Tag: fitness journey

Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide Round 1 Complete!…Well, Kinda Complete

On By SaraIn Self Improvement, Uncategorized4 Comments

Ever since I started Kayla’s guide the first time I have been looking forward to this moment. Through all the setbacks, the injuries, everything…I’ve been looking forward to being able to say I had completed it once and showing off these fantastic progress pics. Only…that didn’t really take real life into account.

This first round through has been full of difficulties. 3 injuries, 2 sets of stitches, 2 months of physical therapy (which I’m still needing to continue at home sometimes, this week included), sickness, the holidays, etc. All of those things were things I didn’t plan on when I started the guides. But that’s life. And that is a lesson that I think I needed to really learn when I started this journey. It’s a journey. It’s a lifestyle.

Life isn’t always smooth sailing. While I knew that, I don’t think I fully appreciated how that would play into my workout program, especially this workout program.

Weeks 9-12 fell during and directly after the holidays. Now, I’m not making excuses. I could have pushed myself harder some of the time and been more on top of things. But between work being crazy due to the season, the “winter blues” hitting me a bit and just a general feeling of exhaustion, I did not do as well during the last four weeks of the guide. I skipped some workouts, did LISS directly after my resistance workouts other times and just in general didn’t do as well as I had hoped to.

For a while towards the end and right after, I was beating myself up pretty good over my lack of performance. But I’ve come to the realization that just because I had an off few weeks doesn’t mean I failed or anything like it.

I am still in the best shape of my life! I can (usually) do 10+ push-ups in a row before I need to go to my knees! I can do box jumps and tuck jumps and all sorts of other jumps that I couldn’t really do before!

So while I may have not done every resistance workout and these progress pics aren’t as impressive as I had originally hoped they would be, I’m counting this first round as done and as a success! I have made so much progress over these last 4 months and I can’t wait to see what the next round of BBG brings! (Hopefully less injuries than the first round!)

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We did take measurements, but our methods weren’t practiced enough for me to be sure of the accuracy, though I think we are getting better at it! I am pretty positive that a few things changed though, especially one that can’t just be user error!

  • Waist: 37 in –> 31.5 in!

Things to Improve On During This Next Round

  • Go back to working out when I wake up instead of after work. I kinda fell out of that habit over the last month.
  • Keep LISS separate from resistance
  • Keep tracking diet for this whole round

I am currently having some issues with my back again, so I’m down to exercises from my physical therapy, LISS and yoga until it stops hurting so much. I can’t wait to start round 2 of BBG though!

How are your fitness goals coming? Did you have any difficulties over the holidays or due to the “winter blues” like I did? I would love to hear your thoughts, so please leave me a comment below!

Sara (1)

Sunday Meal Prep

On By SaraIn Meal Prep1 Comment

Hey everyone! Welcome to this week’s meal prep! I’ve been keeping it pretty simple lately, focusing on budget-friendly meals, utilizing items from our freezer and making sure to only cook as much as we can eat in a week.

This week I made a couple new recipes and they turned out great! So without further delay, here is this week’s meal prep! Enjoy!

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Our regular sweets and treats. The protein balls are Boyfriend’s new favorite and are actually saving us some money! For our first break he is having these now as part of his snack instead of the Reese’s FastBreaks he was buying 🙂 I love finding these healthy snacks!

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This week Boyfriend actually made a request, so we are having spaghetti! I’m trying my hand at recipe development, so this sauce is a brand-new recipe. While I have improvised and created sauce recipes before, this was my first attempt at recording it while cooking. As such, it still needs some tweaking…but it turned out great (if a bit thick) and filled with veggie-goodness! (It did make a lot of sauce, but if there is some left over we can freeze it or make some more pasta)

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These are based off of the Honey Mustard Pork Chops from the Healthy Eating on a Budget cookbook from this site. The only change I made was I used local Garlic Mustard instead of Honey Mustard. I also simmered the sauce for approx 8-10 min after the pork chops were done to thicken up the sauce. They do mention simmering the sauce in the recipe, but don’t give any sort of timeline, so here is mine!

I made Balsamic Brown Butter Asparagus as a side for these. Check out the recipe below!

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I’m back to having Buffalo Chicken Salads for this week. While I really like the taco salads, it’s nice to keep switching things up…and I do really love this chicken! Check out the recipe on this site. I have been known to use some of the leftover chicken on baked open-faced sandwiches and there are so many other ways you can use it too!

That’s it for this week! I’m really enjoying trying to create my own recipes, so expect this to be the first of many! Hopefully!

Have any of you tried creating your own recipes from scratch? Any tips for a newbie like me? I would love to hear from you!

Sara (1)

Want to get started meal prepping yourself? Check out these posts for my top tips and my staple recipes!

Need some extra inspiration? Check out last week’s meal prep for other recipes and ideas!

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Fitness Update: I’m Finally Back at it!

On By SaraIn Self ImprovementLeave a comment

Those of you who have been following my journey for the past couple of months know that these last couple months have been rough for me, fitness-wise. Two injuries and a flare-up from a recurring back problem have made it very difficult to do much more than cardio on the treadmill.

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Me after BBG Day 1 workout. I was exhausted but feeling great!

But I’m back! Yesterday was Day 1 of Kayla Itsines’ BBG1 and I’m so glad to be back to doing the program! It was definitely rough with my lower activity since I stopped, but I didn’t seem to lose much progress during my down time. I’m a little worried about arm day since I don’t have full mobility or comfort back in my finger yet, but I’m pretty sure it should be fine.

I also decided to participate in a wellness challenge through my work called the ZP Challenge. I am participating in 2 out of the 4 possible categories; fitness and food. This basically is a month-long challenge in which you track how well you do by checking off if you made healthy food choices that day and had more than 30 minutes of exercise. I figured I’m already focusing more on my healthy and wellness, so why not participate?! It definitely has provided that extra level of motivation and I love checking off the box for the day saying I met my goals!

That’s all for this month’s fitness update! Now that I’m back at it I hope that I will have more to say this time next month, including progress photos from my first month doing BBG!

How are you doing on your fitness goals? Find any new tools or programs to help with motivation lately?

Sunday Meal Prep

On By SaraIn Meal Prep1 Comment

Hey everyone! Welcome to this week’s meal prep!

I honestly don’t have a huge amount to say for this week. I made a few new recipes, all of which turned out delicious! This week was a week of firsts…First time cooking with mushrooms and first time cooking with pizza dough. I’m a little behind on my skills, huh?

Now on to the meal prep! Make sure to check out the new recipe at the bottom!

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As you can see, the weekly regulars are all present, with a new addition!
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I’m sure you’ve noticed that we like our treats, and these are no exception! These are peanut buttery, chocolate-filled balls of energy and tastiness! Seriously though, they take 5 minutes and are really good. The only change I made from MySweatLife’s recipe is that I used chocolate protein powder instead of vanilla. I’m sure they are delicious with vanilla, but all I had was chocolate, so that’s what I used!
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Quick Shepard’s Pie, Pasta Primavera, chopped veggies for Veggie Pizza Rolls and sliced red onion for sandwiches and other random meals.
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This Pasta Primavera was a new recipe for us, and a first time cooking mushrooms for me. I love how this recipe turned out! I will definitely be making this again.
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The cut up veggies above turned into this wonderful dish halfway through the week! This was the first time I ever used pizza dough and I have to admit, I was a little nervous and I had a hard time making them into rolls. They turned out great though, and the process definitely got easier partway through!
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This bean soup is one of my favorites….hearty, filling and healthy! Check out the recipe below!
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Our salads for the week turned out wonderful! I am so happy that I found Mason Jar Salads and decided to give them a try. They make healthy lunches so much easier!

That’s it for the week! I’m having a lot of fun trying out new recipes right now. Mixing it up is really making my meal prep so much more enjoyable! Do you do anything to make your meal prep fun or more enjoyable? I love cooking, but hours in the kitchen can get a little monotonous. Trying out new recipes adds some excitement for me!

Sara (1)

Want to get started meal prepping yourself? Check out these posts for my top tips and my staple recipes!

Need some extra inspiration? Check out last week’s meal prep for other recipes and ideas!

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September Favs, October Goals

On By SaraIn Self ImprovementLeave a comment

September

To say that this month did not go as planned is a bit of an understatement. That being said, I am not really upset about that either.

I started off the month in good spirits, sure that I would be telling you I had made it 4 weeks through Kayla Itsines’ BBG. This did not even come close to happening! First my back, neck and shoulder locked up. Then, just as I got cleared to restart the program and was all excited about starting the next day, I sliced my finger open. Another ER visit, more stitches, and not being able to put pressure on my finger for at least another week, possibly longer.

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I am really pleased that I am still managing to work out some, both on the treadmill and with some BBG workouts (modified when needed). I do hope that I can restart this coming month though!

I can’t say that the above pic is a “fav” but it does represent something that matters to me. I am pretty proud of myself for not giving up or having a mental setback of sorts with this most recent injury. This is the third injury in a row and it honestly feels like my body has turned against me sometimes. But I know I can keep at it, do what workouts I can and I will get back on track! I just have to remember that this is a journey and that will include times where things don’t go as I would like.

And now that I’m done whining about my setbacks 😉 On to the September Favorites!

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I did pretty good about my second goal this month, which was to photograph something every day. I did take at least one photo most days!

October Goals

  1. Work out 6 days a week, even if I can’t restart BBG yet.
  2. Continue working on my photography, but with more focus. I would really like to build up my skills and create some stock-style photos for the blog.

How was your September? Did you reach the goals you set for yourself? Any goals for October?

Sunday Meal Prep (A Day Late!)

On By SaraIn Meal Prep1 Comment

Ever have one of those days where everything is going perfect…until right at the end, when life decides to throw a curveball? Sunday was one of those days. I promise there is a good reason for this post being a day late!

I seem to have been even more accident-prone than normal lately and yesterday was no exception! After I had finished up my meal prep and was making a post-workout smoothie, I managed to cut my ring finger on my right hand rather deeply. After some wavering, Boyfriend and I decided to go to the ER to be on the safe side. The second ER visit in two months!

It’s a good thing we did. I ended up needing 5 stitches and a tetanus shot as well! By the time we got home I was exhausted and didn’t have the energy to write and publish my post. So here it is, just a day late!

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Our favorite snacks! I am really loving this cheese-grape combo right now. It’s my favorite snack for my first break at work!
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Island-Style Pulled Pork, Spicy Chicken in Tomatoes with Roasted Asparagus, some cut red onion for random use (I love adding red onion to sandwiches), and some cut veggies to steaming later. The chicken is a new recipe and turned out delicious!
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Another comfort food fav: Turkey Chili Mac with Jalapenos! I love this twist on the classic and it’s one of my go-to recipes for mac and cheese!
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These are the same ingredients of the taco and shredded buffalo chicken salads show in my last post, with one exception. I added some red bell pepper and green onions to the veggie mix for the taco salad. I really like those additions!

And that’s it for this week! Hopefully there will be no more ER-related delays anytime soon! I’m getting pretty tired of being continually injured for roughly the past two months! 🙂

What are you cooking this week? Did you do any meal prep this weekend? Any new recipes?

Sara (1)

Want to get started meal prepping yourself? Check out these posts for my top tips and my staple recipes!

Need some extra inspiration? Check out last week’s meal prep for other recipes and ideas!

Dealing with Setbacks: A Fitness Update

On By SaraIn Self Improvement4 Comments

Hey everyone! This is not the fitness update I was planning on giving you this week. I was looking forward to telling you all how my first month of Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide went, post some progress pics and overall be excited and positive! Well, that’s not going to be exactly how this post is going to go.

Sometimes things don’t go the way you plan, no matter what you do. This has been the case for the last few weeks for me. First, as you may remember, I took a pretty nasty fall a few weeks ago, resulting in a trip to the ER, a head suture, some serious soreness and some healing time.

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So I took it easy for Week 3 workouts and then repeated Week 3 the following week. No worries and I was feeling pretty positive.

Fast forward a few days, to last Wednesday. I woke up feeling pretty stiff and sore, a feeling which rapidly worsened as the day went on. By Thursday morning, the right side of my back was mostly locked up, I couldn’t really move my neck and was in pain no matter what position I tried.

Before I continue, I need to add in that this is not the first time this has happened. So while very uncomfortable, pretty painful and overall a hassle, I was not and am not freaking out too much.

I went to the doctor, who prescribed me some medications to help and physical therapy. The first I expected, the second was VERY unexpected. However, my doctor believes that since this is a reacurring problem, I most likely need a least some physical therapy to help keep in from continuing to happen. I have my initial physical therapy appointment tomorrow and will find out more then. I am doing much better now, with some lingering stiffness. But overall much better.

So my BBG journey is on hold, probably for a least a week or two. I am hoping it won’t be longer than that. I can’t wait to get back to it! I have decided though, with the fall and now this, that I am going to restart from Week 1 once I am cleared by the doctors to start again.

That’s it for this update! I know, not the happiest one in the world, but I’m still thinking positively and am excited to get back to my workouts soon!

How have you dealt with setbacks? Any tips for getting back into your routine after something like this throws it off? I would love to hear from you!

August Favs, September Goals

On By SaraIn Self Improvement7 Comments

Hey everyone! I’m pretty excited for this post 🙂 While I didn’t take as many pictures as I would have liked, I did get some ones that I was really happy with.

My goals for August went pretty well too! I didn’t do great on the regular meditation practice, but that was more the secondary goal for me. The big goal for me was sticking to Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide and I did!

I will be posting a full review of the first month of the guide and how it went for me next week. I am actually a week behind, after a bit of a fall during my last LISS workout of week 2. It actually ended with a short trip to the ER and a head suture. I am the epitome of grace and not at all clumsy. I’m fine now, but I did take it a bit easy during my week 3 workouts. So I ended up redoing week 3 the following week and am just starting week 4.

Overall, I am viewing August as a success! While I didn’t do as well as I would have liked at adding mediation into my life on a regular basis, I am very proud of myself for keeping at the workout program. Especially after the head wound could have provided a very easy excuse. I can’t wait to see what September brings!

And now for some fun August pictures! You will actually be seeing more of these this coming month in a few posts, so enjoy the sneak peak!

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One of my first attempts at styling food photos.
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Playing with the settings on my camera
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Sometimes baking doesn’t go as planned!
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Go ISU! I love that I caught this picture at the local farmer’s market! Yes, that is Cy holding up the produce stand with a cucumber.
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Adventures in glass etching
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Adorable 11 month old mastiff at the farmers market! Isn’t she cute?!
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And of course, my own handsome mastiff mix. Love this pup!
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And speaking of adorable, this is the look I see frequently from the kitchen. She is just too cute (and so good at looking sad and dejected)!

September Goals

  1. Continuing the Bikini Body Guide. I am loving my workouts and how they make me feel. My biggest goal in relation to this is to do the workouts after I wake up before work, instead of after work. I have found that my day goes better and I sleep better with I do my workouts then.
  2. Take at least one photo every day. I really want to improve my photography skills and would love to work on it this month.

That’s it for me! Hope you enjoyed my August review and all the fun photos! Hopefully this next month will produce some even better ones!

What goals are you working on this month? Continuing some old ones or are they brand new?

Fitness Update

On By SaraIn Self Improvement6 Comments

As I stated in my July Review, I kinda fell off track with my workouts for a couple of weeks. So I didn’t make much progress last month 😦 But I didn’t really lose any progress either. Over my fitness journey, I have learned to accept that some weeks don’t go as planned.

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June Progress Pics
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BBG Starting Day Pics

Continue reading “Fitness Update” →

Sunday Meal Prep

On By SaraIn Meal Prep1 Comment

Do you remember the first dish you cooked? I do. Up until I was around 20 yrs old, I couldn’t cook. I could make pasta, but that was pretty much it. Then one day, kinda homesick and missing my mom’s wonderful cooking, I decided to make her jambalaya. I honestly don’t know what I was thinking, but I went out, got all the ingredients, and got to cooking. It took forever! I was so slow at everything!  Continue reading “Sunday Meal Prep” →