Week 4 of Piyo is in the bag and I am officially done with an entire month of Piyo. I think back to day 1 and I can remember thinking to myself, “Am I really going to get results with a low impact workout that is only 25-35 minutes a day?”  Then the first week of workouts I even questioned whether it was enough.  I only questioned it until I felt my muscles the day after the workouts and I was super sore!  Here I was doing a low impact workout, using muscles I don’t typically use and getting fatigued by it.  I also trust Chalene Johnson and all of her workout programs and nutrition expertise.  I know that she would not put a dud of a workout on the market so I was going all in!  60 days of Piyo no matter what.  I am not going to quit because it’s not hard enough or change my workouts.  That is the problem with people these days.  If you don’t see results in the first 2 days or you aren’t feeling “IT” or you aren’t dripping in sweat you quit.  You are quick to say that this isn’t tough enough, you don’t burn enough calories or that you aren’t going to get results so you throw in the towel.  You hop to another workout that promises a higher calorie burn and faster results.  You are quick to throw the program on the back of the shelf and forget the reasons why you started this program in the first place.

I truly feel that this is the reason that so many people fail. They are not willing to see it through.  We expect instant results, instant gratification and instant transformation.  It’s not going to happen. I mean it literally took me 1 round of Insanity (60days) to lose 11 lbs then it took me 90 day of P90X to lose 19 lbs and then it took a about 3 more months of strength training with Chalean Extreme and P90X2 to get in the best shape of my life.  Honestly it wasn’t an overnight deal.  I learned how to change my diet, to strip it down, to cut out foods that were causing me to hang onto weight and it took will power.  I remember all the things I held strong with, birthday cake, ice cream, donuts, cookies at christmas, drinks at the bar!  It was a sacrifice because I wanted to change more than I wanted to remain the same. It’s the same with you!  How bad do you want it.  If you bought Piyo then stick with it!  You invested the money now give it 100% each and every day with the workouts and the nutrition plan and have a friendly contest with yourself to see if you can have a better transformation than the girl in the infomercial.  Anything that you put your whole heart into you are going to succeed at!  That’s the bottom line!!!!

Create a Motivation Board to Keep you Focused
Create A Motivation Board to Keep You Focused

So now I can tell you that after 4 weeks I can see a difference.  My flexibility has improved. Where it was once hard to touch my toes I can now bend right over.  I can do all the tricep push ups on my toes vs on my knees and I can hold in plank longer than when I started.  It’s progress….its one day at a time one step at a time!!!!

Melanie's Fitness Inspiration Board
My goal body inspiration board

This week is about to step it up a notch!
Check out the workouts this week!!!!  OH baby I am gonna be sweating.  Each of these is killer awesome sauce core and strength workouts!  This is definitely going to take things to the next level in my opinion.

Week 5 Piyo Workout calendar

Then what is on the menu!!! Well this is totally where the tricky part is coming into play.  The first half of the week is going to be awesome.  But the last half of the week is going to be very tricky.  We leave for Italy on Thursday morning and will be gone for 8 days!  My husband and I are going on the Elite 10 Team Beachbody Trip.  This trip is for the top 10 coaches in Team Beachbody and their spouses.  All expenses paid trip to Rome, Sienna and Sicily.  I am about to experience a trip of a lifetime.  The good part is that we are going to be biking a few days while in Sienna and Sicily but the bad part is that there is going to be awesome food that is going to have to be tried!  I am going to be totally honest. I am going to do my best but I am going to enjoy the trip and the authentic food as well.  So, I’m going to literally block it out as grey for the rest of the week.


Here is my game plan:
Shakeology every day for breakfast or am snack.
Quest bars if I am starving and need a super quick fix.
At each restaurant drink tons of water, eat my veggies and fresh fruit! Enjoy the wine, the bread in moderation but literally just following proper portion sizes.  There is no need to be over stuffed!  I look at this way.  It’s 8 days, it’s not the end of the world and I am not going to come back and be completely off the wagon.  There is such a thing as balance!  It’s called not beating yourself up over a vacation and knowing that you made good choices along the way.  I am still getting in my exercise and fully intent on doing Piyo on the days we don’t ride!  I feel confident coming back, doing the 3 day refresh and jumping into my workouts where I left off.

So if you are holding out on starting a new workout because you are going on vacation, ask yourself WHY!  You can workout and eat healthy while you are away.  Set the limits of what you will indulge and not indulge in and you truly won’t feel like you are deprived at all.

Plus if you aren’t traveling internationally you can pack way more food and snacks for the trip!

Piyo Week 5 Meal plan

Kale Salad from Costco
Best Easy Salad Mix

Piyo Recipes This Week:

Salmon 4oz with grilled Asparagus and baked sweet potato
Here is the best salmon marinade I have ever had!!!!
For the Sweet Potato measure out 1/2 cup or 4 oz for a serving.
Asparagus is 10 large spears for your 1 serving!

Easy peasy dinner to make that my entire family loves and enjoys!

Mid Morning Snack:  1/4 steel cut oats (COOKED) with 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 cup cooked spinach is equivalent to 1 grain, 1 protein and 1 veggie.

As always don’t forget your Shakeology for 1 meal a day! BREAKFAST is my go to time for my shakeology!  Ahhh in heaven!!!!

Grocery Store Essentials:  

  1. Lean protein like fish, chicken, ground turkey, eggs, protein powder.
  2. Quinoa, Sweet Potatoes, brown rice and oatmeal.
  3. Fruits include berries, strawberries, apples and melons.
  4. Veggies:  Stick to lower sugar veggies.  Eat, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach, kale,  celery, & ect….