If you don’t have a “group” workout and prefer to workout at home, like I do, you have to do a little preparation. I recently moved so my routine and “place” were all scrambled. One of the first things I did was set up my home gym. I decided to arrange my garage so I didn’t have to use up space in my house and would be less likely to be thrown off track if kids were staying in that spare room.

My garage is set and ready to go! I’m doing Les Mill’s Pump and love it! If you’re procrastinating because you are too busy to get to the gym, or don’t have a “place” where you can work out at home, you need to get organized! Once you get set up, half the work it done. Now you just need to focus and push yourself and the results will come! Be consistent and work hard and you’ll reach the fitness you want. If you’re dragging your feet, you can always join me in my home gym!

I have a scale in my office; I weigh people every day. Honestly though, I rarely get on the scale. Regardless of what it says, I never feel good on the scale. I’m sure that’s a carry over from some beat up body image from my adolescence; I would much rather focus on how I feel and how my clothes fit.

I had my annual check up the other day and of course, one has to step on the scale there. I kept my body very calm while my insides yelled “WHAT is THAT” as I saw 5 more pounds than the last time I stepped on the scale 3 months ago. I didn’t react because most people don’t appreciate when a 120 pound person wails at their weight. But, in my own defense, I have read that 5 pounds to a small person is just as uncomfortable as 15-20 pounds is to a larger person. I would have to agree.

My brain was good at calming my reaction and I did a mental inventory:

1) Have I changed the way I’ve been eating? Hmm, I have been busy and not eating my snacks as regularly which I suppose leads me to eating more in the evening and nibbling here and there.

2) Have I changed my exercise? Yes, I recently started Les Mills Pump and although it is shorter and less intense than P90X2 (which I just finished a few weeks ago), it still is a great workout and I’ve even been a little sore.

3) Have I been getting enough sleep. That’s easy: NO. I’m lucky to get 5-6 hours now.

4) Do my clothes fit any differently? I’ll have to say they are a little tighter around the middle.

5) Am I drinking enough water? No.

I know that a variety of things can affect weight and it doesn’t always mean more fat. Although I don’t want to kid myself and rationalize it’s “nothing” either. I think an increase in weight is always a good time to evaluate behavior. Yes, I have been a little less focused. I do know that it’s not unusual to gain weight when first starting an extreme workout due to muscle inflammation. I also know that lack of water can result in water retention.

So without beating myself up (for very long anyway), I plan my snacks, drink my water, get to bed a little earlier. Within a few days I notice my clothes are fitting normal again.

Lesson learned. Stay focused, plan ahead, don’t freak out. I’m still not stepping on that scale though.

Many times when people decide to change their diet and improve their health, they eat a lot of chicken and salad and then burn out! In order to make health a lifestyle, you have to find variety!

If you’re juggling home and office, you might feel you’re too busy to eat healthy. I spend long hours away from home but with a little planning, I have found easy ways to eat well. Watch the video for some ideas on what I have found to be helpful.

If you’ve found some tips for eating healthy, please share!

Because I’m self employed, I’m really bad about taking time off because there is no one to cover for me. It’s always stressful getting ready to be out of the office for an extended time and then I’m overwhelmed when I get back; so I rationalize that it’s easier to just keep working. I know all the benefits of taking time off but I’m terrible at making myself do it. I’m good about taking time to workout out and eat right, but my weakness is allowing down time for myself.

It seems to be difficult for women, especially, to allow themselves to take “off.” My customers often struggle with making time for themselves. They think it is selfish OR, as in my case, there’s just too much to do! I don’t like leaving things undone. One reason I joined Team Beachbody was so I would have some residual income to allow me to be gone for a few days. But even then, old habits die hard. When I won the trip to Atlantis, I considered not taking it, wondering how I could afford to be off. I’m all about balance and health but don’t always practice this personally when it comes to work.

The past several months have been especially stressful for me, however, with major life changes. Divorce, selling a house, buying a house, taking on new projects at work, facing a lot of unknowns (I don’t do so well with unknowns) all took their toll and I felt exhausted, emotionally and physically. So I rounded up my 2 daughters and we headed to the island of turquoise water and white sand.

We had such a great time! Beachbody vacations always start with 7 am workouts. I was exhausted but there’s just something about Shaun T that makes me roll out of bed, even on vacation! We had great workouts (if you can call diamond jumps and level one drills in the sand “great”) followed by plenty of Shakeology and a casual walk back to the hotel in the spring morning air. The rest of the day was ours! I attended a few business sessions while the girls caught up on reality TV and then we hit the beach. I think we had pizza every day! There were so many kinds to try……margarita, jerk chicken and red pepper, chicken with artichoke hearts and mushrooms, just to name a few. I love pizza so allowed the indulgence along with plenty of diet coke. We’re on vacation after all. I left my computer at home and didn’t even turn on my cell phone as I lay in the sun (lathered with sunscreen of course) and read The Hunger Games. I even bought a dress from one of the beach vendors. She was too convincing. We floated in the lazy river although I’m not sure why they call it “lazy”. It actually had rapids and roller coaster tunnels which were a blast. I declined the 60 foot straight down slide but got some good footage of the girls screaming their way down.

Every evening was a treat with tables of healthy foods (as well as a dessert table). It was so nice just showing up and finding trays of roasted veggies, raw veggies, hummus, veggie burgers, turkey burgers, and all the fresh fruit we could want. Live music and candle light tables along with the warm sea air and the company of my daughters made it just about perfect.

Taking time off creates balance and a chance to recharge

I just finished the last week of P90X2 and was able to stick with it and push hard until the last few weeks. Then I found myself occasionally skipping the Rest and Mobility workout, doing a short stretch on my own, because I was short on time. And my energy level was low. I still have been eating fairly well but haven’t taken the time to get to the store and plan ahead like I usually do. It’s easy to rationalize “I’ll wing it”, but then the day slips by and I’m hungry and my energy dips because I haven’t been eating like I need to. I end up drinking more diet soda than usual to get through the day. Without realizing, things are taking a downward spiral! Luckily, my Shakeology has saved me, covering for my sub normal nutrition.

So all in all, that’s life. It’s hard to always be on our best game. That’s when those of us who are committed to a healthy lifestyle need to pause and reorganize. I am committed to a healthy lifestyle so I ge re-focused, plan my meals, get to the store, prepare my food the night before and do the things that take effort, but make it easier to stay on track. I know I feel better when I do that and that’s what makes it worthwhile. It’s hard to bolster myself up sometimes though because of that mental/emotional energy drain. But taking that first step gets the ball moving in the right direction. And better nutrition and exercise eventually help bring my energy back to where I need it to be and I’m running smoothly again.

I would encourage everyone to NOT give up. We all have those times when we can’t do one more thing and we don’t make the best choices. That’s OK. Just re-assess and get going again. Health isn’t an all or nothing journey. It’s making a choice, failing, making another choice, moving forward.

It’s easy to get frustrated and throw in the towel. Not so fast! You have to remember that a plateau here and there is normal. You have to take the focus off the scale and focus on what you’re doing. Here are a few things to get those pounds moving again:

1. Switch up your exercise routine.
After doing the same routine for several weeks, your body gets bored (and accustomed to the same intensity). If you mix things up, challenge yourself a little, you’ll get things moving again.

*if you’re at the gym, do a different machine or try a new class
*Add weights to your cardio routine. ChaLEAN Extreme and RevAbs have some great ways to do this
*Add intervals (really push yourself hard for a minute or so and then scale back. One thing I love about Beachbody workouts is that these intervals are built in and I just have to follow along.

2. Switch up your calories.
You’ve always heard, you’ve got to eat less to lose more, but this isn’t always the case. According to Beachbody Director of Results, Steve Edwards, “zig-zagging” calories can make a difference: If your average daily intake is 1,400 calories, try dropping to 1,200 one day, going up to 1,800 the next day, and then dropping back to 1,400. The idea is to keep your metabolism guessing. There’s no magic number that works for everyone, so you’ll have to experiment until you find the right calorie levels for you.

3. Switch up your snacks: try almonds.
Almonds are a great snack, plus there’s some research that indicates that they can help you burn fat. A study published in the International Journal of Obesity compared two groups of people who ate a 1,000-calorie-a-day diet. As part of their daily diet, one group ate 3 ounces of almonds every day. The other group ate a mix of complex carbs. What happened? The group that ate the almonds lost more weight. So grab some nuts instead of crackers or pretzels.

4. Get more sleep.
According to experts, an over-trained body holds on to weight as if it were starving to death. There’s no better way to test this than to try and sleep more. The reason is that your body recovers much more quickly from exercise while it’s asleep, and if you’re burning the midnight oil while trying to do a high intensity workout, you could easily plateau from lack of recovery time.

5. Relax.
Believe it or not, the one big thing besides diet and exercise that can cause you to plateau is stress. One of the best ways to combat stress is to get some alone time to zone out. Try breathing exercises, stretching, meditation or yoga. Find something to do to turn your mind off.

Making a few adjustments in your routine will keep those pounds melting away. Remember, this is a commitment you’ve made; stick with it during the highs and lows and you’ll see results. If you need some help, call me and we can visit.

Christie Ryan
785-827-3131
www.christiesryan.com

Once the holidays are over we all feel like we will be ready to focus on our health and fitness. But then there are Girl Scout Cookie sales, the Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, Spring Break, Easter etc. The social eating never stops. There’s always an event where we feel like we can splurge, while promising to get focused when it’s over. But by the time we are recovered and are ready to refocus, another event hits us in the head.

Health and fitness cannot be an all or nothing lifestyle. You do want to participate in social events and you can! But you have to take the middle of the road approach. Yes, partake in some Super Bowl festivities but don’t make yourself sick. Have a few Girl Scout cookies but stick with your regular routine of exercise and be sure to get your veggies and protein in during the day. Maintaining a healthy weight just takes consistency and a big desire to feel better and have a better life. Don’t look at these events as vacations from your health and fitness goals. Consider them a time to interact with friends/family and to enjoy a few extra goodies WHILE STILL exercising and eating right most of the time throughout the week.

So now what? Here is your next step:

1) Recommit to your health and fitness changes
2) Remind yourself WHY you want these changes. Do you want to feel better, have more energy to play with the kids, be able to tolerate long work days without feeling totally wiped out, or maybe just fit into your skinny jeans again? WHY is it important to you. Remind yourself.
3) What change will you make tomorrow to get focused again?
4) Find an accountability partner to keep you focused.

Let me know if I can help.

Christie Ryan
785-827-3131

The idea is to select the highest volume of food with the least amount of calories, which basically means lots of vegetables and some fruit. Weight-loss experts have been recommending this for years.  Overall, people who eat higher volume, low calories foods, not only lose weight, but are more likely to keep that weight off in the long term.

What the experts don’t always tell you is that in order for your meals to be truly satisfying, they should also include some protein and healthy fats. The protein takes longer to digest than vegetables, and fat slows down the rate of digestion, so you’ll feel full longer. Plus a little fat makes things taste better.  The result? You’ll naturally eat less over time and lose weight without being hungry.

Here are a few simple tips that can fill you up without filling you out.

SALADS

Sure, salads are the best way to fill up on fewer calories. The key is to make them hearty, and not so low in calories that you’re starving an hour later.

• Fill a large bowl with the greens of your choice. I prefer a combination, like romaine, spinach, or Spring Mix.  The romaine gives a satisfying crunch, while the spinach and other greens are excellent sources of nutrition.
• Look in your refrigerator and grab all the vegetables you can reach. If you think you don’t like raw vegetables, chop them very finely or even grate them on a cheese grater (this works well for things like broccoli, zucchini, and cauliflower). Once the veggies are small enough, you won’t taste them. Throw them into your bowl.
• Add protein, such as 5 ounces of grilled chicken or 1 cup of canned beans that you’ve rinsed and drained. Favorites are red kidney, cannellini, and garbanzo (chickpeas).
• Toss in a tablespoon of nuts or seeds. Nuts and seeds are good sources of fat and protein, and a little goes a long way.
• Make a quick dressing. Whisk 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, balsamic or red-wine vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour half over your salad, toss, and enjoy.

*NOTE:  Don’t be afraid of fat!  It’s an important part of a healthy diet, and can actually help you lose more weight.

SOUPS

Soups are a great way to fill up and get your veggies in this time of year.  Brothy soups take a long time to eat, are perfect when you’re craving something warm, and are low in calories when you make them yourself. On weekends,  combine lots of veggies from the week and make a big pot of soup to enjoy throughout the week.

• Chop an onion and a couple cloves of garlic, and dice a couple of carrots and celery stalks. (It’s ok if you don’t have all these things, it just helps to make a nice soup base.)
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a heavy pot. Throw in the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes or so, until the vegetables soften and the onions become translucent.

• Pour in 4 cups of broth (I like 2 cans of campbells soup and 2 cans of water) and any dried herbs or seasonings you have in your pantry. I like Italian seasoning, some cumin or a bay leaf,  or you might want to add some chile powder or cayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer.
• While the broth is simmering, chop any vegetables you have left in your refrigerator and add them to the pot. I like to add a can of tomatoes (fire roasted add a nice kick).  Let them cook for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are a texture you like. I like mine to have a little crunch.
• For protein, add some cooked chicken or a can of beans to the pot (rinsed and drained).
• Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning by adding more herbs or some salt. A squirt of lemon juice or a splash of vinegar can brighten and intensify the flavor of your soup, too.

Want a thicker soup? Puree it in batches in a blender until it’s smooth. I always have to puree the tomatoes or my family will pick them out.  Then add your protein or beans. You can divide this into individual servings and refrigerate or freeze until you’re ready to eat.

I love having this on hand for a quick lunch during these chilly days and it’s a great way to get your veggies.  The soup or salad stays with you, gives you energy and keeps those pounds from creeping back on!  Experiment to find your own favorite and enjoy!

What is your fitness goal?

Why do you want this?   What will reaching this goal help you do, feel, be?

What have you done in the past to achieve this goal?   Did it work for you?  If not, why not?

How will you feel is you NEVER reach that goal?

It’s not unusual for us to have a goal and start out with a bang!  Then life gets in the way, we get distracted, we get sick, we get tired and sore and we fizzle.  That happens to everyone so don’t feel defeated if it’s happened to you.  The difference in those who are successful and those who are not, is what happens AFTER the fizzle.  You have to get back up again and get on track.  You have to remind yourself of WHY you want this goal and how you will feel if you don’t get it.  Write your goal out, look at it daily, and get going.

There are all kinds of things you can do to lose weight.  What is most effective?  What is most affordable? What is best for you?  Regardless of the method you choose, accountability, having support, results in the best results.  You need to have a success partner, someone to keep you motivated, someone to help you up after the fizzle, someone who cares about your success.

Consider this:

- Average cost of 1 yr gym membership: $720
- Average cost of 1 yr boot camp membership: $2400
- Average cost of 1 yr personal trainer (1 hour, 5 days/week): $12,500
- Cost of Jenny Craig per month (including food): $500+

These methods provide the structure and sometimes even the food.  But where’s the accountability?

Consider this:
- Cost of top Beachbody fitness programs and 1 month of shakeology (i.e. P90X, Insanity, TurboFire, etc): $205
- Cost of personal Beachbody coach (namely, me!) :     FREE!

If you have not been able to reach your fitness goals, I will help you; we’ll work on them together.   Having accountability keeps you focused and keeps your WHY in the forefront of your mind.  Having support helps you get back up when you’ve given up.

Answer those initial questions at the top of the page ………. now call me   827-3131

Other researchers dispute the idea that “biology” causes  increased hunger and say it’s  due to the fact that we’re indoors and have access to more food.  Plus it’s holiday time so food is abundant!  Just think of  all of those nostalgic memories associated with holidays and traditional foods making us want to  indulge even more!

I think it might be all of those things.

It’s obvious that we eat more and gain weight in the winter months.  Do we just give in and let this happen?  There are some moderate changes you can make to prevent succumbing to the winter weight gain.

INCREASE PROTEIN -  Much of the foods we want during these frigid months are higher in carbohydrate— “comfort foods.”   Cookies, candies, breads, pasta casseroles, sweet warm drinks etc.  The problem with these foods are they are higher in calories and they don’t keep us full so we find ourselves looking to nibble a couple of hours later.

We know that protein keeps us full longer so  include more protein in your diet during these winter months.  Instead of preparing chicken and noodles on mashed potatoes, make a hearty chili and serve a veggie tray on the side.   Sample your favorite candy or cookie after you’ve eaten a balanced meal rather than as a snack; you’ll find that a smaller amount is satisfying.

EXERCISE – Overall, we are less active in the winter so make sure you keep your exercise routine a priority.   Exercise and eating regular meals and snacks will help control your appetite.

It may be biology, or maybe just our environment, causing us to gain weight in the winter.  Either way, increased awareness and determination can keep you healthy even in the winter months.  A little moderation, increased protein in your diet and regular exercise can make all the difference in how you’re feeling about your fitness come January.

Keep in mind that support and accountability make all the difference in staying focused; that is exactly what our Beachbody Challenge groups are all about.  Could a Challenge group be the answer for you?  Call me and find out!  785-827-3131