Changing it up!!

Changing It Up!! 

ChaLEAN Extreme!

After yesterday's blog post and realizing that I have been on one program since March -- I've decided to try a new program thanks to Beachbody on Demand!! 

I have already completed T25 (alpha and beta), 21 Day Fix, PiYo, and 21 Day Fix Extreme.  I have not been disappointed with a program yet.  I have loved every trainer that I have "worked" with for different reasons.  

After hearing so many great things from fellow coaches about this program I am going to give it a go and I am so excited to try ChaLEAN extreme!!! 

I have printed out my workout calendars (basically my schedule for what workout to follow) and am pretty pumped.  I am a little nerdy --thanks dad! -- and also read up on some of the guides and info out there on it and am more pumped! 

While I will forever have a girl crush on Autumn (21 day fix and 21 day fix extreme trainer) I cannot deny that Chalene Johnson is super inspiring.  When doing PiYo I fell in love with her attitude.  She is so uplifting, motivating, and inspirational.  I have been thinking about rocking a program for her ever since I finished PiYo and decided its finally the time to commit.  No time like the present! 

The thing that has been holding me up for a while on starting this amazing program was.....

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Chalene!! - watch out!!  I'm getting
after this program with you!! 

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TIME! 

That's probably not what you were expecting, right?  I know it sounds crazy but I  was sold on the fact that all off the previous programs I have done have only been 25 - 30 minutes.  {Ok so -  PiYo had one 45 minute day and I always dreaded it!} BUT 30 MINUTES -- I can do that.  I get up, walk puppy boy, work out, shower and head off to kinderland with my shakeology in hand and ready to tackle the day. 

I get up at 5:30 which depending on your view could be early, but honestly getting my workout in first thing helps me to stay on track with the rest of the day and ensures I get it in even if it is a long day in teaching land.  

I sat down today with the workout calendar in hand -- looked at the lengths of the workout and am going to commit to making it work.  Am I going to have to get up 10 - 15 minutes earlier some days.....yes.  On the longer days that put 2 workouts together I plan on doing the longer one in the morning and then the short one when I get home (after my second walk of the day with puppy boy --- he might be a little spoiled by my many walks).  

After 21 Day Fix Extreme -
Before ChaLEAN Extreme! 

But you know what?  It will be totally worth it! While I may be sad about missing those 10 -15 minutes of sleep I know I am doing something for my body.  You only get one body to live it you might as well take care of it.  Maybe I need to go to sleep a bit earlier on those longer days to make it work, but I am willing to try. 

I will be sharing my journey through this program with you all so be sure to check in and see how it goes! 

I am putting my before on here right NOW so that I am sure to give you updates as I go and hold myself accountable! 

So here is to a new change, a new program and a new week!! 

 

Importance of Sleep

Importance of Sleep

We all know how much we LOVE to catch some zzz's right? -- but sometimes we forget how important it sleep is for both the mind and the body.

First I will be sharing with you some great information on sleep and how to figure out if you are getting enough sleep. Second, I will share some great tips on how to get more sleep.

This is my fur baby catching some serious zzz's.
He knows all about sleep and its importance. 

Why is sleep so important?

Most people don’t think about sleep right along with the nutrition and working out. Nobody really wants to go on a diet or exercise more than they already are -- ok well maybe some people do -- but most people would love to find a way where they can reduce their body fat and not have to just drastically change their lives and sleep is one of the ways you can do that. Sleep is seriously under valued ladies and gents!

Sleep times varies for different age groups but adults need about seven and a half hours but sleep, but ideally eight to eight and a half is perfect when we’re talking about body fat and focus -- which are pretty important.

Also its not just the number of hours of sleep do we get but it’s the consistency over time that affects our body fat. So if you think you’re pulling the fast one by going sleep deprived for two or three days, and then by making it up the other couple of days per week, that it all works out -- NOPE! A study found that in particular, women who have an inconsistent sleep pattern have a much higher body fat percentage even if we change nothing else. You can exercise the same, you can eat the same but if you’re not sleeping consistently each night, you’re body fat goes up.

So, to think...well I can pull a cat nap here and there, and catch up is actually not true. You need consistent hours of sleep because it’s the REM sleeping that makes the difference. And it happens in bursts, about two hours a night, usually beginning about sixty to ninety minutes after you’ve fallen asleep and it’s that sleep that really restores us. You don’t get strong while you’re in the gym, you get strong during rest and the body really resets and gets strong while we sleep. Sleep is really part of the process, it goes right along with nutrition and exercise. Plain and simple -- you have to get your sleep!!

How much sleep do I need?

We need sleep to help us solidify and consolidate memories, restore and rejuvenate, to grow muscle, repair tissue, and synthesize hormones.

Hourly Breakdown:
Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours
Infants (4-11 months): 12-15 hours
Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours
Preschoolers (3-5): 10-13 hours
School-Age Children (6-13): 9-11 hours
Teenagers (14-17): 8-10 hours
Young Adults (18-25): 7-9 hours
Adults (26-64): 7-9 hours
Older Adults (65+): 7-8 hours

Am I suffering from sleep deprivation? 

Here are some guidelines to help you decide: 

• The biggest and most obvious feeling is that you are  tired
• However, it's not just feeling tired BUT also if you feel like --Why am I having a hard time focusing, or what did you just say?
• Having a difficult time remembering short term information
• Taking more than fifteen minutes to fall asleep, 
•  If you are falling asleep within the first couple of minutes, you are also likely sleep-deprived
• In general, it should take you about ten minutes of relaxing, shutting your brain down to fall asleep and if it takes a lot longer than that or if it takes a lot less than that -- it’s likely you are sleep-deprived. 

News alert!! Studies say that driving sleep deprived is the equivalent of having enough alcohol to make you legally intoxicated. NOBODY wants this!!
Also we know about sleep deprivation its that it makes you crave comfort foods. It makes you crave carbohydrates and high fat foods -- we don't NEED that!

Tips to help you get more sleep: 

1) Put down the phone and turn off the TV
Let your brain relax -- don't try to engage it in something else.  Also the basic notion is that all those magnetic waves and glowing screens mess with your circadian rhythms and distract you from sleeping.

2) Body Temperature
Our brain has a wake-sleep cycle that’s very closely linked to our body temperature and that’s why during the summer, you can feel like restless, like you can’t sleep well and it’s because the body flow mechanism that transfers our core body heat to the skin. Ideally, you want to turn the temperature down.

3) Darkness
You need a really dark room to help you fall asleep. Studies have shown that even just the red lights on our digital clock like those little tiny luminous rays from like a clock or the buttons on your cable TV, those in fact can disrupt sleep cycles. Even though you are not fully awake, it doesn't completely wake you up, it might not allow you to fully go into REM sleep or you have to switch the brain off.

4) No caffeine in the afternoon 
Even if you think -- caffeine doesn't bother me. I can have a cup of coffee at lunch -- but are still feeling tired each and every morning....yo are suffering from interrupted sleep patterns. So you really should not do any caffeine in the afternoon.






I really hope you have found this information useful,  I know my mind was opened when I heard it for the first time laid out like this on the Chalene Show, which is a podcast that I listen to daily (more or less).  It is such a great podcast.  If you are into podcasts and would like to check it out -- follow the links I left below.
Chalene's Podcast Website

Chalene's Podcast in iTunes 

Sleep away my beauties!