I’ve had the great fortune to be among the P90X/P90X2 cast for the QVC showcases over the last year.  These are typically long days with up to 6 shows in a 2-day period, leaving sleep and muscles beyond the definition of fatigue.

That being said, it tends to create some of the most gut wrenching belly laughs and over the top goofy-antics.  After each trip out to QVC, I typically get a flood of emails with questions like, “what’s it like behind the scenes”, “how is Tony Horton off camera”, “does everyone get along” or “are you really working out the ENTIRE show” – YES, that’s real sweat people!

So I thought I’d share a little sneak peak into what goes on behind the scenes while at QVC headquarters.

As many of you saw from all my Facebook posts and pictures, we just returned from a 7 show stint, in a 24 hour period.  It was grueling, but since Beachbody always does a stand up job of selecting a cast that compliment one another, here’s what our 48 hour trip entailed:

Day 1:

3:15am (PST): Wake up, shower and ready for flight

4:15am: Car pick up for Airport

6:10am: First leg of flight to Philadelphia by way of O’Hare

1:45pm (CST): Second leg of flight to Philly

4:30pm (EST): Arrive in Philly and it’s off to the airport

5:00pm – 10:00pm: Free time/Rest/Nap/Work

10:00pm – Meet in lobby to head to QVC studios for 1^st show

12:00am (EST): First 1 hour airing of P90X2 showcase (full cast)

2:00am: Back at hotel for 3 hours of sleep

Day 2:

5:00am: Wake up, shower and prep for 2^nd show – just 20 minute Hit.

7:00am: 20 min Hit of P90X2 (1^st half of Cast only – myself included)

9:00am: 20 Min Hit of P90X2 (1^st half of Cast only)

9:30am: Breakfast…FINALLY!!

12:00pm: 20 Min Hit of P90X2 (2^nd half of cast)

12:30pm: Head to local gym for a workout of Shoulders & Arms w/ Tony and cast.

2:30pm: Back at QVC to rest, eat lunch and prep for LIVE show.

6:00pm: Live studio audience; 1-hour showcase (full cast, split 30 mins)

7:00pm: Meet n’ greet with audience

7:30pm: Rest and snack and lots of delirious conversation

9:00pm: 20 Min Hit of P90X2 (partial cast – myself included)

10:30pm: FINAL 20 Min Hit of P90X2 (partial cast – myself included)

11:00pm: Back to hotel for pre-ordered dinner and BED!

Day 3:

7:30am: Get ready to head home!

Nuts, isn’t it??

In between each of the shows and the 16 hour time period we were at QVC, we sure had a lot of fun and certainly learned a ton about one another, perhaps more so than one would desire – LOL.

We were beyond delirious as we entered into the later afternoon and evening show times.  We would find ourselves laughing at an iPhone app that would repeat back to you in a cat voice (Talking Tom Cat app), whatever you say.  I had tears running down my face with laughter.  I come home to do it and show my kids, not as many tears of laughter, but still entertaining.

Then we turned to Facebook to get some good laughs….were the posts funny?  Probably not, but when working on 6 hours of sleep in a 48 hour period, EVERYTHING was funny.

For the ladies, we probably had to reapply our makeup between each show, as we all came to the same decision that it was too much effort to wash and re-wash after each show.  That being said, LOTS of deodorant and toothpaste!  Haha.

I can’t tell you how fortunate I feel to be apart of this experience.  I feel blessed to be able to share my story of my P90X transformation and how it changed my frumpy Mommy figure into a fit n’ lean Mommy, and to be able to share that with viewers, is truly an honor.  Not to mention, Tony and each of the hosts had amazing rapport with one another.  They could be successful selling brown paper bags if they had to!  P90X2 certainly came easy to get excited about for Tony, as he genuinely has a passion for functional fitness changing the lives of America!

We are always looking for success stories with P90X, P90X2 or any of the Beachbody related products.  If you have one, please share it below!

….And It Doesn’t Have To Take 60 Minutes At The Gym

If you’re one of those people who typically puts off starting a workout program because you believe that it’s going to take up all of your spare time and you just don’t have enough of that time to give (join the club!!) – it’s time to DITCH the excuse!

Getting in shape, looking and feeling great doesn’t have to take hours on end.  In fact, if you can find just 10-30 minutes, three times a week, you can see very measurable improvements in your body shape, strength, and fitness level.

The trick is to design or select your workout program, accordingly.  Now, there are some key factors to consider, when working on a fat blasting workout, in that short time you have.

Use Compound Exercises

Lying Tricep Extension w/ Single Leg Extension on BOSU

If you don’t know what a compound exercise is, it’s an exercise that uses multi-joint movements that work several muscles or muscle groups at one time.  For example, doing overhead tricep extensions with leg raise, while lying on a BOSU.  This engages your core, works your glutes, quads, hamstrings and, of course, hamstrings.

So, when trying to create or select a workout program that’s short on time, the last thing you want to do is waste time on movements that work just one tiny muscle group.  Compound exercises will work more muscle fibers, allow you to lift more weight, and will boost your metabolism and burn calories far more effectively.

Keep The Pace Up

Don’t lolly-gab through your workouts, be sure that you keep up the pace of that workout program. This means moving from one workout to the next as quickly as possible, allowing for little recovery,  to bring ramp up cardiovascular training at the same time.  Double duty here, folks!

Those who sit around between sets are not only going to extend the total time duration of their workouts, but they will also lower the metabolic boosting effects.  Twenty to thirty seconds is all you should need at most before carrying on.

Lift Heavy Weight

Lastly, don’t wimp out on your strength training capabilities.  You are likely stronger than you think!  Lifting heavier weight will assure that you are producing a workout that will start to get results, by creating that challenge to your muscle strength.  Most women are scared of lifting heavy, thinking it’ll cause them to bulk up dramatically.

Stop thinking this way.  You’ll only bulk up on a very high calorie intake and testosterone.  Which, by the way, most women don’t carry enough testosterone to inhibit that “bulky” look.

Instead, heavier weight will add more muscle definition and tone – which is precisely what you’re after.

So, GO HEAVY OR GO HOME!!

So I have my favorites on some quick n’ dirty at home workout programs (click each hyperlink below for a video preview):

• Insanity: My favorite go-to for a short, intense and fabulous cardio session of High Intensity Interval Training (aka HIIT).  Workouts are 35 – 50 mins long.  Serious results.
• ChaLEAN Extreme: Recall the compound exercises we talked about above?  This SCREAMS compound (exercises).  Check it out.
• TurboFire: Same trainer from ChaLEAN Extreme, yet she delivers crazy fun energy through upbeat music and, again, some HIIT action.
• Les Mills PUMP: It’s all the craze in the clubs, the Fitness clubs, that is.  Now available for the convenience at your home, and yet another, goodie for that compound exercise stuff.
• 10-Minute Trainer: For the busiest of busy person.  The famed Tony Horton of the even more famed, P90X, this is the definition of quick n’ dirty.  Everyone has 10 minutes.

Not an at home workout type of person, don’t fret, but get your arse to the gym!  Something for every schedule and interest!

Check out this sample circuit workout that is going to take less than 30 minutes and will hit every muscle group in the body.  Added in are some cardio intervals between weight lifting sets to enhance your calorie burn even further and make sure you see cardiovascular improvements.

Aim to take 15-30 seconds after each exercise before moving to the next.  Rinse and repeat (do circuit two times).

Bench Press – 12 reps
Squats – 12 Reps
Plank – 1 minute hold
Burpees – 1 minute
Bent Over Row – 12 reps
Lunges – 15 reps per leg
Lying Leg Raise – 15 reps
Skipping – 1 minute
Shoulder Press – 12 reps
Deadlifts – 12 reps
Supermans – 12 reps
Jumping Jacks – 1 minute
Pull-Down or Pull-Up – 12 reps
Step-Ups – 15 reps
Bicycle – 15 reps
Mountain climbers – 1 minute

So next time you’re headed to the gym and need a fast and effective workout, keep this one in mind.

You may be the busiest person in the world with 2 jobs, 4 kids, a husband, friends, book club, blah blah…but don’t allow the noise to get in the way of utter importance  - YOUR HEALTH!

Your partner in health & fitness.

With the heaps of snow we recently got here in Seattle, it forced us to get creative with indoor activities in between our sledding stints.  Ainsley is always so creative with projects and what to make, so I have to give credit where credit it was.

Her idea to make healthy homemade jam to give to her friends (first recipient was our pregnant neighbor friend).  It was super fun and SUPER easy to make.

Here’s the recipe:

(Makes 1 12 oz Mason Jar)

2 cups frozen Organic Blueberries (thawed)

2 tsbp Organic Chia Seeds

1/8 to 1/4 cup Lakanto Sweetener

Thaw frozen blueberries in a shallow bowl on counter for about an hour.  When soft, mash with a fork.  Transfer into medium mixing bowl, add chia seeds (acts as a “thickener” to jam) and Lakanto.  Stir and taste.  Add more Lakanto for a sweeter flavor.  Spoon jam into Mason Jar and refrigerate for a few hours before enjoying on spelt toast, crackers, waffles or pancakes.

You can use any frozen or fresh berries to make the jam…get creative and have fun!  Next project for us will be decorating the jars to give to friends!

Good, clean family fun!

Your partner in health & fitness.

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.

With the New Year well underway, many of you will have set some New Year’s resolutions that you’re trying to follow and keep.  The problem is, you know how these resolutions often end up.

You start off strong during the first couple of weeks in January, but by the time Valentine’s day rolls around, you hardly remember what that resolution was.

Ring a bell?  If so, you need to assess why this is happening and what you can do about it so that next time around, things are different.

Here are some things to consider.

Set Your Sights Long-Term

The very first problem that causes some people to abandon their resolutions prematurely is the fact that they haven’t considered the long-term.  They set their resolutions with the direct image of what they hope to attain in mind.

This is such a critical part in establishing your long term health goal.  Right now, I’m reading Chalene Johnson’s book, PUSH, which breaks down step-by-step, how to establish that LONG TERM goal, and further, how to specifically reach it, through smaller goals and steps. I’m LOVING this book, BTW!

Many firmly believe that if they get to start, they’ll see results in a few week’s time.  Then when those weeks pass and they realize that results aren’t coming as easily, they give up and throw in the towel. That’s YOU, isn’t it?  BUSTED!!!

You need to stay realistic in your resolutions.  Remember that you didn’t gain all your weight overnight and you aren’t going to lose it either.

Unless you set your resolution with a long-term frame in mind – at least 3-4 months in most cases, you’re already setting yourself up to fail.

When you start dreaming about this resolution to set, already start thinking about it taking effect in a few months. By visualizing it occurring at this point, you’ll be keeping things realistic.

Develop A Game Plan

Second, also make sure that you develop a good game plan.  Like Chalene guides you in her book to set that ultimate goal, you have to establish a strategy on how you can reach that goal, as it won’t happen over night.  Baby steps right?  Don’t set out on your resolution with no direction or you’ll be wandering around in the dark before not too long.

This is why my Beachbody Challenge groups have been so wildly successful!  Each member is given small measureable goals, with a game plan and strategy to reach their ultimate goal.  Develop a game plan and stick to it. Map out what you’ll be doing each week to help keep yourself focused on the end goal and accountable. .

If you don’t do this, then your resolution does just become an item on your to-do list because after those first few workouts you have planned are completed, you move on to other things.

What is a Resolution?

Finally, the last thing that you must do if you want this year to be the year that your resolutions finally stick is to identify what a resolution is.  Most people simply get caught up in the New Year’s element of the resolution. They feel empowered that just because it’s a New Year, change is more possible.

The truth of the matter is that unless you have some degree of inner motivation beyond the fact that it’s January 1^st, you aren’t going to be sticking with that resolution any better than you would stick to the idea that you’ll start your diet next Monday.

Remember, January 1^st is just another day of the year. It doesn’t have any special powers that make it easier to stick to your goal than any other day, so don’t let yourself get caught up in the hype. Instead, focus on getting caught up in techniques you can use to maintain your motivation.  And find a measure of accountability!

I hope you found these tips to setting yourself up for success for YOUR resolution.  It’s never too late, as just because January 1st has come and gone, doesn’t mean you can say “Ready, Set, GO!”   Set these properly with the right frame of mind and you will be making some positive changes in the year ahead.

Remember, be sure to CLICK HERE if you want to participate in my next Beachbody Challenge Group.

If you set a resolution for this year and have already ditched it, please share what is was and why it got left behind!  There is no judgement, just the hope for motivation and encouragement for you to pick it back up and succeed, once and for all.

Your partner in health & fitness.

Sites like Etsy and eBay are rife with success stories. Moms work from home, build an e-commerce site using their services, and get to live the lives they want. Sounds appealing, right?  Problem is, there are many other stories that these sites don’t tell you- most other moms work from home, don’t make enough, and have to close their doors.

These sites put themselves out there as fantastic ways to earn money from home based on a handful of success stories, but  even a broken clock is right twice a day. Aside from the occasional stroke of luck, can the average stay at home mom really be successful working from home?

The answer is yes, but it takes a lot of time and dedication. That time and dedication comes with a FAR greater reward than punching the time clock and working for someone else.  Those of us moms that work from home, have the opportunity to change lives!  I know I get to by helping other Mom’s find a solution to their weight loss goals OR satisfy their passion in the fitness & nutrition industry by helping them start a lucrative business, like I own.

Some moms work from home thinking that it’s easier than working for someone else, and maybe it is, but do you really want to be building someone else’s dreams?

To build a successful home business, stay at home moms need to:

-      BE REALISTIC.  Get a realistic idea of what they want to do. Almost any real-world career can be translated to the online world. If you could do anything at all, what would it be? Starting a home business is tough, you might as well spend the effort doing something you enjoy.

-      BE GOOD AT SOMETHING.  Get a realistic idea of what they are good at. Sadly, this doesn’t always intersect with what people want to do. If you want to design websites, for example, do you actually design and code well enough to create something people want?

-      START FROM THE BOTTOM. Be willing to start from the bottom, and have a long-term strategy for getting to the top. Few businesses start out with customers at the get go. Usually, you need to investigate the demand for your business, set up shop, and work to bring customers to you.

-      SEO AND INTERNET MARKETING. Learn SEO and other internet marketing tools, and use them consistently. Moms work from home and often believe that if their products or services are good enough, people will seek them out. Wish it were that easy, but this is almost never the case. Even if you don’t have a big advertising budget, strategies like search engine optimization can put your site’s link in front of more people, for absolutely free.

-      SITE ANALYTICS. Implement site analytics. Analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, can tell you what keywords people are using to find you, which is a huge help when it comes to deciding what keywords to include on your site, and even what products or services you should consider offering. Many of these tools are free to use, too.

-      BE PREPARED. Have something to live on until they are profitable. Moms work from home to bring in money and be able to stay home with their families, but it can take months for a small business to turn a profit. Until then, it can seem like a money pit- a fact which makes a lot of home businesses close up shop to avoid losing more money. Have a realistic idea of when you can expect your business to support you, and a way to survive until it does.

-      PATIENCE.  Starting a work from home business takes patience.  I have worked with so many Moms that are starving to work from home, but they want and expect that overnight success.  Being a successful mom who works from home, takes structure, dedication, consistency and longevity.  Expect to put in consistent effort to grow the online business for no less than one full year.  Not 1 week, 30 days or 6 months.  Can you see results in that short of time?  Absolutely.  But for the vast majority, it’s going to take ground work to build that foundation that will yield success.

Moms work from home in order to support themselves and their families, while still being there for their spouses and children. By being able to create an enjoyable, viable business idea; a solid long-term growth, marketing, and profit strategy; and a means of supporting themselves while their businesses get off of the ground, women can ensure their business success.

Got any tips to share on how to get an online home business off the ground?  Please share below in the comments section!

If you are trying to evaluate options and what’s right for you, send me a message!  I’d be happy to advise you if you are heading in the right direction.

Your partner in health & wealth.

As you likely know, I’ve become quite the obsessed CrossFit fan, thanks to CrossFit Interbay and a few friends that encouraged me to try it!  Well, as a result, I’ve been able to challenge myself beyond my wildest expectation and lift heavier, run faster and build up my endurance.

Now, it’s pretty safe to say that P90X was a huge catalyst in that as well, when I started 3 years ago.  But like anything, variety is the spice of life, which is why I think I enjoy P90X, now P90X2 and CrossFit so much!  Tons of variety in each.

So as I stare 2012 in the face and reflect on what I accomplished in 2011 and what I WISH to accomplish in 2012, much of it stems from my performance in the fitness realm of things.  No, I’m not saying I want to strut the stage in a bikini or anything, but really just see what I’m capable of as a working-stay-at-home-Mom in her mid-30′s, that wants to be in the best darn shape of her life!  Not too much to ask, right?   And trust me, folks, if I can find time to do this, YOU CAN TOO!!

As a result, I’ve started my own version of P90X2 & CrossFit as a hybrid.  It’s not a perfect schedule, but I do what I can, on the days that won’t over tax my muscles and allow for ample recovery.  I’m also teaching Turbo Kick once a week too, so double workouts will happen a few times a week.

Here’s a sneak peak into P90X2:

Be sure to visit my YouTube channel to see the first Phase of workouts in P90X2. Stay tuned as I get to Phase 2 of P90X2 & CrossFit.

I also have to share a short clip on how I feel that P90X & P90X2 have aided in my performance at CrossFit.  I don’t think I would’ve EVER attempted to even consider trying this, if it wasn’t from the belief in my abilities from my CrossFit Coaches!

CrossFit Box Jumps:

I invite you to continue to follow my journey as I muscle (literally) through P90X2 & CrossFit, with a healthy and strong body!

If you have a hybrid to share, please leave a comment below!  Would love to hear from you!

Your partner in health & fitness.

If you’ve been going to the gym or pushing play on a regular basis to get your cardio sessions in, you should give yourself a good pat on the back – you’re doing the first thing that’s required to see success: regular physical fitness activity.

But, what if I told you that you could see faster results in half the time?

That’s precisely what I am about to tell you.  The real secret to transforming your body and melting fat while adding curves in all the right places is NOT hours spent on those dull cardio machines.

Nope – it’s sessions spent in the free weight zone of your gym or some quality time with Tony Horton (P90X) or Chalene Johnson (ChaLEAN Extreme) in your living room.  And, don’t think you need to spend hours doing either!  Just 30 minutes, three times a week is all it takes to see some significant improvements in the way you look.

Far too many women still fear lifting weights because they think it’s going to make them look big and bulky.  Believe me, that’s not the case at all. As a woman, you simply do not have enough testosterone present to generate large amounts of muscle mass, nor are you eating enough calories on a daily basis to do so either.

Instead, weight lifting is going to provide you with the following benefits.

Increased Muscle Tone And Definition

Perhaps the best benefit of a regular weight training regime for women is what it will do to your appearance.  While you may get smaller doing your cardio training, you’re going to end up looking like an exact (slimmer) version of your current self.

What’s worse is that some women who also crash diet while doing hours of cardio in the gym will lose lean muscle mass rather than fat mass, so if anything, you’ll look flabbier as time goes on (enter the term “skinny fat”).

Weight training however helps to burn fat while you keep your muscle, so what you’re left with is a more defined body that’s firmer to the touch.

Enhanced Metabolic Rate

The second reason why women should be consistent with weight training is because it’s going to help to dramatically boost your metabolism.  When lifting weights you’re going to notice that weight loss is far more effortless as you’ll simply burn more calories 24 hours a day without having to make any further changes.

Your metabolic rate will be elevated for up to 48 hours after each weight training session and if you do manage to add a few pounds of lean muscle mass, that new muscle will also burn more calories every day at rest to sustain itself as well.

For long term weight control, nothing beats weight training.

Stronger Bones

Finally, the last clear benefit to lifting weights as a regular part of your workout is that it will help to build your bones stronger.  By lifting weights you’re going to place more stress on the bones that they’ll then rebuild themselves up from, getting stronger in the process.

This will in turn reduce your risk of suffering from stress fractures or other bone related problems.

So as you can see, weight lifting isn’t something that you can afford to pass up. Make sure that you get on a good program today so that you can reap all the benefits that this activity has to offer.  Need help?  Shoot me a message!  I’ll help you find the right solution that aligns with your weight loss & muscle tone goals.

Please share a comment below as to what your favorite weight training workout is!