Does Muscle Weigh More Than Fat?

I see people posting a lot that muscle weighs more than fat!!

NO!! It does not!! 

We live on earth and everything has the same gravitational pull... a pound is a pound... 

BUT... muscle is more DENSE than fat and therefore it takes up LESS SPACE than fat... 

So when you are working out and you are lifting weights and you don't see the scale moving... DON'T get discouraged! 

You need to look at your measurements... because odds are, you are shrinking!

3 Steps to Achieving Your Goals in 2014

Almost everyone that I have talked to since the first of January has made some type of resolution or set a specific goal. Many of them have multiple. I am not exception. I take goal setting very seriously. But setting a goal isn't the end of the process. Setting the goal is only the beginning.

There is a quote floating around the internet that says something like "A goal is only a dream if you don't put action behind it"... In other words. If you are not willing to figure out the processes you need to have in place to reach the goal, all you have is an empty dream.

Setting a goal is important, you won't achieve anything if you don't know where you are heading. But in order to make progress towards that goal you have to start by brainstorming all of the little steps you need to complete before reaching success. If you commit to doing 2-3 small things each day that will help propel you forward you can not help but to reach your goal. 2-3 things may not sound like a lot... but they add up over time. Remember, Rome was not built in a single day.

3 Steps that will help you achieve your goals
1. Focus your attention on your goal -- Figure out what you want to achieve and write it down.
2. Brainstorm the steps you need to achieve your goal -- Break your goal down into small daily tasks.
3. Commit to consistency -- Complete 2-3 small actions each and every day.

I look forward to hearing about the goals you have set for this year. Please share your goals in the comments section along with your plan to reach them.

What's the Best Time to Exercise?

1. When you WILL work out.

Don't allow yourself the excuse of missing it in the morning so its not worth doing. Exercising is better than NOT exercising unless you are sick or recovering from an injury. Schedule your workouts when you have the best chance of getting it done. For me, its early in the morning... before the roosters wake up. But for some its late at night. Do what works for YOU! 

2. When you FEEL the best.

There are times during the day where you feel your best and have the most energy to tackle chores around the house or run errands. That would be a good time to schedule your workouts because that is when you have an abundance of energy. If you schedule allows you to fit your workouts in any time during the day, pay attention to your patterns and see when you have those energy bursts. And then schedule your workouts within that window.  

3. In the morning on an empty stomach.

In the morning, before you've eaten, your body is forced to utilize its fat stores for energy. I typically workout first thing, before I eat. But, I do take E & E which is Team Beachbody's all natural pre-workout supplement to help give me the boost I need to be as effective in my workout as possible. 

 4. At night before bed.

I only recommend this time of day if its the only time that works for you. Working out right before bed can affect your sleep. Most people have a hard time getting to sleep after a workout.

The thing I want you to understand is that everyone responds differently. If you struggle with morning workouts don't do them just because someone told you that you should. Play around and figure out what time of day you are able to put in your best effort. Once you figure it out, schedule that time daily and commit to it.  

When Opportunity Knocks, Open the Door

Last month I was contacted by someone I had briefly met at the Healthy & Fit Expo last year. Asking if I would be interested in being on the cover of his magazine.

To be honest, when I received that message from him I thought, "Is this guy a creeper?" But after checking out his profile and realizing this was for real and remembering how I had first met him, I jumped at the opportunity.

I was so nervous. I felt completely out of my league and unworthy of such an honor.
I am NOT a fitness model.
I do NOT have a perfect body.
I have stretch marks and loose skin and still some areas I would like to firm up...
and lift....
and suck in.

But what I realized (with the help of some amazing and supportive friends and family) is that I have worked really hard to get to where I am.

I am a work in progress just like everyone else.

But this opportunity might allow for another opportunity to inspire even more people to seek a healthier and more fit version of themselves.

So while I didn't feel the most confident doing it, I pushed passed that self imposed barrier, stepped outside my comfort zone and did it anyway... Because more than anything I want to help other people achieve their goals.

And if I can do it, YOU can do it.

Whatever your goals may be, whatever opportunity you find yourself presented with, if you want it and are willing to work for it, you CAN achieve it!

What is Your Favorite Cheat Meal?

What is your favorite cheat meal? 90% of the time I stick to a plant based diet, it just works best for me. But on occasion I splurge and one of my favorite things are these Spicy Grilled Shrimp Tacos from Chili's... OOoooh, they are sooo good!! Now it's your turn to spill the beans!! What is YOUR favorite cheat meal?

Super Yummy Energy Bites

A friend of mine shared a recipe for Energy Bites on her Facebook page and they looked tasty, but I wanted a little bit cleaner version. This is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy them.

No Bake Energy Bites

1 cup (dry) oatmeal
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/3 cup raw honey
1 tsp. pure vanilla
  

Mix ingredients together in a large bowl. Roll into bite size balls. Refrigerate to set. Enjoy!!

 

Let me know how you like them or any other recipes you would like to see in the comments!! I look forward to hearing from you!

Who's Dream are YOU Building?

Create Change

There are no shortcuts in life. No matter what your goal or aspiration, it won't just happen. You have to do the work.

Are You Just a Little Curious About Beachbody Coaching?

If you have any questions about what you just watched, email me at: Kford924@gmail.com 

You will never know if you don't ask.

Do You Struggle With Late Night Snacking?

The most common problem I hear from people trying to lose weight and get their nutrition under control has to do with late night, unnecessary snacking!  And trust me, I can totally relate! But I learned to overcome it! 

Try these tips:

1)  PITCH those items that get you every time.  They are not worth sabotaging your results in fact, don't even buy them!  At first your kids might wonder why you don't have pizza rolls in the freezer or Cheetos in the pantry, but if you just "forget" to buy them at the store it can't be helped!  Eventually they won't miss them.

2)  Have a smaller dinner so that you CAN have a small, healthy snack or 'treat' a couple hours later!  Make sure you plan for the small treat and save enough calories in your daily alottment so it doesn't slow your progress!

3)  When you have cravings and you're not actually hungry, DISTRACT yourself w/an inspiring book, magazine, etc.  What motivates you?   Think about how good it feels to wake up the next morning feeling FIT and closer to your goal versus bloated and guilty!!

4)  In place of dinner on most nights, try having a huge Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Shakeology smoothie with phytonutrients, high protein, antioxidants, digestive enzymes, probiotics, and 70+ fruits and vegetable ingredients.  It's like a dessert and since it's low in calories and high in nutrition, you can have something later too!  
 
5)  Get to bed earlier and  take baby steps to improve your nutrition DAILY!  Not getting at least 8 hours of sleep and not getting proper nutrition will make you feel the 3 O'clock slump and crave snacks later at night.  Give your body what it NEEDS!

Ok... what else do you struggle with??

Monday Motivation!

If you want to change your lifestyle... YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!!

~Bob Harper

Spend less time with people that whine, complain, and spend their lives wishing and hoping for success but do nothing to achieve it.  You are a GOAL-GETTER!!

~ Chalene Johnson

Who Do You Inspire?

It's never the person in front of you who you inspire...it's always the person behind you who you never realize is watching. Don't quit! 

- Brett Hoebel

Why I Became a Beachbody Coach

I would like to share with you why I became a Beachbody Coach, some added benefits I hadn't counted on, as well as what it means to be a Beachbody Coach.

I became a coach while I was in the process of achieving a 50lb. weight loss success story.  I want to be very clear here.  I did not achieve the 50lb weight loss first.

My story begins with a late night, a heavy heart and a spunky blonde.

My heart was heavy because I was heavy.  My weight was something that I constantly thought about.

Every morning when I would get dressed,

every time I went to buy clothes,

every time I had an event to dress up for,

every time I walked out of my house,

and every time I passed a mirror.

Now don't get me wrong, I know that beauty can be only skin deep.  We have all met people who are stunning on the outside but after talking with them for only a few minutes you can see they don't have a light shining through their heart.

It wasn't just my appearance that gave me a heavy heart, it was the insecurity I felt.  It was the frustration I felt when nothing in my closet fit.  It was the sadness I would feel when I looked in the mirror and couldn't believe that I had let myself get to that point. My weight, the discontentment with myself and the constant feeling of failure affected my confidence and self esteem.  I felt horrible about myself and I hid that from everyone.

One night I was watching TV and an infomercial for Turbo Jam came on.  I was instantly captivated by a cute, spunky blonde that was punching, kicking and jabbing and telling me how much fun it all was going to be....

Exercise for me was hard.  I was heavy, who am I kidding... everything was hard.  But what she was doing looked fun and I thought even if its hard, if I am having fun I can try it.  So I sneaked out to where I kept my purse, grabbed my credit card, and ordered when my husband wasn't looking.   

I instantly fell in love with Turbo Jam.

Oh yes, from the very first time I did the Learn & Burn DVD, I was hooked.

It totally helped that that spunky blonde was always telling me what a great job I was doing and encouraging me every step of the way... It was hard for sure but I kept at it and it started to get easier.

About 3 months after I started Turbo Jam I saw someone on Facebook post about a new work out by Chalene Johnson, that spunky little blonde I had grown to adore, called Chalean Extreme.  I did a little research on the program and placed my order.  Again, I did it on the sly... I didn't want to tell anyone what I was up to because I didn't want them to see me fail.

ChaLean Extreme is a muscle building workout program that uses heavy weights (or bands).  It was unlike anything I had ever done before.  Research has proven that the more muscle you have in your body, the higher your metabolism.  Well, I knew that I wanted a higher metabolism.  I already trusted Chalene because of what the Turbo Jam program did for me, but I still didn't believe in me.

I went to Target and bought some adjustable dumbbells and started the program as soon as it arrived in the mail.  Up to this point, my husband didn't know I had been working out.  I was still staying home with my youngest child and would workout during the day when he was napping.  It only took a few weeks before I was able to see noticeable changes when I looked in the mirror.  I had been at it for about 6 weeks when my husband (who isn't the most observant person in the world) asked me what I had been doing to lose weight.  It was then that I very shyly took him to the basement and showed him the weights I had bought and the workout programs I was doing.

I stayed consistent and after my first 90 days with ChaLean Extreme I lost around 30lbs.  I was ecstatic!  Yes, I had lost weight but even more importantly I learned a few things about myself.

1.  I am a fighter.  I am not a fighter in the sense that if I don't get my way I am going to kick, scream and yell myself into what I want, but I am a fighter in the sense that if I don't achieve something that I want I am not going to give up.  I am going to keep trying and failing isn't the end, its a stepping stone.

2.  I have goals.  This might sound a little funny, but after being a stay-at-home mom for 8 years I forgot what I wanted to do with my life.  I was in a perpetual state of laundry, cooking, cleaning, laundry, cooking, cleaning, with a wipe-a-hiney thrown in here and there that I forgot I could do more.  I forgot that I could dream.  I forgot I could set goals.  Even more, I could achieve them.  Please, do not get me wrong.  I love being a mom more than anything.  But, that's not all I am.  I have more to offer.

3.  I am strong.  Its funny that after falling on my face after 3 pushups done on my knees and then progressing to 12 pushups on my toes has taught me that I am strong in heart.  Most of the time when I am struggling with a workout its because my head is telling me I can't... its those times that I have to dig deeper, push harder and prove that nasty voice wrong.  This does not just apply to my workouts.  It applies to every single obstacle I face.  It applies every single day.

It was after that initial weight loss success that I wanted more.  I was feeling better, I was more confident and I knew that I could achieve whatever goal I set for myself and I wanted to lose another 20lbs.  I knew without a doubt that what was holding me back was my diet.  I had made many changes to my once over processed, mostly fast food way of eating, but I was still a long way from eating the way I knew I had to in order to reach my goal.  Beachbody, being the cutting edge company that they are, was just introducing a new product that was and still is absolutely revolutionary in the health supplement industry.  The product they had just launched was Shakeology and I knew it would help get me on track with my nutrition.

It is not a miracle product and it will not cure cancer or any other disease, but if you are like me and need something that you can count on every day to give you great nutrition, increase your energy, and aid in your weight loss then I recommend it to you.  This is why I signed up as a coach.  As wonderful as Shakeology is, it is also expensive.  And, it is worth every. single. penny.  But, as a coach I was able to save money and that is always a good thing.

After talking to my coach Jenelle Summers, who also happens to be Chalene's much taller sister, I signed up to be a coach in August of 2009 and had absolutely no idea how that one little decision would impact my life.  But I will save that story for another day.

Being a Beachbody Coach means I have the opportunity to share my passion for fitness with others.  It means that when someone is struggling with motivation to workout I can encourage them.  It means when they are struggling with changes to their diet or even where to start I can share what I have learned.  I am not a fitness professional, I am not a nutritionist.  I am a coach and I love what I do.  And I am fortunate to earn an income from sharing my passion.

Its Time to Start!!

September is almost upon us with back to school looming, kids sports schedules starting and the organized chaos of life kicking off full blast!

If you struggle with balancing it all AND finding time to do the things you enjoy then I highly recommend doing Chalene Johnson's 30 day Challenge. It is completely FREE and only takes abou 10-15 minutes per day.

I recommend it to anyone that struggles with finding enough time. If you are interested, go to: http://30daypush.com/ and sign up!! You have nothing to lose!

If you have already completed the program, leave a comment for the others!! Thanks!

Be a Coach -- Join Team Addicted!!

What was YOUR Excuse?

Power Yogurt for One

This protein packed snack is perfect for when you need something to eat in a hurry.  Mixing up the fruits will give you variety in flavor.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 scoop whey protein powder, flavor of choice (to really step it up and use a scoop of Shakeology)
1/3 cup strawberry slices
1 tsp flaxseed oil (or ground flaxseed)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix until protein powder is thoroughly blended in.

Nutrition:

Calories 240, Total Fat 7.5g, Sat. Fat 2g, Carbs 19g, Fiber 2g, Sugars 11g, Protein 27g, Sodium 86mg, Cholesterol 7mg

From the Best of Clean Eating Cookbook.

Mangos are a Powerfood!

I was just eating a super juicy, extraordinary tasting mango and wondered how good were these little fruits for me?  I used to be a little intimidated by "non-traditional" fruits.  Mangos are a traditional fruit in many places and around the world, but in my home growing up, I didn't even know they existed, I was used to grapes and bananas and apples.  When I started shopping for my own family and checking out different varieties of fruits I wasn't sure how to tell a ripe mango from an almost rotten mango.  But after flagging down other people in grocery stores and asking for their advice on how to pick the right fruit I have it down.  My advice to you is, if you don't know about about something, ASK!! It is amazing how much you can learn and how easy it really is to add variety to your diet.  And the key to a healthy diet is variety!

So, about those mangos...

The antioxidant rich nutrients in mangos can offer relief from clogged pores, treat indigestion, promote a balanced hormonal system (yea, ladies, I'm talking to you), help prevent heart disease and cancer!  That's a lot of benefit for a tasty little fruit!

More fun  facts:  there are 1,000 varieties of mangos and they have been consumed by people for over 6,000 years (oh yea, did I mention they are traditional!! haha)

I love eating them on their own, but I also enjoy mango salsa!!

2 ripe mangos, skin removed and roughly chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp dried chili flakes
Handful fresh coriander leaves
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar (optional)

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until desired consistency is reached.  Serve with either fish or tortilla chips (my favorite tortilla chips are Rice Works Sea Salt Chips).

Thought for the Day!

This is your life. If you are not who you want to be, change it! It won’t be easy and it may take some time, but surround yourself with people who love and support you and go for it! No regrets! Only you dwell on your failures. Good luck and remember the inner strength you’ll achieve from adopting a healthy lifestyle far supersedes anything physical.  – Jamie Eason