Meal Planning with Hammer & Chisel

As I mentioned previously I'm now doing a workout program called The Master's Hammer & Chisel with my husband to help me loose the pregnancy weight I gained. Before starting our new workout program (Hammer & Chisel) we had to take a quiz to see what meal plan we would be following. Depending on gender, starting weight, lifestyle, and goal you got a letter that represented your calorie and container options. I got Plan B with 1,500-1,799 calories. This was less calories than I was used to since I was still sticking with the calories I was eating during my pregnancy. The containers/colors shown in the table above relate to certain types of food as explained below.

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After I got this information I went to work researching healthy recipes that could work within these goals. I have to say that it was not easy at all to come up with my Week 1 Meal Plan. I struggled to cut back on my carb/starch and dairy intake. I also struggled finding vegetarian options for most of my meals {I'm about 90% vegetarian since I still eat lunch meat and sometimes seafood}. I typically eat a lot of Mexican food and pasta recipes. However, clearly eating as much spaghetti and enchiladas as I was previously was not working for me in the long run so I came up with my meal plan shown below.

For week 1 I struggled with still feeling hungry and lethargic at times. According to the nutrition book you can add in green and red if you're hungry or purple and blue if you're lacking energy. To prevent myself from being miserable since I didn't plan on starving myself, I added in some veggie snacks to my day when needed. Before I could start my workout after my second snack I ate a second serving of carrots since they have fiber to help me keep me full to power through my workout. I was definitely missing my sugar filled Zone Perfect Protein Bar that I normally eat pre-workout right about now. 

I was loving my usual turkey sandwich (minus the mayo and cheese I usually used). However, the plain greek yogurt was a struggle where I was constantly trying to find mix-ins to improve the taste. For some reason plain greek yogurt tastes like sour cream to me, and it's just not appealing to eat a bowl of it. I threw in some strawberries one day and another day I blended it up with blackberries. Another thing I was struggling with was my new way to drink coffee. Typically I pour in my flavored creamers until my coffee basically looks like milk. Now I'm allowed 1-2 tbsp of Milk plus any extracts or spices I'd like. I blended my coffee with 2 tbsp of Fairlife Fat Free Milk, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract, 1 tsp Coconut Oil, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. It was okay at first. I think it'll take time for my body to adjust and learn to like the healthier options, but it'll definitely be worth it in the end to feel better about myself and live longer. 

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A Soon to be Fit Mom

During my pregnancy even with my attempts at staying active and eating reasonably healthy, I did give in to cravings (a.k.a. Dunkin Donuts Munchkins) and take a lot of naps on the couch (especially towards the end). Due to all this I ended up gaining more weight than I'd have ideally liked. I don't know fully what I gained since during my last 3-4 months I had to stand backwards on the scale since my belly stuck out so far. I know the ideal for my height is 25-35 pounds MAX. I'm pretty sure I gained 35-40 pounds instead. Just thinking that makes me cringe!!

After giving birth and wearing my Belly Bandit I ended up loosing a little over 20 lbs. Sadly that has still left me with 15-20 lbs to loose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I'm not 100% focused on the scale right now, but I am pretty determined to loose that loose/soft lower stomach feeling I've had since giving birth. I want my stomach to go back to feeling tight. I know it's WAY harder after having a baby, but I'm pretty determined.

I started out by going on walks daily by the time I was 6 weeks postpartum and my doctor gave me the okay to start working out. I would walk the neighborhood with my son in his stroller. I really enjoyed this at first until it started getting cold here in Georgia. I am in no way a fan of the cold, so I switched my workouts up and started doing DVD fitness programs with the hubby. 

We tried going back to our beloved P90X3 program that helped me pre-pregnancy get a toned body. For one thing workouts with A LOT of jumping do not mix well with a newly postpartum breastfeeding Mamma. I had to wear 2-3 sports bras just to avoid insane breast pain while jumping. My other issues I won't go into detail, but let me just say I was not a fan of jumping. Add to that the fact that we had an almost 2-month old baby who was not an amazing sleeper and tended to cry for what seemed like forever as soon as 4:00 pm rolled around (aka our typical workout time). There were many typical 30-minute workouts that took over an hour since we would take breaks to tend to our son. 

Sadly, now almost 6-months postpartum I still have not lost all the weight that I wanted or gotten the body back that I had before. I think a big part of my issue is figuring out nutrition that works with my new body and my new appetite. Breastfeeding makes me feel like I'm STARVING all the time, which leads to incessant snacking. What makes it even harder is the fact that I'm at home so it's easy to just keep eating without realizing how much you've eaten by the end of the day. Due to all this I've officially decided to start a whole new program that incorporates cleaning up your nutrition and learning correct portion sizes. Hopefully our new program The Masters Hammer & Chisel will get me where I'm wanting to go. 

Fitness Must Have - FlipBelt

I've recently gotten into hiking and walking a lot outside whenever the weather here in Georgia cooperates with my plans. My only issue when I'm walking usually is with the fact that 99% of my workout capris, pants, and shorts do not have pockets. Hello, where am I supposed to put my keys, phone, ID, snacks, etc.? For awhile I would try to slip my iPhone into my pants right at my hip at the top of the band on my workout pants. However doing that usually ended in disaster with my phone crashing to the concrete ground. Thankfully I'm lucky enough to not have broken a phone yet doing that because of my phone case {knock on wood}. Then I randomly saw an add for a FlipBelt and knew I had to have it. I automatically fell in love as soon as I received my FlipBelt. 

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Here are the benefits to using a FlipBelt

1. Machine Washable {and dryable in the dryer} - This is amazing because as you all probably know your workout clothes and accessories tend to get sticky when you're working out when they get coated in sweat. The same thing will happen with your FlipBelt so just throw it in the washer after use and presto it's like new.
2. The FlipBelt fits your iPhone 6+, credit card, chapstick, license, cash, keys, protein bars, epipens, etc.. There's even a key fob on it to hook your keys too then slip inside one of the multiple pockets {4 pockets total - 2 in front and 2 in back} on the belt.
3. No chafing - I have worn mine multiple times and have yet to ever have an issue of it riding up and rubbing against my skin and chafing my skin.
4. As soon as you stash all your fitness goodies and necessary essentials in the pockets, flip it inwards to securely lock in your items for some extra security while you train.
5. Available in 10 different colors to match your wardrobe!

This thing will come in handy hiking, biking, walking, running, park time with your kids, dog parks, running errands, heading to the gym, at the airport, rock climbing, etc. Seriously, check out flipbelt.com for this awesome fitness accessory if you don't already have one. You can also find it on Amazon and REI. 

Body Beast for Women - Schedule and Equipment

The hubby and I are finishing up P90X3 this weekend and will be starting a new program Monday. We have decided to complete Body Beast next. After much discussing we've decided it's best to build muscle now while it's cold then switch and blast away fat once it's getting closer to summer with a high intensity cardio program like Insanity Max: 30. P90X3 was a great starter program for us to begin the whole process of losing weight and gaining muscle. I feel like I've built some muscle in my legs and maybe a little in my arms. I want to define my arms more and tighten/tone up my stomach even more. I also want to do this program to help show other women that they too can complete Body Beast. As you look through the catalog or research Body Beast it may intimidate you, so I'm here to help break it down and help make it female friendly. 

Since I mainly want to define my body just a little bit more I'm choosing to do the Lean Beast program within Body Beast. This program is great for building muscle while also losing the extra fat coating my muscles. Block 1 starting out is the Build Phase. This phase focuses on synergistic muscle groups, allowing you to get strong and build a foundation to work on.  This phase continues for 6 weeks long. you workout 6 Days and have 1 day off. The workouts are different for each of the 3 weeks. 

I have different equipment and supplements I'll be using to gain the optimum results. Based on the cost I am going to try going through the 90 Days without getting the extra supplements for Body Beast that are suggested (Hardcore Base Shake, Fuel Shot, M.A.X. Creatine, and Super Suma). 

• On the top left is P90X Results and Recovery. This is an orange creamsicle after workout drink that helps ease soreness and optimize your results. It taste amazing and really helps me not be in agony after waking up the day after a workout. Plus it's all natural with no artificial flavors or sweeteners.
• On the top middle is the Beachbody Jump Mat. I use this since I workout sometimes on hardwood floors. This super shock resistant mat protects your knees, back, and ankles from injury. I also just like the cushy feel of it beneath my feet while working out. 
• On the top right are Resistance Bands. They can provide up to 100 pounds of resistance, and work amazingly well as an inexpensive substitute for dumbbells. I use them with a door attachment to provide a great alternative to regular pull-ups. 
• On the bottom left are Dumbbells. I will be using the massive set that my hubby and I have for the majority of the weight lifting workouts. We got most of our dumbbells through Amazon or from Target. 
• On the bottom right are Stability Balls. We have a weight bench that my husband will be using, but since we can't easily fit 2 into our workout room currently, I'll be using a Stability Ball. I like the fact that while I'm using a stability ball I can also work on training my core and stabilizer muscles. 

• We can't forget my Shakeology that I'll still be using while completing Body Beast. As with P90X3 this will continue to be my breakfast and will therefore be calculated in my calorie count for the day. I love the ease drinking Shakeology gives me since I never have to plan a Breakfast. I just wake up, mix it with whatever I feel like, and I'm ready to go in less than 5 minutes. 

Now it's time to meal plan. As soon as I fully figure out my meal plan for Body Beast I will post that on my blog. 

Sneak Peek into Tony Horton's Workouts

Ever thought about trying out P90, P90X, P90X2, or P90X3 but wasn't sure if it would be the workout for you? Maybe you didn't want to spend the money to buy it without trying it first? Well, you're in luck. First, if you have an XBox ONE you can just go to the Fitness App and there are a few 10-minute workouts with Tony Horton. His workouts are amazing and he's a hoot. Every workout video I am usually laughing, even after doing them a few times. I also  found a few short workouts you can try to decide if you would want to buy the real thing. 

PopSugar has a 10-Minute P90X3 Workout with Tony Horton here. It's AMAZING! I just did the workout this morning for a mini-workout since today is technically my rest day. On a side note I desperately want to buy the her workout outfit. It's super cute and PINK...aka my favorite color!

Here's a P90X3 inspired Total Body Workout

Here's an Accelerated Series Chest Workout with Tony Horton

Let me know what you think! I love Tony Horton and his amazing workouts! Checkout his Youtube page here. All his videos are GREAT! I just wanted to share today some of his videos to help others get motivated to start working out! Here's where you can buy the videos by Tony Horton if you are interested.

<3 Kelly Jean