Don't let FEAR hold you back

Do you know what's holding you back from success? Its FEAR. FEAR is false, evidence appearing real. Fear can hold you back from weight loss, exercise, a new career, a new relationship, ending a bad relationship. Fear is you being your own worst enemy.

Don't sit there wondering what if, if I only could, or worse if I only did... Start getting hold of your life and ditch the fear. Once you start, you will feel so much better and learn to love the butterflies in your stomach.

Insanity Fit Test 2 Results

This morning marked Day 15 of Insanity for my husband and me. Day 15 means another Fit Test! I was really excited to see if I had made any improvements from the first Fit Test.

So down to the basement we went at an early morning hour.  I'll tell you, early morning workouts aren't everyone's cup of tea, but it sure is nice to have your workout done! And did you know that if you workout first thing in the morning (before breakfast) helps you burn more fat during cardio based workouts. And some studies suggest that you continue to burn even more calories through out the day compared to those who workout after breakfast.

Well, back to the Fit Test. When you do the Fit Test, you get a pretty good workout.  But today I decided to add in the first round of P90X Shoulders & Arms, as well as some Ab Ripper X.

Here are my results from Fit Test 1:

Switch Kicks 100 (or 50 each leg)

Power Jacks 58
Power Knees 100
Power Jumps 44
Globe Jumps 8
Suicide Jumps 14
Push-up Jacks 29
Low Plank Oblique 40

And here are results from Fit Test 2 (today):

Switch Kicks 124 (or 62 each leg)

Power Jacks 55 (what happened here?? 3 less than last week)
Power Knees 116
Power Jumps 42 (hey! 2 less than last week!!)
Globe Jumps 13
Suicide Jumps 15
Push-up Jacks 29
Low Plank Oblique 46 (or 92 each knee)

So I improved in some, stayed the same in one and for some reason dropped in 2.  I may have been focusing on better form this time around (I hope so...)

Well on to the official start of Week 3 of Insanity! Will post Fit Test 3 in a couple of weeks.



 

Insanity Fit Test - Day 1

Well today was the official start of Day 1 of Insanity with my husband.  The Insanity Fit Test marked our first day.  We haven't worked out together in years, so its fun to start something new with him.

I did Insanity last year and I'll be honest, I wasn't that crazy about it.  I don't know if it was because it was mid-summer and hot as hell, or if I just wasn't mentally ready for it. So I did 4 weeks and quickly went running back to Tony Horton's P90X.

Then I tried again in the fall, this time I thought I'd do a yoga/Insanity hybrid.  Well about 2 weeks into it I hurt my shoulder.  Too many chaturangas with my power yoga and too many push-ups with Insanity. But it did open up the door to trying Brazil Butt Lift, which was perfect around the holidays followed by more P90X.

Well at about week 8 of round 3, I started getting the itch to try Insanity again.  I surely thought I was crazy because why on earth would I want to try that again? But the thought kept needling its way in and sure enough I substituted one of the P90X cardio workouts for an Insanity workout.  Guess what! I made it through and actually felt great afterwards. So I tried it again on the next cardio day, and I was totally hooked.  So I asked my husband if he'd do a round of Insanity with me.  I was shocked when a week later he told me yes. Just to see if he was really on board, I tried a workout with him on Saturday and he loved it. So much so that he wanted to do another on Sunday. So its official, we started Day 1 today. We trudged down to the basement at 5 am to start our insane journey.

The Fit Test is a workout in itself.  30 minutes of power exercises, combined with plyometrics, push ups and core exercises that make Pilates look like its for girlie's.

And for the record, I like the Insanity Elite Nutrition Guide a lot better than the P90X Nutrition Guide (which I still like a lot).

Here are my results for today's Fit Test:

Switch Kicks 100 (or 50 each leg)
Power Jacks 58
Power Knees 100
Power Jumps 44
Globe Jumps 8 (I know I sucked at this one, but I had also worked out 12 days straight)
Suicide Jumps 14
Push-up Jacks 29
Low Plank Oblique 40 (not as easy as it sounds)

So the next Fit Test is on Day 15.  Let's see if I can dig deeper and rock this!

If you;d like more info on Insanity, P90X or any of the other amazing Beachbody workouts, visit my website at http://fitwithjessica.com/ or eamil me at fitwithjessica@live.com

Loren - really bringing it in Day 13 of P90X

Meet Loren! Loren is someone new that I'm coaching and just because she's not too far into her 90 day journey of P90X doesn't mean she's not seeing amazing results already! Loren is a stay at home mom of two very cute girls and she also runs her own intimate apparel business.  So Loren, just like the rest of us has a very busy schedule.  She could very easily fall into the trap of putting everything else first, but she's really determined to make her health her priority.  She knows that this will help her be a better mom, wife and business woman.  Here is what Loren had to say in her own words:

"It's day 13 and I'm really mad at myself! I can't believe how much money I have wasted on Spanx when all I needed was some self control and muscle confusion! My biggest fear is that my new perky energetic disposition might be annoying the people around me- "Oh well" I say! Day 13 down 5 lbs and one dress size- BRING IT!!"

Way to go Loren!  Keep up the good work and keep inspiring us to bring it! Not only is Loren exercising, but she is following a healthy nutrition plan that comes with P90X and she just started drinking Shakeology. 

If you would like more information on P90X, the program that Loren is doing, or any other Beachbody workout, send me an email to fitwithjessica@live.com or visit http://fitwithjessica.com/

I don't feel my age

Today is my birthday! I woke up at 5:00 a.m, did my P90X workout, had my oatmeal and a whey protein smoothie. Then I had my Shakeology for lunch (after a healthy snack of course). Woo hoo! Way to party like a rock star on your birthday, right? Trust me, I wouldn;t have had it any other way!

Even though I'm another year older, I really don't feel it. Mentally, I know I'm slightly immature (lol), but I'm talking physically.  My body feels as though I'm in my 20s. I actually feel better than when I was in my 20s.  In my 20s I was super skinny. I weighed in at 102-105 pounds, which at 5'4.5" is very thin.  I'm 20 lbs more than that now, but with exercise and eating right, its all in the right places.

I'm also more flexible than what I was in my 20s. I do a lot more flexibility exercies than what I did back then. I'm stronger and feel more balanced.

I used to smoke, drink more (alcohol) and would stay up until 3:00 a.m. most nights, and wake up around 9:00 a.m..  I ate what I wanted, but only ate about 2 meals per day and maybe a snack. So while I was super skinny, I wasn't super healthy.  I remember always having headaches and not sleeping great.  It was a "fun" life, but not a very healthy one.

Flash forward to present day - while I don't fit in a size 0 jeans anymore, or I'm not partying like a rock star, I feel so much healthier than I ever did.  I feel like I should be in my 20s again!

My drinks of choice are now water, green tea and Shakeology.  I eat 5-6 small meals per day, I exercise everyday with programs like P90X, Insanity and Brazil Butt Lift.  I make sure I get 7-8 hours of sleep everynight (although sometimes interrupted by a small child). So I instead of leading the rock star life style I once led, I'm leading the healthy lifestyle. And I'm much happier for it!

If you're ready to lead a healthier life, now's the time to do it. Its never too late or too early.  As a Team Beachbody Coach, I can help you set up healthy goals.  Now is the right time.

I'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment below or email me at fitwithjessica@live.com

We all have cellulite...

I was standing in line at BJs Wholesale Club today and saw the latest In Touch magazine cover with Kim Kardashian and I think it may have been Holly Madison (from The Girls Next Door) on the cover.  The title blared "We Have Cellulite, so What!" And inside there were untouched photos of both women in bikinis with cellulite (not much, but visible).

I wanted to see if I could find the article online, but found this article instead from the NY Post, click here to view . As I looked at the pictures, I thought to myself, I wish more women could come to grips with their cellulite, stretch marks and other issues.  And I wish more magazines would feature women standing up and saying "so what!"  Perhaps so many of the women I coach would have better body images of themselves.

We all have cellulite lurking around, even men do.  I remember going to a KISS concert in 1996, having front row seats and noticed that even Gene Simmons had cellulite peeking through the side cut-outs on his spandex.  Oh well...

Exercise and nutrition are extremely important in maintaining a healthy weight, healthy heart, healthy everything, but exercise and nutrition aren't necessarily going to get rid of your cellulite.  Sure it could minimize the appearance or in some cases make it look worse.  But I wish society would just let us relax a little about our slightly lumpy thighs and tummies.

I know I often fall victim into wanting that perfect looking body, but unfortunately its not going to happen.  I have my own issues with not being entirely happy with my abs and the skin that got stretched due to having 4 large babies.  And no matter what I do, its not going away.  But I try to change my thinking into "well, I'm healthy and that's really what matters."

I know its a lot easier said than done, but just try to be happy in the skin you're in.

I'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment below.

Exercise for your mental health

I know most of us who do exercise regularly do it for the physical benefits. A healthy heart, lowered blood pressure and cholesterol, slimmer waistline, these are some of the reasons we get our bodies moving and grooving.  However exercise is also an awesome way to improve your mental health too.

Exercise can be viewed as a preventative activity that may actually help prevent physical and emotional conditions. Even short bursts of activity help individuals feel better, which means that you don't have to spend hours at the gym to gain real mental health benefits.


One reason for the feelings of well-being that are generated during and after exercise: the body's natural release of endorphins. These chemicals released by the brain are the body's natural painkillers and can lead to an increase in feelings of happiness. Exercise leads to an increase in energy and to better sleeping patterns, which may also explain why it is so helpful to people with depression. Low energy and poor sleep are common symptoms of depression.

The side effects of exercise happen to be much better than some of the negative side effects of prescription medications as well.  When you exercise you will also start feeling more confident in yourself.  You will start to look better and feel better.  You may lose the excess weight you've been carrying around instead of putting on pounds associated with certain medications. And most people who exercise regularly report that their libido picks up too (drop in libido has long been associated with certain medications).

Now, there will still be people who do need medication.  This post isn't meant to say that everyone can stop taking their medicine.  It just mean to point out some positives to staying active.

You;re never too old to start exercise either.  As long as your doctor gives you the okay, you can start exercising at any age.  I've seen people start in their 70s and they feel wonderful.  You just need to start slow if you've never exercised before.

Okay, I know some of you may get intimidated when I talk about a program like P90X or Insanity.  You don't need to start off at that level.  Just make a decision to do something like walking for 10 minutes, or taking the stairs whenever possible.  Gradually increase the amount of time you exercise and the intensity as you get better at it.

Here are a few suggestion I have for people just starting out and want to try a Beachbody program, but not ready for the intesity of P90X:

Rockin Body by Shaun T.
Slim in 6 by Debbie Siebers
Turbo Jam by Chalene Johnson
10-Minute Trainer by Tony Horton
Power 90 by Tony Horton
Yoga Booty Ballet Ab & Butt Makeover by Gillian and Teigh 

The workouts I listed above are just suggestions for getting started.  And they still provide a challenge too.  They're not too easy, you need to do some work.  And walking, running, bike riding and swimming are all excellent activities as well.  Mix them up and have fun!  Don't worry about getting it perfect, just do it!

I'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to comment below.

A girl can change her mind, right?

Okay, I know my original plan was to do 4 more weeks of Brazil Butt Lift, trust me I loved the results (click here to read about them and see pictures).  But I had this overwhelming desire to do another round of P90X (this is round 3 for me).  It was like this nagging voice in my head kept saying "go back to Tony..."

I guess we sometimes return to our first love.  And I do love P90X! I loved Brazil Butt Lift too, and I liked (not loved) Insanity, but there's just something that really draws me to P90X. 

Maybe its the fact that I can eat around 1800-2000 calories while doing P90X.  I do love to eat!!!  And that's one of the reasons I exercise as much as I do.  I'm not a kid anymore where I can eat all I want and not gain weight like I used to.  Now it has consequences.

So this morning I popped in my Chest & Back dvd and did my push ups and pull ups (I'm going to be sore as heck tomorrow) and then I did my Ab Ripper X. And it was like being with old friends :-)

Well, I'll keep you posted on this journey too. I hope it inspires you to get up and get moving. 

I'd love to hear from you, feel free to leave a comment below.  Or you can send me an email to fitwithjessica@live.com

As a Team Beachbody Coach, I can help you achieve your health and fitness goals.  Why not sign up for a free account by clicking here.

Think its too overwhelming?

I've been a big fan of my to-do list for a some time now. Every night at 8:30 pm, I write up the items I need to do the next day.  I'm also a big fan of Fly Lady.  So I check my inbox for my "flight plan" for the next day and add my daily "mission" to the list.

When I looked at my list today, I felt a little overwhelmed because my "mission" was to wipe down the kitchen cabinets and the appliances. I've done this before, and  so why did the task seem so daunting?

Well, that's when I remembered to follow the Fly Lady's instructions and set the timer for 15 minutes.  You can do anything for 15 minutes!  And guess what? I had the whole job done within 7 minutes!! Yay!!

I was able to relax for a few moments, enjoy a cup of green tea and play with my kids.  This got me thinking... Once I got it in my head that the job of cleaning the cabinets would only take 15 minutes (and no more), I felt a lot less intimidated by the idea.  And I kicked booty and did it in half the time!

So what is overwhelming you?  Is it organizing your home office? Maybe its clearing out the clutter of your closet?  What about the clutter on your dining room table? What about exercise? Does that seem overwhelming?

Even exercise can be tackled in 5 to15 minute increments.  Did you know you burn almost the same amount of calories if you do three 10 minute segments of exercise compared to one 30 minute session?

Set you timer for 5 minutes and jog (or walk) up and down the stairs.  Sock skate on the wood floor for 5, or do as many push-ups, jumping jacks and crunches for 5.

There's even a cool workout called 10 Minute Trainer by Tony Horton where you can do 10 minute segments of resistance training and cardio.  It even comes with the resistance bands! Plus a nutrition guide! So right there its not overwhelming because it comes with what you need to succeed.

I know how hard it is to start something.  Our minds play tricks on us and force us to fear something and make it bigger than it is.  But if you can break it down into blocks of time for 5, 10 or 15 minutes and promise yourself you will stop when the timer stops, then that task shrinks and looks a lot less scary.

If you need help taking on exercise and bringing it down to size, email me at fitwithjessica@live.com .

I'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment:)

Ed Reverses his Type 2 Diabetes

Ed Z. absolutely inspired me recently with his story.  I have the privilege of coaching him, but one thing I want to make clear is that he did all of this hard work by himself.  I'm just there for support and answering questions from time to time.  But all of his hard work and determination are his alone.  Ed recently sent me a message with really awesome news and I wanted to share some of it with you.  What I love the most about what he wrote is that when he was first diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, all of his research could have left him feeling defeated, but he refused to give up and I'm so happy and proud of him that he didn't.

Ed works full time as a teacher, is a dad to a really cute kid and brings it with  P90X and running to reach his goals.

"In 9 months I have lost 93 pounds. My A1C, was originally 11.8, IN MARCH OF this year, and now it is 5.6. NORMAL!!!!!!!!!!!! The doctor took me off my medication and my Diabetes is in remission. Can you believe it!!!!!! As long as I continue to eat healthy, maintain my weight, and exercise regularly. I should be fine. I told him that I had no plans to stop, and I am even more motivated to get down to my goal weight of 160. I had a goal, to get off meds when this all began, and I did it Jess!!!!!"

"I've been working out daily, and I plan to begin my second round of P90X, soon. Damn, the doctor was so taken with my results he said he wished I could go in and speak to some of his patients to light a fire under them. Amazing, huh?!?!?!"


"You know, when I was first diagnosed I did a ton of research to see if I could get off the meds, eventually, and at the time there were no posts that I could find about it. In fact, most info I found was just the opposite and so bleak. I suppose that's why so many people assume that once you are diagnosed, it's a death sentence. I had faith that I could reach this point despite the nay sayers, and I can't believe I did it. Having faith and willingness to put forth the effort can bring about miracles. It's not a fallacy. You can get off meds, you can manage your diabetes, and live a long and healthy life. Now I'm under the gun to keep it up and work even harder to stay off the meds. Diabetes is a progressive disease, and there is no guarantee that I'll never need to be on meds again, but I'm going to do my best to ride this wave as long as I can. I'm up for the challenge, and it's going to keep me on the straight and narrow."

If hope you found Ed's story as inspiring as I did.  When and if you're faced with something that seems to big to handle, remember to have faith, surround yourself with a good support system and try to be positive.

I'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to comment below or send me an email to fitwithjessica@live.com

This is how I roll.

Having 4 kids and running my own successful online fitness business has generated a lot of comments and questions from so many people.  I get people who feel the need to give me blessings, (which I appreciate), but I do sense sarcasm in some of these.  I also get people who think I'm crazy (not sure why, I'm not doing anything that weird, like base jumping).  Then I get the people who ask if I'm going to have more kids (um, no), or the people who say having all those kids is what keeps me in shape (um, I wish, but no again on that one). Or that I must be super organized (well,I wasn't a born organizer, but am working on that), or that I don't get any down time (hmm, I think I get more downtime than most people :))) )

So, I thought I'd share a little bit of what helps me and what doesn't.

Okay, for starters, if you don't know me by now, I'll get you up to speed.  I've been in the fitness industry since 2003.  I started out with 2 boys (11 months apart), teaching 12 classes per week and training private clients 10 times per week.  In 2005, we added another boy to our family.  Then in 2008 we added a little girl.  My husband is helpful with the kids, but he works outside of the home.

So, as I stated earlier, I wasn't born organized. Its still a work in progress for  me.  But now more than ever I see the importance of staying focused, but being flexible.  When I decided to take my fitness career to a new place (my online business), I definitely saw the need to having a plan in place. In the beginning it was very easy to get lost and put chores off.  Although my house wasn't horrible, I noticed the dust starting to accumulate, clutter was threatening in the rooms, and when I was forgetting to pick something up from the store or run an errand.

Enter my "TO DO LIST." Yes, I wrote it in caps because its very important to me.  I can't live without it.  I used to think lists were for organized people and that I was to unorganized to keep a list.  Oh boy, how warped is that thinking? How do you think people who appear organized stay organized? A LIST!!!

It doesn't need to be a fancy Daytimer, I just picked up a cute spiral notebook with lots of paper in it.  Every night, I make up my list for the next day.  I include exercise, my time to read 10 minutes of something inspirational, and then I list my daily chores to do, errands to run and if something unexpected pops up, I add that too.  I checkoff each item I complete, and if it was a last minute add, I check it off so I don't feel bad when something else might not have gotten done.  If it didn't get done, I move it to the next day.

At the end of the day, at the bottom of my page, I write down at least 5 things I was grateful for on that day.  This way I always end on a positive note.

Now as far as my family goes, we're pretty simple.  We only enroll our kids in one (max 2) sports per season.  And they usually take the summer and winter off.  I'm lucky because my older boys just like baseball right now.  So this save time and there is less chaos for the entire family. Too many people run their kids around to all sorts of activities, and then there is no downtime for their children.  Kids need downtime!!

Maybe it helps that my husband and I are loners.  We used to have a busy social life, but that gets exhausting. Ever since our last move, our social calendar has slowed down a lot.  But I like it like that.  So instead of going to holiday gatherings every weekend from November until January 1st, we have a lot of weekends where we get to stay home by the fire, watch movies, go on hikes, do projects around the house and just enjoy our family.  I love not having to worry about packing up the kids or finding a sitter every weekend.  I know this sounds mean, but my parents live in FL, so during the holidays we only have to worry about visiting with one set of parents. Yes, I do miss my parents but we go visit them during a less stressful time of year.

Now all of this helps, but I still needed something to keep me on track with keeping the house tidy.  In a perfect world, I'd have the motivation and desire to do this, but housework was never my favorite thing to do.

I don't have the luxury of doing my cleaning while my little one naps.  She needs me to lay down with her (trust me I love this!).  And I really want to get my daily exercise in too. Well, enter http://www.flylady.net/.

I used to use the Fly Lady when we lived in our last house.  It came in handy when we had Realtors coming daily to show the home.  Everyone who saw my house couldn't believe how clean it was for having 3 kids (one of which was a baby).  Somehow I got off track when we moved in to our current home and then got pregnant again, but I have rediscovered her system and found that it has really simplified my life.

I know this sounds nuts, but I wake at 5 am every morning to do my exercise (almost always a Beachbody one).  Then while my husband is showering I do a quick "swish and swipe" of the kids' bathroom. Then I shower, clean our bathroom and get ready to start the day.

The Fly Lady sends you missions that take 15 min to do.  I can't explain it all, so you need to check her out yourself.

Okay, so my next time saver is menu planning.  I love to cook, but used to just cook by mood.  Not good when you have 4 kids and you might need to run to the store.  I've found that the Beachbody Custom Meal Plan Wizard has really been a useful tool in planning the weekly dinner menu.  It also gives you breakfasts, snack and lunches. It's really helped me save money and have less food waste.

Well, there you have it. Those are some of my secrets to appearing to be organized and in control.  I love my days with my family and they're a lot less stressful now.

I'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment or send me an email to fitwithjessica@live.com

Procrastination

Okay, I know we're all guilty of it.  I'm perhaps one of the biggest procrastinators out there. As I type, I have a big pile of my 2 year old's clothes to bag up for donation.  I did promise myself I would get to it later today though:)

I had been procrastinating about cleaning my fridge for a long time, but my mission today from Fly Lady was to set the timer for 15 minutes and go to work on it. Well, I set the timer for 20 minutes and finished with 3 minutes to spare - woo hoo! So later today I'll set my timer for 15-20 minutes and tackle that pile of old clothes.

I've often thought that procrastination had to be good for some things though.  Its kept me from spending money on stuff I didn't really need. But there is still a big down side to putting everything off.  Like when it comes to doing something you know really needs to be done, such as de-cluttering, cleaning, exercising, eating right, paying bills...

What happens is every time you put it off, it just seems harder and harder to do it.  In our quest for perfection, we tend to set our expectations too high. For instance, some feel they can't exercise until they lose weight.  I had someone tell me they weren't going to the doctor for a physical until they lost weight (WHAT?). Or we put off eating right until after the holidays. After a while we get so used to making the excuses that we never start what we said we would do and we turn a mole-hill into a mountain.

So what is it that you keep putting off?  How do we stop the excuses and just do it?  What's worked for me is letting go of things having to be perfect and taking baby steps. For example, I could have taken an hour to clean my fridge, taking everything out, getting every nook and cranny clean, but that would have been horrible for me and I would never do it. So I took the advice from the Fly Lady and set my timer for a short amount of time, which I felt I could handle. And guess what? My fridge looks great and I was really proud of myself, plus it was fast!

So what about exercise or eating better? Well you could incorporate the same baby-steps philosophy. Instead of vowing to run for an hour, but never doing it, try 10 minutes, see what happens. Could you handle just 10 minutes? 10 minutes is better than 0 minutes.  Or instead of trying to go full force into better eating, try eating just one good meal per day.  Could you handle that, or maybe even just one healthy snack?

It doesn't have to be as my husband would say a "full balls" effort. That could be very intimidating for a lot of people.  You could just dip your pinky toe in:)

I'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment or email me at fitwithjessica@live.com

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

In this article Debra Pivko of Beachbody explains how to get rid of water weight.  Some people actually believe not drinking water will help. This is the farthest thing from the truth.  I even had one person ask me if swimming in a pool contributes to water weight. Again, not true.  Exercise is the best way to sweat out the excess water and that can include swimming in a heated pool during the cold months.

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

I'd love to hear from you. If you need help losing those last few pound or have more than 5 to lose, let me help you.  You can leave a comment here or email me at fitwithjessica@live.com.

Monkey see, monkey do...

My 2 year old daughter loves watching me while I wash my face, brush and floss my teeth. She asks me to put moisturizer on her face, then she flosses her teeth with me.  In the mornings, she likes to apply lip balm, while I get my make-up on.  She brushes her hair with her head turned upside down while I do the same with the blow dryer.

When I exercise she dances around me, she jumps on the mini-trampoline, and picks up the 2 lb hand weights and tries to lift them overhead.

I'm hoping that by watching me and imitating me she'll pick up some healthy habits.

I do know that she watches the things I'm not so proud of too.  And she imitates these things.  Like when I yell at her older brothers, she yells at them too.

Recently I read a post that girls will have a better body image of themselves if their moms have a good attitude about their body.  Hmmm, how many times have I looked in the mirror and criticized something I wasn't happy about?  How many times was my daughter around when I've done this?

I want my daughter to see exercise and good nutrition as a way of staying healthy, not to achieve the perfect body. I don't want her to look in the mirror and pick herself apart.

So how about you? What types of things are your kids picking up on? I know we can't censor what we do all the time, but if you want your kids to be happy with themselves, we have to be happy with ourselves.

I'd love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment or email me at fitwithjessica@live.com

My favorite shake and the results I'm seeing

You've heard me talk about Shakeology and why I love it. I'm a very frugal and skeptical person by nature.  I didn't want to spend the money on it.  Plus I've been around long enough to see products come out filled with empty promises.  But because I get so many people asking me, "what should I do to lose weight?" or "what supplements do you recommend?" I had to give it a try to form an honest opinion about it. I figured if I didn't like it or it turned out to be bogus, I'd send it back for a full refund.  Nothing to lose at all.

Well that was back in March, and I have been using it daily since then.  Not only am I using it and loving it, but my husband who is even more skeptical than me is using it too.

I think most of you who know me, know that I am honest about what I believe works and what doesn't.  If I try something and don't like it, I tell you.  And for my husband to tell people at work about it speaks volumes.

I've gotten so many people who I coach emailing me telling me how much they love using it too.  Its really that good.

I have it everyday for lunch.  My schedule is busy with being a stay at home mom of 4 kids.  I also run my own online fitness business and have a house to take care of.  Besides doing all of this, I work out everyday and eat about 5 meals per day.  I need to eat every 2-3 hours or I get cranky, jittery and ready to pig out on anything. So its very important for me to fuel my body with good, healthy nutrition in order to keep going.

Here is a picture that compares the cost and nutrition of Shakeology vs. a fast food lunch (which would be just as easy):

Seeing a comparison like that really helped to justify the cost for me.  I could even buy frozen dinners to keep on hand and its still going to be around $4 per serving and really high in sodium and artificial ingredients. I get it for less than $3 per serving with my discount and free shipping (you can ask me how you can do that).

What made Shakeology even more attractive to me was the fact that I'm doing something healthy for my body beside stuffing food in my mouth.  Since using Shakeology, I've noticed:

• My nails seem stronger and look better (even on my toes LOL). 
• I don't crave sweets anymore (I used to indulge in a bowl of ice cream every night). 
• I don't feel as sore after hard workouts
• I manage to keep my weight right on target even if I miss a few days of working out
• I don't get monthly cramps anymore (sorry had to throw that in because this was something that really bothered me every month and left me unable to workout)
• I'm able to feel satisfied and not too full during my afternoon workouts

Below is a video to show you what doctors are also saying about Shakeology.




Listen, I'd love to hear from you and get your feedback.  Feel free to leave a comment here or email me at fitwithjessica@live.com

If you have any questions or need help with working out and eating right, please feel free to contact me.

Obesity is the in thing, an eye opener at Disney

You know how you hear about something on the news or on the Internet, but it really doesn't hit home with you? Well, I always knew there was an obesity problem in the US, but I don't go out a lot so I really don't see too many people. I mean I do go to the playground with the kids, I go to the library with them and I will go food shopping, but most of the time I place an order online and pick it up without having to leave my car.  So my day consists of very little face to face action.

When I was doing more personal training, my clients weren't in bad shape. They might have had 15 or 20 pounds to lose, but nothing that I would say fell under the definition of obesity.  Even while teaching classes at the gym, most of the people who took my classes were in shape.  I guess a lot of people who are obese feel self conscious about the whole gym environment.  It can be intimidating with all of those mirrors and people walking around with just a workout bra and shorts.

During our very recent vacation, I was shocked to see the amount of obese people and families at the resort we stayed at.  I'd have to say that I counted only 6-10 adults that seemed to be within a healthy weight range at the pool.  These in shape people were some of the same people I would see at the fitness center every morning.  And let me tell you, the most people at the fitness center when I was there was 3 including me.

It was pretty sad to see people riding scooters to go down the corridors of the resort because they were suffering complications from obesity. Then when we went to Magic Kingdom, the numbers of obese people increased even more.  I'd have to say that obesity was the majority there.  Did you know they say the average size American woman is a size 14?

I find it sad that most Americans know what is good and bad for them, but they still continue to make bad choices because its easier than making good choices.  I'm not talking about making a bad food choice on occasion, we all like to indulge a little bit now and then.  But more and more Americans are eating foods that used to be an occasional treat every day, every meal.  More and more Americans are choosing not to exercise at all. They'd rather sit in front of the computer or TV.  Hey, its okay to relax. Relaxation is very good, but you need to burn more calories than you eat. So if your day consists of a lot of sitting and driving around, you need to adjust your calories accordingly. 

What's the point of me writing all of this? Well, it renewed my passion to reach out and help people stay in shape or get in shape.  I'm not suggesting that everyone get washboard abs, or super skinny, but just get to a healthy weight. Its not easy to change habits.  Its especially hard when you seem to have the whole nation pushing for you to become super-sized.  You need to have the desire to change.  You need a good support system and have a plan.

I know this might seem overwhelming, but there is hope.  You have me and a whole community at Team Beachbody to offer help for free.  If you or someone you know is having a hard time sticking to a plan, let me know.  I would love to help you.

I'd also love to hear from you.  Feel free to leave a comment here or email me at fitwithjessica@live.com

Healthy snacks for watching TV

I don't know what it is about watching sports on TV that makes us want to snack? You would think it would it would do the opposite and make us want to get moving, uh, no.  So how do you take what seems to be a centuries old tradition and  make it healthier? Read the article below:

10 Healthy Snacks for Couch Time


By Joe Wilkes

Fall is upon us, which means that the new TV season has begun, baseball is heading into the postseason, and football is starting up. The weather's getting cooler, and the couch will soon call for you to lie down on it with a warm blanket. Now, keep in mind we're not encouraging any couch potato behavior. We'd prefer you pop in a P90X video and use the couch as a towel rack. But we're all human, and it's almost impossible to resist the siren song of a playoff game or the return of Glee or Dancing with the Stars. Just because you're taking a couple of hours off to flatten both your gluteal muscles and your sofa cushions doesn't mean you have to stuff yourself with chips, cookies, or other bagged diet-killers. Here are 10 tasty and healthy snacks that are great for TV downtime.

1.Popcorn. It's not just for the movie theater anymore. In fact, you're better off skipping it at the movie theater, because a bucket of oil-popped movie theater popcorn can contain as much fat as three to five double cheeseburgers. But air-popped popcorn is a pretty benign treat. Three cups of popcorn have just 93 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. Air-popped popcorn doesn't have much nutritive value outside of the energy you may get from the calories and some dietary fiber, but it can satisfy your munchies without getting you too far off the diet path. The best popcorn comes from your own hot-air popper—and with no additional fat or salt, unless you add it later. If you're going for microwave convenience, make sure you read the label carefully. Even some of the "healthy" brands contain a fair amount of fat and salt. And many microwave brands contain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which has been linked to cancer. You might be better off making your own microwave popcorn. Just put 1/4 cup of popcorn into a brown lunch bag, fold the top over tightly, and microwave at your usual popcorn setting. Try to avoid salt and butter. Instead, enjoy your favorite herbs or a squeeze of lemon juice with some garlic powder or cayenne pepper.

2.Bean dip. Beans are a great source of protein and fiber, and they don't have tons of calories. One cup of canned pintos only has 206 calories; it also has 12 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber—almost half of your recommended daily allowance. And beans are incredibly filling. Even prepackaged bean dips are pretty decent (of course, always check the label for the fat and sodium contents). You can make your own dips, hot or cold, by food-processing canned black or pinto beans (my favorites are the ones canned with jalapeños) and adding water to create your desired consistency. You can also use fat-free refried beans. You could add some chopped bell or jalapeño peppers, green onions, or canned corn to add a crunchy texture, or some chopped tomatoes for a little extra flavor and vitamins. Instead of fatty fried tortilla chips, use baked chips or, better yet some crunchy raw veggies like carrots, celery, sliced bell peppers, broccoli, or cauliflower.

3.Salsa. This is the perfect mix of tomatoes, onions, and peppers—all members of the top tier of Michi's Ladder. And the great thing is that salsa is so low in calories and so high in fiber, you can basically eat it by the cupful and not gain weight. If you buy it at the store though, watch out for the salt content—that's the secret ingredient in most canned and jarred salsas. You're much better off making your own pico de gallo: Just dice tomatoes and onions and mix with as much minced jalapeño and/or garlic as you can stand. Add fresh cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste and toss the veggies in the juice of two limes. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. You can eat it with baked chips or the crunchy veggies that also go great with the bean dip. The salsa and the bean dip also complement each other well, for the double dippers among us.

4.Crispbread crackers. These crunchy treats (including Wasa® and Rykrisp® brands) have around 30 calories a cracker (depending on the brand, flavor, and style) and a couple of grams of fiber in each one. For the Top Chef in you, they make great bases for some healthy ingredients from your refrigerator. Try a dollop of fat-free cottage cheese with a dash of hot sauce; a slice of turkey breast and roasted red pepper; a "schmear" of hummus and a couple of pitted olives; or a slice of tomato and a fresh basil leaf with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Even the pico de gallo recipe above with some shredded nonfat cheddar will make a tasty cracker-topping treat. By being creative with some wholesome ingredients, you'll forget all about the halcyon days of eating Ritz® crackers washed down with aerosol cheese right from the can (sigh).

5.Pistachios. Pistachios are a great heart-healthy snack full of antioxidants, fiber, and unsaturated fats (the good kind). A 1/2-cup serving (with the shells, assuming you don't eat them) only has 170 calories, with 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber; however, that serving also has 14 grams of fat, so don't go nuts chowing down on a whole bag. Walnuts, peanuts, cashews, almonds, pecans, and other nuts all have their nutritional upsides, too, but the reason I think pistachios make great snacks is the shells. The shells are difficult to open, so rather than shoveling handfuls of pre-shelled nuts down your throat, eat in-the-shell pistachios so you're forced to slow down. Keep an eye on the sodium content when you buy the nuts. Either buy unsalted or low-salt versions. And forget those disgusting pink ones that taste like lipstick. Who needs to leave hot-pink fingerprints all over the couch? A lot of stores also sell flavored versions that aren't too salty—chili-lime is one of my favorites.

6.Edamame. The Japanese have one of the healthiest diets in the world, and soybeans are a great staple of that diet. Edamame—steamed or boiled soybean pods—contain all the essential amino acids, many essential fatty acids, and soy isoflavones. And a half-cup of beans only has 100 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 9 grams of carbs, with 8 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Truly one of nature's perfect foods. And like pistachios, you can serve them in their shells, which slows down your face-stuffing process, giving you time to feel full before you've overeaten.

7.Mini-pizzas. Forget the frozen food section. Anyone with a toaster oven or a broiler pan can be his or her own Mama Celeste or Chef Boyardee®. Just take half of a whole wheat English muffin (67 calories; 2 grams of fiber), add a little low-sodium tomato-based spaghetti or pizza sauce and a sprinkle of shredded low-fat or nonfat mozzarella cheese, and voilà—tasty and healthy pizza! As with the crispbread crackers, your imagination's the only limit for toppings. Fresh herbs like basil and oregano are delicious. Peppers, mushrooms, and low-sodium anchovies are popular and fairly healthy. Just stay away from processed meats like pepperoni, which are often loaded with saturated fat, carcinogenic nitrates, and sodium.

8.Pita chips and hummus. Now you can open a Greek taverna in your living room. While some stores sell premade pita chips, you can easily make your own with very little fuss and muss (and usually with much less fat and salt). A large whole wheat pita has 170 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and less than 2 grams of fat. To make chips, cut around the edge of the pita with a small paring knife, so you have two discs. Then with a knife or pizza cutter, cut the discs into eighths or smaller chip-size pieces. Arrange the pieces on an aluminum-foil-covered cookie sheet, lightly spray with some olive oil cooking spray, and sprinkle with a little salt, low-fat Parmesan cheese, or your favorite dried herbs. Cook in oven or toaster oven until lightly browned and crispy, then serve with your favorite hummus or dip recipe.

9.Relish tray. Some of my favorite snacks are pickled or brined anything—cucumbers, cauliflower, peppers, artichoke hearts, carrots, okra, baby corn, cornichons, cocktail onions, olives, sauerkraut, kimchi . . . even herring and hard-boiled eggs! Extremely low in calories, a plate full of pickled veggies on the coffee table is great for snacking. But watch out for the sodium! Certain store brands have more than others. The more ambitious might try marinating their fresh veggies in vinegar and a little heart-healthy olive oil to control the amount of salt involved. If you use salty brands, you might consider rinsing them to get rid of some of the salt, or mixing them on a plate with some fresh, unpickled vegetables to mitigate your salt intake.

10.Deviled eggs. Eggs, once considered a scourge of the heart-healthy diet, are now getting a better rap. What's indisputable is the health value of the whites. If you take the yolks out of the equation, the egg whites prove to be small, healthy, high-protein delivery systems suitable for all kinds of nutritious creamy fillings. Cut a bunch of hard-boiled eggs in half, lengthwise, and scoop out and discard the yolks. (See the Yolkless Deviled Eggs recipe elsewhere in this newsletter!) Try mixing some nonfat cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, or nonfat cream cheese with your favorite flavorings and spices, then blending or food-processing until creamy. Spoon or pipe the mixture into the egg whites where the yolks used to be, and you'll have a high-protein snack without all the fat and cholesterol. You can also use the empty egg whites as scoops for your favorite healthy dip or salsa.

Of course, you can enjoy even more snack food if you can work some exercise into your TV watching. During playoff season, don't just save the stretching for the seventh inning. Try some exercises like P90X X Stretch throughout the game. Or if you're settling in for a night in front of the tube, make a deal with yourself—you can veg out and watch The Office and 30 Rock if you turn off Jay Leno. If you watch a show like Hawaii Five-O that motivates you to kick some butt, schedule some INSANITY time immediately after the show while your adrenaline's still pumping. Or if, like me, you've become enslaved to your DVR or TiVo®, use it to your advantage and do a cooldown stretch to your favorite show as a reward for a well-done workout.

How to avoid autumn and winter weight gain

With the arrival of autumn, we often think of apple, pumpkin and pecan pies.  We think of Sunday football, snacking on the couch.  Then there are parties, family gatherings, hectic school and sports schedules that can also lead to eating fast food or high fat/high sodium convenience foods.

Here's a great article by Beachbody's Steve Edwards on how to avoid the pitfalls of autumn.

Watch Out! The Freshman 15 Isn't Just for Freshmen
By Steve Edwards


Back-to-school time doesn't just affect students. It's the time of year when everything changes—for everyone. The days shorten, it cools off, we get really busy, and the holidays are looming around the corner. As opposed to those frivolous days of summer, your schedule is now probably booked. In short, it's the easiest time of the year to let your health slide.

This is when it's important to remember that the "freshman 15" isn't just for freshmen. All of us—students or not—face these seasonal lifestyle adjustments, and the lapses in fitness and healthy diet that accompany them, every year. Autumn is beautiful, but it's also the toughest season to transition through. Here are 10 ways to make it to New Year's without having to make a resolution to spend all or part of next year fixing what went off the rails during the fall.


Schedule your exercise. One of the most difficult adjustments to make during the fall is getting used to less daylight. As the days shorten, it seems as though you've got fewer hours during which to schedule your activities. When you come home from work in the dark, it hurts your psyche. And it's tough to believe that 7:00 PM is really no different than it was during July, when you still had 2 hours of daylight left. Then there's the cold factor. Even if you work out indoors, it's so much easier to get back under your warm covers or bundle up and sit in front of a fire or the TV than it is to force a workout. Just remember that exercising makes you warm. It also keeps you fit and healthy and is the best thing you can do with cold and flu season right around the corner. Schedule your daily workout like it's part of your job, and stick to it.

Schedule your sleep. As our days get busier, we tend to push projects later and later into the evening. To fuel those longer hours, we eat . . . and eat. This is one major cause of the freshman 15: the infamous all-nighter. A recent study showed that when doctors are doing their residencies and are forced to work extremely long hours, famously foregoing sleep in the process, they gain an average of more than 20 pounds. As available daylight decreases, it's common to find yourself making alterations in your daily schedule, with sleep often losing out, so schedule your sleep just like you do your work and exercise.

Plan your meals. Plan your weekly meals ahead of time so you don't resort to unhealthy "convenience" foods. If your schedule is insane during the week, try taking an hour or two on Sunday to shop and strategize. Put healthy meal and snack options in your car, your office, your backpack, or anywhere you're likely to find yourself hungry. Trust me, the energy you get on the back end of this planning will far exceed the time it takes to plan, especially when you consider how you'll feel if your diet is fueled by fast food.

Carry water everywhere. When we're busy, we'll often forget to drink water, especially as the weather cools off. Then, in a dehydrated state, we often confuse thirst for hunger and eat. Avoid this by ensuring that there's water everywhere you go. Carry a water bottle and refill it at every opportunity. Have an extra bottle in your car, your backpack, at your desk, etc., and behave as if you're in a race each day. Force yourself to drink a glass of water every hour that you're working or studying.

Be realistic about alcohol. Another big contributor to the freshman 15, alcohol, is very high in calories (7 calories/gram) and very low in nutritional value. Every drink you consume is about 200 calories of nutrition that you aren't getting from your diet, or that you're consuming additional calories—overeating—to replace. And this is before we consider the calories you need to consume getting rid of a hangover. If you're a drinker, you'll never be faced with more temptation than during the fall. So plan for it. Prior to going out, consider the number of drinks you want to allow yourself and stick to it. Another helpful tip is to carry that water bottle with you socially as well and drink a bottle for every cocktail you have. This will help fill you up so you aren't drinking alcohol to quench your thirst, which happens often at social events. Drinking that water will also keep you hydrated and minimize the effects of your hangover. One other helpful hangover cure is to have a glass of P90X Results and Recovery Formula® at night after you've been drinking. Consuming these calories right before bed may be not be ideal, but it'll minimize the damage the alcohol will do to your body, which should lead to less overeating and more productivity the next day.

Plan for parties. Parties happen—and there's not much you can do about it. Even if you aren't social, the party will find you. Many offices are like the one in that Seinfeld episode where the coworkers find any excuse to celebrate, usually with cake or other sugary treats. And with fall comes many such opportunities to indulge. Beginning with Oktoberfest, you'll find a never-ending string of perfectly good excuses to ruin your health that last right through New Year's. Plan ahead and decide just which occasions will be worth the indulgence. That way, you'll be fully armed with reasons when your coworkers show up in your office singing, "Get well, get well soon . . ."

Begin a morning ritual. One of the easiest ways to live a healthy lifestyle is to begin each day by doing something positive. During the summer, we often let this slide because, well, we can. With long warm days to look forward to, there always seems to be time to do something energetic. As the days shorten, making the effort to be healthier takes more discipline. Beginning each day with something healthy, even something as brief as a 5-minute ritual of breathing deeply, stretching, and thinking about positive things you want to accomplish with your day, can give you a whole new outlook.

Find a healthy nighttime ritual. Many of us undo an entire day's productivity in the last few hours before bed. This is particularly true when we're busy and/or stressed because we want to unwind, which often means cocktails and/or desserts in front of the TV. If you can find a healthier way to unwind, you'll do yourself a world of good. And even if you can't get away from the cocktail/dessert/TV habit, adding something at its end, instead of just sacking out, can reverse much of the damage. Stretching in front of the TV is one of the easiest ways to make that transition. Following up your stretching with herbal tea and some relaxing reading can have you hitting the sack with a much more positive attitude. Another way to help yourself get in that positive ready-for-bed headspace? Yoga Booty Ballet® Master Series Pajama Time or the Yoga Booty Ballet Relax and Unwind bedtime meditation CD, both of which are designed with end-of-day relaxation in mind.

Make a positive New Year's resolution now. Instead of waiting until New Year's to undo and repair the damage caused by a fall-into-winter slide away from your fitness goals, make a resolution to get there, starting today, with improved fitness and health. Just think about how much better your goals can be for next year if you finish this year on a positive note. Why put yourself through the work of digging yourself out of a hole you make deeper from now through the end of the year? Instead, set yourself up, beginning right now, to have a banner New Year.

Cut yourself some slack. You can't be perfect, and, frankly, who wants to be? You've got to live. By planning ahead with goals in mind, you'll be far more able to relax about the holiday season, and maybe even enjoy it a little, too. So make a plan and do your best to stick with it, but don't forget to make enjoying the season and having some fun part of that plan.

Mastering portion control will give you more control over your body and your life. Whether you're at a restaurant, at home, at work, or at a party, there's no excuse. You have the power to set yourself up for success. Being mindful of your portions will help you feel better right after each meal, which will help you manage your weight more effectively. You'll learn how to enjoy your favorite foods, boost your health, and even save some cash by eating less. Now isn't that worth a little bit of effort and planning ahead?

I'd love to hear your feedback! Feel free to leave a comment or email me at fitwithjessica@live.com

Some of the reasons why I workout

The other day, while doing a very hard P90X back and legs workout, I got to thinking "why am I doing this??"  I mean a lot of other people aren't spending their child's nap time exercising. They're doing house work, they're catching up on phone calls, sewing, crafting maybe some other business.  I don't know. But why am I sweating, huffing and puffing my way through 45minute long, tough workouts 6 days a week?  Why am I watching what food I put into my body? 

Well in my last blog, I pointed out that its the small things we do every day that amount to the big things.  So even though we may not see results in microwaved instant, they will come in time. And its not all outward appearance, its what's going on inside of your body that counts too.

But we're creatures that like to see results outwardly more than the inner benefits, especially when it comes to exercise and nutrition.

So here are some reasons why I do this to  myself:

• I really like having a flat belly. I know it may seem vain, but I like looking down an not seeing what used to be a bulge.  Plus I had 4 kids, so to see my belly this flat, is pretty cool.
• I love having the energy to keep up with my 4 kids.  When I take them to the playground, I like to be able to play with them.
• I love that my body is flexible and strong.  Again, when I play with my kids, I love the fact that I can squeeze through all the narrow mazes and crouch down real low and not bump my head or hurt my back.  I can swing from the monkey bars and jump from the high places without fear.
• Even though P90X is a challenge, I love how I feel mentally and physically after completing a workout.  As a mom of 4 kids, things don't always get finished, or if they do often it will appear that it never got worked on (like the family room always getting trashed by Hurricane Alexa).  But I get a feeling of accomplishment when I do exercise, especially if it was very difficult to get through.
• I love when my kids decide to join me while exercising.  Michael (he's 4) has been doing the warm-ups with me during P90X and some of the exercises.  Alexa (she's 2) likes to join me in yoga an stretching.  And my older boys, Chris and Anthony like to do push-ups and cardio with me.
•  Someone once said to me that I should have fun and just eat.  What's funny is that I do eat (about 1900 cals), and just because I'm not stuffing a slice of cheesecake in my mouth doesn't mean I'm not having fun! I love to eat, but for some reason I don't equate it to having fun.  I eat to fuel my body and give me energy. Having the energy to play with my kids is fun.

• I love to look good when I get dressed up.  Listen, I don't do dress up often, but when I do, I love it when my husband says "you look hot!"  Who wouldn't want to hear that? I totally love the fact that my husband is still attracted to me.  And let me tell you, he's not the type to give out compliments just because.
• I like to see my muscles in my arms.  Again, I know this sounds vain, but its nice to see a little biceps and triceps action.
• I love when I go to the doctor and my blood pressure is good, and my cholesterol is good too. I know there's nothing sexy or hot about that, but it is a good feeling to know you're taking care of your body the right way.

So those are just a few of my "why's." I know some of you think I'm crazy because I don't go out drinking anymore or have a glass of wine every night (instead I meet a friend at Starbuck's on occasion). I don't eat a lot of "fun" food.  I spend my free time working out and trying to get others to do so.  Yes, it is a little crazy, but I like it. 

Its not for everyone, but if you're not happy with how things are going now, its not too late to make some changes.  The only thing you have to lose is maybe some high cholesterol, some high blood pressure, some inches off your waist and some pounds off the scale.

I'd love to hear from you.  Leave me some feedback here or send me an email to fitwithjessica@live.com

Plant. Cultivate. Harvest. - Decide. Commit. Succeed.

I've been in the fitness industry for over 6 years now, and the amount of people who give up on their fitness goals always amazes me.  You would think that I'd be used to it by now, but I always hold out hope when a friend or client of mine makes the decision to get back in shape.  The odds are stacked against most people though.  And I can tell you it has nothing to do with genetics, gender, age, positive thinking, negative thinking, rewards, feeling deprived or any of the other excuses that I have heard or read.

I started reading "The Slight Edge," by Jeff Olson. It arrived in the mail yesterday and I was eager to start reading it.  The book 's subtitle is "Secret to a $uccessful Life." Yes, the "S" in "successful" is actually a "$"sign.  I knew a lot of people reading the book and the reviews were pretty good. But what I didn't know is that the author was going to tackle health and fitness and why some people will succeed, but most will fail and give up.

Again, this isn't about positive thinking or imagining our way to the perfect body, perfect life, perfect bank  account. I actually did read a book once that said if you picture yourself healthy and thin, you will become healthy and slim. Yeah, right! Or other books will tell you that if you think positively about exercise and getting healthy, you will want to do it more often.  But realistically we can't be positive 24/7. We're going to have bad days, and days where we'd rather not exercise or eat right.

In the book it says "We plant the seed by joining the gym, and then we get frustrated when a few days go by and there's no fitness harvest." OMG, this is so true. We want to plant the seed and go right to the harvest.  We expect that if we just jump on the treadmill for a week or start our first week of P90X we should see results now.  We want results after only 2 days of eating healthier. 

Our problem is that we're such an instant gratification society, that we forget it takes time to cultivate our "harvest."  In this case I'm talking our "fitness harvest." But this is also true with relationships, money, learning a new skill, paying off debt, etc... We have the good intention of starting something good, but if we don't see the results that day, we want to quit.

And as the author states, the results of quitting aren't very dramatic either, which makes it easy to do.  You're not going to drop dead of a heart attack tomorrow, if you decide to stop your exercise or eating right. But over time, if you continue to do so, it will happen.  But its the same with deciding to stick to a plan and cultivate it. You won't get that body you've been dreaming about right away, or your cholesterol might not go down yet, but in time will happen.

Too many times I've heard from people that they've been doing a week of P90X or Insanity and they don't notice any changes. Or they've started eating right (for a few days) and they still weight the same.  This always send up a red flag to me, because if they can't keep their focus on the unseen, big prize ahead of them, they may never make it there.

As Beachbody says, " DECIDE. COMMIT. SUCCEED."

So how about you? I'd love to hear your feedback, thoughts or questions.  You can leave a comment here or you can email me at fitwithjessica@live.com.