More Happy Health

Attend a Beachbody Opportunity Webinar and learn what it takes to get started and how you can earn extra income doing what you love.  Get ready to change your life andthose around you!

This week’s guest speaker is Kathy Smith! Are you racking your brain trying to recall who Kathy Smith is?  Kathy Smith has been a leader in the fitness industry since 1980.  Kathy is a mother, a trusted motivator  and she has sold more than $50 million in infomercial products and over 16 million workout videos worldwide!  She is the creator of Beachbody’s Project: YOU! Type 2 fitness program developed in conjunction with doctors, certified diabetes educators, and the American Diabetes Association as the first all-in-one solution to help manage diabetes, reduce your risk for diabetes complications, and get back in control of your life!

Let’s talk after the webinar so I can address any of your questions or to get started!

Next Webinar:  Tuesday, July 28th, 2009, 9pm – 10pm Central Time

Click Here to Register

Kathy Smith today!

I am closing in on my first 30 days of P90X and that means I will soon be posting my 30 Day progress photos.  Taking a picture of myself in a bikini is always a little scary to me, but I’m feeling a little more confident about it this time around.  Although there aren’t huge visible changes for me since I started P90X, there are significant changes in my stamina and metabolism and I am noticing less wiggle and jiggle in my jumps.  Since I wear the BodyBugg, I am able to monitor my resting calorie burn and compare how many calories I burn at rest as well as when I’m working out.  I am burning more calories at rest now than I was a month ago.  That means that even while I’m sitting here typing this update, my body is burning calories at a higher level than it did before.  This allows me to eat more food and still lose inches.  Because of my busy schedule, I find it hard to get in all the calories I need, so I have started adding Vanilla Whey Protein Powder to either my Shakeology drink in the morning or my P90X Results & Recovery Formula after I workout.  It adds a creamier texture to either drink and it gives me the added nutrition my body needs.

I have missed a few of the P90X workouts because I spent two weekends away to go to Turbo Kick training.  Trust me, I wasn’t slacking at training.   Each day of Turbo Kick training included about three hours of high-intensity activity.  I burned more calories those days than I ever thought possible.  Since I was busy doing Turbo Kick, I missed two Yoga X and Legs & Back days.  Again, that’s okay, because one of the Turbo Kick training days we did PiYo™, which brings Pilate’s and Yoga together to burns more calories while transforming the body.  It is intense!

Last night was Plyometrics night and my legs were screaming about half-way through.  I cannot believe that after doing this several times, I still get that burn.  Do you know what Plyometrics means?  According to Mr. Horton, Plyometrics (Plyo for short) comes from Eastern Europe in the early 1970s.  It is also known as “jump training.”  The drills in Plyo are designed to improve your ability to run faster, jump higher, and maneuver in multidirectional sports.  Plyometrics can help improve performance for the casual to serious athletes in the areas of court sports, track, field, mat, pool, ring, rink or mountain – I think that covers about all sports.  Plyo is not easy and you will find yourself gasping for air.  You have to keep reminding yourself you can do it!  Most of the drills are only 30 seconds long.  I find it helpful to count my reps out loud and not look at the countdown clock on the screen.  When you feel like your legs are about to collapse, and they will feel that way, five seconds more can seem impossible.  Focus on your form, focus on the rewards, focus on your goals, focus on your breathing, focus on yourself – whatever it is that centers you, put your focus there – you can make it through!

I encourage you to take the warm-up and stretch time seriously.  The warm-up is essential in preparing you for the workout.  Start at the beginning and work through to the end.  Plyo is a ‘repeat workout,’ meaning you will perform a sequence of four exercises which you will repeat before moving on to the next set of four exercises.  Keeping this in mind, do not go all out on the first set.  Exert effort, but don’t burn yourself out – you will be using the same muscles again in a few minutes and if you fatigue them on the first round, you’ll be toast on the second round.  Patience young grasshopper!

So, all-in-all, how would I rank my first three weeks with P90X?  Great!  I am excited to go into the first Recovery Week.  Quick note:  P90X is a 90 day program, broken down into three 30 day Phases.  Each phase has three weeks of intensity work and one week of recovery.  Tony Horton is quick to point out that Recovery is not easy either, it just means that the body gets a break from heavy resistance training.  I will be doing my Recovery week while on vacation in Cancun!  I will let you know how it was when I get back.

If you want to talk more about any of the fitness programs or nutritional supplements I’ve mentioned in my blog, please let me know.  Let’s talk!

“The scale must be broken.”

“Why am I not losing weight?”

“This fitness program doesn’t work.”

“Exercise just isn’t for me.”

“I’m not coordinated enough for that.”

“I’m not strong enough for that.”

“I guess I’m just meant to be (your choice)___fat__heavy__thick__full-figured___.”

“I’m so frustrated – I give up!”

“This just isn’t worth it - I quit!”

Ever thought or said any of these statements?  Sure.  We all have, right? Absolutely.  Even the fittest among us have thought these thoughts or made these same statements, but the fittest don’t actually quit or give-up.  If they aren’t seeing improvements in their overall health or losing weight, inches or body fat, they figure out why and then they put together a plan and get their booty in gear.  High gear that is.

The statements above are common statements I hear people make all the time when it comes to losing weight or getting fit.  One thing I’d like to point out is that all of these statements are based on emotion.  Our emotions are powerful and often times capable of defying logic or even sound reasoning.  Let me break down these statements and let’s get the emotions out of the way and focus on logic.

• Really now, how many times does a bathroom scale break?  I have never heard anyone legitimately say, I have to buy a new bathroom scale because mine “broke.”  It may be that you have an older version that may be ‘off’ a little, but for the most part – the scale is accurate.  Please refer back to my article about Muscle vs. Fat. You may just need to step away from the scale and use a cloth (soft) measuring tape.  The second thing to ask yourself is if you are truly sticking to your plan?  Whether it’s reducing calories or exercise – which by the way, you should never go on just a calorie reduction plan without adding exercise to it.  You may lose weight at first, which begins with water weight and then some fat and also muscle.  Muscle burns fat and calories, so why would you want to lose muscle?  You need to remind yourself this: “I want to exercise so that I can build muscle, which will burn more calories and fat and I will lose more weight.”  You HAVE to get that in your head!  Remember, you may not be losing weight because you are building muscle, which weighs more and takes up less room than fat.  Measure yourself and track it to see if you are losing inches.
• So the fitness program isn’t working for you?  Or are you not working during the fitness program?  I can tell you from experience there is a big difference in just going through the motions and really, truly working hard.  Let me use sculpt training as an example.  When you begin your program you may find that doing four sets of 8 squats without holding any additional weight is difficult, but within a couple of weeks you should be able to do that same number of squats while holding some additional weight or you could do more sets of the squats and go deeper into the squat while maintaining proper form.  If you continue to do the same thing expecting improved results – it’s not going to work!  You have to continually asses your fitness program to see if you are pushing yourself hard enough or if you are really exerting enough effort during the workout.  Another example I like to use comes from kickboxing type workouts like Turbo Jam/Turbo Kick.  You can go through the motions of the routines without exerting much effort, or you can power through each move and give it your all.  The more power you exert, the more calories you will burn.  So kick and punch like you mean it!
• Every program is not for every person. You may have to try several different formats or routines until you find the one that fits you.  Just because your best friend loves her red 5 inch platform heels doesn’t mean you will.  Same goes with exercise.  Experiment with programs and talk with other people about what they like and why.  There IS a program out there that will get you excited and get you moving – trust me.
• You are not meant to be fat, overweight, inactive, unhealthy, depressed, frustrated, angry….  You are meant to be healthy!  Healthy is not represented by a dress size or the number on a scale.  There are reasonable guidelines for healthy weight ranges and you may be on the high end of that scale, but are you healthy?  Have you been in for a complete physical lately so you know?  It’s important to consult with your physician and above and beyond anything else, please keep your focus on your overall health.  I’m serious when I say that a healthy person is a more happy person.  Partner with your physician to be the healthiest (and happiest) you can be.
• Never give up! Evaluate, change or adjust what you are doing, but DON”T QUIT!  If you ever feel like quitting, go look in the mirror and tell yourself you CAN do it.  You can feel better, healthier, happier, more powerful, more confident and more comfortable, but only if you don’t quit.  Don’t accept defeat.  By the way, if you give up, who defeated you?  YOU!  Be your own BFF and not your own worst enemy.  You are special and unique and above all – you are worth it!

I am always looking for more people to help achieve their health and fitness goals.  If you want to get fit, healthier and happier -we need to talk!  If you order from me, I will be your personal Team Beachbody Coach.  I can help you choose the right fitness program for you and give you guidance and support on nutrition and lifestyle choices.  I LOVE to help people reach their goals!!  I have a great team of Beachbody Coaches across the United States that can help you as well. Together Everyone Achieves More – TEAM! Let’s talk!

Let’s face it, a gym membership isn’t cheap and on top of it, your time is priceless!  I know some people love going to the gym.  They enjoy the social interaction, the ‘gym feel’ and structured classes.  I, on the other hand, prefer to get fit at home and work with others who feel the same way.

I used to have a gym membership.  In fact, I’ve had several memberships over the years.  Each time I felt like I wanted to get fit, I would find a gym, make a visit, sign-up, go for a couple of months and then slowly, over time, I would quit going.  The membership fee would still come out of my bank account every month whether I went or not, so I’d cancel my membership after my initial term was up.  Then time would pass and I would convince myself there were reasons I didn’t go to ‘that’ gym.  Some of those reason were that the class times weren’t convenient for me, or I didn’t feel comfortable there, or I didn’t have time, etc. and then I’d go through the whole thing again at another gym – only to quit once again.  Who knows how much money I have spent on memberships I’ve never used!

Then one day, I discovered that with minimal investment I could get fit at home when it was convenient for me.  I started with a weight bench and some free weights and a few home fitness DVDs.  I found there were days in which I could get my workout in before work and then there were days where a late night workout was all I could do.  No matter what time I chose to workout, all I had to do was put on my workout clothes and pop in a DVD or jump on the machine in the corner of the spare bedroom.  I didn’t have to go anywhere, which saves me a significant amount of time and I didn’t have to worry about packing my gym bag – you know how many times I got to the gym without a critical article of clothing, like workout shorts or shoes?  It’s a pain to try and remember everything for work and then the kids lunches, permission slips, homework – and then pack a gym bag on top of it.  No thanks!  I also like being able to jump right in the shower and have a cup of coffee while I get ready for the day.  Some of the Beachbody moms I work with tell me they like to workout during their kids’ nap-time or before they wake-up in the morning and no more reserving time and dragging the kids to the gym child care center.  You know what’s cool too?  Older kids get inspired by your dedication to fitness and they will join you.  I hear stories about little ones doing kiddie modified fitness programs with their parents.  Some of the Beachbody programs are even designed just for kids like Shaun Ts Fit Kids® Club.  What a great way to be a role model for your children!

Another bonus to getting fit at home is that I don’t have to worry about what I look like while I’m working out.  I can make funny faces, sweat, grunt, smile, laugh or whatever and not worry about other people seeing me.  I get better results in less time at home too.  There is no downtime at home as I don’t have to wait for anyone to get done with a piece of equipment I want to use or wait for an instructor to show up.  I guess you could call me a control fanatic, but getting fit at home just works for me.

As a recap – I choose to get fit at home because:

• I save time – I don’t have to drive anywhere, I don’t have to pack a gym bag, I can jump right in the shower and get ready at home, no packing the kids up, no child care required
• I don’t care what I look like – I workout harder and get better results
• I save money – I don’t use gas driving to the gym, I purchase fitness DVDs and minimal equipment to create custom workout programs that work for me, my old gym shorts work well and I don’t have to have the cute new styles – unless I treat myself, and I do!
• I make money getting fit – Because I have achieved results and because I love the Beachbody products, it has been easy for me to make money by being a independent Beachbody Coach.  I get to help people achieve their health and fitness goals and that is fun for me!

If you want to get fit at home and don’t know where to start, let me suggest a few programs for you:

Turbo Jam – Kickboxing and body-sculpting workouts set to the hottest dance music . . . get ready to rock your workout! With trainer Chalene Johnson.

ChaLEAN Extreme – Get ready to burn fat and get lean with ChaLEAN Extreme, the new extreme workout system that transformed everyone in the test group with 3 simple words: MUSCLE BURNS FAT®. It’s a fact. The more lean muscle you have, the more fat you burn. You can burn up to 60% of your body fat in just 3 months and see visible results every 30 days – GUARANTEED!

Hip Hop Abs – Dance your way to hot, sexy abs and burn the fat off your entire body with Shaun T’s fun, exciting dance program! Using Shaun’s revolutionary Absolute Engagement™ technique, you’ll “Tilt, Tuck, & Tighten” your way to 6-pack abs without doing a single sit-up or crunch.

P90X Extreme Training System – Twelve routines that keep introducing new moves and challenging your muscles to get you absolutely ripped in 90 days. With trainer Tony Horton.

Insanity Total Body 60-Day Conditioning Program – Transform your body in 60 days with the most intense workout program ever put on DVD. Shaun T will push you past your limits to get the hardest body you’ve ever had.

I am always looking for more people to help achieve their health and fitness goals.  If you order from me, I will be your personal Team Beachbody Coach.  I can help you choose the right fitness program for you and give you guidance and support on nutrition and lifestyle choices.  I LOVE to help people reach their goals!!  I have a great team of Beachbody Coaches across the United States that can help you as well. Together Everyone Achieves More – TEAM! Let’s talk!