Day One - Hammer and Chisel - Chisel Balance

Today starts the first day of another monthly health and fitness challenge group! 

I get so inspired by all the individuals in these groups. Without their support and encouragement, it would be harder to press play every day! We have people in this group doing 21-Day Fix, 21-Day Fix Extreme, PiYo, Cize and Hammer and Chisel.

I’m doing Hammer and Chisel for the first time since it was launched in December 2015. Hammer and Chisel is based off SSP (Stabilization, Strength and Power) training so you don't have to spend HOURS in the gym. You can truly get results in 40 minutes or less. 

To be honest, I’m feeling really good after today’s workout (already sore!!)! I SO NEEDED to get back into my routine after the crazy holidays and all that food, alcohol and slacking. I know right now the gym (as much as I love it) doesn’t work for me with my schedule and where we live. It would take me an extra 20 minutes to get to the gym and on a machine or in a class, and another 20 to get home. This doesn’t even include shower/getting ready time. I’d have to get up at 3:00 to make this work!! Sleep plays a HUGE role in weight loss and muscle recovery. As a mom of two boys, I need all the sleep I can get.

Getting up at 5:00 a.m. wasn’t as bad as I expected being off our routine for ten days. Both our boys ended up getting colds and fevers right before Christmas and didn’t sleep so well and then gave their little bug to me. Thanks guys (but they are soo cute!)! I was up coughing most of the night for a solid week. Then our oldest started to fight nightmares and was up quite often. I was way too exhausted to work out. Plus, Christmas snuck up on me and I needed all the energy I could get to tackle everything – still haven’t sent out all our Christmas cards. Oops! On a positive note, it seems like we’re all doing much better and I’m very thankful for that! I have a really hard time being sick and realize I take my health for granted. We are so very lucky to feel well most of the time!!

January 4, 2016

Up and at em at 5:00 a.m.! I had my workout shorts set out and my alarm set for 5 and was already wearing my t-shirt and sports bra (slept in them) so I would be forced to get my workout in! #noexcuses

The night before I prepped our lunches and had all the sippy cups ready for the boys and set out a pot to boil eggs. I had set up my laptop in the basement and had my workout calendar on my bench so I knew exactly what workout I would be doing. All I had to do was walk downstairs, add Beachbody’s Performance Hydrate to water in my Shakeology shaker cup, put on my shoes….gray socks and all (hey, I went to church on Sunday and our laundry is already big enough) and press play!!!  Seemed easy enough and there was no room for excuses!

The Masters Hammer and Chisel – Chisel Balance

Today was Chisel Balance and a 40 minute workout. It goes FAST. All that was needed was a few different set of weights (I used 5-10 pound weights) and my workout bench. The workouts weren’t as bad as I thought they would be (at times I would get frustrated with my feet), but they were also moves I have never ever done before and can already feel them in my legs (especially hamstrings)! Like..whoa. That says a lot considering I spent all of my college days lifting weights as an athlete on a volleyball scholarship!

After my workout I enjoyed Chocolate Recover, which is supposed to help with muscle soreness and jump-start recovery. I tried these supplements while doing my 21 days of Extreme because I was skeptical to start, as I am with most things! Well...I totally noticed a difference in muscle soreness. Of course with any workout, you're going to be sore but I wasn't as sore as I know I should have been. I didn’t want to believe so I went without for a few days. VERY SORE! There’s an incredible science behind this line! The other cool thing is they don’t count as ANY color containers and the ingredients are plant-based. No artificial weird stuff at all!!!  SCORE!

Nutrition

I didn’t make it to the grocery store on Sunday like I normally do. Nathan (our 14 month old) is extremely clingy right now and I couldn’t find the time to sit down and meal plan and write out a grocery list. This only reminded me WHY I get up so early. I NEED that 1.5 hours to myself every morning to be the best mom I can be…or else I get so lost in the day and in everything else going on around me and get hung up on things that I shouldn’t and just don’t like how I feel or how I am! I became a coach for this very reason!!! For my own sanity and health and wellness. I needed to find a way to force myself to work on myself! I know what happens when I do and when I don’t!

I did find time to meal plan this morning and will be picking up fresh groceries today after work. Here is our Meal Plan for Week One and follows the Hammer and Chisel Eating Plan – it’s so nice to have this as a guiding tool. After going through all the materials from my challenge pack, I know I’m doing Plan A which is 1,200 – 1,499 calories a day for the goals I have by the end of the 60 days.

PERSONAL FITNESS GOALS for next 60 days

• 1Lose 5 lbs
• 2Get a 6 pack (my lower abs need work!)
• 3Lift booty
• 4Be able to do ONE pull up without help

My Before Photo

Day One Height – 5’10

Day One Weight – 156 pounds

Day One Total Inches – TBD (will be adding these numbers in)

What workout are you doing now? There’s still room for you to participate in my monthly health and fitness online bootcamp! Register here.

Check back often to read more about my journey and results!