Jamie Eason Live Fit – Phase 2, Week 4

Week 4

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-phase-2.html

Preparing Mentally for Phase 3

                Week 4 of Phase 2 is a continuation of last week. I am lifting heavier weights, and doing more reps. I have gotten much better at doing one legged squats, and lunges. I am also doing the Roman chairs, and reverse crunches with cleaner form. My lower abdominals is the weakest, and most stubborn part of my stomach so I have no choice but to grit teeth and go hard. This is the last week of Phase 2 and I can’t believe the final Phase is almost here.  I’ve already printed the workouts for Phase 3 and looked over them. Now that I have new goals, Phase 3 is going to prepare me for P90X! There is a lot of plyometric type moves performed in Phase 3. I am nervous about looking like an idiot in the gym jump roping, and doing jump squats, but that is another reason I go early in the morning. There are not as many people in the gym early in the morning!

     I have been visualizing myself doing the workouts in Phase 3 and I know I can do it. Every two weeks her workouts change, so I will be doing sprints on the treadmill, and jump roping for two weeks. The last two weeks are where you lean out, and do 30 reps of about 6 exercises as one giant superset for 3 sets. Then finish up with 45 minutes of cardio. I believe I will start carb cycling as well in Phase 3 which is where you eat more carbs on high volume workout days, and less carbs on low volume workout days and rest days. This week I weighed in at 194 pounds. I was hoping to have loss more weight, but I loss 1lb a week while building muscle so I can’t complain. My arms are starting to show my hard work and so is my stomach. I was able to wear a pair of jeans that I wasn’t able to fit prior to starting this program. So far I have loss a total of 7lbs on the Jamie Eason Live Fit program, but I’ve loss even more in inches. I am fitting size 12 jeans tightly but hey, atleast they button! I am nearing the finish line and quality performance is of the essence.

Jamie Eason Live Fit – Phase 2, Week 2

Week 2

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-phase-2.html

Fighting Frustrations

         I am starting to get a grasp on why I have been so frustrated since starting Phase 2 of the Live Fit program. I cannot perform many of the exercises with as clean of a form as I would like. As much as I would like to lift heavier and increase my strength, I just can’t do it right now without losing form. Some of the exercises I can barely do at all. For instance, those jack-knife crunches! Those have to be the worst abdominal exercises Jamie Eason could have chosen for her program. Pull-ups? I can barely do those either. Push-ups? Can’t stand them! So when I saw I had to do side-to-side pushups I was like, “What the hell?” I must stick with this program because these are the exercises that I never did prior to starting the program, and I am sure they will be preparing me for Phase 3. I can’t let the fact that I can barely do them make me quit the whole program. I have to keep trying, and do what number of reps I can. The program isn’t strict. I make it flexible according to my abilities.

                I love clean eating so that is far from my issue with this program. The problem is sometimes I hate going to the gym to workout. I really despise feeling sore all the time and limping around, and barely being able to do my hair because my arms are sore. I am always stretching too so that is not the problem. I stretch during my workout, I stretch when I stand in lines, I stretch at my desk at work, I stretch after using the bathroom, and I am still always sore. Maybe I’m just having a moment! I drink those protein shakes right after my workout which helps but it does not eliminate the soreness completely. I am fighting through being frustrated at not being able to perform some of the exercises with cleaner form. Next week I start calorie counting, and really start burning fat so I’m going to enjoy this week before the fire really gets turned up. Aside from all the frustrations, I’m now half-way through the program and I feel good about what I’ve accomplished thus far. I’ve lost an additional pound which means I’ve lost 6lbs total on the program.

Epiphany Moment: Your rest is just as much of a priority as working out, eating clean, and supplementation. I definitely notice a major difference in my performance when I am well rested. I highly recommend anyone reading this to make sleep a priority.

 

Jamie Eason Live Fit – Phase 2, Week 1

Phase 2 Before Photo

Phase 2 Before Photo. Camera date is wrong! Today is October 8, 2012.

Phase 2, Week 1

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-phase-2.html

New Challenges         

I am 5lbs lighter these days, and 2 dress sizes smaller. Phase 2 includes 30 minutes of cardio at medium-intensity 4 days a week, and the workouts increased from 5 days a week to 6 days a week. I’m also lifting heavier weights, but doing less repetitions including doing groups of supersets. A superset is performed when you go back and forth doing the 1st set of Exercises 1, 2, and 3. Then after a 1-2 minute break start the 2nd set of Exercises 1, 2, and 3. Every day except for the day that you work your legs, ends with a 30 minute cardio session, making sure to keep your heart rate in fat burning mode.

 In Phase 2 Jamie Eason has you working your legs and your abdominals twice a week, and the workouts are much more challenging than Phase 1. The Nutrition part of this plan starts to turn into a diet in my opinion because you can’t eat carbohydrates in the evenings. So now my eating is slightly restricted. I am allowed more lean protein and good fats in place of the carbohydrate loss. I don’t eat any carbohydrates after 5pm now, even if they are good carbs. I’m starting to wonder why I was in such a hurry to be in Phase 2!

In Phase 2 I definitely recommend an energy pill or fat burner that will give you the energy you need to get through these workouts. The workouts are tough in my opinion and require focus. In Phase 2, Jamie Eason asks for you to do pull-ups <GASPS!>Thank God my gym has one of those machines where you can do an assisted pull-up. She also has you doing various forms of pushups. Tweak the workouts to work for you, and do what you can, don’t kill yourself. Do what you can safely. If you can’t do a “Donkey Calf Raise” then perform another exercise that you haven’t done for your calf’s.

Since I’ve started this program I’ve been sore every single time I workout. Now that the workouts are six days a week, I really don’t get a lot of time to recover so it is necessary to drink my protein shake immediately after my workouts to assist in faster recovery. The workouts have also increased in time. What used to take me 30 – 40 minutes is now 60 – 90 minutes easy.

Since paying more attention to ingredients, and not solely focusing on nutrition facts I have learned a lot about where the calories are coming from that I am consuming. Preservatives do not break down as fast as clean whole foods which can make a difference in how soon you will see results when trying to lose weight. I am enjoying eating clean and making this my lifestyle going forward.

 Epiphany Moment: I am so glad I did further research on clean eating and took the nutrition part of this program to heart. I have decided that for the rest of my life I am going to work out and eat clean. I really hope anyone who tries this program, who feels they can’t handle the workouts, will at least change their perception on nutrition.

     

               

Jamie Eason Live Fit – Phase 1 Week 2

Week 2

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-phase-1.html

Make It Work – Stay Focused and Determined

                 I wasn’t going to write anything for Phase 1, Week 2 since the workouts and eating is the same as Week 1, however I am so happy.  Since June 2012 I’ve lost 16lbs total but in one week 4 of those pounds came off through clean eating, and not under eating, or beating myself up over cardio. I ate between 1,500 – 1,700 calories a day and lifted weights only. Jamie is strict about not doing any cardio during Phase 1.

I went to the Farmers Market Saturday and got so much great whole food items that now I’m even more excited to be eating clean.  I have a ton of options for whole food eating since going to the Farmers Market. I highly recommend checking out the closest one to you. I also find it difficult to eat every 3 hours now. Last week I was a little hungry, and was counting down to the nearest minute when it would be time to eat. This week I’m like, “Ugh…time to eat again! I’m so full.” I’ve been drinking 1 bottle of water in-between the 3 hours and 1 whole bottle before eating breakfast. I also tried Jamie Eason’s Cinnamon Swirl bread recipe this weekend and it was delicious and fulfilling.

Today is Monday, September 17, 2012, and I’m really excited to go to the gym. Friday I will order all the supplements recommended by Jamie.

To make the diet work, definitely print the recipes and try them. Drink plenty of water and make a homemade lemonade or sweet tea using stevia for sweetener. Try homemade Kale Chips and Zucchini Chips as an evening snack. Make the diet work! Its 80% of where your results will come from. So make it happen and visualize the results. Eat slower or as mom would say, “Chew your food”. Take self-control and accountability and seek what your heart desires.

 No matter your religion, pray and ask God to help you through this. Keep supportive friends around you, and avoid hanging out with people who will encourage you to abandon your diet or take a break from the workouts until you are mentally strong enough to handle that type of pressure. I noticed that my friends who would tell me, “Oh you look great, you’ve lost 16lbs, live a little” took me more seriously, and gave up trying to get me to live outside of my clean eating lifestyle the more I said “I’m good. I’ve got to stay focused.” Stay focused on the new you that you are creating and the people around you will respect you for it. The may even want to jump onboard with you. 

Epiphany Moment: A proper diet and exercise plan is only successful when paired with determination. People who are determined to accomplish a goal don’t make excuses that go against their goal. It’s mind over matter. Every day is a chance to reset your mind and start over. I am ready for Week 3.