Try it Before you Buy It!

It's not often that a company lets you try their product before you buy it, but for a limited time only, Beachbody is doing just that!  

For the month of July, Beachbody is offering 3 of their top workout programs in challenge packs for free.  Yep, I said it. FREE!!!  We supply the fitness, the food, and well...yeah, the fun.   

For this very limited time, you can choose from P90X, TurboFire, or Brazil Butt Lift. You will also have your choice of Shakeology flavors, Chocolate, Greenberry, and Tropical Strawberry. You will only pay $14.95 for shipping/handling, along with tax. 

After 30 days, if you are getting amazing results, you'll be charged the remaining balance. If not, return everything. It's entirely RISK FREE.  

What do you have to lose...besides pounds & inches???

To help ensure your success, once you choose your program and place your order, you'll be added to a special Facebook group with loads of other people on the same journey toward better health & fitness! We won't let you fail!   The ball is in YOUR court. All I need from YOU is to GO.

Click on Shop in the middle of this page. When the pop-up window occurs, click on Trial Offers on the left side (second from top.) Make your choice. Order. Email ME to let me know of your decision, and I'll add you to the Facebook group!   Easy as 1, 2, 3!

Remember, these trial packs are available for a VERY limited time! What are you waiting for??? Go...NOW! 

Are all Calories created equal?

I recently had a friend who was trying to lose weight, and was growing ever more frustrated by the fact that the scale was not cooperating.  When I asked her what she was doing to try to lose weight, she said she had reduced her calories to 1300-1500 a day.  That sounds reasonable, don't you think?  When, after a few days, she still was seeing no change on the scale, I asked to see her food journal. 

Sure enough, she was only eating those calorie amounts, but it was WHAT those calories were that was the problem!  A typical day consisted of a sugary cereal for breakfast, fast food chicken strips and small fries for lunch, and 2 slices of pizza for dinner, with a snack of 3 musketeers bar...for a total of 1495 calories. Yep, that was within her range she had set for herself.  What she was not taking into account was the 66 grams of fat, 166 grams of carbs, and 2700 mg of sodium, and less than 45 grams of protein.  All of these are factors in what makes up your body composition.


What if she had had a day of oatmeal with blueberries, and whole wheat toast for breakfast, still going with fast food, a Subway Philly steak without cheese on flatbread with light ranch for lunch, and a dinner of grilled salmon, roasted sweet potatoes, grilled asparagus, and a small dinner salad. During the day she has snacks of strawberries, string cheese, and THEN has dessert after dinner of Skinny Cow Caramel Truffle bar!!! Would you feel deprived with all that food? That's 1278 calories, 38 grams of fat, 127 grams of carbs, only 1478 mg of sodium and 88 grams of protein.

Instead of "dieting" and trying to cut calories, focus more on eating healthy! Fueling your body with nutritious foods will lead you towards your goals at a steady, healthy pace. You will look better, feel better and perform better throughout the day!

Abs are Made in the Kitchen

Ever heard the saying “abs are made in the kitchen”? Well it’s true! While training your abs WILL build the muscle… you will NOT be able to see them if you have a layer of fat over the top! In order to “get abs”, you have to lower your overall body fat! Another saying we hear alot is “70% diet, 30% training”… I’d go a step further and say “80% diet, 20% training”.

Most people don’t realize just how important proper nutrition is. While calories in versus calories out will determine weight loss or gain … the TYPE of weight lost or gained is determined by what you’re eating! For example: If you are eating in a caloric deficit and hardly eating any protein, it’s likely that the majority of weight you’re losing is coming from muscle. Same goes for when you are eating in a caloric surplus … if you’re eating clean with plenty of protein, it’s likely muscle ... whereas if you were eating mainly junk food, it’s more likely to be fat. (But remember, if you aren’t incorporating resistance training, you are at a much higher risk of losing muscle and/or gaining fat!)   

Also, keep in mind that it is practically impossible to gain ONLY muscle without a little bit of fat along with it.. just as it is impossible to lose ONLY fat without losing a little bit of muscle.                   

Eat clean and within the calorie range you have determined you need for your goals, and you will likely reach them much faster than if you are “eating dirty”!

Getting Rid of Water Weight

Water weight can not only push your scale in the upward direction, but can also give you a bloated feeling. (Yuck...with a capital Y!...can anyone else say "where are my fat jeans?")              

It’s more than certain that a good percentage of your despised ‘fat’ is actually excess fluid (water retention) that you are carrying around due to a combination of too much caffeine, too much sugar, too much salt, too many grain-based foods, and a hormonal imbalance brought on by all this bad food, coupled with daily stress. Talk about a recipe for bloating and disaster!

GOOD NEWS:  It’s easy enough to trim your body of extra fluid by making a few simple changes to the way you eat... No, I’m not talking about going without water! Try cutting all of the above-mentioned foods out of your diet for 2 weeks, as well as any form of table salt. Remember that sugar, caffeine, salt and starches are often hidden in processed foods, so you may as well cut them out as well. I promise you will be amazed at the difference this will make in as little as a few days – sticking to it for 2 weeks will ensure that you actually start to lose body fat as well. Sound too tough for you? Tough luck then – you won’t be looking any leaner anytime soon.

Take it a step at the time:

-Drink eight glasses of water per day. Water reduces the amount of sodium in the blood to ease water retention.

-Lower your carb intake. Instead of eating foods high in carbs, such as breads, pastas and rice, have most of your meals come from protein sources, such as chicken, eggs, beans, beef, fish and pork.

-Limit the amount of salt in your diet. Avoid salty foods such as chips, processed foods, fast food, soy sauce, canned vegetables and canned soups. And avoid adding any extra table salt to your foods when cooking at home too. (How many of you start shaking the salt on before even tasting your food?  GUILTY here!)

-Eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Foods with high water content can help ease water retention. Consume a minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables a day; like celery, melons, lettuce, cucumbers and spinach.

-Do high intensity cardio workouts. Workouts that make you sweat a lot can help you get rid of water weight quickly. If you are doing a 45 minute workout, half of the time, you should do high intensity cardio moves, such as running, jumping jacks or kick boxing. The other half of the time should be spent doing strength training moves, such as squats, lunges and push-ups.

Hopefully some of these tips will have you on your way with a little less puff, and alot more pep in your step! 

Water...The Miracle Liquid

Don't roll your eyes! The potion for losing that excess body fat is all around you. It covers two thirds of the planet. If you eat right and exercise at the intensity, frequency and duration proper for you, but still can’t get rid of a little paunch here and there, you’re probably just not drinking enough water.
No need to get defensive. You’re actually quite normal. Most people don’t drink enough water. Most people are also carrying around a few more pounds than they would be if they did drink enough water. If you can’t seem to get that weight off, try drowning your sorrows in nature’s magical weight-loss mineral.

Whether you’re on a weight loss journey, you’re trying to lose belly fat, or you’re just trying to be healthier, it’s always a good idea to keep well-hydrated, and to do that, you’ll want to keep a bottle of water with you everywhere you go. Sip from it every now and then, and you’ll feel fuller, more invigorated, and you’ll also be a lot less likely to indulge in a sugar-laden soda or juice if you’re not thirsty! This is a sure way to lose stomach fat; try it for a week and you’ll see what a difference it makes!