Shakeology - I love this stuff!

Recently I've been drinking this Shakeology stuff - it's a powdered drink mix that can be used as a meal replacement or healthy snack option. In one serving of Shakeology (140 calories, 1g fat, and 15-17g protein), there are 70 healthy ingredients providing nutrients from 6 key groups (proteins, vitamins & minerals,antioxidants, phyto-nutrients, pre-biotics and digestive enzymes), making it by far my healthiest meal of the day. In one shot, I cover all of my nutritional supplements for the day.

I have both the chocolate and greenberry flavors, and love them both. Here is the key to mixing either flavor - don't just mix them in a shaker with water and expect it to be the best thing you've ever had. I typically mix mine with almond milk (Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze) and only use half a scoop of powder at a time - more than that and the flavor tends to get a little overpowering. I mix it in a blender with some ice, and throw in anything I can find. Here are some of my favorites:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Combo
1/2 scoop chocolate shakeology
8 oz almond milk
1 cup ice
2T PB2 (powdered peanut butter - LOVE IT! You can get it at bellplantation.com. Otherwise, use some natural PB)
Blend until smooth.

Almond Joy
1/2 scoop chocolate shakeology
8 oz almond milk
2t almond extract
1C ice

Frappuccino
1/2 scoop chocolate shakeology
8 oz almond milk
1C ice
4 oz brewed coffee, cooled

Banana Split
1/2 scoop chocolate shakeology
8 oz almond milk
1 small banana
1C ice
5 or 6 strawberries
2t almond extract

Strawberry Banana Fruity Smoothie
1/2 scoop greenberry shakeology
1 small banana
5 or 6 strawberries
8 oz almond milk
1C ice

I also like using the chocolate shakeology in things other than smoothies. I add it to oatmeal and to yogurt (Fage 0% Greek Yogurt is the BEST!)

My FAVORITE breakfast right now is:

1/4 c quick cook oats - add water and nuke for 1 minute
Then add:
1 scoop chocolate shakeology
3 egg whites
1t flax seed oil (if desired)
1t cinnamon

Mix together and nuke for another minute until the egg whites start to cook. Remove, stir, and nuke again for another 30 seconds until egg whites are fluffy. This is the PERFECT breakfast - whole grains, lots of protein, and all of your vitamins and minerals covered by the shakeology. It's the perfect chocolately oatmeal. I have it every morning.

You can find some more great recipes here on Chalean's blog - http://chalenejohnson.blogspot.com/2009/04/shakeology-recipes.html, or over at the beachbody message boards (where Shakeology has its own section!) - http://teambeachbody.com/connect/message-boards/-/message_boards/category/19535490.

I’ve started the program - why am I not losing any weight?

It’s either because you’re not eating enough (see previous blog), or it’s a normal side effect from lifting weights. Check out this article for a really good explanation as to why some people see no weight loss (and even weight gain) during the first few weeks of a new program.

http://chalenejohnson.blogspot.com/2009/01/why-do-you-sometimes-gain-weight-when.html

Weight Watchers vs. Weight Lifting - What Do I Eat?

When I first started P90X, I was still following Weight Watchers and eating my 20 points per day – which was roughly 1150 calories. I saw the p90x nutrition guide that comes with the program and saw that my recommended calorie allowance was anywhere from 1800 to 2200 calories a day. What the heck?! No WAY was I going to start eating that much. I worked too hard counting my points to lose those 30lbs or so. Plus, I figured, it’s simple– take in less calories, burn more calories working out, I’ve GOT to lose weight, right? A month into p90x I was still counting points and didn’t lose a single pound. And I was busting my butt 6 days a week! It was discouraging. The more I started reading on calorie consumption, the more I realized that the people at p90x were right – I NEEDED to eat more. I was starving myself on 1200 calories a day – and if I worked out and burned another 500 calories, I was really only at a net caloric intake of 700 calories! Even without vigorous exercise, the 1200 really aren’t enough calories to live on. When you go into such a substantial caloric deficit, your body thinks that it’s being starved – and holds onto everything you take in for dear life, storing it as fat. Our bodies are really smart like that – if it thinks a famine is on the way, it’s going to prepare by storing as much as possible. I finally let go of my point counting, and started eating more. I started monitoring my caloric intake (I use a site called the daily plate), and am now eating anywhere from 1600-2200 calories a day. Right away, I dropped 4 lbs. My metabolism was re-started! I am now eating enough to properly fuel my workouts, build muscle (which in turn burns calories – 25x more than your fat does!), and be healthy. I eat anywhere from 5-7x a day, which may sound like a lot, but isn’t too bad with a little preparation.

Here is a sample day:

• 6am - workout
• 7:30am - Breakfast – 1/4 c dry oatmeal, 3 egg whites, 1t flax seed oil, 1 scoop protein powder
• 10am - Snack 1 – 1c greek yogurt, ½ c berries, 1T flax seed
• 12:30 - Lunch – 3c baby leaf spinach, 4oz chicken breast, 1T balsamic vinegar, ¼ c goat cheese, ½ c mixed berries, 1T sliced almonds
• 3pm - Snack 2 – String cheese, apple, 2T peanut butter
• 5:30pm - After work snack – ¼ almonds, protein shake, red pepper slices, ¼ c cottage cheese – just something to keep me going until dinner so I don’t completely overeat
• 7:30pm - Dinner – 4 oz protein (chicken, salmon, tilapia, turkey), 2c steamed veggies, ¼ c brown rice
• 10pm – Snack (sometimes) – ½ c almond milk with 2T chocolate protein powder, ¼ c cottage cheese with 1T sugar free preserves, protein shake – I still have the mentality that I need to have something “sweet” at night. I should really be calling it quits after dinner, but some habits are hard to break.

I make all of my chicken breasts on Sunday – pop 6 or 7 in the oven and cook them for an hour, and then put them all in baggies so I have them ready for the week. It takes me all of 10 minutes each night to prepare my lunch for the next day, and my dinners are not extravagant enough to where it takes me more than half an hour to prepare/cook. I limit alcohol as much as possible. I didn’t drink for almost the entire p90x period – it’s nothing but empty calories and slows down your metabolism – so why bother?


Two GREAT books to read in regards to diet and caloric intake:

• The Clean Eat Diet by Tosca Reno. Your body is probably 10% genetics, 10% gym time, and 80% what you put in your mouth. You can work out til the cows come home, but if you’re not eating the proper foods, you’ll never see the results. This books explains what to get rid of and what to add into your diet. I notice a HUGE difference when I eat clean.

• The New Rules of Lifting for Women by Lou Schuler. This book is great to explain just why your body needs so many calories to survive and how many calories it takes to build a pound of muscle. Muscle burns fat, so to build muscle, we need to eat more (and eat the right kinds of food), in addition to working out. This book changed the way I looked at caloric intake.

P90X - Overview and FAQ

Is it hard?

I’m not going to sugar coat it - yes, it’s hard. But that’s what I love about it. It’s a constant challenge and never gets old. When I first started, there were many moves that I couldn’t do and I was only lifting 5 pounds at a time. I started doing all of my push ups on my knees. After two rounds through the program, I’m lifting up to 45 pounds an arm on some exercises, and can do up to 40 pushups on my toes. It’s amazing to see the progress. Tony Horton, who is the p90x trainer, says throughout the videos – “Do your best and forget the rest”. Who cares if you can only do 2 pushups? Who cares if you can’t even do a pull up to start? Besides, who would want to be able to master the program right off the bat anyway? Do what you can, modify the moves to meet your ability, and the rest will come in time. I am the perfect example.

Do I need to be coordinated? What about fancy equipment?

I am the MOST uncoordinated person out there. I embarrass myself at aerobics classes because I’m always moving in the opposite direction, kicking when I’m supposed to be jumping, etc. P90X is different. The moves are really rather basic. The first DVD in the series, chest and back, is nothing but an HOUR of pushups and pull ups. Simple stuff! But it kicks your butt.

As far as equipment is concerned – you’ll need at minimum a yoga mat and a resistance band with a door anchor. These are all pretty cheap and can be bought at any sporting goods store. Since there are pull ups in the program, it’s recommended that you get a pull up bar. You can get these from any sporting goods store and mount them in a doorway. I was working out in my basement and didn’t have available space on the top of the door frame to mount one, so I never used an actual pull up bar. All of the pull ups can be simulated using the resistance bands, and Tony will demonstrate each modification for each move in the DVDs. For the resistance training days, you can use a resistance band, but I went out and got a few sets of dumbbells. I started out with a 10lb and 15lb set, and as I progressed into the program, added more to my arsenal. You’ll need the yoga mat for the ab workouts and for yoga days. It makes a HUGE difference with yoga – I had never done yoga before, so I didn’t understand just how important the mat was.)

How is the program set up?

P90X is set up into three phases, each phase being 4 weeks long. Each phase is 3 weeks of “work”, followed by 1 resistance week. The workouts in each phase are the same for each week, but vary day by day.

For example, here is the setup for phase 1:

Weeks 1, 2, and 3:
Day 1: Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 2: Plyometrics
Day 3: Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper X
Day 4: Yoga
Day 5: Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X
Day 6: Kenpo
Day 7: Rest/Stretch

Week 4 (Recovery Week):
Day 1: Yoga
Day 2: Core Synergistics
Day 3: Kenpo
Day 4: Stretch
Day 5: Core Synergistics
Day 6: Yoga
Day 7: Rest/Stretch

I always started my phases on a Monday so that I had Sundays free as my rest day. Your 4th week, recovery week, is more focused on stretching, flexibility and cardio endurance. Even though it’s a recovery week, it’s still tough! Each resistance workout is approximately 55 minutes (5 min warm up/stretch, 45 min work, and 5 min cool down/stretch), followed by a 14 minute ab workout. The cardio days (plyo, kenpo, and core synergistics) are approximately 55 minutes (with warm up and cool down). Yoga is the longest at an hour and a half (but it’s SO worth it).

I'm officially a blogger!

I just finished my second round of P90X, and if I can brag a bit, I'm pretty hot. (Kidding!) I have been asked so many questions about the program and how I'm doing it, I decided to start an official blog to document everything. Here goes nothing!