Today I started week 3 of Hammer and Chisel.  I used my new 8 lb. weights for the majority of the Total Body Hammer workout and I felt really strong, which was a great feeling! 

I have recently noticed that I haven't lost any pounds according to the scale, but I figured it was probably because I had been gaining so much muscle, which weighs more than fat.  But now I'm starting to think that maybe I'm not eating enough.  A friend of mine told me about someone she knows who just started doing intense workouts and didn't lose any weight until she started eating more.  And when I mentioned that in my team's group on Facebook another girl said the same thing.  So I'm going to make an appointment with a dietician and talk to them to make sure I'm eating enough.  Maybe if I were to up my calories then my body would realize it doesn't need to be in starvation mode and would let me lose some weight.  That's what I'm hoping anyway!

Although I would like to see the scale start to move, I do know that the number on the scale doesn't indicate how much progress I've made.  I can already see a lot more muscle definition in my arms and legs, so I know that I'm getting stronger every day.  

Plus, I feel stronger mentally.  It feels good to do something that is so challenging because it gives me confidence in other areas of my life.  I told myself I was going to do something and I'm doing it, so now I know that I can depend on myself to stick to my goals and follow through with my plans.  Now I'm just excited to see what else I can accomplish with this confidence and sense of motivation!

If you would like more information about Hammer and Chisel or any other Beachbody program, please comment below with "Tell me more!" or email me at [email protected].  And as always, if you liked this post please feel free to share it with someone else who you think will enjoy it.

As of today I have been doing Hammer and Chisel for one week.  And today I went out and bought heavier weights and a stronger resistance band.

Guys.  This is huge!

I am amazed that just one week into this program I am ready and able to increase my weights!  I realized that my 3 and 5 pound weights just weren't challenging me as much as I needed, so I went all-in and invested in some new equipment.  And I'm so excited!!

The workouts I've done in the last week have been really challenging, but at the same time it feels so good when I complete one and I'm so proud of myself for stepping it up and making it happen.  So what I'd like to do today is do a quick comparison between 21 Day Fix and Hammer and Chisel so that you can see what the differences are between the two programs.  Here we go...

Intensity/Skill Level:

I would say that 21 Day Fix is for people with beginner to intermediate fitness levels.  It's definitely a customizable program where you can follow the modifier if you need to go a little easier or if some moves are too hard for you at first.  With that being said, I think you can still get a good workout if you're at an intermediate level.  It's really all about pushing yourself to your limit.

For Hammer and Chisel, Beachbody says that this program is for intermediate to advanced fitness levels.  Even after just a week of workouts I can see why.  There are plenty of moves that are really challenging and you also need a good level of endurance to keep up with the routines.

Overall, I am really glad that I started my fitness journey with 21 Day Fix because it gave me a good place to begin.  I modified a lot of the workouts at the beginning and slowly worked my way up to following the full moves.  I also did the same thing with my weights and started with 3 lb. weights before eventually moving up to 5 lb. weights.  I honestly don't think I could have started right off the bat with Hammer and Chisel because it would have been so hard that I would have given up.  By starting with 21 Day Fix I was able to ease my way into fitness and also gain some confidence in my abilities along the way.

Routine Format:

With 21 Day Fix most of the routines (5 out of 7) are based on one minute intervals.  So you do a move for 60 seconds and then move on to the next move.  The only exceptions are the Pilates Fix and the Yoga Fix.  I liked this format because, as Autumn the trainer says, "You can do anything for 60 seconds".  It's a great way to ease into the moves because you only have to do them for a minute at a time.  And the workouts are all 30 minutes, so you know exactly how long you'll be spending on your workout every day.

So far with the Hammer and Chisel routines I've noticed that they are all pretty different.  Sometimes you will have 60 second intervals, but other times you do a set number of reps and repeat.  Other times you do reps in a specific sequence, where you start with 10, go down to 8, and then go down to 6 reps, all on the same move before moving on to the next exercise.  And the workouts are all different lengths.  So some days you might only workout for 20 minutes and the next day you might have a 45 minutes routine.

Personally I really like all of the variety that Hammer and Chisel offers.  Not only do you get two different trainers, but you also get a wide variety of routines and routine structure.  There really isn't any time to get bored!  I did find that by the end of the third round of 21 Day Fix (so 9 weeks in), I was starting to get tired of doing the same routine on the same day of the week every single week.  So in my opinion you definitely get more variety with Hammer and Chisel.

Equipment:

I'm pretty sure all the equipment I needed with 21 Day Fix was weights and a yoga mat.  Like I mentioned before, I started with 3 lb. weights and moved up to 5 lb. weights by the end.

With Hammer and Chisel, however, you do need quite a bit more equipment.  In addition to weights (probably three different sizes) you will also need a workout bench or a stability ball.  You'll also need a pull-up bar or a resistance band with a door attachment.  That's all I've needed so far, but like I said before I did just go out and buy a heavier set of weights plus a stronger resistance band.

Overall, I have loved both 21 Day Fix and Hammer and Chisel.  I feel like 21 Day Fix was my first love because it was a great introduction into fitness and really gave me the confidence to try something even harder.  But I do feel like Hammer and Chisel has already pushed me way past where I was with 21 Day Fix, even just one week in.  So Hammer and Chisel is my new favorite and I am really excited to see what kind of results I can get in these 60 days.

If you have any questions about either program, feel free to leave comments below.  Also, if you know anyone who might find this interesting, please share the link with them.  And, as always, if you're ready to start your own fitness journey and you'd like to talk to me about your goals, go ahead and email me at [email protected].

Exactly six weeks from today I will be boarding the Navigator of the Seas with my friends for an 8 night eastern caribbean cruise.  I've been looking at the excursions for the last few weeks and have finally decided which ones to do.  Here's a look at our ports and what I'll be doing at each of them.

Labadee:

On our first port day we will be visiting a private island called Labadee, which is in Haiti.  Most of the excursions this day are activities that take place on the island, like zip lining, a roller coaster, and a water park.  Since none of these things sound very relaxing, this day will be a quiet beach day to lay around and soak up some caribbean sunshine.

San Juan:

We will be getting into San Juan in the early afternoon, so we've only got a few short hours of daylight while we're in port.  I decided that I'd like to take a tour of the fortresses near the port.  Here's the description from the website:

Explore Old San Juan's magnificent 17th century fortresses on a guided walking tour. At San Felipe Del Morro, enjoy amazing bay views on a guided tour of the Spanish fort and museum. At Castillo San Cristobal, step inside the tunnels, dungeons and barracks built to keep the city safe. Afterwards, browse shops on Fortaleza Street. Stay late or walk back to the ship with your guide.

St. Kitts:

From the pictures I've seen of St. Kitts it's a gorgeous place and I'm really excited to see it in person.  I decided that the best way to see the sights is to take a tour that will show me as many things as possible.  Here's the description from the tour website:

Take in the rugged beauty of St. Kitts on a leisurely driving tour that includes breathtaking vistas and historic landmarks. See historic Romney Manor and its pristine gardens. Then stretch your legs at the 300-year-old Fairview Great House, meticulously restored to its former colonial glory. Outside, take photos in the lush botanical gardens planted with a wide variety of fruit trees, palms and flowering plants. Pick out souvenirs at the gift shop.

St. Maarten:

I visited St. Maarten on my last cruise and the one thing I wish I had done was to go see the planes landing at Maho Beach.  I've seen some videos online and it looks amazing, so I knew that's what I wanted to do this time on the island.  I found an excursion that sounds like exactly what I was looking for.  Here's the description:

This tour featuring National Geographic Snorkeler makes a great snorkeling experience even better. Experience the thrill of watching St. Maarten’s world-famous beachside airport traffic while on a lively boat cruise through picturesque Maho Bay. Enjoy a welcome drink aboard the Airport Adventure SXM, a five-deck oceangoing vessel, while gliding around the tropical island. Be awed as airplanes land and take off from Princess Juliana International Airport merely 60 feet above nearby Maho Beach. Onboard you can sunbathe, snorkel, swim, dance to DJ music, grab lunch or sip cocktails.

Don't these sound like a lot of fun?  In addition to our four port days, we will also have three sea days on the ship.  So I'm looking forward to laying by the pool, playing mini golf, and also spending some time in the ship's casino.  Now I just need the time to go by faster so I can get the trip started!

I'll be posting more about the cruise once I've decided on the outfits I'll be taking.  I'll try to include some packing tips as well.  Stay tuned for more!

On Saturday morning I woke up right at sunrise and was able to get this picture out my window.  I loved all the colors in the sky and how they represented a fresh start to a new day.  I don't know about you, but I love a fresh start.  It can be something big like a season changing or even something small, like starting out the week on a Monday with a clean slate.  And that's how I started things this morning when I woke up.  I knew that today was the beginning of the next phase of my weight loss journey.  

This morning I started a 60-day program called Hammer and Chisel by Beachbody.  It's been out for a couple of months, but I was still going through 21 Day Fix when it came out and wasn't ready to take the next step.  The nice thing about 21  Day Fix is that it can be used by beginners, so when I first started I was able to modify it enough to still get a good workout without overdoing it.  Hammer and Chisel, however, is meant for people with intermediate to advanced fitness levels, so I knew it would be a challenge from the very beginning.

Honestly, I think the reason it took me so long to order Hammer and Chisel was because it intimidated me.  After 3 rounds of 21 Day Fix I was very comfortable doing the workouts and knew exactly what to expect each day.  And with Hammer and Chisel I'd be going back to the beginning.  I was also unsure if I'd be able to keep up with the program.  Even though I've come a long way in the past five months, I'm still not in great shape yet.  I'd like to improve my cardiovascular endurance and also continue to increase my weights for more muscle tone. 

But, while staying with 21 Day Fix was the easy option, I decided to step outside my comfort zone and start fresh with Hammer and Chisel.  I bit the bullet last week and ordered the program and it arrived on Saturday.  One of the really nice things about being a Beachbody coach is that you get a 25% discount on all products and programs, so I got a great deal and I know it's an investment in my future.

This morning was my first workout, which was called Chisel Balance.  As you can probably tell, it's all about balance and most of the moves are done on one leg at a time.  The nice thing about the workout was that it has the same trainer as 21 Day Fix, Autumn Calabrese, so that part felt familiar at least.  The moves were completely new and they were definitely challenging.  Let's just say that I think I'm going to have a hard time walking for the next few days!

But...I did it!  I made it all the way through without quitting or giving up.  And that was an amazing feeling to know that I made it through 40 minutes of intense exercise and was still standing.  I'm hoping I can take the confidence I felt today and take that with me into each workout, letting it grow with each completed workout until I realize that I really can do anything I set my mind to!

So that's it for tonight!  I'll be posting my Hammer and Chisel progress every week on Monday, including my insights and lessons learned, plus any pounds or inches lost from the week before.

If you have any questions about Hammer and Chisel, please leave them in the comments below or email me at [email protected].  I'd be happy to walk you through the program if you're possibly interested in signing up.

Wow, it feels like this year is going by way too fast, doesn't it?  I can't believe we're a week into March already!  Today I was thinking back on the year and I felt really good about what I've done so far this year. I'd say my biggest accomplishment since January is completing two more rounds of 21 Day Fix.  My third overall round ended almost a week ago, so last week I was in an in-between stage.  

I knew I needed a break from 21 Day Fix, but also wanted to keep up the momentum I had built the week before by doing two workouts a day.  So last week I did a mixture of different workouts and also tried to take an evening walk most nights to watch the sunset.  Overall I was able to get in 250 active minutes from Monday until Friday, which I thought was really good!

For this week I was planning on starting another round of 21 Day Fix, but I decided that I was ready for some variety and for something even more challenging.  So I decided to order the Master's Hammer & Chisel program.  It's been out for a couple of months but I've been too scared to order it.  I knew that it would be a challenging program and for some reason I convinced myself that I wouldn't be able to do it.  But I think the double workouts for the last two weeks really boosted my confidence, because this morning I ordered it and now I'm really excited to get started!

I think another big confidence boost was that last week I hit the milestone of having lost 20 pounds so far!  I had been close for a while, but I had no idea how good it would feel until it actually happened.  I am so proud of myself for making such a huge change in my life and in my health.  I have a doctor appointment next week, so I'm excited for my doctor to see how much has changed since I saw him last October.  It will be great to see how my overall health has changed now that there's less strain on my body from all that extra weight.  

I still have a long ways to go until I hit my goal weight, but I am confident that I can keep up the good work and see more and more milestones completed as I get closer to my goal weight.  

So that's a quick overview of where I've been and where I'm going.  Next Monday I'll have my initial impressions of Hammer & Chisel that I will share with you.  Until then I hope to keep writing some other posts.  If you have any requests, feel free to share in the comments below.

And as always, if you like this post please share it with anyone who might also enjoy it. Also, if you'd like to see more of my life you can follow me on Instagram @besidebeth

Lately I've been spending a few minutes every day doing some free writing.  For me it's a great way to get thoughts out of my head and organized them on a page.  Today I sat down and wrote something that I immediately knew I wanted to share on my blog.  It's about body issues, which is something that I think a lot of people can relate to and maybe even learn from, so I decided that I would share it here.  I hope it's something that is helpful to anyone else who has issues or has had issues with their body.

Today I did a really challenging workout.  I felt like quitting and I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but I did finish it.  You’d think that I’d be super proud of myself for pushing myself and making it happen, but just now even when I was looking in the mirror I was thinking to myself, “It’s not enough”.  Basically, I was telling myself that even though I’ve been working out twice a day for pretty much the last week and a half, I still don’t think it’s good enough.  And the main reason is because I haven’t seen a huge change in my body.  I’m literally letting how I look on the outside determine how I feel on the inside.  

And then I realized...I’ve got it all backward.  Instead of worrying about the changes I’m seeing (or not seeing) on the outside, I should be focusing on how I’m changing on the inside.  First of all, how I feel is something that I can control, while how I look on the outside is not something I can control (as much as I'd like to).  Also, I’d like to think that the changes on the inside count even more than ones on the outside.

What I realized today is that I’m literally a different person than I used to be.  I never would have thought six months ago that I’d be working out twice a day and be following a 7 day slimdown from Tone It Up without any major slip-ups or without quitting.  Six months ago I had given up on my body and given up on myself.  Now I am proving day after day that I believe in myself.  I’m showing up and taking charge of my life, which is something that wasn’t happening even a couple of months ago.  

​I’ve also changed how I think.  I won’t say that I’m one of those people who necessarily looks forward to their workout, but I am getting closer to being that person every day.  I don’t dread my workout anymore and I definitely don’t make excuses to try and get out of it.  Working out is something that I know I need to do in order to be a happier, healthier version of myself, so I’m willing to do it in order to make my life better.

So instead of getting down on myself for not seeing huge improvements on the outside, I’m going to focus on what I can control, which is how I feel on the inside.  I am going to remind myself that every time I workout I am proving to myself that I deserve to be happy and healthy.  ​

And that's exactly what I wrote in my free writing today.  It's not easy to admit that I am still so critical of myself even when I'm working so hard to get healthier, but at the same time I know that I'm not the only one who has had these thoughts, so I wanted to share them in case even one person out there can relate and hopefully know they're not alone.

If you would like to start your own health & fitness journey and would like to work with me (a real, genuine person, just like you) then please comment below or email me at [email protected].  I'd love to work with you!!