7DaySlimDown Tips

Oct23

I’ve decided to do the Slim Down again to tone up for my Birthday Vegas trip.  There are also so many of my fellow Tone It Up team members who are doing it at the same time :-) I know it will definitely help me stay focused and motivated.

This will be my second time doing the slim down so I’m a little more prepared this time around. Here are some tips that will help anyone who is doing it for the first time or for those who may have tried it but didn’t make it through.

1. Get the Tone It Up! Nutritional Plan.  That’s the only way you’ll get the 7 Day Slim Down :-)  It is truly the best investment you can make for your health. Get it Here!

2. Once you look over the Nutrition Plan, try to follow the eating tips and exercise recommendations in the Maintenance part for a week or two.  You don’t have to follow the meals on the Slim Down but just get started by eating 5 meals a day and working out.  This way it’s not such a drastic change when you start the Slim Down.  It’s also a good way to figure out a schedule for workouts.

3. Look over the Slim Down.  Yes the meals are pretty much the same for the week But you do have options.  Make a Meal Plan for the week. That way you can mix things up a little bit so it doesn’t get too tedious.

My Meal Plan for the 7DaySlimDown - Day 5-7 is on the Back

4. Make a Shopping List and get what you Need the day before you start. Make sure you have enough to last the week.

Grocery Haul - Most is for the SlimDown but some are for After :-)

5. Prep what you can.  I like to cook my chicken and fish ahead of time. If you work or go to school, it’s a good idea to also prep some of your lunches.

6. Make a workout schedule. Look over the slim down and see what the workouts are for each day.  Write down what you’re going to do for that day.  This helps me a lot. I might change what I plan depending on how I’m feeling.

My Workout Calendar for October - The last week is when I'm doing the Slim Down

7. Write/Tweet/Journal what you eat and your workouts. Keep yourself accountable. I also like to reflect on how I felt I did that day. I will be doing videos again.  You can just write it down if you like.  It helps! With the tone it up community, there is always someone out there to support and motivate you :-)

Weigh and take measurements the night before.  Take pictures if you like.

My most important advice: Listen to your body – especially with your workouts.

The first time I did the slim down I toned up 6lbs and got myself back to what I weighed before I had kids :-)  And I’ve followed the Nutrition Plan ever since to keep toning and maintaing my healthy lifestyle. I have lost a total of 9lbs since I started following the Nutrition Plan(2 months). It REALLY WORKS!!! But you have to WANT to make the change. Only YOU can make that decision.

The Slim Down is a challenge both physically and mentally. I felt amazing once I finished and You will too. YOU CAN DO IT! I hope this helps some of you.  Feel free to ask me questions.  You can also check out Toneitup.com for more information. I’ll have my before weight and measurements up tomorrow :-)

What A Parent Never Wants To Do

Oct22

There are something’s that I come across while I’m online that just inspire me to write. It might because it touched me deeply, sparked an idea or really made me think about Life. And this story is one of them:

http://thestir.cafemom.com/toddler/127474/tay_sachs_turns_mom_into

As different as we all are in parenting, the One thing we all can agree is that We Never Want to bury our children. They bury Us – that’s How it’s Suppose to Be.

But what if the unthinkable happens? I Hate to think about it because it brings me to tears. Losing my boys is my biggest fear. I couldn’t imagine what Emily is going through. Knowing that there is nothing you can do but enjoy the time you have. It’s heartbreaking. If it’s not getting terrible news about a terminal illness, it could be some horrible accident. There are just no guarantees.

And that’s why I worry so much. Why every cough, sneeze, cold, flu, scratch, bump on the head, and mood changes can be nerve wrecking.

I try not to over react and I do a pretty good job of containing my paranoia. But I always worry that it could be something serious. I have no clue how I would handle finding out that one of my boys was terminally ill.

This article really made me realize how easily we take our kids for granted. We are so focused on turning them into “proper” adults and preparing them for the future. How often do we just enjoy them being a kid… our kid(s)?

My boys are with their Grandpa for the weekend but I wish they were home so I could just hold them. Hug them. And tell them that I Love Them with All My Heart and Soul.

I love how she ends her story: “Parenting, I’ve come to understand, is about loving my child today. Now. In fact, for any parent, anywhere, that’s all there is.”

I Love My Boys!

My Kryptonite

Oct16

Ugh!! Today was not the best for me…. Candy is my Kryptonite… and it definitely beat me today. I’ve been really really good about finding alternatives to curb my sweet tooth since I started my healthier LifeStyle.  I LOVE candy. I always have.  What’s not to love? It’s sweet and look at how colorful it all is:

How can anyone Not be tempted??  I take pride in overcoming temptations, but not today :-(  On the two hour drive home with my boys, there was an open bag of Tootsie Pops sitting in the passenger seat.  Grandma had gotten it for the boys and sent it home with them.  Not buying any candy has really helped me battle my sweet tooth, but it was just sitting right there… Bright red and orange.  I was tired from driving (I had already spent two hours driving to pick the boys up). I KNEW the sugar from the candy wasn’t really going to do much good in keeping me awake. In fact I knew I would probably crash from it, but I guess I was just too tired to fight it.

I had 2.  I think just having it in my hand helped a little bit with keeping me alert.  I enjoyed it. It just reminded me of how much I LOVE that sweet sugary stuff that is just absolutely horrible for you. lol.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a place just like the Chocolate Room in the Willy Wonka movie? That would have been heaven for me when I was kid… ok … it’d be heaven for me now too. Hahaha.

And it’s that time of year when there is going to be lots of candy around.  Halloween and the Holidays…. I am kind of dreading it.  My boys are so excited to go trick or treating.  They get so much candy and the last few years I’ve been the one who winds up eating most of it. lol.  Luckily Seppe isn’t too much of a fan so I can toss out most of his.  Gio on the other hand is just like his mamma :-) I think I’ll just have to toss out a few of them at a time so he doesn’t notice.

I’m not too bent out of shape about my slip up today, but I can feel the effects of having that junk in my system.  My body feels sluggish.  I don’t feel Healthy.  So it will be a cleansing and detoxing day for me tomorrow with lots of greens.

My First 5K!

Oct15

Well…. I did it!!! I ran my first 5K! And I feel Amazing :-)

Last night I was nervous about it mostly because I was doing it by myself but when Ben got home from work he said that he would run with me. I was shocked because I didn’t think he was too happy to have to get up early just to support me. I was really happy that he decided to run with me but I was a little worried because he hadn’t trained for it and I didn’t want him to get discouraged. But leave it to Ben to be confident and cocky as ever.  All night and this morning he kept telling me he was going to “smoke me.” Lol. Nothing phases him.

I wanted to get there early so that Ben could register and I wanted to make sure we had enough time to find the place, park, and get set up. I got up at 6a and put on my clothes.  I put on my new ToneItUp top to rep my awesome trainers and toneitup family :-) Made Ben an egg white breakfast sandwich on whole wheat bagel thins. I toasted a whole wheat bagel thin and put almond butter on top.  Added some banana slices and wrapped everything up to eat on the go — I was on a schedule. Got Ben up and while I waited for him to get ready, I packed a lunch box with the bagels, Zico, water, a banana, and couple Luna bars.

The OctobeRun was in RedWood City – only 15 minutes away from us. This was the first year it was held to raise money for the RedWood Schools and sponsored partly by OctoberFest which was happening right after the race. It was a one block walk from the parking lot to the Registration Tents and the Starting Line was not too far away.  I picked up my bib, timing chip and tshirt while Ben registered.  I was going to run with my TIU top the whole time but when I realized I had to pin my bib on, I decided to save my super comfy and cute top.  I wore a tank underneath so all I did was swap my TIU top for the Octoberun tshirt. We had plenty of time after getting our timing chips and bibs on so we walked back to the car to put our sweaters and lunch box away.

Got My OctobeRun thsirt and bib On - Cheesin

Ben Stretching

My bib # 21

Me and my Benny ready for the Race

Some Stretching and jumping in place to warm up and we watched as the half marathoners start their race.  I really admired those people and one day I hope to be one of them :-)  There were a lot running the half marathon but even more running the 5K.  It was so cool to see people of all ages.  The oldest was an 85 year old woman who wound up taking 2nd in her age group. There were lots of families with kids running too.  I think the youngest runner was 7 – and I think he beat me. lol.

At around 10 minutes before our start time, we headed to the starting line. I worked us towards the front, but not right in front. There were so many people there. I was a little worried I’d get trampled :-/  My heart started to race a little bit when the the timer started counting down. I didn’t know if I was going to stay with Ben the whole time or not.  A part of me wanted to but the other part of me wanted to give it my all. My goal was to finish without stopping and to at least make my best time during training – 27 minutes.

The Count Down

The Start/Finish Line

The starter gun went off…. and away we went.  It was tough to get through the crowd at first. Had to maneuver around kids and cones. I don’t know when I separated from Ben.  I thought he was with me for a while because I could hear breathing behind me but when I looked back it wasn’t him.   The route wasn’t too bad. Mostly on streets until the halfway way point where we had to go over a bridge (uphill).  At the bottom of the hill was the turn around point with a water station. I did take some water but probably could have been fine without it. Then it was time to head back up the hill again and go back the way we came.

Crossing the finish line was such a great feeling. It was really neat to hear the announcer call my name as I finished.  They had volunteers right there to take the timing chips off.  I wasn’t paying attention to the timer when I crossed but I think it was 25 min and 20 seconds… give or take a few seconds. lol. I waited for Ben at the finish. He came in around 30 minutes. I was really proud of him because he didn’t stop even though he wanted to.  Not bad for someone who hasn’t run in a Long time.

Ben at the finish Line

I had to go to the car and put my TIU top back on and hydrate with my favorite Zico :-) We grabbed a goodie bag and Ben ate some oranges.  They had coffee cake, oranges, and bananas, for us to eat after the run.  We had already split the banana we brought while walking to and from the car.  We walked over to OctoberFest across the street.  The smells from the food trucks were so tempting. Luckily I had a Luna bar with me so I ate that while we walked around to keep me from breaking down and buying the junk food. There were also pastries, kettle corn,  and Italian desserts.  But they also had a farmers market with lots of fresh, local produce. I wish we would have had more time to stick around because I would have loved to stock up on those veggies.  Unfortunately, we had to leave because Ben had to get ready for work.

Hydrating with Zico

Coffee Cake in different flavors

Love my new Tone It Up Top

We stopped to look at the results posted on a van.  I tried to take a picture but didn’t get my time in the frame :-( I came in 69th overall and 4th in my age group.  I am so proud of myself.  I beat my best time by a whole 2 minutes.

Results Sheet (2nd Page) - I'm the second from the top :-)

*I looked up my time on the results page:

69

 Maria Beringuel Foster City CA

21

29

F

4 20-29

25:29.0

25:38.6

0:09.6

8:13

25:29 was my time from the Start Line. 25:38 was my time overall – the 9.6 seconds difference is how long it took me to get to the start line from where I was at – not too much of a difference. 8:13 was my average pace :-)

I had a great time.  I am especially happy that Ben was with me.  I even got him to do another one with me next month – but he’ll train for it.  His goal next time is to “smoke me.” lol.

Thank You to Karena, Katrina, and my Tone It Up family. Because of you, I have more confidence than I’ve ever had. I feel amazing and stronger (physically and mentally). I am looking forward to my next race.

PreRace Thoughts

Oct14

Tomorrow I run my first 5k!! I’m excited and also nervous. I honestly can say that I never thought I’d be doing a race. I have 2 brothers who are runners and I pale in comparison to them. I resisted running. I don’t really have a reason.

If it weren’t for Karena, Katrina and the whole Tone It Up Team/Community I wouldn’t have even considered running a race. In the last 3 months of joining the team and truly committing to my new Lifestyle, I’ve gained the physical and emotional strength to do a race. Most importantly I have the confidence :-) I am not the fastest and I have no delusions of winning or even placing.

My goal: Complete my first 5K without stopping :-) And have fun!

Since it is a race, I am a little nervous. It’s hard to not have a competitive mind set. I have no idea how many people will be there. I don’t have a running partner so it’ll just be lil ole me. I want to do well but not sure if I’ve trained enough. So many thoughts and worries…. I have to get there early to pick up my race packet. Race starts at 8:15a.

Luckily I will have one supporter there to cheer me on – even if he is not thrilled that he can’t sleep in on a Saturday. Lol.

Got my clothes and gear ready. Music for my phone is all set. Hopefully I can fall asleep so I can get enough rest for tomorrow :-)

Me, Me, Me!

Sep13

Today is the First day that I have Both of my boys at school And Ben at work at the same time :-) I have the whole place to myself. And Yes!!! I am really happy about it.  Is that wrong? lol.

I love my boys, and Ben. And although I do enjoy time with just Ben, it is sooooo very nice to not have to think about anyone else but Me  – for once.  It’s so relaxing not having 3 people constantly asking you for something or to do something. “Can I have this?” “Can I do that?” “Would you do this for me?” all day long.

But not right now…. and not for another 3 hours :-) I have peace and quiet to do what I want to do. I think that’s why even if I’m really tired, I will get up early just to have 30 minutes of quiet to myself – before the chaos of my day begins.

So what am I doing to do for the next 3 hours?? One, I’m going to catch up on my blog. I really love to write. It helps me unwind and think.  I’d really like to get back to blogging more regularly. The other thing I’ll try to do is update pics. I have yet to upload pics from last month. I’ve fallen behind and I need to catch up! You’d think that I’d be able to do this even with the boys around, but NO I can’t. It’s so hard to concentrate when there is just constant noise everywhere. These peaceful hours are going to help relax me. I could definitely get use to this :-)

Tone It Up! Why? What? Who? and How?

Aug5

I really appreciate all the feedback and responses to my Tone It Up 7 Day Slim Down posts. I’ve been getting a lot of questions about Tone It Up from those who haven’t heard about it yet. I wanted to share the reasons Why I joined the Tone It Up team and why I love it so much.

So this is for all you Ladies out there (especially you Moms) who have been struggling to get in shape and healthy – just like me. After having Seppe, I was definitely not happy with the effects that pregnancy had on my body. I didn’t even have much time after having Gio to get in shape before getting pregnant with Seppe. They are 16 months apart. I pretty much spent two years, 2004-2006,  being pregnant :-( And it took its toll on me physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Why Tone It Up?

Seppe is now 4.5 years old. I’ve spent those years trying to find quick solutions to losing weight, magic pills that promised to flatten my tummy, roller coasting with working out and not, getting depressed because I didn’t. Nothing I tried worked for me. I considered plastic surgery but I didn’t to spend that much money and it scared me.  When I found Tone It Up online, I was immediately impressed. Tone It Up is NOT a diet.  It is a Lifestyle. There is no quick solution. You have to put in the work and make changes.

I swore that I would never give up white rice and that I could just eat whatever I wanted in smaller portions. I learned that I had to Change the way I thought about Health and Fitness. The Tone It Up Lifestyle requires you to make the decision to put your Health First. If you are closed-minded to trying something new and learning what is healthy and what isn’t, Tone It Up is not for you.

It doesn’t mean that you can Never eat your favorite not so healthy food. The Tone It Up Lifestyle, allows for slip ups and cheats :-) The healthy recipes they have actually taste amazing. Plus through them, I found Jane of Eye It Try It  and Grace of  MomInModeration who have even more great healthy recipes.

The workouts are challenging but not so hard that I can not even think about working out again. They have so many to choose from and come up with new ones that keep workouts interesting. I was not pressured to get their DVD or their Nutrition Plan.

What is Tone It Up Nutrition Plan and the Slim Down?

I wanted to get the Nutrition Plan but couldn’t afford it right away, so I saved up until I could. It is definitely worth the investment, and isn’t all that expensive compared to all those other diet gimmicks out there. A one time payment of $149.99 gets you a Lifetime membership to all the updates, recipes, and tips. Their Nutrition Plan – what some may call a diet –  is a guide that has specifics on When to eat What kinds of foods. It has healthy recipes, and workouts.  There are different plans to match specific diet needs: Vegan, Gluten Free, and a new Pescatarian plan.

The 7 Day Slim Down is included with the Nutrition Plan. It’s a strict version of the plan that helps jump-start your fitness goals or get you toned and lean for a special event, like a wedding :-)

Who is Tone It Up?

It was started by two amazing and beautiful women, Karena and Katrina who wanted to share their love for Fitness and Healthy Living. They are certified in pretty much everything related to Fitness.  These girls never intimidated me with their workouts and I never felt badly about myself even though they are in way better shape than me. They inspire me. To find out more about these two check out this article from their blog: http://toneitup.com/about.php

How to be a part of Tone It Up:

It’s simple!!! Just go to their website: toneitup.com :-) You can sign up for their free weekly newsletter to get the latest tips, recipes, and workouts. Join the community – it’s free! http://toneitup.com/community/ You don’t have to get the plan to be a part of the community. Everyone can be a part of it. There are groups you can join to find others with similar interests and goals.  It’s a great place for support, motivation, and inspiration.

Just because I couldn’t afford the plan when I first discovered Tone It Up it didn’t stop me from following the tips from their site. I started by making sure to eat 5 – 6 meals a day and working out almost every day with the Bikini Challenge Series (which you can still follow). I learned about eating Clean, Lean and Green. I lost 2 lbs in the first week :-)

I hope this helps those of you who are curious about Tone It Up. I used  having kids and my kids in general as excuses to not workout. I would always say “I’ll start tomorrow.” Stop making excuses and Do It! You owe it to yourself.

My Favorite Workouts:

Bikini Strap Workout:

Bikini Body SELF Magazine Workout:

Sand Castle:

New Foods I Love:

TIU 7 Day Slim Down: The Results!!!

Aug5

Yesterday I completed the 7 day Slim Down from Tone It Up’s Nutrition Plan. And I feel Great :-)  It was not easy, but not impossible either. There were easy days and tough days. I weighed and took measurements the day before I started and told myself that I would not weigh in again until after I was done.  This was hard to do because I didn’t think I was making any progress and I really wanted to step on that scale everyday – But I didn’t :-)

I know you all want to know, So Here Are My Results:

(My Before Measurements are on my Day 1 Post)

Weight – 112lbs :-) OMG!! I have not been this weight since Before Gio was born (almost 6 years!!) I was so nervous to step on the scale this morning, But when I saw the numbers I was beyond ecstatic!! If it wasn’t so early in the morning, I would have jumped up and down like a little kid :-)

Waist: 26 1/2 inches. That is an inch and a half smaller :-) woo hoo!!

Bust: 32 inches – that stayed the same and I don’t mind.

Hips: 34 inches- I think that’s an inch smaller.

I am very very happy with the results :-) I wasn’t expecting to get a flat tummy and be where I wanted to be in just 7 days, but this is a great start! And it is such a Big motivator for me to stay on track.  I am definitely going to continue following the Nutrition Plan so I can reach my goals. I would like to tone up at least 6 more inches in my waist. I know it will not happen over night and I am willing to put in the work to get the results I want.

This is definite proof to me that the Nutrition Plan works. I know a lot of you are curious about it. You can get all the info from on Tone It Up’s Nutrition Plan website: http://www.toneitupdiet.com/ It really isn’t a diet though. Seriously! The only part that can be called a diet is the Slim Down and that really isn’t one either. It’s just a strict version of the Nutrition Plan :-)  Tone It Up! is a Lifestyle.

It is different from the Lifestyle that I was living and considered Healthy. One of my favorite quotes “Change is Uncomfortable.” Such a true statement.  It’s not easy changing and breaking my bad habits, but it’s worth it. I feel so much better after the Slim Down. I’m stronger, less bloated, and have more energy. I am enjoying learning new recipes and new ways to push myself in workouts.

The best part is the community.  We are all so supportive of another. It’s Great :-) You can join the online community for free and get involved in the Tone It Up movement.  Karena and Katrina have free workouts on YouTube and are always posting tips and recipes.  There is a Member Only Group for those of us who get the Nutrition Plan. Don’t let the cost of the plan stop you.  I saved for 3 months and got the plan. You have to make getting healthy a priority in your life. I know that this will help not just me, but my whole family. I am looking forward to my new Lifestyle :-)

Before and After Pics:

Day 7: TIU 7 Day Slim Down

Aug4

I made it to the End!!!! I can hardly believe that I stuck to it. Lord knows that I wanted to just quit and give up so many times. Today was easier, probably because I knew it was the end. Not that I am going to go out tomorrow and pig out, but I do plan on having some of my favorite healthy snacks to enjoy :-)

Today was pretty much the same as yesterday – food and workout wise. I started with my 30 min bootycall walk. I am making it a goal to at least do that every morning from now on.  It just helps wake me up and gives me a boost in the morning to deal with the kids. There wasn’t a workout listed besides a second cardio session so I took Gio out for a run while he rode his bike. 3 miles.

Grapefruit for Meal 1 and a slim down smoothie for Meal 2. I did get some Brown Rice Protein, but like I said in my video, I didn’t like it. Lunch was a Lean Green Salad and Dinner was Chicken and Asparagus.

I plan on continuing with the Nutritional Plan. I will post updates on my progress, and hopefully some recipes and tips for living a Healthy and Fit Lifestyle. Tone It Up is truly the best program for me. I am so grateful to Karena and Katrina for all their hard work. Being part of the Tone It Up team and online community is inspiring. It’s nice to have others who have similar goals and who give you support.

If you haven’t already please check them out: http://toneitup.com/index.php

I am so proud of myself for not quitting. I will post results tomorrow :-)

Day 6: TIU 7 Day Slim Down

Aug3

Today wasn’t so bad. I was still craving bread and sweets, but I wasn’t all that hungry.  I have a sweet tooth, and usually I will eat fruit to help curb the craving.  The slim down limits how much fruit you eat so I’m missing them.  I am sick of the Slim Down Scramble. I’ve just had it too often. I am dying to try out all the pancakes and smoothies in the Nutrition Plan.

It was nice that the workout was lighter today. A 30 min BootyCall walk helped to wake me up.  I kept it to 30 min because I wanted to get back home in time to shower before having to take Gio to school. We walked to school again. He doesn’t like it too much, but we’re both getting exercise and it’s the only real one on one time I have with him.  I think that he enjoys not having to share his mommy with his little brother  for a little while :-)

In my video, I said that I was going to do the TIU workout video for the booty, lower abs, and love handles that I did yesterday, But since there wasn’t any workout on the Slim Down (besides Cardio) – and I was really tired, I decided to take it easy and get to bed early.  (Unfortunately, this didn’t happen because I had to stay up to fix all the videos I uploaded for the last 3 days) I went for a 3 mi run for my second cardio.

Food was pretty much the same as yesterday. I made it through lunch this time. I used the TJ’s Chicken Burger this time and it was better than the tofu I used yesterday. I really like M4 with the berries. I love fruit :-) I also started drinking green tea.  I’m not a green tea person, but I didn’t mind it. I got a decaf tea because caffeine gives me headaches.

All in all a good day :-)  I am looking forward to Day 7!