Take the 30 Day Challenge!...

Starting June 1st I will be hosting a 30 day Fitness Challenge. I want you to join me!

Here is a quick run-down of the program-

I will provide you with 30 days of fitness challenges. The guidelines will be basic, but I will provide you with creative ways to implement them along the way.

I will also be providing a weekly email with information to keep you on track and motivated to finish the challenge.

The program is for EVERYONE!!!

If you complete the program you will be entered into a drawing to win a fitness or nutrition book (I will give you a few choices).***

This is the perfect way to keep you motivated as you approach the SUMMER SEASON.

***Add a little extra bang for your buck...

I know you will be even more motivated to finish this challenge if you turn it into a little competition with your family, friends or co-workers. Why not gather the crew and throw a little money into the mix. Nothing like a little peer pressure to keep you on your toes.

Example: Everyone donates money (as much as you want) to the cause. Whoever finishes the challenge gets the money back. For those who don't finish, their money is divided between those who did.

Or...

I won't be making this a weight loss challenge but you and your crew can. Whoever loses the biggest percentage of weight gets the money.

Whatever the case, just do it!!!!

Please provide your email address in the comment section so that I can send you an invite to the challenge. Or if you don't feel comfortable leaving it in the comment section you can email me at pcfitness10@gmail.com

Please have everyone who will be joining you provide their email.

Questions-

Have you ever considered how you would answer this question?

What about when it comes to your fitness goals?

What is stopping you?

Sugar Update...

For the most part it hasn't been too bad. I was a bit tempted by the s'mores we made around the camp fire Friday night, but I am happy to say that I didn't give in and it felt so good once the temptations was out of the way that I stayed strong.

I am learning I eat when I am bored. This challenge will be doing double duty for me as it will get me motivated to keep us moving and busy, and outside so that I don't want to grab for food just because.

I do like the Truvia. Add it too some plain yogurt with some fruit and granola. It is a super sweet treat.

It is empowering to be stronger than the temptation.

Anybody else having any success?

Dr. Oz’s Healthy Family Challenge

I am on a Dr. Oz kick right now. Here he gives an easy plan for families to implement to keep us healthy. If you don't have a family of your own it is definitely something you can do on your own. I just think it provides some great ideas to make it fun for kids to exercise.

We have the power to tackle the obesity epidemic in our country. Taking a few small steps together will bring your family closer, give you more energy, save you money, help you reach and maintain a healthy weight.

Join Dr. Oz and HealthCorps to change the health and happiness of you and your family.

http://www.doctoroz.com/chiquita-challenges/healthy-family-challenge

Farewell My Friend...

...you will be missed.

It is true, as much as I am an advocate of healthy foods, I love sugar. I find it hard to pass up at least a taste of any delicious dessert (especially when I am pregnant). But it is time to take a break from the sweet little monster. As much as I love it, I don't love how it has been making me feel these days.

Sure this fat chocolate cake is calling my name...
...or how about a slice of this decadent tart?

But I am overcoming one of my biggest weaknesses and giving up sugar at least for a month. I need to to cleanse my taste buds of it. And I need my body to understand it doesn't need it everyday. Don't worry Mr. Sugar, I will eat you again, just not now.

Thank you Chelsy for being my inspiration.

I don't believe anyone should have to give up any kind of food forever, but we do need to eat in moderation and sometimes we must put our body through a little bootcamp nutrition training in order to achieve this.

I am admitting this outloud to all of you so that I have a crowd to keep me accountable.

Yesterday was my first day. It wasn't too bad. And I feel pretty good.

Good luck to me and to any of you who want to join me in the journey.

Refocusing...

I just got back from a weekend trip to Idaho to see family and it seems it has taken me 4 days to get back on track from the 4 day vacation. But I am back and ready to share a few thoughts and insights. I am motivated and refocused!

Over the weekend I heard a lot about the HCG diet. Up to this point I had never heard about it, but once it was brought to my attention I have seen ads for it all over the place. If you haven't heard about it you can google it. You will find plenty of websites with info. I still have yet to find a website that actually explains how the diet works. Most of them are very vague. Essentially you eat a very low calorie diet (VLCD) and take HCG drops. There is also a list of approved foods you can eat. The diet is done for 3-4 weeks with the promise that you will lose 1-2 pounds a day on average.

I have never tried it so I can't give my personal opinion on the diet. Many people I talked to swear by it. I am still skeptical. Not skeptical that you will lose weight...if you are only eating 500 calories a day some pounds will be shed. I am skeptical as to why people want to do this to themselves.

Maybe you can lose the weight on this plan, but what happens once you stop the diet? You obviously can't keep up this type of diet regimen for long periods of time. And I am still not sure why starving yourself for weeks at a time is more desirable than trying a little exercise and healthy eating.

I understand the desire for quick results.

So I am not going to say you should or shouldn't do this diet. Or any other jump start diet. But the reality is if you don't change your ways (the ones that led to the weight gain in the first place) the weight will come back.

No matter what diet plan you choose to follow, you have to be ready to make lifestyle changes.

There are many things we can do to improve upon our health habits. But the one I want to focus on is all about going back to the basics. Time to cut back the refined and processed foods. I have a sis-in-law who has mastered this to a T. She has lost so much weight, looks fantastic, and feels amazing. The best part is she is a phenomenal cook. All her food is healthy and everything is delicious. She cooked for us all weekend and I was in heaven. Her example is what has motivated me to refocus my efforts. And I want to share with you the wonderful things I find.

I hope we can discover together that this journey to better health can be tasty and enjoyable. Your challenge this week is to cut back the refined foods. Try recipes that are full of fresh or frozen veggies. Learn to make sauces and seasonings from scratch so you can cut back the salt and fat, yet enhance the flavor. Figure ways to improve upon your favorite recipes that you cook the most often. I will be sharing my finds. Please share yours!

If you are going to do any of the crazy kickstart diets, that is your deal...but once you are done please join me here and lets get healthy by changing our habits one day at a time. These are the lifestlye changes we all need to make.

I already have a few fun recipes, but you will have to check back later if you want more:).

Simple Health Boosters-

Here are a few simple tips that take little to no time to improve your health-

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Workout Burnout?

Many of you said your New Year's Resolutions included something health related. For those of you trying to incorporate exercise into your routine are you still on track? Depending on whether or not you have seen results you may be finding yourself on the road to burnout. But you can beat the burnout and boredom. Here are a few classic signs to look for and ways to overcome each obstacle...



Stage 1: THE HONEYMOON

Classic sign: You're determined to slip into a size 6 by the first day of Spring, so you never miss a workout.

Burnout buster: Take a less-is-more approach. Burnout happens when you expect too much too soon. Balance your excitement with the big picture. Even with the smartest, most effective workout program, you still can't force your body to become stronger or slimmer any faster than it physiologically can.


Stage 2: DISENCHANTMENT

Classic sign: Your excitement fades when you don't see results right away. You stop looking forward to gym time and start skipping workouts.

Burnout buster: Set mini goals. One major reason for dropping out is the failure to meet goals and expectations, especially within the first six months of starting an exercise program. Short-term goals that focus on the process (like time spent exercising) are more likely to boost your confidence and keep you on track than longterm outcome goals (say, total number of pounds lost).


Stage 3: STALLING

Classic sign: Boredom and apathy override your commitment and motivation. You'll use almost anything — work, family, stress, the weather — as an excuse to skip exercise.

Burnout buster: Make a change. Use a different piece of cardio equipment or workout in a different part of the gym. Even buying a new workout shirt, water bottle or music for your I-pod can do the trick. Keep things fresh and don't allow yourself to get bored.


Stage 4: FRUSTRATION AND SURRENDER

Classic sign: Exercise slides from your list of top priorities. You want to throw in the towel. You start telling yourself every week that after the weekend is over you will get back on track.

Burnout buster: Make a schedule and stick to it for at least five weeks. A study in Health Psychology reports that it takes new exercisers that long to make their sessions a habit. Or make a date — with a trainer, your guy, or your best friend. Peer pressure can be a great motivator. You're more likely to stay on track when someone is holding you accountable.

Source: Women's Health Magazine

If you are finding yourself in a stage of burnout, don't get discouraged. Reassess the situation and start fresh today!!!

When you Lack the Motivation...

As much as I do love the feeling that exercise gives me, I will admit there are days when I just have no motivation to get moving. Today would be one of those days. There are so many things I need to do, exercise included, and all I want is to curl up on the couch and take a nap. So here is my rule for days like this...Choose an activity that you generally enjoy (or at least tolerate) doing. Tell yourself that all you have to do is 10 minutes of a warm-up. If at that point you still have no energy to exercise you can quit for the day. Most likely after 10 minutes of getting the heart rate up and starting to sweat you will want to continue. The first 10 minutes are often the hardest part.

If you are having on of "those" days like I am please join me in the challenge to give just 10 minutes before you decide whether or not you are going to exercise today.

And if you need more of a boost, call a friend and get him/her to join you. Exercise is way more fun with a buddy.

Happy Exercising!!!

When Life Throws a Curveball

Need a little reminder to keep you on track...

When you realize that what you're doing is really a lifestyle change and not a "program" or diet, it will empower you like never before. Making this transition in your thinking means there is nothing to quit. You can't quit a lifestyle like you quit a diet. Injuries, illness, job issues, family commitments all come and go and constantly change. And a program or diet is easy to lose track of when a big life "trauma" comes along. But if you're focused simply making healthy choices most of the time none of these obstacles will hold you back. Sure, you'll have to adjust your approach and try new things. You'll experience setbacks and have to regroup. But that's life. And it's always within your grasp to live it healthfully if you choose.

--Michael Scholtz, MA, Biggest Loser Club fitness expert

Music for Motivation-

We all know that a little music goes a long way when it comes to making it through a tough workout. When your favorite song starts playing it can send a jolt of energy through your body.

Last week on Oprah the episode was about People Magazine's 1/2 their size issue. The boy on the show had lost over 250 lbs!!! That in and of itself is motivating. Truly anything is possible. To get started this boy made a song playlist consisting of 2 songs...just 2 songs. He exercised to those 2 songs and every week he added a new song to the list. In addition to eating healthy and his little song list he lost 1/2 his body weight!!! Currently his playlist is about 23 songs long.

If you are having a hard time finding the motivation to exercise give this little tactic a try. ANYONE can exercise for 2 songs.

Here are some ideas...a few of my favorites:).

Love Drunk--Boys Like Girls
One Way or Another--Mandy Moore
Burn it Up--Jessie James
Blue Jeans--Jessie James
Not Like That--Ashley Tisdale
Let's Dance--Vanessa Hudgens
Live Like We're Dying--Kris Allen
Gotta Be Someone--Nickelback
Down--Jay Sean
Cowboy Casanova--Carrie Underwood
If You Seek Amy--Brittany Spears
Superstar (Smash It)--Kimberly Cole
Love Stones/I Think She Knows--Justin Timberlake
Thanks for the Memories--Fall out Boy
Cuz I Can--PINK

Happy Exercising!

Change your Brain Change your Life...

This article comes from Chalene Johnson, the creator of TurboJam/TurboKick (one of my favorite workouts ever...just a side note). Rather than try to put this all in my own words I have just copied and pasted the first part of it below. You can link to read the rest at the end of the entry.

Chalene Johnson created a fitness business pretty much from scratch. I am very inspired by what she has done. Makes me want to follow in her footsteps.

Take the time to read this (or listen to the videos). Even if you have already heard this before it is a GREAT reminder. Especially for those of you embarking on the journey to lose weight.

Change your Brain Change your Life
by Chalene Johnson on October 28, 2009


The Key to Long Term Success – Changing the Voice in your Head-


What lives in your mind, affects your thinking. Your thinking affects your performance, your mood, your beliefs, and your ability to reach your goals.



When we slip, or believe we should have done a better job of something, we beat ourselves up mentally. We say things to ourselves that we would NEVER dream of saying to anyone else in our lives. “What a loser!” “I can’t believe how stupid you are.” “You’ll never be able to do it right.” We become what we think about most. Our own self-deprecating comments become our greatest obstacle.


When you Change your Thinking, you Change your Life.



Have you ever stopped and realized you had made things worse in your mind than they really were? Once the facts came to light, you recognized how you had allowed your imagination to take things off into a deep dark place where monsters live.



It’s amazing how effectively we can convince ourselves that one of our co-workers is out to get us, that someone doesn’t like us. It’s easy to fall into a pattern of feeling tired because you tell yourself you’re tired.



Certainly we’ve all had moments of self-pity; only to be snapped back to reality with the story of someone struggling with the illness of a child, or a life altering event. When that happens you reevaluate the way in which you were processing your own circumstances; you put yourself back in check and think, “Wow! I guess I really don’t have it that bad. I need to be more thankful.”



As you continue on your life fitness journey, remember that a great deal of your training time should be spent on exercises for your brain. When it comes to fitness, the number one area of the body that is most important and most often overlooked is…the brain!



Read the rest of this article by clicking here. You will also find more video.

Fitness versus Fatness-

A study recently published in the January 2010 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®, the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, examined the difference between weight loss due to caloric restriction only versus caloric restriction and exercise.

The study was divided into 3 groups-
1) Control (weight maintenance diet)
2) Caloric restriction (25% reduction in energy intake)
3) Caloric restriction plus aerobic exercise (12.5% reduction in calories, 12.5% increase in exercise energy expenditure)

The study lasted 6 months.

Changes in fat mass, visceral fat (belly fat), VO2peak (aerobic capacity), muscular strength, blood lipids, blood pressure, and insulin sensitivity secretion were compared amongst the groups.

Both interventin groups experienced similar reductions in total body mass, fat mass, and visceral fat mass.

BUT

The calorie-restricted-plus-exercise group experienced greater improvements in insulin sensitivity, LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol), and diastolic blood pressure than the caloric restriction by diet alone group.

I am guessing that this informaton isn't new to most of you. But from conversations with others it is clear to me that many of us haven't quite grasped the importance of physical activity/exercise.

Exercise is a key component of weight loss. From this study we can also take away that exercise is necessary for even those who don't need to lose weight. Obviously it does something good to the body.

Also, with a little exercise you don't have to be so extreme in your calorie restrictions. Notice that the exercise group only had to cut back on their food comsumption by 12.5% versus 25%. I know I would much rather put in my gym time in order to enjoy a few more calories on my plate.

Stop delaying and get moving!

~PCFitness

Remaining Enthusiastic...

Weight loss can be a bumpy road. Especially if you are one who uses food to sooth your sorrows. It is necessary to remain enthusiastic about your goals. Even more, it is important to remain enthusiastic about your day to day life. The power of a positive attitude will go miles in terms of reaching your ultimate goals.

I really like these quotes-

"Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hope rise to the stars...the sparkle in your eye...the swing in your gait, the grip in your hand, the irresistible surge of your will, and your energy to execute your ideas. Enthusiasts are fighters. They have fortitude. They have staying qualities." ~Henry Ford

Businessman Charles M. Schwab- “A person can succeed at anything for which there is enthusiasm.”

So today as you face your challenges make it a goal to do so without complaining. Be a fighter!

To help you out here is a fantastic recipe to remind you that healthy eating can taste delicious...

Wild Rice Soup

prep: 20 min total:40

Adapted from Betty Crocker Cookbook

2 med stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)

1 med carrot, coarsely shredded (1 cup) I dice my carrots

1 med onion, chopped (1/2 cup) I use red/purple onions because I like the flavor

1 small green bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)

3 TBSP flour

1/4 tsp pepper

1 pouch (from 10-ounce package) frozen cooked wild rice (1 1/4 cups) You can use any kind of wild rice you want. Just cook the rice before you put it in the soup.

1 cup water

1 can (10.5 ounces) reduced sodium chicken broth

1 cup fat-free half-and-half

1/3 cup silvered almonds, toasted I used sunflower seeds because I had them on hand

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Spray 3-quart saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Cook celery, carrot, onion and bell pepper in the spray about 4 minutes, stir occasionally, until tender.

2. Stir in flour and pepper. Stir in wild rice, water and broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Stir in fat free half-and-half, almonds and parsley. Heat just until hot (do not boil or soup may curdle).

Makes 3 servings (1 1/2 cups each).

About 245 calories per serving

Finish What You Have Started...

In my experience working with clients one of the biggest challenges I face is dealing with all the excuses...and nothing bugs me more. I just want to scream outloud- do you or do you not want to reach the goals you so emotionally shared with me when we first met?! I am left wondering if I am the only person that seems to care.

Now I understand that life gets busy. And I know that each of us has a million other things we could be doing. Whatever goal you set out to reach, be it weight loss or running a marathon, obstacles will arise. These goals are lofty, and time consuming. They will require that you take time for yourself every single day. But you knew that when you started. You knew you were going to have to get up early to fit in your workout. You knew there would be junk food surrounding you at the office. You knew your family would have to make adjustments in their schedule so you could find time to go to the gym. You knew this was going to be hard. So why all the excuses? This is a rhetorial question because I don't really want you to answer it with another excuse:).

Don't let your setbacks stop you from becoming who you really want to be. Next time you are faced with one of many excuses remember this...Finish What You Have Started! You can do it. Believe in yourself.

What Inspires You to be Fit?...

Do you know what it is that inspires you to become and stay fit?

Are you the one who workouts in hopes that your body will one day look like this?

or this?
Or maybe it is proving you can do what others said wasn't possible...

Some do it for their children because they want to be a good example. Or maybe it is so you can enjoy lots of healthy years with them.

A personal challenge might do the trick...

or did the doctor tell you your numbers were a bit too high?

Possibly exercise clears your mind and keeps you sane?

Find your inspiration.

Make a visible reminder for yourself.

Read or look at it often!

Now go do something healthy for your body.

~PCFitness