How I Failed at the 21 Day Fix

You read that right. This is the story of how I failed at my attempt at the 21 Day Fix six weeks after having a baby. 

I started off the week strong. I had my meal plan all ready to go, and what I thought was enough food in the house. Hillary kept her cool during my workouts, making the perfect little cheerleader!

By the middle of the week, she would stay napping after our afternoon walks long enough for me to breeze through Autumn's 30 minute videos.

Towards the end of the week, I started having problems. I couldn't eat all of the food. Say what?! Yeah, it was too much food. I wasn't getting in my allotted intake, which left me feeling like a failure. It's not that I wasn't hungry, it's that I was trying to manage a fussy baby, while trying to eat almost every 3 hours just to get all of the food in. Overwhelmed was the perfect way to describe how I was feeling. 

Then Hillary decided she didn't want to let Mom have her 30 minute sweat sessions. I was being interrupted constantly, turning a quick workout into a constant try to workout-pause-try again-pause.

Even though I struggled with my food and continuous exercising, I still managed to lose 4 pounds in that first week!

The following week I tried. Really, I did! Exhaustion and a deep feeling of being overwhelmed got the best of me, though. I gave up. 100% honesty here! I'm not perfect (just in case any of you are thinking I am). I have my ups and downs, and motherhood is getting the best of me. I had every intention of going back to work being almost at my pre-baby weight. Not even close, and I start work Tuesday. But I'm not going to let that initial failure keep me down! 

This time I have an easy meal plan in place. All foods that I've prepared ahead of time and are easy to eat with one hand. A busy mom has to learn how to adjust with a finicky infant in her arms! My first attempt was a learning experience. Just because I'm home with Hillary doesn't necessarily mean I have time to cook fantastic meals. But it does mean I can still eat healthy, easy, quick meals that are good for both of us! 

Here is my meal plan for the coming week. It's very boring, but I know these foods will be super easy for me to stick with. I have my egg muffins, chicken, venison, and quinoa bars already made. Some days I don't get all of the allotted food in, but I'm not letting that stress me out. I'm plugged in to a higher calorie bracket due to the fact that I'm nursing, so I feel like there's a little wiggle room. I'm also "splurging" and eating a serving of lactation cookies every night. I'm trying to amp up my milk production since Hillary will be in daycare two days a week and my body doesn't respond well to the pump. 

So there you have it. I lost a grand total of 7 pounds in 21 days. (Thank goodness for breastfeeding.. what I'm chalking those other 3 pounds up to.) I'm not going to get down on myself, though. I'm only human. And I have this tiny human to care for (while keeping my sanity), who is far more important than losing X amount of weight in 3 weeks. My new goal? Successfully complete the 21 Day Fix, feel more confident, and don't be too hard on myself!

New Addition and Maternity Leave

At 4:30am on Tuesday, July 29, 2014, my water officially broke. Finally!! Nearly 40 long weeks later, we have action!! I labored at home for several hours, leaving us with the hour drive to the hospital. That was fun... Long story short, by 9:18pm, our family had increased by one!

In active labor at this point.

Meet Miss Hillary Jane! She entered the world screaming, but calmed down long enough for an adorable photo. She weighed 7lbs 10oz and was 20 1/4in long. I will be honest in saying we were totally expecting a boy, so she was a HUGE surprise!

Miss Hillary Jane

 Now our world is filled with pink, purple, and all things girly! 

Sleeping during tummy time

I am loving my maternity leave and being able to watch her grow a little bit every day. It's so crazy to see the changes she makes from one day to the next. At 7 weeks old, she is getting to the point where she wants to smile and interact more. So what do we do while Dad is at work? Watch the 21 Day Fix infomercial! Girlfriend loved learning a bit about what Mom does (see that smile?!).

Lazy Sunday with my love

Initially, Mike and I were super nervous about my nine week maternity leave. We have always used my income from Beachbody to pay off debt. Our steady paychecks from working traditional jobs pay for day living/bills, so it's nice to have supplemental income to chip away at those loans at a faster rate. 

Well, lucky for us, I am able to work from home while watching our little princess. I continue to run challenge/accountability groups, while helping others reach their health and fitness goals. Having this once supplemental income be enough to subsidize my paychecks takes a huge weight off of our shoulders. We are continuing with our usual bills, as well as medical bill incurred while hospitalized. All from the comfort of my own home, while loving on a newborn. I am BEYOND lucky for this opportunity!

Maternity Paychecks

Now I don't show this to brag, as there are many coaches earning far more than me. I'm displaying this so you can see what is possible. What would you do with an extra $200 a week? What about more? Would you choose to stay home with your kids? Travel? Pay off debt? I am able to enjoy my maternity leave thanks to Beachbody. Then, once that is over, I will continue to pay off debt. 

Even greater than this, I am helping people change their lives! With each of these paychecks, it shows the individuals who are choosing to live a healthy lifestyle. They are eating well, exercising, and enjoying life. (Seriously... they tell me they this!) 

If you have a passion for health and fitness and want to change lives, Beachbody is the company for you! Take control and be your own boss! I promise, you won't regret it!!

Apply here to be a coach on my team!

Reality Check

So here's the deal. I've been MIA. So much for being a source of motivational support. If I couldn't motivate you via Facebook, it wasn't going to happen. How crappy of me is that?! Then I realized…

My reality check was like a kick to the head. How am I suppose to be the best person of influence/coach/source of accountability if I'm not present? NOT POSSIBLE! But here's what's going to go down in the next few paragraphs: updates about how I've been, what I've been doing, and my promise to NOT be a slacker. Sound ok?



1) The 21 Day Fix while pregnant: I SUCKED at it. Yup, totally admitting it. My intolerance for a lot of foods took control over me. Pregnancy is HARD. I never expected it to be like this. I thought I would be able to continue eating right, working out, and keeping slender while ONLY my belly grew. Why didn't anyone slap me on the forehead like they do in the V8 commercials?  I honestly try my hardest, but man, sometimes a girl just needs a bowl of honey nut Cheerios! I also am unable to exercise daily, especially now towards the end. Some days after being on my feet for 8-10 hours , wrestling giant dogs and grumpy cats non-stop, I would just shut down. On the other hand, I consider all the walking I've done while at work to have helped GREATLY!

How I felt during every workout

2) Pregnancy status: At almost 36 weeks pregnant, I am still feeling pretty decent. I tend to get swelling in my feet if I sit for too long (they look great when I'm up walking/moving!). Today marked the day where I officially had to remove my wedding and engagement rings. I think I did pretty well with that one! The baby has been trying to bust out via elbowing and kneeing my sides. That's fun. Not. We are getting to the point where the baby's room is almost done which is exciting! The best part was doing all of the laundry. That smell + a room full of clean diapers = heavenly :)

An awesome onesie a fellow coach sent me. Couldn't be any more perfect!

3) Beachbody business: A couple of weeks ago I officially made the status of One Star Diamond. What does that mean? It says that not only am I helping individuals achieve their health and fitness goals, but I am also helping other coaches grow their businesses. It's a HUGE accomplishment that makes me SO proud to have such an amazing team. Definitely couldn't do it without them!!! I'm getting ready to start another 21 day challenge group on Monday, as well as a coach basics group. What is a coach basics group? It is a close Facebook group where myself and a few other coaches teach new coaches how to be rockstars. I've never hosted with other coaches before, so I'm loving the prep for it in the mixing of different mindsets and leadership skills. We are going to produce some STELLAR coaches!

Two One Star Diamond Coaches + Two Diamond Coaches = Kick Ass Coach Basics Group

4) Why I'm not going to be a slacker anymore: I realized that more than even though I'm pregnant, I'm still a coach! I still REALLY want to inspire, motivate, and help people achieve their health and fitness goals. Even though I feel like I'm being pulled a million directions at once right now, nothing is more important than making people feel better about themselves. I can put my emotions on hold to help people realize that achieve their dreams IS possible, and I SO look forward to being someone's positive role model. My goal for the month of July is to help at least 15 people start with their journey towards a healthier lifestyle. Want to help this mama-to-be achieve her goals? Shoot me an email, comment below, or find me on Facebook! I'd LOVE to help, but remember… no quick fixes, no magic pills, no weird wraps. It's all about hard work and dedication, but I PROMISE to keep you on point :)

Why Shakeology is the Bee's Knees

First of all, what the heck is Shakeology?

Nutrition Simplified

Shakeology is a MEAL REPLACEMENT shake that is the brainchild of the Beachbody company. The biggest misconception is that it's a protein shake. NOPE! It's so much more than that! It is jam packed with vitamins and nutrients that we (as crazy busy folks) typically don't include in our daily diets. The shakes include probiotics, digestive enzymes, antioxidants, preboiotics, vitamins, minerals, amino acids… the list goes on!  Shakeology is SO nutrient-dense, it's like eating SIX salads… except it tastes like a chocolate peanut butter cup or strawberry banana smoothie or snickerdoodle cookie. YES! There are special ways to mix up the shakes that have them tasting like dessert! 

Why do I love Shakeology?

I'll be real with you, I use to have HORRIBLE eating habits. I was always feeling like I needed a nap, was bloated, had crappy skin/hair/nails, felt sluggish while working, was irregular (yup, I'm talking about poop people!), and was extremely moody. So what changed? I started eating healthier and replacing one meal or snack a day with chocolate Shakeology.

By making this change, I noticed a significant difference in my appearance (longer nails, clearer skin, and less damage to my hair), had more energy, and felt more stable mentally… though my husband will probably argue with that one. I also pooped every single day. That may not seem impressive to many people, but as someone who use to only poo a few times a week, it was like the skies opened up and heaven rained down upon me!

Why am I so PRO-Shakeology?

It's an easy solution! Why stop by a fast food chain, coffee house, or gas station to get breakfast on the go when you can have a meal loaded with a day's worth of vitamins and nutrients for the same price? There's no need to skimp on nutrition because of convenience. Seriously, throw a scoop of Shakeology into a shaker cup, mix with water or almond milk, and go! If you're not in a hurry, throw in some spices, fruit, ice, peanut butter, etc to change up the flavor and keep you from getting bored. Personally, I'd rather have a glass of Shakeology keeping me full and giving me energy vs. grabbing a package of mini donuts and soda that has me feeling hungry and ready for a nap within an hour.

Shakeology is also completely NATURAL. Unlike almost every single other meal replacement shake available, it's not bogged down with artificial ingredients and chemicals just to keep the cost down. It tastes good naturally! It is absolutely AMAZING the way you can feel when you give your body the ingredients that were made to fuel it efficiently. 

Most of my friends think I'm nuts when I talk about how much I love this stuff. Seriously,  how could changing one thing make me feel so amazing? I can talk about it until I'm blue in the face, but until you actually EXPERIENCE what Shakeology can do for YOU, you will never know!

I encourage you to at least TRY Shakeology to see how it can benefit you. Yes, even those of you that claim you hate "drinking" your meals. How about you "drink" your snack instead? (Yup, I'm being a smartass…) I ALWAYS have samples available if you'd like to give it a shot prior to committing to purchasing an entire bag. What could be easier on you (and your wallet) than trying Shakeology?! ;)

Comment below or e-mail me for more information and sample flavors!

 

Pregnancy and the 21 Day Fix

Let me just stop and take a moment to reflect on how HORRIBLE my eating habits have been for the past month. 

It all started when I went to Florida to visit Mike's dad. Talk about amazing food! I let everything slide and ate whatever I wanted. Returning to Indiana meant coming back to reality, but now I had tasted the sweet, sweet temptations… and all hell was about to break loose!

Huge Ice Cream Sunday in Florida

So after we got home, Mike went right back to his healthy eating of loads of veggies, fruit, and protein. I, on the other hand, kept wanting all of the yummy splurge meals we had while away. Sure, I'd snack on fruits and carrots while eating a turkey sandwich. Those healthy meals weren't as frequent as they should have been, though! Indulging in pancakes, ice cream, pizza, and french fries got pretty common!

Healthy vs. Unhealthy Dinner

Realistically, I'm pregnant. Who cares if I gain weight?

Umm… me?!!!

I had been on a gradual incline at all of my previous OB appointments. I felt ok but large in the belly. Go figure! Now I am getting to the point where my face looks fuller, my arms aren't as tone, my pants are tighter in my thighs, and I'm getting my saddlebags back. Oh hell no! This has to STOP before it gets any worse!

This ridiculous weight gain is what lead me to do the 21 Day Fix while pregnant. While the program is a diet and exercise plan, it's main focus is helping folks deal with portion control. Basically, it's screaming my name! I have been doing some of the workouts on my own (pretty much when I'm not exhausted) but thought the nutrition portion should best be left until post-baby. I mean heck, this is my time to let loose. 

21 Day Fix Program

Except I let loose a little too much.

Therefore, tomorrow I will be diving in to this awesome program! 

So how does it work, especially considering I'm pregnant? When you purchase the program, you are given an exercise schedule to match up with the dvds that you received. You're also given an eating plan that tells you how many containers you can eat per day based on your caloric needs. The containers are color-coded which makes meal planning super easy. 

21 Day Fix Containers

After calculating how many calories I should be eating a day, I figured out how many containers I get. It really is WAY less intense than it sounds.  For the program, I get to eat between 1800-2099 calories a day. That's right, loads of HEALTHY calories to help this tiny human grow! 

This means:

5 Green containers

3 Purple containers

5 Red containers

4 Yellow containers

1 Blue container

1 Orange container

5 Teaspoons (for oils, peanut butter, etc)

That is a LOT of food folks!! Plus, it's all nutritious… something the tiny human will thank me for!

I made my weekly meal plan to help break it down even more.

21 Day Fix Meal Plan

You might notice this doesn't follow the allotment to a T. While I do get 3 Yellow containers a day, one is to limit their milk intake to three times a week. The tiny human has me going through about a gallon a week, so I had to be realistic. I am knocking it down and replacing some with water, but I want that daily milk intake. If my body says I need it, I'm going to listen! That's why I'm mixing it with my Shakeology every day.  The orange containers are dressings, nuts, etc. Three times a week, you are allowed to replace them with something small and sweet, like chocolate covered raisins. Since the tiny human has intensified my sweet tooth, I'm allowing a small daily snack to keep myself at bay. I would much rather allow myself a small splurge than go nuts and eat a pint of ice cream. Which has been my usual routine. I am also not eating all of my teaspoons, as I usually never cook in oil. (Mike hates it, but I throw that stuff in a dry skillet and pray for a small amount of smoke!) 

So there you have it. That's how a pregnant lady plans on doing the 21 Day Fix! I will also add that most of the exercises will have to be modified, as I cannot do any ab work. If it calls for me to lay on my belly, I'll do some yoga stretching instead. That should help me in a few more months!

I will definitely be sure to keep my progress updated. And just to avoid confusing/criticism, I am NOT doing this program to lose weight! I am doing this program to get myself back on track, watch my portions, limit my sweets, and eat more veggies! What I've put on is what I will have to deal with until post-tiny human. However, if I can keep it from piling on, I am sure as hell going to try!

20 Weeks and Counting!

A lot has changed since my last post! First off, I'm getting bigger! The tiny human can officially be felt externally when it kicks. It also REALLY likes to punch/kick my bladder. We've had some serious discussions about how Mommy doesn't appreciate those particular movements. Secondly, I visited a neurologist who said I no longer need to do heparin injections. The neurologist did a complete exam (along with some bloodwork), stating that if he didn't know my history, he never would have guessed that I had a stroke 3 years ago. Score! He also noted that I do not need a scheduled c-section due to increased risk for having another stroke. This little lady is super pumped! 

20 Week Belly

So now I get to "enjoy" the rest of my pregnancy. Today was my 20 week appointment, which means I had my anatomy scan ultrasound. Mike and I decided to wait until d-day to learn the gender of the baby, but it was still fun seeing it on the screen! My tiny human is already pretty stubborn. It refused to slip over so the ultrasound tech could get a good view of the spine. At one point, the tech pushed the probe on my belly to get it to move… and we watched the little stinker use both legs to forcefully kick where she was poking. "Bug off, lady!" is totally what it was saying! I can already see our stubborn personalities colliding one day… 

The doctor did mention that everything looks great. The tiny human is weighing in at 11oz, and is in the 61% grouping for size. Average is 50%, so it's a little bigger than average. With parents like Mike and me, I wouldn't expect any less! There's no way this kid is going to be small! Since everything with the tiny human (and me) looks so good, along with the neurologist taking me off heparin/stating I don't need a scheduled c-section, I officially got moved from a high-risk pregnancy status to low-risk! I even watched him mark it on the paper!! Super fabulous news :)

Tiny Human

My growing belly is still leading to some body image issues. I know, I know… it's suppose to be growing (especially with it being 11 oz!!). Now that I'm starting to look a little more pregnant it's getting better, but I still hate wearing anything other than my scrubs or sweatpants. Plus, maternity pants just aren't that comfortable! 

I've also started discovering how difficult it's getting to move around while working. Bending and twisting in to weird positions to restrain animals isn't as fun as it was a few months ago! I also get out of breath walking from one side of the clinic to the other. It's nuts!

Toes!

Since I've noticed some problems with my breathing, I've started exercising more. While I do have to modify some, I'm amazed at how well I can usually keep up! Thirty minutes a day is totally doable, especially when my cravings tend to get the best of me regarding my diet. I'm also trying to encourage others to join in with me. As a Beachbody coach, I'm always trying to get others on track with their health and fitness, but this month is a little different.

One of my fellow coaches was recently diagnosed with stage four Hodgkins Lymphoma. She is an awesome coach, mom, teacher, and overall person, so I'm going to do anything I can to help. That's why, for the month of March, I am helping raise money to help contribute to her charity of choice (the Mario Lemieux Foundation). Whenever someone signs up with to participate in one of my challenge groups with the purchase of a challenge pack (an exercise program + 30days worth of Shakeology), I am donating some of my commission in her honor. 

A couple other coaches and myself are hosting a challenge group that starts March 24th. I'm really excited about this group, as I want to get TONS of people involved so I have more to donate in her honor! So you might be wondering what exactly a challenge group entails. Well, it's a 60 day group that takes place from the comfort of your own home. You will be added to a closed Facebook group (meaning only the folks in the group can see what you post) where you are given daily assignments that will keep you motivated and on track during the challenge. We focus on balancing daily life, fitness, nutrition… all while making it as fun as possible! I love these groups because they give you a place to go for support, motivation, and accountability.  If you're interested in learning more about joining the March 24th group, please e-mail me at k.pivowar@gmail.com  

Great cause for a great gal!

Pregnancy Thus Far (14 weeks)

Many of you reading this may already know that my husband and I are expecting a new addition to our family in early August 2014. This will be our first two-legged child! So now I'm going to go in to how pregnancy has been treating me...

I found this shirt, which is very similar to to the Insanity shirt I earned upon completing that program, to announce our new addition. This was a perfect way considering how invested I have become with Beachbody and my job as a coach!

Unfortunately, I have to give myself twice daily heparin injections. This is a blood thinner that I have been placed on due to my stroke history. I bruise very easily the way it is, but putting me on a blood thinner makes it worse! Luckily, the bruising is minimal, but still… this ain't pretty! Along with this, I am unable to drink my Shakeology, as the vitamin K content is too high for my doctor's liking. As much as I would like to go against doctor's orders (I miss my Shakeo!!!), I realized I can't put my wants first anymore. Along with this, you'll notice my fabulous blanket. We have become best friends, as I nap SO much! Partially blaming pregnancy, the other is due to the heparin.

 Nausea hit me VERY hard around 7-8 weeks along. I had to take generic Zofran every 4 hours just to be able to function. I was fortunate in that I never physically got sick, but sometimes I wish I would have! I am very lucky in that one of my coworkers makes phenomenal ginger snap cookies, of which I purchased a package to use for medicinal purposes :)

I have been having some pretty strange cravings since day 1. Unfortunately, my tiny human isn't a huge fan of the food I typically ate pre-pregnancy. By that, I mean it hates vegetables and chicken… which is what I LIVED off of! Since eating vegetables wasn't an option, I drank a lot of V8 Fusion fruit/vegetable juice to get my daily intake. I have slowly been able to start adding vegetables in my diet (baby carrots are a great snack right now), however unless it is covered in bbq or hot sauces, I still can't do chicken! Some of the things I have been craving include: chips and queso, Fruity Pebbles (or any cereal really), Skittles, milk, root beer, oranges and orange juice, and pizza. Now I am to the point where nothing sounds good until I start eating it. The husband really hates that… makes prepping for dinner VERY difficult!

My skin has become super sensitive, more specifically the tops of my hands. I wash my hands too many times a day to count, and the soap at work did this to me. It turns very red and raw, followed by dry and cracking/bleeding. I had to purchase a calming soap to take to work, which has helped a little. Before bed, I coat the tops of my hands and fingers with triple antibiotic ointment, which has been a miracle! Luckily, the rest of my skin (minus a few facial outbreaks) has tolerated pregnancy pretty well!

A friend of mine allowed me to borrow a bunch of her maternity clothes. She is much smaller than me naturally, however she was nearing the end of her pregnancy in the summer/fall last year, making the clothes perfect for me right now. Mike and I are going south Florida in a few weeks for a friend's wedding, so I need warm weather clothes! These are some maternity capris that are BEYOND comfortable! However, as I was trying on the clothes, I had a moment of panic. I have always carried my extra weight around my midsection - this is what I worked so hard to lose (most of anyway) prior to the tiny human. Upon trying on these pants, it was a mental tug-of-war between knowing that my tummy is suppose to be getting bigger vs. my normal mentality of keeping that area hidden. Mike came in the room, saw me like this, and stated with a smile on his face, "Look at the belly!" I instantly started crying so hard that I hyperventilated. Luckily, he was sweet and talked me off the ledge, but it's a mental hurdle that will take me a while to overcome. My hopes are that when I start to look pregnant to people who don't already know I'm pregnant, I'll be ok. It is so hard being at that point where it could go either way between extra fluff and pregnancy. One friend told me if I felt self conscious, keep my hand on my belly, as that's a sure sign that you're making a tiny human. Note taken!!