Week #1 of Insanity

Well, I've made it through the first week of Insanity. You get to rest on Sundays; however, we need to get a distance run in. But honestly, a flat 6-mile run will seem like a piece of cake after the last six days!

Today's workout was actually the same as Tuesdays. I was happy to see that I did better this time. I still had to stop a few times and rest, but I actually made it through the first several intervals without stopping. So improvement after just a few days! Yeah!

Mark did the workout with me this morning. It was quite a sight watching us workout to a DVD in the living room while dodging the pets running around with their toy mousies. I was secretly happy that he also had to stop a few times and rest. Cardio seems to come so easily for him, I tend to get discouraged when he's so much better than me at athletic feats.

On day #15 you re-take the fitness test. I will also weigh-in and check measurements. I won't expect miracles after 15 days, but hopefully I'll see some changes! The program comes with a nutrition plan as well. I'm not really following it because it involves a lot of protein powder--and I'm not really a fan. I'd rather get my protein through natural sources (fish, nuts, flax, soy, beans, etc.). With the nutrition classes I'm taking, our nutrition is pretty solid right now.

I'm feeling great!

Follow Your Passion - The Fit Life is Born

It's been awhile since I posted a blog. I've been holding out for this one. It's taken some prep work! And then there were some unavoidable delays (i.e. trip to the emergency room, followed by some time off work). But now I'm ready.

This blog is to announce another new chapter of my life--The Fit Life. I have officially "given birth" (figuratively--it doesn't hurt so much that way) to a new fitness company called The Fit Life, LLC. And, I have once again given up my steady, 40-hour a week desk job to pursue my passion--fitness, health and nutrition.

This life is not new to me. I've done this before (only the first time I gave up a really high-paying federal government career and tried to make it in Washington D.C.--and later California--with a start-up company). But this time I'm entering into this new path with my own life being a bit more stable. I'm no longer living in one of the most expensive states in the country. I'm married to a wonderful husband who is very supportive of my new venture (and has good health insurance), and I'm a little older and a little wiser this time around.

This is not a decision I took lightly. I really had to examine my life and what brings me pleasure. I've come to realize that I am just not meant to sit at a desk. It's not the way I was made. I am happy when I'm active all day. I'm happy when I'm up early in the morning exercising as the sun comes up.

I studied for and passed my personal trainer certification test--which I had let lapse a few years back. I filled out the paperwork to establish The Fit Life as a limited liability company. I enrolled in a holistic nutrition program through the American College of Health Sciences so I can offer one-on-one counseling on holistic nutrition (I will add that service to my company in about a year). I designed my logo and got started on my website. I discussed my plan in detail with my husband. And finally, I officially resigned from my job at children services as of July 30th.



But there's still so much to do! I need to do more work on my website (www.thefitlife.us), keep blogging (The Fit Life, LLC blog will now focus much more on fitness. I'd also like to start a Fitness Q &A blog), market myself like crazy, get more equipment. The list goes on and on--as does the excitement.

I've secured my first official "gig" which is teaching fitness boot camps through the Bellbrook Sugarcreek Park District. Yeah! So exciting!

I've officially deemed August as "Marketing Month!" I will market my rear off! So to all my creative friends out there, I welcome any marketing ideas you have (the more creative, but inexpensive the better). To all my media friends out there, I am so not above asking for a favor! ;o)

How does the saying go? If you love your job, you'll never have to work a day in your life. So here's to putting your passion to work for you! Cheers! There's more to come!

The Harcombe Diet - Day 2 of Phase I: Detoxing

Day one weigh in: 138.9
Day two weigh in: 133.8
What I feel is my healthy weight: 110 - 115

Day two! Wow...all I can say is I must have been retaining a ton of water--a 5.1 pound weight loss in 24 hours!!. While that's extremely encouraging, I don't expect to see results like all five days.

Day two went much better than day one. I didn't even bother with the decaf coffee. Instead I took advantage of the extra time and slept in 20 extra minutes! I felt pretty alert all day. I made sure I brought more food to work so I wouldn't get hungry. I had a luncheon to attend today, so that was a challenge. I had to surpass a lot of cheese and brownies--and settle for just a simple salad with a tiny spoon of dressing (I know it had sugar in it, and I didn't want to ruin my whole detox).

I did start to get a mild headache around 3pm--which is typically the time of day I go in search of chocolate or an afternoon cup of coffee. I'm drinking a lot of herbal tea. I just like having warm liquid to carry around in my mug!

I did manage a workout this evening (unlike last night when I vegged on the couch all evening with a headache). Mark and I did the fitness trail at a local park. It's a mile trail with about 12 strength training stations. I got through it but felt tired without any caffeine in my system. I'm certainly hoping that improves as I get use to being free of caffeine. I'm running a 5k on Saturday, so maybe that will go a little better. At least I got out there and burned some calories--worked some muscles.

I'm still looking forward to adding dairy back in on Saturday. A decaf latte (sugarless, of course) sure sounds good.