5 reasons people exercise. what's yours?...by Harvard Med School

We all have reasons for our fitness. What is yours?
This is a great article with awesome tips on fitness. Chime in with your thoughts and reasons for making fitness a life long investment!

link

30 minute run/walk and THEN SOME!

Has anyone done this yet? I just completed mine today. What a great workout! This is definitely good for anyone training for a run/walk 5k.
I also highly recommend this for body fat loss. All of you should know at this point how great interval training is for fat loss. The KEY to burning fat is to speed up the metabolism any way you can; nutrition, fitness or otherwise.
This is just one example of how you can keep the body guessing and improve your lean body mass....PLUS, I love the looks and comments of motivation you get from all those you pass by as you do your burpees, pushups, squats and lunges!
I have a great trail here by the facility if you need one!
Good luck and let me know how it goes!

Daily Motivation

What do you listen to for your motivation? What do you read?

90 day summer program kick off

Here's to our first week!
Please reply with your goals for the Summer, a recipe you plan to grill and the reason you took the challenge!

Let's use this platform to share information throughout the 90 days!

Who said this?

"If you can dream it, you can do it."
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible."



WHAT IS YOUR VISION?!

To everyone who wants to be SUCCESSFUL

Success is a Journey...
What are you doing to be successful?
I am on a 90 day fast track. Challenge to success for both of my businesses; Fit It In Fitness and Market America Unfranchise.

This 90 day challenge makes me work ON my business rather than IN it. It is so important to work on what you want to have. Don't get caught up in the minutia of your work. Step outside and look in.

I will make it a goal to read, listen and sell my business every day.
What is your sale? Do you want to sell yourself and get married? Do you want to sell yourself and get a job promotion? Do you want to build your own house? Do you want to start a family?

Whatever it is you want to do study it, learn what it takes and take action.
A great leader in the fitness industry says "Ready, Fire, Aim!" -Todd Durkin
Don't waste time thinking twice or wondering if it will work," JUST DO IT!" -Nike

Take risks. "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take!" -John Wooden

Todd Durkin IS successful, Nike HAS IT and John Wooden has BEEN THERE, DONE THAT!
Experience tells us they spent time on finding out what they want to be or do, how to do it and the most time DOING IT!

So get out there, educate yourself and TAKE ACTION!

And when you feel like you are drowning, burnt out or demotivated, ask yourself this question:
What is the worst that could happen if you try?

Think you don't have the time? THINK AGAIN...or better, STOP THINKING!

Feel you don't have what it takes? Do one thing that makes you feel like you achieved something (work out!)

Feel overwhelmed? Breath and re-read your goals.

Need some extra motivation?
Read, listen and watch successful people.

Try this link: MOTIVATION

READ something 15-20 min. / day written by someone successful in your field.
LISTEN to something 15-20 min. / day from someone who is successful.
DO 1 thing every day to get you 1 step closer to your dream, make it a reality!

My "book for fun every 2 months" recap.

Here are some great quotes I have taken from just ONE of my yearly reads:

"No matter how impossible it all may seem...Never underestimate the power of a dream."
-Author unknown

"Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses."
-George Washington Carver

"When a winner fails, he trains harder while a loser blames others."
-Wayne Bennett

"If you want to be mentally tough,...follow your beliefs and don't give in to yourself!"
-Steve Waugh

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."
-Will Durant

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly!"
-Robert F Kennedy

"The more things you think about the slower you react."
-Hick's Law

"Whether you think that you can or that you can't, you are usually right."
-Henry Ford

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."
-John Wooden

"You are only as good as the decision you make."
-Author Unknown

I hope you'll enjoy these and want to read the book:
The Fearless Mind, Craig Manning PhD

Secrets of the World Class Movie

Secrets of the World Class Movie:
It's what separates the Extraordinary from the Ordinary. Fill your life with motivation like this daily and you WILL be successful!

Stay Focused

So you made your January New Year's goals (if you haven't do so!)...

It has been a month since you've made them, have you tested yourself to see if you've made progress?

What will you do to check in? Was it a goal of your's to lose body fat? Measure your body fat then. 

Did you set a personal goal to spend more time with your family? Then plan a regular family night and stick to it! What will you do this Friday?

Did you make a goal to connect with  more people to enhance your business/work? How many do you need to contact before Friday afternoon? 

Stay focused. A great author Craig Manning, PhD, wrote a book about staying focused on your task at hand; The Fearless Mind. He uses his experience with high level tennis players (we all know how independent this sport is). Time and time again he has seen athletes who are in the best shape of their lives and willing to give everything during a match including "diving and scraping their knees," fail. They lost their concentration as outside obstacles changed their path. As the opponent changed the game they did not stay focused on the task and lost and eventually gave up. 

Remember this in your own lives. Things will change and put you on another path every day. Don't let this change your results. 

#1 realize that you may not have direct control over an outcome.

#2 don't waste your time and energy fighting this. Move on! Remember the task at hand and redirect your focus. 

You can do this by writing down your 3 most important goals every day. Plan how you will attack them. Who do you need to be in contact with? What do you need to do first thing in the morning? What must you do to follow up and make sure the task is completed? 

Be sure to know this information when you start, when something gets in your way and before you are done your day. 

Prepare, plan and follow through!!  

Why is my pee Neon Yellow?

Vitamin B2, Riboflavin most times is responsible for the neon color in your urine.
As this vitamin goes through your system your body absorbs what it needs and excretes the remainder. One characteristic of Riboflavin is it's highlighter-like color.
Not to worry this is not bad. The bright color is an indication you are utilizing the vitamin properly.

In short, riboflavins help co-enzymes break down carbohydrates, fats and proteins. They also play a crucial role in detoxification and cellular energy production.  As flavins are utilized in the body to metabolize carbs, fats and protein they pass along flavin rings which have a neon yellow color. This does not indicate they are not used, in contrast it proves they are used appropriately. Vitamin B2, Riboflavin is known to be the only vitamin to cause NEON yellow urine.
(http://www.womentowomen.com/programs/hormonalimbalance/faqhormoneimbalance.aspx#16)

On the flip side...
If you have dark yellow to brown colored urine this is an indication of dehydration.  Your urine is over-concentrated with waste.  You should be drinking 64 ounces of water every day at minimum. If you are sweating due to workouts then you should be drinking closer to 80 ounces of water and include electrolytes. Once you get this amount into your system regularly you are not only helping the homestasis of your system but also changing the color of your pee. It will be more translucent due to your "new and improved" hydration.


Foods with Vitamin B2:
http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foods-high-in-riboflavin-vitamin-B2.php

Riboflavin helps with:
migraine headaches, energy, boosting immune system function, preventing eye disorders, athletic performance, hair, nail and skin health.

Where you can get VitaminB (Vitamin B complex which includes B2-riboflavin):
http://isotonix.marketamerica.com/fititin/USA/Search/Product/2241

How to read a nutrition label

What to look for?

Serving Size

Total Fat (Saturated & Trans fats are bad, mono and polyunsaturated are healthy fats)

Cholesterol

Sodium

Total Carbohydrates

Sugar

Sugar Alcohols*

What you should know:

The more complex the process is to break down food in your system the less it affects your blood sugar levels. Simple carbohydrates are easier for the body to break down therefore your blood sugar spikes to a higher rate. Complex carbohydrates break down slower in the body which doesn't allow for such a big spike in your blood sugar. Adding fiber and protein to your carbohydrates will help slow the break down process therefore help the blood sugar from spiking. (See my previous post on simple vs complex carbohydrates for a list of foods. )

When reading the label you should be aware of how many actual carbohydrates you are consuming. As stated if you have fiber added to a food it will break down slower therefore take away from the total carbs in the food creating a smaller net carb count. 

____________________________________________________________

Example (from above Extend Bars):

The bar starts with 21 g Carbs. 

The 5 grams of fiber are subtracted from the total carb count = 16 g carbs.

We also know that there are 4 g of sugar alcohols in the bar = 12 g net carbs.

Of these 12 g carbs 1g is sugar.

____________________________________________________________

On this particular label they have done the math for you (see bottom of label).

They have pointed out that uncooked cornstarch and glycerine are also in the ingredients. This also take from the total carb count of the bar. (These are facts you wouldn't normally look for). 

So all in all this bar is GREAT from a carbohydrate and sugar standpoint. Below you can read about Sugar Alcohols and how beneficial they may be for you. In short they are used in place of a sweetener and are more complex for the body to break down therefore help in the process of carbohydrate breakdown. 

In contrast is a Snickers Bar nutrition label:

Can you find the difference in carbohydrates for the Extend Bar vs. the Snickers Bar? Tons more sugar, almost no fiber, much more bad fat!! 

Start reading your labels when you grocery shop! You'd be surprised with how much fat & sugar you consume. Excess carbs, sugar and fat are the leading causes of obesity and diabetes. This is controllable!! Take responsibility for your nutritional choices. Hope this will help jump-start your new choices!

*"Sugar alcohols are usually incompletely absorbed into the blood stream from the small intestines which generally results in a smaller change in blood glucose than "regular" sugar (sucrose). This property makes them popular sweeteners among diabetics and people on low-carbohydrate diets. However, like many other incompletely digestible substances, over-consumption of sugar alcohols can lead to bloating, diarrhea and flatulence because they are not absorbed in the small intestine." The Sugar Association, Inc.. 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-10.

My top 20 Tips

The tips that have gotten REAL RESULTS!


1- WRITE out your goals; for life, fitness and nutrition!
2- Accountability: give someone your goals or challenge them to do the same
3- Set a schedule. Even if you don't stick to it you will be more successful because you planned it.
"Failing to plan is planning to fail."
4- Easy days. Yes I said it, plan easy days in your routine. Avoid Burnout!
5- Prepare your meals. Get your recipes, shop, make your meals.
6- Vitamins. At the very least: Multivitamin, Antioxidant, Omega 3, Vitamin B.
7- EAT RIGHT! Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, snack, dinner.
8- Post workout shake. Doesn't take as long to digest = decrease in soreness & increase in lean muscle.
9- Monthly assessment: pictures, body fat, inches, weight, functional movement screen.
10- Workout 5x per week: 2-3 metabolic, 2-3 strength, 1 regeneration.
11- Wear a heart rate monitor during workouts. Make sure you are working 100% & seeing improvement.
12- 15 minute rule: If you don't have an hour to space don't skip it spend 15 minutes working on weak links.
13- Log your nutrition. Know what you eat and when to kick it up a notch!
14- 80/20 Rule: Anything you do in life! 80% of the time you must be strict, 20% of the time you can relax.
15- Treat yourself once a month. Get a massage, have a burger, take a day off.
16- Sleep 6-8 hours per day. Remember the hours before midnight are worth 2 after midnight.
17- Show appreciation to the people in your life. REGULARLY.
18- BE QUIET. set aside time daily to reflect, lay in silence or set goals.
19- Lead by example.
20- READ.
My personal goal for 2013: Read 1 book for enjoyment every 2 months.
BONUS TIP:
Don't be afraid to rely on other people!

Good Carbs, Bad Carbs

After a great seminar put on at Fit It In Fitness by TLS Wellness Coach & FII Nutrition Coach Melinda Osbourne I wanted to share some take home points.

Over-consumption of carbohydrates is the leading cause of obesity, adult onset diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Obesity is ultimately a leading cause of death in our country.

It is true, your body demands carbohydrates to maintain basic cell function.
Recommended daily amount of carbs is 65% of your diet. But what kind?

Let's start with Simple Carbohydrates vs. Complex Carbohydrates.
Simple carbs break down to simple sugars and have little to no nutrition value. Your body breaks down these carbs very quickly which is the reason having too much is not good. The fast breakdown of simple carbs effects blood sugar and insulin levels in the body.  The excess carbs will be stored as body fat. and eating these regularly will lead to many other sugar cravings.

Examples:
White Flour pasta
White flour bread
white potatoes
table sugar
juice
most packaged cereals

Complex carbs include fiber, vitamins and minerals. Because they have a much more complex chain structure they take longer to break down. They are used for energy over a longer period of time therefore sustain blood sugar level and energy.

Examples:
spinach
yams
broccoli
beans
lentils
whole grain pasta, cereal

In our seminar Melinda gave us an example of a white pasta:
One serving included 65 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber. THAT IS 50% OF YOUR DAILY CARB ALLOWANCE!!
To combat the quick breakdown of these simple carbohydrates be sure to add fiber rich foods to your pasta serving.

She then gave us an example of Dreamfields Pasta (a whole wheat pasta):
41 grams of carbs, 5 grams of fiber. You'll notice less carbohydrates than the white pasta and more than twice the fiber. This will help maintain blood sugar levels. The added protein also helps in the carb breakdown process.

The key to losing body fat is to control your blood glucose levels; how fast sugar enters and leaves the body. Eating foods low in carbs and sugar will help keep this in check.

Tips:
1) Eat 2-3 cups of veggies with every meal.
2) eat 4-6 oz of protein with every meal.
3) Stay away from simple carbohydrates for energy.
4) Start eating sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, high fiber cereals, wheat pasta instead of white.
5) Eat every 2-3 hours to avoid sugar cravings.

Thank you Melinda!

What does Challenge mean to you?

chal·lenge  

/ˈCHalinj/

Noun A call to take part in a contest or competition, esp. a duel.

Verb Invite (someone) to engage in a contest: "he challenged one of my men".

Synonyms noun.   dare - defiance - provocation verb.   defy - dare

Heart Rate Training 2

Heart Rate Training is on an upswing at Fit It In Fitness.
We now have more than 50% of our clients training with heart rate monitors.

What we've been able to achieve?
1) Learn more about clients and ourselves. Do your clients have cardiac issues? Do you?
2) Push to a new level of fitness. It is amazing how much of a fitness gain you don't get when you don't know how hard you can actually work. I have found that it is not natural for someone to train to 100% max. Everyone stops before they reach 100% and even sometimes 90%.
3) Optimal Recovery. Many of us like to just say we are recovered and move on only to find out after an hour that wasn't the smartest decision we made while feeling extreme fatigue.
4) A new level of interest in workouts. Many people don't enjoy their workouts or worse don't know why they do it or if it even works! When you shift your focus to different intensities and watch yourself recover it changes the whole game.
5) Workout diversity. Now that we have instilled our heart rate training we dedicate a full days worth of workouts to max effort and optimal recovery. This is much different than your normal metabolic classes.
and best of all.....
6)SUCCESS! Everyone who uses a heart rate monitor at Fit It In has seen progress with their workouts and results!

The Data to back this up:
1) I was able to find clients that are inhibited from working to a maximum effort for great reasons! Education for your success! Some of your clients or workout buddies might be pushing to extremes they shouldn't be. If you or anyone you know is taking blood thinners or any blood pressure medication they should understand that their maximum effort is skewed from any equation a fitness professional can give. They must learn how to work in THEIR zones. This is a great teaching tool for "independent success." Sometimes people train at the level of those they are surrounded by (most times out of intimidation) this tool allows to control that.
2) Without a doubt when we first started training with heart rate monitors everyone missed the 90-100% mark. Quickly we all found out there is another gear! When you get to what you think your max is, DIG DEEPER! (Please understand if you feel faint, dizzy, light-headed or short of breath you should STOP). Do not push past a reasonable cardio output.
3) And I quote : "What do I need a monitor for? I know when I'm recovered." My answer: "Ok then you shouldn't have a problem wearing this for me and telling me when you feel recovered."
All those who thought for sure they were recovered and could give 100% at that moment were wrong. They'd look at the watch and ask me if they were ok...They weren't so sure anymore! Now every FII client that wears one knows to look to the monitor for that answer! (Not to mention now they are actually working to 100% of their max and want that recovery!)....I Like this ;)
4) Somehow we've peaked an interest in working out even from the most skeptical of them all. The attention has been taken away from the work being done and refocused to what their bodies are actually doing moment to moment. When is the last time you looked around and saw everyone interested in their workouts? Come to Fit It In...Living proof. Today was one of the best days yet!
5) You think you've seen it all? Done every workout imaginable? Think again! We have just unlocked a new level! Variety is the spice of life! Each day of the week is a different workout and we just kicked it up a notch with our heart rate training.
6) MY FAVORITE: every single person who has been tracking their heart rate summary during workouts has improved their work output and recovery time! I just took a look at our tracking sheets today and not one person has been left behind! All have met a goal they never knew existed: work to 100% of your potential. Our next step is to get everyone to increase recovery time and we are well on our way!

So..what to do?
#1 Get a heart rate monitor : CLICK HERE!
#2 Wear it consistently and track your summary at the end of your workouts including: average heart rate, max heart rate and how you felt.
#3 Aim to decrease your resting and active resting heart rate
and ultimately the time it takes you to recover.
#4 Let me know how it's going!