Life After Farrell's 10-Week Challenge

I wrapped up my 10-weeks at Farrell's about 5 weeks ago but never got around to sharing my end results. In the end my "transformation" exceeded my expectations. I didn't think I'd see such results so quickly. Since my 10-weeks ended, I've lost about 3 more lbs. I've been at a bit of a plateau, but I also haven't been taking my diet as seriously. I'm starting to see my muscle tone rather than weight loss, and I think that's because I'm nearly at my natural body weight.

I recently hit my "goal" weight and that was a very exciting day. I haven't seen this weight since high school and knowing how hard I worked to get there makes it even sweeter. When I saw the number on the scale I couldn't stop looking at it. I weighed myself 2 more times just to make sure.

One of our wedding shower gifts-- a mason jar mug! Perfect for protein smoothies.

Overall I have lost about 13 pounds since beginning FXB. I haven't measured myself since my 10-weeks ended, but I had lost 12 inches. I went down a pant size for the first time since...I don't even remember! That was an exciting day also! Now, 3 weeks after buying the new pants they're a little baggy so I'm hoping to take it down one more by the end of the school year. I also had to buy new workout pants because my old ones kept falling down.

These used to be my favorite pants but now they don't stay up! I found that out during one unfortunate run.

I increased my pushups in a minute from 33 to 79 (from my knees both times), sit ups from 37 to 46. I took 1:16 off my mile time. I also lost 3.5% of my body fat. I'm anxious to see what that number is now! I am very proud of those numbers. I have so much more energy. I don't feel dead tired at the end of the school day (ok, some days are worse than others...). I am SO much stronger and I can't stop looking at my muscles. I make Kevin squeeze my bicep probably 10 times a day :) I'm annoying.

You won't want to run into me in a dark alley

The best part of completing FXB is my self-confidence. I wasn't an "unconfident" person before, I just wasn't as excited about the way I looked. I am so much more confident and happy about myself. I am in much better moods and just have a better attitude. Another great part about it is I enjoy getting dressed and wearing clothes that would have been uncomfortable before. I used to get really down on myself when I went shopping and nothing fit me right. I don't look at pictures of myself and cringe anymore. That is better than any number on the scale. :)

My mom got me the most perfect workout shirt :)

I mentioned in a previous post that my wedding dress that was purchased in September no longer fits me. Since I am still losing weight, I am going in in May to get it measured for alterations. I am going to take a picture of me in it before it gets altered so I can see the change (I'll have to keep it hidden for 2 more months until the wedding.)

I decided to blog about the rest of my FXB journey thanks for my friend Jeff who said he read my blog and decided to join. I'm glad that I could pass pass on the inspiration that I received from others who had inspired me to do the program. It really does work, but you will get out of it what you put into it. I never skipped a day if I could help it (I did have to miss 2 days for snow days and 2 days for conferences.) I ate clean and followed the meal plan and busted my butt when I was at the gym. Since "graduating" from FXB, I don't eat as religiously as I used to, and I can definitely tell. I'm trying to muster up some new motivation to get back on track. 

Can't forget about the best day of the week... Saturday! My free day is the only thing that gets me through the week sometimes.

Kevin has since started Farrell's since I finished my 10-weeks. He is doing a great job and I am very proud of him. He gets up before work and runs a few days a week, and then gets in a full workout after work. He eats better than I do and works really hard even though this is something that is out of his comfort zone. It's been an experience doing FXB together. He had his 5-week testing yesterday and ran his mile in 6:06! That's after taking a whole minute off his starting time. He is looking good.

Eating healthy is much easier with a partner 

After the first 10-weeks, you become a "FIT" member. Basically just a veteran I guess you could say. I don't have a coach or a team, it's more independent. You have the option of doing "doubles" which is 2 classes a day, and there is an extra long class on Saturdays that is both resistance training and kickboxing combined. I usually do doubles once or twice a week, Monday and Wednesday, at 5:30pm and 6:30pm, depending on how I'm feeling. I am usually spent afterwards but it's a good kind of pain. Saturday class is also rough because my body is usually in need of a recovery day but I feel like I can give it all I got. I know I have a "free day" coming when it's done and a day of rest the following day. I like being a part of FIT because I feel like I am putting less pressure on myself and can just work hard and enjoy it. Someday I would like to be a coach or instructor, I think that would be a good summer project for me.

Anyway, if you have any questions about FXB or are thinking about joining let me know! I obviously recommend it :) 

Farrell's: Week 5 Progress

Farrell's is the bee's knees, people! IT WORKS! I am a changed woman.

To read a more elaborate explanation of what Farrell's is, you can read this post I wrote at the beginning of the 10-week program. In a nutshell, Farrell's is a lifestyle change that begins with a 10-week program, 6 days a week. Kickboxing is 3 days a week, resistance bands are 3 days a week. In FXB, food is viewed as "fuel". We eat six small meals a day, intaking a certain amount of protein and carbs per meal. No calorie counting, not a fad diet. Fueling your body with the nutrients it needs to function. That's the key. FXB is a family and a community, not a gym. Each new member is put on a team with a coach to hold each other accountable. And we do! I have made some great friends in FXB and I always look forward to the workouts.

At the halfway point, 5 weeks in, we retest to see the progress we've made. For some, it's an exciting time to see how much we've changed. Others may use it as a motivator to kick it into high gear. For me, it was a happy day :). Here are my half-way results:

*I lost 8 pounds
*I lost 10 and 1/2 inches (around my arms, waist, hips, chest and thighs)
*2% of my body fat
*Took a minute off my mile time
*Doubled the amount of pushups I could do in a minute (33 to 66)
*Increased my sit and reach flexibility by 4 and 1/2 inches

Needless to say, it was very motivating to see those kids of results just halfway through. It goes to show how far you can take your body by giving it the food it NEEDS and exercising regularly.

Part of my success is due to my regular attendance. I am a kindergarten teacher, and am apparently motivated by the same thing my student's are. The very first day, our coach made us write our promise to her on the top of our attendance card. I have taken it seriously, and have not missed a day in (now) 6 weeks. That's 36 workouts in a row. So now, unfortunately, I can't skip because I just can't bear (...bare?) to ruin my perfect attendance! Plus, coach Carma puts a sticker on my chart each day I'm there :)

Now, this is the best part. Back in September, I ordered my wedding dress. It fit me perfectly back then, but of course we had to specially order one that's short enough for me. My dress came in this week, and I went to try it on Sunday, a little curious as to if it'd be a little big now. The saleswoman was in the room to help me in and help me zip it up. When I stepped in it and she lifted it up, she said, "Well, someone's lost some weight!" Oops! I stood with my arms out, waiting for her to zip it. "Sweetie, it's zipped," she said. WHAT?! I knew I had lost some weight and inches, but physically being able to SEE how much different my body is now was pretty powerful. The bad news is the dress didn't fit me right whatsoever, so it'll have to be altered to look right again. I can't wait for it to FIT again!

I've convinced two people to join FXB during the next 10-week session. Kevin is going to do it with me, and my lovely co-worker Amanda has also signed up! If you are interested in knowing more about FXB, let me know! I have signed up for the FIT program (what you do after the initial 10 weeks) and am looking forward to seeing how much further I can take it.

Oh, I almost forgot the second best part. I had some goals in my mind when I began Farrell's as far as my physical measurements go. But my TRUE goal was to be asked to become an instructor. At FXB, you must be ASKED to be an instructor by the head coach. My "secret" goal was to be asked to be an instructor. (This could also have a little something to do with the kinergarten teacher in me...gotta love verbal affirmation!) I wanted to be seen as a hard worker. This goal, I think, is really what pushed me to work as hard as I did (and am!) I am halfway through my 10 weeks, and I am happy to have reached my goal of being asked to instruct.

The best part of all this is I feel fantastic. I have so much energy, I'm not exhausted at the end of the day, and I feel great about myself. I have my eye on the prize...and that's looking good relaxing on the beach on my honeymoon!

I'll be back in 4 weeks to post my final results! Thanks for reading. :)

My New Fitness Adventure

Hi friends! I know, I know. It's been awhile. I'll skip the excuses and get down to it.

I'm getting married in 5 months (160 days to be exact, and that number just gave me a small panic attack) and I want to look my best. I also want to make this new chapter a HEALTHY one. It's been a busy year. I'm in my first year teaching, which is busy enough on it's own, and I'm planning a wedding. As someone who has always regularly worked out, I found exercising slip waaaay down on my priority list. Honestly, it slipped off my priority list. I found myself with very little energy at the end of the day, I was grumpy (sorry, Kevin), and just not happy with myself. It's hard to find motivation to go to the gym after 8 hours of 23 kindergarten students. My Aunt Kristin came up with the perfect analogy, it's like "trying to herd cats." Because I wasn't able to motivate myself to go to the gym after school, I knew I needed a lifestyle change or I would continue on this way. Having a wedding on a horizon, that isn't an option.

So, I joined Farrell's! I have been wanting to do Farrell's for a long time, but couldn't justify spending the money. What really motivated me was hearing the stories of Kevin's co-worker who joined Farrell's with his wife. I don't know their end results, but after seeing them when they finished the program I was amazed at how good they looked! Kevin helped me make the decision (the financial decision was what was holding me back) and encouraged me to do it.

Farrell's is a 10-week, 6 day a week program. Monday, Wednesday, Friday is kickboxing and Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday is resistance bands. I was a kickboxing instructor in college and am in love with it. Until I started FXB, I didn't realize how much I missed it in my life. There is something about kicking the crap out of a punching bag while thinking about all your daily griefs that is so motivating and fulfilling. It's the best stress reliever. Bands are a new thing for me, but I love them already, and they're kicking my butt! We are also each assigned a coach who we can ask questions and they help keep us motivated. My coach is Carma, and she is very motivating and very fun.

For me, the exercise is the easy part. I look FORWARD to going to Farrell's at 5:30 everyday. I give 100% and feel amazing after the workouts. In Farrell's, they call this "Living Life at Level 10." The hard part, of course, is the nutrition plan. It's very specific and for a some a huge lifestyle change.


I'm no expert, but so far this is what I've learned. We think of food a fuel. Only put into your body what it needs. We don't count calories. We focus on REAL food: lean meats, whole grains, fruts, and veggies. Most importantly: KEEP IT SIMPLE!! We eat 6 small meals a day every 2.5-3 hours. Your meals should be the size of your palm in size and in thickness. We need to eat a protein within a 1/2 hour after our workouts.  This is what our meals should look like.

1: 1 protein and 1 carb
2: 1 protein and 1 carb
3: 1 protein and 1 carb and 1 veggie
4. 1 protein and 1 carb and 1 veggie
5. 1 protein and 1 carb and 1 veggie
6. 1 protein and 1 carb

Examples of protiens: eggs, almonds, cheese, greek yogurt, protein bars and shakes
Examples of carbs: veggies, fruit, whole grains (avoid foods with a high glycemic index)

Some things I have eaten this week: baby carrots, greek yogurt, almonds, chicken breast, broccoli, potato, oranges, appleas, fruit and spinach smoothie, low-fat english muffin with peanut butter, low-fat string cheese, Koshi cereal, etc. I am a VERY picky eater, and I am trying to expand my palate and giving other foods an honest try.

Went to the grocery store and came home with this! I tried liking peppers but I couldn't do it.

I plan my meals ahead of time and fill up my lunch bag and grab things throughout the day. Being a teacher, it's hard to get 6 meals in a day because I can't exactly eat when I'm trying to teach the children. I eat 1 meal before school, 1 meal at lunch (which is actually at 10:40am...I know), 1 meal during specials at 1:00, 1 meal after school at 3:30, 1 meal when I get home around 6:30 after Farrell's, and 1 meal later in the night usually around 9. It's hard to get all the meals in, sometimes I only get 5, but it's a work in progress.

Another important element is drinking TONS of water (1/2 your body weight in ounces). Again, HARD for a teacher. I can't exactly leave the kids unattended to use the bathroom after drinking all that water but my body is getting used to it. They also recommend drinking a lot of water before a meal, so you eat less. Makes sense! I like drinking water so this isn't hard for me.

We had a nutrition seminar today where we could ask questions and give advice and recipes, which was very insightful. Here are a bunch of random things I learned:
*We learned a lot about toxins and things we're putting into our body. For instance, think about those vegetable steamer bags: microwaving vegetables in a PLASTIC bag?
*Our leader also talked a lot about diet soda being "the devil" and told us she'd even rather us drink regular soda. Very eye opening!
*Ooh! This was another good one. When we use sweeteners or flavors like Crystal Light in our water, our body treats it more as something to digest rather than something hydrating our body. Very interesting to think about.
*When you're hungry you should eat a protein, when you're tired you should eat carbs.
*If you like cottage cheese (I don't) if you eat a 1/2 cup of non-fat cottage cheese a 1/2 hour before bed, your body goes into burn mode for 6 hours rather than storage mode.
*Fiber is good for reducing toxins in body, it makes them sticky and "exit" the body quicker
*HyVee has a "Nuval" number listed by their prices where you can see the food's nutritional value. The higher the number, the better.

Another important aspect of Farrell's is that you get a "free day" each week. My free day is on Saturday, since I'm home more and Kevin and I tend to eat out this day. Your free day is 8-12 hours of eating whatever you want. Literally. Whatever. Today is my free day and I had a little sugar that I had been "craving" after eating clean for 6 days, and you know what? I made me feel sick! It did not taste good to me AT ALL. Now at this moment I am craving baby carrots instead! Never thought I'd see the day. And that's just after eating well for a week.

I made a bunch of pre-made smoothies, so now in the morning I can just throw a bag in an add a few other ingredient rather than getting ALL that stuff out of the fridge. My typical smoothie consists of a couple of handfuls of spinach, an assortment of fruit, 1/2 container of Greek yogurt, oatmeal flakes, and milk. Tastes delicious, trust me!

Last night Kevin and I wanted to go out to eat, but it wasn't my "free day" so I knew I needed to be careful. I looked up the menu of the restaurant (bar) we were going to (Quintons in the East Village) to look at what they had. I ordered a grilled chicken breast and a side salad and a glass of water...at a bar! It was painful but it felt good. Today is my free day, and I get to pick the restaurant :)

I only at one slice of the wheat bread and used fat-free dressing, which was disgusting by the way. I gave cucumbers an honest try and actually liked them!

When you first start FXB, you are in a 10-week program. We get measured, weighed, poked, and prodded (just kidding) to begin, we do it again at 5 weeks, and then again at the end. We also take a before and after picture (could have done without that one...) I can't wait to continue with this program and see where I am at the end. I "taught" Kevin all about the nutrition plan and he has been following it as well, though he's not enrolled in the program as he is in busy season right now. After busy season is over, he is going to do the program with me and I am SOOO excited! I really can't wait to do it together. After the first 10 weeks, the program changes a bit but I'm not well-versed on life after the first 10-weeks yet.

That should about cover it! Congratulations on reading this whole thing. Hope I didn't bore you to death. If you're interested in changing your eating habits and have questions about what I'm doing, ask me! I love talking about it (just ask Kevin.) I don't feel like this is a "fad" diet, or a temporary thing, I truly believe this is a LIFESTYLE CHANGE and I am so excited about it.

Thanks for reading! I'll check back more frequently to update my progress and thoughts on the program as they change and evolve. YAY FXB!

Engagement Pictures

Here are our favorite engagement pictures taken by the wonderful Logan Clement Photography. I am beyond happy with how they turned out and am really looking forward to printing them off and using them for wedding things. Enjoy :)

I know, completely unnecessary to upload that many pictures but I went from 99 to 34 and couldn't cut out any others!!

Cookies and Cream Popcorn

I am a lazy blogger, as I did no tutorial whatsoever with this, but my pictures will never do it justice, so I'll just tell you about it and trust that you can figure it out. I found this recipe on Pinterest and I started salivating and I think I gained 10 lbs. just by looking at the picture. Here is the link to the recipe. See for yourself...

I made some last night and had to give it away or I knew I would devour it! It was sooo yummy. I sent a bunch to work with Kevin, mainly for his new coworker who is from Zimbabwe and just arrived in the USA this week. According to Kevin he enjoyed it. Hopefully he doesn't think Americans eat like that all the time! Anyway, you should make this, too because it's yummy. The recipe made two batches, or 2 bags of popcorn. Which is a lot of batches. 

I'm off to a Say Anything concert! I'm very impatiently waiting for Kevin to get home so we can WALK ACROSS THE STREET to the concert. Awesome. I've been looking for Sherri Dupree Bemis since I got home from school, but so far no sign of her. I'll be back later this week with a recap of the show! 

We also have our first field trip (my first field trip EVER) tomorrow to the Apple Orchard. I'm very excited! 

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

Weekend

Hello! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend! It's definitely feeling like fall around here. A little toooo much like fall, but I enjoy the change in seasons (unless that season is winter, then I'm never ok with it). It's an exciting time. I enjoy switching over my closet from summer clothes to fall clothes. I enjoy pulling out clothes I forgot I had. I also realize that I have far too many cardigans, but I'm not convinced that is such a thing. I also bought 2 more today. Oops.

Aaaanywho, we had a great weekend. We spent Friday night with some friends, eating out in the East Village and we came back to our apartment for some drinks. All the guys were groomsmen in Chris and Allison's wedding last weekend, so we did a toast to their honeymoon, complete with duck faces and "deuces." Please note all the faces in this ridiculous picture. Happy Honeymoon, Chris and Allison!

My family came down for the Color Run. I did the Color Run in Minneapolis this summer with my friend Maddy (WHO JUST GOT ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS MADDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) so I wasn't too overjoyed to do it again. My mom had bought a ticket for my dad, and then kicked him out and forced me to do it. It was obviously a lot of fun so I'm not sure what I'm complaining about. My sister, aunt, and cousin also ran the race, though we lost them along the way. I had hurt my knee three weeks ago (moving furniture in my classroom, I don't want to talk about it...) and wasn't able to run at all leading up to the race, so I wasn't expecting any great performance, or even the ability to run. My knee hurt off and on, but my mom and I ended up running the whole thing! I know 5K may not sound that impressive to some, but for someone who hates running (my mom) and someone who hadn't run in weeks, we did good! The race ended up a big hill, and we ran up it all the way through the finish line. Now that I have seen I can run 3 miles, I have no excuse not to run more often. The race was 2 blocks from our apartment, so I'll have to run the route again to prove to myself I can do it again.

My good friend Andrea (former roommate and bridesmaid, so not just any ol' friend!) also came to town for the color run and brought along her boyfriend, who I went to high school with. We ran at different times, but we met up afterwards for drinks and dinner and had a lot of fun. I miss her so much! Every time a friend comes to visit I realize how much I miss them. That is one thing I miss about living in Des Moines, is close girl friends. Kevin will only put up with me showing him my outfits and giving me opinions on hair dye for so long.

(insert picture of Andrea and I that she has yet to upload but will inevitably be precious)

Today Kevin and I spent some time looking for clothes to wear for our engagement pictures, which we are taking next weekend. We spent too much money, but got some good stuff and we are gonna look fly! Or something like that.

I'm spending the night grading tests (Tests in kindergarten?! Don't get me started), cutting out lamination, lesson planning, and watching the Jon Stewart/Bill O'Riley debate. I also want to note this is the second Sunday IN A ROW I didn't have to go to school :)

This week was a good amount of family and friend time, and relaxing time. I need weekends like this more often. Life is good.