Weight Loss Misconception #1:

‘If I don't eat breakfast or have something small like a piece of fruit, I'll lose weight’. WRONG!  

Skipping breakfast is the number 1 reason why people are overweight and/or have a hard time trying to lose weight. 

If you’re not fueling your body and eating breakfast within an hour or two of waking up then your metabolism is not doing what it needs to do to help your body burn calories so you can burn fat and lose weight. 

Skipping breakfast or having something small like a piece of fruit is not the answer. When you skip meals or hardly eat, your body thinks that something is wrong and goes into starvation mode. Your body pretty much panics and says 'ok I'm not getting any of the nutrients I need so something is wrong and I need to hold on to anything and everything that comes my way so I don't starve to death'. 

When this happens, your body starts to store fat to protect itself. Storing fat = not losing fat/weight
Also, skipping/skimping on breakfast will have you so starved by lunch time, it will cause you to over eat and crave unhealthy foods. 

Eating breakfast is even more important when you are working out.
If you are working out then your body definitely needs the calories to fuel your body. Think of it this way, can your car move without gas? If you don’t fuel the tank then the car doesn’t drive right?

Do not think less is more because in this case it is NOT!
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you want something that is high in fiber and has protein in it. Eating a proper breakfast will get your metabolism going and start you off right for the day so that you are not craving unhealthy foods or over eating throughout the day. 

If you need someone to help you get in shape then message me (fitnessqt83@gmail.com).
I can keep you accountable and give you information and tips on how to lose weight the right way.

 

Next Challenge: Les Mills PUMP

My next fitness challenge starts Today!
Les Mills 90 Day Weight Lifting Program.

When it comes to weight lifting, changing your body and building muscle, popular belief suggest that in order to achieve the best results you should overload your muscles with heavy weights lifted at a low rate of repetition to bring your muscles to fatigue.

It is true that in order to change your body, muscle fatigue is necessary but Les Mills Pump uses The Rep Effect to achieve MAXIMUM results. The Rep Effect fatigues the muscles by using light to moderate weights lifted at a higher rate of repetition. By using The Rep Effect you achieve more meaningful fat loss and fatigue the muscles to build strength without building bulk to create a sleeker and stronger physique.

Long time no blog….

I felt that a blog update was deserved for the new journey I’m about to embark on. So here goes:
For several months I have been going back and forth. Debating, pondering, weighing my options. I wouldn’t say it was a tough decision. I knew I wanted to do this but I wanted to make sure it was right for me and that I would be able to fully commit to it once I started. 

It’s no secret that I have been going through the motions with my weight for years and it wasn’t until about 2-3 years ago that I actually started to feel more comfortable in my skin and that was when I became a Beachbody coach. Being a coach has not only given me a secondary income but it has also introduced me to some amazing people and amazing products. These products along with the things I’ve learned while being a coach has contributed to my confidence in a big way. 

More recently, I’ve noticed that my confidence has been lacking a bit lately. That saying ‘Shit Happens’…. FACTS! That saying has been my life for the past 5 months, maybe longer. My last job, I would use the word hate but I’m sure whatever feelings I had towards it, hate would not come close to describing it. I was so stressed that I was working out to offset the stress but whenever you are as miserable as I was in any part of your life, everything is going to be thrown out of whack. My weight completely stopped and I hit a plateau. Now that I have a new job and the stress is pretty much gone I have found peace but with that peace has come about 10lbs. I don’t know how it happened but I do know that it happened quickly! I guess the happier I am the more I eat? Lol. 

The moment I realized that I had gone back to my old lazy self, Lisa before Beachbody, the Lisa I told myself I would never be again. That was a miserable day for me. Thinking about all the hard work I had done to lose weight and then to gain back 10lbs so quickly… That is when I started weighing my options, I knew I had to get back to working out like I had been but I also knew that going back to just my soul-mate workout Turbo Fire was not going to do it. I have 30lbs (used to be 20lbs but we won’t talk about that anymore) to hit my goal weight so that means my high intense cardio love is going to need something to kick it up a notch. My coach Kristy has been telling me for the longest that weight lifting will help me in so many ways and for the longest I’ve felt like I am not the weight lifting kind of girl, that I just wouldn’t be able to do it. It’s that exact way of thinking that gets a lot of us into the mindset that we are not good enough when that is a lie! 

So I had a true golden moment of growth. You know what that is right? A moment where you keep telling yourself ‘I can’t do it… I’m not good enough… Why am I even bothering?…’ and then you wake up and realize, ‘why the hell would I choose failure when success is an option?!’. You push through and in that special moment you grow for the better. You grow stronger and become more confident in yourself and your abilities to handle situations.  This is where confidence is created, strength is formed, and you become this person that you never dreamed you could be and do things you never imaged. 

I had my golden moment of growth when I realized that failure will NOT be my option because I have the tools, everything I need to succeed with any goal I set for myself.
So starting today I begin a 90 day weight lifting program called Les Mills Pump. Here we go!

25 days of Beachbody Challenge & Loving Me!

I started my Beachbody Challenge on 1/17/2012. I did not think that 25 days later my stomach would have gone down as much as it has, my arms, my legs, I feel AMAZING! I decided to do TurboFire again and I've also been incorporating some other quick little workouts (12 mins) here and there for toning. Combine Shakeology to the mix and you have got SUCCESS in the bag for losing weight.

I've been drinking no less than 64ozs of water a day and I've been eating clean. Nothing special, I have Shakeology for breakfast, then a couple hours later I'll have a snack (maybe an egg over medium and a piece of toast or a piece of fruit), a couple hours later I'll have lunch which is usually a salad or a sandwich, maybe some grilled chicken and veggies. I follow that with another snack a couple hours later and dinner 2-3 hours after that, making sure to never eat 3 hours before I lay down for sleepy time.

I think the hardest part of the past 25 days has been giving up soda. I love Pepsi and I actually craved it so bad one day that I drank 4ozs just to chill out lol. Cravings happen and if after drinking some water and waiting 20 minutes, if that craving is still in full effect then I just say OK I'll have a little and that is it. I'm not saying do that everyday, luckily cravings don't happen that often.

Emotionally, I have been a little bit of a mess these last 25 days but working out has helped TREMENDOUSLY! I've been a little sick and usually when that happens I stop working out and deal with it but this time I pushed through. I didn't put myself at risk and I did listen to my body. On days where I was like there is no way this is going to happen then I called it a rest day and took to the bed. I've done a lot of thinking and a lot of crying and I really believe that this is part of my process. I'm finally focused enough to make this change into a healthier lifestyle and for me that has been making realization about my life. I've shed tears, pounds and inches, baggage, negativity, and I can feel the new me emerging every single day.

I think I feel what people mean when they say 'you have to love yourself first before you can love anyone else or allow anyone else to love you' (something like that). I can feel that love I have for myself, by taking care of me and putting good things into my body and allowing everything to function as it should. I think 2012 is going to be an amazing year and the new Lisa is going to do awesome things!

Until next time!
XOXO
Lisa

5 Small Changes to Start Losing Weight

I've been doing some thinking today... I've been battling with my weight since I was 18 years old and here I am about to turn 29 and I still haven't reached my fitness goal. I kept thinking about mistakes I've made over the years and I think my biggest mistakes were trying to jump into losing weight too fast. I would get pumped up and give it my all for 2 weeks then fall off the wagon. One thing I have learn is that slow and steady wins the race.

Last summer I did great getting into shape and eating better and even though I wasn't able to workout as much as I like, I still held on to my current weight (I didn't gain anything back, I actually lost about a half an inch in certain places). I stuck with eating clean and making sure I drank enough water and I stuck with Shakeology.

When you are trying to make a lifestyle change, because that is what we are doing. We are not going on a quick diet to lose some quick weight only to gain it back, we are making changes in our lives that we will stick with. So I wanted to share some tips on how I slowly got into making some lifestyle changes.

Tip#1 Make water your friend
If you don't like the plain taste of water, spice it up. I used to drink nothing but soda throughout the entire day. So when I started drinking water it was like yuck, so plain, no taste. To fix this, I invested in some Crystal Light which is actually pretty damn tasty.

Tip#2 Incorporate 64ozs of water daily.
I did this by purchasing a huge water jug (its actually pretty cute and fits my personality and its purple haha). The jug holds about 52ozs of water and has a center core that can be taken out and put in the freezer to keep your water nice and cold. I stared off drinking half a jug a day. After about a week I was drinking a whole jug. Now I can drink 2 jugs a water a day and may kill another one during my workout.

Tip#3 Weed out the bad food.
This actually wasn't as hard as I thought. Once I started working out my body actually craved healthier, lighter foods. I started by eating breakfast (something that I was NOT doing). I then started adding more meals throughout the day because I was only eating about twice a day. 2-3 hours after breakfast I would have a snack then 2-3 hours later I would have lunch. I started eating salads for lunch and I will admit when I first started I was loading the salad with a lot of things like bacon bits, chicken, cheese, mucho dressing. But like I said once I started working out my body was like 'no need for all that just give me some spinach, a lil' chicken, a bit of feta cheese, and a dab of light dressing and I'm good'. When your nice to your body, it returns the favor.

Tip#4 SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP
This is actually something I am still working on because I'm super insomnical and yes I do know that's not a work but I like how it sounds lol. Sometimes when I'm lucky, I'll get 8 hours of sleep and man oh man do I feel AWESOME the next day. Especially after eating clean the entire day and working out. I feel like I'm in a state of utopia. Now granted on bad nights when I only get like 2 hours of sleep, my day is a little rougher but that doesn't mean I'm not in bed by 10:00pm every night letting my body relax and calm down from the days previous events. When you are working out, you are making your body so strong, it can take it but in order for it to take all the working out you have got to allow it to rest up.

Tip#5 Commit to at least 30 minutes a day
Think about all the things you can do in 30 minutes. Watch a sitcom, take a bath, take a nap, read a couple of chapters of a book, listen to some music. All you need to do is start out slowly with 30 mins of activity a day. If it is nice outside, go for a walk. If you're anything like me and LOVE dancing, turn on some up beat music and dance for 30 mins (yes I have done this on MANY occasion)

The Workout That's Right For You....

Working out shouldn't be a chore. I mean yeah, you have to get up and get moving and sweat but think about it... When you are doing something you love doing, you don't look at it as a chore. You don't care about how much you move or sweat because you are doing something that you find enjoyable.

It wasn't hard for me to find my soul-mate workout. I've always loved to move to music and dance. If it had been in the stars, I probably would have been a dancer (contemporary & hip-hop). Anytime I hear an upbeat song, I'm up dancing, I don't care how tied I am or sad, depressed. Music and dancing are like LOVE to me.

When I first started my fitness journey I knew that walking/running on a treadmill was NOT going to be for me. I knew I would have to find something where I could listen to upbeat music and dance my booty off. I joined a gym and instantly fell in LOVE with Turbo Kick. Awesome music that you can find on my iPod and lots of bustin' moves. There's jabs, punches, upper cuts, round house kicks. I LOVE it! I feel like I'm having fun while kicking ass to a soundtrack haha. Now I've moved on to bigger things, TurboFire. Oh yes... I can feel the sweat just thinking about it. Talk about kicking ass. When I'm in TurboFire mode.... you might as well call me beastly!!

My point, working out doesn't have to be a daunting task. Just finding your soul-mate workout will take losing weight and getting into shape to a whole new level.

So what motivates you to get moving? Maybe you like running as a hobby. You can take that and turn it into a hell of a workout.

Think about things you enjoy doing that involves movement.
Checkout some of Beachbody workout programs, watch the videos at http://www.turboqt.com it's always good to research different workout programs. Workout programs from Beachbody offer a complete program with several workouts, a nutrient guide, and a workout schedule. You do everything from cardio to strength training, stretching, etc. With this, your body will not plateau and you WILL see results by the end of the program.

Finding the workout that is meant for you will taking working out to a whole new level and change your life!

Fitness Challenge 2012

HELLO 2012!

Are you ready to make this your year and get in the best shape of your life?

I will be conducting a Fitness Challenge beginning February 1st.
I am looking for 4-7 people to do this 30 day challenge. I am keeping the group small so that I will be available to personally answer any questions and provide motivation to help everyone reach their goals.

I'll have a Facebook group for this so you will need a Facebook account to join. The group will be private so only members of the group will be able to see any post.

This is for people who are seriously ready to change their lives, lose weight, and get in shape.

There are a few requirements:

The typical requirement to be accepted into a Beachbody Challenge group is to purchase a “Challenge Pack;” and this is the best way to get you the tools you need to make lasting changes. However, as a coach, I want to do whatever I can to encourage you, and I will be offering an alternative if you are unable to purchase the whole pack. First, a Challenge Pack gives you:

- A Beachbody workout program of your choice.
- Shakeology, a protein, nutrient dense shake to be taken every day (it would require a separate post to explain how amazing this stuff is. Take the time to read about it and watch videos at http://www.myshakeology.com/turboqt)
- A membership to the Beachbody Club (where you can customize meal plans and have complete access to all the information at the Teambeachbody website).


The Challenge Packs vary in price (depending on the workout program you choose), but they start at $160 and go up to $205. These prices are cheaper than if you were to purchase the items individually. When you put Shakeology on home direct, or HD, (which means it will be shipped to you monthly but can be cancelled at anytime) you get free shipping each month!


While I think this is a steal, I totally understand that it’s a tough time of year and that some of us have trouble spending money on ourselves. I personally know many of you that have contacted me, and know that you are committed to making changes! I want to help you accomplish that, so as long as you commit to at least one (1) of the three (3) items above, or you are committing to a personal recommendation I made to you, consider yourself a part of the group! If you don’t purchase a workout, I will want to discuss your workout schedule with you, how you plan to challenge your self, how you will mix up your workouts, etc. to be sure the workouts you plan to do are right for you and challenge you.


I am not charging any fees to be involved in this group. Beachbody is like a family, and once you are a part of it, you receive coaching support for free. If you truly commit, your reward will be looking and feeling great!


Getting added my group is easy. You will need to:

1. Visit http://www.turboqt.com and decide what you need to get started. If it’s a challenge pack, you will see those available for purchase after taking the challenge pledge (step 2). If you are only able to purchase Shakeology or only a workout program, you can do that under the shop tab. If you need help deciding what is right for you, let me know. As I mentioned above, I want to help you accomplish your goals and am willing to made adjustments to the requirements in order to get you started on a healthier path.


2. While at http://www.turboqt.com click on “Take the Challenge” on the home page, at the right. You’ll be required to answer some questions, and you’ll want to fill out this form to be eligible for $100,000. It also gives you the chance to win $500 each and every day. Beachbody gives out $500 every single day to one lucky winner simply for working out. Once you have taken the pledge and enter your workout each day (we’ll discuss how to do later), you are automatically entered for a chance to win $500.


That’s it! As soon as you’ve done this, I will send you an invite to the private FB group and send you some initial questions so that I can learn more about you and understand your health goals.


If for any reason you do not feel the challenge is going to work for you at this time, please consider visiting http://www.turboqt.com and clicking on ‘join’ to sign up for the FREE membership and checkout what is available to help you ease into a healthier lifestyle.

If you are interested, contact me at http://www.turboqt.com.

I really believe that with accountability and motivation ANYTHING is possible!