No Goal or Vision = Failure

Have you set any short term goals?

No?  Shame on you!  Studies show that...aw, who cares what studies show?! It's common sense.  If you avoid setting short term goals, when it comes to your health and overall well being, how are you going to reach your ultimate long term goals?

Not sure where to start?  I've got some great reads for you (in my opinion) that were written by my good friend, Alison Johnson.  Here they are:

The Ten Commandments of Goal Setting

First Things First

By Hook or by Crook

Most of us are only motivated by goals, whether they are for an event, a vacation, or a challenge set up by a friend or family member.  Without a health or fitness objective, the average person will not strive to improve each day.

So, what are you waiting for?  Start setting some short term goals and each time you accomplish one, set another! Don't forget to reward yourself!

Green Juice, Anyone?

Let me just start out by sharing the news that I am no longer competing in bikini competitions, unless it's the kind where you ride a bull at a bar in a bikini and make 150 bucks.  My reasoning behind this decision (in no particular order):

• My hidden trophy shelf in my closet is full and has no more space.  (Wow, that sounded cocky.)
• I have decided that spending thousands of dollars on a single trip to St. Tropez and hanging out in my bikini on the beach is more appealing than spending thousands of dollars on several domestic trips and eating cold tilapia out of a sandwich baggie in my hotel room.
• I'm about to launch the coolest health/fitness website that will require me to constantly upload new fitness videos, which will keep me in shape while I actually EARN money.
• My muscles are tight and I miss yoga.

Did I have fun competing?  Absolutely!  Did I learn a lot?  Without a doubt!  I'm extremely disciplined and obsessive about health, and that will never change.  This is a great segway into the reason for this blog post.

An ex-competitor friend of mine suggested that I do a juice cleanse for 3 days to press the restart button on my metabolism.  I'm on day 3 now and I feel so awesome!  My wedding ring is extremely loose now since I'm not retaining as much water, but that's the ONLY downfall!  Here is my favorite out of the 5 different drinks that I have during the day:

3 large kale leaves

2 cups spinach leaves

2 large romaine lettuce leaves

3 stalks celery

1/2 medium cucumber

Handful of Italian parsley

1 small lemon

1/2 red apple

6 drops liquid Stevia

20 drops liquid Dandelion Root

What's the one thing that I couldn't give up while juicing?  My Octane!  It's one of my energy sources and my daily multivitamin, and I like the fact that it also has the muscle-building amino's that I need for recovering from my workouts.

In my opinion:

Day 3 isn't over yet, but I am loving the way I feel!  I'm actually excited to slowly add my eggs and fish back into my food plan tomorrow.  I would recommend a juice cleanse to everyone (with your doctor's approval, of course), whether you are about to start a new nutrition program or you have been on your same program for a while.  It will definitely shock your body's internal furnace!

Caffeine...with Protein

Ah, caffeine.  So many think it's bad for the human body, but I will choose to read the studies and believe them to be true...that a daily dose of caffeine, in moderation, actually has some health benefits.  Like what, you ask?  Like increased physical performance, increased muscle recovery, decreased risk of liver disease, increased memory performance, decreased risk of heart disease, increased attention.

In my opinion...

If I were on death row and it came time for the warden to ask me what I wanted my last meal to be, it wouldn't be food.  It would be a coffee from Starbucks by an experienced Barista.  With or without ice.  With or without soy milk.  Definitely with flavoring.

Luckily, a visit to my local Starbucks is only a "treat" for me in my new lifestyle.  I now get my daily caffeine fix from several different sources, depending on my daily activities.

On most days, I do cardio and/or strength training, so I get my caffeine from my Octane sports energy drink.  Gone are the days of taking 8-week cycles of fat burner pills, amino acids and multi-vitamins all separately!  I realized that these supplements had too many fillers in them.  My body couldn't recognize and digest the fillers, which then lead me to taking probiotics and adding yet another bottle to my collection of supplements.  It's a vicious cycle and extremely expensive!  With Octane, I get the active ingredients for fat burning, muscle recovery AND my daily vitamins, all in a drink without fillers.  Octane is like my cell phone, I don't know how I ever survived without it!

On my workout-free days, I love to have coffee!  I wanted to share my delicious, no carb, no sugar, no dairy concoction of basic coffee with protein.  While brewing one single cup of coffee, mix a tablespoon of your favorite chocolate protein powder and a few tablespoons of hot water in your coffee mug, along with 5-6 drops of Stevia.  Add your coffee and...voila!  If you're like me, you will feel like you're getting a treat without adding to your waist line.

Last but certainly not least, I always track my drinks and supplements on myFit5.com!  My trackers hold me accountable by relying on me to track my foods and workouts so they can copy what I do.  I can't let them down!

Got any healthy secrets for caffeine lovers?  Share 'em!

Lift To Burn

There is a great article in the July/August 2011 Muscle & Fitness Hers magazine that just hit newsstands over the past few days and it's all about lifting to burn fat.  I'm sure a very high percentage of women that subscribe to and read Muscle & Fitness Hers magazine are very active or extremely interested in becoming active.  Then a high percentage of those women already know all of this about lifting.  I'm adding this to my blog for those that read it that have no clue what lifting does for you.  Without going into all of the details of this article, here are my Cliff Notes (that are quite possibly longer than the article itself), in my words and In My Opinion, of course!

Forget about nutrition for a minute and let's talk about burning fat.  If I've heard it once, I've heard it a million times, "If you want to lean out, just do cardio!"  If only I had two volunteers that have the same body fat percentage and weigh the same amount to prove to you that strength training along with cardio will get you to your goal faster than you can imagine!  If you start a cardio routine, you are burning calories, so of course you are going to lose weight.  What type of weight do you want to lose though?  If you prefer to lose any muscle tone that you currently have first and then lose fat, feel free to spend hours doing nothing but cardio, but don't be surprised when you plateau.  Don't come crying to me that your metabolism has not increased and your body actually requires more cardio to lose weight than when you first started.  Is it realistic to assume you are going to be able to keep up with your 2-hour per day cardio session just to maintain your weight once you reach your goal, especially if you aren't shocking your body by changing up your cardio routine every 6 weeks?

PEOPLE!  You have to strength train to rev up your metabolism and to burn fat!  It's as simple as that.  Combine a strength training program with your cardio and you won't believe how fast you achieve results.  As with any exercise program, your body can get accustomed to the same workouts over and over, so you have to shock your body.  Challenge yourself.  If you walk on the treadmill at a 3-inch incline on Monday and Wednesday of this week, increase the incline next week.  If the weather is beautiful outside, do some walking lunges up and down your street for 15 minutes with jump squats at the end of the street in between sets.  Carry weights with you on some days and lunge until you can't lunge anymore.  Change it up!

Not sure where to start?  First, check with your doctor and make sure that it is safe to start an exercise program.  Then get to work with some of these no-brainer ideas:

• The absolute easiest solution is to go to www.TheWellnessTracker.com, sign up and dive in.  Start searching for others just like you that have been successful (on any program) and decide who you want to start tracking.  Mirror their nutrition and workouts if they have had success and you will have success, too!  (Fine print - this website is under construction and will be launched shortly.  To be included in beta testing and to remain a FREE member forever, send an email with your name and email address to info@thewellnesstracker.com.)
• Decide whether you will join a gym or invest in equipment for your home.  You must decide where your activities will take place before you can make a plan.
• Start planning your week now.  Don't wait.  Determine when you can make time for your cardio and strength training.  Without a plan, you will be lost and will not be successful.
• Go to YouTube and search for "AJTWT10".  Check out all of our TWT exercise videos to see the correct form and get ideas for your next strength workout.

Don't forget, you must lift to burn!

What's your favorite time of day to lift?

Funny Excuse #32

Now that I'm training for competitions, I hear a lot of this..."I could never do what you do because I wasn't blessed with a high metabolism."

In my opinion:

You had a high metabolism at the age of 6 because you rode your bike everywhere, went to gymnastics or dance class every week or played on the softball team.  What do you do now as an adult?  Most would say that they sit at a desk all day, go home to cook for the family, put the kids to bed and then finally sit down to watch TV.  I see.  And then I hear that you weren't blessed with a high metabolism.  You were at least blessed with a brain, use it!

Become a healthier version of you if you choose to do so.  I agree that competing is over-the-top and I am absolutely not saying that everyone should try it, but if you are not satisfied with your appearance or your health, at least stop with the excuses and do something about it.  You must be willing to plan your healthy meals and make time for physical activity.  When you are ready to become a positive role model for your family and friends, make the commitment and stick with it.  Effort means very little without results.

Agree or disagree?

Kick it up a notch!

Did you know that how you are feeling is the direct result of the choices you are making? If you take care of your body, both inside and out, your mood will improve!  How can you keep your mind focused on what's best for your body?

In my opinion:

• Always have fresh fruit, vegetables and process-free foods in your house. Processed foods that are high in sugar may divert your attention away from uncomfortable feelings for the time being, but an apple or celery with a small amount of natural peanut butter will energize you! You did something great for your body, which will improve your mood at the same time.
• Feeling down and have some extra time? Get outside and rake the leaves or clean out the flower beds. Once you've completed the task, you will feel a sense of accomplishment. You'll also burn more calories than you would have sitting around the house.
• Choose an activity that you love to do and get involved in a group. Locate a yoga or belly dancing studio, ask that neighbor of yours to get out and walk with you, or visit your local gym and check out their list of classes. Some gyms like Lifetime Fitness will allow you to try out the club (and as many classes as you would like) for a week!

Then celebrate your successes! Place 1 dollar (or whatever amount you choose) into a jar each time you do something healthy for your body. Then treat yourself to a massage, a new pair of shoes or a fun night out!

Have something to say about this?  Say it!

Starting Tomorrow, Maybe.

We all say it. "I'll do better tomorrow" or "I'll start my diet tomorrow". The problem is this; tomorrow rolls around and you are tempted in the line at Starbucks.  All you wanted was your Americano or your skinny latte, but the glass case full of pastries has won you over, once again.

Has this happened to you in some form or fashion, whether it's Starbucks or your own pantry full of food? What can you do?

In my opinion:

• Don't skip breakfast! However, be sure to start the day off with something ultra healthy to jump start your metabolism and get your day going on the right path. I recommend egg whites with a tablespoon of your favorite salsa and some oatmeal made with plain oats, water, a little bit of cinnamon and a natural sweetener like Stevia.
  
• Start an online calorie counting journal. Plan out your day and you'll be way more successful in sticking with your healthy routine.  Track others that have been successful to make it a lot easier on you.
• Wear a rubber band around your wrist. Each time you are tempted to go to the freezer and pull out that tub of ice cream, snap your wrist and grab a bottle of water instead.
• Don't cheat yourself. You might have thoughts of popping a few bites of this or that into your mouth while you are cooking dinner. How about going to your closet instead and getting out those really cute jeans that you still can't fit into?  Put them in sight of your oven or stove top while cooking!
• Sip on water ALL day. If you don't like to recycle your water bottles too often, just use one water bottle per day and keep filling it up. You can throw it out and get a new one the next day. If it's a 20 oz bottle, fill it up and drink it all AT LEAST 3 times.
• Eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day.  We're not talking Texas-sized meals either.

One day at a time, folks! Falling off the wagon doesn't mean that you have to stay off.  What's your opinion?