New Year’s Resolutions – 2018

Some time ago I changed my New Year’s Resolutions turned into goals I want to accomplish during the year. Last year I nailed my fitness goals and then some, but they were pretty vague. I wanted to become healthier and more fit and I did that.

I lost weight, lost inches, and got stronger. I’ve pushed through arthritis and tendinitis and come out the other side healthy and strong. I can even run again! I have to keep it “slow” and the time “short” but I can once more get lost in the running world. Not only that but I got certified in 4 more formats of group x classes, renewed my cert as a general group x instructor, and became a personal trainer!

I’d call that a successful year, wouldn’t you?

My fitness goals for 2018 are similar to 2017.

2018 Goals:

• Run longer/faster
• Increase overall strength
• Get to a green belt in tkd
• Complete 2 running races

Why not more races? Because they cost money and I don’t have an unlimited supply. I figure I’ll limit myself to 2 paid-for races this year. This won’t include events like the Couch Potato Triathlon that starts at my local YMCA Jan 8th. I’m doing the employee version so I don’t actually pay for it. Of course, this also means I don’t get the shirt that paid-for members get upon completion. But I will have the knowledge and the pride that I put in the miles and was able to do it. That’s enough for me.

Click the picture for a link to a registration form

I want to lose weight along with getting stronger but it’s not really a goal for me. I’m not going to actively attempt to “lose weight.” Losing weight happens differently with everyone and I find the best way for me to lose weight is to focus on my other fitness/health goals. When I do that, the weight drops on its own. When I focus on my weight, all I do is stress about the number on the scale. Stressing about it makes me want to eat more and my willpower with food can get pretty bad. If I focus on getting stronger etc, then I don’t worry and I don’t overeat and I lose weight. It doesn’t work for everyone but it does for me.

It’s important to find what works best for you and stick with it. There will always be people who will try to convince you another way is better or that your way is wrong. Unless your habits are unhealthy/unsafe, don’t listen to them. If you’re enjoying your method of strength gain and weight loss and it’s working for you, don’t listen to the naysayers.

ie: People telling you that running is the best way to lose weight but you hate running…DON’T DO IT. People pushing fad diets on you that you don’t like or feel hesitant about…DON’T DO IT.

As for my taekwondo belt…I’ve spent months trying to get through the orange belt stages to green belt. You’d think it’d be simple…I thought it’d be simple to get my green belt by January or February, but I’m not even halfway through. I still have 3 tests to go. An injury back in August/September prevented me from testing and then life got super busy so I wasn’t able to attend enough classes to get through more than 1 testing. So, while it theoretically should be easy to get to green belt before the summer, who knows if I actually will. In any case, I’ll be able happy if I reach it within the year.

I feel confident I can meet these goals. An ultimate goal is to be able to run a 35-min 5k again but I wouldn’t put any money on that one and I’m not aiming for that in just this year. My knees come first and I’m still working on getting under 40 minutes. I’ll be running and cycling a lot more with this Couch Potato Triathlon though so I have reasonable hopes of noticeably increasing my pace.

We’ll see!

What are your resolutions or goals for 2018?

My First HIIT Class!

I taught my first HIIT class! Every Saturday there’s an hour-long HIIT class from 9-10am. We have a rotating instructor schedule so the class format is always changing based on who’s teaching it. For those who don’t know…

• H – High
• I – Intensity
• I – Interval
• T – Training

Now, an hour is QUITE a long time for a HIIT class. A good HIIT workout can you leave you exhausted after just 30 minutes. I thought I had seen another instructor shorten their cycling class (another rotating instructor schedule) to 45 minutes so I thought I’d do the same. Now, it’s been almost a year since I went to that class so I’m probably not remembering that correctly. Anyway, I pushed and wiggled my way into the HIIT rotation schedule and my director finally agreed!

And then she told me I had to keep it to the full hour.

This was pretty much my reaction:

Yep. In instances like this, when I’m in doubt, I smile and fake it. I was freaking out a bit on the inside, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. Let’s face it, the longer the class, the more the money. And then being able to do that intense of a class for a whole hour?? Yeah, I was happy and super nervous.

Well Saturday came around and BAM! I nailed it! I was really wanting to do a PIIT class but, as you know, that’s a paid-for program so that would be a big no-no. Stealing is a bad thing. But they gave me permission to make it my own. PIIT wouldn’t have worked for an entire hour anyway.

I kept with the intervals of cardio and strength training moves but obviously did more with it. I can’t work the lower body for an hour at that intensity. What about the rest of the body? Nope. Not happening.

My HIIT plan:

8 moves in a round alternating cardio and strengthening. 6 rounds total: 2 rounds for legs // arms // core. 45s for each move with a break between each move and each round. Warm-up in the beginning and Stretching at the end. In an added attempt to change it from PIIT, I made sure the moves I used were moves you’d find in other classes/workouts.

I didn’t bother timing the breaks. Just long enough for me to show the next move and then enough time to get some water between rounds. My students came in a bit late so I had to cut up the 2 rounds of core to stay in our 1-hr time frame. Stretching still knocked us over but there was no class after ours so it was okay.

After class I was all…

I definitely want to do that again! Turns out my hubby was really anxious too. I had told him it would be a difficult class (I was right, it was) so he was worried for me. Now we’re both proud I can kick people’s butts without killing myself in the process.

Next time I’ll do 30s each move to accommodate for any longer breaks that might accidentally happen (or students arriving late) so I don’t have to cut into the rounds of core. I’ll also do harder core moves (cardio moves that incorporate the core more) because my core wasn’t sore or tired at all. My arms were pretty darn pooped though. I may incorporate weights sometime in the future too. I like body weight moves but we’ll see.

Instructor Change

Scenario:

You have a class you regularly go to. You love the class, you love the instructor. One day there’s a sub. That’s okay, you still go, but it’s not the same. The sub is just as good a teacher, probably even better qualified for all you know, but she’s not YOUR instructor. Personalities are different. The feel of the class is different. Even the music is at a different volume. Boredom creeps up on you. Motivation is seriously lacking but you push yourself for as long as possible during the class until you can’t take it anymore. 30 minutes out of an hour is still a respectable workout. You’ve worked enough to be plenty sore the next day.

The original teacher has to leave for awhile and there’s no sub available so the class is temporarily cancelled. NOOOO!!!!

Months later you see there’s a new sub so you check it out again. SURPRISE!!! They’re funny and motivational and the room’s energy is beyond awesome. You start coming again…only to arrive one day and find yet another sub who’ll be taking over. Your energy plummets. Everything is dull again. 30 minutes later you’re out the door just as before. This new awesome sub will not be coming back not because of any issues but because that was the time agreed upon behind scenes.

You’re left in the same situation as before except with tons more muscle and a much deeper feeling of disappointment because you don’t want to lose that hard-won strength but neither do you want to struggle through an hour of boredom 2x/wk.

What do you do??

This is the dilemma I’m currently facing with BodyPUMP. Let me be clear that it is NOT the instructor’s fault. I’ve experienced 6 different BodyPUMP instructors and they ALL rocked. They knew their stuff, their form was on target, they were all nice and friendly and energetic. I don’t know what it is about an instructor that makes me want to take their class. I can go to a boring class but if I click with the instructor, I’ll keep going. Likewise, I can go to an awesome class but if I don’t click with that instructor, I won’t keep going.

I considered getting certified in it and teaching the darn thing myself cuz I always have awesome fun teaching fitness classes. It’s like a win/win – I get moving (sometimes I get worked seriously hard too), I motivate others to exercise and be healthy, and I get paid for it! Learning the choreo etc wouldn’t be all that difficult. I mean, it would take a lot of time, but it’s totally doable. It’s the training itself that’s not doable. A couple days of intense training and it’s not guaranteed that people pass that workshop to even get to their eval videos.

Unfortunately, I’m not physically strong enough to do that. I’m tons stronger than I used to be, but I’m not yet strong enough to tackle that monster. But it is a certification I’d like to get at some point because the class can be super fun and it works soooo well.

I’m not the type of person to push myself through an hour of fitness boredom (part of the reason I stop my workout plans so often) so I won’t be going to BodyPUMP class anymore. However, that doesn’t mean I’m s.o.l. Here’s my tentative schedule to make up for this loss:

• M – Walk/Jog Intervals // Tone It Up
• Tu – SilverSneakers Cardio Circuit // POP Pilates
• W – HIIT or PIIT
• Th – SilverSneakers Cardio Circuit // POP Pilates
• F – Walk/Jog Intervals // BodyPUMP??
• Sa – HIIT or PIIT
• Su – Rest

That schedule is subject to change on any given day but it’s the basic idea of what I’m currently planning on. My doctor said I shouldn’t be running at all because I have mild arthritis in my knees. However, I’ve been reading articles about it. They all differ of course but most seem to concur that osteoarthritis isn’t a 100% game breaker for running. If I was an athlete whose job was running etc then, yes, I’d be done. But there’s a possibility that cross-training and keeping it mild etc along with RICE blah blah blah…Maybe I could start running again. Nothing big, but maybe I’d be able to do 5k races again with the proper precautions?

I’m probably grasping at straws here, but I miss it so much. My legs are much stronger than they were too…I’ll have to talk to the doctor about it. He might relent and point me to a physical therapist or personal trainer who could help.

Anyway, so in lieu of BodyPUMP classes, I’ve made a new schedule. That’s what I do when I lose classes or instructors I really enjoy. I’m excited about starting this new schedule too. I love changing up my workouts! Except now my son’s school is out for the summer so I’ll have a mini-me in tow wherever I go. Oh joy. Oh rapture. At least he’s being a good sport about going to all of my classes etc and so well-behaved when we’re there! I’m lucky I’m in a gym where I can legally do that for the most part.

New May Challenge

Happy May Day! First day of a new month and the month is spring! In my part of the world, April ended in a blast of cold, wind, rain, and snow. Ick. Good riddance to April. It was such a nice month until the end. Winter gave one last swing to knock us flat. But it’s May now and that won’t happen anymore! Right? Right?? Fingers crossed.

New Month = New Blogilates Calendar

Normally I don’t announce this because Cassey Ho always comes out with a new calendar for each month, but this one is different.

Usually Cassey has us doing about 5 videos 6 days a week (not counting the Beginner’s 2.0 Calendar). You might balk at that number of videos but they’re pretty short – she aims for around 60 minutes total for the day. This month, however, she’s getting us prepped for PIIT28 and the workouts have been zapped down to 30 minutes (not including warm-up and cooldown).

Now, if you have no desire to do PIIT28, that’s not a problem. This is free, PIIT28 is not – totally understandable if you’d rather steer clear of it. You can stick with these videos or use the free PIIT videos that are on her Youtube channel – Blogilates.

If you’ve tried PIIT28 or the PIIT videos on Cassey’s Youtube channel, you already know how difficult those workouts are. For a lot of people, they’re not really doable because the cardio is filled with high impact moves that can seriously jar the joints. While I was able to complete PIIT28 1.0 when it first came out in March 2016, my knees have prevented me from doing so a second time without serious modifications. I was just doing the program in April as a matter of fact. No, I didn’t finish it because I got bored and it became a chore. When a workout becomes a chore for me and I no longer feel accomplished or productive doing it (when it’s accompanied by boredom or dread in fact), I don’t see any point in doing it any longer.

I finished the first half which was going through all 11 workouts. Already with just that and eating cleaner than I had been, I lost a few pounds (which I gained back, of course, when Easter hit and there was my favorite candy right at my fingertips), lost about 1/2″ off my waist and saw an increase of muscle in my arms and legs. Add to this the increases I felt rather than saw – butt strength, happiness, self-confidence, energy…I was perfectly content to stop at the halfway mark.

Every BodyPUMP class I marvel at how deep my squats are now. Changing PIIT’s high impact cardio to low impact gave me lots of squats and my butt has become so strong. The muscles around my knees must be getting stronger too because my lunges are so much better (usually with less pain too but that depends on the day really).

It was good that I ditched the last half of the program though. My butt had gotten used to everything and had ceased to be sore so gradually that I didn’t even realize it. I had also really wanted to start Cassey’s new 6-Week Bootcamp. The first video she released was a booty workout so I did that last Monday…and was SO SORE for the rest of the week!!! That’s when I realized my butt had stopped being sore from PIIT28 1.0. And this new video just KILLED my poor tush.

Cassey listened to everyone’s pleas (and complaints) and made the cardio for this new program low impact. Even if you live in a 2nd+ floor apartment, you can still do these moves without annoying your downstairs neighbors. Unless you have your music, you know, turned up really loud in which case that’s on you.

This low impact bootcamp is designed for everyone. It continues in the PIIT style with 45 seconds for a move followed by 15 seconds of rest on and on for 7 moves. That’s Round 1. You get an extra 10 seconds of rest between rounds and repeat for a total of 4 rounds. Her videos only show 1 round so if you want to follow along with her, you’ll have to start the video over each time. If you do the moves during Round 1 and you’d prefer not to listen to her anymore, you can continue on your own.

The bootcamp itself calls for 1 video done at least 1x the first week, 2 videos done at least 1x the 2nd week, 3 the 3rd week, etc for 6 weeks. By the end of 6 weeks, you should feel a lot stronger (unless you’re sitting on your butt watching the videos, anyone should feel stronger after doing any kind of exercise for 6 weeks) and maybe you’ll be ready for PIIT28 1.0 (unless you have injuries or medical difficulties in which case you can still modify the high impact moves in PIIT28).

The calendar is a bit different. Not all of the bootcamp videos are out so Cassey has filled in the extra days with similar workouts. So we’ve got the Fat Burning and the Booty videos from the bootcamp this week while the rest of the week has some of the free PIIT videos as well as the Snowbunny Blast and some stretching for the rest day. Next week will have 4 of the bootcamp videos along with 2 PIIT videos and some stretching. Etc for the rest of the month.

Despite the fact that I’ll be unable to really complete the last week of the calendar due to personal stuff, I’m still super psyched about doing this. This is probably the first Blogilates calendar in a long time that has piqued my interest enough to work it into my schedule.

One last thing! As you see on the calendar, there is a $15 off coupon code for the PIIT28 Transformation Pack. Here’s what’s included in that pack:

• PIIT28 1.0, 2.0, 3.0
• 28 Day Reset (meal plan – reg or vegan)

If you got each of those individually, it would cost $186. Yikes! If you get all of it in the Transformation Pack, you pay $99. This coupon code takes off $15 so you’d get it for $84. Best. Deal. EVER! True, it’s a lot of money but not nearly as much as $186. You’re saving $102! And the program works so well if you put in the work and effort.

Even my doing a low impact version of PIIT28 gave me results. OMG! And pair it with BodyPUMP and the muscle gains are AMAZING! Remember I stopped after only 2 weeks and was impressed with my muscle gain. I watch my arms in the mirror and marvel at how much better they look. My back as well. Yeah, I ogle myself and I admit it to people. I actually invited my friends in class one day to look at my butt.

Aaaaanyyyyywaaaaaaay!

If you’re interested in getting the PIIT28 Transformation Pack, click on the below picture. Don’t forget to use your coupon code at checkout to get $15 off!

$15 OFF CODE: “sweaty15”

PIIT28 Transformation Pack – $15 off code: “sweaty15” – expires May 31, 2017

April – 3rd Week of PIIT28 1.0

Sooooo…this week sucked with PIIT28. I took the weekend off as usual but by Monday I was feeling super unmotivated. My son was out of school for a late Spring Break so he was out of school on Monday. All I wanted to do was stay at home and relax with him.

So I did.

Tuesday rolled around and everything was back to normal. It was easier to get my butt in gear because I had to teach fitness classes and it was going to be a super busy day so I was in GO mode the whole day. Luckily, my POP class was canceled (no students) so I was able to get PIIT28 in early and have extra time to recuperate at home.

PIIT28 1.10 Fat Burn Fest

Round 1:  Round 2:  Round 3:  Round 4:   

My POP Pilates class was canceled so PIIT28 was easier this time around. Nobody POPed so I PIIT…ed…hmm…Anyway, the title would suggest that it’s a cardio workout but, in actuality, it’s the 2nd total body workout in the program.

As you know (or now know after you read this), there are 11 workouts in PIIT28 1.0. Here’s how they’re broken up:

• 1 Cardio day
• 2 Core days
• 2 Upper Body days
• 4 Lower Body days
• 2 Total Body days

I know it seems like the lower body has more work than the rest of your body but…Yeah, it’s true. Your legs work more than 4x as much as the rest of your body will, but that’s because your thighs have the biggest muscles. The more you work the big muscles, the bigger the calorie burn.

The moves are different every day so you’re not working them the exact same way 2 days in a row. However, because you are working them so strenuously 6 days a week, if they start feeling not so good, LISTEN TO THEM and take appropriate measures to prevent injury. Our bodies feel pain for a reason. Pay attention to it. Don’t ignore it.

PIIT28 1.11 Bubble Butt

Round 1:  Round 2:  Round 3:  Round 4: 

During the 1st round I was super bored. I didn’t want to exercise, I just wanted to take a shower and relax. I was at home, my bicep hurt from taekwondo the night before, and I had already done 20 minutes of hula. I pushed myself to get that 2nd round done and sometime during that round I was cool with doing the whole thing. But man! My butt hurt by the end!!

Afterwards I went on IG and did some temporary videos saying Bubble Butt. Try it. It’s super fun overemphasizing the B sound. Bubble Butt.

And that’s all of the workouts in PIIT28 1.0! From here on out is the struggle to do it all again in order to complete the 2nd half of the program. I know the moves and the modifications. Now I just have to power through it all again to finish. Am I going to finish is the real question.

Only halfway through and my strength and endurance are way up while my measurements are already down. My mental stamina though…Fighting against that mental weakness can be harder than fighting through physical weakness.

PIIT28 Flat Abs 1.0

 

Yeah, I was supposed to do 1.1 Abdomination but I was feeling super blah. There are 2 bonus workouts you have the option of including if you’re in your Round 2 (or above) of PIIT28 1.0 – Flat Abs 1.0 and Stronger 1.0.

Round 2 = You’ve already completed the entire 28 days of PIIT28 1.0 and now you’re doing the whole thing again.

It’s optional and there in case anyone finds they’ve gained so much strength that they want/need more.

I thought perhaps if I did Flat Abs 1.0 first then it would help motivate me to get my PIIT workout done as well. It kind of did but didn’t at the same time because I was feeling super blah. But I did get up to start 1.1 Abdomination so I was going to do it. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you see it), some POP students walked in at that moment.

 

Teaching POP Pilates put me in a better mood but then I was tired because that class is all about core work and the last thing I wanted to do was another bout of core work so I packed it up and rested. And also went back into blah mode until after dinner.

I wonder if it’s the sugar from all that rotten Easter candy. I’m feeling pretty blah again today but I’m more determined to do 1.1 Abdomination. I hate getting halfway through the month and then quitting because I don’t want to do the same thing for the next 2 weeks.

I need to get off my butt and just do it.

If you want to try the Power Pack and get all programs (1.0-3.0), click the above pic!

April – 2nd Week PIIT28 1.0

We’ve moved into the 2nd week of PIIT28 1.0 and already I did an oopsie. Saturday was a rest day, sure, but Sunday I was supposed to get back into things with 1.6. Yeah, I didn’t do it. I suck at pushing myself to exercise on the weekend. But, ya know what? My knees really enjoyed the extra day of rest and on Monday I was back to being able to push myself to the max again. So I guess I needed that extra day after going past my limits on Th/F.

From now on I won’t stress about resting 2 days in a row. Stress is NOT what this program is about. It’s supposed to be a stress-RELIEVER not a stress-MAKER. So forget it. This means it’ll take longer for me to get through the program however I’m still on the fence about repeating that 1.5 cardio workout considering it wasn’t really cardio for me since I had the modifications aren’t intense.

In fact, I was considering not repeating the workouts at all. I have all 3 programs and I’ve already done 1.0 the whole way through. I’m considering going through all 11 workouts in 1.0 and then, instead of repeating them for the 2nd half of the month, doing the 11 workouts from 2.0 to finish the month. It would be so fresh! So new! I’m really liking that idea. Other people who have been doing these programs for awhile combine all 3. Of course, you need to complete each program before you can do this.

I get bored easily and I remember getting bored in the 2nd half of the month with 1.0 last year. Switching to 2.0 for the 2nd half might be just what I need to keep pushing to make it through.

Anyway, here’s the 2nd week of PIIT28 1.0!

PIIT28 1.6 Booty Lift

Round 1:   Round 2:  Round 3:  Round 4:

Work that booty! Uh huh. My butt is seriously sore and on fire. I’m glad I saved it for Monday else I’d be more sore. Good way to start the week! I like it when Mondays start like this. Productive and butt-burning in a non-hemorrhoidal sort of way.

PIIT28 1.7 Core Crusher

Round 1: Round 2:  Round 3:  Round 4: 

Sometimes exercise is super fun, sometimes it’s not. I wasn’t feeling it today to be honest. Tons of crunches. Though every crunch move was “different,” they were all crunches so I got super bored in the very first round. Not my favorite workout (PIIT or otherwise). We all have off days and this was mine. It happens. We move on.

PIIT28 1.8 Dancer’s Legs

Round 1:   Round 2:  Round 3:  Round 4:

HOT DAWG!!! Easily my favorite PIIT workout so far. This was so much FUN!!! Sometimes I moan and groan and count the seconds till I’m done. Not this time. Each move was like a whirlwind. Time whooshed by till I was done and going “I’m done? HELL YEAH!!! WOO!!” My legs were on fire the whole time but in a good way.

BodyPUMP served as my warm-up (yikes!) but the format used was much easier on the legs than usual so the two complemented each other wonderfully. Instead of hopping with squats/plies/etc I would squat/plie and then lift up on my toes when I stood. Excellent calf work! My calves are gaining so much muscle and definition! I’m super excited about this.

PIIT28 1.9 Sleek & Sexy Back

Round 1:  Round 2:  Round 3:  Round 4: 

Oooooh this was hard. So so hard. Did I give up though? Hell No! My back is looking better than it has in month because of all the POP Pilates. I want it to look EVEN BETTER!! And what did I get for my efforts? There is a move called a Piked Hop where you start in plank and then hop your feet forward a bit (it doesn’t have to be much) and as you hop you pike your butt up into downward dog.

When I first did the 1.0 program I couldn’t really do this move. First I had to find the groove of how to do it. After I got that part done, I found I didn’t have the strength to hop so I’d have to walk my feet forward. By the end of that first month, I could do a Piked Hop and I could do it the whole way through a round or at least close to it. Fast forward a year later and I’m attempting the Piked Hop again. I know the groove already but no longer have the strength in that first week to do the full move the whole time. 2nd week later (only the SECOND WEEK LATER) and I’m rocking the Piked Hop the whole time!

Just 1 week into this program and I’m blasting through Piked Hops for the entire 45 seconds during all 4 rounds! DAMN! I’m a power house! I was so psyched by the end of the workout that I took a muscle selfie.

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A post shared by Katie Shin (@kstjshin)

I won’t go through this next round of 1.5 Cardio Camp again. Suffice it to say that I will be doing it rather than skipping or replacing it. My knees are feeling awesome strong this week, but I promise to hold myself back and be responsible in today’s PIIT28 activities.

By the way, here’s a little something Blogilates has been working on a video for PIIT28 (I can’t seem to embed the video from FB here so the link is just sending you to the video)…

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fblogilates%2Fvideos%2F1307443935971198%2F&show_text=0&width=560

Niiiiice! Proof that you really can do PIIT28 anywhere you go! Well, maybe not in the grocery store or other such public places. People might get a little grumpy with you if you bust out in plank jack donkey kicks there. And especially don’t do it in a movie theatre. Interrupting movies is bad and the floors are super nasty. But, you know, at the park, at home, at your kid’s baseball/soccer/etc game or in some other non-crowded safe place. You get the idea – you’re not confined to the gym.

I’m usually at the gym doing my workouts but that’s because I work there so it’s convenient. The days when I’m not teaching a fitness class, I’ll do my PIIT28 workout at home. I have my mat to keep my sweaty back off the carpet. If you live in an apartment and don’t want to go outside, find an appropriate time during the day to do the workout instead of 10pm or 2am etc. A little consideration goes a long way with people.

Happy PIITing!

If you want to try the Power Pack and get all the programs (1.0-3.0), click the above pic!

 

 

Quick PIIT28 Update – New Deals!

This won’t be long because I’ve already written everything I currently know and have experienced concerning PIIT28 and the 28 Day Reset.

If you’ve heard about the new PIIT28 plans, then you can go to my PIIT28 page that’s dedicated to the program. It talks all about the program and has links galore for all you need to know to answer your questions. I also have new links that will take you over to the PIIT28 website (which also has a new fun look) so you can choose what you want to buy (if you do decide to buy) and so you can read even more about the programs.

While I don’t have a separate page for the meal plans, my first PIIT28 blog post – It’s the PIITs of March! – does talk about the meal plan. There are two meal plans by the way – one is regular and one is vegan.

I’m including all of these links (to my PIIT28 page and to these new packs) below:

• PIIT28 page – GO HERE FOR ALL MY PIIT28 INFO
• PIIT28 1.0 – $39
• 28 Day Reset (meal plan) – $69
• 28 Day Reset // VEGAN (meal plan) – $69
• Power Pack (1.0, 2.0, 3.0 programs) – $79
• Transformation Pack (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 28 Day Reset) – $99
• Transformation Pack // VEGAN (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 28 Day Reset Vegan) – $99

If you look at the prices, you’ll notice that you save a lot more the more you buy. You save the most with the Transformation Pack. What it includes equals up to $186 but you only pay $99. You’re saving $87 just by adding in that meal plan. You’re saving more than the meal plan costs!! That makes it free and then some if you’re going by individual program costs.

Believe me when I say that PIIT28 can give amazing results. It’s difficult, yes, but if you push yourself almost every day you will see results. Even if you can’t see your results because maybe your eating habits aren’t the best (*coughmecough*), you’ll still feel the results. You’ll feel stronger, fitter, and more confident. You’ll have better posture, a higher self-esteem, more energy and who knows what else.

I did 1.0 and felt AMAZING by the end! All that I listed above, I felt in myself. I know that if I put in that effort, I will achieve greatness with this. I’ll be starting this up again pretty soon by repeating 1.0. Just so you know, I’ll be doing modifications to keep my knees in good shape, but I’ll be pushing myself alongside everyone else so I’ll be right there with you experiencing everything you’re experiencing.

If you do decide to join in and become a PIITster, don’t forget to listen to your body, recognize your limits, and accept it. Your body will grow stronger the longer you keep this up but if you hurt yourself or burn out in the beginning because you’re pushing yourself too hard, your body won’t have a chance to grow stronger. Likewise, if you miss a day, don’t beat yourself up. Just accept it and continue on the next day with what you missed. Don’t skip the workout, just do it the next day.

CPT + PIIT28 3.0 + POPFlex Dark Bloom + Silver Sneakers

~ Couch Potato Triathlon ~

The Couch Potato Triathlon is nearing its end. 2 weeks left and it’ll be all over (Feb 19th). I thought for sure I’d zoom through the cycling and walking/running portion and have difficulty with the swimming portion but that’s not quite how it worked out. I have been zooming through the walking portion (I’m walking, not running) so I’ve backed off from it to focus on the other two.

Cycling takes more time than I thought it would and swimming takes less time. Still, it’s been difficult getting my butt in gear with swimming only because it’s such a bother carrying so much stuff to swim and then getting all cleaned up afterward.

Here’s what I still have left:

• Swimming – 29.5 laps
• Cycling – 48.8 miles
• Walking – 6.8

~ PIIT28 3.0 ~

Click the above to go to PIIT28 1.0. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for links for 2.0 and 3.0.

Oh my holy cow!! If you thought PIIT28 1.0 was tough, you’re never going to believe what Cassey has in store for everyone this time! Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do it, but I’ve bought it anyway so I can tell people about it. And there’s nothing preventing me from doing individual moves to see how they feel etc.

*Disclaimer: It is not just recommended that you complete PIIT28 1.0 and 2.0 before starting 3.0, it is a requirement. Likewise, you should not do 2.0 before completing 1.0. These are DIFFICULT programs and if you do them before you’re ready, you may get injured because your body isn’t ready for it. Do not blame me for injuries sustained in the course of these programs.*

Can I just say real fast how much I LOVE Cassey’s outfit in this 3.0 cover picture? Much more my style than her near-nakedness in 1.0 and the leotard in 2.0. I love how badass she looks here.

I’ll be checking out PIIT28 3.0 later and writing up a blog on it after I’ve done some of the moves to see what it’s like. But there’s good news! I looked through it real fast and found no Up-Up Down-Down Plank Jacks. Those look ridiculously hard, not only strength-wise but for coordination! And there are still some “easy” moves like Butt Kicks and Oil Riggers. Yay!

By the way, remember when I said I would complete PIIT28 1.0 with low impact modifications? I did and I didn’t. Way back in the day I pushed too hard and hurt my hip flexors (that crease on the front of your hips where you bend over?). They’ve both been super tight since then, especially since I also spend a lot of time sitting down typing on the computer, so it tends to hurt big time if I do a ton of squats or leg raises etc. In order to modify the high impact cardio moves in PIIT28 1.0, I had to squat a lot. It was a really good option but my hip flexors started screaming at me after awhile so I had to stop.

Other than that, if you have no hip flexor issues like I do, you can totally benefit from PIIT28 1.0. Modifying the high impact moves into low impact will take a lot of the burn out, but it’s still a really good workout. So don’t feel like you can’t do PIIT28 if you can’t do high impact moves. Low impact cardio moves will still make you burn and sweat.

And remember! You may have a 6-pack but no one will ever see it if you don’t eat well. Of course, it’s perfectly fine if no one ever sees it – mine is safely tucked away behind layers of insulating fat. That is totally fine. But if you do want people to see it, you have to eat well.

Click the above pic to go to the 28-Day Reset Meal Plan. Available in Vegan as well!

~ POPFlex Dark Bloom Collection ~

The 2nd half of the POPFlex Dark Bloom Collection is being released TODAY!!!! Yay!!! You can get a sneak peak at 9:30am PST when Cassey and Lexi go live on FB to reveal their favorite pieces from the new collection. The entire collection will be available to see and buy at 10:00am PST. I, unfortunately, will be in the middle of teaching my POP class when this happens and then swimming for that CPT but I really have no $ to buy anything yet anyway. I have a growing wishlist and a birthday coming up, but I don’t think people will give me enough to get my entire wishlist. I’ll have to choose veeeeeeryyyy carefully and hope things aren’t sold out in my size when the time comes.

Imagine this design on the new Wishing Star Capris…

Click the above pic to go to POPFlex

Gorgeous!!

~ Silver Sneakers ~

Last but not least, come March I’ll be getting certified in 3 new group x classes – Silver Sneakers: Classic, Silver Sneakers: Cardio Circuit, and Silver Sneakers: Yoga. Seems we might be running low on instructors in the future. I should be taking over the SS: Cardio class later on and subbing for the other two when needed. Yay! My repertoire is growing!

I was looking at other formats to teach like Barre, but the director said they tried a Barre class before and it didn’t work out so well. People didn’t care. Surprising since people like POP and it seems pretty similar…Maybe it was the timing or the instructor? Who knows. It doesn’t matter too much because I’m not getting certified in it right now. I may pursue it later, but not right now.

January Dietary Challenge Ends + Confession

Thank goodness January is done! The beginning of Cassey Ho’s dietary challenge was super easy. I didn’t completely cut anything out (except alcohol which I already cut out years ago) but instead cut back on everything.

My normal daily eating habits included several slices of American cheese, a ton of French bread, summer sausage, cookies, misc pastries, coffee etc. And then there were the special meals where we went out for eat – Burger King, Jimmy Johns, misc diner, Subway. Really, I think Burger King is the worst one there and we don’t do it all that often because I’m in love with Jimmy John’s sandwiches. I only get the sandwich but it’s still too big for one meal so it becomes 2 meals. I’d say that’s healthy enough and if it’s not, I don’t really care.

So I did my best this month to cut out desserts, cut out that cheese, bread, and summer sausage. We still went out to eat every weekend and I didn’t change my coffee because the sugar content on that is as low as I’m prepared to make it. When we did go out, I tried to keep it to Jimmy Johns as that is the tastiest and healthiest. Some might argue and say Subway is but I get pizza when I’m there sooooo…yeah…Could be better, could be worse.

Let’s shrug it off.

To buy the 28-Day Reset meal plan, click above – Eat Healthy, Be Healthy

On top of the dietary changes, I added in at least 30 minutes of exercise. It was cardio and it wasn’t intense because I don’t like to be intense these days but it was 4-5x a week. I’m doing a Couch Potato Triathlon challenge at my YMCA so I’m working my butt off trying to get everything in.

My cardio:

• swimming
• cycling
• walking

Strength training:

• POP Pilates (30-min, 45-min classes)

Every day opens my eyes to a new sore spot. It’s good though. I tell my students that that pain is weakness leaving. It’s screaming and holding on for dear life and that’s why it hurts so much – it’s putting up a fight. But we master it with every workout, every class. And we’re getting stronger and stronger so it hurts less and less.

Before/After measurements from eating cleaner (not clean, just cleaner). On the left is 1/1/17, on the right is 1/31/17, in bold/italics is the difference.

• Weight – 182.4 lb // 180.6 lb ( – 1.8 lb)
• Arms – L 12 1/4 in, R 12 5/8 in // L 12 in, R 12 1/2 in ( L – 1/4 in, R – 1/8 in)
• Bust – 40 1/2 in // 39 3/4 in ( – 3/4 in)
• Chest – 32 in // 32 in ( 0 )
• Waist – 36 in // 35 in ( – 1 in)
• Lower Belly Pooch – 42 in // 41 1/2 in ( – 1/2 in)
• Hips – 44 in // 43 3/4 in ( – 1/4 in)
• Thighs – L & R 23 3/4 in // L 23 1/2 in, R 23 1/4 in ( L – 1/4 in, R – 1/2 in)

And to think these numbers would have been even better had I not had junk food over the weekend and on Monday. Bloating is bad if you’re only worried about the numbers.

Here’s my confession…

To be honest, I was seriously stressing this last weekend over what to eat because I wanted to give the best possible numbers here. In fact, I was stressing about it so much that I realized I wasn’t eating.

If you know me, you’ll know that that is sooooo NOT like me. I love food. That’s why I’m overweight – I LOVE food and I LOVE to eat. Now, during the month I wasn’t stressing about it and I was only focusing on eating healthier. When I was hungry, I ate something and I was happy. It was just at the very end for about 3-4 days when I started stressing about it. By Monday I realized I was skipping meals and only lightly snacking. I was constantly hungry and I was depressed because I was hungry and because I wanted my numbers to be as low as I could get them. I wanted to be as small as I could be in my After pictures.

My body was not feeling good after all the salt from the nuts, and the celery and PB was not leaving me feeling good because I had eaten so much of it (and I was worried about running out before I could go grocery shopping again). The Kind bars were only upping my blood sugar levels because I wasn’t eating anything else so I wasn’t feeling good from that. Nothing I ate made me feel better.

I didn’t know what to eat because nothing was making me feel good anymore. I was surrounded by snack foods along with food for sandwiches and I didn’t want to eat a sandwich because then I would be eating processed foods, dairy, and gluten on non-cheat days. For 3-4 days, I was afraid to eat. I wanted actual food and I wasn’t seeing it. All I was seeing was snack food and then I thought if I didn’t eat, my numbers would be smaller so then I was doing things to distract me from eating and it was working all too well.

Monday I realized what I was starting to do and I had forgotten that the challenge had ended on the 29th so I thought I was still in the challenge. By Monday I was dizzy and tired. I’ve been drinking plenty of water so it wasn’t that. I gave in and had 2 hot dogs (no buns…we don’t have any) wrapped in American cheese. Damn did that taste good. And damn me if my dizziness didn’t go away soon after I had finished eating.

I realized then how stupid I was being putting numbers before my health so for lunch I had a sandwich. Raisin bread, mayo, a slice of American cheese, and some honey ham. It…felt…AWESOME! And so did I.

And now for my pictures!

I see a difference in both shots but only a good difference in the front shot. From the side I can see that I’m bloated from what I ate yesterday. And you know what? I’m okay with that. It beats being dizzy and hungry. I didn’t like seeing it at first but then I thought back to what I ate yesterday and I’m okay with it. I needed actual food in my stomach and that sandwich, while I knew it would bloat me, was exactly what I needed.

Don’t punish your body. Don’t skip out on meals to have better numbers. It’s just not worth it. I was miserable for those few days. I can’t imagine what it’s like for people who actually have eating disorders and have to deal with this sort of thing every day of their lives.

I’m all for being happy. If I’m fat and happy, that’s fine. At least I’m happy. But if I’m starving myself to look better on social media, then I’m not happy and that is not okay. Not only does it affect me but it affects my family. My kid shouldn’t have to feel bad because I do. He’s a kid. He should be happy. But if I’m starving and tired then I get super cranky and emotional and I can’t handle anything as well as I should be able to and then he suffers for that. Not to mention the strain it puts on my husband. That’s not fair to anyone.

Don’t do it to yourself. Don’t do it to others. Just don’t do it.

P.S. I’m not belittling people who do have an ED. I know their struggle is real  – unbelievably real – and I wish them all the luck and strength in the world. This was meant for those people who don’t have an ED.

New Challenge from Cassey Ho

Cassey Ho’s newest challenge starts January 2nd and continues through the month to the 29th. Although the challenge is simple to explain, it won’t be simple to do and I’ll admit right off the bat that I won’t be able to succeed 100% in it.

It’s an eating challenge. While it’s a “diet” challenge, it’s also not. It’s not an “I’m going on a diet and I’m going to lose weight and get thin this year” kind of challenge. It’s an “I’m going to change my dietary habits and see how certain foods affect me” kind of challenge.

Here it is in a nutshell:

Cut Out 5 Types of Food/Drink:

1. Dairy
2. Gluten
3. Added Sugar (as opposed to naturally occurring like in fruit)
4. Processed Foods
5. Alcohol

Hey! I’ve already got 1 out of 5 perfected! I don’t drink alcohol. Ever. I’m not against it or anything. I used to love beer (and there are times I miss the taste). That was my go-to alcoholic beverage. Then I found out I have a gluten sensitivity and the way I felt after drinking a beer wasn’t normal. It felt like my blood was poisoned. Not a hangover, just poisoned blood flowing through my veins. I got the same feeling after eating too much gluten. I’ve never cared for other types of alcohol and eventually I came to dislike feeling tipsy so I stopped drinking altogether. Not a big deal. I don’t miss it at all. If I could get some non-alcoholic, gluten-free Sam Adams beer, I’d be a very happy camper. But I doubt it would taste the same so there’s really no point.

Keeping dairy out won’t be a problem since I’m lactose-intolerant and I don’t have a whole lot of dairy anyway. Here’s what I’ll have issues with during this challenge:

• cheese
• bread
• processed foods
• sweets

But I’m going to do my best to erase cheese and sweets from my diet and cut back on the bread as much as possible. Processed foods…well…my favorite soup (which I eat 1-2x a day) has hot dogs and spam in it and my fav snack is peanut butter and celery. So that’s going to be extremely difficult. But I’ll cut back on it all. As in no extra processed foods outside the soup and eat less peanut butter with my celery…and only eat it with my celery.

There isn’t a challenge in the world that will make me cut down on the amount of sugar I put in my coffee every morning. I already went through the process several years ago of cutting that down as much as possible. It took a month of slowly cutting back so my taste buds could adjust before I reached the point where it was unbelievably nasty so I stopped and stayed where I was. Everyone else in my family who tries it thinks it’s nasty and needs more sugar so I figure I’m good.

Cassey has provided a free PDF that people can download which you can download on her blog post – Take the 28 Day Reset Challenge. This is a FREE challenge. You can buy the Blogilates 28 Day Reset meal plan (there are 2 versions – a regular version for meat eaters and a vegan version) to help you with this. In fact, it would be really helpful if you did because it gives you meals so you don’t have to guess at what to eat.

I have the 28-Day Reset meal plan (non-vegan) and I can attest to the meals being super nutritious, tasty, and easy to make. Some of them can get pricey (in my opinion), but that’s because I’m not used to buying a lot of those ingredients. “Expensive” and “cheap” are relative terms, but the meals are good and that plan would make the challenge a lot easier to accomplish. However, you don’t need to buy it if you don’t have the money for it. The free PDF provided on her website should be help enough to do this.

If you have questions about what you can and can’t eat, you can ask me here or you can ask people on her blog or on FB page – Blogilates. Tons of people are available to help you out if/when you need it. I’ve done a challenge like this before – it’s how I found out dairy and gluten are bad for me. I’m really glad I did find out because I spent my entire life thinking I wasn’t a breakfast kind of person because I always felt sick to my stomach after eating breakfast. Well, I always had cereal or shakes etc that had milk in it. I cut out dairy and have stopped feeling sick (unless I eat it, gluten, or too much sugar).

It’s true that I lost beer because of gluten but I’m still super happy I discovered my intolerance. I get super gassy and bloated and can seriously win (against men!) belching competitions if I eat the “right” kinds of food beforehand. As for the smell…damn. Just damn. I’m like Shrek farting in a fish pond – fish die. That stench is no joke. And the acne can get super bad. Ugh.

It’s all kinds of badness when I eat the wrong foods. But I don’t experience all of that with every kind of dairy and gluten product. I know what triggers the worst side-effects and I treat that stuff like it harbors ecoli or the plague.

As for the fitness portion of this challenge, it’s even more simple.

Exercise 6 Days A Week

That’s it. It could be walking, bike riding, a POP Pilates class, anything! The PIIT28 program (1.0 or 2.0 if you’ve progressed that far) goes perfectly with this but I’m not asking you to join that as well. As with the Blogilates 28-Day Reset meal plan, you can if you want but they’re both going to be difficult so you’re forewarned. I’ll be doing POP Pilates and walking. Also, my YMCA is holding a Couch Potato Triathlon from Jan 9 till Feb 24th so when that starts I’ll also be biking and swimming. I even have a new swim top for it! High necked so I won’t have to worry about my boobs falling out. Yeah, my ladies have issues staying put and my swim tops are low cut.

So join me (or not) this new year in a new challenge to get healthier and see how food affects you. We’re trying to reset our bodies here or at least get as much of the bad stuff out as we can. Good luck to everyone!!