Days 7 and 8 and the Joy of Working out With Kids

Days 7 and 8 of L1 mat video have gotten increasingly better as we get used to the routine. When we first started it seemed like the video would never end. Now….its flies by. We are slowly mastering each move and have finally mastered how man reps are in each step.  So it does get better and you don’t feel like such a fool.

Sophia (3 years old) attempting the leg lifts

A word to the wise: do not expect your 3 and 4 year old to sit on a couch for 30 minutes and keep themselves  entertained while you try and do the video. IT WILL NOT WORK unless you have some sort of super human alien child. On days 6 and 7 we tried everything. We gave them board games, baby dolls, food, juice, and as a last resort Iphones. It starts out GREAT. You get through the arms and half way through the abs when you start to hear tiny footsteps right behind you and then BAM you push that beautiful child over while doing your leg exercises. Then they want to do it with you (which I must say is pretty adorable)… Then comes the “mommy I need water” “I have to go potty” “I need lotion” “Ill be right back”. While they are the cutest things in the entire world, no matter what you say or how many times you pause the video you will not get through it until that adorable 3 foot toddler wins and you are forced to turn it off. We finally figured it out on Day 8 that its best when those cute little girls are sound asleep in bed.  It was nice and quiet and it allowed us to focus on how much our hiney’s and little muffin tops were burning

Work out tips for days 1-10

1. The best way to not feel like such a goon on the first day of the workout is to watch it all the way through before you actually do it so you know what to expect.
2. Also,when pre-watching count out loud the reps because she will not guide when to switch to the next moves. Everything is usually in reps of 4 and 8.
3. Work out with little distraction so you can really focus 
4. The standing abs are tricky, we thought we were doing them right until we looked in the mirror and saw we look completely different. Practice in the mirror first so you know what it feels like when you do it right.   
5. If you don’t feel it in your legs you are not doing it right. Make sure you get the right angles and push as far up and out as you can
6. Keep your arms locked or as straight as you can when doing the legs. It will help your balance fo’ sho
7. If on the first couple days you feel like your wrists and neck are going to break and give out when doing the leg section (like I did), I promise you it wont. By the 4^th day you don’t even notice  
8.  BIGGEST TIP: Count on your own. Obviously were not going to go as fast and as perfect as Tracy or else we would look like her. Count each rep out loud so you don’t lose count and if TA has already moved on just pause the video until you finish

Like we repeatedly say we are not perfect. Anyone else have tips on the standing Abs??

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Day 2 of Diet complete + Prepping for the Diet Tips

When we first started preparing for the eating plan we thought OH MAN THIS IS GUNNA BE GREAT. We went grocery shopping and felt like the healthiest people in Orange County when putting bags upon bags of fresh organic produce on the checkout belt.We got home, spent about 3 hours in the kitchen making enough food for the both of us for 3 days and then sat on the couch eating BBQ from Beach Pit in honor of our last “cheat” meal for 90 days (which was extremely delicous).

Day 1 of diet:

Woke up and tried juicing with the Magic Bullet juicer. After about 40 minutes of trying and burning out the motor we got about 2 oz of juice. OOPS. So we decided to skip this meal and down a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar instead (which is supposed to rev your metabolism). The rest of the day went pretty well and we both woke up the next day 2 pounds lighter!

Day 2 of the diet:

Thanks to our new Jack LaLanne Juicer we picked up from Costco for 90 bucks we got the perfect morning Power Juice. But 2 hours after the glory of finally getting the hang of juicing beets, kale, spinach and an apple…the hunger kicks in. Some of the meals seem more appetizing than the others. I guess the thought of shoveling down 11 oz of a salsa-like drink didn’t seem so groovy when you are making your kids garlic bread and pasta with turkey meatballs. Needless to say the 6pm chocolate pudding has now become the highlight of the day.

Our Top 10 Tips to get prepared for the first week of the "Nutrient Boost Diet" that we wish we knew before

1. Plan to go to the store twice in one week. Making the food for 3 days instead of 6 days is A) less time consuming in the kitchen B) way less apples to peel and core C) the best way to make sure you are getting fresh veggies and fruit

2. Try and buy as much organic produce as you can. It really does make a difference even if its just the green produce

3. Prepare for a good 2 hours of cooking. It really isn’t that bad it is just a lot of prep work. What we found worked was arranging all the meals with their ingredients in 7 different spots (there are 7 meals). From there do all the prep work first like peel the apples, carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes. Then get the corn off the cob and chop whatever needs to be chopped

Chocolate Pudding= the best and easiest recipe. We used strawberries instead of chestnuts and its deeelish

4. We suggest peeling and coring the apples for the blueberry apple sauce BEFORE you steam them.  Trust us peeling steaming apples WILL result in burning hands and boo boo’s.

5. Then boil the veggies, steam the apples, and make the soup all at the same time if you can. This way your next step is just putting all the ingredients into the food processer, blending, putting them in tupperwear, rinsing it out and repeating with the next meal

6. TUPPERWEAR WILL BE YOUR BEST FRIEND. We have 6 main larger ones that hold the bulk of the meal. Label what each container holds and how much you have to eat of it so you don’t constantly have to check the plan when you measure it out. Then we suggest smaller 8oz or 4 oz containers to put in for the days meal. These from Costco are really amazing: OXO tupperwear

7. We both work so what we found was easiest was before going to be put each meal in the smaller containers, put them all in a plastic bag, and put them in the fridge. That way all you have to do in the morning is juice your breakfast and grab your food on the way out the door.

8. Don’t feel overwhelmed. This is why we think starting on Monday is best so you have a Sunday to get it done. It may seem like a lot but it actually isn’t too bad once you get the hang of it

9. Make sure you have a juicer and are familiar with it before using it! We learned this the hard way after frying the Magic Bullet. We got the Jack La Lanne juicer at Costco for $90 which is 50 dollars less then the online price plus you have a lifetime warranty on the motor. If you read the product reviews all the negative ones were from people who didn’t take the time to read the instructions.

10. Mentally power through the next 7 days.When you think that you can’t eat pureed carrots one more day just remember it is only a week and then you get to switch to real food. Once you loose the weight you can have your entire life eating things like a grown up in yummy whole form

Days 1-6

(A post from Sarah)

Well we already started out pretty unconventional. I did the first 5 days of the matt and cardio workout sans the diet plan. My result: I GAINED WEIGHT. Oopsies.

My Mistakes:

1. I started without a plan. I just thought I could dive right into it and TA (Tracy Anderson) would transform my body in 1 session and magically work around my 4th of July eating fest followed by next weekend pancakes. WRONG.
2. I didn't really pay attention to the diet plan and thought I could do my own thing...like eat chips and popcorn.

So I enlisted a partner in crime, Sommer. We decided to put her on the fast track for the first 10 days by only doing 5 days of the L1 instead of 10 (so that I didnt have to start from scratch again) AND commit to the diet.

Some Starting Out Tips:

1. First tell yourself you are going to commit to this NO MATTER WHAT. If you need a buddy get a buddy! I promise going through it with someone personally will dramatically help you!
2. Second, really try and attempt the eating plan.
3. Start on a Monday and take the Sunday night before to mentally prepare yourself and make at least 3 days worth of the meals (more tips on eating to come later)
4. Dont feel bad if you think the cardio sucks or it hurts your knees. Just try and incorporate any kind of cardio throughout the day that would burn the same amount. For example: running straight for 20 minutes, interval running for 25 minuets, jogging for 40 minutes, taking a spin or kickboxing class. BUT Try and stay away from the elliptical or holding on to the railings of machines. The whole point is to lift your own body weight without any outside help.

Photos taken by Adrianna the 4 year old who is helping us document the story via the Iphone 4

In summary for me: Days 1-5 were a good foundation to learn the routine. Day 6 was pretty hardcore. You definitely feel more changes when you mix the diet and the matt workout but it only makes me want to see the results in 5 days in even more! Also enlisting a friend does the following (A) its wayyy more fun (B) you have someone to complain to about how hungry you are and they know exactly how you feel (C) You have someone to push you every day (D) when you're both in your 60's with rockin bods surrounded by saggy women you will remember all that hard work :)