Final Thoughts on the 7 Day Body Blast

My life feels less chaotic now that I’m not trying to squeeze in teaching and taking a barre3 class, a full-time job and planning meals to a tee in a 24-hour day. But it was a great kick in the rear while it lasted! It reminded me that planning ahead is important and going into the studio for a class always feels good after a tough day. I’m still feeling great and will continue to use a lot of the 7 Day Body Blast recipes. They were that good.

It was great connecting with the other instructors and clients on ways to overcome and deal with challenges. We shared our struggles and what we loved about our days, in addition to swapping recipes.

After seven days, my seven biggest realizations include:

1. My unhealthy Saturday looked a lot like my non-body blasting healthy days.
2. My husband and I both love kale. And butternut squash smoothies.
3. The barre3 community is unbelievably supportive.
4. My body can’t talk to me, so a migraine is its way of telling me to take it easy.
5. Turning leftover vegetables into vegetable soup is a breeze.
6. Planning and prepping meals on Sunday is the key to weekday success.
7. This quote: “If you’re not willing to eat a vegetable, it’s not hunger. It’s a craving.”

I loved this challenge because it reinforced that I am in control of my body. We all are. How I look is mostly because of what I eat. I always knew this but it wasn’t until I turned to a completely clean and healthy diet that I realized how true it was. Your body is ultimately made in the kitchen, not the gym. I give credit to 75 percent of Pinterest users for that quote, by the way.

I documented this journey to serve as a reminder that I’m strong and in control, and so I have something to return to when I want to do the challenge again. If you’re embarking on your own body blast journey, I’d love to hear about it!

And as promised, here is my meal plan and an easy-to-print grocery list:

• Seven Day Body-Blast (PDF)

7 Day Body Blast – Day 3

I felt a little lighter as I bounced out of bed this morning. I hopped on the scale to see if I was just imagining things (after all, it was only 5 a.m. so it was quite possible I was still half-asleep). Much to my surprise, I weighed a full two pounds less than I did on Monday morning. Why does this excite me? Because I can officially say that you can look at my driver’s license and not call me a liar!

While I was always so close, I haven’t actually hit my “license” weight since I literally got my license.  Losing weight isn’t a huge concern of mine, but it’s comforting to know that by feeding my body the right kinds of food, my weight regulates and falls to where it ideally should be. I’m more concerned with the overall muscle tone and strength of my body, so the two pound weight-loss wasn’t a huge deal for me. But I’d be fibbing if I said it wasn’t a little bit of extra motivation!

I started the day by teaching a 6 a.m. barre3 class. I love early morning classes. This is the time I would regularly go as a client and it sets my mood for the entire day. Strength, balance and a feeling of calm. I’ll be heading into the studio again later this evening to get my actual workout in with Whitney. Isn’t it just lovely?

Onto my meals for the day. I had two energy bites and the dreaded morning elixir before teaching. Before work I made myself a Butternut Squash and Cherries smoothie to go. I had a lot of leftover ingredients and it was delicious, so why not have it two days in a row? I pretended to be a master chef and made it without looking at the recipe. My first go around was way too watery. But the best thing about smoothies? If the taste is off, just throw it back in the blender, add a few more ingredients (cherries and another date), blend and voila! Good as new.

For lunch I went to Market 65 for a salad. This place is one of my favorites. All of their ingredients are local and you watch as they cut the fresh veggies for you. I watched them scoop out an avocado for me. This isn’t a chain but if you work in the downtown Columbus-area I highly recommend checking it out. Today my salad consisted of a romaine/spinach mix, avocado, garbanzo beans, black beans, corn and lemon juice/olive oil as the dressing.

I felt a little light-headed yesterday halfway through the afternoon so in case that happens again, I bought a Bolthouse Farms Berry Boost Smoothie to keep on-hand. For dinner I’m going to be boring again and eat the last of my White Bean and Kale soup. I promise to branch out a little bit more tomorrow. I’ve heard good things about the Sneaky Greens smoothie and the Gingered Carrot soup so maybe those will be added to the menu.

If you have any awesome recipes for smoothies, soups or salads, send them my way. Otherwise, have a happy first day of spring!

7 Day Body Blast – Day 1

Today marks day one of my barre3 7 Day Body Blast. This challenge couldn’t have come at a better time. After completing the 28 to Great challenge in February, my body and the way I think about food changed. While I considered myself a healthy eater before, I experimented a ton in the kitchen, using honey and dates as sweeteners, kale as lettuce in salads and spinach/dairy-free smoothies. While I didn’t (and didn’t intend to) drop a lot of weight, I’ve gotten compliments on looking leaner and more toned.

The 7 Day Body Blast is simple. You eat a smoothie for breakfast, soup for lunch and a salad for dinner while completing two 10 minute workouts and a 40-60 minute workout 6/7 days. Recipes are on the barre3 blog along with workout suggestions. I know my body and therefore intend to slightly modify this challenge and make it my own. For example, I get light-headed if I’m not eating every 3 hours. I have almonds and a Larabar as my hunger stabilizers. Otherwise, I’m sticking to it!

I kicked off today with half of a morning elixir before heading to a studio class at 6 a.m. As much as I tried to love this water/lemon/apple cider vinegar mixture, I have to say it was the most awful thing I’ve ever tasted. Some folks swear by it though, so I’m going to quite literally chug my way through the rest of the week. I also had my Larabar on the way to the studio. After a great class, I got home and ready for work, then made an Energy Smoothie to take on-the-go. I was hesitant at first, but after chilling it in the refrigerator for an hour it was amazing! The disgusting brown color is due to the fact I added in some very delicious frozen blueberries.

Yesterday, I made a batch of White Bean and Kale soup to take for lunch. I added some red pepper flakes for spice, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. Result? One of my top 5 favorite soups ever.
For dinner, I’m making Salmon & Fennel salad. I intend to do 20 minutes of barre3 online tonight and prepare my smoothie and lunch for tomorrow.

I must admit, after looking at the recipes, I was afraid and a little overwhelmed. Not only because of some “new” ingredients but because I thought making a grocery list and finding the time to make it all would be impossible! But as I found out during the 28 to Great challenge, a little planning goes a long way. Later this week I’ll share my grocery list and meal plan in an easy-to-print PDF document in case you feel like embarking on your own body blast.

I can’t wait to share some new recipes on day two. Wish me luck on tomorrow’s elixir…