Saturday, June 26, 2010

Do you know when to say enough?

I love to eat! Food is yummy! It is flavor, it is texture, it is probably something I do as much out of habit and schedule as I do out of actually being hungry! I am fortunately able to consume a fair bit due to my height and my fitness level, but every calorie still counts! There are many foods I no longer stock in my house as my will power is not always high. Tortilla chips...I'm not sure why I love them...salt and texture are probably a big part of it. Cookies- more the soft chocolate chip ones then the crunchy ones I get for the kids. Desserts like cake, most any kind...I don't make them unless it is a birthday as why put the temptation in front of myself! If I am out and they are offered that is great, I will partake...I don't deprive myself, I just stay away from temptation as much as possible. I was just away on vacation with family and I over indulged...a lot! Wine, desserts, nuts, you name it, I said yes to it! It is a mind set that is not good. Self control over what you eat is very important, no matter what your fitness level. Again, not deprivation, but feeding frenzies are best left for the sharks! Check out this great article from the Beachbody site Steve Edwards.

Another Reason Not to Overeat

Overeating is bad for many obvious reasons, but one you probably don't know is that it can also cause a decrease in the amount of fat that is released during exercise. It has to do with a hormone called adenosine. Adenosine's function is to tell the cells to hold onto the stored fat. Another hormone, adrenaline, which is released during exercise, tells the cells to release fat. However, eating too much decreases the ability of the cells to ignore adenosine while exercising. Thus, the fat stays in the cells and less reduction occurs.


I love having support to help me make better eating decisions, along with keeping me exercising. If you are looking for some accountability, give me a shout. You can sign up at www.beachbodycoach.com/nicolabx. Choose the free option or choose the club membership to give you some great benefits like nutrition and meal planning!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

10 Ways to Put Your Appetite on Cruise Control!

10 Ways to Put Your Appetite on Cruise Control
Linda York-reposted from the Beachbody Newsletter

You may be pleasantly surprised to find out that the strong, sleek, sexy body you are working so hard to build should have a lot more in common with a Maserati than a Volkswagen. Now, the VW is an excellent automobile. It's cute and perky, and gets great gas mileage. These are all great attributes for a car. However, we want our bodies to be "gas guzzlers," meaning that we don't want to run all day on a small amount of food or "gas." We want our engine/metabolism to require more food—the right food—to keep us running fast and lean.

So how do we keep our appetite on cruise control? Here are 10 great tips to keep the calories burning, and your hunger satisfied—a winning combination for a high-performance body.

1. You snooze, you lose. That's right—researchers believe that lack of sleep affects hormones related to appetite, thus causing you to gain pounds when you don't get enough sleep. People who slept seven to eight hours lost 50% more weight than people who only slept five hours.

2. Raise another glass. That's water we're talking about. Most of us mistake thirst for hunger. Mark down how much water you drink in a day. Chances are you will be surprised at how little you drink. Add just two more glasses a day and you'll be amazed at the reduction in your appetite. (try to drink up to 50% of your body weight in ounces---if you are 160 pounds, drink 80 ounces of water a day).

3. Move it and lose it. You don't just lose calories and weight when you exercise. Intense exercise changes the way your body craves food and can actually suppress your appetite. The breakdown that occurs during a hard workout can also raise your appetite but you tend to get hungry for the types of foods that will repair this damage. One of the best advantages of P90X® is that you are going to start craving "premium" quality fuel—naturally.

4. Taste the fruit of knowledge. The mighty apple may have gotten a bad rap in the Garden of Eden, but in the Garden of Eatin', an apple may be your best friend. Look for a big, delicious, juicy one and take a bite. This fiber-filled food will have you feeling full in no time.

5. Soup it up. Try having a broth-based soup before a meal or as a snack. You can even take your favorite veggie drink, put it in a coffee cup, nuke it, and enjoy a cup of satisfying soup that will fill you up and satisfy your desire for something warm, comforting, and yummy. Just beware of major-label soups as they tend to be high in sodium and use lesser-quality ingredients. As always, it's important to read the label.

6. More is less. In the case of meals, that's the truth. Eat small frequent meals to maintain blood sugar levels and keep your appetite and energy levels in control and on target for calorie consumption.

7. Skip rope, not meals. Especially breakfast. If you don't start the day off with a good breakfast, you wind up with low blood sugar, low energy, and irresistible hunger pangs, and the next thing you know, you are running over to a pizza box, your face is covered in crumbs, and you have severe pepperoni breath. Just remember, a good meal doesn't mean a traditional meal. Skip the lumberjack special in favor of a bowl of whole-grain cereal or a protein shake with some fresh fruit tossed in, a Beachbody® Meal Replacement Shake in chocolate or vanilla, Protein Bars, Shakeology, or leftovers from your healthy dinner the night before.

8. Eat your veggies. Yes, your mother was right, but probably for different reasons. Veggies are filled with nutrition, but they will also fill you up. Try a big luscious salad before a meal in a restaurant (instead of scarfing down the bread). Then have a favorite main dish, though you will want a lot less of it, and the rest you can take home for lunch or dinner the next day. (snack on 3 ribs of celery!)

9. Whole grains rule. You aren't settling for less than what you deserve, and that means complete, healthy, whole grains. Choose the whole-grain bread, brown rice, and multigrain crackers over their anemic white and refined cousins.

10. Speed to succeed. You want a speedy metabolism and high performance when it comes to burning calories, and one of the best ways to get there is to slow down at the dinner table. That means actually taking the time to eat your meal. It takes your brain 10 minutes longer than your stomach to receive the message that you are full. Do an experiment. Tonight at dinner, find out how long you take to eat your meal. If it takes you longer to load the dishwasher, then something's wrong with this picture. (chew each bite 30+ times! Challenge your kids to join you)

I had to share this great information...a lot you probably already know, but reminders help us take action again!  If you would like some help keeping on track please sign up with me on my site, let me know HOW I can help and lets get rolling!  www.beachbodycoach.com/nicolabx

Monday, June 21, 2010

5 Helpful Details about Turbo Fire!

I am rushing to the mail box today to see if my copy of Turbo Fire has arrived! I am really excited about this program for a few reasons, the main one being that I teach Turbo Kick at the gym and it is an amazing workout! Here are 5 points from Chalene Johnson, the creator of the programs about Turbo Fire:
1. Turbo Fire is cardio cross training. Some days are 20 minutes of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) some days are 60 minutes of steady state cardio. Mixing it up with cardio like P90X mixes it up with weights. There is also some weight training and stretching included too!
2. Turbo Fire is for all levels. There is a modifier for ALL moves! If you aren't that fit yet or you have knee or back problems and can't jump or any other limitations, Ali does all of the moves but keeps her feet on the ground, so there are no excuses!
3. HIIT workouts are for ALL levels! The intervals are 45 seconds to 1 minute on, followed by an equal recovery time...you workout as hard as you can then you get a break...your hard is different from my hard so it is what YOU can do! Like Tony says, "do your best and forget the rest".
4. Turbo Fire music is the best EVER!!! It is "off the chain". Great music gets me moving, keeps me moving and makes me happy...maybe that is why I like Turbo so much as they always have the best music!
5. Turbo Fire is NOT a just a girl's workout! Turbo Jam may have a little more of a girl focus but TF is much sportier, much higher intensity and is suited for EVERYONE!
So bring it people! Check out the video clip below and let's get our bodies moving to meet our fitness goals!
You can join me on the Beachbody site at www.beachbodycoach.com/nicolabx

Monday, June 14, 2010

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Thursday, June 10, 2010

Life is rough...in Hawaii!

I have been a bit out of the blogging loop for the past week...I am slumming in on the beach in Turtle Bay, Oahu, Hawaii! I know, it's rough! My children, husband and I meet up with my inlaws and SIL's family in Hawaii every 2 years! It is 10 days of playing, eating and relaxing. Fortunately my SIL and hubby are equally into fitness so we have enjoyed daily 5+ mile walks/runs on the beach and rocky shoreline! I have thrown in some P90X DVDs, a round of Turbo Kick plus some resistance band biceps, shoulders, back plus dips! You would think I might lose weight with a workout regimen such as this...but you haven't seen what I have been eating ;) The family also includes some avid wine drinkers, some exuberant food shoppers and the island hosts a "costco" so we have everything in bulk size...and it needs eating before we leave :)
I am trying to make good choices, I am keeping my food choices relatively clean, but when you aren't cooking the meal it is hard to put in too many requests (unlike a restaurant).  I am fitting my Shakeology in every day though!  It is helping keep my eating under control and, I will have to do some research into this but, I have experienced no "hangover like" symptoms despite 3+ glasses of wine on some evenings...hmmmm!
We have done some snorkeling, playing in the sand in jumping in the waves, searching for turtles in the surf, exploring the Polynesian Cultural Center, lounging in the pool...we really haven't ventured too far from the villa actually! Saturday will be our one SCUBA dive of the trip. DH and I usually go on 2 half day boat dive trips, but that will not happen this year. I did get a new mask to try out this time though...I can't wait :)
This afternoon though will include a trip to the local clinic as my son has a fever and headache which we suspect is a sinus infection...need to get that treated before the plane trip home!
I am just going to sit on the balcony first and enjoy the Hawaiian tunes from the wedding ceremony out front! Hope you are enjoying the beginning of summer as much as I am!
If you are looking for any help getting into a summer fitness routine for you, for your kids or for the whole family, just give me a shout and check out my Beachbody site!