If you have tried P90X in any capacity, you know it's a tough and rigorous workout program. Kenpo X is one of the 12 workout DVD's that can be incredibly taxing and give you an awesome workout if you really bring the intensity.
Always looking to modify my workouts where I can, I chose to add in an off-ice agility drill for hockey into my Kenpo X routine. I do it during the "breaks" (which are harder than the regular routine :). I still do the 'jumping jacks' and 'X jumps' too.
Here's a link to the off ice training video (skip to 5:20 to see the drills performed)
Off Ice Agility Drills
Try it! Give it a few times and you'll be surprised how your agility improves.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Jack Canfield's 'The Success Principles' - Part 2
Still reading and getting tons of great information out of Jack Canfield's 'The Success Principles'. Here is part 2 in the ongoing series of entries!
The first principle talks about taking 100% responsibility for your life and all of it's outcomes. For some reason, when something goes wrong in our lives, we blame our parents, boss, the weather, economy, etc.
Taking 100% responsibility means you acknowledge that you create everything that happens to you. You have to give up blaming and complaining. "You have to take the position that you have always had the power to make it different, to get it right, to produce the desired result".
(E + R = O) or (Event + Response = Outcome) is a simple formula you can use to start transforming your outcomes to events in life. If you don't like your outcome, change your responses!
Example:
Event : Someone gives you $500
Response: You spend it on a night out
Outcome: You are broke
Event: Someone gives you $500
Response: You invest it
Outcome: You have increased your net worth
Every situation you enter today and onward, think about how you can or could've changed your responses to events to create the outcome you desire.
The chapter goes on about paying attention to your results, complaining to the wrong people and more. I highly recommend picking up this book. It will help you create a paradigm shift in your life. I am enjoying it immensely!
The first principle talks about taking 100% responsibility for your life and all of it's outcomes. For some reason, when something goes wrong in our lives, we blame our parents, boss, the weather, economy, etc.
Taking 100% responsibility means you acknowledge that you create everything that happens to you. You have to give up blaming and complaining. "You have to take the position that you have always had the power to make it different, to get it right, to produce the desired result".
(E + R = O) or (Event + Response = Outcome) is a simple formula you can use to start transforming your outcomes to events in life. If you don't like your outcome, change your responses!
Example:
Event : Someone gives you $500
Response: You spend it on a night out
Outcome: You are broke
Event: Someone gives you $500
Response: You invest it
Outcome: You have increased your net worth
Every situation you enter today and onward, think about how you can or could've changed your responses to events to create the outcome you desire.
The chapter goes on about paying attention to your results, complaining to the wrong people and more. I highly recommend picking up this book. It will help you create a paradigm shift in your life. I am enjoying it immensely!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Week 6 Pictures Are Here!
What a crazy six weeks! I am losing weight and gaining muscle at what seems like an accelerated pace right now. Think about 30 years of neglect and I am erasing it in a few months. You can click on the image for a bigger pic if you want to compare these with my week 1 pics.
Sorry for the sleepy Honey Badger look, I just woke up! Lol! It looks like a really bad mug shot in the last few. I am having fun coaching, losing weight and changing my life!
It just takes a commitment to achieve something better in your life. It's really not hard. You eat healthy, you exercise everyday, you get results. All I have is a small space, some free weights and a pull up bar. I eat right and I take Shakeology. I feel better, I have more energy and I am achieving other things in my life because this gives me confidence.
Speaking of easy:
*I am issuing a contest!*
Jason's "Eating Clean and Exercising" Contest! (best name I could come up with ;)
Here are the rules:
-The challenge lasts for 14 days starting Wednesday, June 22nd - Thursday, July 7th
-For 6 days out of every week, you have to exercise in SOME way (walking, biking, work out DVD's... something!)
-Also, you have to EAT CLEAN for 6 days out of the week (no alcohol at all for those 6 days... seriously) choose wisely for your "cheat day" because we do have a holiday coming up
- Eating clean is NO PROCESSED FOODS and no fatty, sugary crapola and NO ALCOHOL of any kind. If you need help with a clean eating guide, email me! I'm here to help.
- Everyday, YOU MUST send me an email with your name and what exercise you did, plus what you ate for the day TO STAY ELIGIBLE. For your two cheat days send me an email saying "cheat day".
- At the end of the contest, I will draw a winner, unless only one brave soul can make it through alive, and they will receive a PRIZE!!! (Yes... I know what the prize will be and yes, it's a nice prize!)
*Email me by Wednesday morning (jfowlerfitness@gmail.com), June 22nd at 8:00 am if you want to participate!
Sorry for the sleepy Honey Badger look, I just woke up! Lol! It looks like a really bad mug shot in the last few. I am having fun coaching, losing weight and changing my life!
It just takes a commitment to achieve something better in your life. It's really not hard. You eat healthy, you exercise everyday, you get results. All I have is a small space, some free weights and a pull up bar. I eat right and I take Shakeology. I feel better, I have more energy and I am achieving other things in my life because this gives me confidence.
*I am issuing a contest!*
Jason's "Eating Clean and Exercising" Contest! (best name I could come up with ;)
Here are the rules:
-The challenge lasts for 14 days starting Wednesday, June 22nd - Thursday, July 7th
-For 6 days out of every week, you have to exercise in SOME way (walking, biking, work out DVD's... something!)
-Also, you have to EAT CLEAN for 6 days out of the week (no alcohol at all for those 6 days... seriously) choose wisely for your "cheat day" because we do have a holiday coming up
- Eating clean is NO PROCESSED FOODS and no fatty, sugary crapola and NO ALCOHOL of any kind. If you need help with a clean eating guide, email me! I'm here to help.
- Everyday, YOU MUST send me an email with your name and what exercise you did, plus what you ate for the day TO STAY ELIGIBLE. For your two cheat days send me an email saying "cheat day".
- At the end of the contest, I will draw a winner, unless only one brave soul can make it through alive, and they will receive a PRIZE!!! (Yes... I know what the prize will be and yes, it's a nice prize!)
*Email me by Wednesday morning (jfowlerfitness@gmail.com), June 22nd at 8:00 am if you want to participate!
Friday, June 17, 2011
The Start of a Beautiful Relationship
As many of you know, I started a Beachbody coaching business. Everyday, I am rewarded by helping change people's lives, people who have questions about fitness that I can answer because I have been in their position. There is nothing I'd rather do than to help people change their expectations of themselves and realize anything is possible.
Well, I also get rewarded monetarily too! Over time, we will watch my business center grow. Here is the amount I made on my first sale (click on the pic for a larger version):
This $30 is what I like to call the 'first snowflake in the avalanche'. As I continue to work at it, my business will grow, I will change people's lives and if I can do this, anyone can! I mean, who doesn't want to earn a bit more income just from helping people reach their goals?
I'm so stoked :)
Well, I also get rewarded monetarily too! Over time, we will watch my business center grow. Here is the amount I made on my first sale (click on the pic for a larger version):
This $30 is what I like to call the 'first snowflake in the avalanche'. As I continue to work at it, my business will grow, I will change people's lives and if I can do this, anyone can! I mean, who doesn't want to earn a bit more income just from helping people reach their goals?
I'm so stoked :)
Newsflash... Soda Will Help Kill You
Not that this is a huge shock, but soda is incredibly bad for you. Here is a quick article from Yahoo! that details a few reasons why. This article is only accounting for one soda a day... I don't know anyone who only drinks one a day.
I stopped drinking sodas close to a year ago and I am so glad I did. I lost about 5 pounds in 2 weeks when I stopped and that was without exercise or a healthy diet. There is just soooo much sugar and high fructose corn syrup in sodas. Your body holds on to those sugars and burns them for fuel and not your body fat, because sugar burns easier and more quickly than fat.
Here is the article, oh and if you decide to keep drinking soda, have fun with your diabetes :P
What happens when you drink a soda everyday
I stopped drinking sodas close to a year ago and I am so glad I did. I lost about 5 pounds in 2 weeks when I stopped and that was without exercise or a healthy diet. There is just soooo much sugar and high fructose corn syrup in sodas. Your body holds on to those sugars and burns them for fuel and not your body fat, because sugar burns easier and more quickly than fat.
Here is the article, oh and if you decide to keep drinking soda, have fun with your diabetes :P
What happens when you drink a soda everyday
Monday, June 13, 2011
Jack Canfield's 'The Success Principles'
This is one post in a series of posts to follow in the future. I am reading the above book and I am finding it incredibly rewarding. It's a goal setting and affirmation book... a self-help, change your life book... you know, one of those books people avoid reading or don't take the time to look at.
Well, since becoming a coach for Beachbody, my coach recommended it to me. How can I say no to my own coach? I'm glad I didn't! Over the next few months I will post some of the exercises (mental not physical) and goals I have set for myself and we can all follow the progress and see what happens.
The first exercise I wanted to share was one I did that will help you find what your true meaning in this crazy world is. Here's how it's done and here is what I came up with for myself (please take the short time to do this, you might find out something incredible about yourself):
The Life Purpose Exercise:
1. List two of your unique personal qualities, such as enthusiastic and creative
2. List one or two ways you enjoy expressing those qualities when interacting with others, such as to support and to inspire
3. Assume the world is perfect right now. What does this world look like? How is everyone interacting with everyone else? What does it feel like? Write your answer in a statement, in the present tense, describing the ultimate condition, the perfect world as you see it and feel it. Remember, a perfect world is a fun place to be.
Example: Everyone is freely expressing their own unique talents. Everyone is working in harmony. Everyone is expressing love.
4. Combine the three prior subdivisions of this paragraph into a single statement:
Here was my Life Purpose Statement: My purpose in life is to enthusiastically inspire and lead people to reach their goals and follow their dreams, making them happy and and realize that if they do not quit, anything is possible.
Interesting! Now the hard part is to wake up everyday and say your Life Purpose Statement to yourself. I keep mine written down by my bedside and read it before I go to bed.
So my questions to all of you are this... are you following your Life Statement? If not, what's holding you back?
Well, since becoming a coach for Beachbody, my coach recommended it to me. How can I say no to my own coach? I'm glad I didn't! Over the next few months I will post some of the exercises (mental not physical) and goals I have set for myself and we can all follow the progress and see what happens.
The first exercise I wanted to share was one I did that will help you find what your true meaning in this crazy world is. Here's how it's done and here is what I came up with for myself (please take the short time to do this, you might find out something incredible about yourself):
The Life Purpose Exercise:
1. List two of your unique personal qualities, such as enthusiastic and creative
2. List one or two ways you enjoy expressing those qualities when interacting with others, such as to support and to inspire
3. Assume the world is perfect right now. What does this world look like? How is everyone interacting with everyone else? What does it feel like? Write your answer in a statement, in the present tense, describing the ultimate condition, the perfect world as you see it and feel it. Remember, a perfect world is a fun place to be.
Example: Everyone is freely expressing their own unique talents. Everyone is working in harmony. Everyone is expressing love.
4. Combine the three prior subdivisions of this paragraph into a single statement:
Here was my Life Purpose Statement: My purpose in life is to enthusiastically inspire and lead people to reach their goals and follow their dreams, making them happy and and realize that if they do not quit, anything is possible.
Interesting! Now the hard part is to wake up everyday and say your Life Purpose Statement to yourself. I keep mine written down by my bedside and read it before I go to bed.
So my questions to all of you are this... are you following your Life Statement? If not, what's holding you back?
Does Processed Food Make You Fat?
A quick look at this article may help to answer that question for you. I know for a fact that when I cut out all processed food from my diet, I started to lose weight and gain muscle with an exercise program.
Especially interesting is the part on carbohydrates. It explains why when you eat processed foods, you feel hungry more quickly, which leads to eating more, which leads to weight gain. Here is the excerpt:
Here is the link to the full article (only one page long): Does Processed Food Make You Fat?
Especially interesting is the part on carbohydrates. It explains why when you eat processed foods, you feel hungry more quickly, which leads to eating more, which leads to weight gain. Here is the excerpt:
Carbohydrates
Processed foods are often high in simple carbohydrates that are easily digested. These simple carbohydrates can contribute to weight gain because they are turned into sugar by your body and can make you feel more hungry. Most complex carbohydrates can regulate your blood sugar to regulate hunger and aid in weight-loss by providing plenty of fiber to your body. Fiber keeps you feeling fuller longer and also prevents constipation. Skip the white flour breads and white rice -- instead enjoy whole grain breads and oats, brown rice and beans.
Here is the link to the full article (only one page long): Does Processed Food Make You Fat?
Monday, June 6, 2011
Shakeology Review
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Shakeology product, here is a quick review to show why I have fallen in love with it!
"You eat like a 2nd grader" was the line Carl Daikeler's wife said to him when she saw how unhealthy he was eating. Those are strong words to tell the CEO of Beachbody, a fitness business that made $400 million in revenue in 2010.
So, Carl set out on a quest to create a product that was all inclusive and he succeeded greatly in my opinion with Shakeology, a meal replacement drink from Beachbody that includes tons of awesome ingredients.
Shakeology has 70+ ingredients in just one shake a day. These include vitamins, minerals, whey protein, quinoa, a super-fruit blend, maca powder, wheatgrass, phytonutrients, antioxidants, prebioics... on and on and on! All of these combined are designed to help you lose weight and increase your energy. It's also gluten free and caffiene free.
Check out this cool video about the making of Shakeology if you get the chance:
Where do Shakeology Ingredients Come From?
My favorite part of the product though, is the fact that I know I am getting all the nutrition I need with one Shakeology shake and a balanced diet of fruits, veggies, carbs and proteins.
I got to a point where I was frustrated with my results and I kept blaming it on not knowing if I was getting all of my nutritional needs. Well, since being on Shakeology for close to two weeks, I have lost weight and I don't question myself about nutrition anymore.
Here's a look at what you get with your order of Shakeology:
1. You can get the product in a plastic tub or individual packets. I enjoy the individual packets. I can take them to work and share them with friends. You can get a chocolate flavor or a berry flavor. I like the chocolate!
2. You get a handy calendar with recipes for everyday of the month. One side is for the chocolate flavor, the other is for the berry flavor.
3. You get some handy brochures with the ingredients and benefits listed on it. This is a great tool if you want to share information with a friend.
4. And...you get two workout DVD's! One is a 30 minute workout and one is a 50 minute workout. If you aren't already on a fitness program you get one with it. Great idea!
My only gripe with the product is that everything with wheatgrass in it seems to have a bad aftertaste. Shakeology does as well. Now, the chocolate flavor is incredibly good and the wheatgrass aftertaste is minimal, but I can still taste it. It's a bitter taste that I am not a fan of. My wife, on the other hand, never notices it and never complains about it.
So what I did is add a scoop of vanilla protein powder with it, mix it with water and boom! The aftertaste was completely gone :)
I have heard some complaints about the price. At $120 for a month's supply, it is not exactly cheap. Considering, however, that it is a meal replacement shake and it would cost you about $40 a day if you were to just eat all the stuff in the shake, it is more than worth the price per month. For $4 a day you can get all of your nutrition and more in one shake. That's less than a crappy burger and fries at a fast food joint.
Overall, I am losing weight with Shakeology, gaining energy, not questioning my nutrition and am very satisfied with the product. I would give it 4.5 dumbbells out of 5! It's definitely worth the money and I know it will help anyone looking to lose weight and fix their nutrition.
If you have any additional questions about Shakeology please email me at: jfowlerfitness@gmail.com
If you'd like to purchase it (with a 30 day money back guarantee you'll dig it) follow my Beachbody site here:
http://myshakeology.com/jfowlerfitness
"You eat like a 2nd grader" was the line Carl Daikeler's wife said to him when she saw how unhealthy he was eating. Those are strong words to tell the CEO of Beachbody, a fitness business that made $400 million in revenue in 2010.
So, Carl set out on a quest to create a product that was all inclusive and he succeeded greatly in my opinion with Shakeology, a meal replacement drink from Beachbody that includes tons of awesome ingredients.
Shakeology has 70+ ingredients in just one shake a day. These include vitamins, minerals, whey protein, quinoa, a super-fruit blend, maca powder, wheatgrass, phytonutrients, antioxidants, prebioics... on and on and on! All of these combined are designed to help you lose weight and increase your energy. It's also gluten free and caffiene free.
Check out this cool video about the making of Shakeology if you get the chance:
Where do Shakeology Ingredients Come From?
My favorite part of the product though, is the fact that I know I am getting all the nutrition I need with one Shakeology shake and a balanced diet of fruits, veggies, carbs and proteins.
I got to a point where I was frustrated with my results and I kept blaming it on not knowing if I was getting all of my nutritional needs. Well, since being on Shakeology for close to two weeks, I have lost weight and I don't question myself about nutrition anymore.
Here's a look at what you get with your order of Shakeology:
1. You can get the product in a plastic tub or individual packets. I enjoy the individual packets. I can take them to work and share them with friends. You can get a chocolate flavor or a berry flavor. I like the chocolate!
2. You get a handy calendar with recipes for everyday of the month. One side is for the chocolate flavor, the other is for the berry flavor.
3. You get some handy brochures with the ingredients and benefits listed on it. This is a great tool if you want to share information with a friend.
4. And...you get two workout DVD's! One is a 30 minute workout and one is a 50 minute workout. If you aren't already on a fitness program you get one with it. Great idea!
My only gripe with the product is that everything with wheatgrass in it seems to have a bad aftertaste. Shakeology does as well. Now, the chocolate flavor is incredibly good and the wheatgrass aftertaste is minimal, but I can still taste it. It's a bitter taste that I am not a fan of. My wife, on the other hand, never notices it and never complains about it.
So what I did is add a scoop of vanilla protein powder with it, mix it with water and boom! The aftertaste was completely gone :)
I have heard some complaints about the price. At $120 for a month's supply, it is not exactly cheap. Considering, however, that it is a meal replacement shake and it would cost you about $40 a day if you were to just eat all the stuff in the shake, it is more than worth the price per month. For $4 a day you can get all of your nutrition and more in one shake. That's less than a crappy burger and fries at a fast food joint.
Overall, I am losing weight with Shakeology, gaining energy, not questioning my nutrition and am very satisfied with the product. I would give it 4.5 dumbbells out of 5! It's definitely worth the money and I know it will help anyone looking to lose weight and fix their nutrition.
If you have any additional questions about Shakeology please email me at: jfowlerfitness@gmail.com
If you'd like to purchase it (with a 30 day money back guarantee you'll dig it) follow my Beachbody site here:
http://myshakeology.com/jfowlerfitness
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Week 4 of P90X Pictures!
Here they are! As promised! Week 4 of my P90X pictures.
Compare these to week 1:
Wow I can see some great changes so far. My belly is down quite a bit! That makes me really happy. I actually have some bicep action going on and I've never had a very strong upper body. Plus, it's hard to see in the pics but I do have the beginnings of some abs!
It's crazy that in 30 days you can change so much. I mean, 30 years of neglect will be erased in just a matter of months.
What do you think?
Compare these to week 1:
Wow I can see some great changes so far. My belly is down quite a bit! That makes me really happy. I actually have some bicep action going on and I've never had a very strong upper body. Plus, it's hard to see in the pics but I do have the beginnings of some abs!
It's crazy that in 30 days you can change so much. I mean, 30 years of neglect will be erased in just a matter of months.
What do you think?
I Hope This Motivates Him
Recently I was scouring the Beachbody website for information when a post from the forums popped up on the front of the homepage. I read the gentleman's post and felt compelled to try and help. I really hope it does. Here is what he wrote and my response... I hope maybe someone will read this one day and although it is a short response, I feel like it has a good message.
Here is his message:
I started the p90x doubles program on April 14. I have been very diligent, eating only healthy foods and protein drinks(doing 2400 calories and 200g protein) and I found myself a trainer to help me with the program. Today is day 45, the halfway point and the results are disappointing. My body fat is only slightly lower. My shoulder size has barely gone up from 48 to 48.5 in 45 days. And visually it seems like a marginal improvement.
I am ready, determined and willing to make whatever changes that I would need to. But am not sure what I am doing wrong at the moment
Here is my response:
Yo! I sent you a buddy invite and I hope you accept
Man, I know how the frustration can get to you. I am the same way. I am an athletic person and I want to see results NOW, lol! Here's the deal, you can get frustrated, quit and go back to being out of shape and not fit. Or you can keep going, trying, pushing play and i know you can reach your goals!
Here's what I did to keep me motivated. I became a coach! Even though I am just starting. I wanted to tell myself "I have to keep working because people depend on me". Maybe that's an idea for you?
Are you on Shakeology? I started noticing results quickly after getting on it. It's got all of the things your body needs to recover quickly from intense exercise and gives you all the nutrition you need.
Quicker muscle recovery + better nutrition = stronger muscles!
Man, I hope this helps you and I DON'T WANT YOU TO QUIT!!!
That's the goal! Keep pushing play... keep pushing play!
Here is his message:
I started the p90x doubles program on April 14. I have been very diligent, eating only healthy foods and protein drinks(doing 2400 calories and 200g protein) and I found myself a trainer to help me with the program. Today is day 45, the halfway point and the results are disappointing. My body fat is only slightly lower. My shoulder size has barely gone up from 48 to 48.5 in 45 days. And visually it seems like a marginal improvement.
I am ready, determined and willing to make whatever changes that I would need to. But am not sure what I am doing wrong at the moment
Here is my response:
Yo! I sent you a buddy invite and I hope you accept
Man, I know how the frustration can get to you. I am the same way. I am an athletic person and I want to see results NOW, lol! Here's the deal, you can get frustrated, quit and go back to being out of shape and not fit. Or you can keep going, trying, pushing play and i know you can reach your goals!
Here's what I did to keep me motivated. I became a coach! Even though I am just starting. I wanted to tell myself "I have to keep working because people depend on me". Maybe that's an idea for you?
Are you on Shakeology? I started noticing results quickly after getting on it. It's got all of the things your body needs to recover quickly from intense exercise and gives you all the nutrition you need.
Quicker muscle recovery + better nutrition = stronger muscles!
Man, I hope this helps you and I DON'T WANT YOU TO QUIT!!!
That's the goal! Keep pushing play... keep pushing play!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Sharing With Others
One of my friends recently asked some questions about eating healthy and what foods they could buy at the local grocer that would help get them started on the right path. I wanted to share that information on my blog because when I read back through the email I thought there was some very good information that others might want to know.
That's one of my goals with this road I am travelling down. I want to share my knowledge, struggles and successes with everyone so it makes it easier for them to reach their own fitness goals.
It really gives my joy when I share something with someone and it benefits them in a positive way. So here is what was in the email we shared. I hope maybe someone reads it and it gets them started on the right path:
*First question was about caloric intake. They thought they were "cutting enough calories out" to lose weight, but that is far from the goal when losing weight and building a healthy body. Second question was about buying better foods in the local grocery chains*
Here is an idea of what I eat on a daily basis. I shoot for a mix of protein, fruit and veg everyday and mix it up. If you go to http://www.livestrong.com/
Whey you see "Shakeology", that is Beachbody's meal replacement shake that I have been talking about. It's incredible! Great thing about Shakeology, it takes the guesswork out of your nutrition. One shake a day and BOOM you've got all of the vitamins and stuff you need. Then you don't second guess your nutrition.
Daily idea of what I eat (this was last Tuesday):
Breakfast (6:30 am):
Shakeology (70 vitamins, minerals and super foods) with a scoop of protein powder
*Work Out:
Snack (9:15 ish):
Orange
Lunch (11:45 ish):
Naanwich (love the name!) It's a frozen meal. A flat bread with shredded chicken from wholefoods with Indian spices.
*Then throughout the afternoon I snack on almonds, raisins, maybe a protein bar, etc.
Snack (2:00 ish):
Handful of almonds
Snack again (more like an early meal at 4:00 ish):
Turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with a piece of provolone.
Then another snack, lol!
Then dinner around 7. I think we had spaghetti (whole wheat, unbleached pasta... sauce with no preservatives). Then I try not to eat 3 hours before bed so my body burns fat and not the sugars and carbs from a meal I just ate when I sleep.
NOW here's the light bulb... I ate a little over 2,400 calories! I am losing weight and gaining muscle... wait till you see my week 4 pics, the weight loss is impressive! I am posting them soon :)
So make sure to eat enough calories if you are on an intense fitness program
It's easy to calculate your daily calorie needs on the website I gave you above, or I can do it for you with some info!
________________
OK on to things at the grocery you can start buying that will help you shift your eating.
1. If you can, buy organic. Non-organic products have a lot of additives and preservatives. The problem with fruit and veggies is that the non-organic ones have a lot of pesticides and stuff on them (yuck!)
2. Look for bread and bakery items without "high fructose corn syrup" in the ingredients... it's easy to spot cause it's usually the first or second ingredient. A lot of breads now are moving to all natural and will put "NO HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!" Right on the front. Also, buy wheat or even better whole grain breads. DON'T BUY WHITE BREAD!!! What makes it white is on the ingredients: BLEACH! It says "enriched bleached flour" right in the ingredients Yuck. might as well drink some bleach while you do laundry :(
3. cut out cokes and soft drinks. Again, it has high fructose corn syrup. If you don't know what high fructose corn syrup is, it's corn that they heat at 1,000 degrees until it's some gelatinous gooey syrup crap and then they put it into EVERY DARN PRODUCT they can think of... instead of just putting sugar in it. Just plain old sugar. Sugar's not bad for you in certain amounts, but high fructose corn syrup is terrible. The reason they use it is because it's a preservative and they can put a product on the shelf for 5 years instead of 6 months with simple, naturally occurring in nature, sugar.
4. meats: Cut out red meat (you won't miss it) eat turkey and chicken and fish. When you shop just read the packages. There's a brand now at local grocery stores (think it's Perdue) that is making the shift to chicken and turkey with no preservatives and no hormones. Yes, chicken companies give chickens steroids and hormones to grow them bigger, then they feed that crap to us. So just look on the package for "No preservatives" and "No HMO" or "Not fed hormones" etc. Fish usually reads "farmed using sustainable methods" or something like that. That way it doesn't have a ton of mercury in it.
Hope this helps! So... eat enough calories (email me if you want me to calculate it for you, I have a guide in the P90X book. and remember these things when shopping (and yes it will frustrate you because at first it seems like everything has high fructose corn syrup in it, hence, obese America):
1. Buy organic
2. no High Fructose Corn Syrup
3. No soft drinks (we will work on beer later)
4. Cut out red meat. Buy turkey and chicken with no hormones or preservatives.
And if you need quick meals for work, go to the "Nature" section at your grocer and look for Kashi brand meals (or Amy's). Kashi meals are good and are all natural with no preservatives or anything added. You can usually find them for $3.77-$4.50
Hope this helps and hope to hear from you soon!
Jason Fowler
Independent Beachbody Coach
www.beachbodycoach.com/
http://myshakeology.com/
That's one of my goals with this road I am travelling down. I want to share my knowledge, struggles and successes with everyone so it makes it easier for them to reach their own fitness goals.
It really gives my joy when I share something with someone and it benefits them in a positive way. So here is what was in the email we shared. I hope maybe someone reads it and it gets them started on the right path:
*First question was about caloric intake. They thought they were "cutting enough calories out" to lose weight, but that is far from the goal when losing weight and building a healthy body. Second question was about buying better foods in the local grocery chains*
Here is an idea of what I eat on a daily basis. I shoot for a mix of protein, fruit and veg everyday and mix it up. If you go to http://www.livestrong.com/
Whey you see "Shakeology", that is Beachbody's meal replacement shake that I have been talking about. It's incredible! Great thing about Shakeology, it takes the guesswork out of your nutrition. One shake a day and BOOM you've got all of the vitamins and stuff you need. Then you don't second guess your nutrition.
Daily idea of what I eat (this was last Tuesday):
Breakfast (6:30 am):
Shakeology (70 vitamins, minerals and super foods) with a scoop of protein powder
*Work Out:
Snack (9:15 ish):
Orange
Lunch (11:45 ish):
Naanwich (love the name!) It's a frozen meal. A flat bread with shredded chicken from wholefoods with Indian spices.
*Then throughout the afternoon I snack on almonds, raisins, maybe a protein bar, etc.
Snack (2:00 ish):
Handful of almonds
Snack again (more like an early meal at 4:00 ish):
Turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with a piece of provolone.
Then another snack, lol!
Then dinner around 7. I think we had spaghetti (whole wheat, unbleached pasta... sauce with no preservatives). Then I try not to eat 3 hours before bed so my body burns fat and not the sugars and carbs from a meal I just ate when I sleep.
NOW here's the light bulb... I ate a little over 2,400 calories! I am losing weight and gaining muscle... wait till you see my week 4 pics, the weight loss is impressive! I am posting them soon :)
So make sure to eat enough calories if you are on an intense fitness program
It's easy to calculate your daily calorie needs on the website I gave you above, or I can do it for you with some info!
________________
OK on to things at the grocery you can start buying that will help you shift your eating.
1. If you can, buy organic. Non-organic products have a lot of additives and preservatives. The problem with fruit and veggies is that the non-organic ones have a lot of pesticides and stuff on them (yuck!)
2. Look for bread and bakery items without "high fructose corn syrup" in the ingredients... it's easy to spot cause it's usually the first or second ingredient. A lot of breads now are moving to all natural and will put "NO HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!" Right on the front. Also, buy wheat or even better whole grain breads. DON'T BUY WHITE BREAD!!! What makes it white is on the ingredients: BLEACH! It says "enriched bleached flour" right in the ingredients Yuck. might as well drink some bleach while you do laundry :(
3. cut out cokes and soft drinks. Again, it has high fructose corn syrup. If you don't know what high fructose corn syrup is, it's corn that they heat at 1,000 degrees until it's some gelatinous gooey syrup crap and then they put it into EVERY DARN PRODUCT they can think of... instead of just putting sugar in it. Just plain old sugar. Sugar's not bad for you in certain amounts, but high fructose corn syrup is terrible. The reason they use it is because it's a preservative and they can put a product on the shelf for 5 years instead of 6 months with simple, naturally occurring in nature, sugar.
4. meats: Cut out red meat (you won't miss it) eat turkey and chicken and fish. When you shop just read the packages. There's a brand now at local grocery stores (think it's Perdue) that is making the shift to chicken and turkey with no preservatives and no hormones. Yes, chicken companies give chickens steroids and hormones to grow them bigger, then they feed that crap to us. So just look on the package for "No preservatives" and "No HMO" or "Not fed hormones" etc. Fish usually reads "farmed using sustainable methods" or something like that. That way it doesn't have a ton of mercury in it.
Hope this helps! So... eat enough calories (email me if you want me to calculate it for you, I have a guide in the P90X book. and remember these things when shopping (and yes it will frustrate you because at first it seems like everything has high fructose corn syrup in it, hence, obese America):
1. Buy organic
2. no High Fructose Corn Syrup
3. No soft drinks (we will work on beer later)
4. Cut out red meat. Buy turkey and chicken with no hormones or preservatives.
And if you need quick meals for work, go to the "Nature" section at your grocer and look for Kashi brand meals (or Amy's). Kashi meals are good and are all natural with no preservatives or anything added. You can usually find them for $3.77-$4.50
Hope this helps and hope to hear from you soon!
Jason Fowler
Independent Beachbody Coach
www.beachbodycoach.com/
http://myshakeology.com/
Thursday, June 2, 2011
"Before" Pictures are Evil!
Hello everyone,
Well... the day has come. I am going to post my "before" pictures. This is where I started out at. I am taking pictures every two weeks so you can see the progress and to help me stay motivated.
It's amazing how much better I feel now compared to the pictures you see below. It's a process. It's not slow, but it doesn't happen overnight either.
Let's get it over with! This first set of pictures is from my first day, 5/8/2011. This is the day of starting my clean eating and P90X... look how happy I am :(
Had enough yet? Is it like a horror movie?
OK, the next set is from two weeks later. I am STILL unhappy because I felt like I should've seen some more improvements. But I keep going and when I take my four week pictures at the end of this week, I think you'll notice quite a difference!
So here's my two week pictures:
You can see my moobs (man boobies) are a bit reduced and my biceps are changing a little. But I didn't let it frustrate me for long. I picked myself up and kept going!
Remember, like Tony Horton says in p90X "Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was your body."
That's it for now! I can't wait to take my four week pictures here in a couple days. I have been on Shakeology for a few days now and I think it's really helping to give me all of my daily nutrients and a bunch of extra awesome stuff and it's contributing to my quick weight loss.
Remember... keep pushing play!
Well... the day has come. I am going to post my "before" pictures. This is where I started out at. I am taking pictures every two weeks so you can see the progress and to help me stay motivated.
It's amazing how much better I feel now compared to the pictures you see below. It's a process. It's not slow, but it doesn't happen overnight either.
Let's get it over with! This first set of pictures is from my first day, 5/8/2011. This is the day of starting my clean eating and P90X... look how happy I am :(
Had enough yet? Is it like a horror movie?
OK, the next set is from two weeks later. I am STILL unhappy because I felt like I should've seen some more improvements. But I keep going and when I take my four week pictures at the end of this week, I think you'll notice quite a difference!
So here's my two week pictures:
You can see my moobs (man boobies) are a bit reduced and my biceps are changing a little. But I didn't let it frustrate me for long. I picked myself up and kept going!
Remember, like Tony Horton says in p90X "Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was your body."
That's it for now! I can't wait to take my four week pictures here in a couple days. I have been on Shakeology for a few days now and I think it's really helping to give me all of my daily nutrients and a bunch of extra awesome stuff and it's contributing to my quick weight loss.
Remember... keep pushing play!
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