It has been a little bit of time since I have posted.  I have been really working hard to get my eating right over the last several months.  I am Vegan now with an occasional fish dish here and there.  Eating this way has definitely allowed me to maintain my weight easily whether I was counting calories or not, exercising or not and has made it much easier when I eat out to make healthier choices.  Although I will say eating out definitely has new challenges for me as most restaurants do not have a vegan friendly menu, I have gotten really good at making a dish vegan and when its impossible – I go to the fish.

As for my workouts lately I have been doing Les Mills Combat.  I find it to be fun and – I always feel like I could possibly kick some serious ass after finishing one of their workouts.  lol  Now that I have moved through several Beachbody programs I feel like I have come full circle back to P90X.  When I was doing P90X I feel like I was pushing myself harder and in new ways throughout the program.  Since my start I have graduated from P90X, TurboFire, made it through most of the Les Mills Pump and Combat workouts and dabbled in Insanity and Tai Chang.  I found each of them to be instructive and fun in different ways.  Here is my take:

TurboFire – FUN!  High props to Chalene for building my confidence, self-image and making me believe I can do anything.  I definitely recommend Chalene if you are down about your body image and LOVE funky fun cardio.  She gets it done and really pumps you up.  I looked forward to my workouts with Chalene every day.  I did miss the weights though – but she did kick my butt with the bands.  Also easy to travel with if you have to travel for your work.

Les Mills Pump – I had never done a lot of bar bell work.  I loved the bar – it was easier for me to control and I definitely noticed I was getting stronger.  Some of the instructors are a bit cheesy and need to get a little more natural in their delivery but the workouts were challenging and I learned a lot about form.  I also like the fact that their schedule wasn’t as intense as P90X.  Weights 3 days a week plus some cardio, yoga and stretching mixed in.  It was manageable with a busy schedule.

Les Mills Combat – Cardio with Combat.  I love my strapping on my gloves – getting into some boxing, Tae Kwon Do, Thai fighting – so many styles.  I learned a lot and loved the Kata’s.  Again – a little cheesy here and there but a mix of weights and cardio (a bit heavier on the cardio side) but challenging.  But its all combat all the time.

Insanity – I love Shaun T.  I do – but there is no modified example for Insanity and my joints can’t take his high impact lashing he gives you in each Insanity workout.  I would get through a workout and then feel like I was disabled for like 2 days.  Its tough.  Now remember I have Lupus.  My friend Val who is a little older than me totally rocked Insanity not missing 1 day.  She is a rock star if you ask me but doesn’t have the joint issues I do.  If you want an insane push yourself beyond your limits every workout intense cardio experience that will definitely lean you out and you are up for that kind of challenge – go for it!  In 60 days you will have great results.  If you are like me and need to modify occasionally – pick another program.

Now back to the program that started it all for me – P90X for me was very well-rounded.  It had cardio, it had weights, it pushed you.  I personally find Tony Horton to be funny (not everyone would agree with me here) but he motivates me.  I wasn’t bored and noticed results.  I also was able to build up to the routines and because you track what you do for each workout I could see I was improving in weights and reps.  The toughest thing about P90X is the time – if you are a busy working professional with a family finding an hour a day, 6 days a week can be challenging.  Oh did I mention Yoga X is 90 min – so one day its an hour and a half.  Is it worth it?  Yes – but you have to find the time.

What’s next for me? – I am going to finish out Les Mills Combat and move on to P90X2.  I will be starting a challenge group for those who want to join in – have an amazing summer getting fit and athletic and need support along the way.  If that’s you – post a message and connect with me on Facebook www.facebook.com/anastasiarjahadi

What is your favorite Beachbody program and why?  I’d love to hear from you!