TurboFire Day 2!

Hey you! Thanks for stopping by!

Yesterday was Day 2 of TurboFire, and I got my first taste of one of the HIIT workouts. It was Low HIIT 20, followed by the same Stretch 10 class like the first day.

During the HIIT 20, Chalene Johnson set up what she calls Fire Drills. She teaches you the moves for each sequence, practice the entire set once, then you do the Fire Drill. For 60 seconds, you do the entire set, only this time, you give it all you've got for those 60 seconds.

There aren't many breaks during these workouts. You get a few seconds after the Fire Drill, but then you get back into the regular routine. It's not as bad as it sounds, because most of the workout is low impact. However, Chalene makes it clear that low impact doesn't mean low intensity.

Today is supposed to be the first rest day, according to the schedule. However, for me, I feel like having a rest day in the middle of the week is awkward and messes up my rhythm. So, instead, I'm moving the rest day to the weekend and continuing today with tomorrow's workout, which is the same as it was on Monday. The Fire Starter class followed by Stretch 10.

I'm actually feeling a little sore from yesterday as well -- there were a lot of squats and lunging, so my lower half is the sore part, which will make today interesting. But that just means it's working!

My favorite part of every workout? Having my delicious Shakeology! After workouts I add my protein powder from Trutein, but if it's for breakfast or lunch, I might add a little peanut butter or something else, depending on what recipe I'm in the mood for. I love it!

Well, I guess that's all for today's report. Thanks for reading! I'll try to post at least every other day during this program, so stay tuned!

What Happens in Vegas...

Stays in Vegas? I'm telling everyone!

Last weekend, I went to Las Vegas for Beachbody's Coach Summit 2012. That's right, we get to go to Vegas once a year to celebrate. Celebrate successes of our customers, coaches, ourselves, and how far the company has come in achieving its mission to end the trend of obesity. Plus, we get exclusive looks into upcoming products, special training workshops, and meet and greets with the trainers, like Tony Horton of P90X, Shaun T of Insanity, Chalene Johnson of Turbo Fire, and Leandro Carvalho of Brazil Butt Lift. And we can't forget about the huge parties!

We stayed at The Signature at the MGM Grand.

Lobby

We also had a great view of the Vegas skyline with the mountains in the background.

Summit was kicked off with a Birthday Bash on Thursday night. Team Beachbody is now 5 years old (Beachbody itself is much older, but the concept of customers becoming coaches and getting paid to help others is where Team Beachbody comes in). The Birthday Bash was poolside with everyone looking fantastic. I wish I took a picture that night, but of course my absent-minded self didn't think of it. At the end of the night, Beachbody surprised us with an awesome fireworks show!

Friday was filled with live trainer workouts (Hello, Shaun T and Chalene!), training workshops, and trainer signings and pictures.

Workshop with Tommy Mygrant and Barbie Decker

Me and Shaun T! The Man of Hip Hop Abs, Rockin' Body, Insanity, Asylum, and soon to be Asylum Volume 2.

Me and Leandro Carvalho of Brazil Butt Lift

Friday night was the Diamond Reception, which I could not attend -- but will be at next year! -- and the Beachbody's Got Talent show, which was pretty awesome. 

Dancing, singing, guitar playing, rapping, a jump roping gym teacher, a ventriloquist, and even people from the audience showed off their skills:

A fellow coach on my team and friend, Audrey, belting it like nobody's business!

Saturday was the most eventful. First, at 6:30am at the Tropicana parking lot across from the MGM Grand, was the Super Workout. What exactly is that, you ask? It's, well, a SUPER Workout. A 90 minute block of working out with all the coaches who attended Summit, plus the trainers. Each trainer gets 10-15 minutes on the stage, in succession. Nearly 5,000 coaches gathered in the hot early morning sun to get their sweat on.

Super Workout to my left, waiting to start

Super Workout in front of me, facing the stage, waiting to start. Look how many people!

When it was over and we were walking back to the MGM Grand to shower and change, I saw this guy in front of me:

How freaking cool is that?! This guy doesn't let anything limit him, and neither should the rest of us. He still does P90X and did the Super Workout with all of us in his wheelchair. What the heck was your excuse again? ;-)

The day was again filled with training workshops, pictures and signings, and a closing general session. Then, at night, the real party started.

The celebration began on the main stage and included awarding the Beachbody Challenge winners with their giant checks of $100,000, -- Congratulations Kathy and Richard! -- crowning Mr. Wayne Wyatt as Top Coach of the Year with his Top Coach Belt, and even our CEO, Carl Daikeler, serenaded Wayne decked out in Elvis gear with a song written just for him.

Then, it was time for the After Party.

Me in front of the Beachbody Challenge van

Some of our team dancing the night away at the party

Almost all of Team Allegiance who were able to attend Summit.

I love this picture, even though Jason, our team leader and co-founder, is the only one looking away! It shows on all of our faces how connected we are and how much fun we had at this event. 

We share a common passion not only for fitness and health, but for helping others achieve their health and financial goals as well. We are in this together, on the mission to end the trend of obesity, one person at a time. At this event, not only did we learn about upcoming products and announcements and gain knowledge on how to be better coaches to our own coaches and customers, we met our second families, deepened friendships, and had an absolute blast while doing it. Beachbody goes all out for these events, and I am so grateful to be a part of this movement. I can't wait until next year!

NaNoWriMo!... and Starting a 3-Day Cleanse

I am participating in NaNoWriMo this year, and I have to say I'm just a tad nervous and scared. It starts tomorrow and I don't even have a topic! For those of you sitting there saying, "What the heck... NaNo-what-o?" it stands for National Novel Writing Month. In a nutshell, writers who participate commit to attempting to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. That's 1,667 words a day. Yes, it's just a little insane. But, from what I hear, it's also a lot of fun. Mostly, it's about quantity rather than quality. Editing comes later. The point is to just get your first draft finished, even if it sucks!

There are tons of tips in blog posts and other things online to help writers prepare and get through this crazy month. Many of them heavily emphasize the preparation aspect... gulp, I'm in trouble.

I truly want to dive in and really attempt this for the first time, but I don't even have a novel topic. I don't even know what genre I want to write in, let alone cranking out 1,667 words every day from November 1st to November 30th. Maybe I'll suddenly get a strike of genius creativity tomorrow and go on a writing spree...

Anyone else participating? What are your novel topics? (And do you have any suggestions for this nervous first-timer?)

******

In other news... today I have started a 3-day Shakeology cleanse. Basically it's to flush out any toxins in my system and get rid of unnecessary, undigested gunk hanging around. Unlike other cleanses where calories are almost nothing, with this cleanse, calories are restricted, but it's about nutrients rather than eating as little as possible. Here is more info about how it works. And here's what I will be consuming each day for all three days:

• 3 glasses of Shakeology (with just water and ice, blended)
• 2 cups of green tea
• 1 piece of fruit
• 1 salad for dinner or lunch with lettuce, some veggies, and 4 oz. lean protein (with only low-fat dressings - 2 TBSP)
• LOTS of water!
• No dairy or sugars

Many people I know, including coaches on my team and customers, have gotten great results with the cleanse, and now that I'm in my recovery week of P90X, I can start it. When I finish, my body will be prepared to better use nutrients more efficiently and improve its ability to lose weight through clean eating and exercise. This should not be done while actively working out, as you need enough calories to fuel your body and your workout at the same time. It is okay to do with light exercising.

My biggest concern is my appetite! The word is that the second day is the worst, but let's hope it won't be too bad. I'll keep you updated!
Starting weight: 146.4

Five Question Friday: Post 2

1. If you had a weekly newspaper column, what would you name it?

I'm probably the worst person ever to ask this question to... I really have a lack of creativity and this is probably the worst aspect of it. Do you have any idea how long it took just to come up with "Signing Life" for this blog?

2. Who is your mentor/inspiration?

I wrote about this in another post. The short version... my mom, my boyfriend, and my good friend Debbie all inspire me. One I will add this time is my high school ASL teacher, who was also my first cooperating teacher when I student taught my first ASL classes. To this day, she is still the best teacher I have ever had, and I mold my teaching style after hers. She loves what she does, and her passion for ASL and teaching is what made me want to become a teacher, too. To read about the other three, click here.

3. What is your wake up beverage of choice?

SHAKEOLOGY!! Of course.

4. Would you wear your mom's clothes?

I would wear some of her clothes. Others... hell no.

5. When you were a kid, did you put posters on your wall? If so, what were they of?

Hell yeah! Mostly of the Backstreet Boys, Mandy Moore, and other singers I liked. And a bunch more who I thought were hot, who I don't even remember anymore. Though, I'm not a kid anymore (except at heart), and I have a poster of the movie "See What I'm Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary," signed by all four cast members hanging next to my window. On the other side, next to me bed, I also still have a gigantic poster of Linkin Park that I "borrowed" from Madison Square Garden after their concert a few years ago and never returned... 

Ten Reasons I Love My Job

The title is self-explanatory. I will list ten reasons why I love what I do.


1) This isn't a job. I run my own business. That means no boss to answer to, no stupid corporate rules, no rude, inconsiderate, dirty customers to deal with and clean up after. I am my own boss.
2) My team is absolutely amazing. I am part of one of the fastest growing teams in the company, and it only continues to grow every day. Not only that, but the support from these people is incredible. We are all there for each other every minute of every day, and I couldn't ask for a better group of people to be involved with in this business.
3) I get to help others. I've always felt satisfaction when helping my friends and family get through a rough time, or a great time, whatever the situation may be. Now that I get to pass this along to people even beyond my personal circle, and branch out to help tons of other people get physically and financially fit, it is absolutely worth every second to be a catalyst to their personal successes.
4) I get to use the products. Even if I wasn't a coach, I would still be using Beachbody's products because I LOVE them. They've helped me, and I love sharing them with others to help them reach their goals as well. Plus, I get a nice coaching discount.
5) I can work on my own time. No specific time schedule to follow. No time clocks. No covering shifts. No requesting vacation and days off and being disappointed. I get whatever time off I want, whatever vacation requests and days off I want, and I work when and for however long I want. Which actually turns out to be a better part of my day, just because I love this and am so passionate about it. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching, too. But this is an added bonus.
6) The potential for a six-figure income. This is not a get-rich-quick scheme. This is a legitimate business that I operate. The more I work at it and nurture it, the more it will grow, the more successful it will become, and the more I can earn.
7) Helping others helps me stay accountable. Coaching my customers reminds me to stick to my health plan and my workouts every day, even if I don't feel like it. We can always find reasons to not work out. Keeping my goals in mind makes me continue to push play, and I always feel better when I'm finished. I've never regretted working out. I've only regretted NOT working out.
8) Giveaways and free stuff. Beachbody is continually rewarding its coaches and customers for their hard work and efforts. I received a free "Insanity: I Earned It" T-shirt for my journey and transformation with Insanity. Webinars occur every week, and sometimes they have giveaways for products like Shakeology. Logging your workouts into Team Beachbody's WOWY Supergym online gives you the chance to earn $500 or $1,000 every single day. And becoming an Emerald coach qualifies you for free customers given to you by Beachbody.
9) Working with people from all over the country. And soon, all over the world. Being an online fitness coach allows me to work with people across the nation, not just here in New York. And Beachbody has plans to launch internationally by the end of this year, which will only increase our connections, growth, and revenues.
10) Beachbody rewards its coaches for their hard work. The more we work and continually reach our goals, Beachbody rewards us with tons of bonuses, including free cash and vacations. What other company does all of this for its coaches and customers? None.


We are always looking for people to join our team. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, please don't hesitate to contact me for more information so we can get started in changing your life.

Write on Wednesdays: The Fight

Head over to InkPaperPen to see the full prompt for this week. Today is about a personal story, 100% truthful, but not 100% of the truth. The keywords: The Fight.

When I started this blog, I promised myself I would always be honest with everything I wrote. And that has stuck. Everything I have written thus far has been purely genuine in its content. That isn't difficult for me. The difficult part is choosing the content. A few different things popped into my head when reading this week's prompt: My house fire at age 15, struggling through bad relationships and even worse break-ups, ended friendships, the fight through graduate school to get out of retail. But I decided to focus on something meaningful to me at the present, rather than the past. This is my fight.

I had always been a confident person, for as long as I can remember. I never had a problem with worrying what others may think, or checking the mirror every so often to make sure every hair was in place and every wrinkle was smoothed out. That's never been me, and I had always taken pride in that fact. I'm not saying that I never thought my appearance was unattractive, but even when I did, I usually forgot about it and moved on with my day. Besides, it's much too aggravating and time-consuming to be constantly worrying about my looks, my appearance, fiddling with make-up and the perfect outfit for the day. I've always worn what I felt like wearing, which was usually jeans and tank, ran a brush through my hair, hardly ever wore make-up, and ran out the door. And that's how I liked it.

But lately... I haven't been myself. I've gained some weight in the past year or so, and it's done a number on my self-confidence. I've never been stick-thin, but I've never been tremendously overweight, either. I've always just had pretty average weight; right in the middle. A little extra here and there, but I was happy with it, and myself. Now... that's somehow changed. Some of my clothes don't fit the same, and it makes me upset. If I put on a pair of jeans and they are too tight, I immediately call myself "fat" and rip them off, searching for something looser to wear. If a tank top or a T-shirt no longer feels right, I am immediately disgusted with myself and try to find something else that will cover up the spare tire around my waist or the muffin top peeking out over my pants. And I hate it. I hate that I feel this way about myself. Then, I become angry with myself that I do feel this way, because I never used to, and this was never me. My current fight is with myself.

That's why I started the Insanity program by Beachbody. I wanted to get back into shape, lose a little weight and a few inches, and feel confident about myself again. I wanted my self-esteem back. I wanted my cardio to improve, I wanted to feel stronger, and I wanted my clothes to fit better. I wanted to feel like myself again.

I've also been drinking Shakeology, The Healthiest Meal of the Day, and the tastiest! Replacing one meal a day, Shakeology is the healthiest and best-tasting shake you can find. After only a week, I felt improvements in my body. It feels healthier, and has even helped with my digestion. After a month of drinking it every day, my body feels amazing. I wish I could drink it for every meal! That's how excellent it is. You can't find quality like this anywhere else.

Now that my first round with Insanity is coming to a close, I feel better. My cardio has improved, and my numbers on the "Fit Test" have skyrocketed. This is my last week, and I can't wait to see the real end results. Next on my list is P90X!

Now that I feel better, I want to help others feel better and gain their confidence back as well. And that's why I became a Beachbody Coach; so I can help others achieve their health and fitness goals, too. I believe in this company and their products because I've used them, and they work. I want to end the craze of people across the country feeling the way I felt, no matter what the number on the scale reads back. I want to end the fad of people insulting themselves, putting themselves down, and calling themselves derogatory names because they think they are too fat just because their clothes don't fit the same, or they don't look like the models blazoned on every advertisement and flashed on mass broadcast across every TV screen. I want to End The Trend of obesity in this country. That's my new fight. And I love every minute of it.

Freeky Friday: Summer Lovin'

It's Freeky Friday yet again! Sadly, this is the last Freeky Friday of 2011. But, not to fear, it shall return next summer. The last question of this summer is...

What was the best thing that happened to you this summer?

I have two answers to this question. 


The first was my vacation with Danny to Myrtle Beach at the beginning of June. I wrote about this in a previous post titled Living Proof, so I won't go into great detail here. Click the link if you would like to read the full story. It was our first vacation together alone as a couple, our first road trip together, my first vacation since I went to Disney World with my family when I was 16, and we were also celebrating a few different things. We just had our one year anniversary, we both graduated from college, a Master's degree in teaching for me, and a Bachelor's degree in architecture for Danny. We also had both recently landed new jobs (see Keep On Keepin' On and Living Proof). We had a great time with all of our little events packed into the weekend, and it was an awesome start to the summer. 


The second is something that I'm very excited about. I recently started my own, new business as a Team Beachbody Coach. I just started it, but I'm already having a blast with it and I'm anxious to continue and really get it off the ground. Basically, I help people become physically and/or financially fit. I work with others to help them achieve their fitness goals, not only for the present, but forever. We work together to create a change in their lives, for the present, and the future. We create a lifestyle change, to transform their bodies and their lives into healthier and happier living. I'm loving every minute of it.


Why do I do this? Because I believe in the Beachbody company. I believe in them because I know their products work. I've used them, and they've worked for me, and so many other people all across the country. Thousands of transformation stories have been posted on the Beachbody website, to YouTube,  and in the Beachbody infomercials for P90X, Insanity, Turbo Fire, Hip Hop Abs, and more. I'm currently finishing up Insanity, and if it can work for me, it can work for anyone. I plan on doing P90X next. I also have been using an amazing product by Beachbody called Shakeology. It is called "The Healthiest Meal of the Day" for a reason; because it is. I drink it every day for breakfast to start my day off as healthy as possible. It is also my favorite meal of the day because it tastes AMAZING. I love this job, and I love helping others get fit and achieve their goals.

What's the best thing that happened to you this summer?

You can participate in three ways! Head over to Concrete Jane to see how, and how you will be entered to win some yummy homemade treats and have a donation made in your name to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! This is your last chance of the year to participate! The winner will be announced next week!

Freeky Friday: Shiny Happy People

It's Freeky Friday once again! This week, Freekware wants to know:

When are you most happy?

Oh, so many different answers.

I shall make this easy on myself, and copy what I wrote on Freekware's Facebook page (click the badge above!) to this question. But, I will add pictures! Yay, visuals!

I am most happy:

When I'm with my amazing boyfriend

my crazy ass family (there are way more of us, but I have no good pictures),

my friends, 

when my best friend comes home from school to visit (even though I look demonic in this picture. Miss you Roger!)

when I'm having a conversation in ASL (and I apparently have no picture of an actual conversation with it),

when I'm reading one of my thousands of books (and this MIGHT be what my bookshelf may actually look like some day, if I ever have enough room to put them somewhere other than in and on top of one tiny bookshelf, in the trunk at the foot of my bed, behind all of my DVDs, and stacked on the floor next to the original tiny bookshelf) [Source],

when I am teaching, 

when I'm belting out songs to myself even though I can't sing, 

when I'm watching whatever I want on Netflix, 

when I'm watching my box set DVDs of Gilmore Girls [Source],

when I try something I haven't done before and accomplish it (like cooking something!)

when I am at concerts of my favorite bands (like Disturbed!)

(and Blink 182!)

or when I'm MEETING THEM! (Chester and Phoenix from Linkin Park!),

when I am writing (hence this blog, and my contributions to Retail Hell Underground), 

when I am hanging out or playing with my dogs, (or when I'm playing with any puppy or dog) 

when I am on vacation, 

when I am helping others to achieve their fitness goals (My Beachbody Coaching Page), 

when I am drinking Shakeology (My Shakeology Page), 

when I am cuddled up having a movie night with the boy, 

when I am walking around Manhattan [Source]

when I pamper myself for once, 

and before this post becomes any longer, I'll stop it there, though I'm sure I could go on forever! =)

So, how about you?

When are you most happy?

You can participate in three ways! Head over to Concrete Jane to see how, be entered to win this month's prize of yummy Reverse Chocolate Chip Cookies, and have a donation made in your name to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! Get on this!

My Insanity Journey

For those of you who don't know, I started my Insanity Journey about a month ago.  Don't worry, I'm not going crazy or anything, it's a workout program. Then again, I may be crazy for doing it. ;-)

Insanity is insanely hard! It states it is "the hardest workout program ever put on DVD."  As of now, I haven't done P90X or other similar workout programs, but I believe it!  Six days a week, it involves a ton of jumping, squats, sports moves, push ups, crazy drills, and awesome stretching.  Shaun T is a great motivator, and pushes you to move faster, push harder, and dig deeper.  If you are determined, you can make it through.  I'm not trying to sell this product to your anything, just telling you my perspective on it.

Insanity is supposed to give you amazing results in just 60 days. 60 days?! That's it? How is that possible? Two months out of my life and I'll be in great shape? You know what, what's two months? Sign me up!

My first time trying it, I sprained my ankle in the second week.  Crap.  Now I can't workout until it's healed.  Three weeks later, healed, new and better supportive sneakers on and ready to go, I started over.   After every workout, I was exhausted, but felt a sense of accomplishment.  Now, I'm almost done with the first month, or week four, and I've gained four pounds.

Wait, what?! I've gained four pounds? Isn't this supposed to go the opposite way?  What's the deal?  Well, it could be all muscle, since these workouts are super intense and work every part of your body.  Which could very well be part of it.  Or, it could be that I still haven't exactly been eating right.  Ah, there's the culprit!

That's not entirely true.  I have been eating a lot healthier, especially compared to how I used to eat, which was basically whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.  I've cut down on the desserts and snacks (which was the hardest part, especially because ice cream is like crack to me!), I can't remember the last time I had fast food except for Subway, I only drink soda on special occasions, I eat soup or salad as an appetizer if I go out to eat, to cut out the greasy and fried foods, I've always loved fruit, and I drink much more water than I used to.  Sounds pretty darn good, right?  Then, why can't I lose weight?

Firstly, it's not all about numbers on the scale.  Weight is not exactly the best indicator of improvement in this type of program, especially in the beginning. Many other factors weigh in (see what I did there? Ha ha...), like inches lost, how your clothes fit, your strength, your cardio, and results on the Fit Test. While I haven't lost anything on the scale or in measurements just yet, my cardio has improved (I can now get through almost the entire warm-ups without a break, and even those are super hard!), and my Fit Test results get better every time (which are done about every two weeks).  So, there are improvements.

Secondly, thanks to my awesome TeamBeachBody/Insanity coach Sherry, I've realized though I've improved on what I'm eating, I haven't improved on the amount I'm eating.  I'm actually not eating enough throughout the day!  As Sherry explained to me, the Insanity workouts burn around 600 calories each time, and if I don't eat enough throughout the day, my body goes into starvation mode and tries to hang on to every ounce of fat it has.  So for those of you trying to starve yourselves and eat less while working out crazy amounts, that's not the way to go.  It also helps your metabolism to stay higher.  Again, the less you eat, the more your body thinks it needs to hang on to it for nutrients and energy, so your metabolism also slows down, making it harder to lose fat.  I've also started using Shakeology, which helps me gain the nutrients I need, and replaces one meal a day, which definitely helps since I wasn't eating enough to begin with.  You can check out Shakeology on Sherry's coach page or on www.TeamBeachBody.com.

And thirdly, the most results of weight and inches lost comes from month two. I've realized that, at least for me, the first month was about getting myself back into better shape cardiovascularly (is that a word?) first, so that I can continue to handle the rest of the workouts, which get longer and more intense in the second month.  Now that I'm wiser and more informed, I feel better about my results, and am excited to get into month two.

Before Insanity, the most I could run for was about five minutes at a time, which for me is about half a mile.  Now that my cardio has improved, I wonder how much longer I can run for.  I've always wanted to be able to run a mile straight without stopping, and if I can do that, it will be a huge accomplishment for me.

Insanity, let's do this.  Bring it on, Shaun T!