What are Your Numbers?

What are Your Numbers?

When you begin your health journey, there are a few variables that you need to consider as you get started. You'll want to know your numbers: (BMR (base metabolic rate), how many calories your burn during your workouts, how many calories you consume, etc.). Nutrition is really essential to your health journey, as it accounts for 80% of your results! Yes, that's right, 80%.

What you eat and how much you eat play a big role. Calories are key! You can track what you eat with a notebook, or you can use an app on your phone, whatever works for you.

One app I love in particular is the My Fitness Pal app (or you can use the website on your computer). I love this app, because it tracks my calories, & the app has a database of a variety of foods (and drinks), plus the option to add your own recipes, & scan the barcodes on food packages for access to the nutrition label inserted directly into your phone.

Don't cheat yourself! Keep track of EVERY bite (and drink with calories) that you put into your body. Samples, crust from little Tommy's pb&j, etc.. Record 'em!

Calories in vs. Calories out

Also, the My Fitness Pal app has a list of physical activities that you can plug in how long you did a specific activity for & it will tell you (approximately) how many calories you burned. The app calculates your calories for you.

OR, if you are like me and mostly do at home fitness programs, you can invest in a heart rate monitor to find out your calories burned during your workouts. Then, you can 'create your own workout' on the My Fitness Pal app, plug in your workout length + how many calories you burned, and it will calculate the calories.

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For Mother's Day last year, my husband bought me a 60beat BLUE Heart Monitor. I've used it multiple times to track the intensity of my runs (I've done a lot of hill running), and my at home workouts. I've also purchased another monitor from Polar, for the ease of hand less monitoring, since it comes with a watch (instead of having to tote my phone for the toggle with the 60beat BLUE Monitor).

Track 'EM!

For awhile now, I've been tracking my calories burned during my at home fitness program workouts. I've decided to post them here! I'm an independent Team Beachbody coach, & love the products because they really do work. There is such a wide variety of workouts, & something for just about everyone!

I've heard some people say they don't think you can get an intense enough workout with an at home fitness program, but I know they are wrong, because I've had great success with at home fitness programs. You can read my transformation story here.

Plus, with at home fitness programs, you can get a really well-rounded workout in (cardio, strength training, and flexibility). The intensity of the Beachbody programs (and with just about any program you do) depends on how hard YOU work, and how badly YOU want results. You can always push yourself a little bit more, use a little (or a lot, but please be careful) heavier weights, go a little bit longer, etc.

The information I provide below about my calorie tracking will probably vary from person to person. I am 5' 2" & weigh around 120 pounds, to give you some background when comparing. You can do a little research on the Internet, if you want to be more accurate for your own tracking. You can purchase your own heart monitor for a relatively inexpensive price.

Also, muscle that you are building during your workouts will actually burn more calories in the long run, than what was recorded by your monitor. I can't give you an estimate for how many more calories that is, but just remember that!

The first program I started keeping track of my calories with a heart rate monitor was with Beachbody's P90X3.

P90X3 is from Tony Horton, and is full of variety included in 16 unique 30 minute work outs. P90X3 is not a graduate program for P90X, and is a great program for those with busy schedules, beginners (since there are modifiers for every move to help you gradually work your way up), & those who like the P90X workouts.

You'll need a few different tools to complete a majority of the workouts. You can use resistance bands in place of hand weights &/or a chin-up bar, a yoga mat, & some 'springy' shoes (Tony recommends court shoes over running shoes, since you will be doing some higher impact moves).

Calories Burned During P90X3

Total Synergistics
Minutes Performed: 31
Calories Burned: 336

 CVX
Minutes Performed: 33
Calories Burned: 437

Agility X
Minutes Performed: 33
Calories Burned: 417

Triometrics
Minutes Performed: 34
Calories Burned: 403

Pilates X
Minutes Performed: 30
Calories Burned: 266
 
X3 Yoga
Minutes Performed: 30
Calories Burned: 191

Incinerator
Minutes Performed: 32
Calories Burned: 316

The Challenge
Minutes Performed: 31
Calories Burned: 272

MMX
Minutes Performed: 33
Calories Burned: 423

The Warrior
Minutes Performed: 30
Calories Burned: 328

Isometrix
Minutes Performed: 30
Calories Burned: 286
 
Dynamix
Minutes Performed: 30
Calories Burned: 290

Decelerator
Minutes Performed: 31
Calories Burned: 318

Accelerator
Minutes Performed: 31
Calories Burned: 370

Eccentric Upper
Minutes Performed: 30
Calories Burned: 297

Eccentric Lower
Minutes Performed: 31
Calories Burned: 316

PiYo is a low-to-no impact workout from Chalene Johnson. It is designed with just about everyone in mind. If you are a beginner, this program is a great way to get started, plus, as with many of the other Beachbody workouts, there is a modifier to help ease you into the moves. Also, if you're into more advanced workouts, PiYo will help your overall fitness, as it increases your flexibility. If you've had an injury, this program is a great way to get you back into working out! Plus, there is no equipment needed!

Calories Burned During PiYo
 
Align: The Fundamentals
Minutes Performed:42
Calories Burned:348

Define: Lower Body
Minutes Performed:27
Calories Burned: 253

Define: Upper Body
Minutes Performed:20
Calories Burned: 175

Sweat
Minutes Performed: 37
Calories Burned: 391

Core
Minutes Performed: 31
Calories Burned: 279

Buns
Minutes Performed:29
Calories Burned: 320

Strength Intervals
Minutes Performed:23
Calories Burned: 272

Drench
Minutes Performed:44
Calories Burned: 642

Sculpt
Minutes Performed: 30
Calories Burned: 301

Stay tuned, because in the future I will add more programs to my blog. I'm in the process of completing Les Mills Combat. I love love love this program! Talk about a non surgical butt lift, for sure!!!

We Want a Diabetic Alert Dog!

More Than Just a Work Dog, It's A Friend

Long post alert, but it's worth it;)

It has been awhile since my last blog post, and I felt it was past due time to update anyone who may have been following my previous blog posts. In the past I have blogged about a variety of topics, including fitness, nutrition, my time in the navy, as well as my experiences being a mom of a type 1 diabetic.

Do you or someone you love, or know have type 1 diabetes?

Many of you may know that my 6-year-old son, Isaac, is a type 1 diabetic. Type 1 diabetes means that my son's pancreas no longer produces insulin, which requires him to get insulin through his insulin pump that he wears at all times. Insulin is the key to our cells, which allows cells to use the carbohydrates we eat as energy. Without the insulin, and thus, without the energy for our cells, we die.

On September 20, it will have been 2 years since Isaac's diagnosis. It has been a quick 2 years, filled with many good, and many not so good days. We have watched him finally gain weight and height. We have gone from injections, and now are using an insulin pump. It's a little less tedious at times, but still a struggle to change his infusion set every 3rd day (as it still involves a needle).

There have been many mornings where he has woken up with wonderful blood sugars, while other mornings (many of them happening in the past couple of days), in the 50s (his blood sugar range I'd like him to wake up around is above 100, but below 200). It has been rough!

Previously, things were going fairly smoothly with Isaac's diabetes (as smoothly as I could hope, considering). Then, life happens, and it may be (and probably is) a variety of factors that come into play.

Stress, growth, activity, and so much more can affect blood sugar, and boy have we had a lot of stress and activity, but still not a lot of growth. I know that he is growing, and I know that all kids grow at their own pace, but it can be disheartening to see the scale sitting at the same number for months. It is also disheartening to hear this 6-year-old shout 'why do I have to have diabetes?!' For a time, I was checking my blood sugar at the same time that Isaac would check his, and it has helped, but I know that he feels alone in his battle. Yes, I see diabetes as a battle, and what I can do for Isaac is to pray, hope for a cure, and give him my love and support.

Recently, my son attended a 1-day diabetes camp, where he got to spend the day with other type 1 diabetics. They did a lot of fun things like horseback riding, digging for gold, leather working, and hiking. When the day was drawing to a close, parents were invited to meet up with the group at a large park, where we were introduced to some diabetic alert dogs, and their trainer, KC Owens, who is also the founder of Tattle Tail Scent Dogs, which breeds and trains dogs to alert for type 1 diabetics (among other needs, as well).

I got so excited listening to KC talk about the dogs she has trained, and occurrences with her own alert dog. Her passion for these dogs, and the importance of the job that the dogs do made me vow that I would get one for Isaac. Not only are these dogs awesome for catching low and high blood sugars earlier than we could, they are incredible companions! Since they are work dogs, they are able to go just about everywhere.

I truly believe that having a diabetic alert dog would help Isaac in so many ways, not only for his low and high blood sugars, but for friendship! He feels so alone, and depressed at times, and I wish we could afford an alert dog now! Since I'm a student, and my husband works full time (many days he works 12 hours) at a low wage to pay the bills, we are working hard to save as much as we can.

The past couple of months have been the craziest for our family. Not one, but both of our old vehicles stopped working, so we drained our savings to purchase a third, and much more reliable vehicle, all at the same time that we decided to buy a house (since our mortgage will be close to what we are paying now for rent).

Being a Team Beachbody coach has helped me during the past year, but life has a way of allocating my time, so I have not focused on helping others as much as I should. I want to do more! I have goals that I want to achieve, including getting a diabetic alert dog for my son!

I love to help others achieve their goals, and Beachbody can help me to achieve my goals through helping others. I employ you (if you have been touched by my son’s story and our longing for a diabetic alert dog) to step forward if you are ready to commit to your health and fitness.

What are your goals? What do you want out of life? Now, what is holding you back?!

You can help us, while I help to support you, and help you to achieve your goals of losing weight, feeling healthier, gaining confidence, and gaining (or regaining) your health.

Send me a message, friend request me on Facebook (Sarah Biesen (Shull)), or visit my website: www.beachbodycoach.com/iib4. I look forward to hearing from you!

My Fitness Journey: An Update

2012

Since it has been close to 2 years since I began my fitness journey, I decided to update my transformation story.

My serious transformation story didn't begin for any particular reason. I wanted to begin working out. I wanted to get into better shape. I didn't think there was anything wrong with the way I looked. I always felt loved, no matter how much I weighed. My husband never criticized my weight, nor did other family or friends. I was content.

Yes, my clothes were getting tighter, and I did notice the numbers on the scale going up, but I don't remember being bothered by that fact. I thought I was keeping active enough. After all, I had a 3-year-old boy that I was keeping up with. At least, that's what I thought. Looking back at the pictures, I wonder how "active" I really thought I was.

 

You know the saying "calories in, calories out"-well, my calories in were quite a bit more than calories out. Ever since our son, Isaac, was born, we were told he was small, and we needed to see a dietician. Heck, from the day he was born, the nurses were forcing formula on him, because they were concerned for his health! We continued to hear it up until only a few months ago, at the age of 6.

 

Well, my husband and I tried to remedy Isaac's weight gain predicament by feeding him donuts, and quite a few other fattening foods over the course of about a year. No wonder I had gained so much weight-I was eating as many donuts as Isaac. I wasn't the one who had a medical condition that prevented me from gaining weight-Isaac did. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in September 2012. His body wasn't able to use all the sugar that we were feeding him. Looking back, we're saddened, because although the sugar wasn't the cause of his diabetes, it certainly wasn't doing his body any favors. If you want to read more about my son's story, you can find it in previous posts, including this one.

 

Since that summer, I've lost close to 40 pounds, and my husband has lost about 20. About 5 years ago, I began using Jillian Michael's at home fitness programs, but I wasn't very consistent. The habit formed, but fizzled out for various reasons. I just wasn't motivated. I moved on to other fitness programs, and then did some month-long challenges. I did a burpee challenge, and various other challenges that focused on different parts of my body, and I slowly trimmed down.

P90X & Focus T25

Sometimes I would be consistent at working out, but I still wasn't motivated. I found my motivational soul-mate workout in P90X a little over a year ago. In fact, I was so motivated by this workout and my Beachbody coach, that I signed up to coach. At first, I didn't really want to coach others, but then I thought about how many lives I could reach, and how many others I could help to live healthier lives.

Nervous about starting Focus T25

After P90X, I began Focus T25, and faithfully did the majority of the workouts at 5:30 in the morning-before my brain knew what I was doing. The workouts were good, but I missed Tony Horton (even though he is a little annoying). I also enjoyed how short the workouts were, and since I was back in school, 25 minutes was a better length of workout.

 

I like my short workouts

 

Clean Eating Support Groups

Around this time, I began hosting clean eating support groups. With these clean eating groups, I provide clean eating recipes, shopping lists formulated from the recipes, as well as providing support, tips, and advice about clean eating. These groups have helped multiple members lose an average of about 1.5 pounds per week just from eating healthier! It's exciting to see lives changed, and healthy habits established. You can learn more about these groups here. You can also check out some of my other clean eating blog posts, including this one, as well as get more healthy awesomeness at my 'like' page, Sarah's Drive, on Facebook.

P90X3

 

P90X3

I decided to try out P90X2, but didn't make it very far before P90X3 came out. My coach had invited me to join another challenge group with her doing either Focus T25 or P90X3, so I decided to snag P90X3 and go for it! Then, a month into the workout, our car decided to retire, and I hurt my back trying to push the car off a tow dolly. So, after a month of recovery, I jumped back into P90X3. And then, one month into Restart #2 of P90X3, my mom surprises me with the Beachbody Ultimate Reset. So, poor P90X3 was postponed for another month before I restarted it. And now, it's safe to say I will finish P90X3 this time...unless some other unforeseen event interrupts P90X3 for a third time.

 

Food for week 1 of the Beachbody Ultimate Reset

Beachbody Ultimate Reset

My journey through the Beachbody Ultimate Reset was a life-changing experience for me. I learned a lot about myself, and the unhealthy relationship I had with food at times. After my Reset, I feel more in control of my eating, and I think before I eat. Nowadays, weeks after finishing, I still don't drink water during most meals. Drinking water during meals dilutes stomach acid making it harder to digest.

 

Another tidbit I've learned, not from the Ultimate Reset, but from the research I do almost daily to become a better fitness and nutrition Beachbody coach, is that you should eat your meat first, and then your salad. This is because it's harder for your body to digest animal protein, and your stomach acids will need to work on that first, instead of being diluted with salad first. You can read about my Beachbody Ultimate Reset journey, beginning with my preparation here.

In the months leading up to my Reset, I had gained about 7 pounds, and I definitely wasn't happy about that! I didn't think I was doing anything differently, except that I was probably stressed, and sitting on my behind more than I should have been. I'd also started having some digestive issues. My mom has always had digestive issues, at least for as long as I can remember.

 

I mentioned the Ultimate Reset to my mom, since it's known for straightening out many of the digestive issues that can complicate our lives. I'd also told my mom about the digestive issues I was having, and how I hoped to, some day in the future, go through the Reset myself. Long story short (you can read about the long story in previous blogs), my mom bought a kit, along with one for me! My mom lost over 15 pounds, and I lost 9 (which was about 7% of my body weight). 

 

Now

Since the completion of my Reset, I took up running again, and do that twice a week in addition to my P90X3 workouts. I recently began using the MyFitnessPal app on my phone to map my caloric intake, as well as output. My husband bought me a heart monitor for Mother's Day, so I've been mapping my calories using that. Unfortunately, that heart monitor was having a few issues, so we purchased another one, so I could continue mapping the calories burned from my workouts.

I've completed P90X3, & have since then completed the 3-Day Refresh, which is a 3-day cleanse (kinda like a mini Ultimate Reset), Chalene Johnson's PiYo (low-to-no impact, but amazing sweat with Pilates, yoga, body weight training, & flexibility), and P90X2.

 Yes, I'm a free coach, and I take helping others seriously!

 

new heart monitor!

 

Do you want support?

If you want help getting started on your fitness journey, I would love to help you! Together, we'll help you make a plan, and find what works for you!

 

www.beachbodycoach.com/iib4