Fitness Update

Time has flown by since my last fitness update. I had to scroll way back on my blog and found my last fitness update post in February! Check out my February Fitness Update post if you haven't already. 

Since then I have completed my first race and my training has changed slightly. 

I did a 5km race April 9th to work on my running speed. Unfortunately the race course changed two days before race day due to flooding and they had to incorporate a hill! I haven't done any hill training as it is still early in race season so I was 5min slower than I wanted to be. We hit the hill about 2km into the race and up until then I was running under a 6min/km pace which was great. The hill was about 500 meters long so the turn around was at the top and by that time my legs were DONE. I really struggled the last half of the race but I keep telling myself it was the first race of the year and my time will only get better from here. 

Bear is still joining me once a week for training runs. I'm trying to run at least three times a week - that includes a interval run, tempo run and longer run. 

It's still too early to get my road bike out....even though I've seen some brave soles out and about on their bikes...so I'm still just biking at my house inside on my trainer around twice a week.

Of course I'm still keeping up with my Beachbody programs as a cross training/strength training. Right now I'm just using 21 Day Fix and in three weeks I will switching to 21 Day Fix EXTREME. Mainly I've been using lower fix to work on leg strength, upper fix to work on my upper body strength and of course core.

My next race is another 5km in about three weeks. I am also trying to find a duathlon sprint race nearby that I can participate in at the end of May but so far I've had no luck find one. 

Make sure you are subscribed for more fitness updates.

Fitness Update | Coming Back From Being A Victim of Crime

 It's fitness update time!!! It has been a hot minuet since my last fitness update, if you want to check out my last post Fitness Update | Finished 21 Day Fix EXTREME | National Sprint Duathlon Women 25-29 Champion! If you did happen to read it you would know that I qualified to race in Duathlon Worlds this year in August.

I did take a few days off after the qualifying race in September to recover but now I'm back at it. I sat down and made a training plan that lasted to the end of December....which unfortunately I didn't finish and it's a long story...

 ....without going into too much detail as I'm still not sure how much of my experience I want to share I was the victim of crime in December. It was an absolutely gut wrenching experience that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I honestly lived most of December fearful to leave my house, sleep, anything! I basically sat locked up in my house armed and waiting for our attacker to come back....which he did several times.

It's hard to even put into words what happen, how I feel about the whole situation because I feel like I'm still processing what the hell happen!

My husband and I were so fortunate to have some many amazing family member's and friends that stepped in to help us. We were brought food every single day, people were coming over to my house to walk my dog - no I wasn't even leaving the house to walk my own dog! For me that's a big deal since our little pup usually goes for three walks a day....minimum. I even had people just come over and clean or sit with me to watch some TV to help get my mind off of what was happening.

So basically - as I'm sure you can imagine - my training came to a screeching halt.

Time seemed to just disappear...it honestly took me till about the beginning of February for me to get back to my normal routine - and even then it was hard to even think about how to get back to what was "normal".

If you've even been the victim of crime, you know it's hard to get back to your life. I was told by so many people that it's ok to be all over the place and that it was going to be a struggle trying to return to a "normal" life.

I do want to share a piece of my experience on my blog - my hope is it could possibly help someone who as been affected by a victim of crime...or just provide some support to know you are not alone. I found there wasn't a lot of public support for myself and my husband. Give me about another week or two...I'm going to have to sit down and put what happen into words which I already know is going to be difficult.

 To be honest my training really just started again this February - and yes my body could absolutely tell that I had taken a big chunk of time off. Since the plan that I made ended at the end of December I decided to make a new one instead of trying to finish off my old training plan.....sort of like a fresh start.

Currently I have a new training plan I'm following that includes three times a week of doing at home Beachbody workouts (Piyo, 21 Day Fix Extreme and T25), one interval running day, one tempo running day, one longer running day and spinning at home on my trainer.

It's a busy schedule but I've been loving the variety.

My favorite part of my whole training plan has to be including our puppy, Bear, in one of my training runs per week. If you haven't read about Bear you can read his last 5 month update post. Bear is now almost 8 months and technically he's not supposed to be running with me for another 2 months but he doesn't do my whole workout and I go so slow when he's with me all he does is quick walk beside me while I jog.

I'm planning on doing another update on how Bear is doing on Wednesday so make sure you are subscribe to my blog for notifications. I'll include what sort of training he does with me, how long he runs for and what equipment I use - this is so important! I've tested out so many different running belts, leashes and harness to get the perfect combination. It's not enjoyable if you have to keep stopping your run to untangle the dogs leash or if they are dragging you because they aren't trained properly to walk hands free.

I am so excited to share with you all Bear's update on Wednesday and make sure you are subscribe for to my blog to get notified on my next fitness update!

Shakeology Giveaway | Thanks For Your Support

It's GIVEAWAY time!!!

Just my way of saying thank you for supporting my Facebook Page.

Lately my Facebook page has been growing so fast and I've been getting a ton of love & support. I wanted to show my appreciation back by giving away one bag of Chocolate Shakeology.

What's Shakeology? Check out my Shakeology Blog Post for more details on this product.

This giveaway will be run through Rafflecopter and the entry form can be found below. The rules are simple follow my Facebook page and you have a change to win!

Giveaway Details

This contest will run from March 22-April 15 (midnight). The winner will be announced on my Facebook page April 15th!

This giveaway is for Canada & USA residents only, valued at $155.95 

The winner will be contact April 15th and I will be sending out the prize directly to the winner.

If you have any questions about the giveaway please feel free to leave them in the comments below.

GOOD LUCK!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blogtober Day 9 | 3 Day Refresh Round 2 Update

It's been about a month since my round 2 of the 3 Day Refresh. Good time for an update on how I'm doing and what's been going on lately.

If you are interested in reading about my round 2 experience check out my blog post 3 Day Refresh | Round 2.

I just did another set of measurements and I am very happy to say that I have kept all my results! In fact I've lost an addition inch off my thighs and wist in this past month. The only thing I can't compare is my weight...unfortunately my scale is broken and I haven't replaced it just yet. But weight isn't everything. Sometimes people focus too much on their weight and not enough on their overall results.

Since completing the 3 Day Refresh my energy level has been GREAT! I definitely think that my fitness level has everything to do with how my energy level is on a day to day basics. Energy and how you feel is everything.

If you  have any questions about my results or curious about something I didn't mention please feel free to leave questions in the comments below.

Have you tried the 3 Day Refresh? What's your experience been like? Feel free to share in the comments below.

3 Day Refresh | Round 2

I'T OFFICAL!! I successful completed a 2nd round of the 3 Day Refresh.

I am so excited to share these results with you...even I'm impressed with how things have turned out. So first off I want to share with you so information, my 1st round of the 3 Day Refresh if you are interested in seeing my results please go check out Round 1 3 Day Refresh Results

I completed round 1 a long time ago in April, my results were amazing! So good in fact that my wedding dress I was having altered no longer fit and I had to have major alternations done. I purchased my 2nd kit at the beginning of summer but I was too scared to do it before my wedding because I didn't want to pay for another huge alteration. I decided to wait and I did round 2 Sept 1-3.

From the time I did my 1st round (in April) to the time I did my 2nd round (in September) I am happy to report I did not gain back ANY weight I lost. I did not gain ANY inches I took off!!! I know there are a lot of detox or cleanse programs out there that will help you lose a lot of weight but as soon as you stop the program - you gain that weight back. That is not the case with this program.

I will say that I tried my best to continue to workout as much as I could, although I was busy planning a weddings so I was probably only worked out maybe 3 times a week. However, I NEVER stopped my Shakeology. I've been on my Shakeology for 9 straight months and it is really helping me with my eating/nutrition.

Between April and September here is what happened...

-my weight stayed the same

-I lost 1 inch around my waist

-I lost 1 inch around my thigh

-I lost 1 inch off my butt

-all my other measurements stayed the same

So how did I make out doing my 2nd round? As you can see from the before and after pictures above you can tell a slight difference - or at least I can anyway.

Here are my results for round 2...

-I lost 4 pounds

-I lost 2 inches off my hips

-I lost 4 inches around my stomach

-I lost 1 inch around my thigh

-I lost 1 inch off my butt

TRULY AMAZING!!! I thought with this being my 2nd round I wouldn't get as good of results but turns out I was wrong - and boy am I happy I was wrong!

This program just continues to amaze me and I can't wait to do round 3!

Of course if you are interested in an update in a few weeks I will be posting on my blog how things are going and if I gain back any of the weight. Make sure you subscribe to my blog so you get an update when my blog posts go live.

If you want to try this program please feel free to email me mspamblam@gmail.com and I would be more than happy to get you set up to do your own round of the 3 Day Refresh.

Happy Friday!



Living a Fit & Active Lifestyle

Going to the gym. Losing weight. Following an eating plan. Doing an at home workout. Sounds easy right? Well sometimes it can be easier said than done!

ETB Fitness got in contact with me at the end of July asking some great questions which inspired this blog post! They wanted to know what foods you you eat pre workout? How do you switch up certain routines daily/weekly to stay motivated? What do you eat or do after your workout to make sure you got the most out of your workout? Basically what fuels me for an AWESOME workout and  a GREAT day! So here are some tricks, tips and personal advice on how I stay motivated to continue my fit & active lifestyle.

I've always been a fitness enthusiast....ALAWAYS! I guess I can thank my parents for that. When I was in grade 4 I got my first taste of running by joining the cross country team at school, I begged my parents to let me quit piano and start running. Since then I've NEVER stopped.

It's not easy living an active & fit lifestyle, it takes work, it takes dedication and it will also takes sacrifice. Staying motivated to live this sort of lifestyle can be the biggest challenge some people can face. In my opinion "being fit" isn't something that happens overnight, it isn't something you can do for 10 weeks and then go back to your old habits....this is a lifestyle change! This is something that you need to commit to and work towards every day. I know, I know, it can be a struggle and some days are easier than others.


Let's start at the beginning...getting in gear to do a workout! Most of the time YOU are the only one holding yourself back. I know that on those tough days when I don't want to workout it takes some time to talk myself into getting my butt moving. So what motives me to GET MOVING? I think about my past accomplishments and what I hope to achieve in the future.

Let me explain.....I have competed in 67 running events. Don't believe me? I have kept every completion number to prove it, they are all pinned and displayed on my "race wall". I look at those numbers and it fuels me! I think about every race that I've ever competed in and what it took to get there.

Once you're put yourself in the right mind set you're ready to move onto fueling your body. This is SO important, you don't want to be stopping halfway through your workout because you've run out of gas. You have to find something that works for you, you want to eat enough so your energy lasts for the whole workout but don't eat too much to the point where you feel like there's a rock in your stomach. Your best bet is to look at and try some preworkout energy drinks, bars or other supplements. You'll have to try and test what works best for your body.

Also remember to eat afterwards....it's best to eat within 30 min of completing your workout for recovery. If you've traveled to your workout location grab a bar and eat it in the car on the way home. If you've worked out close to home have something ready in the fridge to grab when you're done.

How do you stick with a fitness lifestyle long term? Mix it up! Do something that interests you. For me...I'm a runner. I love running so that's my main fitness goal, however, running is a high impact sport so I'm big on cross training. How do I do that? I use Beachbody works which can be done at home. I switched from the gym to Beachbody in 2011 because I found they gave WAY better results. My training plans for running usually stay pretty consistent...a marathon training program is a marathon training program BUT I can do my marathon training program+Beachbody Insanity or marathon training program+21 Day Fix. I like to keep it interesting and switch up what I'm doing for my cross training.

I truly feel like if you can find an active that you enjoy participating in you will stick with! But also remember to mix it up and always try new things....who knows you might enjoy it.

So how do you get started towards your new active & fit lifestyle, just go for it! Start small, maybe going out every night for a walk, finding a drop in class near your house, or start following an at home workouts. Only you can take that first step towards your new lifestyle. Are you ready? Get set. Go!

How to Boost Your Metabolism

Naturally as we get older our metabolism will start to slow down. The average women will gain 1.5 pounds per year during her adult life. This can up to an extra 40 pounds by her 50's!

By eating metabolism boosting foods and following the path, you'll sleep better, have more energy, feel firmer, and notice your clothes are looser in as little as 2 weeks. Here's how:

1. EAT ENOUGH 

You need to cut calories to lose weight. But going too low or starving yourself will NOT work in your favorer. When you eat less than you need for basic biological function (about 1,200 calories for most women), your body throws the brakes on your metabolism.

2. REV UP IN THE MORNING 

Eating breakfast will jump-starts metabolism and keeps energy high all day. Women who skip this meal are 4 1/2 times as likely to be obese. If nothing else, grab a yogurt. Or try oatmeal made with fat-free milk and topped with nuts for an essential protein boost.

3. DRINK COFFEE OR TEA 

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, so your daily java jolts can rev your metabolism 5 to 8%—about 98 to 174 calories a day. A cup of brewed tea can raise your metabolism by 12%.

4. FIGHT FAT WITH FIBER 

Fiber can rev your fat burn by as much as 30%. Studies find that women who eat the most fiber in foods gain the least weight over time. Aim for about 25 g a day—the amount in about three servings each of fruits and vegetables.

5. BUY THE BIG BOTTLE 

Drinking 6 cups of cold water a day (that's 48 ounces) can raise resting metabolism by about 50 calories daily—enough to shed 5 pounds in a year. The increase may come from the work it takes to heat the water to body temperature.

20 Reasons To Eat Less Sugar

1) Sugar is addictive

2) Sugar keeps you from making healthy choices

3) Sugar is altering our kids future – theres a reason childhood obesity is top parent concern
 
4) Sugar is keeping you hungry

5) Sugar is everywhere

6) Sugar feeds cancer

7) Sugar accompanies other things you don’t want in your body – additives, preservatives, and potentially toxic colorings…YUCK!

8) Sugar is making us sick

9) Sugar turns into belly fat

10) Sugar is causing your cravings

11) Sugar is ruining your teeth

12) Sugar contains no nutritional value

13) Sugar withdrawals are real

14) Sugar may be giving you mood swings

15) Sugar isn’t helping your skin