Do I hear another challenge coming?

My husband and I are on the last day of our November 1st challenge and are gearing up for another to start tomorrow, November 1st. This is a very special date for me as it represents one year from the date I decided to get back into a set routine and lose my baby weight along with far more than I ever expected. I am truly amazed. I will be writing a special blog tomorrow with before and after photos of my journey which began back in 2006 but for now I want to lay out the plan for our challenge for those who will want to follow along.

The plan is very simple. Feel free to join along by setting your own goals. My husband is doing this challenge with me along with my parents.  Set you own 5 goals to reach for the month, then post either a daily or weekly results blog or share it via email or text with your family or friends. It is just a way for you to be accountable with one another and trust me, it works!

Here are our goals for the month. November is going to be a busy one for us as we have so much going on.....yes, I know the BIG changes blog is still yet to come....soon I promise.

Jen's November Challenge Goals -

1. Complete 200 miles - Running, walking and cycling.

2. Complete 2,000 military pushups - they can be diamond, close grip, staggered hands, decline BUT they must be in the standard military position - NO KNEES, NO wall pushups etc.

3. Complete 4 FULL Workouts using Cathe Butts and Guts DVD, the rest of my ST will be Turbulence Training ( LOVE THIS) and segments from STS and other Cathe Dvds. In addition to this my goal is to complete 4,000 ab/oblique work for the month.

4.  Drink at least 128 oz of water each day - can be water, herbal tea or LACV mix

5.  Take Vitamineral Green/Earth Mix at least once a day, and juice at least 3 times a week.

Micah's November Challenge Goals -

1. Complete 300 miles - Running, walking and cycling. 

2. Complete 2,000 military pushups - they can be diamond, close grip, staggered hands, decline BUT they must be in the standard military position - NO KNEES, NO wall pushups etc. 

3. Complete 4,000 reps of ab/oblique work 

4.  Drink at least 128 oz of water each day - can be water, herbal tea or LACV mix 

5.  Take Vitamineral Green/Earth Mix at least once a day, and juice at least 3 times a week. 

It all starts tomorrow!! Let's make 11/11 the BEST and end this year stronger than ever! 

November 1st Challenge 10/27 Results!

WOD : 4 mile walk - 68 mins along with ST

ST - 20 min fast full body set - LOVED IT! I was sweating, out of breath and my arms were shaking when done and it was only 20 mins long! No long rest, no playing around....just a good cardio ST workout!

72 Military pushups
50 Hammer Punch Lunges with 5 lbs DB's ( use when punching while during lunge and kick combo)
Cross body punches with static sumo squat - 200 reps with 5 lb DB's
DB Chops using a 20 lb DB - 50 reps
Shoulder press with Sumo Squats - 50 reps with 10 lb DB's
Jump Squats - 50 reps
Two arm Hammer Curl with Static Lunge - 50 reps with 10 lb DB's
Two arm Bicep Curl with Static One Leg Squat and leg Raise - 50 reps with 10 lb DB's

A few of you have asked what on earth are these Hammer punch lunges I talk about. They are from a Cathe dvd and are sooo good! Use them with DB's so when you are thrusting down for the lunge you get a shoulder and back workout too! Here is a clip of her Butts and Guts dvd -- look closely around 2:32 mins and you will see the hammer punch lunge in action - now just imagine it with 5 lb DB's! Its awesome!



After dinner I did another 75 pushups thanks to the motivation sent to me via Text from a wonderful friend! So my daily total was 147 military pushups.

New Totals for our November 1st Challenge -

Jen - Miles - 50.67/100
Push ups - 568/1,000

Micah - Miles - 54.94/100
Push ups - 472/1,000

My food for today was as follows......




Blueberry and coconut milk shake with Chia seeds, GOL Raw Fiber Blend, GOL perfect food protein powder





Fresh grapefruit juice, ginger and my LACV mix




Fresh spinach, cucumber, parsley and celery juice from Hubbell and Hudson





Cucumbers, homemade bean and veggie salad and EZ bread with avocado



Chia seed pudding - 1 tbsp of chia seeds, truvia, vanilla extract, wheat germ, water, strawberries, banana and apple...SOOOO GOOD!





Bison and Black bean chili with toasted tortillas and greek yogurt




My evening greens mix before bed! Sorry for the crazy nighttime hair but you want reality - there you have it. :)

My snacks today were red grapes, my teas and apple with natural PB along with some bites of my husband's pre workout snack of PB on EZ muffin and applesauce.......it was good! Michaela liked it too!

November 1st Challenge 10/26 Results!

WOD : 14.5 miles on the Lemond - 48:07 mins / ARPM - 79 - Interval ride today with several long climbs along with a 3 mile walk - 44:24 mins - 17.5  miles total 

ST was 100 military pushups and 200 reps of oblique and ab work 

New Totals for our November 1st Challenge - 

Jen - Miles - 46.67/100

Push ups - 421/1,000

Micah - Miles - 39.64/100

Push ups - 372/1,000

My food for today was as follows......

Egg White omelet with chia seeds and avocado along with my LACV drink

Fennel and beet juice with my bean salad from yesterday and a grilled chicken breast.

Vitamineral Green, Earth and my fennel and beet juice - no, it does not taste good! :)

Ezekiel bread with natural PB and simply fruit along with scrambled egg whites as salsa.

Protein shake with strawberries, peaches, chia seeds and coconut milk

My snacks today were a few red grapes, 1 piece of EZ bread with PB and apple with PB. Teas were White Chai, Green tea and Oolong that I drank throughout the day with my LACV.

November 1st Challenge 10/25 Results!

Staying strong....one week to go!

Here was my fuel for today....



Morning LACV drink with RWK cranberry juice, aloe, fresh ginger...so good!


Ezekiel bread with natural PB and simply fruit jelly. Greek yogurt, Bobs high fiber blend, wheat germ, Chia seeds, Ezekiel granola and strawberries.





Fennel, red kale, ginger, beet, celery, cucumber, carrot, apple and parsley juice!




Bean and Veggie salad for lunch....details on previous blog.




Post workout snack- raw oats, oatbran, chia seeds, apple and coconut milk





Dinner was more of the veggie and bean salad, apple and 1 piece of Ezekiel bread with avocado and red onion.




More fresh juice I made today.



I was still hungry.....Protein shake with banana, strawberries, pineapple and soy milk. Protein was garden of life and SunWarrior.


Workout for today : 15 miles on the Lemond - 45:09 forgot to check my final ARPM...last I checked before stopping it was 89 but that was before my last climb.

2 min push up challenge day 2. Yesterday I did my first 2 min push challenge but I did not know we were not supposed to rest out of the upper plank position. You MUST hold the military or upper plank pushup position while taking a break from your sets. My number was much lower than yesterdays, which was 64. Today I did 51 military push ups in 1:25 mins then my arms broke to the ground so the count ended. I love this exercise and I cannot wait to see how I improve my 2 min score by December 17th which is when the final numbers are due.

After my bike ride and the 51 push ups I did a quick TRX, Medicine ball and DB workout with a few core exercises and of course more military push ups!

TRX Bicep curl - 30 reps
TRX Back Row - 30 reps
TRX Tricep extension - 30 reps
TRX Back fly - 30 reps
Push ups - 100 reps reps all military
Side planks - 30 reps
Balance Ball Bridge - 30 reps
Reverse V leg raise or  reverse scissors on balance ball - 30 reps
Standing fire hydrants - 30 reps for each leg
Medicine ball chops - 30 reps with 10 lb MB
Side MB chops - 30 reps with 10 lb MB
DB Bicep curl pyramid - 90 reps total - 30 reps of each weight set
20 lb DB's
8 lb DB's
10 lb DB's ...while walking up stairs...ha!

New Totals for our November 1st Challenge -

Jen - Miles - 29.17/100
Push ups - 321/1,000

Micah - Miles - 22.14/100
Push ups - 322/1,000

What's for lunch?

How are you fueling your body today?

Here is my lunch.... Swiss card, green beans, roasted red peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, sweet red peppers, celery, onion, kidney beans mixed with a little garlic hummus and balsamic dressing.







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

November 1st Challenge 10/24 Results!

Awesome day. Spent this beautiful night with the two loves of my life. Workout was strong today, ate well and I feel wonderful.

Someone on FB was asking me about my meals each day so I thought I would get back to posting pics of my foods. They change daily depending on what it is that I am doing but overall, I am a creature of habit! You can be sure there will be.....my LACV drinks, tons of greens, Ezekiel bread, oats,  natural PB or almond butter, quinoa, black beans or some other form of bean, egg whites, strawberries, apple,  protein shakes and greek yogurt on most days.

Here was my fuel for today.....I was set to juice tonight but I am just too tired. Going to get in one last jar of greens after my bath just before bed. Perfect way to end the day!

Breakfast - Oats, oatbran, chia seeds, apple and coconut milk along with 3 egg whites scrambled.

 Protein shake - 1/2 scoop of each protein powder, 1/2 banana, strawberries and coconut milk

 Lunch - Ezekiel bread with 1/2 avocado with red onion and Mrs Dash fiesta lime seasoning and 1 plum.

 Snack - 1/2 pita with natural PB and simply fruit jelly.

Greens mix - Water, Pure Cranberry Juice, Aloe, HealthForce Nutrtionals Earth and Vitamineral Green, Greens Plus berry green mix

Dinner - Black Soy beans with pico and avocado.


My workout was fast, but effective. I did 4.17 miles with my baby girl in the stroller - just walking, no running today. Then I came home and did my lower body workout and the rest of my push ups.

Leg workout for today - FAST....less than 20 mins easy.

100 Full Squats.
100 Sumo Squats
100 Skaters
100 Jump Squats
100 Hammer Punch Lunges ( 50 reps for each leg)

That is it!! So simple but you WILL feel an amazing burn!! In addition to this I did another 84 push ups for my 1,000 challenge.

Great day! Loved each and every minute. Blessings to you all......

Totals as of today for our challenge -

Jen - Miles - 14.17/100
Push ups - 221/1,000

Micah - Miles - 22.14/100
Push ups - 222/1,000

November 1st Challenge 10/23 Results!

Now that I reached my 12 by 12 goal, I am ready for a new challenge, big surprise I know :) I am always reaching for new things and this time is no exception. I set a goal on August 1st to lose another 12 lbs by my 12th wedding anniversary which is December 21st.  I reached this goal far sooner than I could have dreamed! It was the morning of October 20th that I stepped on the scale and reached a major goal in my weight loss journey.

I still have more goals this year in terms of my weight but that will have to wait for now. I am going to aim for another 5 lbs before the end of the year, but it is not my main focus. Over the next few days my husband and I are embarking on a new challenge. One that does not involve weight but rather fitness.

From now until November 1st we are aiming for 100 miles of running, walking and biking along with completing 1,000 pushups ( all military).

We are also challenging ourselves to continue the greens and cleansing drinks we have been making in the mornings and before we go to bed.  It makes such a huge difference in our overall health and wellbeing.

So as of today our totals are as follows -

Miles -
Jen - 10/100
Micah - 11/100

Push ups -
Jen - 137/1,000
Micah - 122/1,000

For my ST today I did a fantastic workout.  Fast, only 30 mins but very effective. I LOVE lifting lighter with higher reps these days. It is really leaning me out far more so then when I was doing my P90X and Cathe with heavy weights.  Yes there are still days where I will go heavier but for me, maybe it is just my body type but whatever it is that I am doing is working BIG TIME! The tape measure and scale are in agreement with me!

Here is my fast ST workout for today -

Total of 137 push ups - all military - NO knees! Did 112 during my ST then the rest was this evening during dinner etc...

MB wood chops - 50 reps with a 10 lb Medicine Ball
Sumo squats with front shoulder raise - 50 reps with 5 lb DB's
Bicep curls to overhead shoulder press - 50 reps with 8 lb DB's
Balance Ball T to I combo - also known as reverse flys on balance ball - 50 reps with 3 lb DB's
Leaning tower front to side raise combo - 50 reps for each arm using 5 lb DB's

Cardio was 10 miles on the Lemond with 2 strong climb intervals - ARPM - 83

Just do something...

Goals for this week while recovering...

Last week was an interesting one. We did very well on our challenge and my husband lost some weight, as did I. The fitness goal last week was smashed on my end as I got sick - AGAIN! So this past week I was not able to do anything. I am on antibiotics and resting as much as I can. I am really hoping to rid my body of this infection soon. My ears and throat are still giving me fits but overall my energy is getting better each day.

I still have goals I want to reach this week more than you know! I only have 1.4lbs left until I reach my goal weight that was set for my 12 by 12 challenge on August 1st. This challenge was to lose 12 lbs by my 12th wedding anniversary which is in December. I am hoping to lose the rest of the weight this week while my husband is gone to Singapore on business so I can give him a big welcome home and surprise him that I reached my goal. Keeping in mind I cannot workout like normal, it is going to have to be my nutrition that gets me to my goal. I am always VERY strict with my diet but I need to be even more so this week. I really think I can get there - with God's strength!

I do want to aim for some fitness this week but it will be light as I do not want to overdo things as I did the weeks before I got sick.

Here is my "sick" workout plan for this week. I HATE not being 100% well, but I know that God will hear my prayers and will help me feel amazing in no time!

Sunday - Aim for a 2 mile walk with the stroller - 3.1 miles DONE! Slow but I did them - took me 1:06 to finish. Feeling drained but it was worth it.

Monday - Yoga and a 3 mile walk
Tuesday -  3 mile walk and if possible 30 mins on spin bike
Wednesday - 60 mins on bike - break it up if needed - just get the time in
Thursday - REST - Husband comes home today!!!!
Friday - 3 mile walk
Saturday - 6 - 8 mile run/walk if I can and feel ok.

And so another challenge begins TODAY!

I find it funny how driven I become with set challenges. There is something about setting goals, posting them for all to see, and then remaining accountable to not only your self but those around you. To me, it is one of the biggest things that motivates me to keep pressing on month after month, year after year.

My husband and I want to get back to our green days when we were juicing like mad and drinking all kinds of weird yet wonderful mixtures I was creating. We are starting a detox or cleanse if you will this week. Nothing formal, no set plan from a book or so on, just getting back to what we were doing before our vacation. We are both very close to our set goals for this year and want to work hard this week to get a jump start on them.

My husband has a business trip coming up to Asia, more specially Singapore and those who have been there know it is food heaven! Definitely one of our favorite places to eat around the world. Thai, Indian, Malay, Indonesian, Chinese....you name it!! But it is better than anything you have had before - anywhere - I promise! Anyways, he wants to really get down to business this week on his diet before leaving and I am going to join him! The couple that juices together is a happy couple :)

So the plan is as follows. Every morning we will wake to drink our hot water with lemon, acv and aloe vera juice. A variation of this is to also add in RWK just cranberry juice and hot pepper. Then after this comes my favorite, the greens!! We will be drinking every morning and night.....for me during the day as well, the amazing green products from HealthForce Nutrtionals - Vitamineral Green and Spirulina Manna. In the evening we will be drinking HealthForce Nutrtionals Earth, Juicing and ending the day with more lemon water, acv and aloe vera.

Of course there will be our meals throughout the day these will include loads of quinoa, organic omega eggs, brown rice, beans, all veggies, fruits, Ezekiel breads, Salmon, Wild Dover Sole.....etc. You know just really good whole foods, not focusing on Vegan or Vegetarian but rather getting back to my eat clean days where my focus was on eating foods in their natural state, or unprocessed. This is the single biggest factor that has aided my weight loss for all these years.

For fitness my goals this week are a bit different than weeks past. We have so much going on right now and our weekends are packed so the long bike rides are harder for me to get in - however - we did go out for a great long ride this weekend as my parents where here to watch our baby girl. We did over 20 miles and loved each and every second together!

Fitness Goals for this week -

Monday - Run 3 miles / ST with TRX and Cathe
Tuesday - Run 4 miles
Wednesday - 60 mins of Spinervals DVD on Lemond bike and ST with TRX.
Thursday - Run 4 miles
Friday - ST, CrossFit
Saturday -  LSD - 8 miles

I know I STILL have not posted photos from our recent trip, not to mention the before and afters from Paris back in May. I am going to try and get this done this week if possible. My online time is just not what it was before and to be honest, I am so happy about that. There is just so much going on right now - all wonderful things and it keeps me super busy!!

Here is a quick look at a few of our London/Scotland pics from September - more to come I promise!

Running in Scotland, a true dream! Even in the rain!! 

Running around Windsor, we missed getting into the castle as it was closed but the experience of the city and our awesome run was worth the visit! 

Quick Update...

This might look familiar as it is posted on FB, Spark etc....


I have not been online blogging and such in a while as there is SO MUCH going on these days. This past week we were sick including my baby girl. She is all better now but my husband and I are still dragging. Got in 3 miles yesterday and 4 today, it is a slow start back to a normal routine. Some BIG changes are heading our way and we could not be more excited about this time in our life!! Will discuss more details has the weeks progress. 

On my weight loss - only 0.2 more than I was before our vacation to the UK so I am extremely happy. ;) 

Blessings to you all.