Why You Don't Need to Be 'Sporty Spice'

Ok, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not really the "Sporty Spice" kinda girl.  I don't have long graceful arms and legs that seem to fly through the air as I gracefully sprint down the road, or perform push up jacks, or suicide jumps like I was born doing them.

I'm short, and slow, and that's okay. When I'm in the middle of a push up jack or an oblique push up I probably look more like a marshmallow trying to bend itself in half.  I do my best though and I succeed--not because I was gifted a genetically talented set of legs or arms, adept at running quickly, or playing different sports.  I succeed because of one very small and simple fact:

It's all in your head.

What??

Years ago I ran a full marathon.  26.2 miles of sweat and pain and sheer grit.  There were many times I wanted to throw in the towel and hit the nearest Tim Horton's for an extra large double double and a cheese croissant.  However, what kept me going was not my body--it was my mind.  It refused to let my feet stop moving, even when it hurt like the blazes of hell.

In fact, a lot of runners out there will train by running the last few grueling miles of the course first.  They will find the route and practice running it time and time again--feeling strong.  That feeling of power and confidence gets etched in their mind and soul, and come race day--when they hit the last and toughest part of the run, the memory kicks in and their body has a much easier time finding that reserve of energy and strength because it's used to feeling strong when it runs that part of the route.

Cool eh!

Your mind plays an integral part in success--not only in the exercise department, but in life in general.  If you think you can't--well, you can't.  It's as simple as that.  But if you tell yourself that you're strong, and powerful, and really practice feeling that way--pretty  soon your body will start believing it.

So, when you're slugging through month 2 of Insanity, and really hating those moves, why not take a day and fast forward to the end when you're generally feeling pretty bagged out, and do those moves feeling strong and refreshed.  Focus on imagining yourself powering through them, and visualize your body getting stronger with each jump and each squat.  Tell yourself over and over again that you are powerful, you are strong, you are powerful, you are strong.  And then when you actually do the workout, maybe, just maybe your body will remember what you've told it, and you will be able to pump out a few more reps.

And while you're doing that workout, rather than looking at the tv or the DVD player, staring at the timer bar or the cast doing the moves, thinking about how tired you are and how much you want to quit--keep your eyes off the tv and go into your  own mental space where you can draw from your own reserve of power and energy.  Focus on yourself and how strong you are, not on the tv and how much time is left before you get a water break.

Yes, easier said than done, but this stuff takes practice.

You can do it, you know.  You don't have to have long graceful arms and legs.  You don't have to look good in spandex. (I sure don't!)  Focus on the power that you have deep within you, and then get in there and find it!  It is there!!

If you are interested in getting fit and healthy, I want to hear from you!!  Click here to join my team and receive my free ebook, THE PLAN!  Today is the day!!

Are you sitting at home thinking..."I need help losing weight?"

It's Saturday afternoon, and maybe you're sitting in front of the computer, surfing the internet, searching for the clues to success, the Holy Grail of Happiness. You browse site after site, looking for things that will help you achieve your goals, make you fitter, make you leaner, make you happier.

Because we all know that once you lose that weight, you'll be happy, right?

That's what I thought.

I was convinced I'd enjoy life more, and people would like me better if I was skinnier.

And so today, although I've got a number of things I'd like to blog about, I've decided to blog about happiness.

I saw this picture on a friend's Facebook wall today, and it struck a chord with me.

It's interesting isn't it.  Can you picture the scene? This creative and intelligent boy in school, surrounded by his wrinkled and uptight elders, telling them that they didn't understand life because they didn't get that one of the best goals in life is just to be happy?  

It made me pause, and think.

Are you happy, truly, filled to the brim with joy, right this very minute?  Do you like your 'lot in life'?  Are you who you want to be, and where you want to be?

Good question eh.

And here's the deal, you might be wondering, what the heck does this have to do with health and fitness?

The answer is.....

Everything.

Why are you working out?  Why do you want to lose weight?

Who do you eat obsessively, or do self-destructive things to your body?

How is getting fit and losing weight going to change your life?  Will it make you happier, or will the sadness, the inner demons, the discontent be waiting there for you, just around the corner?  Will they haunt you and lurk, waiting for your will power and resolve to falter so they can tempt you back into that giant size bag of chips or that extra large cone?

And here's a question, what does it truly take to be happy? Money? Status? Career achievement? Family? Health? Friends?

I ask these questions for a number of reasons. If you're visiting this page because you want to lose weight, that is great!  The Beachbody programs are fantastic, and hey, I'm an awesome coach (just saying), but the first thing that you need to do is to take a very careful look at what is going on inside your heart, in your life, and really think about how happy you are.  And if you're not overly thrilled with where you are at this present moment, of if you haven't had a good belly laugh, or felt pure joy in a very long time, then you need to do some inner reflection and think about why.  What is going on to make you feel the way you do, and then find a way to change things. 

I'll let you in on a little secret, one that I learned a very long time ago, one that changed the way I live my life:

Ready?

Life is not a dress rehearsal.  We don't get a do-over.  We don't get a repeat.

Today is the day to take the bull by the horns and get out there and truly experience each and every day.  Today is the day to make your 'bucket list' and then set out to accomplish every single thing on that list.  And the things on your list don't have to be biggies.  They can be simple, like volunteering at a local shelter, or running a half-marathon.  Maybe you've always dreamed of learning how to play the ukulele.  The sky is the limit!!  

And once you start rejoicing in the simple pleasure of life, celebrating each and every day that comes along, feeling pure passion about where you are, who you are, and what you're doing--you may just find that the inner demons that have been driving you to head to the cookie bag and the chip bowl, the same ones who tell you that you'll never fit into those skinny jeans--you may just find that they have buggered right off.

I don't know a lot of things, but I do know a few simple truths:

1. Life is short, so celebrate each and every day to its fullest. Don't worry about being proper all the time.  Laugh, joke around, be silly, get your hands dirty.  

2. You CAN get fit and health if you make a commitment to yourself that you are worth the time and energy that it requires to succeed. You are worth it.  And if you really think about what you are putting into your mouth and sweat your ass off on a regular basis, you will see results.

3. Happiness doesn't come in a dollar bill.  It comes in smiles across good meals, holding hands, cuddles on the couch, good belly laughs, and the comfort of good friends and family. 

So, if you need help losing weight, my advice to you, as a Beachbody coach, is to do things to make yourself happy, commit to yourself, and work to success. 

And know, that I am here, cheering you on, each and every step of the way.

Seriously.

If you are interested in losing weight and making some changes in your life, please join my team!  I am here for you!!

Figuring Out Your Caloric Intake For Weight Loss

Ahhh the dreaded "calorie" talk.

We've all heard it, haven't we.  It's almost as bad as the 'birds & the bees' talk we got when we were 12 eh.  Everyone groans when the topic comes up and pretends not to be listening.

We all know food has calories, and that taking in too many will make our asses look like marshmallow's on steroids.  And we all know that we should be keeping track of how many calories we're taking in on a daily basis. However, it just doesn't seem like a lot of fun.

So what should we be doing then?  And what do I think?

Well, here's the deal.  Years ago, when I tried to lose weight by counting calories, I went a bit overboard on the whole calorie restriction thing. I went from counting my calories to severely restricting my calories, to the point where I was only taking in about 1100 calories per day.  Needless to say I had hardly any energy to walk to the bathroom for a pee during the commercial breaks of my favorite tv show, much less do a decent workout.  In essence, I was starving myself, and although I lost weight, it wasn't a long term solution.  Who can keep that kind of nonsense up for any length of time? I sure couldn't.  While I was doing it, I'd give myself one cheat day (and that in itself is a topic for a whole blog post).  During the week when I was 'eating properly' I'd lay in bed at night and fantasize about all the delectable treats I was going to snarf down on my 'fun day.'  Cherry strudel, croissants, fries, chips, chocolate--you name it--I was going to eat it. And when the monumental day would arrive--I would do just that--inhale anything and everything I could get my greasy little fingers on--to the point where I'd eat myself into a sugar induced coma, and go to bed literally hating myself for such self-abuse.

Needless to say, it didn't work.  I couldn't maintain that kind of lifestyle, for one thing.  The cheat day behavior wasn't healthy in the least, and I had next to no energy to workout.

Eventually, however, I did find something that did work, and I'd like to share it with you.

It's called....wait for it....being realistic.

What? Being Realistic? That's it?

Well, let me explain.

If you want to be healthy (and yes, lose weight), you have to be realistic about how you want to live your life. Is starving yourself going to work in the long run? Absolutely not!  So get the notion of extreme calorie restriction out of your head.  It doesn't work, for many reasons.

Also, if you want to achieve long term health and success, you will have to wrap your head around the fact that you are going to have to exercise.  Plain and simple.  There are NO quick fixes here, and if you haven't already, it's time to build an effective workout program into your daily schedule.

So, you need to have enough calories to fuel your body for the day to day functions, and you also will need the energy to get some good workouts in.

When I started the Insanity program I really came to grips with the fact that food is fuel. And if I want that machine of a body I own to run properly, I was going to have to put good quality fuel into it.  And that means not only enough calories, but good quality calories as well.

The Insanity Nutrition Guide uses the Harris Benedict Equation to help you determine how many calories you're going to need each day. And to begin with, we're going to assume that you're working out on a regular basis.

(This is right from the guide.)

Step 1:

For Women:  655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

For Men: 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

Step 2:

Take that number from above and multiply by the level of exercise listed below:

1.2  = Sedentary: Little or no exercise
1.375 = Lightly Active: Light exercise (1 to 3 days/week)
1.55 = Moderately Active: Moderate exercise (3 to 5 days/week)
1.7 = Very Active: Hard exercise (6 to 7 days/week)
1.9 = Extremely Active: Hard daily exercise and/or a physical job

Step 3:

The number that you now have will tell you your calorie needs for weight maintenance. Now, you will adjust this number up or down, depending on your weight loss or gain goals:

See below:

~ For weight loss, subtract 500 calories per day from your number in step 2.
~ For weight maintenance, do nothing, just use the number from step 2.
~ For weight gain, add 250 to 300 calories per day to your number from step 2.

Now that you have figured out your calorie needs, you may see that you are currently either eating too much or too little.  It is also possible for people who want to lose weight to not be eating enough.  It is so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that 'less is better' and do what I did. 1100 calories is way to little to eat--especially since I was also trying to exercise.  As it stands, my caloric intake for weight loss is at about 1800.  I eat considerably more now than I did before, but I also have the energy I require to perform well during my workouts, and I never feel starved.

I also eat breakfast (always plain oatmeal and egg whites), and every 2 1/2 to 3 hours after that.  THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!  By eating breakfast and every few hours after that, you are kick starting your metabolism, keeping your blood sugar leveled out, and preventing your body from going into starvation mode (where it holds onto fat because it thinks you are starving it).

So, my friends, the lesson of the day is that YES, you do need to keep track of your calories, but not to starve yourself.  You want to ensure that you are taking in enough calories and enough of the good stuff.

If you haven't already, check out www.myfitnesspal.com.  It's a great website that will help you not only track your calories, but also help you determine if you're eating enough protein/carbs/fat, because, let's face it--your body needs both lean protein and good carbs to function.

Eat well, live well!!

Zarno

Click here to join my Beachbody team and take advantage of free coaching and unlimited support!! 

Staying Motivated to Exercise....It Ain't Easy

So, I was working out the other day, and a thought crossed my mind.  It went a little like this:

Why the HELL am I doing this??

This sucks.  It hurts.  It isn't fun.  I'm not coordinated, or fast, or ...well, you get the point. I'm not sure when the thought hit me...if it was while I was squeezing out a few more plank pushups, or ski abs, or it if was while I was jumping and squatting and punching all at the same time....I'm just not sure--but at some point in the workout it occurred to me--this really isn't a whole lot of fun!

I'm not smiling.  I'm not chatting with friends.  I'm flailing around like a newborn calf, sweating and grunting like a wild boar in heat--and I'm constantly looking at the timer on the screen to see how much longer I have to endure this.

So why on earth do I do this, day in and day out--if it isn't fun?  Isn't working out supposed to be fun?  Aren't we supposed to enjoy it?

Well, here's what I think.

I did finish the workout--as much as I struggled, as much as I hated it, and as much as I cursed 'really bad curse words' at Shaun T.  I did my level best--kept going when it hurt--and by the end of the adventure I was on all fours, heaving like I had just given birth, and feeling quite proud of myself indeed.  In fact, I felt pretty damn good.

I felt like a rock star. Make that a superstar.

And then it hit me--it's not necessarily supposed to be fun!

Maybe it's supposed to hurt, and make us struggle, and make us heave.  Because, when we're heaving, and jumping, and squatting, and punching and swearing--that's when the magic happens!

That is when we start really challenging ourselves, and believing in ourselves.  We prove to ourselves that we actually can do this stuff!  We are athletes after all!

I used to think that only athletes and people who were 'genetically predisposed' to having good bodies were the only ones who could get nice abs and toned arms.  Now I know that I was so so wrong.

I know that if I work--and I mean truly work--haul ass and sweat and struggle--I can achieve what I want. I can be who I want.

And it is because of that I am motivated to do this every day.  I struggle and I see results.

I believe in myself, and I become confident. I become the person I've always wanted to be.  The best version of myself possible.

And can all of that come from an Insanity workout?  Yes.  And the answer is Yes because it's hard.  It challenges you to do work harder than you've ever worked before.  It challenges you to dig deep within yourself and muster up that reserve of strength you never thought you had.  It challenges you to believe in yourself.

And when all is said and done, and you're on all fours, panting like a boar, feeling like he just gave birth--you'll know it's worth it.

To close, take a look at this video I made a while ago about a serious condition that affects many athletes, called OSTS:  You don't want to miss it!!

Dig Deep, my friends!!

Is Beachbody Fitness for You?

I think it's pretty safe to say that we all want to be fit and healthy. We want to feel good in our own skin, and we want to enjoy an abundance of energy.

However, finding the Holy Grail of "Holy Crap You Look Good" is easier said than done.  If you take a look around any mall or restaurant you will notice that there are a fair number of people out there who are packing more pounds than they should.

And I get that.  For years I too carried a few extra pounds on my arse and belly.  I got sucked into the world of stress eating, turning to food to comfort me when times were tough.  I convinced myself that I wasn't one of those people, you know, the ones who had ripped abs and toned arms.

Those people were just lucky.

So I continued to eat nacho's on Friday night, ice cream on Saturday, and pizza on Sunday, convinced that I was eating healthy.  I plugged bread and pasta into my mouth on a daily basis, and never thought much of eating boxed food, because it had a green check mark on it.

And yet, between croissants and chips I continually despaired that I couldn't seem to lose the weight! What was I doing wrong? I was eating healthy....most of the time!

Well, here's the deal.  I hadn't gotten to that point where I was being real with myself.  Truly, and utterly REAL.

I let myself believe what I wanted to believe, because it was easier that way.  What? Cut out processed foods and sugar from my diet? Are you kidding me?  Seriously?  Do significantly tough workouts almost daily?  Are you nuts!

I was poking my head up somewhere where it's nice and warm and dark, and wasn't facing the fact that if I truly and seriously did want to get healthy, I was going to have to work for it.

I was going to have to cut some crap, okay a lot of crap from my diet.

I was going to have to do workouts that made me sweat and huff and puff, and do them regularly.

I was going to have to make a commitment to put the effort into this that success required.

For years I had always believed that people with ripped abs and toned bodies were lucky. It was pure genetics. I didn't actually think they worked for it, nor did I believe that it was something that I could accomplish.

But here's the deal.  It is.  Sure, I haven't built my 6 pack yet, but after doing these Beachbody programs I look 100% better than I did before.  My mid-section is slimmer and more toned.  My arms don't look like spaghetti noodles, and my arse isn't bulging out of my jeans like a sausage factory!  I feel better, I'm happier, and way more confident too!

So maybe you're at the point where you're really and truly hating the place you're at right now.  Maybe you're sick of bulging out of your jeans.  Maybe you can't face a mirror another day.  And just maybe you are like I was, convinced that you couldn't possibly handle a Beachbody workout program, because you're just not in shape. Maybe you're convinced that you will never achieve your goals so why bother trying.

Here's the deal.  The answer is yes.  Yes you can handle a Beachbody workout!  Sure, it might be tough, but that doesn't mean you can't do it!  We all struggle at this stuff, but it doesn't mean we don't see results.

And yes, you can cut crap from your diet and survive.  Your body will not crumble into dust if you stop putting brown sugar on your oatmeal and a mountain of cheese on your eggs.  You can do it too.

And yes, once you get real with yourself and make that commitment to yourself to invest in your future, you will see results.  It might take a day or two, or even a month or 2, but it will happen.  Slowly but surely.

Invest in yourself.

You are worth it.

If you are ready to get in the best shape of your life, click here to join my team and receive a free copy of my ebook, THE PLAN!!

Top image courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net

Falling in LOVE with Insanity Training

Well, it's Saturday afternoon and I'm just hanging out, sipping a Shakeology and contemplating life in general.

It's been quite some time since I entered a blog post, shame on me! Now that I've gotten a bit of a handle on this 'coaching' thing, I am now ready to post on a regular basis. I enjoy 'chronicling' my Beachbody journey, and sharing my Insane experiences with you, so it will be fun to start writing more about this adventure.

And what an adventure it has been!!

I am a new woman! Or I feel like it, at least.

Yes, the big wigs at Beachbody-ville knew what they were doing when they named this Insanity.  There is really no other way to describe it.  It's bloody Insane!!  Right from the get go it forces you to push your body to the max with exercises ranging from doing pushups and punches and running--all at the same time!  It makes you question your ability, your will to succeed, and it forces you to dig deep within yourself to unearth a hardened gritty determination that can only be found from doing things like power jumps and suicide drills. It makes you believe in not only yourself, but in your ability to succeed.

And the thing that I find very interesting about this whole experience is just how empowering it can be.  Insanity and P90X are both known for being very tough, especially Insanity, and I think most people generally talk themselves out of even trying simply because of its reputation.  It goes without saying that this program will make you sweat, and so to even contemplate starting it, much less completing it is a feat unto itself.

So, the question begs to be answered, is it really that tough?

I have a few things to say in response to that question.

For one thing, yes, it is physically demanding. The first time I did the workout the warm up itself damn near killed me, and then when I got to the actual workout part, I made the mistake of thinking, well, it's only 20 minutes long!  How hard could that be?  Pretty freaking hard, I'll tell you that much. But what makes it 20 minutes of sheer hell is the fact that A) there are hardly any breaks and B) the exercises are truly unlike any other exercise you may have done in the past.  You are expected to jump high in the air and then flop down and do 32 push-ups, followed with some plank running and ski abs.  And then just when you think you've had enough you get to move down into a squat position and jump back into the air for what seems like 15 minutes but is actually only 30 seconds!  And don't get me started on suicide drills!

So, ya it's tough because you're doing all sorts of things that your body isn't necessarily used to. And don't forget the fact that many of us (including myself) have been lured into thinking that if we go for brisk walk or do some light weights at the gym that we're doing one hell of a workout.  We don't even break a sweat yet we head to Tim Hortons for a chocolate strudel because we've just 'worked out.'  So when we strap on our shoes for a round of Insanity, we are shocked and dismayed at just how physically demanding it is. Sweat? It didn't look like I sweated much when I did my first workout; it looked like I had just gotten out of the shower! AND run 25 miles!

So, yes it's tough, but is it sooo  tough that the average Jo walking down the street can't do it?  Is it too tough? 

No.  Plain and simple, no.  What I think gets people, the general population is that it makes us work.  It makes us question our abilities, and it forces us to recognize that there are no quick fixes here, and in a lot of cases, we're just not used to that. We're used to living in a world where we can take a pill and get skinny in 2 weeks.  We can walk into a clinic with wrinkles, and walk out looking like Jessica Biel. If we want it, we get it--right now. But it doesn't work that way with Insanity.  If we want to look like the guys and gals who have had amazing transformations with Insanity we will have to work, and work damn hard to get them.  There is a reason why the shirt says, "I earned it'.  Because you'll have to. You'll have to commit to showing up every day, doing your best, struggling, and yes hating it.  You'll have to do things that don't necessarily feel great or are a lot of fun.  But if you do commit, you will reap the benefits of having a stronger, leaner body.  You will be fitter, firmer and faster. You will be grateful that you did it.

And what you may be really asking right now is can I do it?  The answer is simple.

Yes.

Will you be glad you did?

Absolutely!!

Click here to get started on the Insanity Journey of  a Lifetime!!

Click here to join my team and take advantage of free unlimited coaching!