New Day

Feeling better today, so glad I did my workouts last night. I think it helped me to sweat this bug out, I'm still not 100% yet, but feeling better. Another down day with the kids will help- sweats, tea, and snuggling on the couch watching cartoons always helps!

I'm not sure if it's the new supplements or if it's my thyroid leveling out, but I'm down three lbs today from Saturday- woohoo!! I hope it continues (yes Nad, I know, throw the scale out, but it was exciting ;)

Eating today: 

Meal 1: Protein Shake 1 banana

Meal 2: 4 oz ground turkey breast, 1 C spinach, cauliflower

Meal 3: 5.5 oz chicken breast, 1/2 sweet potato, Kale

Meal 4: Nectarine, Protein Bar (Luna) Not supposed to have these, I have two left and they have 9g protein so I'll finish them

Meal 5:Protein Shake (after workout recovery)

Meal 6: Turkey Black Bean Chili  (black beans, turkey breast, peppers, onions, cilantro)
Had a pear, broccoli soup, and 4 oz chicken breast instead  broccoli soup (broccoli, leeks, garlic, onion, kale, homemade chicken stock, sweet potato, coconut milk)

No eating 2 hours prior to bed and lots of water!!

Workouts today:
Teach Zumba- new high intensity songs!

Abs and Bikini Bootcamp (kickboxing sculpt)

Yoga (Not sure if I'll make it to this, I may go to bed early to recover)

Came home and crashed on the couch to watch the Ducks game with the fam- my body is wiped out!!

It's a new day and a fresh start- clean eating and great workouts- Make it happen!!

Dutchess

Sick

The cold and flu season has finally caught our house. Last week it was the stomach bug, and now it's a bad cold. It hit me in full force last night after I taught Zumba. I slept through this mornings conditioning class with Kasey and still don't feel much better, but hopefully a down day at home will help.

Kickboxing and Zumba tonight- drinking lots of tea and water today. Pushing through this.

Dutchess

"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says, ‘I’m possible’!"

-Audrey Hepburn

Move it

"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever."

Lance Armstrong

Drink what?

Some of the supplements I'm taking. Can I just say fish oil is one of the grossest things to ingest...yep, three times a day...are you serious?? Two more supplements coming my way tomorrow, hope they taste better than these.

Did legs today- they feel like jello. Two more hours of cardio tonight- finish strong!

Dutchess

Bump in the road

It has been a full week of working out- my training and workouts to burn fat are also burning my energy and by Saturday afternoon I am wiped out with a tired body.

This week I felt completely discouraged...it all stared with one stupid pair of skinny jeans. I was feeling more toned, some of my clothes are fitting differently, so of course, I had to put myself through the torture of trying on my favorite jeans that I wore just months ago.

It was ugly.

I looked like I was wrestling a grown man to get them on. Once I got them on and buttoned, I couldn't breathe and I had the infamous muffin top...back in the closet they went, hung back up along with my pride and motivation. I should have learned my lesson when I did that with each of my four babies, right? I think every woman does that, a couple weeks out of the hospital you try on an old pair of pre-pregnancy pants only to be disappointed and wind up crying , pitifully in a puddle of tears on the closet floor. Yeah..I speak from experience.

The week ended well though. I finally saw light at the end of this long tunnel on Friday when I saw a specialist. He is a naturepath that specializes in thyroid and endocrine imbalances. He took one look at my giant book of medical records, made some notes, listened to my frustration and desperation to feel normal again and then with all the confidence in the world said 'Give me six months and I'll get your body back to where it was before all of this.' Finally! Someone that gave me hope!

He sent me on my way with a ridiculously strict diet and six different supplements and said 'you can only be my patient if you follow exactly what I say'

SO...
-Chicken, Turkey, or Wild Caught Fish
-Vegetables at every meal
-Fruit only to be eaten at the beginning of the meal or alone as a snack
-Beans excluding Navy, Soy, and Kidney
-Healthy fats- avocado, coconut
-Protein shakes (no sugar) are ok

No coffee, tea, or stimulants
No grains or sugar (stevia is okay)
No dairy, eggs, nuts, or oils
No Soy in any form

I have to eat every three hours still and focus on protein. He encouraged my training for May and said without a doubt I can get there and he will help me.

He also recommended that I do Insanity- I've heard its one of the best and pretty intense.

Workouts:
Mon- 6am Bootcamp with K and Teach Zumba
Tue- Weights and Teach
Wed- Bootcamp, kickboxing, and Zumba
Thu- Weights and Teach and yoga
Fri- Weights and Zumba
Sat- Teach and yoga

**14 hours of workouts 

Through this all, Kasey has been such an encouragement. So thankful for the best trainer in the world and her network of fitness competitors willing to help me.

New diet starts tomorrow- I'm enjoying my last sips of coffee today...bring on the Advil this week.

I will get new pictures up soon!

Make it happen!!!
-Dutchess

Bottom of the Mountain

This is AMAZING! This is from the world championships- professional level. Lot's of hard work and determination.

This past week I started lifting with Kasey, I'm still sore. I'm feeling stronger and more and more determined each day. My goal feels SO FAR AWAY though, and feeling the pain of each workout is a reminder of how hard I will have to work to get there. One step at a time.

I put my weekly workouts together and realized I am working out 15 hours a week right now- you would think that between that and clean eating, I would be dropping weight like crazy...not so. This thyroid crap is driving me crazy. My Armour was adjusted again this week- hoping and praying this is the last time!

Pictures and workouts soon- happy Sunday!

-Dutchess

Ouch!

Mama needs coffee...



I am SO sore today. I had my first buns and guns class last night...oh. my. gosh. We did HIIT circuit training for an hour. It kicked my butt! My abs are so sore, I can't even hold my stomach in or cough without Advil.

Tonight I teach Zumba and then it's time for round two of the weights. I have a one on one training session with Kasey afterward. Get it girl!

We worked out to this song last night, I told K that I'm going to walk on stage to this song and say 'I got from Kasey' :)


I had a dr.'s apt yesterday to gauge thyroid levels- they are high now instead of low. I'm staying on Armour, but lowering the dose a hair. I really hope this is the last adjustment, each time it changes I feel awful for a few days, and then it takes another month for my body to normalize. Energy is back though and I am thankful for that, one step at a time.

Time for yoga, gotta stretch these sore muscles out!

Dutchess