Can't lose the weight this year?

Suppose you have been pretty efficient in the past at maintaining your weight, fitting in your clothes and enjoying life... every so often, particularly in the winter months, you gain a few pounds either because you indulged a little too much or you got busy with life... your solution was to cut calories, cut treats, eat Lean Cuisine and rice cakes for a few weeks + some extra trips to the gym... and BAM, back to the weight you need to be at.  Suppose you are now in your late thirties and low and behold, this plan no longer works!!!  I guess it is time to try something different!

Lets look at a few details. 

1. As we age we naturally lose muscle mass.  Muscle burns calories (even while you are at rest) and 1 pound of muscle takes up less room than 1 pound of fat... so the scale might not read a different number but your clothes will become tighter the more muscle you lose (and fat you gain)! 
2. Our digestive systems tend to get a little less efficient as we age.  That 1200 calories you were getting with the Lean Cuisine and rice cakes is tough for your body to digest... so your body is now in starvation mode as it needs more calories than you are putting in to operate, so it won't let any weight go!  Limiting yourself all day also leads to binging in the evening when you are starving, and rarely do we make good choices at this time!

Solutions:

1. Resistance training.  At home you can do pushups, tricep dips, squats and lunges OR some great DVD workouts like ChaLEAN Extreme, Les Mills PUMP or if you are tight for time try 10 Minute Trainer.  At the gym you can join a PUMP class, interval training or hire a personal trainer to show you the ropes.  Either way, do NOT be scared to pump iron.  You will NOT bulk up, you will get leaner... remember muscle takes up less space than fat, so even if your weight does not drop, your clothes should fit better!
2. Eat REAL food!  I know, cooking isn't always easy but alas, it is necessary.  I will be posting recipes and foods I am eating over the next 3 weeks (starting 4/30) while I work through a 21 day detox- the Ultimate Reset... the final week is Vegan!  Apparently some of the recipes are awesome... I will also share some of the food choices.  Think whole foods, things that grow, things that can't sit on the shelf for months on end full of preservatives!  Shop around the outside of the store, try new things, mix it up!
3. Breakfast ideas... oatmeal with blueberries and/or egg whites, scrambled eggs and whole wheat toast, fresh fruit and greek yogurt (higher in protein).
4. Lunch ideas... salad with protein, lentils, quinoa, non cream based soups, whole wheat sandwiches.
5. Dinner ideas... grilled salmon (I like to put some pesto on top, place on foil and put on BBQ), brown rice sushi, veggie stir fry, roasted root vegetables, salad... serve any of these with grilled chicken breast or lean beef!
6. Snacks... always a tough one...green apple + 12 almonds, raw veggies and hummus, apple and peanut butter, berries and greek yogurt, hard boiled egg + whole grain crackers, edamame, celery + peanut butter, miso soup.
7. My favorite for any of these... Shakeology.  You can keep it at 140 calories by just mixing with water.  1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk is only 20 calories.  or blend in some fruit or peanut butter + banana to make it a complete meal!  PLUS you are getting amazing nutrition which will help reduce cravings for sweets, naturally increased energy, improved regularity and healthy digestion, reduced cholesterol, reduced blood pressure... sound intriguing?  Take a look at this video link to learn a little more.  Flavors are Chocolate, Greenberry, and the newest, Tropical our vegan option.  You can find a recipe to make them all work for you... I love Chocolate, but the lighter flavor of Tropical is amazing too!
8. If you want to give yourself a little kickstart and drop a few pounds as you dive into your healthier plan you could try the Shakeology 3 day Jumpstart.  It isn't a cleanse (although some digestive systems are more prone to a little cleansing action the first day), it entails 3 Shakes a day for 3 days, plus a salad with lean protein for dinner.  Let me know if you would like the full rundown.  All you need to do is order a bag of Shakeology, and I will get you all the information you need.  If you decide to try a fitness program as well, we have Challenge packs that combine Shakeology with a program for a discounted price plus free access to the meal planning tools on the Beachbody site for 30 days!  Getting your Shakeology on Home Direct saves you ~$9 with free shipping as well!  Orders can be canceled at any time and you have a 30 day money back guarantee on all products, even Shakeology!

Let's get you moving forward with your weight loss again and confident heading into the summer!  Whether you use Beachbody products or not, make sure you hit the weights, clean up your eating and connect with me.  I would love to help, and if these products aren't for you, maybe you can recommend them to someone else!  Contact me by email or come to my website at www.GetFitWithNicola.com  You can sign up for FREE to check things out and let me know how I can help!

If you are just beginning your weight loss journey and want to try out a Beachbody program, Check out this 30 minute basic workout!  OR forward it to someone who could use it!