Getting Closer...

In my health and fitness goals, I'm getting closer all the time.  I've lost enough fat that my husband actually told me to buy new clothes.  So, I got online to order some clothes only to have no idea what size to order.  So, measurements are what I had to go off of.  In taking my measurements, I realized in the last month I've taken another 2 inches off my waist!  What a great feeling to work hard at fitness and nutrition for months and be able to see such a difference.

What am I doing to make this difference? 

Shakeology, for 120 days, I've been drinking it faithfully.  It's not a miracle shake that makes you lose weight....or is it?  In drinking it faithfully, it has cleansed my body, shrank my stomach, kept me from getting hungry, given me the energy I need to keep up with my boys (18 months and 3 years) and a puppy, curbed cravings, kicked a nasty cup-a-day coffee habit AND best of all, it tastes good!

Staying active.  Whether it's P90X before the kids get up, swimming laps through the lunch hour, H2O aerobics in the evening, chasing 2 kids and a puppy or just getting out and enjoying the nice weather, I have been more active in the last 120 days than I have in the last few years.  Even though my boys sleep through the night, I have a puppy that needs let out.  So, for those moms out there that think they can't do this because they don't have the energy, try the Shakeology.  It helps!

Eating right.  I'm working with the 80/20 rule.  Shakeology helps, I get one solid, great, nutritionally sound meal in that.  Snacks thoughout the day and fruits and veggies help curb snacking on the bad stuff.  And, WATER.  Lots and lots of water!

Fitness For Busy Moms

Look less like this

And more like this

Isn't that every mom's goal?  Juggle everything and still have your sanity, healthy happy children and all your work done!  I'm right there with you.  It takes a lot of time and effort to raise children, work, keep the house clean, have a nutritious meal on the table and not only find time for a workout, but have the energy too!

First, you have to decide it's a priority to eat healthy and make time for your workouts.  If you can't get there, don't give up.  It gets easier the more you do it.  Just set aside 1 hour.  I know, you're thinking, 1 hour?!  I don't have 1 minute, let alone a whole hour?!  Been there.  Made the time.  I guarantee you can do it too.  Just stick with it.  Yes, you'll be tired.  Yes, it's hard.  Yes, you can do it.

Second, you have to not only decide it's a priority for you to do things for you.  You have to treat it like a commitment.  You don't sign your kids up for swimming lessons, pay the money and not commit to it, do you?  If you do, you're wasting your money!  Once you decide to make something a priority and commit to it.  Commit to it fully and do it.  Don't procrastinate.  Schedule a time for you, for your health, for your sanity, for you, you and you only.  Yep, you need a full hour.  Even if you do a 30 minute workout, you still need a shower!  So, don't press yourself for time.  Schedule it.

Third, keep doing it.  Workout, shower, have a glass of water and a deep breath.  Then congratulate yourself on a job well done and look forward to your one hour of your time for you and you only.

I refuse to pay a babysitter to work out.  You with me?  I fit it in.  Get up an hour early to go for a run, naptime,  my kid's favorite tv show, lunch when Daddy's home, while doing dishes and folding laundry, an evening workout class.  I get there.  I have faith you can find the time too if you just get creative with it.  Here's some other times I fit in a little mini-workout all day long:

• 25 crunches after changing a squirmy toddler's diaper (I'm already on the floor!)
• 50 calf raises while washing pans
• lunges while putting away dishes and laundry
• Jumping Jacks while waiting for something in the microwave
• Squats while folding laundry
• Stretch while blogging
• kid lifts - they love it!
• race the kids around the house
• take a walk with the stroller
• push-ups after bathtime - I let the kids crawl on me for added weight BONUS!
• Yoga Anywhere!

Focus on your nutrition.  You'll lose more weight and generally be healthier if you focus on correct nutrition.  Eat clean and clean the crap out of your house.  No chips, cookies, baked goods, processed foods.  What's left?  Clean eating. You'll never out exercise a diet of CRAP, so get with it and eat right.  I know it's easy to grab some cookies or chips in a hurry, but grapes and apples are just as quick and easy!  Take the Fridge Challenge and get a good start on healthy nutrition.

Nutrition, The Key to A Successful Diet

Keeping proper nutrition while eating healthy can be tough for some people. I've written about it before in Nutrition, the Key that Unlocks Healthy.  Choosing healthy foods rather than reaching for comfort foods is something you have to teach yourself to do over time. When begin to consume health foods you will not longer want to eat foods that are bad. You then let nutrition lead your decisions, not your emotions.

Take the Fridge Challenge!

Nutritionists now recommend replacing much of the beef, poultry and pork we eat with extra servings of fish. Fish contains optimum levels of nutrients that are essential for a heart healthy lifestyle. Fish is a very broad category of foods; they come in a large variety of textures and flavors.  It will boost your Omegas too!

Read up on Nutrient Maximization.  Eggplant is packed full of nutrients, give it a try instead of noodles in lasagna, I just LOVE it that way! If you are looking for a purchase that will help in your nutrition quest, buy a good blender to prepare nutritious fruit smoothies. Ice cream can be traded in for a new comfort food, that will be just as satisfying. Make a fruit smoothie with milk, fruit and some yogurt; this is a great substitute for ice cream.  Best decision I ever made was to buy a new blender!  I use it all the time to make shakes and smoothies.  It replace my toaster and coffee pot, which now I hardly use.  Here's some healthy snack ideas.

Eat clean.  It's the best advice I have.  Eat unprocessed foods, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, meats from the meat counter, not the deli isle, dairy, nuts and beans.  Add condiments that are low in salt and sugar and high in protein. And, tada.  Sounds easy huh!  It's easier said than done.  But, you can train yourself to eat however you want to eat.  And, if healthy is on your menu, it'll have positive effects on your life and health.  Here's some protein rich superfoods to bust cravings too.

Don't skip the multivitamin!  It'll help make up for anything you've missed.  And, write it all down including portion sizes.  Use a smaller plate and measure everything!

Hydration plays an important roll in nutrition, keeping your body in homeostasis and promoting a healthy body.  Drink plenty of water!

Supplements: The Top 10

• Multivitamins
• Meal Replacements
• Sports Nutrition Supplements
• Calcium
• B Vitamins
• Vitamin C
• Glucosamine & Chondroiton
• Homeopathic Medicines
• Vitamin D
• Weight Loss Pills

With all the supplements out there, these rank among the top 10.  I can honestly say I've taken most of them at one time or another in my life. It's important to remember that dietary supplements are designed to supplement your diet, not to replace nutritious foods.  My rule of thumb is to thoroughly research a supplement before I take it.

What do I take?  Well, here's my daily cocktail....
Spironolactone, an androgen blocker prescribed to me by my OB/GYN.
Norethindrone, another one prescribed to me by my OB/GYN for endometriosis.
Glucosamine Chondroiton, for knee pain .  I take it sporadically when I feel I need to and when I'm doing workouts or activities that are hard on my knees.  I used to take it daily when Royce and I lived in Colorado and we snow skied A LOT!
Multivitamin, Women's One A Day.
Acid Reducer for heart burn as needed.
Raspberry Ketone for fat loss.
Shakeology as a meal replacement and overall nutritional supplement.
Whey Protein to enhance results and recovery of muscles after strenuous workouts.

I meet 5 of the top 10 plus my daily other drugs.  Do they work?  Mostly from what I can tell.  Raspberry Ketone alone or Shakeology alone aren't miracles for weight loss.  Paired and combined with a nice exercise program and good nutrition they are wonderful and I see great results.  6 weeks in, I have less cravings, increased weight loss, AMAZING fat loss and I can't pinpoint one factor or another.  It's a daily cocktail of drugs, exercise and nutrition that's leading to success.  I've tried one without the others with little results.  But, combined I can't believe how effortless it seems.

I got some Raspberry Ketones before I started Shakeology and my BeachBody workouts.  They didn't do much.  However, my recent study of Shakeology with Raspberry Ketones along with 3-4 workouts a week was more effective than any one or combination of 2 out of 3 together.  Combined, it's a trifecta of fat blasting!

What's It All About?

Being fit isn't about being skinny or looking good.  It's not about meeting expectations or fitting an image.  It is about loving yourself and being healthy.  Work on finding new ways to love yourself every day.  And, find new ways to be healthy every day. 

Being healthy is a 2-part system formed from fitness and nutrition.  If you have one part and the other sucks, you'll just end up falling short on your overall fitness goals.  So, if you're in a rut or hit your plateau, take a look at both independently and you'll more likely find a solution to your problem.  If you don't, have someone else take a look.  Keep a fitness and nutrition journal with everything you eat (even the ding dong) and everything you do (even yard work).  It'll paint a better picture of the person you are and you're overall health and being.

Fitness friends can be key to keeping motivated.  Meeting new people is always fun, so branch out!  Let people know you're into being fit and you have goals and good nutrition is important to you.  Things will fall into place and it's always fun to have someone new to work out with, even if it's taking a long evening walk.  You wouldn't hesitate to make a date for a few drinks, would you?  Why not a couple of miles instead?  You'll save empty calories and spend a few extra!  And, you can pass fitness tips back and forth while you do.