Day 13 of the 21 Day Fix

Day 13: 21 Day Fix: yup... I'm Kissing my Chocolate Peanut Butter Shakeology! I found my old stash of peanut butter cups (I stash snacks like a fat squirrel). I haven't been so tempted since the cheesewiz incident ! I decided I'll make a shake instead and if I still want one... A few drinks in and my cravings are GONE! Shakeology isn't magic.. It doesn't fix everything, but it sure helps!!! Today was a cardio day. I'm feeling amazing... Down another half pound... Tim is down even more (but he's a guy and it's just not fair how fast they drop weight). I haven't measure in a few days but my jeans are so lose they make me look like I have an old man butt :/ does. This mean shopping is in my future? :D tonight's dinner is cauliflower bacon chowder!

Day 1 of 21 Day Fix (3 weeks of clean eating and exercise)

My pre-workout picture with my favorite workout partner! 

I don't do New Years resolutions. They never work for me. I'm not sure why, but they have consistently failed me (or I have failed them, lol) over time. So I purposely chose to begin my 3 weeks of hard core clean eating (no cheating) & daily exercise (no slacking) on the 5th of January. 😃

I was originally going to do the 21 Day Fix in November taking days off for holidays and events but decided it wasn't wise. Even though I'm a strong believer in cheat meals in everyday life, detoxing is the exception. If you cheat during the detox you fail to bring your body back to a place of balance ( or at least hinder the process). A huge Thanksgiving feast in the middle of a detox kind of ruins it.

I actually detox (eat clean) about 3 times a year. It works for me... Keeps me balanced... Keeps my sugar addiction under control. The 21 Day Fix is new for me though. It's through Beachbody and provides more structure and support to the detox. Plus (& this is the best part) it has a body transforming workout to go with it! This brings it up a notch! Usually I walk away from a 21 day detox feeling healthier with 5-7 pounds lost & my sugar and carb cravings gone. This time I expect to see a firmer leaner me! The daily exercise adds a new and important element!

Here is a quick update on day one. The first day is always fairly easy. This time was no exception. The detox symptoms haven't kicked in, the motivation is there. Yesterday was no exception. Day one was painless. I'm a few hours into day 2 as I write this. I'm a little sore from killing my workout yesterday, & the first stirrings of a sugar withdrawal headache have begun. I expected this. I also know it's going to get worse. The next 2-3 days are going to be tough as the toxins leave.... Withdrawal sucks. However, the end results will be more than worth it!

Beachbody T25 Update!

I'm 3 weeks into T25 & as promised, I'm sharing my results and a review of the workout. First off, baby is now a year old. 6 months after he was born I was thin & in pretty decent shape,  but still flabby from several months of pregnancy bed rest. I was heading in the right direction but when summer hit we found ourselves enjoying the outdoors, so figured I didn't need to work out. I didn't gain weight but I didn't lose any either,  so I planned to kick back into high gear in the fall. So here we are.  I found a local Beachbody coach who is amazing & started mid September.  You can see I'm already getting serious results! This was even with me talking 10 days off to go visit Tim's family in Southern Oregon! 
Here is my 3 week review:
Week One: T25 was difficult at first,  but only 25 minutes,  so definitely do able.  I started in decent shape but still could not complete the workout (I finished but took little 20 second breaks). There is a moderater so I followed her most of that first week. At first I was VERY sore,  but that subsided by the end of the first week. I could feel myself getting stronger and saw a little more definition in my legs.
Week Two: The workouts were getting easier as I was gaining strength quickly. I could complete the entire 25 minutes without breaks and was using the moderator less and less. I was noticing new definition in my arms and a flatter tummy by the end of the week. The flex picture was fallen at the end of this week.
Here is where my 10 days off came in. I didn't do T25 at all but I went on a few walks and jogs with baby (it was a GORGEOUS area) & planked a few times. I also ate a lot of junk :/
Week Three: I just completed this and the stomach and backside pictures are current results. I feel 10x stronger at this point. My arms, legs and back are firm and my stomach is looking better than it has in years! I've lost 1 inch off my waist and 1.5 off my hips. I was a little sore getting back into it after 10 days off but again,  that is fading. 
I have days I don't want to do this,  but at only 25 minutes,  I can't make up good enough excuses not to!
The bottom line is that this is a very effective workout requiring very little time. The support group is extremely motivating & keeps me going when I only want to lay on the couch, eat Doritos and watch baseball (ok... I've done that a few times too, lol). I think T25 will work for almost everyone. If you are totally out of shape you will need to go slower & use the moderator more, but it's very do able!

Summer Break from Blogging - New Fitness Challenge Coming in September

I set out to make a health,  beauty and fitness blog, & at first it was a huge motivator to be diligent about my workouts and paleo eating.  Then summer hit. Summer is my favorite time of year because there is so much to do! Tim and I took our baby to his first rodeo last Saturday! The baby was more interested in eating Tim's hamburger than watching,  but it was fun to take him out in his little cowboy boots :) we've been doing lots of swimming, exploring,  bbqing... it doesn't leave a lot of time for blogging.
I squeezed in a quick workout this morning, and up until last week I've been doing a LOT of running.  So while my workouts haven't been regular,  I've been keeping active & in shape the fun way! August is going to be crazy, so I plan on starting a new fitness challenge in September. I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do,  but I've got a few ideas. I'm excited for a new round of exercise,  & a new results! 

Thankfulness

This week I'm feeling so thankful for Tim. I had a crazy week. I love serving at the church and vacation bible school was so much fun,  but with a baby it took a lot! I didn't get enough sleep,  our house started getting messy, the laundry was piling up.  The worst part was that I was too busy to work out (my stress release). I'm usually a pretty cheerful person, but I was beginning to feel overwhelmed and my attitude showed it.
Tim saw that I was stressed out and put aside his other obligations to watch our baby while I worked at the church.  He met my coffee needs (that's a big deal for me, lol), encouraged me,  and helped out around the house.  I admit I had a few grouchy days, but he showed me so much intentional love... made me feel adored and important in the midst of my chaos. The truth is, he does this not just during vbs, but whenever I am weak, struggling, sad or overwhelmed.
Life is crazy.... it never goes how we expect it to, but somehow in it's turmoil I found blessings. If I focus on the messes, that's what I see..a mess. If I focus on the good, the love, the people who hold me up when I'm weak.... I am truly thankful!

Blaming Baby for Eating the Pie, a Paleo Recipe to Right My Wrongs, & Younique News!

Paleo Cauliflower "Potatoes"

I made Tim a delicious peanut butter chocolate pie for Father's Day. Yesterday I took little "slices" all day long. It was my breakfast, my lunch, my snacks... when I brought it back out after dinner last night I realized I'd eaten over half of it. If that's not bad enough, I tried to convince Tim the baby ate it! I'm all about having a piece of pie now and then, in fact I'm pretty sure pie is holy ;) however half a pie and using the baby as a cover up is probably crossing the line. 

Today I figured I'd better at least attempt to eat clean and get myself back on track. As I write this I'm cooking the cauliflower for one of my favorite "paleo" recipes. Cauliflower is used a lot in paleo and low carb eating. You can make pizza crusts from it, tortillas, and even mock rice! The mashed potato recipe is in my opinion the easiest and the best of them all! I'll give you two versions. One is similar to the one in the picture (taken from Paleopot.com) the other is my tried and true recipe I've been making for a few years now. In both versions the key to making it delicious is butter of course :)

Crock Pot Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Put one head of cauliflower florets in the crockpot

Cover with salted water or broth

Cook on high for 3-4 hours

Remove and drain, put in food processor or mash

Add lots of butter, a little salt, and any other toppings you enjoy like bacon, cheese (not considered stickily Paleo, but is ok with Primal Paleo, if you even care.. I don't), chives, etc.

My recipe is pretty much the same, only I boil the cauliflower so I can eat this right away!!!

This is so good! Promise! Babies like it too! Almost as much as they like pie ;)

Today was another leg day. Even though I'm well into this work out regime (over two months now) It still hurts some days. Today was that day (probably from all the extra pie weight). Some days I think "this is getting easy, time to up my weights". Today I kept looking over at baby who laughs at me though my entire work out and telling him "we should turn this junk off and watch Bubble Guppies instead, shouldn't we." Regardless, I finished the whole thing and feel great for pushing through.

I have exciting news regarding my Younique business! I'll be at the women's expo at the civic on the 28th! I can't wait! If you are reading this and are local, come by and check out the product. I think the virtual sales route is great, but the quality really needs to be seen in person. This will be a great opportunity for me to show people first hand why I'm so crazy over this makeup!

If you can't make it to the expo, go check out Younique here: https://www.youniqueproducts.com/KarlieHodgen/party/266725/view

As always, you guys can message me here, on Facebook, or email me at karliejeanh@gmail.com

Younique New Business

Here it is! Younique Cosmetics. They are a new high quality makeup that understand the current trends & advances. Check out my before and after pics! I'm thrilled! I had chosen  not to put up the details of this company until I tried the product. If I don't absolutely love something, I'm not going to sell it. I'm VERY picky with my make up, and this stuff truly impresses me! The 3D lashes make my eyelashes HUGE! In a great way :) The makeup itself is beautiful, has a perfect texture, gorgeous colors & is NATURAL! This stuff is better than my Sephora stash of cosmetics, & that says a lot!
 After researching every home based company out there, why did I chose Younique? I fell in love with this company even before I tried the cosmetics. Their purpose is to empower women, allow opportunity to work from home, encourage us to love and uplift one another, while enhancing beauty inside and out. It's about building confidence and bettering ourselves. Now THAT is a purpose I can get behind! It's a new (less than 2 years old) company that is growing quickly. I'd never heard of it until a few weeks ago. There are no consultants in my area, & very few even in the Portland area. I truly get to get in at the beginning stages of this company! Talk about an opportunity! Want to know what else? They make it so I can run this business 100% online if I choose through social media, etc. Home parties are not necessary! Additionally, I get paid instantly! When purchases are made, my commission goes directly into my account. No waiting a month to get paid, & no autoship. I'm getting ready to start an online party. If you would like to learn more about these great products, let me know!

https://www.youniqueproducts.com/KarlieHodgen/party/248969/view