What did you have for breakfast today? Did you wolf something down while you fed your kids? Did you just have a cup of coffee? or did you totally miss looking after yourself in the whirlwind of activity? Do you think your kids noticed that you don't think fueling your body for the day isn't a priority for you?
What did you pack for lunches? A sandwich on whole grain bread? Did you include some fruit and maybe some vegetables?
How about fitness? Have you moved your body recently? Do you ever go for a walk or a bike ride with the kids? Do you go to the gym? Are you sharing with your kids the importance of fitness and exercise for their well being? How is your well being?
Our kids are paying attention. They see how we look after ourselves, how we feed ourselves and the choices we make. We learned a lot from our parents and the way we were brought up, we also learned from advertisements and often chose the easiest and what seems like the cheapest route! Easiest and Cheapest is rarely the best for us. Healthy can be "cheap" if you grow some of your own fruits and vegetables...your kids will LOVE planting and picking. Make healthy meals in the slow cooker so you don't have to use the "there is nothing thawed so we will have to get fast food again" excuse! If you have veggies in the refrigerator and some fish or chicken in the freezer there is NEVER a reason to use that excuse!
If you need to grab a meal out at least choose your restaurant a bit better. Subway has great sandwiches, Baja Fresh has fresh ingredients-just choose wisely from the menu! Try to stay away from french fries and burgers as a staple of your diet! Occasional is fine! Just make sure you are watching what your child is eating and promoting fitness. Helping a child lose weight is much harder than saying no to that extra serving of ice cream or french fries!
You may have work to do on your body, but don't set your child up to be in the same situation! Teach them the tools they need to be a fit and healthy teenager and adult! If you need to learn, then use the opportunity to learn with your child! If they are a part of the process they will understand and it will be easier for them to adjust!!!
Beachbody has some kids fitness programs too. Shaun Ts Fit Kids® Club, Tony and the Kids . But even programs like Turbo Jam are great to workout to along with your children!
There are now excuses! Our children are their future should be one of the most important things for you to focus on...and taking care of yourself and teaching them the same is one of the best things you can do for them! I would love to help you on this journey! Come to my website www.beachbody coach.com/nicolabx or email me.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
What is your relationship with food?
What is your favorite food? I don't think that I could choose just one! Sweet or savory, crunchy or smooth. It is a combination of specific taste sensations and textures that, combined together, can lure the strongest person off their course.
I mean really, following a good nutrition plan is quite an easy thing. There are formulas of the amount of protein, carbs and fat we should ingest in a day, there are menus and cookbooks to help us out, there are stores everywhere to buy the fresh and healthy foods, but still we end up eating things that shouldn't be going in our bodies...or at least not in the volumes we are choosing.
Portion control is a big issue for most of us. Our dinner plates are too big and we fill them up. We dine out and choose the meal that gives us the biggest bang for our buck, but also an extra 1000 calories. We need to think with our brains instead of our stomachs!
The other issue is giving in to our cravings! I hear the excuse that if I don't have a little I will just buckle and eat even more. Funnily enough, those are usually the same people that aren't making any progress in their weight loss. Yes, having a treat on occasion is OK, it is even necessary for our well being (think chocolate ladies), but on occasion is NOT every day!!! A glass of wine in the evenings is also a wonderful thing, but if we are on a weight loss journey it is time to make a sacrifice and look forward to that one glass a week or even that one we will have in six months when we have made some BIG PROGRESS!
Eating because we are tired, because we are stressed, because we are bored, because it is there! These are not healthy ways to eat. We need to reevaluate this relationship and make it a healthy one!
If you have hit a plateau in your weight loss, if you have made no progress despite a lot of hardwork on your fitness, then you need to take a close look at WHAT you are eating and WHY you are eating. NEVER reward a workout with a sugary snack. Yes you should feed your muscles after a workout with a recovery drink or a bowl of cereal or a banana, but not a bowl of ice cream or a trip to McDonalds as that will undo all that you have done for yourself.
Eating every 2 1/2 to 3 hours will keep your metabolism humming, but you need to select those foods with a little thought and planning. Keep hard boiled eggs in the fridge. Stock up on fresh veggies and fruit. Have a bag of Shakeology. Plan for success. The Beachbody Club membership offers a great nutrition planner - you punch in all of your stats (weight, height, activity level, current program) and it will tell you how much you should be eating and even create a whole menu for you complete with recipes and a shopping list. You can substitute recipes and foods to suit what you like...or go out on a limb and plan to try new things!
If you have not found a great way to lose weight and/or keep the weight off yet, maybe it is time to try something brand new! Join me at Beachbody and I will help you reach for the stars!
I mean really, following a good nutrition plan is quite an easy thing. There are formulas of the amount of protein, carbs and fat we should ingest in a day, there are menus and cookbooks to help us out, there are stores everywhere to buy the fresh and healthy foods, but still we end up eating things that shouldn't be going in our bodies...or at least not in the volumes we are choosing.
Portion control is a big issue for most of us. Our dinner plates are too big and we fill them up. We dine out and choose the meal that gives us the biggest bang for our buck, but also an extra 1000 calories. We need to think with our brains instead of our stomachs!
The other issue is giving in to our cravings! I hear the excuse that if I don't have a little I will just buckle and eat even more. Funnily enough, those are usually the same people that aren't making any progress in their weight loss. Yes, having a treat on occasion is OK, it is even necessary for our well being (think chocolate ladies), but on occasion is NOT every day!!! A glass of wine in the evenings is also a wonderful thing, but if we are on a weight loss journey it is time to make a sacrifice and look forward to that one glass a week or even that one we will have in six months when we have made some BIG PROGRESS! Eating because we are tired, because we are stressed, because we are bored, because it is there! These are not healthy ways to eat. We need to reevaluate this relationship and make it a healthy one!
If you have hit a plateau in your weight loss, if you have made no progress despite a lot of hardwork on your fitness, then you need to take a close look at WHAT you are eating and WHY you are eating. NEVER reward a workout with a sugary snack. Yes you should feed your muscles after a workout with a recovery drink or a bowl of cereal or a banana, but not a bowl of ice cream or a trip to McDonalds as that will undo all that you have done for yourself.
Eating every 2 1/2 to 3 hours will keep your metabolism humming, but you need to select those foods with a little thought and planning. Keep hard boiled eggs in the fridge. Stock up on fresh veggies and fruit. Have a bag of Shakeology. Plan for success. The Beachbody Club membership offers a great nutrition planner - you punch in all of your stats (weight, height, activity level, current program) and it will tell you how much you should be eating and even create a whole menu for you complete with recipes and a shopping list. You can substitute recipes and foods to suit what you like...or go out on a limb and plan to try new things!
If you have not found a great way to lose weight and/or keep the weight off yet, maybe it is time to try something brand new! Join me at Beachbody and I will help you reach for the stars!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Healthy food choices!
Contrary to popular belief, I am not a perfect eater or a perfect planner for my meals! I usually fly be the seat of my pants and throw a meal together at the last minute whether it is just for me or for the whole family (when I invite people over I do tend to plan ahead though ;)). My saving grace for this last minute meal prep is a well stocked refrigerator and pantry!
I always have frozen chicken and/or fish available for relatively quick defrost. I often have chicken sausage, lean ground beef and even potstickers. I always have pasta (usually whole wheat), sweet potatoes, brown rice or whole wheat couscous that I can be prepare depending on how long until dinner. In the fridge there will be green vegetables of some sort. Broccoli, bok choy, kale, romaine lettuce, celery. Plus carrots, sweet peppers and cucumber. Homemade balsamic vinaigrette to go with the lettuce, and at this time of year, fresh tomatoes and basil in the garden.
I buy my veggies at costco. We rarely throw any away because of rot as if I have too many veggies left we make a big stir fry!
Do my kids eat the veggies? It depends. Broccoli usually gets consumed, but the best way to get them to eat them is to allow them to nibble on veggies before dinner when they swear they will starve to death...I offer them veggies or nothing and they can't get enough. If I serve those same veggies on their plates they aren't quite so keen! A little before meal snacking might not be so bad in this case ;)
I also always have a decent selection of dairy: yogurt, eggs, milk, and cheese. Plus seasonal fruit. Right now I have watermelon, cantaloupe, plums, nectarines, bananas and grape on the go. We bought blueberries and strawberries while they were in season and froze them to add to oatmeal, pancakes and of course, Shakeology.
I have been exploring some of the recipes in Beachbody's new nutrition section. Some great recipes I plan to try out. I also love Clean Eating recipes from Tosca Reno's cook book, but my last minute searches often go through Allrecipes.com.
I always have frozen chicken and/or fish available for relatively quick defrost. I often have chicken sausage, lean ground beef and even potstickers. I always have pasta (usually whole wheat), sweet potatoes, brown rice or whole wheat couscous that I can be prepare depending on how long until dinner. In the fridge there will be green vegetables of some sort. Broccoli, bok choy, kale, romaine lettuce, celery. Plus carrots, sweet peppers and cucumber. Homemade balsamic vinaigrette to go with the lettuce, and at this time of year, fresh tomatoes and basil in the garden.
I buy my veggies at costco. We rarely throw any away because of rot as if I have too many veggies left we make a big stir fry!
Do my kids eat the veggies? It depends. Broccoli usually gets consumed, but the best way to get them to eat them is to allow them to nibble on veggies before dinner when they swear they will starve to death...I offer them veggies or nothing and they can't get enough. If I serve those same veggies on their plates they aren't quite so keen! A little before meal snacking might not be so bad in this case ;)
I also always have a decent selection of dairy: yogurt, eggs, milk, and cheese. Plus seasonal fruit. Right now I have watermelon, cantaloupe, plums, nectarines, bananas and grape on the go. We bought blueberries and strawberries while they were in season and froze them to add to oatmeal, pancakes and of course, Shakeology.
I have been exploring some of the recipes in Beachbody's new nutrition section. Some great recipes I plan to try out. I also love Clean Eating recipes from Tosca Reno's cook book, but my last minute searches often go through Allrecipes.com.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
I found my perfect business!
I have had many jobs over the years (cocktail waitress in London, Starbucks barista, tour guide in Vancouver , veterinary cardiologist assistant at OSU, ECG analyzer are just a few), I have a Bachelors degree in science, I am a mom, a volunteer, a fitness instructor...these were summer jobs, college jobs, jobs that fit what I needed at the time, all fun but I always felt something was lacking. I was unemployed for 4 years when my children were young and that was a hard time for me. Yes, mothering is a full time job, but I also needed a release, something adult and something where I felt I was being productive. I got into the fitness business after realizing that getting fit myself was an amazing release for both me and my family! Becoming a Turbo Kick instructor allowed me some new opportunities and was also a way to help me be accountable to staying fit-it is hard to teach when you are huffing and puffing! While exercising regularly I found some of the classes I was taking were getting a little stale, regular...I needed to spice it up a bit and I had heard about some great DVD fitness programs and I had heard about a great supplement called Shakeology.
Introduction to Beachbody! I learned of the great business opportunity - earn money while sharing fitness and nutrition with others (an activity I was already doing), get a discount on products (which I planned to buy anyway), have more accountability to get fitter and maintain my fitness (score), $40 start up cost! This company has some many tools, information and support that I don't have to "sell" anything. I talk about what I do, what I like, offer links to video clips, samples of Shakeology, and the products sell themselves. If you want help, support, just ask, I am here for you! I have finally found a job that makes me happy! It is on my schedule, it is helping others, and it is helping me and my family at the same time. You don't need to be at the peak of fitness to be a coach, you just have to want to be fit and want to help others and the opportunities are limitless!
If you want to join me on this adventure, just check out my site and give me a shout!
Watch this video from Beachbody and then DECIDE where your priorities are!
Introduction to Beachbody! I learned of the great business opportunity - earn money while sharing fitness and nutrition with others (an activity I was already doing), get a discount on products (which I planned to buy anyway), have more accountability to get fitter and maintain my fitness (score), $40 start up cost! This company has some many tools, information and support that I don't have to "sell" anything. I talk about what I do, what I like, offer links to video clips, samples of Shakeology, and the products sell themselves. If you want help, support, just ask, I am here for you! I have finally found a job that makes me happy! It is on my schedule, it is helping others, and it is helping me and my family at the same time. You don't need to be at the peak of fitness to be a coach, you just have to want to be fit and want to help others and the opportunities are limitless!
If you want to join me on this adventure, just check out my site and give me a shout!
Watch this video from Beachbody and then DECIDE where your priorities are!
Monday, August 16, 2010
RevAbs finally has an infomercial!
RevAbs is a program that Beachbody put out earlier in the year. It focuses on "abcentrics" using a lot of cardio while focusing on the ab muscles. So you are burning the fat and toning without even realizing you are doing an ab workout. It is created by Brett Hoebel, a sought after instructor who is renowned for helping people get results on their abs!
If you are ready to Rev up your workout and find your hidden six pack, you might want to check out this video!
If you are ready to Rev up your workout and find your hidden six pack, you might want to check out this video!
Back to school!
Today was the first day back to school for my kids! A little sad that summer is over but they are so excited about seeing old friends, making new friends and about learning! Do you remember those days when we used to be excited and ready to face new things? Chances are that doesn't happen for you very much any more?!?!?!
What used to excited you? What goals did you have that you put out of your mind because life got in your way? Do you think you could dust some of those off and give them another chance?
Start slowly, just take one...it might take you a little while to remember some of them so no hurry, but get started now, today...if you wait until tomorrow, it just might not happen!
Many of us mama's had a plan to always look the way we did when we got married...then kids came along and whammo...you thought that plan was gone. Guess what, that isn't the case! You can make that body come back with a little hard work and determination! Chances are the papa's ran into some roadblocks along their journey's too! Hey, if your kids can go off to school all on their own, if they can learn the alphabet, multiplication and complete book reports, you can watch what you eat and lift some weights!
Whether it is a hard core fitness program or walking around the block or eating right or playing sports or just shutting off the TV and reading a motivational book...do something for you. Do something that will help you feel better about yourself, help you go into each day ready to hit the ground running.
I want my kids to see that I am as excited and motivated about life as I want them to be. I am going to reach some of my goals and make some new ones. Are you going to join me?
I would love to be your coach, to help you along your journey, you just need to let me know how I can help. You can sign up on my Beachbody site for more fitness and nutrition support...join a family of people all with the same goals in mind!
What used to excited you? What goals did you have that you put out of your mind because life got in your way? Do you think you could dust some of those off and give them another chance?
Start slowly, just take one...it might take you a little while to remember some of them so no hurry, but get started now, today...if you wait until tomorrow, it just might not happen!
Many of us mama's had a plan to always look the way we did when we got married...then kids came along and whammo...you thought that plan was gone. Guess what, that isn't the case! You can make that body come back with a little hard work and determination! Chances are the papa's ran into some roadblocks along their journey's too! Hey, if your kids can go off to school all on their own, if they can learn the alphabet, multiplication and complete book reports, you can watch what you eat and lift some weights!
Whether it is a hard core fitness program or walking around the block or eating right or playing sports or just shutting off the TV and reading a motivational book...do something for you. Do something that will help you feel better about yourself, help you go into each day ready to hit the ground running.
I want my kids to see that I am as excited and motivated about life as I want them to be. I am going to reach some of my goals and make some new ones. Are you going to join me?
I would love to be your coach, to help you along your journey, you just need to let me know how I can help. You can sign up on my Beachbody site for more fitness and nutrition support...join a family of people all with the same goals in mind!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
How do you judge others?
I have been off the wall, out of the loop and derelict the past 2 weeks! I was on vacation, I was doing a great job of getting my workouts in, then it got more difficult due to location and childcare, then I got sick :( But here I am, back in the groove, ready to rustle up some good workouts and bring home some great results with Turbo Fire!
All of my free time got me thinking about some "fitness" stereotypes we put on others though! There are many basic ones such as overweight people are lazy, eat too much and don't exercise; skinny people must never eat yummy food; celebrities should be skinny as they can pay people to make their food and help them exercise-plus they have more free time than the average Joe...any of those sound familiar?
Well, some overweight people have medical issues that prevent them from losing weight, some are probably more physically fit than you or me but they just are having difficulties losing the weight. Some skinny people just have amazing metabolisms and they put all sorts of junk in their bodies. Celebrities have busier lives than a lot of us...yes they have money to pay people, but to get a great physique you need to put some effort in!
We assume a lot about people, about their personalities, about their lifestyle, about their parenting...just from snapshots we see of them. We all have quirks that stem from personality traits, habits we have formed, self confidence affected from life experiences...don't write someone off after a brief meeting, give them a second chance as you might be surprised at what you find out next time you meet!
I recently had someone suggest that I didn't know what losing weight was like as I have always been an athlete, but that is not true. Me, stereotyped as a skinny person? I can tell you, I definitely eat yummy food, I just make better choices about it.
I was an overweight child who became an overweight teenager. At 16, I realized I wanted to play basketball and wear fun clothes like my friends so I started exercising and in my senior year at high school I was able to pull on the boy's L shorts instead of the XL for my Basketball uniform...barely! I stayed active for the next 15 years as I love biking and playing team sports, but I never really understood what "real exercise" entailed. I figured that out when I had kids and I was short on time and I wanted to lose the baby weight so I busted my butt at the gym so I could get back to my crying daughter and sure enough great things happened. Along with that I cut way back on my calories, I stopped making poor food choices and I lost the 25 pounds I was planning to lose, plus 10 more! There are no magic pills, there are no "one stop shops", it just requires hard work, sweat and commitment! Once I reached my goal I added my treats back in, but the fastest way to meet my goals was to cut out the non essentials!
This past January I found some new products that helped me drop my body fat a few percentage points so I could see some of the muscles I had been working so hard to develop. I started drinking Shakeology, which helped control my cravings for sweets and wine plus it increased my energy and I purchased Insanity from Beachbody! I improved my nutrition and I found a workout program that knocked my socks off! Beachbody has programs for all levels of fitness, I was ready to take it to the max! Beachbody does not have any magic pills, but it provides all of the tools you need to reach fitness goals with it's amazing, money back guaranteed products...and when you buy them from me you get me as your own personal coach!
I would love to help you achieve what I have, and I would love to have you as an accountability partner to help me maintain my workout schedule and my good nutrition! Join me at Beachbody where you can sign up for FREE or become a team member to benefit from the great nutrition tools, access to celebrity trainer chats, and more.
If you are looking for inspirational stories of weight loss, overcoming obstacles and great success in weight loss, please check out the Beachbody site ASAP! There are people who have overcome MS, joint problems, extreme obesity, you name it, you will find it under the success stories. Are you ready to be one of these success stories? I would love to help!
All of my free time got me thinking about some "fitness" stereotypes we put on others though! There are many basic ones such as overweight people are lazy, eat too much and don't exercise; skinny people must never eat yummy food; celebrities should be skinny as they can pay people to make their food and help them exercise-plus they have more free time than the average Joe...any of those sound familiar?
Well, some overweight people have medical issues that prevent them from losing weight, some are probably more physically fit than you or me but they just are having difficulties losing the weight. Some skinny people just have amazing metabolisms and they put all sorts of junk in their bodies. Celebrities have busier lives than a lot of us...yes they have money to pay people, but to get a great physique you need to put some effort in!
We assume a lot about people, about their personalities, about their lifestyle, about their parenting...just from snapshots we see of them. We all have quirks that stem from personality traits, habits we have formed, self confidence affected from life experiences...don't write someone off after a brief meeting, give them a second chance as you might be surprised at what you find out next time you meet!
I recently had someone suggest that I didn't know what losing weight was like as I have always been an athlete, but that is not true. Me, stereotyped as a skinny person? I can tell you, I definitely eat yummy food, I just make better choices about it.
I was an overweight child who became an overweight teenager. At 16, I realized I wanted to play basketball and wear fun clothes like my friends so I started exercising and in my senior year at high school I was able to pull on the boy's L shorts instead of the XL for my Basketball uniform...barely! I stayed active for the next 15 years as I love biking and playing team sports, but I never really understood what "real exercise" entailed. I figured that out when I had kids and I was short on time and I wanted to lose the baby weight so I busted my butt at the gym so I could get back to my crying daughter and sure enough great things happened. Along with that I cut way back on my calories, I stopped making poor food choices and I lost the 25 pounds I was planning to lose, plus 10 more! There are no magic pills, there are no "one stop shops", it just requires hard work, sweat and commitment! Once I reached my goal I added my treats back in, but the fastest way to meet my goals was to cut out the non essentials!
This past January I found some new products that helped me drop my body fat a few percentage points so I could see some of the muscles I had been working so hard to develop. I started drinking Shakeology, which helped control my cravings for sweets and wine plus it increased my energy and I purchased Insanity from Beachbody! I improved my nutrition and I found a workout program that knocked my socks off! Beachbody has programs for all levels of fitness, I was ready to take it to the max! Beachbody does not have any magic pills, but it provides all of the tools you need to reach fitness goals with it's amazing, money back guaranteed products...and when you buy them from me you get me as your own personal coach!
I would love to help you achieve what I have, and I would love to have you as an accountability partner to help me maintain my workout schedule and my good nutrition! Join me at Beachbody where you can sign up for FREE or become a team member to benefit from the great nutrition tools, access to celebrity trainer chats, and more.
If you are looking for inspirational stories of weight loss, overcoming obstacles and great success in weight loss, please check out the Beachbody site ASAP! There are people who have overcome MS, joint problems, extreme obesity, you name it, you will find it under the success stories. Are you ready to be one of these success stories? I would love to help!
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