1st Refeed Day

So yesterday (2/21/18) was my 1st ever refeed day and I was nervous as heck, but trusting the process!

And to be super proper it was actually a “modified refeed” day.  Refeed days are designed for super athletes, like the ones you see doing competitions who spend hours in the gym, and they eat a butt ton on refeed day.

So basically for six weeks leading up to refeed day I have been depleting my body and been eating just enough calories to stay in maintenance mode.  Refeed day is a way to replenish your energy which ultimately improves exercise performance and results.

Carbs are what gives your body energy.  Your body breaks them down and stores them as glucose (blood sugar).  Your body uses this blood sugar as its primary fuel source. Glycogen are carbohydrates that are stored in your liver and muscles and acts as your body’s back-up fuel source.  80 Day Obsession is hard freakin’ workouts, so your body needs a day to restore and refuel, hints why we have refeed days.

Let’s clear the air on refeed day though… It is NOT a cheat day! It is NOT a free for all day.  It is NOT a day to go ham and stuff your face.  It is a structured eating day where you replace healthy carbs with ones we consider to be “bad”, you know all the white carbs that are processed!

With our 80 Day Obsession meal plan we were told to eat from a “supplemental yellow list”, oh for those of you not in the Beachbody world our yellow container is for carbs.  This list included hotdog buns, hamburger buns, white pasta, white rice, bagels, cereal, white waffles/pancakes, some desserts, and more.

I personally chose not to do any desserts because, well actually a couple of reasons….

1. I have had ZERO cravings since starting this program and I didn’t want to open the flood gate for them.
2. I like to keep my meal prepping super simple and having to make special desserts just didn’t sound like something I wanted to do.
3. You were allowed like 1 or 2 cookies or brownies, I know me, stopping after 1 or 2 is hella hard.
4. I didn’t want to have to buy special ingredients to make the desserts.
5. The recipes we were given makes a lot and I have no self control, if it’s in the house I will sneak it in.

So basically it just made sense for ME to not have desserts right now, but some of my ladies did and they totally enjoyed it.  This is where knowing yourself really comes in to play.  Here is everything I ate yesterday!

For my “dirty carbs” I had plain bagels, white pasta, and a real hamburger bun (not a wheat one).

Morning of refeed day I felt great.  I put on pants that are usually uncomfortable and they fit so nicely.  By lunchtime they were feeling a bit snug.  And by 3:00 in the afternoon I seriously wanted to unbutton them every time I sat down, but I couldn’t because I was at work!  I was feeling a little extra fluffy, but again trusting the process! I kept reminding myself that my body would thank me later, especially since leg day workout is the day after refeed day!  I also remind myself that the EXPERTS make this plan for us, they went to school for this and they know what they are doing, so just follow the dang plan.

But of course as I laid down last night that nasty inner voice of mine kicked in and I had to shut it up! I checked into some of our support/accountability groups to see that other women were feeling the same and it wasn’t just me! That’s what I love about these online groups that I am part of, so glad I don’t have to go through this journey alone.

I wanted to be able to see exactly how my body responded to refeed, so I snapped pictures from different angles in different lighting.  I took pictures the morning of refeed day as soon as I got out of bed, right before I went to bed that night, and then again the following morning as soon as I got out of bed.  And man oh man, I am so glad I did that!!!

Are there HUGE changes in ONE day? No!!! Anyone who says they got massive results in one day is full of it, just being honest! But you can see that I was a little fluffy at the end of the day.  I ate SIX white carbs and FIVE servings of fruit, that is A LOT for me! I am 5’1″ and weigh 120, so for me that is a lot of food and my body has been known not to respond well to highly processed foods.

I am excited to see how I feel this afternoon during my leg day workout.  We will be doing a 3×10 rep pattern, so I know we will pushing to lift heavier than last week.

I was starting to feel a little run down last week, so I think refeed is exactly what I needed to give myself a boost of energy!

Thank goodness I have specific plans that tell me how and when to do these things because other wise I would be so lost in the health/fitness world! Before starting Beachbody programs I would search for things on YouTube and Pinterest, but I NEVER got results! I truly believe it’s because I didn’t have the whole picture and it wasn’t specific to me! Now I follow meal plans and exercise routines that compliment each other.  Every program I do has it’s own meal plan designed to go with it and I calculate my eating based on my body, lifestyle, and my goals.  Health and fitness is NOT a one size fits all, you need one that is designed for YOU!

Overall, I was nervous about refeed day. I enjoyed my foods.  Felt a little crappy yesterday afternoon and last night.  But woke up this morning feeling great and ready to tackle the day. ❤

Pre-Workout Meal

This pre-workout meal is legit bomb.com! So dang delicious!!

Incase you didn’t know, it’s recommended that you eat an hour to an hour and a half before you workout to give your body the fuel it needs to push through your workouts.  If you just rolled your eyes and thought “no way, I workout on an empty stomach, eating would make me barf”. You are not alone!!! I felt the same way until I tried it.  I have been eating a pre-workout meal for a little over a month and have seen a huge difference in my workout performance.

These bowls have steak, quinoa, and veggies in them.

Directions:
1. Cook the steak and cut into bite size pieces.
2. Cook mixed veggies in a pan with olive oil, seasame oil, Bragg liquid aminos, and splash of water to help the veggies steam.
3. Cook quinoa according to directions on the box.
4. Mix together in proper portions and enjoy!

This would also make a great post-workout meal!

I like quick, easy, and yummy… and that’s exactly what this was!

Phase 2 – Obsession

Hello and goodbye week 1 of phase 2!!! 80 Day Obsession is broken down into 3 phases and week 5 started phase 2.

The workout order changes. The exercises got harder. The sweat increases. The calories burned increases.

Basically I went from “oh ya, I got this” to “holy crap, this just got real”. This is when I was like “now I see why people got amazing results from this amazing”.

Week 1 of phase 2 is a 2 by 15 rep pattern.  We do every exercise for 15 reps and then repeat all of them. If you are like “what is she talking about it”… it’s like this

• 15 squats
• 15 lunges
• 15 side lunges
• 15 press ups
• 15 hamstring curls
• and on and on and on
• then you repeat all of the moves again

And just so we are clear it is not just your basic squats and lunges you do compound moves and feel the burn big time!!!

This program has truly taught me that in order to see results you must push yourself to your limit during every workout. Even the ones you don’t like. Even on the days you don’t want to. Even when you are sick.  YOU HAVE TO GIVE IT YOUR ALL!! At the end of your workouts you should be lying on the floor, DYING! Okay that’s a bit dramatic, but I am being serious.

Your body will only go as far as you push it, so freakin’ push it! Set goals and go after them with every part of you! Do not give up until you have reached your goals, then set new goals and do it all over again!!!

Honestly I NEVER thought fitness would have such a huge impact in my life. Like ya seeing changes in my body and being comfortable in my clothes is awesome, but the changes that have happened on the inside is really where it is at! I am more positive. I am more self motivating. I am a believer. I am a doer. I am confident in myself. I LOVE ME!!!

So ya health and fitness will completely change your life, every single aspect of it! ❤

If you have even been slightly considering getting started on a health and fitness journey, quit considering it AND GO AFTER IT!!!

Sneak into week 6: refeed day is coming and I am SCARED!!! I’ll share that with y’all on Thursday or Friday, so stay tuned!

Phase 1 of Obsession

So…. I totally dropped the ball on blogging last weekend. I was moving and just didn’t take the time to blog.

Week 3 was AWESOME!!! This was when I really started to see some true changes in my body. I was getting stronger, lifting heavier weights, and double banding. Hard work was definitely starting to pay off.  After one of my workouts I had the front facing camera on to snap a sweaty selfie and when I lifted my shirt to wipe away sweat I was overjoyed when I saw some baby abs showing up. Like legit as excited as a kid on Christmas. Look at those faces lol. This was my ah-ha moment of “this program totally works”.

I wrapped up week three with moving and I stayed 100% on track with workouts and nutrition. Legit my alarm would go off to eat and I would stop unpacking to eat.  I have NEVER been that dedicated, but getting through that busy weekend just proved to me that I could do this for the remaining weeks ahead.

Then came week 4 and lovely shark week showed up… just part of being a woman and I knew my body would get bloated, it’s just part of life.  But honestly I was not as bloated as I usually am and I was still able to push hard during my workouts without feeling like I was going to die.  I attribute this to the whole timed nutrition thing. Eating before my workouts has made a HUGE difference in my performance.

On my social media each day during week 4 I compared my workouts to week 1 and seriously could see such a difference. Lifting heavier. Better balance. More coordinated. Rounded booty. Toned legs and arms. Truly my whole body changing right before my eyes and it was ONLY week 4, this is a 13 week program. Not even to the half way mark yet!

And BEST PART, not only am I seeing the changes, but those around me are starting to notice too! Feels good to get those comments of “wow, you look great” or “you look so happy”.  Working out and eating healthy regularly truly changes you from the inside out and it’s just so awesome when others start to notice too.

We, when I say we, I mean my obsession babes and I… did our phase 1 results and y’all my ladies KILLED IT!!!! My mom lost 5.5 pounds and 5.2 inches, another woman in my group who is a mom to an 8 month old lost 4.4 pounds and 2.5 inches off her waist, another is 6 months postpartum and she lost 6 pounds and 10 inches, told y’all this program freakin’ worked!!!

As for me… I lost 3.3 pounds and 4 inches, but for the FIRST TIME EVER, I truly did not care about what the numbers told me because I am seeing and feeling changes DAILY! No number can define how great I feel. Oh and have I mentioned I am doing all of this FROM HOME!!! No counting calories, no counting points, no going to an overcrowded gym!

I took really really really great before photos and cannot wait until April to be able to do a side-by-side of those, but for now my mirror pics will work to document my journey.

I am so so so truly happy I decided to do 80 Day Obsession. I am thankful to have a group of obsession babes doing it with me because alone I wouldn’t survive, but having supportive women there every step of the way has made such a difference. We share our struggles, our victories, our meal plans, our recipes, and so much more! Quit watching me and join me, like fo real!!!!

I am sharing my journey DAILY on my Instagram, so you can follow me if you want. 🙂 IG name: brittnhines

If you are ready to do this with me just shoot me an email at bhines.coach@gmail.com and I can help you every step of the way! It all comes down to you just making the decision to GO FOR IT!!!

I am absolutely no different than you, I just decided enough was enough; I am showing up every single day and following the plan… you can do that too! ❤

Loving this new recipe!

Who loves chips? Me too!!!

I love taco salads, but wanted to make it fit into my meal plan, so here’s what I did! I made homemade tortilla chips to go along with my salad!

Ingredients:

• corn tortillas
• olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Put a little olive oil in your hands and rub it on the tortillas.
3. Cut the tortillas into fours.
4. Place them on a baking sheet.
5. Bake for 7-10 minutes.

Wah-lah! You have healthy, guilt-free chips!

Remember, just because they are healthy does not mean you can eat as many as you want! Be mindful of your portion sizes.  8-10 chips would be a healthy portion.

Obsession Journey

Wrapped up week two workouts yesterday and today I enjoyed stretching on rest day!

I took the day yesterday to plan my meals for the upcoming week and today I got everything prepped.

I am still LOVING this program! I am getting stronger and feeling ah-mazing.

Initially I was extremely nervous about the “timed nutrition” meal plan that is used with the 80 Day Obsession program. I was afraid that it wouldn’t work with my full-time job as  a speech pathologist in the schools, but I was wrong! I have worked everything around my lunch time in the school, the few little breaks I get, and I eat before I leave school to come home.  If you are a full time working gal, do not let this part of the program scare you away! You can do it, if you want to of course!!

I have been struggling with some stomach issues lately.  I was getting very bloated and my stomach was hurting, but since I started following this precise eating plan I have had ZERO stomach issues! So so so happy about that!

Here’s a sample of what I am eating each day. It is A LOT of food!!! Not upset about that!

Hungry is not a word I have used at all!!! Diet is not a word I have used at all!!!

Okay, okay, enough about food already! Let’s chat about the workouts!

This week the workouts were a 3×10 rep pattern, so we lifted heavier weights and I was actually able to lift heavier weights… eeeek!!! That makes me excited! When I started working out from home 3 years ago, I used canned foods as weights for the whole first week.  This week I used 10s, 12s, 15s, and even 17.5s for legs a couple of times. The bands and sliders are challenging, but you really feel them working places that you normal don’t feel working! I was able to double band during a couple of exercises! I really feel like this program is pushing me to do more each day and I know it is paying off!

Saturday’s workout is called “Cardio Flow”, sounds nice right? It’s not!!! I had to modify, I had to press pause, I felt like I was dying, but I finished! If I am being honest, I thought it would be easier this week, but it wasn’t, it was much harder! It is only a 30 minute workout, the shortest all week, but man oh man it kicks my butt! Can’t even imagine what this workout will be like in phase 2 and 3. Ugh!

I did not step on a scale or get out my tape measure again this week, but I can see changes in my body! My stomach is staying flat throughout the day and a flat stomach is not everything, but it is when you are someone who is used to dealing with bloat.  My clothes are fitting better too. I wore a crop top to workout and videoed myself! HUGE!!! By the way I am sharing DAILY videos on my Instagram to document this whole journey, you can find me here: https://www.instagram.com/brittnhines/.

I am so happy that I started this journey! This is the week where most people will bow out, the newness is wearing off and the reality of the length and complexity of the program sets in, but I promise you I WILL NOT QUIT!!! I WILL STAY COMMITTED FOR THE FULL PROGRAM!

Peace out week two, bring on the remaining 11 weeks!

If you want to get started on this journey with me shoot me a message and let’s chat about it!

Have a blessed week y’all! ❤

My Obsession Journey

On January 15, 2018 I began my 80 Obsession journey. Starting this program I felt anxious, excited, nervous, but ultimately I was ready both mentally and physically to take my health and fitness to the next level!

Just one week into this 13 week journey and I truly am already obsessed with the program!!!

Quick break down on what this program is and who it is for:

• 80 different challenging workouts ranging from 30-60 minutes
• Designed with abs and booty in mind, but will truly transform your whole body
• Incorporating weights, resistance loops, and strength sliders
• Specific meal plan that includes timed nutrition
• It’s for anyone with a baseline of fitness that is ready to take it to the next level

In just this first week I have learned that my body can do so much more than I ever thought it could! I have also already learned to view food as “fuel” instead of “pleasure”.  Taking this mindset has truly helped me adjust to all of the food I am eating. Previously I was eating around 1200-1499 calories a day and I am now eating 1800-2099 calories a day, which is A LOT of food, but… when you are eating healthy foods your body turns that food into fuel.

My eating consist of fruits, veggies, proteins, healthy fats, carbs, nuts/seeds, and oils.  I do drink a daily superfood shake that is packed with vitamins, prebiotics, probiotics, antioxidants, and more.  This shake really helps curb my sweet tooth cravings each day.  I am also using a pre-workout and post-workout supplement to help me push harder during my workout and aid in muscle recovery after my workout.

Quick side note… all of my meals didn’t always make sense this week, but I got in the food groups I needed and just rolled with it. For instance, tonight’s last meal was my shake, baby carrots, and toast with peanut butter.

I do not know how much weight or inches I lost in one week, if any, but my clothes are already fitting better and I am seeing changes in my body DAILY!!!!

I did take official before photos, measurements, and weights before I started this program and after each phase (program is broken down into 3 phases) I will update all of my stats, with the exception of my official photos those will be used for true before and afters.

This program will end just a couple of days before I board a plane for my trip to Mexico and I cannot wait to rock my bikinis and crop tops with tons of confidence.

Stay tuned each week for my updates and thoughts on this program.

I am sharing my journey daily on Instagram, you can find me at “brittnhines”.

One last thing… this journey is NOT about becoming obsessed with the number on the scale, but rather to become obsessed with health and fitness! To become obsessed with finishing! To become obsessed with pushing yourself to be better and to do more! ❤

2017… you were good!

I know I am a bit late on reflecting on 2017, but I was on Christmas break last week and just fully enjoying that.  And I sat down last night to work, this post was on my to do list and… my excel spreadsheet I use to track my health and fitness business GONE! I accidentally deleted and yes deleted the trash folder too, spent all night trying to recover it with no luck.  I then prayed about it and felt God telling me “it’s a brand new year with a complete new clean slate.”, still sucks though!

Any who not at all what this post is about. I wanted to take time to reflect on 2017 as so many amazing things happened!

In February I ran my first ever and pretty certain last half marathon! I am not at a runner by nature, but completing a half marathon was a bucket list item and I put it on my vision board for 2017.  Not only did I want to complete it, but I wanted to complete it by running the whole thing and… I did! I was so dang proud of myself! The cherry on top was that I went through this whole experience with my mom and no doubt in my mind I would have stopped running at mile 6 if it weren’t for her!

Then in April my boyfriend and I went on our first ever solo vacation, not just any vacation either… an international vacation! We both did not travel much growing up and it’s something I especially have always wanted to do! I am a health and fitness coach with Beachbody and by helping people every month get started on a journey I earned this trip.  We went to Punta Cana for 5 days and it was absolutely amazing!

Since starting my health and fitness journey the hardest thing for me personally is my eating, I just love food! So another goal of mine was to successfully complete the Ultimate Reset. I started sharing that journey on here and failed, sorry y’all! It’s basically a 21 day eating plan that completely resets your body in the very best way.  It really helped my with some of the stomach issues I was having. It took LOTS of prep work, it took a lot of mental work, but it was so worth it. And again I asked my mom to do it with me and she did!!!

In June I got another chance to travel thanks to Beachbody! This time I went to New Orleans to attend my second Summit. Summit is once a year, it’s the biggest coaching event where we get to workout with celebrity trainers and learn from the top coaches! This year two of my personal sponsored coaches joined me and we had the very best time!

In July a brand new fitness program launched called Shift Shop and of course I had to do that! This is a 3 week program with a ramp up in workouts and a ramp down in your nutrition. Basically each week your workouts get longer and harder while your nutrition gets even more dialed in. The trainer of this program, Chris Downing, is so incredibly motivating and inspiring that the program is so good for your mind and soul too!!

In late July our family grew and I gained a niece. Sweet little Brinslee Rae made her entrance quickly and unexpectedly, but she was healthy!

In November I started a new job. I am now a speech language pathologist working in the school system (never thought I would do that), but I am finally working with deaf and hard of hearing kiddos! I am still adjusting to the new job and trying to get used to group therapy. The hours are amazing and having off two weeks for Christmas also amazing!!!

And in December well… I celebrated my 25th birthday and ended the year spending time with family.

2017 was an amazing year with lots of memories made. I did not accomplish everything I wanted to in 2017, but I did my best and at the end of the day that’s all you can ask for.

Here’s to 2018!

Week 1 of UR

Why the heck did I decide to give the Ultimate Reset (UR) a try?

• I was having severe heart burn nearly every day and couldn’t figure out what was causing it.
• I was taking B12 everyday in order to have energy to get through the work day… I was work 8:30-7:00 as an SLP with kids and I was just plain tired.
• A lot of foods were causing me to bloat, but I couldn’t narrow down which ones were causing it.
• TMI on this one, but I was having terrible gas.
• I was basically having hot flashes while I slept… waking in the morning to a puddle of sweat.

So I had a TON of reasons to give the UR a try… It was my last option before seeking extensive test to see what was going on with my body.  I knew my body was out of whack and it needed to be reset. What better way to reset than with the UR?

This plan is VERY VERY VERY regimented as fas as when you should take each supplement, how long you wait to eat and drink, it tells you exactly what to eat, and all that jazz… I really don’t want to waste time talking about all of that, I’d rather share with you my takeaways and share some photos of my meals.

Recap one week one:

• I HATED the Power greens… tasted straight up like grass and hay mixed together.  I would hold my nose and chug.
• I did not mind taking the daily capsules.
• I LOVED the variety of food I was having.  I tried lots of new recipes.
• I was drinking a TON of water and going to the bathroom A LOT.
• Meal prep was LONG, EXHAUSTING, and OVERWHELMING, but… I am so glad I prepped for the entire week because if not I know I would have failed with my busy work schedule.
• After just one week I had lost 4.8 pounds.
• My energy levels were already up.
• My skin was looking clearer and healthier.
• I did not experience ANY food cravings.

Here are some of the photos I took during week one from grocery shopping, to meal prepping, to the meals I ate in a day.  The meal prep is huge because my mom and I did it together.

 

Week 1 I spent the most money grocery shopping, but you are having to get a lot of oils and spices that will last your for the whole 21 days.  I’m pretty certain I spent like $120 on groceries for the week.  You are having to buy a lot of fresh foods and not even going to lie some of them were really hard to find.

Overall week one was a success and I was really proud of myself.

 

❤ Britt

What is the Ultimate Reset?

I researched the Ultimate Reset (UR) A LOT before diving in! I read blogs, followed other’s on social media who were doing the UR, read about it on Beachbody, lots and lots and lots of research.

The UR is a 21 day cleanse where you are eating all real foods and taking daily supplements.  It is NOT a juice cleanse, a fasting cleanse, or a running to the bathroom constantly cleanse! There are MANY reasons why people choose to complete the Ultimate Reset.

The program is broken down into three phases: Phase 1 – Reclaim, Phase 2 – Release, and Phase 3- Restore.

During week 1 or the Reclaim Phase you will slowly remove foods from your diet such as red meats, eggs, and dairy products.  These foods are known for being hard on people’s stomachs, so you will slowly get rid of them and go vegan for two weeks.

During week 2 or the Release Phase you will get rid of all the crap (pun intended) that is in your body. You will be eating whole grains, fruits, and veggies during this phase.

Finally, during week 3 or the Restore Phase you will be eating mostly fruits and veggies in order to put optimal nutrients, enzymes, and pre- and probiotics back into your body.

Each week you will use different supplements and I will break all of that down in subsequent posts along with my thoughts, feelings, and more from each week of the reset.

Maybe you are wondering WHY I decided to do this reset… I will cover that in my week 1 post.

If you have any questions about this or you are looking to give it a try I would love to chat with you about it.  Feel free to shoot me a message.

 

❤ Britt