Amber,
That is too bad about your heart rate monitor...how frustrating. At least you know that the medicine is working, which is a good thing. I have only heard of the Body Bug through you. It sounds really interesting and probably very helpful, especially with the information you get with calories eaten and burned throughout the day. If you decide to get it, let me know what you think of it.

Sarai,
I totally agree....each phase in Chalean Extreme is very challenging. I couldn't believe how much I would sweat in each phase or how high my heart rate got when I was going through Lean 4 Life. I think your plan for the next several months is awesome...it gives you a nice variety of everything. :)

As for me...I don't really know what I am going to do. I ordered the Tower 200. It is a band system that attaches to your door and it gives you up to 200 lbs of resistance. Pat thought it would be a good solution to my lower body problem...can do more weight, but my hands can't support it. I just did get the system today and I probably won't play with it until this weekend...unless Pat tries it out this week. :) Once I get an idea of how it works and even IF it will work than I will do Chalean Extreme...just maybe in a made up order. I will let you know what I think of it and what my plans look like. For this week...I plan on doing an upper body workout, the lower body extreme, and an interval/ab workout.

Keep my updated on how you guys are doing....

Heart-Rate Letdown

Sarai, I'm so glad you are noticing great changes! Keep up that good work! Shannon, lucky you, getting a whole week off!

This week was interesting for me. I always wear a heart-rate monitor when I work out, to keep track of which workouts help me burn the most calories, and also because the doctor wanted me to stay out of the "red zone" as much as possible due to my phantom high blood pressure. ANYWAY, that week I got bronchitis the doctor put me on a new blood pressure medicine, and this one works so my heart rate stays below a certain level. MEANING, I am working out just as hard as always however it is no longer reflected by my heart-rate monitor because the medicine is "working". This entire week, (according to the monitor) my peak heart-rate was an average of 15 points lower and my overall calorie burn was an average of 75 cal. lower. BUMMER!!! However, I would still sweat bullets on all the exercises that have always challenged me, and I would still get out of breath on much of BurnItOff. So I know I'm not slacking, its just not reflected by my heart-rate anymore=( Grrrrrrrrr.

Have either of you heard of the Body Bugg? I guess its a digital device similar to a heart rate monitor, however it is more accurate in reading your calorie burn-during workout, during rest, during stress, etc. AND it calculates your calorie intake as well, such as when you eat food. Its pretty expensive, and for it to be most accurate you have to wear it all day long. But Chalene promotes it on her blog/youtube/twitter and the gym we go to always has them on sale. Just curious if you've heard anything about them. I'm wondering it they'd be more accurate than my heart-rate monitor now that I can't get super-good news from that anymore.

This week I give myself a grade B for sugar-avoidance. I did AWESOME until Friday when Kristin brought homemade brownies to "thank" us for helping her out during her first weeks. It was also a bad weather day, so we had a TON of cancels and lots of downtime to sneak into the kitchen and gorge ourselves full with those yummy chocolate brownies. I tried to limit myself to 1, but by the end of the day had downed 3. OMG. I know I need to keep trying to overpower those sugar cravings but its soooooooo hard! I'm fine at home though, so its really just at work that those temptations seem irresistable. I think I should just make the kitchen off limits for myself. I'll store my snacks in the snack room fridge so I don't even have to go in there period:) I'm sure THAT will work.

Well my parents are visiting this weekend, so I'm gonna go have some family time...I just wanted to say great work girls! Sarai, I think you have a good system with doing L4L between each cycle! I think I may copy that! And I am considering buying the extra Chalene DVD's too. Just not quite yet. I still have a LIBRARY full of workout DVD's I can rotate through, some I've never even opened....haha don't tell Aaron! Shannon, what workouts will you be starting up this month? Talk to you later!

YIPPIDY

Shannon...you're AMAZING!!! 10-weeks without a break is very impressive. I think the most I've made it was 7 or 8 weeks. You'll find that a week off will give you the strength and motivation to get with it again. What are your plans for the next couple of months?

Well, I just finished Lean for Life so I'm taking a week off as well. What I learned from L4L was that all three circuits (Burn, Push, and Lean) deserve equal amounts of respect. Last Friday I did one of the Burn Circuits and I was DRENCHED by the time I was done. I has more sweat on me than I do when I do a cardio work out. I loved this month! In fact, my plan from now on is to do a L4L month between each phase. So, the next 6-months will be Burn, L4L, Push, L4L, Lean, L4L. After that last L4L, I should be pretty close to the end of the year so hopefully I'll be closer to reaching my goals.

I went to a Speech-Language banquet for the students at Texas Tech this week. I got to see a lot of old friends and professors and almost everyone commented on how much I had slimmed down. I experienced most of my "eating disorder" issues when I was an undergrad and I put on a lot of weight toward the end of my school career because I had no clue how to control my eating AND I stopped exercising completely. It felt wonderful to be back in that environment but this time with a great level of freedom and confidence. God is AWESOME!!

AHHHHHH, here's to a wonderful week off with a little bit of flexibility with eating as well!!!!

Hallelujah!!!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!! I am taking the week off from working out!!! Yahoo!!! I just finished up my little experiment with Lean 4 Life and the other EXTREME videos I purchased. I worked out for 10 weeks total and now I am taking the week off...feels so nice. :)

Sarai,
I am so glad to hear that things are going so well for you in Texas. It is also great to hear that your family's viewpoint of your health and fitness level has changed...that makes it so much more encouraging and rewarding. Hopefully you will be a positive influence on their health. :) Also, thanks for the encouraging words on my biceps...I am sure I will get there with my weight...my right sooner than my left, but I am determined. :)

Amber,
I agree with Sarai...it is very empowering and there is such a sense of pride when you can walk away from the sweets and stick to a snack that you know is healthier for you. Keep it up as well as all of your workouts and you will be to your goal in no time. :)

Hi Friends!!!

It's so great to hear from both of you. Amber, I'm so glad that you liked the Scentsy. I was beginning to get worried. I was sad that I didn't get to see you that day that I said bye to everyone but also glad that you're feeling better. I'm miss you girls as well. So far however, Texas has been great to me and I'm having a lot of fun at work and away from work with my friends/family. I can't believe it's only been a little over a week that I've been here. It was a long week but even more so, it was a LONG, relaxing 3-day weekend...LOVED IT!!!


I was a bit afraid that it was going to be harder to keep up with my health here in Texas because there's such a different mentality about health in general...BUT, so far, my schedule and the fact that there aren't a bunch of cakes/cookies laying around at work have actually made it easier for me to stay healthy and not deviate so much. Actually I lost almost 2 lbs. this week...so instead of hovering close to 124 like I did in Colorado, I've consistently hovered closer to 122 this week. It feels great!!!


Something that was encouraging to me this weekend was that I spent some time with my family AND, instead of them constantly bugging me about how skinny I looked, everyone was commenting on how great they thought it was that I tried to stay healthy. Why the change in attitude? Well, my siblings and my parents are both getting older and I think that they are starting to physically see and feel the disadvantages of leading an unhealthy lifestyle. My mom, who has actually seen me and cried in the past because she thought I was too skinny said to me, "You look sooooo good!" Oh yeah...


Both of you guys are amazing!!! Thank you so much for being so encouraging and making sure that I don't go overboard with this. Amber, just remember that the benefits of seeing good changes in your body FAR outweigh the benefits of chocolate cake and cookies...trust me. It's hard to have parties at work and watch everyone chow down while you eat fruit, yogurt, shakeology, and 1/3 of the cake you really want to have. But, I always felt empowered when I was able to perservere.

And Shannon...you WILL lift 15 lbs. on not just your right but also your LEFT bicep!!!!

Love you guys...

No Goals....

First, I have to agree with Amber...you were greatly missed this week Sarai. I didn't get any of your kiddos, so I wasn't impacted the way Amber and Barbara were, but I missed you as a colleague and friend. BOO!!! I definitely want you to keep us posted with the comparisons between CDC and your new clinic. It is interesting how different places can be.

On to fitness...

Well, I personally have no specific weight goals. I think I have told both of you that I am really just trying to keep a routine (both with eating and exercising) that fits my lifestyle and who I am....meaning what I can "maintain" for my life. I try not to get too concerned about my actual weight, but that can be easier said than done. What I am trying to focus on is eating healthier and working out for muscle development and cardiovascular health. In terms of my exercising, my goal is to improve my cardiovascular health (meaning not die during Get Lean Intervals) and increase my weight (i.e. biceps to 15 lbs...wishful thinking, but we will see). In terms of eating healthier, I am just trying to eat right the majority of the time that way from time to time, I can splurge on junk.

My current weight range from 121-124. Like I said I don't have a particular weight goal. While I would love to get below 115, I just don't think it is something I can maintain and continue to live my life the way I really want to. If I get below 120 without trying than great, if not, I will still be satisfied.

Sarai, I know I have told you this already, but I think your goal is fine as long as you are doing in a healthy way. I agree with Amber, you already look AMAZING, so if you didn't lose another pound, I would say that is no big deal. Just promise you will do it slowly and in a healthy way. :)

Amber, I think your goals are great. That is so awesome and I am so proud of you that you added the goal of decreasing your sugar intake. It can be a hard goal to control...especially when you are stressed and on your period...which has been your life recently. :) The other goals of keeping up with your weight training and running are also great. Your shakeology is also a great thing to continue, especially since Chalean promotes it...you really are BFF's. Maybe you will be in one of her videos someday. :)

Goals

Whew what a week! I think I can speak for everyone at work when I say we missed, missed, missed you this week Sarai! Somehow we got through. I hope your week at the new place went ok! I am excited to hear about some of the comparisons between your new clinic & CDC=)=)=) Also, I got your LOVELY Scentsy gift & I LOVE IT. I LLLLoveit-ILLLLoveit-ILLLLoveit!!! THankyou so much!!!

So onto fitness goals. Last week was an unexpected week off for me. I ended up coming down with bronchitis & having a fever so I was NOT getting out of bed to get extreme. This week I completely started L4L over again (I was only 1 week into it before I got sick, so I started at week 1 again).

I've also started to be much more conscious about how much sugar I'm eating. I have a gigantic sweet tooth, so even the most OBVIOUS bad sugar (cookies,cake,brownies,cake,chocolate,etc) is hard for me to avoid, but it's one of my main goals now. I'm trying to munch on veggies to make myself full so I won't be tempted with empty calories. Its actually working for me. I only broke down 1 time this week & had 3 girl scout cookies after supper. That is AMAZING for me. Usually I can't set them a aside until I've had at least 10, no joke. Also, for Tami's birthday at work I was able to avoide most of the cake & chocolate around all week. I had 1 slice of cake and 2 pieces of Ghiradelli caramel dark chocolate. Also a huge feat. Half the battle is having my own snacks in the fridge so I don't feel like those sweet treats are the only option.

As for weight goals, here we go....deep breath, hold it, exhale, time for honesty:

April Weight Range: 123-125: Last weigh in during last week of March: 124.4

Weight Today: ??? I refuse to interact with my scale more than once a month, at our court-ordered scheduled visitation. I'll let you know where I am the first week of May since I took a week off to be sick.

Goal Weight: 115.

I've been lighter than 115 before (um, like in high school), but that was because I had no real muscle in my body & I looked pretty darn scrawny. I don't know if it's possible for me to get down to that weight and maintain my lean muscle. There is a definate difference between being thin & toned, and just being skeletal. I'll be happy to get to 115 so long as I keep my muscle and am only losing fat. If getting to that weight means I have to sacrifice any of the muscle I'm working so hard at, forget it. I'll be satisfied with 120.

Sarai, I have to admit that I was a little surprised that our ultimate weight loss goals were similar, being that you are so much taller than me. I think you look fantastic right now, and I was surprised that you want to lose as much weight as you said. BUT, I do understand we all have our individual personal goals. Focus on staying healthy & making realistic progress each week, not the number on the scale...that's what Aaron keeps drilling into my head. Keep posting updates on your progress, and I'll be rooting for you as long as you are feeling healthy!=)

Well, onto a brief run & some Shakeology! BTW, Chalene is also a HUGE advocate for Shakeology. We are so like, BFF. Well, we would be if she knew I existed. *Sigh.

Write down your goals...or blog them.

Well ladies, I made it Texas ok and so far, there have been no hiccups in my workouts. Trust me, it was tough to wake up last Friday knowing it was going to be my last day in Colorado and find the emotional energy to work out...BUT, I did it. And, I haven't missed a workout yet. My plan is to finish Lean for Life before taking a week off.

So, I wanted to be open about my fitness/weight goals so that you guys can hopefully help me get there. Shannon, I've already talked to you about some of my goals which could turn out to be unrealistic but I'm going to give it a shot. My plan is to lose roughly 1 lb. each month from now until December. In Texas, this is going to be quite a challenge being this close to my unhealthy family and friends...but I think I'm up for the challenge. So, where does that put me? Here we go:

April goal weight range: 121 to 125
Weight this morning: 123.9 (YAY!!)
Goal weight range for December: 113 to 117

Please don't roll your eyes at me. I've been as low as 110 before and I didn't look completely emaciated...just really thin which is a look I've always wanted. I've done all the calculations and as long as I don't drop below 111, I'll still be within a healthy weight range for my height. Now, if I get there and I find that it's taking every ounce of energy I have to stay that thin, I promise I'll stop.

Anyway, I'm REALLY enjoying the new workouts I ordered. Amber I would really encourage you to buy the Delux edition which gives you 7 new workouts to vary what you already have.

I miss you girls!!!

LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL!

"I AM tired and I did NOT just get my second wind" is actually what I usually say, but I appreciate her for trying to encourage me. :) Does it work for any of you girls?

I know what you mean Amber about every month challenging you and making your body feel like it is something new. Even when I went through it a second time, I couldn't believe how challenged I felt on all of the workouts....I continue to feel challenged and I have been at this for a year. I know part of it is that I continue to challenge myself with the weights, but her program is designed so well, I think I would feel challenged regardless.

I will let you know about "Insanity". Right now I don't feel "insane" enough. I am actually thinking about doing it when Pat goes (if he goes) to OCS in October. It looks like a 60 day program and Pat will be gone 10 weeks, so I figure that is perfect. I am thinking about doing it during that time because I may "rearrange" some stuff so I can move more freely for the various exercises.

Anyway, I was happy to set up the blog...it was rather easy. :) I am glad it is already such a success and that we are already utilizing it so much. Yay!

P.S.

By the way, I love love love our Blog's title, Extreme Tight A.S.S. is fitting indeed. Time to get extreme! Oh, and thank you for picking up on my Chalene quote in my other blog! She has so many funny sayings, you'll probably hear me quoting her lots on here.

As for Insanity, that workout scares me! My friend Lauren and her husband are trying it together, and she's made it to week 8. I haven't seen her in person to know if her body is tranforming, but her facebook status updates show that she's apparently sticking with it. She said that neither her nor her husband could make it all the way through any of the workouts during the first week. Thats intense. Her HUSBAND is active Army and runs all the time and if he can't make it through the cardio, who can?????!!! Maybe Ally, MAYBE Ally. It is a program I've been curious about though, I just don't know if I am willing (or have the ability?) to switch over yet. I think I might consider it after I get through the rest of L4L and do one more round of Chalean Extreme. Let us know if you decide to go for it Shannon! I have faith that you can do it because, we all know, "You're not tired! You just got your second wind!!!"

SORE

Shannon, it doesn't matter to me if its set to private or public, I don't have the slightest preference. Thank you for setting this whole blog up for us and figuring it out!

So I fell behind on workouts last week, and ended up having to workout on Sunday, which is usually my day off. Anyhow, I did Lean 1 & OMG my arms are going to fall out of their sockets, I swear. I went to reach up to hug Aaron goodbye today & it took some enormous mental effort to restrain myself from dropping to the floor, curling into the fetal position & screaming in agony. Lean 4 Life is the hardest cycle yet, in my opinion. But I have a feeling I will see some elevated results! I do love how each month this program makes your body feel as if you've never picked up a weight before; its motivating for me (albeit painful) to really "feel" the effort being put into each rep! Hope everyone is having an ok Monday! I can NOT believe its your last week Sarai! I'm refusing to believe it actually. You aren't going anywhere. Its all just a bad dream.

That is awesome that you think you can go up in weight with Push. It is always exciting to know that you are improving and getting stronger. I think I did the same thing with Push, except I do notice my shoulders are slower to progress. It is weird because I can actually push myself harder with the deltoids exercises than I can with the overhead shoulder exercises. Weird!!! I actually watched a piece of an infomercial for "Insanity" tonight. I am tempted to look more into it, but I think I will wait and ponder it for awhile. It really does look "insane."

By the way, our address for this sight is "extreme-tight-ass". Apparently "tightass" is already spoken for so I came up with the "extreme" part and it worked. :) It is still public because I wasn't for sure if you guys wanted it private or not. Just let me know!

Sweatin' with Burn and Push

Burn made me SWEAT!!! I was prepared for it since you (Shannon) has said it had kicked Amber's butt. I pretty much picked up where I left off in terms of weight though. Another thing that I found interesting was this morning when I did Push 2. I didn't make too much progress with Push when I did it in February but after today, I made note to go up on a lot of my weight. For example, when I did Push back in February, I only did 8-10 lbs. on arnold press and 12 lbs. on frontal press. In fact, I never got to 8 reps on frontal press. Ok today, I did 12 lbs. on arnold press and I felt like I could actually do 15 lbs. AND on frontal press I only did 12 lbs. but I actually got to 8 reps and didn't really have trouble going extreme. WOW!!! I was excited. My shoulders are already sore though.

Anyway, I just googled Tight Ass Blog just to see if our blog would come up and instead I got some very pornographic results!!! So, I figured I didn't have to worry about anyone viewing our blog that's not supposed to be...hah!!!

Sarai, that is great that your workout schedule will fit with your move. If you don't find the time, don't worry about it...you have been consistent and moving and starting a brand new job are pretty good reasons to skip a workout if necessary. By the way, what did you think of Burn? I couldn't believe how tough it was. I thought it would be a breeze after Push and especially Lean...WRONG!!

Amber, I saw on Facebook that your corolla is a sport...so is mine. :) They really are identical...except mine is 5 years older, but still....

PS. I was happy to set this blog up for us. I hope we all enjoy it and that it brings us together despite the distance and is a motivating place to turn to. :)

PSS. I am going to make both of you "administrators" now that you all have singed on so you can change the layout of the page. :)

YAY!!!

I think that this might actually motivate me to work out just so I can talk about it. Amber, how exciting that you have a new car!! Doesn't it smell good?
I started Lean for Life Friday and yesterday was my day off. Can't wait to get back into it today. My workout schedule this month is going to work perfectly with my move so that I don't have to skip any workouts. If I actually manage to DO THEM in the middle of all the chaos is another story.
Thank you Shannon for getting this started!!!

LOL!! That is awesome that you bought a new car....CONGRATULATIONS! I don't care at all that it is the same color...silver is the best in my opinion. I can't wait to see it. :) I agree with you Amber, it should be a prerequisite that all members of the Tight A.S.S club have a silver toyota corolla. What will you need with an SUV in Texas anyway. From what I hear it is all flat. :) JUST DO IT!!

PS. "I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin' " is totally from Chalean...way to go Amber. :)

I'm also proud to be an exclusive member of Tight A.S.S. Definately excited to stay in touch with ya'all (haha, that one's for you, Sarai!) now and in the future. My personal bootie isn't sore today, but only because I sat on it all day long, first at Sarai's farewell, and then at the Toyota dealership, where, I am proud to admit, I bought a brand new Corolla! Shannon, its the same color as yours, and please BELIEVE me, I wasn't trying to be a copy cat. The one the sales rep had us test drive was charcoal grey, and THAT was the one we were planning on buying, but the Toyota people messed up and realized THAT car had ALREADY been sold, its owners just hadn't come and picked it up yet, and some other sales rep parked it in the wrong place, and the only Corolla left was in silver...so we went with silver=) NOW WE REALLY ARE TWINS!!! YAY! Sarai, you are next right? Don't you agree it should be a prerequisite that all members of Tight A.S.S. drive silver sport Corollas. I'm not saying, I'm just saying...

1st Post!

Well, I think it is fitting that we named this blog Tight A.S.S since my ass is very sore today. Too many lunges yesterday from the extreme lower body series. Yikes!! Looking forward to keeping in touch with you ladies and updating each other on our journeys with Chalean Extreme. Hopefully this blog will keep all of us motivated and provide us with support during discouraging times. :)

Here is to a "Tight A.S.S." for all of us!! :)