Another post about that BeachBody call tonight (the other one deserved to stand on it's own):
Les Brown is a motivational speaker. He speaks at events all over the country. He took a night out to talk to some BeachBody folks. MAN was it worth it. Unfortunately I inadvertently fell asleep on the couch and woke up from my nap after it had started. I decided to call in anyway and made an incredible decision in doing so. I learned very much in the ... 20 minutes I was on the call.
One thing that I learned is that we write our own script. We are not born shy, talkative, outgoing, bashful, oober friendly, recluse, successful, a laborer, an entrepreneur, a secretary, etc. We write our own script on this one. We become this. You have to choose, though, to give up the life you've been living and reinvent yourself to become the you that you want to be. When you reinvent yourself, you must be willing to do what others aren't willing to in order to get what others won't get.
When you reinvent yourself, pick your words carefully. Reinvent yourself to reach your goals, to go for the moon and the planets beyond. Reinvent yourself with the expectation that you'll be doing what it is that other's won't be willing to do. Reinvent yourself with the patience though. In this world, Les points out, that we have people who stand in front of a microwave that's zapping their food to be ready in seconds, waiting, tapping their feet. Do what you need to do, what they won't do, to get what you want, what they won't.
When you reinvent yourself, search your heart. Find your goals. Are you married? What are their aspirations? Include them in yours! Be selfish WITH your spouse, not against them!!
When you reinvent yourself, pick your words carefully when you're rewriting that script.
Oh yea....and hold your head high and don't give a rat's behind about what the hell other people think about you. Thank them for their opinion, move on with your life and keep going--unstoppable. One on a mission. Be on a mission. Get on your mission. Your mission: take control of your life. Ask me how you can do just that! :)
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
A real quick thought
On a BeachBody call tonight, I had the privilege of hearing Les Brown (google him--motivational speaker). He made one GREAT point that I needed to hear (amongst others....I'll address those in the next blog, though).
He said:
He said:
"What other people think of you is none of your business"
Well thank you for that Mr. Brown. I appreciate that. I needed that. I will use that. I'm forever grateful.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Keep Going Strong
Did you just become introduced to a new lifestyle of fitness? Are people scoffing at your new lunch bag that seems just a little to big to the un-informed observer? Are you 'doing nothing but eating' and your co-workers, friends, or family don't leave you alone about it?
Remind them this:
I want to encourage you to stay strong and don't be ashamed to take care of yourself. I remember when I was in highschool, I snuck around behind my parent's back (it's nice to be grown now....I can continue with this story without worrying if my parents might read this *gasp* hehehe) and order 'the bikini body workout' or '4 weeks to less fat' or whatever stupid thing I might have read in the teen magazine. None of it was anything that my parents would have disapproved of, but for some reason, to be caught by them working out *eek*. Strange I know....But don't be ashamed of it. Don't hide it. It's your you time--your time to be healthy, to take care of YOU, to put you first for a change, to be good to YOU, YOUR future, YOUR family (or future family...) and be selfish in a good way!!
Bucket of Crabs
Have you ever seen a bucket full of crabs? They pinch and pull as they struggle to climb over one another to reach the top of the bucket - to freedom.
Ask any fisherman and they'll tell you that a bucket full of crabs doesn't need a lid - they simply won't escape.
Why? Well, it's not impossible for a crab to climb to the top, and really if they worked together it would be quite easy. But crabs don't work together.
Instinctively crabs pull each other down-literally.
When one crab breaks away from the pack, reaching its pinchers toward the top of the bucket, the others promptly grab onto the escapee's leg, pulling him back down. That crab is then pushed to the bottom of the pile and his dream of freedom is crushed.
Have you ever decided on a personal goal only to have someone in your life talk you out of it?
Do you have crabs in your life? A crab is...
* The person who discourages you from going to the gym
* The person who scoffs when you mention your weight loss goals
* The person who snickers when you choose salad over pizza
* The crab mentality says "If I can't have it, then neither can you." When you decide to do something different, to reach for a goal and to improve yourself, the crabs in your life will do their best to hold you back.
Keep Crabs at Bay: When crabs come snapping, remember the following:
Ignore them:
When someone in your life begins to pull you down with discouraging words, remember that you don't have to listen. Don't let them get into your head. Mentally tune them out or politely remove yourself from the situation. Who are they to tell you what you can or can't achieve?
Understand them:
Ouch! Insults and put-downs hurt, especially when they come from people that we care about. So what is the deal? Why do your friends, co-workers and even your spouse turn into crabs when you decide to improve your life? Do they really hope that you don't succeed? The truth is that crabs are thinking about themselves-not about you. They see you attempting to better yourself and to change your life. Whether they realize it or not, this scares them. If you better yourself will you still like them? Or will you leave them behind?
You hold the power. Even the most persuasive crab doesn't hold a candle to your iron will. When you are ready to change, and you've made up your mind without an inkling of doubt, then 90% of the work is done. Your mind is the most powerful tool at your disposal.
Don't let a wimpy crab rob it from you.
Remind them this:
- You're doing something good for yourself and it's very separate from anything that involves them (in a polite way of course, especially if you care to maintain a positive relationship)
- You've developed a new relationship with food and that it's nothing more than fuel.
- You enjoy your new outlet during your workouts. It's a great stress-reliever and energy booster!!
- That you'd love to answer any questions should they happen to fall in the same footsteps your making!!
I want to encourage you to stay strong and don't be ashamed to take care of yourself. I remember when I was in highschool, I snuck around behind my parent's back (it's nice to be grown now....I can continue with this story without worrying if my parents might read this *gasp* hehehe) and order 'the bikini body workout' or '4 weeks to less fat' or whatever stupid thing I might have read in the teen magazine. None of it was anything that my parents would have disapproved of, but for some reason, to be caught by them working out *eek*. Strange I know....But don't be ashamed of it. Don't hide it. It's your you time--your time to be healthy, to take care of YOU, to put you first for a change, to be good to YOU, YOUR future, YOUR family (or future family...) and be selfish in a good way!!
Bucket of Crabs
Have you ever seen a bucket full of crabs? They pinch and pull as they struggle to climb over one another to reach the top of the bucket - to freedom.
Ask any fisherman and they'll tell you that a bucket full of crabs doesn't need a lid - they simply won't escape.
Why? Well, it's not impossible for a crab to climb to the top, and really if they worked together it would be quite easy. But crabs don't work together.
Instinctively crabs pull each other down-literally.
When one crab breaks away from the pack, reaching its pinchers toward the top of the bucket, the others promptly grab onto the escapee's leg, pulling him back down. That crab is then pushed to the bottom of the pile and his dream of freedom is crushed.
Have you ever decided on a personal goal only to have someone in your life talk you out of it?
Do you have crabs in your life? A crab is...
* The person who discourages you from going to the gym
* The person who scoffs when you mention your weight loss goals
* The person who snickers when you choose salad over pizza
* The crab mentality says "If I can't have it, then neither can you." When you decide to do something different, to reach for a goal and to improve yourself, the crabs in your life will do their best to hold you back.
Keep Crabs at Bay: When crabs come snapping, remember the following:
Ignore them:
When someone in your life begins to pull you down with discouraging words, remember that you don't have to listen. Don't let them get into your head. Mentally tune them out or politely remove yourself from the situation. Who are they to tell you what you can or can't achieve?
Understand them:
Ouch! Insults and put-downs hurt, especially when they come from people that we care about. So what is the deal? Why do your friends, co-workers and even your spouse turn into crabs when you decide to improve your life? Do they really hope that you don't succeed? The truth is that crabs are thinking about themselves-not about you. They see you attempting to better yourself and to change your life. Whether they realize it or not, this scares them. If you better yourself will you still like them? Or will you leave them behind?
You hold the power. Even the most persuasive crab doesn't hold a candle to your iron will. When you are ready to change, and you've made up your mind without an inkling of doubt, then 90% of the work is done. Your mind is the most powerful tool at your disposal.
Don't let a wimpy crab rob it from you.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Hmmmm vitamins
I'm sharing this from the wonderful wisdom I always read on the running thread :)
My thanks go to Phil (yet again! :))
Are You Wasting Money on Multivitamins?
By Simeon Margolis, M.D., Ph.D.
Advertisements with tantalizing promises of improved health, prevention of cancer and heart disease, and greater energy have lured millions of Americans to spend billions of dollars on the purchase of multivitamins.An article in the February 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine reported that multivitamin use did not protect the 161,808 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Study from common forms of cancer, heart attacks, or strokes. And the numbers of deaths during the 8 years of the study were the same in vitamin users as in non-users. Still, it is important to recognize that this was an observational study, not a more meaningful clinical trial. Although these findings apply only to women, other studies have failed to show benefits of multivitamins in older men.These results are not at all surprising for several reasons. No large study has shown that multivitamins significantly benefit healthy men and women. In addition, for some years physicians prescribed folic acid and vitamins B12 and B6 in the hopes of preventing heart attacks and strokes by lowering blood levels of homocysteine. (High blood levels of homocysteine are associated with an increased risk of coronary and other vascular diseases.) A number of recent studies, however, have shown that, while these vitamins do lower homocysteine levels, they do not prevent heart attacks or strokes.Many doctors have also prescribed the antioxidants vitamin E and beta-carotene to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Alas, studies have now proven that these supplements are not protective--and may even be harmful.No one denies that an adequate intake of vitamins is essential; however, vitamins can and should be obtained from eating enough healthy foods rather than from swallowing vitamin supplements.Then what about vitamins being a great source of energy? Some multivitamin ads do indeed claim that their supplements boost energy; and some professional athletes gobble handfuls of vitamin pills to increase their energy and strength. But researchers proved long ago that energy comes from calories, not vitamins. The highly touted cholesterol-lowering effects of substances added to some multivitamin supplements? Still unproven.All this is not to say that specific vitamins supplements are never desirable. Vitamins can be valuable in certain situations: Folic acid supplements in women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant can help to prevent serious neural-tube defects that affect the baby's brain and spine. Supplements that contain more vitamin D and calcium than is present in regular multivitamin pills can help older men, and especially women, avoid osteoporosis and bone fractures.Supplements of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, zinc, and copper may slow the progression of vision loss in people with early macular degeneration. And multivitamins are beneficial for some entire groups of people:
those on a very-low-calorie weight-loss diet
strict vegetarians
heavy alcohol drinkers
individuals who are not getting an adequate diet because they are too sick or too poor--or live by themselves and are unable to prepare proper meals for themselves I also agree with a comment made by one of the coauthors of the Archives of Internal Medicine article about postmenopausal women mentioned above. An 8-year follow-up period may not be long enough to show that multivitamins protect against cancers that take many years to develop. All the same, the results of the studies on vitamins so far point to one conclusion: Healthy people who eat enough calories from a varied diet do not benefit from multivitamin supplements.
My thanks go to Phil (yet again! :))
Are You Wasting Money on Multivitamins?
By Simeon Margolis, M.D., Ph.D.
Advertisements with tantalizing promises of improved health, prevention of cancer and heart disease, and greater energy have lured millions of Americans to spend billions of dollars on the purchase of multivitamins.An article in the February 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine reported that multivitamin use did not protect the 161,808 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Study from common forms of cancer, heart attacks, or strokes. And the numbers of deaths during the 8 years of the study were the same in vitamin users as in non-users. Still, it is important to recognize that this was an observational study, not a more meaningful clinical trial. Although these findings apply only to women, other studies have failed to show benefits of multivitamins in older men.These results are not at all surprising for several reasons. No large study has shown that multivitamins significantly benefit healthy men and women. In addition, for some years physicians prescribed folic acid and vitamins B12 and B6 in the hopes of preventing heart attacks and strokes by lowering blood levels of homocysteine. (High blood levels of homocysteine are associated with an increased risk of coronary and other vascular diseases.) A number of recent studies, however, have shown that, while these vitamins do lower homocysteine levels, they do not prevent heart attacks or strokes.Many doctors have also prescribed the antioxidants vitamin E and beta-carotene to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Alas, studies have now proven that these supplements are not protective--and may even be harmful.No one denies that an adequate intake of vitamins is essential; however, vitamins can and should be obtained from eating enough healthy foods rather than from swallowing vitamin supplements.Then what about vitamins being a great source of energy? Some multivitamin ads do indeed claim that their supplements boost energy; and some professional athletes gobble handfuls of vitamin pills to increase their energy and strength. But researchers proved long ago that energy comes from calories, not vitamins. The highly touted cholesterol-lowering effects of substances added to some multivitamin supplements? Still unproven.All this is not to say that specific vitamins supplements are never desirable. Vitamins can be valuable in certain situations: Folic acid supplements in women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant can help to prevent serious neural-tube defects that affect the baby's brain and spine. Supplements that contain more vitamin D and calcium than is present in regular multivitamin pills can help older men, and especially women, avoid osteoporosis and bone fractures.Supplements of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, zinc, and copper may slow the progression of vision loss in people with early macular degeneration. And multivitamins are beneficial for some entire groups of people:
those on a very-low-calorie weight-loss diet
strict vegetarians
heavy alcohol drinkers
individuals who are not getting an adequate diet because they are too sick or too poor--or live by themselves and are unable to prepare proper meals for themselves I also agree with a comment made by one of the coauthors of the Archives of Internal Medicine article about postmenopausal women mentioned above. An 8-year follow-up period may not be long enough to show that multivitamins protect against cancers that take many years to develop. All the same, the results of the studies on vitamins so far point to one conclusion: Healthy people who eat enough calories from a varied diet do not benefit from multivitamin supplements.
Excuses Excuses Excuses
So you think you've got all your reasons for not working out? Let me tell you....they're not good enough :P For all your excuses, I've got a counter for it :) So let's get started!
I'm too tired all the time to find the energy to workout.
Ok.....I'll give you that....we're all over-worked (and under-paid) and always running our tails off, burning the candle at both ends. HOWEVER I will PROMISE you that, push through that fatigue for just one week and after about a week or two of dealing with the feeling of working out while tired, it will start to diminish. Gradually, you'll be feeling more energetic and realize that you won't feel like you're dragging quite as much. You're energy level will start to increase. And you know what else? Start feeding your body the things that it really enjoys (your body enjoys that is, not just your taste buds and your brain) and you'll start to notice an even more dramatic increase in energy. Just try it....you can't prove me wrong until you try it :P
There just isn't enough time in the day.
Let me tell you--I've been there, felt that. Throughout the year of 2007, I worked no less than 80 hours a week (well for much of the year--from February to early December). I hated the schedule. It was horrible. I was sooo tired. I still, though, found time to get in my workouts. They were never quite what I wished they were, but I still got them in, because something, I thought, was better than nothing. (Very often, I'd end up falling asleep during the cool down/stretch and be found snoozing by my hubby when he got home from work.)
But you don't have to manage an hour long workout at the end of the day. To be honest with you, Tony Horton has devised the BEST workout for you, if you are completely pinched for time. Try his 10 minute trainer. He hits a great workout in just 10 minutes each day. As you can, add in another workout for a better day, or just keep it at 1 a day. Whatever works best for you, because SOMEthing is better than nothing. You don't have to do what my schedule allows or what your friend's schedule allows. You have to do what you can do. Nothing more nothing less :)
I'm just not there yet. I can't do those workouts. I can't do push ups or squats or lunges.
You don't have to do a workout that's on par for an olympic athlete. You don't have to be able to start out with doing 15 squats with 80lbs on a bar. You don't have to be able to do 20 push ups on your toes. You don't have to be able to do a 7 minute wall squat. Start small and build to what it is you can do. Start with a program that's at your level and build up as you can. If you can't afford to keep getting new programs as you out-grow the one you have, let me know, and I'll give you pointers to up the ante with what you have. It'll work. I promise.
I can't get the diet under control. I want to get that taken care of first.
One thing at a time buddy!!! Hold your horses, slow down, throwing on the brakes! Yes you will absolutely want to start feeding your body what it is it needs, deserves, and genuinely wants, but you do not have to start with both at a time. You'll want to make gradual changes, but do it as you are ready and as you can. Don't be afraid to challenge yourself (in the workouts and in your kitchen), and stall on the instant gratification treats (remind yourself how many calories something is and remind yourself of the EXTRA work you'd need to do to burn that off). But in all honest, there is really no 'you need to do _____ first and then _____'. Do what you can. In whatever order you can. As much as you can.
I can't afford to eat right. The healthy stuff is very expensive.
This is, unfortunatly and tragically, quite true. However--the big HOWEVER--exhaust all your options. Try out a farmers market. If you're local to the southeastern PA area, go to Produce Junction with a buddy (that's like a fresh food BJs, so you'll want to go with someone to split the large quantities with, or you'll just be wasting money because the food goes bad and you'll need to throw it away). Do some google searches for coupons for things you commonly buy. Try out some whole grain oatmeal with agave nectar (this is actually quite cheap for the quantity you use....which is about a dime's size in a bowl of hot oatmeal). Try out discount grocery store that sell the dented cans or the cans that have a certain month's decor on them and they can't be sold after that specific event. Where there's a will there's a way.
Also, try buying things in bulk, cooking, and then freezing the food. One, things are generally a better deal if you buy them in larger quantities. Two, it saves you alot of TIME (and we're back to there :P) in food preparation.
I just don't know what to do and how to do it.
You don't have to be the certified personal trainer to get it done and get it done right!! Just ask questions. Check out the rest of my blog, keep coming back and see what new things I add. Explore the Beachbody threads to see what others share. Ask questions and learn. Read (ask me what I recommend though because you can't believe everything that you read). You don't have to re-create the wheel. You just have to be kind of sponge-ish and learn what's around you :).
If you have an excuse that I didn't touch on, let me know....Let me see what I can do with it :) I want you to reach your goals, and with some effort on both our parts (more so you than me....sorry :P) we can do this together. The cheesy, cliche line come out to play :) : Together we're better....Together We Can.......Together We WILL.
I'm too tired all the time to find the energy to workout.
Ok.....I'll give you that....we're all over-worked (and under-paid) and always running our tails off, burning the candle at both ends. HOWEVER I will PROMISE you that, push through that fatigue for just one week and after about a week or two of dealing with the feeling of working out while tired, it will start to diminish. Gradually, you'll be feeling more energetic and realize that you won't feel like you're dragging quite as much. You're energy level will start to increase. And you know what else? Start feeding your body the things that it really enjoys (your body enjoys that is, not just your taste buds and your brain) and you'll start to notice an even more dramatic increase in energy. Just try it....you can't prove me wrong until you try it :P
There just isn't enough time in the day.
Let me tell you--I've been there, felt that. Throughout the year of 2007, I worked no less than 80 hours a week (well for much of the year--from February to early December). I hated the schedule. It was horrible. I was sooo tired. I still, though, found time to get in my workouts. They were never quite what I wished they were, but I still got them in, because something, I thought, was better than nothing. (Very often, I'd end up falling asleep during the cool down/stretch and be found snoozing by my hubby when he got home from work.)
But you don't have to manage an hour long workout at the end of the day. To be honest with you, Tony Horton has devised the BEST workout for you, if you are completely pinched for time. Try his 10 minute trainer. He hits a great workout in just 10 minutes each day. As you can, add in another workout for a better day, or just keep it at 1 a day. Whatever works best for you, because SOMEthing is better than nothing. You don't have to do what my schedule allows or what your friend's schedule allows. You have to do what you can do. Nothing more nothing less :)
I'm just not there yet. I can't do those workouts. I can't do push ups or squats or lunges.
You don't have to do a workout that's on par for an olympic athlete. You don't have to be able to start out with doing 15 squats with 80lbs on a bar. You don't have to be able to do 20 push ups on your toes. You don't have to be able to do a 7 minute wall squat. Start small and build to what it is you can do. Start with a program that's at your level and build up as you can. If you can't afford to keep getting new programs as you out-grow the one you have, let me know, and I'll give you pointers to up the ante with what you have. It'll work. I promise.
I can't get the diet under control. I want to get that taken care of first.
One thing at a time buddy!!! Hold your horses, slow down, throwing on the brakes! Yes you will absolutely want to start feeding your body what it is it needs, deserves, and genuinely wants, but you do not have to start with both at a time. You'll want to make gradual changes, but do it as you are ready and as you can. Don't be afraid to challenge yourself (in the workouts and in your kitchen), and stall on the instant gratification treats (remind yourself how many calories something is and remind yourself of the EXTRA work you'd need to do to burn that off). But in all honest, there is really no 'you need to do _____ first and then _____'. Do what you can. In whatever order you can. As much as you can.
I can't afford to eat right. The healthy stuff is very expensive.
This is, unfortunatly and tragically, quite true. However--the big HOWEVER--exhaust all your options. Try out a farmers market. If you're local to the southeastern PA area, go to Produce Junction with a buddy (that's like a fresh food BJs, so you'll want to go with someone to split the large quantities with, or you'll just be wasting money because the food goes bad and you'll need to throw it away). Do some google searches for coupons for things you commonly buy. Try out some whole grain oatmeal with agave nectar (this is actually quite cheap for the quantity you use....which is about a dime's size in a bowl of hot oatmeal). Try out discount grocery store that sell the dented cans or the cans that have a certain month's decor on them and they can't be sold after that specific event. Where there's a will there's a way.
Also, try buying things in bulk, cooking, and then freezing the food. One, things are generally a better deal if you buy them in larger quantities. Two, it saves you alot of TIME (and we're back to there :P) in food preparation.
I just don't know what to do and how to do it.
You don't have to be the certified personal trainer to get it done and get it done right!! Just ask questions. Check out the rest of my blog, keep coming back and see what new things I add. Explore the Beachbody threads to see what others share. Ask questions and learn. Read (ask me what I recommend though because you can't believe everything that you read). You don't have to re-create the wheel. You just have to be kind of sponge-ish and learn what's around you :).
If you have an excuse that I didn't touch on, let me know....Let me see what I can do with it :) I want you to reach your goals, and with some effort on both our parts (more so you than me....sorry :P) we can do this together. The cheesy, cliche line come out to play :) : Together we're better....Together We Can.......Together We WILL.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Just do it already
So you've been chewing on contemplating if you want to take the first step huh? Just make the change, take the leap, make the commitment to becoming a better and healthier and happier and more energetic you. But are you so lost that you don't even know where to get started? Fine. Shoot me off an email with any workout history (or none, that's fine too!!), what tools you have, and what tools you might be willing to acquire.
Make the decision to be good to yourself. Make the decision to do something good for you and your health and your future. Make the decision to take some you time. Make the decision to feel better. That's all you need to do. It's a mind thing first and your body follows. So you need to start with the decision making time.
If you decide to go to the next few steps, all you need is your results and that will do all the selling for you and you reap the rewards!!
Do you know that it really is that easy? So just make the decision already. Ignore all around you and just take the step forward. It isn't that scary! Join me at my thread and you'll be accompanied by other folks who are doing and loving the x (or one of any of the beachbody products)....
But really....haven't you made your decision yet?!?!?!
Make the decision to be good to yourself. Make the decision to do something good for you and your health and your future. Make the decision to take some you time. Make the decision to feel better. That's all you need to do. It's a mind thing first and your body follows. So you need to start with the decision making time.
If you decide to go to the next few steps, all you need is your results and that will do all the selling for you and you reap the rewards!!
Do you know that it really is that easy? So just make the decision already. Ignore all around you and just take the step forward. It isn't that scary! Join me at my thread and you'll be accompanied by other folks who are doing and loving the x (or one of any of the beachbody products)....
But really....haven't you made your decision yet?!?!?!
Monday, February 9, 2009
A few (or more) tips
Have you made a plan and started to work towards losing weight? Have you really genuinely worked on it but gotten lost and not know where to move to? Have you been so confused that you don't even know where to get started?
Here are a few tips to help you out:
Get rid of the junk in your place. Don't even try to test your willpower. Just don't. You'll be disappointed in yourself. (Don't worry, everyone would be). Just clean it out. Keep healthy snacks that you enjoy around you instead of the junk. Find great substitutes for some of the junk snacks that you used to eat (popcorn from Blockbuster? Try air popped popcorn with no added butter)
Drink more. I'm sure you've heard this, but if you put it into practice, I'm sure you'll be a believer, too. If you drink more water, your body won't be confused as to if it's hungry or thirsty. If you are a little low on your drinking for the day and think you're hungry, try drinking 8 oz of water before you eat. It could be your body confusing thirst for hunger.
Write up a list of reasons you wanted to start working at losing weight and cleaning up your diet. Whatever it is: to come off of anti-hypertensives, to decrease your risk of heart disease, to prevent cancer or Alzheimer's, to look amazing on the beach this summer, whatever your reason. Write it down and post it on your refrigerator, on your bathroom mirror, in your bedroom, wherever you will see it often.
Write up positive response cards (or a notebook) that states reminders "I feel good when I eat clean because..." "I feel good when I workout because..." "I feel good when I resist junk food because..." etc etc etc. This way you will have it in your own handwriting for your own motivation.
Eat more often. More and more research (and personal experience) is supporting eating small meals every 2 to 3 to 4 hours. There is a catch to this, of course. You have to eat healthy calories every 2 to 3 to 4 hours. Keeping it about 200 calories (start reading labels folks :)). Eat about 500 calorie meals. Because you're eating every 2 to 3 to 4 hours, you don't need your meals to be as large as they are when you're eating 2 or 3 meals a day. I promise you though, eating one meal a day, or two meals....yea that's just not cutting it.
Hang pictures. Hang pictures of your motivation--who you want to look like, your steps and also your own progress pictures are important too. I have hung up my 'fat picture' to remind myself of where I didn't want to back to.
Another tip is to know what it is you need. Food has become an insanely confusing science. I'm going to post a calculation that you will need to do to know what it is you need to consume each day.
Calculate your Rest Metabollic Rate (RMR) by multiplying your body weight (lbs) by 10. This determines what you need to breathe and live.
If you multiple your RMR by 20%, you get your Daily Burn. This is the number of calories you need for daily movement. (This is a generalization because if you are sitting at a desk all day, you need less calories than a laborer in a construction field.)
Add the calories you need for your Exercise Burn (depends on the level of exercise--if you are doing an intense x schedule, guestimate about 600 calories.)
Add your RMR to your Daily Burn to your Exercise Burn and this is your total caloric intake goal.
You need to keep in mind that you don't want to eat too much OR TOO LITTLE calories or you won't lose weight. If you are looking to lose, though, and not just maintain, you can take your Exercise Burn and cut this back A BIT...not too far though!!!
[If you consume too few calories, you're not feeding your body what it needs to sustain working out and it'll go into starvation mode and store everything you eat]
I hope these help you :)
Here are a few tips to help you out:
Get rid of the junk in your place. Don't even try to test your willpower. Just don't. You'll be disappointed in yourself. (Don't worry, everyone would be). Just clean it out. Keep healthy snacks that you enjoy around you instead of the junk. Find great substitutes for some of the junk snacks that you used to eat (popcorn from Blockbuster? Try air popped popcorn with no added butter)
Drink more. I'm sure you've heard this, but if you put it into practice, I'm sure you'll be a believer, too. If you drink more water, your body won't be confused as to if it's hungry or thirsty. If you are a little low on your drinking for the day and think you're hungry, try drinking 8 oz of water before you eat. It could be your body confusing thirst for hunger.
Write up a list of reasons you wanted to start working at losing weight and cleaning up your diet. Whatever it is: to come off of anti-hypertensives, to decrease your risk of heart disease, to prevent cancer or Alzheimer's, to look amazing on the beach this summer, whatever your reason. Write it down and post it on your refrigerator, on your bathroom mirror, in your bedroom, wherever you will see it often.
Write up positive response cards (or a notebook) that states reminders "I feel good when I eat clean because..." "I feel good when I workout because..." "I feel good when I resist junk food because..." etc etc etc. This way you will have it in your own handwriting for your own motivation.
Eat more often. More and more research (and personal experience) is supporting eating small meals every 2 to 3 to 4 hours. There is a catch to this, of course. You have to eat healthy calories every 2 to 3 to 4 hours. Keeping it about 200 calories (start reading labels folks :)). Eat about 500 calorie meals. Because you're eating every 2 to 3 to 4 hours, you don't need your meals to be as large as they are when you're eating 2 or 3 meals a day. I promise you though, eating one meal a day, or two meals....yea that's just not cutting it.
Hang pictures. Hang pictures of your motivation--who you want to look like, your steps and also your own progress pictures are important too. I have hung up my 'fat picture' to remind myself of where I didn't want to back to.
Another tip is to know what it is you need. Food has become an insanely confusing science. I'm going to post a calculation that you will need to do to know what it is you need to consume each day.
Calculate your Rest Metabollic Rate (RMR) by multiplying your body weight (lbs) by 10. This determines what you need to breathe and live.
If you multiple your RMR by 20%, you get your Daily Burn. This is the number of calories you need for daily movement. (This is a generalization because if you are sitting at a desk all day, you need less calories than a laborer in a construction field.)
Add the calories you need for your Exercise Burn (depends on the level of exercise--if you are doing an intense x schedule, guestimate about 600 calories.)
Add your RMR to your Daily Burn to your Exercise Burn and this is your total caloric intake goal.
You need to keep in mind that you don't want to eat too much OR TOO LITTLE calories or you won't lose weight. If you are looking to lose, though, and not just maintain, you can take your Exercise Burn and cut this back A BIT...not too far though!!!
[If you consume too few calories, you're not feeding your body what it needs to sustain working out and it'll go into starvation mode and store everything you eat]
I hope these help you :)
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Why should you:
Join the Club?
There are quite a few great reasons to do this. First of all, when you log in your workouts, you're making yourself eligible to win one of the daily prizes awarded by BeachBody.....just by logging in your workouts? Really? It's that simple? Yes :) We love simplicity in a complex world :)
You get a discount on all BeachBody products as a club member, which is great. These products include the fitness programs (so you can keep upping the ante to reach the best possible you you can be :)), supplements (vitamins, meal supplements, protein powders all to feed your body just what it needs to give you the best possible return) and all sorts of accessories (from workout accessories to clothes that allow you to be reminded of your hard work and commitment).
My favorite reason to join the club is all the people! You get the opportunity to exchange with people who are in the same boat as you. All you have to do is go to the 'community and peer support' tab once you're logged in as a club member. From there, you click on the button 'go to the message boards'. I PROMISE you that you will learn so much from everyone there. You will learn tips to make certain moves in your workout program easier until you can really BRING IT, tips to up the ante if what you're doing is a bit too easy, eating tips, recipes, advice, motivation, different schedules to give you more variety, EVERYTHING is there on those message boards. If you have ever hit a wall with working out (as, I'd venture, about 95% of people have), you need these message boards. They will help you to push past the wall of either plateaus, lacking motivation, frustration, whatever your case may be. You will find it on these boards. You have to check this out. It's amazing. You'll also come to know a bunch of different people and be able to help them remain motivated so they can reach their goals. So you get your chance to give back too. How cool is that?!?!
Become a Coach?
You get all the benefits of being a club member (you get a larger discount off of the BeachBody products though) plus you get paid for helping motivate people to change their lives. "I can't do that," you think. Why, in God's name, not?!?! You have done the programs (at least one), right?!?! You had that one work for you, right?!?! Well you already have one of the advertising things working for you--your body the billboard!! What better way to get started a conversation of selling the products than a compliment: "You look GREAT!!! How did you do it???" "Well, there's this in-home workout company called BeachBody......."
You get paid to spread the wealth and joy of health and fitness; you become surrounded by like-minded people who help you stay on track, and you have the added benefit of what your staying on track will do--make you more money because your body is the billboard!!
Seriously--is there a downside to this? Well....if you don't like a bit of daily sweat (consider it a good reason to shower every day :P) and you don't want to share the joy of feeling great, then it might not be for you.....But if you have caught the fitness bug and just HAVE to share the word AND you want to be tucking away extra money for such-and-such or want to work on starting to work from home....what in Heaven's name are you waiting for?!?!?!?!
I want to help you weigh the pros and cons (I WILL NOT listen with anything but an objective ear about this!!!) so call me at 484-250-9292 or email me at askcoachlisa@comcast.net to have a sounding board :) I'm always listening and waiting to hear from you :)
There are quite a few great reasons to do this. First of all, when you log in your workouts, you're making yourself eligible to win one of the daily prizes awarded by BeachBody.....just by logging in your workouts? Really? It's that simple? Yes :) We love simplicity in a complex world :)
You get a discount on all BeachBody products as a club member, which is great. These products include the fitness programs (so you can keep upping the ante to reach the best possible you you can be :)), supplements (vitamins, meal supplements, protein powders all to feed your body just what it needs to give you the best possible return) and all sorts of accessories (from workout accessories to clothes that allow you to be reminded of your hard work and commitment).
My favorite reason to join the club is all the people! You get the opportunity to exchange with people who are in the same boat as you. All you have to do is go to the 'community and peer support' tab once you're logged in as a club member. From there, you click on the button 'go to the message boards'. I PROMISE you that you will learn so much from everyone there. You will learn tips to make certain moves in your workout program easier until you can really BRING IT, tips to up the ante if what you're doing is a bit too easy, eating tips, recipes, advice, motivation, different schedules to give you more variety, EVERYTHING is there on those message boards. If you have ever hit a wall with working out (as, I'd venture, about 95% of people have), you need these message boards. They will help you to push past the wall of either plateaus, lacking motivation, frustration, whatever your case may be. You will find it on these boards. You have to check this out. It's amazing. You'll also come to know a bunch of different people and be able to help them remain motivated so they can reach their goals. So you get your chance to give back too. How cool is that?!?!
Become a Coach?
You get all the benefits of being a club member (you get a larger discount off of the BeachBody products though) plus you get paid for helping motivate people to change their lives. "I can't do that," you think. Why, in God's name, not?!?! You have done the programs (at least one), right?!?! You had that one work for you, right?!?! Well you already have one of the advertising things working for you--your body the billboard!! What better way to get started a conversation of selling the products than a compliment: "You look GREAT!!! How did you do it???" "Well, there's this in-home workout company called BeachBody......."
You get paid to spread the wealth and joy of health and fitness; you become surrounded by like-minded people who help you stay on track, and you have the added benefit of what your staying on track will do--make you more money because your body is the billboard!!
Seriously--is there a downside to this? Well....if you don't like a bit of daily sweat (consider it a good reason to shower every day :P) and you don't want to share the joy of feeling great, then it might not be for you.....But if you have caught the fitness bug and just HAVE to share the word AND you want to be tucking away extra money for such-and-such or want to work on starting to work from home....what in Heaven's name are you waiting for?!?!?!?!
I want to help you weigh the pros and cons (I WILL NOT listen with anything but an objective ear about this!!!) so call me at 484-250-9292 or email me at askcoachlisa@comcast.net to have a sounding board :) I'm always listening and waiting to hear from you :)
Sunday, February 1, 2009
My accountability :)
So after finishing 8 weeks of the x+, I've decided that I need some variety and something different. I'm posting it to hold myself accountable to my workout schedule, just like I want to hold you accountable to yours.
I am adding some of my other workouts that aren't the x/1on1/x+. I'm doing this because I like working my total body with weights heavy and often (but not too often that I don't get recovery) and I like hard hard hard cardio. I like working hard for great results.
I created this workout schedule under the same kind of approach that Tony took with the X. I did 3 phases. Phase 1 and 2 are three weeks of work with one recovery week and phase 3 is a combination of the two (two weeks of each previous phase, alternating) with a recovery week to close out the 90 days.
Let me just explain a few things:
Jari Love (yes it does sound like a porn star's name I know--I didn't name here sorry) does great total body weight workouts that are an incredible challenge
Road Warrior is something that Tony does as a resistance band workout and it's a good one, but I prefer to do it as a weight workout, keeping it in my desired 8-10 reps (though with the encouragement of MJ, I will be playing with these numbers for this 90 days)
Tae Bo (yes Billy Blanks--get over it) is a great cardio workout that I do with weights on my wrists and often on my ankles as well (depends on the workout for that one)
In my opinion, Super Cardio isn't all that super (no offense whatsoever Tony!!!) unless you do the first time through the cardio, and before you cool down, repeat back to do the cardio part (no warmup/yoga again) a second time, then cool down afterwards. This was an idea of the hubby's and a great one at that. I left it all behind after I did that one. It was good :)
The other thing that I will do sporadically is add interval runs as I have time throughout this schedule--hopefully twice a week. I do not want to add them to the schedule because I'm too hard on myself, even if it's not realistic, if I don't do it. This will remain flexible. I may decide halfway through the first phase to add them in writing to the schedule, because I lose track of when I ought to do them without.
So tomorrow I do Road Warrior--this is quickly becoming a favorite of mine....I love love love total body, non-synergystic workouts. And I'm looking forward to my protein shake at the end of the day.
A Sister's Kind words :)
Leigh's Testimonial:
I have been running for almost 15 years…running as exercise, for fun and to stay in shape. I ran in high school to train for the lacrosse team, in college to try to avoid the dreaded “freshman 15” (unfortunately, it didn’t work) and after college to try to maintain a healthy (though not ideal, in my eyes) weight. Through running and a strict diet, I lost weight for my wedding, even almost got down to my high school weight. Running was simply a form of exercise for me – in my opinion, it was the best aerobic activity, burning the most calories in the least amount of time. I never saw myself as a long distance runner and had no desire to become one. I was content in running a few miles at a time, several days a week at a not-too-hard, not-too-easy pace.
Then my sister, Lisa picked up running. She was dedicated. It meant something to her, more than just exercise. She even decided to run a marathon. A marathon! Are you crazy?!, I thought. I had a lot of respect for it, though. I knew what it took for me to run my 3 miles, sometimes even up to 6 miles, and I was so proud of that. But 26.2 miles?! I thought that was just crazy, impossible, and why would you even want to. But she did it, and she was proud. I was proud of her, too, in a she’s-crazy-kind-of-way.
At some point, we started doing casual runs together. It was fun and we became really close, closer than we have ever been. We became best friends through running. Then, at some point after that, she convinced me that I could run a half marathon. 13.1 miles?! I was very skeptical, but she created a 3-month training program for me and was confident I could do it. I still wasn’t convinced, but started the training regimen anyway. I still didn’t want to register for the race for fear that I’d just be wasting my money on the registration fee. But Lisa, patient and dedicated as she is, not only put up with my negative thinking, she motivated me into believing that I might actually be able to do it. I can remember my first long run with her – it was an 8.5 mile run, the longest I had ever run at one time, and she knew I could do it long before I knew it. Her passion and motivation were contagious. I started to think maybe this was possible. We were able to do most of our long training runs together and had plans to run the entire half marathon together – if I needed to stop and walk, she’d stop and walk; if she needed to stop and walk, I’d stop and walk. Crossing that finish line hand-in-hand was one of the proudest and most rewarding moments of my life. I had never, ever thought I’d be able to run that far before, nor did I even have the desire to.
Before long, though, I wanted to push my running limits even further – we had decided to run a marathon only 8 weeks later! Again, Lisa created an 8-week training schedule and also gave me tips for my diet. Logging that many miles per week required specific nutrition and she provided me with recipes and other advice for eating the right foods my body would need to make it through training and a 26.2 mile race. Finally, the day had arrived, a cold November morning in Philadelphia. Finishing that race was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and I dedicated my finisher’s medal to Lisa. I was so proud of myself and what I’d accomplished, and I couldn’t have done it without Lisa’s encouragement.
Lisa’s perseverance, patience and passion for fitness and running were the reasons I was able to finish two races that I had never imagined I would have been running. Without her support and guidance, I’d never have even attempted running these distances. I now have an inner strength that I didn’t have before and I can’t wait to train for our next race together.
- Leigh
I have been running for almost 15 years…running as exercise, for fun and to stay in shape. I ran in high school to train for the lacrosse team, in college to try to avoid the dreaded “freshman 15” (unfortunately, it didn’t work) and after college to try to maintain a healthy (though not ideal, in my eyes) weight. Through running and a strict diet, I lost weight for my wedding, even almost got down to my high school weight. Running was simply a form of exercise for me – in my opinion, it was the best aerobic activity, burning the most calories in the least amount of time. I never saw myself as a long distance runner and had no desire to become one. I was content in running a few miles at a time, several days a week at a not-too-hard, not-too-easy pace.
Then my sister, Lisa picked up running. She was dedicated. It meant something to her, more than just exercise. She even decided to run a marathon. A marathon! Are you crazy?!, I thought. I had a lot of respect for it, though. I knew what it took for me to run my 3 miles, sometimes even up to 6 miles, and I was so proud of that. But 26.2 miles?! I thought that was just crazy, impossible, and why would you even want to. But she did it, and she was proud. I was proud of her, too, in a she’s-crazy-kind-of-way.
At some point, we started doing casual runs together. It was fun and we became really close, closer than we have ever been. We became best friends through running. Then, at some point after that, she convinced me that I could run a half marathon. 13.1 miles?! I was very skeptical, but she created a 3-month training program for me and was confident I could do it. I still wasn’t convinced, but started the training regimen anyway. I still didn’t want to register for the race for fear that I’d just be wasting my money on the registration fee. But Lisa, patient and dedicated as she is, not only put up with my negative thinking, she motivated me into believing that I might actually be able to do it. I can remember my first long run with her – it was an 8.5 mile run, the longest I had ever run at one time, and she knew I could do it long before I knew it. Her passion and motivation were contagious. I started to think maybe this was possible. We were able to do most of our long training runs together and had plans to run the entire half marathon together – if I needed to stop and walk, she’d stop and walk; if she needed to stop and walk, I’d stop and walk. Crossing that finish line hand-in-hand was one of the proudest and most rewarding moments of my life. I had never, ever thought I’d be able to run that far before, nor did I even have the desire to.
Before long, though, I wanted to push my running limits even further – we had decided to run a marathon only 8 weeks later! Again, Lisa created an 8-week training schedule and also gave me tips for my diet. Logging that many miles per week required specific nutrition and she provided me with recipes and other advice for eating the right foods my body would need to make it through training and a 26.2 mile race. Finally, the day had arrived, a cold November morning in Philadelphia. Finishing that race was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and I dedicated my finisher’s medal to Lisa. I was so proud of myself and what I’d accomplished, and I couldn’t have done it without Lisa’s encouragement.
Lisa’s perseverance, patience and passion for fitness and running were the reasons I was able to finish two races that I had never imagined I would have been running. Without her support and guidance, I’d never have even attempted running these distances. I now have an inner strength that I didn’t have before and I can’t wait to train for our next race together.
- Leigh
Workout Regularity
"You have to work out 5 days a week minimum. Otherwise it is like throwing yourself down a flight of stairs. You'll be sore but it won't do anything for your health."
This is a quote from Tony Horton (who else? hahaha) and it's very true. I hate to break it to you.....
In order to lose weight and change your health, it takes a serious commitment from you. But isn't that commitment worth it? Isn't the commitment to your life, your future, your children, your spouse, your family all worth it?
So how do you do all that? It's not easy, I know. Let me tell you what I do:
Each and every day, I remind myself of a few things. I start off by reminding myself just why I started working out in the beginning--I wanted to lose weight and keep the weight off. Then I follow that up with the reminder, that as I began researching and learning more, I added to that desire the goal to physically be healthier--in every way. I want my resting heart rate to be lower; I want my heart to recover more quickly from cardio workouts; I want my VO2Max to be higher (I'll post more about this later); I want my body to feel better and to work like the well-oiled machine it can be.
You know another thing I do?
I keep the workouts varied to keep 1) my body and muscles confused and continuing to improve and 2) my mind interested and never really bored. I listen to my body--if I'm genuinely not feeling well or genuinely too tired (operative word: genuinely), I'll skip the workout and be back on track the next day. There are some days where we need a mental break to get other things together in other areas of our lives where a workout will just be too much mentally to fit into a day. See if there's something that can go besides the workout, but if there's no changing it, then be back on track the next day. You have to keep a lid on the number of times you push it off. You have to avoid skipping workouts until the workouts become a regular part of your life. You need to do this because if you continue to give yourself excuses, then you'll never reach your goal; an excuse will always be good enough. But the excuse can't be sufficient...it has to be rare, the exception to the rule, not the rule.
All that having been said, you do still have to prepare for a full lifestyle change to prevent the weight from coming back, the diabetes from returning, the cholesterol going right back up, the blood pressure meds coming right back from the pharmacy.
It will be worth it, I promise.
This is a quote from Tony Horton (who else? hahaha) and it's very true. I hate to break it to you.....
In order to lose weight and change your health, it takes a serious commitment from you. But isn't that commitment worth it? Isn't the commitment to your life, your future, your children, your spouse, your family all worth it?
So how do you do all that? It's not easy, I know. Let me tell you what I do:
Each and every day, I remind myself of a few things. I start off by reminding myself just why I started working out in the beginning--I wanted to lose weight and keep the weight off. Then I follow that up with the reminder, that as I began researching and learning more, I added to that desire the goal to physically be healthier--in every way. I want my resting heart rate to be lower; I want my heart to recover more quickly from cardio workouts; I want my VO2Max to be higher (I'll post more about this later); I want my body to feel better and to work like the well-oiled machine it can be.
You know another thing I do?
I keep the workouts varied to keep 1) my body and muscles confused and continuing to improve and 2) my mind interested and never really bored. I listen to my body--if I'm genuinely not feeling well or genuinely too tired (operative word: genuinely), I'll skip the workout and be back on track the next day. There are some days where we need a mental break to get other things together in other areas of our lives where a workout will just be too much mentally to fit into a day. See if there's something that can go besides the workout, but if there's no changing it, then be back on track the next day. You have to keep a lid on the number of times you push it off. You have to avoid skipping workouts until the workouts become a regular part of your life. You need to do this because if you continue to give yourself excuses, then you'll never reach your goal; an excuse will always be good enough. But the excuse can't be sufficient...it has to be rare, the exception to the rule, not the rule.
All that having been said, you do still have to prepare for a full lifestyle change to prevent the weight from coming back, the diabetes from returning, the cholesterol going right back up, the blood pressure meds coming right back from the pharmacy.
It will be worth it, I promise.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
