BeachBody Coach

So, I decided to take the plunge... I've signed up to become a BeachBody coach! I'm gonna give this a try and see how it goes. They had a free coaches sign up for the month, and have a 25% discount off of all their products for coaches. I've been wanting to try the Shakeology, and Results and Recovery Formula, and thought this would be the best way to do it. It's a money back guarantee, so if you don't like the product, or aren't happy with your results, you can send it back. SO, if anyone is interested in becoming a coach, or interested in Insanity, P90X, Shakeology, R&R or any other BeachBody products, just shoot me an email. I will have my site up and running soon! Happy Losing, and a Happy New Year!!!

I don't know about you all, but I survived Christmas - kind of... I had mentioned previously about trying the VLCD with out hCG, to see if I notice any differences. I ended up loading over Christmas and started the VLCD on Sunday. I loaded to 165.3 (I can eat ;), and am back down to 159.0... there isn't a questions of weight loss - of course if you cut calories that low, you will lose. It's a matter of how you feel, how long you can maintain, and whether or not your body goes into ketosis(starvation mode). So far, I'm ok... definitely have a constant headache, and am starving! I don't know how long I will last this way, but I will plan on continuing for a week or two, depending on how I feel. Once I get to the finish point, I plan on taking a home test that can detect ketosis. Depending on how the VLCD w/o hCG goes, I may possibly try our new pellet form of hCG for just a 23 day round, and see how that compares to drops, and plan on checking for ketosis as well. I don't feel that I need to do another round, but curiosity has gotten to me. Call me crazy, but I want to be able to provide sound information for my clients, and want to know as much about my product as possible. (www.localhcg.com)

Once this is all over with, it will either be P90X, or another program I have been looking into called "Final Phase Fat Loss." http://www.finalphasefatloss.com/ It was recommened to me by another trainer friend and is a 6 week program from a PT in New York that is supposed to target that last 10-15 trouble lbs. This is an area of weakness for me, so I am intrigued, but still looking into it. And I'm thinking when I get into track season, I want to give Body For Life another go... Outside of doing an actual body building/power lifting program, this has been one of the better programs I have found for building muscle mass and strength. I've got a busy next couple of months planned ahead! What about you? What are some of your goals? I hope you are all doing well, and I know the New Year is when a lot of people try to make chages to their lives. Start simple, but if there is anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to contact me (Iluvtnf@aol.com). Happy New Year all!!!

New Game Plan!

I posted on my facebook page, but I haven't on here yet... I was enjoying Insanity, and made it to week 6, but the between the holiday, my EMS conference, and getting sick, I got off track. I started back up again into the second phase, but it was crazy! I can definitely see now where it got its name! It got to the point where the workouts weren't just 40 minutes - they were getting to be an hour +, And they were tough! I found my self just sitting there thinking, I can't do that?! So I was still doing the work outs, but having to modify everything, and just wasn't getting the quality workout that I wanted. It kinda sucks because I don't want to think of myself as a "quitter", but at the same time, I know myself better, and if I would have just kept going, I would have burned out and quite everything all together. I liked Insanity, because it was different, and you get a pretty big bang for your buck, but it was purely cardio based, and I miss lifting weights. Sooooo... I'm putting Insanity on the back burner for now.

On FB I stated that I was going to start P90X Monday, but sitting here thinking about it, I'm probably going to wait till after the holidays so I can give it the full attention it deserves. Including the nutrition, which I am struggling a little with. Not that I am doing horrible, it's just the holidays, and there are a lot of temptations around, and I want to be able to enjoy some of it and not torture myself. Thankfully I am maintaining my weight right around 157-159 (this went up from hCG as I started Insanity, but has since maintained - my BF has actually gone down. That shows an increase in muscle mass and decrease in body fat, hence why I am not freaking out about the scale:) My goal is to keep it under 160. I'm still working out. I've been trying to run more; doing interval work and some distance.

So I finally finished painting my weight room, and got some vinyl lettering quotes up :) My motto that I've liked to use over this last year is "PLAN, PREPARE, COMMIT, EXECUTE" as pictured below, so here is my plan for the next couple of weeks:
From now until January (exact date not yet determined) I will run 3-4 times a week, and get 2 full body lifts in. As far as nutrition goes, I'll behave during the days/week, and if there is a party or something that day, I'll eat super clean/light during the day, hard work out that day, and then enjoy the meal. :) After the holidays, I'm thinking I want to try a round of the hCG protocol, but with out actually taking the hCG - I want to see how it compares with and with out actually taking the drops. A little crazy, but it would be good to be able to compare the differences. I will only do that for a week or two, and then from there start P90X.

It will be a little crazy in the spring because track season will be starting up, but at the end of April, I have some friends that are doing a short distance Iron Girl in Las Vegas, and I am considering doing this - I think it will mainly be determined by our tax return, and if we get back enough that I can afford getting a bike, and if I will have to time and resources to train. Spring is going to be a crazy time of year!!!

Well, I hope everyone is enjoying their Holiday Season so far. I know I still have some shopping to do, and a couple of parties! I recommend doing the same thing I am when it comes to parties - have a plan - get a good work out in, eat light and clean, drink TONS of water, and then enjoy to the point of contentment - not over indulgence. Then just be good the days you don't have something going on. Remember what your plan and goals are and stick to them, You can do it! Happy Holidays!

Everybody Poops... Right...?

Did you know that is the name of a child's book? Bowel Movements(BM) seem to be a ta bu subject (in my family, it's funny), but when it comes to our health, it's really important and can tell us a lot about what's going on. And believe it or not, sound, shape, color and consistency do matter! If your diet is lacking in water, healthy fruits, veggies and whole grains, and other foods high in fiber, you may end up with constipation which tends to be hard, pellet like, and can be painful. On the other hand, if is super soft or greasy on a consistent basis, you may be suffering from some malabsorbtion issues, which could be a sign of Celiac Disease, IBS, or other GI conditions.

Dr Oz has said -

"You want to hear what the stool, the poop, sounds like when it hits the water. If it sounds like a bombardier, you know, 'plop, plop, plop,' that's not right because it means you're constipated. It means the food is too hard by the time it comes out. It should hit the water like a diver from Acapulco hits the water [swoosh]."

The next thing Dr. Oz recommends is looking at your stool—c'mon, you've done it before! You should look twice—look at the shape and then, the color.

"It should be an S shape and you want to make sure the color's normal because the color of the poop tells you a lot about how you made it," Dr. Oz says. "You don't want [pieces]. Food is a medicine for you. It helps you. [If the stool is in pieces] by the time you finished digesting your food, you don't have enough of it left to poop out in the right way and probably it' s hurt the colon that has to process it. At the end of the day you can analyze your body really effectively by looking at what comes out of your body."

Any time we eat, it causes peristalsis (muscle contractions) of the intestine, which in turn can cause a BM. Ideally, you would want a BM after eating, but this isn't the case for most individuals. Most individuals average 1-2 BM's a day. If you are going less than this, maybe only 2-3 x a week, and they are hard or painful, then you may need to re-evaluate your diet and try to increase your water and fiber intake.

If you have a drastic change in color, such as black - tar like, that can be a sign of internal bleeding from an ulcer or other injury/disease to your GI. Grey, clay like, could also cause concern. This information isn't for diagnosis purposes, but overall general knowledge. If you have any concern about your BM, please consult your doctor.

Sinkers vs. Floaters... a common myth is that if you have floaters, then your are eating too much fat, or aren't absorbing it properly. This can be the case if there is something going on, especially if it's "greasy" looking. But most floaters can be contributed to a higher amount of gas, which is released from the bacteria in our intestine. Either one is perfectly normal, and change to one or the other is generally from dietary changes.

I personally can appreciate a good BM :) I try to maintain a high fiber diet shooting for 25-35g a day. While I don't have the means to do the research, I think that a lot of GI disease can be attributed to a poor diet of processed foods, and not enough whole grains, fruits, veggies, and water. Think about it - if you aren't cleaning yourself out, then that processed "crap" is just sitting in there wreaking havoc on your insides! With the Holidays here, we tend to over indulge in processed foods and treats... me included! I've been feeling pretty bleh lately, so, today I started a natural herbal cleanse from Advocare. It's 10 days and has a fiber shake, probiotics, and the herbal cleanse. No crazy diet either. Just low fat, lots of fruits and veggies, whole grains, and lean meats.

Here's to a healthy colon, and I hope this was informative with out too much info - it's just for sh*ts and giggles :)

UHGGG!

So these last 2 weeks have been rough... Between the EMS conference, 2 Thanskgivings, being sick, and our mini trip to Denver, I've fallen off the wagon! It's mainly been nutrition, but nutrition tends to be more important, and it's caught up to me and bit me in the butt... or more like attached it's self to my butt... :) I was doing great on the workouts until I got sick :( I even brought them with me with good intentions, but we had so much going on it didn't happen. But all is well - just because I fell off doesn't mean the game is over. And Im not going to start all over again, or just give up all together. I'm gonna try some running and lifting for the rest of this week, and start back on Insanity on Monday. Eating super clean tomorrow during the day, controlled for Bunco tomorrow night, steak day friday, and then doing a 10 day herbal cleanse starting next week. I think Im just going to completely avoid the scale for the next week! But time to get it back together - Christmas and Christmas parties are generally just ONE meal, not a whole day, or whole week... no reason to go crazy. I'm recommited, how about you? :)

Holiday Special

Our owner decided to extend the special through the week, so I am leaving the 'Buy Now' tab up until the end of the week! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

hCG HOLIDAY SPECIAL - MONDAY ONLY!!!

MONDAY ONLY - hCG drops only $50!!! - Get your drops in time to be able to load over Thanksgiving and be done with a 23 day round before Christmas!!! Drops can be stored for up to 5 years unopened, so even if you don't want to start this week, take advantage of this one time deal!!! I will have the 'Buy Now' tab adjusted so that all you have to do is click it and buy through paypal. I can deliver for free to the Ogden or Salt Lake area, but if outside of that, contact me before ordering. Happy Losing!!!

HAPPY 1 YEAR!!!

November marks the 1 year 'anniversary' of when I decided to get my butt in shape. After years of heavy lifting for track, I was burned out. I'd go to work and had every opportunity to work out, but it was work, and I just wanted to go home when I was done. And then I had a kid... and another... the things women sacrifice to have children(I miss my boobs LOL)! I gave up my body, and paid dearly for it. By October '09, I had only lost 10 lbs after having my last baby in May. I was probably consuming 150-200g of sugar A DAY! I looked and felt like crap. What was the worst is I probably couldn't even do my own workouts! I was a hypocrite. I had all the education and knowledge, and was giving people advice to eat well and exercise, but wasn't doing so myself. Enough was enough.





I decided I wanted my body back. Better yet, I decided to blog my experience as I went about my weight loss journey. My ultimate goal was to just get as low and as healthy as I possibly could. The lightest I could ever remember weighing was 175. I figured that was a good place to start. But first I had to get my diet in control. I saw an episode of Dr. Oz where he talked about a sugar detox and decided to do. 28 days later, I was finally back in control of what I ate. I then decided to take it to the next step and get back control of my body. December 28th I started a Body For Life challenge with my brother and some friends and family. By the end of my first challenge I had reached 185, losing 20lbs of fat, and gaining 5 lbs of muscle. I was feeling great and had rekindled my love for working out. I then decided to go for a second round. I made it about 6 weeks in, but wasn't budging on the scale. It was time to change things up, and it just so happened that a friend was starting a business and asked me what I thought about hCG. Initially, I thought CRAZY! NO WAY! 500 calories a day?! But just like anyone else, I was curious... could I really lose 1 lb a day?? So, I read through all the materials and book, asked my family doctor, and did some research. Once I educated myself, I decided to give it a try. I was able to get down to 165lbs! Holy crap, it worked! I had surpassed my goal weight! (There is a lot of controversy surrounding hCG, so I encourage everyone to educate themselves). But I still wasn't satisfied. I started looking into P90X and Jillian Michales videos. After a couple of weeks of doing those, I decided I would rather do another round of hCG to get the fat off, then hit it hard. After a second round, I was able to get down to 153! Now that I had the fat off, time to maximize my results.





I then started my current adventure into INSANITY! Only 4 weeks in and I have lost 3% body weight, and am more flexible and tone then I have ever been! It feels awesome!!! It has been a long and hard journey, but worth every minute! Since November last year, I have lost 50lbs. I went from 34.7 - 15.3% body fat. I have lost 6.5" off my chest, 9.5" off abs, 9" off hips, & 4" off thigh! That's 29" total! I went from a size 16/18 to a 8/10. But most important of all - I FEEL GREAT! I can move, I can run, I can jump, I can live!

But the most important thing I have learned is that you can't change your outside until you change your inside. Weight loss has more to do with the mind than anything. If you don't love yourself first, and accept and trust that you can do this, then you won't. What ever you think, you are right. You have to want this more than anything you have ever wanted. More than that piece of cake, or potato chips. More than wanting to sit and relax vs. working out. What ever you decide to do, it will be a hard journey. But I promise if you PLAN, PREPARE, COMMIT, and EXECUTE, you will succeed, and it is worth it! I did it, and so can you. But at the same time... I'm still not satisfied ;) So please continue to join me in my future adventures. I hope to continue trying new things, reading and researching, and hope to one day develop my own program. And as always, if you hear of anything, or have any questions, don't ever hesitate to ask!!!

Keep on Improving!

No matter what it is you are working on, try and have measureable goals so you can see your progress other than on the scale. For those of you on hCG try using a measuring tape as well. Then when you have days that you stall, you can look at those inches lost! Yesterday, I completed my 2nd fit test for the Insanity Program. I improved on everything! 110 switch kicks(+10), 55 power jacks(+5), 113 power knees(+28), 55 power jumps(+15), 13 globe jumps(+1), 18 suicide jumps(+3), 6/30 push up/jacks(+3), 70 low plank obliques(+20)!!! It was still pretty tough, but I felt like I could keep pushing, and wasn't near as short of breath. As far as measurements go, I initally gained about 3-4 lbs, but am now trending back down. Sitting at 156.1. All my inches have stayed the same except shoulders, chest, and biceps each went up a 1/2 - 1 inch, but I'm ok with that, sinces it's just an increase in muscle mass. Muscle is good :) Body fat has been hovering right around 20%. I'm hoping now that my body has adjusted, it will start taping into fat, and that # will start going down :)

Any time you start a fitness program you are going to see your greatest improvements in the begining. Completely normal! But as long as you keep seeing progress, you are on the right path. Once you start stalling, change a thing or two up, and it should get ya going again. If not, time to do something else. The human body is very adaptable, so you constantly want to 'shock' it, or keep it on its toes. You should adjust or change your work out every 6-8 weeks.

Overall, I'm still liking Insanity, and haven't missed a workout yet! Nuttriton, I'm still trying to figure a thing or two out with the grains, but am slowly having 1 or 2 a day now, and am managing that ok. Definitely glad Halloween is over! I have Bunco tonight, and my mom's birthday party on Friday. I'll eat clean tonight, but I am planning on Friday being a free meal, since we are going out for Pizza... No grains that day, and will try and fill up on salad, and enjoy a piece or two. It's all about having a plan. Just remember - Plan, Prepare, Commit, Execute! You can do it - I know I did!