1/3 of the way through the Ultimate Reset

Wow, I can't believe how quickly week 1 of the Ultimate Reset flew by!  I immersed myself in the cooking... new recipes every day, some advanced prep to keep track of, cooking extra rice for future meals... it is amazing what you can accomplish with a little planning.  One of the big things I will take away from this Reset is what you can create for your family if you plan a little.  I pride myself on being able to pull 5 things out of the fridge and creating a meal, BUT trying new things, adding extra nutrition, cutting out some meat and dairy can be advantageous to our health as well!

So, how did week 1 go?  Pretty well!  A key item many people look for when they feel they are "sacrificing" for their health is weight loss.  I lost 5 pounds in one week with no starvation!  In fact, as you will read below, I ate more than recommended on a few days! I finished the week feeling pretty good!  My energy is good but am still waiting for it to be great!  I am rested and content and ready to take on phase 2!!!
I approached the Reset knowing there would be changes and sacrifices.  No more coffee, no more chocolate, no more cereal and random snacking throughout the day!!!
Day 1 - 3 were very uneventful for me.  I was fine without my coffee, I drank over a gallon of "distilled" water each day, I shot back my "alkalinize" (which is salty, seaweedy, a little sweet - overall not too bad), I timed my eating around the  supplements and the recipes laid out in the book.  The end of day 3 I went to bed really tired and sore... sore like I had been doing P90X and hadn't hydrated and then had run a marathon sore... I had trouble sleeping and woke up tired on day 4.  Day 4 I was sore, had a bath with epsom salts to help myself detox a little faster as the muscle aches are a sign of your body detoxing.  Following the bath I tried to nap... epic fail.  I dozed on and off (I have never been a great napper), and got up feeling like I had the flu.  Cold, achy, fuzzy brain... AND I was scheduled to teach my Turbo Kick class at 7pm (which was already planned to be at low intensity).  I got some fresh air, ate my snack and drank lots of water, gradually the fog lifted and by 6pm I was excited about my class.  I exerted myself a little more than I was probably supposed to but the idea is that you don't cause muscle to need repairing... I think I was within the parameters!!!

Days 5 - 7 were pretty good.  I added strawberries after my dinner as I couldn't resist the basket of fresh berries on my counter and they ARE in the Reset allowed foods!  On Saturday and Sunday I ate my snacks later in the day due to scheduling with the family... then was tight at dinner time on time allowances between eating... PLUS I found I hadn't really needed the snacks after all!  Made me remember that I don't need to eat just because it is time, I need to focus more on what my body needs and if it is truly hungry!

Regardless, I found some amazing new recipes that I will share along the way.

My favorite meals so far were the Black beans and rice tortilla and the Quinoa salad... with the microgreen salad close behind!

Here is a photo of the microgreen salad which is a pile of greens topped with shredded carrot, chopped cucumber, sliced red bell pepper, sprouts (I used TJs microgreens), chopped tomato, chopped jicama, fresh herbs, toasted nuts + dressing - I used the basic vinaigrette.


and the Quinoa salad was delicious and nutritious!

1/2 cup cook quinoa
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Himalayan salt or Bragg Liquid Aminos to taste
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp finely minced fresh parsley
1 tbsp finely minced fresh mint
1/4 large tomato, diced
1/4 large cucumber, peeled and diced
2 tbsp chopped, pitted kalamata olives
Gently combine ingredients, cover and chill for 1 hour. Serves 1
Thought it was going to be too heavy on the herbs but it was perfect, refreshing and delicious!

For me the Ultimate Reset has been an opportunity to refocus on my nutrition.  I exercise well and I enjoy healthy food.  I just needed to get a grip on portion, frequency and overall volume of food I was consuming each day!  I suspect I will be on a great course in two weeks when I have completed this journey!  It isn't easy when there are temptations around every corner, but I see it as a challenge that I am willing to stick to for me!

Let me know if you would like to learn more about the Ultimate Reset, I would love to discuss it with you.  This is a process that is a great lead in to starting a healthy lifestyle or, as I am doing, to complement your current lifestyle and just make it all a little better!
Find more info at www.GetFitWithNicola.com


Learn more about the Ultimate Reset with the following video:

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!

It is time to RESET!!!!

I have been playing with that last 10 pounds for the past 2 years.  Up 8, down 7, depending on the program, my focus on nutrition, 3 day Shakeology jumpstarts, crazy schedules... I am fit, I am healthy, regardless of that 10 pounds I am in a good place so I haven't had the drive to get it off and keep it off.  BUT, I would love to never have to worry about the love handles when I pull on my jeans.  I would love to not worry about any lumps and bumps when I pull out my summer wardrobe!
I work out 5-6 times per week, I love to work out and I love to work out hard!  Exercise is not my problem and definitely not my nemesis.  What is?  My nutrition!  I eat fairly well.  I love vegetables, I don't enjoy fast food, I avoid deep fried... I DO have portion control issues and I do have a few vices.  I love cereal, ice cream, chocolate and wine!  None of these are really bad but they are all things that are preventing me from finding my abs.
It is not just about finding my abs and losing a few pounds though.  I have days where I don't have the energy I feel I should, allergies slow me down seasonally, I often get a gassy belly in the evenings, and some days I am exceptionally moody (I blame it on bad behavior days with the kids but I suspect I can't blame it all on them)!!!

my plan?  Start the Ultimate Reset this Monday!
Beachbody has recently released a 21 day detox.  It's a no-starvation, multifaceted, life-changing, cutting-edge, "this-is-the-real-deal", inner-body tune-up!
It does more than simply cleanse the body.  It does help your body eliminate waste, gently and naturally, but it also helps to maximize the energy production within your cells, improve your body's ability to process fuel from nutrients and micronutrients, and assist every process in your body in running more smoothly.
So if you've been feeling run down and worn out, or noticed a decline in your performance in any aspect of your life, it may simply be that you're out of tune (and in the hurry-up, high-stress, eat-on-the-run world, most of us are).  If that sounds like you, the Beachbody Ultimate Reset will help deliver the total tune-up your body has been craving.
Take a look at the following video to learn more about the Reset and follow my journey as I share the ups and downs of the process.  I hear there are a few rough days as you deal with cutting foods you enjoy, tiredness as your body works through the process and sore muscles despite reduced workouts!  The benefits though have been dramatic.  From jumping out of bed with renewed energy each morning, reduced cholesterol and lost weight, lack of cravings, new love for healthy foods and feeling dramatically better-physically, mentally and emotionally!
www.GetFitWithNicola.com

Tai Cheng

Tai Cheng is the newest program to join the Beachbody family.

So many workouts leave us sore and tired before they help us become stronger and more agile.  Finally, we have a program with gentle and thoughtful movements that can help open your joints, reduce painful knots in your muscles, and promote balance and flexibility, so your health can actually improve as you age.  These therapeutic postures can help increase lung capacity, improve muscle strength, and encourage your blood to circulate more regularly through areas where it may have been sluggish, removing toxins and helping to boost your immune system.

Tai Cheng is a 12-week total-body fitness program developed by martial arts master trainer Dr. Mark Cheng, designed for immediate and long-term benefits from learning the graceful movements of Tai Chi.

Tai Chi is a martial art practiced primarily for its healthy and physical conditioning benefits rather than for combat.  Many health experts today agree there's an association between the daily practice of Tai Chi and improvements in health, both physical and mental.

Every day, the Tai Cheng program takes you through a gentle, energizing warm-up and the practice of Tai Chi moves.  Each move helps you strengthen areas of weakness, tone muscles and burn calories, while also helping you increase flexibility, improve balance and reduce stiffness.

Elite athletes find that Tai Cheng helps improve athletic performance in fundamental ways.  If you're overweight, Tai Cheng can help you shed pounds safely as your entire body becomes stronger and more agile.  Whatever your fitness level, daily practice of Tai Cheng can results in greater awareness and help improve your strength, energy and stability.

What makes Tai Cheng Unique?

Tai Cheng is not just a Tai Chi instructional video.  It's a fusion of the traditional Chinese martial art with modern functional movement training.  Tai Cheng's mingling of exercise for both body and mind can help you change your health in a profound way.

Neural Reboot - the warm-up you'll do every day - helps wake up your body, prepare your mid for Tai Cheng practice, and give you a platform of stability, strength and safety.  You'll learn a workout that promotes balance and flexibility, helping you feel more energy and less pain.  All this helps you develop greater physical control and body awareness.

Tai Cheng helps take the "parking brakes" off your dormant muscles and allows the overworked ones to relax.  Through this practice, you'll learn to move with less strain, access your full range of motion, and help condition your body to function as it should.

Also increase your nutrition with Shakeology, and keep your eyes out for the Beachbody Ultimate Reset!

Yoga and Cancer

If you have been diagnosed with cancer such as mesothelioma, you are probably experiencing a wide range of emotions. Treatment for cancer can lead to depression and fatigue due to the drugs that are involved with the healing process. Yoga is an exercise that has been proven to help cancer patients live better lives while they are undergoing treatment and recovery. Consider these reasons why yoga might be the perfect exercise solution for you.

Yoga can improve your sleep while you are going through treatment. This is due in part to the activity that doing yoga regularly provides, which automatically makes you feel more tired. Yoga also offers mind and body benefits that lead to a deeper ability to let go of stress and relax. Many times cancer patients do not sleep well because they are worried about their disease. Doing yoga allows you the ability to free your mind when you want to.

Doing yoga during your treatment can also help decrease fatigue. This might have something to do with sleeping better, but it also relates to the meditative benefits of yoga that have been proven time and time again. Yoga forces people to slow down and be more mindful, which can be an extremely refreshing experience. Being more focused in your everyday life can help you feel less tired overall.

Another benefit of yoga during cancer treatment is an improved quality of life. This makes sense because you are sleeping better and experiencing less fatigue during your awake hours. Having more energy is a good way to feel better overall. As your energy levels improve you can spend more time doing things that you enjoy, such as spending time with family or going out of your house for various purposes. This is a huge difference between staying home all of the time and feeling depressed.

Yoga can also help reduce some forms of pain that are present during cancer treatment. Stretching and deep breathing cause natural endorphins to circulate within the body. Endorphins are the body’s natural pain relievers, and yoga helps bring them forth. Any type of exercise will do this, but it applies to yoga as well.

An interesting effect that yoga has on cancer patients is a more positive body image. The practice of yoga is all about compassion and acceptance. Once a person has been practicing this for some time, he or she will be able to apply the principles to his or herself. If you feel ugly because you have lost hair or weight, yoga can help you conquer those feelings so that you realize that you are worth much more than that. This improved self image makes you feel and act more confidently in your own skin. 

Article courtesy of David Haas. For more related articles you can view his blog 

at: http://haasblaag.blogspot.com/

Exercise? Your friend or your nemesis?

When you think Exercise, what comes to mind and how does it make you feel?  Answers to this probably fall into these 4 categories... although most in the first category probably aren't even reading my blog ;) :

1. Exercise?  I don't like to sweat and I really don't like to bend my body in funny ways.
2. Exercise is a necessary evil and I force myself to go to the workout 2-3 times each week which is pure torture.
3. Exercise is ok.  It is important for my health and to help me fit into my clothes and I enjoy some work outs.  If something else more important comes up though, I will skip my workout!
4. Exercise is part of my existence!  I love how it makes me feel, I love how it makes me look, I love the sweat/ muscle burn/ crazy body contortions/ runner's high... I feel amazing after a great workout!

So, where are you?  Exercise of course doesn't have to involve a trip to the gym or pressing play on a DVD, but structure in your exercise can help you achieve more well rounded results and with some planning or training can help you reach your fitness goals.

Resistance training is important to build muscle to help burn more calories even while you are resting on the couch.  It can also help prevent osteoporosis!

Yoga and flexibility training can help you stay limber (or get limber), prevent muscle and body aches and to be able to focus and help your body and mind stay more relaxed.

Cardio, preferably interval training, can help your cardiovascular system, plus it burns calories.

Bottom line... you need to exercise to keep your body and your health in optimum condition.
Best bet... find something you enjoy doing and make it a workout... within reason ;)
I love music and to dance so TurboFire (aka Cardio kickboxing) is a favorite workout for me.  I also like a little muscle definition so adding in some weights has been key to me.  Right now I am enjoying P90X2 but am looking forward to the great music and fun workouts in Les Mills PUMP!
Insanity gave me some amazing results with the very intense cardio.
ChaLEAN Extreme works wonders for the whole body and I enjoy Chalene's energy.
10 Minute Trainer is phenomenal, allowing you to fit an intense workout in 10 minutes or stack them together for 30 minutes!

Whatever you choose, make the commitment and get the job done.  You don't need to spend 2 hours in the gym per visit to see results, you need to push hard and be efficient.  and don't forget about your nutrition!  Veggies and fruits are your friends, as is lean protein!  All of the Beachbody workouts come with great tools to help you understand what your body needs for food!

Join me, lets get you fit and healthy!  Www.GetFitWithNicola.com  sign on for the free membership and lets connect!

Tropical VEGAN Shakeology!

Upon hearing that the newest flavor of Shakeology was to be Tropical Strawberry, I was very excited!  Upon hearing it was Vegan, I didn't realize there should be any concern!
Vegan shakes are not known to be very tasty, nor to have a great texture.  This is due to the protein source!!!  Protein shakes are usually whey or soy based... neither being Vegan, but both blend very smoothly.
Beachbody played with many options in searching for the best vegan protein source but settled on sprouted fermented brown rice!!!  Nice!!!  I was able to sample Tropical Shakeology last June and LOVED it!  Amazing flavor, rich, creamy and perfect!  Alas, when my Tropical Shakeology arrived last week I ripped open the bag, added a scoop to my regular measuring cup with ice, water, almond milk and a few frozen strawberries, mixed it until just blended and ... wasn't too impressed :(  It was chalky and a bit gritty... uh oh, what to do?

I did a little digging and learned a few tips... Blend longer!  Allows the protein to soften a little maybe?  Add some acid such as orange, cranberry or pineapple in juice or whole form!  Don't add so much ice!  It tastes better as a thick drink or light shake as opposed to being eaten with a spoon!  Two other suggestions move the shake away from the Vegan format but adding Greek yogurt and/ or adding fat free, sugar free jello pudding powder... sure they work, but not what I was after!

Next shake experience... DELECTABLE! 

My favorite recipe is 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/4 cup frozen pineapple, 1/4 cup frozen strawberries, 1 scoop Tropical Shakeology, 1/2 cup water, ice to taste... blend for 2 minutes.  Let it sit for a few minutes, blend again for 1 minute... then drink.  Today I had to drink some straight out of the blender as I couldn't wait to get it in a cup!  Yep, loving it!!!

Taste the Tropics: New Tropical Strawberry Shakeology