Cize Progress - 2 Weeks into the Program!

A couple of days ago, I had to snug up my heart rate monitor band as it has loosened lately!  I had a sobering thought.

Where would I be now if I had continued on my existing path??  Two years ago, I weighed almost 60 pounds more than I do today!  I was at a playground the other day and was instantly taken back to around this time one year ago and I could not shake the memory of what had happened that day. 

I recently looked back on the 6 month transformation of my blood work stats.

My own cholesterol went from 221 to 177.

My triglycerides went from 184 to 61!!

What if I had never begun?

23 months after beginning this journey, I am still making progress.

I am doing things they are good for my heart! My choices benefit me from the inside out! There are still plateaus left to break. Cize is getting me there!  Cize was created by Shaun T and this is the newest program from Team Beachbody.  It is a DANCE program!

* I realize that I am not standing in the exact same pose in the two images above!  This was not meant to be my official "before and after" but I was just snapping a "laundry photo" as you will read below!  When I hit the 30 day mark, I will do an official "side-by-side".  I do think that my body language does go a long way to convey how I am feeling about myself these days.  Cize has put a fresh spring in my step and I am enjoying this opportunity to learn new ways of movement.

Two nights ago, I shared this on my FB page after snapping the photo on the right:
You know what? I am doing laundry because what else does one do at 10 PM on Wednesday in the midst of a busy week?? And sometimes you decide to wash the shirt you were wearing...

1st thought?!? Cize IS working!

2nd thought - I do not want ANYONE to discount what is possible to accomplish by working out in our own basements and taking charge in our kitchens.

Want some help with these things? I would be glad to get you plugged in with some invaluable support!

It is possible to be comfortable when we unexpectedly see ourselves in the mirror. So worth it!

To say that Cize is an unlikely fit for me is an understatement!  I put together a video on this a couple of nights ago, telling about my Cize "surprise" and my shower curtain debacle.  Check it out here!  

Some of the things that I am loving about Cize?  Well... it is a fantastic calorie burn!  Most of the routines are 35-40 minutes plus a brief cooldown and I am regularly seeing #'s like this!

My children are ages 6 and 8.  In the past 23 months of home workouts, this is the first program that they request me to do again here and there throughout the day so that they can join in with me!  I oftentimes do my own workout early in the morning... but some days it does not go that way and we end up "Cizing It Up" together anyways!
 

Before beginning this program, I was CONVINCED, beyond any doubt that I could NOT dance.  That I was "just not a dancer".  I would see other people having fun with dance in a variety of settings and I thought that would just never be me.  Why do we sell ourselves short anyways???  When Shaun T was introducing the program, he talked about how we say we can't dance but the truth is that we have never tried.  OUCH.  That was me.  Not anymore!

Cize is split into 3 levels, with two routines for each level.  There is also a bonus DVD!  I have been working on the #5 routine this week and it is coming along!  This one is aptly named "Go For It".  Check out my video here!  Eeek!  I am coming out of my comfort zone with this one!  BUT, I want to share with you the fact that even a previous non-dancer is able to do Cize and truly enjoy it while burning a TON of calories!  I am doing my best to learn the moves and time really does fly.  I find myself looking forward to my next workout and thinking about it during the day!  Crazy, right??  Nope!  This seems to be the effect of Cize.

 

If you are curious to learn more about Cize, fill out the form below and let's talk soon!  
 
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Cize Overview + Meal Plan!!

Here we are!  I have begun Shaun T's newest workout "Cize" and I have to admit that I am surprised that I am enjoying it!  When I first heard about this one, I was filled with a fair amount of dread.  After all, I have never been a dancer!  But Shaun T challenged that thought by saying how we say that we can't dance but the truth is that we have never tried.  BINGO!  That is me.  Time to set aside my own preconceived notions of myself and just give it my best.  Here was my other concern... I know that the program is effective, BUT what if my level of dance is sooooooo "remedial" that I can not burn a decent amount of calories due to my own limitations???  Would it still be a good workout if I am just kind of wandering through a mystery of attempted moves??  Oh my imagination does carry me away at times! 

SURPRISE!  I put on my Heart Rate/Calories Burned tracker for my Day 2 of Cize!  I did the 30 minute "Crazy 8's" routine plus the 8 minute abs.  Now, I know that I am sweating like CRAZY.  My heart rate held steady in the 140's once I was warmed up.  This is NOT a shabby calorie burn for something that truly feels like "fun" throughout the routine!  I can see why Beachbody has been using the tagline of "Cize: the end of exercise".  This does not feel like exercise!  I am learning something new and guess what else??  I am SORE from it.  Surprise #2 on that one, although I suppose it really shouldn't be a shocker.  We are talking Shaun T, after all!

Today I returned to Crazy 8's for a third time and I am starting to get the hang of it!  I like the "Crisscross" move the most and "Row the Boat" is where I need the most work with following along with my own footwork!

** update added: today was my 4th Day with "Crazy 8's" and I was brave enough to ask my husband to film the last minute of it!  This is me being BRAVE - check it out here!  

Cize includes the 7 routines here plus a bonus DVD.  In the future, Beachbody ON Demand will also be releasing FRESH Cize routines, so that is a nifty thought!  I still have a ways to go before I master everything here in the program!!  This program is low-impact, fun and allows you to really take it wherever YOU would like to go with it.  Some of my friends are incredible dancers and it is cool to see their Cize videos posted on FB and what all they are doing with it!  Others are more like me and many are somewhere in between!  Yet, it is working for all of us!  

I will be hosting a Cize test group which will begin our prep week on Monday, July 27th!  You are invited to join us!!  See application at the bottom of this blog entry!  The test groups are some of my own favorite challenge groups!  It is so exciting to tackle a new program together and the celebration of progress is so invigorating!

The Cize nutrition guide incorporates the color coded portion control ratios that were first introduced during the 21 Day Fix!  The calorie calculator has you finding your container count based on whether you are above or below 150 pounds.  The guide has LOTS of great recipe ideas!  I am also working with the BRAND-NEW cookbook called "Fixate" and today we had so much fun meal planning while using both of these guides!  We took our snack outdoors and the kids found A LOT of recipes that we will be incorporating during the upcoming days, weeks and months!

Once we had pulled some recipes, it was time to put everything together into a Cize Meal Plan.  I plotted out my workouts for the upcoming week, including two of my favorites from the 21 Day Fix Extreme.  This will be prep week in my test group and our official Day 1 will take place on August 3rd!

Through clean eating, Shakeology and home fitness, I have lost nearly 60 pounds since when I began in September 2013.  I became a coach in March 2014 in order to share all of this with others!  My challenge groups are where it all comes together!  I hope to have you with us for Cize!  Let's talk soon!!

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