Andi's Healthy Advice 3

Work, holiday shopping, wrapping presents, decorating, parties, family get-togethers - it all takes time! Where do we fit in taking care of our bodies? Lack of time is a reoccurring theme to my fitness tips for a reason. To me, fitness and exercise has become as much a priority as eating, sleeping, showering...you get the point. Taking care of yourself is important. So you have to make the time.

Planning ahead is key... 

 

Manage your time.

 

Scheduling your workouts in advance, either with a printed workout calendar or online, is always a good idea. But it's especially important over the holidays, when just saying "I'll do it when I have time" can be a recipe for failure. Your free time is sure to get filled up with other activities, and it's easier than ever to forget about working out. On the other hand, if you schedule your workouts just like any appointments, you're much more likely to do them when the time comes. If you absolutely can't find time on a particular day, mark it as a recovery period, and make sure you have a workout scheduled for the day afterward. It'll prevent you from losing the fitness gains you've built, and ensure that you keep your exercise habit intact.

 

Thanks,

Andi Ramser

Beachbody Coach

http://teambeachbody.com/rockchick1

http://myshakeology.com/rockchick1

 

Ask me about "the healthiest meal of the day"...Shakeology. It can change your life!

 

Where've you been?!?!

Exactly.. Life is what it's called (or we can go with that).

I really hadn't realized it had been almost a month since my last post. I kind of thought it had only been a week or two! ooops! But really, who's reading?!

But since I have been "gone", I have kept up with my workouts, rotating back and forth between Brazilian Butt Lift and Jillian Michaels. I do about 5-6 days a week on average. I don't see as dramatic as results I did in the first 30 days, but my weight watchers has not been going as well. I am trying to amp it up for the next 12 days (till Xmas) to reach my goal!

Gonna be up on my posts from now on!!

Andi's Healthy Advice

Thanksgiving Fitness Tips!
 
So how are we supposed to get through the holidays without causing weight gain? Here are seven effective ways to get yourself ready to beat the holiday bulge.

1. Buy clothes that fit right now. This first tip might be a bit pricey, but it's a great motivational aid in staving off weight gain. A new addition to your wardrobe in a size that shows off your summer body can be all you need to prevent those extra pounds from creeping on. Imagine that beautiful holiday dress or great pair of pants, then imagine being unable to zip them up thanks to sugar cookies. Yeah, no one wants that. So before you begin the festivities, go buy yourself something perfect to wear to your parties and hang it someplace visible, so it serves as a constant reminder. Perhaps on the TV where you play your workout videos, or in front of that treadmill that might be starting to collect a little dust in the corner, or on your refrigerator door . . . that way, if it doesn't fit quite the same way the next time you try to slip into it, you know it's time to get back to work.

2. Keep exercising. Most fitness trainers will tell you the slowest point of their year is between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Sure, their clients schedule workouts with the best of intentions, but then they cancel them for parties and gift shopping. It's hard to remain balanced when you have a million things to do and gifts to buy. Yet the greatest gift you can give yourself is to stay focused on your fitness goals and get your workout in. Shopping getting in the way? Do it online and save some time. Parties getting in the way? Just show up later. Who cares if everyone else is a couple of cocktails ahead of you? You'll be healthier, and you won't have to worry about the embarrassing YouTube videos in the morning. Just stay consistent, even if it's inconvenient. You'll be much less likely to look like Santa (both belly-wise and red-nose-wise) at the end of the month.

3. Eat before parties. Most holiday parties don't focus on low-fat, low-calorie refreshments, so unless you're organizing the event, the best damage control is to show up with a full tummy. Make sure you eat your meals and snacks throughout the day, and try to eat a healthy meal before attending any party. If you're going straight from work, prepare a healthy and filling snack to eat on the way. You'll be a lot less likely to swim in mayonnaise dips and pigs in blankets if you're full.

4. Get junk out of the house. The majority of people don't get into the car at midnight, drive to the store, buy the ingredients for cookies, bake them, and then stay up to eat them. But if those homemade cookies that Linda in accounting made for you are already on your kitchen counter, you better believe you'll find a way to justify it. Frankly, at 12:30 AM, after a rotten day, for most of us there's nothing like a few cookies to drown our sorrows. The secret is to get the enticements out of the house. Send them to work with your significant other, donate them to a bake sale, regift them to your 100-pound friend with the perfect metabolism, or just dump them in the trash. Linda will never know. If you have holiday dinner leftovers, box them up for your guests individually and send them home with them. If your family still sends you that Pepperidge Farm cookie assortment, invite a bunch of people over for a pre-party party and serve 'em up before the drinks. Don't be more wasteful than you have to, but get the less-than-healthy temptations out of your reach.

5. Offer to prepare healthy fare. This suggestion won't be well received by those of us who'd rather spend Thanksgiving sitting around watching football than toiling in the kitchen, but if you do the cooking, you have the control. Your family could have a tasty and satisfying meal without ingesting thousands of calories and fat grams. The way the turkey is prepared, the type of stuffing, how vegetables are made, whether the cranberries are real, and countless other things can make or break the healthiness of a meal. 

6. Choose wisely and proportionally. Something occurs during a holiday meal. It's like a Las Vegas buffet—we feel like we have to eat some of everything. We feel almost like those foods will never exist again, and this is our last meal on the planet. This year, why not try to eat only your favorites, as in two or three items, and keep the portions to the size of your palm? If you're still hungry, try to fill up on veggies (preferably ones that aren't drowned in butter or cream-of-mushroom soup). If you want dessert, lean toward a small slice of pumpkin pie (220 calories) as opposed to pecan (a heftier 543), leaving out the hydrogenated nondairy whipped topping if possible. If you're going to have an alcoholic beverage, go with a flute of champagne (100 calories) as opposed to that rum-laced eggnog (with more than four times more calories, at 420). Just a few wise choices will save you a ton of calories, and probably a significant amount of heartburn as well.

7. Don't beat yourself up. Quite possibly the worst thing you can do is beat yourself up over a bit of holiday indulgence. Yes, it does stink to backslide after working your tail off. But sometimes it doesn't stink as much as dealing with your mother when you turn down her brisket and potato pancakes. Sometimes, we don't have time to go to work, buy a Christmas tree, decorate it with our kids, make dinner, oversee homework, tuck kids in bed, and spend an hour exercising. We can only do our very best. Mentally berating yourself will only make you feel worse, which never helped anyone get back to their fitness program. So if you happen to gain that one extra pound this holiday season, be part of the rare group who actually follows through with their New Year's resolution and manages to shed it again. A week of hard work and a slight calorie deficit should do the trick. Resolutions don't come easier than that!

Andi Ramser
Beachbody Coach
http://teambeachbody.com/rockchick1
http://myshakeology.com/rockchick1

New Specs!

Like my new glasses?

anyone think iPhones take pics that are wonky?

Vitamins!

I think I have mentioned before that I have started taking daily vitamins. So, I wanted to take a minute to let you know what I have decided to take, and why.

I bought one of these things so I can keep it my purse and if I dont remember first thing in the morning, then I have it with me all day!

1. Small white pill - B12 -  to boost energy level, and speed up metabolism
2. Large white pill - Potassium - I take this for muscle cramps. I will get muscle cramps in my legs at night that go up through my feet. This has really helped reduce that pain
3. Large yellow pill - Multi-Vitamin - Everyone should take a multi-vitamin for nutrients we don't get in our daily food intake.
4. Large Dark pill - Omega 3, 6 and 9 
     - 3 - efficient functioning of the brain
     - 6 - help with bloating from PMS, maintains healthy skin, hair and nails and generally helps to bring about hormonal and emotional balance.
     - 9 - reduce the risk of arteriosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and stroke
(here is a good source for all things about Omega 3, 6, & 9)
5. 2 brown pills - Metamucil - Fiber for regularity.

30 Day Shred

 I have decided to start the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I debated back and forth as to what I was going to do since my BBL had ended. And since I already had the 30DS, I decided to just pop it in and see how I do. I may end up doing some BBL videos here and there when I get "bored" of doing the same thing day after day, but we will see.

"After" pic from BBL. I realized I never took a "before" and this isn't a good pic.

Who says you can't break a good sweat in 20 min!

So, Day 1 done. I'll keep you up on my progress (and any changes I may make).

BBL Review

I have finally completed "30" days of the Brazilian Butt Lift. It took me longer than the 30 days because the last week I was just not there. Things have been crazy around our household with G being out of town, and then us going out of town together, that I didn't get to complete it as fast as I wanted. BUT! I completed it about 5 days later, so not too bad.

All in all, I really like the BBL. It is definitely different from your regular fitness videos and has fun music to go along with it.

There are 5 different videos that you use in various combination's, depending on the "schedule" you choose. I chose to do the Classic version. Here are a list of the vids:

1. Bum Bum - the signature workout. Kind of a fun dance video that really focuses on your butt area
2. High and Tight - more strength training for your butt area
3. Cardio Axe - the dance work out of the bunch. You learn a short routine to really get you sweating
4. Sculpt - The longer all over strength trainig video.
5. Tummy Tuck - abs video.

I like all of the videos. They are all about 30 minutes long, with the exception of the Sculpt which is 50 min. And the rotation is nice so you don't feel like you are constantly doing the same thing over and over.

I took my "after" measurements today and was happy with the results:
Chest – -1"
R. Arm – -.25"
L. Arm – -.5" (I dont know why they aren't the same!)
Waist – -.5" (Although, I am feeling really bloated today, so I am hoping this number is actually lower!)
Hips – -1"
R. Thigh – same
L. Thigh – -1" (again, don't know why they aren't the same)

So YAY! Down in the majority of areas. I think some of this is also because of the WW.

Now to decide what to do next - another round of BBL? Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred? P90X? New video (turbo fire, slim in 6, insanity)? I just don't know!!!  But I am liking the 1 month thing.

I haven't taken "after" pics yet, but once I do, I MAY post! Depends on if you can really see a difference.