Fitness

Beachbody On Demand Turbo Fire Week 2

Welcome to Turbo Fire Week 2: Nor’easter Edition. I am challenging myself this March with doing an entire workout cycle on Beachbody on Demand. After a successful first week with Turbo Fire, I was “fired up” (pardon the pun), to keep going this week. I had perfected my timing in the morning to get my workout in, walk the dog, and get out the door and to school on time. However, this week threw my a curve ball, a curve snowball to be exact. My school and Jason’s work were closed for an unprecedented three days due to an unseasonable late nor’easter. In the past, this would have meant hot chocolate and carb-based breakfasts and desserts. But, motivated by my results thus far, I avoided several pitfalls. Even better, Jason joined me two days in my Turbo Fire workouts! But, I wasn’t perfect. So, how did it go? Read on…

Beachbody on Demand BOD Turbo Fire Turbofire
Fire Starter Week 2 Workout

 

Successes: Turbo Fire

In the morning, Jason usually comes through the family room while I’m still working out. He was curious to try the kickboxing style workout so we planned to workout together during Charlotte’s naps while home together. While I had originally planned to step up to more advanced Turbo Fire workouts, we did the Fire Starter workout on Wednesday so Jason could learn the basic moves.

Thursday I attempted to get Jason to do the Turbo Fire 55. However, ten minutes in, Jason was confused and not really able to participate fully. So, we went back to the Fire Starter work out a second time to allow Jason to better learn the moves. Lesson learned: do those foundational workouts several times so you can really participate in the more advanced workouts.

Repeating the Fire Starter two more times, though, allowed me to really kick up my workouts! I went from a moderate calorie burn to torching 700 calories in a single workout. Previously, my Fire Starter workouts had burned closer to 400 – 500 calories.

Why such an increase? First, being home with Jason allowed us to finally tape down our large area rug in the family room where I work out. Before, I had to curb some of my enthusiasm, especially on forceful lateral moves which would send the carpet flying. Now, the carpet is securely taped to the floor so I could hop, leap, and shuffle to the max. Second, I knew the moves and routine better so I could commit to them 100%. My love for Chalene aside, this was one of my motivating factors to commit to a single program and master it.

Turbo Fire calorie burn FitBit
I calculated 700 calories for Fire Starter based on this feedback from my FitBit. We started with 10 minutes of a more advanced workout and had to switch over to Fire Starter for Jason who was lost. Then, I did 10 minutes of PiYo since we had extra time and I wanted to check it out.

Challenges: Food

Weight Watchers Freestyle recipe
SkinnyTastes 4-Ingredient Flourless Pancakes.

Being home with the family for an impromptu 5-day break can present some unanticipated challenges, especially where diet is concerned. We hadn’t planned meals with the expectation we’d be home, especially for so long. I’ve found to really be successful, I need to plan my meals and we hadn’t planned for those extra breakfasts and lunches together.

Low on eggs, I made these amazing banana pancakes from Skinnytaste. Not only do I love her recipes because they taste like regular food just made in moderation, but they each give the Weight Watcher’s points. These banana pancakes were 4 Freestyle points for 4 medium pancakes. Despite not having flour and using only a minimal amount of oatmeal, they cooked up beautifully on my griddle. I added pecans to some, chocolate chips to others, and rainbow sprinkles to my daughter’s which were a big hit!

Challenges

Workout challenge
The half Sanchez from Hoagie Haven

I’d love to say I totally avoided temptation. However, on Saturday I took some great students on a field trip to Princeton University. Not only did I not get my morning workout in because I had to be to school so early, but then I was introduced to my first fat sandwich from Hoagie Haven. The students wanted to go, and I acquiesced. Packed with two breaded chicken cutlets, french fries, mozzarella sticks, provolone cheese, and a mayonnaise-based spicy “Sanchez sauce” I calculated the sandwich to be around 50 Freestyle points. Jason asked me later if it was worth it: yes. First, it was delicious. If I ate a sandwich like this every day, I’m sure it would lose its appeal. However, it was a novelty that I whole-heartily enjoyed. Second, the students on the trip were having such a great time eating theirs and comparing their fat sandwiches, I would have missed out on the camaraderie if I would have gotten a salad somewhere else.

My last challenge was work. After missing three days of class, I ended up spending my Friday redoing all of my lesson plans. Especially so late in the year for in an AP class, I had to jettison or condense three lessons. With Spring Break only three weeks away, I was also trying to maintain a coherent and cohesive unit of study that wouldn’t get cut in half by the upcoming break. In addition, I was helping to facilitate our school’s upcoming Parkland Walkout. I had a million emails to send and students to communicate with since they had missed three days of planning in school. I was pleased to find that the students had been working all through the break. Where I had shown commitment to my workout routine, they had demonstrated commitment to an important cause. So, that Friday, I ended up missing a workout, despite having the whole day at home.

Turbo Fire Results

How did I do? Despite the challenges, I still lost .6 pounds this week! I was hoping for a pound a week, but last week I lost 2.3 pounds so I’m still averaging a pound.  Week three will combine the Day Light Savings Time Change, St. Patrick’s Day, and our school’s walk out, so I’m hopeful that if I can survive an unplanned nor’easter I can navigate three planned challenges.