Weight Loss: How do you measure your progress?

     Is the SCALE Your Go-To Tool for Weight loss Progress?

I used to be a SLAVE to the scale. Now, I am completely against the idea of letting the scale decide your success. In some cases the scale can be your worst enemy.

 

 

The number on the scale is not the most important thing to keep an eye on. You must understand the difference between muscle and fat. Muscle is very GOOD for the body, and as most understand excessive FAT is NOT GOOD for the body.

When we exercise, we burn fat (which often results in losing weight); however, exercising also helps build muscle which means that we gain weight as well. If all we do to measure our progress is WEIGH ourselves, we will be missing out on all the IMPROVEMENTS being made to our physique!

If we could only shift our mindset to GETTING FIT and not merely LOSING WEIGHT. Yes, your weight can be an indication of how fit you are but it is not the only way to judge your fitness level OR your progress towards your fitness goals.

While 1lb of muscle is equal to 1lb of fat, muscle takes up MUCH less space. The result of a body with lean muscle is a smaller & tighter physique.

These changes can be measured in different ways:

1. You can take regular measurements to see improvements.
It is very important to keep an eye on the changes as these will tell you if your ‘workout plan’ is effective or if you are hitting a “plateau.”
2. It is also a good idea to take pictures of yourself intermittently – as this is where I have seen the MOST changes!
3. Many people measure progress by how their clothes fit them. Do you look better in it now? Does it fit better? Is the shirt tighter or lose?

 

So, hopefully you will use the scale as ONE progress tool, and not the ULTIMATE measurement of progress! Remember that a healthy lifestyle & a fitness transformation is a JOURNEY!

 

xoxo,
Brittany

Here are 14 things SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE do (or should be doing) on weekends:

I really enjoyed this article, so I wanted to share it with you!  I have been researching OFTEN what "successful" people do, how they organize their day, how they set goals, how they stay accountable, etc. This was an article in FORBES magazine that I found VERY INTERESTING & insightful! Bullet points & quotes written by Jacquelyn Smith, Forbes Staff.

1. Make time for family and friends.

2. Exercise.

If you are not able to exercise 4-5 times during the week, they recommend your weekends be VERY ACTIVE! J Get outside, go to a SPIN class, take a family bike ride or hike. These activities allow you to relax and clear your mind, which in turn makes room for NEW ideas & improvement!ttp://i.forbesimg.com tMove d

3. Pursue a passion.

“Successful people make time for what is important or fun,” Egan adds. “They make space for activities that add to their life balance.”

4. Vacation.

Get away from the typical grind every so often!

 

5. Disconnect.

The most successful people avoid e-mail for a period of time, Vanderkam says. “I’m not saying the whole weekend, but even just a walk without the phone can feel liberating.

 

6. Volunteer.

“I know a commercial real estate broker who volunteers to help with cook-off events whose proceeds are donated to the Food Bank,” Kurow says. “The volunteer work provides a balance to the heavy analytical work she does all week and fulfills her need to be creative — she designs the promotional material for the non-profit.”

7. Avoid chores.

There are some chores that just HAVE to be done on the weekend, but be sure these chores don’t take up too much of your time. Allow yourself to run errands and do chores during a set time frame, and then be done – and don’t let your mind return to those chores!

8. Plan.

“Planning makes people more effective, and doing it before the week starts means you can hit Monday ready to go, and means you’ll give clear directions to the people who work for you, so they will be ready to go, too,” Vanderkam says.

Trunk agrees. She says successful people plan their month and year because “if you get stuck on short-term lists you don’t get anything big accomplished.”

9. Socialize.

Get together with friends and family. Connect with others & be social!

 

10. Gardening/crafts/games/sports/cooking/cultural activities.

This is especially important for those cooped up in an office all week.

“For the pure joy, some folks find great satisfaction in creating beautiful gardens,” Cohen says.

Refresh your mind and soul with the doing the activities you ENJOY! Make time for the things that make you happy!

11. Network.

“Networking isn’t an event for a successful person, it’s a lifestyle,” Trunk says.

Always try to connect with people, build and invest in relationships!

12. Reflect.

Egan says truly successful people make time on weekends to appreciate what they have and reflect on their happiness and accomplishments. As Rascoff said, “weekends are a great chance to reflect and be more introspective about bigger issues.”

 

13. Meditate.

Take time to consider where you are and where you want to go!

14. Recharge.

We live in a competitive world, Vanderkam says. “Peak performance requires managing downtime, too–with the goal of really recharging your batteries.” That’s how the most successful people get so much done.

Successful people know that time is too precious to be totally leisurely about leisure, Vanderkam concludes. “You’re not going to waste that time by failing to think about what you’d like to do with it, and thus losing the weekend to TV, puttering, inefficient e-mail checking, and chores. If you don’t have a busy workweek, your weekend doesn’t matter so much. But if you’re going from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, it certainly does.”

 

 

I hope you enjoyed this!! Maybe this will help you plan your weekends a little better? I know I will! I know where I need to be making some changes!! Thanks for reading! THANKS FORBES!

Xoxo,

Brittany

PiYo - by Chalene Johnson

When I first heard of PiYo, I had no clue what it was all about. I knew it must be awesome, because Chalene Johnson is awesome, in my eyes at least. She is one of the best fitness experts in the US today and the world seems to agree with that. She created PiYo about ten years ago and says it is like “yoga or pilates for hyper people.”

 

 

She is a New York Times best selling author of PUSH, creater of the FREE 30 day push online (www.30daypush.com) and creator of Turbo Jam, Turbo Fire, & ChaLEAN Extreme. PiYo is especially designed to add flexibility and strength to the body. This is a mixture of intense and unique choreography that is fun, challenging and result oriented.

 

 

I’ve done my research on the topic and was surprised to see the benefits of PiYo. This technique by Chalene works on core and abdominal strength while adding stability to the body. I was able to do a PiYo workout at this year’s Super Sunday event through Beachbody. I did it along side 2 friends and we all had a GREAT workout!

There is news about PiYo possibly being available through a DVD program SOON!! Also, you can become PiYo certified if you’d like!!

The mixture of energy with the moves worked well and is a good blend. It will keep you motivated so that you give your best and don’t get bored. It ensures that you STRETCH… which, let’s be honest, most people SKIP that part!

 

 

The exercises are truly unique and are bound to give good results. I was sweating a TON at the end of my first PiYo workout! I am sure you will love it too!

Plus, Chalene Johnson, is just AWESOME!

 

xoxo,

Brittany

 

Importance of Meal Timing with Fitness

When it comes to food, there are a few things that are very important: what we eat and when we eat. The timing gets to decide a lot of things. We have been taught that we should be eating a ‘breakfast, lunch and dinner’ every day… but as any FITNESS magazine will tell you – this is not ideal.

 

“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” –Francois de La Rochefoucauld

 

What you are eating will directly affect your body! Cardio & lifting ALL day will not help you achieve your goals if you are not eating properly. Proper nutrition has a huge impact on your health, your body’s ability to fight disease & illness, achieving a desired weight, or building a certain muscle tone.

I am following the Body Beast Nutrition plan – and I aim for 5 or 6 meals per day. Each meal includes the mixture of the three primary macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates & fats. Now, don’t worry too much about the nutrition lingo – just think about what you are eating and if one of those categories is WAY higher or WAY lower than the others – you should re-evaluate your eating plan. These three nutrients work together to build muscle & strip fat.

Here is a sample of what my typical eating looks like for the day according to the Body Beast eating schedule:

Workout

Post Workout Drink (immediately after workout)

Wait 1 hour:

Breakfast: usually 2 whole eggs & 4 egg whites, sometimes with salsa OR fruit and 1 piece of Ezekiel toast.

Wait 2-3 hours:

Beast-O-Matic Shake: Shakeology (+ ½ scoop of Hardcore Base Shake) with water, ½ banana, ½ tablespoon peanut butter.

Wait 2-3 hours:

Dinner: normally a lean protein & a ton of veggies

Wait 2 hours:

Snack: optional (almonds (5), ½ porton Shakeology, greek yogurt)

 

If you are following the Body Beast plan you are most likely trying to hit a certain number of calories every day – this is a very new approach to me. Normally, I do not count calories. Normally I eat 5 small portions of lean protein and veggies throughout the day – 6 days a week – with a cheat meal once a week – and at least 75oz. of H2O daily.

 

 

But, the Body Beast eating plan is a lot of food! If you are trying to increase your size, your body needs to materials to make it happen! FOOD! CLEAN FOOD!

 

No matter what plan you are following here are some basic rules to follow:

1.       Drink at least ½ your body weight in OUNCES of H2O!

2.       Do not go any longer than 4 hours in between meals (2-3 hours is ideal).

3.       Try to keep SIMPLE CARBS to a minimum (and if weight loss is your goal – keep carbs before 2pm).

4.       Be sure you are eating enough protein.

5.       If your brain tells you that you are “HUNGRY” try drinking a few glasses of water FIRST – dehydration can feel like hunger to the brain.

6.       Pay attention to your cravings. Why are you craving? Are you stressed? Did you eat ENOUGH healthy foods throughout the day? Are you bored? Figure out your patterns & break them.

7.       Don’t keep JUNK FOOD in the house – set yourself up for SUCCESS!

8.       Try to eat as soon as you wake up in the morning (a HEALTHY breakfast) or very soon after your workout.

9.       Do not consume SUGARY LIQUIDS all day long – this is a SURE way to gain unwanted fat.
 

10.      Give yourself GRACE if you “mess up” – this is a lifestyle change – NOT A DIET.


xoxo,
Brittany

Go 1% further!

Have you ever asked yourself if you ENJOY your workout?

 

I know that may be a dumb question to most people. Most people would say.... no I do not ENJOY my workout - I just do it because I know it needs to be done & check it off my list!

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY!! I promise!!

I started Body Beast 2 weeks ago - & I am in love!! I have always loved lifting heavy. There is just something about this program though! It is efficient, not too chatty, very challenging, and the nutrition plan is SO complete!

I have honestly enjoyed ALL of the nutrition suggestions as well as the recipes. I have moified my plan a bit as I am still trying to lower my body fat & build lean muscle.

 

I am taking all of the supplements according to my calorie intake goals. YES! These supplements are natural & SAFE for women to take too!

 

So far... my favorite workout is BACK & BI's.

 

Like I said, the food in this program is SIMPLE & tastes so good!! Here is a picture of my BEAST Banana Protein Pancakes I made the other day for breakfast. They are dense, because of the protein (I assume), but they are still delicious!! I am going to play around with the recipe this week & I will update you on any changes I make to the recipe to make them a little bit fluffier.

 

 

My #1 goal in this program is to LEAN OUT my legs and build visible muscle. My legs have always been my "trouble area." They are the body part that takes MUCH longer to respond to intense exercise. So I am lifting as heavy as I possibly (safely) can & pushing myself as hard as I can!

Are you doing the same? I am shooting for a "10" (effort) with every single workout.

 

If you need someone to help hold you accountable or push you to go 1% further... just contact me! I would love to be that person for you!

 

Happy Mother's Day to all of you!

 

xoxo,

Brittany

What is a BOMBSHELL CHALLENGE Group?

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)

Believe me when I tell you this: there are better ways to get fit than waste hours in a gym lifting heavy weights or running on the treadmill. Don’t believe me? Welcome to HIIT.

If you want to be fit without having to put in a lot of time, then HIIT is definitely the right thing for you. However, before I move ahead with more details, let me warn you that this is not easy. If you’re used to the easy routine, then get ready for a shock as HIIT will test your skills.

The good news is that it gives awesome and guaranteed results - the effort is worth it! HIIT is a type of interval training that involves a mixture of maximum and low to moderate intensity exercises separated by intervals. This technique actually tests you as you have to break boundaries and reach a new level of personal fitness. This type of exercise can REALLY transform your physique. Think about the physique of a sprinter vs. a POWER LIFTER. The sprinter is lean, muscular, but toned - right? And the power lifter is usually pretty bulky - maybe even with a {few} layers of .... padding.

 

 

The advantages HIIT offers are unique & other regular exercises like jogging cannot provide the same results.

• It conditions both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems.
• You burn more amounts of calories in less time due to the training model. It also helps burn fat that is used as fuel.

 

 

This workout is for everyone who wishes to get results quickly and is willing to put in effort. If you are looking for LEAN muscle and a toned body - you should definitely consider including HIIT into your routine. By using this technique, exercisers can improve their stamina to give a better performance. However, this is not the best option for all types of sports. In certain cases, simple cardio or running may be better. Total duration of HIIT is not long and can be between 5 to 30 minutes. There are some awesome Beachbody workout programs available that highlight HIIT. These include Chalene Johnson’s Turbo Fire series and P90X®/TurboFire® Hybrid Worksheets that blends Chalene Johnson’s expertise with Tony’s intense workout to give you a perfect HIIT video guide.

 

Don't want to do a DVD program? That is ok... grab a jump rope, YouTube some high intensity moves, put them together on a list & HAMMER IT OUT!

If you need some suggestions for workouts - JUST ASK! 

 

Have an excellent day!

 

xoxo,

Brittany