Where Do You Start?

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"I often get asked by girls who have never eaten healthy or worked out before.. where to start! I totally get how overwhelming it can be! Here are some basic tips I have for those JUST starting out on a health and fitness journey! =)

Get rid of the junk food! This includes (but not limited to): regular and diet soda, cookies, chips, crackers, candy, white breads and pastas, fruit juice, sugary cereal, condiments like ketchup, mayo, ranch and other fattening/sugary dressings and marinades, fast food, frozen dinners and most packaged goods. Start making your own meals from wholesome lean proteins, veggies, fruit and healthy fats. Basically, eat as close to natural as possible!
Cut out the alcohol. It shuts down your metabolism, promotes fat storage and breaks down muscle tissue. It’s basically treated by the body as a toxin… If you’re serious about getting in shape, not drinking won’t be a problem.
Start exercising! The trick is to find something you enjoy so that you will actually DO IT. There are SO MANY options, some of which include: weight lifting, pilates, yoga, cross fit, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, powerlifting, olympic lifting, jogging, cycling, spin, zumba, interval training, jazzercise, jumping rope, dancing, running, hiking, mountain climbing, swimming… the list goes on!!
Develop patience and a positive attitude if you don’t already have them! You WILL have set-backs and losing weight/getting fit WILL take time. You will occasionally cheat on your diet, you will miss a workout, you will stumble, you will make mistakes… you’re human! Nothing worth having ever comes easily… if it WERE that easy, everyone would be in shape! Know that you are only a failure if you QUIT. So don’t quit! You will regret it in the long run!
Surround yourself with people who support you. There is nothing worse than having negative and/or jealous people around when you are trying to make a healthy, positive change to your life. There WILL be people you THOUGHT were your friends try to drag you back to your old, unhealthy ways. They might tease, taunt or grill you for your new habits. Some people can’t handle change. If you find that your healthy habits are being mocked or demeaned by those around you … ask yourself why your ‘friends’ would want you to go back to being unhealthy. Do they not understand the sudden change? If so, explain to them why you’re doing it… Or, are those friends just jealous? If so, CUT THEM OUT OF YOUR LIFE!
Plan ahead! If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Prepare your meals and workouts in advance. Always keep workout clothes, a water bottle and protein powder with a shaker cup in your car so you never have an excuse not to hit the gym. Always carry an apple, a serving of almonds in a ziploc baggy and a packet of tuna with you.. that way you never have an excuse to hit the vending machines or burger joint!
Set realistic goals and track your progress! Keep a journal log of your workouts, your food intake and your stats each week so you can track your progress easily! 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week is a reasonable and healthy goal (depending on your current weight). The scale is not always a good indication of your progress though! Numerous factors can affect the number that are unrelated to fat gain/loss. The mirror, pictures, the way your clothes fit and your measurements are better ways of tracking progress!
You can do anything you set your mind to. Believe in yourself, don’t give up and you will get there ♥
Want to lose weight the healthy way? Follow this fitblr then!"

So, that's kind of a long read, but well worth it.  It's true.   That's why I had to share it with you.  Why reinvent the wheel.   The more processed your food is, the worse it is for you.  Make your own food, develop a relationship with what you eat, it is your fuel.  Learn how to eat.   From there the steps are simple, really:

• Decide
• Commit
• Succeed

Simple but true.

Decide.  You have to do this, no one can do this for you.  You have to decide.  You have to get up off the couch and pick a home fitness program that will challenge you, but that fits your fitness level.  If you need help with this, I can help.  I welcome you to come find me and LIKE my page the fitter Fitter on facebook.  Lurk a while if you need to, engage, comment, share and get to know me.  Talk to me about what home fitness programs I am doing and what I like about them.  


Commit.  I recommend jumping in both feet like I did.  Get a Challenge Pack and join a Clean Slate Challenge for accountability, because the motivation and support found in the Clean Slate Challenge, or one of the 30 Day Challenges, is designed to keep you going when it gets tough and you want to go back to your old habits.  Accountability and support are instrumental in getting you past those critical first 21 days that you need to log to create new habits.  Read my post I'm A Winner for more information on what the Clean Slate Challenge is, and what it can do for you.  Because you made an investment in you, you are much more likely to do your part, and again, I can't do this for you, nobody can.  This is an investment in yourself.

Succeed.  We want you to succeed.  We want you to get fit and healthy.  That's what the layers of accountability are manufactured for.  Take advantage of the workout buddies at Team Beachbody (you can join free, or become a club member and get 10% off your purchases!).  Use the WOWY (Work Out With You) Super Gym to log your workouts so you can see your progress on the calendar.  Enter your measurements in the goals to chart your progress.  Post daily in the secret fitness community (so no one else can see your posts about your ups and downs and you can talk freely among people on their fitness journey, just like you).  Post in your challenge groups.  The accountability works.  The motivation from others will lift you up on those rough days and you can pay it forward when you're up and someone else is down.  Connect.  That's how you succeed. 

It won't be easy, but I promise you it will be worth it.

"We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit". ~ Aristotle

"Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory". ~ General George S. Patton

"Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay its price.". ~ Aristotle

Resources:

Find a home fitness program that excites you, fits you and that you'll enjoy (Invest in a challenge pack for the best investment in your start!)

Connect with me on facebook  at the fitter Fitter for motivation, support, accountability and for help finding a program that fits you

Learn how many calories you are burning & how many you are eating with a free account at MyFitnessPal.com

Shakeology - the 30 Day Challenge

So you've decided that Shakeology is worth a try for you.  (If you haven't read about what Shakeology can do for you, do your homework HERE.)  You have decided on your why: loose weight, better health (lower cholesterol or manage your blood sugar) With the 30 day Bottom-of-the-Bag guarantee, how can you go wrong?

So, how do you get Shakeology?
Shakeology is only available through your independent Team Beachbody coach, the good news is that you've found one!  As a coach I am your best resource.  I can point you in the direction of other resources and plug you into a network of people just like you for support, motivation and accountability.  You will never be alone, and while you have to do the work, we won't let you fail.

You Have Options!

• Decide on a flavor: Chocolate, Greenberry, Chocolate Vegan or Vegan Tropical Strawberry.
• Choose between convenient on the go individual packets or a large bag with your 30 day supply for the kitchen.
• Choose your level of commitment: One time Ship (you pay for shipping), Home Direct (no shipping on your keep filled order, a shaker cup and 2 workouts), or a Challenge Pack (pairing Shakeology with your choice of a popular Beachbody home fitness program)
• Sign up for your FREE Team Beachbody account and consider a membership (you get exclusive access to live chats with celebrity trainers like Chalene Johnson, Shaun T, Brett Hobel, Tony Horton and others, meal plans with printable grocery lists, 10% on every Team Beachbody purchase you make, and more) (becoming a coach offers an unparalleled business opportunity to pay it forward, help others, generate income and save 25% on all your Beachbody purchases) ... contact me if you have any questions about your options!
• View the recipe options, keep it exciting with a different shake every day!
• Are you up to taking the 30 Day Challenge?

the 30 Day Shakeology Challenge

Lose weight, boost your energy, get healthy and feel better.  Even if you're not a veggie lover it's all with-in your reach!

1. Agree to order a 30-day supply of Shakeology with the Home Direct option in any flavor you choose.  Home Direct give you free shipping.  Remember, you have a Bottom-of-the-Bag guarantee, so if you choose not to get a second month, a quick email or phone call will cancel the next shipment.  If you don't like it, you can return it for a refund (less shipping), even if the bag is empty.  
2. Agree to replace one meal every day for 30 days with a Shakeology shake.
3. Agree to exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes at LEAST 3 times a week.  (You can choose your own activity or from a variety of Beachbody home fitness programs.  Contact me if you need help choosing one that is right for you.)
4. Agree to accountability - this can be as simple as a status post in the PRIVATE the fitter Fitter group on facebook or a quick email.  Share what workout you did and that you drank your Shakeology, every day!  I highly recommend the facebook option.  Challenge Groups, posting daily and interacting with others like you greatly increases your ability to succeed!
5. Agree to take your Before & After photos and Before & After measurements.
6. Agree to enter your photos and measurements in your Team Beachbody account (you can choose the FREE membership) by taking the Beachbody 30 Day Challenge.  Not only are you setting the stage for your transformation, but you have the chance to win.  Think you can't?  View the testimonial to see a person just like you who got healthy, got results and won!
7. This part is just for you.  List at least 3 people that are important to you, people you would hate to disappoint.  Craft your why and your goal into a promise and share it with them.  Making a promise to a loved one is a great way to hold yourself accountable.  An example is a promise to your child (son/daughter) "You are important to me and I want to see you become an adult.  My high cholesterol places me at risk for strokes and heart attacks.  I promise to lose weight and be healthier so that I will be around to see you grow up.  I commit to taking the first steps with this 30-Day Shakeology Challenge."  By doing this you have set yourself up for success!

So, How Do I Win?

View to see how Patricia won $5,000 with Shakeology, lost those last 10 stubborn pounds and ditched the medications and got out of diabetes danger.    
Watch how Joyce, once too heavy to sleep in her own bed, lost weight, got healthy and won.  Find out how you can win.

What's the Catch?

There isn't one.  You have a Bottom-of-the-Bag Guarantee to get your money back if you don't see results, don't like the taste or don't think it does what it says it does.  You have access to unlimited support.  That support is FREE.  Plugging into these resources and participating in the SECRET facebook group (so no one but the group members can see your posts), committing to the Beachbody 30 Day Challenge and crafting this into a promise to those you love, it's hard to fail.  I want you to succeed.  I want you to get healthy.  I want you to feel better.  So, what do you have to lose?  Just those inches and pounds.

Connect with me on facebook at the fitter Fitter

Resources:

View testimonials from people who succeeded in reaching their goals with Shakeology

View the Shakeology Program - the Shake, the Workouts, the Eating Plan

View the Recipes - think you'll suffer through the same boring shake day after day?  NO Way!

Connect with the fitter Fitter on Facebook - have burning questions?  Fire away!

Take the 30 Day Challenge - view details, winners and enter!