RevAbs -my results after ONE WEEK!

[b]RevAbs Day Seven Monday Jan 31st, 2011:
Weight 164.5
Body Fat 20.9%
Waist 30", belly button 36"[/b]

RevAbs Day One Monday Jan 24th, 2011:
Weight 168.5
Body Fat 21.8%
Waist 31", belly button 37"

Week One VS Week Two results!!!
Apparently there is some belly burn going on!  I won't lie, the nutrition has been challenging for me.  Day One I had some serious headaches, and I am still having a big cup of coffee each day!  I think it was the sugar!  I would say 1% of body fat in one week is pretty good at these numbers!  I have some pretty high hopes of meeting my goal of 18% body fat and  pack abs when I am finished this program in 83 more days :)
How is your journey going?

Keep on pressing play!
Nicola

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:

Do you have Big Goals?

Sometimes I get fired up about goals and ambitions and plans and then I stop dead in my tracks as I realize what a challenge it is going to be to attain them all! Sometimes I have my vision set but someone crushes it by suggesting it is a crazy idea.

I think that is an issue for many people, and most of those people just leave it at that. Oh well, too much work, too much change, guess I can't do it so why even try! Are you one of those people? If you said yes, you are not alone. Statistics show that over 80% of our population is in the same boat as you. But do you need to stay in that boat? Hell no! Jump ship, and swim as far away from that boat as you can get.

Our goals can seem so far fetched and hard to reach but there are ways to make it a bit easier! Make mini goals. Map out the route to that big goal and take it one step at a time. Put a picture of that goal somewhere prominent, like on your bathroom mirror, and see it every day and know that someday you will reach it. How far away someday is though is totally up to you! You can be motivated and encouraged by others, but you need to do the hard work yourself. If you haven't been successful in the past it probably has a lot to do with how hard you tried and probably the route you took. Read books for ideas, join groups that can help you, search out the right route to take. Your goal could be to lose 5 pounds or it could be to lose 100 pounds. Your goal could be to get out of a dead end job, or to find one that pays you what you think you are worth. Your goal could be to travel around the world. Whatever your goal, there are steps that need to be taken to reach them, so figure out what step number one is, and keep one going!

Don't be afraid to read self improvement books, my current favorite is "The Slight Edge" by Leo Weidner.  Find tools to boost your self worth because you are worth it and if you don't believe that then you are going to have a difficult time persuading anyone else to believe it!

If you are looking for an amazing business opportunity and/or some fitness motivation and accountability please check out the message from Carl Daikler, CEO of Beachbody.

Take Responsibility

The first step to taking back your power is to look at your life, own your choices and ask how they have brought you to where you are, for better or worse.  Responsibility means not blaming anyone or anything for your situation.  That type of victim mindset saps your will and siphons your power.  By taking responsibility, you will start to see how the choices you make create your reality; this doesn't mean being able to control all the difficult things life may throw your way, but it does mean controlling your reactions to situations, people and events to effect the best possible outcome. It is your choice to let someone's criticism affect you; it is up to you either to fear life's challenges or to embrace them with positive faith in yourself.  Once you are conscious and accountable for your actions and reactions you can dictate the outcome of almost any situation in your favor! (excerpt from Jillian Michaels-Making the cut)
This can be in reference to all aspects of your life!   Set your goals and work towards them!  Once you reach them, make new ones!  Whether you are helping yourself or helping your children, you focus on where you want to get and you get there!  Climb over those obstacles!

Almost time for month 2 of 2010, are you ready to rock it?

So January 2010 is about to wrap up...have you accomplished what you had hoped to in the first month of the decade?  Did you have some goals or resolutions you made on January 1st?  Maybe you are well on your way to conquering them...maybe you have slipped up a bit along the way, but there are still 11 more months to go!  It is difficult to adjust to change.  Whether it is fitness, nutrition, behavior, habits...we like to do what we like to do.  So the trick is to change what you like to do!  Sounds easier than it is!
You need to find new things that you like that help you work towards your new goal or resolution!  If running isn't your thing, maybe you can manage the elliptical at the gym?  Maybe if step class isn't your thing you can try TurboKick (had to plug myself ;)).  Is there a sport you loved in highschool?  Look for a team to join.
Eating is a similar predicament.  You love french fries?  Try baking thinly sliced sweet potatoes, add a touch of olive oil and salt and bake in the oven...even better, try zucchini baked this way!  You love the convenience of drive thrus? Find out what your safe options are.  These aren't only salads (btw if you get a salad go easy on the dressing they provide).  Do you hate vegetables?  Try Shakeology.
You may have to work a tiny bit harder but aren't you worth it?  Isn't your health worth it?  Try a little harder now, soon it will become habit, and you are well on your way to a happier and healthier lifestyle.  Learning to love to eat healthy will add years to your life, learning to love to exercise will add even more!  And these will be quality years!
The only person who can decide to do it is you, the only person who can keep you accountable is you, the only person who get you out of bed every morning is you!  I can help encourage you, I can help push you at the gym...but only if you make the choice to help yourself!
So keep going, you are on your way to the finish line :)

If you would like regular encouragement sign up with beachbody and make sure nicolabx is your coach that's me).  Let me know what you need and I will be more than happy to help you!
I am going to focus my blog on good nutritional choices this week as what goes into your body can effect 70% of your results if you are exercising regularly!

Reaching Goals!!!

I did it!  I reached a goal!  I ran my second half marathon in less than 2 hours!!!  Actually 1 hour, 57 minutes and 19 seconds.  That is an average pace of less than 9 minutes per mile!  Was it easy...not at all!  Was it worth it...120% yes!
Choosing a goal is a great way to encourage yourself to work harder, to push yourself and to motivate yourself.  This was my second half marathon.  I knew I could run the distance, I knew I could run an 8 to 9 minute pace in shorter distances, I knew I was physically fit enough...so why not set myself a big goal. (my first half marathon in October was 2 hours and 18 minutes but had many more hills...and it was my first).  To reach my goal I added a bit more running to my regimen and I psyched myself up to the job.
On Sunday, I started the race at a decent pace...not too fast so I didn't tire too quickly.  1/4 of the way through I made sure I was within range of the 2:00 pace setter (although he kept sneaking away when I grabbed water at the water stations).  My IT bands (on the outside of the thighs) were tightening up causing pain on the outside of my knees...I rubbed them while I kept running...I had a mission!!!  In the last mile I sucked it up and pushed myself HARD!  I passed the pacer, I pushed myself, I encouraged myself on, I got my music to a faster song and I got myself over that finish line.  Am I suffering today...you better believe it!  I am physically exhausted...my muscles are tight, my left outer knee is aching...do I still think it was worth it...YES YES YES!!!  I am competitive.  I am driven.  When I do things I give it my all as otherwise I don't see much point in doing it!
Everyone's "all" or best attempt is different though!  If you are going to run a race or try something new, you need to choose a level that is reasonable for YOU.  If you surpass your goals easily, you know to set your sites a bit higher next time.  If you don't make goals though, if you don't set big plans for yourself, how do you know where you want to go, where you want to be?
They can be as basic as losing 5 pounds in a month.  They can be to try a new class every week...or even sticking with a class that seems a bit tougher than you thought you could do for a whole month! (try Turbo Kick...it gets better every time you come). Increase your weights you lift and keep at it for a month then increase again!  Keep tabs of what you accomplish and when you reach goals...take before and after photos so you have proof, take before and after measurements (these often mean more than actual weight)!  If you have difficulty keeping accountability yourself get some help.  Get a personal trainer at the gym, if you are running a lot, sign up for the nike+ program with nike.com...they also have an online nike women's training club now....there many other online programs you can log your activities on too.  Or just write them down on paper and keep tabs on where you are!...talk to me about how I can help you!
Through Beachbody I have some amazing at home programs you can try that will push you...as long as you follow what they tell you to do....and you will see results.  I will soon be offering a free body fat analysis before, during and after you start a program that you buy from me...an added bonus!  www.beachbodycoach.com/nicolabx
I am off to have a nap...back to the gym tomorrow, I think I have earned a day of rest ;)
Have a great week!

How are those goals?

We are in the third full week of January 2010!  How is the new decade working for you?  You should have your feet and most of your body wet with your new routines (and the rain if you live in California ;)).  Now is about the time that people start to lose interest in these plans they have set in motion, these goals they would like to meet, these new lifestyle they have striven to live!  How about you?
I returned from my Christmas holidays of little exercise (which I blamed on the cold weather, lack of a gym and lack of time), lots of sugar and red wine (it was Christmas, why not indulge a little), and with a nasty cough and cold!  Hmmmm.  Bloated, scale up a little and sick...not so good.  I made some goals to get back to the exercising 4+ days a week, eat healthier (maybe cut out wine at least during the week)-less desserts, more veggies, and stay healthy!  I am training for a half marathon...which is in 5 short days (yikes it better stop raining down south), so that has ensured I keep moving.  I have plans to increase my weight lifting once I recover from my race and I am hoping to challenge my body to P90X...designed to transform my body from regular to ripped in 90 short days!!!  In attempt to improve digestion, health and workout recovery I am starting a supplement called Shakeology.  You drink it as a shake and it boasts to increase energy, regularity, weight loss, and to make you feel great!  Not cheap but if it does all that, I think it may be a keeper.  I will give the Shakeology a few weeks with regular exercise before I start P90X, just so I don't get the results confused and I will let you know how it goes.  These two products are both produced by Beachbody and you can ask me more about them or learn more on my website.
So enough about me, what are you doing to keep yourself focused on this crazy thing called exercise and getting/staying fit?  If you want to keep yourself accountable you can join the message board on the Beachbody site...for free...and I will get on there daily, post these blogs there too, and we can chat about how you are doing and where you want to progress to.  Right now my thread is called "Working out in Bakersfield", but you don't need to be from Bakersfield to join in!  www.bakofit.com
Let me know how you are doing and how I can help you!

Weights are our friends!!!!

Including weight lifting in your work out regimen is a must!!!  Whether you are trying to lose a lot of weight, a little bit of weight or just to tone up!
First off, muscle burns calories even while you sit and watch TV.  The more muscle you have on your body, the more calories you are burning every second of every day.  Regardless of what you are trying to do to your body you typically need to lose a little bit of fat and you want to give your muscles a little bit of definition.  Women rarely get "big" when they lift weights.  Some will put on muscle faster, but there is no reason to lift light weights...go as heavy as you can 10 reps, take a 45 second break then do 10 more!
The only way muscle will make you look bigger is if you don't lose some fat at the same time, and how do we do that you ask? We lift weights...we elevate our heart rate with cardio (TurboKick is great for this :))...and we watch what we eat!!!!  If you are trying to lose weight, NEVER reward yourself with food!  Don't get the mentality that you EARNED IT because you worked so hard at the gym...you need to change that mentality and find a new reward.  Some new clothes for the gym to show off those muscles, some new songs for your iPod to inspire you to work harder, a new book or magazine to read before bed.  Studies have shown that exercise doesn't help a large number of people lose weight...this is because they think exercising means they should be eating more.  Usually you didn't get to the point where you need to lose weight unless you were eating more than you already should be...so sometimes you still need to cut calories.  Look to whole grains, vegetables and lean meats, add some fruit and you are set!  There are some great books and magazines out there that can help you with eating and exercise ideas!  "Clean Eating" is touted as a great way to get that last layer of fat off your belly.  Tosca Reno has 2 or 3 great cookbooks out to give you ideas on this, as well there is a Clean Eating magazine.  My favorite exercise magazine is Oxygen....a LOT about the weights.  Also Women's Health is great too!  These magazines also have web sites so you can check out their info online!  If you are looking for a TV show to inspire you turn on the Biggest Loser next week-Tuesday night at 8pm on NBC----the most important part is at 9:55 when they show how much the contestant voted off lost once they returned home...before and after photos...very impressive!
Have you made some goals yet?  Where you would like to be by the end of 2009, where you would like to be by 6 months from now.  Remember to keep those goals in mind as we head into Thanksgiving and then the holiday season!  How about a new sleeveless dress for that office holiday party....wouldn't it be nice to show off a little muscles definition on those biceps and triceps ;)
I started lifting weights more again in the past two weeks and the scale revealed this morning that I have dropped 2 pounds.  More muscle combined with some hard cardio and reduced calories and you will see some changes! 

Keep it moving but don't hurt yourselves ;)

So my official injury seems to be a pulled or torn quadratis femoris muscle.  It is a deep and small muscle that connects between the femur and the ischial tuberosity (pelvis).  The physical therapist has me building up the hip muscles around it as it is responsible for lateral rotation and helping adduct the thigh at the hip.  It was feeling better after my half marthon (maybe the other pains minimized this pain ;)), but after my last session my butt started aching again.  Could have something to do with all that kicking in TurboKick...you don't say!
Well, after my half marathon I was inspired to not slow on my exercise, so I taught my two TK classes, added a day of heavy weights...man have I missed that, then I went running on Saturday.  What did that Nike blog say to do post racing...take a week off...oh right!!!
But, I accepted a challenge to run 10K on Saturday...can't back down to a challenge can I?  My only free time was at 8am while my son played soccer, so I hit the bike trail and ran my 10K and was able to catch the end of the game.  But by later in the day I had new pain....my lower inner hamstring and upper calf...hobble hobble hobble.  Rolled it out on my foam roller...a great tool for sore muscles I might add and carried on.  I postponed my Monday therapist appointment so see if I would improve by Wednesday.  Taught TK on Tuesday without a problem, and went to therapy today...for my leg not my mental stability Elizabeth ;)  Different therapist massaged into my hip and butt and was able to loosen that quadratis femoris muscle, feels amazing right now...and the new injuries are easing up.  They haven't told me to slow my exercising so as long as I can move it's all good...I think :) 
Sooooo, work through pains and pulls but take it easy.  You will get sore as you add new exercises so add moderately, but don't be a wimp.  A little burning while you lift is good...shooting pain is not...this should always tell you to stop!!!!!  The day or two after new or hard exercise may lead to aching muscles...stretch, walk, work through it.  You need to help the lactic acid get out of your muscles so sitting still isn't going to speed up your recovery.  Have a hot shower or bath to loosen up and get moving again!
Keep working towards those goals you have set!

GOALS!

The best way to get yourself rolling on a new exercise plan is to set yourself some goals! 

I have set a few exercise goals over the past few years:  In November of 2006 my friend Shelley suggested we join the gym to work off the weight of two pregnancies, I jumped at the encouragement and we set the goal of "going to the gym" and seeing where it got us.  It wasn't long before we challenged all of our friends to a weight loss competition.  Who can lose the highest percentage of weight in 2 months.  I narrowly beat out my competition, but that was just the beginning.  I set a lofty goal of reaching 170 pounds, 10 pounds less than I have ever been in my adult life.  I dropped 25 pounds within 8 months of starting my journey at the gym and have maintained that weight for over 2 years now. ( Note-I am 6 feet tall )

Last spring I signed up to run a half marathon (13.1 miles) on October 18th.  That would be in a week and a half from now, yikes!!!  I have continued my regular exercise program which is TurboKick twice a week, plus a class with weights when I can fit it in.  I have added some running when I can and pulled out 8 miles last weekend.  Finishing that half marathon will be another goal attained.  I have already signed up for my next half marathon in January....anyone want to join me in Carlsbad?
I do have a new goal that I have started working towards.  I would like to get rid of that last roll, the muffin top, that protrudes when I do up my favorite pair of jeans.  So reducing my body fat.  This will take a combination of cardio, which I do a fait amount of, weight training, which I am working on increasing, and healthy eating.  I eat a healthy diet, but I tend to snack with my kids, I rarely say no to a cookie or a piece of chocolate cake, but maybe I can  resist for two months!  Anyone care to join me in a healthy eating, just say no plan for two months?  They say that if you can say no to sugar for a week the rest is easy!

Goals can be big and outrageous, but starting small is always a good idea.  Plan to walk for 30 minutes once a week, once you get that under your belt increase it to 2 days a week...once it becomes habit or something you make time for one your planner you can make it happen.  You make sure you get to work on time, you get your kids to school on time, you get to your doctors or dentist appointments on time, so just treat your exercise the same way.  Work at it for the next month then you can add to it! 
Those of you already active make sure your exercise plan is written down and don't be afraid to mix it up.  Add some extra weight when you weight train-the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn ALL THE TIME!  Running is great, but you need to add some hills, speed it up or run a bit longer if you want so see more positive results.  Your body adapts so you have to keep challenging it!
And if you want a good dose of cardio, come to my TurboKick class-Tuesday mornings at 8:30, Wednesday evenings at 6 at Body Xchange on Calloway and Rosedale.