My Experience With Focus T25

Let's get the first, and most popular, question out of the way.  Did it work?!

YES!!

Hahaha!  Yes, it worked.  It worked better than I ever thought that it would work.  I'm back in clothes I haven't worn in a DECADE!  A decade you guys!  Clothes that I've held on to because I kept telling myself "One day I'll wear these again!".

So, where did I start and where did I finish?  Let's talk stats.

On the left are pictures taken before I started Focus T25 and before I pushed myself too hard and had to stop the workouts.  In these pictures I weigh 158lbs, I was a size 12/13 pants, a size large in everything, a shoe size 9/9.5 (this is important), 35% body fat, and I was aching all the time.   My feet were constantly swollen, my bones hurt, and I was sick ALL. THE. TIME.  If it wasn't a cold it was a migraine, if it wasn't a migraine it was my Lyme disease, if it wasn't my Lyme disease it was my depression, if it wasn't my depression it was just generalized pain and aches.  

Ok, enough about the past!  Let's talk the present!!

So, in the after photo I am 140lbs, 27% body fat, a size 8 pants, a small or medium in everything, and a shoe size...8/8.5!  That's right, I even went down a shoe size!  I still need to buy replacement heels!  :D  It's crazy!

Inches lost:

Waist = -3"

Hips = -1"

Arms = -.5" each

Thighs = -2.5" and 2"

Chest = -1"

Total inches: 10"

TEN INCHES you guys!  That's almost a FOOT of ME that's gone forever!  Thank you!  Good bye!  I won't be seeing you again!

Did you JUST do Focus T25?

Technically, no.  I also drank Shakeology everyday.  I really feel that is a part of why it helped me soo much!  I'm not going to run through the whole reasoning why here, that'll be in a different post, but I'll provide a video I made about it.  :D

So...That's It?

Pretty much!  I just followed the instructions really.  I ate the 25 foods, drank my shakeology, and pressed play.  Now, I did have some cheat days here and there, I'm not perfect.  But I didn't get crazy and I found ways to keep my calories within the range when I did have a cheat meal by tracking everything that I ate.  And I mean EVEYTHING and I tracked it BEFORE I ate it.  That is KEY!  

So, Now What?

Now I'm going through P90X3!  I'm two weeks in and I'm down 1% in body fat percentage and 2.5" overall and I'm fitting into size 6/7 pants!  XD  No weight change, I'm still 140lbs, that means MUSCLE GAINS!  

Join Me!

Message me, comment below, or find me on Facebook!  I have a fitness group that starts every month to create a supportive environment for your transformation!  I also coach you along the way, helping you to achieve the body that you want.  

Much Love,

Coach Marquita

Fitness and Nutrition Information that Sparks!

I'd like to talk to you about an amazing website I've been using for years: SparkPeople.com!   This website has been around for several years and offers a wide variety of information for anyone trying to improve their health, not just lose weight.  You can access the sites information from any mobile device or PC through a web browser but they also have a app that you can download on an Android based phone or an iPhone.  No matter the device, when you first see the site you're greeted by a deceptively simple layout that highlights the main stories, recipes, or exercises of the day and any new challenges the site has started.  It's a very inviting home page to a site that has a lot to explore!

My favorite, and most used, section of the site is the nutrition tracking.  You can use this tool in three different ways.  It can be a place where you actively track the foods you intake throughout the day under the categories of: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snack; it can be used by you to plan out a meal plan you've made on your own; or it can be auto-populated by the site itself based off of one of Spark People's meal plans.  No matter how you track your food the magic really happens at the bottom of the page.  Here, you can see how on target you are with your macronutrient (carbohydrates, fat, protein, and fiber) and energy intake (calorie) goals.  These values are based off of information you provide the site while making your personalize profile, which includes your health/weight loss goals.

Another great feature of the site comes in the form of graphs.  The visual learners will love these because you can see almost every aspect of your nutrition and fitness life in graph form.  For example, you can track energy intake, inches lost, and even your mood over time!

Outside of the tracking portion of the site lies the fitness component.  There are hundreds of free workouts in video or text forms for you to use!  They have videos on weight training, cardio kick boxing, stretching, and more.  No matter your fitness level or the type of equipment you have (I started with no equipment!), they have a video or exercise for you that you can quickly add into your tracker.  If you start a workout program using Sparkpeople let me know!  I'll support you with their system too for free! 

While the food tracking and exercise are a huge part of this site, an equally large side comes in the form of education.  They utilize a blog format and have several nutritionists and dietitians who write blogs for them on a regular basis, as well as motivation coaches and fitness experts.

The most surprising aspect of this site is the community.  It's amazing how supportive everyone on this site is.  You can find community groups set up for almost every faith, age, gender, and sexual orientation.  No matter how you feel in your day to day life, there are people who can very well become your second family in the Spark People community.   I can safely say that I love the Spark People community and I'm happy to see it growing!

I think I would find a way to include this site in every nutrition training I do, and I have in the past.  As a Beachbody coach and I have my clients get an account here.  It's a great tool for them to track their meals so they can see they are meeting their nutrient goals.  It's also a great tool for them to find even more support outside of me and our (bi)weekly check ins.  I also have them use it for the reports.  They post a copy of their meal report and their progress reports to the group so that everyone can encourage each other and share their accomplishments.

Even when I have my own practice (that's my goal), I'll likely have clients sign up for this site because it has motivated me through my weight loss more than a measuring tape ever could.  It gave me ideas of things I could do in my house and outside of the house that would get my heart rate up and put a smile on my face.

(I am affiliated with Sparkpeople.com in NO WAY.  I just really love their site.)

Spring Semester at Penn State

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring semester at Penn State and I'm elated and nervous at the same time.  This isn't my first semester back, it's my second, but it will be my first semester blogging throughout it.  I had wanted to blog about my first semester back but at the same time felt terrified to because of self-doubt and nagging thoughts.  What if I fail?  Who would want to read about someone failing?  How is that inspirational?

Looking back, I regret not voicing those fears because it's bloggers that share with that level of intimacy that inspire me and, more importantly, remind me that I'm not alone!  Everyone experiences fears and doubt but I think that, for some reason, we like to pretend that the general populous doesn't.  That we're somehow different, or worse "broken", because we feel doubtful while Joe Whomever seems to always have his stuff together.  Let me tell you, they don't.  No one is 100% perfect and that's OK!  It's expected!

As far as my imperfection goes, I didn't get the C I needed in Chemistry.  In a way, I'm happy that I didn't because dealing with the class taught me a lot about what I need to change in the ways of my study habits and schedule in order to succeed.  I found out about Penn State's online test anxiety resource center, which actually helped raise my exam grades in other classes; I learned that I need to put everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) into my digital calendar instead of using a physical one like I used to; I learned how long before different subjects I needed to study to do the best I could on the exam (Nutrition and Physiology = 2 days prior; Anatomy and Chemistry = 1 week+ prior); I got a harsh reminder that studying in certain classes has to happen everyday (hence the D in chemistry).

I was also reminded that I NEED to exercise at least 5 days a week!  It has to happen.  It's how I release my stress and while I did walk around 5-6 miles a day, it wasn't the intense cardio that T25 gave me.

Now, before the semester even started, I've started my studying since my text books are in (the Chemistry book is an eBook) AND I researched resources others have used to help them with chemistry and I wound up picking up Chemistry for Dummies I and II.

Two texts that I'm going to worship this semester!

I cannot wait for this semester to start!  I cannot wait to meet my professors!  And, most importantly, I can't wait to be one step closer to my dream of becoming a Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist (they changed the title last year).

If you're studying this major to please let me know!  We could help each other!  I did get an A in my Nutrition 251 and a B in my physiology class so don't let the chem grade scare you off.  XD

The Power of Visualization

"If you can't see it, then how are you going to get it?!"
That is a thought that was running through my head when I first decided that I wanted to lose weight.  Waay back before I actually understood my "why" behind my desire to lose weight and get back the physique I once had.  So, this thought has been in my mind recently, since I just discovered my why not too long ago.

The art of seeing what you want to achieve, and I do believe it is an art, is called visualization.  I'm sure we all know what visualization is, but just to ensure we have all of our i's crossed and t's dotted (=P) let's throw a definition out there:

Visualization is "...a cognitive tool accessing imagination to realize all aspects of an object, action or outcome".  In a sense it's kind of like day dreaming, but with a purpose behind it, because you (re)create a scenario using most, or even all, of your senses" (Baumgartner, 2011).

I use visualization on an almost daily basis now because if I can't see myself with a four pack in a bikini for the first time ever, then how am I going to know what to aim for?  How am I going to know when I reach my goal?

Visualization has many uses outside of helping you get the body you want.  Psychologists use it in their practice to help patients exercise specific reactions to situations; athletes use it before a match; actors use it before they perform.  It helps because the brain is being trained to perform the task, it's like practicing a practice match.

Angie LeVan, MAPP, (2009) goes over a great way to get started with visualization.  I've included the excerpt below:

Begin by establishing a highly specific goal. Imagine the future; you have already achieved your goal. Hold a mental ‘picture’ of it as if it were occurring to you right at that moment. Imagine the scene in as much detail as possible. Engage as many of the five senses as you can in your visualization. Who are you with? Which emotions are you feeling right now? What are you wearing? Is there a smell in the air? What do you hear? What is your environment? Sit with a straight spine when you do this. Practice at night or in the morning (just before/after sleep). Eliminate any doubts, if they come to you. Repeat this practice often. Combine with meditation or an affirmation (e.g. “I am courageous; I am strong”, or to borrow from Ali, “I am the greatest!”).

So, what is your highly specific goal?  Can you see it happening yet?  If not, keep practicing!

Reference(s):
Baumgartner, J. (November 8, 2011). The psychology of dress, the doctor is in...you closet! Visualize it. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-psychology-dress/201111/visualize-it.

LeVan, A. (December 3, 2009). Flourish! Seeing is believing: The power of visualization. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/flourish/200912/seeing-is-believing-the-power-visualization.

No Excuses! The Power of Self Discipline by Brian Tracey

I started listening to this book today on YouTube and I must say, it is amazing so far. I'm only in the prologue but he has made two points that really resonate with me, so I wanted to share them. 

1. We all know what we need to do to achieve our goals but often we stop before start by saying "Someday I'll..." 
I know I had, and honestly still have, this habit when it comes to certain areas of my life. I know the root of this habit: I felt that I don't deserve success. This thought stems from almost a lifetime of depression stemming from a singular event. However, I've consciously decided that my past will no longer dictate my future. Now I am relearning how to talk to myself and how to be a positive influence in my life, much like I'm a positive influence to others in theirs. We can all overcome our past trials to create a better future for ourselves, it just takes time. 

2. Self discipline, in my opinion, is key for success in every goal that involves personal investment. Another, and equally important key, is perseverance. The beginning of the journey towards accomplishment is the easy part, in a way. It's keeping the momentum that makes the journey difficult. 

3. "Self discipline is the ability to do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not." 
I'm going to be saying this on a daily bases. It inspires me to keep focused. 

Has anyone else read this too? What are your thoughts?

Having Motivation in the Morning

I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels super motivated in the evening and resolve to do soo many things the next day (i.e. clean the house, exercise, pack lunch, etc) only to wake up the next day and find that the spark is gone. Sometimes, there's no recollection of WHY there was motivation to accomplish all of the tasks. 

Well, my aim this week is to move beyond that and I've gotten a few ideas from an article: addicted2success.com/mot
ivation/15-ways-to-wake-up
-with-motivation/ . 

My key take-aways are: 
1. Have my goals predominately place everywhere I'm going to be. Luckily, there's only two for 2014: get out of debt and be a successful Beachbody Coach (the latter is a hefty goal with many smaller steps required though). So, I'm going to be placing these goals EVERYWHERE! On my phone, in my bathroom, on my fridge, in my car, and even at work. There won't be a day that I don't remember my goals because they'll be staring me in the face all day, everyday! 

2. Focus on TODAY! I've only had a "I wish I had..." mentality growing up and switching that to a "Today I'm going to..." mindset isn't going to be easy but take-away number one will make it easier. I've found that out before when I did the same thing during a period when I was attempting to get promoted at work. Having my work goal on my clip board for me to see daily kept me going strong in and out of work. I didn't have any "I wish I had..." thoughts because I had already done what I needed to do. 

3. Read voraciously! Now, the author isn't talking about reading fiction for the heck of it. He's talking about books that inspire and/or are focused on personal development. This is a stance that Beachbody takes and is one of the three behaviors they stress to their coaches. Everyday is a chance to better myself and that's what I'm going to do. I'll be revisiting Failing Forward this week. 

4. Practice discipline. There's two lines, that I combine into one in this quote, that really struck me from this article: "It's in discipline that we gain freedom...to get more done, to improve, and to remove regret from our lives." (Chad Howse, 08/03/2013) 
Again, take-away number one is going to help with this because it will keep me on track and increase my discipline through practice. It will also raise my consistency, a key factor in successfully completing any life change. 

So, there you have it. My four take-aways from the article linked above. Life changes take time but they are doable. There are success stories all over Spark People and the Internet. We can ALL change our habits for the better, it just takes drive and support.