So I Actually Did P90X!!!!! (Guest post)

If you were checking up on Jennifer’s blog and you were confused by the title, have no fear-this is a guest blog entry!

My name is Karen Bridgman and I am a friend of Jennifer and as luck would have it, neighbors too.  About four months ago I had a little chat with Jennifer at Publix that changed my life and my husband’s life too!  Yes, life-altering conversations at a grocery store.  I will start by saying that I had considered myself to be in pretty decent shape.  I faithfully walked on the treadmill for at least 30 minutes each day, but I had noticed that I seemed to be putting on a few extra pounds that I wasn’t able to shed. My husband had a desire to lose some weight too but no desire to get on the treadmill.  So, we began to have some talks about what we could do.  I am 37 and he is 39 so we figured if were going to get in shape it better be NOW.  We talked about doing something like P90X but we figured we couldn’t really do it.  You’ve seen those infomercials before.  Those people are ripped.

So, one day on Facebook I noticed Jeff Corvin had posted something about Jennifer’s blog and I thought I would check it out.  I had no idea I lived across the street from a fitness guru.  So literally, the next day I saw Jennifer at Publix and we talked about P90X and I made up my mind to do it.  I called my husband and he said sure so I bought it that afternoon and we started the very next day.  I allowed us NO time to change our minds.

Happy and sweaty after my workout

At first, when we started, I’m pretty sure we thought we might die but it got better and a bit easier.  The program consists of three days of cardio or yoga and three days of weights.  Turns out we probably like the weights the best.  The program is great because each person in the video is doing some variation of each move.  If you need to modify, there is someone you can watch.  If you are a fitness machine, there is someone to watch.  If you don’t want to use weights, you can use bands.  I feel like this is a great program to kick off a new fitness routine.  Plus, Tony Horton is hilarious!  But really the best part is the results…I lost 10 pounds and 8 inches overall and my husband lost 20 pounds and 12 inches overall.   WOW!!! Even better, we have made a commitment to working out.  

A few months ago I never thought any of this was possible.  I doubted my own ability to do a challenging workout.  I figured I would never lose those extra pounds.  Now I feel like I can do anything!  In fact, we started Insanity the week after we finished P90X.  Insane right???  My whole mindset has changed about working out.  I want to stay in shape. I want to be more fit.  I want to be healthier- FOREVER!

And yes, all this happened following one conversation at the grocery store.  Funny how life works…

The Time the Mailman Saved My Day

After a crazy week, I finally had a relatively calm weekend. I kicked the weekend off with Insanity the Asylum's Gameday workout. Seriously, the Insanity and Asylum workouts never stop challenging me. No matter how many times I do them, they always leave me in a puddle on the floor.

Saturday afternoon I had a nervous breakdown became a bit frazzled. I was trying to get some things done, Jeff was at work and the kids were having one of those days where they just could not get along. At all. 

Jeff, being the wise man that he is, knew by my weeping and knashing of teeth intuitively that I needed a break when he arrived home. He scooped up the kids and took them out of the house for some errands. He hadn't been gone five minutes when the mailman knocked on my door and delivered this. <Insert hallelujah angel choir>

My Focus T25 and Vanilla Shakeology had finally arrived!!! It was exactly what I needed to get my day turned around. 

Sunday afternoon, we broke out the Vanilla Shakeology so we could sample it. It's a brand new flavor in the Shakeology family. It was delicious! It tastes and smells like cake batter. I'm not a coffee drinker myself, but I heard it is amazing with cold coffee and tastes like a Starbucks drink! 

Baby girl LOVED the vanilla! She had three helpings.

I'm waiting until next week to start Focus T25. It's killing me because I'm hearing such great reviews, but I'm going to wait patiently and start with my challenge group next Monday. I'll be sure and let you all know what I think. 

Happy Monday!

Question of the Day:

Does the mailman ever turn your day around?

Father's Day Festivities and T25 Challenge Group

We celebrated Father's Day last Sunday with my wonderful husband. At our house, special occasions generally translate to some sort of delicious food. We kicked things off right with some Special Occasion Cinnamon Rolls.

The kids and I baked them on Saturday while Jeff was at work. The cinnamon rolls reheat beautifully, so we had them ready to eat in just a few seconds. The eldest made chocolate milk to go with the cinnamon rolls. Because if there's anything a boatload of sugar needs, it's more sugar. Then, we delivered breakfast in bed!

The kids made Jeff several cards, and we presented him with our gift.

The gift came with an obligation on Jeff's part to take an online chainsaw safety course. Because we've got 4 kids. And I need him to stick around. With all his limbs intact. He can come cut your tree down as soon as he finishes that course.

After breakfast we headed to church. I took pictures of all my sweet Sunday school babies to make a present for their daddies. Here is baby girl's photo.

We headed home and feasted on Jeff's favorite: spaghetti. My guy is pretty easy to please.

After lunch, we enjoyed a Sunday afternoon nap. Then we made our poor man's water slide in the front yard. One tarp + a little baby shampoo = TONS of fun!!! The kids had a blast.

I will refrain from posting my pictures on the slide. Some beauty should only be imagined and not displayed on the Internet for all the world to see.

On a side note, I am super excited about the new Beachbody workout that is coming out this Monday!!! It is from the Insanity creator, Shaun T, and the workouts are all only 25 minutes!!! It's called Focus T25, and it is for everyone from beginners on up. If you're interested in this program, I am starting an accountability group on July 8th. We will divide into teams and post about our workouts for points. The winning team will receive a prize! You can join the group here. And you can learn more about Focus T25 in the video below.



Have a blessed day!

Summer Break Workout

Aaahhhh. Sweet, sweet first day of summer vacation for my children. No lunches to pack. No children to wake. No rushing out the door. I even slept until 7:15!!! When I finally rolled out of bed, I fed the kiddos some breakfast, made the hubby his Shakeology, and headed downstairs for my workout.

I was planning to do Insanity Max Interval Plyo today, and to be honest I wasn't looking forward to it. I think it's the toughest of all the Insanity workouts. And when my 2nd dear daughter asked if she could accompany me, I tried to dissuade her. I told her how hard it was. I told her she should just make up her own exercise instead. But she insisted on doing mommy's workout. And I am so glad she did!

We really had the best time! We did power jumps.

We did pogo jumps. (Remember the pogo stick?!?!)

We did burpees.

And globe twists.

And let's not forget kickstand touch the floor.

55 minutes, people. 55 minutes of hardcore cardio, and my baby kept going the whole time. My favorite part was when she told me, "Mom, I feel like I'm going to die. As in die and go to Heaven." I told her she had my permission to take a break. 

She really made my workout so much more fun! It was a perfect way to start my day...and our summer break! 

Question of the Day:

What's your favorite summer break memory?

Weekend Recap and May Madness!

This weekend had a slower pace than expected. Due to heavy rains here on Friday, we didn't have a soccer game, and the baseball game was postponed by a couple of hours giving us most of the day Saturday to spend at home.

Daughter #2 really wanted to workout with me on Saturday morning. I was doing Insanity Max Cardio Conditioning AND Cardio Abs. The two workouts combined are well over an hour. But she toughed it out like she always does. Although she didn't always seem happy about it.

And just in case I haven't already given you enough reasons to be thankful I don't workout next to you at the gym, here's me and my offspring:

You're welcome.

After our workout, we finally took the many boxes we collected over spring break for donation. And then Jeff picked up some mulch to work on our flower beds. 

While he worked outside, I was busy inside prepping some food for a church luncheon. I made my brownies with that incredible icing. I only make these when there are going to be others available to help me eat them. Otherwise, I'd eat the whole pan! I also prepared a lasagna.

After the boy's baseball game later in the afternoon, we came home and grilled some burgers (mine was a veggie burger) then did baths and bed. I tried really hard to stay up and watch the last episode of Project Runway, but I fell asleep during the judges' critiques. I will finish where I left off tonight. I know you can all tell by my own styling that I'm practically a fashion expert.

Don't ask.

Today we went to church and the luncheon. Then we came home for "quiet time." We make all the kids take some time (usually by themselves) on Sunday afternoon. They can read, nap or just play quietly in their rooms. It's nice to have some time set aside to slow things down.

If you're a follower of my Facebook page, you may have noticed that I'm going to be doing a challenge next month. This is going to be so much fun; I'd love for you to join us! It's called May Madness. You can find the event on Facebook here.

I am going to organize the participants into groups of 2 or more, depending on how many people sign up. Once it's almost time for the challenge to begin, I'll form a private group on Facebook so everyone's posts will be private and won't be visible to anyone except those in the group. Each participant can earn points by posting in the group. There is a limit of 2 posts for points (PFP) each day. Here's how the points will work:

*Workout Complete Check-In (just post what kind of workout you did): 1 point
*Motivation-related picture, quote, video, etc.: 2 points
*Sweaty Pic (right after your workout – Don’t be shy- This is a Judge-Free Zone!): 4 points
*Muscle shot (biceps, back, abs, etc. And, no, it doesn't have to look great; any muscle...even if you can't see it well YET... does count): 5 points
*Video of your workout (This can be as short as 15 seconds, and you don't have to have your whole body in the video. It can be as simple as a video of your feet while you're taking a walk.): 6 points
*Refer a friend or family member to my page AND they sign up for a FREE Beachbody account here: 6 points (BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW)
*Sign up to be a coach with a challenge pack purchase (waiving initial coach fee): 8 points

***Occasionally, I will offer bonus points randomly. These points can be earned in addition to your 2 PFP each day!***

Your workouts can be any type of exercise you would like; no purchase is necessary. You also do not have to workout with your team member(s), but your points will be added together so you'll want to encourage teammates along the way! At the end of the month, the team with the most points will win a prize! 

If you'd like to participate in the challenge, just add yourself to the event on Facebook! Then join my Beachbody team by registering for your FREE account here. This will give you additional tools to use during the challenge.

Enjoy your last bit of weekend!

Question of the Day:

How do you spend your Sundays?

Guest Post From My Baby Sister!

Much has been accomplished today. I survived (just barely) Insanity Max Interval Circuit. Then I did some work around the house while the littles played. We ran to pick up a few things at the grocery store. Afterward, they wanted to have a picnic on the deck.

The remainder of the day included more housework, homework and dinner. Exciting stuff, I know.

Which is why I was super-excited when my sister, Melissa, let me know that she had written a post about completing her P90X/Insanity hybrid! As fascinating as my day has been, I was pretty sure her hybrid success was just a bit more enthralling.

Melissa is my baby sister by nearly 11 years. Growing up, I absolutely loved having a sister that much younger. We had a lot of fun together when I bossed her around played with her. She's funny. She's an athlete. And she can dance like nobody's business to "Gonna Make You Sweat." 

Melissa with baby girl on Christmas 2012

Melissa got married last year. She had done a little P90X just prior to her wedding, so we had some fun with that at the reception. I call this look "constipated."

Without further ado, here's Melissa's post!

After I got married, I stopped doing P90X because I didn’t have the equipment/space in our 1 bedroom apartment (I think that was just an excuse).   After several months of marriage, I realized I had gained some weight.  I started working out sporadically, including a few P90X videos (I didn’t have the chin up bar, so I couldn’t do all the videos).  I ran a half marathon in November, but I hadn’t really lost any weight. (Honestly, I was not prepared for the half marathon… at all, but I did finish!)  I knew I needed to do something on a consistent basis, instead of doing random workouts with no schedule.  I got Insanity for Christmas, and began the P90X/Insanity hybrid on January 1, 2013. (SHOUTOUT: Jennifer introduced me to the hybrid!)  In early April, I completed the hybrid!  During the 3 month hybrid schedule, I lost 8 pounds and dropped one dress size.  I feel great!  I didn’t take any measurements or pictures, but my clothes fit better, and I have wayyyy more energy.  I tend to look for opportunities to take a few extra steps, including using the stairs at work (which is both great and terrible because I’m on the 4^th floor haha). 

Overall, I love the hybrid schedule.  For me, it is the perfect balance of cardio and weightlifting.  Insanity is incredibly mentally challenging, so I like just doing it every other day.  I would definitely recommend the hybrid schedule.  If you feel like Insanity is too much, then start out with P90X only, and build up to the hybrid. 

I feel like I should note that I didn’t drastically change my eating habits during this round of the hybrid.  I tried to be a little more aware of what I was eating, but by no means did I eat “clean.”  I still don’t.  That doesn’t mean it’s not important.  It just means that trying to change your health is a slow process.  I needed to focus on getting exercise incorporated as a part of my daily routine before trying to tackle my eating issues.  I have started a second round of the hybrid, and I plan to try to pay more attention to what I eat during this round.  It is a slow process, and I think it is important to realize that it is impossible to completely change lifestyles overnight, but you have to start somewhere.    

Thanks, Melissa! I'm so proud of you for sticking with it!!! You look great!

Zesty Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Ok, y'all! Guess what turned up?!?!

And would you believe that 3-year-old little baby girl is the one who found both of these?!?! We call her "Finder" now. Her reward was that she got to sit next to me at dinner. I'm super popular around here.

I got my day started this morning with a little Pure Cardio from Insanity. Here's what I looked like when I finished.

I exude popularity, don't I?

After a well-deserved shower, I had my favorite new Shakeology recipe for breakfast: 1 scoop chocolate Shakeology + 1 Tbsp. PB2 + 1/2 cup skim milk + 1/2 cup water + lots of ice. SO GOOD!!! It's like having dessert for breakfast!

Lunch was a turkey wrap stuffed with my latest obsession: bell peppers. And a clementine for good measure.

I had some apples for a snack this afternoon. I have discovered that apples really hit the spot that time of day.

The last month or so of school is CRAZY around here. Tonight we had to divide and conquer: the boy had baseball and one of the girls had soccer. So I made one of our favorite quick and easy dinners: Zesty Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken. I got this recipe awhile back from Allrecipes. All the kids will eat it, which is a miracle in and of itself.

Here's the cast.

Start by putting your chicken in the crock pot. I used frozen chicken which works perfectly.

Next, mix together your BBQ sauce, dressing, brown sugar and Worcestershire in a small bowl.

Pour your BBQ mixture right over the chicken.

Then turn on your crock pot and walk away.

The next step can be done either when you're ready to eat, or after the chicken has been cooking for a few hours or so and is tender. I like to do it right before my kids get home from school, because they tend to need my undivided attention once they arrive. 

Take the chicken out of the crock pot.

Then pour at least half of the sauce out of the crock pot and reserve it in a small bowl.

Now take two forks and shred your chicken.

Place the shredded chicken back in the crock pot and add just enough of your reserved sauce to make sure it's all nice and moist. I don't like to add back all the sauce though because it's too runny in my opinion.

This chicken is perfect served as is with a couple of veggies. We had it with sweet potatoes and spinach. It's also great on a bun or stuffed in a baked potato.

Zesty Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

• Approximately 6 chicken breasts (I used 10 chicken tenders)
• 12 ounces BBQ sauce
• 1/2 cup Italian dressing
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Place chicken in a crock pot. In a small bowl, mix the BBQ sauce, dressing, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken. Cook approximately 4 hours on high or 6 - 8 hours on low. Remove chicken from crock pot. Reserve about half of the sauce from the crock pot in a small bowl. Shred the chicken with 2 forks. Place it back in the crock pot and gradually add reserved sauce until the chicken reaches desired consistency.

I think I would be remiss not to mention how horrified I have been by what transpired in Boston. My heart and prayers go out to all those affected.

Happy Birthday, Jeff!!! (And a Recipe for Cinnamon Apples)

I have to kick this post off with a shout out to my baby sister, Melissa (in case you aren't following me on Facebook...which begs the question: why aren't you following me on Facebook?!?). She just finished her first round of a P90X/Insanity hybrid. She was tiny to begin with, but she lost EIGHT pounds and went down a dress size!!! Be looking for a guest post from her soon about her experience.

Today was my beloved's birthday. I won't tell you how old he is. All you need to know is he's older than me.

Anyway, around here birthdays tend to mean lots of good food. I started off the day by making him his favorite Shakeology: chocolate with peanut butter. I had to have a tiny sip myself. So good!!!

After he left for work, baby girl and I got started on his cupcakes. The man loves yellow cake with chocolate icing. But not too much icing. I honestly didn't realize there was such a thing as "too much icing," but I try to take that into consideration when I'm making something for him. Baby girl was anxious to assist me!

The finished product.

Next, I started a London Broil for dinner. Then is was time to tackle his all time favorite: Susan's Apples. Don't let the name confuse you. Apples may be a key component of this recipe, but that's where the good nutrition ends.

First, you take about 3 lbs. of washed apples and removed the peel. That's right; start by taking away the part of the apple that packs all the fiber and nutrients. We wouldn't want to compromise the integrity of the dish.

Then we cut the apples into thin slices and place them in a greased casserole dish.

Time for some sugar and cinnamon. Cinnamon is actually not bad for you. We'll just pretend that sugar isn't so bad either.

Now comes the best part: the crust. Combine melted butter, brown sugar and flour until it's the consistency of soft clay. Then pat it all over the top of the apples. I like to flatten a little of the mixture out at a time then place it on the apples.

Bake at 300 degrees for about an hour. You want your crust to brown a little.

Give the apples a few minutes to cool before serving so the juices won't run all over your plate. When we added mashed potatoes and fried okra, it was pretty much Jeff's dream meal.

Hey, birthdays are special, right? Might as well live it up one day out of the year!

After dinner we headed to a soccer game then came home for cupcakes.

Happy Birthday, Jeff!!!

Susan's Apples

• 2.5 - 3 lbs. apples, washed and peeled
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• cinnamon to taste
• 1 stick melted butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar

Grease small casserole dish. Fill dish completely with thinly sliced apples. (They will shrink when they cook.) Sprinkle white sugar and cinnamon on top of apples. Mix butter, flour and brown sugar. The mixture should be the consistency of soft clay. If it's too runny, add more sugar or flour. You need to be able to manipulate it with your hands. Pat the mixture on top of apples. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour.

Question of the Day:

How do you celebrate birthdays?