The Beginning of Insanity

Insanity is here and it begins! My journey to get fit, healthy and STRONG! :)

I have always wanted to be fit and strong but never fully reached my goal. Even when I was on Team Fredbird and at a weight that I was happy with, I still wanted to have more muscle and strength.

After having a baby I was thinking I would give up on the whole idea. If I could just loose that baby weight and get back to where I was when I was at my ideal weight, I would be happy. Well now I  have reached my goal weight, but my body is different after having a baby. So now what?

Now it is time for some Insanity. :)

When I got the box I immediately got nervous. What did I do!? I don't look anything like these people on the box. Am I going to be able to do this?

As you go through the book there are different DVDs and in the back there is a calendar that maps out your workouts. There is also a nutrition guide. That is my favorite part.

The nutrition part not only helps you figure out your calories but it also gives you meals to choose from! I often struggle even coming up with meal ideas for my family. Now I not only have meal ideas but it even tells you how to make them!!

Now my Fiance and little man Max may not be thrilled with always eating this new way but that is okay because I can still eat healthy and make them something different. For example, there is a healthy pizza recipe in the book. So if they want to order pizza one night I can make mine and still feel a part of pizza night! :)

I know this is going to be hard work and a lot of dedication but I am ready for the challenge. Once I get the hang of it I would really love to be a Beachbody coach! I'm just going to take it one day at a time though and focus on getting through Insanity.

I did the Fit Test yesterday but I am not going to start until next week. Let me tell you...that was not easy! I am feeling it today. I am not starting until next week because I like the rest day being on Sunday so starting on Tuesday will work best. Plus I can get my grocery shopping done so I am ready to roll! At first I thought that would be perfect because I can eat whatever I want on this Labor day weekend but after thinking about it some more I don't think I am going to do that. I don't want to make it even harder for Tuesday. Next purchase I am going to make is the Shakeology drink. I am excited to see how it tastes!

If you do any of these programs please email me at abbeycarmen14@yahoo.com or comment below! I would love to have a work out buddy so we can motivate each other!!

It was a hard decision to make if I wanted to put my before pictures on here but I decided to go for it. Why not? If I am going to write about my journey I should show some before pictures so people can actually see if there is progress right? I took my photos myself so they aren't the best but here they are:

 

 

AHHH!!! Haha that was tough to do. Notice how the pictures are the smallest setting possible?  :)  Gives me even more motivation and excitement to make some changes though! My biggest problem area is my mid section. That has always been a tough spot for me but even more so after having my little boy 2 years ago. My arms have also been challenging for me to tone so I am excited to see what happens!

Well, here I go!! I will update my blog once a week with how the working out and new eating plan are both going. Wish me luck! :)

Tuesday Tip: Eat Your Breakfast

We hear it often, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Often people forget or are so busy in the morning they skip it. Well I found a shake on pinterest from a blogger Fit is The New Black that I have to share! This Breakfast Protein Shake is awesome because it         

                      

1.) Makes eating breakfast on the go easy

2.) Tastes amazing

3.) Has COFFEE in it!!! 

There were a few things I did differently when I made the shake but I mostly stuck to the directions. One thing I did do differently is I did not add the banana. Instead I ate the banana or made a couple pieces of whole grain bread. Livestrong suggests eating breakfast within the first half hour of waking up to best jump-start your metabolism. Grabbing a banana made it easy to get something down while getting ready and also something to eat as the coffee brewed. 

The shake takes less than 5 minutes to make and I am out the door or ready to chase my little man around the house on the days I stay home. 

So there you go! A breakfast on the go plus the caffeine!! Thank you Fit is the New Black for sharing this awesome shake!!! :)

Some Nights....

Music Video Monday!!!

This music video took some searching because I just wasn't sure what I wanted to post.

But then it hit me.

Some Nights by Fun! I know it is a bit over played on the radio right now but it is such a good song. I wasn't 100% sure what the song meant so I looked it up on song facts. I like songs that are inspired by real people and it is cool how he gets his inspiration from his family. The song makes me want to have a dance party in my car each time I hear it.

If you have never heard the song, check it out! If you have heard the song you should watch the video because it is a great one.

Hope you like this song as much as I do! :)

I love hearing new music so please comment below if you have any new or old music to share!

As We Grow Up

It is crazy when you find a quote by an unknown author and it can sum up exactly how you feel at a certain time of your life. Even better is when you find one that continues to apply to how you feel about life. The quote below is one of my favorites. 

In this quote you are reminded to appreciate the moments in life, to forgive and love. I love this quote because it is real. The quote does not sugar coat anything. 

The part of the quote that applies to me today is the theme of forgiveness. As I have grown up I have learned how important it is to forgive others. It is easier to forgive if they apologize but even when they don't it is important to forgive and Let It Go. Not everyone is perfect. The one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will because they are not perfect. And guess what? Neither are you. Holding on to the hurt does not prove to that person anything. All it does is make the hurt last longer.

Although forgiving is somewhat difficult, it really is the easy part. Trusting them in the future, that is where it gets tricky. Do you forgive and forget, with the possibility of getting hurt again? Or do you hold back and keep the relationship at a distance? Either way it will be hard. Then think about how you would want to be treated if you hurt someone else. Would you want them to forgive you but not forget what you did? Would you want them to never trust you again?

As my son Max says, No way! I would want them to forgive me AND trust me again.

I guess it all comes down to the person. If you surround yourself with people who you know are good people then it shouldn't be a problem to forgive and forget. Thankfully, I have some pretty awesome people in my life and I can say I would be able to forgive and forget while not worrying about getting hurt again. If you have to worry about it, then maybe you should rethink the amount of time you are around that person.

As you grow up you become less naive and are able to make decisions on your own. This helps because there is less of a need to talk about things with everyone. When you take the time to reflect on what is best for you, you will not be so concerned with what others think. If you are less concerned about what others think about you or say about you, then it makes it easier to forgive because the hurt is not as deep. You will also find yourself not needing to discuss everything you are going through with people in order to have them validate your feelings, because you start to realize that it doesn't matter if they validate it or not.

Overall it is important to realize that nobody is perfect. Don't expect so much from others and instead focus fully on how to be the best you can be. I hope I can teach this to my son and future kids as they grow up. It stinks being hurt but if we never experienced pain how would we appreciate the great moments in life. Pain is a part of life. 

It would be great if instead of completely forgetting past hurts, we would only remember the part of how it felt. Haha that sounds cotradicting of what I am saying in this post, but what I mean is to remember only enough of how it felt so we would all do our best to not be the cause of the hurt to someone else. 

Everyone's story is different. We have all been through different difficulties. Forgiving and letting it go will make you a much happier person. 

What part of the quote applies to you? Do you struggle with forgiveness or letting past hurts go? Do you blame a new love for what old ones did? Do you forget to relax and enjoy the moment? Please comment, I would love to hear how this applies to others! :)

Who Wants a T-Shirt?

I don't know about you guys but I love t-shirts. Don't get me wrong, getting dressed up is fun, but nothing can beat that comfy t-shirt that you throw on and feel good in.

If you go to a St. Louis Cardinals game, the best baseball team ever, you will see some people who really love t-shirts. I was on Team Fredbird for the Cardinals for a couple of years and would sling t- shirts into the stands. People would go crazy for a t-shirt. I don't blame them, they are pretty awesome shirts. :)

I have always been the girl of the group who suggests having t-shirts made for any event that our friends or family would be organizing. From float trips to vacations to pub crawls, as soon as someone suggests making plans for an event, I am the one who quickly adds "and lets make t shirts!'. Not only do the t shirts make picking out an outfit so much easier but it is fun and a great keepsake after the event! Another bonus is if you are traveling in a largely populated area you can quickly find your group with bright colored shirts.

Today I wanted to share the latest t-shirt I designed and made for one of my best friend's bachelorette party.

The Front

The Back

My friend found the t-shirts for a great price from Bella wholesale. I then designed the text and ring and had transfers printed from Jumbo Sticky Pics. When I got the transfers I just simply ironed the design on and blinged out the ring with Tulip bling fabric paint and was done! It was a cheap and fun and since I am a big DIY fan, I had so much fun making them with the Bride to be.

For the Bride's shirt we did the opposite, white shirt and Teal lettering. The girls all loved the shirts and we all had fun wearing them for the bride!
                      

                                                    

 

So next time you have an occasion, see if you can add shirts to the mix! If you want to design your own and need any help with how to do it or need information about the transfers feel free to email me at abbeycarmen14@yahoo.com.

Music Video Monday 4/16/12

Love this song and this video. The lyrics are beautiful.

Enjoy!

Lead Me On!

Music Video Monday!!

Happy Monday everyone! :D Today's song is by Jamie Grace called You Lead. Love, love, LOVE this song!! So upbeat and a wonderful thing to remember when starting out the week.

No matter what your going through, God's mercy will never fail. Trust in Him and follow Him. Your life opens up and is so much better when you follow Him. Trust me, I know! :) My parents, teachers and mentors always told me I could do/be whatever I wanted to be in life. Just stay focussed and do it. Well, my pride got in the way and I kept trying to figure out what it was that I wanted to do and what would impress others. Then I realized that is not what life is about. Once I put my focus on finding my purpose in life and following God I became a much happier person and so much more at peace. Focussing on my relationship with the Lord, joining a church that has provided such amazing support and guidance and fully putting my trust in God has been the best decision in my life. Now I fully understand that with God I truly can be and do anything. I always had that little voice down deep (you know that voice that tells you what you really want to do?) but pushed it so far away because I had an overwhelming contradicting voice that told me it was just too good to be true...and also that other people would not think it would be good enough. I finally am seeing that little voice is breaking through and I am not only realizing that it can be true in my life, it is better than I imagined! I just needed to trust in Him that it could be possible!

So if you are reading this and you haven't fully trusted in our Father, I encourage you to please make that step. The best part? He already wants you in His!! He is there with open arms waiting for you...you just have to make the decision to accept Him in your life. He loves you and wants you to follow Him. He forgives you for your sins, you just have to let go of any guilt, pride, hurt or whatever it is that is holding you back and fully trust in Him. Don't be hard on yourself, life is a journey and is full of highs and lows, each giving us something in life to allow us to learn and grow with Christ. Your journey will be much easier if you have Him with you and are following His purpose for you. So this week, a week in which we remember how Jesus died for us, let go of what is holding you back and accept Him in your life. If you already have accepted Him in your life, work hard to make each day focussed on following Him. Play this song and feel it in your heart, "You Lead, I follow!!" :)


Revelation 3:20 (NAB)
            "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, (then) I
              will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me."

John 3:16
            "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him
              might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to
              condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him."