Meal Plan PiYo Week #5 with Grocery List and Recipes!

Hello!  Welcome to my blog!  I am about to begin Week 5 of PiYo and have been working on my meal plan for the upcoming week.  I have my grocery list together and will include that below.  I will also link in the recipes used.  Please comment if you would like to receive an emailed copy of this meal plan word document!

I have completed a variety of Beachbody programs over the past 18 months and PiYo is a favorite of mine!  I first did PiYo in Summer of 2014 when it was brand-new.  After doing Insanity Max 30 and the 21 Day Fix Extreme this past winter, I was ready to return to PiYo once again.  This past week I shared the following on my Facebook page:

I am NOT:
trying to have the best body on the beach
training for a marathon
on a strict diet
basing my self-worth on my appearance

I AM:
wanting be a great example to my kids, to be healthy for my sake and theirs, to feel good myself and to become stronger each day!

I have many people ask me about the difference between the PiYo Meal Plan and the 21 Day Fix Nutrition?  Basically, some of the portion sizes vary a bit.  Bottom line, the main differences for me are that I am eating one less grain, fruit and healthy fat serving and I am eating one more protein and veggie serving.  This is actually pretty similar to what I was doing when I switched to a stripped version of the 21 Day Fix meal plan.   

I do tend to rotate through the same snacks and lunches on a regular basis.  I mix things up a bit at dinner.  My children are ages 6 and 8.  Other than my own full serving of morning Shakeology, we pretty much eat the same things.  Clean eating has been beneficial to my entire family since we first began this adventure back in September 2013.  My life has changed drastically since that point!  Here are the recipes for what we are having for dinner here this week!

Monday - Wegmans is our local grocery store and they make a very good organic Garlic Sesame Asian sauce.  I tend to naturally use sauces very sparingly.  As a busy mom, finding a store-bought item like this to use every now and then is what makes clean eating work for us!  I will thinly slice chicken breast and then toss it in this sauce while cooking.  Use whatever veggies you like plus a simple brown rice and serve this one fresh from the skillet! 

Tuesday - My Beef Lettuce Wraps are based on this recipe from the 21 Day Fix Extreme.  Simply substitute flank steak in place of the chicken.

Wednesday and Thursday - BBQ Chicken is a family favorite around here.  Along the lines of the "sauce perspective" from Monday, I will lightly use Wegmans Organic BBQ sauce.  It is much better than many of the mainstream options out there.  OR if you would like to make your own BBQ, here is a recipe that looks pretty good!  My Coconut Veggies are a recipe from the 3-Day Refresh and it has become one of my own favorite ways to enjoy cooked veggies! We have come to really enjoy sweet potatoes and they are superior to regular potatoes when it comes to nutrition.  There is nothing wrong with including a balanced amount of carbs in our diet.  We just need to choose well! 

Friday - Citrus Grilled Chicken is based on the Insanity Max 30 recipe for citrus steak.  You will use 1/2 cup fresh lemon or lime juice, 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, 4 tsp. olive oil and 4 cloves of garlic.  Combine these items and marinate the chicken in this mixture.  Then grill the chicken!  The Rosemary Mushrooms are also from this program and they are sooooo good!  Heat oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic and 4 cups of mushrooms.  Stir frequently while cooking for 5 minutes or so until juices from the mushrooms have evaporated and they are tender.  Add a bit of fresh rosemary and bit of sea salt.  Stir occasionally, cooking for another 2-3 minutes.  Mash your sweet potatoes with a bit of cinnamon and add a side salad for a lovely meal!

Saturday - I am not really a fan of seafood!  But this is one way that I do actually genuinely enjoy salmon.  :)

Sunday - This Cobb Salad recipe is from Insanity Max 30 and has become something that my family requests over and over again!  

 

The Cobb Salad includes a spinach/romaine mix, cucumber, tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, hard-boiled egg, low-sodium nitrate free turkey bacon, avocado and fresh lemon juice.  We also add kidney beans to ours.

Here is my grocery list!  You may already have some of these pantry items on hand but I have included them in the list just in case!  

Nature’s Marketplace

                (at Wegmans)

Shelves:

Kidney Beans

Brown Rice

Almond Butter

Coconut Oil

Garlic Sesame Stir Fry Sauce

Wegmans Organic BBQ Sauce

Ground Cumin

Garlic Powder

Cinnamon

Sea Salt

Cinnamon Quest Bar

Freezer:

Ezekiel Bread

Bulk:

Sprouted Almonds

-----------------------------------

Produce

Bananas

Apples

Tomatoes

Celery

Carrots

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Cucumber

Baby Spinach

Romaine Lettuce

Green Beans

Asst. Peppers

Mushrooms

Avocado

Sweet Potatoes

Lemons

Limes

Garlic

Cilantro

Rosemary

Dill

Deli

Nitrate Free Turkey

Cooler

Chicken Breast Club Pack

Flank Steak

Low Sodium, Nitrate Free Turkey Bacon

Plain Greek Yogurt

Eggs

Almond Milk

Chili Powder

Olive Oil

Frozen:

Berries

Salmon

 

Play the Numbers Game!

Hello!  Welcome to my blog!  My name is Jeanette and I am a mom of two.  I am a math fan.  I love a good deal!  I greatly value convenience and efficiency.  My health is important to me, especially after having spent a few years at risk due to my own state of health.  I am BUSY and have to admit that I am not so good at margins more often than not.  I tend to squeeze everything possible into a day.

I am also a Team Beachbody coach and very much enjoy my home business where I get to help others change their lives as they reach their own health and fitness goals!  After making some serious life changes myself beginning in September 2013, I was so excited to share these things that I became a coach in March 2014.  

A question that I hear often is: "I would like to start, but isn't it really expensive to do all of this?"  

Well, that depends on how you look at it.  If you think of ADDING a $140 expense to your life out of nowhere, then sure.  That does seem to be costly.  

BUT, if you break it down like I did in the image above, there is less sticker shock.

For me, planning and prepping daily meals for myself and my family is a wearisome task at times!  I run out of ideas, time and energy when it comes to having everything available and ready to go several times a day in the midst of our busy everyday life.  We do cook from home most of the time.  Here and there we grab an option that is a balance of being the most healthy while still being most efficient and most cost-effective.  That is a tall order, right??

So I make one of my meals per day SIMPLE.  And on the weekends, it is not unusual that this meal also serves as a family dinner after a busy day on the go!  We love living in Erie and there is so much to enjoy around here.  Now, let's backtrack a bit.  My husband used to think that any meal which didn't require a fork was not "real food".  He was not satisfied with meals that involved only a spoon.  So how on earth is he now eating a meal that only requires a straw??  Because this is not just some protein shake or weight loss powder!  It is top-notch nutrition and is a perfectly balanced meal.  I get it.  When you think of me having my Shakeology for breakfast and it costs me $3.33, it is easy to think of how you are not spending that much on a granola bar and banana.  The nutrition does not compare at all, but that is a whole other topic!  But when my husband will have Shakeology for his dinner and our kids will split a serving, the value goes waaaayyyy up!  Feeding a family of four for under $10 plus adding in a total of 1.5 bananas, a couple teaspoons of nut butter, 12 ounces of almond milk and some water/ice is a handy option to have!  Convenience is just one reason why I love my Shakeology!

So let's say that you were to go to the store and purchase 30 healthy meals all at once.  Even conservatively, you could factor $6 per meal over the course of a month when you are also thinking of a bit of convenience here and there with being able to grab something quickly at times.  So let's say $180 or so per month for one great meal per day for the entire month.

How about going to the gym? Driving there, working with child-care if needed, planning your schedule around a class schedule, waiting for equipment, paying for classes or a monthly gym membership fee - that will all add up for sure!

And then you have the BIG missing piece which keeps so many people from making the most of their journey.  ACCOUNTABILITY!  Daily support, a community of fitness friends who are also working on clean eating recipes for their families plus a coach who has been where you are and has learned how to get over the humps and move forward with progress is what you find in one of my challenge groups!  

For $140, you can purchase a challenge pack.  This IS a great value!  30 meals.  A 60 day fitness program.  Daily, personal support.  An invitation to a community of other like-minded friends who will be an encouragement to you.  Plus I am there and will be with you each step of the way as you tackle some life changes.  So is it expensive, considering all of this?  To me, it is not a ridiculous price for those who are looking to make progress!

I am currently putting together my May 11th "Find Your Fitness Focus" group and you are invited to be part of it!  I begin a new group each month and would be glad to give you more details on this!  Complete the form below to be entered for a spot in one of my upcoming groups!  

 

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PiYo Calories Burned!?!?!

Hello!  The day began sunny and warm here in Erie, PA.  Reaching 62 at 10 AM in mid-April is a GREAT start to a day in this part of the state!  We are currently a homeschooling family and it is nice to be able to structure our days however we like!  I also work from home with my health coaching business plus lead women's ministry at our church and a lot of that work takes place from home.  The days are busy but good!  So, back to today... we did academics from 9-12 with a good amount of focus and then we were DONE!  I was up late last night with a few projects and "slept in" until 6:40 this morning, knowing that today is a day where I could fit in my workout later in the day.  Some days it has to be done by 6:30 in the morning in order to happen.  Not today!  Hurray!  :)  

This is my first week to be back to PiYo and some have asked me what it would be like to go to a low-impact program after four months of high-impact programs??  STAY TUNED! 

The kids were ready to ride bikes once our school day was done.  So we grabbed a little snack and headed outdoors.  I wish that I could ride a bike.  I always rode my ponies as a kid and just never really had the interest in learning to ride a bike.  Now when I try it is SCARY.  Maybe some day?  I am AWFUL on a bike.  Like treacherous.  Hazardous.  Should not be navigating the sidewalks alongside of my kids who do fine on their own bikes... so, I am on foot.  And I am okay with that.  BUT, I have to be able to keep up with them. Literally.  Walking does not cut it but I am not a runner by nature.  

I have never had a body composition that makes running a natural fit.  After losing 55 pounds these past 19 months, I have certainly become lighter on my feet!  Having the best shoes for my feet makes all the difference in doing high-impact exercise such as the jumping that I did in my recent 60 Days of Insanity Max 30 which was then followed by 60 Days of the 21 Day Fix Extreme.  I went to a local running shop at the end of November and they fit me with my first-ever pair of Mizuno Wave Runner 10 and the transformation in my feet and entire body astounds me with how much more I am not able to do quite comfortably!  One of my goals this spring is to attempt to start with some running - on a modest scale!  Today was "Day 2" for that effort and I already felt a bit more coordinated with it than I did yesterday. I am keeping up with the bikes as we go around the neighborhood.  And no shin splints, either!  Thanks to my awesome shoes!!!  I was fitted for and purchased my initial pair at Achilles Running Shop and I can not say enough good about their expertise there.  I have crazy flat feet with no arches and I also have pronation issues where my ankles want to collapse and roll inward where my arch should be!  Last month a friend let me know that she had spotted some of my Mizuno Wave Runners at TJ Maxx and I hurried right in there!  ONE pair in my size and nearly 1/2 price of the originals.  So I bought them to have for outdoor use. 

Today I put on my Polar FT4 for a first time with an outdoor activity.  I have been using it since beginning Insanity Max 30 in December.  I really enjoy tracking my heart rate and calorie burn.  I have a good feel for when I hit my upper 160's/170 and that is when I need to level off and back down a bit to maintain something closer to upper 150's to low 160's.  

So we headed out the door and 48 minutes later I had burned 287 calories through 25 minutes of walk/run with the rest was spent piddling around with the kids before and after our active phase. I have a good sense of when I am hitting the upper 160's for heart rate and it was good to be able to confirm it on my Polar.  I know that I can jog/run from our house to the one corner and still have my breath well enough at the end.  So I will be looking to increase that range and then make my way on up that hill!  

We made it back just in time!!  The rain began to fall as we were taking off our shoes.  I got the kids settled and folded some laundry and then it was time to begin today's PiYo workout!  PiYo Sweat was on the calendar for today!  I did PiYo for 90 days when it was first released in June of 2014.  I am just returning to the program now after completing the Fix Extreme.  This week is Week 1 of 8 for this round of PiYo.  Think of Pilates/Yoga as you picture PiYo.  See this blog entry for PiYo workout descriptions and also the info that I recently put together which contrasts PiYo with Plyo and tells you more about each.  I usually do PiYo barefoot.  But today I have a few dry spots on my feet and I did not want to aggravate them with friction against the mats during all of the Downward Dog and the fluid sequences.  So I changed to my "indoor sneakers" and I was ready to start!

As I pressed "play" on the 36 minute PiYo Sweat routine, my Polar read 350 calories.  I completed that workout with a 2 minute interruption from the kids and guess what!?!?!?!  I had burned 400 calories during that time!  I do LOVE this low-impact but high-results deal that is PiYo!! My heart rate was right up there in the 150-165 range the majority of the workout! Even went over here and there! It is amazing how something that is so low impact can still be quite effective when you tap into it with your fullest potential!  Here is that initial image once again.  :)  It was pretty neat to see how all of this came together.  The main thing is to BE ACTIVE!  Find something that works well for you and you will be that much more likely to do it.  I would be glad to help you with that!  BONUS - PiYo is in corporate special during the month of April and I can help you with that part as well!  Complete the form below for more information.  I hope to hear from you!

   

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PiYo? Plyo? What is the Difference!?!?

Good morning!  Welcome to my blog!  I am a wife and mom who became a Team Beachbody coach after experiencing dramatic changes in my own health and fitness.  Now I greatly enjoy helping others in reaching their own goals!

One of the questions that I am asked on a regular basis is in regards to the difference between PiYo and Plyo??  It is tricky that these two words are sooooo similar yet they refer to two completely OPPOSITE things!  In short, "PiYo" stands for a pilates/yoga based program from trainer Chalene Johnson.  This is a low impact/high results 60 day program with 10 workouts that are ALL PiYo.  "Plyo" is an abbreviation for "plyometrics" which means explosive movement --- think of LOTS of jumping!  In recent Beachbody world, Plyo comes to mind as the bonus workout from the original 21 Day Fix and also Monday's workout from the Fix Extreme.  Picture high-impact with a very high calorie burn.

PiYo is one of my own top two personal favorite Beachbody programs!  I have completed five programs over the past 19 months.  Chalene Johnson is such a neat trainer and she has also produced Turbo Jam, TurboFire and ChaLEAN Extreme.  You really want to hear what she has to say during the workouts - in regards to form and life in general!  See this blog entry for more details on the PiYo program.  Here is an entry which features the PiYo Day 30 results from myself and some of my challengers.  I LOVE PiYo and am actually about to return to it this coming Monday, April 13th!!  I will be completing the 60 day program and then plan to head back to my other favorite (Insanity Max 30) for a second round of that hardcore, intense program.  PiYo is low impact but my body had some of my best results in regards to becoming lean and "PiYo strong".  The increased flexibility and range of motion literally blew my mind, knowing myself and my tendencies.  I can't wait to get back to it once again to see what this round will bring!

The 21 Day Fix is a program with trainer Autumn Calabrese.  This was her first-ever Beachbody workout!  The 21 Day Fix is life-changing and this is the program which I most often recommend to my new clients.  The nutrition management aspect of the Fix is HUGE and once you learn these tricks, your eating habits will be changed forever!  Here is an overview of the workout descriptions and also my results.  You rotate through 7 daily workouts plus you have a "bonus" workout called "Plyo Fix".  Plyo Fix is 30 minutes of challenging cardio!  You are doing lots of jumping!  Great shoes and the right athletic support bra plus a decent floor surface are a must in order to avoid injury when working out with this intensity.   

The 21 Day Fix Extreme was released in February 2015.  I began my experience with it when it was brand-new!  Tomorrow will mark my completion of 8 weeks of this program.  Stay tuned for results!  Here is an overview of the workouts included with this program.  Check out this blog entry for an idea of meal planning with the Fix Extreme.  Plyo Fix Extreme is Monday's workout while you are doing the Fix Extreme.  It is a fast-paced 30 minutes!  You are JUMPING.  With WEIGHTS!!??!  What???  Seriously.  It is a killer workout and I know that I am getting some great results through my efforts during my time with the Fix Extreme.  

I will be offering a brand new group during the week of April 20th!  This one is called "Dust Off Your Workout DVD's" and you are invited to join us!  This is a FREE 7 day group to encourage one another while also sharing some practical tools! Everyone will be doing the workout program of their choice and our common thread will be "how to make it happen" as we keep one another accountable and make the most of this time in our life! We will also be sharing clean eating recipes and general wellness tips. Daily posts will begin on Monday, April 20th. I hope to have you join us!  

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Seasons + Choices + Flexibility!

Today we begin a new month - April!!  One of my favorite months!  Spring officially began nearly two weeks ago here in Erie, PA.  But yesterday it began snowing like crazy while I was down in the basement doing my morning workout.  Throughout the day we got over 5" of fresh snow on top of our recently revealed grass.  Oh well!  The sun came out in the afternoon and the kids were excited to be out in the rapidly melting snow!  Today is an exciting day here in Erie!  One of the best things about living here is Presque Isle.  We are just three miles from this peninsula and we are there 3-5 times per week during decent weather!  There have even been weeks of being there 6-7 times during the best of the season!  I am such an outdoors person and I love that my kids also really enjoy the beach.  Anyways, the beach is of course not open YET.  That will have to wait for Memorial Day Weekend!  But Sara's did open today and we had to head up there for some baby cones to celebrate this big occasion.  It was a L-O-N-G winter here.  Right up through yesterday!

This is my second year of homeschooling with my daughter who is in 2nd grade this year.  We have 44 days remaining of our required 180!  Our son has been doing kindergarten work here at home and I so enjoy seeing his viewpoint on life.  He and my daughter are SUCH opposites in many areas!  Listening to them work and play together can be the most amazing thing.  We are currently in flux with our plans for schooling for next year.  We may continue with homeschooling but are also exploring other options.  This is most definitely a matter of prayer!    

Last week a friend had posted some photos and just happened to add a verse that I saw as I was scrolling facebook.  You can see my response above!  I know that the Lord is faithful and will guide us on this journey.  Right now, I do juggle quite a few things.  I realize that it would be crazy to try to do everything forever!  As a mom who works from home and also with schooling from home, I so appreciate the flexibility that we have in our lives.  Things do get a bit crazy at times.  Life with kids = never a dull moment!  But it is good and I am deeply thankful to be where we are today.  I am not sure what the next season will bring but each time I sing with the kids, "He's got the whole world in His hands", I am humbled and reminded of HIS great love and faithfulness.  We are trusting day by day!

I am 10 DAYS from completing 8 weeks of the Fix Extreme and that means new progress photos are just around the corner! I am on a great path and can't wait to see the results!

So then what??  I am going to return to PiYo!!!!!! Check out the image above... umm, you can see why I love this program! My body and mind just click so well with the low impact but yet "not easy" approach of this pilates/yoga based program. I am such a fan of the way that PiYo feels. Nothing like it! 

I came out of Insanity Max 30 and that was brutal and needed and so good to significantly up my cardio capacity and prove to myself what I could do! Right now, I am a smaller size than what I was in the post-PiYo photo from September. I am truly more advanced on my overall journey. I did have a tan there and my entire stance conveys how I felt about things at that moment in time. And my legs!?!? That photo captures the best that they have ever been! 

I am so intrigued to see what this return to PiYo will bring with all that I have now experienced with Max 30 and Fix Extreme. Stay tuned! BETTER YET??? Do PiYo WITH ME!!! Icing on the cake?? PiYo is April's special!  If you are interested in learning more, just complete the application which is located at the bottom of the blog entry. 

I work as a Team Beachbody coach and I have been at this for the past 13 months.  It is so neat to be able to help others and lead my team while I continue on my own fitness journey!  This has been an excellent solution for my family as I no longer have to spend 25+ hours working outside of the home. Yet I am still able to contribute steadily to the family budget without sacrificing my own flexibility in life.  If reading this sparks your interest, let's talk!  I would be glad to help you see if this could be a fit for you!

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Day 45 of 90 ChaLEAN Extreme/PiYo Hybrid - Day 420 Total

Hello!  Welcome to my blog!  My name is Jeanette Paradis.  I am a Diamond Coach with Team Beachbody.  I am writing this entry to recap my progress as I am now halfway into my 90 Days of a ChaLEAN Extreme/PiYo hybrid schedule.  I was looking at the calendar this morning and did some math... Today is my own DAY 420 since having begun my health transformation back on September 16, 2013.  I began with ChaLEAN Extreme, Clean Eating, Shakeology while getting a solid start in a "Challenge Group" where my youngest sister Rachel was the coach.  I have been active in a challenge group EVERY day since and I believe that this has been a huge key to my own success.  A challenge group is a secret Facebook group where we encourage and equip one another while providing inspiration and accountability.  I became a coach myself in March 2014 and I so enjoy helping others as they make their own changes to become more healthy!

I did ChaLEAN Extreme my first five months and then moved on to the 21 Day Fix for four months.  Up next was PiYo for three months and then I started my current 90 Day Hybrid of ChaLEAN Extreme and PiYo.  So, what will be next for me?  Ummm.... I am going to be BRAVE and totally shift gears to Insanity Max 30 when it is released in December.  AAAHHHH!!!!  That is going to be a good challenge for me!  I will continue to push myself in my current workouts this coming month as I prepare to take the plunge with an extreme program!

ChaLEAN Extreme is split into three phases that are each 30 days in length.  The phases are Burn, Push and Lean.  I am currently in the middle of Push.  Each phase involves three different days each week of lifting weights during workouts that average 32-35 minutes in length.  The Lean phase does have a longer day somewhere in there.  The tracker sheet pictured below is what I use to record the size of weight that I am using each time.  The + or = indicates whether I should keep that weight the same next week or if I am ready to bump up to the next size?  This morning I did a bit of digging and I pulled out my tracker sheet from when I began the Burn phase for the very first time back in September of 2013.  It was interesting to compare that to where I am this time around as I recently completed the Burn phase of September/October 2014.   

On the days that are not my "lifting" days with ChaLEAN Extreme, I do one of the PiYo workouts.  This means three days of lifting each week and three or four days of flexibility and strength with PiYo.  I was SO hooked on how PiYo felt and the amazing results that I had while doing it over the summer that I was not ready to move beyond it just yet!  As an intrinsically klutzy person, I am blown away with how much my balance has improved through PiYo.  As a mom of two young kids, I am constantly up and down and put into all sorts of positions all day long.  I can now glide through so many things that used to feel awkward.  It is hard to describe but I love it!  See "Finding Balance through PiYo".

So, what am I doing for my health when I am not working out?  My workouts only take 30 or so minutes of my day!  You may have heard that results are made up of 80% nutrition and 20% fitness.  Meaning that if we work out well but eat junk, we are not really going to go anywhere.  The converse is also true.  Even if you have something that keeps you from working out in a traditional manner, you can still become quite healthy and make big changes through eating clean!  I have a free 5 Day "Make the Most of Today" clean eating group beginning on Monday, November 10th.  You are invited to join me!  

Looking back to this most recent phase in my health transformation, I find quite a range that makes up my past 45 days!  Late September and the first half of October were tricky in my world.  More on that here.  As the past three weeks, I have been very aware and right back on track with my nutrition and am satisfied with my own efforts.  I have printed out my nutrition tracker sheets and have completed them each day of the past three weeks.  My jeans are no longer feeling snug and I am no longer feeling as though I had lost some ground for the first time since having begun nearly 14 months ago.  So today was interesting... I stepped on the scale for the first time in a while.  I am up a few pounds from where I had last measured progress on Day 370.  That was 50 days ago.  Remembering how first there were my three rough weeks of the year but the past three weeks have been spot-on, it could have been easy to become discouraged by the scale.  But let's take a look at a few other areas. My clothes are fitting the same as they did in mid-September.  We did my measurements this morning and it was interesting to compare with 50 days ago... everything was the SAME.  Except my thighs have actually lost an inch and my calves have lost a 1/2 inch.  So I am not going to let the scale discourage me!  I had three weeks where life was crazy.  Then three weeks where I have been right back on my game.  I am building more and more muscle and we know there is a discrepancy between the space/weight of muscle and fat.  Plus this also serves as a great reminder of how it takes time to get back to where you once were.  Sometime in the next few weeks I will be doing our 3-Day Refresh program for a great cleanse and boost as we move forward into this holiday season.  And there is something that I remind myself of often...       

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Challenger Spotlight: Tina Kociolek (#3 in Series)

Hello!  Welcome to my blog!  My name is Jeanette Paradis and I am a Diamond Coach with Team Beachbody.  A key part of what I do involves running "Challenge Groups" which are secret FB groups where individuals come together to work on our fitness and nutrition.  Today I would like to feature one of my challengers who first contacted me last spring about making some changes with her own health.  I met Tina Kociolek years ago.  She and I share a history of being MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) moms at First Alliance Church.  Tina's time there was just before mine.  As I was entering the group with my firstborn, Tina was just getting ready to "graduate" as her youngest went off to school.  Next I knew Tina through her role at the Experience Erie Children's Museum.  I always appreciated her warm smile and capable approach as our MOPS group planned outings to her place.  Fast forward a few years and I knew Tina through her role as the marketing director at Chick-fil-A.  Again we interacted as I was the MOPS Coordinator and many MOPS moms utilize Chick-fil-A!  Long story short, I have known Tina for a while and she is someone that I have always looked up to as being one-stage-ahead-of-me in motherhood and life.  I like her attitude and approach to things.  

We kept messaging one another this past spring and summer, following that first time when Tina had asked me about challenge groups back in March.  In July, she was ready to begin!  She has been an asset in several of my groups ever since.  Tina began with our 3-Day Refresh program when it was brand-new.  Then she moved on to PiYo as her workout and I had to smile when she posted the following in our "FALL Challenge" group earlier today: "I must profess my love for PiYo.... When I started weeks ago I was jog/ walking and felt reasonably strong cardiowise however my arms, wrists, upper body were SO weak. The first few weeks seemed to be strengthening those areas for me. I think it's so cool that as you get stronger your body adapts to the workouts and then new areas get the chance to tone. Right now for me I can feel my upper back, sides and glutes getting more defined. Love it!" 

I asked Tina a few questions and I really enjoyed hearing her heart on these topics.  THIS is one of my favorite things about being a coach!  These lifestyle changes are about SO much more than losing a few pounds or inches.   

Tell us about yourself... I work part-time as a Marketing Director, happily married with two teenage boys. I was a cheerleader in high school and taught aerobics in college too. After moving to Erie from New Hampshire I stayed at home with our boys and enjoyed working out every day by bringing them to the child watch area; it was a break for me! Fast forward a few years.... Both boys were in school and I was working part-time. Exercise became less of a priority and I gained 20 lbs without really even noticing it. (I seriously think I was wearing my clothes way too lose back then!) 

What prompted you to get started with this lifestyle change? I was struggling with a lack of energy and struggling again with depression. Our boys are older and they don't need my help with everything. I could sleep 10 hours, get them to school, work, and then take a nap every day if I needed to. When summer came and they were home all day I realized just how little energy I had left. 

What has been the biggest surprise so far? Using PiYo has changed my vision of exercise. I used to think of exercising (even while teaching aerobics) only as a means to lose or maintain weight. I'm finally realizing that I really need this to improve my quality of life. 

What have you found to be most rewarding about making these changes? Having more energy makes me a better mom, wife, employee and friend too. I can accomplish so much more when I'm eating clean AND exercising too. 

Any suggestions for those who are on the fence about jumping in themselves? Great question, honestly I think sharing the real struggles that we each have every day helps. I truly believe that you have to be ready and willing to finally do this for yourself. It's hard to convince someone to take that leap of faith. Your posts on Facebook encouraged me and for that I will be forever grateful!

Results: Day 370

Hello!  Thank you for visiting my blog!  My name is Jeanette Paradis and I am writing this entry as an update on my progress over this past year.  Today is my own "Day 370" since I began to change my life.  The photo on the left was taken in September of 2012, as my daughter needed a family photo to share with her kindergarten class.  But I was the same size and wearing those same clothes when I began with my "Day One" on September 16, 2013.  The changes that I made that day include eating clean, daily workouts and daily Shakeology.  I had wanted to create a blog entry on Day 365 or 366... but this week has been BUSY!  I did put together a "video journal" to capture my perspective on the day of my 1 Year Anniversary.  That was a full day for me and the kids and I was "hiding out" in our lower level bathroom to quickly record that one!  Rather than me repeating everything here via blog entry, check out Day 366 with 54 Pounds Gone - How???

 

My husband has been great about everything, including helping me to track my photos and measurements.  We do this whenever I am about to begin a new program and sometimes at the half-way mark of a program.  * Don't mind my photo-shopped shorts in my Day 1 photo above!  I didn't have any shorts that fit at that point and so these were "added" as an overlay to that photo.  My journey began 1 year ago with ChaLEAN Extreme which I did for 5 months before moving on to 4 months of the 21 Day Fix.  Next was 3 months of PiYo with a "Doubles Week of the Fix" when I jumped in with a challenge group to do that a couple of weeks ago.  I have to admit that I was a bit reluctant to record my stats and photos yesterday...  The last time that we had checked my measurements was about two months ago, as I reached my 30 Day mark with PiYo.  Since then I have lost just another two inches total and additional pound or two and I know that this is due to my less-than-stellar nutrition and life habits this past month!  I have not been 100% where I would like to be with my nutrition!  I have been a bit "soft" on myself in this area over the past month and in turn I have literally become "softer" than I was 30 days ago.  Not a good feeling.  Good thing that I have a plan to implement on Monday!  This past month of my life has been overflowing with stuff and has been stressful too much of the time.  As a result, there were different days where I would reach for some of the kids' "bunny crackers" as part of my coping mechanism.  Once in a while, I would be down a serving of protein within a day and would reach for a couple of extra handfuls of a "healthy fat" (such as nuts and seeds) instead of my protein.  This is NOT optimum for me!  Now, in the past I would have been all about some ice cream and cookies as my "comfort foods".  That just is not the case these days.  I make pretty good choices much of the time.  We do not keep "danger" foods here in the house.  It is as simple as that if you are looking to give yourself a boost in making right choices!  But we are going to have days where we do not do as well as we would like.  The key is to NOT GIVE UP!  This is a lifelong kind of thing... not some quick fix where you throw in the towel after a couple of not so great days! 
   

Oh, and yesterday was an odd hair day.  I like my curly hair the majority of the time.  But some days it is just doing weird things! (See photo above)  This was another reason that I was a bit reluctant to get some new photos done yesterday while we were also getting my updated measurements!  But it had to be done!  I look back on my beginning with ChaLEAN Extreme and I think of how strong and capable I became during those first five months.  Next was the 21 Day Fix (see 21 Day Fix Review and Results) and this was life-altering for nutrition!  Plus I really enjoyed the variety of workouts included in that program.  PiYo (see this entry) was my most recent and my body has felt the best it has ever felt in my entire life!  I have experienced some nice sculpting and toning during PiYo.  Plus I have become so much more flexible and my balance has become better than ever.  For someone who previously fell under the "klutzy/uncoordinated" category, this is huge!  The main thing is that there are a variety of workouts out there.  Find one that you enjoy and then JUST DO IT!  

   

So, what is next??  On Monday I will be getting back to Day 1 with ChaLEAN Extreme!  I am so excited to enter back into this 90 Day program being an entire year stronger and more fit!  I became a Team Beachbody coach back in March of 2014.  I so enjoy helping others to make their own healthy changes!  I am joining in with my challengers for our 60 Day Fall Challenge group.  We will have our "Day One" there on Monday the 22nd.  YOU are invited!  We will have a variety of workout programs represented in this group, including the 21 Day Fix, PiYo, ChaLEAN Extreme, T-25, Brazil Butt Lift and Slim in 6.  The group will focus on clean eating, encouraging one another and how to make all of this work in real life.  Being in a challenge group can be the boost that you need to really make this happen.  I would love to be your coach!  I oftentimes think of how things would be so different today if I had not taken the leap to make my first steps forward.  If you are interested in improving your health through better fitness and nutrition, please think of me!  I also meet many of my new customers through referrals.  Let's talk soon!