Week 3 Insanity & Other Randomness

Another week of Insanity is over! This week flew by in a flash! It was much of the same as last week, which was fine with me! I did better with some of the moves and I made it through without stopping much anymore. The biggest change this week is on the scale! I'm no longer moving up in numbers, I'm going back down! YIPPEE!!! I'm also losing more inches around my waist. I'll keep that number to myself until the next week when I have another fit test, but let's just say that HarperGirl is extremely happy!

.....I do feel like I'm cheating on Bob Harper though. GAH I miss him something fierce and can't wait until I finish Insanity so I can have him back!.....

There are other things going on other than Insanity though. I'm trying new food combinations, and had a really, really good salad last night!

It's under 400 calories, and yes, I measured! Its lettuce, grilled chicken, pineapple, dried cranberries, slivered almonds, and croutons (don't hate...love my croutons!). The combo of the chicken and pineapple was delish! Salads don't have to be boring, explore! I use a lot of fruit in my salads! Okay, I know some of you are singing "fruit salad....yummy yummy" and I apologize! My preschooler grew up on The Wiggles! In all seriousness though, fruit makes salads much more colorful, and more delish! I'll eat a salad with fruit any day over one with just veggies and dressing. Another thing, I don't like salad dressing. Call me a freak, but I just don't like it. The fruit juices seem to give it a dressing though all on their own, and that really helps it not taste bland. You can cut out excess dressing with fruit :) Try it!!

Summer is upon us, and my 5 year old just graduated preschool.

Here he is with his Daddy, holding up his preschool diploma! He's gotten so big!!



With summer here, and my kids both at home all day, I've been looking at getting them outside more and away from the TV/Nintendo. Seems like an easy task with a playground literally outside my front door, but it rains a lot here in Japan during the summer. My kids have been inside much more than outside already, and it's only been a week! As a teacher, I've had to deal with rainy-day-wiggles quite often, so I've had to use my brain a bit to come up with cool activities for my kids to do inside that will keep them both entertained. I'll make a post about this later, but this is dear to my heart. You see, I'm trying to promote staying healthy with my kids. I want them to not be addicted to TV and video games, but to running and jumping and playing outside. I want to make sure that they have a great start in life to a healthy lifestyle. I figure that teaching it early on is best. So, during certain times of the day, we shut the TV off, and crank the music up instead! I'll be making a post soon about all the things we do inside that are TV-free and that get the kids moving and grooving this summer.

My BodyMedia arm band is working out extremely well, and it's really held me accountable for my food choices. I record everything, and I keep track of my activity. I love having a visual on my calorie burn throughout the day. I know what I burn when I workout now, and that is really motivating!

More to come soon!

HarperGirl

Happy Memorial Day

As a Marine Wife, Memorial Day hits closer to home for me than many others. I've seen the sacrifices made, and lived through some of them with deployments. I've witnessed the heartache that many of our service members go through. Know this though; most of them would tell you that they would do it all over again. They love their country, and they love their Corps. Please remember our hero's during this time, and then enjoy the freedom they've given us all.

God bless each and every one of them, and their families.

HarperGirl

Insanity; Week 2 Fit Test Results

Hello, readers! So you all must be wondering about how I'm doing on Insanity, right?! I've survived week 2, and I'm beginning week 3 today. I took the fit test again and got decent results. For those of you who have never tried Insanity, on day 1 you take a fit test and record your results. Then you take it again every 2 weeks to compare each week and see your progress. You do a exercise for 1 minute solid, record the number, and go to the next one. My husband and I took both fit tests together and we both got better results than week 1, which was encouraging since I didn't think I could improve much over just 14 days.

So I'll be brave and post my numbers. No laughing, mmkay?! I'll post 2 numbers, one from the first fit test, and the second number will be from today's fit test (14 days apart)

101-101 switch kicks (no improvement, but those suckers are hard for me!)
36-50 power squats
97-102 power knees
34-42 power jumps
9-12 full globe jumps
20-21 burpees
26-29 push-up jacks
63-75 planks

So a little improvement all around. Now for the gold...I took measurements week 1 and week 2, and I have a little difference :)

Bust area is down -.34"
Waist is down -.5"
Hips are the same
Legs down -.34"

As far as the scale...no improvement. BUT, because I'm losing inches and the scale isn't moving any, I can only conclude that I'm gaining muscle. I've also been told a few times that month 2 of Insanity is really where you start losing weight. I intend to stick with it through the next 6 weeks and go to the end, so I'm excited to see what changes.

After all that I've put my body through the last 2 years of circuit training, running, Crossfit, strength training, etc., I'm really happy to see that my body can still change. I'm really excited for the next 6 weeks to come!

Until next entry,
HarperGirl

PS-still reading Bob's new book "The Skinny Rules" and it's amazing! Great book, I'll post about it when I'm finished!

BodyMedia Fit Armband

I posted a few entries back that I was getting one of these babies:

Well...it's FINALLY here. There was a mix up with the mail, and I didn't get the first one I ordered. Luckily, Amazon has pretty decent customer service for us military folk overseas, and they sent me a new one for free! Thanks, Amazon :) So now that it's here, let me tell you how much fin this little toy is.

My favorite thing; it syncs with my iPhone. Anyone who knows me well knows that I love gadgets. Call me a nerd, but I love electronics. Always have, always will. So anything that allows me to play with my iPhone more has me hooked! Anyways, I can type in the food I'm eating and it'll add the calories to my daily bank. It keeps track of everything. EVERYTHING. I have to be disciplined though and really look at what I'm eating and make sure I put it in. That is what I love about this. It's great for people like me who have food addictions. It will hold you accountable. Being able to sync it to my phone allows me to carry it with me wherever I go, so if I go out to eat I can plug in my food right away instead of waiting till I get home and possibly forgetting something.

Then there is the calorie burn. Oh how I love seeing what I burn all day long! It's not even bed time yet for me, and I've burned almost 2,000 calories (Insanity workout plus running errands and cleaning house)! Insanity only counts for....217 of those. Not what you thought, hu? Me either. But I am still at a calorie deficit for the day. I have a deficit of over 715 calories right now. This tells me if I can have that 100 calorie Skinny Cow ice cream that's calling my name all the way from the freezer! So...yes I can have that after my kiddos are in bed :)

This is what it looks like on me:

I had a few "what is that chick wearing?!" looks today, but that was expected...and ignored easily... but other than that, it's a great little tool. It's easy and comfortable to sleep with on. You charge it right on your computer. It syncs with Bluetooth, so my data updates wherever I am without wifi. My friend helped me set it up (thanks again, Justi!!) and she's loving hers as well! I can keep track of just about everything. You'd be surprised that you burn calories in your sleep! You burn calories for just existing, it's just a matter of how many.

Here is an example of what it looks like on my iPhone (these are the totals from my day today)

Something else I love is that you can customize this! There are armbands in all different colors (I have chrome/black) and you can order skins for it too. This is a really cool feature!

For someone who needs that extra push with weight loss, I think this is a great tool to have. It helps you see what your caloric needs are, and it gives you a real number to what you are burning. Having a deficit at the end of the day means weight loss! It's simple to use, easy to understand, and really gives you a visual.

Do you want one? Of course you do. You can get one here or here!

Look for more reviews of this later. I haven't had this long, so I'd like to wear it more and I'll update how it's going with this!

NOTE:: I'm actually wearing mine backwards in this pic, but you can see what it looks like and what size it is facing forward.

HarperGirl

Homefront Warriors

I am shameless. I'm plugging my facebook group here because these ladies are amazing. I've got an amazing support system here for anything related to health and fitness. We talk about everything and they are a great place to go to while trying to meet your goals, or just to learn more about fitness!

Please Click to Join Us!

We would love to have ou on our team!

Have a great day!!
HarperGril

Insanity Week 1 Review!

Week 1 is complete. I have 7 more weeks to go.

Okay so far I feel good. I feel like I've done a LOT of work. I feel my body changing. I am better at some of the moves that I sucked at on the Fit Test. In all honesty, Bob Harper's workouts are designed a lot like Insanity ones, and my body is somewhat used to circuit workouts now. I'm not used to the moves, however, or the HIIT system (apart from the treadmill). I am getting really hungry at night, and I've had to up my calories some to help with this. My body is changing. I'm up 2 pounds, but I heard this is a normal thing for women on Insanity, as your muscles break down and start repairing themselves. From what I understand, month 2 is when you start shedding weight and really seeing results.

This is me about 30 minutes ago. I wanted to lay there for the rest of the day. I do not look pretty, I do not look glamorous. I just finished Insanity week 1. See? This is what a GOOD workout looks like. This is what Bob and Insanity both do to me on a daily basis. Yup. No lie. Bob's Crossfit workouts seriously do this to me too. Good workouts equal good results. I'm fitter than I've ever been, and I feel my body changing through switching trainers and this is a good thing! I've shocked my system and I'm keeping everything  interesting to say the least. My husband is doing it with me, and I can already see the results in his abs. He's really happy with it so far!

I'm still HarperGirl, don't worry. I'm just taking a small break to shock my system and to try something new this summer :) I miss my Bob though, he's still my number 1!

I'll be writing more about my Insanity experience this summer, so be on the lookout!

HarperGirl

The Skinny Rules!

Have you all heard the news?! Bob Harpers book came out today! Yes...it's already on my Kindle (insert sly smile). I'm so excited about this book. His first book, Are You Ready?, really set me on my path to weight loss. This book has all of his new "rules" for staying fit and I can't wait to read them all!

So what are you waiting for?! Go grab this book today! When I'm finished with it, I will write my own review. I'll be snuggling up with my tea and Kindle tonight!

Click me to go to Bob's book!


HarperGirl

The Summer of Changes

The changing of seasons brings a fresh start to many of us. With summer being so close, we've been making lots of changes in our home. Believe it or not, spring can bring more than just allergies :) You wouldn't know that it wasn't technically summer be the activity going on at my house. We have been in the sun more in the past month than we have in a long, long time. We are becoming more active and trying to get our boys moving more. We are trying to teach them the importance of staying active. There has been much of this

...and this

going on, which has been lots of fun. Our oldest, Josh, is starting kindergarten in the fall (*tear*), and to help the transition, we've been walking to the elementary school he'll be attending and playing at their amazing playground and shooting hoops there. My husband bought a basketball and we have a lot of fun doing that. It really wears out the kids fast! A great added bonus this weekend was the family we met while playing there. They have a 5 year old starting kindergarten there this fall as well, and our boys got along great! Healthy body, healthy mind. The element of play is so important to a child's well being.

While starting new habits, I also have a confession; I am switching trainers for a small time. I love my Bob, but I'm trying something new with my husband. I recently acquired the Insanity program, and I'm trying it out for the next 8 weeks. I'm still HarperGirl, and NOTHING on this earth will change that, but I think it's good to try new things every now and then too. So I will let you all know how I do with this program. My husband and I are doing it together, and we are taking measurements and before/after pics today. I'm on day 2 right now, and it was a surprisingly good workout!

I'm also tracking my calories again because I'm pretty sure I'm not eating enough. Sometimes when you work out 5-6 days a week, you need to take in more calories to make sure you don't go into starvation mode. My body is used to a certain amount of food, so changing this up is really difficult for me. I was eating around 1200 calories while losing weight, and now I need to eat about 1500-1700. GOOD calories only, no bad ones. So I'm really working on that right now. To help with this, I have this little gem headed my way this week:

It's a Body Media arm band, and it will help me track my progress and how much I need to eat every day. It will hold me accountable and help me reach my calorie goals! I cannot wait to get this!

It is the summer of new adventures for my family. I can't wait to share them all with you!

HarperGirl

Team Bob

Have you met my man, my trainer, Bob?

If not, then you should! Not only has he taken me from 210lbs to 110lbs, but he's given me my life back. A life I never knew I could have.

I've been doing his new program, Team Bob, for about a month now. I LOVE IT. Did I make that clear? LOVE. I'm getting 2 new live workouts a week, and they are not easy. They push me to my limits. They constantly challenge me. The best part? It's made for whatever fitness level you are on. Advanced to beginners, you can do it! There are modifications for all!

My morning goes like this
-5:45am alarm goes off...I hit snooze
-6:00am alarm goes off again.
-get into workout gear
-stretch
-&^%$ and moan in my head about how much I hate life
-get onto treadmill, run 1-1.5 miles or HIIT sprints
-think "oh, okay I'm awake now, life is good!" RUNNERS HIGH!
-Go downstairs, fire up the computer for Team Bob workout
-Go through a 25 minute round with Bob
-WORKOUT DONE....coffee time :)

I get up crazy-early, I know, but I have to get it done when my kids are sleeping. I'm working out for anywhere from 30 minutes to 50 minutes depending on what I'm doing for the day. Sometimes I do 2 Bob workouts with no running, sometimes I do a mile plus 1 TB (Team Bob) workout, and others I'll do a Bob DVD an hour long, but I always get it in somehow. I'm doing some great muscle confusion with his new workouts, and I'll never do the same workout more than 2-3 times. These workouts are great for busy moms, seeing that most of them are between 20-25minutes long. Yesterday I got to do a TB workout with Bob and his trainer, Sam, and that was amazing! My husband watched part of it and wanted in on it this weekend. These workouts can be accessed at any time, however many times you want.

It's only $9.95 a month, and you get so much more than just workouts. You get recipes, healthy living videos, videos on what and how to cook, meal plans, food journals, workout journals, message boards, it goes on and on. Make sure you check it out! I wouldn't write about it if I didn't enjoy it so much. I'm on that site every day, multiple times a day, checking in and writing in my journal. I love it so far, and I know you all will too!

It's all right here at www.bobharper.com

HarperGirl