I'm The Most Motivated LAZY Person Ever... And Here's My Secret...

The other day someone said to me, in reply to one of my Facebook posts, "I want to be like you one day."  This person was referring to my motivation and dedication to the lifestyle that I've chosen to lead, which is basically just to be healthier in general.  People tell me that I motivate them and inspire them and it kind of makes me chuckle, cause I don't think I view myself the way others see me.  Do we ever?  We are our own biggest critics; we can never see ourselves objectively.


Here's the truth about me (in my eye) and I would take a guess that the people closest to me would agree...


If you're at all familiar with the book Personality Plus, I am a Peaceful Phlegmatic.  If you're 
not familiar with it, READ IT, it's great!  Here's the description of a Peaceful Phlegmatic:


Phlegmatic: This is the flat-type. They are easy going, laid back, nonchalant, unexcitable and relaxed. Desiring a peaceful environment above all else. 


A peaceful phlegmatic is neutral - they tend not to actively upset people, but their indifference may frustrate people. They try not to make decisions, and generally go for the status quo. They care about people and harmony. 

This describes me to a T, I think.  I'm super laid-back; I just go with the flow.  I take things in stride; in fact my favorite saying is "It is what it is".  And that will soon be a tattoo…  I'm lazy, I don't like to exert more energy or effort than is necessary.  My moods are pretty flat; I don't get overly excited one way or the other.  I'm just calm and steady.  I love to sleep, I HATE waking up early.  Anytime before noon is early in my book.  I love to eat bad foods, I would eat tacos all day every day, and I have at times.  I love to watch TV.  I often tell Syed that in my next life I want to be a cat, so I could sleep all day (a pampered cat, not an alley cat.  Just putting that out to the universe so there's no confusion).  ;-)


So how do you reconcile all of this with the person I have become more recently?  It was a choice.  All of the above mentioned, the eating and watching TV and being generally lazy, coupled with having a desk job where all that moves for 8 hours a day is my fingers, type, type, typing away, let to me being FAT, unhappy, unconfident, sluggish, sick all the time… generally just miserable.  Was I obese? No.  Was I unhealthy, YES!  And 20 extra pounds on a 5'0" frame is a lot of weight.


I made the decision that in SPITE of the above traits, enough was enough and something had to change.  I work through the barriers.  I push past the doubts.  I tell myself that I have NO limitations.  The motivation that I have comes from simply taking action and CREATING motivation.  It does not come naturally.  Do I curse every morning when my alarm goes off and I know I have to get up and work out?  Heck yes!  I do it because I HAVE to.  It's non-negotiable.  And when I'm done, the feeling of accomplishment is worth it.  I tell myself that I have worked my a$$ off for the past 2 years and there is NO WAY I'm going back to where I was.  I have created healthy habits.  That's all it is, a habit.  ANYONE can create a new habit.  Am I perfect?  No way!  I try my best to be consistent and balanced.  I get lazy, tired, worn out; there are days when I don't want to eat right or exercise.  Sometimes I give in and that's ok, we all deserve a break, and this is a work in progress.  But for the most part I do it anyway, because it's important to me.  I don't sit around waiting for motivation and inspiration, I make it happen, cause it's not going to come along and smack me in the head.


I read personal development to keep my mind filled with positivity.  I surround myself with positive people that encourage me.  People that have what I already want and so it gives me something to strive for.  And I keep myself accountable by helping others, which has become my passion and my drive in life.  For once I AM excited about something!  And on the days that I want to just be lazy… I remind myself that I have put myself out there, people are watching, and if I were to suddenly come back 20 pounds heavier again, I would be letting people down, including myself.  That thought keeps me going.  Sometimes the best motivation is knowing that others are counting on you.


So for the person that wants to be like me…  I do what I do, not just for me and for my family, but to show YOU that you can do it too… but don't try to be like me, just be the best version of YOURSELF possible.  Quit with the excuses and just get started, now!  And if you need help and a little motivation, I'm here for you… :)

Why I'm Earning A Presidential Active Lifestyle Award

I thought this was super cool, and wanted to share! (yes I just said super cool) :P

Beachbody^® Joins President's Challenge

Beachbody has been recognized as an advocate of the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA), created by the Presidential Council on Fitness.

How it works:
Between July 15th and August 17th, the Presidential Council will recognize:

• All customers who buy a Beachbody fitness program or order Shakeology^® 
• All current Coaches
• All new Coach signups

Each of these Coaches and customers will receive a Presidential Active Lifestyle Award issued by the Presidential Council.

We hope you'll join the mission by spreading the news and inspiring as many people as you can to get healthy and fit. Stay tuned for more info to come over the next couple of weeks.

Let's do our part to get America moving!

---

P.S. To learn more about the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award, go to www.millionpalachallenge.org. Please note that you're not required to follow their sign-up instructions. Beachbody will be taking care of everything for you.

Getting Our Parents Healthy, 10 Minutes At A Time

Syed and I have been talking a lot about our parent's health.  They are getting older, they are overweight, and are having the health issues that come along with that.  Coming from Hispanic/Indian backgrounds, our food is not the healthiest.  The foods that our parents traditionally eat are very rich, fatty, fried.  Case in point, the first thing Syed's mom asked was if she can still have her empanadas...

So Syed decided to order 10 Minute Trainer for his parents.  It's a program developed by Tony Horton of P90X fame and it's awesome because it's broken up into 10 minute segments that work all your major body parts.  For someone that has no time to workout, or has to start off really slow, 10 minutes may be more than enough!  But for someone that is more advanced, you can stack the workouts and do 20-30 minutes.  

We went to their house on Tuesday to get them started.  We did the first 10 minutes with his mom and man did she struggle.  But she got through it and we were really proud.  It gave me an appreciation for how blessed I am to be able to do what I do.  I do very intense workouts regularly and I think I take it for granted.  If I want to help others, I have to remember that for many people just doing a few jumping jacks may be a HUGE struggle.  I have to take myself back to when I could barely do a push up, on my knees!  Or when my knees used to hurt soooo bad because I was weak and out of shape.  

The next day she attempted the whole body workout and couldn't do it, but instead of giving up she did a lower body workout.  Proud of her!  We are going to support her and push her to see that as long as she is consistent and tries her best every day, she will get better at it, healthier and stronger!!!

As Tony says, "DO YOUR BEST AND FORGET THE REST"

All of this has made me decide that I want to start a 10 Minute Trainer Group on August 1, for anyone that wants to join in and we will keep each other accountable.  The biggest struggle that I hear in terms of exercise is "I have no time".  Well we all have 10 minutes.  That's one less snooze on your alarm, 2 commercial breaks, 10 minutes less spent browsing Facebook.   If our parents can do it, anyone can!

If you're interested in joining in, hit me up at www.facebook.com/tamaragomez18 or tamara.gomez18@gmail.com.

5 Day Inferno

So I’ve been in a bit of a workout and diet slump.  I spent the better part of 2010 being very disciplined.  I ate well, worked out 6 days a week.  In spite of having a full time job and being alone with Novali, I made it work.  For a whole year, I could count on one hand how many workouts I missed.  I was on fire!  And it was easy to eat well, because I’m a creature of habit.  I could eat chicken breast and veggies every night and it wouldn’t phase me.  Now that Syed and I are living together, I feel like I need to provide more variety with my meals, which means more time to plan and prepare foods.  So I’ve let myself slack a bit.  I’m still working out 5-6 times a week, but I’ve slacked on the eating part.  I wish I could say that working out was enough, but clearly it’s not.  I also think that I became comfortable in that I maintained a very steady weight all last year.  Again, because I was consistent in my efforts.  In the past few months, I’ve gained a few pounds. Not a lot, but enough where I’m feeling the effects. I’m experiencing that dreaded “none of my pants fit” feeling.  At least not the pants I’ve been wearing the past year.  And I do NOT want to go back to my pre-weight loss clothes.  So it’s time to re-evaluate and focus!!!  Hey, I’m human, I probably burned out on my efforts and it’s time to get serious and back on track so that I’m ready for the warm weather clothes!  Not to mention, so that I feel healthy and confident.  

Starting tomorrow, I am going back full force to my favorite workout program ChaLEAN Extreme. Chalene didn’t let me down the first time around, and I’m sure that if I focus on my eating, I will be back at my goal weight in no time!

In addition to that, I’ve challenged myself and friends to a week of no fast food/take out.  To help me with that, this week I will be following the 5 Day Inferno meal plan that came with my TurboFire.  It’s an eating plan that is designed to cleanse your body and change your daily eating habits.  I will be doing it with Syed Ahmed and Grisel de la Torre. Grisel will be following the actual TurboFire 5 Day Inferno workout schedule.   Syed is in the middle of P90X and will follow his regular routine.  

I’ll be blogging all this week about my meals and workouts.  I appreciate any support and motivation!  If anyone wants to join me for the next 90 days, we can help keep each other accountable!

I took my starting stats this morning on my digital scale and they were:

Body Fat: 25.3%

Body Muscle: 41.8%

I will take my before pictures and measurements tonight.  Now it’s off to the grocery store to get everything I need for the week!

The Slight Edge Mentality

I’ve finished listening to The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson (for the 3rd time because I love it so much!).  The main thing that I took away from this book is that every single decision that we make, no matter how small, MATTERS.  So in terms of my health, it’s sooo easy to say “if I don’t work out today, it’s not going to matter in the long run.  It’s just 1 workout.”  Or “if I eat this Big Mac today, no big deal, it’s not going to make a difference.”  But the point of the Slight Edge is that it DOES make a difference.  Every little choice that we makes builds upon the last, and compounds over time.  It will either add up to something POSITIVE or something NEGATIVE.  Just like with working out.  So many people get on a fitness plan, then get discouraged when they don’t see results overnight.  I’m guilty of this.  I would go through phases.  I’d go to the gym, plug away on the treadmill, and then quit after a few weeks because I’d think, “this isn’t working.” What we have to learn is to be patient and take it one day at a time.  Every workout adds to the last, it may take a month, 2 months, 6 months, but it WILL happen with patience and CONSISTENCY!

I totally recommend The Slight Edge to everyone, no matter what your goals are, what your job is, go out and get it!  I like it on audiobook because I don’t have a lot of time to read, but I spend 2 hours in the car every day! 

http://www.slightedge.org/

Has anyone else read this?  What did YOU take away from it?

Losing Water Weight

Could Those Extra Pounds Be Water Weight? Lose 'Em Fast!

By Debra Pivko

Ever wonder how you gained 5 pounds overnight—even when you're cutting calories? The usual culprit is water weight.

If your stomach feels bloated, your face looks puffy, or your hands and feet swell, it's likely that your body is retaining water. And this may show up on the scale as a few extra pounds. Not fun.

Here's why it happens. Your body is constantly trying to rid itself of the salt you consume. When it can't purge all the extra salt, your tissues react by holding on to water, so the ratio of salt to water is always at a safe level.

But if you want to determine your real weight, see how close you are to your fitness goals, and button up those old jeans with ease, follow these quick tips to lose the extra water weight—fast.

Drink more water.

It may seem counterintuitive, but not drinking enough water every day can actually make you retain more water! Dehydration causes your body to go into panic mode, and it'll hold on to water the next time you take a drink. Diuretics like alcohol, tea, and caffeinated soda can actually have a dehydrating effect on your body since they flush water out of your system.

What to do? Drink at least eight to ten glasses of water each day so your body will maintain its fluid balance, and you won't gain those extra pounds. Water is the best diuretic you can give your body and it's all natural, and usually free! If looking thinner and feeling less bloated isn't enough motivation, here's some more. Drinking water before each meal has been shown to help promote weight loss and even to help keep your skin healthy, which is particularly useful if you don't want your skin to sag once you lose weight.

So keep a water bottle at your desk, send yourself "drink water" reminders if you have to, track your water intake for motivation, or do whatever it takes to remember to drink enough water. The extra hydration will prevent those false pounds from showing up on the scale.

Sweat it out with exercise.

When you sit in one place for a long period of time, your circulation slows down and your body can begin to swell. Exercise promotes blood flow and circulation (not to mention sweating). So when you get in some serious cardio, you'll literally sweat out excess fluids and pounds. Make sure to get your daily exercise to help rid your body of water weight.

The exercise program that leaves my workout clothes most drenched in sweat would have to be Chalene Johnson's TurboFire®. When I eat too much salt or just too much food and feel extra bloated, Chalene's latest program is my savior that helps me get my stomach looking flat, fast. I just pop one of the high-intensity interval training or cardio kickboxing discs in the DVD player to work up a serious sweat and burn major calories. I think it's the awesome music remixes that keep me going through the intense cardio conditioning. After big holiday meals, like the annual Thanksgiving feast for example, I can expect to find my coworkers ready for some TurboFire to fire up our weight loss and sweat it all out.

Limit the sodium in your diet.

To give your body a break from retaining water and working hard to eliminate sodium in the first place, try to keep your sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day and avoid adding salt to foods.

Watch out for sneaky salt in boxed or packaged foods by reading nutrition labels carefully. Some of the foods where sodium is often hidden are canned soups, fast foods, pickled foods, processed/deli meats, cheeses, frozen meals, and soy sauce. Make sure to look for labels that say "reduced sodium" or "sodium free." You may also want to choose fresh vegetables over canned. While canned veggies can be a handy substitute for fresh, they're typically laden with preservatives or sauces and seasonings that add extra sodium. A cup of canned cream-style corn, for example, contains 730 milligrams of sodium.

Also, food at restaurants and fast food establishments often contains high amounts of sodium. Eliminate all table salt and try using pepper or other spices on your food instead. Or, maybe try nothing and remind yourself what the food actually tastes like.

Another great way to keep track of your sodium intake is by getting your own customized nutrition plan with Team Beachbody's My Meal Planner. It's an awesome new benefit of the Team Beachbody® Club membership. You'll get a week's worth of recipes that include low-sodium options, or you can modify and make substitutions to the recipes for even lower sodium options. I use it to track my progress throughout the week so I know all my nutrition stats. You can even use the food analyzer to search any food and get the nutrition information for it. I'm obsessed.

Eat more protein.

Deficiencies in protein, along with vitamins B1, B5, and B6, can lead to water retention as these nutrients assist with fluid balance functioning. Some good sources of these nutrients include lean beef, legumes, and low-fat dairy products. You should try to eat two to three appropriate portions of lean protein per day.

Don't starve yourself.

Undereating can also cause you to gain water weight. Eating fewer than 1,200 calories a day may cause your body to retain water and, ironically enough, cause you to gain more weight.

Limit your sugar intake.

Having too much sugar in your body can cause your insulin levels to rise. High levels of insulin may make it harder for your body to get rid of sodium, which in turn causes water weight gain.

Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.

Fresh fruits and vegetables—especially those naturally rich in water, such as watermelon, onions, celery, and cucumbers—can make you urinate more frequently, reducing water retention. Fruits and vegetables also provide ample sources of potassium, which assists with fluid balance within body cells. I love going to the farmers' market on Sundays and picking up fresh fruits and veggies, but let's face it—making constant trips to buy fresh produce doesn't always fit into my lifestyle. Thank goodness for Shakeology®. It's an easy way to get my fruits and veggies without having to set up shop in the produce section of the market. And that way, my veggies come in the form of a delicious chocolate-flavored treat. I sometimes toss a mini banana into my shake for some extra potassium, which also helps discourage water retention and keeps my muscles from cramping up during workouts.

Courtesy of Team Beachbody

Newsletters
Each week the Team Beachbody® newsletter brings you the latest health and fitness news, updates on new projects and upcoming releases, and tips and advice for getting in the best shape of your life. Don't worry if you missed a newsletter—you can catch up on back issues here.

Issue: #192, October 21, 2010

How Do I Lose My Belly Fat?

Question: What can I do to lose weight in my stomach? I've been doing lots of crunches but they don't seem to help.

Expert Answer:
There is no way to target weight loss to a specific area of the body because your body decides where it wants to put on weight and where it wants to take it off. The midsection is a common "problem" area for many people.

The best way to lose fat is through cardiovascular exercise. It is important to do a variety of abdominal exercises (including crunches) to keep your core strong, but until that excess fat is gone, you will not see the muscle definition. So if you're not doing cardio, crunches are not going to help get the 6-pack you've been hoping for. Regular cardio exercise at a level that's challenging for you is your best bet.

Exercise Extra: "Apple" shapes (fat storage around the belly) have been shown to have a higher risk of certain cardiovascular diseases, whereas storing fat in your lower half, known as a "Pear" shape, is actually a healthier site for fat accumulation.

Courtesy of Spark People

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