Addressing Excuses

Since starting with P90 in January, moving onto P90X in April and now working through Insanity, I've had many people ask me what I do.  When I tell them (I eat a healthy diet, work out 6 days per week and keep pushing through and challenging my body) they either say
1: Cool, I've wanted to try (insert program here) for a while.  How do I get it?
or
2:  I could never do that because (insert excuse here).

1. "I don't have time to exercise."  Then I say:   Yes you do!  How much time do you spend sitting on the couch every night watching TV?  If you cut out one show per night (30-60 minutes) you could make major changes to your life and energy level.
2. "I don't have the energy to exercise.  I'm so tired when I get home from work."    Then I say:  The amazing thing about changing your diet to be cleaner and adding in regular exercise is that you find energy that you didn't realize you ever had.  You will sleep better at night, you will be able to focus your brain better, and you will reduce your stress levels.
3. "I could never follow a diet plan.  I'm too busy and/or I have kids"  I say:  You do have time.  Not only do you spend more money on your fast food lunches (that rob you of precious energy and leave you feeling more lethargic than before) but you spend time getting to the restaurant and waiting for them to deep fry your food and remove all semblance of nutrients in them.  You can easily prepare a nutritious, tasty, balanced meal in advance and even save money.  Best of all, Beachbody programs come with nutrition plans which lay out for you all of the options, recipes and even have guides for eating at restaurants.  If you really want to make it simple on yourself, try Shakeology.  You'll get amazing results, it tastes great, and it's actually good for you.  Also, your kids will eat what you give them if that is their only option.  Don't give them the option of junk food.  Give them two or three healthy choices and tell them that's what they can choose from.  They will eat better because they'll get hungry eventually ;)
4. "It's too expensive."  Small picture here:  Eating at restaurants, monthly gym memberships, constantly feeling tired/depressed/unhappy with your body,  spending money on "gadgets" to fix the problem for you, and so many other aspects of being unhealthy are far more draining on your wallet and your psyche than simply pressing play in your own home, working out and eating clean.  Big picture:  In the long run, you will save money because you will imporove your health.  Therefore, you will be at a lower risk for Diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.  You will have more energy and feel better about yourself.  You will sleep better, you will get more regular and you'll want to keep the momentum going.  Also, you can become a Team Beachbody member and get 10% off or become a Coach and get 25% off.  So, it's really not that expensive after all!

Trust me- once you get past your own objections (these were the excuses I used to make to myself all the time) you'll be able to help people overcome theirs, too!
Have a great day and let's get active!

Insanity-Here I come!

Here I come, Insanity!
We've finished P90X and have started Insanity!  Yesterday was our Fit Test and I thought that was hard.  Today was the first "real" day and wow, I was barely prepared for the level of difficulty that this program brings. 
Insanity is billed as the hardest exercise program...ever.  I believe it!  Today we did the Plyometric Cardio Circuit and boy was it hard.  It was over 40 minutes of heart-pumping plyo and cardo moves and I loved every minute of it..well, okay, once I was done I loved that I had finished it. 

I was able to do the whole thing but did have to break occasionally as my heart, at times, felt like it was going to explode out of my chest.  However, after I took my 10-second break I made sure to get right back into position and focus and hold my form correctly.  I don't just want to make it through, I want to really dig deep and do it right to get through this program.
I think that Insanity is going to do what I need it to do-and that is melt these last inches away.  I also think that there's a very good chance that I'll be down from a size 10 to a 6 by the end of these 60 days.  We'll see!

Why I am a Coach

Here it is-the Nitty-Gritty. This is why i have become a coach. I want to show my daughters that women should be active and healthy.

Why I'm a Coach

Right now I'm a stay at home mom who works a variety of jobs trying to pull in that extra income we need to survive.  One of my jobs, of course, is being a stay at home mom.  Being the parent at home means that I take the lion share of the chores and errands.  I am the laundry person, dishes, cleaning, gardening, playdate-arranger and the one who contacts any contractors we may need.  I also do the shopping and budgeting for the house.  We have found that life is easier if one person is in charge of the money, tracks the bills to be paid and decides how and on what our extra money is spent on. 
On the side, I also write this and one other blog.  I blog because I have always loved writing and because I think that I am really fascinating.  I really enjoy organizing my thoughts and trying to get a story out that is succinct and coherent.  Blogging gives me a sense of creativity and accomplishment and some serious instant gratification.
My third business is one that I have started recently to keep me accountable and stay true to my new, healthier, lifestyle.  I have started as a Coach for Beachbody an it has helped me nail down my fitness and financial goals.  I now have a concrete reason for working out and trying the new Beachbody programs-I want to know what I'm recommending to people!  Besides, I couldn't really be a good coach if I never worked out, right?  I couldn't be a good coach if I still had the same bad habits that led me to the unhealthy place I was before.  Now I just have an additional reason to be healthy, take time to challenge my body and soul and try to build a living off of that. 
It also helps me feel that I am doing something to help our community.  Our country is dealing with an epidemic of epic proportions-obesity.  It is something that I have battled and now, thanks to the behavioral changes my family has made, we are all healthier and happier.  I feel like I have a duty to help spread that word about an approach that works.  I also want to be a good example for my daughters and show them that women should be strong, confident and healthy.  I want them to be able to do pull-ups and push-ups and believe that their body is worth taking care of!
The nice thing about being a coach is that you are encouraged to start where you are right now.  You're encouraged to build your self confidence, believe in your goals and are shown how to accomplish those goals.
Now, here's what I'm not:
A Fitness Guru:  I don't know everything.  I don't have a perfect body or even a bikini body.  What I do have is knowledge about Beachbody and the programs and proof that if you work hard, change your habits and push play, you will acheive the body shape and size you desire.  I think that this is so important because I hemmed and hawed over whether or not to be a Coach for a while.  I thought that I was too fat, didn't know enough about business or sales, etc.  I am a perfect example of what I would want in a coach.  I would want someone who understood how hard it is to make these huge behavioral changes.  I would want someone to understand how hard it is to get your butt in gear and make exercise a serious part of your day.  I would also want someone to encourage me because they know how rewarding it is to meet your goals.  I have met my first fitness goal-that was to be a size 10.  Now I have decided to revise that goal to be a size 6-and for the first time in my life, when it happens, it will be because I've made smart food choices, smart exercise choices and have created a sustainable, healthier, lifestyle.
A Business Guru:  This is truly the best part of the Beachbody business.  They are masters of marketing, team building and training.  From day one I have received excellent training on how to be a successful coach (they call it "The Game Plan")  Now, if I had just listened from day one I could really be so much further along.  I didn't follow the first rule-"Treat your business like a business"  I have just started to do that in the past two weeks and things are already picking up. 

Now on the other hand, I am:
Motivated and energized and a "true believer" of these products.  I really love the company and everything that I read about Beachbody, every video series that is put out, every trainer (especially Tony Horton!) is so very motivational.  Every week there is a training call, there are talking points, there are great incentives and the potential for commissions is endless.  I have a goal to be a Diamond Coach by the end of the year but that is just the beginning for me.

If, after reading this, you want to find out more about being a Beachbody Coach please contact me.  I would be your upline coach and would support you and show you the ropes.  I want to help you build a successful business so that you, too, can replace your full-time income.  I know that these things are going to happen.  The question is-are you willing to take a chance now instead of later?  If I knew what I know now, I would have done this three years ago.

Watch This Video  It will light a fire under you and help you decide to be a coach. 

E-mail me here  I will answer all of your questions and get you started.

Don't wait.  The opportunity to be a coach is always going to be there-but why put off a good decision?  Together we can change ourselves, our community and our country for the better.  We can help create a culture of fitness and financial independence. 

Phase 3 Diet Plan

Here we are in my favorite part of the meal plan-phase 3!  I am not exaggerating when I say that I almost started weeping when I looked at the plan.  Why?  Well, because we're supposed to take in close to equal parts protein and carbohydrates!  That is great news for both our budget and my carb loving self. 
So far two of my favorites are the stuffed baked potatoes and the pita chips with hummus.  I love a nice, crunchy snack so this part of the plan is fantastic.  I'm loving Phase 3!

Week 10 (Phase 3)

Hello!  We are now in Week 10 of P90X and still having a blast.  We're working to muscle failure every day and have really noticed a difference in our strength levels and flexibility.  My husband was able to do 10 plyo push-ups today!  I'm so proud! 
I have noticed that I can attempt and complete things like one armed push-ups, various core exercises, and most of the Yoga workout that I never would have believed I could do.  P90X has helped me to find my confidence and believe that I can do these things!
Oh, also, today we totaled up the entire amount of inches that I have lost from my body since January, when I started P90.  The total so far is 33 inches!  That, to me, is unbelievable!

A Look Back on Seven Years of FAT

We have made it through 2/3 of the P90X program!  I can't believe it!  We are now more than half-way there, and are loving what we're seeing for results.
I am noticing so much more muscle tone than I have ever had before that I am completely amazed.  I am back to the size (almost) that I was when we were married 8 years ago.  I have more energy than I ever have before and I can wear clothes comfortably that never would have fit over my hips at any time in the past 7 years.  
My greatest accomplishment happened the other day.  I bought some size 10 shorts at Old Navy and several tank tops and t-shirts.  All of the shirts were size Medium!  It was unbelievable to me that I could pick up a pair of size 10's and know that they were going to fit.  I was so sure that they would fit that I didn't even try them on.  And, you know what?  They fit!  I did the same thing with my shirts.  When I got home and tried everything on I was ecstatic. This is amazing to me because for the past 7 years I have made up every  excuse in the book to avoid taking responsibility for my weight/size/health.   I have told myself that I get plenty of exercise (but didn't change my diet habits) or changed my diet habits and didn't exercise.  I have tried to convince myself that my hormones were out of whack, and maybe that I am just "supposed" to be "this size." 
Now I see that I had been cheating myself out of all of those years of feeling good, looking good and investing in myself.  Even at my best, when I was exercising 5 days per week, I was going to the gym before work and using the elliptical machine for 30 minutes per day.  I still ate whatever I wanted, and I never changed my routine unless someone got to the machines before I did.  I didn't lift any weights, I didn't do any ab work and I didn't challenge my body.  I blamed everything else for my failure and I made myself a victim...helpless and hopeless. 
Then, in January, I discovered that all of those years I had been lying to myself.  I had been doing everything wrong and making all kinds of excuses and justifications to keep doing the same things over and over.  I had cheated myself out of years of feeling great.  I discovered these things when I started Power 90, started using Sparkpeople.com and started to notice that when I followed that simple rule (take in fewer calories than you expend) you will lose weight.  Then, when I started P90X and actually followed the plan (with the diet plan) I saw muscles starting to pop out and now, instead of looking at my whole body as "trouble zones" I look at it as a success with a few areas (belly and thighs) that need some extra work.  I am already a success story and I'm not even done yet!