Jamie Eason Live Fit Review {Week 10}

Another week down! Only 2 more weeks till I’ve completed Jamie Eason’s Live Fit Challenge!
I can’t believe it, the time has flown by. This week was suprisingly a little challenging with the food.. and NOT so challenging with the workouts!
I mean don’t get me wrong, the workouts were still SUPER intense but it was not as hard as last week. I think maybe because I knew what to expect in the gym? And I am getting used to the sprints.. it was still HARD but totally manageable.

Weightloss Update:
So no weight lost this week. BOO!! I couldn’t believe it!! I have worked sooo hard all week and even stuck to the plan over our out of town weekend. How could that be?! At first I was totally frustrated BUT then I realized that it is not always about the scale. I have come a long way and have learned so much in just the last 10 weeks. I was able to pull out an old pair of jeans from the back of my closet! So I guess that kind of makes up for it! HA I know I am a total party pooper this week! I thought for sure I would have lost another 2-3 pounds BUT alas it just didn’t move at all this week. 😦

Total Bummer but I am not guna let it get me down. I have worked so hard and lost 22 pounds so far!! I am going to keep pushing through and try to reach my goal of 25 pounds lost by the end of week 12!

Here’s a little snippet from Jamie Eason about Carb cycling:

Carb cycling takes the macronutrients (the proteins, fats and carbs) of your meals and manipulates them to reduce body fat to very low levels, with as little muscle cannibalization as possible. This carb cycle will last only 3 weeks. Any longer and you might lose too much hard-earned muscle.

Week 10 started the Carb cycling that I will continue for the remaining 2 weeks as well. It took me a couple of days of research and plugging foods into My Fitness Pal to really understand what I could eat for my low carb and high carb days.

LOW CARB DAYS:
20% of your food intake should be CARBS
50% Protein
30% Fat

HIGH CARB DAYS:
20% Protein
50% Carbs
30% Fat

I’m not guna lie, the Low Carb days were a little rough. I found myself really getting used to eating my pumpkin protein bars.. and MISSING my beloved sweet potato at lunch!

And then what was weird was on the HIGH CARB days I kind of didn’t want to eat the carbs.. I guess I was getting used to the low carbs. By the weekend I was fine and finally felt like I got a handle on the low carb/high carb days for week 11. I feel like just when I get the hang of the workouts or the food. BAM it’s time to change it up. I was REALLY enjoying Phase 2 and then BAM Phase 3 has thrown me for a loop. LOL

I’m going to break down what I ate on each day, hoping that it will take some of the guess work out for other people 🙂

Low Carb Day (Pictured Above)
Meal 1 – 2 egg white muffins with 1/2 a cup of black beans
Meal 2 – 2 Turkey Meatballs (use Jamie Eason’s recipe)
Meal 3 – 1/2 a cup of Sugar Snap Peas, 4 oz of baked chicken, 1 whole tomato
Meal 4- Protein Shake with Almond Milk (not pictured)
Meal 5 – Hummus and walnut crusted Tilapia with a spinach salad & 2 tb of Light Balsamic Viniagerrete

Above is what I continued to eat on all 6 low carb days for the rest of the week 🙂
The FREE app My Fitness Pal is GREAT because you can plug in your foods and it will give you the percentages (20% protein, 50% carbs… etc) And that way you know if you are hitting your goals. YOU HAVE TO BE VERY ACCURATE. You can’t eyeball your measurements, you need to know exactly the right portions for this to work.

High Carb Day (Pictured Above)
Meal 1 – 2 egg white muffins with 1/2 cup of black beans OR quinoa
Meal 2 – 1 sweet potato
Meal 3 – 1/2 a cup of string beans, 4 oz of baked chicken and a whole avocado
Meal 4 – 2 Pumpkin Protein Bar squares (not pictured)
Meal 5 – Hummus and Pesto crusted chicken with 1/2 a cup of quinoa and 1/2 a cup of black beans

Above is what I ate on the only HIGH CARB day I had (Thursday).

And then with just two weeks to go.. we decided to go out of town this weekend.

Taking a ROAD TRIP reminds me of Chick Fil A breakfast biscuits, sweet tea, doritos, hamburgers, twizzlers… (basically anything horrible for you! HAHA) Talk about sucking the fun out of a road trip.. UGH
BUT I knew I wanted to stick with my plan EVEN IF WE WERE TRAVELING, and these last few weeks are SOOOO critical. I have busted my butt in the gym all week and didn’t want it to go to waste!

David and I went to Georgia to see family, 5 hour drive there (on Friday Night) and then came back on Sunday afternoon. So what did I do all NIGHT on Thursday?!  MEAL PREP!
I stayed up late making ALL David and I’s food for the weekend. We packed our little cooler to the BRIM with the following:

-Egg white muffins with 1/2 a cup of Quinoa (breakfast)
-Baked chicken, green beans, and tomato (Lunch)
-Jamie Eason Pumpkin Protein Bars (Snacks)
-Protein Powder and Almond milk (snacks)


It was SOOOOO great to see all my aunts, uncles and cousins! There is something about campfires and how peaceful the woods are that really made it seem like fall.

Even though I didn’t lose any weight this week, I hit a HUGE milestone! NOT caving into my junk food cravings and having all my meals prepped ahead of time, allowed me to stay on track EVEN while being out of town!
IT IS POSSIBLE TO EAT HEALTHY ON A ROAD TRIP. This was a BIG deal for me. I would usually cave into to any of the food and not think twice BUT now I am more aware of what I am eating and really want to stick to my clean eating plan.

It was MORE work BUT I came home knowing I stuck to my guns and continued with my healthy habits.

I had a hard time turning down funnel cakes, “crack brownies” HAHA (carmel, peanut butter brownies), hot dogs, coleslaw and potato salad.. just to name a few little gems from the weekend BUT I didn’t feel pressure to eat it AND I didn’t judge anyone for eating it either! If I wasn’t doing this program I probably would have dived in too! I think if I was at maybe month 6 or so I would have had no problem indulging in some treats over the weekend BUT with this being my first time through Jamie Eason’s program I wanted to stick with what I said I would do.

I have said from the very first week I want to stick to this plan to the “T” all the way through! So no cheat meals for me! It was a tough weekend as far as denying myself all the yummy food BUT I came home satisfied knowing that I didn’t give up and I stuck to my original commitment!

Workout Time:
I have to say after the torture from last week I soooooo was NOT looking forward to this weeks workouts. HAHA BUT suprisingly it wasn’t too bad. I mean it still sucked HA But at least I didn’t feel like I was going to die, which is basically my feeling during every workout last week. I think I knew what to expect for week 10  so it was more manageable. And the Treadmill Sprints really weren’t too bad. I even bumped it up to level 9 (last week was level 8)!!

The HIT workouts between the weights is still challenging and it’s safe to say I HATE mountain climbers and burpees! But I know they are good for me… so I guess I’ll just suck it up 😉

O hello there little tricep muscle, nice to see ya! It’s been a while.

Finally seeing some more muscles in my arms. They still have a LONG way to go BUT I can start to see more changes. With only 2 more weeks I feel like Okay Im guna be ripped by week 12 right?! But realistically I know this is going to take alot longer. I have said this before, but I am taking a two week break (going to enjoy my thanksgiving…  Perfect timing 😉 And then I am going to start the program up again!

Another progress photo.. I didn’t take too many workout pictures the first couple of weeks because I felt sooo BIG in all my tshirts! I wish I had taken more. I HATED wearing tank tops but NOW I love working out in them 🙂
I have lost 22 pounds so far and excited to see even more changes by week 12!! EEEK only 2 more weeks to go!

Click the Links BELOW to download the PRINTABLE workout sheets for each phase!

Phase 1 PDF                         Phase 2 PDF                        Phase 3 PDF

You might also like:

Week 9 Recap                     Week 8 Recap                         Week 7 Recap

Jamie Eason Review {Week 9}

Wow! Phase 1 and 2 done! WOOP WOOP! This past week started The final phase (the home stretch), Phase 3 of Jamie Eason’s Live Fit Program. Only 3 weeks left.
Overall Phase 3 definitely kicks it up a notch!! OMG the workouts are way more intense! I will talk more about that later in this weeks post.
As far as the food goes, it is basically very similar (only for week 9) to Phase 2 nutrition, EXCEPT you are actually counting calories. I was already tracking my calories using My Fitness Pal. I am not as concerned with calories, since I am eating healthy food in the proper portions, BUT for Phase 3 you will need to be more meticulous with the food calculations. Week 10 – 12 will get a little crazy with carb cycling BUT I’ll talk about that next week.

Weight loss update:
I am down another pound this week! Making 21 pounds total!! YAY!! I have to say with as hard as the workouts have been I thought surely I sweated off at least another 5 pounds right?! HA I was a little bummed that it was only 1 pound this week.. BUT every pound counts 🙂 My goal is by the end of Week 12 to have lost 25 pounds total! AND my BIGGER goal is to lose 30 pounds total from when I started..I am going to be doing Jamie’s program twice, making it 6 months of clean eating and lifting weights.. and by the end of the 6 months to have the total pounds lost equal 30! At that point I will continue to use her workouts as a guide for my daily workouts. They are just layed out SOOO well and Phase 2 workouts are def something I will continue to do in the future.

(Picture Above) So food prep for phase 3 WEEK 9, was really the same as Phase 2. I was already hitting my recommended calories and limiting my carbs to earlier in the day, so nothing really changed this week. NEXT week (week 10-12) is when the nutrition will really get kicked up a notch! SOOOO looking forward to that, HA Not!

Once again here is a recap of my daily meals:
-Meal 1: 2 egg white muffins with 3/4 cup of chickpeas
-Meal 2: 2 squares of Jamie Eason’s recipe Pumpkin Protein Bars
-Meal 3 (LUNCH): 4 oz of baked chicken, half a steamed sweet potato, and half a cup of steamed broccoli OR spinach salad with strawberries and walnuts
-Meal 4: 2 Jamie Eason’s recipe of Turkey Meatballs
-Meal 5: Protein Shake (post workout)
-Meal 6 (DINNER): Baked Tilapia (or Baked chicken), spinach salad with walnuts and tomatoes, 2 tb of new mans own balsamic vinaigrette, AND half a cup of string beans (or other veggie)

For a downloadable copy of My Grocery List CLICK the link below!
Alesha_FOOD_list_09_28 <—— CLICK here to download the PDF Document

(Picture Above) Dinner’s this week have been pretty simple, baked chicken or tilapia with string beans or broccoli. One night I also added some mushrooms, onions and an avocado.

(Picture Above) Saturday night I went to my sisters house to craft (we use any excuse to actually use our pinterest ideas!) The old me would have just grabbed sushi rolls to go (with plenty of PINK SAUCE to dunk them in! HA) and brought a box of brownies to our girls night! HA But instead I brought my little tupperware of baked chicken and string beans and we made Pumpkin Protein Bars. If you plan ahead and have meals already made, it makes it sooooo much easier to stay consistent, ESPECIALLY on the WEEKENDS! It is possible to eat healthy every day, just prepare for it 🙂 

I Just have to give a HUGE shout out to my amazing SISTER!! I am sooo blessed to have her in my life, she is an amazing mother of 3 little ones, devoted wife and works for my dad’s company AND not to mention is a true friend!  She manages to balance EVERYTHING with such grace and poise! And is one of my biggest cheerleaders! She is starting to tackle the clean eating journey too and I LOVE being able to swap recipes and text eachother every time to be a voice of reason when we get a crazy craving!!

Surround yourself with people who will lift you up, keep you accountable and cheer you on!! It makes all the difference! 

I have had a lot of people ask if it’s okay to eat out during Jamie Easons program?

My answer: This is a LIFESTYLE not a diet. ☝️In the past two months I have only gone to a restaurant 3 times, every incident I was very hesitant, but the reality is I cannot isolate myself just because I am trying to eat healthy. I need to empower myself to make healthier choices & order food that is good for me! 🍓💪I always check MyFitnessPal for lower calorie options before ordering. 👌 My husband and I went to Crispers for lunch on Sunday. Normally I would have gotten baked potato soup and a flatbread or sandwich with a sweet tea.. would have been well over 1,000 calories! But instead I looked at the lower calorie options and  my lunch was only 375 calories. A side of butternut squash soup, summer salad with strawberries, and oranges.. and I asked for dressing on the side, picked off the cheese & candied pecans. ( picked off the “pita chip” as well.) I was already full after just eating the salad I only had a little bit of soup, I really am getting used to smaller portions. But It was delicious & I did not feel guilty!

I had to compromise and work a little at it, but it was worth it!  Think before you eat has been my biggest lesson so far… something as simple as taking 5 minutes to pull up the nutrition facts and ordering a healthier meal can help keep you on track! Since starting Jamie Eason’s program I enjoy eating at home now and actually prefer it to going out or driving through somewhere. So that when I do eat out it is a special occasion!

Ready for a little storytime?! MKay!
The other day I wore a PLAIN tshirt to work.. May seem like no big deal, right?! But the fact is I have not worn a plain T & jeans in YEARS!! I have always had to have just the right shirt to fit my “curves” And let me tell ya, that’s real fun! HA With just two short months of hardwork and consistency I am able to wear a size MEDIUM shirt! And it was actually big on me!

Although I am still in “progress” I am so proud of myself! Down 21 pounds and enjoying the journey! It is only the beginning  Point is, don’t always focus on the end goal, sometimes it is the milestones along the way that make it worth the effort. It is HARD, it is WORK, it is CHALLENING, BUT it is also WORTH it, it is REWARDING and it is AMAZING to feel proud of yourself! Stick with it, you are worth it!

I also want to take a second to talk about balancing real LIFE with Jamie’s program…I have had alot of people ask me how I continue to work full time and still spend time in the gym 6 days a week.

Last Monday is a perfect example of my busy schedule.
-Wake up 7:00 am
-Work 8:00am – 5:00pm
-Gym: 5:30-6:45pm
-Marriage Class at church: 7:00pm – 8:30pm
-Get back home at 9:00pm, shower at some point.. cuz I know Im lookin like a hot mess!
-Etsy Orders: 9:30 – 10:30 PM
-BED 10:45 and PASSSSSSSSS OUTT!!!!
A day like Monday, in my previous mindset would have STRESSED ME OUT, burnt me out and I would have been totally overwhelmed and not very pleasant to talk to! HA BUT instead I was able to do ALL of those things and have enough energy to feel great. When I say my energy level is up, I am not implying I wake up at 5:00am thinking “YAY!” I get to wake up.. Bring on the day!” UM no I still hit the snooze button, still need coffee before having any real conversations, and still say O just 5 more minutes please!! .. LOL I am NOT a morning person.. BUT my energy is up BECAUSE I am busier than I have ever been and still able to balance everything without feeling overwhelmed. (Did I mention I get stressed easily?!) I truly believe this is contributed to putting my faith first and trusting God to continue to give me the determination and strength to handle everything.  I talked more in depth about the role my FAITH has played in my success doing Jamie’s program in Last week’s blog post.

In just two months I am already seeing that I have grown as a person, not just in my physical changes, But in my attitude, my outlook on life and in my relationships. I am able to balance all of life’s craziness and yet still smile and look forward to conquering the next day! This TRULY is a LIFE change for me, I have used this time to improve my thoughts and make positive changes in all areas of my life.

Workout Time:
Okay let’s talk torture, I mean workouts this week! HAHA I remember the first day looking ahead to Phase 3 and thinking “OMG are you joking?!” There is no way I could do that!!

But sure enough here I am doing the workouts ever day! Jamie Eason has TRULY thought about everything on this plan, Every Phase builds on the last and you need all those parts (the clean eating too!) to be able to do Phase 3.
The biggest change with the workouts, is instead of resting in between sets, you have to do an “active rest” 1 min of jumprope, or 20 burpees, or 20 mountain climbers (whatever is on the daily plan).. And let me tell ya, you will use EVERY muscle in your body. I literally woke up sore every day this week, It was intense. Also another kicker is instead of doing 30 minutes medium intensity cardio (4 days a week + your weights) You replace that with Level 8 sprints (30 sec sprint, 30 sec rest) for 30 minutes!! OMG after lifting for an hour, doing HIT (high intensity training in between) AND THEN SPRINTS, it is pretty exhausting!

Tuesday Nights workout was probably the hardest thing I have ever done! I am not sure why it but it was the hardest workout yet. Even the workouts later in the week were not that bad compared to Tuesday. It took me an hour and a half and a whole lot of convincing myself it was worth it! HA BUT I did it!! The workouts this week do take about an hour and a half on the days where I have to do the sprints too! But the two LEG days, they take about an hour.

ON a random side note, I have had a secret goal that I haven’t shared yet. But since I LOVE you all I will open up! WHy not, I am sharing everything else?! HAHA well I have NOT worked out in shorts… in well lets just say YEARS! I have always felt like my legs were ginormous and didn’t feel comfortable wearing shorts to the gym. BUT YAY another milestone! I bought some workout shorts this week! In a size medium (YAY!) and although I am still not sure if I am going to wear them to the gym yet.. (maybe on the second round of Jamie’s program when my legs are just a little more toned?!) It felt great to buy them and step out of my comfort zone.

Bring on Week 10! Only 3 more weeks till I have completed Jamie Eason’s Live Fit Challenge.. EEEKKKK!

Click the Links BELOW to download the PRINTABLE workout sheets for each phase!

Phase 1 PDF                         Phase 2 PDF                        Phase 3 PDF

You might also like:

WEEK 8 recap                      WEEK 7 recap                      WEEK 6 recap

Jamie Eason Live Fit Review {Week 8}

Woo hoo!! 2 months down! I can’t believe I have already been clean eating and lifting weights consistently for 60 STRAIGHT DAYS! This is a BIG deal, guys! HA I usually have a hard time sticking to something for more than 3 weeks, so the fact that I am continuing to follow Jamie’s Program AND look forward to doing it a second time.. IS AMAZING!! I have said this before, but this is really a LIFESTYLE NOT A DIET, for me.

I am learning soooooo much and look at food soooo diferently now! I am like the ingredient natzi at the grocery store, HA. If it has more than 3 ingredients I don’t buy it. I am looking at EVERY nutrition label of EVERYTHING I am eating. Not in an obsessive way, but in a awareness empowerment “way.” Is that even a full sentence?! You get what I’m saying, I am really thinking about what I am putting in my body, instead of blindly following my emotions towards food. It feels great to be feeling better, sleeping better, my complexion is better, and I have WAY MORE ENGERY! What’s not to love?!

And to top it all off.. I am down 20lbs.. YES TWENTY POUNDS!!

OMG I couldn’t believe it when I stepped on the scale. All my hardwork is really starting to pay off. EEEKK! Can’t wait to see even more progress by week 12!

Okay so meal prep this week was GUESS WHAT?! MORE egg white muffins, sweet potatoes and broccoli! HAHA I just don’t want to veer off from what is working so I am sticking the veggies I like! I also just want to reiterate how IMPORTANT meal prep is, while doing Jamie Eason’s 3 month program. I truly believe it is KEY to getting the results you want. For me it has helped me turn to healthy food, instead of binging on junk food. Because I spend about 3 hours on Sunday prepping all my food, (except dinners) for the week, it is literally grab n go! What could be easier?! So many people say, “O I just don’t have time!” really, you don’t have 3 hours in one week?! We all have the same hours in the day, it takes making it a priority to make it happen! I love the quote:

“Failure to plan, is planning to fail” It’s so true. When you don’t plan ahead, it is SOOOO easy to slip up and eat something bad. Trust me, I was that person for years. I would do GREAT during the day and then at 8:00 I would be craving chocolate & ice-cream!

Every time I get a craving for junk food, it’s usually a sign I am just HUNGRY! It’s my body telling me it’s time to eat, so I grab an apple, or a protein shake and tell that pesky hungry monster to suck it! HAHA okay a little dramatic, but you get the point.

Dinner time: (pictured above) 4oz of baked chicken, 1/2 cup of broccoli and a salad with strawberries, avocado and walnuts. Delish!

Dinner (pictured above) Another night I made Hummus crusted tilapia, topped with tomato & avocado, and a side of asparagus and mushrooms. I could seriously eat this fish like everyday! Its sooo good!
So I guess I should explain my dinner choices, Jamie’s program recommends basically eating lunch, then eating lunch (lean meat, with veggies) AGAIN and then having 2 turkey meatballs or a 4 small protein bars. HOWEVER that doesn’t quite work with my schedule, I am married SO my husband and I eat dinner together, and the idea of him having a big ole dinner and my eating a small protein bar just won’t cut it. SO I basically eat a lean meat and veggies for dinner. I limit my carbs to earlier in the day, just like Jamie recommends. I might make brown rice for David and then I will just have extra broccoli instead. Again this is a LIFESTYLE so I don’t want to feel deprived or hungry, so I am still eating a healthy filling dinner.

Dinner (pictured above) So it was Saturday night, I waited entirely too long to cook dinner and all of a sudden I was SUPER hungry!! I am usually pretty good about having my dinner ready around 7:30. But I got stuck doing laundry and you know time flies when your having fun?! UGH not.. okay anyway back to the food. Since I was in such a hurry I could tell I was starting to crave junk food.. BUT instead I was really proud of myself I cooked a sweet potato, and piled that bad boy on top of black beans & spinach. SOO SIMPLE but seriously delish! It was a hodgepodge of whatever I had on hand.. but it did the trick.

For phase 2, you are suppose to limit your carbs to earlier in the day, BUT I was just so hungry I knew I needed a filling meal. So hey, this is real life, do what works for you! So I ate my sweet potato concoction and didn’t feel guilty!

Let’s talk dessert shall we?! Every week I spend a little time in the kitchen either following Jamie’s recipes or coming up with my own clean desserts. I limit myself to them about once a week. This week I made  Jamie Eason’s Pumpkin Bars for my mid day snack and LOVED it so much it doubled as my weekly treat! I have them every day around 10:30 am.. OMG they are AMAZING!! So when I wanted dessert one night, I just popped one in the microwave and topped it with cinnamon + greek yogurt! SOOOO amazing! My fave of Jamie’s protein bar recipes so far. And just in time for fall 🙂 CLICK here for Pumpkin Protein Bar Recipe.

In other fun news, my family and I did a Bubble Palooza 5k this weekend! My dad, aunt, sister, nieces and nephew all participated, it was sooo Fun! Every mile there was a “bubble station” where you have to run through the multicolored suds, not guna lie it was pretty intimidating! HA I felt like we were in Willy Wonka! After my nieces and nephew were terrified for the first mile, HA they ended up loving it in the end. Def a great family run. I LOVE being able to be active with my family and set good examples for my nieces and nephews.


If you ever get a chance to do a Bubble run! I highly recommend it!

Workout Recap for Week 8

I have to say I am in LOVE with phase 2! I feel like it is really the most applicable to my daily life. I can totally do these workouts and follow the food list after I finish the program. I am getting so much stronger and am really comfortable with the weights now. I don’t have to watch the tutorial before every exercise! HAHA like literally had to pull up the video on my iPhone when I started phase 1. Now I just read it and know exactly what to do 🙂 Phase 2 consist of 6 days a week of weight training (about 30-45 minutes) PLUS 4 of those days you do an additional 30 minutes of cardio.

It’s sooooo crazy that there’s a 20 pound difference in the photo below! I can’t believe it’s only been two months. I used to HATE working out in tank tops, I was SUPER (and still am sometimes) self conscious BUT I bought some new workout tanks and it honestly makes me feel soooo much better to wear a cute outfit to the gym! I know that I am still “in progress” but I can’t believe how far I have come. In a weird way I feel like “I’m Back!” Im busting my butt in the gym and still able to eat healthy, balance my full time job, my online etsy store, AND be a wife! It’s not easy BUT it is worth it.

I talked about this last week, but I truly believe the reason I have been able to stick with this program and continue to be consistent is by putting my faith first. I have asked God to give me the wisdom to know how to balance everything & the determination to keep going. And it is SHOCKING that two months in I don’t feel overwhelmed, stressed or even burnt out! I feel calm, energetic AND proud. I continue to pray every day and thank him for all he is doing in my life and for what is yet to come. I know that I am not alone, and I don’t have to carry this heavy burden, this is an opportunity to be the best Alesha that I can be. I am not competing with ANYONE but myself. And yes I am working hard in the gym and eating healthy, BUT I am also learning how to let this just be ONE area of my life.

And I think that is something I have never done before. I have always just put myself 110% into ONE thing, be it school, graphic design, work, running, and then everything else just fell to the wayside. BUT NOW I am prioritizing and balancing multiple things and it makes me more productive. Being organized in the gym rolls over into wanting to be more organized at work & vice versa. Everything ties TOGETHER equally! Instead of ONE area being the main focus. And I KNOW that this would not be possible without help from God. He has truly given me a new mindset and the strength to continue.

Isaiah 40:29-31
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

Yay for actually being able to see the muscles in my arms! This weeks workouts have been NO JOKE! Definitely intense. Every day is harder than the last,but I can feel myself getting stronger. I can say I was SUPER PROUD when I did the single dumbbell squats using one 35 pound dumbbell! When I first started I could only squat holding a 10 pound, and that was hard!  I LOVE being able to push myself in the gym!

I still want to continue to tone and that is why I am going to do Jamie Eason’s program a second time! That will be 6 months of clean eating and lifting weights. It’s so exciting to think about how far I have come in just two short months, imagine what 6 months or even a year will do!

I have had alot of people ask where I get the “printable” worksheets from. If you click each day on Bodybuilding.com, under each workout it has a printable PDF BUT its a simplified form. You can use those OR I am in a facebook group where they had the Print Ready files all pretty with matching pictures of each exercise! It’s so great, I just take my notebook with me to the gym and follow step by step.

I absolutely LOVE the community of women I have met through this program. Every email or message makes me smile, it’s so great to know I am not doing this alone! The amazing Brittany Bellair is in my facebook group and uploaded these PDF’s to our group. They make it AWESOME and a super easy checklist.
Go check out her AWESOME transformation… OMG soooo motivating!! She’s done Jamie Eason’s program twice.

CLICK here to FOLLOW her on Facebook.

Click the Links BELOW to download the PRINTABLE workout sheets for each phase!

Phase 1 PDF                         Phase 2 PDF                        Phase 3 PDF

Woo HOOO! BRING ON PHASE 3! Only 1 month to go! 

You might also like:

Week 7 RECAP                    Week 6 RECAP                    Week 5 RECAP

Jamie Eason Live Fit Review {Week 7}

Yay! Seven weeks in & I feel great.  I have really seen the most changes in my body/workouts from this past week, it’s like all of a sudden I can really tell I have lost weight.
I am down 16 pounds!! Yep 16 whole pounds.. OMG feels so great!! I am really proud of myself. I haven’t had one cheat meal in 7 weeks! The food is very normal to me now, and all of my cravings for junk food have faded. Every now and then I’ll want chocolate or dessert, and I just make a healthy protein muffin or drink a protein shake. Again as I said in last weeks post.. this is a lifestyle for me, NOT a diet.

I am rediscovering / retraining my body how to eat food and make smart / healthy choices! I want this to be sustainable and a permanent change, not a quick fix. Because I am eating so frequently and eating well balanced healthy foods, I am never starving. Which is why I don’t want a cheat meal, I really like how I feel so far just from eating clean and I don’t have the desire to go out and have a Big Mac. At the end of the 3 months, David my amazing husband 🙂 is taking my on a date night to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse (A fancy schmancy restaurant). And I am going to have a BIG Ole Steak and definitely something chocolate and amazing for dessert!

I am counting down the days for that amazing dinner!! But what I think I have realized is, it’s about consistency and here I am almost 2 months in of clean eating and I don’t miss any of my old habits.

I have stuck to the plan and guess what.. I didn’t die?! HAHA Sometimes that’s my mindset, if someone had told me 2 months ago (and they actually did) to try coffee without creamer, I would have laughed and said NEVER!! But here I am drinking coffee every day with just one stevia packet and NO creamer! And guess what, I actually like it! I drink my coffee and then I move on. It’s amazing how once you change your thinking you can really do anything. Something as simple as not pouring a gallon of sugar filled creamer in my coffee has helped me to become healthier and more disciplined. It’s all those little decisions that really add up.

And for all my little decisions I have made for the past 7 weeks, I am really proud!!

Meal Prep: WEEK 7

So I am sure all my meal prep images are starting to look boring! It’s all the SSAAAAMMMMEEEE. But it just really works. And I like the food, so why change it.
I cook chicken every week and have had a couple people ask what kind of seasoning / marinade I use. For my meal prep, I just simply pour about 1 TB of Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette on top (first I use a fork and poke holes in the chicken so the dressing seeps through, and then sprinkle with a little Mrs Dash seasoning (Garlic and Herb). Thats it! Then I baked in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes. And the trick is, if you want juicy chicken, after its cooked let it sit for about an hour in the juices, the chicken will absorb the juice and be really tender!

This weeks lunches were broccoli, sweet potato, and baked chicken.

For Dinner I mixed it up a little, this was (pictured above) Hummus Crusted Tilapia, with rice pilaf and a salad. OMG it was soooo delicious!! The fish just literally melts in your mouth.

Okay I know this looks pretty boring, but don’t let it fool ya, this meal was packed with flavor! Baked chicken, sweet potato and sautéed mushrooms, onion, squash and zucchini. Sometimes the simplest meals can be perfect!

Time for my weekly baking experiment! I decided to have wishful thinking and pretend its actually Fall here in florida, so carrot cake (pictured above) sounded yummy! I followed Jamie Eason’s Carrot Protein Bar recipe. I baked them as “muffins” and then topped with Greek Yogurt and Cinnamon mixture. Easy and delish! A miniature little deceptively healthy carrot cake.. yes please! I’ll be posting the recipe later next week.

Workout Time!

Week 7 Workouts, were intense, no suprise there! I was very proud of myself, I finally used 30 pound dumbbells for my squats!! The first week I could only squat using 8 pounds.. WOW!! It’s so awesome to see the changes (literally I can look back through my notebook). Like I said earlier, I really feel like I have noticed the most changes from this week.

When I look back at the first week picture.. Its shocking!! I am so excited that you can actually see a difference! I took this picture on Wednesday, and it is crazy it is only a  16 pound difference. But I feel like it even looks like more than that, I am really gaining muscle. I feel so energized after my workouts! My goal is to lose 30 pounds by February. I am already down 16 pounds in just 7 weeks!! I am right on track to my goal and I think I might even reach my goal before then. 😉  We will see! I think what’s great is I am establishing HEALTHY HABITS, instead of a quick fix weight loss trick. Working out consistently and eating healthy consistently is going to be sustainable and something I WILL continue doing in the future.

EEEEK! I can finally see more muscle in my arms! YAY!! Its crazy to see the difference from week 1 in my arms. Just in finishing week 7 I am already excited to do this program all over again. I will be taking a 2 week break (still going to workout and eat healthy) and then START the program all over again! I am so excited for the changes by February, that will be 6 months of clean eating and working out! I am doing the Donna Hicken Half Marathon (this will be my 6th half marathon!!) BUT I want to be in the best shape! I have done the Donna Hicken Half the last two years, and it’s a great 13 mile run! BUT even though I could go out and have great endurance, having a consistent workout schedule was never in my daily plan. NOW I enjoy going to the gym, its my time to destress and get in the zone!

I’m guna get deep for a second.. ya’ll ready?!

I have had so many people ask how I stay so consistent & motivated?

“Wow, you haven’t had one cheat meal?!”

“O I could never do that!”

“I don’t have time to work out.”

I used to say those same exact things, FOR YEARS!

Until I decided to make a change.  At the beginning of this journey I made a decision & gave my health and fitness to God, I know this might sound crazy to some! But I really prayed about it and knew this was an area I have struggled with and just didnt make my health & fitness a priority. I was working 70 hours a week between my full time graphic design job and my etsy shop. I was burnt out, tired and had no energy! I KNEW I could not do this alone, and everyday I continue to thank God for all he is doing in my life and for giving me the strength and determination to continue! He has not let me down and I truly believe he has taught me a new mindset. He wants to see me at my best and through the past 7 weeks I have grown closer to him. I truly believe that what was once an area of my weakness will be an area of my strength! It’s all about changing how you think. And that has been KEY in my journey.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

I also hit another milestone this week. Because I was down 16 pounds, I wanted to treat myself for all my hardwork. Instead of binging out on junk food, I went workout clothes shopping. To my suprise I had to go down a size!! WHAT?! OMG feels so great to have those kind of victories! I only really have like 3 workout shirts and I just rotate them, HA. But now I have a couple more cute gym clothes and I don’t have to wear old tshirts! I totally did the Happy Dance in the dressing room. I cant wait to start Week 8 so I can wear my cute new workout outfits 😉

I have had so many people ask what my grocery list looks like. So I have put together this handy dandy word document of my grocery list, example meal plan AND my chocolate mousse recipe. Feel free to use it and let me know what you think!

Alesha_FOOD_list_09_28 <—— CLICK here to download the Word Document
Alesha_FOOD_list_09_28 <—— CLICK here to download the PDF Document

EEEK! Just one more week of Phase 2, then it’s on to Phase 3, The Home Stretch!!

Phase 1 PDF                         Phase 2 PDF                        Phase 3 PDF

 

 

 

 

You might also like:

Jamie Eason: WEEK 6        Jamie Eason: WEEK 5            Jamie Eason: WEEK 4 

Jamie Eason Live Fit Review {Week 6}

Okay okay.. so I’m a little late in my recap this week, it’s been a BUSY couple of weeks around here!
HALFWAY THROUGH!! WOO HOO! Can’t believe I’ve already done 6 weeks of Jamie Eason’s Live Fit Challenge!

I am down 13 pounds!! (SNEAK PEAK, I am actually writing this post during my week 7 and I am down a TOTAL of 15 pounds!!!) I am just so excited I figured I would tell all of you!
It feels really great, I am def getting the hang of this program. I know I say that every week, but I really mean it 🙂

The food is becoming very much a Habit, which is great! I am eating all the same foods but I still haven’t gotten sick of anything yet!
I am a little tired of my Egg White Muffins! HA but I figured I can suck it up, it’s only one meal of the day.

This weeks meal prep, nothing too crazy. Just the usual 🙂
BREAKFAST
-egg white muffins

LUNCH:
-chicken, salad, sweet potato

DINNER:
Mix of chicken, veggies and lots of baked tilapia.

I just want to talk for a second about how my mindset towards food has changed in just 6 weeks!! I DO NOT consider this a DIET (I really hate that word and the label it creates) I love the (whisper tone) “O your on a diet?!” looks you get from people when you eat a salad.. “UM no Im just eating healthy, but thanks!” HAHA This program is a LIFESTYLE change. I am learning about what healthy foods my body needs to just live. I don’t “treat” myself EVERY day with Chick Fil A sweet tea anymore. Moderation is key! That is something I have always heard but had a hard time with. I think I have been so successful this time because I am NOT depriving myself of foods. I am eating every 3 hours and I am making CLEAN healthy desserts, and yummy filling dinners. I want these recipes to be things I will eat in the future, not just a quick fix to lose weight. One Night I made hummus crusted tilapia (I was tempted not to have the hummus since it was store bought BUT I looked at the ingredients, ONLY 3! And I reminded myself this is a LIFESTYLE! I don’t want these three months to be where I feel so deprived or starved that after I just go back to the way I was. I want to LEARN from this process and use all of these tools in the future. I really feel like I am redefining my relationship with food. I don’t have to treat myself with something super unhealthy when I have a success, I now WANT to get a pedicure OR buy a new workout tank instead! I am learning that I can be disciplined and work hard without feeling like I am missing out on something!

I also followed Jamie Eason’s recipe for Lemon Protein Bars!! DELISH!!
I made these a couple times and the middle was always soggy but the outer edge was cooked perfectly! So frustrating.. I finally decided to use my muffin tin to make a batch and they cooked all the way through.
I’ll be doing a blog post with the recipe soon!

One night I made a big bowl of Chilli (and I ate mine without cheese or sour cream OR cornbread!! EEKK big step for me! HA I used to drown my chili in cornbread, But alas it was still tasty and delish!)
I also made Tilapia lettuce wraps, I seriously ate these like 4 nights in a row! HA, Super easy to throw together and always taste so fresh.

I experimented this week with baking a new Healthy Treat! Skinny Whoopie Pies.
I used Greek Yogurt mixed with Cookies N Cream Protein powder (that I got for FREE from bodybuilding.com, HECK YES!!)  for the filling, OMG SOOOOOO DELISH!! And only 150 calories in each one.

Of course on Saturday I made Chocolate Protein Pancakes, MY FAVE!! I have to say if you were a fly on the wall in the Haley house …. you would have been very entertained!  I was such a hot mess making these! David was a really great sport when I almost cried because my pancakes kept bubbling up and getting burnt in the pan! UGH (Might I remind you I had a SUPER intense Leg workout Saturday morning and was just tired and hungry..haha I am a bit of a DRAMA queen when I get hungry!) After realizing I just needed more egg whites and a hug from my amazing husband, everything was much better and the pancakes turned out perfectly 🙂 It’s the little things in life! (you know you work at Natural Life when you start quoting sentiment in daily life haha!)

My pancakes still turned out yummy and all was not lost! 😉

Let’s talk Workouts! 

I feel like every week there is always one workout that just takes everything I have to not give up. That was Day 40 this week. Shoulders and Cardio.
OMG I thought I was going to die! It was super intense. I had to do some alternative exercises since I didn’t have all the machines, but it was a great workout! It always feels good when during a workout I feel like it never ends, and then sure enough, WOOP its all over 🙂 My energy level is definitely way up! And I feel recharged AFTER my workouts instead of completely exhausted like I was in the beginning.

I have to tell you a little story about this picture (above). It was Friday night, and I really didn’t want to go the gym! It had been a crazy day at work and for the first time in like a month, David had a Friday Night off and we were planning on going on a date!! FANCY! (It actually turned into well let’s just eat chili and watch netflix kinda date, but hey whatever works 🙂 Anyway I just really wanted to go straight home and relax. BUT I got my butt to the gym determined to at least try to have a good workout. It was intense, and I was not feeling very motivated. After slowly trudging through my weights.. I hopped on the treadmill for my 30 min cardio session. 15 minutes into it I accidently pressed the emergency STOP button! NOOOOO!! All my calories, distances, everything was lost. And I don’t know if that has ever happened to you?! But it sucks! HA and you feel like you don’t want to keep going. I was feeling very defeated and like maybe I should just end my workout. UGH this was just not my day! But then Katy Perry’s ROAR song came on Pandora (okay don’t judge my music selection when I work out..haha!) And something about it just made me feel like YES I can do this, don’t give up! So I pulled out another 15 minutes and my second half of the run was WAY FASTER than the first! I left the gym feeling PROUD of myself for putting my big girl panties on and sticking to the plan.

Lesson Learned:
I am going to have days where I don’t feel motivated and I am just tired BUT that’s when I need it the most. To prove to myself I can do it! I am stronger than those doubting thoughts, and God has made me to be strong and determined, I just need to remind myself of that from time to time. When I got home I was going through my pictures and came across this picture from WEEK one, I couldn’t believe it! OMG did I really look like that?! Even though its only been 13 pounds, I really see a difference. I remember taking that first picture on the first day.. I was so excited to finally have a “cute workout tshirt” and not just old shirts. AND NOW that blue shirt is too big! This side by side picture comparison was just what I needed to remind myself NOT to give up, and even though I still have a way to go, LOOK HOW FAR I’VE COME! YAY! 

Feels great to be able to pull some of the clothes that are shoved in the back of my closet back out to wear! Yes I do wear real clothes not just gym sweats 🙂

Halfway through!! Only 6 more weeks to go! Can’t wait to share next weeks post about Week 7!!

Phase 1 PDF                         Phase 2 PDF                        Phase 3 PDF

 

You might also like:

Jamie Eason: WEEK 5            Jamie Eason: WEEK 4          Jamie Eason: WEEK 3

Jamie Eason Live Fit Trainer {Week 5} Review

So here we are at the end of Week 5.

This was my first week of Jamie Eason’s Phase 2. (Five weeks TOTAL of doing the whole Program)
And guess what?! Im down TWO more pounds!! WOO HOO! That makes 12 Pounds so far! I have to say Phase 2 is no joke! The workouts are 6 days a week (4 weight training + 30 min cardio, and 2 LEG days) With all the gym time I have put in this past week PLUS I have been SUPER disciplined with my eating I was SOOOO hoping I would have lost something. After not losing any weight for week 4 I was starting to get bummed, but I keep hearing “Just trust the process” from other ladies who have done this program. So I stuck to it and I am starting to see some great results! I know I still have a long way to go but for now I am really proud of myself.

My thoughts on Phase 2 {so far}:
So the biggest change with this phase is ADDING cardio back in! I honestly missed it. I feel like I have left the gym every day this week drenched in sweat (GROSS I know) BUT it feels really good! To know I am laying it all out and doing it full force! And funny thing is I am starting to appreciate the two LEG days that don’t have cardio, It’s a nice break. As far as the meal plan goes, it’s pretty much the same EXCEPT we are eating our carbs in the morning and lessening their intake throughout the day. So I actually eat my last carb (sweet potato) at lunch time. So no more brown rice at dinner 😦 I know that in the future this is something I won’t be quite so strict about (eating certain foods at certain meals) BUT I am really trusting this process and going to go for it! It wasn’t really a big change and it has honestly made me branch out in the veggie department! I feel like I am not afraid to try new foods or think of different ways to cook vegetables, mixing things up a little.

For this weeks meal prep, its basically the same old same ya’ll. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it right?
Egg white muffins, broccoli, baked chicken, sweet potato’s, and turkey meatballs.

These little guys just never to seem to get old, Even after eating them every morning for the past 5 weeks, (except on Saturdays, that’s reserved for Protein Pancakes!) I still find them tasty!

For my recipe on Egg White Muffins: CLICK HERE.

For Jamie Eason’s Turkey Muffins Recipe: CLICK HERE.

Lunch has been the usual: Chicken, sweet potato and broccoli. I have to say every time I eat a sweet potato I just think about what amazing flavor it has! I used to drown mine in butter and cinnamon BUT now I eat them just plain and it’s delicious! It’s crazy but I feel like I am able to “taste” the ingredients better. I don’t need a gallon of creamer in my coffee and I don’t need a scoop of butter on my veggies. It’s funny how quickly your taste buds can change! I never thought I would enjoy just steamed veggies, but I am starting to really like them (EEEK I know!)

For dinner one night this week I made Spaghetti Squash with Chicken, Yellow Tomato’s and a side of asparagus and mushrooms. OMG mouthwatering good! It was my first time ever making Spaghetti Squash and I am in LOVE! Not only was my mind blown that it actually LOOKS like spaghetti?! So crazy! BUT it was the easiest thing ever.

Just cut a Spaghetti Squash in Half, rub with a little bit of olive oil and season with Salt and Pepper. Then just pop in your oven (face down) on a pan and roast on 400 degrees for about 40 minutes. Then literally it just scoops out so easy like noodles!

Another night I made Lettuce Wraps with sautéed shrimp, corn, onions and topped with carrots and green onions. So easy and fresh!

Okay let’s talk Workouts….

Here’s a little progress pic for ya! Okay so how sad is it that I was actually flexing in the first photo 😦 My poor muscles never had a chance to come out. Well fast forward to Week Five (I’m 12 pounds lighter Woop Woop!!) and I think I see a little muscle!! EEEK! So exciting. It definitely makes such a difference when you take progress pics. Honestly I didn’t feel like I had changed that much, BUT looking at the photos it makes me really proud! I feel like you can really see the difference! I still have a long way to go, BUT I know I am going in the right direction. And yes I am sporting my Body Building Tank that I received for FREE last week (read more about that fun story here)!! I want to wear it every day!

Okay ignore my crazy hair in the picture below (not that it ever really looks different than just a giant ball on the top of my head!) HA .. This was an early workout BUT I am so excited to starting to see muscles! I still don’t feel completely comfortable working out in tanktops but ya know I’m getting there and who cares it’s hot in Florida 🙂

The workouts this week have literally been twice as hard & twice as long as the first month, I am usually shaking by the time I leave. But it feels really good! I feel like I am starting to feel more comfortable with weights and really learning the basics of weight training.

Let me just give you a little breakdown of Leg day on Wednesday .. I thought I was going to die! But guess what I didn’t 🙂

DAY 31 LEGS:
These are broken up into sets and reps but this is the TOTAL number.
I’m also upping the weights this week (using about 85% of my max effort) so for most of these exercises I am using 20 lb dumbbells. Which I might add is exciting since I started off at week 1 using only 8lbs in each hand. It’s so awesome to know that I am getting stronger in the gym!

-60 Leg Extensions
-30 LIGHT weights Squats
-40 HEAVY weights Squats
-32 Leg Press
-60 FRONT dumbbell Lunges
-60 REAR dumbbell Lunges
-45 Pile Dumbbell Squats
-60 Standing Calf Raises
-60 Sitting Calf Raises
* I had to make some adjustments (our gym doesn’t have the leg press machine so I just did some more leg extensions. OMG it was literally the hardest Leg Workout I have ever done!

Some of the other days were just as hard in a different way. Below was Day 30: Chest, Abs and Cardio.

I know I have said this before, but I really LOVE having my notebook with me. Im a HUGE fan of checklists. It’s great to feel like I am accomplishing my tasks!

Woo Hoo! Week 5 done! Bring on Week 6!

Anyone else trying Jamie Eason’s 12 Week Live Fit Trainer? Would LOVE to hear from you!!

Phase 1 PDF                         Phase 2 PDF                        Phase 3 PDF

 

 

 

 

 

 

You might also like:

Jamie Eason: WEEK 4          Jamie Eason: WEEK 3          Jamie Eason: WEEK 2

Jamie Eason 12 Week Trainer {Week 4}

WOW a whole 30 days down!

It’s def flown by, this marks the end of Phase 1 of Jamie Easons LiveFit Trainer Three Phase program!

Okay so I have to say I haven’t lost any more weight this week (I’m still down 10 pounds from when I started) 😦 I was totally bummed at first! BUT I also didn’t gain any so that’s good right?! This was a great week as far as workouts and eating goes, but I hit a little snag when I was feeling under the weather on Monday and Tuesday. Last Monday was Labor Day and I did really good and stuck to my eating & my workout even when we went to a cook out, BUT I started to feel really sick later in the day and so it led to me not being able to do my workouts for the next two days.

I was kind of bummed but knew that my body needed to rest. So I doubled up my workouts Thursday and Friday. Which was quite exhausting and I definitly don’t want to have to do again. I really enjoy how the program is broken up each day and now I’m so thankful for that, after doing two workouts in one day.

So no weight lost boo, BUT I can def start to see small changes in my body. My tricep muscles are starting to show just a teeny bit! But its enough to make me really want to keep going! And I can tell me legs are getting stronger too!

Meal prep this week was basically the same old same! But somehow I haven’t gotten sick of it yet. Broccoli seems to be the one veggie that I could eat every day and not mind, so I’m sticking to it!
Pictured Below: broccoli, egg white muffins, chocolate protein bars, and sweet potatoes. My Sunday meal prep is now becoming habitual and it doesn’t take near as long, only about 3 hours, instead of 5.

This weeks lunches: brown rice, sweet potato, broccoli and baked chicken.

For dinner we branched out and tried some new recipes! David made this delicious veggie soup!! Cauliflower, carrots, spinach, chickpeas, tomatoes, and onions! It was quite tasty.

And another night I made Quinoa Pasta with roasted veggies. Okay so this is literally the first time I have had pasta since starting this program. It is one of the recommended foods under carbs, but I usually just eat brown rice. I think I was eating too much pasta before so I am trying to limit my intake. Pasta used to be a Haley staple for dinner, almost 2-3 times a week! Over the past year we have switched to whole wheat pasta (which was a BIG change at first, but now I love it!) It was great because this dinner felt like a treat meal! I also mashed up some avocado and greek yogurt to make a healthy “alfredo” sauce.

I highly recommend branching out and trying new recipes, you don’t want to get stuck in a rut and feel like your being deprived (this is what always lead me to eating unhealthy before) I would get “tired” of eating healthy after a week and I just really wanted some Chick Fil A sweet tea gosh dangit! {and maybe the chicken sandwich and ooo the smell of waffle fries!} And before you know I just blew through 970 Calories!! In just one meal! Now I’m not saying I’ll never drink sweet tea again but I am going to do so in moderation and not on a daily basis.

WORKOUTS

So enough about food. How are the WORKOUTS going you ask?! Well let me tell ya!
They are definitely getting more intense. Still only about 30 minutes each day but because I am upping the weights those 3 sets of 10 reps are a doozy!
BUT it does feel really good to see my progress. I can look back at just two weeks and see that my weights have been upped and what was once super hard is now my “easy” set, in just 4 weeks! That for me makes up for the not losing any weight this week. I have to remember to think about “Non Scale victories” with this workout program. It’s not all about a number on the scale, its about being stronger and being healthy!

So if your like me right now I just use my community gym, (looking to getting a gym membership this next week). That means I don’t always have the machines that Jamie recommends for the workouts.
At first I thought “O no!” Until I discovered the Handy Dandy “Alternative exercises” page!! OMG saved my life! Instead of me having to guess at another way to do the specific exercise (because I have no idea what I’m doing?!) I can now see what other ways Jamie recommends. I have my notebook and my iPhone with me at the gym so I am able to do a quick look if I need a second option!

I have created this Handy Dandy Step by Step Chart on how to see the Alternative Exercises! See below

HOW TO: Finding Alternative Exercises from Jamie Eason’s Live Fit Program
*Accessing from iPhone
Step 1: Go to http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-phase-1. Click Specific Day & then ClickSpecific Workout.
Step 2: Will bring you to second page. Click VIEW FULL DETAILS.
Step 3: Scroll down till you reach “Alternative Excercises”. You can click FEMALE to see the female version of the exercise.
Step 4: Choose which alternative excersice you want to do!

So because of my little speed bump with being sick this week and seeing the same number on the scale, I was feeling kind of down. I knew I wanted to push through it, but come on, we all have days were we are just tired and not feeling motivated, right? Well that’s when it’s time to just put your big girl panties on and keep going! I just love this quote below, It applies to so many areas in life and is a great reminder to never give up!

And then this AMAZING thing happened! The Marketing Coordinator from Bodybuilding.com contacted me and came across my blog! She was SUPER nice and soooo encouraging!! Who knew that someone from such an amazing company would be reading my little itty Ol’ Blog?! She offered to send me some free supplements and a tshirt to say thanks for trying out Jamie Eason’s Body Building program! OMG what?! I was shocked and soooo excited! My package arrived just two days later and I was amazed at the awesome products!! I was expecting maybe a ziploc baggie of samples of each supplement not a Giganto Bottle! Holy Cow, thank you Body Building.com! It was definitely what I needed to stay on track and keep me focused.

Sometimes I think about how far I have to go (my goal is to lose 30 pounds and really tone up.. only 20 more to go!) But I have to tell myself it is about the process and the journey. I’m already learning so much in just this first month, and I am truly thankful for my friend introducing me to this program! My expectation is not “GET RIPPED in only 90 DAYS!!” I know realistically this is a lifestyle and it’s not going to happen overnight. My plan is to complete the 90 day program and then do it a second time! I’ve said this before but I really want to focus on my health, my marriage and my overall well being. You can read about that post here. And I can say that I am starting to see positive changes in all of those areas! I have been learning how to balance my priorities appropriately. Making time for myself and not getting burnt out from working like crazy! My husband has been so supportive and super encouraging! It’s so great to know that he is cheering me on! My family has also been amazing and gets just as excited when I reach another milestone! Surrounding myself with positive people has been a HUGE factor in my plan so far!

Can’t wait till you can actually start to see the muscle in my arms! It’s in there somewhere, just covered up by all those Chick Fil A Fries! HA

Woo Hoo!! Phase 1 COMPLETE!! Bring on PHASE 2!

Anyone else trying Jamie Eason’s 12 Week Live Fit Trainer? Would LOVE to hear from you!!

You might also like:

Jamie Eason: WEEK 3          Jamie Eason: WEEK 2          Jamie Eason: WEEK 1

Jamie Eason Live Fit Challenge {Week 3}

A little late in posting this, but better late than never right?! This is my recap of week 3 of doing the Jamie Eason Live Fit Challenge.

I’m down 10 pounds so far! Wooo Hoo!!

Feeling really good! I can def tell my clothes are starting to fit a little better.. and dare I say I can see a slight muscle in my legs!
I still have a long way to go, but I already feel so much better.

I’m feeling alot stronger in the gym too. I’ve upped my weights as Jamie suggested and Man O man, I’m starting to break a sweat with the workouts! They’ve added an extra day so now its 5 days a week for about 30 minutes.
Still NO cardio till I get to Phase 2, I have to admit I have snuck in a run on Sunday mornings with my dad.. I just couldnt help it! I love running with him and even though this has been mainly about weightlifting so far, I can tell that my runs are getting easier too. I’m still planning on doing the St.Augustine Half Marathon in November but I know the weight training will only help my long runs!

On a side note, my craving for junk food has MAJORLY gone down. I’ve always heard if you don’t eat alot of sugar you don’t crave it, and I think thats totally true. I am proud to say that I haven’t had one cheat meal or skipped one workout!
It’s been hard and not something that comes easy to me, but I feel more determined than ever to finish this program. Im already starting to think about my next step after this. I might do the 3 months over OR I might try P90x or Insanity.. BUT one step at a time 🙂

This weeks lunches have consisted of 4oz of baked chicken, 1/2 a cup of brown rice and steamed squash.
I’m still eating my two egg muffins in the morning with a handful of spinach, an apple & carrots for my mid morning snack.
And then after lunch I eat 2 protein bar sqaures and then a protein shake around 5:00 before my workout.

Also another fun milestone this week… I finally got a Costco Membership!! YAY! I’ve only ever gone with friends and I finally feel like an adult now that I have my own membership.
Theres so much that we can save money on, by buying in bulk.

And if you haven’t had their Salmon before you’re missing out! Its sooo good! David just added some seasoning and grilled it one night and we still had so much left over. So the next day I made Salmon wraps, so good!
It’s nice to have the dinners be different every night, that way I don’t get bored with my food. I don’t mind eating the same breakfast and lunch but I still LOVE cooking so I like to have dinner to think of new fun recipes.

Also with this past weekend being a Holiday (Labor Day) I had a little extra time to spend in the kitchen. I LOVE chocolate, like I could eat it every day! But alas, everything in moderation right? I’ve been trying to come up with new recipes and looking on pinterest to find new ideas for healthy desserts. And seriously you can do SOOOOO MUCH with just GREEK YOGURT & CHOCOLATE PROTEIN POWDER! Like for real, probably 100 different recipes with using those as your main ingredients.

Two of which I tried out this week were: Peanut Butter Cups & Chocolate Mousse. Both of them were amazing and satisfied my sweet tooth! My husband even licked the bowl after the chocolate mousse and said “Um that was stinkin delicious, prob the best thing you’ve ever made!” Why thank you very much! Husband approved makes for a Happy Wife 🙂

I’ll be posting both recipes later this week.. Stay Tuned!
For the Peanut Butter Cup Recipe CLICK HERE.

For the Chocolate Mousse recipe click here.

The best part is, not only did I eat Chocolate Mousse & Peanut Butter Cups this week but I lost 2 more pounds (total of 10 so far). I think thats the best thing about this program, is I don’t feel deprived OR starving. I just THINK about what I’m putting in my body, and try & think of new healthy recipes instead of eating processed foods or driving through a fast food restaurant. It really has been eye opening!

SIDE NOTE: Insert my LOVE & DISCOVERY of PB2 Here!! OMG Powdered Peanut Butter is AMAZING! Bought mine from Walmart for $3.59 for a small container. Great for baking, smoothies and even sandwiches (just add water). Two Tablespoons are only 45 Calories compared to 190 Calories of typical peanut butter.. OMG!! Thats amazing! And YEP it taste the same. Okay can you tell I’m excited?! HA

Workout Time

So for this weeks workouts, I upped the weights and they added another day. So 5 days a week total for about 30 minutes.
Depending on my schedule I either get up early and do the workouts in the morning if I know we have plans at night OR I just workout after work.

We have a community Gym thats included in our rent which is AWESOME! However if theres more than two people it gets crowded.. so for Phase 2 I think I’m going to consider getting a gym membership.
I want to do the workouts as accurately as possible and for some of the newer workouts, my gym doesn’t have the right equipment.

Heres a little look at what my daily workout notebook looks like. I love having my notebook with me, I have to say I felt pretty silly at first walking in the gym lugging this thing around, but NOW I have come to rely on it and for some reason writing everything down and having a physical notebook makes it really feel like I’m meeting my goals.

See the workouts aren’t too crazy. Usually only about 10 different exercises each day. BUT with the weights, I’m starting to break a sweat. And the OMG after the two workouts, just means OMG That was really hard! HA just a little reminder to myself so that hopefully it wont be quite as hard next week. I like being able to see my progress on paper, and what has started out as SUPER difficult is now just a little difficult. Nothing crazy but I am starting to tell I’m getting stronger.

YAY 3 weeks down! Only one more week of Phase 1!

Anyone else trying Jamie Eason’s 12 Week Live Fit Trainer? Would LOVE to hear from you!!

 

Phase 1 PDF                         Phase 2 PDF                        Phase 3 PDF

 

 

 

 

 

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 Jamie Eason: WEEK 2          Jamie Eason: WEEK 1        Jamie Eason Challenge

Jamie Eason Live Fit Challenge {Week 2}

This is a recap of the end of my second week of doing  Jamie Eason’s Live Fit Challenge.

So far so good! I think I’m gettin the hang of this thing! I’ve lost 8 pounds so far! Woo Hoo!
Which is more than I thought I had, it feels really good to know my hardwork is paying off!

The clean eating is going good! I think spending 5 hours on Sunday meal prepping makes all the difference! It makes it sooooo much easier during the week. And honestly I’m getting used to straight up coffee with just one stevia packet.. which is sooooo not me! I usually like my coffee WHITE with creamer before I drink it! HA But with this program I have to give up my beloved carmel machiatto flavored creamer.. sigh. The first time I drank the coffee without creamer I almost couldn’t drink it! HA its a big difference and sometimes I add a little unsweetened almond milk so that seems to help. But after reading the ingredient label on my coffee creamer Im glad I switched! 15 ingredients in coffee creamer, half of which I couldn’t pronounce.. Um no thanks!

I think that’s my biggest lesson so far, really knowin and being aware of what I’m putting in my body. There’s no more just grabbing stuff and eating it, I now look at everything and think ahead before I eat it. All my meals for the past two weeks have been all homemade and when I knew we had a family dinner on Saturday night, I ate before I went and then just had a small side salad. UGH it was soooo hard to turn down shrimp & grits, sweet tea and birthday cake! Im a Southern Girl yall and um those are my faves! I know that this is lifestyle of really eating healthy and I could have ordered something to eat at the restaurant, but these first couple of weeks are so crucial and I really want to stick to the program no matter what! And I realized after the dinner that it was really about being with family and it didn’t matter if I had cake or not, I still had a great time just being with the people I love. And the best part, I didn’t feel overly stuffed or guilty for eating too much! I was really proud of myself for sticking to my plan! It’s hard but I’m really determined and don’t want to stop now.

Let’s talk Clean Eating Meal Prep shall we?!

So for the first week I got the majority of my ingredients from Costco which was sooo great! OMG we saved so much money, and then a couple items that I only needed a little bit of, I went to publix. Now on week 2 I still had a good chunk of my food ingredients from the first week, I only needed a couple more things, like veggies and stuff.

So for ALL my meals on week 2 –  I only spent $40.00!
This includes my 6 small meals a day PLUS dinner for me and my husband! I think thats a great deal! 🙂

If I go to Costco once a month (spent about $100), I will only need to spend about $25-$40 per week mainly on fresh produce!
I’m sure you could buy in bulk more at Costco.. but there’s some items I just prefer to buy at Publix.

For this week’s lunches I had, steamed brussels sprouts, steamed sweet potato, baked chicken and tomato.
I also added a little quinoa on three of the days this week.
I also made my egg white & spinach muffins for breakfast too! Placed a small handful of spinach or brown rice and the eggs on top, easy peasy and delish!

I have to say though after eating Brussels every day for 7 days I think I’m over them! HA I will have to spread them out next time.

Week 2 – Meal Plan
Meal 1 – 2 egg white muffins with 1/2 a cup of brown rice
Meal 2 – Jamie Eason Turkey Meatballs (I make these at home but follow her recipe) with a handful of spinach
Meal 3 – 4oz of baked chicken, half a sweet potato, half a tomato, and however many brussels I can fit in the tupperware!
Meal 4 – 2 of Jamie Eason’s Chocolate Protein Bars (I make these at home but follow her recipe)
Meal 5 – Protein Shake (preworkout)
Meal 6 – Dinner, basically whatever I have on hand, this week was alot of baked chicken, brown rice and veggies. I mix up the dinner meals though, I don’t want to get sick of the food!

Meal 1 – 2 egg white muffins with 1/2 a cup of brown rice

Meal 2 – Jamie Eason Turkey Meatballs (I make these at home but follow her recipe) with a handful of spinach

Meal 3 – 4oz of baked chicken, half a sweet potato, half a tomato, and however many brussels I can fit in the tupperware!

Meal 4 – 2 of Jamie Eason’s Chocolate Protein Bars (I make these at home but follow her recipe)
Im going to have a blog post on these soon.. I added greek yogurt and apples to her recipe and OMG I love them! Now they are no double chocolate brownie, ha… but they’re a great source of protein!

This was dinner one night, Quinoa crusted Chicken on a bed of spinach with (you guessed it) brussels and a sweet potato. So one thing that I’m also getting used to in the kitchen is not grabbing my panko breadcrumbs for every meal. HA Im so used to putting them on everything.. they add such a nice crunch! And although thats probably fine I know there’s a healthier way so I decided to use my already cooked quinoa to create a nice crust on the chicken.. UM it was delicious! I’m def going to be doing this more often.

I topped the chicken with mashed avocado, and drizzled with Greek Yogurt + Ole Bay spice! UM it was amazing, I accidently layed the sauce on a little thick. HA But the spinach makes up for that right?! 🙂

Another night my husband and I made Turkey Lettuce Wraps. We used extra lean ground turkey, onions, corn with tomatos and avocado and a side of black beans!

Okay enough about food.. what about the workouts you ask?

They are still only about 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week (Monday – Thursday)
So on week 1 I really wasn’t sore but um ya I def was this week! I upped my weights (according to what Jamie recommends) and it felt great! I was soooo sore after Leg Day! But I can already tell I’m getting just a little bit stronger! I’m guna be honest the whole no cardio thing is soo hard! I really want to break a sweat and be drenched when I leave the gym (for some reason it makes me feel like I did more) But this whole program is really about easing your way into lifting weights and from what I’ve read on Phase 2 (when we start adding cardio in), Im def going to get my wish! I know the workouts are only going to get more intense.

O don’t mind the blurry pictures, my hands were just shaking after my workout. HA! 😉

Bring on Week 3, Im ready for ya!

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Jamie Eason Live Fit Challenge {Week 1}

So here I am at the end of Week 1 of the Jamie Eason Live Fit 12 Week Challenge.

To see my original post on why I started this 3 month journey click here.

Overall I feel great! Ive lost 3 pounds so far! Woop Woop! And immediatly I’ve noticed I’m sleeping better at night (I usually toss and turn for a good hour before falling asleep and David just really loves it! HA) So thats a good start. I’m going to layout my first week of workouts and food plans below in case anyone wants to follow along.The KEY to this 12 week program is clean eating, which includes eating 6 small well balanced meals a day every 2-3 hours. Along with weightlifting and small amounts of cardio all of these factors make this program totally OUT of my comfort zone but I’m ready to learn 🙂 I consider myself a pretty healthy eater but WHOA I had no idea how much processed stuff I was eating even just in flours, oils, salad dressings, dairy products, coffee creamer (just to name a few). Just because it says “ORGANIC” doesn’t mean it really is! Read the labels people, if you can’t pronounce the ingredients, don’t eat it!If you want to read more about the FREE Jamie Eason Live Fit Challenge click here. (This program is in fact FREE but you will need access to a gym, I am currently using our community workout room, but for Phase 2 I will need to use more machines so I will be getting a gym membership next month.)So let me start out by saying that when my friend sent me the link to the website I was immediatly hooked after watching the intro video! And then as I scrolled through the foods and workouts that excitement QUICKLY turned to being overwhelmed, its okay! It seems kind of intense at first but it’s really not {trust me}. It’s all about making NEW habits and that’s going to be a little uncomfortable & will take time  but it will be worth it!Week 1 – FOODTo see the official Food List click here —-> Jamie Eason Approved Foods ListSo one thing that I’ve had to get used to so far is MEAL PREP! I spent last Sunday afternoon cooking ALL my food for the week (except dinners) and then dividing them into lovely little tupperwares 🙂 And honestly it made going to work in the morning SO EASY! I just grab a couple containers and I have all my meals for the day! I know my officemates think all I do is eat all day! haha BUT I’m eating smaller portions every 3 hours, so I am avoiding the ravenous food binge when I get home from work. And I’m never starving because I’m eating more filling and healthy foods.
Here is a list of what I have eaten this week.
P.S. I LOG all my foods with the FREE iPhone App “My Fitness Pal“Meal 1- 8:00  AM
-2 egg white muffins, 1/2 a cup of chickpeas (or brown rice), and veggies (handful of spinach)Meal 2 – 11:00 AM
-1/2 cup of greek yogurt and berries
OR – 2 turkey meatballs with spinachMeal 3- 1:00 PM
-4 oz of baked chicken, spinach salad with strawberries, blueberries and walnuts w/ a tablespoon of Balsamic Vinaigrette
OR – 4 oz of baked chicken, half a steamed sweet potato, and a cup of steamed broccoli topped with a quater of a tomato

Meal 4 – 3:30 PM
– 2  of Jamie Eason’s turkey meatballs with a handful of spinach and tomato
OR  – 2 sqaures of Jamie Eason’s chocolate protein bars

Meal 5 – 5:30 (PRE WORKOUT)
-protein shake (1 scoop of protein powder and either almond milk OR water)

Meal 6 – 8:00 PM
-lean meat or fish with steamed veggies and salad

 Depending on my day sometimes I only eat 5 meals a day every 3 hours, if I am really hungry I’ll eat more often (6 meals a day) LISTEN to your own body, don’t starve yourself. And because I’m eating clean I don’t feel guilty or OVERLY full (aka the notorious food coma) NOPE I feel full and satisified! This part is very new for me! Its taking some time adjusting and its not easy turning down tasty food that people are offering in the office (like FREE icecream, what the what?! but I said No, and ate my homemade protein bar)Breakfast – 2 egg white muffins (i’ll be sharing my recipe later this week) with a half cup of brown rice
Lunch – 4 oz of baked chicken, half a steamed sweet potato, and a cup of steamed rice topped with tomato

Dinner – Homemade whole wheat tortilla, pan seared tilapia, with veggies and avocado, and a side salad with fresh berries. Was seriously DELISH!!!

Another view of Day Fours delish Tilapia Tacos! Even David LOVED them too 🙂
This was dinner on Night 2 – I didn’t have time to cook up any meat so I just had 2 Turkey Meatballs, steamed broccoli, brown rice and a side salad
On Day 3 I made Jamie Eason’s Fish in Foil using Tilapia, with broccoli and brown rice and avocado. YUM-O!


Dinner on Day 6 – Eggplant, Chicken and Spinach stack – I’ll post the recipe later this week
Saturday morning I wanted something a little different than the usual egg white muffins. So Pancakes it was!
3 Ingredients – 1 bannana, 2 egg whites and a scoop of CHOCOLATE protein powder (makes 4 small pancakes)
Served with 1 TB of plain greek yogurt mixed with cinnamon (drizzled on top and some fresh berries)
For the recipe CLICK HERE.

Okay so this program is not just about eating good food, its also about getting your butt kicked in the gym! Not just working out like crazy for two weeks then not doing anything for 3 months (Um Im not the only one who’s done that before right?!) So this time I know that I really want to stick to the workouts! This week it’s only been 30 minutes a day 4 days a week. Let me tell you I’ve been SOOO SORE! The workouts are intense and they will eventually get to be about 1.5 hrs a day, 6 days a week but lets just worry about that later, shall we?!One of the great things that I’m loving about this so far is the workouts are gradual, its not super crazy with exhausting workouts 7 days a week, you really ease your way into it, and guess what NO CARDIO the first month! Crazy, I know!Week 1 – Phase 1 workouts CLICK HEREOkay I know this post was SUPER long, I promise next week will be more to the point 🙂

But are you convinced & want to do this with me yet?! I cant wait till I can finally see results, I know its going to get super intense but I am really enjoying the program so far!Happy weekend ALL!

Click the Links BELOW to download the PRINTABLE workout sheets for each phase!

Phase 1 PDF                         Phase 2 PDF                        Phase 3 PDF

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