Losing Weight on Vacation

Ok...so you might be wondering how I went on vacation to Las Vegas and LOST 4 POUNDS!!!! Well, here is my secret: I didn’t overindulge and I actually saved myself a ton of money by packing my own food! I packed the following to eat 3 every day for the 4 days I was in Vegas...I planned to not buy anything except dinner, and I stuck to my plan except for buying the occasional green tea. Here it is: For Breakfast I brought a Shakeology packet and a small blender for my room that blends right in the cup you drink from and it has a travel lid (it was $15 on Amazon). I used water I got from the convention center plus the ice from the hotel’s ice machine. I brought along Quest bars and P90X bars to have once a day (I switched it up). Then for lunch I brought a plastic fork and a tuna packet. I also brought some corn tortillas and I ate the tuna on the corn tortillas and also just ate it out of the packet with the fork. I didn’t mix it with anything. I did have wasabi dried-edamame 100 calorie-packs as a snack with it. I also brought with me a clementine and an apple per day. And as a treat, I brought one packet of Justin’s chocolate almond butter to put on top of my apple. That’s it :) The last day, I treated myself to a banana from Starbucks and added it to my shake :) I saved money and I also was able to not gain weight by eating healthy the whole time I was gone. It wasn’t hard at all to stick with this, and I felt great instead of crappy, which usually happens when I eat junk food. Good thing I didn’t eat any junk! My dinner choices were all sensible and I only splurged one night by getting dessert- creme brulee. I also avoided alcohol and only had 3 drinks the entire trip.

PiYo

PiYo is going to be a revolutionary program and I’m excited to announce that I will be certified (as of this coming Tuesday) to teach it!!! Check it out Here! If you want to transform your body and get MAXIMUM results, without the joint strain, jumping, and weights that take a toll on your body, then this is the program for you! You won’t age (aging is for idiots!) when you build muscle. I swear, you’ll look younger!!! I, for one, plan on going back in years once I start this program. Hello 20’s! Want more details? The program was created by Chalene Johnson (TurboFire, ChaLean Extreme, TurboJam) and is a 60 day program. The workouts are 25-45 minutes in length. Because I want to maximize the results of my first test group, I plan on opening up a limited amount of space. If you’d like to be considered, please fill out this application.

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Food Addiction

Recently, I’ve been working with some challengers who struggle with food addiction. I, myself, definitely struggle with an addiction to sugar, so immediately, my heart goes out to them. Food addiction is definitely REAL and is being recognized by the scientific community as a real addiction that needs treatment, in some cases. Many people who struggle with food addiction fall victim due to the sugar, salt, and fat in the foods they like to eat. Of course, this makes sense, since sugar, salt, and fat = taste! A WebMD article on “How to Break Food Addictions” explains why this addiction is real. "Barnard, the author of Breaking the Food Seduction and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, says that these foods contain chemical compounds that stimulate the brain's secretion of opiate-like, 'feel-good' chemicals like dopamine, which drive our cravings for them.” ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ WebMD explains one way we can help ourselves if we are food-addicted: "How to break the cycle? First you have to pinpoint which feelings trigger overeating. To figure this out, create an 'emotional eating record,' suggests Edward Abramson, Ph.D., author of Body Intelligence. Take a three-by-five index card and write down four headings: TIME; LOCATION; FOOD; EMOTION OR THOUGHT. Put the card in your pocket so you can keep track of any unplanned snacks. After a few days, you'll be able to decipher which emotions and situations triggered eating binges.” <--of course, once you know this, it will make it easier for you to avoid the emotions/situations that trigger you! Don’t be fooled, either, by thinking it’s only when you are sad/depressed that you overeat. Many people overeat in happy situations or reward themselves with food (a very, very dangerous habit). ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Peeke explains in her article, “6 Ways to Beat Your Food Addiction,” that this is powerful stuff! "But wait, there’s more: At the same time your reward center is being hijacked, the brain’s CEO, the prefrontal cortex (tap your forehead and that’s where the PFC is located), is becoming damaged and impaired. The PFC can no longer help you rein in impulses or stay focused and vigilant. That’s why, when someone is in full-on addictive mode, moderation is a moot point. Revolutionary and groundbreaking new studies funded by the National Institutes of Health funded have shown that the brain scans of food addicts show the same changes and damage as those of a cocaine user. And, for your information, research also shows that table sugar (sucrose) is more addictive than cocaine.” See the full article HERE! She also explains ways to kick the addiction for good! It’s definitely worth the read. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Something else you can do if you also struggle? Find a community of others who feel the same way, and support each other. A challenge group can do that for you, or you can form your own Facebook group or find one to join. Whatever option you choose, make sure that your loved ones know about your efforts so that they can support you as well. Some of my other recommendations- in addition to what’s above- (I am not a doctor, this is just my personal opinion based on research I’ve done on my own: Replace your “bad” habits with good ones. Instead of rewarding yourself with food, reward yourself with a shopping spree or a date with a friend to go see a movie. If you need to talk, or want to know more about what I’ve researched, please don’t hesitate to ask. On my reading list this week: The Hunger Fix: The Three-Stage Detox and Recovery Plan for Overeating and Food Addiction, Breaking the Food Seduction: The Hidden Reasons Behind Food Cravings---And 7 Steps to End Them Naturally, and Food Addiction: A Proven Plan to Overcome Food Addiction for Life. I’m also going to be ordering Made to Crave and the workbook to go along with it. I will be starting an online book study (in a private Facebook group) for anyone that’s interested. Let me know!

TurboFire Review

So yesterday, I began to use my Turbofire Advanced Class set of DVDs. They are AMAZING! Today, I was able to complete a workout called FIRE 60. Hands-down, this workout is the best one for calorie burning! I burned the most calories that I ever have in a single workout today, and it felt amazing.

I really felt like I was in a LIVE CLASS. I was pumped up the whole time and really into it. The music was definitely a key component, as well as the motivation from Chalene. I really felt like she was right in front of me. I think it made a big difference and reminded me of why I love working out in the first place- it can be fun! It also reminded me of when I used to take live Zumba classes at the gym, which I used to do religiously because they were so energized and I felt like I had the best time sweating it out with everyone. Now, I can experience that in my living room...say what?! HAHA. Anyway, I am now looking forward to doing the rest of the workouts that came in this set, plus the "Keep on Burnin'" set. These didn't come with a workout calendar, however, so I made my own. I thought I would share in case anyone else bought these DVDs as well and is looking for a schedule. If you use it, please let me know what you think! Also, if you want to jump on the Turbofire kick with me (and I highly recommend that you do), you can purchase the base kit here, advanced classes here, and the challenge pack here. Have a great day and enjoy the calendar!