P90X3 Week 7 Progress - Shout Out to the Mama's!

I wanted to dedicate an entire post to my challengers that are moms. Why? Because being involved in a workout and clean eating program requires prep work and dedication - when you add a child and family into the mix, you are taking the challenge to a whole other level!

One of my challengers has 3 children, one of which is under 2 years old. She is working and managing a business full time along with cooking, cleaning, being a wife and mother. She has found 30 minutes a day to dedicate to exercise and found meals that accommodate the entire family as well. Once she started cooking clean meals she realized how much her children are open to eating different vegetables she was not aware of. Also, her kids love watching the dvds and mimicking Tony Horton. She has really done a great job of working this into her lifestyle and it shows in her results!

Another challenger has a young son - 3 years old, her and her husband are doing the program together - and even workout together sometimes. She told me her 3 year old will hop in and goof around too because he likes to workout with them. She also works full time, but has made this program work with her lifestyle. She was spending money monthly on a gym membership she didn't use, now she is working out at home and gets to spend more time with her family. When you make fitness a family event, you have an accountability partner at home, and this can really motivate and drive you toward success. When one person at home is on board and the other is not, sometimes their eating habits or what they bring into the house can sabotage you.


Now onto their results and victories so far.......

One challenger is 38 years old, she has been doing the program for 6 weeks total. She has been engaged in the group and always follows up on at least a weekly basis. She even took a small vacation and actually packed and planned clean meals for herself and her family, talk about dedication! Here are her results so far - she still has 6 weeks to go and is doing an amazing job!

7 POUNDS LOST

6 3/4 INCHES LOST 

Non-scale victories: She see's strength and muscle definition in her legs and arms. She has seen her confidence come back in areas she has not seen for a few years and her general attitude and mood is better.


My other challenger is 27 years old she is a sweet, fiery :) Brazilian who is an excellent cook, but had to ween herself off of the carbs and rice she was used to eating as the staple of most of her meals. She was small to begin with, but wanted to get healthier. She is 7 weeks into the program, here are her results:

5.4 POUNDS LOST

2 INCHES LOST OFF HER BELLY

Non-scale victories: She said her clothes are fitting better and that she is finally understanding the lifestyle. She is enjoying working out with her husband and hopes to motivate others in her family to do the same.

Fitness can truly be a fun family routine and it teaches your children the importance of nutrition at an early age, something I was not fortunate enough to learn when I was younger. I lived off of Totino's Pizza's and loved the Fun Pack frozen meals. The food I ate was not even real food, it was made of processed, fake ingredients. The turn toward healthy eating with your family was not something prevalent when I was growing up, so it is really encouraging to hear when challengers are incorporating this into their home. The healthy movement for your children's generation starts with what goes on at home. Fitness and health does not have to feel or be selfish - you family will enjoy it and in the future, will thank you for the example you are setting for them.

Thyroid Issues Anyone???

I am not a doctor or nutritionist, however, I watched my mom struggle first hand with hypothyroidism and I wanted to write an encouraging post for those who may be living with this. She struggled for years, yes years to get diagnosed. One would assume once you are diagnosed that you can get out the streamers and balloons and have a party, because there is a medication you can take that will make it all better......WRONG. This was just the beginning of her journey that included  countless doctors visits, dieting, exercise, and all of this was not easy on the wallet either. It was emotionally draining - no matter how hard she worked she did not see the scale budge. But, there is hope!

My mom tried several diets - low-fat, low-calorie, low-carb, etc, etc but everything really started to click for her when she began eating whole, natural foods along with her Weight Watchers program. When she cut out processed foods - I am talking about the low-fat, sugar free type foods she really saw the weight start to come off.  Now she has incorporated Shakeology into her daily routine and is even doing P90X3 along with me! 

There are certain foods you can focus on and otherS you can avoid that may help mitigate your thyroid issues. First let me get into the typical symptoms of a hypothyroid:

- weak, tired, sluggish
- depression
- dry skin
- brittle nails
- heavy menstrual cycle

Now, if you have a thyroid that is on the brink of being diagnosed, a little sluggish or if you have been diagnosed, here are some foods you can try incorporating into your daily food:

Foods rich in Vitamin A:

Cooked carrots
Cooked sweet potatoes
Mangos
Cooked squash
Cantaloupe
Tuna Fish
Sweet mini peppers

Foods rich in Iodine:

Himalayan Sea Salt
Potatoes
Kelp
Kombu
Cranberries
Yogurt
Strawberries

Also, it has been suggested that if you have thyroid issues you should avoid large quantities of cruciferous vegetables like kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts and collard greens. 

My mom's journey is truly an inspiration, after 3 plus years of trying to get her weight under control the clean eating and exercise really started to click. She is now down 55+ pounds and still going strong. It was not quick or easy, but it is attainable. Everyone's body is different and finding the right calorie intake, combination of foods and exercise is key to seeing results. So, don't give up, keep fighting, keep tailoring your diet, change up your exercise and eventually you will find what clicks!

Before:                                                                     After:

    

                                             

Happy Thursday everyone!