Core De Force...Results from the First 11 Days

This morning I woke up to Day 12 of my journey with Core De Force. It was time to see if what I was doing was working. I felt different and I knew that I was getting results but I still wanted to see what the measurements said.

I mean, non scale victories this week including being able to wear a pair of jeans that I haven't worn in a long time. They are skinny jeans and I always felt horrible in them. I have worn them this week and was amazed that they are actually a little loose in the abs YAY!

I stepped on the scale I saw 188.6. I started this weighing 190.8. So then it was time to take some measurements.

Chest was 41 inches now 39.75

Left arm was 12 inches now 11.5

Right arm was 12.5 inches now 11.75

Waist was 38.75 inches now 37.5

Hips was 42.5 inches now 41.75

Left Thigh was 23 inches now 21.75

Right Thigh was 23 inches now 21.75

Body fat was 36% now 34%

So a total of 2.2 lbs lost and 7 inches! Needless to say I am very happy with my results so far. I honestly don't know how I would do if it wasn't for the support of some of my amazing challengers. It is so nice to have other ladies going through this with me. The support and motivation is awesome. It keeps me pushing play!

Thanks for the accountability ladies!

Remember to believe in yourself, stay strong and take time to fly!

Sending strength, hope and love!

Darlene

Can You Truly Get Results from 21 Day Fix Extreme? Check Out My Week 1 Results

After doing one week of the 21 Day Fix Extreme, I wanted to share my results so far. This round has been so different from my last. In my last round in three weeks, I lost 2% of my body fat, I lost 4.52 lbs of fat, I lost 8.75 inches and I gained 1.52 lbs of muscle.

Now....after ONLY one week I have already lost more of my body fat and gained more muscle. This is amazing to me. This just goes to show what following the program to the T and getting even an hour more sleep a night does. The results that I have seen in one week just go to show me that I am finally on the right track.  Fourteen more days to go!

Thank you so much for the support and your interest in this blog!  If you haven't already please make sure to check out Darlene Caron - Team Oasis where you can find more recipes, fitness tips, motivation and information on upcoming Health and Fitness Challenge groups that I offer.

21 Day Fix Extreme Results

Last night I got 14 hours of sleep!  Can you imagine? lol  I decided it was time to share my results from this round of the 21 Day Fix Extreme.  I am going to be doing another round for anyone who is interested in joining me.   Before I share my results, I wanted to share some things that happened to me during this round.

Not only did I have a lot of stress from my youngest son graduating from high school and knowing that he will be leaving for the military in less than a month.  I also had some major changes in my sleep schedule because of work.  I have been getting about 3 hours of sleep at night before work, going to do my 8 hour shift and then sleeping for an hour or so when I get home before I do my workout.

I keep telling everyone in my groups how important nutrition is, how important drinking enough water is, and how important working out is.  The one thing that I easily overlook is how much sleep you should get.

I found from various studies that a lack of sleep can slow your metabolism.  This is something I really don't need because I have hypothyroidism.  A lack of sleep also increase your feelings of hunger.  Ugh!

So between my thyroid issues and lack of sleep this last 21 days has not been exactly what I had hoped for.  But it is ok because I now know that I need to get more sleep.  I have made a commitment to myself and to a fellow coach and friend to increase my sleep little by little each night.  :)  I am working on that.

I have also made a commitment to keep a bullet journal every day.  I admit that yesterday with work and hiking with Zach, I neglected my journal but I am starting fresh today and I will do it!  The next round is going to be different.

BUT even with the setbacks I still lost:

I lost 2% of my body fat!

I lost 4.52 lbs of fat!

I lost 8.75 inches! 

I gained 1.52 lbs of muscle!

This is just the beginning.  My next round starts on June 27th! If your looking for some accountability then let's talk!  

Thank you so much for the support and your interest in this blog!  If you haven't already, please make sure to check out Darlene Caron - Health and Fitness Coach where you can find more recipes, fitness tips, motivation and information on upcoming health and fitness challenge groups that I offer.

 You can also reach out to me by email: darlenecaronfitness@gmail.com

F.L.Y. into your new life with Darlene Caron Fitness!

Hammer and Chisel Progress Report

In the last 6 weeks I have made some huge changes in me. It started with opening my copy of Hammer and Chisel and then making a commitment with my daughter Kaitlyn to bust our butts and complete this workout before I go on my cruise in March.

So, I decided the best thing for me to do was to change everything up. That meant getting up 3 hours before I had to go to work each morning so that I could get my workout in. I have NEVER been the early morning workout gal. Let's be honest, I said that there was NO WAY in hell I would ever get up early just to work out! There have definitely been plenty of nights when I have been working out at 11 PM.

BUT...and I seriously can't believe I am saying this...I have found that working out in the morning is so much better for me! I have more energy for my workouts AND it starts my day in such a great way. I go to work energized and ready to take on the world. Who knew!!!! ;)

Change number two for me was making sure that my eating was on point. I am not saying I was ever 100% perfect. Because I wasn't. I had special days with my family at wrestling meets or birthdays, Super Bowl etc where I ate what I wanted. Yeah I know...(slap on the wrist!, BAD DARLENE!) But for the most part I followed my containers and the eating plan that came with my workout. It was pretty easy to follow!

Change number three....I did EVERY workout! No excuses. I planned my workouts each week and made sure that I pushed play. My natural butt lift is the proof! lol !

I have many times said that the scale is NOT my friend, to take photos, to take measurements and to figure out your body fat %. Well there is definitely a reason why and here it is....

THE SCALE SHOWED THAT I ONLY LOST....dut da da da....4.6 lbs! I could easily think, what not even 5 lbs in 6 weeks?!?! BUT...I took my measurements and they show a whole different story!

I lost 9% of my body fat! I lost 17.91 lbs of fat!!!! Hell yeah! ;)

I gained 13.31 lbs of muscle!!! Don't believe me, well remember that natural butt lift I mentioned? ;)

I lost 4.5 inches around my waist! My total inches lost is 27.25 inches!

Now do you see why I say don't just go by the scale?

I just started my new group yesterday and I am excited to see what the next 21 days bring! Then it will be cruise time! Are you ready to join me in March for an exciting NEW group? 6 weeks with a prize at the end! Are you ready?

Message me for some deets! <3

21 Day Fix REVIEW

On June 1, 2014 I started the 21 Day Fix. Autumn Calabrese is completely amazing and I fell in love with this program.  I love the variations each day. It was nice not to do the same work out over and over.

Each Sunday, my daughter would help me with the meal prep for the week.  I would fill each of the containers, put that food into baggies marked with what color coded container they went with, then put it all in a plastic shoebox in my refrigerator.

Every night, I came home from work and no matter how tired I was I would push play and work out.  The key to any program is making sure to push play.  At the beginning you may not feel like it, you may think I am too tired, too sore, too whatever.  But at the end there is the "post workout high" and I always felt great.

When I started my first round I made sure to be in a challenge group.  I joined my coach Amanda's group, June 21 Day Fixers.  The women were incredible.  They were so inspiring and every time that I even thought for a moment that I did not want to continue, I would read one of their posts and then push play.

My biggest problem in the past has always been finishing what I start.  I did finish this program and I sent my results to Beach Body.  They sent me a great tshirt which I wear with pride because I know that I didn't buy this, I EARNED it!

This is my truly amazing coach Amanda Smith, and of course me wearing my new 21 Day Fix tshirt. 

Love it!!!!

In 21 days I lost 6.8 lbs and 12.9 inches.  I was truly amazed.  This program was super easy, a lot of fun and I really do love the containers.

I did learn an lesson and that was the importance of taking photos.  Your goodbye photos (before photos) and then your hello photos (after photos).  One of the ladies in the group I am in came up with goodbye photos.  I truly love that. So from now on I am going to use that terminology.

Anyhow, make sure that you take your photos, and measurements so that you can see your progress when you finish any program that you do.

The 21 Day Fix is amazing and I did 2 rounds of it.  If you have any questions or would like help to start your journey, message me, I would love to help.

~ Darlene  

My CIZE journey!

I wanted to be up front and completely honest with everyone.  Please bare with me this post is not the easiest for me to do.

I took the first photos of me getting ready to do CIZE on August 10th, which means that Sept 6th should have been the end of my month long journey with CIZE.  I have decided that it isn’t going to be the end though.

When I first started CIZE, I was completely committed to it.  I was having so much FUN doing the workouts that on some days I would do it 2 and sometimes even 3 times!  It never felt like a workout to me.  It was more of a stress reliever. 

I won’t go into the details because I promised someone I would not post about it on facebook, but I have some stuff going on with my family right now, that I am having an extremely hard time dealing with.  There is a lot of emotional upheaval with it, which of course brings on the emotional eating.  I have been struggling with eating right and sometimes even with the workouts because I have been helping my mom and dad more this year at the fairs.

Week 1 of CIZE I was doing fantastic,  I lost 3 lbs and almost 4 inches!  I was getting extreme results from dancing.  I never thought that was possible! <3

The second week I was at Skowhegan Fair for half of the week, so I wasn’t able to workout and watch my eating as well as I should.  The beginning of the third week I was at the Union Fair and then the end of the week I was at the Piscataquis Fair.  Needless to say, once again, working out and eating was NOT where it should have been.  The end of my fourth week I was at the Springfield fair, here we go again right?  

After working off and on at the fairs for the last few weeks and not being consistent with my Cize workouts my numbers have gone in the opposite way.  This is not the programs fault!  I take full ownership of my lack of results!

Why am I telling you all of this….it’s not because I want to excuse my lack of working out or my not so great eating for the last 3 weeks.  It’s NOT because I want to excuse my not being as active in my groups as I should be.  It IS to explain why I have made the decision that I made today.  I don’t want to share results that are not TRUE to this program.  It will take away from CIZE and how incredible the program actually is!  If I am not completely honest with you, then what would be the point of sharing my journey with you. ;)

With that said, I have decided to start a NEW round of CIZE. I am going to be COMPLETELY committed to this program, so that in 4 weeks I can give you some TRUE results and show you exactly what this program can do for ME and for YOU!


My starting measurements are:
Weight 173.6 
Body Fat 37%
Chest 40”
Waist 36.5”
Hips 40”
Right Thigh 21.75”
Left Thigh 21.5”
Right Arm 12”
Left Arm 12”

I did Day 1 Crazy 8's and was sweating up a storm!  I absolutely love dancing and I can't wait to see what my results are in 4 weeks!

I am looking for some accountability partners, someone who wants to do this with me. Together we are stronger!  Is that you?  Are you ready to CIZE it up?  If so comment below or send me a message today.

Are you ready to talk about your options and start your journey?  Are you looking for a free coach?  Are you ready to join a challenge group to keep you motivated and on track?
Clink the link below and let's talk!

Start Your Journey Here!

~Make the REST of your life the BEST of your life! <3

Emotional Eating with Beach Body and Still Lost 24.5 inches!

Ten months ago I started this crazy journey.  I can say that there have been some rough times but for the most part I have truly enjoyed it.

I wanted to share this to show that the scale isn't always my friend.  I am an emotional eater and the last months have been hard on my body lol.

In October, my son was in a car accident, then in January there was a car

accident, the engine went in my car last month, and my husbands car is gone now too.  So, needless to say we had a lot of car issues and stress trying to figure out what we were going to do.  I ate ALOT of my stress and gained back some of my weight.

The point of this is to say that even though I have gained back some weight, I have still lost 24.5 inches in 10 months.  My clothes are smaller and fit much better in the waist.  I would think that anyone could see the difference from my very first photo and now today's.

The moral of the story.  Don't think that the scale is your friend, because usually it isn't.  If you are like me and step on it almost every day, then you can get upset about what your so called bestie has to say.

If you are starting your journey or are even in the middle of one, then I URGE you to take photos ( you DON'T have to post them on FB, you don't have to share them with anyone but yourself) and also take your measurements.  If your not sure how to take them, message me, I can walk you through it or even send a video.  I am more than willing to help.

You won't regret using measurements and photos to measure your progress, I can promise you that.

Need help or just want to chat, send me a message. :)

Follow me at:  DarLean Fitness

                                                          I believed I could so I did! <3

PiYo Results and April Challenge Pack

Do you like the benefits of Pilates and yoga classes but wish you could burn more calories and fat?

I've got great news for you!

With PiYo, you'll get lean and defined without jumping up and down and straining your joints! PiYo uses Pilates- and yoga-inspired moves at a cranked-up pace, so you get your stretch, strength, and burn on—all in each workout!

In my first round of PiYo, I lost 4.8 lbs and 9.05 inches!

And great news---getting a challenge pack also signs you up for Beach body on Demand. No more waiting for your dvds to be mailed, you can start working out right away!

Hit me up for more info!

I believed I could so I did!

Want more great information, recipes and motivation?  Follow me at DarLean Fitness

PiYo Results

I started PiYo on July 6th and finished on September 3rd. I lost 4.8 lbs and 9.05 inches! 

During that time, I worked almost every day, 5 days a week at Walpole, weekends at the fair,(during Bangor Fair 16 + hour days). My mom fell and broke her elbow and knee. So, I was under a lot of pressure. I am just letting you know this because even under all of that stress, and with my eating not being 100% I still lost.

PiYo is a fantastic program and Chalene Johnson is completely amazing! The low impact workouts were not as difficult to do with my bad knee. I did have to work on my flexibility. It definitely wasn't the greatest but by the end of this program, I was doing moves that I didn't think I would ever be able to do.

Did I fall? Absolutely. I fell when I first started and at the end there were times when I still lost my balance and fell over. But I got back up and kept going. That is the key to whatever we do, not giving up, not making excuses, and struggling on.

I finally figured out that I AM WORTH IT! I am worth the time it takes to workout, to prep my meals in advance for the week.

After one round of the 21 Day Fix and PiYo...

So, now what? Now, I have moved on to Chalean Extreme. This is another program by Chalene Johnson. One of these days I am going to meet her at Summit. This one is a longer program, but I have committed not to step on the scale for the first month.

I was so fearful when I first started this program because of the weight lifting, I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it.  But I am and I am loving it.  I can not wait to see what the results will be, I am so excited...

Stay tuned.

~ Darlene 

3 Day Refresh + Wrestling Tournament = Failure?

Last week before we took my son to Mass for his New England Wrestling Tournament, I did the 3 Day Refresh.  I had some great results, I lost 4 lbs and 3.8 inches in 3 days.  I felt great and had a lot of energy.

Then, I went to Mass. for an incredible wrestling tournament.  I had a great time with my family, didn't watch what I ate or workout.  We were so busy and eating on the run.

When I came home I started P90X3 on that Monday so I had to take my measurements.  Let me just say that I was severely disappointed.

I gained 5 lbs and 1.75 inches in only 3 days!

Now, you can look at that and say WHAT!!!! She's a coach, she should know better.

Part of you would be right, I do know better.  But please realize that I have many hats that I wear...
> Mom
> Wife
> Coach
and
>>>Customer just like YOU!<<<

Does this mean my journey is perfect and that I will never have a setback?  No,


It means that I struggle too.  I am human too.  I have a hard time working out on some days.  And when I am with my family, well, I have a hard time with temptation too.

See the pattern?  Does this remind you of anyone else?

The difference is that I decided that I wanted to help others.  I love helping others reach their goals,which means that when I fail, I don't get to hide it.  I share it for the world to see, so that everyone can learn from my mistakes, not just me.

Have I learned from this? Yes and I will continue on. I will keep sharing my journey in the hopes that I can help even one person.

This is what being a coach is all about.  It's not about being perfect and never having struggles.  Because believe me when I say, we ALL have struggles.

It is about learning how to overcome those struggles in a way that can help others too.

With that said...if you would like to have a coach who is definitely human, help you, please message me or comment below.  I would love to be real with you.

If you want the opportunity to help other women while you are helping yourself, than let me know.  I am having an open house next week and would love to talk to you more about what being a coach has done for me and my family, and all that I do.

DON'T BE AFRAID OF FAILURES...EMBRACE THEM, LEARN FROM THEM!

                                                                       Darlene <3

21 Day Fix Extreme **RESULTS**

I can honestly say that when I first started this program I was very worried.  I had let my fitness go a bit, and really wasn't working out.  Which of course showed up on my waistline.

But...AFTER 3 weeks of doing the EXTREME, mostly modified,  I was very happy with my results.  I used the Extreme meal plan, by the way :)

I was very happy to lose 5.2 lbs and 13.5 inches!  I couldn't believe the results, especially where I modified everything. I even had a few times where I didn't eat the best.

Are you ready for the Fix?  Whether it is the regular 21 Day Fix or Extreme, I promise if you put in the effort and follow the eating, you will see results in 21 Days!

Have a question or want to know more?  Want to join one of my accountability groups?  Contact me on Face Book, comment below or send me an email.  

I love to meet new people. :)

                                                                         Let's talk :)

3 Day Refresh Results

I started the 3 Day Refresh on December 4th and finished on December 6th.  I can honestly say that I wasn't hungry the entire time.  I did want a coffee last night, but now that I can have one I am still coffee free.  Yup, 4 days without the caffeine!

I did not do very much for working out during the past 3 days.  I did some squats and push ups here and there but nothing major.

So, I was completely surprised with my results.  I lost 5.2 lbs and 7.75 inches in 3 days!  I am definitely happy with that!

Do you want to know more about the 3 day refresh or another program.  Message me or comment below.  Let's talk :)

21 Day Fix Extreme Week 2 Results

I am finishing up my second week of the 21 Day Fix Extreme today.  So, of course that meant I wanted to check my measurements.  But before I share them with you, I needed to make a confession.

This was the start of week 1

Friday I did not do my work out as I was getting ready for a huge event for my son on Saturday.

Saturday I woke up at 4 am took my son to Sanford for his All States Wrestling Championship.  He had already won first place in Class C States but ALL  States is the best of the best.  The top three in each weight class go to Andover Mass. for New Englands. He came in second place so in two weeks we are heading to Mass!

Anyhow, my eating was ok for most of the day, I had done my meal prep and had my handy cooler from 31.  I ate my salads and fruit etc, but by the end of the day I had a bagel with cream cheese, two muffins and two extra large pumpkin coffees from Dunkin.

We did not get home until 9:30, so of course that meant no working out last night either. :(

This morning I was very nervous about taking my measurements.  I was afraid with not working out for two days and eating  not quite clean food yesterday that I had blown it.

Ready for my results?
Starting weight - 177.4,     today - 171
Waist - 39.25                     today 36
Hips - 41.75,                      today - 40
Chest 40.5,                        today - 38.5
Right Arm 12.5,                today - 12
Left Arm 12.25,                today - 11.5
Right Thigh 23.5,              today - 21.5
Left Thigh 21,                   today - 21

So drum roll....in two weeks of doing the 21 Day Fix Extreme I have lost
6.4 lbs and 12.75 inches!

I am so proud of myself.  

There have been days when I thought I could have eaten better or pushed myself harder in my work out, but even with that, I look at my results and I am blown away by my progress.

I still have a week left before I take my final measurements and photos to submit to Beach Body for the challenge.  I want to lose a total of 10 lbs and 18 inches.  That is my goal for the three weeks.  So now it is time to get moving and fight for this last week.

I want to challenge you to stay motivated and reach for your goals.  Are you ready to start your health and fitness journey?

The journey is long, the journey is hard but the journey is ALWAYS worth it!