60-Day Fitness Challenge Results

Suzy Fauria, Beachbody Coach extraordinaire, hatched a brilliant idea as this summer began. She began an accountability group on facebook titled "Summer's Here! 60-day Fitness Challenge". She advertised this as a 60-day challenge for weight loss and support. I eagerly joined! I was on my own fitness journey toward 100 Workouts and honestly the chance to win a copy of P90X2 while completing my goals was enough reason for me to click "join".

Little did I know that this intimate and amazing group of  motivated individuals, most of whom I've never met, would inspire, support, encourage, influence, and push me further toward my goals. Sharing stories, triumphs, pitfalls, tips, articles, blog posts, business opportunities and just friendly check-ins.. we've grown into a little family unit and I believe will be a part of each others' lives in one way or another for quite some time.

So here it is.. the results... 

the following picture are: before, after my 3-day shakeology cleanse (around day 50) and after

Before: Weight-138lbs Body Fat- 25.2%

After: Weight- 129lbs Body Fat- 21% (as low as 20.4% around day 30)

There is NO way I could have done this alone. (and trust me, I'm not done yet.. I've still got goals and I fully intend to reach them)
But I love to give credit where credit is due. Thank you to the Fitness Challenge peeps: Suzy, Maida, Hector, George, Mark, Stephanie, Allyson, Anna, Jessica, and Tiffany. Also BIG thank you to the rest of the Beachbody family: Thank you Joy for reading the blogs, commenting and inspiring me with what looks to be an AMAZING and butt-kicking boot camp that you put on (I'd love to come up sometime). Thank you Stickel for helping me maintain sanity, especially during my Cleanse (Summit 2k12, watchout!). Last of my beachbodies, but certainly not least, biggest thank you of all goes to Coby Linder. Coby, for those of you who don't know, is the one who initially roped me into the Beachbody life. We reconnected at Summit this year where he shamed me into changing my diet. He gave me all the information that I needed to literally change my life. My diet (and newfound love for egg whites and oatmeal) can be credited to his influence, motivation and persistence and his LeanWithLinder lifestyle. I could not have made my transformation without him.

The Club One Family has also been a huge part of my transformation. The amazing staff including Bo, Brian, Emil, Tobias and of course Casey have taught me that Fitness Never Sleeps and inspired me to Get Better Everyday! They have led by example and fed my desire by recognizing my accomplishments and dedication (which fueled my fire even more). The Club Circuit crew who are not only great to work out with, but give me some of the best ab-workouts with our ridiculous inappropriate jokes and tomfoolery.

Of course, there's Katy Casellini - my rock. She's been there through the ups and downs (on the scale and otherwise) and she's unconditionally supportive. I'm proud to be a part of her fitness journey, but I hope she realizes that she's just as vital in mine. I also got lucky that my kickass boyfriend not only will put up with my constant obsession with diet and exercise but happens to be equally or more interested. I love listening to his insight and tips, and thus far he's failed to make me cry during any of our workouts together even though KokoHead was close (well done, Ryne). To the rest of my friends and family, I appreciate you too.. I just scrolled up however and realized how long this "thank you" section got. It's like I freaking won a VMA or Nobel Peace prize or something.. honestly, I just feel really fortunate to have such great support systems and there's nothing I want more than for those people to realize how much I appreciate their contribution (however great or small).. and with that, if you've made it to this point in the blog - thank you! Thank you for reading; comment or something so I know who you are cause you deserve recognition for surviving the whole entry.

Giant Race 10k - Team Got Heem

I'm not a runner. I don't necessarily enjoy it and therefore I don't do it on a regular basis. But, I love races!

In typical pre-race fashion I spent the night before creating a playlist, painting my nails and KT-taping for my anterior shin splints. On race day, I woke up bright and early (5:45am) and enjoyed a scrambled egg breakfast and was surprised by a poster that Katy left for us outside our apartment (she's so great!!!). Tab, Scott and I loaded the car and Rockstar-ed it up to the city.


After a pre-race pep talk from Casey "Why don't you just get better? If you run faster and you'll be done sooner." we met up and our whole crew assembled. Our costume required us to run in a line, which we maintained, more or less, for the first two miles of the race. At that point, I broke off from the group (I don't deal well with the tight-pack running that is common around 10-11 minute pace). Once I was alone, I settled into a comfortable 9 minute pace and enjoyed the scenic run from AT&T Park, to the Embarcadero and back. The 10k finished inside AT&T Park and the feeling of crossing the finish line is indescribable. Accomplishment, relief, exhaustion, and euphoria. First water, then delicious Chobani Honey with San Fran Granola (nom nom nom) to enjoy after crossing the finish line. According to my Nike ID app, I finished the 10k in about 58 minutes :) Broke 1 hr, a definite PR for me! (still pending official times from Giant Race Website).

After reuniting with the rest of the family and attempting to snap some pics on the field we entered what is potentially my favorite part of the race (only behind that "finish line feeling"). SWAG!!! Swag Bags full of bagels, fruit, clif bars, Timmy bobble heads, tshirts, medals, coconut water, chocolate milk, Pop Chips, pretzels, Chobani, and a slice of birthday cake (I still don't understand it, nor can I explain what compelled me to devour hundreds of calories worth of it)

We paused for several more photos before leaving the city (I found an amatuer photographer by accident who took like dozens to make sure we would have one we liked). What a fun family-fitness day!

So, while I don't necessarily love the act of running, there isn't much that can compete with the distractions that a race provides, the energy that is shared among runners, the sense of accomplishment, that "finish line feeling", and of course - the swag! Onto the Nike Women's Half...

3-day Shakeology Cleanse

Time for a quick review of my most recent 3-day Shakeology cleanse.

I love Shakeology, I'm in the home stretch of a 60-day fitness challenge and I'm always up for an exercise in self-control so it seemed like a great opportunity to complete the 3-day Shakeology cleanse. (I modified it slightly, in an attempt to allow myself to remain active throughout) Here's a snapshot of my daily diet:

Breakfast: 1/2 Chocolate Shakeology w/ Ice, Water, Peanut Butter* and Banana
Morning Snack: Plain Oatmeal and Egg Whites
Lunch: Chocolate Shakeology w/ Ice, Water, and Peanut Butter*
Snack: Apple
Dinner: Salad w/ Chicken or Fish and veggies (lite balsamic vinagrette)
2-4 liters of water
*Peanut Butter is not in the recommended cleanse outline

Here was my actual caloric intakes for the three days as well as the exercise that I completed (I had to add an extra snack Monday before dinner so I could rally myself to go workout)
Sat: 861 calories, Crossfit Inspired Workout (net: 703)
Sun: 794 calories, Zumba Class & AbRipperX (net: 408)
Mon: 909 calories, Junkyard Gym (net: 513)

As you can tell by these numbers, this cleanse is NOT recommended to last longer than 3 days and shouldn't be done more than once per quarter. My energy levels on day 1 and 2 were fairly constant; I worked out in the morning and I was feeling pretty good throughout those workouts (even set a personal best in a gym-based challenge on Sat morning). Monday was rough, I was energetic throughout my work day but at around 2pm I crashed, I was literally dragging my feet through the grocery store to buy more spinach for dinner. I thought about throwing caution to the wind, grabbing Oreos & Peanut Butter and going to town right there in aisle 8.. luckily I have lots of accountability partners who empathized and reminded me what an accomplishment it would be to complete the cleanse.

As I stepped on the scale this morning, I was glad I chose not to gorge on the Oreos and Peanut Butter (however, now that the cleanse is done, perhaps.... no! nevermind) Here were my official results:
Difference in weight after 3-day Shakeology Cleanse: 5 pounds

Difference in measure of  'tummy' after 3-day Shakeology Cleanse: 2 inches

Now, I do realize that these dramatic measures are a majority of water weight, but realistically the cleanse isn't all about weight loss. It's about cleansing my body of built up toxins as well as challenging myself both physically and mentally. I'm proud of myself. If you are interested in trying a cleanse yourself, please contact me for more information or visit myshakeology.com/vickiewags

Also, my Beachbody Coach Tiffster has created a website about her Shakeology cleanse (and a 10-day modified cleanse that I'd eventually like to try someday) Visit her website if you're interested in learning more 3dayshakecleanse

100 Workouts of Summer, check

Yeah, it's true... I shed a lil tear tonight when I finished my last workout. I won't say that I didn't believe in myself.. but the road was long and filled with speedbumps and detours. Gigantic thanks go out to anyone who participated in, encouraged, or motivated me throughout the process as well as those of you who put up with my constant posts and #100workoutsofsummer hashtags. I've learned a lot about myself and pushing my limits - and in the end I truly believe that I'm more of a beast than I thought. (never thought I'd be the girl that would "love two a days")

Workouts Done:100    Workouts Left: 0  Days Remaining: 4
Ka-Blam!

100. (8/10) Club Circuit w/ Casey
99. (8/10) RyneWOD: Dumbbell Thrusters
98. (8/9) Junkyard Gym w/ Casey
97. (8/9) Power Flow Yoga w/ Angela
96. (8/8) Power Flow Yoga w/ Melissa & Erin
95. (8/8) Club One: Step and Sculpt w/ Miki
94. (8/8) Club One: Crossfit WOD (500m rows)
93. (8/7) KillerCore: Merciless Abs & AbRipperX
92. (8/7) Campbell Track Workout: Mile Run, Stair Sprints, Lunges, Sit Ups, Push Ups, Stair Jumps
91. (8/7) Bike Ride to Katy's
90. (8/7) RyneWOD
89. (8/6) Hike @ Jones Trail
88. (8/6) Club One Circuit Challenge & Gilroy 3 mile walk
87. (8/6) Club One: Spin
86. (8/5) Hike @ Rancho San Antonio
85. (8/5) Club One: (200m run, 4x 15 squats, 12 deadlift, 9 pushups, 200m run)
84. (8/4) Club One: Kickboxing w/ Derrick
83. (8/4) Bike Ride to Laurelwood
82. (8/4) Club One: Swim w/ Katy and Christy
81. (8/3) Club Circuit w/ Casey
80. (8/2) Club One: Stair Master, Core, Back Squats
79. (7/31) Airport Trekking: Honolulu/Maui/SFO
78. (7/30)  Koko Head Hike w/ Ryne
77. (7/28) RyneWOD
76. (7/28) Airport Trekking: SFO/Honolulu
75. (7/28) Club One: Kickboxing
74. (7/28) P90X: Arm Exercises
73. (7/27) P90X: Arm Exercises
72. (7/27) Bike Ride to the Post Office
71. (7/27) Club One: Mile Run, Lifting, Core
70. (7/26) Walk around Niagara
69. (7/25) Walk around Niagara
68. (7/21) SUP Photoshoot w/ SCCVC
67. (7/21) SUP Training w/ Trudie
66. (7/20) Club Circuit w/ Casey
65. (7/20) Wakeboarding in Discovery Bay w/ Jennifer & Tab
64. (7/19) Club One: Mile Run/Arms/Abs
63. (7/18) Junkyard Gym w/ Casey
62. (7/15) Las Vegas Strip - 4 mile run/400 stairs
61. (7/14) Combine 360 IDEA Challenge
60. (7/13) Club Circuit w/ Casey
59. (7/11) Crossfit Hyperformance: "Kettlehell"
58. (7/11) Insanity: Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs
57. (7/10) Crossfit w/ Quinn: run 800/30 backsquat/run 800
56. (7/10) Riley Duty at the Beach
55. (7/9) Crossfit Hyperformance: Metconn Partner Challenge
54. (7/8) Crossfit Hyperformance: "DT"
53. (7/7) Insanity: Fit Test
52. (7/7) SUP w/ Trudie
51. (7/6) Insanity: Cardio Power & Resistance
50. (7/6) Club Circuit w/ Casey
49. (7/5) Insanity: Pure Cardio
48. (7/5) Hike w/ Ingram (Jones Trail, Los Gatos)
47. (7/4) Progressive Bike Party [roundtrip to Kontich's]
46. (7/4) Progressive Bike Party [roundtrip to Katy's]
45. (7/3) Insanity: Cardio Circuit
44. (7/2) Bike Ride Errands
43. (7/1) Insanity: Pure Cardio
42. (6/30) Insanity: Cardio Power & Resistance
41. (6/29) Club Circuit w/ Casey
40. (6/28) Insanity: Plyo Cardio Circuit
39. (6/28) Stand Up Paddleboarding in Santa Cruz w/ Trudie
38. (6/27) Club Circuit w/ Casey
37. (6/27) Wakeboarding w/ the Andersons at Anderson Lake
36. (6/27) Insanity: Pure Cardio
35. (6/26) Club One: Precor and Core
34. (6/26) Insanity: Cardio Recovery
33. (6/25) Insanity: Cardio Power & Resistance
32. (6/24) Insanity: Plyo Cardio Circuit
31. (6/24) Combine 360 IDEA Challenge
30. (6/23) Club One: Precor and Core
29. (6/23) Insanity Fit Test
28. (6/22) Club Circuit w/ Casey
27. (6/20) Bike Ride in Hermosa w/ Jesse
26. (6/18) Walk across Downtown LA to RiteAid
25. (6/18) Beachbody Summit - Super Workout w/ Debbie Siebers, Leandro Carvahlo, Chalene Johnson, Donna Richardson Joyner, Shaun T, Brett Hoebel, and Tony Horton
24. (6/17) Walk around Brentwood w/ Kelsey and Steph
23. (6/17) Beachbody Summit - RevAbs w/ Brett Hoebel
22. (6/17) Beachbody Summit - Brazil Butt Lift w/ Leandro Carvahlo
21. (6/16) Club One - Spin, Arms
20. (6/15) Club Circuit w/ Casey
19. (6/15) Club One - "Last Chance Workout" Precor, Spin, Row
18. (6/15) Biking to Haman w/ Jennifer
17. (6/15) Club One - Club Power w/ Sonya
16. (6/14) Club Circuit w/ Casey
15. (6/14) Biking to Haman w/ Jennifer
14. (6/14) Club One - Spin w/ Carole (and Sean, Peggy, Sandy, and Katy)
13. (6/13) Club Circuit w/ Casey
12. (6/13) Club One - Precor & Arms w/ Casellini
11. (6/12) Bike Ride to Haman and Plutos
10. (6/12) Club One - Zumba All Stars w/ Cheryl /& Precor
9. (6/11) Lake "Workout" - Tubing, Wakeboarding
8. (6/10) Precor, Back Extension, Shoulder Press (Bar+20), Furious Forty
7. (6/9) Club Circuit & Junkyard Gym w/ Casey & Tobias
6. (6/9) Club One - Precor, Back Extension, Push Ups, Asst. Pull Ups, Shoulder Press (Bar+20)
5. (6/8) Arm Circuits w/ Tim, Katy, and Launie
4. (6/8) Club One - Precor/Spin Bike
3. (6/7) Club One - Precor/Spin Bike/Abs
2. (6/7) Bike Ride to Santana Row for lunch w/ Steph
1. (6/6) Walk w/ Katy Cas around Lake Murray

Lift me Higher

"Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher." -Oprah Winfrey

I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by the most supportive group of family and friends who have encouraged me in all aspects of life, but most recently in my fitness goals. In the past couple of months I have noticed amazing growth and progress in some of those people and want to give props where they are overdue.

First, my sister Tina, who over the last year has taken an interest in doing various runs in the New York race circuit. As part of her Christmas present, I proposed that we run a race together. We were able to make this a reality Memorial weekend in Arroyo Grande, not only running the Strawberry Stampede but doing so in costume. As someone who is not passionate about running, I admire her work ethic and dedication to training for these races. I hope that that race will not be our last together.

Last year at Christmas Eve dinner, my dad told me the most exciting news I'd heard in a long time. He leaned over and said "I think I'd like to run a race with you next year". I'd like to think that him accompanying me to my Turkey Trot got him that feeling of longing to participate (I call it finish-line-feeling-envy, I get it anytime I show up at a race I'm not running). Without any real accountability partner or publicity, he silently began his training. He spends many of his lunch breaks walking around West Hollywood and has sprinkled in treadmill training runs. His training must've been effective because not only has he noticably thinned out as of late, but he ROCKED the 5k. I can't wait to try another family run in the future.

Next, comes my sister Lizzy. Until recently, I think it would be safe to say that Lizzy's favorite form of exercise was her weekly pole-dancing classes. (she had the bruises to prove her dedication). If you know me, you know that I ramble about Beachbody and fitness and diet, and am usually doing some sort of cleanse or diet - most people just get used to it. Poor Lizzy has had to endure this more than most but I just assumed that she'd learned to tune me out. You can imagine my excitement and surprise when Lizzy sent out her birthday wishlist (which I loved for the record) and in addition to a stripper pole, Shakeology made it's way onto her list. Although it was difficult to narrow it down between the two, I decided to go with the gift of health. After a few samples Lizzy has taken a liking to Greenberry and has a bag of it en route to her house. That alone is a huge step toward a more healthy lifestyle but get this.. After leaving a family vacation in upstate New York Lizzy dropped the bomb on me that she'd decided to order a Beachbody program of her own! I couldn't be more proud. She even opted for the deluxe package and rushed shipment because she was so anxious to get started. Although some may be skeptical about the results of DVD workouts, her sore booty should give some indication of how effective they can be. Although she's got a hectic schedule and finding time to fit in workouts is tougher than most, she's made the commitment and I know she'll be pleased with the results.

Finally, my amazing mother has made a commitment this summer to find a way to incorporate some exercise into her daily life. During a trip home at the beginning of June, we talked about reasonable goals to make that a reality. Together we set the goal that she would walk three days of the week, whether it was with friends, alone, outdoors or on the treadmill with a slight incline. I pestered her more often than I think she realized I would, but my mother, like few people who have come to me for help, took her fitness goals more seriously than I expected (no offense mom). She usually had already exercised by the time I texted/called to check on her, even in the 100+ heat she found alternatives that worked. Not only did she ABSOLUTELY meet her goals but she SHATTERED them; as summer is coming to an end, she has walked almost every day of her summer vacation. I don't know if she realizes the pride that I share in her accomplishments. We have already vowed to support each other as the school year starts and we need that little extra push after a long day at work.

Now that I've bragged about my amazing family, let me just touch on one more person who's pretty much family anyway...

One of my best friends, Katy Casellini, is the source of constant inspiration and motivation in my fitness journey. I met Katy in 2007 and we became fast friends. It was the summer of 2009 that she began focusing on her health and fitness, making positive changes that have evolved her into the beast she is today. For those of you who have the pleasure of knowing Katy, you know that she has spent countless time and bottomless energy in pursuit of her fitness goals. She has overcome physical, mental, and emotional barriors to succeed in her pursuits. Katy began her transformation by adding walking into her daily routine, as well as focusing on her diet through Weight Watchers. She joined Club One, began incorporating Kickboxing, Club Circuit and eventually set running-related goals. After doing the Couch25k training program, I was fortunate enough to accompany her on many races, including our first 5k in March 2010 as well as our first Half Marathon in Las Vegas December 2010. Unfortunately Katy has been plagued with shin splints that evolved into a stress fracture. Despite the injury and hardships that has added to her exercise routines, she has found alternative ways to stay motivated. Watching her top the National Combine360 Challenge leaderboards and complete her first open water swim this past weekend were such proud moments that I enjoyed sharing with my amazing friend. Where anyone else might use their injury as an excuse for inactivity, Katy has found herself even more motivated and couldn't be doing better. I hope she realizes what an inspiration she is to those around her. Her transformation, though certainly not without difficult periods, has shown many what is possible when dedication and persperation combine. I love you Kate!