: 1. I MADE IT TO RECOVERY WEEK IN P90X (this is the farthest I have ever made it in the workout) 2. I swam 1 mile today 3. I haven't missed a workout in a long time So where do I go from here? You will have to check back in a couple of days to see.

Triathlon Essentials

In order to compete in a triathlon you need a bike. Soo what's a girl to do... but maybe, possibly buy a bike? No, that doesn't sound like something I would do... especially when my husband is in Denver playing in a pool tournament and I know better than to bother him to discuss this purchase.

Oh is this a picture of a bike? Possibly my bike? OKAY YES, I BOUGHT A ROAD BIKE!! (after my husband approved the purchase of course) So far I have only rode the bike up and down the street to give Augusta some quick exercise and the word on the street is Preston has done the same (so wish I had a picture of this). I go in next week to have the bike fitted to me. I can't wait to start riding. Watch out drivers. Oh one last thing, you would think this goes without saying but those of you who know my husband and what he finds humorous I feel that I must state the following, please do not throw pennies at bicyclists. Thank you.

My First 5K

Yesterday I ran my very first 5K (or outdoor race for that matter). I was terrified! Luckily a lot of good friends were running it also so I wasn't going at it alone. The race started out easy. My adrenaline was pumping and my legs felt great. We ran our first mile in 8:30. Looking back, this was a little fast for Ashley and I. The second mile Erin found her pace and started to pass people. Ashley and I stayed back trying to find ours. The hard part set in towards the end of the second mile. At one point I told Ashley DO NOT LET ME WALK! We were gasping for our breath and trying to use our arms. Towards the end Ashley picked it up while I was still convincing myself that I didn't need to walk. Once I could see the finish line I kicked as hard as I could and I sprinted the last little bit. I was focusing so intensely on finishing the race strong that I forgot to look at my time on the big display! This made me a little uneasy for the rest of the day because I had no idea where I finished; if I was 10 seconds behind Ashley or one minute behind Ashley. My initial goal was to keep up with Erin, but her long legs, fast pace and hard core determination was too much for me! My second goal was to finish the race under 30 minutes. After I crossed the finish line I saw Dan. It was so nice of him to wait for us and thank god because Ashley said she almost blacked out. Looking back I really enjoyed the experience and I will probably run another 5K, possibly the Take 5 In The Garden. I ran my very first 5K in 28:21!!! Which means on average I ran each mile in the 9 minute range! Ashly did a great job and ran it in 28:15!!

OVERALL FEMALE RESULTS

Place Name               Age City/state            Guntime   Bib#
193 Lori Hollis         27 Colorado Springs CO     28:21.45  1220

FEMALE AGE GROUP:  25 - 29

Place Name                 Age City/state          Guntime   Bib#
44 Lori Hollis           27 Colorado Springs CO   28:21.45  1220

Nerve-Racking, Puke Engaging Decision...

The big number that I was hoping and wishing for actually appeared on the scale this morning... -1.2 pounds!! Tonight when I was doing Shoulders and Arms I was mesmerized by all of the muscles flexing and popping out. Next week I am going to record myself doing this workout so you can all see the awesome results I am getting instead of just taking my word for it. Now for some very scary news... I am going to run in the St. Patricks 5K this Saturday. I am soo freakin nervous. I got butterflies today just thinking about it; imagine what I am going to be like the day of the race! Luckily, some friends are also competing in the race so I won't be alone (I don't think that I am at the caliber to state that I am competing in this race; however, I am a little worried that my friends might be. Note to self, probably not the best idea to run my first "K" with seasoned professionals!). Anyways, Ashley is very worried about frozen lungs? Does anyone know what this is? I obviously have no idea what she is talking about but apparently it is the worst feeling in the world. She actually wished it upon me that I get frozen lungs on Saturday just so I know what she is talking about. I reminded her that if I have frozen lunges on Saturday then more than likely she will too. Here is what I am worried about. 1) Pacing myself- I won't have a treadmill updating me on how fast I am running each mile or how many miles I have left. 2) What if I have to walk? I think I might just die if I have to walk part of the race. I mean Ashley and I haven't been working our butts off since January to walk! 3) What time should we show up? 4) How many layers of clothing is appropriate or just plain ridiculous? There is always a first for everything!

Determination & Focus = Dirty House

Since I have started focusing on working out and eating healthy, I have let some other things go by the wayside. For instance:

1. Cleaning or picking up the house
2. Reading an actual book

Okay well these are the only two things that come to mind, but seriously the house needs to be cleaned! I have started week two of P90X. This morning I did Plyometrics at the gym. I love doing this workout at the gym because I have the entire exercise room to myself and it is fun looking at all my new muscles in the mirrors. Speaking of muscles, I might actually have some! My calves, thighs, arms and shoulders are more defined. And I am starting the see a very slight outline of abs. This afternoon, Ashley and I met at the gym to swim. We decided to swim for an hour; we usually only swim for about 30 minutes. We calculated that we swam 1 mile. By the end, we were both dog tired! I think we burned around 600 calories, but this is not an exact number because the BodyBugg cannot go in water. Ashley and I are on the hunt for a non-expensive watch that can count calories in the water. Is there even such a thing? Anyways, assuming I burned 600 calories in the water my calories deficit for today will be 1438!! Wow!! Just to be clear, I ate 1509 calories today so yes I am eating. I cannot wait to weight myself tomorrow!!! I am hoping for a big number! :)

New Shoes!!

I got new PINK running shoes!

My awesome sister (even though I found out today that she doesn't keep up with my blog) helped me pick out the perfect pair of running shoe and insoles. Apparently it is very bad juju to single sale an associate.

Ladies out there, if you need new tennis shoes (is this still the cool word to use?) go to Lady Footlocker. The sales associates truly know what they are taking about. I can't wait to try them out tomorrow!

Augusta checking out the new digs.

Food Journal

This past week I have rocked my P90X workouts. But I have been slacking in the eating department. I eat healthy for about a day and then the next day I blow it. I know what I should eat so that's not the problem. The problem is I love chocolate and pastries and calzones, but I don't have any restraint. I can't eat just one. This week I am going to write down everything I eat and keep track of my calories. I am going to allow myself 1500 calories. Each day I will need to burn 2250 calories to achieve a calorie deficit of 750. At this pace I can expect to lose 1.5 pounds per week and reach my goal weight by April 18th. The quest for the perfect Food Journal is on!

And now what you all have been waiting for...

My Official Shakeology Review Today I had my very first Shakeology for lunch. Let me tell you, the shake was absolutely tasty! It was chocolate goodness... and thick... and cocoey (new word I made up) with a slight hint of banana... and amazingly tasty (did I say that already?)... and filling... and healthy with only 176 calories total including the 1/2 banana. Shakeology actually kept me full and satisfied until my afternoon snack. It wasn't grainy tasting. Actually, it didn't taste like I was drinking a healthy shake with... amino acids digestive enzymes prebiotics vitamins minerals protein antioxidants phytonutrients Tomorrow, I am going to drink Shakeology for dinner. Ashley is having her first Shakeology tonight for dinner. I'll let you know what she thinks. Did I mention that you can win $1,000 from Beachbody just for trying Shakeology? I am submitting my application tomorrow! www.myshakeology.com/lhollis

The Healthiest Meal of the Day

Shakeology Shakeology has finally arrived! I am going to replace one meal a day with Shakeology. I will let you know how tomorrow goes. From what other Shakeology users have told me, Shakeology is delicious and surprisingly filling. Here are the results from a Beachbody 90-day research study.* by the end of WEEK ONE - Improve digestion and regularity - Reduce cravings by the end of WEEK FOUR - Increased energy and stamina - Lost weight - Improved mental clarity by the end of WEEK TWELVE - Lost 10 pounds and 2 inches off waist on average - Reduced risk of heart disease and other degenerative diseases - Lowered cholesterol on average by 30% - Healthier skin, hair and nails *In a 90-day study, participants replaced one meal per day with Shakeology, ate a balanced diet and exercised three times per week. Beachbody and Shakeology users have come up with some great recipes. Here is the one I will be trying tomorrow. Chocolate Covered Bananas 1/2 banana 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology powder 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup non-fat soy, rice or almond milk (I am going to leave this out) Ice to taste This is all you need! Magic Bullet to mix Shakeology (or blender) Chocolate Shakeology powder Bananas Shakeology shaker (or glass, cup, water bottle) Come back tomorrow to see my official review! To view the Shakeology website go to: www.myshakeology.com/lhollis

Bring It On!

I saw this on another blog and it made me laugh out loud!! I can't wait to experience this!