Time to get MOVING: Four Weeks Post-Op

I am SO excited to be BACK at my workouts + healthy eating.

I will be totally honest; not working out was a complete MIND F*$%.

I have anxiety, and my workouts are my holistic medicine. Since working out, I have been relieved of almost all symptoms and have been able to handle daily stress with EASE and be able to tackle what life throws at me with GUSTO :P

During this past four weeks, I've been overly emotional, not thinking clearly, making rash decisions, and feeling insecure, leading to anxiety.

It wasn't as bad as it WAS prior to starting fitness, but I definitely started to feel myself spiral, so to say I'm ecstatic to start workouts is an understatement.

POST-OP

I am happy to report I have had NO pain, I have full mobility of my arms and chest, and my boobs are beginning to look more NORMAL and NOT like balloons sitting near my neck. LOL And I LOVE them!!! I was SO nervous I would hate them because they were SO high up on my chest! But THANKFULLY they have fallen, just as promised.

I was given the go ahead to incorporate in cardio, however, can't do chest workouts for another week. Just ONE more week!

I HAVE however, been doing burpees. I would NOT suggest doing this, BUT, I was working out and didn't think twice and by the end, realized I shouldn't have done them. However, I believe in listening to my body, and my body had NO issue. I have heard many stories of women who felt like they couldn't, experienced pain, etc., none of which were felt by me. I am refraining from lifting weights and push ups but am doing plank and burpees at this point. I am NOT overdoing it, as much as I'd like to and keeping it at only a few per workout.

Moving Forward

I am now starting 22 Minute Hard Corps (Wooo!!! Finally!!), however I can ONLY do the Cardio workouts until next Wednesday. Instead of repeating the 3 cardio workouts, I am incorporating in Insanity Max 30 until I can do the full program and calendar for 22 minute.

I will be honest here, I thought it would be a BREEZE of a program, but HOT DAMN, it may only be 22 minutes, but I am pouring sweat by the end!

The first workout SUCKED because I hadn't worked out in so long. I felt like my body was CEMENT. But after about 2-3 workouts I now feel back to where I was for Cardio endurance which blows my mind after such a long break!

Sometimes your body might just need a break to come back BETTER than EVER.

Here is my MEAL PLAN and Calendar to get BACK in the game!

We have our annual Coach Summit on July 28th, and my GOAL is to take my fitness to the next level. I have already conquered so many goals, I want to take on NEW ones and push myself. Once you've reached a goal, refine your NEW goals o keep you going in the direction you want! I have been staying the same for the last 6 months, and it's time to kick it up. The only thing I am changing is my nutrition plan, and I will be incorporating in weight lifting 3X/week.

How amazing is it that if you WANT a different body, you can sculpt it? Just like that. Push play everyday and dial in on your nutrition. Put good food in your house and EAT good food. Its THAT simple. {{willpower is an entirely new post LOL Don't buy it! It just eliminates the want!}}

Using my containers, going to be drinking my shake on the DAILY, and getting in my workout, no matter WHAT is going on.

There is so much I want to do this year, so much I want to experience, learn, grow... But for me to live out MY BEST, I know what I need to do in my fitness so I CAN conquer all I want to!

BEFORE PICTURES + STATS coming soon! I DID gain weight: a CRUISE, three weeks of no workouts, copious amounts of cheesecake, pizza and gin, Easter weekend + Mini Eggs {need I say more?!} and I am NOT feeling my best, so I am EXCITED to get back my ENERGY!!

My next group is starting the fourth week of April. If you want added accountability, motivation, support + a NEW and exclusive challenge group with progress tracking, email me at krystynahamiltonfit@gmail.com and we'll get you started! :)

Day Five Post-Op

These first five days were WAY easier than I expected.

BUT, there were a few things I wish people had warned me about! 

A) I felt like the hulk. Legit. Check out the pictures. LOL I used to be long and what I felt was dainty, and I felt like I had cannons on my chest that exploded into my armpits. NOT. FUN. 

ONE DAY POST OP; "The Hulk"

B) I don't believe I've ever been more swollen in my life. At least at that point (pic above). 

C) I also don't believe I've ever been more constipated. (Sorry if TMI, but I haven't read much about this, and it is NOT comfortable. Im sharing this so YOU can be proactive if this is something you're thinking about! WATER WATER WATER!) On day TWO I could have passed for at least four months pregnant. 

It's been five days and now this is what I look like, although I look similar, swelling has definitely gone down, and my body isn't as swollen either. However, I am still up eight pounds, in the above picture I was up 13. 

Day Five Post Op

My plan going forward is to CLEANSE my body, really focus on priming it so that when I'm ready to hit my workouts, I can hit them hard with a body that is refreshed. My once chiselled mid section is not so much, and it's only been a few days, so I am HOPING that this goes down {{Cruise in 9 days!}}. 

I will be ENTIRELY honest, this is a huge psychological mindset shift if you're someone who works out everyday. I am used to my body feeling at it's peak, energetic, light, and not only that, but MENTALLY my workouts make me hold my head a little higher. They make me more productive because I feel GOOD about what I've done and accomplished. It sets the bar for the day.

Today was tough. It's Monday, a day I LOVE to wake up early and crush the hardest workout of the week, get stuff done, look ahead to the week and smash my goals. Today I felt almost in a fog. I haven't gone out of my routine in so long, that now it's definitely shocking to not have my body at it's best.

My plan of action is the next month, I will be focusing on eating extremely clean. I want to nourish my body to help it heal, to gain energy from what I'm eating, confidence from the discipline of following through, and slowly incorporate in workouts.

TOMORROW I will be adding in a long walk, marching in place while I'm doing things like cleaning, dishes (the daily duties). Once I get the OK from my surgeon, I will be starting with riding a stationary bike, then going to more advanced cardio on week 4, and *fingers crossed* resuming workouts at week 6. I have read from others they weren't able to do things like burpees until about 6 months later, which I hope isn't the case.

Shakeology everyday, lemon water as soon as I wake up and throughout the day to help detox my body, relieve water retention and hydrate myself so I'm feeling more REGULAR and not so FULL. Eating 5X a day, following my 21 Day Fix containers but going down a bracket as I am NOT active and keeping my carbohydrates at sweet potato, quinoa and oatmeal. NO starchy or processed carbs.

I will be posting my MEAL PLAN as well as my results as they come!

I will also be starting the 3 Day Refresh on SATURDAY just before the Cruise, and then sharing my RESULTS on Tuesday morning!

I am READY to feel good, and as much as I WANT to workout, I don't want to have to go through this again, so SLOW & STEADY wins the race. Im doing what feels RIGHT, and if it feels uncomfortable, I stop. No need to jump in for only a few days of extra workouts!

 Can't WAIT to share my results!

Krys
xxx

Ladies, Let's Talk about Post-Pregnancy Boobs

Im talking about it.

I have scoured the internet looking for articles from other moms, blogs, anything, that talked about the effect of pregnancy and breastfeeding on our perky twins.

Or lack thereof.

I gained 60 lbs with my first daughter, and with that, came GINORMOUS knockers. Combine THAT with absolutely ZERO elasticity in my skin, and I was left with loose skin that resembled that of a set of testicles.

People close to me refer to my chest as "chesticles", in the most endearing way possible.

My clear lack of cleavage

After having Summer, I had a second daughter, Willow, and then started a fitness journey which has me in my BEST SHAPE POSSIBLE. Again, no good for my chest. I was left with stretched out SKIN with very little substance.

I am ALL about body confidence. Loving your body, embracing it, treating it with respect, nourishing it... But you can't squat and get perky boobs. Let's just BE REAL.

After having Summer, I gave up on bras, entirely. I gave up wearing feminine clothing and lived in my husband's clothes + sports bras. In fact, in the past 8 years, I have maybe worn a bra TWICE, and that was only because it was impossible to wear a sports bra with the outfit I NEEDED to wear for something formal.

I feel like I lost a bit of my feminine side. Don't get me wrong, I am all for having a small chest. In fact, I LOVED my small chest. I just didn't like how they sat, how they wrinkled in any sort of cup or bathing suit, folded over, etc., and left me having to ALTER what I wore, and restrained me from wearing what I really WANTED.

It was then my goal to have a breast augmentation, but I knew it would be a ways away.

WELL, the time CAME, and I officially went to have mine done YESTERDAY. {{ouch!}}

I am not going to get into the after effects so much until my NEXT blog post {{stay tuned!}}, but I did want to inform other moms or women in general about the process. I learned SO much, and questioned whether it was a good fit for me. I weighed my pros and cons. To be completely honest, I didn't want to let my small chest go, BUT I wanted the loose skin GONE. To have the loose skin gone, well, the skin had to be FILLED, leaving me being chestier than I might like.

It was a decision I thought about for SOME TIME, but then thought "You live once!" I mean WHY NOT? I have taken my life and MYSELF way too seriously for so long, we all die in the end, I may as well go after something I've wanted and wear the clothes I want, and embrace my womanity!

The night before shopping at Victoria's Secret! 

 I was SO excited the night before I went to Victoria's Secret ((BIG MISTAKE THOUGH)) to get a few no-wire bras for post surgery. Have you seen the post op bra they give you?! It's definitely not very pretty (not that you care initially) but I wanted to be prepared with a few girly + pretty bras. :P HOWEVER, they did not FIT. LOL But I have them for later at least?!

Waiting patiently in the waiting room

My biggest advice is REALIZE that this is a huge change to your body. I was scared! Nervous, you name it I was probably feeling it. Excited? Happy? Terrified?! My body was going to CHANGE, and even though I WANTED IT, it still was going to change. This body I had built up, taken care of, really grown FOND OF over the last few years, was going to be cut open and changed, just like that.

I will say, I don't regret it, at all. But you'll have to wait for my next post where I get into the emotions POST OP, the pain factor, what they look like, what to be prepared for, etc etc!

***By the way, we decided for me to go UNDER the muscle (as the skin was destroyed and going over the muscle would just cause more SAG-age), and I needed to go with a minimum 375CC GEL to fill the skin. I could have gone up to a 400, but again, I wanted to remain as SMALL as possible. 375 was even too high for what I was going for, but I took the doctors recommendation -- he didn't want me to walk out still struggling with the same issues post surgery, having an implant in, but saggy skin still underneath ((and that might even be worse)), so filling the skin entirely was my best option.***

I WILL be sharing pics in my updated blog posts too! {{Not total nudies, but you'll get the gist!}}

NOT what I expected, but still very happy!

To be continued!

xxx

Shakeology Chocolate Mousse Pie

Pie.

For lunch.

That's the BEAUTY of this lifestyle. It isn't about compromising TASTE for HEALTH, waiting anxiously for a CHEAT MEAL. It's about enjoying the moment, every moment, loving the way you feel, and finding flavourful meals, treats, and snacks that not ONLY fuel your body, but taste DELICIOUS. 

This is ACTUALLY a salad. Superfood PACKED, punch of protein, healthy FATS and topped with your choice of FRUIT! 

SUPER SIMPLE to make!

Ingredients:

2 Scoops Vegan Chocolate Shakeology

1/2 Cup NATURAL Peanut Butter

1 1/2 cups of Natural PLAIN Greek Yogurt (0 or 2%)

Whole Wheat Crust

1/2 Cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk

Recipe:

Combine all ingredients except the whole wheat crust and whisk (or use a hand mixer -- much easier!). Put mixture in the crust and let cool. Garnish with melted dark chocolate and/or fruit + nuts. You can even put some Whipped Cream on each piece, maybe not the healthiest, but at least it's NATURAL and adds a bit of something EXTRA! 

ENJOY! 

Hammer + Chisel Week 1 Meal Plan & Preparation

It's HERE, it's HERE, it's HERE!

The FIRST DAY of our OFFICIAL Hammer and Chisel TEST GROUP!

This is 60 days of VERY LITTLE indulgence, following the meal plan to a T, and CHISELING my body to be exactly where I want it to be. It's as simple as DO IT, or DON'T, and let me tell you, when the Cruise I am going on in March happens, I know EXACTLY which one I will have wanted to have chosen.

My GOAL here is not to lose weight but merely TONE and build muscle. I've been doing Cardio (which I absolutely LOVE) for SO long, but when I go without, my results go with it. I want to build muscle so that when I have OFF DAYS, I have muscle that will burn calories instead of having to exhaust myself with Cardio for the same result.

Today I have come up with my meal plan ----- FAR too often I have MADE a meal plan that was too vague, and not stuck to it. I personally am the type to need structure. I have been using the containers for so long that I started to guesstimate and with that, my results dwindled. Now that I'm going back, I realize how off track I really was, without even knowing it.

Getting ready with my meal plan ON the counter while I meal prep!

Below I have attached my own PERSONAL meal plan:

And because so many of you have ASKED, I wanted to provide the BLANK TEMPLATE for you to use. This one is a PRINTABLE, you cannot add it in on the computer, but print it out and fill it in! Click HERE for your copy + PRINT!

I will personally be using the Performance line to enhance results, enhance my stamina in the workouts with Energize and minimize soreness with both Recover + Recharge for before I go to sleep. I don't want to be too sore to give it my all and get the BEST results I've ever gotten.

I will be posting BEFORE pictures and tracking my journey HERE, as well as sharing videos, tips, etc., on my Facebook HERE.

If you're interested in the Hammer and Chisel program and starting in the New Years Challenge group, email me directly at krystynahamiltonfit@gmail.com so we can discuss your goals and see if this is the right fit for you!

Krystyna Hamilton
1 Star Diamond Beachbody Coach
xxx

3 Day Refresh Review + PLAN for Next Week

3 Day Refresh is DONE.

When I set out to do the 3 Day Refresh, I was recovering from a Summer of FUN, lack of ANY routine whatsoever, and minimal focus on my health + fitness.

I was in the VICIOUS cycle of sugar cravings + withdrawal... Leading to being MISERABLE, indulging, then VOWING to start the following Monday.

Sound familiar? 

I LOVE Summer. I love spending time with my girls. I in fact, dreaded school starting. 

BUT...

Any MOMMY time was entirely lost in the chaos of Summer. Days weren't planned (the beauty of Summer), so I had no idea where we'd go, for how long, so gave up on bringing food with me. The one thing I DID do was fuel my body daily with Shakeology for my own HEALTH, but other than that, my diet consisted of a lot of pizza, ice cream, salads here + there, and too many movie nights to count (all inclusive with every movie night treat you can think of).

I had SO much fun. It was fantastic, but I have MISSED my ME time. My workouts, feeling organized, having my house organized, my budget, my mind free + clear, my FOCUS on the future. My anxiety started to actually take over as I started to feel worse + worse.

SO, the 3 Day Refresh was something I knew would KICKSTART me back to a healthy routine. An entirely VEGAN cleanse that would, yes, be difficult, but would kickstart my health back into action. 3 Days to curb cravings, get over the sugar withdrawals, reduce the bloat, get my mind back go being focused on health (and not running amuck with sugar cravings), and not feel so JIGGLY + lethargic. 

I was READY to enjoy the fall, get ready for the holidays, and there was NO way I was going to hide myself away in my house during the holidays like so many before. I am going to enjoy this one, I am going to be IN pictures, not always be the one taking them. I am going to be fully present for EVERY memory and enjoy every moment, every bit of laughter and joy this season brings. 

I am HAPPY to say I am DOWN 3 lbs, I feel LIGHT again, active and am INSPIRED to continue. I KNOW I am back on track because I am no longer wandering searching for sugar, I have focus. I feel GREAT + healthy, alive, and actually WANT to now fuel my body now that it's cleaned out + functioning optimally. 

Day ONE was easy. It was sheer motivation + excitement driving me. I followed the plan with EASE, enjoyed the options, was happy with the fact I got to EAT (and several times a day) and loved my fall teas I got from David's Tea!

Day Two. Another story. I will be totally honest, day two was intense. I had headaches like no other, the lack of sugar + caffeine was tough, bc those have been daily staples in my life for the past three months. I knew that I could get over day two and be in the clear. Get it over with NOW, in one day, instead of taking WEEKs of weaning it out of my diet. So I did. I persevered. I went to bed EARLY to get rid of the headache and so that Day 3 would come SOONER! 

TIP: Day two is made MUCH easier with lots of lemon water + TEA! When I had cravings, I had myself a mug of Apple Spice tea + just enjoyed the smell it made in my home + the feeling I had as the warmth travelled through my body! (That may sound SO weird, but I love that feeling!)

Day Three I was beginning to have more energy. No headache. I included a LOT of water infused with lemon to help detox my body quicker. A huge bonus was my SKIN! My skin glowed + is clearing up SO FAST. Nearing the end of the day though, I definitely couldn't wait for morning to have some more FOOD!

Day Four I woke up ENERGETIC. An energy I can't describe. Not the kind from caffeine, but RESTED. My body felt like THIS is how it's supposed to feel to be alive. I moved with ease this morning. I wanted to get up and RUN. I felt myself HAPPY for no reason at all. My hormones had all started to level out, I was feeling FANTASTIC. Day four, it's ALL worth it.

My rating: 4.5/5 I'm not a huge fan of Vanilla Fresh shakes and wish they'd give the option of chocolate, that is MY only downfall in the program, but that is definitely a personal liking. 

When you do the 3 Day Refresh, it is SO structured, that when it's over, you feel like you're in LUXURY when you eat a piece of whole grain seedy BREAD, or quinoa lathered in veggies. Those seem like TREATS, so needless to say, to stick to a healthy menu is relatively EASY when you're done! AND after losing 3 lbs, I have done this in the past, my body is primed to melt the fat OFF my body. The BEST kickstart to ANY program is the 3 Day Refresh, because you will already lose weight, get your body READY to lose MORE, and break out of a plateau. You'll set yourself up for success by ultimately ridding you body of cravings so you can focus on your newfound life of HEALTH!

I will be continuing with lemon water on a daily basis to rid my body of toxins and continue having this SKIN! I am in love! I will also be continuing to have tea 1-3X a day to help with my coffee cravings should there be any, and to take some time to sit and read. Tea is my reminder to relax and just ENJOY the day. 

My meal plan is as follows. I will be continuing with PiYo to sculpt my body, and 21 Day Fix Extreme to add in the cardio (I LOVE Cardio!). Both workouts are NOT necessary, but I enjoy my workouts, and have an event next weekend that I'd like to get into prime shape for in as little time as possible! 

I will be following the 21 Day Fix Extreme meal plan, with a breakdown of my workouts as follows:

I am now down to 162.7 when I started at 166.2. My ultimate goal is 155, but I will also adjust as I see my body goes, and how much muscle I have built.

If you'd like some help + would like to be part of my next challenge group, email me directly at mskfitness@yahoo.ca so we can chat! 

5 Day Sugar Detox Meal Plan

I am hosting a 5 Day FREE Sugar Detox group!

With Summer, brings all the goodness like cold ice cream on a hot Summer day, beers on a patio with friends, BBQs with friends + family, parties, holidays... The list goes on!

It's been SO MUCH FUN, but at the end of Summer, some are left with some evidence of a great Summer left on our bodies! LOL Maybe this is why sweaters in the fall are so popular... :P

This group will focus on eliminating PROCESSED + REFINED sugar and carbs. White carbs do a lot of the same that sugar does in our bodies, leaving you with CRAVINGS, you eventually CAVE to that craving, and around and around we go.

This 5 days will NOT be easy, BUT with a group to support + motivate you, a group that is ALL going through the same withdrawals, the same struggles, will make it SO much EASIER (and dare I say, maybe even make it FUN?!).

The 3-5 days of WITHDRAWALS are WORTH the end goal. Feeling HEALTHY, vibrant, active, proud, less stress, happy + NOURISHED!

FOOD determines your mood. It determines how you handle stress. It determines your activity level. Your confidence. Your self image. How you parent. How you react to situations with your family/friends/children/coworkers, etc. Food determines your future, your HEALTH, your statistical probability of disease... So why do we GIVE IN to instant gratification, for that moment of enjoyment to only last MOMENTARILY?!

It is WORTH it to plan. It is WORTH it to go through the withdrawals. EVERYONE in your life will feel the difference, YOU will feel the difference. I have seen people enter these groups, continue on and see massive growth in their WORK, promotions, happier kids... It's all about the COMPOUND effect of your choices. When you're happy, you're fulfilled, you're confident, EVERYTHING else in your life seems to get BETTER. Why? Because YOU are better. YOU are more driven. You are HAPPIER with WHO YOU ARE!

So let's DO THIS! Email me at mskfitness@yahoo.ca to get into this group that starts TOMORROW!

Here is MY personal meal plan, I am following the 21 Day Fix Extreme meal guide, with competition diet worked in there twice! I am moving that up to three times next week! I have a VACATION planned for September, and it's at a waterpark. Where I will be wearing a bathing suit. Motivation ENOUGH!

Make THIS week, YOUR week. EVERYDAY you are given choices. Make choices TODAY that will benefit your tomorrows. Your future. Health is about SO MUCH MORE than a number on a scale, than looking great, it's about feeling good, loving YOURSELF enough to take care of YOU, and being the BEST person you can be, the person you were CREATED to be! <3

Make this week COUNT!

Your Coach,

Krys
xxx