Jamie Eason FINAL recap {Week 12}

WOOO HOOOO!! Well I did it folks! Completed Jamie Eason’s 12 week program!! I can’t even begin to describe how amazing it feels!! I have learned SOOOOOO much and feel like  a completely different person. I am so proud of myself for sticking to it! I didn’t have one cheat meal or miss one workout. It was not easy BUT I am so glad I stuck with it. This really was a LIFESTYLE change for me. Like I have said before I considered myself a pretty healthy eater And I completed my 5th Half Marathon in February. I was running my butt off 4 days a week for (13 weeks) and only lost 5 pounds!! But now after doing Jamie Eason’s program I know how much Lifting weights and eating clean can really change the shape of your body. This was not just about losing weight, this was about putting myself first in health and fitness and learning how to prioritize multiple areas in my life. You can read about the reason I started Jamie’s program here: Jamie Eason Challenge.

Before I wrote this week’s post I went back and read all of the past 12 posts. OMG it’s so funny to see how much I’ve changed. The workouts that I thought were sooo tough were nothing compared to Phase 3! I am so glad I wrote the weekly recap, It really allowed me to be accountable to myself but also to help others! When I made the decision to blog about my journey I was SO scared & nervous! But now I know it was the best decision for me! I have met some amazing women through this and have connected with sooo many people! My blog went from averaging 30 views a day to almost 1,500 a day!!  And it’s not just about O look at me, by any means! It’s about connecting with other people & supporting eachother. I think people can relate to my story because I don’t sugarcoat anything. This has NOT been easy for me and I have been very honest about my struggles. I also think there is a HUGE misconception that people who are overweight are lazy or just don’t try hard enough. And that is just not true. I was working 70 hours a week between my full time job and my side business, I just had my priorities out of line and was putting myself last.

I realize now that by putting my health and fitness first, it really does overflow into other areas. I have become a better employee, wife, friend, etc. I am able to balance multiple areas of my life and NOT be stressed out. I have a tendency to stress easy and be overdramatic (just ask my husband! HAHA) But now it’s different! I don’t get stressed out anywhere NEAR how I was.

And some very EXCITING NEWS!! Through these past 3 months I got PROMOTED at work!! I am now the “Head Designer” for Product Development at Natural Life. It was so awesome to know that I can give 110% at work BUT ALSO in my eating and working out too! This was something I ALWAYS struggled with! I would go 110% into school or work and then everything else would just fall to the wayside. I would get home from my job and literally have no energy left. BUT NOW I am recharged after my workout and am able to come home cook dinner, finish an etsy order and have a nice evening with my husband.

My meals for week 12 were literally the same as week 11. The carb cycling was not too bad but I am def glad it’s over! HA Not really for me.

For my LOW carb days I ate the following: (PICTURED ABOVE)
meal 1 – 2 egg white muffins & 3/4 cup of chickpeas
meal 2-Protein Shake with Almond Milk
meal 3- 4oz. of chicken and 1/2 a cup of string beans
meal 4 – 2 Turkey Meatballs
meal 5 -1 chicken breast or tilapia, 1/2 a cup of steamed veggies & salad  (or avocado as pictured above)

For my HIGH carb days I ate the following: (PICTURED ABOVE)
meal 1 – 2 egg white muffins & 3/4 cup of chickpeas
meal 2- 1 Sweet potato steamed
meal 3- 4oz. of chicken, half a sweet potato and a salad with strawberries and walnuts
meal 4 – 2 Pumpkin Protein Bars
meal 5 -1 Chicken breast OR tilapia OR Ground Turkey, 1/2 a cup of steamed veggies & 3/4 cup or brown rice or beans

I of course had to throw some pumpkin pancakes in there this week! THESE ARE SOOO GOOD!!

So to celebrate my COMPLETION of the program, David and I went to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. It was sooo great to get dressed up and have an amazing night out with my husband! I had talked last week about my fancy new dress I got this past weekend BUT bummer I tried it on again and it had a black mark on it!! UGH so I had to last minute rush and find something else to wear! BUT YAY I found this dress in the back of my closet that I haven’t worn in a couple years and it fit! It wasn’t my original plan BUT I was still really happy that I could wear an old dress of mine and feel good in it! Instead of feeling like I’m squeezing out of it or having to wear a cardigan over it to cover up my arms. Let me tell ya it could be 100 degress out But there was NO way I would be wearing a sleeveless dress! HAHA It’s crazy the things you do to make yourself feel better. BUT NOW even though I still have some more toning to do and I still want to lose a couple more pounds, I felt really proud of how far I have come!

On a sidenote I just have to give a HUGE shoutout to David! Through this whole process he has cheered me on, supported me, ate pumpkin pancakes right along with me! And has embraced this lifestyle too! He has always been SUPER healthy and has seriously had a six pack since he was like 15! HAHA I would know, we started dating when I was 14. And after 11 years of being together and many of life’s ups and downs I AM SO BLESSED to have this amazing man by my side! We have grown closer through this process and he has been just as excited when I reach a new milestone. Whether its a spouse, a friend or even someone from an online community I cannot stress how important it is to surround yourself with people who want to see you succeed in your weightloss journey! It has made ALL the difference for me!

Funny note about this picture.. David said “Do a sexy pose!” UM do I just smile?! I don’t know what that means?! HAHA After David took the picture I of course wanted to see and at first I was nervous..I was so used to thinking I look cute or my hair looks good and then seeing a picture of myself and all I would see is a double chin or how round my face looks and think “O GOD! That can’t be accurate?!” HA its crazy but true! I would always have to “approve” a picture before it was posted, in fear that I needed just the right angle to hide my curves!  I now know how silly all of those things were and when I looked at the above picture my first though was “WOW! Not too shabby!” HAHA it felt good to actually see myself instead of pick myself apart! Of course I thought about the things I still want to improve on BUT I didn’t nitpick every flaw. I saw a beautiful woman who has worked her BUTT off (literally) and should stand tall & proud of how far she has come! I find myself sometimes being my own worst critic, and I have to get in the habit of stopping that. I always want to continue to push myself and improve BUT I also need to encourage myself too!

We had an AMAZING mouthwatering dinner at Ruth’s Chris. Filet Mignon with mashed potato’s, sauteed mushrooms and chocolate cake! It was so delicious! And at dinner I thought, this is how it should be, a nice treat meal every couple of months or a couple times a year NOT every day! Not that I was eating filet every day HAHA BUT if it was Friday or if I had a bad day at work or it’s raining?! I used any excuse to have a treat meal. I never thought I could go 3 months without a cheat BUT that’s because I learned NEW recipes, made clean desserts and most of all learned how to eat well balanced meals that I actually enjoyed! I had to retrain myself on how to eat food. It’s no longer a support system or even a coping method, it is my body’s fuel, and I need to feed it properly.

So who wants to see some progress pics?!
WEIGHTLOSS UPDATE:

So *drumroll please* I lost a total of 26 pounds!! My original goal was to lose 30 pounds by February, and I ending up losing 26 by November!! I was blown away by how close I came to 30 pounds!  I would still like to get there by at least New Years. I went from a size 12/14 to a 6/8. I even went through my closet this weekend and donated 3 huge bags of clothes that are now TOO BIG for me! WHAT?! I can’t believe it, in just 3 months!

I have had alot of people ask what my specific weight is so here goes: I was 175 lbs when i started and now I am 149 lbs! I don’t want to focus so much on the numbers because it really is about having a healthy lifestyle and feeling good about myself. BUT seeing the numbers go down every week is an amazing feeling!

I totally look like I’m 12 in the after picture! LOL But I was SHOCKED When I did the final comparison! I cannot get over how different I look in just 12 weeks. And I have mentioned this before but one of my secret goals was to wear shorts to the gym. I literally have not worn workout shorts in literally probably 3 years! I always felt like my legs were huge and cellulite city… SO for week 12 I broke out those shorts and wore them proudly at the gym! I still have ALOT more toning to do BUT it felt great to finally meet a HUGE milestone!

So yep I wore my “shorty-shorts” as my sister calls them 😉 And I was proud to see how far I have come. The first week I would have NEVER worn shorts and a tank top to the gym!!

I also rocked my Bodybuilding.com Tank top this week! You can read about my post last week when the AMAZING marketing coordinator sent me a follow up Congrats box!! I have to say A HUGE thank you to Allie at Bodybuilding.com She believed in me and encouraged me when I was only at week 3! And since then we have stayed in touch and she has been a HUGE encouragement and motivation! 

I also bought some new workout tanks from Cross Training Couture this past week! I LOVE their scripture based tanks! I have said this before BUT I made a decision to give my Health & Fitness to God when I started the 12 weeks. I pray about my marriage, my finances, etc.. Why wouldn’t I pray about my fitness?! I have tried SOOOO many times to lose weight before and NOTHING stuck. I was always tired or hungry or just bored with it. BUT this time I asked God to give me the strength and determination to stick with this, and he truly has! Cross Training Couture makes adorable workout clothes with powerful messages! The grey shirt is based off 1 Corinthians 6:19: “Because my Body is a temple.” This really struck home with me, God has given me this body and I should continue to nourish & strengthen it! This isn’t some weird thing, this is simply treating my body the way it deserves and for me the way that God intended.

So don’t worry body, I’m guna treat you right! 

So my final thoughts on Jamie Eason’s program:
This is for ANYONE! Whether you are a gym rat or never lifted weights before, you can learn something from this program! I learned A TON about myself and how much I can accomplish when I put my mind to it. This program is amazing because the workouts are layed out for you. I brought my notebook with me EVERYDAY and checked off the exercises. I was not very comfortable with weights so this taught me gradually how to work the different muscles.

I truly think of this program as relaying a foundation of “healthy eating” and “working out.” I THOUGHT I was a healthy eater but when I realized how much processed foods I was eating it blew me away. I shop at the store differently, I cook differently, we literally don’t even have butter in our house anymore! HA I used to just use a little here and a little here at dinner and before you know it.. It was like Paula Deen made chicken stir fry! HA  I buy different brands now, and look AT EVERY label & ingredient before buying or even using it. I look up a restaurant’s menu before going out to eat, and I always drink water with dinner instead of ordering a sweet tea. What I’m trying to say is in just THREE months I have retrained myself how to eat food. I have created NEW healthy habits that I will continue to do in real life. This is NOT a diet, it truly is a lifestyle change. And if I can do it, anyone can do it!

I learned how to put myself first in health and fitness. And it felt good to prove to myself week after week that I could really stick with this. As I got stronger and the weight started coming off more it just made me want to try even harder! I HIGHLY recommend Jamie’s program. I learned SOOOO much in just 12 weeks! And I am so proud of how far I have come!

Here’s some frequently asked questions I have gotten over the past couple of weeks:

So What’s NEXT Alesha?!
I’m so glad you asked 🙂 For two weeks I am going to do phase 2 workouts & continue to eat clean. I LOVED phase 2 the best and felt like it was the most applicable to my life. I will in fact have some mac n cheese and turkey on thanksgiving! BUT I will NOT spend the next two weeks eating chick fil a & Krispy Kreme donuts! HA I have worked too hard and have too many goals to pursue to binge on junk food. AND THEN I am going to do the program ALL OVER! Yes start back at Phase 1. I know that this second round will really be where I see the toning and muscle definition come in. I only want to lose about 5-10 more pounds, but even if I did not lose anymore weight and had more muscle tone I would be happy with that.

How can I start this program?
You can find the series plan and more info about Jamie Eason’s 12 week program here: CLICK HERE.

How much does it cost?
Put that checkbook away! It’s FREE!! YES free! Won’t cost you a dime! Just download the approved foods list (or my Grocery list:  Alesha_FOOD_list_09_28 & example meal plan) and print out the workout sheets (see bottom of post for workouts)

Can I still get results if I do the workouts but don’t eat clean?
So I can only speak from my personal experience and I think that the workouts are AMAZING but you will not see the results that will come from clean eating too! I think this is SOOO crucial to losing the weight. I think any aspect of this program could be a huge benefit but I highly recommend doing both aspects and going at it 110%!

How do I stay motivated for 3 months?
For me, it was blogging about my progress. I put it out there so I knew I had to stick with it! I also follow a TON of women on instagram, facebook & pinterest who inspire me! These are not perfect models who are not relatable, these are real women, who have full time careers, or are single moms, they have lost 20 pounds, or maybe even 100! They inspire me and make me want to try harder! I suggest finding someone or something that will encourage you! Surround yourself with positive people and friends and family that want to see you succeed and will do this with you! And most of all, don’t give up!! You are WORTH it and deserve to be happy in your own body.

So are you convinced to give it a try yet?! I’ll be right along with you!

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:

Jamie Eason Week 11       Jamie Eason Week 10          Jamie Eason Week 9

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