Tag: beachbody challenge

Are you addicted to junk food?

2 Comments

I saw a post from one of my challengers in my free Health and Fitness group yesterday, and I decided to make this blog post about it because I feel as though it is important. Anyone who has ever struggled with food addiction will understand this, and anyone who hasn’t, probably won’t. Some people may even find this notion completely ridiculous, but if you haven’t been through it, it would be hard to grasp. So, what is addiction anyway?

“A physical or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, such as a drug or alcohol” Dictionary.com

The idea here is that food can be an addiction much like alcohol, drugs, tobacco, gambling, etc. If you struggle with food addiction, chances are you have formed a habit of eating snacks as you watch television or movies. It can be so drilled into your mind that it is actually hard for you to sit through an entire show or movie without getting a snack of some sort. I struggled with this bigtime when I started my fitness journey, and I had to ease my way into eating healthy by still snacking at night with healthier options. It is not easy to change these habits, but just like any other addiction that is damaging to your health, you have to work at it to break these habits.

Maybe this kind of addiction isn’t as obvious or extreme as some of the others out there, but it is still detrimental to your health in the long run. From what I’ve read, it seems there are differing opinions on this topic from health professionals. However, having been through it, I strongly believe that eating can be a psychological addiction.

“A strong or harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble)” Merriam Webster

In this case, the strong and harmful need factor would be applied to junk food, and the act would be considered eating. What a lot of people don’t seem to understand is that for many people struggling with weight issues, eating is more than fuel for our bodies. For some of us, eating is a form of comfort. We get sad, depressed, angry, frustrated, stressed out, et cetera, and we immediately head for the junk food. Sometimes this is completely subconscious behaviour, but we do it anyway. This ends up being a NEVER-ENDING cycle! You eat to make yourself feel better for negative emotions, and then you gain weight. The weight gain makes you feel even worse, so you go for the junk food again to feel better. You then gain more weight, eat more junk, and the cycle goes on and on and on until you put a stop to it.

“… most addictive behavior is not related to either physical tolerance or exposure to cues. People compulsively use drugs, gamble, or shop nearly always in reaction to being emotionally stressed, whether or not they have a physical addiction. Since these psychologically based addictions are not based on drug or brain effects, they can account for why people frequently switch addictive actions from one drug to a completely different kind of drug, or even to a non-drug behavior. The focus of the addiction isn’t what matters; it’s the need to take action under certain kinds of stress.” Psychology Today

What does this mean? Well, what this means to me is that it is possible for you to shift your “addiction” from food to fitness. It honestly worked for me, and I think it can work for everyone else too. Exercise releases endorphins into your brain, which ultimately makes you feel better overall! When I finish an intense workout, I usually feel refreshed. There have been many times when I’ve been upset or angry when I went down to do an intense cardio workout like Turbo Fire or Combat, and by the end of the workout, I felt a million times better than when I started.

If you start gradually decreasing your bad food habits and exercising on a regular basis, you WILL start to see results. You’ll start to feel better about yourself, you’ll sense the brain fog from all of the junk food start to lift, and you’ll start regaining your confidence as you lose weight from your positive life choices.

Are you ready to start working toward a happier and healthier life for yourself and your loved ones? If so, send me an email to hfmxj@stu.ca with the subject line “I’m ready to transform”.

I can’t wait to help you along your journey as your free coach, and I look forward to watching you transform!

My Insanity fit test results are in!

Leave a comment

I have been looking forward to trying Insanity for a long time now, and I finally got the chance to do it! I threw the fit test in today because I was curious to see how I would make out. I was actually pleasantly surprised at my results, which were pretty dang good considering I am not a huge fan of cardio!

Here are my results for the 1 minute intervals (after the warmup of course!)

115 Switch kicks (57 ish each leg)
53 Power jacks
90 Power knees
30 Power jumps
10 Globe jumps
15 Suicide jumps
17 Pushup jacks
60 Low plank obliques (30 each side)

I challenge anyone reading this blog post to complete this fit test! You can follow along with this Australian fitness instructor on Youtube so that you can see what to do. Comment below with your results (if you’re comfortable with that, if not, just let me know you did it) when you’ve finished!

Remember that I’ve been working out for almost 2 years, so I don’t expect you to get the same numbers that I did if you are relatively new to fitness. All I want is for you to do the best YOU can, not the best I can!

INSANITY-Banner

If you enjoyed this fit test, feel free to email me at hfmxj@stu.ca with the subject line “Insanity” for more details on the full fitness program. You should also know that this is one of the programs now available via Beachbody On Demand for streaming!

10338693_10152313756702739_3409608622026710518_n 10440677_10152296896707739_2223151088275796090_n Insanity

RESULTS DON’T LIE!

These are real people, getting REAL results. Are you going to join them in their success?

What a coach should do

Leave a comment

I always felt out of place at the gym before I started this fitness journey. I always felt like everyone was staring at me and making fun of me behind my back for being so overweight. I couldn’t stand to go to the gym, because the whole time I was there, I was more focused on watching the other people to make sure they weren’t staring at me. It seems silly to people who never experience this, but you’ll most likely understand to an extent if you are overweight.

The fact of the matter is, chances are they aren’t actually paying any attention to you. Even if they are, their opinion doesn’t matter! I think a majority of people would look at someone overweight in a gym and think “Good for them, they are doing something about it and working towards being healthier and happier!” Everyone has to start somewhere, and anyone who really matters will be proud that you are making that effort to better yourself.

You shouldn’t have to worry about people putting you down for your weight to try to “fat-shame” you into working it off. Getting down on yourself and feeling like crap about your body the way it is now is NOT going to help you get results. What will help you get results is being motivated and encouraged by a positive force. Someone who will help you learn how to love and appreciate the small steps forward, and who will help you through the small steps backward without judging you for them.

That is what I had when I started my fitness journey almost 2 years ago, and it is a big factor in my becoming a coach. I would LOVE to be that person for you!

Click Here if you are ready to start working on your own health and happiness :)

Will weight training make women bulky?

Leave a comment

The answer to this questions is plain and simple – HECK to the NO.

I don’t know how many times I have heard a woman say that they don’t want to do any weight training because they don’t want to get bulky or huge. Either that, or their significant other has discouraged them from lifting weights because THEY don’t want their girlfriend to get big and bulky. Well, first of all, if you’re in a relationship like that – you should probably get out of it. I am sorry, but if someone tries to tell me not to do certain workouts because I *might* end up with a certain body type, I would kick them to the curb in a heartbeat and say “See ya, don’t let the door hit you on the a$$ on the way out :)” That to me sounds like a toxic relationship, and you do not need that kind of negativity in your life.

Furthermore, the claim is just plain wrong to begin with! We, as women, simply do not produce nearly enough testosterone to allow us to get huge like some of the male bodybuilders that you see. You won’t get bulky from weight training unless you actually are TRYING to do so! Even the women who are actively trying to get huge muscles through bodybuilding and lifting heavy weights do not get nearly as big as the guys in most cases.

The bottom line with weight training is the more muscle that you build, the more fat you will burn! Muscle has the ability to continue burning fat long after your workout has finished, so the more muscle you create the better. I personally know a lot of ladies that lift weights both through Beachbody and simply through personal connections with ladies that enjoy competing in the fitness competitions, and none of the ladies that I know have gotten huge or bulky.

When women put on muscle, it helps to lean us out and gives us a nice toned and strong appearance. In May of 2015 it will be two years since I started lifting weights when I began P90X. I have not gotten huge or bulky, and you won’t either! Leave those misconceptions behind and just give it a try for a month or two. If you find you’re getting “bulky”, just stop! But I am pretty much 99.9% sure that you won’t. Instead, you’ll get some pretty awesome results and you’ll be happy that you didn’t listen to all of those people telling you to avoid something truly great!

Click Here if you are ready to give this a try, and I can help you find something that will work well for you and your individual goals.

3 key ingredients to a successful weight loss journey

Leave a comment

I recently discovered the magic of podcasts (lol, yes, I am a total newb when it comes to that stuff), and I listened to an episode featuring the amazing fitness trainer, Tony Horton. I absolutely loved him in P90X, which was the program that I got started with initially when I was introduced to Beachbody. He has also put out a number of other programs including Power 90, P90X2, and P90. The point here is: HE KNOWS WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT!

One of the biggest takeaways from this podcast was the three key factors that he listed as being necessary for most people to be successful on their health and fitness journey. Coming from personal experience, this is definitely true (at least for me).

VARIETY

First of all, the primary reasons that people tend to give up on their health and fitness journeys often involve boredom, injuries, and hitting plateaus. I have been through all three of these at different times throughout my own journey. Luckily, I have been able to bounce back from that and not throw in the towel completely. However, many people don’t have the willpower to jump back on the horse when they fall off.

How did I keep myself on track? Through VARIETY. After two rounds of P90X, I got bored. Instead of letting that be the end of my fitness journey, I started a completely different program: Turbo Fire. It was so drastically different from P90X, and it was super fun and upbeat, so I stopped feeling bored with my workouts. I felt a similar boredom when I was doing LES Mills Pump, because in the final month it just seemed like I was doing the exact same thing over and over. What did I do to rectify the issue? I started ChaLEAN Extreme! Problem = SOLVED.

If you are just running on the treadmill or using the elliptical, or doing the same old exercises day in and day out at the gym, there is a much higher likelihood that you are going to get bored. Most people don’t enjoy doing the same basic things over and over again, and it can lead to feeling of dread when you think about going to work out. You need your workouts to be fresh and fun to keep you interested and coming back. The thing that I love most about Beachbody programs is that most of them switch things up every month, so you are always doing something new and different. In addition, your muscles NEED change from time to time to improve. If you are constantly doing the same thing, your muscles will grow accustomed to what you are doing and you won’t make as much progress.

CONSISTENCY

You need to be consistent with your workouts and with clean eating. If you just do a couple workouts here and there and you are spotty with your nutrition, you’re not going to see the kind of progress that you may be hoping for. If you are serious about wanting to lose weight and get fit, you should be doing AT LEAST 4 workouts a week. You should always be working out more days than you do not work out. Personally, I always aim to do 6. Your body needs a rest period to recover from the intense workouts, so I usually pick my busiest day to use as a rest day. With respect to diet, you should aim to be on track with your nutrition 90% of the time.

“We are what we repeatedly do” – Aristotle

If you eat clean consistently over an extended period of time, you are going to become healthier and you are going to lose some weight. If you work out consistently over an extended period of time, you are going to become fit and healthy, and you are going to experience weight loss. In contrast, if you are eating junk consistently and you consistently skip out on your workouts over an extended period of time, at the very least you’ll stay where you are, but in many cases you just end up packing on more and more weight.

INTENSITY

You need to PUSH YOURSELF. You have to go as hard as you possibly can, without making yourself hate the workout. You don’t have to go totally crazy with this and make it so intense that you almost pass out or you throw up or something along those lines. It can be as simple as just going a little deeper in your lunges and squats, jumping a little higher, going up one pound in weight, adding one or two extra reps, etc. You just can’t keep doing the exact same thing over and over without making it harder, or else you won’t see much improvement.

If you’re lifting weights, you need to be constantly trying to push yourself by going up in weight and/or adding more reps. You need to really feel the burn in the last few reps, but as soon as your form goes south – you’re done. If you’re doing cardio, push yourself by jumping higher, moving faster, kicking/punching harder, etc.

If you keep increasing the intensity of your workouts gradually over an extended period of time, you are bound to see some pretty incredible results! Our Beachbody programs provide you with the tools you need to check off Variety and Intensity from this list, but the Consistency is totally up to you! Our programs are full of variety to keep you interested in your workouts, and the trainers will constantly encourage you to push harder and do your best. If you take this seriously and follow through consistently, there is no telling what kind of results you could achieve!

Click Here if you are ready to get started on your health and fitness journey!

What is Shakeology and why should you drink it?

4 Comments

Since I’ve spoken to a bunch of people in my Bikini Bootcamps and Challenge Groups, I have had numerous people ask me “What is Shakeology?” Many of you seem to be wondering if you can skip the challenge pack and just go straight for the program to save money, and you can, but I just wanted to share this so that you can see the true value behind the challenge pack.

I am a firm believer in the value of Shakeology, because I have felt the effects firsthand. Those of you that know me personally would know I used to promote Visalus back like 3 years ago, so you are probably skeptical, and I totally wouldn’t blame you one bit. However, I stopped promoting Visalus for a reason.. I gained all of the weight that I had lost back as soon as I stopped using the product.

I was super skeptical to try shakeology myself when I started P90X for the first time, and it took my coach a few months to finally convince me to give another meal replacement shake a try. I bought shakeology after being told of the bottom of the bag guarantee, where if you don’t find that shakeology works, you can send it back for a full refund – even if the bag is completely empty. I’ve been drinking shakeology daily ever since.

I find that it gives me a boost in energy, helps with regularity, makes me feel healthier, and because I make it in a way that I LOVE, I’ve found it has helped curb my sweet tooth cravings. If you asked any of my family members, they would be able to tell you that growing up I was always pretty sickly. I would get sick multiple times a year. Since I started drinking shakeology, I RARELY ever get sick because it has boosted my immune system.

Shakeology is NOT a weight loss drink. It is a nutrition dense shake that helps get your system functioning normally, which ultimately does help with weight loss. Even if you are not ready to get into fitness, I would strongly recommend you at least give shakeology a try – not just for weight loss, but for your overall health.

Click Here if you would like to learn more about Shakeology.

Health and Fitness Challenge

1 Comment

Hey guys, I have an extra little challenge for all of you this week. You opened this blog article for a reason, whether you have a lot of weight to lose, a little weight to lose, or even if you just need to tone up with muscle definition. No matter what your current level may be, or what your goals may be, I have a challenge that I think can help each of you achieve your goals.

As Darren Hardy wrote, “the first step toward change is awareness. If you want to get from where you are to where you want to be, you have to start by becoming aware of the choices that lead you away from your desired destination. Become very conscious of every choice you make today so you can begin to make smarter choices moving forward.”

To accomplish this, I want you to picture where you are RIGHT NOW. Next, I want you to picture where you want to be. Then I want you all to start keeping a record of your daily activity, water intake, and the foods you eat. If you are SERIOUS about your goals, you WILL do this. My coach got me to do it when I was starting out, and now I want you guys to do it because it seriously helps. There is something about seeing that DQ blizzard listed on your daily food journal as it destroys your healthy goal for the day that suddenly makes you think “maybe I don’t need this after all”. When you track your physical activity on a chart, you’ll see empty spaces on days you didn’t work out and will start to want to fill them in – even if you just do a 10 minute workout.

I want you to write it all down, every single day, for a week. If you don’t find that it is helping you be more motivated, or helping you to stay on track, then you can cut out at the end of the week. No excuses! If you make this commitment for 7 days, I really think you’ll start to see improvements. I highly recommend that you try getting a friend to do it with you so that you can both keep each other on track and for accountability. If you start slacking off, that way you’ll have a friend to help pull you back in – and vice versa.

“The magic is not in the complexity of the task; the magic is in the doing of simple things repeatedly and long enough to ignite the miracle of the compound effect.” – Darren Hardy. What this is getting at is that even though the task that I have set before you might seem insignificant and simple, it can be the determining factor in whether or not you are successful in achieving your goals. It may seem like a waste of time at first glance, but as I’ve learned through this book, it is the smaller things repeated over time that make the biggest impact.

If you want to learn more about this for yourself, I highly recommend The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. I have the E-book, and it is a truly great read. It isn’t even about health, fitness, or weight loss – it is just about how you can improve and create success for yourself in any aspect of your life by employing simple methods.

Create motivation through determination

Leave a comment

I hear all the time “I don’t have the motivation to work out“, and I cringe. I know the feeling, I was in the same place a few years ago. I did not want to work out at all, and I had so many other things to do.. Including watching a bunch of television, Netflix, and surfing the internet. If I had just been willing to give up some of my TV and internet time, I could have easily found the time to do my workouts. IT WAS AN EXCUSE. I simply hadn’t made it a priority.

In the beginning of the journey, it is not about having the motivation to do it. Instead, it is about making a CHOICE to make it a priority to start eating healthier and working out. Make this choice to create a better body and a better life for yourself and the people that you care about. Once you start seeing results from that choice, and it starts positively impacting your mood and other areas of your life, that is when motivation kicks in and pushes you to continue. Don’t use a lack of motivation as another excuse to stay inactive, get moving and create your own motivation through determination!

Click Here if you’re ready to get started!

Do it for YOU

Leave a comment

One thing that absolutely drives me insane is when people ask me why I work out, and frame it like “well who are you trying to look good for/impress”. This is absolutely ridiculous, because it implies that the only reason to exercise or eat healthy is to look good or impress people. Do those things help make you look better, lose weight, add muscle, etc? Sure they do. However, they also do a number of other things for your health and personal well-being that are much more important than simply the way you look.

I chose to get into fitness for myself, not to impress anyone else. I got into health and fitness to feel better about myself and improve my own quality of life. I was sick of being depressed and hating my own body, and I knew that I needed to make these changes if I ever wanted to get back to myself. I put on some makeup before I go and do a workout. Nobody sees me working out because I have a home gym, but once again, I don’t do it for anyone else – I DO IT FOR ME! It makes me feel better, more confident, and I find that I can hit my workout harder.

Stop worrying about what other people think, because there will always be people out there that want to discourage you from what you are doing. Chances are, if they are trying to discourage you, it is simply because they were too afraid to do it themselves and they want to get you to give up so that it validates their decision not to follow your lead. Instead of giving them the satisfaction of being right, PROVE THEM WRONG. Keep working for your goals, and be a positive role model for those around you. Maybe once your friends start to see that it is really working wonders for your life as a whole, they will finally decide to join you and start their own health and fitness journey.

Click Here if you are ready to start working on yourself, because you DESERVE to be happy and healthy!

Sometimes all it takes is for you to make up your mind

Leave a comment

One quote that has been resonating with me ever since I became a coach is that you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. This could not be more true, and I’ve seen it time and time again. I can give you a million reasons why you should work out and eat healthy, but until you DECIDE that you need to change, it is not going to happen.

I can not physically force you to exercise, and I can’t force feed you healthy food or follow you around and slap your hand every time you reach for junk food. You are in control, and it is ultimately up to you to make the choice to create a healthier future for yourself!

You honestly just have to reach a point in your life where you know that you need to change for the better, no matter what the reason may be. For me it was because I was sick of isolating myself and being lonely and depressed. I wanted to regain my confidence so that I could start living my life again. Once you reach that point in your life where you just know that things HAVE to change, I sincerely hope that something will click in your mind and you will gain a sense of determination. That is what happened to me. I just knew I needed to make a change so that I could have a better life, so I decided to push through workouts that nearly killed me and to eat healthy because I was determined to reach my goals.

Click Here if you’re at that point in your life now, and you’re ready to make a change.