To wine or not to wine?

Improving one's diet towards better health can be done in so many ways, a lot depends on what your starting point is, and why you want to change.  Do you want to lose a couple of pounds to look and feel better?  Do you want to lost 50+ pounds to avoid going on medications?  Do you want to improve your health and prevent medical issues rather than needing to fix them in a few years?  Do you have serious health problems that you want to make better?
Regardless of the change you need to make, you need a solid WHY so you have something to help motivate you and keep you pushing forward.

I meet people who want to lose weight but are not willing to make many changes in their lifestyle... like drinking wine!  I like wine so I am willing to help try and work it in, it just needs to be taken into consideration when you think about how important your WHY is!  If you only have a few pounds to lose and you are willing to cut calories elsewhere and add some vigorous exercise into your daily schedule, then maybe some of that wine can continue.  If the wine is the reason you have reached the need to improve your health then maybe it does need to go.  If you are battling serious health issues and need to drop weight quickly and long term then your lifestyle is definitely going to need to change or you will end up right back in the same place down the road.

Baby step #1: Get moving.  Don't run out and buy P90X and try to commit to a 60 minute workout 6 days/ week... chances are you won't get it done.  Start walking, play tennis, ride your bike, buy 10 minute trainer... start with 10 minute workouts and then stack them together to make a longer workout.

Baby step #2: Clean out your fridge and pantry.  Remove the whites (bread, rice, etc) and replace them with whole wheat versions.  Add lots of fruits and veggies.  Choose lean proteins.  Cut out the processed foods.  Don't drink too many of your calories in the form of coffee creamer, juice and alcohol.  Moderation!!!!  Add Shakeology - a whole food, very nutritious meal replacement shake.  I drink it every day for good health.

Baby step #3: Stick with it!  Remember, you are taking baby steps here so chances are you are not going to see dramatic changes on the scale... but you WILL see changes if you stick with 2 steps.  Slowly but surely pounds will drop, your clothes will fit better, your energy will increase and then we can add more intense workouts!!!

Lets start the ball rolling in the right direction!!!  Are you looking for some great motivation?  Let's do this together.  I need 4 more people to join my fitness challenge on Monday February 6th... enough time to order a challenge pack or pull out some programs you have any get rolling ahead.

Join me!  www.GetFitWithNicola.com

Life is too short NOT to be healthy!!!

Exercise is hard work!  Lots of things are hard work!  Exercise though is imperative to good health and longevity!  The bright side... exercise can be fun!  You just need to find the exercise that you enjoy!
Anything that moves your body, offers some resistance, raises your heart rate... work a little harder and longer at it and you can register it as a workout! Gardening, mowing, dancing, even dog walks!  Calorie burning is calorie burning!  Some people do fancy workouts at the gym, some use DVDs, some play their Wii... you just need to find something, or a combo of things that work for you and DO IT!!!!

The other important detail is calories!  Life is too short NOT to enjoy that cupcake and that glass of wine... yes and no!  Totally depriving yourself can be a pathway to disaster and uncontrollable splurging!  BUT moderation, limiting and setting yourself up for success is vital to making any forward progress!  If you don't say no to the occasional treat or the daily glass of wine at times, chances are you are never going to burn more calories than you take in and you won't see any changes on that scale!  I bet you don't even know how many calories you eat on a daily basis!  and I bet it is more than you would guess!!!

My favorite tools for losing a few pounds:

• Get an accountability buddy!  If you have someone, or a group of people, who you workout with, talk about your workouts with or just keep up with on FB, you are setting yourself up for success!  You are less likely to give up if you have a friend rooting for you or even better... depending on you :)
• Food journaling.  If you write down every bite you put into your mouth, you are going to rethink that little candy bar from the Halloween bucket and that half of a PB&J sandwich your kid didn't finish!  Just the idea of writing it down can be a diet assistant ;)
• Set yourself up for success! If there is a food that you just cannot pass up... don't go near it!  Do NOT buy it for your kids and plan to not have any... we all have our weak moments so why risk the temptation. Surely your kids like some things that you aren't crazy about... so get those instead!
• Eat breakfast!  Studies show that people who eat a healthy meal early in the day set themselves up for success.  You are less likely to grab something unhealthy on the run or at the coffee shop and you will have more energy!
• Schedule your workouts so they are non negotiable!  Just like a doctor or dentist appointment!!!  Also, if you plan them for first thing in the morning you are less likely to get too busy!!!
• Find workouts that you enjoy!  If you like to Dance, try Hip Hop Abs, Turbo Jam or TurboFire; if you are hard core you will LOVE Insanity; if you want to get ripped, how about P90X or P90X2; limited for time, try 10 Minute Trainer; if you are just starting out and want to work your way in, try Slim in 6, Power 90, ChaLEAN Extreme plus many more!

I have a Fitness Challenge under way with workouts, Shakeology and meal planning.  I also have an accountability group so you can benefit from the momentum of others and share your own story!  I would love to help you reach your fitness goals... you just need to take the first step and decide to go for it!!!

Learn more about the Challenge here:

How is your Metabolism?

I was listening to my CD that came with ChaLEAN Extreme today and realized how much me all need to understand why we gain weight as we age. 

Did you know that once you pass 30 years old you start losing muscle mass?  No, this doesn't mean you will LOSE weight, it means you will GAIN weight!  Muscle burns calories.... even when you are sitting on the couch watching TV!  The more muscle you have, the more efficiently your body burns calories and the more food your body can consume without gaining weight!!!  Hmmmm.

Soooooo, this means that endless running on the treadmill is bad?  Not exactly.  Running on the treadmill burns calories and gives you immediate benefit in terms of calorie burn but it doesn't have optimal longterm benefits (plus it is really boring ;)).  It does mean that you need to add some weight lifting into your workout regimen.  You don't have to hang with the big guys and pump iron, but you need to use resistance bands or free weights and do some bicep curls, shoulder presses, squats, lunges and pushups!

No, you will not bulk up!  Women don't have enough testosterone to get BIG muscles.  You do need to keep some cardio in your regimen to continue burning fat though.  Muscle does not turn into fat nor does fat turn into muscle.  Fat gets burned off when your body needs extra energy to get through the day when you are burning more calories than you are consuming.  As you build muscle you might notice the scale isn't moving but your clothes are fitting better.  One pound of muscle is compact and takes up less room that One pound of fat.  Does that make sense to you?  Your muscle is increasing and your fat is decreasing but we all wear muscle better than we wear fat! 

Using the excuse that you don't know the first thing to do with weights is not going to help your metabolism so lets find a few options for you:

• If you have a gym membership, go to a PUMP, sculpt or interval training class.  If you have any questions make sure you ask the instructor.  They are there to help you!
• Alternatively get a personal trainer to show you the basics.  You may need to be very clear that you just want an overview of how to use weights safely or you will get roped into a costly package (but this is fine too just make sure you know how much and for how long).
• Look for a kettlebell or other weight based class that you can sign up for... google it!
• Buy a program like ChaLEAN Extreme, Power 90, RevAbs, Slim in 6, 10 Minute Trainer, Brazil Butt Lift or P90X!!!  Take your time, do what you can and listen to all of the tips the instructors give you in the DVDs.
• Ask for my help!  I can meet with you and help you understand the basics and cover some of the safe ways of lifting.  I won't be setting up a training regimen for you but can help you decide what will work best for you!

A few other great tips for improving your metabolism, in addition to adding muscle to your body, is eating every 2-3 hours, including protein in each meal/snack, controlling your serving size and drinking lots of water! To control my cravings and help myself fill up with fewer calories I also replace one meal or one snack a day with Shakeology.  With a low glycemic index and amazing nutrition, Shakeology gives you sustained energy without causing a spike in your blood sugar.

I would love to help you work on improving your health and fitness ----> and improving your metabolism.  Head to my website at www.GetFitWithNicola.com and sign up for the Free Coaching option.  Find me on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Nicolabx and let me know how I can help (make sure you comment on the friend request how you found me).  Read my fitness updates and posts at www.Facebook.com/GetFitWithNicola.  Email me at GetFitWithNicola@att.net.  I am in this with you as I work to keep fit and healthy myself.

Take a look at the Beachbody Solutions video and see what looks most interesting to you!

Can you Spare 10 minutes for a quick workout?

Yes, I said 10 minutes!!!  Tony Horton (a la P90X) has another program called 10 Minute Trainer!
You can do the workouts individually or stacked together!  It makes for efficient use of time by combining cardio with resistance training and ab sculpting. 
Take a look at the video clip below! 
The program comes with 5 10 minute workouts, plus a bonus 35 min fat burner cardio workout, PLUS (if you buy it from a coach) Fountain of Youth yoga from Tony Horton's One on One video series, workout calendar, meal planner with recipes, on the go workout cards, 10-day lean jean plan, resistance band and cardio belt! Contact me for more info or go to www.GetFitWithNicola.com