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!

Is it really almost June?

Where has the spring gone?  For most people I know they haven't even had spring weather yet and my kids are out of school for SUMMER VACATION in ONE WEEK!  That is crazy!  I am looking forward to a more lax schedule, fun summer camps and lots of pool time, but the problem with the lax schedule is that momma will have to work harder to fit in the workouts and the office work!
Do you have plans for fitting it all in?  I will plan my weeks and my daily activities... this is why we do camps, so I can be structured as I get a little bit out of whack without structure!  I do foresee problems with getting to the gym regularly so thank goodness I have my P90X on the go so I
can get my daily workouts in ...plus I have good reason to stay on track with my nutrition (although I did buy plastic wine glasses so I can enjoy a drink by the pool!). 
My kids will be worn out by days end with swimming lessons, soccer camp, Bible camp, Chemistry camp, Country Club camp and Family vacation!!!  Plus playdates and LOTS of pool time!

A few months ago I told my Turbo Kick class that I would love to teach in a bra top to better demonstrate the value of full body movement to working the upper abs... I had big plans for RevAbs to get me ready for that in April, but I did not stay on track with my nutrition to reach my goals in time.  Some one finally called me out on it the other day so I have made a new commitment for Wednesday June 15th... I better get my nutrition on track as my fitness sure is!  I will clean up my eating, find some great recipes to post on here too and keep you posted!  Right after June 15th is the Beachbody Summit annual meeting in LA... which gives me two things to look great for!  Who wants to join me in a clean eating challenge?  I will have details ready to go for Monday!!!

Are you looking for a fitness program to help you reach some fitness goals over the summer?  Watch the Beachbody Solutions video below and let me know what looks like the most fun to you!

Shakeology 3 day Jumpstart/Cleanse - RESULTS!!!

So let me tell you about my Shakeology cleanse results, why I did this and why it worked so well for me!

Upon my weigh in this morning I had lost 6.5 pounds in 3 days!

My details: I am 5'11 1/2" and went from 172 to 165.5 pounds from Monday morning to Thursday morning.  Funnily enough, I weighed 165 pounds in January so I have fixed my 3 months of weight gain.  I eat healthy food.  Lots of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, no soda or added sugars for the most part.  My downfall is portions and snacking but mostly snacking.  It is easy to get in your head that you aren't full so you need to have something else or that you ate a healthy lunch so surely you can squeeze in an extra cookie (or two) or the kids are snacking so you will just have a bite (or 4 or 5).  It is so easy to throw extra calories in without really giving it a second thought and for me, that led to 7 extra pounds in a mere 3 months!  Stopping the snacking can be hard too.  Putting it off until tomorrow, until I'm not sick, until the weather improves... you know what I mean.  You need to get your head in the right place and be ready!

I don't usually have this much trouble getting back on track, but I tried to cut out sugar, dairy, fruit, most carbs and really decrease my calories for 2 weeks at the end of January and it put me into a tailspin.  Apparently my body needs something in there... and I'm thinking it was the fruit and the carbs as I love my cardio and I needed the quick energy.  So it was time to dive into the Shakeology cleanse!!!

Monday I started the day with a Chocolate Shakeology with 1/4 cup of frozen blueberries, water and ice at 7:30, a cup of black coffee at 8, Chocolate Shakeology with 1/4 frozen strawberries, water and ice at 11:30, 1 pear at 2pm, 1/4 serving of Shakeology left from my kid's breakfast at 3:30, green salad with baked homemade chicken strips, cucumber, green peas and balsamic vinaigrette at 6:30.  I needed my third Shakeology but I wasn't really hungry (crazy I know), but I mixed with water, ice and almond extract.  My workout was TurboFire during the day but not much due to lack of time!

Tuesday-Chocolate Shakeology with 1/4 frozen strawberries at 7:30, black coffee, Chocolate Shakeology with 1/2 cup cherry berry mix at 11:30, I had my salad at 3:30 today knowing I would be out at dinner time!  Then had my third Shakeology at 5:15 as I wouldn't be home until late and I didn't want to be starving.  Ate a pear at 8pm as I drove home from Fit Club.  My workouts were some low intensity TurboFire and a full intensity P90X One on One 110-30-20 workout at Fit Club (every Tuesday at 6pm at the Bakersfield Marriott).

Wednesday-Scale already had me down 5 pounds!  I knew I would need to add a few calories today as I teach TK at 6pm and need lots of energy!  Mixed 1/2 banana and 1/4 cup strawberries into my Shakeology for breakfast.  Pear in morning.  Shakeology at 10:45am with water, ice and almond extract.  Coffee with cream at 11.  1/2 cup almonds in the afternoon and my salad with 1 egg + 1 egg white, and 2 slices of low sodium turkey breast sandwich meat.  1/2 cup oatmeal squares cereal at 5pm to ensure enough energy for class.  1 scoop results and recovery formula after class.  Chocolate Shakeology with mint extract for dinner at 7:30 followed by tea and willpower for dessert :)
My energy has been good, I haven't been overly hungry, just found myself thinking about food a few times...but I could tell it was out of habit not hunger!  NO CRAVINGS!!!  I got my chocolate fix from the Shakeology and obviously had no nutrition deficits with all of that extra nutrition :)

Thursday morning - 6.5 pounds less on the scale and I feel great!!!
The big question is... will those pounds stay off!  I will weigh in again next Thursday and let you know what the number is!  If I control my snacking along with sticking with a solid fitness routine (RevAbs, I am diving back in) I am confident it will stay off!
I started my day with a strawberry banana chocolate Shakeology today.  I then had a slice of sprouted wheat toast with natural peanut butter and banana with my coffee!  I need to get my body balanced again so I will make healthy food choices, I don't want to starve  myself so I will be back up to 1800-2000 calories a day, and I will indulge on occasion but I will be sensible about it!  My health and feeling good about myself is important to me... more important than ice cream for dessert every night, and crunching on crackers or dry cereal while I get my work done, or even that slice of pizza at the Costco concession as I walk by at lunch time!  It is all about choices and they are ours to make!  What is your choice going to be?

If you would like help getting on track with your nutrition, finding a fitness program that will work for your or just motivation to get rolling and stay on track, I would love to help.  Sign up for FREE or for the club membership with great nutrition planning tools at www.GetFitWithNicola.com and let me know how I can help!
Check out this past post about Shakeology (from over a year ago and I am still loving it) and how you can make the price fit your budget a little better!

got good nutrition?

So I was just running a little test on how much of an influence food makes on weight loss results! (actually I was just really hungry and out of whack and couldn't stop eating for 3 weeks straight)!!!  I have been exercising 6-7 days a week for 30-120 minutes a day (most days were 30-50 minutes) at a medium to high intensity (still following my RevAbs plan plus Turbo Kick and PUMP).  I have been eating good food (very little processed food, minimal added fats or sugars) just LOTS of it!  I have been constantly hungry and I was finding myself searching through the freezer, fridge and pantry for snacks.  I found nuts (unsalted), cookies (whole wheat), low fat vanilla and plain yogurt, cereal, P90X protein bars, fruit!  My saving grace has been that I don't have a plethora of unhealthy foods in my home.  I have been drinking my Shakeology plus having salads and lots of veggies too.
What has eating large volumes of even healthy food for 3 weeks done to me? 

• I have gained back the 4 pounds I lost in the first week of RevAbs plus an extra 3 pounds (and I think it is all on my belly)!
• I have felt tired and lethargic (yet when I force myself to exercise I have plenty of energy to get it done), I just don't FEEL my usual energetic self.
• I have been moody and grumpy (although that could have something to do with my daughter being very temperamental lately).
• It has set me back from where I want to be!

People see me as a fit person who eats well, exercises and has no challenges to be that way!  The truth is, I have many challenges!  I love cupcakes, I love chocolate, I love pizza, but do you know what I love more?  I LOVE my clothes fitting nicely without being tight around my belly, I LOVE wearing a dress without control top pantyhose underneath,  I LOVE being proud of showing my arms in a sleeveless dress or shirt...and most of all I LOVE feeling strong, healthy and powerful!  I love how I feel after a good workout because I have found workouts that I truly enjoy! 
So yes!  I make sacrifices to be and feel healthy, and writing this has actually inspired me to refocus back on my nutrition because dang, my pants were snug this morning and I HATE that! 
Please read my posts, join me on Facebook and on my Get Fit With Nicola page on FB!  I will be following some nutrition plans on the Beachbody site which you can find by joining as a club member, or you can just join for FREE and contact me through the site and I would love to help you too!  I will also be posting some of my favorite meals I uncover in the nutrition guides from some of the Beachbody programs I have at home!  March is well under way and summer is right around the corner!  I am ready to bring it, will you join me?

Your kids ARE watching what you eat and do!!!

This morning my daughter requested oatmeal for breakfast...with milk.  No sugar, no sprinkles.  Then when I put ground flax seed on mine she got upset that I hadn't put any on hers!  She didn't even want the blueberries I put in mine in hers!  Go figure.
Yesterday on the way home from the gym we watched a family heading into Burger King for dinner.  My son suggested that when he can drive he will go there every day, I could tell my daughter was tempted to agree but then responded, "I would rather be healthy".  Do I deprive my kids of fast food so they want it more?  Maybe.  But we make hamburgers at home, I bake oven fries, we have Dreyer's slow churned ice cream a few days a week.  We also have veggies at every meal and fruit before we have sweets after dinner to balance it out.
Last Friday after school I needed to get my workout done so I put in my DVD in and my daughter joined in!  After I finished RevAbs, she asked me to put in Tony and the Kids so she could keep working out.  This was after both of my children were running around the backyard wrestling with the dogs and each other and trying out my new pull up bar!

I try to get a workout in every day, I try to eat lots of veggies, fruits, lean proteins and whole grains and avoid processed foods.  Do I do this every day, not quite.  I also love cookies, chocolate, pizza, cheese, wine... I just consume these in a more controlled manner now and don't have them sitting on my counter tempting me!!!   My children are learning about choices and how to make good ones.  I want them to understand how important their health is so they can make their own choices accordingly!  It is never too late to start and I would love to help!  Beachbody has a great Meal Planner section if you join as a Club member .  It is comparable to Weight Watcher's online or Biggest Loser online, but more reasonably priced and you get a real person to contact with any questions...ME :)
www.GetFitWithNicola.com

5 days in!

I know how to do it right, I know the rules, I know what works best for most people, I am happy to help, but I tell ya....following the rules is harder than stating them ;) The first day of no fruit was OK, but day two when I was hungry and the fruit was sitting there was pretty tough. Then there are my other go to snacks of yogurt, string cheese and cereal...not OK for two weeks!
So I have done pretty well, I am keeping tabs on my exact diet on the Beachbody message boards ...I went a little (read lot) overboard on my nut intake the past two days...like instead of a handful I had about 5 handfuls!  But I was hungry!  I did not touch the forbidden foods, ie. sugar, starch, fruit and dairy!!! 
I am back on board today.  I got my 30 minute RevAbs Interval workout in and plan to go for a run with the dogs while the kids ride their bikes later.  I hard boiled eggs this morning as that is a mere 70 calorie snack which fills me up!
This process is learning for even the experienced.  I have decided that spending time making a veggie omelet for breakfast just isn't going to be an option for me.  It's not about the time, I just don't enjoy a big breakfast I prefer cereal...which I am cutting out, or Shakeology!  How can you not be happy about starting the day with a chocolate peanut butter banana shake...or for this week a chocolate almond shake?!?!?  Delicious, nutritious and great on the calories!
I have lost 3 pounds already, my energy is better today...I think I do need to stay a little over the 1100 calorie mark, but I am in the game and ready to keep running towards my goal.
I questioned why again yesterday.  Why do I need to do this when I am fit and healthy already?  But why not?  I have never had 6 pack abs so why not just get it done while I am still relatively young and healthy!!!  Would it be easier to commit if I had 50 pounds to lose?  You tell me.  Is it?  You have your health as a driving force but commitment is commitment, sacrifice is sacrifice and goals are goals!  Make those goals big and keep working towards them!  Let me know how I can help you!
Here is a video from the RevAbs test group:

What is your WHY?

Why do you do the things you do?  Do they help you get to a destination or a goal?  or are they just "something to do"?  This goes for everything.  Work, play, fitness, what you eat...everything!  Everything you do has a purpose or a meaning behind it.

Usually you work to make money to support your basic living and other things you enjoy doing.  You play doing the activities you enjoy.  You exercise to stay fit and healthy.  You eat to nourish your body!  But these things can all be enjoyable...ALL of them, not just the play part!  If you don't like things the way they are then maybe it is time to change them!  Find a workout you enjoy, if you have been doing the same thing for years, look for a sport or a new class you could enjoy.  Find a new recipe book to seek recipes that appeal to you...cutting out the crap doesn't have to be so limiting, and lacking in flavor.  Work.  How many people actually enjoy their jobs?  Inevitably there will be something about your job that you prefer not to do, but overall is it like pulling teeth to head to work every day?  Have you put any thought into looking for a new job?

Change is tough!  Breaking bad habits is tough!  They say it takes 21 days to make a habit.  So start working on making a change for the better!

I often debate with myself why I do some of the things I do.  Why am I starting a new fitness program and focusing hard on the nutrition when I have less than 10 pounds to lose...why, because I can!  I am relatively young, I am healthy, I am a role model for my children and for friends and family that read what I write and watch what I do.  I spent most of my teenage years overweight and missed out on great opportunities in sports and school because I didn't want to change, I didn't want to challenge myself.  I will never limit myself again by not stepping up to the challenge, nor will I model to my children that is an option!  So six pack abs, here I come!  I will post on this blog updates of the next 90 days, but join me on the Beachbody message boards to share in my journey, post messages about your own, and let's reach for the challenge!!!  You can click on the link above or head to www.GetFitWithNicola.com sign up for FREE and head to the message boards.  My posts are under "Working out in Bakersfield".

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!

Day One of Turbo Fire!

I am diving in to the new program to see what amazing results I can produce!  The last 2 months have been a bit wonky for me.  I started Insanity it January and planned my days around getting the workouts in while allowing time for teaching Turbo Kick!  When I completed Insanity in early May, I added in Brazil Butt Lift, RevAbs and P90X...but I didn't plan my schedule out in advance.  I played it day by day and somedays I had too much to do with my kids, some days I had too much to do with my house...slowly I lost some momentum and in the process my eating habits slid a bit too!  I stayed fairly healthy, but I added in some snacks with the kids, and while I was in Hawaii...aiy aiy aiy!!!  I don't think I ever felt the feeling of hunger, as I just ate and ate and ate!  So I find myself in the beginning of July back to where I was in January!  I wasn't in bad shape then and I am not in bad shape now, but I was within about 5 pounds and 1% body fat of six pack abs.  I was unselfconsciously wearing my bikini! Now I have backtracked through a few months of hard work!  I don't know if it was self sabotage or what, but I am back!  I am gearing up to hit Turbo Fire with all I have and I will take my nutrition along with me!  Although I have to admit, the exercise part is much easier for me than the food part.  I can eat healthy, I just have trouble eating small.  Fortunately I am allowed around 2000 calories a day, but man, can I get there quickly ;)  I am going to refocus on drinking lots of water (50% of my body weight in ounces a day) and adding a few stalks of celery to my lunch and afternoon snack-this really helped me feel fuller and keep off the snacking. Keep on my Shakeology and stay far away from cookies and tortilla chips...funny I thought the word cookie and remembered the box in my pantry...note to self, get those out of my house (no one else likes them anyway).
Day One of Turbo Fire went great today, I had already tried some of the HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts, but today was Fire 30 (just a really high paced and short Turbo Kick class) and stretch 30 plus I added some bicep curls, tricep dips, pushups and rows!  I will be adding a  Fan page to FB within the next week so I can add daily updates of my workouts, let you know how this program works for me, and compare the results to those of Insanity!
I am looking forward to playing with the upgraded nutrition planner on the Beachbody site, using some great recipes, and as well using the great selection of recipes that come with the Turbo Fire program!  That is an amazing thing with Beachbody, the programs cover fitness and nutrition.
Here is the preview of Turbo Fire, let me know if you would like more information on it!

nicolabx@beachbodycoach.com

I haven't been very good lately at planning in advance my workout schedule. I liked the scheduling of Insanity, like all of the other Beachbody programs so I had it laid out for me. Right now I am throwing some RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift and P90X together, then teaching Turbo Kick at the gym with some weights thrown in! BUT, I find if I am not scheduled the workouts are not getting completed! I am also waiting with great anticipation for Turbo Fire which will be released at the end of June to coaches...give me some off the wall music and some fun moves and I can't not move...so that makes the workouts rock right from the beginning! If you want to see how Turbo Fire is going to go, check out this video:




Now tell me that doesn't peak your interest!!! Head to my Beachbody site www.beachbodycoach.com/nicolabx and sign up. Either for FREE or join the Club to get some nutrition planning-they have just upgraded this feature so you can determine exactly how many calories you need, it will tailor a menu specifically for you and you can switch the meals around, plus get a grocery list!!!
Let me know what your interests are and I will help you get set up! Let's get this summer rolling!!!