One area of leading a healthy lifestyle that many people struggle with considerably is: BALANCE & TIME MANAGEMENT. You have your goals set and you know precisely what it is that you want to obtain – but how to you balance it all.  In many cases, you’re willing to do just about anything to reach those goals.  Right?

Time management has been a subject that I have personally worked on, and continue to still do, but also help guide and mentor my clients through the same.  It goes along the same lines of motivation – you’ve got to have a method to the madness, to stay on track and be goal oriented.

As a result of this intense motivation, other areas of your life start to suffer.  Finding the right balance between fitness, business, and family time can definitely be a challenge, but fortunately, it is one that can and will be overcome.

You just need to have a game plan in place and understand a few key action steps that you should be taking.  Otherwise you’ll be all over the place!

So how and where do you start to begin bringing structure into your busy life?  Let’s keep it simple, shall we?

Schedule Fitness First Thing In The Morning

Another great way to help yourself create balance is to schedule fitness first thing in the morning. By getting your workouts completed before anything else crowds them out of your day, you can forget about them and get on with your life.

This is how I start the day.  As a busy work & stay-at-home Mom, driving my kids here and there, finding time to work on my business AND time for myself, my workouts just can’t be sacrificed.  They are the life-blood of starting my day.  Therefore, without question, my day starts at 5:30am with a killer P90x2 home workout or I zip to my favorite CrossFit class.

By designating your morning to your workout program, the day’s ready for your career and business, and the evenings to your family.

Make Family Time Active

Get out and be active as a family.  A great balance is to start combining family time into fitness time.  Far too many people are still under the notion that ‘fitness’ has to take place in the gym or holed up in your basement.

Far from it.  Going for a bike ride, taking a hike or running the play field’s is a perfect way to get in some cardio training, burn off some calories, and bond as a family.  Not to mention, it sets an example for the kids to recognize the importance of outdoor physical activity.

Or how about going out on a Sunday afternoon to play a game of soccer with your kids or create a fun obstacle circuit to stay in shape and strengthen your connection?

Start thinking of active things that you can all do together rather than resorting to the passive activities such as watching TV or playing video games.  And in my opinion, a Wii Fit game doesn’t count!  Get outdoors and soak in the fresh air.

Separate Your Work Life From Your Home Life

Next tip in creating balance with your program is to make sure that you are separating your work life from your home life.  As these are all very important and critical parts of your life, they each deserve their time and place.

If you often bring work home with you, it gets hard to find the divide. You won’t be putting in high quality family time because you’ll always have that distraction of work at your side.  If you work at home, set hours that you are working and when that time is up, laptop goes away, iPhone out of sight and it’s time to bond with the family.

Set clear boundaries.  Don’t try and multi-task with these two activities.  When you’re at work, concentrate and get your work done as effectively as possible.  When you’re at home with your family, focus on them.  They deserve it.

Delegate

Start learning to delegate (this was a hard one for me). One big problem that too many people have is trying to take on way too much.  When you need help, request it.  If someone else can take the job off your hands and you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t feel shy about asking them to do so.  Take people up on their offer!  Trust me, you won’t regret it for a second.

As a Mom, I want to do it all…even sometimes for my kids, but now that they are older, I’ve learned to include them in helping me with things, that not only helps me, but also makes them feel important.  Outside of putting your kids to work, get resourceful and consider “outsourcing” odd jobs that get in the way of the important things – family time.

By creating a team approach where you and your co-workers (or family members/neighbors) help each other out whenever possible, you’ll have a much better chance of achieving that balance in your life.

To-Do List

Just this year, I’m working on mastering my to-do list.  It’s a structured to-do list with a purpose.  Thanks to Chalene Johnson and her amazing book PUSH, I’ve recognized the value in putting tasks to paper and crossing them off when completed, so I can move on.

There is nothing more rewarding than crossing a task off your to-do list.  Agree?

Since our to-do lists often encompass our work chores, household chores/commitments and fitness plans, either make a separate list for each, or create “sections” on your to-do list to keep them separate.  Since you know when you’ll be doing your workout program, when it’s time for work stuff and family stuff, structure your list in that type of order.  As you go through the day, find joy is crossing those bad boys off and moving on to the next!

While it may seem like you have a million and one things to do and will never be on top of it, if you can get these strategies in place, you’ll be amazed at what you can do.

So your feeling really jazzed, as you have your selected workout program or regime mapped out, impending goals to hit and it’s ready, set, go, time!

Day 1, it’s off to the races and you are excited and exhilarated with how getting active and eating healthy makes you feel.  Right?  Awesome….bring it on.

Day 2 arrives, still riding on that wave of endorphins and starting to tell all your friends about your new journey and how great it’s going to be.

Day 3, 4, and 5, maybe even up to day 12 are feeling pretty awesome.  And then…it happens.  You hit that slump.  You know that slump that you’ve lost ALL motivation to get your workout done, eat that plate full of healthy foods, and when you’d rather sleep in and then hit Happy Hour with your friends.

Trust me…I’ve been there ALL too many times.  Even now and then, if you can believe that!  Yes, I know, I’m not perfect and that’s hard for you to imagine!  LOL…if you only knew how really HUMAN I am!

So, what needs to change?  How is THIS time going to be different?  We all need it…it’s that M.O.T.I.V.A.T.I.O.N  (No, it’s not an acronym for anything, just looked cool!).

Let’s get to the meat of it, shall we?

Before that slump happens, let’s put things into perspective and get you in the write mind frame.

You are about to embark on a health and fitness program, so the one thing that you must be sure you’re doing at all times is looking at what you can do to stay motivated.  Maintaining motivation is vital to success because when something stands in your way – and something will at some point, you need to be able to push past this barrier and continue on to see results.

So what can you do to get motivated?

I’ve got a couple measures of motivation I use, so here’s just a few.

ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER.

Whether it’s in workouts or in business, find an accountability partner.  Someone that will motivate, encourage, challenge and empower you to stay on track.

The reason why so many fail in reaching their goals, is they don’t have an accountability measure, aside from themselves, to keep them on point, and the mind tends to take over matter and has a funny way of coming up with a host of excuses as to why not complete the task for the day, to get to that goal.  Sound familiar?

Personally, I have an accountability partner for my business AND in my workouts.  They are different people, but they each challenge me enough to want to stay on track.

Need that fitness accountability partner?  Join my next Fitness & Nutrition Challenge where you’ll get all the accountability one will need to FINALLY reach that goal, whether it be to get into your “skinny” jeans, lose weight for once and for all, gain muscle OR just stick to a program.  We’ve got the tools to help you be successful.

Find someone that you can trust to keep you on track.  Someone that’s not going to allow for the excuses, and will encourage you to keep pushing, especially during the weak moments.  And you know what, you should be expected to do the same, as their accountability party.  Make a pledge that you won’t let one another down….regardless.

VISION BOARD.

A vision board is essentially a place where you can post and truly envision all the different things that you want to achieve, whether personally or professionally.  When creating a vision board, it’s important that you never limit yourself.  While staying realistic is good since very unrealistic goals will only make you feel discouraged, don’t be afraid to really ‘dream big’.

The objective of the vision board is to get you imaging with good clarity what your life will be like when you accomplish some of the biggest goals you’ve set for yourself so that you can literally feel like you’re already ‘living in this existence’.

The more you live it, the more you’ll want it and this means you’ll have sky-high motivation to obtain it.

So how do you go about using a vision board? First get a poster size board and a handful of magazines you fancy OR go online and create a digital one, like I did.  I love the one on Oprah’s site: http://oprah.com/dreamboard.

Find pictures, images or words that showcase your goals.  Pictures, images or words that mean something to YOU, and that by seeing them daily, will motivate you to continue on your journey.

Once you have your series of goals set and their representing pictures, images or words, make a list to spell out how achieving each of these will make you feel.  List what you’ll feel, how those around you will react, how realizing the goal may change your environment and so on.

The more of these statements you can list right now, the better.  Keep in mind that many people believe that achieving a goal will do more for them than it actually will (losing weight won’t make you the CEO of your company no matter how awesome you look), so be realistic with this as well.

Once you have this information listed, then you want to review it daily and post it where you’ll see it daily. The more often you can do this, the better.  This will keep that image in your mind and help you focus on it so that you never lose sight of the bigger picture. Heck, load it in your smartphone, so it’s with you all day, every day!

Then when motivation falters, you can recall these ‘visions’ to your memory and you should find you get an instant boost to carry on.

JOURNAL.

Whether you are a blogger or like to keep it old school…write down your thoughts and experiences as you are going through your journey.  The mind can be a powerful thing, so when you can write all your thoughts onto paper, it will help you recognize WHY you are committed.

What to write?  For instance, if you are writing about your first 90 day experience on P90X, blog or journal about each workout, how well you did, what you struggled with, what improved from the last time you did the workout, how it made you feel that day, what you ate before and after, etc.  Get specific and be honest with yourself.  If you are doing the Couch to 5k, follow the same format as above.

What’s important, is that your write down how you feel and track your progress along the way.  It’s powerful when you can go back to Day 1, when you are on Day 30 and say, “WOW, look how far I’ve come…I ain’t quitting now!”.

Taking it one step further with accountability, when you blog about it, it’s out there for the universe to see and read, which is a good thing!  Let others track with your journey and possibly get inspired! You never know who can be reading what you are experiencing and how it can effect them.  How’s that for motivation??

LOG YOUR WORKOUTS. 

There are so many great tools and apps out there that you can use to log in your workouts, which is another great way to stay motivated and keep yourself accountable.  Here are a few of my favorites:

• Team Beachbody’s Online SuperGym: not only is it FREE, but you can pre-load your selected workout program with the auto-scheduler feature.  There is such an enormous community of like-minded folks that are working towards their goals, so as you log your workout into the Online SuperGym, you start to see the same faces, day after day, which is a great motivator knowing you can likely expect to see them again.  If you are doing P90x, be sure to check out the awesome P90X iPhone app that you can track your X workouts, log into the SuperGym and get tutorials on the various moves.  Create a FREE account and I’ll be your Coach helping you through it all.
• MyFitnessPal.com (MFP): Another great free online service where you can log your workouts AND track your daily nutrition in take.  I do, however, caution the nutrition tracking, as I do think their pre-programed stats don’t accurately represented what we need to be eating, where it focuses more on calorie restriction.  You can create a free account too (come find me, I’m choose2befit). Oh, and there is an awesome iPhone app for MFP too.
• Notebook.  Yup, why over complicate things when you can keep it simply and log and track your daily workouts in a simple notebook?  I love browsing the aisles at Bartell’s or Fred Meyer and look at all the pretty and fun notebooks that they have, and I tend to pick a few up, as I never know what I’m going to put in there.  And for instance, right now, I use a simple notebook to track my progress through P90X2 and also my CrossFit workouts.  I want to track my reps & weight, my time, how I feel, if I need to improve on a certain skill, etc.  Having a simple notebook not only allows you to track daily, but bring in that journal component and write down how you feel you did through each exercise.

Your partner in health & fitness.

In my last article, we talked about How New Year’s Resolutions Most Often Turn Into a To-Do in January, and as we discussed what a resolution REALLY is, let’s take that a step further and formulate a habit to get those resolution results.

As you go about attacking your goals to improve your health and fitness level, one common denominator is creating some healthy habits that you can stick with.

What is a Habit?

A habit is an action or behavior pattern that you do automatically and routinely– almost without thought.   Ideally, the more of these you have that are health enforcing, the easier it’s going to be to reach your goals and maintain them over time.

Like most anything in life, it can take some effort to first break bad habits that you previously had and then build up new ones. Safe to say,  you need to be prepared to put in some work.  There is no EASY BUTTON in getting healthy and fit.  Remember, you didn’t put that weight on all overnight, now did you??

Ok, now that we all know what a habit is and that it’s going to take some work, let’s go over a few things to remember as you aim to create these new healthy habits that will get you results.

Always Assess Hunger

The first habit that you should start getting into is always assessing your hunger level before you eat. Are you REALLY hungry?  Or you just going by habit of eating at this time?

Start simple and begin to think before you eat.  By doing this, you’ll begin to connect your mind to food this in itself will get you rethinking your food choice.

Most people are eating for emotional reasons at some point throughout the week (or month, right ladies??) and many do this without even realizing it.  If you can stop and ask yourself how hungry you really are on a scale from one to ten before doing so, it will make it more clear in your mind the real reason you’re reaching for food.  And don’t be afraid to gulp down some water or tea first, then decide if it’s food your body needs right now.

Understand Your Emotional Reasons Why

What’s next?  Understand your emotional reasons as to why you want to create them.

For example, when most people start trying to eat healthier, is 9 times out of 10, to lose weight.

Fair enough – eating healthier can help you lose weight.

But that in itself isn’t all that strong of a motivator.  Sorry to burst your bubble.

What you want to ask yourself is why you want to lose weight?  How will it make you feel? How will it influence your life? What would that look like for you?  What would YOU look like?  Dig deep to find out the real reason.

The answers to these questions are the real reasons why you want to lose weight.  Write them down, review them often and allow them to become real.   When you see these goals, you begin to connect your mind to the emotional reason behind it, and are apt to start creating those healthier habits.

Set A One Week Time Frame

Give yourself a week to “test the waters”.  This means that rather than this new habit be a daunting chore, take baby steps.  Make a commitment to yourself to stick to this new habit for 7 full days.  Anyone can do anything for 7 days.

After the one week is up, if you hate the habit and feel you are much better off as you were, then you can drop it like a hot potato – without guilt (well except for my voice chirping at you!!).

This relieves that mental anxiety about change and makes moving forward with the habit more comfortable.

There is the general rule of thumb that it only takes 24 days to form a new habit (good and bad), but a bigger sense of accomplishment, by sticking with it.

Got any tips to share on how to start or keep motivated with habits?  Please share in the comment box below!

Your partner in health & fitness.

Are YOU Ready for the Beachbody Fitness & Nutrition Challenge?

(Click on logo for detail!!)

As you know, I’ve been running fitness challenges, with my Beachbody customers, every 30 days and there has been some AMAZING results had, because of them!  Why?  ACCOUNTABILITY!!

Here’s what they are saying:

…this group has helped me to get up and workout and eat right every day including the holidays for almost 90 days and for that I am incredibly grateful. In addition to the physical successes I have a ton more energy, a new goal at all times and a new love of fitness for my health and so that I know I will be around and healthy for my son. -Felice D. (lost 47 pounds in 5 mos, post-baby)

I tried 4 times (to complete 1 round of P90X) and always felt so frustrated that I struggled to do it by myself. When I heard about this accountability group from my coach I knew that was the piece I had been missing. I started P90X the day after my daughter turned 1 and now I am just a week away from completing the entire program! I have lost 20 pounds, 15 inches and gained more muscle definition than I had when I played collegiate volleyball. 

- Trina A. (now a new Coach)

Multiple times, I have started and stopped programs. I am so excited to say that with the help of my fellow challengers, I am completing my first 90 days following through with Chalean Extreme. While I’m not near my goals, this was a huge hurdle that I am thrilled to overcome. Checking in with my friends in the challenge group has become addicting too! I look forward to our 30 day marks to see how we’ve all succeeded.  - Lindsey O. (now a new Coach) 

What if You Were Finally Able to Turn Your Hard Work Into Your Very Own Success Story?  

The possibilities are endless!  What if you took this Beachbody Fitness & Nutrition Challenge and FINALLY got the results you have longed for?  What if you were able to fit back into those “skinny” jeans’?  What if you could feel AWESOME waking up every day because you took care of yourself the day before through proper exercise and nutrition?  What if you could eliminate some of your daily medication?  What if…?  What if….??

What to Expect?

So, this go round, this fitness & nutrition challenge group will only have 5 members.  Each member will ALL be doing the SAME WORKOUT PROGRAM, STARTING ON THE SAME DAY, and each will be replacing one meal (or snack) with SHAKEOLOGY.  Yes, if you do not have Shakeology, that would mean you would have to be willing to invest in it (check out some Shakeology reviews>>> CLICK HERE <<<<)… because if I am going to invest my time in working with you one on one… I need to know that you are willing to invest in your own health first!

 WATCH THIS VIDEO NOW!

I am willing to put multiple groups together that will run at the same time, and have a new fitness & nutrition Challenge start every 30 days!  Which, speaking of, there will be some great (discounted) packages to choose from, all orders automatically include one month FREE access to the Beachbody Club Membership!

What is in each Challenge Pack?

Here are the Fitness Programs to choose from in each pack: 

Here’s a snapshot of the upfront savings you’ll receive with each package option:

Because each member will have a different starting weight and goals, we will also be using the Beachbody Club membership to customize a meal plan specific to YOUR goals to get you the BEST possible results! Even better, by being a CLUB member you will actually SAVE 10% on ALL of your Beachbody purchases, going forward!!!

If you want to get the Club Membership or upgrade to get the discounts, www.choose2befit.com/join-the-club and sign up.

TOGETHER, the 90 DAY JOURNEY will begin. Checking in EVERYDAY, without exception!

I will be creating a private Facebook book group during the fitness & nutrition Challenge period, for each member to check in daily.  Each member will have unconditional access to me, as their personal Coach, which means, I will even be giving my cell # out to the participants.

Now to be upfront, this IS a commitment - ON MY PART and YOURS.  All the more reason, if you tell me you are ready to commit, I will expect your 110% dedication, as you will get mine, as well.  By participating in this challenge, I’ll know you are really ready to change your life.   But I do believe it could be something that will not only make me a better coach for having gone through it… but will leave 5 people COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED at the end!!

All truth, I don’t want to  just “sell” you a program…..I want to “sell” you on the RESULTS.

So, if in just 30 days you don’t feel like you’re getting the results you want, I want you to get a FULL REFUND.  No harm no foul….I deserve to lose the commission if the you fail to see measurable results*, due to my lack of interaction.  Now granted I can’t literally do the workout for you, but I can damn make sure you’re hearing from me on a daily basis and you know I’m there waiting on you.  You will have my personal cell phone number, but , believe me when I say, if I don’t hear from you….you’ll be hearing from me.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO GET YOUR PACKAGE ORDERED UP!

But here’s what I can only  hope is in it for you:

If you would like to be considered and are willing to make ALL the commitments above, then… what are you waiting for?!?! Comment below ASAP or send me an email at taryn@choose2befit.com and tell me that you want in this group!!!

Make it COUNT!

Your parter in health & fitness.

* Results will vary.

I often get asked how I reached my post-baby weight loss results and how I maintain it. Obviously, the bulk of my results came about via P90X, and I credit this workout program for triggering that “ah-ha” moment in my nutrition.

Like anything, to get results, it’s not an overnight quick fix or 90 day effort, for that matter, but more of a change in choices. Only choices YOU can make for yourself, if you have the desire to want to see results.

For me, I was sick and tired of being that fat, frumpy, Stay-At-Home Mom, so I knew I had to make some changes. Well, most know how the rest of the story unfolded there, but short of it is, I had to stay in control of Daily Choices I made.

That being said, I surrounded myself with inspirational people and literature (The Slight Edge is amazing). I’m always a student so love to learn new tips, recipes and theories.

I gain a lot of knowledge and motivation from Oxygen Magazine. A recent article I read really clicked. It’s was about owning self control… and making daily choices to maintain control.

So in the hopes to offer encouragement and motivation for others to find their own physical success, here’s 7 How To’s on staying in control of your daily choices:

1. Resist the Urge.
If you find yourself in a moment of weakness, take a step away from the pantry, fridge or food aisle and give yourself 30 seconds away from the situation and BREATHE. Ask yourself, “do I really need this? Will it be worth it afterwards?” Quickly distract yourself with a walk around the block, read a book to your kids or, ladies, paint your nails! That will keep you from reaching for something that may ruin your hard work!

2. Long Term vs. Short Term.
Will the decision you make today about skipping your workout or having yet another “cheat” meal, help you reach your long term goal? Likely not. Think ahead about how the one decision you make can impact your health in the long term.

3. Recognize Your Accomplishments.
Always celebrate any small success. And no, I’m not talking about going out for a beer or ice cream with your friends, but more use that energy from triumph and know you are building a better you, as a result. If you lose that pesky last 5 lbs… be proud and continue on. Celebrate that success of determination.

4. Set Small Realistic Goals.
Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting extravagant, lofty goals like, I want to lose 15 lbs in a week. NO way, NO how! Instead, set small attainable goals, like pre-planning your day of healthy meals or to drink more water throughout the day. Keeping them attainable, will allow you to celebrate more accomplishments along the way.

5. Make Good Choices.
Opt for the chicken and vegetables over the hurking hamburger, while out for dinner. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Pass by and don’t reach for a handful of M&M’s on the reception desk. Each good choice you make, rewards you in the long term.

6. Think Ahead of the Game.
If you know you have to skip a workout or have an upcoming evening out for work or with friends… prepare accordingly. Opt for smaller meals on the days you aren’t burning extra calories or have a pep talk with yourself on how you WON’T sabotage your goals while out enjoying a social setting.

7. Let Go of the Guilt.
We all have our moments and the best you can do is embrace them and MOVE ON! Don’t dwell on the past. Recognize what you could’ve done better and move on. Don’t harbor any guilt for over indulging. We all do it… on occasions!

I am only human and would be silly and a flat out lie, if I said I was perfect 100% of the time. I’m not. But what I have learned along my journey, is the smarter DAILY choices I make, the better I feel and am equipped to help other people feel the same.

Your partner in health & fitness.
Taryn

Congratulations!  You’ve made the decision to commit to embarking on a life changing journey.  Now, this isn’t a short trip that stops at 6 weeks, right?  Hence my above statement of “life changing journey”.

As busy Mom’s, whether we are stay-at-home Mom’s, working Mom’s or empty nested Mom’s, we have busy lives!  And we tend to live them in the near and not-so-distant future.  So thinking 6-weeks ahead of time is almost impossible.  Heck, I barely can wrap my head around tomorrow, until I finish with TODAY!

Sound familiar?

In the efforts for it truly to be a life-long, life changing journey, you have to switch your mentality.  With that, comes a lot of questions, feelings, actions and confusion.

Mostly, what do I do before I start?

It’s not all about ripping open your new home workout program and pushing play, or signing up for a year long membership at your neighborhood gym and going.  You have to take action steps to set yourself up for success and reward.

So, what do you do before you start a workout program?

1. Commit to it as a new lifestyle. The sooner you can recognize this is a new lifestyle you are embarking on, the better off you’ll be and the sooner you can embrace and celebrate those small successes.  Remember, it’s not a race to the end.
2. Purge your pantry.Out with the old, in with the new.  In the efforts of being successful with your new transformation, the root of it stems from your kitchen.  Restock with fresh and clean foods.  Things to get rid of:
   1. Process or packaged foods
   2. MSG laden foods (privy in most pre-packaged meals, canned soups, etc)
   3. Artificial Sweeteners, sugary foods and/or foods sweetened artificially (High-Fructose corn syrup, Splenda, Equal).
   4. Any and all JUNK FOOD (soft drinks, candy, chips, ice cream…you get the drill)
   5. Non-Fat/Fat-Free foods.  They are typical loaded with additives, chemicals and artificial flavoring.
3. Weight Yourself.  Go ahead…step on the scale. It will be quick, so just get it over with. Once you do it, put the scale away and don’t bring it out for another 30-days.  The worst thing you can do is weigh daily or weekly.  Each 30-day phase, be sure to use the same scale and weigh at the same time of the day as your last weigh in.   This will be your best bet to see measurable results.
4. Take your Before Picture.  Sounds awful, daunting and down right frightening, right?  Well, it’s amazing how powerful these pictures can be when that day comes about that you just aren’t “feeling the day’s workout”, had a bad day or are just plain tired.  Trust, me, when I started my first round of P90X, I kept that before picture in the fore front of my mind and visible daily.  This before picture will be seared in your brain…trust me! Some tips for taking your before pictures:

*  Take in AM

(Suggested attire for women: sports top & shorts; Men: shorts only – DON’T SUCK IN OR PUSH OUT YOUR GUT):

* Picture angles:

i.      Front view; arms at side.

ii.      Front view; arms flexed at 90 degrees

iii.      Side view (right and left)

iv.      Back side; arms at side.

v.      Back side; arms flexed at 90 degrees

*  SAVE THEM.

(Create a folder on your computer for “before” pictures.)

1. Print out one picture and carry it with you in your purse, diaper bag or man bag.  It’s powerful to refer to it often.
2. Repeat every 30 days to mark and celebrate success.
3. Do your Before Measurements.Yes, much like your before pictures, this isn’t very pleasant either.  But, that’s why we are embarking on this, right?  Some tips for taking your before measurements.
   1. Take in AM
   2. What to measure (write it down!): waist, hips, thighs (both), biceps, chest, neck
4. Get your Body Fat %. This may  just be your wake up call! You can get a cheap Fat Caliper (skin fold test) at any health or sports store, go visit a gym and have a trainer take it or your physician.  Regardless, which method you use, be sure it’s the same every 30 days.
5. Repeat every 30 days to mark and celebrate success.
6. Keep a Journal or Blog about it. This can be an emotional journey for many.  Especially if you are a new Mom, hit a little Post-Pregnancy Depression (PPD) or that seasoned/empty nested Mom that can now focus on herself.  What to write about?
   1. How you feel.  Getting your emotions out on paper or on computer can be powerful.
   2. Any emotions you experience.
   3. Daily thoughts. Whether is a revelation in Motherhood or life in general.
   4. Successes.  As you embark on this journey, you’ll reach small success points and you should CELEBRATE those.
   5. Catalog or time stamp your journey.  In 3 years, would be interesting to reflect back and reflect back on what you experience and how your responded.
7. Set Goals and Expectations.  These should be small and obtainable.  Don’t set out with the “I have to shed 50lbs in the first month or else”, mentality.  Right there, you set yourself up for failure.  Tips for goal setting:
   1. I will get up at ___:___AM/PM every morning (for me, it’s 5:15am EVERY morning – yup, only time the house is MINE and QUIET…try it!  I dare ya.)
   2. I will commit to celebrating every 30 days of commitment.
   3. I will plan my meals out ahead of time. Last minute planning doesn’t always work out for us busy Mommy’s!
8. Get Free Online Support.  My favorite part before my workout commences at 5:15am, is logging into our online SuperGym, and logging into my workout for the day.  Here I get to see who’s up with me, doing the same thing.  Not to mention, I’m qualifying myself for the daily cash prices.  SCORE.  But cash prizes aside, you have FREE online support from ME and a host of other people going about their respective journey’s.  Other ideas:
   1. Myfitnesspal.com
   2. FitDay.com
   3. Facebook Groups
   4. Smartphone Apps (there are a TON!!)
9. Get Accountable.  Find an accountability partner or forum that you can stay committed to and help keep you on track.  It’s powerful when you can buddy up with a friend when starting with a new program or meet people on the same journey, via websites and forums.  Most sites and forums even have nutrition trackers.  Some of my favorites:
   1. Teambeachbody.com (get a your free account here)
   2. Myfitnesspal.com
   3. Fitday.com
   4. Sparkspeople.com

Getting started on your journey to better health can only be the BEST thing you can do for yourself, your future and those that look to you for inspiration.  But, getting on that path can be challenging.  Set yourself up for success by following these basic steps and feel free to reach out to me, for any support, advice or information you needed.

Wishing you the very best on your amazing journey.

Your partner in health & fitness.

Ok, just to be frank out of the gates – Did you know the average American gains anywhere from 2 – 12 lbs during the holidays?

Yup.  And did you realize Thanksgiving is ‘bout ready to smack us in the face?

Well, this year, I will not be a statistic.  Last year, well, that’s another story.  I care not to live in the past….except for my initial success of losing 25lbs with changing my lifestyle around.

So, I’m pledging my commitment to not allow the HOLIDAY BULGE, get the best of me and allow any of that weight to creep back on.  It’s too easy with the holiday parties, fun appetizers, festive drinks and oh, all the TREATS!  { Raise of hands??? A weakness?? }

Here’s the deal – I’m looking for accountability partners that, too, are needing a little nudge, a little camradderie, a little support and validation that WE DON’T HAVE TO LET THE HOLIDAY’S RUIN OUR GOALS!

Who’s with me??

For those that know my story (if you don’t, I invite you to check it out: www.choose2befit.com) and history of weight loss success, know that I have built a lifestyle around meeting and maintain my goals.  So my nutritional regime is reflective of that.

It’s no secret of my love affair with P90X and Shakeology, so naturally, they are a part of my daily habits.

But regardless of what motivates YOU to keep moving, plan to KEEP IT UP!  Let’s just partner up to assure we can stay on top of our goals and rock our holiday velvet swagger, with confidence!!!  Ok, no velvet here….

As a Team Beachbody Coach, my objective is to create an awareness and apply my passion towards helping combat the trend of obesity.

How many can say that have or even, at this point, plan to be on the “weight loss bandwagon” at the start of the year??  Come on, you know who you are!!!

So check this, how rewarding would it be if while all else are PROMISING to commit at the first of the year, YOU are already well on your wait to meeting and reaching your goals – to be slimmer, leaner, healthier, [insert goal here]….you get the idea.

Chances are, this will be a new trend for you…meaning one that starts BEFORE the holidays.  Not AFTER the self-sabotage of the holidays.  This is SO VERY POSSIBLE!

So….why not we make a go of it and come together with a fun, CASUAL, yet effective, challenge.  You game??

Yes, YOU ARE!  Why?  Because you OWE it to yourself.  Think of it as an early Christmas gift.  You ready?  Read on….

*************

Here’s the ‘Skinny’:

- My goal is to have AT LEAST 20 accountability partners that will COMMIT with me! God knows, I need help too!

- Set YOUR goals….and SHARE them!  Far more affective to have them out there!

- Challenge will run from November 22th – December 31^st <—YUP, that’s the week OF Thanksgiving!  Scared?

- There is NO obligation to purchase anything.

- We will all post our results & daily accountability on this note to fuel the support of this challenge.

- Shall we post BEFORE pictures?  Of course!

- Invite others to participate in this challenge as well.  POWER IN NUMBERS!

- For those that take the ‘Shakeology BULGE-FREE Option’ you will be entered into a raffle to win a Beachbody workout* of choice at the end of the raffle.

*   The workout will be valued at $60.

** I have added this option as I have personally been indulging in Shakeology AT LEAST, once a day daily as a natural meal replacement, since its inception – 18 months ago!  It has, hands down, enhanced my fitness and weight loss results, elevated my energy & mental clarity, helped clear up my skin and a host of other benefits, that I’ll spare listing here! It seems only eminent that I extend this as an option to help YOU reap the very same rewards.

- As YOUR accountability partner and Team Beachbody Coach, I am here to help and support you and offer recommendations – so long as YOU commit to supporting ME.

- If you don’t already, I encourage you to set up a FREE Team Beachbody account, as you can gain access to the same great nutritional, health and fitness resources, tools and support, that I do.         (www.choose2befit.com/what-is-wowy – for your free account)

- You are encouraged to devise a fitness and nutritional regimen that you will commit to following through with, during this challenge. (You know I have mine…now, what’s yours?)  Again, happy to offer up suggestions and/or recommendations for YOUR goals.

- I recommend we allow ourselves ONE cheat meal a week. We can eat it and be done! Period.

- We WILL enjoy the Thanksgiving and Christmas Day feasts. I plan to eat, be merry and then…you guessed it, BE DONE!  There will be NO snacking on the leftovers!! (The goal is RESULTS, right?)

- You are encouraged to take at least one before picture, on or before November 22nd and an after picture on December 31st. Weigh in and measure your key areas: tummy, hips, thighs, chest, etc (before and after). <—Read below – chances to take part in a PRIZE!!!

- Check in often, offer encouragement and share tips to help others!

- Oh…and HAVE FUN!!!

****************

Want to up the ante??

I present…..the Shakeology BULGE-FREE Option:

Simply, incorporate Shakeology into your nutritional regime and accelerate your results.  For me, I will be continuing with having Shakeology as one-meal a day, although plan to incorporate the 3-day “Jumpstart”, the week of November 29^th.

What’s the 3-Day Cleanse?? You MUST check it out: http://bity.ly/3DayCleanse

Here’s how you can earn that new program you’ve had your eye on:

• For NEW Customers (only) – purchase Shakeology on Home Direct (HD) – you’ll earn 1 raffle entry*
• Order Shakeology HD as a NEW Coach** – earn 2 raffle entries

*Why HD?  You get FREE shipping & 2 free workouts ($40 value). Offer only applies to NEW customers, please.

**Why become a Coach? Right now, you can activate a “Coach” account, whether you care to launch into the business side of it or now, and have $0 start up/enrollment fees, but PLUS, you’ll get that immediate 25% discount on your Shakeology HD orders, in addition to the FREE shipping and 2 free workouts.  Not a bad deal, eh?  Again, offer applies to my current customers and those customers that elect to upgrade their account to a Coach account.

• For every pound you lose = 1 raffle entry

• For those that submit their BEFORE picture = 1 raffle entry; AFTER picture = 1 raffle entry

Ok….so who wants in??  Keep in mind, this is just intended for FUN, there is NO OBLIGATION, but more importantly, it’s a way for us all to stay accountable and gain control over the holidays.

Let’s not be a statistic to that HOLIDAY BULGE – remember, that was 2-12 lbs every holiday season!  NO THANKS!

********************

You can learn more about Shakeology by visiting:

www.shake4wellness.com

To learn more about signing up as a Coach for FREE right now, check out:

www.choose2befit.com/Become-A-Beachbody-Coach

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So, if you are up to it, commit by adding yourself to the CHALLENGE NOTE! The more the merrier (good pun, eh?), so please invite others to join us!

TOGETHER, we can be SUCCESSFUL!

Do you feel as though having kids has just taken a toll on your figure?  Maybe left you that cushy layer of post-baby weight? Have you succumbed to eating your kids snacks and finger foods, because it’s convenient?  Do you think you need to settle with being fat & frumpy?  DEFINITELY NOT!

And you know what?  You aren’t alone!  I was YOU.  I felt lost, depressed and sick and tired of being sick and tired…oh, and FAT!

Don’t get me wrong, having my kids was one of the proudest moments in my life (and not even sure we are done yet), but I refused to accept what some of my other Mom friends would say as “that glorious ‘left over’ reward of bearing children”.  NO THANKS!!  Not me.  Not anymore. NO EXCUSES!

It’s time to focus on YOU.  We can only be better Mommy’s when we work on ourselves, right??!  Not to mention, why not set the stage for a lifestyle of physical activity and good health for your kids?  As, we all know, they develop their habits from what they learn from US!!!  You owe them that much.  You owe YOURSELF!

If you’ve read my story, you’ll recall how I set out on a mission to shed my post baby weight.  Through and during my mission, I realized that I wasn’t alone in this battle.  In fact, my Mom friends (and stranger’s alike) started coming out of the wood work, sharing with me their struggles and upsets with carrying around the excess post-baby weight.  It’s almost like we became each other’s therapist!

After I hit my goals, I was set out on a new mission, and that was to inspire other New Mom’s that they could seek success in reaching their goals of weight loss, all while still being that Super Mom, their kids have always known and love – just minus the muffin top!

So check out how THIS stay-at-home Mom found P90X® and how in just 90 days changed my entire outlook on life (I know, I know, a bit cliché and likely sounds like a damn infomercial.  But you know WHAT?!!  I don’t CARE!  Ok, I do, I do, care.  It’s true.  Oh, and I’m in the latest infomercial!  Haha). All jokes aside…I learned a TON, of what I was doing wrong!  And yup, you guessed it, eating the leftovers off my kids plates…was completely sabotaging my progress, or lack there of.  LIGHT BULB!

And you know what?  P90X might not be the vehicle YOU use to reach your goals, maybe a future goal or challenge to work towards, but starting by getting yourself “scheduled” into your day, is imperative to success.  What your first step is, recognizing it’s YOUR time and NOW it’s time to put a action plan in place.

Guess what???  I want to help you get there.  I will offer continued support, guidance and motivation to reach your goals.  There is no reason why you have to settle.  No Mother should have to settle, unless they CHOOSE to.  I choose NOT to.  What’s your choice?

Send me an email: taryn@choose2befit.com, as I’d be happy to help you shed that post-baby weight for free!!

Your partner in health & fitness.

I was honored to be asked by Certified Personal Organizer®, D. Allison Lee, to do a guest blog piece on her website on “How to Make Time for Exercise”.   After some self-doubt on my own organization, I knew that I had mastered making time for exercise – even as a busy Mom of 2 active kid’s.

I invite you to check out the blog post – CLICK HERE – although I’ll offer in quick summary, my suggestions on how, as little as 20 minutes a day, can supercharge your day, kick start your metabolism and set the stage for your new physical transformation:

• Schedule your workouts and COMMIT!  No excuse.
   
  • Is that at 5:00 AM? For me it is!
  • Is it during your lunch break? Remember, only takes 20 minutes!
  • Is it before you go home after work?  Hit the gym before you head home, as once you get home, your likelihood of getting motivation to exercise goes down by 40%!
• Make them fun.  Be creative.
• Switch up your workouts regularly.
  • Continue to challenge yourself and get the most out of your results.
• Try something new.
  • New walk/run route.
  • New at-home workout program
  • New fitness challenge.
  • New Wii Fit game.
  • New group fitness class.
• Get a buddy.
  • Working out with a friend often offers more motivation and accountability.  Two key elements in sticking to your commitment.

Moral of the story, make fitness a part of your daily “TO-DO” list.  It’s just something as part of your day, just like eating breakfast, brushing your teeth and calling your Mom.  DON’T FORGET.  No excuses.

Your partner in health & fitness.

This is a great article that was posted by a fellow Beachbody Coach and friend, January Shea Robbins, and it’s been a major topic of discussion with many customers and friends about the basics to getting back into shape.   They are BASIC, straight forward and a must to follow if you want to find success in your fitness goals.

Knowing the four basics listed below will help you to have successful results. Don’t just know them… DO THEM!

By: David Gluhareff

Resistance training
Cardiovascular training
Nutrition/supplements
Rest/recuperation

Resistance Training Exercises

These are anaerobic (without oxygen) exercises that help build muscle. Resistance training can be performed with free-weights, rubber bands, plate-loaded machines, weight stack machines, or by using your own body for resistance such as a push-up or walking lunge. The muscle your body builds will aid in continuous fat burning twenty-four hours per day.

You can work multiple muscles at once by doing exercises such as bench presses (works pecs, front shoulders, forearms, and some triceps), squats (works quadriceps, hamstrings, buns, and inner/outer thighs), and dead lifts (works traps, rhomboids, forearms, low back, buns, inner/outer thighs, quads, hams, and some calves). By doing compound movements such as these your body will work more muscles at once which will really stoke the fat-burning furnace.

Keep variety in your resistance training always! Never keep doing the same exercises week after week. You will only bore your body and progress will be stagnant. Resistance training not only helps burn fat, it helps keep your blood pressure and cholesterol at normal levels, helps strengthen bones, and also helps relieve stress. Always study and learn different exercises, which use different equipment.

Most importantly learn proper form to prevent injuring yourself when performing an exercise. To be on the safe side always look like a chicken when performing an exercise. Keep your chest forward, butt back, and lower back in. Always stretch each muscle after you work it. This will increase your flexibility and decrease post workout muscle soreness.

Cardiovascular Training Exercises

These are aerobic (with oxygen) exercises. These train the most important muscle in the body, the HEART. Aerobic or cardiovascular training, helps burn fat, keep blood pressure and cholesterol in normal ranges, relieve stress, strengthen heart, lungs, and the rest of the cardiovascular system, and also promotes perspiration to help your body sweat out any excess water it does not need.

Examples of aerobic activities are: walking, biking, roller blading, rowing, using elliptical machines, stair stepping, Ultimate Frisbee, soccer, basketball, jogging, hiking, and aerobics classes at fitness facilities. Always remember to do a light warm-up for five to ten minutes before really getting into the exercise, and remember to do a five to ten minute cool-down after you do the exercise. Do not forget to stretch the muscles you worked after exercising.

Nutrition and Supplementation

When you workout you expend energy, which eats up your body’s nutrients. You need to replenish those nutrients as soon as you workout. Within forty-five minutes after a workout consisting of weight training and cardiovascular training you need to eat a meal.

This meal should be a small serving (one handful) of simple sugars (banana, grapes, 12-16 oz. sports drink, or post workout carb drink), a medium serving (two handfuls) of complex carbs (brown or wild rice, sweet or red potatoes, veggie pasta, whole grain bread, or oatmeal), and a large serving (three handfuls) of proteins (lean red meat, deer meat, chicken breasts, turkey breasts, buffalo, egg whites, whey protein powder, soy protein powder, cottage cheese, or tuna) and of two tablespoons of a monounsaturated fat (extra virgin olive oil or canola oil).

That meal was just post workout, which should make you a little full. Your whole day should consist of five to six small meals that should never make you full, but keep your metabolism in high gear. Each small meal, except post workout, should contain a small serving (one handful) complex carbs (brown or wild rice, sweet or red potatoes, veggie pasta, whole grain bread, or oatmeal), a medium serving (two handfuls) of proteins (lean red meat, deer meat, chicken breasts, turkey breasts, buffalo, egg whites, whey protein powder, soy protein powder, cottage cheese, or tuna), and a medium serving (two handfuls) of green vegetables.

With every meal and throughout the day always drink water. Even with all this healthy food your body will not get certain nutrients or enough of them. This is where supplements come in. Taking a daily multi-vitamin/mineral supplement will help give your body important vitamins and minerals it may be missing. Sometimes you may not be able to cook or prepare all of your food on time. This is where meal replacement bars and powders can come into your daily diet routine.

Rest and Recuperation

You can workout hard and eat right for ten years, but never see lean muscle appear or see your body take shape if you do not get enough rest and recuperation. By rest I mean you need to get at least nine hours of sleep at night or eight at night and an hour nap after your workout. Sleep is important because this is when your body is producing its greatest amount of growth hormone which aids in repair and growth of your body.

You can have the best workout of your life and get no growth from it if you go out and party all night and get no sleep. By recuperation I mean not over-training. Do not as a beginner do a total body workout everyday with the weights. If you do you will not ever progress. Your muscles will constantly get beaten up every day and never have time to recuperate and repair themselves. As a beginner give yourself at least a day to two days rest between resistance training exercises. If you are still sore two days later, then do not work that area until the soreness has passed.

Your partner in health & fitness.