5 POUNDS DOWN: The Lifestyle Change

Last week I decided I needed a change in my life. I was bloated, unhappy, unhealthy, I didn't like myself so I changed my eating habits. Went to the grocery store and picked up lean meats, veggies, quinoa, etc., and Monday started my plan. I set out to cook all my meals and eat clean. I just wanted to feel better and obviously lose weight; and I did! I was delighted to step on the scale Friday morning to find that I had lost 5 Lbs from staying on my regime.

Eating healthy and exercising is only as hard as you make it. I work 2 jobs and go to school and still managed to find time to exercise and cook every meal! Even if it means waking up a little earlier or stating up a little later to make lunch, or going to the gym when I get off late at night. You must be committed to make this work!

Look, if I can make time to work out 3-5 times a week and wake up 30 minutes earlier to prepare my meals for the day so can YOU and I want to help you anyway I can. I will be posting workout videos and recipes more frequently on here. I want my readers to be healthy!

Meanwhile I'm dealing with a migraine, but I can't sleep, but I wanted to write something and update you all on my progress. Stay tuned for more posts!

Muah!

Weekly Workout Routine and Diet

I just wanted to give you all a quick rundown of my weekly gym routine. I try to go 3-5 times a week, usually averaging about 4 days. I'm trying to eat better. Limiting fast food and cooking at home as much as I can.  I'm not on any specific diet it's basically portion control. I still have my sweets and junk food, and my Cheat Day is on Wednesday, but everything is in moderation now. I still drink on the regular, but I don't binge anymore. Maybe a glass of wine, or 2 shots vodka, but the days of drinking a whole bottle in a day are over. I read in an article on Bodynomics that drinking regularly may not cause you to gain extra pounds. I try to make sure my meals are high in protein and low in fat. I feel like that and exercise will get me to my goal in a timely manner.

Anyway, here is a breakdown of what I do on a weekly basis:

Monday: BodyPump(AM)/Zumba(PM)

Tuesday: Yoga(AM)/ Optional Cardio

Wednesday: BodyPump(AM)

Thursday: Zumba and Optional Weight Training(PM)

Friday: Weight Trainng if I don't do it Thursday

Saturday/Sunday: Rest

J'adore LesMills: BodyPump, BodyCombat, and BodyJam

According to Wikipedia Les Mills International is a New Zealand based company which is the world's largest provider of choreographed exercise-to-music group music classes distributed to health clubs. In my opinion, they are the creators of the greatest, most kick-ass fitness classes on the planet. Since joining my new gym I've had the opportunity to try a few of their classes, and though challenging I see them as a excellent way to get into and stay in shape. Here is a review of the 3 classes I've taken so far; BodyPump, BodyCombat, and BodyJam.

BodyPump

I know you usually save the best for last but I just couldn't wait to express my love for this class! I started taking BodyPump almost a month ago and now I can't picture my life without it! BodyPump is a weight lifting class set to music. It's broken down by body part and song(1 muscle group per song) and it is intense! Like a total of 800 reps per class intense!  I love a good work out and I love what this does for my body! After only a month I can see and feel a change in my body; especially my arms. Like I flexed my bicep last night and damn near scared myself! Not to mention the rolls in my back are slowly disappearing and the definition in my shoulders that I once had as a cheerleader in high  school is coming back! This class is now a priority in my weekly workout routine. I just don't feel right if I don't go the BodyPump twice a week. I was tempted to skip it this past Monday and my mind and body just wouldn't let me! I know I say this about everything but this is my NEW ADDICTION!!! And I urge all my Gym Divas to become Addicted too! See if they have this class at your Health Club/Gym and take it! Yes it is INTENSE! But you will love it and when you see the results you'll be glad you took the class!!!

BodyCombat

I've only taken this class once. I missed BodyPump one day(when I 1st started taking it) and I wanted to get a morning workout in. I also just so happened to be in a bad mood, so quite naturally when I read the description for BodyCombat (which included terms like "kickboxing" and "martial arts") I knew this is what I needed to get my stress out! When I tell you I never whooped an imaginary ass so bad! Forget Zumba(I still love Zumba FYI) this was by far the most intense cardio workout I've ever had! With the punches and the kicks and the jump kicks; don't get me wrong it was fun, but I see why they tell you to start out slow with a half a class. I ended up doing the whole class, because I like to start what I finish (and I'm a psychopath when I'm in the gym and I have absolutely no understanding of the term "turn down") , but if you're just starting out in the gym I suggest you do 30 minutes and work your way up to the hour. 

BodyJam

If you follow me on Instagram you saw my note about this class, and how I assumed that it would be just like Zumba. Because all dance aerobics classes are just like Zumba right? WRONG!!! If  you've taken dance classes on and off throughout your life like me you will love this class! It's basically like a dance class you would take at a dance school. It's a choreographed routine that you learn over a group of songs. With each song you learn a set of dance moves and at the end of class you put it all together. It's great! According to the LesMills website you can burn, on average, 530 calories in this class. I love Zumba because it's intense and an excellent extreme calorie burning class. However, if  you want to dance and just have fun at a slightly slower pace than Zumba then BodyJam is where you need to be. Also if your gym is anything like mine, this class is significantly less crowed than the Zumba classes. 

   

FinaFlex Pro Xanthine 500-XT: 1st Impression

So I've been trying to lose weight for a while now, but haven't been able to do so. I've been working out 3-5 times a week, but my eating habits haven't been great. I'm always hungry! I needed something to suppress my appetite enough that I can actually lose weight instead of just maintaining, so I decided after work yesterday that I would go to my local supplement store and look for a fat burner.

When it comes to supplements it can take me all day to choose something. These pills are so expensive and the last thing I want to do is waste money. Anyway, I went into the store with a $35 budget . I figured I could find something decent at that price. Usually I would just pick up old faithful aka OxyElite Pro, but even at a discounted price that was over budget. I decided to reach to the left of it for a pill that I've never seen before; FinaFlex Pro Xanthine(PX) 500-XT.

It's suppose to be the "Next Generation Weight Loss", which kind of explains why the name sounds like something The Jetsons would own. It's suppose to prolong appetite suppression, enhance concentration, give you clean energy, and reduce belly fat. That's a lot of stuff, thus the reason this pill got the side eye from me at first. However, after talking to the sales lady and her telling me she had great results on the pill I decided to purchase it. I only paid $32 after taxes which was lower than my target price.

This morning, upon rising, I took my first dosage as directed and went back to sleep. I always do this when I take fat burners early. If it wakes me up then it has potential. Let's just say I was wide awake less than 30 minutes later. I'm still not sure what "clean energy" is suppose to feel like, but I started feeling the same way I do off of 2 pills of OEP minus the jitters. Just a ton of energy I don't know what to do with. It made me thirsty as well , very thirsty! I did have slight hunger pangs right after taking it but they're gone now. I feel focused, like first day on Adderal focused, which is a good thing especially at work.

Overall so far I like it! I'll follow up in about a week if I see any weight change, but so far so good!

The NEW ClaudetteBerry.com Launches 1-14-13!!!

I have decided to ditch the blog "Hair Shoes Lips" and relaunch ClaudetteBerry.com as my Beauty blog. I felt like my previous idea would have limited me on what I would write about and I don't like limits. I will be launching the New CB.com on Monday (1-14-13) and I have a few things lined up. It will be more like a fashion Magazine. A mix of reviews as well as the latest fashion trend for the season. I hope you all are just as excited as I am. But for now you just have to Stay Tuned!

Muah
CB

How to Find A REALISTIC Body Type Twin!

There's always that one Celebrity who has the "Ideal Body" that you dream of having. It could be Kim Kardashian, Beyonce, or Gwen Stefani, but every woman has that one body inspiration that they dream of achieving one day. However, is that dream body that  you aspire to have really attainable? It would be pretty hard to get a Rihanna shape when you have a body type similar to Khloe Kardashian(No shots). It would be so much easier to attain a dream body that is already similar to your own. Though it is possible to grow/ build your glutes but you're not going to achieve a Elke the Stallion booty on an Amber Rose frame. It just won't happen! So here are a few tips to finding a body inspiration that is easily attainable and won't leave you disappointed and discouraged.
  1. KNOW YOUR BODY! What is your body type? Are you a pear? Hourglass? Apple? The first step to finding a body inspiration is to know your body type! Once you find that then you can move from there.

  2. Find a Celebrity/Model/Actress with a similar body type aka a "Body Type Twin"! Now that you know your type, now you can on out onto Google or your preferred search engine and find someone with a similar body type! You could probably search "Celebrities with _____ body type" and something should pop up. That or you could usually look at someone and know what shape they are. For example, Kim Kardashian is an Hourglass. She is busty and she has a booty and her waist is smaller that her chest and hips. Beyonce would be considered a Pear. Most of her "thickness" is isolated to her hips and thighs. Rihanns is slim and would be considered a Ruler shape. I could go on and on, but you can usually eyeball somebody and know their body type.

  3. After you find you "Body Type Twin" find exercises to help you attain your ideal body. Does your BTT have abs to die for? If so find an exercise and diet plan that focuses on flatten ad defining your abs. Does she have a nice round tush? Find exercises that will help tighten your booty! Since you both have the same body type it will be a lot easier for you to achieve her body. This will make it so much easier on you and you'll be less likely to get discouraged due to not getting the result you wanted.

 I'm going to use these step and give you an example:

 1. My body type is an Hourglass! I have large boobs and a booty and though I'm on the chubby side my waist is still smaller than my Bust and Bottom.

Catya "Ms Cat" Washington

 2. Next I need a BTT which I've had for a few years now. Model and Actress Catya "Ms Cat" Washington from Bad Girls Club. Though she's been my body inspiration long before she appeared on the show. She too has an Hourglass shape. Large breast, small waist, large bottom. If I were to slim down and start building lean muscle I would probably look similar to this photo.

3. Lastly find what I need to improve on! For me will mostly be my stomach. This will consist of changing my diet drastically(limiting surgar, carbs, and bad fats. Upping protien), a lot of cardio and ab exercises.Secondly I would have to work on toning my booty. This means kick back, bridges, and my new friends Squats and Lunges. To build mean using heavy weight and eating a high protein diet! Also I can't forget about my beloved Maca!

It's that easy! Just follow these steps and it will help you find a goal that is easily attainable and wont leave you discouraged! So until next time Gym Divas!!! Muah!

CB!

My Personal Trainer Kicked My Ass And I LOVED IT!!!

Ok so when I found out I had 3 free Personal Training session I wasn't expecting my Trainer to go easy on me. I mean he's a TRAINER if I wanted my workout to be easy I wouldn't need him! But my gosh he was rough! I liked it though! I had my first session on Monday. It started out light with 10 minutes on the elliptical, then all hell broke loose. We did squats and lunges to start. I NEVER do squats and I've been "growing" my butt for over 3 years! Never did not 1 squat! Let's just say I made up for lost time! The lunges were even worse! Next, we did Plank Ups which I didn't even know existed. I was good with the "Plank" portion of the exercise, but the "Up" is what got me. Let's say I went home sore and near tears! Tonight was my second session and we did upper body. I NEVER do upper body, so as you can imagine my pain. All in all though I actually enjoy these tough workouts. Working out is like sex to me. It's a pleasurable experience! Sure there's pain, but that's what makes it exciting right? I wouldn't know she I've never had sex, but if it's anything like working out then I'm sure it's amazing! I'm excited about my final session on Monday. I'm even thinking about keep my training and working out with him once a week. I'll see how my money looks after I get work done on my car. My goal regardless is to be in the gym 5 times a week. 3 intense days and 2 light days. I will keep you all posted! Muah! CB