21 Day Fix Week 2, and Into the Last Week!

So, I've completed Week 2 of the 21 Day Fix and I'm feeling good!

I'm still really enjoying the workouts and I like that there are some different options to choose from so it keeps it fresh. The workout schedule is basically the same each week. The workout changes each day but then you repeat the whole round the following week, so you do the same workout on the same day each week, if you know what I mean.
There are a couple of different options you can have where you replace a workout with a similar, but different one (the schedule tells you how to do this).
This week I chose to replace Lower Fix with Barre Legs and I replaced Pilates Fix with Flat Abs Fix. It was nice to do a brand new session on those two days. It still works the same areas of the body but just with different exercises.

I'm definitely feeling a bit stronger than I did in Week 1 and although I'm still modifying quite a bit I feel that I have better technique and I'm doing more reps than last week.

Food-wise I've been better than I was during Week 1 but I still haven't been perfect. I keep forgetting about counting my blue containers (healthy fats) properly and I've found myself often eating 2 blues instead of the 1 I'm supposed to have. It's mainly because I've been having raw veg and hummous as a snack but then some of my evening meals have cheese in them, so I'm getting a blue from the hummous and another one from the cheese. Oops! I'm not beating myself up over it though. That's what the 21 Day Fix is all about, learning how to choose foods wisely and portion them out correctly. I'm still learning!

I'm still having a hard time getting enough protein portions down my neck but I'm overcoming that by having some fat free plain greek yoghurt as an evening snack with some fruit. That's been doing the trick for now. I've found that plain Greek yoghurt takes a little while to get used to but the sweetness from the fruit takes the more tart edge off the yoghurt for me and now I'm quite happy eating it on it's own. If you fancy trying it out you can find a quick, easy and tasty recipe here... Apple Pie Yoghurt.

I've been a bit better this week with my water intake but there's still room for improvement so that's a focus for me again this coming week.

This is my meal plan for Week 3 of the 21 Day Fix.....

I'm using the same basic plan but I just shifted it around a bit. It's working for me at the moment and I need to keep it simple because I'm still getting to grips with it all!

I'm definitely feeling good for having started the 21 Day Fix. Roger tells me I feel smaller when he cuddles me and I think  can see it in the mirror too. What I do know is that I'm feeling stronger in my head. I'm happy I've taken back control and I'm very excited to continue this.

I'm posting daily about my journey on my Facebook page, Tracy Kinsman - Sweating the Small Stuff. Why not head over there and click 'Like' to see how I'm getting on each day?

Stay happy peeps!

21 Day Fix - Week 1 Check-In

I've been doing the 21 Day Fix for a week now and it's time to check in with an update on how it's all going....

The 21 Day Fix works by focusing on two areas, fitness and nutrition. You need to have both of these down to achieve the best results.

I can honestly say I've been enjoying the workouts. Every day is a different workout with an emphasis on variety, so one day you could be doing cardio, the next upper body weights, another day yoga stretches. It truly does work your whole body throughout the course of the week. What I've noticed this week is that my fitness is worse than I had hoped it would be and my strength and stamina is severely lacking. I have a long way to go but there is an awesome modifier in the 21 Day Fix so I've been having to follow her quite often. With that being said though the modifier is one of the reasons why this is such a great program for beginners. Whilst taking the intensity down the modified moves still keep you working hard - you can definitely still feel it! I did struggle with extremely sore muscles at the start of the week, but they've felt better as the week has progressed.

I've found the hardest thing to be the nutrition side of things. Not the fact that that it's clean eating (because I'm used to that) or the portion sizes (because, again it's something I'm already aware of). The bit I've struggled with is making sure I eat all of my allotted containers! I'm required to eat 3 portions of vegetables (green), 2 portions of fruit (purple), 2 portions of carbohydrates (yellow), 4 portions of protein (red), 1 portion of healthy fats (blue), 1 portion of seeds/dressings (orange) and 2 tsps of oils/nut butters. PHEW!!!

I've found that it's really easy to rack up the number of spoons every day and I have a tendency to eat too many healthy fats (blues). Avocados and nuts, I'm looking at YOU!
On the flip side I'm struggling to eat all four portions of protein (reds). That's something I've had to focus on when prepping my meal plan for week 2.

I've also not been as good with my water intake as I'd have liked so there's definitely room for improvement there.

I've had a couple of days when I've had to talk myself into doing the workout because I found myself starting to make excuses, but I'm really focused on completing this program as it's set out so opting out has been non-negotiable for me.

When I weighed myself at the start I was shocked at how much I weighed, but not as much as when I looked at the pictures I took of myself. Honestly, I was horrified at them because I looked like something that should be hanging up in a butcher's window! NOT EVEN KIDDING! It was really disheartening to see how far I'd let myself go. Every time I've started to make excuses this week I've just thought about those pictures and that's been more than enough to spur me on.

Today we were at a football tournament with the boys which we had to stay all day at. Joe played in the morning and George played in the afternoon. I knew I should have packed my food for the day to ensure I stayed on track but I wasn't organised enough. I've done the best I can all day but I'm kicking myself that I didn't set myself up for success today beforehand. I had my shake for breakfast as normal and I packed some strawberries, but other than that I ended up having to wing it. Thankfully, one of the stalls at the tournament was selling the amazing protein balls from The Protein Ball Co. They're handmade less than 4 miles from my house and they're fantastic. Full of all-natural ingredients with different options to suit everyone, they're a great option to have as a snack in your kitchen cupboards to pack up and take with you when you're on the go. You can check out their website here...The Protein Ball Co.
Suffice to say I picked a couple of packs up to make sure I stayed away from the burger van!

Despite it being Day 7 I've chosen not to weigh myself today because I want to leave that until the full 21 days are up, but I do feel like I've lost a couple of pounds already, especially around my ribcage area. We shall wait and see!

So I guess in summary it's been an OK week. Not perfect, but not particularly bad either.

My plan for next week is to do even better with my nutrition by being more organised so I'm never in a position where I have to play it by ear, and I will be sure to drink more water.
I've planned my meals for the week and the food shop will be delivered tomorrow. I'll do some meal prep tomorrow evening (I've already got enough to see me through tomorrow) and I'll continue to stick with the workouts.

It's amazing how much more in control I feel just my starting this program. I'm so excited to see it through and find out how much of a difference can be made in just 21 days.

Of course, I'll be sharing it all with you right here at Sweating the Small Stuff, so keep checking back!

A Moment of Realisation.....

There was a point last week whilst I was running my free clean eating group that it suddenly dawned on me how amazingly excited I felt about what I was doing in that moment.

I haven't felt a spark as strong as that in a long time and quite honestly it took me by surprise. I know that I'm passionate about good nutrition and fitness. Heck, I'm constantly learning and educating myself about this stuff in my spare time. Instead of sitting on the sofa watching TV programmes every evening I'm on my laptop trying to absorb ALL the knowledge! This stuff is what gets my blood pumping, I just love it. And I get a massive kick out of sharing that it with other people too.

It's true to say that my sparkle has been dull for a long time. That's quite difficult for me to put out there. I don't really know how it happened, it kind of just crept up on me. I don't think I was aware of it or fully understood it. Earlier this year I chose to make some hard decisions and take some time out  to try and put myself back on the path that I want to be on. Part of that was revisiting what I'd been doing before with Sweating the Small Stuff and taking the leap to run a clean eating challenge group again. 

When I felt that spark during the group last week it felt amazing and I can finally say without a shadow of a doubt I know where I got my old sparkle from! For the life of me I don't know why I allowed life to get in the way of me doing what I love the most. But I get it now and I'm not prepared to allow that to happen again.

I love the interaction of the groups, the sense of all being in it together, the support and encouragement you get from a group of like-minded people.

I know where I'm going now and I'm excited about the path that's stretched out before of me.

I am recommitting fully to my fitness and clean eating and this also means I'll be Sweating the Small Stuff 100%!!!

To help me on my way and to give me the kickstart and consistency I need I've committed to complete an entire workout plan, starting THIS WEEK!

It's official - I've taken the before pictures, measurements and weighed myself. 

Wow, what a shock that was! Weighing myself isn't something I do often, I never have. I'd rather go on how I feel than a number on the scale. I knew I'd put on a fair bit of weight but I wasn't prepared for quite how much. I'm not proud to say that I'm currently weighing in a full stone heavier than I've ever been (even during my 2 pregnancies!), and I feel every pound of it. I'm glad I've made this decision to recommit because I NEED to do something about that.   

So, it's go time!

I know my fitness is at a low point so I've chosen to complete the 21 Day Fix program because the workouts are well suited to beginners/intermediates. The nutrition plan that comes with it is brilliant. It's simple and fun to use (cute, coloured measuring containers included!) and is totally geared towards clean eating. I can even track my workouts and food intake on a handy app each day, so there's no messing up. Oh, and I've never done this program before so I'm excited to see what all the hype is about.

At the weekend I planned all my meals out for this week working out my containers for each day, I got a shop in and I prepped some bits in anticipation.

Breakfast is, as always, a shake because it's quick, easy and keeps me full for a few hours. Lunches and snacks are all the same this week while I get used to counting my containers, I'm keeping it basic for now. Next week I should feel more confident to mix it up a little.

My goals for the 21 days are to lose 6lbs, to stick to clean eating and to see what kind of results I can get by being disciplined and completing the program as it's designed.

So far I've done all of the workouts and I've stuck to my meal plan. I'm feeling really positive about it all, even though my legs are aching like mad!

I'll be checking in here at Sweating the Small Stuff so stay tuned for the scoop on my weekly meal plans and progress!!!

My FREE Clean Eating Challenge Group was Fabulous!!!!!

Hi Everyone!

Last week I hosted a FREE clean eating challenge group over on Facebook (we finished last night) and I wanted to share with you how it went.

I set up a closed group in Facebook to run for 7 days where my challengers and I would check in every day to learn what clean eating is all about and to discuss tips and ideas for clean eating. I was stunned by the number of people who wanted to join the group! 

It was amazing to connect with these wonderful ladies who were all looking to make a positive change towards a healthier lifestyle. What was really great was that a few of my challengers already were clean eaters and they shared some amazing recipes with the rest of us.

Before we officially started the 7 days I shared a sample meal plan for the full 7 days that covered breakfasts, lunch and dinners (and even snacks!) with the group and we did some meal prep on the Sunday so we could hit the ground running on Day 1. 
Challengers introduced themselves and shared why they had joined the group and everyone was really welcoming and supportive of everyone else. I also provided a short daily workout which my challengers could do in their own home if they wanted to.

There was a lovely sense of community about the group with people chatting about what they'd had for dinner that day and how they were getting on. We gave each other tips and helpful information to help us stay on track and it was great to have a group of people to be accountable to. Everything's possible with a bit of support, right?!

The food we ate was yummy and we weren't hungry at all. It just goes to show that clean eating is a fantastic way to be healthier for the long term. It's not a diet, it's a way of life! It's totally sustainable!

I am so passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and being able to share what I've learnt with other people. I know it's not always easy and life has a tendency to get in the way, but there are some great tips and tricks I've learnt over the years to help with all of that. I'd love to be able to share them with you!

The most important thing for us all is to be healthy so we can continue to enjoy life to its fullest with our loved ones.

After only 7 days in my clean eating challenge group I received some lovely messages from my challengers...

"Thanks so much for all the info and help this week. I found the portion size video really helpful and joining the group has made me really stick to the clean eating plan. Feeling so much healthier and lots more energy, so am getting prepared for a second week 😄"

"I have lost 4lb!"

"Hi Tracy, thank you so much for all your help and support. You and I had a good chat the other night, but I wanted to reiterate that we got a hell of a lot out of the last week!! All your help and support has been amazing and moving forward we couldn't have asked for a better foundation to build on.  

Oh and by the way, I weighed in today, (couldn't wait til tomorrow), and I have lost half a stone. Thank you xxxx"

"Thank you for this week. We really enjoyed it. Looking forward to the next challenge. We will continue in the meantime! xxx" 

"Tracy thank you so much for putting in the time and effort to help me make some changes to my lifestyle. I know this is only the start of my journey and I know I have a very long way to go but I really feel that you have put me on the right road. This last week has really opened my eyes and I honestly cannot thank you enough x"

"Thank you so much Tracy for everything - you totally inspired me to do this and I am amazed at how much I'm loving it. Just finished a work out and I am seriously sweating - getting so much better at the workouts. Made so much improvement over just one week. Thank you xxxxx"

I'm SO proud of my challengers for deciding to make a change for the better and for holding themselves (and each other) accountable!

I truly LOVE inspiring people to live a healthier lifestyle and these messages make me so happy to know that I'm helping other people to achieve their goals.

So the great news is that I'm going to run a FREE 7 Day Challenge group every month and I'd love for YOU to join us!!!

If you are ready to make a change, now is the time!

There is only ONE rule that I have for my challengers, and that is that you JOIN IN!

This means you'll check in with the group, comment and post daily and get involved in the fun daily challenges I set. It’s a great way to stay accountable, make new like-minded friends and get healthier!

My next FREE group starts on Monday 5th June. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, send me a message on my Facebook page (Sweating the Small Stuff) or email me at tracylkinsman@gmail.com and I’ll get you on the list (if you were in my last 7 Day Clean Eating group, you’re already in!!!!)

I’m dead excited for this next one… Let’s do this together!